《Library of Heaven's Path》 Chapter 1: Swindler Chapter 1: Swindler Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Swindler! Great swindler!" An enraged roar can be heard and the sound of footsteps on a bluestone pavement by someone escaping could be heard. Zhang Xuan stretches out his both hands helpless, "I am not a swindler, I am a teacher of the academy... I only want to make you my student! Besides that, do you have to add a great while saying that I am a swindler? You make it sound as though I am some unpardonable criminal..." After he finishes his muttering, he recalls the words of the director, "This is the 17th one already! If I still fail to find a student today, I would have to pack up and leave tomorrow!" Zhang Xuan isnt a person from this world, but an ordinary librarian of a high school. He only remembers the zing mes and then... There is no more then. When he woke up, he was already in this world. This world is just like the ones depicted in novels, the path of martial arts is respected and the strong reigns! Initially, he thought that after traversing, he would be a useless talent and end up rejected by his fiancee. Afterward, he would strike back, pping them in their face, and his life would proceed smoothly from then on... Looks like he had overthought it. After arriving here, he realized that he isnt a student but a... teacher! The most pathetic teacher in the entire academy! The lectures of other people are always overflowing with people that many people who find themselves without seats. On the other hand, there isnt a single person in his ss. It was difficult for him to rope in a few students but they ended upbeling him as a swindler and escaped! As for the reason, ignoring the fact that the fellow whose body got took over by him was the weakest teacher in the entire campus and his inability to pick out talents, the crux of it all is that... he even misguided a student, causing his cultivation to go berserk! This was just like having a dead patient under your record! His reputation went down and he was despised by everyone else. Even the new students chose to stay away from him, afraid that they would end up in the same situation if they were to fall into his clutches. A bad track record and hisck of students caused him to be ranked as the first from the bottom in the entire academy for the Teacher Qualification Examinationst year. He even got the first and only zero marks in the entire history of the academy. Depressed, he used alcohol to drown his sorrows. In the end, just as he wished, he died, providing an opportunity for Zhang Xuan to leap over. At the start of a new term, the academy issued an ultimatum to him. If he were to be unable to recruit a single student to his lessons by this year, his qualifications as a teacher would be revoked! Today, there were already 17 new students who passed by his ssroom. In the end, the moment they heard his name, every one of them ran away, as though a youngdy meeting a strange uncle, running as far as their feet could take them. "Looks like I have to look for a way to coax one of them!" As he is still thinking about how he should rope someone in, he sees the head of a girl with a dazed expression at the entrance. "May I ask if this is the ssroom of Teacher Lu Xun?" She has a cute and elegant appearance, not to mention her sweet voice. Teacher Lu Xun is the academys star teacher. His lessons are always packed and innumerable people chose toe to the academy due to his fame. "I will take her!" Seeing someone walking into his trap, Zhang Xuans eyes light up. Recalling all kinds of methods to act cool from his previous life, he sits quietly on his chair and poses like an enlightened expert, "You want to be his student?" The young girl nods her head furiously as admiration appears in her pitch-ck pupils, "I have heard that Teacher Lu Xun is the most incredible teacher in Hongtian Academy. All of the students he taught are extraordinary and joining his ss is an honor in itself!" "Rumors may not reflect the truth. Teachers are just like shoes, what is important is whether it fits or not! No matter how well he lectures, if the theories are not suited to the skills you are practicing, not only will you find it hard to advance, your strength might even regress! Even if a teacher isnt well-known, if his theories harmonize with yours, you can still improve swiftly and your cultivation will rise exponentially!" "Is that so... I have also heard my elder brother saying such words before!" The young girl ponders for a moment, uncertainty appearing in her beautiful eyes. "However, I dont know what kind of lessons would suit me!" Seeing that she is on the hook, Zhang Xuans eyes light up. He hesitates for a moment as great sages like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels shes through one after another in his mind. He feigns a look of difficulty and says, "Our meeting could be considered as destiny as well. How about this, I am also a teacher of this academy. I will help you take a look at your bones, talents and personality and rmend a suitable teacher for you!" "Then I will trouble you, mister!" She didnt expect that a teacher she met so casually would be so amodating. The girl immediately nods her excitedly. "Disy your cultivation first!" Zhang Xuans eyes are half-open, putting on a look as though this doesnt bother him in any way. "Yes!" Huuuuuuuuuuu! In a short moment, the entire room whistles from the shockwave of her punch. Wave after wave of spiritual energy swims around the body of the girl. For her spiritual energy to gather instead of dispersing, not to mention powerful but hidden, this shows that she has a great foundation. "Alright, I can tell that you have been training diligently and arduously. Your foundations are solid and your talent is top-notch. You are a hard-toe-by genius!" After she finishes a punching routine, Zhang Xuan nods his head in satisfaction. He is imitating the fortune tellers from earth. His words are slippery with a great range of interpretation. The ones listening are unable to find a w with his words and instead, they will be shocked by how urate hisments are. "Especially the strength on your legs, they are just like a coiling dragon. Every movement is just like the raging waters, full of strength. As long as you were to train hard in the future, you would surely have a bright future..." "Teacher, my leg is injured. The physician said that it is as good as crippled..." The girl interrupts his monologue with a look of suspicion in his eyes. "Injured..." Zhang Xuans face turns red. However, he is thick-skinned, so others cant really tell. He continues to bullshit, "Do you think that I cant tell? I knew it from the moment you exerted your strength! The reason why I said it is because... Through destruction will there be rebirth! Although your leg is injured, you were unexpectedly blessed with an opportunity that no one else expected. As long as you grasp it properly, your legwork will be your greatest strength! Others can only look on with envy!" Anyway, he is just coaxing her. If he can convince her with bullshit, he will bullshit. The important thing is to get a disciple over to him first. "Opportunity? Teacher, what kind of opportunity is it?" The girls eyes lit up. After her leg was injured, she had always felt that she was inferior to others, causing her to have low self-esteem. She didnt expect to stumble on a fortune due to such a mishap. "This opportunity can allow you to soar to the top in one go. It wont be difficult for you to be the top of the freshmen. After all, your talents are extraordinary, a genius that has yet to appear in history. However..." Zhang Xuans words go on and on. All he is short of now is to take out a Buddhas Palm manual. TL: Kungfu Hustle Upon hearing that she is a genius capable of bing the first among the freshmen, the girls face blushes furiously and continues questioning, "However what?" "However..." Zhang Xuan sighs. It is a sighmenting that a talent is about to be buried in dirt. "The teachers who are able to spot such an opportunity dont number many in this academy! Including me, there are only three. The other two has already stopped epting students from three years ago, so... It would be difficult for me to ask them as well..." "Stopped epting students?" Initially, the girl had high hopes for it but after hearing those words, her expression turns gloomy. Then, she seems to recall something suddenly and says, "They arent epting students but teacher, are you... epting?" "Of course I am. Just that, you can also tell, I am indifferent to fame and fortune and I dont have much time to spare as well!" A look of difficulty appears on Zhang Xuans face. "If it isnt a good jade, I wont ept it easily even if our paths cross..." Putong! Before he can finish his words, the girl kneels onto the floor and bows, "I know that mister is noble, but please ept me as your student! I will train diligently so as to not embarrass you!" A surge of joy rushes into Zhang Xuans heart, though his face still maintains a look of difficulty, "There is destiny between us, just that... You can also tell, I like peace..." "As your student, I promise to never interrupt teacher unless it is an emergency!" Seeing that he is a little unwilling, the girl immediately nods her head with a sincere look on her face. "I dont have many students, so the resources I have cannot bepared to other teachers. Also, you might be criticized by others..." Zhang Xuan continues. "Is that so... I have heard that training resources are important..." The girl hesitates. The amount of resources a teacher ims from the academy is rted to the number of his students, their results and numerous other factors. Without sufficient resources, it is difficult to advance ahead in ones cultivation. "Cough cough, I only said that to test you. Since you are determined and sincere in acknowledging me as your master, I will reluctantly ept you!" Looking at her signs of hesitation, Zhang Xuan interrupts her and says, "Your identity card!" "So... so quickly?" She didnt expect that the teacher would change his face as quickly as flipping the page of a book. The girl is slightly surprised as she grasps the token passed over by Zhang Xuan which represents his identity. Just as she is considering whether she should affirm the rtionship, she sees the reticent Teacher Zhang pull her hand over and cuts it with a sharp dagger. A drop of blood falls on the jade token. Weng! Light shes. "Ah...." The girl is a little dumbfounded. Didnt the teacher say that he has to consider carefully about it? Indifferent to fame and fortune, was it? Why is his movement so fast and... even the dagger was prepared beforehand? "From now on, you are my student!" After the verification through blood, Zhang Xuan heaves a sigh of relief. Then, he continues to assume his image as a unworldly expert, "What is your name?" "Teacher, I am called Wang Ying!" Knowing that her decision cannot be revoked, the girl doesnt say anything else and nods her head. "Un, take your identity token to im your bedding and your books. Also, look for your lodging while youre at it! We shall begin lessons tomorrow. Meet me here!" Zhang Xuan flicks his hand. "Yes!" Wang Ying nods her head and turns around to leave. "Huu! I have sessfully coaxed one in!" After confirming that she is his student, Zhang Xuan heaves a sigh of relief and smiles. It really isnt an easy task. If it wasnt for the techniques in acting cool that he learned from the inte, it would be hard for him to seed today. With one student, he will be able to avoid the misfortune of being expelled. Zhang Xuan feels the burden on his heart disappearing. In a moment, his spirit feels much more rxed. The obsession that was lingering in his brain disappears gradually. "Rest easy, now that I am in your body, I will live properly in your stead!" The previous Zhang Xuan died because he was unable to recruit students, so he held strong regrets in this world. Now that there is a student under him, his final obsession disappears. At this moment, Zhang Xuan could be considered to finally gainplete control over this body. Boom! After gaining full control of this body, Zhang Xuan wants to continue coaxing a few more students over. However, he suddenly feels a tremor in his head as he hears a sound of ancient bells striking in his head. "The heaven and earth are callous, treating all beings like dogs..." "The sun sets and the moon wanes, an imperfection appears in the heaven and earth..." Boom! All kind of profound adages shocked him giddy. Following which, a giant pce appears before him in his head. On it, four words glow brightly. Library of Heavens Path! Opening the door, he walks in. Countless bookshelves stand tall and mighty with all kinds of books on them. The end cant be seen at a single nce. "Could this be the gift pack for transcenders? A library? Damn it, I was a librarian my previous life. It cant be that I would still be the same in this world as well!" The gift packs of others are old grandfathers, systems or all kinds of overpowered items. Yet, my gift pack is a library? Zhang Xuan could feel the sight before him turning dark and he almost faints. Library? For what? It cant be that in my future fights when other people are throwing swords at me, I would be throwing books? "Let me see what books are those." Feeling helpless, Zhang Xuan reaches out to grab a book from a bookshelf so as to determine the purpose of this library. However, when he stretches out, his hand passes through the bookshelf, causing him to grab thin air. "Are you ying with me? Giving me a library yet preventing me from grabbing and reading any book, what exactly do you want?" Zhang Xuan is speechless. An urge to cry overwhelms him but no tears fall out. TL note: Emperor Haotian is a supreme deity of the Han tribe who governs everything under the teachings of Confucianism Chapter 2: Shameless Chapter 2: Shameless Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex After looking around for awhile longer, Zhang Xuan realizes that all of the books in the library are just like the moon reflected in the water, it is impossible to retrieve them from the shelves. Thus, he loses interest and his consciousness retreats from his mind. "Time to eat lunch. After lunch, I will think of a way to coax another two more." Looking out the window, it seems to be around noon. Out of the 18 students who came by in the morning, he only managed to get one of them to join him. His eptance rate is really quite low. He cant continue at this pace in the afternoon. No matter what, he is a transcender. If he is unable to dupe those from the ancient era, how could he proudly say that he came from a world in the age of information? Stretching his back, he walks out of the lecture hall towards the canteen. Just like the high schools from his previous life, the Hongtian Academys canteen is ratherrge. Its size is sufficient to allow more than ten thousand students eat in it concurrently. After sessfully recruiting a student, his mood lifted. Thus, he orders a few more side dishes and sits by the corner to enjoy his meal. "Isnt that Teacher Zhang?" While he is eating happily, a voice sounds out. Lifting his head, he sees a young man gazing at him with a smiling face. His face didnt have a hint of warmth and instead, he emits the feeling of a fake smile. "Teacher Cao?" Zhang Xuan recognizes him. Teacher Caos full name is Cao Xiong. He joined the academy along with him. He likes topare achievements with others and make use of it as a tool to inte his ego. The previous owner of the body couldnt take insults, thats why he drunk to his death. This fellow definitely yed a big role in exerting such pressure on him. "Today, the freshmen are reporting at the academy to choose their teachers. How is your recruitment going? Judging by how you still have the mood to be eating here, it should be not bad! Look, these are the students that I have recruited, a total of 12 of them. I am here to bring them for a meal before stationing them at their living quarters!" Teacher Cao has a look of superiority on his face. He points to the back as he brags openly. No doubts about it, he is here to brag. There isnt any grudge between Zhang Xuan and him. However, since they came into the academy at the same time, it is hard to avoidparisons between the two of them. Thus, he often made use of him to make himself feel superior. A bunch of youths follows behind him. Every of them has a lively expression on their face as they are curious about the new things here. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you all. This is Teacher Zhang, a celebrity in our academy. He is the very first teacher to score a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination since the inception of our academy! He created history!" Teacher Cao introduces to the crowd. "Zero marks in the Teacher Qualification Examination?" "Ah, I have heard of it when I was on the way here. A student he taught went into a frenzy and was almost crippled!" "I have heard of it as well. Quite a few people have told me before I came to not choose him as my teacher. Otherwise, not only will I not be able to cultivate, it is also equal to suicide!" "I didnt expect that he would be the one. To think that he has such a kind face!" ... Hearing Cao Xiongs introduction, amotion breaks out among the students. There are many elements to the Teacher Qualification Examination and a total score will be given based on the evaluation of the various aspects. Of it, the students examination results also y a part in it as well. As long as the teacher has some students, there would bound to be a result. Obtaining zero marks could be considered as making history. "Are you done with your introduction?" Towards themotion of the crowd, Zhang Xuan does not get angry. The one who scored a zero is the previous Zhang Xuan, what does it have to do with him? However, even if he isnt really angry, he is still quite annoyed by the actions of this Teacher Cao who raises his own standing by beating others down. He waves his hand and says, "After you are done with your introduction, you can scram. Dont interrupt my meal here!" Cao Xiong didnt expect that this fellow wouldnt feel embarrassed even when his history is revealed. He was even asked to scram away. Cao Xiongs face darkens. He shakes his hand and with the prestige of a teacher, he says, "For you to score zero points in the Teacher Qualification Examination, you have broken the academys record. Do you not have a sense of shame?" "Shame? Why should I feel ashamed? You have already said it yourself, I have broken the record and became a famous person. All of the freshmen know who I am. However, what about you?" Zhang Xuan raises his hand and points towards the students behind Zhang Xuans back. "How much did you score in the examination? Do they know? Before they even came to the academy, do they know who you are? If it wasnt for your insistence to the extent that you even treated them to food, do you think they will acknowledge you as their teacher? To remain unknown as a teacher, you still dare to brag before me. what the hell are you so proud of!" "Ga?" If other people were to score zero in their Teacher Qualification Examination, their head would definitely remain lowered when they are outside for fear of disgracing themselves. However, this fellow was the direct opposite. He was gleeful about it and held his head up high because of it. Instead, he despises Cao Xiong for not scoring a zero. Cao Xiong is about to explode. His skin is really too thick! The crux of it is... with this kind of results, how can you still be so proud of yourself? The students behind him stare at one another, at a loss of what to do. What about his reputation, his reputation? This teacher... isnt he too shameful! Shame? Thick-skinned? What a joke! In the era that Zhang Xuan lived in, in order to be famous, some celebrities did all kinds of shameful deeds. Whatever you could think of, nude photos and fake news, they dont get embarrassed doing these kinds of stuff. Even if he were to score zero marks for his Teacher Qualification Examination, it doesnt mean a thingpared to the things that those people did. Cao Xiongs face turns red, "The main job of a teacher is still teaching. Today, I will not squabble with you. Lets cross blows only after you get a student. Then, well see whose student is more skilled!" After saying those words, he turns around to leave. At this point, the conversation between a male and female could be heard behind him. "That teacher is really not bad. His personality is also good..." The voice of a dazed girl sounds out. Hesitation could be heard in her tone. "Second young mistress, listen to my words. Before we headed out, young master has already entrusted me to bring you to Teacher Lu Xun. However, you refuse to listen to me. You even shook me off. Ignoring that, you chose him out of everyone else..." The voice of an old man sounds out, a tinge of frustration could be heard in his tone. "That teacher... is not as bad as you said. He... he is a good person, he promised to guide me. He said that... if I were to train properly, I can be the top of the cohort..." Hesitation could still be heard in the voice of the female. "You still want to be the top of the cohort. If you were to study under him, it is already a blessing for your cultivation to not go berserk. Second young mistress, do you know who he is? He is the most famous useless teacher in the entire academy. He scored a zero thest Teacher Qualification Examination... My little ancestor, you better hurry up and withdraw your application, otherwise young master would kill me if he were to hear of this..." A pleading tone appears in the voice of the old man. "Big brother!" Hearing the old man talk about the young master, the little girl starts to get frightened. Her face distorts and she falls into a dilemma. Hearing those words, the leaving Cao Xiongs eyes light up as he smiles towards the eating Zhang Xuan. "Teacher Zhang, could this youngdy be the student you just recruited? Haha, looks like it isnt going well for you. She seems to be intending to withdraw as your student!" Teachers can pick students and simrly, students can also pick their teachers. If a student finds their teacher inappropriate for them, they can return the token given to them. Cao Xiongs loud voice attracts quite a bit of attention. The mistress and servant duo who were discussing gaze over as well. "Second young mistress, is he the teacher you just acknowledged?" The old mans gaze falls on Zhang Xuan. "Yes!" The young girl nods her head. The old man immediately stands up and walks over to Zhang Xuan, "Teacher Zhang, the young mistress of our family has decided to withdraw from your lessons!" "Old Liu..." She didnt expect the old mans movements to be so quick. The girls face flushes red and she hurries over. She looks at Zhang Xuan with a look of apology and says, "Teacher, I..." She is the student Zhang Xuan just epted, Wang Ying. "Wang Ying, you know that I do not ept students. The reason why I epted you is because our paths crossed. Why do you want to withdraw and give up on such a good opportunity? Do you know how many people desire to be my student, but I refused them?" Of course, Zhang Xuan will not allow her, who he coaxed with much difficulty, to escape. Thus, he assumes a very elderly tone. "What the hell..." Hearing his words, the ones in the surroundings who are aware of his background feel their vision turning dark and they almost fainted. Big brother, can you at least have a sense of shame? What do you mean by refusing to ept students, paths crossing and many people desiring to be your student... You are obviously the one who cant recruit any student... "I, this isnt..." Under his interrogation, Wang Ying immediately waves her hand but before she could finish her words, someone interrupts her. "Yes!" Seeing how indecisive his second young mistress is, the old man Uncle Liu steps forward, "Teacher Zhang, our familys second young mistress has decided to withdraw from your ss. She finds it hard to verbalize it out. I will be depending on you for the withdrawal procedures!" "Withdraw?" Zhang Xuans eyelids twitch. "You have to consider it properly. You will leave behind a bad reputation from withdrawing from a teachers ss. It will be hard other teachers to ept you! Are you going to ruin your young mistress life just because of your stubbornness? Can you take responsibility?" "This..." Old Liu freezes. Students can withdraw their applications. However, this would be an insult to the teacher. Besides, if you are able to abandon this one, it means you are also able to abandon another one. Normally, this kind of student with bad track record will not be epted by the other teachers. After all, for someone who has insulted the prestige of the teachers, no one would be willing to ept that kind of students. Besides, epting the student would mean insulting the teacher to his face. Everyone are colleagues, so it isnt wise for them to offend their peers over a student. Training in the academy, a student can be considered to be ruined if they are unable to find a teacher. Old Liu was still quite determined awhile ago. However, hearing his words, he is put in a difficult position. After all, he is just a servant. If the second young mistresss future were to be dyed over this, he is unable to bear the consequences. "Rest easy, your familys second young mistress has good talent. I will teach her well, she will definitely score well..." Seeing that Old Liu is wavering, Zhang Xuan starts to coax him as well. What a joke, how could he allow a cooked duck to fly away! "Hold it right there, who says that no teacher would dare to ept her? Youngdy, if you were to withdraw from this teacher here, I will immediately ept you as my student!" Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Cao Xiong steps forward with his arms spread grandly. He just lost face in front of Zhang Xuan. Now that an opportunity presents itself before him, how could he simply let go of it? "Cao Xiong, what are you intending to do?" Zhang Xuans face darkens. "Intending to do? Such a good bud, it would be a pity for it to go to waste. If she were to withdraw from your sses, I will immediately ept her! After all, they came to the academy to study, so it is natural for them to choose the best teacher to guide them, and not someone who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examinations!" Chuckling, Cao Xiong looks gleeful. "Poaching students from me publicly, do you think that I wont report this to the Central Education Bureau?" This isnt just a normal bicker but a public poaching of a student! Although the academy encourages teachers to freely choose their students, they do not pardon this kind of snatching of students! The moment it happens, not only will it affect the rtionships between the teacher, it could also affect the culture of the school. "Poaching students? You speak too heavily. At most, lets have a fairpetition advising her by the side. We will let the student choose by herself. Do you dare to agree to it?" Cao Xiong says. Chapter 3: Imperfections in Heavens Path Chapter 3: Imperfections in Heavens Path Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "A live battle between teachers on offering pointers?" Zhang Xuans face darkens. Although he has inherited the memories of the previous Zhang Xuan, he has yet to organize the information in his head. At most, he can only make sense out of the different realms in cultivation. If it is on mistakes of cultivation, even the previous Zhang Xuan could only smoke through it, needless to say, the current Zhang Xuan! Guiding others... He is definitely inferior to this Teacher Cao! If they were to reallypete, he would surely lose! "Why? Are you scared to ept the challenge? It is clearly written in the rules that teachers canpete with one another so as to allow the student to make a better choice. This isnt considered as poaching!" Cao Xiong chuckles. He flings his sleeves and a serene and schrly look appears on him. "What do we offer the students pointer on?" He knows that if he doesnt settle things properly today, the only student he has recruited is going to flee. Zhang Xuan grinds his teeth. There are many aspects for a teacher to guide their students on, such as their cultivation, martial art and mistakes in training... As the teachers differ from one another, their specialty also differs. "How about this, since they are all new students whom we dont know, how about we have them execute a punching routine, then guide them based on the ws in their execution. Afterward, we will have a test on the spot and the one whose student improves to a greater extent wins. How about it?" Against other teachers, Cao Xiong wouldnt have the confidence to challenge them. However, against the one whose performance is first from the bottom, the one who scored zero on the Teacher Qualification Examination, he is still confident of his skills. Zhang Xuan hesitates. "It cant be that you do not dare to ept? You were still bragging so proudly back there that you refused so many students who wanted you as their teacher. If you possess true abilities, letspete it out. Dont hinder the future of the youngdy!" Cao Xiong coerces him. "That... Alright!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. The worst one thing that can happen to one is death anyway! The worst that can happen now is his loss. If he doesnt ept the duel now, the student he just epted will definitely withdraw! At this moment, there is nowhere for him to retreat to anymore. If he finds himself unable to make it when ites down to itter on, he can just make up something random on the spot. Anyway, he has thick skin, so what if it is embarrassing... "Teacher Cao and Teacher Zhang arepeting!" "Which of these two teachers on the bottom will win?" "Thats him!" "A teacher who scored zero on the Teacher Qualification Examination still wants topete with others? Are you for real? Isnt he just looking for embarrassment?" ...... Upon epting the challenge, numerous students who were in the midst of eating came crowding over. Today is the day for the registration of freshmen. Quite a lot of people who came have heard of this teacher who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, even though they have yet to meet him in person. Most of them are quite curious how it would turn out. "Going by the rules, you will guide my student while I will guide yours!" Seeing people gathering around, Cao Xiongs feels even more motivated to perform. He smiles with his hands open widely. To ensure fairness,petition between teachers disallows them to offer pointers to their own students so as to avoid the suspicion of cheating. Normally, they would exchange students to guide. "Youngdy,e and disy your punching routine. Use your full strength to strike the stone pir!" After confirming the content and method of thepetition, Cao Xiong assumes the look of an unworldly saint and looks towards the dazed youngdy. "I..." Wang Ying blushes furiously as she peeks at Zhang Xuan. After confirming that he isnt angry, she walks forward. With her hands apart, a leisure aura shrouds her entire body. Huhuhu! The shock wave from the punch causes the wind to whistle. Her punch is full of force. If one doesnt see it personally, they would definitely find it hard to believe that this was a punching routine from the dazed youngdy. Her stance is stable and forceful. Just from the looks of it, she has built up a great foundation. Very quickly, the punching routinees to an end. After seeing the punching routine, Zhang Xuan falls in despair. With his experience, even with the memories from his previous life, he couldnt see any ws in it at all. No wonder he would score a zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination, his eye to perceive such things is too weak. "Un, yes your full strength and strike the stone pir!" Seeing that she is indeed a good bud, Cao Xiong nods his head in satisfaction and says. A stone pir stands not too far away from them. It can be used to gauge the strength of the students so that the students would have a better understanding of their own strength. Wang Ying walks shyly over. She turns the strength she gathered from that punching routine earlier into shooting stars and sends a forceful blow over! Peng! The stone pir staggers and numbers appear on it. 53! "53kg, the strength of your punch is not bad!" Cao Xiong nods his head in approval. For a freshman who has yet to enter the academy to be guided by the teachers, not to mention she is a female, it is already quite incredible for her to have such weight behind her punch. "Previously, I have noticed that your punching routine is very vigorous and forceful. However, one w with your punches is that your punch route is a little too short. If you can increase the speed of the rotation of your lower limb, its prowess would increase significantly! If Im not wrong, your legs should be injured!" Cao Xiong says. As expected of a teacher, his eye to perceive is indeed much better than Zhang Xians. With just one look, he is able to tell that the crux to Wang Yings punching routine is the lower limbs and from there, he deduced that she might have been injured. "Yes!" Wang Ying nods her head. "Due to your injury, you are a little hesitant to exert pressure on your lower limbs. Let me impart you a method. Dont worry, it will not worsen the injuries on your legs!" Following which, Cao Xiong speaks of another new method and exins it thoroughly. "Let me give it a try!" For Wang Ying to possess such strength at her age, herprehension ability isnt weak. It didnt take her long to understand the concepts fully. Then, she steps before the stone pir again and clenches her fist. A surge of strength fills her entire body and she feels like a powerful dragon. Peng! 63! After some simple guidance, her weight of her blows increases by 10kg! "For her strength to increase by 10kg, that is a 20% increase! I am done with my guidance. Its your time!" Looking at his result, Cao Xiong smiles faintly, and the glee behind it is apparent. For a students strength to increase by 20% with just a single session of guidance, this is not a bad result at all. "Teacher Zhang!" Afterward, a student walks out from Cao Xiongs back and readies himself to execute his punching routine. "Hold it right there!" Zhang Xuan raises his hand. "Why? Teacher Zhang wants to go against his words?" Cao Xiong snickers. "Go against my words? What a joke. Do you think I will regret something that I have agreed upon?" Zhang Xuan speaks with a forceful tone, but in that instant, his heart panics. As a transcender, how could he possibly know how to guide a student? However, if they want to be guided in the field of downloading and watching romance films, he is an expert. "I only think that..." With the crowd looking at every action of his, Zhang Xuan can only bear with the embarrassment while fumbling for a random excuse to escape from the situation. "He is your student and he listens to your orders. What if he intentionally refuses to exert his full strength after my guidance, wont I lose immediately?" "I will definitely use my full strength! At the very least, I still have that little bit of credibility!" Looking at how Zhang Xuan doubts him, he grinds his teeth. "Alright, I believe in the credibility of this student. However, our duel isnt fair!" Now that the student had said those words, Zhang Xuan knows that he would only be mocked if he forcefully pushes his way through on that. Thus, he could only thicken his skin further and find another breakthrough. "Unfair? What is unfair?" Cao Xiong says. "Wang Ying is my student. If I win, she is still my student. What would I earn? On the other hand, if I lose, she would be your student. How can this be considered fair? This is just like in a gamble of life, if I win, you would spare me and if I lose, I would give my life to you... Do you think that this is fair?" Zhang Xuan says. "Keng..." Cao Xiong is at a loss. Now that he puts it that way, it is an unfair challenge. This bet is just like a fraud. While Cao Xiong isnt susceptible to any losses, when the other party loses, he would have to pass his student on to him. "How about this, if I were to lose, Liu Yang over here will be your student!" After considering for a moment, Cao Xiong deres with a gesture of his hand. Liu Yang is the freshman who had walked out to be guided by Zhang Xuan. "Teacher..." He didnt expect that Teacher Cao would make such a decision. Liu Yang is bbergasted and a look of anxiety appears on his face. To make him acknowledge a teacher who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examinations, he would rather die... "Dont worry, teacher wont lose!" Cao Xiong looks at him confidently. "Yes!" Seemingly confident in Teacher Cao, Liu Yang walks over and huhuhuhu, regardless of whether Zhang Xuan is looking or not, he begins on his punching routine. "This..." Initially, he wanted to say a few more words to make this youth give up. However, seeing how he immediately starts on his punching routine, not even giving him a chance to speak, Zhang Xuan feels a little deste. To tell the truth, he doesnt even recognize the punching routine of the student, so how could he find a w in it? Needless to say, to guide him. "w, what w is there in this punching routine..." Beads of perspiration flow down his head and anxiety overwhelms him. If he is unable to find a w to guide him, embarrassing himself is a small matter. However, the student he took so much trouble to recruit would be gone and he would be expelled from the academy! Boom! Just as he was overwhelmed with anxiety, the Library of Heavens Path in his mind tremors and the deep rumble of a lightning echoes. Four words appear on top of the bookshelves. Heavens Path is imperfect! These four words have induces an imposing sensation, as though the mountains. It carries with it boundless prestige and might. The moment the four words are formed, a book appears on the bookshelf and books which are intangible and falls before him. "What is this?" Zhang Xuans heart stops for a moment. He lowers his head to look at the book in his hands. He could only see two words on the cover -- Liu Yang! Casually flipping to the first page, he could see a dense concentration of words written it. "Liu Yang, originates from the Liu Family from Xiayun City. A student of Hongtian Academy. Fighter 1-dan Juxi Realm!" "Cultivation Technique: Lotus Acupoint Breakthrough Might!" "Battle Techniques: Soaring Flower Fists (Rookie), Dragon Inch Fist (Expert)!" ws: 12 aspects. No.1, he uses too much strength for his feints... No.2... No.3... No.4...No.12, although his left arm is much stronger, his punching routine is more suited for the right-handed. Thus, he is unable to exert his full strength..." "This... This..." Looking at the densely-filled words on top of it, Zhang Xuan feels as though he is going mad. Is this for real? Just as he is thinking of Liu Yangs ws, the Library of Heavens Pathpiles a book on his weaknesses. If what is written on it is for real, then the gift package he received as a transcender is simply too overpowered! You must know that everyone has their own ws. Every martial art and moves have their own w. Perfect doesnt exist in this world. To be able to perceive the ws of a person andpile it into a book, this library is on the verge of breaking through the heavens! Peng! Just as Zhang Xuan is surprised by the changes in the library in his mind, Liu Yang has alreadypleted his punch routine. After a resounding tremor, numbers appear on the stone pir. "62!" The weight behind is punch is 62kg! "Teacher Zhang, Liu Yang has already finished his demonstration. How about you offer him some guidance?" Cao Xiong smiles. Hearing those words, those who are watching themotion by the side gaze towards Zhang Xuan. They want to see how the only teacher who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination would guide his student. Chapter 4: Slapping Face Chapter 4: pping Face Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "I..." The tremor from the Library of Heavens Path just now caused his attention to be concentrated in his mind and he is still in a dazed state. Furthermore, he doesnt even know what the other persons punching routine is, so how the hell could he guide him! "Teacher Zhang, please correct my ws!" Liu Yang steps forward and bends overpletely. By one side, Wang Ying blinks her eyes. She wants to see how this expert she has just met would guide him. "Keng!" Everyones gaze concentrates on him. If he doesnt speak soon, he will only end in embarrassment. Just as Zhang Xuan is about to spout bullshit, he suddenly remembers Liu Yangs ws that were recorded in the book in the library. He doesnt know whether what is recorded on it is true or not. However, given the situation, it is probably impossible for him to make something up on the spot. Thus, he could only buck up his courage to say, "There are many ws in your punch routine, a total of 12 of them!" "Haha, he said that there are many ws in there, 12 of them? I didnt hear wrongly, did I!" "This is the funniest joke I have heard!" "This Soaring Flower Fist may not be very advanced, but it is one of the mostmon skills in the entire kingdom and is known as the Basic Fist. After thousands of years of simplification and refining, although it cannot be considered as perfect, he actually says that there are 12 ws?" "A bunch of lies! He probably couldnt discern anything, thats why he decided to make things up!" ...... Initially, the surrounding crowd was still pondering over what he could say. The moment he opened his mouth, everyone of them bursts intoughter. Soaring Flower Fist is one of the most basic punching routines of the Tianxuan Kingdom. It is simr to the Taizu Changquan, as long as one is practicing martial arts, they would have to learn it first. After thousands of years of refinement by countless experts, though it doesnt hold much might, but it is well-reputed for itsck of ws. Even more so, some people call it the wless Fists. For such a punching routine, that fellow actually ims that there are 12 ws in it... What kind of joke is it! Ignoring the fact that he scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination, even if the principal were toe over, he probably wont be able to point out so many ws! "Oh? Teacher Zhang sure is a genius, to be able to find 12 ws in the Soaring Flower Fists. Do enlighten us!" Apparently, Cao Xiong didnt expect Zhang Xuan to be so boastful and to say such words the moment he opens his mouth. Excited, his eyes twinkled. He purposely said those words to push Zhang Xuan into a corner. Even despite hearing the words from the crowd, Zhang Xuan remains expressionless. However, his heart couldnt help but beat erratically. He didnt expect that the Liu Yang fellow would use a punch routine everyone is aware of. His previous self would definitely be aware of it. However, given that he just transcended over, the other persons memory has yet to fully merge with his! However, even though he is a librarian in his previous life, he is still a transcender with an entirely different set of knowledge. Not to mention, his skin is thick. After rolling his eyes, he says, "Why, you dont believe it? It isnt that I dont want to guide him, but that you all do not trust me. Since you dont want to do as I guided you to... Then, you all cant me me for it! Wang Ying, lets go. This kind of gamble is pointless!" "Hold it there, we trust you! Do enlighten us!" Seeing that he is on the verge of leaving, Cao Xiong immediately stops him. He can tell that the other party is intentionallying up with exaggerated figures so that other people would refuse to trust him and he could make use of this opportunity to sneak away. However, it wasnt easy for him to grasp hold of this opportunity to teach him a lesson, so how could he give up at this point! "That..." Seeing that he is unable to sneak away, Zhang Xuan can only take out the bookpiled by the library once again. "If I die, so be it!" Since theres no backing out now, he stares at the ws recorded in the book and looks through the 12 of them once again. Then, his gaze falls on thest one. He grinds his teeth and speaks, "The punch routine you just used is right-handed. Let me give you a suggestion. Try using your left hand to strike the stone pir!" Since it is a special privilege granted to a transcender, there is a chance it could be correct. Besides, even if the information on it isnt urate, he cant think of a better reason to worm his way out at this point. "Try using the left-handed version?" "This can be also considered as guidance?" "What kind of joke is this. Ones left hand is normally weak. If he were to execute it with his left fist, wont he be screwing up the entire punch routine?" ...... The crowd first stuns before amotion breaks out. All of them stares at Zhang Xuan with looks of despise. Everyone knows that the left-hand is weaker than the right. Given the shock wave from the fist Liu Yang just executed, he obviously isnt left-handed. Yet now, to ask him to execute it with his left hand... What kind of joke is this? "Liu Yang, try using Teacher Zhangs method so that he can give it up!" Apparently, Cao Xiong didnt expect Zhang Xuan to say that. He is so excited that he is on the verge of skipping with joy but he still yells amand to Liu Yang. Even though he just epted him as a student, he is extremely sure that Liu Yang is more skilled with his right and that he isnt a left-handed. If he were to really execute it that way, the force behind it probably wouldnt even hit 30kg! For a student to hit 62kg before guidance and before 30kg after guidance, this will definitely cause Zhang Xuans reputation to fall to the gutters! Lets see whether he can still remain so smug! "Yes!" Liu Yang snickers coldly and executes the punch routine again. He is very aware of the fact that he isnt left-handed. To get him to execute the blow with his left-hand... A load of bullshit. Soaring Flower Fist is the basic fist he has been practicing since young. Although he isnt very used with the inversion of left and right, he soon got over it. Even though the shock wave from the fist creates a strong gale, regardless of whether it is his strength or proficiency, it seems to be worse than the previous one. "Could it be... my privilege as a transcender is a sham?" Zhang Xuan is very nervous. Other peoples privilege when they transcend includes an old grandfather who could just casually enlighten them. As long as they were to follow his instruction devotedly, there would bound to be no problems. Yet, he just has to get a library with all sorts of messy things written in the book. If what is written in the book is false, he would definitely get expelled from the school! Hu! Very quickly, he finishes the routine. Liu Yang walks over to the stone pir and raising his left fist, he smashes it in. Weng! A series of digits appear. "One. Haha, to think it would be in the tens..." When the digit 1 appears on it, Cao Xiong bursts intoughter as an exhrated expression appears on his face. However, before he could finish his words, they got stuck in his throat. His eyeballs are about to fall onto the ground. "123?" "123kg?" The crowd who had intended to mock him are scared foolish and they tremble uncontrobly. Previously, Liu Yangs blow did 62kg and now that it has risen to 123kg, that is almost a single fold! That is... almost a 100% increase! Is that for real? Even the teacher who scored first in the Teacher Qualification Examination throughout the campus, during his first guidance, cant possibly cause his students result to increase by a single fold! "I... I... Is this from me?" Even the person in question, Liu Yang, is stunned. He stares foolishly at the rock pir in disbelief. He knows that he isnt left-handed. However, never could he imagine that his left strength would hold so much strength! That is a single foldpared to his right! The crowd is astonished. Zhang Xuan almost leaps from all the joy surging through his body. "Its true!" At this instant, he can finally confirm that the wspiled by the library are true. To be able to see through the skills a person is cultivating in and his weakness... This privilege of a transcender is really going to bash through the heavens! "So, how was it? Your guidance has led to a 20% improvement while mine has led to a 100% improvement. Teacher Cao, what else do you want to say?" Zhang Xuan snickers. "I..." Cao Xiongs face turns pale as he feels a burning sensation on his face. Initially, he proposed thispetition to see the other party make a fool out of himself. In the end, the one who was made a fool of is himself. Retrieving a jade token from his embrace, he bites on his finger and a drop of fresh blood falls on it. "Liu Yang, I am revoking your status as my student. You can now acknowledge Teacher Zhang as your teacher!" After saying that, he nces at Zhang Xuan, "You dont have to be too smug about it. This time, you were lucky. The next time wepete, I will make sure that your reputation is ruined..." Then, he turns around to leave. This time, not only did his reputation take a blow, he lost a student and even got pped hard on his face. It is one thing to lose to other teachers. However, the main crux of the problem is that this fellow is the one who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, the worst teacher in the entire academy... "Teacher, teacher..." Watching as Cao Xiong departs, Liu Yangs face darkens. Although he managed to achieve a good result under Zhang Xuans guidance, he, like Cao Xiong, believes that it was only luck. He doesnt believe that he would have this kind of skills. "Alright, you are now my student. Hurry up and take out your identity card!" Zhang Xuan doesnt care what he is thinking about. A victory in a bet has given him a new student, so he is still busy celebrating over it. He casually tosses a jade token over. Although Liu Yang isnt really willing to be his student, he knows that he has to give into the results of the bet. If he doesnt acknowledge this Zhang Xuan as his teacher, the other teachers would definitely reject him. Thus, he could only drip his blood onto this jade token toplete the verification. "Tomorrow, meet here for lessons!" After finish dealing with Liu Yang, Zhang Xuan doesnt say anything excessive. He looks at Wang Ying and said those words faintly before walking out of the canteen. Returning back to his lecture hall, Zhang Xuan delves into his mind without second thoughts to examine the Library of Heavens Path closely. After examining for awhile, he finally understands a thing or two about it. As long as the person executes his skill or martial art before him, it would immediatelypile into a book of their ws. "Haha, I have really struck it rich this time! With this thing in my hand, I would be able to see through any ws at one go. I dont believe that I will still score a zero for the next Teacher Qualification Examination!" Frenzied joy races through his heart. As a transcender, Zhang Xuan finally feels some enthusiasm for the future. Taizu Changquan -> Literally means Ancestor Long Fist. A brief introduction of Long Fist: It is a closebat skill which emphasises stretching ones limbs to the maximum. It is a high aggressive style whose motto is the best defense is a long offense (Source: Wikipedia) Taizu Changquan is known as one of the 6 Great Long Fists in China. There are multiple names to it (depending on the region) but it is well-established and influenced the creation of many other fists in the future, thus giving it the title of Mother of a Hundred Fists (Source: Baidu) Chapter 5: Young Mistress Chapter 5: Young Mistress Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Have you heard? Cao Xiongoshi had justpeted with the academys number one teacher from the bottom, Teacher Zhang Xuan!" "Theypeted? Then, wont Zhang Xuanoshi lose for sure?" "Unexpectedly, that wasnt so. Zhang Xuanoshi won! He casually guided a student and made his strength increase by one fold!" "Increase by one fold? In his first guidance? Even Lu Xunoshi wouldnt be capable of doing that! Are you for real?" "A lot of people witnessed it for themselves, so how could it not be real?" ...... Those who witnessed thepetition in the canteen are discussing over it excitedly. "For the students strength to increase by one fold in the first guidance?" Zhao Ya scoffs. "It is definitely just luck!" Baiyu City is the third biggest city in the Tianxuan Kingdom and Zhao Ya is the daughter of its City Lord. From young, she has been put through top ss education and her motive foring to Hongtian Academy is to be epted as Lu Xuns student. However, she didnt expect to hear that Lu Xun would be inferior to Zhang Xuan before she even found him. Naturally, she doesnt believe such rumors. "Luck? I dont think that it is luck. After all, it is an increase by an entire fold! Just luck itself wont exin it!" A student sitting not too far away from her couldnt help but respond to her words. "You think that it isnt luck? Dont think that I do not recognize that Zhang Xuanoshi. He is the one who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination and almost got fired! What capabilities do you think a guy like that would possess? If you do not believe my words, I can unmask his facade right here and now!" Zhao Ya has had an impatient personality since young. Upon hearing someone praise the worst teacher in the academy, she immediately bellows. "Fine! We also want to know whether the teacher is just all talk!" Instantly, two students stand up. The three of them walked out of the canteen and after asking around, they found Zhang Xuans ssroom. Pushing open the door, they walked in. "You are Zhang Xuanoshi?" Walking into the ssroom, they see the young man sitting on the teachers seat smiling foolishly to himself. No matter how they look like it, he doesnt seem like an impressive teacher. In fact, they started to feel ufortable. "Thats me!" After noticing the entry of a few students, Zhang Xuan stopped analyzing the Library of Heavens Path and turns over to look at them. "Weve heard that you have won in apetition against Cao Xiongoshi and the student you guided had an increase in strength by one fold." Zhao Ya states with clear disbelief in her tone. "Good. Then I would like you to guide me as well, to see whether you can increase my strength by one fold as well!" "Im not free!" Zhang Xuan waves them away. Teachers also have their own pride as educators. They arent performers who would perform to the will of the audience. How could they just guide others just because they want them to? Besides that, whats with your attitude? Its not like I owe you something. "Not free? Arent you very idle right now?" Zhao Ya could tell that the other party is just trying to shake her off. She grinds her teeth in anger. She told her friends that she woulde and expose his facade, yet right now, she is being chased away without even getting a glimpse at his abilities. She feels embarrassed. "I have to recruit students. I dont have the effort to fool around with an arrogant little girl!" Zhang Xuan says calmly. "You..." Zhao Ya is so furious that her beautiful eyes roll around. She is the daughter of a city lord, not to mention she is blessed with good looks. No matter where she goes, people look at her with eyes of admiration. However, not only did this fellow reject her, he even said that she was fooling around. How hateful! Even if he is a teacher, this is unforgivable! "What must we do for you to guide us?" Grinding her jade-like teeth, Zhao Ya questions. "Acknowledge me as your teacher!" Zhang Xuan replies calmly, as he looks at Zhao Ya with a bizarre expression. Seeing how the other party is looking at her as though she is an idiot, Zhao Ya staggers, "Fine, I will acknowledge you as my teacher. However... If you were to teach me erroneously or give me bullshit, I will expose your lies!" "Zhao Ya!" "You cant! If you were to take him as your teacher, you wont be able to be Lu Xunoshis student..." The two friends who came with her almost fainted upon hearing her eptance of his request. They immediately try to persuade her. Hearing the persuasion of her two friends, Zhao Ya hesitates. She is aware of the school rules. After bing a teachers student, if the student wants to acknowledge another teacher, they would have to first withdraw from the lessons of their current one. However, if they were to do so, the other teacher would tend to reject the student. Not to mention, a popr teacher like Lu Xun. "You dont have the guts to? If you dont dare to, just hurry up and leave. Dont hold up my business... Recruiting new students!" Zhang Xuan waves her away. "Who says that I do not have the guts to?" She was still hesitating but upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, Zhao Ya immediately explodes. Her eyebrows frown and she says, "I will acknowledge you as my teacher right now! Lets verify our rtionship!" "You attitude is too bad. Even you want me as your master, I dont want to ept you!" Zhang Xuan waves her away yet again. It is natural to want to recruit obedient students, just like the previous Wang Ying. However, the current one seems to be on gunpowder. Even if hecks student, he is unwilling to admit her in. "You..." She didnt expect that when she chose to bear with it to acknowledge him as her teacher, he still refused to ept her. Zhao Ya can feel mes arising from her. She came here specially to expose his fraud. If she were to stomp away furiously now, wouldnt she be falling into his trap? Perhaps, this fellow is intentionally trying to chase her away so that his fraud cannot be exposed. She is adamant to not allow things go his way! "Hmph, I will just admit it as my fault first then. After I expose your true face, see how I will put you in ce!" Thinking so, Zhao Ya suppresses the rage in her heart. She smiles faintly, exposing her white teeth, "Teacher, dont get angry. I was disrespectful! I sincerely wish to be your student, may I plead with you to ept me!" "This is more like it!" Seeing her change in attitude, Zhang Xuan nods his head. "I can ept you as my student. Before that, I would like you to clean this room. I dont want to see a speck of dust here. Also, help me tidy up the washroom outside. Scrub the toilet bowls clean. Afterward, I will check on it. If I am satisfied with your work, I will admit you in under my tutge!" "Dont go too far!" Zhao Ya is about to go on a rampage. What is her identity? She is the daughter of a city lord, a daughter of a noble. From young, she has never done any household chore before, and yet this fellow intends for her to sweep the room? Even... cleaning the washrooms? Scrub the toilet bowls? Is he insane? "If you cant even do such superficial tasks, you can leave right now. I dont needzy and useless students!" Zhang Xuan says. Hehe, littless. You want to y with me? You are still much too inexperienced! "Who says that I am useless! I will clean up now, I will scrub now!" Zhao Ya grinds her. Grabbing a broom and mop, she starts to tidy up the room. "Zhao Ya, how about we just forget about it..." "I dont think he is really capable. He is purposely making things hard for you..." The two friends who tagged along with her, upon seeing the young mistress of a city lord starting to clean up the ce, they are all horrified and quickly attempt to convince her otherwise. "Both of you wait outside first. Since young, I, Zhao Ya, have never really lost before. Today, I have decided to go all out against him!" Zhao Ya frowns. "That..." Her two friends understand Zhao Yas temper. Seeing that she cant be persuaded, the both of them look at each other, at a loss of what to do. "Inform butler Yao, didnt hee as well? If the butler were to know that the fellow who scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination was ordering young mistress to scrub the toilet bowl, he would definitely stop him!" After staring at each other for a moment, one of them came up with a solution. For a person of Zhao Yas identity, even though there werent any threats on the journey to the academy, there was still someone who escorted her. The person who escorted her was butler Yao. Presently, he should still be around the academy. "Alright, lets look for him now!" Without any hesitation, the two of them immediately rush out of the academy. For Zhao Ya who has a stubborn temper just like any other daughters of rich households, even though she has never done household chores before, it didnt take her long to adapt to it. Swiftly, the interior of the room became clean. Even the washroom outside is sparkling. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nods his head in satisfaction. "You should be satisfied now. You can admit me as your student and guide my cultivation now, right?" After finishing her work, Zhao Ya crushes her teeth together luo luo!. Her jade-like face distorts as she tries to hold herself back from punching the guy in front of her. "Un, your identity card!" Disregarding the other partys murdering gaze, Zhang Xuan throws a jade token to her casually. Taking a deep breath, Zhao Ya drips a drop of blood on it, verifying their rtionship. "Zhangoshi, now that I can your student, can you give me a pointer or two?" Now that she is on the verge of aplishing her objective, revealing the true face of the despicable man before her, Zhao Ya suppresses the excitement in her heart and asks. "Disy fighting technique to me first, so that I can gauge your fundamentals!" Zhang Xuan beckons. "Yes!" Without any nonsense, Zhao Ya sps her hands together and bows before executing her skills. Huhuhuhu! The wind howls. Her blow is full of might. As a female as well, her blows are much faster and stronger than Wang Ying. With a single look, it is apparent that she put quite a bit of effort into her training. While looking at Zhao Ya execute her skill, Zhang Xuans mind is currently in the library. As expected, with a light tremor, a book falls from the shelves. The two words Zhao Ya are written on the cover. "Zhao Ya, the daughter of the City Lord of Baiyu City. Fighter 1-dan Juxi Realm Pinnacle!" "Cultivation Technique: White Jade Pure Maiden Skill!" ...... Weakness: 27 ws. No.1, her personality is rash and she is easily angered. This goes against the White Jade Skills nature of calmness and smoothness, so she is unable to bring out its full strength. No.2..." The book is just like what he saw previously. It records all of the ws and deficiencies in Zhao Yas cultivation. Peng! Peng! Peng! After a short moment, Zhao Yapletes the entire punch routine. Clenching her feminine hands, she turns around and sends a blow towards the rock pir in the ssroom that is used for measuring the strength of ones blow! A crisp sound. A set of number appears on it. 110! "Not bad, not bad!" Zhang Xuan cant help but nod his head. To be capable of wielding such strength in her fist beforeing to the academy, Zhao Ya is indeed the daughter of a City Lord, holding extraordinary strength. "Alright, give me some pointers!" After executing her skill, her face doesnt turn red nor does she gasp for breath. Zhao Ya turns to look at Zhang Xuan. Chapter 6: What Did You Do To Our Young Mistress Chapter 6: What Did You Do To Our Young Mistress Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Finishing what that has to be done, Zhao Ya is ready to see the fellow before her make an embarrassment out of himself. Suddenly, an ideaes to mind and a Record Crystal appears in her sleeves. Record Crystal, it is an object capable of recording video and audio in its surrounding. She intends to use it as evidence of Zhang Xuans wrongdoing! This way, he would be unable to talk his way out of it when she spreads word about his crime. "Lets see how you would be humiliated then. To think that you would dream ofpeting with Lu Xunoshi, dream on!" Upon the thought that she would be able to grab hold of evidence on him soon to punish him and vent her frustration, Zhao Yas eyes glitter and she almost failed to control herughter. Suppressing her happiness, just as she was waiting to see what nonsense the other party woulde up with, a pair of clear eyes reminiscent ofnterns appear right in front of her. "AH..." Zhao Ya leaps in shock and backs away hurriedly. Only then did she realize that it is Zhang Xuanoshi. She grinds her teeth in anger and exims, "What are you doing?" "Rx, I am just taking a look!" With his hands behind him, he circles around Zhao Ya, shaking his head. Then, he suddenly stops before Zhao Ya with less than one chi between them. i.e. 33.3cm She can feel the warmth from his body. Zhao Yas face blushes. From young, there hasnt been a single man who has been in such proximity with her. Her heart beats furiously. Then, she hears an unhurried voice saying, "You are sick!" Hearing those words, Zhao Ya almost erupts and faints on the spot. "You are the one that is sick, your entire family is sick..." She is on the verge of going crazy. Whats wrong with this fellows brain. She executed a set of martial arts for him to point out the ws in them. Instead, this fellow says that she is sick. How can such a vile person exist in the world! "Why did you start hurling insults?" Zhang Xuan frowns. Soon, he understands what other meanings his words could hold and smiles faintly, "I am saying that your body is sick, I am not insulting you!" "I am not sick!" Zhao Ya humphs coldly. "In my opinion, you are the one who is sick! Something is wrong with your brain!" She is as strong as an ox. A single fist of hers has a strength of more than 100kg behind it. She is very clear on the fact whether she is sick or not. "Dont refute my words first. Do you often feel a vague pain in your danzhong and jujue acupoint? Especially on the night of a full moon, when the humid wind blows, a faint red tinge will appear on your body and you will like..." At this point, Zhang Xuan hesitates for a moment, as though it is difficult to verbalize it out. He continues, "No matter how you train, you feel like your heart wont calm down?" TL: Danzhong is an acupoint in the center of an horizontal line that passes through your two nipples. Jujue is just below the center of your ribcage. "How... How did you know?" The furious Zhao Ya had intended to refute every word that the other party would say directly, but after hearing those words, her face turns red and she stupefies. It isnt that the words he said are incorrect, but they are simply... too correct! Recently during training, she would feel a faint pain in her danzhong and jujue, although she would just bear it since the pain isnt severe. The crux of the problem is that... On the night of a full moon, when the cold wind blows, her body would turn weird. A strong desire would surge through her body as it turns red. Unable to suppress her raging emotions, she would find herself craving the embrace of a man... She is just a sixteen to seventeen year old youngdy who has yet to undergo the matrimony of human bodies so she was unable to tell what that emotion is. She only feels embarrassed by it. Initially, she thought that she could just bear with it and it would pass. However, these feelings became more and more intense. As her body develops and her chest bes more and more fleshed out, she felt those tendencies getting more and more uncontroble. In the past, she could deal with it with just two circtions of her cultivation technique. But now, even ten times wasnt enough for the urges to subside. She could only halt with her training until the sun rises. As this affair is really too bizarre, she doesnt dare to tell anyone about it. Even her best friends and her City Lord father is kept in the dark! Despite it being a matter no one knows about... How did this fellow find out about it? It is also due to her being unable to bear it that she came to the academy in a hope to find the crux of the problem and solve it once and for all. "I am a teacher. I could tell from the punch routine you executed just now!" Zhang Xuan replies calmly. Of course, it is impossible to tell this much through looking at ones punch routine. The Library of Heavens Path is an extraordinary treasure. As long as she possesses ws, even if these ws have nothing to do with her skills, it would be recorded in it. Exactly because he had seen her problems, thats why Zhang Xuan had a bizarre look on his face. "Is there... a solution?" Zhao Ya clenches her jaws and asks with a reddened face. After she was so resolute to expose the fraud of the party, she ended up having her problems exposed by him in an instant. It made her feel embarrassed. "There is a method to resolving it. Come to ss tomorrow and I will exin it to you!" Zhang Xuan gestures with his hands. "Really?" Zhao Yas eyes light up in disbelief. She is very aware of the problems in her body. Due to her inability to control those raging desires, it caused her became irritable and impatient in everything she does. Initially, she thought she could only conceal this matter in her heart and that there is no way to solve this problem. However, never would she ever dream that this teacher who is thest in the entire academy would be able to uncover it in just a few words. Furthermore... he has a solution to treat it! "If you dont trust me, you can look for other teachers in the academy!" Zhang Xuan flings his hand with an indifferent expression, the look of an expert. "No, no... Teacher, you are the only one!" Zhao Ya hurriedly nods her head. It hasnt been just a day or two since the start of her suffering. Countless physicians in the city couldnt tell what is wrong with her. Even her father, City Lord Zhao wasnt able to tell that there is something amiss with her. Yet, this Zhang Xuanoshi could tell with just one look. Justparing their eyes of discernment, none of these people couldpete with him! That is exactly the reason why she thinks that he would have a way to treat her problem. "That Record Crystal, do you still intend to keep it?" Zhang Xuan points at her sleeves. "Ah...." Zhao Ya is horrified. Only now does she recall the Record Crystal she intentionally left behind so as to get evidence on him. If the contents of the conversation were to leak out, how can she continue to walk with her head held up high? "I dont, I dont..." Exerting some force with her palm, kacha, the Record Crystal is reduced to dirt. After destroying the crystal, Zhao Ya nces at Zhangoshi once again. This time, his face doesnt look so hateful. Rather, it is an enigmatic face. Despite concealing the Record Crystal so discreetly, she still got caught. Not to mention, the problems with her body were exposed by him. How could someone of such capabilities score a zero on the Teacher Qualification Examination? "He must be indifferent to fame and reputation, apathetic to the views of outsiders! I have heard that experts are all like that..." When this idea appears in her head, Zhang Xuans position in her heart evolves from a swindler to one of the top experts in the world. "Take your identity token to im your bedding and your books. Also, look for your lodging while youre at it. We shall start lessons punctually tomorrow..." Seeing that another student has been reeled, Zhang Xuan waves his hand as he passes down instruction to her. Suddenly, a loud roar can be heard from the outside and in a sh, a human figure rushes in. Hu! The person who entered is a middle-aged man. He carries a ferocious aura with him as he enters into the ssroom. From a single look, one can tell that he isnt weak. "Young mistress!" After entering the door, the middle-aged man stops and bows to Zhao Ya. "Uncle Yao, why are you here?" Zhao Ya stares at him nkly. This isnt anyone else but the butler from Baiyu City whom her two friends went to invite, Yao Han! Just as he was about to leave after sending Zhao Ya to the academy, her two friends rushed over to inform him that the young mistress wants to acknowledge the fellow who scored a zero on the Teacher Qualification Examination as her teacher and that he even ordered the young mistress to scrub the toilet bowls... Hearing those words, butler Yao Han almost exploded on the spot. Young mistress, the apple of the eye of the City Lord! At home, no one dares to order her around. To dare to get her to sweep the floor and scrub the toilet bowls... He is too audacious! If this fellow is one of the more reputable teachers in the academy, he could drop the matter since they tend to be pickier. The crux of the problem is that... This fellow was thest in the Teacher Qualification Examination, not to mention he even drove a person berserk... How can the young mistress study under someone like that? Even in the city, the people who guided her, even if casually, are much stronger than this person over here! "Young Mistress, are you..." Staring coldly at Zhang Xuan, Yao Han quickly nces at the young mistress. "I have already acknowledged Zhangoshi as my teacher!" Zhao Ya deres. Running here with his full strength, he didnt think that he would still be a step too slow. Yao Hans face darkens as he pulls Zhao Ya to his back. He stares at Zhang Xuan coldly, "Quickly withdraw our young mistress from your tutge! Then, apologize! Otherwise, when I blow this matter up, everyone will know that you bewitched an underagedy as a teacher to get her toe under your tutge!" "Bewitched an underagedy? Isnt your use of phrase a little too much!" Zhang Xuan shakes his head. If others were to hear such words, they would think that he had done something towards Zhao Ya. The heavens can serve as his witness that all he has done was to ept a student, it is an extremely pure action... "Dont y around with me. The young mistress of our family is a talented genius. She isnt someone a person of your qualification can teach. If you were to remove her from your lessons now, I can choose to just let this pass. Otherwise, I will definitely bring this up to the principal and have you fired..." Yao Han howls. However, before he could finish his words, Zhao Ya interrupts him from his back. "Uncle Yao! What are you doing! I have acknowledged Zhangoshi as my teacher of my own free will, why are you causing trouble for me?" Zhao Ya stomps her feet. The reason why she came to the academy was to solve the problem with her body. She is still happy over the fact that the teacher before her assured her that he would be able to help her, and yet this fellow herees to mess it up. What the heck is he doing? "Of your own free will?" Yao Han nces at the young mistress. "Do you think that he can really give you guidance that would allow your strength to surge?" The young mistress is a proud person, he knows that well. Could it be that this teacher who is reputed as trash is able to guide her? Thats why she acknowledged him? "Allow my strength to surge? That he didnt do..." Zhao Ya shakes his head. The other party only pointed out her illness, he didnt guide her on her cultivation. "No? Then..." Yao Han is baffled. "Alright, Uncle Yao, stop asking!" Recalling her own illness, Zhao Yas face turns red. Seeing the young mistress behaving like that, Yao Han stares nkly in confusion. Then, when he sees the shattered Record Crystal on the floor, his face turns frosty and in a split moment, he seems to have turned into a rampaging lion. "You darned brat, what did you do to our young mistress? Did you think that I wouldnt dare to kill you right now..." Boom! In his rage, a powerful aura surges forth and the wind howls. Jiya, the ground creaks in agony as though it is unable to bear the heavy pressure. Chapter 7: You Were Dumped Before Chapter 7: You Were Dumped Before Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "What did I do?" Upon seeing at the other party seethe with rage, Zhang Xuan is speechless. Isnt this misunderstanding getting a little out of hand! However, he can understand that it is natural for others to think that way. After all, without guiding her cultivation, he was able to make their young mistress willingly acknowledge him as her master and she even blushed upon bringing up the subject. Whats more, the Record Crystal had been shattered. Thats obvious an act of evidence destroying... All of these show that theres something amiss with the situation. Zhang Xuan is immediatelybeled as a weird uncle, a sex maniac, a shameless teacher and other simr titles. "Uncle Yao, what are you thinking? If you are going to continue behaving like this, I will never bother with you again!" Looking at the furious Yao Han and hearing his words, how can she not know what is going through his mind? Her face immediately darkens as she exims. After all, she is a youngdy. This kind of rumors would ruin her reputation. "Young mistress..." Interrupted by Zhao Ya, Yao Han could only withdraw his aura. "Alright, follow me to collect my bedding. Dont hold me up here, I still have lessons tomorrow." Zhao Ya harrumphs and walks out of the room. She is unwilling to talk about her illness. If she were to reveal it to him, he would definitely pressure her to talk about it. Under this kind of situation, how could she possibly talk about it? Thus, unable toe up any other excuses, she could only im to have willingly acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her teacher. "Hmph!" After seeing the young mistress turning around to leave the room, Yao Han nces at Zhang Xuan coldly with a glint in his eye, seeming to be contemting over something. Then, with a fling of his arm, he turns around and walks out. At this moment, the intention to kill that young man lingers in his mind. If they werent in the academy and the young mistress didnt stop him, he would have long made his move. "Who did I offend this time..." Looking at the Yao Hans cold gaze, Zhang Xuan feels perplexed. I only epted a student, do you have to go this far... He made it seem as though I am an unpardonable criminal who is the source of all evil in this world. The problem is that... he didnt do anything at all! "Forget it, there is still time left today. Lets see if I can recruit a few more student! The more students under my tutge, the more resources I will receive!" There are many different levels to the teachers of Hongtian Academy. Every year, an assessment of the teachers would be conducted based on the conditions of their students. The number of the student they have, the pace of their improvement, their results in all kinds ofpetitions... The teachers are reliant on these to be promoted. The higher their level, the resources a teacher would get would increase exponentially. Naturally, the same goes for the resources their student would receive as well. This is probably what it means by the teacher and the students advancing as one. Right now, he has only epted three students. He might be able to retain his position as a teacher, but if one were to talk about qualifications, he is still thest in the entire school! In order for him to advance, he could only continue recruiting more students. .......................................... "Zhang Yang, dont be too disappointed! Wang Chaooshi was the only one who rejected you, you dont have to be so depressed!" Two youths are walking on the pavement in the academy. The youth in front is currently trying to console the one behind. "Mo Xiao, you were epted, of course you dont feel anything saying those words. How about you try getting rejected!" Zheng Yang frowns, unhappy at his friends words of constion. "Cough cough, dont say that. There are still a lot of excellent teachers in the academy, there isnt a need for you to choose Wang Chaooshi out of them all!" The youth in front scratches his head in embarrassment. "Theres no need to choose him? It is easy for you to say. Since young, we have been training in the way of the spear and the spear has already be a part of our body. It is something we are unable to discard anymore. The best teacher in the art of the spear in Hongtian Academy is Wang Chaooshi. Now that you were epted by him while I was rejected, is it possible for me to not get depressed?" Zheng Yang rages. "That..." Mo Xiao didnt know how he should reply to such a question. In Hongtian Academy, different teachers have different specialization. Some of them specialize in fists while some of them specialize in sabers... Wang Chaooshi is well-known for his capability in imparting the way of the spear. He is considered as one of the better teachers even considering the entire academy. The both of them joined the examinations together in a hope to be his disciples. However, one of them passed while the other one failed. It is natural that the one who failed would feel gloomy. "Hmm, there is a ssroom there. How about we take a look!" Unsure about how he should resolve this awkward situation, Mo Xiao suddenly sees a ssroom not too far away and points towards it. "Im not going..." Zheng Yang shakes his head. "Lets go and take a look. What if this teacher is also skilled in imparting the way of the spear as well?" Mo Xiao consoles. "Anyway, you have nothing to lose just by visiting it!" "Alright!" Although he is unwilling, Zheng Yang still follows Mo Xiao into the room. The person inside the room in Zhang Xuan. He is just about to go outside to recruit some fresh blood when he sees two youths walking in. "Nice to meet you, teacher!" Mo Xiao bows. "Un!" Zhang Xuan widens his eyes slightly. "Are you here to look for a teacher?" "Yes, this is my brother. He is extremely formidable, especially with his spear. In the younger generation, there are few who canpete against him. I hope that teacher can guide him!" Mo Xiao says hurriedly. "Mo Xiao..." Zheng Yang pulls the sleeves of his good brother. "What is it?" Mo Xiao asks in confusion. "Look at the surroundings..." Zheng Yang frowns. This ssroom is extremely narrow. From the looks of it, it could only fit ten people or so. It is obviously a small ssroom. The size of the ssroom is representative of the capability of the teacher. The teachers who are ranked in the top few have ssrooms the size of a field, allowing more than hundreds of students to cultivate and train at the same time. Inparison to that, this ssroom is just like the size of a palm. The teacher of this ssroom is probably only of average standard. "Its indeed quite small..." Mo Xiao notices the size of the room and his heart beats, ge deng!. Initially, he wanted to help soothe the stifled emotions in his best friends heart. Yet, unwittingly, he came to this kind of location. If the teachers standard is really sub par, not only will the stifled emotions not disappear, it might even weigh heavier on his heart. "Demonstrate your ability with the spear!" Seemingly oblivious to the secret conversation taking ce between the two, Zhang Xuan says calmly. "Since we came here, we might as well have this teacher guide you for a bit, since theres nothing to lose. If his standard is really bad, we could just refuse to acknowledge him and leave!" Seeing the look of hesitation on Zheng Yangs face, Mo Xiao persuades him. "Un!" Zheng Yang nods his head. Other than some exceptionally popr teacher that most students set their eyes on, when most teachers choose their own students, their students are allowed to examine the capabilities of the teachers as well. After thinking it through, Zheng Yang immediately retrieves the spear from his back and fixes the multiple parts together. Weng! With the long spear in his hands, Zheng Yangs expression changes instantly, just like the intimidating glint of the sharp edge of an unsheathed de. Sou sou sou sou! The long spear stabs forward and a sonic waves boom. The entire room sounds as though it is being torn apart and a strong gust of wind whips up in the surroundings. Experts are identifiable the moment they make a move. This Zheng Yang, although he may not be considered too strong, but his prowess with the spear is indeed quite not bad. Hu! The tip of his spear tremors and strikes the rock pir not too far away. A light reverberation lingers in the air and numbers appear on the pir. "110!" To think it would be more than a hundred kilograms! Just by the destructive prowess itself, even a 1-dan Fighter Juxi realm pinnacle would be unable to take the blow! "Teacher, please offer me some pointers!" With his spear held vertically beside him, Zheng Yang stands upright without a hint of nervousness or tiredness as he looks at Zhang Xuan impassively. Truthfully, just by the size of the ssroom, he doesnt hold high expectations for this teacher. He thinks that his standard would at most be of average. As though proving his point, the teacher before him squints his eye. It is difficult to fathom what he might be thinking. He only slowly opens his eyes after hearing his words. He turns to look at him with a faint hint of a smile on his lips. "You are emotionally wounded? That is... you have been dumped before? After thinking it through, Zheng Yang immediately retrieves the spear from his back and fixes the multiple parts together. TL: In case you find this part weird, it is probably like 3 parts to the spear (a spear is quite long. It tends to be taller than a human, so it is hard to carry around) Chapter 8: I Am That Trash Chapter 8: I Am That Trash Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Un?" Zheng Yang stares nkly before his face turns red and darkens. "I once had a crush on a girl. Then... I was humiliated by her. But this has nothing to do with teacher!" He once had a crush on a girl and he had once confessed to her excitedly. However, he was humiliated heartlessly by the other party and he felt ashamed of it. He has kept this incident a secret such that not even Mo Xiao is aware of it. How did this teacher know of this? "Is that for real? Zheng Yang, why didnt you tell me that you got humiliated by someone? Who is it?" Hearing him admit to it, Mo Xiao is surprised and hurriedly asks him. "I will tell you about itter!" Zheng Yang shakes his head, refusing to say any more about it here. He looks at the teacher before him and says, "Teacher, this is my private affair. I have no idea how you could have knew this, but this should have nothing to do with guiding me in the way of the spear!" "Nothing to do with it?" Zhang Xuan shakes his head. "This has everything to do with it!" "Everything to do with it?" Zheng Yang is a little doubtful of his words. What does a broken heart have to do with the Zhang Xuan guiding him? "Your spear is decisive and powerful. This is just like your personality. No matter what you do, you always charge straight ahead without thinking about the consequences! This should have been a good thing. Warriors should be like that, charging ahead without concerning themselves with minor things!" Zhang Xuan looks at Zheng Yang calmly. "However, it is a pity that after your emotional experience, fear started to sprout within you. You fear rejection and you fear humiliation! There is hesitation in your spear. With that additional hesitation, your strength greatly reduces!" "You.... You... You could see all these from my spear? You could tell that I was once heartbroken? You could tell my personality?" Zheng Yang is shocked. The words of the other party arent wrong. Rather, they are too correct, there isnt even a single error in it. His personality is straightforward and in this past, this allows him to charge ahead bravely without fear. Yet, due to that emotional experience, he starts to be timid and hesitant in everything he does. For him to be capable of telling all these through his spear, even his heartbreak, what kind of eyes do he possess? When did such an impressive teacher appear in the academy? He feels as though he is going crazy. Previously, when he visited the number 1 spear teacher Wang Chao to request for him to ept him as a student, Wang Chao only told him that he has yet to grasp the crux of the way of the spear. As for the reason behind it, he couldnt really tell. However, with just a single look, the man before him could tell that he had a history of heartbreak and that his skills stagnated due to the emotional trauma from it. Could this teachers ability to discern... be stronger to Wang Chao? "This is normal!" Zhang Xuan gestures with his hand, a look of an expert appearing on his face. "The spear is a reflection of ones heart. If ones heart isnt clear, the skills they disy through it would be dark! Even though your skills with the spear is coherent, it feels as though there is something shrouding it, something that you are unable to make sense of, something that you are unable to sever from you. With just one look, I can tell that it is definitely a crush!" "This..." This time, not only does Zheng Yangs face crumbles, even the mouth of Mo Xiao beside him is opens so wide that an egg could soon be stuffed inside it. What the heck, are you for real? Just by looking at ones skill with the spears, you could tell that emotions are shrouding it, and the unable to make sense of and unable to sever... Are these still the eyes of a human? Mo Xiao and Zheng Yang stares at one another, disbelief appearing in both of their eyes. "Teacher, can you help me take a look as well?" After the shock, Mo Xiao steps forward with a look of desire on his face. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan is agreeable or not, the spear in his hands tremble and he begins to execute his moves. He executes the same moves as Zheng Yang, just that they are stronger and much more fluid. Just by his skills with the spears itself, he is indeed better than Zheng Yang. It is no wonder that Wang Chaooshi chose him and not Zheng Yang. Hu! After a gust of wind, Mo Xiao retracts his spear and stands up straight. When his spear moves, he is like an unparalleled frenzied demon. When his strength overflows, even gods and spirits dare not approach. When his spear retracts, he stands quietly just like a statue. With a movement of his hands and feet, his disposition changes. Although he cannot be considered to be strong, being at Fighter One-dan, he could be considered to have walked quite a distance in the way of the spear. "You have a weak stomach. If I am not wrong, you even suffered diarrhea today!" Zhang Xuans serene gaze turns towards him. "Ah?" A shudder passes through Mo Xiao. "Teacher, you could tell that I had diarrhea from my spear?" Just like what the other party said, his stomach isnt doing well today. He already started having diarrhea from yesterday. Today, it got even worse and his body feels weak. However, this doesnt really affect him much. With a spear in his hand, he still managed to execute his skills at top form such that even Wang Chaooshi couldnt stop praising him. Yet, the man before him could see through it in an instant... Is that for real? To be able to tell ones heartbreak and diarrhea just from his spear, what are his eyes made of? "You want me to guide you? If you want, then acknowledge me as your master!" Ignoring the shock of the two, Zhang Xuan looks at them calmly. To be able to tell the condition of them both so simply, the both of them are about to go mad from shock. Yet, it doesnt seem like anything much to him. The truth is the same as well. When the both of them executed their skills, the Library of Heavens Path automaticallypiled a book on them both and the heartbreak and diarrhea naturally appeared in the list of their ws. Zhang Xuan only has to take a look and read them out loud. There isnt any difficulty to it at all. "Disciple Zheng Yang is willing to acknowledge teacher as my mentor!" Without any hesitation, Zheng Yang immediately kneels on my floor. He is truly impressed by Zhang Xuan. With this kind of eye for discernment, how could his guidance be ordinary? "Un!" Seeing how Zheng Yang acknowledges him as his master just after he pointed out a w of his, even before he started guiding him, Zhang Xuan nods his head satisfactorily. He retrieves a jade token representing his new identity to him and says, "Verify our rtionship!" "Yes!" Without any dy, Zheng Yang immediately drips a blood on it to verify his ownership of the token. Very quickly, the procedures arepleted. "Since you are now my student, let me give you a suggestion. If you want to be respected in a rtionship, you must first hold sufficient strength. Without strength, how could the other party think of you as an equal? Thus, the first thing you have to do is not to be depressed but to open up your mind and focus on your training. You must let the other party know how foolish they were to reject you! You must use your strength to prove to them..." At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalls a very show off book from his previous life and smiles faintly, "The river reverses its flow after thirty years, do not bully the youths just because they are poor!" "Do not bully the youths just because they are poor?" Hearing those words, Zheng Yang feels a burning sensation in his chest. He feels so agitated that his face turns entirely red and his body trembles uncontrobly. As a person born in this world, how could Zheng Yang possibly have heard of those words! In that instant, his battle will seem to have been lit. The depressed emotions he welled up from his heartbreak seems to shine brightly like diamonds. "Try executing your skills again!" Seeing how he has broken out of his shell, Zhang Xuan gestures. "Alright!" Without saying anything, with the spear in his hands, Zheng Yangs disposition changes in an instant. It ispletely different from his disposition previously. Hong hong hong hong! His spear sweeps about as his aura rumbles. Powerful strength is exerted through the spear and scatters into the surrounding, shaking the entire room. Peng! At the end of his spear routine, he sends a horizontal stab towards the rock pir. A deafening reverberation and a line of digits appear on it. 235! To think it would be 235kg! Previously, when he used his full strength, it was only 110. With just a pointer, his strength increased by more than a single fold! "Thank you, teacher!" Seeing the numbers, the doubts in Zheng Yang vanished. He kneels onto the floor. At this moment, he is truly convinced in the capabilities of the teacher before him. "Incredible!" Looking at the numbers on the rock pir, Mo Xiao couldnt help but turn red as his entire body trembles. He is delighted over finding a good teacher for his good brother. Yet, he feels disappointed at the same time. Previously, when Wang Chao guided him, his strength only increased by 30%. Yet, the teacher before him enhanced Zheng Yangs strength by more than a fold! If only he had known that this nameless teacher is that formidable, he wouldnt have wasted his effort to look for Wang Chao and would have immediately acknowledged him as his teacher. At this moment, he feels a little regretful. However, doubt sprouts in his mind. How could such a formidable spear teacher remain unknown? He cant resist asking, "Teacher, since you have epted Zheng Yang as your student, could we have the honor of knowing your name..." Hearing his words, Zheng Yang looks over as well. He ispletely impressed by this teacher, but at this moment, he realises that he doesnt even know his name! "I am Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan replies calmly. "Zhang Xuan? That name sounds familiar..." Hearing that name, Mo Xiao ponders for a moment. Then, somethinges to mind and his eyes narrow. His lips quiver uncontrobly as he asks, "I seem to recall... The trash teacher who scored zero points for his Teacher Qualification Examination is also called Zhang Xuan. It seems that teacher, you... have the same name as him!" "Un, I am that trash!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. "Ah..." Zheng Yang and Mo Xiao petrify. Chapter 9: Bet Chapter 9: Bet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex There are many rumors regarding that useless teacher. Before evening to the academy, they have heard so much about him that callouses were growing on their ears. They say that he is skilled in nothing and that he had been misguiding disciples! They say that he doesnt know how to cultivate and he doesnt know martial arts at all... All in all, all kinds of nder there is! As long as one is a student, it is best to stay as far away as possible from him. Do not mess with this fellow, otherwise going berserk is just a small matter at hand. At worse, they may even die in his hands! When both brothers came to the academy to seek a teacher, they have also heard of such rumors. All along, they have been proceeding carefully but never in their dreams would they imagine that this unworldly and incredible expert is that legendary trash! "Teacher, if you are so incredible, why would..." Zheng Yang couldnt resist asking. Although it has just been a short period of time since they knew each other, he could tell that the teacher before him had immeasurable capabilities. Every single movement of his has an elegant disposition. How could he be a trash? "There are many people in the world who are envious of the talented. This kind of things means nothing at all!" Zhang Xuan tilts his eyes upwards 45 degrees as sadness and regret reflect in his eyes, as thoughmenting the iprehension of the world. The emotions on his face are in ce, but in his heart, he is scolding vulgarities. If it wasnt for the Library of Heavens Path, given how the previous owner of the body was, it was already very incredible of him to not get a negative score. Zero marks... is already a high score, alright! "I am willing to cleanse teacher of his sullied reputation!" Seeing his teachers depression and iprehension of the world, Zheng Yangs heart is moved and he couldnt help but dere so. "Its okay, teachers reputation doesnt matter. As long as you train hard, I would be satisfied. Take the identity token to im your bedding. Come to ss punctually tomorrow, make sure to not bete!" After Zhang Xuans show of acting cool, he seems to have fully captured the worship of the student. Zheng Yang nods his head. "Yes!" Zheng Yang pulls Mo Xiao, who is standing beside him, and the both of them walks out. "Four students!" Seeing the two of them leave, excitement shes across Zhang Xuans eyes. The dazed youngdy Wang Ying, the student who he won from a bet Liu Yang, the arrogant young mistress Zhao Ya and the spear genius Zheng Yang. Initially, he thought that today would be just like how it was before, he would be unable to recruit a single student and the day would end in a failure. He didnt expect that he would manage to recruit four of them! "Without identity token, even if students were toe, I would be unable to admit new students. I better make use of this free time to get a few more tokens!" After getting emotional over recruiting four students does Zhang Xuan realize that he doesnt have any more tokens on him. This item is given out by the academy. Due to his terrible reputation, the teacher in charge of distributing the tokens only gave him four. He even thought that Zhang Xuan would be unable to use all of it. If he doesnt im more of it, even if new students were toe, they would be unable to acknowledge him! This token contains the information of the teacher. Once a student ims ownership of the token by dripping a blood drop on it, it means that they acknowledge the teacher as their mentor. On the other hand, if they would like to withdraw from the lesson, the teacher only has drip a blood drop on it and the information of the student would be erased. Standing up, he walks out of the ssroom. The sun outside shines brightly and a heat wave assaults through the shade of the tree, causing people to sweat profusely. Freshmen and older students are walking on the pavements of the academy and excitement could be seen on their faces. Coming into a new environment and acknowledging a teacher, the freshmen are overjoyed. On the other hand, upon thinking of the arrival of new students for them to y with, the older students are full of smiles as well. While walking along the pavement, arge infrastructure appears before Zhang Xuan. There are two giant words hanging on a board in the center of the building Logistics Building!" The tokens that represent the identity of a teacher are imed from this building. "Yo, who is this? Isnt this our star teacher? For you to not be recruiting students in the ssroom to visit me, what do you want? Oh, let me guess, could it be that you used none of the identity tokens, so you are here to return them!" Right after walking in, he hears a sarcastic voice sounding out. Zhang Xuan raises his head and a plump man whose face is full of fatses into view. This fellow at least weighs 300 to 400 kilogram. From afar, he looks like a giant ball of meat. "Qian Biao!" A name floats from the depths of his memories. This Qian Biao is one of the teachers in charge of logistics. He is a very spiteful man who always likes to eat into the spare change of others. As the teacher on the lowest level, Zhang Xuans sry has been minute and the resources he could im had always been minimal. Thus, he has never been respected by him. Due to this affair, he offended him. The moment they meet, all kinds of sarcasm and insults woulde flying out. Previously, Zhang Xuan been given four identity tokens under the premise that he wouldnt finish it is the work of this man. "I have finished using my identity tokens. I would like to im a few more of them!" Cant be bothered with the other party, Zhang Xuan speaks calmly. "Finished using it?" Qian Biao stuns for a moment before howling inughter. "Haha, everyone,e and take a look. This teacher who is first from the bottomes here to brag that he has used up all of his identity tokens! Haha, this is the funniest joke I have heard in the entire world..." "I seem to recall that you gave him four identity tokens back then! Finished it? Him? What a joke!" "The teacher who is second from the bottom, Sun Yanoshi is said to only have one student currently. This fellow who made history by scoring zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination could ept a single student? What are you trying to brag about?" "Throw him out. Anyway, after today, he would be fired..." ...... Upon hearing Qian Biaos shouting, the few teachers in the logistics branch came rushing over. They stared at Zhang Xuan with looks of disdain. For a teacher who is at the very bottom and scored zero for the Teacher Qualification Examination, why the hell is he trying to show off? Students would run the instant the hear your name. For them to acknowledge you... what kind of joke is this? "Oh? You said that I am bragging? Fine, why dont we bet on it?" Zhang Xuan doesnt get mad. Instead, he smiles. "Bet? Fine, since you want to lose so badly, I will fulfill your wish. Just that, given how poor you are, I doubt that there is anything you could offer!" Qian Biao didnt expect this fellow who he had always looked down on would challenge his authority face on by betting with him. He snickers in disdain. "It isnt your problem whether I am poor or not. Since I proposed the bet, of course, I will take out something I am willing to bet on!" Zhang Xuan widens his eyes. "Oh? You are able to take something out? Given your background, the things you take out would probably just be some rotten metal or simr shit-like things. You think that grandfather I would bet with you? I cant afford to lose my reputation betting with you!" Qian Biao states contemptuously. Zhang Xuan is the lowest level teacher in the entire academy, not to mention first from the back. Not mentioning the fact how he is unable to get a single student, he doesnt even have bonuses or so. If one must point out the poorest teacher in the entire academy, it would definitely be him. He lives thriftily even in his daily life, not to mention resources for cultivation! "Hehe!" Zhang Xuan isnt bothered by his insults at all. He chuckles and continues, "The thing I would like to bet isnt a treasure or an object. It is... face! If you were to lose, I will p you three times in front of everyone else! If I were to lose, I will let you p me three times! Do you dare to bet with me?" "pping face?" He didnt expect the other party would bet on this. Qian Biao couldnt help but to hesitate over it. To be pped by the academys worst teacher, if he were to lose, he wouldnt even feel like living on. He would be so embarrassed that he would want to die. "How, do you dare or not?" Zhang Xuan smiles at him. "Qian Biao, what are you scared of? Its not like you dont know his standards!" "Can a teacher who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination get a single student? Isnt he just dreaming!" "He is just scaring you. If he is able to recruit them, then wont I have a few hundreds of students by now? Even if the students of this year were to be blind, they wouldnt be blind to such an extent!" ...... The other teachers of the logistics branch smirk. None of them believe that Zhang Xuan would be able to recruit students. This is as difficult as a pig climbing up a tree. "Fine, I agree!" Finding everyones words logical, he nods his head in agreement. "Since the rest of you are cheering so happily, would you all like to make a bet along with me? With the same terms as him?" Seeing him agree, Zhang Xuan looks towards the other three teachers of the logistics branch. The previous three who were so disparaging a moment ago didnt mind adding to the bet since one of them had already agreed to it. "Why? Do you find your face itchy that you would like us to p a few more times? Fine, Im in!" A teacher deres haughtily. "Im also in!" "Whos afraid of you! To be bragging in front of us despite scoring a zero, you are looking for death!" The three of them nod their head with a smirk on their face. In their opinion, Zhang Xuan is bound to lose this bet. Today, he would definitely be pped! Chapter 10: Going Against the Bet Chapter 10: Going Against the Bet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Alright, since you said that you epted four students, bring them here now so that can we verify your im. Or, you do want to just present your face now for us to p?" Looking at the teacher who is first from the bottom arrogantly betting with the four of them, Qian Biao smirks coldly. "Bring the students here?" Zhang Xuan shakes his head. "You are all teachers of the logistics branch, it cant be that you dont even know the simplest thing! It is easy to verify whether I recruited four students or not. As long as students were to im ownership of my token, their personal information will automatically appear in the Education Bureau. As long as we verify it with the Education Bureau, the truth would be clear for all to see. After all, the Education Bureau cant possibly be working with me just to lie to you all!" As long as a student had verified his rtionship with a teacher, the information would be automatically transmitted to the Education Bureau and recorded. No one would be able to fake the results! "Li Yuan, you take a look! I want to see how this fellow could still act so smug after that!" After looking at his confident expression and hearing his words, Qian Biao is taken aback for a moment before turning around tomand Li Yuan. Li Yuan is one of the teachers who mocked Zhang Xuan previously. Hearing the orders, he turns around and walks out of the Logistics Branch. The Education Bureau and Logistics Branch belong under the Administration Branch. It didnt take long for Li Yuan to return with a darkened face. "How was it?" Looking at the expression on his face, Qian Biaos heart pounds furiously, ge dong!, as an ominous premonition looms in his head. "There is... four students who acknowledged him as their teachers! These are their names are personal information..." Li Yuan face turns strikingly pale. Even now, he still finds the fact hard to believe. Are those four students blind? Of the many teachers in Hongtian Academy, why did they have to choose a teacher who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, a fellow who doesnt know anything! "Let me look at it! Lets make sure that he didnt find some disabled and blind fellows who could be expelled at any time to be his students!" Qian Biao grabs the name list. The other two teachers hurriedly surround him. There are quite a few teachers who would recruit some inadequate students so as the boost the number of students they have. These people could be expelled at any time. Even if they were kept in the academy at the moment, they probably wouldntst more than a few months! In Qian Biaos opinion, for a person like Zhang Xuan who ranks at the very bottom, even if he sessfully manages to recruit students, he could only recruit the worst of the lot, students whom no one wants. epting this kind of students just to fill the numbers doesnt bring the teacher any pride, it brings shame instead! "Wang Ying... a female? She doesnt sound like anything by her name. She is probably one of the students who scored the worst in the entrance examination..." Looking at the first name on the name list, Qian Biao snorts in disdain. Hongtian Academy is not a ce anyone can enter. If one wishes to enroll, they would first have to undergo the entrance examination. Then, the students would be ranked based on their results and those who meets the prerequisites would be epted. Those who scored the first few in the entrance examination are hot targets for the more outstanding teachers. Each of them is famous in this academy and among them, there doesnt seem to be a student called Wang Ying. "Qianoshi, continue looking on..." Before Qian Biao could finish his words, he hears the trembling voice of one of the teachers beside him. "Why? Could she be worse than I have described?" With a coldugh, Qian Biao continues browsing down the list. With just one look, his eyes narrow as he reads the detailed information on Wang Ying below her name. "Rank 67 of the entrance examination, younger sister of Wang Tao, an Elders disciple, and the young mistress of one of the four great families in Tianxuan City!" "The young mistress of the Wang family? Wang Taos younger sister?" Qian Biao gasps in astonishment. There are four great families in Tianxuan Kingdom and the Wang family is one of it. The young mistress of such an esteemed family acknowledges the fellow who got a zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination as her teacher? Are you for real? Shouldnt a figure like that go for Lu Xun or Wang Chao? If her family were the ones who induces fear in him, then what that causes him to fall into despair is Wang Yings elder brother, Wang Tao!" He was enrolled in the academy two batches prior and after his enrollment, he has always scored within the top ten in the annualprehensive evaluation. This year, an elder in the academy even sets his eyes upon him and epted him in as his disciple! If the older brother has that kind of talent, how bad could the younger sister be? Having an influential background, talent and a good brother, she still chose to acknowledge this fellow as her teacher? My eyes must be going blind for it to make such a mistake! Qian Biao could hear lightning rumbling around him and he feels on the verge of fainting. "Look at the ones below..." Just as he is convulsing in disbelief, another teacher exims with a shaky voice. "He probably used up all of his luck to be able to admit a Wang Ying in. I dont believe that he would be capable of getting someone even more incredible..." Clenching his teeth, Qian Biao continues ncing down the list. When his eyes gaze on that name, his entire body convulses yet again and he feels the sight before him turning dark. "Zhao Ya? The Zhao Ya who is 7th in the entrance examination? The daughter of the City Lord of Baiyu City?" Qian Biao feels like tears are going to stream down from his eyes at any point. He just said that he wouldnt believe that Zhang Xuan would be able to recruit an even more incredible student and never in his dreams would imagine that he was able to... Not only so, it is a popr student whom countless teachers would go crazy for! He has already heard of this Zhao Ya before she even enrolled in this academy. She is the daughter of the City Lord of Baiyu City and not only is she pretty, she is also blessed with great talents. This kind of talent would bepeted over by the teachers who rank at the top. Why would she acknowledge such a trash? Impossible, this is impossible! He tries to forcibly suppress his emotions. ncing downwards, he sees the names, Liu Yang and Zheng Yang. The two may not be very famous, but their rankings are not low in the entrance examinations, scoring within the front hundred! Especially, Zheng Yang. It is said that he specializes in the spear. Due to the limitations of the examination, he wasnt able to exert his full strength, causing his ranking to fall behind. If he were to be allowed to use his spear, he might be even able to get into the top twenty! Staring at the names of the four on the list over and over again, Qian Biao and the other teachers feel like they are going mad. This isnt rational! "You must have used some kind of deception to get them to acknowledge you. Even though they acknowledged you as their teacher, they dont know who you are. The moment they find out, they would withdraw from your lessons..." Suddenly, Qian Biao howls with a savage expression. What rights does a teacher who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination have to recruit such outstanding students! He must have used some kind of despicable method which no one knew of. The moment these methods are revealed, these students would abandon him in anger! That is to say, while it is true he has four students, these students probably wont follow him for long. They will withdraw from his lessons in a matter of time. "It isnt your problem whether they withdraw from my lessons or not. The bet that we decided on was whether I have students now. Now that you all have verified that I have four students, shouldnt we be fulfilling the conditions of our bet?" Cannot be bothered with the savage-looking quartet whose minds are around the ce, Zhang Xuan speaks calmly. Qian Biao, Li Yuan and the other two have expressions on their face that look as though they are in a funeral. The content of their bets was indeed on whether he had students now, and not what would happen in the future. Going by such, they have lost! However, they are unable to ept the fact that they have lost and that they would be pped by the worst teacher in the academy! "Bet? Little fellow, what if we refuse?" After a slight hesitation, Qian Biao smirks coldly and a ferocious look appears on his plump face. "Indeed, even if we go against our words, what can you do? Haha, do you want to beat us up? The fact is, do you have the ability to?" "The worst teacher in the academy with the worst cultivation. To be so smug in front of us, do you believe that even if we were to beat you up to the point that your head swells up like a pig head, no one woulde to stop us?" "Stop acting cool and perhaps you could stay in the academy a little longer. Otherwise, it wouldnt take long for you to be kicked out and be shamed!" Li Yuan and the others immediately understood Qian Biaos intentions and sneers. Not only did Zhang Xuan fare the worst in the Teacher Qualification Examination, his cultivation is also subpar among all of the teachers. Even if he isnt the very worst, he isnt far from it! Thats precisely the reason why he doesnt have the eye to discern the problems in the training of his students. Naturally, Qian Biao and the rest wouldnt be willing to be pped. Since the other party doesnt possess the strength to enforce the agreement, they intend to go against their words to the end. "Oh? That is to say, you all dont intend to follow the rules of the bet?" Zhang Xuan isnt angry. Instead, he smiles at them. "Thats right! You brat, what do you think you are? To think that you would think of pping me, do you believe that I will p you to your death right now?" Seeing how this fellow doesnt back out and continues acting so smugly, Li Yuan is provoked and immediately sends a p towards him. Even before the p reaches, the pressure from the wind causes one to experience shortness of breath. Although this Li Yuan is only a teacher of the Logistics Branch, his cultivation isnt low. He has already reached the level of a Fighter 4-dan Advanced. There are 9 dans to a Fighter, 1-dan Juxi, 2-dan Dantian, 3-dan Zhenqi, 4-dan Pigu, 5-dan Dingli, 6-dan Pixue, 7-dan Tongxuan, 8-dan Zongshi, 9-dan Zhizun. Another new world appears with every level. The higher you climb, the harder it is for you to progress. In every level, there are four tiers, primary, intermediate, advanced and pinnacle. Zhang Xuan is the youngest teacher in the entire academy, being just 19 this year. His cultivation is only at 3-dan Zhenqi Pinnacle! Li Yuan is a level higher than him! The difference between each level is very great and is almost cannot be ovee. Pah! Just when everyone thought that Li Yuan would definitely strike on Zhang Xuans face, leaving him faint-headed, a sudden crisp sound echo. Everyone immediately sees a red mark on Li Yuans face as fresh blood spurts out of him and arge bunch of his teeth fall to the floor. "How... How is this possible?" Everyone stands in their spot dumbfounded and on the verge of going insane. Chapter 11: Begging for Mercy In the Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm, ones muscles, bones and even skins will be tempered, causing ones strength to soar rapidly! The difference between it and Zhenqi realm is like heaven to earth! Yet, the brat in Zhenqi realm is able to cause a Pigu realm expert to vomit blood with just a single p. Everyone found the sight unbelievable. Besides, wasnt this fellow thest in the sparring during the Teacher Qualification Examination? Why... is he so strong now? "It must just be a coincidence, do not fear him!" Qian Biao howls. One of the teachers also agrees with what Qian Biao says and charges over. Just like Li Yuan, he has reached Pigu realm advanced stage. His muscles are just like metal tendons and his skin is just like a metal te, giving an impression of indestructibility. "You shall fall to the ground!" Stepping forward, this teacher lifts his eyebrow and prepares to smack him with his palm. Pah pah! Thepression of the air results in explosive sonic booms. Facing the other partys ruthless blows, Zhang Xuan remains calm. With his forefinger and middle finger together, he strikes upwards at a nted angle. Pada! The teacher whose body is like a metal te feels a slight pain at his armpits before his vision went dark and he copses onto the floor. "What?" In two strikes, two Fighter 4-dan teachers were defeated. The remaining two teachers, including Qian Biao, knows that the teacher whom they had been looking down upon isnt as simple as they thought to be! "Lets attack together..." With a loud roar, Qian Biao raises his fist and charges over. However, even before he made a move, Zhang Xuan suddenly appears right before him. His left-hand grabs his face while his right-hand pokes him lightly. Putong! A pain in the abdomen and Qian Biao copses to the floor as well. The moment his body hits the floor, thest teacher whom he teamed up with also falls to the ground and convulses as though he is epileptic. "You... How did you know all of our mingmen..." With a spurt of fresh blood, Qian Biao stares at the fellow in front of him in fright. He finally understands why even though the other partys strength is far from them, the results ended in the direct opposite. Their opponent found the mingmen of their cultivation the moment he strikes, how could they have possibly expected this and guard against it? All cultivators would tend to have a mingmen as their weakness and the moment it is struck, even if the person striking is a child, it would be possible to kill the person! However, mingmen is the core of a human, thus cultivators would protect it carefully. Even the closest kin would not know where their mingmen is. Although Zhang Xuan does not possess strong cultivation, he seems to know where their mingmen is and strikes at their vitals directly. How could they resist against someone like that? Hearing his words of astonishment, Zhang Xuan smiles without exining. Of course, it is through the Library of Heavens Path. Not only does the Library of Heavens Path allows him to see through ws in ones cultivation techniques, he is also able to see the personal problems of the cultivator and his mingmen. They are all written in detail on it. Knowing his opponents mingmen and the weaknesses in their skills, even if Zhang Xuan transcended from Earth and still isnt very familiar with the skills of this foreign world, it is still a simple task to subdue the four of them. "Since you all chose to ept the bet, you all should have prepared yourself for the consequences of losing the bet. If you all had obediently allowed me to p you all, we wouldnt have to go through so much trouble!" Zhang Xuan chuckles. "Zhang Xuan, you dont need to get gleeful over it! I dont know what kind of despicable methods you used to find out where our mingmen is to wound me, but as the least experienced teacher, you attacked other teachers in public! Just by this alone, I am able to send aint letter to the academy to have your Teacher Qualification revoked..." Qian Biao howls. There are clear levels between teachers in the academy. For lower level teachers to make a move against higher level teachers is an immoral action. Zhang Xuan is young, and he also scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination. Thus, he is considered as one of the least qualified teacher in the academy. For him to wound four people who are more qualified than him, if the academy were to be informed of this incident, there would definitely be an uproar. His Teacher Qualification License being revoked is a small matter, it might be possible for him to be directly expelled! "Why? Since you cant defeat me using martial arts, you want to try to the rules to suppress me?" Despite facing such threats, Zhang Xuan doesnt seem to be bothered by it. "Indeed!" Li Yuan is also thinking about this. Excitement and cruelty sh across his eyes, "If you obediently kneel before us now and allow us to beat you up, perhaps when our moods lift, we wont report the incident. Otherwise, prepare to be fired!" "After being fired from your position, without your identity as a teacher protecting you, no one will say anything even if you are killed!" Another teacher howls. In Tianxuan Kingdom, the teachers of an academy are of high social status. The moment they lose their job, their social status would also fall correspondingly. If so, the few of them would really dare to make a move to kill him. "Since you all want to deal with this using rules, alright, I will also deal with this using rules then!" With a tranquil gaze, he walks a few step to Qian Biao and says, "Qian Biaooshi, you secretly used Elder Chen Mings treasure to please your concubine; three months ago, you embezzled from the schools fund to buy a house for her; a month ago, when you broke Elder Liu Quans most beloved porcin, you pushed the me onto a student, causing him to be expelled... Do I need to be recounting all of these matters in front of the school leaders?" "You... you..." Qian Biaos eyes narrow as his plump body twitches uncontrobly. An inconceivable fear surges through his entire body. He looks as though he has seen a ghost and is on the verge of going insane. Hemitted all of those without leaving behind any traces, so no one knew about it. Even his colleagues, Li Yuan and the others, arent aware, so this fellow... how did he know about it? Furthermore, with such details? "Li Yuanoshi, did the female student, whom you robbed of her dignity that resulted in her suicide from three years ago, return as a vengeful spirit to look for you? A few days ago, you grew an e on your back. Perhaps, this could be her seeking you for revenge!" Ignoring Qian Biaos terrified expression, Zhang Xuan turns to look at Li Yuan. "Ah..." Hearing those words, Li Yuan hurriedly backs away from fright as his face drains of all color. Three years ago, he was enchanted by a beautiful female student and he humiliated her, causing her tomit suicide from the shame. This incident was very covert and except for him, no one knew about it. Due to his conscience acting up against him, throughout the three years, he often dreamt of the other partying to reap his life as a vengeful spirit. Furthermore, half a month ago, a giant e in the shape of a human palm grew on his back, scaring him out of his wits. After hearing Zhang Xuan recount this event with great details, his entire body trembles uncontrobly out of overwhelming fear. Putong! His knees lost his strength and he kneels onto the floor. A sudden pungent smell wafts around the room. To think a Fighter 4-dan advanced stage expert would be frightened to the point of peeing out in public. "Du Chunoshi, you stole your good brothers business and even poisoned him to death through toxic wine. Although this incident was inconclusive back then, if rumors were to spread out now, do you think that you can continue being a teacher?" "Bai Linoshi, there isnt any major ws in your actions. However, due to your interest in antiques, you have epted many gifts from the students! If Im not wrong, the ancient jade ring which you wear should be a gift from back then when a student had something to request of you. As for what the request is about and who the student is, do you still need me to go into details?" Looking at the two remaining teachers, Zhang Xuan states. "You... You are a devil!" "You arent human..." The remaining two teachers are also all frightened out of their wits. This time, their stares are full of fear. Those things that they have done, although it might not be impable, they were confident that no outsider would know of it. Yet, how could this fellow be so aware of it, it is as though he is a specter! When he defeated them through his skills, they only felt ashamed, but not fear. However, when he revealed all of their secrets, they were truly terrified! It is as though the multiple clothes on them were instantly ripped to shreds, causing them to stand nude in front of everyone else. They can already imagine that when the information leaks out, whether they could remain as teachers is already a small affair. In the worst case scenario, they might be sent to the Teacher Court and be killed on the spot! "We were wrong!" "Zhang Xuanoshi, as a great man, dont bear grudges against minor figures like us. Please spare us..." ...... Trembling, they unwillingly beg for mercy. "I amzy to bother with what you all did in the past, just stop pissing me off in the future! Also, if you all dont change and continuemitting more vile actions, I wont mind interfering to ensure that you all would receive punishments proportionate to your crime!" Zhang Xuan waves his hand in disdain. Actually, if these people didnt get on his nerves, he wouldnt be bothered with them. The Library of Heavens Path is able to peer into all of ones ws. Even personality and past actions are counted in its midst, not to mention that this is only a small portion of the entire book. However, he isnt the savior of the world, so no matter what they did in the past and do in the future, as long as they do not cross his path, he wouldnt be concerned with them! What these people should have never done is to find trouble with him and make things difficult for him! Since you made things difficult for me, I will show you what death looks like! So that, you would never dare to think of doing the same the second time! "We dont dare, we will never dare to..." "Zhang Xuanoshi, these are the identity tokens that you wanted. Take as much as you want to..." ...... Hearing that he would not expose their past actions, Qian Biao and the rest heaves a sigh of relief. Chapter 12: Emperor Bloodline Chapter 12: Emperor Bloodline Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex An hourter, Zhang Xuan walks out from the Logistics Branch and his eyes twinkle in excitement. If it had been his previous self, he would have ended up being taken advantage of today. However, with the Library of Heavens Path, his life took aplete turn towards another direction. Perhaps, it is a blessing for me to transcend over! This kind of exciting life is what I hope for! Zhang Xuan clenches his fist and exhales a breath of air. In his previous life, he was only a librarian living a in and simple life that only rotates around the library and his home. Even if he were to continue on like that, he would only continue iming his sry and continue with his aimless life. However, things are different here. With a great gift package known as the Library of Heavens Path, perhaps he would be able to walk further and be stronger. He would be able to live an entirely new and exciting life! At this moment, Zhang Xuan has finally be a part of the world! He no longer struggles in his heart over the dilemma between his homnd and this world. Dont pull me. Let me die, I want to die... Just when he is secretly celebrating, he hears a piercing wail from a distance not too far away. It sounds like a frenzied bull, causing ones heart to tear in agony. Turning around, he sees a fatty howling that he would charge towards the manmadeke in the academy andmit suicide by jumping into it. Behind the fatty, no one tries to stop him. The fatty himself also doesnt charge forward despite howling non-stop. Suddenly, he turns around and grabs the palm of a student beside him and puts it on himself, making it seem as though the student is pulling him back. Then, he continues howling. Dont pull me, let me die. I dont want to live anymore... ... Everyone is speechless. Thats too shameless! Zhang Xuan shakes his head. This fatty, despite not wanting to die, insists on portraying a fake image of someone restraining himself frommitting suicide. He is really shameless. Knowing that this fellow cant possibly die, he cant be bothered with him anymore. Instead, he walks towards his own ssroom. Before he could walk far, the howling voice seems to close in on him as the ground tremors. Following which, a pair of thick arms hugs his leg. Teacher, Im begging you, please ept me as your disciple. They all scorn me because of my size and reject me... The fatty bursts into tears. Let go! Zhang Xuan is speechless. Isnt this fellow too entric? Rushing over to beg him to ept him as his disciple upon seeing that he is a teacher, Zhang Xuan has never seen such a person in his life. Teacher, I will only let go if you ept me! Tears and snot flow freely from the multiple faucets of the fatty. His voice sounds so sorrowful that even those who are watching from the side start to sympathize with him. Today, I have already visited over ten teachers but none of them were willing to ept me. This teacher over here, seeing how pitiful I am, please ept me! The examinations among the students would also affect a teachers evaluation. A plump person like him would tend to have trouble in his battles and his agility. Most renowned teachers would be unwilling to ept him. If you want me to ept you, you would have to at least show me your abilities. What do you expect to achieve by hugging my leg? Zhang Xuan says. He possesses the Library of Heavens Path so he should have no trouble recruiting students. If this person turns out to be mediocre, Zhang Xuan would not ept him as his disciple. Teacher, you have to ept me as your disciple. I am quite capable... The fatty looks up hesitantly before slowly loosening his arms. We have to see before we know whether you are capable or not. There is no use saying so much! Seeing how he is still slightly reluctant to release his grip, Zhang Xuan kicks him away scornfully. What is this? It would be one thing for a female student hugging his leg. However, not only is he a male, he is also a fatty... He shivers just by the thought of it. Fine! Look at my abilities! The fatty doesnt feel scorned. He stands up and surveys the surrounding. Then, he carries a few concrete blocks over from a short distance away. After which, lifting one up with his hands, he smashes his head into it. Peng! The concrete block shatters. After which, he carries a few more concrete block and shatters it using his elbow and leg. Without an exception, they all shatter. This fellow may seem plump, but he is skilled in henglian martial arts. Ignoring his henglian, Zhang Xuan is currently looking through the book that is automaticallypiled in his mind. The skills trained through henglian can also be considered as a type of martial arts. The moment the fatty disys his prowess, the library began topile his information. Yuan Tao, a wandering cultivator in Dihuang City, Fighter 1-dan Juxi Realm Intermediate! ...... ws: 18 aspects. No.1, the Ancient Emperor Bloodline in his body has yet to be activated! No.2, his foundations are too weak, the martial arts he trains in... Emperor Bloodline? Looking at the records on the book, Zhang Xuan is taken aback. After merging with the memories of the previous owner of the body, he knows that in this world, bloodline and ones innate body is very important. As long as one possesses either one of the two along with a suitable method to utilize it, their cultivation will soar by leaps and bounds in the future, causing their strength to increase exponentially. There are many types of innate bodies such as Pure Yin Body, Pure Yang Body, Immacte Body, Golden Body... There are also many types of bloodline such as Ancient Bloodlines, New Bloodlines, inheritances and mutations... Once found, every single one of them would be a targetpeted over by countless teachers. The Emperor Bloodline which the fatty possesses is one of the Ancient Bloodlines. It is said that when those who possess such bloodline reach the peak of their cultivation, their body would be imprable, no objects in the world would be able to break through their defenses. It is one of the most powerful bloodlines among defense-based bloodlines. This inconspicuous, fat and shameless fellow would actually possess an Ancient Bloodline? His Ancient Bloodline has yet to be activated. From the looks of it, this fellow doesnt seem to be aware of it as well. A glint shes through Zhang Xuans eyes. Of all types of bloodlines, Ancient Bloodlines are quite powerful. For this fellow to not be epted after visiting a dozen of teachers, it doesnt mean that they are unable to recognize such a bloodline. Rather, his bloodline has yet to be activated, causing him to be just like any other normal people. Not mentioning how other people arent able to discern his bloodline, probably even he himself doesnt know about it! However, even if he doesnt know, he does have the potential in this aspect. His defensive abilities are much stronger than the others and thats the reason why he chose to train in this kind of punchbag martial arts. I must ept this fellow under my tutge! His eyes twinkle. The entire academy might not even witness a single student possessing Ancient Bloodline throughout a course of multiple years. For such a good bud to appear before him, how can he possibly allow him to escape? Not bad. I will ept you as my student. Come, acknowledge me as your teacher! Zhang Xuan suppresses the jubtion in his heart and throws an identity token over to him with a calm face. Teacher, are you really going to ept me? This is great... The fatty seems to have taken quite a few mental blows throughout the day. Upon hearing that a teacher is willing to ept him, he is so excited that he cuts his finger without second thoughts and squeezes a blood droplet on it. It seems that the standard of the teacher determines the standard of the students he would ept. When the teacher is trash, the student would also be trash! At this moment, a cold scorn sounds out. Turning around, Zhang Xuan sees a cold and arrogant young man walking over. There is a beautifuldy walking beside the young man. Her pitch-ck silky hair flows down her shoulders, her pale skin has a creamy texture to it and her eyes captivate the gaze of those looking into it. Shang Bin? Shen Bi Ru? Upon seeing the two of them, two names immediately float into his head. In the entire academy, there are probably no one who would be unaware of Shen Bi Ru! She doesnt have any unique background, but she is publicly acknowledged as a beautiful teacher. Even the school belle would pale inparison whenpared to her. It wouldnt have meant anything if she was all looks. The crux of it is that she is skilled in teaching as well. Despite being in this academy for less than a year, she has already be one of the most famous teachers in the academy. Noble, elegant, beautiful and intelligent, she attracts the frenzied pursuit of quite a few teachers. Zhang Xuans previous self is also one of her pursuers. However, the previous Zhang Xuan was too much of a failure. Not mentioning his weak cultivation, he is also thest in all kinds of examinations. Due to his low self-esteem, even though he is interested in her, he has never talked to the goddess of his heart, needless to say, court her. This young man is called Shang Bin and he is the grandson of the academys Elder Shang. He is also one of her pursuers and he has used his identity to suppress the other pursuers. He seems to have received word from some source that Zhang Xuan is also interested in Shen Bi Ru, prompting him to insult him whenever they meet, sometimes even resorting to physical violence. However, Shen Bi Ru doesnt seem to be interested in him. All along, she has been cold to everyone, as though she isnt interested in anyone at else, leaving Shang Bin distressed and helpless. Who are you insulting as trash? Hearing Shang Bins unrestrained sarcasm, Zhang Xuan doesnt get angry and turns around to look over. Trash is insulting to you! Shang Bin smiles contemptuously. Oh, so trash is insulting to me. So smelly, so smelly! Zhang Xuan waves his hand in front of his nose, putting on a disgusted expression. You... Only now does Shang Bin reacts. Being made fun of by the worst teacher in the academy, his face turns red. Emperor Bloodline <-> ϬѪ (Longxi Bloodline) In ancient China, they believe in like looking at ones facial features to determine ones future. Naturally, theres a face for one destined for nobility as well. One of these noble faces is this Longxi face, which is usually termed as the face of an Emperor. This fellow may seem plump, but he is skilled in Henglian martial arts. TL: Henglian () is a way of training and literally means training through brute strength. There are 3 main ways of training in martial arts, Wenlian, Wulian and Henglian. ording to baidu, the three different way of training will lead the martial artists to different peaks. Henglian refers to a method which uses smashing of ones body onto a hard object in order to train their body parts. Even today, Henglian is still used as a way of training by a few (like the Iron Head Skills, they smash their head on solid objects from young) Chapter 13: Shameless Student Chapter 13: Shameless Student Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Upon hearing those words, the ice-cold Shen Bi Ru smiles faintly. Although this roundabout manner of insulting another means nothing on Earth, it is an iparably novel concept here. Seeing the expression on his goddess, Shang Bin feels that he is being mocked. His face flushes in a moment and pales in the next. However, in front of the female goddess, he is determined to maintain uphold decorum, thus he doesnt dare to attack Zhang Xuan directly. "Why? Is there something wrong with my words?" Suppressing his anger, Shang Bin sneers. "There isnt a single person who doesnt know what your standards are in the entire academy! This fatty came to my ssroom previously. Fat like a pig, he only knows how to defend and nothing else! The strength behind his fist is only a mere 15 kilograms! He must be either the first or second from the bottom in the entrance examination, so if he isnt trash, what is he?" Even though he cant teach Zhang Xuan a lesson physically, he is resolute to strike a blow onto him through his words. "The first from the bottom in the entrance examination?" Zhang Xuan only paid attention to the Emperor Bloodline and wasnt aware of such a situation. He turns around to look at the fatty. "Who says that I am the first from the bottom?" The fatty retorts confidently. Then, he scratches his head in embarrassment, "I am only... the 9997th ce!" "9997th ce? Only?" A faint spell afflicts Zhang Xuan and he almost vomits blood. Hongtian Academy only epts 10000 students every year. Although it recruits so many people every year, there are always several students who fail to report due to several reasons. 9997th ce, it is almost as good as being in thest ce, alright! Besides... With such a low ranking, how can you still be so confident... Zhang Xuan feels as though he hasnt fully woken up. "It cant be that you ept anyone who is a student?" Shang Bin sneers once again. Then, flinging his sleeves, an arrogant look appears on his face as he deres, "I have a clear requirement when epting students. I dont ept anyone who is below the 500th in rank! The teacher who is first from the bottom and the student who is first from the bottom... Howpatible! Haha!" "Are you done talking?" Towards his mockery, Zhang Xuan simply shakes his head, "Now that youre done, you can leave!" Previously, he has examined Yuan Tao clearly with the Library of Heavens Path. That fatty is a wandering cultivator, so it is normal for him to know no cultivation technique and martial arts. As long as he finds a way to activate his Emperor Bloodline, his cultivation would definitely soar by leaps and bounds. "You..." If it was someone else, being mocked to such an extent, they would definitely be trembling from anger. However, this fellow doesnt even bat an eyelid to it. For Shang Bins attack tond on thin air, his face turns even uglier. "It seems that a rotten wood cannot be carved!" After a cold humph, Shang Bin looks at Shen Bi Ru beside him and says, "Bi Ruoshi, lets go. If we stay with this kind of trash for too long, we would be contaminated by them!" Hearing Shang Bins direct sarcasm, Shen Bi Ru frowns and chooses not to leave with him. Instead, she turns around, "Zhang Xuanoshi!" Her voice is like an oriole, clear and enchanting, stirring upplex emotions in its listeners. "Hm?" Zhang Xuan didnt expect that the academys prettiest teacher would initiate a conversation with him, he is taken aback. "Although the previous time you... didnt score so well for your Teacher Qualification Examination, do not give up on yourself. Work hard and you will find yourself rewarded in the end!" Shen Bi Ru nods her head. From her point of view, Zhang Xuan epting one of the worst students means that he doesnt hold any hope and has given up on himself. Towards this ex-pursuer of hers, even if she doesnt fancy him, she doesnt hope to see him wallowing in his failures. "Thank you for your advice!" He knows that the other party is truly concerned for him. Zhang Xuan nods his head and exins, "This student, although he might not be anything now, he could turn out to be a jade. As long as I guide him properly, it isnt impossible for him to shine!" "Un!" Shen Bi Ru doesnt speak any further and instead starts to walk away. She thinks that Zhang Xuans exnation is only an excuse. Given Yuan Taos size and hisck of basic knowledge at his age, there is bound to be a limit to his future achievements. "Darn it!" Seeing the goddess of his heart talking to the worst teacher in the academy and even motivating him, Shang Bins face distorts savagely. The inferno in his heart rages as he stares at Zhang Xuan coldly before following behind Shen Bi Ru. "Bi Ru, it is better for you to avoid contact with this kind of people, it will sully your wless disposition..." "Shangoshi, I am a little tired today and would like to rest. I hope that you do not follow me..." Before Shang Bin could finish his words, Shen Bi Ru turns around to leave. "Damn it, damn it! Zhang Xuan, just you wait. I will definitely get back at you for this!" He watches as his goddess walk further and further away before she disappears from sight. At this moment, he has already directed all of his anger towards Zhang Xuan. In his opinion, if it wasnt for that inauspicious fellow, the goddess would definitely have dinner with him. How could it be possible for her to turn around to leave? .................................... "Since you have acknowledged me as your teacher, you must know where my ssroom is!" After the both of them left, Zhang Xuan turns his attention away from them and calls out to the fatty. "Great!" The fatty hurriedly stands up and smiles at him. "Teacher, now that I am your student, can you tell me which teacher are you in the academy?" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan grabs his forehead. This fellow, to think that he acknowledged whichever teacher he manages to set his eyes upon, not even rifying Zhang Xuans identity beforehand. "I am Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan says. "Zhang Xuanoshi? The Zhangoshi who scored... first from the bottom for the Teacher Qualification Examination, not to mention a zero..." At this moment, fatty finally realizes who he acknowledged as his teacher. The fats on his body tremble as his lip twitches. All he iscking now is tears. "Thats me!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. "Ah... That, Zhangoshi!" Fatty scratches his head. "Seeing how I am weak and dim-witted, not to mention fat, why dont you... take me out from your lessons!" Zhang Xuan: "..." "Teacher, I am being serious over here. The two teachers from a moment ago have also said it. If you dont expel me from your tutge, your reputation would be sullied. I am afraid of pulling you down with me..." Fatty continues. "I am not afraid of being pulled down. Besides, now that we have verified our rtionship through the identity token, I only have a sentence for you. You will live as my student and die as my student. Stop talking about useless things here!" Zhang Xuan waves his hand. "I..." Fattys face distorts and he is on the verge of crying. Due to his weakness, he wanted to acknowledge a good student so that his future could be boundless. However, never would he dream that thest ce student would be paired with thest ce teacher. Why is my life so difficult... "Alright, this is my ssroom. Now, im your bedding and remember toe to lessons punctually tomorrow!" Zhang Xuan says impatiently. "This ssroom..." Looking at the size of the ssroom, fatty finds himself on the verge of tears yet again. Even the locations where he underwent the entrance examination previously were much bigger than this. A ssroom of this size probably cant hold many students! "Teacher, if I... donte tomorrow, would you expel me?" Fatty is still bearing illusions in his mind. "Expel? That I wont. However, I will throw you into theke which you wanted to jump into to feed the turtles!" Zhang Xuan nods his head seriously. "Didnt I say it? You will live as my student and die as my student. Rx, I will fulfill the role of my teacher and bury you properly..." "Teacher!" Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, he was interrupted by fatty. With a serious face and unwavering will in his eyes, he says, "What time do we start lessons tomorrow? I wille in advance to clean the ssroom! It is my honor to meet such a great teacher. In the future, no matter who wants to admit me as their disciple, I will reject them firmly and reprimand them..." Zhang Xuan: "..." Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that he himself is shameless. However, he didnt expect that his student would be even more shameless than he is! Chapter 14: Cultivation Technique Chapter 14: Cultivation Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex It wasnt easy for Zhang Xuan arrange everything properly with fatty and send him away. Only then did he realize that the sun is already setting in the west and it is about to turn dark soon. Looks like I only have five students! He shakes his head. Today is thest day to recruit students. Judging from the current time, it is probably the end of the recruitment. Initially, he thought that he wouldnt even recruit a student. He didnt expect that he would end up pulling five students in. For a teacher who scored the worst in the Teacher Qualification Examination, it isnt a bad result. Closing the doors to the ssroom, Zhang Xuan follows the path back to his room based on his memory. As a teacher of the academy, he has a dormitory room of his own. However, it is only a small room of around a dozen meter squarerge. Soon, he reaches the dormitory. Pushing the door open and looking at the sight within, he couldnt help but sigh. His previous self really had it bad. Not mentioning how the room is small, it is extremely humid. Mold is growing on some of the bedding and such. He really has no idea how that fellow managed to survive like this. Lets forget about this first. Lessons are going to start tomorrow so I have to first ascertain my level of cultivation and try training a bit! Since he isnt hungry now anyway, Zhang Xuan follows the method he recalls in his memories and sits with crossed legs on the bed. As a transcender, although he has inherited the memories of his previous self and isnt foreign to cultivating, he is still quite excited at the thought of growing stronger. After he is done with the recruitment, it is about time for him to solidify his cultivation. No matter what, in this world, strength reigns supreme. The Library of Heavens Path is capable of to identifying others mingmen and ws, allowing him to easily break through the defenses of opponents of the same level. However, if his enemy is much stronger than he is, even if he is able to identify the gaps in their attacks, he is unable to keep up with them speed-wise. Before he could injure his opponent, he might already have been severed into multiple pieces like ab rat. Thus, even though the Library of Heavens Path is formidable, it doesnt ensure his invincibility. If he wants to be stronger, cultivation is the way to go! The cultivation technique of my previous self is called the Hongtian Nine Dan Form! It is a skill created by the founder of Hongtian Academy. The skill consists of nine dans, with each of the dan corresponding to the cultivation realm of the cultivator! He recalls the skill memorized in his head. There are nine dans to a cultivator and every level opens up a new realm. The higher one climbs, the harder it is to cultivate. Hongtian Nine Dan Form is one of the mostmon cultivation technique in Hongtian Academy. It also consists of nine dans which correspond to the cultivators nine dans. Right now, I am the weakest of all of the teachers in the academy! In the academy, almost all teachers have reached Fighter 4-dan, leaving him to be the only 3-dan. Thus, he has to train harder to catch up to them. Following the exhtion method in his memory, he focuses his concentration. In an instant, countless bright particles appear before him as he slowly inhales and exhales while absorbing them. Gradually, the zhenqi within his dantian enriches. After cultivating for an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan opens his eyes and shakes his head. This is way too slow! Even though he has inherited the memories of his previous self, his consciousness still remains that of an earthling. He finds it difficult to be sitting still to cultivate for long periods of time. Especially upon viewing the process of the gathering of zhenqi, he feels even more helpless. Gathering zhenqi refers to the action of pulling and gathering in the spirit particles in the air and suppressing them together. Just like the stacking of logs, they would be umted to form a river. This is an extremely huge project. There are some cultivators who persist in it every day without fail and fills up their dantian within three years to break into higher realms. It is a work that requires umtion over time. To cultivate so ndly for multiple years? You might as well kill him! Oh, thats right! Although the Hongtian Nine Dan Form is the most popr cultivation technique in the academy, it isnt the strongest one. I can use the Library of Heavens Path to seek out its ws and find a way to correct them. Once I correct the ws, wont my training be much more efficient? A thought pops into his mind. There are different tiers to cultivation technique as well. Better cultivation technique allows one to cultivate faster while the weak ones cause one to cultivate at a slower pace. Could it be that the better cultivation technique has fewer ws, causing the difference between the two? Other people might be unable to improve their cultivation technique, but Zhang Xuan is different. With the Library of Heavens Path in hand, he could make use of it to seek out the ws in it and think of a way to correct them. If he were to create a cultivation technique where even the Library of Heavens Path is unable to find a w in, wont his cultivation speed soar significantly? At this point, Zhang Xuan stands up, ces the Hongtian Nine Dan Form in his palm and starts flipping through it. Hu! Just as he expected, the library in his mind jolts and a book with the exact same name appears in it. Opening the book gently, he realized that there are countless ws on the Hongtian Nine Dan Form on it, numbering more than a thousand! This is the skill that I was training with a moment ago? Zhang Xuan is shocked. Just a simple 3-dan and there are countless ws in it, isnt this way too much! It is just like eating a vegetable full of worms! Zhang Xuan feels that it is already incredible that his cultivation hasnt disappeared after training in that skill. What about the other cultivation techniques? As a teacher, there are quite a few books in his room, Supreme Four Inscription, Heaven Meridian Technique, Lotus Acupoint Breakthrough Might... As he casually picks each of them and flips through them, the library would automaticallypile a corresponding book on it that records all kinds of ws in the skill. For these skills, the ws that are recorded exceeds 3000! That is even scarier than the Hongtian Nine Dan Form! This... Wont I die out of exhaustion while searching for a way to correct all of those? After taking a look, Zhang Xuan feels like he is about to go mad from frustration. It is hard to find a correct path when there are more than a thousand ws in a secret manual. It is like having a thousand different paths before you and each of which have countless divergence to them. Even if the Library of Heavens Path is capable of ascertaining whether the path is right or not, finding the most urate path would definitely tire him to death! Right now, my cultivation is at Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi Pinnacle, just a little bit away from breaking through. Right now, I only have to find the w in the secret manual regarding this aspect and correct it! Upon seeing the countless mistakes in Hongtian Nine Dan Form, he knows that it is impossible for him to resolve them in a short period of time. Thus, he flips the manual to the veryst page. It is difficult to train in the Fighter 3-dan, but thest step to breaking through is significantly easier. As he expected, there are only ten ws in this page. Error in the method in sensing the spirit in the air, error in manipting the flow of spirit particles, error in guiding the gathered spirit to flow through the Yangwei Meridian... The ten ws that written here are detailed clearly. The Library of Heavens Path only records ws, it doesnt list methods to resolving them. It isnt easy to search for the correct path one should take. Right! It seems that the parts of the Fighter 3-dan breakthrough method in the other books have different ws from this! A thought shes through his mind as he recalls what is written in the other secret manuals. Thus, he flips through the other books to view the portion of it about breaking through the Zhenqi realm. It is indeed as he recalls. Although there are mistakes in those as well, their errors are in different aspects. If it isnt demarcated as an error, then it should be correct... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He immediately grabs pen and paper and jots down the correct portion of each of them. Soon, a new cultivation method appears before him. Lets see if there are errors in this! With a faint smile, he grabs the book that he had just written and the Library of Heavens Path jolts once more. A simr book appears, just that this time, theres only one error in it. After researching for a moment longer, he corrects this final error and uses the Library of Heavens Path to ascertain once again. Indeed, all of the errors have been filled up and it is in its perfect form. This is the most precise method to break through Fighter 3-dan realm! Let me give it a try! Looking at the contents he wrote himself, Zhang Xuan nods his head excitedly. He hurriedly gets into position and starts to cultivate. Rx my body and allow my pores to open, as though I am sinking into a tub of spirit air. Every single pore of mine is aplete lifeform by itself, breathing by its own will... Tzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Cultivating through this method, although he isnt very used to it at the start, it didnt take long for him to feel the spirit in the surrounding surge into him. The spirit absorbed by a single pore may not be much, but when all of the pores of a body are undergoing the same process concurrently, the absorption speed is one to behold. The spirit in the air gathers like a flowing river, forming a giant flood in his body and rushes towards his dantian. Boom! An explosion echoes from his spirit sea. Initially, he was just a step away to breaking through his bottleneck. At the current moment, zhenqi overflows from his dantian and courses through his entire body, enriching his muscles and bones, generating a refreshing sensation. Figher 4-dan, Pigu realm! This... this is too fast! Zhang Xuans eyes widen. Based on what is recorded on the Hongtian Nine Dan Form, he would need to take at least three to five months to break through, and this would still require a certain amount of luck. After slightly modifying the skill to correct the ws on it, how long did he take inparison? Ten minutes? Five minutes? Probably, he didnt even take three minutes to sessfully achieve a breakthrough! This... Furthermore, despite only correcting the breakthrough method for Fighter 3-dan Pinnacle, the purity of the zhenqi he absorbed is iparably pure, containing much more power aspared to the ones he cultivated in the past! If the zhenqi he cultivated in the past is sloppy mud, then this wave is a clear spring water without any impurities in it. There are also different tiers to zhenqi, superior, intermediate and inferior. The higher the quality, the more clear it would be and the further one would be able to climb in the future! In the past, the zhenqi he cultivates is murky and probably of inferior quality. The ones he are cultivating is so clear that you could see through it. Most probably, it is zhenqi of superior quality. Didnt they say that... if one wants to cultivate superior zhenqi, they would require a god or saint cultivation technique? There are different tiers to a cultivation technique as well, namely god, saint, spirit, phantom and mortal. In each tier, they are ssified further into inferior, intermediate, superior and pinnacle. Based on rumors among cultivators, one would need at least a saint cultivation technique in order to cultivate superior zhenqi. Hongtian Nine Dan Form is the lowest mortal cultivation technique, so how could it cultivate zhenqi of such quality? It is the Library of Heavens Path! Zhang Xuan clenches his fist. He is still cultivating the Hongtian Nine Dan Form, but as he managed to avoid the mistakes recorded on it and followed the correct path upwards, he is able to gather superior zhenqi. It seems that... what is recorded on the Library of Heavens Path is urate. The Hongtian Nine Dan Form is indeed too far from perfection. If so, with the help of the Library of Heavens Path, could it be possible for me to create a book of saint or even god cultivation technique? Zhang Xuans eyes twinkle. Chapter 15: Heavens Path Divine Art Chapter 15: Heavens Path Divine Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Needless to say Hongtian Academy, even those top sects might not even have god or saint cultivation technique. Besides, even they have it, it is hidden deep inside the sect and normal people would be unable to obtain it. What he wants to do is to create such a skill so that his training would be more efficient so as to hasten the rate of the rise of his cultivation by leaps and bounds! I dont have any 4-dan cultivation method. Let me go to the Teacher Compendium Pavilion to take a look! Practicing the Hongtian Nine Dan Form, the cultivator can only retrieve the secret manual for the next realm after breaking through their current realm. At this moment, he only has the cultivation method for 3-dan. He has yet to see the one for 4-dan. Walking out, the sun hasnt set for too long and there are still quite a few passers-by on the road. The bright moonlight reflects on the surface of the pavement, dying it with ayer of silver. A few couples who had just tasted the forbidden fruit are snuggling under the tree as they whisper sweet nothings to one another. Even so, the surroundings have a serene atmosphere. Zhang Xuan didnt bother himself with these. Instead, he hastens his footsteps and soon, a giant pavilion appears before him. The Compendium Pavilion is split into two main sectors, teacher and student. Within it lies thependium of all kinds of secret manuals and cultivation techniques. It is one of the most important locations in the entire academy. Elder Mo! Walking to the entrance, he bows to an elderly who is sitting at a proximity from the great door. Elder Mo is one of the guardians of the Compendium Pavilion. It is unknown what realm he has reached but it is said that he is ranked among the top in the academy in terms of his strength. However, as he hasnt fought for many years, no one could tell his actual strength for sure. Youre here! You have reached Fighter 4-dan? Elder Mo looks over and strokes his sparse beard. It is just luck! Zhang Xuan doesnt try to conceal the fact that he has reached Fighter 4-dan. Good, good. Train harder, the academy still needs young blood like you! Elder Mo nods his head in satisfaction. Yes! Zhang Xuan doesnt continue speaking and instead, lifts his leg to walk into the room. The moment he leaves, Elder Mo shakes his head andments, He is a good child, just that he iscking a little in talent and is slightly too slow in his cultivation! Other cultivators take around two years to break through Fighter 3-dan whereas Zhang Xuan took a whole three years to do so. His talent is indeed subpar. Upon reaching Fighter 4-dan, if he were to train properly, he should still be able to be an average teacher. Just that, I hope he doesnt score too badly for him Teacher Qualification Examination the next time... After muttering for a bit, Elder Mo doesnt go on any further and shuts his eyes once more. Zhang Xuan is one of the more polite ones among the numerous young teachers. He doesnt really like him, but neither does he dislike him. It is just that he finds itmentable for him to becking in talent. Oblivious to the mutterings of Elder Mo, Zhang Xuan walks into the Compendium Pavilion. Although the Hongtian Academys Compendium Pavilion is of significant size, nowhere paling inparison to the working location of his previous life, it is still much smaller than the Library of Heavens Path in his mind. The two arent even on the same level. He walks quickly to the cultivation technique section and to the fourth row of it. Indeed, the Hongtian Nine Dan Form 4-dan cultivation technique is in here. Reaching out to grab it, he casually flips through it. Hu! A simr secret manual appears in his mind. Taking a look, it is around the same as the one for 3-dan, there are more than a thousand ws. There are other secret manuals here as well. Let me take a look at them as well! After the prior experience with breaking through, Zhang Xuan doesnt focus on the ws in it and instead looks towards the bookshelf before him. On the bookshelf of the fourth row, there is an amazing amount of different kinds of cultivation technique manuals. They are all cultivation techniques for 4-dan and there is quite are plenty of notes and exnations in them left behind by predecessors. Just by a rough look, there are around a few thousand of them. If it is someone else, their eyes would definitely blur from the sight. After all, there are so many books with countless notes left in them. Furthermore, some of the theories for the cultivation techniques are at ends with each other, so it is hard to gauge whether which one is the right one. If one were to randomly cultivate without knowing better, it is possible for them to go berserk. However, Zhang Xuan is different. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he is capable of telling which one is the right one. He doesnt hesitate to grab a book and flip through it. Hu! A simr book appears in his mind. Zhang Xuan doesnt stop and picks up the next one. He isnt browsing through them nor picking them. Rather, he is trying to increase the number of books in the Library of Heavens Path so that he could derive a more precise cultivation method. Hula! The sound of flipping pages fills the entire room. A weak will. Impatient and unrealistic! Hearing those words, Elder Mo frowns. Since Zhang Xuan has already chosen to cultivate in the Hongtian Nine Dan Form, then he shouldnt think about any other skills. He should make use of the time to copy the form for the 4-dan so that he can analyze it and start training. Although it is possible to make use the strengths of others to make up for the ws of one, the more misceneous knowledge one reads, the easier it is for one to get impatient and rash. In the end, it is a small thing if he achieves nothing in the end. If things go wrong, it is very possible for him to go berserk and ruin his cultivation! Thirty years ago, a talented genius blessed with great talents who thought he is much greater than others insisted on looking through the various cultivation techniques to create an ultimate one tailored to him. In the end, due to reading too many manuals, he became uncertain of the route he should walk on and his cultivation went berserk. As an individual, he became insane as well. Being greedy would cause indigestion! This is the absolute truth and reality. For him to take three years to break through Zhenqi realm, his talent is apparent. With such talent, he should just obediently cultivate 4-dan of Hongtian Nine Dan Form. Yet, he chooses to flip through other manuals. Is he just trying to seek for something thrilling? With one look, one could tell he is an unrealistic fellow! The good impression that he holds towards Zhang Xuan disappears without a trace. Putting on a show just to obtain the fleeting praises of the crowd! After a cold harrumph, he realizes that Zhang Xuan is just casually flipping through without taking a careful look at them. Elder Mos eyebrows knit even closer together and he feels a little disgusted with him. If one were to study those manual closer, even though they are being unrealistic, they would still obtain some knowledge on them. However, this fellow simply casually flips through it and given the speed he flips at, even Elder Mo himself is unable to look through the contents properly. If so, what can ad who had just reached Fighter 4-dan see? Now, he is truly putting on a show to obtain the fleeting praises of the crowd! The academys culture is really degenerating, getting worse with each passing generation! After those words, he shuts his eyes, refusing to bother with this unrealistic fellow anymore. Im done! His pace of browsing is extremely fast. He is able to finish flipping through a normal manual in just one or two breaths. In two hour, he finished browsing through all of the cultivation manuals and thousands of identical books had appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Time to return to assess them! Knowing that his aim has been achieved, he smiles and walks towards the outside without hesitation. You arent going to copy any notes? Seeing him leaving empty-handed, Elder Mo couldnt resist asking. Even if he is unrealistic, he should at least copy the secret manual so that he can analyze it after returning to his living quarters. Coming and leaving empty-handed, are youing here to y? Its okay, I am actually just taking a casual look... Unsure about what the other party is thinking about, Zhang Xuan smiles and takes his leave. Taking a casual look? Frivolous! The academy should punish this fellow! How can such a frivolous person be a teacher! Elder Mo waves his hand in anger. Cultivation manuals are the core of every cultivator and every cultivator should hold some respect towards them. However, this fellow only came to take a look and returns back after casually flipping through them. His behavior is uneptable! Looks like he should have a talk with the principal to deal with these teachers who are sullying the culture of the academy. Returning back to his living quarters, Zhang Xuan takes out pen and papers and flips through the Hongtian Nine Dan Form 4-dan manual to copy down the correct portions of it. Then, he takes out another book and copies down the correct portions as well. After flipping through a few of them, Zhang Xuan rubs his temples. It is actually quite troublesome and tiring to flip through a few thousand books like that. It isnt as simple as he thought it would be. Just when he is thinking about how he could hasten his pace, his mind suddenly jolts again. The thousands of book that was justpiled in the Library of Heavens Path crumple and slowly merge as one. Weng! The few thousand books merge togetherpletely with a crisp sound to form a single book. There isnt any name on the book. Zhang Xuan casually flips through it. This... is theption of the correct routes in the few thousand secret manuals? After taking a look at it, Zhang Xuans face flushes red from excitement. Previously, he was still troubled by how he could find the correct route out of a few thousand of books. It would have been an arduous task taking a long period of time. Never in his dreams would he expect that the library wouldpile it automatically! This book... there isnt a single w in it! The nameless book is theption of all of the correct cultivation route and there isnt a single w in it. The contents of it is no longer Hongtian Nine Dan Form or any one of the individual manual that waspiled into it. It could be said to be something no one has ever seen before. Since it is the correct method chosen andpiled by the Library of Heavens Path, lets call it [ Heavens Path Divine Art ]! A thought shes through his mind and he decides on the name of the nameless manual. Weng! As though sensing his thoughts, the empty cover trembles and four words appear on it. Heavens Path Divine Art! Chapter 16: Cleansing Muscles and Bones Chapter 16: Cleansing Muscles and Bones Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Let me give it a try!" After obtaining a cultivation technique without any ws, Zhang Xuan doesnt hesitate to follow the method recorded in the Heavens Path Divine Art and starts to meditate. The pores on his body widens as he absorbs spirit energy from the air into his body. Fighter 4-dan. 1-dan Juxi, 2-dan Dantian, 3-dan Zhenqi, 4-dan Pigu. Juxi realm, cultivators would learn innate breathing and sensing of spirit in the air. Also, they would gain the ability to look into their body and control the flow of spirit energy in their body with their mind. Dantian realm, the opening up of a cultivators dantian to allow it to hold spirit energy as well as to reform his body, turning a normal human into a true Fighter. Zhenqi realm, the gathering of the spirit energy in the dantian to create zhenqi. Pigu realm, the zhenqi-filled Dantian will overflow and enrich ones body, causing the cultivators physical body to be powerful. The capabilities of their organs will also be strengthened, thus turning them into true experts. The first three dans of a Fighter are the building of foundations. Only at the 4-dan does one the result of ones cultivation truly reflects on ones body, causing one to stray away from illnesses and be stronger. The cultivation method of Hongtian Nine Dan Manual is to make use of the zhenqi overflowing from the dantian to nourish ones body, thus reforming and tempering ones bones, muscles, tendons and skin. However, the Heavens Path Divine Art is different. It uses the spirit energy from the surrounding to nourish ones body while having the zhenqi in ones body overflow to the other parts of the body at the same time. Gugugugu! The stream of spirit energy flows through his veins towards his entire body. The zhenqi would mend and fill up the iplete parts as it flows through his veins. Gezhi! Gezhi! It didnt take long for the infusion of both spirit energy and zhenqi to strengthen his bones and muscles. It feels as though it has been tempered with concentrated fire as it turns clear, emitting a warm glow. Boom! After the zhenqi circtes around his body for an unknown number of times, his body suddenly jolts and he feels as though he has broken through a certain bottleneck. A surge of rxation gushes through his body. Previously, his body feels as though it has been bound by some shackles but now, his entire body feels light and he has perfect control over every single motion of his. It feels as though he has been broken through his cocoon to be reborn as a butterfly. "Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm... I have finished cultivating in this realm?" Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan is still in a state of disbelief. The sign of breaking through the Pigu realm is the destruction of the shackles of ones body, allowing one to ascend into greater heights. How long has he been training? Two hours? Four hours? "Pungent!" Curious, he looks at his body and realizes that there is ayer of filth on the surface of his skin. Pigu realm is the nourishment of ones body using zhenqi, expelling the impurities within ones body and cleansing ones muscles and bones, thus reforming their body. From birth, humans would ingest all kinds of food for survival. As a result, they would umte more and more impurities in their body. In the Pigu realm, through the nourishment of zhenqi, one cleanses their body of impurities and only then are they able to break through the shackles of their body and return back to nature. "I have long heard of the Pigu realm, but... I have never seen anyone who can expel so much impurities!" Smelling the pungent smell from his body, Zhang Xuan couldnt take it anymore. He grabs a pail and cleans himself while muttering under his breath. Figher 4-dan Pigu realm is the cleansing of ones muscles and bones. It is already not bad for one to strengthen their body just by a small bit in one sitting. He has never heard of a person expelling so much impurities that their entire body would stink from it. Very quickly, he finished cleaning himself. At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly realizes that his body is as clear as a jade and as smooth as a mirror. All of the scars which he umted from his previous training sessions have disappeared without a trace. Right now, he is just like a newborn infant, perhaps even smoother than a newborn infant. "My zhenqi..." Surprised by the changes in his body, his attention turns to his dantian. His entire body trembles. The murky zhenqi that was in his dantian previously has turned to be as clear and water and it is emitting refreshing fragrance. Without a doubt, it is definitely superior zhenqi! "Not only is my body enhanced, even the quality of my zhenqi has improved. This... Heavens Path Divine Art is too powerful!" Zhang Xuan is taken aback. To break through Pigu realm, others have to continually nourish their body for at least a few years. However, he took less than four hours to break through the realm directly. Not only so, the quality of his zhenqi has been refined. Exactly what kind of secret manual has the Library of Heavens Path created? This is way too powerful! "Let me test my strength! Upon breaking through Pigu realm, one would reach Fighter 5-dan Dingli. The moment a cultivator steps into this realm, they will possess one ding of strength!" He walks over to the Strength Measuring Rock Pir which is just a few dozen meters away from the dormitory. This kind of Strength Measuring Rock Pir can be found around the academy so as to allow the students to measure their strength at anytime and anywhere. Upon reaching Fighter 5-dan Dingli, one would possess one ding of strength, which is around a thousand kilograms. This kind of strength already exceeds the limits of an ordinary human and is on par with horses and bulls. After practicing the Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuans body has been reformed and he has broken through the Pigu realm. This is an opportunity for him to test how much strength the possesses. Will it be like in the rumors, that he would possess one ding of strength? Gathering and controlling his breath, the sole of the feet clutches onto the ground. Suddenly, his knees spring forth and his entire body immediately takes on the shape of a giant bow while his arm bursts forth from him like an arrow. Peng! His fist strikes on the stone pir and a glint of light flow on it. "5 ding!" A number appears on it. "How... how... is this possible?" Zhang Xuan narrows his eyes and a dumbfounded look covers his entire face. Is this for real? For a normal dingli primary stage, one would possess one ding of strength. In the intermediate stage, one would possess two ding of strength. In the advanced stage, three ding of strength and in the pinnacle, four ding of strength! Yet, despite barely breaking through the Pigu realm to Dingli realm, he actually possesses five ding of strength... What is going on? Isnt this too exaggerated! "It must be due to the nourishment of my body by the Heavens Path Divine Art and the superior zhenqi in my body..." After a short moment, Zhang Xuan recovers from the shock and infers. He is very clear that he isnt a genius. The only exnation for it is the Heavens Path Divine Art which he has just cultivated with. Not only does this cultivation technique temper and reforms his physical body and cleanses his zhenqi, raising it to superior quality, it also increases his strength significantly, thus granting him the strength beyond that of Dingli pinnacle expert despite just reaching the Dingli realm. Fearsome! "There is only a few esteemed teacher in the academy who reached Fighter 5-dan!" In the academy, only some of the higher level teachers possess the strength of a Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm. People like Cao Xiong and him could never hope to reach such heights. "Now that I have reached this level, I should go and look for the cultivation technique for 5-dan..." While his strength soars rapidly, a problem arises. The multitude of 4-dan cultivation techniques that he flipped through in the Teacher Compendium Pavilion previously are useless now. If he wants to continue cultivating, he has to look for 5-dan cultivation techniques. "Right now, it isnt toote. The Teacher Compendium Pavilion shouldnt be closed yet..." Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan walks over the Compendium Pavilion once more. In order to prevent people from getting greedy and hasty in their training, the academy imposed a rule that one can only view cultivation techniques that correspond to the level of their cultivation. It didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to arrive at the Compendium Pavilion once more. "Why are you here again?" Seeing that its the same guy from a moment ago, the custodian, Elder Mo, frowns. This impractical fellow just left the pavilion not long ago. Why is he back again? "Elder Mo, I would like to view the cultivation technique for 5-dan!" Zhang Xuan is a little awkward. He cant possibly say that he broke through after leaving for just a short moment! If he were to say that, the other fellow would either kill him or kidnap him to examine him like ab rat. There isnt much of a change in zhenqi between Pigu realm and Dingli realm. As long he doesnt manipte his zhenqi, it is difficult for even experts to tell the difference. Elder Mo may be strong, but it is inconceivable to him that this youth might have broken to greater heights in the short moment he was gone. "5-dan cultivation technique? What do you want it for?" Elder Mos face darkens. His final sliver of appreciation towards his fellow disappears. He didnt copy any notes on the 4-dan cultivation technique and didnt try to cultivate it. Yet, he is back now to look at the 5-dan? What kind of joke is this! "Elder Mo, it is like this. Today, I epted a student and his parent asked me some questions about 5-dan cultivation. I was unable to answer it, causing him to look down on him. Thus... I would like to take a look and derive an answer to it. This way, I would be able to deal with these questions in the future!" Zhang Xuan has already thought of an excuse beforehand. "Some parents are indeed troublesome to deal with!" Hearing this exnation, Elder Mo nods his head. With a solemn expression, he says, "You can take a look, but do not cultivate them by any means! If you try to cultivate 5-dan without even breaking through 4-dan, even deities would be unable to save you when you go berserk!" "Yes, I understand that!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly replies. "Alright, enter!" Elder Mo waves his hand and closes his eyes. "The 5-dan cultivation technique are on the veryst row!" "Yes!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly enters. "Hypocritical! Vain!" After entering, Elder Mo adds two more words to his evaluation of Zhang Xuan. Chapter 17: Assassination Chapter 17: Assassination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex So what if the parents ask about it? You are the lowest level teacher, it is normal that you cant answer their questions! So, in order to put on a show, you specially came here to view the 5-dan cultivation technique. If this isnt being hypocritical and vain, what is it? Tomorrow, I will look for the principal and have this unrealistic fellow expelled! Scoffing coldly in his heart, Old Mos mind is resolute. Leaving such a vain fellow who doesnt cultivate properly in the academy will just sully the culture of the academy! Zhang Xuan doesnt know that the two meetings with Elder Mo have ced him in the expulsion list of thetter. If he were to know, he would have no idea whether he should burst intoughter or weep in tears. Those words that he said are only excuses! In reality, his cultivation has reached such a level! He cant possibly stop training due to theck of cultivation technique. Very quickly, he found the veryst row of the cultivation technique section. Even the most famous and powerful teacher in the academy is Fighter 5-dan. The moment one breaks through into the 6-dan Pixue realm, they would automatically be an elder in the academy. This is only the Teacher Compendium Pavilion, so there arent any records on the 6-dan cultivation techniques. Thus, the 5-dan cultivation techniques are ced on the veryst shelf. There are significantly less 5-dan manuals than 4-dan! There are around 2000 to 3000 cultivation technique secret manuals on the 4-dan whereas there are only 1000 on the 5-dan. However, it is also a natural urrence when one thinks about it. No matter what it is, the higher one climbs, the scarcer the resources. Although the academy has been present for a long time, there are definitely significantly less 5-dan than 4-dan in its entire history. As a result, the cultivation techniques and notes they leave behind would be fewer as well. Shaking his head, he decided not to contemte over such matters. Zhang Xuan casually takes out a book and flip through it. Around an hourter, the 1000 cultivation technique secret manuals have been browsed through and the Library of Heavens Path haspiled corresponding books to the secret manuals. After receiving what he wants, Zhang Xuan smiles faintly and bids Elder Mo farewell before walking into the distance. Seeing how he is randomly flipping and viewing the books, not even stopping in the midst of it, Elder Mo cant help but chastise him yet again in his mind. Returning back to his living quarters, Zhang Xuan follows what he did previously and searches for the correct phrases and paragraphs within the thousand books. As he expected, not too longter, the librarypiles the thousand books into a single one. This time, the book isnt nameless and the four big words Heavens Path Divine Art is written on it. He starts to cultivate again. Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm is an extension of the Pigu realm. The purpose of this realm is simple, it is to temper the zhenqi of the cultivator to his body. The difference in strength between each stage in Dingli realm is mainly due to the level ofpatibility between ones zhenqi and their body. The greater theirpatibility, the more strength one is able to exert. Reading the cultivation method for the Dingli realm in the Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan focuses his attention. He carefully controls the crystal clear zhenqi in his dantian to slowly flow in his body, going at a fixed rhythm to allow it to mergepletely with his body. The Heavens Path Divine Art is indeed worthy of being a cultivation techniquepiled by the advantages of over a few thousand secret manuals. The efficiency of the cultivation method is indeed one to behold. His zhenqi and muscles swiftly merge together as one. The strength of his body and thepatibility of his zhenqi soars up exponentially. Dingli realm primary stage! Dingli realm intermediate stage! Dingli realm advanced stage! Dingli realm pinnacle! Boom! After four hours, his body jolts again. Zhang Xuan reopens his eyes. His eyes are filled with disbelief, This... Fighter 5-dan pinnacle? Initially, he thought he would take a long period cultivating in 5-dan. Never in his dreams would he possibly imagine that he could reach the pinnacle in four hours through the Heavens Path Divine Art. To his previous self, cultivation is as difficult as trying to ascend the heavens. Yet, to Zhang Xuan who is practicing the Heavens Path Divine Art, it is as easy as eating and drinking. Just by half a night worth of effort, he rose from Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm to Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle... This is too exaggerated! Furthermore, if it wasnt for the fact that he didnt know the cultivation method for 6-dan, unaware of which acupoint he should breakthrough, he might have already sessfully broken through to be a 6-dan Pixue realm expert! In 6-dan Pixue realm, one opens up all of the blocked acupoints in their body. For every acupoint broken through, ones zhenqi would be richer and ones prowess will rise. It is said that there are 108 acupoints in the human body. However, only 72 of these can be opened and there is an order to opening it. Everyones body is different, thus everyone would require a different sequence in breaking through each of them to obtain the best results out of it. If one is unable to find the correct sequence, they could very possibly end up only opening three to four acupoints and be stuck there for the rest of their lives. This is just like cleaning the silt by a river. It has to be cleaned gradually from the upper stream to the lower stream. If one were to start at the center and clean towards the upper and lower stream, not only will the river not be cleaned thoroughly, it might even result in a blockage, causing one to be unable to progress further. The same logic goes for breaking through ones acupoints as well. If one doesnt find the ideal sequence, the other acupoints might get blocked and for the rest of their lives, they would be unable to open it. Thus, without a cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan doesnt dare to try to cultivate further. However, he isnt anxious. It is already unheard of to break through two great realms in a single night. He is already very satisfied with the results. Unless required, it is best for me to not to reveal my level of cultivation! As a transcender, he has read many books and watched many shows. He knows that possessing a treasure itself is a crime. He is the worst teacher in the entire academy. Yet, in a night, he suddenly gains the strength of a Fighter 5-dan pinnacle. If others were to find out, wont they all rush to him? Thus, it is best for him to not tell anyone about him reaching Dingli realm pinnacle. The more confidential it is, the better it is for him. Let me see how much strength would I hold this time! After making a decision, Zhang Xuan walks over to the Strength Measuring Rock Pir. While other people only possess one ding of strength in their Dingli primary stage, he possessed five ding. If so, how much strength would he hold now that he has reached the pinnacle? Peng! Light flows through the rock pir and numbers appear on it. 8 ding! Eight ding of strength? That is almost the strength of a Pixue realm expert who has opened up four acupoints! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. A normal Dingli pinnacle cultivator would possess four ding of strength. After which, for each acupoint they break through, their strength would increase by one ding. Despite just being at Dingli pinnacle, he possesses the strength of eight ding, putting him on the same level as an expert who has broken through four acupoints. As expected of the Heavens Path Divine Art, incredible! Zhang Xuan is quite happy. After training for such a long period of time, he intends to find something to eat then go to sleep. However, his ears suddenly twitch. Why would someone be here at such a time? Zhang Xuan frowns. Due to an advancement in his cultivation, his hearing and sight have improved tremendously. He is able to clearly perceive the sound of someone hiding somewhere not too far from where he is, staring fixedly at his living quarters. Looks like he is surveying my room. He probably has yet to detect my presence! At this moment, Zhang Xuan isnt at his room but behind a Strength Measuring Rock Pir which is a distance away from the dormitory. After measuring his strength, he has been suppressing his breathing, thus the other party has yet to notice his presence. Lets see whos the one finding trouble with me! He didnt expect that someone would want to deal with him right after he is done cultivating. The doubts in his mind grow. Rummaging through the memories of his previous self, although he doesnt have much aplishment, there hasnt been a scenario where someone sneaked onto in the night to deal with him! No matter who he is, I mustnt let him identify me! Just when he was about to meet the other party, a thought suddenly shes through his mind. The entire academy knows that he is a Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm trash. If he were to appear at this moment as a 5-dan pinnacle, the other party would definitely be scared to death! Furthermore, if the news were to spread out, there would surely be quite a few person who would look into him. Thus, no matter who the other party is, Zhang Xuan mustnt allow him to identify him. At this moment, he suddenly recalls the numerous movies he has watched back in his previous life. Thus, he tears away a fabric from his sleeves and covers his face. Hu! After finishing with his preparations, making use of the darkness of the night, Zhang Xuan gradually creeps towards the other party with light footsteps. Although he has just broken through and he has never studied any footwork, the cultivation technique he is training with is the Heavens Path Divine Art which grants him superb control over his body. Not to mention, he is also very familiar with his surroundings, so the other party didnt notice him even when he is just ten meters behind him. At such a proximity, he could clearly see the ck suit donned by the other party. His face is also covered, so it is impossible for him to make out his identity as well. Lad, if you must me, me it for your daring guts to dare toy your hands on our young mistress! Hiding behind arge tree, Zhang Xuan stares at the silhouette before him as the mutterings of thetter vaguely drift to his ears. That voice sounds familiar... Zhang Xuans eyebrows knit tightly together. Zhang Xuan is sure that he had heard this voice before. However, he has difficulty recalling exactly when and where he heard it. Hu! Just as he is trying his best to recall whether it is the memory of his previous self or after he has transcended, the silhouette before him flickers and gradually moves towards his dormitory. At the same time, with a flick of his wrist, a cold gleam shines and a sharp dagger appears on his palm. Chapter 18: Scammed Chapter 18: Scammed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "You want to kill me?" Seeing the other party whipping out a knife, Zhang Xuan raise his eyebrows. It is fortunate that he has been cultivating and not sleeping. Otherwise, when the other party approaches him silently like this, wont he be killed for sure? "Let me first ascertain who this fellow is!" Zhang Xuan knows that conducting this kind of night assault would mean that he is not an individual. Perhaps, there could even be an organization behind him. If he doesnt urately identify the one trying to murder him, even if he were to kill this assassin, there might be moreing for his life in the future. If he doesnt dig out the organization behind the assassination, he wouldnt have to dream of sleeping peacefully anymore. "Who is it?" Just when Zhang Xuan is pondering how he should force the man before him to confess the organization backing him, he hears a hushed voice. Unknowingly, the ck-clothed man grasping the dagger is already standing at proximity to him. Zhang Xuan has never tracked anyone before. Upon seeing the other party whip out a dagger, he got nervous for a moment and leaked out his breath, causing the other party to notice his presence. "I..." To be noticed so quickly, Zhang Xuan frowns. Just when he is about to rush forward to duel with the man before him, a thought sh through his mind and a brilliant idea pops out. "I am here to kill Zhang Xuan, that useless teacher! Who are you?" Suppressing his tone so as to not be identified, Zhang Xuan deres. Since the other party is here to kill him, he would be able to confuse him by saying that he is here for the same purpose. "Youre here to kill him?" The ck-clothed man is taken aback. However, looking at how Zhang Xuan conceals his face and his sneaky attitude, he couldnt help but trust his words slightly. "Indeed. The academys worst teacher will only bring harm to the students if left alone!" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but turn red upon talking about himself. "Oh, then you do it. I will help you keep a look out!" The ck-clothed man says. "Keng?" A uprehending look appears on Zhang Xuan. He tries to push the responsibility to him, "I think it would be better for you to do it. Anyway, we are here for the same motive, so it doesnt matter who does it!" "You do it. Actually, I have no intentions of killing him. I only wanted to punish him. However, if he were to die, that would be for the best!" The ck-clothed man urges him on. "Punish him?" Zhang Xuan is a little confused. Punish him... Then why is he holding a dagger? He couldnt resist asking, "How do you want to punish him?" "Hmph, that fellow dares to do something disrespectful to our young mistress. I intend to chop off his thing and turn him into a eunuch!" The ck-clothed man proims furiously. "..." Hearing those words filled with vile intentions, Zhang Xuan could only feel a breeze at his crotch and shivered unconsciously in fear. The hell! If I were to sleep peacefully tonight, I would probably be qualified to serve the emperor after this! ****! Who the hell are you, for you to be so vicious! Disrespectful to your young mistress? Zhang Xuan tries to recall the memories of his previous self and after his reincarnation, but he doesnt seem to have gotten into any physical rtionships with any young mistresses! "That Zhang Xuan, I have only heard that he is unqualified as a teacher, I have never heard of him bullying females. What is this about?" Zhang Xuan couldnt resist asking. "Hmph, that fellow is an animal with a human skin! What teacher, he is a beast! Our young mistress... Forget it, the more I think about it, the more furious I get!" Untold rage could be felt from the suppressed voice of the ck-clothed man. "..." Zhang Xuan could only see stars. So what the hell is it about, for you to insult me as a beast? What did I do to your young mistress? Besides that, who the hell is your young mistress? It is one thing if she is pretty, but if she is ugly, isnt it too much for such a reputation to be forced on me! "Why do you want to kill him?" After his insults, the ck-clothed man looks over. "Me?" Zhang Xuan didnt expect that the other party would question him. He is stunned for a moment before clenching his jaw and answering, "I... I cant ept his actions of bullying women!" "You know that he bullies woman? Who did he bully?" The ck-clothed man is rmed. "He..." Zhang Xuan harrumphs and says, "There is no reason for me to answer your questions!" "That is true. Since we both have the same goals in mind, you go first!" Seeing that the other party is unwilling to reveal anything, although there are doubts in his mind, he chooses to ask no further and waves his hand to gesture Zhang Xuan to go ahead. "It would be better if you go first! If I were to strike first, he would be dead before you can castrate him. It would be better for you to castrate him first before I kill him!" Zhang Xuan replies. "That..." The ck-clothed man starts to hesitate. He looks at Zhang Xuan in doubt. He has started to get suspicious. How could it be possible for such a coincidence to ur? Just when he intends to castrate Zhang Xuan, another person appears to assassinate him? If it wasnt for his fear of the strength of the other party, he would have struck him unconscious by now. "Why? You dont trust me? If I dont want to kill him, why would I sneak here in the middle of the night!" Noticing his doubts, Zhang Xuan tries to dispel them. "Un!" Hearing those words, the ck-clothed man hesitates for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. Thats true. It is alreadyte at night. If the masked man isnt here to kill Zhang Xuan, why would he be here for? "It isnt because I dont trust you. Since our goals align with one another, lets go together!" The ck-clothed man replies after pondering for a moment. He is still a little suspicious of the fellow in front of him. "You are still way too careful. Rest easy, I have basic principles as a human. However, since you do not trust me..." Zhang Xuan doesnt drag on the conversation and gestures, "Lets go together!" After which, he charges forward. "Fighter 5-dan pinnacle?" Seeing his movement, the ck-clothed man instantly identifies his level of cultivation. He exerts his qinggong and follows closely behind. Seeing the ck-clothed man following behind him, Zhang Xuan immediately turns around to take a look. Boom! The Library of Heavens Path jolts and a book appears. The skill the other party exerted to follow him is equal to executing a battle technique. As long as one were to use a skill, the Library of Heavens Path would be able topile a book on his ws and thus, his background would be revealed. Zhang Xuan nces at the book. He only sees two words Yao Han written on the cover. "This name sounds so familiar... Where have I heard of it?" Zhang Xuan stares at the front cover for a moment before flipping over to the first page. "Yao Han, the butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence. Fighter 6-dan Pixue primary stage, eight acupoints opened!" ... "Its him?" Seeing the words Baiyu City, Zhang Xuan immediately recalls the identity of the man before him. Isnt this the butler from Baiyu City who rushed over to threaten him when he epted Zhao Ya as his student? No wonder his voice and name sounds so familiar! Just that... This means that the young mistress that he mentioned refers to Zhao Ya... What did I do to her for you to make the journey here just to castrate me? "To dare to malign me... Even though you are stronger than me, I must teach you a lesson!" The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. If it is something his previous self did, since he has transcended over to take his ce, even though he would feel wronged, he would admit it. However, the crux is that... he didnt do anything! For Yao Han tobel him with this crime when he did nothing, he is simply too vile! As such thoughts race through his mind, he continues to nce through the list. "Cultivation Technique: White Jade Cirction Technique!" "Battle Techniques: Mystical Diagram Palm (Expert), Mystical Diagram Fist (Expert)..." "ws: 16 aspects. No.1, his mingmen is at his bottoms and his skills are unable to guard against attacks directed at the point... No.2... No.3..." Just as how it did previously, the book records all the ws on this fellow. Having broken through eight acupoints, this means his current strength is at 12 ding. If Zhang Xuan were to try to match him in a directbat, he would definitely not be a match for him. However... "So what if you are in Pixue realm? So what if you possess 12 ding of strength? If I dont teach you a lesson today, I wouldnt be called Zhang Xuan!" Hu! At this point, Zhang Xuan stops abruptly. "Whats wrong?" Seeing Zhang Xuan stopping abruptly, the ck-clothed man asks with a confused look. "Look, an UFO!" Zhang Xuan casually points. "UFO? What is an UFO?" The ck-clothed man is taken aback and hurriedly turns around to take a look. This action reveals the mingmen on his bottom to Zhang Xuan. Iprehension gues Yao Han. He knows of butterfly, ultimatum and spy. However, what exactly is an UFO? Butterfly -> Hu Die|Ultimatum -> Tong Die|Spy -> Jian Die|UFO(Flying saucer) -> Fei Die|Die is pronounced as Di-yeh. "Go to hell!" What Zhang Xuan has been waiting for is this opportunity. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he sends a kick filled with his wrath towards his bottom. Peng! Before the ck-clothed man Yao Han could react, his mingmen is kicked on. He flies forward and crashes head-on with a boulder not too far away. Blood trickles down from the wound on his head. Since you are here to castrate me, should I castrate you right now? The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. Zhang Xuan rushes forward and sits on the other partys body. He sends a couple of fists onto his face. What Pixue realm expert, what 12 ding expert? They are strong? If you were to find their mingmen and exploit their ws, an unexpected assault will still lead to their deaths! "You..." Apparently, Yao Han didnt expect the fellow who wanted to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson along with him would suddenly attack him frenziedly. Whats worse, his mingmen is struck, causing his entire body to go stiff. He couldnt retaliate even if he wanted to. His body shivers from anger. Didnt we agree to deal with Zhang Xuan together? The heck! Where is your trust? Where are your basic principles as a human? Besides... No matter what, you are a Fighter 5-dan Dingli pinnacle master, an expert among experts. You should have some demeanor even in the midst of a battle. To shamelessly lie to me andunch a secret assault before riding on my face... What about battle techniques? What about crossing blows? What about your cultivation technique? Even gangsters on the street dont fight this way... He only feels wave after wave of pain on his face. Yao Han is about to go insane. At this moment, he finally knows that he have been scammed by the masked man. Furthermore, it is the worst kind of scams. Qinggong Literally tranted as the Art of Lightweight. It refers to footwork which allows one to tread lightly, increasing ones jumping ability, running speed and dodging skills. Chapter 19: Framing Chapter 19: Framing Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex After a violent thrashing, Zhang Xuan finally feels the rage in his heart subsiding slightly. Lowering his head to take a look, Yao Hans mask has already fallen off in the midst of the bashing and his face is warped from taking his hits. Probably, even his own mother would be unable to recognize him in his current state. "Keng..." Now that anger is no longer clouding his mind, Zhang Xuan immediately grasps his current situation. "This fellow is the butler of Baiyu City Lord, as well as the uncle of my disciple. It is still okay for me to teach him a lesson, but I should not kill him by any means." No matter what, this fellow is still Zhao Yas Uncle Yao. If Zhang Xuan were to really kill him, wont the disciple he just admitted go to waste? There would surely be zero possibility for reconciliation if that were to happen! Besides, Baiyu City is reputed as the third biggest city in Tianxuan Kingdom. To be able to be the city lord of such a city, Zhao Yas father should be rather powerful and holds great influence. If his butler was killed and he chooses to pursue this matter, it might be possible for him to investigate onto himself. If so, he would be in deep trouble. Being a neer in this world, he has yet to create a firm foothold for him to stand on, so it is best for him to keep a low profile. "I mustnt let me be suspicious of me!" The thought shes through his mind. Since Yao Han cannot be killed, then Zhang Xuan have to let him go alive. For him to get beaten him in the midst of an assault against Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan would definitely be the first person he would be suspicious of! "Oh right, I have the perfect scapegoat for this. If he didnte looking for trouble today, I wouldnt have thought of him..." A person shes through Zhang Xuans mind. That person is the man who was beside Shen Bi Ru earlier today, the one who kept mocking him, Shang Bin. Anyway, that fellow is the grandson of Elder Shang Chen. If Zhang Xuan were to push the me to him, Yao Han wouldnt dare to take revenge even if he wanted to! In fact, it would be better if Yao Han were to take revenge! The two of them would then bite viciously onto one another. At this point, Zhang Xuan stares at the distorted face of Yao Han and deepens his voice, "I have a grudge with Zhang Xuan. Earlier today, he got on my nerves and so, I intended to teach him a lesson in the night! However, if he were to be castrated by you, Bi... she would definitely suspect that I am the one who did it and a misunderstanding would arise between us! me this all on the fact that you met me today, as well as your untimely arrival!" "..." Only now did Yao Han know why he was thrashed. He wants to retort, but his mouth is swollen like a pair of sausages, making it impossible for him to talk. "Scram!" Seeing that the other party hasprehended his words, Zhang Xuan doesnt continue speaking. He stands up and kicks Yao Hans body a dozen meters away. "Damn it!" Hurling vulgarities towards the other party in his mind, Yao Han knows that he is in a disadvantageous situation today. Gritting his teeth, he turns away and leaves. At the same time, he carves the two main characteristics of the attacker onto his mind. Firstly, the person who beat him up had an encounter this Zhang Xuan earlier in the day and was incensed by his words or actions! Secondly, the rtionship between him and Zhang Xuan should be love rivals. The woman who they are pursuing has a Bi in her name. As long as he remembers this two distinctive features, it is an easy task for him to find out who the fellow whoid his hands on him is. Only after seeing Yao Han disappear into the distance does Zhang Xuan heave a sigh of relief. He pats away the dirt on his clothes and returns back to the dormitory. This event is a great fright to him. If he didnt stay up to cultivate tonight, it would be hard to tell what would have happened. However, at least the danger is averted temporarily. "The key to survival in this world... power!" Sitting on the bed in his dormitory, Zhang Xuan mutters to himself. If his cultivation didnt soar today, even if he knew Yao Hans weaknesses, he wouldnt have been a match for him. The one to suffer in the end will be him. Thus, the urgent matter at hand is for him to swiftly raise his strength. The stronger he is, the better it is! He slowly drifts into the world of dream with his mind filled with sentimentality. The next day, Zhang Xuan wakes up the moment the sky lights up. Although he has barely slept for two hours, not to mention how hard he had worked the previous night, he still feels refreshed without the slightest fatigue. "Time to start lessons!" He mutters as he puts on his clothes. After which, he walks to his ssroom withrge strides. It didnt take long for him to arrive at his ssroom. The moment he pushes the door open, a plump youth wees him enthusiastically. "Zhangoshi, you are here! Look, I have already finished cleaning up the room!" He is the final student Zhang Xuan epted yesterday, the fatty Yuan Tao. Zhang Xuan didnt expect that this fellow would be the first to arrive, given how he threatened him yesterday. Furthermore, he even cleaned the ssroom spick and span. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nods his head in approval. "Hehe, since teacher said that I did not bad, is there any reward for my effort? Like some martial art or cultivation technique and such. You can casually reward me with three or five of them..." Hearing Zhang Xuans acknowledgment, a wide smile appears on fattys face. This fellow is the type who would go too far when you give him some leeway. "Wait by the side first. I will start the lesson after the other students arrive!" Zhang Xuan gestures. The first to arrive is fatty. Unexpectedly, the second to arrive is the student whom he won from the bet, Liu Yang! However, Liu Yangs attitude isnt as good as fattys. Indignation spells on his face as he gazes at Zhang Xuan with a look of contempt. In his opinion, Zhang Xuan only won the bet by luck and it is a torture for a genius like him toe under the tutge of a teacher of such horrendous standards. The third to arrive is the youth who specializes in the way of the spear, Zheng Yang! After Zhang Xuan pointed out the problem in Zheng Yangs spear, his strength rose by more than a single fold. As a result, Zheng Yang holds great confidence towards his teacher and out of the current few students who acknowledged Zhang Xuan, he is the only one who came to him on his own free will. The fourth to arrive is Wang Ying. The shyss couldnt help but blush upon catching sight of the other students when she enters and immediately hides at the corner. .......................................... "I should be able to solve the problem of my body today..." Zhao Ya opens her eyes. Yesterday, the academys worst teacher imed that he is capable of solving her problem. After returning to her dormitory, she felt lost and worried, causing her to roll about her bed, only falling asleep after a long timeter. Regardless of whether the other party is telling the truth or lying, there would surely be a conclusion by the end of today! When such a thought strikes her, she gargles her mouth, puts on her clothes and leaves the room swiftly. As the daughter of Baiyu City Lord and one of the top ten scorers of the entrance examinations, she is granted a personal residence, unlike the shared dormitory of the other students. There are many rooms in the residence and the butler, Uncle Yao, stays in one of the rooms not too far away from hers. "Uncle Yao, Im going to ss!" Seeing no movements in the room after shouting, Zhao Ya prepares to walk off. "Young mistress, wait for me. I will go with you!" A shout echoes from beyond the door. The door opens and Yao Han walks out. Looking at his face, Zhao Ya is taken aback. "Uncle Yao, you... What happened?" Zhao Ya is stunned to see Yao Hans swollen face and the dark rings around his eyes. In a single night, the dignified Yao Han has been disfigured. If it wasnt for the familiar voice, she wouldnt have known who he is! "Oh, I identally hit myself after getting too absorbed in my training yesterday! Yao Han exins. "..." Who would hit themselves in the midst of their training? Is it possible for anyone to find an even worse excuse than that... "Uncle Yao, what happened? Who did it? No, I have to tell my dad!" Zhao Ya exims furiously. "Young mistress, dont bother yourself with this. This is my own problem... I can resolve it myself! You better hurry to your ss first. I want to see how the teacher you acknowledged is like. If his standards are exactly like what the rumors dictate, I will immediately report this to the city lord and have the Hongtian Academy get a new teacher for you..." Yao Han waves his hand imposingly. However, as his movements are too big, his wounds are pulled on and cold sweat drenches his back. "Fine!" Seeing how adamant Yao Han is against her interference in the matter, Zhao Ya doesnt touch on any further on the subject. The two of them walk towards Zhang Xuans ssroom. "Uncle Yao, given how severely wounded you are, I think you should go back and rest first. I can attend the lesson by myself, there is no need for you to send me!" After walking a short distance, Zhao Ya noticed how his entire body is trembling and drenched in sweat, she couldnt help but say these words. Yesterday, Zhang Xuan didnt pull back his blows even in the least. Despite applying medicine on the wounds and resting for a few hours, his wounds are still severe. It is quite incredible that he is even able to walk. "Young mistress, the city lord has tasked me to find a good teacher for you before we set off. Yet, you had to choose such a fellow. How can I face the city lord in the future!" Yao Han says. "No matter what, I want to expose the true face of that fellow before you and prove to you that he is a fraud! Only our pure and innocent young mistress would fall for his tricks. Given those standards of his, it is impossible for him to recruit a second student. When you finally witness that there are no other students in his ss, you would know that..." Jiyaaaa! The door to the ssroom is pushed open, revealing its interior. Within the ssroom sits Zhang Xuan and his four new students. Chapter 20: Wang Yings Shock Chapter 20: Wang Yings Shock Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex After hearing that the young mistress has acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her master, Yao Han rushes here furiously, oblivious to the fact that Zhang Xuan has already epted several students. He had just let out word that the other party would be unable to recruit a second student other than the young mistress but in the next moment, he meets Wang Ying and the rest. He feels as though he was pped in the face in public. His face immediately darkens. "Teacher!" Zhao Ya also feels a burning sensation on her face and she feels tempted to find a burrow to hide in. "You are alright?" A short momentter, Yao Han recovers and stares in confusion at Zhang Xuan. That fellow yesterday was so brutal to him, so he thought that even if Zhang Xuan isnt reduced to a pig head, he would at the very least be crippled. So why... does he seem to be fully intact, to the point of being unable to find even a single scratch on his skin. Actually, even though he said that he wanted to assess Zhang Xuans standards as a teacher, his true purpose is to see his pathetic state after getting thrashed by the mysterious man... Yet, in the end, as a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm expert, he went to assault him yet ended up getting beaten up while the one who he intended to assault isnt even wounded in the least... He feels as though he has lost greatly and he finds it uneptable. "Why wouldnt I be alright?" Zhang Xuan knows what Yao Han is thinking but he replies with a stoic expression. He looks towards Zhao Ya and asks, "This disabled person is..." "Disabled person?" A peculiar expression appears on Zhao Yas face. Before she could speak, a voice interrupts her. "You are the one who is disabled!" Yao Han suppresses the urge to vomit blood. His eyebrows shoot upwards and he flings the sleeves of his robe, "I am the butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence, Yao Han!" "Oh, since you are disabled, you shouldnt be walking around here. Otherwise, if you were to die here, it would be difficult for me to exin!" As though not hearing his words, Zhang Xuan gestures to the door, "Send off our guest and shut the door!" "You..." Yao Han clenches his fist furiously and almost exploded on the spot. Who is he? The butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence. He possesses great authority. In the Hongtian Academy, even the executive of the Education Bureau would have to give in to him. Yet, a teacher like Zhang Xuan dares to say that he is disabled and even tries to throw him out. How could it be possible for him to not be angry? "I want to see how you are going to teach them!" Putting his hands behind him, Yao Han stands upright proudly. "Oh, since you know that you have to leave, make it fast. We need to maintain a silent atmosphere when teaching the students, so we dont just allow any cats and dogs in our ssrooms!" Zhang Xuan seems to be on a different frequency as him. As though hearing nothing at all, he gestures towards the exit yet again. "You... Who are you calling cat and dog?" The rage burns with him and blood flows out from his wounds. Yao Han trembles uncontrobly, "Do you think that I wouldnt dare to kill you with a palm of mine right now..." "Zhao Ya, send him out so that I can solve your problem!" Cant be bothered to argue with the other party, Zhang Xuan signals to Zhao Ya. "Uncle Yao, please... leave for the moment! I am about to start lessons!" Hearing those words, Zhao Yas eyes light up. "I am not leaving. I want this fellow to rify who he is talking about! I, Yao Han, a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm expert, is respected wherever I go. Who dares to say that I am crippled, even trying to drive me out..." Peng! Before he could finish his words, Zhao Ya pushes him out. The next moment, the sight before him turns dark as the door closes on him. If he didnt dodge fast enough, he would have been smacked by the door. "Young mistress..." Standing outside the door, Yao Han frowns and his face twitches. If he was driven out by Zhang Xuan, he would surely retaliate. However, since it was the young mistress who drove him out, he wouldnt dare toy his hands on her even if he was beaten to death. Even so, he directs all the resentment he has umted onto Zhang Xuan. He is unable to understand what capabilities the fellow possess, to be capable of deluding the young mistress to such an extent. "Uncle Yao, Im sorry to bother you to wait outside. We are going to start lessons!" Zhao Ya knows about her own problem. Her own illness must not be revealed to anyone, especially to Uncle Yao. If her teacher is going to help her solve her problem, she would naturally have to drive him away. "Fine, young mistress. I will be waiting outside. If anything happens, call me and I will rush in immediately!" Hearing the words of the young mistress, Yao Han knows that he would be unable to enter. He is on the verge of erupting but without a choice, he could only grit his teeth and bear with it. After Yao Han leaves, only Zhang Xuans five newly epted students and him remain in the room. Zhang Xuan surveys the surrounding, "Since all of you have acknowledged me as your teacher, you all would be fellow peers. Make sure to take good care of one another so as to not sully my prestige!" "Prestige?" Hearing this word, the five students stare at one another... Teacher, you dont seem to have any prestige? Cough cough, even if we wanted to sully it, there is nothing there to sully... "My way to teaching is slightly different from the others. I pay particr importance to cater teachings to the students personal condition. The way to guiding everyone is different! Thus, there is nothing topare between you all!" Zhang Xuan seems oblivious to the expressions of his students and puts on the airs of a teacher, "Right now, I will go to the little room by the side. When I call your name, enter the little room!" Zhang Xuans ssroom isnt big, around one hundred square meters. Even so, there is a partition in which, the teacher is able to give specific guidance to a student. These five students are different from one another. If he were to guide them together as a whole, it would be troublesome and highly ineffective. "Wang Ying, you are my first student. Come in!" After which, Zhang Xuan leads the way into the small room. "Yes!" Given Wang Yings obedient nature, she doesnt dare to retort and walks closely behind him. ...................................................... Wang Ying feels a little regretful. Yesterday, she got lost and came over to ask for directions. Yet, she was scammed into acknowledging this teacher as her mentor. Initially, she didnt know what was going on but after thinking through it, this teacher doesnt seem to be truly capable. Other teachers are able to tell the problem with her leg through her punching routine. However, not only was this fellow unable to tell, he even bragged about being able to cure the injury on her leg... For this injury, her father even found the most famous of physicians but it was to no avail. Even so, the man before her ims that he is able to treat her. If this isnt a scam, what could this be?" Furthermore, Liuoshi told her many things regarding this teacher. Only then did she realize that this teacher had such a radiant background. The first teacher to score a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination and the weakest in terms of strength among the teachers... Why was she so unfortunate to be scammed by him and to believe his words! "No wonder big brother said that there are many bad guys outside..." When her elder brother told her that there were untrustworthy people outside, she didnt believe him. Now, looking at the teacher before her, she feels wronged, that she has been lied to. Just as she is thinking about how she should withdraw from the lessons of this teacher, that at most it would simply end with a scolding and she could find her elder brother to help her find another teacher, she hears a familiar voice sounding out. "Disy your battle technique once more!" Zhang Xuan sits at the center of the room and looks over with a calm expression. The previous time, when he tried to coax Wang Ying into joining him, the Library of Heavens Path wasnt activated yet, so he still has no idea what ws do Wang Ying have. "Alright!" Although Wang Ying is tempted to withdraw from the lessons, she nods her head after hesitating for a moment. Once again, her fists generate gusts of wind and soon, her punching routine came to an end. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. Although Wang Yings character may be a little dense, her punching routine is quite satisfactory. "Teacher, actually I want to..." Wang Ying wavers for a moment and just when she was about to express her intention to withdraw from Zhang Xuans lesson, the young man opposite of her speaks. "If Im not wrong, your leg was probably struck by someone during a duel two years ago!" Zhang Xuan says. "You... How did you know?" Wang Ying is taken aback. Her words jam in her mouth as her beautiful eyes widen in circles. She only talked about the injury on her leg yesterday, and not the origin of it. She didnt expect the other party to be capable of telling that it is an injury from someones blow and even the time of the injury. She couldnt help but be shocked. "There are three acupoints on a persons leg and individually, they govern strength, speed and dexterity. When you battled with someone else, the other party identally struck the acupoint which governs strength! When this acupoint is struck, it closes, resulting in your blood to flow in reverse, thus preventing you from exerting strength on it like any other normal person!" Zhang Xuan states calmly. "That..." Wang Yings body trembles. Her face flushespletely red. For her leg, Wang Yings father had invited all of the renowned doctors in the kingdom, including the famous Master Yuanyu. He seems to have spoken simr words, but even he was unable to identify where the acupoint which governs strength is, thus he was unable to treat her. If she wants to be treated once and for all, she has to invite a Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm master who possesses superior zhenqi to treat her. Otherwise, it is impossible for the treatment to seed! Initially, she thought that this teacher who imed that he would be able to treat her leg is just trying to coax her toe under his tutge. Yet, she didnt expect that he would say the exact same words as what Master Yuanyu said, so how could she not be shocked? "Teacher, are... are you able to treat me?" Wang Ying couldnt resist asking. "It is just a small matter!" Zhang Xuan replies her question ndly. "A small matter?" Wang Yings eyes narrow as her breathing quickens. Chapter 21: Zephyr Acupuncture Chapter 21: Zephyr Acupuncture Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Even though she had no problem walking normally with her leg injury, she faced great difficulty in her training. It feels as though poison has soaked into her bones. In the past half year, there doesnt seem to be a single day she spent in happiness. Precisely so, she became the current her who is a little fearful towards stranger, as well as reticent. Initially, she thought that her injury would stay with her for her entire life. Yet, she didnt expect that the Zhang Xuanoshi, whom everyone thought was trash, would say that It is a small matter!. She found it hard to believe what her ears are hearing. If it was a moment ago, she might have thought that Zhang Xuan was simply bragging. However, from the instant he pointed out the reason behind her injury, expectation starts to well up in her. "The reason why I had you toe into this room individually is to treat you! Alright, rx your entire body!" Zhang Xuan retrieves a medium-sized jade box from the room and opens it gently. Within it lies numerous silver needles of different length. During the training sessions of a martial artist, it is easy for one to incur injuries. Thus, the academy prepared a kit of such in every single ssroom to help to boost blood cirction of the wounded, as well as to temporary ease the injury. "Yes!" Wang Ying listens to the voice of the young man which was steadfast, confident but without a trace of arrogant and replies. Somehow, Wang Ying trusts the man before her from the depths of her heart and her tense body rxes. Sou! Sitting on his original spot without moving, he grabs a silver needle and flicks it over. A soft sound and the silver needle he infused with zhenqi shoots tautly towards Wang Ying and pierces her leg. "This is... Zephyr Acupuncture?" Wang Ying widens her eyes as her slim body trembles yet again. Zephyr Acupuncture. It is a method which makes use of a martial artists control over his strength to control the pathway of the silver needles to pierce the correct spots withouting into contact with the patients body. In this way, a male physician would be able to apply acupuncture withouting into proximity to a female patient. This way, awkwardness between the two is able to be avoided. Such a method of practicing acupuncture may seem simple, but it is actually incrediblyplicated. Firstly, it requires the martial artist to hold absolute control over his strength. If there is a slight imprecision, there is a high possibility that it would result in failure! Furthermore, ones eyes must be sharp. It is difficult to recognise the exact acupoints beneath the patients clothes. If the physician were to recognise the acupuncture inurately, all kind of troubles could happen! Master Yuanyu has once said that one must at least attain the cultivation level of Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm to practice Zephyr Acupuncture! Has the teacher termed as trash in the academy reached such a level? Impossible! Those who have reached Dingli realm are all famous figures in the academy, such as the famous teacher Lu Xun. ording to Liuoshi, Zhang Xuanoshi is only a Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm. There is still a huge way to go before he reaches 5-dan Dingli realm! A Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm is capable of executing Zephyr Acupuncture? She finds it unbelievable! Sou sou sou sou! While she is still in a state of disbelief, the young man flicks a few more silver needle towards her. A few gusts of wind whip up and the silver needles pierce into her leg with the exact same depth. This shows that the other party has already reached a rather advanced level of his control over his strength. The silver needle pierces into the flesh of her leg. Just as Wang Ying is about to ask Zhang Xuan how he intends to treat her, his hand slides past the needle and the zhenqi that is contained in the needle activates and probes into her body. "Ah..." As the zhenqi enters her body, she feels an tingling sensation in her leg. The acupoint which was sealed previously immediately opens under the surge of the zhenqi. "This... this... this is superior zhenqi?" As the tingling sensation spreads across her entire body, Wang Ying clearly sees the look of the zhenqi in her body. Clear like water, deprived of any impurities. This is... the quality that only superior zhenqi would possess! Superior zhenqi? That is something that can only be cultivated if one possesses a god or saint cultivation technique. In the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, it is unheard of for anyone to cultivate superior zhenqi. Yet, to think the lousiest teacher in the academy would possess it? It cant be that I am seeing things... "Done!" While she was still overwhelmed by shock, her body rxespletely and slumps. By then, the silver needles had already been retrieved by the other party. Following which, Wang Ying feels a surge of rxation in her leg, afortable sensation which she has never experienced. After her injury, although she is still able to move normally, her legs feel as though they have been stered, gued with a stiff sensation at all times. At this moment, wave after wave of pleasant sensation surges through her leg, as though it has broken through some shackles. Her leg feels iparably nimble and lively. "My leg..." She might be slow-witted, but it is clear to see that the injury on her leg has been cured! "Teacher, thank..." Wang Yings knees cken and she kneels onto the floor. Her eyes are entirely red. For this day, she has waited for a very long time. In fact, she even felt despair at her situation. Never in her dreams would she imagine that... such a stubborn illness would be cured by the academys worst teacher! "It seems that the fact is that... He is a very capable person, just that he maintains a low profile..." Such a thought pops into her head. If he wasnt intentionally maintaining a low profile, regardless of how his lessons are like, just the fact that he is able to cure her legs means that he is more than capable of building his reputation up in this academy. How else is it possible for him to be thest in the Teacher Qualification Examination? With such a thought in mind, Wang Ying kneels to the floor and acknowledges Zhang Xuan as her teacher from the depths of her heart. All thoughts of withdrawing from his tutge dispel. "Un, now that your leg injury has recovered, go out and train properly. If you have any other problems,e over and find me afterward!" Zhang Xuan gestures and entrusts her with a task, "By the way, call Liu Yang over!" "Yes!" Wang Ying replies excitedly before walking out of the room. .................................... "I intend to withdraw from his lessonster, are any of you all with me?" In the ssroom, after Liu Yang, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao had introduced themselves to one another, Liu Yang said. To tell the truth, he feels extremely dispirited. Scoring within the top hundred, there are many top teachers who are vying for him. Yet, in the end, due to the bet made between two teachers, he was lost to the worst teacher in the entire academy! The intense feeling of being wronged makes him go into a frenzy. No matter what, I have to withdraw from his lessons today. Even if it means that I have to withdraw from the school... No one will be able to halt my footsteps! "I... also want to withdraw from his lessons. But if Zhang Xuanoshi were to be angered, it is hard to tell what he might do!" Fatty Yuan Tao couldnt resist saying. "Angry? Hmph, so what if he is angry? What can he do? I dont want to go berserk from his misguidance!" Liu Yang scoffs. "Berserk?" Zheng Yang looks over doubtfully. He only knows that the teacher before him scored badly for the Teacher Qualification Examination, being thest of the lot. He has never heard of the incident of a student going berserk from his guidance. "Un!" Liu Yang continues, "If you dont believe it, just wait and see. When Wang Ying walks outter, her face would surely be awful! She would feel like she has been scammed! I have already long heard of Zhang Xuanoshis teaching standards. If he was able to offer proper pointers, he wouldnt havended in such a state, being viewed in contempt by the other teachers..." Jiyaaa! Just as they were speaking, the door opens and Wang Ying walks out with an excited look. "Un?" Liu Yang is taken aback. Initially, he thought that she would be depressed, yet contrary to his expectations, she is smiling happily. The other few students are also puzzled. That joyes from the depths of her heart. She must have reaped some great rewards for such an expression to appear. Could it be that the teacher with such a horrible reputation could give proper pointers? To get a student to be so excited in just a single session, as though she has attained some precious treasure, probably even the famous Lu Xunoshi isnt capable of such a feat! "Liu Yang, teacher called for you to enter!" Oblivious to what the others are thinking, Wang Ying informs him before going to one corner to start training. "Me?" Liu Yang clenches his jaw. "I would like to see what pointers you are able to offer me! If you cant offer me any good pointers, I will withdraw from your lessons!" Muttering silently in his heart, he walks into the room. Chapter 22: The Reason Behind Zhao Yas Illness Chapter 22: The Reason Behind Zhao Yas Illness Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Liu Yang might have been guided by Zhang Xuan previously, but he doesnt believe that thetter is capable. Rather, he thought that Zhang Xuan simply got lucky. After all, asking someone to use a different hand to execute a punching routine doesnt involve much skill. Thus, from the depths of his heart, he still looks down on the teacher in front of him. "Teacher!" Walking into the room, he cups his hand and bows slightly to Zhang Xuan, although his tone isnt very respectful. "I have seen you execute your battle techniques before!" Seemingly oblivious to his disrespect, Zhang Xuan continues, "To be able to train Soaring Flower Fist to the rookie level and Dragon Inch Fist to the expert level, not bad!" "What? You... How did you know that I am trained in... Dragon Inch Fist?" Hearing those words, Liu Yang who was disregarding Zhang Xuan almost faints from shock. Logically, due to his weak strength, he should have focused on his cultivation technique. Even if he has to learn battle technique, he should have practiced a normal battle technique such as Soaring Flower Fist instead of Dragon Inch Fist! Dragon Inch Fist, being a mortal lower-tier battle technique, is much more formidable than the Soaring Flower Fist! In order to be stronger, he hid the fact that he was practicing this punch routine from his family members! Ever since his Dragon Inch Fist reached rookie level, he has never executed it in front of anyone else. Previously, the battle technique which he showed Zhang Xuan was the Soaring Flower Fist. Yet, Zhang Xuan was able to tell that he practices the Dragon Inch Fist and that it is at the expert level... How could he tell? "There is shadows of the Dragon Inch Fist in your Soaring Flower Fist!" Naturally, Zhang Xuan cant possibly reveal that it is due to the Library of Heavens Path. He didnt even blink when telling an outright lie. "You can even tell from that..." Liu Yang is still in a state of disbelief. The two skills arent even in the slightest rted to one another. Previously, he also executed the Soaring Flower Fist in front of Cao Xiongoshi but he wasnt able to tell that much from it. Yet, the academys worst teacher is able to see through it with one nce. Is this for real? While he is still holding doubts in his heart, the teacher sitting before him continues. "Reaching the level of an expert, your Dragon Inch Fist holds considerable might. However, do you feel an ache under your armpits and an itch in your jianjin acupoint whenever you execute it?" TL: Jianjin -> Shoulder well acupoint, right beside the back of your neck on your shoulder. "This, this..." Taking a few steps back, Liu Yang looks as though he has seen a ghost, fear appearing within his eyes. Not only are the words of the other party correct, they are exactly spot-on! It is as though he has seen him training. "You... How did you know?" Liu Yang couldnt help but ask with a pale face. "It is very simple, you have been practicing an inappropriate battle technique! If you continue training at this rate, I can guarantee that the muscles of your entire arm will be destroyed within three years. Even immortals will find it hard to save you! In fact, the effects are already apparent now. Do you feel your body going stiff when you are sleeping at night, sometimes even spasming?" Zhang Xuan questions. "I..." Liu Yang trembles. Indeed, he has such a condition. Just that, he thought it was due to over exhaustion from excessive training, so he didnt pay it much heed. Never in his dreams would imagine that it was due to him practicing the Dragon Inch Fist! "Dragon Inch Fist, it is a skill which regards ones body like a dragon and emphasizes the concept of might in every inch of your body. If you had reached Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm and had zhenqi nourish your muscles, there wont be any side effects from cultivating this battle technique. However, you are only in Juxi realm and your body is far too weak! Forcefully cultivating this battle technique will only cause your body to be injured. As time passes, the injury will only worsen! This is also the reason why although you arent left-handed, your left hand possess significantly greater strength than your right hand! That is because you practiced the Dragon Inch Fist with your right, causing great damage to it. If you dont stop now, you will be crippled!" Zhang Xuan warns. "Teacher, save me..." At this moment, Liu Yang no longer possesses the arrogance he had when he first walked in. His knees weaken and he kneels to the floor. At this moment, he understands that the teacher before him is definitely an expert, a master among experts! That is because everything Zhang Xuan said fits perfectly with what is happening to him. If Zhang Xuan didnt voice it out, Liu Yang wouldnt have paid much attention to it. However, now that he has stated all of it out clearly and logically, Liu Yang immediately understands that everything he said is true. In the face of such an expert, what rights does he have to remain arrogant? It isughable that he thought that he felt wronged for acknowledging him as his teacher... Only now does he realize how fortunate he is! Before acknowledging Cao Xiong, he has also met quite a few notable teachers in the academy and disyed his battle technique before them. However, they were unable to tell that he is trained in the Dragon Inch Fist, needless to say, seeing through the fact that his right arm is injured! "First, stop training in the Dragon Inch Fist and try your best to raise your cultivation. As for the injury that you have sustained and umted, I will think of an idea to solve it!" Zhang Xuan deres. "Alright, call Zhao Ya in!" "Yes!" Liu Yang nods his head hurriedly. Not daring to say anything further, he quickly walks out. The moment he walks out, he sees Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao staring at him. "Have you withdrawn from Zhang Xuanoshis tutge?" Yuan Tao asks in agitation. "Withdraw? Why should I withdraw?" Liu Yang waves his hand and deres proudly, his face not turning red in the slightest. "He who teaches me for one day is my father for life. I, Liu Yang, will not withdraw from Zhang Xuanoshis lessons. What kind of people do you think I am? Do I look like that casual a person? I really dont know what you all are thinking, to be thinking about withdrawing all day along. Arent you all embarrassed?" "..." Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao. Shameless. He is too shameless! Just a moment ago, he is still going on about how determined he is to withdraw from Zhang Xuans lessons. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he changed his words entirely. Exactly how thick is his skin?! ...... "That teacher is probably... truly capable!" Seeing the vastly different attitudes between the two when they went in and came out, Zhao Ya thinks in her mind as she pushes the door open. Actually, after hearing Uncle Yao Hans words, it isnt like she never wavered in her determination. However, the truth still stands that the other party was able to point out her illness urately, giving her hope for a cure. After all, she is too embarrassed to speak of this illness in front of others, so it is impossible for her to reveal it to too many people. "Sit down!" Upon walking into the room, she sees Zhangoshi and sits down. "Teacher, you said that... you can cure my illness..." Zhao Ya reddens. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. "Your illness is an easy problem..." Actually, it isnt very difficult to solve Zhao Yas problem. She isnt really sick but rather, she possesses the Pure Yin Body, a physical body which countless women desire. The yin energy in her body is overpowering and if it is directed correctly, her cultivation would soar rapidly! However, it is a pity that no one in Baiyu City noticed it and even chose a yin-nature cultivation technique for her! For the other females, it is indeed quite a good manual to cultivate. However, for Zhao Ya, who possesses a Pure Yin Body, to cultivate such a cultivation technique, it is simply worsening the situation for her. The yin energy in her body umtes gradually over time. When she was younger, it was still undetectable. However, as her body develops, the unique traits of a female bes apparent and she would start to find it hard to suppress her urges. If she isnt cured in time and continues on this way, she might be a being possessed by her lust and find it hard to satisfy his desires no matter how hard she tries. This is precisely the reason why such an awkward situation is urring in her. "This..." Zhao Ya is taken aback. She didnt know that she possesses a Pure Yin Body. In fact, even her father is oblivious to the fact. However, the part about her cultivating a pure yin cultivation technique is true! Is this really the cause? "White Jade Pure Maiden Skill, it is an impressive skill, but it isnt suited for you. If you want to solve this problem at its roots, you have to find another new cultivation technique!" After exining the situation, Zhang Xuan states. "You... How did you know that I cultivate the White Jade Pure Maiden Skill?" Zhao Ya is taken aback. This cultivation technique has been passed down in the Baiyu City. Other than the Bai family, there are very few people who are aware of it. Even the butler Yao Han, who is at the entrance of the ssroom now, isnt too sure about it. Yet, the teacher before her is able to point it out instantly. Zhao Ya is in a state of disbelief. "If I am capable of seeing through illness, naturally, I would be able to see through your cultivation technique as well!" Zhang Xuan tilts his head forty-five degree as he assumes the look of an expert whose depth cannot be seen. "Cultivating a new cultivation technique can solve the problem? Then... What kind of cultivation technique should I cultivate?" Suppressing the astonishment in her mind forcefully, Zhao Ya asks. "You should find a cultivation technique capable of unleashing the potential of your body, and not one that umtes yin energy! How about this, I will go to the academys Compendium Pavilion to take a look for you to see if there are any suitable ones for you!" Zhang Xuan says. "Thank you, teacher!" Zhao Ya nods her head hurriedly. The problem hasnt been solved yet, but at the very least, she is aware of the cause now. A surge of exhration gushes through her heart. "Un!" Zhang Xuan waves his hands to show that it is a small matter. "Call Zheng Yang in!" While Zhang Xuan is providing pointers to his students in the room, outside the ssroom, a tall youth walks over in widened strides. "Elder Liu, is what you said true?" As the tall youth walks, he questions the elderly following him behind. "Young master, that is the truth. Young mistress has acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her master!" Old Liu nods his head quickly. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would definitely be able to recognize that the Old Liu here is the person who tried to withdraw Wang Ying from his lessons yesterday. The person who he calls young master should be Wang Yings elder brother, the genius of Hongtian Academy, the disciple of an elder, Wang Tao! "Zhang Xuan? The teacher who scored a zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination? What rights does he have to teach my younger sister? Damn it! If I dont teach him a lesson today to let him know the price for deceiving my younger sister, I will not call myself Wang Tao!" As Wang Tao walks towards the ssroom, he deres furiously. Chapter 23: Troublemaker Chapter 23: Troublemaker Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Tianxuan City is the capital of Tianxuan Kingdom. To be capable of bing one of the four great families of the city, the prowess of the Wang family is one to behold. Even the principal of the Hongtian Academy would have to spare some face for such a powerful family. To think that of all teachers, Wang Ying would choose to acknowledge a fellow who has scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination. That is an insult! A massive insult! Even though other people might not be aware of the affairs shrouding Zhang Xuan, as a student of the academy, Wang Tao has heard a lot about him. He has once misguided a student, causing his cultivation to go berserk, thus sullying the reputation of the teachers! This person is the topic of discussion and target of mockery over a meal or tea with his peers. Yet, never in his imaginations would he expect his younger sister to choose to acknowledge him as her teacher! If the other students were to be informed of it, wont he be aughingstock? The more he thinks about it, the more angry Wang Tao bes. He walks towards the entrance of the ssroom and spots Yao Han, who is wrapped like a mummy. "I see, it is young master Wang Tao!" As the butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence, Yao Han hade into contact with many different powers. Given that Wang Tao is a talented genius and the son of the head of the Wang family, it is natural for Yao Han to be aware of his existence. "You are..." ncing at him, Wang Taos eyebrows shoot up. After getting beaten up so savagely, not a single hint of his original appearance remains. Even Zhao Ya finds it hard to recognize him in his current state, needless to say, Wang Tao. "I am Yao Han from Baiyu City!" Yao Han says. "Oh, so you are butler Yao. Why are you..." Wang Tao is slightly taken aback. "I identally injured myself in the midst of training..." Yao Han exins awkwardly before changing the topic, "May I ask what young master Wang Tao is here for?" "My younger sister has acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her teacher. I am here to take her back, as well as to teach the arrogant teacher a lesson!" Wang Tao doesnt even try to conceal his rage. "Ah? Your younger sister? You mean Wang Ying xiaojie?" TL: Xiaojie -> Miss Yao Han was driven out of the ssroom right shortly after he entered it. Furthermore, his attention was focused on Zhang Xuan the whole time, thus, he didnt notice Wang Yings presence. Wang Tao nods his head. "I have heard that Wang Ying xiaojies talent is in no way inferior to yours. Why would she choose him?" Yao Han is puzzled. "My younger sister rarelyes into contact with the outside world and has an innocent personality. That fellow has a glib tongue and Im not sure what the fellow said, but my younger sister actually believed the nonsense he spouted!" Recalling what Old Liu told him, fury res from Wang Tao. "How vile! That fellow is a scourge, the scum among the teachers!" Upon recalling how the young mistress of his family has fallen for his deception as well, he grits his teeth angrily, "Young master Wang Tao, you have to teach that fellow a lesson!" "Un!" Wang Tao replies. At the same time, he stares at him doubtfully, "Right, butler Yao, why are you here?" "Lets not talk about it. The more I talk about it, the angrier I get. Our young mistress had also fallen for the deceitful words of Zhang Xuan and acknowledged him as her teacher!" Yao Han scoffs. "You mean Zhao Ya xiaojie?" Wang Tao is taken aback. "Yes!" Yao Han nods his head. "Then... why dont you barge in and expose that hypocritical fellow? Why are you waiting at the entrance instead?" Wang Tao is bewildered. "I wanted to expose that fellow, but our young mistress got agitated. I had no choice but to wait outside. Young master Wang Tao, you came at a perfect timing. If you were to go in now, teach that shameless fellow a lesson and expose his ugly intentions, our young mistress would be able to see his true colors!" Yao Han says. "Rest assured, I will be exposing his fraud now. I will make sure that shameless fellow reveals his despicable self!" Wang Tao grits his teeth and nods his head. Then, he kicks the door open and walks in with widened strides. .................................... On the other hand, Zhang Xuan has finally gone through the individual situations of his five students with them. There are quite a few ws with Zheng Yangs spear. Zhang Xuan borated on them slightly, causing Zheng Yangs strength to soar once again and thetter rejoiced over his improvement. On the other hand, Yuan Tao has never cultivated a proper cultivation technique or battle technique. Zhang Xuan took out the academys basic Hongtian Nine Dan Forms 1-dan form and modified it slightly before passing it to him. He didnt modify much of it, so there is still arge gap between it and the Heavens Path Divine Art that he is currently cultivating with. Even so, it is still several times more effective than the original Hongtian Nine Dan Form. With just one look, Yuan Tao almost leaps up from the joy rushing through him, overjoyed to realize that he has acknowledged an aplished teacher. "Alright, I have roughly gone through the problems you all have on you. You all need to persevere in your training..." Returning back to the ssroom, Zhang Xuan gathered all five of his students together and was exining the situation to them when boom, the door to the ssroom is kicked open. Following which, a furious howl echoes in the room, "Zhang Xuan, withdraw my younger sister and Zhao Ya xiaojie from your lessons right now. Otherwise, I will make you will suffer!" Following which, Wang Tao rushes in and stands furiously before Zhang Xuan. His eyes are dyed crimson red, as though he is ready to murder someone. "Big brother..." Seeing her elder brother in such a state, Wang Ying is shocked and immediately rushes forward. "Dont interfere in this!" He pushes his younger sister to his back before staring coldly at Zhang Xuan. With a haughty expression, he says, "Zhang Xuan, it is one thing if you use your nonsense to deceive others, but to think that you would dare to coax my younger sister with lies. You are seeking death! I will give you ten seconds. If you withdraw my younger sister and Zhao Ya xiaojie from your tutge now, I can let this slip. If not, even if you are a teacher, dont me me for not going easy on you!" Boom! With a scornful look, Wang Tao releases his full strength, revealing a very powerful aura. He had reached the level of a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm! No wonder he could be a disciple of an elder. This strength is in no way weaker than an average teacher of the academy. "I am conducting lessons right now, get out!" Zhang Xuan looks at him ndly. "Conducting lessons? With your standard, what could you possibly be teaching!" Wang Tao mocks him coldly. "Get out? You want me to get out? Who do you think you are? The only reason why I call you a teacher is out of basic respect. Look at how you are, are you not aware of it? You are only a lowly teacher who is still in zhenqi realm, dont act like you are a big shot before me. Even if I were to beat you up today, the most that would happen is a reprimand by the elders. What could you possibly do to me?" He isnt wrong. There are quite a few disciples of the elders in the academy who are stronger than the teachers and hold esteemed positions in the academy. Even if a conflict were to break out between them and the teachers, the most they would do is to reprimand them slightly, there wont be any severe punishments. "Big brother..." Wang Yings face pales. She is very aware of the fact whether the teacher before her has standards or not. When all of the expert physicians in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom could do nothing about her problem, he was able to solve it casually. How could such a person possibly have no standards at all? Just as he was about to stop that rash elder brother of hers, the face of her teacher darkens and his eyes narrow. "Scram!" "To ask me to scram..." He didnt expect that the trash of a teacher would get him to scram. Just as he is about to continue speaking, he catches a glimpse of the cold gaze of the other party. Looking into his eyes, Wang Tao shivers uncontrobly, as though he is a rabbit who had caught the gaze of a tiger. Under the oppression of a powerful aura, he retreats a few steps subconsciously and his legs tremble. He has only felt such sharp aura from his master. How could it possibly appear on the academys worst teacher, a fellow who is just Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm? It took a moment before Wang Tao regains hisposure. In that instant, Wang Taos face darkens like an ants nest as his eyes took on a deep shade of red. In his eyes, even though Zhang Xuan is a teacher, he is not any more than a trash. Yet, this trash dares to shout at him and cause him to retreat out of fear. If this were to spread out... How could he possibly face any other people? How would he be able to maintain his prestige? "You are courting death!" Feeling humiliated, Wang Tao roars and with a flick of his hand, the sword on his waist has been drawn. Hu! The sword stabs out in a sh. Pah pah pah! At Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm, one would possess strength beyond 500kg. Even before the sword reaches him, the continuous sound generated from the friction between the sword and the wind creates an oppressing atmosphere, as though it would be impossible to counter the attack. "Zhangoshi..." Seeing her elder brother striking out with such speed, Wang Yings face turns ghastly white. Although she is impressed by the guidance of Zhangoshi, she is well aware of the fact that the teacher before her is only at Fighter 3-dan. He is far from a match for her brother! It is impossible for him to dodge the blow, he would definitely be injured! Frightened, she shrieks in fear and closes her eyes subconsciously. "How... How could this be possible?" Just when she thought that the Zhangoshi who just resolved her problem for her would be wounded by the sword, she hears voices of disbelief from Zhao Ya and the others. She quickly opens her eyes to take a look and her eyeballs almost popped out from their sockets. She petrifies on the spot. She sees her elder brothers iparably powerful and mighty sh getting stopped in midair and what is stopping it is the two seemingly weak fingers of Zhang Xuanoshi. To block such a powerful blow with just... the pinching of two fingers! Chapter 24: Throw Him Out Chapter 24: Throw Him Out Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Impossible..." Wang Tao is also in a state of disbelief. Before he came, he had made sure to look into Zhang Xuans strength. Back then, the information he got was that he was only Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm, a weakling! How could he possibly stop his attack with just two fingers? In order to achieve such a feat, not only must one possess sufficient strength, he must also be precise in his timing, control over his strength, his positioning and many other factors. If there were to be a slight discrepancy in his judgment, it is possible for his fingers to be severed and he would be severely injured! The other teachers, or perhaps even the Pixue realm elders, would be unable to achieve such a feat! Yet, a fellow who is reputed to be trash... Impossible! "Coincidence! It must be a coincidence!" Such a thought pops into his mind. A savage look appears on Wang Taos face once more and exerting strength through his both hands, he howls, "Let go!" He wants to retrieve his sword that is trapped between the two fingers of Zhang Xuan. However, despite trying twice consecutively, to the point that veins are popping out on his temple and that he is about to vomit blood due to overexertion of strength, he is astonished to realize that the sword that is held between the Zhang Xuans fingers seems to be firmlytched onto his fingers. No matter how much strength he exerts, it doesnt budge in any way. "Could it be... his true strength isnt Zhenqi realm?" A peculiar thought appears in his mind. But this is impossible! It hasnt been long since thest Teacher Qualification Examination. Everyone in the academy is aware of the fact that he only has the strength of a Zhenqi realm pinnacle... Furthermore, even if he were to break through his current realm, he would only be at Pigu realm, which is the same level as him. He wouldnt be so hard-pressed just by a mere two fingers of the other party! "Scram! Just as Wang Tao is considering the peculiarity of the situation, a surge of might suddenlyes rushing towards him through the sword and the impassive words of the other party echoes by his ear. Hu! Before he could even react, his entire body is sent flying through the air. Boom! His head bashes through the door of the ssroom. "Alright, lets continue on with our lessons!" After casually throwing Wang Tao out, Zhang Xuan turns towards the rest and says ndly. "..." Wang Ying, Zhao Ya, Liu Yang, Zheng Yang and Yuan Tao stare at one another. The turn of events left them unable to react and they are on the verge of exploding due to the overwhelming shock. That is a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm expert! Not mentioning how an attack of his full strength was easily dealt with, to think he would be thrown out with such ease... Isnt this teacher of theirs the worst teacher with the lowestbat ability in the entire academy? How did he do it? "Teacher... has been hiding his strength?" Suddenly, Zhao Yaes to a realization as her face flushes from excitement. The only viable exnation is that the teacher before her has been concealing his true strength! If not, how could he possibly point out the problems whom no one else could discern and boost their might with just a casual pointer? The others arent fools as well. They clench their fist in agitation. Coming to the academy toe under the tutge of the teachers, who wouldnt hope to be under the guidance of a capable teacher? Before this, everyone thought that their lives would be miserable, judging from how they came under the tutge of the academys worst teacher. Only now do they know that... they have won in thepetition of choosing ones teachers, an overwhelming one at it! The teacher with the worst reputation in the academy is actually a... true worldly expert! "Un!" When their path of thoughts reaches this point, all of the excessive thoughts disappear from their minds as they nod their head vigorously. Even Liu Yang, who held doubts about Zhang Xuans lessons, couldnt help but look over in enthusiasm, afraid that he would miss out a single word of his teacher. What Lu Xunoshi and Wang Chaooshi... All of these has been thrown to the back of their minds! Not just them, even the elders would have to kneel whenpared to Zhangoshi! ........................ "To rush in like this, I hope that young master is fine!" Outside the ssroom, Old Liu looks worriedly at Wang Tao, who had barged into the ssroom furiously. "Rest easy, Wang Tao-shaoye has reached Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm while that Zhang Xuan is still stuck at Zhenqi realm. Soon, he would be able to teach him a lesson and bring young mistress Wang Ying out!" Shaoye -> Young master. Yao Han nods his head with a bright smile on his face. Just as he is visioning the pathetic state the shameless teacher would be in with his teeth scattered all over the floor, he suddenly hears Wang Taos furious howl from the room. "It has begun!" Yao Hans eyes light up and the edges of his mouth creep upwards. If that Zhang Xuan was only thest in the entire academy, Yao Han wouldnt be bothered to interfere in his affairs. However, to think that he would dare to be disrespectful to the young mistress! If Zhang Xuan didnt execute some underhanded tricks, how could the young mistress possibly willingly acknowledge him as her teacher? If Yao Han were to make a move personally, he would definitely incur the ire of the young mistress, not to mention offending the Hongtian Academy at that. It would be more than ideal for Wang Tao to make a move in his stead! Hongtian Academy is located in Tianxuan Royal Capital, the home ground of the Wang family. Even if Wang Tao were to beat up a teacher, they would definitely have the means to deal with it! Furthermore, Wang Tao is the disciple of an elder and holds an esteemed position in the academy. It is much more appropriate for him to make a move. "Hehe, I would like to see how would that trash of a teacher embarrass himself..." The more he thinks about it, the more delighted he gets. Yao Han creeps towards the doorstep, intending to open up a crack between the doors and peek through it when he hears a boom and the tightly-shut doors burst open. Peng! Yao Han didnt even have the time to react from the sudden assault by the metal door. It ms right into his face, rattling his consciousness. In the midst of his daze, a heades crashing into him! Kacha! The intimate encounter between his face and the head creates the crisp melody of the cracking of a bone and the two remaining teeth that survived yesterdays attack after much difficulty dislodges valiantly. "Pu!" The intense pain causes Yao Han to convulse and a mouthful of fresh blood bursts forth. His body isnt fragile, but... he had yet to recover from his injuries from the prior day. Yesterday, he had been bashed in his face and now, he was mmed by a metal door before a heades crashing into him right after... It is already quite a blessing for him to be alive at this point. "Young master..." Old Liu realizes that the one who was sent flying was his young master and he dashes over, frightened. "Damn it, damn it!" Wang Tao might have knocked into the metal door, but with Yao Han cushioning his fall, he isnt severely injured by that encounter. Standing up and recalling how the trash caught his blow and threw him out, he feels an intense fear. Although he shouted loudly, he didnt dare to approach the ssroom anymore. "Young master Wang Tao, you... you..." Faint-headed, Yao Han only realizes at this point that the one who knocked into him is Wang Tao. With an intrigued expression, he struggles to stand up. Didnt you rush in to beat him up? Howe you are the one who was sent flying out? "I... I was practicing as a new type of battle technique!" Wang Tao didnt dare to say that he had been thrown out by a trash, so he could onlye up with something else. "Battle technique?" Yao Hans vision is still blurry from the previous impact. He hurriedly questions, "Did you expose the true face of that fellow? How did our young mistress react..." "Cough cough. I... I didnt have the time to make a move when my younger sister pushed me out. I think... why dont we try waiting here!" Wang Tao says with an embarrassed look. Just a moment ago, he was still dering how he would make the other party suffer. Yet, the next moment, he was sent flying out. He wouldnt acknowledge such a shameful affair even if he were beaten to the verge of death! "Wait?" Yao Han scratches his head as doubts appear in his mind. However, he didnt think that he should point them out, so he chooses to change the topic instead, "Wang Tao shaoye, I have a question to ask of you, seeing how you are also a student of Hongtian Academy!" Shaoye -> Young master "Go ahead!" Seeing how Yao Han doesnt continue pursuing the events that transpired in the ssroom, Wang Tao heaves a sigh of relief and replies. "Is there any female teachers in the academy who has Bi in their name?" Recalling the fellow who beat him up the previous day, Yao Hans anger billows. "Bi? The most famous one of them all is the academys female goddess, Shen Bi Ru! I heard that Zhang Xuanoshi wanted to court her as well. He is truly a toad lusting over... the flesh of a swan..." Halfway through his words, Wang Tao pauses abruptly. Before this, everyone knew that Zhang Xuans abilities were sub-par and his capability as a teacher was horrendous as well. With such standards, he dared to pursue the academys female goddess Shen Bi Ru... Thats why everyone termed him as such. Now that Wang Tao has experienced the other partys strength first-hand and understands that he is on a different level from him, he finds it unnatural to continue saying that he is a toad lusting over the flesh of a swan! "Shen Bi Ru? Zhang Xuan wants to court her?" Yao Hans eyes light up as hees to a realization. The person whom the fellow yesterday was talking about must be her. He continues asking, "Other than Zhangoshi, is there anyone else who is courting her?" "Shenoshi is incredibly beautiful, the teachers who wish to court her are far too many for me to count. However, the most famous of them all is the grandson of Elder Shang Chen, Shang Binoshi!" After pondering for a moment, Wang Tao looks over in suspicion, "Why is butler Yao asking such a question?" "Oh, I am just casually asking!" Yao Han doesnt touch any further on the topic, but a glint shes past his eyes. "I will be able to ascertain it after looking into whether this Shang Bin had gotten into a conflict with Zhang Xuan yesterday. If it really is him, regardless of whether he is the son of an elder, I would definitely make him suffer..." When had the butler of the Baiyu City Lord, a figure that rises above the others, standing beneath only an individual, suffered such a great injustice! If he doesnt seek vengeance on him, it would be hard to quell the resentment umting in his heart. For it, he is willing to turn into a demon! .......................................... While Yao Han is still considering whom he should find to gather intelligence, the person in question, Shang Bin, had just finished conducting a lesson and had left his ssroom when he met a young man. Cao Xiongoshi! Chapter 25: Looking for Trouble Chapter 25: Looking for Trouble Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Shang shaoye!" Shaoye -> Young master Cao Xiong says respectfully. "Cao Xiongoshi, you were looking for me?" Shang Bin looks over with a puzzled expression. They might be both teachers of the academy and they often bump into one another, but their rtionship is still stuck at the level of an acquaintance. "Indeed. I have something which I would have to trouble Shang shaoye with!" Cao Xiong hesitates for a moment before speaking. "As long as it is something I could help you with, I will try my best!" Cao Xiong replies. As the grandson of Elder Shang Chen, there are quite a few teachers whoe looking for him for favors every day and he has long gotten used to it. "Is that so? I... Yesterday, I took much difficulty in admitting a student under my tutge, but he was snatched away by another teacher through deception. Isnt Elder Shang in charge of the Education Bureau? I would like to ask... if it is possible to transfer the student back to me..." Cao Xiong says. Liu Yang is the best student which he spent a lot of effort to recruit. Yet, he lost him to Zhang Xuan due to that bet. When he returned, he got angrier and angrier the more he thought about it. Eventually, he couldnt bear it anymore and came to look for Shang Bin today. Shang Bins grandfather is Elder Shang Chen, the head of the academys Education Bureau. Allocating a student to another teacher would be quite a simple feat for him. "Transfer back?" Shang Bin frowns. "If that student willingly came under the other persons tutge, it would be difficult! You also know that students are much more troublesome nowadays. If they are dissatisfied with anything, they would report the incident to the Royal Court and the Teacher Union, then we will..." "He isnt willing! I can guarantee that!" Cao Xiong hurriedly replies. "Even if he isnt willing, if the other teacher is unwilling to let him go, it wont be easy as well. You know the school rules..." Shang Bin waves his hand. Suddenly, he raises his head and asks, "Just now, you said... deception? May I know which teacher is the one who coaxed your student over?" "It is our academys trash teacher Zhang Xuan..." Speaking of that young man, Cao Xiong clenches his jaws and hatred could be inly seen on his face. "Zhang Xuan? Your student was coaxed over by him?" Hearing that name once again, Shang Bins rage burns once again. If it wasnt for this fellow, he would definitely be able to get a dinner date with his goddess! A fellow who is only Fighter 3-dan and scored a zero for him Teacher Qualification Examination would actually dare to disregard his authority, he is seeking for death! If it wasnt for the presence of the goddess yesterday such that it was inconvenient to resort to physical means, he would have definitely beat him until he is on the verge of dying! "Yes! Since he is that kind of teacher, no humans would be willing to be his student! So, I would like to trouble Shang shaoye to help me bring up this matter with Elder Shang and allocate my student back..." Cao Xiong says carefully, afraid that the other party would refuse his request. "There is no need to bring this up with Elder Shang, I will settle this matter for you now!" Shang Bin waves his hand majestically. "Youre going to settle the matter for me?" "The other teachers might still require the help of my grandfather for the reallocation process but since were talking about the useless trash Zhang Xuan, why do we have to go through so much trouble? We just have to go to him straight and if he refuses, we will cripple him!" Shang Bin gestures grandly. He might be at a loss in means to deal with other teachers, but towards the one who scored a zero for the Teacher Qualification Examination, it is simply too easy for him to make a stand to teach him a lesson! Disregarding his weak abilities, the crux of it is that no one in the academy would possiblye in his defense. The most important point of all is that he had intended to give Zhang Xuan a good thrashing to vent his frustration but he had been vexed over theck of a suitable justification for it. If he were to strike without a suitable justification, he would surely leave a bad impression with Shen Bi Ru if she were to find out. But now, he has duped away the student of another teacher and the person in question hase over seeking for his help. He could make use of this reason tosh out at him! "This..." He didnt expect that Shang Bin would be so generous, Cao Xiong is taken aback. "There is no need for this. Come with me! If youre afraid, I will do it for you!" The corners of Shang Bins lip curl upwards as a glint of brutality shes across his eyes. "Then, I will be thanking Shang shaoye in advance!" Cao Xiongs eyes light up excitedly as he nods his head hurriedly. The two of them move towards Zhang Xuans ssroom with widened strides. It didnt take long for them to arrive at the entrance of Zhang Xuans ssroom to see the mummy-like Yao Han and the young master of the Wang family. "Wang Tao, what are you doing here instead of training over at grandfathers? Shang Bin frowns. He might be the grandson of Elder Shang Chen, but he is still a little off in terms of standing inparison to Wang Tao. "Shang Binoshi!" Wang Tao bows. "My younger sister was duped to attend lessons here. I intend to take her back..." "Shang Bin?" Yao Han was still considering whom he should gather intelligence on Shang Bin from when he heard that the young man before him is Shang Bin. He hurriedly lifts his head to take a good look at him. "You mean Wang Ying xiaojie?" Shang Bins face darkens. Coldness radiates out of his eyes as he deres, "That Zhang Xuan is really too daring! To dare to dupe even Wang xiaojie, he must be tired of living! Looks like if I dont teach him a lesson, it would be hard to appease the crowd!" Xiaojie -> Young mistress "Indeed..." Wang Tao nods his head. "Since Wang Ying xiaojie was duped toe under his tutge, why dont you barge in to stop him, and chose to wait here instead?" Harrumphing, Shang Bin looks over with a puzzled expression. "That..." Wang Tao dares not to admit that he was thrown out. Scratching his head, just when he is perplexed over how he should answer, Yao Han, who is beside him, says, "Isnt there a rule in the academy that states that entry into a ssroom is disallowed in the midst of a lesson? Thus, we could only wait outside for the lessons to end!" "This is..." Only now does Shang Bin notice the mummy-like Yao Han. "This is the butler of City Lord Zhao of Baiyu City, Yao Han!" Wang Tao hurriedly introduces him. "So, it is butler Yao. I have long heard of your name!" Shang Bin nods his head and continues, "There is such a rule in the academy that no one is allowed to barge into the ssroom in the midst of a lesson. However, it doesnt matter in this case. You all can follow behind me to enter the ssroom. Today, I will personally take care of the fellow who has no morals as a teacher and goes around conning others!" "Alright!" Hearing that he is going to make a move, Wang Taos eyes light up and follows closely behind him. Yao Han hesitates for a moment before following behind them. .................................... In the ssroom. "Hongtian Nine Dan Form. It might be the most basic cultivation technique of Hongtian Academy, but there are quite a few problems with it. For example..." The five students sit in the ssroom, listening attentively to Zhang Xuans exnations. Despite it only being the first lecture, they are all iparably shocked. It is as though they have consumed ginseng fruit and is getting drunk on his words. The few students present in the ssroom, with the exception of Yuan Tao, have exceptional backgrounds. They might have never gone to an academy, but they had learned everything systematically. They have undergone lectures of many different teachers and even had the privilege of having Fighter 5-dan and 6-dan experts offering them pointer... However, they had never been to such a lesson in their entire life. The lecture gives them a feeling of enlightenment. They found themselves suddenlyprehending many things that they were perplexed in the past. The breath in their body seems to be tempted to follow the methods which the teacher is describing to them and a sensation that they would be able to break through any time now gushes through them. The lecture is simply too well-said! Hearing Zhang Xuans lessons, they realize that even the supposed high-level teachers pale greatly inparison to him. This is especially so for Zhao Ya. As the daughter of a city lord, her father often deciphers cultivation techniques for her. Initially, she had always thought that her father is the best lecturer in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. After all, her fathers strength is clear for all to see! However, inparison to Zhangoshi, she feels like a frog in the well! It isughable. There is totally no way topare the both of them at all! Zhangoshis exnations are spot-on. No matter how incredible the cultivation technique and battle technique is, he is able to immediately spot the ws in it, causing one to be shocked and go into deep thoughts, unable to calm the agitation in them for a long period of time. Often, a single deciphering sentence of Zhangoshi would send them into thoughts for half a day. After they finallyprehend it after much difficulty, they would realize that he had already been talking for a long period of time and that they had missed many of the knowledge which he had imparted then. "Zhangoshis standards... are way too high!" At this moment, the five students finally understand how deep the foundations of battle techniques and how wide the tree of knowledge is within this young man who isnt much older than them. "Previously, Iughably thought that Zhangoshi had simply lucked out to make my strength soar instantaneously. Only now do I realize that... given his wisdom, it is a small feat for him to aplish such greatness! There are more than a hundred methods for him to make my strength increase by a fold..." The previously arrogant Liu Yang couldnt help but tremble on the spot, "Inparison to him, Cao Xiongoshi... Sigh, I better notpare the two of them. They are at totally different heights, there is no way topare the two of them. It is like they both exist in different worlds! It is fortunate that they made that bet, otherwise, how could I possibly meet such a great teacher..." The five students are each listening attentively to the lecture in agitation, afraid that they would miss some important knowledge. Jiyaaaaa! The door to the ssroom is pushed open and a few men walk in withrge strides. Chapter 26: Enlightenment Will Trial Chapter 26: Enlightenment Will Trial Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Enlightenment Will Trial Zhang Xuan, I didnt expect that your guts would be so inted after not meeting for a day! Walking into the room, Shang Bin surveys the surroundings and notices that the trash had managed to admit in five students. A savage expression shes across his eyes as he sneers coldly, To dare to deceive Wang Ying xiaojie, Zhao Ya xiaojie and the others, as well as to coax the student of Cao Xiongoshi toe under your tutge instead, where the hell did you find such courage! Shang Binoshi? Cao Xiongoshi? Seeing the few people who just barged in, Zhang Xuan frowns, I am in the midst of a lesson. If theres anything you want to say, please say them after the lessons! Lesson your head! Shang shaoye came personally over so what the hell are you acting so high and mighty for? Given your standards, it is already a blessing for the others to not be misguided by you, yet you talk about having lessons? You little brat who dont even know the basics, how dare to pretend like youre something big before us! Cao Xiong mocks Zhang Xuan coldly. Since the both of them are already hostile to one another, there is no need for him to put on an act anymore. Get out! Youre not wee here! Zhang Xuan narrows his eyes. You are still continuing on with the act? Zhang Xuan, do you even remember your own surname? Shang Binughs coldly, Quickly release Zhao Ya xiaojie and Wang Ying xiaojie from your lessons and reallocate Liu Yang back to Cao Xiongoshi. If so, I might choose to back down and not teach you a lesson today. Otherwise... Im afraid that you will have to spend this school term in a wheelchair! You want to make a move on me? Zhang Xuan nces over, The academy forbids teachers from fighting one another within itspounds. Is Shang Binoshi unaware of the academy rules? The academy rules are made for humans. Against others, I would still be worried about the consequences about flouting those rules, but towards you... Hehe, do you think that there would be anyone in the academy who would stand up for a trash like you? Shang Bin deres with an expression that clearly spells out that his vile intentions. I get it, is it because I offended you with my words yesterday, thats why you are intentionally seeking trouble with me now? Arent you afraid that Shen Bi Ruoshi would be displeased by such actions of yours? Zhang Xuan harrumphs. Hehe, at least you are well-aware of it. Since I have decided to teach you a lesson, of course, I wont be worried about you talking nonsense... Shang Bin doesnt deny it and just as he is about to gleefully step forward to teach the fellow before him a lesson, he is interrupted by another furious voice. Its you! Yao Hans eyes turn red. Given how Zhang Xuan had offended Shang Bin yesterday and Shen Bi Ruoshi is involved in the incident as well, if Yao Han is still unable to figure out the culprit who beat him up, even he himself would suspect that he is a fool! What? Seeing butler Yao rage out when he is about to punish Zhang Xuan, Shang Bin turns around to look at him, bewildered. Do you think that it is possible for you to be unaware of what you have done? Before Shang Bin could react, apanied by a loud roar, a fist smashes violently onto his face. The heck! Shang Bin could only feel everything before him turning dark. The regions around his eyes bruised up. His body staggers for a moment before falling to the ground. To dare to beat me up to such a pathetic state, I will make you suffer for it! Recalling the agony he undergone from the beating yesterday, there isnt any hesitation in Yao Hans blows at all. Sitting onto Shang Bins body, fist after fiste raging onto him like a storm. Butler Yao... Everything urred too quickly. Wang Tao and Cao Xiong is bbergasted. Actually, there arent the only ones who were taken aback, even Zhao Ya, Wang Ying and the others stare at one another in confusion. Just a moment ago, when these few people came over to find trouble with Zhangoshi, Zhang Xuans students were still quite enraged and had intended to stand up for him. Yet, before they could do anything, the other side started fighting among themselves. Isnt this incident too bizarre! This is especially so for Zhao Ya. She is well-aware of the personality of butler Yao. He is a very dignified and rational person who handles problems systematically. Otherwise, her father wouldnt have possibly allowed him to be the butler of their family. But... what happened today? Why did he start beating up Shang Bin before he could finish his words? Probably, the only one who knows what is happening is Zhang Xuan. The reason why he intentionally mentioned that he offended Shang Bin yesterday and brought up Shen Bi Rus name is to remind butler Yao of the two features of his attacker yesterday... In the end, just as he intended, he made a move on Shang Bin! Actually, this cannot be med on butler Yao for being rash. After all, no matter who it is, if they were to be beaten up out of the blue for no good reason, they would definitely hold some resentment in their heart. Furthermore, he is of esteemed position and represents the image of Baiyu City, so he had never suffered such injustice. To add on, he had been angered by Zhang Xuan multiple times these two days and his young mistress had been curbing him from assaulting him. Without an outlet to vent his frustration, it has been welling up in his chest. At this moment, when he has met his enemy, how could he stand it any further? Butler Yao, what are you doing?! Feeling the fists crashing down onto him like raindrops, the confused Shang Bin could only feel his vision going dark. He almost threw up a mouthful of fresh blood. What is going on? This is the first time he is meeting this butler Yao and he shouldnt have offended him before, so why the heck is he so brutal? No matter how he tries to recall, he couldnt fathom how he could have possibly offended the other party! What am I doing? Stop acting ignorant here, are you not aware of it yourself? Peng peng peng peng! Butler Yaos fist camending one after another without any moment of rest. Shang Bin is a high-level teacher and has reached the level of Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm. Even so, there is still a distance between him and Yao Hans 6-dan Pixue realm. He isnt even a match for Yao Han in a normal battle, needless to say, a sudden assault. He is done in with just a single punch. Butler Yao, calm down, calm down. We can talk things through calmly... Only now then do Cao Xiong and Wang Tao regain their senses and they hurriedly pull the both of them apart. At this moment, Shang Bins handsome face is swollen to the point that there is no difference between it and a pigs head. Damn it! Shang Bin is about to explode from anger. Initially, he had intended to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson but never in his dreams did he expect the butler Yao from Baiyu City to suddenly go insane and assault him! At this moment, all of his umted rage channels onto towards butler Yao! No matter what personal grudges the few of you may hold among yourselves, please settle it outside the ssroom. This isnt a location for you all to fight it out. If you all do not leave now and continue to interrupt my lessons, I will inform the Central Education Bureau and call them over... Zhang Xuan speaks up. Fine... Just you all wait! Hearing that he would inform the Central Education Bureau, Shang Bin turns around and walks away. If news were to spread about his current state, how could still possibly have the face to meet others? He must not allow any teachers to see him in his current state! Shang shaoye... Shang shaoye! Shaoye -> Young master Initially, Cao Xiong thought that it would be an easy task. With Shang shaoye making a move personally, he would definitely he able to get Zhang Xuan to return his student. However, never in his dreams did he expect to see such a situation urring. Cao Xiong hurriedly follows behind him. Soon, the two of them disappear from view. Uncle Yao, what are you doing? After the two of them left, Zhao Ya walks up and looks at her Uncle Yao, her face flushed red from anger. This Uncle Yao was normal in the past, so why is he getting more and more overboard nowadays! Young mistress, I... Yao Han doesnt know how he should reply to Zhao Yas words. After all, he cant possibly say that he had intended to sneak over to Zhang Xuans dormitory in an attempt to castrate him but ended up getting bashed up by Shang Bin instead, and he did a moment ago was to exact vengeance for that! Alright, I am still in the midst of the lesson. I would have to ask for the rest of you to leave! Zhang Xuan gestures. After hesitating for a moment, Yao Han, Wang Tao and Old Liu leave the ssroom yet again. .............................. Damn it, damn it! After leaving Zhang Xuans ssroom, Shang Bin cries out in anger, That Yao Han must be taught a lesson. Zhang Xuan as well. To dare to look at me contemptuously, he must be punished! As the grandson of an elder, his life has been smooth sailing all along. When had he ever suffered such injustice! Furthermore, the worst of it all is that he didnt even know the reason behind it. He was in the midst of talking when the other party suddenly rushed up to assault him in the blink of an eye! He finds the scenario iprehensible! That Yao Han must be an aplice of Zhang Xuan! Otherwise, why would he make a move on Shang shaoye? I think he must have been ordered to do so! Cao Xiong says. No doubt, that must be it! Shang Bin agrees. He had never offended Yao Han, but the other party made a move on him without any warnings. It must be due to his deration of wanting to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson! Are you sure that Liu Yang did not willingly acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher? After awhile, Shang Bin calms down and turns around to ask. I can ascertain that he didnt do it out of his own free will! Recalling the unwillingness on Liu Yangs face when he left yesterday, Cao Xiong replies confidently. Great. If youre that sure of it, go and apply for a [ Enlightenment Will Trial ]! Shang Bin says. Enlightenment Will Trial? This... Cao Xiongs face darkens. Enlightenment Will Trial is a special method to determine the allocation of a student who is vied by multiple teachers when the academy is unable to make a judgment. The student would undergo the trial of the [ Enlightenment Will Tower ] and the Enlightenment Will Tower will reflect his true thoughts in the form of a confidence-meter. If the student is proven to be unwilling toe under the tutge of the teacher, the teacher of the student will be punished. On the other hand, if it is proven that the one who applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial is making a false report, he would receive an equivalent punishment. This is the final resort used when there is truly no means to determine the allocation of the student. Cao Xiong is aware of it, but he feels that things have yet to get to such an irreconcble point. Why? Are you lying to me? Could it be that the fellow joined Zhang Xuan willingly? Looking at Cao Xiongs hesitant face, Shang Bins face darkens even further. No, he definitely did not join willingly. I... will apply now! I will make sure Zhang Xuan will get what he deserves! Cao Xiong nods his head. Un, then hurry up! Looking at hispliance, Shang Bin nods his head in satisfaction. When you are applying for it, make sure to raise the punishment to the maximum! This way, Zhang Xuan would be in for a tough time, perhaps he might even get fired! Punishment can be raised based on the appliers request. The higher the stakes are, the heavier the penalty on the side who fails the trial. Alright! Cao Xiongs eyes light up with excitement as he visions the image of Zhang Xuan getting fired. Chapter 27: The Frenzied Wang Clan Chapter 27: The Frenzied Wang n Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Alright, we will end the lessons here. Everyone, remember to try toprehend the contents of this lesson when you get back. If there is anything you are unsure of, you cane over to me to rify it!" Zhang Xuan gestures. "Yes!" The five students answers in chorus before leaving the ssroom. They didnt spend a long time immersed in the lesson and there were even a couple of times where someone barged in to create trouble, but they still benefited greatly from it. It can even be said that if they were to persist on to try toprehend what was taught, their cultivation would surely rise by leaps and bounds. The five of them leave the room excitedly. The moment Wang Ying walks out, her elder brother, Wang Tao, grabs her. "Go, lets return back to our n!" "Return back to our n? Big brother, why must we return..." Wang Ying is taken aback. "Hmph, you refused to listen to the words of your elder brother and chose to acknowledge the worst teacher in the academy as your teacher. I have already reported this matter to father and he says that he would like to talk to you personally!" Wang Tao harrumphs. The first time he entered the ssroom, he was thrown out. The second time, he returned without aplishing anything. Judging from the expression on his younger sister, he knows that he would be unable to convince her to change her mind. Thus, he sent Old Liu back to inform the n of the matter. He intends to get their father to persuade her. His younger sisters personality might be pure and innocent, but she still listens rather obediently to the words of their father. "Father..." Fright could be seen on Wang Yings face. Their father is the current n head of the Wang n, Wang Hong! He is a very strict person who rarely smiles, even his children tremble before his presence. "Zhang Xuanoshi actually isnt the way that you all put him out to be. His lectures are very good..." Wang Ying tries to retort. "Hmph, say those words to father and see if he believes it!" Wang Tao waves his hand and without a second word, he pulls his younger sister out of the academy. Hongtian Academy and the Wang n are both in Tianxuan City and they arent too far apart from one another. In a short moment, the two siblings reach their destination and Wang Tao pulls Wang Ying to their fathers study. "Enter!" The cold and strict voice of n head Wang Hong sounds out. "Yes!" Wang Ying tremors from fright upon hearing that voice. Clenching her jaws, she follows closely behind her elder brother into the room. In the study, n head Wang Hong is sitting at the utmost center of the room. The few sitting behind him are the influential elders within the n. There is also one youth who is sitting by the side. Wang Ying recognizes the youth as the grandson of the 2nd Elder, Wang Yan. She went to the Hongtian Academy at the same time as Wang Yan. In the end, thetter managed to acknowledge the renowned Lu Xunoshi as his teacher whereas she acknowledged the academys worst reputed teacher Zhang Xuan... "Father!" The tense atmosphere in the study makes Wang Ying dare not to breathe heavily. "Kneel down!" n head Wang Hongs face darkens. The teacher ys an utmost role on ones route of cultivation. Before entering the academy, he has reminded her time and time again to acknowledge Lu Xun as her teacher. Yet, thisss... Why cant you acknowledge anyone else? Why must you choose the worst one in the whole academy? When he heard that news, he almost died from sheer anger. Putong! Wang Ying shivers as she kneels down. "Do you admit your mistake?" Wang Hong asks coldly. "I..." "Hmph, acknowledging ones teacher should be based on an individuals free will, so I didnt want to say too much about it, but are you unaware of the standards of this Zhang Xuanoshi? The one who scored the worst for the Teacher Qualification Examination and even left a student berserk. Does someone like that have the qualifications to be your teacher?" n head Wang Hong says with a grave expression on his face. "If you were unaware of the situation and were deceived by him, I would still turn a blind eye to it, but why didnt you listen to your brothers words? I heard that your elder brother asked you to withdraw from his lessons, but you refuted him? What are you trying to do?" n head Wang Hongs voice bes louder and louder, to the point that the study tremors with creaking noises. "I..." Hearing the reprimand of her father, Wang Yings face turns red before she grits her jade teeth and says, "Father, Zhang Xuanoshi isnt as bad as the rumors put him out to be. He is a talented teacher, just that he keeps a low profile. I want to be under his tutge, I will not withdraw from his lessons!" She benefited greatly from just a single lesson. Wang Ying knows thating under the tutge of Zhang Xuan is an opportunity for her. If she were to miss this chance, she would definitely regret it for the rest of her life. "A talented teacher? Haha, a fellow who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination?" "Wang Ying, you should listen to the advice of the n head, dont be deceived by that Zhang Xuan!" "You should learn from Wang Yan. He might have only gone on one lesson, but his strength has already increased by 40%. The guidance of Lu Xunoshi is definitely top-notch in the entire academy!" ... Hearing the words of the youngdy, the other eldersugh as they shake their head. There isnt a single person in Tianxuan City who is unaware of Zhang Xuans reputation. Yet, you say that he is a talented teacher... What kind of joke is this! "You..." Hearing the words of his daughter, n head Wang Hong is incensed, "I dont care what you say, you have to withdraw from his lessons today! Otherwise, dont even think about stepping into this house ever again!" "I dont agree with your decision!" Wang Ying may seem weak, but she has a stubborn temperament. She stands up and says indignantly, "You all have never listened into Zhang Xuanoshis lessons, so what rights do you all have to say that his lessons are sub par? What rights do you all have to force me to withdraw from his lessons?" "We might not have listened into his lessons before, but do you think it is possible for his reputation and Teacher Qualification Examination results to be falsified?" An elder replies. "Wang Ying xiaojie, stop being stubborn. There are so many students who can testify for whether his lessons are good or not. Do you think that you are the only smart one of the bunch?" Another elder states. Xiaojie -> Young mistress "I dont know whether the Teacher Qualification Examination results are falsified or not, but I know that he has treated my legs and gave me pointers for my cultivation. I can easily execute a might that is one-fold greater than previously!" Wang Ying deres. "Treated your legs? What kind of joke is this!" "Even Master Yuanyu is unable to do anything about your legs. Yet, you im that a fellow who scored zero for the Teacher Qualification Examination is able to treat it?" "Wang Ying xiaojie, even if you wish to lie in his stead, you should say something that is more believable..." Everyone in the n is aware of Wang Yings leg injury. Hearing her words, a few of the elders scoff coldly. "If you all dont believe me, I will prove it to you all!" Seeing the looks of disbelief on the elders faces, Wang Ying doesnt continue arguing and instead, walks over to the Strength Measuring Rock Pir and sends a kick towards it. Peng! The rock pir shakes and a string of numbers appear. 205! "What?" Seeing this sight, n head Wang Hongs eyes narrow subconsciously. The few elders who were reprimanding Wang Ying a moment ago are also taken aback as their lips tremble from shock. The few elders here had specially looked into the injury of Wang Yings legs and had deduced that it is impossible to treat it. They concluded that it would be impossible to exert strength in them and just the fact that she is able to walk normally is already a blessing. Yet, to wield 205kg behind such legs? How... How is this possible? After kicking the pir, Wang Ying didnt stop. She turns around and strikes on the pir with a fist. Weng! Numbers disy on the rock pir. 120! A force of 120kg behind her fists! "You... Youre still Juxi realm primary stage. I thought you were only able to hit 53kg when you left yesterday? How could it be possible for you to hit... 120kg?" n head Wang Hong abruptly stands up as his voice quivers in agitation. Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, cultivators would learn innate breathing and sensing of spirit in the air. Also, they would gain the ability to look into their body and control the flow of spirit energy in their body with their mind. They would have a strength of 50kg in their primary stage, 70kg in the intermediate stage, 90kg in the advanced stage and 110kg at the pinnacle. This is the mass that a cultivator would be able to carry with their present strength. It is normal for the strength behind their fist to be slightly lower or higher than the strength attributed to their level of cultivation. Normally, it would already be incredible to achieve an increase of 20% to 30% around that level. Even for a renowned teacher like Lu Xun, he could only induce an improvement of 40%! Despite not breaking through in her cultivation, being still in Juxi realm primary stage, she is able to hit with a force of 120kg, even stronger than someone at Juxi realm pinnacle! This means that her strength enhancement is greater than a single fold, that is too formidable! "I only improved to such an extent due to Zhang Xuanoshis guidance!" After hitting the pir, Wang Ying stops and deres calmly. "With just a slight pointer, he is able to induce such a great improvement? Furthermore... treating your legs as well?" n leader Wang Hong is in a state of disbelief. In a few short steps, he walks to the front of his daughter. With a single look, he immediately understands that his daughters legs are truly cured! As the worst teacher in the entire academy, not only was he able to treat an injury Master Yuanyu is unable to cure, he was even to induce a massive improvement through a short moment of guidance. Is this for real? "Can you tell us a little about the contents of the lessons he went through today? What did he talk about?" After a short period of shock, n head Wang Hong cant resist asking. "Alright. Today, Zhangoshi talked about cultivation technique. However, as what he talked about was too profound, I could only remember less than a tenth of it. This is what he said..." After hesitating for a moment, she mentions everything that she recalls in her mind. "Gathering ones breath and nourishing it... To think that there would be such a profound theory behind a simple Juxi realm!" "This... is too incredible. If only I had undergone such lessons back then, I wouldnt be stuck in such a realm, unable to advance ahead!" "This is truly the theory derived from a true master. I am enlightened..." ... Just by repeating a few sentences, the n head and the elders in the room seem to have gone into a daze, as though they are drunk on those words, on the verge of going frenzied. To be able to be the n head and an elder of a prestigious n, they all possess high levels of cultivation, even the weakest of them are Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm experts. After cultivating for so many years, they have a higher level of enlightenment towards cultivation and they understand much more about it. Although Wang Ying is only reciting those words without understanding the underlying theories behind them, to them, those words are no different from the voice of god. It solves many of the mysteries that they were unable to decipher before in an instant and they feel refreshed. "He... He is truly a master... No, not even a master is able to exin such profound and mystical theories!" n head Wang Hongs eyes radiate a bright light and his breath quickens in agitation. "Father, father?" Seeing her father on the verge of going into a frenzy, Wang Ying tries to pull him back. "Ah? Ying-er, you must not withdraw from this Zhangoshis lesson by all cause! You must learn from him diligently..." After n head Wang Hongs consciousness is pulled back from a mystical realm, formhe looks at Wang Ying with a solemn expression and says. "But father, you just said that..." She didnt expect that her father, who tends to be conservative, would change his mind so quickly, to the extent that she is unable to adapt to it on the spot. "Father didnt know that Zhangoshi would be so incredible! Oh, right..." At this point, n head Wang Hongs face has traces of excitement and anticipation on his face as he asks, "Ying-er, can you ask your Zhangoshi... whether he is still epting student? Let Wang Yan and Tao-er learn from him as well... Actually, why dont I be his student as well..." "n head, as the leader of the Wang n, how could you be the student of the low-level teacher in the academy? If word were to spread, how can our Wang n continue to uphold our dignity in Tianxuan City?" Before n head Wang Hong could finish his words, he is interrupted by the words of another elder. After reprimanding the n head, the elder turns over with a bundle of smiles and says, "Look, I am only a normal elder and I dont represent the image of the Wang n. If it is still uneptable, I can even resign from my position of an elder. So, can you all help me ask him if I am able to acknowledge him as my teacher?" "..." Wang Tao, Wang Ying and Wang Yan. "..." n head Wang Hong. Ying-er, Tao-er This is quite a close way to address ones sons and daughters, sometimes even close nephews etc. Chapter 28: Enraged Elder Mo Chapter 28: Enraged Elder Mo Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Enraged Elder Mo Zhang Xuan isnt aware of the events that urred in the Wang n. After the lesson ended, he walks towards the Compendium Pavilion. My cultivation might have progressed significantly, but I still dont have an in-depth understanding of battle techniques and such. I should quickly look into them! Also, I should also take a look at the 1-dan and 2-dan cultivation techniques. Otherwise, if I were to go the lessons without knowing anything, I would definitely give myself away! Zhang Xuans had multiple breakthroughs in his cultivation yesterday night, causing his strength has soared significantly. However, his knowledge on battle techniques and such are severelycking. Furthermore, he doesnt have an in-depth knowledge of the 1-dan and 2-dan cultivation techniques. For example, when he was offering pointers to Zhao Ya earlier today, he didnt know what kind of cultivation technique he should have imparted her to resolve the problem of her Pure Yin Body. This is the ideal time to do a bit of research and prepare for the next lesson. Otherwise, if he is unable to answer the questions of his students, he would expose his ignorance. Elder Mo! Arriving at the Compendium Pavilion again, Elder Mo is still guarding the entrance to it. What are you here for? Yesterday, this fellow, in pursuit of his vanity, came here to make a mess, so Elder Mo had a bad impression of him. Seeing how he is here today again, he couldnt help but frown. I would like to see the manuals on battle techniques! Zhang Xuan bows. Battle techniques? Ones cultivation level is the core of ones strength. Instead of training properly with your cultivation technique, you just had to learn from the negative examples of others, pursuing vanity, enjoying the pleasures of the illusion and cking about! Today, you dont have to think about entering the Compendium Pavilion! Elder Mo waves his hand to chase him away. In his opinion, Zhang Xuan purpose here isnt even to read the books... Rather, he is here to flip through them to remember a few distinguished points in them to put up a knowledgeable image. The greatest taboo in the guidance of ones student is to impart iplete knowledge. When your pail of knowledge is only half-full, it is easy for ones students cultivation to go berserk through misguidance. Yesterday, Zhang Xuan was here twice and both times, he was only casually flipping through the manuals. Given his speed, he probably doesnt even remember the names of the book, needless to say remembering them. What else can his actions represent, other than his pursuit of vanity? The Compendium Pavilion is a location for teachers to research and study at. How can such a person be allowed entry! I pursue vanity and enjoy the pleasures of the illusion? Zhang Xuan blinks and confusion could be seen in his eyes. Why would he say such words? He couldnt resist asking, Elder Mo, I am really here to learn and not to create trouble... Da da da! Just as he is in the midst of rifying the situation, footsteps could be heard from his back and an elegant voice sounds out. Elder Mo, I will be going in to grab a few books! Turning around to take a look, it is the goddess teacher he met yesterday, Shen Bi Ru! At this current moment, Shen Bi Ru is dressed in light purple. Her slender body apanied by her incredible figure and her wless face brought out an exquisite and refined aura which radiates her surroundings. Oh, it is Shenoshi. Go on in! Seeing that it is her, Elder Mo doesnt even try to stop her in the least. Not only is Shen Bi Ru beautiful, she is also a reputable genius among the teachers. Despite being just 20 year old, she has already reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, just a step away from Pixue realm. Thank you, Elder Mo! She nods her head elegantly. Turning around, she notices Zhang Xuan, who is just standing by the side, and couldnt help but to be a little surprised. In the past, although Zhang Xuan had never confessed to her, he would blush upon catching sight of her and would be unable to speak in front of her, bashful like ady. Even the densest of people could tell that something was amiss. Initially, she thought that this would be the case this time as well. However, he only takes a nce at her before turning around, the adoration he held for her in the past totally absent in those clear eyes of his that resemble the pure spring water, as though he ispletely immune to her beauty. The most important point of all is that Zhang Xuan isnt strong, and he scored badly for his Teacher Qualification Examination as well. As a result, he would always feel inferior upon seeing other teachers, causing him possess an unconfident disposition from hisck of self-esteem. However, at this moment, just by standing there, he looks dignified with the aura of an extraordinary person. Just by looking at his disposition itself, he is apletely different person from how he was in the past. Recalling the situation when they met yesterday, he even dared to refute Shang Bin straight on. Shen Bi Ru couldnt help but feel bewildered. When did that awkward young man who had an inferiorityplex change so much? Elder Mo, I am also here to browse through the books. Why is she allowed to enter while I am denied entry? Zhang Xuan is oblivious to the thoughts of the other party and could only gesture helplessly. Despite being both teachers, he is discriminated even in the privilege to browse through books. What ill luck! Shenoshi is entering the pavilion to study. As for what you are going in for, you should be more than aware of it! Do you still need me to point it out for you? Elder Mo harrumphs coldly. There are only manuals inside, what else could I be doing inside? With a bitter smile, Zhang Xuan shakes his head. Of course I am entering the pavilion to read books and to enhance my knowledge! Enhance your knowledge? Hmph! Elder Mo is displeased. Flipping through books non-stop, not even stopping in the midst to read through them properly and you call it studying? Every single cultivation technique inside is iparably precious. You cant possibly expect to enhance your knowledge by leaps and bounds just by flipping through tons of books without even jotting down notes! How could you possibly study like this? Elder Mo! Just as he is about to continue exining, Shen Bi Ru smiles faintly, her smile reminiscent of the blooming of a flower, as she says, Zhangoshi might really be here to learn. So, why dont you just let him enter! If he were to be stopped here like this, it wouldnt leave a good impression on the other teachers! Un! Since Shenoshi pleaded on your ount, I will allow you to enter. However, I will tell you in advance first. If you want to look through the books, look through them properly. If I see you wandering around in there and putting up a show, just wait and see how I will punish you! Elder Mo gestures. You have my gratitude! Zhang Xuan nods his head, then cups his hand towards Shen Bi Ru to show his appreciation for her help before walking into the Compendium Pavilion. Un? Initially, Shen Bi Ru thought that since she helped him, he would make use of the opportunity to strike up a conversation with her. Yet, he simply turned around to leave, leaving Shen Bi Ru a little stunned. Although she is a little surprised, she didnt pay much heed to it and follows behind him into the Compendium Pavilion. It was just a casual whim of hers to help Zhang Xuan, there wasnt any special reason or intention behind her action. Since the other party didnt want to chat with her, she is also happy to be spared the conversation. To think thating into the Compendium Pavilion would be so troublesome. The next time, I probably wont be able to enter anymore! Standing in front of the bookshelves, Zhang Xuan did not rush to flip through the books and instead, scratches his head. He didnt know why did Elder Mo stop him, but he is sure that it has something to do with his identity as the worst teacher in the academy. The identity is awkward no matter where he goes. Not just on the recruitment of students, even his colleagues despise him. The main reason why he is able to enter this time is thanks to Shen Bi Rus words. However, what about the next time? This Compendium Pavilion isnt very big anyway. If I hurry up, I might be able to browse through it all within today! This way, I wont need to enter the next time! Suddenly, a thought shes through his mind. Since Elder Mo is determined to stop him, he should just make it so that he would not need toe anymore in the future. Given the size of the library, there are hundreds of thousands of books in here. Even if one were to spend their entire lives here, they probably wouldnt be able to finish reading through them. However, he is different! No matter what kind of books it is, as long as he flips through it, he would be able topile an identical book of it in the Library of Heavens Path with its ws recorded in it! If he were to move quickly, it shouldnt be impossible for him to imprint all of these books into his head within a single day. Once he seeds, he wouldnt need to go through so much trouble toe here to look for books. Begin! The moment the thought pops into his mind, Zhang Xuan doesnt dawdle any longer and immediately walks towards the first bookshelf. Not concerned with what books they are, he casually grabs a handful of them and hu, flips through them. Hu hu hu! Just as he expected, the Library of Heavens Path jolts and an identical book as the one in his hands appears on the bookshelf in it. Un, thats the way to go! After realizing that it is possible topile multiple books simultaneously, he walks forward and grabs several books at once and imprints them into his head concurrently. Hula! Hula! The sound of footsteps and flipping of books echoes in the Compendium Pavilion. That fellow, he still dares to im otherwise... that he isnt putting on a show in pursuit for vanity? Elder Mo, who is outside guarding the library, has been paying attention to Zhang Xuan from the moment he enters the library. The previous time, that fellow only flipped through a book at a time before putting it back. Although it is clear to see that he isnt really serious about it, at least it still looks eptable. Now, he is taking dozens of books at once and ying with them, cing it back in the shelves before he could even see the titles clearly. What the heck is he doing? Is he here to read books or to choose cabbage? Furthermore, after looking at the manuals which the other party is looking through, he feels a spell of giddiness. "Cultivation of Wisteria""Basics to the Rtionship of a Male and Female","The Way of Amalgamating Yin and Yang","Refining Green Emerald Pill" and "The Important Aspects One Should Take Note of in Forging Equipment"... There are books on all kinds of fields. Cultivation technique, battle technique, cultivation of medical herbs... even on male-female rtionship... As long as it is a book, there is nothing that this fellow would not flip through! Everyone has their own shorings and merits and there are limits to a persons energy. It is impossible for one to master every single field. Thus, one has to choose properly on which book they should look through. However, this fellow flips through every single book without any hesitation. Is he sure that he isnt here to create trouble? He must be here to cause trouble! When he leaves, I will make sure to teach him a lesson! Elder Mos face darkens as he harrumphs coldly. Chapter 29: You Must Be Sick! Chapter 29: You Must Be Sick! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Un?" Shen Bi Ru, who is the Compendium Pavilion as well, hears the continuous sounds of footsteps and flipping of books. Initially, she didnt think much into but as time passed, she started to feel that something is amiss with the situation. One would need to read a book slowly toprehend its contents. How can it be possible for anyone to flip through it so quickly? Bewildered, she couldnt resist walking over to take a look. After which, she sees Zhang Xuan flipping the books from the first shelf. It is very apparent to see that he isnt reading through the contents of the books, but more like looking for something! "Is this the reason why Elder Mo denied him entry?" After watching for a moment, she realizes that the other party doesnt have the intention to stop. Gedeng, Shen Bi Rus heart beats. Previously, the reason why she couldnt resist speaking out to help him upon seeing the difference between the current him and his previous self is because she wants him to work hard so as to be freed from his current awkward position. However, she would have never imagined that this fellow isnt here to study but to look for something! This is the Compendium Pavilion. Every day, there are innumerable teachers whoe in, so it is impossible for there to be anything valuable hidden here. Flipping through these books so casually is almost a sphemy to this Compendium Pavilion. How repulsive! "Perhaps... He knew that I would being to the Compendium Pavilion today, so he intentionally waited outside then came in to make such a ruckus to capture my attention... Hmph, this would only provoke my ire!" The image of the young man in Shen Bi Rus heart falls to the pits. Due to her beauty, many people have tried many ways to get on her good side, as well as to attract her attention. In her opinion, Zhang Xuan isnt even trying to look through the books. Rather, he is intentionally making those noises to change her opinion of him. In reality, she hates it when people make up this kind of show. After looking at her a moment longer, she ascertains her opinion. If he is truly here to browse through the books, how could he possibly be reading books of all genres? Furthermore, to be flipping through them at such rapid speed, he is probably unable to even ascertain the name of the manual, needless to say, its contents. "Hmph!" With a darkened expression on her beautiful face, she walks over to Zhang Xuan, "Zhangoshi, what are you doing?" "Reading books!" Zhang Xuan doesnt realize that his actions have already beenbeled as putting up a show and replies casually without raising his head. "Reading books? Hmph!" Shen Bi Ru harrumphs coldly. Coldness emanates from her jade-like face as she says, "If you think that your actions are cool and would attract my attention, please retract those immature thoughts of yours. I, Shen Bi Ru, do not fall for such petty tricks. Furthermore, your actions will only incur my irritation!" "Oh! Alright!" Zhang Xuan continues flipping through his books. He intends to imprint all of the manuals in the Compendium Pavilion onto the Library of Heavens Path by today and time is a little tight for him, so he doesnt have the effort to spare to be chatting with others. Besides, in his opinion, the other party is simply being too self-important. What does business does she have to do with what he is doing? You might be truly pretty, but it isnt like I have yet to meet a beautiful woman like you. In the previous world, in the era of information, there are all kinds of beauties stored in the hard disk. Furthermore, they are skilled in blowing, pulling, ying and singing... A cold beauty like you does not hold much interest to me! I dont have the energy to think of ways to attract your attention. "Since you understand it, please leave this Compendium Library. Stop wasting your effort here!" Seeing how the young mans head remains lowered, still putting on a show, Shen Bi Ru turns and gestures him to leave. Deng deng deng deng! The sound of the footsteps of the young man leaving. "This is more like it..." Seeing how he gives up readily, Shen Bi Ru nods her head in satisfaction. Just as she is about to continue to read her book, she hears the sound of the flipping of books echoing in the library once again. Hula! Hul! Turning her head to take a look, she realizes that the young man had no intention to leave. "You..." Shen Bi Ru almost explodes from anger. Are you done yet? I have already said that doing this will just incur my irritation, yet you still persist in doing so. Is there a point to it? At this point, her slim figure straightens and she walks up to Zhang Xuan once again, and disgust could be clearly seen in her pitch ck pupils, "Did you not hear my words? The more you behave like this, the more disgusted I would be with you! You wont earn my fancy like this!" "Are you sick?" Seeing the other partying over to bother him again, Zhang Xuan is a little irritated. He stops in his actions and says, "You read your own stuff while Ill read my own. If you are really bored, you can squat by a corner and draw circles. Dont bother me here!" It is not like I have never met a beautifuldy in my life before, why are you acting so haughtily! "You..." She didnt expect the young man to speak like this. Shen Bi Ru feels her sight blurring and she almost dies from the overwhelming rage welling in her. Who is she? Hongtian Academys number 1 beauty. Blessed with great talent and looks, almost all of the teachers and students in the academy regard her as a goddess. Before her, they would act respectfully, not daring to even speak loudly for fear of offending her. Yet, you dare to say... I am sick? Even asking me to squat at a corner to draw circles? I am ady, alright? Draw circles, draw your mums fat head! Shen Bi Ru feels a heavy and stuffy sensation on her chest that she is unable to relieve. Hula! Hul! Her face flushes red from anger. Just as she is about to reprimand the other party, she realizes that the young man has gone back to flipping through the books after being done with his words, not even sparing her an additional nce. "Fine, fine! Continue putting on an act! See how I will reveal your true colors!" Luoluo, Shen Bi Ru grits her teeth tightly and stomps her leg. This is the first time that a man has talked to her in such a manner! Fine, arent you putting on an act of browsing through the books now? Lets see how long you can put up with it. When you are finally unable to continue on, I will expose you and leave you embarrassed! Then, Shen Bi Ru no longer bothers herself with Zhang Xuan and instead, angrily walks back to the manual she had looked for previously and casually takes it out. Then, sitting in a corner in the room, she starts copying it down. Initially, her mood was quite good today and she intended to study for quite awhile to boost her knowledge. Yet, never in her dreams would she expect to meet such an infuriating fellow. In the midst of copying down her notes, she sneaks nces periodically towards him. The young man still continues flipping through all of the books with the same speed, seemingly adamant to leave no book unturned. It seems that as long as it is a book of the Compendium Pavilion, he would surely flip through it once. "Hmph! Lets see how long you can keep up the act for!" After being rebuked by Zhang Xuan, Shen Bi Ru no longer retains her calmness from before and she intends to make things difficult for him. As she copies down her notes slowly, she waits for the moment when the other party is unable to keep up with the act. However, what that leaves her bewildered is that the young man repeats his actions over and over again with the same astonishing speed. From the very first bookshelf, he moves from one row to another, flipping through the books, from afternoon to night, not even sparing a single minute to rest! It has already been six to seven hours but yet the fellow is still persisting on with the same motion. Even Shen Bi Ru finds it inconceivable at this point. If his aim was to attract her attention, she has already clearly told him that she detests such actions, so he should have stopped then. So, how is it possible for him to continue flipping through like this? Not to mention, for such a long period of time? "Could this fellows brain be convulsing or something? Has his cultivation went berserk and he himself became insane?" Suddenly, a thought pops up in her head. She has heard that when ones cultivation goes berserk, one would start to do many abnormal actions. Could it be that flipping through books non-stop here be one of this kind of abnormal actions? She is looking at the young man with a bizarre expression as she starts to think that the young man is abnormal when she notices that Zhang Xuan stopping in his actions after flipping through the books in the final row. "So much knowledge!" After a consecutive six to seven hours of hard work, he has finally imprinted all of the books in Hongtian Academys Teacher Compendium Pavilion in the Library of Heavens Path in his head. Through theption of ws and strengths from the Library of Heavens Path towards each individual book, he gains a certain level of understanding towards the cultivation technique, battle technique, pills, equipment forging, formations and such. "With Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body, she should cultivate this manual. However, before that, I have to do some preparations..." After imprinting the entire Compendium Pavilion, he finally understands how he should solve the problem with Zhao Yas physical body. He couldnt resist heaving a breath of relief. He has even found out the loopholes and iplete portions in the previous 3 dan of his cultivation. As long as he finds some time to re-cultivate through them, he can correct and perfect them. "Gugugu!" When he is finally finished, he feels an ache in his stomach. After working for such a long period of time, his hunger pangs has already long struck, just that he was oblivious to it then. Shaking his head, he starts to walk towards the exit of the Compendium Pavilion. However, he had only taken a few steps when he sees Shen Bi Ru standing before him, looking at him with a cold gaze. To think that this woman would still be here after he has flipped through the books for six to seven hours. Cant be bothered with such a self-important fellow, Zhang Xuan continues walking towards the exit of the Compendium Pavilion. "Stop it right there!" When he has just walked through the exit, he hears Elder Mo bellowing at him. At this very instant, Elder Mos face darkens to the point that it seems like the coalescence of numerous storm clouds, ready to explode at any moment. He has tolerated this young man for very long! At this moment, there is only a thought in his head. Troublemaker, troublemaker, and troublemaker! "Elder Mo!" Zhang Xuan looks at him with a puzzled expression. "Hmph, Zhang Xuanoshi!" Elder Mos face is cold. With an intentionally harsher tone, he says, "You came to the Compendium Pavilion not to study, but to intentionally cause trouble! From now on, the Compendium Pavilion no longer wees you. If you step in here once more, I will break your legs!" "Causing trouble? Elder Mo, where did all thesee from? I have been looking through the books seriously, how did I be a troublemaker?" Although he had already duplicated an identical Compendium Pavilion in his head and no longer has toe here, he still feels displeased upon hearing those words. Why is it that when other people are here, you think of them as studying, but when I am here, you think of me as a troublemaker? What kind of logic is this? Arent you being too unreasonable! Chapter 30: Shen Bi Rus Shock Chapter 30: Shen Bi Rus Shock Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Reading seriously? A wind tugs on Elder Mos beard and his face looks so red that it might explode at any moment. Not jotting down notes to decipher its content and simply flipping the books randomly. Tell me, who reads the way you do? Must reading involve jotting down notes to decipher its contents? Only now does Zhang Xuan understand why the other party is so mad. He is at a loss to respond. In his previous life, he was a librarian and his job scope was simr to that of Elder Mos. However, back then, as long as one holds a borrowing pass, he would be able to enter the premises and no one would bother whether he is eating or drinking inside. As long as one doesnt kill someone or set the ce on fire, he is basically free to do as he pleases! Initially, he thought that Elder No was making things difficult for him due to his previous selfs astounding results at the Teacher Qualification Examination. After such a farce, the reason ends up to be just this! These books are obtained through the relentless efforts of the academys predecessor and every single one of them is the product of their blood, sweat and tears. If you are not here to study, then dont touch them! Flipping through them the way you do, what can you be doing other than creating trouble? Elder Mo flings his hands in anger. I... Fine, if you insist that Im creating trouble, then just take it to be so! Zhang Xuan wants to exin but after thinking it through for a moment, he shakes his head and decides otherwise. The matter with the Library of Heavens Path must not be revealed. This also means that he would be unable to exin his actions of flipping through those books frenziedly. Since he wont be here in the future anyway, there is no need for him to rify it. Besides, his reputation is already as bad as it is, it doesnt matter whether it is sullied further or not. At least youre willing to admit to it! Now, scram! Upon his admittance, intense loathe can be seen in Elder Mos eyes. He waves his hands, gesturing him to leave. Ill be taking my leave! Just as he is about to leave, a pleasant aroma surges into his surroundings and a figure appears before him. Blocking his path, Shen Bi Ru says, Wait a minute! What is it now? Zhang Xuan looks at her helplessly. You read your own book while I read mine. Surely I didnt bother you then! Hmph! Normally, when she stops someone else, the other party would be leaping in joy. Yet, this fellow looks at her with an annoyed expression. Shen Bi Ru frowns, It isnt about that. Didnt you say that you were reading books in there? After reading for such a long period, surely you would remember some of its contents! What do you mean? Not sure what kind of tricks this woman is ying now, Zhang Xuan stares at her doubtfully. Its simple. I noticed that you read Eight Methods of Pill Refinement. It just happens that there are some parts of it that I am unable toprehend so I would like to consult you on it. Surely you wont reject my request? Shen Bi Ru asks. Actually, her n is simple. Isnt this fellow before her putting on an act by flipping through all those books? Thus, if she questions him on the book and he is unable to answer her queries, his lie will be exposed! Eight Methods of Pill Refinement? Zhang Xuans consciousness jolts as the book appears in his mind. Indeed, he had flipped through this book previously. If theres anything you are unsure of, feel free to ask and I will answer your queries. However, I have to eat soon and dont have much time to spare, so do hurry up... You... Clenching her fists tightly, Shen Bi Ru almost faints from anger. His tone is as though a frustrated teacher answering the questions of a student seeking rification. Firstly, I am a beauty. Secondly, I am a high-level teacher and one of the popr teachers of the school! If I ask you a question, it is obvious that I am testing your standards. Why does it sound like I am learning from you? Everyone has a field of specialty that expertise in, so teachers in the academy often consult one another to learn from each other. However, as a fellow who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, what makes you think that you are qualified for me to be consulting you? Suppressing the rage within her that is on the verge of erupting, Shen Bi Ru grinds her teeth, Just a moment ago, I read a phrase in the book If the herbs scatter, it would be difficult for the pill to form! If the herbs agglutinate, a yellow pill will form! I find these words a little bizarre and iprehensible. Can Zhangoshi rify its meaning for me? When she says the word rify, her teeth almost shatter from the intense force between them, and the sound of its grinding is clear to hear. As a great beauty, if it isnt to embarrass him, she would never seek guidance from a trash. You still want to ask questions despite that memory of yours... He didnt expect the other party to ask such a question. He purses his lips and replies, The phrase should be If the herbs agglutinate, it would be difficult for the pill to form! If the herbs scatter, a yellow pill will form! Its meaning is simple. When refining a pill, the moment that the herbal fluid or powder clumps together, it would be impossible to meld their medical properties together. On the other hand, if they are separated and mixed together thoroughly, the pill that would be formed will look like the yellows of an egg! After flipping through all of the books in the Compendium Pavilion, he is able to retrieve the correct method for the refinement of the pill with just a jolt of his consciousness. She might be able to stump others with such a question, but directing it towards him? What a joke! Whats worst is that... She even recited the question wrongly! Her standard is too sub-par! How, you cant reply it, can you! Ah... What did you say? She thought that the young man would be unable to reply her question. Not even in her dreams would she fathom that Zhang Xuan would be able to answer the question so casually. Unprepared for such a twist, Shen Bi Ru is dumbfounded, her beautiful eyes almost popping out of their sockets. She intentionally recited the phrase wrongly so that he would offer the wrong guidance. In her viewpoint, this fellow was just making up a show in the Compendium Pavilion, not absorbing the slightest bit of knowledge in those book at all. If she were to casually whip out the contents of a book, he would be foreign to them! Thus, she recited it inurately so that he would make a fool of himself! Who knew that... he would see through her inurate reciting and even offered the most correct answer! How... How is this possible? Could it be that this fellow has really remembered the entirety of Eight Methods of Pill Refinement just by flipping through it? But thats impossible! He is a fellow who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, how could he possibly be knowledgeable in something as unconventional as pill refining? Alright, do you have any other questions? Stroking his shriveled stomach, Zhang Xuan hurries her. I still have more! Despite the overwhelming shock, upon seeing the impassive look on his face, Shen Bi Ru immediately recovers and poses another question, There is another phrase that I dont understand. When refining a metal in mes, never meld them when it is impure! After finishing her words, she smiles coldly as she awaits for the stumped look on the other party. The question she asked previously was on pill refinement while this one is a dictum on weapon forging. This is a phrase she saw on an ancient book. She was unable to understand the saying ever after analyzing it for a month. In the end, she only managed to rify it after consulting a master cksmith! Initially, she only wanted to embarrass the other party to let him know the price of offending her. Yet, she didnt expect him to be able to exin the meaning of the words in the Eight Methods of Pill Refinement! This provoked thepetitive spirit within her, inducing her toe up with a difficult question to leave him speechless. This... Standing by the side, Elder Mo was surprised when Zhang Xuan was able to answer the first question. Even so, he wasnt particrly shocked. Eight Methods of Pill Refinement is a basic manual that innumerable rookie apothecaries would have to learn, simr to what Hongtian Nine Dan Form is to cultivators. Even if one doesnt learn pill refinement, it isnt peculiar for them to know a thing or two about it. When Shen Bi Ru asked the second question, he is stunned. Thats because even he found it hard to decipher the meaning of these words. When refining a metal in mes, never meld them when it is impure! Just when the two of them thought that he would be incapable of answering, Zhang Xuan shakes his head and looks at Shen Bi Ru as though he is looking at an idiot. What is so hard toprehend about these words? It just means that when forging weapons, one must first refine the respective materials in fire to thoroughly to clear away all impurities. Only then can the weapon be melded together more effectively! May I trouble you to ask some harder questions? This basic knowledge can be grasped easily after reading more books! This... Shen Bi Rus slim body jolts. She had to consult many different people before she got an answer to this question of hers. Yet, this young man managed to point out the crux of the dictum instantly, this... Not just her, even Elder Mo almost faints from astonishment. For Zhang Xuan to answer a question he didnt know the answer to, could it be that... he was studying seriously when he was flipping through all those books? Zhang Xuanoshi, your answer seems to be incorrect though. I remember that there is an exnation of it on Discussions of Misceneous Disputes which is different from what you im. It states that if one wants to add metal material to a pill, one would have to refine it first, otherwise it would not coagte as one! In a state of disbelief, Elder Mo speaks up. You remembered it wrongly, there isnt such a phrase in Discussions of Misceneous Disputes, neither is there anything of that sort written in it. The one you read must be Discussion of Misceneous Theories written by senior Liu Ze. There is a phrase simr to it in there, but what that is written is When refining a metal along with a pill, never mix them when it is impure, and not refining a metal in mes! Zhang Xuan waves his hand majestically. He isnt aware that the both of them are testing him. He truly thought that the both of them couldnt remember the contents clearly and thus, he casually continues, Oh, this book is at the corner of the 9th row in the Compendium Pavilion. The words that you just said are recorded on the 49th page! As for the question Shenoshi just asked, if you hold doubts about my exnation, you can browse through Three Arts of Fire Crafting left behind by senior Du Qu. It is by the corner of the 15th bookshelf and the exnation of it is written on the 24th page! Let me take a look! Shen Bi Ru looks at him with doubtful eyes. She hurriedly rushes back into the Compendium Pavilion and in a short moment, shees back with two books in her hand, Discussion of Misceneous Theories and Three Arts of Fire Crafting. Flipping to the page that thetter said, she staggers and almost passes out on the spot. To think that it would be... identical to what Zhang Xuan said, there is not even a single discrepancy! Not only did he remember the contents of the book, he could even point out which book it came from, its location and even the page number? Is this for real? Chapter 31: Heart of Tranquil Water Chapter 31: Heart of Tranquil Water Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Heart of Tranquil Water Grabbing hold of the book from Shen Bi Ru, Elder Mo takes a nce at it and his entire body trembles. This... should be impossible! Alright, is there still anything you are unsure of that you would like to consult? If not, Ill be leaving! Zhang Xuan looks at them with puzzlement reflecting on his face. Are these two fellows sick?! If they wanted to consult him, they should havee up with some harder questions. Yet, they chose to ask those that have been answered within the books. He didnt even have to churn his brain to derive out an answer for them. How boring. To think that one of them is a librarian and an expert while the other one is a reputable and popr teacher... Pui! To be unable to match up to a transcender like me, they are trulycking in knowledge! If you dont mind, I have another question that has been guing me. How would you interpret Circting a cycle of qi, reflecting the sight of ten thousand creations? Suppressing the disbelief in his mind, Elder Mo continues to ask. Another elder has raised this question with him a few days ago. After being stumped by it, he has been scavenging the Compendium Pavilion to seek an answer to it, but to no avail. Thus, he could only depart from the library dispirited. Now that the youngd before him had answered several questions, he couldnt resist bringing it up to him. You dont even know that? Zhang Xuan looks at him as though he is looking at an idiot. That is the utmost basics of cultivation, alright? It refers to the phenomenon where while ones qi is circting through ones body in aplete cycle, ones mind would seem to be in a state of wandering around the entire world as theyprehend the rules behind creationism! These words are recorded in senior Bai Mings Theories of Blood and Qi. The book is on the 27th shelf and the exnation is on the 69th page! Circting a cycle of qi, reflecting the sight of ten thousand creations, this is one of the few wless teachings that are in the Fighter 1-dan cultivation technique manuals, thus it left quite an impression with Zhang Xuan. It happens that a predecessor of Hongtian Academy had once deciphered it, so he paid additional notice to it. Why would an elder, who is the sentinel of the Compendium Library, need to direct such an easy question towards him? Elder Mo didnt reply to his words immediately and instead, just like Shen Bi Ru, walks into the Compendium Pavilion hurriedly. A short momentter, he finds the book titled Theories of Blood and Qi and flips it over to the 69th page. His body staggers. It is exactly as he described! A few days ago, that elder flipped through many different secret manuals but couldnt find an answer to his question. Never in his dreams would he have imagined that it would be recorded in an obscure book! Such an obscure book... To think that he would have read it, to the extent of even remembering... the pages? Elder Mo feels the world spinning around him and everything seems so ludicrous to him in this instant. If it isnt for his consideration for his image, he might be tugging on the ends of his hair at this moment. A moment ago, he used the other party of causing trouble in the library. In the end, not only is he reading books properly, he even memorized the contents contained within it. He feels a fiery sting on his face and fervently wishes for a burrow to appear so that he could hide in it. Is he really the same teacher who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination? If Zhang Xuan could be thest with such a level of knowledge, doesnt this mean that he isnt even qualified to get zero marks? Alright. In the future, read more books. The answers to the questions that you have posed are all recorded in them! Seeing their stunned expressions, Zhang Xuan lectures them with a deep tone. Then, he shakes his head and says, If there is nothing else, Ill be leaving! After saying those words, he lifts his legs to walk away. He is simply way too hungry. If he doesnt get food anytime soon, he might really faint from starvation. Zhang Xuanoshi, wait for me... Only now does Shen Bi Ru recover from her shock and she swiftly catches up with Zhang Xuan. What else do you want? Zhang Xuan says in a slightly annoyed tone. Is this woman sick or something? I had already rified your queries for you! Are you done yet? Cant you see that I am hungry and would like to eat? I have yet to eat as well. Do you want to share a meal with me? Shen Bi Ru grits her teeth. She is the Aphrodite of the academy. Many men had asked her out for a meal, only to be rejected by her. She had not even epted a single one of the innumerable meal dates from Shang Bin. The shock that this young man generated in her today made her curious about him, thus she decided to ask him out so as to make use of the opportunity to see what is it that caused the changes in him. You want me to treat you? Zhang Xuan looks at her with a bizarre expression. What are you thinking of! If you want to eat, use your own money! How can ones skin be so thick? You had questions for me, so I answered them for you. You still expect me to treat you after that? How can you be so shameless? In his previous life, he had researched numerous action films, but even so, he is a true shut-in. He had never trulye in contact with the opposite gender before, so how could he understand the thoughts of ady? You... Seeing the gaze of the young man and hearing his words, Shen Bi Ru almost shoots out a mouthful of blood and faints. I am a beautifuldy, alright? Beautifuldies have special privileges! So many people had invited me out and I turned down every single one of them. Yet, when I ask you out, you look at me as though I am a monster... Shameless?! Shameless your head! Is there anyone in the world who would term a beautifuldy as such? Thedy is on the verge of going berserk. Fine, Ill treat you, okay? Ill treat you! Grinding her silver teeth together, Shen Bi Ru spits out these words. You treat me? Zhang Xuan pauses for a moment. Due to his previous self being the worst teacher in the academy, his ie is nearly negligible. As such, it isnt a bad thing to have someone treat him. Thus, he nods his head, Its fine with me, but I want a luxurious meal. I wont eat just any ordinary mantous and fried pancakes! Mantou -> Bun| Basically, he means he wont just eat street food/ from vendors by the street. ...Shen Bi Ru goes berserk again. Mantou and fried pancakes? The heck with it! Lets go! She doesnt want to say anything anymore. Shes afraid that if she continues talking to him, she would die from anger. The Library of Heavens Path allows him to see through the ws of all skills and everyones mingmen. However, it is unable to peer into the heart of ady. Zhang Xuan is oblivious to the fact that he had made Hongtian Academys number one beauty furious to the point of vomiting blood with just a few simple words of his. Following behind Shen Bi Ru, Zhang Xuan walks along the pavement towards the entrance of the campus. Although the night scenery at Hongtian Academy isnt as radiant as the school in his previous life, it is still quite an exquisite sight under the illumination of the moon. Shrouded by spirit energy, the atmosphere seems exceptionally tranquil and peaceful. In his previous life, he was surrounded by hubble-bubble and smog could be found everywhere. It was very different from the serenity one could experience here. Zhang Xuan subconsciously immerses himself in this enchanting scenery. Walking in front, Shen Bi Ru thought that the young man following behind her would intentionally ask some questions to break the awkward silence. However, after the absence of sound for a long period of time, she couldnt resist turning around to take a look. Sneaking a nce, she is taken aback. The young man walks quietly as the moonlight illuminates his figure, the image of it reminiscent of a serene painting. This... This... Will of Mind 2-dan, Heart of Tranquil Water? Her eyes narrow. Fighters dont just cultivate their zhenqi and physical body. What is even more crucial to them is their mind! The stronger ones mind is, the greater control they have over their cultivation. As a result, ones cultivation can surge even more swiftly, thus allowing them to reach greater heights in the future. Thats precisely the reason why experts ssified the Will of Mind into many different levels. Heart of Tranquil Water is the 2-dan realm of it! The mind is harder to train than battle techniques. It is said that of the entire academy, only the principal has reached such a level. Even Shen Bi Ru, who is reputed to possess unparalleled talents and has reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle by the age of 20, second only to the renowned young genius Bai wangye, is still a long way away from Will of Mind 2-dan. Wangye -> Prince (More is exined below) Initially, she thought that it would be too difficult for a second person to reach such a level, but never in her dreams would she dare to think that the trash teacher in the mouths of others would actually reach such heights! If not for the fact that she witnessed it personally, she would never believe it! How is this possible? That is Will of Mind 2-dan! It is a height harder to climb to than Fighter 6-dan 7-dan! Could it be that... He isnt a trash at all, but he... intentionally scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination so as to make use of the insults and derision of others to temper his will? Suddenly, a peculiar thought pops up in her mind. In the past, she didnt have much contact with Zhang Xuanoshi, so she isnt really aware of his affairs. Today, through their conversation, she realized that he is not only knowledgeable, he even reached Will of Mind 2-dan Heart of Tranquil Water! That is a level many dream about, but never achieved in their lifetime! Looks like his Teacher Qualification Examination results are all feigned. His true goal is to make use of the scorn of others to train his mind, so as to break into the Will of Mind 2-dan. She finds it unbelievable that a person with such Will of Mind would be unable to achieve a pass in the simple Teacher Qualification Examination. Hmph, continue putting on an act. See how Ill expose you! Thinking about how she was duped by this fellow, she grits her silver teeth tightly. This fellow is simply too hateful. She is resolute to look for a chance to expose him before others! Wangye is a title granted from the emperor to princes of the country. Chapter 32: Hongtian Pavilion Chapter 32: Hongtian Pavilion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Heart of Tranquil Water? Very quickly, Zhang Xuans consciousness returns from a mystical spiritual world and his eyes light up. Having read so many books, it is natural that he would understand the significance of the Will of Mind. I am a transcender. Having experienced life and death, it is natural that my will would be stronger than most. Furthermore, I cultivate in Heavens Path Divine Art, so my zhenqi is as pure as clear water! It is normal to reach Will of Mind 2-dan so quickly! He is overjoyed over it, but it didnte as a surprise. If he were to still be like the other ordinary folks when he possesses the godly tool named Library of Heavens Path, he might as well buy a blob of tofu andmit suicide on it. Remaining silent the entire way, they soon arrive at the entrance of the academy. Hongtian Pavilion! Seeing the two enormous words before him, Zhang Xuan nods his head. There are recollections of this tavern in the memories of his previous self. Hongtian Pavilion is the most luxurious tavern in Hongtian Academy. Every single meal here would blow a hole in ones wallet. Due to his meager pay, his previous self had never been here before. Initially, he thought that Shen Bi Ru would just bring him to some casual restaurant. He never thought that she would be so generous to bring him here. As expected of a renowned tavern. The furnishings inside are majestic. Numerous Night Illumination Pearls of the size of a fist are embedded within the walls of the tavern, making it seem as though it is still daytime. They sit down at a table beside the windows. What would you like? Shen Bi Ru gazes at the young man before her. Anything! Zhang Xuan gestures. Since youre the one treating, I will eat anything that you order! Never been here before, he doesnt know what dishes are good here. Since someone else is paying, he couldnt be bothered to think about it Seeing the expression of the young man which seems resolute to take advantage of her wealth, Shen Bi Ru feels her rage welling up. However, as this isnt a good situation for her to re up, she can only nod her head and casually order a few dishes. Zhangoshi, was the zero in your Teacher Qualification Examination intentional? After ordering, Shen Bi Ru stares at the young man before her fixedly. Intentional? Unsure of why thetter would ask such a question, Zhang Xuan pauses for a moment before replying, Of course not! Back then, during the period of the Teacher Qualification Examination, he had yet to transcend over, and his previous self didnt possess the Library of Heavens Path either. Thus, it is impossible for the results to just be an act! Knowing that he would deny it, Shen Bi Ruughs coldly in her mind. Denying it? See how I will expose your true colors! Since were free now, I happen to have some questions that I have been unable to answer. Zhangoshi, would you mind helping me rify my doubts? An idea shes through Shen Bi Rus mind and she asks. Go ahead! Since the other party is treating him to a meal, he should answer a question or two of hers in return. Alright, if one is unable to gather spirit energy in their meridians while cultivating... Shen Bi Ru ponders for a moment before asking a question. You dont know this as well? Hearing that the question is even simpler than the ones from before, Zhang Xuan stares at the other party in bewilderment before casually exining, I have nine methods here that can solve the problem... Soon, he finishes his exnation. Nine methods... Hearing how the young man casually throws out nine methods at her, Shen Bi Rus face warps. Despite being knowledgeable, she is only aware of three methods. Yet, the other party is able to list out nine in a single breath. Furthermore, there is a few in the mix that arepletely foreign to her. She finds the entire situation inconceivable. That... Then, what if one is unable to guide the flow of spirit energy into the meridians after absorbing it into ones body? Forcefully suppressing her astonishment, she asks once more. That is simple too, I have eight ways of resolving that! Zhang Xuan starts to exin, Firstly... Shen Bi Rus slim body trembles. She had prepared herself mentally for this, but she still finds the situation insane. The methods he brought up are incredible. If these were to spread out, it would cause an uproar in the world of cultivation! Since you know so many methods, why werent you able to list a single one of them out during the Teacher Qualification Examination and instead, scored a zero? Forcibly suppressing her shock, Shen Bi Ru asks. The two questions that she just raised were the exact same questions listed in the previous Teacher Qualification Examination. Since he is aware of so many solutions, why couldnt he fill them in? Not to mention, to end up with a zero? Keng? Only now does Zhang Xuanes to a realization. So these questions were from the Teacher Qualification Examinations. As it is part of the memories of his previous self, although he found the questions familiar, he wasnt able to pinpoint exactly where he saw them. That... Just as he is stumped for an answer, the dishes that were ordered previously are ced on the table one after another. Lets eat first! Looking at the appearance of the dishes and taking in their fragrance, Zhang Xuans appetite is whetted up. Cannot be bothered with these troublesome matters, he starts to dig in. Hmph... Seeing how that fellow is more delighted to see those delicacies than her, Shen Bi Ru pouts. Countless people had invited her out for a meal, using all kinds of reasons and excuses just to stay with her a moment longer. Yet, this fellow is here just for the meal itself... .................................... Shang shaoye, dont be angry anymore. I have applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial and the academy will bring Liu Yang over for inspection tomorrow. Zhang Xuan would definitely be severely punished! As for that lunatic, Elder Shang has already lent you his beloved pet. When you meet him tomorrow, you will surely be able to give him an unforgettable lesson, so you should be overjoyed instead! Lets go, Ill treat you to a grand meal to make up for the sufferings you underwent today. After which, we will find a few girls and... Hehe! Shaoye -> Young master Two young men are walking along the pavement of the academy. The one leading in front has a swollen and bruised face with clear panda eyes. It is apparent to see that he had fought with someone and got hit on the face. The one following behind him has his body bent forward and is assuming a subservient attitude. The one who is speaking at the moment is thetter. There is a giant lion strutting proudly behind the two of them. Emanating a ferocious aura, it induces great pressure and fear in one before one could even approach it. They are Shang Bin, who created trouble in the ssroom earlier in the morning, only to be beaten up by Yao Han, and Cao Xiong, who is desperate to get Zhang Xuan into deep trouble. As for the lion behind them, it is Elder Shang Chens beloved pet, the tier 6 savage beast Sky Shattering Lion! In this world, there are apothecary, cksmith and many other upations. Every single upation is noble in its own right and well-respected by the others. Of these upations, Elder Shang Chen is a beast tamer. This upation allows one to tame savage beasts and spirit beasts and control them, turning them into a part of ones fighting prowess. It is a formidable upation that is noteworthypared to the rest. This Sky Shattering Lion is a beast pet that Elder Shang Chen has trained. After being done in by the berserk Yao Han, he is aware that he is unable to match up to him in terms of strength. Thus, he approached his grandfather to borrow a beast pet for his usage. Un! Hearing those fawning words, Shang Bin nods his head as he spits with an aggressive expression, That Yao Han must be taught a good lesson. Zhang Xuan as well! Of course. With this Sky Shattering Lion, what does Shang shaoye has to fear! Cao Xiong chuckles. A tier 6 savage beast is equivalent to a Fighter 6-dan expert, perhaps even surpassing them slightly. Even if that berserk butler Yao Han isnt weak, it wont be an easy feat for him to defeat the Sky Shattering Lion even in his top form, needless to say, in his current state. Earlier in the day, he was wrapped up like a mummy, not any better than Shang shaoyes current situation. Sky Shattering Lion is my grandfathers beast pet. You are also aware of its wild nature, which makes it is a difficult pet to tame. Grandfather may have handed him over to me, but it would only make a move when someone attacks me. Currently, I am still incapable of ordering it around! Looking at the ferocious and mighty Sky Shattering Lion behind him, Shang Bin feels a little helpless. Savage beasts may be strong, but they are very proud lifeforms. Unless one is stronger than them or has the upation of a beast tamer, it is impossible to make them listen to ones orders willingly. That may not be necessarily so. If we entertain it with good alcohol and food, it might just listen to yourmands! Cao Xiong smiles. Lets hope that itll be like that! In the midst of their strolling and chattering, a massive tavern soon appears before them. Were here! A magnificent signboard sits behind them as they walk into the tavern. Hongtian Pavilion! Chapter 33: Feigning Generosity Chapter 33: Feigning Generosity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Shang gongzi, youre here. Come on in!" Gongzi -> Gentleman, usually used to address for young males. Before the two men and one beast step into the tavern, a smiling middle-aged man wees them with a smile. The manager of Hongtian Pavilion, Wu Chou! "Give us a quiet location. Cao Xiongoshi and I want to have a good drink together!" Shang Bin says. "Over here!" Wu Chou quickly brings them to their seats. "Shang shaoye, every time I am here, this Wu Chou would behave smugly and disregard my presence. This time, why does he..." Cao Xiong couldnt resist asking. Hongtian Pavilion may just be a tavern, but the powers backing it is not one to scoff at. Otherwise, it is impossible for them to be operating their business in thepounds of Hongtian Academy at such a scale! In the past, when he was here to eat, manager Wu would always disregard him. Yet, this time, his back is bent forward and her attitude is of utmost respect. The disparity in his attitudes makes him doubt if he is in reality. "You should have heard of that there was once an Elder Hong Hao in the academy!" Shang Bin says. Cao Xiong nods his head. Hongtian Academy is founded by Hongtian. After his death, his descendants sustained his heritage. As a result, the elders who have the surname of Hong tend to be of more esteemed standing in the academy. He has heard of this Elder Hong Hao previously. He is an extremely powerful individual and has once vied for the principal seat. However, afterward, for some unknown reasons, he suddenly resigned from his position as an elder and there was no news on him anymore. "After resigning as an elder, he started a tavern. He used to be best buddies with my grandfather, so manager Wu would wee me with respect whenever Im here!" Shang Bin deres gleefully. "So thats the reason!" Cao Xiong nods his head. No wonder this Hongtian Pavilion managed to grow to such a scale, it was opened by the previous Elder Hong Hao. To be received by the manager of such a huge tavern, it is definitely something glorious. "Un?" Just as he is in the midst of enjoying service he has never experienced before, Cao Xiong suddenly freezes and his face gradually grows darker. "What happened?"Shang Bin gazes at him in puzzlement. "That should be Zhang Xuan, right? How could he possibly have the qualifications to be dining here?" Cao Xiong points towards a table by the window. "Zhang Xuan?" Shang Bin nces over as well. Upon seeing the young man, he catches sight of the figure seated together with him. His eyebrows shoot upwards and rage surges from within. "Why is she together with that trash? I had extended my invitation to her multiple times, but she kept rejecting me. To think that she would be dining with someone else! Damn it! Damn it!" As the grandson of an elder, a high-level teacher of the academy and a Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm expert, he has invited Shen Bi Ru for a meal multiple times, but she never agreed. Initially, he thought that she would never eat together with anyone. Never would he imagine that she would be sitting together with the renowned trash of the academy! He almost faints from anger on the spot. mming his table, he stands up, prepared to rush over to question her. However, he suddenly recalls Shen Bi Rus temperament and immediately shrivels back to his seat. She holds intense loathe to those who disturb her. If he were to rush over to interrogate her like this, if she ends up getting provoked by his attitude and rages out at him, there would be no hope for his courtship. "Shang shaoye, dont be angry. I have an idea that would reveal the true colors of Zhang Xuan before Shenoshi! Furthermore, it can entuate the majestic aura of Shang shaoye!" Cao Xiong is a social expert, allowing him to see through the current situation in an instant. An idea shed through his mind and he smiles as he tries to coax Shang Bin into action. "What idea?" "This Zhang Xuan is definitely here to fawn on Shenoshi by treating her to a meal! However, as a low-level teacher, how much money could he possibly earn? We only have to interfere slightly to make the final bill out of his reach to shame him before her! Afterward, Shang shaoye would appear and rescue her from the awkward situation... Shenoshis impression of Shang shaoye would definitely improve. Perhaps, the flower of love might even bloom as she runs into your embrace..." Cao Xiong reveals his n. "Good, lets do it your way then!" Shang Bins eyes light up as he nods his head in satisfaction. Not only is he able to cripple his opponent, he is also able to elevate his position in Shen Bi Rus heart at the same time. This is truly a brilliant idea! Looks like this Cao Xiong isnt simply capable at teaching, he also has a way with dealing with humans. Looks like he should be properly groomed in the future... .................................... Zhang Xuan doesnt know of the scheme that is being plotted against him. Eating the delicacies on the table, he nods his head inmendation. The cooking techniques here may not be as refined as the ones on Earth, but this world is rich in spirit energy, not to mention that the ingredients used in the dishes are fresh and delicious, thus providing a wholly different enjoyable eating experience. Soon, most of the dishes on the table has been cleaned up and arge portion of them was wiped clean by Zhang Xuan. Shen Bi Ru only nibbled on a small bit of them symbolically. Seeing how this fellow is only obsessed with eating, disregarding even her presence, Shen Bi Ru curls her lips in anger. Initially, she thought that he was feigning it to attract her attention. Only now does she realize that he had never thought of her as an important matter... Regardless of whether it is the genius teachers or star teachers of the academy, they would intentionally fawn on her and offer her favors. Yet, this fellow, the worst ranking teacher of the entire academy, treats her as though she is nothing, making her grind her silver teeth in anger. If it wasnt for her etiquette, she would have already sent both of her legs flying towards his body. The more she thinks about it, the more furious she gets. She knows that if she were to see him continue eating, she would die of anger. She turns around and calls out to the waiter, "Bill!" "A total of 1280 gold coins!" A waiter walks over. "1280?" Shen Bi Ru freezes in shock. "Why is it so expensive?" Even for a high-level teacher like her, she only earns 1000 gold coin every month. Yet, to eat away a month of sry in a single meal? How could it be so expensive? She had calcted it properly while she was ordering the dishes, and the bill isnt supposed to even reach 100. How could it jump up to more than 1000 in an instant? "Im sorry, but this bottle of wine here costs 1200 gold coins by itself!" The waiter exins. Previously, when the both of them were eating, a waiter came forth to ask if they wanted some wine. Shen Bi Ru thought that it would be fine to have some alcohol, so she nodded her head in agreement. How could she have possibly imagined that the wine would be that expensive! "We were uninformed of the price of the wine you sent over..." Shen Bi Rus face looks extremely pale at this instant. No matter how foolish she could be, it is obvious that she had been had. "If you are truly uninterested in it, you should have asked further about it beforehand. Since you didnt ask, we thought that you would be aware of its price, so we didnt say anything excessive!" The waiter looks at her coldly. "Hmph!" Seeing the attitude of the waiter, Shen Bi Ru knows that theres no point in kicking up a fuss. Instead, it might be bad for her reputation if she were to kick up a fuss on this matter. Thus, she whips out her wallet and prepares to pay. Then, her face suddenly turns white and awkwardness exudes from her, "I dont have sufficient money on me now. Why dont you keep it on my tab first, I will repay you after retrieving sufficient money..." Today, she only intended to aplish some reading at the Compendium Pavilion, so she didnt bring much money. After which, she met Zhang Xuan and consulted him on some matters. Due to the excessive shock then, she totally forgot about the matter, recalling it only at this moment. She only has around a hundred gold coins on her, far from the required thousand plus. Treating someone to a meal yet not having sufficient money to foot the tab... She feels a fiery sting on her face as she fervently wishes for a burrow to appear so that she could hide inside it. "Dont order food that you cant afford! Since youve ordered it, pay up. Dont even dream about eating for free here!" The waiter harrumphs. "You..." Shen Bi Rus small face flushes in anger. "What happened?" At this moment, a stern voice sounds out. Shang Bin, apanied by Cao Xiong and the Sky Shattering Lion, walks over proudly with widened strides. Dressed in white, his hands are behind him and his head is tilted high, his posture exuding an aura of superiority. In normal times, with his disposition and outer appearance, apanied with the ferocious Sky Shattering Lion following behind him, he would have looked like an elegant and dashing gentleman. However, at this very moment, his face is swollen red and his eyes are bruised ck. Looking from afar, he looks indescribably ridiculous. However, he seems oblivious to it and instead, struts about proudly. With a deep look in his eyes and a distanced aura, he walks forward and his eyes happen to chance upon Shen Bi Rus body. Feigning shock, he says, "Shenoshi, what a coincidence! Youre here as well?" He turns around to look at the waiter and asks, "What happened here? It is unbing to be making a ruckus here!" "Ah, so it is Shang shaoye!" The waiter leaps in fear. He no longer puts on the pushy attitude from before and instead, reveals a careful demeanor as he exins, "Its like this, they had eaten but they do not have the money to foot the bill..." "No money to foot the bill?" Shang Bin shakes his head as a disappointed expression appears on his face. He gazes at Zhang Xuan and says, "Zhangoshi, it is not that I want to lecture you, but if you do not have the money, dont try to feign generosity and treat someone to a meal here. Look, you simply ended up embarrassing yourself! As the worst teacher in the academy, you might be used to it, but to bring shame to Shenoshi as well, dont you think you have gone a bit too far!" "..." Seeing the arrogant look on the face of the fellow before him, Zhang Xuan pauses for a moment before turning around to look at Shen Bi Ru, "Sigh, he seems to be talking about you. If you dont have sufficient money, dont feign generosity. Look, you simply ended up embarrassing yourself..." "You..." Upon hearing Shang Bins words, Shen Bi Ru was already infuriated. Yet, to hear Zhang Xuan repeating the same words again, she almost exploded from all of the umted fury. She lifts her head and res at the gleeful Shang Bin, who is trying to put on an impressive image to win her favor. Luoluo, she grinds her jade teeth together and roars, "Shang Bin, I dare you to say once more who the one feigning generosity is?" Chapter 34: Scam Chapter 34: Scam Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Ah? Not expecting that thedy would be angered, Shang Bin is astonished. He immediately exins, Shenoshi, Im not talking about you, Im talking about Zhang Xuan. If he doesnt have the money, he shouldnt be going around treating others. Look, he ended up getting stopped by the waiter, how embarrassing is that. He is sullying the prestige of our academy... The more he spoke, the darker his goddesss face turns, to the point that it seems as though she will erupt at any moment now. Shang Bin is bewildered by the twist in the situation. At this moment, the waiter interrupts awkwardly, Shang shaoye... What? Shang Bin nces at him with a frown. Cough cough, the one that is treating is... Shenoshi! The waiter says. He received the order to cooperate with Shang Bins show. Yet, he would have never expected that it would be thedy that foots the tab. Before he could report it to him, Shang Bin had already rushed over, making it even more difficult to exin the situation to him. Shenoshi is the one treating? Shang Bin is horrified. His eyes widens in disbelief. Are you for real? He had been asking the goddess out to eat everyday and yet she simply dismisses his invitations. What rights does the worst teacher of the academy have to be sharing a meal with her, not to mention... having her to treat him? Why? Just because I have no money to foot the tab means Im feigning generosity and embarrassing myself, is it! Shen Bi Ru res at him coldly. She had been embarrassed in front of Zhang Xuan multiple times today and she had been dispirited over it all this while. Yet, this fellow just had to mock her at such a moment. She feels her rage on the verge of flying out of control. No, thats not it... Shang Bins face pales and he looks as though he is about to cry. Only now does he understands that he had identally insulted his goddess in the midst of trying to fawn on her. He immediately waves his hands as though to dispel the misunderstanding, I didnt mean that, I mean to... to... Stuttering, he is unsure of how he should exin it. However, as expected of a teacher of the academy and the grandson of an elder. Having experienced and seen many things, he quickly recovers and turns to look at the waiter. Gesturing majestically, he deres, Alright, Shenoshis debt is my debt. How much does it cost? I will pay for her! Shang shaoye, you are an esteemed guest of our Hongtian Pavilion, how can we ept your money! The waiter nods his head in a panic. These are the lines they had prepared beforehand so as to unt his background and ability before his goddess. That is great... Shang Bin wanted to tug on the subject awhile longer to showcase his superiority when Shen Bi Rus cold voice sounds out once more, Its okay, I will pay for my expenses so that others wont im that I am feigning generosity! At this moment, she retrieves a hairpin from her head and passes it over, This jade hairpin is worth at least 5000 gold coins, you can verify it with a specialist. I will be leaving it in your care first. After I retrieve my money, I will be back to redeem it! This... Holding the jade hairpin, the waiter is unsure of what he should do. This isnt part of the script they agreed on... Shenoshi, you dont have to do this. I am acquainted with manager Wu of Hongtian Pavilion, so as long as I speak up, that debt of yours dont mean anything at all... Shang Bin hurriedly steps forward. Thats your problem, what does it have to do with me? Shen Bi Ru interrupts his words. Then, she turns to look at the waiter again and says, I will be leaving first if you arent going to be looking for a specialist to verify it! I... The waiter looks at Shang Bin in a panic and the plea in his gaze is clear to see. What are you looking at me for? Shang Bin waves his hand quickly. With a furious gaze, he continues, I dont know you at all! Alright! Zhang Xuan didnt expect that a single meal would end in such a farce. Shaking his head, he steps forward, retrieves the jade hairpin from the waiter and passes it back to Shen Bi Ru. Why are giving this to him? This meal isnt even worth 1280 gold coins. Giving him money like this, are you that anxious to be scammed? Scammed? Hongtian Pavilion has nearly ten years behind its establishment. Our prices are fair and we do not discriminate between our customers. There has never been a single person who had such an issue with us before, so what do you mean by those words? The moment Zhang Xuan wordsnd, a middle-aged man walks over withrge strides. It is the manager of Hongtian Pavilion, Wu Chou. He had talked it through with Shang Bin and he wasnt supposed to appear initially. However, upon hearing Zhang Xuan talking about a scam, he couldnt hold it in anymore. The events urring here has attracted the attention of many customers. If he doesnt show up and allow the other party to speak as his pleases instead, the reputation of the tavern would be sullied. If that happens, his boss, Elder Hong Hao, would kill him when he returns. What do I mean? Do I really have to voice it out? Zhang Xuans eyelids lift up slightly and azy atmosphere emanates from him. Hmph, we use the finest ingredients for every single dish of our Hongtian Pavilion so that they are served fresh and delicious. Our prices have also undergone the stringent checks of the academy. If you arent able to exin yourself, regardless of the fact of whether you are a teacher of the academy or not, you dont have to dream about leaving here today! Manager Wus face darkens. To a tavern, scamming ones customers is a very heavy sin to bear. If he doesnt settle it now, Hongtian Pavilion could possibly go out of operation when such a reputation spreads. He is truly courting death! Initially, he thought that Zhang Xuan would get away scot-free once again. However, seeing Zhang Xuan use Hongtian Pavilion of scamming its customer and offending manager Wu, a glint shes across Shang Bins eyes as he watches the situation gleefully. Manager Wu may seem like an amiable person with a good temper, but when the reputation of Hongtian Pavilion is on the line, he would be like a raging bull who doesnt know the meaning of retreat! Looks like the fellow who is the first from thest in the academy is in for a ride of misfortune! What is this fellow rambling about... Panic can be seen on Shen Bi Rus face. For Hongtian Pavilion to be opened in Hongtian Academy at such a tremendous scale, its backing is clear to see at a single nce. Yet, you dare to use them of scamming their customers in public, arent you asking for trouble? Arge tavern like this values its reputation a lot. Since you requested for me to say it, then I will spare with the formalities! Despite the Wu Chous threat, Zhang Xuan is unfazed. He walks up to the table and says. This Violet Savage Bear Meat, going by your ims, is prepared by ughtering a Savage Bear before soaking it in Violet Flowers for three days. This way, the exterior will be crispy while the interiors will be tender and the meat will be filled with fragrance. However, you all took it out for frying right after soaking it for just a day. Although the texture is still the same, the medical properties of the Violet Flower has yet to soak in, making it would be useless no matter how many of it one eats! As for this Honghu Mandarin Fish, you all advertised it as wild mandarin fishes caught in Lake Hong. However, they are actually mandarin fishes that you all have been rearing in Yeluo Bay. It is easy to differentiate between the two. As wild mandarin fishes have to battle against their natural predators, Qinghe Turtle, the fin of the tail of Honghu mandarin fishes tend to be tougher than those that are reared, and its tail would be significantly thicker as well. One only has to slightly look into the matter to know whether what Im saying is true! As for this Clear Sauted Nestled Heart Herb, the ingredients used isnt even Nestled Heart Herb but Bitter Heart Herb! These two nts are actually one of a kind, just that they are cultivated under different conditions, thus the difference in their names. Nestled Heart Grass grows beside the nests of savage beasts and is taken care by them. Their stems would tend to be thicker and their nutrition value is significantly higher as well! Bitter Heart Herb grows in the wilderness and is extremely cheap. Its stem is thin and its nutrition value is lower by a huge chunk! For the same te of vegetable, the difference in their value is almost tenfold! Completely different inparison! Listing it as Nestled Heart Herb but cooking the dish using Bitter Heart Herb, if this isnt a scam, what else could it be? ... Casually pointing to any dish, he is able to clearly point out the origin and ws in it. Upon hearing those words, manager Wus earlier aggression fades as his face pales. As the manager of Hongtian Pavilion, he isnt just involved in attending to the customers, he is also in charge of the affairs in the kitchen. Naturally, he is aware of the authenticity of the Zhang Xuans words. Not only is he not speaking nonsense, his words are...pletely true! The boss isnt aware of these things. For his own profit, Wu Chou discreetly got someone to switch them. Not even professional gourmets could tell the differences between Honghu Mandarin Fish, Nestled Heart Herb and their imitation, thus proving that the substitutes for these two are identical. How could this young man tell? Furthermore, for him to bepletely spot-on. Damn it! We specially came here from afar to try the authentic Nestled Heart Herb, to think that it would be an imitation! Me too. Ive heard that the Honghu Mandarin Fish is delicious, authentic and fragrant, thus I specially made the journey here. How dare you all try to fool us! Refund, refund! To think that the number one tavern of Hongtian Academy would resort to using imitations, not to mention that I am a regr customer! I would have never imagined that it was all a scam! ... Zhang Xuans words are unhurried and rational with sufficient evidence to back up his ims. The crowd who was watching the show immediately bursts into an uproar. Hongtian Pavilion could be considered a reputable tavern, even in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Many of its specialties has attracted innumerable experts to make the journey. They would have never imagined that these were all fake. Chapter 35: What is Happening Chapter 35: What is Happening Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "You... Nonsense!" Seeing the crowd breaking out into amotion, cold sweat drips down from manager Wus forehead. He grits his teeth and bellows. He must not admit to it now. The moment he does, Hongtian Pavilions reputation will be ruined, and his future will be gone with it as well. If only he knew that this teacher is a gourmet, he would have never agreed to Shang Bins request even if he was beaten to death! "You are iming that what I said was nonsense?" Zhang Xuan nces at him. "Indeed. You said that these dishes are imitations, but you dont have evidence to back up your im. Without evidence, your words are nonsense. Do you think that I wouldnt dare to have you arrested for the crime of nder?" Manager Wu says ferociously. "Evidence? You want evidence? Fine!" Seeing how this fellow is adamant to push on, Zhang Xuan shakes his head. Initially, he didnt want to pursue the matter any further. After all, Shen Bi Ru is the one treating, so it doesnt matter to him how much the dishes cost. However, who knew that this fellow would stubbornly im that he was ndering them. Since that is the case, Zhang Xuan is resolute to prevent him from getting away scot-free. "I have already provided the evidence of the few dishes before. Everyone can inspect their food carefully based on the unique traits that I have just brought up! Of course, its okay if he is reluctant to acknowledge it. After all, even if you all know all these, some gourmets will still find it difficult to distinguish between them, needless to say, the rest of you! However..." Zhang Xuan surveys the surroundings before casually lifting up the most expensive bottle of wine on the table up and deres, "Everyone would be able to easily discern the authenticity of this bottle of wine!" "Discern its authenticity? "Drunk Immortal" is the specialty of Hongtian Pavilion! This is a fact known by everyone. Many people specially made the trip here just for the wine. Are you trying to say that the wine is fake as well?" A customer cant resist asking. "Indeed, Drunk Immortal is the trademark of Hongtian Pavilion, so surely it cant be faked? If this turns out to be an imitation as well, I doubt that there can be anything real in here!" Another customer speaks up. The wine that was offered to Zhang Xuans table previously is called Drunk Immortal and its sale is exclusive to Hongtian Pavilion. The wine is rich, delicious and has an exquisite fragrance! This wine yed a crucial role to the current reputation and scale of Hongtian Pavilion! If even this wine turns out to be an imitation... That would be going way overboard! "Ive already said that it would be easy to discern it!" As though he had expected the crowd to doubt his words, Zhang Xuan simply responds with a faint smile and raises the bottle. "The words [Drunk Immortal] are written on the cover of the bottle. If this is truly the Drunk Immortal from [Hundred Well Brewery], it would indeed be worth 1200 gold coins!" "But it is a pity that the bottle is filled with [Green Crag Brew] from [Purple Bamboo Gazebo]. These two wines are simr in terms of their scent and their texture. However, the former is brewed using the valuable and rare Rooted Earth Grass and Green Cicada Heart Leaf and it nourishes the body when drunk. On the other hand, if one drinks too much of the Green Crag Brew, the venom from the Fallen Floral Grass would attack ones heart and lungs. Over time, the function of ones organs will deteriorate, causing ones cultivation to fall rapidly, thus ending their lives tragically!" "Using Green Crag Brew to imitate Fallen Immortal?" "Ive heard of Green Crag Brew! If I remember correctly, its taste is simr with Fallen Immortal!" "Ive always trusted in the quality of the goods of Hongtian Pavilion. I would have never imagined that they would fool their customers like that!" "This is a fraud! I will be reporting this to the academy so that an investigation will be conducted!" ... The customers who were watching themotion, upon hearing that they have been scammed, cry out indignantly. "Just because you said that it is Green Crag Brew, doesnt mean that it would necessarily be it. Wheres your evidence?" Manager Wu squeezes out these words between his gritted teeth. ncing at him, Zhang Xuan replies calmly, "Wine can be ignited with fire. I havent touched much of the alcohol in it so you can ignite this one. The true Fallen Immortal should exude an alluring fragrance, simr to lilies and musk! On the other hand, for Green Crag Brew, a charred odor would be released. All those who have noses should be able to discern between the two easily!" "You..." Manager Wus body goes stiff. The other partys words arepletely urate. However, this method of distinguishing between the two isnt very well-known. Only the makers of Green Crag Brew and their vendors are aware of it. Even Wu Chou himself only heard of it coincidentally. How could this fellow know of this method as well? Actually, the wine given to other customers are all true Fallen Immortal. After all, this is the trademark specialty of the tavern. After hearing Shang Bins n, he intentionally passed this fake wine over to the young man, thinking that he would be unable to discern between the two so that he would be able to make an earning out of this. In the end, not only is the other party aware of it, he is even able to state the method to distinguish between the two clearly! If Zhang Xuan were to prove himself right, it would be difficult to exin to everyone that what theyre drinking is the authentic Fallen Immortal! "Why? You dont dare to give it a try?" Seeing the look of panic on the other persons face, Zhang Xuan smiles faintly. He casually turns the wine bottle over, allowing the wine to spill onto the floor. Then, he takes out an ignitable paper roll and snaps his fingers. Xiong xiong! When the wine on the floores into contact with the mes, it lights up and instantaneously, a stinging odor assaults the noses of the crowd, leaving them faint-headed. "How pungent! This was what we were drinking?" "Hongtian Pavilion really doesnt respect their customers!" "For it to be so pungent, it must be poisonous..." "Refund, refund! Ive been drinking your wine here for three years. Not only do I want you to return it all back to me, I want additionalpensation as well!" ... The entire tavern explodes into an uproar. Everyone rushes forward. "What... What is happening?" Cao Xiong and Shang Bin feels like they are going mad by the sudden turn of events. They had specially set up this ploy to humiliate Zhang Xuan. In the end, not only was he not humiliated, he even managed to stand out instead! Instead, they were shamed like clowns! "What is happening... What is happening your head!" By the side, manager Wu had just barely kept his emotions in check, but upon hearing those words, he loses control and kicks them both. Peng! Peng! He is a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm expert. Before the two of them could even react, the sight before them goes dark and they crash onto the ground. A giant footprint is left on each of their faces. It is no wonder that manager Wu would go berserk. If it werent for these two fellows, such an incident would not have urred! He can already foresee that not only will his careere to an end, he would also have to face the rage of Elder Hong Hao! After this incident, Hongtian Pavilions reputation would definitely go into the gutters and their business would no longer be as prosperous as before. The cause of this entire incident is him epting the request of these two fellows to teach thed, who isst in the Teacher Qualification Examination, a lesson! How can it be possible for thisd to be thest? Even the first in the examinations cant possibly be so incredible! If only he knew in advance that this master had such powerful eyes of discernment... Not only would he have not caused Zhang Xuan any trouble, he would have been praying for him to not cause him any! Damn it! "Looks like there isnt anyone free to collect money from us right now, lets go!" Seeing how the situation has descended into chaos, Zhang Xuan signals to Shen Bi Ru, who is still in a state of daze, and walks out of the tavern. Now that the problem has been settled, staying here would just result in more troubles. Thus, it would wiser for them to simply leave. "Un!" Shen Bi Ru hurriedly catches up to him. Seeing the young man in front her, her eyes are filled withplex emotions. All along, she thought that he is a trash, an ignorant fellow who is the shame of the teachingmunity! After half a day of interaction, she realized that... if he is a trash, then what is she? Doesnt it mean that she is nothing at all? Gritting her teeth, she walks up. With disbelief still reflecting within her beautiful pitch ck eyes, she asks, "You seem to be quite knowledgeable about food. Could it be that... youre a gourmet?" Chapter 36: Gourmet Chapter 36: Gourmet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex There are many upations in this world and gourmet is one of them. Gourmets are often born sensitive to taste, and their ability to discern vors far exceeds ordinary humans. Their cultivation may not necessarily be high, but there are some hotels or taverns that would hire them at high sries so as to ascertain the taste and effects of their ingredients. However, this upation is one of the least esteemed ones and can only be considered one of the Lower Nine Paths. There are more than several thousands of upations in the world. To better ssify them, they are split into the Upper Nine Paths, Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths. Apothecary, cksmith, formation master and simr jobs which brings about benefits to battle techniques and ones cultivation are considered as the conventional Upper Nine Paths. On the other hand, gourmet could only be considered as an unorthodox upation, thus being ssified under the Lower Nine Paths. Going by Shen Bi Rus opinion, given how the young man is capable of pointing out the ws in those dishes and wine, he had to be a gourmet. You can take it so! Zhang Xuan doesnt exin. The Library of Heavens Path does more than reflecting ones cultivation. As long as he has tried a dish, its ws would be reflected in the library. With this, it is a simple task for him to take care of a small manager Wu. Thank you for your help today... Seeing the other party admit to it, Shen Bi Ru thanks him. If it wasnt for this young mans ability to discern delicacies, it would be truly embarrassing for her today. Its nothing! Zhang Xuan waves his hand. You resolved the problem just a moment ago, so it cant be considered as my treat. Ill treat you again next time! Shen Bi Ru says. Treat me again? Zhang Xuan ponders over it and shakes his head. Better not, I still treasure my life! Eating with a beauty may be an enjoyable event, but he knows himself the best. Given his reputation, the other party might simply be speaking out of politeness despite being repulsed by the idea! Not only so, he would have to suffer from the envy of others. If so, he would have toe up with ideas to deal with her pursuers. However, there are still many things that he needs to do at the moment and he doesnt have the leisure for such matters. You... Just when she thought that Zhang Xuan could speak normally, she hears those words and feels a blockade in her chest again as the urge to go berserk surges through her. Many people had asked her out to eat, but she rejected them all. Yet, when she takes the initiative to invite him, she feels as though she is begging a stubborn elderly. Detestable! Alright, since we have already eaten, if theres nothing else, Ill be making a move first. I still have many things to attend to! Oblivious to her rage, he waves and prepares to take his leave. Wait, Im not done yet! Suppressing her anger, Shen Bi Ru calms down her breathing and looks at him with her beautiful eyes. You might have resolved that difficulty in my stead today and your upation as a gourmet yed a huge role in it, but... In the end, it is still an unorthodox upation. After all, a fighter should focus on his training... Fighters, upon cultivating to a certain realm, are able to survive without ingesting food, so delicacies do not have much use. Even if he is able to profit out of the upation for now, it still isnt a proper path a fighter should be treading on. After interacting with him, she could tell that Zhang Xuan isnt as useless as the rumors make him out to be. It could be possible that he had devoted his efforts to studying food, thats why his Teacher Qualification Examination results ended up horrendous. Upon such thoughts, despite her overwhelming anger, she couldnt resist advising him. Alright! Knowing that she said those words out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan nods his head. Just as he is about to leave, rapid footsteps sound out from his back. Zhang Xuan, lets see where you can escape to today! Today, dont even dream about getting away! Following which, a resentful voice echoes in the surroundings. Two men and one beast block his path. They are Shang Bin and Cao Xiong. At this moment, the two of them have a giant footprint imprinted on their face, the outlines of it clear to see. Half of their face are swollen red and blood trickles down by edges of their mouth. Not a single hint of their previous dashing and carefree look remain. This is especially so for Shang Bin. His injuries from the morning have yet to recover and yet, he suffered another violent kick. At this instant, his mouth is crooked to the side and his lips look like two giant sausages, thus pulling him further away from the concept of handsomeness. He had nned everything out perfectly so as to look cool in front of his goddess. Who knew that not only would he fail, he even got beaten up to such a state and his connection with Hongtian Pavilion was severed as a result. If things go wrong, he might even be chastised by his grandfather. How could he take this humiliation lying? The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. Thus, he charges up directly towards Zhang Xuan! Shang Bin, what do you intend to do? Shen Bi Ru didnt expect him toe in pursuit to cause trouble. She steps in front of Zhang Xuan to shield him from Shang Bin. Shenoshi, dont block my way! This is a personal grudge between Zhang Xuan and me! It is one thing if he doesnt see her, but when he sees her shielding the infamous trash of the academy, Shang Bin is further provoked as his eyes nt to the sides and his mouth crooks further from the overwhelming rage. The intense envy clouding his mind makes him frenzied. He stares coldly at that young man and shouts, Zhang Xuan, are you a man? If youre one, stop hiding behind a woman and have a fair duel to the death with me! Seeing how the fellow before him has lost his rationality, Zhang Xuan widens his eyes and says, So what if Im hiding behind a woman? This is a part of my capabilities. If youre capable, find one to hide behind as well! You... Shang Bin almost vomits blood. As long as it is a man, if someone insults him by saying that he is gutless and hides behind the protection of a woman, wont they feel embarrassed and humiliated such that they would rush forward to retaliate out of indignation? Why doesmon sense not apply to this fellow? How can he speak of something that should have been iparably shameful so naturally and righteously? ****, how can one be so thick-skinned? Shenoshi, Ill be leaving these two for you to deal with. I still have something on, so Ill be taking my leave first! As a transcender, what has he never seen before? Thick-skinned? What a joke. In his previous life, in the information era... Have you seen anyone who isnt shameless? He cant be bothered to deal with a problem which someone had taken the initiative to resolve for him. This isnt fear. Rather, it isnt a good time for him to be revealing his level of cultivation. On top of that, the Shang Bins grandfather is an elder. If he were to be forced to a corner, Zhang Xuan would have to waste precious time dealing with the problems that will ensue. Since someone is shielding him, he is also happy to be spared the effort. ... Seeing how shameless the young man is, Shen Bi Ru is also at a loss for words. Just a moment ago, she was still fearful that he would be provoked by Shang Bins taunt and duel with him. Now, it does seem that she was over thinking it... If this fellow could be provoked, even sows would be able to climb trees! Zhang Xuan, hold it there! If I cant kill you today, I wont be called Shang Bin! Seeing the attitude of the young man, Shang Bin bes even more enraged. Veins pop out from his temples and his face turns a shade of green. Seeing that Shen Bi Ru has no intention of letting him through, he roars, Sky Shattering Lion, kill him! As long as you do it, I will bring you delicacies every day! Furthermore, I will give you the Acupoint Soothing Pill that my grandfather promised me! As a tier 6 savage beast that has been tamed by a human, the Sky Shattering Lion is capable ofprehending human words. As his grandfathers pet, as long as Shang Bin is kept out of harms way, it couldnt be bothered with his orders. In order to get it to make a move, he promised all kinds of benefits to him in an instant. Roar! Indeed, hearing his promises, the eyes of the Sky Shattering Lion light up. Savage beasts who have reached Pixue realm, unlike humans, are unable use the flow of zhenqi to break open their acupoints. They can only rely on the growth of their body to gradually pull up their strength. If it were to consume the Acupoint Soothing Pill at this moment, with its effects, its strength would surely soar significantly! Acupoint Soothing Pill is a pill made specially for Fighter 6-dan experts. It possesses the effect of soothing ones acupoints, thus allowing one to progress further in Pixue realm. At this moment, Shang Bins strength has already reached Fighter 5-dan Dingli pinnacle, just a step off from Pixue. Thus, Elder Shang Chen spent a huge sum to obtain this medicine so as to give him a boost. Initially, Shang Bin was reluctant to take it out. However, upon recalling how he was humiliated by a trash, he finds himself unable to suppress his emotions! If he doesnt get rid of Zhang Xuan today, he fears that he would be unable to uphold his dignity in the academy anymore. This is especially so for the goddess before him, she probably wouldnt even spare him a gaze! How can he tolerate such a situation! Shang Bin, what do you intend to do? Killing a colleague in academypounds is a huge crime... She didnt expect Shang Bin to be so insane to order the Sky Shattering Lion to make a move. Shen Bi Rus eyes narrow. She wants to rush forward to protect Zhang Xuan, but is blocked by Shang Bin instead. Panicking, she bellows at him. In thepounds, teachers are forbidden from killing one another. To do so is an infringement of the school rules, as well as a severe crime. Zhang Xuan was the one who wanted to kill me. To protect me, the Sky Shattering Lion retaliated. What I did was legitimate self-defense, what can the others say about it? Shang Bins eyes turn red from insanity. He roars, Sky Shattering Lion, what are you hesitating for? Do it! You... Shen Bi Ru feels her heart turning cold. Too shameless! If he were to really use that as a front, with Elder Shang Chens interference within the matter, he might really get away with it! In fact, it is possible for him to escape punishmentpletely! Zhang Xuan could very well die here! After all, it is a tier 6 savage beast. Ordinary Pixue realm experts arent even its match. How can one who is thest in the Teacher Qualification Examination withstand it? Roar! Just when she is still in a fluster, the Sky Shattering Lion roars and dashes over. Beforeing into contact with it, its powerful aura creates a powerful gale that forces the surrounding grass and tree leaves to bow down to it. Nine Paths, also known as Three Teachings and Nine Paths This is a real terminology used to ssify jobs in ancient China. To put it simply, there are Upper Nine Paths, Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths in ancient China and each of these paths refer to an upation. For example, the top upations in ancient China (the nine upations listed in the Upper Nine Paths) are: Emperor, Saints, Secluded Masters, Oracle, Schr, Warrior, Farmer, Worker, Merchant (And they are ssified from |Most esteemed Least esteemed|) Simrly, the Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths have their own set of upations as well. The Three Teachings refer to Confucianism, Daoism (or Taoism) and Buddhism. Do note that there are different interpretations/versions to the Nine Paths and most of them list Buddha as the first one. Chapter 37: Big Sister Spare Me! Chapter 37: Big Sister Spare Me! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Zhang Xuan..." Shen Bi Ru tried to break through Shang Bins blockade to save him, but she was knocked back consecutive times. Shang Bins cultivation is on the same level as her. He might be spoiled due to his powerful backing, but his strength isnt false. Even if she possesses the strength to defeat him, she is still unable to break through his blockade within a short period of time, especially if he chooses to execute only defensive maneuvers! "I am the one who brought harm to you..." Seeing how she is unable to save him, Shen Bi Ru is filled with guilt. She thinks that the reason why Shang Bin is dealing with this fellow, who was thest for the Teacher Qualification Examination, is because of her! Otherwise, as someone of such high standing and the grandson of an elder, towards an infamous trash who has no background whatsoever, when theres no connection between the two, why would there be a grudge between them? Yet, after pulling him down into the mud, she is unable to save him. The guilt she is experiencing at the moment torments her painfully! "Why is there no movements? Could it be that Zhang Xuan has already died?" The more panicked she gets, the more incapable she is of breaking through Shang Bins blockade. With Shang Bin blocking her sight, she is unable to view the situation over at Zhang Xuans side. She can only hearplete silence in the surroundings, as though he didnt even struggle against the assault of the Sky Shattering Lion. There can only be one possibility... Before Zhang Xuan could retaliate, he was already smacked to death by the Sky Shattering Lion! After all, even she is unable to withstand a single blow from the tier 6 savage beast, who is equivalent to a Pixue realm expert. "Haha, he is already dead. It is toote for you to make a move now..." Hearing that there is no movements behind him, Shang Bins eyes light up. He knows that the trash would definitely be unable to withstand a single blow from the Sky Shattering Lion. Heughs heartily out of excitement. Judging that there is no need to block Shen Bi Ru any longer, he leaps aside. "Zhang Xuan..." The moment Shang Bin leaps away, Shen Bi Ru doesnt waste time on him and hurriedly rushes forward. Just when she thought she would see a pool of fresh blood with a miserable corpse lying in the center of it, her slim figure suddenly freezes and she stares in a daze. "This... This... What happened?" Initially, Shang Bin thought that his goddess would burst into years from the shock of the sight. However, upon seeing such an expression hang on her face, Shang Bin quickly turns around to take a look. With a single glimpse, his eyeballs widen into huge circles and he almost faints from overwhelming astonishment. He sees the iparably ferocious Sky Shattering Lion, which had rushed towards Zhang Xuan earlier to rip him into numerous shreds before, lying in front of Zhang Xuan like a pug, licking his hands. Zhang Xuans other hand is stroking the head and ears of the Sky Shattering Lion and unspeakable pleasure appears on its face. "The heck? What happened?" Shang Bin is on the verge of tears. This Sky Shattering Lion is his grandfathers beast pet and it is extremely proud. Even for Shang Bin himself, just a simple touch would incur its fury, not to mention stroking its head! After taking possession of it from his grandfather, he had spent half a day of effort on it, feeding it numerous delicacies. Yet, this fellow doesnt even show the slightest bit of gratitude, disregarding his presence as he pleases... Such a proud fellow became a pug before Zhang Xuan? You are here to kill him! To be lying before him and licking his palm, is this really alright? Shang Bin feels a dizziness spell working up, and he is on the verge of going crazy. "Sky Shattering Lion, what are you doing? Quickly kill him!" He bellows. The Sky Shattering Lion doesnt move. It continues tozy around, allowing Zhang Xuan stroke his head freely. "You... Quickly kill him! If you do it, I will buy you anything you want to eat from now on..." Shang Bin roars anxiously. "So noisy, make him shut up!" Zhang Xuan, who was stroking the Sky Shattering Lion, stands up and waves his hand. Roar! The Sky Shattering Lion stands up as well and res at Shang Bin savagely. "What are you nning to do?" Frightened, Shang Bin immediately retreats several steps. However, before he could get far, the Sky Shattering Lion dashes forward and takes a sweep at him lightly with its paws. Peng! Before Shang Bin could react, he is sent flying backward like a kite that had its string snapped. His head knocks onto a giant tree and crimson blood fills his entire face. "What exactly happened... You are my grandfathers beast pet..." Shang Bin cries. This Sky Shattering Lion is the beast pet that his grandfather passed on to him to protect him. Logically, it should have listened to his words to deal with the outsider. Why did it listen to the words of an outsider to attack him? Peng! Before he could finish crying, another figure crashes onto the ground in front of him. He is Cao Xiong. When that fellow noticed the situation turning awry, he immediately turned around to flee. However, how could he possibly escape from the Sky Shattering Lion, a tier 6 savage beast? He is sent flying back with a p. Roar! After sending these two flying, the Sky Shattering Lion looks as though it has done something glorious. It walks over to Zhang Xuan with a ttering look, as though wanting to be acknowledged for its aplishment. "Un, not bad. You did well!" Zhang Xuan pats its head! Roar! The Sky Shattering Lion nods its head quickly. It walks gantly to the two lying on the floor, keeping a watch on them with a proud look, reminiscent of a responsible watchdog. "..." Shang Bin and Cao Xiong who were nning to escape are on a verge of tears. "Zhang Xuan... You... How did you do that?" Spectating the entire flow of events by the side, the dumbstruck Shen Bi Ru finally recovers and gazes at him curiously. "How did I do it?" Zhang Xuan scratches his head. "This Sky Shattering Lion is very easy tomunicate with. Perhaps, it might be because I am more handsome!" "Handsome?" Shen Bi Ru blinks and her slim figure staggers. The Sky Shattering Lion is a savage beast. To it, the term handsome should only be applicable to male Sky Shattering Lions, so what do you being handsome or not have to do with it? Besides, if one must talk about handsomeness, Shang Bin is much more dashing than you... "Alright! Farewell!" Zhang Xuan doesnt continue exining and turns around to leave. Since the Library of Heavens Path can peer into the weaknesses of a human, naturally, it would be able to peer into those of the Sky Shattering Lion as well. This fellow may seem extremely powerful, but in actuality, it has sustained quite a few hidden traumas. Otherwise, it couldnt have possibly willingly served as Elder Shang Chens beast pet. The library has detected this w of it. Making use of it, Zhang Xuan casually solved some of the easier ones for it. As a result, the Sky Shattering Lion chooses to obey hismands obediently without the slightest hesitation. Inparison to Shang Bins promise, no amount of delicious food and pills canpare with a resolved hidden trauma. Of course, this involves his secret as well, so he cant possibly reveal the truth to Shen Bi Ru. "You... Dont go, you havent exined the reason why the Sky Shattering Lion obeyed to yourmands..." Seeing him leave, Shen Bi Ru quickly catches up. The more shees into contact with this young man, the more formidable she finds him to be. He is a mystery that is bing more and more difficult toprehend. Being able to read so many books just by flipping through them, intentionally scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examinations despite knowing the answers, realizing his identity as a gourmet through a meal and convincing a tier 6 savage beast to follow hismands easily... What that seems impossible in the eyes of others is aplished so simply by this young man, leaving others staring in disbelief! How does he aplish all these? Shen Bi Ru is bing more and more curious about this young man before her. "Big sister!" Oblivious to what she is thinking of, upon seeing her chasing him, Zhang Xuan halts his footsteps and says helplessly, "I want to live a long life. Im afraid that I might not live to the next day being beside you! Just spare me..." "Big sister? You are the big sister. Your entire family is big sisters!" Shen Bi Rus face turns bright red. She is a beauty. She might be slightly older than Zhang Xuan, but she looks no different from a seventeen or eighteen year old. Yet, this fellow addressed her as a big sister, thus causing her to go into a frenzy. "Fine, I am the big sister. So, just let me leave!" Zhang Xuan shakes his head in frustration. "Pft!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuan im that he is the big sister, Shen Bi Ru chuckles and says, "Fine, you can leave. I will look for you tomorrow!" "..." Zhang Xuan. Chapter 38: Reprise Bell Chapter 38: Reprise Bell Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex It is a scene of chaos in Hongtian Pavilion. "What happened? I have barely been away for a while and such a sight awaits my return?" In a room, an elderly stares coldly at the kneeling manager Wu. He is the mastermind behind Hongtian Pavilion, Elder Hong Hao. "Elder, it is like that. The grandson of Elder Shang Chen, Shang Bin, has been here..." Manager Wu doesnt dare to conceal anything and discloses everything that had happened. This includes the affair which he swapped the Drunk Immortal with Green Crag Brew. "Wu Chou, how dare you!" After hearing Wu Chous words, Elder Hong Haos face darkens and he angrily sends a kick towards him. Peng! Manager Wu is immediately sent flying backward. His face pales as he vomits mouthful after mouthful of blood. "Elder, spare me! I do not dare hope to be forgiven for my crimes, but that fellow is even viler. To expose all of these in public and causing the reputation of our Hongtian Pavilion to be ruined, he obviously disregards elder youpletely..." "Hmph! After doing such shameful things, you still expect others not to talk about them?" Elder Hong Haos face looks hostile, as though a violent storm is gathering on it "I..." Manager Wu trembles uncontrobly. Changing the contents of the dishes to earn more profits is a decision he made at his own discretion. He thought that he had concealed it perfectly. Yet, he was exposed by that young man in public. Naturally, he feels great resentment against him. "Ill give you five days to settle this problem thoroughly. I want the negative impacts to be reduced to the bare minimum! If so, I can consider not to pursue the matter of your corruption. Otherwise, dont even dream about getting away alive!" Elder Hong Haos eyes are cold like a blizzard at night. Standing up, he asks, "Also, what is the name of that fellow? Is he a teacher of the academy? If he had informed me discreetly, I might have rewarded him with a sum of fortune, but he chose to cause trouble in public instead, soiling the reputation of my Hongtian Pavilion. I will have a good look at him tomorrow to see who is the one who gave him such guts!" Bellowing furiously, a savage aura fills the surroundings. It feels like a frontal assault by a wave of frost, causing one to shiver uncontrobly despite the warm weather. Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm! This Elder Hong Hao is a Tongxuan realm expert! It is no wonder that he was able to vie for the position of the principal. Just his level of cultivation itself is already astonishing! "It... It is Zhang Xuanoshi!" Manager Wu quickly says. "Zhang Xuan? The one who was thest in the Teacher Qualification Examination?" Elder Hong Hao is taken aback. Hongtian Academy had never had a single teacher scoring at the very bottom of the Teacher Qualification Examination throughout its centuries of history since its inception. Thus, even a person like Elder Hong Hao had heard of Zhang Xuans name. "Thats him..." Manager Wu nods his head. "A trash would actually dare to trample on the dignity of Hongtian Pavilion? Excellent!" Clenching his fist, a cold glint shes across his eyes. A heavy murdering intent emanates from Elder Hong Hao. If the other party is a star teacher or an influential figure in the academy, he might have some hesitation over punishing him. However, since he is a trash... Then, dont me him for being heartless! .................................... "Sigh, how troublesome!" Returning back to his dwelling, Zhang Xuan massages the center of his eyebrows. He would have never thought it possible for so much trouble to evolve from just a simple meal. "Forget it, theres no use pondering over it. I better spend my time thinking about how I can break into Pixue realm!" Quickly, he dumps all excessive thoughts to the back of his head. Despite being a transcender, he knows that in this world, power reigns might. Only with sufficient power will the problems of one cease to be. He is currently at Dingli realm pinnacle and to break through, he would need the cultivation techniques of Fighter 6-dan. However, an ordinary teacher doesnt have the qualification to browse through the 6-dan cultivation techniques of the academy. They can only jot down a copy of it with the approval of an elder. In the previous examination, he only had the strength of a Fighter 3-dan. If he were to rush to an elder to ask for a 6-dan cultivation technique now, he might end up being researched like a guinea pig. Many troubles will grow out of it. Furthermore, even with the approval of the other party, with just one copy... He is still unable to cultivate! Based on the first 5 dan of Hongtian Nine Dan Form, this cultivation technique possesses too many ws. Without the cross references from numerous other cultivation technique to seek the correct cultivation method, there wouldnt be any results in his training even if he were to train non-stop for several years. To him, the most pressing matter at hand is to seek a huge pile of Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques and drawparisons among them to deduce the correct cultivation method "Un, Ive heard that quite a bit of trading is done in Tianxuan Royal City and cultivation techniques are one of the goods that are being traded. It would solve quite a bit of problem if I am able to purchase a few 6-dan cultivation techniques!" Suddenly, upon recalling something, Zhang Xuans eyes light up. Hongtian Academy is located in the capital of Tianxuan Kingdom, Tianxuan Royal City. Tianxuan Royal City is an extraordinarily prosperous city. With numerousrgemercial cities in here, all kinds of trade are carried out here. 6-dan cultivation techniques may be rare, but it is still sold in numerous shops here. Furthermore, to Zhang Xuan, there isnt really a need for him to buy them. As long as he manages to flip through them, it would be as good as gaining possession of the secret manual. With the Library of Heavens Path, the quality and price of the secret manual no longer matter. As long as there is sufficient quantity, he would be able to derive the correct path out of the innumerable errors, and the Heavens Path Divine Art would be automaticallypiled, thus allowing him to cultivate swiftly. "It is still early. Lets see if I am able to get a few books today!" At this point, Zhang Xuan stops hesitating and stands up immediately. The sun has just set and the nightlife has just begun. Since he is free anyway, it is a good opportunity to stroll through themercial cities. Perhaps, he might find some useful items. Tianyu Commercial City is thergest trading market in Tianxuan City. It is said that as long as one possesses sufficient money, he is able to buy everything he desires here. Stepping into the market, Zhang Xuan feels his vision blurring from the sight of the innumerable goodsid out before him. His previous self was just an ordinary teacher. His wages were low and he was treated poorly. As a result, he had never been to such a grand ce before. Thus, Zhang Xuan finds himself incapable of identifying most of the goods on sale here. There are many small vendors in themercial city. A vendor sits in front of each of these booths and all kinds of goods areid out before them. Weapons, pills, herbs, armor, beast skin, beast pills... Almost everything that is required for cultivation can be found here. Just that, there are too many of them. It is difficult to ascertain which of them are of superior quality and which of them are of inferior quality. "I might be unable to discern between the good and bad, but the Library of Heavens Path might be capable of it!" Such a thought shes through his mind. Thus, Zhang Xuan immediately walks over to a booth. "This gentleman here, what are you looking for? I have everything you need here and I guarantee your satisfaction with my goods!" The vendor quickly wees his presence. "Ill just take a casual look!" Zhang Xuan smiles. He casually picks up an object in the booth. It is a circr bell of average size. "This bell is specially forged by a cksmith and has extraordinary abilities. It is on sale for just 50 gold coins. I can assure you that the price is fair. I offer the very same price to everyone passing by! If youre interested in it, I can give you a special discount... Itll be yours for just 20 gold coins!" The vendor coaxes. Zhang Xuan doesnt respond to his words. Rather, he twirls the bell around his hand. Weng! The library in his mind jolts and a book appears in it. "Reprise Bell. It is able to generate the same tune over and over again, causing one to feel dizzy-headed. It is effective against Fighter 1-dan. It is created by a 1-mo craftsman of Blue Cloud Workshop. It is made of Wujin Metal..." "ws: No. 1, the duration required for the reprise sound to take effect is long, requiring at least an incenses time, making it an ineffective weapon in battle. No. 2, it doesnt differentiate in its attacks, the wielder will take damage from it as well..." ~15 minute "Indeed, it is possible!" Zhang Xuan smiles. It doesnt matter even if he is unfamiliar with all these items. As long as he touches them with his hands and picks them up, the library wouldpile a corresponding book on it! Furthermore, this book details the history,position and all kinds of ws of the item in questionprehensively. With just a single look, it is apparent to see if the item is valuable or not. Those who are unaware of the truth might just buy it with the vendors previous offer of 20 gold coins. Only by looking at the contents recorded in the book does Zhang Xuan realize that this toy isnt even worth 2 gold coins! What specially forged by a cksmith... Blue Cloud Workshop is an organization that specializes in the production of fake goods. Furthermore, 1-mo craftsmen are the ones with the worst craftsmanship of them all. Those who specializes in the creation of goods and handicraft are termed as craftsmen. They are ssified into 9 mo, with 1-mo being the worst and 9-mo being the best. How valuable can a creation of a 1-mo craftsman be? "With the library here, I wont have to worry about purchasing fake goods..." Zhang Xuan chuckles. This world is simr to his previous one. With authentic goodse imitations and given his previous ability of discernment, needless to say, the authentic ones, he might not even be able to tell the strengths and weaknesses of an imitation. However, with the assistance of the library, he doesnt have to worry about it anymore. Just that, he needs toe into contact with the item for a book to bepiled on it. The number of items in this market total up to at least ten million. If he had to touch every single one of them, wouldnt he tire himself to death? Besides, if he were to just look at the goods, he wouldnt attract much attention. However, if he touches everything he catches his sight on, it probably wont take long for the security enforcement team of themercial city to think of him as a lunatic and drive him out of the city. Chapter 39: Frigid Sun Mother Grass Chapter 39: Frigid Sun Mother Grass Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Right, do you sell Frigid Sun Grass here?" Shaking his head to dispel the additional thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan asks. On top of misceneous items, this vendor also sells some herbs. After finishing those books in the Compendium Pavilion, he has already found a solution to Zhao Yas problem. With a Pure Yin Body, she should cultivate a gentle and neutral cultivation technique. This way, the problem of the umtion of yin energy should be solved! However, she has already cultivated a pure yin cultivation technique for a long time and the meridians in her body have already adapted to it. If an abrupt change were to be introduced, her body might sustain a severe trauma and her cultivation will fall steeply. To prevent this from urring, some preparations have to be made in advance! One of them is to nourish her meridians through medicinal herbs! Frigid Sun Grass grows in cold regions despite favoring sunny conditions. As a result, the warm and cold spiritual energy contained within it shes, causing the amalgamation of yin and yang, thus making it the ideal choice to nourish her meridians. Since he is in themercial city now, it is a good time for him to ask around about it. "Frigid Sun Grass? It is a coincidence that you ask this. Not to brag, but I can guarantee you that I am the only vendor in Tianyu Commercial City that has this good. I procured them a few days ago from a dangerous region in Tianxuan Forest. I have a total of ten stalks and each stalk costs 100 gold coins. How many do you need?" The vendor smiles and turns around to take out a box. Opening it, a few fresh-looking nts are revealed within. White flowers with red stems and leaves. "Let me take a look first!" Zhang Xuan only knows about the Frigid Sun Grass through books, so he isnt very familiar with it. He reaches out to grab a stalk and ces it on his palm. Weng! The library jolts and a book appears. "Frigid Sun Grass, harvested from an unknown valley 200km into Tianxuan Forest. Aged 2... ws..." The name of the herb is written on the cover of the book and the location of its procurement and its ws are recorded in it. "It is Frigid Sun Grass, this fellow isnt lying!" Confirming that there is no mistake with the name on the book, Zhang Xuan knows that the vendor owner isnt lying to him. This is the authentic medicinal herb, so he nods his head. Just when he is about to speak, his eyes happen to nce on the interiors of the box. "Why does this stalk of Frigid Sun Grass look slightly withered? Could it be that your procurement method is incorrect, causing its death?" There is a specific method to harvesting medicinal herbs. If the method if wrong, the medicinal properties of the herb might be lost, causing its price to dip steeply. The stalk of Frigid Sun Grass he is talking about is withered thin and slightly yellow, seemingly immature. Furthermore, it doesnt look fresh at all. With a shriveledrge head, it seems as though it would die at any moment "This gentleman here must be joking. I depend on this for a living, so how could I possibly get it wrong! This stalk of herb isnt of good condition from the very start, it was already like that when I procured it initially. If you want it, I will sell it to you at half price, 5o gold coins!" The vendor says. "Un!" Zhang Xuan picks up the yellowish and withered stalk of Frigid Sun Grass. Weng! "Frigid Sun Mother Grass, the origin of other Frigid Sun Grasses. harvested from an unknown valley 200km into Tianxuan Forest. Aged 15..." Flipping open the book, the name of the herb and details on it is recorded. "Frigid Sun Mother Grass?" Zhang Xuans eyes light up. He has read it on the books previously. This extremely valuable and rare herb is the core of all other Frigid Sun Grass. If this herb were to be used in the creation of a medicine, its effectiveness would at least be ten times of thetter! He didnt expect to stumble upon this treasure when he was just casually looking for herbs. Furthermore, this herb is 15 year old. Just by this itself determines the extraordinary worth of it. If Zhao Ya were to use the Frigid Sun Grass to nourish her meridians, she would still require the augmentation from several other means to sessfully change her cultivation technique. However, with this stalk of Frigid Sun Grass, the problem can be easily solved. She wouldnt even need the augmentation from other means! This is the most suitable medicinal herb for her, no questions about it! "Wrap this stalk up for me!" Although he is agitated, his face still remains expressionless as he casually passes it back to the vendor. If the other party realizes that this is a mother stalk and not a sickly one, its price would instantly shoot up by ten times and even so, he might still be unable to purchase it from him! As a Four Haves Youngster who grew up in the modern civilized world, he wouldnt do himself any injustice when he is able to profit out of something. Four Haves refer to Dream, Moral, Culture and Discipline. Originated from Deng Xiao Ping in 1980. "50 gold coins!" Seeing how well-dressed the young man seem to be, he thought that he would purchase a few stalk. He didnt expect that he would just buy a sickly one. Pursing his lips, he wraps it casually, the warmth from before absent on his face. Even a vendor judges his own customers when doing sales. The person before him isnt even willing to buy a good medicinal herb, thus making it clear to see that he is a poor bloke. Since thats the case, it would just be a waste of time to try to coax him otherwise. "Alright!" Grabbing the herb, Zhang Xuan reaches out to his pocket and awkwardness immediately shows on his face. Due to being too absorbed in the library, he forgot about the matter of money... As a low-level teacher, his wages are low. Furthermore, due to scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, his fortunes were penalized severely... In other words, he doesnt even have 10 gold coins in his pocket, needless to say, 50. "Is there anything wrong?" Sensing that something is amiss from his face, the vendor asks. "Cough cough, can you... sell it to me for eight gold coins?" Zhang Xuan counts the gold coins he retrieves from his pocket and there are only eight of them. "Eight? You must be joking! Since you didnt bring any money, why are you trying to buy anything at all..." Seeing the few coins ced on the other partys palm, the vendor owner is on the verge of doing a somersault and crashing to the floor. He had met with miserly customers, but he had never met with such a miserly one! Trying to buy Frigid Sun Grass with just eight gold coins? You must be dreaming! Even if this stalk is sickly, it is still worth far beyond this price Snatching back the herb, he waves his hand with an annoyed look, "Scram if you dont have any money. I dont have the effort to be arguing with you over this!" "Cough cough! It is true that I didnt bring sufficient money, but are you sure that you dont want to sell it to me?" Seeing the attitude of the vendor, Zhang Xuan shakes his head. "Nonsense! Even if this stalk looks awful, it still contains medicinal properties. At worst, it can still be sold for 30 or 40 gold coins. Yet, you offer me eight gold coins? What a joke! Hurry up and leave, or else I will be calling for the security enforcement team!" Seeing how this fellow is reluctant to leave despite being broke, he angrily chases him away. In order to prevent people from coercing others to buy or sell goods, as well as to deter troublemakers, mostrgemercial cities operate a security enforcement patrol team in their perimeter. As long as one calls out for them, they would appear quickly. Even if you are a Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm expert, you will be chased out of themercial city instantly! Furthermore, to make a move on the security enforcement team means to make a move on the entiremercial city. Normally, no one would have the guts to stand up against them. Upon seeing how this fellow refuses to leave despite not possessing sufficient money, he is certain that he is here to cause trouble. So, he opens his mouth to call for the security enforcement team. "Dont call for the security enforcement team, Im really interested in buying it!" Zhang Xuan interrupts him. With a calm and steady look, he chuckles softly, "I might not have sufficient money, but Im not here to cause trouble. Do you believe that if I were to open my mouth, not only will you be willing to sell it to me, you would even offer to give it to me for free?" "Give it to you for free? Are you still in the midst of your sleep?" The vendor didnt expect the poor bloke to say such words. He looks at the young man before him with an attitude as though he is looking at an idiot and sneers coldly, "If I were to really give it to you for free, Ill call you grandpa!" In his opinion, this fellow must have a screw loose. Not mentioning how he doesnt bring sufficient money to purchase goods, he even thinks that he would give it to him for free... I am not insane, why would I give it to you for free? Who do you think you are! "Call me grandpa? You dont need to do that!" Zhang Xuan shakes his head. He looks at the vendor with a bright smile and says, "You will give it to me for free because I said so. If you doubt my words... I will take two steps... Cough cough, lets see what will happen after I give you a punch!" Chapter 40: The Master is Here Chapter 40: The Master is Here Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex The Master is Here Give me a punch? The vendor doesnt know what the young man is up to. Indeed! Zhang Xuan nods his head. You are trying to make a fool out of me! Seeing the serious look on the other persons face, the vendors ragee surging out and he sends a fist towards Zhang Xuan. He had seen crazy people before, but he had never seen such a crazy person. You still want me to let you give me a punch? Why dont I beat you up to death instead? Putting all of his strength into his punch routine, the wind rustles from the force of his blow, thus exposing his level of cultivation. Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm primary stage! Not bad! Smiling faintly, Zhang Xuan moves his body slightly to dodge the attack. He has already reached Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle. Naturally, the strength of a Fighter 3-dan primary stage cannot hurt him! Un? He assumed that the young man is here just to cause trouble, so he thought that he would just be a delinquent without cultivation. However, upon seeing him dodge his attack easily, he immediately realizes that the young mans cultivation is on a higher level than his. The vendor stops as bewilderment overwhelms him. A fellow who has at least reached the level of Fighter 3-dan cant possibly be really trying to buy stuff with just 8 gold coins... If Im not wrong, you are from Xia Pingyi! The moment the vendor made a move, a book on him ispiled in the Library of Heavens Path. Getting what he had intended for, Zhang Xuan smiles faintly. How... How did you know? The vendor is taken aback. Xia Pingyi is one of the provincial cities around Tianxuan Royal City. It isnt arge city and there are at least eighty of such cities around the capital. The vendor is puzzled by how Zhang Xuan could pinpoint it out urately. He couldnt resist looking down to study his appearance, but there doesnt seem to be any defining traits on him that would reveal his ce of origin! It doesnt matter how I know it! Zhang Xuan activates this acting cool mode. He looks at the other party once again in a calm and dignified demeanor, Half a year ago, you probably met with danger in Tianxuan Forest and was bitten by a Cold Bamboo Snake! Although you managed to escape with your life, your kidneys were damaged. If Im not wrong... When you are doing that, it is difficult for you to showcase your masculinity! You... You... The vendor staggers backward. His eyes are widened sorge that they are on the verge of falling to the floor. It is true that he was bitten by a Cold Bamboo Snake in Tianxuan Forest half a year ago! After which... Thetter half of Zhang Xuans words are true as well. However, other than him and thedy from the brothel, he had never talked about it with another person. How did this young man know about it? Could it be that he is a seer? Someone who is capable of divining the future? The vendor is still filled with disbelief. Why? Are my words wrong? Seeing the expression on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan knew that what was written in the Library of Heavens Path isnt wrong. Thus, he expresses a look of pity and says, If you find what I have said inurate, I can do without the medicinal herb and leave right now. However... Your only chance at treating your problem will disappear as well! Sigh, you wont be able to be a man from now onward, dont me me for not reminding you now... I... Gongzi, dont go! Gongzi -> Gentleman Hearing that the other party is capable of treating him, the vendors body trembles in agitation as he hurriedly takes a step forward, You... Can you really treat me? To a man, nothing is more pathetic than losing ones potency. These days, he dares not respond to the invitations of his friends, afraid that his problem would be exposed in front of them. Suffering silently, he had looked for many different physicians, but they all came to the same conclusion, that his symptoms are hard to treat and the only solution is amputation... He dares not believe that a casual buyer would point out his problem directly and even im that he is capable of treating it. I wont force you to believe me! However, since I am able to tell what is wrong with you, naturally, I have my own ways to treat it as well! Zhang Xuan deres. Gongzi, I plead you to help treat me. As long as you can treat me... Not just that single stalk of Frigid Sun Grass, you can take all of my herbs! The vendor lunges forward in a panic, the plea in his eyes clear to see. There are too many incredible people in the world. The words of the young man are logical since he is able to see through his problem, he definitely has a way to treat it! Besides, he has no choice to grasp onto every straw of hope that he could find. After all, this concerns his future happiness... Un, you were bitten by the Cold Bamboo Snake. This creature inherently possesses cold attribute. When you were bitten by it, cold energy irrupted into your body, causing you to lose your physical function! Furthermore, it is unable to dispel by any medicinal herb, thus even quite a few apothecaries will find themselves helpless before it! However, what is bizarre about this snake is that even though its entire body is cold, its gall is warm. As long as you find another snake, kill it and consume its gall, you are able to expel the cold energy from your bodypletely. Your damaged kidney would gradually recover and you would be able to showcase your masculinity as a man once more! Zhang Xuan says. There are many antidotes to the poison of the Cold Bamboo Snake, but the best antidote of all lies on its body. Its gall is the crux to counteracting its unique cold energy. This is written on one of the manuals in Hongtian Compendium Pavilion. Upon the thought of Cold Bamboo Snakes, this information pops up into his mind. This is also precisely the reason why he only mentioned the gall dder of the Cold Bamboo Snake. Otherwise, with the Library of Heavens Path capability of disying innumerable ws, there is a multitude of remedies he could provide him, he need not specifically choose this one. Eating the snake gall of a Cold Bamboo Snake? The vendor is still in a state of disbelief. So simple? If this is true, why did none of the many physicians he had visited say so? There should be Cold Bamboo Snakes on sale in thismercial city. If you doubt my words, you can buy one of them and try it right now. I will only leave after we verify it! Zhang Xuan says. Medicinal herbs arent the only things on sale in Tianyu Commercial City, there are also all kinds of treasures, savage beasts and animals. Cold Bamboo Snake is one of the lower tier savage beasts. Although it contains lethal poison within it, it can be used in concocting medicines, so there are people selling it here. Fine, wait for a moment... After hesitating for a moment, the vendor turns around and leaves. A short momentter, he returns with a cage and a Cold Bamboo Snake is coiling around in it. As a Zhenqi realm fighter, as long as he is prepared, killing a Cold Bamboo Snake isnt a difficult task. It didnt take long for the snake gall to be extracted. Without any hesitation, the vendor swallows it directly. Un? Soon, the vendors eyes light up. The vendor seems to have already gotten an answer to whether the remedy works or not. I thank gongzi for your help. These Frigid Sun Grass are all yours! With his eyes glowing with excitement, the vendor nearly kneels down in gratitude from the joy surging through him. This was a problem that had been guing him for a long time. In fact, there was even a period when he didnt want to live anymore. In order to treat this deficiency of his, he spent several years of his savings and never would he expect for it to be treated just like that! See, I didnt lie when I said that you would give them to me for free! Zhang Xuan helps himself to the generous gifts of the vendor and grabs the box filled with Frigid Sun Grasses. Knowledge is a type of wealth as well. It is natural for Zhang Xuan to receive somepensation from the vendor after solving the illness that was guing him. Gongzi, I apologize for my inadequacy for not realizing your capabilities... I beg for your forgiveness! The vendor scratches his head in embarrassment. Just a moment ago, he was still dering resolutely that if he were to give the Frigid Sun Grasses to Zhang Xuan for free, he would call him grandpa. Never would he expect for Zhang Xuans words to trulye to be... Its nothing! Zhang Xuan casually waves his hand to show that it was a small matter. Just as he is about to leave, a crowd of people suddenly dashes forward, their faces red from agitation. Quick, Master Mo Yang is here! One would be able to prosper through the guidance of Master Mo Yang. This is an opportunity not to be missed! This time, as long as it is a treasure Master Mo Yang appraises for me, I will buy it no matter how much it costs! Indeed, I felt regretful after missing that opportunity by the previous time... ... The crowds discuss as they ran over. What is happening? Seeing how the crowds are agitated as though a star has arrived, Zhang Xuan is puzzled. Master Mo Yang hase! Even the eyes of the vendor are glowing with excitement. Chapter 41: Treasure Speculation Chapter 41: Treasure Spection Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Is that Master Mo Yang you all speak of that incredible? Zhang Xuan asks doubtfully. To be capable of inciting the agitation of so many people, causing them to go into a frenzy, who is this Master Mo Yang? Just what kind of magical abilities does he possess? Yes, he is extremely incredible! Reverence can be heard from the vendors tone. He is an expert appraiser! Appraiser? Zhang Xuan nods his head. Appraiser and gourmet are both special upations. However, the former is a Middle Nine Paths upation. This upation may not be as glorious as apothecaries, cksmiths and formation masters, but it is capable of sending innumerable people into hysteria. That is because they are able to tell whether an item is a treasure or not just by looking at it. In the field of Treasure Spection, they possess golden fingers that make them an existence simr to the God of Gambling. Many people would follow behind reverently them the moment they appear in public. Treasure spection is amercial activity simr to Earths rock spection. There are some ancient treasures whose original radiance is buried under the cloak of rock and faunas. Just by the outer appearance itself, the most one could do is to identify what the artifact is. It is impossible to tell the tier of the treasure and the specifications of it. Rock spection, information on it left on the bottom. Its true form will only be revealed when the exterior of the artifact is cleaned! There are many treasure dealers who choose not to clean up these treasures and sell them in such a form instead. This is simr to the concept of rock gambling. After which, the buyer would purchase the artifact based on their discernment ability and intuition and clean up its exterior afterward. If they are lucky, it might turn out to be a supreme treasure which would make them millionaires in an instant. On the other hand, it is also possible for them to go bankrupt after investing greatly on some useless object! Heaven on one side and hell on the other. It is due to the very unpredictability of the game that many people are obsessed with it, sometimes even going crazy over it. Appraisers are capable of ascertaining whether a treasure is real or not. Those who are more capable are even able to make a judgment on an artifact before it has been tidied up. Thus, even though the upation is only of the Middle Nine Paths, the charms of it has attracted many to walk on such a road. After all, it is the Midass touch. As long as they think that it is a treasure, people would buy it no matter how expensive they are. This Master Mo Yang arrived here seven days ago. It is rumored that he is an incredible appraiser from some other kingdom. However, back then, no one paid him any notice! The vendor introduces Master Mo Yang excitedly. The first day, when someone wanted to buy a wine bottle-like object that costs about 100 gold coin, Master Mo Yang tried to persuade him otherwise. However, that person refused to listen and in the end, after wiping it clean, it is proven that there is a problem with the object and it isnt worth a single gold coin! The second day, Master Mo Yang persuaded a fighter to spend 200 gold coins to buy a treasure. That person refused to believe him, so he didnt buy it. Thus, Master Mo Yang bought it himself and after it is wiped clean, it turned out to be a mortal pinnacle weapon! It is something that cannot be bought even with several thousand gold coins! He profited several dozen folds in an instant! That filled the fighter with so much regret that the thought of suicide even crossed his mind... By the third day, he was already very famous. There are many people who wanted his guidance on what they should buy. However, only a luckyd was granted that opportunity. He advised him to buy a small jade bottle that is worth 500 gold coins! At that moment, many people thought that he had erred. No matter how incredible that jade vase is, it cant possibly be worth such a sum... Who knew that the moment it is opened, six tier 6 pills were found inside! Someone even offered to buy that vase for 10000 gold coins on the spot! The vendors eyes light up, That is to say, a profit of twenty-fold! That is too incredible! The next few days, he came by the market every day and he only advised a single person on each day. Even so, the person that he chooses is certain strike it rich! Many people went frenzied over this. Thus, they started to camp here from day to night, hoping to win his favor so that he would offer them his pointer! Now that hes here again, it is not abnormal for those people to be so agitated... Amazing! Hearing the story of Master Mo Yang, Zhang Xuans eyes light up as he nods his head in approval. To be able to appraise the true worth of a treasure under ayer of moss and silt, his eye for discernment must be extraordinary. Un, thats right. I possess the Library of Heavens Path, so does it mean that... I am able to do it as well? Zhang Xuans eyes light up. The Library of Heavens Path allows one to see through the true nature of things just bying into contact with it. Other people might need some luck in treasure spection, but he doesnt need such a thing! There is an easy way for me to strike it rich! Upon such thoughts, Zhang Xuan is unable to calm his agitated heart. In rock spection, before buying a rock, others would need to study the various aspects of the rock to deduce whether jade woulde out of it. However, Zhang Xuan is different. Just by touching the artifact with his hands, the Library of Heavens Path in his mind would automatically generate an answer for him. Purchasing the artifact after knowing the answer, it would be a simple matter for him to profit out of this trade! It just happens to his wages are low and he didnt have much money. So, this is a good opportunity for him to give it a try to earn a sum! Following the directions given by the vendor, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at the hall where treasure spection is conducted. As he expected, the sight in here isnt much different from rock spection. All kinds of treasures are ced on an elevated tform and every single one of them are thickly covered by ayer of moss, silt, rust and rock. It is already a difficult task to make out the shape of the artifacts, needless to say, appraise its value. Let me give it a try first! It is true that Zhang Xuan is unable to discern between them just by sight alone. Although Zhang Xuan suspects that the Library of Heavens Path is able to peer into the true nature of the artifact, he is unable to ascertain it. Thus, to verify his theory, he casually touches an artifact that is about the size of a humans head. Weng! His mind jolts and a book appears in the library. Ornamental Vase, forged by a 1-mo craftsman from Southern Kiln. ws: It has cracks on it and could shatter at any moment... The description of the artifact ispiled into a book. Despite being massive, it turned out to be a trash! Zhang Xuanments impassively as his eyes glitter in excitement. Just as he thought! As long as hees into physical contact with it, he is able to receive a detailed introduction on the artifact. Thus, he need not fear no matter how well-hidden these treasures are, he would surely be able to identify them urately! He casually touches a few of therger artifacts before him and realizes that none of them are of great value. He continues on with a dozen of the artifacts by the sides, but they arent really valuable either. Zhang Xuan cant help but shake his head. It is no wonder the sellers of these artifacts are able to profit out of it and that appraisers are so well-received, the probability of a true treasure appearing among them is way too low! Ah, master, please give me some pointers! I am willing to pay you for your advice! Master, Im begging you... ... Just as he is randomly touching the treasures casually, piercing screams echo outside the hall as the sought-after Master Mo Yang walks over. The eyes of those chasing behind him are crimson red, and they look as though they have gone mad. Master, as long as you offer me your pointer, this young girl will obey every singlemand of yours... Master, I am willing to bear your babies, as long as you guide me... There are even women who are sticking close to him, trying to seduce him with their physical charms. Zhang Xuan is bbergasted. He is way too popr! It seems as though with a single word of Master Mo Yang, countless girls would be willing to serve him tonight. I will be leaving Tianxuan Royal City tonight. In order to show my gratitude for the warmth everyone has weed me with, I will appraise for five people today! You all need not vie over it. There is a chance for everyone who is fated with me! Upon reaching the treasure spection hall, Master Mo Yang stops. This Master Mo Yang has a snowy-white beard, which exposes his advanced age. Yet, his skin is smooth and shiny without a single crease on it, probably because he maintained his skin diligently. His eyes have an aura of superiority, making one feel inadequate inparison. As such, no one is willing to meet his gaze. Chapter 42: Someone is Acting Cool (1) Chapter 42: Someone is Acting Cool (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Leaving tonight? Master, why dont you stay for a few more days?" "Why are you leaving so soon?" Hearing that the master is about to depart from the city, looks of anxiety appear on the faces of the crowd. It is rare for an appraiser to appear in Tianxuan Royal City, and yet he is leaving just after a few days? "I still have matters to attend to!" Master Mo Yangs eyebrows shoot upwards. He carries with him a demeanor unique to experts, and his disposition is reminiscent of a flowing river, unable to grasped with certainty. "How about this, I will increase the number of treasures I will appraise today from five to ten! You all also know that appraising isnt an easy task, it drains ones strength and energy. Ten is already my limit..." "Master, rest assured! As long as you help me pick out an artifact for me, I am willing topensate you..." A middle-aged man shouts from the crowd. "Yeah, we are willing topensate you!" "As long as master chooses something out for me, regardless of the cost of the item is, I am willing to pay master the same amount of money!" There are quite a few people who started yelling in response to his words. Based on the battle records of the master, those who had received his pointers has each earned several folds of the amount they had invested initially. As long as they are able to obtain a true treasure, paying a little bit of money inpensation is nothing inparison. "Hmph!" Master Mo Yang flings his arm and interrupts the discussions of the crowd. Frowning, he deres with an aura of superiority, "I, Mo Yang, didnt learn appraisal for money. The reason why I am appraising for you all is not to make a wealth! If I really desired money, there is no need for me to help you all. I just have to appraise an artifact and sell it myself, wont I earn a bigger fortune that way?" "Keng..." The crowd is stumped for words. His words arent wrong. With his eye of discernment, he could just buy those artifacts that he had appraised to be treasures for himself, and he would be able to easily earn a big sum out of it. "The reason why I promised to appraise for you all is because your warmth has moved me! Money is fleeting to me, simr to the clouds! Money is easy to earn, but friendship is priceless!" With both his hands behind his back, Master Mo Yang exudes an aura of an unworldly saint that mortals can only look up to. He continues, "The reason why I promised to appraise artifacts for you all is because of our rtionship, not for money. If anyone were to continue talking about money, then dont bother asking me to appraise for you!" "Master, your words are wise! We were too impertinent!" "We can never hope to match up the master in terms of morals!" "I have never conceded to anyone in my entire life. Today, you are the first one I will concede to, master!" ... Hearing the words of the master, those who were shouting about paying him previously felt ashamed of themselves. Look at how he carries himself, then look at ourselves... Is there even a basis forparison? No wonder he is a master while we are just small fries. "However, before I start appraising for you all, I would like to say something. An appraiser can only heighten the possibility of attaining a treasure. I cannot promise you all that you all will get a treasure with 100% probability!" Master Mo Yang continues. "Master, we all are aware that treasure spection brings about risk. Your ability to discern treasure from trash is far superior to us and we trust in you!" "We believe in masters judgment!" "We know the rules, how can one possiblyy their hands on treasures all the time? However, we believe that master would definitely be able to help us profit!" ... Everyone starts shouting simultaneously. "Since everyone believes in me, then I will go ahead and embarrass myself. May I know which friend here would like me to choose an artifact for him?" Master Mo Yang surveys the surrounding. "Me!" "Me..." In an instant, innumerable people raise their hands and leap about in excitement. The appeal of an appraiser is clear to see. Every action of theirs can make people go into a frenzy. "Alright, you!" Master Mo Yang points, and a pot-bellied middle-aged man walks out from the crowd, still unable to believe the fact that he has been chosen. "Me... Is it really me?" "Its you!" Master Mo Yang nods his head with a smile on his face, the aura of a master clearly exuding through his actions. "Thank you, master!" The middle-aged man leaps in excitement as he stares at the elder before him with a desirous gaze. "Master, may I ask which one of them should I buy?" "Let me take a look!" Flinging his sleeves, he walks forward. He calmly gazes upon the numerous artifacts ced on the tform. The crowd turns silent along with his actions, not daring to speak out loud for fear of distracting him. Soon, he stops and ces his palm on one of the artifacts. After feeling the exterior of the artifact gently, he seems to use some kind of special technique that results in the shuddering of his entire body. A momentter, his face pales slightly. "Alright, you can buy this one. I have just taken a look at it with my special technique and it is worth quite a sum!" Master Mo Yang turns around and informs the middle-aged man. "This one?" The eyes of the middle-aged man light up and he rushes forward to take a look. It is a gigantic treasure that has been enveloped by a thickyer of rock, to the point that the entire artifact simply looks like a giant boulder. This kind of treasure is the hardest to clean. Furthermore, given its massive size, being around the height of a human, it would take at least a day or two to chip the stone off of it carefully. "Un!" Master Mo Yang nods his head. "Since it is a rmendation by the master, I will buy it!" The middle-aged man nods his head and looks towards the dealer. "How much does it cost?" "50000 gold coins!" The dealer of the treasure spection hall steps forward. "50000?" The middle-aged man is taken aback. This isnt a small sum. Even despite the great wealth he possesses, it is about the limit of what he cane up with. Even a popr high-level teacher like Shen Bi Ru only earns around 1000 gold coins every month. She would take several years just to reach 50000. "Buy it! This is a rmendation by the master. If you dont want it, I will take it..." Upon seeing his hesitation, someone in the crowd shouts. "Indeed, the masters rmendation cant possibly go wrong. It might cost 50000 now, but if it is worth 1000000 after it has been cleaned up, then you would havended on a gold mine..." "The previous few times, the treasures that the master appraised were of smaller scale. This time, he seems to have decided to go all out. You really struck it big this time..." Quite a few people shouted out. "Alright, I will buy it!" After hesitating for a moment, the middle-aged man nods his head and foots the bill. "Alright, the second one!" After the middle-aged man bought the artifact, Master Mo Yang seems to have also recovered from his exertion and surveys the surroundings once more. "Me!" "Me..." The rest of the crowd raises their hands hurriedly. ncing over, Zhang Xuan notices the vendor from before whom he had helped to solve his problem in the crowd. His hand is raised up high and he waves it with an enthusiastic expression, his strong desire to be chosen by the master clear to see. "You!" Master Mo Yang chooses another person. This time, it is an elderly who is dressed extravagantly. With just a single look, it is apparent that he owns great wealth. Simr to the first time, the master walks past the pile of treasures and soon sets his sight upon one of it. "80000 gold coins!" This treasure is even more expensive than the one from before. However, this elderly doesnt even hesitate and immediately pays the bill. "This... Isnt this the Ornamental Vase crafted by a 1-mo craftsman from the Southern Kiln? 80000 gold coins?" After taking a good look at the treasure Master Mo Yang chose for the elder, Zhang Xuan blinks his eyes in disbelief. He might be unable to ascertain the value of the other treasures, given that he had yet to take a look at them, but he had already peered into the one Master Mo Yang just chose. It might be big, but only a decorative vase is contained inside. It isnt even worth a single gold coin and yet... 80000 gold coins? "Could he be off the mark..." Just as puzzlement fills his mind, Zhang Xuan cant help but stare at the righteous-looking face of the master when his mind suddenly jolts and a book appears in the library. The words Mo Yang is written on it. "Could he be using a battle technique at the moment?" Based on the unique properties of the Library of Heavens Path, a book can only bepiled when one showcases his battle technique. Could it be that the fellow is using one at the current moment? Filled with bewilderment, he flips open the book. "This... This..." Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuans lip twitches and a bizarre expression appears on his face. Chapter 43: Someone is Acting Cool (2) Chapter 43: Someone is Acting Cool (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex The numerous ws and the past deeds of Master Mo Yang is recorded on the book. "Originally known as Yang Mo, an apprentice appraiser. A scammer in Liuzhu Kingdom who made his name as an appraiser, notorious for his frauds to earn wealth and the favor of women!" "Battle Techniques: Voice of Allurement (Rookie). Beguile the mind of others through words, making it easier to convince them!" "ws: No. 1, ouwed by the royalty of Liuzhu Kingdom. No.2..." Zhang Xuan doesnt know whether he shouldugh or cry. To think that the fellow who had the appearance and disposition of an expert would turn out to be a scammer! For a moment back there, even Zhang Xuan thought that he was an amazing figure! Looks like there are quite a few people in the crowd that are his men. The dealer selling the artifacts must be an aplice of his as well. They worked together to build up his fame out of appraising treasures so that they could convince people to buy useless trash at a high price, thus profiting out of it. "If there is someone conducting a fraud, there must be someone that would be tricked as well!" Despite knowing that the other party is a fraudster, Zhang Xuan has no intentions to expose him at all. Firstly, he doesnt have the evidence to prove it. The matter with the Library of Heavens Path must not be exposed at all costs! Secondly, those who had been scammed by him had already lost their rationality. If he were to try to convince them that he is a fraudster, it is possible that he might end up getting lynched by them. Zhang Xuan would never do deeds that do not benefit him, not to mention that it would bring him a string of troubles. "Forget it. I think I will just look through and buy my own items!" Cant be bothered with the Master Mo Yang who is busy trying to act cool by putting on an experts demeanor, Zhang Xuan continues to browse through the treasures ced on the tform, casually touching them as he passes them by. A book would bepiled in his mind as long as hees into physical contact with the item. Although the prices of the item arent reflected in the library, the items with fewer ws are definitely of higher value. After touching forty to fifty items, he realized that there is not a single valuable one among them. The absurdly low possibility of finding a treasure in the mix makes him shudder. "The final chance will be given to... you!" Just as Zhang Xuan is busy touching the artifacts around the room, an authoritative voice resounds within the room. Turning his head to take a look, he sees the worldly expert Master Mo Yang looking at him, nodding his head slightly as though to ascertain Zhang Xuans doubts that he has been chosen. Countless gaze are affixed to him and they are filled with envy. "Me?" Zhang Xuan is taken aback. "This little friend here, theres no need for you to be so unconfident about yourself. You are the one!" Master Mo Yang strokes his beard with a proud expression, as though saying that it is Zhang Xuans honor to be chosen by him. "Unconfident?" Zhang Xuan shakes his head. Which part of him looks unconfident? Rather, he is thinking about how could he be so unlucky to be chosen. Of so many frenzied followers following behind you, why did you have to choose me? However, after a short moment, hees to a realization. Those who are here for treasure spection today are mostly following behind the back of the master. Given that Zhang Xuan is the only one strolling about the hall, browsing through and touching the artifacts casually, it would be hard for him to not to stand out! "I appreciate your goodwill, but I dont need it!" Knowing that the other party is a fraudster, he is unwilling to be the gold mine for him to profit from. Zhang Xuan waves his hand and continues to look through the pile of treasures. "Dont need it?" Master Mo Yang frowns. Of the nine slots he had given out previously, regardless of who they are, they all responded to him in enthusiasm, some even on the verge of fainting due to excessive agitation. Yet, when he chose this fellow, he actually... doesnt want it?" He conceals his darkened face quickly. Waving his hand, he walks forward while stroking his beard and looks at Zhang Xuan with a pained expression, "Since youre here for treasure spection, surely you would wish to buy a true treasure. I noticed that you have been browsing around the hall unskillfully, so I decided to offer you some guidance so that you wont end up bankrupt at such a young age. Are you certain that you dont need it? Dont disappoint me by rejecting the goodwill that I hold for you!" "Lad, if you dont want the slot, give it to me!" "He actually doesnt want the slot the master gave him, is there something wrong with his head?" "It is clear to see that he is abnormal with a single look. I had noticed the fellow previously. He had been touching all of the artifacts in the room, could it be that he is thinking of stealing something!" "If master were to grant such an opportunity to me, I would probably awake from my sleep smiling every day!" ... Everyone could hear the conversation between Zhang Xuan and the master clearly and they stare at the former as though they are looking at a monster. He is a master appraiser! He will be leaving today after appraising for ten people! It is such a good opportunity and everyone is vying for it frenziedly. Yet, this fellow... doesnt want it? If his brain isnt damaged, what else can it be? "I really dont need it..." Zhang Xuan shakes his head. End up bankrupt? If I listen to your words, then I will truly end up bankrupt... "Dont be so quick to reject me!" Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Master Mo Yang interrupts. With deep eyes that reflect hispassion for the world and his determination to save those in suffering, he says, "It isnt easy for a youngster like you to earn some money. I do not hope to earn anything from granting you this slot. It is out of the kindness of my heart that I hope that you do not buy something useless and waste your fortune!" "Master Mo Yang is toopassionate!" "Not only is he capable of authenticating treasures, he is also kind! I am going to idolize him!" "From today onward, I will only respect one person and that is Master Mo Yang!" ... Hearing his words, everyone feels a resurgence of respect for him. Look at howpassionate he is? Despite possessing the ability to appraise treasures, he doesnt use it to earn great wealth. Instead, fearing that other people would suffer from making a wrong judgment, he is willing to expend the additional effort to appraise for him! One probably cant find another person as kind as him, even if one were to roam the world with antern! "I..." He didnt expect him to be so shameless to dere these words in such a righteous tone. Zhang Xuan shakes his head, but just as he is about to speak, the other party interrupts him once more. "Alright, I know what you are thinking! Say no more!" The elder looks at him calmly with pride reflecting in his eyes. "You know my thoughts?" Zhang Xuan asks doubtfully. "Indeed. You must be thinking that you are too young and do not possess sufficient strength. Even if you sessfully obtain a treasure, you dont have the strength to guard it! Instead, you might even attract disaster to yourself!" Master Mo Yang says in a know-it-all tone with his hands behind his back. "So thats the reason!" "Not only is the master incredible at appraising treasures, to think that he would have the capability of peering into the thoughts of others as well!" "It is true that owning a treasure beyond ones ability can attract disaster. It is normal that thisd would have such thoughts!" ... After hearing Master Mo Yangs exnation, the crowdes to a realization. They finally understand why Zhang Xuan would reject such a wonderful opportunity. "This..." Zhang Xuan has no idea how he should respond. This fellow is way too narcissistic. Dont have the strength to guard it... To think that you could think of such a thing. "Everyone!" Just as Zhang Xuan is about to rify the situation, the master before him nces at the surroundings and proudly deres, "I have chosen this little fellow. So, regardless of what kind of treasures I have picked for him, I hope that you all wouldnt have any greedy thoughts towards it! Otherwise, you will be going against me. If so, dont me me for being merciless!" "Master, what are you talking about? How would we dare toy our hands on a person you have chosen!" "Master, rest assured. We would definitely not do such a stuff..." Everyone quickly replies in chorus. "Alright, since I have already informed everyone else, feel free to buy it. You dont need to worry about attracting unwanted trouble!" Master Mo Yang looks at Zhang Xuan with an encouraging smile. "I..." Zhang Xuan doesnt expect that this fellow would be so self-assuming. Just when he is about to speak, the other party interrupts him yet again. "You dont need to feel too touched by it. Since I have given the final slot to you, it means that our meeting is fated! It is hard to exin a thing such as fate through rational exnations, so you dont have to feel too thankful to me. I dont wish for anything in return for picking out a treasure for you, it is just purely kindness of my part!" "That..." "No need for this and that. This treasure is it. I can guarantee you that once you buy it, you will definitely rake in great profits!" Master Mo Yang doesnt even give Zhang Xuan an opportunity to talk. He retrieves an item from the pile of artifacts and passes it over. "Earn..." Seeing this treasure, Zhang Xuan is speechless. He had already analyzed it previously. It is a trash that cannot be more useless. It isnt even worth a single gold coin. Your loss will be equivalent to the price that you buy it at! "Boss, can you collect the bill from this little friend here!" Passing the treasure over, Master Mo Yang gestures for the artifact dealer toe. "A total of 30000 gold coins!" The dealer walks over. "Hurry up and foot the bill, this is the most valuable treasure I have appraised tonight! Little friend, you have struck it rich!" Seeing how Zhang Xuan remains motionless, the elder strokes his beard and a doting smile appears on his face, "After you return, clean up the outeryer. Try not to be too agitated by your newfound wealth!" "Agitated? Agitated your head!" Upon having his words interrupted multiple times, Zhang Xuan can no longer rein his temper in. "If you want to scam others, go ahead, I wont interfere in your affairs! Why did you have to look for me? Is it that enjoyable to be trying to act cool? Didnt you notice how hard I have tried to spare your pride?" Chapter 44: I Will Choose One Chapter 44: I Will Choose One Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex What? That little fellow dares to say that of Master Mo Yang? Master helped him pick out a treasure our of goodwill, and yet he ims that the master is trying to deceive him? What an arrogantd! Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the crowd is dumbfounded for an instant before bursting intomotion. Is thatds head alright? The master went through so much difficulty to help him choose a treasure, and yet he says that... Fraud, acting cool? What did you say? Apparently, he didnt expect the young man to respond in such a manner. Master Mo Yangs face darkens. Little friend, do you have some kind of misunderstanding against me? Misunderstanding? You should be more than aware of what I am saying. If you want to scam someone, go ahead. Its none of my business, and I am not interested in interfering in your affairs as well! I choose my own artifacts while you scam your victims, lets stay out of each others path. So, stop putting on that haughty look of yours in front of me! Zhang Xuan waves him away, annoyed. He had never bore any goodwill towards scammers. Even so, as long as the other party doesnt get on his nerves, he is willing to let the issue slide. Yet, this fellow intends to make use of him to act cool, he is truly courting his death! What audacity! Master Mo Yangs face pales and he flings his sleeves, his actions carrying an aura of righteousness with it. I have attained the qualifications of an appraiser 30 years ago, and I have helped numerous people out of difficulty. My conscience is clear! There has never been a single person who had used me of scamming them. Everyone here can bear testimony to that, when had I ever scammed anyone of you? Master Mo Yang ispassionate and saves those who are in precarious situations. How could he possibly be a fraudster! That falsifying youngster over there, you must be tired of living! Master, dont get angry. I will teach that fellow a lesson in your ce so that he will learn to not to spout lies in the future... ... With just a few words, Master Mo Yang manages to stir up the rage of everyone here. Every single of them looks at Zhang Xuan as though he had murdered their family. Attained the qualifications of an appraiser 30 years ago? Conscience is clear? Zhang Xuan is speechless. You are just a small apprentice appraiser, must you try so hard to act as though you are bigger than that? Your skin is much thicker than I thought. No wonder you are able to be scammer wanted by the Liuzhu Kingdom. Not only is your skin unbelievably thick, your ability to adapt to abrupt changes is truly frightening. Other scammers will panic when they are exposed before others. Yet, this fellow skillfully reverses the tip of the arrow back towards him, making it hard for him to step down from the current situation. If Zhang Xuan doesnt possess the Library of Heavens Path, upon seeing how righteously the other party is acting, he would have surely suspected that he might be making a mistake. However, with the library in his hands, since it is stated on it that he is a scammer, then he is definitely one! Everyone, calm down! Seeing that everyones anger is stirred and that he is on the offense now, Master Mo Yang waves his hands and says, I am a forgiving person. If you can apologize for the words you said a moment ago, I can choose to not pursue the matter. Otherwise, you should be well-aware of the punishment awaiting you for intentionally ndering me! Punishment? Zhang Xuan shakes his head. It isnt that hard to verify whether you are a scammer or not and whether I am lying or not. As long as they clean the outer coating off the artifacts they just bought, we will know the results instantly! What is the use of speaking so much nonsense here? Clean it? Master Mo Yang seems to have predicted that he would say such words. He replies calmly, I have already said previously that I will be leaving Tianxuan City by tonight. The artifacts that I have chosen for them are allrge in size and will require at least half a day before their true form emerges. I still have urgent matters to attend to, and I cannot dy my departure for that long a time! Why, are you going to say that the reason why I am unwilling to stay here any longer is because I feel guilty so that you can make use of this to use me? At this point, the elderly swings his arms and exudes a haughty disposition. I, Mo Yang, lived an upright life, so theres no reason for me to fear your usations! However, I had helped you pick out an artifact out of goodwill on my part, only to have you use me of scamming you. Since you dont have concrete proof, it is an act of nder. Do you know the consequences of ndering a master appraiser? Hearing these words, Zhang Xuan realizes that he is still underestimating the shamelessness of the other party. As expected of a professional scammer, to have already thought of a n to back away if the situation were to turn awry. He had already clearly expressed that he will be leaving Tianxuan Kingdom tonight, thus paving an escape path beforehand. Before Zhang Xuan could even speak, he was already counterattacked. Right now, even if he were to say that he is afraid of waiting until the artifacts are cleaned thoroughly, no one will believe his words! Furthermore... Zhang Xuan really doesnt have any evidence to prove that he is a scammer! The secret on the Library of Heavens Path cannot be revealed. Even if it is revealed, there must be at least someone here who is willing to believe him! Lad, kneel down and apologize to the master now! To dare to say that the master is a scammer, do you think that I dare not to kill you right now? Where did this audacious beaste from, to dare toy doubt upon the masters innocence? ... Upon seeing how righteous and indignant the master is, many people choose to believe in him instantly, and the lot of them start to chastise Zhang Xuan. These people arepletely furious. Those who were scammed had self-hypnotised themselves due to their reluctance to ept the im that they have been scammed. No matter who it is, if someone dares to interrupt their beautiful dream, they will be refuted adamantly and rebuked. From their viewpoint, Master Mo Yang is an upright person, so how can he possibly be a scammer? What kind of joke is this! Since this fellow dares to im that the master is a scammer, he should be skilled in appraising, right? If you are that capable, why dont you choose one artifact out for us to see? If the one you chose turns out to be trash, you shall stop putting on an act here and scram! A voice from the crowd snorts. Indeed. Since you said that I am a scammer, and you are unwilling to ept the artifact I chose out for you, Im sure you must be knowledgeable in appraising as well! At this point, Master Mo Yang nods his head and looks over, How about this, I will give you a chance! We will each choose a simple and small artifact together so that we can clean it quickly for appraisal! As long as you are able to profit out of the object you chose, I will acknowledge that you are skilled and I will let the issue drop! But if you choose a useless trash, then Im sorry, but you will have to buy the treasure I just picked out for you, kneel down and apologize to me! You want topete with me in a battle of appraisal? Just a moment ago, Zhang Xuan was still in a dilemma oning up with evidence against him. However, hearing his words, he is slightly taken aback and he almostughs on the spot. This fellow must have a screw loose! Zhang Xuan himself possesses the Library of Heavens Path. If he were to im that he is second in appraising, no one would dare to im that they are first in the world... Are you sure that your head didnt get jammed between doors? However, after giving it some careful thought, he is also able toprehend the rationale behind the other partys action. In the other partys perspective, Zhang Xuan is only an eighteen or neen year old youth, so what can he possibly know about appraising? Besides, since he was able to help others profit a few days ago, he must have prepared several means beforehand. If the both of them appraise concurrently and Zhang Xuan was to choose a useless artifact, he is able to make use of this opportunity to further build up his prestige. Perhaps, he might even be able to attract a few fools to invest frenziedly. Why? You dont dare to ept the challenge? Master Mo Yang is resolute to eat Zhang Xuan whole. Fine! Since the other party is seeking some thrill, how can Zhang Xuan bear to refuse him? Alright, then Ill go first! Master Mo Yang flings his robe and walks along the long elevated tform withrge strides. He quickly stops before a palm-size artifact and picks it up. This object is covered by a thickyer of rock, such that even the shape of the object inside cannot be ascertained, needless to say, to determine whether it is valuable or not. Dealer, how much does this cost? Picking up the object, Master Mo Yang enquires. This object is small in size and there isnt much spirit energy movement that can be felt from it. 200 gold coins! The dealer replies and he walks over to Master Mo Yang. Alright, find someone to help me clean this up! Passing over the money, Master Mo Yang says calmly. Yes! The dealer grabs hold of the treasure and sends it to the hall at the back. A momentter, hees out with a golden toad in his hands. With an excited look, he says, Congrattions, master. It is the shed skin of Spirit Horned Golden Toad! What is a Spirit Horned Golden Toad? Spirit Horned Golden Toad is a tier-6 savage beast. Of its entire body, its most valuable part is its skin. It only molts once in its entire life. This object can be used in medicine and it is extremely valuable! As expected of Master Mo Yang, to be able to pick out a treasure amidst everything else. Your ability of discernment is incredible! ... Upon hearing that it is the shed skin of the Spirit Horned Golden Toad, the hall bursts intomotion. Many people may not know of this item, so why dont you just state a price! It will be much more spectacr that way! With his head up high, Master Mo Yang constantly exudes an acting cool aura as he speaks tly. This object is worth... 2000 gold coins! The dealer exims. 2000 gold coins? After buying it with 200 gold coins, the price grows to 2000 gold coin in an instant? A revenue of tenfold? This is too incredible! As expected of the master. If you can profit so much through a small object, then surely I will be able to make a killing over that giant artifact you chose for me previously! ... Upon seeing this sight, the eyes of the slightly worried crowd starts burning fanatically again. A master isnt just for show, a clear difference in standards shows the moment he makes a move! Alright, its your turn! Master Mo Yang gestures with a cold gaze. I... Zhang Xuan nods his head. Knowing that the other party is a scammer, he is aware that he would surely have a contingency n. Even so, he didnt expect his contingency n to be so incredible! He has to choose something at least of the same level as him. Can I choose the artifact first and decide on a price after the artifact has been cleaned? Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalls something and looks at the dealer. No way! You have to pay first before cleaning it! This is a part of the rules. Otherwise, what if it turns out to be a trash after you clean it and you no longer want it, or if it turns out too valuable and we no longer want to sell it? It would be impossible to resolve such situations! The dealer states coldly. In order to prevent such contention, one has to pay upon after deciding on an artifact in treasure spection. This is equivalent to signing a contract, no one will be able to turn their back on it. Alright then... After being informed of the rules, Zhang Xuan can only nod his head. Then, turning over to look at the artifacts, he says without blushing, Come, point out for me which artifacts are worth less than eight gold coins in this pile! I will choose one from them... Chapter 45: Tip Chapter 45: Tip Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Pu! What did he just say? Surely I heard wrongly? Eight gold coins and below? Sound of water spitting Hearing Zhang Xuans proud voice, everyone spits a mouthful of saliva. All of them stare at him bbergasted, with an expression simr to how one looks at a lunatic. Are you for real? In treasure spection, one is gambling for the thrill and the fortune. No matter what artifact one chooses, it is worth a minimum of hundred gold coins. Eight gold coins... What the heck do you expect to buy with that! Is this fellows brain still functioning? Eight gold coins? Wahaha, you might as well grab a pile of mud and return now. You still dare to say eight gold coins and below. There isnt a single object that is that cheap here, okay... ... A split momentter, tears stream down the faces of those amidst the crowd due to excessiveughter. The hell,d, can you stop being so hrious? How do you intend to find an object worth below eight gold coins here? You cant even buy anything even if you had eighty gold coins! Why? You dont even have an artifact that is worth eight gold coin in a treasure spection hall? Arent you embarrassed? Disregarding the mockery the crowd is making out of him, Zhang Xuan stares at the dealer proudly. His previous self had only left him with a total of eight gold coins. He is unable to fork out a single coin more even if he wanted to. Puu! The people in the crowd stare at one another and burst intoughter once again. You are the one who should be embarrassed! This is just like someone running to a realtor and hoping to buy a t with a single gold coin! Big brother, is your head really alright? There is no way there is an artifact here that is worth only eight gold coins. How about this, you can freely choose from this pile of items. After youre done, I will pay for you. If you make an earning, it will all go to you. If you lose, we will just go by what we promised earlier, an apology will do! Master Mo Yang stares at the young man contemptuously with both of his hands ced behind him, revealing an attitude of superiority. As expected of Master Mo Yang, what incredible generosity! This young man is a clown,ing here just to make a fool of himself! I concede to the masters morals! ... Hearing that the master is willing to pay in the stead of his adversary, the crowd cant help but feel impressed by his generosity. Do you see that? Look at how the master carries himself, then look at thatd... Forget it, it is better not topare the two of them. I am afraid that I might vomit... Are you sure? Zhang Xuans eyes twinkle. Knowing that the other party is a scammer, Zhang Xuan doesnt feel any guilt spending his money. Of course, I always mean what I say! Master Mo Yang seems just like a saint who has descended to the mortal world, unsullied by worldly dirt. Hehe, I shall start picking then... Zhang Xuan smiles faintly, walks over to the tform and scans through the artifacts in the pile. Since the other party chose a small one, naturally, he is restricted to choosing smaller items as well. Besides, therger the artifact, the longer it takes to clean it up. Thisd is too shameless! Indeed! I have no idea why would Master Mo Yang treat him so well. If I were to meet such a fellow, I would have surely smacked him away with a palm of mine long ago! To insult the master and even use his money to buy an artifact... Shameless! ... Seeing how the young man isnt ashamed at all, rather, he is browsing through the items excitedly, the crowd is speechless. They have met thick-skinned people before, but they had never met one whose skin is that thick. You were the one who insulted the master as a scammer first! No matter what, the both of you should be in a hostile rtionship. Under such circumstances, dont you feel embarrassed using the other partys money to buy an artifact topete with him... Thats enough of you! Ignoring the discussions of the crowd, Zhang Xuan touches every treasure that enters his vision. Soon, he also chooses a treasure of the size of a palm and hands it over. It costs 200 gold coins as well! The dealer takes a look at it and says tly. Master, hurry up and foot the bill! Unashamed, Zhang Xuan gestures the master to hurry up. ... A dark line streaks across Master Mo Yangs face. He intended to ridicule the other party, but he didnt expect that he would ept his help so proudly, to the point that he seems like his servant instead now. Suppressing the urge to strangle the other party, he pays the sum. Alright, lets clean it up here. With everyone watching here, no one will be able to use me of falsifying the results! Zhang Xuan gestures. Hmph, lets see whether you can continue being so haughty after the object is cleaned up! The actions of the young man also infuriate the dealer. He casually fetches the tools used for cleaning artifacts and starts to clean it bit by bit. Soon, the moss and rock covering the object fall off and the true form of the item inside is revealed. It is a semi-transparent rock that emits a warm glow. This is... Linglong Stone? Observing the appearance of the stone, someone from the crowd shouts in disbelief. What is Linglong Stone? Some in the crowd recognizes it while others dont. You dont even know this? Linglong Stone is one of the main ingredients to crafting a phantom-tier equipment. Every single stone is extremely valuable, and it is the type of good which is always short in supply! The person who spoke earlier exins in agitation. Equipment can be split into god, saint, spirit, phantom and mortal! In a location like Tianxuan Kingdom, there is almost no mortal pinnacle equipment, needless to say, phantom-tier equipment. Thus, every single one of it can be sold at an exorbitant price. As the main ingredient to crafting phantom-tier equipment, the moment it is put up for auction, countless families and experts will go frenzied over it. How much can it be sold for? Those who dont recognize this item cant help but ask. It is difficult to perceive an items value just by its rarity itself. The best way to ascertain its value is still through its price. Ive heard that the Liuzhu Kingdom had auctioned one of it a few years ago. It was smaller than this, around the size of a chickens egg, but it was already priced at 50000 gold coins! Look at how big this one is, not to mention its level of purity. No matter what, it is worth at least 100000... The one speaking swallows his saliva at this point. 100000... Everyone on the spot almost goes mad. An object bought for 200 gold coin is sold for 100000? A revenue of 500 times in an instant... Is this for real? This... This... The dealers hands tremble as he stares in disbelief at the object in his hands. As a dealer of a treasure spection hall, he is capable of identifying plenty of treasures and is aware of their prices. He knows that there isnt a single error in the words of the person who just spoke! This item is definitely worth that price! Impossible... I must be seeing things... Seeing the shock washing through the crowd, Master Mo Yangs face twitches. He thought that the other party would be unable to choose anything of value and that he would be able to make use of it to disy his superiority once more. Never in his dreams did he expect for such an incredible treasure to be chosen. Both the items are priced at 200 gold coins, yet his was only sold for 2000 whereas the other partys one is valued at 100000... Isnt the difference too massive! I will be auctioning this Linglong Stone now, the highest bidder wins! Aware of what this object is beforehand, Zhang Xuan isnt surprised in the least. He grabs the treasure from the hands of the dealer and gazes at the crowd. I offer 100000! The one who recognized the Linglong Stone earlier shouts his bid first. 100000 gold coin may be a huge sum, butpared to a treasure like Linglong Stone, thetter is much more valuable. I offer 110000! There are a few within the crowd that are aware of its value as well. 120000... ... Soon, the price is finalized at 153000, and the stone is taken by a wealthy middle-aged man. This is a banknote from Tianxuan Bank. With this, you are able to withdraw 153000 gold coins from any single bank in Tianxuan City! The middle-aged man grabs the Linglong stone and passes over a stack of banknotes. The weight of gold coins is considerable, so moving them around isnt very convenient. Thus, just like in the ancient times of Earth, banknotes and simr paper notes started appearing. Un! After taking a look, he knows that those notes are real and ces it into his embrace. Then, he retrieves a banknote worth a thousand and walks over to Master Mo Yang. You paid 200 gold coins for me earlier. Here is a thousand, keep the change. Treat it as a tip! Chapter 46: Exposing the Scam Chapter 46: Exposing the Scam Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Tip?" Hearing these words, Master Mo Yang staggers and almost pukes blood. Tip your head! I am a master appraiser, I dontck money. Like I will take your tip... With a hardened face, Master Mo Yang is on the verge of exploding. At this point, he will be ced in an awkward situation regardless of whether he takes it or not. If he takes it, it means he would be epting the tip of others tip. In that case, he would be no different from a waiter or a servant. If he refuses... Just the action of the other party alone causes him to feel embarrassed! Suddenly, a thought floats into his mind... Could thed have foreseen this in advance, thats why he took his money so as to intentionally cause him embarrassment? "You dont want it? Great, I can save a thousand then. You must know that one can buy a lot of things with a thousand gold coins!" Sensing his hesitation, Zhang Xuan ces the note back into his embrace and mutters by the side. "..." Hearing these words, Master Mo Yang is on the verge of copsing. "You sure are lucky, choosing the right one. However, this doesnt mean that you have won! Alright, I still have things to attend to, so it is about time for me to leave!" With coldness in his gaze, Master Mo Yang stands up, flings his arm and prepares to leave. His decisive action impresses Zhang Xuan. As expected of a professional scammer. The moment things go awry, he leaves. His decisiveness is truly worthy of respect. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan is lucky or he is truly skilled in appraising, he would no longer be treated as a lunatic after earning so much in an instant. Rather than grinding it out with him, it is much wiser for him to end it here. After all, he has already profited greatly from appraising for the others. The longer the argument carries on for, the higher the possibility of something going wrong for him. "The results of ourpetition isnt conclusive yet, why are you in such a hurry to leave!" Given Master Mo Yangs previous actions, there is no way Zhang Xuan can allow him to escape just like this. "Indeed, master, dont be in such a hurry to leave! You also made a profit from the item you bought, this cant be considered as his victory!" "Master has only underestimated his enemy, thats why he didnt choose the most valuable treasure from the start. We believe in you..." After numerous days of effort, the master has roped in arge group of loyal followers. "I have already said before that I have matters to attend to. Farewell!" Master Mo Yang waves his hand. "Even if you have urgent matters to attend to, I doubt that a few minutes will matter much. There are still things that I would like your guidance on!" Zhang Xuan blocks the other partys escape path. "What kind of things?" Master Mo Yang stops and harrumphs coldly. "This friend..." Seeing him cease his movements, Zhang Xuan smiles faintly and stares at the elderly who had obtained the slot for appraisal and bought the ornamental vase. "What is it? The elderly walks over. He is still hugging the artifact containing the ornamental vase as though he is hugging a precious treasure. Given its size, he will be unable to clean it up within a short period of time. Thus, he chose to stay to join in the spectacle. "If Im not wrong, the item you spent 80000 gold coins to purchase is an ornamental vase. Furthermore, it is a broken one and it is not even worth a single gold coin!" Zhang Xuan points to his artifact and states. "Ornamental vase? Not even worth a single cent? What kind of joke is this? This is something the master chose for me..." The face of the elderly darkens as he chastises Zhang Xuan. "Cleaning up such arge artifact will take a long time. At the minimum, you will require at least a day. How about this, you smash it on the floor directly and if Im wrong, I will pay you 80000 gold coins! However, if Im right, it means that you have fallen into his trap and got scammed. If so, you can just demand the money back from the one who scammed your money!" Zhang Xuan offers with a grin. "Smash it?" The elderly is taken aback by his words. The words of the other party make sense. Cleaning up such arge artifact will surely take a lot of time. However, if he were to smash it on the floor, it would only take an instant. If it was truly as the other party ims and it turns out to be just an ornamental vase, then he would have made a big loss. Even for him, a loss of 80000 gold coins is enough to send him into bankruptcy. If the artifact turns out to be a fake, he will probablymit suicide. If the young man were to say these words a moment ago, he would simply scoff and disregard his words. However, the other party has just bought a treasure which won him a revenue of 765 times. This very fact makes his determination wavers. "Worry not, a true treasure wont shatter that easily. Even if you were to smash it, it is very unlikely for it to break. You wont make a loss!" Sensing his hesitation, Zhang Xuan pushes on. "Alright!" After a short moment of contemtion, the elderly casually smashes the artifact in his embrace on the floor. Dangng! With a crisp sound, the giant artifact shatters apart, and its true form reveals itself amidst the moss and mud... Indeed, it turns out to be a shattered vase. "It is really... an ornamental vase?" After taking a look, the crowd verifies that it is indubitably an ornamental vase. Even if this object is an antique left behind from the ancient times, it still isnt worth much money. Needless to say 80000 gold coin, no one would buy it for even 10 gold coins. "What is going on here..." Seeing the broken fragments on the floor, the elderly freezes in shock. Initially, he had ced all of his hope on this artifact to earn him big bucks, yet it all ended up like this. How can he possibly not go berserk? "What is happening? You will have to ask this Master Mo Yang! If Im not wrong, he worked together with the dealer to build his fame as an appraiser so as to attract everyones attention. Then, through his appraisals, he is able to get you all to spend big bucks to buy the artifacts he decides upon, thus profiting from it!" Zhang Xuan looks at Master Mo Yang and the dealer, and the corners of his mouth creep upwards. "As for why he was able to choose objects of high value, the reason is simple. Since the cleaning process did not happen before you, they are able to switch the item inside with another treasure they prepared beforehand and im that it is the one he had just picked out. Anyway, no one saw the cleaning process, so no one is able to refute his ims." "This..." "Is that true?" ... Hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyones trust in Master Mo Yang wavers. After picking out a treasure before everyone else, Zhang Xuan sessfully exposes a fake treasure that Master Mo Yang appraised. The crowd who hadplete trust in Master Mo Yang a moment ago is starting to get suspicious. Dangng! While they are still busy contemting over who is right and who is wrong, another crisp sound echoes amidst the crowd. Another fellow who had received the appraisal slot smashed the artifact he bought as well. This time, it isnt an ornamental vase but a useless pottery. It is clear with a single look that it isnt worth much. "Fake, it is a fake! I spent 60000 gold coins to buy this... They are scammers!" Seeing the broken shards on the floor, those who bought the appraised items know that they have been scammed as well and started roaring frenziedly. Peng! Hong! Puhe! With the two precedents, the remaining few can no longer hold it in. One after another, towards the artifacts they just bought, they throw, smash with a hammer or cut it open with a de. Taking a look at what is inside, all of their faces pale. "They are all fakes... They are all worthless trash!" "We have been duped. This Master Mo Yang is a fraud..." If there was only one fake, the crowd would still be able to ept it. After all, even an appraiser cant possibly pick treasures out of artifacts hundred percent of the time. However, when all nine of the artifacts that he had appraised turn out to be trash, it can only mean to say that he is a scammer! To think that you still acted sopassionate and benevolent... Pui! You are just a fraudster! The berserk crowd surrounds Master Mo Yang and the dealer tightly as they stare at them intensely. At this moment, even the thought of killing them shes through their minds. After all, no ones money came from the sky. If no one saw through the sham, and they only realized that it is a scam after they are done cleaning, who can they find to redress their grievances? "Dont listen to the nonsense of thisd! Even master appraisers have moments when they are off, I am truly unacquainted with this artifact dealer..." Seeing the murderous re in the eyes of the crowd, Master Mo Yang realizes that it is no longer possible to fool them and roars in anger instead. If it was a moment ago, the crowd would have definitely listened to his words. But now... No one pays him any heed anymore. Peng peng peng peng! The sound of someone hitting on a human sandbag echoes from the congregation of the crowd. Following which, cries of agony can be heard. In this ordeal, not even the artifact dealer is spared. As for the initiator of the incident, Zhang Xuan, he had sneaked off the moment chaos broke out inside. The world is humongous, and every day, there are people who are going about scamming others, and there are people who are scammed by them. He isnt an omnipotent god, and it is impossible for him to interfere in all of them. If it wasnt for Master Mo Yangs excessive mouth, he couldnt be bothered to exposing him. Now that those who were scammed are aware of the situation, naturally, they have their own way of dealing with the problem. There is no need for Zhang Xuan to worry about them. "Huang Yu Bookstore..." Walking slowly along the market, a giant store appears before him. In it, there are all kinds of books filling the bookshelves within. The store deals with medicinal herbs, weapons, savage beasts and naturally, books. That is also his main motive for choosing to enter this store. "Let me take a look!" Zhang Xuan lifts his leg and steps into the store. Chapter 47: Huang Yu Chapter 47: Huang Yu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Gongzi, are you here to buy books or to browse through books?" Gongzi -> Gentleman The moment he steps into the bookstore, a youngdy steps forward to wee him. Around seventeen to eighteen year old, her pure face and appearance are particrly alluring. Even though she is still slightlyckingpared to Shen Bi Ruoshi, she is considered as an exceptional beauty. "Is there... secret manuals on Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique here?" Zhang Xuan reveals his objective here to her. "Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique? Gongzi must be joking. Such secret manuals on cultivation technique cost a hefty sum, a little business like ours doesnt have the qualifications to be selling them... If you want some entrance level cultivation technique manuals, we have a few of it here though..." Thedy shakes her head. The books sold in their store mainly consists of human geography, biographies of reputable figures and such. Cultivation techniques are something highly confidential to cultivators, so how can it be allowed to be browsed through or sold freely? "Then... Do you know any stores that sell them?" Confirming his suspects that the manuals arent on sale here, Zhang Xuan sighs and looks at her in expectation. "Sell them?" Thedy shakes her head. "It is impossible for anyone in Tianxuan Royal City to be selling cultivation techniques of this level. However... Some experts do collect quite a few of them. If you have an amicable rtionship with them, it might be possible for them to allow you to look through them!" "Allow me to look through them? Taking a look is great as well!" Zhang Xuans eyes light up. With the Library of Heavens Path, there is no need for him to buy the books. As long as he is able toy his hand on those books, just by flipping through it, a corresponding book will bepiled automatically. "Do you know any seniors who collect such manuals in their residence, and allow others to browse through them?" He cant resist asking. "Allow others to browse through them?" Thedy frowns and just as she is about to shake her head, she suddenly thought of something and slyness flits across her eyes. She smiles and says, "I do know of one. However, he is known for being entric! When he is in high spirits, he wont mind even if you were to take all of the books in his house. But if he is in a bad mood, ignoring the fact whether he will allow you to browse through his books or not, he might not even allow you to walk through his door..." "Such a person exists in the world?" Zhang Xuan frowns. He continues, "Then, may I trouble you to guide me to seek that senior?" "It just happens that there isnt much business today. I will bring you there now!" The youngdy smiles. "Thanks for the trouble!" He doesnt expect thedy to be so helpful as to bring him there personally, so he nods his head in gratitude. With thedy leading ahead, the two of them walk out of the bookstore. Through their idle chatter, Zhang Xuan learns that the name of thedy is Huang Yu. This bookstore is opened by her. Judging from the appearance of the bookstore, it seems to be newly opened, at maximum around ten days or so. "You are saying that there are many books in the home of that senior?" After walking a distance, Zhang Xuan cant resist asking. "Naturally. That senior is a famous schr in the entire kingdom, and he was once Emperor Shen Zhuis tutor! He is a person who is able to freely go in and out of the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Do you think that it is possible for the books in his home to not be many?" Huang Yu says reverently. "Emperor Shen Zhuis teacher? That means, he used to be an emperors tutor?" Zhang Xuan is stunned. The current emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom is named Shen Zhui. No one is aware of the specific level of his cultivation, they only know that he is the strongest person in the entire kingdom, unmatched by anyone! The tutors of such a figure are carefully handpicked and have to undergo numerous selection processes before their positions are confirmed. Even the principal of Hongtian Academy doesnt possess such qualifications! "He is his painting and calligraphy teacher, and not his martial arts teacher. Even so, he is still an incredible figure who is deeply respected by the emperor!" At this point, Huang Yus face turns solemn as she warns Zhang Xuan, "This old mister Lu Chen is an elegant person who is very particr about decorum. He detests juniors talking nonsense before him. When we arrive, it is best for you to not to speak too easily. Otherwise, it will be impossible for you to be given permission to browse through his books!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. "Also, I also have my own matters to attend to. When we arrive, you will have to deal with the matter of borrowing books yourself, dont mess up my matter along with yours!" Huang Yu nces over with her beautiful eyes as she speaks. "Dont worry, I wont put you in a difficult position!" Comprehending the meaning behind her words, Zhang Xuan smiles in response. He is already grateful for the fact that she is willing to bring him over. If he is capable, he will be able to borrow the books. However, even if he ends up in failure, nothing can be done about it. No matter what, he is still a teacher. How can he put a youngdy in an awkward position? "The old mister prefers juniors who are more obedient. No matter what the old mister says, you just have to nod your head. You should also know that a great schr like him tend to be more conservative so his thoughts may diverge from that of us, youngsters. Just try not to squabble with him over these!" Huang Yu reminds him once again. The two of them soon walks out of the market. After passing by a series of alleys that would leave one confused, they arrive at a residence. "This is the residence of old mister Lu Chen!" Huang Yu points towards the residence. Zhang Xuan raises his head to take a look at the entire residence. It isnt as vast and extravagant as he expected. It seems like the residence of an ordinary household and there isnt even a door que at the entrance. If it werent for Huang Yu leading him here, he might have thought that this is the residence of a normal civilian. This is... the ce where the emperors tutor lives? Zhang Xuan finds it hard to believe. "Old mister Lu Chen lives a thrifty life. There were many times when Emperor Shen Zhui offered to reconstruct his residence, but he firmly rejected the offers!" Noticing his doubt, Huang Yu exins. Zhang Xuan nods his head as his respect for the emperors tutor grows. Despite possessing such social status, he is able to remain incorruptible and thrifty without being changed by power. It seems like this old mister is a sentimental and straightforward person. Da da da da! Just as they are about to knock on the door, a carriage rushes over. The distinct sound of the galloping of the horse echoes through the alley. Jiyaaaa! The carriage stops beside the two. A young man parts the curtains of the carriage and walks out. He is a seventeen to eighteen year old youth dressed in white. Tall and slim, his face is exquisite, simr to a white jade. With a single look, it is clear to see that he is scion, and he exudes an aura of superiority. "Xiao Yu? You are here too!" Xiao Yu -> Little Yu (A pet name for Huang Yu) Seeing Huang Yu, the white-clothed gongzis eyes twinkle and immediately tries to fawn upon her. Gongzi -> Gentleman "I am Huang Yu, dont give me such a mushy nickname. We arent that familiar with one another yet!" Huang Yu curls her lips contemptuously. "Given the rtionship between our families, it isnt too much to call you Xiao Yu. Besides, wasnt that how I called you when you were younger as well? Are you here to visit old mister Lu Chen as well?" The white-clothed gongzi smiles and flings his robe. He strikes a pose, as though dering that victory is in his hands. "Hehe, dont think too much about that object. It will definitelye under my possession!" "It is hard to tell whose it will be at this point! I only fear that you will cry then!" Huang Yu doesnt step down to his taunting. "Well see then!" The white-clothed gongzi chuckles. At this point, he finally notices Zhang Xuan and frowns, "Who is this? Xiao Yu, why did you bring an outsider here..." "No matter who is it that I bring, it is none of your business!" Huang Yu purses her lips, not sparing the other party any face. "Hmph,d. No matter who you are, I advise you to stay away from Xiao Yu. She isnt someone a small figure like you cany your hands upon!" Looking at Zhang Xuan, the white-clothed gongzi narrows his eyes and spits coldly. "..." Zhang Xuan didnt expect to be threatened when he is here only to borrow a book. A strong feeling of helplessness surges through him. Using the words from his previous world, he is lucky like a dead mongoose. All Huang Yu did is to bring him here, they are just barely acquaintances. Do you really have to go that far? Threatened by someone, Zhang Xuan feels displeased. He stretches his back and waves away his concerns, "You interfere too much. My apologies but I dont think that you need to concern yourself over this!" "Fine, I hope that you dont regret your words!" He didnt expect that ad he had never met before would dare to speak to him in such a manner. The white-clothed gongzis eyebrows shoot up and his eyes narrow. Turning around, he ignores the other two and walks over to the front of the courtyard to knock on the door. "Why are you so rash..." As the white-clothed man knocks on the door, Huang Yus anxious voice sounds by Zhang Xuans ears. "Why?" Zhang Xuan looks at her in puzzlement. "Do you know who he is, for you to dare to speak to him like that?" Seeing the oblivious look on the other partys face, Huang Yu feels a little helpless. It is truly hard to tell whether this fellow has a strong heart or that there is something wrong with his head. "Who cares who he is..." Zhang Xuan shrugs. What does his identity have to do with me? "You..." Seeing the expression on the young mans face, Huang Yu is starting to doubt if she had brought a fool over. Seeing the indifferent look in his eyes, she is able to tell that he truly isnt bothered over the identity of the person he just offended. At a loss for words, she could only introduce the person before to him, "He is the sole son of Zhennan Wang, Bai Xun!" Zhennan Wang is known as the number one authoritative subject of Tianxuan Kingdom, his position beneath only that of Emperor Shen Zhui. Offending his only son means that it will be hard for him to make a living in Tianxuan Kingdom. Initially, she thought that revealing the identity of the other party will induce fear in this fellow and that he would ask her how he should resolve the problem. Contrary to her expectations, Zhang Xuan looks over with a confused expression, "Zhennan Wang... Who is he?" Chapter 48: What the Heck is This Toy Chapter 48: What the Heck is This Toy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "..." Huang Yu feels the vision before her spin and she almost faints on the spot. To not even know Zhennan Wang? Dude, are you really from Tianxuan Kingdom? Are you sure you didnt pop up from some remote corner! At this moment, she is starting to regret bringing this fellow here! Given how ignorant he is, it is likely he will say something wrong and pull her down along with him! Actually, Zhang Xuan really isnt putting on an act, he is truly ignorant on this matter. His previous self is the worst teacher in the academy. All along, he has been upied with how he could stop himself from being expelled from the school. Thus, he never tried to look into the internal affairs of the kingdom and knows very little about it as well. The previous him doesnt even know what section, division and bureau are, so how could he possibly know who Zhennan Wang is. Jiya! Just as she is about to exin the glorious war aplishments of Zhennan Wang, the door in front of them creaks and opens. A butler-like person appears in their view, weing them. "Uncle Cheng, I am prepared now. I hope to receive masters guidance again!" Towards the butler he calls Uncle Cheng, the white-clothed gongzi Bai Xun speaks respectfully, the arrogance he had a moment ago absent in his voice. Gongzi -> Gentleman "So it is Bai gongzi and Huang guniang! Please follow me to wait at the lounge!" Upon catching sight of the three standing at the entrance of the door, the butler bows and ushers them in. Gongzi -> Gentleman| Guniang -> Lady/Miss The three of them follow behind him into the residence. Zhang Xuan gazes around the surroundings. The residence may not be extravagant in its renovations, inferior even whenpared to certain parts of the academy, but it brings about a wholly different atmosphere. Every moment of stillness and every movement in the courtyard feels like a tranquil ink painting which exudes indescribable elegance. "What an incredible natural ink painting!" Zhang Xuan cant help praising. "Oh? Gongzi... seems to have some aptitude towards painting?" Hearing his praise, the butler turns around and asks. "It is just a casualment!" He didnt expect that a casualment that he spoke would attract the attention of the butler. Zhang Xuan hurriedly shakes his head. In his previous life, he was a librarian, and his job is deeply rted to literacy. Even though he had seen many different paintings back then, he had never picked up a brush, needless to say, paint! "Ouroye used his heart as his brush and the courtyard as his paper to turn the entire residence into a painting. You arent mistaken in your words!" The butler nods his head and continues moving forward. Laoye -> Old master Soon, they arrive at the lounge. The lounge isnt very big but is rich in paintings, giving the room a kind of ssical elegance. It has a soothing effect on those who step into it. It is unlike the other ces, where Strength Measuring Rock Pirs can be found everywhere, which makes one feel as though they would be thrown out if they disy insufficient strength. "I will be reporting tooye!" After arranging the seats for the three of them, the butler turns around to leave. "You know a thing or two about paintings?" The moment the butler leaves, Huang Yu looks over curiously. She seems to have heard the conversation back there. Come to think about it, she doesnt know a single thing about the young man she brought here. "I only felt that the arrangement in the courtyard is reminiscent of a painting!" Zhang Xuan replies. "Xiao Yu, dont listen to his nonsense. This fellow is just putting on a show to attract your attention!" Bai Xuns re is so intense that fire may emerge from it. "What do you know? My friend here is extremely knowledgeable and talented! Do you think that everyone likes to act mighty the way you do?" Hearing the other party insult the friend she brought, Huang Yu is displeased. "Knowledgeable? Him? Xiao Yu, you should be careful. I think thisd is just a useless yboy. Despite being young, he is skilled in the art of deceiving to win the favor of girls. He truly has no shame!" Luoluo, hearing thedy praise Zhang Xuan, Bai Xun feels the rage in him boiling even more intensely and he grits his teeth furiously. "My friend here is skilled in zither, chess, literature and painting, there is nothing he is incapable of, there is nothing he doesnt have expertise in. Not only is he outstanding in the younger generation, there arent many of the older generation who can match up to him! On the contrary, look at yourself! You arent skilled in anything, and your mind is only filled with fighting and killing all day long! You are the one that is useless!" Huang Yu doesnt back down. "Skilled in zither, chess, literature and painting? You mean him? He doesnt look much older than me. Even if he started learning in the womb, how much can he learn? You are probably the only one who will get scammed by him!" Bai Xun res savagely at Zhang Xuan. "Just because he is young means that he isnt skilled? What if he is talented? Dont doubt others just because you are untalented!" Huang Yu retorts. "..." Hearing their argument, the innocent Zhang Xuan who had arrows fired at him frowns. If you want to argue, just argue among yourselves! Why must you all rope me in? Did I offend any of you? Zither, chess, literature and painting, you said? I have never touched any of the four in my entire life... If I am talented, how can I possibly be the first teacher in history to score a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination in Hongtian Academy? Just as Bai Xun is about to counterattack with words of his own, footsteps sound from the outside and a figure walks in. It is an elderly man with snow-white hair and beard. He carries with him a unique aura which grants him a majestic disposition. The butler from before follows behind him. Emperor Shen Zhuis ex-tutor, Lu Chen! "Paying respect to master!" Upon seeing him, Bai Xun and Huang Yu dare not bicker any longer and bow simultaneously. "I heard that someone was able to tell that the arrangement of my courtyard is an ink painting. It is rare to see such a refined youngster nowadays." Ignoring the two who are paying respect to him, the moment the elderly man walks in, his eyes is fixated upon Zhang Xuan. It is apparent that the butler has informed him of Zhang Xuans previous words. "Master, this fellow is just spouting nonsense, theres no need to bother about him. I have already revised beforehand, so master, you can feel free to test me..." Upon seeing the masters attention fixated on thed, Bai Xun feels displeased and hurriedly says. "Did I allow you to talk?" Master Lu Chen frowns. "I..." Bai Xuns face turnspletely red, but he dares not talk back to him. He might be of high standing, and his father is formidable as well. However, before the emperors tutor, he still pales far inparison. After reprimanding Bai Xun, Master Lu Chens attention returns back to Zhang Xuan. "Since you are learned in painting, it just happens that I have a work here for you to appraise in my stead!" After which, he gestures with his hand. The butler hurries forward and unfurls a painting scroll on the table. It is a simple and elegant ink painting. The moment it is unfurled, a refreshing aura assaults its viewers. In a peaceful vige, children are frolicking around and smoke emerges from the chimneys. If one concentrates, it seems as though one can hear the call of the cicada and see the dance of the tree leaves. It is a painting of a scenery. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratches his head. He doesnt know a single thing about painting. All he can tell about this painting is that it isnt bad. Asking him to appraise? What is he supposed to appraise about it? "You must think carefully before you speak. This is a test by the master, he... likes to test others. Anyway, when I first came, I was tested by him too... If you manage to speak well, you will be able to borrow as many books as you like. But if you were to screw this up, you will be sent back instantly..." Just as he is hesitating, Huang Yus agitated voice sounds beside him. "Test?" Zhang Xuan smiles bitterly. If only he knew that Master Lu Chen has such interests, he wouldnt have said anything when he walked into the courtyard. Is this considered as courting trouble? However, based on Huang Yus words, it is likely that the other party will test him even if he says nothing. After all, this is a habit he has cultivated. He probably cant shake it off even if he wanted to. As for appraising it, what the heck is he supposed to appraise! He isnt even learned in that aspect, what problems can he see from it? What kind ofments should he be making? After all, the other party is the emperors tutor, a master of painting. If he were to spout nonsense, he might be chased away with a stick even before he is done speaking. "Why? Is there any problem?" Upon seeing his expression, Master Lu Chen enquires. "Ah, nothing!" Zhang Xuan scratches his head. Just as he is at a loss on how he should organize his sentences toe up with words that the other party is unable to find ws with, a thought suddenly shes through his mind. "Since the Library of Heavens Path is capable of authenticating items, then... is it possible for it to tell the ws in paintings?" At this point, he cant resist stepping forward to touch the painting lightly. Weng! A sound echo in his head and a book appears in his mind. Zhang Xuan is overjoyed. After reading the contents of it, he raises his head and gazes at Master Lu Chen with bright eyes. Smiling faintly, he asks, "Master really wants me to appraise this?" Master Lu Chen doesnt respond, indicating his silent consent. "I have eight words of evaluation on it!" Zhang Xuan says. "I am willing to listen to it!" Master Lu Chen looks at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan nods his head. His eyes scan through the painting once more and he shakes his head, "The eight words are... Downright senseless, what the heck is this toy!" "Gongzi, please mind your words!" Initially, he was curious on the evaluation Zhang Xuan could give. Upon hearing these words, the butler almost faints on the spot. Flustered, he tries to stop him hurriedly, "This is a painting that was just drawn by the master..." Chapter 49: How Did He Do It Chapter 49: How Did He Do It Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "A painting left behind by the master?" By the side, Huang Yu feels like she is going insane. She almost loses her bnce and falls to the floor. In the past, Master Lu Chen had brought out paintings for them to appraise, as well as to test them. However... he had never brought out his own works! This time, why would he... If the fellow before her had praised the work the master took out, perhaps, the master will be delighted with his evaluation and let it pass. However... what did you say -- Downright senseless, what the heck is this toy? Is this something a human should say? To evaluate Master Lu Chens drawing as downright senseless, what the heck is this toy... Huang Yu feels like vomiting blood. Didnt you say that you wont put me in a difficult position? This... What is going on? If she knew that Zhang Xuan had decided afterward that as a teacher, he shouldnt put her in an awkward situation... more blood will probablye spurting out from her mouth! Is this what you call not putting me in an awkward situation? You are obviously pushing me down the cliff... She is regretting her action of bringing this fellow here! Master Lu Chen favors youngsters who learn with humility. He never discriminates against people, and he likes peopleing over to learn from him. This fellow seems schrly on the surface, as well as a person who knows his boundaries, so she thought that he is the type to learn with humility. Thus, she brought him over so she could please the master. If things go well, she could make use of the opportunity to achieve her goals as well. Yet, she never would have expected that... he is so unreliable! Huang Yu feels her guts turn green with regret. If only she knew that this would happen, she would have rejected him on the spot. Why did she guide him over just to bring trouble on herself... While she is on the verge of going berserk, Bai Xun is on the verge ofughing. Indeed, what is scary is not a godlike opponent, but a pig-like teammate. This fellow actually dares to describe Master Lu Chens work as what the heck is this toy. Needless to think, he must have offended the master thoroughly with his words. Even if he doesnt make a move, the master will probably teach this ignorantd a lesson! "Is this the knowledge and talent you speak of? Skilled in zither, chess, literature and painting?" Chuckling softly, he gazes at Huang Yu teasingly. Huang Yu had just praised Zhang Xuan a moment ago, yet in the next, thetter spoke such words. Have you ever seen a knowledgeable and talented person act like this? "Silence!" In contrast to butler Uncle Chengs anxiety, Huang Yus regret and Bai Xuns glee, Master Lu Chen doesnt get mad due to the other partys words. He interrupts themotion going on and looks at Lu Chen calmly, "This little brother over here, why would you make such an evaluation? Is there a problem with my drawing?" "I didnt know that it was masters work. I seek your forgiveness for my brashness!" Zhang Xuan feigns shock and hurriedly bows apologetically. The bookpiled by the Library of Heavens Path allows him to look into the ws of the painting, and the artist is alsobeled in it. Naturally, he knows that the painting before him is Lu Chens work, just that he is intentionally feigning ignorance! "Dont worry about it. This is just a painting. I am only asking you to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of the painting, and not the painter of it!" Master Lu Chen gestures. "With your words, I am reassured!" Zhang Xuan smiles. Facing the painting again, he strokes it and says, "If we are just talking about this painting, even if it is drawn by the master... I can only use these eight words to evaluate it! Downright senseless, what the heck is this toy!" Huang Yu and the butler look calm on the surface, but panic on the inside. To say such words after knowing that this is a work of the master. Lad, are you insane? "However..." Zhang Xuan pauses for a moment. "However what?" "This painting is indeed nothing much. Any artist by the street would be able to draw it. It is already an overestimation by calling it a toy! However, if one is able to see beyond its surface, then it is definitely an astonishing creation that will leave its viewers in disbelief!" Zhang Xuan says. "Look beyond the surface? How should we look?" Master Lu Chen smiles gently. "Simple!" Zhang Xuan looks at the butler Uncle Cheng. "May I trouble you to bring a dagger over!" "Alright!" After taking a look at Master Lu Chen and noticing theck of disapproval, Uncle Cheng turns around and walks out. After a short moment, he returns with a dagger and passes it to Zhang Xuan. "Then, I will be making an embarrassment of myself!" Grabbing the dagger, Zhang Xuan walks over to the painting and stabs the dagger into it. "What are you doing?" Seeing his actions, Bai Xun steps forward. "That is the masters work, every single painting of his is iparably valuable that some evenbel them as priceless treasures. Are you sure you canpensate him if you damage it?" Huang Yu also looks at his actions in bewilderment. Why would you need a dagger to appraise a painting? Ignoring Bai Xuns rebuke, Zhang Xuan cuts the unblemished painting with the dagger. Tzzzzzzz, the sound of paper being cut echoes in the air. The portion of the drawing that was cut curls upwards. Tugging lightly on it, the top portion of the drawing separates from the bottomyer. This is simr to how there are different levels to a building. Ayer of xuan paper forms the topyer of the painting, whereas the bottomyer consists of goatskin. Xuan paper -> A type of paper suitable for drawing. Hu! The tearing of the top xuan paper exposes what is on top of the goatskin. There is also a painting on top of the goatskin, and it is simr to what was on the xuan paper. However, there is more spirit to this one and the depictions are much more vivid. It is as though the mountainous rocks, trees, vige and children would pop out from within at any moment. "If Im not wrong, the drawing on top of the xuan paper is just ayer of deception. The true drawing is imprinted through the xuan paper, onto the goatskin. This is the true secret behind the masters drawing!" After tearing the xuan paper carefully away, Zhang Xuan smiles. "This..." Regardless of whether it is Huang Yu, the butler or Bai Xun, all of their eyes widen in disbelief. To imprint the ink beyond the xuan paper onto the goatskin through force, not to mention that the drawing on top of the paper must retain a certain level of rity such that no ws can be seen on it... This is way too incredible! These two paintings are stacked on top of one another wlessly... How was he able to tell? "Not bad, not bad!" Upon seeing the young man easily exposing the secret behind his painting, Master Lu Chens eyes light up. This time, his gaze towards the youngster is full of praise. At the same time, he is also filled with shock. His ability to imprint on goatskin through ayer of paper via force is something he justprehended. He had never showcased it in front of anyone else. Yet, this youngster is able to see through it in an instant. His eye of discernment is way too formidable! "Then, what about this drawing?" Master Lu Chen turns around and points to a painting hung on the wall. There is a giant savage beast painted on it. Simr to a savage tiger descending from the mountain, its ferocious aura leaves its viewers with astonishment. If a timid person were to catch sight of this painting, they might fall limply onto the ground, fearing to make a single noise. Zhang Xuan steps forward and strokes it lightly. Then, he smiles, "This painting isnt bad, but it iscking in disposition. If I am not wrong, the painter of the work has never seen the savage beast portrayed in the drawing before! This drawing is just based on his personal interpretation!" "This..." Master Lu Chens body trembles as his eyes widen intoplete circles. Others might be confused by what Zhang Xuan is saying, but he understands what the other party means. That is because this painting is his work as well. The savage beast on the painting is known as Chi Xiong, and it is a rare life-form. It is said to possess boundless strength and invincible defense, to the point that no weapon is able to wound it. Just like what the other party said, it is true that he has never met such a life-form. The reason why he was able to draw this painting is because he had flipped through numerous books so as to feed his imagination. This painting is one of his prided works. This is also the reason why it is hung on the middlemost location of the lounge. Innumerable painting masters havee to visit and they are filled with praises for it. They all find the painting majestic and lifelike. Why would the youngster say that it iscking in disposition? Since the other party is able to see through the overall situation behind the other painting in an instant, his eye for such stuff should be top-notch. Furthermore, he was able to tell that he had never seen a Chi Xiong just by ncing at the painting, so it is very probable that he has his own reasons for saying so! "Which part of it iscking in disposition, would you be kind to enlighten me?" At this point, Master Lu Chen no longer has the attitude of superiority from before as he hurriedly asks. "Ah?" Seeing the emperors tutor who kept testing them, causing them to scratch their heads helplessly innumerable times, seeking guidance with humility from a young man who isnt even twenty yet, Huang Yu and Bai Xun stare at one another and they feel like fainting. Especially Huang Yu, her eyes cant stop blinking. The shock strikes her mind like billowing waves. That fellow... how did he do it? Chapter 50: Peer Chapter 50: Peer Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Thats simple! Oblivious to the shock and the thoughts going through the minds of the others, Zhang Xuan smiles. Even though the Chi Xiong is known for its invincible defense, its body is streamlined like a sharp sword. It specializes in quick assaults and ovees its opponents through speed rather than strength! From this, it can be inferred that its disposition should be that of a sharp sword rather than a heavy mountain. Given how the painter got the disposition of the savage beast wrong, it is clear to see that it is an interpretation. Master Lu Chens body sways. It isnt that the other party is inurate in his appraisal, but he is too urate in it! All along, he had thought that since the Chi Xiong is known for its invincible defense, its disposition should be heavy like a mountain. The reminder from the youngster makes him recall an introduction on the savage beast from a book. It mentions that it is extremely fast, killing its opponent without even revealing itself. This is precisely the reason why very few people have seen its true form! One of the greatest taboos of a painter is to mistake the disposition their painting should carry. If even the disposition is unfitting for the subject, then even the most valuable of paintings will be reduced to trash. Zhang Xuan is already sparing his pride by saying that the painting isnt bad, instead of saying something more extreme. Excellent! Incredible! With his face flushed red with excitement, Master Lu Chen expresses his high appraisal of Zhang Xuan. If it is just a single painting, it is possible that it might just be luck or coincidence. However, to see the crux behind two different paintings in an instant, he can confidently say that the youngster before him might look young, but he is a true master painter! His skills can only be superior to his own! It is easy to make friends, but it is hard to find a soulmate. Throughout his career as a painter, he is unable to find an equal in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Usually, when he deciphers a painting to the others, they would only respond to it perfunctorily and instead, focus their efforts on praising him. No one was able to truly understand the essence of those paintings, needless to say, to point out the ws in them. Friend kind of soulmate This is precisely the reason why he feels deste, and often opens up his residence to encourage diligent juniors in the hope that there will be someone to seed him. At this moment, upon meeting someone who is able to point out the ws and weaknesses of a painting, he feels as though he has met a soulmate. How can he not be delighted over it? If not for his strong will and self-control, he might have leaped in joy on the spot. Seeing the master so exuberant, Huang Yu and Bai Xun no longer bicker and stare at one another. Their eyes widen intoplete circles, almost popping out from their heads. They have been acquainted with this master since young. He is always calm, and no matter whates in his way, he never allows it to interfere with his mind. Thest time the emperor sent some servants to deliver the Harsh Lands Night Illumination Pearl to him, a gift that is worth a kings ransom, he didnt even take a look at it before ordering a servant to keep it in the warehouse. Yet, a casual answer from the young man leaves him in such a state... Could it be that his words are true? At this point, the two of them shot their gazes towards the young man. However, no matter how they stare at him, he looks nothing but ordinary to them. Xiao Yu, arent you going to introduce this gongzi to me? While she is still struck with bewilderment, Master Lu Chens words echo in the room. Introduce? He... Upon being questioned, Huang Yu is taken back. Only now does she realize that she had not asked for the other partys name. Her face turns red and she scratches her head awkwardly as she turns towards Zhang Xuan and asks, Ah, right, what is your name... Hearing these words, Bai Xun, who is sitting beside her, looks constipated. Just a moment ago, he was still overwhelmed by jealousy, thinking that someone has beaten him to his goddess, causing the urge to beat up this youngster to well up in him. Only now does he realize that... Huang Yu doesnt even know his name! If only he knew earlier, he wouldnt have gotten so angry over nothing. However, his dilemma doesnt end here. Immediately after, he hears Master Lu Chens angry voice, What do you mean by he! No decorum at all! This little brother here is a peer of mine, you will have to address him as a master in the future! Peer? This time, not only Huang Yu and Bai Xun feel dizzy-headed, even the butler Uncle Cheng freezes in shock. The three of them stare at Zhang Xuan as though they are looking at a monster. What kind of standing does Master Lu Chen possess? Emperor Shen Zhuis teacher, a true emperors tutor! There isnt a single person in the entire kingdom who dares to im to be his peer. If one were to do it, it would mean that one is iming to be the senior of the countrys emperor! For a person of such standing to view a youngster who isnt even twenty as a fellow peer of his? Surely I am hearing things? Didnt you all hear my words? Seeing the two of them in a daze, Lu Chen chastises them again. Yes! Bai Xun and Huang Yu hurriedly bow. Paying respect to the master! There is no need to be so formal! Zhang Xuan didnt expect Lu Chen to be so polite. He nods his head helplessly and says, I am Zhang Xuan. I just happen to understand masters paintings out of coincidence. I am not fitting of the title of a master! So it is little brother Zhang Xuan. You cant put it like that, manners are manners! You are able to see through the ws in my work with just a nce, this means that you are well-versed in paintings, and you possess an exceptional eye for them. If you arent worthy of the title of master with your standards, wouldnt that mean that I am unable to live up to my title as a master as well? Lu Chen says. Zhang Xuanughs dryly. It is true that he is able to point the ws in the paintings, but that isnt because of his abilities in that aspect. He only made use of the cheat called the Library of Heavens Path. Without this, needless to say appraising it, he might be scratching his head with a confused expression, unable to even identify what is being drawn. Alright, stop being so polite. Feel free to reprimand these juniors when you meet them in the future! Unsure about what Zhang Xuan is thinking about, Lu Chen casually says. Juniors? Feel free to reprimand? Bai Xun and Huang Yu are on the verge of crying. The heck, we are around the same age and yet you became a senior of our grandfathers generation in an instant... Dude, you are way too formidable! Ignoring the despondent duo, Master Lu Chen looks over in puzzlement, Little brother, to follow Xiao Yu here, you probably arent here for leisure. May I ask what is it that you require my help on? I have heard that master has a wide collection of books. The reason why I am here today is to find some Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique manuals to browse through... Hearing Master Lu Chen question his purpose, Zhang Xuan hurriedly replies. The main aim of his journey here is this, he mustnt let this opportunity slip him by. My collection of books is quite vast, but they are mainly on painting. I do not possess many books on cultivation techniques here. As for those on Fighter 6-dan, I only have a couple of them. They are in my study. Come, I will bring you over to take a look! Hearing his purpose, Master Lu Chen strokes his beard with a smile and stands up. Laoye, your study... The butler Uncle Cheng quickly walks forward and asks questioningly. Laoye -> Old Master Laoyes study does possess quite a lot of one-of-a-kind limited edition books, and each of them are extremely valuable. He has never allowed any outsiders to enter his study, and even Emperor Shen Zhui was blocked at the door when he came the previous time! There was a maid who wasnt aware of the rules and ran in to clean the room. In the end, she was beaten to death! This is precisely the reason why the study of the Lu residence is the forbidden zone within forbidden zones, and no one dares to enter it... Yet,oye intends to bring in a young man who he had just met, leaving him at a loss. The reason why I dont allow others to enter my study is for fear that they would afflict it with their vulgarity. Little brother Zhang Xuan is a fellow peer of mine and a master painter. It is an honor of mine to have him enter to offer me some pointers. There is no reason for me to stop him from entering at all. Master Lu Chens face darkens. Yes! Uncle Cheng retreats in a fluster. He may be ignorant about painting, but even he is able to tell at this point that there isnt a single error in the appraisal of the young man! Otherwise, it is impossible foroyes attitude to do an 180 degree turn and act so amiably. Lets go! Master Lu Chen leads the way while Zhang Xuan follows behind him. After a moment, they reach a wide room. As expected of a master whom Huang Yu was full of praises for, the collection of books in his study is massive. All kinds of manuals fill the shelves, and there are at least hundreds of thousands of books here. Zhang Xuan feels as though he has walked into a library. Walking between the shelves while taking a casual look, it is exactly as the other party said. The books are all on painting, and there are barely any on cultivation techniques and martial arts. Those on cultivation technique are over here. There are only a handful of them. They were left behind from back when I was still cultivating! Master Lu Chen introduces with a smile as he brings Zhang Xuan towards the corner of the study. Chapter 51: Heavens Path Golden Body Chapter 51: Heavens Path Golden Body Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex By the corner, books are stacked densely on the bookshelves and they are all on cultivation techniques and rted subjects. There are manuals on Fighter 1-dan, 2-dan, 3-dan and 4-dan. Simr to Hongtian Academy, the higher the tier is, the less the number of books there are on it. As for Fighter 6-dan manuals, there are only about ten books or so on it. "The number of books may be few, but it beats having none at all!" Initially, he thought that it would be like the Compendium Pavilion and that he would be able to find a few hundred or even a thousand books here for his choosing. Now, it is clear to see that he is overthinking it. However, after pondering over it for a moment, the reason for the difference between the two bes apparent to him. Everyone has a different physique, and thus the suitable cultivation technique for them differs from one individual to the other. Thus, it is clear that the academy would require a huge amount of secret manuals and books so as to ensure that there are sufficient resources for the teachers to cater to the needs of their students, as well as to expand their horizons. However, for an individual, they only require one or two cultivation techniques suited for them. It is already considered a huge collection for Lu Chen to have over ten books on Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques. Casually picking up the ten books, he flips through them lightly, hula, and corresponding secret manuals appear in his mind. "Why? Are these cultivation techniques too inferior to appeal to you?" Seeing the youngster pick those books up, flip through them and put them down before taking a good look at the contents, Master Lu Chen is slightly bewildered. "Thats not it, I am just taking a casual look!" Zhang Xuan shakes his head. Scanning the surrounding once again, he affirms that there are only these few books in here. Just as he is about to take his leave from the study, he suddenly catches sight of a pile of manuals ced not too far away from his current position. Curious, he asks, "These are..." "Oh, these are left behind by that disappointing son of mine! He likes brute strength, so he collected quite a few secret manuals on enhancing ones physical strength! In fact, he even went to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault and moved all rted books here!" Master Lu Chen smiles bitterly. "In the cultivation of a fighter, zhenqi is the most important factor of all. Ones physical body only ys a small role in it, and it is not worth mentioning at all!" Zhenqi -> True essence Although there is the Pigu realm which tempers ones skin and bones in a fighters cultivation, what truly matters is still zhenqi. Only when ones zhenqi is pure and concentrated can they be truly strong. In the eyes of most cultivators, the physical body is just an auxiliary tool to ones strength, and is of little importance! "Can I take a look?" Seeing the thousands of secret manuals on heightening the strength of ones physical body, Zhang Xuan feels a little moved. Thus, he cant resist the urge to ask Master Lu Chen for permission to browse through them. He possesses the Library of Heavens Path, so he doesnt need the cultivation techniques in his possession to be profound. With sufficient quantity, he is able to extract the essence of each to authenticate the true and the false and distil the truly useful portions from each of them. Even though training ones physical body may seem to be unimportant, and it may be unable to allow ones strength to soar up rapidly, if there are this many books to correct the errors and point out the correct path, the effects might turn out to be significant. Anyway, he doesnt have sufficient books in his hands on 6-dan cultivation technique for him to raise his cultivation realm, so he might as well flip through these first. Perhaps, he might even get some pointers on it from the information contained within them. "Little brother, feel free!" Master Lu Chen smiles. Since he had already brought him in, he wouldnt be stingy about it allowing him to browse through the books. "I will be impertinent then!" Zhang Xuan nods his head and walks over to the pile of manuals. Just like before, he casually flips through them. Hula! Hula! "He is..." Looking at his actions by the side, Master Lu Chen is bewildered. I thought that he wanted to read the books? What is he doing, flipping through them like that? Could it be that... These books do not fit his taste? That makes sense though. Given how he is trying to look for Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, he is probably already at Fighter 5-dan pinnacle. Given his current strength, he has already undergone the Pigu realm, and it matters not whether he trains his physical body or not. Perhaps, he might be browsing through them out of curiosity. Coming to a realization, he no longer bothers about it. Casually picking up a treasured painting left behind by a master, he examines it attentively. Zhang Xuan finishes flipping through that pile of physical body enhancement techniques within ten minutes or so. "The correct cultivation method!" Thousands of manuals appear in the library. Zhang Xuans mind jolts and light envelops his sight. Then, a wless manual appears in his mind. Simr to the cultivation technique manuals from before, the book contains the perfect sequence of the correct methods recorded in the thousands of books. "Let me take a look..." Flipping over the cover, a line of words assaults him and enters his mind. "Zhenqi is reminiscent of water, whereas the physical body is the bucket containing the water. With a sturdy bucket, one can fill more water, and the quality of which would be higher..." The opening verse causes him to feel enlightened. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuans eyes light up. Previously, his thoughts were like the others. He felt that it is of no importance whether he cultivates his physical body or not, what truly matters is his zhenqi cultivation. Only upon reading this does he realize how shallow his thinking was. If one loses their skin, where can their hairs lodge into? The same goes for the rtionship between zhenqi and ones physical body. Only a powerful physical body is capable of withstanding violent zhenqi strength to exert even greater prowess. Feeling as though a door has just opened before him, Zhang Xuan cant resist the urge to read on. The more he reads, the more exhrated he feels. The zhenqi within his body subconsciously follows the method recorded in the book and flows continuously. Geji! Geji! Under the flow of zhenqi, his physical body, which wasnt weak from the start, evolves once again. His muscle fibers thicken and his skin membrane bes more sturdy. His body evolves towards a much more correct and rational path. Kacha! Kacha! As his mind is absorbed in the exnations contained within the book, Zhang Xuan isnt aware of the astounding changes that are urring within his physical body. It is as though an infrastructure has been washed with molten metal, his body is gradually bing a powerful weapon that surpasses that of ordinary humans. "As expected of a technique filtered by the library, it is indeed formidable! From now on, I will call this Heavens Path Golden Body!" An hourter. Zhang Xuan finally finishes his book. His zhenqi has also circted a single time through his body ording to the methods recorded in the book. Weng! After he finishes naming the book, the book glows radiantly and fourrge words appear on the cover of the book Heavens Path Golden Body!. "In the future, I will have to make sure to train in it properly... Un? I am already done training?" After finishing the book, just when he has decided to cultivate using the methods recorded on it after returning, he realizes that he had unknowinglypleted the cultivation of this body enhancement technique while looking through it. That is to say, he has mastered this body enhancement cultivation technique. "There are no errors in the cultivation techniques of Heavens Path, thus the pace of training is swift. Even though I knew this beforehand, never would have I expected that I would be able to master Heavens Path Golden Body unknowingly like this..." With the experience from Heavens Path Divine Art, he knows that a wless cultivation technique is much more effective and allows one to cultivate at an extremely rapid speed, thus he had expected the cultivation of the Heavens Path Golden Body to not be too difficult as well. Just that, he never imagined that... he wouldplete the cultivation just by reading through the contents of it once. At this moment, he doesnt know whether he shouldugh or cry. "Forget it, even though I wasnt able to find sufficient Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, my strength should have increased significantly with this set of physical body enhancement cultivation technique!" Coming to Master Lu Chens house, he might not have aplished his objective of finding sufficient Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, but in exchange, he received the Heavens Path Golden Body, so it is still a meaningful trip. Just that, the physical body is different from zhenqi. Zhenqi can be easily quantified and it isnt difficult to gauge how much strength one possesses after one is done with ones training. On the other hand, muscles are hidden beneath the skin, so it is hard to measure ones improvement clearly. Thats to say, even though he has mastered Heavens Path Golden Body, he has no idea how strong he has grown, or even whether his physical body had grown stronger or not. Of course, this isnt important. Since he is sessfullypleted his cultivation of it, he can simply find a Strength Measuring Rock Pir when he returns to test his strength. "What is little brother Zhang Xuan doing?" At this moment, Master Lu Chen, who apanied him here, has his mind filled with question marks. While reading his book, he sneaked nces towards the other party asionally. After flipping through the manuals, this fellow has been standing on the spot without moving at all for two whole hours by now. What the heck is he doing? Could it be that he has read too many books and went berserk? It isnt like this kind of situation has never happened before. In the past, there was an extremely talented genius in Tianxuan Kingdom. The cultivation techniques and battle techniques that took other people two to three years to learn, he only took two to three days! This is precisely the reason why he wanted to learn all of the cultivation techniques and battle techniques to piece them together so as to create a set of new skills... In the end, before a new mystical cultivation technique could be born, he went berserk! The youngster before him was able to raise his level of cultivation to Fighter 5-dan pinnacle at such a young age. At the same time, he possesses a master-levelpetency in painting. Could it be that... just like that senior, he got greedy and some problems popped up within him! "Little brother..." Filled with suspicions, he cant hold it in any longer. Thus, he steps forward and tries to interrupt Zhang Xuans thoughts to prevent him from sinking in even deeper. Just as Zhang Xuan is impressed over the might of the Heavens Path Divine Art, he hears a shout, and following which, a palm nudges his body. "Oh, Master Lu Chen..." Returning back to his consciousness, he hurriedly turns around and his shoulders identally bump into thetter. Peng! A deep echo and Master Lu Chen is sent flying instantaneously. His back knocks onto a bookshelf, and the books scatter on the floor. Chapter 52: Master Lu Chen on the Verge of Tears Chapter 52: Master Lu Chen on the Verge of Tears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "Ah?" Zhang Xuan is taken aback. He didnt turn around that quickly, neither did he use that much strength. Why did Master Lu Chen fly backward? Could he be jumping around for fun? "Master..." He rushes forward to help the other party up. He ces his palm on the back of Master Lu Chens body to support him up. "Im fine..." Sou! Before his words can escape his mouth, Master Lu Chen feels his entire body go weightless as he somersaults forward. His head knocks into another bookshelf, causing his face to be showered with books. "I..." The master is on the verge of tears. Are you ying with me? Must you use so much strength to help me up? "Master..." Seeing his current state, Zhang Xuan rushes forward to continue helping him up. Upon seeing the sight, Master Lu Chen hurriedly struggles upwards and says, "You... Donte over. I can do it myself!" "Keng..." Zhang Xuan can only stop on the spot. He blinks his eyes as he looks at the elderly before him doubtfully. He cant help but ask the question that has been guing his mind, "Master, are you jumping around for fun?" "Jumping around for fun..." Master Lu Chen almost cries on the spot. The heck, you are the one who is jumping around for fun! Your whole family is jumping around for fun! I am a master painter, an elegant person. How bored must I be to be jumping around for fun? Besides, even if I wanted to y, I wont be doing it here! My collection of books, my treasures, are here... Master Lu Chen feels a stifling sensation in his chest which causes him to be short of breath. "Why? Are you feeling ufortable in your chest?" Zhang Xuan walks forward to aid him, and he pounds his back to relieve his difort. "No..." Peng! Before Master Lu Chen can finish his words, Zhang Xuans fistnds on his back, causing his eyes to narrow. Sou! He flies forward and crashes into the wall of the study, creating a huge crevice in it. "Master..." Seeing him charge ahead, Zhang Xuan scratches his head in bewilderment. What is this master trying to do? Jumping backward a moment ago and jumping forward now, is he afflicted with epilepsy? If his epilepsy is acting up, it wont do for Zhang Xuan to ignore his current situation. He immediately rushes forward towards Lu Chen to try to help him up again. "Donte over here..." Master Lu Chen wipes the fresh blood off the corner of his lips and hurriedly retreats. He stares at the youngster before him as though staring at a monster, and he looks as though he could cry at any moment. I only felt a coldness in my heart, I am not trying to seek death! Your pound... Aiyo, my old arms, my old legs... "Master, what is going on?" Seeing him in such a state, Zhang Xuan asks. You acted so maturely a moment ago, so why would you pounce and leap around suddenly? What are you trying to do? "What is going on?" Master Lu Chen stares at him fearfully as tears threaten to fall from his eyes. You dont know what is going on? Fearing that you might have gone berserk, I came forward to remind you out of goodwill. Yet, with a single turn, you sent me flying. Then, you ran over to push me forward. The final blow was the most vicious of them all, a straight pound at my back. If it werent for the slight cultivation that I possess, I might have lost my life already... Yet, you dare to ask me what is going on? Right when he is about tosh out, he sees the puzzled look on the youngster and he doesnt seem like he is lying. A thought shes through his mind and he recalls something. With his eyes filled with disbelief, he asks, "You... Could you have just achieved a breakthrough?" "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nods his head. Mastering the Heavens Path Golden Body should be considered as a type of breakthrough! "But... Even if its a breakthrough, it is impossible for one to improve so swiftly..." Master Lu Chen finally understands what is happening, but he still dares not believe it. There are a few people who use special means to allow their cultivation to leap in an instant. After the gigantic soar in strength, their bodies are unable to adapt to the difference in strength in the short run, causing them to be unable to control their might. What seems like their normal exertion of strength would be an attack of full strength in the eyes of others. When one who possesses 100kg of strength exerts a tenth of their strength, it would be only 10kg. With such strength, they are able to freely lift cups and such without much hindrance. However, if one tries to use the same ratio of strength to lift a cup after his strength has suddenly surged to 10000kg, the overwhelming strength of 1000kg would exceed the durability of the cup and cause it to shatter instantly! It is very possible that this is the case with Zhang Xuan. As the person in question isnt even aware of how much his strength has grown, thus it is natural that Lu Chen would be unable to take it when he is using his previous strength ratio to operate. He has read of this condition in books before, and it will take a period of time before the person in question is able to adapt to the difference in strength. Initially, he thought that it was only a legend. Never would he have thought that... such a thing really exists! Just that, he finds it unbelievable that the strength of this fellow would surge by simply after flipping through some books and daydreaming away afterward. Could this be a sudden leap due to his deep umtion? He might have happened to read something which caused his enlightenment, allowing him to break through in an instant. If that was the case, then his luck is really way too bad. "Follow me to the lounge!" While holding doubts in his mind, Master Lu Chen doesnt say anything more and instead, leads the way back to the lounge. It is easy to tell whether the situation is as he suspects. He only needs to find a Strength Measuring Rock Pir for Zhang Xuan to test his strength on. Since the youngster is seeking for Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, then he surely has yet to break through Pixue realm. Since he had not reached Fighter 6-dan, then as a Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, he could only possess a maximum of 4 ding of strength. If his strength were to exceed this amount, this would mean that he has improved significantly. If so, the situation back then can be exined. .......................................... In the lounge. Huang Yu and Bai Xun have yet to leave. They are still sitting in the living room as they stare in the direction of the study anxiously. They came here with a request, but Master Lu Chen took Zhang Xuan away with him right after he finished testing him, not even giving them an opportunity to speak. At the same time, it isnt appropriate for them to leave abruptly, so they could only continue waiting patiently. "Xiao Yu, just now that... Master Zhang Xuan, has he really reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle?" Bai Xun no longer views Zhang Xuan hostilely as he did previously. On the contrary, his voice held a tinge of excitement. Actually, he isnt interested in painting at all. If it wasnt for his father coercing him, he definitely would not havee here! What truly interests him is cultivating. He only feels excitement upon meeting powerful people. All along, he had thought of himself as a genius. Despite being just eighteen this year, he has already reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle. There arent many in the capital who canpete with him in term of cultivation speed! Yet, he didnt expect that a seemingly average young man who isnt much older than him would have reached such a realm as well! How can he not feel excited over this? "Im not sure as well. Ive already told you that he only came to my store to buy books... I dont know much about him as well! However, since he is looking for Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, he should have already reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle!" Huang Yu says. As Zhang Xuan has yet to make a move, they arent very sure about Zhang Xuans exact prowess. However, since he is looking for 6-dan manuals, it is very probable that he has already reached 5-dan pinnacle. Otherwise, there is no point to him looking for such a high-tier manual! "To be able to reach such a level at a young age, I wonder how powerful he is. Let me try it out myselfter..." Bai Xun titters. He is a battle maniac, and his heart can no longer suppress the urge to duel with someone of the same age who has attained the same level as him. Da da da! Just as the two of them are speaking, someone walks over. Turning around to take a look, the both of them are taken aback. Master Lu Chen, who was still iparably elegant a moment ago, is currently extremely gloomy and red blood fills his entire face as he walks over disheveled. Chapter 53: Bai Xuns Breakdown Chapter 53: Bai Xuns Breakdown Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "This..." The crowd stare at one another, dumbfounded. This is Master Lu Chen, the emperors tutor. Who is the one who daredy his hands on him, beating him into such a state? Besides, didnt you two go to the study? Why did he return... like this? Could it be that they didnt go to the study to read books, but to... fight? The elegant Master Lu Chen has such interest? "Im fine..." Master Lu Chen waves his hands awkwardly. After all, he cant possibly say that... Zhang Xuan has just achieved a breakthrough and unintentionally injured him due tocking control of his strength. He also knows that it will be difficult to exin. Thus, Master Lu Chen walks over to the main seat, then turns to look at Uncle Cheng and says, "Ah Cheng, go and fetch a Strength Measuring Rock Pir over!" He is a master painter, not a fighter. Thus, no Strength Measuring Rock Pirs are ced in his lounge. However, as this item is rted to ones cultivation, there are still a few of them in his house so it will be fine bringing one over. "Yes!" Despite being unsure of what his master is up to, Uncle Cheng nods his head and retreats out of the room. "Master Zhang, have you really reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle?" Upon seeing the room turn silent, Bai Xun cant resist walking up towards him with an excited expression. "Un!" It might be inconvenient to speak of it in the academy, but it isnt any secret here, so theres no need for Zhang Xuan to conceal the fact. "Im also on the same level. May I exchange some blows with you?" Hearing the young mans confirmation, Bai Xuns eyes burn with enthusiasm. "Bai Xun, what are you doing. Look at where you are..." Taken aback, Huang Yu quickly tries to advise him otherwise. Master Lu Chen is an elegant person, and he hates people arguing and fighting before him. Dont you think that its a joke to be issuing a challenge in his lounge? It is just as Huang Yu said, Lu Chen doesnt like others to be brandishing their spears and swords before him. However, while the Strength Measuring Rock Pir isnt here yet, the best way to test whether Zhang Xuan has improved is through Bai Xun. He is aware of the fact that thetter has reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle. With the same level of cultivation, he should be able to see whether Zhang Xuans strength has surged. At this point, he raises his head and says, "I dont have any objections if it is just ordinary sparring. However, dont go too far!" "Great!" Initially, Bai Xun thought that Master Lu Chen would object to it. However, contrary to his expectation, he approves. Bai Xun almost leaps up due to overwhelming excitement. With a delighted expression, he takes two step towards the center of the lounge and with a cool pose, he beckons Zhang Xuan. "Come!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan has justpleted his cultivation of Heavens Path Golden Body and he is curious to know how far his strength has progressed as well. Thus, he doesnt reject the other partys challenge and walks over to the center of the lounge as well. "The strength behind my fists are great, so be careful!" With hardened eyes, Bai Xun no longer has that gentlemanly look he usually has and recing it is the aura of a powerful person unmatched by anyone. As Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, in terms of strength, he is above even Shang Bin! Hu! After gathering his might, Bai Xun steps forward. With his strength as a sword, the shock wave of his punch as a de, he sends a jab straight towards Zhang Xuan. To test his level of cultivation, Zhang Xuan doesnt bother to look at the ws on Bai Xunpiled in the Library of Heavens Path and instead, he faces his fist with one of his own. Hu! The two fists connect midair and Zhang Xuan frowns. "Why is the strength behind his fist socking? Could it be that he isnt Fighter 5-dan pinnacle?" Zhang Xuans fist goes straight through the other partys fist without slowing at all,pletely overpowering him, as though a stone has met with a bubble. Thinking that the other party isnt well-prepared and has yet to exert his full strength yet, Zhang Xuan quickly reduces his strength by half. Even so, Bai Xuns face pales and he is sent flying like a rubber ball. Sou! He onlyes to a stop when his back crashes onto a pir forcefully. "Why arent you using your full strength?" Retracting his fist, Zhang Xuan walks forward and stretches out his hand to help thetter up. "Dont..." Upon seeing this sight, Master Lu Chens eyes narrow. He immediately tries to stop them, but he is toote. Sou! Bai Xun, who was pulled by the young man, flies away like a kite who had its string snapped. With a whistle of the wind, he flies in the air once again. Paji! After flying for a dozen meters, his face crashes into the wall and fresh blood spurts out from his mouth and nose. "Wuuu...." Bai Xun almost cries on the spot. Big brother, I know that Im not a match for you, but you dont have to be so merciless. My dashing features, my face... "Why are you..." Seeing Bai Xun fly away with a pull of his, Zhang Xuan scratches his head with an innocent look. What are they doing? First Master Lu Chen, and now Bai Xun. Is it really alright for the both of you to be leaping around? If the two of them were to know the thoughts that are running through his mind, they would have surely vomited blood on the spot out of depression. You are the one who is leaping around... We were thrown by you, alright... "This fellow..." Standing by the side, Huang Yus eyebrows twitch and she finds her head unable to cope. Bai Xun can be considered one of the outstanding ones among the younger generation. Except for a few others, he is practically unmatched. This is precisely the reason why he cultivated apetitive, but reluctant to admit defeat personality. He thought that thetter would not be able to match up to him in a duel, but never did he imagine that he would be sent flying with a single punch. He lost thoroughly! This fellow looks ordinary, how can he possess such overwhelming might? "Are you alright?" Unsure of what the others are thinking about, Zhang Xuan walks up to Bai Xun with an apologetic look. "Im fine..." Bai Xun struggles upwards and pats the dust off his clothes. As Fighter 5-dan who has tempered his bones and skin, small wounds like these do not pose a problem. "Great. I realized that you have not used your full strength previously. How about this, lets spar once more with you using your full strength...." Zhang Xuan says with a serious expression. "Again?" Bai Xuns face twitches and he almost cries. If we were to continue fighting, I might die here... He immediately waves his hand and says, "No need, master is indeed stronger than me. I dont think theres a need to continue sparring..." "Theres no need to be courteous, it is just friendly sparring, so you dont have to be so restrained. Also, dont call me master, that sounds so distant..." Zhang Xuan thought that the other party was acting cautiously due to his identity as Master Lu Chens peer, causing his reluctance to give his all in the spar, thus resulting in his weakness as perceived by Zhang Xuan. When his cultivation had just reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, he crossed blows with Yao Han, and thetter gave him a lot of pressure through his formidable strength. Yao Hans cultivation realm is higher than Bai Xun, but as there isnt too much of a difference between the two, he thought that it would be the same as when he faced him. Yet, Bai Xun was sent flying with a single fist. Finding it unbelievable, he attributed it to him not exerting his full strength. Otherwise, with his 8 ding of strength, it is impossible for him to send a Fighter 5-dan pinnacle who possesses 4 ding of strength flying with a single fist. "Spar?" Bai Xun trembles in fear. You call this sparring? With just that single fist of yours, I almost ascended to the heavens, you know that? Besides, as a fellow peer of Grandpa Lu Chen, what do I call you if not master? A thought shes through his mind and his face twitches, seemingly on the verge of tears. "Since you said that it feels distant calling you master, then why dont I call you grandpa? Grandpa Zhang, I admit my mistake, okay? I shouldnt have been so hostile towards you, so I beg of you... Stop asking me to spar with you!" "The Strength Measuring Rock Pir is here!" At this moment, Uncle Cheng walks over and sees such a sight unfolding before him. Upon hearing Bai Xuns shouting plea, he petrifies on the spot. "What?" Chapter 54: Hongjin Pearl Fruit Chapter 54: Hongjin Pearl Fruit Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Who is this? The sole son of the number one authoritative subject of Tianxuan Kingdom, Zhennan Wang! For him to be crying Zhang Xuan as his grandpa? Surely I am hearing things... Uncle Cheng only feels his vision blurring before him and almost loses consciousness. I just stepped away for a moment to grab a Strength Measuring Rock Pir... What happened? Can anyone enlighten me... Cough cough, alright. Little brother Zhang Xuan, there are plenty of opportunities for the both of you to spar in the future. Bai Xun is injured and needs to regte his cultivation for awhile! Anyway, since the Strength Measuring Rock Pir is already here, I think it would be best for you to try out your strength first! Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Master Lu Chen quickly steps in. Alright! Seeing that Bai Xun is unwilling to spar, Zhang Xuan shakes his head in disappointment. He looks at the Strength Measuring Rock Pir which is just inserted into a crevice on the ground and walks over to it. With a slight smile, he says, Actually, I have tested my strength yesterday and it was about 4 ding or so. There probably wont much of a difference testing it today... It was just this morning that he had beaten Yao Han into a pig-head. Before that, he had tested his strength and had ascertained it to be 8 ding! He had been busy the entire day. Furthermore, without a cultivation technique for him to cultivate, not a single one of his acupoints have been broken through yet. Thus, there shouldnt be a rise in his strength. Although he has cultivated the Heavens Path Golden Body, in Zhang Xuans opinion, even if there was an improvement with his physical body, it cant possibly rival up to the significance of zhenqi in determining ones might. As for why he said that his strength is 4 ding, it is because this is the standard strength a Dingli realm pinnacle would possess. He doesnt want to reveal too much of his secrets. At worst, he just has to hold back half of his strength when testing itter on. Since the pir has been brought here, give it a try! Master Lu Chen says. Alright! Zhang Xuan smiles as he epts the offer. With the intention to only use half of his strength, his fist flies towards the rock pir before him. His fist propels forward as though a lightning strike and the shock wave of his fist causes the wind to rustle. Peng! Light shines from the pir and figures start to slowly appear on it. Look, as I said, 4 ding... Seeing the figures that had floated onto the surface of the pir, Zhang Xuan waves his hands and turns around to look at the others with a smile. However, before he could finish his words, he sees Bai Xun, Huang Yu, Master Lu Chen and Uncle Cheng look at him as though he is a monster. Every single one of their eyes are almost popping out of their sockets. Whats the matter? Zhang Xuan frowns. He lowers his head to look at himself, there shouldnt be anything off about him though? Look at the... Strength Measuring Rock Pir again! Huang Yu says in agitation. What is wrong with the Strength Measuring Rock Pir? Isnt it just 4 ding? Do you all have to be so shocked... Turning around to take a look, Zhang Xuans body staggers and he almost falls to the floor. Unsure of when it happened, but the number 9 had appeared behind the number 4 that he saw previously. Putting it together... 49! The fist that I just threw had the strength of... 49 ding? Zhang Xuan is also astonished. When he tested it this morning, he only had 8 ding of strength. Furthermore, he intentionally restrained half of his strength when striking on the rock pir, so how could he had possibly reached a might of 49 ding? Doesnt this mean that if he didnt contain his strength, his fist could hold a might of almost 100 ding behind it? A Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle possesses 4 ding of strength while the strength of a Pixue realm pinnacle expert wouldnt exceed 80 ding. To be capable of hitting 100 ding with his fist, doesnt this mean that his strength is equal to a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm expert, surpassing thetter even? This... Could it be that... the Strength Measuring Rock Pir is malfunctioning? A thought shes through his mind and Zhang Xuan cant resist raising his doubt. The rock pir isnt malfunctioning. Didnt you achieve a breakthrough in the study previously? It caused your strength to soar. Furthermore, you have yet to adapt to your newfound strength, thats why you... thrashed Bai Xun so overwhelmingly! Seeing his thoughts being verified, Master Lu Chen exins. Initially, he wanted to say that he himself was beaten into a pulp by Zhang Xuan, but he stopped at the crucial point. After all, no matter what, he is still a master and has to consider his reputation... A breakthrough? An intion from 4 ding to 49 ding? It cant be that you broke through 45 acupoints at once? It is one thing to not hear his exnation, but the moment they hear it, Bai Xun and Huang Yu almost faint on the spot. Surely you are jesting? At Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm, one opens up his acupoints to raise ones cultivation. For every acupoint opened, one will gain 1 ding of strength. It is said that there are a total of 108 acupoints in the human body. However, only 72 of which can be opened. Furthermore, there is a specific order to opening these acupoints. Due to the difference in physique for every individual, they require a different sequence in breaking through them to achieve the optimal effect. If one fails to find the ideal sequence, they could possibly only end up opening thirty to forty acupoints in their life and find themselves unable to advance forward. Normally, one breaks through them one by one, and ones strength will increase slowly 1 ding at a time. For Zhang Xuans strength to increase by 45 ding in an instant... Dude, you are about to bash through the heavens! It is not that I have never seen people breaking through, but I have never seen someone... break through in such a way! Actually, it isnt just the others who are giddy and in a state of disbelief, even Zhang Xuan himself doesnt know what is going on. Was such a massive improvement induced just from cultivating Heavens Path Golden Body? Allowing his strength to increase by 90 ding instantaneously? Normally, when he casually sent Master Lu Chen flying and defeated Bai Xun, he should have understood how much of an improvement he had made and how much his strength had grown by, and not be as ignorant as he is now. However, as a transcender and someone who has just started cultivating two days ago, it is already incredible that he is able to control his cultivation to exert the correct amount of strength. Going into the specifics to control his strength, so as to manipte it as he pleases, is simply expecting too much of him! This is just like an ordinary person who is suddenly granted superhuman strength. He wouldnt be able to get used to it initially, and, perhaps, might even feel slightly lost about the matter. This is exactly the situation that is urring with Zhang Xuan. Initially, he only possessed 8 ding of strength. However, it suddenly increased by 90 ding, an increment of more than tenfold. Furthermore, as this increment originates from his physical body, it is undetectable... Rather, it would be weird if he knew it in advance! It is already a blessing for him to not have reduced Bai Xun into a lump of meat. Little brother Zhang, you cant possibly have... opened 45 acupoints just now? Seeing him in a daze, Master Lu Chen asks slowly. It is unheard of to open 45 acupoints in an instant... But if that isnt the case, where could have the sudden boost of strength possibly came from? I... am still Dingli realm pinnacle. My cultivation has yet to advance, just that... my physical body grew stronger by a bit! Zhang Xuan says. Physical body? Master Lu Chen is astounded, not daring to believe what he has just heard. I have heard that there are some treasures in the world that allow ones physical body to rival steel when consumed, giving one the strength equivalent to a Pixue realm pinnacle. Could it be that... it is possible to reach such a level through cultivating ones physical body as well? Keng... I seem to have eaten some unidentifiable fruit today. Initially, I felt my body heat up after eating it, but I didnt pay much heed to it. Perhaps, that could be the reason for the sudden increase in the strength of my physical body! Zhang Xuan says. As a member of modern civilization, he understands the logic that possessing a treasure beyond ones ability will attract cmity. If he were to acknowledge that he has reached such a level through cultivation, innumerable people might go red-eyed and try to extort him of his cultivation technique. Perhaps, some might even kidnap him to research on. Since Master Lu Chen had mentioned that there are some treasures that can induce a massive enhancement in ones physical body, he decided to go along with it. Fate, this is truly fate! Master Lu Chen doesnt doubt Zhang Xuans words at all. Actually, it isnt that he isnt doubtful, but even if he is, he has no choice but to believe Zhang Xuans words! For ones physical strength to increase by a few dozen ding through two hours of cultivation? Isnt this daydreaming? It is asughable as trying to get a male to bear children! Rather than believing that nonsense, it is more probable that he might have consumed some treasure. May I know the appearance of the fruit that little brother ate? Master Lu Chen continues asking. Appearance? Zhang Xuan scratches his head. He was spouting nonsense, so how could he have possibly known how it would look like? However, since they have already gotten to this point, keeping silent would seem much more suspicious instead. Thus, he replies, It is a red-colored fruit... Previously, when he was flipping through the books in the academys Compendium Pavilion, he recalls seeing a record of a fruit simr to what Lu Chen has just described. The book is an epic of a persons travels, and a character in it had eaten a red-colored fruit and had his strength raised massively. At this moment, he could only blindly try his luck. Red-colored? Could it be crimson-colored? Indeed, it is that thing! Master Lu Chen seems to have thought of something and his breathing hastens. Master knows of it? It is theHongjin Pearl Fruit! Legend has it that consuming it will allow ones physical body to soar rapidly, granting one the strength that even a Pixue realm pinnacle expert is unable to withstand! Master Lu Chen says excitedly. Hongjin Pearl Fruit? Zhang Xuan says with a bizarre look on his face. Could it be that... such a thing really exists? Chapter 55: Surrounded (1) Chapter 55: Surrounded (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Chatting for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan was questioned on where he obtained the Hongjin Pearl Fruit from. He casually replies that he got it from the market, causing Master Lu Chen and the rest to exim at his fortune. "Right, brother Zhang Xuan, are you a local or..." Lu Chen asks. "I am a teacher at Hongtian Academy!" Zhang Xuan replies. "No wonder you possess such strength and a deep understanding towards painting!" Master Lu Chen praises him. He turns around to Huang Yu and Bai Xun who are sitting by the side and says, "Painting can mold a persons personality and train their character. Dont let fighting and killing upy your mind all day long! Since brother Zhang Xuan is a teacher of the academy, go and visit him to learn from him whenever the both of you are free. I will consider giving the person who learns a thing or two from him a pass and give them what they want!" "Yes!" Huang Yu replies with a bitter expression whereas Bai Xuns eyes are glittering with excitement. Through their crossing of blows, he understands that Zhang Xuans current ability far surpasses him. To be able to learn from such an expert is definitely much more interesting than simply just learning boring painting! At the very least, he feels more rxed learning from him than Master Lu Chen. "My apologies for the sudden intrusion today. It is getting a littlete, so master, I will be bidding you farewell. I will visit you another day!" After aplishing what he came for, Zhang Xuan decides to take his leave and sps his hands together towards Lu Chen. "This time, you came here to look for Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, but it is a pity that I dont have many of them here. I will speak to Shen Zhui about this matter a few dayster to bring you to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault to browse through them! It just happens that he seems to be out hunting these few days, so he isnt in the capital at the moment!" Master Lu Chen says. "You have my utmost gratitude, master!" Hearing these words, Zhang Xuans eyes light up. It is impossible to find more than a few Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique manuals at any ordinary location. However, in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, the location that is reputed to have the mostplete collection of books in Tianxuan Kingdom, he is surely able to find many of them! If he is able to enter the vault to browse through the Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques, he might be able to form Heavens Path Divine Art and break through sessfully! "Youre too courteous..." Lu Chen nods his head with a smile... Leaving the masters residence, Zhang Xuan heads towards the academy. The sun had already set when he was still having dinner with Shen Bi Ru. At this moment, the moon hangs high up in the sky, illuminating the ground with a cold silver glow. Going by the clock of his previous life, it should be around twelve already! Despite the time, he doesnt feel fatigued in the least. Instead, his eyes are glowing with exhration. The trip to the masters residence was truly worth it! Compiling the Heavens Path Golden Body has propelled the strengthening of his physical body, causing his prowess to soar. With his current cultivation, even if he were to meet with a Pixue realm pinnacle expert, he would be able to easily subdue them! Besides, he also found a dozen books or so on Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques. Even if it is insufficient for him topile aplete version of Heavens Path Divine Art, it should still be beneficial to his training. "My physical body has already reached 90 ding of strength. If I were to find higher tier physical body enhancement techniques, will I grow even stronger?" There may be many different secret manuals on training ones physical body in Master Lu Chens study, but they were the simplest and most basic cultivation methods. If such books could possess such effects after beingpiled by the Library of Heavens Path, does this mean that if he were to assemble together a set of more profound physical body cultivation manuals, the bookpiled would be even more incredible? If this is true, his physical body will probably y a significant part in his battle prowess in the future! Just as he is immersing himself in his delight, his ears suddenly quiver. The growth in strength of his physical body has also caused his hearing and vision to sharpen. He suddenly realizes that someone is stalking him! His footsteps sway and hees to a stop. "Those friends who are following behind me,e out!" "Hehe, I didnt expect that you would be so wary!" "What is the use of being wary! Lad, you made us lose money, dont even dream about escaping from us today..." Hula! As his voice trails off, a few human silhouettes dash out from the darkness and surround him. Every one of them look at Zhang Xuan coldly, as though staring at a corpse. "Its you all?" Zhang Xuan recognizes them. He recognizes two of those in the group as Master Mo Yang, who was exposed in the market earlier today by him, and the artifact dealer who was working with him. The remaining few should be the supports who were hidden within the crowd. At this moment, Master Mo Yangs face is swollen red and the skin around his eyes is bruised ck. A few parts of his clothes are torn off and he no longer possesses the serene and enlightened disposition and appearance from before. In fact, if one were to im that he is a beggar on the street, people would believe him. Looks like after being exposed, those victims didnt let him off the hook so easily. But thats to be expected as well. After all, which of those who were able to engage in the expensive sport of treasure spection didnte from extraordinary families? After realizing that they were scammed, they can already be considered to be kind for not killing him on the spot. The artifact dealer doesnt seem to be in a much better state than him. His two eyes are bruised ck and two sausage-like swells hang by his mouth, causing his speech to be indistinct. ring at Zhang Xuan, the resentment and anger in their gazes are clear to see. This was a ploy that they spent a fortune to set up, only for it to be wrecked by this young man here. Not mentioning how they had to spit out the meat that was already in their mouths, they even almost got beaten to death. Thus, it is understandable that they would feel intense resentment against him. "You little bastard, you sure ran away fast back then. Lets see where you can run off to now!" A maniacal gleam shes across the eyes of the artifact dealer. "You all want to kill me?" Noticing the aura of the surroundings growing eerily cold, Zhang Xuan frowns. "If you have to me, me it for your big mouth for saying things that shouldnt be said. In your next life, remember to keep your mouth in check!" Master Mo Yang sneers savagely as he clenches his fists, causing jiya jiya sounds to echo in the surroundings. The reason why their fraud failed was due to this fellow. It took them awhile before they managed to find him, so naturally, they wouldnt allow him to escape easily! "Im sorry, but I dont wish to die for now, and neither do I wish to keep my mouth in check!" Zhang Xuan says. "You dont wish to die?"Ruthlessness flickers across in the eyes of Master Mo Yang. "This isnt up to you. Brothers, kill him, slice him apart and feed him to the dogs!" "Roger!" With a cold snort, one of the support steps forward and lifting his arms up, he sends a palm down towards Zhang Xuan. The moment he makes his move, his cultivation realm is made apparent. Fighter 5-dan pinnacle! No wonder he could still escape to Tianxuan Kingdom to conduct fraud even after being ouwed by Liuzhu Kingdom. He does indeed possess some capabilities. If it was yesterday night, even if Zhang Xuan was able to emerge victorious against this fellow, he would have to utilize the strength of the Library of Heavens Path to exploit his weakness. However, with an overwhelming progress in the strength of his physical body, possessing nearly a hundred ding of strength now, Dingli pinnacle means nothing to him now. Chuckling softly, he sends a p towards his attacker. "Youre courting death!" "Number Fours nickname is Metal Palms. His hands are capable of splitting rocks. Back then, in Liuzhu Kingdom, a Pixue realm primary stage was killed by a single palm of his. Yet, this fellow dares to exchange blows with him without any preparation? The ignorant sure are fearless!" "To think that we were done in by such a fellow, what misfortune!" ... Seeing that fellow going against Number Four without dodging at all, Master Mo Yang and the rest sneer. This support may not seem unexceptional, but his strength isnt for show. His palms are capable of even striking through metal, what does a young man who isnt even twenty mean before that? To face it head on, what else can he be doing other than courting death? Just when they thought that Zhang Xuan will be crippled by the blow, they see the one whom they call Number Four Metal Palms being as weak as a b of tofu. Unable to withstand Zhang Xuans blow, his bones shatter and his rib cage sinks in as he is sted away by the force of the blow. His head stabs onto the ground first, causing him to look like a bulb of wild onion. Chapter 56: Surrounded (2) Chapter 56: Surrounded (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Surrounded (2) So it seems that he isnt weak, no wonder he is so arrogant! Seeing Number Four being sent flying by a single palm, Master Mo Yang freezes for a moment before his expression turns even more savage. Waving his hands grandly, as though he is in control of the entire situation, he says, However, your luck ends here! After which, he turns to look at the artifact dealer by the side and says, End it fast. We still have matters to attend to! Un! The artifact dealer nods his head and advances forward. Boom! Before he even strikes, he emanates an aura from his body. It is simr to the mountains and the oceans, immeasurable. If one were to close their eyes, they could clearly feel ten acupoints in the other partys body absorbing and exuding spiritual energy, each of them bright as though the stars. Pixue realm expert? Zhang Xuan is taken aback. At Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm, one starts to open up the acupoints within their body to absorb the spiritual energy from the world and refine it for their own usage. At this level of cultivation, regardless of whether it is reaction speed or strength, they would be enhanced significantly. In Hongtian Academy, this is the level of strength an elder possesses! It is beyond his expectations that a scammer would possess such strength. Are you afraid? If so, kneel down, apologise andpensate our losses! Otherwise, death awaits you! Noticing Zhang Xuans astonishment, he thought that he is apprehensive of his strength. Thus, with a long cry, he steps forward, reminiscent of a god who governs over life and death. Kneel down? Apologise? Compensate your losses? Zhang Xuan shakes his head. I am not that free to be apologising andpensating to a scammer. If you all have such an interest, you all could kneel down to me instead andpensate my losses from your assault today. This way, I can consider letting you all off the hook! What did you say? Is this fellow mad? Master Mo Yang and the artifact owner start to suspect whether this fellow is insane. Our people far outnumber you. Furthermore, we have Pixue realm experts on our side. Yet, you expect us to kneel down to a lonesome young man like you? What are you trying to act cool for? Besides,pensate your losses for the assault? You have losses my ass! The head of our Number Fouris still lodged into the ground. If we are speaking about losses, ours are significantly greater, okay? Stop spouting nonsense with him, just kill him! Master Mo Yang gestures. Un! The artifact owner nods his head. Exerting force on the soles of his feet, he charges towards Zhang Xuan with his fingers wide open in the shape of a palm. Huhu! Before he could get close, the rustling of the wind could be heard, as though an eagle trying to prey on a rabbit. It gives others an oppressing sensation, a massive pressure that they are seemingly unable to withstand. It is Number Twos battle technique Soaring Eagle! This battle technique can be considered to be superior even among those in the mortal intermediate tier. Isnt it a little too excessive to be using it to deal with a youngd? Hehe, it isnt excessive. Thisd is able to smack away Number Four with a single palm strike of his. This shows that he is pretty capable as well. However, his luck hase to an end, now that he is facing Number Twos Soaring Eagle! ... Seeing the artifact dealer executing such an incredible technique, the crowd nod their heads in approval. Soaring Eagle is in the forefront even among the mortal intermediate tier battle techniques. The moment it is executed, one will emit a majestic aura, reminiscent of an eagle hunting down a rabbit, leaving his opponent with the impression of mountains and oceans, as well as a feeling of helplessness before such overwhelming might. Even if their leader Master Mo Yang were to encounter it, he would have to retreat temporarily so as to avoid facing it head on. Soaring Eagle? The moment the other party executes his battle technique, a manual appears in Zhang Xuans head and written on it is the ws and the history of this artifact dealer. Scanning through it with his consciousness, Zhang Xuan imprints this information into his mind and suddenly, a bizarre expression appears on his face. Hu! Due to theck of time, it isnt the time for him to be pondering. The battle technique executed by the artifact dealer is already right before him. A battle technique allows one to better unleash their strength, thus bringing them to greater heights. As a Pixue realm expert who has opened ten acupoints, the artifact dealer isnt weak at all. Complemented with the mortal intermediate-tier battle technique, he carries with him a very powerful and oppressive aura. Die... A savage smile appears on his face is simr to the radiance of a flower. However, before this flower can finish blooming, his eyes narrow and a ghastly cry sounds, Ah... A tragic howl echoes across the night sky, as though a stone grinder has crushed the ears of a dog. What happened? At the very start, Master Mo Yang and the rest thought that Zhang Xuan will be crushed in an instant by the strength of Number Four. However, they didnt expect that thetter would end up so tragically. Recalling the defeat of Number Four, they swiftly turn their heads to take a look and the sight before them causes their face to twitch and they almost pass out on the spot. The young man before them totally ignores the magnificence of the artifact dealer and sends a kick upwards toward his dignity as a man. Kacha, the sound of egg breaking apart causes everyones face to twitch uncontrobly. Sou! The next moment, the artifact dealer is sent flying as though a rubber ball, crashing into a wall not too far away, forming a word. Initially, it should have been a ̫ word, but from the looks of it, there probably isnt a chance for it anymore. Incredible! Seeing how he was able to easily kick away the Pixue realm artifact dealer who was in the midst of executing his battle technique, Zhang Xuan nods his head in approval. Even though his physical body is significantly stronger than the other party, the other party is skilled in fighting techniques and possessed great speed. Zhang Xuan would have to resort to several means to cripple him, and even so, it would have taken several blows to do it. However, with the Library of Heavens Path, he is able to clearly see through the ws of the other party. As such, subduing him became an easy task. With a single kick... the bird flies away and the egg shatters. Even if he is a Pixue realm expert, he is not too far off from death from that kick. Something is amiss about thisd. Lets attack him together! Seeing Zhang Xuan smack Number Four into the ground and kick Number Two to the point that he no longer possesses his lowerpanion, no matter how foolish Master Mo Yang could be, he clearly understands that thed before him isnt simple, and his previous contemptuous gaze hardens. Hula! Upon hearing the orders, even though the remaining few are sweating profusely and a numbing sensation pervades their crotches, they dare not disobey the orders and step forward to encircle Zhang Xuan. Go! A bellow and the remaining few immediately charge forward. All kinds of powerful attacks fall relentlessly onto Zhang Xuan. Their zhenqi gushes through their meridians and the might of their attacks generate powerful shock waves. Just like the previous Number Four, the rest of them are all Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm experts. Despite the fact that they outnumber Zhang Xuan, due to his ability to see through the ws of others and his Pixue realm pinnacle level fighting prowess, they do not pose a threat to him at all. Something is not right. Why are there only these few attacks? Parrying all of the attacks thate flying towards him, a thought suddenly shes through Zhang Xuans mind, causing him to pause for a moment. The artifact dealer, who is only Number Two in their midst, possesses the strength of Pixue realm. Logically speaking, the fake Master Mo Yang should be significantly stronger than him. However, why is he not attacking with the rest of the lot? If he were to attack, perhaps Zhang Xuan might have a difficult time coping with the attacks... Just as he is bewildered over the bizarre situation, he notices a figure who had already retreated ten meters away. In the midst of his run, he shouts, You all kill him, Ill be back soon... Ah? Hearing these words, the attacking crowd stagger. There is no need to guess the situation. It is clear to see that their boss... upon sensing that the situation has gone awry, has abandoned them and fled... Shameless! Zhang Xuan shouts in surprising harmony with the rest of the supports. Just a moment ago, he was still bellowing so righteously. Yet, at the next moment, he turned around to flee, leaving his subordinates in a lurch. No wonder he was able to escape the pursuit of Liuzhu Kingdom, he is simply way too shameless to be caught that easily! Chapter 57: Storage Ring Chapter 57: Storage Ring Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex "You wont get away that easily!" This fellow had Zhang Xuan surrounded, and demanded him to kneel down andpensate him. Naturally, Zhang Xuan cant possibly let him off the hook so easily. Zhang Xuan does a quick job out of the several Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle supports and turning his body around, he heads straight for the Master Mo Yang ahead of him. With the significant breakthrough in the strength of his physical body, Zhang Xuans body movement is reminiscent of a frog. Every single time the base of his footes into contact with the ground, he will fly forward 10 meters. Despite not possessing any footwork techniques, his speed is swift like a roc. "The heck!" The frantically escaping Master Mo Yang turns his head, just to see the other party flitting towards him withrge strides, his movements simr to that of the immortals. The overwhelming shock causes him to forget to breathe for a split moment and he almost tumbles over. He thought that Zhang Xuan is amb that he can easily squeeze to death, so he fervently hunted him down to wash away the shame from the incident earlier this day. Yet, never did he expect that he would run into a lions den. If only he knew that Zhang Xuan was that formidable, he would have nevere looking for him. Judging from how young that fellow is, even if he started training inside his mothers womb, it is still illogical for his strength to rise that quickly... Master Mo Yang feels endless regret, to the point that even the thought of suicide pops in his head. If only his mouth wasnt that inauspicious for him to pick out that fellow out of the entire crowd when he was scamming the others in the treasure spection hall, the other party would not have exposed his deeds and he could have walked out of the hall pompously under the gazes of respect from the crowd, despite scamming their money. Even after his ploy was exposed, he could have just escaped the capital, and nothing would have happened. Yet, he just had to decide on exacting vengeance. Now, not only did he fail to exact vengeance, on the contrary, he became the one who is being chased like a weakling. What the heck is this... Truly, if one doesnt dedicate his soul tomitting suicide, one wouldnt die. Ah, my heart... Despite being just neen, Zhang Xuan had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path Golden Body. His body had been nourished by zhenqi, cleared of impurities, and his bones had been tempered and forged anew, causing him to look younger than his real age. At one look, he looks barely seventeen or eighteen. At such an age, an average person would only be at Fighter 1-dan or 2-dan. Yet, the moment they all made a move, it is clear to see that not even with all of thembined could they match up with Zhang Xuan. Thus, it would actually be more bizarre if he didnt choose to escape. "Stop!" Whileining in his mind, he feels a stifling sensation in his chest. Following which, a t voice sounds from his back. Peng! Before he can turn around to counterattack, he feels a sharp pain at the center of his spinal cord. He stumbles forward and with his face in contact with the ground, he flies forward, creating a deep gorge on the ground in his track. "My face..." Master Mo Yang is on the verge of tears. Without taking a look, it is clear that his face is already ruined. Kacha! As though not sparing the moment for him to wallow in self-pity, a foot steps on his head. "You should have thought of the possibility of such an oue when you came for my life..." Zhang Xuan steps on the head of the other party with an impassive expression. He had only been an ordinary librarian in his previous life. However, ever since bing a part of this world, he hadprehended the logic of might reigning supreme here. If his strength turned out to be inadequate today, he might have possibly died already. "Dont kill me. Lord, as long as you do not kill me, I am willing to hand over my years of savings to you..." Clearly feeling the other partys ability to crush his head by exerting force through the foot thats on his head, Master Mo Yang trembles uncontrobly. Comparing money with life, it is clear that thetter is much more valuable. "Oh? Show it to me then. Ill see if it is sufficient to buy your life!" Zhang Xuan replies ndly. "Yes, yes!" Hearing the other partys words, Master Mo Yang hurriedly takes off his ring with trembling fingers and presents it to Zhang Xuan. "Everything is inside. I beseech lord... to take a look!" "Inside?" Zhang Xuan frowns. What can be fitted into a ring? However, as an expert, he cant be posing such an inquiry to the other party. His mind jolts and a book appears. "Low-tier Storage Ring. Possesses three meters square of space within. ws: Inferior method of creation..." The book describes the details of the ring thoroughly. "Storage ring? To think that a giant fraudster like him would possess such a good item. Looks like Ive made a huge earning this time!" When browsing through the books on the academys Compendium Pavilion, he became aware of the existence of the mountain in a seed mystical treasure. Initially, he thought that it was a treasure that was far from his reach, to think that this fellow would possess it! Even though it is a low-tier storage ring, it should be worth at least 500000 gold coins. Even the elders of the academy might not be able to afford such a luxury. He cant help but feel surprised by a fraudster possessing such an item. However, after giving this matter some thoughts, hees to a realization. Without this item, how can he bring away the money he earned? If he were to carry the stack of money around, it would just be a matter of time before he gets discovered, caught and executed. Looks like this fellow had spent much of his fortune just to buy this. As Zhang Xuan expects, a face of heartache appears on the face of the other party as he passes the object over. Recalling the details of storage rings in the book he read regarding it previously, he drips a drop of fresh blood on it. Weng! With a jolt of his mind, a three meters square space appears in his vision. It is filled with gold coins, numbering up to a hundred thousand. His character may be sub-par, but he does have quite a bit of saving. "Lord, since you have epted the item, I beg you to spare my life..." Seeing the young man, Master Mo Yang hurriedly says. "Spare your life? It is not impossible for me to do that. If you hand over the banknotes that you have secretly hidden on your body, sparing you is just a small matter!" Zhang Xuan looks at him with a bright smile. "You... You..." With narrowed eyes, Master Mo Yang looks as though he had met a ghost as disbelief shrouds his features. A cunning rabbit has three burrows. As an experienced scammer, he has already prepared a course of action in case he gets captured. Thus, when he was running away, he secretly moved to his body the banknotes he had umted throughout the years. This is also the reason why he generously offered his storage ring over. The goal of it is to numb the other party so that he wouldnt conduct a body search on him. As long as he was able to get away safely, even if he loses the storage ring and the wealth stored within it, with such banknotes in his possession, he is able to live without worries as a wealthy man and start anew! He thought that his actions were extremely covert. He couldnt have imagined that this young-looking man had seen through his actions from the start. He... How did he know? Even if he is powerful, it is impossible for him to see through his clothes and notice the banknotes hidden within! Hu! Cant be bothered to argue with the other party, with a w, Zhang Xuan rips apart his clothes, and in ordance with his expectations, ten banknotes expose themselves between the tattered clothes. Each of them is worth 100 000, and they added up to a massive sum of 1 000 000! "Looks like I have made a huge profit this time..." Delighted to see the enormous amount of money, Zhang Xuans eyes radiate light. "I have given you all my money, so you can let me go now..." Seeing how the other party is aware even of his hidden stash, Master Mo Yang bes disconste, his previous haughty aura gone without a trace as cries threaten to escape from his throat. "Hehe. Yang Mo, an apprentice appraiser. A scammer in Liuzhu Kingdom who made his name as an appraiser, notorious for his frauds to earn wealth and the favor of women. Skilled in Voice of Allurement, which beguiles the mind of others through words, making it easier to convince them..." Zhang Xuans foot remains firmly on his head as he revealed the informationpiled on this master from the library with a smiling face. "You... You... How did you know? Who the hell are you?!" Master Mo Yangs eyes narrow as his whole body trembles intensely, as fear reflects on his face. Chapter 58: How Did He Do It? Chapter 58: How Did He Do It? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex A moment ago, when his hidden stash was exposed by Zhang Xuan, he panicked, but a portion of it was still feigned. However, the current fear that he is expressing on his face at this very moment ispletely real. He feels a chill rushing down through his body, threatening to freeze him into a snowman. It wouldnt be weird if the other party could identify him. After all, he can be considered a wanted serial offender, so theres always the possibility of an attentive person seeing through his disguise. However... The fact that he practices the Voice of Allurement is something that not eveno er and the rest are aware of. Furthermore, he had not dared reveal the fact to anyone, so how could this fellow be aware of it? This was a secret manual that he attained with much difficulty during a chance encounter. He had hidden this fact in the depth of his heart, and he could proudly dere that not a second person in this world knew of this secret. Yet, the other party was aware of it. The overwhelming shock he is feeling at the moment is about to scare him to death. There are many kinds of secret manuals. There are those on the physical body, battle techniques, cultivation techniques... However, most of these can be found easily. If one had to talk about the most valuable secret manuals in the entire kingdom, most probably, the position would have to go to those regarding secret arts that affects ones psyche. Voice of Allurement is an extremely low-tier psyche secret art. However, no matter how low tiered it is, it is still an attack on ones psyche. Once it is executed, no matter how powerful a person is, if they are unprepared, they will still fall for it. Previously, he had been captured by a Fighter 7-dan expert, he relied on this to coax the other party into sparing his life. The reason why he intentionally begged for his life is to numb the other party through such a method! Never would he have expected that not only was the other party unaffected by his tricks, he seemed to be omniscient, as though nothing about him could escape his notice. Before Zhang Xuan, he feels his facade falling off, and that he is standing buck naked before him, without a single concealment. How can he possibly not feel anxious? If he was afraid a moment ago, right now, he is feeling terror-stricken. You dont have to bother how I was made aware of these, you just have to know that these arent the only things I am aware of. Your mingmen and such, I am also cognizant of them! I can spare you, but from today onwards, if I were to find out that you are still scamming others, bringing harm onto others, death would be the only thing that awaits you! Stopping there, Zhang Xuan kicks the other partys body. Kacha! The sound of an egg shattering. The scammer Yang Mo senses a resounding st from his dantian, and strength derived from his many years of cultivation seeps away. Without strength, he dares not scam others even if he wanted to. My cultivation... Sensing the loss of his strength, Yang Mo is filled with hatred, but he does not dare to snap at him. The other party is simply too frightening. He is no human, but a demon. How can he possibly dare to retaliate when its a demon who broke his dantian and ruined his cultivation? Scram! After receiving his benefits and dealing with the scammer, Zhang Xuan walks back to the academy with widened strides. The other party is just a scammer, he isnt worth soiling his hands over. It is already around one in the morning by the time he reaches his dormitory. However, Zhang Xuan isnt fatigued at all. Too many things had happened tonight, with eventsing one after another. If it wasnt for the godly cheat Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan would had been at a loss for dealing with those situations. Lets see if I can organise those Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique manuals that I got from Master Lu Chen! Back then, he was too preupied with cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body, so he has yet to take a good look at the Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques. Now that he has free time, it is a good opportunity for him to examine them. Soon, the correct cultivation method of the dozen or so secret manuals are extracted. However, taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan feels his head bloating up. They arent connected with one another in the least... If I were to cultivate this, my cultivation would definitely go berserk and I will die! Zhang Xuan shakes his head helplessly. He might have a dozen secret manuals in his possession, but there are still too many ws in it. Even if he were to extract the correct methods from them, he is still unable to form aplete cultivation technique set. In fact, the cultivation technique set formed would be filled with even more gaps, making it impossible to cultivate it. Forget it. I better find a way to look for more manuals first! Knowing that the cultivation technique cannot be used, Zhang Xuan doesnt panic. Instead, he re-cultivates the cultivation techniques of the first three danspiled by the library. Only after ensuring that his cultivation haspletely integrated as one does he go to sleep. .......................................... Zhang Xuan doesnt know that in the period that he went to the market to purchase items, in the academy, Elder Shang Chens backyard is on the verge of exploding. Grandfather, you have to redress my grievances! With tears and snot flowing down his face, Shang Bins cry tremors even the heavens. As the grandson of an elder, he is born with a golden spoon in his mouth. Furthermore, being talented, he has always been respected by others. Yet, he had suffered all the setbacks he had never suffered in his whole life today. It is already a great blessing that he has yet to go insane. When bringing trouble upon someone, a lunatic dashed out and beat him up to a pig-head. When going out for dinner, he sees his goddess dining happily with thatd... He could still take it if his framing fails and if he embarrasses himself, but... Grandfather, didnt you say that this Sky Shattering Lion is very obedient? I ordered it to teach that useless Zhang Xuan a lesson, but not only did it not obey my orders, it even beat me up instead... The more he thinks about it, the more furious he gets. At this moment, Shang Bin is full of tears for himself. This Sky Shattering Lion before him has been squandering off his family, yet, at a crucial period, not only did it not obey orders, it even helped an outsider to assault him... He feels like tearing his hair out whenever he thinks about it. It is usually rather obedient... Shang Chen feels a little awkward. He looks at the Sky Shattering Lion on front of him with a puzzled expression. He is just a normal beast tamer, and his expertise in the field isnt particrly high. Even if he were to tame savage beasts, he could only interact with them on equal footing, and not that of a master and servant. This is precisely why the Sky Shattering Lion needs not bother about his emotions and second guess his thoughts whenever it wants to do something. However... No matter what, they are contractually rted to one another. After asking it to protect his grandson, why... did it listen to the words of the outsider and assault Shang Bin instead? Roar! Upon noticing Shang Bin, the Sky Shattering Lion holds its head up high with a proud expression on its face, seemingly proud of its deed. Seeing the expression on the Sky Shattering Lion, Shang Bin receives another 10000 damage internally. When it was with Zhang Xuan, it licked the other partys hand affectionately and treated him respectfully, as though a pug. Yet now, it is acting as haughty as a king... The heck, is my grandfather your owner or he is? Cough cough, Ill persuade the Sky Shattering Lionter when I get back. Seeing his beast pet behaving like this, clearly rejecting cooperation with him, Elder Shang Chens face turns red as he waves away the matter. Grandfather, this time, you have to teach this Zhang Xuan a lesson in my stead. It would be best if his teaching license is revoked and he is chased out of the academy! Knowing that his grandfather is of a rtionship of equals with the Sky Shattering Lion and is unable to teach it a lesson, Shang Bin doesnt dawdle on the matter and gritting his teeth, diverts the topic towards Zhang Xuan. A trash who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination had caused him so much embarrassment and left innumerable wounds all over his body, causing him to almost die even. This kind of grudge cannot be washed away even by the rapid flow of the river! Rest assured, I will settle this matter! But this Zhang Xuan, who knows what kind of luck did he stumble over, he actually managed to recruit five students. Without a reasonable excuse, even for me, it will be difficult to expel a registered teacher! Elder Shang Chen says. Registered with the continents Teacher Guild, Zhang Xuan can be considered formally as a teacher. Even as an elder of the academy, the head of the Education Bureau, as long as the other party doesnt sin deeply, he has no rights to expel him. While shaking his head, doubt shes across his eyes. As a fellow who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, everyone thought that it would be impossible for any student to acknowledge him. Yet, contrary to their expectations, not only did students acknowledge him, there were five of them. Furthermore, a few of them were within the top hundred! No one would have thought it possible if they didnt witness it for themselves. In fact... despite seeing the resultspiled by the Education Bureau, he still finds it unbelievable. This fellow... how did he do it? It is totally irrational, isnt it? Chapter 59: The Frenzied Students Chapter 59: The Frenzied Students Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex I have already found an excuse for grandfather to take action. Cao Xiongoshi has a student named Liu Yang, and this Liu Yang was coerced by Zhang Xuan to be his student. Cao Xiongoshi has already applied for an Enlightenment Will Trial, which will be conducted tomorrow. By then, as long as grandfather makes a move, it would be an easy task to strip him of his license! Shang Bin squeezes these words through gritted teeth. The deception Cao Xiong spoke of turned into coercion through his words. There is a world of difference between these two words. Deception only means that theres something wrong with that persons personality. On the other hand, coercion is a matter of morals. Coercion? Are you sure? Elder Shang Chen is taken back. Im sure! Shang Bin nods his head affirmatively. If thats the case... How about this, tomorrow, I will invite Elder Mo over for him to witness the process. If the result of the Enlightenment Will Trial shows that Liu Yang did not willingly be his student, then there is the possibility for him to be stripped of his teaching license! After hesitating for a moment, Elder Shang Chen says. Thank you, grandfather! Excitement shines in Shang Bins eyes. With the presence of teacherses qualifications, and the organisation that protects the identity of teachers is the Teacher Guild. The guild has the authority to inspect the actions of teachers, as well as to strip them of their license. There was a simr organisation called the Ministry of Education in Zhang Xuans previous world. Teachers are role models. To guide a student along their path, they must first make the students concede to them, so that they are willing to learn from them. If they were to coerce them, thus causing the student to be jaundiced, it is possible for their licenses to be revoked. As for how to gauge whether one is truly willing to be the student of a teacher, the Enlightenment Will Trial is the most impartial method. Brat, you might be gleeful now, but lets see how you can continue being so arrogant when your teaching license is revoked tomorrow! Upon the thought that he would be able to exact vengeance for all of the grudges in the past, Shang Bin clenches his fist subconsciously and a surge of exhration runs through his body. .................................... Zhang Xuan doesnt know that someone has already set up a ploy against him. After a night of rest, he feels energized. Looking into the mirror, he notices that after cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body yesterday, his body became even whiter and smoother, simr to that of an infant. There isnt a single scar or such on his body. Overall, he looks much younger as well. Those who are oblivious to his identity might even think that he is a student. Not bad! He says before heading to the ssroom with giant strides. Arriving at the ssroom, the first thing he notices is that the interiors of the room has been cleaned spick and span by his five students, and even the drinking water has already been boiled. Wang Ying, Liu Yang, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao are all energised. All of them stare at Zhang Xuan with looks of reverence and excitement. Initially, these few students had all thought that they were deceived into acknowledging a fellow who wasst in the Teacher Qualification Examination as their teacher. However, after the lesson yesterday, they realised that even though his reputation is terrible, he is, indubitably, an incredibly capable figure! This feeling resonates especially so for Wang Ying. After reciting those theories her teacher spoke of to her father and the elders of the family, they were all filled with praises for him. In fact, there were even some parts of it that they were incapable ofprehending. After which, they insisted in bringing Wang Tao over to acknowledge him as his teacher! From this incident itself, his standards are clear to see! How can one not feel excited upon having such a person as their teacher? Un, seems like everything is in order today. Zhao Ya, take this medicinal herb, crush it into powder and swallow it along with water. Also, this is a cultivation technique that I have just handwritten. If you cultivate by the methods written on it, you should be able to fully recover in three days or so! Seeing the expressions reflected in everyones eyes, it is impossible for Zhang Xuan to not know what they are thinking. Nodding his head, he passes the Frigid Sun Mother Grass, which he bought yesterday night, and a book to Zhao Ya. Zhao Yas illness was caused by her cultivation of a pure yin cultivation technique. After browsing through all of the books in the teachers Compendium Pavilion, Zhang Xuan used the Library of Heavens Path to derive a solution for her problem. Even though the cultivation technique pales far inparison to his Heavens Path Divine Art, it is still a skill derived from the extraction of the essence of ten different books, and it is still extraordinarily valuable. There are still ws within it, but the remaining ones dont really affect the whole situation. Yes! Zhao Ya grabs the medicinal herb and ces it into her embrace before casually flipping open the book. She notices that the ink is still fresh, and it is clear that it was just written. After taking a brief look at it, her eyes narrow and she looks at him in disbelief. Zhangoshi, although I am new here, I have heard of most of the renowned secret manuals in the academy. This manual... is several times more incredible than my White Jade Pure Maiden Skill. Why... have I never heard of it? Furthermore... why isnt there a name on this book! As the daughter of a City Lord, Zhao Ya has a massive collection of books in her home. She has browsed through many different secret manuals, which helped to build her eye of discernment. This book in her hand is clearly several folds stronger than the White Jade Pure Maiden Skill that she cultivated before. However... why has she never heard of it? Whenever one copies a cultivation technique, one would always write the name of the creator on it. However, not a trace of information on its creator can be seen on this book, causing Zhao Ya to be puzzled. Oh, this book is something that I have justpiled and wrote down based on your physical condition, so theres no name for it. If you find it difficult to refer to it like that, you can name it as you like! Zhang Xuan says. The Library of Heavens Path extracts the correct portions of each secret manual andpiles them into a book. The book that ispiled by the library does not have a name, and he cant be bothered to name it either. Thus, he passed it to her right after he casually copied it down. He didnt expect for Zhao Ya to ask about it, thus he answers it casually. What? Teacher... wrote it himself? This means... this is a cultivation technique created by teacher? Not only Zhao Ya was taken aback, the others also narrow their eyes and all of them nearly pass out on the spot. Every single one of those who managed to sessfully create a cultivation technique were grandmaster level figures, experts who left a mark in history! For their obscure teacher to be capable of creating a cultivation technique... Not to mention, such an advanced one, are you for real? You can say so! The Library of Heavens Path cannot be exined, and these books came out of nowhere. Thus, it doesnt matter whether Zhang Xuan says if he is the one who created them or not. Thinking nothing about it, he casually nods his head. Incredible... White Jade Pure Maiden Skill, this skill was created by a Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm expert in our family. For teacher to be able to create a cultivation technique of much higher tier than this so easily, exactly how strong is he? ... Seeing him admit to it, the five students find themselves on the verge of going insane. Since the inception of Hongtian Academy, there had been less than a few who had sessfully created a cultivation technique throughout its century of history. Every single one of them were reputable and influential figures. Yet, their own teacher is capable of the very same feat as well. They find themselves giddy-headed from the reverence they are feeling towards him. Furthermore... The most important of all, what did Zhangoshi just say? He said that, If you find it difficult to refer to it like that, you can name it as you like... The heck! Every master went through a lot just to create their own cultivation technique. Thus, they view it as their treasure and only pass it down to their main disciples! Yet, after creating a cultivation technique, not only did this Zhangoshi freely gift it to others, he is evenzy to name them, allowing his students to name them as they please... One must know that the future generations tend to only remember the one who names the skill, rather than the creator himself. Such an opportunity to leave his mark in history, but he isnt bothered about it in the least... Isnt he way too indifferent to material sesses? Ones conduct cant get any nobler than that! No wonder Zhangoshi still remains as an obscure figure despite being so capable, even carrying the notoriety as the worst teacher in the academy. To think that he would be such a noble person, a person who views fame as dirt... Zhangoshi... Upon thinking about these, the eyes of the five students redden. They are so moved that they are on the verge of bursting into tears. Whats wrong with you all? Seeing his students who were still acting normally a moment ago suddenly staring at him with reddened eyes, Zhang Xuan is confused. These students, could they have... gone mad at the same time? Chapter 60: The Greatest Person Chapter 60: The Greatest Person Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Zhang Xuan is a transcender, so how could he have known that creating a cultivation technique would result in such astonishment andmotion. As such, he is unable to understand the reason behind the expressions of the students. With a calm face, he takes out another book, Liu Yang, this manual is something I just wrote based on your situation. Cultivate ording to it, and your right hand should recoverpletely within half a month or so! Before anyone can even react, he takes out a few more books again and passes them over. Yuan Tao, you have good defensive abilities. The book I passed you the previous time is your fundamental cultivation technique while this one is aimed at improving your defensive abilities. Wang Ying and Zheng Yang as well, I havepiled your unique characteristics and wrote a book for you two each. If you two were to train ording to it, your cultivation should rise swiftly! Since they are all his students, naturally, he cant favor one more than the other. Thus, there is a gift for every one of them. These cultivation techniques are made frombining multiple secret manuals from the teachers Compendium Pavilion using the Library of Heavens Path. They are tailored specially for Wang Ying, Liu Yang and the rest of them based on their physical conditions. There are still ws in there, but there are significantly less of thempared to the other secret manuals. These secret manuals... What an impressive cultivation technique... ... Regardless of whether it is Wang Ying, Liu Yang or Zheng Yang, they are all people who are capable of telling the value of a manual. Just by taking a look at these nameless manuals, all of them tremble vigorously in agitation. The manuals can be said to be tailored perfectly to them, not to mention how incredibly high tiered they are. Comparing the manuals they just received with the ones they cultivated before, the other ones are like trash among the trash, there is totally no way to put the both of them together! Teacher, these books... we are allowed to name them? Unable to hold it in anymore, Wang Ying asks. Un, feel free to do so! Zhang Xuan waves his hand. Ah... His students stare at one another, their fists subconsciously clench tightly together. Writing a single cultivation technique is already an incredible feat. Yet, to write five of them, and every one is tailored for each of them, even allowing them to name their technique themselves... This capability and this generosity! It is unheard of in the entire Hongtian Academy! The crux of it all is that these cultivation techniques are made specially to cater to their needs... No matter how vast ones knowledge is and how enlightened one is towards the path of cultivation, they would have surely expended a lot of effort to create them. It is very likely that he hasnt slept for the entire night! Their teacher stayed awake for the entire night to toil on these cultivation techniques for them, and yet they doubted if their teacher possessed the abilities to guide them... This is too... The eyes of the crowd turn red again. This sentiment, is equivalent to changing their entire lives! Thank you, teacher! The five of them kneel down simultaneously. Staring at Zhang Xuan who is standing before them, unwavering determination appears in their eyes, Zhangoshi, rest easy. We promise to never divulge these cultivation techniques outwards. Whoever divulges them will receive any type of punishment you mete out willingly! Never divulge them? Alright! These cultivation techniques created using the Library of Heavens Path pale far inparison to the Heavens Path Divine Art, so Zhang Xuan isnt too bothered about it. At this moment, hearing his students say these words, he agrees with it nonchntly. This is the disposition of a true master! Seeing Zhangoshi indifferent to this matter, the students concede to him willingly. What is a master? This is a master! Who is the greatest person? He is! To be capable but humble, misunderstood but unfazed, humiliated butposed and calm in the face of sudden situations... To have such a teacher is a tremendous blessing of theirs! Zhang Xuan doesnt know that in this moment, he has already ascended from the ranks of a mortal to a god within the hearts of his students. After instructing everyone to cultivate as soon as possible, Zhang Xuan is free once more. A teacher should not be keeping a watch on his students, but rather, allow them to train and learn by themselves. A teacher is only responsible for pointing out their faults and direct them towards the correct path. Now that all of them have suitable cultivation techniques, as long as they cultivate as per normal, they will be able to achieve eptable results. .......................................... Hesitation appears on Shen Bi Rus wless face. However, thinking about the wonders the young man showed her yesterday, her curiosity burns once more and she determinedly walks over. She is the goddess of the academy, the idol of all male teachers and students. Everyday, the number of flowers and presents the teachers and students gift her is countless. Even so, she is nonchnt to it and never tries to approach a teacher of the opposite sex on her own. However... the young man yesterday attracts her as though a mystery, causing her to walk over without any say on the matter. In fact, she wasnt even able to conduct a lesson properly this morning due to it. Im just going over to expose him... There isnt any other reason to it! Finding an excuse for herself, she heaves a sigh of relief and proceeds forward inrge strides. Speaking of this Zhang Xuanoshi, she has known him since a long time ago. However, as she never really interacted with him, she isnt too knowledgeable of his affairs. Even so, based on the descriptions of others, there are only three adjectives to describe him. Worst! Worst! And finally, still worst! He is reputed for being the worst teacher in the academy. All along, she has thought so as well. However, yesterday, her thoughts were overturned. He could remember all the contents of a book just by casually flipping through it. Despite scoring a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination, he is able toe up with multiple answers for the questions in it. Just by eating a meal, she realises that he is a gourmet. Furthermore, to be able to persuade the Sky Shattering Lion to listen to him so easily... What used to be the worst teacher in her eyes became an enigma. Iprehension clouds over her no matter how she contemtes over it. Forget it, I will stop thinking about it. Today, I will definitely get an answer out of him... Harrumphing coldly, she raises her jade-like face. Only then does she realise that she is already standing right before Zhang Xuans ssroom. Just as she is about to enter, she sees a mummy-like person standing outside the door. Yao Han is in a dilemma. Yesterday, when he made a move and roared publicly at Zhang Xuan in the ssroom, he was reprimanded by the young mistress when they returned. After which, when he returns back to his dwelling at night, he thinks about the matter and rage wells up in him. The origin of this mess is that trash of a teacher, Zhang Xuan. If not for himmitting something indecent to the young mistress, causing the young mistress to be ckmailed by him, how could her face blushpletely red as she insists on bing his student? If not for that, he wouldnt have been beaten up to such a state when he went over to assault him at night. Unable to persuade his young mistress, his original intention was to inform the city lord of the matter, so that he can step forth and settle the issue. However, Baiyu City is a long distance away, and even the best horse would take at least half a month for a two-way journey. If he were to really leave... What if that beast of a teacher were to do something immoral? If so, even if he were to die, it would be hard for him to swallow the me! What should I do? Young mistress would definitely be unhappy with me if I were to barge in right now. However, if I do not barge in, she might get bullied and hurt... Just like that, Yao Han stood at the entrance for a very long time, perplexed. Who are you? While he is still in a dilemma between the two course of action to take, an oriole-like voice sounds. Lifting his head to take a look, he sees a beautifuldy standing at a short distance away looking at him with a puzzled expression. This beautifuldy is around twenty year old or so. She is dressed in a light purple robe which brings out her elegant figure perfectly. With skin as smooth as cream, despite not moving much, she is still absolutely gorgeous. I dont think that theres any need for me to tell you who I am! No matter what, Yao Han is a veteran who has experienced the harsh world. Thus, he recovers quickly and harrumphs. You are just a little girl while I am the butler of Baiyu City Lords Residence. Are you worthy of having me report my identity to you? Besides... Most importantly of all, how can I dare to proim my identity in such a state... Refusing to identify yourself? What do you intend to do here by covering your face then? The beautifuldy frowns. Gedeng, her heart suddenly pounds and a thought shes through her mind. This fellow, it cant be that... He is hired by Shang Bin to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson! Chapter 61: She Loves Me Chapter 61: She Loves Me Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex After inviting Zhang Xuan out for dinner yesterday, they ended up meeting with Shang Bin. For him, the grandson of an elder and a high-level teacher of the academy, to be pummeled to such a state, it would be bizarre instead for him not to seek vengeance! However, since the academy bans private duels between teachers in itspounds, could it be possible that the fellow sent someone else to intentionally mask himself so as to assault Zhang Xuan here? It is no wonder that Shen Bi Ru would think so. After all, Yao Hans dress up is way too bizarre. A thickyer of white cloth covers his entire face, revealing only his eyes. At a nce, the impression he gives others is of one unwilling to reveal his true identity! Furthermore, he refuses to answer upon being questioned! Thinking about it now, the reason why Zhang Xuan forbade her from following him yesterday was because he knew that Shang Bin would be unable to take it lying down. He knew that Shang Bin would definitely find someone to take revenge on him! A cold gleam shes across Shen Bi Rus narrowed eyes. She is the cause of this entire situation, so naturally, it isnt right for her to be watching by the sidelines. Do you know the punishment for attacking a teacher in the academy? Attacking a teacher? Yao Han doesnt expect the beautifuldy to ask such a question. He is first taken aback, but he soon recalls the event with Shang Bin yesterday. In an instant, realisation strikes him. Could it be that you are that Shen Bi Ru? The cause of Shang Bin pummeling him was due to Shang Bin getting jealous of Zhang Xuan as the both of them were vying for Shen Bi Rus favor. He will never forget this incident even if he is beaten to death. Yet, at this moment, a beautifuldy suddenly pops up and asks him whether he knows that attacking a teacher can result in a penalty. Who else can this beautifuldy be other than her? Looks like she is here to seek vengeance for Shang Bin after he pounded her pursuer yesterday. Thats right! Shen Bi Ru puts on a wary expression as her fists clench tightly together. Her aura billows, If you want avoid any trouble, leave right now. Otherwise, dont me me for being impolite! Being a Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, she exerts intense pressure on others upon releasing her full strength. Impolite? Arent you here to find trouble with me? What a lousy excuse! Seeing how she is preparing to make a move when the both of them had barely spoken a few words, Yao Hans face darkens to the extremities. As a butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence, he is a powerful figure in Baiyu City. No matter who he meets, they would always show some deference to him. Yet, over here, he was first beaten to a pulp by someone, and now, a lowly ordinary teacher doesnt even show him respect. Rage surges through him. How can he still tolerate it after hearing these words? Hisplexion darkens as he clenches his fist. Without a word, he charges forward. The moment he makes a move, the rebuke that Shen Bi Ru is about to direct towards him chokes in her throat. With no other choice, she can only face up to him. Peng peng peng! In a moment, the both of them start crossing blows. Shen Bi Ru might just be Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, but she possesses incredible stamina and profound techniques. Furthermore, even though Yao Hans fighting prowess surpasses her, due to his injury, he isnt able to take her down within a short moment. .................................... Shang shaoye, what did Elder Shang say? Shaoye -> Young master On the pavement in the academy, Cao Xiong cant resist the urge to ask the young man walking over. Rest assured. As long as that student of yours did not willingly acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher, he is dead meat this time! Shang Bin sneers coldly. This morning, Elder Shang ran over to the Teacher Guild to find Elder Mo and invited him here. As long as he brings Zhang Xuan and his student to the Enlightenment Will Tower, thetters reputation will be ruined and he will be expelled from Hongtian Academy! Thats great. The moment Zhang Xuan is expelled from the academy, Shenoshi would definitely give in to gongzis persistence! By then, it would be difficult for her to stay away from you... Gongzi -> Gentleman Cao Xiong tters him with a smile. Un! No doubt about it, Shen Bi Ru was deceived by thatds flowery talk yesterday, thats why she gave in and had a meal with him. As long as thatd scrams from the academy, I dont believe that my efforts to woo her will remain in vain! The moment Shen Bi Ru shes through his mind, self-confidence wells up in Shang Bin once again. He is the grandson of an elder, as well as a high-level teacher, not to mention that he is tall and dashing. Regardless of which aspect one is speaking of, he is countless times more outstanding than Zhang Xuan! In the entire academy, only he is worthy of an enchantingdy like Shen Bi Ru. As long as he persists on, who else can she fancy other than him? Then, I will be giving my blessings to Shang shaoye to bring the beauty home soon! Cao Xiong quickly follows up with a fawn. Rest assured, if I were to be a couple with Shenoshi, I will make sure to reward you greatly... Shang Bin wanted tough heartily, but the next moment, he identally tugs on his wounded muscles and excruciating pain surges through him. Also, other than Zhang Xuan, I will not forgive the one who beat me up yesterday, Yao Han! So what if he is the butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence? This is Tianxuan Royal City, not a ce for him to do as he pleases! That fellow pounded his face in public, leaving him disfigured. How can he possibly forgive him! Naturally! Cao Xiong nods his head. Suddenly, he freezes before quickly pointing forward, Shang shaoye, quickly, look... What happened? Shang Bin is bewildered. Unable to hold in his curiosity, he turns to take a look. In that instant, his eyes narrow, Isnt that Shenoshi? Why is she battling with someone else? That is... Yao Han! Right outside Zhang Xuans ssroom, the two are fighting intensely. One is the goddess that he thinks of even in his sleep, Shen Bi Ru, while the other is the person whom he just spoke of, the one who makes him grind his teeth in resentment, Yao Han. The two of them arent acquainted with one another, why would they be fighting? Shang shaoye, could it be... Shenoshi found out that you were beaten up by this fellow, so she felt angered and wanted to take revenge for you? After hesitating for a moment, Cao Xiong suddenly thought of a possibility andments. Un? Is that true? Shang Bin is taken aback. Indeed. Otherwise, there is no reason for the two to be fighting one another! Shenoshi has a gentle personality and treats others kindly, she doesnt get into fights easily. You should be well aware of that as well. Right after you were beaten up, she gets into a huge fight with him. If she didnt do it for Shang shaoye... I cant think of any other usible reason behind this! To be willing to go so far for you, I dare to confirm that Shenoshi has some feelings for you, and very possibly, it could be... love! Cao Xiong says. She loves me? Shang Bins body freezes, as a wave of happiness gushes through his heart. Thats right, theres no other possible reason for Shen Bi Ru to fight with that guy. Never would he have thought that this woman, despite refusing his dates and keeping her distance from him, she would actually... love him so much, and care so much for him! Even going to the extent of... battling a Fighter 6-dan expert despite being at Fighter 5-dan! This cannot do. I cannot allow her to get injured because of me! Agitation fills his heart. Shang Bin feels as though he has been revived and fighting spirit gushes through him. The debt that is the hardest to bear is one from a beauty. The other party has already gone this far. What does he have to hesitate? If he continues hesitating, then he wouldnt be a man anymore! Shenoshi, I am here to help you... With a furious roar, Shang Bin rushes upwards. Yao Han is in the midst of battling with Shen Bi Ru. After testing her out for a few dozens of blows, he has already grasped onto the offensive methods of the other party. He is confident that as long as he gets serious, he is able to defeat her within a few blows. Just as he is about to execute his ultimate technique, he hears a shout and Shang Bin appears before him. As I expected, they are a team. Damn it, damn it! Seeing his arrival, Yao Hans rage res up once more. He was suspecting whether the incident might just be a misunderstanding a moment ago, but by the looks of it now, the heck it is a misunderstanding! It is obvious that these two are in it together, and they are intent on finding trouble with him. The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. As such, he no longer holds back and strikes down mercilessly upon Shang Bin. Un? Shang Bin rushes in all of the sudden spiritedly and in the turn of an eye, he starts crossing blows with Yao Han. Shen Bi Ru is unable to react to the sudden change of situation. Upon seeing the two of them battle one another, she cant help but to be taken aback. Can it be that I have guessed wrongly, and this man isnt sent by him? The moment such an idea pops into her head, another possibility shes through her mind and her face darkens, I see, he is trying to kill two birds with one stone. No wonder I found it weird. If this masked fellow wanted to find trouble with Zhang Xuan, he could have just rushed in straight. There is no reason for him to be loitering around the entrance. From the looks of it now, it seems that he wants to y out the act of a hero rescuing the beauty so as to attract my attention. Hmph! Chapter 62: Shang Bin on the Brink of Collapsing Chapter 62: Shang Bin on the Brink of Copsing Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex No matter where a beauty goes, she would always attract the attention of males. For her, many have came up with all kinds of methods just to make her spare them an additional nce. This kind of hero rescuing the beauty is one of the lousiest tricks in the book! In such a y, either he would showcase his incredible prowess, or he would allow the other party to bash him up, thus inducing her to feel pity for him. From then on, the pity would slowly give rise to love... In any case, regardless of which, those are doings with purposeful intentions and it incurs her irritation. Uponing to this realisation, Shen Bi Ru retreats from the circle of battle. Since the both of you are doing it purposely, I wont bother with it then. You can carry on doing whatever you like... Peng peng peng peng! Seeing his nemesis charging in frenziedly, Yao Han gives his all without showing any mercy whatsoever. In just a few moments, the fearless and resolute Shang Bin is beaten to a pulp once again and fresh blood trickles down his face. Yao Han isnt any better either. Blood permeates through theyers of cloth on his mummy-like face. Such realistic acting... Go on with it... Shen Bi Ruments with arms akimbo. Shenoshi, help Shang shaoye quickly, he is on the verge of losing... Seeing Shang Bin beaten to the verge of death, Cao Xiong cant resist stepping forward to persuade her. Being just Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm, he pales far too much inparison to the two who are battling at the moment. He will just be courting death if he interferes in the fight. As such, the only viable solution is to plead with the Shenoshi standing before him. Is it alright for me to help him? Seeing the other partys supporting up to her, Shen Bi Ru sneers coldly. Yes, if you dont save him, Shang shaoye will definitely die... Unable to see through her cold intentions, Cao Xiong hurriedly says. Fine, I will go then! Shen Bi Ru steps forward. Hu! Seeing her walking over to join the fray once more, Yao Han pushes Shang Bin away with both of his hands, causing thetter to retreat two steps. Then, he steps out of the battle and says, Very well, I will remember this. Your nobility, as well as the favor the both of you have showered me with, I will make sure to return it in the future! He is wounded at the moment, just Shen Bi Ru herself is already pushing it for him. Furthermore, even if he is able to defeat the both of them, they are currently in Hongtian Academy. The longer the battle drags on here for, the more likely troublesome matters wille his way. If the other party has prepared some scheme beforehand, he might even find himself unable to escape then. Thus, after hesitating for a moment, he decisively chooses to leave. The two of them might have failed to exact vengeance upon him, and the other party has been reduced to quite a pitiful state by him as well, but this grudge has been established. It is just a matter of time before he returns it back to them... After which, Yao Han turns around to leave. In an instant, he disappears from the vision of the crowd. If a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm expert were to flee, even Shen Bi Ru will be unable to catch up with him. Besides, she doesnt have the intention to pursue him either. At this moment, the cold intention on her face deepens. The moment she is about to step in, the other party flees. What does this mean? Simple, it means that the show hase to an end. Naturally, he would have to leave... Shenoshi, I didnt expect that you would treat me so well. I understand your intentions... Seeing Shen Bi Ru charging ahead to save him, Shang Bin is filled with joy. He turns hispletely swollen red face over, smiles and strikes a pose that he finds dashing. Actually, I love you as well... Still furious with him, she is curious to see what kind of lousy tricks this fellow would use to attract her attention. Hearing these words, Shen Bi Ru almost explodes from rage. My intentions? My intentions your head! You hoodlum! Shen Bi Ru spits through gritted teeth. Pah! A p flies over. What? After mustering his courage to confess, just as he thought the beauty would leap into his embrace, he feels intense pain on his face. Uncontrobly, his body staggers and he knocks onto the metal gate. Shang Bins eyes spin and he almost faints on the spot. The heck did you p me for? Didnt you battle with someone else for me? He is almost going crazy. What the heck is going on? Friendly at one moment, furious at the next. Spring at one moment, winter at the next... Did I offend you or what... Jiya! Just as Shang Bins heart has broken down and he is still trying toprehend the situation, the door to the ssroom slowly opens. Zhang Xuan walks out and frowns upon seeing everyone else. I am the in the midst of my lessons, it is unbing for you all to be making a ruckus here. Zhang Xuan, you came at the perfect timing! Just as his heart is in the midst of crumbling, upon seeing Zhang Xuans appearance, Shang Bins rage immediately flurries, Cao Xiongoshi has already submitted an appeal to the school, using you of using deception to coerce his student, Liu Yang, to be your student! The academy has already approved the usage of the Enlightenment Will Trial, so I advise you to quickly bring Liu Yang over! Enlightenment Will Trial? Zhang Xuan is puzzled for a moment. Then, recalling the memories of his previous self, hees to a realisation and frowns. Indeed. Right now, I am passing this message to you as a representative of the Education Bureau. If you dont go, that would be disobeying the rules of the academy and simrly, you will be fired as well! Shang Bin sneers coldly. He might be unable to defeat Yao Han, and he doesnt dare to say too much to Goddess Shen. Thus, he can only direct all of his wrath onto this trash of a teacher. Zhang Xuanoshi, dont go... Shen Bi Rus beautiful eyebrows knit together. She might not know what tricks Shang Bin has under his sleeves for doing this, but regardless of what, this is definitely a ploy directed towards Zhang Xuan. The moment he agrees and a problem urs with the Enlightenment Will Trial, not only will he lose his teaching license, he might even get fired! However, before she can finish her words, Zhang Xuan interrupts her with a hand gesture and says, Alright, Ill go! It is true that Liu Yang felt indignant upon bing Zhang Xuans student before. However, at this moment, Liu Yang is alreadypletely impressed with him. Even if thetter were to tell him to jump off from a tall building to practice movement techniques, he would most probably agree to it without any hesitation. With such level of trust, what does he have to fear from an Enlightenment Will Trial? Given how confident this fellow is, lets see who will be the one to be embarrassed in the end! If you dare not go, I will inform the Security Bureau in the academy and have them take you... Thinking that Zhang Xuan would be resistant to it, Shang Bin goes on shouting righteously when the situation finally strikes him, Ah? What did you say? You will go? Zhang Xuan doesnt reply. With a faint smile, he turns around and walks to the entrance of the ssroom, Liu Yang,e with me! Yes! Liu Yang walks out from the ssroom. This... Not expecting the other party to be so cooperative, traces of hesitation appears on Shang Bins confident face. Shang shaoye, dont be worried. This Liu Yang is a student that I brought in specially. I am confident that he wishes to be my student! Cao Xiong says with a suppressed voice. Alright! Hearing his guarantee, Shang Bin nods his head and walks forward withrge strides, Lets go! You... Seeing the young man agreeing so recklessly, Shen Bi Ru feels anxious. The Enlightenment Will Trial is a method of settling disputes when two teachers have fallen out with one another but are still unable to settle the matter. The moment the trial starts, the side that is proven to be guilty of deception will receive a severe punishment! How can such a thing be epted that easily? No matter what, he should try to push it down and ideally, settle it peacefully. Otherwise... he could be in deep trouble! Its nothing much! Knowing that the other party is worrying for him, Zhang Xuan smiles lightly. Without exining anything, he lifts his leg and follows behind Shang Bin towards the academys Enlightenment Will Tower. This fellow... Seeing how the young man takes her advice for granted, Shen Bi Ru is furious and anxious. As a beauty, others would always happily listen to her own words. Yet, not only does this fellow ignore her advice, he charges towards what she is warning him against. Isnt this courting death? One must know that Shang Bins grandfather is the head of the Education Bureau. If he dares to do so, then he must have already prepared a trap beforehand against him... Leaping into misfortune on your own ord, you deserve it if anything happens to you! Shen Bi Ru stomps her leg furiously. However, after a slight moment of hesitation, she still quickly catches up with the lot. Towards Zhang Xuan, she only feels curiosity. Love is not in the equation. However, she is the reason why Shang Bin is going against him. No matter what, she cant just stand idly by the sidelines! Chapter 63: Elder Mo Xiang Chapter 63: Elder Mo Xiang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Elder Mo Xiang In the lofty Enlightenment Will Tower. Elder Mo, I will be depending on you this time! Elder Shang Chen looks at the elderly who is sitting by his side. An elder from the Teacher Guild, Mo Xiang! Elder Shang, there is no need to be so formal. After all, we are already old friends! Elder Mo Xiang is in his fifties and a sparse gray-colored beard can be seen on his face. Worry not, if this teacher really resorts to coercion, and forces others to be his students, I will definitely report it up to the guild to strip him of his teaching license! Sigh, it is negligence on my part! Elder Shang Chen shakes his head. With a bewailing look, hements, When this teacher scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, I gave him an ultimatum. If he doesnt recruit any students, he would be fired immediately... Perhaps due to pressure, he resorted to such means... It is all my fault! He sighs. Elder Shang, you shouldnt me yourself. Out of sheer kindness, you gave him another chance. Yet, this fellow knows no gratitude and, instead, he chooses tomit such despicable actions. He is truly shameless and vile! Elder Mos face darkens as he exudes a forceful aura. As a teacher, instead of pondering on how to better nurture others, he spends his time on such underhanded tricks. I would like to see who is the one who gave him the guts to resort to such means! Elder Mo Xiang is well-reputed for his hatred towards viins and viinous acts. Upon hearing about a teacher coercing the students, he is on the verge of erupting from anger. If it wasnt for Cao Xiongoshis righteousness in reporting the incident to say that his student has been coerced by that teacher, even going to the extent of applying for the Enlightenment Will Trial to resolve the issue, I would still be oblivious to all these happenings. With both of his hands behind his back, Elder Shang Chen shakes his head continuously. His contemting eyes are directed towards the empty sky, as though he hasmitted the worlds greatest negligence. If Zhang Xuan is here, he would definitely be surprised. This fellows ability at zhuangbi is far more superior than him. Zhuangbi -> Acting cool (Putting on an act) Although the Enlightenment Will Trial wounds the harmony and camaraderie between teachers, it is still worth it if it weeds out the poisonous ones of the lot. Dont me yourself too much! Seeing his expression, Elder Mo Xiang is secretly impressed. Often, a student whom several teachers favor at the same time would appear in the academy. At such a moment, everyone would try to settle the issue privately. This way, not only is the fellowship between colleagues not wounded, order is also maintained in the institution. Only when the problem is truly unable to be settled privately will they apply for such a method to resolve it. Enlightenment Will Trial, just as its name dictates, is a test on the heart of the student, allowing him to make a choice based on his true will. However, this means that the rtionship between thepeting teachers will be totally hostile, thus wounding the harmonious spirit between teachers. This is the reason why in the century since the inception of Hongtian Academy, there are only slightly more than ten applications for the Enlightenment Will Trial. They didnt expect that they would be able to encounter such an incident as well. After feigning contemtion, Elder Shang Chen secretly chuckles upon seeing that he has managed to rile up the rage of the other party. He gestures with his hand and passes down an order, Let them enter! Jiya! Immediately after his words sound, the heavy doors slowly open and Zhang Xuan, Cao Xiong, Shang Bin, Shen Bi Ru and Liu Yang walk in. Cao Xiongoshi, are you the one who has applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial? The moment everyone stops in their footsteps, Elder Shang Chen asks with raised eyebrows. I beg of elder to redress my grievance! Cao Xiong cries loudly. This Zhang Xuan coerced my student, Liu Yang, who has already acknowledged me as his teacher, thus viting the rules of fairpetition among teachers. As such, I specially applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial so as to bring Liu Yang justice. At the same time, I hope that the academy can punish this shameless fellow! Bring justice? Liu Yang is oblivious to what was going on as he was simply ordered to follow the group here. Upon hearing the words of the other party, he finally understands that Cao Xiong is trying to make use of him to deal with his benefactor. As such, he hurriedly sends a gaze towards Zhang Xuan, Teacher... Before he can finish his words, he sees fluster shing across the Zhangoshi, who was calm and formidable a moment ago in the ssroom. Indignantly, he says, Caooshi, you are spouting nonsense... Liu Yang is... willing to be my student! I... I... had never coerced him! His voice carries a trace of unconfidence and panic, as though his lie has been exposed. Err? Unable to believe his sight, Liu Yang blinks his eyes. After two lessons, he is alreadypletely impressed with Zhang Xuan, even to the extent of thinking that he is omnipotent. He feels that bing his student is a result of fairpetition between two teachers and that it can be exined easily. How did the situation evolve to such a point all of a sudden? Zhang Xuans eyes are filled with fear and his body trembles slightly, as though he was caught red-handed in the bed with someone else. Liu Yang is unable to make heads or tails of the situation... Which nerve of Zhangoshis brain is convulsing for him to behave like this? Teacher... Liu Yang looks over but before he can voice out the doubts in his heart, he sees Zhangoshi turning over to harrumph, Liu Yang, you better exin it properly. Did I coerce you or not? As he says so, he secretly blinks his eyes. Ah... No, no! Liu Yang hurriedly shakes his head. No matter how dim-witted he might be, it is clear to see that Zhangoshi is trying to pull one over the other party! It will do as long as he cooperates with him. The both of them are aware of what is going on, but in the eyes of others, it seems as though Zhang Xuan is threatening Liu Yang to say something against his will. Otherwise, why would Liu Yang answer so hesitantly? As expected, upon seeing this sight, Elder Mosplexion turns slightly awful. You must be Zhang Xuan! I will give you one more chance. As long as you obediently cancel the lessons of this Liu Yang and allow him toe under Caooshis tutge once more, I can choose not to proceed ahead with the Enlightenment Will Trial! Cancel lessons? Zhang Xuan scratches his head. Liu Yang has acknowledged me as his teacher out of his own will. It would be unfair to him if I were to push him away... Unfair? Own will? The corner of Elder Mos lips twitch. Dont you feel embarrassed for saying these words? You are just a teacher who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination. He cant be happier to push away your lessons, yet you speak of unfairness... Where did your self-confidencee from? Just as he is about to continue speaking, he hears Cao Xiong and Shang Bin shouting simultaneously, Elder Mo, this wont do! Why? The Enlightenment Will Trial is something very troublesome. The moment it starts, someone has to be punished. Otherwise, if everyone were to follow through with this process, the academy would be unable to upkeep with the expenditure! Initially, Elder Mo intends to have this incident resolved peacefully. Upon hearing the obstruction of the duo, he turns around and looks at them. Elder Mo, Caooshi has already applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial and the academy has already agreed to it. If it were to stop abruptly at this moment, doesnt this mean... mean that the academys rules are being taken lightly? Shang Bin hurriedly says. What kind of joke is this! It wasnt easy for them to set up this situation to push Zhang Xuan off the cliff. If they were to settle peacefully, doesnt this mean that all their efforts would be in vain? If so, wouldnt the humiliation he was put under yesterday be in vain? Indeed, Elder Mo. I am also thinking in the stead of the student. I hope that he can follow his own heart and choose the teacher that he favors the most, rather than being coerced into making a choice! Cao Xiong hurriedly says. His words are righteous and emotional. If not for the crimson-red palm print from Shang Bins p yesterday, he would surely be able to impress many. Alright then! Upon hearing the words of the two, Elder Mo nods his head, no longer holding up the process. Since you all have chosen the Enlightenment Will Trial, then naturally, I will have to list the rules out clearly first. After the test ispleted, whoever the examinee Liu Yang ultimately chooses to acknowledge as his teacher will be victorious in this trial. Of course, the one who loses will be punished. Thus, lets rify the punishment first! At this point, the quiet Elder Shang Chen surveys the surroundings before saying, This time, Cao Xiongoshi has chosen the harshest punishment, that is, upon the end of the trial, the losing side will be expelled from the academy! Zhang Xuan, do you have any objection to it? Upon hearing that it is the harshest punishment, Zhang Xuan looks over in disbelief. With a sincere face, he says, There isnt a deep grudge between me and Caooshi, to have him expelled... Isnt it going a little too far? Err? Upon hearing these words, Elder Shang and the others freezes. They turn and stare at Zhang Xuan as though they are looking at an idiot. Is there something wrong with the head of this fellow... You are the one who is going to be expelled, alright? Hmph, regardless of your opinion, you will have to agree to undertake the Enlightenment Will Trial! It is already toote to turn back now! Thinking that Zhang Xuan is spouting rubbish to reject the trial, Cao Xiong sneers coldly. I am really doing this for your good... I still think that expelling straight away is too harsh. How about this! Zhang Xuan hesitates for a moment before saying, Why dont we... drop with the expulsion. We will just strip the losing side of his teaching license then... add in another hundred God ying Flogs! Strip teaching license? Hundred God ying Flogs? The crowd blink their eyes simultaneously and stare at one another. Every single one of them feels as though they are going mad. It seems as though the losing side has managed to retain his position so that he wont end up jobless. However, in reality, this is much harsher than a direct expulsion. Are you sure that you didnt misspeak? Chapter 64: Trust Level Chapter 64: Trust Level Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex If one is expelled from the school, at the very least, he would still be a teacher. Even if not in Hongtian Academy, he can still teach at other academies! On the other hand, if ones teaching license is revoked, it would mean losing their identity. No matter where they go, it will remain as a stain on their history and they would suffer from the mocking of others! Thats precisely the reason why Elder Shang Chen got Elder Mo from the Teacher Guild here. After all, despite being the head of the Education Bureau in Hongtian Academy, he doesnt have the qualifications to strip a teacher of his teaching license. Just, he didnt expect that... before he could even talk about it, this fellow has already brought it up! Furthermore, adding a hundred God ying Flogs into the mix... God ying Flog is a unique object created specially within Tianxuan Kingdom. Ones flesh will tear apart and they will feel excruciating pain when beaten by it. Yet, it doesnt hurt their core. No matter how powerful a person is, they would probably be half dead by the time the sentence ispleted. Do you find the punishment insufficiently harsh, or do you think that you arent dying fast enough? Everyone looks at the young man as though he is an idiot. Zhang Xuanoshi, you... From behind, Shen Bi Ruoshi barely managed to avoid fainting on the spot. Are you really unable to tell that this is a trap Shang Bin and Cao Xiong specially dug out for you? Their purpose is for you to leap in. Initially, being expelled from the school is already harsh enough. Yet, not only do you not try to push it down, you even raise the stakes up higher. Have you really gone insane... Dont me anyone else since you are courting death! Harrumphing coldly, Cao Xiong looks at Shang Chen, who is standing in the middle of the crowd. Elder Shang, I concur with Zhangoshis suggestion. I hope that the academy can grant our request. Seeing him ept it so readily, Liu Yang ps his forehead and looks at him with eyes of sympathy. Zhangoshi is really evil! He first feigns guilt so as to boost the other partys confidence. After which, he makes use of the situation to up the stakes. Most probably, Cao Xiongoshi wont even know what is going on even after he is yed to his death! It is fortunate that he became my teacher. Otherwise, my life would be over... Upon recalling how he almost became the student of this Caooshi, Liu Yang shudders and cowers backward. Un, alright then. Since both parties have agreed on the stakes, then lets start the process! Elder Shang Chen nods his head. Two crystal balls, about the size of a watermelon each, are brought forward and ced on a stone pedestal. Completely transparent, they radiate warm light. These are crystal balls made of Will Inquisition Stone. Zhang Xuan and Cao Xiong, both of you will drip a droplet of fresh blood on one of them each! After which, Liu Yang will touch them and the crystal balls will reflect the true thoughts in his mind in the form of Trust Level! The one whose trust level is higher, he will emerge victorious! Are there any other questions? Elder Shang Chen asks. None at all! Zhang Xuan and Cao Xiong nod their heads. The Enlightenment Will Trial is actually a simple process. It only involves making use of the Will Inquisition Stone to peer into the innate world of the student. Whichever teacher the student trusts more, that teacher wins. The rules might be simple, but the Will Inquisition Stone is an expensivemodity, not to mention that it is the type of product that is exceptionally rare. Furthermore, it is a single-use consumable. Thus, unless required, the academy is unwilling to use such means. As for the expenditure required for the process, normally, it ispensated by the losing side. In the eyes of Cao Xiong and the rest, Zhang Xuan is just an incapable trash who had scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination. How can it be possible for Liu Yang, a student among the top hundred, to be his student willingly? He is bound to lose the moment the trial starts! By then, not only will he be expelled from the academy shamefully, he will be bankrupt as well and his reputation will be in the gutters. Truly killing three birds with one stone. Lets begin! Seeing that the two have no objections to it, Elder Shang Chen gestures with his hand. Zhang Xuan and Cao Xiong walk upwards to a crystal ball each and drip a droplet of their fresh blood on the crystal balls. A warm glow radiates and their faces reflect in the Will Inquisition Crystal Balls. Go! Elder Shang Chen says. Liu Yang walks over and ces his left and right hands on a crystal ball each. Weng! The crystal balls immediately light up and their radiance envelops his entire body. The Will Inquisition Stone has hypnotic abilities. The moment onees into contact with it, one will descend into an illusory realm. In there, all actions done will be a result of ones true will, and no external factors will influence ones will. If one was truly forced to be a student, not only will one not hold any trust towards his teacher, one might even hold feelings of abhorrence towards him! As such, the Enlightenment Will Trial is the most straightforward and urate method to differentiate whether a student is truly willing to acknowledge a teacher! Gazing upon Liu Yang who had already closed his eyes and descended into the illusory realm, Elder Mo Xiang slowly says. Indeed, trust level represents the level of trust one holds towards another, and the maximum of which is a hundred points. Every ten points is a demarcation zone and zero points means an absoluteck of trust! Ten points means slight trust, twenty means average trust... The rtionship between a teacher and student tends to be around thirty. It is said that the more incredible teachers can make a students trust in them reach fifty. That is considered an extremely fearsome result, and it is extremely rare for such results to appear, even considering the entire Tianxuan Kingdom! After all, a childs trust towards their parents only hovers around sixty or such! Elder Shang Chen strokes his beard as he continues. The conversation between the two is, in fact, telling the others about the concepts behind the Enlightenment Will Trial. Humans are thinking creatures and each of them has their own thoughts. It isnt that easy a feat to have one trust in another. Not mentioning others, even ones parents, who have lived with them since young, are unable to reach a hundred points of trust! Needless to say, a teacher. Only through long periods of interaction can ones trust level in another slowly rise up. Yet, it has been barely two days since the start of school. Furthermore, given Zhang Xuans horrid reputation, how can he induce trust in any of his students? It is clear to see even when thinking with ones toes. Right, Elder Mo, I heard that one of the prerequisites to be a Master Teacher seems to be the students trust level, may I know if it is true? After exining the process, Elder Shang Chen remembers something and is unable to hold in his curiosity, he asks. Teachers can be divided into low-level, intermediate-level and high-level. Zhang Xuan belongs to the bottom category, low-level, whereas Shen Bi Ru and Shang Bin have already attained the ranking of high-level. Most peoples journeyes to an end as a high-level teacher. The two famous teachers of Hongtian Academy, Lu Xun and Wang Chao, are also at this level. Master Teachers are a level above that of high-level teachers! Master Teachers arent just famous for their reputation, they possess their unique insights into cultivation. One can only be stronger under the tutge of such a person, allowing them to eventually bing a heroic figure of a territory. Emperor Shen Zhui is neither the queens son or the eldest son. By logic, it is impossible for the crown to be passed down to him. However, it is said that during his youth, he once studied under a Master Teacherfor a few days, causing his strength to increase by leaps and bounds, thus bing the strongest of the younger generation. Eventually, he even became the number one expert of the royal family, therefore forming the basis for him to inherit the throne to further the countrys greatness! It is the dream of countless people to study under a Master Teacher! Teachers can only be considered as a lower upation of the Upper Nine Paths. However, if one were to be a Master Teacher, then even among the numerous upations among the Upper Nine Paths, they are without a doubt, and indisputably, a member of the number one upation. This is especially so, given the upations frightening ability to rally people. Even the popr upations, apothecary, cksmith, formation masters... arent able topete at all! Teachers are known to have innumerable students all over the world. This is even more true for Master Teacher. It is very possible for any expert one sees or hears of to be his student. The moment something happens, many people will answer to their calls, to the point that even those in authority dare not offend them. It is said that there was once an emperor from a great kingdom who offended a Master Teacher. With a single call, dozens of Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm experts surged in, and in less than a day the entire kingdom was destroyed. The royal family waspletely purged, not a single descendant of their bloodline remains. This is precisely why it is a known fact among cultivators that one can offend anyone, just not a Master Teacher! Who knows how many students he has? Who knows how many experts there are in their midst? Offending them is equivalent to stirring a hos nest. Even if one doesnt die, he will be crippled! Of course, the title of a Master Teacherm isnt that easily attainable. There are many conditions and prerequisites to it, and earning a students trust rapidly is one of it. Chapter 65: Ten？ Chapter 65: Ten Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Indeed, one of the requirements to bing a Master Teacher is to have a students trust in him exceed 60. This is a standard prerequisite! Otherwise, they wont be qualified! Elder Mo Xiang nods his head. 60... Elder Shang Chen cant help but be astonished. This level of trust is equivalent to the position of their parents in the heart of the students! Despite being together for their entire life, the trust level between parents and children are only 60. It is clear to see how difficult it would be for the rtionship between a teacher and a student to reach such a level as well! It is no wonder that there isnt a single Master Teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom. The prerequisites are simply too harsh! If Lu Xun and Wang Chao of your academy were to maintain this standard for thirty years or so, there is a possibly of them bing an Associate Master Teacher! Elder Mo strokes his beard. Theres no need for Master Teacher to do everything by themselves. Sometimes, they would delegate tasks to their assistants to help them. The role of an Associate Master Teacher is just like an apprentice. It is a path one must walk on if they intend to be a Master Teacher. Associate Master Teacher? Elder Shang Chen gasps in surprise. For them to be able to be Associate Master Teachers,, this clearly shows the standards Lu Xun and Wang Chao possess. I wonder what the trust levels the students the both of them are guiding have towards them are... He cant help but ask. Throughout these years, they have garnered quite a positive reputation. Those older students whom they have guided for many years should be able to reach up to 40! However, it will be difficult for it to rise any higher! Elder Mo shakes his head. Being an elder from the Teacher Guild, he is knowledgeable about the circumstances of many teachers. Thats true! Shang Chen nods his head. It is difficult to rue trust and yet, it falls exceptionally easy. Often, it could be torn apart by just a small incident. If that isnt the case, Master Teacherwouldnt possess such tremendous reputation! Ive heard that... a genius youngdy has appeared in our Teacher Guild. Despite being just eighteen or neen this year, she has already be a low-level Associate Master Teacher? Upon recalling a news, Elder Shang Chen cant resist asking. Shes the daughter of our guild leader. She is indeed a talent! Upon bringing up this person, Elder Mo strokes his beard and nods his head inmendation. Associate Master Teacher can be split into low-level, intermediate-level and high-level as well. To join one of their ranks under twenty is a fearsome aplishment, even considering the fact that she is only a low-level Associate Master Teacher. Incredible! Upon receiving confirmation of the fact, Elder Shang Chen nods his head inmendation. He might be the head of the Education Bureau of Hongtian Academy, but in reality, he is just a high-level teacher. He doesnt have the qualifications to be a low-level Associate Master Teacher. After which, Shang Chen doesnt go on further on the topic. Instead, he looks at Zhang Xuan and Cao Xiong, Elder Mo, how much trust level do you think the both of them will receive? .............................. You... Its best for you to leave now. Leave Hongtian Academy and nevere back... Seeing the young man stand there foolishly to await the results of the Enlightenment Will Trial, Shen Bi Ru cant help but to walk forward and direct these words to him with a suppressed voice. In her perspective, Zhang Xuan and Shang Bin are two people frompletely different worlds. If it werent for her, there is no way the two would mix together. Such a circumstance has arisen because of her. If Zhang Xuan were to be beaten a hundred times by the God ying Flog and have his teaching license revoked, she will definitely feel guilty about his plight. You wish to leave now? Its a little toote! Seeing his goddess showing concern towards another man, Shang Bin spits these words through gritted teeth. You dont even show the slightest concern when I am reduced to this state, and yet, you worry about this fellow who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination. Damn it, damn it! His face turns savage and he is so angry that he might explode at any moment now. Thats right, the Enlightenment Will Trial has already begun. You wish to leave? Dream on! Cao Xiong walks forward and reveals a face of enthusiastic savagery. The results are about to be out. By then, you will understand how foolish your actions were! Are you that certain that you will achieve victory? Seeing how confident the other party is, as though the winning ticket is in his hand, Zhang Xuan shakes his head and asks. Hehe! Staring at the young man as though he is a fool, Cao Xiong sneers coldly, Let me tell you the truth then. This Liu Yang was specially invited here by me. I have been living with him for half a month and our trust level should probably exceed 20! What about you? Do you think you are capable of reaching 10 points? After deceiving him over to your side from me forcefully, I think it is very possible for your score to be negative! While zero means no trust whatsoever, negative means resentment. The greater the resentment, the more negative the number will be. He still clearly remembers Liu Yangs lingering and reluctant gaze when he was pulled away from him. How can someone who has guided a student to go berserk make this proud fellow concede to them! It is very probable for the rtionship between the two to still be frosty, so how can Liu Yang not bear any resentment towards this fellow! Hongtian Academy is the number one academy of Tianxuan Kingdom. If a student were to really hold a trust level below that of ten points towards his teacher, his teacher will probably be aughingstock and the event will be known across the entire kingdom! Shang Binughs mockingly. Oh, thats right. I forgot. Since your reputation is already as bad as it can get, there is no need for you to worry about bing aughingstock... You all... Seeing the two of them putting him down, Shen Bi Rus angry face flushes pink. Just as she is about to refute them, she notices that the person in question, Zhang Xuan, is still maintaining an impassive and calm face towards their insults, as though he isnt bothered by their mocking at all. To tell the truth, Zhang Xuan really doesnt care about it. These fellows can talk as much as they can now. When the resultes out in awhile, it will be interesting to see them cry... .............................. The two of them? Hearing Elder Shang Chens words, Elder Mo Xiang hesitates for a moment before deducing, This Liu Yang was rmended here by Cao Xiongoshi, so his trust level towards him should be slightly higher. Even so, in my opinion, it should only be around 18 or 19. After all, 20 is arge hurdle to ovee! As for Zhang Xuan... If he truly coerced Liu Yang, then it is likely for the trust level to be negative! If the trust level turns out to be negative, Hongtian Academy will be embarrassed. At that moment, I will be depending on Elder Mo! Elder Shang Chen says. Naturally! Elder Mos eyes are bright and stern. As an elder from the Teacher Guild, I will not allow such scum to appear in our midst! If it turns out to be negative, then there is no doubt that Liu Yang has been coerced into acknowledging him. I will report the incident up to the guild and adamantly push for Zhang Xuans teaching license to be revoked! Hearing the other partys promise, Elder Shang Chen smiles. Then, his eyes twinkle and he points forward, Look, the results are about to be out! The moment his voice sounds, the light the two crystal balls are emanating from the center of the room starts to waver and gradually dims. In the Enlightenment Will Trial, the person who is involved in the trial has to go through all kinds of illusory realms before they are able to make a choice from the bottom of their heart. At this instant, the fading of the light means that he has already undergone the experiences required for the test, and the results are about to be revealed. Weng! Numbers lightly waver into existence on the crystal ball by the left. The results are out. Misfortune is about to befall you... Seeing the numbers slowly floating into existence on the crystal ball, Cao Xiongs excited eyes gleam. This time, not only will he be able to ept Liu Yang back under his tutge, he will also be able to throw Zhang Xuan out, and earn the favor of Shang Bin shaoye. With such a pir of support, wont his future in the academy be smooth-sailing? Shaoye -> Young master Probably, in less than a few years, he will be able to rise through the ranks sessfully to be a high-level teacher. Just as he is getting excited over the scene ying in his mind, the numbers in the crystal ball finally stop wavering, and they appear before the crowd. His trust level in me definitely exceeds twenty... Roaring, Cao Xiong hurriedly turns his attention to the crystal ball. Yet, with a nce, his excitement chokes in his throat and he feels like a duck who is grasped at its neck. His eyes widen to the point that they are about to fall onto the floor, This... How can this be possible? The results unfolding before him drives him to the brink of insanity! This is something he dares not to imagine! Liu Yang is a student whom he personally invited over. Furthermore, the two even apanied one another for half a month, giving rise to their close rtionship. How can he possibly only hold such a level of trust towards him? The giant numbers on the crystal ball are clear and conspicuous. As though a long sword, it stabs into his heart-----10! Liu Yangs trust level towards him is a mere 10 points! Anything below ten means ack of trust. Ten is right at the boundary, but it isnt too far off from it. Just a moment ago, he even narcissistically boasted that the trust level would be at least twenty. Yet, the result ps him hard in his face. Is this the basis of your confidence? Zhang Xuan looks over. I... Cao Xiong fails to catch his breath and almost faints on the spot. I had gone through so much trouble, traveling the distance to find you and bring you over. After which, we even spent so much time together. Yet, how can your trust level be so low... Brother, what is wrong with you... Looking at Liu Yang, the thought of suicide even shes through Cao Xiongs mind. Where is the trust? Where is the basic trust between humans? Chapter 66: This Cant Be True! Chapter 66: This Cant Be True! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Only 10 points? Not only does Cao Xiong feels himself going insane, even Elder Mo and Elder Shang Chen cant help but blink their eyes in disbelief. To apply for an Enlightenment Will Trial with just that meager trust level. May I ask... where did your self-confidencee from? If you wish to take a student off the hands of another teacher, you should at least possess unparalleled standing in the heart of the student. Otherwise, you are just making a fool out of yourself. Initially, we thought that his trust level towards you should be able to reach at least twenty. Even though it isnt a really high number, it is still within an eptable range. Yet... The heck, 10? Are you sure that you arent joking with us! Elder Shang Chens face darkens. An inauspicious omen looms in his mind. One doesnt fear a godly opponent, only a pig-like teammate. It is clear that the pig-like teammate has already appeared. By the side, the corners of Shang Bins mouth twitch and white foam almost spills from it. Before we came here, you dered proudly that Liu Yang would definitely be willing toe under your tutge once more. With this level of trust, tutge it was you said? Tutge your head! The heck! You are trying to fool me, arent you! So what if his trust level in me is just ten? Liu Yang has a skeptical personality and he doesnt believe anyone easily! His trust level in me might just be ten, but as long as you fail to exceed that, I will still be the victor! A momentter, Cao Xiong recovers and howls at Zhang Xuan. Skeptical personality? If he truly has such a personality, then the situation makes sense! Elder Mo nods his head. Humans differ from one to the other. There are a few who are born trusting, while others are born skeptical. No matter how close and amiable a rtionship one possesses with him, he cant help but be suspect of them. This has something to do with the situation one grew up in. If one is born in a treacherous ce full of schemes, it wont be an easy task to establish trust with them. Based on his judgement, Liu Yang should possess a trust level of around seventeen to eighteen towards Cao Xiong. Yet, it turns out to just be ten. If it is true that the former has this kind of personality, then everything fits together perfectly. Thats right. As long as his trust level towards you does not exceed 10 points, then it is still unknown who the oneughing at the end will be! Shang Bins eyes light up and he nods his head. He decides to ce his trust in Cao Xiong once more. Caooshi might not be famous in the academy, and he isnt a star teacher either. However, he has many good reviews. When put against Zhang Xuan, it is like the difference between a delicacy and dung, totally iparable. If the former only has ten points, thetter is bound to have far worse results! At this point, the crowd continues staring at the other crystal ball. The light has yet to fully fade from it yet, and it is still shrouded in a thinyer of light. Why isnt the result out yet? Shen Bi Ru frowns slightly. Different illusory realms appear in the tests of the Will Inquisition Crystal, so naturally, the time taken for each of them will be different as well. It is normal for some to be faster than the others! Hearing the words of his goddess, Shang Bin steps forward and putting on a knowledgeable look, he exins. As the grandson of the head of the Education Bureau, he knows quite a lot more about the Enlightenment Will Trial than most of the other teachers. Normally, this kind of acting cool can attract quite a lot of screams, given his dashing looks and extraordinary aura. Just that, it is a pity that the areas around his eyes are bruised ck and his face is swollen red. His lips are as though two hanging sausages and he isnt much different from the hunchback from the clocktower. In fact, it seems as though the word dashing has nothing to do with him at all. Then, will be results be better if the test ispleted faster, or if it ispleted slower? Ignoring his attempt to act cool, Shen Bi Ru continues asking. Of course faster is better! If the trial ispleted faster, it shows that the student undergoing the trial trusts his teacher from the bottom of his heart to the point that there is no need to even ponder over his instructions. On the other hand, if the trial takes a long period of time, it means that the student does not trust his teacher, and a negative score could very possibly appear... With his hands behind his back, Shang Bin smiles faintly. With a confident look, he says, Shenoshi, trust me. I might not have undergone the Enlightenment Will Trial, but I have read numerous books regarding it. For Liu Yang to be coerced by Zhang Xuanoshi to acknowledge him as his master, he is bound to hold some resentment against him. It would be normal for him to score a negative ten or so... Just as he is dering proudly, rationalizing the reason behind the theory out for Shen Bi Ru, he feels a tug on his shirt, interrupting him from his recount on the ending he expects to ur. What are you doing? Shang Bin knits his eyebrows together in displeasure. It was hard to him to gain an opportunity to perform before his goddess. Yet, someone just had to interrupt him at such an untimely period. Turning around, it is Cao Xiong. At this moment, Cao Xiongoshis eyes are filled with fear and his body trembles uncontrobly. The confidence he had a moment ago haspletely faded. He points forward and says, Shang shaoye, look... Shaoye -> Young master Looking towards the direction of the finger, the glow from the crystal has finally disappeared without a trace, and a line of numbers has floated to the surface. Why? Could it be that his score isnt a negative... In the midst of his words, Shang Bin nces at the numbers that have appeared on the crystal and in that instant, he almost bites his tongue tomit suicide. How is this possible? This... I dont believe it! Shang Bin is about to go crazy. The numbers are clearly disyed on the crystal ball 64! This means that the level of trust has reached 64 points! A fellow who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination actually managed to get his students trust in him to reach the level of a Master Teacher,parable to that of the trust between a child and his parents... How is this possible? Shang Bin looks at Cao Xiong. At this moment, the thought of killing him even shes through his mind. He feels a stifling sensation in his chest and blood seems to be welling up at the back of his throat. It was difficult for him to find an opportunity to act cool before his goddess. He proudly dered that ones results will get worse as time goes by, only for such a situation to ur... The heck, are you ying with me? Furthermore... Caooshi, can you be a bit more useful? Didnt you say that this student has a skeptical personality? My ass he has a skeptical personality! How can someone skeptical hold 64 points of trust towards others? Didnt you say that you are confident of winning? 10 points against 64 points... The heck do you intend to win like this... Tears streaming down his face, Shang Bin feels a stinging sensation on his face. It feels as though his face has been pped mercilessly by someone else several times. At this moment, he wishes fervently to find a hole to hide in. 64? Different from the disbelief and mental breakdown of the other two, Elder Mo stands up abruptly and trembles in agitation. This level of trust has already reached the standards of a Master Teacher. Even for him, it is the first time he has seen such results! A fellow who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination could actually induce such trust from his students? How did he do it? Furthermore... It has just been two days since the start of school. Even if this Zhang Xuanoshi and Liu Yang had stayed together throughout the entire period, at maximum, they could only have thirty hours of interaction with one another. In such a short period of time, to get ones trust level beyond 60... Even the legendary 1-star Master Teacher will find it difficult to achieve such a feat. There are also different tiers to Master Teachers. 1-star is the lowest of them all. Even so, the prestige and influence they hold are sufficient to drive others insane. The two elders, is this considered as my victory? Cant be bothered with the stunned Shang Bin and Cao Xiong, Zhang Xuan directs his gaze towards Shang Chen and Mo Xiang. Impossible, there must be a problem with the crystal. Otherwise, how can he have such a high trust level? I will not ept this result! Cao Xiong howls. It is no wonder that he is unwilling to ept it. It is as though a beggar he has been interacting with suddenly turns out to be an emperor. As someone who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, he thought that the results would definitely end up as a negative. Yet... Not only is it not a negative, it turns out to be an overwhelming 64, surpassing all teachers within the school. His will can already be considered rather strong given that he has yet to go insane at this point. I also agree with Caooshis words. How can he induce such a level of trust in his students? If it is true, doesnt that mean that even Lu Xun and Wang Chao are iparable to him... Shang Bin steps forward and says through gritted teeth. Hearing the words of the two, Elder Mo is about to say something when he sees Liu Yang, who has justpleted the trial, walking over to Zhang Xuan with glowing eyes that are filled with reverence. Chapter 67: The Arrival of the Wang Clan Chapter 67: The Arrival of the Wang n Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex This reverencees from the depth of his heart. There is no way to feign those bright and clear eyes. That gaze is indubitably the gaze that one directs at someone whom he is impressed with. There isnt the slightest impurity in his gaze. With a single look, Elder Mo Xiang knows that Liu Yang truly reveres this Zhangoshi, and that it isnt a fault with the crystal! Shut up! Knowing this, Elder Mos face darkens. Cold intentions exude from his re, The Will Inquisition Crystal tests ones heart, forcing them to make the most correct decision in their opinion. Never has a problem urred with it, and it is impossible for it to malfunction! If you continue on with this nonsense, I will throw you both out! I... Seeing Elder Mo so angry, Shang Bin and Cao Xiong go mute, not daring to say a single word more. You... How did you do it? Upon seeing this result, Shen Bi Ru covers her mouth in shock, unable to believe that such a result is possible. A trust level of 64, even the star teachers of Hongtian Academy who have led their students for several years cant possibly obtain such results. From yesterday, this young man has been bringing her countless surprises. She didnt expect that the surprise today would be even greater! No wonder he is fearless. Looks like he has already known that he would win! Since I have won, should we carry out the terms we had agreed on, stripping Caooshi of his teaching license andshing him with a hundred God ying Flogs? Zhang Xuan looks over. Since he started the affair, then he should have realized that the same could happen to him as well! I am a transcender from the modern civilization with a gift pack, do you think that I will allow an ancient person like you bully me? This... Elder Shang Chen is in a dilemma. He had intended to help his grandson vent his anger, yet... Not only does he fail to vent his anger, he is pped in the face once more. With an awkward expression, he is at a loss of what he should do. Lets not let things go too far. Zhangoshi, since you have won, lets just let this matter drop! After a moment, Elder Shang Chen says. Let this matter drop? If I was the one who lost, Elder Shang Chen probably wont be saying such words! Zhang Xuan frowns. If he was the one who lost today, it is within expectations that the Education Bureau would pursue this matter to no ends. It would be impossible for him to not be expelled! Yet, now that he has won, he actually wants to try to settle this with just a few words... What kind of joke is this! Audacious! Elder Shang Chens face darkens. Mind your identity! You are just a lowly low-level teacher who managed to stumble upon some luck that allowed your students trust towards you to grow rapidly. This is just a one-time exception, is there anything about it to be gleeful about? If you are truly capable, then raise their cultivation realms before we talk about this matter! You have only earned the trust of a single individual, what significance can this hold? Thats right! This Zhang Xuan is born with the innate ability to deceive others, but so what if the trust level towards him is high! If Im not wrong, the reason why the student he had taught previously went berserk is because he had trusted him too much, thats why he was deceived, causing him to regret his entire life! Hearing the chastise, Cao Xiongoshi quickly reacts and pushes on. Trust level is just a criterion to evaluate a teachers standards. It isnt reflective of their true abilities. There is only one way to prove a teachers capabilities. That is... to make their students strength grow rapidly! So what if your student trusts you as though you are their parents? If you dont have the ability to guide them along, you still arent a qualified teacher! Berserk? Elder Mo frowns. Elder Mo might not have heard of it, but this Zhang Xuan has once caused the cultivation of his student to go berserk! Due to this incident, all of his students fled from him. Thats also the reason why his Teacher Qualification Examination ended with zero marks! Cao Xiong says with a savage expression. I suspect that the reason why Liu Yang trusts him so much is because he used some special deception methods. Otherwise, how can a fellow who has scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination raise the trust level of a student to be above 60 in just two short days? This... It isnt impossible for the words that they speak of to be true. In the past, there was a teacher that used a special method to delude a student so as to take the examination to be a Master Teacher. The method he used is simr to hypnotism, causing even the subconsciousness of the student to think that he is worthy of trust! However, these methods are limited by time. After the duration ends, the students psyche will be severely damaged! Could it be that... this Zhang Xuan has used a method simr to that? If thats truly the case, it would mean that he doesnt care about the safety of his students at all. Not only is he an unqualified teacher, he would be a criminal as well! A teacher should concentrate mainly on nurturing others. If one were to win the trust of his students, yet not possessing the relevant knowledge to impart to them, his students will only be misguided, causing an even greater catastrophe! Thats precisely the reason why no one in or out of the academy trust him, and why he is unable to recruit many students! His results this term are better than the previous one, but even so, he had only recruited five students! Shang Bin interrupts the conversation contemptuously. Only recruited five students? That number is indeed a little low... Elder Mo nods his head. Regardless of the number of students I have recruited, and whether I am able to teach my students well or not, this is the Enlightenment Will Tower, and my student and I are here to participate in the Enlightenment Will Trial. We have alreadye to an agreement on the stakes beforehand. Now that I have won, do you all intend to go back on your words? Zhang Xuan says. Theres no use rambling on about those useless things, the other party is clearly trying to divert the topic after their loss. Audacious! How can a teachers teaching license be revoked so easily because of a gamble? Arent you taking this too lightly? Ever since Cao Xiongoshi joined our academyst year, he has been working diligently. He has nurtured a Fighter 2-dan intermediate stage and innumerable talents joining our ranks had identified him as the teacher they want to acknowledge. He has brought glory and honor to our academy! What about you? You are the only person to have scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination in the hundred years of history of Hongtian Academy, what rights do you have to be spouting nonsense here? Elder Shang Chen flings his sleeves and says, Alright, lets just end the matter like that! We will talk about it when you are able to cultivate a student to Fighter 2-dan intermediate stage and when more students are willing to acknowledge you as their teachers! Elder Shang... Shen Bi Ru raises her eyebrows. Initially, she didnt intend to say anything, but never did she expect that an elder would actually help Cao Xiongoshi to cheat. Fury rages in her heart. They shouldnt have made this gamble if they were afraid to carry out the punishment! They were the one who proposed the gamble, and yet now, they are trying to push away the consequences upon losing. Arent they being too shameless! Shenoshi, my grandfather is right. No matter what, Cao Xiong is a respectable teacher of our academy. It is making a big fuss to have him expelled over such a minute affair! Besides, firing such a talent is a loss to our academy... Shang Bin says with a bright smile. You... You are being unreasonable! Shen Bi Rus face flushes red. Just like what Zhang Xuan said, if he had lost, will you all let him off just like that? What does he count as? Can he bepared with Cao Xiongoshi? Can he nurture a Fighter 2-dan student? Can he attract countless students to the academy through his reputation... Shang Bin sneers coldly. Dong dong dong! Before he can finish his words, knocking sounds echo from outside the hall. Is there anything? Elder Shang Chen frowns. Following which, Zhouoshi, the teacher on duty today, pushes the door open and walks in. Elder Shang, there are people outside seeking an audience. They im to be... n head Wang Hong and elders of the Wang n of Tianxuan Royal City! The teacher says. n head Wang Hong? Hurry up and invite him in! Upon hearing that n head Wang Hong hade personally, Elder Shang Chen stands up abruptly, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. The powers in Tianxuan Royal City areplicated. To be one of the Four Great ns and remain standing even after a hundred years, their umtion through the ages and strength is one to behold! In fact, the standing of n head Wang Hong is in no way inferior to their vice-principal! For a person of such standing to pay a visit to him along with the elders of his family, just the honor from the act itself is enough to send him into a frenzy. If word were to spread out, it will definitely add a beautiful and powerful stroke to his reputation and qualifications. Chapter 68: Paying Respect to Teacher Zhang Xuan Chapter 68: Paying Respect to Teacher Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Grandfather, I have heard of n head Wang Hong. He is listed in the potential Zongshi board and he ranks within the top ten most influential figures within the kingdom. His cultivation has already reached Fighter 7-dan pinnacle, just a step off from Zongshi! Why would a person of such standing pay a visit to you? Shang Bins eyes shine in excitement, although he still finds the situation before him unbelievable. In Tianxuan Kingdom, those who know of the royal family are aware of the Four Great ns as well. n head Wang Hong, as the strongest individual in the Wang n, has already reached Fighter 7-dan pinnacle and his name spreads far and wide. Normally, it is impossible to fawn on such a person even if one intended to. Yet, today, he specially made the journey to pay a visit to his grandfather. If it werent for him hearing the news first-hand, it would be hard for him to think of it to be true! Haha, it must be Wang Tao! Elder Shang Chen chuckles. Wang Tao shaoye? Shaoye -> Young master Thats right. Wang Tao is the eldest son of n head Wang Hong and eventually, he will seed his position in the Wang n. Not only did I ept him as my disciple, I even sessfully brought his strength up to Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm. Thinking of it now, the n head might be aware of my efforts to nurture him, thus, he came here specially to express his gratitude! Elder Shang Chen strokes his beard, indescribable gleefulness can be heard from his words. Wang Tao... is his student? Listening to their conversation, Zhang Xuan is taken aback. He is aware that Wang Yings brother was epted as a disciple by an elder. However, never would he have imagined that the elder would be him. Yes! Shen Bi Ru nods her head, although herplexion is still awful. It would be better for you to expend your energy on thinking of a solution to your problem. Elder Shang Chen is obviously against you, and now, he has the Wang n behind his back as well. In the future, he will be even more domineering. Even if you were to stay in the academy, you will be in for a difficult time! Well talk about it in the future! Zhang Xuan doesnt care about it at all. Even if the other party were to pick against him, he isnt someone that can be bullied so easily. At most, he just has to reveal his strength and settle the matter with strength! After all, with the Library of Heavens Path which allows him to see through the ws of others, it is hard to say which one of them will emerge victorious. You... Seeing the fellow behaving so nonchntly, Shen Bi Ru stomps her feet furiously. She has been worrying about him, and yet he doesnt care about it at all. How infuriating! Lets go and wee them! Gleefully, Elder Shang Chen hurriedly leads Shang Bin and the rest to the entrance of the academy. A personal visit from the n head of one of the Four Great ns, it would be worth the effort even if they had to wee him from outside the academy, needless to say, its entrance. If he can strike a connection with them, then it is possible that he might even be a candidate for the position of vice-principal for the selection that is going to be held next year! Elder Shang! Before reaching the entrance, a group of seven to eight people walks over with widened strides. The one leading the group is a middle-aged man. There is an authoritative tone between his brows. It is clear with one look that he has been in an esteemed position for a long time. The n head of the Wang n, Wang Hong! There are a few elderly following behind him, and every movement of theirs exudes the strength of one that is at minimum Pixue realm. Without guessing, it is clear to see that they are the elders of the Wang n. At the very back, there are two youngsters. One of them is Wang Tao while the other one is the grandson of the 2nd Elder, Wang Yan, who was just admitted into the academy this year. It is said that he has been admitted as a student of Lu Xunoshi. Possessing decent talent, he is favored by him. I am ttered by the personal visit of n head Wang. If there is any matter, you can always just pass a message to me. Coming over like this, I am... very honored! Elder Shang Chen hurriedly says. There is no need to be so formal. To tell the truth, I do have a matter that I require your help on... n head Wang Hong replies with a smile. n head Wang, feel free to speak! Elder Shang Chen quickly responds. If he is able to do him a favor, then surely he would be able to sessfully climb on the massive tree known as the Wang n... Im sure Elder Shang has already heard of my youngest daughter, Wang Ying. Ive heard that she had acknowledged a teacher named Zhang Xuan... n head Wang Hong speaks slowly. Zhang Xuan? Is n head Wang here to find trouble with him? Shang Bins eyes twinkle. He almost leaps from the overwhelming tion upon hearing those words. Previously, he saw Wang Tao shaoye outside Zhang Xuans ssroom, and he knows that Wang Ying was deceived into bing Zhang Xuans student. It is within his expectations that the Wang n would not allow such a thing to happen. However, not even in his dreams would he have expected that the other party would make a move so swiftly, even having their n head toe in person to settle the issue! Clenching his fists tightly, Shang Bin roars frenziedly inughter in his mind. So what if you have won the Enlightenment Will Trial? This is the Wang n, one of the Four Great ns of Tianxuan Royal City! Not mentioning how you are the worst teacher of the entire academy, even if a reputable teacher like Wang Chao were to offend them, he will also be in for a ride of misfortune! Given that Shang Bin is able to think of such a possibility, naturally, Cao Xiong also arrives at the same conclusion. His entire body trembles intensely in excitement, as though he is afflicted with epilepsy. Shut up! This isnt the ce for you to speak! Hearing his grandson interrupt n head Wangs words, Elder Shang Chen quickly chastises him. Even though he is the head of the Education Bureau, he has too much work that requires his attention. All he knows is that Zhang Xuan has recruited five students, but as for who the five are, he ispletely oblivious to it. As such, he didnt know that Wang Ying is also his student. Dont worry about... n head Wang Hong waves his hand to show that he isnt bothered by Shang Bins interruption. However, halfway through his words, Wang Tao steps forward and shouts, Father! Whats wrong? n head Wang Hong frowns. That person there is Zhang Xuanoshi! Wang Tao points. Upon walking into the hall of the Enlightenment Will Tower, he spots and recognizes Zhang Xuan. He is Zhangoshi? Looking over, n head Wang Hongs eyebrows shoot up. Thats right, this person over here is our academys Zhang Xuan! He never thought that Zhangoshi would be so daring to even deceive Wang Ying. A gleam shes across Elder Shang Chens eyes as he introduces him with a smile. Hehe! This time, he is in for a tough time. n head Wang is decisive when ites to killing others. He isnt asw-abiding as us teachers... He deserves it, to dare to even deceive the precious daughter of n head Wang. Arent his guts a little much too inted... Seeing n head Wang Hong turning his attention to Zhang Xuan the moment he walks into the hall, Shang Bin and Cao Xiongugh heartily in their hearts at his misfortune. Which of those who managed to be a n head of the Four Great ns arent vicious? As the academys worst teacher, he is courting death for trying to coax the daughter of such a person! Just when the two thought that Zhang Xuan is doomed this time, an incredulous spectacle suddenly unfolds before them. They only see n head Wang Hong taking two step forward to stand before Zhang Xuan. He isnt as angry as they expected him to be, neither does he assault him as they expected him to. Rather... with an excited expression, he bows deeply and carefully, Wang Hong pays his respect to Zhang Xuanoshi! His attitude makes it feels as though he is paying respect to some great leader, fearful that his abrupt appearance and words will incur the displeasure of the other party. The heck! Surely my eyes are mistaken! This... How can this be? Shang Bin and Cao Xiong spasm simultaneously, and the both of them almost lose consciousness on the spot. What is going on? This isnt how the script should go. Shouldnt n head Wang Hong roar at Zhang Xuan upon catching sight of him, then pummel him while hes at it? Why did he suddenly bow, and even pay respect... It might just be a formality, but not even his own grandfather, Elder Shang Chen, has the privilege of being greeted like this just now... What rights does a fellow with a score of zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination have to be entitled to such a greeting? Calm down, n head Wang Hong. Being angry hurts ones liver. The worst teacher in the academy isnt worthy of your wrath... Un? Cough cough... Initially, Elder Shang Chen had wanted to y the role of a good person so as to pretend to persuade him otherwise. However, halfway through his words, he sees that sight unfolding before him. In this instant, he feels as though he has eaten a dead rat. His smile freezes on his face and he almost chokes to death on his saliva. Didnt you say that Zhang Xuan deceived Wang Ying to be his student? Didnt you say that n head Wang Hong is here to find trouble with him? Can someone tell me, what the heck is going on here? Chapter 69: Withdrawing from Tutelage Chapter 69: Withdrawing from Tutge Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex n head Wang, you... Not just the crowd is shocked, even Zhang Xuan is slightly bewildered by the current situation. Even if he had taught Wang Ying, there shouldnt be any need for him to specially make the journey to visit him. You treated my daughters legs and imparted to her incredibly profound knowledge. It is only fitting for me toe in person to show you my gratitude! n head Wang nods his head. The issue with Wang Yings legs has always been a weight on his heart. Not only did this teacher treat her disability, he even brought about a rise in her strength. His capabilities are alreadyparable to a Master Teacher! Before a Master Teacher, even his identity as the head of the Wang n means nothing at all! She is my student, so it is natural that I have to guide her well. This is where my responsibility lies, so theres no need for you to be thankful to me! Zhang Xuan nods his head. The responsibility of an educator is to impart knowledge, impart skills and rify doubts! In his previous life, although he might have just been a librarian in a high school, he was still a member of the teaching faculty. As such, he holds high respect and love towards this upation. Since Wang Ying is his student, there is no reason for him to feel smug for solving her problems to allow her to cultivate better. Upon seeing the calmness he speaks with, the crowd goes insane once more. This is the head of the Wang n! It is like a beggar meeting a billionaire! How can he still remain so calm, not anxious in the least at all? This is where my responsibility lies. Good, good! Taking this scene into sight, Elder Mo strokes his beard and he nods his head in approval. As the winds of the world change, the ancient values gradually corrode. In the pursuit of fame and benefits, many teachers have already forgotten their primary objective. It is respectable for this Zhang Xuanoshi to be able to remain true to his core. With this kind of mindset, along with Liu Yangs high level of trust and n head Wang Hongsmendation and respect, could Elder Shang Chen be mistaken? At this point, doubts start to bloom in Elder Mos mind. Before he came, he had heard many criticisms about Zhang Xuanoshi from Shang Chen, causing him to think that he is truly a useless trash who is only capable of deceit, ttery and bringing harm upon others. However, by the looks of it now, this doesnt seem to be the case at all! However, he chooses to keep his misgivings to himself and continues to watch over the situation. n head Wang, please proceed in! As expected of an elder, Shang Chens awkward expression recovers swiftly as he invites the group from the Wang n to their respective seats. n head Wang Hong! Elder Mo sps his hand. Oh, it is Elder Mo Xiang from the Teacher Guild. What kind of wind brought you here today? Only noticing Elder Mo now, Wang Hong quickly stands up. The Teacher Guild is the number one guild, rising above that of the Apothecary Guild, Formation Master Guild and many others. Even if the cultivation of the elders in the guild is notparable to his own, they still arent people that a mere Wang n can afford to offend. There is some minor matter that requires my attention! Elder Mo casually replies. Then, with a puzzled look, he gazes over, Even if Wang Ying xiaojie were to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher, there shouldnt be any need for you toe over personally to pay a visit to him! Xiaojie -> Miss/ Young mistress Who is this person before him? The n head of one of the Four Great ns, an incredible expert who lords over a formidable power! Even if his daughter has acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her teacher, and Zhang Xuan had treated the disability that had been guing her for a long time, the situation still shouldnt warrant a personal visit on his part. Looks like Elder Mo is still as wise as always! Indeed, I have something that I need to trouble Elder Shang Chen for! n head Wang Hong nods his head with a smile. Oh? Trouble me? n head Wang is too polite. Feel free to speak whatever you need me! As long as it is within my abilities, I will try my best to aplish it! Hearing that the other party has something to ask of him, Elder Shang Chens self-confidence recovers. He looks at Zhang Xuan gleefully as he strokes his beard, putting on an attitude of superiority. You just happened to treat Wang Yings disability by coincidence, thus impelling n head Wang to spare you an additional nce. However, if we were to look at the situation carefully, regardless of identity or the ability to nurture others, you still pale too much inparison to me! Look, n head Wang has something to ask of me... Its like this. My son has been under your tutge for these few days and he has been under Shangoshis care. I apologize for noting over personally earlier to express my gratitude to you!With a hand gesture from n head Wang, an elder walks forward and presents something. This is a token of my appreciation for the concern you have shown my son these few days! n head Wang, theres no need to be so polite. Teaching and nurturing the young generation is the duty of a teacher, I dare not ept your present! Elder Shang Chen quickly rejects it. Given that Elder Mo from the Teacher Guild is here, even if he wanted to ept the presents, he would need the guts to do so! Elder Shangs upright character is worthy of admiration! Upon the other partys refusal, n head Wang Hong waves his hand as he drops the matter. Then, he hesitates for a moment before continuing, Actually, there is something I would like to discuss with Elder Shang today. Recently, my son has been facing some problems in his cultivation. He realized that elders lessons werentpatible with him. So... can you withdraw him from your tutge? Withdraw from my tutge? Upon hearing these words, the calm on the surface but gleeful on the inside Elder Shang Chen staggers and almost falls down. Withdraw from my tutge? Why would you want to withdraw from my tutge all of a sudden? A student withdrawing from a teachers tutge is equivalent to pping him in his face, as this means that the teachers ability to impart knowledge is sub-par. Initially, he thought that n head Wang Hong was here to delegate some task to him, so he was feeling gleeful about it. In the end, the reason for his visit turns out to be this matter. The heck, if news of it were to spread out, he might even lose his position as head of the Education Bureau! He could very well die from the shame! Indeed! I hope that elder can fulfill this request of mine! n head Wang Hong says. This... Elder Shang Chen feels a fiery sensation on his face, as though someone pped it. He feels like throwing a temper, but at the same time, he dares not to. After hesitating for a long period of time, he squeezes out a smile and says, n head Wang, dont worry about it. Since your son has already made his decision, then I will grant his request! After which, he takes the identity jade token from the other party and drips a droplet of his fresh blood on it. Weng! His lessons n on it has been erased. My gratitude, Elder Shang! n head Wang Hong nods his head in satisfaction as he passes the jade token to Wang Tao. Theres no need for such words. The rtionship between a teacher and a student should be mutual. If he is unable to adapt to my teachings, it is perfectly normal for him to want to withdraw from my tutge. Just that, may I know which teacher Wang Tao wants to acknowledge after withdrawing from my tutge? As his heart bleeds, Elder Shang Chen squeezes out a smile. Wang Tao is an extremely famous student under his wing. He is an incredible existence that is able to score within the top ten in the level examinations every year! For such a person to withdraw from his tutge... Just by thinking about it, he feels like pulling his hair out. At the same time, he is also perplexed. Since n head Wang Hong is adamant to have his son withdraw from his tutge, who will he have him acknowledge? He is an elder, as well as the head of the Education Bureau. He might not be the best teacher in the entire academy, but he is considered as a star teacher. There are many people who would squeeze their way toe under his wing! He truly cant think of anyone who could make the head of the Wang n specially make the journey here to help his son withdraw from his tutge and switch to that of theirs. Oh, I already have a candidate in mind! n head Wang Hong stands up and walks over to Zhang Xuan. Courteously, he asks, Zhangoshi, is it possible for you to ept my son, Wang Tao, under your tutge? Can you ept him as your student? What? This... This shouldnt be happening? To withdraw from Elder Shang Chens lessons, just to be Zhang Xuans student? Seeing his actions and hearing those words, the entire Enlightenment Will Tower goes deathly silent. Everyone has gone insane. Especially Elder Shang Chen, he almost pukes a mouthful of blood and dies on the spot. n head Wang Hong, you must be joking! Withdrawing from my lessons just toe under the tutge of a fellow who has scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination? Shang Bin and Cao Xiong are dumbfounded. The trash teacher whom they had viewed contemptuously before actually made the head of a n personally step forth to persuade an elder to withdraw his son from his tutge so that his son coulde under his wing. The great heavens and the vast earth, can you be any more unreasonable... However, before the crowd could recover from their insanity, they hear the faint voice of a young man echoing in the room. My apologies, but I refuse! Gudong! Everyone falls to the floor. Chapter 70: Doubts Chapter 70: Doubts Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex The heck! Refuse? Brother, are you serious? Shang Bin, Cao Xiong and Shen Bi Ru tug on their hair, every single one of them on the verge of going mad. The thrill that they have experienced today is much more than what they have experienced in their entire lifetime. Who is Wang Tao? One of the top ten geniuses in the academy. There isnt a single teacher who isnt vying to pull him under their wing. Back then, Elder Shang Chen only managed to rope him in through exploiting his identity as the head of the Education Bureau... A genius like that, apanied with the personal plea from the Wang ns head... The hell, you actually refused it? Shang Bin and others feel as though they have just incurred 10000 damage, and they find themselves unable to catch their breath. Just a moment ago, he just criticised him for being unable to recruit students. Yet, the next moment... the Wang ns head sends his son over to him! However, what is the most shocking of all is that... he refuses to ept him! My heart, my liver... Elder Shang Chen feels fresh blood coursing erratically around his throat, threatening to spurt out at any moment. Is there still justice in the world? Is there stillw in the world? I am an elder, not to mention the head of the Education Bureau. It is one thing that you withdrew from my tutge to acknowledge a fellow who scored zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination as your teacher. The worst of it all is that he refuses to ept... Elder Shang Chen feels as though his face has been torn off violently, ground and scattered onto the floor. At this moment, he wishes fervently for a hole to appear in the ground so that he can conceal himself in it. Too embarrassing! He feels as though his dignity has been thrown away all the way to his grandmothers house! Standing by the side, Elder Mo Xiangs eyeballs are also about to fall to the floor. Just a moment ago, his opinion of Zhangoshi has improved, but by the looks of it now, it seems that it is still insufficient! Refuse? Awkwardness reflects on the face of Wang n head. He immediately shoots a nce at his son. I beg Zhangoshi to ept me as your disciple! Wang Tao hurriedly steps forward, kneels on the floor and looks at Zhang Xuan with a sincere expression. It is true that he has looked down on this Zhangoshi before. However, upon seeing his younger sisters legs being healed and an explosive surge in her strength, as well as recalling how his sword was mped by two mere fingers of the other party, he is already impressed with him from the bottom of his heart. I refuse! Zhang Xuan waves him away. A student can choose his teacher. Simrly, a teacher can also choose his students as well! Yesterday, this Wang Tao barged into his ssroom. Not only was he disrespectful, he even pointed a weapon at him. How can he possibly ept such a student under his wing? Back then, even though Zhao Ya had only challenged him verbally, she was still punished to clean the washroom! If a teacher were to not have any dignity, his students will look down on him. If thats the case, how can his guidance bear any results on them? I know that I was rash and I had offended Zhangoshi, but on the ount that I am still immature and ignorant of etiquette, I hope that you will not hold it against me! Knowing the reason behind his refusal, Wang Tao hurriedly speaks. The dignity of a teacher cannot be sullied. After he wielded a sword to attack Zhang Xuan, it is one thing for the other party to not to fuss over the matter. Yet, at this moment, he still hopes to be admitted under his tutge. It is no wonder that his request would be rejected! Indeed, my son is ignorant of teachers greatness, so he was a little rash back then. I hope that you can forgive... n head Wang Hong quickly exins. Wang n head, there is no need to say these. I dont think that this is the reason why Zhangoshi refuses to ept your son! At this point, an abrupt voice echoes in the room. Tracing the source of the voice, it came from the one who had just lost in the Enlightenment Will Trial a moment ago, Cao Xiong. If it was just a moment ago, with Elder Shang Chens prestige and standing, he is surely able to annul the punishment for him. If that fails, he can also think of methods to drag the punishment out, allowing the agreement to gradually fade out of view. Yet, at this moment, the n head of the Wang n, Wang Hong, came over to beg Zhang Xuan. It is very probable that he would be unable to escape the punishment from the Enlightenment Will Trial if the situation were to continue on like this. In any case, the situation is already irreversible. There is no need for him to worry about souring his rtionship with Zhang Xuan even further. Un? Hearing someone interrupt his words, n head Wang Hongs face darkens in displeasure. This Zhang Xuan only has the strength of a Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm whereas Wang Tao shaoyes current level of cultivation is Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm. Since his strength is unable to match up with him, how can he guide him or give him pointers? The reason why he is reluctant to ept him as his student is because he is aware of it as well! Shaoye -> Young master With a savage expression on his face, Cao Xiong roars. Indeed, his strength doesnt even match up to Wang Tao shaoye. To think that he would even consider epting him as his student, what a joke! Shang Bin immediately reacts and hurriedly adds in. n head Wang, please reconsider your decision. Its alright for Wang Tao shaoye to withdraw from my tutge, but if he were to acknowledge someone whose cultivation realm is lower than him as his teacher, it would be difficult for him to raise his cultivation level in the future! A gleam shes across Elder Shang Chens eyes as well. Thats right, the Zhang Xuan standing before them only has the strength of a Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm. This is a fact well-known by everyone in the academy. A Fighter 4-dan expert acknowledging someone weaker than him as his master, this in itself is a joke! This... Gedeng, n head Wang Hongs heart beats. He has heard of Zhang Xuans incredible theories from Wang Yings mouth, but he doesnt know his exact level of cultivation. Although Wang Tao had attacked him before, as he had never told him about it, he isnt aware of it either. If what the other party says is true, and this Zhangoshi only has the strength of Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm, then he is truly incapable of teaching Wang Tao! It is true that a teacher who is knowledgeable in theories can impart them to his student, but only by cultivating it and testing it out first-hand will he have a greaterprehension of it. If the teacher himself has yet to reach such heights, then it is unlikely that he is able to teach them well. This is just like in Zhang Xuans previous life. If the teacher himself is incapable of solving a problem, then how can he teach his student to do it? There are many matters that a teacher is required to be precognizant of so that the student can take note of them while cultivating. Otherwise, no matter how many incredible theories a teacher might wield in their brain, they are just like a reflection of the moon on theke, unable toe to be of practical use. Zhang Xuan, even if you wish to teach Wang Tao shaoye, do you have the ability to? If you dont, stop putting on an act here. With your strength as a Fighter 3-dan, you might be able to muddle some freshmen who have just entered the academy, but dont dream about doing the same with the older students! Seeing Zhang Xuan remaining silent, savagery and excitement gleam in Cao Xiongs eyes. Indeed, n head Wang. What Cao Xiongoshi says makes sense. Zhang Xuan himself has yet to break through to Fighter 4-dan, so it is natural that he is unsure of the method of cultivation at that level. How can he guide a students Pigu realm cultivation like that! Regaining his confidence once more, Elder Shang Chen says as he strokes his beard. No, your words are wrong! Hearing the mocking of the crowd, Wang Tao hurriedly stands up to exin. Who says that Zhangoshis strength is unable to match up to me? Yesterday, when I unintentionally offended him, I attacked him with my sword using my full strength. Yet, he managed to catch my sword easily with just two fingers of his. Such a feat is impossible if he is only at Zhenqi realm! Catch with two fingers? Haha, Wang Tao shaoye, even if you wanted to spare him some dignity, you need toe up with something more believable! Cao Xiong sneers coldly, You are a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm expert and your strength exceeds 700kg. Furthermore, given the weight and the speed of your de, even a Pixue realm primary stage expert will find it hard to take it on bare-handed, needless to say with two fingers... You cant be trying to tell me that our Zhangoshi, who scored zero for the Teacher Qualification Examination, has reached Pixue realm, just like the elders of our school! A sword is light and flexible in its movements, and the full strength attack of a Pigu realm advanced stage expert is fast as lightning. If the other party isnt well-versed in the opponents swordsmanship and know precisely where the attack is going tond beforehand, even a Pixue realm primary stage expert will find it hard to catch his attack... Yet, Wang Tao actually said that the worst teacher in the academy managed to catch his attack easily... You must be joking! Ive seen it too, teacher used two fingers to hold his sword in ce! Liu Yang exins in a fluster as well. He has seen the situation that day with his own eyes and there isnt any falsehood in his words. However, given his high trust level in Zhang Xuan, the moment he says it, it seems as though he is helping him to cover up the lie. n head Wang Hong, you are a great n of cultivators! Ignoring the exnations of the two, Elder Shang Chen sneers coldly. Do you think that someone who isnt at Pixue realm intermediate stage is capable of catching Wang Tao shaoyes full strength attack? This... n head Wang Hong hesitates. Catching Wang Taos attack at full strength with just two fingers, this is a feat that average Pixue realm experts will find difficult to aplish! This Zhangoshi might have incredible theories, but to reach Pixue realm intermediate stage at such a young age... Even he finds it hard to believe. After all, it is too shocking! Wang Tao shaoye, I understand that you said those things intentionally to bring up Zhang Xuans reputation because you want him to ept you as his student. However, there is a limit to everything. Sometimes, going too far isnt good... Seeing Wang Hong stumped, Elder Shang Chen opens up his arms majestically and speaks with a wise demeanor. Just as he is about to continue chatting casually with n head Wang Hong and bring up some profound theories to prove that what Wang Tao said was untrue, he hears the voice of the teacher on duty sounding from beyond the room once more. Elder Shang! Whats the matter? Elder Shang Chen frowns in displeasure. Didnt you see that I am in the midst of acting cool? How can one be so incapable of reading the situation! There is someone outside who is seeking an audience with Zhang Xuanoshi... The teacher on duty says in a fluster. Looking for Zhang Xuan? Who? Whats going on today? Why is everyone looking for Zhang Xuan today? It is... the son of Zhennan Wang, Bai Xun xiao wangye! The teacher on duty says. Chapter 71: The Arrogant Young Bai Wangye Chapter 71: The Arrogant Young Bai Wangye Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Bai Xun xiao wang ye? Xiao -> Young Everyone in the room is taken aback. This Bai Xun may be young, but he is a martial arts genius. At just seventeen years old, he has already reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle, causing his name to spread far and wide in the entire Tianxuan City. Emperor Shen Zhui oncemented that it is very possible for him to be the youngest Pixue realm expert in the kingdom. Zhennan Wang is preupied with guarding the southern borders and thus, he doesnt reside in the capital. As a result, this young wangye doesnt attend sses at Hongtian Academy. However, due to his outstanding results, he managed to be admitted into the even more incredible Beiwu Academy! Beiwu Academy is a school with a 1-star Master Teacher in it! All those who are able to pass the examination to join its ranks are all famous geniuses. These few days, Zhennan Wang returned to Tianxuan City to report on his duty. As such, Bai Xun followed him to the capital as well. Just that... What is he doing here, looking for Zhang Xuanoshi... One is the worst teacher in the academy while the other one is a supreme genius, son of an influential and powerful official... There is no way topare the two at all! Is it possible for the two of them to know each other? But their social positions are way too different! Hurry, invite him in! Elder Shang Chen may not know what is going on, but he dares not to be discourteous to him. As such, he quickly gestures for the teacher on duty to escort him in. Hu! After a moment, a white-clothed young man walks in withrge strides. There are a few retainers following behind him. They are all equipped with metal armor and their eyes are cold. The young man may not be advanced in age, but he exudes a powerful aura. The might of his entire body radiates as though the sun, exerting an intense pressure upon others. Despite being Fighter 5-dan pinnacle experts as well, just by the aura itself, it is clear that he is much stronger than Shang Bin and Shen Bi Ru. Paying respect to xiao wangye... Shang Chen, n head Wang Hong and the others stand up from their seats at the same moment. The Wang n may be titled as one of the Four Great ns, butpared to the powerful official who is tasked with the duty of guarding the kingdoms south, they are stillcking. Regardless of when and where, those who are inmand of military might are always the ones who have the loudest words. Ah! Master Zhang, you are here indeed... Casually waving them away, he ignores the respectful Shang Chen and the others and scans the surroundings. He suddenly catches sight of a familiar figure and excitedly rushes forward to Zhang Xuan. Why are you here? Zhang Xuan frowns. Master Lu Chen has asked you to learn from me, but... You dont have to be so obedient to reallye knocking! My dad will be leaving after he is done reporting on his duty, so I cant remain in the capital for long. Thus, I have to make use of every second to learn from master so that I can pass the test! Bai Xun exins. Master? How did Bai Xun xiao wangye get acquainted with him? Furthermore, they seem to have a close rtionship? Isnt his title a teacher? Why did he call him a master instead? Upon seeing that Bai Xun is indeed here to seek Zhang Xuan and that the both of them seem to be in a close rtionship, everyone is dumbfounded once more. What is going on? They actually know each other... Isnt Zhang Xuan a teacher? Master... What does this title mean? Furthermore... Zhang Xuan, whats with your attitude? Didnt you see that even Elder Shang and n head Wang bow upon seeing the young wangye? Not only did you not bow, you even frowned. Frown your head... Who gave you such guts? Audacious! Elder Shang Chen cant hold it in anymore. He walks forward with an intimidating aura, Zhang Xuan, how can you speak to the young wangye like this? Hurry up, bow and pay your respects to him! To think that you would be oblivious to basic etiquette despite being a teacher. Such ack of propriety, you are truly a disgrace! After which, with a face full of smiles, he turns to Bai Xun, Bai xiao wangye, dont get angry. This Zhang Xuan possesses weak strength, not to mention that he is clumsy and ignorant of etiquette... Before he can finish his words, he sees Bai xiao wangyes eyebrows knit tightly together. A frosty aura appears in his eyes and he seems as though a lion whose hair is standing on ends, ready to strike. Who the heck are you? Scram to the side! Going by seniority, Master Zhang Xuan belongs to my grandfathers generation, yet you dare to speak of such words! Are you trying to court death? Grandfather? Gudong! Everyone falls to the floor once more. What the heck is with this method of addressing? Bai xiao wangyes father is Zhennan Wang, who is a peer of Emperor Shen Zhui... Yet, you say that his seniority is equal to that of your grandfather. Doesnt that mean that he is of even higher standing than Emperor Shen Zhui? Elder Shang Chen, who was iparably arrogant a moment ago, trembles uncontrobly, nearly passing out from shock. What the heck is going on? What in the world happened... Especially for Shang Bin and Cao Xiong, the both of them feel as though they are going psychotic. Grabbing bunch after bunch of their hair out, their eyes seem as though they are about to leave their sockets at any moment now. Even Elder Mo, who has been watching the situation withposure all along, feels an ache on his chin. Unknowingly, he has torn his beard out. Thats right! Grandpa Zhang is a master painter of an era, and his prowess is incredible to the point that even three of me are incapable of matching up to him. Yet, you dare to say that he is audacious and weak? The heck, you must be tired of living! Or perhaps, you are trying to look for a sparring partner? Bai Yang! Bai Xun gestures his subordinate forward. Your humble subordinate is here! Immediately, a middle-aged man steps forward from his back. p him! Bai Xunmands. Yes! The middle-aged man wasnt conspicuous in any way when he walked in. However, at this moment, when he lifts his eyelids, a bloodthirsty aura gushes out instantaneously, as though a demon that stepped over a million corpses to climb out of hell. He might be the same cultivation realm as Elder Shang Chen, the both of them being of Pixue realm, but his aura is much strongerpared to thetter. Supreme soldier! The hearts of the crowd skip a beat. Such bloodthirsty aura can only be tempered from countless life and death situations. Soldiers possessing such an aura are termed as supreme soldiers. Every single one of them possesses unwavering will and incredible prowess, capable of dueling with those who are of higher cultivation realm than them. After leaving everyone bbergasted by his bloodthirsty aura, the middle-aged man, Bai Yang, dashes forward. In an instant, he appears before Elder Shang Chen and sends a p to him. Pah! A crisp sound echo throughout the hall. Before Elder Shang Chen can even react, he rotates like a top, turning aplete round before falling to the ground. Fresh blood spurts out of his mouth and a dozen of his teeth can be found in a puddle of blood. You... Steadying his figure, Elder Shang Chen is on the verge of erupting. As an elder of Hongtian Academy, a Pixue realm expert, to think he would be pped publicly... However... He cant do anything about it despite being so angry! After all, the other party is the sole son of Zhennan Wang, Bai xiao wangye. If he really dares to do anything to him, Zhennan Wang will probablye killing in and flip the entire academy upside down! It is not like he has never done such a thing before. Back then, a person who had backingparable to the Wang n went looking for trouble with Bai xiao wangye and wounded him. This infuriated Zhennan Wang and he led his army into their residence and purged their entire household. In the end, not only did Emperor Shen Zhui not chastise him over the incident, he even conferred his son the title of xiao wangye to appease him. Otherwise, even though he is the sole sessor to the family, he doesnt have the qualifications of being called xiao wangye. This is all Zhang Xuans fault... The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. He can only direct the rage he dares not vent on Bai Xun towards Zhang Xuan. If not for this fellow, how could he possibly be embarrassed like this today? Why, are you unhappy with my actions? Seeing his awfulplexion, Bai Xun raises his eyebrows and asks haughtily. I dare not to! Elder Shang Chens heart is bleeding, but he still squeezes out these words through gritted teeth. It is best if you dare not to. Let me tell you the truth, I am actually saving you. If my Grandpa Zhang were to make a move personally and if he were to fail to control his strength properly, you would be dead by now! Upon this, Bai Xun recalls the spar he had that night and his body shudders subconsciously. What he speaks of is true. This Master Zhang, just by his physical body itself, has a strength of more than 40 ding. Whats worse is that he is unable to control his strength. He might not feel anything when he sends a p over, but you will be gone by then... Chapter 72: Unable to be Revoked Chapter 72: Unable to be Revoked Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Save him? Unable to control his strength? Based on xiao wangyes words, Zhang Xuanoshis strength is superior to Elder Shang Chen? How... is this possible? Without taking too much time, everyone manages to process the events that just urred. This is especially so for Shang Bin and Cao Xiong, who imed that Zhang Xuan is weak and that Wang Tao is lying. The both of them are unable to believe the situation unfolding before them. In the previous examination, Zhang Xuan is confirmed to be only Zhenqi realm pinnacle. This is something that the entire academy is aware of, and there arent any news of him breaking through. If so, how can he be stronger than Bai xiao wangye? Furthermore, based on his words, it seems that even Elder Shang Chen is incapable of matching up to him. It might be bizarre and unbelievable, but no one thinks that Bai Xun is lying. Everyone knows that not only is Bai xiao wangye incredibly talented, he is also fond ofpeting and sparring with others! He will feel ufortable if he doesnt spar a couple of rounds every day! Since he is so in awe of this Zhang Xuan, does that mean that he really possesses the strength he speaks of? At this point, every single of them widens their eyes to look at the young man whom they thought was trash previously. There is nothing spectacr about him, except for his white and smooth skin which makes him look even younger than his actual age. How can he possibly be an expert? Cough cough! Upon seeing the doubtful gazes of everyone else centered on him, Zhang Xuan shakes his head helplessly. He is probably unable to hide his true strength any longer. But... After scoring at the bottom for the Teacher Qualification Examination as a Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm, to beparable to a Pixue realm expert after a short break... No one will believe it! Is it that difficult to keep a low profile? Zhang Xuan feels a migraine working up. He wanted to hide his strength, keep a low profile and secretly zhuangbi from the shadows. Initially, he thought that Bai Xun ispletely unrted to the academy whatsoever so no one else here will learn of it. However, never in his dreams did he expect that in just a single night, that fellow woulde rushing over... After making such a huge ruckus, it is impossible for him to hide his strength any longer even if he wanted to. Such ill-fortune! Just as he is still perplexed over the situation, he sees Bai Xun xiao wangyes face popping up right in front of him with a fawning expression on it. Hehe, Master Zhang, Grandpa Zhang, did I settle the matter well? However, he cant me Bai Xun for behaving like this either. Master Lu Chen has already said it clearly that whether he is able to pass the examination or not depends heavily on him. It is natural that he would intentionally try to please him so as to get in his good books. Thats the reason why he woke up so early, and upon hearing that Zhang Xuan is here, he barged in along with his subordinates. Still eptable! Since whats done is done, Zhang Xuan can only acknowledge it. Thus, he nods his head. Zhangoshi, ept me as your disciple... Aware that Zhang Xuans strength isnt just Zhenqi realm, n head Wang Hong does not hesitate any more. He signals to Wang Tao with a nce; Wang Tao steps forward once more and kneels before him. Acknowledging Master Zhang as your teacher, who do you think you are? I havent even acknowledged him yet, and you want to vie with me? How about we spar for a little bit? Before Zhang Xuan can even speak, Bai xiao wangye res at him. I dare not... Wang Tao is startled. Even though Bai Xun is around the same age as him, his strength has already reached Fighter 5-dan pinnacle. Given that he is several times stronger than him, sparring with him... Whats the difference between it and seeking death? Fine, Wang Tao, you can listen in by the side of my ss tomorrow. If you perform well, I can consider epting you as my student! Afraid that this Bai xiao wangye will stir up trouble once more and pummel Wang Taos life away, Zhang Xuan immediately interjects. Thank you, Zhangoshi! n head Wang Hong sighs in relief and hurriedly thanks him. Wang Tao isnt Zhang Xuans student yet, but from the looks of the current situation, this is the only way to settle the situation now. After all, who can he me for the disappointing actions of his son, barging into the ssroom of the other to kill the teacher... No teacher would ept such a student after meeting with such a situation! However, even though he is just listening in by the side for now, as time goes by, as long as he performs well, he is surely able to be an official student. Listening in by the side... Elder Shang Chen is on the verge of tears. He is an elder of the academy, as well as the head of the Education Bureau. Normally, he is the one picking students out from the lot. It is one thing if someone withdraws from his tutge to acknowledge another teacher... But he goes on to listen in by the side of the lessons of another teacher instead! Not to mention, the worst teacher of the academy... Elder Shang Chen feels as though his old face is being stepped on repeatedly, and not a shred of his dignity remains. His dignity has been thrown all the way to his grand-aunts house... Why not his grandmothers house? Because he has already passed by it... Master Zhang, is there anything else that you need me to settle? If so, I will help you. After which, teach me painting... Bai Xun turns to look at Zhangoshi. There is still some things I need to settle! Zhang Xuan turns to look at Sheng Chen, Elder Shang, the results of the Enlightenment Will Trial are already out. Isnt it about time we fulfill the terms of the bet we agreed on? The reason why he is here is because of the Enlightenment Will Trial. After the trial has ended, many things have urred, but it is about time for the bet they have decided upon to be carried out. Zhang Xuan, theres no need to be gleeful about this! I lost the Enlightenment Will Trial, but at most, I will only suffer a hundred God ying Flogs. Im afraid that you dont have the ability to strip me of my teaching license! Knowing that he is unable to escape from this any longer, Cao Xiong chooses to face it and he walks forward with a ferocious expression. Dont have the ability? Zhang Xuan frowns. Indeed. I dont have any bad track records and I didnt cause any of my students to go berserk either. Even though my result in the Teacher Qualification Examination is sub-par, it is still a pass. To strip my teaching license just because of a bet, even the Teacher Guild doesnt have the authority to do so! Cao Xiong howls frenziedly. Is this true? Unsure of the rules and regtions, Zhang Xuan looks at Elder Mo doubtfully. He is an elder of the Teacher Guild, so he should know of these matters. What he says is true. Elder Mo nods his head. A teachers teaching license is issued after numerous verifications by the Teacher Guild. If the person in question does not have a bad track record, it is difficult to revoke his license... Is that so... Zhang Xuan frowns. He recalls those who are in the education industry in his previous life. Over there, even if a teacher were to be inadequate in their job, the school doesnt possess the right to fire them. In fact, even the Ministry of Education doesnt have the right to do so, unless they have done something that goes against the morals and values of a teacher. It seems that the situation over here is simr as well. Then, why didnt you say so when we were deciding upon the bet... Zhang Xuan cant resist asking. Back then, when he was raising his stake, he thought it would be possible for his teaching license to be revoked, so he brought it up casually. If only he knew that revoking ones teaching license is that difficult, he would have just chosen to expel him from the academy. Cough cough, I thought that... you would lose! Elder Mo says awkwardly. Not only did Zhang Xuan score a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, he had also caused the cultivation of a student to go berserk. If someone were to pursue the matter, it is possible for him to be expelled. As Elder Mo thought that Zhang Xuan would definitely lose, he didnt point the matter out. He didnt expect for Cao Xiong to lose so thoroughly to him. It is impossible to fulfill the conditions of the bet, unless... Elder Mo speaks but hesitates halfway through. Unless what? Unless... there is a Master Teacher or an Associate Master Teacher personally testifying that he is unqualified to remain as a teacher, and the testimonial is reported upwards to the Teacher Guild... Elder Mo says. Master Teacher? Associate Master Teacher? Where do I look for these... Zhang Xuan shakes his head. Regardless of whether it is Master Teacher or an Associate Master Teacher, they are figures high up in the education circle, so how can it be possible for him to be acquainted with one? Furthermore, even if he is acquainted with one, it is impossible for the other party to bother themselves with such a minor bet! Zhang Xuan frowns. At this moment, the teacher on duty, Zhouoshi, walks in once more and sping his hand together, his voice echoes in the room. Shang Chenoshi, there is ady outside who has identified herself as Huang Yu looking for Zhang Xuanoshi! Chapter 73: Cao Xiongs Counterattack Chapter 73: Cao Xiongs Counterattack Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex Xiao Yu is here too? Bai Xuns eyes light up. Right after Master Lu Chen tasked them to study under Zhang Xuan yesterday, he rushed here early in the morning. If so, how can Xiao Yug behind him! In the midst of his words, an elegant figure walks through the doors. Her light yellow top brings out her slim and delicate figure perfectly. Her skin is as white as snow and she doesnt pale inparison even to Shen Bi Ru. Paying respect to Zhangoshi! The moment she enters the room, she heads towards Zhang Xuan and bows deeply. Un! Knowing that the other party is here for the same motive as Bai Xun, Zhang Xuans head hurts and he rubs his be. be -> Center of eyebrows Actually, he knows nothing about painting at all and all he can do is to point out the ws in them! He doesnt even know where he should start from to teach them about painting. Paying respect to young mistress! Just as he is conflicted over how he should confess this to the other party, Elder Mo walks forward and courteously, he sps his hands and greets Huang Yu. Young mistress? A thought seems to have shed through Elder Shang Chens mind, causing a feeling of weakness to grasp his legs, resulting in him stumbling backward. With a face devoid of color, he asks, Could she be... Could she be the daughter of guild leader Huang of the Teacher Guild, the... genius who managed to be a low-level Associate Master Teacher despite not even reaching her twenties? Just a moment ago, he was still chatting with Elder Mo about the genius in the Teacher Guild who became a low-level Associate Master Teacher at a young age, and he was thinking about how she is even more incredible than an old man like him. Never in his dreams did he expect her to be this Huang Yu xiaojie and from the looks of it... She seems to be close with Zhang Xuan! Xiaojie -> Miss/ Young Mistress Heavens, what is going on? The moment when he used the other party of being incapable of imparting knowledge to nurture others, the Wang n sent their son over to him, even withdrawing him from his tutge to do so! The moment when he said that the other party iscking in strength, Bai xiao wangye ran out to verify the strength of the other party, iming that he himself isnt a match for him! The moment when he says that only a Master Teacher and an Associate Master Teacher can revoke Cao Xiongs teaching license, an Associate Master Teacheres running over... The heck... Zhang Xuan, the heavens must have specially sent you here to deal with me! Elder Shang Chen only feels disconste and even suicidal thoughts run through his head. Cao Xiong, who was still arrogant a moment ago, pales in fright and cowers backward. A moment ago, he was at least reassured by the fact that the other party would be unable to revoke his teaching license, however, at this instant, he is truly frightened. Isnt he just a trash who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination? Why does he know so many people? Why do they all respect him? I will not ept this... Cao Xiong grits his teeth and howls frenziedly in his mind. Before today, the other party meant nothing in his eyes. He isnt even qualified topete with him, yet now... The other party has already be a tall mountain that he can only look up towards. He... He... Shang Bins teeth are also ttering. At this moment, Zhang Xuan seems to have transformed from an ant whom he could crush whenever he pleases into a giant dinosaur. Such a transformation is beyond his wildest imagination! You are an Associate Master Teacher? Hearing Shang Chens astonishing words, Zhang Xuan looks at thedy in uncertainty. Thisss is even younger than him. For her to be an Associate Master Teacher, it is indeed true that one should not judge a person by their appearance. I just happen to catch Liu shis eyes, and he brought me in to assist him! Huang Yu smiles. Her words might be humble, but self-confidence radiates clearly from her eyes. Shi -> Somewhat a shorter version ofoshi To be an Assistant Master Teacher, first and foremost, one needs to have talents surpassing others. Secondly, one needs to be granted an opportunity! Even if you possess overwhelming talent and your ability to guide your students and impart knowledge is incredible, if you are unable to gain the recognition of a Master Teacher, it is all just empty talk. Huang Yu, as the daughter of Tianxuan Kingdom Teacher Guilds head, she had the privilege of going through a good education from young. Furthermore, given the contacts her father possesses, bing an Associate Master Teacher isnt beyond expectations. It is great that you are an Associate Master Teacher. This Cao Xiongoshi has lost to me in an Enlightenment Will Trial and he refuses to fulfill his end of the bet... Previously, Elder Mo has said that Cao Xiongoshis teaching license can be revoked if an Associate Master Teacher speaks up for the case. Against those who are out against him, Zhang Xuan will not let them off the hook so easily. To think that there would be such a matter! Huang Yu frowns. As a teacher, to hold grudges over such a minor affair, even resorting to using the Enlightenment Will Trial to frame your colleagues, he will only soil the name of teachers if he were to remain as one. Elder Mo! Elder Mo steps forward. I believe that he doesnt have the qualifications to be a teacher. Go and settle the procedures required for it now! Huang Yu says authoritatively. Yes! Elder Mo nods his head. Turning to look at Cao Xiong, he shakes his head. As an Associate Master Teacher, Huang Yu is of esteemed position, not to mention that she is the daughter of the guild leader as well. With just a few words, she has sealed Caooshis fate. Those who possess the identity of a teacher are respected no matter where they go. If a teacher is stripped of their teaching license, that can only mean that there is a problem with his conduct. With such a track record, no one would employ him no matter where he goes. I... Hearing the verdict, Cao Xiong copses onto the floor, his ashen face shrouds in despair. He has spent so much effort just to attain this teaching license. To think that... it would be revoked just like that! Just because he challenged a trash who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination? I wont ept this, I refuse to ept this! Right... Cao Xiong stands up once more. He looks at Zhang Xuan savagely, Zhang Xuan, you havent won yet! You scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination and caused a students cultivation to go berserk. As long as this matter is reported to the Teacher Guild, after a thorough investigation, you will be stripped of your teaching license as well! Zhang Xuan may have scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, but that is actually an internal examination within Hongtian Academy and isnt authoritative. Even so, if the matter is reported upwards to the Teacher Guild, and once the matter is proven to be true, he can be stripped of his teaching license because of it as well! Furthermore, he has a case of a students cultivation going berserk under his records. Just this itself crosses the bottom limits of a teacher! Thats right, Zhang Xuan, you need not be gleeful over this! You might have gotten Caooshis teaching license revoked, but you wont keep yours for long either! I will report this matter up to the Teacher Guild right now and have them carry out an impartial adjudication on the matter! Upon hearing Cao Xiongs angry roar, Shang Bins eyes light up and mes start to burn in them once more. The rtionship between him and Zhang Xuan has already torn asunder. Now that the other party is proven to possess a strong backing, he probably wont be able to live in peace in the academy anymore with him here. Thus, he cannot allow Zhang Xuan off the hook! Furthermore... Even the goddess is speaking up for him now. If he allows himself to be beaten without making a move, how can he lift his head in the future? Shang Bin res at Zhang Xuan as cold intentions emanate from his gaze. Arent you incredible? Liu Yangs trust level in you exceed 60? The Wang n urges you to ept Wang Tao? Things might be going well for you now, but lets see how you will fare after you lose your teaching license! Lets see what rights do you have to remain in Hongtian Academy and what rights do you have to teach your students! Zhang Xuanoshis capabilities and morals are indeed doubtful. Associate Master Teacher Huang Yu, Elder Mo, the words that the both of them speak of are true. This Zhangoshi has driven the cultivation of a student berserk, and he has scored a zero in the previous Teacher Qualification Examination as well. I hope that the guild can handle this matter impartially and rid the academy of this cancerous tumor! In an instant, Elder Shang Chen regains the glow on his face. With a straightened and dignified stature, he speaks. He might not be able to save Cao Xiong, but he will not allow Zhang Xuan to get away scot-free either! Chapter 74: The Education Bureau Has Falsified Results? Chapter 74: The Education Bureau Has Falsified Results? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole and Tortex "This..." Hearing the howling of the three, Elder Mo and Huang Yu nced at one another before turning to look at Zhang Xuan. If what they said was true, the Teacher Guild would have to look into the matter! If the results of the investigation were in line with their ims, it was quite likely for this Zhangoshi to be stripped of his teaching license! "Seems like I have underestimated them. They are also skilled at using rules to their advantage!" He didnt expect that after suffering so many consecutive blows, they would still be able to make a counterattack. Zhang Xuan frowned. It seemed that regardless which world one was in, some things never changed. If a despicable person were toy their fangs on someone, they could only await their death. To speak of the truth, the mess that his previous self had left him was indeed troublesome to deal with. If the academy didnt bring it up, he would be safe and he could continue on conducting his lessons. On the other hand, if the academy decided to bring it up, they could report it to the Teacher Guild and he would face the danger of having his teaching license revoked. If he was stripped of his teaching license, his situation would not be any better than Cao Xiong! Thus, no matter what, he mustnt let them seed! However, it was a fact that he had scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, and he did indeed send a students cultivation berserk. This was the doing of his previous self, and he was unable to undo it even if he wanted to... That is to say, the mess that his previous self left him with was potentially his downfall. Even if he was able to nurture powerful students through the Library of Heavens Path from today onwards, it would still be difficult for him to be a Master Teacher and earn the trust of others. He must find a way to resolve the problem! Rubbing his be[1], Zhang Xuan felt helpless. His transcension was something he had no power over, and he was unable to decide the timeline where he would transcend into. Besides, if not for the failings of his previous self, he would be unable to transcend over as well! Could he just stand idly as they report the incident up to the Teacher Guild and have his teaching license revoked? Absolutely not! "Un? Arent I unable to exin the reason behind the sudden surge in my strength? What a coincidence, I can make use of this..." Just as he was at a loss of what to do, a thought suddenly shed through his mind and an incredible idea popped into his head. Looking at Shang Chen and Shang Bin once more, the corners of his lips crept upwards, "Since neither of you are willing to leave a path for me, I will be apologizing in advance then..." ... "Zhang Xuan, arent you gleeful? Lets see how you can continue being so gleeful after you are summoned to the Teacher Guild..." Sensing Elder Mo and Huang Yus hesitation, Shang Binughed in anticipation. However, before hisughter coulde to an end, he caught sight of Zhang Xuan. His hands were behind his back and he looked over hesitatingly, with dilemma reflected in his gaze. There seemed to be something bothering his mind, and he was contemting whether he should speak of it or not. "Why? You want to beg for mercy?" Seeing Zhang Xuan behaving in such a manner, exultation filled Shang Bin. "However... its toote now!" "Beg for mercy?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Youre thinking too much about it. I am just considering... whether I should speak of it or not?" "Sigh!" At this point, he sighed. His frustration and pain, as well as sorrow and dilemma, could be felt from his sigh. All in all, it was clear from his sigh that worries gued his mind, and that he was a sorrowful man with a story behind his back. "Speak of it? Speak of what?" Unsure about what he was up to, Shang Bin frowned. "Forget it, since that is the case..." Ignoring his words, Zhang Xuan shook his head. With a bewailing look on his face, he hesitated for a moment longer before speaking, "Initially, as colleagues and fellow teachers, for the sake of the reputation of the academy, even if you have done something overboard, I should keep the big picture in mind and let it go. From the looks of it now..." At this point, with his hands behind his back, his eyes gazed upwards, seemingly filled with pain. "Hm? What do you mean?" Seeing him sigh and shake his head, the attention of the crowd focused on him. Shang Bin and Shang Chen exchanged gazes, unsure of what that fellow was up to. What are you putting on an act for! You are about to be fired at any moment now, the fact wont change no matter how superb your acting is! "I think he is just intentionally spouting bullshit to divert our attention! Dont be fooled by him!" Shang Bin harrumphed. Scoring zero for the Teacher Qualification Examination and making a student go berserk were facts about him that everyone in the academy knew... No matter what he did, it was impossible for him to clean the stain off his name. So what if you are eloquent? You are unable to deny these facts! Even if you try to deny it, there are archives of your doings. Lets see how you can round up your story then. "Master Zhang, is there something that is bothering your mind? Elder Mo and I are here, so feel free to speak up!" Huang Yu said. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan looked at the other party inmendation as he nodded his head. Putting on an act for so long, what he had been waiting for were these words. Now that she had finally posed the question, he could proceed with the story. "Actually, I didnt want to expose this..." Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly and a sorrowful expression oveid his face. Taking two steps over to the Strength Measuring Rock Pir in the center of the hall, he clenched his fist and sent it straight at the pir. Weng! Light shed on it and a string of number floated into appearance! 55 ding! He only used half of his strength, but after re-cultivating the first 3 dans of his cultivation technique, the zhenqi in his body became even purer, causing his 49 ding of strength to rise slightly. "55 ding?" "Pixue realm pinnacle?" "If he possesses the strength of a Pixue realm pinnacle, then... Why does the examination reflect his strength as Zhenqi realm?" ... Despite hearing from Bai xiao wangye that Zhang Xuan was stronger than him and the crowd had already prepared themselves mentally for it, they were still filled with disbelief upon seeing how much strength he held beneath his fists! Gasps of shock floated in the room as the lower jaws of everyone in the room seemed to be falling to the floor. Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm, for every acupoint broken through, ones strength would be increased by 1 ding. Most people only ended up opening 30 to 40 acupoints in their lives. Even at Pixue realm pinnacle, their strength didnt reach such heights. To possess such strength with just a single fist, this clearly showed that... he had reached Pixue realm pinnacle! But... the examination he had undergone before the break clearly showed that he only had the strength of a Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm pinnacle. For his strength to jump several realms in the duration of a break... This was impossible! This was unheard of, even with the most incredible geniuses in the history of the kingdom! Bewildered, everyone looked at him as they awaited his exnation. "During the examination that was conducted before the break, I was only Zhenqi realm. Im sure everyone is curious to know how I became a Pixue realm expert all of a sudden!" After taking in everyones reaction, Zhang Xuan slowly exined, "Actually... my cultivation didnt soar within just a week! Just like everyone else, I trained through the conventional method! Even though my strength did not reach 50 ding before the break, I wasnt too far off from it!" "You already possessed such strength before the break? No, that cant be right. Back then, during the Teacher Qualification Examination, your cultivation realm was evaluated to be..." Halfway through his words, n head Wang Hong suddenly paused. A thought shed through his mind and he continued, "Hongtian Academys Teacher Qualification Examination is held under private conditions, and the results of individual teachers are released by the Education Bureau... One wouldnt know how another fares in the examination other than through the results released by the Education Bureau! That means... the examination results of you possessing the cultivation level of Zhenqi realm from the Education Bureau is not true..." Hearing his words, everyone came to a realization. Regardless of whether it was his Teacher Qualification Examination results or his level of cultivation, they were evaluated and released by the Education Bureau. During the examination, no one else was at the scene. That is to say... It was highly possible that the Education Bureau falsified the results! [1] be -> Center of eyebrows [2] ҧһڣ -> If a despicable person were toy their fangs on someone, they can only await their death. Tranting literally: If a despicable person were to bite you, their fangs will sink into your bones. It describes the scenario where one is unable to redress themselves of their usations from another. Chapter 75: Shang Chen Pukes Blood Chapter 75: Shang Chen Pukes Blood Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole and Tortex "Before, when I discussed several questions in the Teacher Qualification Examination with Zhangoshi, not only was he able to answer them clearly, he was able toe up with seven to eight answers for each of them. Furthermore, I was unable toe up with some of the answers he proposed. Hisprehensive knowledge is indeed worthy of respect! Back then, I was puzzled over how he was unable to score a single mark in the simple Teacher Qualification Examination. Turns out that... the results being released were falsified!" Shen Bi Ru suddenly recalled something and interjected. Rage could be seen in her beautiful eyes. Yesterday night, she tested Zhang Xuan and the other party managed to answer her questions easily. Back then, she thought that it was weird. Now, upon hearing the conversation, she came to a realisation. He must have answered those questions correctly, but the Education Bureau didnt give him the marks for it. That was to say, there was nothing wrong with his paper, but... the teacher from the Education Bureau marking his paper gave him zero marks! Why? Why did he do so? "It is no wonder that Zhangoshi refuses to speak up. After all, you are all colleagues. If he were to reveal the truth, not only will it sunder the rtionship among you all, it will affect the reputation of the academy as well! Just for this, he is willing to carry the burden of beingbelled as trash!" The more n head Wang Hong pondered about the matter, the more he prehended and came to a realisation of the situation. Didnt you see how Zhangoshi was hesitating just a moment ago over revealing the truth? If it wasnt for him being forced to a corner, he might very well have concealed this secret deep in his heart for the rest of his life. Even if he was misunderstood by everyone else, he would bear this burden silently within... In fact, despite all of your efforts to oppress him, all he did was to disy his cultivation without exining a thing. We even had to guess the details of what happened... What was an exemry role model? This was! What was a non-materialistic and noble teacher? This was! "Once the issue of the bias of the academy were to spread out, everyone will start to doubt the authenticity of the results of the academys Teacher Qualification Examination, and uncertainty will be cast over the other teachers ability to teach... If thats the case, the academy will descend into chaos! He would rather be misunderstood by others and bear the burden of it by himself silently than to speak of it. This magnanimity and selflessness..." An elder from the Wang n got more and more agitated as he spoke. To think that there would be such a noble teacher in the world. It wasughable that we even thought that he was incapable of anything, and that he was a useless trash! As they spoke, the furious eyes of the crowd turned towards Elder Shang Chen. Look at him, then look at yourself! You are both teachers, but why was there such a gap between the conduct of you two? Zhangoshi valued friendship and he would rather take all the insults by himself than to betray his own colleagues, yet you all... "I..." Shang Chen was about to go frenzied. The heck, what was going on? What falsifying results? What value friendship... You were indeed Zhenqi realm the previous time, and your written paper is a mess. Not getting a single mark at all was perfectly normal given those standards... I personally reviewed the papers myself, so it is impossible for a mistake to ur. How did it turn into me oppressing you? Zhang Xuan, you are really despicable. I dare you to rify everything up... Elder Shang Chen only felt a mouthful of fresh blood swirling in his mouth, ready to spurt out at any moment. ...... Zhang Xuan was shocked upon seeing such amotion break out. Actually, what I meant to say is that the Education Bureau made a mistake while marking the examinations, why did the situation... get so out of control? All of your imaginations are way too wild! However, cough cough... I kind of like the way things are going... ...... "There should at least be a reason for me to oppress him! As the head of the Education Bureau, an elder of the academy, theres no reason for me to oppress a low-level teacher!" As expected of the head of Education Bureau, Elder Shang Chen swiftly found a dissonance in the situation. There was always a motive and reason behind every action. Given his esteemed identity, there was no reason for him to scheme against an ordinary teacher! "Does anything more need to be said about the situation? Your grandson, Shang Bin, wishes to aim for the position of the star teacher of the younger generation, but due to the existence of Zhangoshi, who possesses an incredible level of cultivation and capability at such a young age, he is unlikely to emerge victorious over him. Thus, in order to prevent such a situation from urring, you decided to eliminate him from the race!" The one who spoke this time was Elder Mo. The more he spoke, the more furious he got, to the point that his beard was being blown into the air by his breath. "I might not have concrete proof on this incident, but I have been looking over the situation today from the start to the end. The Enlightenment Will Trial, the bet and the oppression... Shang Chen, you are indeed incredible. To think that I was friends with you for so many years, I, Mo Xiang, must truly be blind!" Elder Mo viewed viinous acts and viins with contempt. Due to the words of the other party, he made the journey here today to clean up the scums of the teaching circle. Yet, all he saw was Elder Shang using all kinds of methods to oppress Zhang Xuanoshi. On the other hand, Zhangoshi kept using facts to prove his innocence. Wasnt it clear that there was a problem here? If even this much was insufficient to prove anything, then wouldnt that mean that I, Mo Xiang, was blind? "I can also testify that I saw Elder Shang Chen intentionally oppressing Zhangoshi with my own eyes!" "For him to do it so apparently before us, who knows what kinds of methods he resort to behind our backs!" "One really cant judge a person by his cover. To think that the head of the Education Bureau wouldmit such atrocities for his grandson. He is a beast!" ...... The moment Elder Mo opened his mouth, many people started to chirp in, indignant in Zhang Xuans stead. "..." Elder Shang Chen felt faint-headed and he was on the verge of going crazy. I... really didnt oppress him. Its just that he trampled on my dignity today, thats why I am finding trouble with him... If I said that I didnt know much about him before today, only that his standards as a teacher was inadequate, would you all believe me? However, judging by the furious expression of everyone else, he knew that there was no use trying to exin his way out of it. The current him was as though mud had fallen into his pants, it was feces regardless of whether it was true or not! Turning around to look at the one who started all these, Zhang Xuan, his hands were still behind his back and a bewailing expression covered his face, as though he was unwilling to reveal this secret. The heck you were unwilling! This was all because of your bullshit! You were the one who were incapable and scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, why did it suddenly turn into our Education Bureau falsifying your results and me oppressing you? How was this incident, in any way, rted to me or the Education Bureau? Pu! Unable to suppress it any longer, the fresh blood welling in his chest spurted forth. "Hmph, to think that you still have to cheek to vomit blood aftermitting such shameful actions. If it was me, I would have long crashed my head on a pir tomit suicide!" "How shameless. How did someone like you be the head of the Education Bureau of Hongtian Academy?" "Not to mention, he is an elder. There is a problem with his character, I think that we should revoke his teaching license..." ...... Upon seeing him spurt blood, not only did no one sympathise with him, their words grew even harsher. "How did this happen?" Shang Bin and Cao Xiong were dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, the winning ticket was in their hands and they were about to achieve victory. How did the situation get reversed so suddenly? What the heck was going on? After spurting out a mouthful of blood, Elder Shang Chen felt morefortable and his head cleared up as well. He gazed at the surroundings and his hand trembled. Then, looking at Zhang Xuan with undisguised hatred, he said, "I am unable to vindicate myself of the im that you scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination is oppression on my part. However, what about the student who went berserk? This incident happened in your ssroom, how are you going to exin it then?" You might have millions of reasons and excuses, but a student going berserk in your ss is an irrefutable truth. Lets see how you will exin that. Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart beat. Chapter 76: The Student Who Went Berserk Chapter 76: The Student Who Went Berserk Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe The students cultivation going berserk was something that had already happened and cannot be changed. No matter how much you try to argue otherwise, no matter how glib your tongue is, it is all futile. Elder Shang Chen knew that no one would believe him no matter how hard he tried to exin the incident with the Teacher Qualification Examination. Even if he were to produce the papers, others would just use him of falsifying the papers as well. As such, he decided to bring this entire matter out of the way for now. "This..." Zhang Xuan didnt know how to respond to his words. "Hmph, are you trying to deny the incident? Baiyuoshi, go and invite Zhao Yanfeng from Lu Xunoshis ssroom!" Elder Shang Chen said. Zhou Baiyu was the teacher on duty whereas Zhao Yanfeng was the student whose cultivation was driven berserk by Zhang Xuan previously. "How did this student... end up in Lu Xunoshis ss?" Upon hearing Shang Chens arrangement, everyone looked at him in puzzlement, even Zhang Xuan was carrying a face of bewilderment. Based on the memories of his previous self, ever since that fellows cultivation went berserk, he had never been to his ss. As his previous self was too ashamed to look into the matter, he didnt know that he had gone to Lu Xunoshis ss. Besides, who was Lu Xunoshi? Hongtian Academys number one star teacher! Even Elder Mo had said that there was a high possibility of him bing an Associate Master Teacher in the future. There were countless students who wished toe under his tutge, so why would he pick someone whose cultivation had once went berserk as his student? "Upon going berserk, Zhao Yanfengs fundamentals are damaged and originally, he had intended to withdraw from the academy. However, he was noticed by Lu Xunoshi and eventually, he was epted as his student. After a few months of guidance and nursing, not only is the damage he sustained from going berserk gone, his cultivation has also reached Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm pinnacle, ready to break through at any moment!" Elder Shang Chen said. "epted as Lu Xunoshis student? His luck is way too good!" "To be able to remove the damage he sustained from going berserk within a short period of time, even inducing a rise in his cultivation level, Lu Xunoshi is indeed incredible!" ...... Upon hearing Elder Shangs words, the crowd was astonished. Going berserk created great damage to a cultivator, and it was very easy for ones fundamentals to be wrecked in the midst of it. Cultivation was just like building a house, if the fundamentals werent in ce, it was difficult for the building to rise up high. To be able to treat the damage a student sustained from his cultivation going berserk so quickly and even pull him up to Juxi realm pinnacle, this Lu Xunoshi was indeed as formidable as the rumors put him out to be! Not too longter, the teacher on duty, Baiyuoshi, returned with a student behind him. Around sixteen to seventeen year old, he had a slim build, but spirited eyes. This was the unlucky student who was taught by his previous self... Zhao Yanfeng! "Elder Shang!" Walking straight up to Elder Shang upon entering the room, he was bewildered to see so many people in here. "Un, Zhao Yanfeng. Do you recognise this person?" Elder Shang pointed at Zhang Xuan. Zhao Yanfeng turned around and noticed Zhang Xuan. His calm face immediately became agitated. Unknowingly, he clenched his fist tightly, as though trying to suppress the rage in his heart. "He is my previous teacher, Zhang Xuan!" These words seemed to have been squeezed out through gritted teeth. Through his actions, it was clear to see that he still held great resentment against Zhang Xuan. However, that was to be expected. When a student learns from a teacher, he ces his trust in him unconditionally. That was equal to entrusting his fate as a cultivator into his hands. If the teacher didnt take responsibility for him, that would be equal to ruining his students entire future! His previous self caused the other partys cultivation to go berserk, nearly destroying his future as a cultivator. This made Zhao Yanfeng extremely hostile against him. If it wasnt for his position as a teacher, he might have already made a move on him! "Ive heard that he had once caused you to go berserk. Is that true?" Seeing Zhao Yanfeng behaving in such a manner, delight surged through Elder Shangs mind as he continued to question him. "Thats true! If not for Lu Xunoshi saving me, I might already be a cripple!" Zhang Yanfeng said. "Great!" Upon hearing his confirmation, Elder Shang didnt continue posing questions to him. Instead, he turned to look at Elder Mo and Huang Yu with a savage expression, "Associate Master Teacher Huang, Elder Mo, you should have heard the conversation! Lets not touch on the matter of the Teacher Qualification Examination first. I believe that one day, the truth of the incident wille to light! Instead, lets touch on the matter of him causing the cultivation of his student to go berserk. The victim is here, and if you all have any doubts, you all can continue to question him! Despite being a teacher, he harmed his own student. Just this by itself forms the basis for his teaching license to be revoked!" "Errr..." Huang Yu and Elder Mo looked at one another with brows tightly knitted together. What the other party said was true. The responsibility of a teacher was to rify doubts and lead his students down the right path. Causing a students cultivation to go berserk was one of the greatest taboo a teacher couldmit. Even if they wanted to help Zhangoshi, there was nothing that they could do. "Zhangoshi, what else do you have to say for yourself? If you feel indignant, you can argue your way out. However, you will have to get past this Zhao Yanfeng first!" Seeing the two of them remaining silent, Elder Shang Chen finally felt as though he had returned the humiliation Zhang Xuan had caused him back to him. He turned around to look at him mockingly. So what if you were powerful? So what if you have won the Enlightenment Will Trial? As long as this weakness stays with you, you will lose your teaching license. Without that amulet to protect you, I will be able to do as I please with you. Even if I were to kill you, no one will say anything! Elder Shang Chen had brought the victim over, and the victim had already ascertained it to be true. The eyes of the crowd gathered onto Zhang Xuan to see how he would respond. Just when everyone thought that he would try to exin the situation and the reasons behind the incident, the young man simply shrugged and said, "Indignant? What do I have to feel indignant about? It is true that I caused his cultivation to go berserk!" "I knew that you would try to argue your way out. However, Zhao Yanfeng will recount the incident back then clearly... Ah?" Elder Shang Chen thought that the other party would try to defend himself, so he was prepared to refute him. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly came to a realisation and looked at Zhang Xuan in disbelief. "You... You admit to it?" This... To think that you would admit to it so readily! Could it be that he had prepared something beneath his sleeves? He was already frightened of the other party at this point. After getting pped in his face consecutively, there was already a trauma at the back of his mind. "Of course I would admit to it. After all, why would I not admit to something that I have done?" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Causing a students cultivation to go berserk was a doing of his previous self, it was impossible for him to argue his way out of it. Rather than wasting time arguing about it here, he might as well juste out clean. "This..." The crowd was stunned. His admittance meant that all that was said were facts. If so, the Teacher Guild would be able to establish this case and strip him of his teaching license. Besides, driving a students cultivation berserk wasnt something to be proud about. To speak of it so brazenly... Where did your self-confidencee from? "It is good that you have admitted to it! Associate Master Teacher Huang, Elder Mo, the both of you should have heard it. As a teacher, not only does he feel no remorse over causing a student to go berserk, he even talks about it so brazenly. Such a person is unworthy of being a teacher..." Shang Chen roared, but before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and waved his hand, "Enough, how big of an issue is this for you to keep babbling on about it! You are already advanced in age, and yet you still get excited over minor affairs so easily. Arent you worried that your heart might be unable to take it, causing you to die just like this?" "You..." Elder Shang Chen staggered. You are the one who gets excited easily, your whole damn family gets excited easily! "Zhao Yanfeng, you have been studying under Lu Xunoshi? You should have improved considerably. Come, show me your punching routine!" Cant be bothered with the furious Elder Shang, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze towards the young man. Chapter 77: Innate Sealed Meridians Chapter 77: Innate Sealed Meridians Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Show his punching routine?" Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyone became stunned. Everyone is concerned about you causing the students cultivation to go berserk, and yet here you are, trying to get him to execute a punching routine. What are you trying to do? A peculiar expression appeared on Elder Shang Chens face. Punching routine? We are in the midst of investigating the matter of you driving your students cultivation berserk, can you not change the topic? "Cough cough, Master Zhang, I think it would be better for you to exin the details behind him going berserk. Perhaps... your teachings may not be wrong, and... it is due to some other reasons?" Huang Yu couldnt help, but to remind him of it. There were many possible reasons behind a persons cultivation going berserk. It could be due to the misguidance of the teacher, or the studentprehending the teachings of his teacher inurately and cultivating through the wrong method. If it was thetter, the teacher was still partly responsible for the incident, but it wouldnte down to a punishment as harsh as stripping him of his teaching license. "This teacher here, back then, I cultivated based on the method Zhangoshi imparted me without changing a single bit of it. In the end, my cultivation still went berserk. After which, when I consulted Lu Xunoshi about it, he said that the cultivation method is wrong and that ones cultivation would definitely go berserk if one were to cultivate ording to it!" Aware of her thoughts, Zhao Yanfeng said. He still carried deep hatred towards Zhang Xuan. Knowing that this was an opportunity to strip him of his teaching license, there was no way he would allow it to slip by him. "Master Zhang..." Upon hearing the victim say such words, there were no other possibilities that Huang Yu was able toe up with to absolve him from me. As such, she could only look towards him helplessly. "Try executing a punching routine. Let me see if you have improved!" Ignoring the persuasion of the other party, Zhang Xuan continued to gaze at the young man. "Do as Zhangoshi says, try executing a punching routine first!" Upon his insistence, even though Huang Yu was perplexed over what he was trying to do, she still turned around to instruct Zhao Yanfeng so. "Yes!" He might not know of Huang Yus identity, but judging from how respectful Elder Shang Chen treated her, Zhao Yanfeng dared not disobey her instructions. Nodding his head, he walked to the center of the hall. Huhu! The wind whistled along with his forceful fists. That fellow might be young, but the control over his strength was not bad and he was adept in his battle technique as well. He could be considered a good bud. "Not bad, looks like Lu Xunoshi has really rid him of the damage he sustained when he went berserk!" "It is truly not bad for him to possess this level of strength at such an age!" ...... Most of those who were in the room were experts on cultivation. Upon seeing Zhao Yanfengs punches, they nodded their head in approval. Elder Shang Chen secretly sneaked a nce towards Zhang Xuan. Since Zhang Xuan was the one who instructed Zhao Yanfeng to execute his punching routine, he thought that he would be carefully analysing his punching routine, so as toe up with an excuse for himself. Yet, this fellow had closed his eyes, and a tranquil expression appeared on his face. "What is he up to?" Question marks appeared on Elder Shang Chens head. It couldnt be that this fellow knew that he would be unable to find any evidence or excuse to absolve himself of me and go insane! "Is this enough?" Very quickly, the punching routine came to an end. Upon seeing that the Zhangoshi that he hated had his eyes closed, not even looking at his punching routine, Zhao Yanfeng was on the verge of erupting from the umted rage as he spat out these words through gritted teeth. "Un!" Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. "Alright, lets stop wasting time. Since you have already admitted to causing Zhao Yanfengs cultivation to go berserk with your guidance, and he himself can testify for it, then why dont you just confess to your crime! This way, we can skip on a lot of trouble..." Afraid that the situation would go awry the longer this was dragged on for, he said. "Calm down!" Zhang Xuan interrupted his word. Sweeping the surroundings with his gaze, he said, "Since all of you are interested in listening to my exnation, then I will exin the incident to you all!" Everyones attention jolted and focused on him, curious to hear what he would say. Even Zhao Yanfeng couldnt resist turning his gaze over. "Actually... I intentionally drove his cultivation berserk!" Zhang Xuans voice echoed in the room. "Ah?" "Intentionally?" Everyone stood dumbfounded in their spot. What kind of joke was this? Theres no way to go back once you say such words. You will surely be stripped of your teaching license like this! "Haha!" Elder Shang Chen didnt expect that the fellow before him, after making so many mysterious and baffling actions, would actually confess to it so brazenly, even phrasing his words in such a manner. His eyes radiated with excitement, "It is good that you have confessed to it! As a teacher, to intentionally guide a student erroneously and putting him in danger, you have truly transgressed beyond what a teacher should ever do! If he isnt stripped of his teaching license, it will be hard to appease the furious masses! Associate Master Teacher Huang, Elder Mo, there should be no problems this time right!" "... Huang Yu stared at Zhang Xuan helplessly. His admittance left her without a single means to help him. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Zhao Yanfeng clenching his fist tightly and gritting his teeth. He red at Zhang Xuan with undisguised hatred reflecting in his eyes as he said, "I wonder how I offended Zhangoshi, for you to find the need to push me off the cliff?" I am your student, but you intentionally guided me erroneously, causing my cultivation to go berserk. What kind of resentment do you hold against me? Everyone else seemed to have thought of the same point and one by one, their gazes turned towards Zhang Xuan. n head Wang Hong was also starting to contemte whether having his daughter and son toe under the tutge of this teacher was a correct choice. So what if his theories were profound and he was proficient in teaching others? What if he suddenly threw a temper and intentionally taught them erroneously? If so, the lives of his children would be doomed. A Fighter 1-dan going berserk could still be saved. However, the more advanced ones cultivation was, the harder it would be to save them when their cultivation went berserk. Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and the gaze of one who was unable toprehend the world reflected in his eyes. Sighing, hemented, "Sigh! Looks like you have yet to understand!" "Understand?" A dark line appeared across Zhao Yanfengs face. If it wasnt for his weak strength, he would have dashed forward to bash him. "Understand what?" You intentionally drove my cultivation berserk and you still expect me to understand? Understand what? Understand death? "Do none of you reallyprehend?" Zhang Xuan looked at Huang Yu, Elder Mo and the rest of the crowd. "Comprehend?" The one sentence left the two of them dumbfounded. You intentionally guided someone erroneously, what did you expect us toprehend from that? Comprehend... How you yed your student to his death? "Alright, since none of you can tell, then allow me to exin!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Sweeping the faces of the crowd, he said, "I wonder if any of you have heard of the physique known as Innate Sealed Meridians?" "Innate Sealed Meridians?" Huang Yu frowned. Then, recalling something, she said, "I have heard of it. This isnt an innate body type, but a type of disability! Those who possess this type of physique have many points of constrictions along his meridians. As though a river blocked by silt and mud, zhenqi is unable to flow through them easily. Even if one is able to cultivate, there would be a limit to their achievements. Fighter 1-dan would normally be their upper limit, and Fighter 2-dan is an impossible goal for them!" Hearing this exnation, the crowd nodded their heads. Innate Sealed Meridians might be a rare physical condition, but there were cases of it. As teachers and leaders of powerful factions, most of them have heard of such a physique. "Zhangoshi spoke of Innate Sealed Meridians, can it be..." Mo Xiangoshi suddenly thought of something and he turned to look at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes. "Indeed, Zhao Yanfeng possesses this kind of physique!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Me? I possess Innate Sealed Meridians?" Zhao Yanfeng was unable to believe it. "That is impossible... I have never felt shackled when I cultivate, so how can I be afflicted with Innate Sealed Meridians?" "Never felt shackled?" Zhang Xuan looked over with a meaningful smile on his face. "Then, let me ask you, before you cultivation went berserk, did you feel short of breath when you cultivated in the past? Every time you gather spiritual energy, did you feel as though your entire body was being severed apart?" "You... How did you know?" Initially, Zhao Yanfeng did not pay any heed to Zhang Xuans words, thinking that he was just spouting nonsense. However, upon hearing thetter part of his words, his eyes narrowed and his body froze. Chapter 78: I Will Make You Break Through in an Hour! Chapter 78: I Will Make You Break Through in an Hour! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe The words that the other party spoke of werepletely true. Before his cultivation went berserk, he did meet with such a problem. Gathering spiritual energy was an exceptionally difficult task for him, and he would feel pain as though his body was ripping apart. All along, he thought it was due him cultivating in the wrong manner. Could it be that... it was really due to him possessing Innate Sealed Meridian? It was said that one who possesses Innate Sealed Meridian would feel as though their meridians were shackled, causing their blockages in their breathing. If one were to try to forcefully cultivate, it would generate pain as though their body was being ripped apart. This breathing probably refers to their body. However, he had never told of it to anyone, not even to Zhang Xuan when he was his student. In fact, even his parents were oblivious to it, so how... did he know it? Upon seeing Zhao Yanfengs expression, everyone shuddered. [Could it be that... what he said is true?] "Stop trying to force logic in here. So what if Zhao Yanfeng possesses the physique of Innate Sealed Meridian? What does it have to do with his cultivation going berserk?" Elder Shang Chen harrumphed. Innate Sealed Meridians was a disability that one was born with. There was no way to cure it and those who possessed such problems were fated to be unable to cultivate. Even if Zhao Yanfeng had this kind of problem, he would onlyck the potential to be an expert at most. There was no need to intentionally drive his cultivation berserk! "You think that it has nothing to do with it?" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "Then, let me ask you, what are the symptoms of ones cultivation going berserk?" "Going berserk? Ones internal energy will go on a rampage and be uncontroble, causing one to lose his sense of self and going into a deranged condition..." At this point, Elder Shang Chen stopped abruptly. His eyes widened into perfect circles in disbelief, "It cant be that, you are trying to use the symptoms of berserk to break through the constrictions in his meridians so as to dispel his Innate Sealed Meridians?" "How... is this possible?" He wasnt the only one who arrived at this conclusion. The others have also thought of it and their mouth opened wide in shock. When one goes berserk, the energy within their body goes out of control. It was true that one was able to execute strength several times beyond what one was capable of usually, but... that was a state of derangement, it was easy for ones cultivation to bepletely crippled. No one had tried it, and no one dared to. [To actually try to use berserk as a means to ovee Innate Sealed Meridians... Are you for real? If thats true, then you are way too bold! Such a notion will revolutionize the entire world of cultivation!] "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, he turned to Zhao Yanfeng and questioned, "Let me ask you, ever since your cultivation went berserk, have you felt the sensation of your body ripping apart whenever you cultivate?" "This..." Zhao Yanfengs body trembled stiffly. With a quivering voice, he replied, "I... I havent!" Back then, he felt intense pain whenever he cultivated, as though his body was going to explode. Yet, after he went berserk, he had never felt such a sensation anymore. Previously, he attributed it to Lu Xunoshis guidance. Could that really... be the case? "When going berserk, the internal energy of one flowing through his body will be iparably violent, allowing them to exert a might beyond what they are usually capable of. Even though it is incapable of resolving Innate Sealed Meridians, it can alleviate the situation, allowing ones spiritual energy to flow through! Back then, when I induced your cultivation to go berserk, I was trying to solve the hidden problems within your body. Initially, I had prepared some steps afterward to allow your cultivation to go on more smoothly, so that you would be able to reach greater heights. Yet... Not only did you leave without bidding me farewell, you even viewed me with hostility!" At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Solitude reflected in his gaze. Ever since Zhao Yanfeng awakened from his berserk state, he had never visited to Zhang Xuans ssroom. Even so, he treated him as his mortal enemy, spreading malicious rumors about him everywhere. Even if Zhang Xuan were to seek him, thetter would not have trusted him. Seeing Zhangoshis expression, everyone could almost feel the burden and pain he felt in his heart. However, under such pressure, he didnt try to exin himself. Rather, he shouldered it silently, bearing with the mocking of others... In an instant, the figure of Zhang Xuan grew massively in their heart! "Rubbish, how can that be possible! Besides, even if it was true, if you exined the situation to him clearly beforehand, Zhao Yanfeng wouldnt have left!" Elder Shang Chen gritted his teeth. "If one was able to control the process, then it wouldnt be called berserk! If I were to inform him of it beforehand, given Zhao Yanfengs fearful character, do you think that he would be willing to take the risk?" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves. One would be uncontroble upon going berserk. If one knew that they will go berserk during their cultivation, they would start to feel fearful and cower from it subconsciously, making it hard for them to sessfully go berserk. "No matter how well you put it, you cannot prove that him going berserk had resolved the issue of his Innate Sealed Body. In any case, I dont believe your words!" After hesitating for a moment, Elder Shang Chen harrumphed. "I know that this incident is much too unorthodox and shocking, but it doesnt matter whether you all believe it or not!" Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Zhao Yanfeng. "Ive taken a look just now and you have already reached Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm pinnacle. You are just a step off to breaking through! If you were to train normally, how long do you think it will take for you to break through?" "Six months. Luoshi told me that if I were to put in effort, within half a year, it is possible for me to break into Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm!" He was still a little doubtful to the words of this Zhangoshi, but his tone had be much more respectful and he answered his question seriously. Mooshi and n head Wang Hong nodded their heads in agreement. They have seen Zhao Yanfeng execute his punching routine previously as well. Given their experience, they could tell that Lu Xunoshis judgement was urate. Zhao Yanfengs talent could only be considered as average and to be able to break through within half a year could be considered as good progress. "Half a year? Theres no need for that! I can help you break through within an hour!" Zhang Xuan looked over. "An hour? How is that possible?" "It is hard to tell whether he is even able to break through within half a year, and you said to help him break through in an hour? This..." Hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyone went insane. None of them dared to believe his words. Cultivation, unlike eating or drinking, cannot satisfy one at one go. It has to be done a single step at a time. One can only progress after countless umtion over time. Even for Zhao Yanfeng, who is already Juxi realm 1-dan pinnacle, if he isnt able to control the spiritual energy adeptly, he is unable to open up his dantian! This umtion is an extremely slow process. Without umtion of experience over time, it is impossible for him to seed! Yet, Zhang Xuan imed that he is able to do it within an hour? This... Even if you wanted to brag, you shouldnt brag about something so impossible! Be careful of your nose reaching the heavens! "Why, you all dont believe me?" Ignoring the shocked crowd, the corners of Zhang Xuans mouth crept upwards as he continued gazing at the young man before him. "I..." Zhao Yanfeng was hesitant. He felt that what the other party said about him possessing Innate Sealed Meridians was true, but about helping him break through Fighter 1-dan in an hour... This was like a dream to him. If he was really able to break through Fighter 1-dan within an hour, then this Zhangoshi was really way too incredible. That would also mean that his decision to induce his cultivation to go berserk to break through his Innate Sealed Meridian was a sess, as well as a correct decision! After all, why would a teacher who could help others break through their cultivation realm so easily lie about such a minor matter? Since he was able toe to this conclusion, others were able to as well. Each of every one of their gazes slowly gathered onto Zhang Xuan. "I dont me you for not believing in me. After all, your cultivation have gone berserk once upon listening to my words!" Zhang Xuan flung his hand and a look of pity appeared in his eyes. "However, if you pass by this opportunity, you will need to take half a year, or perhaps even longer! Its your own choice!" "This..." Zhao Yanfeng stood on the spot with clenched fists. After a period of time, he lifted his head and determination could be seen in his eyes. "Zhangoshi, I want to give it a try!" Chapter 79: Teacher Acknowledgement Fever Chapter 79: Teacher Acknowledgement Fever Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Just as what Zhangoshi said, the moment he passed by the opportunity, he would need to take a significantly longer period of time to break through. Once he was a single step behind of others, he would always be a step behind of others. He didnt want to be chasing after the footsteps of others all the time. He didnt really trust the words of the other party, but with so many teachers here, he doubted that this Zhangoshi would cause his cultivation to go berserk once more. "Good. I will rejoice over the decision you made!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuans gaze swept around the surroundings before retrieving a box of silver needles. Then, he instructed, "Sit down with crossed legs. Dont allow your thoughts to wander. I will use the silver needles to help you open up your acupoints so as to increase the speed of your umtion of spiritual energy. You just have to try to break into the Dantian realm!" "Alright!" With his determination resolute, Zhao Yanfeng didnt hesitate for long before he sat down with crossed legs. Zhang Xuan walked forward and retrieving a single needle, he ced it into one of the acupoints of the other party. At the same time, a surge of zhenqi gushed in. As he cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, his zhenqi was as clear as mineral water. The moment it entered the other partys body, the shackles in his acupoints were immediately broken through. The acupoints of an average cultivator were simr to small holes filled with silt, and the murky zhenqi was simr to muddy water. It was impossible to wash their acupoints clean with zhenqi filled with so much impurities. On the other hand, superior zhenqi was equivalent to clear water. While others might not be able to wash their acupoints cleanly even with two years of effort, he was able to do it easily. The moment the acupoints were opened, the surrounding spiritual energy immediately gushed in frenziedly. Hu hu hu hu! With hands as swift as the wind, he consecutively jabbed another eight silver needles onto the body of the other party. The nine silver needles opened nine acupoints on Zhao Yanfengs body. The spiritual energy that had been flowing like a small stream in his body instantaneously turned into a torrential river and gushed through his body before gathering at his spiritual sea. Boom! Zhao Yanfeng felt as though an explosion had happened in his brain. The withdrawn dantian in his abdomen was broken through in an instant. As though a massive basin, it amodated all spiritual energy that came flowing in. "This..." Standing up abruptly, Zhao Yanfeng pressed his palm against the Strength Measuring Rock Pir not too far away. Boom! 150kg! Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm primary stage! "I... I..." Upon seeing the numbers float into appearance, Zhao Yanfeng was stunned. Initially, he thought that it would take at least half a year for him to sessfully advance into the next realm. Yet, with Zhangoshis assistance, he managed to seed within a few moments. It seemed that it didnt even take an hour! "Thank you, Zhangoshi!" Padah! All of the doubts Zhao Yanfeng had of Zhangoshi cleared from his mind and he immediately knelt before Zhang Xuan and kowtowed continuously. In this instant, from the depths of his heart, he was convinced that all the other party did was for his welfare! How could a teacher, who was able to help others break through so easily, teach erroneous theories and cause a students cultivation to go berserk? To think that he doubted such a noble teacher, even insulting him! He was worse than a beast! He must have been blind then to leave this teacher before to acknowledge Lu Xunoshi. If a chance presented itself, he would withdraw from his lessons and return back to him. "He really broke through?" "To help a Fighter 1-dan sessfully break through in slightly more than ten minutes..." "Surely theres something wrong with my vision? How did he do it just by jabbing a few needles?" While Zhao Yanfeng was feeling conflicted and remorseful, n head Wang Hong, Elder Mo and the others who had taken that scene have their eyes widened and mouth agape as they felt the world around them crumbling. They thought that Zhang Xuan was just bragging and assumed that it was impossible for him to seed. Yet, viewing personally what they deemed impossible urring, the striking visuals left them on the verge of tears. Looking at the other party once again, this time, their eyes were burning passionately. Back then, when they broke through 1-dan, they had to go through numerous troubles and struggles. Yet, looking at Zhao Yanfeng, he seemed to have taken as much effort as it took to eat or drink. Why didnt they meet with Zhangoshi back then? "Zhangoshi, please ept me as your student!" Wang Yan, who came with Wang Tao and the others, walked forward and knelt before him. Back then, he thought that Lu Xunoshi was the superior one, and thus, he didnt agree with the decision of the n head and his grandfather. Yet, upon seeing Zhangoshi helping Zhao Yanfeng break through within ten minutes or so, he was unable to suppress the temptation any longer. "Un?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. "I know that Yan-ers talents are average, but I beseech Zhangoshi not to reject him!" The 2nd Elder from Wang n walked out. With a face full of smiles, he continued, "As long as Zhangoshi epts him, I am willing to be your disciple as well. Im sure that Zhangoshis name will spread far and wide upon epting a Pixue realm student, no one will dare to doubt you!" "2nd Elder, can you have some decency? To think that you would try to bargain and do a buy one get one free, how shameless!" The Grand Elder flung his sleeves and looked over respectfully. "Zhangoshi, ignore them. The 2nd Elder iscking in decorum! Cough cough, how about me? I am a Pixue realm pinnacle expert and I would like to acknowledge you as my teacher as well. If you find it inconvenient due to my identity as an elder of the Wang n, I can always retire." "What is there topete about? Each of you are already old enough to be his grandfather, and yet you still want to acknowledge him as your teacher. Dont you all feel embarrassed?" Not expecting the Grand Elder and 2nd Elder to act so shamefully, n head Wang Hong reprimanded them. Upon being reprimanded of the n head, the faces of the two flushed in embarrassment. Indeed, they were no longer young and their bone structure have already solidified. It wouldnt be an easy task for them to break through. Wang Tao and Wang Yan turned to look at the n head in reverence. [Do you see that? Our n head has self-restraint and wits, being able to see through the crux of the problem with a nce.] However, before they were done revering him, they saw n head Wang Hong turning around to look at Zhang Xuan with a bundles of smile, "Zhangoshi, I am still young, just 42 this year. Can I acknowledge you as my master?" "..." Zhang Xuan. "..." Everyone else. "Cough cough, lets talk about the matter of acknowledging masters in the future!" In the end, Zhang Xuan had to speak up to stabilise the chaotic situation. Turning towards Zhao Yanfeng once more, he asked, "Do you still think that I caused your cultivation to go berserk because I am incapable of teaching?" "I beg of Zhangoshi to forgive me for repaying your grooming with ingratitude!" Zhao Yanfeng hurriedly kowtowed to Zhang Xuan. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Then, turning around to look at Elder Shang Chen, he asked, "Elder Shang Chen, do you still have anything else that you would like to say?" "I..." Elder Shang Chens face stiffened. He was unable to exin the issue with the Teacher Qualification Examination, and now that everyone believed that Zhangoshi sending Zhao Yanfengs cultivation berserk was to help him, what else could he say? His face was pped on once more! Furthermore, it was the type that causes a swelling instantly! "Impossible, impossible! How can he help others to break through so easily?" By the side, Cao Xiong seemed to have gone dim-witted. His eyes were filled with confusion. This Zhang Xuanoshi had entered the academy at the same time as him, and all along, his results were superior to his. When did he be so incredible? Furthermore, to be able to help others break through so casually, even the elders and principal of the academy werent capable of such a feat. How did he aplish it? "Cao Xiongoshi intentionally ndered his colleagues, proving that he iscking in ethics as a teacher. I will report this up to the Teacher Guild for them to revoke your teaching license! At the same time, the hundred God ying Flogs will be carried out now!" With the issue settled, Elder Mo waved his hands. "Yes!" Cao Xiong gritted his teeth. Even though he was unwilling to ept it, he knew that his fate was already sealed. "Shang Bin, as a teacher, for your own benefits, you intentionally framed another teacher. Your teaching license will be suspended until further notice!" After dealing with Cao Xiong, Elder Mo looked over at Shang Bin and Shang Chen. "As for Shang Chen, as an elder, the head of the Education Bureau, not only did you not spare a consideration for other teachers, you intentionally made things difficult for them, even altering the results of the Teacher Qualification Examination at your whim. You will be stripped of your position as an elder and the head of the Education Bureau. The issue will be reported to the Teacher Guild and a verdict will be passed down on your conduct!" Chapter 80: How Do I Teach You? Chapter 80: How Do I Teach You? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe The elders from the Teacher Guild were of simr positions to the leaders from the Ministry of Education in Zhang Xuans previous world. They possessed the authority to revoke the position of the teachers of an academy. "Elder Mo, seeing how we were friends for so many years, please spare me..." Upon hearing the punishment, Shang Chen hurriedly said. At this moment, he felt his world crumbling. He was the one who got Elder Mo here. The initial intention was to have him strip Zhang Xuan of his teaching license, yet... he only managed to crush his own legs with the boulder he moved. In the end, he was the one who was fired! [Can the situation not be so damned?] "Its all your fault, you spoiled brat!" The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Looking at Shang Bin, he couldnt help but want to rush forward to send two kicks towards him to alleviate his rage. If not for this fellow being so adamant to bring trouble onto Zhang Xuan, he wouldnt have gotten into trouble. Now, not only did the other party get away scot-free and he was relieved of his duty, most importantly of all, his reputation was in the gutters. It was to be expected that once the news of him oppressing other teachers and changing their results on a whim spread out, he would be a hated figure, one scorned by everyone else. He did not do it, but... someone had to believe his words first! [Of all people, you choose to do your own grandfather in...] "Spare you? Elder Shang, it is precisely because of our years of friendship that I have already spared you of your dignity. Otherwise, if I were to report you of oppressing your colleagues to the Teacher Guild, it is likely that you would be stripped of your teaching license as well!" Elder Mo harrumphed coldly. "You better keep yourself in check from now on!" Elder Shang knew what the other party was saying was true. Weakness surged through his body and he slumped onto the floor, sorrowful as though he had lost his parents. "Zhangoshi, we have troubled you today. For such a scum to appear among the teachers is a negligence on the Teacher Guilds part!" After dealing with the trio, Elder Mo turned to look at Zhang Xuan with an apologetic look. "Dont worry about it. It is normal for one or two degenerates to appear asionally!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand to show that he wasnt bothered by it. Seeing his attitude, everyone felt impressed with him yet again. [Did you see that, that is the magnanimity that a teacher should have.] "Great, then I will be returning to the guild to settle these matters. I will make sure to give Zhangoshi an exnation on the situation!" After which, Elder Mo red hatefully at Elder Shang Chen for a moment before turning around to leave. "Zhangoshi, lets go as well. You still have yet to teach me painting!" At this moment, Cao Xiong was being beaten to the point of nearing death. Upon seeing the situation here had been settled, Bai Xun walked up to him with a grin. "Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked out of the Enlightenment Will Tower along with the rest. To tell the truth, he barely scraped past this situation safely. Were it not for the Wang n, Bai Xun and Huang Yus timely arrivals, even if he could handle the situation, it would have taken him a lot of effort. Especially with the matter regarding Zhao Yanfeng. Actually, he wasnt entirely truthful about his situation. What Zhao Yanfeng suffered from wasnt Innate Sealed Meridians, but Innate Narrow Meridians! Innate Narrow Meridians, using the words of his previous life, meant that while others are an eight carne, you are a bicycle track. With such narrow meridians, it was natural that he would feel his body ripping apart when spiritual energy flowed through. In fact, his speed of cultivation would slow significantly, creating an upper limit onto his future achievements. However, there was an inherent difference between it and Innate Sealed Meridians. The former, Innate Sealed Meridian, was simr to having all kinds of nails along ones path, blocking the flow of spiritual energy entirely. On the other hand, Innate Narrow Meridians, even though ones meridians were narrow, spiritual energy was able to flow through it, allowing one to cultivate without a problem. His cultivation going berserk did widen his narrow meridians, allowing him to cultivate even more easily. That was precisely the reason why his cultivation soared, allowing him to reach Juxi realm pinnacle. However, that incident also caused tremendous damage to his body. Juxi realm pinnacle was already his limit then. It was impossible for him to break through. In order to make it up for the other party, Zhang Xuan made a move to help him break through. At the same time, he also cleared away the trauma his previous self had left in his body, killing two birds with one stone. At the very least, after this incident, no one would use this berserk incident against him anymore. As for how he sessfully helped Zhao Yanfeng break through, actually the theory behind it was simple. After flipping through all the books in the Compendium Pavilion, he had already formed the 1-dan, 2-dan and 3-dan of Heavens Path Divine Art. After cultivating it himselfst night, he was well-aware of the correct method to breaking through. Furthermore, given the superior quality zhenqi in his body, it wasnt a difficult task for him to guide the other party to walk on the correct path to break through. "From now on, I am no longer in danger of being expelled!" With the burden off his heart, he heaved a sigh of relief. After transcending over, he had been in danger of expulsion. Even after he epted several students, he still felt as though there were ominous clouds looming over him. However, at this moment, this threat had been entirely removed! Walking out of the Enlightenment Will Tower, he gave permission for Wang Yan to listen in on his ss, just like Wang Tao, and only then did the Wang n leave. As for Zhao Yanfeng, he stared at Zhangoshi. Clearly, Zhang Xuans capabilities have moved him and he hoped to be epted under his tutge once more. However, Zhang Xuan immediately rejected this suggestion. [What a joke! I am a transcender with a golden finger, someone who will be a mingshi sooner orter. If I allow people toe under me and leave as they please, wouldnt that trample on my dignity? My previous self had left you berserk, whereas I have made it up to you by helping you break into Fighter 2-dan. Our grudges have been settled, and I dont want to touch on that ever again.] Rejected by Zhang Xuan, depression reflected on Zhao Yanfengs face. However, after awhile, he seemed to recall something and resolution appeared in his eyes once more. Turning around, he followed behind Wang Yan and left. "Huang Yu xiaojie, may I know how one bes an associate master teacher?" Walking along the way, Zhang Xuan couldnt resist asking her. After this incident, he realized that the only way to create his own ce in this world and to not be trampled over by others was to be a Master Teacher! To be a Master Teacher, one had to be an associate master teacher first. "Associate master teacher is more like a way to address someone. Unlike Master Teacher, one doesnt need to be assessed for it! It mainly depends on luck. As long as a Master Teacher has set his eyes on you and invites you to be his assistant, then you are already considered an associate master teacher!" Huang Yu exined. "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Actually, this associate master teacher was simr to the associate professors in his previous life. Even though they did not wield true authority and they were more like a spokesperson, they represented the dignity of a Master Teacher and possessed esteemed standing in society. "You are an associate master teacher, then that bookstore..." Zhang Xuan looked at her doubtfully. He was astonished to hear that Huang Yu is an associate master teacher. Previously, when he saw that she was able to freely walk in and out of Master Lu Chens residence, he knew that her identity was extraordinary. Just that, he didnt expect her identity to be so extraordinary. Furthermore, as an associate master teacher, her identity was even more prestigious than the elders of Hongtian Academy. There was no reason for her to open a remote bookstore in the market. "I happened to catch Liu shis eye and became his associate master teacher, but as I am still way too young, I require some experience so as to better earn the trust of others. As such, I listened to Liu shis orders and chose a packedmercial city to open a small store so as to nurture my character. At the same time, I am also able to read more and be more knowledgeable..." Huang Yu exined. Shi is simr tooshi, just a shorter version Zhang Xuan nodded his head Peering into the truth of matters was a field of knowledge by itself, and building rapport was a skill with great depth. Never underestimate small shop owners. Sometimes, these were the people who have the greatest understanding of human personality, unrivalled even by experts and academics. Sometimes, the best way to understand human nature and temper oneself was to go to the very bottom. As the daughter of the Teacher Guilds leader, Huang Yu was born with a golden spoon in her mouth. The reason why Liu shi had asked her to do so was to groom her, as well as to give her more worldly experience. After chatting for a while, he gained a certain degree of understanding towards master teachers and associate master teachers. In this world, the path of teachers was highly-respected. Teachers were highly-regarded, even much more so than in his previous life. What apothecary, cksmith, appraiser... Of the numerous upations in the Upper Nine Paths, none of them couldpare with master teachers. However, that was to be expected. Whether its about cultivation or any other upations, one required a teacher to guide them along. If one didnt even respect their teachers, how could they possibly improve? Right, what is Master Lu Chen testing you all on, for you all to have to study under me? Afterprehending the social position of teachers, Zhang Xuan listed another one doubt that was lingering in his head. Bai Xun was the young son of Zhennan Wang whereas Huang Yu was the daughter of the guild leader of the Teacher Guild, not to mention that she herself was an associate master teacher. Logically speaking, given their social positions, there shouldnt be any need for them to be tested by anyone else. Master Lu Chen has a painting that he has hidden for countless years called the Ink Daylily Canvas... The both of us want it, thats why master intentionally set such a difficult question to evaluate us! Huang Yu exined. Ink Daylily Canvas? Zhang Xuan frowned. The one drawn by the master painter Mo Chenzi, Ink Daylily Canvas? Neither of you two understand paintings... Why would you want it? In the books Zhang Xuan looked through in the Compendium Pavilion, there were many records of this Ink Daylily Canvas. It was said to be an artistic treasure left behind by a master painter a century ago. It was an iparably valuable painting. It is... a gift! Huang Yu blushed. Gift? Zhang Xuan came to a realization. She and Bai Xun had set their eyes upon this Ink Daylily Canvas at the same time and requested Master Lu Chen for it. The master agreed to gift it to them, but the prerequisites for it was that they had to pass his test first. The supposed test should refer to appraisal of paintings. Master Zhang, you have such deep understanding of painting, capable of seeing through the problems in it with just a nce. Can you teach us? Bai Xun stared expectantly at him. Indeed, please teach us! Huang Yu also looked over. Teach you two? The reason why he was able to appraise those painting was due to the help of the Library of Heavens Path. In reality... He didnt know a single thing about paintings, so how could he teach them? Looking at the expectant gazes of the two, Zhang Xuan awkwardly scratched his head, unsure of what he should do. End of the first arc! Chapter 81: I Would Like to Withdraw from Your Tutelage (1) Chapter 81: I Would Like to Withdraw from Your Tutge (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Hongtian Academy, Lu Xuns ssroom. As a star teacher of the academy, his ssroom was several hundred meters wide, as big as a massive football field. Students have lined up in rows after rows, and they numbered several hundred. "As expected of Luoshi, I have heard rumors outside that innumerable students find it an honor to be your student and they go all out to be admitted under your tutge, but to think that it would be true!" Looking at the number of students in the ssroom, an elderly stroked his beard as he looked at a young man not too far away from him. The young man was around 26 to 27 year old. Dressed in blue, he stood upright as though a spear that would pierce through the heavens, carrying a haughty aura with him. As for the elderly, if Shang Bin is here, he would be able to recognize him. He was the master of Hongtian Pavilion, Elder Hong Hao! "You have praised me excessively, elder. I am just fulfilling my responsibility in nurturing them. They have overrated me!" The young man chuckled. His words might be humble, but his attitude exuded self-confidence and pride. "It is clear to see whether you have been overrated or not just by seeing the standards of the students. I have heard that over seventy of the top hundred students have been admitted into your ss after applying for it. Furthermore, of the two hundred new students you have epted, there doesnt seem to be a single one who is ced beneath five hundred!" Elder Hong Hao smiled as he stroked his beard. Yesterday, when he heard the figures, he was also taken aback. Despite being young, this Lu Xunoshi had be the most radiant star teacher in the entire academy. Almost all the good buds among the freshmen had been taken by him. Such results, despite the long history of the academy, was rarely seen. "It is my honor for students to be willing to apply for my lessons!" Hearing praises from a Fighter 7-dan elder, Lu Xunoshi swelled in pride. After which, turning around, he asked, "Elder Hong Hao has always been a busy figure, so what kind of wind brought you here today? Could it be that you have something that requires my help? As long as it is within the scope of my abilities, I will give it my best!" He didnt believe that a powerful elder like him would be here just to chat. "Speaking of it, there is indeed something that I need to trouble you with. I have been old friends with your father and I watched as you grew up. I know that you are an upright person, so I came here to request you investigate a teacher for me!" Elder Hong Hao said. "Do not mention my father, he is a stubborn antique!" Seeing how the other party was trying to y the emotion card, Lu Xun frowned. "Which teacher do you want me to look into?" "Zhang Xuan!" Elder Hong Hao said. After that incident with Zhang Xuan in his Hongtian Tavern, his business was now negligible. Rage had already been burning furiously in his heart. If not in consideration for his identity, he would have already ran up to the dwelling of the other party to bash him up. "Zhang Xuan? You mean the one who scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination and sent Zhao Yanfengs cultivation berserk?" Lu Xun looked over. He had already heard of the various glorious deeds of that Zhangoshi. Furthermore, he even epted a student of his, so how could he not be aware of it. "Indeed!" Elder Hong Hao nodded his head. "He is just a trash of a teacher, he would be fired sooner orter. Does elder have a grudge with him?" Lu Xun was puzzled. On one hand was an established elder that could vie for the academys principal position while on the other, a teacher who could be fired at any moment. The two lived in totally different worlds, so how could they be rted to one another? "It is just some minor matters! I have heard that the Education Bureau has issued an ultimatum to him. As long as he fails to ept any student this school term, his teaching license will be revoked and he will be expelled from the academy! Thus, I hope to trouble Luoshi to see whether you can ept those students of his under your tutge!" Elder Hong Hao revealed the purpose behind his visit. He had already looked into Zhang Xuans affairs before heading here, including the fact that he had recruited five students this school term. The other party was a teacher and this identity protected him, leaving the elder without a means to deal with him. However, the moment he lost this identity, wouldnt he be his to ughter? "ept under my tutge?" Lu Xun didnt expect the other party to look for him over such a matter. "Indeed. As the star teacher of Hongtian Academy, you are probably the only one capable of doing so! As long as you reveal such an intention, his few students would most probably withdraw from his lessons and rush toe under you!" Elder Hong Hao chuckled. "Dealing with a teacher who has students under him is troublesome. If he has no students under him, then things wouldnt be thatplicated." "Uh..." Lu Xun hesitated. "There is nothing to hesitate about, have you forgotten about Zhao Yanfeng? If you allow Zhang Xuan to continue teaching the students like that, history will just repeat itself and the lives of his students will be ruined! You are saving them by bringing them over!" Elder Hong Hao immediately gave him another push upon seeing his hesitation. "Alright, I will help you on this matter. I will reveal my intention to ept the students under his tutge today!" Lu Xun nodded his head. "Great!" Elder Hong Haos eyes lit up and excitement coursed through his heart. Now that Luoshi had agreed to it, he could already clearly vision the disappointed and despairing face of Zhang Xuan. [Hmph, since he dared to leave Hongtian Pavilion on the verge of closing down, he will slowly y with him and show him what true fear means!] Just as he was rejoicing over it in his mind, pondering about what he should do to punish him, a new student rushed over. "Luoshi!" Upon standing before Lu Xun, he knelt down. "Wang Yan, what is wrong?" Seeing this youngster, Lu Xun smiled and nodded his head. This Wang Yan was one of the few most talented ones of this batch of freshmen. Furthermore, he was the grandson of the 2nd Elder of the Wang n, thus possessing an esteemed position. Even for him, he felt proud to ept a student of such standing. "Luoshi, I... I..." Wang Yan, who just came over from the Enlightenment Will Tower, knelt onto the floor and he appeared to be conflicted. "Have you met with some trouble in your cultivation? Free free to speak!" Seeing him stutter, Lu Xun spoke grandly. "Luoshis knowledge is vast, not to mention that he is the most famous teacher in the entire academy. If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak of it. He is definitely able to solve it for you!" Elder Hong Hao said with a smile as he stroked his beard. "Alright, I will speak then..." Wang Yan clenched his jaws and continued, "I would like to... withdraw from your tutge. I hope Luoshi can fulfill my request!" "Withdraw from my tutge?" Lu Xun staggered. His eyes widened in disbelief. Other people fought with one another to be admitted under him, and yet this fellow wanted to... withdraw from his tutge? Are you for real? After teaching in Hongtian Academy for numerous years, he had never met with such a situation! "Yes!" Now that the word was out, Wang Yan heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly nodded his head. "Do you have anything that you find hard to speak of, or were you threatened by someone else?" Lu Xun couldnt resist asking. "No, this is a choice I made of my own free will!" Wang Yan said. "You know that after withdrawing from my tutge, no other teachers in this academy will ept you, right?" Hearing that he made the choice out of his own free will, Lu Xun continued on. He was the most famous teacher in the academy. How could any other teachers dare to ept a student who withdrew from his tutge? "As long as I withdraw from your tutge, I would be able to listen in on Zhang Xuanoshis lessons. This is an opportunity for me, so I hope Luoshi can grant my wish!" Wang Yan lowered his body. "Withdraw from my tutge to listen in on Zhang Xuanoshis lessons?" Hearing those words, a constipated expression appeared on Lu Xun. With his mouth agape and eyes in perfect circles, he felt as though something had gone wrong with the world. Chapter 82: I Would Like to Withdraw from Your Tutelage (2) Chapter 82: I Would Like to Withdraw from Your Tutge (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Not just Lu Xun was carrying such an expression, even Elder Hong Hao felt the world spinning around him as he found it difficult to cope with the sudden turn of events. Wasnt Zhang Xuan the worst teacher in the entire academy? Just a moment ago, he said that as long as he were to release word of his interest to ept his students, they woulde rushing over. However, never in his dreams would he have expected that even before he could make a move, one of the students he held great expectations for had ran over to him! [It is one thing if the other party had epted you, but to listen in on his lessons? The heck, are you sure you arent joking with me? That means that you dont have any position at all! Instead of being my direct disciple, you chose to ran over to listen in to someone elses lesson.] Lu Xun felt as though his face had been pped hard and hisplexion darkened. "I hope that Luoshi can fulfill my request!" Wang Yan hurriedly pleaded. "You..." After a long period of time, looking at the serious expression on the other partys face, he knew that the other party was serious. With an awful expression, he said, "You do know that Zhang Xuanoshi had once caused a students cultivation to go berserk? Even so, you want to listen in to his sses?" "I am aware of it, but I would still like to!" Wang Yan nodded his head, the determination on his face resolute. Just a moment ago, he got a glimpse of Zhangoshis amazing capabilities that left even his grandfather in awe. At this moment, his heart was already with Zhang Xuan. Seeing how determined the other party was, Lu Xunsplexion darkened even further. Gesturing to the few students by the side, he said, "Bring Zhao Yanfeng over!" "Luoshi!" A short momentter, Zhao Yanfeng arrived. "Wang Yan says that he would like to withdraw from my tutge to listen in to Zhang Xuanoshis sses. Tell him how it was when you cultivated under him and let him know how foolish his decision is!" Lu Xun flung his sleeves. Zhao Yanfeng didnt speak and instead, he knelt down and kowtowed continuously. "Whats wrong? Didnt you recount the situation frequently in the past?" Lu Xun frowned. Zhao Yanfeng, as the student whose cultivation was sent berserk by Zhang Xuan, had the greatest say in the matter. In the past, he often spoke badly about Zhangoshi, only to be stopped by him. Even though was granting him permission to speak now, he seemed reluctant to do so, as if something was guing his mind. "Luoshi! Actually, just like Wang Yan, I would like to listen in on Zhangoshis lessons!" Finally solidifying his resolution, Zhao Yanfeng said. "You want to go as well?" With a steeled face, Lu Xun almost stumbled to the ground. [Didnt your cultivation go berserk because of him? Dont you resent him for that? Didnt you talk badly about him often? So why would you want to withdraw from my tutge to listen in on his lessons?] Lu Xun felt that he was on the verge of going insane. "Zhangoshi is my benefactor. I feel extremely guilty for leaving him without bidding farewell the previous time! I hope that Luoshi can fulfill my wish!" Zhao Yanfeng said respectfully. [Benefactor? Benefactor your head! By sending your cultivation berserk? Leaving without bidding farewell? It is clear to see that you were trying to escape from him, alright? Guilty? When you insulted Zhang Xuanoshi every day, why didnt I see a single trace of guilt in you?] Lu Xun felt like going on a frenzy. "Alright, alright. Since the both of you have made up your minds, I will withdraw you two from my tutge then!" Grabbing the two jade tokens over, he bit on his finger and dripped a droplet of fresh blood on the both of them. As the star teacher of the academy, Lu Xun was a proud person. Since these two students of his have already made up their minds, stopping them would only make them resentful of him. If so, he might as well simply let go of them. "Thank you, teacher!" Grabbing over the jade token and confirming that they were withdrawn from Lu Xunoshis tutge, Wang Yan and Zhao Yanfengs eyes lit up simultaneously. "The both of you arent my students anymore, you can leave now!" Suppressing his rage that was on the verge of erupting, Lu Xun waved them away. "Yes!" The two of them walked out. "Damn it, damn it!" Upon seeing them leave, Lu Xun roared. Who was he? The number one star teacher of Hongtian Academy. Countless students vied with one another to be his student and he had to contemte carefully before making a choice among them. He thought that no one would be able to poach his students in the academy, but... Not just one, but two students were poached from him in one go! Furthermore... If the one who poached these students from him were Wang Chao or Shen Bi Ru, he could let this matter drop. But for it to be the one who scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination, the fellow who stood at the very bottom of the academy! The strong feeling of humiliation he was feeling made him feel frenzied. Not to mention, he had just agreed to Elder Hong Haos request to poach the other partys students. Yet, before he could make a move, the other party had already seeded in poaching his. If not for his propriety and his concern over his identity, he might even rush over to beat up this Zhang Xuan! "Zhu Hong!" After venting his anger slightly, the rage Lu Xun felt cooled down slightly. He turned around to call for his student. "Luoshi!" A sixteen to seventeen year old youngster walked out. Zhu Hong, the student who was ranked fourth in this years entrance examination. He was one of the most talented students he had epted this semester. Even though he was only sixteen, he had already reached Juxi realm pinnacle and was ready to break into the next realm at any moment. "Deliver a war letter to Zhang Xuanoshi for me! Lu Xun gritted his teeth. War letter? Hearing his decision, Elder Hong was taken aback. After which, he came to a realization and asked, Could it be that during this Freshmen Tournament, you hope to... Indeed! To dare to poach my student, I, Lu Xun, have never suffered such humiliation! Lu Xunoshi waved his hand. Then, clenching his fist tightly together, he continued, Since he dares to make a move on me, then he should find a way to withstand my rage as well! After which, he retrieved a paper from the desk and wrote on it. Pass this to Zhang Xuan, tell him that I will challenge him to a Teacher Evaluation during the Freshmen Tournament half a month from now. Ask him if he dares to ept my challenge or not. If he dares not, tell him to never do such petty actions behind my back! Lu Xun flung his sleeves majestically. Every year, half a month after the eptance of the freshmen, a Freshmen Tournament would be held. This tournament allowed the students to showcase their talents and improvement. It was a stage for the students to show their worth aspared to their peers. As for Teacher Evaluation, it was a battle between different teachers. During a Teacher Evaluation, the twopeting teachers would choose a few of their students andpete based on their cultivation realm, their battling prowess and theoretical knowledge, so as to ensure the effectiveness of the teachers sses. Through suchpetition, thepetency of the teachers were being assessed and evaluated. From the eyes of the outsiders, Lu Xunoshi proposing the challenge to Zhang Xuan was a one-sided ughter. Yes! Zhu Hongs eyes twinkled in reverence. The results of Teacher Evaluation affected the respective teachers pride and honor. As a result, such challenges were usually held privately. Luoshi was probably the only one who was confident and proud enough to send a war letter directly to another teacher face-on. As expected of his idol, he was simply too suave! Venting his discontentment whenever he is angered, not even needing to suppress his emotions at all, he was his role model! Go! Lu Xun ushered him. Zhu Hong nodded his head, turned around and left. Do you really intend to hold a Teacher Challenge? Elder Hong Hao walked over and asked. Not only so, I want to hold a bet with him. If he loses, all of the students under his tutge will go to me! A glint shed across Lu Xuns eyes. Ever since he became a teacher, his life had been smooth-sailing. Just as he intended to make use of these qualifications to attract the attention of a master teacher, so as to rise up to the position of an assistant master teacher, he met with such an affair. If not for such thoughts of his, there was no reason at all for him to ept Zhao Yanfeng, who didnt have a high cultivation realm and had gone berserk once before. After all, he was a teacher, not a samaritan! If he was truly a good person, he could have just epted all students who applied for his sses, theres no need to select among them at all! It was all for the fame! He wanted to rue sufficient reputation to be an assistant master teacher! If others were to hear that his student had withdrawn from his lessons to listen into the ss of someone who had scored zero for the Teacher Qualification Examination, wouldnt his reputation go into the gutters? Thus, no matter what, he had to get back at the one who inflicted such humiliation on him! Chapter 83: The Arrogant Zhu Hong Chapter 83: The Arrogant Zhu Hong Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Will Zhangoshi be okay?" In the ssroom, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying and the others were worried. Cao Xiongoshi had applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial to deal with Zhangoshi. Even though not many people knew of it yet, as his students, they still heard some news of it. "Dont worry, we had been through Zhangoshis lessons and we were all impressed with him. Liu Yang is impressed by him, so it is impossible for anything to go wrong!" Zheng Yang said. Of the five students Zhang Xuan epted, he was the one who was the most dissatisfied with Zhangoshi. However, after two lessons, he was already thoroughly impressed with him. Right now, even if Wang Chao wanted to ept him in, he would reject him t-out. Since this was the case with him, it was bound to be the same with Liu Yang as well. With such level of trust, how could Zhang Xuan fail the test? Boom! In the midst of speaking, someone abruptly sent the metal door flying with a kick from outside. After which, a young man walked in haughtily. "Where is your respected Zhang Xuanoshi? Get him toe out!" With both hands behind his back, the young mans eyelids rose slightly as he said those words. He intentionally emphasized on the words Zhang Xuanoshi. Not only was there not a single trace of respect in his expression, he seemed to be mocking him. "Who are you? We dont wee you here, so please leave!" Upon seeing the other party speaking of Zhangoshi with such disrespect, not to mention that he kicked the door open, Zheng Yangs face darkened. "Zheng Yang, dont be rash. He is the one who was ranked fourth in the entrance examinations, Zhu Hong!" Recognising the young man, Yuan Taos fat body shook as he hurriedly pulled Zheng Yang back and whispered to him in a hushed voice. "Zhu Hong?" Not just Zheng Yang, even the faces of Zhao Ya and the others darkened. They have heard of this name before. Zhu Hong was reputed to have already reached Juxi realm pinnacle, and it was possible for him to break through into the next realm any moment now. Ranking fourth in the entrance examination, this clearly showed that his strength and talent were something they were unable to match up to. "To be able to recognize me, looks like you arent as dumb as I thought. This is a war letter from Lu Xunoshi. He wants to challenge Zhang Xuanoshi to a Teacher Evaluation during the Freshmen Tournament half a monthter. So, who is going to ept this letter in his stead?" Upon seeing the others recognize him, the edges of the young mans lip crept upwards. With a condescending look, he spoke contemptuously to them. This person was the one who just walked out of Lu Xuns ssroom, Zhu Hong. He had long heard of Zhang Xuan, the worst teacher in the academy who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination. As one blessed by the heavens and Lu Xuns prided student, he looked down on him. "Teacher Evaluation? Lu Xunoshi?" In that instant, everyones faces changed. Even though the ones topete in the Teacher Evaluation were them, it was considered as a battle between the teachers ability to guide their students. This concerned the pride of their teacher and very few people chose to hold it. Lu Xun was the academys most famous teacher and there were countless experts under his tutge. Why would he challenge Zhangoshi? "Indeed, the petty actions Zhang Xuan was doing behind Luoshi had incurred his wrath and he had decided to teach him a lesson. I will be leaving the war letter here, pass it to himter. If you all dare not to ept the challenge, then admit defeat earlier and head to Luoshis ssroom to apologize to him. Otherwise, prepare to be shamed!" Zhu Hong threw the war letter onto the table and turned around to leave. "Hold it right there!" Before he could exit the ssroom, Zheng Yang dashed forward and blocked his path. "You kicked the doors to our ssroom and spoke of Zhangoshi so disrespectfully. Apologize, or dont me me for being discourteous!" A student had the responsibility to guard the honor of his teacher. This fellow was without a sliver of respect for their teacher. How could they allow him to do as he pleased, wanting to leave right after dumping that war letter? "You want me to apologize? You need to have the capabilities for it first!" Sneering coldly, Zhu Hong looked at him contemptuously and sent a kick at him. Zheng Yangs skill with the spear was incredible, but his punching and kicking mastery were severelycking. Furthermore, as his cultivation level was beneath that of the other party, before he could even react, he was kicked squarely in his chest and flew backwards, crashing heavily onto the ground. "Audacious!" Zhao Yas face warped in anger. With a roar, she charged forward. Just like Zhu Hong, she was Juxi realm pinnacle as well. However, her fighting prowess was slightly inferior to the other party. After trading a few blows, she was struck on her shoulder and retreated backwards. After which, Wang Ying and Yuan Tao also charged forward. However, since even Zhao Ya, who was the strongest of them all, wasnt a match for him, how could they stand up against him? In a short moments time, the four of them had sustained some injuries. They were enraged by the other partys actions, but they were helpless to do anything. They might have learnt quite a few profound theories from Zhang Xuan, but due to theck of time, they still werent a match for one who was ced fourth in the entrance examination. "A bunch of trash!" After defeating the crowd, Zhu Hong flung his sleeves and said, "This is just a small punishment! He should have thought of this possibility when he challenged Luoshi! Tell him, if he doesnt dare to agree, hurry up and apologize, otherwise..." "Otherwise what?" Before he could finish his words, a faint word echoed from the doorway. Along with Liu Yang, Zhang Xuan walked into the ssroom. "Otherwise..." Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was a trash or not, he was a teacher. As a student of the academy, he wasnt someone he could insult. Even though Zhang Xuan had yet to fly into rage, Zhu Hong cowered backwards. Gritting his teeth, he harrumphed, "Otherwise, prepare to lose in shame in the Teacher Evaluation!" "It is not your ce to determine whether I would lose or win! Return and tell Lu Xun that I had epted his war letter!" Zhang Xuan waved him away. Actually, he was a little dismal as well. After expending much effort to coax Huang Yu and Bai Xun to leave, he had intended to continue the lessons for a bit more. Yet, before he could enter the ssroom, he heard the bellowing of this fellow. Lu Xun had challenged him. [You have a few hundred students under you. It is just a single Wang Yan who ising to my lessons to listen in by the side, surely you dont need to make such a big fuss out of it! Furthermore, even if you wanted to dispatch a student to send a war letter you, you should at least choose someone reliable. This fellow, despite being a junior, he was acting so arrogantly. If not in consideration for my identity, I would have extinguished his life with a single p! If not so, do you think that I would allow him to be acting so snobbishly here?] "Thats for the best then. Farewell!" Zhu Hong prepared to leave. "Wait!" Zheng Yang struggled forward. He looked anxiously at Zhang Xuan, "Zhangoshi, not only did he speak disrespectfully towards you and smashed our door, he even attacked us. If we were to allow him to leave like this, wouldnt others just see us as easy targets in the future?" "Why? That thrashing wasnt sufficient for you? Hmph! Despite being weak, you sure speak so arrogantly, you damned brat!" With his head held up high, Zhu Hongs gaze swept across Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and the others scornfully before sneering, "Just this shabby ssroom and these few students, I dont care if that door really means anything much. After all, do you think anyone would secret listen into your lessons? Stop dreaming! Besides, you all would need more capable than that to keep me here. I will stand here, and if any of you think theyre sufficiently skilled,e at me!" At which, he paused for a moment before sping his hands towards Zhang Xuan, "Zhangoshi, as a teacher, surely you wouldnt stoop down to the level of attacking a student!" Teachers had their own pride as well. If he were to really attack a student, he would be looked down by the others. This was also what the saying soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals meant. Even if a general were to defeat a small soldier, it wouldnt be something honorable for him. Calcting that it was unlikely Zhang Xuan would make a move on him and that none of his students was a match for him, he was fearless. "Zhangoshi..." Seeing Zhu Hong behaving so arrogantly, the faces of Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang and the others paled. They clenched their fists tightly together and an urge to charge forward and bash him surged through them. However, they also knew that they werent a match for Zhu Hong. They had already fallen tragically in defeat previously. They would only make a shame out of themselves if they were to continue making a move against him. "You want to teach him a lesson?" Ignoring that conceited fellow, Zhang Xuan turned to look at his students. "Yes!" All of them nodded their head simultaneously. Seeing their expression, Zhang Xuan casually waved his hand. Then, with a serious expression, he said, "No matter what, he is Luoshis student. It would be hard for me to ount to him if he were to die! How about this, Yuan Tao, your strength is the weakest, and you have good self-control, go and beat him up into a pig-head and have himpensate for our door while you are at it! Remember to hold back! Also, during the fight, you must remember to y fairly and not to go overboard! Dont wound the camaraderie you have as fellow students!" Chapter 84: Pummeling Zhu Hong (1) Chapter 84: Pummeling Zhu Hong (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Ah?" Upon hearing Zhang Xuanoshis words, Zheng Yang and the others were on the verge of tears. [Teacher, cant you tell? We arent afraid of you being unable to ount for the matter if we were to beat him to death, but that we are unable to match up to him. Yet, you still went on and chose Yuan Tao to fight in our stead. He is still at Fighter 1-dan primary stage, how do you expect him to defeat his pinnacle expert before us?] "Beat me up into a pig-head andpensate for your door? Haha!" Zhu Hongughed so hard that he almost failed to catch his breath. He knew what the level of strength the others were at when they crossed blows, especially for Yuan Tao, the one who scored the worst in the entrance examination. Yet, he dispatched him out to beat him up into a pig-head? He had long heard that Zhangoshi was terrible at teaching, but he didnt expect his eye of discernment would be so terrible as well. After which, with a trace of mock in his eyes, he dered, "Alright, if any of you can defeat me, not only will I pay for your door, I willpensate him with a thousand gold coins!" As the saying went, the poor studied while the rich trained. For Zhu Hong to possess formidable strength at such a young age, this showed the wealth his family possessed. A thousand gold coins wasnt a small sum, but it was still something he could take out easily. "You willpensate anyone who defeats you?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Of course!" With both of his hands behind his back, Zhu Hong sneered coldly with a smug look on his face. They have just crossed blows, and these people wouldnt be able to defeat him even if they were to cultivate for another decade! "Your time to earn money hase!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Looking at his students, he said, "Yuan Tao, it would be best for you to make a move first. Remember teachers words, go easy with your blows!" "I..." Yuan Taos face knitted into lumps. [This fellow is so powerful that even Zhao Ya xiaojie was unable to defeat him. How could I fight against him?] "If I say that you can win, you will win!" Knowing what he was thinking about, Zhang Xuan walked up to the podium and sat on the chair there. "That is because you are my students. You are all Zhang Xuans students!" Zhang Xuans students? Upon hearing these words, Zhu Hong burst intoughter once more. [The name of Zhang Xuanoshi is indeed immense, almost rivaling with that of Lu Xunoshi, but thats notoriety alright? I might find it difficult to win against the students of other teachers, but your students...] Zhu Hongs face was filled with disdain. While he was chuckling scornfully, Yuan Tao jolted. Hot blood surged through his body and the bitter look on his face disappeared. [Thats right, despite the incredible capabilities of Zhangoshi, he is being mocked at at this very instant. As his student, it is my responsibility to safeguard his honor! Even if it means my death, I mustnt allow him to be scorned by others!] At this point, zeal sprouted in his heart and he no longer felt fear. Thus, he stepped forward, ready to make a move against him. "Dont rush!" Seeing that he was about to rush over, Zhang Xuan waved his hand once more to stop him. "Why? Does Zhangoshi intend to go back on his words?" Zhu Hong snickered. "Go back on my words?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You are overthinking it. Yuan Tao is too incredible, it wouldnt look good on me if he were to kill you identally. How about this, Yuan Tao,e over. I will teach you three basic punching moves." "Three basic punching moves?" Yuan Tao and the others were perplexed over what this teacher of theirs was trying to do. "Ast minute training? Learning battle techniques right now? Im afraid that its toote!" Zhu Hong was filled with contempt. [What kind of joke is this? Every single battle technique requires countless hours of practice, training for days and nights, enduring the heat and cold, and only then will one be aplished in it. Do you think that you can make them triumph over me by teaching them something at thest moment? Dream on!] "Teacher..." Yuan Tao had the same thoughts as well. He walked forward hesitantly and reflected on his face was confusion. Yuan Tao was truly unable toprehend the rationale behind Zhangoshis actions. Assuming that Zhang Xuan wanted to help them redress their grievances, his choice of sending Yuan Tao forward would only embarrass them further if he were to lose against Zhu Hong. "Yuan Tao, trust our teacher. He must have an idea in mind for him to say such words!" Liu Yang had witnessed the happenings in the Enlightenment Will Trial with his own eyes. He knew how formidable this notorious Zhangoshi in front of them was and he hadplete trust in him. He was able to help someone break through within ten minutes for what that would have taken the other party half a year. With such capabilities, what else could he possibly be incapable of? "Alright then!" Hearing those words, Yuan Tao clenched his jaws. Since he had been beaten up a while ago, the worst situation that could get was for him to be beaten up once more. Anyway, he had a thick skin and was resilient to beatings, so there was nothing for him to fear! "The few of you shoulde over to learn it as well, it will help you all win the better on!" Zhang Xuan looked at Zhao Ya and the others. "Yes!" The five of them walked over. "Look closely, this is the first move!" Stretching apart his five fingers, Zhang Xuans left hand grabbed at the empty air before him. The movement was so simple that even ordinary humans couldprehend and execute it, needless to say, them, who were well-versed in martial arts. "The second move!" Without a pause in his actions, Zhang Xuan sidestepped from the left to the right. "The third move!" With his right hand clenched into the shape of a fist, he sent an downward punch towards the other partys chest. Withdrawing his fist, he straightened his posture. "Zhangoshi, is that all?" Seeing that there werent any more movements to it, everyone was dumbfounded. [Zhangoshi, you must be joking! These three moves are as trashy as the fighting methods of those ruffians outside, there isnt a single depth to them at all! We can achieve victory with these three moves? Are you sure you arent joking!] Zhao Ya and the others could feel tears welling in their eyes. Even Zhu Hong had his eyes widened inplete circles. He felt as though the world had gone insane. [You dered that your students will beat me up into a pig-head, so I thought that you will teach them some profound moves. What the heck is this toy? You call this battle technique? Furthermore, when you were teaching them, you didnt even try to conceal them from my sight. Teaching such trashy moves in front of me, do you take me for a corpse?] "Alright, these three moves are extremely simple, so you all should haveprehended them already. Yuan Tao, go. As long as you use them well, defeating this fellow isnt a problem!" Zhang Xuan ushered him over. "I..." Yuan Taos face was filled with bitterness. He knew that he wasnt a reliable person, but what Zhangoshi had just taught them was even more unreliable! He wouldnt even use these three moves in his usual fights against others because they were too lousy. There was not a single depth behind them at all. Even a dog could dodge those easily, not to mention, a human. "Go!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. "Yes!" Gritting his teeth, with the emotions of a brave warrior charging to his death, Yuan Tao walked over to Zhu Hong and dered, "Lets get on with it!" "Are you sure you want to fight with me?" Zhu Hong looked at him as though he was looking at a fool. [Truly entric teachers and students. If you could defeat me after learning three farmer brawling techniques, I should just kill myself.] "Hmph!" Ignoring the other party, Yuan Tao, who was already prepared to be pummeled, roared and lunged forward. There was no depth to the techniques he was using at all, and there wasnt much difference between his fighting style and those ruffians in the alleys. He didnt use the movements Zhang Xuan had just taught him. In his perspective, since he was going to be beaten up, it was best for him to not to make a fool of himself. "You are courting death!" With a cold sneer, Zhu Hong took a step back, dodging the other partys offense. At the same time, he pushed him with his palm. Padah! Flying straight out, Yuan Tao crashed onto the floor. However, due to his thick skin, he didnt feel any pain from the fall. He stood up and charged forth once more with clenched jaws. It hadnt been long since he started learning battle techniques. He didnt have time toprehend or execute any techniques and thus, he could only rely on the instinctive brawling techniques that he used in the past. These moves might work against those ruffians by the alley, but to Zhu Hong, a cultivator, it was asughable as ying house. He had already decided to fight for Zhang Xuanoshis honor. Even if he was beaten to death, he would not give up! In the midst of his charge to go all out against the other party, Zhangoshis voice rang by his ear. ĸ The poor studies while the rich trains. As long as the poor has books, regardless of their condition, they are able to study. (In fact, some went as far as catching fireflies or camping outside the rich households with light at night just to cram a little more in) If they were to strike it out big, they would be able to bring riches and glory back to their province/town. On the other hand, to learn martial arts, one has to first find a capable teacher. Furthermore, they would need money to feed themselves correctly to strengthen their body as well. Chapter 85: Pummeling Zhu Hong (2) Chapter 85: Pummeling Zhu Hong (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Zhenqi Telepathy! "You fool, use the three moves that I have just taught you! Execute the first two moves inversely, use your right hand and right foot instead of your left hand and left foot! Execute thest move as it is, just change the fist into a finger strike and strike at the spot three inches lower. Remember, it has to be three inches. It mustnt be any more and or any less. One had to be at least Fighter 5-dan to use Zhenqi Telepathy. Zhangoshis telepathy caused Yuan Taos body to jolt. Somehow, he felt inclined to trust him. "Lets just do it! Things are already bad as it is anyway!" Without time to think too deeply into it, Yuan Tao decided to just go through with it. After all, it wasnt like he had any other ideas. Thus, without any hesitation, he did as the voicemanded him to. As a cultivator, switching a left hand movement to the right was an extremely simple task. That left hand grab turned into a right hand grab, causing Zhu Hong to be taken aback. He tilted his head to dodge it and sent a punch back at him. However, before his fist could even reach Yuan Tao, thetter had already sidestepped from the right to the left, dodging his attack. "Crap, he is using the inverse version of the technique!" Zhu Hong immediately understood what is going on. Thus, he quickly withdrew his hands to cover his face. Previously, the third blow was a downward punch. Since his techniques were inversed, this move would be an upper cut instead. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had said earlier to beat him up into a pig-head. He reacted extremely quickly and his movements were swift. However, it was a pity that Yuan Taos third move wasnt inversed. It was still a downward motion and furthermore, it was aimed three inches below what Zhang Xuan had shown earlier. Pu! Before Zhu Hong could even react, he felt a stabbing pain at his waist and his entire body went numb. "This is bad, he struck my mingmen! How did he know where my mingmen is?" Zhu Hongs face turned deathly white. He had carefully guarded the fact that his cultivation mingmen was in his waist from others. Previously, the two inverse movements used by Yuan Tao made him instinctively think of protecting his own face. Never would he have thought that the other partys true motive lied here. The moment his mingmen was struck, his entire body went stiff as though he was paralyzed. "This is a good opportunity!" Seeing Zhu Hongs body go stiff, no matter how foolish Yuan Tao could be, at this moment, he knew that he had struck the other partys mingmen. After yelling excitedly, he charged over. He would be a fool if he didnt exploit such a godsent opportunity. Peng peng peng peng! At this moment, the techniques of the alley ruffians that should have never reached Zhu Hongnded like torrential rain on Zhu Hongs face. Before he could recover, his vision went dark. Yuan Taos massive punch had sent him to the floor. At this moment, his years of experience brawling gave him the upper hand. Without much hesitation, he leapt over and sat heavily on the other partys chest. His two fists smashed violently onto the other partys face. "You..." Recovering from his numbness, upon seeing a fatty crushing his body and striking his fist, Zhu Hong felt so dismal that he was about to vomit blood. He was an apprentice of Lu Xunoshi, an expert who was in the fourth ce in the entrance examination. Yet, at this moment, he was being beaten up by the fellow who wasst in the entrance examinations. He felt as though he was going mad. "Scram..." He tried to push the other party away, but the other party is simply too heavy. As though a tiny mountain, no matter how much effort he put into his arms, the other party didnt budge in the least. Furthermore, his fists were as hard as rocks and they smashed down on him relentlessly. Before he can finish his words, he felt his mouth getting more and more swollen as though a bun, and quite a few of his teeth had fallen off as well. "Are my eyes deceiving me?" Zhao Ya and the rest were bbergasted by the sight before them. They had experienced Zhu Hongs strength a moment ago and they had confirmed that even they were not a match for him. Yet, Yuan Tao, the weakest of them all, was about to achieve victory against him at this moment. When did he be so incredible? However, the most shocking thing of all was that their teachers three moves actually worked? "Enough! Yuan Tao. I have already said that beating him up into a pig-head is enough, dont kill him!" Upon seeing Zhu Hong losing his human appearance under Yuan Taos frenzied punching, Zhang Xuan hurriedly stepped in to stop him. No matter what, he was an envoy sent over by Lu Xun. It wasnt appropriate for them to go too far. How awkward the situation would be if he were to be crippled under his pummeling! Other teachers, even the elders, would have to contemte for a long moment before they could teach their students how they could counter their opponents. After all, a battle was constantly changing and evolving! However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to know in advance what battle techniques the other party would execute and what responses the other party woulde up with. As such, through exploiting the ws in their techniques, he was able toe up with a strategy to counter them even before the battle begins! Even though Yuan Taos strength paled much inparison to Zhu Hongs, if he were to know the other partys mingmen and make preparations in advance, defeating him was an easy feat. "Yes!" After sending a few more fists at his face, Yuan Tao felt the anger he had umted being vented out. Only then did he stand up and get off the Zhu Hongs chest. At this moment, Zhu Hong was already no different from a pig-head. His eyes were swollen red, and his entire face had bloated up. His dignified look from before had disappeared without a trace. "You are despicable!" Struggling up, Zhu Hong gritted his teeth and red at Yuan Tao. In his view, this fatty must have been putting on a show. He intentionally feigned weakness so as to put him off his guard, before doing a sudden assault to achieve victory! Damn it! "Despicable? I am despicable, what about it? Do you want to give it another go?" Yuan Tao didnt care about whether the other party thought if he was despicable or not. At this moment, he was still immersed in the exhration from bashing the other party up and stared back at him shamelessly. "You..." Seeing his fearlessness, Zhu Hongsplexion turned awful. Even so, he dared not to agree to his challenge. This fatty obviously knew where his mingmen was. If he were to happen to strike it once more, he would just be beaten up again! Just as he was in a dilemma, Zhangoshis words echoed in his ear. "Alright, you have already left the other party in such a state. Yuan Tao, you should give it a rest!" Zhang Xuan had a stern expression on his face. "Good." Upon hearing those words, Zhu Hong heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say some pleasantries and leave the ssroom, he heard Zhangoshi speaking once more, "Zheng Yang, didnt you want to give it a try just now? Go on!" "Ah?" Zhu Hong was taken aback. [Didnt you stop him so that I can leave? Why are you asking others to get a go on me?] After a temporary pause, a gleam of ruthlessness shed across his eyes. [Its fine this way as well.] Previously, that Zheng Yang was the first to charge over, and given the fact that he was able to send him flying with a single kick, it was clear that his strength was sub-par. Furthermore, given the experience he had with Yuan Tao, he should be fine as long as he guarded himself against the inversion the three moves! Besides, after getting pummeled so tragically, how could he ount the situation after returning without repaying the favor back to them? At this point, even though he still held doubts, Zhu Hong gritted his teeth and sneered, "Come!" "Fine!" Zheng Yang stepped forward. Peng peng peng! The two of them started crossing blows. Zheng Yang, who was sent flying with a single kick previously, seemed as though he had eaten some incredible tonic. He flew around the field, refusing to face Zhu Hong directly. "I dare you to fight with me face on!" Zhu Hong bellowed. Normally, even if Zheng Yang were to skirt around him, he would have the strength to catch him and defeat him. However, he was just beaten to a pulp by Yuan Tao and his body is aching tremendously. It is almost impossible for him tond a blow on a Zheng Yang, who was focusing all of his efforts on dodging his blows. "Sure!" Upon replying, Zheng Yangs left hand grabbed forward. After which, he sidestepped to the right. He used the first move as it is, inverting only the second move. After which, before the other party could react to the abrupt changes, he used his finger as a sword and jabbed straight at Zhu Hongs waist. Chapter 86: Pummeling Zhu Hong (3) Chapter 86: Pummeling Zhu Hong (3) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "I knew you would react like this!" Knowing that his three techniques would either be as it is or inverted, Zhu Hong was well-prepared in reacting to both scenarios instantaneously. As the one who was the fourth in the academys entrance examination, he had undergone all kinds of major and minor battles. He might have let his guard down toward such a superficial technique, which allowed the enemy to get the better of him. However, now that he was guarded, how could the same trick possibly work again? Sneering coldly in his mind, he deflected Zheng Yangs finger stab with his right hand, thwarting the enemys attempt to strike his mingmen. Just at the moment he was about to counterattack, he noticed that Zheng Yangs attack below was actually a feint, and another fist was already right before him, aiming straight at his face. Peng! Before he could even react, he was struck squarely by it. "The heck, how can you be so despicable..." Retreating two steps consecutively, Zhu Hongs tears flowed down his face. Zheng Yangs fist was much more formidable than Yuan Taos. With a single fist, Zhu Hong was already on the verge of fainting. "Despicable? There is no such thing as despicable in the middle of a battle!" Zheng Yang couldnt be bothered to continue speaking with him. After getting him with that single blow, he continued pushing ahead. As the finger on his left hand continued to jab at Zhu Hongs mingmen, his other fist kept smashing down on the other partys face. The two different attacks came straight onto Zhu Hong consecutively. There was no hesitation behind the attacks, not even the slightest pang of conscience. "You..." Every time Zhu Hong decided to block, he realized that one of them was a feint. After a few went past his guard, his face had swelled up even further and his vision went blurry. He felt so frustrated and at the same time, stifled that he was on the verge of puking blood. [Too shameless! Even if you all know where my mingmen is, there should be no need for you all to constantly assault it, right? It is just like continuously checking a king in chess, is there a point to it? Wheres your sportsmanship? My face is already swollen to such an extent, and yet you still smash on it mercilessly... Didnt you speak about ying fairly in the duel? Where is the fairness? Where is the justice? You still dared to say not to go overboard... Not to wound the camaraderie among fellow students... Where the hell is your boundary of going overboard...] "Stop..." Knowing that he might die if he continued on like this, Zhu Hong could only suppress the pain he felt in his heart and hurriedly withdrew from the fight, "I admit defeat..." There was no other choice for him than to admit defeat. The other party knew where his mingmen was, and the crux of it all was that his opponent had no decency at all. Attacking his weak point over and over again, how could he possibly cope with it? If he wasnt injured, he could have escaped his attacks by utilizing his movement techniques and seeking for another opportunity to counterattack. However, given how he could barely squint through the slits of his swollen eyes, if this were to go on, he might very well die here. "It is good that you admitted defeat. Zhao Ya, its your turn..." Zhang Xuan said. "Please enlighten me!" Zhao Ya walked over. Without even giving the other party time to react, she immediately attacked him frenziedly. Her attack routine was no different from Zheng Yangs, striking either at Zhu Hongs mingmen or his face. ...... "..." Zhu Hong cried. "Alright, Wang Ying, give it a try as well!" After admitting defeat once more, even before he had the time to speak, Wang Ying walked over. After which, Liu Yang... Very quickly, each of Zhangoshis five students had pummeled him once. At this time, Zhu Hongs eyes were truly narrowed to only that of a slit, making him not much different from a blind person. "Alright, hurry up and pay up. 1000 for each of us here, and taking into ount the cost of the door as well, a total of 10000!" Yuan Tao walked forward. "10000? There are only five of you here, how can it possibly add up to 10000?" Zhu Hong was about to go insane. "Our door costs 5000!" Yuan Tao dered. "5000?" Zhu Hongs tears streamed freely down his face. [A hundred gold coins can probably be exchanged for five of these broken doors, and yet you are iming 5000 gold coins from me as reparation fee? Even scammers dont scam others like that!] "Its fine if you dont want to pay. Zhangoshi, the few of us would still like to spar with this expert who was ced fourth in the entrance examination, I hope that teacher can grant our request!" Zheng Yang said. "Alright, but you mustnt go overboard when sparring among fellow students!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head seriously. "Mustnt go overboard? Forget it... Theres no need for it, I will pay for it, is that enough?" Hearing Zhangoshi replying with the words he said a moment ago, the edges of Zhu Hongs mouth twitched. How could he possibly dare to retort at a time like this? He quickly retrieved 10000 dor notes over. He could feel his heart bleeding as he watched the other party take the notes from his hands. ...... He might be from a wealthy family, but 10000 gold coins were around what he had saved throughout these years. For him to lose all of his fortunes here because of this war letter... As though afraid that he might be pummeled to death, Zhu Hong swiftly escaped after paying the sum. A moment ago, he charged in here arrogantly, acting as though he was superior to everyone else. Yet, never would he have expected that he would be beaten to such a state. "Teacher..." The moment Zhu Hong left, Zheng Yang, Yuan Yao and the others stared at their Zhangoshi, who was sitting at the center of the room, with eyes filled with reverence! The main reason why they were able to defeat Zhu Hong was thanks to the three movements that he had imparted them. To allow them to defeat a stronger adversary with just a few casual pointers, it was as though he knew what kinds of battle techniques the other party would use. How did he manage to achieve such an incredible feat? .......................................... "Luoshi, do you think that Zhang Xuan will ept your challenge?" Elder Hong Hao chuckled as he stroked his beard. [Now that Lu Xunoshi has made a move, Zhang Xuan is surely in for a ride of misfortune. It is just a matter of time before his students are taken over, leaving him without a student under his tutge once more.] "It doesnt matter whether he epts it or not. If I dont show him the consequences of stealing my students, how can I, Lu Xun, uphold my dignity in Hongtian Academy?" Lu Xunoshi harrumphed coldly. "Thats right!" Elder Hong Hao nodded his head. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he saw a fellow with apletely swollen face, simr to that of a pig, walking in. "Luoshi, please redress my grievances..." The moment the person walked in, he started to bawl. "You are..." Lu Xun was a little startled by the unfamiliar visitor. "I am Zhu Hong..." The visitor took another 10000 points of damage. "Zhu Hong? Didnt I just send you to deliver the war letter? How did yound yourself in such a state?" Hearing the other party identifying himself, Lu Xun took a closer nce and found certain traces of Zhu Hong on the other partys face. Surprised, he couldnt help but ask. [How did you get into such a state just by sending a war letter?] "I was beaten up..." Zhu Hongs tears gushed down from his eyes. "Zhang Xuan actually paid no regards to his identity as a teacher and attacked you?" Lu Xuns face suddenly darkened. He abruptly stood up and a powerful aura burst forth within the ssroom. He had already opened dozens of acupoints and was a true-blue Pixue realm expert. No wonder he was a star teacher, his strength was already befitting for the position of an elder within the academy. Zhu Hong was the fourth strongest student among the freshmen, as assessed during the entrance examination. Even though this ranking system wasntpletely indicative his fighting prowess, it still reflected his exceptional ability among the freshmen. There were no veteran students under Zhang Xuans tutge. The only one who could have possibly left him in such a state was Zhangoshi himself! "Its... the students under his tutge... Zhangoshi... didnt have a move!" Zhu Hongs face blushed crimson in embarrassment. "Student? You mean Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang and the rest?" Since Lu Xun had already challenged the other party, he sent some students out to look into the students under Zhang Xuan and realized that the students under him in this semester were, surprisingly, not that bad. "They ganged up together against you? That isnt right. Their cings in the entrance examinations werent too bad, but I have already guided you in your training personally. Your cultivation is just a step from breaking through into the next realm. Even if they were to gang up on you, they shouldnt be a match for you!" The strength of Zhao Ya and the others werent too bad, but this Zhu Hong was significantly stronger than them. These two days, Lu Xun had spent quite a bit of effort on him as well. In terms of individual fighting ability, there shouldnt be anyone beneath Fighter 2-dan who should be a match for him. Even if the few of them were to gang up against him, Zhu Hong should still be more than a match for them! How did he get beaten up to such a state in a short moments time? Chapter 87: Is He Really The Worst Teacher? Chapter 87: Is He Really The Worst Teacher? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Initially, they werent a match for me when they ganged up on me... However, at this moment, Zhangoshi came in. He taught them three movements and somehow, every one of them seemed to have powered up suddenly. The first one to fight me was Yuan Tao..." Zhu Hong exined everything that had just happened previously once. He even demonstrated the three movements which Zhang Xuan had imparted them. Hearing his story and looking at the three movements Zhu Hong demonstrated to them, Lu Xun and Elder Hong Hao stared at one another in disbelief. They doubted if their ears were ying tricks on them, and theirplexion looked as awful as one afflicted by constipation. "You mean to say... the Yuan Tao who was the ranked thest in the entrance examination? Just these three moves and yet... You werent a match for him?" [You must be jesting with us! The results of the investigation that just came in earlier contained Yuan Taos information as well. His parents died when he was young, and he had never learned any battle techniques or cultivation techniques. The only strength he had was his thick skin, granting him powerful defensive abilities. Even so, he scored thest in the entrance examination, thus clearly indicating his level of ability aspared to his peers. How can someone like that defeat an expert like you who was ranked fourth? Do you have to be so exaggerated?] Furthermore, after taking a look at those three movements, they had confirmed that they were trash. Could those movements even be considered a battle technique? Even if the other party were to use it inversely, swapping their left and right, it should mean nothing at all! "He despicably..." Zhu Hong recounted the happenings in the battle detailedly with a pained look. "Looks like your mingmen was exposed, those three movements were only a distraction to attract your attention. Their main goal was your mingmen!" Lu Xun came to a realization after the other party recounted the entire incident. This student of his was too careless. Mingmen was the location where the strength of a cultivator gathers. It was the core of a cultivators strength, and one had to guard it properly. For him to allow his mingmen to be seen through so easily, he was truly too negligent. Finding an opponents mingmen didnt mean that one can defeat him with hundred percent possibility. After all, battles werent just simple math, it involved ones reaction speed and ability to adapt to sudden situations. However, when two people of simr cultivation level were to fight with one another, it was still a dangerous scenario if the opponent were to locate ones mingmen. "It is impossible for those students of his to find your mingmen and exploit that w of yours. It seems that this Zhang Xuanoshi isnt simple. Initially, I thought that it would be a simple and meaningless win. However, from the looks of it, things arent as they seem on the surface. Interesting!" As expected of the academys star teacher, Lu Xun swiftly analyzed the crux of the issue. [Mingmen is a weakness of all cultivators. Usually, one would guard it properly, making it difficult for others to locate it. Furthermore, even if one were to locate an opponents mingmen, if one doesnt have the sufficient strength to stand up against ones opponent, it is still difficult for one to achieve a victory. It is as though giving an ordinary human a dagger. Even though the human knows that the other party would die with a single stab through his heart, he is still unable to defeat a boxing expert. If the few students of Zhang Xuan could see through his mingmen beforehand, they would have won against Zhu Yang from the very start. It is apparent that Zhang Xuan had told them of it in secret.] "However, it matters not. I will find a way for you to break through to Fighter 2-dan now. Once you seed, your mingmen will move and by then, you will be able to exact your vengeance!" Waving his hand grandly, Lu Xun consoled him. A cultivators mingmen didnt stay at the same location. Depending on ones cultivation technique, cultivation realm and battle technique, their mingmen would be in different locations. At this moment, Zhu Hongs mingmen was by his waist. Once he broke through Fighter 1-dan, his mingmen would move to another point. By then, he would be able topletely neglect those petty tricks of theirs. It was rumored that those who cultivate an incredible cultivation technique, upon reaching a certain powerful realm, would not have any mingmen or weakness. It was impossible to find even if one were to jab every single spot of their body. "Yes!" Zhu Hong nodded his head. "A whileter, I will look for Elder Shang Chen to ascertain the nominal roll for thepetition. Cultivate properly and dont disappoint me. When the timees, I will allow you to exact vengeance with your own hands!" "Thank you, Luoshi!" Motivated, Zhu Hong regained his confidence once more. "Right, Elder Hong Hao, dont you have a good rtionship with Elder Shang Chen? It should be much more efficient for you to deal with a trash teacher like Shang Chen by knocking on the Education Bureau than looking for me!" Upon recalling Elder Shang Chen, Lu Xun couldnt help but look at him doubtfully. Back then, Elder Hong Hao was a serious contender for the position of the academys principal. He had amiable rtions with many elders and Shang Chen was one of them. Logically speaking, if he really had something against Zhang Xuan, wouldnt getting the Education Bureau to make a move be much more convenient than seeking for his assistance? "Actually, it isnt convenient for the Education Bureau to make a move under such circumstances. After all, we cant forcefully pull a student away from his teacher! If we were to do so and heins up to the Teacher Guild, saying that he has been oppressed, wouldnt the matter just blow big?" Elder Hong Hao replied. If a student were to acknowledge a teacher by their own will, even the Education Bureau had no rights to interfere in their choices. Most importantly, in his eyes, Zhang Xuan was nothing more than a trash who had scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination. If so, was there a need to look for the head of the Education Bureau? He would be making a mountain out of a molehill! [1] Of course, he couldnt say such words out loud. Otherwise, Lu Xunoshi would find his actions disrespectful. Actually, given Lu Xuns wits, it was likely that he had already guessed the truth. If it wasnt for two of his students being poached from his side, he wouldnt be bothered to interfere in these matters, needless to say, propose a Teacher Evaluation against Zhang Xuan! As the both of them was in the midst of chatting, they suddenly spotted a young man walked over with widened strides. "Lu Xun..." Before the young man reached the duo, he had already shouted out Lu Xuns name. "Oh, its Wangoshi. What are you doing here?" Lu Xun smiled. The one who came was the other star teacher of the academy, Wang Chao! The spear expert whom Zheng Yang wanted to acknowledge as his teacher! "Elder Hong Hao!" Upon reaching, Wang Chao noticed Hong Hao, who was sitting beside Lu Xun, and bowed. After which, he hurriedly turned to look at Lu Xun and asked, "Have you heard about the happenings with the Education Bureau?" "Heard of what?" Lu Xun was puzzled. "You dont know about it? Elder Shang Chen has been stripped of his position and is currently undergoing investigation!" Wang Chao eximed. "The Teacher Guild has just passed down the orders!" "Elder Shang Chen has been stripped of his position and is undergoing investigation? Whats going on?" Not only was Lu Xun in a state of disbelief, even Elder Hong Hao was taken aback by this sudden news. [How can the head of Hongtian Academys Education Bureau be stripped of his position and undergo investigation all of a sudden without any forewarning?] "It is rumored that he had oppressed a teacher andcked impartiality in his actions. Some also say that he was unfair when conducting the Enlightenment Will Trial. Anyway, the Teacher Guild had been informed of these matters and he was immediately stripped of his position!" Wang Chao said. Cao Xiong had caused quite a ruckus when he applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial, so quite a few teachers knew about it. "Oppress? Lack impartiality? Which teacher is so formidable to be able to prompt the Teacher Guild to make a move and drag Elder Shang Chen off his authoritative position?" Lu Xun couldnt help butment. Elder Shang Chen might just be a head of Education Bureau, but he had a powerful backing. Several elders in the Teacher Guild were his friends, so overthrowing him, not to mention doing it so thoroughly, should be an extremely difficult task! Elder Hong Hao could also infer that much, and he was curious to know which influential figure it is to be capable of wielding such power. "ording to the rumors, it is that trash of a teacher in our academy... Zhang Xuan!" Wang Chao pondered for a moment before replying their doubts. "Zhang Xuan? How is that possible?" In that instant, as though their tails have been stepped on, Elder Hong Hao and Lu Xun leapt up simultaneously. Their eyes were widened toplete circles and they felt as though the world was going mad. Just by eating a few food, he was able to topple an established tavern with more than a decade of history behind it. Also, he was able to impel students to withdraw from the tutge of the academys number one teacher. Furthermore, just casually teaching his students, his students were able to beat the fourth-ranked freshman up into a pighead. Lastly, and the most shocking of all, he was able to topple the head of the Education Bureau, Shang Chen... Zhang Xuan, was he really the worst teacher in the academy? [1] This phrase is an idiomatic expression that means making a big deal out of a small issue. Chapter 88: Apothecary Guild Chapter 88: Apothecary Guild Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Alright, lets stop lessons here today. When you go back, cultivate based on what I have taught you all today. I dont wish to lose in the Teacher Evaluation half a monthter! I also wish that your thoughts are the same as me!" After talking a little more about cultivation in the ssroom, Zhang Xuan waved his hands to signal the end of the lesson. After interacting with the others these two days, he was gradually getting used to his profession as a teacher, and the disposition of a teacher slowly built on him. "Yes, Zhangoshi!" Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists with reddened faces. After the previous incident, they knew that Lu Xunoshi had challenged Zhangoshi and they were the stakes in this challenge. If it was two days ago, they would have gone insomniac over the excitement of being able toe under Luoshis tutge. However, at this moment, they were absolutely unwilling to acknowledge anyone except for Zhang Xuan as their teacher, even if they were beaten to death! He was able to see through the ws on them with a single nce, treat the disabilities of Zhao Ya, Wang Ying and the others, whip out profound cultivation techniques on a whim and even helping them find Zhu Hongs mingmen, allowing them to easily achieve a victory over him. Zhangoshi seemed to possess a unique charm, causing them to be astonished and impressed at the same time, making it difficult for them think of anything else. "Goodbye, teacher!" The few of them left the ssroom. "You said that Zhangoshi was able to strike 55 ding with a single punch?" "Even Bai Xun xiao wangye was trying to seek guidance from him?" The moment they walked out of the ssroom, the crowd couldnt help but to question Liu Yang about the happenings in the Enlightenment Will Trial today. Liu Yang didnt hide anything and revealed everything that had happened. When the crowd heard that Zhangoshi actually possessed the strength of a Pixue realm expert, the astonishment in every single one of their eyes could not possibly be faked. In that instant, their eyes glowed in reverence. When they heard about the shameless doings of the Education Bureau, every single one of them felt so indignant for Zhang Xuan that they were about to erupt from the rage welling in them. "Everyone, Lu Xunoshis challenge is actually a good opportunity for us to cleanse Zhangoshis reputation!" After recounting the happenings in the Enlightenment Will Tower, Liu Yang scanned the faces of his fellow peers before continuing, "Thus, I hope that all of us would train properly this half a month so as to win glory and honor for our teacher, as well as to forge a reputation for ourselves!" "Indeed, Zhangoshi is noble and magnanimous, so he might not be bothered with the nder of these despicable people. However, as his students, we have the responsibility to right his reputation!" Zhao Yas beautiful eyes were twinkling, and a resolute gleam could be seen within it. "I agree as well!" The dense Wang Ying also gritted her teeth in anger. Zhangoshi had healed her legs for her, even specially creating a cultivation technique for her. Even if she were to crush her bones into powder, it would be hard for her to repay this gratitude. "Count us in!" Yuan Tao and Zheng Yang stepped forward as well. "Its a promise then. This half a month, we will give our all into our training. Then, during the Freshmen Tournament, we will make those who looked down on Zhangoshi see..." Unwavering determination reflected in Liu Yangs eyes. With a slow but powerful voice, he said, "... that his students are the best!" "The battle half a monthter..." Unaware of his students zing morale, at this moment, Zhang Xuan was seated in the staff room. A frown so deep that lumps formed could be seen on his face. He didnt worry much about Zhao Ya and Wang Ying. Given their strong foundations, apanied with the cultivation techniques that he has imparted them, their strength would definitely make a big leap half a monthter. As for Zheng Yang and Liu Yang, they possessed eptable talent and they were ambitious as well. As long they were properly guided, it wasnt a problem for their strength to soar. However, Yuan Tao remained a factor of anxiety for him. [This fellow is a wandering cultivator. He has no backing or connections whatsoever. In fact, he never really came into contact with cultivation techniques before, so it would be difficult for him to improve swiftly within half a month.] "Unless his Ancient Emperor Bloodline awakens!" A thought shed through his mind. He had checked Yuan Taos condition with the Library of Heavens Path a few days ago. He had confirmed that he possesses the Ancient Emperor Bloodline. As long as it was awakened, regardless of whether it was Yuan Taos level of cultivation, his defense or speed, they would all rise exponentially. This seemed to be the only usible method for his strength to rise swiftly. "But how can the Emperor Bloodline be awakened?" The answer of his problem brought about another problem. The Emperor Bloodline was a type of bloodline passed down from the ancient times and it was iparably valuable. There were sporadic records of it and most of those who know of it only knew of its name. Most probably, there wasnt a single person in Tianxuan Kingdom who knew how to awaken it. "There are normally three methods to awaken a persons unique constitution. Firstly, continue training the conventional method. Once one reaches a certain level, it is possible for their unique constitution to be awakened! This is the most reliable but lengthiest method. In fact, most people died even before they got a chance to awaken their potential! Secondly, one can also check the nature of the unique constitution and consume a pill corresponding to the attribute of the body. With powerful medicinal effects, there is a certain level of possibility for one to sessfully awaken their unique constitution!" "Thirdly, forcefully awakening ones potential through special experiences, such as death or poison. There was an expert whose unique constitution awoke after his body was shed over seventy times consecutively. There was also another one who, after being poisoned, bled from the seven apertures of his body. After losing his breath for three days, his unique constitution awoke and he sessfully resurrected." With a jolt in his mind, a book regarding unique constitutions floated into his mind and a few methods of awakening them were written on it. After taking a look at it, dark lines appeared on Zhang Xuans face. [The first and the second method is still eptable, but what the heck is the third method? Either death or poison? What if one fails to awaken their unique constitution after being consecutively stabbed seventy times or consuming lethal poison and bleeding from their seven apertures? If so, wouldnt they really die for sure?] "Looks like only the second method is viable!" He rubbed his be. The third method was definitely out of question. On the other hand, with only half a month, the first method could not be relied on either. After thinking about it, it seemed that only the second method was the feasible one. "Since thats the case, I should head over to the Apothecary Guild to take a look. Perhaps, I might find some suitable pills to awaken Yuan Taos Emperor Bloodline and Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body!" Standing up, he walked out of the staff room. If Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao were to awaken their unique constitutions, it was definite that their cultivation realm would soar. Almost all of the upations of the Upper Nine Paths have their own alliance organization, such as the Teacher Guild, cksmith and Appraiser Guild, Formation Master Guild, Beast Tamer Guild and such. The apothecaries were no different as well. As one of the unique upations in the continent, even though apothecaries paled slightly inparison to master teachers, they were still of esteemed standing and it was an upation many looked forward to. After all, there wasnt a single cultivator who didnt want to break through his current realm, and didnt get injured. Most of the time, a cultivator would require the help of an apothecary to solve these problems of theirs. The pills that they forged boost the medicinal properties of the herbs, thus creating a greater effect on the cultivators. Thats precisely the reason why the Apothecary Guild was extremely crowded. Every day, crowds of people would gather in there for inquiries and procurement of medicine. Zhang Xuans previous self had never been there before. However, as one of the greatest power within the kingdom, he still knew the rough position of it. After walking along the streets for an hour, he arrived at his destination. A magnificent building, as though a massive church. A board hung on top of the entrance, and two majestic words were carved on it, Apothecary Guild! Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked in. A vast lounge appeared before him the moment he entered. The interiors of the Apothecary Guild was bustling with people walking to and fro. "I should either inquire with an apothecary or look up books on pills if I want to know what kinds of pills can awaken the Emperor Bloodline and Pure Yin Body!" Zhang Xuans main goal foring here was to look into this matter rather than to purchase pills. There were only two methods for him to fulfill his objective here. However, he didnt know a single person in the Apothecary Guild, and it wasnt suitable for him to ask about it from others. In fact, even if he were to have an acquaintance here, it was unlikely for the other party to have heard of it! After all, Emperor Bloodline and Pure Yin Body were extremely rare constitutions. On the other hand, looking for a specific information among countless books might be like searching for a needle in the middle of a deep ocean for the others, but for Zhang Xuan, who possesses the cheat known as the Library of Heavens Path, the situation was vastly different. Thus, making up his mind, he walked forward to the reception of the Apothecary Guild. Chapter 89: Wen Xues Rage Chapter 89: Wen Xues Rage Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Wen Xue was a receptionist at the front desk of the Apothecary Guild. Her greatest wish was to be an apothecary. However, it was a pity that she wascking in talent and even after numerous tries, she still had yet to pass the examination to be an apprentice. Helpless, she could only work at the front desk while trying her best to study. Working as a receptionist at the front desk of the Apothecary Guild might seem like nothing, but the ie was truly not bad. She would get amission on every pill sold and while themission isnt arge sum, the more pills were sold, the more she would earn. Thus, her sry in a single year tend to be six or seven times of those working in the same job. However, despite the generous pay, she didnt want to stay in this job for a single day longer. It wasnt because of the difficulty of the job but rather... her outer appearance. She was in her early twenties, the pinnacle of her youth and beauty. Furthermore, her parents had gifted her with a spectacr face. While it might not be top-notch, it could be considered as one in a hundred. Being beautiful should have been a blessing. As long as one was a woman, one would be proud of it. However, it would be a totally different matter if the woman were to work here. Often having to stand in the frontlines in receiving customers, countless young masters of distinguished families would intentionally run over here to chat her up,ing up with all kinds of ridiculous demands. There were even a few who were incredibly persistent, visiting her every single day and using every single trick in the book, leaving her incredibly annoyed. However, as a salesperson, she wasnt allowed to chase them away. If she were to do so and her pursuers imed that they were only here to purchase pills, she would be in for a lot of trouble! "Lets hope that I will not meet those shameless flies today!" Muttering under her breath, she tidied up her uniform and stood at the reception with a smile. Soon afterward, a young man walked over. This young man didnt seem too old, probably below twenty. Hisplexion was well-maintained, smooth and radiant even whenpared to hers. "Mister, is there anything that you need?" Wen Xue shed a business-like smile at him. "Do you all... sell books here? Those kind about the effects of pills that awaken unique constitutions!" the young man said. The young man was Zhang Xuan. As his previous self had never been here, he didnt know how the Apothecary Guild worked, so he could only inquire at the front reception. "Please head to the bookstore if you wish to purchase books, this is the Apothecary Guild!" Upon hearing the other partys words, the smile Wen Xue was hanging on her face copsed and herplexion turned awful. [Even if you want to hit on me, you should be more professional about it! Asking about books at the Apothecary Guild... Why dont you buy shoes at a restaurant?] "No, thats not it. I am here to look for books on the effects of pills, such books surely cannot be found in the bookstore!" Not noticing the sudden changes that have urred with the attitude of the female receptionist, Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before asking again. [Since you want to put on a show, I will quietly watch your monologue!] With her arms akimbo, Wen Xues eyes emanated cold intent. Seeing the other party remaining silent to his words, Zhang Xuan thought that she did not understand his words. Thus, he continued exining, "Actually, I want to look for pills that can awaken unique constitutions. However, I am unsure of the herbs that arepatible with them so I would like to browse through some books. Do you have any of them here? I am willing to buy them off you, or else... just borrowing them to take a look is fine as well!" "I have already said, there isnt any!" [Now that Im ignoring you, you be even more aggressive? Buying books and borrowing books... Do you think that you can fool a girl with such old lines?] Wen Xue has already decided that this fellow is here to cause trouble to attract her attention. Otherwise, who would run to the Apothecary Guild to buy books? Wasnt he looking for a beating like this? At this moment, Zhang Xuan noticed the snappish attitude of the other party. He couldnt help but be bewildered by her queer actions. He didnt offend her, so why would she behave like this? "It might be menopause!" Shaking his head, he didnt allow the issue to linger in his mind. As a civilized and wise transcender, he couldnt be bothered to squabble with a woman over such a minor affair. If Wen Xue were to know of his thoughts, she would surely be driven mad. [I am just 20, okay! You are the one who is having menopause...] "How about this, the Apothecary Guild should have a book collection vault right? Can you bring me over to take a look?" Know that it was impossible to exin his way through the matter, Zhang Xuan mused for a moment and arrived at a solution. Regardless of whether it was the Teacher Guild or Apothecary Guild, they were established for the convenience for of the respective upations. Thus, it was natural for them to have a book collection vault in the buildings so that those treading on the path of these unique upations and continue to study and improve. Even if the other party was unwilling to sell these books to him, as long as he was able to take a look around the book collection vault, he should be able to achieve his goals. "Book collection vault? You still wish to enter the book collection vault?" Seeing how the request of the fellow before her was getting more and more ludicrous, Wen Xue spoke in a sharp tone, "If you arent here to buy pills, please leave!" "Why, you are banning people from entering the book collection vault? How much money does it take to enter it? It is not like I am unwilling to pay for the entry!" Zhang Xuan was displeased. Was there something wrong with this woman? He was just here to inquire about some matter, and yet the other party reacted as though she had eaten gunpowder or something. Upon hearing the other party acting haughtily the way young masters of distinguished families do, viewing money as though dirt, Wen Xue was even more repulsed. "So what if you have money! Do you think that money makes the world go round? Let me tell you the truth, the Apothecary Guild does have a book collection vault and it is split into basic and advanced tiers. Even the basic tier book collection vault requires one to be an apprentice apothecary before he is able to enter. Are you an apothecary? Or are you an apprentice apothecary?" "Apprentice apothecary?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment beforeing to a realization. He didnt know much about the Apothecary Guild, but at the very least, he knew about the situation in the academy. The students have a Compendium Pavilion of their own and the teachers another one of their own, and thetter required a teaching license to enter. Otherwise, if everyone was allowed to browse through as they please, then those secret manuals could no longer be referred to as such. Furthermore, browsing through them was one thing, but if a student were to fancy a cultivation technique written in one of the books and cultivate it on a whim, who could they push the responsibility to if his cultivation were to go berserk? The Apothecary Guild should be the same as well. The rationale behind splitting the book collection vault into the basic and advanced tier and limiting the ess to it to only those who have reached a certain standard was to prevent people from getting greedy and only pick out bits and pieces of it to form iplete knowledge, which could prove to be dangerous. At the same time, they could also prevent the secret manuals from leaking out. "Apprentice apothecary... I am not it, but can anyone take the examinations?" He was just an ordinary teacher who had never learned pill forging before. As such, it was impossible for him to be an apprentice apothecary. However, these were all just titles which one could take a test for, and to be a master teacher, he needed to umte even more knowledge. "Examination? You wish to take the test to be an apprentice apothecary?" At this moment, Wen Xue, who was absolutely certain that the other fellow is here to hit on her, seethed in anger. Seeing how the other party was continuing on with his facade and even dering his intention to take the examination to be an apprentice apothecary, she could no longer suppress her rage any further. "Fine! The test is over there, I will take you over right now!" [Arent you good at acting? I will bring you over right now, lets see whether you can continue acting like this!] Even though it was just an examination for an apprentice apothecary, it was simr to an assistant master teacher selection in the sense that it required one go through numerous trials, assessed on all kinds of basic knowledge an apothecary had to know. She had already taken the test for numerous years now, only to fail dismally. [Yet, you, a yboy who has never gone for any lessons for the apprentice examinations or read any books on medicinal herbs or pill forging, hope to take the test as well? What kind of joke is this? Hmph, if I dont expose your fraud and humiliate you in public, you might just take me as an easy target!] Wen Xues lips pouted as she harrumphed coldly. "The test is over there?" "Why? Chickening out?" Wen Xue sneered coldly. "Great!" Seeing the other party behave as though she had eaten gunpowder, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to follow behind her, he suddenly looked over with an awkward expression. "Examination... What contents are tested in the apprentice apothecary examination? Do I have to read any books?" Chapter 90: Examination Hall Chapter 90: Examination Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "You..." It was one thing if she didnt hear those words. Now, upon hearing these words, Wen Xue felt as though someone was beating on her chest and she was on the verge of erupting. [Hitting on me? I will tolerate it! Your intentional rambling? I will tolerate it as well... However, to win my favor, you should at least feign to be knowledgeable! You im to want to be an apprentice apothecary, yet you are unaware of the basic contents that are being tested, not even knowing what books to read... Do you dare to shout those words out any louder?] "Why? You also dont know? Fine, I will ask someone else then!" Seeing the intense movements at her chest as though it was a venttion fan, Zhang Xuan felt a little indignant and depressed. [What is wrong with thisdy? If you know about it, just exin it to me. Why do you have to make a big fuss over everything as though you just had a seizure?] Seeing how the other party was behaving as though saying if you dont know anything, dont confuse me, Wen Xue almost turned insane. [Fine, continue putting on your facade then! We will see in a while how you embarrass yourself!] "In the examination to be an apprentice apothecary, one has to remember the medicinal properties of over a hundred thousands of medicinal herbs, as well as the history and founding of apothecaries..." Forcefully suppressing the rage from erupting, Wen Xue started to exin. Apothecary was a job that involves medicinal herb. If one was incapable of even identifying and differentiating the herbs, how could one forge pills? The continent was vast and boundless. There were countless medicinal herbs in it, and even though hundred thousand might seem like a huge quantity, it could only be considered as the basics. Despite apanying medicinal herbs their entire life, some apothecaries were still unable to recognize quite a few of them, needless to say, the apprentices. "Just these? Thats simple! Where can I find books on medicinal herbs? I will take a look on them right now!" Upon hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback by the simplicity of the examination. As long as there were books on it, the Library of Heavens Path was able topile books inside his head and be stored in his brain as his knowledge. As long as only these contents were tested, the examination could be considered as easy to him. After all, this was an ability much more incredible than photographic memory. "Simple?" The corner of Wen Xues mouth twitched. If not in consideration of the fact that the other party was a customer and she was only a receptionist, she would have long assaulted him. Just remembering hundred thousand medicinal herbs was an extremely daunting task! Furthermore, every single medicinal herb had different traits and different reactions would arise when different medicinal herbs were mixed with a specific medicinal herb. Even though Wen Xue self-acknowledged that she had a good memory, she was still unable to remember them all even after several years and she would easily get confused between the different herbs during the examination. [He, a yboy who only knows how to flirt with girls, actually said that the test is easy? Act, continue acting! Ill see how you intend on wrapping up the situationter!] "There are books on sale at where the apprentice apothecary examination is held. Come with me!" Uponing to a conclusion that the other party was intentionally bragging to capture her attention, Wen Xues rage calmed down slightly. Sneering coldly, she led Zhang Xuan over. Soon, they arrived at a spacious room. At the top, two words Examination Hall was written. A middle-aged man was sitting by the entrance while reading a book. The examination hall was a ce where apprentice apothecaries were being tested. As such, outsiders were usually forbidden from entering the premises. This middle-aged man was also one of those who wished to be an apprentice apothecary. Even after persisting for over twenty years, he had still yet to seed. Simr to Wen Xue, he was studying alongside his work. For someone to be unable to pass the examination even after twenty years, the difficulty of the examination was clear to see. "Uncle Li!" Wen Xue stopped before the middle-aged man and greeted him. "Youre here. Are you here to buy books or for the examination?" The middle-aged man named Uncle Li raised his head and smiled. "Not me, it is this mister over here. He says that he wishes to take the apprentice apothecary examination!" Sneering coldly in her mind, Wen Xue pointed to Zhang Xuan. [Didnt you say that you want to take the examination? Fine, I will register you right now. Lets see how you intend to resolve the situation given how ignorant you are!] ...... [The questions for the examination are brainstormed by the apothecaries themselves. Yet, you dare to charge in here despite not knowing anything at all? This is equivalent to challenging their dignity. Lets see how you cry after you incur their wrath...] "You wish to take the examination?" The middle-aged man looked at Zhang Xuan and frowned. He had studied for twenty years and yet, he had yet to pass the examination. This fellow looked barely eighteen to neen and he intended to take the examination? "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Only when he became an apprentice apothecary could he enter the Apothecary Guilds basic tier library to browse their books. Without a choice, he could only give it a try. If the other two were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely spurt blood and die from excessive blood loss. [All of us study every day to memorize those contents, spending several decades of efforts only to end in vain. Yet, despite not reading a single book, you intend to go for the examination, not to mention just to give it a try... Are you sure it is okay to be acting cool like this?] "The registration fee is 2000 gold coins. If you pass the examination, the money will be refunded to you. However, if you fail, the money will be the Apothecary Guilds! This is to prevent others from wasting resources here despite not knowing anything at all!" Upon seeing him confirm his intention, the middle-aged Uncle Li mentioned the rules for the registration of the examination. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan casually whipped out two-thousand dor notes and passed it over. After the treasure spection and the incident with the scammer Yang Mo, he had earned quite a wealth. 2000 gold coins meant nothing much to him. "As expected, he is a rich yboy!" Seeing him hand over the money so casually without a shred of hesitation, Wen Xue was even more ascertain of her judgement. 2000 gold coins. If it was them, they would have to work for quite a period of time before they could whip out such a sum. This fellow was obviously doing this to catch her attention. To hand over this sum of money so easily, what could he be if not a yboy? However, it was a pity that he used the money incorrectly. Not only would it not generate the effects he had intended, he would also be aughingstock! "Un!" Taking the money over, Uncle Li nodded his head and passed a personal particrs form to Zhang Xuan. After which, he said, "It just happens that there is an examination that will be held today. However, there is still four hours before its start, so you just have to return within four hours!" "Four hours?" A trip from the academy toward here took an entire two hours, so naturally, he couldnt head back now. Looking at the middle-aged man, he asked, "Is there any books for those taking the apprentice apothecary examination? Can I take a look at them here?" "You wish to do ast moment sharpening of your knowledge? Sure! That room is full of books so you can feel free to pick any book of your choice! However, studying four hours from the examination seems a little toote!" As he spoke, Uncle Li pointed towards Zhang Xuans back. Turning around to take a look, he saw a huge collection of books filling up dozens of bookshelves behind him. From the looks of it, there were at least ten thousand books over there. "So many?" It was no wonder that the apprentice apothecary examination wasnt easy. Just finishing these books were enough to tire a person to death, needless to say, remember them! "I will just take a casual look. I wont be buying any of it..." At which, Zhang Xuan walked into the room. To him, there was no point in purchasing books. Just by flipping through it, he was able to imprint the knowledge into the library to be his own, so theres no use in buying them. "Seems like you are quite tolerant. Today, I will go all out with you, lets see how long you can keep up your facade for!" Seeing how the other party walking in and saying that he would take a look even after seeing so many books stacked on the bookshelves, Wen Xue didnt leave and instead, sneered coldly at his back. To tell the truth, she had seen many shameless people, but she had never seen such a shameless person! ...... [Despite not knowing anything at all, he brazenly registers himself for the apprentice apothecary examination. Not only so, he still publicly deres that he is going to study... If it wasnt to put on an act, anyone who sees the amount of book on the bookshelf would feel a little conscience-stricken upon seeing that number of books and think that it is an impossible mission! Nearly ten thousand books... It takes nearly half a day just to move them all, needless to say, to read them. Since you are so shameless, I will quietly watch by the side at how you will continue to act cool. Even if my wage today is deducted, I must see you make a fool out of yourself! Lets see how you will deal with the embarrassment four hours from now!] Wen Xues wrath had been incurred quite a fair bit, and she intended to go until the end with that fellow. Chapter 91: Three Rounds of Examination Chapter 91: Three Rounds of Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe In his previous life, Zhang Xuan was a bachelor and had never dated anyone. Thus, he was incapable of guessing the thoughts of a woman, needless to say, fathom that he had infuriated the receptionist Wen Xue to the verge of exploding in a mere ten minutes. However, even if he were to know, it didnt make a difference. [After all, beauty cannot be eaten anyway. Besides, you are thousands of miles off inparison with Shenoshi and Huang Yu, so where does your self-confidencee from?] At this moment, he didnt have any spare effort to be thinking about these though. After walking into the room, he headed to the first row of the bookshelves, casually grabbed a dozen of books and lightly flipped through them. After which, he hurriedly ced them back in position before doing the same with another dozen of books. Hula! Hula! Along with the ceaseless sound of book flipping, books were swiftly beingpiled in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan read the book as he imprinted them in his head. He could tell that it was just as the receptionist said, these were all the most basic knowledge that an apothecary needed to know. It contained the methods to differentiating different medicinal herbs, their detailed exnation, properties, types, effects when put together with others herbs and whether the effects would be in conflict with one another... If he had to memorize them manually, he would surely find it difficult to aplish even when he tired himself to death. It was no wonder that the position of apothecaries was so well-respected. Just to be an apprentice, they had to put in a lot more effort than the other upations in order to remember this vast amount of knowledge. "What is he doing?" Wen Xue had been wanting to see Zhang Xuan make an embarrassment out of himself. However, at this moment, looking at him flip through the books, seemingly without the intention to study them, her beautiful eyes blinked in iprehension. "Perhaps he is just trying to look for a specific book to read. Ignore him!" The middle-aged man Uncle Li nced at him before picking up a book and passed it over to her, "Take a look at it as well. Time is precious. One additional sentence memorized may just happen to be the determining factor in the results of the exam!" "Un!" Wen Xue nodded her head. Grabbing the book, she started to absorb herself in it. All upations required one to have unwavering determination to study. It was impossible for one to soar to the heavens in one go, and apothecaries were the same as well. When forging pills, a single form tended to require more than a hundred of medicinal herbs. If one were to fail in recognizing even a single herb, it would cause all of the herbs, which they spent countless gold coins to buy, be useless trash. Thus, it was especially unbing for an apothecary to be ignorant or negligent. Soon, four hours passed. At the same time, Zhang Xuan happened to be flipping through thest few books on the bookshelves as well and he heaved a sigh of relief. "It is no wonder that master teachers are so rare. Not speaking of any other upations, just apothecary itself is such a profound upation!" An epiphany struck Zhang Xuan. Teachers, the imparter of knowledge and heritage, were required in every single upation. Formidable master teachers were well-versed in all upations. That was to say, not only could a master teacher guide a person in his cultivation, he was also able to offer pointers in pill forging, smithing, formation and such. This was precisely the reason why the upation was so well-respected and was regarded as the top of the Upper Nine Paths. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that pill forging would be an easy task. As long as one possessed the pill form, followed it step by step and added in the herbs systematically, the pill should be formed. However, from the looks of it now, that wasnt the case at all. The maturity of a medicinal herb affected the herbs properties as well. As such, when it is added along with other herbs, it would result in all kinds of different reaction. If one only knew the sequence to adding the herbs, it was impossible for them to sessfully forge the pill they are aiming to create. Just pill forging itself was such aplicated process. It was truly amazing how the more formidable master teachers were able to wield the knowledge of numerous upations at the tip of their mind. Upon walking out of the room, Zhang Xuan saw Wen Xue standing not too far away with a cold and supercilious expression. "You must have thought that I wouldnt be here!" "What matter of mine is it whether you are here or not?" Zhang Xuan looked over speechlessly. [I only want to take the apprentice apothecary examination, your presence shouldnt make a difference at all!] "Continue acting then. Ill see how you will cry in a moments time!" Wen Xue gritted her teeth. "The examinations are about to begin, lets go in!" The middle-aged man ushered him in. "Un!" Ignoring the self-assuming woman, Zhang Xuan walked into the room. The room wasntrge, just a few dozen meters squarerge. There were a few people who were already seated inside and what wasmon of them all was that a nervous expression painted their faces. Soon, an elderly walked in. "That is the only 1-star intermediate-stage apothecary of Tianxuan Kingdoms Apothecary Guild, Senior Ouyang Cheng, as well as the head of Tianxuan Kingdoms branch!" "Thats right! I thought that it would be Apothecary Du Man, I didnt expect that it would be him!" "Crap, I heard that he is reputed to be strict. Now, all possibility of passing the exam by luck is gone... Upon catching sight of the elderly, despondent expressions appeared on the faces of the few seated in the room. Just like master teachers, apothecaries were ssified based on stars as well and 1-star was the lowest rank. Even so, given how Tianxuan Kingdom didnt even have a 1-star master teacher, possessing a 1-star apothecary was already not bad. Ignoring the mutterings of the crowd, Ouyang Cheng walked into the room, swept through the room with his gaze and said, "Im sure you all are confident in your abilities to join in this examination!" "Er..." Everyone felt a little awkward. No one dared to say that they were hundred percent certain that they would pass the examination. "Since all of you are here for the examination, I will make things clear. If I were to catch any of you cheating, you will be banned from the examination for life!" Ouyang Cheng gestured grandly, creating an intimidating aura. "Yes!" The crowd nodded their head hurriedly. Seeing them agree to it, Ouyang Cheng nodded his head in approval. "Now that I am done with the rules, I will talk about the contents of the examination. There are three rounds to the examinations! Firstly, Written Paper! Questions on medicinal herbs will be randomly tested in it and one can only be considered to have passed if he were to be right for at least 90% of the questions!" "Secondly, Medicinal Herb Discernment Time Trial! You will be given a few herbs and within a fixed period of time, you have to determine what herb it is and what kind of properties and effects it possesses! The requirements for this test is higher and one has to be 100% correct!" "The third test is much more easy, Cultivation Realm Inspection! One must be at least Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm pinnacle! Why is there such a requirement? Simple, as an apprentice apothecary, one would be sent to do odd jobs for an apothecary. If your cultivation realm is toocking, how can you have the strength to move cauldrons or to swiftly differentiate herbs?" Those who were for the examination had been studying for numerous years, so they were well-aware of the flow of the examination. Only Zhang Xuan was foreign to it. However, after hearing the exnation, he came to aprehension. [Its actually quite simple. As long as I were to get everything right, I will be able to pass the examination. It isnt as difficult as I thought it would be...] "Since everyone has understood the rules and the contents of the examination, lets start with the first round, written paper. The duration is two hours!" After which, Ouyang Cheng passed the examination paper down. After taking a look at it, the corners of Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. The test paper was a thick stack consisting of at least several dozens of paper. Several dozens of test paper within two hours? Why did this scene seem weirdly reminiscent to that of his previous life? He didnt expect that after bing a teacher upon transcending to a foreign world, he would still have to undergo examinations... He found the situation a little peculiar. "You may begin answering the question!" After giving out the papers, Ouyang Cheng ignored the rest of them and stood coldly at one corner with his hands behind his back. Even though he wasnt looking at the examinees, if someone were to cheat, the perpetrator would surely be discovered and expelled from the examination hall. However, it didnt really matter to Zhang Xuan since he didnt have any intentions to cheat anyway. Lowering his head, his attention focused onto the test paper. "ws!" Upon picking up the paper, he shouted out loud in his mind. Then, his mind jolted and a book appeared. After taking a look, Zhang Xuan was at a loss of whether he should beughing or crying. Written in the book was: Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guilds Apprentice Apothecary Test Papers. Made from a 1-mo craftsman in Baiyi Mill using straws. ws: No. 1, the quality of the paper is too inferior, making it unsuitable for storage. Also, it attracts bugs easily. No. 2, it doesnt hold onto ink very well, making it easy for it to smudge... [The heck, what I want are answers, not the ws of the material of this paper!] Suppressing the urge to vomit blood, Zhang Xuan ignored the book and focused on the questions on it instead. Chapter 92: Just Give Up! Chapter 92: Just Give Up! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Describe the different ssification of Green Leafed Grass and the unique traits of Gray Earth Flower..." "How many medicinal herbs can the Swineheart Leaf beplemented with..." ...... Questions filled the examination papers densely. Just like the receptionist Wen Xue said, they were all rted to medicinal herbs. "Search!" Upon seeing these questions, Zhang Xuans mind jolted. Different books came flying over from the shelves and stopped right before him before flipping open. "The Green Leafed Grasses have different stems and can be ssified as purple stems, yellow stems and ck stems. The unique traits of the Gray Earth Flower are..." As he looked at the contents of the books in his mind, Zhang Xuans hands moved quickly as he swiftly answered those questions. He was used to using mechanical pens in his previous life and as such, brush was a difficult tool for him to use. However, as his previous self had specially learned how to use it before, his handwriting was still legible. Hula! As he was filling in the nks and reading through the questions too quickly, the sound of pages flipping echoed through the air. Other people depended solely on their memories to answer questions and as such, they had to struggle hard to jot the respective knowledge in their minds. On the other hand, with the Library of Heavens Path in his hands, he was able to obtain the answer to the questions instantaneously without even thinking. It was no different from copying from the answer key. The speed he was going through his paper at left others with gaping mouths. "Un?" Upon scanning the surroundings to see how the examinees were faring in the examination, Ouyang Cheng caught sight of Zhang Xuan and frowned. His face darkened. "Looks like it is another scion trying his luck!" In every apprentice apothecary examination, there were quite a few people who joined the examination to try their luck despite knowing that it was impossible for them to pass. These people tended to be from wealthy families and cared not for the two thousand gold coins entrance fee. They just hoped to analyze the type of questions so that they could memorize contents specifically against those questions. Ouyang Cheng despised such people. [These people hope to make it big without putting in effort. How can one possibly be an apprentice apothecary without memorizing the hundred thousand types of medicinal herbs, relying on sheer luck instead?] "Hmph, the type of questions and the question itself changes in every single examination, there hasnt ever been a reused question before, so it doesnt matter how many times youe. Looks like it is about time to mp down on those who areing for the examination with this kind of mindset. Otherwise, if they were toe for the examinations every time just because they have the money to do so, we will be theughingstock of the other upations!" Flinging his sleeve, he harrumphed in his mind. Although it was impossible to test the unique properties and traits of the hundred thousand medicinal herbs in the test paper, the questions in the paper were varied and the scope was wide. If one didnt have a deep understanding of medicinal herbs and their properties, it was impossible to score 90% and above. Given Zhang Xuans young age and his random flipping and answering of the question without contemting deeply into them, he was immediatelybeled as an opportunistic and indolent scion. The greatest taboo of an apothecary was to pretend to be knowledgeable despite being ignorant. If one were to be negligent and make an error, even if it was just a seemingly slight one, it could cause persons death! That was precisely the reason why the examinees personality, attitude and meticulousness were being assessed on top of the three rounds of tests of the apprentice apothecary examination. A fellow like the one before him who flipped through the papers and filled them in casually without reading the question properly was surely one who has an attitude problem. Without even marking the papers, he had already given Zhang Xuan a failing grade in the depths of his heart. This wasnt because he was being too assuming. [Have you ever seen a person who answers a question without even reading through it properly? Have you ever seen a person whose brush goes flying about the paper without even requiring to muse over the problem? An answer without contemtion is surely nonsense! No one else would have the confidence to have answered all the questions urately.] In less than an hour, Zhang Xuan had finished filling in the several dozens of paper. Hu! Sighing a breath of relief, Zhang Xuan looked through the paper once more and upon confirming that there was no problem in it, he submitted it. "Submitting the paper? So quickly?" "Perhaps, he knows that it is impossible to pass, so he decided to simply give up!" "Sigh, to tell the truth, the examination is too difficult. It is normal to give up..." "Giving up the examination is nothing much, but the problem is that the examiner is Senior Ouyang. I think thisd is in for a ride of misfortune..." ...... Upon seeing Zhang Xuan handing the papers over, amotion broke out among the examinees. For a two-hour paper to be submitted in less than an hour, this was something unprecedented in the apprentice apothecary examination. Everyone thought that it wasnt that he was finished with the paper, but rather, he was incapable of answering it and did not have the confidence to continue on with it. "When will be next round of examinations begin?" Ignoring themotion of the crowd behind him, Zhang Xuan passed the papers over to Ouyang Cheng and asked. Time would be required in the marking of the papers after the papers were collected. If he knew what time the next examination would be held, he could wait at the predetermined location beforehand. It was one thing if he didnt ask, but upon hearing these words, Ouyang Cheng felt rage flurrying within him, threatening to burst from his body. [Given how ignorant you are, filling in everything so arbitrarily, even if there is a next round of examinations, it should have nothing to do with you! Only those who pass the first round of the apprentice apothecary examination can carry on into the second round. Given your standards, you still dare to inquire about the next round of examinations... Are you daydreaming?] However, no matter what, he was a formal apothecary. Even though he was angry, he wouldnt stoop down to the level of venting his anger on a small figure who had yet to even reach the level of an apprentice. Gesturing outwards, he said, "Wait outside. If you were notified, it would mean that you have passed the examination. If not, you can return home!" "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head and walked out of the room. "Arrogant!" After his departure, Ouyang Cheng crushed his paper into a ball and threw it into the corner. There was no need to read the papers of such people, it would just add to his wrath. ...... Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, those questions in the exam that tested ones knowledge could not be any easier for him. "You have submitted your papers? Isnt the test a two-hour one? Why are you out in a single hour?" Upon seeing him walk out of the examination hall, the middle-aged man Uncle Li was astonished. The number of questions in the apprentice apothecary examination was massive. He could only barely finish the papers every time within the allocated time for two hours. In fact, he didnt even manage to read a few questions, resulting in inurate answers and his failure in the examinations. Wasnt it too fast for him to walk out in just a single hour? "Do you even have to ask about it? He must have found the paper too difficult and gave up on it!" Wen Xue scoffed. [Arent you good at acting? Despite not knowing anything at all, you insisted on wanting to take the apprentice apothecary examination. You should know how tough the exam is now!] "Hehe!" Despite hearing her contemptuous words, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to exin. Besides, even if he were to exin, the other party wouldnt believe it. Rather than wasting his effort to exin it to them, he might as well wait for the results. By then, everything would be clear. "Why? Conscience-stricken? If you dont have the capabilities, you shouldnt be feigning so. See, now you cant continue on with the act any longer!" In Wen Xue eyes, that expression on Zhang Xuans face was one who is embarrassed. "If there is something wrong with your head, you should hurry and get it checked out instead of nagging here." Zhang Xuan was a little speechless. From the moment they met, this woman seemed to be all out against him, as though he had done something unbing to her. [She must really be sick!] No matter how hard Zhang Xuan tried to jog his memory, his previous self didnt seem to be acquainted with her either? Since they were unacquainted, why was she looking for trouble with him? Zhang Xuan was stumped. "You..." Initially, she thought that this fellow would find the nearest hole to hide out of shame upon being exposed. Yet, this fellow still brazenly dared to say that there was something wrong with her head! [You are the one who is sick! Your entire body is full of sickness!] Wen Xues breathing quickened due to her anger. Her proud chests undted up and down and she looked as though she was on the verge of erupting. "Oh, I know!" A thought shed through Zhang Xuans mind. He finally understood why the other party kept provoking him. With a bemoaning look in his eyes, he shook his head and with a sincere voice, he said. "Your provocations wont attract my attention and win my fancy! Such thinking is childish. Let me tell you straight on, this will only incur my ire!" At this point, he sighed. "I only like gentle and elegantdies. It is impossible for me to like you, so just give up!" Chapter 93: Marking the Examination Papers Chapter 93: Marking the Examination Papers Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe In his previous life, when he was a middle schooler, he once had a crush on a girl and intentionally tried to perform before her even if it meant going against her. This was all just to capture her attention! From the very beginning, this woman had been going against him no matter what he did. It was highly probable that she might be up to the same thing as well. Otherwise, was there a need for her to treat him with such ill attitude? [Sigh, you arent ugly yourself, there must be many males pursuing you, so why must you get so obsessed over me?] Zhang Xuan felt iparablyplexed. Looks like being pursued by others wasnt anything good either. The pressure on a transcender was as heavy as a mountain! "Give up?" Wen Xue staggered. She felt a mouthful of fresh blood regurgitating in her mouth, threatening to spit out at any moment. [You were the one who was trying to attract my attention to get on my good books, alright? When did I be the one who intentionally caused you trouble? The heck! Exin yourself! What does that look of pity mean? What the heck do you mean by that I should give up on you? No matter what, I am a beauty who is pursued by many. How did it turn out as though I am unable to be wedded and had totch onto you?] Grinding her teeth, Wen Xues face twitched and the wrath raging within her was on the verge of erupting. Just when she was about to lose control over her emotions and attack this self-assuming man, the young man shook his head, walked towards a bench by the side and sat on it. His footsteps were light and inconspicuous. "Wen Xue, this is the entrance of the examination hall. If an apothecary were to see it, it would be difficult for you to take the exam in the future!" Uncle Li spoke up. "Yes!" Upon hearing his words, Wen Xue could only forcefully suppress the rage within her and sit down quietly. This was the entrance of the examination hall and apothecaries often appeared here. If they were to see her fighting out of rage with another person, she would definitely leave a bad impression with them. If so, it would be difficult for her to pass the apprentice apothecary examination in the future. "Fine, Ill let you off for now. When the resultse outter on, look at how Ill teach you a lesson!" ring coldly at the self-assuming fellow, Wen Xue clenched her jaws furiously. Couldnt be bothered with this woman who had a crush on him, Zhang Xuan sat on the bench and began to organize the knowledge within his head. Most of the information on the medicinal herbs were the crystallization of the knowledge of numerous predecessors, so there werent many mistakes in them. Zhang Xuan isted the remaining few mistakes and studied them carefully. When his consciousness was still absorbed in the Library of Heavens Path, the examination came to an end. It was finally time for everyone to submit the papers. "Wait at the entrance. Those who passed the examination will be notified to attend the next round!" Ouyang Cheng shook his hand and chased out the crowd. Picking up a brush, he started to mark the papers one by one. As he marks, his eyebrows slowly knitted together and hisplexion darkened. "Brother Ouyang, how is it? Is there anyone who passed the examinations this time? I happen to need an apprentice!" Just when he was done marking all of the papers, a middle-aged man walked in. The other 1-star apothecary of the Apothecary Guild, Du Man. "Pass? Look at these, these answers are all gibberish! If they were to be epted as apprentices, the Apothecary Guild will be shamed!" Putting the brush by one side, Ouyang Cheng picked up the stack of the marked examination paper andshed out furiously. "Let me take a look!" Du Man walked to the table and flipped through the marked examination paper. In a short moment, he frowned a well. In their perspective, the questions in the examinations werent too difficult. However, the answers the examinees wrote in were all around the ce, they even answered the properties ofmon medicinal herbs wrongly! If these kind of people were to epted by apprentices, it would definitely stain the reputation of the Apothecary Guild. "Un? Whats wrong with this paper? Brother Ouyang, you didnt mark this one." He was unable to find a single satisfactory one even after flipping through seven to eight papers. Suddenly, Apothecary Du Man caught sight of the crumpled examination paper by the desk. The answers on the paper werent marked at all. "It is the paper of a yboy, so the results must be even worse than the others. It is clear that he wouldnt pass even if I dont look through it. Rather than get angry while marking it, I might as well just leave it there..." Remembering the fellow who sped through the paper, Ouyang Chengs mood took a dive. [A fellow who submitted his papers after answering the questions for an hour, it is obvious that he wont pass the examinations. Theres no need to mark the papers at all! What is going on? The previous two examinations, there were at least three to four people who were able to pass the first round. Yet, this time, after spending so much time marking the paper, only two people were qualified for the next round. The scripts of the other examinees were all a mess!] "yboy? Let me see what kind of script would cause you to determine his failure without even looking at it..." Du Man shook his head with a smile on his face as he casually flipped open the papers. "Un?" A moment after his gaze falls on the paper, he eximed in shock. Hu! Hu! As the sound of the flipping of papers echoed in the room, the shock on Du Mans face deepened. His nonchnt expression gradually turned grim. "Whats wrong? Are the answers provided by this fellow too ridiculous?" Taking the expression of his colleague in sight, Ouyang Cheng harrumphed. "Just an ignorant yboy who makes use of his money to join the examination, he truly has no respect for the Apothecary Guild..." "Thats not it... Brother Ouyang, take a look at it..." Hearing the furiousints of the other party, Du Man hurriedly interrupted him and passed the paper over to him. "Whats there to see? No matter what, it is a fail..." Muttering for a bit, Ouyang Cheng lowered his head to look at the papers. With a single nce, his eyes widened intoplete circles just like how Du Mans did a moment ago. He couldnt help but exim in shock, "Oh?" Flipping over to the second page, "Hm?" Flipping over to the third page, "Ah?" Flipping over to the fourth page, "The heck!" ...... ... Many different expressions shed through his face, but even so, he continued flipping through the paper quickly. Very soon, he finished looking through the dozens of paper thick script. Ouyang Chengs eyes almost fell to the floor. He stared at it with a look of disbelief, "How can this be? Not... Not a single error?" "Indeed! For there to not be a single error! We intentionally left a few difficult questions at some parts and even if I were to answer it myself, I would have most probably fallen into those traps andmit a mistake..." Du Mans face was also filled with incredulity. The reason why he was so confident with the paper was because the questions on this paper were rather abstract, such that even official apothecaries like them would be unable to derive the correct answer without jogging their memory, logically rationalizing from it and even flipping through the books to double check their contents. However, not only was there not a single mistake in the answers, they were actually... phrased out extremely sinctly! This... How was this possible? "There isnt a single mistake in this paper... Brother Ouyang, why were you so certain that he would be unable to pass the examination?" After getting through the shock, Du Man couldnt help but ask him. There was never a candidate in the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild who answered the examination paper so well before. For Brother Ouyang to fail such a genius without even looking at his script, he was too rash! "I..." Ouyangs face flushed. He felt so embarrassed that not a single word came out from him for a very long time. He was known for being strict and meticulous, earning the respect of many through such. Yet, today... The p on his face stung as though it was on fire. He clearly saw the fellow finishing the paper in less than an hour without putting much effort into it, how did he... get it all right? Even he was unable to aplish such a feat with that speed! Could it be that the fellows knowledge had already exceeded that of his? Tobel a person whose knowledge of medicinal herbs exceeded his as a yboy and a failure? [The heck, can reality not be so damned?] Ouyang Cheng felt his entire body go stiff, as though constipated. Chapter 94: Discernment Time Trial Chapter 94: Discernment Time Trial Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Hu! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. After a moment of studying, his knowledge of medicinal herbs had deepened significantly. The knowledge in the books he flipped through in the room back then had finally assimted into his mind and became his. Not only could the Library of Heavens Path replicate secret manuals andpile the Heavens Path Divine Art, it could also hasten the rate which one learnt new knowledge. Deng deng deng deng! A series of footsteps could be heard. "It is Apprentice Zhu Hua Hua, he passed the examination half a year ago!" "Didnt he be Apothecary Du Mans apprentice?" "Indeed, he must be here to announce the results!" "I hope that I am able to pass the examination..." ...... ... Upon seeing the owner of the footsteps, the people outside the examination hall quickly stood up. "The results are out now. Finally, your facade will be exposed, lets see whether you can continue on with the act then!" Wen Xue sneered as she nced coldly at the young man beside her. To tell truth, if she didnt know that this fellow was a yboy scion in advance, she would have thought that he might actually possess true capabilities. That was because... His acting was way too realistic! In the two hours after the examination, he sat on the bench without moving in the least. He truly went all out just to attract her attention. However... It was useless! He had already offended her thoroughly a moment ago. It was impossible to change her perception of him now! "There are three people who passed the first round of examinations!" The apprentice named Zhu Hua Hua walked out of the examination hall with a sheet of paper in his hand. He began to read out the names written on it. "Firstly, Sun Tao from Luyuan City. 91 out of 100!" "Ah, me? I passed..." The moment the voice sounded, a young man leapt in joy. His response attracted countless looks of envy from the other examinees. Even though he had only passed one of the three rounds, he was at least a step closer to bing an apprentice apothecary. Even Wen Xues eyes were twinkling in respect toward him. "Second, Qian Wen Man from Ziyun City. 90 out of 100!" "Its me..." Upon hearing the words, another person stood up with a flushed face. "Finally, Zhang Xuan from Tianxuan City..." Suddenly, Zhu Hua Huas face warped in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the paper once more. Only now did he confirm that his sight wasnt ying tricks on him, and with a trembling voice, he said, "100 out of 100!" "What?" "100 out of 100?" "That means... He answered every single question correctly?" "How is that possible?" "To be able to achieve a perfect score for such a difficult paper, who is this expert Zhang Xuan?" "Right, who is it?" ...... ... Upon hearing that the third person who passed the examination achieved a perfect score, the entire area exploded intomotion. Everyone looked around to find the person named Zhang Xuan. "Alright, the three people who passed the first round, enter the examination hall for the second round!" Zhu Hua Hua interrupted themotion and walked into the room. The two person whose names were called previously also hurriedly followed behind him. Zhang Xuan stood up as well. "The names of the three people who passed the examination has already been announced. Why, are you still not going to admit your incapability..." Seeing him stand up, Wen Xue sneered coldly. However, a thought suddenly shed through her mind and she stopped halfway through her words. Her eyes widened intoplete circles and with a quivering voice, she asked, "Wh... What... is your name?" "Zhang Xuan!" Couldnt be bothered with this shallow woman, Zhang Xuan turned around and walked into the examination hall. "Zhang Xuan? He... is Zhang Xuan?" "The one who scored hundred out of hundred?" Wen Xue shuddered and her face paled ghastly white. In this instant, she felt as though a clown, making a fool out of herself. She kept saying that the other party was putting up a facade and had no abilities whatsoever. In the end... he proved her wrong with an unprecedented perfect score! [Are you for real? Didnt you know nothing at all before the examination? Werent you ignorant of what was being tested? You liar... You big liar! Acting as though an ignorant fool, only to score a full mark... Brother, you must be joking with me!] Wen Xue felt a burning sensation on her face and she felt herself going insane. "The fellow who simply flipped through all of the books just now... got a perfect score?" At the side, Uncle Lis eyes were about to fall to the ground at any moment now. The heck! Just a moment ago, he was thinking that perhaps the other party was here to y. He didnt expect the other party to be such a formidable character. He had never passed the examination despite taking the test frequently ever since he was a teenager. Yet, this fellow received a perfect score in his first attempt... Truly,parisons between fellow humans were what that turned out to be the most infuriating... "Its that fellow who handed up the papers after an hour into the examination!" "I thought he had given up, to think that he had obtained a perfect score..." "Too incredible! Getting all of the questions correct in just an hour, how did he study to reach such an incredible level?" The other examinees also recognized him and a dizzy spell assaulted them. ...... ... Oblivious to the shock and disbelief of the others outside, Zhang Xuan sat down before the desk once more. On the table before him, several rarely-seen herbs that could not be seen in the market wereid out before him. "There is a total of ten medicinal herbs on the table. Before this incense burns out, you have to write out its name, properties, and its uses out! For this round, you have to achieve a perfect score to pass!" ~15 minutes Standing at the front, Ouyang Cheng gestured, "The time starts now!" In the second round, Medicinal Herb Discernment, one had to achieve a perfect score to pass. That is to say, if one recognized even a single of the ten medicinal herbs inurately, one would be disqualified. Zhang Xuan looked at the first stalk of herb. It had a green flower, a green stem, and green leaves. "Green Mane Grass!" Upon recalling such a nt being recorded in the books, a name floated into his mind. Following closely behind, the description of Green Mane Grass appeared before him in the Library of Heavens Path. He casually jotted it down. After he was done with the first one, he proceeded onto the second one. Even though these medicinal herbs were notmonly seen, to him who had an archive in his mind, the examination wasnt difficult at all. Soon, he finished writing down the information of nine of the nts, with only a single one remaining. This was a bizarre nt with a yellow flower, a gray stem, and white leaves. Just as he was struggling to figure out what nt it was, a thought shed through his mind and he froze. Smiling bitterly, he patted his forehead. Why didnt he think of it earlier! With the cheating machine called the Library of Heavens Path, he didnt have to go through so much trouble to discern the medicinal herbs! He stretched out his hands and gently picked up the medicinal herb. Hu! A book appeared before him and a detailed exnation of the medicinal herb waspiled within the book, with all of its strengths and ws recorded within. He casually copied it onto the paper. Then, he touched the other nine of the herbs to double confirm his answer. The results were exactly as how he discerned it, except for a particr stalk. Zhang Xuan knew that it is impossible for the Library of Heavens Path to make a mistake and thus, he edited his answer. The incense had barely burnt halfway through by the time he was finished. He passed the answer sheet. Previously, Ouyang Cheng thought that Zhang Xuan was here to fool about, so he didnt have a good opinion of him. However, upon seeing him achieve a perfect score in the first round of examinations, he dared not underestimate him any further and hurriedly picked up his paper to take a look. Apothecary Du Man walked over by the corner to look at the paper as well. The answers on the paper were all correct. They nod their head in satisfaction as they browsed through his paper. Not just the name, even the properties, unique traits and uses of the medicinal herb written in the script of the young man were wless. Just as they were certain that he would pass the examination and were about to offer himpliments, they suddenly paused simultaneously and stared intently at his paper once more. "Alright, there is only one person who passed the second round of examinations. I will announce his name now..." Soon, after the remaining two candidates handed in their papers, Ouyang Cheng swiftly marked their papers. Then, his gaze swept through the surrounding as he announced the result, "Sun Tao from Luyuan City!" Chapter 95: Dragon Scale Grass Chapter 95: Dragon Scale Grass Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Me?" Sun Tao clenched his fists delightfully. Turning around, he looked at Zhang Xuan and the other candidate. His neck was tilted upwards as he emanated an aura of superiority. After getting through the first two examinations, his identity as an apprentice was already confirmed. Ignoring the iparably narcissistic Sun Tao, upon hearing his name wasnt announced, Zhang Xuan frowned. That shouldnt be. He had double checked all of his answers with the Library of Heavens Path, so it was impossible for him to havemitted an error. Why did he fail? "Master Apothecaries, may I know where did I go wrong?" Unable to contain his doubts, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. "Why? Are you going to challenge the two masters evaluation? A mistake is a mistake. You must have identified a certain medicinal herb inurately or made a mistake while writing your answer down!" Sun Tao stepped before him, flung his sleeve and lectured him as though an earnest teacher, "Study hard after you return. Theoretical knowledge are different from the practical knowledge after all. Your theoretical answers are not bad, but if you are unable to recognize the medicinal herbs, you are still unable to be an apprentice apothecary!" His voice was deep and his actions were refined. [Lad, werent you gleeful just now? It is shocking that you are able to achieve a perfect score in the written examination, but it is useless!] "You have identified the Fish Scale Grass erroneously, stating it as Dragon Scale Grass instead!" Seeing his doubtful expression, Ouyang Cheng exined. "However, dont be disheartened. Just the very fact that you were able to achieve perfect uracy in your written examination shows that you have reached an eptable level of understanding towards medicinal herbs. As long as you observe and study medicinal herbs properly from now on and integrate your knowledge together, you will surely pass the examination the next time around!" "Indeed, you are still young. There is no need to hurry. As long as you continue to learn humbly and integrate your theoretical knowledge with your technical skills, you should be able to be a true apprentice apothecary very soon!" Apothecary Du Man also chipped in. If it was anyone else, the two would be less than bothered to exin. However, the person before them had just achieved a perfect score, even the two of them felt that it was a pity for him to fail this round. "You mean this?" Zhang Xuan finally understood why he failed the second round of examination. He headed to the table and picked up the stalk of medicinal herb. Studying it carefully once more, he asked, "Are you sure that this is Fish Scale Grass?" "Of course, its stem is simr to that of fish scale and its leaves are gray color. What else could it be if not Fish Scale Grass?" Before Ouyang Cheng and Du Man could answer, Sun Tao quickly spoke out proudly. Fish Scale Grass was an extremely rare herb and its traits were as what Sun Tao said, fish scale-like stem and gray leaves. Even though it was rare, information on the herb was recorded in the books. The one that Zhang Xuan identified inurately previously was also this herb. "Could it be that it isnt?" Ouyang Cheng clearly agreed with Sun Taos judgement, and he stared at Zhang Xuan with a doubtful expression. "Of course not!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Arent the two apothecaries a little too rash to use a herb which you both arent sure of in an examination and conclude that I have failed the test?" "Audacious!" Thinking that the young man before him was trying to win praises by starting amotion, he quickly interjected. "How could the questionse up by the master apothecaries be wrong? Stop spouting nonsense here..." After passing the examination, it was highly likely that he would be the apprentice of one of the two apothecaries here, so he had to fawn on them in advance. "It is easy to tell whether it is nonsense or not! There are books in the room outside the examination hall. May I busy someone to fetch a book on the bottommost of the seventh shelf here!" Couldnt be bothered to argue with this fellow, Zhang Xuan calmly said so. "Hua Hua, fetch the book here!" Ouyang Cheng and Du Man traded gazes for a moment before thetter ordered his apprentice to fetch the book. The apprentice apothecary who brought the candidates into the room nodded his head before walking out. In a moments time, he returned with a book on unique medicinal herbs, the one that Zhang Xuan had described previously. "Flip to the 17th page, there is a detailed description on Fish Scale Grass there!" Zhang Xuan said. The apprentice Zhu Hua Hua couldnt resist the urge to flip the book and in the next instant, information on Fish Scale Grass appeared before him. "He can even remember this?" The two apothecaries, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man, nced over and their bodies shuddered, revealing their incredulity. Fish Scale Grass was an ingredient that they took randomly, and no one knew about it beforehand. As such, it was impossible for anyone to cheat! [To be able to remember which book holds the description of the medicinal herb, which page the description is on and where the book was ced... His memory is nothing short of incredible.] "May I trouble you to recite the introduction on Fish Scale Grass!" Ignoring their shock, Zhang Xuan carried on. "Fish Scale Grass usually grows in marsnds. It is named as such due to its unique fish scale-like stem. Its entire body is gray and there are slight white spots on top of the leaves. The scales on mature Fish Scale Grasses are around the size of a soybean..." The voice of the apprentice apothecary, Hua Hua, gradually faded away as he recited the introduction. Because, even him, had realized that there were many differences between the Fish Scale Grass on the table and what was described in the book. "There are faint white spots on the top of the leaves of Fish Scale Grass, but this herb doesnt have any of it! The scales of a mature Fish Scale Grass should be around the size of a soybean, but the scales on this herb are around the size of a fingernail. It is clear that it is significantlyrger than what is being described!" Zhang Xuan carried the herb up and exined the traits one by one. "This..." Ouyang Cheng and Du Man hurriedly grabbed the book from Zhu Hua Huas hands and browsed through it. They discovered many differences between what was being described in the book and the herb in Zhang Xuans hands. "Since it isnt Fish Scale Grass, it should be something that is simr to it. Of the numerous medicinal herbs, the only thing that resembles it is the Dragon Scale Grass that I had written down in my script! If you all doubt the existence of this medicinal herb, you all can send someone to the room again and on the right upper corner of the fourth shelf, there should be a famous work by Senior Liu Da Xian. The herb is described in detail on the 54th page!" Liu Da Xian was an extremely famous apothecary thirty years ago. He had entered many barren and treacherousnds to discover new herbs and he had contributed much to the apothecary society. "Of course, if you still doubt that the herb is Dragon Scale Grass, I have a way to discern it for sure!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Fish Scale Grass is a warm medicinal herb. A milky-white liquid will flow out if its stem is broken. On the other hand, this herb is a cold medicinal herb. If it is cut apart, a pale yellow liquid that emanates cold moist air will flow out! The two apothecaries are expert at using herbs, so you should be able to discern it easily!" "This..." Du Man shot a gaze at Zhu Hua Hua to get him to look for the book once more. At the same time, he exerted a force on his hands and lightly tore the nt apart. Padah! The stem of the Fish Scale Grass in his hands was torn apart and a pale yellow liquid flowed out slowly, emitting frigidity into its surroundings. "It is as he says!" The duo staggered. [It is exactly as what the other party said! To think that this medicinal herb isnt Fish Scale Grass!] At this moment, Zhu Hua Hua returned with a book in his hand. At the 54th page, records on the Dragon Scale Grass could be found and the traits stated in the book tallied perfectly with this medicinal herb. Despite being an examiner, to think that a candidate would end up correcting their mistake... Ouyang Cheng and Du Man felt a fiery sensation on their face. The room went deathly silent. Everyone stared at the young man before them as though they were staring at a monster. [The heck, remembering the difference between Dragon Scale Grass and Fish Scale Grass can still be considered minor, but to remember the exact book and page, as well as where it is ced on the shelves... You are about to break through the heavens! Are you sure you are still human?] Sun Tao, who had just mocked Zhang Xuan in an attempt to perform before the apothecaries, stood rooted to the spot in a daze and his body trembled uncontrobly. An urge to cry overwhelmed him. [Damn it, if only I knew that the other party had such outstanding memorization ability, I wouldnt have tried to look knowledgeable even if I was beaten to death!] This time, not only did he fail to look knowledgeable, he looked like a fool! If there was a burrow in the ground at this moment, he surely would have dived in at this very instant... Chapter 96: I Will Give It a Try Chapter 96: I Will Give It a Try Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Its Dragon Scale Grass. We have made a mistake!" After a long moment, Ouyang Cheng said with a bitter smile on his face. As a famous apothecary in Tianxuan Kingdom, he had been the one to teach others all along. He didnt expect to be the one taught today! "Since it is Dragon Scale Grass, you are the only one who passed the second round, Medicinal Herb Discernment Time Trial. As long as your cultivation realm is Zhenqi realm pinnacle and above, you are officially an apprentice apothecary!" Upon hearing these words, Sun Tao was on the verge of bursting into tears. He was probably one of the most tragic candidates ever. His qualification as an apprentice apothecary was canceled in less than ten minutes after its announcement, and it was passed on to someone else... [Does reality have to be so damned? Does reality have to p on my face so forcefully?] However, even though he still felt discontented with the final verdict, having witnessed Zhang Xuans fearsome memorization ability, he could only swallow his tears back in. To take the examination with this kind of freak, he had to concede to him even if he didnt want to! "Later, when the examination ends, I will look for a secluded location and find an opportunity to beat him up. After all, I am nearing thirty, ten years older than the other party. My cultivation realm should be higher than his. Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm pinnacle, it should be more than enough to teach him a lesson!" As such a vile thought appeared in his mind, he immediately heard the voice of the other party. "My current cultivation realm is Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle!" After which, Zhang Xuan revealed his level of cultivation. Guang dang! Sun Tao fell to the floor. [Do you need to be so terrifying? Not only is your memory so frightening, your fighting prowess just has to be the same as well. To think that I wanted to teach you a lesson, it is lucky that you revealed your cultivation realm now. Otherwise, I would surely be reduced to the state of a snake melon...] "Alright, alright! Congrattions on joining the ranks of apprentice apothecaries!" Seeing that his cultivation realm fitted the regtions as well, Ouyang Cheng went straight to the point and drew out an emblem from his embrace. "This is the emblem of an apprentice apothecary. With this, you can enter the guilds basic tier book collection vault freely. You will also enjoy special privileges and priority when purchasing pills from the guild!" The Apothecary Guild usually sold pills to the outsiders at an exorbitant price. On the other hand, those among their ranks would receive a huge discount when purchasing pills. Even though he was just an apprentice apothecary, he could be considered as a member of the guild. "Yes!" Zhang Xuan grabbed the emblem from Ouyang Chengs hands joyfully. The reason why he exerted so much effort to gain the identity of an apprentice was so that he could enter the book collection vault. Finally, he had achieved his aim. "Also, upon bing an apprentice, you can choose to follow an apothecary so as to bettere into contact with pills and study them. Given your talent, I believe that you will be able to be a true Apothecary in a few years time!" Ouyang Cheng stared expectantly at Zhang Xuan as he said these words. It was very clear that he hoped to admit Zhang Xuan as his apprentice. This young man had astounding memorization ability, not to mention his incredible talents. As long as he was guided carefully, he should be able to achieve high heights soon. Having such an apprentice would help boost his fame. Du Man, who was standing by the side, had the same intentions as well and he stared at him with glowing eyes. Looking at the gazes of the two, Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, "Im sorry, but I do not have any intention of bing the apprentice of any apothecary for the time being!" No matter what, he was a teacher of Hongtian Academy, as well as a transcender. How could he be an errand runner and apprentice of someone else? It would be a joke if he were to! After bing an apprentice, one had the choice to choose whether he wanted toe under an apothecary or not. "Looks like I was too anxious. You have just be an apprentice, so theres no need to think too much into it. You can make a choice after contemting over the matter properly!" Upon Zhang Xuans rejection, Ouyang Cheng realized that he was a little too hasty and he shed an embarrassed smile. "Indeed, you should consider it carefully. It is easier to learn under an apothecary, and you would be able to be a true apothecary faster through so!" Du Man nodded his head in agreement. "Un!" Knowing the intentions of the other party, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in response. Suddenly, he recalled something and asked, "Is there any pills in our Apothecary Guild that can awaken special constitutions?" He had asked a receptionist previously and she didnt seem to know. However, these two over here were true apothecaries of the guild, people of respectable standing. They should at least know a little more than her. "Pills that awaken unique constitutions?" Ouyang Cheng and Du Man stared at one another for a moment before the former replied, "There is, but different constitutions require different pills to awaken. If one were to erroneously consume a wrong pill, not only will be constitution not be awakened, it might even result be severe side effects!" Having browsed through rted books, Zhang Xuan understood this fact and continued, "Then... Are there any books rting to unique constitutions and the pills required to awaken them? Can you allow me to take a look at them?" Yuan Tao possessed the Emperor Bloodline, and before his unique constitution awakened, it was safer for him for fewer people to know of it. These two apothecaries seemed kind on the surface, but a humans heart was unfathomable. It was hard to say whether revealing the fact to them would bring about a series of trouble. Thus, it was best for fewer people to know of his Emperor Bloodline. Therefore, he phrased it as a unique constitution and did not reveal any other details about the matter. At most, they would only surmise that he was the one consuming the pill. "There are quite a books on them, but they are all in the advanced tier book collection vault. ording to the rules, only certified apothecaries are allowed to enter and look through them. Not even I have the qualifications to loan them to you!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head. "What he said is true. Pills and unique constitutions are something that only qualified apothecaries will research. As such, it is ced in the advanced tier book collection vault. If you really want to take a look at it, you should choose to be the apprentice of one of us. With your talent, you should be able to attempt the examination for a 1-star apothecary within a years time. Once you seed, is there still anything that isnt for your browsing?" Apothecary Du Man made use of this opportunity to help him analyze the situation. "Furthermore, a true apothecary is granted with generous privileges in all Apothecary Guild. Regardless of whether it is the purchasing of pills or scavenging for herbs, your needs will be prioritized over outsiders... You should consider it carefully. It will be slower if you try to fumble your way through to be an apothecary. Even with your superior talent, it is hard for you to seed even in a few years time!" "They cannot be loaned?" Bitterness cloaked Zhang Xuans face. Didnt this mean that his hard work has been in vain? He had wasted quite a bit of time and effort to pass the examination to be an apprentice apothecary. If Sun Tao, Wen Xue, Uncle Li and the rest were to know his thoughts, blood would definitely spurt forth from their mouth. [We spend a minimum of six to seven years memorizing the content in those books, and we havent even passed the examinations yet. All in all, you have only spent four hours... Do you know that four hours ago, you dont even know what an apprentice apothecary is... You call this hard work? You dare to call this hard work? Then what is ours called?] "Indeed. If you wish to look at the books of the advanced tier book collection vault, you have to be an apothecary. This is a rule by the headquarters. If you truly wish to find out how you can utilize pills to awaken unique constitutions, you should first think of a way how you can be an official apothecary!" Ouyang Cheng said. In his opinion, the only way one could be an apothecary quickly was to learn behind a true apothecary. He was the best apothecary in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, who else could Zhang Xuan choose if not him? Just when he was about to offer an apprenticeship to Zhang Xuan, he heard the other party speaking up. "Since... only an apothecary can read books from the advanced tier book collection vault, then... how does the examination an apothecary work?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment. "Let me give it a try!" "Un, that decision is a wise one. As long as you follow me, I will expend all my effort in grooming you... What?" Halfway through his words, Ouyang Cheng realized what Zhang Xuan had just said. His voice choked in his throat and his eyes, which were fixated on the young man before him, widened as though they were about to pop out from their sockets. "What... What did you just say?" Chapter 97: Pill Debate Chapter 97: Pill Debate Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Give it a try?" Not only Ouyang Cheng felt as though the world was going mad, Du Man and the rest also felt faint-headed. [Brother, do you take apothecaries to be like the cabbages and cucumbers sold in the market, so easily obtainable? Give it a try? Are you ying with me? As one of the highest-standing Upper Nine Path upations, who didnt study for numerous years and put in effort multiple folds of that imaginable to an ordinary person to join their ranks? Yet, you said to give it a try... Your head! Do you know the content of the examination? Do you know how can one be a true apothecary?] "Cough cough cough!" Ouyang Chengs body staggered and he suppressed his urge to vomit blood. He looked at Zhang Xuan seriously and replied to him, "To be an apothecary, one must be more than capable of knowing and discerning medicinal herbs. One must also learn to formte medicine, extract and refine the essence of which, condensate and forge it into a pill and many more. Just pill forging itself contains several thousands of methods to do so... It isnt that easy to pass the examination!" "Indeed. Furthermore, one must possess sharp control over the me in pill forging. If an error were to ur in any of the sequences, it would end in failure. Only by learning seriously and practicing continuously will one seed. It is impossible for one to be an apothecary with a moments effort!" Du Man added. "Soplicated?" Zhang Xuan felt helpless, "So its impossible for me to achieve it in half a months time?" The Freshmen Tournament would be held in half a month. His purpose here was simple, that was to find a pill that could awaken Yuan Tao and Zhao Yas unique constitution so that their cultivation would soar by leaps and bounds and they would be able to achieve victory then. Thus, he had to settle this matter in half a months time. If he wasnt able to, whats the use of him bing an apothecary? After his conversation with Huang Yu, he had already decided on a goal. That was to be a master teacher! This time, Lu Xunoshis challenge was an opportunity as much as a threat. If he was able to emerge victorious, it would prove his capabilities and it was likely that he would catch the eye of a master teacher! Simr to an apothecary, if one wanted to be a master teacher, they must be an assistant master teacher first. This was a process that they must go by. If one wasnt valued by a master teacher, how could one be an assistant master teacher? "Half a month..." Hearing his words, the crowd went speechless once more. [Which apothecary wasnt an apprentice apothecary for many years before daring to take the examination? Yet, right after bing an apprentice, you wish to take the examination for an apothecary... Half a month some more, you must be joking!] Especially for Sun Tao and Zhu Hua Hua, they were just barely suppressing the urge to throw their shoes at him. [Brother, is it really alright for you to be putting on an act like this? It is even more difficult to be an apothecary than an apprentice. You should have already seen the others struggling so furiously just to be an apprentice. Bing an apothecary in half a month? I think you should just keep it to your thoughts...] "Zhang Xuan, dont be too ambitious andcent. You are barely twenty, and bing an apothecary at thirty is already something unprecedented in Tianxuan Kingdom. Fifteen days is an impossible goal! I advise you to study normally, proceed on step-by-step and dont think too much into the future..." Ouyang Cheng offered his earnest advice to Zhang Xuan. [This fellow is talented, but he is way too impatient. To want to be an apothecary in half a month... You must be daydreaming!] "Alright, since it is so troublesome, then I will not take the examinations. I will look for another way then!" Upon listening to the words of the other party, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didnt have much interest in bing an apothecary. Possessing the Heavens Path Divine Art, breaking through was like eating and drinking to him. Pills werepletely unneeded to him. If so, what was the use of bing an apothecary? If not for Yuan Tao, he wouldnte here at all. Thinking that Zhang Xuan had given up because he had found it bothersome, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man quickly tried to persuade him otherwise, "There are many upations in the world, and apothecary is considered as one of the noblest. You possess such incredible talent and you have also specially taken the trouble to study the medicinal herbs. Wouldnt you have wasted years of your efforts if you were to not be an apothecary at this point?" "Years of my effort?" Zhang Xuan blinked. [It was just four hours, where did the years you speak ofe from?] "I still have other matters to attend to. Since bing an apothecary is such aplicated process, requiring one to learn how to formte pills, it is unlikely that I am able to grasp the technique of such within a short moment. I will just give up on it!" Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Calm down, there is more than one way for one to be an apothecary. Actually, there is another way other than Pill Forging!" Ouyang Cheng suddenly recalled something and spoke. "Given your formidable memory, this method might be more suited for you!" "It cant be that you are referring to..." Astonishment appeared on Du Mans face. "Indeed!" Ouyang Cheng nodded his head. "But... You should consider the consequences. If he fails, the penalty will be harsh. He might even lose the opportunity to ever take the examination to be an apothecary..." Du Man was filled with anxiety. "I know, but this is the only way one can be an apothecary quickly. Otherwise, one would have to walk the conventional path of practicing routinely. Given the countless medicinal herbs and each of their unique properties, it is nigh impossible for one to seed in a short period of time!" Ouyang Cheng said. "But..." "There are no buts. We are only responsible for informing him of the possibility. The choice is up to him!" Ouyang Cheng shakes his head. "What is this method you speak of?" Upon seeing themotion between the two, Zhang Xuans couldnt help but ask. "There are actually two methods for one to be an apothecary. The first method is the usual one, Pill Forging. As long as one is able to forge a grade-1 pill, he will be able to be a 1-star apothecary. This is the standard and traditional method!" Without hesitation, Ouyang Cheng started to exin. "The second method is not Pill Forging but Pill Debate!" "Pill Debate?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Not just him, even Zhu Hua Hua, Sun Tao and the others seemed to have never heard of it and a perplexed expression appeared on their faces. "Indeed. You all should have heard of the noblest upation of the Upper Nine Paths, master teacher!" Ouyang Cheng said. "Un!" The crowd nodded their heads. Those who knew of the Lower, Middle and Upper Nine Paths naturally knew of master teachers. This was the highest ranking upation of the Upper Nine Paths and their social position was superior to that of the apothecaries by numerous folds. "The more formidable master teachers can offer pointers beyond that of cultivation, pill forging, smithing, formation creation and such are all possible for them!" Ouyang Cheng exined. "However, one has to expend quite a lot of time just to be a master teacher, so how can they have the effort to spend on learning pill forging and smithing to be an apothecary and cksmith? "At the same time, if they do not join their ranks, how can they be qualified to teach them? "To deal with such a situation, a unique examination method was created, Pill Debate! "It is clear to see from us apothecaries that one requires a lot of practice, forging pills ceaselessly, to be a true apothecary. However, master teachers do not have the time to waste on doing so. In fact, all he needs is toprehend and integrate the knowledge of pill forging! "That is to say, he doesnt really need to learn how to forge pills. As long as he hasplete knowledge of the theory, he is able to sessfully be an apothecary! "Of course, the examination isnt easy. It requires one to debate with ten true apothecaries about the various aspects of pill forging and one could be disqualified with just a single mistake. Furthermore, a huge penalty will be enforced on one if that happens!" Ouyang Cheng slowly exined the other method of bing an apothecary, Pill Debate, to the others. Chapter 98: I Want to Debate Pills Chapter 98: I Want to Debate Pills Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Oh? There is such a way too?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Without years of practice, he knew that it was impossible for him to sessfully forge a grade-1 pill. However, Pill Debate was different. With the Library of Heavens Path, as long as there were sufficient books and knowledge, learning was an easy task for him! "This method may seem simple, but even master teachers would rather learn to forge pills than to resort to this method!" Noticing the excitement in the other party, Ouyang Cheng interjected and shook his head. "Why?" Zhang Xuan was confused. If one was able to pass the examination based on theories itself to be an apothecary, there should be no need for them to waste their time to learn to forge pills. "To tell the truth, it is impossible for one to possess an in-depth understanding into an upation without trying it hands-on. No matter how much theory one learns, if one doesnt verify them practically, no one can guarantee whether they are right or not! For one who isnt even an apothecary yet to debate with a true apothecary based on knowledge one learnt off the books? Who do you think will win?" Ouyang Cheng said. "This..." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. What one could learn from the books was shallow, to understand the essence of which, one needs to experience it first-hand! This was a famous maxim expressing the utmost truth. How could one ascertain whether something was right or wrong just by theories itself without trying it out? With just a single error, the entire pill forging would end in failure! One erroneous move would make a great difference! "Ever since Pill Debate was created, more than thousands of master teachers had undergone it and they were all incredible geniuses. Their knowledge of pill forging exceeds that of any apothecary. However, it is a pity that... most of them ended up in failure. Of the thousands of master teachers, the ones to seed might not even exceed the number of fingers on a single hand!" Ouyang Cheng sighed. "Not exceeding the number of fingers in a single hand?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback [Out of a thousand people, not even five of them seeded? This sess rate is way too low!] "Indeed, there is a huge difference between theories and practical. This is precisely the reason why even though Pill Debate remained a possible way for one to be an apothecary, not many people used it and it was gradually forgotten!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head. Pill Debate might seem easier than Pill Forging, but in reality, the difficulty of which was much greater. Without practical experience, how could one seed in it with just theories? If one didnt have a single mistake in his theory, that meant that his practical should be excellent as well. If so, rather than engaging in a Pill Debate, he might as well just go for the Pill Forging method. It would be much easier that way. "Others may be unable to... But I can!" Ignoring thementations of the other party, Zhang Xuans motivation surged and his eyes glowed. Pill Debate might be much more difficult for others, but for him, it was nothing short of easy! With the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to identify errors and ws directly. Just basing on theories itself, others were unable to tell whether something was true or not. On the other hand, with a single look via the Library of Heavens Path, everything was clear to him! Conducting a Pill Debate with this, it was impossible for him to make an error. He could definitely pass the test easily! "Since theres such a method, I have decided to try bing an apothecary through Pill Debate!" Thinking such, Zhang Xuan dered without much hesitation. "Ah?" Initially, he thought that he would be able to persuade the other party to give up after saying so much. He didnt expect his words to cause him to be even more resolute. Ouyang Cheng was speechless. "Do you know the consequences of failing a Pill Debate?" "Consequences?" "Yes. Pill Debate requires the presence of a minimum of ten apothecaries to conduct a debate. All these apothecaries are people of high standing, and if there isnt any price to pay for failure and everyone were to go on and try it, wouldnt they tire themselves to death?" Ouyang Cheng said. "Thus, the guild had set a rule regarding such. If an apprentice who applied for Pill Debate were to pass the test, nothing would ur. On the other hand, if they were to fail, they will have to pay every single apothecary hundred thousand gold coins! On top of that, they will have to suffer a hundred God ying Flogs as punishment. Also, they will be banned from taking the examinations to be an apothecary for a decade!" Zhang Xuan was speechless. This punishment was truly severe. Given that a Pill Debate required at least ten apothecaries, if he had to pay each of them hundred thousand gold coins, that meant he would have to fork out a million gold coins in total. To an apprentice apothecary, such money was an impossibility among impossibilities. Perhaps, they might not even be able to earn that much money in their entire life! God ying Flog was a type of punishment. Depending on the cultivation realm of the person, it would exert a different force. A hundred God ying Flogs, even with his current strength, after he was done with the punishment, he would probably be unable to climb out of bed for a month or two. As for the third penalty, a humans lifespan was only around several decades. To be banned from the examinations for a decade, it was equivalent to keeping one away from medicinal herbs and pills for ten whole years. Basically, this would create an upper limit on a persons future achievements as an apothecary, even if they decided to continue treading on the path. "Not only are the consequences severe, it is also a daunting task to pass a Pill Debate. This is the reason why no one dares to even try it. Based on what I know, there hadnt been a Pill Debate in Tianxuan Kingdom and the dozen or so kingdoms around it for the past few centuries!" The dissuasion in Ouyang Chengs tone was clear. "Given your talents, I think you should just go the conventional route and learn pill forging instead. Pill Debate isnt a suitable option!" "I have already decided to go ahead with Pill Debate, I hope that Master Ouyang can help me make the necessary arrangements!" Zhang Xuan shook his head in response to his dissuasion. [What a joke! If Pill Debate can make me an apothecary, I have to go along with it.] Otherwise, it would take an inestimable amount of time for him to learn pill forging or that sort. Not to mention how he didnt have sufficient time on his hand, he didnt have the effort to waste on it either! "Make the necessary arrangements? It cant be that... you wish to carry it out now?" Master Ouyang staggered. [You just became an apprentice apothecary. You dont even know what pill forging is yet, and you want to undergo a Pill Debate? Are you for real? Are you sure you arent jesting with me?] "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "You... Do you know the contents of a Pill Debate? Do you know what the apothecaries will ask you about? You have just barely be an apprentice and you have yet to go through the systematic education, to undergo a Pill Debate now..." Du Man, who was standing by the side, was also at a loss for words. "I can go to the basic tier book collection vault now, right? I can study those that I do not know now!" Seeing the anxiety on the other partys faces, Zhang Xuan quickly exined. "Study?" Du Man, Ouyang Cheng, and the others were on a verge of tears. [Brother, to think that you will remember to study! You have just be an apprentice apothecary. Despite not having visited the book collection vault before, you wish to undergo a Pill Debate. Are you very certain that you arent pulling my leg? ...... There are hundreds of thousand of books in the book collection vault, and it is impossible to finish looking through them without three to five years of intense effort. Without even paying it a visit, you wish to undergo a Pill Debate... Are your guts too inted or is there a problem with your head?] "Un, I will head to the book collection vault to studyter on. Dont worry, it wont take too much time. As for the Pill Debate, I will be troubling the two of you!" Zhang Xuan said. "Studyter on..." Everyone felt faint-headed. [Do you intend to studyst minute? Undergoing a Pill Debate without studying? To be able to do something so brainless, how did this fellow manage to be an apprentice apothecary?] "Rest assured, I know the severity of it. I wont do anything I am unconfident of. Just go ahead and make arrangements, I have to start reading now as well!" Seeing the crowd rooted to the spot, Zhang Xuan continued. "Know the severity?" "Wont do anything you are unconfident of?" [Your head! Do you know what a cauldron looks like? Do you know whether a pill is round of square? Do you know how do apothecaries extract the essence from medicinal herbs? You dont know a single thing at all, yet you want to take the examination for an apothecary, not to mention, a Pill Debate... Are you sure that you are confident?] "Alright!" Upon his insistence, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man knew that they were unable to convince him otherwise at this point. Trading nces, they shook their heads. "I will make arrangements now, but it will take some time to gather so many apothecaries. So, I will set the Pill Debate to be at tomorrow afternoon! During this period of time, you better carefully contemte over the matter. Otherwise, once the Pill Debate starts, you wont be able to back out!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, he flung his sleeves with a confident expression and took two steps toward the entrance before abruptly turning around. "Ah, I forgot. Where is the basic tier book collection vault?" "..." Ouyang Cheng. "..." Du Man. "..." Sun Tao and Zhu Hua Hua. Chapter 99: A Completely Stunned Ouyang Cheng Chapter 99: A Completely Stunned Ouyang Cheng Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Ouyang Cheng and the others felt their insides crumbling apart. To not even know where the basic tier book collection vault was and to choose to undergo the difficult Pill Debate, they were starting to suspect whether this fellows head was once crushed by a mmed door. However, since the other partys determination was resolute, there was no point trying to persuade him otherwise at this point. After revealing the location to Zhang Xuan and watching as he left, Du Man looked toward Ouyang Cheng and asked, "Isnt he... being too reckless?" "He is being reckless, but didnt you see that he is full of confidence as well!" Ouyang Cheng said incredulously. "It is truly a wonder where all that confidence came from!" "Could it be that he doesnt understand the fearsomeness of Pill Debate?" Speaking of such an examination method, Du Man shuddered. "Even though I am a 1-star apothecary, it is definitely impossible for me to pass the Pill Debate!" Pill Debate was something extremely terrifying. It was equivalent to challenging the ten apothecaries with the knowledge of one. No matter how deep and vast ones knowledge was, how could theypete with that of ten people? [Furthermore, the main problem is that... You have never forged a pill before! This is equivalent to the difference between a biologist and a butcher when trying to exin how to ughter a pig. No matter how excellent your theories are, without trying it out hands-on, it is difficult to seed!] "We have already put it out so clearly, it is impossible for him to not to understand!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head. "This person is truly an enigma!" "Indeed. In the first round, he achieved a perfect score. In the second, not only was his paper wless, he even turned around to correct our mistakes... Furthermore, he is still so young. It is truly a wonder where his memorization and reasoning abilities came from!" Recalling what that had happened a moment ago filled Du Man with shock. The performance of the fellow previously was simply too outstanding! In terms of the ability to discern medicinal herbs, he was probably an entire level higher than them! An apprentice apothecary that was more knowledgeable than an apothecary himself... Without witnessing it firsthand, it was something no one would believe. "Actually, it is not that difficult to know where his self-confidence came from. Didnt he go to the book collection vault to study? We can send someone over to follow him. It will just be a matter of time before he gives his secret in!" Ouyang Cheng said. Since he dared to undergo the Pill Debate, he definitely possessed vast and deep knowledge of pill forging. As long as they sent someone to follow behind him, it should be possible for them to unravel his secret. "Youre right!" Du Man nodded his head. Gesturing with his hands, hemanded his apprentice, "Hua Hua, go and see what he is doing in the basic tier book collection vault. Try to keep your movements silent and inconspicuous so as to not be noticed by him!" "Yes!" Zhu Hua Hua headed to the basic tier book collection vault. Not longter, the apprentice apothecary returned with a peculiar expression on his face. "Why? What is he doing? Is he reading some remote pill forging method?" Ouyang Cheng stared at him. Apothecaries that participated in the Pill Debate would definitelye up with extremely difficult and remote questions, making it hard for others to answer. If one wanted to pass the examination, not only must they possess vast knowledge, they must also have a deep understanding of these remote pill forging methods as well. "He isnt!" Zhu Hua Huas eyes swam around, as though still in a state of disbelief over what he just witnessed. "He is... flipping books!" "Flipping books? Perhaps he is looking for a specific book. Say, what is he flipping through?" Ouyang Cheng continued his interrogation. "When I was there, he was flipping through basic pill forging books on the shelves. I secretly took a look, they were Basic Pill Forging Methods, How to Extract the Essence of Medicinal HerbsPreserving Medicinal PropertiesGuide to Moving Cauldrons and books of that such. I was afraid of getting discovered, so I dared not get near to him!" Zhu Hua Hua pondered for a moment before replying. "Basic Pill Forging Methods? How to Extract the Essence of Medicinal Herbs?" "Preserving Medicinal Properties? Guide to Moving Cauldrons? This..." Du Man and Ouyang Cheng stared at one another, dumbfounded. [Those are the most basic books for apprentice apothecaries, alright... They are knowledge that all apprentice apothecaries need to wield, just like how a human can walk and eat. This fellow is going to undergo Pill Debate tomorrow, and yet he is flipping through such books only now? Are you sure you arent mistaken? This is as though after challenging the top swordsman under the heavens to a duel, you suddenly recall that you had to buy a sword and learn how to use it... Are you for real?] "Are you certain that he is reading these books?" Unable to believe it, Ouyang Cheng asked once again. "I am not certain. He doesnt seem to be reading but flipping... He flips all the book that he passes by, I have no idea what he is doing!" Zhu Hua Hua was on the verge of tears. He truly had no idea what the other party was doing. It was as though he was a lunatic, flipping all the books from the first row of books all the way over. He didnt seem to be reading through them or searching for a specific book, so what in the world could he be doing? "Flipping books? All of the book that he passes by?" Ouyang Cheng and Du Man blinked their eyes. Why did it sound like nonsense to them? "How is he flipping through them? Show us!" Du Man said. "Alright!" It happened that there were quite a few books in the room as well. Zhu Hua Hua walked in front, grabbed a dozen of books and flipped through them. The sound of the flipping pages echoed in the room. "Youre done?" Seeing that there were no actions after he was done flipping through those books, Ouyang Cheng and Du Mans eyes erged into perfect circles, unable toprehend the situation. "Yes!" Zhu Hua Hua nodded his head. "Just like that, after hes done, he moves on to the next shelf..." "..." Ouyang Cheng and Du Man stared at one another and saw the frenzy in the others eyes. They thought that this fellow went to the basic tier book collection vault to study, but in the end, he was there just to flip through books... [Furthermore, no matter how fast others flip their books, they would at least try to see what was in it. Yet he... What in the world can one see flipping through the book at such speed! Putting aside the contents in the book, he probably doesnt even know what the book is about...] "It cant be that... He wishes to see what material the books are made of so that he can burn them down?" After a long while, Du Man squeezed out a few words. Other than to burn these books, he truly had no idea what the use of flipping through all those books like that was. "Impossible. Even though there arent any secrets of the Apothecary Guild in the basic tier book collection vault, it isnt something that one can burn down casually. As an apprentice apothecary, he shouldnt be that rash!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head. Even though Du Mans words seemed a little absurd, he was truly at a loss for a better exnation. His frown caused his forehead to wrinkle intorge lumps. "Then, what do you think is going on? What is he trying to do?" Du Man couldnt help but ask his colleague. "I... Ouyang Chengs face reflected nothing but confusion as well. He had never heard of such a freak in his entire life, needless to say, see one. "Could it be... Is he trying to look for a specific book? Furthermore, the book is made of a special material such that one can only identify it through touch?" After a long moment of silence, he came up with a new theory. "Thats possible..." The two of them sat before the desk, frowning at one moment and showing a bitter expression at the other. No matter how hard they tried, they were unable to figure out the secrets of Zhang Xuan. In a few short moments, they hade up with all kinds of reasons, generating excuses sufficient tost them for an entire lifetime. Even so... they were still oblivious to what the other party was trying to do. In between, Zhu Hua Hua paid the book collection vault several visits and reported on the other partys situation upon returning. Upon hearing that his movements had never stopped, and he was still flipping through the books, not even sparing books like What are Pills, The Types of Medicinal Herbs and Their ssificationDo You Need Cauldrons to Forge a Pill... Several emotions shed across their faces: bewilderment, dilemma, contemtion, confusion... At this moment, they realized that there was still capacity in their minds to generate more peculiar excuses... Chapter 100: Yao Hans Doubts Chapter 100: Yao Hans Doubts Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe When Zhang Xuan was still at the Apothecary Guild, Zhao Ya returned to her living quarters. "Finally, I am able to solve this problem of mine!" Holding the medicinal herb that Zhangoshi gave her in her hands, her excitement was apparent on her clean jade-white face. Difort had been torturing her since childhood, and she was already finding herself unable to endure it any further. Upon hearing that there was a solution to her problem, she could no longer sit still. "I have to grind this medicinal herb into powder before swallowing it with water..." Just as she was about to find something to grind the medicinal herb, she heard footsteps and Butler Yao Han walked over sneakily. "Xiaojie, Ill... be leaving. No one has brought you any trouble, right!" Xiaojie -> Young mistress After offending the grandson of Elder Shang Chen and fighting with several teachers in the academy, he decided to leave the academy to avoid unnecessary trouble. Upon seeing that it was about time for Zhao Yas sses to end, he came back to find her. "Brought me trouble? Who would bring me trouble?" Zhao Ya stared at Yao Han, "I say, Uncle Yao, you should stop being so sensitive. Zhangoshi truly treats me well, and he is actually a capable teacher at that. Please stop troubling him!" She knew her fathers butler didnt trust Zhangoshi, thus she tried to persuade him otherwise. "Treat you well? Hmph, xiaojie, you have been living in the city since young, so you have never seen how vile a humans heart can be..." Yao Han harrumphed. Before he could finish his words, his eyes happened upon the medicinal herb in Zhao Yas hands. His entire body froze before he started trembling uncontrobly. "Xiaojie... That medicinal herb in your hands... Where did you get it from?" "This?" Lowering her head to ascertain what Yao Han was looking at, Zhao Ya lifted the medicinal herb up and said, "Zhangoshi gave me this. I have been feeling unwell recently, so he passed me this to have me grind it and consume it!" "Zhangoshi gave you this? How is this possible? How can a poor teacher like him..." Yao Han was unable to believe the situation unfolding before him. "Whats wrong, Uncle Yao. Is there something wrong with this medicinal herb?" Zhao Ya knew the other party was of reliable character and there had to be a reason for that expression of his. "No, its not that theres something wrong with the herb but that it is... too valuable! If Im not wrong, this is... Frigid Sun Mother Grass!" Yao Han eximed. "Frigid Sun Mother Grass?" Zhao Ya was lost. "Its the mother grass of Frigid Sun Grass. Its effects are ten times greater than that of Frigid Sun Grasses! Frigid Sun Grasses arent valuable, but this thing is extremely expensive! Back then when I was traveling around the kingdom alongside the city lord, I once had seen one and a single stalk was priced above hundred thousand gold coins!" Upon hearing how valuable the herb was, Zhao Ya was taken aback. "Uncle Yao, are you not... mistaken?" "I am not mistaken, this is definitely Frigid Sun Mother Grass! It is the most valuable medicinal herb that I have ever seen, so I have a deep impression of it! How can I possibly be wrong about it!" Yao Han took another nce at it to confirm his conjecture. "Frigid Sun Mother Grass? Hundred thousand gold coins?" Zhao Yas slim body trembled. "You said... that Zhang Xuan... Zhangoshi gave it to you?" Yao Han dared not to believe it at all. As he spoke, he even changed his method of addressing the other party from Zhang Xuan to Zhangoshi. [Isnt he the worst teacher in the academy? Isnt his wages the lowest among the teachers? To gift such a valuable medicinal herb so simply...] "Indeed!" Zhao Ya nodded her head. Back then when Zhangoshi passed her the herb, he threw it casually to her as though it wasnt anything valuable at all. In fact, it wasnt even packaged, so all along, she thought of it as such... [Hundred thousand gold coins! That is sufficient to buy a residence in the capital. Furthermore, a huge one.] When others presented a gift, they would make a big fuss over it so as to make the whole world know how valuable their gift was. Yet, this Zhangoshi created a cultivation technique just for her and gifted her such an expensive gift without demanding credit for it. He waspletely nonchnt about it and if it wasnt for Uncle Yao recognizing the herb, she wouldve just treated the herb as something invaluable and consumed it just like that... Zhao Ya felt moved and her eyes reddened slightly. "I cant ept this. Its too valuable!" Zhao Yas slim body straightened and resolution appeared in her eyes. She hoped to solve the problem guing her, but as a student, she couldnt bear to receive continuously from her teacher without repaying him! Usually, it was the students who gave their teachers gifts to please them. Yet, Zhangoshi had given so much to them. It was one thing if she didnt know about it, but now that she realized it, she wouldnt be a human if she epted his gifts nonchntly! "Uncle Yao, how much money do you have on you?" Zhao Ya turned around and asked. "Only twenty thousand!" Yao Han flipped through his pockets and retrieved several notes. He might be the butler of Baiyu City, but his mission this time was only to escort xiaojie to the academy, so he didnt bring much money. "Give it to me!" Grabbing it over, Zhao Ya didnt hesitate and dashed out. Feeling fretful, Yao Han hurriedly followed behind her. Soon, they arrived at the ssroom, but no one was in sight. There was also no one at Zhang Xuans dormitory. Upon seeing xiaojie so panicked, Yao Han utilized some of his connections and swiftly, he was informed that Zhangoshi was at the Apothecary Guild. Before leaving, Zhang Xuan didnt try to conceal his destination. As the butler of the City Lord Residence, it was normal for him to possess such connections to gather information. "Apothecary Guild? Could it be that... Zhangoshi bought this medicinal herb there?" Zhao Ya clenched her fist. After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her jade teeth and said, "Uncle Yao, lets go and find Zhangoshi!" If she didnt pass this money to the other party, she would feel too embarrassed to ept this herb. If someone treated her so selflessly, she would do the same to him! How could she, Zhao Ya, consume such an expensive medicinal herb nonchntly now that she knew of its value? Soon, she arrived at the Apothecary Guild. Now that they were here, it was easy to find news on him. It didnt take long for the duo to find Wen Xue, who still had an awful look on her face. "You mean... Zhangoshi is currently taking the apprentice apothecary examinations?" "Zhangoshi? Youre saying that yboy... Zhang Xuan is a teacher?" Wen Xue was bewildered. After a moment, she recovered and nodded her head. "Un, he is currently taking the apprentice apothecary examination!" "Apprentice apothecary?" Zhao Ya and Yao Han exchanged gazes. Disbelief was especially apparent on Yao Hans face. "An apprentice apothecary has to memorize the properties of medicinal herbs, and there is at least a hundred thousand medicinal herb they have to remember for the examination. Without several years of studying, it is impossible for one to pass the examination..." Zhao Ya might not know too much about apothecaries, but as the butler of Baiyu City Lord Residence, Yao Han was well aware of it. Naturally, he understood the difficulty in bing an apprentice apothecary. A young and incapable teacher went to take the apprentice apothecary examination? "He probably failed right... I know that this examination is difficult..." Yao Han couldnt help but ask her. "Fail? Initially, I shared your thoughts! Upon recalling the earlier urrence, Wen Xue still felt incredulous. She bit her lips and harrumphed, "There are three rounds to the apprentice apothecary examinations. The first round is Written Paper, and not only did he pass, he even achieved a perfect score. Currently, he is undergoing the second round!" "Perfect score?" Yao Hans body swayed. The first examination assessed a candidates understanding of the traits and properties of medicinal herbs. Many people found themselves halted by this barrier. Yet, this teacher whom he had always thought of as a trash sessfully passed the examination, achieving a perfect score even... [To casually gift someone a medicinal herb worth a hundred thousand gold coins, to induce xiaojie to be his student so willingly and to achieve a perfect score in the first round of the apprentice apothecary examination... Is he really the trash of the legends?] For the first time, Yao Han doubted the rumors circting around outside. Chapter 101: Zhao Ya Is Moved Chapter 101: Zhao Ya Is Moved Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe As xiaojie was adamant to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher, Yao Han had been looking into Zhang Xuans background these few days. This Zhangoshi was once known as a genius, reaching Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm by sixteen years old. However, his legacy stopped there. He had been stuck at that cultivation realm ever since and as time passed, the genius became trash. At eighteen years old, he took the teacher examination and passed in one go, thus bing Hongtian Academys youngest teacher. Back then, his name rang brightly, incurring the envy of numerous teachers. Initially, they thought that this young teacher would be able to produce good results and soar to great heights. Yet, the reality was cruel. After news of the cultivation of his student going berserk spread out, all of the students he admitted withdrew from his lessons and he was left alone. Eventually, he even scored a zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination, causing his reputation to sour further. Thus, Hongtian Academys youngest teacher became a joke and the greatest trash. These rumors were everywhere! So he thought that it was just a moment of folly on xiaojies part, but as long as he properly enlightened her, she would realize her mistake and see through the true nature of this trash of a teacher! At this moment, upon hearing that he scored perfectly for the first round of the Apothecary Examinations, his deep-rooted thoughts started to waver. Apothecaries had to have an in-depth knowledge of medicinal herbs and also a deep understanding of the human body. Otherwise, it wouldve been impossible for them to concoct pills suited for cultivators. So, how could someone who passed the first round of the apprentice apothecary examination possibly cause a students cultivation to go berserk? "No matter how good he is in theories, it is useless if he is unable to utilize them practically. The second round of the examination is Medicinal Herb Discernment Time Trial. Of the ten medicinal herbs, if he were to get a single one of them wrong, he will fail the examination..." Wen Xue harrumphed furiously. She still felt resentment toward Zhang Xuan. Initially, she thought that he was a yboy intentionally acting to attract her attention. In the end, he turned out to be someone capable, causing her face to burn in embarrassment and be unable to face the other party. At this point, they saw two people walking over. They were the two out of the three who passed the first round of examinations, Sun Tao and Qian Wen Man. "How is it, did you two pass the examination?" Wen Xue hurried forward and asked them. As frequent candidates for the apprentice apothecary examinations, they were well-acquainted with one another. "No!" The both of them shook their heads in disappointment. They felt discontent, but this loss was something they could concede. After all, they had to concede even if they didnt want to. The other person scored full marks in the first round, and in the second, he was even able to point out the mistakes of true apothecaries... His abilities were way beyond their imaginations. "Then... What about Zhang Xuan?" Upon hearing that they didnt pass the second round, Wen Xue couldnt help but ask once more. "He... passed. He is an apprentice apothecary now!" Sun Tao said. "Apprentice apothecary?" Wen Xues small stature staggered. Previously, when she was conversing with the other party, it had been clear to her that that fellow had zero understanding of medicinal herbs and such. In fact, he wasnt even clear on what an apothecary was... Initially, she thought that it was a joke for him to register for the examinations, so she was filled with disdain toward him. Yet... Not only did he pass the round of examinations, he even went on to bash through the remaining two to sessfully be an apprentice apothecary! This p caused a fiery and stinging sensation on her face. She had toiled for so many years, only to be remain blocked out in the very first round... Yet, the other party became an apprentice apothecary so easily... She even mocked the other party for his thick skin... Where did her confidence originate from? "That... When will Zhangoshie out?" Zhao Ya looked around but didnt see Zhang Xuan anywhere. Thus, she asked the two. She wasnt as surprised as Wen Xue was. Thats because the image of Zhangoshi in her heart was omnipotent, and bing a mere apprentice apothecary should mean nothing at all to him. "He went to the book collection vault. He intends to return tomorrow afternoon to undergo Pill Debate to be a certified apothecary!" Sun Tao still found the situation unbelievable even as he said these words himself. How much guts did it take for him to choose to undergo Pill Debate right after bing an apprentice apothecary? "Undergo Pill Debate to be a certified apothecary?" Wen Xue staggered and her eyes were about to pop out from their sockets. Giddiness filled her head. "Tomorrow afternoon?" [Are you for real! Why does it sound like a joke to me? Also... What in the world is a Pill Debate?] "Pill Debate is another method for one to be an apothecary. One has to debate with ten official apothecaries and emerge victorious over them!" Seeing the perplexed looks of the crowd, Sun Tao exined. "This examination is even more difficult than Pill Forging and the penalties upon failure are much greater!" At this point, he shook his head subconsciously. "I have once read of Pill Debate in the books. The difficulty of it is much greater than the Pill Forging examination. One needs to triumph over ten official apothecaries in terms of knowledge on practical aspects of pill forging! It is an exceptionally difficult test!" Uncle Li suppressed the shock he was experiencing and nodded his head to affirm what Sun Tao said. At the same time, he couldnt help but be baffled, "He is able to be an apprentice apothecary at such a young age, so he shouldntck time. Why is he so anxious such that he had to choose to undergo Pill Debate. He could just tread upon the normal route to learn Pill Forging. After all, the consequences of failing a Pill Debate is difficult to bear!" His aplishment of bing an apprentice apothecary under twenty years old was an incredible feat even when taking the previous thousand years of history of Tianxuan Kingdoms Apothecary Guild into ount. He wouldnt lose out much to slow down and learn Pill Forging properly. There was no need for him to put himself at risk by undergoing Pill Debate. One must know that the difficulty of Pill Debate was several times that of Pill Forging and sesses were rare. "Im not sure too. He seems to be looking for books regarding unique constitutions! However, these books are only avable to certified apothecaries," Sun Tao mused for a moment and recalled the conversation between Zhang Xuan and Ouyang Cheng, "oh, he also mentioned something about half a month. It seems that there is something urgent that requires him to be an apothecary within half a month to find those books!" "Half a month? Unique constitution?" While Wen Xue and the others simply found the situation baffling, Zhao Ya paled and trembled uncontrobly. She had a unique constitution, Pure Yin Body. This was something that Zhangoshi told her. Half a month, wasnt that the day of the Freshmen Tournament? To be rushing to aplish it within half a month... Could it be that Zhangoshi intends to awaken her unique constitution to raise her strength? After all, a unique constitution held no might if it wasnt awakened! It must be it! Clenching her fists tightly, Zhao Ya suppressed the emotions in her heart. She looked at Uncle Li and asked, "Senior, you said that the penalties upon failure are great, may I ask what the penalties are?" "This... Im not too sure either!" Uncle Li shook his head. He had only read of Pill Debate in the books, so he wasnt really aware of the penalties. "Oh, I know. Master Ouyang had spoken of it previously!" Sun Tao contemted for a moment and said, "There is a total of three penalties. Firstly, one has to pay each apothecary with a hundred thousand gold coins, so thats a total of a million gold coins for the ten of them! Secondly, he has to suffer a hundred God ying Flogs! Thirdly, he is banned from the apothecary examination for ten years!" "A million gold coins? A hundred God ying Flogs? Banned from the apothecary examination for ten years?" Zhao Yas body trembled even more intensely. This punishment was way too severe! In order to help her awaken her constitution, Zhangoshi was willing to go through so much peril... [Teacher... Thank you! Even if I, Zhao Ya, were to be smashed to smithereens, it would be difficult for me to repay this gratitude!] Unable to hold back her billowing emotions any longer, tears streamed down from Zhao Yas clean jade-like face. Chapter 102: To the Top of the World Chapter 102: To the Top of the World Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Hu! Its finally done!" Zhang Xuan had been flipping through the books since afternoon, and it was already around ten at night. Finally done with his work, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. There were all kinds of books on in the basic tier book collection vault, and they were all regarding pill forging. Even though his cultivation realm had risen by leaps and bounds recently, flipping through that huge collection of books still caused him fatigue. After flipping through all of the books, he confirmed that there were no books regarding unique constitutions in this book collection vault. Naturally, he was unable to find an answer to his question. That was to say, he had to be an apothecary to look through the advanced tier book collection vault to achieve his goals. "This knowledge should be enough for the apothecary examination!" Even though the Apothecary Guild in Tianxuan Kingdom was only a small branch, it had the powerful headquarters backing it. As such, even if the country were to fall, the guild would not. After a duration of several centuries, perhaps even a millennium, even a basic tier book collection vault would contain a vast amount of knowledge in it. Even a true apothecary couldnt possibly finish all of the books and assimte all knowledge in them for his own. However, Zhang Xuan was able to do so. With this much knowledge, if he were to im to be the second most knowledgeable person in pill forging in Tianxuan Kingdom, no one would dare to im themselves to be the first. Of course, this was all just theory. If he were to really try it, putting aside pill forging, he might even have difficulty starting the fire. "I should go and grab a bite!" Fondling his protesting stomach, Zhang Xuan stretched his back and walked out of the book collection vault with widened strides. Right after eating breakfast, he went to lessons, underwent the Enlightenment Will Trial and took the apprentice apothecary examination... After busying himself for an entire day, his stomach had already started growling furiously long ago. If not for the rise in his cultivation realm and enhanced physical body, he mightve found himself unable to persist on for that long. The basic tier book collection vault was inside the examination hall for apprentice apothecaries. Walking out, he saw Ouyang Cheng and Du Man sitting inside. They were holding brushes in their hands, seemingly scribbling something on a piece of paper, and bewilderment, dilemma, contemtion, and confusion could be seen on their faces... "What are you all doing?" Seeing the two apothecaries in such a state, Zhang Xuan walked over curiously. "Ah..." The both of them were trying to figure out what Zhang Xuan was doing. Upon seeing him walk over, the both of them were taken aback. They hurriedly used their hands to cover the contents of the paper on the table. Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a look. A few wordse into his sight. "Spection on his motive for flipping through books in the book collection vault. Number 1: Act cool (30 votes); Number 2: Boredom (1 vote); Number 3: Investigating the material of the books (1 vote)..." After reading the first few lines, ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. [Is this about me?] He was the only one flipping through books in the book collection vault previously. [It is definitely about me, but... What the heck do the votes mean? Furthermore, why is act cool in the first ce, and the number of votes on it...] "Cough cough, we were just curious of your actions of flipping through the books in the book collection vault. Thus, we couldnt help but discuss it..." Exposed, Ouyang Cheng suppressed his embarrassment and revealed the truth. Ouyang Cheng has a reputation for being a strict and stern apothecary. To think that he would be hiding in the room with another apothecary to discuss the motive behind an apprentice apothecarys action of flipping through books, even getting others to vote on it... No one would believe it even if word was to spread out. "I wanted to look for a book... I wasnt able to find it, so I continued flipping through all of the books in the vault!" Zhang Xuan casually answered. He mustnt reveal the truth about the Library of Heavens Path, but his action of flipping through the books was indeed a little bizarre, so it couldnt be helped that others would hold suspicion toward his actions. Looks like he had to be more careful in the future. Even so, he was just flipping through books. Others might hold doubt toward the intention behind his actions, but at most, they would just be unable to make heads or tails out of his actions. It was impossible for them to suspect the possibility of an existence of a massive library in his head. "Such a simple answer..." Upon hearing the answer, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man looked constipated. They had been discussing the matter for an entire afternoon, even skipping their meals to do so. They thought that there was some special significance behind his actions. Never would they dream that the answer was so simple. "What else would it be if not for that?" Zhang Xuan asked. It would do as long as it didnt involve the revtion of the existence of the Library of Heavens Path. He could tell a lie without feeling embarrassed over it anyway. "Err... Alright then!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head helplessly. After investigating and analyzing the issue for an entire afternoon, he didnt expect the other partys answer to be so simple. Thus, to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation, he could only change the topic. "I have already informed the ten apothecaries about the Pill Debate. They will be here tomorrow, so make preparations for it. It will be conducted here tomorrow afternoon!" "Great!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. After asking a few more questions about how the Pill Debate would be conducted, he turned around and took his leave. After walking out of the room, he heard Du Mans voice ringing behind him. "You lost, pay up..." "I lost, but you didnt win either. You wagered most of your money on him acting cool..." Ouyang Cheng said with a displeased tone. Zhang Xuan staggered. [You all are respectable apothecaries, alright! To gamble over me... Furthermore, acting cool? Your head that I am acting cool!] With a stifled sensation at his chest, Zhang Xuan walked to the entrance of the Apothecary Guild and caught sight of Zhao Ya and the others. "Why are you here?" Bewilderment shed across his eyes. [This is the Apothecary Guild, not the academy. Why would Zhao Ya be here?] "Zhangoshi, thank you!" Upon seeing him, Zhao Ya could no longer suppress the emotions in her and kneels to the floor. Gratitude reflected in her eyes. "Stand up, stand up. What are you thanking me for?" Zhang Xuan frowned. [What happened to thisss? Kneeling down upon seeing me. Could it be that... her illness is cured?] At this point, he asked, "Have you eaten the Frigid Sun Mother Grass yet? How are its effects?" Upon hearing Frigid Sun Mother Grass, Yao Han, who considered the possibility of whether Zhang Xuan was ignorant of the value of the herb before gifting it to Zhao Ya, trembled. [It looks like he knows the herb! If so, he should know the value of it as well! To give such a valuable herb to his student so casually, and to put himself in peril by taking the apothecary examination for the sake of awakening his students unique constitution...] Regardless of how Zhang Xuans lessons were, just this responsibility of his was sufficient to leave him in awe. "Zhangoshi, I apologize for my previous insolent attitude and doubting your kindness. Please forgive me!" Yao Han stepped forward and bowed in apology. His previous actions were trulyughable. [How can such a responsible teacher be inadequate in his teachings? Seems like the rumors outside are untrue after all.] "This..." Upon seeing the both of them behaving like that, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. [Can anyone tell me what is going on? I had only taken an apprentice apothecary examination, why are they suddenly behaving so bizarrely?] Soon, he made sense out of the situation. Actually, his reason foring here wasnt just to awaken Zhao Yas unique constitution, it was more for Yuan Tao instead. He didnt expect such a simple action to induce such feelings of gratitude in her. However, he came to a realization after contemting over the situation slightly. In the perspective of others, Pill Debate was something that was likely to end in failure. It was a huge risk to take, and yet he chose to proceed ahead even so. In their eyes, he had be a teacher who could give up his all and bash through all obstacles just for his students! Just this sentiment itself was priceless! Upon understanding this all, Zhang Xuan was at a loss for words. His actions had moved Zhao Ya. But simrly, the other partys actions had also moved him. In the past, he had only treated these students as anchors to prevent him from getting expelled. However, at this moment, he realized the simple fact that all humans have emotions. They would treat you like how you treat them. The childrens desire for knowledge and the gratitude they felt toward him made him understand the responsibilities of a teacher and the heavy burden they shouldered. "Dont worry. As my students, I will bring you all to greater heights, all the way to the top of the world!" Clenching his fists tightly together, Zhang Xuan made a solemn vow. At this moment, he had finally made his metamorphosis from a transcender to a teacher. Boom! The moment such a thought appeared, at the apex of the of the Library of Heavens Path, an intense peal sounded and a golden book formed. However, Zhang Xuan didnt notice it. Chapter 103: Fighter 6-dan Pixue Realm Chapter 103: Fighter 6-dan Pixue Realm (First Half) Trantor: Editor: "Zhangoshi, I dont have sufficient money to pay for the Frigid Sun Mother Grass now, so I will pay you a portion first. Treat it as our Baiyu City buying it from you. After all, we cant expect you to go bankrupt while teaching xiaojie..." Xiaojie -> Young mistress Oblivious to the changes that had urred in Zhang Xuan, Yao Han stepped forward to pass over banknotes worth twenty thousand in total. "Theres no need for it. Its just a medicinal herb, its just a small affair!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The responsibility of a teacher had just dawned on him, so how could he ept money from a student at this moment? Furthermore, it was just a stalk of Frigid Sun Mother Grass. Frigid Sun Grass was only worth hundred gold coins per stalk, so a Frigid Sun Mother Grass shouldnt be worth much either. His fortune counted in the millions, so why would he bother about that petty sum? Furthermore, he obtained this stalk by acting cool, not even spending the least bit of money on it. His heart didnt ache giving it away like this. "This..." Upon seeing his resolute determination, Yao Han could only keep his money. Feeling impressed, hemented, "Zhangoshi, Im really impressed by your generosity. To give a herb worth a hundred thousand gold coins just like that, itsughable that Ive thought that you were trying to scam our xiaojie..." "What? Worth a hundred thousand gold coins?" Zhang Xuans lips quivered. [This Frigid Sun Mother Grass is worth a hundred thousand gold coins? Are you for real? If I knew that it was worth a hundred thousand gold coin, I should have epted your money!] Other people gave presents to their teachers in a show of filial piety, so why was it that when it came to him, he was paying them instead... "Yes!" Yao Han looked over with a peculiar expression, "Could it be that Zhangoshi doesnt know of its price?" "I..." Even though his heart was bleeding, he knew that he couldnt retract his words at this point. As such, he assumed a stern face once more. With an arrogant aura that treated all worldly objects contemptuously, he said, "Of course not, money means nothing to me at all. Zhao Ya is my student, and a herb worth a hundred thousand gold coins is but a small matter. If its beneficial to her, theres no need to hesitate over mere money!" Since whats done is done, he could only go ahead and sell her the favor. "Xiaojie has truly found a good teacher!" Seeing his attitude, Yao Han was truly in awe of him. [No wonder xiaojie kept praising him. Just his morals itself is sufficient to send others in awe like me.] Standing by the side, Wen Xue looked on the situation in embarrassment. If only there was a burrow here, she wouldve dived in immediately. The other party was such an upstanding and noble teacher, yet she mistook him as a pursuer of hers, treating him disdainfully... Her actions were trulyughable! Thankfully, he had a generous heart and was indifferent to her rudeness. Otherwise, his identity as an apprentice apothecary was more than sufficient to have her permanently expelled! "Lets return. I have to prepare for the Pill Debate tomorrow as well!" A single act had cost him a hundred thousand gold coins... Besides, the money wasnt anything much. After all, Baiyu City was paying for it, not Zhao Ya... Suppressing the urge to cry, Zhang Xuan walked out to the streets. By the time he returned to the academy after having dinner, it was already nearing midnight. "Since Im not tired yet, I should look into how I can break into Pixue realm!" In his previous life, he was a nocturnal owl. Furthermore, given his level of cultivation, his physical condition was much better than how it was back then. Even though it was alreadyte at night, he wasnt tired in the least. After exposing the might of a Pixue realm expert in the Enlightenment Will Tower today, the academy should be making a move soon to confer him the title of an elder. Upon bing an elder, he would be granted entry into the elders Compendium Pavilion. By then, he would be able to obtain sufficient Fighter 6-dan secret manuals to perfect his Heavens Path Divine Art. Of course, before then, studying it was okay as well. After all, he had duplicated quite a few secret manuals from Master Lu Chens residence. Even though only a partial of the words were true and as such, unable to be linked together to form aplete version, it was still worth studying. With a jolt of his mind, a dozen books or so which he saw in Master Lu Chens residence appeared in his consciousness. "Actually, Pixue realm cultivation isnt very difficult. The only difficulty one will face is the sequence of breaking through the acupoints!" After scanning through the numerous manuals, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. [It is said that there are 108 acupoints on a human body. However, only 72 of which can be opened. Furthermore, there is a specific sequence to opening these acupoints. Everyones physical body is different and as such, there is a different sequence for everyone to follow to achieve optimal results. If one didnt find the correct route, its likely that they might only be able to open thirty to forty acupoints and be stuck there for the rest of their lives. Its just like cleansing the silt and mud off a river. Only by cleansing from the upper stream can the river be cleansed entirely. If one were to start from the center, not only will the river not be cleaned thoroughly, it may even cause a blockade! This is precisely the reason why the first acupoint to open is important. If one were to get it wrong, it will have disastrous repercussions.] "This book Golden me Technique says that the first acupoint to open should be the Shenli acupoint, only with strength can one break through the other more important acupoints. On the other hand, this Art of Sun Adaptation says that one should start from the Zhongshu acupoint because it is in the direct center of the human body..." The acupoint one should start with was different in every single book and each of their reasoning seemed logical. Others might end up bing confused upon reading through all these, but Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path. With but a single nce, he knew that all of it... were false! "Being unable to find the correct acupoint is equivalent to being unable to find the source of a river. If an error was to ur from the very start, it would be difficult to push on afterward. Forget it!" After studying for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan realized that none of the manuals held the correct answer to the first acupoint he should break through. Just when he was about to give up, an idea popped up in his mind. "If what is recorded in all these books are false and given that a human only has 108 acupoints in total, if I were to try them one by one, wouldnt I be able to figure out the sequence of which I should open up my acupoints?" The method to break through acupoints was simple, one just had to use their zhenqi to surge through it. The main problem was the sequence to doing so. Since these were all wrong, of the 108 acupoints in his body, there had to be a correct one! Other people might be unable to try them one by one, but such a problem didnt exist for him! As he possessed the Library of Heavens Path, after eliminating all mistakes, what was left should be naturally correct! "Give it a try!" At this point, Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate any further. Picking up a brush and paper, he wrote out the 108 acupoints on a human body out and canceled away the incorrect first acupoints from the various secret manuals from it, followed by the other acupoints that were proven to be in the correct positions for him in the sequence listed in the books. After which, only twenty acupoints were left of the 108. However, there was no need to worry. Zhang Xuan hand copied a manual and alternated the twenty acupoints in the first acupoint within the sequence one by one. Weng! A new secret manual appeared in the Library of Heavens Path, disying the errors and ws of it. At his thirteenth try, his mind jolted and the secret manual reflected the first acupoint that had no ws. "Haha, Ive seeded! To think that it would be the Xinqiao acupoint. Since the Library of Heavens Path has not pointed out any errors in it, it means that this is the first acupoint I should break through to enter Pixue realm! "Xinqiao acupoint is a hidden acupoint in a human body. Without pure zhenqi, its impossible for a Fighter 5-dan pinnacle to open it. No wonder it isnt written in any of these manuals..." After verifying the first acupoint he had to open, Zhang Xuan was filled with excitement. Xinqiao acupoint was located in the depths of ones heart. It was reputed as one of the 36 Locked Acupoints. Without sufficiently pure zhenqi, not only would one be unable to open it, ones cultivation might even go berserk while attempting to open it. If not for the verification by the Library of Heavens Path, he wouldve never believed that this would be the first acupoint he needed to open. It was no wonder that he was unable to find the correct sequence in the manuals he duplicated. To think that the correct acupoint for him to start with was one of the Locked Acupoints. From the looks of it now, even though it was termed as Locked Acupoint, but with the correct sequence, one would be able to break it open! Chapter 104: Fighter 6-dan Pixue Realm (Second Half) Chapter 104: Fighter 6-dan Pixue Realm (Second Half) Trantor: Editor: "Lets begin!" Everything else went easy after discovering the correct acupoint. The method to breaking them open was about the same. Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan directed the zhenqi in his body towards the Xinqiao acupoint. Boom! Not long after, there was a loud explosion and Zhang Xuans body swayed uncontrobly. Instantaneously, Zhang Xuan felt a qualitative improvement in his mental state. Regardless of whether it was his vitality or his reaction speed, they improved by leaps and bounds. He had sessfully broken through Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm! If he closed his eyes at this instant, he could sense radiance emitting from an acupoint within his body, like a star in the middle of a dark night. Goo goo goo! With the acupoint opened, spiritual energy immediately gushed in, inducing a rise in his strength by a single ding. "Great!" Sensing the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan knew that he had sessfully aplished a breakthrough to the next realm. "Even without cultivation technique manuals, I can always try to fumble around for the correct part by experimenting with every single possibility. Even if there are ten thousand possible routes in my cultivation, as long as I toss out all of the erroneous ones, I will eventually find the correct one..." His eyes twinkled with excitement. It was just a conjecture he came up with abruptly, so he didnt really expect to seed. Of course, such a method was only possible for Pixue realm. There was a total of 108 acupoints in the human body and they were all fixed in ce. Thus, it was possible for him to try them one by one. However, if he really tried to create a cultivation technique of his own out of nowhere, even with the Library of Heavens Path, he would surely tire himself to death. Actually, Zhang Xuan didnt know that the reputation for the 36 Locked Acupoints didnte from nowhere. Without the purest zhenqi, it was impossible for one to break open the acupoints. Using a simple analogy, if the other acupoints are paths, the 36 Locked Acupoints are pinhole-sized paths. Impure zhenqi is like muddy water. Even though it can flow through the other paths with ease, it is an impossible task for it to pass through the pinhole-sized paths! Just the silt in the muddy water itself is sufficient to plug up the path. If one tries to break through it forcefully, they might end up crushing their acupoint instead, causing an imbnce in their body, and ultimately, death. Zhang Xuan cultivated the wless Heavens Path Divine Art and his zhenqi had no impurities in it whatsoever, likepletely pure water. Even when facing pinhole-sized paths, it could easily pass through to break open the acupoint sessfully! "I should continue with the second acupoint!" With a single sessful experience, Zhang Xuan continued to look for the second acupoint. After awhile, the second acupoint was sessfully opened as well. The hardest part of the Pixue realm was in finding the correct sequence to open the acupoints. As long as one found it, breaking through the Pixue realm was an extremely easy task. .......................................... Zhao Yas residence. Yao Han was sitting at a distance not too far away from Zhao Ya. "Xiaojie, tell me about this Zhangoshi and your physical condition. Why do you need to consume the medicinal herb?" Initially, he was prejudiced against Zhang Xuan, but after seeing him put himself in peril for his students and gifting a medicinal herb worth a hundred thousand gold coins so casually, he couldnt help but doubt the notions he had of him. His actions might be a fa?ade, but that tranquil and nonchnt aura of his and that disposition of an enlightened expert couldnt be feigned. How could one who possessed such aura, disposition, and morals possibly be a viin who fooled women? Looked like he had been mistaken from the very start! Furthermore, xiaojie had been healthy all along. Why did she need to consume this medicinal herb? Not to mention, such an expensive and valuable one? Filled with doubt, he couldnt help but bring them up upon reaching her residence. "Zhangoshi... Initially, I was prejudiced against him as well until I saw his capabilities personally and listened to his lectures...." Zhao Ya started to recount everything that happened ever since she met Zhang Xuan. Upon speaking about her physical "illness", her face flushed red. In the past, she would definitely be too embarrassed to speak of it. She would wonder if she had problems with her innate nature and her body. However, upon getting the truth of the matter from Zhangoshi, she managed to get past that barrier of hers. For a person possessing Pure Yin Body to cultivate a pure yin cultivation technique, it resulted in yin energy umting in her body and if not for her outstanding mental resilience, she would have given in long ago. "Pure Yin Body? Xiaojie has Pure Yin Body? To think that we were unaware of that! We even made you cultivate the White Jade Pure Maiden Skill...." Upon hearing the symptoms and pain the girl had undergone throughout the years, Yao Hans face paled. He was of the same generation as Zhao Yas father and he had long seen Zhao Ya as his own daughter. If not for Zhangoshi seeing through to the crux of the problem, xiaojie might still be trapped in the quagmire of pain, unable to pull herself out of it. Unable to see through this all despite being a senior who had been beside her all this time, he felt intense self-reproach and remorse. Back at the Apothecary Guild, he had heard her say that she had a unique constitution. Back then, it wasnt convenient for him to ask about it. Never in his dreams would he imagine that it was of this kind, and that such aftereffects would ur upon cultivation a pure yin cultivation technique. "Since this Zhangoshi is so capable, why would his reputation be so..." After listening to the words of the young girl, this Zhangoshi seemed to be an incredible figure of great capabilities. However, if he were that incredible, his reputation should have long ago rung far and wide. Why would the results of his investigation be that he had failed the Teacher Qualification Examination and even caused a students cultivation to go berserk? "Today, due to Liu Yangs affair, the Education Bureau conducted an Enlightenment Will Trial..." Zhao Ya went on to talk about the incident that urred at the Enlightenment Will Tower. "What? You mean... it was due to Elder Shang Chens intentional oppression that his reputation is so poor? Zhangoshi, in consideration for the image of the academy, didnt expose him? His strength is already that of Pixue realm pinnacle?" Yao Han shuddered. If he didnt hear this news firsthand, he would have never believed it. For the head of the Education Bureau of an established academy to be so shameless! On the other hand, for Zhangoshi... to be such a noble person! Looked like he was indeed mistaken! Not just him, everyone was mistaken about him! "I have never seen Elder Shang Chen, but Shang Binoshi, who is his grandson, is interest-motivated and vicious. Naturally, his grandfather cant be any better..." If anyone else heard such rumors about the head of the Education Bureau, they would definitely doubt the reliability of the news. However, Yao Han didnt have the slightest hesitation in believing Zhao Yas words. He had never met Shang Chen, but he had met Shang Bin. The wounds on his face were the doing of the other party! Since the grandson was of such character, how noble can the grandfather be? Birds of the same feathers flock together! "Uncle Yao, now that you know about Zhangoshis affairs, I hope that you can be more respectful to him from now on!" After concluding her exnation, Zhao Ya looked at Yao Han with a grim expression. "Rest assured! Your uncle isnt a foolish person. I know what to do from now on!" Yao Han nodded his head. The next instant, his expression darkened. The authoritativeness and self-confidence of the butler of a powerful family exuded from him as he continued, "However, this Shang Chen and Shang Bin had caused me to bear misunderstandings about Zhangoshi, not to mention how they soiled his reputation. I must converse with the city lord and have them punished!" "Yeah! Such vile people deserve to be punished!" Zhao Ya nodded her head. She was unlike Wang Ying. Wang Ying had a docile and honest nature while she, as the daughter of a city lord, possessed a valiant disposition. Otherwise, she wouldnt have barged into Zhang Xuans ssroom angrily upon hearing others praise him. This was precisely the reason why, upon hearing Yao Han say that he would teach the duo a lesson, she didnt hesitate and immediately nodded her head in agreement. If not for this head of the Education Bureau, Zhangoshi wouldnt suffer such injustice and be viewed mockingly and contemptuously by the rest of the world. Otherwise, given his capabilities, how could he possibly be unable to recruit any students? They must be taught a lesson, and a severe one at that, one that will send their reputation down the drain! "Uncle Yao, I will be troubling you to spread this information. The more people know of it, the better!" At this, Zhao Ya issued amand. "Yes!" Yao Han nodded his head. Chapter 105: New Worries (First Half) Chapter 105: New Worries (First Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Pipa! Pili p! Throughout the entire night, the sound of him breaking through in his cultivation could be heard every now and then as his strength soared continuously. "To think that the night would be over in a sh!" Finally, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. The sun had already risen. Despite going without sleep the entire night, not only did Zhang Xuan not feel fatigued, he even felt revitalized instead. With the level of purity of his zhenqi and the uniqueness of his Heavens Path Divine Art, breaking through his cultivation realm was an extremely easy task. It was just that it took time for him to identify the correct acupoints. Even so, in a single night, he had opened over twenty acupoints! Going by conventional standards, a fighter could only open 72 acupoints in their entire body. Every 18 acupoints opened was considered a tier. That was to say if one opened 1-18 acupoints, he was in Pixue realm primary stage, 19-36 acupoints for the intermediate stage, 37-54 for advanced stage and 55-72 for pinnacle! However, due to the low purity of zhenqi that most people possessed and incorrect sequence they opened their acupoints in, the cultivation of most people stopped progressing after opening thirty to forty acupoints. The only way for them to grow stronger was to try to break through Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm. As a result, the ssification above remained in theory. Based on Tianxuan Kingdoms standards, Pixue realm basic stage was ssified as opening 1-10 acupoints, intermediate stage 11-20, advanced 21-30 and pinnacle 31 and above. As long as one opened 31 acupoints and above, regardless of whether it was 31 or 72, they were all considered as Pixue realm pinnacle in Tianxuan Kingdom! When Zhang Xuan was still at Dingli realm pinnacle, he already possessed 8 ding of strength. After recultivating his first three cultivation realms, his strength was boosted by 12 ding. Adding them up together, he possessed a total of 20 ding of strength before breaking into Pixue realm. After opening 20 acupoints, just taking into ount zhenqi itself, he possessed 40 ding of strength. That was equivalent to a Pixue realm pinnacle expert! Other people had difficulty opening a single acupoint in the course of half a month while he opened 20 of it in a single night. Furthermore, 90% of the time was spent on researching the correct sequence. No one would be able to believe that it was possible for ones cultivation realm to soar that rapidly. However, if the wless Heavens Path Divine Art didnt have such effects, it wouldnt be worthy of the word perfect. After grabbing some food to eat, he headed to the ssroom. .................................... "Youre saying that... In order to find a way to awaken your unique constitution, Zhangoshi was willing to undergo Pill Debate to be an apothecary?" In the ssroom, Zhao Ya revealed what had happened yesterday to Wang Ying and the rest. "Zhangoshi had created cultivation techniques for us, and now he is putting himself at risk for our welfare..." "No matter what, we must achieve good results in the Freshmen Tournament. Otherwise, we wouldve truly let down Zhangoshi, and his efforts to groom us would be in vain!" The eyes of Zheng Yang and the others burned passionately. Even the usuallyzy Yuan Tao was agitated. Warriors died fighting to protect their soulmates. Zhangoshi had done so much to protect them. If they still knew none of the gratitude at this point, they would truly be ingrates! "No, I have to start cultivating right now!" "Me too!" In an instant, zeal consumed everyone and only a single goal retained in their minds. That was to bring glory to Zhangoshi by astonishing everyone with their strength in the Freshmen Tournament! "What is wrong with them all?" Upon walking into the ssroom, he saw that not only were all his students present, every single of them were cultivating seriously and diligently. Zhang Xuan found the situation slightly queer. Was there something wrong with these fellows? "Teacher!" Just when he was about to start his lessons, he saw Wang Tao, Wang Yan, and Zhao Yanfeng walking over. Zhang Xuan had already agreed to have Wang Tao and Wang Yan listen to by the side of the ss. However, why was Zhao Yanfeng here too? "I impertinently made my own decision to withdraw from Luoshis tutge. If my decision had caused you trouble, please punish me!" As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the ssroom, Zhao Yanfeng immediately confessed. Hearing these words, Zhang Xuan came to a realization why Lu Xun picked a fight with him out of nowhere. So this was the reason. Despite being the most reputable star teacher in the academy, two students of his withdrew from his lessons to listen to the lessons of the worst teacher. No matter who it was, they would definitely find this situation uneptable. How could he continue teaching other students in the future if word were to spread out? How could he win his students trust like this? "Alright, you can listen to my lessons!" Since the matter had already happened, if he sent Zhao Yanfeng back, others might think that he was afraid of Lu Xun. As such, he could only pretend to be unaware of the matter. In any case, he wasnt obliged to offer pointers to students listening in his lesson. They were free to leave if they want to and it wouldnt really waste any time of his. "Stop for a moment. You all should have already tried to cultivate the cultivation techniques I passed you all yesterday!" Ignoring the trio, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, and the others. "We have!" The eyes of his students glowed in excitement. The cultivation technique Zhangoshi had created for them was incredible! With just a single night of training, they felt the energy within their body growing stronger. Just the effort of a single day wasparable to what they achieved in ten previously! As such, they felt even more impressed with the teacher before them. "Un, let me see your punching routines. Wang Ying, well start from you!" Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over to her. "Yes!" Wang Ying stepped forward and swiftly executed a punching routine. "Not bad!" After which, Zhang Xuan casually offered some pointers and pointed out a few ws in her cultivation. The same urred for Zhao Ya, Liu Yang, and the others. All in all, the speed at which his five students were cultivating at were rather fast. In fact, it was an astonishing speedpared to other students. Even so, if they were to continue at this pace, there would still be a significant gap between his students and Lu Xuns. Lu Xun was a star teacher of the academy. Those who studied under him were basically the top students of the entire academy. The entrance examination assessed a students overall performance and their potential. Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, and the others were only able to squeeze into the top hundred via their potential. If one were to only consider their fighting prowess, only Zhao Ya was better off among the five of them. The other four would probably be ranked below 500. This was especially true for Yuan Tao. His cing in the entrance examination was reflective of his strength. It was impossible to have the several hundred of students under Lu Xun fight with the five students of his. That would be unfair. As such, he would pick five of them out to fight with them. To choose the top five out of several hundred powerful students, it was clear to see how difficult it would be for Zhao Ya and the others to triumph over them. Putting aside the others, the top three students of the entrance examination hade under his tutge and all three of them had already broken into Fighter 2-dan! Given how the five of them were unable to defeat Zhu Hong, who was ranked fourth, despite ganging up against him, how could they possibly deal with the other three individually? Even though potential, talent, and personality could help to boost a students ranking in the Freshmen Tournament, what was valued the highest was still strength! Without strength, everything else was empty talk. Once they lose on the sparring field, all of the former would be negated by the others. "Wang Yings legs has just recovered and her body hasnt adapted to the changes in her body yet. As such, she is unable to utilize her strength properly. With two months of rest, her condition should improve, but half a month... That is too difficult! "Zheng Yang has just escaped from his trauma, allowing his mastery of the spear to improve rapidly. However, its possible for weapons to be banned in the Freshmen Tournament, given the nature of it as a sparring contest. His advantage might very possibly be his downfall. I have to find a way to boost his bare-handed fighting skills within this period! "Also, it will take at least half a month for the condition of Liu Yangs right arm to improve, and by then... Sigh, time is trulycking!" Looking through the conditions of the few via the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be and his worry reflected on his face. Chapter 106: New Worries (Second Half) Chapter 106: New Worries (Second Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe If he were to train them conventionally, he was confident that he could induce a massive improvement in his five students, grasping the entire school by surprise. However, it was too daunting a task to achieve it within half a month to make it in time for the Freshmen Tournament. Regardless of whether it was Wang Ying, Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang or Wang Tao, each of them had problems with their bodies. Even though he knew the remedy to treating each of them, it was hard for him to resolve their problems entirely within this short period of time. The Library of Heavens Path could see through ws, but it didnt show him the correct way to resolving them. The methods he came up with to solve the problems that his students encountered were the conclusions he came up with after researching innumerable books, so the effectiveness of them all could only be considered average. That short amount of time he had wasnt sufficient to solve their problems entirely, needless to say, induce a rapid growth in their cultivation. Of course, if he were to impart the Heavens Path Divine Art to them, their cultivation would surely soar immediately. However, Zhang Xuan knew that he mustnt impart the cultivation technique to anyone else. Possessing a treasure beyond his ability to guard was a crime. It was possible that it might bring him cmity if news of his cultivation technique were to spread out. Even if the Library of Heavens Path was able to identify the locations of the mingmen of his opponents, it wasnt of much use if he was battling against enemies far above his cultivation realm. Putting aside the fact that true experts did not have such weakness and even if they had, if he was unable to match up to them in terms of speed and strength, he might not be able to damage thetter even if he were to hit them squarely at their vitals! "Zheng Yangs situation is slightly easier to resolve. I can try to find a battle technique for him. Within half a month, he should be able to achieve some level of aplishment in it. This should be sufficient for him to deal with most opponents! "I have helped Wang Ying to open up the blocked acupoints on her legs. However, two years of injury has caused severe damage to her fundamentals. Her meridians and muscles require a long period of recovery. Conventional methods cant possibly allow her legs to recoverpletely in half a month, needless to say, attain a higher level! Unless... her legs are nourished with a specialized medicinal solution! "On the other hand, Liu Yang needs some pills to clear his obstructed meridians! "As for Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao, just as what I have analyzed before, it should be sufficient as long as I find a way to awaken their unique constitution!" All these sounded easy, but carrying them out would prove to be difficult. Putting aside the others, even Zheng Yangs problem, which seemed easy to solve, was tricky. He had learned the way of the spear for many years and he might find it difficult to grasp bare-handed techniques. If he was unable to assimte the battle technique to his own, it might potentially be his downfall instead, causing his fighting prowess to regress instead! Learning powerful battle techniques took time and learning weak ones were pointless. To assimte a technique to his own in half a month... The difficulty to do so was clear for all to see. "Putting aside the matter of Zheng Yangs battle technique, Wang Yings medicinal solution should be able to be found in the Apothecary Guild. That is to say, the problems of the four of them can be settled at the Apothecary Guild!" Determination reflected in Zhang Xuans eyes, "Looks like I have to pass todays Pill Debate by hook or by crook!" Actually, after the threat of his expulsion had passed, he couldve taken it easy and taught his students leisurely. However, since Lu Xun came running over to undermine his dignity, as a transcender with a cheat code, how could he possibly allow him to climb over his head? Sayings such as The river reverses its flow after 30 years were all nonsense. One didnt simply wait for revenge toe by itself. Since the other party is willing to send his face over, naturally, Zhang Xuan wouldnt go easy on him. Furthermore, even though it seemed as though he had settled the Education Bureau and wouldnt be fired in the short term, but there were still a lot of people waiting for him to make a fool out of himself. After all, he stepped over the dignity of a school leader as a teacher and caused a scandal in the school. People were already gossiping about how the school didnt know how to choose its personnel. There wasnt a single organization that would allow the existence of a ticking time bomb in their ranks. If he was unable to make his stand in the Freshmen Tournament, all kind of pressure woulde stacking upon him, making his life difficult. Thus, he had to win, regardless of the price he had to pay. As for why he didnt choose to simply leave the academy when theres a massive world out there... As a teacher, if he were to lose upon being challenged, it was no different from a guilty criminal escaping pursuit. It would leave a stain in his records in the Teacher Guild and by then, he would probably be unable to even be promoted to a high-level teacher, much less say, master teacher. However, this wasnt the main reason. The main reason was that these five students of him already held absolute trust in him. He had already be an important person in their lives, and as a teacher, he could not let them down! "Alright, Ill start the lessons now!" Upon arriving at a conclusion, Zhang Xuan didnt panic and started teaching his students calmly. His lectures were based on the numerous correct theories he had gathered from all the books in the teachers Compendium Pavilion. They were profound albeit boring, giving the listeners an epiphany. Not only did his five students benefit greatly from his lecture, even Wang Tao, Wang Yan, and Zhao Yanfeng, who were listening in by the side, flushed red in agitation. They felt as though they had just eaten a ginseng fruit. At this moment, they realized that just by listening in, even without Zhangoshis personal guidance, they had struck the jackpot. As long as they continued listening to his lessons seriously, their cultivation would surely rise by leaps and bounds. What Zhangoshi was exining was a new type of training system, an entirely new perspective, something that would revolutionize the entire world of cultivation. "Ill end the lesson here! Cultivate properly when you all return, I will check your cultivation tomorrow!" Looking at the time, it was already nearing noon. Zhang Xuan gestured for them to leave. "Yes!" Zhao Ya and the others rose and bade Zhang Xuan farewell. "The Pill Debate is about to start, I should head over now!" Time didnt wait for anyone. Since he applied for the Pill Debate, he naturally would not give up on it. Zhang Xuan walked out of the ssroom toward the Apothecary Guild. Soon, upon reaching the guild, Wen Xue came weing him. The contemptuous gaze yesterday had been reced with that of respect. Even though the person in front was younger than her, he was already a certified apprentice apothecary. She dared not to offend him. "Apothecary Ouyang Cheng asked me to wait here for you. He says that the ten apothecaries are here and the Pill Debate can start at any time now. Of course, if you wish to go back on your words, you can also choose to cancel this Pill Debate!" Wen Xue said. "Theres no need to cancel it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It would take too much time for him to be a 1-star apothecary through Pill Forging. Since he was able to do it today, there was no reason for him to back off. "This way!" As though seeing through his intentions, Wen Xue shook her head and brought him in. It was the building where the apprentice apothecary examination was held. However, they proceeded deeper within and soon, they arrived at a vast hall. Several hundred square metersrge, ten chairs were ced in a circle at the center. There was a giant cauldron ced behind the circle of chairs and a me burned majestically beneath it, bringing one a stifling sensation. Pill Debate, in order to ascertain whether a theory was true or not, had to be verified on the field. The cauldron was here for such use. "Zhang Xuan, youre here. It isnt toote to regret now. Rest assured, with your talents, if you were to be my apprentice, I will make sure that you will be able to forge pills within half a year to pass the apothecary examinations!" Jiya! The door opened and Ouyang Cheng walked out. His words carried a tone of persuasion to it. He still didnt think that it was likely for this young man to pass the Pill Debate. "Half a year is too long!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. [What a joke! If I had half a year of time, I wouldnt have to go through the trouble toe knocking at the Apothecary Guild in search of books.] "Alright!" Knowing that there was no way to persuade him otherwise, Ouyang Cheng shook his head in disappointment. In his perspective, Zhang Xuan was still young and thus, it couldnt be helped that he would becent. Once he blew it up, he would know the difficulty of Pill Debate. "Esteemed guests, please enter!" Upon his shout, numerous human figures entered the room. There were exactly ten of them, and some of them were middle-aged while others are elderly. Even the youngest of them was probably at minimum 40 years old. The apothecary from yesterday, Du Man, was also within the group. These people were wearing a robe specially made for apothecaries. There was a unique emblem hanging on their chest, and the single star on it was exceptionally conspicuous. 1-star apothecaries! Chapter 107: Pill Debate Begins Chapter 107: Pill Debate Begins Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Normally, if one wanted to take the examination for a 1-star apothecary, a 2-star apothecary had to be present to witness the proceedings. However, Zhang Xuan was taking the Pill Debate examination instead of the traditional Pill Forging examination. As such, his examination only required ten 1-star apothecaries to conduct the examination. Even so, the entire proceedings had to be recorded using a Record Crystal, so that the headquarters could check and verify it. In fact, even some apprentice apothecaries were qualified to look through it and if it was proven that some of the examiners went easy on the examinee or so, all apothecaries involved in the proceedings would be stripped of their position and expelled. This was precisely the reason why no one dared to go easy on others during a Pill Debate. Regardless of how formidable the power backing the examinee was, they were unable and unwilling to do so. "Guild Leader Ouyang, you said that someone wants to undergo Pill Debate? It cant be this young brat here, can it!" Upon sitting down, they nced at Zhang Xuan and a bizarre expression appeared on their faces. An apothecary took the initiative to pose the doubts of them all to Ouyang Cheng. Those who undergo Pill Debate were either master teachers or schrs who were well-versed in pills and medicines. Upon receiving the notice, everyone thought that it would be an elderly. Never in their dreams did they expect to see a young man who was barely even twenty. [Guild Leader Ouyang, are you sure you arent joking with us? You really arent pulling our legs? Forged pills are just like white wine; the older the alcohol is, the more fragrant it is. Age may not mean much, but a veteran with numerous years of research behind him is definitely in a better position than someone who had just started studying the subject. A fellow who isnt even twenty yet wants to undergo Pill Debate...] Even if he started to learn from his mothers womb, how much can he learn? "Zhang Xuan may be young, but he has a deepprehension of medicinal herbs. He even achieved a perfect score in the apprentice apothecary Written Paper examination!" Upon seeing the doubtful looks on everyones face, Ouyang Cheng exined. "Perfect score?" "That means nothing at all!" "The apprentice apothecary Written Paper only assesses the students understanding of the medicinal properties of herbs, their ssification, and traits. Scoring full marks can only mean that he has a solid foundation. However, to conduct a Pill Debate based on that, calling all of us over for that, arent you being a little too reckless?" "Pill forging isnt just about understanding the properties of medicinal herb and their ssification. It is much more profound than that. One has to feel andprehend the art of pill forging. If he hopes to be an apothecary just because he knows some basic stuff, isnt he being a little way too optimistic?" The crowd chirped in, their tones filled with contempt and disdain. Written Paper was just an examination conducted for apprentice apothecary. Official apothecaries often came into contact with medicinal herbs and scoring full marks for them meant nothing at all. "Er..." Upon seeing so many people treat him contemptuously before he even got an opportunity to speak, Zhang Xuan felt a little helpless. If an apothecarys skill was proportionate to his age, you might as well dig a few of them up from the graves! Pill forging? They would be formidable if they didnt turn themselves to ashes in the midst of doing so. "Cough!" Zhang Xuan coughed to interrupt themotion urring among the apothecaries and spoke, "Guild Leader Ouyang didnt invite you all here to talk about age. I may be young, but that doesnt mean Im unable to match up to the rest of you in terms of forging pills!" "Match up to the rest of us? You arent even an apothecary, and yet you are so arrogant that youd look down on us?" "Youngsters should be humbler. Despite not knowing much about pills, you dare to undergo Pill Debate. You sure are gutsy!" "Arrogant fellow, when the Pill Debate begins in a moments time, I hope that you still can talk as casually as you are doing now!" ... The moment he spoke up, all their arrows came aiming toward him. A deep frown was on every single one of their faces as they attempted to tear him apart with their words. Pill Debate was actually equivalent to challenging the wisdom of ten apothecaries with the knowledge of a single individual. All the apothecaries who gathered here upon Ouyang Chengs call were all famous figures in Tianxuan Kingdom and every single one of them were of high standing. If they were to lose to a master teacher or an elder, it was still a result eptable to them. But for an immature brat who wasnt even twenty yet, if they were to really lose to him, how could they still uphold their dignity? Thus, they didnt have any intention to treat Zhang Xuan kindly from the moment they saw him. On the contrary, they tried to oppress him from the very start. It was an attempt to crush his confidence. As a bachelor in his previous life, he was tortured daily by the loving disy of couples every day. Even so, didnt he manage to ovee them and live on? This kind of attacks no longer worked on Zhang Xuan anymore. "Alright!" The scent of gunpowder was already apparent even though the Pill Debate had yet to begin. Upon seeing the argument escting, dark lines streaked across Ouyang Chengs face. He hurriedly interjected, "There is no use talking about it all, everything should be proven with capabilities instead. After all, capability doesnt differentiate between ages. Since I have gathered everyone here to conduct a Pill Debate, then lets just go straight to the point and begin! "Ill first talk about the rules of the Pill Debate!" Afraid that the crowd mighte up with even more toxic words, Ouyang Cheng immediately began exining, "Pill Debate isnt a true debate. Rather, the ten apothecaries will raise questions for the examinee to answer. As long as theres a question he is unable to answer or answers erroneously, the examinee fails! If both parties are unsure of the answers to the questions raised, a test can be conducted on the spot to verify the answer. Whoevers theory is able to produce higher quality pills will win. "Of course, the questions raised by the apothecaries must be within the sphere of the knowledge of a 1-star apothecary. Also, the examiners are not allowed to pose a question about secrets unknown to others." At this point, Ouyang Cheng scanned the surroundings and asked, "Are there any other questions?" The rules were simple and the exnation was clear. "No!" The crowd shook their heads simultaneously. As an apothecary, even if they had never heard of Pill Debate, they should have done their homework on it beforehand. There was a limit to the questions they could raise to the examinee. After all, how could an apprentice apothecary possibly answer a question about forging a grade-3 pill or some profound pill forging method? "Since there are no questions, then lets..." Ouyang Cheng raised his hand grandly and just as he was about to announce the start of the Pill Debate, Zhang Xuan stood up with a frown, "Hold for a moment!" "Why? Are you scared now? Its toote now!" "Its toote for you regret your decision! We can either begin the Pill Debate now or you can admit your defeat straight up!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan halt the proceedings, they thought that he wanted to resign and sneered coldly at him. "Regret my decision? You want to make me regret my decision with those standards of yours?" Zhang Xuan activated his aggression-pulling aura. "What did you say?" An elder bellowed loudly. As expected, the apothecaries here immediately erupted upon hearing his words. If looks could kill, he would have been sliced into numerous pieces by now. "Im sorry, Im not saying that your standards are not up to par. Im saying that... all of you here are unable to make the cut!" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan emanated a haughty disposition. [Why? You want to bicker with me? Do you believe that I can choke you all to death with a few words?] "You..." "Arrogant!" "Ignorant brat!" Instantaneously, everyone exploded. Everyone flew into a rampage and their beards flew along with their vigorous breathing. Seeing the atmosphere heating up and that he had be a public enemy for all of them here, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. With a smile, he looked toward the center of the room and asked, "Guild Leader Ouyang, it seems that they look down on me just because on my age. To tell you the truth, I also look down on them. Actually, I dont think that there is much point to a mere debate, so why dont we increase the difficulty of the examination?" "Increase the difficulty?" Ouyang Cheng frowned. [Pill Debate is already difficult by itself, and you want to increase the difficulty? Also, how do you intend to go about increasing the difficulty?] The others were also bewildered. [Lad, do you find your deathcking splendor, so you want to find a more exciting way to do so?] "Simply, Pill Debate is just theoretical and words are empty!" Ignoring the bizarre expression everyone was shooting him with, Zhang Xuan raised his hands boldly, carrying a majestic disposition with him, "How about this? As long as any apothecary here dares to forge pills before me, regardless of what methods he uses, I am able to point out the name of his forging method and the errors hemits in the process. If any of those here finds what I say incorrect, I can admit defeat immediately!" Chapter 108: Meng Yan Chapter 108: Meng Yan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "What?" "We are official apothecaries, and you, a mere apprentice, dares to im that you are able to point out our mistakes?" "What are you putting on an act for? We apothecaries have numerous means up our sleeves. Putting aside whether you can point out our mistakes, if you can even recognize the method we are using to forge pills, we can consider it your win!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyone exploded once more. An immature brat dared to im that he had the ability to see through their forging methods and ws just by seeing them forge a pill before him? "Is he mad?" At one side, Ouyang Cheng and Wen Xue felt frenzied. At the very most, one could only ask some remote questions in Pill Debate. As long as one was well-versed in the knowledge of pill forging, much of it could be rationalized and inferred. However, to point out ones forging method and the errors in it? Pill forging was just like a persons handwriting; there are ten thousand different types of handwriting for ten thousand different people. Even for the same pill, there were at least a thousand different methods of forging it. The movements in each method were profound and intricate and a slight difference in their motions could mean an entirely different forging method. Furthermore, each and every pill forging methods that were able to be passed down through the generations were the blood, sweat, and tears of innumerable people and had been refined countless times toward perfection. It might not be entirely perfect, but at the very least, these apothecaries had been using it daily and never found anything off about it. Even if a 3-star apothecary were to be here, it would be hard for him to point out the errors in it! This wasnt just a mere rise in the difficulty anymore, it was an overturn of the rules, raising the difficulty to the heavens! If an apprentice apothecary undergoing a Pill Debate was equivalent to the difficulty to three-digit addition and subtraction, what Zhang Xuan proposed was equivalent to Goldbach Conjecture! The difficulty wouldnt just increase, it would be increased to an unimaginable level! [Brother, are you sure you arent jesting?] Wen Xue looked at him as though she was looking at a monster. Yesterday, he wasnt even sure about the existence of a book collection vault in the Apothecary Guild and he didnt know what books he had to read for the apprentice apothecary examination. Yet, today, he suddenly became an expert, putting on airs here. If she didnt witness it personally, she might have thought that he was afflicted with dissociative identity disorder. Even though a humans personality changed over time, it should be impossible for such a massive change to ur in a person in a single day! Even if he wanted to act cool, there should be no need for him to y it so big! "Why? You dare not agree? Are you afraid that you will be embarrassed after I point out your errors? Or are you afraid of being humiliated when I point out your forging method?" Ignoring their stares, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. He had already contemted over the matter and came up with a solution for passing the Pill Debate. Even though he was done looking through the basic tier book collection vault in the Apothecary Guild, there was still a certain level of difficulty for him to sessfully pass the Pill Debate. After all, there were so many apothecaries assessing him and it was hard to tell whether they might have capabilities beyond that of the books. They mighte up with questions beyond what was written in the books! If he failed to answer their question, it would be an immediate loss! Since that was the case, he should find a way to prevent them from bringing up such problems. In other peoples perspective, to determine a forging method and pointing out the ws in it through watching how a person forged pills was much more difficult than undergoing a Pill Debate. However, Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path, which allowed him to easily see through the ws of others. What was nigh impossible to others became an absolutely simple task before him, only requiring reading word-by-word off a book. An apothecary forging pills was equivalent to a fighter executing his battle technique, a book would bepiled by looking at it. Thus, Zhang Xuan intentionally drew aggression from the others to incur their rage. After which, by behaving contemptuously, the others would definitely think of him as arrogant and agree to it. As long as they agreed to this method of examination... [Hehe, once you all agree to it, everything else will be a piece of cake. Witness as I y you all to your deaths!] "Since you are looking for excitement, we will fulfill your request!" "Indeed, since you are adamant on acting cool, well see how you cry afterward!" As he expected, the crowd immediately exploded yet again after his taunting. Every single of them was tempted to pay greetings Zhang Xuans eighteen generations of ancestors and all of his kin. [Embarrassed your head! The heck that we would be humiliated! We just fear whether you have sufficient capabilities to do so!] The ten apothecaries fighting spirit roused. If not in consideration of their identity, they would have charged forward to bash him. "Since all of you have the guts to agree to it, then lets begin!" Upon seeing how he was able to settle the issue so easily, Zhang Xuan chuckled. Then, looking at Ouyang Cheng, who was standing at the center of the room, he said, "Guild Leader Ouyang, can we begin?" "Err... Of course!" He didnt expect a simple Pill Debate would escte to this point. Ouyang Cheng felt helpless and frustrated. At this moment, he had no choice but to go along with it. "May I ask which apothecary would like to go first? I am willing to offer you all free pointer!" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves arrogantly. The faces of the crowd flushed red in anger. "I cant stand watching him act like this any longer. Allow me to teach this brat a lesson first!" Finally, an apothecary couldnt hold in his rage any longer and stood up. It was a middle-aged man in his forties. His face was slightly gray and his eyes glowed as though they werenterns. With a single look, it was clear that he wasnt someone with a good temper. "Its Apothecary Meng Yan!" "Meng Yans temper may be awful, but hes a true 1-star primary stage apothecary. Given how hes able to forge over a dozen kinds of pills, he isnt someone to be underestimated!" "Indeed, a few of his apprentices even made it big. Furthermore, he has many kinds of forging methods. It is most suitable for him to make the first move!" Seeing the middle-aged man stepping out, the rest of the apothecaries secretly nodded their heads in agreement. How could there be any mediocre figures among the 1-star apothecaries? This Apothecary Meng Yan might not be the most capable apothecary among the group, but his skills were not the worst of the bunch. They would be able to see the capabilities of that arrogant fellow through him. "Lad, I will start forging now. If you are unable to tell the forging methodter on and point out the ws in it, prepare to be punished!" With a cold sneer, Meng Yan walked over to the cauldron. He casually grabbed a few medicinal herbs from the shelves by the side, and by controlling his zhenqi, he induced the me beneath the cauldron to be even more vigorous. Xiong xiong! The mes burned furiously off its fuel and a slight chiming sound resounded from the cauldron, as though it was a giant bell. Huhuhu! Stalks after stalks of medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron and under the high temperature, a unique scent of medicine floated into the air. "This is pill forging?" Zhang Xuan might have read quite a few books in the basic tier book collection vault, but this was the first time he was seeing someone forge a pill. "Incredible!" He couldnt help but be impressed by it. In terms of cultivation realm, he was in no way inferior to the other party. However, the way how the other party threw the medicinal herbs into the cauldron so casually without the slightest hesitation or pause, and how every single stalk of medicinal herb was ced under optimal conditions for it to best unleash its medicinal properties, it was something he could not hope to match. This required continuous practice over time. He might excel in theories, but this didnt mean that he was capable of materializing it into physical actions. After a moment of looking at it, after integrating the knowledge from the basic tier book collection vault and the analysis on them by the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan soon realized that... He was unable to discern anything at all! He wasnt even able to see what forging method the other party is utilizing, much less see through the ws in his actions. No wonder everyone stared at him as though he had gone mad upon hearing his request. If even Guild Leader Ouyang, who wielded the greatest ability among the group here, was unable to see through his forging method and had a perplexed expression at this very moment, how could an apprentice apothecary possibly see through it? "ws!" After confirming that he was unable to see through it through the sea of knowledge he had umted, Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate any longer and he willed for a book to bepiled. Weng! With a loud explosion, the Library of Heavens Path jolted and a book suddenly appeared in his mind. Written inside were this Apothecary Meng Yans pill forging method and the ws in them. "This..." After taking a look, a bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Chapter 109: Tranquil Heart Pill Chapter 109: Tranquil Heart Pill Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Not bad!" "Meng Yan is getting more and more adept in his pill forging technique!" "Indeed! If he is able to identify a w in his pill forging method, I will twist my head off!" Zhang Xuan noticed that the gazes of the other apothecaries were fixated on Meng Yan and they nodded their head in approval in response to the disy of his skills. They were able to tell what the other partys pill forging method before and they had once used it as well, so they werent too unfamiliar with it. This was also precisely the reason why it was harder to find ws in it. Even they were unable to see the slightest mistake in the other partys forging. Every movement of his strictly adhered to the forging method without a single error in it. "Guild Leader Ouyang, do you think that he will be able to see through the forging method and the ws in it?" After bringing Zhang Xuan over, Wen Xue didnt leave immediately. At this instance, she was standing behind Ouyang Cheng and she couldnt help but ask him the question. She wasnt even an apprentice and thus, she was unable to see through the various intricacies of pill forging. So, she could only ce her expectation on this guild leader before her to exin the situation to her. "ws?" Ouyang Cheng shook his head, "To tell you the truth, Meng Yans pill forging method had been passed down for more than 300 years. It went through the hands of countless individuals and even if there is an error in it, it would have long been corrected. Anyway, given my level of standard, I am unable to see any errors in it!" "Not even you are able to discern any ws?" Wen Xue covered her mouth in shock. Ouyang Cheng was the most capable apothecary in Tianxuan Kingdom, reaching the astounding level of the 1-star intermediate stage. If he was unable to discern anything, how could Zhang Xuan, who had just be an apothecary apprentice, possibly tell anything from it? Hu! After a moment, the mes weakened. Meng Yan opened the lid and the fragrance of medicine gushed out from the cauldron. The pill had been formed! Meng Yan pinched lightly and grabbed three pills from the cauldron. Each of them was round with a smooth surface. They were roughly the size of a longan and radiated a unique glow. "Alright, as expected of Apothecary Meng Yan. Not only was the pill formed, it even reached the level of Satiation. Incredible!" Looking at the pill in his palm, everyone couldnt help but be impressed. Upon being forged sessfully, the pills would assume different appearances depending on the efficacy of its medicinal property. It could be ssified into four tiers, namely Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill. It was already incredible for typical 1-star primary stage apothecaries to reach the level of Formation when forging grade-1 pills. To reach the level of Satiation was already something beyond what those of his level was capable of. "Hmph,d, I am already done forging my pills. So, what method did I just use and what ws are there in it!" Meng Yan returned to his seat and looked at Zhang Xuan coldly. Upon hearing his words, the gaze of the others focused on Zhang Xuan. They wanted to see what kind of shocking words this arrogantd would speak of. Initially, they thought thisd would speak immediately. However, his eyes simply stared forty-five degrees upward with a sorrowful expression on his face. He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Hurry up if you have something to say!" Seeing this fellow still persisting on keeping up the act, Meng Yan clenched his fist and smashed it on the table. Peng! Given his formidable strength and the current fury he had umted, a crack appeared on the table, putting it in a state of near copse. "Since you arent embarrassed by it, then I will begin speaking!" Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently heated up, Zhang Xuan looked over calmly with a lowered head and said, "If Im not wrong, the pill you forged should be the Tranquil Heart Pill which fighters often consume!" "Thats right!" Meng Yan nodded his head. It was easy for an apothecary to see what a kind of pill it was, so it couldnt be considered a formidable feat. "The method you used is Ten Forms of Tranquil Water!" Zhang Xuan continued. "Thats right! This is Ten Forms of Tranquil Water. This is the most suitable method to forging Tranquil Heart Pill. It doesnt mean much for you to see through this!" Not expecting for the other party to be able to able to discern it, Meng Yan was slightly shocked. However, he didnt pay the matter much heed. Ten Forms of Tranquil Water was a unique method to forge Tranquil Heart Pills. It was said that an apothecary created this method while looking at the surface of the water of a mountainous stream. The entire technique emphasized greatly on delicacy and quietness. There werent too many intense movements in it, as though it was a quiet stream, flowing slowly and steadily down the mountains. As it fulfilled the concept of Tranquil Heart Pill, it was easy for a pill to form using this method to forge it. Given that he was able to tell that the pill forged was Tranquil Heart Pill, it wasnt that difficult to infer that the method used was Ten Forms of Tranquil Water. "True, it doesnt mean much. However, it is a pity that you have warped the Ten Forms of Tranquil Water beyond recognition, causing it to lose the fundamental meaning behind it!" Zhang Xuan flung his hand and said with a stern voice. "Warped beyond recognition? Nonsense! If it is truly warped beyond recognition, how can I possibly sessfully forge the Tranquil Heart Pill, even reaching the level of Satiation at that?" Meng Yan retorted furiously. "Since you dont believe my words, then I shall point it out clearly to you!" Zhang Xuan stepped forward and pinched the pill lightly to ce it on his palm. His gaze swept through the room as he asked, "Who can tell me what effects should this pill possess?" "Tranquil Heart Pill is a grade-1 pill. It helps cultivators to calm their mind so that their thoughts will not wander. This kind of pill is effective even on Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm experts and as such, it is one of the best sellers of the Apothecary Guild!" Wen Xue said. As a receptionist, she had sold all kinds of pills. It was natural that she would have a deep understanding of the effects of this Tranquil Heart Pill. "Indeed, this pill can help cultivators to calm their minds!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. "However, its a pity that this pill which Apothecary Meng Yan doesnt have such effects! On the contrary, it might even cause a persons cultivation to go berserk if consumed!" "Nonsense!" Meng Yans expression darkened. The other partys action of doubting the efficacy of his pill in public was equivalent to humiliating him. "You need not be so quick to refute my words. Let me finish my words first!" Ignoring the other partys burst of outrage, Zhang Xuan chuckled and continued, "If this pill was created by Apothecary Meng Yan yesterday, I wouldnt say such words. However, it is a pity that it isnt yesterday now and this pill is destined to be a failure!" "Yesterday?" "Is there any difference to it?" "Lad, rify your words! Dont try to mystify us!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, the crowd had no idea what Zhang Xuan was driving at. As such, they couldnt help but raise their doubts. "I will exin to you all right now! Forging pills arent just about technique and skills, ones mental state ys a huge part in it as well! Only by infusing ones mental state into the pill will the efficacy of the medicine be heightened! Tranquil Heart Pill requires the mental state of the apothecary forging it to be serene and only through such can the pill be forged perfectly! I believe all of you should have seen the bad temper of Apothecary Meng Yan. He can be set off easily with a single word. With rage in his heart, how can he possibly forge the Tranquil Heart Pill which calms others?" At which, Zhang Xuan slightly knocked on the table before Meng Yan. A crack had appeared in the table after thetters previous punch. At this moment, unable to take the pressure any longer, it fell apart. Upon the sight, everyone came to a realization. His words were true. Pill forging was intricately linked to ones state of mind. It was inappropriate and unsuitable for one to forge a Tranquil Heart Pill when under such rampaging emotions. "Of course, his fiery temper isnt sufficient to ruin the pill. The crux of the problem is that there is killing intent within Apothecary Meng Yan right now. If Im not wrong, you probably killed someone this morning and you still bear resentment toward the person. Most probably, you were betrayed by someone you trust. This resentment and killing intent have been infused into the Tranquil Heart Pill when you were forging it. Even though only a sliver of it had slipped in, to the cultivators who consume it, it could have disastrous aftereffects. It increases the possibility of their cultivation going berserk exponentially. If so, it will result in fatal damage onto their fundamentals!" Zhang Xuan said. "You... You..." Meng Yans body swayed. He looked at Zhang Xuan as though he was looking at a ghost and his face immediately turned ghastly white. Chapter 110: You Are About to Die Chapter 110: You Are About to Die Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Just like what Zhang Xuan said, Meng Yan was hiding resentment and killing intent within his heart. He was also betrayed by someone he deeply trusted in. Just that, it was something that happened this morning. He thought that his rage had already ceased and never would he have thought that he would infuse these emotions into his pill. But... How was he able to tell? Through the pill he forged? How was that possible? "Its true?" "This..." Upon seeing Meng Yans expression, even the most dull-witted of the lot could tell that what Zhang Xuan said was the truth. They stared at one another in disbelief. [Not only was he able to discern the killing intent in him through his pill forging, he is even able to deduce that he was betrayed by a trusted person. You... Are you an apprentice apothecary or a fortune teller?] "If you all think that theres something wrong with my words, there is an easy way to ascertain it. The guild should have Pill Sample Beasts, right? We can feed this Tranquil Heart Pill to it and see whether it will calm down or rampage!" Upon seeing Meng Yan at a loss for words, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. Usually, in order to ascertain the authenticity and effects of a pill, the Apothecary Guild would prepare some Pill Sample Beasts to test them. This savage beast was extremely sensitive towards pills. Upon consumption of the pills, one could determine the effects of the pills through its response. It corresponded to theb rats used in clinical trials in the world of Zhang Xuans previous life. Only after passing the tests could the medicine be fed to humans. This was to ensure the safety of those consuming it. "Un!" Ouyang Cheng nodded his head and an apprentice apothecary walked out of the room. In a moment, a cage of savage beasts that resembled white mice was brought over. Opening the mouth of one, the Tranquil Heart Pill was fed to it. A short momentter, the Pill Sample Beast started to get agitated, running around the cage and wing everything in sight. It didnt seem to be calming down in the least. "Normally, after consuming a Tranquil Heart Pill, the Pill Sample Beast would lie quietly by the side. Yet, after consuming this pill, the Pill Sample Beast bes visibly agitated. In the midst through Zhang Xuans words, the Pill Sample Beast who consumed the Tranquil Heart Pill ran toward another of its kind, climbed on top of it and started to conduct insertion exercises forcibly onto the other party. "Cough cough, the strong sexual drive experienced by the one who consumes the pill shows that not only does the pill not calms one, it even induces anger in them! If Im not wrong, the person whom Apothecary Meng Yan killed today is a woman, one whom he had a sexual rtionship with! Her eventual betrayal resulted in his outrage, causing the pill to contain strong emotions of possessiveness and frenzy!" "This..." Upon seeing the drugged Pill Sample Beast in the cage crushing on another Pill Sample Beast and forcing itself on the other, not giving the other party a chance to retaliate at all, the other apothecaries stared at one another in astonishment. [Is this really Tranquil Heart Pill? Are you sure that it isnt an aphrodisiac! It is fortunate that it isnt fed to a human. Otherwise, not only will their heart no calm down, they will even turn into a... Cough cough, it will cause disastrous effects!] Everyone shuddered upon thinking about the possibility. "This morning, I saw the concubine that I dote on the most conducting adultery on me with the butler. In that instant, rage filled me and I killed both of them on the spot!" Upon seeing everyones gaze focusing on him, Meng Yan shook his head as he exined. Since the other party had already said so much, there was nothing for him to hide. This incident had made him furious. For the entire day, he had been in bad mood. The reason why he stepped out was to embarrass Zhang Xuan so as to vent his frustration. "Is that for real?" "Seeing through so much through looking at another forge pill?" ... Seeing Meng Yan admit to it, the others stared at Zhang Xuan as though he was a monster. If their gazes were contemptuous before, they had a grave expression on at this very moment. Ones pill reflected ones state of mind, but... to see that an apothecary had killed someone earlier this morning, even inferring that the person was his concubine, through watching him forge pills... [The heck, you must be a constable, right!] Otherwise... How could he possibly tell that much? "Alright, I have already pointed out the ws in it. Apothecary Meng Yan, do you need me to go on?" Ignoring the shocked expression on the others, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. The Library of Heavens Path could see through all ws. It was a simple task for him to tell that he had been betrayed by his concubine and that his pill carried killing intent and resentment. "Theres no need. I admit defeat!" Meng Yan surrendered. The numerous apothecaries on the field, including himself, werent able to see through the problem in the pill he forged. Yet, the other party was able to see through it directly, even telling so much about it... It was a clear loss, even if he didnt wish to ept it! "Just like that... he surrendered?" Wen Xues eyes widened. An apothecary admitted defeat to an apprentice? If she didnt see this for herself, she wouldnt dare to believe it. However, it made sense when she thought about it. To be able to see that far, that fellows eye for discernment was too incredible. He had no choice but to admit defeat! "Alright, next!" Now that the first person had admitted defeat, Zhang Xuan had achieved first blood. He turned to look at the remaining nine people with a smile. "I shall face him!" An elderly stood up. If they thought that Zhang Xuan was here to cause trouble previously, after Meng Yans incident, they finally understood that this fellow was an expert, expert among experts. No wonder he was so confident as to dare to challenge the Pill Debate, even raising the difficulty at that. "It is Apothecary Chen Xiao!" "Apothecary Chen may not be the best among us in terms of pill forging, but he is the oldest!" "He is an extremely rational and calm person, unlike Meng Yan and his fiery temper. I believe that he will be able to defeat thatd!" ... Seeing the elder stand up, everyone secretly nodded their heads in approval. This Apothecary Chen Xiao was the oldest among the ten of them, as well as the most level-headed one. Surely there wouldnt be any problems if he was the one to make a move. Huhuhu! The me beneath the cauldron crackled. In a moments time, he extracted a few pills from it. It was the same pill as the one Meng Yan forged previously, Tranquil Heart Pill. It was also perfectly round and smooth with radiance glowing off its surface. However, it was clearly of higher quality, reaching Perfection. "Alright, I am done forging the pills. You dont need to identify the forging method, its the same as the one Apothecary Meng Yan used previously, Ten Forms of Tranquil Water. If youre able to point out the ws in it, I will concede and admit defeat!" Apothecary Chen Xiao said calmly as he grasped the pills he just forged in his hands. "Incredible!" "This is truly a wise move!" "To use the same forging method to forge the exact same pills. Previously, he was able to point out the killing intent in Apothecary Meng Yans heart as the w in his pill forging, but Apothecary Chen Xiaos state of mind is serene and he is a level-headed person. He should be unable to find another one of this kind of w on him!" "Lets see how he will fare this time..." ... Upon seeing Apothecary Chen Xiaos actions, everyone couldnt help but exim internally that it was indeed the older ones who were more cunning. Even Zhang Xuan couldnt help but nod his head. The other party was indeed extremely wise. Even though the other party had clearly told him that he used the same forging method so that he doesnt have to guess it, his actions were, in fact, making it more difficult for him to answer. However, to the Library of Heavens Path... this was nothing at all! Zhang Xuan looked at him, seemingly nonchnt to his actions, "If Im not wrong, Apothecary Chen Xiao should have trouble sleeping and eating recently!" "Ah?" Apothecary Chen Xiao was taken aback, "Its true that I have been having problems sleeping, and my appetite isnt good recently. However... this should have nothing to do with pill forging though?" [So what if I dont eat or sleep? You just have to tell me about the ws in my pill forging. Why are you telling me about my body condition? Besides... About me not sleeping well and having no appetite... How did you know about it?] "Nothing to do with it? Youre wrong! It is rted to it in every way!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Rted to it in every way? Enlighten me." Apothecary Chen Xiao couldnt help but look over. "Hehe, if Im not wrong... You are about to die!" Zhang Xuan said. Chapter 111: Death Aura Chapter 111: Death Aura Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Pu! He thought that the other party would speak of some theory to convince him of it. Hearing his words, however, Apothecary Chen Xiao almost puked blood. [Just because Im not eating or sleeping well, you say that Im going to die? Youre the one who is going to die, your family is the one who is going to die...] Not just him, the other examiners also red at him furiously. Apothecary Chen Xiao was an esteemed figure in the circle of apothecaries and they had always respected him. Yet, this fellow dared to curse him straight to his face. [Do you dare to spout any more nonsense?] "I have been an apothecary for many years. Even though I have been stuck at this level for very long, I have been working diligently and studying hard to improve myself! I might not be a talented genius, but I am well aware of my bodys condition. The reason why I havent been sleeping well and eating well is because of the numerous misceneous affairs in my household I tend recently. There hasnt been anything off about my physical condition other than that. So, why do you say that Im about to die?" Apothecary Chen Xiao harrumphed. Apothecaries often came into contact with medicinal pills and even though they were inferior to physicians in terms of diagnosing, they were still slightly learned in the aspect. "You arent wrong. There isnt anything wrong with your body!" Zhang Xuan calmly replied to the suspicions he rose. "Nothing wrong? Then, what are you talking about?" "How spiteful, how can you take these words as a joke!" "This is a Pill Debate, not a session for you to curse Apothecary Chen Xiao!" ... Upon hearing him admit that there was nothing wrong with Apothecary Chen Xiaos body, everyone started to bellow at him angrily. If there was something wrong with his body, they could let this matter slip. However, since there was nothing wrong with his body, how could such nonsense be eptable? Feeling baffled, Ouyang Cheng and the others stared at him. "Hehe!" Zhang Xuan waspletely nonchnt to the rebuke of the crowd. He simply smiled lightly and said, "Who says that one cannot die if theres nothing wrong with their body?" "What do you mean?" Upon seeing his calmness and confidence, Apothecary Chen Xiao felt goosebumps rising all over him. Just as he was about to continue questioning him, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "Since you dont believe me, lets first take a look at the pill!" At which, the eyes of the crowd fixated on the Tranquil Heart Pill Apothecary Chen Xiao had just forged. "Apothecary Chen Xiao is a level-headed and calm person. He has reached a high level of mastery in his skills in forging pills and if I were to forcibly speak of a w of his, none of you will believe me. It would be troublesome to verify my ims as well!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "Since thats the case, I wont talk about the ws in his forging method. I shall just talk about this pill here. Just like the one Apothecary Meng Yan forged, if this Tranquil Heart Pill is consumed by a cultivator, it would aggravate his anxiety and even cause his death!" "What?" "I have been examining Apothecary Chen Xiaos method in forging the pills closely and there isnt the slightest mistake in his actions. Furthermore, his pill has reached the level of Perfection, so how can it worsen ones anxiety?" "This isnt a ce for you to spout nonsense!" No one believed Zhang Xuans words at all. The reason why there was a problem with the Tranquil Heart Pill that Meng Yan forged was because he killed his concubine, resulting in the killing intent in his body to billow such that even he was unable to curb it. On the other hand, Apothecary Chen Xiao had a calm nature, which waspatible with the state of mind one required to forge Tranquil Heart Pill. If so, how could it worsen ones anxiety? [Even if you wish to spout nonsense, you shouldve had something better to say!] "If you dont believe me, we can try it out! There are Pill Sample Beasts here!" Zhang Xuan pointed to the cage. Other than the two that were exercising together, there were still other Pill Sample Beasts in the cage which were lying calmly by the side. "Lets give it a try then! An apothecary who didnt believe his words casually picked up a Tranquil Heart Pill and ced it into the mouth of a Pill Sample Beast. After consuming the Tranquil Heart Beast, the Pill Sample Beast didnt get agitated as the previous one did. It also didnt grab another one of its kind to exercise on it. Instead, itid by a corner, not moving at all. "How is it? A Tranquil Heart Pill can calm a persons mental state. Theck of movement in this Pill Sample Beast means that the pill is taking effect. What else do you have to say?" The apothecary harrumphed. The others also looked toward Zhang Xuan. Previously, Zhang Xuan said that consuming this Heart Pill Beast would worsen ones anxiety. Now, it was clear that the pill was working as it should and there wasnt anything queer about it. They were curious to see how he would answer. "Give it a moment!" Zhang Xuan didnt say anything else and simply sat quietly on his chair. After ten minutes, the Pill Sample Beast still didnt move at all. At this point, the apothecary who fed the Pill Sample Beast the pill couldnt hold it in any longer, "See, it hasnt moved at all. This clearly shows that the Tranquil Heart Pill is working as it should. Are you trying to waste our time by having us wait?" "Its okay now!" Zhang Xuan said. "Its okay?" The apothecary frowned, "What do you mean? It is clear that this Pill Sample Beast isnt anxious in the least given how it is still lying quietly by the corner. How do you want us to see?" "The reason why it is lying quietly by the corner doesnt necessarily mean that the Tranquil Heart Pill has taken effect. It can also mean that... it is dead!" Zhang Xuan said. "Dead?" The apothecary was taken aback. He immediately rushed forward, opened the cage and grabbed the Pill Sample Beast out. With a single nce, his eyes narrowed abruptly "This... This... How is this possible?" The Pill Sample Beast in his hand had already breathed itsst. Its body was already starting to turn cold. How long had it been? To turn cold within ten minutes, it meant that it had died a short moment after consuming the pill! "Its really dead?" "The Tranquil Heart Pill should only calm a persons spirits, so why would it kill a Pill Sample Beast?" "A Pill Sample Beasts constitution is suited for testing pills, it is impossible for ordinary pills to kill it. What... is going on?" ... Amotion broke out. After eating a Tranquil Heart Pill... the Pill Sample Beast died? If a cultivator were to consume it, wouldnt it mean his demise as well? "This... This..." Apothecary Chen Xiaosplexion darkened. He retreated several steps consecutively and disbelief could be seen in his eyes, "This is impossible... I followed the forging method strictly, there isnt the slightest error in it. Even if I fail to form a pill, it shouldnt turn into poison. Why was the Pill Sample Beast poisoned to death..." It was a huge crime for an apothecary to poison someone to death through the pills he forged. He had never met with such an incident throughout his entire life, so why was all of these urring now? "Zhang Xuan, this... Whats going on?" With a bewildered expression, Ouyang Cheng sought rification. At this point, everyones gazes also focused on Zhang Xuan. He was able to tell the problem in this Tranquil Heart Pill and he knew that the Pill Sample Beast would die. Who else was more appropriate to exin the situation other than him? "I have already revealed the w in his forging method, so I should have already passed this test. Do I really have to exin it?" Zhang Xuan didnt reply Ouyang Cheng. Instead, he turned to look at Apothecary Chen Xiao. He was able to identify the problem in the pill and he sessfully pointed it out. This bore testimony to his abilities and in this sh between him and Apothecary Chen Xiao, he could be considered to be the victor. "If you exin the situation, I am willing to admit defeat!" Apothecary Chen Xiao gritted his teeth. Even if Zhang Xuan were to win in this sh, as long as Chen Xiao didnt admit defeat, he would be able to conduct a round of examination. As the oldest one of the ten apothecaries, his surrender would cause the confidence of the others to waver. As such, this matter was of utmost importance. "If thats the case, then allow me to speak more on the matter!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head, "There are no problems with the sequence and technique you forged the Tranquil Heart Pill with. In fact, you even infused your own tranquility into the pill. Rationally speaking, the pill should be of extremely high quality with high effectiveness. However, its a pity that... you are about to die. Your body is already filled with death aura and naturally, the pill you forge wille into contact with this aura as well. This is the reason why the Pill Sample Beast died upon consuming the pill you forged!" Chapter 112: Cheng Jiang Chapter 112: Cheng Jiang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Could it be that... I am really going to die?" Apothecary Chen Xiaos mouth quivered and his entire body shivered slightly. The first time Zhang Xuan said these words, he thought that the other party was cursing him, so he didnt pay it any heed. However, upon seeing the Pill Sample Beast die upon consuming the pills he forged, he was rattled. Even more so, he felt fear. "This..." Seeing him in such a state, everyone felt bad for him. They wanted to console him, but they couldnt find the right words to say. If he werent on the verge of death, how could a Pill Sample Beast die just like that from eating the pill he forged? It was clear that what the other party said was true! "I have exined what I should. Who wants to challenge me next!" Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings. "No... Brother Zhang Xuan, dont be in such a hurry!" Apothecary Chen Xiao couldnt hold it in any longer and looked to him in panic. Instead of addressing him as a d," he addressed him as "brother" now. "Why? Is Apothecary Chen Xiao unable to ept the results and would like to experiment once more?" Zhang Xuan looked over. "No, I... want to learn: how will I die? If you can tell me the truth, I am willing to have my body smashed to smithereens to repay this favor to you!" Apothecary Chen Xiao pleaded. There werent any problems with his body. Even if his appetite dwindled and his quality of sleep decreased, it shouldnt cause his death! As the person in question, how could he know nothing when he was already on the verge of death? "I will tell you honestly then. Even though there were no mistakes in your skill and movements when you were forging the pill, your body is slightly stiff. It is clear that your vitality and strength arent what they used to be. Most important of all, parts of your skin have started to turn gray, simr to the livor mortis that appears on corpses! If Im not wrong, you have applied a special kind of medicine on your skin to conceal it from sight. In actuality, your entire body is already speckled with gray spots!" Zhang Xuan looked over with piercing eyes. Looking as though he had been struck by lightning, Apothecary Chen Xiaos eyes narrowed as he retreated backward in fear. Just like what the other party said, there were spots on his body. He thought that it was a kind of rare disease and he intended to find time to seek out Master Yuanyu and have him take a look. After all, it didnt hurt or itch, so he didnt pay much attention to it. To think that it would be livor mortis! "Sir, please save me!" Suppressing his gasps of shock and fear, Apothecary Chen Xiao no longer held any doubt for the other partys words. He sped his hands together and pleaded. His address also changed from "brother" to "sir." Regardless of who it was and how long he has lived, no one wished to die, especially when death appeared before them. Everyone would seek any means to live on! "Have you obtained some treasure recently? If Im not wrong, you probably took it from a corpse. I shall not exin any further. If you wish to live longer, it is best that you not touch it anymore!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "I will end my advice here. Good luck!" "Youyou..." Hearing his words, Apothecary Chen Xiao froze once more. What the other party said was true. He had obtained a cauldron recently and it was much better than the one he had been using. He had been treating it as a precious treasure, stroking it daily. If he could, he would even sleep beside it every day. This cauldron was taken from the hands of a corpse, one that had departed not too long ago. This person gave him the cauldron in hopes that he would take revenge for him. However, his enemy was way too powerful, so he only agreed to do so casually back then. He did not intend to exact vengeance in his stead. After which, the person died and he no longer bothered about the matter. Could he mean... this cauldron? He obtained his cauldron ndestinely, not even his family members knew of it. He... How did he know of it? Apothecary Chen Xiao took a good look at the young man before him once more. This time, agitation could be seen on his face, as though staring at a specter. "Alright, whos the next one?" Ignoring the elder, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the other eight remaining examiners. Actually, Chen Xiao was inflicted with not an illness but a curse. He agreed to seek vengeance in anothers stead, and in exchange, the other party gave him his most precious treasure. However, he went against his words and the other party predicted that he would do so. As such, he imprinted the curse on the cauldron. If he got close to it, his life would be gnawed away. Even though it wouldnt cause any illness or side effects, his lifespan would reduce tremendously. Unless he made up his mind to exact vengeance for the other party! Of course, Zhang Xuan wouldnt say these words out loud. Putting aside the fact that he had barely met Apothecary Chen Xiao and wasnt indebted to him, more importantly, the other party was an ungrateful person. He made promises but didnt fulfill them. Zhang Xuan despised these kinds of people. After consecutively getting two apothecaries to admit defeat, none of the other examiners volunteered to take him on. No matter how foolish the other eight were, it was clear at this point that Zhang Xuan was someone with true ability. For a long time, the entire hall was silent and no one dared to step forward. "If none of you wish to continue the Pill Debate, please admit defeat and dere me the victor!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Tranquil Heart Pill requires your heart to be calm to forge. Under usual circumstances, you need to adjust your state of mind for three days through consuming vegetarian meals and cleansing yourself with water. Given how they had to forge the pill out of a sudden without making the necessary adjustments in their state of mind, it is natural that the pills they forged would be affected by their emotions. As long as we avoid forging such pills, he should be unable to point out any ws!" "Indeed! Only the forging of Tranquil Heart Pill is affected by your emotions and state of mind. The effects of such for other pills are minimal so it will do as long as we do not forge Tranquil Heart Pills!" Muttering broke out among the crowd and soon a voice rang out. "I will face him!" An apothecary stood up. It was a middle-aged man about the same age as Du Man. He had a square-shaped face and his eyes shone with determination and calm. "Its Apothecary Cheng Jiang!" "He is the apothecary who possesses the greatest potential among us all. Just within three years of bing an apothecary, he was already able to forge more than a dozen kinds of pills. With sufficient time, there is a high possibility of him surpassing Guild Leader Ouyang!" "Nothing will go wrong since hes the one making the move!" ...... ... The eyes of the crowd lit up. Initially, everyone was resolute to pulling this Zhang Xuand off his high horse. Yet two apothecaries, Meng Yan and Chen Xiao, who challenged him had fallen to him. This struck a blow at their confidence and they urgently needed someone to boost their morale. "Zhang Xuan, you were able to notice the slightest details in the previous two shes, to the point of even discerning an apothecarys vitality, emotional state, and mental state. I am impressed!" Walking out, Apothecary Cheng Jiang nodded his head in approval with a smile. "I am unworthy of your praise!" Zhang Xuan replied. "You were even able to discern the killing intent from Apothecary Meng Yan. If I were to forge a Tranquil Heart Pill, my ws would surely be unable to escape from your notice. Thus, if I may propose presumptuously, I would like to increase the difficulty of the challenge. I wonder if youre brave enough to ept!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang said. "I am willing to listen to the details!" Upon hearing that the other party wanted to increase the difficulty of the challenge, Zhang Xuan looked interested. "I have just created a new pill forging technique ande up with a name for it a few days ago. I have not disyed it to anyone before. If I gave this problem to you, even if you are learned in all methods that have existed since immemorial times, you will surely find it hard to answer!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang said. "Thus, I contemted and decided against having you give the name of my technique. As long as you can name three pill forging techniques I referenced from, I am willing to admit defeat!" "Creating a new pill forging technique? Incredible!" Pill forging techniques were simr to the battle techniques of a fighter. Those who could create one of their own were definitely talented individuals, people who left their mark on history. As long as they did not burn out before their time was up, it was just a matter of time before they made a name for themselves. Upon hearing his words, the other apothecaries looked at him, full of admiration. "Apothecary Cheng sure is remarkable. This question is truly difficult!" "Indeed. Since it is a brand new pill forging technique, it is bound to be different from the originals. Compared to pointing out the ws in pill forging techniques, to identify the references in a newly-created pill forging technique, three at that, the difficulty is much greater!" "This time, Zhang Xuan will most probably be defeated!" "Of course, this is such a difficult question. Even a 3-star apothecary would be stumped by it, much less an apprentice apothecary!" The crowd couldnt help butment Zhang Xuans predicament. In some Chinese religions and culture, eating meat can be considered to be a sin due to the bloodshed resulted in its production. Sometimes its associated with state of mindthose who consume meat tend to be more short-tempered whereas those who consume vegetarian meals tend to be calmer. Chapter 113: Forging Technique Chapter 113: Forging Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Telling the references from aplete pill forging techniqueusing an analogywas like creating a solution of water from numerous wells and demanding for another to identify the origin of the water. It was an impossible task! Unless one witnessed him creating the pill forging technique step by step, it would be impossible to identify three references. The difficulty of the task Cheng Jiang proposed,pared to simply finding the ws in a pill forging technique, was at least five times harder! Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. As expected of the apothecaries, they werent as easy to deal with as he expected. This fellow might be a bundle of smiles and look magnanimous. However, he was truly the most shameless of the group. Even if Zhang Xuan agreed... identifying the references in a pill forging technique was basically an impossible task! Given how Zhang Xuan raised the difficulty earlier, the privilege should be extended to the other party as well. If he disagreed with it, other people might criticize him because of that in the future, thus leaving a stain on his reputation. "Why? I know that this is a difficult matter to ask, and it is normal that you will reject me. However... if you reject my offer, can I consider it your loss?" Cheng Jiang grinned widely. "Loss?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "It just happens that I would like to see Apothecary Chengs new forging technique. Lets begin!" This method of his would normally be effective against other people, making them fly into a panic. However, it was ineffective against Zhang Xuan. The reason why Zhang Xuan could identify ws in the pill forging techniques of others wasnt because of his discernment ability. Rather, it was because he possessed the Library of Heavens Path. As long as the library remained with him, regardless of whatever forging techniquewhether it was just created or yet to be createdthey would all be clearly disyed in the form of a book. This was no problem for him at all. "Alright!" Seeing him agree to it, a gleam shed across Apothecary Cheng Jiangs eyes. The corners of his lips crept upwards as he gathered the necessary medicinal herbs and headed to the cauldron. Hula! The medicinal herbs flew in the air. His every action was fluid and elegant. Looking it from afar, there was a unique sense of aesthetics to it. "It is indeed a new forging technique. I have never seen it before!" "If Im not mistaken, he is forging Juxi Pill!" "Yes. Juxi Pill is useful to people of cultivation realms below Fighter 7-dan. It is exceptionally useful for those in the Juxi realm. It isnt a valuable pill inparison to the others, but it is one of the most useful ones to the fighters. Usually, this is the pill apprentice apothecaries will practice for the Pill Forging examination. As such, most apothecaries are extremely familiar with the method to forging it. This is also the reason why Apothecary Cheng Jiang is able to better showcase the uniqueness of his forging technique. Furthermore, his motions are more fluid, making it difficult for others to discern the references!" "In any case, I am unable to tell the pill forging techniques he referenced from..." "Me neither..." ...... ... The apothecaries watched Cheng Jiang for a moment before shaking their heads. "Apothecary Cheng sure is vicious!" Standing by the side, Ouyang Cheng shook his head. "Given his standard as a 1-star apothecary, he is able to forge the most basic Juxi Pill easily with fluid motions, making it difficult for others to discern the forging method easily. Furthermore, given the short time required to forge it, you couldnt analyze it even if you wanted to. Looks like Zhang Xuan will probably fail here..." Apothecary Cheng Jiang could forge more difficult grade-1 pills, but it would be troublesome for him. He couldnt forge them as easily as he could the Juxi Pill. This was just like how Yang Guo could wield the Heavy Iron Sword, but he was unable to control it as freely as he wished. On the other hand, if he forged the most basic Juxi Pill, it was like Yang Guo wielding an ordinary sword insteadeffortless. This Apothecary Cheng Jiang may have had a wide smile on his face, but he was actually the most scheming of them all. Not only were his movements fast in forging Juxi Pill, the time required to forge it was also short. A normal grade-1 pill would take at least half an hour to forge. On the other hand, Juxi Pill could be forged in less than fifteen minutes. Seeing three references in such a short period of time? How was that possible? It was clear that he is intent intended to do in Zhang Xuan! "Is he... going to fail?" Upon hearing Ouyang Chengs judgement, Wen Xue clenches her fists tightly. "It should be difficult for him to pass this test..." Ouyang Cheng sighed. "Interesting!" Initially, he didnt bear any ill intent for this Cheng Jiang. However, he didnt expect this fellow to be so despicable and use such low-handed methods. Zhang Xuans gaze turned icy. As a cultured, knowledgeable, ambitious, and worldly transcender, how could he allow others to bully him without trying to retaliate? Hu! Finally, the Juxi Pill was sessfully forged. A total of seven or eight pills rolled out from the cauldron. "I am done forging. Zhang Xuan, please!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang looked at him and chuckled with confidence. It was true that his forging technique had more than three references to other forging techniques. However, his movements just now were extremely fast and fluid. It was almost an impossible task for the other party to see through any of them! Besides... even if the other party was right, he could deny it! There are so many forging techniques, and naturally, given how no one here could see through the references behind his forging technique, it was up to him to say whatever he wanted! [For a brat who came from some remote corner to use me as a stepping stone to achieve victory in the Pill Debate.... Dream on!] "If I can point out three references in your forging technique, will you admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan looked at him with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Of course. I am an official apothecary. Given my standing, there is no reason I would go back on my words just to deal with an apprentice apothecary!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang flung his sleeves haughtily. Arrogance exuded from his tone. "Great. Since you have put it like that, then this matter is simple!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head and walked forward. He circled around the cauldron once before lowering his head to look at the Juxi Pill in his hand. He pinched one and held it up, ced it before his nose, and took a whiff of its scent. "This Juxi Pill has vibrant colors and a radiant outer appearance. Going by conventional standards, it should have already reached Perfection!" Zhang Xuanplimented. However, his tone abruptly changed. "However..." "Due to the limitations of Apothecary Chengs forging technique, Perfection is already the limit. It is impossible for him to forge an Inscribed Pill!" "It is just a Juxi Pill, whats the use of forging an Inscribed Pill?" Apothecary Cheng Jiang scoffed. This Juxi Pill was the most basic pill an apothecary could forge. It increased the rate at which a fighter could gather spiritual energy from the surroundings. It was a waste of an Inscribed Pill to ur in this kind of fundamental pill! "Thats true!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head, reluctant to tug with him on this matter. Instead, he smiled and continued, "The question I should answer is with regards to your forging technique. There is no point debating this topic. Alright, since its a request on your part, I will answer your question. Putting aside the forging techniques you have referenced previously, lets first talk about how many forging techniques you know. With this, it should be easier to conclude which are the few forging techniques you referenced from! "Three years ago, Apothecary Cheng Jiang used Rain of Ten Thousand Streams to forge a grade-1 Vitality Rejuvenation Pill to pass the apothecary examinations. In the same year, you learned Convergence of the North River and sessfully forged Soul Soothing Pill. "The spring of the second year, during Apothecary Bai Mings birthday celebration, you sneaked into his study and coped his Illusory Silk Hands with which you forged Body Nourishment Pill. From then on, your reputation spread far and wide! "That winter, when you asked Apothecary Lin Mu to demonstrate his Frost Threaded Hands, you secretly took it for yourself! "In the summerst year, you spent 50,000 gold coins to bribe Apothecary Jin Chens butler to duplicate a copy of Golden Spring Fleeting Cloud Dexterity! ...... ... "In the third month ofst year, you enticed Du Mans apothecary apprentice Zhu Huahua and obtained Apothecary Dus personal forging technique Hundred Intertwining Method... ...... ... "Now, if I added them up, Rain of Ten Thousand Streams, Convergence of the North River... Summing together all of these forging techniques, there are a total of twelve of them!" Zhang Xuan counted slowly as though counting his own precious treasures. After that, he turned around to look at the apothecary whose face had paled at some point. "Apothecary Cheng Jiang, are there any mistakes with what I said?" "Youyou..." Cheng Jiang stumbled backward. His eyes narrowed, as though he had seen a freak. Yang Guo is a character from Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. In the novel, after his hand was chopped off by Guo Fu, he was saved by a condor and chances upon the grave of a great swordsman, Dugu Qiubai. There are four swords there, one of them being the Heavy Iron Sword. The sword is known for being extremely heavy and difficult to utilize in battle. Yang Guo took a long time before he managed to gain control of it. Chapter 114: Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries Chapter 114: Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "What? Cheng Jiang, is what he said true? I demonstrated the skill to you out of kindness, and you secretly picked up my Frost Threaded Hands?" "Dammit, no wonder I wasnt able to find you for a long time after the banquet started. Confess, when did you sneak into my study?" "Cheng Jiang, we are fellow apothecaries. If you wish to learn my forging technique, you could have asked me sincerely for it and I might have taught it to you. Yet you chose to entice my apprentice with benefits to obtain my Hundred Intertwining Method. Arent you being too underhanded!" ...... ... A pill forging technique was simr to a fighters battle techniques. Most of them were exclusive to a certain n or sect and mustnt be taught to outsiders lightly. This Cheng Jiang actually secretly learned the forging techniques of other apothecaries without their permission, even resorting to stealing to obtain them. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, the entire room burst into outrage. Everyone here was a member of the Apothecary Guild and they often exchanged knowledge on the art of pill forging. If he was truly interested in learning their pill forging method, he could indicate his interest, conduct a ceremony to acknowledge the other party as his mentor, and learn their skills. Then their rtionship could be annulled and they would still be friends! However, secretly learning in this manner was akin to a fighter stealing the battle techniques of other experts. It was a huge taboo that one should nevermit. "Everyone, dont listen to his nonsense..." Sensing the heated atmosphere, anger and fear shed across Cheng Jiangs face as he hurriedly tried to absolve himself from the usations. "Im spouting nonsense?" Zhang Xuan walked forward. The corners of his lips crept upwards. "Just now, to forge Juxi Pill, Apothecary Cheng took a total of 23 medicinal herbs. I shouldnt be mistaken on this aspect!" "Youre right!" All certified apothecaries were aware of the medicinal herbs required to forge Juxi Pill. This wasnt a secret, thus there was no need to deny it. "When you mixed White Lotus Grass, Wisteria Root, and Golden River Flower together, your pinky was angled backward whereas the tip was bent forward, as though picking a flower. If Im not wrong, this method is referenced from Apothecary Bai Mings Illusory Silk Hands!" "Afterwards, when you extracted the Green Sun Essence, your five fingers opened wide with which you gently stroked the herb, as though extracting frigid air from ice, not daring to exert too much strength. This should be referenced from Apothecary Lin Mus Frost Threaded Hands!" "Then, when you added Purple Osmund Grass and White Mane Flower in, to prevent the properties of the two from shing with one another, you specially circled them twice around the cauldron before throwing them in. Through doing so, not only would the medicinal properties of both be better utilized, they would only lose their violent nature. As such, their properties would not sh with one another. Apothecary Jin Chens Golden Spring Fleeting Cloud Dexterity seems identical to this move of yours!" ...... ... "After that, when the pill was forged, in order to prevent it froming into contact with the searing cauldron, you used zhenqi to produce a unique air with your hands. Even though your movements are inconspicuous, if someone watches closely, they are still recognizable. Apothecary Du Man, isnt that simr to your Hundred Intertwining Method?" Zhang Xuan didnt allow the other party to refute his words at all, dumping it all out en masse. At this point, he paused for a moment as he smiled brightly. "If... Apothecary Cheng thinks what that I just said is nonsense and that I made it all up, the Record Crystal has been recording the entire procedure and we can look through it anytime. Everyone can bear testimony to whether the words Ive been saying are nonsense!" "You..." Cheng Jiang face paled and his entire body trembled uncontrobly. He knew that what the other party said waspletely true! Apothecaries had their own schools and inheritances. In order to improve swiftly, he went around stealing other peoples techniques. He thought that he had done it very secretly... How did this fellow know? Furthermore, down to the very details? In an instant, he felt like he was standing nude before everyone else. A deep feeling of fear rose from the depths of his heart. "What? Do you still think Im spouting nonsense?" Ignoring the other party whose face had paled to the extreme at this moment, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. "If you think theres any mistake in what Ive said... is this forging technique that you self-created through merging everyones forging techniques called Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries?" "Youre a demon..." Apothecary Cheng Jiang staggered and fell to the floor. The name he hade up with for this forging technique was indeed Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries! It was a name he hade up with a few days ago and he had yet to tell anyone about it. In fact, not even his apprentices knew of it, so why... does the other party know the name? To be able to see through everything down to the very details such that him stealing the other peoples forging technique was unable to escape his eyes.... Was this fellow a demon? How can this be... Apothecary Cheng Jiang was terrified. "Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributariesyou utilized all of the different techniques to forge that river of yours. How arrogant! It sure is an incredible forging technique!" "To steal our forging techniques, integrate them together as one and im that you have created a new forging technique. Cheng Jiang, you sure are capable!" "To think that Ive regarded you as my brother and my best buddy, yet you chose to do this to me. Fine!" "From now on, our rtionship is severed!" ...... ... Upon seeing the expression on Cheng Jiangs face and recalling the movements he made while forging the pill recently, they would truly be fools if they were still unable to understand the situation. The faces of the apothecaries here turned red in fury. Their wrathful eyes fixated on Cheng Jiang. They werent exceptionally skilled apothecaries and their forging techniques were not really secrets that must not be leaked to the outside. But... this fellow, if he had expressed his desire to learn their techniques, getting rejected wasnt really a big deal. However, his actions of learning their techniques behind their back was definitely something an apothecary should never do! Not only that, he had even arrogantly bragged that he had created a new technique by himself. Created, your head! You simply took all of our techniques to form a hodgepodge. You call that creating a new technique? If thats so, everyone would be creating new techniques every day! Not to mention, naming it Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries... How can anyone be that shameless! At this point, they no longer viewed Cheng Jiang as their equal. Disgust was the only thing that could be seen on their faces. "Please calm down!" Upon seeing the indignation of the crowd, Zhang Xuan smiled. He interjected into theirmotion and turned to look at Cheng Jiang, who was still in a state of disbelief. "Apothecary Cheng Jiang... is this considered my victory?" "Youyou..." Seeing his smile, Apothecary Cheng Jiang shuddered. "You win.... I admit defeat!" He has no choice but to admit defeat. The other partys ability to discern had already reached the level of demons. He feared that if he continuedpeting with him, more of his secrets would be revealed. As such, he could only hurriedly nod his head. At this moment, he regretted his action of intentionally making things difficult for the other party. Even though the other party had pointed out the ws in Meng Yan and Chen Xiaos pill forging, he had clearly spared their dignity. Yet he sent a p directly at his face, exposing his darkest secret in public.... It was foreseeable that once news of these matters spread, he would lose his standing within Tianxuan Kingdoms Apothecary Guild. He would be shunned and viewed with contempt by all. All credibility and reputation he had built up throughout the years would bepletely destroyed and others would just think of him as a fraud and viin. Upon his surrender, Zhang Xuan smiled. Initially, he didnt have any serious conflict with any of them so he couldnt be bothered with the other partys personality ws. Yet, this fellow tried to take advantage of the situation to force him into a corner! You want to humiliate me? Try it then! As a transcender with a golden ring, how can I allow myself to be humiliated by you like this? Since you decided to charge straight at me, dont me me for not going easy on you. It just happens that I can use you to warn the others that I, Zhang Xuan... am not an easy target! "Apothecary Cheng has admitted defeat!" Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings. "Anyone else?" In that instant, the room fell utterly silent. Chapter 115: Acupoint Soothing Pill Chapter 115: Acupoint Soothing Pill Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Even though the person in front of them had only pointed out the ws in the pill forging techniques of three apothecaries, the abilities he had revealed in doing so induced fear and terror in the remaining few. Not just them, even Chen Jiangs swift and fluid actionsfactoring in the short duration he took to forge the pillwere clearly seen through by Zhang Xuan, who had also analyzed the origin of his movements, and deduced that he had stolen the forging techniques of others.... That ability of discernment and knowledge of his was something none of the people here could match up to. "Three apothecaries have admitted defeat, seven more to go. Who will go first?" Seeing all of them silence, Zhang Xuan continued to stare at them. Pill Debate required ten apothecaries to admit their defeat before Zhang Xuan could be dered victorious. "This..." Silence continued to linger about the remaining seven apothecaries. It was one thing if the other partys ability to discern matters was impressive, but of the three apothecaries he faced previously, one was exposed for being cuckolded, one turned out to be on the verge of death, and thest one had his reputation tarnished.... They were only here for the Pill Debate. They didnt want their secrets exposed because of this! The other partys ability to discern was so incredible that he could immediately tell a difference if their state of mind was in the slightest bit off. Given such circumstances, who would still dare to challenge him? Furthermore... they couldnt admit defeat withoutpeting in Pill Debate! If they did so, it was equivalent to going easy on the other party, which was considered as an act of cheating. Once revealed, they would be stripped of their apothecary qualification. As such, the awkward silence continued to linger in the atmosphere as no one dared to step forward. "Please hurry up, we cant possibly continue to drag this matter on like this!" Sensing the awkward atmosphere lingering about, Ouyang Cheng couldnt help saying, "Ill go!" After a momentary silence, Apothecary Du Man stood up. He was acquainted with Zhang Xuan and had even bet over him. What he thought to be an arrogant fellow turned out to be a figure with incredible capability and outstanding discernment ability. Even he himself was far from a match for him in this aspect. However, he didnt have a choice either way. After all, they couldnt continue stalling time here like this. "Apothecary Du Man, allow me to go instead!" Just as Du Man was about to start forging so that Zhang Xuan could point out the ws in the process, an elder stood up. "Its Apothecary Bai Ming!" "Just now, Zhang Xuan exposed that Cheng Jiang had secretly learned his Illusory Silk Hands. He was extremely furious. Why would he make a move now?" "I have no idea. Lets watch!" ...... Upon seeing this elder, the others shuddered. Even though Apothecary Bai Ming wasnt the oldest of the group, he was the most qualified and respected one. That was because he wasnt just a mere apothecary; he was also the de facto head of one of the Four Great ns in Tianxuan City, the Bai n. He was a person who held great authority and strength in his hands. "Since Apothecary Bai is going to make a move, Ill back down first!" Apothecary Du Man returned to his seat. He was unable to match up to Bai Ming in terms of qualifications and standing. "Zhang Xuan, you possess incredible ability of discernment and analysis. However... you just happened to be lucky. In actuality, you dont really possess much knowledge on pill forging!" After the examiner had been confirmed, Bai Ming nced at Zhang Xuan, his tone hostile. It was no wonder that he was so angry. While he was angry at Cheng Jiang for stealing the secret manual passed down within his family, being exposed in public also made him feel humiliated. After all, it was shameful for the powerful Bai n to be unable to prevent a lone apothecary from stealing from them. If word spread, the Bai n would be aughingstock. "Lucky? Why would Apothecary Bai say that?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Simple. Regardless of whether it was Meng Yan, Chen Xiao, or Cheng Jiang, the ws you said may seem to make sense. However, if we think deeper into things, it was also possible for you to have investigated their personality ws and the recent happenings around them beforehand, and worked backward to infer the ws in their forging techniques!" Bai Ming harrumphed. "Worked backward?" "Now that Apothecary Bai said so, it does make sense!" "Indeed! For example, in Meng Yans case, if you knew he killed his concubine in the morning in advance and that he had killing intent and rage within him, you could safely deduce that the Tranquil Heart Pill he forged would be ineffective!" "The same for Apothecary Chen Xiao as well! If you knew he was sick and didnt have much time to live, you could infer that there would be a problem with the pills. After all, the Tranquil Heart Pill reflects the forgers state of mind. Even a pig could tell that something would be wrong with those pills if it had heard of that information beforehand!" "Now that you all have put it in such a way, it truly exins a lot of things. If he had made preparations beforehand and dug up the matter of Cheng Jiang stealing our forging techniques, it would be a simple matter to guess the references in his forging technique!" ...... Bai Mings words were like a rock thrown in water, generating countless ripples on the surface. Everyone "came to a realization," seemingly understanding what had just happened. It was because they were unable to understand how the other party was able to see through those ws that they felt fear. Now that they understood the "reason," the fear they felt vanished. In fact, if they they of this information beforehand, they could also make the same judgement that Zhang Xuan did on the ws of the forging techniques of the previous three. "Oh? Working backward? What an interesting thought!" He didnt expect Apothecary Bai Mings imagination to be so vivid. Smirking, Zhang Xuan continued, "Regardless of what methods I used, I can pass as long as I can identify the ws in your forging techniques!" "Indeed. It will be your win if you manage to see through the ws in my forging technique. However, I want to change the rules as well!" Apothecary Bai Ming said. "Oh?" "The gist of it will still be the same, I will forge a pill while you identify a mistake in my forging technique. However... I want you to point out true mistakes in my forging process, such as in my skills, ability to control mes, and the way I mixed the medicinal herbs together rather than involving emotions and other misceneous stuff. This way, you cant use the knowledge you know of beforehand to work backward to identify the ws in my forging technique!" Bai Ming harrumphed. "Thats right!" "This way, he wont be able to talk about emotions and the sort!" "With these rules, he cant work backward to deduce the ws even if he wants to!" "This is what I call pointing out ws..." ...... The apothecaries nodded their heads in agreement. To speak the truth, everyone had been frightened by Zhang Xuans ability to point out the ws in them. As a cultivator, charging forward and emerging victorious among millions of people, who hadnt done anything against their conscience before? It would be embarrassing if thisd were to reveal their darkest secrets. Thus, the new rule that Apothecary Bai Ming came up with immediately received everyones approval. He was only allowed to point out ws in pill forging. Bringing in external matters such as murder or being on the verge of death was prohibited. Even if they were apothecaries... such scares werent what humans could handle! "Are you certain?" Upon hearing the rules set by the other party, how could Zhang Xuan possibly remain oblivious to what they were thinking? One corner of Zhang Xuans mouth curved upwards. "Of course!" Apothecary Bai Ming flung his sleeves. "Now, it is a question of whether youre brave enough to ept the challenge!" Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to argue with him over the matter. "Great!" Seeing him agree to it, Apothecary Bai Ming heaved a sigh of relief. After pondering for a moment, he grabbed a few ingredients and walked to the cauldron. Fwoosh boosh! The fire started burning furiously and Apothecary Bai Ming began his pill forging. Not too long after, the fire weakened and three round pills were extracted from the cauldron. Grade-1 pill, Acupoint Soothing Pill! It was specially prepared for Fighter 6-dan experts to soothe their acupoints, allowing them to travel further in the Pixue realm. Back then, Elder Shang Chen spent a huge price to purchase one for Shang Bin. Thetter gave it to the Sky Shattering Lion as the cost of teaching Zhang Xuan a lesson. Even so, the Sky Shattering Lion eventually betrayed him, filling Shang Bin with resentment against it. No matter what, the Acupoint Soothing Acupoint was considered one of the superior grade-1 pills, something that Tranquil Heart Pill was far from matching up to. Chapter 116: Apothecary Bai Mings Breakdown Chapter 116: Apothecary Bai Mings Breakdown (First Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Amazing!" "Only Apothecary Bai Ming possesses such capabilities, to think that he could sessfully forge a Acupoint Soothing Pill under such circumstances!" "It is extremely difficult to forge an Acupoint Soothing Pill. Even more so, Apothecary Bai Mings forging technique is soplex that I have never seen it before. Now I am curious to see what Zhang Xuan will say!" "Hehe, lets wait for the show then!" Upon seeing Apothecary Bai Ming forging an Acupoint Soothing Pill, most of the apothecaries presentughed. The higher grade a pill was, the moreplex the method required to forge it. Acupoint Soothing Pill could be considered one of the higher grade pills among the grade-1 tier and its forging method was iparablyplex. Even the rest of them were unable to perceive any mistakes in his forging technique, so how could an apprentice possibly see anything? "Alright, Im done forging the pill. Tell me, whats the name of the forging technique and the ws in it!" Sneering, Apothecary Bai Ming brought his breathing back to normal and gestured grandly. Even though I dont know where you got the information on us, but if you wish to sessfully pass a Pill Debate depending solely on that, dream on! Without true capability to point out the ws in a forging technique, you will never earn my respect! "Are you sure you want me to say?" A peculiar expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face as he said those words. "Quit trying to mystify things here. If you cant find the words, just admit defeat!" Apothecary Bai Ming harrumphed. "Alright then!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. With his hands behind his back, he slowly walked to the center of the room. "The forging technique you used is calledThousand Mountain Handsand is said to have been created by a 2-star apothecary named Feng Xuan. You must put the medicinal herb into the cauldron based on a special sequence, simr to the mountainous regions, one mountain after another like youre traversing thends. Simrly, you throw the medicinal herbs in wave after wave. The way you control the fire is also based on such a sequence, strong at one moment, weak at the other. By forging pills in such a method, it is easier for the medicinal properties to fuse together and thus makes it likelier that a pill is formed! However, its ws are also clear to see. Its difficult to raise the quality of the pill itself! "Therefore, even though you managed to forge three Acupoint Soothing Pills sessfully, they are of the lowest level. It is nearly impossible for you to reach Satiation. Such forging techniques are only suitable for the mass production of pills by low-skilled apothecaries. Put bluntly, none of the slightly better apothecaries would learn such a skill, because it means putting a barrier in front of their future path. No matter how many times you practice the skill, it is impossible to raise the quality of the pill in the slightest. As a result, there is no reason for them to learn it. "Unless... you dont think that you have any potential left in you, thats why you are giving up on yourself!" Zhang Xuan smiled and shot a meaningful nce at him. "Apothecary Bai Ming, may I know if what I said is true?" "Hmph!" Upon hearing the words of the other party, Bai Ming gritted his teeth, embarrassed and angry. As the de facto head of the Bai n, as well as a 1-star apothecary, he possessed exceptional standing in the capital. Yet, by the words of the other party, he became an... apothecary with low standards... no more potential left.... However, he was unable to refute his words. The w of the Thousand Mountain Hands was exactly as the other party said. Even though he was able to produce the Acupoint Soothing Pill easily, it was difficult for him to further refine its quality. "You dont need to feel gleeful over this. So what if you can point out these? You need to point out the errors in my movements previously before it can be considered your victory!" Taking a deep breath, Bai Ming suppressed his anger. "Alright!" Instead of arguing with him, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and walked toward the cauldron. "Then allow me to start from the very basics! "As long as you are an apothecary, you know that you require incredible control over the me and the cauldron to produce high-quality pills. Earlier, Apothecary Bai Ming started forging his pills right after picking up the medicine. How much do you know about this cauldron? What about the mes? "You dont need to refute my words by saying that the specifications of these cauldrons are roughly the same. I can clearly tell you that even with the same medicinal herb, mes, and cauldron, the medicine you forge can be different. This is due to a miniscule difference or a tiny mistake made by the apothecary that the pills forged will be a quality lower than what it should be!" His hands stroking the cauldron, Zhang Xuan continued, "If you dont believe me, I can show you now. "This cauldron has a height of 7 chi and 3 cun and width of 3 cun and 2 chi. It was created by a 3-mo craftsman in the Stone Well Workshop seven years and three months ago. A total of 147 pills have been forged using and of it, of which 88 were grade-1 pills and 59 were pills lower than grade-1! During the transportation of the cauldron, it suffered three impacts. There are a total of thirteen slight scratches throughout the entire cauldron. It wont cause too much trouble when forging ordinary pills, but it will scatter the medicinal effects and spiritual energy within the pill. As such, due to the insufficient medicinal effects harnessed within the pill, the quality of the pill will drop! 1 chi -> 30.3cm, 1 cun -> 3.03cm "This cauldron is slightly thicker than a cun and it requires an incenses time and thirty-four breaths for the heat topletely permeate the cauldron. Also, the thickness of the cauldron walls on the left and right are slightly different, around three hair strands off. Dont underestimate the difference in this thickness! With the same mes, there will be a five percent difference in the temperature between both sides. The medicinal effects of Scattered Floral Grass and Lone-eyed Dragon Grass of the Acupoint Soothing Pill will bepletely different when ced on either side!" "Are you for real?" "There is even such a thing for a cauldron?" ...... Upon listening to Zhang Xuans casual exnations, the jaws of the apothecaries fell to the floor and they felt like they were going insane. Even though they knew that a difference in the cauldron could result in the formation of different pills, never did they imagine that there was such wisdom behind a cauldron. Furthermore... This was a cauldron that the Apothecary Guild brought in specially for this Pill Debate. How did he know so much about it? To even know where it was made, how thick the walls were, its size and how many pills it had forged? The heck, you are about to bash through the heavens! To see all these with a single nce, are you... a monster? "Alright, I will continue to talk about the mes then!" Ignoring the astonished expression on everyones faces, Zhang Xuan pointed to the mes burning beneath the cauldron and continued, "This is where the heat of the Heavenly Coal originates from, as well as the hottest part. With the heat here, even metal could be easily melted. By propelling it with a fighters zhenqi, you can easily control the strength of the mes and thus the temperature of the cauldron." "However... the mes do note into direct contact with the medicinal herbs. They are ced in the cauldron, and in there, they form pills. How much heat from the mes permeates through the cauldron walls and how much of it is left in the cauldron is what we need to grasp clearly in our minds." "Heavenly Coal is a coal exceptionally suited for forging pills. Not only is it capable of reaching high temperatures, the permeability of its heat is also incredible. For normal coal, after permeating through a cun of cauldron walls or so, only thirty-seven percent of the heat will be retained. On the other hand, the Heavenly Coal retains forty-six percent! Only by knowing this much can you ascertain the temperature the medicinal herbs inside are under, how long it will take for the medicinal properties of the herbs to be best unleashed, and how you can forge the highest quality pill!" "Of course, these are only the bare basics that an apothecary needs to know, so they cant be considered as ws. I am just casually introducing them!" Zhang Xuan smiled and nced at Bai Ming standing off to the side. "However, I would like to ask Apothecary Bai Ming: before forging the pills... did you notice these?" Apothecary Bai Ming felt his hair standing on end and he almost fainted on the spot. Notice? Notice your head! I am just forging a normal pill! Given howplicated these things are, how the heck would I know? Besides, even if I had been concerned with them, there was nothing I could do. You cant expect me to find a ruler and start measuring the entire cauldron before testing the temperature of the coal bit by bit! If I started doing so, it would be two days before I could start forging! Chapter 117: Apothecary Bai Mings Breakdown Chapter 117: Apothecary Bai Mings Breakdown (Second Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe He felt stifled within, but Bai Ming also knew that he was unable to refute Zhang Xuans words. It was the basics to check the cauldron and mes of the cauldron before forging pills. Even apprentices were aware of it. His action of going straight to forging was clearly a huge mistake. Using the words in Zhang Xuans previous world, if a person didnt buckle their seat belt, check the tires, and scan the surroundings before starting to drive, they couldnt refute anything if an ident urred. Right now, that was the emotion Bai Ming was experiencing. Lectured by an apprentice apothecary in public, yet unable to refute anything at all. It was clear just by thinking of how stifled he was at this moment. "Alright, now that I have touched on the cauldron and the mes, I shall talk about the fusing of the medicinal herbs!" Knowing that the other party would be unable to reply to his words, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to continue interrogating him over those mistakes of his. Instead, he walked over to the medicinal racks. "Acupoint Soothing Pill requires a total of 47 types of herbs. Given the number of herbs that are involved in the forging process, there are herbs thatplement one another, as well as herbs that sh with one another. As such, if you dont control the process properly, it is very easy for the medicinal herb to sh with one another and the pill will be ruined! "Let me first talk about Apothecary Bai Mings forging sequence! "The first herb he put in was Heart Grass! Heart Grass has calming properties and is resilient to high temperature. As such, it requires strong mes to extract its essence. It is correct to ce it into the cauldron first so that it cane into contact with the mes earlier to incite its medicinal properties. However... seven breaths after cing Heart Grass in, he ced in the second herb, Split Palm Flower! "If Im not wrong, that Heart Grass he took was only half a year old. As such, its medicinal properties are not strong enough and most of it was concentrated on the leaves instead of the meridians. For such a herb, the medicinal effects will be swiftly released upon meeting strong mes. Under normal situations, he should have ced Split Palm Flower in after four breaths. Yet, he dyed it three entire breaths, causing a loss in the medicinal effect by thirteen percent. Fail! "On the other hand, Split Palm Flower has a maturity of five years and the medicinal effects of it is rtively stronger. He should have slowly released the Split Palm Flowers by the left wall of the cauldron, and the duration of its descent should be roughly half a breath. During this time, the heart of the cauldron would unleash the medicinal effects of it, allowing it to better mix with Heart Grass. However, Apothecary Bai Ming threw the medicinal herb straight it, depriving it of the opportunity to be heated by the cauldron in advance. As such, its medicinal effect wasnt fully unleashed and fourteen percent of the medicinal effect was lost. Fail! "The medicinal effects of these two herbs sh with one another, so he should have quickly ced in Scattered Floral Grass, which has a pacifying effect for the two. Yet he threw in the violent Lone-eyed Dragon Grass, worsening the sh between the two herbs. As such, eleven percent of the medicinal effect was lost! Fail! "The Lone-eyed Dragon Grass is a herb with yang properties. After cing it into the scorching cauldron, he should have added Cooling Grass to counteract its effects. Yet Apothecary Bai Ming added Wisdom Mother Grass instead. Wisdom Mother Grass is able to neutralize all medicinal herbs, and as such, it is the best choice to serve as a medium between herbs. However, it is precisely because of that that itpletely neutralized the yang properties of the Lone-eyed Dragon Grass, greatly reducing the medicinal effect of the Acupoint Smoothing Pill. Fail!" "... Fail! "... Fail! "... Fail!" ...... Zhang Xuan spoke faster and faster, akin to a machine gun. His every word was logical with evidence to back them up. Every single failure struck like a hammer on Apothecary Bai Mings face. His face grew paler and paler and his body trembled uncontrobly. Pill forging was by no means simple. Even with the same herbs, if the maturity was different, it could have different medicinal properties. Not to mention, an apothecary needed to pair them together in a way thatplemented them to mix them together and such. Even for a single Acupoint Soothing Pill, three days wouldnt be enough if Zhang Xuan were to go in depth. This was also the reason why apothecaries were one of the front-runners in the Upper Nine Paths. "Everything he said is true!" "To recall the sequence in which Apothecary Bai Ming added the forty-seven medicinal herbs with a single look? What kind of memorization ability does he possess?" "The most shocking thing isnt him remembering the sequence in which the medicinal herbs were ced in.... It is that he was able to tell the maturity of every single medicinal herb ande up with a method toplement them so as to best unleash its medicinal effects.... Is he really human?" "Now that Ive heard his words, an apothecary really has to take a lot of factors into ount. It is no wonder that my pills are unable to reach Perfection or Inscribed Pill. So this is the reason...." ...... ... Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyone became mute. It was as though their heads had been smashed with a bat, their mouths agape and their eyes wide. The heck! This is what you call pill forging! What we were doing before was simply wasting herbs and insulting this upation! Most probably, if they were to use the method he spoke of to forge this pill, the pill would be able to reach higher heights. Perfection and even Inscribed Pill wouldnt be problems! This was no longer a theory that a 1-star apothecary coulde into contact with. Only the more advanced apothecaries would pay attention to such minute details! Everyone was dumbfounded. At this moment, the thought of suicide even ran through Apothecary Bai Mings head. Listening to the words of the other party, his entire pill forging sequence was a failure. How could this be considered pill forging? He must be forging feces instead! Furthermore... at least when one forges feces, they dont waste any materials. Yet, when he forged a pill, he wasted all of the medicinal herbs used in it.... Pu! The stifling sensation in his chest grew heavier and heavier, and he puked a mouthful of blood. All along, he thought of himself as talented in pill forging, and that he was truly a highly-skilled apothecary. Yet, upon hearing the words of the other party, he realized that his standards couldnt even match up to that of a childs! All of the confidence he held in the past waspletely shattered. The current him feared to even approach a cauldron now. His body trembled violently. Just a moment ago, he stood up proudly and determinedly to punish Zhang Xuan for his humiliation. Yet, at this moment, hisplexion was turning more and more awful, as though he were going berserk. A momentter, he gritted his teeth. "Thats right. Given my standards, what kind of pills can I possibly forge? All Im doing is wasting medicinal herbs! From today onward, I, Bai Ming, will not forge a single pill anymore. If I break this vow, let the Heavens tear me apart!" A vow resounded in the hall. "What?" "He vowed not to forge a single pill anymore?" "Apothecary Bai Ming..." ...... Upon hearing the vow he made, everyone was bbergasted. They couldnt help but shudder, upset at the thought of the loss of arade. For an apothecary to vow to never forge a single pill anymore was equivalent to bidding the world of pill forging farewell. The effort he had put in for his entire life had all gone to waste. And the reason for that was a mere apprentice apothecary pointing out the ws in his pill forging process! "Isnt he being too rash...." An apothecary couldnt help butment. "If you were criticized like that, what would you do?" another apothecary responded. "I..." The former paused halfway through, unable to find a word to say. What the other party said was true. If he were in the ce of Apothecary Bai Ming, upon realizing that his forging technique was nothing but ws and the hard work he had devoted into it was nothing but rubbish, the confidence he had held for countless years would probably copse in an instant! The moment he lost all his confidence, the trauma he received from it would cause him to be unable to forge a single pill for the rest of his life. Rather than suffer in anguish over it, he might as well simply make a vow to never forge a single pill anymore! Pill forging wasnt a joke. Mental state, skill, confidence... all of these factors were absolutely required. Without confidence, how could one be called an apothecary? "To make an experienced apothecary lose all of his confidence and fear forging just by pointing out his mistakes..." Such a thought shed across their minds in an instant. Taking another nce at Zhang Xuan, their hearts skipped a beat. It was no wonder that he was reluctant to speak of their ws in pill forging. It was not that he was unable to discern anything from it and resorted to other methods to make up for his weakness. Only now did they know... the other party wasnt in the least as ignorant as they thought. Rather, it was because he knew too much that he feared he would shatter thest bit of confidence they had! Brother, we would like to ask you: Are you the apprentice apothecary or are we? Chapter 118: The True Pill Debate (First Half) Chapter 118: The True Pill Debate (First Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "I admit defeat!" After dering that he would no longer forge pills, Apothecary Bai Ming bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan. It had been slightly more than two hours since the beginning of the Pill Debate and there were already four apothecaries who had admitted defeat. This conclusion was unexpected for all involved. Even Ouyang Cheng shuddered in disbelief. Previously, he didnt hold high hopes for Zhang Xuans victory. He didnt expect it to end up like this! It waspletely one-sided! It was no wonder that he was able to achieve a perfect score on the apprentice apothecary examination, even recognizing medicinal herbs that the examiners got wrong. His abilities were simply way too impressive! On the other hand, Wen Xues eyes were full of fear and her body trembled nonstop. To think that she had mocked a person who could leave these apothecaries speechless.... Was there something wrong with her head or was she simply too gutsy? It was fortunate that the other party had no intentions of fussing over the matter with her. Otherwise, she couldve even been expelled from the Apothecary Guild! "Ill go!" Upon seeing Bai Ming admit defeat and the silence that lingered around them, Du Man stepped forward. "Please go easy on me!" Forcing a smile onto his face, Du Man walked over to the cauldron. The pill he forged was grade-1 too. It was slightly inferior to the Acupoint Soothing Pill and Tranquil Heart Pill from before. His movements were fluid and swift. Soon, he managed to sessfully forge the pills all of which were at the level of Satiation. The other partys attitude was amiable. Besides, they also became acquainted yesterday. As a result, Zhang Xuan didnt say too much and simply pointed out a few of the more obvious mistakes. Thetter admitted defeat straight afterward. At this moment, out of the ten apothecaries, five had already admitted defeat. The Pill Debate was halfway through. "Lets continue. Who will be the next?" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan scanned the crowd calmly. Silence continued to linger around them. In the Pill Debate of other apprentice apothecaries, the examinee would always look at the examiner in fear, afraid that the other party would intentionallye up with difficult questions. Yet this fellow was the exact opposite. All of the remaining apothecaries cowered back, afraid of their names being called. If not witnessed it firsthand, no one would believe it possible. "Ill go!" After another moment of silence, an elder stood up. Apothecary Lin Mu! Apothecary Cheng Jiang had once used the excuse of wanting to view his skills to secretly learn his personal forging technique, Frost Threaded Hands. "Apothecary Lin, please wait a second! This time, I would like to test him along with you!" Right after Lin Mu stood up, a middle-aged man stood up as well. Apothecary Jin Chen! "Together?" Lin Mu frowned. How can two people forge pills simultaneously for the other party to point out their ws? "The fact that he can see through our ws means that his ability to discern is impressive and he has undergone good education. Its very likely that he is under the guidance of a master teacher. However, I dont believe that the knowledge he has stored in his head can be as impressive as his discernment ability, especially given his age! So... lets not forge pills and instead bring up questions. Lets not be fooled by him!" Apothecary Jin Chen harrumphed. "This..." Lin Mu was stunned. "Thats right, why didnt I think of this?" "He isnt even twenty yet. Even if he could read right after he was born, how many books could possibly be read? How much of the content of each book could he possibly recall?" "A true Pill Debate involves raising questions about pill forging for the examinee to answer. He must have known that he didnt have enough knowledge, so he intentionally heightened the difficulty to perceiving ws in forging techniques instead. It is true that the difficulty has been raised, but if he had the guidance of a master teacher and came into contact with good education from a young age, it wouldnt be difficult for him to see through our mistakes!" "Thats right, master teachers are extremely knowledgeable while on the other hand we are only 1-star apothecaries. His discernment abilities cant possibly be weak being the disciple of such a figure. If so, its understandable that he sees through our mistakes!" ...... Apothecary Jin Chens words relit the mes in the four remaining apothecaries and they regained their confidence. The fact that the other party was able to see through their mistakes by viewing their pill forging could only mean that his discernment ability was outstanding. It didnt mean that he had to be knowledgeable. Since that was the case, questioning him might just turn out to be his weakness. All along, everyone had been fooled by this fellow. "Thats right!" Lin Mu came to realization and nodded his head fervently. It was no wonder that everyone agreed with Jin Chens view. After all, umtion of knowledge required time and effort. This Zhang Xuan, even with an optimistic estimate, couldnt possibly be twenty yet. Even if he read every day, how many books could he have possibly read? Furthermore, he still had to remember their contents! "You want to ask me questions instead?" Not expecting these people toe up with such a conclusion after a long moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan simply smiled faintly in response. "Alright then, lets begin!" After reading through the books in the basic tier book collection vault and the teachers Compendium Pavilion, the knowledge in his head right now was significantly greater than that of these apothecaries. Even if they wanted to test his knowledge, he didnt have anything to fear. "Ill see whether you can retain your confidence when I stump youter on!" Upon seeing that the other party held no fear whatsoever, a cold gleam shed across Apothecary Jin Chens eyes. "ording to the rules of a normal Pill Debate, I can raise three questions. If you are able to answer all of them, I will have to admit defeat! On the other hand, if you fail to answer any one of the three... you will have failed. All that you have aplished beforehand would go to waste!" There was aplete list of rules and regtions for Pill Debate. The ten apothecaries werent allowed to bring up as many questions as they pleased. Otherwise, wouldnt the examinee tire himself to death when undergoing Pill Debate? The examiners could only pose three questions each, and if the other partys answers were correct, they had to admit defeat, However, if he couldnt answer any one of the questions or he answered erroneously, it would be a straight failure, regardless of how many questions he had answered before that! "Sure!" Zhang Xuan was also well-aware of the rules. He nodded his head. "Alright then, here is my first question. When forging a grade-1 Body Tempering Pill, even when the pilles out from the same cauldron and was at the same level of quality, it is possible for one pill to have outstanding effects while another has miniscule effects. What are the reasons behind this?" Apothecary Jin Chen asked. Upon hearing this question, the other apothecaries attention was piqued. Body Tempering Pill was a pill often consumed by Fighter 4-dan. It could temper a persons physical body, allowing one to improve swiftly in the Pigu realm. This was also the reason why they often forged such a pill. However, just like what Apothecary Jin Chen said, there would often be situations in which the medicinal effects in each pill were different despiteing from the same cauldron. Consuming the pills that came from the same cauldron, some experienced tremendous effects and advance far in the Pigu realm while others found itpletely ineffective for them. "Apothecary Jin Chen sure picked a difficult question!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There is no clear answer to this question in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Yet you posed this question to me. How do you expect me to answer it? "However... other people may be unable to say anything about this subject, but I have my own ways! Smiling lightly, Zhang Xuan said, "As for the matter you said, an apothecary named Cheng Ye had already proposed it thirty-seven years ago. Back then, he gathered twenty-three apothecaries and researched the matter for three days straight. He wrote the conclusion to their discussions in a book titledCheng Yes Body Tempering Theories. If you have read it, you should know what his conclusion is! "He thinks that the reason for this difference has something to do with the constitution of a cultivator. Some people are born with a bodypatible with Body Tempering Pill while others physique may be resistant to it. Its just like how some people have a high tolerance for alcohol while others dont! "Back then, this theory received the approval of many people. However, eighteen years ago, 3-star apothecary Zhang Jian noticed something that disputed this theory. If it was due to the constitution of an individual, then why was the second consumed pill effective for some individuals when the first one wasnt?" Chapter 119: The True Pill Debate (Second Half) Chapter 119: The True Pill Debate (Second Half) Trantor:StarveCleric Editor:GaiaNova, VirtualFrappe "Clearly, the theory about the difference being attributed to the constitution does not hold! "Thus, Apothecary Zhang Jian investigated the matter and wrote the conclusion of his research into Discussions of Tempering Pill. This book clearly details his opinions and he disagrees with the notion that the difference in effects of the Body Tempering Pill is due to one''s constitution. Rather, it was because the medicinal effects of the herbs weren''t distributed fairly among the different pills during the forging process! As such, even in the same cauldron and among pills of the same quality, there could be different medicinal effects! "This theory was epted for a few years until twelve years ago, when someone cast doubts and overthrew it! The one who doubted the theory wasn''t an apothecary but a 1-star master teacher. He questioned: if the medicinal effects weren''t distributed fairly among the different pill, then why did such a phenomenon only ur to Body Tempering Pills and not other pills? "Therefore, he proposed a bold suggestion. It was recorded in Ning Han''s Verbal Records. This book wasn''t widely sold and there is only a single copy of it in the guild''s basic tier book collection vault. If you all haven''t read it, it is in the 19th bookshelf, at the extreme right corner!" Zhang Xuan chuckled and continued, "This master teacher named Ning Han came up with a bold proposal. He thinks that the reason there was such an urrence among Body Tempering Pills was because of the difference between the maturity of the herbs and the forging technique of the apothecaries! Of course, he only brought it up as a theory and didn''t experiment! "Eight years ago, Apothecary Zhao Yue from Hongxuan Kingdom received an epiphany from this book and conducted an experiment. He changed eighteen of the main medicinal herbs used in the pill and tried forging it using forty-two different kinds of forging techniques. He wrote his conclusion in a book titledDetailed Exnation of Body Tempering. It just so happens that there is one of them in our basic tier book collection vault. It is on the 27th row, on the upper left corner, beside Yang Zhen''s Pill Forging Guide and The Method to Forging Jade Blood Pill! If all of you doubt my words, you can find someone to fetch it here! "I believe that the answer in the book is the most urate one, and it should be able to answer your question!" At this point, Zhang Xuan stopped and gesture for Ouyang Cheng to dispatch someone to fetch the book. "There''s no need." Upon hearing Zhang Xuan''s exnation, theplexion of Apothecary Jin Chen, who was still gleeful a moment ago, darkened to the color of the bottom of a wok and he stumbled two steps backward. In an instant, he seemed to have aged many years. "What? If we don''t fetch the book here, I fear that Apothecary Jin will not ept my answer!" Zhang Xuan said. "Your answer is correct. I have read the book and it is identical to what you said!" Apothecary Jin Chen nodded his head. "Correct?" "Identical?" "That shouldn''t be possible. Apothecary Jin Chen simply raised a casual question and he was able to answer it so simply. Furthermore, out of the countless books in the vault, he was able to remember its exact position. How is that possible?" "Is he still human? You must be pulling my leg!" Upon hearing his acknowledgment, the room broke into amotion once more. Previously, they thought that due to the limitations of his age, Zhang Xuan wouldn''t have the time to read many books. After this round, they realized thatpared to him they were the ones who hadn''t read many books! Not only was the other party able to urately remember the contents, time the book was written, and title of the book, he was even able to point out its exact location in the vault. For them it would already be wonderful if they could remember the contents detailed within! Looked like there really was a huge difference between humans! "Since Apothecary Jin Chen has acknowledged my answer to be correct, let''s proceed onto the second question!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. ''You want topete with me in memorization ability? ''What a joke! I have the Library of Heaven''s Path in my mind. With a jolt of my consciousness, the bookes flying to me. I only have to read ording to it. Regardless of how good your memory is, you can''t possibly be more urate than me!'' "The second question. When forging a grade-1 Strength Enhancement Pill, why do cracks appear on a cauldron, making it difficult to continue with the forging?" Apothecary Jin Chen pondered for an entire ten minute before asking. "Incredible!" "He chose an excellent question!" "Indeed, the cauldron often cracks while forging a grade-1 Strength Enhancement Pill. On the surface, it seems like an apothecary''s question, but to answer the question, you require knowledge of smithing as well!" "Indeed, let''s see how he will answer the question!" Upon hearing Apothecary Jin Chen''s second question, everyone''s attention was piqued again. An apothecary''s cauldron was forged by cksmiths, and the matter of it breaking during pill forging wasn''t strictly within the boundaries of pill forging anymore. However, if one scrutinized the question carefully, it was still rted to pill forging. It was precisely because ity at the boundaries of the two that many apothecaries did not bother to learn about it, let alone answering such a question. Since everyone could tell what he was trying to do, how could Zhang Xuan remain oblivious? The corners of his lips curled upward and he replied, "As for this problem, Apothecary Wu Xiao''s Cauldron Maintenance, Apothecary Zhao Qian''s Important Matters to Note for Pill Forging, Apothecary Niu Xuan''s Misceneous Things You Have to Know, Apothecary Pang Bo''s Protect Your New Cauldron" Without pausing, Zhang Xuan listed the titles of dozens of books before concluding, " The answers are detailed in these books. Actually, it wasn''t really a difficult question. The cauldrons that you all use are made of ordinary Nine Refinement Metal. This metal may be strong, but it is unable to withstand the sh between extreme cold and heat. The main ingredient required for Strength Enhancement Pill is the blood of a cold-attribute savage beast. When something that coldes into contact with the hot cauldron, it''s natural that the cauldron''s unable to withstand it! "If you wish to resolve the problem, it is best to use Heavy Iron Cauldron instead! Or you can also change your cauldron every time after you forge Strength Enhancement Pills!" Zhang Xuan smiled. This question might seem difficult, but it was recorded in the books of the basic tier book collection vault as well. It was just that the number of books in the vault was too vast and the apprentices in the guild would often choose to research pill forging techniques so that they could be an official apothecary faster. As a result, there was no reason for them to look into these kinds of misceneous books! Furthermore, after bing an official apothecary, one''s standing would bepletely different. With more guests paying them a visit and with more authority, they would have less time to read books. There were many things that they could learn from the book collection vault, but they never found the time to look for it and as such they were ignorant of them. This was precisely the reason why the other apothecaries were unable to answer such questions. On the other hand, for Zhang Xuan who had duplicated a basic tier book collection vault in his mind, he had no difficulty answering this question at all. "I wonder if Apothecary Jin Chen is satisfied with my answer? If not, I can still go on." "There''s no need, your answer is correct!" Cold sweat appeared on Apothecary Jin Chen''s forehead. When he started to forge Strength Enhancement Pills, he met with such a problem. So he went around asking others to seek an answer. Eventually, he found his answer in a book and that book was one of the dozen books which Zhang Xuan had just listed, Protect Your New Cauldron by Apothecary Pang Bo. He thought that this was the only book which had detailed information on this subject, so he raised this question to trouble the other party. Yet this fellow was able to list more than a dozen books in a breath. It was fortunate that he didn''t name the book earlier. Otherwise, he would be humiliated when the other party listed this huge collection of books. The heck, what is the head of this fellow made of? How could he remember everything so clearly? Upon seeing this situation, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man exchanged nces and smiled wryly. This was nothing! If you all knew that this fellow could even point out the specific page in the book, you probably wouldn''t have insisted on conducting your test like that! In fact, the other party proposing to point out ws in their forging technique was indeed raising the difficulty for him. If you wish to triumph against him in apetition of knowledge We''re afraid that you could only do it in your dreams. Chapter 120: Not a Thing Chapter 120: Not a Thing Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe "Since Ive answered the second question already, name your third one!" Seeing the other party conceding the second question, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to continue lingering about the matter. "I admit defeat! These are already the two most difficult questions I can think of. I will just be making a mockery of myself if I continue asking!" Apothecary Jin Chen shook his head. The other partys action of listing out the names of so many books felled his confidence. He knew that if he continued like this, the only one being embarrassed would be him. He might as well surrender at this point. At least he could retain some dignity. "You arent going to ask the third question?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment beforeing to a realization. Since he was able to easily answer the most difficult questions he coulde up with, he would most likely be humiliating himself if he continued. Zhang Xuan was impressed with Apothecary Jin Chens decisiveness. "Its your turn!" He turned around to look at Lin Mu. Upon seeing Zhang Xuans attention turned onto him, Apothecary Lin Mu gritted his teeth and asked, "I have a question which, honestly speaking, I dont have an answer to either. If you cant answer it, it wont be considered your defeat! However, if you can answer it, I will admit defeat right away. It will be pointless even if I ask any further than that anyway!" In the Pill Debate, the examiner had to know the answers to the questions they were posing. Otherwise, when you dont even know the answer yourself, how can you determine whether the other partys answer is correct? Now that Apothecary Lin Mu had confessed that he wasnt able to answer this question either, logically speaking, it was already beyond the boundaries of the Pill Debate. Zhang Xuan could reject to answer his question. It wouldnt be considered his defeat if he chose to do so. "Speak!" Zhang Xuan casually said. Reject? Are you kidding? Since I can answer two fewer questions, it is obvious that I should answer his question. "I have been researching Meridian Expansion Pillfor a very long and regardless of the forging method, the medicinal herbs, or the cauldron, I double-check them to make sure there is nothing wrong with them. But for some reason, I am unable to form the pill. I would like you to tell me the reason for my failure!" Apothecary Lin Mu asked, after hesitating for a moment "What kind of question is this?" "Arent you being a little too difficult here!" "Thats right, you should find the reason behind why youre unable to sessfully forge a pill yourself. How do you expect him to answer that question out of the blue?" ...... Upon hearing Lin Mus words, everyone was dumbfounded for a moment before peculiar expressions crept onto their faces. When posing a question during a Pill Debate, one had to ask something that the other party could answer. Asking the other party how many moles you had on your body, how many meals you had yesterday, how many women you had rtionships with... Even gods would be unable to answer these questions! Right now, Lin Mus question was simr to those. You simply said that you were unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill, how do you expect the other party to answer your query? "Cough cough, Apothecary Lin Mu, you have to ask a question with basis behind it. This question isnt suitable, you should switch to another one...." Ouyang Cheng, who was conducting the Pill Debate, couldnt stand looking at the situation any longer and spoke up. "I was being too rash...." Upon hearing the words of the others, Lin Mu realized that his question was inappropriate. Thus, he shook his head and just as he was about to say something else, Zhang Xuan beat him to it. "You werent really rash. How about this: you try to forge a Meridian Expansion Pill for me first. I cant do anything about it through just your descriptions alone!" "Alright!" Lin Mu didnt expect the other party to agree. Nodding his head, he walked over to the cauldron. Actually, he didnt intend to ask this question initially, it simply popped into his mind all of a sudden. Recently, he had been thinking of forging Meridian Expansion Pills, but for some reason, he was unable to seed. He had researched many different books, tried many different forging techniques, and everything he could think of, but his forging still ended in failure! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan pointing out the mistakes of the others so easily, he couldnt help asking him. As long as he was able to find the mistake behind it, he was confident that with his skills he could sessfully forge it. Thinking that it was impertinent to ask this of him on such an asion, he thought that the Zhang Xuan would reject his question. He didnt expect him to actually ept his question. Fwoosh boosh! The mes burned furiously and all kinds of medicinal herbs flew inside. Lin Mus ten fingers looked like they were ying the zither, continuously dancing all about. Peering from afar, it seemed as though he were ying a heavenly tune instead of pill forging. With a single look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the apothecary before him had immersed himself in the art of pill forging for countless years and was already well-versed in it. With such skills and apletely wless forging sequence, he was still unable to sessfully form the pills. This perplexed him. "There is no errors at all!" "With such skills, he could sessfully forge a Strength Enhancement Pill. Why would he be unable to form the Meridian Expansion Pill?" "Indeed, thats strange...." Everyones attention gathered on Apothecary Lin Mu as he started his forging. The more they watched, the more puzzled they became. It was exactly as he said. Regardless of whether it was the medicinal herb, his movements, or any other significant factors, there wasnt a single error at all. Reasonably speaking, he should at least be able to form the pills. In fact, the pill would likely reach Satiation! To be unable to form the pills... That was impossible! Unfortunately, reality red straight back at them. Soon, the mes died down and upon lifting the lid of the cauldron, a ck sludge of medicinal waste presented itself before the people. Fail! "This doesnt make sense!" Ouyang Chengs wrinkled his brow to the point it folded into creases. As the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild and a 1-star intermediate stage apothecarythe highest of the group herehis discernment ability was also outstanding. After looking at the entire process, his conclusion was the same as the others, that pills would be formed. Yet the results were contrary to his expectations. A puzzled expression hung on his face and he contemted the matter seriously. "Sigh!" Upon seeing the pitch-ck medicinal waste in the cauldron, Apothecary Lin Mu sighed and shook his head. He lifted his head to look at the young man. "This is the question I would like to ask you. If you can answer it, I will admit defeat straight away! However, if you cant answer, I will switch to a different question. It wont affect the results of the Pill Debate!" "Cant answer?" Zhang Xuanughed. Stepping over to the cauldron, he circled around it and examined the medicinal waste. After that, he lifted his head to look at Apothecary Lin Mu with a bizarre expression on his face. "Apothecary Lin Mu sure is vigorous despite your age. I never thought it possible!" "Vigorous despite my age?" Lin Mu was taken aback. What does me being vigorous have to do with whether I am able to sessfully forge the pill or not? Is there even a rtionship between the two? The other apothecaries also looked over with doubtful expressions. Previously, they would have publicly criticized him and doubted his words. However, after witnessing his vast knowledge and his ability, they understood that he had good reason for saying such words. "Indeed. Upon walking over, I noticed a fragrance unique to women on Apothecary Lins body. Furthermore, the scent is refreshing, pure and full of life. If Im not wrong, she should not yet be eighteen years old!" Zhang Xuan said. "Indeed, I just brought a concubine into my household. She hasnt reached eighteen yet!" Apothecary Lin Mus face flushed red. He was already nearing seventy. He had a foot in the grave, but he had brought a seventeen year old concubine back home. Even though it didnt mean anything much in this world, he was still embarrassed to have the fact pointed out in front of so many other apothecaries. "Could it be that... the reason why I am unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill is because of my concubine?" Soon, Lin Mu arrived at a conclusion. Puzzled, he stared at Zhang Xuan. If there was no rtionship between the two, given Zhang Xuans previous actions, he probably wouldnt point it out. Just that... how was epting a concubine rted to forging pills? They were twopletely different things! "Youre right.... If Im not wrong, that concubine of yours... isnt a thing!" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying calmly. "Not a thing?" Lin Mu was bbergasted for a moment before frowning. Infuriated, displeasure showed on his face. "Why did you start insulting her?" Chapter 121: Vying to Go First Chapter 121: Vying to Go First Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe I asked you to look for the ws in my method in forging the Meridian Expansion Pill, yet you insulted my concubine, saying that she wasnt a person. What do you mean by that? Even though Lin Mu was good-natured, he was still displeased by those words. Not only did his face darken, the others also had bizarre expressions on theirs. What was going on? Why did he suddenly start insulting others? "Apothecary Lin, please calm down!" Zhang Xuan seemed to have guessed that the other party would react like that and he looked at him yfully. "Have you been working hard every day, not resting even during daytime?" "Er..." Upon being posed with such a question, Lin Mus face reddened and he was a little embarrassed. "I just married my concubine, so I might have... might have... worked a little hard!" An old man like him married a young wife, not to mention a beautifuldy who wasnt eighteen yet, so it was no wonder that Lin Mu would shower plenty of love on her. If he could, he would be in bed all day long. "Haha!" "Apothecary Lin, I didnt expect that you would still be so active!" "You are truly vigorous, truly an old man with the zeal of a youngster!" "Impressive, I am truly impressed!" ...... Upon hearing the conversation of the duo, the other apothecaries couldnt help chuckling. It wasmon for men to bring in concubines into the household, but for him to bring in a concubine who hadnt reached eighteen yet and work hard every day, both day and night.... This Apothecary Lin Mu had way too much "drive." Upon hearing theughter of his old buddies, Lin Mu felt embarrassed. Looking at Zhang Xuan, he said, "There... should be nothing wrong with that!" It was perfectly normal for males and females to be in love with one another; it was a natural phenomenon ofplementing the yang with yin. Furthermore, his cultivation had reached Pixue realm, so it wasnt a big deal for him to go at it several times in a single day! In fact, it wasnt a big deal for ordinary humans to go at it several times every day either. "If that was all, there would be nothing wrong with the situation. However... in order to be more fiery, did you consume some medicine that you shouldnt have?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This..." Gedeng. Lin Mus heart skipped a beat. The other party was correct. Even though he possessed a high cultivation realm, he was still advanced in age, so his physiological functions werent working as well as they had before. In order to take better care of his concubine, he consumed some medicine to boost his stamina and strength recently. "If Im not wrong, your concubine persuaded you to consume that medicine, right?" Zhang Xuan continued. "Er... Youre right!" Lin Mu nodded his head. As an apothecary, he knew that all medicine was poisonous in a way or another, so he was reluctant to eat it. However, he was unable to stand his ground against the persuasion of his concubine. As such, he could only consume it. The medicine was provided by the other party, and after which he felt like a wolf, full of iparable vitality. Furthermore, it left him excited for quite a period of time. "Despite your correct forging method, sequence, and such, you are still unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill!" With both of his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan circled around Apothecary Lin Mu. Choosing not to pursue the matter about his concubine, he continued to talk about pill forging. "Initially, I was unable to find the reason and that left me puzzled for a moment. I even wondered if it could be a mistake with the cauldron when I suddenly recalled a certain line in a book! "The book is known as Discussion on Pill Formation. It was written by a 3-star apothecary, Senior Mu Yang. The book is in the basic tier book collection vault, and written within are several hundred reasons why a pill might fail to form. Of which, there was a certain line and quoting directly from it, Upon losing ones breath, ones spirit would be iplete. Even with perfect skills, it would be hard for the pill to form! The meaning is simple. It means that if ones essence iscking, even if the forging technique and sequences arepletely correct, it will be difficult for the pill to be sessfully formed. This formation of pill here refers to Meridian Expansion Pill! "Upon thinking of these, I walked over to you and caught the scent of the fragrance of the body of a youngdy and rouge. As a result, I asked you about your concubine! Actually, just by marrying a concubine and working day and night, you shouldnt have lost your essence to the point that the pill wouldnt form. The main problem here was that... you have lost your core!" "Lost my core?" Lin Mu was taken aback. "Thats right, humans have a core and losing it results in catastrophic effects. Given that you are an apothecary, you should have heard of it. If you have just worked day and night, given your strength as a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm, it wouldnt be anything much. You should recover fully by resting for half a day. However, you shouldnt have eaten the tonic she gave you. Those tonics were actually poison that stimte your spirit, making you imagine hallucinations. It is true that it grants you overwhelming vitality and battle power in the short run, but the poison also flows about your entire body and damages your core! "As time goes by, your body will gradually grow weaker and weaker. In the end, you will die! On the outside, it looks no different to the usual aging process and even more aplished apothecaries would find it hard to tell the difference! If Im not wrong, if you were to continue consuming the pill like that, you would age swiftly andwithin a single yearyou will definitely die! Even deities would find it hard to save you then! "Meridian Expansion Pill is a medicine that can widen a cultivators meridians and can be considered to be a tonic. Losing your core, you are unable to focus your spirit, breath, and psyche, and as such, it is difficult for you to forge such a pill. Failing to forge the pill was very normal!" At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment. "For this kind of medicine to even fool an apothecary like you, it must be iparably precious. It would be hard to imagine that... your concubine is unaware of the matter. That is why I said that she is not a thing. If I have offended you, I hope that you can forgive me!" "This... this..." Lin Mu shuddered and he staggered backward. The words of the other party werepletely rational, such that it felt like he had witnessed it all happening. It was true that he felt his battle power rising upon consuming the medicine by his concubine. In the past, he would feel his back aching right after a single go. Yet, after taking the medicine, three to five times was an easy feat for him. Initially, he thought that he was slowly growing stronger. Never would he have thought that he was being drugged! Dammit! Dammit! "That bitch, to think that I showered her with so much love. She actually tried to backstab me...." Clenching his fist tightly, Lin Mus eyes turned red. "Alright, if Apothecary Lin thinks what I said is not true, there should be a way to verify what I just said! I have finished answering this question!" Zhang Xuan gestured. "What you said ispletely true, I thank you for your guidance. I admit defeat for this Pill Debate!" Without any hesitation, Apothecary Lin Mu admitted defeat. The other partys words were spot-on and his analysispletely rational. Given how he was unable to find a single mistake in what he said, he had no choice but to admit defeat. Furthermore, it was true that his body condition had slowly been deteriorating recently. Initially, he thought that it was due to his age. To think that his concubine was the cause of it! Zhang Xuan simply smiled faintly, choosing not to interfere in Lin Mus affairs. It was the other partys problem. He found it bothersome to get involved. Afterwards, he nced at the three remaining apothecaries. "Youre the only ones left. Just ask any problems that you have all together!" Of the ten apothecaries at the start, seven had already admitted defeat. As long as these three did so as well, he would pass the Pill Debate and be an official apothecary. "Genius Brother Zhang Xuan, if thats the case, I happen to have a question that I need to inquire of you!" An apothecary stood up. "Brother Lu, dont be too anxious. Going by seniority, I should be the one to go first. I happen to have thought of a question as well!" Another apothecary stood up. "Both of you, stop arguing. I should be the one to ask first. No matter what, I became an apothecary earlier than you two...." Thest elder also hurriedly stood up. "Eh?" Just a moment ago, they were still cowering in his presence. He had asked them to pose their questions many times previously just to receive a silent response. Yet now they were all vying to ask him questions. Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Did they... take the wrong medicine today? Chapter 122: Pill Debate Ends Chapter 122: Pill Debate Ends Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe Not just Zhang Xuan, even Ouyang Cheng and the others were dumbfounded by their actions. The hell, can anyone tell me what is going on? Werent they still behaving apprehensively a moment ago? Why are they vying to go first, as though seeing a beautifuldy and charging towards her? "You all..." Wen Xue was alsopletely baffled. "I get it, this bunch of fellows, they really..." Du Man shook his head with a wry smile on his face. "Get what?" Ouyang Cheng looked over. "Previously, Zhang Xuan was able to point out their ws through pill forging. It gave a feeling akin to being stripped naked in public. Under such circumstances, no one would be willing to pose questions!" Apothecary Du Man said. "But now, not only did he solve Apothecary Lin Mus problem, he even pointed out a hidden threat for him. It is clear that this is an opportunity for them. Given that, who wouldnt get excited?" "Thats true...." Comprehending the situation now, Ouyang Cheng nodded his head. It is easier to know someone else than to know yourself! It was difficult to notice ones own ws. With a single word from Zhang Xuan, they might be able to correct their ws and induce a giant improvement in their pill forging skills! "Its a pity. I was truly foolish then. I shouldnt have admitted defeat so early on. Otherwise, I could have brought up some doubts I have been harboring inside me for a long time...." With a pained heart, Apothecary Du Man shook his head. How did he miss such a good opportunity just like that? "Just let it go since youve already passed it by. Youre at fault for not treasuring the opportunity anyway. On the other hand, I have been dedicated to my responsibilities, making my best to ensure this Pill Debate is impartial. As such, I didnt even get a chance to pose a question. Say... when this Pill Debate ends, will he give me a chance to ask a question or two? I also have quite a few questions...." At this point, Ouyang Chengs eyes shone brightly and excitement filled him. Apothecary Du Man had no words. Wen Xue didnt know what to say either. The hell? You are a 1-star intermediate stage apothecary, as well as the head of the Apothecary Guild. For you to brazenly say that you want to consult an apprentice... Dedicated to your responsibilities you say? Why do I not see a single hint of what you just said? Youve just been sitting idly by... "Alright, one at a time!" Soon, Zhang Xuan understood what was going. Shaking his head helplessly, he casually pointed to an apothecary among them. "You!" "Me? Great!" Upon being chosen, he hurriedly stood up. "I have a question that I would really like to ask. Recently, Ive had insomnia and wake up seven or eight times every night. I also often get nightmares. Can you help me check if I have any illness, or if someone is scheming against me, or... if there is a problem with my concubine?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. So were the others. "Cough cough. Apothecary Liu, we are in a Pill Debate, not a fortune-telling or patient treatment session. Pay attention to what you are saying...." Ouyang Cheng couldnt help but intervene. "Ah? But... thats my question! This is what I want to ask...." Apothecary Liu said with a resolute expression. "Alright. How about this: you try forging a pill and I will try to see what I can through that!" Zhang Xuan felt a splitting headache consuming him as he waved him away. "Alright!" Apothecary Liu nodded his head in excitement before rushing over to start forging. "How about you? What problems do you have?" After settling the first fellow, Zhang Xuans attention turned to another apothecary. "My question is actually quite simple. It isnt as shameless as Apothecary Lius!" The apothecary spoke with a righteous tone. "My daughter is getting married within these two days, and the one she is marrying is a man called Zhou Xuan. He hails from foreignnds and even though I have investigated his background for quite a while, I have not been able to get any useful information on him. Can you help me check if thatd is reliable or not? If he isnt, I will reject this marriage...." At this point, he hesitated for a moment as he looked at Zhang Xuan questioningly. "So... do I have to forge pills as well?" "Pu!" Zhang Xuan almost threw up blood. Forge pills? Forge your head! What does your daughter getting married have to do with me or forging pills? I am just a person who is undergoing Pill Debate to be an apothecary, I am not here to divine your fate.... Besides, even if I can divine fate, if you dont tell me the situation with your daughter, what can you forging pills do? Are you sure you arent pulling my leg? "Apothecary Qin, what the heck does your daughter getting married have to do with pill forging? Why are you asking Brother Zhang for that? What a joke!" The final apothecary flung his hands and harrumphed. "But... this is the question I want to ask right now...." Apothecary Qin was conflicted. "You should at least ask something rted to pill forging! You continue to think on that matter, I will go first!" Thest apothecary stepped forward toward Zhang Xuan before saying, "Brother Zhang Xuan, seeing how young you are, you probably arent married yet. I have a beautiful daughter who can serve as your concubine. Look... if not, my niece is also willing. Ah? If you think that I am taking advantage of you, I still have an elder sister and a younger sister...." Zhang Xuan was lost for words. The hell! You are already sixty years old with half your foot in the grave. Your younger and elder sister... how unusual and hardcore a taste do I need for that.... It took a long while before the chaos settled down and everyone got back to the main topic at hand. "My question is this. The main ingredient of an Antidote Pill, Poison Neutralizing Grass, is too weak and it often burns to ashes before it can reach the bottom of the cauldron to mix with the other medicinal herbs. Where did I go wrong?" "Poison Neutralizing Grass isnt resistant to high heat. This is somethingmonly agreed upon by everyone else. If you throw it directly it into the cauldron, it is inevitable that it would burn up. However, you can soak it in Purple Sun Water for three days before using it in your forging. Not only will it not burn up, its medicinal property will also be unleashed to the maximum...." "I would like to ask why is it that I often find my breath getting irregr when I am forging pills...." "That is easy to answer...." ...... ... After getting back on track, the remaining part was simple. Most of the questions could be solved using the knowledge Zhang Xuan had gained from the basic tier book collection vault. If he really found himself at a loss, he would then proceed to get the other party to forge pills and utilize the Library of Heavens Path to analyze the mistakes in his process. An hourter, he finally finished answering the questions of the three remaining apothecaries. "Alright, now that all ten apothecaries have admitted defeat, I hereby dere the winner of this Pill Debate as Zhang Xuan! From today onwards, he will be a new 1-star apothecary of the Apothecary Guild!" When the Pill Debate came to an end, Ouyang Cheng announced the results and handed a 1-star badge and a robe over. "This is the emblem of an apothecary. With this, no matter which Apothecary Guild you go to, you will enjoy special privileges when purchasing pills..." "OK!" Taking the two items from Ouyang Chengs hands, he casually ced them into his storage ring. Everyone had guessed that there was some incredible figure guiding him from behind, so they werent really surprised by that storage ring in his possession. Besides, being an apothecary was a lucrative upation. The storage ring which could cost millions might be exorbitant, but it was nothing much to them. "Guild Leader Ouyang, where is the advanced tier book collection vault? I would like to take a look...." Zhang Xuan asked. His main reason for undergoing the apothecary examination was to go to the book collection vault. Thus, the first thing he decided to do upon bing an official apothecary was to head there to take a look. "Ill take you there!" After which, Ouyang Cheng first walked out of the room and Zhang Xuan followed closely behind him. Before he could travel far, the voice of the previous apothecary rang out behind him. "Apothecary Zhang Xuan, do consider it for a bit. If my elder and younger sister wont do, I have an aunt too. She isnt married yet...." Zhang Xuan staggered and tears streamed down his cheeks. Your aunt... Is old enough to be my great-grandmother.... Chapter 123: Solution Found Chapter 123: Solution Found Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Christopher Zhao The Apothecary Guilds advanced tier book collection vault wasnt too far away from where they conducted the Pill Debate. It barely took a few steps before they arrived there. "There are a total of ten official apothecaries in the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild. Most of them only head here to pore through these books upon encountering truly difficult questions. As such, this ce tends to be quite deserted. Anyways, feel free to pick out any book that you would like to read!" Ouyang Cheng introduced, pushing open the doors. Zhang Xuan voiced his acknowledgment before heading into the room. Even though there werent too many official apothecaries in Tianxuan Kingdoms Apothecary Guild, the books inside were more than a few. It might be unable topare to the hundreds of thousand of books in the basic tier book collection vault, but there was still more than ten thousand books inside. They were densely packed in a dozen or so bookshelves. "Feel free to take a look. If theres anything you are unable toprehend, you can ask me. I will be in that room!" Ouyang Cheng casually pointed. "Looks like I have troubled Guild Leader Ouyang!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head with a smile. "There is nothing troublesome about this. You are an official apothecary now, and I will likely have quite a few questions I will need to consult you on in the future!" Ouyang Cheng chuckled and walked out of the vault. He knew that the other party had his own goals and secrets foring to this book collection vault, so it inappropriate for him to linger around here. "I should start looking around!" Upon his departure, Zhang Xuan cracked a grin. Walking over to the first rack, he started to flip through the books. He would have to spend a significant amount of time to find that specific book. Since he was bound to be dyed in any case, he might as well copy all of these books into the Library of Heavens Path. It would be more convenient to look through them in the future and he could learn more on pill forging as well. Hula! Hula! The flipping of pages echoed in the advanced tier book collection vault. After a period of time, Zhang Xuan stopped and his eyes gleamed. "Indeed, the book I wanted to browse through is here...." Diligence paid off. Eventually, he found the book regarding unique constitutions and the pills required to awaken them. "Tianxuan Year 373, Emperor Shen Lings daughter, Princess Shen Qiu, had Pure Yin Body. She managed to awaken it upon consuming a grade-3 pill...." "Unravel Yin Pill?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He continued to browse through it. "Tianxuan Year 126, there was an individual who had Emperor Bloodline. He was unable to awaken it using pills. He eventually awakened it by smearing the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast on his body.... However, the probability of sess is extremely low!" In another book, he found the method to awaken the Emperor Bloodline. "I need to see whether its right or wrong!" He copied the two lines onto a piece of paper and with a jolt of his mind, the contents and ws of the paper he just copied appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "Pure Yin Body can be awakened using the Unravel Yin Pill. ws: It can only awaken around ten percent of the constitution, thus it is incapable of unleashing the full strength of the constitution.... "Emperor Bloodline can be awakened using the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast. ws: It can only awaken around ten percent of the constitution, thus it is incapable...." Upon seeing the ws written in the library, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Only ten percent?" Previously, he thought that he would be able to fully awaken their constitution through the use of pills. He didnt think that it could only awaken ten percent. "However, ten percent is sufficient!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Unique constitutions were extremely powerful. Even if it was just awakened by ten percent, it was enough to increase ones cultivation by leaps and bounds. It was more than sufficient for a mere Freshmen Tournament! "Now, I have to look for a grade-3 Unravel Yin Pill and the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast!" Upon confirming what he needed, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He finished flipping through all the books before walking over to Ouyang Chengs room. He was the head of the Apothecary Guild. Most probably, he was the only one who could obtain these two items for him. After flipping through the books in the Apothecary Guilds advanced tier book collection vault, Zhang Xuan had a rough idea on what Wang Ying and Liu Yang required, and he could buy it along with the other things. "Apothecary Zhang Xuan!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, Ouyang Cheng hurriedly stood up. "Guild Leader Ouyang, there is something I need to trouble you for!" Zhang Xuan cut to the chase and spoke of his purpose here, "I would like to purchase a few items and I may require your assistance!" "Oh? What do you need? It shouldnt be a problem as long as it is something the guild has!" Ouyang Cheng nodded his head. "I need an Unravel Yin Pill, a Meridian Rejuvenation Pill, a portion of Colossal Rhinoceros Blood, and a portion of Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution!" Zhang Xuan said. Meridian Rejuvenation Pill was for Liu Yangs consumption. After practicing a battle technique beyond his cultivation realm, the meridians in his right arm had withered and required the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill to heal it. On the other hand, the Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution was for Wang Ying. Her legs had yet to fully recover top form and she was still unable to fight like a normal cultivator. As such, she required the nourishment of this kind of medicinal solution to hasten her recovery. "It should be easy to obtain Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution, and I can help you look for it. However, the Unravel Yin Pill and the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast... This is slightly trickier!" Ouyang Cheng didnt expect that he would require so many things and a deep frown appeared on his face. "Trickier? Is it possible to obtain it?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. After going through so much trouble to look for the solution to unlocking his students constitution, he would truly be infuriated if he was unable to obtain the items required for them at this point. "We dont have these items in our guild. However, if I send in an application to headquarters, it should be possible to obtain them!" Ouyang Cheng said. "Thats great...." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "However..." Ouyang Cheng frowned once more. "The headquarters are simply too far away. Even if they got another branch from the other, closer kingdoms to send it, it would still take a minimum of ten days!" "Ten days?" Zhang Xuan was surprised for a moment. Then, he recovered and continued, "Thats fine by me too. If it has to take ten days, then so be it!" There were still fourteen days until the Freshmen Tournament. Things might get a little pressing if it arrived ten dayster, but he should still be able to finish his preparations in time. "Alright, I will send in the application to headquarters now then. You can obtain it within ten days. As for the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution, I can get them for you right now!" Guild Leader Ouyang smiled. "OK, I will be inconveniencing you then!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "How much do the four of them cost? Do I pay for all of them now or do I pay when they are all here?" After inheriting Yang Mos fortune, he had more than a million gold coins in his possession. He could be considered a wealthy man in the capital now. Purchasing a few medicinal herbs to raise his students fighting prowess didnt matter much to him. At the same time, he could also show how noble he was as a teacher! Its just a small sum of money. Am I a stingy person? "Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and Body Nourishment Medicinal Fluid arent too expensive. Totaling both of them up, it is around four hundred thousand gold coins!" Ouyang Cheng calcted for a moment before continuing, "The Unravel Yin Pill and Colossal Rhinoceros Blood would be slightly more expensive. The former is one of the more advanced grade-3 pills whereas the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast is a primordial beast, a whole level higher than that of savage beasts!" "Right now, you are an apothecary, so you are entitled to special privileges. I can sell them to you at a discount. The Unravel Yin Pill will cost around twenty million gold coins whereas the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast will cost three million! How about this, I will lower the price down for you. Twenty-three million will suffice!" Ouyang Yang calcted for a moment before saying. Upon noticing the abrupt silence in the atmosphere, he lifted his head to take a look. Unknowingly, Zhang Xuan was already ten meters away from him. Waving his hands constantly, he said, "Im just casually asking about those things, dont take it as real..." Ouyang Cheng couldnt even choke out a response. Chapter 124: Thinking of a Solution Chapter 124: Thinking of a Solution Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Christopher Zhao Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears! He thought that these things would cost a maximum of a few hundred thousand gold coins. With that fortune of a million gold coin that he possessed, spending a little slight amount more didnt mean much. Anyway, he didnt really work for the money. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that the cost would total more than twenty million.... He prided himself on his wealth, but before such an outstanding sum, he wouldnt have enough money even if his wealth multiplied severalfold! What kind of damned situation was this! Initially, he was determined to awaken their bloodlines to make up for their weaknesses, thus causing their fighting prowess to soar. They would be able to astonish everyone with their strength at the Freshmen Tournament, and at the same time, Zhang Xuan would gain the image of an expert who cared not for money. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that he would have to spend so much.... This was too much! If he knew that he would need that much money earlier, he wouldnt have tried to act cool from the start! "Why dont... I just forget it!" Suppressing his bleeding heart, Zhang Xuan was conflicted. He was far from the required sum, so he definitely couldnt buy these items. Yet, all of the effort he had put into thistaking the apprentice apothecary and full apothecary examinationwas for these items. Could he allow it all to end in vain? Aplishing nothing at all in the end? Furthermore... he had already bragged about it. Zhao Ya and the others knew that he was trying to look for ways to awaken their constitution. If he were to return empty-handed, how could he lift his head in front of them in the future? "No, giving up just because its too expensive isnt my way of doing things!" If he truly gave up on these items, Zhao Ya and the others wouldnt be able to awaken their constitutions and it would merely be a dream to triumph over Lu Xun fourteen dayster! A transcender should not give up before even trying! Furthermore, as Zhao Ya and the others teacher, the one to point out their path for them, his sense of responsibility would not allow him to simply sit idly by. Even though he had just be a teacher, he had chosen to take on the responsibilities that a teacher ought to shoulder. If he didnt have enough money, he could just look for ways to earn more! At this point, Zhang Xuan walked back up to him. Looking at Ouyang Cheng, he asked, "Cough cough, Guild Leader Ouyang. Is it possible for me to put those items on my tab first? I will find ways to repay this debt to you in the future." "This... it cant be done!" Guild Leader Ouyang shook his head. "None of those in our branch can forge grade-3 pilsl, so we need to purchase it from the headquarters. As a result, I cant dy the payment for you...." "But... twenty million, I wont be able to take it out within a short period of time...." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Theres no way around it. How about... you try to learn how to forge pills first? Given your knowledge in the field, there should be a lot of ways for you to earn money," Ouyang Cheng advised. The young man before him had knowledge that surpassed that of all of the apothecaries in the entire branch. If he were to forge pills personally, even though twenty million might sound fearsome, for a high-level apothecary, it truly wasnt a huge sum. "One can earn a lot of money from forging pills? That Meridian Soothing Pill that you all forged previously, how much could one be sold for?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help asking. "The Meridian Soothing Pill isnt easy to forge. And as such, its one of the more profitable pills among grade-1 pills. A single pill should be able to sell for fifty thousand or so. If you forge ten in a day, you will earn twenty million in less than two months!" Guild Leader Ouyang asserted. Apothecary was an extremely lucrative profession. However, it depended highly on the market conditions and whether the supply of medicinal herb could keep up with production. Even though it was possible theoretically, even official apothecaries would find it difficult to forge pills every single day. "Two months?" Despair streaked across Zhang Xuans face. In two months time, the Freshmen Tournament would have concluded and everything would be over. If thats the case, he might as well work on their strength the conventional way. There was no point in him exerting so much effort here. Besides, the reason why his theoretical ability was that impressive was because of the Library of Heavens Path. If he were to forge pills personally... It wasnt a feasible n. Even though every single word of his was profound and logical, if he were to do it personally, he couldnt evenplete the very first step of extracting essence from the medicinal herbs. He had seen the others forging pills previously and without several dozen years of training and refining his skill, it was impossible for him to get to their level of expertise. "Is there... any other better way of earning money?" He couldnt help but ask for an alternative method. "Better way of earning money?" Guild Leader Ouyang shook his head. Just when he was about to shoot down the possibility, a thought popped into his mind. "The most lucrative upation in this world iswithout a doubtmaster teacher. They can earn a hefty fee just by offering some guidance to others. Apothecaries arent that bad either, but whenpared to master teachers, there is still a huge gap between the two." There were many upations in the job. Appraisers and apothecaries could be considered as some of the more lucrative ones, but they still paled inparison to master teachers. Cultivators often find themselves reaching a bottleneck in their cultivation, unable to break through even till theirst breath. However, a single pointer by a master teacher could possibly be the key for them to reach higher realms. With a rise in the cultivation realm, not only would their lifespan increase, their ability to earn money also quickened. As such, most people were willing to dump all of their fortune just for a single pointer from a master teacher. Indubitably, master teacher was the most lucrative job in the world, unmatched by any other upation. However, it wasnt easy for one to be a master teacher. One had to have students of their own, teaching experience, reputation, and on top of that, one had to go through numerous trials as well. For example, Zhang Xuan with his Library of Heavens Path was able to easily solve many problems. However, without students of his own, he couldnt take the master teacher examination. "Can you pay in my stead first? I will search for a way to pay you within ten days!" As Zhang Xuan said this, a bold idea emerged in his mind. "Alright!" Ouyang Cheng was oblivious to his thoughts. However, seeing the grim look on his face, he didnt seem as though he was joking. So he nodded his head. "I will be leaving first!" After which, Zhang Xuan walked out. "Since master teachers were good at earning money... if I pretend I am a master teacher... would I be able to earn money swiftly?" At this point, Zhang Xuan started to analyze the pros and cons of the bold thought he just had. Using ordinary methods, it was impossible to earn twenty million gold coins in ten days unless one robbed a bank! However, if he pretended to be a master teacher, there might be a possibility of him earning the sum within the duration! If someone tried to so and were exposed, it was highly likely for that person to be beaten to death on the spot. After all, a master teacher possessed vast knowledge, and it would be easy to give himself away especially when he said something wed. However, Zhang Xuan was different! With the Library of Heavens Path and his ability to hoodwink others he gained in his previous life, it was truly a simple feat to scam others. Of course, it wasnt really considered as a scam. After all, with the Library of Heavens Path and his Heavens Path Divine Art, he could see the ws in others. Raising their cultivation realm would be something easy and pleasant. "Alright, I shall do it that way!" After analyzing the situation, he felt that he could do it and nodded his head in satisfaction. If he wanted to help Zhao Ya and the others to grow stronger and win the bet he had with Lu Xun, those few items were a must. As such, he had to earn that sum of money. This was the only way to earn twenty million within ten days. "I have to prepare some things in advance. Given my current age, no one will believe me if I go around shouting that Im a master teacher. I need to disguise myself. At the very least, I should look thirty." Master teachers were just like apothecaries. If you said you were a master teacher when you didnt even look twenty, you would probably drown in the other partys spit before you could even finish your words. No matter what, he had to disguise himself and alter his facial features. Otherwise, putting aside the fact that it would be difficult for him to induce trust in others, this might also bring him endless trouble in the future. "Next, as a master teacher, I would need uphold my own identity and reputation. I cant possibly run to the house of others and offer to give them guidance. If so, they would just think of me as a scammer." He lived in the information age previously, and even though he had not done such things in the past, he knew a thing or two about it from the news. Given the esteemed position master teachers had in this world, it wasnt practical for him to run to other peoples house to offer them pointers and demand money from them in return. "What should I do?" Since he couldnt run to others to offer his services, how could he look for clients? Without clients, how could he make money? Zhang Xuan frowned. Chapter 125: Renting a Mansion Chapter 125: Renting a Mansion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Christopher Zhao "Right, I should first look for a residence. As long as I can build a reputation, people would definitelye scrambling to me... This way, I can avoid knocking on the doors and retain my dignity as an expert, while earning money." An idea popped into his head. As a master teacher, one had to uphold his stature. He couldnt simply go around visiting houses. As such, he could only lie in wait for willing preys to take the bait. As long as someone were toe knocking, he was confident of subduing them with his hoodwinking prowess and Library of Heavens Path. "Yup, I should first look for a base of operation!" After contemting carefully, he realized that this was indeed the best way to go about it. With a snap of his fingers, Zhang Xuan made up his mind. He would do it this way. With a concrete idea in his mind, he didnt dawdle and immediately proceeded to the reception to purchase pills and medicinal solutions that could change ones outer appearance and skin color. Even though he didnt really know disguise techniques, as a member of modern civilization, he still had some basic knowledge regarding make-up. Using those pills and medicinal solution, it didnt take long for him to transform from a youngd below twenty years old into a yellowish, middle-aged man that possessed a dignified gaze. After staring into the mirror for a long period of time, he ascertained that there were no problems with his disguise and nodded his head in satisfaction. After which, he walked out of the Apothecary Guild. "In order to convince others, I need to be dressed in luxurious clothes..." Clothes make the man. Given his current dress-up, many would believe him if he imed to be a beggar. He needed to look the image if he wanted people to believe that he was a master teacher. "There is a clothing store right ahead." With such a thought in his mind, he noticed a clothing store that was nearby and entered. When he finally exited, he had already transformed into a totally different person. With a brocade hat and marten coat, he was dressed extravagantly. It was clear from his appearance that he was a person of noble standing. These clothes cost him a total of twenty thousand gold coins. He could feel his heart bleeding. "I should just treat it as an investment." Consoling himself, he walked along the street. An hourter, he arrived at Tianyu Commercial City once more. It was alreadyte in the afternoon and the sun was about to set. Knowing that he wascking time, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward inrge strides. He knew that it was impossible to find amodation in a short period of time singlehandedly. However, Tianyu Commercial City was reputed for selling everything possible under the sun. Thus, it was guaranteed that there was information on this aspect avable as well. Furthermore, he didnt need to purchase an amodation, it was sufficient for him to just rent one. As he had already been here before, he had be quite familiar with the surroundings. After strolling around, he soon caught sight of a realtor agent center. "Old master, are you here to buy a house?" Upon noticing his entry, a plump boss stepped forward immediately to wee him. "Old master?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment beforeing to a realization. He had already modified his appearance at current, he looked like he was in his forties. He was no longer a youngd. Thus, he nodded his head and ced both hands behind his back, assuming a disposition befitting that of an old master. He deepened his voice, making him seem more mature. "I want to rent a mansion!" "Mansion? Old master, your decision to visit our us to rent a mansion is a wise one!" The bosss eyes gleamed. Those who were able to rent out mansions were all wealthy men. Just by raising the rent by a slight amount, thesendlords would be able to earn a huge sum! "Old master, may I know what your requirements?" As though he saw a fatmb before him that was waiting to be butchered, the boss asked excitedly. "It must be clean,rge and has the best location. It would be perfect if the renovations are in ce so that I can move in immediately!" Zhang Xuan said. "This..." Upon hearing the other partys request, the eyes of the boss twinkled and he almost leaped in joy. No doubt about it, this was a hugemb for him! Putting aside all other factors, just the requirements Zhang Xuan stated had made it impossible for the mansion to be inexpensive. How could someone who wanted to rent a mansion like that be poor? He was so happy that he almost squealed, but he acted as though he was troubled. "Old master, we do have such mansions, but the cost of the rent would be slightly pricey..." By saying so first, the plump man would be able to demand a higher priceter on. Hehe... "Price isnt a problem!" Zhang Xuan gestured haughtily. Right now, he was a master teacher. It would truly be embarrassing if he were to squabble over the measly sum of money. "Alright then, I will bring old master to look at mansions until you find one that is to your liking." Upon hearing such impressive words from the other party, the bosss smiled so wide that it was about to reach his ears. Without any hesitation, he closed the shop and led the way, holding a bunch of keys. Zhang Xuan followed behind him. Soon, they arrived at a vast mansion. "This is a mansion a rich businessman boughtst year. However, he diedst year and his son indulged in prostitutes and gambling. As a result, he had no choice but to put this mansion up for sale or rent. This mansion is newly renovated and its location is good as well. Do you want to take a look?" Stopping before the mansion, the boss looked at Zhang Xuan to gauge his reaction. This mansion was thergest and most luxurious one of their realtor center. Regardless of whether it was the location or the size, there was nothing one could find faults with. Thus, he brought the other party here at first times notice for him to take a look. He would only bring him to the other mansions if it was unsuitable. If the other party were toy his sights upon this one, he would have truly struck it rich. "Lets enter to take a look!" Zhang Xuan didnt say anything excessive. Since he wanted to impersonate a master teacher, his residence had to have ss. It mustnt be too small. As for the money Zhang Xuan had to spend, it wasnt really a problem. "Great!" Upon observing how the other party didnt decline, the boss smiled and hurriedly opened the doors. It was a wujin courtyard. There were man-made mountains and ponds. Not only was itrge and spacious, there were all kinds of nts nted around the entire mansion. Upon entering, one would be surrounded by greenery and the fragrance of flowers, inducing a feeling of ease. "Not bad!" After taking a look, Zhang Xuan nodded his head secretly. This mansion was exactly as he imagined. He could simply take his baggage and move in at this very moment. Everything he needed was present and he didnt have to go the extra mile to prepare anything. Furthermore, it was close to Hongtian Academy, just a ten minute walk away. Լξͻ˿ After his lessons, he could head straight back here, not having to spend much time traveling to and fro. "This will do. How much is the rent?" Fancying the residence, Zhang Xuan gestured majestically and got straight to the point. "This is the most luxurious mansion in our realtor center. If old master wishes to rent it, it would be hundred and fifty thousand gold coins every month!" The boss hurriedly said. "Hundred and fifty thousand?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He wasnt sure about the property market in this world, but hundred and fifty thousand a month to rent a mansion seemed way too expensive. Hu! Without saying anything, Zhang Xuan suddenly wed at the boss before him. "Old master, what do you intend to do..." Hearing the sound of his fingernails tearing through air, the boss was terrified and cowered backward immediately. With just a movement, his level of cultivation was revealed: Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi pinnacle! His cultivation realm wasnt high. "Oh, I just want to see your level of cultivation." Zhang Xuan retracted his palm and ced behind his back. Then, looking at the other party again, his eyes narrowed, "You said that you will rent this mansion to me at hundred and fifty thousand a month? Tripling the rent of fifty thousand a month, do you take me for a fool?" Wujin Courtyard: To understand what a Wujin Courtyard is, one must know what a Siheyuan (also known as Courtyard Houses) are. The most typical example of it were the houses of generals/officials in the ancient past. There would be a courtyard in the middle and rooms of various purposes surrounding it. Siheyuans can be split into various categories depending on its size. The smallest is the Yijin Courtyard (One Entrance Courtyard). Wujin Courtyard (Five Entrance Courtyard) was considered as thergest. Upon stepping into the house, there would be a narrow walkway (first entrance), amodations for guests (second entrance), a living room (third entrance), main amodations for the family (fourth entrance) and amodations for daughters/ female servants (fifth entrance). Since there was like a courtyard between each of these ces, it is called Five Entrance Courtyard. Thisyout isnt fixed but is typical. Chapter 126: I Am a Master Teacher Chapter 126: I Am a Master Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Cough cough..." Upon hearing those words, the bosss expression changed. He let out aughter and replied immediately, "Old master, what are you talking about? This is a wujin courtyard mansion and has such a prime location. Hundred and fifty thousand a month is truly not expensive..." "Inexpensive?" The corners of Zhang Xuans lips crept upward, "The original owner of the mansion is called Du Qiao and he is indeed a merchant. However, he isnt dead yet. Due to encountering bandits, a huge blow was dealt to his business and thus, he decided to sell this mansion. However, he was unable to find a buyer so he decided to lease it out instead. ording to your agreement with him, it should be fifty thousand every month and you will be entitled to a fifteen percentmission... Yet, you are offering me hundred and fifty thousand now, isnt your appetite a little too big?" "Old master, you... you..." Upon hearing his words, the boss staggered backward. Are you for real? The contract on this house signed between Du Qiao and him was exactly as Zhang Xuan said, fifty thousand a month, just that... This was supposed to be confidential. They didnt tell any outsiders when signing the contract, so how could this fellow be aware? "Why? Do you wish to deny it?" Zhang Xuan stared at him calmly. "The contract was signed three months ago at Emerald Pavilion, and the one who apanied by your side then was the top hostess, Cui Ling. The wine you two drank was the Crushing Waves with eight years of maturity and the dish you two ate was the Ruby Rabbit Meat. During which, you even had Ming Xin Yue y a tune. After sealing the deal, both of you happily invited threedies in... Do you need me to recount the events that urred one by one for you?" "Ah..." The boss looked as though he had seen a ghost and fear surged through him. The words that the other party said were spot-on, as though the man was there in person. This is too terrifying! "You... Who exactly are you?" Frightened, the boss trembled. Standing before the other party, he felt as though he had been stripped naked, causing him to feel guilty subconsciously. "I am merely a person who wants to rent a ce, I just dont wish to be taken advantage of!" Zhang Xuans expression was serene. "I was overly obsessed with profits. This mansion is exactly as what old master said, it costs fifty thousand every month!" After the other party revealed so many things about him, the boss was truly frightened. He dared not to fool around and hurriedly admitted his fault. "Un!" Watching the other party concede, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He casually whipped out a stack of bills, "Here is a hundred thousand, I will be renting the ce for a month. For the excess amount, help me to get some servants. Also... During the time I am here, you shall be my butler. No need to speak of fifty thousand or hundred thousand, if you perform well, I will give you however much money you need. You will definitely make more money than running that realtor center of yours." As a master teacher, he couldnt possibly clean such arge mansion personally or do everything by himself. It was necessary to have servants and maids to assist with the chores. The reason why he wanted this fellow to serve as his butler was even simpler. He was good at scamming! To outright offer three times the original price, he had the enormous guts. His reason for impersonating a master teacher was to make quick bucks and he desperately required such talents. "I will get how much I want?" The bosss breathing hastened. His realtor center only earned him twenty thousand gold coins or so a year. It was not often that people woulde to rent mansions like this, and moreover, it was useless if the other party failed to fall for his exorbitant scams. This is precisely why he felt a surge of excitement upon seeing the bills worth a hundred thousand gold coins and hearing the other partys offer. The heck! I knew that he was a fatmb, but I didnt expect for him to be such a massive one! "Why? Are you unwilling?" "No... No, I am willing." The boss grabbed the bills from Zhang Xuans hands hurriedly. His movement was even faster than when he dodged Zhang Xuans attack earlier. How could he be unwilling when such a good opportunity was presented in his face? "Un! I will only be staying in Tianxuan City for a period of time. If you serve me well, I will make you sure you earn ten years worth of sry within a single month. As for what you should do... I think you should know it better than anyone else." The other partys response did not let him down. Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. "Rest assured, old master. I will definitely serve you well." Upon hearing the other partys promise, the plump boss nodded his head vehemently. Un, Zhang Xuan responded. It was of utmost important to bnce the carrot and the stick to keep a person loyal. At the very beginning, he exposed all of the other partys secrets, inducing fear in the other partys heart. After which, he offered him massive benefits. It would be queer if the other party was instead unwilling to give in to him. "What is your name?" "Your humble servants name is Sun Qiang!" The boss quickly replied. "You can call me Xiao Qiang!" "Xiao Qiang?" A strange expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded his head. "There are some tasks that I will delegate to you right now." Suppressing the urge to call the other party cockroach, Zhang Xuan waved his thoughts away and said, "Firstly, I want you to find maids and servants for this mansion by tonight. Tomorrow, when Ie over, I want to see them here. Secondly, through your connections, I want you to spread the news of me living in this mansion. Say that... A passing master teacher, Yang Xuan, will be staying here for a short period of time. The more people know of the matter, the better it is." Naturally, he wouldnt use his real name. Yang Xuan was a web name that he used in his previous life, thus he casually chose to use it. "Master teacher?" Taken aback, Sun Qiang lifted his head and stared at the old master doubtfully. "Un, I am a master teacher. I am here to look for something. So, it would be best if you could get the news as far as possible." Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "Of the hundred thousand I have just given you, there should be a remaining sum after hiring the servants. Do a good job, and I will make sure to reward you greatly. I have taken a look at your cultivation realm and I have noticed that you have been stuck at Zhenqi realm pinnacle for over a decade now. It would be a small matter for me to help you break through during the time I am in Tianxuan Royal City." "Thank you, old master." Sun Qiang quickly kneeled to the floor. It was just as the other party said. He had been stuck at Zhenqi realm pinnacle for over a decade, but somehow, he was unable to ovee this boundary. If he were to receive the pointer of a master teacher, Fighter 4-dan wouldnt be a dream for him. He secretly lifted his head to sneak a peek. The old master whom he had just met with had his hands behind his back as he stood before the background of the setting sun. The faint yellow light that scattered on his body made him resemble an unworldly immortal. Upon this sight, admiration arose instantaneously from the depths of his heart for this old master. At this moment, he waspletely convinced that the other party was a master teacher. If he werent a master teacher, how could he have known about his secret dealings? If he werent a master teacher, how could he possibly be so rich and generous... However, what that truly convinced the boss were his disposition and his actions. Majesty exuded naturally in every single action of his. In fact, if someone were to im that the person before him wasnt a master teacher, he would think that the person was lying. "Old master, rest assured. I will aplish this matter perfectly." Sun Qiang was filled with motivation. Master teachers. This is the noblest group of people in the world. Even the emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom, Shen Zhui, has to act respectfully and politely around them. For an ordinary and insignificant figure like him to be able to serve such an incredible figure, it was almost as though the Goddess of Fortune had blessed him. "Go!" Upon observing the other partysplete submission, Zhang Xuan gestured for him to leave. "Yes!" Sun Qiang left excitedly. Only after his departure did Zhang Xuan rx his body and stretch his back. He sighed. "To think that acting like an expert would be so tiring..." Xiao Qiang is another word for cockroach. Chapter 127: List of Opponents Chapter 127: List of Opponents Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove If someone were to know of Zhang Xuans thoughts, he would probably be tempted to strangle him. You impersonate an expert and find it tiring? Why dont you kill yourself... After Sun Qiangs departure, Zhang Xuan didnt remain in the mansion for long. By the time he returned to his dormitory, the sun had already set. Todays morning lessons, the Pill Debate, and then looking for a base and acting like an expert. He felt exhausted after going through so much today. Initially, he had nned to research content on the next phase after Pixue realm but unknowingly, he fell asleep right after lying onto his bed. By the time he woke up, it was already morning. Upon entering the ssroom, he realized that his students were already present. He took a look at each of their conditions and nodded his head in satisfaction. These students seemed to also know the importance of the Freshmen Tournament and thus, they were extremely diligent in their training. Even though it was just a single day, they had made significant improvements. After offering them pointers individually, Zhang Xuan rified some doubts they had. Then, just as he was about to end the lesson, he saw a person walking in through the door. "Zhangoshi, Lu Xunoshi challenged you to a Teacher Evaluation and this is the name list of students who would bepeting with yours!" When Zhu Hong delivered the war deration previously, he was beaten to a pulp by Yuan Tao and the others. The one who came this time is a teacher. Different teachers had different number of students under them. For star teachers like Lu Xun, his students often numbered in the hundreds and if all of them were to be involved in the duel with Zhang Xuan, it wouldnt be fair. Thus, in the Teacher Evaluation, both teachers would choose a few students to represent them in duels. Zhang Xuan had a total of five students, so there was no need for him to choose among them. It would do as long as the other party chose five students topete with each of his students. "Good!" Taking over the name list, Zhang Xuan took a look and a bizarre expression appeared on his face immediately. He thought that the other party would choose some of his more highly-ranked students, given the number of outstanding students under his tutge. He didnt expect that the five students he chose would have simr rankings to his own students, with the exception of Yuan Tao (The main reason for that was because the other party didnt have students of Yuan Taos ranking). The first one on the list is Zhu Hong, who barged into the ssroom previously, and the other candidates he chose corresponded to Wang Ying, Zheng Yang and Liu Yangs rankings, so there arent huge differences between them. In Teacher Evaluations, the challenged teacher had the choice of whether to ept or to decline. Once the challenged teacher epts the challenge, the other party could choose any of the students under his tutge topete with him. Theoretically speaking, Lu Xun could send five of the top ten students in the entrance examinations and it wouldnt be flouting the rules. As such, Zhang Xuan had been preparing for such a scenario. He hadnt expected that the other party would send him such a line-up, so he was a little taken aback. "Un? Mo Xiao, isnt this fellow..." Taking a closer look, a familiar name appeared. Perplexed by the matter, he suddenly heard Liu Yangs voice. Liu Yang had also seen the contents in the name list and felt that something was amiss. "Zhangoshi, even though the ranks of our opponents in the list are simr to ours, we wont be a match if we were to cross blows. There is something weird..." "Un?" Zhang Xuan looked over at him. "What can you tell from it?" "For example, take a look at this Bai Chao. My ranking in the entrance examination is 93rd whereas he is 90th. There isnt arge difference in our ranking, but this fellow is skilled in punching techniques and his cultivation realm is one small level higher than mine. If we were to talk about fighting prowess, two of me wouldnt be an opponent for him. The reason why our rankings are around the same was because he fared too badly for the theoretical examination." Liu Yang pointed to another name, "This Du Lei as well, he is skilled in movement techniques. Wang Ying is ranked 67th while he is ranked 69th. It might seem as though he is slightly weaker than Wang Ying, but he possesses incredible speed. His attacks are also vicious and precise. In a one-to-one duel, Wang Ying definitely isnt a match for him." "Its true that I am unable to defeat him." Wang Yings face flushed red and she nodded her head in agreement. "Mo Xiao is my friend and I have never defeated him." Zheng Yang started speaking. "Just that... Wasnt Mo Xiao admitted under Wang Chaooshi? We signed up for his lessons together but I failed the examination..." "Not just him, I remember clearly that Bai Chao was under Hong Xunoshi and this Du Lei was under Zhu Hongoshi." Liu Yang said. "Whats going on?" Zhang Xuan stared intently at the teacher who passed him the name list. "Oh, Mo Xiao, Bai Chao and Du Lei withdrew from their teachers tutge yesterday and acknowledged Luoshi." The teacher nodded his head. "I have already sent you the name list and my job is done. Farewell!" At this point, the teacher turned around to leave. "Acknowledged Luoshi?" Upon hearing these words, Zhang Xuan immediately understood what was going on. This Lu Xun is truly a bastard! He thought that the other party sending students of simr ranking was an attempt to make this challenge fair. In reality, he had already done his research and analyzed his students thoroughly. Zhu Hong was ranked fourth while Zhao Ya was ranked seventh. There isnt a huge difference in their rankings but when ites to fighting, as seen before, if it werent for Zhang Xuan secretly informing her of his mingmen, even two Zhao Yas wouldnt be a match for him. The other party must have already known about Wang Yings injury to send Du Lei, who is skilled in movement techniques and possesses superior speed. From the very start, Wang Yings legs are already her weakness, so how could she keep up with someone with such outstanding speed? Isnt this just bing a standing punchbag for the other party? Zheng Yangs spear mastery might be excellent, but the other party sent Mo Xiao, who is a level higher than him. Liu Yang injured the meridians in his right arms due to training in battle techniques beyond his level, but the other party sent Bai Chao, who is skilled in punching techniques... As for the one who corresponded to Yuan Tao, his name is Kong Jie and he is ranked in the three hundreds. However, after Liu Yangs brief introduction, Zhang Xuan came to a realization immediately. This fellow isnt adept at battle techniques or anything else, but he possesses exceptional offensive ability and was an aggressive fighter. It was ideal to send a person like this to deal with Yuan Tao, who specializes in defense. The heck! In the view of those unaware of the situation, Lu Xuns action of not choosing among his outstanding students and instead, picking those who hold rankings simr to his own was for fairness. But, he was actually choosing opponents that curbed his students. For this, he even took students from other teachers to ce them under his tutge. If Zhang Xuan were to train his students in the conventional method, his students would improve, but so would the other partys. To triumph over the other party with half a month of effort is nearly impossible! After all, his five students have problems of their own and those problems arent minor things that can be solved swiftly. "That bastard, he is trying to use me as a stepping stone!" Zhang Xuans rage flurried. When the other party tried to trample on his dignity previously, he was furious but not to such an extent. After all, as a member of the modern civilization in his previous life, on which days did he not get his face pped? He was already used to it! But now, the other party is trying to step on his face to reach higher grounds. He wants to attract more attention so as to add to his reputation. Zhang Xuan will not allow this to happen. I am not a staircase for you to step on as you please! Neither am I a melon for you to chew off as you please! "I will go all out. Within ten days, I will definitely earn twenty million and obtain the pills and medicinal solutions for them!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly. It was his first time getting so furious after transcending over. pping my face? I can still endure it. But to step on my face to reach higher grounds? Dream on! In the past, he thought that he was on the losing end spending so much money to buy those items for his students. In his mind, no matter what, he had to get the money back from his students. However, from the look of it now, it wasnt his loss. This isnt just for his students, this is for him as well! Lu Xun, just you wait! You might be gleeful now, but you will be in for a rain of tearster on! In another ssroom, Lu Xun sneezed. He rubbed his nose as he muttered, "Is someone thinking of me?" Chapter 128: No One is Coming Chapter 128: No One is Coming Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove After instructing them to cultivate their personalized cultivation techniques properly and informing them he might be out for a few days, Zhang Xuan left the academy. He found a remote alley, and when he emerged on the streets once more, he had already transformed into Master Teacher Yang Xuan. There were still fourteen days before the start of the Freshmen Tournament and he has to make every second count. In just a moments time, he was already approaching the mansion. Before walking up, he could already see two guards standing gantly by the door. Their strength had already reached Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm. "Not bad, looks impressive!" The two guards were dressed in uniform. It didnt look extravagant but had a unique style, giving the impression that they were guards of a powerful n. To be able to hire guards and prepare everything else within such a short period of time, it looks like that Xiao Qiangs ability toplete tasks was not bad. "Old master!" Upon seeing him walk over, the two guards hesitated for a moment before shouting out in unison. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Looks like the butler Xiao Qiang had already informed them of his appearance and dressing. Otherwise, it should have been impossible for them to recognize him in one nce. This way, he managed to avoid the awkward situation of being unable to enter ones own home. Upon entering the residence, he realized that the interior was tidied spick and span. The surroundings were filled with flower pots and upon stepping in, fragrance surrounded him. "Old master!" "Old master!" The guards and maids drew closer and paid their respects to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction and he walked majestically toward the lounge. "Old master, following your orders, I have already recruited the necessary personnel. There is a total of 30 maids and 5 guards..." Even before reaching the lounge, Sun Qiang ran up to wee him. The glee of one who had sessfullypleted the missions delegated to him could be seen on his face. He was probably the only person who could gather so many people of quality within this short period of time. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuanplimented. "Have you spread the news that I asked you to yesterday?" "Rest easy, old master. I have already spread the word. It wont take long before everyone in Tianxuan Royal Kingdom will know that I am serving a master teacher." Sun Qiang looked at him in reverence. He didnt know why his old master wanted to publicize his identity as a master teacher, but he must have his reasons for having him do so. "How did you spread it?" "I made amotion out of me selling my shop and told everyone in themercial city that from today onward, I will be a butler at the mansion of a master teacher. Themercial city is filled with many nosey people, I believe that it wont take long for everyone to know of it." Sun Qiang quickly replied. "Un!" Zhang Xuan responded. Indeed, that was the best way to advertise. Not only did it seem not intentional, the news would also spread fast. Of course... It would be hard to tell how the results are at this point. "Old master, is there anything else that you need me to do?" Seeing that the old master was satisfied with him, excitement shed across Sun Qiangs eyes as he asked. "Nothing else..." Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment. "You should have spent quite a bit of money hiring those maids and guards, do you still have sufficient money?" He only gave hundred thousand to his butler. The rent of the mansion took up fifty thousand already. In total, thirty maids and fifty guards were hired, so it was likely that the remaining fifty thousand wasnt enough. "It is more than enough. The moment they heard that they would be the guards and maids of a master teacher, they charged forth to take up the offer. They were willing to ept low wages, some were even willing to work for free. Fifty thousand is more than enough." Sun Qiang said. At this point, Sun Qiang still found it hard to believe the prestige that a master teacher possessed. There were quite a few people who did not believe that he was truly serving as a butler to a master teacher. Even so, quite a few guards and girls rushed to him and expressed their interests to serve his old master. No other upation possessed such rallying power. Putting everything else aside, just a casual pointer or two from a master teacher could be equivalent to years of their training. Just this itself was sufficient to cause countless people to go frenzied. "Bring me a cup of tea." Knowing that the news is already out, what he had to do now was to wait for people toe knocking. As such, Zhang Xuan went into the lounge, sat on a chair and waited patiently. Soon, a maid brought him a cup of tea. This maid is around sixteen to seventeen year old and her name is Wan-er. She has a beautiful appearance and her eyes are exceptionally bright. Initially, upon seeing Zhang Xuan, her movements were a little restrained. However, after realizing that he wasnt a hot-tempered person, she heaved a sigh of relief and ease returned to her actions. Knowing that panicking is futile, Zhang Xuan waited quietly for someone toe knocking while sipping on his tea. He waited from morning till afternoon. The sun was about to set but still, no one hade over. There wasnt even a single person who had gathered outside out of curiosity. "Old master, do you need me to hang a sign outside saying that a master teacher is here..." Sun Qiang walked over, appearing very anxious. "..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. He would only look like a true expert if someone had learned of the fact unintentionally. If you hang a sign outside, it would seem as though I am running a business. How can I act as an unworldly expert like that? Furthermore, a master teacher is here... Why does it feel like a dog is on the premises, please enter with caution? "Looks like no one will be visiting today. Lets go out for a walk." Ignoring the words of the other party, Zhang Xuan stood up. Even though Sun Qiang had put out word that there is a master teacher here, arge portion of people still chose not to believe it. After all, given the status of a master teacher, there was no way one woulde to Tianxuan Kingdom and, not to say, live here. Furthermore, even if one were to really live here, he should reside in an extravagant ce like the pce. Renting a mansion and hiring you as the butler, you must be dreaming... "Go out for a walk?" Sun Qiang blinked in surprise. "Then... What if someone visits in the meantime?" He understood that this old master of his was trying to make a reputation for himself within the shortest period of time. After waiting for an entire day, if someone were toe knocking while he was out, wouldnt his effort of having waited the entire day go to vain? "Tell the guards to stop everyone at the door. Regardless of who it is, without my permission, they arent allowed to enter." Zhang Xuan said. A master teacher must have dignity befitting of one. Regardless of who it is, even if the person were Emperor Shen Zhui, he wouldnt be allowed to enter without the master teachers permission! "Yes..." Sun Qiang nodded his head vehemently. "Lets go!" Since waiting is pointless, he might as well go out to look for opportunities himself. After todayes to an end, there will only be thirteen days left to the Freshmen Tournament and nine days for the arrival of the medicines. Time waits for no one. Walking along the street, the crowd moved to and fro by him. The sun was about to set in the west and the sky was dyed with a shade of orange. It was already autumn and the wind that blew felt chilly. "Of everyone you know, who is the richest?" After taking a few steps, Zhang Xuan turned around to ask. "Reporting to the old master, it is the boss of Tianyu Commercial City, Lord Ling Tianyu. His wealth is equivalent to that of the national treasury and he is a true billionaire!" Deep admiration could be seen in Sun Qiangs eyes. "The boss of Tianyu Trading Firm? Billionaire?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Hell be it!" His reason for impersonating a master teacher was to earn easy bucks. Naturally, he had to pick out wealthy targets. "Where does he live?" Coming to a decision, Zhang Xuan asked. "Reporting to the old master, during this period of time, Lord Ling has been living in his trading firm. Do you want to meet him?" Sun Qiang asked doubtfully. "Un, lets go take a look!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head and with an impressive wave of his arm, the two walked toward Tianyu Trading Firm. Chapter 129: Southern Green Jade Chapter 129: Southern Green Jade Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove As usual, Tianyu Trading Firm was bustling andrge streams of customers were flowing in and out continuously. With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan walked in. "Old master, Lord Lings office is just in front..." After walking a distance, Sun Qiang pointed to the front. Zhang Xuan lifted his head and an extravagantly decorated lounge appeared before him. There were two green jade stone lions standing before the door. They were towering and exuded majesty. The eyes of the stone lions were pitch ck and filled with spirit, making the lions seem life-like. With a single look, one couldnt help but feel intimidated. "Ive heard that Lord Ling had specially invited a 6-mo craftsman to create this pair of stone lions. The material used is the Southern Green Jade, the best jade in Tianxuan Kingdom! Furthermore, given that it was crafted by a 6-mo craftsman, just a single one of these lions is worth several million." Sun Qiang eyes glimmered with burning passionate. Many wealthy people ce valuable items before their door to showcase their wealth and prestige. At the same time, it serves as an auspicious symbol for fortune to roll in. It seemed that even this Ling Tianyu was unable to escape from this tradition. "Several million?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. Previously, Zhang Xuan thought that he could be considered rather wealthy with a single million in his possession. Upon hearing Sun Qiangs words, he realized that he was nothing more than a beggar to those who were truly wealthy. "Old master, why dont I enter first to report your arrival to Lord Ling so as to have him wee you?" Sun Qiang looked over. In his perspective, even though Lord Ling Tianyus wealth could rival an entire national treasury, his standing was still beneath that of a master teacher. A master teacher was a powerful figure whom even Emperor Shen Zhui dared not to offend, not to mention that Ling Tianyu, despite his wealth, was only a merchant. "Theres no need for that!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "I will just take a casual look." Strolling slowly, Zhang Xuan approached the two towering stone lion and touched it. Cool and smooth to the touch, it was an extremelyfortable sensation. It was clear that it was top-quality jade. His fingers retracted right after contacting it. Zhang Xuan continued to view about, touching the objects here and there. Only after a long period of time did he stroll back with his hands held behind his back. Looking at his old master who acted as though a countryside bumpkin who had never seen the world, Sun Qiang was filled with doubt. "Lets take a seat over there!" Ignoring the queer expression the other party gave him, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. There was quite a number of resting spots in Tianyu Trading Firm. There was one nearby and upon taking a seat, Zhang Xuan ordered for a pot of tea. Sun Qiang stood by the side, thoroughly confused with the situation. His old master said that he wanted to look for Lord Ling, yet upon arriving, he refused to enter, even stopping him from announcing his arrival. Instead, he chose to sit here to drink tea. What was he up to? "Are you curious why I chose not to enter the room to meet the Lord Ling you spoke of?" Seeing through his thoughts, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly. "Your servant dares not to specte the thoughts of old master!" Even though his thoughts were exposed, Sun Qiang did not dare to confess to it. "Theres no need to be nervous, just say whatever that is on your mind!" Knowing that the other party was just holding himself back due to his identity as a master teacher, Zhang Xuan said. "I... only find it weird... Old master is a master teacher, he would not reject you if you were to demand to meet him..." Sun Qiang couldnt help but say. "If I were to reveal my identity, he would not reject me, and he wouldnt dare to either. However, do you believe that... even without revealing my identity, I can make hime to me on his own ord!" Zhang Xuan said. What a joke! Revealing my own identity to meet a merchant is unbefitting of the status of a master teacher! An astonishing impact could only be achieved if the other party willingly ran over and discovered his identity through various spections. "Without revealing your identity?" Sun Qiang did not think that what Zhang Xuan said was possible. "That should be impossible. Lord Ling is only a merchant, but given how he is able to open such a huge trading firm, he must have a powerful backing. In fact, nobility and influential figures might not even be able to meet him as they please. How can you possibly meet him without revealing your identity?" To be able to open such a huge trading firm in the capital, where every inch ofnd is equivalent to gold, he must be backed by the royal family. Even though he is only a merchant, he isnt a person that we should underestimate. If he revealed his identity, the other party would definitelye knocking. But without doing so... why would he make an effort to wee him? If Lord Ling were that carefree, he wouldnt have been able to build this business empire of his. Even though Sun Qiang was a shop owner of thismercial city, he knew that his standing wasnt sufficient to earn the lords attention. "Hehe!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan lifted his cup with elegance, "Whether you believe me or not, I will make him appear obediently before me today. However, before that, you are to follow my everymand, and not to disobey in the slightest!" "Yes!" Upon witnessing the old masters overwhelming confidence, even though Sun Qiang remained full of doubts, he couldnt help but nod his head and agree to it. "Good. Knock down the head of the stone lion on the left for me." Zhang Xuan said. "What?" Sun Qiang staggered, nearly fainting on the spot. He thought that the old master would think of some incredible n. Yet... this? Lord Ling valued the stone lions, which were worth millions, highly. If he were to knock the head off, his head would be knocked off his neck soon after! "Old master, I dont want to die yet..." Sun Qiang was on the verge of tears. "I am here, you wont die that easily. Rest easy!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands to usher him over. "..." Sun Qiangs mouth twitched. Of course, I wont die that easily, they would get me to pay for it first. How could they let me off so easily by simply just killing me? But... even if they didnt kill me, I would be crippled at the very least. "Why? You dare to disobey the words of your old master?" Zhang Xuan frowned and authority exuded from him. He was already used to being a teacher and now coupled with his slightly withered and yellow face, it brought out an imposing disposition. "I..." "Rest easy, if you knock down the lions head, I will help you break through Fighter 3-dan when we get backter. With me here, there wont be any problems. Not only will that Ling Tianyu not me you, he will even thank you and send you gifts." Knowing that the other party feared that Lord Ling, it was indeed preposterous to have Sun Qiang do such a thing. Thus, Zhang Xuan waved his hand majestically and promised him some benefits first. "Er... Alright!" Upon the promise and recalling the fact that his old master is a master teacher, no matter how incredible Lord Ling was, the lord would probably not dare to be too audacious. After hesitating for another moment longer, Sun Qiang clenched his jaws and hardened his determination. He had been stuck in Fighter 3-dan for too long. He had tried all kinds of methods but to no avail. He thought that he would never be able to take another step forward. Now that an opportunity had presented itself before him, he would do anything to grab hold of it. That was precisely the reason why he didnt hesitate for long when the other party invited him to be his butler. With the determination of a soldier marching to his death, he turned around and walked over to the stone lion by the left. The zhenqi in Sun Qiangs body surged and a powerful aura gushed out from him. Despite looking plump and weak, he possessed incredible strength. The wind rustled alongside his fist and, with incredible might, he hammered straight across! One couldnt be considered as an expert at Zhenqi realm, but he would still possess a strength of 450kg upon reaching pinnacle. Even though this jade lion was made of a resilient material, when the mighty fistnded, it crumbled like fragile ss with a crisp resonance. Kacha! The head of the stone lion that was worth millions fell to the floor and shattered into fragments. Chapter 130: Is Your Family Doing Well? Chapter 130: Is Your Family Doing Well? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove The stone lion had been conspicuous from the very start. Upon being smashed, a ring simr to the resonance of a bell echoed in the air, further attracting the attention of countless other people. "What happened? Did someone smash the lords stone lion? This..." "That fellow... Is he sick?" "Lord Ling considers the stone lions as his treasure and caresses them a few times every day. Yet, he dares to smash it? Who is this? He must be tired of living!" ...... ... The crowd which was strolling in the mall was shocked. Before the utterances ceased, an enforcement team on patrol walked over and upon witnessing the situation before him, fell into a state of disbelief. These two stone lions were highly treasured by Lord Ling Tianyu. In addition to the fact that each of them was worth several million, the pair was uniquemodity that cannot be found on the market. Yet, this fellow smashed it with his fist... The heck, are you that sick of living? "Dont let him get away! Grab him, Lord Ling will reward all those who helped!" After a momentary period of shock, the head enforcer shouted. Aooo! Without any hesitation, the crowd, resembling a pack of wolves, rushed to surround Sun Qiang. They pulled up their sleeves and cracked their knuckles. "So fast?" He didnt expect the enforcers to arrive so quickly. He was blocked before he could return to old masters side. Sun Qiang was terrified and his expression changed, saying in a hurry, "Can I... exin it? Actually..." "There is nothing to exin, beat him up!" "Lets talk after pummeling him!" After several roars, countless fists came raining down on Sun Qiang. To dare to break the stone lion before their eyes, you must be insane! "I..." Looking at the innumerable fists above him, Sun Qiang almost puked a mouthful of blood out of indignance. Old master, didnt you say that it would be alright? So you are a fraudster... Actually, the enforcers couldnt be med for going on a violent frenzy. They were in charge of resolving disputes and protecting the properties and fortunes of the trading firm. The stone lions were Lord Lings favorite object, yet one of it was destroyed before them. If he were to pursue the matter, they would probably all be fired. It would be abnormal if they werent angry instead! "Er?" Zhang Xuan, who was sipping on his tea in wait of Sun Qiangs return, upon realizing that no one came back after such a long time, turned around to take a look and in an instant, his eyes widened. This was too fast! Shouldnt they have reported to Lord Ling before settling the matter? Why did they... start beating him up without first trying to rify the matter? "If I were to head there, I would probably be beaten up as well..." His mouth twitched and Zhang Xuan sat motionless on the spot. What a joke! Even though he wasnt weak at all, it was impossible for him to handle such arge mob! It was best to pretend to not know him at all... "Old master..." Watching his old master avert his gaze, Sun Qiang, who was being frenziedly pummeled on the moment, was on the verge of tears. Old master, didnt you confidently im that I would be alright? "Hold it right there!" Just as the patrolling enforcers were getting satisfied hitting Sun Qiang, a loud bellow reverberated and a dignified middle-aged man walked over withrge strides. Upon reaching the entrance and noticing the stone lion shattered on the floor, the corners of his mouth twitched. It was apparent that his heart ached at the sight. The head of Tianyu Trading Firm, Ling Tianyu! After the lion was destroyed, someone had rushed to inform him. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to appear that quickly. "What happened?" Ling Tianyu nced coldly at the enforcers. "Lord Ling, we were patrolling when this arrogant man here destroyed lords lion in a single strike. After which, he tried to escape, but we managed to grab hold of him..." The head enforcer stepped forward and quickly exined. "Him?" Killing intent appeared in Ling Tianyus gaze as he stepped toward Sun Qiang. At this point, Sun Qiang had already suffered innumerable blows and his clothes were in tatters. It was fortunate that he had managed to protect his face. "Sun Qiang?" Ling Tianyu recognized him and with a cold voice, he said, "If you dont give me a good reason, I will dump you into the river to feed the fishes right now!" "I..." He shivered in fear involuntarily. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth, "It was my old master who made me smash it!" "Your old master? When did you start serving someone?" Ling Tianyu was taken aback. As the boss of a trading firm, he didnt have the leisure to bother about the affairs of insignificant figures. Even though Sun Qiang created an uproar when he sold his shop yesterday, it wasnt sufficiently important for someone of his identity to bother himself with. "I met my old master yesterday, my old master is the person sitting over there!" Sun Qiang pointed. "Un?" Ling Tianyu frowned. Looking over, he saw Zhang Xuan sitting with his back faced to them and he was slowly sipping on his tea, indifferent to themotion going on here. "Old master!" Upon given a chance to exin that it was his old master who made him do it, Sun Qiang heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to Zhang Xuan. "Were you the one who ordered him to smash my stone lion?" Walking over to him, Ling Tianyu frowned and red coldly at Zhang Xuan. As though oblivious to his presence and words, Zhang Xuan continued sipping on his tea, clearly disrespecting this Lord Ling. "Audacious!" "How dare you refuse to answer Lord Lings words, you are seeking death!" "To have ordered his subordinate to break lords stone lion, this fellow is in for a ride of misfortune..." ...... ... Upon seeing the fellow ignore Lord Lings question, not even standing up to face him, the enforcers became furious and swore at him. Where did this fellowe from? This wasnt the ce for you to be masquerading! To be acting so arrogantly, did you think that we dare not kill you? "May I know sirs name? Why did you order your subordinate to smash my stone lion?" Ling Tianyu was a worldly person who had seen the world. He waved his arm to stop everyones criticisms. "Sit!" Zhang Xuan continued to sip on his tea, not even lifting his eyelid to look at Ling Tianyu. Sun Qiang hurriedly ran over to fill an empty teacup. Upon seeing his actions, Ling Tianyus rage flurried once more and his face darkened to a fearsome point. The other partys actions indicated the level of respect he had for him. He was allowed to drink tea alongside him, but wasnt worthy of having the other party to pour tea for him! He had built this giant Tianyu Trading Firm from scratch and became a powerful figure in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even prime ministers and wangye had to regard him as a peer, not daring to act haughtily before him. To treat a person of his standing in this manner, that fellow was way too arrogant! However, the more it was like that, the harder he tried to suppress his anger. Since the other party dared to do so despite knowing his identity, he must have some background. If he wasnt even able to keep his temper in check, he would have never been able to build Tianyu Trading Firm to its current size. "I wish to hear a rational exnation!" His eyes narrowed as he took a seat opposite to him. Zhang Xuan remained impassive to his questions and continued drinking his tea calmly, as though the other persons rage was invisible to him. The tea was scalding hot and he sipped on it for an entire minute. Just as the other party was about to lose his patience and Sun Qiang was about to wet himself did he slowly put down his cup, raise his head and look at Ling Tianyu. He looked to be in his forties and his pitch-ck eyes gave him a dignified disposition. Judging solely by his appearance, it was clear that he was a person who had great achievements. Without saying a word, Zhang Xuan gestured to Sun Qiang. "Old master, this person is the head of the trading firm, Lord Ling Tianyu!" How could Sun Qiang not understand the meaning behind Zhang Xuan gesture? He quickly stepped forward to introduce the other party. "Oh!" Zhang Xuan answered. Then, he picked up the teapot and slowly poured tea into the cup, "Ling Tianyu..." "Is your family doing well?" Chapter 131: Master Cheng Yuan Chapter 131: Master Cheng Yuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Silence! The mall that was bustling just moments ago turnedpletely silent. Is this for real? Am I hearing things? This fellow not only smashed Lord Lings stone lion but also cursed his entire family? Isnt he way too daring... Sun Qiang staggered and he was barely able to keep himself from running away. Old master, you are a master teacher! Are you intentionally trying to do me in? Lord Ling does not know you, so you can simply turn around to leave. However, all of my family members live in Tianxuan Kingdom... "What did you say?" He had already been suppressing his rage. Upon hearing such words from the other party, Ling Tianyu almost exploded. We dont know each other, yet you proceeded directly to curse my entire family. This isnt a just provocation anymore but an obvious attempt to insult me, to humiliate me! "Oh? Didnt get my words? Then Ill phrase it in another way then. Are the physical conditions of your family members still alright?" Even though the other party looked as though he was about to explode at any moment, Zhang Xuan remained impassive. "Theres no need for you to bother about whether my family is doing well or not!" A cold gleam shed through Ling Tianyus eyes and it appeared that he would burst at any moment. "Theres no need for me to bother? I was thinking that saving a life would bring me good karma but since you dont need it, lets just forget it then!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "What... do you mean?" "Nothing!" Zhang Xuan gulped the tea down. "Southern Green Jade is truly a good material. Not only is it beautiful, it can boost ones blood cirction and soothe ones meridians if carried frequently. However... The matter ispletely different for Southern Blood Jade." "This material devours ones vitality as nourishment to evolve into a Jade Spirit. Your cultivation has reached Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm primary stage and given your rich zhenqi and powerful physical body, theres no need for you to fear. However, the same cannot be said about your family. If Im not wrong, youing into contact with it daily could bring its aura back home. Most probably, someone at home is already ill down to the bones and is on the verge of death." "Alright, Xiao Qiang, lets leave!" Finishing his words, Zhang Xuan put down his cup, tidied his appearance and stood up. Ignoring the other party, he slowly strolled from the mall with his hands behind him. Sun Qiang hurriedly followed behind him. He looked around in fear that someone would beat him up once more. "Sir, please wait a moment..." Just when everyone thought that Ling Tianyu would stop that arrogant man to chastise him and teach him a lesson, they witnessed his towering figure tremble faintly as he shouted out hastily. Zhang Xuan stopped. "Sir, are you saying that... the stone lion isnt made of Southern Green Jade but... Southern Blood Jade? Yu Rou... Yu Rous illness is because of this?" With a pale face, Ling Tianyu asked. Most people knew that he was a billionaire and even officials had to treat him with respect. However, only he himself knew that after withstanding half a year of undting anxiety, he was about to copse. Yu Rou was his wife. When he was poor and struggling to make a living, this virtuous wife of his would always starve so that he could have another bite, iming that she had eaten outside. Later, his business gradually grew bigger and his cultivation realm rose rapidly. However, he knew very well that without her, he would be an unwanted pile of bones in the wilderness right now. That was precisely why despite his fortune, he didnt phnder outside and instead, stayed dedicated to this wife who had apanied him through thick and thin. Yet, the heavens are unpredictable. Half a year ago, she was suddenly afflicted with a severe illness. She could only lie weakly on the bed and now it is possible for her to pass away at any moment. He searched the entire Tianxuan Kingdom for physicians, even inviting Master Yuanyu to diagnose her condition. Yet, all of them ended up with the same conclusion, that the illness had prated deep into her bones and all she can do is to wait for death. Especially in the past few days, she seemed to be unable to hold on any longer and could really stop breathing at any moment. He had been keeping vigil by her side ever since she fell ill. It was due to important matters to settle at the trading firm that he had no choice but toe. With the issue with his wife, he was already feeling irritable. Upon hearing that a stone lion had been destroyed by someone for no apparent reason, he rushed here in a rage, losing the calm that a sessful businessman should possess. He thought that the other party was simply causing trouble. He didnt expect that he would say such words. To be able to tell that his family member is sick... Saying that the stone lion is not made of Southern Green Jade but Blood Jade... "Your wife should be an ordinary human with a cultivation realm of at maximum Fighter 2-dan, am I right?" Zhang Xuan said impassively without turning around. "How... How did you know that Yu Rou is my wife? Furthermore, how do you know her cultivation realm?" Ling Tianyu was astonished once more. He had only mentioned Yu Rou but the other party knew that she was his wife immediately, even able to point out her cultivation realm instantly. His judgment was simply too urate. "The Southern Blood Jade devours ones vitality to nourish itself and those who are Fighter 2-dan and below do not possess any resistance against it. If they were to be afflicted with it, their body functions would rapidly deteriorate, hair would turn white, the skin would loosen and speech would be indistinct... They wont be able to live beyond half a year!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "This..." Ling Tianyus eyes narrowed. The other partys description fitted the symptoms of his wife perfectly. "I was just passing by when I saw this thing. In order to prevent it from bringing harm to anyone, I ordered my butler to crush it. If Lord Ling found my action rash and inappropriate, I will have my people sendpensation over tomorrow!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand, unwilling to say anymore. His tone was neither happy nor sorrowful and he didnt seem to be furious due to the other partys misunderstanding. Just that, his tone was bleak, "I believe that with Lord Lings ability, you should be able to find my residence, so I doubt that you need to fear me escaping!" At this point, he simply walked away. "Old master..." Seeing that his old master was leaving right after saying a few words, Sun Qiang was dazed for a moment before hurriedly chasing him. "Lord, do we need to stop them?!" Seeing that the two of them were about to disappear into the horizon, the head enforcer walked over and asked. "Theres no need!" Ling Tianyu stood rooted to his spot. His expression changed rapidly, paling in one moment and turning green in the other. It was unclear what went through his head. He was a merchant, unlike the innocent teachers and students, Zhang Xuan had met before who easily believed in others. After going through innumerable ordeals, he no longer believed in anyone that easily. Even though the middle-aged man who popped out of nowhere was spot on with his words and left him surprised, he didnt charge forward with agitation to stop him. After all, he had consulted many physicians about his wifes illness and it was easy for one to look into the matter. "Get Master Cheng Yuan here!" Master Cheng Yuan was the appraiser in Tianyu Trading Firm. Even though he wasnt yet an official appraiser, he was a true high-level apprentice appraiser who was much more capable than a fraud like Yang Mo. Most of the treasures bought by the trading firm had to be appraised by him beforehand. It didnt take long for Master Cheng Yuan to appear. "Brother Ling, for you to request for my presence so urgently, is there something wrong?" As a high-level apprentice appraiser, even Ling Tianyu could only be considered of equal standing to him. "Please help me to check whether this stone lion is made of Southern Green Jade or Blood Jade!" Ling Tianyu pointed to the fragmented stone lion on the floor. "I have already appraised it, it is Southern Green Jade!" Stroking his beard, Master Cheng Yuan chuckled. Naturally, this sculpture had to have been appraised by him beforehand before it could be brought here. At which, he walked forward and lowered his head to look at the fragments of the stone lion. His eyes instantaneously narrowed and he staggered backward, "This... This... How is this possible?" Chapter 132: The Proud Sun Qiang Chapter 132: The Proud Sun Qiang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Whats wrong?" Upon seeing the abrupt change in expression on Master Cheng Yuan, Ling Tianyu lowered his head hurriedly to look at the fragmented stone lion as well. At the section where the jade split apart, blood-colored lines could be noticed. Under the reflection of light in the surroundings, it looked exceptionally savage and terrifying. As the lines were within the jade and the Southern Green Jade wasnt transparent, it was impossible to see it without smashing the lion apart. "Is it really Southern Blood Jade?" His face darkened. Even without Master Cheng Yuans reply, he knew that it was impossible for this object to be Southern Green Jade! He sent a palm down at the stone lion. Kacha! The remaining body of the stone lion was blown into smithereens and scattered all over the ground. Casually picking up a piece, he saw blood-colored lines on it. "It is Southern Blood Jade, my judgment was off!" Upon seeing the blood-colored lines densely filling the surface of the jade, Master Cheng Yuan looked as though he had aged ten years in an instant. He was extremely confident in his discernment abilities. That was precisely the reason why he possessed an exceptional standing in the trading firm, bing brothers with Ling Tianyu even. Yet, to think that he appraised thergest and most valuable object in the trading firm erroneously. "These lines were all concealed within the jade, to the point that one was unable to see it from the outside. Probably even the craftsman sculpting it wasnt aware. It wouldnt be weird for you to appraise it as such!" Ling Tianyu didnt me the other party. Instead, he turned to look at him and asked, "Right now, I would only like to know if the Southern Blood Jade can really devour ones vitality?" "I have read about the Blood Jade in the books and even though I havent seen it for myself, that was how it was stated in the legends." Master Cheng Yuan nodded his head. "So its real..." Ling Tianyus face paled once more. He lifted his head to look at the head enforcer, "Do you know who Sun Qiangs old master is?" "Im not sure!" The head enforcer shook his head. Then, he suddenly recalled something, "Oh, right... Yesterday, Sun Qiang made an uproar while selling his shop and said that he was going to serve a... passing master teacher. We all thought that he was bragging and weughed for quite awhile afterward. How could a master teacher possibly allow someone like him to wait on him..." "Master teacher?" Ling Tianyu staggered backward. He felt his kneecap weaken and he nearly fell to the ground. At this moment, he felt so regretful that he could knock his head against the wall. The other party was a master teacher? It was no wonder he was able to keep his calm upon seeing him and identify the material as Southern Blood Jade when Master Cheng Yuan wasnt able to, even urately listing the symptoms of his wife... Yet, he didnt believe the other party and hesitated to ask him for help. This hesitation had caused him to miss out on a chance in befriending a master teacher and saving his wife. "Lord..." Upon seeing the expression on the lord, the head enforcer seemed to havee to a realization. His face changed, "That old master... a moment ago, it cant be that he is a master teacher?" "He must be!" Upon recovering, Ling Tianyu hurriedlymanded, "Hurry up and look into where they are living. Prepare the carriage, I will visit him now." He had missed out on the opportunity once, he couldnt let it pass him by the second time. "Yes!" Upon hearing that the middle-aged man from before was a master teacher, all of their faces paled from fright. They carried out their orders with great haste. There wasnt a single master in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even the Guild Leader Huang from the Teacher Guild was only a high-level apprentice master teacher. To think that a master teacher would pass by them and that they would be unable to identify him, even almost attempting to batter him... Just with such a thought in their mind, cold sweat streamed down their backs and they felt that they could faint any moment. Before leaving yesterday, Sun Qiang had emphasized on where he was going to live, so it wasnt hard for them to find their residence. "Lets go!" Knowing the residence of the other party, Ling Tianyu immediately headed out without any hesitation. .............................. "Old master, where are we going?" Sun Qiang was drenched in cold sweat walking out of Tianyu Trading Firm. Only upon seeing no one obstruct their departure did he heave a sigh of relief. After he had finally calmed down, he couldnt help but ask his old master. "Were returning!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Just like that?" Sun Qiang was perplexed. When the old master first headed out, he said that he wanted to look for Lord Ling. Initially, he thought that he would be discussing something with him. Instead, all they did was to go there, destroy the stone lion that the other party treasured, say a few words and leave... He found the situation a little inconceivable and he was unable to make sense of it. "Un!" Zhang Xuan didnt bother exining it to him. Their residence wasnt too far away from the trading firm. It didnt take long for them to return. "Its alreadyte and I want to rest. Regardless of whoes over, block them at the door and deny them entry!" Upon returning back to his room, Zhang Xuanmanded. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded his head despite having some objections deep within. No one came despite waiting for an entire day. Now that the sun had set, who woulde? Departing from Zhang Xuans room, Sun Qiang was about to find a ce to treat the wounds from the beating, which he suffered previously, when he saw the guards rushing toward him. "Brother Qiang, there is someone seeking an audience!" The guard said. "Seek an audience? Who?" Not expecting that anyone woulde knocking, Sun Qiang was taken aback. "It is... Lord Ling!" The guard replied. "Lord Ling? You mean Ling Tianyu?" Sun Qiang shuddered and almost fell to the ground. When the old master mentioned someoneing over, he didnt take it for real. To think that it would be true, not to mention... It was Lord Ling Tianyu whom they just met! Could it be that he could no longer wait and wanted to demandpensation for the stone lions today? "Hurry up and wee him, I will call old master over..." After saying so, he suddenly recalled Zhang Xuansmand and his body froze, Wait!" Old master had just said that regardless of who it was, block them at the door and deny them entry. It was clear that he knew Lord Ling woulde. His intentions were also clear... He refused to meet him! Refusing Lord Lings audience? If it was on any other asions, Sun Qiang wouldnt dare to do so even if he had ten times his guts. In the past, he was always the one crying for an audience, only to be ignored. This time, the other party was taking the initiative toe over to meet his old master... Should he bring him in or refuse his request? The heck, the worst that could happen was death. Just listen to old mastersmands! Gritting his teeth, he came to a decision and said. "I will follow you to the gates!" Since he was already beaten up and he had offended the other party, regardless of what intentions the other party had visiting the mansion, he could only obey old mastersmands to the very end. Soon, he arrived at the entrance. As expected, he saw the imposing Lord Ling standing at the gates with Master Cheng Yuan behind him. Upon seeing him, the two smiled delightfully, "Brother Sun, may I trouble you to tell your old master that Ling Tianyu seeks an audience?" "Brother... Sun?" He had prepared himself to face an angry Ling Tianyu pursuing the matter of the smashed lion and demandingpensation. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party would treat him with such an amiable attitude. Sun Qiang couldnt help but be dumbfounded. As a small merchant who had a store in themercial city, he had to live subserviently. Any single enforcer could simply walk up to him and demand money from him... When did he gain the honor of having Ling Tianyu address him as Brother Sun? In the past, even if he were to kneel before the other party, the other party probably wouldnt spare him an additional nce! In an instant, he felt a surge of heat through his heart, his face turned red and his body felt light as though he were floating in the air. Exultation! Yes, this is exultation! Chapter 133: Shut Outside Chapter 133: Shut Outside Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Seemed like Ling Tianyu became aware of the fact that the old master was a master teacher, thats why he rushed here. As such, his own standing rose as well. However, that was to be expected. After all, he became the butler of a master teacher, a figure whom even the prime minister of the kingdom had to fawn up to. No matter how impressive Ling Tianyu was, he was just a merchant. What was there to fear about him? With such thoughts, all of Sun Qiangs fears disappeared. He straightened his back and with a haughty aura, he said, "Im sorry but the old master has already slept. He gave clear orders that he would not meet anyone. My apologies, but Lord Ling has made a wasted trip." Exhrating! It was simply too exhrating! All along in the past, he had always spoken to Lord Ling with subservience, not daring to say anything excessive and, less to say, to reject him. Not even to mention, to be able to do it so brazenly and openly? "Asleep?" The corner of Ling Tianyus mouth twitched. He hade chasing after them just a short moment after they had left. There was at maximum a three to five-minute dy between them, and he had fallen asleep within such a short period of time... Who were you fooling? Looks like he had really offended this master teacher and that he was infuriated with him! To offend a master teacher... Putting aside the fact that he was just a merchant, even Tianxuan Kingdoms Emperor Shen Zhui would be unable to survive his wrath. Besides, his wife is on the verge of death now. Since this master teacher was able to tell the symptoms of her illness without even diagnosing her, he had to have a solution. No matter what, he mustnt give up. Thus, Ling Tianyu began to speak with prudence, "My subordinates had acted rashly, causing Brother Sun to be wounded. Here is some medicine that is highly effective for healing injuries. These too. I dont mean anything, I just hope that Brother Sun can help me convey my request..." At which, he retrieved a jade bottle and a stack of notes. Sun Qiang didnt attempt to receive the gifts and instead, lowered his head to take a look, squinting his eyes involuntarily. As a merchant, exploring themercial city was a daily affair and hence, he had a decent eye for goods. The pills inside the jade bottle were called Wound Restoration Pill and it was a truly divine medicine for treating wounds. This was a treasure that only official apothecaries of the Apothecary Guild could forge and every single pill was worth over ten thousand gold coins. Yet, the other party gifted him an entire bottle... Most importantly... The notes in the other partys hands were in denominations of five thousand and there was a total of twenty to thirty of them. That was to say, just for reporting his presence to the old master, he had made over hundred thousand gold coins! The heck! Was there a need to be so generous? However, even though he was astonished, he knew that the reason for the other partys attitude and gifts were out of respect for his old master. It pretty much had nothing to do with him. If he were to ept them and the old master were to get angry, like bubbles, everything would burst and disappear into thin air. As such, he gritted his teeth and replied, "Im sorry, but please show some self-respect! The old master has already personally ordered that he wouldnt meet anyone so there isnt anything I can do. If the lord really wants to pay a visit, I think you can try again tomorrow!" Suppressing the ache in his heart, he gestured grandly, seemingly contemptuous of the other partys action of trying to bribe him. There was no other way. From today onward, he would be the butler of a master teacher and his standing would be different from what it used to be. As such, he should adopt befitting mannerisms. He must also learn to act suave! If he were to be bribed by this small amount of money and just a few pills, how would the others look upon him? "Tomorrow?" Ling Tianyu had an awful expression. It was unsure whether his wife could survive through the night. If he were to really wait until the next day, perhaps only a corpse would be left. "I plead Brother Sun to help me. I really have urgent matters to seek your old master." Ling Tianyu took out another stack of bills and pushed it over with an expression full of sincerity. "Im sorry, but theres genuinely nothing I can do." Seeing how much money the other party took out, Sun Qiang found himself on the verge of caving in. Thus, he waved his hand and walked back in, "Close the doors!" After which, he walked into the courtyard Jiya! The doors closed. "Brother Sun..." Ling Tianyu shouted hurriedly. Even though he was Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm while the guards were only Pigu realm, he dared not to barge in. "Brother Ling..." Master Cheng Yuan was at a loss for words. "Sigh, its my fault. If I had stopped the master just now, things wouldnt have ended up like this." Even though the other party shut the doors on him, Ling Tianyu didnt get angry. Instead, he only sighed and shook his head. If anyone were to be med, it would be he himself. He insisted on verifying the other partys identity, incurring the displeasure of the master teacher. In a way, he brought this all upon himself. "Then, what should we do now?" Master Cheng Yuan asked. "Ill wait! Even if it takes an entire night, Ill wait! I have already missed the opportunity once, I dont want to miss it a second time!" Determination was reflected in Ling Tianyus eyes. It was precisely because of his will of steel that he was able to be such a powerful tycoon from a nameless poor kid. Besides, if doing this could save his wife, he was willing to wait here as long as it takes for the other partys anger to be appeased. In fact, even if it were Shen Zhui, the emperor wouldnt utter a single word ofint if he was hindered at the door. Master teachers had the capability and standing to do so. .......................................... "Did I really just shut the doors on him?" Walking into the courtyard, Sun Qiang still felt as though he was dreaming. His entire body felt light. Who was the person outside? Ling Tianyu! Even if he wasnt the richest person in Tianxuan Royal City, he wasnt far from it. He was undisputedly a true billionaire. Even a prime minister or powerful official would rush to wee him when he came to visit, keeping their haughtiness in check. Yet, he kept him outside the doors... Just the thought of it felt unreal. Yet, not only did he do so, the other party didnt even dare to show a hint of dissatisfaction toward his actions. Given how he was able to shut the gates on such a person, did it mean that his position will simply grow higher and higher, eventually bing an esteemed person in Tianxuan Royal City? It seemed like abandoning his store to serve as the butler was the wisest decision that he made in his entire life. "This is... a true master teacher!" At this very moment, every single hint of doubt on his old masters identity vanished. Previously, when the other party said that he was a master teacher, he remained a little doubtful of his identity. However, witnessing how respectful Lord Ling behaved, he understood that it was true. Only a true master teacher had such charisma and means. Arent you formidable? So what if youre formidable? Before a master teacher, everyone else is trash. "Lets go look for old master!" After indulging in his glee for a moment, Sun Qiang proceed toward the main hall once again. He saw that the light inside the room had not been extinguished and the old master sat quietly, yet to turn in for the night. "Old master, Ling Tianyu came." Stepping forward, he sped his hand respectfully. "Un!" Zhang Xuan replied casually, not paying much heed to it. "He wants to... meet you..." After a moment of hesitation, Sun Qiang couldnt resist speaking of the affair. "Lets talk tomorrow. If he cant even wait a single night, tell him that he doesnt need toe anymore." Zhang Xuan said calmly. After touching the stone lion, he knew that the material wasnt Southern Green Jade and naturally, he knew of its dangers. The Library of Heavens Path did not disy the method to resolving the issue, but it did describe the symptoms an ordinary person would face when their vitality had been sapped by the blood jade. For the time being, his wife was still safe. Since that was the case, it wasnt a big deal for the other party to be waiting outside for awhile. With this billionaire waiting outside his mansion, his reputation would soon spread far and wide. He had no choice but to do so to earn twenty million in nine days. "Alright!" Sun Qiang nodded his head and departed from the room. Chapter 134: The Doubtful Du Yuan Chapter 134: The Doubtful Du Yuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Ignoring Ling Tianyu who was waiting outside, Zhang Xuan continued to work on opening his Pixue realm acupoints. After toiling for the entire night, he opened another thirty acupoints in one go. In total, he had already opened more than fifty acupoints. His zhenqi strength had also reached 70 ding. Along with the 90 ding from his physical body, he could wield up to a total of 160 ding of strength with ease. Putting aside Pixue pinnacle experts, he would be able to match up to even Tongxuan realm experts easily. In the Tongxuan realm, one opened the most important Tongxuan Meridian in their body, unleashing the bodys true might. At the primary stage, one would possess 100 ding of strength. At the intermediate stage, 200 ding and in such a manner, reaching the pinnacle of the Tongxuan realm, one would possess 400 ding. Currently, Zhang Xuan wielded 160 ding of strength in total, which is slightly stronger than a Tongxuan realm primary stage. It was unimaginable for a Pixue realm to possess such strength; it would definitely cause an uproar if word were to spread out. Everyone knew that there was an immeasurable difference between the Pixue realm and the Tongxuan realm. In the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, there probably wasnt another person like Zhang Xuan. After stretching his back, Zhang Xuan pushed open the door and walked out. "Old master, Lord Ling had already been waiting outside for an entire night." Sun Qiang walked over. "An entire night?" He was so engrossed in training that he forgot about that fellow. "Then..." Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on his forehead, seemingly thinking about something. Based on the old masters attitude, Sun Qiang thought that he was going to let Lord Ling in and stared expectantly at him. Then, he heard the indifferent words of the other party, "I think... Ill eat first!" Sun Qiang staggered and fell to the floor. The head of Tianyu Merchant Firm, a billionaire, had waited outside an entire night, yet his master wanted to eat first... However, as a subordinate, he dare not criticize his masters actions, quickly getting the servants to prepare the meal. To speak with honesty, the servants and maids hired by Sun Qiang were impressive. They prepared quite a huge spread that also tasted good. After finishing his breakfast, Zhang Xuan strolled around the courtyard. Looking at the morning sky and gauging that it had reached ten, he finally got Sun Qiang to open the gates. ........................ Du Yuan was the young master of Du n, which was one of the Four Great ns of the Tianxuan Kingdom. All along, he had been a unambitious profligate, an iparable yboy. Usually, all he would do was to walk his dog, y with his birds and hang out in red light districts. He was already twenty-four, but he was only in Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm. Among the scions, he could be considered as trash among the trash. However, it was not because he wanted it to be so, it was because he had no choice on the matter! Initially, his father was the most suitable candidate to be the n head. However, for some reason, he contracted a major illness a decade ago, causing his meridians to be damaged and his acupoints to be blocked. His prowess plunged from being a Pixue realm expert all the way to a mere cripple. Hispetitors took advantage of this opportunity and oppressed his sessor. Du Yuan had inherited his fathers talents, also possessing thewful rights to vie with the others. However, after a decade of oppression, his fathers influence had weakened and if he were to disy his talents at such a moment, he would definitely evoke further acts of repression. Helpless, he could only y the role of an unambitious scion and live aimlessly day after day. When he woke up today, the sun was already hanging high in the skies. Only then did he lead his beloved canine out of the door to linger the streets. "Un? Isnt that... Lord Ling Tianyu of Tianyu Merchant Firm?" He stopped his footsteps abruptly. A familiar figure had appeared before him. Ling Tianyu was one of the few truly powerful figures in Tianxuan Royal City, possessing massive wealth and that very few dared to offend him. Although Du Yuan was a dandy, he still was a member of the Four Great ns. As such, he came into contact with the upper echelons in the city on a regr basis. This Ling Tianyu had an extensive business rtionship with his Du n and he had met him several times. This person was of equal standing to his grandfather, why would he... be standing beside the road? Not to mention, he was soaked in dew and looked like a mess. It was as though he hadnt returned for the night. "Whose mansion is this?" Soon, he noticed what was wrong about the situation. This Lord Ling Tianyu seemed to be waiting outside a mansion for the owner to open his gates. He often loitered on this street and knew this mansion had been empty for a very long time. Besides, even if someone resided within, what kind of identity did he possess to be able to make Lord Ling wait out here? "Ive heard that Lord Ling had been waiting here since thest night!" "Indeed, Ive seen it for myself as well! It seems like Lord Ling wants to meet the owner of the mansion, but the other party simply ignored him. A butler came out and told him that he could either continue waiting here or to nevere back..." "The heck, are you serious? Who is he? To make Lord Ling Tianyu wait for an entire night? Furthermore, with such arrogance?" "Ive no idea as well... Thus, I came here early in the morning to take a look. To think that he really waited for an entire night..." ...... ... Just as he was perplexed over the matter, he heard the conversation that went on from afar. "Waited for an entire night?" Du Yuan gasped. Only those who hade into contact with the upper echelons would know exactly how powerful Ling Tianyu was. Although he was a mere businessman, he was well-acquainted with the n heads of the Four Great ns, as well as the nobles and the royal family. Every year, he would donate a substantial sum to the national treasury. Even Emperor Shen Zhui treated him as a money tree and dared not to offend him. For a person of such status to wait outside anothers gates for an entire night... If he hadnt witnessed it personally, he would have never believed such rumors. Are you for real? Who is the owner of the mansion, to be capable of such incredible feat? "Do you all know who the owner of the mansion is? Du Yuan couldnt help but approach the few chatting onlookers. "Ive no idea. He seemed to have just moved in yesterday!" "He caused quite amotion. Right after moving in, he recruited dozens of guards, servants, and maids!" "I have seen the owner of the mansion. He seemed to be a middle-aged man in his forties and his face is slightly yellowed and emaciated. I have never met him previously!" A few who knew the details spoke. "Middle-aged man? Recruited dozens of guards and servants?" Du Yuan was even more perplexed after listening to their words. "Look, the gates are opening..." At this moment, the firmly shut gates opened slowly. Jiyaaa! A plump man walked out. "Sun Qiang?" Du Yuan recognized the plump man. This fellow ran a realtor agency in the Tianyu Merchant Firm. Back then, he visited his agency to look for a residence for his lover. After the other party knew of his identity, he assumed a subservient attitude immediately. He was a typical streetwise vendor. Why is this fellow here? Could he be a servant here? Just as he was pondering, he saw Sun Qiang gesture grandly, "Lord Ling, our old master invites you in!" His voice was devoid of courtesy, as though he didnt think much of the other party at all. A small vendor of the Tianyu Merchant Firm actually dared to speak to his big boss like this? Du Yuan thought that Ling Tianyu would get angry, but contrary to his expectations, not only was he not enraged, gratitude even appeared on his face. He stepped forward and stuffed a bunch of items into the other partys hands, "Thank you Brother Sun for your help. Here are some tokens of my appreciation, hold on to them first. I will definitely send a generous gift in the future!" "Ah?" Du Yuans eyeballs were about to fall out of his sockets. The heck... Can anyone tell me what was going on? What he had just seen waspletely iprehensible to him. He felt as though the entire world had gone wrong. Chapter 135: Matter of Minutes Chapter 135: Matter of Minutes Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "I didnt know that master was trying to offer me guidance and acted inappropriately before you. I seek your forgiveness!" Upon entering and noticing Zhang Xuan who was seated at the center of the room, Ling Tianyu felt slightly apprehensive. His attitude towards this master teacher yesterday was indeed inhospitable, even doubting the goodwill the master demonstrated. It was already a blessing that the other party was willing to allow him entry. "Theres nothing for me to forgive!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Im not that petty!" Sun Qiangs eyes widened. You left the other party outside for an entire night to be drenched in dew, only allowing him entry after consuming your breakfast slowly. You call that not being petty? "Yes, yes!" Ling Tiangyus face flushed. He was about to continue speaking when Zhang Xuan extended out his palm and looked at him calmly. "Do you know why I had you wait outside for an entire night?" "I..." Awkwardness showed on Ling Tianyus face. Isnt it because you feel that I had slighted you, so you wanted to put me in my ce? I admit my mistake, alright? "Do you think that I am purposely making things difficult for you?" Zhang Xuan looked over. "No, of course not!" Ling Tianyu shook his head hurriedly. "Theres no need for you to deny it. It is normal that you would think so!" Zhang Xuan didnt seem to be angry. Instead, he said earnestly, "Actually, it is for your own good that I had you wait outside for an entire night!" "For my own good?" This time, not only was Ling Tianyu perplexed by his words, a bizarre expression had also emerged on Sun Qiangs face. Making someone wait at the door was for his own good? What kind of theory is this? "If Im not wrong, your wife should be severely ill and is on the verge of death, and the reason why you are looking for me is for me to save her." Zhang Xuan gazed at Ling Tianyu. "Yes!" Upon hearing the other party mention his motives, Ling Tianyu jolted. "If you want me to save her, you would have to bring her over to me. However, you hade into contact with the Southern Blood Jade yesterday and the vitality-consuming aura was still lingering in your body. If I were to agree and you hade into contact with her once more, she probably would have died before you managed to get her here." Zhang Xuan sighed and continued on, "Thus, I had you wait outside for an entire night so that you can cleanse yourself of that aura. At the same time, you wouldnt hurry home, thus preventing a catastrophe from happening. Of course, if you refused to listen to my words and left, your wife would have died and you wouldnt have toe back. Even a master teacher didnt possess the ability to resurrect the dead." After hearing these words, Ling Tianyus expression changed and he began to ooze cold sweat. In actual fact, he was raging within as a result of the other partys actions of making him wait outside for the entire night. Even though he didnt dare to speak of it, he had felt great displeasure. A master teacher wasnt just about the strength he holds and his ability to guide others, he should be magnanimous as well. In his view, this master teacher was trying to humiliate him on purpose. After hearing those words did he realize that... He was truly mistaken. The other party truly had his intentions at heart. Despite treating the other party so insolently, he still paid such careful heed to his matter... Truly the disposition of a master teacher, impressive! He felt like a hypocrite for doubting the intentions of a gentleman. While he felt gratitude toward the other party, relief surged through him as well. It was fortunate that he had managed to hold on yesterday. Otherwise, if he had returned back home, he would have truly regretted his actions for life. Sun Qiang, who was still standing by the side, had his eyes opened wide with astonishment. As expected of a master teacher, every single move of the old master was profound. He thought that the old master was intentionally trying to humiliate the other party. Only now did he realize that the thoughts of the old master werent something a person like him could fathom. "Thank you, master!" Ling Tianyu bowed deeply. "Send someone to bring her over to me so that I can take a look. If she is too ill, even I might be unable to do anything about it." Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Ling Tianyus eyes reddened in agitation. He hurriedly took his leave alongside Master Cheng Yuan. After the two of them left, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Sun Qiang. "Xiao Qiang, I have promised you to help you to help you break into Fighter 4-dan and I do not renege on my words. Execute a punching routine so that I can see your condition!" "Yes, old master!" Hearing that the old master was going to help him break through, Sun Qiang nodded his head in excitement. Soon, hepleted the entire punching routine. However, not only wasnt Sun Qiang pleased by it, he was even slightly embarrassed. "Old master, I was injured yesterday... My body has been weakened significantly and I might not be in the condition to break into Pigu realm today..." To achieve a breakthrough in realm, one would have to be in tip-top condition. Yesterday, Sun Qiang was beaten up and he sustained quite a few injuries on his body. No matter how incredible the old master was, it was unlikely for him to break through his current realm in such a state. He hadnt really noticed it before, but the moment he started executing his punching routine, he felt an aching pain all over his body and his zhenqi didnt flow as fluidly as it usually did. "Dont worry!" Zhang Xuan interrupted him with a smile. "The reason why you have been stuck at the Zhenqi realm for so long was because the zhenqi you had cultivated was too impure. As such, it was unable to pass through your meridians to nourish your body. In such a state, ones zhenqi might even stagnate. Putting aside being unable to achieve a breakthrough, ones strength might even deteriorate." "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded his head. In the past two years, he felt that his stamina had been on a decline and that his realm was slowly deteriorating as well. If not for him persistently cultivating to remain at his current realm, he might have even fallen to Zhenqi primary stage. "At Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm, ones zhenqi would surge through ones body and nourish ones flesh and bones. Usually, it would be difficult for your impure zhenqi to surge through your entire body. However, the current situation is different. After yesterdays beating, your body was damaged, causing the stagnated zhenqi from before to be jolted back into action. At the same time, the blocked passageways of your meridians had been cleared significantly..." "Old master... had others beat me up... for my own good?" Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Sun Qiangs body shuddered due to intense emotions and tears of gratitude streamed down his face. Old master had Ling Tianyu wait at his doorstep for his own good. Initially, I thought that it was a mistake on his part that I was beaten up but... To think that it was for my own good as well! Yet, I mistook his kind intentions... "Huh?" Seeing tears streaming down the face of his plump butler, Zhang Xuan was confused. I just wanted to say that your injury does not affect your training, why... What were you thinking of? Did you brain spasm... However, this is good as well. All the more, this can help to build my prestige as a master teacher... "Cough cough!" Zhang Xuan coughed and said, "Indeed. At the very least, my efforts werent in vain since you were able to understand them. Alright, put these aside, if Im not wrong, Ling Tianyu should have given you medicine to cure your wounds!" "I..." Sun Qiangs face flushed. For my sake, old master was even willing to be misunderstood. Yet, I shamelessly took the other partys medicine... I am truly unable topare to him... "Its not a big deal. As long as you work for me loyally, it isnt really a big deal for you to take some things." Seemingly guessing the thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan interrupted. "Take the medicine out. Prepare yourself, you will try to break into Fighter 4-dan now." "Right now?" Sun Qiang didnt expect things to progress so quickly. "Old master, is there no need to look for a quiet chamber? Also, if I were to try breaking through now, Im afraid that Lord Ling would return before I can even seed. If so, I would dy your affairs..." "Theres no need for it. It is just a matter of minutes, why would you need a quiet chamber?" Zhang Xuan waved away his concerns. "Matter of minutes? Break through... in such a short time?" Sun Qiang was taken aback. Looking at the old master, his eyes widened in disbelief. Chapter 136: Master Teacher Yang Xuan Chapter 136: Master Teacher Yang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Although Fighter 3-dan wasnt considered an advanced cultivation realm, it wasnt a low one either. Despite more than a decade of effort, Sun Qiang was still unable to break through, the difficulty clear to see here. Initially, Sun Qiang had thought that it would take at least half a day or even a full day of effort. Yet, the old master said that... it was just a matter of minutes? Brother, do you think that it is eating or drinking? Sun Qiang felt that his outlook of the world was copsing and was about to go mad. That amount of time isnt enough for zhenqi to surge through his body! "Why? You dont wish to break through?" Seeing his daze, Zhang Xuan frowned. "No, thats not it... Old master, what do I need to do..." Suppressing his agitation, Sun Qiang quickly replied. "Consume the pill first, then use all your strength to propel the zhenqi through your meridians. As for the rest, leave it up to me." Zhang Xuan said. "Alright!" Those were very simple instructions. Without any hesitation, Sun Qiang took out a pill and swallowed it. As expected of a pill forged by an official apothecary, it was indeed good stuff. The moment he consumed it, he felt his entire body growing warm and energy surged through his body. Zhang Xuan approached him, took out a few silver needles and pierced them at several locations where his meridians were blocked. After his experiences in helping Zhao Yanfeng break through and solving Wang Yings leg disability, he realized that it was likely that he would need to use them often. As such, he specially prepared and kept a box of silver needles in his storage ring. In order to locate the blockages, others would need to infuse their zhenqi into the other partys body to probe meticulously. However, Zhang Xuan was different. As long as the other party executed a battle technique, the Library of Heavens Path wouldpile a book with all of their ws in it. All he had to do was to insert the silver needles at the correct location and use his pure zhenqi to clean away the residue. Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the silver needle. Just as though a clear stream flowing into a murky river, turning the the entire river clear, the zhenqi which had stagnated started to merge into the flow once again. The umted effort that Sun Qiang spent on training over the decade was fearsome. Under the nourishment of the pure zhenqi, the stagnated zhenqi started to circte through his body once more, causing power in his body to increase explosively. In less than a minute, his zhenqi had already circted through his entire body once! Boom! He broke through Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm immediately. But, the improvement in cultivation realm didnt just stop there; it continued to rise steadily. Hu! Finally, after an unknown period of time, it stopped. "My cultivation..." Picking himself up, Sun Qiang examined his strength and a look of disbelief appeared on his face. He thought that being able to break through Pigu realm would already be an incredible feat. To think that he would reach Pigu realm advanced stage right away! "Barely... five minutes have passed?" However, what left him even more surprised was how urate his old masters words were. It was truly a matter of minutes... The heck, when did breaking through be such an easy feat? If it were that easy, why did my cultivation realm remain stuck at the same level for more than a decade? Am I really cultivating or am I eating crap... Sun Qiang felt as though he was dreaming, and that he was on the verge of fainting. "Alright, all you have to do afterward is to fortify your cultivation!" Ignoring Sun Qiangs dazed expression, Zhang Xuan retrieved his silver needles and returned to his seat. Actually, the reason why the other party broke through so quickly was because of the partys consistent effort throughout the years, as well as the pure zhenqi Zhang Xuan possessed. It was impossible for it to be as fast if any of the factors werent present. The pure zhenqi had dredged up those stagnated zhenqi which he had umted from before. It was as though clear water melting cubes of ice; naturally, the volume of water increased significantly. As such, breaking into Fighter 4-dan became an easy task. Otherwise, if he could help Zhao Ya and the others break through just by using his needles, he wouldnt have to go through so much effort to earn money for the pills. Of course, more importantly, Zhang Xuan didnt want to leave the impression that they could achieve something without working for it. There was still a long road ahead of them; if they were to cultivate such a mindset, their achievements would definitely be limited. "Thank you, old master!" After recovering from his shock, he immediately kneeled to the ground and bowed with great sincerely in gratitude to the old master. He knew that the only reason why he could achieve such a rapid improvement was because of the old master. If not for him, he wouldnt have been able to receive respect from a figure like Ling Tianyu and enjoy such a grand treatment. He would be stuck in Zhenqi realm for his entire life, never to break through. He would have never felt the sensation in his body right now! "I must make sure to work diligently in the future. I must not screw up this opportunity given to me..." Sun Qiang made up his mind. "Ling Tianyu should be arriving soon. Go out and wee him!" After he was done helping him break through, Zhang Xuan did not dawdle and casually gestured with his hands. "Yes!" Sun Qiang took his leave. ........................ "Who could the one living in this mansion be? To be able to transform Sun Qiangs statuspletely, to the point that even Ling Tianyu had to treat him respectfully, addressing him as Brother Sun..." Outside the mansion, Du Yuan got increasingly confused. Only after a long period of time did he finally understand that it was due to the owner of the mansion that Lord Ling, who was of equal standing to his grandfather, treated Sun Qiang with such respect. However, he fell into contemtion once more. He couldnt think of any nobles in Tianxuan Royal City that had such standing to make a billionaire wait outside willingly for an entire night, and furthermore, to be so delighted when the gates opened for him. Jiyaaa! These doubts were running through his mind when the gates opened and Ling Tianyu and Master Cheng Yuan walked out. "They are leaving just like that? No one... is sending them off?" Du Yuan blinked his eyes, unable to believe what he saw. Initially, there was, at the very least, still a butler who came to wee the two in. But now that they were leaving, there wasnt anypany... No matter how incredible the master was, the butler should have at least walked the guests out! No matter what, Ling Tianyu was a true billionaire, a person of exceptional standing. Even his grandfather would have to wee him and walk him out of the hall if he were to visit the Du n. Then, his father or the elders would apany him to the gates as a sign of respect. Yet, when Ling Tianyu walked out of the mansion, he had to push open the gates personally; even the guards at the doors were putting on such airs... Who the heck could it be? Du Yuan was overwhelmed by curiosity. A momentter, just as he was about to step forward to ask the guards, jiyaa!, the gates opened once more. Sun Qiang walked out with his hands by his back. "This..." Upon seeing the acquaintance, Du Yuan decided to step forward for an inquiry, when he staggered out of a sudden. His eyes widened to the point that they were about to pop out of his sockets. Can anyone tell me what is going on? Previously, when this fellow came out, he was only Zhenqi realm pinnacle. How is he suddenly in... Pigu realm advanced stage? It had just been ten minutes or so, and his cultivation realm had improved by an entire realm... Are my eyes ying tricks on me? Du Yuans entire body shuddered. "Oh? Isnt this Du Yuan gongzi? What kind of wind brought you here?" Just when he was about to go into a frenzy from the ridiculousness of the situation, he heard Sun Qiangs voice. Lifting his head, he realized that the other party was already standing right before him. "Oh, I just happened to pass by..." Suppressing the astonishment in his mind, Du Yuan asked prudently. "Werent you working in the market? Why did you..." "Im currently serving as the butler of this residence, following my old master!" Confidence exuded from Sun Qiangs eyes. Previously, when speaking to the sons of prominent families, he would have to speak prudently, afraid that he might get beaten up for no reason. But now that even Ling Tianyu had to lower his head before him, there was no reason why he should fear a mere junior. "Your old master is..." Du Yuan asked hurriedly. "You dont know our old master?" With his hands behind his back, Sun Qiang lifted his head. Admiration and excitement could be seen on his face. "Master Teacher Yang Xuan!" Chapter 137: Touching Your Wife Chapter 137: Touching Your Wife Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Ma, ma... Master teacher?" Du Yuan shivered. Everyone knew as a fact that Tianxuan Kingdom was one of the weakest kingdoms and had no master teacher to assumemand. When did one arrive? Furthermore, one that allowed this fellow to be his butler? No wonder Ling Tianyu was willing to wait for an entire night and had acted so prudently around Sun Qiang... Even if it were just a lowest level, 1-star master teacher in the mansion, it would nevertheless be an existence Emperor Shen Zhui dare not to underestimate. For such a man, not to mention a single night, even if Ling Tianyu had to wait for half a year, he wouldnt dare to have a single word ofint. In fact, if his grandfather knew, he would definitely rush here to pay respect to him as well. A master teacher can raise or destroy an entire country and his words are akin to gold. This was his status! If his father could receive the guidance of a master teacher, the trauma he had sustained might be able to be dispelled and perhaps, he might even revert to the genius he was previously. In that instant, Du Yuan was filled with envy for the man before him. Sun Qiang used to be just a lowly figure in themercial city. He had to bow respectfully whenever he saw Du Yuan, afraid to offend him. Yet now... Du Yuan was the one who had to speak carefully so as to not get on the other partys nerves. Otherwise, even without the master teacher making a move himself, a single word of Sun Qiangs could send countless experts, who were looking for an opportunity to fawn over him, to teach him a lesson. "Yang shi... When did he arrive in the kingdom? Why hadnt I heard of him?" Suppressing the astonishment within, Du Yuan asked. If a master teacher were to really visit Tianxuan Kingdom, the entire capital would have shaken in an uproar and everyone would have been aware. But why was it that he hadnt heard of such a matter? "The old master likes to keep a low profile, so he doesnt want others to know of it. It is enough that you know of it, dont go spreading the word. Alright, I still have things to attend to. If Du gongzi doesnt have anything on, it would be best for you not to loiter around here. Otherwise, if the old master were to see it, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. It would be troublesome then." After the incident with Ling Tianyu, Sun Qiang had regained his confidence. As a result, an air of superiority started to grow around him, and his tone reflected so. "Yes, yes!" Du Yuan nodded his head hastily. After finishing his piece, Sun Qiang turned around and went back to the gates. Not longter, a carriage arrived and Ling Tianyu stepped down from it. Two guards entered the mansion and fetched a pnquin. "Lord Ling, please enter!" Sun Qiang weed him. "Thank you, Brother Sun!" Ling Tianyu sped his hands to return the greetings. Then, the few of them entered the mansion together. "Ive heard that Ling Tianyus wife is sick. It seems like he knows that there is a master teacher here, thats why he stood here for an entire night to plead with him to save her..." Instantaneously, Du Yuan managed to fill in the gaps of the story. Master teachers were not only capable of guiding ones cultivation. Pill forging, medicinal skills... There wasnt a single upation that they werent adept at. Thats also the reason why they were able to stand at the peak, above all other upations. It wasnt a secret among the upper echelons of Tianxuan Kingdom that Ling Tianyus wife was sick. Du Yuan had also heard of it and ording to the rumors, even Master Yuanyu was unable to do anything about it. Upon hearing that a master teacher had arrived at the capital, it was natural that he would want rush forward at first minutes notice. "If this master can treat an illness that even Master Yuanyu was helpless about, then doesnt that mean that there is a hope for my father as well?" Du Yuans eyes lit up instantaneously. The moment such a thought urred to him, all thoughts of leaving vanished from Du Yuans mind immediately. After a moment of hesitation, he walked toward the tea stand opposite of the mansion. Ill drink tea there. After all, I cant possibly offend a master teacher! ............................................................ "This is my wife, Yu Rou. I beseech Yang shi to save her!" In the room, the guards left right after cing the pnquin down. Ling Tianyu kneeled onto the floor to plead with Zhang Xuan. The man and his wife together had been through thick and thin and they had an extremely close rtionship. As long as he was able to save her, no amount was too great a price! Clearly, he had heard of Zhang Xuans name from Sun Qiangs mouth. "Un!" Zhang Xuan stood up. Upon seeing thedy on the pnquin, he frowned. Thedy seemed to be around Ling Tianyus age, but time didnt seem to have left many scars on her face. Even though she wasnt exceptionally beautiful, she exuded a natural disposition that induced trust and tranquility in others. However, such a blessed woman was lying motionless on the pnquin with her eyes tightly shut. "Her condition seems to be worse than I have expected!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had onlye into contact with the Southern Blood Jade and from it, he knew that the object could cause nearly irreversible damage to ordinary humans. Initially, he thought that as long as he destroyed the blood jade and nourished the body of the patient, she should recover swiftly. However, upon catching sight of thedy, he knew that he had underestimated the severity of the matter. It was clear that the other party had fallen into aa. If she didnt receive treatment soon, even Zhang Xuan might find himself powerless to save her. "I was still thinking that... If she was awake, I could ask her to execute a punching routine so that I canpile a book, find the ws and treat her. But now... What should I do?" Zhang Xuan was in distress. He had thought the matter out too simply previously. If the other party was awake, he could have her execute a battle technique and the Library of Heavens Path wouldpile a book, from which, he would be able to learn how he should treat her! This way, even if he wasnt able to find a clear remedy for the matter, he would still be able to say some things about her condition and perhaps,e up with some solution to alleviate her condition. However... her lying there was no different from being a corpse, how could he go around doing it? It was impossible to get her to execute a punching routine... Sigh, it sure isnt easy acting as an expert! It is getting harder and harder to make a living nowadays! "Yang shi, can my wife be treated?" Seeing that the other person had walked several rounds around Yu Rou, Ling Tianyus frown deepened and anxiety was disyed clearly on his face. "Dont be so anxious, Im still observing her condition!" Zhang Xuan was already feeling extremely stressed. Now, upon being questioned by the other party, he felt even more dispirited. He had already boasted about his abilities. It would be embarrassing to fail at such a crucial moment. If he were to fail with the very first customer, not only would all of his preparations be in vain, his reputation would also be shattered. His prestige as a master teacher would be shaken. By then, it would truly be a dream to earn twenty million gold coins in nine days. "Oh..." Upon hearing that the other party mention that he was still observing the situation and not that there was no cure for his wife, Ling Tianyu heaved a sigh of relief. Even so, he couldnt help but rub his hands together nervously by the corner. "ws... ws! Why wont youe out..." Circling another two rounds, he kept shouting such words in his mind. Yet, the Library of Heavens Path was totally unreactive, as though it was dead. Zhang Xuan felt so depressed that he could have spat a mouthful of blood. It looked like... Just like how it was the many other times before, the library could onlypile a book of weaknesses when a person was executing a battle technique. He circled around the person, shouted in his mind, gritted his teeth and scratched his head furiously... But... As expected, it was all useless... "Looks like I have really failed at such a crucial timing..." He circled a few more rounds and confirmed that there was truly no movements in the library at all. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to helplessly dere to the other party that he was unable to cure her, a thought suddenly shed through his mind. He stopped and lifted his head to look at Ling Tianyu with a look of excitement. "Yang shi..." Seeing his movementse to a halt, Ling Tianyus nervousness surged once more. He understood that the other party had arrived at a conclusion and intended to tell him about it. Life or death, his wifes fate hinged on this moment! "Theres no need to worry. The situation isnt that bad yet!" Upon seeing his nervousness, Zhang Xuan consoled him. "Yang shi, you can just speak the truth. I can bear the truth, no matter what it is..." Ling Tianyu gritted his teeth. "Theres nothing much I can tell you now. How about this, you lift your wife up so that I can touch her!" Zhang Xuan said. "Touch... my wife?" In an instant, Ling Tianyus face became as dark as ink. oshi is an address for normal teachers whereas -shi is an address of master teachers. Chapter 138: Treatable Chapter 138: Treatable Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove You want to touch my wife before me? Furthermore, I am to lift her for you... Even though you are a master teacher, you cant humiliate me like that! Ling Tianyu clenched his fists tightly and the sound of him grinding teeth resounded in the room. He was on the verge of going on mad. Hearing those words, Sun Qiang, who was watching the situation by the side, nearly fainted as well. As expected of the old master, he sure is domineering! To have the husband help up his own wife for you to touch... As a master teacher, he could have all the women he wanted. Yet, to think that he would have such an interest. Looks like I have to hide my wife from him in the future... Of course, I have to find a wife first... "Forget it, it is better not to lift her up, given her condition. I will go over and touch her myself!" As Zhang Xuans sight was fixated on thedy lying on the floor, who was dressed in borate pce attire, he was oblivious to the twos expressions. After seeing no one move into action after saying those words, he gestured with his hands to renounce his previous order. Given thedys situation, it was best not to lift her up. If she were to die from the movement, Zhang Xuan would be in trouble. "You will go over and touch her yourself?" Ling Tianyu felt that the other party was trampling on his dignity mercilessly. Since I wont help you, you are going to help yourself? To not even spare ady who is in aa, you are unbefitting of the title of a master teacher. You are a beast! As he was on the verge of losing control of his temper and about to enter a rage, the other party was already before Yu Rou and had stretched out his hands toward her wrist. "Ah?" Even if it would spell his death, he was unwilling to allow anyone to defile his wifes dignity. But just when he was about to get violent, such a scene unfolded before him. Ling Tianyu was stupefied. The heck, what is going on? Didnt you say that you are going to touch her? Could it be that the touch you spoke of refers to feeling her pulse? There are acupoints on ones wrist and a teacher would oftene into contact with a students wrist when guiding them on their cultivation. However, that is what you call touch too? Do you need to act so darned misleading? Brother, let me tell you. If not for your identity as a master teacher, you will be beaten to death if you speak in such a manner outside... Sun Qiangs mouth was also twitching. Old masters ability in linguistics is really... atrocious! Everyone thought that he had vile intentions in mind when he said that he was going to touch Ling Tianyus wife. Yet... To actually mean this... Why did you have to make such a proper and upright matter sound so wretched... To make me misunderstand your intentions as well... Feeling ones pulse was also called touching ones pulse. Zhang Xuan spoke casually and he didnt think that his words would cause such a huge misunderstanding. He was also oblivious to the fact that the physicians in this world did not feel ones pulse while diagnosing the patient. Rather, they operated just like the Western doctors in his previous life, conducting all kinds of test to analyzing the patients condition instead. Thus, when Ling Tianyu heard him say touch, it was impossible for him to fathom that he meant touching his wifes pulse, as there wasnt such a practice in this world. This was also the reason why such a misunderstanding was generated. ...... ... Zhang Xuan didnt know that their minds had gone through a roller coaster ride. Rather, he was pondering over the idea that had emerged in his mind just a moment ago. The Library of Heavens Path other ability Appraising Treasures! Back then, when hepeted with Master Mo Yang, he had used such an ability. As long as it was a tangible object, he couldpile a manual on its weakness just by touching it. Right now, thisdy was deep in aa and her condition was not much different from a dead person. As such, it was impossible for her to execute a punching routine... Was it possible for a book on her to bepiled by touching her? That was the reason why he wanted to touch the other party. Of course, in his mind, he simply thought of thisdy as a tangible object. If Ling Tianyu were to know of his true thoughts, he would probably vomit blood. His wife wasnt dead yet... And to be treated as an object... "Indeed!" The moment his finger came into contact with the other partys wrist, the Library of Heavens Path, which had remained inert for quite some time now, jolted and a book appeared before him. Zhang Xuan almost leaped into the air due to intense joy. It was only a conjecture on his part. To think that it would truly work! He turned his attention to the book hurriedly and the words Yu Rou was written on the cover. Flipping over, the details of the other partys life and her ws were written within. "Yu Rou, 43 years of age, a citizen of Tianxuan Royal City, the wife of Tianyu Merchant Firms boss, Ling Tianyu, Fighter 2-dan primary stage..." "ws: No.1, the meridians within her body are weak, making it impossible for her to practice profound cultivation techniques to generate zhenqi! No.2, her talent toward cultivation iscking, her ability to sense spiritual energy in the air is too weak... No.8, the body had been corroded by the aura of the Southern Blood Jade, causing her Eight Extraordinary Meridians to be blocked. The specific locations where the eight meridians are blocked are..." Several pages of the book were densely filled with such information. All of Yu Rous ws were detailed within. "Looks like it is only a problem of blockages in her meridians. This is easy..." After reading the book, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Initially, he was still worried that he would not be able to find a remedy if her illness turned out to be difficult to cure. If that happened, he would just exin the problem to Ling Tianyu and send him away. At the very least, he was able to ount the situation to the other party. However, since it was only a blockage of her meridians, things became so much simpler. It was simr to the problems that Liu Yang, Wang Ying and Zhao Yan faced and it wasntplicated to resolve. Of course, that was only to him. Anyone else, even if it were a Fighter 8-dan Zongshi expert, would also find it unfathomable to solve such problems. The meridians of a humans body are inherently weak. Once it bes blocked, one could only try to prate through the blockage through consistent effort over long periods of time. However, Zhang Xuan was different. As he cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, his zhenqi waspletely pure and free from contaminants. With as such a zhenqi infused into ones body, any kinds of blockages, even if it were due to a thin and narrow meridian, could be broken through immediately. There was no problem whatsoever. This was also the basis for why he was able to help Zhao Yanfeng and Sun Qiang break through so quickly and resolve Wang Yings problem so easily. "Yang shi, how is it?" Upon seeing him done feeling his wifes pulse, Ling Tianyus anxiety started to surge once more. "It is not a difficult matter to solve your wifes illness!" Zhang Xuan returned to his seat and gestured majestically. "Not a difficult matter?" Ling Tianyus eyes narrowed. His tightly clenched fists finally loosened and he kneeled to the floor in agitation, "Yang shi, I beg of you to save my wife!" He had gone through all means to save Yu Rou, but even the number one physician in Tianxuan Kingdom, Master Yuanyu, was helpless before her illness. He thought that it was all hopeless, but the heavens had left a path for him. This Yang shi was able to treat her! The exhration he felt at this moment was clear to see. "Death is abhorred by the heavens. If I did not intend to help you, I wouldnt have interfered in your affairs ar Tianyu Merchant Firm!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands and had him stand up. However, a frown soon appeared on his face, "But..." Even though it wasnt difficult for him to treat her, if he were to make a move so easily, wouldnt all of the efforts he made before be in vain? "Regardless of what that is needed, as long as it is something Yang shi speaks of, I will definitely fulfill the requests even if it means my bankruptcy!" Ling Tianyu said. Seeing how cooperative the other party was, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Indeed, a businessmans instincts are sharp! Just a single word and the other party understood what he was hinting at! "Your wifes body had been corroded by the aura for an extremely long time. It is not very possible for her to bepletely treated within a short period of time. It will probably take ten days... nine days. Furthermore, you will have to spend quite a sum of money to purchase expensive medicinal herbs for her treatment every day!" Initially, Zhang Xuan wanted to say ten days but recalling that one day had already passed, he immediately changed his words. Actually, given his pure zhenqi, it would only take a moment for him to treat herpletely. As for the reason why he said that it would take nine days... Of course, it was to make more money. Facing ack of money, he had no choice. Even though her treatment was dragged out, at the very least, she would be saved. This was much better than watching her die! "Yang shi, what medicinal herbs do you need? I will go and buy them now!" After hearing that Yang shi could treat his wife, Ling Tianyu had already regarded him as a deity. He wouldnt fuss over how long it would take and how expensive the medicinal herbs were. However, the moment he said those words, the calm Yang shi suddenly looked over with a darkened face and a cold re. Chapter 139: Great Loss Chapter 139: Great Loss Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan wasnt happy. Even though he had said expensive medicinal herbs, it was actually an excuse. Given how his pure zhenqi was more than sufficient to open up her blocked meridians, why would he need medicinal herbs? If the other party were to buy it himself, how could he earn his money? Just as he was thinking about how he could get the other party to fork out the money obediently, Ling Tianyu pped his forehead suddenly and grinned, "Yang shi, actually, I am not really knowledgeable about medicinal herbs. Im afraid that you would have to buy the required herbs yourself!" After which, he presented a stack of bills. It was not that he understood the meaning behind Zhang Xuans actions. Rather, all fighters had their own secrets. Since this master teacher is able to treat his wife when even Master Yuanyu found himself helpless before her, he must have his own exclusive secret treatment form. Wouldnt he be exposing the other partys secret treatment form if he were to buy the medicinal herbs? It was no wonder he was displeased! As such, he immediately changed his words. "Un!" Just by reflecting briefly, Zhang Xuan understood the reason by the changes in Ling Tianyus actions as well. Without exining in the least, he gestured for Sun Qiang to ept the stack of bills. How could a master teacher personally grab that stack of money personally? It is unbefitting of his position! "Alright, I will begin her treatment now!" After sessfullyying his hands of the gold bills, Zhang Xuan didnt dawdle any further. He walked over to Yu Rou, whipped out his silver needles, and inserted it at the points where her meridians were blocked. Simultaneously, zhenqi was infused into the other partys body. Tzzzzzzzz! The pure zhenqi swept through her body and all the shackles in her body disappeared instantaneously. Ying ning! The unconscious Yu Rou slowly opened her eyes. "This..." Ling Tianyu and the others present in the room were astounded. Didnt you say that it would be difficult to treat her... That it will take nine days of effort along with an exorbitant sum? Yet, in a few moments, she was already awake. Furthermore, it looked as though he had merely ced a few needles on her... "Crap, I made a blunder..." Clearly, Zhang Xuan didnt expect that the other party would awaken so quickly as well. Zhang Xuan nearly threw up blood. If she woke up so quickly, how could he continue to suck money off Ling Tianyu? The Library of Heavens Path only detailed ws on a persons body. It didnt record what would happen once those ws were resolved and as such, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have known the unblocking of which specific meridian would help her regain her conscious. Initially, he had intended to spread the workload over nine days, clearing a few areas of meridian blockage every single day. This way, he would be able to drag out the treatment and earn a greater sum from Ling Tianyu. Yet, he didnt expect that just by clearing a few points, she would awaken. Cough cough. She woke up too quickly... It felt as though there was no difficulty in his treatment at all. How could he dupe the other partys money like that? Zhang Xuan felt dismal. "Incredible, Yang shi!" After the initial astonishment, Ling Tianyu feltpletely impressed by the other partys means. Even though it looked like he had just ced a few needles on the other partys body, it was actually an extremely profound art. It contained secrets that outsiders would find hard toprehend. Otherwise, why wasnt Master Yuanyu able to do the same? On the other hand, this Yang shi was able to cure his wife in an instant through this art. Clearly, this was the disparity between their capabilities! "Er?" Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would feel as though he had wasted his money for naught. Contrary to his expectations, the admiration in the other partys gaze simply deepened. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, waved his hands casually and said, "The first day of treatment only helps her regain her consciousness. I will look for some special herbs to help her nourish her strength. After Im done, I will send someone to bring it over." "Alright!" Ling Tianyu hurriedly nodded his head. "Un!" After which, Zhang Xuan didnt speak any longer. "Then, we shall not disturb Yang shi any longer..." After which, he gestured for his subordinate to lift the pnquin and prepared to leave. "Tianyu..." Before the two subordinates could even lift the pnquin, thedy on the pnquin spoke and slowly stood up. "Your body is still weak. Quickly, lie down..." Seeing her stand up, Ling Tianyu hurriedly walked over. "Theres no need for that. My entire body has gone numb after lying for half a year. I want to walk about..." Under the support of her husband, even though Yu Rous body was still weak, walking did not pose a big problem. "This is Yang shi. Hes the one who treated you." Ling Tianyu quickly introduced. "Yang shi? Master teacher?" Yu Rous eyes narrowed and she quickly bowed down, "Yu Rou thank Yang shi for saving my life..." "Its just a small thing." Zhang Xuan was weeping within, but on the surface, he maintained an indifferent and casual expression. Witnessing his attitude, Ling Tianyu and the others felt even more impressed. This is a true master teacher! After solving a major problem, he didnt bother vying forpliments or demand rewards. His attitude was truly admirable. It wasughable that they misunderstood him just now... To think that they evaluated such a gentleman by their standards. Soon, Ling Tianyu brought his wife out of the courtyard. After which, Sun Qiang immediately presented the gold bills in his palms. Taking a casual nce, Zhang Xuan was astonished within. There were ten notes of a hundred thousand each in there. In total, it added up to a million. Yang Mo had to dupe innumerable people in order to earn that much money. Yet, a master teacher was able to receive that much in just a single treatment session... It was truly frightening. However... After the initial astonishment, Zhang Xuans head hurt once more. A million may seem like a huge sum but to his current situation... It was an insufficient and meager sum. He wanted to stall the treatment for an additional few more days to earn a little bit more money. Yet... Not only did the other party regain her consciousness, she even walked out of his mansion herself. It wasnt wise for him to drag it out under such a situation. "The condition of Lord Lings wife was something that had left the entire Tianxuan City stumped. Yet, with a moment of effort, old master was able to get her to regain her consciousness. In fact, she even became well enough to walk. Incredible..." Sun Qiang muttered under his breath excitedly. His admiration for the old master overflowed from within and appeared in his words and expression. However, hearing those words, Zhang Xuan felt even more depressed. It wasnt easy for him to ensnare a billionaire. Yet, due to hisck of knowledge on the treatments effectiveness, he failed to grab a huge sum from the other party. Just the thought of it caused sadness to well up within him. "Forget it, a million is still money anyway!" Since he was unable to drag it out, he might as well get it over and done with. Zhang Xuan passed Sun Qiang a gold bill, wrote a list and had him go out to buy some herbs. As a person who became an apothecary through Pill Debate, Zhang Xuan was unable to forge pills. Even so, prescribing some medicinal powder to nourish ones body was still a simple task to him. Lets just treat these medicinal powder as expensive precious medicinal herbs! The other party wouldnt check on it for fear of incurring his wrath anyway. .......................................... "Boss, another pot of tea!" Du Yuan found a table to upy at the tea stand and casually threw a gold coin over. "Coming!" The boss was a fifty-year-old or so elderly. He brought a pot over to Du Yuans table with a wide smile. "Boss, I have something to ask you..." Seeing that the tea stand was directly opposite the mansion, Du Yuan couldnt help but ask him. "Customer, feel free to voice any queries that you have..." Upon seeing the gold coin in Du Yuans hand, the bosss eyes immediately lit up. "I would like to ask about the opposite..." As he spoke, Du Yuan pointed to the opposite mansion, but his words stopped abruptly when he saw the gates to the mansion opening slowly. "Hm? Sun Qiang ising out again?" Initially, he thought that it was Sun Qiang whoe out to settle some affairs. However, he soon realized that he was wrong when he saw Ling Tianyu, who had just entered a moment ago, supporting another person out. "Is this... Ling Tianyus wife?" Du Yuan shuddered. His heart almost stopped from astonishment. He had met Ling Tianyus wife twice and as such, he was able to recognize her. It was just a moment ago that she was carried in on a pnquin... And she is already on her own feet? Must it be so exaggerated? Could I be seeing things... If he didnt know for a fact that Ling Tianyus wife was truly ill, he would have thought that the other party was just acting... The heck, this was an illness which even Master Yuanyu was helpless about. It hadnt even been ten minutes since she was carried in... And she was walking about ... Du Yuan didnt know whether something was wrong with his eyes or instead, something was wrong with the world. Chapter 140: News Spreads Chapter 140: News Spreads Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Tianxuan Royal City, in the interiors of the Du n Residence. A middle-aged man walked out of a room that overlooked a tranquil pond, carrying a pot of cooling tea. Every day after lunch, he had a habit he engaged in and that was... drinking cooling tea! This was the time when he would be the most rxed. He had already ordered for no one to interrupt him, even if it were his own son. He was once a radiant genius of Tianxuan Kingdoms Du n, a serious contender for the position of n head. However, he is only an ordinary elder now. Du Miaoxuan, Du Yuans father! Even though his cultivation had fallen tremendously after a severe bout of illness and his faction had already weakened after the years of oppression, his presence neverthelessmanded respect. No one dared to disobey his orders. No one would dare to interrupt his moment of tranquility. "Right now, I still wield a certain level of control over the situation. However, when I die, my sessor will surely be expelled. If ites down to that... I should have Yuan-er leave the n first! Otherwise, there could beplications!" Lying on the reclining chair, his eyes were gently shut. At this point, his words seemed to still hold some weight. That was because the other party did not consider him as a threat for the n head position and allowed him to be. However, if he were to die or if the old n head above him were to retire, his faction would definitely be unable to hold on and hence, copse without fail. The outsiders only saw the glory and prestige of being in a powerful n, but they failed to see the schemes and underhanded fights that urred within. The intensity was in no way inferior to the struggle for power within the royal pce; a single moment of carelessness could result in being crippled and damned for all eternity. "Father, father..." Just when his mind had quietened and he began to muse over the future, a panicked voice rang. Then, he saw his profligate son charging in with an agitated look. "Didnt I say to not interrupt me at such times?" Du Miaoxuans face darkened. "Father..." Du Yuan froze for a moment. Only now did he recall that it was his fathers personal resting time. "Get out!" "Oh..." Witnessing his fathers rage, Du Yuans swallowed his words and walked back out. "Wait a moment, for you toe looking for me so anxiously, is there something wrong?" After taking a sip of cooling tea, Du Miaoxuans anger subsided. Lying horizontally on the chair, his eyes were half-closed. "A... A master teacher had arrived in the city and he cured Ling Tianyus wifes illness. I was thinking that... isnt father injured as well? Perhaps, we could pay him a visit so that he can take a look..." With a lowered head, he uttered the news which he had just gathered. However, before he could finish his words, he sensed a peculiarity in the atmosphere. Upon lifting his head his head to take a look, he almost fell to the ground. Unknowingly, his father, who was lying on the chair a moment ago, was already standing right in front of him. His eyes were as round as a gong and his body quivered uncontrobly. Even though the cup of cooling tea that he held in his hands had spilled onto the ground, he seemed to be totally unaware. "Father..." Du Yuan stared at his father with a shocked expression. "Father what father, repeat what you just said. A master teacher had arrived in the city?" Grabbing his sons shoulder suddenly, Du Miaoxuan lost all traces of serenity that was seen on mere second ago. "It was witnessed personally, so it is definitely true..." Du Yuan quickly spoke of everything he had learned. Actually, he knew about his fathers condition. His meridians were blocked as a result of that severe illness and everyday, when afternoon came, his zhenqi would flow erratically and he would behave embarrassingly. Because he was afraid of others discovering it, he cultivated the habit of drinking cooling tea. It served as a front for concealment. "Father, this master teacher possesses extraordinary means. Shall we pay him a visit..." After recounting what he had seen, Du Yuan asked. But before he could finish his words, he noticed that his father, usually a calm man, was already 10 meters ahead of him, shouting, "Why are you in a daze? Hurry up! Lets pay the master teacher a visit..." "..." It took Du Yuan a long moment to regain his senses. "Father, your shoes..." Previously, his father had removed his shoes to lie on the chair and he hadnt put them on yet. Furthermore, his clothes were still in a mess... yet, he wanted to leave like that... One must know that he is an extremely austere man. One of the things he hated the most was a messy outer appearance. "Oh..." Hearing his sons words, Du Miaoxuan came to a realization. He tidied up his appearance quickly and proceeded with big strides. It was after he left the residence that he realized something, "Right, son. Where does that master teacher you spoke of live?" "..." Du Yuan. ... "What did you say? A master teacher has appeared in the city? He treated Ling Tianyus wife within ten minutes?" "How is that possible? It must be a fake rumor. Even Master Yuanyu was helpless before her illness. No matter how incredible master teachers can be, their medical capabilities cant possibly exceed that of a true physician!" "I also think that it might be an exaggeration. After all, such things only happen in ones dream." "I heard that the person is called Yang Xuan. Of the nine great kingdoms around Tianxuan Kingdom, there are only a few master teachers and I have never heard of this name!" "Perhaps he might just be an incredible physician, and the rumors simply went out of hand. If he were a true master physician, how could it be possible for Emperor Shen Zhui to not know of it?" "Emperor Shen Zhui had been looking forward to having a master teacher in our empire more than the rest of us. I heard that he had specially sent quite a few invitations to them. If one had arrived in the capital, how could it be possible for him to be unaware? "Regardless of the truth, we just have to send some people to look into it to know the truth..." The same situation appeared in countless great ns and powers. Ling Tianyu could be considered as one of the more prestigious figures in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. How could anyone not doubt after hearing that he had camped outside a mansion overnight? The moment their investigations revealed that a master teacher was involved, news started spreading like wildfire. Even so, no one really believed the rumors. Even the lowest 1-star master teacher had to be weed with a state ceremony, so how could one just appear in such a humble mansion so abruptly without the slightest bit of news? ... Such heated debates had broken out everywhere, but the person-in-question, Zhang Xuan, was oblivious. At this moment, he was looking at Sun Qiang with a deep frown on his face. "Thats weird, why does it not appear when I touch him?" After Ling Tianyu left, he couldnt help but experiment generating books by touching others upon recalling the incident. Eventually, he touched every single part of Sun Qiangs body, but nothing happened. "Xiao Qiang, lie down." Zhang Xuan ordered. "Lie down?" Sun Qiangs mouth twitched and he was on the verge of tears. Going by logic, no matter what the old master wanted him to do, he was willing to cooperate fully. But... touching his body as he pleased... he felt as though he was about to go mad. Previously, he was rmed when he heard the old master say that he wanted to touch Ling Tianyus wife; he thought that the old master had a unique interest in such things. In the end, when the misunderstandings cleared up, he heaved a sigh of relief. In the end, it seemed like his interest wasnt in females, but in males... Even more so... He wasnt satisfied with just touching, he wanted him to lie down... My innocence... My chastity... "Old master..." "Hurry up!" Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. He was unhappy about Sun Qiangs protest, especially when all he wanted him to do was to lie down. "Yes!" With tears welling up in his eyes, Sun Qiang lied down and waited for old masters beastly assault. However, all the old master did was to touch his wrist and the other parts of his body. With a perplexed voice, the old master said, "Thats weird, why isnt there any reaction?" "Reaction? Old master, what... what kind of reaction do you want?" Sun Qiang shuddered. To be fondling his body, could it be that... He wanted him to be aroused first? After so long, it turned out that he was a bottom? When that thought emerged in his mind, Sun Qiang shivered in disgust. "No reaction at all... Ah, correct!" Just as his mind began to run wild, the old master pped his forehead, seemingly thought of something. The old master lowered his head to look at him, "Xiao Qiang, dont move. I will try knocking you unconscious..." "..." Sun Qiang felt his head spinning. What is going on? Old master, what do you want to do... Could it be that... You feel embarrassed because Im conscious? Chapter 141: Youre a Beast Chapter 141: Youre a Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Finally oveing Sun Qiangs attempts to struggle, Zhang Xuan managed to knock him unconscious. Upon contact with the unconscious Sun Qiang, a book immediately appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Only then did Zhang Xuan understand how it worked. For those who were conscious, executing a movement, even if it wasnt a battle technique, would cause theption of a book on them. As time went by, the contents detailed inside would also change automatically. After all, humans were beings with learning capabilities and as such, their ws would constantly change. On the other hand, those who are unconscious are treated as objects. A book would bepiled uponing into contact with them. The two scenarios do not conflict and the difference was clear and simple. It was a matter of whether the person in question was conscious or not. Knowing that the library had such an ability, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. If he were to meet with another case like Ling Tianyus wife, he just had to touch them. He wouldnt panic as he did this round. "Old master, an elder from Du n, Du Miaoxuan, requests an audience!" After waking up, Sun Qiang examined his body and after confirming that he hadnt been assaulted, heaved a sigh of relief. He took his leave hurriedly, but after a moment, came back to report. "An elder from Du n? Have hime in!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands and returned to his seat. Looks like the news regarding Ling Tianyu had spread rather quickly. Someone is already here to pay a visit. ... "You say that you witnessed it yourself? Sun Qiang himself imed that a master teacher resides in here?" Outside, Du Miaoxuan turned to look at his son doubtfully. Due to his illness, his cultivation fell tremendously. As such, when he heard that a master teacher hade to visit, he lost his decorum immediately. But on his way here, he gradually calmed down and noticed suspicious points. Why would a master teacher suddenly appear here without any news? Furthermore, how could he be staying in such a small mansion? Also, a true master teacher has countless disciples and followers. There was no need for a master teacher to hire the boss of a realtor store as his butler. There were too many illogical parts to the story. "Sun Qiang said it himself. Also, I witnessed the happenings with Ling Tianyus wife personally!" Du Yuan exined. "Un!" Du Miaoxuan nodded his head. Regardless of whether the other party was a true master teacher or not, this was a chance. If he turned out to be a fraud, he could choose to leave at any moment. Jiyaaaa! The doors to the courtyard opened and Sun Qiang emerged. "The old master happens to be free, please enter!" Du Miaoxuan and Du Yuan exchanged a nce before entering the mansion. The mansion was decorated in the manner simr to how a philistine merchant would and there was nothing outstanding about it to him. The further Du Miaoxuan proceeded, the more he thought that the other party could be a fraud. Soon, they arrived at the main hall. "Old master, this is Elder Du Miaoxuan and his son, Du Yuan!" Sun Qiang said. "Un!" Zhang Xuan turned around and invited, "Please be seated!" "Yes!" Du Miaoxuan and his son sat on the guests seats. At the same time, they secretly assessed the master teacher before them. He looked to be in his forties, but his skin was smooth, so it was likely for him to be younger than he appeared to be. Gedeng, Du Miaoxuans heart skipped a beat. The man had concealed his appearance. When he was younger, he once left to umte worldly experience and had opened his eyes to many different things. He had once seen such a face-changing technique. If he were a real master teacher, why would he change his appearance? Clearly, he was a fake! Perhaps, he might be working together with Ling Tianyu, and this inexperienced son of his took it for real! As such, his heart chilled and his face darkened. Noticing his expression, Zhang Xuan felt a little dismal. Didnt this fellowe over after hearing how he helped Ling Tianyu? Why was he disying such an attitude to a master teacher? He remained silent, and Du Miaoxuan didnt speak either. As such, the air in the main hall stilled and the atmosphere grew awkward. "Its like that, my father had once fallen severely ill and it caused a great fall in his cultivation. After hearing that Yang shi is here, we came over hoping that Yang shi could take a look to see if theres possible a remedy for his problem..." Seeing that his father remained silent, Du Yuan hurriedly spoke up, full of anxiety. Wasnt father very excited on the way here? Why isnt he speaking now that he had arrived? It would be terrible if we offend Yang shi because of this. "Am I a physician?" Zhang Xuan lifted his eyebrows in displeasure. Since he was feigning as a master teacher, he had to carry the prestige of one. Given how the other party clearly doubted his identity, if he were to anxiously go straight into treating the other party, wouldnt that be unbefitting of his status? "No... Thats not it!" Du Yuan was taken aback. He tugged on his fathers sleeves immediately, "Father..." "Oh! My son didnt put his words properly, please forgive him!" Upon confirming that the fellow before him was a fraud, Du Miaoxuan no longer maintained the respectful attitude he held just before. Even so, he maintained basic courtesy, "I met with some problems on my cultivation and upon hearing of Yang shis arrival, I could not help but make a visit hoping to learn from you. I hope that Yang shi would be so generous as to guide me along!" "Problems with your cultivation?" Taking in the other partys words, Zhang Xuan was affirmative that the other party was suspicious of his identity. He frowned in puzzlement. Considering both his disposition and background, there shouldnt have been any problems at all. Why would the other party doubt him? It was no wonder that he wasnt able to realize his mistakes. He was a mere librarian and a true-blue shut-in in his previous life. The reason why he was able to convince Ling Tianyu was because the man did not possess much experience in the pugilistic world, and as such, he was blind to the ws in his disguise. However, his camouge was indeed insufficient to fool experienced and streetwise veterans such as Du Miaoxuan. "Father..." Detecting theck of respect in his fathers voice, Du Yuan started to panic. Father had always been a calm and prudent person, why is he acting so recklessly today? The other party was a master teacher! Even Ling Tianyu had to kneel outside for an entire night before he could pay him a visit. It was already a blessing that we were allowed to enter immediately, so we should make full use of the opportunity. But why... "Oh? What do you want to learn?" Even though he was curious why the other party doubted his identity, Zhang Xuan wasnt worried in the least. Instead, he looked at him with interest. Even though he was pretending to be a master teacher, he wasnt truly deceiving his customers. With the Library of Heavens Path, even a true master teacher would be unable to match his abilities in identifying ones problems. So... You doubt me? I will make you not dare to doubt me. "I have just learned a new battle technique and found it hard to grasp. I hope that Yang shi can correct me!" Immediately after finishing his sentence, Du Miaoxuan stood up. From what he sees, the person before him is definitely a fraud. Since you want to y off as a master teacher, I will execute a punching routine before you. When you find yourself stumped, I will tear off your disguise! Wuuu! Before Zhang Xuan could reply, Du Miaoxuan clenched his fists and started moving around the room. As expected of an ex-genius, his fists were forceful and it brought an intense pressure to the audiences. His techniques and moves were also profound. Du Miaoxuan was a Pixue realm expert. Due to the severe illness, he plunged to Dingli realm. Even so, his strength didnt fall much inparison. With his current strength, he would be able to match with even Pixue realm intermediate stage experts! It was no wonder that he was able to remain as an elder in Du n despite being in just Dingli realm. He had true strength indeed. Hu! After finishing his punching routine, he retracted his fists. "Please offer me your guidance!" Du Miaoxuan sped his fists as he stared at Zhang Xuan with piercing eyes. He wanted to hear what would that fraud had to say. "You want me to offer you my guidance?" Aware of his thoughts, Zhang Xuan looked at him impassively. "Yes!" Du Miaoxuan replied calmly. "Your Fleeting Fist is indeed incredible, you should have reached 3-dan for it already. However... You seem to be unable to control your strength effectively. If Im not wrong..." At this point, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and a yful smile crept onto his lips. "You are a beast!" Chapter 142: Kneeling Outside Chapter 142: Kneeling Outside Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "What?" Hearing those words, Sun Qiang and the others present in the room froze. Especially Du Yuan, hisplexion turned awful immediately. Even if there were problems with his fathers punching routine, how could an upright master teacher humiliate someone so casually and call him a beast? That was a personal attack! "Yang shi, even if my father has offended you, there shouldnt be a need for you to insult him in such a manner..." Gritting his teeth in anger, Du Yuan protested. "Insult?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Ask your father whether I am insulting him or not." "Father..." Du Yuan turned around to look at Du Miaoxuan. With a single nce, he was astonished. His fathers body was trembling uncontrobly, and the calm that he possessed a moment ago had disappeared without a trace. "I beg for Yang shi to save me..." Putong! Just as doubts sped through his mind, he saw his father exim and kneel to the floor. "Ah?" Du Yuan was taken aback. A confused expression had also appeared on Sun Qiangs face. Is Du Miaoxuan mentally impaired? Or is he a masochist? His tone was so forceful a moment ago, but when he failed to perform as an expert, even getting insulted by the old master at that, he immediately kneeled down? "Xiao Qiang, send our guests off!" Ignoring Du Miaoxuan was kneeling on the floor, Zhang Xuan waved them away. What a joke, what do you take me for? You doubted my identity and even tried to test me, and now you expect me to save you? "Yes!" Sun Qiang drew closer. "Please leave!" "Please forgive me for being blind, I beg of you to give me a second chance..." Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was evicting them, Du Miaoxuan was horror-struck. He kowtowed immediately while feeling intense regret over his actions. If only he had listened to his son, such a situation wouldnt have urred. Doubting the identity of a master teacher was equivalent to challenging his authority and prestige, it was no wonder that he was displeased. Witnessing an influential elder of the Du n kowtowing over and again, Sun Qiang was at a loss. He hurriedly shot a gaze at the old master. "Why? Does my words not matter anymore?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though there was no anger in his voice, his voice was authoritative. "Yes..." Sun Qiang shuddered and gestured the other guards in hurriedly, "Men, send Elder Du out." Hearing themands, a few guard quickly walked over. "Elder Du, please!" The few guards stepped forward. "Father..." Du Yuan was still unable toprehend the situation. Why did his father not feel anger upon being insulted as a beast by Yang shi, and instead, kneeled down and begged to be saved? "I was too rash and I admit my fault. I will wait at the gates to beg for Yang shis forgiveness." Du Miaoxuan kowtowed once more and walked out of his own ord. Du Yuan hurriedly followed behind him. The moment he passed the gates, he dropped to his knees in the middle of the street facing the mansion, motionless. "Father..." Du Yuan was about to go insane. No matter what, his father used to be a strong contender for the position of the n head. Even if he is now an ordinary elder, his continues to hold a distinguished position aspared to the other elders. For him to kneel in the middle of the street... Why? Was it because the other party called him a... beast? Could it be that... Father is truly a masochist? "You kneel down as well!" Before he could fully understand the situation, he heard Du Miaoxuans cold voice sounding from beside him. "Father..." Du Yuan gritted his teeth. "I dont understand..." "That Yang shi is a true master teacher. I had spoken inappropriately earlier and offended him. Thus... I have to apologize to him! A master teacher is someone that cannot be insulted, even in the slightest." "Kneel down! We can only hope that he would forgive us because... he is a true master teacher. Only he is capable of curing my illness." "He can cure you?" Du Yuan was confused. He didnt recall Yang shi mention anything rted before! All he did was to insult him You are a beast. Could that be the reason why father became so certain? The more he pondered, the more confused he got. ... "Old master, Elder Du and his son are kneeling before the gates!" Hearing the subordinates report, Sun Qiang looked at the old master with a strange expression. Is the old master capable of casting magic? Initially, Du Miaoxuan wasnt respectful at all and his tone wasnt polite either. Yet, after an insult, the other party was frightened out of his wits and kneeled down immediately. In fact, he even refused to be chased out... If he hadnt seen it for himself, he would have thought that it was nonsense. But the facts wereid clearly before him, he has no choice but to believe it! "Is your family doing well? Touch your wife... You are a beast... Looks like master teachers like to speak in such a manner..." Sun Qiang concluded based on his experience with the old master. Putting aside this Du Miaoxuan, Ling Tianyu seemed to be the same as well. Back then, when he broke the jade lion, the billionaire was filled with rage. In the end, the old master simply asked is your family doing well? before going ahead to request to touch the other partys wife... Looks like master teachers dont like to go about doing things the normal way. Instead, they preferred to beat around the bush and exaggerate matters. Yet, this method seemed to be extremely useful. "Looks like these merchants and elders have to be dealt with the stick instead of the carrot. Un, maybe I should give it a try in the future?" Sun Qiangs eyes lit up. In his view, the reason why Du Miaoxuan switched his attitude so quickly was because the old master got angry. Seems that in future, when he meets such people, he shouldnt act subserviently. Instead, he should speak imposingly and authoritatively. Only through this way can he instill respect in the other party. After all, wasnt Elder Du frightened to the point of kneeling down? Sun Qiangs thoughts became increasingly fertile. "Next time, when the old master isnt around, I should give it a try... If it really works, the old masters impression of me might improve..." Sun Qiang thought excitedly. "Let them kneel!" Not aware of what his butler hade up with in the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan casually gestured. "Old master, what do we do now?" Sun Qiang asked. Zhang Xuan frowned. That was also what he was thinking. He couldnt just rely on the money others present to him in gratitude! Taking Ling Tianyu as an example, even though he gave a million in a single go, Zhang Xuan is still a long way off from reaching twenty million. But if he were to open his mouth to request for money, it would be unbefitting of his identity as a master teacher. Others would simplybel him as a fraud. If he refused money and simply waited for others to thank him, how much could he earn? What if the other party thought that he, as a master teacher, cared not for material wealth but instead valued rtionships heavily, wouldnt he cry himself to death? After contemting for some time, Zhang Xuan spoke, "I will be going out for a moment. Theres no need for you to follow me. Instead, you need to do something for me." At which, Zhang Xuan exined his n in detail to him. "This... This..." Hearing his words, the butler widened his eyes in shock. This works too? "Go!" Zhang Xuan exined no further and urged him along. "Yes!" After the previous few incidents, he understood that the old master has his reasons for doing things. Thus, he didnt ask excessively and turned around to leave. A short whileter, he returned again. Clearly, he had arranged everything that Zhang Xuan delegated him. "If anyonees knocking, have them wait at the door." After instructing so, Zhang Xuan walked out of the mansion. At the gates, he didnt even spare a nce at the kneeling Du Miaoxuan before walking away. "Father..." Seeing that Yang shi had no intentions of bothering himself with them, Du Yuan panicked and called his father. Since the other party had already left, what use was it for him to be kneeling here? "I am not doing this just to show Yang shi. This is also to disy my determination on this matter and my reflection on my mistakes. If I were to leave now, I would probably be left stuck with my problem for life." Knowing what his son was thinking of, Du Miaoxuan exined. "I got it..." Du Yuan lowered his head in depression. For an elder of the Du n, an ex-contender for the n head position to be kneeling in the middle of a street... What is this... Chapter 143: Fetching Money Chapter 143: Fetching Money Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Did you hear? When Lord Ling sought the old master to treat his wife, he took out a million gold coins in one go, he sure is generous!" At this moment, suppressed mutterings could be heard in the courtyard. It appeared to be the guards of the mansion. After seeing the old master leave the mansion, they started to gossip among themselves. "A million? Is that for real?" The other guard was clearly skeptical. "Of course its real, I saw it myself. It is definitely real! A million gold coins might be an astronomical sum to us, but it means nothing to a master teacher like the old master. I heard Brother Sun say that the old master only epted it to ease the other partys mind. He didnt want him to feel like he owed him a favor." The first guard said. "Now that you mention it, I recall that Lord Ling had also kneeled here for a night. Initially, the old master was unwilling to bother with him, but after he stuffed a sum to Brother Sun, Brother Sun, out of benevolence, helped to speak up for him, and only then did he manage to enter..." The second guard replied. The words of the two were hushed, but they were separated by only a small gate from the street. Du Yuans cultivation realm was low, so he could be unable to hear their conversation clearly, but those words echoed in Du Miaoxuans ears distinctly. "Yuan-er, get up. Return to the n now and bring all my savings here..." Du Miaoxuans eyes lit up. He was streetwise and full of experience, but that was limited to sparring, battles and logical debates. In terms of bribery and gifting, he was could notpare to a businessman. Previously, he hadnt thought of offering the other party money, but hearing those words, he was immediately enlightened. Thats right! Even though master teachers dont ept money because of their identity, butlers are willing to ept it! The mansion, the servants, food, and drink; which of it didnt require money? Even a physician had to be paid after consulting him. It would be weird if the other party was weing since he hade empty-handed. "Alright!" Du Yuan did not understand what was going on, but hearing fathers words, he stood up immediately. "Ive heard that Brother Sun was reprimanded by the old master because of the matter. It seems that Lord Ling had offended the old master by doubting his identity previously. A master teachers prestige must not be sullied. To plead with him using just a million gold coins, how would he be able to uphold his reputation in the future? The old master said that that was a one time off matter, and it mustnt happen again. Truthfully speaking, a million gold coins is truly like the heavens to us. Yet, to the old master, it wasnt even worth a plea!" The first guard spoke. "Indeed! When I passed by the front courtyard, I heard some people talking about it. I thought that they were lying..." The second one continued. Outside. "Wait a moment!" Before Du Yuan could leave, his fathers voice echoed in his ear once more. "Dig out those precious pills that I bought recently and sell them all. Also, bring over those savage beast skins that I had umted over the years together with the money..." "Father..." Du Yuan was taken aback. What was going on with father? Bringing the money, selling his possessions... "Of course its real! I have asked Brother Sun on the matter personally. He said that when Lord Ling passed the million gold coins over, the old master didnt even take a nce at it. The reason why he treated her was because Lord Lings wife was on the verge of death and saving someone brings one good karma. If the one who came over to plead with him was healthy, lively, and able to execute battle techniques, he definitely would ignore him..." The voice of the first guard sounded. "Ah?" Du Miaoxuan began to shake. Clenching his jaws, he continued tomand Du Yuan, "Sell that sword of mine as well. Also... Wasnt the Third Elder interested in taking over my businesses? Talk to him. As long as he is willing to pay, all of those businesses shall be his!" "Father..." Those were already fathers greatest chips within the n. If he were to sell them all, what will happen in the future? Du Yuan was stupefied. "Hurry up!" Du Miaoxuan urged him. Observing the stern expression on his fathers face, Du Yuan dared not to retort. He turned around to leave at once. "The fact that he was able to execute a battle technique showed that his body is alright. He definitely has a screw loose to doubt a master teacher!" The second guard chastised. "Even though the old master didnt care not for wealth, that person didnt even bring a single gold coin with him. Without offering anything, he wanted the old master to exert effort to offer him pointers, wasnt he daydreaming?" Du Miaoxuan gritted his teeth. "Also, bring you and your mothers savings over as well..." "..." Du Yuan staggered in his footsteps, nearly bursting into tears. From the looks of it, his fathers is alreadypletely deranged. .......................................... The conversation between the two guards was exactly what Zhang Xuan delegated Sun Qiang. Without reminding the other party, how long would it take for them to send the money over? In any case, those were words of the guards and it had nothing to do with him at all. They did not dare to use a master teacher of being a money-grubber either. "As expected of the old master. Even after doing someone in, he wants him to pay up..." Back when Sun Qiang received the task from the old master, he also was speechless. From the very start, the other party would have given substantial rewards to the old master to thank him for offering him his guidance. However, it was uncertain how much the sum would be. After hearing the conversation between the two guards, who would dare to be stingy? To be able to think of a way to earn more money without sullying his prestige; to scam others without dirtying his hands... Too scheming! Initially, just like other people, he thought that the old master did not care for money. From the looks of it... A master teacher is still human and had their own expenses to upkeep. .......................................... Leaving the residence and darting into a remote alley, Zhang Xuan removed his disguisepletely. It was exhausting to have kept the disguise on for the entire day. "The guild should be done preparing the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and the Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution. I should first get them for Wang Ying and Liu Yang!" His purpose for disguising himself as a master teacher to earn money was for this. For the time being, he is unable to obtain the Unravel Yin Pill and the Colossal Rhinoceros Blood, but these other two items were easy to obtain. Stepping into the Apothecary Guild, the two items were indeed ready. As for the remaining two, Guild Leader Ouyang had already sent an application and the headquarters would send it over from another branch. Apothecary Guilds can be found in allrge kingdoms. There were pills and treasures that Tianxuan Kingdom didnt possess, but that didnt mean that the other kingdoms didnt have them. As long as they send a request to the headquarters, the goods would be transported from the closest kingdom with stocks. This way, the delivery process was sped up. Otherwise, given how far the headquarter is from here, ten days are too short for them to bring it here! Paying a million as a deposit, he obtained the two items sessfully. "Right, Guild Leader Ouyang, do you have Breath Forging Pills? Can you get me some?" After housing the two objects in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan asked. Breath Forging Pill is something extremely useful for Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm initiates. If Wang Ying and the others were to consume it, their training speed should be boosted significantly. "I forged quite a bit of them previously and I still have a few remaining. I can give them to you right away!" Guild Leader Ouyang smiled and passed two jade bottles over. Upon receiving the jade bottle, he looked inside and saw that there were dozens of pills in each bottle. Zhang Xuan understood that the other party was expressing his goodwill and it wasnt pleasant to reject him. As such, he nodded his head and epted it. Even though the quality of the Breath Forging Pill wasnt exceptionally high, it was nevertheless a grade-1 pill. Every single pill costs tens of thousand, yet Guild Leader Ouyang shared dozens of them in a single go generously. Chapter 144: Spear Expert Chapter 144: Spear Expert Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove If it were any other 1-star apothecaries, even if they were friends, it was impossible for him to be so generous. However, Zhang Xuan was simply too incredible. He was able to rival all the other apothecaries with his words and regardless of whether it was pill forging, herbs... He was perfect in nearly every single aspect, as though there was no way whatsoever to defeat him in the Pill Debate, leaving everyone speechless in his wake. Relying on just this ability, he would surely be able to rise to incredible heights if granted sufficient time. This gesture of goodwill was, in a way, an investment for the future. After keeping the Breath Forging Pills, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled something and inquired, "Guild Leader Ouyang, do you know anywhere that sells secret manuals on spearmanship?" Wang Ying had the Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution whereas Liu Yang had the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill. The Unravel Yin Pill and the Colossus Rhinoceros Blood had not arrived, but when Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao consume it and awaken their constitution, their cultivation realm would definitely soar significantly. Of his five students, he onlycked a solution for Zheng Yang. Zheng Yang specialized in the way of the spear, and Lu Xun had looked for someone who was even more proficient than him to be his opponent. If he doesnt search for some powerful moves to impart to him, he could possibly be the weakest link. He had looked through the books in the teachers Compendium Pavilion and there were some books on battle techniques, but very few rting to spears. That was also the reason why Wang Chaooshi was so popr. Countless spear practitionerse applying to the academy in admiration of his name. Since Wang Chao was able to give Mo Xiao to Lu Xun, the two must share an exceptional rtionship. In that case, it wasnt a viable option for him to visit him to ask him about the way of the spear. At the same time, he did not know anything about the spear. Thus, he could only ask around to see if there were any secret manuals on spearmanship sold in the capital. "Secret manuals on spearmanship? You wish to learn the way of the spear?" Guild Leader looked at Zhang Xuan in astonishment. Apothecaries are highly esteemed in society. Instead of learning pill forging, why are you learning the way of the spear instead? "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Spearmanship is rtively umonpared to swordsmanship and there are significantly fewer people who learn it. There are even fewer who manage to be masters of the art. I just happen to be acquainted with one. His family heritage is of the spear and his skills are incredibly powerful and profound. He is famous for his spearmanship, even when considering the entire capital!" Ouyang Cheng stroked his beard and chuckled. "Oh? Can you bring me to learn from him?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "This person is often holed up inside his house, he rarely meets with outsiders and doesnt easily impart his spearmanship to others. However, I am a good friend of his, so perhaps he might sell me this favor!" Ouyang Cheng said. "Then Ill be troubling Guild Leader Ouyang for this." Knowing that the other party was trying to strike up connections, Zhang Xuan nodded his head and secretly decided to guide him in his pill forging whenever he gets the chance to. "Lets go, Ill bring you to meet with this old friend of mine." Seeing that the other person understood his intent, Ouyang Cheng nodded his head in satisfaction. After leaving the Apothecary Guild, the two of them walked for nearly an hour before arriving at a residence. As Ouyang Cheng was good buddies with the master of the residence, the guards did not obstruct his path and they were able to enter the residence smoothly. "Guild Leader Ouyang, please wait a moment. My old master is still training, he will be out in a moment!" The butler brought them to a small gazebo and said. "Un, itll do for him to look for me after he finishes his training!" Guild Leader Ouyang knew of the other partys habits and gestured with his hand to show that he wasnt bothered by it. Then, he beckoned to Zhang Xuan, "Apothecary Zhang,e and sit!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan sat down and surveyed the surroundings. The courtyard wasrge and the renovations were simple but elegant, creating a tranquil atmosphere. There were no servants or attendants in sight in the entire courtyard. It seemed like the owner of the residence wasnt an extravagant person. "My friend is called Wang Chong. We were acquainted over twenty years ago and he had immersed himself in the way of the spear for his entire life. In terms of spearmanship, he is definitely one of the top figures in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Emperor Shen Zhui had even onceplimented his as spearmanship as peerless." Sipping on his tea, Ouyang Cheng introduced the owner of the residence. "Incredible!" Zhang Xuan had always held respect toward those who were able to reach the pinnacle of their upation. Regardless of the upation, to be able to emerge on top of thousands and thousands of people showed their determination and talent. "Old Ouyang, are you talking bad about me behind my back again?" Halfway through their conversation, a bright voice sounded. Then, an elderly walked over with widened strides. Even though he looked fifty or so, his body nevertheless appeared to be brimming with strength, as though he had a boundless supply of energy. He was dressed in a training robe and grabbed a spear in one hand. Just like the butler said, he was probably in the midst of his training and came over without even changing his clothes. "Talking bad behind your bad? Im not that bored so as to do so!" Ouyang Cheng stood up smiling. Judging from their tones, Zhang Xuan could tell that they were close friends. "Thats more like it. How do you have the time to look for me today?" Wang Chong stepped into the gazebo and caught sight of Zhang Xuan. Perplexed, he asked, "Is this your junior?" "Cough cough!" Ouyang Cheng nearly spat his tea out. An awkward expression appeared on his face. The heck he is my junior! I want to fawn over him so that he can guide me with my pill forging. You saying that he is my junior nearly sent all of my efforts down the drain... Secretly sneaking Zhang Xuan a nce and confirming that he wasnt angry, he heaved a sigh of relief. Afraid that his old friend would say anything worse, he hurriedly introduced, "Let me introduce you to him. This is the newest 1-star apothecary of our guild, Zhang Xuan!" "1-star apothecary?" Wang Chong was surprised for a moment before feeling shocked. As an old friend of Ouyang Cheng, he knew very well how difficult the apothecary examination was. Seeing how young the other party was, he initially thought that Zhang Xuan was Ouyang Chengs junior. The thought that he was an official apothecary didnt even ur to him. It was something inconceivable to him. Even the butler by the side was astonished. "Not just so, Apothecary Zhang got promoted through Pill Debate. Singlehandedly, he left ten apothecaries speechless. In the field of pill forging, there isnt a single person in the entire capital who is more knowledgeable than him!" Ouyang Cheng continued. "Pill Debate?" Wang Chong was bbergasted. Even though he wasnt an apothecary, he had heard of such an examination method from Guild Leader Ouyangs himself. For a fellow who wasnt even twenty years of age to be an apothecary through Pill Debate, even though the fact was lying right before him, he found it difficult to ept. "Guild Leader Ouyang is being too generous, I just happen to possess a little bit of knowledge. In terms of pill forging, I am still a rookie..." Zhang Xuan hurriedly said. He was speaking of the truth. The reason why he was able to seed in the Pill Debate was because of the Library of Heavens Path. If he were to really dabble in pill forging, it was likely that he would be unable to forge even the easiest pills. The three men chatted for awhile longer after that. Zhang Xuan knew that Ouyang Cheng wasplimenting him before Wang Chong intentionally to leave a good impression of him on Wang Chong. This way, it would be more likely for the Wang Chong to impart him the way of the spear. Indeed, after the banter, Ouyang Cheng smiled, "Actually, I have something I need to trouble you with!" "Oh?" Wang Chongs looked at Ouyang Cheng. "Its like that. Apothecary Zhang highly appreciates the way of the spear. If Brother Wang has the time, you two can exchange views!" Ouyang Cheng said. "Oh? So Apothecary Zhang is a spear expert as well? Thats great..." Hearing those words, Wang Chongs eyes lit up in excitement. He was a spear fanatic and loved pitting himself against other spear experts. For Zhang Xuan to have be an official apothecary at such a young age, he probably possessed superior talent. How could he not be excited to spar with him? "I... Cough cough, I have never learned spearmanship before..." Upon seeing that the other party was determined to duel with him, an awkward look appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Chapter 145: Heavens Path Spear Art Chapter 145: Heavens Path Spear Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove His previous self had expended all of his effort and attention into raising his cultivation realm, allowing him to reach the Zhenqi realm at an exceptionally young age. As such, he had nevere into contact with spearmanship. Naturally, the current him who was a true-blue earthling had nevere into contact with it either. "Have never learned before?" Wang Chong was taken aback. If he had never learned spearmanship, what views could they exchange? A strange expression also appeared on Ouyang Chengs face. Hearing that Zhang Xuan wanted to learn spearmanship, he thought that he possessed at least a certain level of foundation in the art. That was also the reason why he termed it exchanging views instead of learning from him. In that way, Zhang Xuan would be able to retain some dignity, just... To think that he had never learned spearmanship! Awkward! If only he knew that he hadnt learned spearmanship previously, he would have just directed him to any random spearmanship teacher. There wouldnt be a need to trouble his old friend. "The situation is like this. I have a student who wants to study spearmanship, so I would like to learn a few moves now and teach him..." Seeing that everyones gaze was on him, Zhang Xuan could only reveal his motive. "Learn a few moves now? Teach someone else?" Wang Chong staggered backward and nearly fainted from astonishment. Are you joking? As the saying goes, a month with the stave, a year with the saber, and a lifetime with the spear! Countless people had embarked on spearmanship from young, only to be unable to be a true initiate for their entire life. You havent even learned the slightest thing, yet you intend to teach your student... Arent you being too gutsy? Or do you think that spearmanship is easy? In an instant, Wang Chongs face darkened. The favorable impression he had of Zhang Xuan fell apart. He had been training in the way of the spear for his entire life and already regarded the spear as an essential part of his life. He hated it when others belittled his art. Yet, this fellow hadnt even learned a single about it but intended to go about muddling his students... That was truly an insult to the way of the spear! If not for his respect for the other partys identity as a 1-star apothecary and for his old friend Ouyangs dignity, he would have thrown him out. Suppressing his displeasure, he stated, "Spearmanship is hard to practice and learn. It is an impossible task to achieve anything significant in a short period of time. If you were to teach others without fully grasping the art, it is likely that you misguide them!" His voice was steeled. "Er..." Noticing the displeasure on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan knew that it was probably impossible for him to learn spearmanship directly from the other party. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "How about this, does Brother Wang have any books regarding spearmanship here? If so, can you allow me to browse through them?" "Browse through books?" Wang Chong frowned. Spearmanship is a type of battle technique and every single movement requires the guidance and correction of an expert, as well as the refinement over a lengthy period of time. If one could learn that easily by reading books, one wouldnt have to train that hard. However, even though he was skeptical of Zhang Xuans purpose, upon witnessing him give up on his previous intentions, he heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Sure, I have a lot of such books here. It is also good for you to learn about how profound spearmanship is so that you wont be so reckless. Ill bring you over!" As a spear master, nearly every single book on spearmanship that was in the kingdom was in his possession. As long as his familys secret spear technique wasnt leaked, it wasnt really a big deal for him to allow outsiders to browse through those fundamental books. "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly nodded his head. Spear arts, just like all other battle techniques, needed long hours of refinement in order for the form and the essence of the skill to shine through. However, Zhang Xuan was different. As long as he had sufficient books, he was able to create a powerful and concise spear art that was easy to learn. "This is my study. I have almost all spear rted books in Tianxuan Kingdom in here, as well as some exclusive collections!" As the trio reached the study, Wang Chong gestured majestically with a proud expression. He had paid quite a hefty sum to gather all of these books. These books had also helped to augment his spearmanship, bringing it to greater heights. Looking inward, Zhang Xuan saw seven to eight entire bookshelves filled with all kinds of books borating on every single aspect of spearmanship. "Ouyang, it has been long since youst came. Lets go grab a drink!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan would take some time to read through some books, Wang Chong did not intend to wait here for him. Instead, he beckoned Ouyang Cheng toward another room. "Alright!" Ouyang Cheng said and the two of them walked out. "I should begin!" Watching them leave, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, walked up to a bookshelf and started flipping through the books. Hul! The sound of books flipping started to echo in the room and all sort of books on spearmanship formed in his mind. Some of these books were on the very fundamentals, some of them detailedmon moves and some of them were just basic introductions... All in all, there were truly all kinds of books on spearmanship that one could possibly imagine in here. As expected of a spear master, his collection was truly abundant. Flipping through the books continuously, he soon imprinted into his mind all the eight bookshelves of books in the study, which added up to a total of a few thousand books, within an hour. Standing quietly on the spot, Zhang Xuan started to digest the newlypiled books in his mind. "The correct training method..." His mind jolted and all of the books on spearmanship melded together to form a single book before him. He started flipping through it. "Weapons are an extension of the arm. Only by training it to be a part of your arm can one be considered to be a true initiate. Spearmanship is the same as well..." The spear art created by the Library of Heavens Path throughpiling so many books was incredibly profound and gave one the feeling of enlightenment. While looking through it, Zhang Xuan used his finger in ce of a spear to practice its moves. Huhuhu! From time to time, with the augmentation of zhenqi, his finger would pierce through the air menacingly. It was as though his body had be the spear itself, and at any moment now, he would pierce through the heavens. The spear was termed as the king of weapons. To be a true expert, one had to have the disposition of one capable of piercing through the heavens. Without numerous storms and the umtion of experiences over time, it was impossible to forge such a disposition! If someone were to notice the current Zhang Xuan, they would definitely yell in exmation. That was because the current Zhang Xuan already possessed the disposition. Even though it couldnt be determined whether his spearmanship had reached a high level of mastery, just the aura he was exuding was sufficient to crush the confidence of countless cultivators, destroying their will to fight. Fully immersed in the book, Zhang Xuan waspletely oblivious to these changes. Instead, he continued emting the movements with his hands. Tzzzzz! Burst after burst of zhenqi shot out along the trajectory of his fingers and impacted the floor, creating countless holes on it. It was fortunate that he had kept his strength in check. Otherwise, Wang Chongs study would probably be wrecked just like Master Lu Chens. After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan finally stopped and exhaled turbid air. "Im already done cultivating it?" His eyes lit up. In just a moments time, he had already practiced the entire sequence of the spear artpiled in the library once. "Ill call it Heavens Path Spear Art!" Weng! The book jolted and a name appeared on it... Heavens Path Spear Art! "Its a pity that there are too few books and too many mistakes in them. I only managed to create a single move!" Zhang Xuanmented. The books were all on the basics of spearmanship. The Library of Heavens Pathpiled all of the correct theories and created a spear art from it. "I wonder to what extent will this move augment my strength, and how much strength I would be able to execute through it!" Even though it was just a single move, he knew that it was impossible for it to be anything simple, especially after experiencing the Heavens Path Divine Art and the Heavens Path Golden Body. His fighting prowess would definitely be boosted significantly if he were to execute it. "Ill impart this to Zheng Yang when I return!" The reason why he was here specially to learn spear art was so that he could impart it to Zheng Yang. Even though it was just a single move, at the very least, the journey he made here wasnt in vain. It could be imagined that if Zheng Yang were to fully grasp the skill, his spearmanship would definitely improve by leaps and bounds. By then, defeating that Mo Xiao wouldnt pose any problem. All that came from the Heavens Path had to be exceptional. There was no doubt about this. "Time to go!" After reading all the books and obtaining what he wanted, Zhang Xuan did not dawdle in the study excessively and walked out with big strides. Chapter 146: Spear Intent Chapter 146: Spear Intent Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Under the gazebo, Wang Chong and Ouyang Chong were seated across one another, drinking. "You say that this Apothecary Zhang... passed the Pill Debate examination?" Even until now, Wang Chong found it hard to believe. Pill Debate is virtually a special privilege for master teachers, something that is meant for only the very best. Yet, a young man who wasnt even twenty managed to pass this examination. Even though he was hearing it firsthand from a reliable source, he nevertheless dares not to believe it to be possible. "Indeed, Apothecary Zhangs knowledge on herbs and pills is superior even to that of mine. He is bound to reach great heights!" Ouyang Cheng couldnt help but be impressed whenever he recalled Zhang Xuans deeds. "Even though he is incredible in pills and herbs, his understanding of the spear is too shallow. Spearmanship isnt a game, one cant learn just by looking. If it were that easy, I wouldnt have had to immerse myself in it for my whole life thus far." Wang Chongs face shone with pride and overwhelming confidence reflected in his eyes. "Indeed, the spear is the mostplicated among all weapons. How could it be easy to achieve mastery?" Of the numerous weapons, the spear was the hardest weapon to master. Countless cultivators had taken on the challenge only to end up locked out of the gates of sess. Sighing, Ouyang Cheng suddenly remembered something and nced at Wang Chong, "There arent any exclusive spear art secret manuals in your study, are there?" He brought Zhang Xuan here. If his old friend were to identally reveal some family heirloom secret manuals to him, he truly would have to feel apologetic. "Of course not. The spear arts that I created, as well as my familys secret manuals, are all kept in my mind. They are only passed down by word, other people are unable to learn it even if they wanted to!" Wang Chong chuckled, "Those that are in the study are all regarding the basics and fundamentals of spearmanship. It is useful for those who have juste into contact with the spear. Its not a big deal to allow Apothecary Zhang to browse through them. Besides, letting him read through them is a good idea, he should realize how difficult spearmanship is and drop his immature thoughts!" To be thinking about teaching spearmanship when you know nothing at all, what a joke! If spearmanship were that easy, he wouldnt have possessed the fame that he has now, such that even Emperor Shen Zhuiplimented him personally. The Spear Master wasnt a title that came out of nowhere. For this matter, he had absolute confidence and pride! "Indeed..." Ouyang Cheng nodded his head. There isnt a single weapon or battle technique that can be mastered easily. They require continuous training to refine every single move to the very perfection. If it could be grasped that easily, experts would be worth nothing at all. "Apothecary Zhang is still young and it is natural for him to be ambitious. After hes done browsing through those books, I will reveal a spear art to him so that he would realize the difficulty and give up on those ludicrous thoughts!" Even though Wang Chong was unsatisfied with Zhang Xuans actions, he dared not to underestimate him, especially after knowing his talent in pill forging. "Alright, I guess he should probably give up after that and focus on pill forging. I am still looking forward to our first 2-star apothecary in our Apothecary Guild..." Ouyang Cheng chuckled. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he saw Wang Chongs body stiffen abruptly before trembling uncontrobly. Dangng! He was oblivious to the fact that the wine cup he held in his hand had dropped to the floor and shattered into pieces. "Wang Chong..." Looking at the spear master, whose strength was top-notch in the entire Tianxuan City, acting so strangely all of the sudden, Ouyang Cheng was horrified. He had never heard that his old friend was sick! Why did he start convulsing all of the sudden? "Its Spear Intent, Spear Intent!" Just when he was considering what pill he should pop into his friends mouth to save him, thetter suddenly recovered. His eyes glowed as though a priceless treasure was right before him. "Spear Intent? What is that?" Seeing that he was fine, Ouyang Cheng heaved a sigh of relief and looked at him curiously. What could it be, for it to be able to make his friend, who was as steady as a mountain, behave in such a manner? "Those who reach a certain level of mastery in the sword can form the Sword Intent. Simrly, those who are able to exude Spear Intent are the true spear masters. These few years, the reason why I had confined myself to the residence was so that I can temper my mind to enter such a state. However, it is a pity that I had been unable to achieve a breakthrough... When did such an expert appear in the residence? Or did someone manage to achieve a breakthrough before I did? Lets go over to take a look!" He stood up abruptly and proceeded toward the origin of the Spear Intent. After developing Spear Intent, whatever one did with the spear would be a spear art. He had always strived for this goal, but he had managed to find the way. He never imagined that someone who could form Spear Intent would suddenly appear in his residence. Who could it be? The two of them rushed toward the source of Spear Intent. On the way, they happened to see Zhang Xuan strolling leisurely out of the study. "Where is he?" Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, Wang Chong asked hurriedly. "He? Who do you mean?" Zhang Xuan had no idea what the other party was talking about. He had been immersed in reading and practicing the Heavens Path Spear Art, so he hadnt paid much attention to the situation outside. What happened? Did an enemy invade? "I felt an astonishing wave of Spear Intent here, why is there no one?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was clueless, Wang Chong looked around hastily. However, the surrounding waspletely empty and there werent any other people in sight. "Could it be that youve been thinking of it so much that you began to imagine things?" Ouyang Cheng asked. His old friend had been dreaming about Spear Intent day and night. Could it be that his longing had finally turned into delusions? Otherwise, why was he unable to sense anything himself? "At my level, I am just a step away from forming Spear Intent. Just a moment ago, I had clearly felt a Spear Intent surging into the skies. I am positive of that!" Wang Chong was very confident. He had been exploring the secrets of the spear everyday fanatically, and it would be truly embarrassing if he had mistaken Spear Intent as something else. "Wait, wait. What is that Spear Intent you both are talking about?" Looking at the heated discussion between the two, Zhang Xuan could not hold back his curiosity. All the books that he had read were on the bare fundamentals. Spear Intent is an extremely advanced topic and it wasnt recorded in any of the books. As such, Zhang Xuan was ignorant. "Spear Intent is a special state of mind which a practitioner can reach only if his understanding of the spear reaches the extreme..." Wang Chong tried exining before shaking his head, "You have never learned spearmanship. You wont understand it even if I exin it to you..." Even though the other party did not go into details, Zhang Xuan got a brief grasp on the situation. "So, the reason why you are looking around here is because someone had released Spear Intent here just a moment ago?" "Im not very sure as well. I felt it vaguely just now and it should be in the vicinity..." Wang Chong nodded his head. The appearance of the Spear Intent was only for the briefest moment, as though a sh of lightning. Even Wang Chong could only sense it vaguely, and as such, he was unable to ascertain the exact location. Otherwise, he would have rushed forward directly rather than to stay distressed over here. "Right, you were here just now. You should be clear about where the person is!" Suddenly recalling something, Wang Chong turned around to look at him with glowing eyes. He was a distance away, so he was unable to sense the exact location. However, Apothecary Zhang had been here all along. With his help, he would surely be able to find the master! At the very least, after they confirm the location, they would know whether the person is a member of the n or an outsider. As a n specializing in spear, all members of the n immersed themselves in the way of the spear. Even the guards were skilled in spearmanship. Even though Wang Chong could summon all of the guards here to question them one by one, if the person in question simply kept mum or was unaware of it himself, it would be much simpler to pinpoint the exact location. "But... I dont know what Spear Intent is?" Zhang Xuan hesitated. "Thats simple. Even though I have yet to fullyprehend Spear Intent, I am able to imitate with it a 70% to 80% likeness. It should feel something like this!" Wang Chong exerted and a sharp piercing aura gushed straight toward Zhang Xuan. It felt as though it was capable of piercing through anything. "So this is Spear Intent?" A bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. "Indeed, it should feel something like this. Do you know where it came from?" Dispelling the aura, sweat droplets streamed down Wang Chongs forehead. Still gasping for air, he inquired. Even though he only imitated the aura for a brief moment, it took a toll on his body and weakened him. "This..." Zhang Xuan felt slightly embarrassed. "Is the Spear Intent you spoke of... this?" The next instant, Zhang Xuans entire body seemed to have turned into a spear and exuded a frighteningly piercing aura, as though he would pierce through the heavens at any moment. Contrasting the two, Wang Chongs Spear Intent was like a de of grass before a towering ancient tree. Iparable. Chapter 147: Can I Learn From You? Chapter 147: Can I Learn From You? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Ah? Spear... Spear Intent?" Wang Chongs body swayed and he nearly fainted. Are you for real? How can you disy Spear Intent? Furthermore, such a pure Spear Intent! He was astonished. Noticing Zhang Xuans embarrassed look, he nearly threw up blood. Embarrassed? Embarrassed your head! Brother, can you not fool others like that? Didnt you say that you never learned the way of the spear? Didnt you say that you didnt know what spear arts were? I have started learning the way of the spear since eight and I had spent forty years since then dedicating my life to it. Even so, I am still a long way from achieving Spear Intent... Can you exin to me roughly, what is with that overwhelming Spear Intent of yours? Didnt you say that you do not know what Spear Intent is? Then what in the world is this? Tears streamed down Wang Congs face. You shouldnt y with someone like that! It wasughable that he had reprimanded the other party so brazenly earlier on, saying that he wouldnt understand it even if he exined it... Where did this self-confidencee from? Or rather, the one who didnt understand was he himself... He hated the fact that there wasnt a hole here for him to dive into. "This is Spear Intent?" Ouyang Cheng was stunned. Right after disying a moment of Spear Intent, his old friend was already sweating profusely and panting for air, as though he had been constipated for a few days straight. Yet, this fellow was able to execute it easily as and when he liked, as though it were merely eating and drinking... Are you the spear master, or Wang Chong is? "You... Didnt you say that you have never learned about spears?" Overwhelmed with shock, Ouyang Cheng asked. Wang Chong also hurriedly shifted his attention to hear how the other party would exin it. "It is true that I havent learned it before!" Zhang Xuan replied truthfully. "If you have never learned it before, how can you have such a powerful Spear Intent?" Wang Chong was about to go mad. If you were able to disy such powerful Spear Intent without any prior experience, given my achievement despite how I have spent my life immersing myself in the art, I must have been spending my time on learning nonsense... "Oh, I was just reading the books in the study and an epiphany struck me. I realized that executing spear art in this form felt the mostfortable, so I got into the form. I didnt know that this is Spear Intent!" Zhang Xuan said after a short moment of contemtion. Zhang Xuan wasnt trying to feign ignorance. Rather, the books in the study were truly only about the very basics of spearmanship, so there wasnt a single one that detailed Spear Intent. He only happened to grow such a disposition due to the Heavens Path Spear Art formed through these books. As for how Spear Intent could be used and how useful it was to a spear wielder, he had no idea at all. Wang Chongs tears continued streaming down his face. You described it as though it were as easy as eating and drinking, do you know how much effort I have put into the matter, only to fail time and time again? For the past decade, I had been building my mental fortitude, entering destends, oveing the frost and withstanding the heat. Even so, I have yet to seed. Yet, you simply came to the study, read some books and unintentionally... managed to reach such a level! My heart! My liver! My youth! If there were a huge pit before him, he would have definitely jumped in to bury himself alive. Can you not destroy my confidence like that? If you said that you had put in a lot of effort, trained daily and simply happened to achieve a breakthrough, I would feel a little better. But you have only spent two hours reading through books, and... and yet you have already achieved a breakthrough... Furthermore, what you were reading werent profound secret manuals. They were just elementary books on spearmanship... If word were to spread out, all spear masters in the capital would definitely die from shame. "Wang Chong, humans arent born with equal talents. Perhaps, Apothecary Zhang... may truly be gifted in the way of the spear!" Seeing his despondent old friend who had been struck a heavy blow, Ouyang Cheng tried to console him. "Alright, I can only take it as that!" As expected of an expert spear practitioner, he had already forged his will to be as resilient as steel. Even though he was dispirited, he soon readjusted his mental state. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a young mans perplexed voice echo in the air. "You say that I haveprehended Spear Intent, but what does Spear Intent do?" Wang Chongs staggered once more. Enduring his crumbling heart, he exined, "Spear Intent refers to ones understanding of the spear; reaching Spear Intent means that the spear has already be an extension of the practitioners arms. Under such a state, any movement he makes can be considered as a spear art. This is something that can only be achieved when one reaches the pinnacle of spearmanship!" "Any movement made can be considered as spear art?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Great! If my student canprehend Spear Intent, he would be able to achieve victory in the Freshmen Tournament!" Since Spear Intent is that formidable, Zhang Xuan decided to give Zheng Yang a good lesson when he returned. As long as he is able to achieve such a state, even if he didnt possess profound spear arts in his arsenal, it is unlikely for him to lose to his opponent. "You want to help your studentprehend it as well?" Wang Chong trembled. Spear Intent is a persons understanding toward the spear. Do you think that everyone is as overpowered as you so as to be able to achieve a breakthrough just by looking at some books? He wanted to convince the other party to drop the idea, but he didnt know where he should start from. "Right, I have learned a technique when I was looking through the books earlier back, but I have no idea how powerful it would be. Since Brother Wang is a spear master, can you offer me some pointers?" Zhang Xuan had no concept of Spear Intent, so he wasnt as shocked as the other party. Recalling the move that the Heavens Path Library created, he couldnt help but speak up. The person before him was a renowned spear master in the entire kingdom. He would definitely be able to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the move. "You evenprehended a technique? Fine, I am also interested to see what kind of move a genius like you is able toprehend!" Wang Chong nodded his head and sent a subordinate to fetch a spear over. Soon, he returned carrying two spears. "The best way to test the strength of a move is through sparring! Apothecary Zhang, show me the move you have justprehended!" It was as though Wang Chong had transformed the moment a spear was grasped in his hands. His aura was ferocious, as though a savage ancient beast had awakened from his sleep. In his view, even though the other party hadprehended Spear Intent, his absolute strength and ability to wield the spear should still be inferior to him. Even if the other party has any special moves, he should be able to handle it with ease. "Alright!" It just happened that Zhang Xuan wanted to try out his move. Thus, he casually grabbed the other spear. He had never once grabbed a spear in his life. However, afterprehending Spear Intent, the spear felt like a perfect fit in his hands. "Lets begin!" The moment Zhang Xuan felt so, his aura evolved immediately, as though the ordinary young man from before had be a domineering conqueror. Hu! Charging forward, his spear shot out explosively from his palms. This technique was something he created afterpiling the essence of thousands of manuals. All of theplexities had been simplified into this one single concise move. The zhenqi in his entire body churned and the spear flew out as though a massive rising from the ocean, soaring into the skies. "What?" Initially, he didnt pay much heed to Wang Chong, but upon witnessing the spear piercing straight at him, goosebumps were raised on his body immediately and he was almost scared witless. The move may look simple, inelegant and even ugly, but it focused all of the cultivators strength and spirit into a single point. This... This... This was supreme spear art! Boom! Without much time to think, Wang Chongs exerted all his strength in one stroke and met Zhang Xuans blow with one of his own. Unleashing his full strength, his cultivation realm was also revealed... Fighter 7-dan, Tongxuan realm! Ding! The two spears met in the air and a massive shock wave was generated, sending intense gusts to the surroundings. Deng deng deng deng! Zhang Xuan retreated seven to eight steps before stopping. On the other hand, Wang Chong was still rooted to his spot. It was clear who the victor was in the simple face-off. Zhang Xuan didnt use his full strength. He had limited it to 40 ding and naturally, wouldnt be able to withstand a full strength attack by a Tongxuan realm advanced stage expert. However, due to the incredible resilience of his body and his pure zhenqi, even though he was forced back, he wasnt injured at all. "As expected of a spear master, incredible!" Seeing that the other party had managed to easily deal with a move derived by the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was impressed. On the other hand, Wang Chong nearly fainted from fear. The other partys seemingly simple spear art had forced him to execute his trump card. Furthermore... Even though he didnt retreat a single step and it looked as though he had the upper hand, there was a dull pain in his chest and his blood flow had be erratic. He had been wounded considerably in the face-off. If not for him suppressing forcefully, he would have spurted a mouthful of blood. No matter what, he was a Tongxuan realm advanced stage expert... For him to be unable to match up to a Pixue realm opponent... It was a difference of an entire cultivation realm between them. Normally, it would be impossible for one to defeat an opponent who had a higher cultivation realm. It was hard to tell what he would think if he were to know that the young man before him had only used half of his strength in this face-off. "This move is truly incredible..." After taking a long time to adjust his breathing, Wang Chong couldnt help butpliment. The move was simply too amazing! He had always thought that he was a genius, and he had also created quite a few spear techniques. However,pared to this move, they were all trash. The difference between the two was likeparing dirt to gem. "Thats great. I want to impart this move to my student. Can Brother Wang offer me some pointers so that I can improve it?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Pointers..." Wang Chongs face flushed. Apothecary Zhang, are you here to p my face? Putting aside the fact that you have achieved Spear Intent and that every single move of yours is a spear art, this move... I cant evenprehend the move, how can I offer you pointers? Even though he was a spear master, he wasnt able to tell how his opponent executed the move and how the attack came at him... He felt so embarrassed that he couldmit suicide. "This move... has no problems. You can impart it to your student like this!" After saying those words, Wang Chongs face felt a burning sensation on his face. An hour ago, he had thought that the young man didnt understand spearmanship, and that he was insulting the way of the spear. But now... He felt that he was the one insulting the way of the spear. The other party had only read two hours of books, and not only did heprehend Spear Intent, he had even created such an incredible technique. On the other hand, he had practiced spearmanship for more than forty years, but had only reached such a nonsensical level... In an instant, he felt blood welling up in his chest, ready to spurt out at any moment. After the embarrassment, a daring thought suddenly emerged in his mind. The essence of the other partys technique was to concentrate ones entire strength to one single point. In this aspect, it resembled Spear Intent greatly. If he were to learn the move, he might be able to break through the final barrier obstructing him and achieve Spear Intent. "Apothecary Zhang, can you... teach me this move?" After a moment of hesitation, he asked red-faced. "You wish to learn? Sure, I can teach you!" After a moment of surprise, Zhang Xuan agreed to his request with a smile. Hearing the conversation between the two, Ouyang Cheng staggered. Wasnt Zhang Xuan the one who came here today to learn spearmanship from Wang Chong? How did... their roles... get swapped? Chapter 148: Student Dueling Platform Chapter 148: Student Dueling tform Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Without the Heavens Path Divine Art toplement the Heavens Path Spear Art, even if the other party learned it, it would be significantly weaker than his. Furthermore, it was a move he had devised through the other partys books, so teaching the other party wasnt a big deal. Thus, Zhang Xuan agreed to Wang Chongs request without much hesitation. Of course, it was impossible for him to impart him the full version. After all, the Heavens Path Spear Art was too fearsome. It would be unparalleled even if he were to just impart a portion of it. "I..." Wang Chong had raised this request without harboring much hope. Upon hearing Zhang Xuan agree to it, his entire body trembled in agitation and his eyes reddened. Experts usually only imparted the moves they created to their children and disciple, never allowing it to leak out. Putting others aside, he was one of them as well. Other than his son, he had never taught anyone else the moves that he had created. Yet, Apothecary Zhang was willing to impart such a profound move to him so easily. This magnanimity and personality... "This move is extremely profound, I cant learn it for free..." Hesitating for a moment, Wang Chong said. Even though the other party was willing to impart him the move, it wasnt appropriate for him to take something without giving anything back in return. It was just like how one had to send betrothal gifts when marrying others daughter. How could there be free lunch in this world? "Apothecary Zhang iscking gold coins to purchase some pills. I think it would be best for you to pay him some money to serve as the tuition fee!" Ouyang Cheng interjected. Zhang Xuan had yet to pay him for the pills he had bought in his stead. He knew the other party was definitely looking for a way to earn money to repay him, and since his old friend wished to repay the favor, it was best for him to simply give Zhang Xuan money. Furthermore, after imparting the battle technique to Wang Chong, Zhang Xuan would be considered as half a teacher to Wang Cong. If Zhang Xuan turned out to be very demanding thereafter, he might be unable to repay this favor and this would put him in a very difficult position. Putting others aside, what if Zhang Xuan wanted to learn the spear arts Wang Chong had created... Should he teach it to him? "Alright!" Understanding the intentions behind his old friends words, Wang Chong hurriedly nodded his head. He turned around to delegate some tasks to the butler. Not longter, the butler came in with a stack of bills and passed it over to Zhang Xuan. "This is the tuition fee. I hope that Apothecary Zhang can ept it. It would be inappropriate for me to learn your spear art for free..." "Hm?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened. Am I dreaming? I came here to learn spear art, but... why did I be the one teaching... Furthermore, I am even earning money? However, Zhang Xuan found it hard to reject his money, looking at that stack of bills which was worth at least two million. Upon keeping the money, Zhang Xuan began to disy the technique slowly and exined the concept and workings behind it in detail. As expected of a spear master, although Wang Chong had not yet achieved Spear Intent, his knowledge of spears had already permeated deep into his bones. With a single demonstration, he had already almost fully grasped the concept. Even though his might was still far from Zhang Xuans original version, there were no problem with his form and his movements. "Apothecary Zhang, thank you for imparting me the move!" Only after learning this move did Wang Chong truly understand how powerful it was. He was astounded by its might. He could already foresee that if he were to continue practicing the skill, in less than a year, he would be able to achieve Spear Intent and grow even stronger. Regardless of whether he had paid the school fee or not, Zhang Xuan had already be half a teacher to him. By half a teacher, it meant that one had learned a move or two from another person, or had been granted pointers from him. Since he had already grasped the move, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to remain here. Along with Ouyang Cheng, he bided farewell and left. "Guild Leader Ouyang, help me keep an eye on those pills. I will im them from you when the timees!" Leaving Spear Master Wang Chongs residence, Zhang Xuan said. "Rest easy!" Ouyang Cheng nodded his head. Previously, he simply thought that as long as this young man studied diligently, he could be the first 2-star apothecary of Tianxuan Kingdom. However, such thoughts had vanished altogether from his mind. From aplete beginner, just by reading two hours of books, he was able to easily create a move that even Wang Chong revered, furthermore achieving Spear Intent... Such a person would surely strike it big and his name would ring across the world. "Return to the academy!" The Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution and Meridian Rejuvenation Pill were already in his possession, so he thought that he should pass them over to his students so that they could cultivate even faster. After bidding Ouyang Cheng farewell, he returned to his ssroom swiftly. However, when he arrived, he only saw Wang Ying in the ssroom; the rest were absent. "Where are the others?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had been finding all means to help them raise their strength swiftly, yet this bunch of fellows didnt evene for training. "They... They..." Not expecting Zhangoshi to appear at such a moment, Wang Ying was terrified. Cowering backward in fear, she stuttered. Zhangoshi had said when he left ss yesterday that he would be busy, and he might be unable to make it for lessons for the time being. Why is he back so soon? "Speak!" Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. In order to awaken their unique constitution and heal their wounds, he went through the trouble of undertaking the apothecary examination and disguised himself as a master teacher. Yet, they were skipping out on lessons. He was truly infuriated. If he knew that this would happen, he would never have bothered expending such effort on them. Was he giving them dowry? If students didnt working hard themselves, no matter how much assistance the teacher provides them, it would still be difficult for them to achieve great heights in the future. After all, rotten mud would just slide down no matter how high you carry them up. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. At the point, Zhang Xuans face waspletely cold. "Teacher..." Wang Ying shivered. She had a weak character, and upon seeing Zhangoshis rage, she was scared speechless. Jiyaa! At this point, the door opened. Before anyone could walk in, a voice echoed, "Wang Ying, hurry up ande. They have started fighting..." Halfway through his words, the owner of the voice saw the icy-faced Zhang Xuan and the remaining words cluttered in his throats. "Zhangoshi..." The owner of the voice shuddered. Fatty Yuan Tao. "Started fighting? Getting someone to help? Did I get you here to cultivate or to fight?" Zhang Xuans voice was icy. "I..." Yuan Taos face paled. "You have barely learnt a thing or two and you are already out fighting others. Is it that you dont need me as your teacher anymore?" Truthfully, Zhang Xuan wasnt angry, his heart simple ached. Even though he hadnt gotten along with these students of his for long, he had already treated them as his closest kin and had worked hard for their sake. Yet, they went out to engage in a group fight, running back to call for backup when they found themselves in a bad position... He felt frustrated over how they simply had not matured. "Zhangoshi, thats not it..." Anxiety appeared on Yuan Taos plump face. "Thats not it? Then tell me, what does fighting and you calling Wang Ying to help means? If I were to hear of any false words from your mouth today, I will expel you. Dont even dream of calling me teacher ever again!" Zhang Xuan flung his robe backward furiously. If these children were not worth grooming, he wouldnt want to waste his effort as well. The most that could happen was for him to lose and leave Tianxuan Kingdom and Hongtian Academy. With the Library of Heavens Path in his possession, where else could he not go in this vast world? The reason why he stayed was because his previous selfs longing for this ce and his sense of responsibility toward his students. "Its..." Yuan Tao shivered for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Its like this. Today, the academy is allocating cultivation resources and they said that you are... the worst teacher in the academy, so you dont have any rights to im it! We felt furious with their words and went over to argue it out with them. As such, a conflict broke out..." "Allocating cultivation resources?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before he recalled. Every month, the academy would allocate cultivation resources to each teacher. The amount of resources a teacher received depended on the amount of students the teacher had, the results of his Teacher Qualification Examination, as well as his overall evaluation. The teachers could use these resources themselves or to reward the better students in order to encourage them to work harder. Usually, these cultivation resources were allocated by the Student Bureau. Student Bureau was the department that was responsible for managing and conducting examinations for students, as well as to distribute cultivation resources to the students and teachers. Zhao Ya had scored within the top ten of the freshmen and did not have to share a dormitory with the others. It was the department which allocated her dormitory to her. "Bring me over!" Knowing that they were standing up for him, Zhang Xuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. His rage had also quelled significantly. Thoseds... "Yes!" Yuan Tao did not dare to say anything else. He immediately led the way, with Wang Ying also tagging along. The three of them started to walk toward the Student Bureau. .............................. Student Bureau. "The Teacher Guild had already endorsed Zhangoshis innocence on the affair, Zhouoshi, why do you still refuse to allocate the resources belonging to him?" Zheng Yang red at the young man before him furiously. That was a previous student who had be a teacher in the school, Zhou Tian. "Innocence? Are the documents here? Did they any notify us?" Zhou Tian lifted his eyebrows and a hint of mockery appeared on his face. "Since theres nothing at all, Zhang Xuan remains the worst teacher in the school who scored a zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination. It is a waste to grant him resources. Dont me me for having not allocated resources to you, me yourselves for acknowledging the wrong teacher!" As the ancient saying goes, wealth, peers, teachings, andnd. Of which, wealth came first, and from this, it was clear to see how important it was for ones cultivation. TL: This is a Buddhism term that states the four things one need to achieve enlightenment. Without sufficient wealth, one is unable to immerse himself in his cultivation. Without peers, it is difficult for one to reach great heights. Without teachings, it is likely for one to stray from the correct path. Without a suitablend, it is likely for one to be affected by his surroundings. This was precisely the reason why Wang Ying hesitated back then when Zhang Xuan said that she might face a shortage of cultivation resources. Every month, Hongtian Academy would allocate some cultivation resources to its students and teachers. Most of them were low-level pills. Even though it wasnt of much use to the teachers, it was excellent tonic for students who had just started cultivating. This was the reason why many people were able to improve rapidly. Today was the day of the allocation, but they were not informed. Naturally, they took the initiative to inquire about the matter. "Even if the documents from the Teacher Guild had yet to be passed down, I recall that all teachers of Hongtian Academy, regardless of how terrible their results are, as long as they had students, they would qualify to im the Breath Forging Powder! What rights do you have to not even give that to us?" Zhao Ya stepped forward. Breath Forging Powder was the mostmon cultivation resources used by the lower grade students. It allowed the students in Juxi realm to better sense the spiritual energy in the air. The Breath Forging Powder couldnt be considered as a pill and even Wen Xue, who hadnt qualified as an apprentice apothecary could make it, thus making it inexpensive. ording to the school rules, any teacher with students was entitled to it. You may be able to find excuses to avoid allocating the expensive cultivation resource to us, but if you refuse to give this to us as well, it would be clear that you are trying to make things difficult for us! "Theres such a rule, but theres also a use stating that if the students werent worth grooming, the Student Bureau could choose not to allocate any to the students. You all refused to follow by the Student Bureaus arrangement and made a fuss here. Hence, it is logical that I would reject your request!" Zhou Tian said arrogantly. "You..." Seeing that the other party was determined not to give it to them, Zhao Yas breathing hastened and her face flushed. "Why? Are you unsatisfied with my arrangements?" The corners of Zhou Tians lips crept up. "If you are not satisfied, that is a Student Dueling tform over there. You can challenge my students and if you are able to defeat all of them, not only will I give you the Breath Forging Powder, I can even give you the Breath Forging Bead! Remember, this is a Breath Forging Bead. Werent you all causing a ruckus demanding for me to give Zhang Xuan his resources? Even though this isnt a true pill, it isnt far from that. It is effective even for Pixue realm experts. An ordinary teacher could only im one every month. If you dare to take on the challenge and seed, I will give you all three of it!" The Student Dueling tform was one of the means to settle a conflict between students and teachers. Of all methods, it was only second to the Teacher Dueling tform. The way it operated was simple. As long as the one challenging the teacher was able to defeat all of the students under him, that teacher would have to apologize to the student. Chapter 149: Zhang Xuans Decision Chapter 149: Zhang Xuans Decision Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Breath Forging Bead?" "Three of it?" Hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others breaths started to hasten. Breath Forging Bead was something unique to the Hongtian Academy. It was something that couldnt be bought even at the Apothecary Guild. It increased the pace at which fighters absorb spiritual energy, allowing them to improve quickly. "Zhangoshi had done so much for us without expecting any returns. As his students, its time for us to repay the favor!" Zheng Yangs gaze was resolute. Since young, he had been training diligently alone, trying to fumble his way through his cultivation. He thought that even in school, his teacher would only rify his doubts and solve some problems... However, the warmth that Zhangoshi had given him was much more than that. He created a cultivation technique just for him and pointed out his ws. Just so for their sake, he even took the risk to partake in a Pill Debate... As he thought about everything that had urred, he couldnt help but feel moved. Motivation welled up in him. "Zhangoshi may care not for these resources, but... every teacher is allocated some of them. If he bes the only teacher who doesnt get any, his prestige and reputation will be sullied. As his students, we have to fight for his sake, no matter what it takes!" Zhao Ya gritted her teeth. Zhangoshi casually gave her the Frigid Sun Mother Grass which was worth a hundred thousand gold coins. Even though the Breath Forging Bead wasnt bad as well, it was unlikely that he would care much for it. However... This is no longer a problem over the resource allocation, but dignity. Of so many teachers in the academy, he was the only one who wasnt given the resources. If word were to spread out, people would look down on him. Since he isnt at the academy, then... Teacher, we will protect your dignity in your stead! We shall guard your prestige! Determination filled Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang and Liu Yangs eyes. Not a hint of hesitation could be seen. "Fine, well challenge the Student Dueling tform!" Nodding their heads in agreement, Zheng Yang retrieved the spear at his back and started fitting it together. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the air moaned under the pressure of the spear. "This is what you have chosen for yourself, dont regret it!" Zhou Tian sneered coldly. He raised his hand and beckoned, "Everyonee out, someone is challenging you. Its time to teach them a lesson. As long as you defeat them, I will give every one of you some Breath Forging Powder!" Hula! Apanied by a roar, a group of people came out. They were all freshmen and there were around forty to fifty of them. "I have a total of 47 students. No matter how many of you go at them, as long as you can defeat all 47, I will consider it your victory!" The corners of Zhou Tians lips crept upward. "47..." Zhao Ya and the others mouths twitched. They didnt think that a new teacher who just joined this year would be able to recruit so many students. "Lets fight. We mustnt embarrass ourselves and Zhangoshi!" There were rules for the Student Dueling tform. One could choose to fight their opponents one by one or to take on all of them at once. As long as they were able to defeat all of the students under the teacher, it would be their victory. Since they had already made up their minds, there was nothing for them to hesitate about. With a leap, Zheng Yang first stepped into the ring. Hu! One of Zhou Tians students leaped up as well. The duel began immediately. ...... ... "Zhou Tian?" On their way over to the Student Bureau, Yuan Tao exined the situation to Zhang Xuan. Hearing so, Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never offended this teacher, be it his previous self or after he reincarnated over. Why is he picking on him? Even though the academy appeared to be calm on the outside, it was filled with internal strife. Many rivalries and schemes went on in the shadows. However, he didnt recall any conflict with that teacher from the Student Bureau. Teachers of the Student Bureau rarely did such things as it would incur the ire of the other teachers. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had just toppled the head of the Education Bureau. Even though the students were unaware of it, as a teacher, he should have heard the news. To pit himself against him despite knowing it, was he asking for a beating? "Ive heard some rumors that... he was once Elder Shang Chens disciple. The reason why he was able to remain at the school as a teacher was because of the elders arrangements..." Yuan Tao said. "So thats the case!" If so, the situation made sense. He had caused Elder Shang Chen to be stripped of his position as the head of the Education Bureau, and even now, he was at risk of being punished by the Teacher Guild. As his student, he had to stand up for his own teacher. "However, my face... isnt that easy to be pped!" Knowing the reason, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Its not impossible to p my face, but... your hand has to be strong enough so as to not hurt yourself! ...... ... Peng! Peng! Peng! After a few fistsnded on his back consecutively, Zheng Yang felt a tinge of sweetness in his mouth and he seemed to be unable to bend the hand which wielded the spear anymore. In the past few days, his cultivation had improved tremendously. Zhou Tianoshis students were not a match for him, but they were too numerous! That was already the fifth opponent, and he was on the verge of copsing. If it were an ordinary dueling match, Zheng Yang wouldnt have been so tired. However, the other party seemed to have nned it out beforehand and was hopping around the battlefield intentionally, refusing to face him head on, with the goal of draining his stamina. "Persevere! You have to persevere on!" Zheng Yang bit the bullet. With thest sliver of energy he had remaining, his spear shook and he defeated his fifth opponent. "Haha, cant withstand it anymore?" With a loud chuckle, the sixth student leaped onto the stage and kicked Zheng Yangs chest. Thetter staggered seven to eight steps backward. If not for his dogged tenacity, he would have fallen off the ring. "If you cant take it, stop putting on a show here. To dare to challenge Zhouoshis prestige, scram!" The sixth student sneered and sent his stave straight at him. Given the speed of the stave, if Zheng Yang were to be hit, he would definitely be injured severely. "I have to block it..." With a ferocious expression on his face, Zheng Yang tried to raise his spear for a block. However, he realized that he was one move too slow, he wouldnt be able to make it in time. Knowing that the stave would surely hit him, Zheng Yang closed his eyes and braced for the impact. He thought that he would fall off the Student Dueling tform immediately spurting fresh blood, but for a long time, nothing happened. He opened his eyes hurriedly and saw a figure before him. That person wasnt of a tall stature, but his back view looked extremely reliable. The stave that the sixth opponent brandished was grasped between the persons fingers. No matter how much strength the former exerted, he was unable to shake his weapon out of thetters hand. "Zhangoshi..." With a single nce, he recognized the person. That figure before him is his teacher, Zhang Xuanoshi. He... isnt he out? Why is he here... The one who stopped the stave was indeed Zhang Xuan. Arriving with Yuan Tao, upon witnessing the situation, he immediately dashed forward and jumped onto the ring. It was just ten days before the battle with Lu Xunoshi. If these students of his were to get injured at such a time, Zhang Xuan would have to surrender for the Teacher Evaluation duel. As Shang Chen was overthrown by Zhang Xuan, Zhou Tian harbored resentment for him. Knowing that he wasnt a match for Zhang Xuan, he intentionally provoked his students, Zheng Yang and the others, for this purpose. As long as Zheng Yang and the rest were injured, he calcted that they would not stand a chance in the Teacher Evaluation. Seeing that it was toote to stop the duel through any other means, Zhang Xuan leaped onto the stage himself. "Zhang Xuan, what do you mean by this? Your students arepeting in the Student Dueling tform. Why? Do you intend to make a move on my students despite being a teacher?" Seeing him rush over, Zhou Tian wasnt too surprised. A menacing gleam shed through his eyes. "Make a move on your students? You sure are thinking too much!" With a flick of his finger, the other partys stave broke into many pieces. Patting his hands, he nced over. "Then what do your actions mean? Do you wish to take back your words? However, it seems like it is toote. Your students have already agreed to challenge the Student Dueling tform, and they have already injured five of my students. No matter what, the challenge must go on! This matter isnt up to you! Unless..." At this point, Zhou Tians lips curled up into a cold smile, "Unless... you concede defeat and admit that your students are inferior to mine!" "We mustnt admit defeat!" "Even if we have to give it our all, we will definitely win..." Hearing the in mockery in the other partys voice, Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists and their faces flushed red. If they were to really admit defeat like that, they wouldnt be able to uphold their pride in the academy in future. "Admit that my students are inferior to yours?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You must still be dreaming!" "Hmph! Since thats the case, lets continue. I request that you get down from the ring!" Zhou Tian flung his robe. "For a teacher like you to interfere in a battle among students, arent you bullying the weak?" "Dont be in such a hurry! Zhang Xuan smiled. "I am not admitting defeat, but I didnt say that I will allow our students to continuepeting!" "You wish to stop the duel? The Student Dueling tform has already begun, and you dont have the right to stop it. It is toote to regret." Zhou Tian harrumphed. "My students decision is my decision. Since they decided to challenge the Student Dueling tform, theres nothing for me to regret!" Zhang Xuan looked over. "However... I think that a mere Student Dueling tform is too uninteresting. Why dont we conduct a Teacher Dueling tform? Just that... do you dare to ept the challenge?" "What? Challenge the Teacher Dueling tform? Is that fellow insane?" "Is there something wrong with his head?" "Teacher Dueling tform means that the students challenge the teacher. It is already difficult for those students of his to achieve victory in the Student Dueling tform, yet he wants to challenge the Teacher Dueling tform? Isnt he daydreaming?" ...... ... Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, the teachers and students present in the Student Bureau were dumbfounded. When a student is dissatisfied with a teacher, he can challenge all of the students under him via a Student Dueling tform to force him to admit his mistakes. On the other hand, Teacher Dueling tform meant that a student would be challenging the teacher directly. If he were to lose, admitting defeat would be one thing, but the dignity of the teacher would be sullied. Of course, given that the cultivation realms of the students are far beneath that of teachers, it is impossible for students to win in a normal duel. For the sake of fairness, the teacher has to lower his cultivation realm down to that of the student in a Teacher Dueling tform. Even so, the fight could not be considered to be totally fair. Being able to be teachers, their experience and grasp over the flow of battle are obviously far superior to that of mere students. Even if they were to duel at the same power realm, it was impossible for a student to emerge victorious over a teacher. Zhao Ya and the others all staggered and nearly fainted on the spot. They thought that they had been audacious to challenge the Student Dueling tform. Yet, Zhangoshi managed to top them and requested for the Teacher Dueling tform instead... You... must be joking! Even though this Zhou Tianoshi wasnt exceptionally powerful among the teachers, barely reaching Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm primary stage, he was still a true teacher of the academy. He wasnt someone a bunch of Juxi realms could defeat. "Teacher Dueling tform? You want your students to challenge me?" Zhou Tian looked as though he had heard the most hrious joke in the world. "Why? Dont dare to?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. "Haha, you are truly courting death!" Zhou Tian burst intoughter. "Fine, Ill agree then. If you win, I will give you ten Breath Forging Beads. However, if you were to lose... Hehe, I wont demand any items, you just have to kneel down before me!" Chapter 150: Imparting Spear Art Chapter 150: Imparting Spear Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Alright. Anything will do as long as you dont go back on your words." Zhang Xuan chuckled and agreed. "Zhangoshi..." Hearing him make such a decision, Zhao Ya and the others panicked. Are you pulling our legs? They had improved significantly in thest few days, but defeating a teacher in a duel is... impossible! Agreeing so readily, isnt it akin to admitting defeat? "Since youre so confident, lets do it then. Are they going to take on me all at once or go one by one?" Zhou Tian said with a grin. Zhang Xuan only had five students in total. Even if he were to suppress his cultivation, they would still not be a match for him. "Taking turns? Youre thinking too much. Given your strength, any one of my students would be able to easily defeat you!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You..." Seeing that the other party was looking down on him like that, Zhou Tians face darkened. Lazy to bother with the fellow, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Zhao Ya and the others. Meeting his gaze, his students felt extremely anxious. They werent even able to win in the Student Dueling tform, and now they had to challenge the teacher... "The few of you hadnt fought previously. If I let you challenge Zhouoshi, it truly is... bullying the weak. Zheng Yang, you will face him!" Zhang Xuan looked around and then casually pointed at Zheng Yang. Hearing those words, the surrounding crowd almost fainted. Brother, is it alright for you to be putting on such a big show? Even if you really wanted to boast, it should be realistic, right? Putting aside Zheng Yangs abilities, he had just fought several opponents and is running low on stamina. Didnt you witness that he could not even move his spear anymore? He might not be able to kill even a chicken now, yet you want to pit him against Zhou Tian? Furthermore... Bullying the other party? Bullying the heck! Looking at the fellows condition, even if Zhou Tian didnt make a move, he probably would fall by himself in no time... Not only did the others put on confused expressions, even Zheng Yangs mouth was twitching. "Teacher, I..." He was about to go insane. Zhangoshi, can you stop pulling such pranks? He knows how much he is worth, and he wouldnt even be able to fight any student whoes his way this moment, needless to say, Zhou Tianoshi... Even if he were to suppress his cultivation to that of a Fighter 1-dan... It is still impossible for him to emerge victoriously! Just as he was about to inform Zhangoshi of his physical condition, before he could speak, the other persons calm voice sounded once more, "Dont feel happy yet, it isnt toote to celebrate after defeating this Zhouoshi!" Happy? Happy my foot! I am on the verge of tears, cant you tell? Zheng Yangs body staggered and he looked as though he would faint at any moment now. "Courting death..." Catching sight of this scene, Zhou Tian thought that Zhang Xuan was doing this intentionally to shame him. His mouth twitched in rage and anger gleamed in his eyes. "Before the fight, I will teach him a new spear art. Surely Zhouoshi will be fine with it?" Ignoring the strange looks the others shot him, Zhang Xuan asked Zhou Tian. "Its a little toote for that!" Zhou Tian harrumphed. "It doesnt matter whether it iste or not. It would suffice as long as it is enough to defeat you!" Zhang Xuan smiled. He walked to Zheng Yang and said, "Here, teacher will teach you a spear art. Look carefully and learn!" After which, he took the spear from the other partys hands, and with a slight tremble of his palm, stabbed forward in a crooked trajectory. The move appeared to have no depth to it, looking like a random movement. It didnt bear the slightest resemnce to a spear art. It seemed like a casual, yful stab. "This fellow... Is he joking?" "You call that spear art? The spear art of an aroused boar meeting a sow would even be better than that!" "Ive seen people who swindle their own parents, but this is my first time seeing a teacher swindle his own student. Zheng Yang is probably done for!" "To have met such a teacher, he is doomed matter how talented he is..." Zhang Xuan taught Zheng Yang before everyones eyes, and everyone saw the move clearly. For a moment, their minds were unable to keep up with the situation. Do you call that spear art? Even the technique a cleaner use to sweep the floor is several times more profound than that move of yours... "Have you grasped it yet?" Ignoring the discussions in the crowd, Zhang Xuan looked at Zheng Yang. "Yes..." Zheng Yang wanted to cry. Does such a move even need to be learned? He first came into contact with the spear when he was six... Any random move in the books is far superior to the one his teacher just taught... "Alright, since you have grasped it already, go and defeat Zhouoshi!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head, gently dusting Zheng Yangs body. Hearing his teachers instructions, Zheng Yang was about to cry when he felt Zhangoshis palm on his shoulder. A surge of zhenqi flowed through his meridians. The zhenqi was extremely dense and pure. All clots in its path fell apart immediately and he felt the shackles on his body being removed. As though having eaten a nutritious tonic, all fatigue vanished and he felt refreshed. Fatigue is just like an illness, and it is often caused by the blockages in ones meridians. Under Zhang Xuans pure zhenqi, it wasnt difficult to clear those blockages. "Dont resist me. Follow the movement of my zhenqi and adjust your breathing along with it!" He was still feeling surprised at Zhangoshis actions when he heard his voice sound beside his ears. Knowing that his teacher would never do him in, Zheng Yang focused his attention hurriedly and adjusted his breathing. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The zhenqi that gushed into his body flowed through his meridians in a unique path. In an instant, Zheng Yang felt as though he had be a spear that could pierce through the heavens. "This is... the inner breathing method of the spear art?" No matter how foolish Zheng Yang was, he immediately understood what was going on. Regardless of whether it was a spear art or other battle techniques, on top of the moves, one had to know the corresponding inner breathing method. Only when ones inner breathing is aligned with the technique can one unleash the greatest might possible. Otherwise, it would look shy at best when in fact there is little might behind the attack. Even though Zheng Yang had nevere across any exceptionally powerful spear art, he had been living with the spear by his side since young. The spear had already be a part of him and the moment he felt the inner breathing within his body, he understood that the technique is much more profound than any other spear arts he had learned before. The move looked so simple that even a fool would be able to learn it. However, when paired up with this inner breathing method, it was clear that it was a drastically simplified move that was packed with profound spear theories, a truly fine piece of art! "To think that there would be such a powerful move in the world..." In that instant, he appeared to be in a daze. He could hardly believe what was happening. Profound is no longer sufficient to describe the move, it ispletely inconceivable that such a move could exist. Zheng Yang was still bathing in agitation when Zhangoshis voice echoed in his ear once more. "Dont let your thoughts wander now. Try to get ustomed to this inner breathing method and align it properly with that spear art!" "Yes!" Knowing that Zhangoshi was imparting him an incredibly profound move, Zheng Yang focused his attention and tried toprehend the inner breathing within him. Every single battle technique has an inner breathing method unique it. To learn a battle technique, one has to slowly open up all of the clogged meridians required for it. It is an incredibly tiring and long process, requiring long hours of effort. Using Zheng Yang as an example, he is only at Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm and there is only inner breath in his body. He hadnt even formed zhenqi yet. It would have taken a minimum of two years effort for him to open up the path required for the move. However, Zhang Xuans presence made all the difference. Zhangoshis zhenqi was extremely pure and wherever it flowed through, the clots would immediately be undone, thus opening up the meridians. In less than two breaths, he had already opened up a smooth passageway for Zheng Yangs inner breathing of the technique. "Just like that, I have... mastered it?" Upon sensing the smooth passageway through the inner breathing, Zheng Yang instantly understood this fact. In this short moment, he hadpletely mastered the move, as though he had been practicing it for multiple years. "Alright, keep this surge of zhenqi in your body. Continue feigning weak and powerless, and when the duel with Zhou Tian begins, you must strike him in full one blow!" Zhang Xuan voice continued to sound. Comprehending the meaning behind his words, Zheng Yang nodded his head secretly. At the same time, he was perplexed... Why is Zhangoshis zhenqi able to remain in his body without creating conflicts in his body? The attributes of ones zhenqi would change ording to the cultivation technique a fighter pursued. As such, when ones zhenqi flows into another persons body, putting aside the question of whether the former is able to help thetter to achieve a breakthrough, it is likely that a conflict would ur, and this would cause the receivers cultivation to go berserk. Yet, Zheng Yang did not feel any discord or difort within when Zhangoshis zhenqi entered his body. He found it inconceivable. However, he also knew that this wasnt the time to be thinking about such things. After struggling to sp his hand, he eximed, "Zhouoshi,e!" After which, he staggered up the ring. Zheng Yang appeared as though he would fall if a strong gust were to blow at this moment. Witnessing his condition, the crowd stared at one another, bbergasted. The heck, are you serious? To fight a teacher using a spear art that even pigs can execute and a body that will cave in at any moment, how do you intend to win... Zhou Tians face twitched as well. A thought suddenly popped into his mind. I fell for his trap. This fellow had probably intended to sacrifice this student from the very start to make a fool out of him. Imparting a move that cant even kill a chicken to deal with him... Isnt he implying that he couldnt even match up to a chicken? "Zhang Xuan, you sure are despicable!" Thinking that the other party was intentionally humiliating him, Zhou Tian gritted his teeth and stepped into the ring as well. "Zhouoshi, please go easy on me..." Portraying an extremely weak image, Zheng Yang struggled to lift his spear. Seeing how even such a simple movement could send sweat trickling down his forehead from fatigue, everyone was speechless. It had been long since someone challenged the Teacher Dueling tform. One wouldnt have imagined that the first one in years would be so entric. If word were to spread out, it would surely cause an uproar. "Teacher... Why dont I substitute Zheng Yang!" Zhao Ya spoke, unable to endure it anymore. "Just watch!" Zhang Xuan didnt exin the situation to her. Seeing how confident her teacher was, even though Zhao Ya was perplexed, she did not dare to question any further. Instead, she turned her attention to the stage. "Go easy on you? me your beloved Zhangoshi for your plight!" Deducing Zhang Xuans intentions, Zhou Tian was infuriated. "Then... I will apologize for my discourtesy beforehand!" Knowing that the other party would not make the first move in consideration of the disparity between their identities, he didnt dawdle further and shot his spear straight at the other party. The tip of the spear was shaky, as though there wasnt any strength behind it. It was the trash move that Zhang Xuan had just taught him. "Hmph!" Seeing that the other fellow had actually dared to use such a move against him, Zhou Tian felt even more furious. He suppressed his cultivation to the level of a Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, and without using any weapon, faced Zheng Yangs attack bare-handed. Facing a spear bare-handed! Even so, no one thought well of Zheng Yang. They all thought that the fellow would be in for a beating. "Now..." Noticing that the other party was underestimating him, facing him with bare hands, Zheng Yangs eyes lit up. He immediately triggered the surge of zhenqi which Zhang Xuan left in his body earlier on and in an instant, his disposition changed. If he were a tamemb a moment ago, he would be a ferocious tiger at this moment. Boom! The spear shot straight toward Zhou Tians chest. "What?" Zhou Tians eyes narrowed. He felt an overwhelming sense of danger from that attack. Chapter 151: I Am Here to Slap Your Face Chapter 151: I Am Here to p Your Face Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove As firstly, a teacher and, secondly, a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm expert, although Zhou Tian had never learned spearmanship, he could tell how powerful the move was. The force behind the spear was so powerful that itpressed the air before it to the extent that a strong gust of wind was sent into the surroundings. Even if Zhou Tian had not suppressed his cultivation, he would have found it difficult to deal with such a move! How could a Juxi-realmd possess such incredible strength? He felt like he was going insane. "Zhang Xuan, you tricked me..." At this moment, he realized that he had fallen for the other partys deception. No wonder that fellow was so confident. When did this Zheng Yang be so powerful? Without much time to think, he dared not to keep his strength suppressed any longer. Zhenqi immediately gushed forth from his hands as he attempted to seal the spears might. However, even Wang Chong, a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm spear master was unable to stand against this Heavens Path Spear Art, needless to say, him. Peng! The pole of the spear struck Zhou Tians chest forcefully. He tasted a metallic tang in his mouth, and blood spurted forth from it. He flew off the Teacher Dueling tform immediately and fell to the ground, battered. Silence. Complete silence. "What?" "Zhou Tianoshi was defeated with a single pierce?" "What the heck is going on?" ...... ... After a moment of astonishment, amotion broke out. Initially, seeing that Zhouoshi was dealing with a student who looked as though he would fall at any moment, they thought that he would easily crush him with a single finger. But... What is going on? With just one pierce from the student, Zhouoshi went against the rules and released his full strength. Even so, he was sent flying. Am I seeing things? Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on? Zhao Ya, Liu Yang, and the rest widened their eyes in disbelief. This fellow had been with them every day, so they knew his strength very well. How did he suddenly be... so powerful? Furthermore... Even if others were to train intensively, there would just be small improvements... This seems to be going way overboard! Sending a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm expert flying with a single strike... Are we dreaming? No, its not that were dreaming. Its that spear technique! The few of them turned at the same time to look at Zhang Xuan. They had also realized that the reason why Zheng Yang was able to be so powerful so suddenly was because of the spear art Zhangoshi had just imparted him. Just that... How could that nonsense of a spear art which probably couldnt even kill a chicken be so powerful? Zhou Tians students had raised their arms to cheer their teacher on, but before they could say anything, such an oue appeared before them. Astonishment covered every single one of their faces and they were at a loss. "Teacher..." Coming to their senses, the whole lot rushed forward to help Zhou Tian up. "You..." Standing up, Zhou Tian regted his breathing and felt slightly better. He red coldly at Zhang Xuan and just as he was about to speak, he saw Zheng Yang approach with his spear in hand. Thetter sped his hands together and bowed, "Zhouoshi, thank you for going easy on me!" Puu! Hearing those words, Zhou Tians face flushed and he spurted out another mouthful of blood. Going easy your head! If I could, I would have beaten you to death. Who knew that you would have such a bizarre spear technique... For a teacher to lose to a student... He felt a stinging sensation on his face, as though he had been pped by someone else. "Zhouoshi, you said earlier that if I were to win, you will give us ten Breath Forging Beads. I will have to ask you to hand it over!" Zheng Yang stepped forward excitedly. Even though he was infuriated, he knew that he had truly embarrassed himself this time. If he were to renege on his words after losing the Teacher Dueling tform, he would truly lose all dignity he possessed. Gritting his teeth, he retrieved a jade bottle from his pocket and passed it over. epting it hurriedly, Zheng Yang opened the cap and saw a row of Breath Forging Beads inside. Its fragrance diffused into the air and one could feel an overwhelming spiritual energy. "Teacher..." Zheng Yang brought the Breath Forging Beads to Zhang Xuan quickly, his face full of joy. The reason why they spent the entire afternoon causing a ruckus at the Student Bureau was to obtain these training resources for Zhangoshi. Even though it was tiring... they had managed to seed in the end! "Damn it!" Zhou Tians heart was bleeding. A teacher could only obtain a single Breath Forging Pill a month. Ten Breath Forging Pills was a huge fortune to him. Even if he were to hand it over, he wouldnt allow Zhang Xuan to use them. "Hmph, Zhang Xuan, your students were the ones who won those Breath Forging Beads. You werent entitled to them in the first ce. I dont think that you will be so shameless as to consume something that belongs to your students!" So what if you got those beads? Your students went through so much trouble to obtain the pills, do you have the cheek to consume them yourself? If you arent able to consume it, it is equivalent to not obtaining it! "Consume it?" Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle and shook his head. "Who would use such trash?" After which, he flicked his wrist. Putong! The jade bottle was discarded into a nearby pond. "Ah?" "This..." Witnessing this scene, everyone was taken aback. Even Zhou Tian was dumbfounded. What are you doing? Those ten Breath Forging Beads are worth several thousands! You threw it away just like that? Even Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and the rest were stunned. "Theres no need to be so shocked. Even though Breath Forging Beads can help a cultivator gather spiritual energy faster, consuming too much would make one reliant on it. It isnt good for ones future cultivation!" Looking at their confused expressions, Zhang Xuan whipped out another jade bottle and threw it to his students. "These are some stuff that I have prepared for you. After you have finished it, I will get more of it!" Doubtfully, Zhao Ya and the others caught the bottle and opened it. Upon seeing what was inside, they leaped in shock. "Breath Forging Pills?" The pills inside were round and radiant. They exuded a fragrance that permeated right into ones body. To think that it would be... Breath Forging Pills! That is a true pill that is extremely useful for cultivators. Comparing it to Breath Forging Beads is likeparing gem to dirt, the two items on totally different levels. "Breath Forging Pills cost tens of thousands per pill in the market, and he took out two bottles at once? How many dozens of pills are inside those two bottles?" "He gave true pills forged by official apothecaries to his students?" The bodies of the crowd swayed. They felt as though the world had gone insane. Given how many Breath Forging Pills there are inside, it should be worth at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins in total. Yet, he threw them so casually to his students... Darn, do you have to be so extravagant? No wonder the Breath Forging Beads did not catch his eyes. What a joke! Anyone who possessed so many Breath Forging Pills would not even cast a second nce at that trash. Puu! Zhou Tian staggered and he nearly passed out. He only felt his cheeks growing warmer and warmer. He was nearly losing his sanity from all of the ps on his face. Just by teaching his student a trash move, his student was able to beat him up so easily. The Breath Forging Beads which he values so highly was discarded by the other party like trash... Brother, arent you the teacher who is paid the worst in the entire school? When did you be such an incredible figure? "Teacher... are these really for us?" Not only did the crowd feel as though they were going mad, Zhao Ya and the others were also in a state of disbelief. "Of course they are for you! Its not that I want to nag, but as my students, is there really a need to vie over those little things from the academy?" Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a gourd appeared in his hand. "Wang Ying, the meridians in your legs are injured. This is the Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution that I have found specially for you. Pour it into a pail of water and soak your legs in it for three days. Your legs should recover entirely by then!" "Liu Yang, you practiced the wrong battle technique and injured your hands. I got this Meridian Rejuvenation Pill for you from the Apothecary Guild. As long as you train properly after consuming it, your wounds should be able to recover quickly!" "Yes!" Wang Ying and Liu Yang stepped forward and received two items from Zhang Xuan. "Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution? Could it be that Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution from the Apothecary Guild?" "Have you heard of it?" "Of course I have. Back then, I heard that the item could heal a persons wounded meridians swiftly, so I had someone to look into it for me. ording to him, a gourd like that costs three hundred thousand gold coins!" "Three hundred thousand? Are you serious?" "The Meridian Rejuvenation Pill is a true pill forged by apothecaries. It is even more expensive than the Breath Forging Pills. It is said that a single pill costs two hundred thousand gold coins. It might be cheaper to have an apothecary or apprentice apothecary buy it in your stead, but the price wouldnt be far from that." "Two hundred thousand? That is to say, he spent five hundred thousand just like that?" "Dont forget those Breath Forging Pills as well. In total, it costs more than a million? And he gave it to the students just like that?" "Is Zhangoshi still epting students? I want toe under his tutge..." ...... ... There were quite a few knowledgeable persons in the crowd. The Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution and Meridian Rejuvenation Pill werent considered secret medicine and many people have heard of it. Upon hearing the prices, everyone went into a frenzy once again. A low-level teacher in the academy is only paid a maximum of three hundred to four hundred gold coins in wages every month. In fact, even high-level teachers do not earn more than thousand a month. Yet, he just casually took out a million for his students cultivation... Putting aside other teachers... Even Zhou Tians reward for defeating Zhang Xuans students was only Breath Forging Powder. Look at the other party, he casually whipped out real pills and top-quality medicinal solutions... The heck, why is there such a huge disparity between them even though they are both teachers? In a split second, gazes of admiration were focused on Zhao Ya and the other students while looks of disdain fell upon Zhou Tian. Taking all of these into sight, Zhou Tian nearly vomited blood again. Zhang Xuan, damn you! You must have done it intentionally. You took all of those out before me to p my face... I am, after all, the teacher who is in charge of resource allocation, the one who holds the most lucrative position in the academy, and yet, I became a petty person who fought with another teacher over a measly amount of resources that the other person saw as worthless... "Lets go!" Being done passing the items to his students, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and led his students away. He left quietly, leaving amazement in his wake. Isnt it clear? Of course I did it intentionally! Didnt you want to p my face? I shall return you the favor then. To tell the truth, I came here to p your face! "Yes!" Watching their teacher leave, Zheng Yang and the others quickly recovered from their shock and followed behind him in a daze. At the same time, their faces flushed in embarrassment. Initially, they came here to vie for resources and to uphold their teachers prestige. Who knew that... in the end, they would realize Zhangoshi never did care for those resources. Of course, for someone who could whip out so many pills and medicine so easily, how would those Breath Forging Powder and Breath Forging Beads catch his attention? "Teacher, these pills are really... too valuable..." Upon returning to the ssroom, Zhao Ya stepped forward. She was already given a stalk of Frigid Sun Mother Grass previously. Her conscience did not allow her to receive these pills... "Cultivate properly, it would suffice as long as you win for me in the Teacher Evaluation!" Zhang Xuan beckoned. "Teacher, rest easy. We will definitely give it our all..." Upon hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others nodded their heads in unison. Their teacher had given so much to them. If they were to lose in the Teacher Evaluation, they would be truly ashamed to meet him. "Un!" Seeing how motivated they were, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. "Zheng Yang,e over!" After which, he walked into the small room. Zheng Yang knew that it would definitely be the matter with the spear art today. He had been perplexed over the issue as well. Not daring to keep Zhangoshi waiting, he quickly followed behind him. Chapter 152: Treating Du Miaoxuan Chapter 152: Treating Du Miaoxuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Teacher, this spear technique..." Upon walking in, Zheng Yang could no longer suppress his curiosity. "That technique is something that I have just created. I will tell you the cultivation method now!" Zhang Xuan recited the cultivation method to him once. "This... This..." Upon hearing the entire cultivation method, Zheng Yang was stunned. The spear technique is simply too profound. All the other spear arts which he had learned previously are trashpared to it. Previously, he thought that the skill is shaky, crooked and does not have a good form, but that isnt true. The emphasis on this technique isnt its form. One can execute it either inelegantly or gracefully. Even though there is only one move to it, it still surpasses countless other spear techniques. Not only is the move flexible, containing countless variations, it holds peerless might behind it. "Alright, I am done imparting the full technique to you. Without my permission, you are not to teach anyone else the skill!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Zheng Yang dropped to the floor and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan. After having immersed himself in spearmanship for countless years, he understood how precious this skill was. He also understood that if he skill were to be leaked, a bloody storm would ensue. "Even though this spear art is simple, it is the basis of all spearmanship. There are still ten days until the Freshmen Tournament, and I hope that you can achieve a breakthrough in your spearmanship. Do not let down my efforts!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Teacher, rest easy!" Zheng Yang nodded his head with resolution. Then, he lifted his head abruptly and asked, "Teacher, may I know what this spear technique is called?" "The name of the technique? I havent named it. If youe up with a good name, feel free to name it so!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually. Even though he had named it Heavens Path Spear Art, it was a collective name for the set of techniques. There should be a separate name for the move and Zhang Xuan could not be bothered toe up with it. Thus, he decided to leave the task to his student. "Yes!" Knowing his teachers personality, Zheng Yang suppressed the astonishment in his mind and left the room. After he left, Zhang Xuan rubbed between his eyebrows. After solving Wang Ying and Liu Yangs hidden physical traumas, their fighting prowess would definitely soar greatly. As for Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya, after their unique constitutions are awakened, their improvement would surely be greater than the rest. Of them all, only Zheng Yang wasgging behind. However, with this spear art, it was hard to tell which of his students would be the strongest in ten days. After calling the other students in and offering each of them some pointers, Zhang Xuan left the academy. .............................. "You say that... Du Miaoxuan has already been kneeling at the entrance of the mansion for an entire day?" "Even though Du Miaoxuan had lost the fight for the position of the n head due to his illness, he is still an influential figure. For him to be kneeling at anothers door for an entire day... Could the owner of the mansion really be a master teacher?" "If thats true, then all of us have truly guessed wrongly before..." ...... ... In the time that Zhang Xuan left the residence, learned spear art and imparted it to Zheng Yang, the entire Tianxuan Royal City had fallen into an uproar. Although many people continued to doubt the identity of the mansions owner after Ling Tianyus incident, Du Miaoxuan kneeling at the entrance for an entire day had caused them to waver. As a dignified elder of one of the Four Great ns, Du n, and as an ex-contender for the position of the n head, only a master teacher held the prestige to have a person like that kneel at his doorstep. "Lets go over and take a look!" "We have to see what is going on. If the other party is truly a master teacher, we must quickly make acquaintance with him!" ...... ... When word spread out, countless powers and influential ns could no longer remain uninvolved. They quickly sent their men to look into the matter. In fact, some of the powerful leaders and n heads even came to take a look at the situation personally. Luo Chong was one of them. He is the guild leader of the cksmith Guild in Tianxuan Royal City, a true 1-star intermediate stage cksmith. The best cksmith in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even Emperor Shen Zhui has to spend massive amounts of money to buy his weapons. Countless nobles lined up to purchase his weapons, only to leave in vain. Every single weapon he crafts is sought by many and as such, prices skyrocket. Initially, given his position and standing, even if a master teacher were toe over, there was no need for him to please him and make acquaintance with him. After all, even though cksmiths are not as prestigious as master teachers, they are still one of the top sses which ranks at the forefront of the Upper Nine Paths, and they have their own pride and standing. Even so... He came. Other people may not know, but he was aware of his own problems. Recently, he began to be unable to achieve the state of Heart of Tranquil Water in his smithing. The items that he crafted often fell apart at the veryst step to be a failed good. He had crafted the same way as he always used to, so the situation did not make much sense to him. Initially, he thought that it may be a problem with his stamina, so he specially rested for a few days before beginning to craft again. However... It made no difference at all. For the number one cksmith of Tianxuan Kingdom to be unable to craft weapons... If news were to spread out, not only will his standing be affected, his rivals and enemies would probablye knocking to ensure that he falls from the high pedestal he stood on previously. Thus, upon hearing that a master teacher had appeared in the city, he couldnt hold himself back and secretly came to see if it was true. If it was true, no matter the price, he had to find out the problem and have it solved. "Indeed, it is Du Miaoxuan!" Luo Chong recognized the middle-aged man who was kneeling by the corner of the street. He is the most famous elder in Du n. There is few among the upper echelons of Tianxuan City who doesnt know him. Back then, the other party even implored him to craft a sword for him. Thus, even though there was a distance between the two, Luo Chong was still able to recognize him immediately. "This fellow is an extremely prudent person. For him to kneel down willingly like that, the person in the mansion must be capable of solving his problems. Furthermore... It seems like he is truly impressed by the person!" With one look, Luo Chong made a judgement on the situation. If the person in the mansion isnt of high standing and is unable to solve his problem, Du Miaoxuans actions would be equivalent to embarrassing himself. Given Luo Chongs understanding of him, he wouldnt do such a thing unless he was extremely certain. Jiyaa! Just when he was making wild guesses at the situation, the doors to the mansion opened and a plump butler emerged. "The old master invites you in!" Sun Qiang beckoned him over. "Thank you Butler Sun for speaking on my behalf..." Du Miaoxuan was overjoyed. He hurriedly stood up and walked over. "Lets go!" Sun Qiang didnt bother with pleasantries and led the way. Then, the doors to the mansion shut tight once again. "He went in!" "Du Miaoxuan went in. In a moments time, we would be able to know the truth after he leaves through observing his behavior!" "Indeed, lets continue waiting here..." ...... ... Upon seeing Du Miaoxuan enter the mansion, the various powers of the capital were not in a hurry to leave. Rather, their eyes continued to focus on the situation with great intensity, as though a hawk. Luo Chong was in no hurry to leave either. He sat quietly and waited with patience. .................................... ... "I apologize for doubting Zhang shis incredible abilities before, please forgive me!" The moment he entered the room, Du Miaoxuan immediately kneeled to the floor, void of the suspicions and arrogance that he held before. "Get up!" Zhang Xuan gestured. After leaving the academy, he went to a remote alley and disguised himself as Yang Xuan once again before returning to the residence. Noticing that this fellows anger and resentment had subsided in the half day that he was gone, he got Sun Qiang to bring him in. "I beg of Yang shi to forgive me for the discourtesy that I showed you before and save me!" Du Miaoxuan continued kneeling on the floor. "Since I have invited you in, naturally, I would help you. Get up!" Zhang Xuan said impassively. Hearing those words, delight appeared on Du Miaoxuans face. He hurriedly stood up. Du Yuan, who was standing behind his father, was perplexed. Isnt fathers illness a thing of the past? Could it be that this master teacher can treat the trauma which was left behind in fathers body previously by the illness? "You know why I called you a beast, right?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. "I understand!" Du Miaoxuan replied. Sun Qiang and Du Yuan were still confused. Previously, just after taking a look, Yang shi said that Elder Du is a beast. Initially, they thought that he was insulting him, but from the looks of it, things arent as simple as it seems. Just that, they were truly unable to understand what was it with Du Miaoxuan that made him not angry despite being called a beast. On the contrary, he even seemed excited about it. However, their confusion did notst for long. At this moment, Zhang Xuans voice sounded in the air. "It is a known fact that ten years ago, you fell ill and your cultivation fell tremendously. However, if I am not wrong, you... infused the blood of the Snow Wolf into your body, hoping to alter your bloodline!" "This caused you to be poisoned by the Snow Wolf. Everyday at noon, white fur grows all over your body, and you turn into a being that can neither be considered human nor animal, just like a beast. Am I right?" "Yes, Yang shis words are absolutely right!" Du Miaoxuan nodded his head hurriedly. Even though he knew that Yang shi had seen through his illness the moment he said that he was a beast, when Yang shi pointed it all out spot-on, he was still astonished. As expected of a master teacher. His ability of discernment is superb. This is something that even Master Yuanyu failed to see through. "This..." "Blood of the Snow Wolf? A body full of white fur? Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Sun Qiang and Du Yuan came to a realization. Especially for thetter, his body shuddered uncontrobly. He finally understood why his father would head to the remote courtyard to drink cooling tea at noon and turn away all visitors. He thought that it was a habit of his father through the years, but to think that this would be the actual reason. For him to grow white fur every noon... He was afraid of being seen, thats why he went to hide in the courtyard! For a person to grow fur all over his body... If he isnt a beast, what else could he be? No wonder when Yang shi said these words, not only did father not refute his words, he even kneeled outside the entrance... So this was the reason why. "Snow Wolf, a tier-7 white fur savage beast. It possesses strength equivalent to a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm expert and it is known for its speed. Its blood is one of the main ingredients in Tongxuan Pill, which helps to open up ones meridians and raise ones cultivation. You probably read some secret manual which caused you to mistakenly believe that if you were to sessfully fuse your blood with that of the Snow Wolf, your cultivation would be raised significantly!" Ignoring the shock on everyones faces, Zhang Xuan continued. "Yes!" A bitter smile appeared on Du Miaoxuans face as he nodded his head to confirm Yang shis words. It is just like what this Yang shi said. Back then, he read a secret manual which detailed that as long as he managed to sessfully swap blood with that of a Snow Wolf, he would be able to reach Tongxuan realm immediately to be a Fighter 7-dan expert. Who knew that not only did his dream note true, it was actually the start of a nightmare. White fur would sprout from his body daily, making him look neither human nor animal. Even though it was just for an hour every day, the anguish he went through was unimaginable. One had to have incredible mental fortitude to survive ten years in such a manner. Otherwise, one would have longmitted suicide in despair. "I was immature back then, and I failed to discern truth from the false, believing a manual so easily... Yang shi, I beg of you to save me!" Du Miaoxuan sped his hands. Thinking about it now, he must have had a screw loose back then. Just because he coincidentally found an ancient manual, he thought that it was a precious treasure and explored destends and utilized many means to kill a Snow Wolf so as to obtain its blood. He thought that his cultivation would soar rapidly and he would be the next n head. Never did he expect tond himself in such a state. If this isnt a screw loose, what else could it be? "Failed to discern the truth? That secret manual that you obtained... is real!" Zhang Xuan said. "Is that true?" Hearing those words, Du Miaoxuans body jolted. "How is that possible? If it is real, how did Ind myself in such a state..." If what that was detailed in the manual was true, why would he fall into such an unsightly state for so many years? Furthermore, why would his cultivation fall from Pixue realm to Dingli realm, and thereafter be stuck at that level? Chapter 153: Stuffed Yourself When You Were Full (Looking For It) Chapter 153: Stuffed Yourself When You Were Full (Looking For It) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "The secret manual is real, but the most important portion had been destroyed by someone else, leaving behind an iplete version. That is the reason why you are in such a state!" After which, Zhang Xuan did not continue to linger on the topic: "Alright, I will be performing acupuncture on you to resolve the hidden problems in your body!" "Yes!" Du Miaoxuan took a step forward hurriedly. With a turn of Zhang Xuans wrist, a silver needle appeared. Then, with a flick of his finger, the needle flew straight at Du Miaoxuan. The Library of Heavens Path only revealed basic information and the persons ws; the way to solve their problems are not written in it. However, Du Miaoxuans problem is simr that of Ling Tianyus wife, and he had blockages in his meridians. This caused the blood of the Snow Wolf to fail in achieving its original purpose. Zhang Xuan just had to clear the blockages to settle his problem. To Zhang Xuan, such problems are a piece of cake. The zhenqi from the Heavens Path Divine Art is as clear and pure as water. Any blockage would be washed away by it immediately. Hu hu hu hu! Dozens of needles pierced through Du Miaoxuans skin. Du Miaoxuan could only feel numb and itchy sensations on his skin. That bestial instinct which he had been suppressing before, that which caused him to enter into a berserk all the time, flowed through the opened meridians as though river water, and to the rest of his body. Geji! Geji! The moment the blood of the Snow Wolf assimted into his body, his zhenqi soared instantaneously. With a series of pops that was reminiscent of a live firecracker, the acupoints in his body exploded open one by one. Pah pah pah pah! As though he were a ma, the spiritual energy in the atmosphere gushed into his body frenziedly. In the blink of an eye, he had broken through Dingli realm pinnacle. Pixue realm primary stage! Pixue realm intermediate stage... ...... ... In a short moment, he had reached Pixue realm pinnacle, but the momentum did not seem to be stopping here. Boom! Du Miaoxuans body shook. Finally, the soar in his cultivation level hade to a stop, That bestial instinct which caused him so many worries had also disappeared without a trace. Fighter 7-dan, Tongxuan realm primary stage! His cultivation level had actually risen from a Dingli realm pinnacle to Tongxuan realm! That was more than one entire realm! "I..." After sensing the changes in his body, even though Du Miaoxuan is a man with mental resilience, his eyes reddened. For an entire decade, he had been tortured by untold pain. Every day, he would turn into a beast and white fur would sprout over his entire body. He thought that this affliction would remain with him until his deathbed. Yet, in just a short moment, it was solved by the man standing before him. Furthermore... He even achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation! Putong! Du Miaoxuan knelt to the floor. He was extremely grateful to Yang shi, and with no hypocrisy behind his action whatsoever, he said, "Thank you for granting me a new life..." Not only did Yang shi solve his affliction, he even helped to raise his cultivation realm to Tongxuan realm. Du Miaoxuan saw this favor as equivalent to the noble deed of birth and had already regarded him as his parent. The new him, upon returning home, would definitely regain his status as one of the top elders in the n. No one would dare to underestimate him anymore. To achieve such results, he would have been willing to kneel for even a year. "Hurry up and take the things out!" Calming the agitation in his heart, Du Miaoxuan signaled to his son. "Yes!" Du Yuan hurriedly took out a stack of gold bills and passed it forward. Initially, Du Yuan thought that his father was mad for kneeling before the mansion and taking out so much cash at once. Only now did he realize that his father was not only rational, he also had foresight. Tongxuan realm... So what if he had lost ten years of his life? With the current strength of his father, he would be a front-runner for the position of n head if he were to want to vie for it now. No one would be able to stop him. Even if he isnt able to be the n head, given his strength as a Tongxuan realm expert, earning a back that few million isnt a difficult task. "This is the capability of a master teacher..." This is a master teacher, the most respected upation in the entire continent, capable of determining the fate of a person, either sending him to heaven or to hell. They were still looking at Yang shi in admiration when Sun Qiang walked forward, took over the stack of money and gestured outward, "Elder Du, Du gongzi, lets go. The old master wants to rest!" "Yes. I have intruded on Yang shi today. I wille by and pay my respects to you another day!" Knowing that the other party was inviting them out, Du Miaoxuan walked out of the main hall along with Du Yuan. Right as they were stepping out, a faint voice echoed in their ears, "As for why there were missing pages in the Snow Wolf blood secret manual, you should investigate whether it was due to malicious intentions!" "This..." Du Miaoxuans body stiffened. He turned around and bowed once more, "Yang shi, thank you for your advice..." After which, he turned around to leave. Back then, Du Miaoxuan was a strong contender for the position of the n head. It was too much of a coincidence that he would abruptly engage in such a dangerous cultivation technique in a vain attempt to break through to Tongxuan realm. It is hard to believe that there were no human hands behind that incident. Thus, Zhang Xuan offered him one final piece of advice. Of course, whatever that happened afterward would not be a problem of his. .............................. "Ten years ago, Du Miaoxuan was afflicted with a major illness, causing his cultivation realm to plunge and resulting in him being eliminated from the race to be the n head... The reason why he was kneeling before the door is probably to beg this master teacher to resolve this illness!" Keeping vigil outside the mansion, Luo Chong recalled the various things that had happened to Du Miaoxuan and could not help but guess the situation. "If Du Miaoxuans issue can be settled, then mine shouldnt be a problem for him either..." Du Miaoxuans illness was one that even Master Yuanyu was helpless toward. Even though Luo Chong had no idea what his condition is, he knew that he had sought many different physicians over the years and they were all helpless. If that master teacher could easily solve such a conundrum, then the issue he has, that is to have suddenly be unable to maintain a tranquil mind during forging, should be a piece of cake for him! He was still immersed in his thoughts when the tightly shut gates began to open slowly. Following which, Du Miaoxuan and Du Yuan emerged. "I wonder if his problem has been solved..." Hurriedly taking a look, Luo Chongs eyes suddenly widened, his body stiffening immediately. "Tongxuan realm? This.... This... How is this possible?" Just moments ago, when Du Miaoxuan entered, he saw clearly that he was Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle. How did he... in less than ten minutes that he was inside, step into Tongxuan realm? Most importantly, he is now in high spirits, appearing vastly different from the man that he was on the way in earlier. What was going on? It cant be that it is real! Even if a master teacher can offer guidance on breaking through cultivation realms, there has to be a limit to that... To rise from Dingli realm pinnacle to reach Tongxuan realm in around ten minutes... Luo Chong rubbed his eyes gently, afraid that he might have seen wrongly. Staring intently at him once more, he realized that... he wasnt wrong! The other party is truly Tongxuan realm, and furthermore, judging by how he is unable to control the inner breath within him, it is likely that Du Miaoxuan had just broken through. Otherwise, as long as an expert of this level hid his cultivation, it is impossible for anyone, even a person of Luo Chongs caliber, to discern. "Brother Sun, farewell!" Still in shock, he saw Du Miaoxuan bid Butler Sun farewell and leave. "I should go over and ask..." Unable to suppress his urge any longer, he chased after Du Miaoxuan hurriedly. "Elder Du..." "Oh, its Master Luo!" Du Miaoxuan recognized the other person and hurriedly bowed. "That mansion is..." Diving straight into the topic, Luo Chong asked. "That is where Yang shi lives!" Aware of what the other party wanted to know, Du Miaoxuan nodded his head and verified the other partys doubts. "Is he really a master teacher?" Luo Chongs eyes narrowed. "Yang shi is a man of incredible capabilities. If Master Luo Chong has any problems, you can beg for his guidance. However... Yang shi came to Tianxuan Kingdom with the intention to rest. He doesnt really wish to be disturbed..." Du Miaoxuan said. "Doesnt wish to be disturbed?" Luo Chongsplexion turned awful. Even though he is of considerable social standing, he does not dare to interrupt a true master teachers rest. "Actually, there is no need to be frustrated. Yang shi said just now that anyone who wishes to obtain his aid has to pay three million beforehand. Regardless of whether the problem is solved or not, the sum will not be returned." Also recalling what Butler Sun said, Du Miaoxuan continued, "Of course, as a master teacher, Yang shi cares not for material possession. The reason why he made such a request is so as to limit the number of visitors. Otherwise, if everyone were to rush to him to plead for guidance, he wouldnt even need to think of resting, he would probably work to death instead..." As he said those words, he couldnt help but be envious. To think that just the entrance fee would be three million, a master teacher is indeed a master teacher. Even their means of earning money is that incredible. As an elder of the Du n, his entire fortune, both liquid and fixed assets, was only worth this amount after so many years. "That makes sense..." Hearing that it is a problem that can be solved with money, Luo Chong heaved a sigh of relief. Three million may be a huge sum, but for a master cksmith like him, it isnt a big deal. "Thank you for telling me this. I happen to have a matter to consult Yang shi about so I will have to take my leave!" Upon finishing his words, Luo Chong walked toward the mansion. The mansionsyout is in no way elegant. In fact, it even seems ordinary. If not for Du Miaoxuan ascertaining it personally, he wouldnt have believed that a true master teacher lives here. After paying the fee of three million upfront, Luo Chong followed Sun Qiang into a room. In there, he noticed a middle-aged man seated quietly in the middle of the room. Somehow, the persons presence is so faint that if not for seeing him in the flesh, he would not have noticed the other party. "Incredible!" Luo Chongs eyes narrowed. Luo Chong is a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm expert. There are only two possibilities when he is unable to sense a persons cultivation realm. Firstly, the persons level of cultivation is higher than his. Or secondly, the other partys zhenqi is much purer than his. Regardless of which of the two it is, it points to the fact that the person before him is a true master teacher. Putting away his arrogance as a master cksmith, he stepped forward and bowed, "Luo Chong pays respect to Yang shi!" "Un, from what Xiao Qiang told me, you are a cksmith?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Like apothecaries, cksmiths are also ranked highly in the Upper Nine Paths and possess exceptional social standing. He didnt expect that such a person would have something to request of him. "Yes!" Luo Chong replied. "What unresolvable problem have you encountered?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Replying Yang shi, recently, all the attempts that I make to forge equipment all end in failure and until now, I am unable to find the reason for it. I hope that you can enlighten me!" Luo Chong did not hide anything and spoke directly. "Let me see you forge an equipment!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" With a flick of Luo Chongs wrist, an entire set of equipment required for equipment forging appeared in the room. As a 1-star cksmith and the leader of the cksmith Guild, he carries such basic equipment with him everywhere he goes. Starting the fire, forging the equipment, melding the metals together, refining the equipment... His movements flowed elegantly, reminding one of drifting clouds and flowing streams. An hourter, a longsword appeared in his hands. However, just as he was about to apply the final touches, a crisp note echoed from the sword and a crack appeared on it. Failure! Just like he had said, he is unable to sessfully forge the weapon. Looking at how he was unable to forge even the simplest sword, Luo Chong was depressed. That was just an ordinary mortal-tier sword, and there are no profound techniques involved in the process whatsoever. It is truly an enigma why such a situation would ur. Luo Chong turned to look at the master teacher before him and bowed, "Yang shi, please enlighten me!" "You want me to enlighten you?" Zhang Xuan stood up and approached the other party. He picked up the broken sword and lowered his gaze to take a nce. Then, he sighed, "If Im not wrong..." "You stuffed yourself when you were full!!" "You stuffed yourself when you were full!!" This is a Chinese phrase that meant to say that one deserved it. (Thus the title, Looking for it) Chapter 154: The Use of the Golden Book? Chapter 154: The Use of the Golden Book? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "What?" Luo Chongs face darkened. Even if you are a master teacher, you shouldnt insult me like that! No matter what, I am the dignified leader of the cksmith Guild. I am of noble standing, and you say that I stuffed myself despite being already full (looking for it)... I came here in earnest to consult you, yet you gave me such an answer. Arent you are looking down on me... Even though Sun Qiang already knew that the old master would say such shocking words, he was still unable to control his shock upon hearing those words and nearly knocked his head against the wall. My great old master, it is really okay for you to speak to a true cksmith like this? Cough cough, even an ordinary person would turn all out against you if you say such words to them... Most importantly... The reason why he came here is to seek enlightenment on why he is unable to sessfully forge an equipment. Yet, the first few words you say to him is that he stuffed himself when he was full (looking for it)... Arent you being too arrogant? What does stuffing oneself have to do with forging equipment? The only rtionship between the two is that one would feel weak if one doesnt eat. However, for a Tongxuan realm expert like Guild Leader Luo Chong, this shouldnt pose a problem at all! "Theres no need to get so agitated!" Seeing that the other party was getting agitated, Zhang Xuan smiled, not paying the other partys anger any heed. "You dont need to deny my words so hurriedly. Let me ask you, have you been eating Dragon-scaled Prawns daily?" "Indeed, is there a problem?" Luo Chong looked at Yang shi doubtfully. The Dragon-scaled Prawn is an animal unique to Lake Hong and it made a delectable dish. It is one of the most favorite food in the upper echelons of Tianxuan Kingdom. He also used to eat it frequently, but such an anomaly had never urred in the past. Could his failure to forge equipment really be rted to this? "If Im not wrong, these Dragon-scaled Prawns that you ate came from one batch you bought at a single go!" Zhang Xuan continued asking. Luo Chong nodded his head. At the same time, a doubt arose in his mind. How did the other party know this? His Dragon-scaled Prawns came from the same batch he bought a few days ago. There were several thousands of it, filling two whole crates. In order to ensure its freshness, he even reared them specially in his courtyards pond. He would carefully pick the living and healthy ones to eat, so it is impossible for anything to be wrong with the prawns. Furthermore, after consuming it, there werent any anomalies with his body, and he didnt suffer from diarrhea or any other symptoms either. How can this be rted to him being unable to sessfully forge weapons? "Thats right then!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Do you know when do Dragon-scaled Prawns reproduce?" "When do they reproduce?" Luo Chong became increasingly confused. He was only interested in eating the prawns, how would he possibly know all these? "I know..." Just as he was about to ask Yang shi for the answer, Sun Qiang suddenly spoke. "Speak!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Dragon-scaled Prawns usually bear their offspring near the end of summer, the start of autumn, which is around now!" Sun Qiang said. He had worked in Tianyu Merchant Firm for numerous years. Even though he had never bought them, he often came into contact with these products and naturally, he possessed a little bit of knowledge on them. "Thats right. Its this season!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. The academys semester had just started not long ago, and it is currently the start of autumn, which is also the mating season for the Dragon-scaled Prawns. Hearing those words, Luo Chong felt his head going faint. He was about to go insane from the confusion. Yang shi, Im here to ask you why I am unable to forge equipment, not to look into when Dragon-scaled Prawns reproduce... What matter is it of mine that they bear offsprings? It is not like the children are mine... "Theres no need to be anxious. You being unable to forge equipment has something to do with this!" Seemingly sensing his bewilderment, Zhang Xuan continued to say. "The Dragon-scaled Prawn is considered an yin-type food. Eating too much will weaken a persons yang energy. Of course, this weakening effect is minimal and negligible, and doesnt affect a persons body at all!" "However, the Dragon-scaled Prawns after mating are different!" "The Dragon-scaled Prawn infuses all of its essence and vitality into its offsprings, causing its own body to weaken. Furthermore, its body generates a substance that will numb a persons nerves. With excessive consumption, ones mind will be dull..." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused and looked at Zhou Chong with glowing eyes. "Have you been unable to enter the state of Will of Mind 2-dan, Heart of Tranquil Water? Not only so, you find yourself getting irritated easily, causing your forging abilities to take a huge blow, resulting in you being unable to sessfully forge an equipment?" Regardless of whether one was forging pills or equipment, ones state of mind is of absolute importance. Without a steady mind, it is impossible for one to seed. "Could it truly be that... Ive eaten too many Dragon-scaled Prawns?" Luo Chongs entire body shuddered and he staggered two steps backward. It is true that recently, he had been unable to focus his attention on forging equipment, and that he was unable to enter the state of Heart of Tranquil Water to achieve total serenity. He had tried all kinds of methods and means to calm himself but to no avail. To think that the problem... lies with the prawns. It was inconceivable to him that a Dragon-scaled Prawn which had undergone the reproduction process would produce a substance that would numb ones nerves... If not for the other party pointing it out, he would have never imagined that this would be possible. However, why havent he heard of it before? "All animals have their own means of self-protection. Dragon-scaled Prawns are the same as well. They are at their weakest right after their birth, and thus, they produce such a substance to protect themselves. However... They still ended up on the te anyway!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I know my fault now. In future, I will never eat Dragon-scaled Prawns again. Yang shi, please guide me on how I can resolve this situation!" With a pale face, Luo Chong hesitated for a slight moment before hurriedly sping his fist. Even though he loves eating Dragon-scaled Prawns, forging equipment is far more important than the former. "Er..." Upon hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan was stumped. Actually, he didnt know how he should resolve the problem as well. The Library of Heavens Path only detailed the reasons behind why he was facing such a condition. Luo Chongs main problem is that he had eaten too many Dragon-scaled Prawns, causing the nerve-numbing venom to umte in his body, thus resulting in his unstable mental state and him failing in his forging attempts. As for how he can dispel this venom, Zhang Xuan is truly clueless. However, even if he didnt know, he wouldnt let anyone else find out. There was barely a brief moment of hesitation before he ced his hands behind his back to portray the image of a supreme expert. "First release those Dragon-scaled Prawns that you have caught. As for the solution to your problem, it will depend on your future actions. However... I can tell you this. As long as you stay away from it for a long period of time, you will recover slowly, but surely!" He wasnt deceiving the other party. The detoxification ability of a human body is extremely powerful, especially so for a Tongxuan realm expert. As long as he stays away from the prawns for a period of time, the venom that had umted in his body will be passed out quickly. "Yang shi, thank you for your guidance!" Knowing the cause and solution to his problem, Luo Chong heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly bowed to him. At this moment, he was alreadypletely impressed by this Yang shi. Just by seeing him forge an equipment, he is able to tell that he likes to eat Dragon-scaled Prawns and even found the root of the problem as to why he was unable to sessfully forge an equipmentHe stuffed himself when he was full (Looking for it)! As expected of a master teacher, his ability of discernment is indeed incredible. The three million, worth it! "Yang shi, can you offer me some pointers for equipment forging?" Finally uncovering the reason behind his problem and knowing that time can resolve it, Luo Chongs mind started to wander. He had been stuck at the 1-star cksmith intermediate stage for a very long time, being unable to break through this limit. Now that there is a master teacher before him, he was tempted to make full use of this opportunity to obtain a pointer or two so that he can break through this impasse. "Equipment forging?" Zhang Xuan did not expect that the other party would not leave right after his problem was solved and instead, request to learn equipment forging from him. For a moment, he was taken aback. Honestly, he didnt even know what one had to do for equipment forging, so how could he offer him pointers? "Looks like I am being too impetuous..." Upon receiving no reply from the other party, Luo Chong felt awkward. A master teacher only teaches his own students. He is in no way rted to him, so it is indeed a little inappropriate for him to have made such a request. Zhang Xuan waved his hands, "Xiao Qiang, escort our guest out!" "Master Luo, the old master needs to rest. This way please!" Sun Qiang stepped forward. "Yes!" Luo Chong nodded his head and bid farewell. "It is indeed difficult to pass off as a master teacher..." Seeing Luo Chong leave, Zhang Xuan rubbed between his eyebrows. Master teachers grasped the knowledge of innumerable upations in their minds and they possess discernment abilities unimaginable to others. At present, the reason why he had been able to achieve this much was due to the help of the Library of Heavens Path. The moment he stops using it, he will be exposed in an instant. "I really do wonder how those master teachers gather and store so much knowledge in their mind..." A persons energy is limited. After undergoing the apothecary examination, he understood that the knowledge required in just the field is as vast and as deep as the ocean. Without the library, not only would be unable to pass the examination, he might not have been able to score even a single point. A true master teacher cant possibly possess such a cheating machine. It is truly a mystery to him how they are able to learn so much and pass all those examinations, given a humans limited lifespan. "Regardless, I have to read more books from now on. After all, the library is still an external object!" The thought appeared in his mind. To him, even though the library is incredible, it remains as an external tool. If he were to rely on it for everything he does while not putting in any effort to improve himself, even if he were able to pass off his disguise sessfully in a remote and backward kingdom like Tianxuan Kingdom, he will definitely be exposed if he were to go somewhere more prosperous. Thus, no matter what, his own vault of knowledge is important as well. The thought appeared in his mind and grew so powerful that he is no longer able to flush it out. With a jolt of his mind, he looked at the Library of Heavens Path once more. Reading books and learning from them in the real world is a slow process, but he is able to speed up the process multiple folds by reading the books inside the library. He had already experienced such wonders for himself previously. Even though the books in the library are essible to him with a single thought and he is able to freely look through it, the knowledge nevertheless cant be said to truly belong to him. It is just like in Baidu and Google in his previous life. Although such technology allows one to look up for solutions to their problems, the knowledge is external to its users. One is unable to utilize them easily and freely. Only by memorizing everything in his own mind can he be truly considered as knowledgeable. "Un? What is that?" Upon entering the library, he noticed something that is out of ce. Unknowingly, a golden book had appeared in the depths of the densely packed bookshelves. He is extremely certain that he had never seen this manual before. "Come here!" With a swipe of his hand, the golden book gently quivered and fell right into his palm. The book is extremely thin and there doesnt seem to be much content in it. Flipping it open casually, Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. There was only a single page to it and there were no content whatsoever in it. It was a nk book. "What is the use of this book?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. He doesnt know when such a book had appeared in the Library of Heavens Path, nor does he know why it ispletely nk. "I should just put that aside for now and focus on gaining knowledge from the other books..." After examining the golden book for a very long time, he remained unable to uncover its purpose. Thus, Zhang Xuan shook his head and chose to put it aside. He looked at the Library of Heavens Path once more. Many books had been formed in it, and he intended to look through them properly so as to assimte the knowledge into his mind. The moment the thought shed through his mind, before he could even make a move, the golden book in his hand quivered and transformed into a brilliant ray of light. Under the blinding radiance, all of the contents of all the books in the library came surging into Zhang Xuans mind. Before Zhang Xuan could react, everything went dark. He had fainted. Chapter 155: 5-star Incident Chapter 155: 5-star Incident Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove The Chen n, due to having an official apothecary within its ranks, is an extremely prominent and distinguished n in Tianxuan Kingdom. Usually, in such a n, there would be no shortage of pills, everyone would have great aplishments and they would walk with their heads held high. Yet, at this moment, every member of the n had put on a bitter expression. A depressing atmosphere loomed over the entire Chen Residence. "Alright, lets go by this rule. No one is to object or he will face being expelled from the n!" In the hall, Apothecary Chen Xiao surveyed the surroundings before speaking sentimentally and desperately. He was invited as an examiner for the Pill Debate with a fellow named Zhang Xuan, but the other party dered that he would be unable to live for much longer. Feeling that his body functions are indeed starting to fail, he felt extremely dismal. Thus, he started to make preparations upon returning to the n. He is an apothecary and his presence brought the entire Chen n to prosperity. The moment he dies, those who are envious of his fortune would definitely employ every possible mean to wrestle for a share. If so, it would just be a matter of time before the n falls. Thus, in order to prevent such a scenario from urring, he ordered for all nsmen to sell their assets and disappear from the capital, never to return. "n head..." After those words were spoken, wails echoed in the air. They had been living a life of luxury, and many could not ept the fact that they have to move to a far away ce so suddenly. Enough! What is this n bing, for you to be crying and wailing? Chen Cong, make the necessary preparations!" Apothecary Chen Xiao said. Chen Cong is his son. Knowing that he doesnt have many days left, he had already appointed him as the new n head. "Yes!" Chen Cong nodded his head. Just as he was about to leave, a young man walked forward and whispered something into his ears. Then, Chen Congs eyes lit up and he hurriedly raised his head, "Father..." "What is it?" Apothecary Chen Xiao lifted his teacup and frowned angrily. He always believed that his sonprehends the importance of prioritizing, so why is he so disobedient now? Does he not know that the ns prosperity is due solely to his identity as an official apothecary? Without his prestige suppressing the ambitions other ns possess, they wouldnt be able to guard the wealth they had umted through pill forging throughout these years. "Father, a master teacher has appeared in the capital. Perhaps... He can solve your problem..." Noticing the displeasure on his fathers face, Chen Cong spoke quickly, not daring to hesitate in the least. "Master teacher? Could it be fake news?" Apothecary Chen Xiao shook his head. If it were indeed a master teacher, how could he, a dignified 1-star apothecary, possibly have not received any news? "I dont know for sure, but I sent Chen Tao to investigate upon hearing the rumors yesterday. This master teacher is known as Yang Xuan and not only did he solve Ling Tianyus wifes illness, even Du Miaoxuan from the Du n knelt before his gates. Furthermore..." "Furthermore what?" "Furthermore, when Du Miaoxuan emerged from his mansion less than ten minutes after entering, he had already evolved from a Dingli realm pinnacle to a Tongxuan realm expert." Chen Cong hurriedly said. "On top of that... the guild leader of the cksmith Guild, Luo Chong, also entered his mansion, and when he left, he was full of praises for the person, iming that he is a true master teacher..." Dangng! Before he could finish his words, the teacup in his fathers hands had fallen onto the ground and shattered into pieces. Following which, his lifeless and pitiful expression vanished and in its ce was a face so flushed, it was as though his cheeks were on fire. "Where does this master teacher live? Bring me to meet him now..." "Right now? I have to first sell the family fortune..." Chen Cong muttered, but before he could finish his words, his father, who seemed as though he might breathe hisst any moment now, had already reached the doorstep and he bellowed, "Selling your head! Hurry up..." "..." Chen Cong. "..." The crowd in the Chen n. The wailing in the room silenced in an instant and everyones mouth was so wide that a chicken egg could be stuffed into it. Looking at the n head whose attitude did an 180-degree turn all of a sudden, they becamepletely speechless. .............................. Pavilion Elder Qian does not wield actual authority in Tianxuan Kingdom, but he holds a very important position. Every fortnight, Emperor Shen Zhui would summon him to the royal pce and query him. He is the emperors eyes. He gathers all news within the country and sorts them into books for the emperor to peruse. It is only with these news that Emperor Shen Zhui is able to keep abreast of current affairs and continue making wise decisions for the country, allowing the kingdom to grow stronger steadily and not be threatened by powerful enemies. Thus, in the kingdom, even personnel who hold true authority do not dare to offend him. They fear that he might pass on incorrect news which could cause the emperor to doubt them. Today is yet another day to sort andpile the gathered news for reporting. Thus, he had arrived at his personal office early in the morning. At this moment, the room is squeezed full of people, all of them embroiled in a squabble. "Causing a ruckus like this, how inappropriate!" Seeing that his subordinates were arguing among themselves instead of working, Pavilion Elder Qians face darkened. "Yes!" Everyone immediately ran back to their positions fearfully. "Pavilion Elder..." A middle-aged man walked over. "Un, are there any important incidents that happened these few days?" Pavilion Elder Qian sat in his chair and looked over. This is his job scope. He would ask his subordinate about the incidents that had urred in the capital andpile them before considering whether he should highlight any individual incident to the emperor. "In these ten days, there is a total of 17 1-star incidents, 12 2-star incident, and 3 3-star incidents..." The middle-aged man hesitated before passing over a stack of paper. Countless incidents were detailed on top and they were divided in terms of their importance so as to make it convenient for others to read through it. They were graded stars based on their respective importance. 1-star is the lowest level and it means that the incident isnt important at all. As the number of stars increase, the more important the incident be. 5-star is the highest number of stars an incident can be given, and the severity of the matter would be equivalent to that of an enemy invasion and the downfall of the country is in sight. Listening to the report, Pavilion Elder Qian lowered his head to take a look. "Bai Xun xiao wangye challenged son of Prime Minister Liu Cheng and injured him, causing a huge conflict between the two great ns... Evaluation, 1-star!" "Royal Secretary Lu Zhong brought a new concubine to his family and she is a citizen of Tianyu Kingdom. Her exact identity is unknown... Evaluation, 1-star!" "17 people of Tianxuan Merchant Firm assaulted by bandit at Plum Snow Ridge and they werepletely annihted. Bandits likely to be the same ones who escaped from the capital several months ago... Evaluation, 1-star!" ...... ... Even though 1-star incidents are of the lowest severity within the ssification, they had far-reaching impacts. Taking the first example of Bai Xun challenging the son of the Prime Minister, for example, if the matter isnt resolved properly, it is easy for the conflict to escte. If discord were to be sowed among two authorities of the royal court, the internal stability of the country would be affected. However, it is clear that these people are used to dealing with such matters. They arent too agitated upon seeing these earth-shaking incidents. "Un, you did well evaluating them!" Looking through the 17 1-star incidents, Pavilion Elder Qian nodded his head. Then, he flipped to the second page and what was written on it was mainly 2-star incidents. "A cmity urred in the Southwest Hundred Ridges and thousands of people lost their homes. Currently, they have been settled... Evaluation, 2-star!" "Tianxuan Money Vault recently released new bills, the highest denomination is a million... Evaluation, 2-star!" "Zhunnan Marquis reached Tongxuan realm advanced stage, bing one of the top ten experts in the kingdom... Evaluation, 2-star!" ...... ... These matters are closely rted to the politics and situation of the kingdom. The impacts these matters could possibly bring are much greater than that of 1-star incidents. After looking through the twelve 2-star incidents, Pavilion Head Qian nodded his head once more. There is nothing wrong with the evaluations here as well. Flipping over to the third page, 3-star incidents were detailed on it. "The Teacher Guild stripped Elder Shang Chen of Hongtian Academy of his position as the head of Education Bureau for being not partial in his evaluation of Zhang Xuanoshis Teacher Qualification Examinations... Evaluation, 3-star!" Zhang Xuanoshi and Lu Xunoshi would bepeting in a Teacher Evaluation 12 dayster... Evaluation, 3-star!" ...... ... "Incidents regarding the Teacher Guild and academies would automatically be promoted by a single star. Lu Xunoshi is the individual who is most likely to be a master teacher of Tianxuan Kingdom, and as such, incidents involving him are given an additional star. These two events are indeed worth 3-star, not bad!" After which, Pavilion Elder Qian nodded his head. "There are no problems with these... The problem is... is..." Hesitation shrouded the middle-aged mans face. "Whats wrong?" Pavilion Elder Qians eyebrows shot up. "Something has happened these few days and we are unable to determine a star rating for it. That is the matter that we were discussing earlier..." The middle-aged man said. "Oh? Tell me!" Pavilion Elder Qian nced at him in curiosity. "Three days ago, a person named Yang Xuan appeared in the capital. He imed that he is a master teacher and he settled Ling Tianyus wifes illness..." The middle-aged man said. "Oh, Ive heard of the matter. I even specially headed to the Teacher Guild to investigate the matter, but there isnt such a name in the records of that kingdom. It is probably a gimmick of Ling Tianyu, so theres no need to pay it much heed. Alright, ssify it under 1-star incidents!" Pavilion Elder Qian said. Master teachers are just like stars in the sky, an existence that others can only look up to. As long as a kingdom has a 1-star master teacher supporting it, its overall might would be bolstered significantly. If the other party is truly a master teacher, how could hee into the capital without anyone knowing of it? "1-star incident?" The middle-aged man smiled bitterly. "Im afraid that the matter isnt as simple as that. If he only treated Ling Tianyus wife, 1-star would suffice. However... Yesterday, Elder Du Miaoxuan from the Four Great ns knelt at his entrance for an entire day, and in the ten minutes that he was in the mansion, he broke through from Dingli realm pinnacle to Tongxuan realm!" "What? Such an incredible increase in his strength?" Pavilion Elder Qian was taken aback. A grim expression appeared on his face as he said, "If thats the case, the matter can be ssified as a 2-star incident..." "Yesterday afternoon, the guild leader of the cksmith Guild, Lord Luo Chong, entered the residence and his face was glowing when he emerged. He was full of praises for the master of the mansion and imed that he is a true master teacher..." Ignoring the evaluation Pavilion Elder Qian made, the middle-aged man continued speaking. "Luo Chong..." Pavilion Head Qian abruptly stood up withpletely widened eyes. Who is Luo Chong? The guild leader of the cksmith Guild, one of the top figures of the Tianxuan Kingdom! If he thought so as well, could it be that... This Yang Xuan is truly a master teacher? "Then... then... This incident can be ssified as a 3-star incident..." Pavilion Elder Qian was astonished. Before he could finish his words, the middle-aged mans voice sounded once more. "This morning, Guild Leader Ouyang of the Apothecary Guild and Apothecary Chen Xiao visited his mansion, but they were blocked at the door by the other partys butler. Even so, not only did they not leave, they waited patiently without a single word ofint..." "This... This..." Pavilion Elder Qians face turnedpletely white and he staggered backward in disbelief. "This is a... 4-star. No, its a 5-star incident. Hurry up and write all of these down. I have to report this to the emperor, do it as fast as you can!" "5-star?" "Is there no need to double confirm it?" 5-star incident... It has not appeared in Tianxuan Kingdom for several decades now. The crowd, who were unable to determine a star rating for the incident, upon hearing Pavilion Elder Qians words, were bbergasted. Then a brief momentter, chaos broke loose. Chapter 156: Resounding throughout the Capital Chapter 156: Resounding throughout the Capital Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "You say that even Guild Leader Luo Chong was full of praises?" "Du Miaoxuan had knelt for an entire day, and not only was hisplexion glowing when he left the mansion, his cultivation was even raised?" "Looks like we have all guessed wrongly, this Yang Xuan is definitely a master teacher!" "Only a true master teacher can make a person like Du Miaoxuan kneel willingly and leave Guild Leader Luo Chong impressed..." "Hurry up and prepare my name scroll, I want to pay him a visit!" TL: It is like a name card when you visit others, detailing ones upation, official rank, and everything else on it. "What? The Yang Residence isnt epting any visitors? Those who truly want to meet Yang shi has to first pay three million, and the sum is not refundable?" "That makes sense as well. Everyone wants to meet a master teacher and if he really met anyone who visited his residence, he wouldnt be able to rest at all. Only when such standards are implemented will he be able to ward off others, especially those who had malicious intents..." ...... ... Such a situation is urring in almost all of the powerful ns within the capital. Everyone was taken aback. Those who previously imed that he is a fraud werepletely silenced. ................................................ After passing out for an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes once more. "This..." Upon waking up, the first thing he realized was that countless knowledge had been assimted into his mind. Every single book that was bathed in the golden books radiance had been imprinted into his head. "This golden book can assimte the knowledge within the library to be mine?" Zhang Xuan was in a state of disbelief. In the past, he had to manually browse through the books in the Library of Heavens Path. The corresponding knowledge did not truly belong to him then. But now, all of it is deeply imprinted in his head, bing a part of his memory. That is to say, the current him, even without the Library of Heavens Path, is a true apothecary in terms of his knowledge on pill forging. "Where is that golden book?" Zhang Xuan focused his attention into the library hurriedly and saw that the golden book is still there. However, the empty page within it had disappeared without a trace. "This..." Zhang Xuan blinked. The disappearance of the golden page and the sudden infuse of knowledge in his head had urred at the same time, it looks like the golden page holds such abilities. "I wonder how this golden book is formed. It is simply too efficient to convert any books content into my actual knowledge in such a manner..." Initially, even with the enhanced learning speed in the Library of Heavens Path, finishing hundreds of thousand of books would have taken at least two years or so. Yet, with a single glow of the golden page, everything had been converted into his knowledge. Learning has be an iparably easy process. "Un? I was unconscious for an entire night?" Awaking to the delight of unexpected gains, Zhang Xuan looked outside and he was shocked. To think that he would have lost consciousness for an entire night just like that. Stretching his back, just as he was about to look for some food, he saw his butler, Sun Qiang, walking in. "Old master, Guild Leader Ouyang Cheng of the Apothecary Guild and Apothecary Chen Xiao are here to visit." "Ouyang Cheng? Apothecary Chen Xiao?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He is currently Master Teacher Yang Xuan, not Apothecary Zhang Xuan. In this identity, he does not know the other party, so why would they suddenlye looking for him. "Yes. Furthermore... They have already waited 4 hours outside!" Sun Qiang was at a loss for words. The old master sure can sleep. He returned to his bedroom the moment the sun set yesterday and slept all the way until now, when the sun has already risen high up in the sky... It is truly a wonder just by thinking of it. He did not dare to interrupt the old masters sleep, so he could only tell the other party that the old master was resting. Who knew that the two of them would continue waiting at the entrance, camping outside for 4 straight hours... They sure are patient. "Old master, Apothecary Chen Xiao has paid the three million. Look..." "Have them enter!" Zhang Xuan gestured Sun Qiang to invite them in. Sun Qiang left the room and in a moments time, Guild Leader Ouyang and Apothecary Chen Xiao entered. "Paying respects to Yang shi!" Not daring to act haughtily before a master teacher, the two of them bowed immediately upon entering the room. Initially, Apothecary Chen Xiao wanted toe alone. But considering that his prestige may be insufficient by itself, he roped Ouyang Cheng in as well. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. If Im not wrong, the reason why you two came so early to look for me should be because... this Apothecary Chen Xiao doesnt have long to live, and he hopes to look for a solution for his problem!" Just as he was perplexed over the twos arrival, an inspiration shed through his mind and Zhang Xuan recalled the matter at the Pill Debate. This Chen Xiao had been cursed by someone else and as such, a death aura engulfed him, eating into his lifespan. Back then, during the Pill Debate, Zhang Xuan felt that he had reneged on the promises he made and that he wasnt worth saving, so he didnt borate much about the matter. This fellow probably couldnt find a solution to his problem and upon hearing that a master teacher had arrived in town, he came knocking to try his luck. That was fine by Zhang Xuan as well. He could make him pay a hefty sum and in this way, he could redress the grievances of the person who entrusted his final will to him. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans abrupt words, Ouyang Cheng and Apothecary Chen Xiao nearly knelt down from fright and fainted. Didnt a master teacher require a person to first disy their battle technique, pill forging, or at the very least, examine ones body, before deducing ones problems or illnesses? How was he able to tell all this in a single look... Is this still his ability of discernment? Even a seer isnt as incredible as him! Shocked by Yang shis capabilities, Apothecary Chen Xiaos face paled further. He was worried. For the other party to be able to see through this much with a single look, his illness must be truly serious. Can it be that he cant even survive to the next day? "Where is the cauldron? Have you discarded it yet? Also, reneging on your promises without even trying to fulfill it just because the other party is dead should be an action unbefitting of your identity as an official apothecary!" Oblivious to the twos astounded expressions, Zhang Xuan recalled the contents of the book and continued speaking. Noticing that there was no response, he lifted his head to take a look, only to see that Ouyang Cheng and Apothecary Chen Xiaos face were ghastly white. Especially for thetter, his entire body was convulsing as though he was suffering from a stroke. Unable to hold endure any further, he copsed to the floor on his knees. "Yang shi, save me... I beg you, please save me..." Apothecary Chen Xiao was scared witless. No one knew that he had obtained a cauldron from his dead friend. Even Zhang Xuan had only inferred that he had obtained a treasure from a deceased and didnt know what it was exactly. Yet, this person, even without a close examination, was able to tell so immediately... Are you a deity? Or else... How would you know... "Is what Yang shi said true?" Even though Ouyang Cheng had no idea how Apothecary Chen Xiao got afflicted with a death aura, looking at his expression at this moment, he realized that what Yang shi had said was the truth. He was overwhelmed with awe for the other party. Without requiring anything but just a single nce, he is able to tell the root of a persons illness, his symptoms, and even the cause... This is too incredible! "Er..." Only upon seeing the dumbfounded expression on their faces did Zhang Xuan remember that he is Master Teacher Yang Xuan currently, and he does not know the two of them. Clearing his throat to break the awkward atmosphere, he said, "Its not difficult to save you. Firstly, you have to bury the cauldron with that old acquaintance of yours, thenplete the task that he had delegated to you before his death... Finally, you just have to get some pills that are rich in spiritual energy to nourish yourself for half a year." Actually, the other partys problem isnt really serious. He was cursed by the old acquaintance of his, but as long as he fulfills his promise solemnly and stays away from the cauldron, the power of the curse will slowly weaken and as time goes by, he will recoverpletely. "Yang shi, thank you for your guidance!" Hearing that there is hope for him, Apothecary Chen Xiao hurriedly nodded his head. At this moment, he does not doubt the other partys words in the least. To be able to tell what his problem was with a single look, he is definitely more than capable of solving his problem. Having learned the method to save himself, there was no longer any need for the two of them to stay. Thus, they turned around to leave. Walking straight out of the main gates, Apothecary Chen Xiao still felt as though everything that had just happened is a dream. The problem that left him in anguish and despair for numerous days, made him order his n to sell their fortune and move to the rural countryside... was solved in just a few moments? "Theres no need to think too much about it. A master teachers words are gold. Even though he phrased it in a very simple manner, his ability to provide a solution to settle the root of a problem is not something others can emte!" Upon seeing the dazed look on the other partys face, Ouyang Cheng nced backward with a look of admiration beforementing in awe. .............................. The matter of Apothecary Chen Xiao and Guild Leader Ouyang Cheng entering and leaving the mansion became another affair that the various powers in the capital were concerned over. "These two apothecaries had barely been in for five minutes and they are already out? Could it be that their problem is not settled? Help me look into it. I want to know what kind of problem that two apothecaries of noble standing could meet with such that they require the help of a master teacher!" "You say that... Apothecary Chen Xiao had already conducted a funeral at his residence, sold all of his fortunes here, and even wrote a will... But after meeting Yang shi, he immediately swapped the white cloth into red ones and celebrated, as though the crisis had been averted?" TL: In funerals, the mourning attire, and sometimes the location, would be white. On the other hand, red is the color of celebration (usually used in weddings). "He was afflicted with a severe illness that could lead to his death at any moment, but in the five minutes that he met Yang shi, was cured of his illness..." "Looks like we were all wrong. We only know the names of 1-star master teachers. Given the capabilities of this Yang shi... Can it be that he isnt just a mere 1-star?" "A higher tier master teacher?" The entire city shook when the news was spread. Today, the name of Yang Xuan Resounds throughout the capital. Chapter 157: Painting Examination Chapter 157: Painting Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove As his fame grew, Master Teacher Yang Xuan, who is a guise of Zhang Xuan, instead had more time to rx. Even though there are many wealthy individuals in Tianxuan City, not many of them are capable of whipping out three million gold coins out of a blue. Furthermore, considering their own status, if they truly didnt have grave problems that were beyond their own means, they would not dare to interrupt a master teachers rest. After Guild Leader Ouyang and Apothecary Chen Xiaos departure, the courtyard quietened once more. After resting for an entire afternoon and seeing that no one came, Zhang Xuan removed his disguise and returned to the academy. "Teacher, Huang Yu xiaojie hase to look for you and she is currently waiting in the ssroom..." Before he even reached the ssroom, Yuan Tao had walked up to wee him. "What matter could she have for me?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Knowing that it was impossible for Yuan Tao to answer this doubt of his, he returned straight back to the ssroom without asking him too much about it. As expected, upon walking in, he saw Huang Yu xiaojie in the room, and she stood so quietly that the scene resembled a still painting. The reason why she was able to be an assistant master teacher isnt just because she is the daughter of the guild leader of the Teacher Guild. On top of that, she possessed a rxed and soothing disposition that naturally gave others a good impression of her. Sure enough, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao and others eyes drifted toward her frequently but unwittingly, causing Zhao Ya to be so infuriated that she could murder someone. Wang Ying and I arent inferior in any way, alright? Why dont I see you peeking at us during lessons usually? Damn it! "Master Zhang!" Oblivious to the thoughts of the youngdy, Huang Yus eyes lit up upon seeing him and hurried forward. "For Huang xiaojie toe looking for me, is there any urgent matter?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Master Lu invites you over." Huang Yu sped her hands. "Could it be that he wishes to bring me to the royal pces Book Collection Vault?" Zhang Xuans eyes sparkled. Previously, Lu Chen had promised to bring him to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault to look up Pixue realm secret manuals. As Emperor Shen Zhui wasnt in the capital then, the matter had to be postponed. However, given how he had specially sent Huang Yu to find him, there must have been some progress on the matter. "Er... That isnt it!" Huang Yu said a little awkwardly. "Master Lu wishes to conduct an examination for me and Bai Xun and thus, he wishes to invite you over as a judge." "Judge?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. Huang Yu and Bai Xun wished to obtain Master Lu Chens Ink Daylily Canvas. Thus, Master Lu Chen dered that whoever proves to be more knowledgeable on painting would be given the painting. As a result, the two of them came looking for Zhang Xuan a few days ago to have him offer them some pointers on painting. However, how could Zhang Xuan possibly know anything about painting? Thus, he could onlye up with some random statements, but who knew that the two would regard his words so highly and study them vigorously. This is probably the final examination. "Yes, Master Lu Chen knows that you have a deep understanding of painting and thinks that you are able toe up with the most precise judgment. Hence, he tasked me to invite you over at all costs..." Huang Yu said. Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched. He didnt even know what kind of brushes there are, needless to say, to make a precise judgment... This Master Lu Chen sure regards him much too highly. However, the other party had done a lot for him, and he is still hoping to enter the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Therefore, he wasnt in a good position to reject the other partys invitation. Furthermore, Huang Yu had yed a big role in helping him resolve the matter regarding the Enlightenment Will Trial. "So as long as you dont mind me spouting nonsense, I am fine with it. When does it begin?" Zhang Xuan nodded his head and epted the invitation. "Initially, we agreed to start the test at noon, but you were not in... However, we should still be able to make it in time if we leave now." Huang Yu said. "Noon?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. By the time he woke up, the sun was already hanging high up in the sky. Furthermore, he had idled for quite a long time before walking out of his mansion casually. It is already going to be noon shortly... Arent they in too much of a hurry to conduct the examination right now? "Un!" Huang Yu nodded her head. "Alright then!" Realizing that the other party was clearly determined to pull him over, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be futile to try rejecting the offer. Thus, he had a word with his students before following her out of the academy. "I know that painting is hard to learn, and it doesnt seem like it would be easy to assess your standards!" On the way, Zhang Xuanmented curiously. He had never heard of a painting examination, needless to say, its rules. After all, Master Lu Chen cant possibly have Bai Xun and her draw at the same time and evaluate them based on it. Huang Yu was born in the Teacher Guild and she is an assistant master teacher as well. Even though she had never specially learned painting before, it is likely that she possesses an eptable level of skill. As for Bai Xun... It is truly difficult for a fellow who only knows about martial arts to contemte over a persons painting posture. "The examination is something Master Lu Chen and Master Yuanyu came up with. Bai Xun and I hadnt heard of it from them, so we dont really know the details of the examination and how it would be conducted!" Huang Yu shook her head. "Master Yuanyu?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled Isnt that fellow a famous physician in Tianxuan Royal City? Why is he determining the format of an examination? "Master Yuanyu is not merely a master physician, he is also skilled in painting. In fact, even Master Lu Chen is full of praises for him. He drew the River Canary Painting, of which, the river looked so lifelike that it seemed as though it was flowing. While drawing the painting on a boat, he actually attracted birds to his painting and the melodious chirping traveled far and wide. This became quite a legend in the city." Huang Yus eyes glowed with respect. "Hes that incredible? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had heard of Master Yuanyu from Wang Ying on the day that he epted her. All along, he had thought that the other party was simply a physician. He would never have thought that the famous physician would be an aplished painter as well. To be able to attract real birds to his painting, his painting skills are definitelyparable to Master Lu Chens. "Indeed, Master Lu Chen had invited him over as well. He said having three people serve as judges would result in a more objective evaluation." Huang Yu said. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Since there are already two true master painters, Zhang Xuans presence should be more of a supplement than a mandatory one. When the timees, he just has to go with the flow. As such, he became less anxious. The only reason why he is able to impress Master Lu back then was due to the library. Given his absolute ignorance about painting, he should avoid speakingter on so as to prevent himself from speaking anything amateurish and giving himself away. The two of them chatted as they proceeded forward. Soon, they arrived at Master Lu Chens residence. Before they could even step into the entrance, the butler Uncle Cheng walked forward to usher them in, "Master Zhang, Huang xiaojie, why did you two only arrive now? Master Yuanyu says that he has to visit someone elseter on this afternoon and he is already getting a little impatient." "I happened to be out then, causing Huang xiaojie to wait a long time for me." Zhang Xuan said in embarrassment. The other party had decided to hold the examination this noon, but Zhang Xuan was often away from the academy the past few days, making it difficult to get hold of him either. As such, their arrival was dyed. "Please enter!" Upon hearing his exnation, Uncle Cheng did not dare to nag further and immediately called for the two to enter. After obtaining a mansion of his own, the feeling he had upon returning to this ce waspletely different. Even though the design is simple and in, the minute details are exceptionally exquisite. The mansion that he had rented pales too far inparison to it; the two arent even on the same level. Of course, if a true master teacher were to be the one who renovated the residence he rented, there was no way it would have looked like that. The sense of aesthetics of a merchant cantpare to that of a master painter. Following behind Uncle Cheng, they soon arrived at the lounge. Taking a rough nce at the room, he saw Master Lu Chen and an elderly seated across each other, sipping on tea. The iparably arrogant Bai Xun hid in the corner, looking at his surroundings anxiously. Upon seeing the duo, a delighted expression appeared on his face and he hurried forward to wee them. "Master Zhang, youre here..." Zhang Xuan nodded his head and turned his attention to the renowned Master Yuanyu. He looked around sixty to seventy year old and possessed a snow-white beard. Even though he isnt young anymore, his eyes are extremely spirited, giving one the feeling that energy is radiating from his eyes. For him to possess such vigor despite his advanced age, he truly lives up to his reputation as a famous physician. "Little brother, youre here." Master Lu Chen stood up with a smile. "Master Lu Chen!" Zhang Xuan sped his hands. "Un,e over. Let me introduce you to Master Yuanyu, he is my best buddy, as well as a master painter!" Lu Chen happily introduced the two to each other. "Yuanyu, this is Brother Zhang Xuan, the one that I have told you about. Even though he is young, his talent in painting is probably in no way inferior to yours and mine." "Master is truly generous. I just... casually spoke... casually learned a bit." Zhang Xuan hurriedly said. Even though he was able to see through the ws in Master Lus painting, it was mainly due to the cheat machine he had on him. If he were to try to decipher it using his own abilities, he probably wouldnt be able to make heads or tails of it even if he spent three years on it. "Knowledge and skills have nothing to do with age, and only those who are truly skilled will be deemed as masters. Since you were able to analyze Lu Chens Summer-Autumn Paintingand Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens and tell what is amiss with them, your ability of discernment is truly incredible. We reallyck youngsters like you nowadays." Master Yuanyu said. His voice was calm and clear, and it granted its listeners a tinge of warmth. It seemed that he had heard of Zhang Xuans matter through Lu Chens mouth, and his pitch-ck eyes evaluated Zhang Xuan with curiosity. "I am unworthy of your praises..." Zhang Xuan sped his hands once more. Only now did he know the names of the two paintings. If Lu Chen and Yuanyu were to know his thoughts, they would definitely spurt blood. A painter would often leave their names, bookmarks or words on it so that their name would remain in the annals of history. He had seen the names on it, but as it was written in a unique fontmonly used by painters, not to mention, it was written extremely sloppily, causing Zhang Xuan to be able to recognize those characters. For him to be unable to recognize the words discernible by apprentice painter, to the point that he didnt even know that it was the name of the painting... To be called master with those standards of his... If he were thick-skinned enough to admit it... Of course, back then, when he came into contact with the paintings, the Library of Heavens Path had recorded their names in the bookspiled on them. However, as he wasnt asked about the names then, he didnt pay any attention to it. The few of them traded some pleasantries. Master Yuanyu is indeed a person who is easy to get along with. Other people might look down on Zhang Xuan due to his young age, but not only did he not do so, he even held a level of admiration for him. "Alright, since everyone is here, lets start!" Master Lu Chen stroked his beard. "Yes!" Huang Yu and Bai Xun nodded their head simultaneously. "Theres only one Ink Daylily Canvas, and I can only give it to one of you. Thus, I devised this examination. Firstly, I do not wish to pass on this painting to someone who ispletely ignorant of painting. Secondly, I hope to temper you two so as to rid your impatience andcency, especially for Bai Xun." Master Lu Chen said calmly toward the two. Even though he loved this Ink Daylily Painting a lot, he was willing to pass it on to theter generations. The reason why he had established this examination was for the two toe into more contact with painting and learn more about it. He had been devoted to painting his entire life, even cing his entire youth into in. Seeing that there is no one to seed his legacy, he started to panic. At this moment, Huang Yu and Bai Xun came over to request for the painting. As such, he made use of this opportunity toy down the rules so as to have them learn about it. Perhaps, through his actions, painting can flourish within Tianxuan Kingdom. Using his words, everyone is too engrossed with martial arts and youngsters who are interested in painting are dwindling. If he does not do anything soon, this craft might even find itself without a sessor. Also, by doing this, it had the effect of tempering Bai Xuns personality. This fellow was short-tempered and often liked to resolve problems through his fists. Learning about painting could help him to calm his mind, thus keeping his temper in check. Otherwise, given that impatient personality of his, how could he inherit his fathers position and guard the northern border on behalf of the royal family? Chapter 158: Its Your Turn Chapter 158: Its Your Turn Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "However, it hasnt been long since you two came into contact with painting. Not only would it be ineffective to have you paint for your examination, it would be an insult to the craft. Thus, after discussing with Yuanyu, we came up with a new examination format. It has just been a month since Huang Yu and Bai Xun first came into contact with painting. Even if Master Lu Chen were to have them paint, what kind of painting could theye up with? It would just be embarrassing to have that. Thus, Master Lu Chen chose to use another method to test them instead. Speaking to this point, he chuckled and continued, "The format would be that... I, Yuanyu, and Brother Zhang Xuan will first paint, and the two of you will then appraise and rate the paintings. The person, whose review is the most urate and precise, will be presented the Ink Daylily Canvas!" "To paint? Hm?" Sipping on his tea, Zhang Xuan had merely intended to show his presence for the examination. But upon hearing Master Lu Chens words, he staggered and nearly spat his mouthful of tea onto the elders face. You must be joking! I am just here to add to your number, yet you want me to paint... Are you examining them or me? I dont even know how to hold a brush, what kind of painting can I draw? "I think its better for me to not to paint..." Zhang Xuan said anxiously. "Dont reject this offer, lets bond over literature. There are many literature gatherings that require one toe up with poems or drawing. Its rare to have you and Brother Yuanyu here at the same time, so lets interact through our paintings. At the same time, we can have these juniors understand the true charm of painting. Perhaps, they might even fall in love with the craft and be a master in the future." Master Lu Chen stroked his beard and chuckled. Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. Are you listening to my words carefully? What I mean is that I cant paint, and I dont want to paint. Yet, you go on rambling about interacting through painting... The heck that we interact through painting! "Cough cough, theres really no need for it. Its enough to have you two draw. I havent done any preparations for this..." Zhang Xuan could only phrase his words even clearer. "I have already prepared the brush, paper, and ink b. Brother Zhang Xuan, theres no need to be so restrained, treat this as your home and draw as you please. At the same time, let them understand what true painting!" Master Lu Chen replied. "Restrained? Understanding what true painting is?" This isnt what I am trying to say at all! "Alright, Ah Cheng, go and prepare the painting tools. Xiao Yu and Bai Xun, watch carefully as we paint and learn from it!" Lu Chen thought that Zhang Xuan was embarrassed and waved away his concerns with a smile. "Yes!" The butler Uncle Cheng waved his hands, and a few maids carried in three sets of painting tools and ced it on the table before them. Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched furiously. He couldnt even draw with a pencil, and he has to do it with a brush now... If he knew that the examination would be like this, he would never havee. "Since were here to get acquainted with one another through our paintings, lets not constrain ourselves to any topic!" Once the preparations were in ce, Master Lu Chen looked at Master Yuanyu with a grin. "Brother Yuanyu, you are a guest, so itll be best if you go first!" "Alright. I will be disying my inferior skills then!" Master Yuanyu stroked his beard with a smile and walked forward to the table. Picking up the brush, he mused for a moment before starting on his painting. His brush flew around the paper with astonishing force and elegance. The moment he started painting, his kind face and disposition transformed. He exuded the aura of an expert painter without an equal, garnering respecting from the onlookers. "There are four main levels to painting. They are namely Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, and Breathtaking Verisimilitude. Reality Depiction means the recording of the sight one sees in reality perfectly. Even though such a drawing may be remarkably lifelike, it is the lowest level of a painting." As Master Yuanyu started painting, Lu Chen exined the various levels that a piece of painting can be assigned to the crowd. "Spiritual Canvas refers to the level where the scenery and objects one drawes alive through the infuse of spiritual energy. The entire painting will look as though it is a living scenery. For example, if one drew a fish, the spectators would feel as though the fish is alive, and that it would leap out from the canvas at any moment." "The third level, Infused Intentions, refers to the level in which one is able to infuse ones intentions into a painting! One must first attain a certain state of mind before they start painting in order to produce a painting that can move and allure others. My Summer-Autumn Paintingand Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens happens to reach such a level. Thats why one would feel as though the paintings are unfolding before him, as though he has been pulled into its world." "Brother Yuanyu and I happen to have reached this level. If were sufficiently lucky, there is a small possibility that we might be able to produce a level 4 painting. Breathtaking Verisimilitude refers to a painting in which characters carry a disposition of their own, to the point that even animals and savage beasts are unable to tell the difference between a painting and reality. The Ink Daylily Canvas that Xiao Yu wants and Brother Yuanyus River Canary Painting of such a level." "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He thought that whoever whose drawing was the most lifelike would be the better painter. Only after listening to the exnation did he realize that drawing a lifelike painting... was simply the lowest level. Only when a drawing was infused with the painters spirit and unique artistic conception can it be considered a true masterpiece. In the midst of the discussion, Master Yuanyus painting slowly began to take shape. It is a painting of a Mountainous Jungle Sparrow. Within the tranquil forest, two sparrows are dancing around. Even though they are motionless, one can almost hear the bright chirping of the birds in the air, as though one had entered the mountainous forests, and is surrounded by the fragrance of the flowers and the melodious twitter of the birds. "Master Lu, is this an Infused Intentions painting? Huang Yu couldnt resist asking. For it to induce such a sensation, this showed that the painting contained a profound artistic conception. One couldnt help but be absorbed into it with a single nce. "Un!" Master Lu Chen nodded his head. "This painting has indeed reached the level of Infused Intentions. However, it barely meets the mark. As for why I say so, it is your job to analyze and appraise it. Whoever who is able toe up with the most precise answer will be the victor." "Yes!" Huang Yu and Bai Xun immediately focused their gazes on the painting. In no time, Master Yuanyu ced his brush down. He hadpleted the Mountainous Jungle Sparrow Painting. "Hehe, looks like my skills have gotten rusty after resting for too long. Here is my humble painting!" Master Yuanyu smiled. "Lu Chen, its your turn!" "Alright!" Master Lu Chen walked up to the table, picked up the brush, and his hands started to fly about. Even though they are both master painters of the third level, it is clear through Lu Chens fluid movements that he is more adept. In his painting, a lone boat could be seen floating on the surface of a river. There were no astonishing waves or fearsome storms, but it gave the feeling as though one was trudging ahead against all odds, that the entire world was hindering the boats path. Even though the person on the boat was drawn with just two mere strokes, his courage in charging ahead despite the dangers that lurked ahead induced the spectators hot-bloodedness. "Looks like Brother Lus technique is superior to mine!" Even before the painting was finished, Master Yuanyu couldnt help butment. He is skilled in painting and is renowned in the field as well, but whenpared to Lu Chen, he is still a long way off. While the artistic conception behind his Mountainous Jungle Sparrow Painting isnt bad, if one were to analyze the two paintings thoroughly, Lu Chens artistic conception would be a tier higher than his. He had only contrasted the silence of the forest along with the liveliness of the birds, but the other party had brought out the inner struggle of a person. It is clear that the other party is much more skilled than him. "How is it? Can you tell anything from it?" Master Yuanyu turned his attention to Bai Xun and Huang Yu and questioned them with a smile. "I can tell that Master Lu had used three types of painting techniques and twelve types of painting strokes in his Flowing River Painting. Also, there seems to be the shadow of the renowned painter eighty years ago, Chen Jiao, in his painting." Huang Yu pondered for a moment before replying. Chen Jiao was a famous female painter in Tianxuan Kingdom back then. Her strokes were delicate, and she specialized in painting mountains and rivers. In that aspect, she was said to have reached the pinnacle for river paintings, and she was honored as the number one painter in the Tianxuan Kingdom in thest three hundred years. "I saw that too..." Bai Xun hurriedly said. "Un, seems like you have good eyes!" Master Yuan Yu chuckled. "Three types of painting techniques? Twelve types of painting strokes?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. From his perspective, all he saw was Master Lu Chen picking up the brush and drawing randomly. He couldnt tell anything unique about it at all. Even though he had infused all of the knowledge from the books which he had flipped through into his head through the golden page in the golden book, they were all mainly rted to cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and pill forging. There were barely any painting-rted books in the teacher Compendium Pavilion, and as such, he is nearlypletely ignorant on the topic. "Haha, Brother Yuanyu, you are way too humble!" In a moments time, Master Lu Chenpleted the Flowing River Painting as well. Chuckling, he walked over and said, "I have been touring the Benma River these few days and umted several days of emotions before unleashing them all on this painting, thats why I was able to up you one in this painting. Brother Yuanyu is normally busy going around treating others and isnt as free as me. If you were to be like me and immerse yourself into painting, Im afraid that I would be far from a match for you!" "Painting is dependant on talent. It is because I find myselfcking talent that I chose to tread on the path of a physician!" Master Yuanyu shook his head. "Alright, we two old folks shouldnt be praising one another here like that. Speaking of talents, Brother Zhang Xuan is truly a genius. Despite being young, he possesses a unique view and understanding of painting. I believe that his painting ability is in no way inferior ours." Master Lu Chen shook his head smiling and gestured Zhang Xuan forward. "We are already done painting. Brother Zhang Xuan, its your turn!" Hu. The moment he said those words, everyones eyes turned to look at Zhang Xuan. Master Yuanyu also nodded his head in approval. His eyes were filled with curiosity, he was interested to see what kind of painting Zhang Xuan woulde up with. He had heard Lu Chen spoke of Zhang Xuans matter before. Even though he does not doubt his words, he still found it a little unbelievable that Zhang Xuan could reach such an incredible level of expertise at such a young age. Painting is different from martial arts. It isnt something one can seed in just because one has talent. One needs to umte a multitude of experience and emotions in order toprehend life so as to produce good paintings. Even for him, it was due to him treating innumerable patients that he gained the inspiration required for his mastery in painting to soar, reaching the current level he is at. However, Zhang Xuan is not even twenty. Even if he was born with naturalpatibility to painting, at the very most, he only has a solid foundation that allows him to reach the level of Reality Depiction. If he wants to create paintings of the level of Spiritual Canvas and Infused Intentions... He probably needs a lot more training. Of course, he wouldnt vocalize these thoughts. After all, it would be impolite. At that moment, when Master Lu Chen invited him to paint, he couldnt help but peer over to see what standards that fellow possessed. Even Bai Xun and Huang Yu looked excited. Zhang Xuan had performed impressively the previous time he was here, pointing out the ws and secrets behind Master Lu Chens painting, even giving him pointers. They couldnt help but admire him for that. Right now, they are truly curious to see what kind of level had this Zhangoshi, who isnt much older than them, had reached. "Me?" Sensing their eager gazes, Zhang Xuan felt his head swelling up. He thought that the other party was just casually bringing the matter up... To think that he really needed to draw. How can he draw when he doesnt know a single thing at all? He cant possibly draw a little chick, add a halo to it, and call it Divine Phoenix. If he really did so, he probably wouldnt have to dream about stepping out from the residence alive. He would surely be beaten to death. "This... this... Can I first browse through some books?" Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan suppressed his embarrassment and asked. Chapter 159: Fraudster? Chapter 159: Fraudster? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Browse through some books?" Lu Chen and Yuanyu exchanged gazes. They were perplexed. We invited you here to draw, you can feel free to draw anything you like to disy your painting prowess... Browse through some books? What does that have to do with drawing? Bai Xun and Huang Yu, who had prepared to be amazed by Zhang Xuan, were also stunned. To want to browse through books when you are about to draw... Isnt it a little toote for that! More importantly... Brother, given your high standards, are you sure that reading books will help with your painting at all? "Yes!" Even though he could sense that everyone was looking at him with bizarre looks, Zhang Xuan could only suppress his awkwardness. He truly had no other ways. Painting? He also wished that he is an expert who can produce a third level or fourth level painting easily and impress everyone here. But the truth is that... He doesnt even know how to hold or use a paintbrush... How can he paint like that? The Library of Heavens Path allows him to see through all ws and take the knowledge in books for his own usage. However, it doesnt possess the ability to allow him to be a true master painter in an instant, unless... He read sufficient painting books to form a Heavens Path secret manual! The library is able to extract the correct portions of a manual, allowing Zhang Xuan to achieve mastery in any art swiftly and easily... If this really works out, perhaps he might be a true painting expert in a moments time. "What kind of books do you want to read? Could it be that... you have reached a bottleneck in painting?" After a long moment, Master Lu Chen asked. Simr to cultivating, one can meet with a bottleneck in painting. There are people who are able to reach the third level with just a few years of training, while there are also people who find themselves unable to reach even the first level their entire life. He truly couldnt fathom why Zhang Xuan would request to browse through books. After musing for a moments time, it suddenly struck him that perhaps he had reached a bottleneck and wanted to attempt to break through his current level. Otherwise, why would he need to browse through books before painting? Reading and painting are twopletely unrted matters! "Thats not it, its... its that... I have yet to reach the state where I can reach the state of mind required for me to draw as and when I like. Before I draw, I need to read a lot of books to calm my mind, and only then will I be able to create high-quality paintings!" After squeezing out his brain juice, Zhang Xuan finally came up with an excuse. After all, he cant possibly tell them that he doesnt know how to hold a brush, and he needs to browse through some books... to learn... If he were to truly say that out, the other party might treat him as a lunatic. Painting is something much harder to learn than martial arts. It is impossible to reach Lu Chen and Yuanyus level of mastery without decades of effort, countless wasted paper, and worn-out brushes. To want to learn painting just by browsing through a few books... Isnt that dreaming? Even if you wanted to lie, you should at least take the trouble toe up with something more believable... "A good painting is rted to ones state of mind, luck, and opportunity... Given your age, it is understandable that it is difficult for you to produce a good painting without adjusting your state of mind." Master Yuanyu nodded his head in approval. Master Lu Chen didnt reject Zhang Xuans words as well. Painting is an art, not a physical technique. Even if ones physical condition isnt good, it is unlikely for ones strength to be impacted greatly. However, if one were unable to get in the appropriate state of mind, no matter how well one painted, it would only be a painting with form, but devoid of a soul. It can never be considered as a masterpiece. "Its my habit... Hm?" He didnt expect the two masters to not refute his words. Halfway through his exnation, he paused abruptly in surprise. But soon, he came to a realization. Art is the same, no matter what world one came from. Back then, when Wang Xi wrote the Preface of the Orchid Pavilion, he was drunk and wrote it casually. But when he woke up and tried to rewrite it, he found himself unable to surpass his previous work. This is the importance of ones state. It is just how even if you were to give Master Yuanyu brush and paper and have him redraw his masterpiece, River Canary Painting, he would definitely be unable to replicate it. Everyone has their own masterpiece, and often, many factors are contained in their work. It was perfectly reasonable for him to request to browse through books to adjust his state of mind. "Lu Chen, dont you have quite a bit of painting secret manuals and collection in your study? Why dont you have our little friend here go in to take a look? We can wait here while he gets into his ideal state to disy his painting skills!" Master Yuanyu said. "My study?" Lu Chens mouth twitched. The previous time that the fellow achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, he had wrecked his study. Until now, he remains traumatized by the event. However, he is also curious to see what level of painting had the other party reached. Thus, he nodded his head, "Un, Ah Cheng, bring Brother Zhang Xuan over!" "Thank you, master!" Seeing that he had managed to muddle his way through, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and followed butler Uncle Cheng into the study. The previous time he was here, he was looking for Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm secret manuals. Back then, he had never thought that he would return here to read up on painting. ...... ... When Zhang Xuan stepped into the study, the atmosphere in the lounge turned bizarre. "Adjusting ones state of mind... Master Lu, why have I never heard of such a precedent?" Huang Yu couldnt help but ask. As an assistant master teacher, she had seen and experienced many different things. Honestly speaking, she had never seen such a strange action. "The need to adjust ones state of mind differs from person to person, so it is hard to say for certain." Lu Chen didnt reply, so Master Yuanyu spoke up in his ce after a moment of contemtion. "Actually, this is more of a habit. In the past, there was an expert who sold firewood before he became famous..." "I know that, is master speaking of Elder Lu Chai?" Bai Xun asked. Elder Lu Chais original name was Lu Chuan, but as he used to sell firewood for a living before he became famous, people termed him as Lu Chai. When he reached Tongxuan pinnacle, there was hardly anyone in Tianxuan Kingdom who was a match for him and as such, his name rang far and wide during that period of time. From a lowly ordinary man who sold firewood, he became an expert whose name rattled the entire kingdom. Elder Lu Chai often spoke of his affairs to motivate the younger generation, so quite a few people knew of his background. "Indeed, its that Elder Lu Chai. You know how hard he worked to raise his cultivation and how he became famous, but you arent aware of the fact that he chopped firewood to adjust his state of mind before battling. He would lock himself in his room and spend an entire day chopping firewood so as to get into his top form." "Now that Brother Yuan had said so, I recall another expert from a century ago, the Aloof Swordsman Wu Jiangping. He was known to be capable of calming the seas with a single sword. Ive heard that before he made a name for himself, he was a bamboo weaver. Before every battle, he would adjust his state of mind through weaving bamboo, thus achieving the level of a Tongxuan eventually and bing a figure respected by everyone!" Master Lu Chen said. "Indeed, there are many such examples. Our friend here seems to utilize books to adjust his state of mind. It is not really a bizarre sight, just that..." Yuanyus words suddenly paused here. "Brother Yuanyu, feel free to say anything thats on your mind!" Lu Chen chuckled. "Back then, when you were painting, I took a nce at him and intentionally questioned Huang Yu and Bai Xun so as to see how he would react. However... He seems to be confused by what was going on, as though he ispletely ignorant of painting and... In fact, I doubt that he was able to notice anything about your painting!" Recalling what he had seen previously, Yuanyu shook his head, "Brother Lu, you said that he was able to discern the ws and secrets behind your Summer-Autumn Painting and Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens, so he shouldnt have been showing such an expression!" As a physician, Master Yuanyu is adept at paying attention to minute details. Back then, Zhang Xuan was clearly shocked when he saw Master Lu Chens painting, and he had seen it clearly. "Ignorant of painting? That shouldnt be possible." Master Lu Chen isnt as sharp and attentive as Master Yuanyu, so he found thetters words slightly hard to believe. This Zhang Xuan was able to see through hisyout immediately upon walking into his courtyard, and after which, he proceeded on to tear open the topyer of paper on the Summer-Autumn Painting to unveil the contents hidden within, as well as point out the errors in the Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens... With such discerning eyes, how can he possibly not know anything about painting? "This is just my intuition, there is also a possibility that I might be wrong..." Master Yuanyu shook his head. He was truly filled with curiosity toward Zhang Xuan. Before he even saw him, Master Lu Chen had described him in a way such that it wouldnt be shocking even if Zhang Xuan turned out to be a heavenly being who descended to earth. This had piqued Yuanyus interest, but after meeting the person in question, honestly speaking, he was slightly disappointed. Master painters had a disposition unique to them, but he did not feel any hint of it from that fellow. Furthermore, that person was filled with hesitation when it came to talking about painting. He couldnt help but suspect whether that fellow is truly a master painter. If not for the sake of his old friends dignity, he would have started challenging the other partys identity. If the other party truly had painting capabilities that were in no way inferior to them two, he shouldnt have been like that. "Could it be that... he doesnt know anything at all? He feigned it all out?" A thought suddenly popped into Master Yuanyus mind and he frowned. If it is true, then everything else makes sense. It is precisely because he knows nothing about painting that he tried to avoid the topic and im that he needs to browse through books to alter his state of mind. It is precisely because he knows nothing about painting that his face reflected his confusion when he saw Lu Chen painting, and that he could notpare to even Huang Yu and Bai Xun. But that made sense, the other party isnt even twenty yet. Even if he were to boast a vast knowledge on painting, how high can his mastery of painting be? He probably did an investigation on his old friends painting beforehand and then pointed it out, feigning knowledge, when in fact, he is a fraud. If that is indeed true, he would have to warn his old friend so as to not fall for the other partys deception. "Brother Yuanyu, dont you have to visit someone in the afternoon? Would it be inconvenient for you to wait like this?" Just when he was pondering about how he should bring up the topic, Master Lu Chens voice sounded in the air. "Oh, I heard that a master teacher named Yang Xuan had appeared in the capital. He had resolved Ling Tianyus wifes illness and the problem Du Miaoxuan faced through extraordinary means. Thus, I would like to pay him a visit to learn from him!" Master Yuanyu nodded his head. Ling Tianyus wife and Du Miaoxuan were his patients. He had been searching for ways to solve the problems guing the two, but he wasnt able to seed. Yet, that master teacher named Yang Xuan managed to solve everything so quickly. As a master physician, it is natural that he would want to pay the other party a visit in hopes that thetter can offer him a pointer or two, allowing him to tread further in the way of the medicine. "Master teacher?" Master Lu Chen uttered in disbelief. He had always been secluded in his residence. As such, he waspletely oblivious to the storm Yang Xuan had raked up in the capital. "Indeed. Why dont we pay him a visit together this afternoon? I know that you have been hoping to reach the fourth level of painting, but it has been eluding you. Perhaps, with the guidance of a master teacher, you might be able to do so!" Master Yuanyu smiled. "Alright, thats a promise. After were done examining them, lets go!" Master Lu Chen nodded his head in excitement. .............................. While Zhang Xuan was at Master Lu Chens residence to conduct an examination for Huang Yu and Bai Xun, a youngster carrying a spear on his back had arrived at the ssroom. It is Zheng Yangs childhood ymate, as well as his best buddy, Mo Xiao. Initially, the two of them intended to acknowledge Wang Chao as their teacher, but only Mo Xiao seeded. Zheng Yang became Zhang Xuans student instead. "I have learned a new spear art recently and I came over to spar with you!" With a jerk of his spear, Mo Xiao seemed to have melded into a single being along with his spear, and he exuded an extremely sharp aura which caused others to frown in difort. "Alright!" Zheng Yang stood proudly with his spear ready, not intending to back down from the challenge at all. Chapter 160: The Fight Between Brothers Chapter 160: The Fight Between Brothers Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Upon hearing that they would be dueling, the rest of the students immediately stood by the corner of the ssroom. Sensing the aura the two emitted, Zhao Yas face turned grim. Zheng Yangs fighting prowess was far below hers previously, but after learning a spear art from Zhangoshi, his strength had been growing swiftly. If she were to fight with him now, she wouldnt be a match for him at all. "Who of the two do you think will win?" Liu Yang asked. "They grew up together, and Mo Xiaos talent andprehension toward the spear isnt something Zheng Yang canpare up to. Ive heard that in the few times that they had crossed blows, Zheng Yang had always been on the losing end. Im afraid that it would be difficult to surpass him this time as well!" Zhao Ya hesitated for a moment before saying. Even though she hated to admit it, Mo Xiao is indeed a fearsome adversary. Even Zheng Yang himself understands that he isnt a match for this good buddy of his. Perhaps it is because Lu Xun knew of this that he poached Mo Xiao over from Wang Chaooshi to have him face off against him. His means were truly unscrupulous. "Ive heard that for this Teacher Evaluation, Wang Chaooshi had even imparted Mo Xiao a few of his family hereditament spear art!" Even though Yuan Taos cultivation iscking, he is well abreast with the news in the academy. "Family hereditament spear art? You mean the Wang ns spearmanship?" Zhao Ya was taken aback. "Is the Wang ns spearmanship famous?" Seeing her shocked expression, Liu Yang was puzzled. "There are two prestigious Wang n in Tianxuan Kingdom. One of it is my Wang n, one of the Four Great ns, while the other one is the n of the Spear Master Wang Chong!" This time, it is Wang Ying who replied his doubts. As a member of the Four Great ns, and given that the other Wang n was equally famous as theirs, it was natural that Wang Ying knew of it. "Wang Chong?" "Indeed. Wang Chong is known as the number one spear expert in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even Emperor Shen Zhui is full of praises for him. He singlehandedly and remarkably built the Wang n just by his spear arts, and his skills are the ultimate techniques that countless spear practitioners dream of!" Wang Ying said in admiration. "So incredible?" Liu Yang was astonished. He couldnt help asking, "Then, whats the rtionship between this Wang Chong and Wang Chaooshi?" "Wang Chao is the sole son of this spear master. Thats also the reason why countless spear practitioners vie toe under his tutge!" Wang Ying said. "So thats why!" Turning his attention to the two dueling parties, worry appeared on Liu Yangs face. "Doesnt that mean that Zheng Yang is in danger?" "Indeed, the Wang ns spearmanship is formidable. It isnt something that outsiders are allowed to learn, to think that Wang Chaooshi would break the rules of the n and impart him a few moves generously. Looks like they are really determined to win this Teacher Evaluation." Zhao Yao harrumphed coldly. The Wang ns spearmanship is a set of family hereditament spear art; it is only passed down to male offsprings of the n. Yet, Yuan Tao said that Wang Chaooshi imparted a few moves to Mo Xiao. From this, it could be seen how highly thetter valued the Teacher Evaluation. From the very start, Zheng Yang wasnt a match for this Mo Xiao. To make things worse, thetter had managed to pick up the Wang ns hereditament technique. How can he possibly defeat him now? For a moment, the crowd was full of anxiety. ...... ... On the field. "Wangoshi has imparted me the Wang ns spearmanships 3rd form, 7th form, and 18th form, so you better watch out!" Mo Xiao said as he twisted his spear and sent a pierce toward Zheng Yang. "The 3rd form, Onset of the Cold Gleam, 7th form, Remnants of the Setting Sun, and the 18th form, The Returning Forest Canary? Alright!" Zheng Yangs face turned grim. The Wang ns spearmanship is extremely famous. Those who had learned the basics of the spear would be acquainted with it. However, they would only know the forms but not its essence and intent. "Then, I shall go first. The 3rd form, Onset of the Cold Gleam!" Mo Xiao moved his spear, and with a loud whistling of the air, his spear shot straight out. Before even reaching Zheng Yang, its might could already be felt from the shock wave of the taut spear. The spear emanated an intimidating pressure that induced cold sweat. The move focused all of ones attention and strength on the tip of the spear. Perhaps, even a steel board several inch thick would be pierced through instantly. As expected of a spear genius. Despite the high difficulty of mastering the Wang ns spearmanship, he was able to exert such incredible strength. "Good move!" Witnessing the incredible move the other party was executing, Zheng Yang narrowed his eyes and charged forward to face him with a spear art of his own. ...... ... "What an incredible spear technique..." The shock wave from Mo Xiaos stroke sted into the surroundings. Sensing the incredible force behind his move, everyones face turned grim. "Zhao Ya, since Mo Xiao has learnt such an incredible spear art, why didnt he keep it for the Teacher Evaluation? Why would hee to look for Zheng Yang at such a timing to duel with him?" Wang Ying was perplexed. If one learned such an incredible move, he should practice it secretly so as to catch ones opponent off-guard during the duel. Yet, Mo Xiao came to challenge Zheng Yang, causing thetter to know of it in advance. Zheng Yang would then be cautious against it during the duelter on, making it more difficult for the move to work. "Its brotherhood!" Upon seeing the look of confusion on Zhao Yas face, Liu Yang said. "Brotherhood?" "Un, Mo Xiao grew up alongside Zheng Yang, and no matter what, he is definitely reluctant to face off against Zheng Yang in an official duel. Thus, he specially came here to find his good friend to show him what he had learnt under the pretext of dueling with him so that he would be guarded against it! Didnt you see him reveal the names of the moves before the duel? Have you ever seen anyone revealing the moves they are going to use before a duel?" Only a man will understand brotherly feelings. Even though Mo Xiao had done it in a roundabout and secretive manner such that Zhao Ya and Wang Ying were unable to see through his true intentions, how could his actions escape the notice of Liu Yang! "So thats the case!" Everyone came to a realization and turned their attention over to the duel once more. Ding ding ding! In the brief moment the others were conversing, both parties on the field had already crossed blows several times. The crisp sound from the crossing of spears could be heard, and the force of their shes sent shockwaves into the surroundings. As expected, Zheng Yang was unable to stand his ground against Mo Xiao and retreated continuously. "Good spear art! I havent been cking while you were working hard. Mo Xiao, allow me to show you the spear art that Zhangoshi has taught me!" Despite being in a disadvantageous position, Zheng Yang did not fluster. Rather, he smiled calmly. He only used his own understanding and fundamentals of spearmanship to fend off Mo Xiaos blows previously, and thus, he was unable to withstand the other partys Wang ns spearmanship. Boom! The moment after Zheng Yang said so, his spear rose and flew toward Mo Xiao, as though a dragon treading the river. It was just an extremely simple move, but Mo Xiao felt as though a mountain was weighing on him. The overwhelming pressure left him short on breath. Peng! Before he could even react, he felt a dull pain in his chest. The form of his Wang ns spearmanship fell apart immediately and he was send flying, skidding backward seven to eight meters. "Ah?" Zheng Yang clearly had not expected the move to be able to wield such strength and was taken aback. He had been practicing this move ever since he learned it from Zhang Xuan, but he did not think that it would surpass the Wang ns spearmanship. He had always thought that it was due to Zhangoshis zhenqi that he was able to defeat Zhou Tianoshi. Only now did he realize that even without that surge of zhenqi, this is an invincible technique. Ever since they were young, regardless of whether it was in spearmanship or cultivation realm, Zheng Yang has never been a match for Mo Xiao. Now that he had learnt the Wang ns spearmanship, he thought that it would already be incredible if he could stand his own against him. However, he did not imagine that a single move would send thetter flying. In fact, if he hadnt held back at the veryst moment, Mo Xiao would have likely have been injured. "Im fine!" Zheng Yang rushed forward to help his buddy up. "You... What move is that?" While struggling up, Mo Xiaos eyes were widened in disbelief. The move he had used was part of the Wang ns spearmanship, the number one spear technique in Tianxuan Kingdom. Yet... His spear art was asughable as ying house aspared to the other party. With a single move, his spearmanship fell apart. If he hadnt witnessed it personally, he would have never dared to believe it to be true. "This is the spear art that Zhangoshi imparted to me!" Zheng Yang said proudly. Back then, his greatest wish was toe under Wang Chaos tutge, and witness, as well as learn, a thing or two from the Wang ns spearmanship. However, at this very moment, he is thankful that Wangoshi had rejected him. Otherwise, how could he have stumbled on such an opportunity and became Zhangoshis student? "Zhangoshi imparted you this spear art? Such... Such an incredible spear art, and he simply passed it down to you like that?" Mo Xiao found the situation unbelievable. Wang Chaooshi valued the Wang ns spearmanship greatly, and if not for Lu Xunoshis request, he would have never imparted these three moves to an outsider. The depth of this move isnt something the Wang ns spearmanship couldpare up to. Yet, Zhangoshi imparted such a move so easily to Zheng Yang... Are you for real? "Zhangoshi never holds anything back when imparting knowledge to us, he is a true teacher!" Zheng Yang said affirmatively. "This..." Hearing the earnest words of his good friend and understanding that he truly admired this Zhangoshi, Mo Xiao chuckled. Initially, he thought that it was regretful that his good friend failed toe under Wang Chaos tutge. To think that it would be a blessing in disguise, he found an even better teacher and learned an even greater spear art. Just by seeing the move, he understood that even if he were to learn the entire set of Wang ns spearmanship, he wouldnt be a match for his friend. "This spear art is incredible, I concede defeat. Can you tell me its name?" Recovering from his shock, Mo Xiao asked. He should at least know the name of the spear technique which he had fallen in defeat to. "Name?" Zheng Yang scratched his head in embarrassment. "I dont know its name as well. It is a move that Zhangoshi had just created and he hadnt had the time to name it..." "Created? Hadnt had the time to name it?" Mo Xiao staggered. He nearly fainted from shock. Which one of those who managed to create a spear art wasnt a spear master that possessed an intense amount of knowledge on spearmanship? Usually, before a move had even been created, they would have alreadye up with a name for it... He had already imparted the move to his student, and yet he didnt have a name for it? Furthermore, this move is even more incredible than the Wang ns spearmanship. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to call it the number one spear of Tianxuan Kingdom... And it doesnt have a name... Are you sure you arent pulling my leg! "How about this? Why dont you help me think a name for it..." In the midst of his shock, he heard his friends voice sounding out. "You..." Upon hearing those words, Mo Xiaos face darkened. "Zheng Yang, watch your words! Every battle technique is created through the blood, sweat, and tears of a cultivator and its name will be passed down for countless years toe. Since this move was created by Zhangoshi, he has to be the one to name it. Naming it yourself... How can this be eptable? If he finds out about it, wouldnt he think that you are insulting his effort and be infuriated?" Naming someone elses move after learning it from them? You must be joking! "Ah..." Upon hearing the solemnity in his good friends tone, Zheng Yang was taken aback. Insulting his effort? Zhangoshi has already created multiple cultivation techniques and each time, he had us name it by ourselves... Recalling this fact, he replied, "Dont worry about it. Zhangoshi has already told me to name it as I please. To tell you the truth, our cultivation techniques are also created by Zhangoshi, and he had us name them ourselves as well..." "What? He allowed you to name the cultivation and battle techniques he created?" Mo Xiaos body swayed and he nearly passed out. Other teachers are reluctant to pass on their own moves to their own student for fear that it would leak out. Inparison, not only did Zhangoshi create cultivation techniques and battle techniques for his own student, he even allowed them to name it themselves... Zhang Xuan... What kind of teacher is he exactly? Chapter 161: Dual Traversing Dragons Chapter 161: Dual Traversing Dragons Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Hula! Zhang Xuan stopped. Even though Master Lu Chen had a huge collection of books, Zhang Xuan managed to flip through all of them within two hours. Tens of thousand of books that were identical to those on the bookshelves had appeared in the library in his mind. Elementary Painting Cognizance, The Complete Collection of Painting Techniques, Collection of the Setting Sun... As expected of a painting expert, nearly all of the books one could find on painting in Tianxuan Kingdom could be found in his study. He even had several hundreds of exclusive collection books, those that were hard to find in the market. Any other master painter wouldnt be able to aplish such a feat. It was due to his guidance to Emperor Shen Zhui that thetter had his men gather this collection for him. "It should be sufficient with these books!" After imprinting all of the books in his head, Zhang Xuan stopped. With a jolt of his mind, he muttered in his head, "The correct version!" Hu! The correct verses from the innumerable books were extracted andpiled in an entirely new book. Zhang Xuan opened the book and started reading through it. "Painting can be categorized under drawing and calligraphy. It can rid a person of his impatience, allowing one to reach a tranquil state of mind..." The introduction was mainly on ones understanding of painting. After which, it detailed on how one should hold a brush, how should one write words, and how should one fill in colors. All work had techniques to them, and painting wasnt an exception either. Even though it required diligence on the ones part, if one had a good teacher to point out the correct path, one would be able to avoid themon mistakes and improve swiftly. This library had gathered the essence of painting from tens of thousand of painting books to form one ultimate book. In other words, it was a book that pointed one straight toward the peak; there were no curved routes that had to be taken at all as long as one learned closely from it. Zhang Xuans understanding of painting increased at a tremendous rate. Quietly standing on the spot, he slowly read through the pages in the manual. After an unknown period of time, he suddenly opened his eyes. Immediately, he saw a pair of ck eyes before him. "AH..." The owner of that pair of eyes found Zhang Xuans behavior bizarre and was studying to see what was wrong with him when Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly opened. Taken aback, he yelped and leaped backward. "Master Lu Chen?" Only then did Zhang Xuan clearly see the persons appearance. It was Master Lu Chen. The master painter looked at Zhang Xuan warily, as though he was some kind of primordial beast. "Whats wrong?" Upon seeing his reaction, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. It is not like I will kill you, what do you mean by behaving like this? "You... didnt achieve a breakthrough, did you?" Master Lu Chen asked carefully. "Breakthrough? I didnt!" Zhang Xuan was stumped "Thats good..." Master Lu Chen was clearly still traumatized by the previous incident. Heaving a sigh of relief, he continued, "Seeing that you were in the room for such a long period of time, I came in to take a look..." Initially, he thought that Zhang Xuan would be out in ten minutes or so after browsing through a few books. He didnt expect that this single trip would take up four hours straight. Unable to wait any longer, he came in to take a look. When he walked into the study, he saw the other party standing before the bookshelves with his eyes closed, as though he was asleep. He suddenly remembered... The previous time, after reading a few books, he closed his eyes and went into a daze. After which, his study was wrecked and he was flung everywhere, nearly having his precious life extinguished. Then... There is no more then. This time... It couldnt be that the same thing had urred as well... Just when he was conflicted about what he should do, the other party abruptly opened his eyes. To be honest, it took all of his courage to remain in this room. "How can breaking through ones limits be that easy?" Upon seeing his guarded look, Zhang Xuan immediately came to a realization and shook his head with a bitter smile. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan didnt say those words, but after hearing those words, Master Lu Chen felt a dull ache in his chest and his mouth twitched intensely. Not easy? Didnt you achieve a breakthrough that easily the previous time? In fact, you achieved too great a breakthrough that you were unable to adapt to your strength... If not for the fact that I had cultivated a little, I might have died on the spot... The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. Forget it, its good that you didnt achieve a breakthrough here this time. Otherwise... I am truly considering whether I should bar you from my study permanently... "How is it, have you finished adjusting your state of mind?" Lu Chen changed the subject. "Im roughly there, lets go out!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Returning back to the lounge, he saw Huang Yu and Bai Xun staring him out. To think that he would spend an entire four hours just to adjust his state of mind, it was truly inconceivable. "How is it?" Master Yuanyusplexion looked awful. His initial n was to pay Master Teacher Yang Xuan a visit that afternoon, yet this fellow adjusted his state to the point that the sun was about to set in the horizon. Along with his previous conjecture, he could already be considered extremely patient for not leaving straight away. "Er... Im ready!" Looking at the gazes everyone was shooting at him with, Zhang Xuan felt guilty and embarrassed. "You should start drawing!" Sensing the atmosphere turning awry, Master Lu Chen hurriedly gestured Zhang Xuan forward. "Un!" Quickly browsing through the painting technique recorded within the Heavens Path manual once more, Zhang Xuan walked forward to the table and casually picked up the brush. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to paint, Huang Yu and Bai Xuns interest were piqued and they hurriedly looked over excitedly. They were curious to see what kind of masterpiece this Master Zhang could create after adjusting his state of mind for such a long period of time. Even Master Yuanyu couldnt help but pay attention. If that fellow was truly trying to deceive everyone here by putting on a show, he would punish him personally... Just when everyones eyes were staring at him intently, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master Lu, do you have any extra paper? I would like to test the brush first." Painting isnt like a cultivation technique where one just has to circte ones zhenqi throughout ones body to start fighting. Regardless of how much a person knows about painting, one has to first try it out with his own body first. He had neither drawn nor used a brush before. He had to first try out the rigidity of the brush and how deep the color would be when imprinted onto the paper before he could start painting. It was also for the same reason why he was unable to be a true apothecary swiftly despite reading through so many books on pill forging. Pill forging required arge amount of practice whereas drawing focused on ones state of mind. Even if ones skill wascking, if there was soul in their painting, it would still be an impressive work. "Give it a try then!" Master Yuanyus expression darkened further. If the other party was truly a master painter, why would he need to try out the brush? He was obviously trying to drag things out. Hmph, drag on for however long you want to. In a moments time, Ill see what kind of excuses you cane up with. Oblivious to the bizarre look Master Yuanyu shot at him, Zhang Xuan picked up the brush, made a dab into the watercolor and drew a few strokes onto the paper. Then, he picked up another brush, dabbed it in water and casually painted over the color. "The most basic color spreading technique? To have to test even this... It cant be that Master Zhang is painting for the first time?" Seeing his actions, Huang Yu subconsciously muttered. Paint spreading is one of the most basic techniques to painting. To put it briefly, one used to water to spread paint over the canvas, creating the effect of a color slowly lightening over the distance. This is just like the Long Fist in martial arts, theres not a single person who is capable of painting who doesnt know of it... Other people usually just tested the rigidity of the brush and depth of the colors. Yet, this fellow gave every single technique on the book a try, as though a curious infant who wasing in contact with the world for the first time. A constipated look appeared on everyones faces. Brother, we have waited several hours for you. Can you be any faster? If this goes on, I will probably die of old age before I can see your painting. "When I first came into contact with the brush, I think I was like that as well, wanting to try everything when actually... I didnt know anything at all..." Bai Xun was doubtful. Even he could tell that something was amiss. Master Lu and Master Yuanyus disposition changed the moment they picked up the brush, as though a swordsman had picked up his sword. You... What are you doing? Even though the Master Zhang whom he respected had the correct posture for holding the brush, his movements were stiff and constrained, as though it was the first time he was holding a brush. Dont tell me that your getting into the state by browsing through books was actually an excuse to learn painting? Even Master Lu Chen was perplexed. He truly had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to. "Im ready!" After taking a moment to adapt to the brush, Zhang Xuan could feel that his movements and the knowledge in his head were finally aligned, and he heaved a sigh of relief. "Then... You should start!" Seeing him pause, Master Lu Chen quickly said before the fellow before him could do anything else. Fortunately, Zhang Xuan simply nodded his head and walked forward to the clean sheet of paper. With a flick of his finger, a brush was sent flying into the air, which he caught and dabbed into ink. At the same time, he gently grabbed another brush with his other hand. Hula! The two brushes started flying about the paper as though they had lives of their own. A painting slowly emerged on the originally nk sheet. "This is... Dual Traversing Dragons?" Upon witnessing the scene, Master Yuanyu, who intended to expose him for his fraud, widened his eyes in shock. Master Lu Chens body swayed and nearly passed out. "What is Dual Traversing Dragons?" Looking at the astonished expressions of the two masters, Bai Xun couldnt help asking. "Usually, when we draw, we often use only a single brush to create the rough outline before adding in the colors!" Lu Chen exined. Huang Yu and Bai Xun nodded their heads. In the past few weeks, they hade into contact with painting and learned the basic steps one usually took while painting a picture. One usually did a rough outline first before going on to add in the ink and colors in detail. "This is just like building a house. One starts off by creating the scaffolding before adding materials to it. Even though this creates a solid foundation for the painting, it makes painting an extremely slow and tiring process!" Master Lu Chen continued, "Thus, in order to quicken the process, some incredible painters created this Dual Traversing Dragons painting technique. Exactly as its name goes, the painter diverts his attention into doing two tasks at once. His two hands would bepletely separate entities, starting on both the left and the right of the paper simultaneously. Without building the outline of the picture, the painter paints ording to the concept he has in his mind and... when the two brushes meet one another, the painting would be done!" "By doing so, the painting duration can be increased by more than a single fold, but the difficulty is extremely high!" "Firstly, one needs to have a clear image of what their picture would have, and this includes even the minute details. Secondly, one must be able topletely sever their mind into two and multitask without making a single mistake. Finally, one has to be extremely clear about the coloration of the picture. Only then will there not be a problem when the two sides of the painting meet..." "Honestly, this is an extremely high-level technique. Even Brother Yuanyu and I are incapable of doing so..." At this point, Master Lu Chen shook his head. Disbelief could still be seen on his old face. One needed absolute confidence toplete a painting using this Dual Traversing Dragons technique. Without several decades of practice, it is impossible to master this technique. Yet, Zhang Xuan casually disyed such a skill... Can things get more exaggerated? "Put aside your shock for now. This kind of painting method needs toe together perfectly at the center before it can be considered as a sess. If it fails, the entire painting could crumble!" Recovering from the shock, Master Yuanyu harrumphed. It is true that Double Traversing Dragons is an incredible technique, but regardless of how well one drew either side of the painting, if it cante together as one, it would end in a failure. Using construction of a house as an analogy once more, even if both sides were to use extremely advanced technology to build an iparably resilient house, such that even a Fighter 6-dan is unable to destroy it, if in the end... both ends fail to link up together perfectly, the construction would still be considered a failure! Chapter 162: Second Level? Chapter 162: Second Level? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Furthermore, painting revolves around ones state of mind. Without artistic conception, no matter how vivid ones drawing is, it is useless. The Dual Traversing Dragons technique forcefully divides a painting into two portions, causing a split in the artistic conception... Thus, even if the two sides match up perfectly in the middle, it would be difficult to reach the third level." No matter how well ones left and right hands manage to coordinate together, one is still severing the painting into two. It is absolute that the artistic conception would becking aspared to when one uses only a single hand for the entire painting. "unting his painting technique, but losing sight of the original goal of painting. Hypocritical!" After exining, Master Yuanyu shook his head. After the initial shock, not only did his impression of Zhang Xuan not improve, it even worsened. To him, Zhang Xuan is arrogant and disrespectful. Not only did he keep them waiting when they had agreed to hold the examination at noon, he even imed to need to adjust his state of mind before painting, dragging the matter out for four hours straight. And now, in order to show off his painting skills, he chose to unt his technique instead of focusing on creating the best work he could, losing the soul behind his work. Without a calm and peaceful state of mind, but instead, an intention to awe others, it is impossible to create a masterpiece no matter how skilled one is. It is impossible for such a person to be a grandmaster. "Brother Zhang is still young, and it is normal that he will wish to impress others..." Master Lu Chen understood his old friends frank and direct personality and smiled bitterly. He is a youngster after all. It is normal to want to show off his techniques. We cant expect him to be like us, beings with half a foot already in the grave. "Creating the best work one can make is the best way to impress others. Dual Traversing Dragon is something those streetside craftsmen use to mass-produce paintings. If he doesnt kick away this habit of his, it would be difficult for him to achieve great things in the future!" Master Yuanyu said without holding back at all. "Er..." Hearing his evaluation, Huang Yu and Bai Xun fell silent. The both of them are not as experienced and authoritative in the field of painting aspared to the elder before them, and as such, they were unable to refute his words. Just as Lu Chen wanted to say something, Bai Xuns voice sounded. "Look, he is starting to connect the both ends..." The attention of the crowd turned to the painting and exactly as Bai Xun said, Zhang Xuans brushes were converging, beginning to connect the both sides of the painting. "This... he cant possibly connect them!" Taking a nce, Huang Yu couldnt help butment. The two halves of the painting were about to be merged, but the individual paintings on each side werepletely different, be it the depth of the color, the underlying appeal, and the painting style. Even if Zhang Xuan were to merge the two halves together, it would simply be two different paintings on a single canvas instead of forming one perfect entity. One half was bright while the other half was dull... Even if he were tobine them together, it would just end in a failure. Could it be that he had failed? "It is impossible tobine the two halves together..." Master Lu Chen had intended to speak up for Zhang Xuan, but upon witnessing the situation, he fell silent. Hisplexion darkened and subconsciously, he exerted so much force on his fingers that he identally plucked a few strands of his beard out. Even though he didnt want to admit it, based on hisprehension of painting, he could clearly see that the two halves of the painting were irreconcble. It was as though they were of twopletely different worlds; it was absolutely impossible for both ends match. Could it be that it was as Brother Yuanyu said, that Brother Zhang was being hypocritical? Even though he had only met him once previously, his impression of him was that of a prudent, humble, and polite person. He wasnt such a person before... If this here was indeed his true personality, it would be difficult for him to reach great heights in the field of painting in the future... "If he doesnt manage to merge both ends, it would simply be a failure. To think that I waited an entire afternoon just for this..." Master Yuanyu shook his head in disappointment. When Lu Chen spoke of Zhang Xuans affairs, he was actually filled with great expectations for thetter. He truly thought that a young painting genius had appeared and that he might be the hope to glorifying painting within the kingdom. Yet, after meeting him in person, he realized that he was just a hypocritical fellow. Despite being obviously incapable, he chose to feign as an expert by using the Dual Traversing Dragons technique instead of drawing calmly. Now look at what has happened, both ends of the painting turned out to be ofpletely different, making them impossible to connect. Ill see how you talk your way out of this embarrassment. Even if you wanted to show off, you should first have to capabilities to do so. Otherwise, you will just make a fool out of yourself. Clearly, this Zhang Xuan is one of such fools. With a sigh, Master Yuanyu closed his eyes slowly, refusing to watch on. It wasnt that he didnt want to look, but he was afraid that he would be unable to keep his temper in check upon seeing the other party make a fool of himself when he fails to match the both ends together. "Hm?" "Wait, thats..." "How is this possible?" Immediately after he closed his eyes, he heard exmations of shock, as though the others had seen something inconceivable. Frowning, he opened his eyes once more and saw Master Lu Chen, Huang Yu, and Bai Xun staring in shock at what was in front of them, as though they had just seen a ghost. "Whats wrong? Even if he fails to match both ends together, there should not be any need for such shock..." Perplexed, Master Yuanyu turned to take a look as well. With a single nce, his eyes immediately narrowed and his body swayed. He was immediately plunged into astonishment as well, "This... This... What is going on?" He was astounded as well. Right before him, at the boundary where the two ends of the painting came together, a gentle stroke by Zhang Xuan erected a wall, thus creating a barrier that separated both ends into two different entities. The divide created by the wall erased the dissonance between the two halves of the painting. Instead, the contrast between both sides harmonized together to create a sensation of peering into two different worlds at once. "Its this courtyard..." Bai Xun couldnt resist eximing. He had realized what the painting illustrated. What Zhang Xuans left hand drew is the courtyard they were in. There is someone painting, someonementing on the painting, and the scenery is calm. On the right is another courtyard and its interiors are filled with flowers and dancing birds. There are also quite a few animals dancing the midst of it, and the sound of the cicadas are bright. It felt like a natural paradise outside of the bustling human society. On one end is the world of the humans, on the other end is the natural world; on one end is quietness, on the other end ismotion. Two different sceneries, two different states of the mind, and two different sensations. Yet, they merged sessfully due to the appearance of this single wall, perfectly harmonizing the two different themes. "A divine stroke, truly a divine stroke..." Master Lu Chenplimented. Previously, he shared Master Yuanyus thoughts that the painting would surely be ruined. Yet, he never imagined that these twopletely different scenes could be perfectly harmonized with a single wall, letting its viewers enjoy an incredibly unique beauty and pleasure. Commotion within silence, and silence withinmotion. The wall was truly a divine stroke. A single wall, yet apletely different world. The quality of the painting soared to a whole new level immediately. "Incredible..." After a long moment of silence, Master Yuanyu couldnt help but offer a word of praise. Clearly, he didnt expect the presence of the wall at all. If the artistic conception of both ends of the wall were the same, the painting would instead be a failure. "I have embarrassed myself!" After adding in the wall, the entire painting waspleted. Zhang Xuan put down his brush and chuckled lightly. "Please appraise my work!" He had just learned drawing so he had no idea what he should draw. Thus, he drew the lounge where everyone was at and the neighboring courtyard. "Let me take a look!" Master Lu Chen walked over and studied the painting with a lowered head. Huang Yu and Bai Xun hurriedly came forward as well. Previously, they were standing a distance away so as to not disturb Zhang Xuan, so they didnt manage to obtain a clear view of the painting and was unable to recognize that Zhang Xuan was drawing this ce. Now that they came closer, they couldnt help but be impressed. The drawing of the courtyard was vivid and lifelike. Under the work of his brush, the beautiful image seemed to be floating out of the paper. "How pretty..." Huang Yus beautiful eyes gleamed with admiration as she subconsciously offered a praise. Even though both halves of the painting were created simultaneously, even the minute details were wless. In fact, even the tables and chairs could be clearly seen within it. The expressions of the crowd in the painting could be clearly made out, and it was as though he had plucked them from reality and imprinted them directly. It was almost unbelievable that a painting could be that elegant. "Its a pity..." After taking a brief look, Master Yuanyu couldnt help but shake his head. In fact, even Master Lu Chen expressed his pity. "This painting is so pretty, what could be wrong about it?" Unable toprehend the reason behind their sighs, Bai Xun asked. Honestly, he wasnt able to see anything wrong with this painting. He felt that it was on par with the previous two. "This painting had perfect workmanship. There isnt the slightest error, and in terms of painting, contrast,plement... It can truly be said to be top-notch. Just that, as I said before, working simultaneously with both hands would cause one to ce too much emphasis on the details and neglect artistic conception! Without artistic conception, it can only reach the second level, Spiritual Canvas. This painting is still a huge way off from reaching Infused Intentions." Master Lu Chen shook his head. There were four levels to painting, Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, and Breathtaking Verisimilitude. The paintings that Yuanyu and Lu Chen created previously were both of the third level as the conception of the artist was infused into the paintings. With a single look, one would feel refreshed. Zhang Xuans painting was perfect regardless of the theme, its outline, or its workmanship. But, it was a pity that... it wascking this kind of feeling. Without artistic conception, the highest level his painting could have reached was the second level, Spiritual Canvas. If so, it couldnt be considered as a masterpiece. "It is a pity, but Brother Zhang is still young. When he reaches our age, he will surely be able to easily whip out a painting of the third level, or even one of the fourth level!" Master Lu Chen consoled. Even though the painting was still far from reaching the third level, he was nevertheless impressed by Zhang Xuans work. After all, Zhang Xuan hadnt even reached twenty, and yet he was already able to create a painting of a quality that could awe him. "It seems that he has true skills!" Master Yuanyu nodded his head in approval. Then, he turned to look at Zhang Xuan and reprimanded him, "However, it is still better for youngsters to remain humble!" After the series of affairs, his impression of Zhang Xuan was poor. However, it was true that the painting was of superior quality. Putting aside theck of artistic conception, he wasnt able to find any ws with the workmanship. It seemed that the fellow wasnt a fraud, and possessed true abilities. In spite of that, Master Yuanyu was displeased by the airs he put on just because he possessed some capabilities. After all, he made them wait for such a long time just for his painting. "Humble?" Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan knew that he must have kept them waiting for far too long and the other party was displeased with his actions. He smiled embarrassedly, "I apologize for keeping everyone waiting for so long!" "Thats more like it!" Seeing the other party apologize to everyone earnestly, Master Yuanyu nodded his head in satisfaction. "You have good foundations. As long as you polish your painting skills and umte more experiences, you will surely be able to paint a painting of the third level soon. Please do not waste your talents because ofcency!" "Indeed. In order to create a painting with artistic conception, one has to gain a deeperprehension of the world around by paying careful attention to the surroundings!" Master Lu Chen advised patiently. "Thank you for your guidance!" Knowing that the other party had good intentions at heart, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Alright, now that were all done painting, its time for you two to start appraising the works..." Watching him ept his advice humbly, Lu Chen didnt dwell on the issue further. Instead, he turned his attention to Huang Yu and Bai Xun to continue with the examination. However, at this moment, Bai Xuns shocked voice echoed suddenly. "This isnt right... Master Zhang, why dont the humans and birds in your painting... have any eyes?" Everyone had been more concerned with the overall structure and concept of the painting instead of the details earlier. Taking another nce at the painting, they realized that the birds and the humans in the painting didnt have eyes indeed. Chapter 163: Ill Just Draw Another One! Chapter 163: Ill Just Draw Another One! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove No eyes? Did he really forget to draw it, or was there another hidden reason? Everyone was filled with doubts. Regardless of humans or animals, the eyes are the most expressive. The painting cant be consideredplete without their eyes having been drawn. For an iplete painting to reach the pinnacle of the second level? "Brother Zhang, this is..." Lu Chen turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a look of utmost confusion. "Oh, I will add them in now..." Zhang Xuan smiled. The brushes began to dance once across the canvas, this time swiftly adding in the missing parts. Weng! The moment the eyes were drawn, it was as if the painting was jolted awake. A peculiar sensation permeated into everyone present. All of the humans and animals within the painting seemed to havee alive in an instant, and it was as if these creatures simply could just take a step forward and traverse into the real world. "This...?" Noticing the change in the painting, Master Lu Chen and Master Yuanyu were astounded. Their eyes widened in disbelief. Qiuqiu! Before they could even speak, the sound of canaries echoed in the courtyard. A group of birds flew to the painting excitedly and danced on it. "Breathtaking Verisimilitude? Can this be the fourth level Breathtaking Verisimilitude?" Watching the situation before him in a state of bewilderment, Bai Xun asked. Master Lu Chen had introduced the four levels of a painting previously to everyone here. For the birds to be attracted to the painting and linger around it, it was clear that the painting had reached the fourth level, Breathtaking Verisimilitude. Didnt the two master say that this painting could only reach the second realm at the very best? Why... had it transformed into a fourth level all of a sudden? "Could it be... because of those eyes?" Covering her mouth in shock, Huang Yus body trembled in astonishment. To think that she would have a chance to personally witness a fourth level masterpiece in the making... This is truly something that she didnt imagine to be possible before. Weng! However, before she could recover from her shock, the canaries in the painting quivered for a brief moment before flying out from the painting. These canaries danced a few rounds with the other birds before disappearing into thin air. All of the other figures also seemed to have emerged from the ne of the canvas, smiling at the audience and sping their hands together in a bow before disappearing slowly. "This... This isnt a fourth level painting..." Upon seeing this sight, Master Lu Chens mouth had fallen so wide that a chicken egg could be stuffed in easily. After a long period of shock did he manage to gather a few words out of his mouth, "That is... a fifth level painting... Spirit Creation!" "Spirit Creation?" Huang Yu and Bai Xun were puzzled. Arent there only four levels to painting? Why is there a fifth level out of nowhere? What had happened? They were slightly stupefied by the urrences before them. "Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, and Breathtaking Verisimilitude... These are the mostmon painting realms that were passed down by mouth from generation to generation. Actually, there is another level above all else and that is Spirit Creation! A painting that has achieved such a level possesses the breath, spirit, and soul of a master painter. As though being granted a soul, the painting obtains the ability to absorb spiritual energy so as to grant the beings within it life." Master Yuanyus lips were quivering, "I thought that this existed only in the legends... To think that I would have the honor to witness it for myself..." Theposed Master Yuanyu could not control his intense trembling of his body. He felt as if the world was going insane. Just a moment ago, he criticized the other party for being hypocritical, and perhaps that with a few years of experience he could maybe produce an Infused Intentions painting. Yet... The other party immediately created a fifth level masterpiece! A painting of this level... Probably less than a handful of it were created since the inception of Tianxuan Kingdom! Even the Ink Daylily Canvas which Huang Yu and Bai Xun were vying for is only a fourth level pinnacle. It is still a far way off from reaching the fifth level. Those who are able to produce a painting of the fourth level are termed as a master. On the other hand, those who are able to produce a painting of the fifth level are respected with the title, grandmaster. To think that he said that a grandmaster painter was hypocritical, disrespectful, and unpunctual... The heck! Am I going insane? Master Yuanyu felt a stinging sensation on his cheeks. If there was a hole in the courtyard, he would definitely drill himself into it. That was simply too embarrassing. To speak the truth, he would even have willingly waited for three days without a single word ofint to watch a grandmaster create a masterpiece. "Fi... Fif... Fifth level?" "There is a fifth level?" Huang Yu and Bai Xun finally came to a realization and their gazes immediately shot toward Zhangoshi. Lu Chen is a secluded expert and he isnt bothered with the affairs of the world. He only knew that Zhang Xuan was a teacher, but he wasnt aware of the exact details. Master Yuanyu also just got to know Zhang Xuan, so he didnt know of thetters background. However, Huang Yu and Bai Xun had been to Hongtian Academy and knew a lot about Zhangoshis background. It is said that he is a trash who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination and his students all left him... But the truth is that he possesses the strength of a Pixue realm pinnacle and the abilities of a grandmaster painter, having not even reached twenty... Have you ever seen such an incredible trash? If he is trash, then what are we? The elites of the trash? Brother, how are you so amazing? Do you need to be so talented? Furthermore... If you are so amazing, why did you randomly draw about earlier, as though you knew nothing at all? Furthermore, to browse through books for four hours straight... With this kind of level, is there any need for you to browse through books? Do you even need to adjust your state? Even if you were to randomly draw a painting, it would at least be of the fourth level... "Master Zhang, Grandpa Zhang, can you... give me this painting? As long as you give it to me, I am willing to do anything for you!" Just as everyone had yet to recover from their disbelief, Bai Xun suddenly turned to Zhang Xuan and looked at him expectantly. "Give it to you?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. Given how I usually treat you respectfully and how I obediently obey all of your orders... Please give it to me..." Bai Xun hurriedly added in. "Bai Xun, what are you doing? This is something Master Zhang had just created and his emotions are infused into it. How can he simply give it to someone else so casually? I think it would be best that you spare your efforts!" Seeing how shameless the other party was, Huang Yu frowned and reprimanded him. Then, she swiftly turned her gaze to Zhang Xuan and said, "Master Zhang, I am the first one to get acquainted with you. I wont ask you to give it to me, but why dont you... sell it to me? You can offer any price that you like, and as long as it is within my means, I wont have a single word ofint!" "You..." Initially, when Huang Yu reprimanded him, he thought that his actions were truly inappropriate. Yet, it turned out that Huang Yu had other intentions for saying so. Bai Xun was speechless. Not expecting that this beautiful assistant master teacher would be so scheming and shameless, he harrumphed and spoke through gritted teeth, "Grandpa Zhang, I dont mind paying any amount that youe up with as long as you sell this to me. No matter what, my offer will surely be higher than hers!" "Bai Xun, why are you causing trouble now? Didnt you want Master Lu Chens Ink Daylily Canvas? I wont fight with you over that one. Now, I only want this one. Surely you should be content now..." Huang Yu spat through her gritted silver teeth. "I dont want that Ink Daylily Canvas anymore, so dont vie with me over this, alright?" Bai Xun didnt have any intentions to step down at all. "..." Lu Chen. Previously, these two fellows had been vying so intently for his painting that if they could, they would evene to blows over it. The main purpose of this examination today was to determine who had the qualifications to attain it... Yet, now that Zhang Xuans painting had appeared, all of them abandoned it immediately... The heck! Can you have some principles? Do you have to be so materialistic? "You... Bai Xun, why must you always go against me?" Huang Yu was infuriated. "You are the one who is going against me! I was the one who first expressed my interest in this painting..." Bai Xun said. "Enough!" Seeing the two of them arguing ceaselessly, Master Lu Chensplexion darkened and he flung his sleeves furiously. Hearing his word, the two of them certainly did not dare to bicker anymore. Lu Chen is the emperors tutor. No matter what, he is considered as an elder to them. They would be courting death if they were to continue to bicker before him when he had already expressed his annoyance toward their behavior. "Even if it is a grandmaster painter, painting a fifth level masterpiece requires a great amount of effort and spirit. Few of such works are born in an entire generation. This painting was created with much effort by Brother Zhang Xuan, so it should be his choice whether he should keep it for himself or gift it to you. Dont you think that you two are going overboard bickering over his painting like that?" Master Lu Chen spoke authoritatively. His words made sense. Even a grandmaster painter would find it difficult to produce paintings of the fifth level. After all, too many factors such as ones state of mind and ones form are involved. It isnt something one can produce on a whim. Thats precisely the reason why even though the Grandmaster Painter Mo Chenzis reputation rung far and wide a century ago, such that countless master painters came to pay him a visit, he did not leave behind many works of the fifth level. Even the Ink Daylily Canvas that Lu Chen treasured is only at the fourth level pinnacle. This shows how precious and valuable every fifth level painting is. It contains the heart and soul of its creator, so it is too unreasonable to expect its creator to simply gift or sell it. If a painting of such level could be bought that easily, given Lu Chens wealth, how could it be possible for him to not even have a single painting of that level? It is the product of someone elses effort and is not for sale. Yet, you two are bickering here over it. Arent you two making it difficult for him to step down from this awkward situation? "We were reckless..." "Master Lu, Master Zhang, I was wrong..." Taking in his reprimand, Huang Yu and Bai Xun immediately realized their mistake and their faces were full of awkwardness. The other party did not even mention selling it, and yet, they had already begun to bicker over the item. They have truly embarrassed themselves... "Brother Zhang Xuan, they are still young, so please do not me them for that..." After reprimanding the two, Master Lu Chen turned to Zhang Xuan with an apologetic expression. However, not only did the other party not get angry, he even looked at him with shining eyes. Master Lu Chen was still puzzled at his reaction when he heard the other partys voice resonating, "Master Lu Chen... Is there really someone who is willing to buy my painting? Can it really be sold for money?" "Cough cough!" Upon seeing his reaction, Master Lu almost choked on his saliva. If a painting of such caliber cannot be sold for money, doesnt that mean that no one would pick up his painting even if it was dumped on the ground? He nodded his head speechlessly, "Your painting has reached the fifth level and if you sell it, it should be worth at least two million. Furthermore, it is a unique, one and only product that cannot be found elsewhere on the market..." "Two million? Thats great!" Delight appeared on Zhang Xuans face. He turned around to face Bai Xun, "Bai xiao wangye, if you really want it, I will sell it to you for two million!" "Ah?" Not expecting such a twist, Bai Xun was shocked by Zhang Xuans reaction. "Master Zhang, sell it to me..." Huang Yu said anxiously. "Calm down, if you want it, I will draw another one for you. Its not like its a big deal..." Zhang Xuan waved his hands to calm down thetter. "..." Lu Chen and Yuanyus eyebrows twitched and they stared at Zhang Xuan as though they were looking at a monster. They almost fainted on the spot. Draw another one? Not a big deal? Brother, even if you are a grandmaster painter, this is a painting of the fifth level... Draw another one? You speak as though it is like buying the cabbages in the market... Are you sure you arent joking! If such an incredible painting can be created that easily, paintings of the fifth level wouldnt be so rare that not a single one can be found in the Tianxuan Kingdom. Chapter 164: That Beast Chapter 164: That Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Why, you dont want it anymore?" Noticing the deadpan silence in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan stared at her. "Thats not it..." Huang Yu hurriedly waved her hands. "Its good that thats not it. I will draw it now then..." Zhang Xuan didnt dawdle on the matter. He immediately took out another piece of white canvas, picked up his brushes, dabbed them in ink, and started painting. Not too longter, another painting emerged. This time, it isnt a painting about the courtyard. Depicted in the painting is a wild deer on a grasnd. It is currently eating grass while warily keeping a lookout at its surroundings. There are wildflowers in the all around and the moment the painting waspleted, countless bees were attracted to the surface, swarming busily around it. After which, the wild deer seemed toe alive and leaped from the painting before gradually disappearing in the air. "It is another painting of the fifth level!" "This..." Master Yuanyu and the others were shocked speechless. Even grandmasters expend iparable effort and spirit to create a painting of the fifth level, and yet, this fellow drew it as though it was nobodys business. Furthermore, he drew two of it consecutively without rest... Do you need to be so impressive? Do you need to be so arrogant? Has the world changed, or is he just that capable that he can draw a fifth level painting so effortlessly? "Do you two want it as well? It is two million per painting..." Still frozen in shock at thetters deed, they saw this Grandmaster Zhang looking at them expectantly. To him, creating a fifth level paintings takes just a little effort. It also just happened that he wascking money, and it was much easier to paint than to feign as a master teacher. After all, if his disguise were to be seen through, he might be beaten to death... "We... can buy it as well?" Yuanyu and Lu Chen swallowed their saliva. "As long as you pay, anything goes..." Zhang Xuan said. "..." The two of them staggered. We are talking about paintings of the fifth level! It is so precious that you cant find it in the entire capital! To think that he would paint it so casually just for money, just for money... Pu! Who said that grandmaster painters are ambitious nonmaterialistic experts who view wealth as dirt... Come out, lets see if I will beat you to death... Not too longter, Zhang Xuan created another two paintings and they are of the fifth level as well. The two elders were so agitated that tears streamed down their faces. They had actually managed to purchase such precious paintings... Furthermore, each of them got one of their own... They had never imagined such a situation to be possible. Since Huang Yu and Bai Xun no longer desired the Ink Daylily Canvas, there was no point in proceeding on with the examination. Furthermore, the ruckus that Zhang Xuan had created was so great that the two masters lost their interest in the examination. "Master Zhang, I will prepare and send you the two million gold coins as soon as possible!" "I will deliver it to the academy tomorrow!" Yuanyu and Lu Chen were wealthy, so they were able to whip out two million easily. However, Huang Yu and Bai Xun didnt have so much cash on them. However, given their identities, it wasnt possible for them to refuse to pay up. Seeing the stack of bills that was worth four million in his hands, Zhang Xuan was delighted. Initially, he had onlye here to repay the favor. Never in his dreams did he think that he would return with so much profits. Adding to the debt Huang Yu and Bai Xun owed him, he earned a total of eight million gold coins with this single trip! He had earned a million from treating Ling Tianyus wife, and the average sum of three million earned from Du Miaoxuan, Wang Chong, Apothecary Chen Xiao, Luo Chong each... He had earned a total of twenty million already! He isnt too far off from gathering twenty-three million now. "Wonderful!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fist excitedly. Initially, he thought that it would take several years to earn twenty million. But now, it seems that it isnt a big deal at all... If others were to hear his words, they would definitely spurt blood in his face. The heck, why dont you just die... "Brother Zhang Xuan, I will thicken my skin to call you brother. Emperor Shen Zhui would be returning tonight and I have sent a messenger to notify him about the matter. You should be able to gain entry to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault tomorrow!" Lu Chen said while carefully putting away the painting. "I can enter the Book Collection Vault tomorrow? Great!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head delightfully. The reason why he came to the Lu Residence previously was to search for Fighter 6-dan books. If he were to pay the kingdoms Book Collection Vault a visit, he would surely be able topile a full version of the Fighter 6-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. Perhaps... He might even be able to form the 7-dan cultivation technique! In Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm, ones meridians are fully connected to one another, allowing zhenqi to flow freely through every single part of the body. Ones breath would be aligned with the profound heavens, allowing ones fighting prowess to be increased by multiple folds. With this kind of strength, even if Zhang Xuan were to leave the academy, there would be no ce where he cannot go to and soar to greater heights. Huang Yu and Bai Xun no longer had the need to undergo the examination while Yuanyu and Lu Chen had received a fifth level painting of their own. Each of their desires was fulfilled and thus, there was no longer any need for Zhang Xuan to remain here so he bade farewell. By the time he left the Lu Residence, the sun had already set. Ever since arriving here at noon, he had been busy the entire day. However, it was all worth it. The Library of Heavens Path had formed the Heavens Path Painting Art manual, allowing him, who did not know a single thing about painting, to be a master painter who is in no way inferior to Lu Chen. Even though this upation belongs only in the Middle Nine Paths, painters nevertheless hold an exceptional position in the world. This is especially so in the Tianxuan Kingdom, where traditions and social values are highly respected. Painters with true capabilities are able to easily earn respect. Of course, as for Zhang Xuan, earning money is of the greatest importance at present. Inparison to staying in his mansion and waiting for otherse knocking on his door, this trip alone had earned him eight million gold coins. It could be considered as a huge windfall. Returning to his residence, Sun Qiang immediately stepped forward to wee him. "Has anyone been here today?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Reporting to the old master, after your departure, no one came to visit!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Looks like the three million entrance fee had scared quite a few people off. However, that was good as well. At the very least, he would be spared much trouble. In any case, he had almost gathered the sum required for the pills and thus, he wasnt as anxious about the matter as before. Returning back to the room, Zhang Xuan did not continue to cultivate. Even though he had the Heavens Path Painting Art manual to provide a foundation, producing four paintings of the fifth level consecutively nevertheless umted unimaginable fatigue within him. Soon, after lying down, Zhang Xuan fell asleep. ............ In the Lu Residence. Master Yuanyu, Huang Yu, and Bai Xun did not leave together with Zhang Xuan when he bid farewell. "Seems like it is toote to pay Master Teacher Yang Xuan a visit today..." Looking at the setting sun outside, Lu Chenmented. It was disrespectful to pay a visit after the sun had set. If it were anyone else, it would not have been eptable, but Master Lu Chen and Master Yuanyu possessed special standing. Nevertheless, the other party was a master teacher. Even they did not dare tomit the slightest act of disrespect toward the other party. "It doesnt matter, it isnt toote to pay him a visit tomorrow!" Master Yuanyu replied. Lu Chen nodded his head. He nced at the painting Zhang Xuan left behind once more. Until now, he still isnt unable to believe what that had just happened. "Initially, I thought that this Brother Zhang is only a youngster who has a fervent passion and talent for painting. So, I wanted to test and ept him as my disciple. I would have never thought that he would turn out to be a grandmaster painter..." Speaking to this point, he shook his head with a bitter smile. If news that he had intended to ept a grandmaster painter as his disciple spread out, he would definitely be aughingstock. "For him to be a grandmaster painter at such a young age, I wonder about his background." Master Yuanyu asked. Painting is an art that is harder to improve in than ones cultivation. If Zhang Xuan were in his seventies and eighties, they might have been surprised by his ability to produce a painting of the fifth level, but such an ability wouldnt have been unimaginable. However, for someone who isnt even in his twenties to create a painting of such level, they cant help but fall into deep contemtion. There are only two possibilities to such a situation. Firstly, he possesses talents so great that other can only stare in admiration at. Secondly, there is an incredible master teacher guiding him from behind. Of these two possibilities, Yuanyu leaned toward to the second one. "I am not very sure of the details. Huang Yu and Bai Xun, you two have been to Hongtian Academy, so you both should know a little more about Brother Zhang. Why dont you two tell us a little bit of his background?" Lu Chen turned his gaze to the duo. "We do know a bit of it... But, Im afraid that you wont believe me if I say it and... You might fly into a rage..." Huang Yu said awkwardly. "Fly into a rage? Why would I get angry over it? Dont worry and just tell us!" Master Lu Chen was confused. There was nothing for him not to believe in or get angry over about Zhang Xuans deeds as a teacher in Hongtian Academy. As a talented youngster who is highly-skilled in painting, he is sure to be a popr figure with many disciples. "Alright, then I will go ahead to speak of it then. This Zhang Xuanoshi... is a famous trash teacher in the Hongtian Academy. He is often insulted by others..." Huang Yu started recounting Zhang Xuans affairs. "Scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination? Causing a students cultivation to go berserk? How... How is that possible?" Yuanyu and Lu Chens eyes widened in disbelief. Are you joking? How can a grandmaster painter who had produced a painting of the fifth level... be a trash? Why does the story sound so unbelievable? "It should be the Education Bureau intentionally oppressing him..." Huang Yu continued on to recount what she had seen during the Enlightenment Will Trial. "Damn it! I had seen that Shang Chen before and I thought that he was an impartial man. To think that he would be so despicable." "Xiao Yu, arent you an assistant master teacher? Besides, your father is the guild leader of the Teacher Guild. You must teach this ck sheep a lesson!" Hearing the biased treatment of Elder Shang Chen and his doings, Yuanyu and Lu Chen almost exploded from rage. They had witnessed Zhang Xuan capabilities personally. How can such a capable person be trash? Since it isnt a fault on Zhang Xuans part, it must have been Elder Shang Chen pulling strings from the shadows. How can there be such a teacher in Hongtian Academy? "I am truly infuriated by this matter... Looks like I have to find some time to talk to Principal Hong about this matter and have him keep his school in check." Master Lu Chen harrumphed angrily. "Err... Actually... When I said that you would get angry, I wasnt referring to this matter." Hearing the other partys words, Huang Yu scratched her head. "Isnt this matter? Could it be that Brother Zhang was subjected to some unfair punishment?" Lu Chen looked at her once again. Even though he had kept himself to his residence and rarely interfered with the outside affairs, just banking on his identity as the emperors tutor and a master painter, if he truly wishes to teach someone a lesson, even the principal of the Hongtian Academy can do nothing about it. "That isnt it... Rather, someone had challenged Master Zhang to the Teacher Evaluation and it will be held a few days from now..." Huang Yu hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Challenge? Teacher Evaluation?" Lu Chen was confused by Huang Yus words. "Ive heard of the Teacher Evaluation. Even though it is a face-off among students, the teachers honor and prestige are at stake. Who is the one challenging him? If he were to know of Brother Zhangs true abilities, he probably wouldnt dare to do so!" Master Yuanyu chuckled. "That might not necessarily be the case. The one who challenged Master Zhang... is an extremely famous teacher in the Hongtian Academy. He is a true celebrity teacher. Furthermore, he has countless students under him, and over two hundred of the top three hundred freshmen in the Entrance Examinations are under his tutge!" Huang Yus words slowly softened until it sounded nothing more than a mutter. "What is the name of the teacher?" Lu Chens breathing quickened. "Cough cough, it is Master Lus son... Lu Xunoshi!" After hesitating for a moment, Huang Yu said. "That beast... Damn it!" Master Lu Chens body staggered. After which, he howled angrily. Chapter 165: Diagnosis of the Three Master Teachers Chapter 165: Diagnosis of the Three Master Teachers Trantor: Editor: If Zhang Xuan were to witness this sight, he would definitely faint on the spot. The most well-known celebrity teacher in the Hongtian Academy is actually the son of his peer, Master Lu Chen... Perhaps it was because Huang Yu had thought of this that she hesitated upon saying such words. The father considers Zhang Xuan as a peer, wanting to deepen their rtionship. Yet, the son is trying his best to drive him down... It is no wonder that Master Lu Chen would get angry. He can be considered to be extremely well-cultured to not explode on the spot. "I will take that beast in right now and have him admit defeat..." After which, Master Lu Chen stood up, desiring to charge out in his fit of anger. But before he could step out of the room, the butler, Uncle Cheng, hurriedly in. "Old master, His Majesty has sent someone to deliver a message..." Upon walking in, Uncle Cheng immediately said. "A message?" Lu Chen frowned. He stretched out his hand to grab the yellow cloth in the other partys hands. He had already sent word that he would be bringing people to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault tomorrow, and Emperor Shen Zhui had agreed to it. What did he mean by sending another message now? Bewildered, he suppressed the urge to teach that unfilial son of his a lesson and unfolded the yellow cloth in his hands. With a single look, his eyes narrowed. "This..." His face was filled with disbelief. "Whats wrong?" Seeing the change in hisplexion, Master Yuanyu was baffled. He had known Lu Chen for many years but there were rarely matters that robbed his serenity. It should have been impossible for him to be so shocked. "Look..." Master Lu Chen simply passed the yellow cloth over. Master Yuanyu lowered his eyes to nce at the yellow cloth. Then, he couldnt help but stagger backward. With widened eyes, he said, "That... That shouldnt be possible?" "This is a yellow cloth Shen Zhui had written personally and had someone sent over, so it must be real!" Master Shen Zhui nodded his head. Turning around to face Uncle Cheng, he said, "Ah Cheng, prepare the carriage. I am heading out now." "Yes!" Knowing that it must be an urgent matter, Uncle Cheng did not dawdle and hurriedly proceeded to prepare everything. "Xiao Yu and Bai Xun, you two follow me as well!" Lu Chen turned around and passed the yellow cloth to them as well. Initially, Huang Yu and Bai Xun were confused by the situation unfolding before them. After reading the contents on the yellow cloth, their eyes lit up in excitement and disbelief, "This... this..." "Emperor Shen Zhui must be doing this for the Royal Elder... To say the truth, Ive also taken a look at him and it isnt an illness. Rather, his lifespan is reaching its limit. If he doesnt achieve a breakthrough, he might not even live past this month." Recalling the contents on the yellow cloth, Master Yuanyumented. "Indeed!" Lu Chen nodded his head, worry evident on his face. The royal family has an elder who has been serving as a stabilizing pir for the kingdom. It is precisely because of his existence that the kingdom was able to remain peaceful and free of invasion. The moment he passes away... The Tianxuan Kingdoms foundation will be rattled and many enemies will take the opportunity to conquer thend. It is a pity that no matter how powerful one is, he will age and eventually reach the end of his lifespan. The Royal Elder isnt an exception as well. A few days ago, Emperor Shen Zhui invited Master Yuanyu forward to treat him. But even though thetter possesses incredible medicinal skills, he isnt able to extend a persons lifespan. The Royal Elder will surely die, unless... he achieves a breakthrough to an even higher realm. However, to achieve that is no easy feat. The Royal Elder wasnt able to aplish this when he was younger and at his peak. Now that he is nearing his end, how can he possibly achieve the breakthrough now? "I always thought that the emperor had genuinely gone hunting during this period of time just as he had announced that he would. To think that his true intention is to settle this matter!" Upon recalling this matter, his surprise reflected in his gaze. "Old master, the carriage is ready." At this moment, Uncle Cheng walked over. "Lets go!" Lu Chen brought the other three along hastily. The sky had already darkened and the crowd on the street was starting to dwindle. The carriage zed through the streets keeping a consistent speed. Not too long after, they arrived at the towering pce gates. Tianxuan Kingdom Pce! The four people alighted from the carriage and turned to look at the guard, "Is His Majesty in?" "Reporting to Master Lu, His Majesty has yet to arrive..." Recognizing Lu Chen, the guard hurried forward and replied respectfully. "Since His Majesty hasnt yet arrived, well wait here for him. He will surely pass by here." Lu Chen nodded his head. "Un!" Master Yuanyu and the others had no objections to the matter. An hourter, a wide and extravagant carriage could be seen moving toward the pce gates from the distance. It was surrounded by numerous guards and cavalries. With a single look, it was clear that it was the royal carriage that only His Majesty was allowed to ride. H! The curtains in front of the royal carriage were parted and a luxuriously dressed middle-aged man emerged. "Paying respect to Your Majesty!" All guards in the surroundings knelt down immediately. Even Lu Chen and Yuanyu bowed their bodies slightly. The most powerful man in Tianxuan Kingdom, Emperor Shen Zhui! "Teacher, Master Yuanyu, you are all here..." Emperor Shen Zhui chuckled lightly. Then, he faced to the rear and bowed to the royal carriage. Hu! The curtains to the royal carriage were parted once again and an elderly walked out slowly. Seeing the elderly, Master Yuanyu, Lu Chen, and the others put on a dignified expression. Even more so, Huang Yu stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Liu shi, youre here!" "Un!" The elderly stroked his beard and nodded his head with a smile. Then, he beckoned to the royal carriage and said, "You should alle out as well. We have already arrived." Hu! Hu! The curtains to the carriage parted once more and two elders in their fifties walked out. They were both dressed in green robes and their smiles were extremely tranquil and calming. "Zhuang shi, Zheng shi!" Seeing the two, Huang Yu and the others bodies jolted as they hurriedly bowed respectfully to the two. Given how they were respectfully termed with the title of shi, it was clear that the three are true master teachers. Emperor Shen Zhui had managed to invite three master teachers simultaneously. It is no wonder that even Lu Chen fell into a state of disbelief when he first read of the matter from the yellow cloth. Huang Yu is an assistant master teacher serving the master teacher who first emerged from the carriage, Liu shi. On the other hand, Bai Xun is Zhuang shis student. Since their teachers were here, Master Lu Chen brought them along. Otherwise, these juniors dont even have the right to pay respect to these master teachers. "Alright, lets not waste time and enter first!" Liu shi smiled. The few of them swiftly entered the pce. "It is truly my honor for you to visit to Tianxuan Kingdom..." Emperor Shen Zhui did not dare to unt his position at all and weed the guests with utmost respect. "Your Majesty is being too polite. The reason why I am here is not just for your Royal Elders matter. Firstly, it is to celebrate Elder Tians birthday. Secondly, it seems like a good bud had appeared in your Hongtian Academy and I would like to see if he would be suitable to be my apprentice." Liu shi smiled. "Is Liu shi speaking of Lu Xunoshi? The way he teaches is not bad and he is extremely famous, even in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. I have heard of his name." Emperor Shen Zhui chuckled as he hurriedly introduced him. "Speaking of him, he is Lu Chenoshis sole son." "Master Painter Lu Chen, I have long heard of your name." Turning toward Lu Chen, Liu shi smiled. "I am ttered by Liu shispliment..." Lu Chen hurriedly bowed. Even though he possesses exceptional standing as a master painter, he is far from matching up to an official master teachers status. Didnt you see that even the emperor was acting respectfully around them? "Alright, lets drop the pleasantries. Call Shen Hong here. It has been long since west met. At the same time, Zhuang shi, Zheng shi, and I can take a look to see if we can cure him of his ailment." After a short banter, Liu shi dived straight into the topic. Shen Hong is that elder in Tianxuan Kingdoms royal family. Hearing his words, Emperor Shen Zhui did not dare to keep him waiting. He delegated the task to the eunuch beside him immediately and thetter left hastily. Not too longter, an elderly approached under the same eunuchs assistance. The elders hair had turnedpletely white and there were deep creases on his skin. The aura of death lingered around his entire body and it felt that he might never wake up again if he were to lie down now. Without even taking a closer examination, it was clear that he was reaching the limits of his lifespan. If he were unable to achieve a breakthrough or if there are no other solutions for his problem, he definitely wouldntst for more than a month. "Shen Hong pays his respect to Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi." The elder bowed. "There is no need to be so formal with us. Allow us to take a look..." Liu shi got straight down to business. Walking around Shen Hong, he examined thetters condition and soon, a deep frown appeared on his forehead. The other two master teachers also approached to examine the situation, falling silent as well. "Do the three master teachers have any solutions for his problem?" Gedeng! Upon witnessing how they were reacting, Emperor Shen Zhuis heart skipped a beat. "Your Majesty, I will just directly inform you of our diagnosis. The deterioration of Shen Hongs vitality is simply too severe. If it were three years ago, I might still have a way to help him break through his current realm. However, the death aura that gues him is simply too dense, I dont have any means at all!" Zhuang shi was the first to speak. "Im also of the same thought. He is advanced in age and if we try to do it forcefully, not only will it fail, it might even cause his death." Zheng shi shook his head. Even though master teachers possess the ability to guide ones cultivation realm to reach higher realms, there are limits to their means. Shen Hong before them is already nearing the end of his lifespan. If they were to induce him to achieve a breakthrough forcefully, not only would the possibility approximate zero, he might even die due to overexertion. "Theyre right!" Liu shi shook his head as well to express his helplessness. "All humans sumb to the natural cycle of life and death. Shen Hong has been watching over Tianxuan Kingdom for many years now, and perhaps this can be considered a kind of release for him." Master teachers are used to life and death, so they viewed these matters lightly. Even though Shen Hong was his friend, he had no intention of consoling him or mincing his words. "Alright!" A look of disappointment appeared on Emperor Shen Zhuis face. Although Master Yuanyu was unable to resolve the Royal Elders problem, he nevertheless held high hopes for the three master teachers. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the same old conclusion was reached. "Actually, you dont have to be too disappointed. Even though we are master teachers, we are just 1-star master teachers. If His Majesty is able to invite a 2-star master teacher, there just might be a solution for your elders issue..." Liu shi consoled. "2-star master teacher?" Emperor Shen Zhui shed a bitter smile. He had paid an exorbitant sum just to invite these three 1-star master teachers. Furthermore, the main reason why they were willing to ept was because they were heading for Elder Tians birthday celebration and it was convenient for them to drop by. Otherwise, he would never have stood had a chance to invite them sessfully. And to invite a 2-star master teacher? The other party would probably just ignore him. Even in a Conferred Kingdom, they were existences of the highest distinction and the emperors would have to wee them with the highest possible honor. How is it possible for an emperor of an ordinary kingdom like him engage a figure like that? "Your Majesty, I happened to receive some news and it might prove useful to you." Just as Emperor Shen Zhui was about to fall into despair, Master Yuanyu spoke up suddenly. Chapter 166: The Kingdoms Book Collection Vault Chapter 166: The Kingdoms Book Collection Vault Trantor: Editor: "Oh?" Shen Zhui turned to look at Master Yuanyu. "A few days ago, a master teacher arrived in the capital and judging from his deeds, he appears to be more than just a 1-star." Master Yuanyu spoke of the news that he had heard of. "Master teacher? Not just a 1-star?" Emperor Shen Zhui had been away all this time and he hadnt had the time to look through the report Pavilion Elder Qian sent him. Thus, he wasnt aware of the 5-star incident. "Yes. This master teacher effortlessly treated the illness guing Ling Tianyus wife, solved Du Miaoxuans persistent affliction..." Master Yuanyu started recounting all that he knew about the matter. As a master physician, he was once invited to treat each of these people and thus, he knew the level of difficulty involved. Yet, this Yang shi was able to cure them fully in just a short ten to twenty minutes. Such a feat left him astonished, and that was also the reason why he wanted to pay thetter a visit. "He is a master teacher just because he treated someone?" Hearing the conversation between the two, Zhuang shi shook his head. "Even though master teachers are capable at all fields, their main duty revolves around guiding others to achieve a breakthrough of their current level of cultivation. Being able to treat them, that simply means that he is a master physician." Liu shi and Zheng shi also shook their heads in response to Master Yuanyus words as well, clearly disapproving of his view. It was no wonder that they were skeptical. Even though it is said that master teachers are capable of guiding any craft and can treat others as well, those are actually the higher tier master teachers. The typical 1-star to 2-star master teachers can only help others to achieve cultivation realm breakthroughs and only guide those in the specific crafts that they are skilled in. Besides, master teachers are prestigious figures who have eyes on them wherever they go. How is it possible for one to arrive in Tianxuan Kingdom without anyone knowing, even renting a mansion and living here? "Er..." Master Yuanyu was unable to refute his words at all. This Master Teacher Yang Xuan caused quite a huge ruckus recently. However, his deeds mainly revolved around treating and curing others, and he didnt seem to have helped any others break through their current cultivation realm, with the exception of Du Miaoxuan. Besides, it was only rumored that he is a master teacher. As Master Yuanyu had yet to meet him personally, he was unable to confirm this fact for himself. "What did you say his name is? I know all of the 2-star master teachers in the surrounding kingdoms." Sensing his awkwardness, Liu shi stepped in quickly, smiling. "He is called Yang Xuan. I dont know much about the details..." Master Yuanyu said. "Yang Xuan?" Liu shi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "There isnt a 2-star master teacher going by such a name in the surrounding kingdoms. In fact, I also know of some 3-star master teachers, but I dont recall any of them being named as such!" Master teachers have their own circles as well. Even though Liu shi is only a 1-star master teacher, he still has a rough idea of how many master teachers of each tier there are in the nearby kingdoms and is able to name them. Yang Xuan... This is the first time he heard of such a person. "He is probably a fraud. As you have mentioned, he demands three million before one can pay him a visit. Will a true master teacher be concerned with material wealth?" Zhuang shi sneered. Master teachers possess incredible standing. Regardless of what it is that they need, with a single word, all powers woulde rushing forward to fulfill their demands, even the royal family. For the other party to have to rent a mansion and demand a three million visiting fee, he is clearly a fraud who is out for the money. "This..." Master Yuanyu remained conflicted. In the past two days, news regarding Master Teacher Yang Xuan had been spreading like wildfire. Hence, he had wanted to pay him a visit. Now upon witnessing the three master teachers im that the other party is likely to be a fraud, he is experiencing dissonance. "Actually, it is easy to verify whether he is a fraud or not. Elder Tians birthday is still a few days away and I happen to be free tomorrow. I can apany you to his mansion to take a personal look at whether he is a master teacher or not!" Liu shi said. "I would like to apany you two as well. Master teacher is a profession that should never be sullied. To think that someone would feign as a master teacher. Hmph, I would like to see the face of that brazen fellow who dares to y with fire!" Zhuang shi harrumphed coldly. "Bring me along as well. Honestly speaking, I am also quite interested." Zheng shi chuckled. "Alright!" Master Yuanyu nodded his head. It is just like the master teachers had said; it is impossible to pretend to be the real deal. If the man truly were a master teacher, even if the three master teachers were to head there, it would be no big deal. However, if the other party turns out to be a fake, they would expose him on the spot and he wouldnt have to be conflicted over the matter. Throughout the entire length of the discussion between the three master teachers, Emperor Shen Zhui did not dare to interject at all. Even though he is the sovereign of the kingdom,pared to the monsters known as master teachers, he did not dare to be disrespectful in the least. Feeling helpless, Emperor Shen Zhui sighed. ............ Oblivious to the fact that three master teachers had arrived in the kingdom and that they were intent on exposing his fraud, Zhang Xuan woke up and leisurely stretched his body. The sun was already high up in the sky. After packing his items for a short while, he ate his breakfast and briefed Sun Qiang. "I will be heading out now. If anyonees looking for him, have them wait outside." "Yes, old master!" Sun Qiang nodded his head with pride. He ispletely satisfied with his role as the butler of a master teacher. Regardless of whether it was the Four Great ns or the nobles, all of the existences which he had to fawn up to are now lowering their heads before him. Regardless of your identity, since the old master says so, you had better wait outside obediently... He was filled with confidence after the experiences involving Ling Tianyu and Du Miaoxuan. Oblivious to his thoughts, Zhang Xuan simply thought that he had understood his words and nodded his head before heading out of the residence. After finding a remote alley, he transformed his appearance and walked toward Lu Chens residence without dy. Master Lu Chen had said that he was going to bring him to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault today. With that, he should be able to gather sufficient Pixue realm manuals so as to advance his cultivation. Not too long after, he arrived at Master Lus residence. "Brother Zhang, I have to apologize to you..." An apologetic look appeared on Master Lu Chens face when he saw Zhang Xuan. "Apologize? Could it be that I have been denied entry to the kingdoms Book Collection Vault?" Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. If he were unable to enter, where else can he find the books to feed the Library of Heavens Path? "Thats not it. I have raised an unfilial son..." Master Lu Chen shook his head. "Unfilial son?" Zhang Xuan had no idea what Master Lu Chen was driving at. What do you raising an unfilial son have to do with me? Its not like I know him... "Indeed. I have only heard of that matter yesterday. It seems like my unfilial son had brought you trouble by challenging you to a Teacher Evaluation. Im very sorry about that. Ill head over to the academy,ter on, to have him admit his defeat..." Master Lu Chen said. "Teacher Evaluation?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Master Lu Chen, it cant be that... Lu Xunoshi is your son?" "Indeed, its that unfilial fellow. We had an argument three years ago and following which, he left home in a rage. After that, he had never once returned back here..." Master Lu Chen shook his head. "Er... Since I am already prepared for the Teacher Evaluation, Master Lu Chen doesnt have to worry about this. Otherwise, he might think that I am trying to back down from the matter and had you do so..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. He had never imagined that Lu Xun would be Master Lu Chens son. This is too much of a coincidence. Even so, news of the duel had already leaked out, so it is toote for him to back down now. Since he is going to p the other party on his face, it is best that he proceeded with it honorably. If Master Lu Chen really were to create a ruckus, wouldnt his reputation fall to the gutters? If he were to seek assistance from the father after finding himself being unable to match up with the son... What is the difference from looking for a students parent after finding himself being unable to deal with an unruly student? This isnt this way of dealing with problems. "Alright then..." Seeing the other partys persistence, Master Lu Chen could only drop the matter at that. "Brother Zhang, that child of mine never once suffered a setback and he grewcent as a result. It would be good that you could show him that the world is big, and there is always someone better out there. This way, he might rein in his arrogance, helping with his future growth." Master Lu Chen spoke of his anticipation. That son of his was simply too arrogant. Just because of a few words that he said, the son left home and never returned once since then. He had also nearly fallen ill due to the overwhelming anger he felt then. If this Brother Zhang can teach him a lesson, that would be for the best. Only after suffering a setback can one understand that there are people who are even more capable out there, and only by lowering his head will he walk a further distance. "Er... Alright then!" He was just considering whether he should go easy on Lu Xun given his amiable rtionship with Master Lu Chen. However, since the other party said so, given how this Lu Xunoshi had been trying to do him in, he didnt mind returning the favor. Chatting while walking, they soon arrived at the pce. The Book Collection Vault is within the royal pce. It contains the countless book gathered from all across the entire kingdom throughout the countless years since its inception. Only the royal family and the most powerful nobles and officials are allowed entry into it. As the emperors tutor, it wasnt a big deal for Master Lu Chen to bring someone into the pce. The guards immediately stood aside to allow the duo entry. "As expected of the royal pce..." Zhang Xuan surveyed his surroundings while walking toward the Book Collection Vault. Even though the Tianxuan Kingdom isnt a huge country, its pce is extremely luxurious. It is in no way inferior to the pces in his previous life. In fact, in some aspects, it might even be more extravagant than them. There are countless patios within the royal pce. Without someone to lead the way, it is easy for one to get lost. Under Master Lu Chens guidance, they passed by several corridors and soon, they stopped in front of a giant building. "This is the Book Collection Vault!" Master Lu Chen pointed with a smile. Zhang Xuan looked forward and saw a tall building dozens of meters tall before him. Written in gold on the horizontal que were three grand words Book Collection Vault. It looked exceptionally spectacr and radiant as it reflected the suns rays. "This is Emperor Shen Zhuis Golden Dragon Token. With it, you can flip through the books within as you like. However, you are not to touch any of the formations within. I wont be apanying you in." With a flick of his wrist, he whipped out a golden token and passed it to Zhang Xuan. A massive savage dragon was inscribed on it. "Master Lu Chen, thanks for your help!" Receiving the Golden Dragon Token from the other partys hands, Zhang Xuan sped his hand gratefully. The kingdoms Book Collection Vault is one of the most important locations in the kingdom. As such, there are bound to be formations and restrictions created by formation masters within to guard its interior. Without this object, it is likely that one would be attacked upon entering itspounds. "There is no need to be so formal with me, its nothing much. Alright, Ill be leaving now. Feel free to look through whatever books you wish to. No one will interrupt you." Master Lu Chen chuckled as he stroked his beard. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan didnt dawdle any longer. With the Gold Dragon Token in his hand, he walked straight in. The kingdoms Book Collection Vault truly lives up to its reputation. There are countless bookshelves within it and one couldnt see the other end with a single nce. Books on all crafts upied the shelves and with a brief look, they seem to number in the tens of million. "It wasnt easy to get in here. I have to imprint all of these books into the Library of Heavens Path!" Seeing so many books for the first time, Zhang Xuan trembled in excitement. He did not hurry to look for books on cultivation technique and instead, walked forward to the first row of bookshelves and started to casually flip through the books. Hula, hula! The sound of books flipping started to echo in the Book Collection Vault. .......................................... While Zhang Xuan was busy flipping books in the Book Collection Vault, Master Yuanyu, bringing along Liu shi, Zheng shi, and Zhuang shi had arrived at the entrance of his residence. "This is where that Yang shi lives..." Master Yuanyu pointed. "Un. Knock on the door!" Liu shi gestured. Chapter 167: The Arrogant Sun Qiang Chapter 167: The Arrogant Sun Qiang Trantor: Editor: Dong dong dong dong! Stepping forward, Master Yuanyu started to knock on the door. Not too longter, the door opened and Sun Qiang emerged, holding out his belly with conceit. ncing once at the crowd, he said, "Pay three million gold coins and wait at the door. The old master will invite you in when he feels like meeting you." Master Yuanyu is prominent among the upper echelons in the capital and many people know him. However, insignificant figures such as Sun Qiang never had the chance to meet him. Besides... He doesnt care who he is anyway. The old master is a master teacher. Even if you were a tiger or a dragon, you had bettery low obediently. "Cough cough..." Master Yuanyu nearly choked on his own saliva. There are three master teachers behind him. For a small butler to act so arrogantly... isnt he afraid of being beaten to death? "I am Yuanyu and I am here to pay respects to your master..." Even though he was displeased, he understood that it was possible that the person before him to be the butler of a master teacher. Even though he was of high standing in the Tianxuan Kingdom, he did not dare to get involved in a face-off against a master teacher. "Who cares whether you are Yuanyu or Fangyu, didnt you hear what I just said? Pay three million and wait out here. Perhaps, you might get an opportunity to meet the old master like that. Otherwise, just scram." Sun Qiang waved chubby his hands impatiently, as though chasing off flies. If you dont have any money, dont put on an act. "Do you know who our master is?" A guard couldnt stand watching on and bellowed at Sun Qiang. "Do I look like I care who your master is? If you want to enter the residence, you have to follow our rules. Stop talking crap here. Stop putting on an act here and just scram if you dont have the money. If you dont even have three million, what rights do you all have to be acting so haughtily before me?" Sun Qiang nced at him with disdain. If you are unwilling to spend the money, you should just get lost. Bragging about your master... No matter how incredible your master is, can he be greater than a master teacher? "You..." That guard nearly spurted blood. His master was Liu shi. Regardless of he went, he was always treated with utmost respect. Yet, in the eyes of this fellow, he became a poor bloke and someone putting on an act... You are the one who is putting on an act, your entire family is putting on an act! His face flushed. Just as he was about to reveal his masters identity to reprimand the other party, Liu shi stretched out his hand and stopped him, "Were just passing by and we would like to pay the old master a visit. We trouble you to help report our presence to him..." Before he could finish his words, Sun Qiang stepped forward and used his plump hands to pat the other partys face, "Old man, are you deaf? Or is there something wrong with your head? Did you not hear what I just said? If you want to pay a visit to the old master, you need to pay three million. If you dont have any money, scram! This is the rule... If you dont know what rules are, they are standards that one needs to abide by. Get it?" "Ah..." Seeing his actions, Master Yuanyu shuddered and nearly fainted in shock. pping Liu shis face... The few guards following behind him was taken aback. They stood rooted to the spot in a daze. They were on the verge of going insane. The heck! This fellow actually dared to p Liu shis face? Even saying that there is something wrong with his head... This is no longer a matter or being courageous or not. You are really courting death... Even Liu shi was stunned. Clearly, he didnt expect the fatty before him to behave like this. His eyebrows twitched furiously. No matter what, he is a master teacher, a person respected by everyone else. Countless experts who paid him a visit did not even dare to breathe loudly before him. Yet, this fellow struck his face... At that instant, he was so stunned that he didnt know how to react. He felt so stifled that blood was threatening to spurt from his mouth. However, this wasnt the time for him to get angry. The other party obviously did not know of his identity. As a master teacher, an esteemed guest of Tianxuan Kingdom, bickering with an insignificant figure like Sun Qiang is truly an embarrassing act. With a swift movement, he dodged the second p from the other party. Suppressing the anger within, he beckoned the person from his back. "Ah Yun!" "Yes!" The guard behind immediately recovered and passed a jake token over. "This is our masters Tutge Jade Token. Anyone in possession of this is entitled to two hours of guidance by our master. It should be worth three million..." Some master teachers would distribute Tutge Jade Tokens with their unique mark on it. As long as one possesses such an object, he is entitled to free tutge from the master teacher. This object is the symbol of identity for a master teacher, and it can be traded for money. After all, a master teachers lesson is something of great value; very little people had the chance to attend such a lesson. Even Tongxuan realm pinnacle experts would fight with all their might for that opportunity to receive guidance from a master teacher. In terms of money, it is definitely worth more than three million. Pah! Before he could pass the jade token over to Sun Qiang, thetter threw it out as though it was trash, causing it to smash into smithereens on the floor. "Do you have a screw loose? You think that lousy jade of yours is worth three million? Do you take me for a fool? If you dont have any money, scram!" After which, he shot them a look of disdain before walking back into the residence and shutting the door. As Tianxuan Kingdom had no master teachers, such Tutge Jade Tokens werent in cirction in the market. Naturally, Sun Qiang had never seen it before. He thought that they were unable toe up with the sum and were casually using some broken jade to hoodwink him. In fact, he thought that he was already sparing the other partys dignity by not having the guards chase them away. "You..." Seeing the other party toss away the jade token and staring at him with such contemptuous eyes, the guards felt so infuriated that they were on the verge of fainting. The heck, why would someone find such an unreasonable person to serve as their butler? "Brother Sun, dont be in such a hurry. Here are bills worth three million gold. May I trouble you to inform Yang shi of our arrival..." Seeing that the other party was about to close the doors, Master Yuanyu could not longer hold himself back and stood forward to resolve the matter. If this matter was left to be, the three master teachers might very well blow their top. He was only a mere physician and he was afraid of getting implicated in a fight among master teachers just because he brought them over. "Un, thats more like it. At least you understand fast!" Taking over the stack of bills, Sun Qiang lowered his head to verify its authenticity before nodding his head in satisfaction. Then, hemented, "If you have money, why do you all still take out some rotten jade? Ive seen stingy people, but Ive never seen such stingy people. Dont you know that I, Sun Qiang, am a very principled man? If you wish to enter without paying up... Dont even dream about it!" Hearing those words, everyones mouth twitched furiously. Even Yuanyu almost failed to hold in his anger. Brother, do you know that the rotten jade you just smashed is a Tutge Jade Token? Do you know how much it is truly worth? A Tongxuan realm expert would not hesitate to put their life on the line just to obtain one of that. Yet, you simply discarded it so casually, so though it is something worthless... Are you really a master teachers butler? Otherwise, how can you fail to identify such an object? "Alright, wait here. The old master had some affairs to attend to and he is currently out. When he returns and finds time for you, he will summon you in." Keeping the gold bills properly, the fatty gestured. "Hes out?" Master Yuanyus eyebrows shot up. The heck! If he went out, why didnt you say so earlier? After epting the money, you tell us that we have to wait for him to return... It is one thing if I hade alone. However... How can you keep these three masters waiting here? "Can I bother you to quickly report the news to the old master? We really have urgent matters for your old master..." Suppressing his anger, Master Yuanyu asked. "What is the matter, to be of such urgency?" Sun Qiang inquired. After the other party paid the sum, his attitude became obviously much better than before. After all, customers are the gods (emperors). "No matter what it is, were here to speak to the old master, not to you!" The guard who took out the jade token earlier could no longer repress his rage. "Un? Why, you feel embarrassed to say so? Me, elder brother Qiang, have followed the old master for quite some time and have learned many things from him. If it is just a simple matter, there might not be a need for the old master to get involved, I might be able to solve it..." Sun Qiang lifted his plump face haughtily and sneered coldly. What a joke! I am the old masters sessor. I have witnessed his means with my own eyes. All that needs to be done is to firstly bluff the subject, have them reveal their own ws, and then finally try his best to hoodwink the other party. Given my abilities, I should be more than capable of deceiving you fellows who arent even willing to pay up. "Youve learned many things from him?" The guard was about to speak, but Liu shi abruptly interrupted him, "Since youre able to tell, why dont you tell me whats wrong with me?" "You?" Sun Qiangs fat body circled around Liu shi before stepping backward. Recalling the old masters disposition and attitude, he lifted his head forty-five degrees upward and looked at the other party calmly, as though an nonmaterialistic expert. "You... Is your family doing well?" "What did you say?" Liu shi was taken aback by his words and nearly fainted from shock. He had merely requested the other party to diagnose his condition, why did he suddenly start insulting him? Master Yuanyus body staggered. He felt so stifled that he could knock his head against the wall. The heck... Heavens, you might as well strike me dead with a bolt of lightning... I truly cant take this anymore... This... The pressure is too great... The anxiety I had felt in the past few minutes seems more than what I had experienced in my entire life. Ignoring their astonishment and anger, Sun Qiang tried his best to recall the gestures and words of the old master and chuckled lightly, "Oh? You didnt get my words? Then Ill phrase it in another way then. Are the physical conditions of your family members still alright?" Chapter 168: The Discerning Ability of a Master Teacher Chapter 168: The Discerning Ability of a Master Teacher Trantor: Editor: Pu! Everyones body shook, as though they had been struck by lightning. Initially, they thought that perhaps Sun Qiang may have made a mistake, or perhaps their ears were ying tricks on them. Yet, that fellow repeated the same message. Cursing Liu shis family... Furthermore, so brazenly. The heck, fatty, where did your confidencee from? Master Yuanyu was frozen on the spot and tears streamed down his face. I had only spoken of Master Teacher Yang Xuans existence, I didnt mean to offend anyone... Now great, if Liu shi were to be maddened, it would definitely cause an uproar. If Yang Xuan turns to be a real master teacher and he pursues the matter, a battle would definitely ensue. Afterward, ... there would be no more afterward... The crowd was shocked. Sun Qiang thought that the reaction meant that he was spot-on and he stood proudly. That was the method that the old master used to scam Ling Tianyu. The moment he opened his mouth, the other party immediately gave in. He had imitated Zhang Xuans disposition and gesture down to the very details, making him seem like a superior existence which had seen through the fabrics of the world. With his head tilted upward, his nced downward to see if the other party had conceded to his greatness and kneeled down to call him master. Yet, he only saw the frosty look on the other partys face. In fact, even his guards drew their swords. "Old master, I am going to kill him..." The guard bellowed as he prepared to charge forward. "Hm? Why isnt it working?" Looking at the guards behavior, no matter how foolish Sun Qiang could be, he realized that something was definitely amiss. Gedeng, his heart leaped. Could it be that his statement was inurate? Even so, he decided that he must uphold his status and authority. Whenever the old master spoke, he often incurred the wrath of others. But after his words proved to be right, the other party would immediately give in. Upon thinking of this, Sun Qiangs confidence surged once more, "How about this, allow me to touch your wife... Oh, since your wife isnt here... You... are a beast, youre looking for it..." After musing for a moment, he recalled the other catchphrases of the old master. The surroundings werepletely silent. Big brother, I thought that you were quite bold to have cursed Liu shis family. To think that you still have more up your sleeves... Wanting to touch Liu shis wife, calling Liu shi a beast, saying that he was asking for it... I have seen brazen people, but I truly havent seen anyone as brazen as you... Liu shis face was also steeled. His face twitched uncontrobly and he looked to be about to pass out from anger. If not for his incredible tolerance, he would have definitely killed this fellow with a single p of his. "Old master, please allow me to kill this foolishd who dares to insult you!" The guard, Ah Yun, sped his hands as he asked Liu shi for permission. "Tell him who I am!" Liu shi flung his robe. He actually desired to kill the person before him as well. However, the other partys arrogance caused him to be apprehensive. If not a master teacher, how would a lowly butler dare to behave in such a manner? If the other party were truly an incredible master teacher, he wouldnt be able to withstand the other partys wrath when he finds out that his butler was killed. Thus, it was better for him to behave prudently, deciding to first reveal his identity and observe the other partys attitude. "Fatty, our old master is the Honorary Grand Duke of the Beiwu 2nd Tier Kingdom, Master Teacher Liu Ling..." Ah Yun stepped forward and dered. "Like I care whether you are some grand duke or whatsoever..." Halfway through his words, his plump body trembled as he asked, "What did you say? Master teacher? He is a master teacher?" He might be able to snub the grand dukes of other countries, but the same cannot be said about master teachers. "Indeed, our old master is a 1-star master teacher. For you to insult him, you are truly courting death!" Ah Yun clenched his teeth. A master teacher is not an existence that can be sullied by anyone. To curse his entire family in public, demand to touch his wife, and call him a beast... Just these were sufficient to warrant his death penalty over a hundred times. "Courting death?" Sun Qiangs mouth twitched. He nearly knelt from the fear that he felt. He thought that he could just act cool and peacefully pass off as an expert for once while the old master wasnt present in order to improve the old masters impression of him. Yet, in the midst of doing so, he became a fool instead. The old master did the exact same things as well, but why is it that he was always able to get the other party to kneel in fear, not daring to even breathe loudly, while on the other hand, he just had to meet with a master teacher... Why is there such a huge disparity even though we are both humans? Insulting a master teacher... Isnt this equivalent tomitting suicide? What should I do? Sun Qiangs plump face folded into countless creases and he was on the verge of tears. "Go and report to your old master that Master Teacher Liu Ling, Master Teacher Zhuang Xian, and Master Teacher Zheng Fei are here. As for your matter, I will settle it personally with your old master!" Seeing the previously arrogant plump butler trembling in fright, Master Teacher Liu Ling waved him away. If the other party were truly a master teacher, letting off his subordinate could be considered a favor to him, equivalent to giving him face. On the other hand, if the other party turns out to be bogus, he could make a big fuss and take him down immediately, thus exacting vengeance for the insult. "The old master has been out since morning... I dont know when hell be back..." Upon hearing that the other party would not be dealing with him for now, Sun Qiang heaved a sigh of relief. Upon knowing the other partys identity, he no longer dared to behave as arrogantly as he did before. "You dont know when hell be back?" Liu Ling and the others frowned. They cant possibly keep waiting here for him. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded his head. "Alright then. Here is our name scroll, you take it for now. Well pay our visits when your old master is back." Liu Ling beckoned and the guard, Ah Yun, stepped forward to pass a name scroll. "Yes!" Sun Qiang did not dare to refute his words and immediately epted the name scroll from the guards hands. Upon seeing the words master teacher on it, his eyebrows twitched uncontrobly. "Lets go!" Since the other party wasnt here, the three master teachers couldnt be bothered to waste their time on a butler. Thus, they turned around to leave. Only after seeing them disappear into the distance did Sun Qiang heave a sigh of relief. He wiped away the cold sweat on his body before walking into the courtyard. Upon entering, he felt his knees give in and he fell to the floor, paralyzed. Looks like one cant just simply go around feigning to be an expert. Otherwise... One might not even know how he dies... I will never do it ever again... .............................. "Liu shi, why didnt you directly kill that fellow who insulted you?" When the crowd left, the guard, Ah Yun couldnt help but inquire. Those who are able to be master teachers are by no means kind. Liu shi never hesitates when ites to killing others. But why was he able to tolerate the plump butler saying such words to him? "Brother Zheng, what do you think of it?" Ignoring his question, Liu Ling turned to Zheng shi, Zheng Fei, and asked. "The master residing in the mansion doesnt seem to be a simple figure. If he is truly a master teacher, it is likely that his capabilities are superior to ours." Zheng Fei nodded his head with a grim look. "Indeed!" Zhuang shi, Zhuang Xian, nodded his head as well. "But... didnt we not see the owner of the mansion?" Hearing the conversation between the three master teachers, everyone felt puzzled. They didnt see the old master the plump butler spoke of. If so, how can they be so sure that the other partys capabilities are superior to theirs? Even Yuanyu, who was following behind, felt perplexed. "We didnt see him, but we saw his butler." Liu shi said. "That weak fellow?" Ah Yun became even more confused. Was there anything special with that weak fellow? "You all have only seen the surface!" Liu shi shook his head. "I have taken a look at the butlers constitution. It is not just poor; it can be considered to be extremely inferior. Logically speaking, his limit would have been Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm. However, did you see how strong he actually was?" "Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm advanced stage..." Ah Yun hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Indeed, he has reached Pigu realm advanced stage. Furthermore... Based on how he doesnt seem to have perfect control over his zhenqi, his breakthrough should be something that urred recently. Putting this together with what Master Yuanyu said, that this Sun Qiang is someone he hired on a whim and that he was previously just a merchant in themercial city... It is very likely that the rise in his strength is due to the guidance from the master of the mansion..." After which, a grim expression appeared on Liu shis face. "Given such inferior constitution and unexceptional cultivation technique, the zhenqi in his body should have long sunk due to excessive impurities, clogging all of the meridians throughout his body. Yet, he was able to induce a breakthrough in him in a few short days, even raising his strength by an entire realm... It would be hard for me to induce such growth in others." As master teachers, they specialized in guiding ones cultivation. As such, they were able to easily recognize Sun Qiangs unique condition. There are clots in Sun Qiangs meridians, causing his impure zhenqi to sink. ording to logical deduction, it should have already been an incredible feat for him to reach Zhenqi realm pinnacle. Yet, contrary to their expectations, thetter had achieved Pigu realm advanced stage. No matter how foolish they were to be, it is obvious that the other party possesses exceptional abilities. If Zhang Xuan were to hear their conclusion, he would definitely be astounded. Master teachers arent just for show, their discernment abilities were indeed impressive. It is no wonder that it could be a profession that everyone on the continent fears. The sharpness of their eyes isnt something just anyone can match up to. "If Im not wrong, the other party had used an extremely pure zhenqi to destroy the shackles in his body and meld the sunken zhenqi, thus allowing him to achieve a breakthrough. Then, the sunk zhenqi he umted over numerous years caused his cultivation realm to soar, eventually stopping at Pigu realm advanced stage!" The silent Zhuang shi hesitated for a moment before speaking. If Sun Qiang were here, he would definitely be shocked. His experience was exactly as how the master teacher before him had described it to be. "To be able to meld the sunk zhenqi with his and break through the clots in his meridians, that persons zhenqi must be at least intermediate tier. Or else... his cultivation must have reached Zongshi realm!" Liu shi nodded his head, agreeing to Zhuang shis words. Then, he turned to Ah Yun and said, "Regardless of whether he is an expert who possesses intermediate tier zhenqi or a zongshi... Even if he isnt a master teacher, he isnt someone that we can afford to offend. On the other hand, if he is a master teacher, even if he isnt as experienced as us, it is likely that he wields a greater level of potential. If he had ughtered his butler back then, it would have been equivalent to falling out with the other party, thus making it impossible to reconcile with him in future. If so, we might as well sell him a favor. After all, that butler is just an insignificant figure. He was probably scared witless after knowing of our identity." "Yes!" Ah Yun nodded his head. He knew that his old master possessed incredible discernment abilities and that he was able to tell the truth through minor details. Thus, he did not inquire further about the matter. "Incredible!" Upon listening to their deduction, Master Yuanyu widened his mouth in astonishment. It is no wonder that master teacher is such a prestigious upation. With a single nce, they were able to analyze so many details. Their eyes are truly fearsome. "But old master, that person isnt in his mansion, so what should we do now?" Ah Yun asked. "Even though he isnt in his mansion, it doesnt mean that we are devoid of ways to verify his identity. Inform Emperor Shen Zhui of the matter and tell him to summon the few people who had been treated by this Yang Xuan to the royal pce. I want to take a look at them personally..." Liu shi delegated. "Yes!" Ah Yun nodded his head. Upon hearing those words, Master Yuanyu was impressed. It wasnt of great importance that the person in question wasnt present. It wasnt a secret that Yang Xuan had helped Ling Tianyu, Du Miaoxuan, Luo Chong, and Apothecary Chen Xiao... As long as they were to gather and question them, they should be able to understand the situation. It would then be clear whether the other party is genuinely a master teacher. Chapter 169: The 6-dan of the Heavens Path Divine Art Chapter 169: The 6-dan of the Heavens Path Divine Art Trantor: Editor: Zhang Xuan was oblivious to the visit by the three master teachers. At the moment, he was in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, and his eyes were gleaming with excitement. "Itsplete..." After reading books for an entire afternoon, he had finally finished flipping through all of the Pixue realm books in the Book Collection Vault. He had also managed topile aplete version of the 6-dan Heavens Path Divine Art in the library. The front part was exactly as he had deduced before, so he only had to follow the steps behind. "Time to cultivate!" In any case, he was here alone, so there was no need to restrain himself. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan sat onto the ground and started cultivating. Pipa! Pipa! Pipa! The moment he started training, a dense congregation of spiritual energy immediately surged into his body from the heavens, causing the acupoints in his body to blow open consecutively. A series of crisp pops reminiscent of frying beans echoed in the vault. After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. A look of astonishment appeared on his face as he was in a state of disbelief. "I actually managed... to open all 108 acupoints?" Legend has it that there are 108 acupoints in a humans body. However, only 72 of which can be opened. Furthermore, there is a specific order to how these acupoints could be opened. With differences in every individuals physique, there is a different order that everyone has to follow in order to achieve the best results. If one fails to follow the exact sequence, one might very well only open thirty to forty acupoints in their life and thereafter be stuck permanently. He had initially thought that even with the Heavens Path Divine Art, it would be considered an incredible feat to open 72 acupoints. Never in his dreams did he expect to be able to open all 108 acupoints. At this moment, the acupoints throughout his body were twinkling, as a sky full of stars. He felt strength surge through his entire body. If others were to learn that he had opened all of the acupoints in his body, they would definitely die of shock. "108 acupoints mean that my strength has been boosted by 108 ding. Before reaching Pixue realm, I already have 20 ding of strength, and adding in the 90 ding from my physical body, my total strength is 218 ding. That is equivalent to a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage expert..." Doing a rough calction of his strength, Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed with excitement. In Tongxuan realm, one possesses 100 ding of strength in the primary stage, 200 ding in the intermediate stage, 300 ding in the advanced stage, and 400 ding in the pinnacle stage. It is unheard of in Tianxuan Kingdom, or even in the surrounding kingdoms, for a Pixue realm pinnacle to possess the strength of a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage. Yet, Zhang Xuan had easily achieved such a feat. Even he himself couldnt help but suspect if he was dreaming. There arent many people in Tianxuan Kingdom who can rival him now. After all, the strongest person in Tianxuan Kingdom currently is only at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. "I should continue and see if there are Fighter 7-dan cultivation techniques..." Zhang Xuan stood up and continued into the depths of the Book Collection Vault expectantly. "What a pity..." After circling around the entire Book Collection Vault once, Zhang Xuan could not help but shook his head in disappointment. There wasnt any Fighter 7-dan cultivation technique in the Book Collection Vault. But now that he thought about it, it was to be expected. After all, Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm experts can be considered as the top-notch fighting power of the Tianxuan Kingdom. As such, the value of 7-dan cultivation techniques is iparably valuable. Thus, how can one possibly leave such books lying around here, especially when visitors can be granted entry? They would most probably be kept somewhere essible only to the emperor. "Since there is no cultivation technique, I should check out the battle techniques..." Thinking of such, he walked with big strides toward the region where the battle technique manuals are stored. There is a massive collection of books in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Even though the battle techniques kept here are not exclusive profound arts, its redeeming factor is that there are plenty of them. Just a single move can have several thousand different schools to it. Zhang Xuan stopped before a certain bookshelf and nced toward the books on it. It is the region where the movement and leg techniques are stored. The 72 Lake ManoeuvreWhirlwind Legs34 Styles Chain KicksEluding Traversing Dragon All kinds of movement and leg technique secret manuals filled the entire shelf. "Wang Yings legs were once injured. Even though she has the Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution to heal her legs, it would still be difficult for her to match up to the swift Du Lei. However, if she were to learn a good movement and leg technique, it should increase her chances of victory significantly. Thinking of this, Zhang Xuan started flipping through the books. Hula, hula! In an hours time, Zhang Xuan had managed to imprint all the books rted to movement and leg techniques into his head, and two books had formed in his head. Heavens Path Movement Art and Heavens Path Leg Art! Casually flipping open the manuals, he immersed his concentration into the books. Four hourster, he managed to master the two moves. Due to the books in the Book Collection Vault being about the most basic and fundamental moves, only a single movement was created, just like how it was for the Heavens Path Spear Art. That was especially so for the Heavens Path Movement Art. It allowed him to move a distance of twenty meters the time of a tenth of a breath. His movement was so fast that it seemed as though teleportation. Of course, attaining such breakneck speed causes a huge strain on the body. If it werent for him cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body, such instantaneous movement would have caused his blood vessels to burst. Even so, given his current physical capabilities, he can only execute the move once. If he were to overdo it, it would cause him to bleed from his ears and nose due to excessive pressure. Still, it is an extremely fearsome move. If one were to suddenly perform an instantaneous movement when battling with another person, even a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert can be destroyed in an instant if he isnt guarded against it. After learning the movement and leg techniques, he moved to the fists technique region and once again started flipping through the books, forming a single punching move. Two hourster, he had easilypleted learning the fist movement. Just like the movement technique, even though it is just a single move, it allows his strength to be enhanced by a single fold instantaneously. Given his current strength of 218 ding, a single fold meant that he was able to execute a punch with 436 ding of strength behind it. In other words, by executing the Heavens Path Fist Art, his fighting prowess would rival that of a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert. Of course, this pushes his physical body to the limits as well. Just like the movement technique, he wouldnt be able to use it repeatedly. Given his current level of ability, he can only execute three punches at maximum. Continuously flipping through the books and studying them, time passed slowly. Fortunately, Zhang Xuan had foreseen that he would be staying in the Book Collection Vault for an extended period of time and had prepared some food in his storage ring in advance. Otherwise, he would surely die of hunger before he could even begin to train. ........................ Countlessnterns hung and lit the pce. "Apothecary Chen Xiao, why are you here?" Walking into the main hall, Du Miaoxuan was filled with bewilderment. He was just an ordinary elder of the Du n, and following the deterioration of his cultivation, even that title had be just a name. Yet, he was summoned abruptly by Emperor Shen Zhui today and thus, he waspletely confused by what was going on. Upon walking into the pce, he saw that Apothecary Chen Xiao, Ling Tianyu, and Luo Chong were all here. "I have also received His Majestys summons. It must be something that has to do with Yang shi. After all, all of us here have benefitted from Yang shis grace!" At this moment, Apothecary Chen Xiao no longer looked as sickly as he did previously. On the contrary, he was filled with vitality and liveliness. "That might be possible..." Du Miaoxuan nodded his head in agreement. Ling Tianyu and Luo Chong also suddenly came to a realization. However, there was no need for them to ponder over the matter as they would soon know the answer. At this moment, Emperor Shen Zhui walked into the main hall withrge strides. Smiling, he introduced to the crowd. "I am not the one who invited everyone here today. It was the three master teachers." "Master teachers?" Du Miaoxuan and the others were taken aback. They hurriedly stood up and saw three dignified elders following behind the emperor. "Sit. You must be Ling Tianyu. I heard that your wife was sick. Can you tell me about what happened during the treatment?" After trading some pleasantries, Liu shi turned his attention to Ling Tianyu. After a momentter. "You say that... Yang Xuan, with a single look, discerned that your stone lion is made of Southern Blood Jade and deduced from it that your family member was sick? Then... With a few needles, not only did your wife awake from hera, she even gained the ability to walk immediately?" Liu shi widened his eyes in disbelief. "The Southern Blood Jade absorbs a persons vitality. Given how your wife was stuck in a state ofa, this meant that her illness had already reached an extremely severe state. In order to resolve the issue, not only does one need to find the exact blockages of the meridians, one also requires intermediate-tier zhenqi to break open those blockages. To be able to see through those exact spots, such that there werent any hesitation in his movements... Can a master teacher really possess such sharp eyes?" ... "The moment you entered, before you could even forge pills, he could tell that you were afflicted with death aura and would die at any moment? One who is afflicted with death aura would have a dark mark at their be, so it isnt surprising that he would be able to tell that much. Also, apothecaries oftene into contact with cauldrons, it was natural that he would deduce as so... However, to be able to deduce all these without asking a single question... Why do I feel like he isnt a master teacher but a fortune-teller..." "Also, he could tell that your unstable state of mind was caused by your consumption of Dragon-scaled Prawns just by your forging movements without asking a single question at all? You must be joking..." ... Upon hearing everyones experiences, the three master teachers became baffled. The heck, is he some enlightened deity? Even though master teachers possess sharp eyes, it isnt that exaggerated! "Looks like... there are only two possibilities. Firstly... That Yang Xuans standard is much higher than ours, to the point that we are unable toprehend the full extent of his abilities." After a long moment, Liu shi concluded with a grim expression. "Or secondly... He knows of their conditions beforehand and searched for a solution before curing their illness at a single go, thus astounding everyone here. In other words... He is an opportunistic fraud who is looking to make a fortune." Zheng shi and Zhuang shi nodded their heads. They shared Liu shis judgment as well. "If it is the former, it isnt a big matter for me to pay him a visit and learn from it. But if it turns out to be the second..." Speaking of which, Liu shis eyes turned cold. "As a master teacher, I have the responsibility to expose such ck sheeps so that they do not sully the reputation of master teachers." Chapter 170: Brewing Storm Chapter 170: Brewing Storm Trantor: Editor: Tianxuan Kingdom "Beiwu Tier 2 Kingdom Liu shi and Zhuang shi, as well as Hanwu Kingdoms Zheng shi, have arrived at the kingdom and they went to pay a visit to this Yang Xuan together?" "Indeed. It is said that after they paid him a visit, they summoned Ling Tianyu, Du Miaoxuan, and the rest of them into the royal pce. No one knows what happened in there, but the second day, the three master teachers visited the mansion once more... Furthermore... They had turned up at the mansion for five consecutive days, but were nevertheless unable to meet with the master of the mansion?" "The heck! Thats way too intense, he even turned away master teachers? I know about Liu shi and he is one of the more capable 1-star master teachers. To think that such a person would be turned away at the entrance... Just exactly how capable is this Yang shi?" "Im afraid that he probably isnt just a mere 2-star master teacher!" ... No one has ever heard of Yang Xuans name. In fact, the Teacher Guild was unable to find anything about him either. As such, many people were doubtful of his identity and thought that he wasnt a real master teacher. However, the situation has changed. Liu shi, Zheng shi, and Zhuang shi are three official master teachers. They are public figures famous within the surrounding kingdoms. The three of them had paid Yang shi a visit, but for five consecutive days, they did not even get past the entrance. No matter how foolish one might be, it was clear to see that Yang Xuan isnt a simple figure. "He is a master teacher, but his identity doesnt exist... Probably, his name, Yang Xuan, is fake..." "Master teachers love to travel and experience the life of an average civilian. Through such, it trains their mind and tempers their soul. Could he be a high-tier master teacher who is in the midst of his exploration?" "I dont know about that... But if its true, then Tianxuan Kingdom has truly struck gold!" "Indeed! Master teachers are a symbol of a countrys strength. If a country has a 1-star master teacher, it can apply for a 2nd Tier Kingdom position. With a 2-star master teacher, it can apply for a 1st Tier Kingdom position. Finally, If it has a 3-star master teacher, it can apply to be a Conferred Kingdom!" "Once a kingdom is conferred a title, it gains the right to build massive transportation formations to import and export resources, resulting in the country to prosper. The benefits from doing so are unimaginable..." ... All kinds of rumors had spread throughout the kingdom. "Your Majesty, even though the three master teachers arent sure, and they still hold suspicions, from your humble servants perspective, Yang Xuan seems like a person of great capabilities. Otherwise, he would not have been able to treat so many people easily. Even if he isnt a master teacher, he is likely to be a great physician. There might be hope for the Royal Elder." In the pce, an old eunuch analyzed the avable news. "Un, send someone to stand guard at his entrance. The moment Yang Xuan returns to his mansion, report back to me immediately. I will pay him a personal visit." A grave expression appeared on Emperor Shen Zhuis face. "Yes!" The old eunuch nodded his head hurriedly. ... "This is a rare opportunity. Wang Chao, if we catch Yang shis attention and be his apprentice, we will surely be able to be master teachers!" In a wide ssroom in Hongtian Academy, Lu Xun stared excitedly at the young man before him. "Indeed. No matter what, we have to pay him a visit and leave a good impression before him!" Wang Chao nodded his head excitedly. "Even if we are unable to be his apprentice, we will surely be able to achieve a breakthrough if he offers us some words of guidance." "Un!" Lu Xun nodded his head. "Right, so how is the matter with Zhang Xuan going?" Wang Chao suddenly recalled and asked. "Him?" cing his hands behind him, he stared into the distance with an aura of superiority. "He is just a stepping stone for me to be a master teacher. He means nothing at all, so dont worry about it. All of the students I have chosen for the battle are undergoing secret training, and in a few days, they will be able to break through to the next realm. They will win the Teacher Evaluation by an overwhelming lead and as such, the attention of the master teachers will be on me!" "Thats great! Ill have to congratte you in advance then..." Wang Chong sped his hands enthusiastically. ... Such situations urred throughout the kingdom. The appearance of a Yang shi had caused all powers within the kingdom to stir. All attention were fixated on Yang Xuans mansion and in an instant, this seemingly inconspicuous mansion became the center of buzz within the capital. A storm had begun to brew. .................................... At the moment, Zhang Xuan had reached the final bookshelf within the countrys Book Collection Vault. Five days of continuously flipping books without any rest or sleep had exhausted all of his strength. Putting aside cultivating, he wasnt even in the mood to speak. "Theres still onest row..." Knowing that it wasnt easy to enter the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, Zhang Xuan was determined to first imprint all of these books onto the Library of Heavens Path before doing anything. Even so, just this task itself had him exhausted to the point of possibly fainting at any moment. Seeing that he had finally reached the final row, Zhang Xuans eyes glowed in delight and tears threatened to flow out of his eyes. After working hard for the past few days. he finally sees the end of his work. "Un? These are books on poison..." This row pertains to the uses of poison, creating poison, discerning poison, and inflicting poison on others. Simr to others topics in the library, only books on the very basics of the subject were avable. "I shall flip!" Hula! Slowly, with the movements of his fingers, the books were gradually imprinted into his mind, one at a time. Of the countless jobs, the upation poison master, based on its fighting prowess, is more than qualified to be listed among the Upper Nine Paths. But simr to assassins, it is a despised job. They can only hide in the shadows, never to see the light of the day. As such, very few people are willing to take on the craft, causing it to eventually fall into the ranks of the Lower Nine Paths. Naturally, Zhang Xuan isnt willing to be a poison master either. However, it was still beneficial for him to look through these books as it could help him guard against other poison masters. While one shouldnt bear ill intentions against others, one mustnt let down his guards. Two hourster, he finished flipping through all of the poison-rted books. "I should first return to take a nap..." After sessfully imprinting all of the books in the Book Collection Vault into his mind, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the fatigue he had umted in the previous five days crushing down heavily at once. All he can think about right now is to find a location to sleep. Even though he has already reached Pixue realm pinnacle and his body is significantly stronger than others, five consecutive days without rest while keeping his mind on the edge has left him on the brink of copsing. Even so, the effort was worth it. The Tianxuan Kingdom has more than a millennium of history behind it. Even though the books in here arent exceptionally profound such that they can be considered as secret manuals, there are huge quantities of books on the fundamentals of nearly all upations. Usually, under such circumstances, others would find it difficult to discern the truth from the false, especially with the overwhelming content contained in this library. They would simply get increasingly muddled the more they read. However, to Zhang Xuan who possesses the Library of Heavens Path, this isnt a problem at all. As long as he is willing to, he can extract the most precise knowledge of each job and form a Heavens Path manual, retrieving the genuine wisdom in each book for his use. Walking out of the kingdom, Zhang Xuan looked at the sky and only then did he realize that he had spent five entire days in the vault. "I cant rest yet. It is almost ten days since I ordered that Unravel Yin Pill and Colossus Rhinoceros Blood, so the items should be arriving soon..." While he was walking along the streets, he suddenly recalled that the ten days deadline was about toe to an end and this wasnt the time for him to go straight to sleep. The items he had entrusted Guild Leader Ouyang to buy on his behalf should be reaching soon. "I should first return to the mansion to take a look. Hopefully, someone has requested something of me in the past few days. This way, I would be able to gather the sum required for the items..." He was stillcking two million gold coins to pay for the items. After getting into a remote alley and changing his appearance to that of Yang Xuan, he started walking toward the mansion. .............................. Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo are two famous burrs in the Tianxuan Kingdom. They specialize in robbing the rich to help the poor. In a way, they can be considered as righteous burrs. Due to their nimble movements and well-nned operations, they have never failed throughout the numerous years in their career. The Tianxuan Kingdom offered a high bounty to capture the duo, but it isughable that they do not even know the duos appearances. "That in front of us is Du Qiaos residence. This person is a despicable tycoon. He hasmitted plenty of immoral acts throughout his life. Although he had a recent encounter with bandits which dealt a huge blow to his business, an emaciated camel is stillrger than a horse. We should have plenty of money to utilize if we were to rob from him..." Zhang Liao chuckled and took arge step forward. Due to the intense hunt for them, they left Tianxuan Kingdom for half a year. Upon returning, they immediately set their sights on Merchant Du Qiao. "Un. However, we need to first n carefully. We have to ascertain the skills of the guards in the residence and their habits before we can make a move." Zhang Mo nodded his head. Whenever the duo decides to conduct burry, they will observe the target thoroughly to confirm theyout of the residence and determine the weakness in their defense. Only when they are absolutely certain that they will seed will they strike. This is precisely the reason why they had yet to fail a single time after stealing from over fifty households. "The residence right ahead. I have been here once... Ah?" Turning around the alley, Zhang Liao walked forward. Just as he was about to sneak into the mansion which they had decided upon to survey its interior, he was shocked by the sight before them. Zhang Mos face also turned pale. His eyes widened in shock. Arge queue had formed at the entrance of the mansion. There were several hundreds of people lining up before the gates. It is one thing to have many people wanting to visit the master of the household, but... The gates to the mansion were tightly shut, and there didnt seem to be any signs of it opening anytime soon. "Look! Isnt that... the Eight Arms Dragon, Liu Kaiyuan?" Zhang Liao suddenly recognized a person in the crowd and his face turned ghastly white. "Its him... The Eight Arms Dragon Liu Kaiyuan. He is a renowned figure among wandering cultivators. As a Tongxuan realm advanced stage expert, he is one of the top-notch figures in the kingdom. However, wasnt he injured during an expedition to capture a savage beast, and since then disappeared from public view? Why is he here? Furthermore, waiting at the entrance?" Zhang Mo was astonished. "Wait... Is that... Iron-fisted Stone Dragon, Feng Jun? As a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage, he is the number one expert of Hanxue City. It is said that his iron fists are capable of disintegrating boulders. He is a powerful figure who even Emperor Shen Zhui regards as a peer. Why is he here... queuing up?" "Eagle Eyes Duan Jiujiang? Steel Caltrop Long Xuanhai? Pale Schr Hu Xiaobai..." Initially, he thought that those who were queuing up were just ordinary civilians. However, upon recognizing a few of them, he took a closer look. As his gaze scanned through the faces of those figures in the queue, Zhang Liaos body trembled and he nearly fainted from fear... These people are all top-notch experts of Tianxuan Kingdom! Even the weakest of them all is a Tongxuan realm primary stage. Even though they do possess several tricks up their sleeves, if they really were to encounter any single one of these people, they probably wouldnt be able to escape. They would be beaten to death on the spot. Just that... Back then, when Emperor Shen Zhui invited them for a gathering in the royal pce, very few of them actually turned up. Why would such arrogant and rebellious experts who dare to even disregard Emperor Shen Zhuis invitation be queuing at this mansions entrance? Surely I am seeing things... Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo exchanged gazes. Puzzled, they scratched their head furiously. If these people were only queuing up, they might not have been so shocked. But judging from how they did not even dare to breathe loudly for fear of offending the people living in the mansion... Not daring to knock the door even though they were kept outside... The heck! Heavens, can you tell me whether it is them who have gone mad, or is it just me? Isnt this Du Qiaos residence? How can a lowly merchant possess such prestige? How did he get these experts to willingly wait at the door, not daring to even utter a single word ofint? Chapter 171: Old Master is Back Chapter 171: Old Master is Back Trantor: Editor: Hu! Unable to ept the sight before them, a frenzied look appeared on their faces. Suddenly, an elder walked approached with big strides. Seeing him, respect immediately appeared on everyones faces as they opened a path for him. "Is this... The Ninth Heaven of Benevolence, Old Master Zhang?" Forcefully suppressing his shock, Zhang Liao swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "It is said that Old Master Zhang is already in his nies. Thirty years ago, he had already reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle... Of course, he isnt respected for his age or his prowess. Rather... He used to be a star teacher in Hongtian Academy and countless experts were personally groomed by him. In fact, nearly half of the experts here had been to his lessons... But why would he be here?" Zhang Mos mouth was opened so wide that an egg could be stuffed into it. This Old Master Zhang entered reclusion in his residence twenty years ago, having never left his residence since then. Moreover, even if Emperor Shen Zhui were to meet him, he would have to address him as teacher... What is such a figure doing here? Could it be that Du Qiaos residence had been passed to him, and these experts are here to visit him? Wait a minute... The moment this thought arose in their minds, the duo immediately realized that their guess was wrong. Thats because... That Old Master Zhang also stood at the entrance of residence respectfully, not appearing to be proceeding further. "Even Old Master Zhang is waiting outside the entrance?" Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo exchanged nces and their lips started trembling. Even though Old Master Zhang has already retired for many years, there isnt anyone in Tianxuan Kingdom who would dare to show him disrespect. Even the emperor would step forward to wee him personally into the pce. Yet, such a figure is currently waiting patiently outside locked gates... "Brother, are we still going to... steal from the mansion?" After a long moment of silence between the duo, Zhang Liao turned to look at his elder brother. "Steal? Steal your head... Putting aside whether we would be able to get in, even if we are to get in, with so many experts guarding the door, Im afraid that... we would be beaten to death before we even get toy our hands on anything..." Zhang Mo shuddered in fear. The thought of it sent him to the verge of tears. The heck, how do I steal from such a residence? Just the subordinates of these Tongxuan realm experts are enough to turn us into meat cakes... What is wrong with this residence? Why are there so many experts who havee to pay a visit? "Regard of who it is... For him to have such incredible rallying abilities... Does the royal family not care about the matter at all?" Suddenly, a thought shed through Zhang Liaos mind and he couldnt help butment. Zhang Mo was taken aback as well. How can the sovereign of the country allow another individual to hold greater prestige than him? Regardless of that fellows identity, his ability to rally so many experts at once poses a great threat to the royal family. Putting aside the fact that each figure who came is more incredible than the previous, the most shocking fact is that... they are all willing to wait patiently at the door for the master to invite them in on his own ord. For fear of interrupting the other party, they did not even dare to knock on the door. For an individual to wield such prestige, even Emperor Shen Zhui should feel threatened by his existence... Hula! At this moment, a golden carriage arrived at the scene. "It is Emperor Shen Zhui... He hase. Looks like theres a show to watch..." Witnessing the carriage and the figure who emerged from the carriage, Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo shuddered. Speak of the devil. Emperor Shen Zhui has arrived in person; he must have decided to make a move due to the pressure from the other partys capabilities. Even though there are many experts present, they are still far from sufficient to go up against an entire kingdom. Besides, rumors have it that Tianxuan Kingdoms Royal Elder has achieved Half-Zongshi level, causing the surrounding kingdoms to not dare move recklessly. Even though the people gathered here are all incredible figures, they arent sufficient to go up against an expert of that level. "Your Majesty, you havee!" "Paying respects to Your Majesty!" "Your Majesty, looks like you have arrived earlier today. I have helped you book a slot. Come over..." ... Just when the brothers thought that a huge battle would unfold, they saw the experts at the entrance of the mansion greeting the emperor with bright smiles. Soon, Emperor Shen Zhui found a spot to stand within the crowd and simrly, he started to wait outside the entrance with a respectful expression. "What?" The two burr brothers swayed at the same time. Can anyone tell me what is going on? For the emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom to join the queue and wait patiently... Can anyone tell me who in the world... lives in the mansion? Hu! Before they could recover from their astonishment, another carriage stopped by the side of the road and three elders walked over. They were dressed in simr clothes and a gleaming star was weaved on the fabric covering their chest. "Is this... the uniform of a master teacher. 1-star master teacher? Three 1-star master teachers?" Zhang Mo recognized the clothes the three elders wore and clenched his fists tight. "I get it! These three master teachers must be conducting a lesson and these experts are here to listen..." Zhang Liao suddenly came to a realization. That must be the case! Only master teachers can possess such incredible rallying powers. Without a saying a word, many experts came over on their ord, such that even Emperor Shen Zhui himself came over to personally listen to their lesson. "Paying respects to Liu shi!" "Zhuang shi, it has been long since west met. You still look as dignified and majestic as before." "Zheng shi, thest time I met you was seven years ago. To think that you havee to Tianxuan City..." ... Amotion broke out the moment the three master teachers arrived. The previously arrogant crowd immediately opened up a path for them. "The three master teachers, feel free to stand in front of me..." Initially, the two brothers thought that the three master teachers would open up the gates and invite the crowd in. However, reality betrayed their expectations once again. After seeing Emperor Shen Zhui give up his position to the three master teachers, the three master teachers stopped right before the gates and waited patiently, just like the rest of the crowd. "The heck..." Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo felt as though they were on the verge of copsing. Tongxuan realm experts, a highly respected Old Master, the emperor of the country, and even master teachers; all of them were standing before the mansion, waiting patiently for the gates to open... Who in the world could be in the residence? It wasughable that the two of them had discussed on how they should go about stealing from the residence... Pu! It was lucky that hadnt begun to act. Otherwise, they would have been dead by now. Jiya! They were still trembling with shock and relief of having escaped from a potential cmity when they saw the tightly shut doors slowly opening and a plump man walked out. "He... Isnt he the owner of the realtor agency in Tianyu Commercial City, Sun Qiang?" Zhang Liao recognized him. After engaging in burries in Tianxuan City for numerous years, he was well acquainted with many people of vastly different standings in the city. The plump man before them can be considered as one in the lowest tier of society. Yet, he actually resides in the mansion? Is he the one who is keeping so many experts and influential figures waiting? "Butler Sun, may I know if Yang shi is back yet?" Old Master Zhang stepped forward, sped his hands, and asked politely. "Im truly sorry, but the old master isnt back yet. Please return for now. Once the old master is back, I will send someone to inform you..." Seeing therge gathering of experts before him, Sun Qiangs mouth twitched before speaking. As the news spread further and further, more and more people began to gather. While he was astonished initially, all he feels now is numbness. Of course, what that made Sun Qiang even number was that... the old master had gone missing... It was as though he had evaporated from the world. No matter how hard he looked, he was unable to find him... If he doesnt find him soon, he is truly afraid that the crowd that had gathered here might go on a rampage. If so, he would be the first one to bear the brunt of their rage... Facing so many experts, if not for his incredible mental fortitude, he would have long copsed. "Sigh, he isnt back yet? But that isnt a problem, we can wait here for him..." Hearing that Yang shi isnt back yet, the crowd couldnt help but feel disappointed. "I think it would be best if you all return for now..." Afraid that something might happen, Sun Qiang tried to persuade them to leave. Then, upon catching sight of a figure, his eyes widened. Hot tears streamed down his face and he charged forward toward the figure. "Old master..." ... "This... What is going on?" Upon reaching the doors to his residence, Zhang Xuan saw the huge queue outside his mansion and was stupefied. Chapter 172: Catching a Pig? Chapter 172: Catching a Pig? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Old master?" Upon seeing Butler Suns abnormal reaction, everyone immediately understood that Yang shi had returned. All eyes immediately turned to look at the approaching figure and saw a yellowish-faced middle-aged man looking at them with a perplexed expression. "Is this the old master that kept everyone waiting?" Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo had a dizzy spell witnessing the situation before them. This fellow looks like an extremely ordinary person. How did he manage to get an emperor and several master teachers waiting outside his door so willingly? They hadnt been in Tianxuan City for the past half a year and as such, werepletely oblivious to the storm that the presence of Master Teacher Yang Xuan had created. "Xiao Qiang, what is going on?" While the duo experienced a dizzy spell, Zhang Xuan felt severe vertigo. Just by looking at the crowd, he immediately understood that these were the people looking for him to solve their problems umted throughout the days when he was absent. But... Sun Qiang, what do your hot tears and your reaction as though you are a puppy who had reunited with its owner mean? It was just a few days of absence, do you need need to be so agitated and excited... "Old master, you are finally back. These people are here for you..." Sun Qiang hurriedly introduced. But halfway through his words, he was interrupted by another voice. "Yang shi..." Emperor Shen Zhui sped his hands. "I am..." "Did I permit you to talk?" Zhang Xuan was just about to find out from Sun Qiang what had happened in the past few days, but this fellow abruptly interrupted their conversation. Displeased, Zhang Xuan frowned. Where did youe from? Dont you have the least bit ofmon sense? Cant you see that Im currently busy? Youre lucky that I have a good temper. If it were any other master teacher, he would have long beaten a fellow like you to death... Putong! Putong! Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo fell to the ground. You are too incredible, my brother. That is the emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom... To speak to him like that... Even Sun Qiang was bbergasted. As expected of the old master, you are nothing short of impressive... Even the emperor means nothing to you... "I..." Emperor Shen Zhuis face flushed. "Continue speaking..." After reprimanding the fellow who interrupted their conversation, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to his butler. "Oh!" Recovering from his shock, Sun Qiang hurriedly continued, "In the few days while you were absent, these people hade to pay a visit to you. There is Emperor Shen Zhui..." "The emperor is here as well?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Zhang Xuan had intended to return the house the moment he gathered sufficient money and return back to his original identity. Yet, to think that even the emperor of the country would be rmed by his actions. Agitated, he asked, "Where is he?" Upon hearing those words, a peculiar expression appeared on everyones face. Even Sun Qiang staggered and nearly fell to the floor... In the end, it turned out that his old master didnt manage to recognize the emperor. To think that he was so impressed with his action... "Cough cough. Its me!" Emperor Shen Zhui coughed. "You?" Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood. To think that he would happen to reprimand him right after returning from his Book Collection Vault... "Shen Zhui pays his respect to Yang shi. Allow me to introduce to Yang shi, these three are Liu shi, Zheng shi, and Zhuang shi..." Emperor Shen Zhui hurriedly introduced. "Liu shi... What? Master teachers?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Isnt it a renowned fact that there are no master teachers in Tianxuan Kingdom? When did three of them pop up? What had happened in the few days when I was gone? "Liu Ling (Zhuang Xian, Zheng Fei) pays respect to Yang shi! Liu Ling and the others stepped forward and sped their hands. At the same time, they took the opportunity to assess the middle-aged man before them. With a single nce, the three of them frowned immediately. "Follow me in first!" Oblivious to the reaction of the trio, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be and waved his hands, gesturing for them to enter. After all, he cant possibly keep the emperor and the three master teachers waiting at the doorstep, right? "Brother Liu, what did you see?" Upon stepping into the courtyard, Zhuang Xian secretly sent a telepathic message to Liu Ling. "He has donned a disguise. This isnt his actual appearance. Based on his skin and movements, he should be an extremely young man under thirty. In fact... He probably hasnt passed twenty-five years of age!" Liu Ling frowned. Even Du Miaoxuan was able to see through Zhang Xuans disguise, so how could the three master teachers miss it? "How can he possibly be a master teacher at his age? He is probably a fake..." Zhuang Xian harrumphed. Master teachers are just like academics; the older they are, the wiser and more valuable they be. It is one thing that he refused to reveal his true appearance, but for his age to be under twenty-five... How can he possibly be a master teacher? To be a master teacher, one needs to undergo numerous examinations and every single examination holds tremendous difficulty. Due to the limited knowledge one can possibly umte over time, it is impossible for someone to be a master teacher in his twenties! "He is probably a fake. I will think of a way to expose himter." Zheng shi nodded his head in agreement. After hearing Ling Tianyu and the others description of the other party, they became suspicious and wanted to verify for themselves other partys identity as a master teacher. However, when they noticed his poor disguise with their own eyes, they immediately came to a conclusion that the other party must be a fake. If he isnt a fake, why would he put on a disguise, a poor one at that? If he isnt a fake, how is it be possible for a person in his twenties to possess such high standards that even they arent able to perceive? "Furthermore, did you observe his bloodshot eyes and lethargy? If he is a master teacher, how would he allow such a condition to ur?" Liu Ling said. Not only was he able to see through Zhang Xuans disguise, he also noticed his fatigue. After examining the other party carefully again, he felt his rage surging up. Because regardless of whichever aspect he looked at, this fellow didnt seem to be a genuine master teacher. A fake had made them pay visits to his mansion for five days straight. Regardless of who it was, it was reasonable to feel enraged, needless to say, a fake master teacher. Oblivious to the fact that the other side had already seen through him, Zhang Xuan walked up to the main seat upon arriving at the main hall. Then, he looked at the three master teachers and asked, "May I know what affairs do the three master teachers have for me?" "Oh, Ive heard that Yang shi is a skilled physician and is adept at helping others achieve breakthroughs in their cultivation. Thus, I came presumptuously in the hopes that you can enlighten me on a matter..." After shooting a nce at the other two, Liu Ling started speaking. It was unlikely that a direct approach would work. Since he was intent on exposing the other partys fraud, he had to first grill for his incapabilities. "Whats the issue, speak!" All Zhang Xuan had in mind was to earn another two million to purchase the items from the Apothecary Guild and to find a ce to sleep. He was too tired to bother about pleasantries and simply waved his hands casually. "Act! Continue acting!" Seeing the other partys disinterested expression, the three master teachers felt so infuriated that their eyes narrowed and their faces turned green. Seems like he is quite aposed person. However, your acts will not work on us. We will not leave unless we expose your fraud! "It is a problem with my cultivation, please guide me!" Upon seeing the urging nces from the other two, Zhuang Xian stood up and sped his hands. "I am currently at Tongxuan realm pinnacle, just a step away from Half-Zongshi. However, I can clearly feel that the rate at which zhenqi gathers in my body has slowed greatly. No matter what I do, I am unable to make the final leap. I have tried all kinds of methods to aplish a breakthrough, but it is to no avail. I hope that you can give me some pointers." "Tongxuan realm pinnacle?" Zhang Xuan felt dismal. Because he was unable to find any books regarding cultivation method in the Tongxuan realm in the Book Collection Vault, he is still stuck in Pixue realm pinnacle. He has no idea what kind of abilities one would possess upon reaching the Tongxuan realm, so how can he possibly guide the other party? "How about this... You try executing a few moves for me to take a look!" Zhang Xuan knows that his knowledge of the Tongxuan realm cant possibly match up to the other party. Since the other party was stumped by the question, he understood that it is impossible for him to solve it without resorting to the Library of Heavens Path. "Execute a few moves? Sure!" Zhuang Xuan understood that only by executing a battle technique can one analyze another persons issue. Thus, without any hesitation, he stood up andunched a booming fist. Huhuhu! The air groaned in agony under the intense might behind his fist. As expected of a Tongxuan realm expert. His zhenqi surged through his body furiously as though a soaring dragon. The strength of his fistpressed the air in the surroundings and created a sonic boom. Soon, he finished executing his battle technique. Zhuang Xian, Liu Ling, and Zheng Fei turned their gazes to Yang shi, interested to see what he would say. However, the other party had a dull look on his face, as though he was at a loss of what to say. "Please offer your pointers!" Upon seeing him behaving in such a manner, Zhuang Xiansplexion became extremely awful. He didnt even bother to address him as Yang shi anymore. No matter what, he is a master teacher. It is one thing if the other party is a higher tier than them, but that is clearly not the case. How can they possibly stand lowering their head to a fake? You were the one who had me execute a battle technique, and yet you are nking out now... It cant be that you have turned dumb after watching my battle technique! "You want me to offer you pointers?" Ignoring the other partys displeasure, Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze to look forward. "Thats right!" Zhuang Xian harrumphed. He had already thought it through. The moment the other party starts speaking, he would search for loopholes and expose him before everyone else, then disgrace this fraud in public. Logically speaking, when the queue had formed even before they could confirm the persons identity, they should have persuaded the others against waiting outside. However, they had their own considerations for not doing so. If the other party turns out to be genuinely a master teacher, they would have offended him by persuading the others to leave. On the other hand, if the other party is a fraud, they can expose him before everyone else, causing him to fall from his grace. At the same time, it would serve as a reminder to everyone else that the identity of a master teacher is not to be sullied, and no one should ever impersonate one. "My pointer is simple. Im afraid that you wont believe my words..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He truly has no other choice now but to go on ahead with it. Otherwise, if the other party were to discover that it is a disguise on his part, he wouldnt even be able to escape. However, after the several days of experience disguising as Yang Xuan, he has grown ustomed to it. With an impassive expression, he waved his hands and said, "Do you wish to break through Tongxuan realm pinnacle to reach Half-Zongshi realm?" "Of course I do!" Zheng Yang said. What a joke! Which cultivator would not wish to achieve a breakthrough? Who doesnt wish to reach higher levels? Just like how a physician is unable to treat himself, a master teacher simrly cant offer pointers to himself. He had wanted to break through his cultivation realm for a long time now, but all along, he had been unable to seed. His two old friends, Liu Ling and Zheng Fei, had broken through long ago. He could only watch anxiously as the two drifted further and further away from him. "I can help you break through your current cultivation realm within ten minutes, but..." Zhang Xuan paused. "Break through... within ten minutes?" Zhuang Xian was taken aback. Even Liu Ling and Zheng Fei had looks of disbelief on their faces. As good friends of his, they had also taken a look at his situation and their verdicts were that it would be impossible for him to break through his cultivation realm in the short term. Yet, the fraud before them actually imed that... he can do so in ten minutes? "I have already presented you an opportunity. The final choice is up to you!" Zhang Xuan lifted the teacup from the table and sipped on it slowly and calmly. Usually, his actions would look incredibly cool and intimidating, and those present would feel as if a heavy mountain weighed down on them. But now, his eyes are bloodshot with his eyebags tugging against his eyes, and his lips are both dry and purple. Not only does he not look like an expert, he looks as though he had been busy engaging in vigorous exercises at night. There is an indescribable dissonance between his appearance and gesture. "I... Alright, I want to break through. Please offer me your guidance!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhuang Xian gritted his teeth and epted. If it you are able to help me break through my cultivation realm as you im, I will acknowledge that you are a true master teacher. But if you arent able to do so... That means that you are a fake, a fraud! "Are you sure?" Zhang Xuan gazed at him. "Yes!" Zhuang Xian nodded his head. "Alright then. Xiao Qiang, fetch a gunny sack over. Then, call a few guards and get them to bring wooden sticks along with them..." Zhang Xuan said. The three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui exchanged gazes and puzzled expression appeared on their faces. Gunny sack? Guards? Wooden sticks? Werent you going to help him break through his current bottleneck? This... What are you up to? Are you catching a pig? Chapter 173: Yang Xuan, Screw You! Chapter 173: Yang Xuan, Screw You! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove A normal person would only use a gunny sack and wooden sticks when catching a pig. However, upon hearing that such items would be used to help him advance his cultivation, Zhuang Xian felt a pool of blood umting in his chest and the flesh on his face twitched uncontrobly. If not for the incredible self-control he had cultivated throughout the years as a master teacher, he would have long flown into a rage. There are only a few means which master teachers use to guide ones cultivation; refining ones cultivation technique, identifying the ws in the cultivation, consuming all kinds of pills... Yet, this fellow uses gunny sacks and wooden sticks... The heck! What is the use of a gunny sack in advancing ones cultivation? Other people eat pills to advance their cultivation, do I eat the gunny sack to do so? Furthermore, calling for the guards... And each of them is equipped with a stick... Dueling can stimte ones hidden potential, and it is indeed a method to achieve a breakthrough in cultivation. But... the guards in your mansion are way too weak! I am a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert! Even if they were to wield des and swords, they wouldnt be able to harm me in the least. "This..." Hearing themand, Sun Qiang walked out scratching his head. After being with the old master for a period of time, he knew that the things the old master does tend to be beyond ones imagination. Even so, he hadpletely no idea what the old master was up to this time. What is the old master up to? However, since the old master had made such arrangements, he definitely had his own intentions. Thus, as the butler, he just had to follow his instructions. Soon, Sun Qiang managed to gather seven to eight guards and every single one of them was equipped with a wooden stick. Just in case, they even brought a total of four gunny sacks. "Old master!" Upon entering, the guards bowed in synchrony. "Zhuang shi wishes to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation, and he hopes that you can assist him with it." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Its our honor to do a master teacher a favor..." The few guards were first taken aback before delight crept onto their faces. When Sun Qiang was bringing them over, he had also mentioned to them that the three elders in the room are master teachers. Given their current strength, it would have been impossible for them to meet one usually, needless to say, interact with them. At this very instant, they are given the opportunity to do a master teacher a favor. Naturally, they are extremely delighted. If this Zhuang shi were to truly achieve a breakthrough and remember their assistance, riches and power wouldnt simply be a dream! This is a favor to a master teacher... It is a rare opportunity. "Its good that you are all willing to help!" He nodded his head in satisfaction. Zhang Xuan turned to Liu Ling, "May I trouble Liu shi to seal the acupoints on Zhuang shis body so that he would bepletely immobilized?" "Seal his acupoints?" Zhuang Xian frowned. "Why?" If my acupoints and meridians are sealed, that means that I wont be able to move at all. Arent you here to help me achieve a breakthrough? If you seal them, my zhenqi would be unable to flow through my body and if so, how can I cultivate? The others were perplexed by Zhang Xuans words as well. "If you wish to achieve a breakthrough, just do as I say." Shaking his hands, Zhang Xuan looked at him with determined eyes. Seeing the old masters expression, Sun Qiang trembled subconsciously. The expression... Back then, when the old master had him smash Ling Tianyus stone lion, that was the expression that he shot him with... He believed the old masters words, nearly dying from a beating due to that. No doubt at all, if Zhuang shi really were to believe in his words, he would be in for a ride of misfortune. This old master of his who often brought cmity to others while escaping unscathed... "I..." Zhuang Xian was about to say something when he saw Zhang Xuan looking over with an indifferent expression. "If you dont wish to achieve a breakthrough, lets just forget the matter. I cant be bothered to waste my effort." After which, he sipped on his tea calmly. His gestures were so peaceful that it seemed like a still painting. "Alright, Ill do whatever that you say." Seeing the other partys attitude, it was clear that it didnt matter to him whether Zhuang Xian was willing to go through with it or not. Gritting his teeth, Zhuang Xuan turned to Liu Ling and said, "Brother Liu, I will have to trouble you for this." You want me to back down? Dream on! Ill see just how you will help me break through. If you fail to aplish what you im, just wait and see... "Alright!" Even though he was doubtful of the frauds words, Liu Ling nodded his head and stepped forward. He ced his palm on Zhuang Xians body and zhenqi flowed from the tip of his fingers into Zhuang Xians body, sealing all of the main acupoints. "Done." After sealing all of the other partys acupoints, Zhuang Xian is no longer able to move. Then, Liu Ling turned to Zhang Xuan and said. "Un!" Zhang Xuan double checked Zhuang Xians condition before nodding his head. This Liu shi didnt ck off at all. He sealed the acupoints in the other persons body tightly. "Later, regardless of what happens, I hope that the two master teachers will not interfere in the matter." Zhang Xuan turned to Liu Ling and Zheng Fei and said. "Alright!" Even though they were unsure of the other partys intentions, the two of them nodded their heads in agreement. "Lets begin!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan took the gunny sack from Sun Qiangs hands, stepped forward to Zhuang Xian, and ced it over the other partys head. "What are you trying to do?" Zhuang Xian was still pondering over how the other party was going to help him achieve a breakthrough when the other party ced the gunny sack over his head. He nearly spurted blood. I am a master teacher, a person with of great prestige. Exin to me... What do you mean by putting this gunny sack over my head? Ignoring the ruckus he had caused, Zhang Xuan turned to the guards and said, "Its your turn. Dont you all want to help Zhuang shi achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation? Lets begin then. Use the stick to flog him as hard and as brutal as you can!" "Ah?" The guards were contemting what they should do after the master teacher expresses his gratitude toward them when they heard the old masters words. They staggered and burst into tears. Old master, are you serious? Beating a master teacher? Didnt you say that we are going to help him achieve a breakthrough? How will he be grateful to us for this? We think that living is a wonderful thing and its still too early for us to die... "Why? Hurry up and hit him! Dont worry, theres a gunny sack over his head, he wont be able to know whos the one who hit him." After saying this, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "If youre still worried, why dont you... put a few more sacks over his head? This way, theres no way he would be able to identify you..." "..." It would have been better if Zhang Xuan had not said a word. After hearing him, the guards cried even louder. The other party had already seen their faces clearly the moment they walked in. What is the use putting the gunny sack over his face at this moment? The other party isnt deaf, so he can hear their words clearly. Furthermore... this isnt a matter of how many gunny sacks we have over his head, alright? Regardless of how many there are, he would know that it is our doing... Watching the spectacle by, Liu Ling and Zheng Feis mouth twitched as they stared at one another in shock by the side. Are you trying to help him achieve a breakthrough... Or are you angry that we doubted you and that you want to exact vengeance on him? Ive never heard a case where of a breakthrough just by covering a persons head with a gunny sack and having a group of people beat him up with wooden sticks. However, since they had agreed not to interfere in the matter, it isnt their ce to speak up now. They could only sit by the side silently, their faces steeled. "Hurry up! This is something Zhuang shi had agreed on! Are you sure you can bear the responsibility for dying his break through?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Since the guards refused to listen when he spoke kindly, he could only rage at them. "Yes..." A bitter look appeared on the faces of these guards. They thought that it would be an incredible honor to be of assistance to a master teacher. Yet, never in their wildest dreams did they expect things to turn out as such... However, the old master is a master teacher as well, so they dare not to disobey hismands. They could only grit their teeth and get on with it. "Lets go!" Since they are doomed no matter what they choose, there is no longer anything for them to worry over. It isnt really a big deal once they had thought the matter through. Walking forward, the guards lifted up the wooden sticks in their hands and began to flog Zhuang shi, who was beneath the gunny sack, harshly. Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! Even though Zhuang Xians acupoints were sealed, his hearing continued to function properly and he had heard the surrounding conversations. Upon feeling the wooden sticks falling on his body as though a torrential rain, he felt vertigo and the final string of his rationality nearly snapped. Yang Xuan, screw you! You obviously arent trying to help me achieve a breakthrough! You are making fun of me... The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Rage surged through his entire body, threatening to set him ame. In the decades since he had be a master teacher, he had never suffered such injustice, having his head covered by a gunny sack and beaten with wooden sticks. This is an unimaginable humiliation to him! It was one thing if the ones beating him are powerful experts. However, the guards in the mansion only had cultivation levels of Fighter 3-dan to 4-dan... More importantly... His meridians had been sealed, so his zhenqi is unable to flow through his body. As such, he is unable to soothe his injuries or cushion the blows. He can only bear the brunt of the attacks with his physical body and indescribable pain permeated every single part of his body. Just as he was about to explode in frenzy, he heard Yang Xuans voice echoing from beyond the gunny sack. "The ces where you are hitting arent right. Ah, yes, thats it..." Before Zhuang Xian could even process his words, he felt an incredible force smashing right in his face, leaving a surge of stinging pain in its wake. The next few strikes all came flying straight at his face. Initially, the pain was only limited to his body. Now, even his head isnt spared. "The heck..." Feeling his lips swelling, Zhuang Xian was on the verge of tears. What was I trying to do? Despite knowing that he is just an imposter, I requested him to help me achieve a breakthrough. I must be courting death... Just as he was about to let loose insults, he heard another conversation starting outside. "Old master, how long should we hit him for?" A guard couldnt help but ask. They couldnt possibly go at it forever, there has to be a time limit. "How long? Let me think about it... How about this!" Yang Xuans voice hesitated for a moment before saying, "Hit him until he dies..." "Hit me until I die? You..." Zhuang Xian was truly enraged. Im here to achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation, not tomit suicide. Yet, youmanded your guards to hit me until I die... Yang Xuan, from now on, you will be my mortal enemy. If I dont kill you, my surname shall not be Zhuang... Screaming within, Zhuang Xian no longer bothered about rebuking the other party. Bearing with the pain, he channeled zhenqi from his entire body violently to the sealed acupoints. If I dont prate the sealed acupoints to regain my freedom, I will really die here today... You arent helping me achieve a breakthrough at all, you are obviously trying to murder me... The more he thought about it, the more furious he got. If rage was a grain of sand, there would be a small mountain inside of him right now. "Use more force! Havent you eaten yet?" The voice beyond the gunny sack roared. Zhuang Xians eyelids twitched. With excruciating pain all over his body and the humiliation he had experienced; he could no longer suppress himself. Boom! After an unknown period of time, under his furious attempts, the sealed acupoints were finally burst open. With a jolt of his hands, the gunny sack which covered his head was torn apart. Kacha! Kacha! The wooden sticks in the guards hands were also shattered into pieces by the shockwave of his and scattered onto the floor. "Yang Xuan, screw you..." With a furious roar, Zhuang Xian turned to look at the mastermind, only to see the fake master teacher sitting on his high seat, sipping on his tea calmly. With an impassive expression, he nced at him and said gracefully, "Zhuang shi, mind your identity. As a master teacher, how can you insult someone in public?" "Insult? I want to kill you..." Zhuang Xian felt increasingly incensed. Bellowing, he prepared to charge forward. How about you try having a gunny sack put over your head and be flogged by wooden sticks? Identity? To hell with identities! If I dont kill you with my own hands, I shall abandon my title as a master teacher... "Take a look at your own cultivation before deciding on whether you want to kill me or not..." Zhang Xuan paid no heed to his fury, slowly lifting his eyelids. "My cultivation?" Zhuang Xian was stunned for a moment and looked internally at his own condition. With a single nce, his eyes immediately narrowed, "How... How is this possible?" Chapter 174: The Confident Ah Yun Chapter 174: The Confident Ah Yun Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove He could sense the raging strength flowing through his body. He is now several times stronger than he was a moment ago. Clearly, he had already broken through Tongxuan realm pinnacle. "Half... Zongshi?" Zhuang Xians mouth was wide open. Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm is the level where one gains the capability to create their own schools and be the conquerors. Even though just a thin line separates it from Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan pinnacle, the breakthrough is equivalent to a butterfly breaking out from its cocoon. This is the first true obstacle that one would face throughout the 9 dans of a Fighter. Countless geniuses found themselves stuck at this hurdle. Half-Zongshi is the buffer between the two realms. In order to reach Zongshi realm, one has to first reach this level. The Royal Elder of Tianxuan Kingdom which had kept the surrounding kingdoms in check using his overwhelming strength is also just at this level. Zhuang Xian is a master teacher, and in order to reach this level, he had devoted countless resources and effort, only to fail repeatedly. But why did he... upon being covered in a gunny sack and beaten up by a wooden stick, suddenly break through this hurdle? This... this is too inconceivable. By the side, Liu Ling and Zheng Fei exchanged gazes and saw the confusion in each others eyes. They had looked at Zhuang Xians condition and tried numerous methods to solve his problem. Initially, they thought that with the apaniment of age and a deteriorating vitality, achieving a breakthrough had be impossible. Yet, just with a single beating, he managed to sessfully break through his current realm... Can things get even more ridiculous? Getting beaten up is the solution to breaking through? Then, to reach Zongshi, shouldnt the two of them find a group of person to beat them up as well? Perplexed, all gazes shot toward the fellow who was still busy sipping on his tea, trying to see if they could discern anything from the each others expressions. However, it was a pity that he appearedpletely indifferent, as though nothing had happened at all... Of course, his eyes were still bloodshot, his spirit still withered, and his eye bags still tugging at his face. If not for the miracle he had just performed, they would be wondering where the fellow had gone to enjoy himself the previous night. "Yang... shi, what is going on?" As the other party didnt seem like he would say anything, Zhuang Xian took the initiative to ask. How he addressed the other party changed from Yang Xuan to Yang shi once again. "You arent going to screw me anymore?" Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze. "I..." Zhuang shis face flushed and cold sweat flowed profusely down his body. The other party was obviously helping him achieve a breakthrough, but not only did he not understand the goodwill behind the other partys actions, he even insulted him in public... He is truly the ideal example of an ungrateful person. Embarrassed, Zhuang Xian could only lower his head and apologize, "Please forgive me for my ignorance..." "Alright, I dont intend to me you for that either." Zhang Xuan gestured. "The battle technique which you disyed earlier is extremely stable. There isnt any part which is particrly amazing, but neither were there any mistakes in your movements. That indicates that you have had a good teacher from young and you work really hard." "Yang shi is right. My father is a 1-star master teacher." Zhuang Xian nodded his head. "Your solid foundation became both your strength and your weakness. As your father is a master teacher, since young, you have always thought that his teachings are all correct. Thus, you dare not disobey his words. Subconsciously, you began to cultivate a habit of sticking to the conventional means. The route of a cultivator is to go against the heavens, not to stick to conventional wisdom. Even though your cultivation advanced swiftly at the start, it transformed into a limiting factor when you reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle." Zhang Xuan lifted his head and nced at him, as though lecturing a student. "Zongshi, just as the name goes, refers to someone who starts a school of his own. If one doesnt possess his own thoughts andprehension of cultivation, instead choosing to follow the route of the predecessors, how can one seed? Even though Half-Zongshi cannot be considered as a true Zongshi, the same concept applies as well." "After years of cultivation and umtion, the zhenqi and strength that you had harnessed was already sufficient for you to break through to reach Half-Zongshi. However, you doubted yourself, you didnt believe that you could reach that level. If Im not wrong, your father must have never reached this state in his lifetime. In fact, something might have urred to him when he was trying to reach this realm!" "You... You..." Zhuang Xian staggered backward. The other partys words were spot-on. Even though his father was a 1-star master teacher, he was never able to reach Half-Zongshi in his lifetime. In fact, while trying to achieve a breakthrough to that level, his cultivation went berserk and he became a cripple. In less than a year after that, he met his demise. Even on his deathbed, he was filled with regret over the matter. This incident had caused a trauma in Zhuang Xian. He was never able to exert his full strength whenever attempting a breakthrough from Tongxuan realm pinnacle to Half-Zongshi. Just that, that was a secret he had concealed in his heart for a very long time. He had never spoken of it to anyone... How did the other party know of it? Was it because he had watched him execute his battle technique? "Due to this fear, no matter what pills you consumed or what cultivation technique you tried, you were unable to achieve a breakthrough." Zhang Xuan stood up and walked over to the center of the main hall. "You came to request for my guidance. In order for you to seed, you have to first get past your fear. Otherwise, it would be all for naught." "However, because you have buried this fear in you for countless years, how is it possible to ovee it all of a sudden? The only method is to utilize anger to dispel the fear within you. Thus, I had someone cover your head and beat you up with wooden sticks. Since you dont know the true reason behind my action, you would think that I am humiliating you and you would bear hatred against me. This way, resentment will overwhelm your fear. Given your countless years of umted zhenqi and the rage in your heart, breaking through your current realm is expected." With both of his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stood silently at the center of the main hall. The sunlight that spilled in from outside cast a shadow of a giant behind him. "This..." Zhuang Xian contemted the other partys words and couldnt help but be astonished. The theory sounds simple but is incredibly profound. In truth, the difficulty in deducing everything through watching a set of battle technique, finding the exact solution to the problem, inferring the likely ending beforehand without a single w is in no way easier than their endless cultivation to reach Zongshi realm. If they hadnt witnessed this personally, they would not have dared to believe it possible. "Yang shi, thank you for granting me a new life. I, Zhuang Xian, will never forget Yang shis grace for as long as I live." After recovering from his astonishment, Zhuang Xian immediately knelt down. He was thoroughly impressed with the other partys means and there wasnt the slightest bit of reluctance in his actions. "You no longer doubt that I am an impersonation?" Zhang Xuan smiled, but there was no hint of humor behind his expression. "Er..." Zhuang Xian rubbed his hands together nervously. Looks like the other party had known that he had doubted his identity, just that he couldnt be bothered with it. Upon realizing this, he felt even greater respect for the other party. Even though he had seen through their ploy, not only did he not get angry, he even helped him to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation. This is how a true master teacher behaves, possessing the disposition of a true expert... Witnessing the problem of their good friend being settled so easily, no matter how foolish Liu Ling and Zheng Fei could be, it was apparent that even though the person before them appears young, he is a true master teacher. Even though his means... are slightly unorthodox, if he isnt a master teacher, how can he have such an in-depth understanding of a fighters cultivation, instantly seeing through and solving a problem which had thoroughly baffled them and induced Zhuang Xians breakthrough? However, regardless of whether his means are orthodox or unorthodox, Zhuang Xians breakthrough means that the capabilities of the person before them far exceeds their own. No longer daring to underestimate the other party, they exchanged gazes and Zheng Fei stood up. "Yang shi, I have also met with a problem in my cultivation, and this problem has baffled me for a very long time..." ............ Outside the mansion. "Do you think that the rumors are true, that the three master teachers are paying a visit to this Yang shi because he is a 2-star master teacher?" After seeing Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers entering the mansion, the crowd outside couldnt help but gossip. No one present was certain of Yang shis capabilities, but to have three 1-star master teachers visiting him at once, it is unlikely that the other party is an ordinary person. At the very least, he should have reached the level of a 2-star master teacher. "Im not very sure as well. I paid a visit to Ling Tianyu a few days ago and he was full of praises for Yang shi. A while back, his wife was sick, we have all seen that for ourselves, but when on my visit, she had already fully recovered, as though what Ive seen before is an illusion." "I have also paid a visit to Du Miaoxuan. Not only is the disease that had gued him for so many years gone, his cultivation, just as the rumors state, has reached Tongxuan realm!" "This Yang shi is indeed incredible..." ... As the few of them secretly discussed, they couldnt help but feel amazed by the other partys abilities. "Actually, if everyone is curious about Yang shis affair, we should be able to get an answer by asking them." Suddenly, someone pointed to the front. Following the direction where the finger was pointed, they saw the guards of the three master teachers standing quietly not too far away. As the head, Ah Yun was equipped with a sword and he emanated an intimidating aura. Emperor Shen Zhui and the master teachers had entered the mansion but they, as guards, are unqualified to enter and could only keep guard outside. "Indeed, they are the guards of the three master teachers, so they should be aware of the actual situation..." The others immediately nodded their heads in agreement. Of all people, the three master teachers should be most aware of the capabilities of this Yang Xuan. On the other hand, the ones who are closest to the three master teachers here are these guards of theirs. As long as they ask them, they should be able to extract some useful news. "Brother Yun..." A middle-aged man stepped forward and sped his fists. Clearly, he recognized Ah Yun. As a top-tier 1-star master teacher, Liu Ling is famous in the surrounding kingdoms. As his guard, Ah Yun also has his fair share of glory. Numerous people had approached to bootlick him. "So its Brother Liao." Ah Yun recognized thetter. He is a solitary swordsman of the Tianxuan Kingdom, and he is called Liao Yongjin. Five years ago, he paid a visit to Liu shi to consult thetter on a problem he faced in his cultivation. "It is sufficient that you call me by my name. I am truly unworthy of you addressing me as Brother Liao!" Seeing that the other party had recognized him, Liao Yongjin was delighted. After trading a few greetings, he brought up the question that everyone had been thinking of, "Since Liu shi and the other master teachers are here to pay a personal visit to Yang shi... Does it mean that they know of Yang shis exact identity?" "Pay a visit?" Ah Yun sneered, "Rather than saying that they are paying him a visit, it is more appropriate to say that they are going to tear off his mask." "Brother Yun, what do you mean?" Liao Yongjin was taken aback by the other partys words and he asked hurriedly. "Simple. Liu shi and the others dont think that Yang Xuan is a master teacher. On the contrary, they believe that it is likely for him to be an impersonator, so they specially made the trip here to expose his disguise before everyone else." As Liu Lings guard, he had been following him around these few days. He had overheard a fair share of the conversations among the three master teachers. Even though Liu shi and the others were surprised by the incidents with Ling Tianyus wife, Du Miaoxuan, and the others, they thought it more likely that Yang Xuan is a fake and he is intentionally ying out a show. After all, as master teachers, it is unbelievable for them that someone can solve problems that would leave them stumped easily, furthermore using methods that are difficult toprehend. Under the front of paying the other party a visit, they are actually conducting an investigation. "Yang shi... might be a fraud?" The moment Ah Yuns words sounded in the air, amotion broke out. If this is true, it would be no small matter. They took great pains to queue for so long, only to realize that the other party is a fraud... "Rest easy, Liu shi and the others have entered for quite some time now. We should be able to get an answer soon." Flinging his robe, Ah Yun calmly said with a haughty expression. If he isnt a fraud, how can he have such a dumb butler who speaks such dumb words? Jiya! Right after he said those words, the tightly-shut gates opened and a few figures emerged. "Brother Sun, it is enough that you send us off here. I have truly benefitted greatly from this meeting today. I know that Yang shi cares not for material possessions, but these are tokens of our appreciation, so please do help us pass it to him." Standing at the door, Liu shi chatted with Sun Qiang with a wide smile on his face. At the same time, he was stuffing items into thetters hands unceasingly. "What?" Ah Yuns body froze. Chapter 175: Striking it Rich Chapter 175: Striking it Rich Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove As the guard of a master teacher, he is absolutely clear of the standing and prestige the three master teachers possess in this kingdom. Yet, when the three master teachers emerged from the mansion, only the butler could be seen escorting them to the door... the fraud did not even show his face! Is that for real? Didnt youe here to expose that fellows disguise? To be fawning on a butler and piling gifts on his hands... Even calling him Brother Sun, what is going on? Ah Yun felt that he is mistaken, severely mistaken. Can it be that... Yang Xuan is really a master teacher? Just a moment ago, he had confidently dered that the master teachers had entered the mansion to expose Yang Xuans fraud before everyone. Upon witnessing the situation, he felt light-headed. Didnt you say that he is a fraud? Then why are you treating his butler with such respect? Furthermore... To addressing him as Brother Sun? Liu shi, you are already in your sixties while Sun Qiang isnt even forty. To call him Brother Sun... Why do I feel goosebumps rising on my body? "It is fortunate that we didnt listen to his words, otherwise we would have regretted it for life!" "Indeed, he doesnt know anything at all, yet he tried to feign knowledge..." "Expose his fraud? Have you seen someone exposing a fraud like this? By behaving so respectfully to a butler in his masters absence?" ... Immediately after recovering from the shock, the crowd criticized Ah Yun harshly. Those who came here to wait at Yang shis door possess great reputation and prestige in Tianxuan Kingdom. They might be fearful of Liu shi, but the same cannot be said of Ah Yun. When he spoke those words with great confidence earlier on, everyone believed him immediately. But now, they realized that they were fools to have trusted him so easily. After hearing those words, Ah Yun was so infuriated that his body trembled uncontrobly, sustaining great damage within. You were the ones who asked me, so I told you out of kindness on my ord. Yet... now you treat me like this... If I had known earlier, I wouldnt have said anything... ............ "You want me to help your Royal Elder achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation?" Zhang Xuan examined Emperor Shen Zhui who had put on a cautious expression. After helping Zhuang Xian achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation, Liu Ling and Zheng Fei lost all doubts about his identity. They proceeded to ask him a few questions about cultivation. Having read the books in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, Zhang Xuan now possesses an incredible amount of knowledge at his disposal. Furthermore, with the Library of Heavens Path ability to see through ws, he took just a few words to leave the duo fully impressed. After a brief consultation, the three of them stood up and took their leave. On the other hand, Emperor Shen Zhui remained behind. He hade for the Royal Elders matter. The moment the three master teachers left, he immediately took the chance to speak. "Yes..." Emperor Shen Zhui looked at him with utmost anticipation. If Tianxuan Kingdom loses the protection of the Royal Elder, it probably wont take long before other countries begin to invade. The survival of the fittest is not just a phrase that describes the world of cultivators. Countries are also governed by this primitivew. "I have onlye to Tianxuan Kingdom to rest. I do not wish to get myself involved in such troublesome affairs..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. It isnt that he is unwilling to help, it is just that... the other partys Royal Elder has already reached the level of Half-Zongshi. If he were to achieve another breakthrough, he would be a full-fledged Zongshi. Even Zhang Xuan himself has not yet attained Tongxuan realm. Although he had managed to help Zhuang Xian reach Half-Zongshi realm, luck had yed a heavy role. He does not want to attempt something beyond his means and risk exposing his disguise. "I beg for Yang shis assistance. Tianxuan Kingdom is willing to offer anything in exchange for your help on this matter..." Hearing his rejection, Emperor Shen Zhui knelt down hurriedly. He had spent great effort to invite the three master teachers, only to realize that they are helpless on the matter. His only hope is Yang shi. If the other party were to really not lend a helping hand, the Royal Elder wouldntst for long. "Do you think that Ick anything?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. "I dare not think so..." Emperor Shen Zhui was shocked. He suddenly found his words ludicrous. The other party is a master teacher of greater capability than Liu shi and the others. If he wanted something, a single word of his would send countless people rushing to fulfill his demands. As a tiny kingdom, how can Tianxuan Kingdom offer anything of interest to him? "Un, how about this. Help me gather manuals on Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm. It doesnt matter whether they are valuable or not. After you gather a thousand of such books, I will consider guiding the Royal Elder." Zhang Xuan said impassively. "Ah?" Emperor Shen Zhui was taken aback. Didnt you im that you dontck anything? Tongxuan realm manuals... What do you mean by that? A thousand books at that? His mouth twitched. Tongxuan realm experts are the top-tier fighting power of Tianxuan Kingdom. There arent many of such manuals even within the royal pce. Yet, to ask for a thousand of such books? What is Yang shi up to? "If you find it difficult, then lets just forget it..." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "It is no difficulty at all. Yang shi, rest assured. I will definitelyplete the task you ask of me within five days..." Emperor Shen Zhui clenched his jaws and agreed to it. This is his only chance. If he misses it, he would definitely regret it for life. "Un!" Zhang Xuan casually gestured, not speaking any further. Recognizing his intent, Emperor Shen Zhui took his leave. The moment he left the main hall, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He didnt think that the problem with gathering Tongxuan realm manuals, which had left him with a splitting headache, could be settled that easily. Given his capabilities, finding a book or two regarding Tongxuan realm isnt a problem, but it would be nearly impossible to gather a thousand books. However, it is different for Emperor Shen Zhui. As the sovereign of a country, it should be simple for him to gather arge number of Tongxuan realm manuals. Most importantly, he doesnt require quality, only quantity. He doesnt need any of those family hereditament secret manuals, he just needs a sufficient number of manuals. "Old master..." Sun Qiang walked over. "What happened in the past few days? What are those people outside doing?" He was put under the scrutiny of the three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui from the moment he arrived at the entrance of his mansion. As such, until now, hadnt had the chance to rify the situation. "Reporting to the old master, in the few days of your absence, your name has spread far and wide in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom..." Sun Qiang exined the urrences in the past few days in a concise manner to him. Zhang Xuan then understood what had actually happened and he couldnt help but be impressed by the rallying ability of a master teacher once more. It is no wonder that everyone dreams of bing a master teacher. "Old master, this is something that the three masters left behind..." After which, Sun Qiang passed over a storage ring. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. As he thought, given how wealthy the three master teachers are, how can they possibly not give any benefits when he had put in so much effort to guide them? After dripping blood onto the storage ring to im ownership, he peered into the ring and his eyes widened immediately. The quality of the ring is much better than the one he is currently using. Even though they are both low-tier storage rings, the space inside the storage ring that Liu shi gave is 30-meter-cube one, ten timesrger than the 3-meter-cube one that he has in his hands. Putting every aside, this ring is probably worth several million by itself. Numerous treasures were ced within, be it precious herbs or the mountain of gold coin. Judging with a casual look, he assessed the value of contents within to be probably greater than ten million. "Such an incredible sum..." With just a single nce, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but sigh. Master teachers are truly generous. Just a casual gift from them is worth several tens of million. Of course, he also knew that it was a friendly gesture from Liu shi and the others. Otherwise, there was not a need to spend such a great amount just because he had offered them guidance on their cultivation. "In the few days that old master was absent, Lord Ling Tianyu had also visited several times and he brought another five million gold bills over..." Sun Qiang presented another stack of gold bills. Even though he knew that his status had risen, he did not dare to hide the money other people had passed to him and handed them over to the old master honestly. "This is the entrance fee collected from other visitors in the past few days. I havepiled a name list..." After which, Sun Qiang handed over a booklet. Casually flipping through it, Zhang Xuan was astonished, "So many people?" "Reporting to the old master, a total of twenty-seven people visited the mansion and paid the entrance fee. Here is a total of eighty-one million..." After which, Sun Qiang gestured and two guards carried a chest in. It was filled with numerous money bills. "The heck..." Looking at the mountain of gold bills within the chest, Zhang Xuan felt as though he was going insane. Initially, he thought that earning twenty million would be a nigh impossible task. After seeing the sum before him, he realized that he had underestimated the prestige of a master teacher. Just by announcing his name, despite not getting to see him beforehand, people are willing to deliver such huge sums... No other upations would be able to achieve such a feat. "Help me tell those who had paid up to visit tomorrow. I will solve their problems one by one. As for those who didnt pay the entrance fee, get them to leave. From today on, I wont be epting any other requests..." Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan gestured. Since he has already epted their money, he cant possibly refund it. Moreover, dealing with the twenty-seven peoples problems would be sufficient keep him busy for quite awhile. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded his head. cing all of the gold bills in the chest and those on hand into the storage ring, he took out a single bill and gave it to Sun Qiang. "Here is your reward. Ive already said it, I will reward you greatly for following me!" In order for a steed to gallop swiftly, one has to first feed it sufficiently. In fact, if not Sun Qiangs effort in dealing with visitors these few days, he might not have earned this much money. Besides, this fellow must have probably suffered quite a few scares in thest few days. This is just a small sum of money. With his identity as a master teacher, he can easily make as much money as he needs. "A million..." Noticing the denomination of the bill in his hand, Sun Qiang was shocked and he knelt down immediately. This amount of money is something he could never have earned in his entire life. "Starting from today, regardless of what the old mastermands me to do, I wont bear a single word ofint..." Sun Qiang made a solemn vow in his heart. After following the old master, he gained not only pride and money, but also achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation. Such kindness and attention from the master... these are things which he would have never achieved by himself by simply muddling along for a lifetime. It can be said that the old master had opened a whole new world to him. It is as if he had granted him a new life. "Alright, Ill be heading out for now. Help me deal with those people at the entrance!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. To him, the most important matter now is to collect his medicine and help Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya awaken their unique constitution. And after that... sleep! After five days without rest, he is thoroughly exhausted. If not for the rise in his cultivation realm, he would have long fainted into a deep slumber. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded his head. Aware that the front entrance is swarming with people, Zhang Xuan left the mansion through the back door. After finding a remote alley, he took off his disguise, changed his clothes, and transformed back into his original appearance. With his looks restored, he immediately started walking with big strides toward the Apothecary Guild. ........................ "Teacher!" In Lu Xuns ssroom, various students stood neatly in a line. Of which, there are Zhu Hong, who sent the war letter to Zhang Xuans ssroom, Mo Xiao, Zheng Yangs good friend, and a few other people. If Yuan Tao, Liu Yang, and the others were present, they would surely be able to recognize that these five are the ones who would bepeting with them as ording to the list. A few days ago, they were only Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm cultivators. But right now, the aura they exuded felt clearly deeper and stronger. They had all managed to advanced to Fighter 2-dan. "Not bad!" Seeing the improvement in his students, Lu Xun nodded his head in satisfaction. It appears that therge amount of resources invested and the effort that he had devoted to nurturing them have not gone to waste. Having attained Fighter 2-dan, his students should be able to easily defeat Zhang Xuans students. "Luoshi, Master Teacher Yang Xuan... has appeared!" Just when he was about to delegate some matters to his students, Wang Chaooshi entered abruptly. Excitement could clearly be seen in his eyes. Chapter 176: Apothecary Hong Yun Chapter 176: Apothecary Hong Yun Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "He appeared?" Lu Xun turned to look at his good friend. "Un, today, Liu shi and the others paid a visit to Yang shis mansion along with Emperor Shen Zhui. Shortly, when the three master teachers emerged, their attitudes were extremely respectful. It seems like Yang shi is definitely a master teacher. Furthermore, his tier should be significantly higher than that of Liu shi and the others..." Wang Chao revealed the news that he had just received. "Higher than Liu shi... Doesnt that mean that he is a 2-star master teacher?" Lu Xuns eyes glowed brightly. "Lets hurry up and prepare, we should pay him a visit as well..." He had been waiting for an opportunity like this. If he were to catch Yang shis sight, he would definitely be able to soar to incredible heights. "Un!" Wang Chao nodded his head. However, in the next instant, a bitter look appeared on his face, "However, after the news spread, there are countless people who wish to pay Yang shi a visit. Im afraid that we wont get a chance at all!" "Furthermore, Im sure that youve heard of Yang shis rule. Those who want to pay him a visit has to pay three million upfront. Otherwise, one wouldnt even be allowed to enter... Even my father would find it hard to fork out so much money. Im afraid that..." Even though they are star teachers, they earned only two to three thousand gold coins per month. Forking out three million... is nothing more than a dream to them. Putting aside paying the other party a visit, just this condition alone is sufficient to spell their failure. "Dont worry, I have already thought the matter through!" Lu Xun shed a confident smile. "On the surface, everyone has to pay three million to enter Yang shis mansion. But in fact, in consideration of everyones dignity, definitely no one would pay it upfront. Thats to say... As long as no one says anything, we shouldnt be exposed!" "You mean that... we should try to sneak in along with the others? I dont think that it is a good idea... The other party isnt a fool. Im afraid that we will be locked out of the door if we dont pay the sum upfront!" Hearing the other partys reasoning, Wang Chao was stunned. "Its not sneaking in with the others. Im saying that... we should make use of our identities as star teachers to get past this barrier. Given our fame throughout the kingdom, who would dare to disrespect us? As long as we find the correct person to submit our qualifications to, the matter should be able to be settled easily!" "After all, master teachers are also interested in epting apprentices. We are the two most famous teachers in Tianxuan Royal City, so it wouldnt be wrong to say we are the most eligible candidates. As long as wepose a proper name scroll and highlight our achievements in teaching, he might just ept us as his apprentices. It doesnt matter whether we have the three million or not! What we have to do is to search for means to submit our name scroll. As for gathering money, that is of secondary concern at the moment!" "This..." Wang Chao blinked his eyes. "Fighting prowess isnt the only factor in bing a master teacher. More important than that, one must be able to nurture his students. Given how many capable students we have under us, we will definitely catch his attention." As he spoke, Lu Xun got increasingly excited that his eyes began to radiate, "If that doesnt work, we can invite him to the Teacher Evaluation. When he witnesses how I manage to crush Zhang Xuan and how outstanding I am, perhaps he will be impressed and happily ept me as his disciple..." "What you say makes sense... Given our identity as star teachers, submitting our qualifications shouldnt be difficult. If so, it might work out even without us paying the entrance fee!" Wang Chao finally understood Lu Xuns n. The Teacher Evaluation is a good opportunity. If Master Teacher Yang Xuan watches the duel, he will definitely form a favorable impression of Lu Xun and ept him as his disciple. As long as Lu Xun seeds, he can help to persuade Yang shi to ept Wang Chao as well. "Alright, lets prepare for a bit before we pay our visit to Yang shi..." Without much hesitation, Lu Xun started to make arrangements. .............................. Apothecary Guild. Guild Leader Ouyang, Apothecary Chen Xiao, Apothecary Bai Ming, and more than ten other apothecaries were seated in the hall with a respectful attitude. Hu! A violent wind blew and a massive aerial savage beast slowly descended from the sky. An elder stood on the beast. Before it had evennded, he gently leaped off its back and settled stably on the ground. "Paying respects to Apothecary Hong Yun!" Guild Leader Ouyang and his party stepped forward to wee him. Apothecary Hong Yun, a famous 2-star apothecary in one of the nearby kingdoms. "Un!" Apothecary Hong Yun nodded his head. Then, he lifted his eyebrow and asked, "Wheres that Zhang Xuan?" "Apothecary Zhang Xuan... probably isnt in the capital, thats why he didnte..." Guild Leader Ouyang said with an awkward expression. The past few days, Zhang Xuan had been spending his time in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Upon leaving, he put on his disguise and returned to his mansion immediately. Even Zhao Ya and the others face difficulties finding him, needless to say, him. "Atrocious!" Apothecary Hong Yun flung his hands. With a steeled face, he bellowed, "Even though the Pill Debate is a tradition passed down from the ancient times, it has a set of unique rules that has to be followed by. This time, other than delivering the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossus Rhinoceros Blood, I am also going to assess this Zhang Xuan. If he is unqualified, I will strip him of his qualifications immediately." "Yes!" Guild Leader Ouyang nodded his head. "Bring me the Record Crystal from that day. If I discover any bias in your actions, everyone who was involved in the Pill Debate will be punished!" Apothecary Hong Yun frowned andmanded authoritatively. "Yes, Apothecary Hong Yun. This way please..." Guild Leader Ouyang hurriedly stepped forward to lead the way. Soon, they arrived at the location where the Pill Debate was held and took out the Record Crystal. "Activate it!" Apothecary Hong Yun sat down and sipped on a freshly-brewed cup of tea before staring impassively at the others. Upon hearing the other partys words, Guild Leader Ouyang immediately infused his zhenqi into the Record Crystal. Instantly, the crystal started to shine and the recorded contents began to y before them. The image of Zhang Xuan stepping into the room appeared. "Is this Zhang Xuan? Guild Leader Ouyang, you are also a veteran of the guild, how can you be so foolish? How can someone that young seed in Pill Debate?" After seeing Zhang Xuans young appearance, Apothecary Hong Yun immediately raised his eyebrows. Which one of those who had dared to challenge the Pill Debate had not studied pill forging for several decades? At the very least, they were fifty to sixty-year-old. Yet, this fellow isnt even twenty... What can he be possibly capable of? Clearly, the other apothecaries had intentionally given in to him! "How about this? As long as any apothecary here dares to forge pills before me, regardless of the method he uses, I am able to point out the name of his forging method and the errors hemits in the process. If any of those here find what I say incorrect, I can admit defeat immediately..." Zhang Xuans voice echoed from the Record Crystal. "Arrogant!" Apothecary Hong Yun sneered coldly. "Even I cant guarantee to be able to see through all of the errors in a 1-star apothecarys forging technique. Yet, as an apprentice, he ims to be able to do so? What a joke... He truly is naive!" The Record Crystal continued to y. Soon, it disyed the scene regarding Apothecary Meng Yan. Zhang Xuan pointed out that there was killing intent in him, and thus, it was unlikely for his Tranquil Heart Pill to work. "That Apothecary Meng Yans movements are hasty and he doesnt look tranquil in the least. It isnt surprising that he can see through this..." Watching up to this point, Apothecary Hong Yun hesitated for a moment before speaking. As a 2-star apothecary, his discernment ability isnt something Guild Leader Ouyang and the rest can match up to. Apothecary Meng Yans state of mind was clearly unstable and one could tell that he was irritable at that moment. It wasnt difficult to conclude that the pill he forged would be a failed product. After which, Apothecary Chen Xiao started forging. "Death aura? This... Apothecary Chen Xiaos pill forging is too quiet. I can only tell that something is amiss with him, but I cant say for sure that he is about to die..." Apothecary Hong Yun was slightly perplexed. The other 1-star apothecaries thought that Zhang Xuan had looked into their affairs before working backward to derive the conclusion. On the other hand, Apothecary Hong Yun, as a 2-star apothecary, has much sharper eyes. Even though he isnt able to tell as much as Zhang Xuan was able to, he is nevertheless able to discover a thing or two from Meng Yan and Chen Xiaos state then. After which, it was Cheng Jiangs turn. Then, Bai Ming. "This cauldron has a height of 7 chi and 3 cun and width of 3 cun and 2 chi. It was created by a 3-mo craftsman in the Stone Well Workshop seven years and three months ago..." "This cauldron is slightly thicker than a cun and it requires an incenses time and thirty-four breaths for the heat topletely permeate the cauldron..." On the Record Crystal, Zhang Xuan spoke calmly and steadily. Wisdom and self-confidence were disyed clearly in his gaze. "This..." Apothecary Hong Yuns anger had vanishedpletely. Instead, he was staring fixedly at the crystal with widened eyes. He has had the opportunity toe into contact with apothecaries of higher tiers and heard them converse with one another. It seems that before forging pills, one should first study the cauldron thoroughly so as to understand how to make full use of it to forge higher quality pills. All along, he had thought that these are distant concepts inapplicable to him. Never in his dreams would he expect to hear such words from the mouth of an apprentice. Furthermore, the other party had spoken of every single step in great detail. "Reporting to Apothecary Hong Yun, after the incident, I took the effort to look through the scroll regarding the cauldron and did aparison to his words. Regardless of the weight of the cauldron, its thickness, when it was forged, how many times it had been transported, and the kinds of pills that were forged through it... Apothecary Zhang Xuans words arepletely correct! There isnt even the slightest bit of error!" "We specially conducted an experiment as well and indeed, it took precisely an incenses time and thirty-four breaths for heat to permeate the cauldron..." ... Guild Leader Ouyang exined. Actually, even without his exnation, Apothecary Hong Yun, who spends his days forging pills, could roughly tell that the words of the other party are correct. "...causing a loss of the medicinal effect by thirteen percent. Fail!" "...As such, its medicinal effect wasnt fully unleashed and fourteen percent of the medicinal effect was lost. Fail!" ... "This... This... Impossible!" Upon hearing the entire string of failure from Zhang Xuan, Apothecary Hong Yuns body stiffened. He couldnt help but clench his fist together tightly. "After that, we did a series of tests based on the Zhang Xuans words. The percentages that he gave arepletely urate. This is a log of the tests we did. Please look through it..." Guild Leader Ouyang handed over a book. Since it was a Pill Debate, naturally, they couldnt let it end that easily. After Zhang Xuan left the examination hall, Guild Leader Ouyang and the other apothecaries worked overnight to test all of the figures that he provided and the results left them dumbfounded. To think that... it would be absolutely urate. There wasnt even the slightest bit of error. "This..." Flipping through the logs, Apothecary Hong Yun felt as though he was going mad. The signature of the apothecaries were all present and the timing between each step was recorded extremely clearly. Thus, it is impossible for it to be falsified. To remember the sequence in which he added in the 47 medicinal herbs with a single look and to deduce the reaction of every single process thoroughly, as well as the loss of the medicinal effectiveness... The heck, is that person really a human? Apothecary Hong Yun tried to see if he could deduce the figures by looking at the forging process on the Record Crystal but soon, he shook his head. Even with his abilities, he isnt capable of such a feat. Thus, he continued to watch on. What came afterward was the usual Pill Debate process. The various apothecaries came forward to pose questions of their own. "...It just happens that there is one of it in our basic tier book collection vault. It is on the 27th row, on the upper left corner..." On the Record Crystal, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, gestured grandly, and spoke of the names of the books, as well as the position of them in the guilds book collection vault. "These books... I have read almost them all and it is exactly as he had said..." Apothecary Hong Yuns breathing hastened. He might be unable to confirm the authenticity of the words that Zhang Xuan had said earlier just by looking at the Record Crystal, but as a 2-star apothecary, the number of books he had read and his knowledge of pill forging far surpasses that of Guild Leader Ouyang and the others. He had browsed through many of the books that the other party had mentioned and the contents... were identical to what he had said. Honestly speaking, when he heard that the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild had allowed a fellow who isnt even twenty to be an official apothecary through Pill Debate, he was extremely infuriated. He thought that Ouyang Cheng and the others had gone easy on him. That was precisely the reason why the headquarters sent him to investigate the case. On his way here, he had already thought of how he should find ws so as to fail this Zhang Xuan and strip him of his apothecary qualifications. Yet, he didnt think that he would find himself impressed by the other party even before finishing the contents in the Record Crystal. If the contents of the Record Crystal isnt a show and happened for real... Then this Zhang Xuan truly holds an inconceivably deep understanding of pill forging... "...Apothecary Wu Xiaos Cauldron Maintenance, Apothecary Zhao Qians Important Matters to Note for Pill Forging, Apothecary Niu Xuans Misceneous Things You Have to Know, Apothecary Pang Bos Protect Your New Cauldron..." Zhang Xuan continued to speak on the Record Crystal and elegance exuded from his every single action. "I have read those books as well. His reply ispletely... correct!" "...Correct!" "...Correct!" Apothecary Hong Yuns joints started to pale and his lips quivered non-stop. He came here to enforce punishment, but before even looking through the entire Record Crystal, he realized that there isnt a single valid reason to do so... "Guild Leader Ouyang, Apothecary Zhang Xuan is waiting outside and he requests for an audience..." An apprentice said. Danng! Astonished, Apothecary Hong Yun unintentionally released his grip on the teacup in his hands. It fell onto the floor and shattered into numerous fragments. Turning around, he saw a listless fellow with bloodshot eyes and heavy eyebags enter. Chapter 177: Exploding Cauldron Chapter 177: Exploding Cauldron Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Is he that confident fellow showed by the Record Crystal?" Recovering from his shock, Apothecary Hong Yun calmed his breathing. The fellow in the Record Crystal emitted wisdom and self-confidence as he disyed his deep understanding toward pill forging. Yet, the fellow before him is listless and his eyes were bloodshot... Was he bullied by someone? Apothecaries oftene into contact with medicinal herbs and as such, they are exceptionally particr about maintaining their bodies. Usually, they wouldnt allow themselves such fatigue. Besides... an apothecary is one of the top professions among the Upper Nine Paths. As such, they pay great attention to their image and prestige. When has anyone ever seen such heavy eyebags on the face of an apothecary? This isnt cool. Apothecary Hong Yun isnt the only one who is perplexed, puzzled expressions had also appeared on the faces of Apothecary Ouyang and the others. Is this really the fellow who achieved a perfect victory in the Pill Debate? The person who caused them the temptation to dive into any hole they could find? How unbefitting... ... Oblivious to the thoughts running through their minds, upon walking into the room, Zhang Xuan saw that more than a dozen of the apothecaries of the Tianxuan Kingdom were gathered here and felt baffled. These apothecaries are usually extremely busy. It isnt a simple feat to gather them like this. Back then, it was due to the importance of the Pill Debate that ten of them could be gathered in a days notice. But why are they so many of them present today? However, it isnt his business why the apothecaries are gathered here. Zhang Xuan shook his head, choosing not to involve himself in the matter. Enduring the fatigue which is on the verge of overwhelming him, he walked toward the center of the lounge. "Guild Leader Ouyang, have the items I bought arrived?" "They have arrived. Over here..." Guild Leader Ouyang handed over the items that Apothecary Hong Yun had just delivered. The tier-3 Unravel Yin Pill and the blood of the Primordial Colossus Rhinoceros. Upon receiving the goods, delight appeared on Zhang Xuans face. He kept the items into his storage ring and passed over the stack of gold bills which he had prepared beforehand in return. "Farewell..." Witnessing that the other party had counted the money and confirmed that there were no problems whatsoever, Zhang Xuan prepared to leave. He is simply too tired. It is great that the items had arrived. This way, he can quickly bring them to Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao for their consumption and he can finally enjoy his long-awaited rest. "Apothecary Zhang Xuan, hold it for a moment..." Apothecary Hong Yun finally recovered from his shock and stood up. "Who are you?" Tired and irritable, Zhang Xuan was displeased to see that someone had blocked his path. "I am Hong Yun... I have a doubt in pill forging that I would like to consult you on. I hope that Apothecary Zhang Xuan can ept my request..." Apothecary Hong Yun said. After viewing the contents in the Record Crystal, he is seventy to eighty percent convinced by the abilities of the person before him. Still, he has to question him in person to ascertain whether there was any fraud involved in the process. "Im not free!" Zhang Xuans lips curled up in displeasure. "Im not your teacher. If you have any queries, go and look them up in the books. Why would you ask me to answer your question? Go and find someone else to bother..." What a joke, cant you see that Im busy? I want to return back home to sleep. Who has the time to answer your question? Why are you so insensitive to your surroundings? Besides... Who the hell are you! If every apothecary were to pose a question to me, wont I die of exhaustion? Guangdang! All of the apothecaries in the room fell onto the floor. Guild Leader Ouyang nearly choked to death on a mouthful of phlegm. Brother, this is a 2-star apothecary sent by the upper echelons to look you, yet you dare to tell him to go and look for someone else to bother... "Cough cough!" Holding in the urge to spurt blood, Guild Leader Ouyang stepped forward and added, "Apothecary Zhang Xuan, Apothecary Hong Yun is a 2-star apothecary sent by the headquarters..." "2-star apothecary?" Zhang Xuan was startled. Taking a nce at the fellow blocking his way, he lifted his tired eyelids slightly and replied, "Alright. Feel free to ask anything you are unsure of. Im in a hurry..." "..." Guild Leader Ouyang. "..." The other apothecaries. The other person is here to test you. Why does it look as though he is consulting and learning from you now? More importantly... in a hurry? Your head. Arent you worried at all? If you were to fail his evaluation, the other party has the right to strip you of your identity as an apothecary... The crowd was shocked by Zhang Xuans words. On the other hand, Apothecary Hong Yun felt depressed. If not for the fact that he had watched the other partys performance in the Pill Debate through the Record Crystal, he would have already gone into a frenzy. "When the tier-1 Breath Restoration Pill is forged, it would often turn slightly yellow. I would like to ask how one can solve this problem." "And you call yourself a 2-star apothecary when you dont even know this? Breath Restoration Pill allows one to recover depleted energy and the main ingredient is the White Banquet Grass. This object is white and upon contact with a persons zhenqi, it will turn a shade of faint yellow. This isnt a problem with the medicinal herb but because the apothecarys zhenqi is filled with too many impurities. If one were to possess a purer zhenqi, such a condition would not ur. To prevent the pill from turning yellow, one can also add a stalk of Green Sun Grass while forging the pill. This herb absorbs the impurities in ones zhenqi, and as such, prevents the White Banquet Grass from turning yellow..." Zhang Xuan casually gestured. The golden page had allowed him to convert all of the contents contained within the books from the basic tier book collection vault and advanced tier book collection vault of the Apothecary Guild into functional knowledge. Even without using the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to easily solve the problem the other party brought up. More importantly, it is because the other party had asked a question regarding tier-1 pills. If a more advanced question were asked, Zhang Xuan would have had no way of answering. "Pure Lotus, as the main ingredient of the pill, tastes extremely bitter. However, adding licorice into the mix makes the concoction unstable. How do you solve this problem?" Apothecary Hong Yun continued asking. "The bitter taste of the Pure Lotuses from the golden colored seed pod on top. This part doesnt contribute to the pill at all, and by getting rid of it, not only will the pill not be bitter, it would have a slightly sweet taste. Adding licorice is an excessive action, so naturally, it will result in the explosion of the cauldron." Zhang Xuan stared at the other party as though looking at an idiot, "You are a 2-star apothecary, and you dont even know this? How did you even get your qualification?" "..." Apothecary Hong Yun nearly choked on his anger. "Alright, if these are the kinds of problems you have for me, the answers can be found in the guilds advanced tier book collection vault. If youre free, do read more books. I have something on, so I will be taking my leave..." Zhang Xuan yawned and walked toward the exit. He feels that if he doesnt sleep anytime soon, he might die of fatigue. Upon hearing his words, Apothecary Hong Yun was dumbfounded. Cant you show some respect for me? No matter what, I am a 2-star apothecary from the headquarters and I am a tier higher than you. Other people treat me with utmost respect upon seeing me, yet you dont even look at me properly when conversing with me, telling me to go and find someone else to bother and read more books... Read your head! I am examining you, cant you tell that much? Of course, I know the answers... A look of displeasure appeared on his face and his eyebrows shot upward. "Wait a moment. As long as you can answer this question... I wont ask anything else. Also, I will give you the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossus Rhinoceros Blood for free." Finishing his words, just as he was still wondering if the other party would take up his offer, he saw that Zhang Xuan was already standing right in front of him. The fatigue in his eyes had disappeared without a trace and in its ce is overwhelming vitality, "Are you serious?" The Unravel Yin Pill and Colossus Rhinoceros Blood are worth a total of twenty-three million gold coins. If he can obtain them for free, it would be for the best. He would be able to save a huge sum of money... "You... Materialistic!" Apothecary Hong Yun was so angry that his beard was flying up from his agitated breathing. When he was talking to him earlier on, the other party wasnt even willing to open his eyes. Yet, upon hearing that he would be able to obtain the items for free, he became so excited that he immediately dashed to him... To think that he, as a 2-star apothecary, would be inferior to a pile of gold coins in the other partys eyes... He felt like going on a rampage. Actually, Zhang Xuans actions were not intentional. His values are still of the period when he was still a librarian in the other world. It has been just a few days since he had transcended over and he hadnt truly understood how this world operated. Thus, he doesnt have a concrete idea of a 2-star apothecary; no matter how incredible the other party is... can he be more practical than money? After all, he burnt so much brain cells just to earn this twenty million... "The problem is... Whenever I forge a Vitality Restoration Pill, the cauldron would always end up exploding..." Apothecary Hong Yun started raising the question. Upon hearing the question, Ouyang Cheng and the others stared at one another in shock. Vitality Restoration Pill... This is a top-grade tier-2 pill that is used to restore a persons expended vitality. It is said that even 3-star apothecaries are not able to forge the pill easily. Apothecary Hong Yun actually asked a 1-star apothecary how to forge a top-grade tier-2 pill... This is way too shameless. He has obviously overstepped the boundaries. Upon seeing the gazes from the others, Apothecary Hong Yuns face flushed. Honestly, the reason why he brought up this question was that he was infuriated with Zhang Xuan. Arent you intelligent? Lets see how you answer a question which even I, a 2-star apothecary, is unable to answer. If you are unable to answer my question, I shall teach you a lesson and pop your egotistical bubble. I will show you the correct attitude to assume when you speak to a 2-star apothecary. "Vitality Restoration Pill?" Zhang Xuan had never read books pertaining to the tier-2 pills and as a result, he didnt recognize its name. He simply thought that it might just be a rare pill which isnt detailed in the book collection vaults of the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild. Of course, it doesnt make a difference whether he knows or not. In any case, he hadnt intended to depend on his knowledge to solve the question. It has been less than half a month since he had transcended over, and even with the cheat known as the Library of Heavens Path, allowing him to learn rapidly, it is impossible to match up to these apothecaries who possess decades of experience. "Let me see you forge a pill..." Confident, Zhang Xuan casually waved his hands. "Alright!" Detecting his disrespectful tone, Apothecary Hong Yun became increasingly enraged. Very solemnly, he decided to severely discipline Zhang Xuan if he is unable toe up with a good answer. Thus, he stepped forward to the cauldron, retrieved a few medicinal herbs from his storage ring and started the forging process. The Vitality Restoration Pill is one of the bestsellers among tier-2 pills. As Apothecary Hong Yun hasnt been able to sessfully forge the pill, he carries a few sets of ingredients everywhere, studying the matter whenever possible. Xiong xiong xiong! The mes licked the sides of the cauldron, providing the heat required to refine the medicinal herbs. As a 2-star apothecary, Apothecary Hong Yuns skills are clearly on a much higher level than Apothecary Chen Xiao and the rest. Regardless of control over the medicinal herb, mes, as well as over the refinement of the medicinal herbs... None of the other apothecaries present are able topare to him. Different herbs were thrown into the cauldron in an extremely fluid manner. Under the intense heat of the mes, shortly, a dense pill fragrance started to emanate from the cauldron. The pill fragrance is infused with a considerable amount of spiritual energy. Even with just a single whiff, one feels energized. Zhang Xuan had been awake for five continuous days and had umted quite a bit of fatigue. With a single whiff, he felt some fatigue disappearing from his body. His bloodshot eyes also eased to a small degree. Boom! However, just as the pill fragrance reached its densest, it ceased abruptly. A violent energy surged outward from within the cauldron, and unable to stand the might, the cauldron blew apart. Kacha! A pile of charred medicinal residue flowed from the remains of the cauldron. Not only did he fail to form a pill, it was the scariest failure that could happen during a pill forging process... cauldron explosion! If not for the crowd having been warned in advance and was prepared for it, they might have been wounded by the violent aura that shot forth from the cauldron. Having suffered the full force of the explosion, Apothecary Hong Yun was entirely covered in soot and his hair spiked upward, as though he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. cing his hands behind his back and assuming the disposition of an expert, he turned around to look at Zhang Xuan. "I am done. Tell me what went wrong in the process..." Chapter 178: Conflicting properties Chapter 178: Conflicting properties Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Er..." Noticing his appearance, Guild Leader Ouyang and the others were tempted tough, but they did not dare to. Hong Yun is an apothecary of far higher standing than them. Even Emperor Shen Zhui would have to treat him with the utmost respect, not daring to slight him in the least. Yet, at this very moment, he looks like charcoal and his hair is standing on ends. If not for the movements in his eyes, one wouldnt doubt that this is a corpse. However, they understood that it isnt an appropriate moment to beughing. All of their gazes had converged onto Zhang Xuan. They were curious to listen to what he has to say. Offering a pointer to a 2-star apothecary... This is something unimaginable to them. They wanted to see if the young man who had awed them in the Pill Debate can shine once more. However, the young man simply turned to look at Apothecary Hong Yun with a bizarre expression and inquired, "Are you sure that you are a 2-star apothecary?" "What do you mean?" Apothecary Hong Yun flung his robe angrily. "What is the property of Blue Floral Grass?" Ignoring the other partys displeasure, Zhang Xuan asked. "Blue Floral Grass has a purplish color and is a warm herb." Apothecary Hong Yun replied. "What about Golden Dime Flower?" "Golden Dime Flower consists of two colors, golden and silver. As such, some people term it as Silver-leaf Golden Flower. It is a herb with mediating property." "Even though these two herbs possess mild properties, when used together, an extremely violent reaction results." Zhang Xuan said. "I know that. However, the Vitality Restoration Pill recipe has been passed down for a long time. If the reaction between the two can result in the explosion of the cauldron, then it would have happened to other people as well." Apothecary Hong Yun shook his head. "Besides, there isnt any mistake in the sequence in which I ce the medicinal herbs. In fact, I even added a Purple Aroma Grass between the two to mediate between their properties. In terms of sequence and timing, there are no errors at all!" He had consulted another expert on the forging process of the Vitality Restoration Pill. Every single medicinal herb and movements were identical to the other party, yet the result was entirely different. This was what left him baffled. The other party had also said that the fusing of the two medicinal herbs would result in a violent reaction, which he also knew and had taken preventive measures. It is impossible for the explosion of the cauldron to be due to this. "I didnt say that your sequence is incorrect or that theres a problem with the two medicinal herbs!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "What do you mean?" Apothecary Hong Yun, as well as the other spectators, felt perplexed. If that isnt the problem, that what could be it? Otherwise, why would his cauldron explode when there are no errors? Besides... If theres nothing wrong with the two herbs, why did you even ask about them? Ignoring the bizarre looks everyone shot at him, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and walked toward the exploded cauldron. On the ground nearby, a stalk of Blue Floral Grass and Golden Dime Flower each could be seen. "The Blue Floral Grass and Golden Dime Flower react to result in a violent explosion when they are mixed together... Its true that adding a Purple Aroma Grass can help to solve the problem, but... while other people may be able to do it, but you cant!" Zhang Xuan smiled lightly. "I cant? Is there something special about me?" Apothecary Hong Yun frowned. I am a distinguished 2-star apothecary, and furthermore, I am one of the better-skilled ones in the tier. So why am I the only exception? "Thats right, theres something special about you. If Im not wrong, you have never eaten any medicine which uses Purple Aroma Grass as the main ingredient!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "Er... I am allergic to Purple Aroma Grass and so, I cannot consume it..." Apothecary Hong Yun nodded his head. "Actually, its not due to an allergy. Rather, the attribute of your zhenqi is ipatible with it..." Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and continued, "Because you cultivate using the Vast me Form, your zhenqi inherently carries the property of fire. On the other hand, the Purple Aroma Grass grows in the water, giving it the property of water. Hence, your zhenqi overwhelms the water property of the Purple Aroma Grass, causing it to lose its effectiveness. As such, while it is effective for others to utilize the Purple Aroma Grass as a mediating factor in forging of the Vitality Restoration Pill, it does not work for you. Therefore, when the other two herbse into direct contact, a violent reaction results and causes the cauldron to explode!" "You... How did you know that I cultivate the Vast me Form?" Apothecary Hong Yuns face turned pale. The Vast me Form is a family hereditament cultivation technique handed down through his n. He had practiced it from young, and it has been several decades since. As a result, his zhenqi does indeed carry the fire attribute. However, this was a personal secret and he had never told any outsider. In fact, not even his good friends know of it. How is this fellow able to tell so easily? "It doesnt matter how I know it. If you dont believe me, you can try adding Blue Floral Grass and Golden Dime Flower to the Purple Aroma Grass which you have refined. If it doesnt explode, that would mean that my conjecture is wrong." Zhang Xuan didnt bother exining. Just by having the other party disy his pill forging technique, a book waspiled by the Library of Heavens Path. Not mentioning the name of the cultivation technique, if he really wished to, Zhang Xuan could have clearly mentioned every single w on that cultivation technique. It isnt a big deal to him. Apothecary Hong Yun hesitated for a moment but eventually decided to give it a try. Thus, he took out a Blue Floral Grass, Golden Dime Flower, and Purple Aroma Grass and refined them into medicinal essences. After which, he mixed the three of them together. Boom! Exactly as what the other party said, the concoction exploded immediately. "This..." Apothecary Hong Yuns body trembled. He had already studied the Vitality Restoration Pill for numerous years, but he had never seeded in forging it. He had always thought that the problem lied with his movements and the sequence which he added in medicinal herbs. He never once imagined that it would actually be his zhenqi which had rendered the Purple Aroma Grasss mediating property ineffective. If he hadnt heard himself, he would have never believed it. "Is there a solution to the problem?" Recovering from his shock, Apothecary Hong Yun turned his sight to the young man. At this moment, he is alreadypletely impressed with the other party. Initially, he hade with the intention to strip Zhang Xuans apothecary qualifications. However, that thought had vanishedpletely from his mind. To be able to tell his cultivation technique and pinpoint the sh in medicinal herbs just by watching him forge the pill once... Even though he has no idea of the other partys pill forging technique, just his discerning ability itself is more than sufficient to qualify him as a 2-star apothecary. "To think that a 2-star apothecary cant solve such a simple problem by himself?" Displeasure appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Even though the library points out the ws of a problem, it doesnt give him a direct solution. Of course, he cant mention this out loud... What if the other party ims that he did not solve the problem satisfactorily and refuse to pay up? The reason why he took the effort to answer the other partys question was money. Otherwise, why would he waste his precious sleeping time? "Thank you for your guidance..." Upon hearing the other partys criticism, Apothecary Hong Yuns face flushed. The other partys words made sense. As a 2-star apothecary, it was already absurd for him to pose such a question to a 1-star apothecary. To ask for the solution when the other party had already directed him to the core of the problem... what an embarrassment. The Purple Aroma Grass was only a mediating factor. As long as he can find a mediating herb that doesnt sh with his zhenqi, the problem should be solved. "This..." The Apothecary Hong Yun, who was iparably arrogant and authoritative when he arrived, now looks like an elementary schooler, not daring to refute the criticisms. Guild Leader Ouyang and the rest tucked at their hair, wanting to knock their head against the wall. It was clear that Zhang Xuans exnation was spot-on. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the other party to submit to him like that. For a newly appointed 1-star apothecary to lecture a 2-star apothecary to the point that he does not dare to refute his words at all... The crowd swallowed a mouthful of saliva subconsciously. "Guild Leader Ouyang, you should have heard Apothecary Hong Yuns words. Return that money, along with the one million deposit that I paid in advance..." Ignoring everyones shock, Zhang Xuan walked straight up to Guild Leader Ouyang, stretched out his hand, and grabbed the money bills which he handed to him previously. "..." Everyone was speechless. Since you are such an incredible apothecary, you should be able to earn that bit of money just by selling a few pills. Do you have to act in such a manner just because of this bit of money? Ignoring their bizarre gazes, Zhang Xuan kept the money and nodded his head in satisfaction. The reason why he went about looking for money, even disguising as a master teacher to guide others, was to pay for these items... Yet... In the end, when the items arrived, he didnt even have to spend a single gold coin... If he knew it would end up like this, he wouldnt have gone through so much effort to disguise himself as a master teacher. In the end, look at how exhausted he became doing so... Zhang Xuan felt dismal. Apothecary Hong Yun was done examining Zhang Xuan. Knowing that this young man holds true capabilities, he longer dared to hold him back. Leaving the Apothecary Guild, Zhang Xuan headed to the academy. .............................. Hearing that Master Teacher Yang Xuan had appeared, Lu Xun and Wang Chao could no longer remain seated. Afterposing their name scrolls, they rushed out of the academy in a hurry. At the entrance, they happened to see a listless young man walking in. That fellow had bloodshot eyes and his hair was a mess. With a single look, it was clear that he hadnt slept for several days. "Lu Xun, its Zhang Xuan..." Wang Chao said with a restrained voice. "Him?" Lu Xun nced at the listless young man and shook his head. Contempt appeared in his gaze. "To think that a teacher of the academy would be so ignorant of etiquette and walk around in such a ragged state. It truly is a wonder to me why the academy would recruit such a person in the first ce!" "I think that this fellow must have been feeling stressed over your challenge, and had spent thest few days without sleep trying to think of a countermeasure, thus reducing himself to such a state..." Wang Chao chuckled. Who is Lu Xunoshi? The most famous star teacher in Hongtian Academy! There is a long queue of students who desire toe under his tutge. Even an elder would find himself sweating profusely if challenged by him. The young teacher who had just joinedst year is surely scared out of his wits by now. Otherwise, why would he be in such a state? "Thinking of a countermeasure?" Lu Xunoshi shook his head. Self-confidence radiated from his gaze. "To want to surpass me in the field of teaching in the Hongtian Academy... Dream on!" "Indeed. Honestly speaking, he can only me himself for his ill luck. He just has to pop up when you require an opponent to rise up and attract the attention of the master teacher. He truly deserves it..." Wang Chao chuckled. Even though Emperor Shen Zhui had invited Liu shi and the others with secrecy, announcing to others that he was going on a hunt, there were actually quite a few well-informed people who already knew the truth. In order to attract the attention of the master teachers to be their apprentice, Lu Xun was already prepared to look for someone to serve as his stepping stone. Even if Wang Tao and Wang Yan had not withdrawn from his tutge, he would have invented another reason. It just happened that Zhang Xuan came into his path voluntarily, so naturally, Lu Xun chose to make use of him. "Lets go! We have to hurry to Yang shis mansion now. Otherwise, who knows how long we will have to queue." Lu Xun nodded his head. To him, Zhang Xuan is merely a small stepping stone for him to be a master teacher, a meaningless itch on his back. He holds no resentment or anger toward him at all. "Indeed, Yang shi should be our goal. This Zhang Xuan is only an insignificant figure in the academy..." Wang Chao nodded his head. No longer bothering with Zhang Xuan, the two of them walked past Zhang Xuan arrogantly, not even giving him a proper look in the eyes! .............................. Seeing two teachers walking past him with their heads held high and haughtily, as though enlightened experts unmoved by material desires, Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Who are these two... fools? Even though he had epted the Teacher Evaluation duel with Lu Xunoshi, he had never met the other party. Thus, he didnt recognize him at all. There are several hundred teachers in Hongtian Academy. Zhang Xuan arrived justst year, and he hadnt formed good interpersonal rtionships. Given how poor he was faring then, he didnt have the leisure to be concerned about other teachers, so it was natural for him to not recognize the academys celebrity. Chapter 179: Teacher, Youve Worked Hard! Chapter 179: Teacher, Youve Worked Hard! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Ignoring the two fools, Zhang Xuan proceeded straight to his ssroom. "Teacher, youre back!" All of his students were present in the ssroom. Upon seeing him enter, they bowed deeply. "Good, looks like you have all been working hard the past few days." Scanning the room and noticing the rise in their cultivation, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. In his five days of absence, his students actually had massive improvements. Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Zheng Yang had all attained Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm pinnacle. Even though Zhao Ya remained stuck at Juxi realm pinnacle, her strength is much greater than the others. It seems like she isnt far from reaching the Dantian realm. As for Yuan Tao, who has the weakest foundation out of all of Zhang Xuans students, he had advanced from Juxi realm primary stage to Juxi realm intermediate stage. The Breathing Forging Pill and the cultivation technique which Zhang Xuan imparted him seems to have worked wonders. The current Zhao Ya, even without his advice, should be able to easily defeat Zhu Hong. "Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao, follow me." After examining everyones conditions once more through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan felt pleased. Then, he gestured for the two. Entering the small room within the ssroom, Zhang Xuan whipped out the pills which he had just obtained from the Apothecary Guild. "Zhao Ya, this is the Unravel Yin Pill. It can awaken your unique constitution. Later at night, find arge wooden pail, fill it with water, and soak yourself in it before consuming the pill." He passed the Unravel Yin Pill over. "Thank you, teacher..." Even though she didnt know that the pill is worth ten million, it is nevertheless an authentic pill forged by an official apothecary and she knew that it is definitely extremely valuable. She epted the pill from Zhang Xuans hands in delight and her heart was quietly filled with gratitude. "Yuan Tao, do you know why I epted you as my student?" After passing the pill to Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan turned to look at his plump disciple. "I..." Yuan Tao scratched his head. Actually, he had been baffled these few days as well. He is the student who scored the worst in the Entrance Examinations. Back then, he thought that Zhangoshi epted him because he was unable to find any students and used him to add to his number. However, after witnessing this Zhangoshis capabilitiester, he immediately understood that he had been mistaken. How is it possible for such an incredible person to be unable to find students? Thus, even though he had been working hard alongside Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others, an inferiorityplex had started to develop within him. He felt as though he would drag the others down. As such, he had subconsciously kept his shameless personality in rein. "Theres no need for you to feel inferior. As long as you cultivate earnestly, you will be able to reach greater heights than Zheng Yang and the others!" Reading the doubt and fear he bore in his heart, Zhang Xuan said. Emperor Bloodline. Even inparison to other unique constitutions, it is considered one of the strongest. If he were to fully awaken this constitution, his cultivation would definitely soar. In this case, exceeding Zheng Yang and the others would be an easy task. "Teacher... I... Can I really reach greater heights?" Yuan Tao face flushed as he said in agitation. These few days, he had been worried that Zhangoshi would dump him because of his inability. He didnt expect that Zhangoshi would bear such high expectations of him. "Rest assured, I am not mistaken." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Then, with a piercing gaze, he stared at him. "However... youck talent. In order to surpass the rest, you will have to endure greater hardship. Are you willing to do so?" After reading the books in the Apothecary Guilds advanced tier book collection vault, he knew that activating the Emperor Bloodline through such a mean would be an extremely painful process. If he were to cave in, not only will the awakening process be a fail, he might even die as a result. Thats why Zhang Xuan did not pass the item directly to the other party. He wanted to stimte the other partys determination, to harden his resolve. To cultivate is to go against heaven. Without the determination to face ones death in the midst of doing so, it is impossible for one to emerge above the countless others who tread on the same path. "Teacher, as long as my cultivation can improve swiftly so that I wont burden the others, I am willing to bear any hardship." Yuan Tao knelt onto the floor. Unwavering determination reflected in his eyes. As a wandering cultivator, he had gone through numerous hardships, and he understood that finding a good teacher isnt easy. No matter what, he would never give up on this opportunity. "Alright, this is the item that I have prepared for you. After returning to your dormitory tonight, spread it all over your body. The process might be extremely painful, but as long as you grit your teeth and bear with it, the rewards will be spectacr. Are you willing to give it a try?" Upon finishing his words, Zhang Xuan passed the blood of the Colossus Rhinoceros forward. "As long as it can raise my cultivation, I am willing to bear as much pain as needed!" Yuan Tao clenched his jaws. Even though he is often joking about and looks half-hearted, he is actually the most determined of the five. "Spreading this thing isnt a one-time off thing. After the pain fades, you have to continue to spread anotheryer over your body. Ill give you five days. Before the start of the Freshmen Tournament, I want to see your improvement. Otherwise, dont bother looking for me again!" Zhang Xuan said authoritatively. At the very end, there was even a sharp edge to his tone. "Teacher, I will not let down your trust!" Upon hearing those words, Yuan Tao knew that Zhang Xuan had given him an ultimatum. Holding the jade bottle in his hands, his eyes burned with extreme motivation. Zhangoshi did not give up on him just because he is the weakest of his students. Instead, he went through the effort to obtain this object for him so that he can advance his cultivation. As his student, if he were to back down now, he truly would be letting down the effort and concern his teacher had put into him. Even if it spells his death, he was determined to aplish it so as to meet his teachers expectations. Yuan Tao gritted his teeth. "Great. Call Wang Ying in." Seeing the resolution in the duos eyes, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Shortly, Wang Ying came walking into the room. The youngdy is just as she was before; the instant she saw Zhang Xuan, her face flushed. "Teacher, you called for me..." "Un, how are your legs feeling after using the Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution?" Zhang Xuan nced at her. "Teacher, my legs have fully recovered. Thank you! This... is the money my father had me pass to you for the Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution. He says that you are already my benefactor for being willing to teach me, and he cant possibly let you pay for my expenses on top of that..." Wang Ying stepped forward and handed over a bill denominated five hundred thousand. The Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution is sold in the Apothecary Guild, so it wasnt a difficult task to look up its price. As an official apothecary, Zhang Xuan was given a discount for the purchase. If an outsider were to purchase it, it would cost a minimum of three hundred thousand gold coins for one gourd. It appears that after n Head Wang Hong found out about Zhang Xuan giving a gourd of Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution to his daughter, he had specially looked into its price. "Alright then, Ill ept the money." Zhang Xuan did not decline the other partys offer. A teacher should not be responsible for paying for a students expenses. The reason why he had been paying for them is that the Teacher Evaluation is just around the corner, and he is in a rush to obtain those items for them to raise their cultivation. By epting this, the Wang n and Wang Ying would not feel indebted to Zhang Xuan, and their teacher-student rtionship would remain pure. "Show me your punching routine!" After epting the gold bill, Zhang Xuan instructed. "Yes!" Wang Ying extended her arms immediately and began her graceful maneuvers. Along with his improvement in cultivation, numerous cultivation and battle techniques had been retained in Zhang Xuans mind. Even without the Library of Heavens Path, he is able to tell that her legs have fully recovered. Soon, Wang Ying finished her punching routine and broke out in a slight sweat. "This is the leg technique and movement technique that I have created specially for you. Practice well. I will give you five days, and no matter what method you use, you must reach a minor aplishment in the two skills." Zhang Xuan passed the two manuals to Wang Ying. Those are the Heavens Path Movement Art and Heavens Path Leg Art, but Zhang Xuan had already simplified the manual. Even though it isnt as powerful as the original version, it can still be considered a top-notch battle technique. Once Wang Ying masters the technique, her speed will be boosted drastically. "Thank you, Zhangoshi..." Flipping open the manual to take a look, Wang Yings breathing hastened in agitation. After she recovered from her injury, she had been looking into the leg-rted battle techniques within the Wang n. Those battle techniques are among the best within the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, but inparison to the one which Zhangoshi had given her... what a vast difference! They belong to absolutely different leagues. Just by this itself, she understood how precious the manual is. "Call Liu Yang in!" Oblivious to the other partys gratitude, Zhang Xuan instructed. Soon, Liu Yang entered. Due to him practicing a battle technique too early when he didnt possess sufficient zhenqi, a trauma developed in the meridians in his right hand. As such, the strength in his right hand was unable topare up to that of his left. However, after the nourishment from the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill, the damage to his arm had recovered fully. After having him disy a punching routine and observing that he had improved significantly in his punching technique, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Then, he imparted a manual of the Heavens Path Fist Art, which he fathomed in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, to him. After which, he had him call Zheng Yang in. After several days of practice, his Heavens Path Spear Art had matured. Even though the technique consists of one simple movement, it is versatile and can be modified to form countless other moves, causing his fighting prowess to increase immensely. In a fight, even Zhao Ya may not be a match for him. Even though he isnt the one with the highest cultivation realm of the five, he is definitely the strongest at present. "Looks like your spear training is going well. However, your cultivation is still way too low. Try to reach Fighter 2-dan within five days." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying. This student of his is indeed a genius. Even though he had imparted him the skill only a few days ago, he has almost mastered it. In terms of spearmanship, there is nothing to criticize. However, what is holding him back is his cultivation. "Yes!" Zheng Yang nodded his head. It is impossible to reach Fighter 2-dan without a year and a half of training following conventional methods. However, Zheng Yang is different. It isnt because of his talent. Rather, Zhang Xuans exnations of the Fighter 1-dan realm during lessons had touched on the very essences, providing with him a deep insight into Fighter 1-dan. Coupled with the Breath Forging Pill and a personalized cultivation technique, breaking through his current realm isnt difficult at all. "Go cultivate..." Finally, after briefing each of his students, Zhang Xuan can no longer hold back his fatigue. Without a care, he leaned back in his chair and fell asleep in the ssroom. Soon, the sky darkened. "Where is Zhangoshi?" Even though the students were done cultivating, Zhangoshi had yet to appear from the partitioned room inside the ssroom. They couldnt help but feel perplexed. "Zhao Ya, I think you should go in and check on him..." "Alright!" Zhao Ya pushed open the doors to the room, full of curiosity, and immediately noticed Zhangoshi leaning against the chair, sleeping peacefully. "Teacher... is asleep!" She sneaked out silently, her eyes reddened. Obtaining these medicine, imparting new fist technique, movement technique... Needless to say, Zhangoshi must have been toiling sleeplessly these few days to aplish all of these for their sake. No wonder he seemed to be exhausted earlier, such that his eyes were bloodshot. "Teacher..." Zheng Yang and the rest were touched by Zhangoshis gestures. A Pixue expert can usually withstand staying awake for two to three consecutive days without a problem. How tired was he that he could fall asleep while sitting on a chair? As a student, it is definitely a great blessing to have such a teacher. "We should cultivate properly, meet the goals teacher had set for us, and achieve victory in the Teacher Evaluation. Only then will we not let down the efforts teacher put in for us." Zhao Ya clenched her jaws. "Indeed, teacher has given too much for us. If we lose just like that, we wont be able to face him in future!" Zheng Yang nodded his head in agreement. After which, they turned to look at their teacher simultaneously, who was deep in sleep leaning backward on the chair. The five of them clenched their fists and the same voice echoed in the hearts... Teacher, youve worked hard! Chapter 180: Awakening Zhao Yas Unique Constitution Chapter 180: Awakening Zhao Yas Unique Constitution Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Zhao Yas residence. Upon receiving the news that his subordinate sent him, Yao Han shook his head with a bitter smile. When he heard from Zhao Ya that Zhang Xuanoshi is a Pixue realm expert, he couldnt help but suspect him for the assault back then. Thus, he had been investigating discreetly and eventually, he managed to verify Shang Binoshis movements and he... didnt leave his dormitory that day! In other words, he isnt the person responsible for beating him up before Zhang Xuans dormitory back then. With this piece of news, it isnt difficult to deduce the culprit. Very clearly, the one who made a move on him is likely to be xiaojies teacher, Zhangoshi. "That fellow is truly scheming..." Until now, whenever he recalls the scenario back then, Yao Han cant help but feel an urge to vomit blood. As a teacher of the academy, shouldnt you be righteous and moral? Yet, you chose to pull an underhanded sneak attack, even going ahead to frame someone else... How shameless. "Forget it. At the very least, with such a teacher, xiaojie shouldnt be at any disadvantage." Even though he felt displeased, recalling the fact that Zhangoshi generously gave the Frigid Sun Mother Grass, an item so exceedingly precious, to Zhao Ya without the slightest bit of hesitation, he nevertheless swallowed his anger with a bitter smile. With such a teacher, who doesnt put himself in unfavorable situations, xiaojie shouldnt have to worry about being bullied by others. In a certain sense, this is a good thing as well. "Butler Yao..." Just as he managed to put away the message to avoid xiaojie from finding out, a guard walked in with big strides from the outside and announced, "The old master has sent news." After which, he handed over a Record Crystal. "Un!" Yao Han nodded his head. Pinching the Record Crystal, he infused zhenqi into it and instantaneously, a tall and dashing middle-aged man appeared. Zhao Yas father, Baiyu City Lord, Zhao Feng! "I have received the news regarding Xiao Ya. A few dayster, I will enter the capital to pay a visit to this Zhang Xuanoshi." Within the Record Crystal, Zhao Fengs gaze was sharp, and he exuded the disposition of a natural leader. "Pure Yin Body... There was a precedent in Xiao Yas mothers lineage. It takes both money and luck to awaken it. I will have to obtain the tier-3 pill which is worth several tens of million for Xiao Ya... the Unravel Yin Pill!" "Upon reaching the capital, I intend to plead with His Majesty to purchase one from the Apothecary Guild for me. You should also make some preparations in advance. Also, I will have someone pass you ten ten-thousand gold bills, give the money to Zhangoshi. After all, I cant have him spend his own money on top of having saved my daughter. I dont wish to owe favors, and I wont allow my daughters benefactor to be at a disadvantage as well!" In the Record Crystal, City Lord Zhao gestured authoritatively, and overwhelming majesty exuded from his actions. Baiyu City is the secondrgest city in Tianxuan Kingdom. It is known for producing white jades. As the city lord, Zhao Feng possesses absolute authority and controls the massive wealth within the city. Naturally, developed the disposition and mannerisms of a conqueror. Zhangoshi having recognized Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body and even extending a helping hand, was already a huge favor. As the city lord of Baiyu City and a powerful official, how can he allow him to further spend money from his own pocket to pay for his daughters treatment? This is an action unbefitting of him as a city lord! "Butler Yao, the city lord had me bring this..." The guard who passed the Record Crystal to him a moment ago passed another few money notes over. "The city lord had also specially instructed me to have you convey to Zhangoshi that he will repay the favor of teaching xiaojie in the future..." The guard continued speaking. "I got it!" Yao Han nodded his head. "Do not let xiaojie find out about this. You can leave now!" Just when Yao Han was about to continue instructing him on the arrangements, he suddenly saw Zhao Ya walk in. "Uncle Yao, its good that youre here. Help me get someone to prepare a wooden bucket. Also, can you help me check how much the Unravel Yin Pill cost? Is it more expensive than Breath Forging Pills?" Upon entering, Zhao Ya ordered immediately. Zhangoshi had given her a pill. Even though she doesnt possess the money to repay him now, she should at least know of its value. This way, she would know at least know how much Zhangoshi had done for them. "Unravel Yin Pill? Is that a pill which Zhangoshi had told you about?" Upon hearing xiaojie talk about the pill which the city lord had just mentioned, Yao Han was taken aback. After which, he felt a surge of awe for thetter. Even though Zhangoshi is indeed underhanded when ites to scheming against others, his knowledge is indeed impressive. He was able to easily obtain news which the city lord had spent a great amount of money to look into. Impressed, Yao Han smiled and said, "The Unravel Yin Pill is extremely useful for one with the Pure Yin Body. Rest assured, xiaojie, the city lord will being over in a few days time to purchase it for you..." Not only is a tier-3 pill expensive, one needs proper connections to purchase it. It is impossible for an ordinary person to buy it even if they have sufficient money to do so. This is precisely the reason why City Lord Zhao Feng is making the trip personally to plead with His Majesty to liaise with the Apothecary Guild on his behalf. Otherwise, even as a city lord who possesses exceptional standing in Tianxuan Kingdom, he nevertheless doesnt possess sufficient status. The Apothecary Guild is a powerful organization that traverses across innumerable borders and countries. The branch in Tianxuan Kingdom is merely a small outletpared to the innumerable others scattered around the world. Possessing powerful backings, even Emperor Shen Zhui dared not toy his hands on the Apothecary Guild, needless to say, a small city lord like Zhao Feng. Just as Yao Feng was considering whether to tell xiaojie of the message the city lord sent, he saw her whipping out a bottle. "Theres no need to, Zhangoshi has already given me a pill, instructing me to cultivate well these few days!" "Given you a pill?" Yao Hans eyes widened in shock. The city lord had just mentioned that it is a tier-3 pill which costs tens of million for one. Even the Baiyu City would suffer a huge budget deficit spanning several years if they were to spend so much money at once... Zhangoshi... casually... gave one to her? Yao Han felt that his head was about to burst apart from madness. He had seen generous people, but... he had never seen such a generous person! This is no longer a matter of generosity... This is absolutely inconceivable. "Xiaojie, can I take a look at that pill of yours?" Suppressing his shock, Yao Han redirected his attention. "Here!" Zhao Ya handed over the bottle. After receiving the bottle, Yao Han casually opened it. Hu! A dense fragrance gushed out immediately. With a single whiff, he felt every single pore on his body open, bringing him an iparably refreshing sensation. Even though he doesnt possess an in-depth knowledge of pills, just the effect of the scent itself is sufficient for him to realize that the pill is definitely authentic. To casually give a tier-3 Unravel Yin Pill to a student... Where exactly does this Zhangoshie from? Previously, he was still harboring thoughts of getting back at the other party when xiaojie isnt around. However, upon seeing the pill, the thought was erased from his mind immediately. The previous time, when he tried to castrate the other party, he was beaten up so badly that even his parents found it difficult to recognize him... If he were to really make a move again, it would be likely that the other party escapes unscathed once again while he would be sent back to Baiyu City in a coffin... To say the truth, this Zhangoshi is really tooplicated. Yao Han had initially thought that he is a trash teacher of the academy, and he is a despicable pervert who preyed on female students immaturity toy his hands on them. Yet, in the twinkling of an eye, he transformed into a Pixue realm expert, as well as an nonmaterialistic saint who gives his all to his students. That, Yao Han can still ept. Then, the other party even went on to take the apothecary examination and casually gave xiaojie a Frigid Sun Mother Grass and an Unravel Yin Pill... This is no longer a matter of his prestige or his strength. Without backing from someone powerful, it is impossible for him to achieve such feats. "The pail is here. I will be consuming the pill then!" Knowing that this Uncle Yao of hers often stood in a daze ever since he took the beating, Zhao Ya paid no heed. Holding the Unravel Yin Pill, she arranged for the pail to be brought into the room and hastily started training. Time waits for no one. She doesnt want to disappoint Zhangoshi. As such, Yao Han was left by himself in the room. After an unknown period of time, he turned to look at the Record Crystal in his hands and with a bitter smile, he shook his head, "Master, I know that you do not wish to owe any favors. But... I doubt that you will be able to repay Zhangoshi anytime soon..." To gift the Unravel Yin Pill, which even his master is unqualified to buy, to xiaojie so casually... How can his master repay such a favor? He will never be able to repay the favor no matter how hard he tries... ... Oblivious to the distress Uncle Yao was suffering, Zhao Ya returned to her room and filled the wooden pail with hot water before sternly instructing that no one is allowed to interrupt her. Then, she took off her clothes and stepped into the pail. Following immediately, she retrieved and swallowed the Unravel Yin Pill. It felt as though she had swallowed a mouthful of scalding soup. A violent wave of scorching energy gushed into her meridians immediately. Unravel Yin Pill is actually a pill which contains pure yang medicinal property. Usually, when such a medicine is absorbed into the body of an ordinary cultivator, it is absorbed by the body and converted into zhenqi and other nourishment, augmenting his strength. However, if a person who possesses the Pure Yin Body were to consume this pill, a cmity would result. Yin and yang are at odds with another; it is impossible for the two to coexist. Under the stimtion of the pure yang medicinal property of the Unravel Yin Pill, the Pure Yin Body would be forced to awaken to protect its host. Even though the concept sounds simple, it is actually an extremelyplicated and risky process. A single mistake can cause ones cultivation to dissipate. "Maintain ones tranquility and drive ones cultivation technique." Knowing that the pill is valuable, Zhao Ya did not dare to waste even a single sliver of the medicinal essence. Zhao Ya focused her attention and followed the cultivation technique which Zhangoshi imparted her to propel circte her zhenqi. As befitting of a cultivation techniquepiled by the Library of Heavens Path, immediately, she felt the violent aura within her body calm down significantly. At the same time, the Pure Yin Body, which hadid dormant all along, started toe to life. Boom! After a momentter, a giant whirlpool of energy manifested within her body, and the energy of the Unravel Yin Pill was swept along, circting throughout her entire body furiously. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The previous hurdle she faced was shattered immediately, and in the blink of an eye, she broke through to Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm. Under the impact of the medicinal essence, as though the valve to a flood had been opened, her unique constitution, which had been tightly sealed for over a decade, awakened abruptly. If anyone were present, they would able to see her skin transform to be increasingly smooth, tender, and bouncy visibly. Even though the previous Zhao Ya is also considered a rare beauty, due to her young age, she had looked immature. However, at this very instant, she exudes the aura of an absolute beauty. Those possess the Pure Yin Body are favored by the heavens. The moment their constitution is awakened, not only will their cultivation be boosted significantly, their skin and figure also improve tremendously. Even though there isnt a vast difference in terms of appearance, she now carries an absolutely pure disposition, as though an invible fairy which had descended from the skies. If she had paled inparison to Shen Bi Ru before, at this very instant, in terms of just her appearance and disposition, the other party would not be able to raise her head before her. She truly had be the number one goddess in Hongtian Academy and Tianxuan Kingdom. These are the effects of the Pure Yin Body. Just by awakening it, one transforms from the very core, evolving from an ugly duckling into a swan. Not to mention, Zhao Ya was a beauty from the very start. After the metamorphosis, she became even more dazzling. And all this is because she had awakened just ten percent of her constitution. It is unimaginable how she would look like if she were to awaken it fully. Boom! After a long period of time, a loud explosion echoed. The pail shattered into smithereens, and Zhao Ya slowly opened her eyes. A powerful aura surged forth from her body. Chapter 181: Lu Xuns Visit Chapter 181: Lu Xuns Visit Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Approximately when Zhao Ya began to cultivate after consuming the Unravel Yin Pill, in the forest behind Hongtian Academy, Yuan Tao was finally done adjusting his state, and he stared fixedly at the jade bottle before him. He was a wandering cultivator, and due to hisck of proper guidance, his results in the entrance examination were poor. Unlike Zhao Ya, who has a private dormitory of her own, he could only squeeze in with the others. Since Zhangoshi said that applying the paste in the jade bottle will be painful and dangerous, it was clear that he cant do it in the dormitory. Thus, after pondering over the matter, he decided toe here. It was quiet with no threats of an assault by a savage beast or so, making it a suitable ground for cultivation. "I should begin!" As he had already made up his mind previously, there was nothing for him to hesitate about. He opened the bottle immediately. Weng! An overwhelming smell of pungent blood gushed out from the jade bottle. Following promptly, he felt an extraordinarily violent energy and it made him tremble involuntarily. After taking off the clothes on his body, piece by piece, he poured out the liquid from the jade bottle and spread it on his body. Sssssssss! The moment the crimson-red fluid came into contact with his skin, Yuan Tao felt as though his entire body was pierced with needles. The pain was so excruciating that he felt as though his skin was being torn over and over again. "AH..." Under the excruciating pain, Yuan Tao copsed onto the floor. This pain far surpassed all other which he had experienced in the past. It felt as though someone was carving his skin off with a sharp dagger. His face lost all colors quickly, taking on a shade of absolute paleness. Cold sweat dripped off Yuan Taos face and his body shivered unceasingly. "The pain..." His sight blurred and he found himself losing grasp on his consciousness. No matter what, he is just a sixteen to seventeen-year-old child. Regardless of what he had gone through and what he had suffered in the past, he would still cower in the face of excruciating pain. "Why dont I... give up... the present state of things is not that bad, why do I have to raise my strength?" The thought invaded his mind, striking at his will repeatedly. "If I give up... Will Zhangoshi reprimand me?" Just as he felt his determination wearing thin, a figure suddenly appeared before him. Zhangoshi! He was looking at him with that ever impassive expression. His eyebrows were creased, and his displeasure was apparent. "No, I cant betray the trust he has in me..." Noticing the seemingly angered Zhangoshi, Yuan Tao shivered and illimitable fighting spirit came gushing out from him anew. Before meeting Zhangoshi, he was always the butt of jokes. Not only was he plump and had poorprehension ability, his cultivation realm was sorelycking. He had pleaded with more than ten teachers, only to be chased out of each of their doors. No one wanted to bother him. He thought that he spend his life without achieving anything. But... he met Zhangoshi. Its Zhangoshi who did not despise him for his figure or his ability. Its Zhangoshi who specially tailored cultivation techniques for him, even toiling through the night to obtain this liquid so that he can improve and break through to higher realms! To him, Yuan Tao felt indebted. The other party had put effort into grooming him. If he were to be unable to take such little bit of pain, how can he have the cheek to face him in the future? Zhangoshi, rest assured. I will not let you down. I will persevere on and obtain your approval! An unyielding resolution bloomed in his heart. When his eyes opened once more, he realized that the heart-wrenching pain had dulled by a fair bit. After an unknown period of time. The pain slowly subsided. Lowering his head to take a look, Yuan Tao realized that the red substance he had spread over his entire body had beenpletely absorbed. At the same time, a thickyer of armor resembling scales had appeared on his skin. Even though he had no idea what it was, he knew that his defensive ability had been increased by multiple folds. "Zhangoshi said that it isnt sufficient to just apply the substance once. Continue!" Seeing that there is still a fair bit of liquid in the jade bottle, Yuan Tao spread it over his body once more. After going through the agony once, Yuan Tao felt a little hesitant. However, upon thinking of Zhangoshi, Yuan Tao steeled his heart. Eventually, he utilized the entire bottle of red substance. "This is..." Lowering his head to take a look, Yuan Tao realized that ayer of cuticle had formed on the surface of his skin after he had absorbed the red substance, and it is somewhat reminiscent of fish scales. "I should give it a try..." Doubtful, the mes of curiosity appeared in Yuan Taos mind, and he charged straight at a tree nearby. Kacha! With a crisp sound, the bowl-size thick tree was immediately broken at the trunk. At the same time, all he felt on his body was an itch. There wasnt even the slightest bit of pain. Yuan Taos eyes narrowed. Just how strong are his defensive and offensive abilities now? "Teacher... I have seeded..." Recalling the suffering that he had gone through, Yuan Tao clenched his fists and tears came streaming down his cheeks. At the very least, I didnt betray teachers trust in me... Zhangoshi, I have seeded in meeting your goal! ............ At the same time, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang were also working hard. After receiving a movement technique manual and a leg technique manual from Zhangoshi, Wang Ying did not hesitate in the least and returned back home immediately to train. Her fighting prowess is rising progressively. Zheng Yang continued to push against the boundaries of Fighter 2-dan so that he can reach Dantian realm within five days. Liu Yang had also started practicing Heavens Path Fist Art. The sound of his fists created sonic booms here and there. While the five great disciples were busy training, the respected teacher, Zhangoshi finally woke up, stretching his backzily. "How did I fall asleep here?" Upon opening his eyes, he realized that he had fallen asleep in the resting area in the ssroom. There were no beddings, but he didnt feel the slightest chill. Unknowingly, ayer of clothes had been ced on him to keep him warm. There were both male and female clothing in the mix... His five students, fearful that he would catch a cold, took off their coats for him. "These little fellows..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Due to the overwhelming exhaustion he felt yesterday, he fell asleep the moment he sat on the chair. His students probably carried him here gently before covering him with their clothes. Looks like he had really overexerted himself. Otherwise, given his strength, it shouldnt have been possible for him to be moved without realizing it at all. After the sleep, the fatigue which he had umted over five days disappeared entirely. Looking through the windows, he realized that it is already noon the next day. "Since Ive epted their money, I should attend to their problems..." As a master teacher, he had epted eighty million from the others. Given his fatigued state, it is one thing for him to have ignored them yesterday. However, now that he has recovered, he should at least offer them some pointers in return for their money. Otherwise, he would feel guilty. Returning back to his residence, he saw Sun Qiang weing him anxiously with tears brimming from his eyes. After eating some food, Zhang Xuan had Sun Qiang invite the people in, ording to the sequence in which they paid up. These people were mainly those who had met a wall in their cultivation and hoped to achieve a breakthrough. A persons cultivation is just like a river flow. If one is unable to achieve a breakthrough, it means that there must be something hindering him from doing so. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan is able to easily locate the blockage site and, utilizing his silver needles and pure zhenqi, inducing a breakthrough isnt a difficult task at all. After all, these people had cultivated for an extremely long time and the umtion of their hard work had brought them to a state where they are merely a single step away from breaking through, just that this step had obstructed their path for a very long time. What Zhang Xuan had to do was to merely assist them across the door. Using the river analogy once more, just by inducing a crack in the obstruction, the overwhelming volume of water which had umted over time would st open the entire blockage through sheer force. Of course, while the principle sounds simple, it is nigh impossible for any other master teacher to aplish the same feat as Zhang Xuan. Be it physique, cultivation technique, habits, every single person varies immensely from the other... Thus, the blockage in each and every person differs greatly. It is just like how there are no two identical leaves in the world, the blockages in the meridian within a cultivators body were vastly different. Without the Library of Heavens Path, it would be impossible for one to know where the source of the problem is, needless to say, help the other person achieve a breakthrough. ... Outside Zhang Xuans residence. Sun Qiang opened the door and shouted, "Next..." "Im sorry, can you let us through?" The moment Sun Qiangs words sounded, another voice came from the back and two young men came forward with widened strides. They are Lu Xun and Wang Chao from Hongtian Academy, and they are here to visit Yang shi. As they were dressed in teachers robes, even though the crowd was displeased by their action of cutting their queue, they nevertheless opened up a path for them. "Butler Sun, we are..." Wang Chao stepped forward and sped his hands. They had waited for an entire day, and initially, they thought that their statuses as star teachers would be able to attract Yang Xuans attention and that he would quickly summon them in. Yet... Yang shi did not appear the entire day. Whenever Sun Qiang emerges, he would just shout for the next in the queue to enter. He refused their name scrolls, and this caused them to panic. "Scram!" Before Wang Chao could even finish his words, Sun Qiang frowned, "Did you think that this is your house, for you to charge forward like this? Go to the back of the queue!" "I..." To be bellowed at by a mere Pigu realm butler, Wang Chaos face flushed and he nearly exploded into rage. As a star teacher, regardless of where he goes, Wang Chao receives tremendous respect. There are no master teachers in Tianxuan Kingdom, and as such, Lu Xun and he are the most weed figures in the capital. He thought that just by stepping forward to reveal his identity, he would be able to hand over his name scroll and enter the residence. Yet, beyond his wildest dreams, before he could even finish his sentence, this plump butler demanded him to scram. "Why? Do you wish to vite the rules?" Sun Qiang flung his hands majestically, "Do you want to try me? Without even lifting a single finger of mine, there will be someone to throw you out." The heck, where did this bumpkine from? To dare to cut the queue outside a master teachers residence, he must be truly ignorant. Even though Sun Qiang isnt a master teacher, the people who are here to pay Yang shi a visit would be more than willing to do the job for him. Hearing these words, Wang Chao became so angry that his body started to tremble with agitation. Anywhere else, such an insignificant figure would have been easily crushed by him with a single, casual blow, and no one would dare to speak up for him. Yet, this person is now asking him to scram, even threatening to throw him out... His face flushed, and he clenched his fists tightly. Even though he was angry, he didnt dare to rebuke Sun Qiang. After all, they are here to earn Yang shis favor and be his apprentice. If they were to offend his butler even before meeting him, all hope would be lost. "Butler Sun, please calm down. I am Lu Xun, a teacher from Hongtian Academy. I wish to pay Yang shi a visit, and I hope that you can help refer us to him..." Extending his hand to restrain his good buddy, Lu Xun stepped forward with a smile on his face. "Lu Xunoshi?" Sun Qiang was taken aback. Even though he was just an ordinary merchant in themercial city who rarely came into contact with top-notch figures, he had long heard of Lu Xunoshis great name, him being an incredibly famous figure in the capital. He is the sole son of the emperors tutor, Master Lu Chen, as well as the most likely person in Tianxuan Kingdom to be a master teacher. Not only so, despite being under twenty-five, he has already achieved Pixue realm. His talent is top-notch, even within the entire kingdom. Due to his identity, even Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm experts treat him with the utmost respect. Yet... Sun Qiang just asked him to scram? Cough cough, his luck is truly bad. He had just offended three master teachers, and now, he has offended another potential master teacher... He had seen how the old master criticized others however he wished, and it looked easy then. Yet, why was it that difficult for him to do the same? Chapter 182: Throw Him Out Chapter 182: Throw Him Out Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "This is our name scroll, I hope that Butler Sun can help us pass it to Yang shi. If we were to be summoned by Yang shi, us brothers will be extremely grateful for your help." Seemingly seeing through Sun Qiangs fear, Lu Xun smiled faintly. He ced his hands behind his back and disyed a confident smile. Since young, his life had been smooth-sailing. Furthermore, with the reputation that he had made for himself in the past few years, a confident demeanor had grown in him. Within the Tianxuan Kingdom, who would dare to treat Lu Xun with disrespect? In the past, he relied on his fathers prestige as the emperors tutor. But now, he had made a name for himself as the Star Teacher Lu Xun. "Alright!" Nodding his head, Sun Qiang grabbed the name scroll and walked into the residence. Even though Lu Xun is merely a celebrity teacher now, given experience, it is extremely likely that he would be a master teacher. As a lowly butler, Sun Qiang did not want any involvement in a matter between master teachers. Thus, he decided to leave the matter to the old master. "Abusing his authority, acting like he is in charge!" Upon seeing the plump man change his attitude after hearing Lu Xuns name, Wang Chao harrumphed coldly and a look of disdain appeared on his face the moment Sun Qiang disappeared into the mansion. He had investigated Sun Qiangs background beforehand. He was only the boss of a realtor store and for some reason, he caught Yang shis sight, causing the massive change in his social standing. Despite reaching Pigu realm only after forty years of age, being fat like a pig, and possessing no special capabilities whatsoever, he dared to bellow at him. If not for his identity as Yang shis butler, he would have long taught him a lesson. "Hes just an insignificant figure. Brother Wang, you need not pay him any heed." Lu Xun chuckled. "So its Lu Xunoshi and Wang Chaooshi. I apologize for failing to recognize you two." "You both are famous celebrities in the entire kingdom. Ive been wanting to pay you a visit, and it is truly a pleasant surprise to meet you here." "It is truly my honor to be meeting you two. I might have to impose on you two in the future..." Hearing the exchange, those queuing behind them dispelled their anger immediately and acted politely to them. Teachers can be ssified into two categories: ordinary teachers and master teachers. Ordinary teachers can be further subdivided into low-level, high-level, and star teachers. On the other hand, master teachers can be differentiated as apprentices (also known as assistant master teacher) and certified master teachers. Lu Xun and Wang Chao belong within the first ssification, but they had attained the highest level, therefore gaining the qualification to be a master teacher. As long as they receive the acknowledgment from a master teacher, they would be promoted to be an apprentice master teacher immediately and soar to great heights. Possessing such a status, even though those waiting by the doors are powerful experts with exceptional standing in the kingdom, they did not dare to offend them. Furthermore, they are here to pay a visit to Yang shi. If things go well, they might well be Yang shis apprentice. ttering them then would be toote. Upon seeing the attitude of the crowd, Lu Xun and Wang Chao chuckled simultaneously as they clenched their fists in agitation. At this moment, they felt an overwhelming sense of superiority, as though a single word of theirs can change the fate of others, as though they had already be apprentice master teachers. The reason why they had been trying to make a name for themselves at such a young age is precisely because of this. "Please do not get angry at that butler. When you both be Yang shis apprentice, he will never dare to say such words again." A cultivator fawned upon them. "Indeed! Once you be Yang shis apprentices, you will be considered his disciples. On the other hand, he is just a butler, a servant!" Another person chirped in. "Youre all being too polite. How can bing an apprentice master teacher be so simple?" Even though Lu Xuns words seemed humble, a confident smile was disyed on his face, as if to say who else but me?. But that is to be expected. He is known as the most incredible star teacher in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. If a master teacher were to be looking for an apprentice, no one in the entire kingdom would be able topete against him. "Luoshi, youre being too humble. Ive heard that Liu shi has the intention to ept you as his disciple!" "Ive also heard of it. But judging from how even Liu shi paid a visit to Yang shi personally, if you can be Yang shis apprentice, your starting point will be even higher." "If you be Yang shis apprentice, your standing will probably not lose to any other 1-star master teacher. When that timees, well be relying on you two..." A few more people offered their tteries. "Dont worry. If Yang shi really epts me as his apprentice, I wont forget any of you." Lu Xun and Wang Chao chuckled together. They stood proudly before the others as though a lotus rising above the mud, invible beings whom others can only look up to respectfully. Jiya! At this moment, the entrance opened and Sun Qiang emerged once again. Seeing him reappear, the duo stepped forward immediately. "Sorry for the trouble, Butler Sun. Please lead the way." Wang Chao chuckled haughtily as he proceeded to walk toward the mansion. However, before he could even take a few steps, a plump figure blocked his path. Then, he saw Sun Qiang look at them with a peculiar expression. "Could it be that Yang shi did not allow us to enter?" Wang Chaos face darkened. That shouldnt be! They had listed their aplishments in detail on the name scroll. As well-qualified star teachers, how is it possible that they are rejected? "Enter? Who allowed you to enter? You two have two choices. You can either join the queue from the back or... scram!" Sun Qiang gestured with his hands authoritatively. "You..." He didnt expect that the other party would continue behaving like that even after the name scroll had been handed over. Lu Xun and Wang Chao were infuriated. "Is this Yang shis intentions? As a lowly butler, you should know your ce to not falsely report your masters words!" Lu Xun stepped forward. He had his moment of glory when everyone else thought that Yang shi would summon them in. If they were to be rejected like this, his reputation would fall into the gutters immediately, and he would find it difficult to lift his head before anyone else in the future. "Falsely report? Men, throw these two troublemakers out." Sun Qiang could not be bothered with them and beckoned for the guards. Hu! Several guards appeared from behind the gate, and each armed with a rod, they walked toward Lu Xun and Wang Chao. "You..." Wang Chaos face was flushed red. "Sun Qiang, how dare you..." What do you mean by this? Thrusting rods at me? Do you think that were beggars? Were star teachers, respected figures in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom... If we were to be driven away by you like that, what will be of our dignity? "Why would I dare not to? My old master has already instructed that no matter who it is, if one wants to meet him, he has to queue up and pay three million gold coins. Teachers are no exception. Otherwise, if everyone were to visit with just a name scroll in hand, wont the old master be exhausted to death? To think that you are a star teacher, pui! To dare cut the queue without even paying. Please do not tarnish the reputation of teachers any further!" Sun Qiang stared at the two contemptuously. He waved his arm, as though driving away flies, and said, "Throw them out!" He also felt anxious earlier on. But when he handed the name scroll to the old master, thetter only asked a single question: Have they paid yet?. Upon hearing that they had not paid the sum, he simply ordered Sun Qiang to handle as per the rule. From this, it can be seen that star teachers... do not mean anything to the old master at all. Oh well, even when the three master teachers paid their visit, the old master did not hold them in high regard. If so, what would a mere star teacher mean to him? Hu! Upon hearing Sun Qiangsmand, the guards stepped forth, "The two teachers, please!" As they said so, strange looks appeared on their faces. "I always thought that teachers value their dignity a lot. It turns out that they wish to sneak in just by using name scrolls and avoid the entrance fee?" "Yang shis actions are apudable. He views everyone as equals, and even teachers are not given special privileges. I am impressed!" "To have cut queue when they dont have money. They sure are thick-skinned. To think that I wanted to befriend them just now..." "It is impossible for such low-ss people to attract Yang shis attention. To think that they wanted to be his apprentices... How hrious!" ... Not just the guards, the crowd also harrumphed coldly. They had paid the exorbitant sum and queued continuously for several days. Even so, they havent been summoned. On the other hand, the two of them, without even paying up, wished to enter the mansion. What a joke! They are asking for a scolding! "..." Observing clearly the contemptuous looks that the crowd shot them, Lu Xun and Wang Chao nearly spurted blood. The strong sense of humiliation caused their heads to feel faint. To avoid an awkward situation, they had intended to pay the three million visiting fee in private. Lu Xun hadposed the name scroll earnestly with the expectation that even if the other party refuses to meet them, he would at least pay some consideration to their identities and keep quiet about the fee. In contrast, not only did the plump man reveal the matter, he even looked at them scornfully... Tears threatened to stream down Lu Xun and Wang Chaos faces. The heck! This time, they truly lost every shred of their dignity. If there were a hole in the ground, they definitely would have dived in instantly. "You..." Just as he was about to continue with some small talk to calm down the situation and restore his dignity, Wang Chao felt a grip on his arm. Lu Xun was pulling him away. "My apologies, Butler Sun. We were too rash today. We will be taking our leave..." After which, he turned and left. That Butler Sun is a tough nut to crack. He dares to say anything and everything. If they do not leave but continue bickering with him, not only will they simply get more infuriated, they would also be humiliated further. Those who are able to be star teachers are, by no means, fools. Upon seeing his good buddy turn around to leave, Wang Chao also recognized his concerns. ring hatefully at Sun Qiang, he turned around and left as well. "Lu Xun, what do we do now?" Upon leaving the crowd, they walked into a remote alley. Then, Wang Chao couldnt help but ask. Initially, they thought that submitting their name scrolls would help them impress the other party. As long as they were summoned in, they were confident that, with their knowledge, they would able to impress Yang shi. However, never in their dreams did they expect that... not only did the other party reject their entry, his butler even pointed out in public the fact that they didnt pay the entrance fee. The anger and dismay they felt sent them to the verge of insanity. "What else can we do? We can only obtain the three million entrance fee and then enter with our heads held high." Lu Xun clenched his jaws. Only by meeting Yang shi can they disy their abilities to win his favor. Since they cant even meet with the person in question, what is the purpose of arguing with the butler? "Three million? Where can we find such a sum? Wang Chaos face was as bitter as a bitter gourd. "You know it as well. My rtionship with that old man isnt good. Even if he has the money, he will never give it to me. Besides, how can I break it to him?" Lu Xun shook his head. "My old man could have taken out such a sum. But a few days ago, he learned an incredible spear art and paid several million as the tuition fee, so our n is broke now. We might not be able to produce even a hundred thousand now..." Wang Chao smiled bitterly. That father of his had been immersed in that spear art like a fool for thest few days, to the point that he was not even willing to spare time for this son of his. Besides, even if he really has the money, obtaining it from him would be unlikely to happen. "Sigh, so what should we do now?" The duo was troubled. "Lu Xun, if ites down to it, how about you try asking Emperor Shen Zhui for a loan... Didnt you grow up in the pce? It shouldnt be hard for you to borrow three million from him. Besides, it isnt toote to repay him the sum when you be an apprentice..." Suddenly recalling something, Wang Chao proposed. "Emperor Shen Zhui?" Lu Xun rubbed between his brows for a moment before replying. "Alright!" Chapter 183: Treating Shen Hong Chapter 183: Treating Shen Hong Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove While Lu Xun and Wang Chao were thinking about how they could borrow three million to pay Yang shi a visit, the person in question, Zhang Xuan, had his eyebrows deeply knitted together. Lu Xuns motive for paying a visit was clear to see. It didnt matter to Zhang Xuan whether he met the other party or not, and he didnt instruct Sun Qiang to make things difficult for him either. The both of them are merely embroiled in a Teacher Evaluation, and there really isnt any grudge to speak of. Thus, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to intentionally make things difficult for the other party. Besides, he doesnt have the leisure to be thinking about this at the moment, because... a ck-clothed man is standing before him. This person had entered through the back gates. Fully dressed in ck, even the figures face was concealed, making it impossible to identify the person. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that the person was here to cause trouble. However, the moment he entered the main hall, he bowed immediately and removed the ck cloth concealing his face. "Emperor Shen Zhui, you..." Upon making out the other partys appearance, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had thought that it was a burr or a bandit. He had never fathomed that it would be Emperor Shen Zhui, whom he had just met yesterday. As the sovereign of the country, the entire kingdom belongs to him. Yet, instead of entering openly through the front door, he sneaked into the mansion dressed in ck. Acting so secretively, what is he up to? "Please pardon my intrusion. I am here to plead with Yang shi to... save the Royal Elder!" Upon noticing his questioning gaze, Emperor Shen Zhui quickly exined. "Save your Royal Elder?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Sneaking into the mansion dressed in ck, it doesnt seem like saving someone... but trying to kill someone? "Didnt I say that I will help you?" Zhang Xuan frowned. In return for saving their Royal Elder, he had already stated his terms yesterday which the other party had agreed to. So, why did the fellow barge in like this? Could it be that this fellow found gathering Tongxuan realm secret manuals a difficult task and had chosen to resort to force instead? When this thought shed through his mind, Zhang Xuan was rmed. To be able to be the sovereign of the country, Emperor Shen Zhuis fighting prowess has to be extraordinary. At the very least, it is likely that he has reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Even though his own cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds recently, he nevertheless isnt a match for an expert of that level. However, Zhang Xuan dismissed the thought as soon as it appeared. Putting aside the fact that the other party knows that hes a master teacher, he wouldnt dare to do so given that he is, in fact, pleading with him to save his Royal Elder. If he enters a rage and refuses to help or, instead, makes an intentional mistake during treatment, the Royal Elder might actually ascend to heaven earlier than expected. "I acknowledge that it is inappropriate for me to have visited so abruptly today, and I should have gathered the Tongxuan realm secret manuals before inviting Yang shi over, but who knew that... yesterday, the Royal Elders condition worsened all of a sudden... He might not even survive the day..." Emperor Shen Zhui sensed the displeasure in the other party, and he hurriedly bowed down and exined: "Thus... I took the liberty to barge into Yang shis mansion. I hope that Yang shi can make a trip to treat the Royal Elder." "Might not even survive the day? Even if you want me to treat him... There shouldnt be any need for you to be dressed like this..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. You are a dignified sovereign, a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert. Even if your Royal Elder is on the verge of dying, you should need not dress in ck and scale walls. It makes it seem that you are here to murder someone. Its fortunate that those guards arent highly-skilled. Otherwise, you could have died for no reason. "The Royal Elders health is the greatest secret of the entire kingdom, and it is imperative for it to remain confidential..." Emperor Shen Zhui exined. It was because of the Royal Elders presence that Tianxuan Kingdom had been able to remain in peace for many years. There are already quite a few who know that the old ancestors health had been deteriorating, and if Emperor Shen Zhui were to pay an open visit to Yang shi and the other powers find out, they would be able to guess the real reason. If Yang shi fails to treat him, their ambitions would definitely be ignited and they may take advantage of this opportunity to strike. At the same time, if Emperor Shen Zhui were to send someone else here in his stead, it would be disrespectful to Yang shi. He has no choice but to conceal his appearance and sneak over. As a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert, it wasnt a difficult task for him to hide from sight to creep in here. "Un!" Having heard the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan came to understand the situation. "Alright, Ill follow you to take a look." Looks like this emperor has regarded him as the final straw of hope. However, it doesnt matter to Zhang Xuan either way. If he were to save that Royal Elder, the emperor would definitely not dare to dy the matter regarding the Tongxuan realm secret manuals. As long as he can obtain a thousand books on Tongxuan realm and create aption, his strength would surely soar. "There are too many eyes outside. I might have to trouble Yang shi to leave through the back door with me..." Upon hearing him agree to it, Emperor Shen Zhuis eyes gleamed in delight. But he continued immediately with an apologetic voice. "Its no problem!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. After calling Sun Qiang and informing him briefly, he secretly left the residence under the lead of Emperor Shen Zhui. Hu! Two figures leaped across the skyline of Tianxuan Royal City as though flying birds. If those who had yet to reach Dingli realm were to look up, even if they were to focus all of their attention, they would only see two shadows flitting by. They are Zhang Xuan and Shen Zhui, who are in a rush to the royal pce. As a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert who possesses remarkable movement techniques, Shen Zhuis movement was extraordinarily swift. However, when he nced behind at Yang shi, who was following him, his confidence shattered immediately. En route, he had utilized over twelve movement techniques, and he had be so tired from running that he was about to copse out of exhaustion. Yet, Yang shi continued to traverse with ease, without the slightest bit of urgency. His breathing was calm, as though this was a simple feat to him. Even though he was unable to exactly perceive the other partys prowess, from this itself, it was clear that the other partys zhenqi is much more vigorous. Furthermore, the other partys movement technique is far superior. They couldnt even bepared. With such powerful zhenqi and amazing movement technique, it is impossible that the other party is a weakling. It is no wonder the three master teachers were impressed with him. Without a doubt, his strength definitely surpasses Tongxuan realm pinnacle. In fact... It isnt impossible for him to be a Zongshi realm expert! Upon thinking of this, Emperor Shen Zhui felt even greater respect for Yang shi. While Shen Zhui became increasingly fearful of the other party, in truth, Zhang Xuan was feeling extremely dismal at the back. From the very start, this fellow had been dashing ahead with all of his might. If he fails to keep up, his identity might be exposed. Thus, he could only clench his jaws and try his best to stay close. He is only at Pixue realm pinnacle. Even though he has opened up all 108 acupoints and his strength is equivalent to a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage cultivator, he is still a far cry from the top experts in the kingdom. It is fortunate that he had managed to learn Heavens Path Movement Art a few days ago, allowing him to travel at greater speed. Otherwise, the other party would have disappeared from his sight right from the very start. Even so, there were a few times which he nearly got shaken off. Thus, he made use of the Library of Heavens Path to look into the ws of the other partys movement techniques and his habits, predicting his movement in advance and taking a shorter route, thus avoiding the fate of being left behind. "It is fortunate that there are many ws in his movement technique. Otherwise, if the other party really did manage to shake me off, I would have to give up on feigning as an expert..." There are likely to be two reasons why the other party is traveling at such great speed. Firstly, the condition of the Royal Elder in the pce is grave. Secondly, Shen Zhui wants to test Yang shis capabilities. If the other party is truly a formidable master teacher, his speed should be exceptional. If the other party fails to catch up with him, even if he doesnt point it out then, he would definitely be doubtful of the persons identity. It is precisely because of this that Zhang Xuan felt dismal. What is this? The trip to the pce to save a person had suddenly be a race. He had to exert all of his strength just to keep up. If not for his image as an expert, he would have long sent a kick to the other partys face. Is he here to request for my help or to race with me... Furthermore, he had to keep up without disying the slightest bit of fatigue. If not for the fact that he had broken through recently and that the zhenqi in his body had increased tremendously, he would have given himself away. The heck! It truly is difficult to pass off as an expert. This really isnt something a normal human can achieve. If Sun Qiang were to hear of his thoughts, he would definitely express his utmost agreement. It was precisely because of him trying to do the same that he nearly caused his own death... Until now, he remains traumatized by the event. "Since I have already obtained the things that Zhao Ya and the others need, when I finally gather the Tongxuan realm secret manuals, I will have this Yang Xuan disappear..." Zhang Xuan made up his mind. Even though impersonating a master teacher had allowed him to receive enormous respect, it came with its fair share of trouble as well. If he were to be seen through, it would already be considered letting him off easily if he were to be pummeled to death. Now, it appears to be a wise decision to have Master Teacher Yang Xuan disappear the instant he receives the Tongxuan realm secret manuals. Without any rest, in ten minutes or so, they reached the royal pce. It seems that proper instructions had been given, and there were no hindrances at any point. Soon, they arrived at arge hall. "Right in here..." Emperor Shen Zhui pushed open the door and walked in. Inside the hall, Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi were present. Creases had formed on their eyebrows as they stared helplessly at the Royal Elder lying nearby. The stabilizing pir of Tianxuan Kingdom, Shen Hong. A few days ago, this white-haired elder was still able to walk independently. But now, he can only lie on the bed and gasp for air. It seems that he may die at any moment. "Yang shi!" As they entered, Liu Ling and the others immediately stepped forward to wee Yang shi. After the previous encounter, they understood that it is likely that Yang shi is a higher tier master teacher, and as such, they did not dare to act arrogantly in the slightest before him. "I plead of Yang shi to save the Royal Elder..." Emperor Shen Zhui turned to look at Zhang Xuan anxiously. "If I can save him, I will do so." Zhang Xuan replied before walking forward to the elder. The death aura that engulfs Shen Hong is much heavier inparison to that on Apothecary Chen Xiao previously. He can only lie still on the bed. If not for his moving eyeballs, one would have thought that he had already passed away. It is no wonder that Emperor Shen Zhui specially rushed to look for him. Based on Shen Hongs current condition, it is hard to say whether he can live past today. Having walked a circle around Shen Hong, Zhang Xuan still couldnt identify the problem. Thus, he could only ce his fingers to feel the other partys pulse. "Un?" The Library of Heavens Path remained reactionless. It wasnt that he had grabbed the wrong hand, but... Shen Hong isnt in aa. His eyeballs are still moving, and he is still conscious... "It wouldnt be realistic to have him execute a punching routine now..." Zhang Xuans face darkened. Given that fellows current condition, it is already a blessing that Shen Hong can keep his eyes open. If he were to really push himself to execute a punching routine, he might really die before Zhang Xuan can do anything. "Yang shi... Is there a method to treat him?" Upon seeing him frown, Emperor Shen Zhui could not help but ask anxiously. This is already his final straw of hope. If Yang shi is unable toe up with a solution, he can only watch as the Royal Elder breathes hisst. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He cant possibly mention that he couldnt discern anything about the other party. Having the conscious execute a punching routine and touching the unconscious, he had tried the two methods and sessfullypiled books in the library through such. But... How can he deal with this those in such a semi-conscious state? He cant have him execute a punching routine, and touching him is ineffective. Why dont you pass out for a moment? You are obviously having trouble holding onto your consciousness, what are you doing not passing out! "Cough cough..." After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and asked, "This... Is there any object here which can knock him unconscious without... killing him?" Chapter 184: Poison Master Chapter 184: Poison Master Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Knock him unconscious without killing him?" Emperor Shen Zhui, Liu Ling, and Zheng Fei stared at one another as question marks popped above their heads. Isnt he here to save the Royal Elder? Why do you need something to knock him unconscious? Dont people usually infuse zhenqi, feed medicine, or apply acupuncture and such to save others? Does knocking someone out help too? The corner of Zhuang Xians mouth twitched. He felt a tightening sensation at his backside and a constipated sensation overwhelmed him. Even though he had consumed numerous medicine, his face remained swollen. His body was still aching from the beating that he suffered that day. Even though the other party had helped him achieve a breakthrough and he is genuinely grateful to the other party for that... Arent his methods way too unorthodox? There are set procedures which typical master teachers follow when helping others to achieve a breakthrough of their current cultivation realm. In fact, it had even a model. Yet, this fellow simply went ahead to blindfold him and beat him up... Even until now, he has yet to recover from the trauma of that incident. Of course, he understood that his condition is unique and thus, it was within reason that he had to resort to such extreme means. However, why does he have to knock the dying Shen Hong unconscious to save him? Could it be another inconceivable treatment method... "Theres a type of powder which can knock one unconscious with just a single whiff..." After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Shen Zhui said. All kinds of medicine can be found in the royal pce. It isnt difficult to find one that can knock a person unconscious without killing him. "Good, bring it over!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he instructed. Soon, a eunuch brought a jade bottle over. Opening the jade bottle, he saw that it was filled with white-colored powder. "Good." Nodding his head in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan took the bottle and walked up to Shen Hong. Under perplexed gazes, Yang shi walked up to the Royal Elder who was gasping for air and said with confidence, "Breathe it in! Come on, breathe it in!" Putong! Everyone nearly fainted. They were puzzled over why he required the medicine, but upon hearing his words, they nearly choked to death on their own saliva. When saving someone, one usually feeds tonic and spiritual essence... Yet, you feed him sedatives... Are you sure you arent here to murder him?! While everyone had entered a frenzy, the royal familys Royal Elder struggled to shake his head, his face full of fear. If not for the fact that he was immobile, he might have leaped up and fled the scene. At the peak of his health, breathing this in would ce great stress on his body. Now that he is on the verge of death, if he were to take a whiff, he might just fall dead. Do you think that I am not dying quickly enough? That you want to give me a helping hand? With his heart full of panic, he turned to look at Emperor Shen Zhui. Werent you going to invite master teachers over so that I can achieve a breakthrough and extend my longevity? Why is the person you brought trying to get me to breathe in sedatives? What are you doing? This is way too much! "Cough cough, Yang shi... The old ancestors body is extremely frail now. Im afraid that... if he were to inhale it... his body might be unable to handle it!" Upon noticing the doubtful gaze his Royal Elder shot him, Emperor Shen Zhuis mouth twitched and he hurried forward to stop him. When he witnessed Yang shis bizarre methods the day before, he thought that it would be limited to helping others achieve a breakthrough. To think that even his treatment method would be so incredulous. The Royal Elder had already expended great willpower to hold on in wait of your arrival. If he were to really breathe it in, even if he doesnt die, he wouldnt be too far from it. "Unable to handle it?" Zhang Xuan stopped. The other partys words made sense. The fellow looks as though he would die at any moment. He had been depending on his will to survive. If he were to really fall unconscious and the drive holding him here disappears, he may just die on the spot. So now, I cant knock him unconscious, and neither can I have him execute a battle technique. What should I do? Zhang Xuan was at a loss. He thought that by using the Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to easily see the root of his illness. Even if he couldnt save him, he could discuss it to prove his expertise. But look at the situation, the other party just has to be in such a state, rendering himpletely helpless. "Then... is there anything that can temporarily boost his vitality, such that he will not die even if he were to be knocked unconscious?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. Since the other party is on the verge of death, using sedative is out of the question. Thus, he can only find a way to temporarily boost the other partys vitality so that he wouldnt die when he is knocked unconscious. "Wouldnt die even if he were to be knocked unconscious?" The others stared at one another. This Yang shi is truly determined to knock Royal Elder Shen Hong unconscious... "Liu shi, is there anything among the master teacher diagnosis methods that... require a person to be knocked unconscious?" Zhuang Xian secretly sent a telepathic message over. There are many methods for a master teacher to diagnose a persons condition. Just like how a physician diagnoses a patient, through these methods, a master teacher can understand the exact condition of the person and point out the very core of his issue. The expert before them has practices simply too bizarre. Even as master teachers, they are unable toprehend the logic behind his actions. "This... Usually, the person has to be conscious to be diagnosed. Unconscious... I really have no idea at all!" Liu Ling shook his head. He is knowledgeable and had toured many different kingdoms. He had seen people using all kinds of means to wake an unconscious person to diagnose him, but he had nevere across knocking a person unconscious to diagnose him. An unconscious person is not much different from a corpse, how can one identify his problem like that? ... The few master teachers were baffled. Emperor Shen Zhui was also bewildered. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "This... the Royal Elder has already consumed all kinds of tonics that might possibly extend his longevity and boost his vitality. Just that these medicines are mostly ineffective now..." Shen Hong had the backing of the entire kingdom. In order to extend his longevity, he had ingested all kinds of medicine and his body had already developed an immunity to medicinal effects. Even if he were to be fed with more medicine now, it is unlikely that it would be effective. Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan felt dismal. Initially, he thought that once the old ancestor is fed with some medicine, he would regain sufficient vitality to execute a battle technique. Yet, this fellow turned out to be a drug junkie, and medicine is ineffective on him... The hell, am I really going to fail this time? "I do know of one item that can boost a persons vitality for a short period of time. It works just like the medicine that Emperor Shen Zhui mentioned; after consumption, it grants a weak person temporary strength and spirit. Furthermore, it has minimal side effects. However..." Liu Ling had contemted for some time before speaking. But speaking to this point, he hesitated all of a sudden. "But what?" Zhang Xuan turned to take a look. "However... It isnt a tonic but a... poison!" Liu Ling said. "Poison?" Zhang Xuan was confused. Doesnt poison usually harm others? How would consuming poison boost a persons vitality, and not to mention, cause minimal side effects? Not just him, even Emperor Shen Zhui was puzzled by his words. He immediately turned to look at Liu Ling with a strange expression. "Everyone knows that poison masters are of the Lower Nine Paths. They often concoct poison to secretly harm others. Their despicable means brought them despise. Even so, given how the profession had been passed down throughout the ages, it shows that there is value to its existence. Zheng Fei said. All professions that are passed down are surely useful in some ways. Even though poison masters possess poor reputation, they arent entirely scourges of the human society. They are also useful in their own ways. For example, if a person wants to get rid of pest or avoid miasma, they would require the help of such a person. "Indeed, Ive heard of the substance as well. From what I know, it is concocted using more than a dozen venomous substances in a specific ratio. Just like pill forging, it is incredibly difficult to concoct. The various ingredients would need to be mixed in a specific manner in a specific ratio such that they wouldplement one another and form a perfect bnce. In that case, not only would it not be detrimental to ones health, it can even stimte a personstent potential and induce the recovery of their vitality for a short period of time." Zhuang Xian seemed to have thought of it as well and he nodded his head in agreement. After which, he turned over to look at Yang shi with a confused expression. "Even though poison master is an extremely remote profession, this item is extremelymon in 1st Tier Kingdoms. Yang shi... You dont know about it?" Not just him, even Liu Ling and Zheng Fei were extremely puzzled. A master teacher has to be knowledgeable about the upations of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Nine Paths, as well as their skills. During the examination to be a 1-star master teacher, one has to answer questions on the topic in detail. As such, there isnt a single master teacher who doesnt know of this. The person before them is able to offer them pointers, revealing that he is obviously an extremely high tier master teacher. Yet, how can he be ignorant of poison masters and the medicine they concoct? In fact, it seemed as if it is his first time hearing of it? "I... dont like poison masters as an upation, so I didnt study much of it..." Looking at the doubtful gazes the others were shooting him, Zhang Xuan felt slightly awkward. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, it is no problem for him to offer pointers. However, when ites tomon knowledge, it is easy for Zhang Xuan to give himself away. As a master teacher, one must have an incredible discerning ability to identify the root of a problem. In order for one to possess such perceptive eyes, one has to have a wide range of knowledge. Without having a wide range of knowledge as a foundation, how can a master teacher recognize the crux of a problem in a single look and offer guidance? And what Zhang Xuancks is this umtion of knowledge. He is able to hoodwink people through the use of the library, but his ignorance shows through readily when met with this kind of general knowledge questions. "You dont like it? Didnt study much of it?" The frown on Liu Ling and the others faces deepened. As long as one had been to a 1st Tier Kingdom, even the deaf and blind would be aware, needless to say, a high tiered master teacher. Besides, a master teacher should be open to everything. They had never heard of one refusing to study a subject just because he hated the upation... Those are obviously words of an outsider. If not for the fact that the other party had offered them pointers, and had showcased his iparably vast knowledge in the field of cultivation, they would have suspected that he is an imposter. "Do any of you have the medicine?" Judging from the faces of the crowd, Zhang Xuan realized that he must have mentioned something inappropriate. Fortunately, he was born thick-skinned and this allowed him to remainposed. He changed the topic immediately. "This medicine has to be concocted by a poison master on the spot as it cannot be stored. Otherwise, changes would ur within the medicine, resulting in the bnce between the various venomous substance to be destroyed, causing it to be a deadly poison... How can we possibly have such a thing!" Liu Ling nodded his head. The doubt in his eyes deepened. This Yang shi is way too amateur! It is impossible for a master teacher to ask such a question. The same thought also sprouted in Zhuang Xian and Zheng Feis minds. In that instant, they once again began to doubt Yang shis identity as a master teacher. "Is that so..." Knowing that the other party was already suspicious, Zhang Xuan knew that he shouldnt linger further on the topic. He immediately turned to Emperor Shen Zhui and said, "Since thats the case, then I would have to bother Your Majesty to find a poison master to concoct it!" At this, he paused for a moment. Then, ignoring the gazes that the others cast, he spoke with a majesty unique to master teachers, "I need this medicine to save your Royal Elder!" "This..." This time, it wasnt just the three master teachers, even Emperor Shen Zhui was perplexed by Zhang Xuans demand. "Our Tianxuan Kingdom is a remote country which doesnt even rank into the tiers... As such, we do not have any poison masters in ournds... Yang shi, it cant be that you are not aware of it?" "You dont have poison masters here?" Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Chapter 185: Ill Learn For a Bit Chapter 185: Ill Learn For a Bit Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove He didnt think that after feigning as a master teacher for so long, such that everyone had already believed him to be real... that he would stumble on theck of trivial knowledge. If he knew that there arent any poison masters in Tianxuan Kingdom, he would have never said such words! Even though there are books on poison in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, they are more for record purposes. They are fundamental books on the uses of poisons, just like the elementary books in the Apothecary Guilds basic tier book collection vault. Advanced concepts for poison masters are not covered. Thus, Zhang Xuan was ignorant of such facts. It is no wonder that Liu Ling and the others are growing doubtful of him. He doesnt even possess basic knowledge that evenmoners are aware of. Even though he felt dismal at giving himself away, Zhang Xuan knows that the dice has been cast, and it is toote to regret now. If he were to say that he cant treat the old ancestor, the others would definitely think that hes an impersonation. Probably, before Emperor Shen Zhui can make a move himself, the master teachers would have already made mincemeat out of him. Even so, Zhang Xuan did not panic. He lifted his head slightly and a faraway look appeared in his eyes. It seemed as though he was reminiscing the past, and that many different memories and emotions, be it sweet or bitter, had been dredged up. "I have neglected this fact. I thought that I am where I had stayed a few years ago..." From an outsiders perspective, one would think that he had truly forgotten that he is in Tianxuan Kingdom, and he had truly misspoken. "..." Upon seeing his expression, question marks appeared above Liu Ling and the others. Since there were poison masters in his previous ce of dwelling, it means that the kingdom he had resided in is, at the minimum. 1st Tier. However, they had been to nearby 1st Tier Kingdoms, but have never heard of the name Yang Xuan... "Do you know how to concoct this medicine? If so, it would be best if you can make one now. I require it urgently to save a life." Seeing that he had managed to divert their attention, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Facing Shen Hong, who is a single foot into his grave, he truly is stumped. He can only find a way to induce a temporary recovery of the other party and have him execute a battle technique. Otherwise, if things were to drag on, he might just die before a remedy can be found. "Make one now?" Liu Ling shook his head. "Seems like Yang shi really doesnt know much about poison masters. Honestly speaking, the form for the medicine is simple. It contains only ten type of venoms, and I can recite them by heart. However, to achieve a bnce among the ten venoms such that there isnt any side effect and heighten a persons vitality, one has to be an extremely skilled poison master. Thus, it is useless even though I know the recipe!" Concocting poison is simr to how an apothecary forges a pill. Regardless of skill or the amount of herb used, the slightest mistake can result in a vast difference from the intended effects. This is precisely the reason why even though the reputation of poison masters are terrible, they remain a highly feared existence. In fact, there are many powers who specially hire them to deal with matters which are not convenient for them to directly interfere in. "You cant concoct it even though you know the recipe?" Zhang Xuan nced at him. "How about this, you write down the form first so that we can bring the ingredients required for the concoction." "Since Yang shi insists, I will follow your wishes." Liu Ling said no more. After getting someone to bring paper and brush, he quickly wrote down the ingredients. Zhang Xuan nced at the recipe. Monothorn Grass, Demise Flower, venomous extract from a White Bamboo Snake, blood from a ck Toad There are ten ingredients in total, and each of them is extremely venomous. Any single one of them is more than sufficient to poison a Tongxuan realm expert to death in an instant. However, when the ten of them are mixed together in a unique ratio, it can be an incredible tonic. The methods of a poison master are indeed incredible. Even if an ingredient on the list isnt present in the royal pce, it wasnt too difficult to search for it. Not too longter, all of the required ingredients were ced before Zhang Xuan. Every single ingredient was deeply colored and the sight induced fear. "What is the use of having found these ingredients? Without a poison master to concoct the mixture, they are just venomous substances that are useless in saving lives..." Doubtful, Zheng Feimented. Finding these ingredients had squandered them quite a bit of time. Shen Hong, at this moment, is on the verge of copsing. Yang shi was invited over to see if he can help Shen Hong achieve a breakthrough to extend his longevity, so why is he bothering about such matters? Isnt it a waste of time? "Indeed, Shen Hongs condition is indeed troublesome. We should be putting our heads to think of a solution instead. Even though recovering Shen Hongs vitality might help, we dont have anyone capable of concocting the medicine now!" Even Zhuang Xian could not stand watching on. He is indebted in Yang shi and shouldnt have doubted the other partys intention. However, from his perspective, what the other party was doing seemed to be meaningless. The most urgent matter at hand is to help Shen Hong achieve a breakthrough, not to bother about this. "You already said it, the medicine is useful. If so, we just have to concoct it. In any case, we know what ingredients are required, so it doesnt matter if we have a poison master here. Even without a poison master here, we will save him!" Interrupting the other persons words, Zhang Xuan smiled. "But... We dont understand the nature of these venoms..." Zhuang Xian panicked. "If a mistake urs, the subject will be poisoned to death immediately. If that happens, it will be impossible to make amends..." "Alright, if we dont know, we can learn. If we cant concoct it, we can give it a try. Theres no need to make such a big fuss!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. "Learn?" "Try?" Emperor Shen Zhui, Liu Ling, and the others staggered simultaneously. They nearly fainted on the spot. Brother, you dont even know who a poison master is! How in the world are you going to learn about poison? Suchst minute mugging, there has to be a better solution! Every single upation requires one to receive guidance from a teacher. Only after several years of dedicated research and learning can one have aplishments in the field. Yet, you speak of learning it now? Learn your head! Dont joke around! Even though the poison master is a Lower Nine Paths upation, it doesnt mean that it is easy toprehend. Rather, it was due to its poor reputation that it fell from prestige. In fact, the difficulty of bing a poison master is in no way easier than that of bing an apothecary. After all, one needs to have an in-depth knowledge of the property of the various poisons. Otherwise, one wouldnt be concocting medicine butmitting suicide. Thus, every single poison master has to go through countless years of effort before finally bing certified... Yet, you say that you want to learn now... By the time you are done, Shen Hongs flesh would have withered... By then, theres no one here for you to save! The others felt the world spinning around them. On the other hand, Shen Hong, who was lying on the bed, was on the verge of tears. The heck, how did I offend you? I just want to live for a few more years to protect Tianxuan Kingdom... First, you want to knock me out. Now, you want to poison me to death. At most, Ill just die right now, so spare me, will you? I beg of you, stop torturing me... "Yang shi, tinkering with poison isnt childs y. Its best not to toy around with them..." Liu Ling could no longer hold himself back and immediately tried to persuade Yang shi otherwise. If you dont have a solution for Shen Hongs problem, at most, you can just admit that you are helpless. What are you trying by ying with sedatives and poison? Do you think that poison can be concocted that easily? If it were that easy, poison masters wouldnt be such a feared existences. "I know that it isnt childs y, so give me a moment. Ill study for a bit first..." Zhang Xuan nodded his head seriously... "Study... for a bit first?" Your head! The three master teachers nearly fainted. "Fine, well see how you study then..." Liu Ling flung his robe furiously. Initially, he thought that given Yang shi is a knowledgeable person. Even though his means are inconceivable, his ability to perceive the crux of the problem is astonishing. But now, it seems that he is merely an extremely random person, such that he is even trying to learn about concocting poison now... The heck! If you are that incredible, why dont you ascend to the heavens? I have seen numerous master teachers, and have even met a 3-star. However, Ive never heard of anyone being able to grasp an upation from scratch in a short period of time. "Hmph!" Just like Liu shi, even though Zheng Fei did not say anything, hisplexion was awful. Clearly, he was dissatisfied with Zhang Xuans actions. Who are poison masters? Even among the Nine Paths, it is an extremely famous upation. If one can be one that easily, it would be worthless. "Un? Didnt he say that he is going to learn about poison now? What is he trying to do?" The three master teachers were furious. By the side, Emperor Shen Zhui also nced at Yang shi speechlessly. However, when he shot his gaze over, he was immediately confounded by the sight before him. Didnt Yang shi say that he is going to learn about poison? Then why is he standing rooted to the spot with his eyes closed? Brother, if you truly want to learn about poison, you should find a few books and flip through them. Or at the very least, you should at least ask about it. What do you hope to achieve by standing there with your eyes closed? Please at least show some respect for poison masters... What in the world are you up to? "Liu shi, look..." Zhuang Xian also noticed the strange situation and he muttered. "Sleeping?" This..." Liu Ling and Zheng Fei stared at one another and blinked their eyes. At this moment, they were just a push away from ripping their hair out. Yang shi... Can you tell us what youre up to? Didnt you say that you want to learn how to concoct poison? Standing motionless on the spot, not even sparing a nce at the venomous substances on the table. More importantly... your eyes are shut. Hell, what are you up to? Ive seen entric people, but Ive never seen such an entric one. The three master teachers felt that their heads were about to explode from frustration. Chapter 186: Concocting Poison Chapter 186: Concocting Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Of course, Zhang Xuan wasnt merely putting on a show. He had flipped through several thousand books regarding poison in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Even though they are all elementary and insufficient for one to be an official poison master even if one read through all of them, it is sufficient for him at the current moment. His current motive isnt to be a poison master. He just wants to look for a way to achieve a perfect bnce among these ten ingredients to create a safe medicinal solution and restore Shen Hongs vitality. He doesnt have to be as skilled as a poison master to concoct the remedy. It is just like how bing an official apothecary is troublesome, but an apprentice can still easily concoct medicinal paste. Hula! With a jolt of his mind, he flipped through all of the books he had read in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault regarding poison. "Correct!" Focusing all of his attention, the correct portions of the books soon formed aplete manual before him. Zhang Xuan gently flipped it open. "Poison can kill, but it can save lives as well. If one masters the art of poison, it might even be possible for one to bring back the dead..." The book was filled with words. Zhang Xuan knew that that was the correct content extracted from the other books by the Library of Heavens Path. He started reading without hesitation. With a single nce, Zhang Xuan was impressed. It is just like Liu Ling and the others had said. This upation is vast and profound; it isnt something one canprehend in mere days. However, with the Library of Heavens Pathpiling an absolutely correct manual, Zhang Xuan would be able to arrive at the very core of every single principle. As such, he is able to learn swiftly. Flipping through the various books in his head, his understanding of poison master as an upation, as well as the nature of poisons, gradually deepened. Unknowingly, he reached the final page. Zhang Xuan felt a shudder going through his entire body. He immediately assimted all of the knowledge he had just learned for himself, and it formed a part of his working memory. Even though he didnt be a poison master, as he had expected, his understanding toward venomous substances had deepened significantly. "Un? What is this?" Having gained a deep understanding of poisons, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed a faint ck aura hidden in the depths of his body. "When did I sustain this?" In the past, due to his ignorance, even if he had noticed, he wouldnt have thought much of it. However, now that he had learned the basics, he recognized it to be poison. Just that... he couldnt recall when he was afflicted with it? Furthermore... if it had been lingering in his body all along, why is he still fine? "Royal Elder! Royal Elder..." Just as Zhang Xuan wanted to look deeper to see what it is and whether it would have any adverse effect on him, Emperor Shen Zhuis panicked exmations sounded by his ear. Realizing that this isnt the right time to do so, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and nced forward. He saw Old Ancestor Shen Hong, who had been struggling to gasp for air, on the verge of closing his eyes. It seems that he may die at any moment now. Using the analogy of an oilmp, if the me was weak before, the wind is now blowing and the me might be extinguished at this very moment. Even if Shen Hong tries his best to persevere, it is unlikely that he will be able to survive more than a few minutes. "Sigh... death ultimatelyes to all. Emperor Shen Zhui, please do not grief too much!" "Please pardon our helplessness..." Liu Ling and the rest recognized Shen Hongs worsening state and shook their heads in unity. At present, he is no different from a corpse. As 1-star master teachers, they do not have any solutions. Even if they do manage to think of one now, it would be toote to help. Indignance reflected in Emperor Shen Zhuis eyes. He had spent a great sum to invite the three master teachers, only to be told that they are powerless on the matter. Just as he decided that there isnt any hope, Yang shi suddenly appeared. He had thought of him as his final straw of hope, but in the end... it turns out that he is even more unreliable than the three. It is one thing for him to not save him, but at such a crucial period, he tries to tinker with sedatives and poisons... I invited you to save him, not to experiment with him... The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. He turned to look at the motionless fellow to see what he had to say about the matter, only to see that his eyes had opened. "Yang shi, my old ancestor is unable to hold on any longer. If you dont save him now, itll be toote..." Emperor Shen Zhui suppressed the anger he felt and spat through gritted teeth. "Ill first concoct the medicine!" Zhang Xuan said. With a single nce, even he could tell that if he doesnte up with anything soon, Shen Hong will most probably die within ten minutes. The only thing he can do now is to concoct the medicine and hope that it is of use! "Concoct the medicine..." After hearing those words, Emperor Shen Hong can no longer hold back his anger. "Yang shi, my old ancestors life is hanging by the thread! I didnt invite you over to experiment concocting the medicine of a poison master..." "Oh?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "You mean that..." "Yang shi, if you have other solutions, please do so. If you are able to treat my old ancestor, the Tianxuan Kingdom is willing to offer anything to you!" Emperor Shen Zhui said. "Arent I doing so now? When the medicine is done, feed it to your old ancestor. After he regains some of his vitality, I will find a solution for his problem." Ignoring the other partys rage, Zhang Xuan replied impassively. After hearing those words, Emperor Shen Zhui nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Didnt you hear what I said? The meaning behind my words should be clear! Since you dont possess the skills of a poison master, dont try to concoct medicine out of poisons. You should try to think of a way to save the person instead... In the end, my words fell on deaf ears! Actually, what that he didnt know was that Zhang Xuan had no better alternatives at that moment. In his present state, Shen Hong will die at any moment even if Zhang Xuan does nothing at all. Even though if he tries to do something, Shen Hong might still die. The best solution at the moment is to concoct the medicine and have him recover some vitality so that the library canpile a book on him. Other than this, Zhang Xuan has no better solution. Seeing that the fellow was still persisting on concocting his medicine, the three master teachers were infuriated. "Emperor Shen Zhui, allow Yang shi to concoct the medicine!" Suppressing his displeasure, Liu Ling flung his robe. If not for a fear of the other partys fighting prowess, he would have long made a move on him. You dont even know who poison masters are, yet you intend to concoct a medicine out of poison. Do you think that poison masters are a joke? Arrogant! It is truly a wonder how you became a master teacher. Or perhaps... You arent a master teacher at all! You just happened to be lucky when helping Zhuang Xian to achieve a breakthrough in his realm. Zhang Xuan could sense the displeasure in the other partys voice, but he couldnt be bothered with it at the moment. Shen Hong was about to die, and he had no time to waste. Walking over to the venomous ingredients, he poured one of the liquids into an empty bottle. "ying a fool..." Even though Liu Ling isnt a poison master, he had seen them concoct poison and thus, he knew of the typical sequences and methods. Even a tenth or a hundredth of these venomous substances, when consumed by ident, will cause one to die on the spot. They are all fearsome substances. That is the reason why one requires specialized equipment when concocting to ensure a precise quantity. Yet, without using any equipment at all, you simply pour the substances from bottle to bottle... Arent you being too casual! Do you know how much of the substance you have poured from the bottles? Do you know the correct ratio between the various ingredients? Just a single droplet of error can cause a persons death. Thats also the reason why poison masters are exceptionally cautious whenever they concoct, fearing that there might be the slightest bit of error. Yet, you dare to pour these poisons around randomly... The heck! If one were to try bing a poison master with such an attitude, before seeding, he would have long poisoned himself to death. Do you regard that as having learned the subject? Even a craftsman found off the streets would be much more precise than you! "When a poison master concocts a form, he needs to allow the first two ingredients to react before putting the third in, just like how an apothecarys pill forging worked. There are specific sequences and timings to ce the substances in. Even the slightest error will not be tolerated. Yet, to be pouring those poison around casually..." Zheng Feimented angrily. You insist on concocting that poison of yours instead of saving Shen Hong, fine, well tolerate it. However, there is an intricate and profound rtionship between the various poisons. One has to mediate between the various changes in the poisons and to do so, he has to follow a specific sequence and timing. Yet, you are randomly filling the bottle as though pouring wine... It is impossible for you to have concocted anything good this way. Just bying into contact with a single drop, Shen Hong will probably die on the spot, not to mention, drink it. Ignoring themotion between the master teachers, Zhang Xuan focused all of his attention into concocting the medicine and his movements were fast. Dont you see that he is already dying? If he were to do it as the master teachers had said, using measurement equipment and waiting for the poison to react with one another, the other party would have already died by the time he is done. Of course, he wasnt mixing the poisons together randomly as the other party had perceived him to be doing. The book in the library in his mind was continuously refreshed as he poured the different liquids together. If the ws were to decrease along with his movements, that meant that his actions must be correct. In less than ten breaths, the ten types of venomous ingredients had been mixed together. Touching the jade bottle, the content in the book was refreshed once again. "Ten Venom Medicinal Solution, concocted by Zhang Xuan. Upon consumption, one regains vitality and reverts to their healthy state for an incenses time. ws: 12 aspects. No.1, the consumer doesnt regain his cultivation; No.2, the duration of the recovery is too short..." The name and effects of the liquid Zhang Xuan just concocted was written on the cover of the book. "Ive seeded..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though he had been using the library to observe the state of the poison constantly, if not for the thousand books he had studied prior to that, which provided him with basic knowledge of the properties of the various poisons, he would have been at a loss to how he should react to the ws that appeared within the book. If he were to have truly added the various venoms together randomly, even if he had half a month, he wouldnt have been able to concoct the medicinal solution. Hu! Upon sessfullypleting the concoction, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Ive seeded!" Picking the jade bottle up, he looked at the crowd. "Youve seeded?" Everyones lips twitched. After pouring the liquids together randomly, you say that youve seeded? In your own opinion, that is! "Quick, feed it to him!" Ignoring the bizarre gazes everyone else shot him, Zhang Xuan handed the concoction to Emperor Shen Zhui hurriedly. "Feed it to him?" Emperor Shen Zhui shook his head, "Its not certain whether the concoction is toxic or not..." "Theres no time. Hurry up and feed it to him, otherwise, he will really die!" Knowing that the other party wouldnt believe him even if he were to exin, Zhang Xuan frowned. "But..." Emperor Shen Zhui was hesitant. "Why? You dont believe that this medicinal fluid can help him regain his vitality?" Zhang Xuan asked. Even though Zhang Xuan didnt appear to be angry, there was some kind of mystical strength to his words that gave it authority. After having feigned as a master teacher for numerous days, his actions and words had started to exude an aura of superiority. "I..." Emperor Shen Zhui did not know how he should reply to his words. Its not that he had doubts, but that... he didnt even trust him! I saw you mixing the ten poisons together randomly with my own eyes. Yet, you ask me to believe you... You must be joking! Besides, how can I feed the Royal Elder with this unverified solution? What if he dies immediately after I feed him that? "If you dont believe me, then lets forget it. Ive already given you the chance, and the choice is up to you!" Seeing the other party hesitating, Zhang Xuan chose not to speak excessively. He ced the medicinal solution he concocted on the table, his face carrying an impassive expression. "However, you should consider the matter properly. Your Royal Elder will not survive for more than three minutes if you cant think of any other solutions... Three minutes of his life for an opportunity to extend his longevity. The choice is up to you." "This..." Emperor Shen Zhui clenched his fist tightly. Chapter 187: Tons of Nonsense Chapter 187: Tons of Nonsense Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove He doesnt even have the slightest bit of confidence in the medicinal solution that Yang shi concocted. However, it is just like the other party had said. If they cant find any other solution, this Royal Elder of his will not survive past three minutes. Since he is going to die anyway, might as well give it a try! In any case, this Yang shi had managed to treat Ling Tianyus wife, Du Miaoxuan, and the others. Even though his means and actions so far appear unreliable and iprehensible, this is the best chance he has. After ten breaths, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, Ill give it a try!" There is no choice but to give it a shot. There isnt a better solution. After making his decision, Emperor Shen Zhui clenched his jaws, grabbed the jade bottle from the table, and approached the Royal Elder. "Royal Elder, pardon me for my impudence..." After using a spoon to pry open his mouth, he poured the medicinal solution in. "Wuuuuu..." Even though Royal Elder Shen Hong was on the verge of dying, he was still conscious. Having the medicinal solution forcefully poured into his mouth, he nearly cried. He had seen everything that had happened with his own eyes. Yang shis actions had sent chills down his spine. He is the Royal Elder of Tianxuan Kingdom, an expert who is even more respected than the king himself. Yet, to be feeding him a medicine that can potentially be toxic without first testing it... It is as though they are treating him as a Pill Sample Beast! Furthermore, it is the kind of experiment where he will die immediately if there is the tiniest bit of error... Why is my life so tough? All I want is to live peacefully and die peacefully. Is that that hard to achieve? Very quickly, Emperor Shen Zhuipleted the task of forcing the entire bottle of solution into Royal Elder Shen Hongs mouth. Cough cough cough! Shen Hongs eyes flipped and after a few moments of struggle, he stopped moving. "Royal Elder.." Emperor Shen Zhuis face paled. He staggered backward and roared in agony. Is it a failure? Not only is the Royal Elder the stabilizing pir of Tianxuan Kingdom, he is also a close blood-rted kin to Shen Zhui. Even though he addresses Shen Hong as his Royal Elder, he is actually the emperor from two generations ago, Shen Zhuis own grandfather. For his own grandfather to have died before him, not to mention, being the one responsible for the fatal act of having fed him the medicine, the agony he felt was indescribable. "If the medicine can indeed be concocted that easily, then poison masters would be worthless..." Liu Ling shook his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Yang shi, even though Shen Hong would have died even if he didnt consume the medicine, it is a fact that he died from taking your medicine. So, it isnt wrong to say that you killed him!" "Killed him?" "Thats right. You were the one who concocted the medicine, and it was under your orders that the medicine was fed to him. Now that he has died, who else can the responsibility belong to other than your?" Liu Ling stared at him with piercing eyes. "Yang shi, werent you confident in your medicine?" Emperor Shen Zhui questioned angrily. It was under your orders that I fed your medicine to my Royal Elder. Now, look at what has happened... "My responsibility?" "Indeed! Shen Hong is the stabilizing pir of Tianxuan Kingdom, and now that he has died from your medicine, you should make up for it by taking on his role!" Actually, he also knew clearly that Shen Hong would have died regardless of whether the medicine was fed to him. The reason why he intentionally said such words was for this. Shen Hongs greatest purpose in the kingdom was to deter aggressors and revolutionaries. If Yang shi were to agree to take his ce, his presence would definitely provide a much greater deterrence than Shen Hong. In fact, Tianxuan Kingdom might be a 2nd Tier Kingdom or even a 1st Tier Kingdom due to his presence "Taking on his role?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, "No way!" He intends to destroy the identity once he receives the Tongxuan realm secret manuals from Emperor Shen Zhui. To serve as the stabilizing pir? What a joke! "Impossible? Does Yang shi not feel the slightest bit of regret in failing to save Shen Hong and instead, causing his death?" Liu Yang raised his eyebrows. "Causing his death? Youre imagining things..." Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Rest easy, how can he die that easily in my presence!" After which, he walked over to the motionless Royal Elder Shen Hong and sent a p to his face. Pah! The p was resounding. Cough cough cough! After which, the sound of coughs echoed in the room. Shen Hong, who had be motionless moments earlier, spat out a mouthful of medicinal solution and opened his eyes slowly. "This..." Everyone was stupefied. Liu Ling, Zheng Fei, and the others, who were about to reprimand Yang shi for his disrespectful actions, nearly had their eyes drop to the ground. They thought that their eyes were ying tricks on them. "Royal Elder, you..." Emperor Shen Zhui walked forward with an incredulous expression. He did not understand what was happening before him. "You unfilial fellow, do you wish to choke me to death? Cough cough..." Shen Hongs furious words echoed in the entire room. At this moment, he doesnt look as though a person who was on the verge of death. "Yang shi, whats going on..." Emperor Shen Zhui hurriedly looked over. He had clearly seen the Royal Elder fall motionless. Why did he suddenly wake up and is even able to speak? What is going on? He wasnt the only one who found the entire situation unbelievable. Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and Zheng Fei felt the knowledge and experience that they had umted over the years were crumbling apart. The deading back to life? This cant be real! "Shen Hongs body was weak and he was on the verge of death. I asked you to feed him the medicine, yet you simply forced all of it down his throat. The sticky medicinal solution blocked his breathing airways, therefore sending him into a death-like state... As for why he was able to suddenly wake up, the reason is simple. The medicinal solution that I had concocted is effective!" Zhang Xuan said impassively. Even though the situation seems baffling, it is actually quite simple. The Ten Venom Medicinal Solution which he had concocted had been checked by the library, so naturally, there couldnt be any problem with its effectiveness. Even though Shen Hong was on the verge of death, upon consumption, the concoction took effect immediately and granted him temporary vitality. Even though feeding him a mouthful would have sufficed, Emperor Shen Zhui forced the entire bottle of it in. With so much medicinal solution clogging up his airways, it is already a blessing that he didnt choke to death. It was precisely because Zhang Xuan saw through it that he pped his face, utilizing the impact to open up his clogged airways, allowing him to regain consciousness. "This..." Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers were astonished after hearing the exnation. A medicine that was concocted randomly is actually... effective? Other poison masters prepare all kinds of measuring instruments for their concoction process, fearful that they might add a single droplet more. Yet, this fellow, just by pouring the fluids around randomly... He actually managed to seed... Heavens, surely you are jesting with me! Of course, that wasnt the most shocking... Just a moment ago, Yang shi clearly didnt even know what kind of medicine this is. Yet, in the next instant, he concocted it as though a veteran poison master... Heavens above, can anyone tell me what is going on? Could it be really as he said, that he learned it on the spot? And just by closing his eyes, he learned all of that on the spot? Furthermore, he learned poison concoction, which is reputed to be as difficult as pill forging... The four of them felt as though they were dreaming. "Thank you, Yang shi, for saving my life..." Before they could recover from their shock, Royal Elder Shen Hong climbed down from his bed and sped his hands. Regardless of how close to death one is, upon consuming the Ten Venom Medicinal Solution, one can regain their vitality and return to a pink state of health temporarily. Even though Shen Hong didnt regain his cultivation, it wasnt a difficult task for him to walk around. "Theres no need for these formalities. Execute a battle technique for me now." Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to waste the limited time he had and hurriedly instructed Shen Hong to disy a battle technique to him. That was the motive for concocting the medicine in the first ce. Since the other party is sufficiently healthy to stand up, then it would be best for him to hurry. "Execute a battle technique? My body is weak now and I cant propel the slightest bit of zhenqi. Even if I were to execute one now, it wont make any difference... I think itll be best for me not to embarrass myself!" Shen Hong shook his head. "After experiencing death, I have already thought it through. If the kingdom survives without me, it would be for the best. But if it falls in the end, one can only say that it is the workings of fate. Theres no need to be so adamant about it..." "..." Zhang Xuan. I only asked you execute a battle technique so that I canpile a book on you in the library to tell your physical condition. Why are you suddenly rambling nonsense? Getting so philosophical all of the sudden... "Its good that Brother Shen Hong is able to see through all these after experiencing death! Riches actually dont mean anything at all, ones cultivation is the most important. Even though its good to possess authority, it seemed like it had impeded your growth. Otherwise, given your talent, you would have long reached Zongshi realm." Before Zhang Xuan could even speak, Liu Ling nodded his head in satisfaction. His admiration for Shen Hong reflected in his eyes. "Indeed! Its a pity that I haveprehended this fact way toote." Royal Elder Shen Hong sighed. Then, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Even so, I would like to thank Yang shi for your help. Youve given additional time, and even though I didnt recover my cultivation, I am still delighted..." Just as Royal Elder Shen Hong was just about to go on, he saw Yang shis face gradually turning dark. Then, thetter sent a p toward him. Pah! It urately hit the back of his head. Padah! Before he could finish his words, Royal Elder Shen Hongs vision went dark, and he copsed onto the floor, unconscious. "I only asked you to execute a battle technique. You sure have tons of nonsense to speak..." Dusting his hands, Zhang Xuan harrumphed The moment he turned around, he saw Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers staring at him in shock. Chapter 188: The Eccentric Method to Treat Shen Zhui (1) Chapter 188: The entric Method to Treat Shen Zhui (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove It was no wonder that Zhang Xuan became angry. Given the very limited period of an incenses time the Ten Venom Medicinal Solution granted him, that fellow refused to execute a battle technique and chose to ramble on about hisprehension of life instead. Comprehend your head! If you dont allow me to trace the root of your problem using the Library of Heavens Path, you might be released after an incenses time, but I will be forced to guard the kingdom for you! Besides, my reputation would be ruined! If my reputation were to be ruined by you, how can I make money in the future? Thus, upon seeing the other party refusing to execute a battle technique, Zhang Xuan could no longer restrain himself and pped the other party unconscious. In any case, he had already consumed the medicine, so he wouldnt die even if he were to go unconscious. And to Zhang Xuan, pping him unconscious and having him execute a battle technique meant the same thing. While Zhang Xuan had pped him merrily, Shen Zhui and the other three master teachers went into a frenzy. Didnt you just help him regain consciousness? Why did you p him unconscious all of the sudden? Is there really a method of diagnosing that requires one to be unconscious? "Yang shi..." Just as Emperor Shen Zhui was about to question his action, Yang shi swung his arms and said, "Alright, we dont have much time. Lets get down to business!" Ignoring their shocked faces, he squatted down to feel Shen Hongs pulse. Weng! His mind jolted and a book finally appeared in the library. On the cover were the words Shen Hong. He flipped it open gently. "Shen Hong, the grandfather of Tianxuan Kingdoms emperor, Shen Zhui, a Half-Zongshi expert..." Shen Hongs life and his bodily ws were written on it. "Yang shi, is there hope for the Royal Elder?" As he had heard from Ling Tianyu about Yang shis method to diagnose ones condition by feeling his pulse, he wasnt too surprised by the action. But upon seeing Yang shi frown, Emperor Shen Zhui couldnt help but walk over. Even Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and the others were filled with anxiety. This Shen Hong had reached the limit of his lifespan. They were unable toe up with any treatment, and even less so, induce a breakthrough in him. Thus, they were interested in listening to Yang shis opinion. "Wake him up first!" Zhang Xuan gestured grandly. After having felt the other partys pulse, he was no longer as anxious and uptight as before. "Yes!" Emperor Shen Zhui ced his finger on the Royal Elders philtrum and infused zhenqi into his body. Slowly, Shen Hong regained his consciousness. (TL: Philtrum -> Area above the lips, below the nose) "Yang shi..." Upon awakening from his sleep, Shen Hong stared at Zhang Xuan. Just as he was about to ask thetter why he had knocked him unconscious, the other partys voice resounded. "Shen Hong, Ill give you two choices. You can achieve a breakthrough to the Zongshi realm and continue living. Otherwise, just as you said, if you dont mind dying, I cant be bothered to save you as well." He had to first ascertain the other partys will to live. If he wasnt willing, no matter how incredible Zhang Xuan could be, he would be unable to save him. "I... can live on? Reach Zongshi realm?" Initially, he was displeased with Zhang Xuans action of knocking him unconscious. However, upon hearing his words, Shen Hongs body trembled in agitation. He knows how difficult it is for one to reach Zongshi realm. He had tried his entire life, only to fail time and time again. Now, at the verge of death, and with no moretent potential within him that can be dredged up... can he really reach Zongshi realm? "If you wish to achieve a breakthrough, you can definitely do it. But if you dont want to, lets just forget it. I dont want to waste my effort." Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Of course I do... I beg of Yang shi offer me your guidance so that I can achieve a breakthrough..." Not even hesitating in the least, Shen Hong immediately knelt to the floor. All signs of discontentment from before had vanished without a trace. That epiphany from before was just self-constion for his plight. For a chance to achieve a breakthrough and live longer, only a fool would reject it. "It isnt difficult for you to live on. However..." Circling around Shen Hong, Zhang Xuan seemed to be examining his body condition. Then, he suddenly stopped. With eyes as deep as the abyss, he said, "You have to listen to my words and follow my instructions obediently. Do not try to go against my words, or else, I wont be able to help you. In short, you just have to do whatever I ask of you and cooperate with me. Theres no need for you to ask any questions." "Thats simple! I will do as you say!" He thought that the other party woulde up with a difficult request. However, upon hearing that it would be that easy, Shen Hong quickly nodded his head and agreed to it. Back then, when he studied under his teacher, it was the same as well. As such, he thought nothing of it. However, the moment he said those words, he saw Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers looking at him with sympathetic gazes. Of course, they feel sympathy for him! This Yang shi might be capable, but his bizarre means are truly hard to ept. To be asking for the other partys approval before the treatment has started, even by using ones toe to think, it is clear that he is up to no good. "Whats wrong?" Upon seeing their gazes, Shen Hong felt puzzled. He had been on the verge of death thest few days and as such, he was ignorant of what had happened to Zhuang shi. He thought that there was something wrong with his words. "Nothing..." Resisting his urge to speak, Emperor Shen Zhui wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He had witnessed Yang shis entric means for himself... It seemed that this Royal Elder of his would be ravaged, just like Zhuang shi. "Its good that you are agreeable. Emperor Shen Zhui, find some female dancers from the royal pce here. They must have good figures!" Upon seeing him agree, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, he turned to Shen Zhui and spoke in full seriousness. "Female dancers?" Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers were baffled. The dancers in the pce can only dance, they possess extremely low cultivation. What is his purpose of calling them here? Will getting them here help Shen Hong achieve a breakthrough? Besides, he requested for those with good figures... Why doesnt it sound like a treatment method at all? "Yes..." Even though it was iprehensible to Emperor Shen Zhui, he knew that it was impossible for him to understand Yang shis wisdom. Thus, he quickly passed down themand without any hesitation. The personnel within the pce acted quickly and in a few moments, a dozen of beautiful dancers with voluptuous figures entered. Even though they paled far inparison to Shen Bi Ru, they were still stunning beauties. Every single movement of theirs induced great pleasure in the audience. "Yang shi, are they alright...?" "Not bad, just that they are wearing too much. Get them to take off those long sleeves and such!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Wearing too much?" Bizarre expressions appeared on the faces of the three master teachers. Looking for dancers and getting them to strip... Are you sure you are helping him to achieve a breakthrough? Why does it feel like he is patronizing a brothel and choosing a woman of his liking... If not for the fact that they were curious to see what Yang shi would do, they wouldnt have stayed a second longer. They had already witnessed how unorthodox Yang shis methods could be. Even so, they had not imagined that... it would be so unorthodox. Capable master teachers tend to be austere, and their means tend to be upright. Yet... Why does your treatment method seem like finding prostitution instead... Even though they did not know what he was up to, they had a bad premonition. ... The dancers were properties of the royal pce. Not just stripping, they would even do other stuff without hesitation whenmanded to. Upon hearing the orders, they quickly stripped the long sleeves and such, leaving behind their tight innerwear. The sight of spring unfolded before everyones eyes. "Alright, Emperor Shen Zhui, help me prepare a few more items..." Zhang Xuan turned over and whispered into the other partys ears. "Yang shi, feel free to speak of your demands... WHAT?" Halfway through his words, Emperor Shen Zhui eximed in shock. His eyes widened and he almost went insane, "Yang shi, if... you have such interest, I can send as many people as you like to your residence. Here... isnt appropriate..." "Dont spout so much nonsense, hurry up!" Zhang Xuan rushed him. "Yes..." With a tearful face, Shen Zhui hurriedly made arrangements as Zhang Xuan had instructed him to. Of the three master teachers, Liu Ling was the strongest. Even though Zhang Xuan had spoken in a hushed voice, he nevertheless managed to overhear his words. Instantly, he staggered and a feeling of vertigo overwhelmed him. "What did he get Shen Zhui to do?" Looking at his expression, Zhuang Xian and Zheng Fei knew that he must have heard something. They couldnt hold back their curiosity and asked him about it. "He wanted Emperor Shen Zhui to bring something over..." Liu Ling had a nk look on his face. "Something? What can it be, for Shen Zhui to be so shocked?" "Its... aphrodisiac!" "Aphrodisiac?" Zhuang Xian and Zheng Fei were dazed for a moment, then slowly, their eyes widened. The heck! They knew that Yang shis solution was definitely going to be damned. Even so, when they heard of his instructions, they nearly vomited blood. It was exactly as they had guessed, the other party was indeed up to no good! They had seen people demanding for tonic, pills, spirit treasures, and secret manuals. That was their first time witnessing someone demand aphrodisiac. Looking for dancers and having them strip, then finding someone to get this item over. You sure are meticulous... Brother, are you helping him to achieve a breakthrough or are you helping him to exercise? The trio looked at Shen Hong once again, and endless pity reflected in their eyes. Even though Zhuang shi was battered while covered under a gunny sack, at the very least, his reputation remained untainted. If he were made to do some uncultured act in public for his breakthrough, he might have just died from anger on the spot. While the others were still astonished by Zhang Xuans request, a servant had already entered, carrying with him a jade bottle. It was filled with specially-made medicine. Most emperors keep arge back pce, and Emperor Shen Zhui is no exception. It wasnt difficult to find such medicine in the royal pce. "Swallow it!" Taking over the jade bottle, Zhang Xuan walked over to Shen Hong. "Yes!" Royal Elder Shen Hong had no idea what was inside, but at that moment, he had full confidence and awe for Zhang Xuan. After grabbing over the bottle, he swallowed the medicine inside without any hesitation. Looking at the other partys candor movement, the eyebrows of the three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui twitched. "Alright, go and dance with them." Upon seeing him swallow the medicine, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. "Dance?" Shen Hong was taken aback. As an elder, he has to dance with these youngdies? Furthermore... They are all dressed scantily. If he were to really head over, it is likely that he will be in constant physical contact with them... Just as he was battling the conflicting thoughts in his mind, he suddenly felt a surge of heat spreading from his belly. Then, looking at the dancers once more, an urge suddenly tugged at him. Tzzzzzzz! That urge grew stronger and stronger. Soon, he found himself losing control. It must be said that the medicine which Emperor Shen Zhui found was indeed incredible. The medicine took effect swiftly. In a few breaths, Shen Hongs eyes had turned red and he was no longer able to suppress his urge. After consuming this medicine, even if there were no enticement before the person, one would already find the heat unbearable. At the instant, there were so many beautiful and voluptuous youngdies before Shen Hong. Furthermore, they were dressed scantily. It would be truly weird if Shen Hong could hold himself back. With a roar, Royal Elder Shen Hong dashed forward. "Stop him. Make those dancers dance before him, the more seductive their dance is, the better it is!" Zhang Xuanmanded. "Yes!" Cold sweat streamed down Emperor Shen Zhuis head. What kind of breakthrough method is this? Feeding the other party aphrodisiac, but only allowing him to watch? Huhuhu! Upon hearing themands, the movements of the dancers became more provocative and sexy. Their alluring figures swayed suggestively. Light reflecting off their snow-white skin made them seem exceptionally warm, as though jade, inviting ones hands. Their movements were exceptionally capable of evoking an itch in men. Putting aside Shen Hong, who had swallowed the aphrodisiac, even the three master teachers began to feel the temptation. "Will this really... help him achieve a breakthrough?" Initially, they had thought that beating one up was already a very entric method. To think that Zhang Xuan had worse methods up his sleeves... The three master teachers were on the verge of crying. Witnessing the situation, they felt as though all the theories and principles they had learned in thest few decades were all worthless! Chapter 189: The Eccentric Method to Treat Shen Hong (2) Chapter 189: The entric Method to Treat Shen Hong (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Shen Zhui, what did you feed me?" Sensing the uncontroble urge in him, as well as the indissipable heat that rose within him, Shen Hong finally realized that something was wrong and he roared furiously. "Its... aphrodisiac..." Shen Zhui could only answer truthfully. "Aphrodisiac? Ill screw your grandma..." Shen Hong staggered He never thought that a day woulde which his own grandson would feed him aphrodisiac. Damn, are you toying with me? Shen Hong felt that he was going insane. "Royal Elder, please dont me me. Its Yang shi who asked me to do so, I had no choice..." Emperor Shen Zhui was on the verge of tears as well. When he almost killed the Royal Elder by feeding him the medicinal solution, a trauma was left in his heart. Now, he was reprimanded just because he followed Yang shis instructions... What did I do! All I want is for you to live longer! In the end, this is how you perceive my good intentions... "Yang shi?" With reddened eyes, he suppressed the agitation within him and turned to look at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan had an impassive and upright look, as though he would nevermit such a vile act. Turning around, he pped Emperor Shen Zhui on his face. "Bullshit! As a master teacher, Yang shi is an upright person! How could he possibly feed me such stuff? If you dare to push the me onto Yang shi once more, I will kill you right away!" "..." Shen Zhui. Upright? How in the world is he upright? Didnt he p you unconscious just a moment ago? Talking about pushing the me... If not for his orders, do you think that I would dare feed you this? Emperor Shen Zhui felt so indignant that he nearly vomited blood. He turned to look at Yang shi with a pleading gaze, hoping for him to exin the issue to his grandfather. Yet, that fellow looked at the ceiling with his hands behind his back, as though it was none of his business. It was as if he was saying you were the one who did it, I dont know anything at all... "You bastard! To think that I doted on you so much... Aiya, I cant hold myself back anymore! Dont obstruct my path..." Royal Elder Shen Hong cursed, and he finally sumbed to the heat in his chest. With the howl of a wolf, he dived toward the beautiful dancingdies. Right when he was about to reach them, he suddenly felt a dull pain at the back of his neck. Padah! He fell to the floor, unconscious once again. The one who made the move was Zhang Xuan. Seeing that the Royal Elder had been knocked unconscious, Emperor Shen Zhui heaved a sigh of relief. "Yang shi, what do we do now?" "Awaken him. Then, get these dancers to continue dancing before him..." Zhang Xuan instructed. "Continue?" Emperor Shen Zhuis lips trembled. "Oh, right. When he wakes up, say that you were the one who knocked him out. Also, when he fails to control his emotion anymore, I will knock him out myself. Of course, you must admit that you were the one who did it..." Zhang Xuan said. "..." Emperor Shen Zhui. Knocking the daylights out of a person right after you awaken them. Have you gotten addicted or what? Furthermore... I have to admit that Im the one who did it... Emperor Shen Zhui felt so much frustration in his heart that he could go into a frenzy. He was about to reject the n when he saw Yang shi look at him with a stern expression. "Dont reject me. This concerns whether the Royal Elder can survive. There mustnt be the slightest error in the matter, otherwise, the n will end in failure!" "..." This time, Emperor Shen Zhui really cried. Royal Elder, it really isnt me! Its Yang shi who wishes to do you in... ... Thus, right after Emperor Shen Zhui woke Shen Hong, thetter was knocked unconscious again. Then, Emperor Shen Zhui woke Shen Hong again, and soon after, he was knocked unconscious yet again... By the side, Liu Ling, Zhuang Fei, and Zheng Fei were stunned by the sight before them. They felt like tearing their hair out from watching the insanity that was unfolding before them. "Liu shi, you are knowledgeable. Can you tell what kind of breakthrough method Yang shi is employing?" After a long moment of silence, Zhuang Xian asked. "I... cant tell anything at all!" Liu shis face flushed. Breakthrough method? How in the hell does this look like a breakthrough method? Of the hundreds of methods master teachers employ, there are a few fixed rules to helping one achieve a breakthrough. However, there doesnt seem to be any that involves having a person consume aphrodisiac... Whats worse, it is one matter to feed the person aphrodisiac, but to intentionally find beautifuldies to entice the person and knock him out when he can no longer control himself... I dont think that he is helping him achieve a breakthrough. Rather, it seems more like he is toying with him! It is a pity that Shen Hong, despite the prestige he had built up over the years, now appears to be a frequenter of brothels. The moment he wakes up, he charges toward the bodies of the beautifuldies... "Like hell he would achieve a breakthrough like this! I think that Yang shi is toying with Shen Hong. Ive never heard of anyone who could break through in such a way after consuming aphrodisiac..." Zheng Fei shook his head. With a steeled face, he said, "This is a farce. Liu shi, I think it would be best if we step out to interfere! How can we, as master teachers, allow such absurdity?" "This..." Liu Ling hesitated. "Theres nothing to hesitate about. Look at Shen Hong, he is already driven mad. If news were to spread out, his reputation would be tarnished, even after his death..." Zheng Fei harrumphed. Upon hearing those words, Liu Ling and Zhuang Xian lifted their head to look at Shen Hong. As the other party had said, the gentlemanly Shen Hong appeared to be a depraved lunatic at the moment, lunging toward those seductivedies. Also, the clothes on his body were almostpletely ripped apart. His eyes were crimson red, and he seemed to be a wild, hungry wolf. "But... The method Yang shi used for my breakthrough was also iprehensible. Can this be the case as well? Even though it looks awful on the surface, he is actually doing it for Shen Hongs welfare..." Zhuang Xians mouth twitched. "You have a master teacher as your father, and as such, you were too obsessed with the conventional rules and principles. Thus, his method of inciting you into a rage was understandable. But this... How can Shen Hong achieve a breakthrough like this? Putting aside whether the possibility exists or not, given Shen Hongs current frenzied state, even he has sufficient zhenqi, it is impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough!" Zheng Fei said. Zongshi is the very first difficult hurdle of the Fighter 9 Dans. The gap between it and Tongxuan realm is overwhelming, as though the difference between a fish and a dragon. While it is true that one gains incredible strength upon achieving this breakthrough, countless geniuses, even when in their top form, find themselves unable to make this final step. At this moment, Shen Hong has already lost his rationality and is blindly charging at the beautifuldies. In such a state, how can he possibly seed? Isnt that a joke in itself? If it is true, no one would have to cultivate. Wont one be a Zongshi just by frolicking around brothels? "But..." "Theres no buts. Liu shi, it is best that you make your decision quickly. I can guarantee with my own life that it is impossible for Shen Hong to breakthrough like that. If he seeds, I will chop off my own head..." Zheng Fei said confidently. Boom! Before he could finish his own words, he felt a powerful aura emanating from not too far away. It felt warm, as though the fiery sun. "What is going on?" Hurriedly turning around to take a look, they saw Royal Elder Shen Hong, who was frenziedly charging at the beautifuldies just brief moments ago, sitting still on the floor, as though a saint. His breath was powerful and deep, reminiscent of the vast ocean. His weakness from a moment ago had disappeared without a trace, and at that very moment, as though a young man, he exuded overwhelming vitality, such that even Emperor Shen Zhui, who was standing by his side, paled inparison. Fighter 8-dan, Zongshi realm! "Did he really achieve a breakthrough?" All Zheng Fei felt was a stinging sensation on his face, as though he had been pped hard by someone else. He felt like crying. He had just mentioned that it was impossible for the other party to seed, and he was proven wrong immediately... Reaching Zongshi realm by consuming aphrodisiac? Can anyone tell me what is going on... Chapter 190: Lu Xun Borrows Money Chapter 190: Lu Xun Borrows Money Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove While Zheng Fei was still feeling depressed over the matter, Liu Ling and Zhuang Xians mouths dropped so wide open that it seemed as though duck eggs could be stuffed into their mouths. There is a qualitative difference between Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm and Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm, and their life energies are vastly different. As such, upon achieving a breakthrough, ones longevity is extended drastically as well. An ordinary cultivator usually only lives up to seventy to eighty. On the other hand, reaching a hundred isnt a problem for a Zongshi realm expert. That is also the reason why breaking into this realm is so difficult; it is as though leaping across a gigantic gorge. Just by looking at how these master teachers are stuck at Half-Zongshi, it is clear to see how difficult this final step is. The master teachers had been paying attention to Shen Hongs condition ever since they arrived at Tianxuan Kingdom. His vitality had already deteriorated to the gutters and he was on the verge of death. Even if he has sufficient zhenqi, it should have been an impossible task for him to achieve a breakthrough, considering his terrible state of health. Yet, they had never imagined that this Yang shi could solve this impossibility with just a single pill. The vast contrast between their abilities made the master teachers feel as though all of the knowledge they had obtained throughout their careers were worthless. Initially, Emperor Shen Zhui shared the same thoughts as the three master teachers; he thought that that was an attempt of Yang shi to toy with him. Yet, contrary to his imagination, the Royal Elder really managed to achieve a breakthrough! That is Zongshi realm expert in the bones... "Thank you, Yang shi..." After an unknown period of time, Shen Hong stood up and howled abruptly, resembling a massive dragon that had awakened from its slumber. Then, he walked to Zhang Xuan and knelt before him. Having been trapped in the same cultivation realm for numerous decades, he thought that he would perish without achieving the breakthrough. Yet, to think that at the veryst moment, he would seed! Witnessing the Royal Elder kneel before him, Zhang Xuan did not step forward to help him up. Contrary to that, he ced his hands behind his back, surveyed the surroundings, and slowly walked around. "Shen Hongs vitality was at its ends, and his deteriorating bodily functions had reached the breaking point. At that moment, his will to live had already been shaved thin. It is precisely because of this that he was able to see through life and death, view it as a natural urrence, and no longer fear death. Under such circumstances, regardless of his state of mind or his physical condition, they were all in the worst possible condition to achieve a breakthrough. Even the more potent tier-2 or tier-3 pills would not have been effective in helping him achieve a breakthrough and reach Zongshi realm!" Everyone was aware that he was exining all that happened, so they stayedpletely silent, and listened attentively to his words. "Thus, for him to live on, we had to create apelling reason for him. Furthermore, it had to be something which he is unable to resist!" "All men, regardless of time and condition, are unable to resist young beautifuldies, needless to say, after being fed with aphrodisiac. Under the stimtion of the substance, his body raged once again, returning him back to youthful times... Once all these emotions umte sufficiently, achieving a breakthrough bes much easier." "Of course, more importantly, his cultivation technique yed a huge role. If Im not wrong, it should be zing Sun Form!" At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "Yes!" Shen Hong nodded his head to affirm Zhang Xuans conjecture. The cultivation technique he had cultivated is the zing Sun Form, the strongest cultivation technique in Tianxuan Kingdom. "This cultivation technique contains the nature of the zing sun within it, and a practitioner will find himself with an excess of yang energy. It is an incredibly valuable secret manual, and its true might is disyed when the one cultivating the technique is a man! Rationally speaking, as his vitality had already been sapped clean, even with the augmentation from pills, it was impossible for his body condition to return back to its peak. However, years of cultivation under the zing Sun Form had caused arge amount of yang qi mes to umte within his body. Then, at this very moment, they were all triggered by the medicine, and the enticement of the beautifuldies was equivalent to throwing oil on top of the mes. Instantaneously, a massive fire was ignited within him." "Thus, when he focused all of his energy at a single point, it wasnt difficult at all for him to achieve a breakthrough!" After finishing his exnation, Zhang Xuan stood quietly on his spot and looked at the others. The surroundings were deathly silent. In actual fact, he hadnt mentioned the most important reason behind Shen Hongs breakthrough. Regardless of the aphrodisiac or the zing Sun Form, they were merely small contributing factors. The deciding one was... him knocking the other party out. Everytime he knocked him out, he would infuse a sliver of his zhenqi into the other partys body and unclog a blocked meridian within his body. Then, having all of his meridians cleared up, along with his raging emotions and energy within his body, he was able to push through at the veryst moment and reach Zongshi realm. Due to the limitations of his cultivation realm, even though it was easy for him to deceive Sun Qiang and the others, it was likely that Shen Hong would notice his pure zhenqi. In order to prevent him from detecting anything, he had Emperor Shen Zhui im that he was the one who knocked the other party out. It wasnt because he wanted to act as a good person. Upon the other partys breakthrough, Zhang Xuans zhenqi had already meldedpletely into the other partys. It was as though a pail of clear water had been mixed into a river of muddied water; it is impossible to locate it anymore. "This..." Upon hearing his exnation, the three master teachers were taken aback. The heck... this works as well? They were master teachers who had gone through rigorous conventional training, and as such, they have had many opportunities to observe how other master teachers help others achieve breakthroughs in their cultivation. Even so, this kind of breakthrough method... it was they ever saw anything like it. This is no longer unorthodox, it is simply inconceivable. It is something that no one would have ever thought of. To think that one can achieve a breakthrough by eating aphrodisiac... Has the world gone mad?. "There are many different methods to induce a breakthrough in ones cultivation. Most of the time, sticking to the convention principles wont work. As a master teacher, rather than sticking firmly to the old rules, one has to continue learning and trying new things." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. The setting sun cast a long shadow behind his back, and he looked like an incredible expert uprehended by the world. An unspeakable loneliness emanated from his figure. "We will keep Yang shis teachings to heart!" The three master teachers bowed immediately. At that moment, they couldnt be any more impressed by this Yang Xuan. There is no way but to be impressed, too godly! Through a random beating, he was able to induce a breakthrough in Zhuang shi, whose cultivation had been at a standstill for many years. A random mixing of poisons and he was able to sessfully concoct a medicinal solution that only poison masters are capable of making. Just by feeding Shen Hong aphrodisiac, he was able to bring the other party up to Zongshi realm... Even though they had seen all of these with their own eyes, it nevertheless felt like a dream. "Un!" Seeing that theyveprehended the matter, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Just as he was about to take his leave and return back to his mansion, he saw a pair of eyes appearing before him. The face before him was flushed with embarrassment and excitement. Taking a step back, he took a closer look and realized that it was Zheng Fei. He is the person who was the most doubtful of his actions. He was even willing to guarantee that it would be impossible for Shen Hong to achieve a breakthrough, or else he would cut off his head. But now, his eyes were gleaming, as though he had struck lottery. "What are you up to?" Zhang Xuan was wary of him. "Yang shi, Ive also been stuck in Half-Zongshi for many years. Since there are medicine and beautifuldies here, I would like to try to break through to Zongshi realm as well..." Zheng Fei held a jade bottle in his hands. He poured out a pill and he was about to swallow it. "..." Zhang Xuan. "..." Emperor Shen Zhui, Liu Ling, and Zhuang Xian. It took much effort before he managed to convince the other party otherwise. Zhang Xuan sighed. Every persons cultivation technique, personality, and cultivation are different. As such, the relevant methods to achieve breakthroughs are different as well. As a master teacher, there was no doubt that Zheng Fei understood this. However, he nevertheless underestimated the allure of the Zongshi realm. Increasing ones longevity so drastically... Just this by itself is able to make anyone lose his rationality. In fact, Zheng Fei wasnt the only one who was moved by Zhang Xuans actions. Even Liu Ling and Zhuang Xian were staring at him with burning eyes. Since the other party was able to help the dying Shen Hong achieve a breakthrough, given that they are at the peak of health, wouldnt it be easier for them to reach Zongshi realm? Upon thinking of this, the three master teachers made up their mind to get close to Yang shi so that he would offer them guidance for their breakthrough. Understanding the intentions of the trio, Zhang Xuan felt his goosebumps rising. He hurriedly bid his farewell and prepared to leave, but at this moment, a guard walked into the hall. "Your Majesty, Lu Xun and Wang Chao from Hongtian Academy request for an audience!" "Why would they be here at this time?" Emperor Shen Zhui was taken aback. Then, he nodded his head and said, "Get them to enter!" It is highly likely that these two star teachers would be master teachers in the future. Even though he is the emperor of a country, he doesnt dare to offend them. Furthermore, their parents share a deep rtionship with him. Zhang Xuan was also startled. "Lu Xun? Wang Chao?" Didnt the duo just pay me a visit? Why are they here now? Could it be that they noticed me leave the mansion and made a chase? But thats impossible... Doubtful, Zhang Xuan, who was about to leave, ceased his footsteps. Even though Lu Xun had challenged him to a Teacher Evaluation, he had never met him. Since they had happened to stumble upon each other, it was also a good opportunity to take a look at the rival and find out his capabilities. Emperor Shen Zhuimanded for the dancers to back down and had the servants pack up the hall. As Shen Hongs clothes were all tattered, he wasnt in a good position to meet anyone. Thus, he left as well. Right after the servants were done packing up and they had assumed their seats, the two young men walked in. With a clear look at their appearance, Zhang Xuan frowned. Arent they the two arrogant fools whom I saw at the entrance of the academy yesterday? After so muchmotion, it turns out that they are the legendary Lu Xun and Wang Chao! It was no wonder that their gazes were filled with such contempt when they met him. They had probably recognized him then. "Lu Xun (Wang Chao) pays respect to Your Majesty, Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi!" The duo sped their hands. They had met Emperor Shen Zhui, so naturally, they recognized him. Even though the faces of the three master teachers were foreign to them, their master teacher robes revealed their identities. As for Zhang Xuan, due to an excessively extravagant dress-up and a crude behavior, he appeared to be an ordinary rich merchant... With a single nce, they decided to disregard the other partys presence. A star teacher also has his own pride. There is no need to pay respects to everyone he meets. They had heard of Yang shi and wanted to pay him a visit, but the truth was that they didnt even know of his appearance. As such, they couldnt tell that the person sitting before them was him. Besides, they had just been to Yang shis residence, and Yang shi was there back then. "May I know the reason for your visit at such a timing?" Upon seeing the two of them disregard Yang shi, Emperor Shen Zhui was filled with displeasure. He was about to introduce him when thetter gestured that there was no need to do so. Thus, he could only swallow in his words and question doubtfully. "Your Majesty, we have a presumptuous request to ask of you." Lu Xun hesitated for a moment before speaking. "We hope to borrow three million from Your Majesty..." "Borrow money?" Emperor Shen Zhui was puzzled. Given their illustrious family backgrounds, why would they need to request this of him? Besides, why do they need to borrow so much money at that? "We hope to pay a visit to Yang shi, and Your Majesty has probably heard of Yang shis protocol as well. In order to enter his mansion, one has to pay three million!" Upon seeing his doubtful expression, Lu Xun got straight to the topic at hand and spoke of his motives. "Once we meet Yang shi, we are confident that we can convince him to ept us as his apprentice. By then, he will definitely return the three million to us, and we will be able to return the sum to Your Majesty." "Pay a visit to Yang shi?" Upon hearing his motive, Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers nced at one another. The Yang shi that you said you want to visit isnt seated too far from you now. Yet, due to your arrogance, you refused to even greet him and chose to disregard him... Even so, you wish to be his apprentice... A peculiar expression appeared on the faces of the crowd. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan scratched his head as he looked at them. He was truly curious why these fellows were so confident that the three million would be refunded to them. "Why are you so confident that Yang shi will ept you? What if he doesnt ept you, and the three million isnt refunded, how will you repay the loan?" Lifting up his hand to stop Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers from revealing his identity, Zhang Xuan nced at them curiously. Chapter 191: Zhang Xuans Legend (1) Chapter 191: Zhang Xuans Legend (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "I, Lu Xun, have made a humble reputation for myself in Tianxuan Kingdom. At the very least, I have this much confidence in myself. As for whether Yang shi epts me or whether the three million will be refunded, there is no need for you to worry about it!" Even before Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers could speak, the middle-aged merchant dressed in fur coat and a silk cap challenged his words. Lu Xun couldnt help but frown. Since the other party could be seated alongside His Majesty and the three master teachers, this meant that he possessed exceptional social standing. Even so, he, Lu Xun, was confident that his standing would definitely not be inferior. Putting aside the fact that his father was the emperors tutor, just considering his aplishment of bing the most capable star teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom at such a young age, he was more than qualified to be seated alongside the heads of powerful ns. For example, even n Head Wang Hong would have to address him respectfully as Luoshi, not daring to act haughtily before him at all. Yet, this fellow, despite being just a mere wealthy merchant, not to mention, crude, dares to question me? So what if you have some status? I am talking to Emperor Shen Zhui, and its not your ce to be interfering in the matter! Who do you think you are? Upon witnessing his confidence, the three master teachers nearly choked on their saliva. Despite being genuine master teachers, the three of us do not dare to disrespect him at all... Yet, you, a mere star teacher who isnt even an apprentice yet, why are you behaving so arrogantly? "Im not worried for you. Its just that I think that if the money isnt refunded, you wont be able to answer to His Majesty. Even if you were to be sold, I doubt that you will be worth that much!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was simply giving kind advice, but to think that he would receive such a rude reply. Zhang Xuan felt frustrated. "Mister, please mind your words!" This time, before Lu Xun could even speak, Wang Chaos eyes narrowed. "Lu Xunoshi is the number one star teacher of Hongtian Academy. He is someone who will be a master teacher one day. Do you think that he will default on a mere three million gold coins? What a joke! If I were to phrase it more directly, he might not even ept this sum of money if some other people were to send it his way. Do you think that it is so easy to gain a favor from a future master teacher?" "Enough!" Lu Xun interrupted his good friends words. Then, with a straightened back reminiscent of a spear, he ignored Zhang Xuan once more and turned toward Shen Zhui. "Your Majesty, you know how I am. Even if Yang shi refuses to refund me the sum, I am still confident that I will be able to return it quickly. This amount of money isnt worth putting my reputation on the stake!" Even though star teachers cannot bepared to master teachers, it is still true that they are able to guide others to help them achieve breakthroughs. Three million might be a huge sum, but as long as Lu Xun is willing to work for it, he will nevertheless able to make back such money within a short period of time. "This..." Emperor Shen Zhui hesitated. Three million didnt mean anything to Tianxuan Kingdom as a whole, but the reason why he was worried was that he was afraid of incurring Yang shis wrath. "Ive heard that Yang shi is refusing to meet with outsiders. Even if you have the money, you might not be able to meet him!" Paying no heed to the other partys disrespectful attitude, Zhang Xuan continued to speak. No matter what, this fellow is Master Lu Chens son. It is highly possible that thetter does not know that he is here to borrow money. As such, I must try to persuade him. Given that they were going to cross blows at the Teacher Evaluation, they could be considered as enemies. However, to Zhang Xuan, these are two different matters. Master Lu Chen had provided him much help, and since his son was going to do something foolish, as a senior, Zhang Xuan felt he had the obligation to advise him. "It is a problem of mine whether I am able to meet him or not. Mister, dont you think that youre going to a little too far interfering in my matters?" Seeing how that fellow kept trying to ruin this ns, Lu Xun was finally displeased. "I am trying to borrow money from His Majesty, not from you. His Majesty will have his own judgment on the matter, so theres no need for you to be so overly concerned with the matter." After which, he flung his robe angrily. Are you sick? I am borrowing money from Emperor Shen Zhui, yet you just have to keep trying to hinder my affairs. It isnt like I cant repay the sum, so what do you mean by this? Do you think that I, Lu Xun, am an easy target for you to bully? As a star teacher, if he doesnt uphold his own prestige and allow others to speak as they please in his presence, how can he instill respect in his students? Besides, the three master are observing the situation. If he were to cower when upon criticism, what rights does he have to be an assistant master teacher? "Mister, regardless of your identity, this is a matter between Lu Xunoshi and His Majesty. For you to be interrupting their conversation repeatedly, dont you think that youre going too far?" Wang Chao harrumphed coldly. Know your ce! Dont you see that even the three master teachers arent saying anything? Will you die if you do not speak? "Going too far?" Zhang Xuan was just offering his advice out of kindness so that the other party wouldnt waste this unnecessary sum of money. Yet, he was despised for doing so. He could only shake his head helplessly. Soon, his identity as Yang shi would disappear, and it was obvious that his decision to want to be his apprentice was a mistake in itself. Initially, he thought that since he had met with them, he would able to easily dispel the thought from their heads. Yet, his goodwill was thought of as a nuisance. Not only did the other party not appreciate his efforts, they even thought that he was interfering too much in the matter. However, it wasnt surprising for the other party to react like that as well. If Zhang Xuan were the one borrowing money, and someone else kept interrupting the conversation, he would be displeased as well. "You are called Lu Xun, right? Ive heard of your name before I even came. I think that Yang... his words make sense. You should reconsider the matter!" Even though Zhang Xuan didnt mind the other partys sarcastic attitude, Liu Ling could not stand watching it any further. Initially, he had a good impression of Lu Xun, and he intended to test him before deciding whether to ept him as his apprentice. Yet, he didnt think that he would see this side of him during their first encounter. He is simply too arrogant speaking to Yang shi like that, and the favorable impression that Liu Ling had of Lu Xun disappeared without a trace. "Thank you Liu shi for your advice, but my mind is made up..." Hearing Liu shi speak, Lu Xun did not speak to him with the same attitude as he did with the crude merchant. He hurriedly sped his fists and answered politely. Upon seeing that the other party was reluctant to ept his advice as well, Liu Ling shook his head and fell silent. Yang shi had stopped Emperor Shen Zhui from pointing out his identity, so it was clear that he didnt want thetter to know that his identity. Since that was the case, Liu Ling wouldnt get ahead of himself and reveal it either. "Its merely three million. Given how Master Lu Chen is my teacher, giving it to you is not a problem as well!" Upon seeing that Yang shi didnt have any intentions of ming Lu Xun for the matter, Shen Zhui was relieved and he spoke. This bit of money means nothing to the prestigious ns, needless to say, a kingdom. As the son of his teacher, giving it to Lu Xun straight isnt a problem either. "Thank you, Your Majesty! However, since Ive already said that I would borrow it, I will just borrow it. I do not wish to owe that person a favor!" Lu Xun gestured proudly. Ever since he had fallen out with that old man of his, he didnt want to be associated with him in any way. Thus, how can he allow himself to owe that person a favor? "Go retrieve three million gold coins!" Knowing that the father and son held conflicts, Emperor Shen Zhui didnt say anymore. He turned to a eunuch by the side andmanded. The eunuch turned to leave and shortly, he returned with a stack of gold bills. "Thank your, Your Majesty! I will return it as soon as possible!" After obtaining the gold bills, Lu Chen sped his hands once more. "Un!" Emperor Shen Zhui waved his hands casually. It would be good if the other party can return the sum, but it doesnt matter if he cant. Now that the old ancestor has achieved a breakthrough and reached Zongshi realm, Tianxuan Kingdom will only grow more and more prestigious. Once they attract a master teacher here to assume the reigns, it is highly possible that Tianxuan Kingdom bes a 2nd Tier Kingdom. A mere three million means nothing to him now. "I wont intrude on Your Majesty any longer then. Lu Xun (Wang Chao) bids Your Majesty farewell!" After obtaining the money, Lu Xun turned around and left immediately. After taking a few steps, he stopped abruptly and turned around to look at Zhang Xuan. "I dont know who you are, but since youre able to be seated with the three master teachers and His Majesty, I doubt that your background is anything simple. However, I would still like to offer you an advice!" "Oh?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "When other people speak, its crude to interrupt their conversation. Its irritating!" A haughty expression appeared on Lu Xuns face as he flung his hands backward. He looked as if he were a sacred lotus, a being untainted by dirt. Then, he turned around and left without stopping again. Wang Chao nced at Zhang Xuan and sneered before quickly following Lu Xun out. Once the duo left, the room plunged into silence. The three master teachers quietly stared at each other. "That fellow... Where does his self-confidencee from?" After a long period of time, Zhuang shi could not help butment. He was truly infuriated. For a mere star teacher to be criticizing Yang shi, whom even they have to be respectful toward... What guts! "I was considering whether to ept him as my apprentice, but from the looks of it, I should drop the idea. He has no respect for his elders at all..." Liu Ling shook his head as well. Lu Xuns fame was so great that it wasnt just limited to Tianxuan Kingdom. Liu Ling and the others had long heard of him, but they didnt think that the first meeting would be so awkward. "Yang shi, I apologize in his stead. He doesnt... know of your identity and unintentionally offended you..." Upon noticing that even the three master teachers were displeased by Lu Xuns actions, Emperor Shen Zhui hurriedly turned to Yang Xuan to appease him, in hopes that he wouldnt be angry. "Its nothing. It is normal for one to getcent having aplished so much at such a young age!" Zhang Xuan shook his head and stood up. "Alright, Shen Hong has reached Zongshi realm, and it is time for me to leave. I hope that Your Majesty will send those Tongxuan realm manuals over soon." "Yes!" Emperor Shen Zhui nodded his head hastily. "Farewell!" After bidding the other three master teachers farewell too, Zhang Xuan sped his fists once more and left light-heartedly. Hot passion rose in the three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui once again. Did you see that? Other people would try their best to extort all kinds of benefits after helping someone achieve a breakthrough. Yet, he simply cooly... In fact, even when he was doubted and insulted by a junior, he did not get infuriated or annoyed. "This is the kind of attitude and magnanimity that a true master teacher should possess!" Liu Lingplimented. "Indeed! I ampletely impressed with Yang shi. If I can be his disciple, it will truly be a great blessing!" Zheng Fei nodded his head in agreement. "Ive heard of Lu Xuns reputation beforehand, but to think that he would be such a person!" Upon recalling Lu Xuns actions, Liu Ling shook his head in disappointment. Then, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Your Majesty, you said that he is going to bepeting with a teacher named Zhang Xuan in a few days time. Is that true?" In the few days which they had been in Tianxuan Kingdom, their attention had been on Hongtian Academy. The matter regarding the Teacher Evaluation was no secret, so it wasnt surprising that they would be aware of it. "Indeed!" Emperor Shen Zhui nodded his head. After returning to the royal pce, he received Pavilion Elder Qians report and gained knowledge of the 3-star incident. Even though the battle between two teachers isnt as shocking a news as Master Teacher Yang Xuans arrival, it nevertheless attracted the attention of numerous people. "Since Lu Xun challenged the other party, that Zhang Xuan should be a star teacher of Hongtian Academy as well, right? But why have I never heard of his name?" Liu shi asked doubtfully. In an official challenge such as this, one usually faces another opponent of the same caliber. Lu Xun is the number one star teacher of Hongtian Academy, and this Zhangoshi epted his challenge daringly, so they should be on par. However, why hadnt he heard of the name of this aplished teacher? Chapter 192: Zhang Xuans Legend (2) Chapter 192: Zhang Xuans Legend (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "This is also my first time hearing of Zhang Xuanoshi. Thus, I had someone specially look into his identity and... Not only is he not a star teacher, he has also been condemned by many..." Recalling the contents in the report he had read through, Emperor Shen Zhui still found the matter hard to believe. With a bitter smile, he shook his head and said, "Do you know of Zhangoshis previous reputation in the academy? "Reputation? What is it?" The interest of the three master teachers was piqued. They turned to look at Emperor Shen Zhui intently. "Its... trash!" Emperor Shen Zhui said. "Trash?" The three master teachers stared at one another. "Thats right. Ive heard that this Zhang Xuanoshi scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination, and he even caused his students cultivation to go berserk. Thus, he is reputed as the worst teacher Hongtian Academy ever had!" Emperor Shen Zhui said. "Scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination?" "Caused his students cultivation to go berserk?" "How can such a person remain as a teacher? Furthermore... Since his results are that poor, why is Lu Xunpeting with him?" The three master teachers were puzzled. Putting aside how poor Zhang Xuans results were, Lu Xun is the number one star teacher of the academy. Of everyone he could challenge, he chose topete against a fellow who had scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination... This is as though racing against a cripple, andpeting in a hearing test with a deaf! Even if he won, what honor would there be? Furthermore, what if, against all odds, he loses? "Allow me to first finish my story. That was his former title. About ten days ago, a twist urred!" Emperor Shen Zhui continued. "A teacher called Cao Xiong challenged him to an Enlightenment Will Inquisition in a contest for a student, and everyone thought that Cao Xiong would emerge victoriously. Yet, a shocking conclusion urred." "This Zhang Xuanoshi isnt the trash that everyone put him out to be. On the contrary, he is an expert. He has already reached Pixue realm, and the student held a Trust Level of 64 in him..." Even though Hongtian Academy had intentionally suppressed the news of the Enlightenment Will Inquisition, it remained a simple task for the emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom to look into such a matter. He was well aware of all that had happened that day, and he spoke of it in detail to the three master teachers. "Right after epting a student, his students Trust Level in him has reached 64? The level of a master teacher? How... How is this possible?" "To reach Pixue realm before twenty years of age? What incredible talent! Even students who study under master teachers find it difficult to aplish such a feat!" "Inducing symptoms of a berserk cultivation to ovee Innate Sealed Meridians? And to induce a breakthrough in his student from Fighter 1-dan to Fighter 2-dan within ten minutes..." The three master teachers stared at one another in astonishment. They found the situation too incredulous, and it was as though they were in a dream. In order to guard the schools reputation, he was willing to bear the name of the trash without saying anything. In the end, it was only because the other party went too far that he revealed everything... "If all of these are true, then... Isnt this Zhang Xuanoshi too noble!" Zhuang Xian was impressed. Despite being framed, just so as to not sully the name of the academy, he kept mom about the matter. Such magnanimity and professionalism, even the three master teachers find it difficult to achieve, needless to say, a young man who isnt even yet twenty. "Ive sent someone to the Teacher Guild to investigate and have received a reply regarding the matter!" Emperor Shen Zhui knew that the three master teacher found the matter unbelievable as well, so with a small gesture, he beckoned a eunuch over and took a letter from his hands. "This is a personal writing from the Teacher Guilds Elder Mo. The contents are exactly as Ive said. Please take a look!" After which, he handed the letter over. Upon receiving it, Liu Ling and the others took a quick and nodded their heads. That was a paper used by the Teacher Guild, and the seal of the guild was on it. It was unlikely for the contents on it to have been falsified, otherwise, Elder Mo would be punished. "To think that such a talent is hiding in Hongtian Academy!" Liu Lings eyes lit up. He had intended to recruit Lu Xun as his apprentice, but after meeting the person in question, he couldnt help but feel slightly disappointed. This moment, after hearing the legendary affairs of Zhangoshi, his interest was piqued once more. "His conduct is noble, and he is willing to have his reputation sullied for the sake of the academy. Without regards for personal gains or losses, he gives his all for his students... I would like to meet such a teacher personally!" Zhuang Xianmented in awe. Master teachers hope to ept good apprentices. This doesnt just mean their ability to educate others and their reputation, their morals y an important part as well. After all, what is the use of recruiting a talented apprentice if he is ungrateful and immoral? "Your Majesty, someone seeks an audience!" Everyone was still immersed in their awe for Zhang Xuan when a guard suddenly walked in. "Who is it?" "Its the butler of City Lord Zhao of Baiyu City, Yao Han!" The guard reported. "Allow him to enter!" Emperor Shen Zhui nodded his head. City Lord Zhao Feng is a subordinate that he trusts heavily in, and as Yao Han is a close aide of Zhao Feng, Shen Zhui knows him as well. "Yao Han pays respect to Your Majesty!" Soon, a middle-aged man walked in and knelt on the floor. It was Yao Han. "General Yao Han, please rise!" Emperor Shen Zhui beckoned. Even though Yao Han is only a butler now, he had followed City Lord Zhao Feng to numerous wars back then, achieving the position of a general through his contributions in them. "For General Yao toe at this time, does City Lord Zhao Feng have anything to report?" Knowing that it is impossible for the other party to visit the royal pce without any good reason, Emperor Shen Zhui asked. "Your Majesty, our city lord intends to visit the capital in a few days time, and he had instructed me to ask Your Majesty for permission." Yao Han said. As an important official with heavy responsibilities in the country, Zhao Feng is not allowed to leave his post as and when he likes. Even if he wants to head to the capital, he has to inform the emperor in advance. Otherwise, if he were to secretly sneak here and the emperor found out about it, he would be punished severely. "Visit the capital?" Shen Zhui was taken aback. "Yes, our young mistress has acknowledged Zhang Xuanoshi as her teacher, and in order to awaken her unique constitution, Zhangoshi had undergone the apothecary examination, obtained the precious Frigid Sun Mother Grass and purchased the tier-3 Unravel Yin Pill for her consumption. Due to the immense gratitude toward him, city lord has decided toe in person to thank him!" Yao Han replied. "Acknowledged Zhang Xuan? Frigid Sun Mother Grass? Unravel Yin Pill?" They were discussing Zhang Xuan just a moment ago, and upon hearing these words, they were all stupefied. Recovering from his daze, Emperor Shen Zhui spoke up, "What is the matter about? Recount it to us in detail!" "Yes!" Yao Han nodded his head. Then, he spoke of how Zhangoshi had epted Zhao Ya as his disciple, how he saw through her unique constitution, why he underwent the apothecary examinations, and so on in detail. Other people might not know the entire story, but after being beaten to a pulp by the other party, Yao Han went through the trouble to look into Zhang Xuans matters. As such, he knows of the affairs surrounding him clearly and urately. "You mean to say that... This Zhang Xuanoshi had managed to pass the 1-star apothecary examination? "Not just so, in order to help his students to achieve a breakthrough, he spent a great amount of money to purchase pills and medicinal solutions? Even... tailoring cultivation techniques for their individual needs... and requesting nothing in return?" "Due to the immense fatigue from staying up for multiple nights to create all of the battle techniques, he fell asleep lying on the chair?" Upon hearing Yao Hans words, the three master teachers widened their eyes in shock. Agitated, they clenched their fists tightly. The basic responsibility of a teacher is to impart knowledge, skills, and rify doubts. If one doesnt value his students, it is impossible for one to be a good teacher. For his own students, this Zhangoshi had made so many sacrifices... He even hid all of it from his students. Even as master teachers, they couldnt help but be astounded by Zhang Xuans character. Most importantly... He passed the apothecary examination and became an official apothecary! "If one wants to take on the master teacher examination, one needs to have a supporting upation. Since Zhang Xuan is an official apothecary, that means that if we ept him as our apprentice, he will be qualified to take on the master teacher examination with just a bit of guidance!" The eyes of the three master teachers grew increasingly bright. For a master teacher to guide others, they need to possess a fearsome amount of knowledge as a prerequisite. They have to be well-versed in various fields, to the point that they are qualified to be a member of their guild, or else, it would be impossible for them to offer concrete pointers. Apothecaries are considered one of the top professions among the Upper Nine Paths. Given that Zhang Xuan is already an official apothecary, if he were to be paired with an eptable teaching form and knowledge system, it wouldnt be difficult for him to be a master teacher at all. Even in Tier 2 and Tier 1 Kingdoms, such apprentices are vied for by numerous master teachers. After all, it adds to a master teachers prestige if ones student bes a master teacher as well. "He is strong; able to tolerate injustices for the sake of the bigger picture; willing to try new methods to teach his students; doesnt despair or panic when misunderstood; knowledgeable, but is willing to lie low, humble; willing to abandon his all for his students... This truly is a good master teacher bud!" The more Liu Ling spoke, the brighter his eyes grew. "Zhuang shi, Zheng shi, since theres such a good teacher in Hongtian Academy, do you want to apany me to take a look?" "Liu shi, what are you talking about? It should be you apanying me to take a look. Ive been trying to look for such an apprentice all along." Zhuang shi chuckled. "As a certified apothecary, I have an in-depth understanding of pill-forging. It would be the most fitting for him to be my apprentice..." Zheng Fei interjected. Having heard the various outstanding deeds of Zhang Xuan, the three master teachers could no longer hold themselves back. While teachers hope to strike up good rtionships with master teachers, master teachers also hope to ept capable and upright teachers as apprentices. Given how noble Zhang Xuans character is, willing to give up his all for his students, not to mention that his potential far surpasses Lu Xun, how is it possible for the three master teachers remain unmoved? "This..." Seeing how the three masters were squabbling with one another over Zhang Xuan so vehemently, Emperor Shen Zhui and Yao Han were astonished. Other people try all means possible so that a master teacher spares a single nce at them, and yet, it is the direct opposite for this Zhangoshi. The three master teachers hadnt met him yet, but they were already quarreling for him. However, recalling all of the deeds that he had aplished, he is indeed someone worthy for master teachers to vie over. "Looks like I should try to get on close terms with this Zhang Xuanoshi..." Emperor Shen Zhui made up his mind secretly. As the sovereign of the country, how can he give up on someone who wields such tremendous potential to be a master teacher? "General Yao, inform Zhao Feng that he is free toe!" At this point, he nodded his head immediately and consented to Yao Hans request. Regardless of whether it is for this kingdom or for him, it is good news. Through Zhao Ya, he should be able to easily tie Zhang Xuanoshi onto Tianxuan Kingdoms chariot. Once the kingdom possesses the backing of a true master teacher, the strength of the kingdom would be on the rise, and being promoted to a 2nd Tier Kingdom wouldnt just be a dream. "Emperor Shen Zhui, weve decided to visit Hongtian Academy, so we wont be imposing on you for now!" After a round of quarreling, the three master teacher decided to see firsthand if Zhangoshi is as incredible as the rumors had put him out to be. After all, rumors tend to be exaggerated. Only by seeing it for themselves will they be able to make the most urate judgment of the person. In any case, the other party also has the choice of choosing who he wants to acknowledge. Thus, it was pointless for them to argue here. "Three master teachers, please feel free!" Emperor Shen Zhui did not dare to hinder them, and he nodded his head in consent. Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and Zheng Fei stopped their incessant chatter and quickly headed outside, straight for Hongtian Academy. "Lu Xun..." Watching the three master teachers leave for Zhang Xuan, Emperor Shen Zhui thought of Lu Xun, who had left earlier, and shook his head. From cultivation to knowledge, character and teaching skills, the impression of the three master teachers, as well as reputation... This number one star teacher in Hongtian Academy has lost in every aspect... Aplete defeat! Chapter 193: That’s Yang shi? Chapter 193: Thats Yang shi? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Oblivious to the fact that the impression that Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers had of them had been ruined, Lu Xun and Wang Chao headed toward Yang shis residence, their faces beaming with excitement. They were mocked and insulted previously due to theirck of money. Now that they have three million in their hands, no one would dare to stop them! "Later, when we meet Yang shi, just dive straight into the main topic. Say that were willing to be his apprentice and that we will serve him well." Lu Xun deliberated on the possible scenarios when they meet Yang Shi before concluding, "For Liu shi and the others to be so much in awe of him, he must have reached at least 2-star or even higher. If we were to beat around the bush, we might incur his irritation instead. Rather, it might be better if we are straightforward!" A master teacher has incredibly sharp eyes. It is best not to put on an act before such a person, otherwise, they would definitely be the ones to get unlucky. Once they incur the wrath of Yang shi, it would be out of the question for them to be his apprentices. "Youre right!" Wang Chao nodded his head in agreement. "Right, Wang Chao. You said that Elder Wang Chong learned a new spear technique, and he spent quite a bit of money for it. What happened?" Suddenly recalling the matter, Lu Xun asked. "Just a few days ago, my father was training in seclusion, so I was unable to reach him. I only came to know about the matter after asking the butler. He said that an expert visited the residence, and my old man spent millions as tuition fee to learn a single spear technique from the other party. Honestly, I cant imagine what kind of technique can be worth that much money." Wang Chao shook his head unhappily. As a n of spear masters, even though they possessed considerable properties, taking out a few million at once would still rattle the familys foundations. He didnt know why his father went mad all of a sudden, paying such a huge sum. "No one surpasses Elder Wang Chongs understanding of the spear in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Since he was willing to take out so much money, it must mean that this spear technique is remarkable. You must learn it well." Lu Xun viewed the matter from a different perspective. Given the reputation Wang Chong enjoys in Tianxuan Kingdom, even being praised by Emperor Shen Zhui personally, hisprehension of spearmanship has reached an astonishing level. For such an incredible expert to be willing to pay so huge a price, how is it possible that the spear art be anything ordinary? "I would like to learn it as well, but father refuses to teach it to me. ording to the butler, father promised to only impart the spear art to another n member with the creators permission. Hence, anyone who tries to learn it secretly will be punished severely!" Wang Chao pouted. He felt extremely discontented upon mentioning the matter. His father had been practicing that mysterious spear technique madly, and Wang Chao knew of it but wasnt allowed to learn. As such, he felt incredibly frustrated within and could only vent his frustration throughining. "The Wang ns spearmanship tops the entire kingdom, and it is known by all to be a top-notch battle technique. I dont think that the experts spearmanship will be any stronger. Most probably, the elder is looking for a chance to make another breakthrough!" After offering him a word of constion, Lu Xun was about to continue speaking when he suddenly saw Wang Chao gesturing toward their back. Puzzled, he asked, "Whats wrong?" "Look, thats the arrogant fellow from the royal pce!" Wang Chao pointed to his back Turning around, he saw the middle-aged man dressed in fur coat and silk hat walking in the same direction. Who else can it be other than that noisy fellow? "Since hes able to sit alongside the three master teachers and His Majesty, even though his mouth is vile, he must possess an extraordinary identity. Lets not provoke him and focus on our matter instead!" Sensing that his good buddy was about to pick a fight with the other party, Lu Xun immediately persuaded him otherwise. Even though he had never met that middle-aged man, he was unlikely to be an ordinary person for him to dare to interrupt his conversation with Emperor Shen Zhui. But... so what about it? They are star teachers with backing from powerful ns and are considered influential celebrities in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. No matter how influential the other party might possibly be, it means nothing at all before them. "Un, I understand. But... Why does it seem like he is following us?" Wang Chao felt puzzled. He nced backward once more to look at the other party. While the duo was speaking, they had turned at several corners, but the fellow was still behind them. What else can this be other than following? "Perhaps he wishes to pay a visit to Yang shi as well. Lets not talk anymore. Butler Sun is at the door, lets go pay him the sum..." Lu Xun shook his head. He didnt want any troubles before acknowledging Yang shi as his master. After turning at two more corners, Yang shis mansion appeared before them. There were many people still queuing at the entrance, and Butler Sun Qiang happened to be at the door as well. Wang Chao immediately walked over with his head held high and chest protruding. Putting on a haughty look, he squeezed through the crowd and handed the three million which he had just borrowed forward. "Butler Sun, here is the fee for both of us to pay a visit to Yang shi. Now you can let us in, right?" Didnt you just mock us for being poor blokes? In just a short hour, weve brought the money here. This is called... pping your face in public! In their minds, they imagined that Sun Qiangs face would darken, and he would assume a subservient attitude, bending his back and fawning on them... But the plump man frowned instead. Without even turning to look at them, his chubby hands waved impatiently, "Where did all of your nonsensee from? Didnt I say just now? From now on, Yang shi wont be epting anymore money. It doesnt matter how much you pay. So, for those whose names arent called, dont cause any trouble here and scram!" "You..." Rage surged through Wang Chao, and he nearly vomited blood. As one of the members of the top echelon of Tianxuan Kingdom, he is highly respected no matter where he went. Even Emperor Shen Zhui has to treat him with considerable respect. Yet, a mere butler dared to tell him to scram, not once, but twice. The strong sense of humiliation infuriated him so greatly that he was about to erupt. "Sun Qiang, do you know who youre talking to?" With a darkened face, he walked forward and spat through gritted teeth. "Oh? Its Wang Chaooshi..." Only now did Sun Qiang clearly see the other partys face, and he lifted his eyebrows, "Why, you brought the money here this time?" On the previous asion, he was hesitant because of the other partys identity as a celebrity teacher. However, after seeing that the old master waspletely unbothered by the matter, he realized that it doesnt matter whether one is a noble or a celebrity teacher. If you listen obediently, Ill speak up for you. Otherwise, it doesnt matter who you are! The moment Wang Chao heard Sun Qiangs reply, he nearly passed out from rage. The heck! What do you mean by that look of contempt! What do you mean by you brought the money here this time? If those who dont know better were to hear, they would think that I hade multiple times shamelessly without money... "Wang Chao, calm down!" Upon realizing that his friend was about to explode, Lu Xun shook his head and took a step forward. Even though this friend of his has good talent and is skilled in teaching others, he is hot-tempered and due to this trait, had got into plenty of trouble in the past. If he hadnt stepped in, it is likely that Wang Chao would have really turned violent. Beating up this fellow means sullying Yang shis dignity. Not only will Yang shi not admit them as apprentices, he might just drive them away. Holding back his agitated friend, Lu Xun sped his hands and smiled, "Butler Sun, I dont theres any need to introduce us anymore. It is our fault for not bringing the money here previously, so we brought the money this time along with the name scroll. May I trouble you to report this matter to Yang shi? If he truly refuses to meet with us, we will give up on the idea and bother you no more." With a single look, it was clear that Sun Qiang was a typical street person. Arguing with him would just make things more and moreplicated, so Lu Xun decided to avoid unnecessary trouble and dive straight into the topic. "Old master has instructed that I am not to ept any more name scrolls; other than those who have paid previously, no one is allowed to enter. However, since you two are celebrity teachers, I will y the good man and..." Satisfied with Lu Xuns words, Sun Qiang nodded his head. Halfway through his words, he suddenly noticed that the old master had reached the gates. He pushed open the gates and walked into the courtyard. Actually, Sun Qiangs tantrum a moment earlier was to conceal the fact that the old master wasnt at the mansion. Upon seeing him return, he heaved a sigh of relief. He was about to enter the mansion delightfully when he heard an incensed bellow resounding. "Butler Sun, what do you mean by this? Weve paid the money and handed over the name scroll, but you still refuse to allow us to enter. Yet, why is that fellow able to enter directly, even without having to address you?" Wang Chao was truly angered. When we didnt bring money, you criticized us and mocked us in public. Now that weve brought money, you still deny us entry. We would have just epted the fact if everyone is subjected to the same treatment, but what is with that fellow with a fur coat and silk hat? Without submitting a name scroll or paying anything, he was allowed to enter just like that. What rights does he have to do so? Just because hes rich? Just because Emperor Shen Zhui regards him highly? Didnt you say that no one can enter? What happened to the righteous words that you spoke of earlier? Wang Chao was so furious that if anger were visible, a pir of red would split the heavens. However, right after he said those words, the surrounding crowd turned to look at him immediately, as though they were staring at an idiot. Their eyes were filled with pity. Looking at those nces, Lu Xun suddenly thought of something. His body shuddered uncontrobly and hisplexion turned awful. He turned to Sun Qiang and asked, "Butler Sun, the person who has just entered is..." "Its our old master!" Sun Qiang harrumphed coldly. "Yang shi?" Lu Xun felt as though lightning bolts had struck him, and his entire body swayed. The furious Wang Chao seemed as though he had been pped on his face. The words that he had wanted to say, in a split second, all jammed in his mouth. His face turned pale, and he quivered uncontrobly. Thats Yang shi? And we scolded him back in the pce for being too noisy? He tried to advise us out of kindness, but we simply disregarded his words out of indignance and even wanted to teach him a lesson... What... What is going on? Lu Xun and Wang Chao felt the world begin to spin around them, slowly crumbling apart. ........................ Even though Lu Xun and Wang Chao were prestigious figures in the eyes of many, the two of them celebrity teachers of Hongtian Academy, as Zhang Xuan hade into contact with numerous top individuals within the kingdom in the past few days, their identities were far from being eye-catching. Looking at them now, they seem nothing more than conceited young men. It didnt matter to Zhang Xuan whether the duo was traumatized. It sufficed to leave the matter to Sun Qiang; Zhang Xuan could not be bothered. At this moment, he was sitting on his bed with a grim expression. After studying the Heavens Path Poison Art, he had gained an in-depth knowledge of that topic. At the same time, he noticed a bizarre ck poison aura within his body. In the royal pce, he was busy helping Shen Hong to reach Zongshi realm and as such, he didnt have the leisure to look into the matter back then. Now that he is back at his mansion, he is anxious to take a look at it to find out what is going on! He has been healthy all along, so why is there poison aura lingering in his body? When did it sneak into his body? Puzzled, he focused his attention on the ck poison aura. That ck poison aura was hidden between his organs and meridians, making it hard to detect. If not for the fact that he had studied Heavens Path Poison Art and gained an in-depth understanding of poison, he would have never noticed it. "What kind of poison is this? Why... havent I seen it before?" Taking a closer look at it, Zhang Xuans eyebrows knitted together. There were more than a thousand books on poison in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, and the various types of poison, their nature, and their scent were all recorded within. Yet, the ck poison aura in his body did not match any single one of those written in the books. Chapter 194: Three Shocked Master Teachers (1) Chapter 194: Three Shocked Master Teachers (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove That is to say, this ck aura is a lethal poison which he doesnt recognize. What exactly is it? "Lets see if I can expel it!" With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan propelled the zhenqi within his body. Even though he has no idea what the poison aura is capable of, it would eventually pose to be a threat if left untreated in his body like that. Since he has be aware of it now, he has to solve the problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, with a ticking time bomb within him, he will never feel at ease. The books did detail how can one use his zhenqi to expel poison, and it isnt a difficult process. After spending a brief moment immersed in his thoughts, he mastered the skill. Gugugu! Upon seeing the surge of zhenqi, the ck aura, as though it had met its nemesis, dived into his meridians and hid immediately. "It doesnt work at all..." Zhang Xuans face darkened. This poison aura is simply too formidable. To think that it is capable of hiding from the assault of zhenqi. At this moment, it had only dived into his meridians, so it isnt particrly critical. However, if it were to have dived frenziedly into an important organ, Zhang Xuan would have probably died before he can even react to it. To be able to avoid zhenqi as though it possesses intelligence, what poison is this? Furthermore, when was I poisoned? Since he was unable to find any records of the poison in the Book Collection Vault, this meant that it is a poison exclusive to the higher tier kingdoms. Yet, such a poison aura... was found in his body. Zhang Xuan felt increasingly baffled. He tried using all kinds of detoxification method, but upon seeing that none of them were effective, he had no choice but to give up temporarily. It seems that the ck aura is extremely fearful of his zhenqi, so it should not dare to cause any trouble for the time being. Otherwise, he couldnt have survived for so long without noticing it. However, even though there isnt any threat on his life for the time being, how he was poisoned is a huge issue. It is one thing if he had identallye into contact with the poison, but if it were the intentional doing of someone else and he was oblivious, this would be altogether a different matter. The enemys first attempt had failed, so that means that therell be a second try. "Ive to first ascertain whether I was afflicted before or after my arrival and whether it is an intentional act. At the very least, I can be on my guard!" Warily, Zhang Xuan nced at the ck aura once more and examined it... Eventually, he failed to discover anything new. It isnt because Zhang Xuan is dumb, but... because the poison is simply too advanced. It is beyond what Tianxuan Kingdom understands, making it impossible for Zhang Xuan to identify it, and even less so, figure out when he was afflicted and who the culprit is. "I should try using the Library of Heavens Path!" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to give up, a thought suddenly appeared in his head. Even though he is unable to personally discern anything, it doesnt mean that the library will be helpless as well. To trigger the Library of Heavens Path andpile a book on something or someone, he needs to touch the object with his fingers or witness a person execute a battle technique. Since the poison aura is hidden in his meridians, it is impossible to touch. As for getting it to execute a battle technique... Cough cough, that is even more ridiculous. However, verifying the answer to some basic questions isnt difficult for Zhang Xuan. Grabbing a nk book, Zhang Xuan took out his brush and started writing. "The poison aura in my body only appeared after my reincarnation, and it is an intentional act!" When Zhang Xuans finger touched the book, an identical book appeared in his head. Casually flipping it open, the ws of the statement he wrote appeared. After reading through the contents, Zhang Xuans face darkened. Based on the feedback from the Library of Heavens Path, the poison aura was already in this body before his reincarnation, and it was an intentional doing! That means that... someone wanted to kill him. "Could it be that... the death of my previous self isnt because of alcoholism and depression, but because of... this poison?" He had been feeling perplexed over this matter for quite some time. How could a zhenqi realm pinnacle expert die just from drinking alcohol? From the looks of it, it seems that wasnt the case at all. Thus, Zhang Xuan wrote all kinds of conjectures onto the book. An unknown period of time had passed before Zhang Xuan put down his brush. After half day of testing his conjecture, he had obtained a rough idea of the entire matter. His previous self had indeed died from poisoning, and that opened the path for his reincarnation. The reason why he had been fine after the reincarnation is because the Heavens Path zhenqi he cultivated is too pure. The poison aura feared it instinctively and was forced to a corner, unable to budge at all. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Zhang Xuan to survive to this date. That is to say, the reason why Zhang Xuan could live to this moment is that he was diligent. Otherwise, without sufficient zhenqi, the poison aura would have counterattacked immediately and Zhang Xuan would have died from poisoning. "Looks like another mess my previous self left me..." After settling the problem regarding the Teacher Qualification Examination, Zhang Xuan thought that he would gain freedom and would be able to live a carefree life. Yet now, he realized that he had been simplifying things. As long as the ck aura lingers in his body, he would be in danger. "Ive to find a way to identify the person who wants to kill me." If the person who wished to kill him conceals himself, it would be impossible for Zhang Xuan to locate him. However, if the other party dares to make another move, using the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan would be able to identify even his ancestors. Thus, Zhang Xuan didnt feel fear in the least and was merely puzzled. His previous self was just an orphan who didnt even have a rtive. Not to mention, he also possessed trashy talent. Having not offended anyone, who in the world would use poison that one couldnt even find in Tianxuan Kingdom to kill him? Given that the person was able to acquire such an advanced poison, he definitely boasts of some capability. Rather than going through so much effort, why didnt he just kill him straight? Arent his actions, as though taking off ones pants to fart, excessive? Since Zhang Xuan could not make sense of the matter, he decided not to mull over it anymore. Without any clue who the person that poisoned him is, musing over the matter is futile. The best he can do now is to find a method to dispel the poison in his body. "In order to dispel the poison, I have to first know what poison it is. There are too little books regarding poison in Tianxuan Kingdom. Looks like I have to head to a ce with more books..." Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan can treat himself as long as he is able to ess sufficient books on poison. However, such books arent easy to find. Zhang Xuan had read through the entire collection in the royal pce, but it is far from sufficient. As such, it is unlikely that any normal book here would be useful. After all, this poison is too advanced, so advanced that it cant be found in Tianxuan Kingdom. Since the poison doesnt exist here, how can the solution be found here? To rid himself of the poison, Zhang Xuan will have to head for the higher tier kingdoms to look for more books on poison. "I should greet the three master teachers and inquire them about itter on..." Even though Zhang Xuan ispletely ignorant of the affairs of othernds, the three master teachers, in contrast, must be very familiar. They hail from higher tier kingdoms and travel often. Thus, they definitely know more about the othernds than him. "Theres no need for me to panic. I should first solve the issues here." Since his Heavens Path zhenqi suppresses the poison aura, preventing it from acting up, he should be safe for the time being. Thus, Zhang Xuan shook his head, stretched his back, and gestured for Sun Qiang to call the next person in. ........................ "Liu shi, why do we have to change our clothes?" The three master teachers were walking on the pavement in Hongtian Academy. Looking at the clothes they were wearing, Zheng Fei couldnt help but ask. He usually donned the robe of a master teacher, and regardless of where he went, others always treated him with the utmost respect. It felt weird to be dressed in casual clothes all of the sudden. "The master teacher robe is too eye-catching. If we were to wear it here, Zhang Xuanoshi would definitely rush here at first times notice and act obediently and respectfully around us. If thats the case, how can we see his true character?" Liu Ling spoke. "Indeed. It is a good idea to conceal our identity. This way, we can see his true personality!" Zhuang Xian nodded his head in agreement. Zheng Fei came to a realization as well. Having changed into the clothes of an ordinary person and suppressed their cultivation, no one would guess that they are master teachers. People would simply think of them as ordinary elders. Only under such circumstances will they be able to peer into the truth. Soon, after asking about, they arrived at Zhang Xuans ssroom. "This ssroom is way too small!" Observing the ssroom before their eyes, Liu Ling andpany frowned. They had seen the scale of Hongtian Academy for themselves on their way here, and even the most ordinary teacher possesses a ssroom several hundred meters squarerge. Yet, the ssroom before them isnt even a hundred meter squarerge. Regardless of infrastructure or design, they are exceptionally simple and shabby. With a single nce, it was clear that this is the worst facility in the entire academy. "Seems like that Zhangoshi isnt treated very well in the academy!" With such poor conditions, it is truly a wonder how Zhangoshi manages to tolerate. If it were them, they would have long fallen out with the academy, flung their robes, and resigned. "To be able to remain calm, humble, and motivated under such conditions, it seems that he ces his responsibilities above his pride. I am impressed." Liu Ling expressed his heartfelt thoughts. Despite being subjected to unfair treatment, the other party doesnt bear any resentment or vent any frustration on his students. To not allow such humiliation get in the way of his character, that is truly impressive. "Cousin Wang Tao, I still dont understand what Zhangoshi spoke about the convergence of spirit energy. Can you exin it to me once more?" Walking toward the ssroom, before they even entered it, they could hear questioning voices from the grass patch before the entrance. The three men stopped in their footsteps. "Alright. However, Zhangoshis words were exceptionally profound and I understood less than a tenth of it. In any case, I have made a note, so how about we study it together?" The senior known as Wang Tao hesitated for a moment before replying. "Great!" The first voice chirped delightfully. "Look, this is what Zhangoshi said. In Juxi realm, one should view ones own body as a part of the natural flow of spiritual energy in the air and converge them together into ones body instead of forcefully absorbing it. This way, one will be able to better store spiritual energy and the rate of absorption of spiritual energy will increase. Back then, Zhangoshi brought up ten methods to do so, but I only remember three of them. We can study them together. Look at the first one..." Wang Taos voice echoed from the ssroom. "View ones own body as a part of the natural flow of spiritual energy in the air?" Listening to the conversation between the two, the three master teachers became shocked. Their astonishment reflected on their faces. "Ive heard of this theory from my teacher... That Zhang Xuanoshi is capable of speaking such profound logic as well?" Liu Lings jaws dropped. Whether one is truly an expert, his performance will tell. As master teachers, they stand at the very pinnacle of the upation of teachers. Naturally, they hold a deep knowledge about imparting knowledge, and they are also capable of telling right from wrong. Even though they hadnt sat through Zhang Xuans lesson, judging the conversation between the two students alone, they were able to tell that Zhangoshis theories are innovative, correct, and straightforward. Even they themselves find it hard to conduct a lesson of such standard. The theories brought up by the duo werent incredibly profound, but they point straight to the essence of Juxi realm. It felt as though they were standing before a vast ocean, endless and unimaginably deep. The more they listened, the more it was beneficial to their cultivation. They had benefited greatly from the exchange. As the three master teachers continued to listen, they became increasingly amazed. Rooted to the spot, they shuddered with agitation. Chapter 195: Three Shocked Master Teachers (2) Chapter 195: Three Shocked Master Teachers (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "To be capable of analyzing a mere Juxi realm so thoroughly, it seems that Zhangoshisprehension toward cultivation isnt something that I can match up to. He has long reached the Enlightenment realm." After eavesdropping on the conversation of the duo for another moment, Liu Ling could not help but say. "To be enlightened means to have grasped thews of the world. In the Enlightenment realm, ones cultivation would have reached Zongshi realm. Only at that realm will one form his own school of understanding toward cultivation. Could it be that Zhang Xuan has already reached Zongshi realm?" Zhuang Xian found it unbelievable. "It is not that only Zongshi experts are able to reach the Enlightenment realm. Some incredible teachers, through theirprehension and study of cultivation, manage to form schools of their own. By imparting the knowledge and theories they havepiled to their students, they are able to enlighten their student to the truth, thus massively benefitting their students. Such teachers are absolutely rare and hard to find in the world. To think that this Zhangoshi would be one of them..." At this point, Liu Lings eyes grew increasingly bright. He couldnt help but mutter, "Such a talented bud!" "Indeed. Even for me, I cant help but feel excited listening to his theories toward cultivation! To be able to describe theplex subject of cultivation in the simplest words such that anyone will be able to understand it. His standard is indeed astounding." Zhuang Xian nodded his head. "If one were to cultivate ording to his theory, improvements would definitely be swift. One probably wont exceed a year in breaking through Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm!" Zheng Feimented. "However, it is a pity that were just listening by the side. We are only qualified to attend the most basic lectures of Zhangoshi. If we were taught by him personally, we might have already achieved a breakthrough!" The three master teachers were wallowing in their awe for Zhang Xuan when they suddenly heard the voices before them echoing once more. "Listening by the side? Those two... are only listening in on his lesson?" The three master teachers stared at one another as their minds were blown once again. There are different types of students under the tutge of a teacher. There are students who listen in, normal students, and direct disciples. Initially, given how the duo was discussing cultivation methods, the three master teachers thought that they were true disciples of Zhangoshi, and thus, they had been imparted with the purest and most profound theories. However, upon hearing listening in did they realize that they are just the most basic students under his tutge. If a listener student can learn such profound theories, it would be hard to imagine what his normal students and true disciples will be able to achieve. "Indeed. When Younger Sister Wang Ying first started to learn under Zhang Xuan, she was only Juxi realm primary stage. Aftering under the personal tutge of Zhangoshi, in a short ten days, her cultivation rose swiftly, and she seeded in reaching Dantian realm yesterday night!" "Im truly envious. Say, why was I so foolish back then? Why was I so obsessed withing under Luoshis tutge before? If only I had joined Zhangoshi earlier, I would have long achieved a breakthrough as well..." The two continued to chat, and their tone revealed their envy for the other students. ... "She reached Dantian realm from Juxi realm in ten short days?" Upon hearing the words of the duo, the three master teachers felt as though they were struck by a massive hammer on their head. They thought that they were going insane. In Fighter 1-dan, one gathers spiritual energy and circte it around his body to nourish and open meridians. Without aplishing all of these thoroughly, it is impossible for to reach Dantian realm. In other words, there are no shortcuts whatsoever for this realm. Thus, without years of hard work, it is difficult to achieve a breakthrough from this realm; even for them, without half a year, it is impossible for them to help their students do so. Yet, a breakthrough in ten days? The three master teachers were astonished, unable to believe what they had just heard. If that is true, doesnt that mean that Zhang Xuans ability to teach is superior to theirs? How is that possible? Boom boom boom! They were feeling uncertain when the ground below them started to quake. "Its Yuan Tao. That fellow is probably knocking against walls again... Lets go and take a look!" Wang Taos words sounded in the air. Soon, their footsteps grew faint as they gradually walked into the distance. "Yuan Tao? Isnt that the fellow who scored the worst for the entrance examinations?" Zhuang shi couldnt help but ask. On their way here, they had inquired about Zhangoshis affairs and found out that he had epted five students. As the student with the worst result during the entrance examination, Yuan Tao was especially conspicuous and, as such, the three master teachers had a deep impression of him. "Yes, lets go. Well take a look as well." Liu Ling gestured and the trio followed the sound of the footsteps before them. They are all Half-Zongshi experts. It is impossible them to be discovered by the two students. After several dozen meters, they stopped after a corner and a few figures appeared before them. They saw a fatty who was charging furiously toward a wall. Every time he rams against it, the ground trembles vigorously. "What incredible defensive ability! With such extraordinary defensive capability, even a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm expert would find it hard to break through..." Seeing the fattys actions, the three master teachers were once again, blown out of their minds. While Wang Tao and Wang Yans do not have sufficiently discerning eyes and are unable to judge how strong Yuan Taos defense truly is, but they, as master teachers, are able to tell with a single look. Even for them, they would take quite a bit of effort to break through the fattys defense. For the student who was thest in the entrance examination to possess such overwhelming defense all of the sudden... The three master teachers felt their head unable to cope with the sudden turn of situations. "Quick, look over there..." Zheng Fei suddenly said. Following the direction where he was pointing, Liu Ling and Zhuang Xian saw a sixteen to seventeen-year-old little girl executing a kick toward a wooden pole which was around a bowl thick, as though a superior bow with its bowstring pulled tautly was released. Kacha! The wooden pole broke into two. "What a powerful leg technique. There must be at least 400kg of strength behind her kick. Not only so, her turn, leg raise, strength exertion, and hip twist... All of her movements were seamlessly coordinated as one. This shows that she has at least immersed herself in leg techniques for seven to eight years. Otherwise, it is impossible for one to reach such a level!" Liu Ling praised. Even though it was just an ordinary kick, it revealed the good foundations thedy possessed. Without years of hard work, it is impossible to reach such a level. "Is this Zhang Xuans student as well? But why didnt we hear about him having a female student who is adept in leg techniques when we asked around?" Zhuang Xian couldnt help but ask. Zhangoshi only has five students, and as such, it wasnt difficult to find out what his students are adept at. However, they had never heard of him having a female student who is adept at leg techniques. "Wang Ying, to think that your leg techniques would be so powerful right after your legs recovered!" The two young men who were in the ssroom previously walked over andplimented her. "Wang Ying? Shes that Wang Ying whose legs are injured?" Liu Ling almost fell to the ground. As the daughter of n Head Wang Hong, Wang Yings leg injury wasnt any secret. They had heard the news, but... if her legs had been injured, how can she exert such powerful strength through them? Furthermore, he had just confidently imed that the other party must have trained for at least seven to eight years to have built up such a solid foundation for her leg skills. Yet, to think that she had been just treated of her injury... The heck! How can someone whose legs were just treated exert such powerful strength that can destroy a wooden pole so thick with a single kick? Why does it feel like a dream? Liu Ling felt a fiery sensation on his face, and that he was on the verge of going berserk. While he found the event embarrassing, the other two master teachers didnt have the leisure to bother about that. They were staring in another direction with widened eyes. "Liu shi..." Due to his anxiety, Zheng Feis voice quivered. "Whats wrong?" Seeing that his two friends werent going to pester him for his judgemental error, Liu Ling heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he turned over to look at them two. "Look over there..." Zheng Fei pointed. Puzzled, Liu Ling lifted his head and peered over. The other party was pointing toward a young man. At that moment, he held a spear in his hand and was standing motionless on the spot, resembling a statue. "Whats wrong?" He wasnt sure what the other party was trying to point out. That is a posture which spear users often stand in to feel their spear. Those who love to use spears would often stand in such a position to feel the connection between their body and the spear... logically, there shouldnt be anything weird about the situation. "Its not his actions, its..." Zheng Fei wanted to exin, but before he could finish his words, the spear-carrying young man suddenly moved. There wasnt the slightest hesitation in his movements. As though a dragon rising from the sea, his eyes gleamed with might. In an instant, the tranquil young man seemed to have transformed into another person. It was as if he became an incredibly sharp and taut spear that was capable of even piercing through the heavens. "This is..." Liu Ling staggered backward. bbergasted, his eyes narrowed to the point that they were as thin as needles. "Spear Intent? Achieving Spear Intent at such a young age?" As a master teacher, it was natural that he knew of Spear Intent. He had also once seen a master disying it. However, those who are capable of releasing Spear Intent are, at a minimum, forty-year-old. The teenager before him exuded a domineering aura along with the movement of his spear, and it is clear that he hasprehended Spear Intent... Even though it is the most basic of it all... that is still Spear Intent! How did he do it? Liu Ling felt his entire body turn cold. This should be the student who specializes in using the spear, Zheng Yang. Back then, given how he was rejected by Wang Chaooshi, he was probably only capable of the fundamentals. Yet, in just ten days or so, Zhangoshi had turned him into a spear master capable of releasing Spear Intent... This is no longer a question of whether he is a capable educator. But... its a miracle! Lifting his head to look at his old buddies, the two of them, Zhuang Xian and Zheng Fei, were also standing in a daze on the spot. The same thought had popped into their minds simultaneously. This Zhang Xuanoshi... who exactly is he? Chapter 196: Eligibility to Take the Master Teacher Examination Chapter 196: Eligibility to Take the Master Teacher Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Rubbing between his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After two days of hard work, he finally finished dealing with the problems of those who paid the fee previously. Atst, he is free from work. Most of the people who visited him inquired him about their cultivation while a small portion was afflicted with terminal diseases. Using the Library of Heavens Path and the knowledge he had umted from the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, he managed to look into their ws and solve every problem sessfully. "It will be the Teacher Evaluation in two days time. I wonder how much have those brats progressed in their training..." Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan sneaked out of the mansion. He had been busy with the matters on this end for the past two days, and as such, he hasnt had time to return to the academy for a look. If Zhao Ya and the others hadnt followed his instructions, it would be difficult for them to achieve victory over Lu Xuns students. As for Lu Xun and Wang Chao, who had been waiting at the entrance of the mansion, Zhang Xuan left them to be. After an entire day of anticipation, the duo also realized that they had thoroughly offended Yang shi and that it was impossible for them to be epted as his apprentices. Thus, they could only leave in disappointment. After finding a remote alley, Zhang Xuan took off his disguise, reverted to his usual look, and returned to the academy. "Master Zhang!" Upon reaching the entrance of the academy, he heard a familiar method of address. Turning around to take a look, he saw Huang Yu and Bai Xun walking toward him withrge strides. "Such a coincidence! We were about to enter the academy to look for you. Since youre here, well be able to spare the trouble." Stepping forward, Huang Yu said with a smile. "Looking for me?" Zhang Xuan asked. Didnt these two fellowsplete their painting examination already? They had already bought the paintings, so why would they look for me? Well, if they want to buy more, I wouldnt mind painting another for some quick bucks. "We have something that we need to trouble you with..." Huang Yu spoke in embarrassment. "What is it? If it is within my scope of ability, I will try my best to help!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Huang Yu had helped him previously and thus, Zhang Xuan didnt think that it was inappropriate for him to turn down her request. However, he made sure to leave some leeway in his words. If she were to really ask for the impossible, Zhang Xuan could at least still turn her down. "Master Zhang, you should know that the reason why we went to Master Lu Chens residence awhile ago was to obtain the Ink Daylily Canvas!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He was long aware of the matter. It seemed that she was intending to give the painting to someone else. In the end, Zhang Xuan managed to create a painting of the fifth level, resulting in the duo demanding his painting instead and causing him to feel awkward. Zhang Xuan had felt apologetic to Master Lu Chen for the incident. "Actually, the reason why we sought the Ink Daylily Canvas was so as to gift it to someone as a birthday present... The paintings that you gave us are perfect as birthday presents, just that..." At this point, Huang Yu hesitated for a moment. "Im afraid that Elder Tian might want to meet its painter after seeing the painting, so... I would like to invite you to the birthday banquet as well!" "Birthday present? Birthday banquet?" Zhang Xuan immediately understood what was going on. It seems that the reason why Huang Yu was so adamant on obtaining the Ink Daylily Canvas was so that she could gift it to someone else as a birthday present. "I am not interested in birthday banquets, so Ill pass!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Regardless of whose birthday banquet it was, it was no business of his. He couldnt be bothered to make a trip over to please someone else. "Master Zhang, you really shoulde along. Elder Tian is a good person, even Emperor Shen Zhui is visiting him as well..." Seeing the other party rejecting his request, Bai Xun added on hastily, his face full of anxiety. "Emperor Shen Zhui is going as well?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. He had thought that this is an ordinary birthday banquet for nobles and such. If Emperor Shen Zhui is going as well, then the matter probably isnt as simple as Zhang Xuan had imagined it to be. "Indeed, not just Your Majesty, our teacher is going as well. To tell you the truth, the one who invited you to the birthday banquet arent us but... my teacher, Master Teacher Liu Ling!" Huang Yu hesitated for a moment before saying. "Liu Ling is your teacher?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in shock and bewilderment. "He knows of me?" Huang Yu is an assistant master teacher, so it wasnt surprising for her to have a master teacher as her teacher. Just that... He is currently in the identity of Zhang Xuan, not Yang shi. So, how is it possible that Liu shi know of his identity? Even sending his apprentice to invite him? "Can it be that... my identity has been revealed?" A wary look immediately appeared on Zhang Xuans face. If his identity was exposed, he would be in danger! Putting aside the fact that impersonating a master teacher is a heavy crime, just the fact that he, as an insignificant figure in a remote country who isnt even in his twenties yet, is able to possess such vast knowledge and incredible eye of discernment means that it was likely that he possesses an incredible treasure! They would definitely want toy their hands on this treasure, and this would put him in a dangerous position. "Not just Liu shi, even Zhuang shi and Zheng shi know you as well. Yesterday, when I told them that you are able to produce a painting of the fifth level, they became so excited that they nearly leaped from their seats!" Bai Xun said. Even until now, he found what happened yesterday mind-boggling. His teacher, knowing that he and Huang Yu are acquainted with Master Zhang, called the both of them over to question them about him. Upon hearing that young Zhangoshi had created paintings of the fifth level, their faces flushed red with agitation, as though they were suffering some kind of panic attack. Then, theymanded them authoritatively that they have to bring Zhangoshi to the birthday banquet tonight by hook or by crook. "Master Zhang, this is a good opportunity! Ive never seen my teacher getting so interested in someone else. Since youve caught his attention, it is likely that youll be an assistant master teacher soon!" Envy appeared in Huang Yus eyes. "Furthermore, you already have a supporting profession. Along with the identity as an assistant master teacher, you will be eligible to take the master teacher examination immediately!" All teachers dream of bing a master teacher, and gaining the appreciation of a master teacher is the ideal opportunity for them to achieve the goal. "Supporting profession? Eligible to take the master teacher examination? What do you mean?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "You dont know the requirements to undergo the master teacher examination?" Huang Yu stared at him with a peculiar expression. Tianxuan Kingdom doesnt have any master teachers, and the prerequisites for the examination are not recorded in any of the books. Furthermore, it hasnt been long since Zhang Xuan transcended over. Thus, it isnt surprising for him not to know of it. "Not only must a master teacher be capable of offering someone guidance on their cultivation, he should be able to guide those of other professions as well. Thus, on top of vast knowledge on the topic of cultivation, a master teacher also needs to possess a supporting profession..." Seeing the puzzled look on the other partys face, Huang Yu exined, "Using simple words, one needs to be skilled in another profession in order to be eligible to take the 1-star master teacher examination; if one is skilled in two professions, one will be eligible to take the 2-star master teacher examination, so on and so forth. Of course, the requirements for the supporting profession grow higher as you proceed higher up thedder. The more stars you possess, the more knowledgeable you have to be of each supporting profession. If youre just going to take the 1-star master teacher examination, having the profession of a painter is more than enough!" "That is to say, with your supporting profession of a painter and the identity of an assistant master teacher, you will be eligible to take the 1-star master teacher examination! Of course, it is another matter whether you will be able to pass the examination. But at the very least, you will be eligible for it. On the other hand, I... Even though I am an apprentice master teacher, I am still not qualified to take the examination!" At this, Huang Yu smiled bitterly. The reason why there are so few master teachers and why the examination is so hard is because of this. There are countless professions throughout the Upper, Middle, and Lower Nine Paths. Every single profession requires one to devote extensive effort to achieve mastery. Taking Master Lu Chen for example, he had immersed his entire life into painting but is only able to produce a painting of the fourth level. From this, one can see the immense difficulty involved. There are some, due to theck of a supporting profession, who remained as apprentices their entire life, never bing eligible for the examination. Yet, not only is the person before her capable in teaching and possesses powerful cultivation, he has also reached the level of a grandmaster in painting. If he were to be an assistant master teacher, he would easily meet the prerequisites for the examination. His starting point is so much higher than hers. It is truly a wonder to her how he had managed to achieve so much despite not being much older than her. "So thats why..." After hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan finally understood why master teachers are so respected. So this is the reason why master teachers are able to offer guidance to people of all professions. In order to be eligible for the examination, one needs to first have a supporting profession. The higher one climbs, the more supporting profession one needs to have. That is why the master teachers possessing multiple stars are extremely formidable and rare. One needs to possess a frightening amount of knowledge to reach their level. It is no wonder why Huang Yu, despite being an assistant master teacher, is devoting her efforts to learning painting and treats Master Lu Chen so respectfully. It seems that she intends to take painting as her supporting profession so as to earn the rights to take on the master teacher examination. "I also have a 1-star apothecary emblem. Does this mean that as long as I be an apprentice, I will be eligible to take the master teacher examination?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. After days of impersonating as a master teacher, he came to understand how fearsome the identity is. With this identity, no matter where he goes, he will be respected. No one will dare to pick a fight with him. In the past, he wouldnt have cared for the identity of a master teacher as he possesses the Library of Heavens Path. However, it is different now. The ck aura hidden in his body meant that someone was trying to kill him. However, if he were to gain protection from the identity as a master teacher and the Teacher Guild, the other party would have to reconsider beforeying hands on him. Besides, the sky is the limit. Possessing such an incredible Library of Heavens Path, it would be a waste to limit himself to just Tianxuan Kingdom! With venturing out into the world in mind, both cultivation and a respectable identity are important. With the identity of a master teacher to rely on, many things would be so much easier and convenient to aplish. Drawing a parallel, only an official apothecary is allowed to enter the Apothecary Guilds book collection vault, and they are granted steep discounts when buying pills. "Looks like I should hurry up and take the master teacher examination!" Zhang Xuan made up his mind. With the cheat code that is called Library of Heavens Path, it would be a waste if he doesnt be a master teacher. A person just has to execute a punch and he will be able to see the persons ws. Just from this alone, supposed master teachers and experts mean nothing before him. No matter how powerful a person can be, can he surpass the Heavens Path? No one can conceal anything before the Path of Heaven. Besides, even the Heavens Path is wed, so how can a human possibly be wless? As long as one possesses ws, Zhang Xuan will be able to tell through the books created by the library! Only as an official master teacher can Zhang Xuan execute this ability of his without any worry and rise to the top! Otherwise, given his current identity, gathering sufficient books to create the Heavens Path Divine Art would be impossible, needless to say, wanting to advance swiftly. "I have to acknowledge one of them as my teacher?" In order to be a master teacher, one has to first be an assistant master teacher. To do so, one has to acknowledge a true master teacher as his teacher and have him guide the way. To acknowledge Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, or Zheng Fei as his teacher? This makes no sense. In the past two days, the trio had been often visiting the mansion, revealing their intentions of wanting to acknowledge Yang shi as their teacher from time to time. But because Zhang Xuan nned to erase the identity of Yang Xuan soon, he hadnt agreed to it. But from the looks of it, it is unlikely for them to give up anytime soon. If he were to acknowledge one of them as his teacher as Zhang Xuan. And ept them as disciples as Yang Xuan. Then the situation would truly be incredulous. That is to say... as Zhang Xuan, he would be their student, but as Yang Xuan, he would be their master! To be both his own grandstudent and grandmaster... Furthermore, he mustnt allow both of them to meet, otherwise, his identity will be exposed... The heck! How ridiculous that would be! Briefly thinking of this scenario, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel stifled at his heart. Chapter 197: It Has Been Awhile Since We Last Met Chapter 197: It Has Been Awhile Since We Last Met Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "I cant allow that to happen..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. If he does so, he might soon suffer from an identity crisis. However, if he doesnt acknowledge one of them as his teacher, he wont be able to be an assistant master teacher and as such, wont be eligible to take the master teacher examination. Just the thought of it made his head hurt. "Forget it, I wont think about it for now. However, it is also good to meet the three master teachers as Zhang Xuan. Firstly, I can get closer to them. Secondly, I can ask them about the poison aura in my body!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan made up his mind. That ck aura in his body hasnt be a danger yet, but he still has to get rid of it. If he were to ask them as Yang Xuan, it would be unbefitting of his identity as an enlightened expert. Rather, it is more appropriate for him to ask them as Zhang Xuan. If Lu Xun and Wang Chao were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely go blind from crying. After failing to acknowledge Yang Xuan, they went to visit the three master teachers yesterday, only to be kept at their door... Yet, with the three master teachers wanting to meet this fellow, he still has to consider twice, furthermore with such reluctance... Will you die if you dont act cool? "When does the birthday banquet start? Also, who is Elder Tian, for the three master teacher and Emperor Shen Zhui to be visiting him personally?" Zhang Xuan still found the situation peculiar. To have the three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui visit him personally, this Elder Tian is by no means an ordinary figure. However, if he were any formidable figure, Zhang Xuans previous self should have long heard of him. But why does he have no impression of him at all? "The birthday banquet is today, so we will make it if we rush over now." Upon hearing the question, Huang Yu immediately realized that he had decided to join them and heaved a sigh of relief. She exined, "Elder Tian used to be a teacher at Beiwu Academy, and Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi had all once studied under him. Even though he doesnt specialize in teaching cultivation, he is nevertheless half a teacher to the three of them. Now that he is celebrating his nieth birthday, and the three master teachers happen to be in Tianxuan Kingdom, it is only right for them to offer their blessings to him..." Even though this Elder Tian is a citizen of Tianxuan Kingdom, he was a teacher at Beiwu Academy. Each of the three master teachers had once studied under him and as such, he could be considered as half a teacher to them. The reason why Liu shi had Huang Yu head here was actually to have her attend the birthday banquet. In the end, due to Shen Hongs affair, the three master teachers had gathered together here. And if the three master teachers are joining in the celebration, how can Emperor Shen Zhui stay out of it? As for Beiwu Academy which Elder Tian had taught in, it is thergest academy in the Beiwu Kingdom. Huang Yu and Bai Xun were previously students there. Having flipped through the books in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, these simple geographical terrains of the surrounding kingdoms are avable to Zhang Xuan with just a simple thought. The Beiwu Kingdom is a Tier 2 Kingdom near Tianxuan Kingdom. The master teachers holding the reigns in the country are Liu Ling and Zhuang Xian. Kingdoms can be ssified under Titled, 1st Tier, 2nd Tier and, finally, unranked such as Tianxuan Kingdom. The higher tier the kingdom is, the more prosperous it bes. Naturally, more resources go through their hands, and the standard of their fighters will be higher as well. "Even though this Elder Tian doesnt teach others how to rise their cultivation, he can be considered as a teacher?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. All of the teachers in Hongtian Academy specialize in raising a students cultivation. Taking Wang Chaooshi for example, even though he is a master of spear arts, he is also responsible for guiding his students cultivation. If one doesnt teach cultivation, how can he be considered a teacher? "Beiwu Academy is at a muchrger scalepared to Hongtian Academy, and there are many different types of teachers there. Cultivation is only one of the subjects taught there. There are many teachers who specialize in different subjects, such as pill forging, painting and such. Students can choose to either specialize in one of these upations or take it as a supporting course to boost their knowledge and temper their mind. Liu shi and the others, in preparation for the master teacher examination, only came under Elder Tian for a short period of time. As such, they cannot be considered as true students of his. He can only be considered as half a teacher to them." Huang Yu exined patiently. If teachers guide students only on their cultivation, how can the knowledge of apothecaries, cksmiths, and the other upations be passed down? After all, the master teachers cant do all the work by themselves! If that were the case, wouldnt master teachers tire themselves to death? Clearly, there are teachers who specialize in different fields. Elder Tian was such a specialized teacher. "What does he teach?" Understanding the situation, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. This is simr to the schools in his previous life. There are teachers who specifically teach Physical Education, Mathematics, Physics, English, and such. It is impossible for a teacher to be proficient in all fields, and naturally, they cant teach every single subject. "What Elder Tian teaches is the Way of Tea, he is a tea master!" Huang Yu smiled. "A tea master?" There was an introduction of tea masters in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. It is an upation of the Lower Nine Paths and sounds unttering. However, it has a huge following in some of the kingdoms. Brewing tea can help one rx his state of mind, helping him to achieve tranquility. Formidable tea masters can even brew tea that is capable of calming another persons state of mind, allowing him to achieve calmness upon consumption. It is something that is useful for ones cultivation, and its effects are in no way inferior to Tranquil Heart Pill. More importantly, the Way of Tea is much easier than pill forging, smithing, painting, and other upations. Even though it is difficult to be a true master, as a skill, it is easy to pick up. Most of the sons of prestigious families and nobles in the higher tier kingdoms involve themselves in the art. "Alright, Ill follow you there." After getting a clear idea of the situation, Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate further. Since the birthday banquet was going to start soon, he followed behind Huang Yu and Bai Xun and stepped into the carriage. The ce where Elder Tian resided was in the suburbs of the kingdom, and it was a significant distance away from Hongtian Academy. It took the carriage nearly two hours to reach its destination. Before a vast and luxurious garden, the carriage came to a stop. Upon stepping out of the carriage, the trio was overwhelmed by the crowd before them. Elder Tian was a teacher at Beiwu Academy and had guided master teachers. Just this fact alone attracted countless powerful individuals to offer him their blessings in person. "Master Zhang, follow me..." Upon alighting from the carriage, Huang Yu led the way to the entrance, disyed a name scroll, and easily entered the residence. As expected of the residence of a person whom the three master teachers are paying a visit to, it is massive and filled with countless corridors. It isnt difficult for those here for the first time to lose their way. "Liu shi and the others probably havent arrived. We should wait for them in the side hall." Huang Yu seems to have been here before, and she navigated around the residence with familiarity. In a short while, they arrived at a vast hall. Even before walking in, they observed that a huge crowd had already gathered in the hall. "Xiao Yu, you are finally here..." Upon stepping into the hall, a delighted voice called out immediately. Following which, a young man came running up to her in delight. This young man appears to be around twenty-three to twenty-four, and he is dressed in white. He has a dashing face which Zhang Xuan cant hope to match up to. Bai Xuns face darkened upon noticing the person and he quickly stood in front of Huang Yu. "Bai Xun, what do you want?" A frown formed on young mans forehead. "Are you qualified to call her Xiao Yu? I advise you to stay away from her, otherwise, dont me me for acting impolitely." Bai Xun stared at the other party furiously. "Acting impolitely? You speak as though weve never fought before. Have you ever won against me?" The young man waved aside Bai Xuns threat and continued, "Besides, this is my home. As the host, I should give my all to wee my guest. You wish to interfere in this as well? Arent you being nosey, Bai xiao wangye!" "You..." Bai Xun raised his eyebrows as he prepared to enter a fight. "Enough!" Seeming to have expected that the two would quarrel, Huang Yus eyebrows knitted tightly together. ncing at the two, she said, "Were here to offer our blessings to Elder Tian. If you two really must fight, do it after!" "Rest easy, Xiao Yu. I cant be bothered with a boor like him whose head is only filled with ughter!" After which, the young man chuckled lightly, "Xiao Yu, Ive just learned a new tea brewing method. Lets go, I will make a pot for you. Itll definitely calm your mind, and after drinking it a few times, youll surely reach Heart of Tranquil Water quickly..." "Ill pass. I have to wait for Liu shi here!" Huang Yu remainedpletely unmoved to the other partys passionate wee and rejected him tly. "Its alright if you dont want it. I also happen to want to greet Liu shi, so Ill wait for him here with you then..." The young man didnt pay his rejection any heed and simply chuckled nonchntly. Since the other party was insistent on staying here, Huang Yu wasnt in a good position as a guest to drive her host away as well. "Shameless!" Bai Xun was outraged, but he no longer spoke of fighting with the other party. From the looks of it, it seems that he isnt a match for the other party. Otherwise, given his fiery temper, he isnt the type to hold himself back due to the asion. Despite knowing the temper of the young noble, the young man paid him attention. At this moment, the young man suddenly noticed Zhang Xuan and looked at him with doubtful eyes. "Xiao Yu, this is..." "Oh, allow me to introduce you two!" Huang Yu nced over and spoke. "Master Zhang, this is Tian Long, the sole grandson of Elder Tian; Tian Long, this is Zhang Xuanoshi from Hongtian Academy." "Zhang Xuan? This name sounds familiar. I seem to have heard of it somewhere..." The young man Tian Long frowned as he mused over the name. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he eximed, "Hongtian Academy! Youre the one who is going topete with Lu Xunoshi in the Teacher Evaluation, Zhang Xuan?" The news of the Teacher Evaluation had spread like wildfire, and it was difficult for anyone to remain unaware. "Lu Xun is the most incredible celebrity teacher in Hongtian Academy, and to dare topete with him in a Teacher Evaluation, you sure are courageous. Im impressed!" Even though he said so, there wasnt the slightest bit of awe in his expression. Rather, it was filled with contempt. Being the son of Master Lu Chen and a famous star teacher in Tianxuan City, Lu Xun possesses tremendous fame. Matched against a nobody like Zhang Xuan, everyone believes that it would be apletely one-sided match. Seeing the other party behaving in such a manner, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Yet another arrogant nobody. "Tian Long, what do you mean by that?" Bai Xun couldnt withstand it any further. "I dont mean anything. Just that, humans are valued for knowing their ce. To overestimate oneself will only make ones life difficult." Tian Long shook his head. "I dare you to say, who is the one who doesnt know his ce? Master Zhang just wants to keep a low-profile and refuses to unt his abilities..." Bai Xun bellowed angrily. Even though he had heard of Lu Xun, he wasnt familiar with him. On the contrary, he waspletely awed by Zhang Xuans prowess. Upon hearing the words of the other party, Bai Xun was enraged. "Master? What do you mean by master? Do you think anyone can be addressed by the title of a master so simply?" Tian Long sneered. Flinging his hands, he stared down at Bai Xun haughtily, "Thats the title of someone who has reached an astounding level of mastery in their upation. Only a person like my grandfather, who has reached the peak in the Way of Tea, can be qualified to be addressed as a tea master. For a mere twenty-year-old teacher at Hongtian Academy to be called aoshi is already ttering, yet he dares to call himself a master? How naive..." Sneering coldly, just as Tian Long was about to continue speaking, he suddenly noticed an elder walking over and shut his mouth hurriedly. Then, he respectfully sped his hands and weed him, "Tian Long pays his respect to Master Yuanyu!" He is the number one physician in Tianxuan Kingdom, Yuanyu. Toward the greeting of the other party, Master Yuanyu nodded his head impassively. Just as he was about to proceed further in, he suddenly caught sight of Zhang Xuan. His eyes lit up and he rushed forward to him passionately. "Master Zhang, youre here as well... It has been awhile since west met!" Chapter 198: Wont Condone It Next Time Chapter 198: Wont Condone It Next Time Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "What?" Upon seeing this sight, the respectful Tian Longs body suddenly jolted, as though a mace had clubbed his head. What did Master Yuanyu just call him? Master? Who was Master Yuanyu? A true master physician, a person who was of equal standing as his grandfather, Elder Tian. No matter where he went, he was respected by everyone, and even Emperor Shen Zhui had to treat him with utmost respect. Even a genius like him who was known in his generation had to talk to him carefully for fear of offending him. For such a person... to run over to a fellow who was younger than him and respectfully address him as... master? Furthermore, his attitude seemed as though he had met his idol.... The hell, what was going on? More importantly, he had just said that Zhang Xuan had no rights to be named master, and at the very next moment, Master Yuanyu came running over. This face p... Tian Long felt his face warp in embarrassment, and there was a fiery sensation all over it. However, that wasnt the end of the incident. Initially, he thought that Master Yuanyu running over for thed would leave thed extremely honored and gleeful. Yet he only saw him frowning. "Didnt we just meet a few days ago?" Frowning? The hell are you frowning! Tian Longs mouth twitched. The other party was an elder, and saying that it had been long since they met... was just basic pleasantries. Yet, this fellow pointed that out in public.... Cant you speak properly? Initially, he thought that Master Yuanyu would fly into a rage, only to see him smack his forehead, as though he had only realized the fact now. "Yes! Yes! More importantly, I have ced Masters painting in my room and admired it daily. The more I look at it, the more I feel that our levels are different. Thats why I forgot that we had just met a few days ago." "Its just a painting, theres nothing much to admire about it. If you wish to learn, I can teach you!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Really? Then Ill be truly grateful for your teaching then..." Master Yuanyu became so excited his beard flew up along with his words. Putong! Tian Long staggered. He could almost see thunder rumbling around him. Yuanyu... Arent you a master? Why do you look like an elementary schooler at this moment? Learning from thisd? What the hell are you going to learn from him? Is he qualified for it? "He..." Unable to stand it any longer, he turned to look at Bai Xun. "Master Zhang is a true master painter that even Master Lu Chen is impressed with. If he isnt worthy for the title of master, who else can be worthy of it?" Bai Xun looked at him with glee and disdain. Trying to brag? Ill see what you have to say now! Acting so arrogantly previously, even telling him to "know his ce." Youre the one who should know your ce! "Master painter?" Only then did Tian Long recall that Master Yuanyu was not only a skilled physician, he was a talented painter as well. However, he couldnt understand what kind of standards a fellow who wasnt even twenty and had a terrible reputation in the academy could reach such that even a master painter like Yuanyu would be so impressed with him. Even though painting wasnt as popr to the Way of Tea, it was still one of the Nine Paths, and it was difficult to achieve mastery in it. "He might have just copied the drawing of some master and gained a slight bit of fame from it. Master should just be a respectful address for him. Otherwise, at his age, even if he had learned painting ever since he was born, it should be impossible for him to reach the level of a master..." Painting was simr to tea making in certain aspects, and as such, Tian Long understood the difficulty of the upation. He had been studying the Way of Tea since he was seven, and it had been eighteen years since then. Even so, he had only reached the second level of the Way of Tea, Essence Restoration. In terms of apothecary ranking, he was equivalent to a high-level apprentice, but even so, he was still a significant distance away from officially joining the ranks of the upation. Given the other party was younger than him. How could he have reached the level of master? Master was a title given to those who had officially entered the threshold of the upation. For example, an official apothecary could be called a master apothecary. Only an official painter or someone who was capable of drawing a painting of the fourth level could be named such. For a fellow below twenty to draw a painting of the fourth level? This was like saying that he was able to brew a tea of the fourth level. What a joke! ...... ... Regardless of whether Tian Long believed it or not, Master Yuanyus action of greeting Zhang Xuan had attracted the attention of many. Thus, Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "You should work first. If you really wish to learn painting from me, feel free to look for me anytime!" He was here just to visit the three master teachers to ask about the ck aura over his body. He didnt wish to cause a big ruckus here. After all, a person should keep a low-profile! If this fellow were to keep following him, how could Zhang Xuan maintain a low profile? This didnt align with his goals at all! "Yes, Ill head over there first then. When I have time, Ill look for Master Zhang to study from you." Master Yuanyu also knew that his identity was way too eye-catching, and that staying here would cause trouble for Zhang Xuan. As such, he sped his hands and left. Those who were skilled would be respected as masters. Even though the other party might be young, just his ability of being able to produce a painting of the fifth level made him worthy of respect and learning from. ...... ... Overwhelmed with shock and embarrassment, Tian Long didnt really hear the conversation between the two. When he looked at Zhang Xuanoshi once more, not only was he not impressed with the other party, he was even angrier than before. It wasnt a secret that he liked Huang Yu, which was also the reason why he had been on bad terms with Bai Xun. Knowing that Huang Yu woulde for his grandfathers birthday banquet, he specially learnt a tea brewing method to showcase to her. Yet, before he could even do so, he was humiliated before this fellow. He could be considered to have good self-control to stop himself from attacking him. "Even if he isnt a true master, just by the fact that Master Yuanyu came over to greet him, he is unlikely to be ordinary...." Even though he was infuriated, he didnt lose his cool. He calmly pondered on how he could embarrass the other party and regain his pride. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind. "Right, theyre here as well. I remember someone reporting to me back then. I was too busy waiting for Xiao Yu that I didnt get a chance to greet them. If I brought him over to them now, it should be interesting...." At this point, he stepped forward and said, "Zhangoshi, Im truly apologetic. I didnt know that you were skilled in painting, so do forgive me for my insolence!" Even though he said this, there wasnt the slightest hint of sincerity in his tone. Facing this kind of hypocritical fellow, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to waste his time with him. As a result, he casually waved it off. "Ill drop it this time, but I wont condone it the next time!" "You..." Despite his polite apology, the other party lectured him like a teacher disciplining his own student. Tian Long felt another stifled sensation in his chest and he nearly burst into anger. Cant we talk normally? Ive heard people say that those who are skilled in painting are all gentle and courteous, and their words tend to be wise and profound. Yet, this fellow could kill a person with his words... Is he truly a master painter? Nearly flying into a rage, he clenched his fist. The angrier he was, the more he knew he couldnt express it. A glint of cold intent gleamed through his eyes, but a smile remained on his face. "Yes, Ill take note of itter. Since we dont know when Liu shi and the others wille, why dont we head upstairs first? This way, well surely be able to see them when they arrive!" If those familiar with Tian Long saw his current expression, they would immediately understand that someone was in for a ride of misfortune. "This..." Huang Yu hesitated as she turned to the young man beside her. Even though she was an assistant master teacher and possessed exceptional standing, Zhang Xuan was considered by Master Lu Chen as a peer of his. Therefore, she dared not make a decision without asking for his approval. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Many people had noticed him when Master Yuanyu came over to greet him. To him, it was no difference waiting below or on top. In any case, he was likely here for the entire day, so there was nothing to hurry over. "Alright!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan agree to it, Huang Yu turned to express her consent as well. Upon seeing this sight, Tian Long felt even more frenzied. He didnt know the rtionship between Zhang Xuan and Huang Yu, but seeing the two of them exchanging gazes here and there, seemingly intimate with one another, as though a couple.... The strong envy he felt made his face twitch, and his rage was pushed further toward the limit. Guests were received at the second floor of the side hall. From here, the guests could drink a cup of tea while enjoying the scenery by the window. Guests could overlook the entire mountain mansion, which seemed like a massive garden of flowers. It was pleasing to the eye. Walking up the stairs, the party of four headed up. There were many seats on the second floor. Quite a few people were seated, sipping on tea and chatting casually. Those who were able to attend Elder Tians birthday banquet were all famous figures of Tianxuan Kingdom, and every one of them had outstanding backgrounds. As such, a personal maid was attending to each and every one of them. It seemed like these maids were specially trained in the Way of Tea as well. Their movements were smooth, and it created a bizarrely beautiful sight. "This way..." Tian Long led the way at the front, scanning the surroundings while proceeding forward, as though looking for someone. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he stopped. "Brother Lu and Brother Wang, pardon me for not greeting you two earlier. I didnt know that you were here...." Following his gaze, the others saw two people sitting at a table not too far away. They were the star teachers of Hongtian Academy, Lu Xun and Wang Chao. They hade for Elder Tians birthday banquet today. "Tian Long, you are doing this intentionally right?" Upon seeing this fellow bringing them here, how could Huang Yu not understand his intentions? Her face immediately sank. Everyone knew that Zhang Xuanoshi was going to face off with Lu Xunoshi soon, and the two of them had a hostile rtionship with one another. Clearly, the other party had ill intentions in mind bringing Zhang Xuan to meet with Lu Xun. "Xiao Yu, what are you talking about? I just happened to meet with Brother Lu and Brother Wang here. Since were here, why dont we sit down and drink some tea together? You can also try out my tea as well." Tian Longs lips curled upward as he sneaked a nce at Zhang Xuan. Kid, werent you arrogant just now? "Wont condone it the next time." Wont condone your head! Now that Lu Xunoshi is here, lets see how you continue feigning as a master and an expert! Lu Xun and Wang Chao clearly didnt expect to meet Zhang Xuan here. Wang Chao nced at Tian Long and frowned. "Brother Tian, dont the guards check the invitation letter? This is Elder Tians birthday banquet! Why does it seem as though anyone could get in easily?" Upon hearing those words, Tian Long nearly leapt with joy. He had heard that Wang Chong had an impatient nature. To think that it would turn out to be such a useful weapon now. He was still contemting how to spark off the conflict between them when this guy immediately shot an arrow at Zhang Xuan. Even though he was delighted, he still feigned that he was in a difficult position. "They must have checked the invitation letter. I invited Assistant Master Teacher Huang Yu and Bai xiao wangye personally. As for this... Zhangoshi, even though I wasnt the one who invited him, since he is their guest, I am not in a good position to say anything...." "Guest? A low-level teacher can be invited as a guest for Elder Tians birthday banquet as well?" Wang Chao sneered. Zhang Xuan was merely a low-level teacher in the academy. In terms of social position, he truly wasnt qualified to attend Elder Tians birthday banquet. "Enough, Wang Chao!" Lu Xun waved his hands, interrupting his friends sarcastic remark. He nced at Zhang Xuan and said impassively, "Im sorry, Zhangoshi, Wang Chao tend to speak his mind, so he might appear a little rude. However... this truly isnt the ce where you should be. You should return quickly so that Huang Yu xiaojie wont be criticized because of you, and Hongtian Academys reputation wont be tarnished!" Chapter 199: You Must Be Zhang Xuan laoshi! Chapter 199: You Must Be Zhang Xuanoshi! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Lu Xun, what do you mean?" Hearing those words, Huang Yu could no longer hold herself back. What do you mean by criticized? What do you mean by tarnish Hongtian Academys reputation? Zhangoshi was invited by the three master teachers to the birthday banquet, yet why do you speak as though his presence here was an embarrassment? "I dont mean anything else. People should not be in ces which their identity does not allow them to be in. Huang Yu xiaojie, I know that you are an assistant master teacher, and you are deeply trusted and doted upon by Liu shi. Even so, you shouldnt act so obstinately. This is Elder Tians birthday banquet, so you should pay more attention to your actions! Elder Tian had been half-teacher, half-friend of Liu shi. If you bring a low-level teacher with such a terrible reputation over, it would be troublesome if you incur Liu shis ire!" Lu Xun shook his head. Neither sarcasm nor anger could be seen on his face, and it seemed as though he were just recounting facts. In his eyes, it didnt matter whether Zhang Xuan really scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination or not. This fellow was just a low-level teacher, and it wasnt befitting of his identity to be in such a high-ss birthday banquet. Forcefully bringing someone of his caliber along would only lower Huang Yus standing. This was akin to bringing a beggar to a luxurious hotel. Regardless of how well-dressed and cultured one was, one would only be pulled down by thepanion and be aughingstock. A dragon is only a dragon when it is apanied by a phoenix. If apanied by a pig, it would be a dog. "You..." Hearing those words, Huang Yu was infuriated. She was about to say something when she saw Zhang Xuan walk to the table and sit down in a chair. He casually poured a cup of tea and lifted his head to look at the two arrogant star teachers. "After spouting so much nonsense, your main point is that Im just a low-level teacher with a terrible reputation. If thats the case... amazing Luoshi, why do you want to challenge me to a Teacher Evaluation? Arent you just ruining your awe-inspiring reputation?" Initially, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with the duo putting on airs. However... I tried to spare your dignity, didnt I? Yet, you just had to trample of mine. Hearing those words, Huang Yu and Bai Xun exchanged nces. At the same time, they were impressed. As expected of Zhangoshi, his words sure were savage. But it made perfect sense. Didnt you say that bringing him over would drag down my prestige? If thats the case, as a great star teacher of Hongtian Academy, why did you challenge him to the Teacher Evaluation? Arent you simply making a fool out of yourself? "You?" Lu Xun chuckled softly. He didnt feel humiliated by Zhang Xuans words at all. Lifting his lids, he said, "You are just a stepping stone for me to reach higher grounds. If you have to me something, me it on your terrible luck for meeting me." "Stepping stone?" "Indeed. Tomorrows Teacher Evaluation will surely attract the attention of Yang shi and the other three master teachers. Brother Lu will disy the results of his tutge to them, earning him the appreciation of the four master teachers. He will then he able to reach greater heights, bing a true assistant master teacher. As for you, you are only a foil to the show!" Wang Chao chuckled gently as he stared at him in sympathy. You are just a stepping stone. Did you think that you are someone incredible? Honestly, you should feel ttered to be able to be Lu Xuns stepping stone. "Are you two that certain of your victory?" Upon realizing that the other party had such intentions, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didnt know about the intent of the three master teachers, but it was impossible for "Yang shi" toe and spectate thepetition. Even less so, he wouldnt ept Lu Xun as his apprentice. "Actually, it doesnt matter whether he wins or not. There is something that you all might not be aware of!" Wang Chao and Lu Xun were just about to continue speaking when Tian Long suddenly chuckled and interrupted. "What?" Wang Chao nced at Tian Long. With a haughty look, Tian Long said, "Actually, Liu shis intention foring to Tianxuan City isnt just to offer blessings to my grandfather on his birthday. More importantly, he wishes to ept Brother Lu as his disciple. Even though this matter is supposed to be a secret, Liu shi had written a letter to my grandfather to tell him about it. I simply happened to see the letter. Thats why I know about it." "Oh? Is that true?" Clearly unaware of this news, Lu Xuns eyes lit up. "Of course! Given Brother Lus incredible reputation, it is normal that a master teacher would set his sights on you. As my grandfathers student, Liu shi dares not hide the matter from him and revealed everything to him. It is precisely because of this that I sent you an invitation so that he can introduce you to Liu shi during the banquetter, and ept you as his disciple!" Tian Long said. "Ill have to thank Elder Tian for this matter then...." Hearing the affirmation of the other party, Lu Xun stood up with excitement. Knowing that it was hopeless between him and Yang shi, he turned his attention to the three master teachers. However, in the past two days, the three master teachers didnt seem to be around. Every time he tried to pay a visit to them, they werent around, which made him panic. Initially, he thought that his n was doomed, just like how it was with Yang shi. Yet, it turned out that Yang shi had already set his sights on him. This was wonderful! "Looks like well be fellow apprentices then...." Lu Xun smiled kindly at Huang Yu. "Who is your fellow apprentice!" Huang Yu snorted. Huang Yu had no idea what Liu shi was thinking of, but since Tian Long already said so, he should be confident of the matter. Could it be that... she would really be peers with this fellow? Huang Yu felt conflicted. This fellow was extremely arrogant, and she disliked his attitude. But honestly speaking, this fellow was also extremely capable, and she was impressed by him as well. For him to be able to reach such great heights in Tianxuan Kingdom without the guidance of a master teacher, he must have his way with teaching students. "Did you hear? Brother Lu is about to be an assistant master teacher. Dont you feel ashamed to stay here?" Upon hearing such wonderful news, Wang Chao was delighted for his friend as well. Turning his gaze to look at the indifferent Zhang Xuan, he felt another surge of disgust for him. "About to be? So that means that he isnt epted, right?" Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with this matter at all. It was just that he didnt realize Liu shi was interested in Lu Xun. At this moment, he was considering whether he should use the identity of "Yang Xuan" to advise the other party against this matter. After all, if "Yang Xuan" epted Liu Ling as his student, then Lu Xun would be his disciples disciple. However, this fellow was self-assuming and arrogant.... This kind of disciple would get on his nerves! He didnt want such a disciple! "Continue acting haughtily then. Ill see whether you can still do soter..." Seeing how that guy was feigning nonchnce to the matter, the two men who were trying their best to be his disciples disciples stared at him with disdain. They had seen arrogant people, but they had never seen such an arrogant person. Once the three master teachers arrived, Lu Xun would be an assistant master teacher. Yet, that fellow didnt feel embarrassed to remain here.... How could someone be so shameless? Furthermore, to be seated here sipping on tea.... How can you still be in the mood to drink tea now! If it were me, I would jump off the building in embarrassment. "Hehe, Brother Wang, you cant really say that either. I heard Xiao Yu and Bai xiao wangye calling this Zhangoshi Master Zhang just awhile ago. Ive heard he is a true master painter, and he seems to be quite an incredible figure!" Zhang Xuans skin seemed to be thicker than what Tian Long thought it out to be. Seeing that the other party was indifferent to the matter, Tian Long added this. "Master painter?" cing his hands behind his back, Lu Xun nced at Zhang Xuan with disdain. "You dare call yourself a master painter before me? Dont you find it hrious? Even if you want to brag, you should know your limits!" Even though he hadnt returned home for many years, he knew better than anyone else how difficult it was to be a master painter. It was one thing for the famous worst teacher in the academy who got on good terms with Huang Yu to unt his new identity. But wasnt it too much to be bragging about this as well? "Indeed! Brother Tian, you must have heard wrong. Brother Lues from a distinguished family of painters, and his father, Master Lu Chen, is Tianxuan Kingdoms most incredible master painter. Even Emperor Shen Zhui had learnt from him. Since childhood, Brother Lu has been learning painting from him. How could he possibly not know if another master painter appeared in the kingdom?" Wang Chao chuckled and shook his head. "Seeing the two of you speak like this, I feel relieved. I thought that it was real. After all, Master Yuanyu..." Tian Long was just about to talk about Master Yuanyus previous attitude when amotion broke out below. "Hurry up, the three master teachers are here!" "Emperor Shen Zhui is here as well. Lets hurry over to wee them...." Gossip was flying all around the room. "The three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui are here?" Hearing themotion below, Tian Long stopped talking. Then he turned to look at Lu Xun and Wang Chao. "Brother Lu and Brother Wang, lets go down to wee them as well!" "Alright!" Since the three master teachers had arrived, the crowd in the room could no longer remain seated and quickly hurried downstairs. "Senior Huang Yu, lets go wee Teacher together!" Lu Xun chuckled. "Whos your senior?" Huang Yu harrumphed. Then she turned to look at Zhang Xuan. "Lets go!" Knowing that Huang Yu, as a student, had to wee her teacher, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Besides, he was here to meet the three master teachers. Since they had arrived, it would be good for him to take a look as well. Hula! The crowd on the second floor filed out, and in a few moments, the entire floor was empty. Walking toward the main hall, they saw a few figures in the hallway leading here. They were the three master teachersLiu Ling, Zhuang Xian, Zheng Feiand Emperor Shen Zhui. Even though these four people had behaved respectfully before Yang shi, they looked imposing here. "Paying respect to Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi! Paying respect to Your Majesty!" Even though there were many n heads and elders of prestigious ns here, all of their heads were lowered at this moment. "Just like you all, were here to offer our blessings to Elder Tian. Theres no need so act so constrained around us." Emperor Shen Zhui smiled. Even though he said this , the others didnt dare follow the letter of thew. Everyone simply smiled politely, too afraid to speak. "Lets go!" Upon seeing the three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui walking over, Tian Long smiled and brought Lu Xun and Wang Chao forward. As the apprentice of a master teacher, how could Huang Yug behind them? As a result, she walked over with Bai Xun and Zhang Xuan as well. "Teacher!" Walking forward, Huang Yu and Bai Xun immediately bowed respectfully. "Have you invited him yet?" Upon seeing the duo, Liu Lings, Zhuang Xians, and Zheng Feis eyes immediately lit up. The past two days, they had donned their disguises and camped at Hongtian Academy, waiting for Zhang Xuans appearance so that they could ept him as their apprentice. Yet the fellow never returned. It seemed he had disappeared, and even Emperor Shen Zhui was unable to find him. So they had no choice but to have Huang Yu and Bai Xun look for him as well. Initially, they didnt hold much hope for it either. However, upon seeing that there were no signs of depression on the faces of the two, their hearts skipped a beat. "Weve invited him over. This person beside me is..." Huang Yu wanted to introduce Zhang Xuan, but Lu Xun interrupted her. With excitement written all over his face, he sped his hands and said, "Lu Xun pays respect to Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi..." Initially, he thought that after introducing himself, the three master teachers would immediately disy their care and concern for him before going ahead to ept him as their apprentice. In the end, the three simply disregarded him, as though they didnt see him at all. They walked toward Tian Long and surrounded him. A bright smile was on their faces. "You must be Zhang Xuanoshi. Finally, we get to meet you in person. You dont know how difficult it has been for us to find you...." "Ehhh?" Tian Long was stunned. Chapter 200: Elder Tian Chapter 200: Elder Tian Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "I..." Tian Long froze. Looking at the three master teachers who were grinning brightly, to the point that they were almost fawning over him, Tian Long was confused. He wanted to say something, but not a word woulde out of his mouth. So... what was going on? Zhang Xuan was even more confused. After a few days of not meeting the trio... why did the three people suddenly turn foolish? Putting aside the fact that I am Zhang Xuan, whats with your excited looks? The one who had scammed your money was Yang shi, the matter has nothing to do with me.... Even if you have seen through my identity, you should look for him instead of me.... "Cough cough, Liu shi, he isnt Zhangoshi. He is Elder Tians grandson, Tian Long..." Huang Yu said quickly, who couldnt stand watching the situation any longer. "Ah? You arent him? If you arent him, why didnt you say so? Tsk, you made me happy for nothing!" ring at Tian Long, Zheng Fei snorted. If not for the asion, it seemed he would have pped the other partys face. Looking at his ferocious expression, Tian Long was on the verge of tears. Its not that I dont want to say so. But you three simply rushed here and took me to be Zhang Xuanoshi, not even giving me a chance to exin myself. I am frightened by your suddenly hospitality, alright? It wasnt surprising that the three master teachers would recognize the wrong person. In terms of build and looks, Tian Long was superior to Zhang Xuan. Huang Yu had only said that Zhang Xuan was beside her. Before she could even confirm whether it was to her right or to her left, Lu Xun had interrupted her. Naturally, they thought that the tall and handsome man was the person they were looking for. "If he isnt it, then... where is Zhangoshi?" Liu Ling looked around once more. "I am Zhang Xuan...." Knowing that it would only be more awkward if he dragged it out, Zhang Xuan stood forward and revealed his identity. "You are Zhangoshi? Indeed, you look as dashing and capable as I thought you to be." Liu Ling stepped forward with a bright smile on his face. "Indeed! With such a valiant disposition, you stand out even among everyone else here. I could recognize you immediately from the crowd," Zhuang shi praised. "As expected of the ideal teacher of Tianxuan Kingdom. Not bad, not bad," Zheng Fei quickly added as well. "..." Dark lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Im dashing, capable, valiant, and an ideal teacher? If so, how did you all recognize the wrong person? Why did you all think Tian Long was me? To think a master teacher could spout bullshit... with such a straight face. Wheres your dignity? What about status? "May I know why the three master teachers are looking for me?" Seeing the heated passion in their gazes, Zhang Xuan couldnt stand it anymore and hurriedly asked. "Oh, there are too many people here. Lets find another suitable location to speak!" Liu Ling said. With so many people looking, he couldnt possibly say that he had heard of Zhang Xuans affairs, specially went to the academy to investigate his capabilities, and thus wanted to ept him as his disciple! If he were to say so, not only would others think him insane, Zhang Xuan would also be frightened away by him. Where in the world could one find a master teacher recruiting an apprentice so actively? "Sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Judging from the other partys attitude, it was unlikely that they knew he was "Yang Xuan." Otherwise, they would have long ago made a move on him. Since that was the case, it just so happened that he wanted to ask them about the ck aura in his body as well, so he agreed. "Lets go!" Seeing that Zhangoshi seemed easy to speak to, the trio heaved sighs of relief. They stood around Zhang Xuan, as if afraid he would run away, and escorted him forward. Drinking in the view, everyone felt perplexed. On the other hand, Lu Xun felt his world crumbling apart. Initially, he thought he would earn the appreciation of the three master teachers just by revealing his identity and would be Liu shis apprentice. From there on, his name would spread far and wide. But... what was going on? Not only did they disregard him after hearing his name, they rushed forward to Zhang Xuan, whom Lu Xun had been looking down upon, and fawned over him.... Didnt Tian Long just say that he was already decided to be Liu shis apprentice? That Zhang Xuan was only a low-level teacher, not to mention he also possessed a poor reputation. So why would the three master teachers surround him? Gritting his teeth, Lu Xun stepped up. "Liu shi... I am Lu Xun, Hongtian Academys star teacher..." "Oh, I know. I met you at the royal pcest time." Liu Ling nodded his head and pushed him away. "Alright, will you excuse me? I have something to speak to Zhangoshi about, so move to the side. Dont block the path!" "..." Lu Xun staggered as he stared at Liu shi walking into the distance. At this moment, Lu Xuns body went stiff, and the thought of suicide even shed through his mind. No matter what, I am the number one, star teacher of Tianxuan Kingdom. To send me away after saying a few words.... Shouldnt you at least ask about my affairs? Yet, you simply pushed me away, telling me to not block the path... Toward Zhang Xuan, as though afraid he would disappear into the thin, the three of them surrounded him like he was some treasure. On the other hand, to Lu Xun... Lu Xun felt utterly stifled. Can anyone tell me what is going on? Suppressing the urge to spit blood, Lu Xun turned to look at Tian Long. Didnt you have inside news on the matter? Didnt you say that Liu shi had written a letter, saying that he wanted to ept me as his apprentice? Which teacher in the world wouldnt spare a second nce at his own apprentice? "I..." Seeing Lu Xuns ming gaze, Tian Long felt frenzied too. I really saw that letter! I have no idea what is going on either... While the duo was perplexed over the matter, Wang Chao felt as though his face had been pped multiple times. Thinking that Lu Xun would definitely be an apprentice of Liu shi today, he was the one who put Zhang Xuan down the most previously. Yet, in the end, he only humiliated himself through his words. He said that the other party was just a foil and a stepping stone. Yet why did it feel like Lu Xun was the foil and the stepping stone now? He thought that the other party was shameless and that he should just end his life.... Now he seemed like the one who should end his life! Perhaps... Wang Chao, along with Lu Xun and Tian Long, looked at Huang Yu and Bai Xun. If someone knew what was going on, it had to be the two of them. One of them was Liu shis apprentice while the other one is Zhuang shis student. And they were the ones who brought Zhang Xuan over. "We... dont know either!" Huang Yu quickly shook her head. The three master teachers had only told them to bring Zhang Xuan over. They didnt say what they were going to do, so even they too were confused by the current situation. Regardless of whether it was Liu shi or Zhuang shi, they held an austere image in the minds of the others. It always seemed like they were on a different level from the rest of them. Yet, at this moment, they seemed like they were fans chasing after an idol, following Zhang Xuan around. Even though they had seen it for themselves, they still found it hard to believe. "Should we... go over to take a look?" Unable toprehend what was going on, they couldnt hold back their curiosity and hurriedly followed behind them. Especially Lu Xun. If he doesnt receive an answer today, he might just die from his rage and indignation. Just a moment ago, he was acting so haughtily, as though it was embarrassing for him to bepared with Zhang Xuan. But now, the three master teachers were fawning over him... while he was thrown to a corner.... What was good about the fellow? For the three master teachers to neglect me like this? ............ "Your Majesty, Liu shi, Zhuang shi, Zheng shi, old master sent me out here to wee you all after learning of your arrival." Before they could walk too far, an elder walked forward to wee them. The butler of Tian Residence, Tian Gang. "Mhm!" Liu shi nodded his head. Even though he wanted to ept Zhang Xuan as his apprentice right now, they were currently at Elder Tians birthday banquet and it was unbefitting for a guest to steal the spotlight from the host. "This way please. Old master is waiting for you all at the main hall." Tian Gang led the crowd forward. "Zhangoshi, lets go. Elder Tian was once my Way of Tea teacher and he is a kind person," Liu Ling exined with a smile. Facing the kind gesture from the three master teachers, Zhang Xuan could only nod his head in agreement. After taking a few steps forward, he suddenly saw Emperor Shen Zhui walking toward him with a smile on his face. "Zhang Xuanoshi, I have long heard of your name. Now that Ive met you, you are indeed as incredible as they make you out to be. You will definitely reach great heights in the future and your name will spread far and wide. If you have any requests for me, feel free to speak of them. Tianxuan Kingdom may not be a powerful country, but we dontck resources. As long as its within our means, I will try my best to obtain it for you!" Hearing the other partys words, the bizarre look on Zhang Xuans face deepened. Naturally, he could tell that Emperor Shen Zhui was trying to express his goodwill. Just that... as an ordinary teacher in the academy, why would an emperor express his goodwill toward him? Besides, you should have heard of it... my reputation as a terrible teacher.... The personality of these fellows seemed to have changed all of the sudden, treating him so well. In the past few days, Zhang Xuan had been disguising himself as Yang shi, and he hadnt appeared as Zhangoshi at all! Zhang Xuan was unable toprehend the reason for their change in attitude. However, this was good as well. He was still thinking that it would be hard to approach the three master teachers as Zhang Xuan, especially given their standing. But from the looks of it, it seemed like he was thinking too much into the matter.... He was truly curious to know how the name of Zhang Xuan suddenly became so prestigious in the few days he had disappeared. Such that even the Emperor and master teachers would rush forward to fawn over him. Zhang Xuan simply nodded his head and said nothing else. Seeing the calm on the young mans face, Emperor Shen Zhui was impressed. As expected of someone the three master teachers had set their eyes upon, just his state of mind was exceptional. If it were any other youngster, if the Emperor were to praise them and promise them such, they would definitely be gleeful andcent, thinking that they were exceptional beings blessed by the heavens. Yet the other party only impassively nodded his head,pletely unmoved by his words at all. Just his calm itself was worthy of respect. However, Emperor Shen Zhui was oblivious to the fact that it wasnt calm but... deep in contemtion. Besides, Zhang Xuan was already used to their presence aftering into contact with them as Yang shi the past few days. As such, he no longer felt any presence from them, and as a result, he didnt feel nervous at all. Following behind the butler, they soon arrived at a vast hall. The moment they walked in, the aroma of tea immediately assaulted their senses, and they immediately felt revitalized. "Come, sit!" An elder was seated in the direct center of the hall. In front of him was an exquisite tea set. Hot water, in the form of steam, was rising slowly from it. This was where the aroma of tea came from. "Shen Zhui (Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, Zheng Fei) pays respect to Elder Tian!" The four of them stepped forward. Zhang Xuan followed behind them and nced at the elder. Even though it was his nieth birthday, he looked like he was in his seventies. With a snow-white beard, from afar, his appearance was reminiscent of an enlightened saint. "Yes, yes." The elder casually waved his hands, not lifting his head at all. Lifting up a teacup, he casually poured tea into it. Instantly, the light, refreshing fragrance of the tea leaves immediately surged out from within. It seemed that the tea set had a soul of their own. With just the slightest movement from Elder Tian, hot water poured into the teacup. His movements were smooth and looked exceptionally beautiful. Even before tasting the tea, everyone was already full ofpliments. All eyes were fixated onto every single movement of Elder Tian. Just the sight of the preparation of the tea felt pleasurable. "This is the Way of Tea? Incredible!" Zhang Xuan was just thinking that the Way of Tea could not bepared to pill forging and that sort. However, after looking at the movements of the elder, he immediately realized that there wasnt a single job in the Nine Paths that was ordinary. "Please!" The elder beckoned. Several maids stepped forward and presented the teacups to Emperor Shen Zhui and the three master teachers. There were a total of six cups. After presenting four cups to the others, there were still two left. After handing out the teacups, the elder wiped his hands dry. Only then did he lift his head to look at the crowd and see Zhang Xuan. He was taken aback by thetters presence. "You are..." Chapter 201: The Test Chapter 201: The Test Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Reporting to Tianoshi, this is Zhang Xuan, a young, outstanding teacher of Hongtian Academy," Liu Ling introduced. Even though Elder Tian no longer taught him, Liu Ling still called him teacher out of habit. He who teaches me for a day, I regard as a father for life. In this world, the rtionship between a teacher and a student was upromisable. Even master teachers did not dare vite this sacred principle. "Zhang Xuan?" Elder Tian shook his head impassively. He asked doubtfully, "Isnt the outstanding teacher from Hongtian Academy Lu Xun?" "Luoshi is outstanding, but Zhangoshi does not, in any way, pale inparison. In fact, there are certain aspects in which he surpasses Luoshi." Recalling the situations that he saw in Hongtian Academy over the past two days, Liu Ling couldnt help butpliment Zhang Xuan. He had merely taught his students for slightly more than ten days, in addition to being out of school so often, and yet... every single one of his students experienced massive growth and their prowess escted explosively. Putting aside normal teachers, even the three of them finds it hard to achieve such a feat. "Surpasses Luoshi?" A gleam shed across Elder Tians eyes. "To beplimented by you like that, he must be indeed capable and qualified to take a seat here. However, it isnt that easy to get to drink my tea. At the very least, he has to first pass my test." "Test?" Zhang Xuan nced at Elder Tian. I am only here to apany Liu shi and the others, I have no intention of drinking your tea. Besides, do you believe your tea to be some immortal elixir or what? To think that I will need to be tested to drink it? Zhang Xuan was about to reject the idea when Liu Ling turned to look at him excitedly with gleaming eyes. "This is great! Zhang Xuanoshi, this is an excellent opportunity, you must make full use of it..." "Opportunity?" Its merely drinking tea, what opportunity is there to speak of? "It is the dream of countless cultivators to drink the tea made by Tianoshi." Seeing that Zhang Xuan didntprehend what was going on, Liu Ling exined with a smile, "You might not know, but Tianoshi is extremely particr with his tea leaves and brewing method." "The tea on the table right now is known as Spirit Calming Tea. There arent more than three of its tea trees in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. They grow at the top of the snow mountain, White Pearl Peak, and are nourished by the sun more than sixteen hours a day. As such, when used to boil tea, the aroma lingers without dissipating." "It is one thing for there to be limited tea trees, but there is a requirement for the picking of tea leaves as well. It mustnt be too young or too old; only leaves picked at exactly the sixth hour after the flowers of the tea trees bloom will carry the slight fragrance of flora. Apanied with the cold weather at White Pearl Peak, drinking the tea made from these tea leaves is iparably pleasurable." "A tea tree doesnt already bear many leaves. In addition to the strict requirements for its picking, you can imagine the minute amount of tea leaves that are harvested. In fact, I can tell you that the annual production of such tea leaves in Tianxuan Kingdom totals up to only around three taels or so." Zhang Xuan was astonished. No wonder the other party regards the matter so highly, even conducting a test to see if the person is qualified to drink the tea. Judging by how valuable the tea leaves are, it is worth the effort to take the test. "Of course, if it were just the limited harvest, one can only say that the tea leaves are precious. It wouldnt matter to a cultivator whether he drank it or not because it wouldnt be considered as an opportunity." A cultivator values his cultivation the most. Regardless of how fragrant a tea is, it doesnt matter to them whether they drink it or not. There is no need for them to spend such a huge price just to satisfy their cravings. "The reason why the tea leaves are so important is that of the use of the tea! Spirit Calming Tea has the effect of calming down ones mind. If normal people were to consume it, it would allow them to sleep better, ease their fatigue, and boost their spirit. On the other hand, if cultivators were to drink it, it will allow them to reach the level of Heart of Tranquil Water for a short moment. Even though it is just a momentary state, and one will automatically descend from it after a moment, it allows one to experience the sensation of being in that condition. This will prove to be an important assistance to actually reach that state in the future." Liu shi continued, "Of course, just the tea leaves itself arent enough. It has to be apanied with Tianoshis consummate brewing skills to bring out such effects!" "Allow one to reach Heart of Tranquil Water for a short moment?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in shock. Only when one reaches the Heart of Tranquil Water can he absolutely concentrate in whatever he does, totally unaffected by the surroundings or emotions. Take for example the two apothecaries, Meng Yan and Chen Xiao, whom Zhang Xuan met during the Pill Debate. While forging the Tranquil Heart Pill, they infused their own emotions and physical state into the pill by ident, causing the pill to change and lose its original function. The reason why such idents ur is that the person has yet to achieve a breakthrough in his Will of Mind. When one reaches Will of Mind 2-dan Heart of Tranquil State, even if one is gued with negative emotions, he can still maintain a tranquil state of mind and forge a perfect Tranquil Heart Pill. The guild leader of the cksmith Guild, Luo Chong, has achieved such a level. It was due to him overeating the Dragon-scaled Prawns that he was unable to calm his mind, eventually failing to sessfully forge any equipment. "Many cultivators do not realize the importance of Will of Mind and think that it is absolutely useless. However, thats not the case. In order to achieve a breakthrough to Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm, one has to reach Will of Mind 2-dan. Otherwise, without a pure mind, no matter how hard one tries, it is almost impossible for one to grasp the disposition and meaning behind Zongshi. Furthermore, this isnt only true for fighters, many upations also have such requirements. For example, one needs to reach Heart of Tranquil Water before they are qualified to take the master teacher examination and formation master examination." Afraid that Zhang Xuan had not understood, Liu Ling exined further. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Will of Mind isnt really a secret. There were records on it in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, and as such, with a single thought, he can easily look through it. It was precisely because he knew it that he understood how difficult it is to raise ones Will of Mind. If merely drinking a cup of tea can allow one to enter the state of Heart of Tranquil Water, its effects are truly incredible, even though it is just temporary. Even the Tranquil Heart Pill doesnt have such effects. It is no wonder that the Way of Tea is so popr within the kingdom, even exceeding painting at that. The reason for it lies here. That is to say, if back then, Meng Yan and Chen Xiao were to drink a cup before their pill forging, they would be able to create a perfect Tranquil Heart Pill. "Even though Ie here often, its not often that I get to drink a tea which such effects. This time, I have truly benefited from the halo of the three master teachers. Since Elder Tian agreed to give you an opportunity, you should grasp it." Emperor Shen Zhui smiled. "May I know what test it is?" Zhang Xuan was somewhat moved. Turning to look at Elder Tian, he couldnt help but ask. Even though he had reached Heart of Tranquil Water, he was only at the most basic level. If he were to drink the tea, he might be able to enter deeper into the realm, feeling the intermediate level, or even higher than that. Elder Tian didnt reply. Instead, he gestured, "Let them enter as well!" Butler Tian nodded his head before stepping out. Shortly, a few other people entered. They were Tian Long, Lu Xun, Wang Chao, Huang Yu, and Bai Xun. "Lu Xun pays respect to Elder Tian!" Upon walking into the room, Lu Xun stepped forward, sped his fists, and bowed to Elder Tian. "Un, take a seat! Ive heard that you and Zhangoshi are both outstanding teachers of Hongtian Academy. However, it is a pity that I only have one cup here, so Ill have to test you two. How about this, I will propose a question, and both of you will answer it. The person who wins qualifies to drink my tea. Liu Ling, what do you think?" After having Lu Xun and the others sit down, Elder Tian turned to look at Liu shi. Even though he spoke of drinking tea, as long as one wasnt a fool, one could tell what was going on. "So this old fogey isnt really interested in testing me. What he wants to do is to create an opportunity for Lu Xun to disy his skills..." How can Zhang Xuan still not understand what is going on? Even though he didnt know for sure why Liu shi and the others were treating him so politely all of the sudden, he could roughly guess the reason. They were probably intending to ept him in as their apprentice. Otherwise, why would three great master teachers approach a low-level teacher like him? This matter had happened in the Tian Residence, and as the host, it was impossible for Elder Tian to be unaware. Thus, even though he spoke of drinking tea, he actually didnt mean it. Rather, he was trying to make things difficult for Zhang Xuan and provide a tform for Lu Xun to perform so that thetter can once again earn the favor of Liu shi. Zhang Xuan had no intentions to be Liu shi apprentice. Even so, the other partys move had displeased him. He felt that he was toyed with. However, he wasnt in a ce to reject the challenge. Ever since the matter regarding the Teacher Evaluation spread out, people had beenparing him to Lu Xun. Even though it looks as though they are only vying over a cup of tea, they are actuallypeting to be Liu shis apprentice. If Zhang Xuan were to reject the challenge, he would only bebeled as being frightened of facing Lu Xun. If so, Lu Xun will definitely be more arrogant. Since Zhang Xuan was able to tell Elder Tians intention, Liu Ling could tell as well. Frowning, hisplexion darkened. Clearly, he didnt expect Elder Tian to make such a move. Even so, since given that he was a student of Elder Tian and it was his birthday banquet, it wasnt appropriate for him to reject his request. Thus, he could only nod his head in approval. "Alright!" While Liu shi and Zhang Xuan were unhappy, Elder Tian actually felt dismal. Previously, after Liu shi spoke of Lu Xun in his letter and clearly stated his intentions to ept thetter as his apprentice, Elder Tian went through the trouble to invite Lu Xun and had specially prepared to make another cup of tea to receive him. The examination was intended to make the introductions even smoother. However... Lu Xun didnte, and in his ce came Zhang Xuan. Looking at Liu shis attitude, he realized that he is now interested in taking in Zhangoshi, which means it is likely that he had given up on Lu Xun. This made all the preparations he had made in advance futile, and thus, he was displeased. As such, he came up with this test all of a sudden. Otherwise, having already told Lu Xun in advance, only for thetter to be unable to be an apprentice, it would be embarrassing on his part. "Lu Xun is willing to follow Elder Tians arrangement!" Understanding the intentions of the other party, Lu Xun was delighted. He hurriedly sped his hands and bowed. "Since were going to conduct a test, we should have a topic. I wonder what we should examine?" Knowing that he wasnt in a position to reject the challenge, Zhang Xuan no longer bothered about the matter and focused on the test instead. "Since were all here to drink tea, we should discuss the Way of Tea!" Tian Long, who was standing by the side, said. "Way of Tea?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Zhangoshi had nevere into contact with the Way of Tea, so it is a little too biased to test them on that!" Huang Yu couldnt hold herself back but utter. She had interacted with Zhangoshi often, so she knew that while the other party is a master painter, he knows nothing about the Way of Tea. In fact, when speaking to him earlier today, the other party was clearlypletely ignorant of the subject. Testing someone on the Way of Tea when he knows nothing about it? Isnt this intentionally making things difficult for him? Besides, based on what she knew, Lu Xun had specially learned the Way of Tea. Even though he cantpare to Tian Long, he had nevertheless listened to Elder Tians lectures. At the very least, he is able to brew a tea of the first level... Even a blind person can tell that this test is obviously unfair. "To be a master teachers apprentice, one should be knowledgeable in all upations... The Way of Tea is one of the upations of the Nine Paths, not to mention that it is extremely popr in the kingdom, so how can he be ignorant of it? If Zhangoshi really knows nothing about it, then Im sorry, but Ill be drinking the cup of tea..." Lu Xun chuckled softly, and confidence emanated from his gaze. You wish topete against me? See how I crush you to death! "Indeed. If one doesnt even know of the Way of Tea, how can one be the apprentice of a master teacher? You might as well just admit defeat instead of embarrassing yourself here!" Wang Chao said. Having shamed himself earlier, Wang Chao made use of this opportunity to get back at Zhang Xuan. "Alright, even though this is my first time hearing of Way of Tea, I can learn about it right now. How will the test be conducted? We can start right now!" Upon seeing the other partys boastful attitude, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Since someone wishes to step on my face, I will return it with a vicious, tight p. Although this is the first time he heard of Way of Tea, there were plenty of books on the Way of Tea in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault. It filled the entire seventh and eighth shelf, and they added up to more than ten thousand books. Back then, he had merely collected them into the Library of Heavens Path, and he hadnt read through them yet. But at this moment... It seems like its time. Chapter 202: Nine Years Spring Chapter 202: Nine Years Spring Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Learn now?" Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, Lu Xun, Tian Long, and the others burst intoughter. You must be joking! Learning now? Do you think that the Way of Tea is some ordinary workmanship of those streetside craftsmen? That you can master it just because you said so? This is an upation! Even if you immersed yourself in it every single day, without countless years of effort, it would be impossible for you to bear results. You wish to pass the test just by learning right now.... Will it kill you to be more humble? However, this was good as well. This way, you wont be able to lift your head when you loseter on. Lu Xun snorted. While the others wereughing over Zhang Xuans words, Huang Yu was on the verge of tears. She immediately sent him a telepathic message to persuade him otherwise: "You mustnt agree! Lu Xun has specially learnt the Way of Tea and he is skilled in it..." You dont even know what the Way of Tea is, yet you wish topete against an initiate of the Way of Tea. Are you sure you arent joking? I have seen reckless people before, but I have never seen such a reckless person. "Its no problem!" Knowing that she was truly concerned about him, Zhang Xuan reassured her with a smile. Seeing that Zhang Xuans will was resolute, Huang Yu panicked, but there was nothing she could do. "Hmph!" Seeing how frivolous Zhangoshi was acting, Elder Tians face darkened. He had immersed his entire life into the Way of Tea to master its way, yet this fellow, despite knowing nothing at all, said that he would learn it right now.... Learn what? How will you learn? Do you think its ying house? Do you think you will learn the art just by looking at it? You must be joking! Even the three master teachers were staring at one another, and deep wrinkles formed on their foreheads. They had heard of Zhangoshis affair, but this was the first time they were meeting him in person. They didnt expect him to be such a reckless and frivolous person. If he truly had such a character, then despite his capability in imparting knowledge, they had to reconsider whether they should ept him as their apprentice. "Lets begin then!" Suppressing the displeasure he felt, Elder Tian gestured. "The test is simple. Longer, youll brew a pot of tea after which Luoshi and Zhangoshi will speak of the brewing technique used and its tea aroma!" The Way of Tea was simr to pill forging in some ways. It had gone through countless years of inheritance and there were countless schools and techniques. The same tea leaves, if brewed using a different technique, would have differing fragrances, textures, and colors. That was why there were no right or wrong methods in brewing tea. Rather, one could only say whether one was better than the other. A good brewing technique could unleash the full fragrance contained within the tea leaves, nourishing the spirit of those drinking it. "Understood!" The edges of Tian Longs lips curled up. He nced at Zhang Xuan before taking the tea tray and tea set from Butler Tian Gangs hands. First, he used warm water to heat up the tea set. Then, grabbing a few tea leaves, he ced them into the teapot and flushed it with boiling water. When the tea leaves were steeped, the fragrance of the tea immediately gushed into the air, causing a deep aroma to linger in the hall. "Incredible!" "To think that Tian Long would achieve such deep understanding of the Way of Tea despite his young age. Im impressed." "From the looks of it, Tianoshi has imparted all of his knowledge down to him. Soon, another incredible tea master will appear in the Tianxuan Kingdom!" Upon seeing Tian Longs movements, the three master teachers nodded their head in approval. They had learnt the Way of Tea from Elder Tian, and even though they hadnt reached the level of an official tea master, they had immersed themselves in the art for many years, so they possessed a decent amount of knowledge in it. Thus, they were able to see that Tian Longs skills were extraordinary. "There are four levels to the Way of Tea, namely Redolent Hue, Essence Restoration, Infused Intentions, and Diffusing Fragrance! Even though nothing much can be said about his character, it is a fact that he possessed outstanding skills in the Way of Tea. Judging from his brewing technique, he should have already reached the second level, Essence Restoration!" Afraid that Zhang Xuan couldnt tell what was happening, Huang Yu wasmunicating with him via telepathy. "The first level, Redolent Hue. It refers to the level where the tea one produces has reached a certain level of mastery in terms of aroma and color, making it pleasing to the eye and the nose. Dont underestimate this level just because it is the lowest one. In order to reach it, you need to have a clear understanding of the amount of water and tea leaves you must use, as well as the state of the tea set. Without years of hard work, it is difficult to reach this level. "The second level, which is the realm which Tian Long is currently at, is called Essence Restoration. At this level, you are no longer just showing off your skill. Rather, at this level, you infuse the art of tea brewing into your bones, granting them the ability to pull the most basic fragrance of the tea leaves out, allowing others to taste the most authentic tea. "As for the third level, Infused Intentions, it is simr to that of the level of the same name in painting. The tea maker now understands the very essence of the Way of Tea, reaching the level where they are able to infuse their own artistic conception into the tea they brew. Those drinking it can experience the emotions of the tea maker through the tea he produces. At this level, one can take the tea master examinations and be an official tea master. "Last but not least, the fourth level, Diffusing Fragrance. At this level, one can allow the fragrance of the tea to travel vast distances, such that people within several thousand li can smell it. At the same time, they can also confine the fragrance of the tea to the cup, making it linger within the cup. Those drinking such a tea would feel as though they were drinking a heavenly elixir. Elder Tian has reached such a level, and you can see the steam lingering over top the cup of tea he has poured. Upon reaching this level, not only will one be able to experience the full fragrance of the tea, the tea will also be warm no matter when one drinks it. It wont turn cold with the passing of time, which would affect its taste." Huang Yu seemed quite knowledgeable of the Way of Tea, and she exined the various levels that a cup of tea could reach to Zhang Xuan. Knowing that she was trying to help him, Zhang Xuan nodded his head, grateful. After hearing her words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be impressed by how profound the art of tea brewing was. Just these four levels would require one to immerse themselves in the Way of Tea for their entire lifetime. Hu! While they were speaking, Tian Long finished brewing his tea. He slowly poured it out, the tea gushing out like a fountain. The delightful sound of the teapping against the sides of the teacup echoed in the air, as if created by an instrument. "Ive embarrassed myself!" After pouring the tea into the teacup, the true fragrance of the tea immediately emanated all over the room. The aroma seemed to have some energizing quality to it, making everyone in the room feel refreshed. Tian Long smiled slightly in glee. Since he could reach the second level of the Way of Tea at his age, he could he considered as a genius among geniuses. He quickly shot his gaze to Huang Yu, thinking that she would feel deep respect for him and leap into his embrace. Yet it turned out that she wasnt looking at him at all. Rather, she was chatting with Zhang Xuan. Tian Longs face immediately darkened, and he looked as though he would explode at any moment. It had taken him great effort to learn this tea brewing technique, and he wanted to unt it before the beautifuldy.... Yet it ended like this. "Zhang Xuan..." Tian Long diverted all of his anger onto Zhang Xuan. Seeing his furious gaze, Zhang Xuan blinked.... I dont think that Ive offended him. Whats wrong with that fellows head? ... "Now that the tea has been brewed, who will go first?" Elder Tian looked around. "Allow me!" Lu Xun stood up confidently. With an imposing disposition, he started to exin, "Brother Tians technique is called Root of the Fallen Leaves, and ites from Master Changfeng from a century ago. He saw the growth of tea leaves over the course of three years when inspiration hit him, and he created this brewing technique." "In the Root of the Fallen Leaves, every single tea leaf is ced into the teapot based on their maturity. This way, the tea leaves would be steeped in the same sequence as well. Tea leaves are simr to humans in that they have veins, and are interconnected with one another. Steeping in this manner would be like soaking the tree from its roots to its tip. This kind of progressive brewing technique brings out the very essence of the tea leaves, allowing the tea to reach the second level, Essence Restoration." At this point, he flicked his sleeves and chuckled lightly, "Brother Tian, I wonder if what I have said is right or not?" "Brother Lu is indeed talented. Your words do not have the slightest bit of error," Tian Long replied. "Alright, since Im done talking about the brewing method, Ill talk about the aroma of the tea then!" Standing in the same ce, Lu Xun took in the aroma of the tea and smiled. "The fragrance lingers around my nose, making me feel like I am in a tea garden. If Im not wrong, it should have reached the fourth level." In order to better differentiate between the level of the tea and its taste, some of the more incredible tea masters had allocated nine different levels for the aroma of the tea as well. First level of tea aroma, Sweet Aroma. Second level of tea aroma, Revitalizing Spirit. ...... Fourth level of tea aroma, Alluring Reminiscence. ...... Ninth level of tea aroma, Congregation of the Hundred Birds. Even though Tian Long had brewed a tea of the second level, his tea aroma had already reached the fourth level, Alluring Reminiscence. That is to say, upon taking a sip from this cup of tea, the aroma would permeate into ones dreams, making it hard to forget. "Yes!" After hearing Lu Xuns reply, Elder Tian nodded his head satisfied. As expected of Lu Xunoshi, his understanding of the Way of Tea waspletely urate. "Im finished. Zhang Xuanoshi, its your turn...." Smiling faintly, Lu Xun turned to look at him. "Me? Youve already said everything, what else can I say?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. Wasnt this fellow too shameless? The question only asked them about the brewing technique and the tea aroma level, and he had already said everything. What else could Zhang Xuan speak of? If Zhang Xuan were to say the same things, Lu Xun could simply say that Zhang Xuan had copied his answer. "Brother Lu only spoke of the name of the brewing method. The Way of Tea is profound and deep, and there are still plenty of things to talk about. Zhangoshi, could it be that you dont know the technique I use, and you dont know what to say?" With a cunning smile on his face, Tian Long said, "If thats the case, I think it would be best for you to just admit defeat to not make the atmosphere awkward!" "Admit defeat? That isnt my way of doing things!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. At this point, Zhang Xuans lips curled up as he looked at Tian Long yfully. "Are you sure you want me to speak?" "Stop putting on an act here!" Tian Long flung his sleeves out. "Alright then!" Zhang Xuan stood up. "What Luoshi said is true, Tian Long did use Root of the Fallen Leaves. This brewing technique should have been a highly profound technique that is capable of brewing tea of the third level, but... in his hands, its form has beenpletely misinterpreted and turned worthless. Its a failure!" "You..." Tian Long nearly leapt in anger. "You need not be in a hurry to deny my words!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. He walked over to Tian Long, casually lifted up the teacups to look at them, and slid his fingers across them. "I need not say much about the tea set. In Elder Tians residence, even if the equipment used isnt the best, it isnt too far from it. Lets begin from the moment you started brewing the tea. In the Root of the Fallen Leaves, the progressive sequence of the action is of utmost importance. When hot water is poured into the teapot, the hot water would flow through the veins of the tea leaves, like the tea leaves are drinking the water. There is no problem with the sequence you ced the tea leaves into the pot, but you neglected the unique property of the tea leaves." "The tea leaf you used is called Nine Years Spring. From the emergence of the tea leaves to its harvesting and drying, the optimal time for its consumption is nine years. At that moment, its fragrance would be the strongest. On this point, Im not wrong, am I?" Zhang Xuan looked at Tian Long. "You-youre right!" Tian Long nodded his head. Nine Years Spring were extremely rare tea leaves. Putting aside the fact that its harvest was limited, it was rarely traded in the markets. Even for their Tian Residence, it took them a long time before they managed to gather several taels of it. How did this fellow who didnt know the Way of Tea know of it? Chapter 203: Found the Wrong Person Chapter 203: Found the Wrong Person Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Usually, one year is sufficient for tea leaves to mature for consumption. Yet this tea leaf needs an entire nine years, showing its uniqueness. As a result, one needs to steep it for a longer period of time so that its fragrance can be further drawn out. Yet after pouring hot water in, you took out the tea leaves within three breaths. As such, it caused the fragrance that had umted in the tea leaves over a course of nine years to not be fully released. This is your first failure! "Nine Years Spring grow in humidnds. As such, the tea leaves contain moisture within. Before steeping it, one needs to wash it with slightly salted water first in order to revitalize the veins of the leaves, allowing the tea leaves to better release their fragrance. Yet, not only did you not wash it beforehand, you even used a dry preparation method*. Not only did this affect the texture of the tea, it even caused the level of the tea to drop an entire level. This is your second failure! "Before starting on the preparation of the tea, its right for you to warm the tea set. However, due to your excessive desire to unt your skills, you ced tea leaves into the teapot before you were done warming up the entire pot. Furthermore, the tea leaves were still at room temperature when you ced them in, resulting in a loss of heat. This is your third failure!" ... "Finally, when using the Root of the Fallen Leaves to prepare the tea, in the very final step of pouring the tea into the teacups, your should do it within three breaths to ensure that their aroma and taste is the same. Yet you dragged it on for seven breaths. As a result, the aroma and texture of the first cup and the fifth cup differs by almost an entire level. You can check it right now if you like. Although the first cup has reached the fourth level, thest cup is only at most at the third level. For there to be two different tastes for the same pot of tea, this is your seventeenth failure!" All at once, Zhang Xuan pointed out seventeen of the other partys errors without any pause. Then he looked at Tian Long with sympathy. "For such an amazing technique, the Root of the Fallen Leaves, and such good tea leaves, the Nine Years Spring, to be brewed by you in such a mannerwhat else could it be if not worthless?" "You, you..." Tian Longs face paled, as though he had met a ghost. He wanted to refute the other partys words, but he was unable to say a word. He had just learnt this brewing technique and it was natural that he would make many mistakes with it. Rationally, it wasnt a big deal. But how was the other party able to see through all of it? Wasnt he inept in the Way of Tea? His grandfather had said the same things as well. In fact, the other party pointed out even more ws than his grandfather! His grandfather could only point out four or five of them, yet the other party spoke of seventeen of them in a breath. Could it be that the other partys knowledge of tea brewing exceeded that of his grandfathers? How was that possible? Not just him, at that instant, the hall fell so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard. Everyone was staring at Zhang Xuan as though they were looking at a monster. This was especially true for Lu Xun. His eyes were about to pop out onto the ground. He was proud of the fact that he was able to point out the brewing technique the other party used, as well as the level of the tea aroma. Yet... not only was the other party able to see through these as well, he was even able to point out the ws in his tea brewing technique precisely.... For a moment, he felt his face being brutally pped. It felt fiery hot, as though it would tear apart at any moment. What exactly was going on? To be able to say so much about tea, to the point that you even have such an in-depth understanding of the Nine Years Spring. Are you a tea vendor? "Elder Tian, may I know if my words are correct?" Ignoring the astonishment everyone was going through, Zhang Xuan chuckled and turn his eyes to Elder Tian. The tea brewing of a tea master was simr to a battle technique by a fighter, and the Library of Heavens Path hadpiled a book on Tian Long. If Tian Long hadnt provoked him, Zhang Xuan couldnt have bothered with him either and wouldnt have embarrassed him in public. Yet the other party kept trying to taunt him, even making use of Lu Xun to humiliate him. If that were to be the case, then Zhang Xuan felt a need to retaliate. Of course, he had also gone easy on the other party. He had only pointed out a portion of his ws. If he were to speak of all of them, that fellow would probably end up like Apothecary Bai Ming, his confidence would bepletely crushed and he would find himselfing to a standstill in the Way of Tea. "What you said..." Honestly, Elder Tian was unable to ascertain the authenticity of half of the words the other party had said. But for the other half, it was absolutely correct. Furthermore, for the half he wasnt sure of, based on his deductions from his knowledge in Way of Tea, they were likely to be true as well. With just a single nce, the other party was able to see through so many problems? Am I the tea master, or is he the tea master? Elder Tian looked like he had seen a demon. After hesitating for a long time, he continued, "... are all correct!" "All correct?" "Zhangoshis words are all correct?" Hearing his verdict, amotion broke out in the hall. This was especially so for Bai Xun and Huang Yu. They could see the frenzy in each others eyes. On the way here, Zhangoshi had been asking about the Way of Tea, and it was obvious that he was a total rookie on the subject. It was clear that he hadnt even heard of the term beforeing here.... They were still worried about what would happen after he lost to Lu Xun. Yet, to think that such a twist would ur instead. Brother, can you stop ying with our hearts? If you have such an in-depth understanding of the Way of Tea, why must you feign ignorance? "He must have done it on purpose...." When Huang Yu recalled how she sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan to exin the four levels of tea brewing to him out of goodwill previously, Huang Yu felt like spitting blood. Most probably, that fellow must have beenughing at her ignorance.... "It seems like... Master Zhang was also like that during the painting examination...." Just as Huang Yu was cursing the other party in her mind, she suddenly heard Bai Xuns perplexed voice. Upon hearing those words, Huang Yu suddenly recalled the matter as well. Back then... before painting, Master Zhang also seemed like aplete rookie, not knowing anything at all. But... after reading some books, he was able to create a painting of the fifth level easily.... This fellow. What was going on? How could there be such a peculiar person in the world? "Since its right, does it mean that Ive passed your test?" sping both his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan returned to his seat and looked at him calmly. "Hold it right there!" Before Elder Tian could even speak, Wang Chao abruptly stood up. "The question that Elder Tian came up with was for Zhang Xuan and Brother Lu to tell the brewing technique used and the level of the tea fragrance, and whoever who was able to figure out both of them would be the victor. Brother Lus answer of Root of the Fallen Leaves and fourth level of tea aroma isnt wrong! On the other hand, Zhangoshi said so much, but he left out the main point. Thus, it could be said that he had gone off topic, so I think that Brother Lu should be the victor." "Indeed, even though Brother Lu didnt speak of thetter part, it doesnt mean that he doesnt know of it at all. He simply thought that it was off topic and didnt find the need to bring it up." Upon hearing Wang Chaos words, Tian Longs eyes lit up. If that fellow were to truly win thispetition and be an apprentice of Liu shi, wouldnt he be together with Huang Yu daily? If so, Tian Long wouldnt stand a chance anymore. So he couldnt allow the other party to seed! Furthermore, he had just been insulted by the other party. With such an ideal opportunity to put him down, how could he let it slip past his fingers? "..." Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan was stunned. He thought that he himself was a shameless person; to think that these two were able to top him at his field. Gone off topic? If spoken of, it was true that he had gone off topic, just that... "Luoshi had already revealed the answer. If Zhangoshi didnt say something else, wouldnt he just be repeating his answer?" Huang Yu couldnt be a bystander to the situation any longer and stood up furiously. What kind of joke was this? Youve already answered all that could be answered, what do you expect the other party to say under such a situation? If he answered just like you did, you would just say that he had copied you. On the other hand, if he said something else, you would simply say that he had gone off topic.... No matter what, you all are star teachers. Cant you all at least spare a thought for your dignity? "Enough, stop arguing." Seeing sparks flying from both sides, Elder Tian waved his hands. "Its my negligence foring up with such a question, so lets just drop this." "Drop this?" Zhang Xuan stared at Elder Tian. It was clear that he was helping Lu Xun. But this came as no surprise to him either. It was the first time Elder Tian had met Zhang Xuan. Naturally, the other party would help Lu Xun, who he was more familiar with. "Tianoshi..." Upon hearing these words, Liu Ling frowned. Arent you showing your favoritism too publicly! "Enough, theres no need for you to say anymore. This matter is my fault, so Ille up with another question for the two of them. Theres no need for us to fuss over this matter," Elder Tian interrupted impassively. "OK!" Since his teacher had already put it this way, out of respect for the other party, Liu Ling didnt refute his words. He could only look at Zhang Xuan apologetically. "I apologize for my inappropriate choice of question on the Way of Tea previously. However, I can tell that the two of you are extremely knowledgeable in the Way of Tea. If we were to continue pitting you two in this field, it might breed discord among you two instead. How about this: other than the Way of Tea, I am also slightly knowledgeable in the field of painting as well. Furthermore, I have just received an amazing painting recently. As teachers, you two should have some knowledge on painting as well. Thus, why dont I bring it out for you two to appreciate and appraise. Whoevers appraisal is more urate will be the victor...." After hesitating for a moment, Elder Tian stroked his beard and said. "Painting?" After hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan had to stifle in hisughter. If the other party had chosen to test him on something else, Zhang Xuan would still have to dredge up the books from his library to look through them. But as for painting... there wasnt such a need at all! Since he was able to draw a painting of the fifth level, he had already reached the level of a grandmaster in painting. Are you sure that... Lu Xun would be able to win against me? However, it wasnt surprising that the other party would make such a decision. After the previous incident, Elder Tian could see that Zhang Xuan was knowledgeable of the Way of Tea. Even if he were to give another question on it, Lu Xun would still lose. Naturally, Elder Tian knew of Lu Xuns background. Lu Xuns father was Master Lu Chen, a true master painter, and since childhood, Lu Xun often came into contact with paintings. As such, his knowledge of painting far surpassed that of his Way of Tea. As a result, he decided to go ahead with a painting test. This way, he would be using Lu Xuns strength against Zhang Xuan. However, it was a pity that he couldnt have imagined that... even Lu Xuns father, Master Lu Chen, would have to address Zhang Xuan respectfully as a "master." "Do you two have any disagreements?" After saying this, Elder Tian turned his gaze to the duo. "Lu Xun dares not oppose Elder Tians arrangements." Lu Xun sped his hands and answered obediently, but on the inside, he was nearly dying of joy. Even though Tian Long had said that Zhang Xuan was likely to be a master painter, Lu Xun had attributed the matter to just Zhang Xuan boasting. He didnt pay it any attention. Also, he was much more proficient in painting than the Way of Tea. Mo Chenzi, Yuanyu, Lu Chen, all of the works of the master painters and the books he had read when he was younger shed through his mind. Slowly, a confident smile crept onto his face. What a joke! He had just taken the Way of Tea to broaden his horizon, but painting was his specialty. As long as Zhang Xuan wasnt a master painter, it was impossible for him to defeat him. Lu Xun was confident. "What about Zhangoshi?" Upon seeing him agree to it, Elder Tian nodded his head and turned to Zhang Xuan. "I... agree as well!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Competing in painting appraisal?" The three master teachers, Huang Yu, and Bai Xun knew of Zhang Xuans background and they stared at one another. A momentter, they simultaneously turned their gazes to Lu Xun, and the sympathy in their eyes was clear to see. The Way of Teapetition between them previously didnt cause a huge blow to Lu Xun as it wasnt his field of specialty. As such, he didnt get discouraged even though he lost to Zhang Xuan. But as for painting... He would probably cry himself to death this time. Sigh, poor child. Honestly, Lu Xun, you found the wrong person topete with.... *There are two methods to preparing Chinese tea: "dry preparation" and "wet preparation". In wet preparation, you need a special tea set, and after washing the equipment, you just pour the water on the tea set (which usually have a drainage section). As such, it isbeled "wet preparation method". On the other hand, dry preparation is much cleaner. All of the unused water is dumped into the sink/waste container. Chapter 204: Lu Xuns Appraisal Skills Chapter 204: Lu Xuns Appraisal Skills Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Initially, Liu Ling wanted to tell Elder Tian about the matter, but upon recalling how the other party interrupted his words, he decided not to say anything for fear of incurring his irritation. "Since both of you are fine with it, Tian Gang, bring that painting over." After saying this, Elder Tian gestured. "Yes!" Soon, Tian Gang came over with arge but thin box in his embrace. "This is the painting Liu shi has gifted me. I believe it is fitting of the word perfect. No matter how many times I look at it, I cant help butpliment it. Today, youll have the blessing to view the work of an incredible master!" Elder Tian chuckled as he took out the painting from within the box. "I really hope that I can meet a master painter of this caliber before my death and witness his extraordinary skills." Stroking the painting in his hands, respect gleamed in Elder Tians eyes. There were many simrities between tea brewing and painting. Due to this, he also held a fervent passion for painting. Even though he had yet to reach the level of master, he was still quite knowledgeable in the field. "Alright, Ill stop talking. Ill let you guys see the painting now. Zhuang Xian, Zheng Fei, since you two are skilled in painting as well, you should give your opinions on it too." He carefully unrolled the painting. An ink painting immediately appeared before everyones eyes. A deer stood on a grass patch, eating the grass warily. Beautiful wild flowers bloomed throughout the surroundings, and for an instant, the spectators could really smell the scent of flowers. Even though it was just a t painting, the wild deer seemed like it would leap out of the painting at any moment. "This is... a painting of the fifth level?" Right after taking a look, Lu Xuns eyes narrowed and his breathing quickened. As someone from a distinguished painting family, he held a deep understanding of paintings. As such, he was able to see the ingenuity of the painting with a single nce. The level of the painting was clearly beyond that of Breathtaking Verisimilitude. Even when considering the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, it was possible that not a single painting of such caliber would be produced in the span of a century. Being able to appraise such a painting was a great honor for him. Even a master painter like his father had never seen a painting of this level. "Indeed, it is a painting of the fifth level. However, it is a pity that the painter didnt leave behind his name and the name of the painting. Otherwise, I wouldve surely paid him a visit personally!" Elder Tian shook his head in regret. "Alright, lets start the appraisal now. Whoevers appraisal is more urate and on point will be the victor. This time, the three master teachers and I will be the judges, so there is no need to doubt the fairness of the judgement. This time... Zhangoshi should go first." Since Lu Xun was the one who spoke firstst time, for the sake of fairness, Zhang Xuan should be the one to go first this time. After Elder Tian finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment. He couldnt stop himself from looking in the direction of Zhang Xuan, only to see him staring at the painting with a dumbfounded look. Seeing him in such a state, Elder Tian frowned. A painting of the fifth level was profound, and it was easy for amateurs who didnt understand painting to lose themselves in the painting, unable to discern the painting aside from reality. Clearly, Zhangoshi was suffering from such an effect. How could a fellow who was unable to discern the painting from reality understand painting? It seemed like he made the correct decision choosing to conduct a painting test. This Zhangoshi shouldnt be a match for Lu Xun at all. "Hmph! After boasting so much, it turns out that you are only on this level. Master painter? You must be joking!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan losing himself in the painting, Tian Long sneered. If Master Yuanyus words had raised his doubts, seeing the fellow in such a state now made all of them vanish. How could a true master painter be reduced to such a state upon seeing a painting of the fifth level? He must have been too astonished by the sight that he lost himself. "Zhangoshi!" Elder Tian called. "Yes!" Only then did Zhang Xuan recover from his trance. With a bizarre expression, he said, "Theres no need. Ill allow Luoshi to go first. I... will just listen to his appraisal first!" "Alright, I will go first then. However, I hope that you wont find any excuses when you loseter on!" Seeing how the other party didnt even have the courage to go first, Lu Xun became disdainful of Zhang Xuan. This fellow must have thought that the painting before him was too profound, and he didnt know how he should appraise it. Thats why he allowed Lu Xun to go first. Afterwards, he could just make up somements based on Lu Xuns words. You might have been able to use that move just then, but now that Im prepared, how can I allow you to do so again? Flicking his sleeves, Lu Xun walked to the middle of the hall. Absolute confidence exuded from his body. "As a painting of the fifth level, this painting is left behind by a painting grandmaster. As such, I dare not im to understand the painting fully, and if therere any mistakes in my appraisal, Ill be depending on everyone here to correct me!" Walking forward to the painting, Lu Xuns eyes gleamed with the disposition unique to a master. "To appraise a painting of such level, you must slowly zoom in from outward, and slowly dive in from the details to its essence. Thus, I will first talk about the overall painting." Back then, during thepetition on tea brewing, he had only spoken of the name of the brewing technique and the tea aroma level, allowing a lot of leeway for the other party to perform. This time, in preparation against that, he intended to speak of all he could on the painting. As long as I say everything that can be said, lets see what you will sayter on! Since you like to fake it so much, I will see how you can continue acting when theres nothing for you to say! "Even though the painter hasnt left his name behind for this painting, it contains a deep artistic conception within it. With just a single look you can feel you are in a vast grasnd, surrounded by flowers, and watching a wild deer calmly eating grass.... My guess is that the grandmaster who painted this painting must have been standing in a vast grasnd, taking in the spectacle and tranquility of the sight when inspiration struck him, resulting in the creation of this masterpiece." "If a name should be given to it, I think that it should be... Burnished Blue Skies!" Lu Xun said. "Burnished Blue Skies? Not bad. Thats an imposing name! I believe that it reflects the painters state of mind then, awed by the sight before him!" Tian Long praised. Did you see that? Thats a true master painter, being able to see through the essence of the painting at once, inducing lofty thoughts in others. "After that, I will go on to speak about its contents and the painting technique used. Clearly, this painting was painted using the Double Hook technique. First, the painter drew the outline of the objects before painting in the grand artistry, filling in the colors of the flowers, grasses, and the wild deer. Only through this painting method can one create such a grand painting with such powerful artistry!" Lu Xuns eyes were glowing. "Double Hook technique? Dont you think that it is Dual Traversing Dragons instead?" Zhang Xuan couldnt stop himself frommenting. "Dual Traversing Dragons? Do you even know what that means?" Before Lu Xun could speak, Tian Long had already burst intoughter. "Dual Traversing Dragons is a technique that streetside craftsmen use when theyre pressed for time. It is used for replicating a painting, and even so, only by replicating the same painting over and over again can one sessfully replicate a painting down to the minute details. Yet, you say that this fifth level painting is created through such at technique? Haha, are you sure you understand anything about painting?" Tian Long wasnt the only one who stared at Zhang Xuan in disdain, even Elder Tian couldnt help but shake his head. Painting a painting of the fifth level through Dual Traversing Dragons? That was like saying one could disy the strength of the powerful Dragon Subduing Palms through executing the basic Long Fists. Are you sure that you are a master painter and not aedian? "You sure have a vivid imagination!" Lu Xun sneered. The contempt in his eyes deepened and his lips curled up in disdain. Disregarding the fellow who didnt know anything about painting, he turned to look at the painting again before continuing, "I have just spoken of the overall picture, so Ill touch on the details now. On this aspect, the grandmaster has drawn them with painstaking detail, making them incredibly lifelike. Looking at these flowers, you can clearly see the veins in them; as for the deer, you can actually make out the fur on its body.... As such, even though the painter is a grandmaster, he likely took a minimum of two or three days to finish this painting. "Only through slowly sculpting the details can one bring out the minute details perfectly and elegantly, making it impossible for the audience to find any fault with it. I must say that this masters patience is outstanding!" Awe shed in Lu Xuns eyes. After pacing in front of the painting, he added, "Last but not least, even though this painting has profound artistry, and the painters name isnt left on it, based on my years of experience of appraising paintings, I can roughly guess his identity." "Oh? Youre able to guess his identity? Who is it?" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan couldnt resist asking. The strange look on his face deepened as well. Putting his hands behind his back, Lu Xun nced upward, and with haughtiness and incredible confidence, he said, "There arent more than seven masters in the surrounding kingdoms who are capable of painting such a grand and moving painting in the past century. Of the seven, only three of them have produced paintings of this sort in the past. "And the three of them are, to wit, Senior Jin Mantang from Beiwu Kingdom; Senior Wu Jiechao from Hanwu Kingdom; and Senior Yun Shaoqing from Shenwu Kingdom." "Senior Jin Mantang left behind his masterpiece at the Eighteen Zhang Waterfall, of which, the pine trees were painted with forceful strokes, giving the painting a prehistoric feeling. On this aspect, it felt extremely simr to how the wild deer and grasnd were drawn, so he should be the most likely suspect. However, Senior Mantang passed away eighty years ago, and if he had left behind this painting, it would likely have been discovered by someone already. Thus, it is highly unlikely for him to be the painter. "As for Senior Wu Jiechao, he specializes in painting animals. Its said that he once painted a white crane lying on the ground, and it attracted a flock of real cranes to wail for theirpanions death, eventually dying from grief. Most likely, only someone of his level is capable of painting this wild deer. "However, he only specializes in painting animals, not flora and fauna. Most probably, of the kingdoms nearby, the only one who can paint such an outstanding masterpiece is Senior Yun Shaoqing! More importantly, of the three grandmasters, hes the only one who is still alive." "So my guess is that this drawing is a work of his." At which, Lu Xun stood proudly as he looked at Elder Tian. "Good, your analysis is in-depth and logical!" Elder Tian apuded. Did you see that? What is professionalism? This is professionalism! Not only was his analysis logical and backed by evidence, he was even able to deduce the likely painter of the work. As expected of Master Lu Chens son, his knowledge and discernment were indeed outstanding. He would probably be the victor of this test. "Alright, Zhangoshi. Its your turn!" Afterplimenting Lu Xun, Elder Tian turned to look at Zhang Xuan. "Its my turn? Are you sure you want me to speak?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Of course. Why, do you want to say that Ive already said everything, and that theres nothing left to add?" The mockery in Lu Xuns eyes was clear. "No... Actually, I cant think of anything to say.... After contemting for a long time, I only have four words for it!" Zhang Xuan said. "Four words?" Elder Tian and Lu Xun looked at him, perplexed. "Yep!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head embarrassed. "If Im not wrong... I painted this painting!" Chapter 205: Is It My Victory? Chapter 205: Is It My Victory? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "You painted it?" The hall fellpletely silent. Then amotion broke out. "You said that this painting of the fifth level was painted by you? Zhang Xuan, you are going to make me die ofughter. Even if you cant appraise anything about it, you should just admit your defeat. You dont need brag to such an extent!" "You sure are thick-skinned. Even if you want to brag, there should be a limit. Are you going to tell us that you are Grandmaster Yun Shaoqing next?" "Know your ce! Do you know what a painting of the fifth level means? To think that you would dare to im that you are the painter, stop joking!" Tian Long, Lu Xun, and Wang Chao sneered. The three of them stared at Zhang Xuan as though he were a fool. What does a painting of the fifth level mean? Currently, in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, there wasnt a single person who was capable of producing a painting of such level. Not even Lu Xuns father, Master Lu Chen, was capable of such a feat. Yet a mere low-level teacher of the academy who wasnt even twenty yet said that he had created such a painting. If this wasnt a joke, what could it be? "Liu Ling, is this the person you intend to ept as your apprentice? He is arrogant and boastful. Do you think that it is fitting for such a person to be a teacher?" Elder Tians flung his sleeves as hisplexion darkened. Ever since Liu shi had sent this painting to him, he had hung it on his wall and appreciated it every single day. Regardless of how many times he had seen it, he couldnt help but be impressed by it. All along, he had thought that it was a masterpiece from some grandmaster painter and admired him. Yet this fellow said that he was the one who painted it? It was an insult to this masterpiece. "Tianoshi, this painting..." Upon hearing hearing his teachers furious interrogation, Liu Ling looked slightly hesitant. "... was really painted by Zhang Xuanoshi!" "What, you admit that hes arrogant as well.... Huh? What did you say?" Halfway through the sentence, Liu Lings words suddenly hit him and he almost fainted. With quivering lips, he asked, "He... he painted it?" "Yes, this painting... was painted by Zhangoshi a few days ago...." Liu Ling smiled bitterly. Back then, when Huang Yu passed this painting to him so that he could pass it on to Elder Tian as a gift, her words also stunned him. Even in a Tier Two kingdom like Beiwu, a painting of the fifth level was a hard toe by treasure. Yet such a treasure came from the hands of a low-level teacher of Hongtian Academy, not even mentioning that the other party wasnt even twenty yet.... Even though he had heard from his apprentice directly, he found the matter hard to believe. "This... this..." Elder Tians eyes narrowed and his face flushed with embarrassment. If there were a hole in the hall at this moment, he would have dived in at that instant. As a master teacher, it was impossible for Liu Ling to lie about such things. That meant that... the painting really came from the hands of Zhangoshi. Elder Tian had been speaking praises of the painter all along, saying that he would like to meet that painter before his demise, yet now that the painter was before him, he doubted his identity.... "I dont believe it.... Even if he had started learning from his mothers womb, it is impossible for him to produce such an incredible work...." Hearing Liu shi admit to it, Lu Xun gritted his teeth. He had just praised the creator of the painting to the high heavens, be it his technique or his brush strokes.... He even guessed the identity of the creator of the painting to be the esteemed grandmaster painter. It seemed that all that was missing was for him to bow in reverence to the painting. Yet... it turned out to be the one whom he had been trying to put down all along. This was uneptable to him. "I dont believe it either. Liu shi, dont be fooled by him" Wang Chao bellowed as well. However, before he could finish speaking, Zhang Xuan had already walked up to the painting and his hands gently touched the painting. Whoosh! With a crisp sound, the wild deer seemed to have suddenly came to life. Turning its head around, it leapt out from the painting, dancing for a moment before dissipating into thin air. "This is... Origin Spirit? The Origin Spirit which only the creator of the painting can trigger?" "A painting contains the blood, sweat, and tears of its creator, and as such, it is perfectly aligned with the creators spirit. When a painting reaches the fifth level, as long as the creator touches it, the painting will automatically form a spirit...." "This... He really painted it...." It was easy to determine the creator of a painting when it reached the level of Spirit Creation. As long as the creator were toe into physical contact with it, the painting would automatically disy its ability toe to life. Seeing the wild deer running about, the aura of the painting seemed to resonate with Zhang Xuanoshi.... No matter how stupid a person, it was clear that the creator of the painting was him. "How... is this possible?" Lu Xun staggered backward before falling onto the floor. He was on the verge of tears. Just a moment ago, he was still confidently uttering that the creator of the painting was definitely Grandmaster Yun Shaoqing, and that he had used the Double Hook painting technique. In the end... reality turned around and pped him right in his face. Brother, if I knew you are a grandmaster painter, I would have neverpeted with you! Arent I just looking for a beating? Next to him, Wang Chao and Tian Long convulsed, on the verge of passing out. Especially Tian Long. He finally understood why even Master Yuanyu treated this fellow with utmost respect, even wanting to learn from him.... A grandmaster who was capable of producing a painting of the fifth level... was worthy of that much respect. "Grandmaster Zhang Xuan, please pardon me for my blindness...." With an awfulplexion, Elder Tian stood up and sped his hands together. In an instant, he seemed like he had aged a decade or more. Having immersed his entire life in teaching and enlightening others, he had enjoyed quite a tremendous reputation. To think that he would slip up here. Having Lu Xunpete with a grandmaster painter in a paintingpetition? Was there anything more ridiculous than this? He had intended to help Lu Xun be an apprentice of Liu shi, but in the end... he simply made things worse. Furthermore, it was the worst kind of worse.... It was no wonder that Liu Ling and the others were willing to drop their identities just to convince the other party to be their apprentice. If a grandmaster painter who was capable of producing a painting of the fifth level were to be an apprentice, he would immediately be eligible to take the master teacher examination. If he passed the examination, his teachers reputation would definitely resound through the surrounding kingdoms. Without answering Elder Tians words, Zhang Xuan stood before the painting quietly, staring at it. "I painted this painting at Master Lu Chens residence a few days ago. I wasnt standing on a grasnd, and I didnt use the Double Hook painting technique either. What I used was the Dual Traversing Dragons. Also, the painting took me forty-seven breaths, not the few days you spoke of." "Dual Traversing Dragons?" "Forty-seven breaths?" Lu Xuns mouth twitched once more. Back then, he had said confidently that even if the one who painted the painting was a grandmaster, he had to spend at least a few days on it, and it was very likely that he was standing in the midst of a grasnd, inspired by the sight before him. Yet, to think it was actually created at home, not to mention, in such a short period of time.... And what that shocked him the most was that Zhang Xuan used the replication technique, which only streetside craftsmen used, to produce a painting of fifth level.... You are about to pierce the heavens at this rate! Hearing those words, tears threatened to fall from Tian Longs eyes. Back then, he had humiliated the other party when he talked about this technique. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it turned out that the other party spoke nothing but the truth, and that he was just humiliating himself! Can Dual Traversing Dragons, a technique used to hasten ones painting speed, really create such an incredible painting? Zhangoshi, exactly how incredible are you? Ignoring the duo, Zhang Xuan touched the painting and said, "May I know if theres any brush and ink here?" "Yes, of course!" Elder Tian gestured and Tian Gang immediately rushed out. Soon he brought in a brush and ink. Due to his agitation, he nearly tripped when entering the hall. As long as one wasnt a fool, it was clear that Zhangoshi was going to leave his name on this painting. The presence of a signature on a painting could change the value of a painting vastly. Often signed paintings tended to be ten times more expensive. Not to mention, Zhangoshi was such a young grandmaster painter. In a few years time, when he had be a master teacher and his name had rung loud throughout the surrounding kingdoms, the value of this painting with his name on it would definitely soar exponentially. Of course, the value of the painting was of secondary concern. More importantly, it was an incredible honor to see a grandmaster painter adding his own signature onto the painting! "This painting doesnt have the imposing aura Lu Xun spoke of, and neither does it have a profound artistic conception. Thus, it isnt worthy of the name Burnished Blue Skies!" At this, Zhang Xuan dabbed the brush into the ink, walked up to the painting, and without any hesitation, his brush started to dance around. Shua shua shua! Tworge words appeared on the top of the painting. "Wild Deer?" Seeing the name he had written, everyone was stunned. They thought that Zhang Xuan would give it an awe-inspiring name.... Wasnt Wild Deer too casual a name? "Candid. This is the level of a true grandmaster," spoke Elder Tian after a moment of silence. "Indeed, the center of focus of this painting is the deer. Everything else in the painting frames it. All the artistry and dispositions contained within the painting are brought out through it. Even though the name, Wild Deer, sounds simple and unimpressive, it brings out the main content of the painting, bringing the entire painting up another level," Liu Lingmented in awe. Zhangoshi was indeed a remarkable existence. Putting aside the fact that he was able to be a painting grandmaster at such a young age, just the name he came up with was sufficient to bring the entire painting up another level. "That isnt just it. If the painting were named Burnished Blue Skies, those who looked at the painting would be affected by it. Their focus would be brought to the contrasting elements instead of the true essence of the painting. On the other hand, Wild Deer might be a simple name, but it doesnt constrain your thoughts. It allows room for your imagination to run, adding to the disposition and artistry of the painting," said Zhuang Xian. "Indeed, they are indeed divine words...." Zheng Fei nodded his head. Just when he was about to say his piece, he suddenly paused abruptly and pointed ahead. "Look!" Everyone looked over, only to see the wild deer from the painting leaping out once more. It stared at Zhang Xuan fondly and licked his hand a few times before slowly dissipating into thin air. "This is... Spiritual Wisdom?" "A Spiritual Wisdom realm painting? No, it hasnt reached that level yet, otherwise the wild deer would materialize for a longer moment than this." "Even so, it isnt too far from it. Just by adding a name, the entire painting was raised by another level, and now, it was just a single step away from reaching the sixth level...." Looking at the wild deers appearance, everyone was stunned. All of their faces flushed with excitement. The first four realms of painting were Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, and Breathtaking Verisimilitude, respectively. The fifth realm was Spirit Creation. Above Spirit Creation, there was still a sixth realm, the Spiritual Wisdom they spoke of. It was said that all of the animals in a painting of this level would possess their own intelligence, and were able to absorb spiritual energy to maintain their form outside the painting for a short period of time, creating a mystical sight. Everyone here had thought that it was just a legend, but to think that they would have the honor of seeing it in person. Even though the wild deer in the painting was still unable to absorb spiritual energy to maintain its form for a longer period of time, just the fact that it was able to disy its affection for its creator showed that it had started to gain intelligence. If it were nourished in a location where spiritual energy was in abundance for a century, it might just be a genuine painting of the sixth level! For just a name to bring the painting up nearly an entire level, the two words "Wild Deer" were indeed worth thousands of gold each! At this moment, everyone stared at the young man before them with fiery eyes. This was especially true for Huang Yu and Bai Xun. They were so excited their bodies were trembling. Ignoring their excitement, Zhang Xuan ced the brush down and scanned the surroundings. "Im done with the appraisal. This test... is it my victory?" Chapter 206: Gifting Tea Leaves Chapter 206: Gifting Tea Leaves Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Only after hearing those words did everyone remember that the conclusion of the test between him and Lu Xun wasnt out yet. All eyes immediately shot to Elder Tian. "You win...." Elder Tian sighed bitterly. An appraisalpetition against the creator of the painting? What a joke! It would be ridiculous to say that Zhang Xuan had lost! More importantly, just by granting the painting a name, the painting was raised by nearly an entire level. "Zhangoshi, here is your Spirit Calming Tea!" Since Zhang Xuan had achieved victory, Tian Gang handed the teacup to him. The steam from the tea still lingered above it and the fragrance tickled Zhang Xuans nose. Even before drinking it, Zhang Xuan felt refreshed and energized just by the aroma itself. After taking the teacup, just when everyone thought that the young man would drink it and indulge himself in its fragrance, he simply tilted the cup and poured it onto the floor. Hula! The fragrance of the tea immediately diffused all around the room. "Zhangoshi..." Upon seeing such a valuable cup of tea being wasted, Liu Ling, Huang Yu, and the others were astonished. Disbelief shone in their eyes. This was Spirit Calming Tea, a tea which countless cultivators dream off, only to remain out of their grasp.... Even Huang Yu, an assistant master teacher, wasnt qualified to drink it. To pour it away like that.... What a waste of precious resources! Everyone looked regretful. "Zhang Xuan, my grandfather offered you such valuable tea out of goodwill, yet you poured it away like that. What do you mean by that?" Tian Long abruptly stood up. His grandfather had his butler present Zhang Xuan with the tea, but the other party poured it away in front of him. This was tant disrespect for Elder Tian. Besides, even Tian Long wasnt qualified to drink the tea. Yet this fellow simply wasted it like that. He found it unforgivable. Infuriated, regardless of whether the other party was a grandmaster painter or not, he immediately rebuked him. "Unfortunate!" Ignoring the other partys howl, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and looked outside the hall. It seemed as though his attention was somewhere far away. He sighed. "Stop putting up a front here. You are the one who poured away the tea, yet youre saying its unfortunate now. Do you really take the Tian n as people you can step on like that?" Tian Longshed out. He was the one who poured the tea out, yet he was saying that it was unfortunate now. What the hell are you trying to do? Are you doing it on purpose? Everyone else were perplexed as well. They had no idea what Zhangoshi was up to. Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and the others stared at each other confused. As master teachers, they possessed incredible discerning capabilities, allowing them to see through many matters. Yet they realized that their discerning abilities were useless before him. They couldnt see through the other partys cultivation, his thoughts, or his intentions.... He was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Especially now. Despite the risk of offending Elder Tian, he spilt the tea on the floor.... What was he up to? If things went on like this, thered be no backing down anymore. They were considering whether they should step forward to mediate the situation. Just when everyone was feeling apprehensive of the fight that was about to ur, Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Elder Tian. "The tea leaves of Spirit Calming Tea grow at the peak of the ice mountain, granting it its calming and revitalizing properties. It is harvested right after the blooming of its flowers. Usually, when brewed, it should allow one to maintain Heart of Tranquil Water for hundred breaths. Yet this cup could only allow one to maintain the state for twelve breaths. For the effects of such fine tea leaves to be reduced to this state, if this isnt unfortunate, what else can it be?" "You... How did you know that this cup of tea could only maintain Heart of Tranquil Water for twelve breaths?" Elder Tian was initially infuriated by Zhang Xuans actions as well, but upon hearing his words, he was stunned. The effects of Spirit Calming Tea were clearly stated in the books tost for hundred breaths. However, no matter how Elder Tian brewed the tea, he was only able to maintain its effects for twelve breaths or so. Initially, he thought that it was due to the inuracies of the book, but hearing the matter from Zhangoshis mouth at this moment, he was astonished. I thought you didnt drink the tea? If you didnt drink it, how could you have known the effects of my tea? "The tea set, teacups, and teapot are the Emerald Radiance Set personally created by Master Potter Wu Qingzi. As for the water, it came from the deep well in Three Gardens tform, and it was exposed to the sun for two days straight before boiling it for an hour. And for the brewing technique, you used Seven Hearts Coiling Hands to make the tea. In order to brew this tea, you have cleansed yourself, eaten a vegetarian diet for seven days straight, and adjusted your state of mind to Heart of Tranquil Water. You went for perfection on every single aspect, fearful that a mistake would ur in the midst of anything. However, it is unfortunate.... The effects of the Spirit Calming Tea you brewed still werent maximized. Even more so, it could be said to be a failed product!" Zhang Xuan gestured casually. "You..." Elder Tian was bbergasted. He didnt even notice the teacup in his hands falling onto the table. The words of the other party were...pletely correct! The water used for steeping the tea leaves was indeed from the deep well in Three Gardens tform, the brewing technique he used was Seven Hearts Coiling Hands, and the tea set used was the Emerald Radiance Set. Before brewing the tea, he did cleanse himself and abstain from meat for a week.... He had kept all of these a secret, such that even Tian Long didnt know of it. Yet, how did Zhangoshi find out? More importantly... to know of all of them in detail? It was said that a grandmaster tea brewer could see through the ws and problems within a tea just by looking, smelling, and tasting it. From there, they could offer the other party instruction, allowing the person to refine their skills. Could it be that... Zhangoshi wasnt just a grandmaster painter, but a grandmaster tea brewer as well? If that were the case, if Zhangoshi offered him some advice, could it be possible for him to break through his bottleneck and reach an even higher level? Elder Tian trembled, agitated. Just when he was about to consult the other party on this matter, he heard Tian Long angrily howling, "To dare say that the tea which grandfather brewed is a failed product, who do you think you are? Do you think I wont teach you a lesson right now?" Upon hearing these words, Elder Tians eyebrows twitched and he nearly passed out. In the Way of Tea, he had reached a bottleneck, and for many years, he had been stuck trying to surpass his limits. Right now, given how the other party was able to see through the mistakes in his Spirit Calming Tea, if he were to offer him some advice, he might be able to achieve a breakthrough. Yet... his hopes were shattered with the words of this brat. Moreover, you wish to teach a person on the level of a grandmaster in the Way of Tea a lesson? You unfilial brute! If not for your prejudice of this Zhangoshi, I wouldnt have been so biased against him. If I hadnt been so rude to him, the other party wouldnt have been so displeased. Dammit! The more he thought, the angrier he became. "Shut up!" "Ah? Grandfather..." Tian Long didnt expect his grandfather to bellow at him like that. Dumbfounded, he stood nkly on the spot. "Go away, dont get in the way of us here!" Waving him away, Elder Tian hurriedly stood up and walked over to Zhang Xuan. sping his hands, he bowed earnestly, like a student meeting a teacher. With a respectful tone, he said, "Zhangoshi is right, the tea Ive brewed is indeed a... failed product. It doesnt have the effects that a true Spirit Calming Tea should possess...." He had no choice but to admit it. Given how the other partys words were all true, he had likely seen some problem. If he were to reject his opinion vehemently at this moment, he would simply incur the ire of the other party. If so, he would pass by this opportunity to reach greater heights. "This..." "Spirit Calming Tea can allow one to remain in the state of Heart of Tranquil Water for hundred breaths?" Hearing Elder Tian admit to it, amotion broke out among the crowd. Everyone stared at the young man as though he were a monster. Especially so for Huang Yu and Bai Xun, they pulled their hair frenziedly. Wasnt Zhangoshipletely ignorant of the Way of Tea when he came? Why could he see through so much now, even making Elder Tian lower his position and admit defeat? Off to the side, Lu Xun and Wang Chao were even more so on the verge of insanity. Isnt this fellow garbage? To be a grandmaster capable of producing a painting of the fifth level at one moment, to able to impress Elder Tian in the field of Way of Tea in the other.... Where can one find such incredible garbage? "Zhangoshi, I hope that you can point out my mistakes so that I can correct them and not waste such precious tea leaves." After admitting that he was unable to fully unleash the properties of Spirit Calming Tea, Elder Tian looked at Zhang Xuan respectfully. "I havee to your Tian Residence with the invitation of the three master teachers as a guest, yet all Ive been weed with was contempt ever since my arrival, even to the point of being tested of my capabilities...." At this, Zhang Xuan shook his head as he nced at the elder before him. "Do you think this is the appropriate way to treat a grandmaster painter?" "I..." Embarrassment flushed on Elder Tians face. If the other party were just an ordinary noble, this matter would of no great import. But Zhang Xuan was a grandmaster painter, and it was very likely that he was a grandmaster in the Way of Tea as well. It was one thing to not show a person of such identity the respect befitting of him, but to test him.... This was clear contempt for him. The reputation of a master teacher mustnt be sullied, and the same could be said about grandmasters as well. Regardless of which upation it was, reaching such a level meant that one had surpassed countless others and achieved an incredible level of mastery in the field. Even in Conferred Kingdoms, they were respected existences. Yet, in a moment of folly, he... "Frankly, I dont want to say much. However, on ount on your sincerity, I can offer you some advice." Zhang Xuan nced at him thinly. "Red wine has to be enjoyed in a wine ss. Even wine has its own silverware, needless to say, tea. Spirit Calming Tea has a calming property, but even though the Emerald Radiance Set is a treasure left behind by an esteemed potter, it is hot in nature. Since heat breeds irritation, how can one remain calm? This is my first piece of advice. "The Way of Tea is an art of tranquility. Your actions of cleansing yourself and abstaining from meat is a form of respect for the art. However, since it should be an art of tranquility, should there be a banquet for it? Given themotion, your heart is already disturbed, so how can you brew the most perfect Spirit Calming Tea? This is my second piece of advice! "You should keep these two points in mind. Perhaps this might be beneficial to your progress in the Way of Tea. I still have things to attend to, so I will be leaving now. Farewell!" Zhang Xuan waved and headed outside. "Zhangoshi, please wait..." Before Zhang Xuan could step out of the hall, Elder Tian hurried forward. "Zhangoshi, your advice has enlightened me. This is a token of my appreciation. I hope you can ept it." After which, he beckoned and a servant brought a box to him. Opening it gently, the deep fragrance of tea leaves gushed into the air. "The tea leaves of Spirit Calming Tea?" "Given the quantity... two taels?" "Even considering the entirety of Tianxuan Kingdom, only three taels are produced every year. But you want to gift two taels at once?" Upon catching scent of the fragrance, the eyebrows of everyone here shot upward. They were all shocked by Elder Tians gesture. This was definitely a huge gift. Importantly, even Emperor Shen Zhui didnt have much of a chance to drink it. Through this, it was clear to see how valuable the tea leaves were. Yet Elder Tian gifted two taels of tea leaves at once, an amount sufficient for one to brew more than a dozen pots.... Wasnt this gesture of goodwill too generous? "Looks like... even though Zhangoshis advice sounded ordinary, it has enlightened Tianoshi. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to offer such a generous gift to him...." While they were shocked by his gesture, they also understood that a gift didnte freely. Elder Tians action of giving so many tea leaves to the other party meant that... the other party had pointed out the fundamental errors behind the tea he had brewed, and Elder Tian had benefited greatly from his words. Without even drinking the tea, with just a single look, he was able to point out the problems, resulting in Elder Tian gifting his tea leaves to the other party willingly.... How many surprises did this Zhangoshi hold within him? Was there still more to him that they didnt know of? Chapter 207: Returning to the Academy Chapter 207: Returning to the Academy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove After epting the tea leaves, Zhang Xuan went away without a peep. In the very first ce, he didnt intend to attend this birthday banquet at all. If not for Huang Yu and Bai Xuns request, as well as for an opportunity to meet the three masters to ask them about the poison aura, he wouldnt have cared about Elder Tian one bit. Even if it was a funeral, he wouldve never came to such an event. Even though he didnt get an opportunity to ask the three master teachers of the matter, based on their attitude, they would likelye looking for him soon. It wouldnt be toote to ask them about it then. Since that was the case, there was no longer any purpose for Zhang Xuan to remain there. As for why Zhang Xuan was able to see the ws in the tea Elder Tian brewed, the reason was simple. The moment Zhang Xuan stepped into the hall, the other party was in the midst of brewing tea. As such, the library automaticallypiled a book on it, and just by flipping through it, Zhang Xuan would know everything about him. If not for that fellow intentionally trying to pit him against Lu Xun and siding with thetter, he wouldnt have been bothered about it and embarrassed the other party in public. You wish to make use of Lu Xun to humiliate me? What a joke! Those who try to p my face will be sent flying with a p of mine. It doesnt matter to me whether you are Elder Tian or whoever. There are no exceptions. "Elder Tian, Your Majesty, Liu shi, Zhuang shi, Zheng shi, well be taking our leave as well!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan leave, Huang Yu and Bai Xun quickly followed behind him as well. They were the ones who brought Zhangoshi here and they didnt think it appropriate for them to remain here given the situation. The moment they left, the room immediately fell silent. "Grandfather, thats Spirit Calming Tea! Why, why did you suddenly gift so much of it...." Tian Long felt indignant. Even if the advice had helped his grandfather, there shouldnt be a need for him to shower the other party with such a generous gift. They had paid a huge price to get someone to pick and process the two taels of tea leaves for them. It wasnt something that one could just buy with money. Even his grandfather couldnt bear to drink it on casual asions, yet to gift it someone else like that.... Just thinking of it, Tian Long felt his heart ache. "Much? It isnt much at all!" ncing at his grandson, Elder Tian shook his head. Even though his grandson seemed intelligent, and he had entrusted his expectations onto him, at this moment, it seemed that his character and magnanimity were severelycking. "Elder Tian is right. Two taels of Spirit Calming Tea isnt much at all. Putting aside the fact that he had offered valuable advice to Tianoshi, just the two words Zhangoshi wrote on the painting are valuable," Emperor Shen Zhui said. The two simple words, "Wild Deer," were truly a priceless treasure. It had raised the already valuable painting of the fifth level by nearly another entire level. Even if they gifted him all of the tea leaves in the Tian Residence, they would have still made a profit. Not just that, by this kind gesture, they could reduce the hostility a grandmaster painter felt for them, perhaps befriending him even. "I have benefitted greatly from Zhangoshis advice. Tian Long, Tian Gang, Ill leave the birthday banquet to you two. I would like some time for myself to digest what Ive learnt. Perhaps his words may allow my mastery in tea brewing to reach new heights." Elder Tian nodded his head before falling silent. "Then we wont be imposing on Tianoshi any longer!" Liu Ling knew that the other party was inviting them to leave, so he left the hall along with Emperor Shen Zhui and the others. "Your Majesty, we still have things to attend to, so we wont be returning with you to the royal pce." Upon leaving the Tian Residence, the trio bade Emperor Shen Zhui farewell before leaving hurriedly. Needless to say, they were going to look for Zhangoshi. "He is truly a god among men!" Seeing how even the three master teachers were impressed by Zhangoshi, Emperor Shen Zhuimented in awe. After which, he turned to a eunuch and said, "Make preparations. I want to watch the Teacher Evaluation tomorrow as well!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" the eunuch replied. .............................. Awhile after the three master teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui left the Tian Residence, Lu Xun and Wang Chao walked out of the mansion. The moment they left the perimeter of the residence, resentment and indignance immediately burned in their eyes. "He is just a low-level teacher, why? Why! Dammit! Dammit!" Lu Xun howled loudly. The hatred in his eyes was so deep it could dye a river ck. He thought that the banquet for Elder Tian would be an impetus for a breakthrough, and he would sessfully be Liu shis apprentice. Never in his dreams did he expect... such a conclusion. The fellow he had been looking down on had trampled over his pride numerous times, riling him up so much that he was about to spurt blood. The strong sense of humiliation he felt made him want to go on a rampage. He, Lu Xun, as the son of the emperors tutor, had lived a smooth sailing life since childhood. All along, he had been the one who humiliated others. When had he ever suffered a setback of this sort? "That fellow must have spent all of his effort and time studying painting and the Way of Tea, so his ability to impart knowledge must be bad. As long as you triumph over him in the Teacher Evaluation tomorrow, you should be able to return the shame to him," Wang Chao said. Even though Zhang Xuan was talented, it was impossible for him to be talented in all aspects. Even if he were truly talented in all aspects, given the limited time and energy a human possessed, he would have to spend a bulk of his time researching painting and the Way of Tea, thus neglecting his education abilities. The duo were still rather confident in their abilities as teachers, so they didnt believe that they would still lose to Zhang Xuan here. "I must win the Teacher Evaluation tomorrow." Hearing his words, Lu Xun nodded his head. He had been humiliated enough today. He couldnt afford to lose to the other party anymore. "Wang Chao, dont you know that apothecary? I would like to buy a few pills to give it a try." Clenching his fists tightly, Lu Xun turned to look at his friend. "Buy a few pills? You mean you want to..." Upon recall, Wang Chao was horrified. He quickly shook his head, "You cant do it! Even though that can raise your cultivation within a short period of time, it will damage the students foundations, making it hard for them to improve in the future...." "I cant care about it anymore! I must win tomorrow.... Theres no retreat for me now. As long as I win and be Liu shis apprentice, I will be able to be a master teacher within ten years. By then, I can easily repair the trauma they will suffer. In fact, by then, granting them a life of luxury wouldnt mean anything to me." Gritting his teeth, Lu Xuns eyes contained a frenzied gleam. "This..." Wang Chao hesitated. Wang Chao knew about his friends talents. He was just a step away from bing an official painter, and the moment he broke through this bottleneck, he would be eligible to take the master teacher examination. Given the experience he had umted as a teacher in the past few years, as well as his study on master teachers, it wouldnt be a problem for him to be a master teacher within ten years. Once he became a master teacher, it wouldnt be a difficult task to make up for these students losses. He could easily provide them with a life of luxury then, and repairing their trauma wouldnt be impossible whatsoever. "Alright, weve no time to waste. Its fortunate we havent returned the three million which we borrowed from Emperor Shen Zhui. That should be sufficient for us to buy five pills. Lets go and buy them now. Im going to make them raise a storm tomorrow. Not only will I triumph over Zhang Xuan, I will make everyone know that in the Hongtian Academy, I, Lu Xun, am invincible!" Flinging his sleeves, Lu Xun roared. "OK, Ill go take a look now...." Knowing that Lu Xuns mind was made up and that it was impossible for him to convince him otherwise, Wang Chao nodded his head. What Lu Xun said made sense: there was no retreat at this point! They had offended Yang shi in the royal pce, making it nigh impossible for them to be his apprentice. The three master teachers had set their sights on Zhang Xuan. If the two of them were to lose, there wouldnt be any chance for them anymore. Their only hope was the Teacher Evaluation tomorrow. They had to make everyone know that Lu Xun was the true star teacher in Hongtian Academy, the number one teacher of the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. And that Zhang Xuan... was nothing at all! He wasnt even qualified to vie with them! .................................... "Werent you going to give this painting to Elder Tian? Why did it be Liu shis present instead?" Before Zhang Xuan could get too far, Huang Yu and Bai Xun caught up with him. Seated in the carriage, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the matter and asked. Back then, while Huang Yu and Bai Xun werepeting over the Ink Daylily Canvas, Zhang Xuan suddenly produced paintings of the fifth level, and the pair immediately bought Zhang Xuans works instead. Back then, it seemed that they had intended to buy his painting to present it to another as a gift, so he was curious why it became a gift from Liu shi instead. Also... where was the painting Bai Xun had bought? "Actually, the reason why I asked for the Ink Daylily Canvas was to help Liu shi prepare a present for his teacher. Thus, it is natural that he was the one who presented it to him," Huang Yu said. "As a junior, theres no need for me to present such a valuable present to Elder Tian even if I attended his birthday banquet." "Ah..." Hearing Huang Yus words, Zhang Xuan immediately understood what was going on. Indeed. As a junior, even if she visited Elder Tian, she only had to prepare a novelty of some sort. There was no need for her to present a treasure like the Ink Daylily Canvas. Naturally, she had done it in Liu shis stead. As such, it was natural for the gift to be given to Elder Tian through Liu shis hands. "What about you? As Zhuang shis student, there should be no need for you to prepare a gift in his stead, right?" Bai Xuns rtionship with Zhuang shi was different from the rtionship Huang Yu had with Liu shi. Thetter was in an apprenticeship whereas the former was just a student. Even though the two of them sounded alike, the standing and identity of the two were on two different levels. Huang Yu might have to look for a birthday present in Liu shis stead, but as a student, there shouldnt be any need for Bai Xun to do the same. "Actually... I..." Bai Xun scratched his head in embarrassment. "It is because Xiao Yu wanted the Ink Daylily Canvas that I asked for it as well. This way, I would have a reason to be with her.... As for why I bought the painting from Master Zhang, it is for my father. He likes painting a lot as well...." Zhang Xuan was speechless. It turned out that this fellow only wanted the Ink Daylily Canvas to flirt with Huang Yu. Just the thought of it was ridiculous. However, his choice wasnt wrong. Only bypeting with Huang Yu could he meet her every day. This way, it would make it easier for him to court her as well. Just that, even though Bai Xun was interested in Huang Yu, the same could not be said about thetter. Most likely, the fellow was destined for heartbreak. Bai Xun was just a student of Zhuang shi. There was no need for him to present a painting of the fifth level to Elder Tian. As an esteemed noble of the country, it wasnt difficult for him to find another suitable gift. As a result, Elder Tian only had the painting of the wild deer, and the other one was still in Bai Xuns possession. "Master Zhang, I thought you didnt know anything about the Way of Tea. Then how did you..." After a while, when Hongtian Academy was already in sight, Huang Yu couldnt help but ask. That fellow had clearly shown his ignorance in the subject earlier, and it didnt seem like he was faking it. Yet how did he manage to point out the mistakes in Tian Longs and Elder Tians Ways of Tea, evenpletely impressing Elder Tian? "Its true that I didnt know anything about it...." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Even though there were many books regarding the Way of Tea in his head, he hadnt had the chance to browse through them yet. As a result, it wasnt a lie to say that he didnt know anything about the topic. "Then..." Huang Yu and Bai Xun were confused. If you dont know anything about the subject, how could you speak so confidently and stump them with your words? Shouldnt youe up with a better lie than that? "I just happened to flip through a few books on the Way of Tea in the past and freely spoke of them. It was a coincidence that I managed to guessed them correctly!" Zhang Xuan replied casually. "Freely spoke of them?" Bai Xun and Huang Yu stared at each other speechless. Brother, if you dont want to tell us the truth, just say so. You wont fool anyone with that ridiculous excuse of yours. Do the two of us look like fools to you? "Since weve arrived at the academy, Ill be bidding you two farewell!" Even though the duo clearly didnt believe his words, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to exin to them. With a smile, Zhang Xuan hopped off the carriage. He had finally arrived at Hongtian Academy. After a few days of absence, he was curious to see how far Zhao Ya and the others had progressed. Chapter 208: Ink Chapter 208: Ink Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove The Hongtian Academy was bustling with people. The Freshmen Tournament was about to begin. Ten thousand students had been enrolled in the academy, and after half a month of study, it was time to check on the results of their training. "Who do you think will be first ce in the tournament this time?" "I still think its the person who got number one during the entrance examinations. Right after enrolment, his cultivation reached Fighter 2-dan. A month has passed since then, so he should be much stronger by now." "The Freshmen Tournament isnt just reliant on strength. Besides, even if he was strong before his enrolment, it doesnt mean that he will still be strong now. Ive heard that the few new students under Luoshi who were going to participate in the Teacher Evaluation have all reached Fighter 2-dan. Furthermore, they werent his direct disciples. It will be hard to tell whether he can beat them!" "But that guy is a student of Luoshi too, right? Seems like even if first ce isnt that guy, it should be someone under Luoshis tutge." "Of course! Of the top five hundred in the entrance examination, at least three hundred of them havee under Luoshis tutge. Even if they dont want to get first ce, there must be someone that can match up to them first!" "By the way, who do you think will win in the Teacher Evaluation? Zhang Xuanoshi or Luoshi?" "Win? Are you stupid? Does that question even need to be asked? In what way is Zhang Xuanoshi qualified topete against Luoshi? Even if the Education Bureau had intentionally suppressed him, causing his Teacher Qualification Examination results to be reflected wrong, his result in the past year wasnt terrific either!" "Th-thats true!" "See! To tell you the truth, I heard that the fellow intentionally provoked Luoshi to make fame for himself. After causing his students cultivation to go berserk, he still dares to challenge Luoshi to a Teacher Evaluation.... I really dont know how a persons skin can be so thick!" ... "The news that Ive heard ispletely different from yours. I heard that Zhang Xuanoshi is a noble person, and has already reached Pixue realm. In order to uphold the academys prestige, he had been keeping mum about the matter, tolerating all of the insults by himself!" "Ive also heard that! Rumors have it that his student was afflicted with Innate Sealed Meridians, and he intentionally caused his students cultivation to go berserk so that he could surpass his limits." "That person is Zhao Yanfeng. Ive met him a few times. Not only did Zhangoshi help resolve his problem, he even helped him break through his cultivation. Right now, hes already a Fighter 2-dan expert. Grateful to Zhangoshi, he wanted to go under his tutge once more. This event incurred Luoshi wrath, resulting in Luoshi challenging Zhangoshi to the Teacher Evaluation." "Are you serious? Is that true?" "Its definitely true. I heard this info from a friend Im familiar with." ... All kinds of discussions and theories floated around the ce. Some said that Zhang Xuan overestimated himself, while others said that he was forced to ept the challenge. At this point, it was hard to tell what the truth was anymore. Due to Yao Hans intentional spreading of the news of the Education Bureau, nearly everyone in the academy was aware of it now. However, most of the students were still hesitant to believe it. After all, Lu Xuns reputation in the academy was simply too great. Even though Zhang Xuan had cleansed himself of the grief from scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, it was hard for him to establish a towering image in the hearts of the students within such a short period of time. However, Zhang Xuan wasnt bothered by this matter at all. In any case, tomorrows Teacher Evaluation would determine everything. Rather than wasting his time on this matter, he might as well focus on raising the strength of those students of his. Soon he arrived at his ssroom. "Zhangoshi!" Zhao Ya and the others were all present. Each of them were spirited and emitted a powerful aura. "Not bad!" Seeing the status of his students, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He was d that he didnt waste his efforts. Regardless of whether it was Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, or Yuan Tao, each of them had improved significantly. They werepletely different from how they were half a month ago. Not only this, even the students who had just listened in on the lessonsWang Tao, Wang Yan, and Zhao Yanfenghad also improved significantly. Even though Zhang Xuan didnt conduct many lessons, every word in his lecture pointed straight toward the essence of cultivation. Learning under him helped them furtherprehend cultivation as a topic, and naturally, this helped them raise their cultivation faster. "What is that?" After praising them, just when Zhang Xuan was about to start meeting them one by one, Zhang Xuan suddenly caught sight of something in the corner of the room. There were a few pots ced by the side and the contents inside them were all pitch-ck. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked them. He clearly remembered not seeing such an object in the ssroom before. "Zhangoshi, it is ink," Wang Yings face flushed as she said softly. "Ink?" Zhang Xuan was confused. "Why would there be a pot of ink in the ssroom?" What he taught was cultivation, not culture. There was no need for him or the students to paint beautiful ink paintings or write elegant calligraphy, so there was no reason for these objects to be in the ssroom. "That..." Upon hearing his question, the several students fell into a silence of awkwardness. "Whats wrong? Could there be a reason behind this? Yuan Tao, speak!" Seeing the bizarre expressions on everyones faces, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "I..." Yuan Tao didnt expect Zhangoshi to single him out and his face immediately scrunched up as though he had eaten a bitter gourd. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Its like that. Due to the awakening of Zhao Ya xiaojies Pure Yin Body, she has be even more beautiful. As such, many students wish to court her...." "Court?" Only then did Zhang Xuan realize the change in Zhao Yas appearance from the awakening of the Pure Yin Body. Regardless of whether it was her looks or her nature, she seemedpletely different from before. Compared to the domineering young mistress in the past, she was now an elegant youngdy. In terms of appearance, she was superior even to Shen Bi Ru. It was no wonder that other students started to admire and approach her. "So if someonees to find her... what is the purpose of the ink?" Zhang Xuan was even more perplexed. Even if Zhao Ya became prettier and other men came to pester her, it would suffice to chase them away. In the academy, it was unlikely for them to go too far. Besides, the strength of his students had risen greatly. If someone tried to harass Zhao Ya, they would likely leave with a swollen face. By no means were Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and Yuan Tao people who would allow others to climb over their head. It was impossible for them to watch obediently as others tried to poach Zhao Ya over to their sides. "This... We have chased away all of the students, but..." Yuan Tao scratched his head as heughed awkwardly. "But recently, three perverted old men had been loitering around the ssroom. Based on their movements, we wouldnt be able to defeat them. So we prepared some ink to pour on them! Its rumored that ink can vanquish lust, and after they had been sshed by this ink, those three perverted old men should feel embarrassed to continue loitering here..." "Perverted old men?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Are you sure that they arent teachers of the academy?" "Im sure that they arent. I know all of the teachers in the school, but there arent any teachers with appearances like theirs. Just by looking at their leering faces, Im sure that they are up to no good!" The one who spoke this time was Zheng Yang. "I kept seeing them hiding in the corner in the past few days, pointing to Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, discussing them. Sometimes, they even nodded their heads while smiling. I am sure that they are up to no good." "Pointing to Zhao Ya and Wang Ying and discussing them? When did such shameless fellows appear in the academy?" From the confidence in his students tone, Zhang Xuan didnt think that he was lying. His forehead wrinkled. For old men to be peeping on and discussing sixteen, seventeen-year-old girls.... They were indeed lecherous. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan also agreed with their opinions that the old men were up to no good and nodded his head. "You all should be on guard. Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, dont go out by yourselves for the next few days. If you meet those three old men again, feel free to use the ink to ssh them!" Since they were able to get into the academy, they probably had esteemed identities. It was already embarrassing for them to be stalking young girls in public, and if they were to be sshed with ink, they should probably understand how shameful their actions were and leave of their own ord. Of course, he would try to remain in the academy for the next two days. If the old men were to strike once more, he didnt mind teaching them a lesson personally. "Hooray for Zhangoshi!" "Ive already said that Zhangoshi is an understanding person and he wouldnt me us for that...." Upon hearing Zhang Xuan approving their actions, the students cheered happily. "Mm, alright, lets get down to business. Yuan Tao, follow me in first. Ill take a look at how your cultivation is going." The Teacher Evaluation was tomorrow. So Zhang Xuan needed a clear idea of the current strength of his students by today. At the same time, he could offer them some instruction. Perhaps, through this, they would improve a bit more before the duel with Lu Xuns students. Even if it was just a mild improvement, it might just be the determining factor in the battle. The duo walked into the partitioned room and Yuan Tao closed the door behind him. After which, Zhang Xuan gestured. "Show me your battle technique." "Yes!" Yuan Tao nodded his head. His fist shot out, making the wind howl. The might behind his fist was astonishing. Even though his cultivation didnt improve greatly, still in Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm intermediate stage, his strength was astounding. That punch of his had caused a sonic boom. "This strength..." Zhang Xuan was surprised. His ability to produce a sonic boom with his fists meant that his strength and defensive ability had reached astonishing levels. Even Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm cultivators might find it difficult to endure a punch with that power. "As expected of the Emperors Bloodline. Even though only ten percent of it has been awakened, it is still able to induce such an incredible growth in strength and defense!" The unique constitutions were indeed extraordinary, befitting of their enormous reputations. Even though Yuan Taos cultivation was still the lowest among his five students, his offensive and defensive abilities were extremely fearsome. "Your cultivation still isnt good enough. Whenever you cultivate and gather spiritual energy, you are too focused on the absorption of spiritual energy, thus failing to align your physical condition along with it. I will impart you with a cultivation method now. As long as you cultivate with it, it shouldnt be difficult for you to reach Juxi realm advanced stage today," said Zhang Xuan, after taking a single look. After the other party had executed his punching routine, a new book on Yuan Tao formed in his head. After reading through the contents within, Zhang Xuan gained a clear idea of the problems and ws in Yuan Taos cultivation. "Yes!" Yuan Tao hurriedly nodded his head and turned his attention to memorizing the cultivation method. It didnt take him long before he remembered the entire form. "OK, call Zhao Ya in." After instructing Yuan Tao on what he should do, Zhang Xuan waved him out. Soon, Zhao Ya walked in. The Pure Yin Body was indeed incredible. Upon its awakening, Zhao Ya exuded the disposition of a fairy from the upper realms who had descended onto the mortal world. Not to mention, Zhao Ya was originally a beautiful maiden. With the augmentation from her constitution, every single movement of hers exuded indescribable grace. "Given her looks and nature, any male students matched against her will immediately admit his defeat upon seeing her smile." The heavens were indeed unfair. Given Zhao Yas outer appearance, if her opponent was a male, he might not even try toy his hands on her. "Show me your battle technique!" "Yes!" Zhao Ya nodded her head, clenched her fist, and punched out. Huhuhu! The sound of wind filled the entire room. "Your strength..." After a book was formed in the library, Zhang Xuan flipped it open and took a look. The next instant, his eyes widened in disbelief. How... could this be possible? Hu! Boom! "What are you all doing?" "The nerve!" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to speak, he heard the sound of a pot shattering. After which, furious roars resounded. "Whats going on?" Frowning, Zhang Xuan immediately walked out of the room. Chapter 209: Poison Hall Chapter 209: Poison Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove It was already chaotic outside. Zheng Yang was wielding a spear whereas Wang Ying was in a battle stance. Meanwhile Yuan Tao was carrying the tables and chairs in the ssroom, ring fiercely at the intruders. At the entrance of the ssroom, ink was sttered all over the floor. There were three fellows who were drenched ck standing at the entrance, fuming. Clearly, just when they were about to enter, Zhang Xuans students immediately threw ink at them. "Zhangoshi, these are the three shameless men who had been peeping on us everyday...." "To still be peeping on girls at your age, dont you feel embarrassed?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walk out, Yuan Tao and Liu Yang hurriedly shouted at the trio. However, before they could finish speaking, they saw the mouth of the usually calm Zhangoshi twitch, then his entire body staggered, and it seemed as though he was about to fall to the ground. "Liu shi, Zhuang shi, Zheng shi... Why are you all here?" Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. Back then, when he heard his students say that there were three lecherous old men hiding by the corner peeping on them, Zhang Xuan took their words as truth. Never in his wildest dreams could he have expected that it would be the three master teachers. As master teachers... they could just walk in through the front door to look for me. Disguising themselves and hiding in the corner, what were they up to? Due to that, a misunderstanding arose and they were sttered with ink, causing this awkward situation.... Not just that, they were even criticized as shameless and lecherous.... "Liu shi?" "Zhuang shi?" "Zheng shi?" Hearing the words that Zhangoshi uttered, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others staggered. The three master teachers arriving at the capital was a huge affair, and the students in Hongtian Academy had already long since heard of the event. Naturally, they also knew of their names as well. Initially, they thought that the few old men who hade to peep on them were just lewd perverts who were lusting over Zhao Yas beauty. To think that it would actually be the famous three master teachers in the capital.... Werent master teachers supposed to be prestigious figures who were difficult to even catch a glimpse of? Why did they suddenly appear here and stalk them? "Zhangoshi, are you mistaken? Where can one find master teachers who act so pervertedly, wearing these kinds of clothes and hiding in the corner, afraid of us noticing them?" Zheng Yang couldnt help from saying. "Mistaken?" Zhang Xuan nearly choked on his spit. The hell, what was with the students he was teaching! Other people usually brought trouble to their father and their grandfather. Yet his students were clearly intent on preparing his grave for him. The other party were all master teachers. With a single stomp of their legs, even Emperor Shen Zhui would cower in fear. Yet, not only did you all not apologize after sttering ink on them, you even said that they were perverted.... Perverted your head! Frankly, I really want you all to admit that it was your fault. This way, the problem can be settled easily. How do you expect me to deal with such a situation? Zhang Xuan felt so depressed that he could cry. On the other hand, the three master teachers felt so infuriated that their lips were twitching nonstop. They felt so humiliated by this affair that the thought of suicide passed through their minds. Right after leaving Elder Tians residence, they immediately rushed to the academy and headed to Zhang Xuans ssroom. Yet the moment they walked in, they saw pitch-ck ink flying right at them. Stunned by the sight before them, they didnt even have the time to react.... The hell is going on? We are master teachers. Regardless of where we go, we are influential figures who are held in high regard. Yet why were we sshed with ink here? Why are we treated as perverts here? If word spreads, how can we face others? "Zhangoshi, I am certain that it is the three of them. In the past two days, they have been loitering around the ssroom, peeping on us. I find it hard to believe that they dont have any bad intentions in mind...." Afraid that Zhangoshi might not believe Zheng Yangs words, Wang Ying added on. "I can also vouch for it! Even if they were reduced to ashes, I would recognize them!" Liu Yang said decisively. "Shut your traps!" Seeing how these students were so unreliable and getting worse with their words, Zhang Xuan couldnt stand it any longer. After bellowing at his students, he mustered his courage and walked up. "Master teachers, I apologize for bringing you all trouble. I will teach them a lessonter...." "Theres no need to worry about it!" "The ignorant arent guilty...." "Forget it, its our mistake as well!" Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and Zheng Fei squeezed out smiles on their crying faces. "Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, hurry up and buy some clothes for the three master teachers." Seeing that the trio didnt intend to pursue this matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Kicking Yuan Tao and Zheng Yangs rears, he roared. "Yes, yes!" At this moment, everyone finally understood that these three lecherous old men were true master teachers. Their faces immediately turned green with fear. There wasnt anyone in this world who didnt know how fearsome a master teacher was. Yet they threw ink in the faces of three master teachers instantly, reducing them to such states.... They truly felt like crying now. But... it really wasnt intentional. Who could have thought that noble master teachers would disguise themselves and loiter around their ssroom to peep at them, even talking about them? "This... Master teachers, have you been hanging around here for the past few days?" asked Zhang Xuan after getting a towel for the trio to wipe away the ink from their faces. As master teachers, instead of indulging yourselves in the luxuries in the royal pce, why would you alle here? Even if you want to take me as your apprentice, upon knowing that Im not here, there shouldnt be any reason for you all to be hanging around my students, talking about them. "We... we..." Hearing Zhang Xuans straightforward words, the three master teachers mouths opened, but they couldnt say a single word due to awkwardness. What could they say? That theyd heard of his deeds, and that they wanted to see it for themselves? Peeping on his students to gather information on him.... They would have to abandon their prestige as master teachers to say such words! "I have an old friend in Hongtian Academy and he happened to be free the past few days. So weve beening around to see him. Also, the atmosphere is not bad, so... we thought that it would be good to spend our time here," the quick-witted Zheng Fei said with a smile. "Atmosphere is not bad?" Zhang Xuan looked at them with strangely. He had seen people who could speak lies with a straight face, but he had never seen someone who could spout such an obvious lie so brazenly. My ssroom is at the very corner of the academy, the worst location in thepound. How inexperienced of the world must you be to think that the atmosphere is not bad? Besides, do you have friends in Hongtian Academy? Why havent I heard of it? If you really have friends here, you would havee much earlier than this! "Oh, is that the case? My students are still inexperienced, thats why they thought that you were up to no good. Please pay them no heed...." In order to prevent the atmosphere from turning awkward, Zhang Xuan didnt expose the tant lie. Soon, Yuan Tao and Zheng Yang returned with new clothes. After the three master teachers changed into them, they felt much morefortable. "Zhangoshi, you should probably know the reason why we came to look for you?" Regaining the disposition of a master teacher, Liu Ling looked at the young man before him with a smile. After the past few days of observation, they were extremely pleased with both Zhangoshi and his students. They would have truly won the lottery if they could ept an apprentice of such caliber under their wings. Knowing that the three of them were true master teachers, the several students immediately focused all of their attention onto the conversation between them to see what was going on. "I can roughly guess. The three master teachers hope to take me in as your apprentice, right?" Knowing that he had to face this sooner orter, Zhang Xuan dived right into the subject. "Apprentice?" "The three master teachers want to ept Zhangoshi as their apprentice?" "If Zhangoshi epts it, he would be an assistant master teacher?" ... Upon hearing those words, the faces of Zhao Ya and the others immediately flushed with excitement. The dream of all teachers was to be a master teacher, and the requirement of being an apprentice of a master teacher eventually turned out to be the barrier preventing them from attaining their dream. Only when one became a master teachers apprentice would one have the chance to be a master teacher. Instead of finding Lu Xunoshi, the three master teachers came straight for Zhangoshi. How could they not be excited? "Mhm, thats right. The three of us have such an intention. You can feel free to choose whomever you wish to join!" Upon seeing that the other party understood the situation, Liu Ling nodded his head with satisfaction. "Feel free to choose whomever he wishes to join?" His students were so excited they wanted to jump up and down. Thats to say that all three of the master teachers had their sights set on Zhangoshi? "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head embarrassed. "May I reject the offer?" Putong! Putong! Putong! Zhao Ya and the others fell to the floor. For someone to reject bing the apprentice of a master teacher? Surely we heard wrong! "Reject?" Unable to believe their ears, Liu Ling and the others were stunned. "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was destined for great heights. Honestly, Zhang Xuan found Liu Ling and the others... nowhere near good enough. "We understand that were being a little too rash on the matter, so you need not hurry to give us your reply. How about this, well give you some time to consider the matter. It isnt toote to reply to us tomorrow!" Not expecting the other party to reject him, Liu Ling knew that he had been a little rash on this matter and smiled awkwardly. "Its alright to answer tomorrow as well. Give it a good thought today. Without the identity of an assistant master teacher and a master teachers rmendation, it is impossible for one to take the master teacher examination," Zhuang Xian added. "Indeed. Given your capability and your talents, it is a waste if you dont be a master teacher...." Zheng Fei chirped in as well. "Oh... I will think over the matter then!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Zhang Xuan had decided to take the master teacher examination, but he was reluctant to acknowledge any of these three fellows as his teacher. It wasnt for any other reason... Than because these three had been trying to be Yang shis students. They were giving their all to be his students while trying to take Zhang Xuan as their student.... What in the world was this.... "Mm! Thats good. Welle over tomorrow then." Seeing that the other party didnt directly reject them, they heaved sighs of relief. "Right, Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Liu shi, I happen to have a question to ask you three." Seeing that the other party didnt persist on the matter, Zhang Xuan thought of the poison aura in his body and opened his mouth to ask the question. "Oh? Feel free to speak of whatever it is thats on your mind! As long as its something we know of, well try our best to help you." Liu Ling stroked his beard. "Since thats the case, I would like to ask where I can find books on Poison. The more, the better," Zhang Xuan spoke. As Zhang Xuan had no idea what the poison aura in his body was, it would be hard for him to ask the master teachers about it. Also, it might also result in unnecessary trouble, so he might as well just ask them for books. In any case, as long as there were sufficient books on poison, through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan should be able to easily find out what poison it was, and solving the problem would be simple then. "Books regarding poison?" Not expecting the young man before them to ask such a question, the three master teachers exchanged nces. "In the field of poison, no one can surpass the Poison Hall!" After hesitating for a moment, Liu Ling said this with a grim expression. "Poison Hall?" Zhang Xuan was confused. Even though there were many books regarding poison in the Tianxuan Kingdom Book Collection Vault, there wasnt any record of such a location. Thus, this was the first time Zhang Xuan was hearing the term as well. "Yeah, Poison Hall!" Liu Ling nodded his head. Chapter 210: Teacher Acknowledgement (First Half) Chapter 210: Teacher Acknowledgement (First Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Actually, the Poison Hall refers to the Poison Master Guild!" "Poison Master Guild?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes nkly. Since its a guild, it should be called Poison Master Guild just like the Apothecary Guild, cksmith Guild, and Teachers Guild. Why would it be called the Poison Hall? The name sounded eerie. "Do you feel like since its a guild, it should just name itself as a guild just like the others? Are you wondering why it would be called the bizarre name of Poison Hall?" Seeing through Zhang Xuans doubts, Liu Ling exined, "Actually, this has something to do with the identity of Poison Masters. "Poison Masters are adept in utilizing poison. Often, their means can get through the guard of others, inducing massive fear against them. Reviling their underhanded means, they are ssified in the Lower Nine Paths. On the other hand, due to their fearsome means, countless experts of the continent allied together to deal with the Poison Master Guild. Back then, when the guild was destroyed, countless poison masters died in the ordeal. "Afterwards, even though they had managed to pass down their heritage, in fear of the same thing urring to them once more, they dared not appear in the world. As a result, they secretly formed the Poison Hall and hid amid the mountains and rivers. This is precisely the reason why even though there are poison masters, they are hard to find within the kingdom. If one has to speak of a ce which has the most books on poison, it has to be here. Its just that even I cannot confirm its exact location." Liu Ling shook his head. "Ah..." Zhang Xuan smiled wryly. In the end, Liu Lings words turned out to be pointless. What Zhang Xuan needed now were books on poison. If he was unable to find the Poison Hall, there wasnt any point listening to all of this. "ying with poison is extremely dangerous. Many poison masters, in order to concoct more potent poisons, often use their own bodies as test subjects. As such, very few of them live for long. Very few people want toe into contact with poison without sufficient reason. Zhangoshi, may I know what you intend to do by asking for books of this kind?" The three master teachers were perplexed. Due to the lethal nature of poison, unless one possessed a great hatred for someone stronger than them and needed the strength of poison to exact their vengeance, very few people would dabble in it. Even if people didnt try the poison they concocted for themselves,ing into contact with poison daily would also result in minute doses of it being absorbed into their body daily. Eventually, it would umte, so most poison masters couldnt live for long. This had also caused most of their personalities to be entric. It could be said that just speaking of this upation was sufficient to leave people apprehensive. Very few people would be willing toe into contact with it. This Zhangoshi refused to be their apprentice and asked them about this matter instead. The master teachers couldnt stop from feeling curious about this matter. "I am just asking out of curiosity." Zhang Xuan smiled. He couldnt speak about the matter of him being poisoned. Otherwise, it would lead to questions like "Why isnt the poison acting up?" or "Why is your zhenqi so pure?" and eventually, it might expose the existence of the Library of Heavens Path. This item was his greatest secret, and he would never tell anyone about it. Seeing that the other party was unwilling to say anything about the matter, Liu Ling asked no further either. After pondering for a moment, he added, "Actually, even though I dont know the exact location of the Poison Hall, Ive heard that there is a Poison Hall branch in the Red Lotus Ridge, which is in the extreme northwest of Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom. Of course, this is only hearsay. As for whether there is truly a branch there, I cant really confirm it." "Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom?" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. A book regarding the country appeared in his head. If they had a 1-star master teacher backing the country, it would be eligible to be ranked as a Tier 2 Kingdom. Given how Tianxuan Kingdom had no master teachers at all, it could only be considered as an unranked kingdom. Tianwu Kingdom was the strongest kingdom of the surrounding territories reaching the level of Tier 1. It was even higher ranked than the Beiwu Kingdom Liu Ling came from. It was said that there was a 2-star master teacher backing the country. This country wasnt too far from Tianxuan Kingdom. They could even be considered as close neighbors since they both bordered the Red Lotus Ridge. "Other than the Poison Hall, the Master Teacher Pavilion also has books on all upations. Plenty of them are on poison too. Even though the quantity and quality cant bepared to the former, the size of its collection far exceeds that of some countries. If you only wish to gain an understanding of the upation, you should visit the Master Teacher Pavilion to take a look. But of course, if you wish to enter the book collection vault, you have to first pass the master teacher examination." Zhuang Xian smiled. It seemed like he hadnt given up on the idea of having Zhang Xuane under him as his apprentice. "Master Teacher Pavilion?" "Yeah. Even though master teacherse into the Teachers Guild in name, due to their prestigious identity, the guild isnt capable of interfering in their affairs. Thus, another autonomous organization was created to govern the master teachers and conduct examinations. Its known as the Master Teacher Pavilion." Zhuang Xian added, "The Master Teacher Pavilion is actually just like any other guild. The treasures and secret manuals within are only essible by master teachers. Its book collection vault contains the knowledge of countless upations, so theres surely books regarding poison there." "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. It seemed that if he wasnt able to find the Poison Hall, bing a master teacher and entering the book collection vault of the Master Teacher Pavilion could solve his current problem too. "Alright, we hope that you can give this matter more thought. Given your talent, as long as you study diligently, you will surely be able to be a master teacher one day. You shouldnt think too much about other things." The four of them chatted awhile longer, but upon seeing that the young man seemed to be truly disinterested in bing their apprentice, Liu Ling offered Zhang Xuan advice before leaving with the other two. They knew that it was best to slowly convince a talented teacher like Zhang Xuan instead of pressuring him. Perhaps he might truly change his mind within a couple of days. If they were to keep persistently questioning him about the matter, it might have the opposite effect instead. After the trio left, the several students immediately ran up to Zhangoshi. Admiration glimmered in their eyes. Did you see that? Other teachers would definitely lose their mind upon hearing that a master teacher wanted to ept them as their student, yet our Zhangoshi simply rejected three master teachers calmly.... Isnt he too incredible! "Dont give me those looks. I havent settled the score with you all from the recent event!" Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. These brats had actually said that the three master teachers were lecherous peeping toms. It was fortunate that it was only ink and the other party didnt intend to pursue the matter. Otherwise, even Zhang Xuan would be stumped by this problem. After rebuking them, he went ahead to guide them one by one. After all was said and done, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of satisfaction. Even though these fellows were mischievous and unreliable, they were extremely serious in their training, not cking off in the least. Other than Yuan Tao, his other students had all reached Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm. Initially, he thought that the one who would improve the most would be Zheng Yang, but contrary to his expectations, it turned out to be the weak-looking Wang Ying. In just a short few days, her cultivation had soared. Not only did she break through the Fighter 2-dan barrier, she reached the pinnacle of Fighter 2-dan intermediate stage, and she was currently just a step away from reaching advanced stage! The rate of her improvement was nothing short of shocking. Even though thisss may seem airheaded on the surface and she blushed easily when speaking with others, she actually possessed an extraordinarily determined will. When she hardened her resolve to aplish something, not even Zhao Ya would be able to best her. His other students had also done well. However, that was to be expected. After all, he had imparted them with the cultivation techniques and battle techniquespiled by the library. If they were unable to achieve such a level of improvement, it would truly be embarrassing. Through the library, Zhang Xuan could tell that his five students had been secretly cultivating a joint attack formation. Taking a single look, there werent any disadvantages to the formation. Instead, it augmented theirbined fighting power. As long as they werent fooling around, Zhang Xuan wouldnt interfere in their affairs. Nurturing a student was different from raising a nt or a pet. A teacher ought to guide them onto the right path and impart them knowledge to help with their cultivation. Otherwise, if a teacher restricted them in whatever they did, they would lose their independence, bing nothing more than puppets. It was just like how the rote learning method in Zhang Xuans previous life had killed the creativity of numerous children, mass producing adults who were only capable of testing well. Right after finishing his lecture, Zhang Xuan would leave the ssroom. In fact, there were times he would stay out for several days. While there werepelling reasons for his absence, Zhang Xuan wasnt being irresponsible. Rather, he was worried that if he kept interfering in their training, it might impede them from bing true experts in the future. A true teacher should impart knowledge and guide students, but not restrain them. "In order to take the master teacher examination, I need to be an apprentice.... But I dont want to acknowledge Liu Ling and the others as my teacher...." After instructing his students one by one, Zhang Xuan fell into a dilemma once more. Apprentice, master teacher; master teacher, apprentice. It felt cyclical, leaving Zhang Xuan with a splitting headache. Right, I can choose to be my own apprentice instead! After being conflicted for a period of time, a thought abruptly appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Other than Zhang Xuan, wasnt he "Yang shi" as well? In the minds of others, Yang shi was a master teacher as well. If Zhang Xuan became his apprentice, wasnt he also qualified to take the master teacher examination? Even if Yang shi was unable to provide a rmendation letter for him, he could ask Liu Ling and the others to do so in his ce. When "Yang shi" asks for a favor, who wouldntply? "Ill do it that way then!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan left the academy and headed toward his mansion. If he wanted to be Yang shis apprentice, "Yang shi" had to speak. ........................ Leaving the academy, Liu Ling and the others smiled bitterly at their failure of being unable to take Zhang Xuan as their apprentice. Putting aside a remote country like Tianxuan Kingdom, even in Beiwu Kingdom and Hanwu Kingdom, as long as they showed the slightest bit of intention of taking an apprentice, countless star teachers woulde fighting for the position. Yet they had revealed their intentions clearly to this fellow, only to be rejected by him.... They very much so wondered what was in his head. "To be able to reach an astounding level of mastery in painting, pill forging, and the Way of Tea at such a young age, it is natural for him to becent!" Liu Lingmented, remembering the varied and incredible feats the other party had done. "Indeed! We need not hurry. Tomorrow is the Teacher Evaluation between him and Lu Xun. Perhaps hes thinking of achieving a wless victory beforeing under us. This way, it would be much more justified and glorious," Zhuang Xian guessed upon remembering the event. "Thats possible..." The other two nodded their heads in unison. The reason for his rejection might be due to this matter as well. Otherwise, even if he was unwilling to be their student, would he be willing to give up on the opportunity to be eligible for the master teacher examination? This was the pursuit of all teachers in the world. It was just like bing an expert in the path of cultivation, it was something that no one in the upation would be able to resist. "We muste over to watch tomorrows duel. However, before that... should we deal with our personal affairs first?" Liu Ling suddenly said. "You mean... acknowledging Yang shi as our teacher?" Zhuang Xians eyes lit up. It was impossible for a person to only have a single master in their entire life. This logic applied to master teachers too. Upon reaching higher levels, one could acknowledge another teacher to learn from them. "Indeed. Since Yang shi was able to easily help Shen Hong and Zheng Fei achieve breakthroughs, it is clear that his methods are much more advanced than ours. If we can acknowledge him as our teacher, we might be able to break through our bottleneck and gain the qualification to be 2-star master teachers. In fact... we might even pass with a single attempt with his guidance!" The more Liu Ling said, the brighter his eyes shone. A good teacher would be beneficial to their future development. After the past few incidents, Yang shi had fully disyed his extraordinary capabilities. If they could acknowledge him as their teacher, they might be able to reach greater heights... Reaching the level in their dreams, but beyond their reach. Chapter 211: Teacher Acknowledgement (Second Half) Chapter 211: Teacher Acknowledgement (Second Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "To qualify for the 2-star master teacher examination, besides possessing two supporting upations, ones cultivation must also be at least of Zongshi realm. Throughout the years, we have visited countless experts to seek advice on our cultivation, but even so, we are unable to make the final breakthrough. Our only hope is with Yang shi!" Zhuang Xian nodded his head as well. When one bes a Zongshi, his lifespan is increased. Just this in itself is an allure that no one is able to resist. Having been stuck in Half-Zongshi for a very long time, they had visited numerous 2-star master teachers, but even so, were unable to make that final leap forward. A few days ago, when they witnessed Yang shi guide the dying Shen Hong to achieve a breakthrough, they could no longer hold themselves back. Since Shen Hong was able to do it, they are definitely able to do it as well! However, that is only if... Yang shi is willing to guide them. "No matter what, we should give it another try. Perhaps, we might be able to seed." Zheng Fei said. Since the moment Yang shi assisted him to reach Half-Zongshi, the intention to acknowledge him as his teacher had already sprouted in him. But back then, his intentions were disregarded and he didnt dare to ask any further. But now, even Liu shi and Zhuang shi are trying hard, so naturally, he cantg behind them. "Alright, lets go and take a look!" As they thought of this, the three master teachers hesitated no more and headed straight for the mansion. .................................... "Brother Lu, Ive bought the pills. Do you want to reconsider the matter? Are you really going to use it?" In Lu Xuns ssroom, Wang Chao stared at his good friend with worry. Even though these pills can generate a massive boost in ones cultivation within a short timespan, there are heavy repercussions on the users body. "Dont worry, I know what Im doing." Receiving the pills from his friends hands, Lu Xun hesitated for a moment beforemanding his students. Shortly, the students, whose name were on the Teacher Evaluation name list, appeared before him. Zhu Hong, Mo Xiao, Du Lei, Bao Chao, and Kong Jie! "Teacher!" These five stood erect before Lu Xun, and every single one of them exuded a deep and powerful aura. After half a month of cultivation, just like Zheng Yang and the others, they had all reached Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm. However, unlike Wang Ying and the others, they had all reached Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm pinnacle, even before they acknowledged Lu Xun as their teacher, and all they werecking was just an impetus for their breakthrough. Even Kong Jie, who is slightly inferior to the other four, with various resources focused on him, managed to achieve a breakthrough. "Here is a pill. Consuming this pill expands your dantian, allowing you to achieve a breakthrough by tonight to reach Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm! This way, you will definitely be able to achieve victory in the Teacher Evaluation." Lifting the pills in his hands, Lu Xun scanned the faces of his students. Without hiding anything, he spoke of the ws of the pill as well. "However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Since it is able to help someone achieve a breakthrough so quickly, naturally, there are side effects. After reaching Zhenqi realm, your cultivation speed will be decreased to be 70% of what it was previously." "However, as long as I be a master teacher, I will make sure to resolve this issue. I will even ept you as my direct disciples and oversee your training personally." "Of course... The choice is up to you. I will not force any of you. If you were to lose, it will only mean that our rtionship as teacher and student hase to an end!" After which, he ced the pill down and looked at them. Even though he had made his choice and bought the pills, he nevertheless left the final decision in the hands of his students. He desired victory but was still unable to bring himself to force his students to consume the pills against their will. There is a boundary that teachers should never cross. Teachers have their own dignity as well. Having taught innumerable students over so many years, he couldnt bear to stoop to such unscrupulous means for victory. "I believe in Luoshi." Without hesitating for long, Zhu Hong stepped forward. Training by the conventional route, it is nigh impossible to reach Zhenqi realm without two to three years of effort. If this pill can allow one to achieve it in a single night, so what if their future cultivation will be affected? Who can guarantee that their cultivation would be smooth-sailing? Furthermore, once they be a direct disciple of Luoshi, this wont be a problem. When studying under the same teacher, there is a huge difference between a normal student and a direct disciple. Usually, when a teacher imparts knowledge, it was done with hundreds of people in attendance. Thus, it is impossible to offer pointers tailored to personal needs to every single student. In the case of normal students, they will have to undergo trial and error in order to find their way forward. It is as though a huge pot of vegetable being seasoned with the same seasoning, the vor will only be average at best. However, being a direct disciple is different. It is as though a vegetable specially cooked in a small pot. His teacher holds personal consultations, offering one pointer so that he will not waste his time on useless things. Even if the pill does affect their growth, with this kind of guidance, they will still be in for a bright future. Thinking of this, Zhu Hong made a stand and swiftly swallowed the pill. The pill, upon being ced in his mouth, melted immediately, turning into a surge of unique energy which gushed through his meridians. Seeing that Zhu Hong had made his decision so quickly, Lu Xun nodded his head in satisfaction. He ced his hands on the other partys back and slowly infused zhenqi into the other partys body, guiding this surge of energy. After an unknown period of time, with a crisp sound, Zhu Hong stood up abruptly, exhaled a mouthful of turbid breath, and the aura he exuded amplified greatly. Fighter 3-dan, Zhenqi realm! Just as Lu Xun had said, consuming the pill raised his cultivation by an entire level. "Incredible... I want to give it a try as well!" Witnessing the person achieve a breakthrough sessfully, Mo Xiao, Du Lei, Bai Chao, and Kong Jie could no longer hold themselves back and walked forward simultaneously. The rest of them had made up their minds as well. If Luoshi really bes a master teacher, as his direct disciple, their standing would definitely soar by leaps and bounds. With that in mind, they chose to take the pill as well. Soon, all of them reached Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm. "Good, good!" Seeing that all five students had reached Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm, Lu Xuns eyes gleamed with excitement. Putting aside the freshmen, their current strength would allow them topete even against top students who had been in the academy for several years. "Tomorrow will be the day where I, Lu Xun, perform before everyone else. I shall astonish the entire academy and silence all of those discussions behind my back!" Clenching his fists tightly, Lu Xun regained the confidence which he lost during the day and roared mightily. So what if he is skilled in the Way of Tea? So what if he is a grandmaster painter? As a teacher, I, Lu Xun,... am not inferior to anyone! You three master teachers, I will show you tomorrow that I am the best choice you can make! .............................. "Old master, the three master teachers have been waiting for you for a very long time." Returning to the residence, Sun Qiang immediately stepped forward to wee Yang shi. "Theyre here?" He was considering whether to send someone to invite them, but it turned out that the three fellows were even more enthusiastic than him. Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. Walking into the lounge, he saw the three master teachers seated, and upon seeing Yang shi enter the room, their eyes glittered with excitement. "Liu Ling (Zhuang Xian, Zheng Fei) pays respect to Yang shi!" The trio bowed immediately. "May I know what you three have for me, visiting me at such ate hour?" Zhang Xuan sat down and instructed for a cup of tea. After a long and slow sip, he finally turned to look at them, his expression impassive. After a trip to the Tian Residence and the academy, the sun had already set by the time Zhang Xuan arrived at the mansion. "Yang shi, the three of us earnestly wish to acknowledge you as our teacher, and we hope that you can ept us!" Liu Ling and the others quickly stood up, sped their hands, and bowed deeply. Anxious, they sneaked nces at Zhang Xuan. Age doesnt determine knowledge. Even though they are significantly older than Yang shi, the other party is clearly more capable than them. Age isnt a determining factor for one to acknowledge a teacher. "You wish to acknowledge me as your teacher?" Lifting his cup, Zhang Xuan removed the floating tea leaves elegantly. Even as he spoke those words, there wasnt the slightest hint of emotion on his face. After having disguised himself for the past few days, he is no longer the amateur whom anyone could see through easily. Every single movement of his carries authority and magnanimity. The atmosphere in the room stilled. "Yes. Even though the three of us arent talented, we can serve by your side and share your burdens." The breathing of the three master teachers hastened. Thest few time that they were here, they did express their intention to acknowledge Yang shi as their teacher, but they hadnt spoken of it clearly. Now that theyve said it out loud, if they were to get rejected, it would be over. "If Im not wrong, the reason why you all wish to acknowledge me as your teacher is that your cultivation has reached a bottleneck, and you are unable to achieve a breakthrough. If you were to be my student, you might be able to make this final step and advance further." Without even lifting his head, Zhang Xuans voice was indifferent, as though a block of silent ice. "Ah... Yes!" Having their intentions exposed, Liu Ling and the others blushed in embarrassment. "Seems that you are honest!" Seeing that they didnt deny the matter, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "We hope that Yang shi can fulfill our wish!" Liu Ling and the others gritted their teeth. Zhang Xuan didnt reply. Instead, he slowly put down his teacup, stood up, and walked to the center of the room. The three master teachers were wondering what he was going to do when a calm voice suddenly sounded. "I, Yang shi, have traveled and visited countless countries. I prefer to live a quiet and tranquil life, so I dont reveal my identity easily. You probably havent heard of my name, even in the other countries, am I right?" "Yes!" When they heard the name Yang Xuan, they had specially looked into the matter, but there isnt such a person in the surrounding kingdoms. Back then, they thought that thetter was simply using this fake name to impersonate a master teacher, but from the looks of it now, it seems like Yang shi had just been keeping a low profile. "If I dont want others to know that I am a master teacher, even if you were to check with the Master Teacher Pavilion, you wont be able to find anything." Zhang Xuan said. "However, in Tianxuan Kingdom, I revealed my identity, even helping others with their problems. Do you know why?" The reason why Zhang Xuan said all of that in advance was toy the foundations so that they wouldnt doubt his identity. After all, the name Yang Xuan is fake, and they wont be able to find this name in the Master Teacher Pavilion if they were to check. With these words, not only would the other party not doubt his words when they are unable to find it, they will even feel reverence for him. For his identity to be unable to found in the Master Teacher Pavilion... How incredible does he have to be? "We apologize for our ignorance!" Liu Ling and the others stared at Yang shi. Actually, they had felt perplexed on this point as well. If such an incredible master teacher really chooses to blend in with the crowd, who will be able to tell his true identity? Yet, everyone in Tianxuan Kingdom found out about his identity. "During my travel, I happened to meet apetent youngster. Very satisfied with him, I epted him as my direct disciple. However... I wont be staying here for long, and afraid that he might be oppressed by others, I revealed my status intentionally so as to give him a title." With both hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stood erect at the center of the hall, as though a towering mountain. "Apetent youngster? epted him as a direct disciple?" Liu Ling and the others stared at one another. Suddenly, they thought of something and their eyes narrowed. "Can it be that... Can it be that... Yang shis direct disciple is... Hongtian Academys Zhang Xuanoshi?" If that is the case, everything makes sense. For a low-level teacher at a remote kingdom to be able toe up with such incredible theories and be a grandmaster painter, expert tea master, and more importantly... reject the apprenticeship of the three master teachers. Probably, only a student of Yang shi is able to do so. Zhang Xuan was delighted to observe that the other side had caught quickly, and he was able to save his saliva, nodding his head in satisfaction. "Un, Zhang Xuan is my direct disciple. If you want toe under my tutge... That would mean that hes your..." "Senior!" Chapter 212: The Teacher Evaluation Arrives! Chapter 212: The Teacher Evaluation Arrives! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Senior?" The mouths of the three master teachers twitched and their bodies swayed. The twist came too abruptly. They were thinking of epting the other party as their apprentice when all of a sudden, he had be their senior. To call a fellow who isnt even twenty their senior? The three master teacher felt dizzy. They found the rtionship extremely peculiar. However, the bizarre expression on their face merely flickered on their faces for an instant. Agitation and excitement took over their expressions. "Does Yang shi mean that... you are willing to ept us?" Liu Ling suddenly came to a realization. Trembling in agitation, his face creased so tightly together that it seemed to be able to squeeze a mosquito to death. Since Yang shi had told them to address Zhang Xuan as their senior, doesnt this mean that he is willing to ept them as his student? "Thank you, Yang shi!" Zhuang Xian and Zheng Fei immediately knelt to the floor. Even though the other party hadnt expressed his intentions clearly, he wasnt objectionable to the issue. If they dont hurry up and the other party changes his mind all of the sudden, wont they cry themselves to death? "These two fellows..." Seeing his old buddies react so quickly, Liu Ling quickly followed suit and knelt down as well. Zhang Xuan didnt turn around, and his expression remainedpletely calm. "Since you have all be my students, I will assist you with your cultivation. However, I am used to wandering about and I wont be staying here for long. Even though Zhang Xuan is my direct disciple, he is way too young and his cultivation is still immature. He might require your assistance." "Teacher, rest assured. Since wevee under your tutge, we will definitely follow your rules. Given that Zhang Xuan is our senior now, as long as it is within our capabilities, we will make sure to assist him." Liu Ling and the others expressed their sentiments. There is a set of rules that when a master teacher epts a disciple. A direct disciple is a rank higher than that of normal students. That is to say, even if the direct disciple is the youngest of the lot, before the other students, he is still considered the senior. Even though it sounds peculiar, there had been many of such exceptions in the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it isnt anything significant. Since they had decided to acknowledge Yang shi as their teacher, Zhang Xuan would naturally be their senior. Thus, as juniors, they wouldnt spare any effort to assist him. "Un, show me your battle technique." Having confirmed the teacher-student rtionship with the trio, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. "Yes!" Knowing that Yang shi was going to guide them on their cultivation, they stood up immediately and excitedly. It didnt take long before the rustling of wind sounded in the room as the trio disyed their battle techniques. After an unknown period of time, the trio sped their hands and took their leave. Even though they were still Half-Zongshi and they had yet to achieve a breakthrough, the excitement on their faces was almost impossible to hide. Actually, Zhang Xuan was capable of helping the trio reach Zongshi realm on the spot, but if he were to do so, his pure zhenqi and low cultivation realm would be exposed. This could have potentially led to countless troubles in the future. After some contemtion, he decided to simply point out the ws in their cultivation. In his words, having pointed out their ws, and it is a trial to the trio to achieve a breakthrough with the new knowledge. As 1-star master teachers, if they are unable to achieve a breakthrough even after knowing all these, it would show that there are fundamental ws in their talents, and he would have to reconsider his decision to ept the trio as his students. Hearing those words, the three master teachers didnt dare to say anything. They listened attentively to the ws the other party spoke of, afraid that they would mishear anything. However, now that they know where their mistakes lie, given their knowledge andprehension on cultivation, reaching Zongshi realm bes only a matter of time. "Old master, Emperor Shen Zhui is waiting outside." Zhang Xuan was about to rest after dealing with the three master teachers when Sun Qiang came in with the report. "Hes here? Can it be..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Have him enter!" "Yang shi!" Soon, Emperor Shen Zhui walked in, sped his hands, and bowed. His gaze was filled with passion and reverence. Not only did he save the dying old ancestor, he even helped him reach Zongshi realm. Those feats are something that even a 2-star master teacher would find hard to aplish. Perhaps... The person standing before him is a 3-star master teacher, or even someone much more incredible. Even the emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom would find it hard to meet someone of his caliber. "Reporting to Yang shi, I have managed to gather the Tongxuan realm secret manuals that you had me collect..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. His condition for treating Shen Hong was for Shen Zhui to collect these Tongxuan realm cultivation technique manuals in his stead. It has been a few days since then, and given the influence of the royal family, collecting thousands of such books wasnt any issue. "Yang shi, please look through them!" As Shen Zhui gestured with his hand, thousands of books stacked up in a pile before him. He brought all of the books in his storage ring. "Un!" Walking forward to pick up a few books, Zhang Xuan quickly flipped through them, ced them down, and proceeded to do the same with other books. From the very start, when Yang shi had made such a request, Emperor Shen Zhui was already perplexed why such an incredible master teacher would need Tongxuan realm secret manuals. Upon seeing this situation, his confusion worsened. If the other party opens the book and reads through them, Emperor Shen Zhui could have attributed the matter to him studying. But to flip through them just like that... What is he doing? Even though Emperor Shen Zhui was perplexed, he didnt dare to mention anything. He stood obediently by the side, quietly observing. Hula, hula! In a single go, Zhang Xuan flipped through the thousands of secret manuals. Even though the manuals gathered were rather average in standard, the quantity more than made up for it. Given that Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path, it is the best situation that could have happened. "Correct!" With a jolt of his mind, the books converged to form a single entity in the library. Tongxuan realm Heavens Path Divine Art! "Alright, Im done. You can take them away!" Zhang Xuan casually waved his hands. Since he had already created replicas of all of the books in the library, there was no need for him to keep the physical copies. "This..." Emperor Shen Zhui was taken aback. In order to gather all of these secret manuals, he had paid quite a substantial amount. Initially, he thought that Yang shi would at least take a look. In the end, he simply casually flipped through them and returned them to him... "Are these books not to your liking? If so, I can search for more..." After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Shen Zhui couldnt help but ask. "Theres no need. Im already done reading these books, you can take them back." Zhang Xuan casually waved his hands. "Done... reading these books?" Emperor Shen Zhui nearly fell to the ground. You... you... what can you possibly have read like that? Casually flipping through those books like that, and you say that you are done reading them... Do your eyes grow on your hands? "Yes!" Even though he felt so stifled that he could spurt blood, he dared not to question any further. He kept all of the books in his storage ring, sped his hands, and said, "Then, Ill be taking my leave..." "Un!" Zhang Xuan casually waved him away. Emperor Shen Zhui returned back to the royal pce immediately after leaving the mansion. "Have you passed the books to Yang shi?" Old Ancestor Shen Hong walked over. "I passed him the books, but... he didnt want them and... he gave them back!" Even until now, Emperor Shen Zhui had maintained his confused expression. "Gave them back? Is Yang shi unsatisfied with the books?" "Thats not it..." "Then, has he finished reading them?" "He didnt read through them at all..." "Didnt read through them at all? Then, what did he want the books for?" Shen Hong was perplexed. "He... He... simply fiddled around with it..." "Fiddled?" Shen Hong blinked his eyes. I can understand if you wish to fiddle around with beautifuldies, but why did you fiddle around with those books? "Indeed, it is impossible for us to understand the minds of geniuses..." After a contemting over the matter for an extremely long time, they finally arrived at this conclusion. ........................ After Emperor Shen Zhui left, Zhang Xuan told Sun Qiang that he would not be seeing anyone else, before returning to his room. "Time to cultivate!" Zhang Xuan immediately turned his attention to the 7-dan Heavens Path Divine Art which was just formed. "The opening of acupoints, the connecting of the meridians, allowing zhenqi to flow without any hindrance, that is Tongxuan..." The words appeared clearly in his mind. As this version of Heavens Path Divine Art was formed bypiling thousands of secret manuals together, there were no problems with it all. Zhang Xuan read and cultivated via the method exined within simultaneously. Pure zhenqi began to circte within his body, and ording to the unique cultivation method written in the perfect manual, the zhenqi revolved unceasingly. Boom! With just a single cirction, he had barged through the bottleneck and spiritual energy in the air surged into his body with hysteria. His zhenqi and strength improved exponentially. Tongxuan realm primary stage! Tongxuan realm intermediate stage! ... In no time, he had achieved Tongxuan realm pinnacle! "Along with the rise in my cultivation, my speed of improvement is slowing..." Feeling that his cultivation had reached another bottleneck, Zhang Xuan stopped. As Zhang Xuan had to deduce the correct acupoints one by one in Pixue realm, it wasnt an urate gauge of his cultivation speed. On the other hand, when he was at Dingli realm, cultivating via theplete version of Heavens Path Divine Art, he took around two hours, but now... "It took a whole ten minute longer. Looks like the higher ones cultivation reaches, the more difficult it is to cultivate!" Zhang Xuanmented with a grim expression. If anyone else were to know his thoughts, they would definitely want to strangle him to death. You call an additional ten minutes difficult? Even top-notch geniuses, with the augmentation of countless treasures, to cultivate from Tongxuan realm primary stage to pinnacle would take a minimum of ten years of hard work. Yet, you only took ten minutes more than two hours and you think that your cultivation speed has slowed... The heck, why dont you go and die! "I should check out how much my strength has improved..." Zhang Xuan stood up and walked over to the Strength Measuring Rock Pir. Using just the strength from his zhenqi, he sent his fist into it. Weng! A line of numbers slowly floated into view. "600 ding!" A look of delight immediately appeared on Zhang Xuans face. At Pixue realm pinnacle, he had opened 108 acupoints, granting him an additional 108 ding of strength. In addition to the previous 20 ding, he possessed a total of 128 ding of zhenqi strength. Now that he has achieved a breakthrough, his strength increased by several folds. Usually, a Tongxuan realm expert would possess 100 ding of strength at primary stage, 200 ding at intermediate stage, 300 ding at advanced stage, and 400 ding at pinnacle. With a zhenqi strength of 600 ding, Zhang Xuan is able to match up to a Half-Zongshi. A Zongshi expert wields tremendous strength, and their blows easily exceed a thousand ding. Those who possess strength between 400 ding and 1000 ding are known as Half-Zongshi. If he were to add the 90 ding of strength from his physical body, his strength would almost reach 700 ding. With such strength, his prowess would be the top few even among Half-Zongshis. "Finally, I possess the power to protect myself!" Now that he has suchmensurate and mighty power, coupled with his Library of Heavens Path ability to see through ws, he can finally stand against top-notch experts within the country. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even since he noticed the poison aura within his body, the fear that someone is trying to kill him had been guing his mind. Without sufficient strength, if the enemy were to make another attempt, he definitely wont be able to resist. Now that Zhang Xuan holds strengthparable to a Half-Zongshi, he finally regained his sense of security. After reinforcing his cultivation and adapting to his newfound strength, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. Unknowingly, a day had passed, and the sun was rising slowly from the east. Its radiance spilled over the horizon and scene of tranquility formed in the city. "To think that it is already dawn..." Looking at the rising sun, Zhang Xuan realized that the Freshmen Tournament and the Teacher Evaluation which he had waited for half a month... Has arrived! Chapter 213: The Shocked Qian Chao Chapter 213: The Shocked Qian Chao Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Qian Chao is Pavilion Elder Qians son. Initially, he had intended to ck off and take a good rest today, but his father forcefully dragged him to the Teacher Evaluation, filling him with resentment. "Father, you could have just asked someone to report the result of the Teacher Evaluation. There isnt any need for you toe here personally!" Indignance showed through Qian Chaos face, "No matter what, youre one of the few subjects whom His Majesty values highly. You didnt even attend the duel between the North Marquis and Swift General previously, so why would you spectate some trivial duels among students?" He really couldnt understand his fathers thoughts. For a Pavilion Elder who doesnt even need to bow down to His Majesty, he was able to even skip attending a duel between tier-1 officials in the royal court. Yet, of all things he could have done, he chose to watch students battle one another. Even though the teachers prestige are at stake at the Teacher Evaluation, it is in actual fact just a few students fighting one another... A matter of such level should just be left to his subordinates. Why does themander-in-chief have to appear personally for such a small matter? He would just scare others with his presence. "This is a 3-star incident. I have to be here personally..." Pavilion Elder Qian replied. "I know that it is a 3-star incident. Everything that concerns the academy will have the incident elevated by a single star, and Lu Xunoshi is a star teacher, which adds another star. In truth, it is merely a 1-star incident..." Qian Chao curled his lips in disdain, thinking nothing much of this matter. Under normal situation, 1-star incidents do not need to be reported to His Majesty. If Pavilion Elder Qian were to personally attend to matters of such insignificance, wont he tire himself to death? "This isnt that simple!" Pavilion Elder Qian harrumphed "Howplicated can the matter get? It is just a duel between students; I dont believe that the severity of the matter can get as serious as the duel between North Marquis and Swift General. You must know, back then, just the number of tier-2 officials who participated in the matter added up to a total of twelve. It is definitely the greatest duel of the year..." Qian Chao still didnt think that this matter was worthy of such consideration. The North Marquis and Swift General are tier-1 officials of the kingdom, and the news of the duel was announced beforehand. Countless experts went to spectate the match, but... This old man of his refused to go, saying that the matter didnt have enough stars and wasnt worthy of his consideration... Yet, he decided to watch the fight among a few students. Qian Chao started to doubt whether his father is getting senile. "This morning, I received news that n Head Wang Hong of the Four Great ns, n Head Bai Ming, and the elders of both ns had arrived at the Hongtian Academy. This shows how much they value this matter. Do you think that there is no reason for me to be here?" Pavilion Elder Qian said. "n Head Wang Hong is a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert. He is one of the most influential figures, even when considering the entire kingdom into ount. Even though n Head Bai Mings standing is beneath that of n Head Wang Hong, he is nevertheless an official apothecary and is of esteemed standing... You say that they havee to the school to spectate the battle between a few students?" Qian Chao didnt believe Pavilion Elder Qians words. Even though these two n heads dont hold official positions, their true standing isnt inferior to tier-1 officials of the royal court. How can people of such esteemed standing be interested in a duel between mere students? "Take a look yourself..." After turning around a bend, they arrived at the Hongtian Academy dueling tform. The spectator stand was already packed with people. Pavilion Elder Qian casually pointed. "I doubt there will be many people in the VIP seats... Ah?" Muttering to himself, Qian Chao took a nce at the seats and his body froze in shock. "n Head Wang Hong and n Head Bai Ming are really here... That is... Guild Leader Ouyang? Why is Guild Leader Ouyang of the Apothecary Guild here as well? There is also Apothecary Meng Yan, Apothecary Lin Mu, Apothecary Jin Chen... This... How can this be possible?" Initially, he thought that mere duels among students wouldnt attract much attention. However, with a single look, not only did he notice a n head of the Four Great ns, more than ten apothecaries, including the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild, are present as well. What is going on? Apothecaries, as one of the top upations among the Upper Nine Paths, possess noble standing. Even Emperor Shen Zhui finds it hard to arrange a meeting with a figure like Guild Leader Ouyang, yet he is here watching a bunch of kids fighting one another... Unable to believe his eyes, he felt his head begin to spin. "Not just them, look over there!" Before he could recover from his shock, Pavilion Elder Qian pointed in another direction. Looking toward the direction where the finger was pointed, Qian Chao shuddered once more. His mouth quivered in astonishment. "The kingdoms number one physician, Master Yuanyu? That is... Elder Tian? He didnt even appear for His Majestys birthday banquet thest time,ing up with various excuses. Yet, why... why would he..." A moment ago, Qian Chao was still thinking that his father is making a big fuss out of nothing. Yet... He now finds himself nearly dying from overwhelming shock. Master Yuanyu is a powerful figure that even His Majesty has to treat with utmost respect. As for Elder Tian, even His Majesty finds it hard to obtain a single sip of the tea he brews. It is clear just how incredible his standing is. Yet, two amazing figures stood patiently on the spectator stand, waiting... Can anyone tell me what is going on? Are you for real? "Who are those sitting over there? Why did so many people give up their seats for them?" "I have no idea as well. They are probably of high standing..." He was about to die from shock when Qian Chao suddenly heard the students exmation. Lifting his head to take a look, he staggered once more. "The three... three master teachers? They... Theyre here as well?" What appeared in his vision were the three elders. If the few people before had only caused him to be shocked, seeing the three master teachers here made him horrified. They are master teachers! They are incredible powers who can disregard his father altogether. Yet, such figures... just like the many others, are seated on the spectators stand... However, this wasnt the end. He soon saw two middle-aged men take a seat. "They... They... Emperor Shen Zhui and City Lord Zhao Feng of Baiyu City?" His throat felt dry. He thought that it was embarrassing for his father to lower his status to attend such a lowly event. Yet... Even His Majesty and City Lord Zhao Feng hade personally. Baiyu City is the secondrgest city of Tianxuan Kingdom, and its city lords position is second only to the emperor! Is this really just a duel between students? Even if the princes were to battle one another, it wouldnt be such a huge asion! "Actually... The one who holds the most esteemed position among the crowd isnt His Majesty or the three master teachers, it is that person!" Seeing his son getting so terrified over the figures who had appeared here, Pavilion Elder Qian spoke. Qian Chao hurriedly looked over and saw an unimpressive plump man. "He is..." Knowing that his father has a huge intelligencework and it is impossible for him to say such words for no good reason, Qian Chao asked. "He is... Yang shis butler, Sun Qiang! His presence represents Yang shi..." Pavilion Elder Qian said slowly. "Represents Yang shi?" Qian Chao swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "The Yang shi who kept Emperor Shen Zhui at his entrance?" Yang shis affairs had spread like wildfire, and it was natural that Qian Chao had heard of it. Liu shi and the others had paid him a visit and admitted that they were inferior to him. Even Emperor Shen Zhui had to queue outside for an audience with him..." For such an incredible master teacher to send his butler here... Qian Chaos body trembled. He was unable to understand why the attention of so many powerful figures were fixated on this duel. "This... Is this really a 3-star incident?" "Even though it was ssified as a 3-star incident, from the looks of it now, it is already a... 5-star incident!" A grim look appeared on Pavilion Elder Qian. Only a 5-star incident can create such a hugemotion and attract so many noble figures. "Can it be... Lu Xunoshi?" After contemting over the matter, Qian Chao asked with a trembling voice. Lu Xun is a celebrity teacher, and his reputation resounds throughout the kingdom. Can it be his prestige which attracted so many people here? And forcefully pulled a 3-star incident up to a 5-star incident! "Him? I also find this matter peculiar. Even though he has a huge reputation, I dont think that hes sufficiently qualified. Right now, my doubts are on Zhang Xuanoshi." Pavilion Elder Qian hesitated for a moment before speaking. It is true that Lu Xun is famous, but at the very most, he can only attract the attention of Wang Hong, Bai Ming, and a few others. It is impossible for Guild Leader Ouyang and the apothecaries to havee for him. Needless to say, Emperor Shen Zhui, Elder Tian, and Yang shis butler, Sun Qiang. Since it isnt him, it has to be his opponent. Zhangoshi... The teacher with a terrible reputation. "Zhang Xuan..." Hearing the unfamiliar name, Qian Chao was stunned. If what his father said is true, then to be able to attract the presence of so many powerful figures for his affair... How did that fellow do it? He isnt the only one who is on the verge of going insane. The numerous teachers of the academy are also tugging at their hair frenziedly. Are you sure that it isnt the principal dueling with someone else? Otherwise, why would the emperor, three master teachers, Elder Tian, Master Yuanyu... and so many amazing figures appear here? Reverting back to his original look, Zhang Xuan led Zhao Ya and the others to the dueling tform. Looking at the crowd on the seats, the excited Emperor Shen Zhui and the others, a peculiar expression appeared on him. "This is the Teacher Evaluation between me and Lu Xun. What are that bunch of fools... doing here?" Chapter 214: Yuan Tao VS Kong Jie Chapter 214: Yuan Tao VS Kong Jie Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove On the spectator stand. A sliver of worry and agitation appeared on Shen Bi Rus impable face. After the Enlightenment Will Trial, she had matters to attend to and left Tianxuan Royal City. When she returned yesterday, she heard of the Teacher Evaluation immediately and nearly fainted from shock. Is this Zhang Xuan insane? Who is Lu Xun? He is the living signboard for Hongtian Academy, a true celebrity teacher. To be pitting against him... Does he wish to be shamed that much? Moreover, he had specially poached several students to specifically counter Zhao Ya and the rest. "Why are you that rash..." Gritting her jade teeth tightly, Shen Bi Ru recalled what happened yesterday and felt even more stifled. After knowing of the news, she went to find Zhang Xuan to persuade him, but... the other party was out! She waited an entire night outside the other partys dormitory... Yet, he didnte back at all. Tomorrow is the duel, and it is said that Lu Xun had spent the entire night tutoring his students, suffering from ack of sleep due to that. Yet, you threw your students aside and stayed out... Does anyone prepare forpetitions the way you do? Arent you way too gutsy! Or do you think that the situation is hopeless and that you have given up? After the incidents at the Compendium Pavilion, Hongtian Pavilion, and Enlightenment Will Trial, she thought that even though Zhangoshi had a terrible reputation, he is actually an extremely prudent person. Now, it turns out that... Prudent your ass! Who has ever seen a person disappearing for several days right before apetition? "What exactly are you thinking? Why do you seem out of sorts the moment you return?" She was burning with anger within when a beautiful face suddenly appeared before her. The other stunner of the academy, Han Qiong! Han Qiong is also a rare beauty. In terms of just her appearance, she is slightly inferior to Shen Bi Ru. However, she is currently twenty-five, the age where a womans charm shines through. Considering her figure and her feminine charm, thetter would be far from a match. As such, there are many followers of Han Qiongoshi, and their numbers far surpass that of Shen Bi Rus. As top-ss beauties, the two teachers have a good rtionship in private and are bosom friends. "Who else can it be except for that Zhang Xuan. God knows what that fellow is thinking of, to actually duel with Lu Xunoshi!" Shen Bi Ru harrumphed furiously. "If he were to lose, the reputation which he had just built up would be tarnished, and his credibility would crumble!" He had just proven at the Enlightenment Will Trial that the Education Bureau had framed him. If he were to lose in this duel, all kinds of rumors would be generated and no one would believe his words anymore. "From the looks of it... It seems that you are concerned about him?" Han Qiong chuckled. A sly grin shed through her eyes. "No one is concerned about him! He is just an arrogant fellow!" Shen Bi Ru harrumphed. "Its good that you are unconcerned about him. I thought that our Great Beauty Shen had fallen in love!" Han Qiong stretched her back, revealing an astonishingly voluptuous figure. Not lingering on the topic, Han Qiong asked curiously, "Oh right, say... Who do you think will win the duel?" "Zhang Xuans five students, Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others are not bad. However, Lu Xunoshi had made arrangements to specifically deal with each of them. Mo Xiao and the others are obviously their nemeses. Im afraid that... it is unlikely for Zhang Xuan to win." Upon mentioning who would win in the Teacher Evaluation, the anger and stifled expression that Shen Bi Ru had before disappeared, and in its ce is calmness and intelligence. After hearing of the duel, she looked into the matter and found out about Lu Xuns arrangements. That fellows actions do indeed appear unscrupulous, but truthfully speaking, this is also the sign of an outstanding teacher. Regardless of who one faces, he should give it his all and vie for all advantages he can possibly get. This is a basic quality that teachers and cultivators should have. "Unless..." At which, Shen Bi Ru paused for a moment. Wisdom reflected in her bright eyes and she said, "Zhao Ya and the others have reached Fighter 2-dan. Through the advantage in their cultivation, they might still be able to match up against Lu Xuns students!" Lu Xun had specially found students to deal with Zhao Ya and the others. Unless thetter achieves a breakthrough, thus oveing their opponents advantages through sheer strength, it is nigh impossible for them to win. "Youre right!" Han Qiong nodded her head in agreement. "Look, Zhangoshi and his students have arrived..." "What powerful aura! Zhao Ya and the others have actually reached... Fighter 2-dan?" "But... Its impossible! Reaching Fighter 2-dan in half a months time?" ... The duo was discussing the Teacher Evaluation when amotion suddenly broke out among the crowd. Following immediately, they saw Zhang Xuan walking up with Zhao Ya and the others following behind him. At this moment, Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others were emitting exceptionally powerful auras. Every single gesture of theirs felt mighty and intimidating. Fighter 2-dan! Except for Yuan Tao, who is at Juxi realm advanced stage, the others have already reached Dantian realm! "This..." Shen Bi Ru and Han Qiongs eyes lit up, "Even though Zhang Xuanoshi doesnt look reliable, it seems that he is nevertheless quite capable!" Han Qiong smiled. "Except for Yuan Tao, who is slightly weaker, the others do possess a chance at victory..." Shen Bi Ru nodded her head in agreement. Halfway through her words, her face suddenly paled. "Whats wrong?" Seeing her good friend fall into such a state, Han Qiong felt baffled. "Lu Xunoshi and his students have arrived!" Shen Bi Ru clenched her fists tightly. "Luoshi? So what if hees? Zhao Ya and the others have reached Fighter 2-dan, so they stand a good chance at victory..." Han Qiong chuckled. At this point, she suddenly saw Zhu Hong, Mo Xiao, and the others who followed closely behind Lu Xun and her mouth twitched. "Fighter 3-dan? All of his students... have reached Fighter 3-dan?" "At Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm... One gains the ability to propel zhenqi and ones strength reaches 300kg... How can Zhang Xuan and his students win?" The duo froze in astonishment. It is a qualitative difference between 2-dan and 3-dan. At 1-dan Juxi realm, one absorbs spiritual energy and propel it through his body, thus refining his body to that of a fighter, making it suitable for cultivation. At 2-dan Dantian realm, ones body starts to umte spiritual energy at his dantian, expanding it. At 3-dan Zhenqi realm, one will be able to drive their zhenqi in their body. In terms of physique, reaction speed, or strength, the two prior realms are too far below forparison. It can even be said that one reaches a whole new level as a lifeform upon reaching Zhenqi realm. If Lu Xuns students were just ordinary mortals before, they are currentlyparable to tigers and wolves. How can the Zhang Xuans students match up to them under such conditions? Just a moment ago, upon realizing that Zhao Ya and the others have reached Fighter 2-dan, Shen Bi Ru and Han Qiong thought that it is likely that Zhang Xuan wins. But from the looks of it now... It would be a miracle if he can even win a single match! There not a single chance at victory! "If he wants to win... Only if a miracle happens!" Shen Bi Ru smiled bitterly. Previously carrying hope for Zhangoshis victory, she doesnt dare to harbor such thoughts now. The two beauties were indescribably astounded. The other teachers who are spectating the fight became dumbfounded as well. In an instant, the entire surroundings turned silent. All of them nced at Zhang Xuan with eyes of sympathy. To bepeting with Lu Xunoshi... He sure is looking for trouble! "Fighter 2-dan against Fighter 3-dan? It would be hard for Apothecary Zhang to win!" Just like the other teachers, Guild Leader Ouyang and Apothecary Du Man nced at one another and shook their heads simultaneously. "Indeed, the two are entirely different levels. There is no hope of victory!" "Looks like Apothecary Zhang... will lose!" The other apothecaries also arrived at the same conclusion and they sighed inmentation. With just the appearance of Zhang Xuan and Lu Xun on the field, many people have alreadye to the verdict that the scale of victory is tilted toward Lu Xun. ... "Today is the day of the Freshmen Tournament. But before that, we shall first hold apetition between the teachers, the Teacher Evaluation between Lu Xunoshi and Zhang Xuanoshi." Seeing that the two stars of the show had arrived, the principal, who hadnt appeared in public for a very long time, stood at the dueling tform, and his voice resounded across the entire academy. Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan and Lu Xun led their students onto the dueling tform, and the both of them sat by the side of the ring. The Teacher Evaluation is a battle between students; teachers are not allowed to interfere in the battle at all and can only sit by the side. Naturally, the duels between the students are only a part of the Teacher Evaluation. There are also written papers, potential assessments, and simr trials. However, as cultivators value strength greater than anything else, even if they were to triumph over their opponent in thetter examinations, it wouldnt be a glorious victory. "Who wants to go first?" Zhang Xuan paid no heed to the surrounding discussions. Rather, he looked at his five students calmly. "Allow me!" Yuan Tao stood forward. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Zhang Xuan is confident in the other partys abilities now that his Emperor Bloodline has been awakened. "Kong Jie, go up. Defeat that worst student of the academy!" Seeing the other party had sent the fellow who is ranked thest in the entrance examination out first, Lu Xun sneered coldly. After a night of individual tutoring, his five students had already reinforced their Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi primary realm cultivation, and they had already gotten used to propelling the zhenqi in their body. With their strength, defeating a couple of Fighter 2-dan isnt a problem at all. "Later on, when you suffer a crushing defeat, Ill see how you are qualified to be the apprentice of the three master teachers!" A cold gleam shed across his eyes and Lu Xun sneered. All of his hard work is for today. When his students defeat Zhang Xuan in public, that fellow will be humiliated, making it impossible for him to be the apprentice of the three master teachers. By then, everyone will know that he, Lu Xun, is an invincible existence in Hongtian Academy. ... "Senior Kong, please go easy on me..." Staring at the opponent before him, Yuan Tao looked at him with a pitiful expression. "Look at how plump I am, my cultivation is only at Fighter 1-dan as well..." "Go easy?" The edges of Kong Jies lips curled up. His disdain for thetter was clear, "I never go easy on others in a battle! Either you admit defeat, or... be kicked off the ring by me. Make your own choice!" "Admit defeat? If I admit defeat, Zhangoshi will beat me to death..." With a look of distress, Yuan Tao walked forward. "If you do not wish to admit defeat, be prepared to be kicked off the ring then! Its that simple!" Ignoring the other partys show of weakness, Kong Jie sneered coldly. The battle hadnt begun, yet the fellow is already pleading for mercy. He is truly an entric person. However, from this by itself, it can be seen that Zhangoshi doesnt have any abilities. Luoshis victory is certain. "How about this? Since I cant defeat you anyway, allow me to put on an act and hit you a few times before I admit defeat. This way, Zhangoshi wont be able to me me for this. If you cooperate with me, I will pay you a thousand... No, five hundred... three hundred gold coins aspensation." Walking until he was right before the opponent, Yuan Tao said with a suppressed voice. "Three hundred gold coin? For putting on an act?" Kong Jie was taken aback. "Do you really have that much gold coin?" "I do, look!" Yuan Tao stretched his left hand into his pocket to retrieve something. At the same time, Kong Jie couldnt help but lower his nce. However, what waited for him wasnt gold coins. Instead, a fist came flying straight toward him. "I fell for his trick..." At this moment, he understood that this is the other partys ploy. Yuan Tao had nned it out well. Feigning weakness and acting pitifully to convince the other party of his plight before going on to bribe the other party to divert his attention andst but not least,unching a sneak attack on him... The heck, do you need to be so shameless? So many students and esteemed figures are looking at them! Can you at least consider your own reputation... He felt a stifled sensation in his chest, but it was already toote for him to react. Narrowing his eyes, he felt an incredible strength surging at him. Before he could do anything, an excruciating pain spread through his face. Hu! He was sent flying out of the dueling ring immediately. Chapter 215: Ive Lost Chapter 215: Ive Lost Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove On the seats specially reserved for teachers. Wang Chao was seated upright on one of the seats with a haughty expression on his face. His presence felt like a spear which would pierce into the heavens. "Seems like Zhang Xuan is truly hopeless. Other people tend to send out their strongest member in the first match, so as to win the first battle and boost the morale of the team. Yet, he chose to send out this useless fellow at the very start. Is he admitting his defeat?" Elder Hong Hao stroked his beard, excited by the sight before him. After Zhang Xuan exposed the imitation ingredients used in his Hongtian Pavilion, his business had been poor. The shop wasnt far from closing down, and he had been wanting to skin this fellow alive. If not for the fear that the academy would find out about the matter, leaving him unable to conduct his business at all, he would have long made a move on Zhang Xuan. "A Fighter 1-dan advanced realmd against a Fighter 3-dan opponent... Thats apletely one-sided battle!" Wang Chao lifted his head up proudly and said, "Besides, Kong Jie has been practicing Iron Palm from young, granting him an outstanding offensive ability. On top of that, he belongs to the group of geniuses who ultilise a style of frenzied offense. Once he begins, Yuan Tao probably wont even survive ten breaths before flying out of the ring!" "A Juxi realm advanced stage has around 90kg of strength. On the other hand, a Zhenqi realm primary stage has around 300kg of strength. That is a difference of threefold. I will be amazed if he can survive three breaths against such an opponent!" Elder Hong Hao chuckled. "Indeed, if Kong Jie gets serious from the start, that fellow will be destroyed in an instant!" Wang Chao agreed. "Seems like the first match is Lu Xuns!" "Of course! In fact, I think that Luoshi will win all five matches. This time, Zhang Xuan will be utterly humiliated." Elder Hong Hao harrumphed coldly. The other party destroyed his source of ie. Ever since then, he had been wanting to crush him. Thus, he specially looked for Lu Xun to initiate this matter. If not for his interference, it was unlikely that the Teacher Evaluation would ur. He has many methods up his sleeves to cause Zhang Xuans downfall. By all means, he wants to make him regret all he had done in Hongtian Pavilion. "Its started!" Not knowing that the other party was thinking about all these, Wang Chao nodded his head before eximing. Wang Chao is extremely confident in Kong Jie. The previous day, he helped Lu Xun to mentor these students, thus he is well aware of how scary those five are despite their young age. A bunch of fellows who are at most Dantian realm wishes to triumph over them? Isnt this dreaming? Overjoyed at the opportunity to get back at Zhang Xuan, he turned to look at the dueling ring, only to see the two students facing each other. "Senior Kong, please go easy on me..." The next moment, Yuan Taos plea echoed in the air. Upon hearing those words, the duo nearly spurted a mouthful of saliva andughed heartily. Yuan Taos voice may not be loud, but they are both experts. With their sharp ears, they could hear his words clearly. "To be afraid of the opponent even before the match, whats the point ofpeting!" "To instill fear in the enemys troops before the fight, Luoshis students sure are incredible..." Elder Hong Haos eyes glowed. Did you see that? The highest realm of teaching a student is not for your students fighting prowess to be impressive, but for his appearance to instill fear in the other students... This is called a true expert! This is the true might of a celebrity teacher! You, a mere low-level teacher, will never match up to him! "From the looks of it, that fellow should admit his defeat... Ah?" Hearing the conversation, Wang Chao nodded his head as well andmented. But halfway through his words, his voice ceased abruptly as though someone had grabbed onto his throat. For a moment, he seemed to be suffocating. "Whats wrong?" Immersed in his delight, Elder Hong Hao hadnt paid much attention to the situation on the stage. At this moment, hearing the bizarre edge to the other partys tone, he immediately lifted his head to look at the dueling ring. With a single nce, he nearly spurted blood. Yuan Tao, whom they thought was doomed, stood in the dueling ring, patting the dust off his clothes, looking incredibly valiant on the stage. On the other hand, the powerful Kong Jie lied beneath the dueling ring. His eyes had turned white and it was clear that he had fainted. "What... is going on?" Being outside the dueling ring means instant disqualification. What had happened? Why, in the blink of an eye, that new Zhenqi realm genius who was about to disy his full might would be suddenly lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back? Thepetition did end in less than three breaths, as they have thought, but... why did it end like this? Elder Hong Hao felt as though he was going mad. "That fool..." Stunned, Wang Chao roared. If he could, he would have pped Kong Jie to death that instant. Given your superior offensive strength and cultivation, why did you chat with him... If you had just attacked him from the start, it wouldnt end up like this. Look at what has happened. Before you could even disy your Iron Palm, you were already sent flying, pummeled to the point that even your parents wont be able to recognize you... "You... Sneak attack! Despicable!" Zhu Hong roared. Does anyone spar like that? Just an instant ago, you were talking about how you were going to admit defeat, but in the next, you sent a fist flying straight at the other partys face. Arent you being too shameless? Where is your sportsmanship? However, watching this sight made Zhu Hong recall the incident when he delivered the war letter to Zhang Xuanoshis ssroom, causing his mouth to twitch uncontrobly. It seems that... of the students under Zhangoshi... there isnt a single one who knows what sportsmanship is... "Sneak attack? The duel has already begun. Anyone can make a move, so why would you call it sneak attack? I wouldnt mind even if he were to attack me!" Ignoring the other partys chatter, Yuan Tao flung his sleeves, and with the disposition of an expert, he stared down at Kong Jie in disdain, "He should me himself for being weak. To be unable to even sustain a single hit of mine, how brittle can he be?" "Weak?" "No matter how strong one is, it is impossible for anyone to stand against such a sneak attack..." "To speak of sneak attacks so righteously, how can you be so shameless?" ... Hearing his brazen words, the spectators mouths twitched. If other people were to win by sneak attack, they would be guilt-ridden. Yet, this fellow spoke of it so brazenly, as though it was the natural thing to do... The heck! Wheres your dignity? "Teacher, does this mean that its my victory?" With his hands behind his back, Yuan Tao turned to look at the refereeing teacher. "That... Its your victory!" The teacher turned to nce at Kong Jie and judging from his state, it was unlikely that he could regain consciousness soon. Thus, he could only nod his head to Yuan Taos words. After refereeing the Freshmen Tournament for numerous years, this was the first time he met with such a matter. If one were to use Yuan Tao of sneak attack, the duel had already begun. In a sense, it is Kong Jies fault for being distracted, so he cant me another person for his loss. Yet, it is clearly not an ordinary battle... "Hmph!" Seeing his first student being struck out of the dueling ring the moment he got up, giving away the victory that should have been his, Lu Xun nearly choked on his anger. He had spent an entire three million to purchase pills. Then, he spent an entire night, expending his zhenqi to help them achieve a breakthrough to Zhenqi realm... But what did he receive? At the very least, you should have at leaststed for awhile against the other party. If you cant match up to him, I would have just epted it. Yet, without even making the slightest move, you were sent flying out of the ring... Lu Xun grabbed at his chest and he felt his vision going gray. If not for his self-control, his body would have been convulsing now. "Luoshi, weve lost the first round. What should we do next?" Zhu Hong asked worriedly. "Mo Xiao, youre up next." Ignoring the constricted sensation in his heart, Lu Xun said. "Yes!" Mo Xiao nodded his head. Wielding his spear, he walked forward. "Zheng Yang, youre up!" After seeing who the other party sent out, Zhang Xuan said. Zheng Yang nodded his head. Wielding a spear in his hands as well, he walked into the ring. The two friends were to face one another in the ring once more. ncing at the returning Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in approval. It wasnt that he was approving Yuan Taos sneak attack, just that Yuan Tao was a Juxi realm advanced stage whereas his opponent was a Zhenqi realm cultivator. The difference between them exceeded more than a single realm. No matter how powerful Yuan Taos defensive and offensive abilities are, if he cantnd a blow on the other party, it would just be talk. Yuan Tao knew that his speed was his weakness, thus he put on an act before attacking his enemy... Honestly speaking, Kong Jie couldnt me his carelessness on anyone else. ... "Its Mo Xiao! It will surely be a victory this round!" Suppressing the disappointment from the first match downward, Wang Chaos eyes lit up upon seeing Mo Xiao stepping onto the stage. "He is..." Upon seeing the other partys confident deration, Elder Hong Hao turned to look at Wang Chao with a peculiar expression. "Mo Xiao specializes in spear art and he was once my student!" Wang Chao nodded his head. "On top of being a Zhenqi realm cultivator, hisprehension of spearmanship is impressive. More importantly, I have imparted the Wang ns spearmanship 3rd form, 7th form, and 18th form to him!" "Onset of the Cold Gleam, Remnants of the Setting Sun, and The Returning Forest Canary?" Disbelief shed through Elder Hong Haos eyes. "Even though these three moves arent the strongest moves in Wang ns spearmanship, they are nevertheless profound techniques and possess boundless might. You imparted such valuable spear techniques to him?" The Wang ns spearmanship is known as the greatest secret spear art in Tianxuan Kingdom, and there isnt a single spear user who doesnt wish to learn it. However, Wang Chong and Wang Chao never imparted these moves to any outsider. This is precisely the reason why the set of spear technique is bing more and more valuable. Countless people are willing to do anything toy their hands on it. Usually, learning a single move can mean that one will be invincible among peers of the same cultivation level. Yet, Mo Xiao had learned three moves at a single go, and furthermore, they are the more advanced moves! "Indeed! Thats the reason why Mo Xiao will definitely win!" Not only did confidence reappear on Wang Chaos face, it even deepened as he spoke of Mo Xiao. It seemed as though the slight hup before doesnt affect the situation at all. However, it isnt a surprise either. Kong Jie isnt his student. While Wang Chao knew that he isnt weak, he isnt too clear of his personality whatsoever. But Mo Xiao is different. Having been under him, Wang Chao knows that Mo Xiao is resilient and headstrong. It is almost impossible for Zheng Yang to win through a sneak attack. More importantly, thetter had received this personal guidance and his spearmanship has reached great heights. It would be difficult for him to lose even if he wants to! Wang Chao had also seen Zheng Yangs abilities when he visited him on the first day of school alongside Mo Xiao. His spear was feeble and it didnt hold the sharp disposition that a spear user should have. Thus, he rejected him from his tutge. In just half a month, it is impossible for a person like this to grow much stronger. As such, it is impossible for Zheng Yang to match up to Mo Xiao. A month with the stave, a year with the saber, and a lifetime with the spear. If one could improve their spearmanship so swiftly, the Wang n wouldnt be proimed as the number one spear n in Tianxuan Kingdom. Clearly, Lu Xun was aware of the fact as well, thats why he sent Mo Xiao up. He hoped for him to achieve a perfect victory and reverse the situation. "Mo Xiao, weve met again!" On the dueling tform, Zheng Yang ced his spear taut on the ground, with its tip facing the sky. "Indeed, weve met again!" Mo Xiao nodded his head, lifting his spear up as well. From young, the two of them had been good buddies. It was hard to imagine that they would meet on a dueling tform under such a situation. "Lets start!" Knowing that it would be difficult for his friend to make the first move, Zheng Yang said. "Hold it for a moment, allow me to warm up first!" Mo Xiao shook his head. Retreating a few steps backward, the zhenqi in his body flurried and he executed the three moves which he had learned from Wang Chao smoothly. Wuwuwuwu! The spear emitted shock waves in all directions, causing the spectators hair to fly about. "What is that fellow doing? If he disys the three spear art now, isnt he telling the other party that he knows the Wang ns spearmanship? How will he fight if the other party is guarded against those three moves of his?" Seeing how Mo Xiao didnt dive straight into the battle and instead, disy his spear art to warm up, Elder Hong Hao was perplexed. If one shows his trump cards before the battle, wont the other party be guarded against it? "Hehe, rest easy!" Wang Chong chuckled. With a confident and proud look, he said, "It is impossible for the Wang ns spearmanship to be countered. These moves have long been out spreading all these years. Many people had attempted to imitate them, but no one seeded in deciphering and countering them. Mo Xiaos actions are right, he is intentionally allowing the other party to see it so as to exert pressure on him. Afterward, he will bring the fame of the Wang ns spearmanship to greater heights!" "Thats... Perhaps so!" Elder Hong Hao nodded his head. The Wang n spearmanship movements have been spread for many years, but without learning the underlying zhenqi cirction method, it is impossible to execute the move no matter how lifelike ones imitation is. More importantly... There isnt a counter for it. If it could be countered, Wang Chong wouldnt be that famous. On the dueling ring, Mo Xiao executed the three Wang ns spearmanship moves perfectly and thus, concluded his warm up. "Alright, he is probably going to show the prowess of the Wang ns spearmanship now!" Wang Chao chuckled once more. He was about topliment Mo Xiao further and watch Zheng Yang being beaten to a pulp when, dangng, he saw Mo Xiao drop the spear in his hands onto the ground suddenly as he sighed. "Even though I have reached Zhenqi realm, I am unable to match that spear of yours. I admit defeat!" "What?" Wang Chaos body shook. The fight hasnt even started! Why are you admitting defeat! Even if one has to admit defeat, it should be the opponent! The heck, whats going on? Lu Xun, who stood on the opposite, staggered as well. He was on the verge of tears. Chapter 216: Exerting Too Much Force Chapter 216: Exerting Too Much Force Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove For Lu Xun to have risen up through the ranks, his talents and skills werent the only determining factors. More importantly was his attitude. Regardless of the challenges that he faces, he deals with them in a calm manner, not allowing pride to get in his way. Even though Zhang Xuans reputation is terrible, Lu Xun didnt underestimate him at all and made preparations in advance. Before deciding on the students to send for the duel, he investigated Zhang Xuans students in order to pick out the bestbination to deal with and counter them. Based on his investigation, Zheng Yang grew up with Mo Xiao and they practiced the spear together. However, the Mo Xiaos talents are obviously superior to Zheng Yang, and of the countless battle between the two, it had always been Mo Xiaos victory. This was precisely the reason why he poached Mo Xiao from his best friend, even having his friend impart him the Wang ns spearmanship. He thought that this way, this battle would surely be his for the taking, but... before the battle even started, Mo Xiao had already thrown aside his spear and admitted defeat... Lu Xun felt his entire body tremble and he was about to go crazy. Kong Jie fell for the other partys deception and got knocked out in a single punch. Alright, Ill tolerate it. At most, just six hundred thousand of my gold coins (three million divided over five students) went to waste. But you... what is going on with you? Ive seen many darned people, but Ive never seen such a darned person! You clearly know the reason why I stayed up sote, just to help raise your strength, is to achieve victory in the Teacher Evaluation. Furthermore, I had spent so much money on you, yet you admitted defeat even before the fight... "Whats going on?" "Two Zhenqi realm students, the first one was sent flying by a single punch while the second one admitted defeat without a fight? What is going on?" Wang Chao and Lu Xun werent the only ones who were in bewilderment over the happenings, the spectating students and teachers were baffled as well. When they saw Luoshi bring a group of Zhenqi realm students over, all of them thought that it would be a one-sided match. Yet... The matches became truly one-sided but sided toward the other party... Actually, the crowd wasnt the only confused ones. Even the person in question, Zhang Xuan, was unable toprehend what was happening as well. When Mo Xiao and Zheng Yang crossed blows with one another in the ssroom, Zhang Xuan was at Master Lu Chens home, so he wasnt aware of it. Thus, he couldnt understand why Mo Xiao would admit defeat before the fight even started. "The reason why I admitted defeat is that, a few days ago, the both of us participated in a private duel. With just a single move, Zheng Yang was able to defeat me! In fact, it wouldnt have been difficult for him to im my life then." Before Zhao Ya and the others could tell Zhang Xuan about the situation, Mo Xiaos voice suddenly rang from the stage. His voice was calm, and the slightest dismay or regret couldnt be heard. Rather, it sounded carefree. "I had been pondering over thest few days on how I should counter his move. Initially, I thought that with a breakthrough to Zhenqi realm, I might be able to neutralize the technique. Thus, I tried it just now but realized that I still am not a match for him. The move which Zheng Yang had learned from Zhangoshi points straight toward the essence of the spear, and Im afraid that even if I were to study it for my entire life, I still wouldnt be able to understand it, needless to say, withstand it." "Since I know that I will be defeated with a single move, I might as well admit my defeat right away!" At this, Mo Xiao sped his fists and chuckled softly, "Zheng Yang, you have a good teacher. You have to treasure him dearly!" At which, Mo Xiao picked up his spear, turned around, and returned back to his seat. His voice echoed throughout the field and almost everyone heard his words clearly. "Mo Xiao said that he wouldnt be able to decipher and counter the move which Zhangoshi imparted Zheng Yang even if he were to devote his entire life to it?" "Thats to say, his move is superior to even that of the Wang ns spearmanship? How is that possible?" "Since this is a duel, it is unlikely for him to lie... Otherwise, wont Luoshi beat him to death?" ... Everyones eyes widened in shock. The Wang ns spearmanship is simply too famous in Tianxuan Kingdom. Many people are able to recognize it simply by looking at the moves. It is an indomitable existence in its field, representing the pinnacle of spear arts. Yet, Mo Xiao said that he isnt a match for the other party... Everyone was astounded. "Looks like Zhang Xuanoshi isnt as weak as the rumors put him out to be. On the contrary, it seems that he is a person of great means!" "Indeed, out of a total of five matches, he has won two of them consecutively. Will Luoshi really lose here?" "Who knows. But I hope that Luoshi will be able to make aeback..." ... Voices in heated discussions filled the surroundings. Lu Xun, who was on stage, was breathing heavily and his face was turning green. The heck, what is wrong with these students whom I have taught? No student should ever do their teacher in like that. Furthermore, what do you mean with your words? Zheng Yang has a good teacher... Do you not have a good teacher as well? I spent three million to buy pills for you, students, exerting my zhenqi to help raise your cultivations. Yet... This is all I get? Even though Lu Xun was infuriated, he knew that it wasnt the time tosh out. The moment he loses his temper, the prestige which he had built up over the years would immediately crumble. He scanned the students before him. There were still three of his students who had yet to fight yet. Bai Chao, Du Lei, and Zhu Hong. Bai Chao specializes in fist techniques, making him a tough opponent for Liu Yang, who had damaged his meridians in his right arm. Du Leis possesses impressive leg techniques. On top of that, Lu Xun had also imparted a formidable movement technique to him, granting him nimble movements, so it shouldnt be a problem for him to deal with Wang Ying, whose legs are injured. As for Zhu Hong, he will be facing Zhao Ya. After losing two rounds consecutively, Lu Xun has to win the next one. Otherwise, his reputation will be tarnishedpletely. "Du Lei, you go up next!" After contemting for a moment, he decided to dispatch Du Lei. Based on his investigations, Wang Ying has a weak and gentle character. As long as Du Lei assaults her swiftly the moment the match starts, thetter will definitely be intimidated. Besides, the other partys legs had just recovered and they are still weak. Even if Du Lei were to be unable to win against her, he should be able to stand his own ground and rely on his movement technique to avert danger. At the very least, he will not suffer crushing defeats like the two before. Du Lei nodded his head and walked up to the dueling ring. "Wang Ying!" Seeing the other party had sent Du Lei, Zhang Xuan gestured for his own student to face her opponent. Wang Ying answered. With a slightly flushed face, she walked to the ring as well. By the spectator stand. "As expected of Luoshi. Even though he has lost two rounds consecutively, he has seen through Zhang Xuans weakness." Shen Bi Rus eyebrows were deeply knitted together in worry. "Weakness? What weakness?" Han Qiong was perplexed. "Wang Ying is the sole daughter of the n Head Wang Hong of the Four Great ns. She has a weak and innocent nature, and as such, trusts others too easily. Of Zhang Xuanoshis five students, she is the weakest link." Shen Bi Ru said. "If thats really the case, then she is indeed Zhang Xuans weakness." Han Qiong nodded her head in agreement. To cultivate is to go against the heavens. Those who possess weak characters tend to be at a disadvantage when fighting with others. "Not just so, Wang Ying was also injured when she was younger, leaving a disability in her legs. Even though she has no problem walking around, this w will show through the moment she fights. For this matter, n Head Wang Hong had invited numerous famous physician in the kingdom to treat her. Even Master Yuanyu had taken a look at her condition, but he was also at a loss on how to help her, having to return bitterly." Shen Bi Ru knew quite a bit of Wang Yings matter, and she recounted them to Han Qiong. "Thats to say... With Wang Yings legs, it is impossible for her to match up to Du Lei." "Ah?" Han Qiong was astonished. She hadnt expected it to be such a situation. "As for this Du Lei, he was once Chen Hongoshis student." "Chen Hongoshi? The teacher who specializes in movement technique?" "Un, him! Of all of his students, Du Lei possesses the greatest speed. Using such a person to deal with Wang Ying, it is clear that Luoshi had done his homework." Shen Bi Ru shook his head. "Seems like Wang Ying... will lose!" ... "Plea... Please do guide me!" On the stage, Wang Ying sped her hands with a slightly reddened face. "I dont dare to im to be able to guide you. If you wish to fight, lets start now!" Knowing that he shoulders a heavy responsibility, Du Leis feet pushed against the ground, and lowering his body, he charged straight toward Wang Ying. His movements were quick, as though a whizzing arrow. "Fast!" "Is he really a Fighter 3-dan cultivator? Even a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm cultivator wouldnt possess a speed of his level!" "This move is called Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps, it is a famous technique belonging to Luoshi. To think that Luoshi would generously impart this move to his student!" "Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps? The greatest secret manual on movement techniques in Hongtian Academy? Isnt it considered one of the top techniques in Tianxuan Kingdom?" "Thats right!" "If I could learn this move, I would definitely be able to reign supreme among those of the same cultivation level. This Wang Ying is probably in for a tough fight!" ... Many students had recognized Du Leis technique and they were astounded. The Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps is a formidable technique, even whenpared to the other profound movement techniques. Luoshi had once relied on this movement technique to defeat numerous experts. No one had imagined that he would impart it to Du Lei. Even though Du Lei had only learned the fundamentals, this in itself is sufficient for him to defeat cultivators of the same realm. Not to mention, Wang Yings legs are injured and her cultivation is only at Dantian realm. Facing Du Leis swift charge, Wang Ying gritted her silver teeth, twisted, and dodged his assault. "Hehe, you might be able to evade my first attack, but how much more can you evade?" Realizing that she had managed to dodge his rapid charge sessfully, Du Lei felt perplexed. However, he paid no further heed and sneered coldly. Driving the zhenqi in his body furiously, his speed grew faster and faster, and soon, blurred shadows started to appear around the ring. At the highest level, the Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps allows one to create nine shadow clones. It is difficult for one to differentiate between the shadow clones and the true person, making it nigh impossible to evade its attacks. Even though Du Lei was still far from producing nine shadow clones, now operating at his full strength, the afterimages he produced nevertheless made it difficult to discern his true position. "Way too strong!" "Such amazing speed, I cant even see him! How can one fight against something like that?" The mouths of the students twitched. Imagining themselves in Wang Yings shoes, they could not help but shake their heads. Based on their level of strength, they werent even able to see him. If so, how could they fight him? "Seems like its Du Leis victory!" Wang Chaoughed heartily. After having his face pped for two consecutive times, he had already been traumatized within. But observing at Du Lei, he hadnt gotten deceived like Kong Jie, getting knocked out in an instant, and neither did he admit his defeat the moment he walks onto the stage. This made him feel reassured. It would be embarrassing if a Zhenqi realm cultivator loses against a Dantian realm little girl whose legs are injured. "Indeed, given his incredible speed, even I myself would find it hard to defeat him if I were to lower my cultivation realm to fight with him, needless to say, that youngss." Elder Hong Hao stroked his beard and smiled, "Look, that Wang Ying is going to make a move..." Wang Chao nced over and saw Wang Ying lift her right leg. Hesitation was obvious on her face, and she seemed to be uncertain on how she should attack. "Haha, to deal with such a movement technique, one should rely on their hands instead. After all, ones hands are much more nimble than ones legs! Her legs are injured, and yet she still insists on using them. Such a fool, it would be a miracle if she can sessfullynd a kick on him..." Sneering coldly, Wang Chao was in the midst of mocking Wang Ying when he saw the girl send a kicking toward a shadow before her. Peng! Before the ridiculing smile could fully form on his face, Wang Chao saw the afterimagese to an abrupt halt. Du Leis face reddened and he was sent flying a dozen meters,nding heavily onto the ground. He coughed mouthful after mouthful of blood. "Du Lei... Im sorry. I tried my best to control my strength, but I still ended up exerting too much force by mistake..." Wang Ying panicked and she hurriedly apologized. Her face was flushed red and it seemed that she was on the verge of tears. Chapter 217: It’s a Draw Chapter 217: Its a Draw Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Silence. The entire ce turned silent. Everyones mouth was widened in astonishment, all of them dumbfounded. Shen Bi Ru, who just imed that Wang Ying would lose, felt as though she had been pped hard in her face. Her deep, ck eyes were about to pop out from their sockets. "A single kick... and she sent Du Lei flying? How... How did she know which were shadow clones, and which was the real one?" Given Du Leis speed, even expert cultivators of the same realm would find it hard to discern the real person. Yet, a casual kick from Wang Ying sent him flying a distance, as though she was simply kicking a mere human bound in a sack. "Not only does she have to differentiate between the shadow clones and the true person, the speed of her kick must be that much faster than Du Lei. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to injure him if her attacks are unable to keep up with him." Han Qiongs face turned grim. "It appears that not only has Wang Yings injury recovered, she had also learned an incredible leg technique and movement technique." "Indeed!" Shen Bi Ru also recovered from her shock. This wasnt just a matter of seeing through the enemys movement technique. Without suitable battle techniques inplement, how could she have sent him flying that easily? "This..." Wang Chao grabbed his hair. He had just insulted the other party as a fool, and the next moment, she sent Du Lei flying with a kick. Wang Chao felt as though he had been toyed with. Just beside him, Elder Hong Hao looked as though he had been given a tight p as well and he was on the verge of tears. Initially, he was here to see Zhang Xuan get humiliated in public. Yet, somehow, he ended up watching how Zhang Xuans reputation grew increasingly brilliant and Lu Xun getting beaten so terribly instead. "Cough cough cough!" On the side of the dueling ring, Lu Xun choked on his saliva and nearly fell to the ground. Elder Hong Hao was on the verge of tears, but Lu Xun was already crying. What exactly is going on? That is the Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps, and there was no mistake in Du Leis execution at all. Even though Du Lei is still a way off from reaching his level of mastery, to be able to disy this kind of mastery at Zhenqi realm, he can already be considered as a genius! Such amazing execution of a formidable movement technique, and yet Du Lei was sent flying with a single kick? More importantly... The girl on the stage had reddened eyes, and she kept apologizing, saying that she had identally used too much force... Too much force your head! So the reason why you were hesitating wasnt that you were at a loss, but you were considering how to avoid wounding the other party heavily? If holding back your strength sent the other party flying a dozen meters, wouldnt he be killed if you had used your full strength? The spectators all went hysterical. On the stage, Du Lei finally struggled to his feet. Looking at the apologetic girl before him, he couldnt take the mental blow and spurted another mouthful of blood. "Are you alright... I really didnt do it intentionally... I just learned the battle technique, so I cant control my strength well and used too much force..." Wang Yings eyes turned red. "Used too much strength your head!" Roaring, Du Lei charged toward Wang Ying. He was truly enraged. It is one thing if you had sent me flying with a single kick, but apologizing? Are you trying to humiliate me? Furthermore, she kept emphasizing that she had used too much force... Do you think that I am too fragile, not worthy of facing you at your full strength? "Ah?" Wang Ying didnt expect that her sincere apology would result in the other party charging toward her. She was frightened pale. Even though her cultivation is higher than Zheng Yang and Liu Yang, she doesnt have much battle experience. Not to mention, she has an excessively kind nature. Seeing the other party charge toward her, she naturally became terrified. In a moment of panic, she retreated thoughtlessly. Hu! Magically, within the blink of an eye, she was already a dozen meters away. "What?" "Traveling a dozen meters in the blink of an eye? Wha... What is that movement technique?" "Too fast! How can this be possible?" ... Upon witnessing the maneuver, the crowd turned silent abruptly for a brief moment before bursting into an uproar. Everyone had considered the Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Step to be already one of the most formidable movement technique. Yet, to think that Wang Yings technique would be even more fearsome. To travel more than a dozen meters in less than half a breath, the entire event felt like a supernatural urrence. Even Pixue realm experts are incapable of such speed. How did she do it? "It is impossible for the Wang n to possess such a movement technique. If they had it, they would have long be famous..." "Indeed. But if it isnt the Wang n, from whom did she learn the technique?" "It must be Zhangoshi. Didnt Zheng Yangs formidable spear arte from Zhangoshi as well?" "To impart such an incredible movement technique so readily? If thats true, I want to withdraw from my tutge ande under Zhangoshi!" "Count me in as well..." ... The eyes of the spectators burned with passion. Spear art is a specialized art, and not everyone is interested in it. However, movement techniques are different. This can serve as a mean of survival, as well as a trump card. If one can master it, even when facing an expert far superior to them, he will at least have the ability to flee unharmed. Who wouldnt want to learn such a powerful and handy battle technique? "I will defeat you..." Seeing Wang Ying travel a dozen meters in the blink of an eye, Du Lei felt faint. However, rage had already overtaken his rationality and without any care, he charged forward once more. "AH!" Seeing the other partys savage expression, as well as the crimson blood flowing down the ends of his lips, Wang Ying felt terrified. Her legs pushed against the ground and she fled once more. Just like that, one chased while one fled. "Seems that her character is simply too weak. I will have polish up her personality in the future." Taking in the sight before him, Zhang Xuan shook his head. If met with this situation, putting Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and Yuan Tao aside, even Zhao Ya would have immediately sent Du Lei flying. Even if he didnt die, he would find to stand up once more. But Wang Ying, on the other hand, fled from him. It was due to her weak personality which led to such a situation. It seems that her greatest w isnt her cultivation or her battle technique, but her battle experience. "Heavens Path Movement Art saps ones stamina greatly. It might be okay to execute it once or twice, but any more than that would be difficult!" Heavens Path Movement Art allows one to move at amazing speeds and travel a dozen meters in the blink of an eye. Even so, it has its own ws. That is, it exerts greatly on ones stamina. Wang Ying might be able to escape like this once or twice, but she will eventually be caught by the enemy if this goes on. And as Zhang Xuan expected, Wang Ying started sweating profusely and panting heavily, unable to move anymore. At this moment, she had also been forced to the corner of the ring by the other party. Hu! Du Lei ran forward and grabbed her arm, "Even if I cant win, I wont allow you to win..." Roaring, he leaped forward, pulling her along with him. "You..." Not expecting that the other party would resort to such tricks, forcefully pulling her out of the ring, Wang Ying panicked and sent another kick toward him. Hu! As though a rubber ball, Du Lei was immediately sent flying. In the midair, he was unable to keep his bnce and flipped several turns beforending at a distance thirty meters away. Putong! However, right after kicking the other party, Wang Ying, having drained the final bit of stamina she had left, fell from the dueling ring as well. Both parties had fallen from the dueling ring andnded on the ground at nearly the same moment. As such, the conclusion was... a draw! Du Lei knew that he would be unable to defeat Wang Ying in a straightforward battle. As such, he charged forward ferociously, pulling her down with him. However, Wang Yings counterattack was also fearsome. Having sent the other party flying thirty meters away, even if Du Lei doesnt die, he would be confined to his bed for at least two months. "This... This is cheating!" "Too shameless..." "He obviously isnt a match for her, yet he tried to pull the other party down to the ground. He deserves that kick..." "How can one be so shameless? Hes even worse than Yuan Tao!" Amotion broke out beneath the stage. Everyone could tell that Du Leis action was no different from shameless cheating. While the teachers reputations are at stake, the Teacher Evaluation is actually just a friendly spar between students. It was clear that his movement technique and leg technique were inferior to the other party, yet he forcefully used his superior strength, as a male, to drag the other party down with him. In their eyes, it was an exceedingly shameless action. Thus, everyone thought that he deserved to be sent flying... There wasnt a single person who felt sympathy for him. Hearing those curses, Yuan Tao became speechless. He hadnt said anything, so why did he suddenly get targeted as well? Who are you saying is shameless? Youre the one who is shameless, your entire family is shameless... "Bothnded on the ground at the same time, draw!" Hearing the arguments, the refereeing teacher began to feel a headache. Even so, he nodded his head and announced his verdict. Even though Du Leis actionscked sportsmanship, it was true that the both parties hadnded at the same time, so the match could only be considered as a draw. "Teacher..." Upon hearing the conclusion, Wang Ying turned to look at Zhang Xuan with an apologetic look. Zhangoshi had given her so much, treating her legs and imparting her a leg technique and movement technique. Yet... She wasnt able to defeat her opponent and bring honor to Zhangoshi. She felt as though she had disappointed him. "Dont worry, just take note of this in the future. Dont let it bother you." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "It is negligence on my part as well. What yourecking isnt your cultivation or your battle techniques, it is your character." "Thank you, teacher!" Seeing that Zhangoshi didnt me her, and on the contrary, he even consoled her, Wang Ying felt even more embarrassed. However, the result couldnt be changed, so she could only walk gloomily over to the other students. If Du Lei saw her expression, he would have gone insane immediately. Your kick caused me to be groaning in pain here, unable to move at all, yet you are feeling depressed... The one who should be depressed is me! "Zhangoshi won two consecutive rounds and achieved a draw for one. It is already impossible for him to lose the Teacher Evaluation anymore." "Indeed. Even if Luoshi wins the next two rounds, it would only result in a draw." "Lets see how thing unfold. I dont think that Luoshis students stand a good chance against the other remaining students of Zhangoshi." "I think so too. Initially, I thought that Zhangoshi would suffer a crushing defeat. Yet, to think that... Luoshi would be the one under pressure. What is going on?" ... Even though they felt that Du Leis actions were too shameless, they quickly epted and got over that fact. This was how the rules were. Even though it seemed unfair, there was nothing they could do about it. But herees the problem. Of the five duels, Zhangoshi had achieved two wins and one draw, so all of the pressure is now on Luoshi. If Luoshi were to lose the next match, there would be no need for the fifth one. On the other hand, if Luoshi were to win the remaining two, it would be a draw for the Teacher Evaluation. This would be the best possible conclusion, given how both sides would retain their dignity. Upon thinking so, the crowd focused their gazes on Lu Xun immediately, interested to see who he would send out next. "I cant lose anymore... I started this Teacher Evaluation to disy my skills, and if I were to lose another round, I will be too embarrassed to meet anyone in the future..." Lu Xun gritted his teeth. Since the crowd was able toprehend the current situation, it was natural that Lu Xun would understand it as well. If he were to lose, not only would he lose the reputation that he had painstakingly built up, he might even be aughingstock. "Zhu Hong had once lost to Zhao Ya. Even though his cultivation has improved, he might still hold a trauma over that event. If I were to send him out, I cant guarantee his victory... I should have Bai Chao go up! He specializes in fist techniques and it shouldnt be a problem for him to deal with Liu Yang." Making up his mind, Lu Xun beckoned. Bai Chao stood out from the crowd and took big steps to the dueling ring. "Its my turn!" Upon seeing Bai Chao walk up to the stage, Liu Yang chuckled softly. Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, he had already stepped into the ring to face his opponent. Chapter 218: Exchanging Fists Chapter 218: Exchanging Fists Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove At the VIP seats, Wang Chao and Elder Hong Hao gazed at each other. "Bai Chao specializes in fist technique. Liu Yang... shouldnt be an opponent for him!" Wang Chao hesitated. Even though he said such words, he clearly wasnt confident. In the previous few matches, he had dered haughtily that Lu Xuns students would win, but in the end... all of them lost tragically. This Bai Chao, based on Wang Chaos understanding, should be able to win easily, but... Zhang Xuans students were simply unfathomable. All of his previous predictions had fallen through, and he had lost all his confidence. "I think so too. He should... be able to win..." Elder Hong Hao was dispirited as well. He wanted to witness this Zhangoshi being humiliated in public and lose all of his dignity. Yet, from the looks of it, it is impossible to humiliate him anymore. At this moment, all he can do is to try his best to preserve his own dignity... "Bai Chao, dont hesitate at all. Once the match starts, use your strongest fist technique. Dont give the other party any gaps to exploit!" Gritting his teeth, Wang Chao shouted to Bai Chao. There is no room to retreat now. If this match were to end in a loss, there wouldnt be a final match. Thus, all they can do now is to entrust all of their hopes and expectations to Bai Chao and hope that he will not let them down. Bai Chao specializes in fist techniques, and it would be best for him to execute his strongest technique from the start and defeat his opponent swiftly. Otherwise, while he enters with huge expectations, he will leave with utmost disappointment and... His good buddy will lose all chance to impress the three master teachers and be one of their disciples. "Un!" Bai Chao nodded his head and stared at Liu Yang with narrowed eyes. He had seen the happenings of the previous duels clearly. He understood that even though Zhangoshis students didnt possess high cultivation, none of them was weak. He mustnt show the slightest hesitation. Otherwise, history would just repeat itself. ... "n Head Wang Hong, do you think that Bai Chao can win?" On the spectator stand, n Head Bai Ming nced at Wang Hong. As the heads of powerful ns and as Tongxuan realm experts, their words were authoritative. "I dont think so. Zhangoshi has already achieved two wins and one draw, and this should affect the Bai Chaos morale greatly. As long as Liu Yang doesnt fare badly, it is unlikely for him to win." Wang Hong shook his head. The Teacher Evaluation was already more than halfway through and all along, Luoshis students had been suffering from crushing defeats. It wouldnt be easy for him to rebound and achieve victory. Besides, his very own daughter was under Zhangoshis tutge and thus, he understood how fearsome the theories Zhang Xuan taught were. Otherwise, how could that airheaded daughter of his have easily sent the Fighter 3-dan Du Lei flying with a kick? If even her could be so formidable, it would be impossible for Liu Yang to be weak. "My view differs from yours!" Bai Ming said with a sharp glint in his eyes. "Oh?" Wang Hong looked over curiously. "This Bai Chao is a member of my Bai n. However, he is from a distant branch family, so I had never really heard of him. Ive had a few of my n members look into him just a moment ago, and it turns out that he practices the Steel Armor Art!" Even though he was the one speaking, a tinge of disbelief could still be heard in n Head Bai Mings voice. "Steel Armor Art? Could it be..." For a moment, n Head Wang Hong was puzzled. Then, his eyes suddenly narrowed, "Could it be that cultivation technique which the Steel Armor Elder practices? Isnt it a lost art? Why does your n member know of it?" Very few people knew of the Steel Armor Art, but the Steel Armor Elder was a famous figure, such that even many of the younger generation had heard of him. He was a famous bandit from seventy years ago. From piging to ughter, there was no evil which he hadntmit. Furthermore, he was one of the top-ranking experts in Tianxuan Kingdom throughout all of its history, and even today, his name still strikes fear in hearts. Due to his arrogant ways, both the royal pce and themoners had tried repeatedly to bring him down. However, all of these attempts ended in failure. It could be said that those who had gone after him never returned back. Finally, there was an asion when his whereabouts were discovered and a dozen experts trapped him in a valley. Knowing of his incredible prowess, none of them approached him. Rather, they made use of bows to attack him from afar. Yet, they realized with a shock that there was ayer reminiscent of animal scales on his skin surface, causing all of the arrows they shot to simply bounce off him. That is to say, the arrows were unable to deal any damage to him. Left with no choice, they could only charge forth to deal with him in close quarters. However, theyer of scales on his body seemed to be imprable; even swords and sabers were unable to get through it. That battle created a river of blood, and the skies seemed to have darkened in grief. Eventually, even though justice triumphed, more than thirty Tongxuan realm experts fell that day. This caused Tianxuan Kingdoms national might to fall markedly, and it took them many decades to recover from that blow. ording to rumors, the technique which allowed the Steel Armor Elder to generate scales all over his body was known as the Steel Armor Art. But seventy years ago, when the Steel Armor Elder died, the art should have been lost along with him. Thus, Wang Hong was perplexed over how Bai Chao managed to learn the art. "It is true that the Steel Armor Art had been lost, and the technique which Bai Chao cultivated isnt the authentic Steel Armor Art." Bai Chao said calmly. "Then..." n Head Wang Hong blinked. "After cultivating the Steel Armor Art, scales will appear all over ones body, providing one with invincible defense. On the other hand, Bai Chaos technique limits the scales to only his fist. That is to say, when he activates this cultivation technique, his fist will be as tough as steel, making it no different from a weapon!" n Head Bai Ming spoke of all he knew and exined the reason why he thought Bai Chao would win, "Liu Yangs right arm is injured, and this fellows offensive ability, in terms of his fist, is invincible. Furthermore, his strength is significantly higher than that of Liu Yang. How can Liu Yang win under such circumstances?" "This... If the technique Bai Chao cultivates is really the Steel Armor Art, then it will be truly difficult for Liu Yang to win..." n Head Wang Hongsplexion darkened. Those who know of this dark piece of history and how powerful the Steel Armor Elder was would know how fearsome the Steel Armor Art is. This art surpasses the very limits of a human, granting one the strength and defensive ability of a savage beast. Putting aside the fact that Liu Yang is injured, even if he isnt, how is it possible for him to withstand attacks of that level? "Actually... As long as Liu Yang isnt foolish so as to cross fists with him and instead, skirt around his opponent, he might not lose that badly!" After contemting for a moment, n Head Wang Hong said. Even though the other partys fists are incredible, he has his own ws as well. His defensive and offensive ability in other regions are weak. If so, as long as Liu Yang doesnt face off with him directly and skirts around the opponent, sending in blows on the opponents body from time to time, he might not necessarily lose. "Lets just hope thats the case... Im just worried that Liu Yang may not know of this and fall for Bai Chaos ploy." n Head Bai Ming smiled bitterly. Even though Bai Chao is a member of his n, he isnt really close to him. On the contrary, he hoped for Apothecary Zhang Xuans victory. "This..." n Head Wang Hong was about to say something when he suddenly heard the conversation between the two young men in the dueling ring. "Liu Yang, I know that the meridians of your right arm are damaged. However, just like Wang Ying, Zhangoshi should have treated it already, right?" Bai Chao asked "Indeed, Zhangoshi managed to identify my problem and personally went to the Apothecary Guild to obtain a Meridian Rejuvenation Pill for me. At this moment, my right arm has already fully recovered." Liu Yang nodded his head. His face clearly showed his reverence and pride for his teacher. Only a noble person like Zhangoshi will give so much for his students, even if he will receive little in return. "Since your arm has already recovered, I have a proposal for you... Lets stop it with all the tricks and cross blows directly. Whoever fails to withstand the blow loses." Bai Chao sneered coldly. "Dont tell me that you dare not to, unless... your Zhangoshi failed to treat your arm at all, and all youve just said was still boasting." "Lets cross blows then, do you think that Ill be afraid of you?" Hearing the other party doubt Zhangoshi, Liu Yang flew into a rage. "That fool..." Watching his worries slowly bing reality, that Liu Yang fell for Bai Chaos ploy, Wang Hongsplexion immediately turned awful. The other party practices the Steel Armor Art, agreeing to exchange direct blows, isnt that suicidal? "Tell Zhangoshi that Bai Chao cultivates the Steel Armor Art and that his fist is as hard as steel, and to not allow Liu Yang to cross blows with him no matter what..." He hurriedly instructed a guard behind him. The guard nodded his head and hurried over to Zhang Xuan, in order to inform him of the matter. "Zhangoshi, Ive heard of Steel Armor Art. It is said to be the secret art which the Steel Armor Elder practices. By soaking ones hands in the blood of a Steel Armor Beast, as time goes by, ones hands be as hard as steel. However, this causes the hands to lose their flexibility and sense of touch." Zhao Ya seemed to know a lot about the Steel Armor Art and exined to Zhang Xuan. "As hard as steel? Whats the difference between doing that and wearing a steel gauntlet?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. Cultivation in itself is an evolution of life. The stronger one bes, the stronger the opponents he would have to face, and the more nimble he has to be. Yet, this fellow forged his hands into steel, losing his sense of touch as a result. No matter how powerful the cultivation technique is, this is a fatal weakness. How perverted does one have to be in order to create such a warped cultivation technique? "Zhangoshi, our n head instructed me to tell you to stop Liu Yang from crossing blows with Bai Chao at all costs..." Seeing how the two were still in the mood to discuss the Steel Armor Art, the guard panicked and hurriedly interjected. "Stop him from crossing blows with Bai Chao? Why?" Zhang Xuan asked, perplexed. "I think it is good that Liu Yang agreed to it. No matter what, Bai Chao is a Fighter 3-dan cultivator, and with the augmentation from his zhenqi, regardless of whether it is his reaction speed or his agility, they are significantly superior to Liu Yangs. Even if he cant defeat Liu Yang, he can easily escape from his attacks. If it really ends up like this, the battle can potentially drag on for more than a day. Crossing blows like that can help to make up for Liu Yangs weaknesses, so why should I stop him?" This was just like the battle between Yuan Tao and Kong Jie. It was an unchangeable fact that Liu Yang and the others possessed lower cultivation than their opponents. If their opponents were to choose to take evasive measures, they would truly be in a rut. Since Bai Chao had decided to go head on with Liu Yang, there was no reason for Zhang Xuan to disagree. "This..." The guard was about to go crazy. This isnt the problem, alright? Havent I phrased it out clearly for you? The cultivation technique the other party cultivates is the Steel Armor Art, that is a fist that rivals steel. It is impossible for Liu Yang to win in a direct confrontation of fists... He was about to persuade Zhang Xuan when he nced at the dueling tform and saw two figures moving about. The battle had already begun. It was already toote for Zhang Xuan to interfere. ... "Since youre agreeable to it, lets begin." Seeing that Liu Yang had fallen for his ploy, Bai Chao roared excitedly, stepped forward, and sent a fist toward him. Boom! The might of the fistpressed the air, causing a sonic boom. Just like the legends said, tiny scales could be seen on the surface of his fist and the fist appeared to be the knuckle of a savage beast rather than a humans, emanating a bizarrely intimidating aura. "Its good that you decided to face me head on!" Liu Yang raised his eyebrows and faced Bai Chaos strike with his own fist. ... "Hes doomed!" He didnt expect that the guard he dispatched would fail to stop the spar between the two. n Head Wang Hongs face paled and his body swayed from side to side. How can a humans fist match up to a savage beasts? Furthermore, Liu Yangs cultivation is far beneath that of Bai Chaos. Wang Hong sighed and shut his eyes, not wanting to see Liu Yang fracture his arm and fall tragically in defeat. But at that moment, he heard n Head Bai Mings hastened breathing and his abrupt exmation. "This... This..." Chapter 219: Do You Dare to Accept Our Challenge? Chapter 219: Do You Dare to ept Our Challenge? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Huh?" Sensing that something was amiss, n Head Wang Hong quickly opened his eyes to take a look. With just a single nce, his body swayed and he nearly passed out. Isnt this way too exaggerated? On the dueling tform, Liu Yangs fist was raised and his face was impassive. On the other hand, Bai Chao, who possessed the fist of steel, was kneeling on the ground. Perspiration was streaming down his forehead. At this moment, his arm had been fractured, and his fingers were bent like twist breadsticks, as though they had encountered an indomitable force. "Dont you cultivate... the Steel Armor Art? Why are you so weak?" Retracting his fist, Liu Yang stared at Bai Chao in surprise. Because Zhao Ya was going topete in the Teacher Evaluation, Yao Han took the liberty to look into their rivals beforehand and told him about this fellows Steel Armor Art and his ability to morph his fists into the ws of a savage beast. "You knew..." Bai Chao looked as though he had seen a ghost He thought that the enemy had epted his challenge due to his provocation, but it turned out that... the other party already knew. It was him who was the foolish one who charged up to him knowing nothing at all... "Of course I know!" Liu Yang nodded his head. Then, with a bizarre expression, he asked, "Isnt your Steel Armor Art an impressive skill that can punch through even steel? Why is it so weak?" "Weak?" Bai Chao was on the verge of tears. Im not the one whos weak, its you who is strong, alright? Its true that I can punch through metal, but thats only half a cun. Given the strength behind your fist, you can probably punch through two to three cun easily (1 cun = 3.33cm) "I get it! You didnt use your full strength, right? Come, lets trade blows once more..." After contemting for a moment, Liu Yangs eyes lit up. Even though he knew that the Heavens Path Fist Art was no ordinary skill, he had no idea over how fearsome the technique truly was as he had been practicing it alone. Even when sparring with Zheng Yang and the rest, he dared not use his full strength for fear of injuring them. It isnt every day that he gets to meet with a fists expert, so how can he allow the opportunity to escape easily? Besides, he was still infuriated over how the other party tried to do him in. You wish to cripple me? Fine, Ill beat all of those thoughts out of you! "No, Ill pass..." Before Bai Chao could speak, he saw the young man before him clench his left fist and smash it into him. Kacha! His left hand fractured as well. "Wuuu..." Bai Chao began to have suicidal thoughts. Brother, only my right hand wields the strength of the Steel Armor Art, my left hand is just an ordinary hand... Besides... I said that Ill pass, why did you smash your fist into me? The excruciating pain caused his rage to flurry. Infuriated, he opened his mouth to curse the other party, but before he could say anything, the voice of the young man before him sounded once more. "Ah, can it be possible that you have cultivated your Steel Armor Art to your head as well? Come, let me give it a try..." "Pu!" Hearing those words, Bai Chao spurted out a mouthful of blood. A fracture can be healed, but if a hole were to be smashed into my brain, I will surely die for sure... "I dont practice it with my head. Referee, I admit defeat, I admit defeat..." Afraid that the fellow before him will really test out his theory on his head, Bai Chao immediately retreated, howling frenziedly in fear. If only his parents had given him an additional mouth, he would have surely shouted even louder... "Admit defeat?" The refereeing teacher immediately stepped forward. "Un, un!" Bai Chao hurriedly nodded his head. "Youve already lost two rounds. If you lose another, it will be equivalent to losing the entire Teacher Evaluation..." The refereeing teacher said. "I understand! I admit defeat..." Bai Chao quickly shouted. A loss was much better than his death... "Alright!" Hearing his words, the refereeing teacher knew the conclusion to the Teacher Evaluation. He could not help but shake his head before announcing, "Bai Chao admits defeat! The Teacher Evaluationes to an end and Zhang Xuanoshi is the victor!" "Zhangoshi won?" "Incredible! Those students of his are truly incredible!" "Indeed. Other than Yuan Tao, every single one of them is amazingly powerful!" "Zheng Yangs spear art, Wang Yings movement technique and leg technique, and Zheng Yangs fists, all of them are fearsome!" "Just like us, they are all freshmen. For them to be so powerful, it must be Zhangoshis guidance!" "Un, after the tournamentes to an end, I will definitely acknowledge him as my teacher..." "Wait for me, Ill go with you as well..." ... Hearing the result announced by the refereeing teacher, the crowd broke out into amotion. With Yao Hans hard work previously, Zhang Xuans reputation had gradually improved. Now witnessing the sight before them, every single of the students faces were flushed with agitation. What is the purpose ofing to the academy? It is to find a good teacher! This Zhang Xuanoshi had utterly crushed Lu Xunoshi right before their eyes. Just exactly how incredible are his teaching abilities? Many students hade to the same decision. And that is toe under this Zhangoshis tutge the moment the Freshmen Tournamentes to an end. "He won... just like that?" While the students felt excitement, on the spectators stand, Shen Bi Ru blinked her eyes in disbelief. Ever since her entry into the academy, she had viewed Lu Xun as her goal, always contemting how she can surpass him. Yet... Before she could seed, a fellow who possesses poor reputation managed crushed him before her. This is Lu Xun! Furthermore, all of his students have reached Zhenqi realm... "Shen Bi Ru, you have truly good eyes. Right now, I am feeling a little interested in this Zhangoshi as well..." A gleam shed across Han Qiongs enchanting eyes. "Mind your status, what do you mean by interested?" Hearing the words of her bosom friend, Shen Bi Ru frowned. "Its exactly as it means, Im interested in him! Say, if I were to consult this Zhangoshi in the middle of the night, do you think he will open the doors to let me in?" Han Qiong chuckled captivatingly. "I think he will beat you death!" Scolding her bosom friend shameless silently in her mind, Shen Bi Ru harrumphed. Honestly speaking, she was at a loss for words for this bosom friend of hers. As a teacher, she could actually say such words. Consult? Why cant you consult in the morning, why does it have to be at night? "Hehe, I think that you are the one who will beat me to death if I do that!" Han Qiong chuckled. Just like that, the two women continued bickering at the direct center of the spectator stand. ... "Did you see that?" Liu Ling nced at the other two. "Un! Lu Xuns students seem to treat thispetition as a mere task. It doesnt matter to them whether they win or lose; it is all fine as long as they do not get injured." Zhuang Xians eyes glowed with wisdom as he spoke of his conclusion, "From this, we can conclude that the rtionship between him and his students are only at the level of a deal. Even though he had helped thetter raise their abilities, in their view, it was only a mere equivalent trade." "Indeed. His motives for raising the abilities of his students are impure, so naturally, he is unable to earn the affection of his students." Zheng Fei shook his head. Master teachers dont just look for talent and teaching standards in potential apprentices, they also pay close attention to the affection his students have for him. Even though they had yet to see Zhu Hongs performance, judging from Kong Jie, Mo Xiao, Du Lei, and Bai Chaos attitude, they were able to notice something amiss. As Lu Xun was too focused on results and winning the Teacher Evaluation, he had neglected the emotions of his students. It was true that such focus would raise their cultivation greatly within the shortest period of time, and Lu Xun did seed in lifting his students to be Zhenqi realm cultivators, but he failed to win their trust and respect. After all, who respects a person who treats them as a tool? "Zhang Xuans students are different. They truly love him and they are willing to give their all for him." Liu Ling nodded his head in agreement to his two friends judgments. Just through thispetition alone, they might not have been able to see this much. However, the past few days of peeking had given them a deep insight into the rtionship between Zhang Xuan and his students. Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, and the others dont cultivate just for the sake of doing so or to raise their abilities, but... for amon goal in their hearts! And that is to bring honor to Zhangoshi, to give him the prestige he deserves! They are doing this for the sake for their teacher, not for their own benefits. Even though on both sides, the students were cultivating and raising their abilities, one faction was thinking of aplishing a task while the other was thinking of bringing honor to their teacher in order to make him proud of them... There was an insurmountable gap in their motivations. "It is no wonder that he would catch Yang shis attention. This Zhangoshi is truly made to be a master teacher. It probably wont take long before he is of equal standing with us!" Liu Lingmented in awe. "Indeed!" The other two also nodded their heads. Hu! The three were about to continue with their heartfelt sentiments when Lu Xun, who was located by the side of the duelling ring, stood up. After suffering a defeat at the Teacher Evaluation, he had two choices. He could apologize to Zhang Xuan in public andpensate him ording to the bet that they made beforehand. Otherwise, he could leave the academy once and for all. "What do you think Luoshi will choose?" "I dont know, but I think it is more likely for him to apologize!" "It is normal to lose. No one can guarantee that they can continue winning for their whole life!" "Indeed, losing isnt a big deal! If he were to really leave the academy, no matter how incredible of a star teacher he is now, he will fall into misfortune after losing his roots!" ... The crowd spoke with hushed voices. It had been long since thest Teacher Evaluation. As the one who initiated it, Lu Xun suffered a crushing defeat. He must be feeling awful at the moment. Everyone wanted to see how he would choose. It wasnt anything much to apologize to Zhang Xuan. However, if he were to choose to leave the academy, it would be a shame. Only with students can one be called a teacher. After leaving the academy and losing his students, how can he call himself a teacher? Furthermore, if he were to choose thetter, with a record of leaving Hongtian Academy and losing the Teacher Evaluation, it was unlikely that any other academy would ept him. "Zhang Xuanoshi!" Stepping onto the center of the dueling ring, Lu Xun flung his sleeves and stood tall. Zhang Xuan nced over. "Ive lost the Teacher Evaluation! I admit you are capable of guiding your students, but in this world, strength nevertheless reigns supreme. No matter how good you are in teaching, without sufficient ability, you are will be unable to stand your ground. I want to challenge you!" Lu Xun clenched his fists tightly in determination. His glowing acupoints disyed his formidable cultivation as a Pixue realm expert. At the same time, his powerful voice gushed into the heavens. "You... Do you dare to ept my challenge?" After expending so much effort and making such thorough preparations, he nevertheless lost so tragically. His pride no longer allowed him to remain in Hongtian Academy. But before leaving, he wanted to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson. He wanted him to understand that everything else is fake, only strength reigns supreme! "You wish to challenge me?" He didnt expect that the other party would make such a decision. Zhang Xuan was about to continue speaking when Zhao Ya stepped forward and stood proudly in front of Zhang Xuan, reminiscent of a goddess descending onto the mortal world. "I will fight whoever who dares to insult my teacher. Whos with me?" "Me!" "Me!" "Me!" "Me!" Four consecutive sounds, and Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Yuan Tao stepped forward with firm resolutions. "You have insulted our teacher... the five of us will challenge you to uphold his honor. Lu Xun, do you dare to ept our challenge?" The voices of the five roared as though thunder, resounding across the entire academy. "Putting their lives on the line to uphold the honor of their teacher... This is the highest level of a teacher-student rtionship, Honor Defend realm?" Liu Lings body trembled and he abruptly stood up. Chapter 220: Reappearance of the Golden Book Chapter 220: Reappearance of the Golden Book Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Honest and righteous mind, actions aligned with morals. A teacher has to be of such character before they can truly earn the respect and admiration of their students, such that they are willing to go through all sorts of trials to vie for the honor of their teacher and defend his name, even if it might spell their death." Zhuang Xians lips trembled in disbelief. "Its said that only 4-star master teachers can reach this level, but he... he..." Despite saying he twice, he found himself unable to say a word after that. The situation before him was simply too astonishing. It was sufficient to make all ornate words lose their radiance. "He had merely taught these students for half a month, and furthermore, he was absent for more than ten days... That is to say, he had been with his students for at most only four to five days... Yet, his students are willing to defend his honor? How... How did he manage to do this?" Zheng Fei swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "The students have to have a deep level of trust in their teacher before they will be willing to defend his honor. Looks like... we have really underestimated this Zhang Xuanoshi!" Liu Ling sighed. "Indeed, When I heard that Yang shi had epted him as his student, I was really disappointed. But from the looks of it now, it seems that even if he were to acknowledge us as his teacher, we wont have anything to impart to him." Zhuang Xian smiled bitterly. One has to be sufficiently knowledgeable in order to be anothers teacher and to impart him knowledge. If one is inferior to his student, how can he guide the student? Previously, they thought that it was a pity that such a good bud had been imed by Yang shi, so they felt somewhat disappointed. However, upon seeing how the students whom Zhang Xuan had taught for just half a month was willing to put themselves on the stake to defend Zhang Xuans honor, they felt embarrassed. To be able to induce such trust in their students such that they were willing to challenge one who was much stronger than them, even the master teachers didnt think that they were capable of such feat. They felt that it was fortunate that they had failed to take him as their apprentice, otherwise given how the apprentice was even more incredible than the teacher... They would definitely die of shame. While the three master teachers felt embarrassed, amotion had broken out at the spectator stand. Everyone was staring dumbfounded. It is clear disrespect for a student to challenge a teacher, even asking him whether he dares to ept the challenge. This was extremely humiliating for Lu Xun. After losing his dignity in the Teacher Evaluation, he wanted to fix Zhangoshi to regain some of his honor, yet... the other partys student said that he wasnt fit to challenge their teacher, and he only could duel with them... However... While it felt exhrating to do so, their actions were reckless. No matter what, they were only freshmen who had just joined the academy. Even if they had achieved significant breakthroughs in the past few days, they had only practiced for half a month. To challenge the academys most famous celebrity teacher, not to mention, that he is a dignified Pixue realm expert, how can they possibly win? "Look at Zhao Ya!" The crowd was thinking whether those students were putting themselves at too much risk by challenging Lu Xun when someone suddenly shouted from the crowd. Upon hearing the shout, everyones gazes immediately fell on the inexplicably enchantingdy. At this moment, the aura on her body felt like a sharp sword stabbing through the heavens, and the aura was growing stronger and sharper by the moment. Boom! While the aura shrouding her grew stronger, her physical body seemed to be going through a metamorphosis as well. She became visibly more beautiful and pure, as though a goddess. "She... is breaking through!" "Dantian realm pinnacle, Zhenqi realm, Zhenqi realm pinnacle, Pigu realm... Pigu realm pinnacle? How is this possible?" To break through so many realms in just a few breaths? How can ones cultivation soar that swiftly?" "Could it be that... she has intentionally suppressed her cultivation in the past, or she intentionally kept herself from breaking through until now, pushing through in a single go so as to impress everyone?" "Its possible... Look, she has already reached Dingli realm!" ... Looking at the Zhao Ya on the stage, everyone felt like they were going mad. She was breaking through frenziedly! "This... This..." Upon seeing the sight, Zhu Hong fell to the ground. His lips turned pale in fright. He was hoping to cleanse himself of his humiliation the previous time, especially since he had reached Zhenqi realm. Yet, in the end, he didnt have any chance to get in the ring and as such, he felt extremely indignant and unsatisfied. Thus, he was considering whether he should find another opportunity to find Zhao Ya and the others on a private asion to beat them up. However, upon seeing this sight, he suddenly realized how childish andughable his thoughts were. It was fortunate that he didntpete with her, otherwise, given Zhao Yas strength, wouldnt she smash him into a heap of flesh with a single blow? Too fearsome! How did Zhangoshi raise such a student? How did his students improve so swiftly? Eventually, Zhao Yas growth stopped at Dingli realm pinnacle. At the same time, Zhao Ya seemed to have moved a single step closer to bing a true goddess. Every single movement of hers exuded extreme grace and lithe, making her the center of attention. "This is the result of the awakening of the Pure Yin Body?" City Lord Zhao Feng and Butler Yao Han subconsciously widened their eyes and clenched their fists. Even though they already knew that Zhao Ya had such a constitution, and Zhangoshi had specially prepared an Unravel Yin Pill for her to awaken her constitution, they didnt expect that it would be so fearsome and powerful. To raise ones cultivation from Dantian realm to Dingli realm pinnacle in a few moments... "Xiao Ya has truly met a good teacher!" Recovering from the shock, City Lord Zhao Feng said. He had felt that he had failed in the responsibility of a father, being unable to see through her daughters Pure Yin Body and the agony she was going through. If not for meeting Zhangoshi, not only would she never experience such a rapid rise in cultivation, she would be tortured by this unique constitution of hers, causing her cultivation to stagnate. "Ive long heard that awakening a unique constitution would induce a qualitative change in one, causing ones cultivation to soar. I used to think that it was just nonsense but from the looks of it... It seems like it is true. City Lord Zhao, you have a good daughter. In the future, our Tianxuan Kingdom will be relying on her to rise through the ranks!" Sitting by the side, Emperor Shen Zhui couldnt help but say. Emperor Shen Zhui knew of Zhao Fengs arrival at the capital and his daughters Pure Yin Body. Initially, he thought that she would just be slightly more talented than the average, but never in his dreams did he expect that she would be... so incredibly talented. In just half a month, she had evolved from a Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm pinnacle to Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle... This is no longer about being a genius, at this rate, she is about to smash through the heavens! With such talents, she will definitely be a powerhouse! Perhaps, in the future, Tianxuan Kingdom will be relying on thisdy to usher in an era of prosperity. ... "You dare to challenge me?" Unaware of the shock running through the many minds present, witnessing how Zhang Xuans students stood in the way of his challenge, Lu Xuns face twitched. If he knew this would happen, he would have said nothing at all. What a dilemma. If he were to back down at this point, people will say that he is scared of them. On the other hand, if he pushes on, others will just think that he is bullying the weak... A victory will bring him no honor, and a loss would bring further humiliation. He felt so stifled that he was about to go crazy. "Thats right! Even if we cant defeat you, for the sake of Zhangoshis honor, we wont regret anything!" Zhao Ya and the others dered with absolute resolution. Even the weak-minded Wang Ying didnt back down from this matter. Zhangoshi took a special existence in their hearts. Their tremendous efforts in the past few days were all to bring him honor. Today, the culprit who wanted to trample over his honor is right before them... They will never allow him to escape! Zhangoshi, allow us to return you justice! Zhangoshi, allow us to clear you of the ridicule and contempt the other party had shown you! "Those kids..." Seeing their actions, even with Zhang Xuans strong mental fortitude, having reached the Heart of Tranquil Water, his eyes still reddened. At the very start, the reason why he had epted these students was so that he wouldnt be expelled from the school, in order to avert the first crises after his reincarnation. Yet, his seed that he had sowed had brought him an entire forest. He wasnt a skilled teacher, and he hadnt intentionally tried to move them either. All he did was to give his all to fulfill his responsibility, not wanting to let anyone down, yet... what he received in return moved him to tears. He had often pondered whether what he was doing was worth it. But now, he realized that a humans heart cant be measured with gold or any other matter. Only when you treat them wholeheartedly will they treat you with equal sincerity. It isnt a matter of whether it is worth it or not, or whether he should do it or not! "No wonder they were practicing an offensive formation. Most probably, even if Lu Xun didnt challenge me, they would still challenge him to a battle to get back at him in my stead!" At this moment, he finally understood the reason behind the content he saw in the library previously. He felt moved. All along, he had been puzzled over why this bunch of fellows was practicing an offensive coboration formation. Now, it is clear that they had been preparing for today. They had witnessed Lu Xun forcing the Teacher Evaluation on him, leaving him in a difficult position and soiling his reputation. Even if Lu Xun hadnt provoked Zhang Xuan today, they would have definitely stepped forward, argued with thetter, and challenged him to a duel. Even though they knew that they werent a match; even though they knew that what they were doing was suicidal... They nevertheless went on ahead with it. This all... Just to protect their teachers honor! These fellows... To think that... Trembling in agitation, Zhang Xuan tried his best to hold back his tears. "I mustnt let them take the risk..." Just when Zhang Xuan was about to stand up and stop them, his mind suddenly jolted. On a bookshelf in the Library of Heavens Path, the golden book appeared once more, and a new golden page was in it. "This book... Can it be that it is rted to the students gratitude?" Seeing the book being formed, Zhang Xuan was stupefied. He had no idea when the golden book was formed before, but this time, the golden book appeared when his students put themselves at stake for him. Could the golden book be rted to his students? However, this thought disappeared as soon as it appeared. It wasnt the time to be thinking about such matters. Standing up, he was about to walk up to instruct his students to back off, when all of them turned around at the same time to look at him. "Zhangoshi, this is a decision we made. We hope that you will not interfere." Zhao Yas clear eyes looked forward. With a slight smile, her voice sounded loudly in the surroundings, and unwavering determination could be heard. "You have given so much to us, we just want to give something to you in return. Also, we wish to disy to everyone the results of your tutge, so that everyone will know that..." "Your dignity... cannot be trampled on!" "Your honor... cannot be sullied!" Witnessing the determined and firm gazes of his students, Zhang Xuans body stiffened and he hesitated. "We hope that teacher can agree to our selfish request!" Zhao Ya sped her hands. "We hope that teacher can agree to our selfish request!" The other four chorused after her. "Alright, be careful then. If you arent a match for him, just admit defeat. Dont worry, your teacher is here. No one will dare to trample on me, and no one will be able to trample on me!" With his both hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan lifted his eyebrows. A powerful aura suddenly surged forth from his body, reaching even the heavens. Tables and chairs in the surroundings broke into smithereens under the pressure of the intense aura. "Tongxuan realm... pinnacle?" A wave of exmations sounded. Chapter 221: Coiling Dragon Hands Chapter 221: Coiling Dragon Hands Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Complete silence. Everyones eyes narrowed and their faces paled. Isnt Zhangoshi well known for being a trash of the academy? Didnt they say that his cultivation is low, and his ability to impart knowledge iscking? Tongxuan realm pinnacle... As an expert who can break through to achieve Half-Zongshi at any moment, he is nearly an invincible existence in Tianxuan Kingdom! You call such a cultivation low? Are you kidding me? "Looks like... all of the previous news are true. He just wants to keep a low profile and doesnt want to expose his strength..." "Im afraid, only a person with such capability can groom students like Zhao Ya and Liu Yang!" "Tongxuan realm pinnacle... Even the principal doesnt wield such strength. Yet, such an expert is only a low-level teacher. The academy must truly be blind!" "It is all due to Elder Shang Chens oppression. Shameless! Such people deserve to be expelled!" ... Zhang Xuans disy of his cultivation caused the crowd, on both the spectator stand and the stage, to enter a frenzy. Everyone had thought all along that he is just a Pixue realm cultivator. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect that he would be a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert, a top-notch expert in Tianxuan Kingdom! Witnessing the situation, Lu Xuns body froze and his face turned ghastly white. He had always prided himself on his superior talent that no one could match up to. Never once did he think that... the fellow, whom he had been provoking, had already reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle! Furthermore, he wasnt even twenty! Is he still a human? And I challenged such an expert to a duel? Is my brain damaged? Regardless of teaching my students or my own cultivation, I have been defeated utterly! "The students vie for the honor of their teacher while the teacher serves as the fortress of his students. The students and teacher in perfectplement, this is the model rtionship!" "This is the level we hope to reach! Yang shi sure is incredible, to be able to spot such a gem." Taking in the sight, the three master teachers stood up abruptly and their faces flushed with agitation. A student needs a good teacher, and a teacher needs good students. However, does being a good student or a good teacher refer to ones talent and cultivation? Nope, it refers to trust, solidarity, and responsibility. These students, right before their very eyes, are willing to give their all for Zhangoshi. On the other hand, Zhangoshi serves as their fortress. Regardless of the waves thate rushing toward them, he will be able to stand firm as their stronghold, providing them a sanctuary. This is what a teacher and student rtionship should be like, truly the highest level of a teacher-student rtionship. "Yes!" Seeing how their teacher did not tell them to stop, granting them free reins and turning into a powerful fortress backing them instead, Zhao Ya excitedly turned around to face Lu Xun. "Luoshi... Lets start!" "I ept your duel, but I will not take advantage of you, students. Lets go to the Teacher Dueling tform!" Knowing that he was unable to avoid this duel, Lu Xun agreed candidly. There is a specialized stage for duels between students and teachers and it is known as the Teacher Dueling tform. There, teachers will suppress their cultivation to lower themselves to the students level and duel with them. Back then, the duel between Zheng Yang and Zhou Tian was held there. "Theres no need for us to fight on the Teacher Dueling tform. Well do it here, and theres no need for you to suppress your cultivation!" Yuan Tao smiled and stepped forward. Earlier, when he fought with Kong Jie, he appeared to be an ordinary underhanded fellow. However, after taking a single step forward, the air around him changed and he seemed to be an entirely different person this moment. Even though his cultivation remained at the same Juxi realm advanced stage, his disposition had changed tremendously. This very moment, he seemed to be like a dragon soaring through the heavens. "Brothers, I will be going first!" Roaring, Yuan Tao charged toward Lu Xun. Without any moves or technique whatsoever, he simply charged frenziedly toward thetter. "Can it be that... he had hidden his cultivation as well?" "But thats impossible! Half a month ago, when he attended the entrance examinations, he very clearly had barely reached Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm primary stage. Being able to reach the advanced stage within such a short period of time is already an extremely scary feat, so how is it possible that he has hidden his cultivation?" "Even if he hadnt hidden his cultivation, it is impossible for him to be Juxi realm advanced stage. We have been fooled by his delinquent outer appearance. Honestly speaking, even if Kong Jie was careless, it is impossible for an ordinary Juxi realm to expel him from the stage with a single fist." "This..." Upon seeing that Yuan Tao being the first to charge forth and sensing the change in his disposition, not feeling any fear despite facing a Pixue realm expert like Lu Xun, everyone burst into amotion. Just earlier, when this fellow fought with Kong Jie, everyone thought that he doesnt possess any real capability. They thought that he is just a shameless and underhanded fellow. Yet, at this moment, they realized that that isnt the case! No matter what, Luoshi is a Pixue realm expert! Even Dingli realm cultivators will be hesitant to face him, yet as a Juxi realm cultivator, he charged straight at him. Through this, it can be seen that there is more to him beneath the surface. "Hmph!" Upon seeing that Yuan Tao was the first to charge toward him, Lu Xunsplexion darkened. He immediately sent a palm strike straight at the other party. In order not to cause any casualty, he only used ten percent of his strength. Even so, given his strength as a Pixue realm pinnacle, that was more than enough to shatter stones and smash through tree trunks. However, not only did that strong might not hinder the movement of that fatty in any way upon hitting him squarely, it seemed to have incited the other partys hot-bloodedness. Yuan Tao squeezed his body together, cing his shoulders in front of his chest to maximize the impact of the charge. It was neither a Mountain Crush or a Tree Ram, it was just an ordinary charge reminiscent to that of the savage beasts. Peng! It sounded like the beat of a drum and Lu Xuns face turned red. Under the impact, he retreated two steps backward. "What?" Lu Xuns eyes narrowed. Everyone knew that Lu Xuns cultivation had reached Pixue realm, but no one knew that he actually specialized more in the training of his physical body. Due to his obsession, he had his father, Master Lu Chem, replicate all books on the training of physical body in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault and keep them at home. Just this by itself showed a lot about his physical body cultivation. As such, even though he could have easily dodged Yuan Taos judge, he stood his ground. He thought that the student was just a fellow who possessed some brute strength. Not even in his dreams did he expect Yuan Taos charge to be so fearsome. Despite his well-trained physical body, Yuan Taos charge managed to flush his face red and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood from the force. If he were to suffer another few more of such charges, he would not need to think of battling any further! "He managed to knock Luoshi back?" "This fellow is way too scary!" The spectators were all cultivators. Even though they had no idea how strong Yuan Taos charge really was, they could notice the change in Luoshisplexion. They were so shocked that their jaws nearly hit the ground. For a Pixue realm pinnacle expert to be knocked back, how much strength does he possess? With such might, bodies of typical Dingli realm experts will probably be shattered! The student who was knocked out by Yuan Taos fist previously, Kong Jie, happened to witness this sight right after he woke up. Greatly terrified, his face paled and he fainted once again. At the same time, he was thankful that the other party hadnt used this move against him. Otherwise, fainting would just be a small matter. He could have been crippled for life. "Looks like Ive underestimated you..." Retreating two steps backward, Lu Xun immediately stabilized his breathing. Feeling a dull ache in his chest, he narrowed his eyes and red coldly at the fatty before him. The disdain in his eyes had disappeared without a trace. Just from the other partys charge, he was able to tell that thed before him possesses strength, physical durability, and defense far superior to his. That is to say, in a purely physical brawl, he will be able to easily kill a Dingli realm expert! When did Zhang Xuan find such a freak? "Hehe, this isnt the only thing that youve underestimated!" After a sessful first attack, Yuan Tao chuckled lightly and charged forward once more. "Hmph!" Seeing the other party use the same attack once more, Lu Xun became serious. With a slight flick of his hands, his zhenqi formed a sphere of energy before him. In an instant, the charging Yuan Tao, as though a fish sucked into a whirlpool, staggered two rounds before charging beside Lu Xun, not even grazing him in the slightest. "Coiling Dragon Hands! Its Coiling Dragon Hands..." Someone from the crowd eximed. "Whats Coiling Dragon Hands?" Someone asked doubtfully. "Its a long-lost battle technique. Its said that when one reaches a major aplishment in the skill, he will be able to form a sphere of zhenqi outside of his body, warding off all attacks! I always thought that it was a legend, but to think that... Luoshi is actually able to execute it!" Those who were well-aware of the skill were in disbelief. "Warding off all attacks? This... Isnt the battle technique too overpowered!" The one who asked previously was astonished. Being able to ward off all attacks means that even if one isnt able to triumph over his opponent, he will not lose either. Fearsome! At this moment, the crowd, who had been awed by Yuan Taos strength previously, looked at Lu Xun with great respect. It is true that it is impossible for a useless person to wield great prestige. For Lu Xun to be able to create such an incredible reputation for himself in Hongtian Academy, he does indeed live up to his name. "Indeed!" The others nodded their heads in agreement. "If he can ward of all attacks, doesnt that mean that he cant be wounded?" Another personmented. "All battle techniques have their own ws. Even though the Coiling Dragon Hands is an incredible skill, it isnt invincible. Rumor has it that as long as one focuses their strength at one point, such that the might at that point surpasses the strength the user disying the skill possesses, one will be able to break the Coiling Dragon Hands easily! Thats to say, given that Luoshi possesses around 45 ding of strength, one has to disy a might exceeding 45 ding at a single point to ovee this move." As the person said so, he lifted his head to look at Zhao Ya and the others. "Zhangoshi would be able to ovee this move easily, but... Im afraid itll be hard for his students. Unless someone has managed toprehend the Weapon Intent, which would allow them to ovee the zhenqi sphere easily... But how is that possible for a group of Dantian realm students..." At this, he shook his head. Weapon Intent, this is the level which all cultivators hope to achieve. Countless people viewed it as their ultimate goal and had strived for it, but even so, there isnt a single sessful case in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. If so, how can a student achieve such level? "Youre right!" The crowd nodded their heads in agreement. No matter what, these students are on Fighter 2-dan cultivators. No matter how strong they are, how can their strength exceed a Pixue realm pinnacle expert? Even more so, how is it possible that any one of them haveprehended the Weapon Intent? It seems like the challenge is only a joke. With the invincible defense created by the Coiling Dragon Hands, it is impossible for Lu Xunoshi to be defeated by them. "Yuan Tao, I cant allow you to hog the spotlight. Allow me!" Everyone was beginning to think that Zhang Xuans students would fail when a roar echoed. Zheng Yang stepped forward withrge steps. Without anyplex movements, the spear he held in his hands shot out as though a dancing dragon. Even though it was just a single simple move, within its simplicity contained the profound essence of a spear, making it impossible to dodge or withstand it. Wuuuuu! The spear was so quick that the air seemed to be unable to bear the overwhelming pressure, sounding as though it would shatter into countless pieces at any moment, Along with the piercing of the spear, Zheng Yangs aura grew stronger and stronger. Even though he only possessed the strength of a Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm, it felt as though he had melded together as one with his spear, as though he was the spear, and the spear was him. Peng! The spear struck Lu Xuns zhenqi sphere and a sonic boom resounded across the entire field. Deng deng deng deng! Lu Xuns face turned ghastly pale and he retreated four steps backward. The Coiling Dragon Hands had been broken! "Spear Intent? Is that Spear Intent?" Wang Chao stood up abruptly. Chapter 222: Pummeling Lu Xun (First Half) Chapter 222: Pummeling Lu Xun (First Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - He was the most highly skilled spear user in the entire of Hongtian Academy. As far as he can remember, he had been training in the way of the spear. Day after day, year after year, he had long regarded the weapon as an essential part of himself. Even so, he is still a huge distance away from forging Spear Intent. He thought that such a state only exists in the faraway legends, and it is impossible for him to ever achieve it. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that... he would see it on a teenage boy. Even though the Spear Intent he had forged is still in the most primitive and simple form, a far way off from itsplete mature state, it is nevertheless a bud containing incredible potential. With sufficient time, it can ripen and grow into a gigantic tree. "How did he do it?" Previously, when Mo Xiao said that he is unable topare up to Zheng Yang and admitted defeat, Wang Chao thought that it was a great humiliation to the Wang ns spearmanship. But now, upon seeing Zheng Yangs move, he realized that the Wang ns spearmanship is trash before it! This move that is infused with the Spear Intent cannot be countered by any other moves. In fact... Even if he were the one facing it, he would be helpless! If Zheng Yangs cultivation were at the same level as him, he can definitely kill him with that single move! "Can it be... is this the move that father learned?" Suddenly, a thought shed in Wang Chaos mind. A while ago, his father, Wang Chong, spent an astronomical sum to learn a spear art and after which, he had been secluding himself toprehend Spear Intent. All along, Wang Chao had thought that no move would be worth this money, but after seeing Zheng Yangs stroke... Three million was a small sum to pay for this move. Even if it cost ten million, twenty million, or even all of their family fortune, it would be worth it! Before, the butler had said that the one who imparted his father the spear art was an apothecary, but he hadnt paid much heed to it then. However, upon seeing Guild Leader Ouyang and the other apothecaries here, iming that they are here to watch Apothecary Zhangs duel... Can it be that Zhang Xuanoshi is him? Wang Chaos body swayed and blood welled up at the back of his throat, threatening to spurt at any moment. "Zhangoshi can be considered as half a teacher to me since he has imparted this move to me. Next time, when you see him, you have to call him grand teacher or... grandpa!" Shaking his head to toss aside this ridiculous thought, Wang Chao suddenly heard a powerful voice sounding beside him. Lifting his head to take a look, he saw his father walking toward him. Given themotion that the Teacher Evaluation had caused, even Wang Chong couldnt resist his curiosity and came to take a look. "Grand teacher? Grandpa?" Wang Chaos face turned pale and he was on the verge of tears. Not just him, the other spectators were alsopletely silent. Those who were aware of the Coiling Dragon Hands were even more shocked, and if not for their self-control, they might have torn out their hair in frustration and disbelief. Even though they were unable to exactly recognize the Spear Intent in Zheng Yangs movement, just by the fact that he was able to break the Coiling Dragon Hands with his spear showed that he has already reached such a state! A sixteen-year-old studentprehending Weapon Intent? How can there be such a ridiculous matter in the world? If so, how fearsome will his teacher who imparted him the art be? "Looks like Mo Xiao didnt admit defeat for his friends sake, but because he is truly not a match for him!" "Indeed, even Fighter 4-dan cultivators will be unable to withstand such a move." "What an incredible technique, did it reallye from Zhangoshi?" "Zhangoshi... Not only are his movement, leg, and fist techniques incredible, even his spear art is at the same level as well?" All of the students were astonished. "Just a few days and he... has improved again!" Mo Xiaos body shuddered. Looking at Zhang Xuan, the desire in his eyes could no longer be curbed. A voice echoed in his heart... I must acknowledge him as my teacher! ... "Damn it!" Having his Coiling Dragon Hands broken by Zheng Yangs spear, Lu Xun felt a suffocating sensation in his chest. A savage expression emerged on his face and he let off a loud howl. He was about to charge forth to deal with the exhausted Zheng Yang when he suddenly heard a faint sound. Unknowingly, Liu Yang appeared beside him and his fist was headed straight for him. At that moment, Wang Ying also appeared in the air above him and she had sent a kick straight at him. Si! The punch and kick were so swift that it tore the air into half. Even before hitting its target, it instilled shiver into its target. The two moves may not be as powerful as the spear before, but even so, they shouldnt be underestimated. Even with Lu Xuns powerful physical body, he would incur significant injuries if he were to be struck by it. "Hmph!" With an awfulplexion, Lu Xuns body swayed and as though a butterfly treading through the flowers, he retreated two steps. Battle Technique [Butterfly Steps]! As though a butterfly soaring between flowers, the move grants its user nimble and unreadable movements. Dodging the punch and the kick, Lu Xun prepared tounch a counterattack, but at that moment, he felt his entire body turn cold, as though he had been ced into an ice cavern. As his vision blurred, a ridiculously beautifuldy appeared in his sight. At the same time, a smooth and wless hand reached straight for his chest. Lu Xuns eyes narrowed. Even though he was astonished, as a Pixue realm pinnacle expert who had gone through hundreds of battle, he reacted without hesitation. He counterattacked with a palm strike immediately. Battle Technique [Tower Overthrow Seal]! It is said to possess the strength to topple towers and shake mountains! Boom! The Tower Overthrow Seal met the enemys palm. Zhao Yas body quivered briefly before being sent flying back. She was only a Dingli realm pinnacle cultivator, she was still far from matching a Pixue realm pinnacle expert like Lu Xun. However, Lu Xun didnt fare well either. The pure yin zhenqi which Zhao Ya emitted contained the nature of extreme coldness, causing his body to tremble uncontrobly. He retreated three steps backward but was unable to rid himself of the chill in his body. Furthermore, a surge of cold zhenqi had invaded his meridians, making it impossible for him to neutralize it within a short period of time. Five people and six attacks, Lu Xun had merely received a blow from each of them, but he retreated eleven steps. The crowd was leftpletely dumbfounded. That was Lu Xunoshi, the number one star teacher of Hongtian Academy. Even though his cultivation wasnt unparalleled in the academy, there was nearly no Pixue realm cultivator who could match him. But just like that, he was forced back by a group of Fighter 2-dan and Fighter 5-dan students. If they had not witnessed it for themselves, they would have never believed it. "So, this is the offensive coboration formation that they had been working on?" Zhang Xuan knew that Zhao Ya and the others had been secretly working on a coboration formation, but he had never actually seen them execute it. Finally witnessing it now, Zhang Xuans eyebrows knitted together. "Fine. Truthfully speaking, I have underestimated you brats. You do possess the qualifications to challenge me!" Lu Xun dered as he stabilized his breathing. After having been forced to retreat continuously under the assault of a few juniors, he no longer dared to underestimate them. On the contrary, a grim expression had appeared on his face. "I also think that we are qualified to challenge you. Actually, Luoshi, by crossing blows with you, we have already vented the resentment in Zhangoshis stead. How about this? Can we just consider it a draw? If we go on like this, we will only end up hurting each other..." Yuan Tao chuckled as he stepped forward. "Draw?" Lu Xun harrumphed coldly. "Your attacks are indeed novel, and you have indeed managed to catch me off guard earlier. However, now that youve revealed all the tricks up your sleeves, theres nothing else for me to fear..." What Lu Xun said rang true. Even though the attacks of the five werent weak, they hadnt prepared enough moves to ount for the entire duel. Each of them knew only a single powerful move, and it would have worked against ordinary Pixue realm cultivators. However, for a potential master teacher like Lu Xun, it was far from being sufficient. After all, both his eyes andprehension of battle techniques were far from what the five could match. "Youre right. How about this, why dont I... discuss the matter with them and admit defeat?" Yuan Tao stepped forward as a look of conflict appeared on his face. When he came to just a few steps away from Lu Xun, his eyebrows shot up suddenly as he charged forward. "Hmph, the same trick?" After the precedent with Kong Jie, Lu Xun was already guarded against this fellow. Upon seeing him charge forward, he harrumphed coldly. Because I wasnt guarded against your charge for the first time, you managed to send me back two steps. But the second time, I easily warded off your charge with my Coiling Dragon Hands. Yet, you still dare to use the same technique on me for the third time... Arent you underestimating me too much? A cold glint shed across Lu Xuns eyes. Raising his hands, he prepared himself to ward off Yuan Taos charge. However, before he even came into contact with the fellow, the fellow abruptly stopped and hugged him. The change was too sudden and so unexpected that Lu Xun didnt have the time to react to it. Furthermore, it was unthinkable for one to hug another in the midst of a battle. Kacha! In an instant, the fatty had Lu Xunpletely in his grasp, having locked his arms around the other partys body tightly. "You..." For a teacher to be hugged by a student, Lu Xunsplexion looked extremely dark. With a twist of his body, he knocked at Yuan Tao. Peng! A dull thud. The force behind that knock was in no way inferior to his fist; even an ordinary Pixue realm expert would be vomiting blood due to the impact of that blow. The body of the fatty that was wrapped around him jerked, but the grip didnt loosen in the least. He actually withstood such a powerful knock! "His defense is incredible..." Lu Xuns eyes narrowed. No matter how foolish he could be, he immediately understood that the specialty of the fatty wasnt his charge, but... his defense! To think that he had neglected this fact from the very start. "Hurry up!" Yuan Tao howled as he hugged Lu Xun tightly. Hu! Before he could even finish his words, a spear whistled and flew straight toward Lu Xun. "Damn it!" Sensing the fearsome might behind the spear, Lu Xun knew that he would be over if the spear were to hit him. Thus, he roared and his feet abruptly pushed against the ground. The powerful force against the ground pushed him, along with Yuan Tao, three chi above from the ground, dodging that fatal move. "Come down!" Even though he managed to dodge the Zheng Yangs spear, he wasnt able to evade Liu Yangs fist. With a cold harrumph, a strike from the Heavens Path Fist Art hit him straight in his back. Pu! A mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth. "If this goes on, I might really lose to a bunch of youngsters..." Lu Xun lifted his eyebrows and madness could be seen in his eyes. If I dont shake off this fatty quickly, I might really lose today! Even though Zhang Xuans five students were young and possessed weak cultivation, the battle technique they learned were simply too bizarre. Even a person with a powerful physical body like Lu Xun found it hard to take their blows. "Let go!" Roaring furiously, he sent his right elbow directly at Yuan Tao. This time, he used his full strength. With solely the strength of his physical body, he could even pierce through metal. Peng! The powerful elbow struck Yuan Tao squarely on his chest. Pu! Yuan Taos face turned red. Even though the pain clearly showed through his face, his grip didnt weaken in the least. At this moment, he seemed to have be a giant chain, sealing the opponents body entirely, refusing to budge no matter how hard the opponent struggles. "You..." Not expecting that an elbow strike at his full force would not be able to shake him off, amidst Lu Xuns anger, he was taken aback as well. How is this a duel? It feels more like a fight to the death! In that moment of daze, a kicknded straight on his chest. At the same moment, a pair of white and wless palmsnded on his body as well. Peng peng! Two crisp sounds echoed in the air. Lu Xun felt a dull pain in his chest before flying backward. Chapter 223: Pummeling Lu Xun (Second Half) Chapter 223: Pummeling Lu Xun (Second Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - After flying a dozen meters backward, he crashed violently onto the ground. The impact created a huge crater on the ground. Below him, Yuan Tao suffered nearly eighty percent of the impact. But even so, he hadnt loosened his grip in the slightest, locking thetter firmly in ce. "What kind of fighting style is that?" "Does he have a dying wish? Hell really die like this..." "He wont. He has an extraordinary defense and even given Lu Xunoshis strength, it would take a significant amount of time to shake him away. Clearly, Zhao Ya and the others wouldnt grant him that amount of time." ... Seeing how Yuan Tao firmly held onto Lu Xunoshi, not even budging in the least as if he cared not about dying, everyones mouth twitched. It is just a duel, is there a need to go so far? At this rate, if Lu Xun were to go on a rampage, he might really get beaten to death! Peng peng peng! While everyone was overwhelmed by shock, Lu Xun didnt remain idle. Using his elbow, he struck Yuan Taos chest repeatedly, and every single strike held astonishing might. Under the barrage of attacks, Yuan Taos face grew increasingly pale. Even though he possesses the Emperor Bloodline, he had only activated a tenth of it. While he had no problem warding off the attacks of Dingli realm cultivators easily, it was clearly insufficient for him to do the same for Lu Xun, who is strong even among Pixue realm pinnacle experts. "Hurry up!" Enduring the excruciating pain, Yuan Tao hissed through gritted teeth. Boom! Right afterward, a spear shot into view midair. Having missed his previous strike, Zheng Yang had ced all of his strength into this blow. Executing the strength of the Heavens Path Spear Art to the limits of his ability, under the augmentation of Spear Intent, the spear shot straight toward Lu Xun as though a shooting star. "Damn it!" Facing the spear, Lu Xun narrowed his eyes and hurriedly backed away. Even so, the spear managed to inflict a wound on his chest, leaving a trail of red blood sailing in midair. "You arent going to escape!" Shortly, a blurred figure appeared before Lu Xun. With a flip of her palm, it felt as though the heavens was crushing down. Battle Technique [Falling Heavens]! The descent of the palm induces terror in all! Of Zhang Xuans students, the one with the best circumstances for cultivation wasnt Wang Ying. It was Zhao Ya. Her father was the city lord of Baiyu City, and his position was only inferior to that of Emperor Shen Zhui in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. All kinds of battle techniques and resources were at her disposal, and this Falling Heavens was one of the strongest techniques in Baiyu City. Due to her insufficient cultivation, she was unable to practice it before. However, after her Pure Yin Body was awakened and her strength reached Dingli realm pinnacle, she became much more powerful than even the ordinary teachers in the academy, allowing her to train and execute this move. As expected of a top-notch battle technique in Baiyu City, even before the strikended, a frigid air had already frozen the surroundings. "Hmph!" Held firmly by Yuan Tao, Lu Xun was unable to parry the move. Even so, he didnt panic. His zhenqi flurried and he turned half a round on the spot. As such, Yuan Tao stood between him and Zhao Ya, turning into the fatty into a meat shield for him. If Zhao Ya were to go ahead with that strike, Falling Heavens would definitelynd on herrade. "Lu Xunoshi is... throwing aside his dignity!" "Indeed, to be using the student as a meat shield, shameless!" "Actually, this shows that the few students exert a great amount of pressure on him. Otherwise, he wouldnt have thrown aside his pride to do this." "As a Pixue realm pinnacle expert, Lu Xunoshi is ranked at the first or second ce among the elders in the academy. Yet, to be forced to such a state by five freshmen who have enrolled for just half a month... Scary!" "However, it will still be difficult for Zhao Ya and the others to win. With Yuan Tao serving as a meat shield, they will be hesitant to attack Lu Xunoshi. However, if Yuan Tao were to let go, Luoshi, with his speed and movement technique, would be able to escape easily from their assault." The wiser experts saw through the crux of the problem. Previously, as Luoshi still held considerations for his reputation, he hadnt resorted to his other means. However, now forced to a corner, he decided to use Yuan Tao as a meat shield. This leaves the other students at a loss of whether to strike him or not, thus causing them to fall into a disadvantageous position. "Look, Zhao Ya isnt ceasing her attack..." Everyone thought that the battle would end in a standstill when they noticed that Zhao Yas Falling Heaven didnt slow in the least. Itnded straight on Yuan Taos body. Hu! As though striking a leather, there wasnt a loud impact. It seemed as if Zhao Ya had withdrawn her power at the veryst moment, and the palm that had fallen on Yuan Taos body was only an ordinary strike. "Seems that she held back. Otherwise, Yuan Tao would have definitely copsed from the simultaneous attacks from both in front and behind him!" A personmented. However, right after that, another exmation rang. "Something is amiss, look at Lu Xunoshi!" Everyone hurriedly turned to look at Luoshi. With a nce, their eyes narrowed. Right after Zhao Yas palmnded on Yuan Tao, who was hugging Luoshi, thetter shuddered and his face turned pale. Clearly, the strike thatnded on Yuan Tao had struck him instead. "It is the modification of Falling Heavens, Descending Heavens!" City Lord Zhao Feng abruptly stood up, and his disbelief reflected in his eyes. "Descending Heavens can strike a person even at a distance. However, the skill is extremely difficult to practice, requiring one to undergo all kinds of pain. More importantly, one has to at least execute a hundred thousand palm strikes before he can grasp the skill... It has only been four days since Zhao Ya awakened her unique constitution. For her to be able to execute it... What kind of pain did she undergo in the past few days?" Long-range attacks are difficult to grasp, even if one is talented. It requires relentless experimentation and practice. Even using the most conservative estimates, it would require one to at least practice at the skill at least a hundred thousand times. That was to say, she had practiced the skill over a hundred thousand times over the course of four days? What hardship did this daughter of his suffer in these four days? And what was it that made her persevere like this? After all, repeating such a boring and dull movement over and over again isnt easy, and back then, he had nearly given up himself, needless to say, a sixteen to seventeen-year-old girl like her. "It is all for victory!" Yao Han eximed with reddened eyes. He had witnessed the hardship that his xiaojie had gone through in the past few days personally. In the past, she wasnt serious in her cultivation, allowing her mind to wander during training. Otherwise, as the young mistress of a city lord, possessing countless profound battle techniques, cultivation techniques, and the guidance of experts at her disposal, even though she was affected by her pure yin body, it was impossible for her to still be a merely Fighter 1-dan despite having reached sixteen years of age. Initially, he thought that xiaojie wouldnt be able to persevere practicing such a difficult technique, but she managed to pull through... Her determination far exceeded his expectations. "Victory?" "Yes. She wants to win for Zhangoshi. All of them... dont want to lose!" "Dont want to lose?" Turning his attention to the five students on the stage, he narrowed his eyes. As a city lord and an expert, he understood how difficult cultivation could get. How much hardship did the five children have to go through within half a month in order to be able to rival a star teacher, even forcing him to abandon his pride? "What kind of magic does this Zhangoshi possess, to be able to induce such change in Xiao Ya and forge such strong camaraderie among his students?" City Lord Zhao Feng nced at Zhangoshi, and respect for thetter reflected in his eyes. He understood his own daughter well. It was surely this Zhangoshis credit for such changes to appear within her in just a short span of half a month. Furthermore, even though the formation Zhang Xuans students were using was rather crude, their teamwork could be said to be impable. Taking, for example, Zhao Yas Descending Heavens, as she had yet to master the skill, if Yuan Tao were to resist in the very least, it was likely for the blow to have struck him instead of Lu Xun. To remainpletely unguarded in the face of such a powerful technique, just how much trust did he have in the other party in order to be able to do so? The crowd was leftpletely dumbfounded and the entire field went silent. On the other hand, Lu Xun, who was hiding behind Yuan Tao, was infuriated, and he was just a step away from going crazy. He thought that these fellows only had that single ace up their sleeves, and he never expected them to have done so much preparation in advance. Furthermore, they showed incredible tenacity and were willing to endure all pain for the sake of victory. Suppressing the frost in his body, Lu Xun retreated once more. Hu! But before he could get away, another blurred figure appeared before him. Wang Ying! At this instant, the embarrassment she possessed during her fight with Du Lei waspletely absent. On the contrary, she now carried unwavering determination. She sent a kick straight toward Lu Xun. With Wang Ying in front and Zhao Ya at the back, Lu Xun had nowhere to escape. Furiously driving the zhenqi in his body, the muscles throughout his entire body tightened. Peng! Lu Xun felt a powerful force striking him on his chest. Once again, he was sent flying. The strength of the kick far surpassed his imagination. If not for having experienced it personally, he wouldnt have dared believe that such a powerful attack coulde from such a gentledy. No wonder Du Lei nearly died from her kick! Thissss leg technique is indeed astounding. Putong! Falling on the ground once more, Lu Xun felt a dull ache in his chest. Having received several blows consecutively, despite his powerful defense and overwhelming strength, he found himself about to cave in. Pu! He vomited a mouthful of blood and his face lightened by another shade. Initially, he thought that he could make a quick job out of these students, but to think that he wouldnd in such a tragic state instead. "Let go of me!" The main reason why he had been suffering attacks after attacks without any chance of counterattack was Yuan Taos grip. Lu Xun red at Yuan Tao before roaring. He gathered zhenqi on his head and crashed it forcefully onto Yuan Taos head. Peng! As their heads crashed together, Yuan Tao felt faint-headed and fresh blood streamed from his forehead. Even though he possessed incredible defense, he was only able to endure the attacks up to the level of a Dingli realm expert. The other party had augmented his attack with zhenqi, causing Yuan Tao to sustain a severe injury instantly. "You wish to get rid of me? Dream on! I will never let go even if I were to die!" Yuan Tao felt giddy and his face was dyed with crimson blood, but this only increased his determination. Roaring furiously, not only did he not release his grip, he even tightened it, making it difficult for Lu Xun to breathe. "Damn it, dont you fear death? If I were to continue banging your head like that, you will die..." Seeing how thed was reluctant to let go, Lu Xun seethed with rage. Given Lu Xuns powerful offense, if he were to continue knocking the other party like that, even though Yuan Taos defense wasnt weak, he might really die... Does this fellow really not fear death? Lu Xun was astonished. He was considering whether he should really knock this fellow to death when a gust of wind cut through his skin, and a mighty force shot straight at him. A spear stopped right before his throat. Zheng Yang had been waiting for an opportunity all along. Upon noticing Lu Xuns momentary distraction, he dashed forward immediately and executed the Heavens Path Spear Art augmented by Spear Intent. Within the blink of an eye, he was already before Lu Xun, prepared to pierce the other partys throat. The spear was like an arrow on the bowstring, ready to shoot through the other partys neck at any moment. Standing upright, Zheng Yang stared at Lu Xun with sharp eyes. "Luoshi... Youve lost!" Chapter 224: Call Him Uncle Now! Chapter 224: Call Him Uncle Now! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Ive lost? Its too early to say that!" Watching the spear right before his eyes, Lu Xun felt extremely humiliated. With a roar, he gritted his teeth and dashed forward. "Un?" Not expecting that the other party himself would dash straight toward his spear, Zheng Yang was taken aback. He retracted his arm instinctively. With this action, Zheng Yang lost his advantage. Stepping against the ground, Lu Xun executed the Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps, forming multiple shadows at once. In the blink of an eye, he was already right before Zheng Yang and he rammed his body against him. He was still hugged firmly by Yuan Tao and his hands were locked, so he could only use this move. Peng! Pu! He didnt expect that the other party would fight back even with the spear right before his neck. Unprepared for this, Zheng Yang was struck squarely and his face flushed. Crimson blood spurted out of his mouth and his entire body was sent flying backward. "Too shameless..." "How can a star teacher of the academy behave like this?" "Damn it..." Seeing how Lu Xun refused to admit defeat despite the clear oue, the crowd immediately burst into an uproar. "Unforgivable!" Seeing how the teacher was shamelessly fighting back despite having clearly lost, even injuring Zheng Yang in the process, Zhao Yas face turned red with anger. Her body flickered faintly, she appeared before Lu Xun. In the midst of doing so, her wrist snapped and a sword had appeared in her hands. She had learned swordsmanship from young, and because Luoshi was at a numerical disadvantage, she chose not to wield it. However, upon witnessing the person whom she once respectedmit such a shameless action, she could no longer hold herself back. Weng! The sword flew across the sky, and her movement was so incredibly light and graceful that the scene resembled a painting. Battle Technique [Sunset Swordsmanship]! As though rapidly flowing river beneath the setting sun, her movements were fluid! "Heh!" With his arms locked firmly in ce, Lu Xun harrumphed coldly and sent a kick straight toward the sword. His reaction and the timing could be said to be impable. However, he had underestimated Yuan Tao, who was clutching onto him from behind. Seeing Zheng Yang get injured had triggered him, and he roared furiously. "Get down here!" His plump body had be as heavy as a boulder, pulling Lu Xuns rising body down forcefully. With this fall, not only did Lu Xuns kick miss Zhao Yas sword, he lost his bnce and if things go wrong, he might even be pierced in the heart. "Ah!" Not expecting the abrupt change, Lu Xuns eyes narrowed. However, it was toote to do anything. Hu! Seeing that things were about to get fatal, a figure suddenly appeared between them and his fingers lightly flicked. Weng! A metallic sound resounded and Zhao Ya lost grip over her sword. It flew out and stabbed into the ground not too far away. "Teacher!" Upon seeing her sword being blown away, Zhao Ya was about to fly into a rage when she saw the other partys features. She immediately sped her hands and bowed respectfully. It was Zhang Xuan. He could tell that both parties had reached the peak of their anger. If he didnt stop them, things would blow out of proportion. After disarming Zhao Ya, he walked toward Zheng Yang and infused zhenqi into him. He realized that thetters injury wasnt severe and that he should be able to recover swiftly under the nourishment of pills. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief and turn toward Yuan Tao, "You should get down as well!" "Yes!" Yuan Tao loosened his grip and fell to the floor. Even though the only thing he did throughout the battle was to hug Lu Xun, he had sustained the most severe injuries out of the five. If not for the awakening of his Emperors Bloodline, which grants him a significant boost in his defense, he would have long caved under the barrage of attacks and fainted. "Teacher..." After briefly adjusting their breathing, the five dragged their wearied bodies toward Zhang Xuan. Even though they felt fatigued, their eyes were glowing with excitement. Even though they didnt think that they have won the duel, the results were unexpectedly good. After all, their opponent was a star teacher, and he ended up being done in good by them. No matter what, they still felt proud of themselves. They thought that by venting their teachers frustration and showcasing their growth over the past half a month, they would be able to receivepliments. Yet, Zhangoshis expression was extremely dark and mes of anger were burning in his eyes. "Teacher..." Upon seeing him in such a state, Zheng Yang and the others were perplexed. "Do you think that I shouldpliment you?" Zhang Xuan red at them, and it felt as though a storm was brewing. "We..." The five of them scratched their heads. "Since you intentionally hid it from me, I thought that you were practicing some powerful offensive coboration formation, but tell me, what the hell is this toy?" Zhang Xuan roared furiously, and his face revealed his disappointment. Is formation not good? This is considered one of the top offensive coboration formation in Tianxuan Kingdom, alright? Upon hearing the reason behind his outrage, everyone was taken aback. Even taking the entire Tianxuan Kingdom into ount, this offensive coboration formation was one of the top formations. After all, using this formation, a Fighter 5-dan cultivator and four Fighter 2-dan cultivators were able to rival a Pixue realm pinnacle expert, thus proving the strength of this formation. Yet, he wasnt happy with the results? Even calling it a toy? Lu Xun, who had finally calmed down, felt stifled. Hearing those words, his injuries almost worsened and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Is there something wrong with you? This offensive coboration formation nearly killed me, yet you arent satisfied? "Why? You dont agree with what Im saying? Fine, then I will start exining from the first move. When Yuan Tao charged toward Luoshi, if Zheng Yang was in this position and used the spear art which I taught, the prowess of your primary assault would be boosted by a single fold. Liu Yang, if you had attacked from here while squatting three cun lower, it would be the blind hole of his vision, making it impossible for him to evade your strike. As for Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, are you all sleeping? If you were standing here, do you think he would be able to escape?" Disregarding everyones shock, Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves and drew the offensive coboration formation on the ground and highlighted a few points. Initially, Lu Xun was doubtful of Zhang Xuans words. However, after hearing his lecture, his face suddenly turned pale. The other partys words made perfect sense. If his students arranged themselves ording to his positioning and struck at the same moment, even Lu Xun would be unable to dodge all of their attacks. At the very least, he would be struck by three attacks simultaneously. Just a blow from one of these little fellows was enough for him to spurt blood. He wouldnt be able to withstand three blows from them simultaneously even if he were at his peak condition. Oblivious to Lu Xuns trembling body, Zhang Xuan continued. "Next, Yuan Tao grabbing onto Luoshi should have been a good opportunity. If Liu Yang had attacked here, Wang Ying dyed her attack by three breaths, and Zhao Ya didnt hesitate, within the seventh breath, you all would have been able to seal his path of retreat. If so, would you all have gotten injured? Without a single injury, he would have admitted his defeat!" The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the angrier he became. These little fellows are truly too toying around too much. Initially, he thought that they were practicing some kind of formidable formation, so he wasnt too worried. Yet, it turned out to be full of ws. What the hell is this! You call this a formation? If only you had sought pointers from me beforehand, none of you all would have gotten injured today. Furthermore, you would have been able topletely pummel Lu Xun. He wouldnt have been able to retaliate at all, needless to say, refuse to admit defeat! Even more so, none of you would have gotten injured. "This... This..." Hearing the other partys exnation, Lu Xun felt his body turn cold. Other people may be unable to tell how urate was Zhang Xuans pointers, but as a person who had personally experienced the formation, he was aware of how fearsome his words were. If his students had truly done it that way, the result would be as Zhang Xuan said. None of them would be injured, and his face would be swollen from a one-sided beating. Can it be that Zhang Xuan understands formations as well? A battle changes constantly at rapid speeds, yet he is able to see through the ws in their formation with a single look and make the most urate adjustments... Are you for real? How do you do that? Lu Xuns trembled in fear. He thought that those youngsters hadplemented each other well in the battle, yet Zhang Xuan could point out so many ws and problems in their coboration. If they were to fill up these gaps, he, despite being a Pixue realm cultivator, would be helpless before them! In a truly powerful formation, one plus one equals to three or even four. Yuan Tao was skilled in defense, so he yed the role of the sturdiest shield. Zheng Yang was skilled in spearmanship, so he was the sharpest arrow. Zhao Ya was the core of the team, and she used all kinds of means toplement the others. Wang Ying possessed superior movement technique, so she was all around the field. Liu Yangs fists were invincible, so he struck when the opportunity arose... If by the previous formation, the five people were able to execute the strength of seven or eight, going by Zhangoshis modification, they would be able to execute the strength of twenty! Even a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert would find it hard to stand against such prowess, needless to say, a Pixue realm pinnacle cultivator like him! Fearsome! "Incredible! Even though he had merely spoken a few words, he had pointed out the very essence of the formation. Can it be that Zhangoshi understands formations as well?" Disbelief reflected in Liu Lings eyes as he heard Zhang Xuans pointers to his students. Formation masters and apothecaries are two of the most esteemed upations of the Upper Nine Paths. Both upations require incredibly deep and profound knowledge, and bing an official apothecary at such an age is already an incredible feat. Yet, he possesses knowledge of formations as well? "Do you understand all Ive said?" Oblivious to the shock and silence in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan reprimanded his students and scanned their faces. "Yes!" The five of them lowered their heads in embarrassment. This formation originated from Zhao Ya, and it was one of the top formations in Baiyu City. She thought that it was a wless and powerful formation, so never in her dreams did she think that it had so many loopholes. However, after Zhangoshis guidance and the experience they gained from fighting Lu Xun previously, they had already developed an in-depth understanding of the formation. They should feel much more familiar it if they were to execute it once more. "Its good that you understand!" After lecturing them, Zhang Xuan slowly walked back with his hands behind his back. "Since you all understand the formation, go back and fight with Luoshi once more. He hasnt admitted defeat, right? Beat him until he admits defeat!" "Ah?" "Fight again?" The five students staggered and they nearly spurted blood at Zhang Xuans words. They thought that they were ruthless, but to think that Zhangoshi topped them... "You..." Lu Xuns felt his vision turning gray. The heck! So in the end, it turns out that the reason why you ran in here, interrupted the fight, and offered them pointers isnt that you think that they didnt do well enough, but because you want to toy with me... Lu Xun stood up, and he was about to speak when a panicked voice suddenly echoed from afar. Master Zhang, please forgive this son of mine on my ount!" Turning around to take a look, he saw Master Zhang walking over. "Father..." Upon seeing the father, who usually stayed out of all his affairs, speaking up for him, Lu Xun clenched his fist and his face flushed. The reason why he left home was to prove to his father that even without him, he can create a ce for himself. He didnt expect to be caught by him in such an embarrassing situation. "You brat, kneel down!" Looking at him with disappointment, Master Lu Chen pointed toward Zhang Xuan and said, "What are you waiting for? Call him your uncle now!" Chapter 225: Senior Chapter 225: Senior Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Call him uncle?" At this moment, regardless of whether they were teacher or student, all of them felt strangled. For Lu Xun to call Zhang Xuan uncle? Where does this logice from? Am I hearing things? Master Lu Chen was the emperors tutor, and if Lu Xun were to call him uncle, wouldnt Emperor Shen Zhui have to do the same as well? Does this make any sense? Upon thinking of this, everyone turned their gazes toward Emperor Shen Zhui, who was seated at the VIP area. As expected, hisplexion seemed awful. For an emperor, as well as a middle-aged man in his forties, to be considered as a junior to ad who wasnt even in his twenties yet... No one can ept such a situation easily. "Address him as... uncle?" Lu Xun was on the verge of tears. What do you mean by that? He isnt even as old as me, not to mention, he is just a low-level teacher. Yet, I have to call him uncle? He felt so stifled that he had an urge to puke blood. "Why? You cant bring yourself to say it? Master Zhang my peer, and I address him as my brother. How else should you address him if not uncle?" Master Lu Chen pped his sons head as he bellowed. What kind of son did he raise, to dare to pick a fight with his uncle? He truly is tired of living. It is fortunate that Master Zhang is magnanimous, otherwise, he would have to lie in bed for the next few months. "I..." After an intense struggle within, Lu Xun still found himself unable to address Zhang Xuan as an uncle. Lu Xun truly felt like crying at this instant. "You beast..." Master Lu Chen was so furious that his beard was blown up with a snort. Just as he was about to continue reprimanding his son, Zhangoshi stopped him. "Enough, Brother Lu. Its normal for kids to have their times of folly, its actually nothing much. You just have to teach them slowly in the future. Its not good to beat them up in public like that!" Zhang Xuan tried to persuade him. Honestly speaking, he wasnt too bothered by hierarchical protocols. However, he felt that he should spare Lu Xun face on Master Lu Chens ount. Ever since his transcendence, Master Lu Chen had provided him with a significant amount of help. Otherwise, with how Lu Xun had provoked him time and time again, he would have long made mincemeat of him. "Yes, Brother Zhang is right!" Master Lu Chen nodded his head. He hit his son on his head once more and said, "You beast, hurry up and thank Uncle Zhang for his magnanimity!" "I..." Lu Xun was on the verge of going crazy. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan with the urge to pull out his hair. Brother, your identity sure changed quickly! Its normal for kids to have their times of folly... Who the heck are you saying is a kid? Youre younger than me, yet you said those words so naturally. Where did your confidencee from... He felt incredibly dismal and frustrated, but before his father, he didnt dare to say anything. On the other hand, someone had already fainted from the sight. It was his good friend, Wang Chao. Zhangoshi was half a teacher to Wang Chong, which means... even his father was a junior. If so, in terms of standing, he had to call Zheng Yang and the others as uncles... "Uncle... Zhang!" After a long moment of hesitation, Lu Xun spat through gritted teeth. Taking a deep breath, a cold glint shed across his eyes as he said, "You might have triumphed over me in the Teacher Evaluation, but it is impossible for you to be an apprentice of the three master teachers!" It was all because of this fellow that he had embarrassed himself so greatly today. Even though he had addressed the other party as Uncle Zhang under his fathers pressure, he didnt actually feel the slightest bit of respect for him. "Oh? Why would my dear nephew say such words?" Zhang Xuan looked at him doubtfully. "You..." Knowing the other party had intentionally addressed him as dear nephew, Lu Xun felt his rage burst forth and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. His entire body swayed and he spat through gritted teeth, "To be an assistant master teacher, one has to be a certified star teacher or high-level teacher of the Teacher Guild. However, as a low-level teacher, you do not meet the requisites!" A teacher can be divided into low-level teachers, high-level teachers, and star teachers. Those who manage to be an assistant master teacher are mostly star teachers, and even at the very least, high-level teachers. A mere low-level teacher doesnt meet the requirements. So what if the three master teachers have a high evaluation of you? As master teachers, they are expected to follow the rules. "This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned. His previous self had always been a low-level teacher, and after his reincarnation, due to his brief time here, he hadnt had sufficient time to take the high-level teacher examination. It seemed that he had to look for an opportunity to take the examination, otherwise, in his journey to be a master teacher, his status would be the greatest limiting factor. As the most prestigious upation in the world, one can only be a master teacher by taking themselves forward step by step, with honesty. If someone were to find out that one had taken shortcuts, being humiliated would just a small affair, he could potentially lose all of the honor he had built up over the years. "Zhangoshi, we meet once again!" He was thinking about taking the examination when a familiar voice sounded. Turning around to take a look, he saw Elder Mo from the Teacher Guild. Unknowingly, he had walked over. "Ah, so its Elder Mo!" Zhang Xuan had a good impression of this Elder Mo. Upon realizing his mistake, he didnt side with his friends and instead proceeded over the matter with utmost fairness. If not for him, it would have been impossible for him to stand up against Shang Chen and Shang Bin at the Enlightenment Will Trial. "Zhangoshi, Im truly sorry that a ck sheep like Shang Chen had appeared among the teachers and brought you a ton of troubles. After I left that day, I reported the matter to the headquarter and a verdict has just been issued. Weve kept you waiting for long!" Elder Mo bowed. "Oh? Theres a verdict? Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Back then, in the Enlightenment Will Trial, Elder Mo had only temporarily suspended Shang Chens duties as the head of Education Bureau and Shang Binoshis license. A conclusive verdict wasnt passed out then. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that they werent going to carry out any punishments, but to think that the issue had been reported up to the headquarters. The Teacher Guild headquarter is unimaginably far from Tianxuan Kingdom. Even with the quickestmunication tool, reporting the matter to a Conferred Kingdom and receiving a reply through warp portals will take at least half a month. "Ill be announcing the verdict from the headquarters now!" Elder Mo nodded his head, retrieved a scroll from his pocket, and unrolled it. Hu! A light gushed from the dueling ring straight into the heavens, illuminating all four directions. "Its the Teacher Guilds [Guild Letter]!" "Guild Letter? Whats that?" "An Emperor uses his imperial edict to ry hismand and summons... The Teacher Guild, as one of the strongest power in the entire continent, has a simr object as well, and it is known as the Guild Letter! Usually, it is used to announce punishments toward teachers who flout rules or rymand from the elders of the guild. Once announced, the announcement will automatically be recorded in the books of the Teacher Guild. Thus, these records can be checked easily from any branch!" "To have allowed the Tianxuan Kingdoms branch to use the Guild Letter, this shows how important they valued the matter!" "Naturally! Intentional oppression of a genius who can potentially be a master teacher, it would be strange if the guild doesnt regard this matter seriously." "Indeed. Shang Chen truly picked on the wrong person, he deserved it!" ... Upon seeing the object, every single teacher, who was aware of the significance of the letter, was shocked greatly. The Guild Letter of the Teacher Guild was rarely used, and for it to be used on this asion showed how importantly they regarded this affair. Hula! The moment the Guild Letter opened, all of the teachers, students, and even the three master teachers, stood up respectfully. "Tianxuan Kingdom, Hongtian Academys Teacher Shang Chen, as the head of the Education Bureau, made use of his position to oppress another teacher, flouting themandments of the guild. Thus, he will be stripped of his teaching license, permanently!" Amidst the brilliant light, an authoritative voice sounded. Putong! Previously sitting amidst the crowd, Elder Shang Chens face darkened and he fell to the floor in despair. He had merely wanted to help his grandson vent his resentment, and he never expected for the matter to blow out of proportions. Being stripped of his teaching license meant that his identity and standing waspletely destroyed. It was no different from being demoted from a noble to a peasant. "Tianxuan Kingdom, Hongtian Academys Teacher Shang Bin failed to unite his colleagues and act as a good role model. Thus, he will be stripped of his teaching license for three years. Teacher Cao Xiong incited the affair due to his envy. Thus, he will be permanently stripped of his teaching license, and no academy is to hire him!" After which, the voice announced Shang Bin and Cao Xiongs punishments as well. Shang Bin, having been stripped of his teaching license for three years, meant that he would be unable to practice teaching for three years. At the very least, this meant that he could nevertheless return to the academy in three years time. On the other hand, his grandfather, Shang Chen, and Cao Xiong had no such chance to redeem themselves. This was especially for Cao Xiong. For the academies to be banned from hiring him meant that he wasnt allowed to even serve as a cleaner in there. If a school were to be found to infringe on the ruling, the entire academy would be punished by the guild. "Tianxuan Kingdom, Hongtian Academy Teacher Zhang Xuan, as an earnest person, had tolerated humiliation in consideration for the reputation of the academy. At the same time, he has shown achievements in guiding others, making him a role model for teachers. Thus, he is promoted to a star teacher." Hu! The voice from the Guild Letter came to an end and the brilliance gradually faded from sight. "So, does this mean that Im now a star teacher?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. He thought that he would need to take the high-level teacher examination and think of a way to rise through the ranks, but from the looks of it, there was no need for it. A single paper from the Teacher Guild had settled his problem. "Zhangoshi, congrattions!" Stroking his beard, Elder Mo smiled at Zhang Xuan. "Thank you Elder Mo for going through such trouble!" Zhang Xuan bowed. He knew that Elder Mo must have contributed greatly to the verdict, and he was grateful to him for that. "Youre being too polite. Im only here to announce the guilds verdict, so I wont be bothering you any further. Farewell!" After which, he sped his hands and left with a smile. His departure was followed by a moment of silence. Everyone turned to look at Lu Xun immediately. Didnt you just say that the other party isnt qualified? Right afterward, Elder Mo appeared and announced the Teacher Guilds verdict of promoting Zhangoshi to a star teacher. This face p... Honestly, everyone can feel the sting. As expected, Lu Xuns face turned white, and it seemed like he was considering whether he shouldmit suicide on the spot. "Master Zhang, I have spoilt my son. I hope that you can be magnanimous and..." Witnessing the situation, Master Lu Chen shook his head. Initially, he hadnt intended to interfere in this matter, but he could not resist and eventually sped his hands toward Zhang Xuan. "Master Lu Chen, what are you saying..." Zhang Xuan smiled. "His rationality is just overwhelmed by his desire to be a master teachers apprentice, I wont hold a grudge against him for that!" "Thank you!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had no intentions on pursuing the matter, Lu Chen bowed in gratitude. "Theres no need for you to be so courteous." "And right!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at the three master teachers. "Liu shi, Zhuang shi, Zheng shi, even though Lu Xuns recent performance isnt ideal, his ability as a teacher is indeed outstanding. You should consider him if you wish to ept an apprentice!" "You..." Lu Xun was feeling so stifled when he heard Zhang Xuans words. His face immediately reddened and his eyes widened in shock. The reason why he had beenpeting with Zhang Xuan was for the opportunity to be an apprentice of the three master teachers. Yet... Even though Zhangoshi won the battle, why was he himself benefiting instead... Also, whats with your attitude? The other party is a master teacher! Speaking with such a tone, arent you afraid of being beaten to death? Before he could recover from his shock, the three master teachers stepped forward and sped their hands before Zhang Xuan. "Senior!" Chapter 226: A Godlike Man "Se... Senior?" "Did Liu shi and the others just call Zhang Xuan their senior?" "He isnt even twenty. On the other hand, the three master teachers are at minimum sixty or seventy. Where is the logic..." "Ive no idea, but... from the looks of it, the three master teachers dont seem to be feigning anything. Can Zhangoshi truly be that incredible?" It was as though the crowd had been struck by lightning. Shocks came like waves today, crashing down on them one after another. They felt as though they were unable to keep up anymore and their heart had reached their limits. "Is... is he a senior to Liu shi and hispany? Can it be..." Narrowing his eyes, Emperor Shen Zhui seemed to have thought of something as he shuddered. As the three master teachers had been residing in the pce, he hade into contact with them frequently and knew of their intentions. They had been trying to acknowledge Yang Xuan as their teacher and given how they were addressing Zhang Xuan as their senior now, no matter how foolish he was, it was impossible for him to not understand what was going on. "Zhang Xuanoshi is... Yang shis student. Furthermore, he is a... direct disciple!" His breathing quickened. Yang shi was able to help even the dying Shen Hong reach Zongshi realm, showing the incredible capabilities he possessed. ording to Liu shi and the others conjecture, he was likely to be at minimum a 3-star master teacher. Such incredible figures oftene and go as they please. It waspletely possible for him to vanish into thin air within a few days time. But if Zhang Xuan was his direct disciple, it would make things much easier. He could make use of Zhang Xuan as a bridge to tie Yang shi to Tianxuan Kingdom. Even if he were to be unable to bind such a superpower, Yang shi and the others would also find it hard to reject him, given that their senior, Zhang Xuan, hails from Tianxuan Kingdom. If so, it is only a matter of time before the kingdom rises through the ranks! If he had thought previously that being a rank less senior than Zhang Xuan was embarrassing, right now, his eyes were glowing and he regarded it as an honor. Given that Zhang Xuan had managed to acknowledge Yang Xuan as his teacher, it was just a matter of time before he bes a master teacher. Putting aside calling him uncle, even calling him grandpa would be nothing much. As the sovereign of a country, he shouldered the responsibility over the entire kingdom in his hands. He had long learned to weigh matters in terms of cost and benefits. The so-called identity, seniority and such were only mere methods of address to him. Besides, Liu shi and the others were considered as peers with his grandfather, Shen Hong. Given that Zhang Xuan was their senior, he was lucky to be able to get off with addressing Zhang Xuan as his uncle. "S... S... Senior? The three master teachers senior?" While everyone was dumbfounded, Lu Xun stuttered in astonishment. The reason why he was so against Zhangoshi previous was that he was vying with him for the opportunity toe under the three master teachers apprenticeship. Yet... Not only was the other party unbothered, he actually turned out to be a senior to the three master teachers... In an instant, he felt as though he had been a clown. After such a huge farce, it emerged that the other party didnt care for what he had valued so highly. Just by revealing his identity, he could easily destroy him. Grandmaster painter, an expert at the Way of Tea, official apothecary (Given the number of apothecaries that had appeared in the academy, Wang Chao and him immediately knew of Zhang Xuans identity as an apothecary), the brother of his father, senior of the three master teachers... Just any single one of those identities was sufficiently imposing, but at this moment, it was all gathered on a seemingly unimpressive teacher... Shivering violently, he felt lost. He had always thought that he was a genius, and even without his fathers help, he could make a name for himself. But now, he realized that his so-called talents meant nothing inparison to the other party. Honestly speaking... This blow had caused him to doubt the purpose of life itself! He was feelingpletely loss when he heard Liu shis voice echo by his ears. "Luoshi is indeed a rare talent. From back then, I had heard of his reputation in Beiwu Kingdom and the reason why I came here was to wee him as my apprentice. Since senior has spoken on his behalf... Lu Xun. are you willing to be my apprentice?" Liu Ling looked at Lu Xun with a smile. Even if he was unable to ept Zhang Xuan as his apprentice, the trip would also have been worth it if he was able to recruit Lu Xun. Besides, his senior clearly intended to resolve the grudge, and he was d to give him a hand. "Im willing..." Awakening from his daze, Lu Xuns body froze in agitation. All of his hard work was for this. He thought that he would be doomed after losing the Teacher Evaluation, and never in his dreams did he expect that his wish would be fulfilled so abruptly. "Yes... Zhang Xuan, oh, no, Uncle Zhang... Teacher!" Even though Liu shi had said it in that manner, Lu Xun knew that his reputation only yed a minor part. More importantly, it was due to Zhangoshis rmendation. Despite me treating him like that, he was willing to rmend me to Liu shi! What is this magnanimity? Clenching his fists tightly, Lu Xuns eyes turned red. "This is the attitude that a teacher should have. Xun-er, you must learn from Master Zhang!" By the side, Lu Chen, who had witnessed the entire scene,mented. He had heard the entire matter from Huang Yu, and as such, he knew how much trouble this unfilial son of his had brought to Zhang Xuan. Yet, the other party didnt say a word of criticism. On the other hand, he even helped him to be a master teachers apprentice. Just his magnanimity showed that he was no ordinary person. "Yes!" Lu Xun nodded his head. Only at this moment did he realize how ridiculous his actions had been. While he was still thinking about how he should be an apprentice of the three master teachers, his rival had already be their senior. While he was thinking about bing an official painter, the other party was already a grandmaster. While he was thinking about breaking through Pixue realm, the other party was already at Tongxuan realm pinnacle... That was the distance between them. "Zhangoshi, I was foolish in the past and have offended you on multiple asions. Please forgive me!" "Its alright as long as you are willing to change! I hope that you will learn properly under Liu shis guidance in future and quickly be a true master teacher!" Seeing how the other party was willing to let bygones be bygones, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. In actual fact, he didnt hold much resentment toward this Lu Xun. Based on the memories belonging to his previous self, this fellow had taught numerous incredible students ever since entering the academy. He had practically no bad track records, and it was mainly due to hispetitive nature and his desire to surpass his incredible father that hemitted so many mistakes. "Yes!" Lu Xun nodded his head earnestly. Then, he turned to Liu Ling and asked, "Liu shi, may I beseech you on a matter?" "Feel free to speak!" Liu shi said as he stroked his beard. Seeing that Lu Xun was sincere in wanting to turn over a new leaf, he felt delighted as well. "In order for me to win this battle, my students had consumed [Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill] and there are likely to be heavy and detrimental side effects. I hope that Liu shi can resolve this issue." Lu Xun knelt down. "Teacher..." Witnessing the situation, Zhu Hong and the others clenched their fists tightly and their eyes turned red. With the matter exposed, Luoshis reputation would definitely be affected greatly. Even so, for their future, he was willing to reveal it all in public. Just his consideration for his student itself was worthy of awe. Mo Xiao, who had thought of acknowledging Zhang Xuan as his teacher previously, upon seeing Luoshis actions, felt touched. After contemting over the matter for awhile, he nced at Lu Xun once more and made up his mind with a new resolve. While incredible teachers got to chose their students, talented students were also qualified to choose their own teachers. The reason why he wanted to acknowledge Zhang Xuan was because Luoshis recent actions and performance were disappointing. However, upon seeing this, he realized that the formidable Luoshi of the past, the number star teacher of Hongtian Academy, was back. Only with a big heart can one surpass all odds. At that instant, the intention toe under Zhang Xuans tutge disappeared. "Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill? That is one of the forbidden medicine which forcefully raises ones cultivation. Even though it can induce a rapid rise in cultivation, the remanant toxins of the pill will sink into ones meridians, causing ones cultivation speed to be increasingly slower. This will affect their future achievements! To have had them consume these things was equivalent to ruining the future of these kids... Lu Xun, you are truly foolish!" Taken aback by Lu Xuns words, Liu Ling shook his head. "Yes, I know that I was reckless. Liu shi, I beg of you to help them!" Lu Xun pleaded earnestly. He also knew the aftereffects of consuming the pill, but the humiliation he felt yesterday had blinded his judgment. His desire to win in this Teacher Evaluation had caused him tomit the mistake in a moment of folly. "Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill is a pill which forcefully drags out ones potential by tapping into his lifeforce. My skills are still insufficient to treat such conditions!" Liu Ling sighed. If the trauma from such medicine could be solved that easily, everyone would have bought one to hasten the growth of their cultivation. It was because there was no way to solve the trauma that it became a forbidden pill. Even as a master teacher, Liu Ling was helpless before the matter. "You cannot treat it?" Lu Xuns face turned pale. He thought that he could solve their problem once he became a master teacher, but now, it seemed that his thinking was too naive. If even Liu shi was incapable of treating the trauma, didnt it mean that for his own selfish motive, he had ruined the lives of several students? Intense self-reproach struck at Lu Xuns conscience. "All of you consumed the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill?" Zheng Yang heard the conversation clearly from the side. He rushed to the side of his good buddy hurriedly and questioned him anxiously. "Yes!" Mo Xiao nodded his head. "You..." Zheng Yang clenched his fists rightly. It was true that consuming the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill would help one to achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation within a short period of time, but climbing to greater heights in future would be immensely difficult. It was no different from pulling a seedling for it to grow faster. Having grown up with Mo Xiao, he knew that his buddy was as obsessed over strength as him. The other party would definitely be unable to bear the burden of watching his own cultivation slow down, and eventually fall behind the others. "Zhangoshi, I beg of you, please save Mo Xiao!" Gritting his teeth, Zheng Yang ran to Zhang Xuan and knelt down. In his mind, Zhangoshi was omnipotent. Even if Liu shi was helpless before the matter, Zhangoshi would definitely be able to do the impossible. "Save him?" Hearing the plea of his student, Zhang Xuan nodded his head, "Alright!" Back then, during the Teacher Evaluation, when Mo Xiao and the others executed their battle techniques, he was able to immediately identify their problems. The trauma left by the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill is actually toxin that the medicine leaves in ones body. While 3-star or even 4-star master teachers would be helpless before the matter, Zhang Xuan possessed the ability to treat them. The Heavens Path zhenqi was clear and pure as though water. Regardless of how incredible those toxins were, by infusing his zhenqi within, Zhang Xuan would be able to easily flush them out. He was even able to suppress a seemingly sentient poison aura who was able to escape his assault, what challenge can mere pill toxins pose? "You can save them?" Hearing the other party agree to it so readily, Liu shi and the others were taken aback. Without exining anything, Zhang Xuan had Mo Xiaoe over. Grabbing his hands, he sent a surge of zhenqi into the other partys meridians. Soon, the toxins were all expelled. Sensing the change in his body, Mo Xiao was so agitated that his body trembled. After consuming the pill, he clearly felt something restraining his body from within, but at this instant, the inhibition disappearedpletely. The shackles that limited his cultivation had disappearedpletely. "Thank you, Zhangoshi for treating me!" Knowing that the side effect of the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill had been resolved, Mo Xiao immediately knelt to the ground in gratitude. "Its treated already?" Liu Ling could not believe what had happened. He walked over hurriedly and sent a surge of zhenqi into Mo Xiaos body. After taking a look within, his eyes widened, "Its... Its true!" Zhangoshi had so casually resolved something, which he was helpless about, right before his eyes... What is that amazing capability? It is no wonder that he was able to catch Yang shis eyes and be their senior. His means are simply too incredible! Watching the sight, Lu Xun knelt before Zhang Xuan and pleaded, "Uncle Zhang, I beg of you to treat the others as well!" This time, he had called out Uncle Zhang willingly and sincerely. "Un!" It wouldnt take much of his effort to treat these few people. Zhang Xuan nodded his head and soon, the traumas of Lu Xuns five students werepletely resolved. The only hassle that emerged was with Zhu Hong. As he hadnt fought at all, there wasnt any bookpiled on him. Thus, Zhang Xuan had to have him execute a battle technique before he was able to pinpoint the locations of the toxins. Looking at the glowing faces of his students, Lu Xun felt truly impressed by Zhangoshi. In the world, there exists a kind of person who, even though you two started on the same footing, end up onpletely different levels! They are beings which one can only look up to, with no hope of catching up with. Clearly, Zhangoshi is such a... godlike person! Lu Xun waspletely impressed with the other party and had decided to set him as his ultimate goal when he saw this godlike person looking at him with a wide grin. "Um... Luoshi, do you still have any more of these Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill? Or... Maybe you can tell me where you bought it? Can you buy a few for me? If it can raise ones cultivation by an entire realm so quickly, will eating more of it allow ones cultivation to soar several realms at once?" "..." Lu Xun. "..." Liu Ling and the others. Chapter 227: State of Insight Chapter 227: State of Insight Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Of course, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible. As an apothecary, he knew that no matter how incredible a medicine was, a person would gradually gain increasing immunity to it the more they consume, needless to say, pills that raises ones cultivation. After treating their traumas and resolving the grudge between him and Lu Xun, he was finally done with everything here. Just as the teacher-in-charge was about to announce the start of the Freshmen Tournament, countless students rushed to the stage suddenly, their eyes reddened with agitation. They stared at Zhang Xuan fervently, as if they were voracious wolves looking at their prey. "Zhangoshi, I hope toe under your tutge. Will you ept me as your student?" "I beg of you, please ept me. Not only am I talented, I can help you pack your bed and do your housework..." "Actually, Ive always revered you. Even if I cant be your student, I dont mind just listening in to your sses..." "Teacher, my n is rich. As long as you ept me as your student, money isnt a problem!" "Money money, money your head! Scram, do you think that Zhangoshi is a materialistic person? But Zhangoshi, if you really want... My n is also rich, so please ept me as your student..." His incredible performance in the Teacher Evaluation, as well as his ability to solve a problem which stumped the three master teachers, had sent all of the students here into a frenzy. They could no longer hold themselves back and charged forward in an attempt to acknowledge him as their teacher. In an instant, an uproar broke out in the dueling ring. All those doubts that they carried for Zhangoshi had disappeared without a trace. Countless students pushed one another to get nearer to Zhangoshi, afraid that to miss this opportunity. There were even a few who felt so regretful that they wanted tomit suicide. They felt that if they hadnt been so blind back then to listen to all sorts of rumors, they would have already be Zhangoshis students. If they had acknowledged him at the very start of the school term, the ones who had shone on the stage wouldnt have been Zheng Yang and the others, but them! One has to know that Zheng Yang and the others were far from being at the top of the batch, and Yuan Tao was the veryst in the cohort. But at this moment, even Yuan Tao was able to force Luoshi back with his charge. The scene of how he forcefully restrained Luoshi was still fresh in their mind, and the thought of it agitated them. From a student, who had barely made it into the academy, to be an expert who can threaten even a Pixue realm expert within half a month... If they hadnt witnessed it personally, they would have never thought this to be possible. "This..." Zhang Xuan was astounded as well. Clearly, he didnt expect that his actions would cause such a stir. "Teacher... has finally regained his prestige after that all he has gone through!" Upon realizing what was happening, Zhao Ya and the others clenched their fists tightly. Ever since Lu Xun challenged Zhangoshi, they had been suffocated with anger and indignance. These emotions motivated them to work hard to bring honor and glory to their teacher, and now... They have finally done it! Zhangoshis brilliance was finally being recognized. A special pride welled up within them. At that moment, it was as if they wanted to shout to the whole world proudly... Look, this is my teacher... Zhang Xuan! ...... "I already have five students and I dont intend to ept any other students anytime soon. However, given how passionate all of you appear to be, how about this, I can conduct a lecture on the fundamentals of cultivation, and perhaps, it would be useful!" Knowing that he will die of fatigue if he were to ept so many students, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment beforeing up with an idea. Just these five students had caused him to almost go bankrupt. If he were to ept so many students at once... He probably wouldnt even have the money to eat! "Zhangoshi is not epting any students?" "But listening to his lecture is good as well..." Finding out that Zhang Xuan wasnt intending to ept any students, everyone felt disappointed initially. However, upon hearing that Zhang Xuan would conduct a lecture for them, the glow on their faces returned. With the ability to induce such a rapid growth in Zheng Yang and the others, how can his lesson be anything ordinary? "This lecture on the fundamentals of cultivation will be held tomorrow afternoon, the location right here. Those who wish to attend cane earlier, but for today, lets proceed with the Freshmen Tournament!" After addressing and calming down the crowd, Zhang Xuan left the dueling ring. If he doesnt leave now, he might really end up eaten by those frenzied students. Besides, the Freshmen Tournament should be the main show of the day. The Teacher Evaluation can only be considered as an appetizer, and he shouldnt steal the spotlight from the event. Right after he returned back to his ssroom, the three master teachers followed in swiftly. "Senior!" The three of them sped their hands. "Un! Please be seated. Actually, I have something that Ill need to trouble you with!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Youre Yang shis direct disciple while were only his students. As our senior, please feel free to give us instructions. Its no trouble at all..." Liu Ling smiled awkwardly. Even as fellow students, a hierarchy exists. Direct disciples possess the highest standing, and other students have to address them as senior regardless of their cultivation realm or age. As juniors, it was only right for them to obey themands of their seniors. "Its like that!" Seeing them agree to the matter so readily, Zhang Xuan nodded his head and continued. "You know that Yang shi likes to travel about and rarely gets involved with worldly affairs. Even though he has epted me as his direct disciple, he had only instructed me to study on my own and he hadnt officialized my identity in the records... Thus, I might need to trouble you three for my master teacher examination!" The reason why he epted them as his students was for this. Since it wasnt convenient for Yang shi to bring the matter up, Zhang Xuan could only bring it up himself. "Oh, I was thinking what kind of matter it was. This isnt difficult." Liu Ling smiled. "In order to take the master teacher examination, one has to be at least an assistant master teacher. Since Yang shi has decided to retreat from the spotlight and it isnt suitable for him to reveal his identity, the three of us can do it in his ce." As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, retrieved a jade token, and passed it to Zhang Xuan. "This is an identity jade token with our aura in it. As long as you carry it with you, you will be recognized as an assistant master teacher whom we have tested and acknowledged. You just have to drip a drop of blood on it in order to im ownership, and thereafter, no matter which Master Teacher Pavilion you go to, you will be identified as our apprentice, thus giving you the qualifications to take the master teacher examination." "Oh? This simple?" Casually epting the jade token, Zhang Xuan found the situation unbelievable. He had always thought that it would be aplicated process, but to think that it would actually be so easy. "It isnt difficult to be an assistant master teacher. As long as a master teacher recognizes you, all star teachers and high-level teachers are qualified to be an assistant master teacher. The true difficulty lies in meeting the prerequisites to be eligible for the master teacher examination!" Liu Ling said. "Oh? Then... what are these prerequisites?" After iming ownership of the token, Zhang Xuan kept the token and asked. There were no master teachers in Tianxuan Kingdom and there werent any records of it in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault either. Even though he had been impersonating a master teacher these few days, he had no idea what the prerequisites were, where he could undergo the examination and other such basic knowledge. "There are some external and internal conditions one had to meet to be eligible for the master teacher examination. The external conditions are a rmendation from a master teacher, the identity of an assistant master teacher, and at least one supporting upation!" Liu Ling exined. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had heard all of these before. "As for the internal conditions, there are two of them!" Liu Ling continued on. "The conditions are reaching the State of Insight of the Heart of Tranquil Water and Tongxuan realm cultivation!" "State of Insight?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. He knew that the Will of Mind 2-dan was Heart of Tranquil Water, but he had never heard of the term State of Insight. Liu Ling exined, "The Will of Mind is something all cultivators and professionals in all upations have to temper continuously. The Heart of Tranquil Water is a terminology to refer to the level where one is able to control their mind, allowing them to focus their entire attention on a single task without any influence from external factors." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Liu Lings words were true. It was precisely because Apothecary Chen Xiao, Apothecary Meng Yan and the others had not reached such a level that their negative emotions affected the Tranquil Heart Pill they forged, causing their pills to lose its original functions. "There are two ssifications to the Heart of Tranquil Water. One rtes more to master teachers whereas the other is relevant to normal cultivators and professionals." "The reason why there are two different ssifications is simple. The Heart of Tranquil Water that a master teacher has to achieve is different from what other upations require. This is also the reason why master teachers are so highly respected." "The other professionals and cultivators merely have to reach the level ofplete tranquility, such that they are released from influence by any external or internal factors. On the other hand, the Heart of Tranquil Water concerning a master teacher is about being able to peer into the essence and discerning truth from false!" "Discern truth from false, peer into the very essence?" "Indeed. If you find that hard to understand, let me put it this way. The Heart of Tranquil Water that ordinary cultivators reach is known as the State of One. It is sufficient for them as long as they are able to pour all of their attention into one matter without being distracted by any other factors. On the other hand, the Heart of Tranquil Water rting to master teachers is known as the State of Insight. It grants one the ability to peer into the order of a matter and determine the crux of a problem." "Thats to say, even though they are both at Heart of Tranquil Water, the state which a master teacher reaches is different from that of ordinary humans. Only those who possess the State of Insight of Heart of Tranquil Water are eligible to take the master teacher examination. This is also why apothecary teachers, tea master teachers, formation master teachers, smithing teachers and such arent master teachers." With a supporting upation, one is eligible to take the master teacher examination. Zhang Xuan had been thinking that it was odd that Elder Tian didnt take the master teacher examination even though he was a tea master teacher in Beiwu Academy. It turned out that the crux of the problemid here. Without the State of Insight, one is ineligible. "Then... How should one cultivate to reach the State of Insight of the Heart of Tranquil Water?" Understanding the reason behind it, Zhang Xuan asked. "How to reach?" Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and Zheng Fei nced at one another before smiling. "Theres no way for one to cultivate that state, its a talent! Those who possess the potential to be a master teacher, upon reaching Heart of Tranquil Water, would reach the State of Insight, granting them the ability to discern truth from false!" "This is simr to how apothecaries must have the physical constitution of wood element. Without talent, no matter how hard one cultivates, it is impossible to be a master teacher! To use an analogy, no matter how incredible a man is, it is impossible to him to bear children. Without talent, no matter how hard one trains, it will be in vain!" "Upon reaching the Heart of Tranquil Water... one would be able to discern truth from false?" Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. He had already reached the Heart of Tranquil Water, but why hadnt he gained such an ability? "How does one differentiate between State of Insight and State of One?" "Taking the simplest example, when watching a person execute a battle technique, a person who has reached State of Insight would be able to instinctively analyze the logic behind the moves, arrange them, and infer the best way to cultivate to achieve the optimal effects. On the other hand, a person in the State of One is unable to do the same." Liu Ling continued, "The reason why master teachers often choose star teachers to be their apprentice is because it is likely that they possess such a talent, for them to have students following them so willingly." "Instinctively analyze the logic behind battle techniques?" Zhang Xuans body shuddered. The heck, he has long attained the Heart of Tranquil Water, but why hadnt he experienced such an urrence? Could it be that... he doesnt have the talent to be a master teacher? If that is the case, he is doomed. Chapter 228: Shouldnt Toy with Someone Like That Chapter 228: Shouldnt Toy with Someone Like That Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Not too long after his reincarnation, after fusing the soul of his previous self with his own, Zhang Xuan had reached the Heart of Tranquil Water. All along, he had been depending on the library to look for ws to determine the crux of the problem. He had never paid attention to his ability to discern truth from fiction. Could it be that... his Heart of Tranquil Water wasnt State of Insight? If it wasnt the State of Insight, he would be unable to take the master teacher examination. If so, what was the use of having such a powerful library? This couldnt be true.... Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. But soon, he soon thought of another possibility. Since the library wouldpile a book whenever he saw a battle technique, he would refer to it instinctively. With such a cheat code, no one would bother analyzing the logic behind the moves and their orders. Thus, it was still too early to say for sure. "So... how do you check if a person possesses the State of Insight or State of One?" Zhang Xuan asked upon thinking of this. "Oh, actually thats simple. I have a [Stone of Insight] here. After holding it and adjusting ones state of mind to reach Heart of Tranquil Water, if numbers appear on it, it means that you possess State of Insight. Otherwise, it means you possess State of One!" Liu Ling retrieved a green stone. There was a dense congregation of lines on it, making him feel dizzy upon seeing it. "Of course, there are different levels to State of Insight as well. The higher the number, the more talented one is. If your Soul Depth has reached 3, you are eligible to take the 1-star master teacher examination. Given how Senior has such outstanding results as a teacher and how you caught Yang shis eyes, you should have already reached 4 or above. This is something that the rest of us are unable topete with even after we sap our potential dry!" At this, Liu Ling and the others stared at Zhang Xuan in admiration. The Soul Depth of ones State of Insight determined the talent of a master teacher. The higher the value, the more one was able to peer into the essence of things, the higher the heights one could reach. The few of them had barely met the prerequisites for 1-star master teacher. Even though they had been training diligently throughout the years, they had already sapped their potential dry. Even if they reached Zongshi, it was hard to say whether their Soul Depth would reach a level that would allow them to be eligible to take the 2-star master teacher examination. Given how the youngster before them managed to catch Yang shis eyes, he likely wielded incredible potential. In their view, his Soul Depth likely exceeded 3. This was precisely the reason why they were willing to call him Senior. "Can you give me this Stone of Insight?" "This stone is normally used by master teachers to ascertain ones standards when choosing an apprentice, simr to the Strength Measuring Rock Pir. As such, I have a few of them here. If Senior wants to use it, feel free to take one!" Liu Ling smiled. "However, given Seniors age, you probably havent reached Heart of Tranquil Water yet. Theres no need for you to panic. You can test it whenever you reach the state!" "Yeah!" Taking hold of the Stone of Insight, Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a look at it. The lines on it were formed naturally. There were no signs of intentional chiseling or such. Somehow, it induced in him the sensation that it was capable of peering into the essence of everything. "Right, where can I take the master teacher examination?" Keeping hold of the Stone of Insight, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and continued asking. "The master teacher examination is of course conducted at the Master Teacher Pavilion. The closest branch to Tianxuan Kingdom is at Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom. There are 2-star master teachers there and aplete facility to conduct the test. In fact, you could even take the 2-star master teacher examination there." Liu Ling added, "If Senior reaches Heart of Tranquil Water, you can head there and give it a try. As long as you meet all of the prerequisites, you can register for it." "Great!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Alright. Senior, if you have any other instructions, feel free to ry them to us. For now, well be taking leave!" After chatting for a while longer, Liu Ling and the others stood up and left. Seeing them leave, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and the Stone of Insight appeared in his palms once more. "I should test it to see if I possess the State of Insight of Heart of Tranquil Water...." In this world, the master teachers possessed unparalleled prestige. Bing one would allow Zhang Xuan to operate much easier, and would also grant space for Zhang Xuan to disy the prowess of the Library of Heavens Path. If he turned out to becking talent in that aspect, it would truly be regretful. Clutching the Stone of Insight with both hands, he adjusted his state of mind and entered the Heart of Tranquil Water. In an instant, all emotions, including his anxiety, disappeared from him. This was the state that allowed one to rid themselves of their frustration and agitation, allowing one to analyze matters rationally. This was the state that countless cultivators dreamt of. Just that, to reach such a state, one had to be capable of directing all of their attention onto a single thing. Just by the fact that only the principal of the entire Hongtian Academy had reached such a state showed the difficulty of doing so. This was the exact reason why Shen Bi Ru nearly fainted from shock when she saw Zhang Xuan reaching this state. Weng! Upon reaching the Heart of Tranquil Water, the Stone of Insight in his hands shuddered and numbers slowly floated onto the surface. Upon seeing that something had appeared on the stone, Zhang Xuan was relieved. Liu Ling had said that if one only possessed the State of One of the Heart of Tranquil Water, numbers wouldnt appear on the stone. Thus, this meant that he possessed the State of Insight. It was a huge relief. At least he still wielded the potential to be a master teacher. Just a while ago, he was still worried about how he wasnt able to see through the logic and order of the battle techniques of others with his own capabilities and that maybe he didnt have such talent. Now, it seemed like he was just overthinking the matter. No matter what, he was an incredible existence who possessed the Library of Heavens Path. How could he not even have the potential to be a mere 1-star master teacher? Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan nced downward to look at the numbers on the Stone of Insight. If the value reached three, Zhang Xuan would be eligible to take the 1-star master teacher examination. Given his talent, he should be at least 4, 5, or even 6, 7, 8, 9! Otherwise, it would be unbefitting of his identity. He thought gleefully as the numbers on the Stone of Insight finally stopped swaying and appeared clearly before him. Just when he was happily dreaming about taking the master teacher examination and showcasing his overwhelming talent, Zhang Xuan saw the numbers on it. In an instant, his eyeballs nearly popped out of his eyes. "This... Are you for real?" Zhang Xuans face twitched. He was on the verge of tears after seeing the results. He saw the numbers on the stone0.1. You shouldnt toy with someone like that! ording to Liu Lings words, the average was around 3 or 4. As for the more incredible ones, they reached 5, 6, or even 7. Zhang Xuan thought that even if he wasnt a genius, he should at least reach the borderline for taking the 1-star master teacher examination and obtain a value of 3. Yet... 0.1, what the heck is this? Brother, is it even possible to go any lower than that? "I dont believe it...." On the verge of tears, Zhang Xuan ced the Stone of Insight in his hands and tried once more. A momentter. Staring at the 0.09 on the stone, Zhang Xuan felt as though he had been pped square on the face. The corners of his lips rapidly twitched. The heck, you really gave me a lower value! He had always thought that he was an unparalleled genius, a genius among geniuses, yet... reality pped him right in the face! Taking the master teacher examination with such a low Soul Depth? He would just be mocked! If he were to really go there now, he would be driven out in the next moment. "I dont believe it...." After trying it a few times, Zhang Xuan finally epted the fact that his Soul Depth was truly that low. Every time he tested it, his Soul Depth would be lowered by 0.01, to the point that... it was only 0.05 now. "The next time I meet Liu Ling and the others, I have to ask them if theres a technique to increase ones Soul Depth. Otherwise, with such a low Soul Depth, bing a master teacher would be nothing but a dream!" Suppressing the urge to pass out, Zhang Xuan consoled himself. Right now, he could only pray that there was a secret technique to raising ones Soul Depth in the Master Teacher Pavilion. By then, he just had to make use of the Library of Heavens Path,pile a Heavens Path manual, and raise his State of Insight value swiftly. Otherwise, given his current value, he wasnt even qualified to be considered a star teacher. Just when he was contemting over what he should do about his low Soul Depth, he heard a knock on the door of the ssroom. "Is Zhang Xuanoshi in?" "Emperor Shen Zhui?" Zhang Xuan recognized the voice and said, "Feel free to enter!" Creak! The doors opened and two men walked in. One of them was Emperor Shen Zhui while the other was a middle-aged man. He looked dashing and if Zhang Xuan looked closely, traces of Zhao Yas features could be seen in him. "Zhangoshi, this Zhao Yas father, City Lord Zhao Feng. He specially made this trip here to thank you for the care and guidance you had shown to his daughter," Emperor Shen Zhui spoke with a humble tone. Even though the other party wasnt a master teacher yet, he was Yang shis direct disciple, the senior of the three master teachers. Before such a person, even as the sovereign of the country, he didnt dare act impudently. "Zhao Feng pays respect to Zhangoshi!" City Lord Zhao Feng stepped forward and greeted Zhang Xuan. "Since youre Zhao Yas father, theres no need to be so formal. Take a seat!" Zhang Xuan weed them. "Ive heard from Yao Han how Zhangoshi has taken care of my daughter for the past several days, and I am very grateful to you for that. I know that given Zhangoshis identity and strength, you dontck money. Thus, I had my men search the treasury and they found an [Enlightenment Jade], so I want to give it to you as a show of gratitude! After exchanging some small talk, City Lord Zhao Feng handed something to him. "Enlightenment Jade?" Upon seeing the object the other party handed him, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Enlightenment Jade can be absorbed by a cultivator through touch, simr to spiritual energy. Not only can it restore ones expended Soul Depth, it can also slowly increase it. It is what master teachers use to cultivate their State of Mind and it is extremely valuable. Of the countless jade mines in my Baiyu City, I only managed to find a single one," City Lord Zhao Feng exined. "It can raise ones Soul Depth?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. His gift truly came at a timely moment. He was just perplexed over how he could raise his low Soul Depth when City Lord Zhao Feng suddenly sent this Enlightenment Jade his way. This was great! "Such a valuable object... how can I ept this?" Zhang Xuan felt embarrassed. It was clear to see how valuable it was, given that there was only one of it in the entire Baiyu City. Its value could not longer be measured using money. The other party probably spent a great deal of effort trying to find this. "What is a single jade worth next to the favor Zhangoshi has bestowed upon my daughter!" City Lord Zhao Feng said respectfully. Not only did he see through Zhao Yas unique constitution, he even went all out to awaken it.... The favor was so great that even though the Enlightenment Jade was valuable, it wasnt enough to repay the gratitude. "Then, you have my thanks!" Knowing that the other party sincerely wanted to gift this to him, it would be impolite for him to reject it. Furthermore, he had a use for it, so he nodded his head and epted it. "Zhao Ya is my student. Guiding her cultivation so that she can improve faster is part of my responsibilities. This isnt a trade, so I dont need yourpensation." Zhang Xuan continued, "However, I do need the Enlightenment Jade. How about this? Zhao Ya has shown me the cultivation technique of your Baiyu City before, and Ill write down a modified version for you. You can take this as thepensation for the Enlightenment Crystal!" "Cultivation technique? Modified... version?" Zhao Feng and Emperor Shen Zhui widened their eyes in astonishment. Chapter 229: Guiding Zhao Feng Chapter 229: Guiding Zhao Feng Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Every single cultivation technique that was passed on had been refined over and over again by the efforts of countless experts. Putting others aside, the [White Jade Art] had been passed down for no less than three hundred years. Countless ancestors had used this skill as their cultivation technique, and if not for Zhao Yas ipatibility with the skill as ady, she would have cultivated this skill as well. After he started to sense the spiritual energy starting from age four, he hade a long way, bing the second most influential person in the kingdom now. The White Jade Art had apanied him for forty years, but he had never experienced any problems with it. Yet this Zhangoshi who wasnt even in his twenties said that he could modify it? Seriously? Modifying and bettering a cultivation technique required an in-depth understanding of cultivation. Only those who had reached Zongshi realm were capable of doing so. Thus, upon hearing his words, City Lord Zhao Feng and Emperor Shen Zhui were a little doubtful. Even though Old Ancestor Shen Hong had reached Zongshi realm, he was still unable to refine a cultivation technique that had been passed down for centuries. Yet... Zhang Xuan said he could? Zhang Xuan saw the doubt in the two of their eyes, but he didnt pay them any heed. Retrieving a paper and a brush, he started writing. Thest time he passed a cultivation technique to Zhao Ya and the others, they also behaved in the same manner. He was already used to it by now. Not too long after, he finished jotting down aplete cultivation technique. "This..." Grabbing the paper, City Lord Zhao Feng lowered his head to take a look. It was indeed the cultivation technique he had been practicing and Zhangoshi had edited a few portions of it. However, after looking at it, a bizarre expression appeared on his face. "Is there a problem with it?" Emperor Shen Zhui couldnt help asking. "Your Majesty, take a look!" Zhao Feng handed the cultivation technique to him. Casually flipping through it, Shen Zhui was perplexed as well, "I once got the old ancestor to take a look at your cultivation technique, and hemented that it was imposing and powerful. However, this modification erases the strengths of the technique, and there are even some conflicts between several portions.... Can this really be cultivated?" As a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert and the sovereign of a country, Shen Zhui had ess to profound cultivation technique manuals, so he was knowledgeable on such matters. At the very least, he was still able to see the strengths and weaknesses of a cultivation technique. If one were to cultivate ording to the form written, it would cause the zhenqi in their body to go into disarray and sh at several acupoints. At worst, ones cultivation might even go berserk. "Youll know whether it is useful or not after trying to cultivating it!" Seeing the doubt in their eyes, Zhang Xuan wasnt angry in the least. "I believe Zhangoshi!" After hesitating for a moment, City Lord Zhao nodded his head. Even though this White Jade Art was modified in an extremely bizarre manner, he trusted Zhangoshi. To be able to see through his daughters Pure Yin Body and induce such a massive improvement in all five of his students in just half a month, Zhang Xuans discerning ability and his knowledge on cultivation was clearly not something he couldpare with. Upon thinking so, City Lord Zhao memorized the changes, sat on the floor with crossed legs, and started cultivating. Huhuhu! As he focused his mind, spiritual energy from the surroundings started surging to him and entered his body through his pores. The moment he started cultivating, his cultivation realm also became apparent. Tongxuan realm advanced stage! Gugugugu! It didnt take long for the healthy glow on City Lord Zhaos face to turn pale. Trembling slightly, sweat streamed down his body. "This..." Upon seeing his state, Emperor Shen Zhui swiftly turned to look at Zhang Xuan. "Zhangoshi, has he cultivated incorrectly? Hastened breathing, unstable state of mind... These are the signs of ones cultivation going berserk!" Usually when one cultivated, the absorption and refinement of spiritual energy into zhenqi should give a sense offort. Yet City Lord Zhao was trembling all over. It seemed as though he was losing control of his strength, and it was threatening to burst out of his body. Clearly, something was wrong. Unlike Juxi realm and Dantian realm, it wasnt a small affair if a Tongxuan realm cultivators cultivation went berserk! Even if one didnt die, at the very least, his cultivation would be destroyedpletely. There wasnt any way of saving someone when it came to that point! "Dont panic. If City Lord Zhao finds that something is amiss, hell stop!" Zhang Xuan simply smiled calmly in response. "This..." Zhang Xuans words rang true. Having cultivated for several decades, he was no longer an amateur who would follow a teachers words blindly. If he sensed that something was amiss, he would definitely stop. Understanding that, Emperor Shen Zhuis worry lightened. Even so, his eyebrows were still furrowed. He had seen the modifications Zhangoshi made. The concept behind the modification went against the idea of the White Jade Art, and there were even a few clear conflicts between the two. Was it really fine... cultivating like this? It must be known that an illogical modification could result in death! Furthermore, wasnt City Lord Zhao being too rash! Even though Zhangoshi had modified it personally, he should have first checked the theories and verified it to be safe. If he cultivated it straightaway in this manner, it was usible that a problem might ur in his cultivation. Pu! As he was thinking about that matter, City Lord Zhaosplexion suddenly turned even more awful, and unable to hold himself back, he spit out a mouthful of blood. "City Lord Zhao..." Upon seeing him spit blood, Emperor Shen Zhui immediately stood up to support him, but before he could even move toward the other party, Zhangoshi spoke up, "Dont be in such a hurry. First look at the blood he has spat out." Looking down, he saw that the blood on the ground was maroon, unlike from the normal crimson color of blood. A grim expression appeared on Emperor Shen Zhuis face. Upon seeing this sight, it was clear that something was wrong. Just when he was hesitating about whether he should ask Zhangoshi about this problem, he suddenly saw City Lord Zhao furiously propelling all of the strength within his body. Boom! Along with the sound of a loud explosion, his aura abruptly grew stronger. "Tongxuan realm... pinnacle? He achieved a breakthrough?" Emperor Shen Zhuis eyes narrowed. It seemed that the cultivation technique Zhangoshi passed to City Lord Zhao was beneficial to him, allowing him to reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Even though it was just a small leap within a realm, being able to aplish this feat in such a short period of time showed how impressive the modifications Zhangoshi had made to the cultivation technique were. "This cultivation technique..." Thinking that, Emperor Shen Zhui reached over to pick up the cultivation technique written by Zhang Xuan to analyze it. However, Zhang Xuan beat him to it and he casually threw it aside. Hu! The several pieces of paper fell into the firece not too far away and were reduced to ash. Emperor Shen Zhui grew even more confused. As the sovereign of a country, he had always prided himself on his superior wisdom. However, Zhangoshis actions today had stumped him. He felt like a fool, utterly unable to understand the rationale behind the other partys actions. Zhangoshi said that he was going to modify City Lord Zhaos cultivation technique, but he gave him a clearly wed modified version instead. In the end, such a cultivation technique allowed City Lord Zhao, who had been stuck at Tongxuan realm advanced stage for numerous years, to break through in a few moments. Since it was so effective, this cultivation technique should be extremely valuable. Yet... he threw it in the firece, burning it to ash.... Since you modified the cultivation technique for the other party, your intention should be for him to cultivate it properly in the future. If so, why did you destroy it? "As expected of Yang shis disciple. Incredible..." In his perplexion, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind. Yang shi! Honestly speaking, the actions of Yang shi were even stranger, but they had extraordinary effects. As his direct disciple, Zhang Xuan had inherited this quality of his. "Thank you, Zhangoshi!" As he was thinking that, City Lord Zhao Feng had alreadypleted his cultivation. Looking at Zhangoshi once more, deep respect and admiration for the other party could be seen on his face. "You understand it?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Yes, I understand!" City Lord Zhao nodded his head. "Good, you may go now!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "OK!" City Lord Zhao nodded his head and backed down. Surprisingly, he didnt mention the burnt secret manual at all. "This..." Seeing how peculiarly the two of them were acting and how iprehensible their words were, Emperor Shen Zhui had no idea what he should start asking about. Thus, he stood up and bid farewell as well. "Zhangoshi, Ill be taking my leave as well." After which, he hurriedly left. Walking out of the ssroom, he saw City Lord Zhao looking at Zhangoshis ssroom with admiring eyes. "What happened?" Emperor Shen Zhui couldnt help asking. He was about to die from curiosity over the bizarre actions of the pair. "Your Majesty saw the cultivation technique Zhangoshi modified for me. What do you think of it?" City Lord Zhao didnt reply to his question. Instead, he asked one of his own. "I think that... its messy. I cant make heads or tails of it...." Emperor Shen Zhui spoke his mind after hesitating for a moment. Even though he had seen City Lord Zhao achieving a breakthrough through cultivating that technique, he still felt that the contents within were illogical. Something was amiss. "Indeed, it is indeed a mess. In all honesty, Zhangoshi did so intentionally...." City Lord Zhao nodded. "He intentionally modified it wrong?" Emperor Shen Zhui felt faint. "You knew but you still continued cultivating?" An incorrect cultivation technique wasnt a joke. It was easy for ones cultivation technique to go berserk if one cultivated in the wrong manner. Yet, even though he knew it was wrong, he went ahead with it. What the heck was wrong with these two? Furthermore, if it was wrong, how did you reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle? What in the world was going on? Chapter 230: Book of Heavens Path (First Half) Chapter 230: Book of Heavens Path (First Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Our Zhao ns cultivation technique is grand and imposing. Your Majesty should be well aware of this!" Upon seeing the confusion in the other partys eyes, City Lord Zhao Feng immediately exined the matter to him. "Indeed!" Emperor Shen Zhui nodded his head. Actually, many years ago, the Zhao and Shen n had worked together to establish the current Tianxuan Kingdom. The Shen n had imed supreme power over the country whereas the Zhao n imed supreme wealth for themselves. As partners, the two ns had maintained an intimate rtionship generation after generation, not even hiding their cultivation techniques from one another. Emperor Shen Zhui hade into contact with Zhao ns White Jade Art when he was younger and as such, he was familiar with it. Due to the ferocious might of the technique, it wasnt suitable for ady like Zhao Ya to cultivate. City Lord Zhao Ya continued, "Ever since the establishment of Tianxuan Kingdom, my Zhao n has been guarding the City of Jade, even naming it White Jade. As such, we have been in contact with jade for generation after generation. Rationally speaking, given theplementary nature between humans and jade, it should enhance ones training speed. Unfortunately, jade has a cold attribute, which shes with the warm nature of White Jade Art. While carrying a single jade or two isnt a problem, excessive contact could potentially cause a conflict between the energies and damage ones body. "At first, you wouldnt notice it due to the slow umtive nature. However, as the conflict continued on for a long period of time, it would slowly leave a unique trauma in your body. It would remain in your bloodline, inherited by one generation after another. This is also the reason why I have been stuck in Tongxuan realm advanced stage for countless years." The talent of City Lord Zhao Feng back then wasnt inferior to Zhao Yas. Reaching Tongxuan realm in his twenties, his reputation as a young genius spread far and wide. However, it was a pity that he found himself at a bottleneck ever since he had reached Tongxuan realm advanced stage. A decade had passed, but he wasnt able to progress at all. Initially, he thought that he had sapped his potential dry. Yet, contrary to all of his expectations, it turned out to be a trauma passed down by his ancestors due to excessive contact with jade. "Zhangoshi recognized this problem and intentionally modified the White Jade Art erroneously so as to cause the energies in my body to go on a rampage and expel the cold air from my body. As such, the trauma in my body was expelled, and given the zhenqi which I have umted over the numerous years, I was able to achieve a breakthrough and reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle!" Admiration gleamed in Zhao Fengs eyes as he spoke. To be able to deduce all of this just by looking at his cultivation technique and knowing that he came from Baiyu City, it was clear that Zhangoshis understanding of cultivation techniques and cultivation wasnt inferior to a Zongshi. "Since the trauma is solved, then that cultivation technique..." Emperor Shen Zhui was still puzzled. "Is Your Majesty curious why Zhangoshi destroyed the modified cultivation technique?" City Lord Zhao Feng chuckled, "That cultivation technique is full of errors. The reason why he modified it in that manner is to treat the trauma within my body. Now that it has been removed, if I were to continue cultivating it, my cultivation might really go berserk. Thus, Zhangoshi destroyed it to indicate that... I can forget about it, and that there is no need for me to continue cultivating the modified version." "I get it now...." Finallyprehending the situation, Emperor Shen Zhui was astonished by Zhang Xuans capability. Even though it sounded simple, aplishing this feat wasnt easy at all. As a cultivation technique that had been passed down from several centuries, countless experts had worked on the White Jade Art. Just by modifying some of the zhenqi cirction methods, he was able topletely solve a trauma which had settled into the Zhao ns bloodline for several generations. Even the three master teachers were probably incapable of such a feat. "Your Majesty and Father, why are you both here?" Suddenly, Zhao Yas voice sounded. Then the several young men anddies who had the spotlight on them for the day walked over. "Oh, I am here to pay a visit to Zhangoshi!" Zhao Feng nodded his head. "Arent you all participating in the Freshman Tournament as well? Why would you all..." The duels before were ssified under the Teacher Evaluation. To ascertain their ranks among the freshmen, they had topete in the Freshman Tournament. Thus, Zhao Feng was surprised by their return when the tournament had yet to begin. "Given our current state, who would want topete with us?" Zhao Ya gestured helplessly. "Ah... thats true!" Zhao Feng and Emperor Shen Zhui smiled wryly. Regardless of whether it was Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, or the others, they were able to stand their ground against a Pixue realm expert. They could match up to even the weaker teachers, so which freshman would dare duel with them? They would probably admit their defeat immediately. Besides, given their current level of strength, achieving a victory in the Freshman Tournament wouldnt bring glory to them. As a result, they chose to withdraw from it instead. "Right, Father, have you met with Zhangoshi yet? Do you need me to introduce you two?" Zhao Ya said, seeing the two of them standing by the doorway. "Ive already met with Zhangoshi." At this point, Zhao Feng looked at his daughter. "Little Ya, its your fortune to be able toe under Zhangoshis tutge. You must listen to him obediently in the future, you mustnt throw tantrums like you did in the past!" "Yeah!" Zhao Ya nodded her head. "Also, given Zhangoshis capabilities, it is unlikely that he will remain in Tianxuan Kingdom for long. If he asks if you are willing to follow him, you must grab hold of the opportunity. Otherwise, you will regret it for your entire life...." Zhao Feng emphasized the word "regret" strongly and his high expectations for his daughter reflected in his eyes. "Perhaps... the matter regarding saving your mother... he might be the only one who can do it!" "Yes!" Zhao Ya clenched her fists tightly. ...... "I should first see how this Enlightenment Jade works!" After the pair left, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the Enlightenment Jade in his hands. Logically speaking, as Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path, he could easily see the ws in the cultivation of others. Even if he didnt possess the State of Insight of Heart of Tranquil Water, it didnt affect him much. However, it was the prerequisite for one to take the master teacher examination. It wasnt feasible for Zhang Xuan to continue passing off as a master teacher for long. It was analogous to driving without a license in his previous life. Even an experienced racer would have to keep his guard up at all times when on the road, fearful of getting nabbed. More importantly, the Master Teacher Pavilions of the world were known to have innumerable books. If he wanted to raise his strength swiftly, it was important for him to have this official identity so that he could ess them. "Absorb!" Thinking so, Zhang Xuan entered the State of Mind 2-dan once more and he felt a cold sensation seeping into his body through his palms. Slowly, his expended Soul Depth recovered. "It works!" Sensing the change in his body, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Thus, he continued to immerse himself within the absorption of the Enlightenment Jade, greedily taking into the energy within it. Soon, he felt his that his expended Soul Depth had finally recovered, reaching 0.1 once more. However, after reaching 0.1, he was unable to absorb any more from the Enlightenment Jade, as though he had reached his capacity. "Looks like without a suitable technique to utilize along with this, this object is useless!" Zhang Xuan deduced that the object worked like ones cultivation. Even with the necessary resources raise ones cultivation, without a cultivation technique, it was impossible for one to achieve a breakthrough. Unable to absorb any further, Zhang Xuan could only retreat from the Heart of Tranquil Water. Spiritual energy and zhenqi worked just like flowing water. It would only travel downhill. If one wanted to reverse the situation, one had to utilize special methods, and practicing a cultivation technique was one of them. It was true that the Enlightenment Jade could raise ones Soul Depth, but without a suitable technique to pair with it, it was futile. "Forget it, Ill just put aside for now until I find some books on it. I should first skim over the golden book." Knowing that worrying over this problem was useless, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the golden book in the Library of Heavens Path. When his students stood up against Lu Xun to protect his reputation, the golden book abruptly appeared in the library. Now that he was finally done with his work, it was time to look into the matter. With a jolt of his mind, the book appeared before him. A new golden page had appeared in it. "Whether it appears due to ones gratitude still needs some looking into, just that... what is the use of this thing?" Staring at the book intently, Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Thest time he was studying the book, the book suddenly disappeared and he passed out. When he finally regained consciousness, all of the knowledge contained in the library assimted with his mind, bing his. Could this be the only use of this seemingly incredible-looking object? If it wasnt, there wasnt any an instruction manual to it.... The more he tried to examine it, the more confused he became. "I should try using the Library of Heavens Path to ascertain it!" After staring at it for a long time, Zhang Xuan was still unable toprehend anything about it. Suddenly, a thought appeared in his mind. He might not be able to tell anything about it just by looking at it, but the library could! Just like the poison aura from before, there didnt seem to be anything which this overpowered tool couldnt see the w of. However, the golden book existed in his mind. Even though he seemed like to be holding the book, it was actually an avatar of his spiritual consciousness. Since he wasnting into direct physical contact with it, he didnt know whether a book on it could be formed. "ws!" Clutching the book in his grasp, Zhang Xuan thought. Looking around, there werent any new books in sight. From the looks of it, spiritual contact didnt allow him to look into the ws of an object. "Seems like I can only use the brute force method then...." After trying for a few times, Zhang Xuan smiled wryly. Since that method didnt work, he could only write down his hypothesis and allow the library to ascertain them. Taking out an empty book, Zhang Xuan lifted up his brush and started writing on it. "The only use of the golden book is to assimte the content contained within the library and turn them into the owners." Weng! A simr book appeared in his mind. Flipping through it, the w in his statement appeared. "Assimting knowledge is just one if its abilities. It isnt its only use." "There really are other uses for it!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. How could a book generated by such an overpowered cheat code only have one use? There were indeed other uses to it! However, Zhang Xuan would have to guess the uses of the page. "The name of this book is... Golden Book!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan continued writing. Soon, the ws on the statement appeared in thepiled book. "The name Golden Book is wrong. The name of the book is [Book of Heavens Path]." "Book of Heavens Path? Such a domineering name.... However, its name doesnt matter to me at all. I need to know its uses!" Zhang Xuan frowned. He already knew that assimting the contents of the book into his knowledge was one of the uses, but the other uses eluded him. "Can it create a cultivation technique that can raise ones Soul Depth?" Just when he was pondering over what he should ask, a thought appeared in his mind. He had been worried over his Soul Depth for the entire day. Since the Book of Heavens Path seemed to wield incredible abilities, could it create a cultivation technique that could raise his Soul Depth? As his thoughts was wandering about, before he could do anything, the book before him trembled violently before turning into a radiant burst of light, covering the entire library with its brilliance. Hu! This time, he didnt pass out. Soon, the light gradually faded and the library returned back to normal. Swiftly turning his vision to the golden book, just like before, the golden book was still there, but the empty golden page had disappeared once more. "Could it be that... it has really formed a cultivation technique that can raise my Soul Depth?" The moment he was pondering if it could raise his Soul Depth, the golden page disappeared. Could there be a secret manual regarding the cultivation of Soul Depth in the library now? As he thought this, he immediately looked around anxiously. Chapter 231: Book of Heavens Path (Second Half) Chapter 231: Book of Heavens Path (Second Half) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - After searching for a long time, to his disappointment, there wasnt any new book in the library, much less a Soul Depth cultivation technique. "Could I have wasted the golden page for nothing?" Zhang Xuan felt awkward. If that were truly the case, then Zhang Xuan would have made a huge loss. Putting everything else aside, its ability of assimting the contents of books into his knowledge was already an incredible one. Currently, he had all of the books in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault in the library. If he could convert all of it into his knowledge, he would gain significant understanding and knowledge on the various upations in the world. Yet... he wasted the golden page for nothing? Did it have to be that awful? Unwilling to give up at this, he continued searching around. However, he wasnt able to find the cultivation technique he was looking for. In the end, Zhang Xuan could only retract his consciousness from the library gloomily. The moment his consciousness returned to his physical body, amotion broke out around him. "I dont think Zhangoshi is cultivating!" "But if he isnt cultivating, what can he be doing with his eyes tightly shut? Can it be that hes asleep?" "If hes cultivating, spiritual energy should gather in the surroundings. However, there isnt any disturbance in the spiritual energy around us now!" "If he isnt cultivating or sleeping, can it be that Zhangoshi... Zhangoshi, dont go..." Before Zhang Xuan could even speak, a fatty hugged him. Then he felt his head spinning. Dont go? Go your head! My consciousness just went into the library and due to my focus in there, I didnt pay much attention to my surroundings. Why do you make it sound as though I have passed away? Irritated, Zhang Xuan nearly went on a rampage. "Shut up!" Bellowing loudly, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. "Ah, Zhangoshi, you arent dead? Great! I thought that you passed away in your sleep...." Looking at Zhangoshi, whose face was gradually turning dark by the moment, Yuan Taos voice slowly grew softer. When they entered the ssroom, they saw Zhangoshi sitting on a chair with his eyes tightly shut without the slightest bit of motion. Initially, they thought that he was resting, so they didnt pay it much heed. However, after a couple of minutes passed, they walked forward to wake Zhang Xuan up. They even shouted into his ear, but after seeing that Zhang Xuan didnt have any reaction, they panicked. They quickly rushed forward to examine his condition, resulting in the previous events. Just when he was about to teach the foul-mouthed Yuan Tao a lesson, Zheng Yang walked over. "Teacher, Wang Chaooshi and Master Wang Chong have been waiting at the entrance of the ssroom for a while now. Do you wish to meet them?" "Wang Chao? Wang Chong? Allow them to enter!" Zhang Xuan gestured. "Wang Chong has brought his unfilial son to greet Zhangoshi...." Upon entering, Wang Chong immediately greeted Zhang Xuan humbly. Knowing that he was here to apologize for his sons deeds, Zhang Xuan didnt say anything. Even though Wang Chao tried to humiliate him in public several times and his actions were detestable, he didnt overstep his moral boundaries and resort to unscrupulous means. Honestly speaking, he wasnt an evil person. The reason why he kept tripping Zhang Xuan up was in consideration for his friend. Since Zhang Xuan was able to forgive Lu Xun, forgiving this fellow wasnt a big deal. Initially, Wang Chao was still hostile toward Zhang Xuan, but after hearing thetter allow Wang Chong to impart the Heavens Path Spear Art to him, his entire body trembled in agitation. He had seen the strength of the Heavens Path Spear Art for himself earlier. Ever since then, his heart has been itching for it. Upon hearing that he was given the permission to learn it, his resentment toward Zhangoshi turned into gratitude and admiration. After the duo left, n Head Wang Hong and n Head Bai Ming came to visit. Then, to Zhao Yas and the others dumbfounded faces, the principal, Elder Tian, Guild Leader Ouyang, Shen Bi Ruoshi, Han Qiongoshi... Due to the remote location of the ssroom, rarely anyone came to this cramped ssroom. But at this moment, it seemed to have be the core of the academy. All of the prestigious and powerful figures in Tianxuan City all came to pay Zhang Xuan a visit. Zhang Xuan hated dealing with these matters, but as all of them had personallye to pay him a visit, it would be disrespectful for him to shut them out. As a result, he could only continue weing them one by one. To Zhang Xuans delight, they seemed to realize that he wasnt too fond of weing guests, so they took their leaves after chatting for a moment. "Zhang Xuan, are you leaving Hongtian Academy?" Hisst guest, Shen Bi Ru, stayed for awhile before asking. Initially, as the most beautiful woman of the academy and a talented teacher, it should have been impossible for her to be rted to a horridly-reputed, low-level teacher. Yet, to everyones astonishment, Zhang Xuan suddenly rose through the ranks and, in a short span of twenty days, made a name for himself, even bing the senior of the three master teachers. Given the great potential he wielded, a small ce like the Hongtian Academy would be insufficient to house him. It was a matter of time before he left the country. Even though she understood that it was unavoidable, she couldnt help but feel slightly dejected. The duo were just colleagues, but this young man was the first one to pique her curiosity and attract her attention. She couldnt help but feel reluctant to part with him so soon. "Yeah!" Oblivious to the thoughts of thedy, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. The reason why he continued staying in the academy was for his students. Now that they had grown up, he had received his qualifications as an assistant master teacher, and reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle, it was time for him to explore the world. Furthermore, he needed to deal with the poison aura in his body. Otherwise, it would be equivalent to carrying a ticking time bomb on him. He didnt want to die right before he could enjoy his new life in this world. "Then... where are you headed? Beiwu Kingdom?" Shen Bi Ru asked, upon hearing the other party confirming her doubts. Even though she felt reluctant to part, she knew that the gap between her and this young genius would only grow wider as time went by. Even if she pursued him, they would still have to part eventually. In the end, they were worlds apart. "No, Im heading for Tianwu Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan said. It was likely for there to be a Poison Hall in the Red Lotus Ridge. Since he was leaving Tianxuan to resolve the poison aura in his body, he should naturally first take a look there. "Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom? That far?" Shen Bi Ru was taken aback. "Even though the two countries are considered neighbors with one another on the map, they are actually tens of thousand of kilometers apart. How do you intend to head there?" "I am still thinking over the issue..." Zhang Xuan hesitated. Having looked through the ases in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, he knew that the continent he was in was vast and boundless. The other party was right. Even though Tianwu and Tianxuan were said to be countries close to one another, they were tens of thousands of kilometers apart. Even the fastest steed would require several months. In fact, if it wasnt for the distance separating Tianxuan from the other countries, it would have been annexed by some of the more powerful states already. It couldnt have remained an independent entity as it was now. "What is there to think about? You should just take the [Beast Mount] of the Beast Hall!" Han Qiong stretched her back as she interjected with a smile. "Beast Hall? Beast mount?" "The Beast Hall, also known as the Beast Tamer Guild, is a ce simr to the Apothecary Guild and the cksmith Guild. Founded by beast tamers, the aerial beasts they tamed, also known as beast mounts, serve as a means of transportation for humans. Possessing rapid speed, they are capable of traveling great distances swiftly. Even though Tianwu Kingdom is far from here, if you ride a beast mount, it would just be a few days away," Han Qiong said. "Oh?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Wasnt this simr to the airne that existed in his previous life? "Han Qiong, dont spout nonsense!" Shen Bi Ru rolled her eyes. "The beast mounts you spoke of are the fastest Lightning Mounts. Every single of those has strength in the Zongshi realm, and there is only one of those in the entire Beast Hall. Only the highly-esteemed master teachers or official beast tamers are qualified to ride them. Those that are avable to normal people like us are, at best, capable of flying three thousand kilometers per day." "Yeah, Shenoshi is right. Those Lightning Mounts arent something that anyone can just ride. Even assistant master teachers arent qualified to ride them!" Han Qiong nodded, agreeing with Shen Bi Ru. Zhang Xuan felt that that was logical as well. If anyone could ride the best beast mounts, it wouldnt be a privilege anymore. As a result, he didnt dawdle on this issue and continued asking questions. "Does Tianxuan Kingdom have a Beast Hall?" Even though Zhang Xuan had seen the Apothecary Guild, the cksmith Guild, and the Teacher Guild, he had never heard of the Beast Hall. Even though Zhang Xuan had just transcended over, he had inherited the memories of his previous self. If there really was a Beast Hall here, there wasnt any reason why he wouldnt have heard of it. "There is a Beast Hall, but it isnt in the capital. Its in the mountain ranges not too far away!" Shen Bi Ru chuckled lightly, "You should be aware that savage beasts like to live carefree and unrestrained lives. As such, their natural habitat is the mountain forests. If the Beast Hall were to be built in the kingdom, with countless savage beasts running and flying about all day long, many people would be scared out of their wits!" "Thats true!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head with understanding. Savage beasts were ferocious and wild in nature. If they were reared in small cages all day long, they wouldnt survive for long. This was also the reason why wild hares and boars were difficult to be domesticated. "What? Do you want to try the Beast Hall? Do you need me to bring you there? Ive been there a few times and I know its location quite well. Also, I have quite a few acquaintances there, so there is a chance that I could get a good aerial savage beast for you." Han Qiongoshi chuckled. "Hmph!" Hearing the clear flirtatious tone her good friend spoke with, Shen Bi Ru frowned. "Zhangoshi, dont listen to her. If you wish to go to the Beast Hall, I can lead the way!" "Ill be troubling Shenoshi then!" Zhang Xuan also found the flirtatious Hanoshi hard to deal with, so he chose to take Shenoshi up on her offer. Compared to Hanoshi, he was much morefortable with Shenoshi. Besides, they were well-acquainted with each other. "Alright!" Shen Bi Ru nodded her head. "So, when do we head out? I need to prepare in advance." "I have a public lesson tomorrow. After that, Ill leave straightaway!" Zhang Xuan said after contemting for a moment. It was best for him to deal with the poison aura lingering in his body as soon as possible. Since he had already decided to leave, there was no need to stall. "Alright, Ill make some preparations then!" Shenoshi nodded her head and left with Han Qiong. The moment she left the ssroom, she turned to look at Han Qiong. "Hanoshi, it cant be that youre actually interested in Zhangoshi?" "Me?" Han Qiong gazed at her best friend with a suggestive grin. "I should be the one asking that question, right? I was just trying you out to see how you would react. To think that you would immediately offer to go with him.... Hehe, this isnt what the great Ice Queen Shen of our academy would do!" "I..." Shen Bi Ru blushed. "I know that youre interested in him, and honestly speaking, I can understand why you would like him. However..." Han Qiong shook her head grimly, and the lighthearted attitude she had just a moment ago disappeared. "Despite his strength and potential, he was able to turn away from material gains and losses, tolerating humiliation for so such a long period of time.... As long as no mishaps happen to him, it is just a matter of time before he makes a name for himself!" "Such a person..." "We arent worthy of him!" Chapter 232: The Confused Liu Xun Chapter 232: The Confused Liu Xun Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Oblivious to Shen Bi Rus and Han Qiongs thoughts, Zhang Xuan pinched his brows distressed. Whenever he thought about the things he had to take care of before his departure, deep circles would appear beneath his eyes. "Zhangoshi, dont abandon us...." "You are going to Tianwu Kingdom? Bring us along as well!" "We want to be with Teacher...." The ones speaking were Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the other students. They had heard Zhang Xuans conversation with the other two teachers and anticipation gleamed in their eyes. "You want to follow me?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at them, "You guys should reconsider. Im heading to a higher tier kingdom; there will be many experts there. Countless dangersy in wait if you choose to make this journey, and the slightest mistake could potentially bring about your deaths!" "We understand!" all five of them replied resolutely. In the fortnight they had been with Zhangoshi, they had seen for themselves how he treated them sincerely and gave his all to raise their cultivation, not expecting anything in return. Their rtionship had already surpassed that of the typical teacher and student rtionship. "Theres no need for you guys to rush your decisions. I will give you all a night to contemte. You guys can tell me tomorrow!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Honestly speaking, the affection his students had for him wasnt a one-way street. After teaching them for a fortnight, he had also slowlye to love them. He wanted them to think this over carefully beforeing to a decision. He wanted them to make a decision out of their own will and not through peer pressure. Furthermore, even if he decided to bring them along, they would have to learn to fend for themselves. After all, there were some ces where it wouldnt be safe for Zhang Xuan to bring them, such as the Red Lotus Ridge where the Poison Hall was rumored to be. It was already difficult for Zhang Xuan to guarantee his own safety, much less the safety of these kids. "Zhangoshi, theres no need for me to consider any further. You gave me everything I have. I will follow you everywhere, no matter where you go!" Yuan Tao shook his head and knelt on the floor. Determination gleamed in his eyes. As an orphan, he had no ess to cultivation resources whatsoever. Despite being the worst student in his batch, Zhangoshi nurtured him step by step, giving him the best cultivation technique, the best pills, and the best education.... Only in this way did he achieve the strength he had now. As a result, there was no need for him to consider any longer. Wherever Zhangoshi went, he would follow him. "Zhangoshi, my thoughts are the same. I beg you not to chase us away. We are willing to serve as your students... and we will remain your students our entire lifetime!" The second one to kneel down was the usually gentle and weak Wang Ying. "Zhangoshi, I beg you to bring us along!" Then Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang knelt down as well. Immovable faith could be seen in their eyes. His five students might have been young, but they had shown determination beyond their years. Even though Zhang Xuan had lived two lives, he felt excited within. "I can bring all of you with me, but you wont be following me. I will have Liu shi and the others bring you guys straight to Tianwu Royal City. After Im done with my business, I will head over to look for you all!" Zhang Xuan said after hesitating for a moment. After he took care of the poison aura in his body, he would have to head to Tianwu City to try his hand at the master teacher examination. With Liu shi and the others looking after them, it should be much safer. "Thank you, Teacher!" Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was willing to take them with him, their eyes immediately reddened in excitement. They didnt what kinds of repercussions their decision today would bring to the entire continent. Neither could they have imagined what kinds of levels and skills they would reach because of this. "Alright, you guys should go back and make preparations. Its hard to tell how long well be away from Tianxuan Kingdom, so remember to say your farewells properly!" Zhang Xuan gestured. "Right!" The five of them nodded their heads before retreating from the ssroom. After taking care of his students, Zhang Xuan returned to his residence and met with Liu Ling and the others, back in his disguise as Yang shi. When he spoke of his intention to leave, a dejected and disappointed expression appeared on their faces. After that, he had them take out their cultivation techniques and offered them some guidance on their cultivation. Eventually, Liu Ling managed to surpass his bottleneck and reach Zongshi realm. Zheng Fei had just reached Half-Zongshi not too long ago, so it was difficult for him to make the leap within a short period of time. On the other hand, Zhuang Xian had managed to improve significantly as well. As long as he continued building up his foundation, he should be able to try for Zongshi realm within half a month. After entrusting that "direct disciple" of his to the care of the three master teachers, Yang shi went to look for Sun Qiang. "Old master, dont abandon me. I want to follow you...." The moment Zhang Xuan walked in, Sun Qiang immediately knelt on the floor. Just like Yuan Tao, he didnt have any powerful backers. Before meeting with Zhang Xuan, he was just an unimpressive merchant in Tianyu Commercial City. The one who had brought him respect and prestige was the man before him, and he felt gratitude and reluctance to part from him. "If you wish to follow me, look for Zhang Xuanoshi at Hongtian Academy tomorrow and serve him well. I will drop by from time to time when Im free," Zhang Xuan said. Even though Sun Qiang had weak cultivation, he got things done. After bing a master teacher, Zhang Xuan would have to deal with significantly more problems. It would be convenient for him to have someone like Sun Qiang resolve those misceneous issues. Furthermore, Sun Qiang had been following Yang shi and he had proven his trustworthiness, thus making him suitable for the job. "Yes!" Upon hearing that the old master didnt intend to abandon him, Sun Qiang immediately nodded his head with excitement. "Your cultivation is still a little too weak, so I created a cultivation technique for you. Cultivate properly. I hope that the next time we meet, youll possess strength befitting your dignity!" After handing him a secret manual, Zhang Xuan said firmly, "Do not let me down!" "Old master, I will give it my all!" Sun Qiang replied seriously. The old masters words rang true. His greatest w was his cultivation. It was shameful for him to only be at Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm despite being the butler of a master teacher. He was done with his previous life. If he wanted to continue serving the old master, he had to build up his strength. "Dismissed!" By the time Zhang Xuan was finished with the necessary instructions, the sky had already turned dark. As there would be a public lecture tomorrow morning, Zhang Xuan chose to rest. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, the issue regarding the Book of Heavens Path popped into his mind. The mysterious disappearance of the golden page bewildered him, but there wasnt anything he could do about it at this point. ... Liu Xun was the most outstanding member of the younger generation of the Liu n, one of the Four Great ns. At twenty-three years old, he had already achieved a cultivation realm of Pixue realm primary stage. More importantly, his teacher was a 1-star master teacher of Jinyang Kingdom and he had an in-depthprehension of cultivation. After studying abroad for three years, he rushed home, eager to see his family. Before the sun had even risen, he had arrived at the entrance to his ns home. He was about to enter when he suddenly saw n members sprinting out. "Hurry up, otherwise well bete!" "Indeed, we should make haste!" "This is a good opportunity. If we miss it, well definitely regret it for our entire lives!" Most of those who emerged from the gate were of the younger generation, but there were also a few who were in their thirties. They had a brush and book in their hands, and anxiety could be seen on their faces. "What is everyone up to? Is someone causing trouble with our Liu n?" Upon seeing their expressions, Liu Xun frowned. Driving his zhenqi, he immediately surveyed his surroundings wearily. However, he soon abandoned that thought. If someone was causing trouble with the Liu n, the upper echelons would definitely appear as well. More importantly... if they were going to pick a fight with someone, why would they bring their books and brushes along? Unless they were nning to fling ink into the faces of their enemies! "Cousin Liu Xun, youre back!" During his bewilderment, a youngdy suddenly walked next to him. "Yuer, this is..." As cousins, he had grown up alongside Yuer. In the years that he was away, she was admitted into Hongtian Academy and came under Lu Xunoshis tutge. A bright future stood before her. "Oh, Zhang Xuanoshi is about to conduct a public lecture. Were here to attend his lesson. Since youve returned, you might as welle along with us!" Yuer chuckled. "Zhang Xuanoshi?" Liu Xun frowned. "The garbage teacher you mentioned in your letters? Whats so good about his lecture?" Even though he had left Tianxuan Kingdom for several years, the n had been keeping him abreast of the matters urring here. Zhang Xuans horrid reputation had spread far and wide, and even students several thousand kilometers away had heard of his name. "He isnt garbage. He is a true star teacher!" Yuer tugged on his hand. "Hurry up! Otherwise we wont be able to get any good seats." "Unable to get any good seats? Hes conducting a lesson so early in the morning?" Liu Xun asked baffled. "Its not a morning lecture, its an afternoon one!" "Afternoon?" Liu Xun nearly fainted from shock. If its an afternoon lecture, why are you all rushing there so eagerly when the day has barely started? What in the world are you doing? "Just listen to me. We should hurry. Ill tell you about it when were there!" Yuer ushered him toward Hongtian Academy agitated. Seeing how flustered Yuer and the other n members were, Liu Xun couldnt stifle his curiosity and followed along. "These are... the n members of the Bai n?" A short distance away, they saw a group of people rushing to the academy as well. The group was significantlyrger than theirs and even some elders with white beards were among them. Their eyes glowed with anticipation, as though a huge treasure were awaiting them. With a single nce, Liu Xun recognized them as the members of the Bai n, one of the Four Great ns as well. "That is... n Head Bai Ming? He... came as well?" Taking a quick look around, Liu Xun caught sight of a figure at the front of the crowd and he shuddered. It was n Head Bai Ming! To think that he was leading the group personally! And they were heading in the same direction too! "That is... n Head Wang Hong?" Before he could recover from his shock, another group appeared from around the corner. They were also heading to Hongtian Academy. He recognized the leader of the pack, n Head Wang Hong of the Four Great ns, Wang n! n Head Wang Hong was known for his haughty personality and his powerful cultivation. In fact, he could be considered as the de facto leader of the Four Great ns, but... why was he also here? Furthermore, he had a brush and book in his hands.... "Du Miaoxuan of the Du n? Du Yuan... and all of the younger generation of the Du n?" A momentter, he saw n members of the Du n as well. Simr to everyone else, they were carrying a brush and book each as well, and they were charging toward Hongtian Academy excitedly as well. All of the Four Great ns were actually gathered at the same spot. Liu Xun felt the world spinning around him, and he nearly slipped and fell. "Yuer, whats going on?" Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, he turned to look at his cousin. "Theyre all here for Zhangoshis lecture!" Yuer replied. "Theyre all here for the lecture? Could that Zhangoshi... be a master teacher?" Liu Xun was stumped by her answer. Other than master teachers, there didnt seem to be anyone else who could possibly rally the n heads of the Four Great ns to attend a lecture personally. "He isnt a master teacher!" Yuer shook her head. "He isnt? Then..." Bewildered, Liu Xun was just about to ask why an ordinary teacher was able to rally so many people to attend his lecture when the girls voice chimed once more. "Even though he isnt a master teacher, he is a master teachers... "Senior!" Chapter 233: Teacher Zhang, Youre Here Chapter 233: Teacher Zhang, Youre Here Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "The senior of the master teachers?" Not only did Liu Xun not understand what his cousin was saying, he even felt more bewildered now. He convulsed intensely, as though suffering from a stroke. As a student of a master teacher, he understood how prestigious a master teachers standing was. Even the emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom wouldnt dare to act arrogantly around a master teacher. With a single word, they could easily eradicate a country off the map. This was the might of a master teacher! And Zhang Xuan was such a persons... senior? Are you mistaken? When did such an impressive figure appear in Tianxuan Kingdom? In an instant, he subconsciously assumed that the Zhang Xuan everyone was talking about wasnt the same Zhang Xuan he knew. One was a useless teacher whereas the other one was the senior of the master teachers. Their standings were worlds apart so how could they be the same person? While Liu Xuns thoughts wandered, he soon reached Hongtian Academy. The first thing that came into his sight was a massive crowd. Each of them had a brush and a notebook in their hands, and they were rushing to the sparring field excitedly. "This is... the famous lone adventurer, Cangsong Swordsman, Bai Song? Is that Swordsman Zhu Hongyi who dared to mock the entire world? Old Master Zhao who was able to shake even the Heavens with his saber? The single-armed Ye Tianxiong who instills fright in all? Are you sure... they are all here to listen to the lecture?" Recognizing the famous figures in the crowd, Liu Xuns lips twitched and he nearly passed out from the shock. These were incredible figures whose names had spread throughout the whole of the Tianxuan Kingdom for numerous years. His father, despite being the n head of the Liu n, would have to treat them with respect. In fact, even the emperor would find it hard to invite them to the royal pce. Yet, at this moment, they were all holding a brush and book in their hands, and it seemed as though they were waiting excitedly for something.... What kind of public lecture was this? "Indeed!" Yuer nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yesterday, Zhangoshi said that he was going to talk about the fundamental knowledge of cultivation. As the news spread, figures like them appeared!" "Wait a moment, youre saying that... its just a lecture on fundamental knowledge?" Liu Xun staggered and nearly facented. Lessons on fundamental knowledge revolved around how one could cultivate, how one gathered spiritual energy, how one utilized the spiritual energy absorbed to temper their body... this knowledge was only useful to those who were Fighter 2-dan and below, yet these elders, n heads, and Tongxuan realm experts had sprinted here.... Why? Are youpletely certain they are here to listen to a lecture on fundamental knowledge of cultivation, not to start a coup dtat? "Yes! I was close to the dueling ring when he spoke of it previously, so I heard his words loud and clear!" Yuer nodded her head. Upon recalling the mighty image of Zhangoshi yesterday, she couldnt help but feel thrilled for the lecture afterward. A bunch of Tongxuan experts listening to a lecture on fundamental knowledge of cultivation? Why did Liu Xun find the sight incredulous? "Ah, I knew it. We came toote...." Just when he was overwhelmed with shock and disbelief, he heard an exmation from his cousin. Lifting his head to take a look, his eyes narrowed once more. The massive stands of Hongtian Academy, which could house up to ten thousand people, were already crowded with people. There were even a few who had matsid out over the seats, and from the looks of it, they had been camping here since yesterday. "Those who are at the very front are... teachers of the academy?" Seated at the very front were the teachers of Hongtian Academy. Even though they didnt set out mats on the ground to rest, judging from the dew on their body, they had definitely waited here overnight. To think that he thought his cousin and the other n members were making too much of a fuss by rushing to an afternoon lecture at daybreak. Never in his dreams did he expect the teachers of the academy to camp overnight at the stadium just for the lecture. "There are no seats anymore. Looks like well have to stand...." Yuer was on the verge of tears. A sea of people blocked their way. Other than the teachers and students of Hongtian Academy, all kinds of powers from Tianxuan Royal City were also at the venue. If not for the fact that he knew that someone was going to conduct a lecture, he would have thought that someone was nning an uprising. "Yuer, what kind of person is Elder Zhang Xuan?" Liu Xun asked his cousin, forcefully suppressing his shock. At this point, his confused gaze had been reced with a fiery one. "Elder?" "Indeed!" Liu Xun nodded his head. Even his teacher, as a 1-star master teacher, would be unable to gather such a crowd for a lecture on fundamental knowledge of cultivation. Since this Zhangoshi was the senior of the master teachers, even if he wasnt a master teacher, he had to be advanced in age. There shouldnt be a mistake in addressing him with "elder." "Cough, Zhang Xuanoshi isnt even in his twenties yet. He is younger than you...." Upon seeing Liu Xuns serious gaze, Yuers face turned red. "Not in his twenties?" Liu Xun froze. Under twenty... Yet, he was the senior of the master teachers... Not to mention, making so many people willing wait an entire night, just to listen to his public lecture? "This..." Liu Xun felt his horizons expand. Unable to hold it in any longer, he asked, "Can... can you tell me the details of this Zhangoshi?" "Speaking of Zhangoshi, I have to begin from the Teacher Evaluation. Oh, no, it should be the cultivation of a student of his going berserk...." Before she could finish her words, amotion stirred in front of them. Lifting their heads to take a look, they saw three elders walking over. Wherever they walked by, the crowd would immediately shuffle aside to give way to them. "Its... Beiwu Kingdoms Liu shi and Zhuang shi? Also... Hanwu Kingdoms Zheng shi?" Liu Xun immediately recognized the trio. As the student of a master teacher, he had the honor of meeting the three of them once. Back then, his teacher had treated them respectfully, iming that he wasnt able to match up to them. To think that the three of them were at Tianxuan Kingdom, and furthermore... "Could it be that... theyre here to listen to the lecture as well?" The waves of shock had pounded him ever since his arrival at the Liu ns gate and dumbfounded him. "Indeed, Zhangoshi is the senior of the three master teachers!" Yuer nodded her head. "He is their..." Liu Xun was on the verge of tears. Initially, he thought that he could brag about being the student of a master teacher after returning, but from the looks of it... His feats meant nothing at all. Despite not being in his twenties, that person was a star teacher, as well as the senior of the three master teachers.... Exactly what kind of person was this Zhangoshi? ... By the time Zhang Xuan woke up, it was already afternoon. Sun Qiang had ordered the servants to prepare some food for him, so after eating well, Zhang Xuan headed for the academy. Initially, he thought that there wouldnt be anyone since it wasnt time yet, but upon seeing the horde gathered there, he was stunned. As too many people had pleaded for Zhang Xuan to admit them under his tutge, Zhang Xuan could onlypromise and offhandedly agreed to hold a public lecture. He thought that only a few people woulde; after all, it was just a lecture on the fundamental knowledge of cultivation, and it was only useful for those beneath Zhenqi realm.... Yet, what the hell was with this crowd? "Excuse me, can you allow me to pass?" After circling around the dueling ring, he wasnt able to find any openings for him to enter. As a result, he could only pat on the shoulder of a young man. "Pass? You wish to cut in line? I arrived early in the morning to listen to Zhangoshis lesson. Get to the end of the line!" The young man waved him away impatiently. The young man was Liu Xun! Wasnt this fellow too brazen! He and his sister had been lining up since early morning, and even then, they were only able to squeeze into the outer perimeter. Yet, that fellow was telling him to allow him to pass.... He must be kidding! Of all the people here, you just had to choose me to give way to you. Are you trying to bully me just because Ive just returned? Furthermore, even if I allow you to pass, how far do you think you can get? "Get to the back of the line?" A bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Where did this fellow pop out from? "Indeed, if you wanted to get good seats, you should havee earlier. Wanting to cut the line of others aftering at such a time... Brother, let me give you a warning. If you continue to try to squeeze your way in, youll just be pummeled by the others!" Liu Xun said seriously. After hearing about the details of Zhang Xuanoshi from his cousin, Liu Xuns admiration for the former had soared to the high heavens. He finally understood why everyone had rushed here to listen to his lecture. Putting aside the fact he was the direct disciple of a master teacher whose rank was beyond that of 2-star, the 1-dan Juxi realm students he had groomed from the start of the semester were able to fight squarely against a Pixue realm pinnacle expert just after half a month of lessons.... This was an unimaginable feat! His lecture was indeed worthy of the arrival of all of these experts! Even if they werent here to learn, it was a good opportunity for them to get close to him! If Yang shi were to arrive on the spot personally, everything would be even more perfect. Honestly speaking, most of these Tongxuan realm experts werent interested in the lecture. They wanted to use this opportunity to get closer ties with Zhang Xuan and, if possible, strike up a rtionship with Yang shi through Zhang Xuan. After all, the words of a direct disciple were much more authoritative than a mere butler. "Cough, rest assured. They wont beat me up!" Upon realizing that the fellow didnt recognize him, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head helplessly. "They wont?" Seeing that the other party didnt believe his words, Liu Xun was displeased. "I dont know where your confidencees from, but since you said so, Ill allow you to pass then. But if someone does beat you upter on, dont me me for not warning you!" "Thank you..." Upon seeing the young man before him opening up a space for him, he stepped forward. Just when he was about to proceed further ahead, ady in front seemed to have noticed themotion behind and turned around. "Ah, Zhangoshi. Youre here..." Thedys face flushed in excitement. ------ Cangsong Swordsman -> Literally tranted to Green Pines. There is an idiom on how pines were green all year long, and it refers to an upright person. Chapter 234: Soul Depth Exceeding 3? Chapter 234: Soul Depth Exceeding 3? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Zhang Xuan nodded his head and continued proceeding forward. The voice of thedy was sonorous and attracted the attention of many. The crowd immediately opened up a path for him. "He, he... is Zhangoshi?" Seeing the young man he had just "reprimanded" walking toward the dueling ring, Liu Xuns mouth twitched. Didnt you say that Zhangoshi was nearing his twenties? Then why does he look so young... More importantly, given how massive the affair was, he should at least wear something more official. To be dressed in everyday attire which probably wasnt even worth a single gold coin.... Arent you tooidback! When Liu Xun recalled how he lectured the other party for cutting in line, tears threatened to stream down his cheek. If he wasnt allowed to enter... then what kind of lecture could they hear? The lecture of the wind? In any case, his embarrassment didntst for long. Because... Zhangoshis lecture had begun. Transmitting his voice via zhenqi, despite the huge crowd that had gathered here, everyone could hear every single word of his clearly as though it were spoken right next to their ears. Initially, Liu Xun didnt pay the lecture much heed. After all, he had been listening to a lecture of a master teacher for three years straight. However, as time went by, his face slowly flushed red and a bright gleam twinkled in his eyes. He felt as though every word was a tonic to his body. Even though Zhangoshi was only lecturing on the fundamentals of Juxi realm and Dantian realm, his every word was both profound and simple, and his words pointed straight to the essence of cultivating itself. Hearing his words, the zhenqi in ones body would be automatically triggered, and one couldnt help but cultivate along with his words. After a moment of driving ones zhenqi around ones body, one would feel afortable sensation slowly spreading across oneself. Then, the persons cultivation that had been stuck at the same level for an extremely long time would increase slightly. Even though it was only a slight increase, it was equivalent to several days of hard work. To think that a lecture on fundamentals could raise ones cultivation.... If not for personally witnessing the sight, no one would think it possible. No other teacher of Hongtian Academy was capable of such a feat. Astonished, Liu Xun nced at the others and realized that everyone was immersed in his lecture. Especially for those who were still at Juxi realm like Yuer, cultivating through the concepts that Zhang Xuan spoke of seemed to have triggered the spiritual energy in the surroundings to gush into them. Every single one of them improved significantly. There were even a few who were already at the peak of their current realm breaking into the next one. "This... could this be the Imparting of Heavens Will spoken of in legends?" Liu Xuns eyes narrowed and he subconsciously clenched his fists tightly together. Legend told that when a high-tier master teacher lectured on content which aligned with the essence of cultivation, a special force field would be triggered. Within this force field, the listeners would subconsciously drive the zhenqi in their body ording to the method spoken and unknowingly raise their cultivation. He had heard his teacher speak of this once, but even he was unable to achieve such a feat. In fact, it was said that even 4-star master teachers would find it hard to achieve such a feat. Yet, a star teacher who wasnt even in his twenties seeded in doing so? This... Are my eyes ying tricks on me! "Theres no mistake. Even though this is the most simple form of it, this is Imparting of Heavens Will." In a state of disbelief, Liu Ling and the others abruptly stood up. Their eyes narrowed and their white as snow beards trembled. "Imparting of Heavens Will isnt a skill essible to all master teachers. In order to trigger it, one has to fulfill two criteria. First, the content of ones lecture has to dive straight into the essence of cultivation, meaning there mustnt be the slightest error in ones words! Second, the lecturer must possess the State of Insight of Heart of Tranquil Water, and his Soul Depth must be at least 3!" Zhuang shis mouth was agape. Imparting of Heavens Will was different from bewitching techniques. Rather than bewitching a person to cultivate, it was a result of the lecturers words being aligned with the very essence of cultivation, thus triggering an intangible force in the world. The reason why master teachers were so esteemed was because of this ability of theirs. The heavens seemed to bend to their words, forming order around them. To trigger Imparting of Heavens Will, the lecturer needed more than an in-depth knowledge of cultivation. He needed to possess the State of Insight, and his Soul Depth had to reach 3. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to enchant so many people with just his words. "Could it be that... he has already reached Heart of Tranquil Water, and his Soul Depth... has reached 3?" The wide-eyed Zheng Fei felt lightheaded. It was just yesterday that he spoke about Soul Depth to the other party, and it was clear that the other party waspletely ignorant of the matter. In the blink of an eye... he achieved a breakthrough, and his Soul Depth even reached 3.... Even though the basic requirement for taking the master teacher examination was 3, not everyone was able to reach such a level upon achieving the State of Insight. Even when they first reached Heart of Tranquil Water, they were only around 1.5. They had to follow a master teacher and cultivate for several years before they slowly raised it to be qualified to take the master teacher examination. Yet this fellow only learned about it yesterday, and broke through within the span of a day.... Do you have to be that fast? The breakthroughs of the others were fraught with difficulty, as though ascending a towering mountain, yet yours was as simple as eating and drinking.... "His Soul Depth has reached 3, and he possesses the skills of a grandmaster painter, and the title of 1-star apothecary. It seems like this senior of ours is already qualified to take the master teacher examination!" Liu Ling said agitated. Yesterday, he was still thinking that it would take awhile before Zhang Xuan would be qualified to take the master teacher examination. After all, the State of Mind was a difficult hurdle to ovee. It required one umte countless experiences before being able to mature to that level. Never in his dreams did he expect that within a single night, not only did Zhang Xuan achieve Heart of Tranquil Water, his Soul Depth was even an astonishing 3. What is a genius? This is a genius! All of the incredible figures gathered here seemed to pale inparison. It was no wonder he became the direct disciple of Yang shi. His talent was truly nothing short of the word phenomenal. While they were shocked, the crowd in the stands was immersed in the lecture. Unknowingly, time passed swiftly and Zhang Xuan stopped. "Thank you Zhangoshi for your guidance!" Recovering from the unique state, everyone knew that they had benefited greatly from the lecture, and one after another, they knelt to him in gratitude. From today onward, this Zhangoshi was half a teacher to them. This rtionship was something that would remain in their memory for the rest of their lives. Otherwise, they would only be spat on by everyone for being ungrateful. Zhang Xuan didnt expect that the effects of his lecture would be so extensive. This waspletely different to how he had lectured Zhao Ya and the others in the past. Nodding his head in satisfaction, he stepped down from the dueling ring. In the next instant, Liu Ling and the others immediately surrounded him. "Senior, can you allow me... to check your Soul Depth?" Liu Ling trembled with excitement. "Soul Depth?" Not expecting the other party to speak about this matter, embarrassment appeared on Zhang Xuan face. He wanted to disappear into thin air from the shame. "Forget it, my Soul Depth... is too low. Id rather not embarrass myself in front of you all..." If they knew his Soul Depth was 0.1, they would definitelyugh their heads off. It was better for him to not humiliate himself. "Too low?" The three master teachers swayed. A Soul Depth beyond 3 was low? Furthermore, whats with your embarrassed expression? Do you think that your Soul Depth of 3 isnt worth mentioning? The heck, any other master teacher apprentice would leap for joy if their Soul Depth turned out to be above 3. They would think they were a genius who only appeared once in a century and brag about it everywhere they went such that the entire world would know. Yet you are embarrassed.... Senior, arent you being too ambitious! "To be able to induce Imparting of Heavens Will, your State of Insight Soul Depth must be at least 3. If possible, I would like to see... the value of Seniors Soul Depth!" Liu Lingmented, stifling the urge to spew blood. "What is Imparting of Heavens Will?" Zhang Xuan blinked several times confused. Staggering, Liu Ling and the others were on the verge of tears. Truly, one man shouldnt bepared to another. Despite an entire lifetime of hard work, they were unable to induce Imparting of Heavens Will a single time. Yet this fellow had induced it unknowingly.... Stifling the sensation in his chest, Zhuang Xian started exining about it to Zhang Xuan. The eyes of the young man before them slowly widened in disbelief. "Youre saying that... my Soul Depth is at least 3?" Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. When he tested his Soul Depth yesterday, it was only 0.1. Why would he suddenly possess a Soul Depth above 3? "Indeed, Senior. Have you not tested your Soul Depth after achieving Heart of Tranquil Water?" Seeing the bewildered expression on their seniors face, Liu Ling and the others were speechless. Other people would be giving their all to brag about their sessful breakthrough, yet this fellow waspletely oblivious to it. Arent you keeping too low a profile! Could it be... the golden page? Ignoring their looks of admiration, a thought suddenly popped into Zhang Xuans mind. Yesterday, the golden page has disappeared mysteriously. Could it be that... it had raised his Soul Depth without him knowing? This possibility was extremely high. After all, it was the Book of Heavens Path. Since it could even assimte the vast knowledge contained in the library into Zhang Xuans mind, raising Zhang Xuans Soul Depth shouldnt be an issue. As he thought this, he saw the looks of anticipation on the faces of the master teachers. So, with a flick of his wrist, he took out a Stone of Insight. Entering the Heart of Tranquil Water. Weng! Numbers appeared on the jade. Before he could even see it, Liu Ling and the others stared at him stupefied, as though they were staring at a monster. "Senior, your... your Soul Depth..." The three master teachers convulsed as though they were experiencing strokes. Chapter 235: Xuanluo Mountain Range Chapter 235: Xuanluo Mountain Range Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Why?" Upon seeing their stupefied expressions, Zhang Xuan immediately lowered his head to take a look. With a single nce, he froze as well. Vivid numbers appeared on the jade: 5.1. "5.1?" Zhang Xuan finally understood the trauma the three master teachers were going through. Even he was feeling lightheaded with shock at this moment. He had tested it many times yesterday, and the highest he had ever reached was 0.1. Why did it suddenly soar to 5.1? Could it be... "That golden page has raised my Soul Depth by... 5.0?" Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. His eyeballs were about to pop out onto the ground. He knew that the Book of Heavens Path was incredible, but he couldnt have dreamt that it would be this amazing! What Soul Depth cultivation technique or Enlightenment Jade? They were all useless before it. Raising a persons Soul Depth by 5.0 in an instant.... Anyone who heard of it would die from shock. "Having a Soul Depth of 3 qualifies you to take the 1-star master teacher examination. When it reaches 6, you can take the 2-star master teacher examination.... To possess a Soul Depth of 5.1 the moment you reach Heart of Tranquil Water, with a good Soul Depth cultivation technique, you will be eligible to take the 2-star master teacher examination in just a few years!" Recovering from their shock, the faces of Liu Ling and the others flushed in agitation. When they had just reached Heart of Tranquil Water, their Soul Depth was only 1.5. Yet this fellow before their eyes had a staggering 5.1 Soul Depth. With his talent, as long as he cultivated diligently, he would surpass them in just a few years time. In fact, it was highly likely he would be able to be a 2-star master teacher before them. Indeed, one shouldntpare geniuses with ordinary cultivators. "Teacher!" All of the sudden, Lu Xun walked through the crowd and up to them. He didnt attend Zhang Xuans lecture previously because he was on the verge of achieving a breakthrough and had to focus all of his attention into the matter. "How are things?" Upon seeing his appearance, Liu Ling and the others immediately turned their attention to him. "Teacher told me yesterday that mypetitive nature and excessive concern over climbing out of my fathers shadow has impeded me from reaching Heart of Tranquil Water. After contemtion, I came to a realization and made up with my father. After that, my State of Mind started to rise slowly, and eventually... I managed to achieve a breakthrough!" Lu Xun seemed to have recovered his confidence. All along, his State of Mind had been stuck in a bottleneck, and for some reason unknown to him, he wasnt able to reach Heart of Tranquil Water no matter how hard he tried. Initially, he attributed it to hisck of experience, but after Liu shis guidance, he realized that it was due to his obstinacy. He couldnt have imagined that it was his stiff rtionship with his father that had stopped him from reaching higher heights. Reaching Heart of Tranquil Water in his twenties... He probably broke the record of Tianxuan Kingdom! All along the way, he was firmly restrained by Zhang Xuan on all aspects, be it his cultivation, Way of Tea, or painting. Now that he had beat him in achieving Heart of Tranquil Water first, he finally felt his confidence returning to him! Standing ramrod straight, Lu Xun wore a gentle smile. "Have you checked it yet? Whats your Soul Depth?" Hearing that he had achieved a breakthrough, Liu Ling was delighted and hurriedly asked him on that matter. "Ive already checked it!" Lu Xun chuckled softly. The exhration in his eyes was hard to conceal. "Teacher said that if one achieves a Soul Depth exceeding that of 1.0 upon reaching Heart of Tranquil Water, there is a 50% chance of him bing a master teacher in the future. If it reaches 1.5, there is a 70% chance of him bing a master teacher. My Soul Depth is..." After pausing for a moment, he scanned their faces before revealing, "1.8!" cing his hands behind his back, Lu Xun excitedly waited for the astonished looks on the three master teachers faces. After all, his Soul Depth was higher than the three master teachers when they were younger. Yet, contrary to their expectations, they only replied with an "oh!" and turned their attention back to Zhang Xuan. Excitement could clearly be seen on their faces as they gazed at him intently. Upon seeing him being sidelined despite his outstanding results, Lu Xun felt dismayed. Logically speaking, shouldnt they rush up excitedly to gather around him upon hearing of his achievement andpliment him profusely? Why were they gathering around Zhangoshi instead? Perplexed, he turned to look at Zhang Xuan and saw the Stone of Insight in his hand. With a single nce, he froze. "5.1?" Upon seeing the number, Lu Xun convulsed violently and tears spilled forth from his eyes. The heck, arent I embarrassing myself bying to brag in front of you.... To think that I was gleeful for so long over this matter.... ...... Xuanluo Mountain Range was a vast mountainous region. Countless trees towered and savage beasts roamed freely amid them. Without sufficient strength, it was hard to travel through the mountain range. "Ive been on this road once and its well hidden. If you miss the turn and get lost, it will be difficult for you to find your way out of the forest!" Shen Bi Ru said with a smile as she led the way. Zhang Xuan followed closely behind her. After Zhang Xuan was done with the public lecture, he entrusted Zhao Ya and the others to the three master teachers and requested that they help him take them to Tianwu Royal City. Then, without much hesitation, he entered the Xuanluo Mountain Range along with Shen Bi Ru to look for the Beast Hall. Savage beasts ran wild here; flora and fauna covered the paths. If not for Shen Bi Ru, Zhang Xuan thought that he would probably have lost his way and ended up wandering around the mountains. After three days of traveling, the two of them felt slightly drained. "Isnt the Beast Hall hidden too deep in the mountain range? How do they survive like that?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Humans have many needs, such as socializing, food, medicine, and many other kinds of resources. Given how deep into the wilderness the Beast Hall was, it was inconvenient for them to purchase anything! "There are aerial savage beasts in the Beast Hall. They could easily travel the distance we covered in three days in just an hour on their beast mounts." Shen Bi Ru shook her head. When she first followed someone else to the Beast Hall, the same question appeared in her head as well. Only after her arrival did she realize how ridiculous her concerns were. "Besides, when you reach the Beast Hall, you will realize that it isnt too far from Beiwu Kingdom and Hanwu Kingdom. There are many people who travel to and from the Beast Hall every day, so they never suffer a shortage of resources," Shen Bi Ru continued. In the past few days, Zhang Xuan had studied the maps of Tianxuan Kingdom and the other surrounding kingdoms in the as from the Kingdoms Book Collection Vault, and he realized that they werent too far from one another. If not for the presence of the Xuanluo Mountain Range serving as a natural blockade, Tianxuan Kingdom would have long descended into chaos. "Given the numerous savage beasts in Xuanluo Mountain, why dont the cultivators just tame one or two of them? Why do they have to go to the Beast Hall?" There were numerous savage beasts in the mountain range and the two of them had already met with several waves in the past three days. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan was a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert, allowing him to defeat them easily. Since there were so many savage beasts in the mountains, the cultivators could just tame one or two for their own usage. Why did they have to go through the trouble of heading to the Beast Hall? "I thought the same as well. Putting aside how the wild nature of the savage beasts make it hard to tame them, we havent met a single aerial savage beast that could transport a human throughout our journey!" Shen Bi Ru chuckled lightly. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. For an aerial savage beast to transport a human, it had to be significantlyrger than a human. Although they had met with numerous savage beasts in the past three days of their journey, they were mostlynd-bound. As for the aerial savage beasts they chanced by, all of them were small in stature. "Putting aside how rare these aerial savage beasts are, they are capable of escaping into the air if they find themselves at a disadvantage. As such, it isnt easy to catch hold of them! Of course, this isnt the most important factor. If you use strength to force it to submit, it is possible for it to feign obedience and sabotage you while you are riding it in the air. If so, arent you putting yourself at risk?" Shen Bi Ru exined. "This..." Zhang Xuan cowered. If an aerial savage beast pretended to submit to a human and allow the person to ride it, it could simply flip in midair and the person would be a goner. "The reason why beast tamers are respected and why the upation ranks among the top of the Upper Nine Paths is because they can ensure guaranteed obedience from a savage beast, preventing such a situation from urring. Otherwise, if a savage beast reneged on its words, it could prove dangerous." Even a Zongshi realm expert would be doomed if it fell from a high altitude. As a result, if one didnt possess the handling of a beast tamer, it was best for one to avoid taming an aerial savage beast. Even if one were to sessfully tame one, if it intended to harm said person, that person would be doomed. "Just like master teachers, there are different tiers to a beast tamer. The higher the rank of a beast tamer, the stronger the savage beasts they can tame. Also, before bing an official beast tamer, one has to be an apprentice beast tamer first." Shen Bi Ru exined, seeing Zhang Xuansck of knowledge in the field. "Actually, Han Qiong is an apprentice beast tamer, thats why she has some connections with the Beast Hall. Thest time I came here was actually with her." "Mhm!" Zhang Xuan replied. There wasnt much information on the Beast Hall in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, but general knowledge was still in there. Actually, an apprentice beast tamer was simr to an apprentice apothecary in the sense that thetter had to study the medicinal properties of various herbs whereas the former had to study the various types of savage beasts that existed in the world, their offensive abilities, habits.... Only after obtaining an in-depth knowledge about the savage beasts would one have an opportunity to tame one. Otherwise, one might just die from underestimating the strength of a savage beast, let alone taming it. Most of the aggressive savage beasts tended to view humans with hostility. "Lets hurry. Were just a days journey away from the Beast Hall!" After exchanging a few lines, Shen Bi Ru giggled and the two proceeded onward. Before they could walk far, they heard the rustling of bushes in front of them. Taking a closer look, it was a group of humans. There were roughly seven or eight people squatted in a circle, seemingly discussing something. Most of them were Pixue realm, and only a twenty-seven-year-old or so young man was at Dingli realm pinnacle. Despite being the weakest of the group, he seemed to be their leader. Every single movement of his felt grand. "Whos there?" Since Zhang Xuan and Shen Bi Ru didnt try to hide their presence at all, the other party also noticed them as well. Bellowing, they immediately drew their weapons. Now that they were close to the Beast Hall, it wasnt surprising for them to meet other travelers. As a result, Shen Bi Ru didnt panic. Stepping forward, she said, "We came from Tianxuan Kingdom and were on our way to the Beast Hall. We just happened to pass by this area." "You two are going to the Beast Hall?" Upon seeing the beautiful Shen Bi Ru, the young mans eyes immediately lit up. Given Shen Bi Rus reputation as the number one beauty of Hongtian Academy, her looks were nothing toin about. Even though spending the past three days in the wild had made her look slightly unkempt, her beauty still shone through. "We are also going to return to the Beast Hall soon after dealing with a problem. As long as you dont bother us, we can bring you two along with us!" The young man extended his invitation. "Theres no need for that. We can head there by ourselves!" Shen Bi Ru shook her head and proceeded forward along with Zhang Xuan. "Hold it right there! You two cant walk through here!" They had barely walked two steps forward when the others bellowed in unison at them. Hula, the nging of weapons being drawn resounded in the air. Chapter 236: Formations Chapter 236: Formations Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "We cant walk through here? Does the road belong to you?" Shen Bi Rus face darkened. Zhang Xuan also turned to look at them. Due to his pure zhenqi, even Liu shi was unable to see through his cultivation if he intentionally hid it. Naturally, these people couldnt see through his cultivation either. Having reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle, as long as his opponent wasnt a Zongshi realm expert, there was no need for him to fear anyone at all. If these people intended to pick a fight with him, he didnt mind teaching them a lesson. However, before he could say anything, the young man had already interjected. "What are you all doing? Sheathe your weapons! Not everything can be solved through force!" "Yes!" Upon hearing his words, the others hurriedly sheathed their weapons. "Please dont be rmed, we dont have any evil intentions! To be honest, I am the seventh prince of Hanwu Kingdom, Yun Tao, and I am currently in the midst of my 1-star beast tamer examination. I have already passed the first trial. As long as I can tame a Pixue realm savage beast, I will pass the examination!" Stepping forward, the young man smiled kindly. "The reason why my men stopped you two is because the [Gold Alloyed Panther] I intend to tame is right ahead. That savage beast possesses incredible speed. Weve tracked it for ten days already, so we intend to set a trap for it here. If you walk through now, you might rm it. If so, our previous efforts would be in vain. So please, I hope you understand! If you two feel offended by our actions, I will be sure topensate you both after capturing this Gold Alloyed Panther!" "Then... well wait for a while!" Seeing the other party speaking politely to them, Shen Bi Ru nced at Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing him nod his head, Shen Bi Ru agreed to the other partys request. If others were willing to speak politely, Zhang Xuan was willing to listen to their request. Since the person exined the situation to them earnestly, Zhang Xuan didnt mind the slight inconvenience. In any case, he and Shen Bi Ru were exhausted after walking for an entire day, so it wouldnt hurt to rest. At the same time, he could gather some information on the Beast Hall. "Thank you for understanding!" Upon seeing them relent, Yun Tao nodded his head in satisfaction. After instructing for the others to continue setting the trap, he walked over to Shen Bi Ru. "May I know how to address the two of you?" "I am Shen Bi Ru, this is Zhang Xuan!" Shenoshi replied. "Oh, so its Shen xiaojie. Pleased to meet you!" Yun Tao nodded his head, neglecting Zhang Xuan from the very start. It wasnt surprising that he would disregard Zhang Xuan. After cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body, Zhang Xuans skin had be smooth, giving him the appearance of a seventeen-year-old teenager. Furthermore, his clothes were shabby. No matter how Yun Tao looked at him, he seemed like a mereckey. "May I know what affairs xiaojie has at the Beast Hall? If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to pass the beast tamer examination. If so, I will gain considerable say within the Beast Hall!" Yun Tao spoke with a confident smile. "I appreciate Your Highnesss goodwill, but we only intend to rent an aerial savage beast, so we probably wont need your help." Shen Bi Ru rejected his offer politely. As the icy goddess of Hongtian Academy, she was familiar with such pickup methods. As a result, she immediately blocked his advances. "Regardless, fate has brought us together, so theres no need for Shen xiaojie to be so courteous with me. Without the help of a beast tamer, it will be difficult to pick out a good aerial savage beast and it could prove dangerous. How about this: after I capture the Gold Alloyed Panther and go back to the Beast Hall, Ill help you pick out a good one!" Yun Tao said. "No, thanks!" Shen Bi Ru turned down his offer. "Even though the aerial savage beasts loaned by the Beast Hall are all tamed and it is unlikely for there any problems to ur, different savage beasts have different endurance levels and reaction speeds. If you dont choose a good one and meet with the attacks of other savage beasts in midair, it is possible for mishaps to happen. Shen xiaojie, there is no need for stand on ceremony with me!" Lightly flinging his sleeves backward, Yun Tao exuded a dashing aura. His words were filled with concern and sincerity. Regardless of whether it was her disposition or appearance, thedy before him was the most beautiful he had ever seen. He wanted to disy his superiority to move the heart of the beauty. "This..." She intended to reject him, but upon recalling that Zhangoshi would be riding on the savage beast, Shen Bi Ru eventually relented and nodded her head. "Ill be troubling you then!" "Its no trouble. Ive been learning for twelve years now and I am well-acquainted with all of the savage beasts in the Beast Hall, be it their habits, endurance, age, reaction speed.... I have mastered them all. Rest easy, there wont be any problems whatsoever! If not for our fated meeting here, I wouldnt help anyone else even if they paid me a huge sum of money...." Upon seeing her agree, Yun Taos eyes lit up. "A while ago, a powerful official from your Tianxuan Kingdom tried to recruit me for my services, but I rejected his request...." Seeing that this guy intended to show off to disy his strengths and capabilities, Zhang Xuan could no longer hold back. Shaking his head helplessly, he walked over to the other people. The trap they spoke of wasnt just digging a pit and covering it with straw and leaves. This kind of elementary level trap might work on wild animals, but savage beasts possessed intelligence. Not only would one be unable to capture a savage beast through such means, the savage beast might even feel offended ande and assault the trapper. The Pixue realm cultivators who hade along with Yun Tao held several dark grey gs in their hands. After measuring the coordinates properly, they staked them into the ground. Is this... a formation? Upon seeing their actions, a thought popped into Zhang Xuans head. Formation master was also one of the top upations among the Upper Nine Paths, and their standing wasnt inferior to the apothecary job in the least. It was one of the more popr upations. Even though there were some records on formations in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, the information on them was terse. They only spoke of the fundamentals. As for how one could set up a formation and how one activated it... there wasnt any information at all. After all, Tianxuan Kingdom was just a remote country on the sidelines. It didnt even have a Formation Master Guild. As such, the information essible to it was limited. Even though the information detailed in the books was limited, the movements of these people were aligned with the concept of formations described in those books. As a result, Zhang Xuan was able to recognize it instantly. ording to the descriptions, once a formation was sessfullyid out, a unique force field would be generated. Once triggered, it would disy all kinds of unique effects. A confinement formation would trap a person, making the target lose their sense of direction and wander aimlessly within it. A hypnotizing formation would induce illusions, leaving ones mental state in disarray. A kill formation would destroy a person immediately with its fearsome strength. This was the first time Zhang Xuan had seen someone set up a formation. He was full of curiosity. "Just these few gs can trap that Gold Alloyed Panther he spoke of?" Staring at their actions, Zhang Xuan soon realized that he was unable toprehend anything about that formation at all and shook his head helplessly. Just like pill forging and painting, setting up a formation was an advanced skill requiring in-depth knowledge. Putting aside perceiving the effects of the formation, Zhang Xuan didnt even know what purpose those gs served. "Zhangoshi, whats wrong?" Suddenly, Shen Bi Rus voice echoed behind him. As he turned around, he saw Shen Bi Ru right behind him. She seemed to be unable to stand the other partys narcissistic talk and came over to escape. "Im just curious what kind of trap they are setting up!" Zhang Xuan replied. "It seems to be a formation. There isnt a Formation Master Guild in Tianxuan Kingdom, and as such, we dont have many books on formations. As a result, I dont know too much about formations either." Shen Bi Ru also recognized it immediately. "Indeed. For a few gs to create a powerful formation with mystical effects, it is indeed incredible!" Zhang Xuanmented. "None of the upations ranked among the Upper Nine Paths are simple. It is said that even a Half-Zongshi would find it difficult to escape from a formation set up by an official formation master. In fact, if they are unlucky, they might even be killed by it. Even though those guys seem to be cing the gs at random, there must be a certain logic to it!" Shen Bi Ru nodded her head. "Yeah! Im just checking it out!" Zhang Xuan smiled. The topic of formations was a profound one, and without years of effort, it was impossible for one to bear any results. Since Zhang Xuan was unable toprehend anything about it, he simply regarded it as a novelty. "Checking it out?" Yun Tao walked over. With his head lifted high, he nced askance at Zhang Xuan and chuckled softly, "The study of formations is profound and deep. Are you sure you canprehend it?" "I am an outsider who has never studied the topic, so I dont know too much about it!" Zhang Xuan admitted. Curious, he asked, "Based on your tone, Your Highness seems to be well-versed in formations?" "Of course!" The edges of Yun Taos lips curled up and a proud expression appeared on his face. "Actually, I also study formations during my spare time and I am an apprentice formation master, so I have quite a bit of knowledge about formations." "Apprentice formation master?" Zhang Xuan and Shen Bi Ru stared at one another in shock. For him to be both an apprentice beast tamer and an apprentice formation master, especially when the two upations were of the Upper Nine Paths, Yun Tao indeed possessed the right to brag about his achievements. "Since you dont understand, allow me to introduce it to you two!" Seeing the shock of the pairs face, Yun Tao was delighted. With a smile, he raised his head proudly and exined, "The formation they are setting up is called [Green Wood Confinement Formation]. The core of the formation is based on the 36 Heavenly Spirits whereas the gs used in the formation are ced based on the 72 Earthly Fiends. Containing the element of wood, it gathers eight different attributes of spiritual energy.... Through such, the force field of the formation is formed, and once activated, it unleashes great power." "Green Wood Confinement Formation? Just by using these small gs?" "Indeed! These gs are just supporting equipment. Although setting up the formation is important and the coordinates of the gs must be precise, the activation of the formation is important as well. After theyre done, I will activate it. If I seed, even though the Gold Alloyed Panthers life wont be at risk if it were to step into the formation, it cant escape!" While they were conversing, the others finished setting up the formations. Chuckling lightly, Yun Tao stepped forward, took out a golden g, shook it lightly, and ced it into the center of the formation. Weng! With a light ring, the formation seemed to have been activated. All of the formation gs seemed to have disappeared amid the greenery, making it hard to spot. If not for Zhang Xuan witnessing the setting up of the formation personally, it would have been hard for him to believe there was a formation here. "Incredible..." Impressed, Zhang Xuan was about to say something when his mind jolted and a book appeared in the library. Turning his attention to the book, the words "Green Wood Confinement Formation" were written on it. Flipping through it, the ws of the formation were detailed within. "Green Wood Confinement Formation: a wood element formation. The formation gs are made from the spottedurel nt, and the formation contains the ability of confining and restricting the targets movements. It was created three hundred years ago by 2-star Formation Master Tao Yuan. ws: 17 aspects. No. 1..." "The formation activated here is a simplified version with a total of 72 ws. No. 1..." After reading through the book, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He stared at the gleeful and proud prince with a strange expression. "Are you sure that... this formation can confine the Gold Alloyed Panther?" Chapter 237: Play Somewhere Else! Chapter 237: y Somewhere Else! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Of course! I bought this formation from the Formation Master Guild at a high price. Even a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert would be trapped in it, let alone a Pixue realm savage beast!" Yun Tao gestured grandly as he turned to look at Zhang Xuan. "Why? Do you doubt the ability of this Green Wood Confinement Formation?" "That isnt it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I just think that theres something wrong with the setup of this formation, and it might be unable to disy its full strength" "Arrogant! Do you even know what a formation is?" "Where did this bumpkine from, trying to doubt the formation His Highness has set up?" "Know your ce...." Before Zhang Xuan could finish speaking, angry bellowing interrupted him. They came from Yun Taos subordinates. They had heard the conversation between that boy and their prince. This fellow, who didnt even know what a formation was, said that something was amiss about the setup of the formation.... How can you be so thick-skinned? Do you know how the formation functions? Do you know how strong itll be after its activated? Doubting His Highnesss capability despite knowing nothing at all? He sure is arrogant! "Cough cough, Zhangoshi. We shouldnt interfere in their affairs...." Hearing the criticism from the group, Shen Bi Rus face reddened. She was renderedpletely speechless by Zhangoshi. Wasnt saying that there was something wrong with the setup of the formation equivalent to mocking Prince Yun Tao? Even though this fellow was narcissistic, he possessed true ability. Since they were ignorant about formations, it was best for them to not get involved in this affair. It wasnt a wise decision to offend a soon-to-be beast tamer before reaching the Beast Hall. Seeing the indignance in everyones eyes, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Since his kind words fell on deaf ears, Zhang Xuan decided to stay out of the matter. "The study of formations is as deep and vast as the ocean. Since you are ignorant, you shouldnt speak of it lightly. Youre lucky that I am magnanimous, otherwise I would teach you a lesson based on the words you just said. Even beating you to death would be considered a light penalty!" Yun Tao red at Zhang Xuan and harrumphed. Then he pointed to the formation and continued confidently, "This Green Wood Confinement Formation, whenplemented with trees, will have its effects amplified. Given the bushes and trees around, this is a suitable location for the setup of this formation. Later, I will show you how impressive the formation is by capturing the Gold Alloyed Panther!" "Sure!" Seeing through the other partys desire to impress Shen Bi Ru, Zhang Xuan didnt linger on the topic and stood to the side. Only then did Yun Tao nod his head in satisfaction. Just when he was about to continue bragging about the capability of the formation, a roar echoed from the front. Then a massive figure charged out. The Gold Alloyed Panther! This Pixue realm savage beast was around four meters long. Its golden body was covered with green spots. Even from several hundred meters out, it exerted strong pressure onto the group. "Its here...." Yun Taos eyes lit up. He immediately rushed nervously forward to take a closer look. The Gold Alloyed Panther strolled around the area leisurely, and upon seeing the group, instinctively retreated and prepared to leave. "Light it up!" Yun Tao hurriedlymanded his subordinates upon seeing its actions. It took them ten days of effort before they were able to track it down. If it escaped, it would be difficult to find it once more. "Yes!" One subordinate immediately took out a bag and lit it with an ignitable paper roll. In an instant, a repulsive odor immediately emanated from it. The stench was so strong that it made people feel lightheaded and nauseous. "This should be the feces of a female Gold Alloyed Panther. Upon burning it, it releases an extremely powerful smell. While it is intolerable to a human, it is irresistible to a male Gold Alloyed Panther." Shen Bi Ru seemed to be slightly knowledgeable on the topic of taming savage beasts, as she softly exined the situation to Zhang Xuan. Feeling faint from the overpowering stench, it was a wonder to Zhang Xuan why that fellow would be attracted to such an odor. Turning to look at the Gold Alloyed Panther, it had stopped in its tracks upon smelling the scent. After hesitating for a moment, it started heading toward the group. As the fellow slowly approached them, the group gradually felt the pressure from the savage beast grow stronger. Slowly, its ferocious appearance and streamlined body appeared clearly before them. Even though it was a Pixue realm savage beast, it was probably capable of warding off eight human cultivators of the same realm easily. This savage beast was born swift, and coupled with its huge physique and fur serving as a defensiveyer, it was capable of matching up to a human cultivator beyond its cultivation realm! In other words, this Gold Alloyed Panther wasnt incapable of challenging a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert. "Prepare to trigger the formation!" Upon seeing the Gold Alloyed Panther being attracted by the scent and walking toward the Green Wood Confinement Formation, Yun Tao clenched his fists in excitement. As long as he grabbed hold of this fellow and tamed it, he would be able to be an official beast tamer! With this identity, he could stand out against the other princes. Even if he couldnt inherit the throne, he would gain considerable standing within the empire. "Hm?" But to his astonishment, that fellow suddenly stopped ten meters in front of the formation. As a Pixue realm savage beast, it possessed intelligence. It could sense Yun Tao and the others were up to no good. If not for the alluring scent, it would have escaped long ago. "Attack it! Find some way to enrage it!" As befitting of a potential beast tamer, even though Yun Tao was surprised by its actions, he immediately reacted based on his understanding of savage beasts and gave instructions. "Yes!" His subordinates had already been waiting for hismands. Hearing his words, they nodded their heads. Retrieving arrows from the quivers on their backs, they nocked the arrow, drew the bowstring, and shot at the Gold Alloyed Panther. Whoooosh! The arrows shot through the air straight toward the Gold Alloyed Panther. Since they were specially crafted arrows imbued with the zhenqi of Pixue realm experts, the Gold Alloyed Panther felt threatened by the arrows and its fur stood on end. It immediately leapt to the side to dodge the arrows. It might have been huge in stature, but its movements were exceptionally agile. Its speed was almostparable to Lu Xuns when he was executing the Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps. "Keep it up!" Yun Tao shouted. Hearing his orders, everyone moved swiftly and arrows fell like rain. "Roar!" Seeing the increasing number of arrows, the Gold Alloyed Panther roared furiously. Seeminglypletely enraged by their actions, he charged straight toward the group. Weng! In just a few paces, it stepped into the range of the formation. A light ringing sound echoed and the Green Wood Confinement Formation was activated. As though it had fallen into quicksand or was trapped in a metal cage, the Gold Alloyed Panther struggled but was unable to break out of the formation. "So this is a formation! Incredible!" Shen Bi Ru was impressed. She had seen the strength of the Gold Alloyed Panther for herself, and she wouldnt have believed that a formation consisting of just a few gs could trap such a powerful savage beast within if she hadnt seen it for herself. If she intruded on the formation unintentionally, she would be in the same plight as well. "Looks like I have to be careful of formation masters in the future!" she reminded herself warily. The reason why formation masters were highly respected was because they possessed the ability to defeat enemies beyond their cultivation realm. As long as they were given sufficient time to set up a formation, they were able to ughter an opponent whose strength far surpassed theirs. "Lets see where you can escape to!" Oblivious to the dread in Shen Bi Rus heart, Yun Tao chuckled and nced at Zhang Xuan gleefully. Didnt you say that something was wrong with the formation? Look, wasnt the Gold Alloyed Panther trapped in an instant? With his hands behind his back, Yun Tao turned to look at his subordinates and ordered, "Theres no need to hurry. We should let this fellow thrash about for a bit longer so that it expends its strength!" "Yes!" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as they scattered around the perimeter of the formation. "Roar!" While they were waiting for the Gold Alloyed Panther to expend all its stamina and tame it in a single go, a furious roar echoed and thetter charged frenziedly at the formation. Hu! The formation shook and the formation gs which had been concealed from view suddenly appeared. "Your Highness, what do we do...." Upon seeing the formation gsing into view, a Pixue realm expert immediately turned to look at Yun Tao anxiously. "What are you panicking for? Rest easy! The Green Wood Confinement Formation makes use of the geographical terrain to absorb the surrounding wood elemental energy to augment its defense. The Gold Alloyed Panther doesnt have enough strength to break out...." Yun Tao smiled confidently as he gestured grandly. Just as he was about to continue bragging about the formation, the ground quaked once more. The gs, unable to bear the impact from the charge, flew away. Hu! The removal of the formation gs caused the instantaneous copse of the Green Wood Confinement Formation. With a stride, the furious Gold Alloyed Panther appeared before Yun Tao. Raising its paw, it wed at him. "Eh?" Yun Tao was just bragging about his Green Wood Confinement Formation when this fellow suddenly appeared before him. He yelled in terror and fell paralyzed to the ground. "You beast!" "Your Highness, be careful!" The Pixue realm subordinates immediately rushed over as they drew their weapons. In an instant, numerous swords fell upon the Gold Alloyed Panthers. Roar! Disregarding those attacks, the Gold Alloyed Panther whipped its tail at one of Yun Taos subordinate while smacking another two next to it with its paws. Pah pah pah! Yun Taos subordinates felt a fearsome force traversing through their body as they fell backwards with reddened faces. At the same moment, they felt a sweet sensation gushing up their throat and blood spewed from their mouths. Even though the few of them were strong, they were still incapable ofbating a frenzied Pixue realm savage beast. "Flee!" Seeing that even his subordinates were unable to stand their ground against it, Yun Tao nearly fainted from fear. He immediately bellowed and began to run. However, at this moment, he saw the giant body of the Gold Alloyed Panther rushing toward Zhang Xuan and Shen Bi Ru. "Theyre doomed...." He froze. Even his subordinates were unable to match up to the Gold Alloyed Panther, and that beautifuldy was only at Dingli realm pinnacle. That ignorantd beside her was likely even weaker. Under such circumstances, Yun Tao couldnt think of any way they could avoid their demise. Just when he prepared himself for the gruesome sight, that ignorantd spoke in frustration. "Are you stupid? Theyre the ones who want to catch you, why are you going against me?" Upon hearing his words, everyone swayed. Was thatd a fool? Speaking to the Gold Alloyed Panther like that when it was at the peak of its anger, that brat must be tired of living! Just when everyone thought that thed with a screw loose would die for sure, they heard his helpless voice once more. "If you refuse to leave, Ill have to make a move.... Forget it, since you arent willing to listen to logic, y somewhere else!" Right after saying those words, a loud p echoed. Whiz! The gigantic body of the Gold Alloyed Panther immediately flew aside. Smashing into a massive tree, white foam leaked from the corners of its mouth as it convulsed. Chapter 238: Taming [2 In 1] Chapter 238: Taming [2 In 1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "What?" Yun Tao and the others nearly passed out. What was going on? This was a Pixue realm Gold Alloyed Panther, it possessed strength rivaling that of a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert. Furthermore, its coat of fur provided it with incredible defense way beyond that of an ordinary cultivator, yet to be sent flying with a single blow and foaming at the mouth.... How strong was that attack? They swiftly turned their gaze toward that ignorant brat, only to see him walking with a vexed expression toward the Gold Alloyed Panther. Squatting beside it, he stared at it with an expression ofment. "I told you that the ones who wanted to capture you are them, and that you shouldnt go for me...." Pu! Hearing those words, the bodies of Yun Tao and the others convulsed. The heck! Do you have to go so far? No matter what, since fate has allowed us to meet, we should at least get along with one another. What do you mean by those words? Why are you persuading the savage beast to go for us? Roar! Hearing the other partys words, the Gold Alloyed Panther howled in anger. Struggling upright, it roared and sent its paw straight at the fellow nagging at it. "In the end, youre just a savage beast. Ive been wasting my breath trying to exin the situation to you...." Under the anxious gazes of the group, Zhang Xuan disregarded the ws of the other party and continued nagging. Just when the ws were about to fall on his head, he lifted his palm. As though time had stopped, the ws capable of even smashing through metal stopped in midair. Hu! Then, with a slight raise of the hand, the four-meter-long Gold Alloyed Panther weighing several tons was raised before being thrown to the ground. Then it was raised again before being thrown down once more. Bang bang bang bang! Arge crater immediately appeared on the ground. Yun Tao and the others trembled in fear. At this moment, they felt as though they were going insane. This was a Gold Alloyed Panther, one of the most ferocious savage beasts in the forest. Possessing great might, it was usually the predator. Yet, at this moment, it was being grabbed by its paw and whipped around? What kind of strength did that youngster possess? "He... is probably at least at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. He might even be a... Half-Zongshi!" a subordinate of Yun Tao muttered through quivering lips. "Half-Zongshi? I just mocked a Half-Zongshi? And I said that if I were to teach him a lesson, beating him to death would be considered as a light penalty...." Yun Tao felt he was about to spit out blood. Does everything has to be so shitty? If youre a Half-Zongshi, you shouldve said so earlier. No matter how audacious I may be, I would never have offended you.... "Look here! The ones who want to capture you are them, not me!" After smashing him around for a few times and seeing that the Gold Alloyed Panther was on the verge of passing out, Zhang Xuan stopped. While others were stunned by the sight before them, Zhang Xuan was feeling dismal. He was just an innocent passerby who kindly said that the formation might not be able to trap the savage beast. It was one thing for the others to doubt him, but they had to insult him, making it seem as though he was just a kid trying to brag despite his ignorance. As a result, he decided to stay out of the affair and allowed the others to do as they pleased. Yet... this fellow came rushing straight at him. The one undertaking the beast tamer examination was Yun Tao, and the one who set up the formation was him as well. Instead of looking for the mastermind, why did you look for me? As expected of a savage beast, dumb! "Lets go!" Seeing that the Gold Alloyed Panther was on the verge of breathing itsst, Zhang Xuan shook his head and turned to Shen Bi Ru. "OK!" Shenoshi walked toward him. She already knew that Zhang Xuans cultivation was at Tongxuan realm pinnacle and that the Gold Alloyed Panther wouldnt be a match for him. So she wasnt surprised by the turn of events. "You two..." Upon seeing the two leaving, Yun Tao started walking over to stop them. But at this moment, the Gold Alloyed Panther struggled to its feet, walked forward to block Zhang Xuans path, andy on the floor prostrating to him. Anticipation gleamed in its eyes. "This is... Voluntary Submission? The Gold Alloyed Panther is submitting to him?" As an apprentice beast tamer, Yun Tao was well-versed about the habits of savage beasts. The Gold Alloyed Panther was clearly in awe of Zhang Xuans incredible strength and intended to submit to him. Yun Tao had tracked this savage beast for several days to aplish his beast tamer examination, and it took abination of luck and effort before he was able to encounter it. Yet it was submitting to someone else? Yun Tao experienced depression in the pit of his stomach and nearly spewed blood. However, there was no way around it anymore. The moment a savage beast decided to submit to someone, it meant that fear had already sprouted in the depths of its heart toward its master, and it wouldnt dare to go against him. Even if Yun Tao were to use all of his means at this moment, he would be unable to change the decision of the savage beast. A savage beast only recognized a single master in its entire life. Since it was taking the initiative to prostrate itself, it showed its intent to submit to Zhang Xuan. It was toote for Yun Tao to do anything. "Its mine..." Tears streamed down Yun Taos face and he felt despondent. Even so, he was too afraid to say anything. Yun Tao thought that the other party would be delighted to see the savage beast submitting to him, but the youngster only frowned. "Are you done? If so, scram. Otherwise, I will beat you up again!" "Wuuuu!" The Gold Alloyed Panther lowered his head and whimpered. "Why? You arent content and wish to get back at me?" Zhang Xuan lifted his leg and prepared to kick it. "Cough cough, Elder Zhang Xuan..." Seeing that the other party didnt seem to understand the meaning by the Gold Alloyed Panthers gesture, Yun Tao immediately stepped forward. Yun Tao had only disregarded Zhang Xuan previously because he thought that he was Shen Bi Rusckey, but upon realizing that he was likely to be a Half-Zongshi expert, he didnt dare to be disrespectful to him in any way. "Elder?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment as he didnt expect this braggart to address him like this. However, after pondering for a moment, he felt that it wasntpletely unexpected. "This Gold Alloyed Panther has chosen to submit to you. If youre willing to take it in, pet its head, and feed it with a drop of your blood, it will be loyal to you for the rest of its life.... If you decide to turn it down, you can just turn around and leave!" Yun Tao said. He could tell that even though this fellow was powerful, he knew nothing about beast taming at all. Otherwise, how could he not even know the submission positions of savage beasts? "Chosen to submit to me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Why did it suddenly submit to me when all Ive done was to beat it up? Looks like beast tamer isnt as hard of an upation as I think it to be... If Yun Tao could hear his thoughts, he would definitely spurt blood. There were many methods to induce a savage beast to submit to a person, such as gratitude, enticement, overwhelming force.... Of which, overwhelming it meant defeating the other party in a battle of strength, rendering it into apletely helpless position. The Gold Alloyed Panther possessed invincible defense and incredible speed, and with just these two, it was able to give an ordinary Tongxuan realm expert a splitting headache. However, to Zhang Xuan, who cultivated the Heavens Path Movement Art and Heavens Path Golden Body, its defensive ability and agility meant nothing at all. Regardless of which it was, the Gold Alloyed Panther realized that it wasnt a match for this human. Thus, it willingly submitted to Zhang Xuan. Even though it was simple in theory, it wasnt easy in practice. Putting everything aside, there were no one beneath Zongshi realm who could triumph against Zhang Xuan in terms of physical ability. Even if there truly were one capable of rivaling Zhang Xuan, there was no reason for him to tame a weak Pixue realm Gold Alloyed Panther. Zhang Xuan only thought that it was simple because he didnt understand the true underlying difficulty in the matter. "Wuuuuu!" The Gold Alloyed Panther gazed at Zhang Xuan in anticipation. Seeing its expectant eyes, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Can you fly?" The Gold Alloyed Panther staggered and nearly fell to the ground. It was a savage beast that dominated thend, how could it possibly fly? "If you cant fly, I dont have any use for you...." Zhang Xuan frowned. His destination was Tianwu Kingdom, tens of thousands of kilometers from here. No matter how swift this fellow could run, it was impossible for him to reach Tianwu Kingdom without taking a month or two. It would be much faster riding on an aerial savage beast instead. Besides, it didnt have enough strength to contribute to Zhang Xuans fighting prowess. In other words... to Zhang Xuan, it didnt matter to him whether he tamed it or not. Upon seeing his hesitant expression, Yun Tao and his subordinates felt frenzied. Brother, do you need to be so twisted? To capture this savage beast, putting aside the dozen or so days we spent tracking it down, just the preparation phase took more than two months by itself. In the end, it ignored us and submitted to you instead. Yet, you are unwilling to ept it.... Why is there such a huge disparity between us even though we are both humans? "Forget it, since you wish to submit to me, I dont mind taking you in!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. In any case, taking it in shouldnt pose as any problems. Besides, having a Pixue realm savage beast also seemed impressive. Doing as Yun Tao said, he stretched his hand to pet the Gold Alloyed Panthers head and dripped a drop of blood into its mouth. The moment the blood drop entered the beasts body, a ritual seemed to have been triggered. A bridge seemed be formed between his mental state with the other party. As its master, he could sense that if he were to give the order, the Gold Alloyed Panther would be willing to die for him. Furthermore, through this bridge, he could clearly sense the Gold Alloyed Panthers will to serve him. He could also easily give orders to it through this connection. It was no wonder that beast tamer was such a fearsome upation. Just its ability to control savage beasts to fight alongside it was already a fearsome feat. "Since you have submitted to me, you should serve as my mount. Ill be depending on you for the journey to the Beast Hall!" Zhang Xuan said. However, the Gold Alloyed Panther looked at him pitifully. It struggled to its feet, only for its legs to copse to the ground. No matter how much effort it put into its feet, it was unable to stand up. Zhang Xuan had gone too far with his attacks previously, causing it to sustain severe injuries. As such, it was difficult for it to even stand up, much less serving as a mount. "Elder Zhang Xuan, the Gold Alloyed Panther has sustained severe injuries. It has to recuperate for at least half a month before it is able to move around freely!" Yun Tao nced at the Gold Alloyed Panther before speaking. "Recuperate for half a month?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The reason he was heading over to the Beast Hall to rent an aerial savage beast was because he was pressed for time. After all, he didnt know when the poison aura would act up. His life was threatened as long as the poison aura remained within him. It would be a great waste if he spent half a month here just for the sake of a savage beast he had no use for. "Youre an apprentice beast tamer. Do you have any ways to heal its injuries swiftly?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at Yun Tao. A human cultivator could hasten his recovery through consuming pills or circting his zhenqi. Savage beasts should possess simr abilities as well. He didnt understand such things, but Yun Tao, as a potential beast tamer, should know of them. "The physical constitution of a savage beast differs from that of a humans. However, the methods to hasten their recovery are simr. The first method is to use suitable herbs to forge a pill for the savage beast to consume. If the right pill is used, the savage beast should be able to make aplete recovery within two days!" Yun Tao pondered for a moment before saying. "Two days?" Thinking that two days was also too long, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "What about the other methods?" "That is the method for apothecaries, as well as the one most people resort to. The second method is a treatment method unique to beast tamers. Only an official beast tamer is capable of utilizing this method, and it is only useful for ones own tamed beast...." Yun Tao nced at Zhang Xuan. Beast tamers had a unique method to treating their own tamed beast. This method required both the beast tamer and his tamed beast to practice a unique skill to boost theirpatibility with one another. It would take at least half a year before the couple could utilize this method. Given how this fellow knew nothing about beast taming and his tamed beast had just submitted to him, it was impossible for him to utilize this method. "The third method is for master teachers! Given how powerful this Gold Alloyed Panther is, it is likely to be at Pixue realm pinnacle. As long as you help it to reach Tongxuan realm, its injuries should recover in an instant." After speaking of the second method, Yun Tao hesitated for a moment before proceeding ahead to talk of the third one. There were only these three methods to swiftly heal a savage beasts injuries. And each of them corresponded to the means of an apothecary, beast tamer, and master teacher respectively. Any single one of those methods would be effective, but from the looks of it, it was impossible to utilize any single one of them now. "Helping it reach Tongxuan realm would heal its injuries in an instant?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. For the first method, putting aside the fact he had no herbs now, Zhang Xuan thought that two days were too long a time to wait. For the second method, given how Zhang Xuan knew nothing about beast taming at all, it waspletely out of question. As for the third method, given that Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path, it was a simple feat for him to help someone achieve a breakthrough, be it human or beast. Taking the Sky Shattering Lion for example, he had solved its trauma and raised its cultivation by a level to Tongxuan realm. With the pleading of his grandson, Elder Shang intentionally cooked up a show to agonize Zhang Xuan, so he deserved to have his teaching license revoked. However, in order to resolve the mistakes of his previous self, Zhang Xuan had unintentionally pinned the me of "intentional oppression of the other teachers" onto him, causing his reputation to fall into the gutter. To make up for it, before his departure, he specially paid the Sky Shattering Lion a visit to solve its trauma. With a Tongxuan realm savage beast guarding him, even though Elder Shang was stripped of his teaching license, he should be able to rise up once more. In a way, this was Zhang Xuans apology to him. With this prior experience, Zhang Xuan knew that this method, which seemed to the others that it would be the most difficult of the three, was actually the easiest one for him. So he turned to look at the Gold Alloyed Panther expectantly. "Gold Alloyed Panther, try executing a battle technique... Cough cough, I mean, attack me!" Back when that fellow attacked him, Zhang Xuan didnt try to peer into its ws, and as a result, there wasnt a bookpiled on it. To help it achieve a breakthrough, he had to understand its physical condition first. "..." Shen Bi Ru, Yun Tao, and the others stared at each other, dumbfounded. What was this fellow trying to do? Yun Tao already spoke of the three methods, yet, instead of choosing to go with any one of them, he asked the Gold Alloyed Panther to attack him.... Did he have a screw loose? That fellow cant even stand up, yet you want it to attack you? Could it be that you hope to beat it up once more? "Roar?" The Gold Alloyed Panther was also stunned. "Hurry up!" Sensing its hesitation, Zhang Xuan urged it. If that fellow didntunch an attack, a book wouldnt bepiled. If so, Zhang Xuan wouldnt know what was wrong with it and he wouldnt be able to help it achieve a breakthrough. "Roar!" The Gold Alloyed Panther lowered its head. Putting aside how it didnt dare to attack its owner, it didnt have the strength to do so either! He couldnt even stand up straight, how could he attack? "When I told you to stop just now, you continued charging at me. Now that Im telling you to attack me, you hesitate!" Seeing how that fellow was behaving as docile as a small kitten, Zhang Xuan was speechless. When I told you go for Yun Tao instead, you kept charging toward me. Now, youre acting like this.... In the end, youre still a savage beast. Seems like its impossible to reason with you. Forget it, Ill do it myself then! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Gold Alloyed Panther and smiledpassionately. "You dont have to be anxious. Lift your head...." The Gold Alloyed Panther raised its giant head up. The others also turned their attention to them, curious to see what he was up to. "Yep, right, just like that...." Upon seeing the savage beast obediently lift its head, Zhang Xuan stretched his hands and pah! He struck the back of its neck. "Roar?" Not expecting its master to beat it even though it has already submitted to him, the Gold Alloyed Panther roared in resentment. Then its massive body swayed and it copsed onto the ground, unconscious. "What?" The others stared at one another in so much shock that they were about to faint. This is your tamed beast! Furthermore... I thought that you are going to treat it? Why are you knocking it out? Ignoring the reaction of the others, Zhang Xuan ced his palm on the beasts body. Weng! A book appeared in the library. Reading through it swiftly, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He then turned to Yun Tao and asked, "That... it has fainted. How do I wake it up?" "..." Yun Tao and the others felt they were going insane. When you asked about the methods to heal a savage beast swiftly, we all thought that you are going to treat it. Yet, contrary to our expectations, you struck it unconscious. Now that everyone is trying to figure out what youre up to, you want to wake it up.... Brother, can your actions be any more irrational? What in the world are you up to? Were utterly stumped by your actions! "What? You dont have any ideas?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "I do, I do!" Stifling the urge to pull out his hair, Yun Tao hurriedly walked forward. He was well aware of the habits of the Gold Alloyed Panther. Pressing his finger on an acupoint, the huge fellow soon slowly roused from its rest. "Roar..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the eyelids of the conscious Gold Alloyed Panther twitched. It was on the verge of tears. "Theres no need to look at me like that. Let me ask you, do you want to recover from your injuries instantly? Also, do you wish to reach Tongxuan realm?" Ignoring the resentful expression of the other party, Zhang Xuan said, "If you wish to, lets get on with it. Otherwise, Ill leave right now. You can remain as king of the mountain, and well treat it as though you have never submitted to me!" If this fellow couldnt recover from his injuries swiftly, it would be of no use to Zhang Xuan. If so, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to waste his time on it. "Roar!" Even though it was hesitant, the Gold Alloyed Panther eventually nodded its head. "Its good that youve agreed!" Nodding in approval, Zhang Xuan walked over to the Gold Alloyed Panther. Then, he sent a palm strike straight at its massive body. Pah pah pah pah pah! The sound echoed thirty-six times consecutively, and every single strike struck the acupoints of the Gold Alloyed Panther urately. At the same time, pure zhenqi seeped into its body and flow through its meridians. "This..." Other people might be confused by Zhang Xuans actions, but as a potential beast tamer, Yun Tao could tell what Zhang Xuan was doing with a single sight! "I thought he didnt know anything about beast taming at all? How is he able to strike the acupoints on the Gold Alloyed Panther so urately?" Jaw dropping, Yun Tao trembled in astonishment. The physique of a physical beast waspletely different from that of a humans. Naturally, their cultivation methods were different as well. Logically speaking, it was impossible for a person who knew nothing about beast taming to locate the acupoints on the body of a savage beast. In fact, it would be an incredible feat if they could fathom the rough locations of those acupoints in its body. After the various incidents before, he knew that the person before him waspletely ignorant of the art of beast taming. Yet... despite his ignorance, all of his seemingly casual strikes struck the acupoints of the savage beast without the slightest deviation! What in the world was going on? Furthermore... what was he hoping to do striking those acupoints? Could it be that he was really trying to help the beast reach... Tongxuan realm? Seriously? Thats something that even an official beast tamer would find hard to achieve. While he was immersed in shock, Zhang Xuan finished striking all of the acupoints. At this moment, the pure zhenqi he had injected into the body of the Gold Alloyed Panther was flowing unbridled through its widened meridians. Hu! Coming to a stop, Zhang Xuan wiped the beads of perspiration off his forehead. Raising the cultivation of a savage beast waspletely different from raising a humans. Due to the enormous size of the Gold Alloyed Panther, the zhenqi it required for its breakthrough was multiple times that of a human cultivator. If not for the fact that Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and his zhenqi was pure, Zhang Xuan would probably have been sapped dry of his zhenqi and copsed onto the floor due to exhaustion before he could raise the other partys cultivation. Even so, he expended a huge portion of his zhenqi and was slightly worn out. Crick! Crack! A crisp sound simr to that of beans popping echoed from the body of the Gold Alloyed Panther. Under normal circumstances, the strength of a savage beast was determined by its race and its talents. Unless its bloodline evolved, it was difficult for it to raise its cultivation. After all, even though they possessed intelligence surpassing that of ordinary animals, they were still inferior to human intellect, and they couldnt practice cultivation techniques either. This was precisely the reason why even official beast tamers would find it difficult to raise the cultivation of their tamed beasts. However... Zhang Xuan was different. The only difference that a high-tier savage beast had was its pure bloodline. The Heavens Path zhenqi within Zhang Xuans body was capable of washing ones meridians and cleansing the impurities in ones bloodline, raising the purity. As the impurities in the bloodline reduced, the limiter on the savage beast would be released. Naturally, its cultivation realm would be raised as well. Boom! The crisp sound didntst for long. Soon, the body of the Gold Alloyed Panther inted like a balloon, and it swiftly grewrger. From its previous length of four meters, it grew to around six or seven meters. At the same time, the aura emanated by the savage beast changed tremendously. It clearly grew stronger and even more fearsome. Deng deng deng! The pressure it emitted made Yun Tao and the others rapidly retreat with pale faces. "This..." It was clear that the fellow before them had achieved a breakthrough! With just a few random ps, the Gold Alloyed Panther reached Tongxuan realm? Yun Tao felt himself grow lightheaded. The sight before him was simply too incredulous. After staying in the Beast Hall for a significant period of time, he knew how difficult it was for a savage beasts bloodline to evolve. Even a 2-star beast tamer, without years of effort, would be unable to aplish such a task! Yet, the fellow before him... was able to achieve this feat in just a few breaths? What in the world was going on? Yun Tao wasnt the only one. Shen Bi Rus eyes were alsopletely widened in shock. She knew that Zhangoshi would do somethingpletely unexpected. Even so, the sight before her still made her doubt her vision.... His actions was beyond her expectations. To induce a breakthrough in the Gold Alloyed Panther so casually.... Even the average master teacher wouldnt be capable of such a feat! What in the world did this fellow learn from Yang shi? Hu! Amid everyones astounded gazes, the Gold Alloyed Panther sessfullypleted the evolution of its bloodline. At the same time, its strength stabilized at Tongxuan realm primary stage. Roar! With its strength raised, the injuries it sustained previously also recovered. Standing up, it roared ferociously, shaking the heavens. After which, the towering Gold Alloyed Panther walked over to Zhang Xuan andid down. At this moment, its eyes were filled with admiration and affection, and the resentment it felt previously had vanishedpletely. When Zhang Xuan struck it unconsciously previously, it was pondering whether it had chosen the wrong person to follow. But now, it realized that its master was a person of incredible means. This time, it was submitting to him with utmost sincerity. "Since you have achieved a breakthrough, lets set off!" With a leap, Zhang Xuan sat on the back of Gold Alloyed Panther and gestured for Shen Bi Ru to climb on as well. Then the duo continued heading toward the Beast Hall. Chapter 239: Strange Bird [2 in 1] Chapter 239: Strange Bird [2 in 1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Elder Zhang Xuan..." Upon seeing the couple leaving, Yun Tao hurried forward. "Were heading for the Beast Hall, so we wont bother you in your taming of a savage beast. Farewell!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. They were strangers, and the reason why Zhang Xuan had waited here previously was for fear of ruining the other partys situation. Now that the Gold Alloyed Panther had been tamed, there was no longer any need for Zhang Xuan to remain here. "Taming a savage beast..." Yun Tao nearly burst into tears. There was a time limit to the beast tamer examination, and tracking down this Gold Alloyed Panther had nearly used up all of his time. Even if he wanted to tame another savage beast, he had to be able to find one first.... Besides, even if he did find one, given how his formation was ineffective, his survivability was the problem, let alone actually taming the savage beast. "Senior, may I consult you on a matter?" Quelling his gloom, Yun Tao sped his hands. "Hm?" Zhang Xuan nced over. "Just now... how were you able to tell that there was a problem with the setup of my formation, and that it wouldnt be able to trap the Gold Alloyed Panther?" Yun Tao asked. He wasnt the only one who was curious about this. The eyes of the others also fell upon Zhang Xuan, and even Shen Bi Rus eyes sparkled with curiosity. Based on his actions and words, the fellow before him was definitely aplete amateur at formations. Thus, it was inconceivable how he could see a w in it immediately. "Thats simple!" Without hiding anything, Zhang Xuan exined, "The Green Wood Formation is built using formation gs made of the spottedurel, and requires the wood element to sustain the formation. The location you chose is lush with trees and shrubs, and is aligned with the conditions required for the formation. There also werent any errors in your setup. However, you neglected a single detail!" "Senior, please enlighten me!" After musing for a while, Yun Tao couldnt tell what was wrong with his formation. As a result, he asked with earnestness. "The mountain range we stand upon!" Zhang Xuan lifted his head to look at the various mountains in the distance, his expression carefree. "Mountain range?" Yun Tao was even more confused. What was wrong with this mountain range? When he bought this Green Wood Formation, he had tried setting it up once and there was no problem at all! Even a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert would find it difficult to ovee this formation. "The mountain range extends from the north to the south, and is imposing and staunch. The airstream sinks and doesnt move. The nts that grow onnd where soilcks nutrients have a yellow tint, and the ridges along the mountain range have a slight shade of red..." Sitting on the back of the Gold Alloyed Panther, Zhang Xuan pointed around to the various signs. "From this, you can tell that there is a metal deposit beneath the mountain! Of the five elements, metal opposes wood. As such, the Confinement Formation has been opposed by the metal element below, so how could it exert its full might?" "This..." Yun Tao trembled. His teacher had once taught him that one shouldnt just focus on the geographical terrains. More importantly, he should borrow the strength of the environment, the might of the heavens, and even the power from the stars, harboring them within his formations. Back then, those words sounded ridiculous to him. Yet, at this moment, he realized that... it was all true! To be able to tell that there was a metal deposit just from the ridges and the direction the mountains extended, and deduce that it affected the Green Wood Confinement Formation... What kind of discernment aptitude was that? Even a 3-star formation master would be hard-pressed to perform such a feat. To think that he was bragging in front such a person a moment ago, even asking the other party if he could even understand the formation.... Yun Tao felt a burning sensation on his face. He wasnt the only one shocked. Also seated on the Gold Alloyed Panther, Shen Bi Rus mouth twitched and she nearly fainted from surprise. Brother, didnt you know nothing about formations just a moment ago? Why were you able to talk about metal deposits, ridges, airstream, and whatever else in the blink of an eye? Do you have to be so incredible? She felt that it wasughable how she thought that Zhang Xuan was spouting nonsense a moment ago.... "This guy..." Recalling her previous experiences, Shen Bi Ru felt helpless. Common sense truly didnt apply to this fellow. If she continued to stick fast tomon sense, it would just be a matter of time before she was shocked to death. "I will stop here. If theres nothing else, Ill be taking my leave!" After exining the faults with the formation, Zhang Xuan waved and left. "Senior, since there isnt sufficient time to capture a savage beast now, I would like to return to the Beast Hall along with you. Is that fine by you?" Since his examination was already a lost cause, he chose to throw it aside altogether and strike up a connection with the expert before him instead. Regardless of his strength, his previous means to induce a breakthrough in a savage beast, or his understanding of formations, this Elder Zhang Xuan seemed to be a person with great ability. So Yun Tao deemed it beneficial for him to establish a rtionship with him. "The Gold Alloyed Panther is swift. If you can keep up, feel free to do so!" Even though the prince was a braggart, he was a person with true capabilities. Furthermore, he was an apprentice beast tamer. With his guidance, it should be easier to find a good aerial savage beast, allowing them to reach Tianwu Kingdom faster and smoother. However, it was already cramped for two people to ride the Gold Alloyed Panther. It would be impossible to house any more people. "Thank you, senior!" Upon seeing him agree to it, Yun Tao heaved a sigh of relief. "Lets go!" Zhang Xuan instructed the Gold Alloyed Panther, and it started dashing swiftly forward. Even when it was at Pixue realm, the Gold Alloyed Panther had possessed incredible speed. At this moment, it was no different from a swift steed. Even though the terrain of the mountain forest was rugged and littered with obstacles, there simply werent any signs of it slowing down. Initially, Yun Tao andpany could still keep up. However, as time went on, the rate at which their zhenqi was being sapped increased as their faces turned pale. They were so exhausted from running that they were about to spit out blood. "Lets rest for a while!" After around two hours, seeing that the others werepletely exhausted, Zhang Xuan and Shen Bi Ru leapt from the back of the Gold Alloyed Panther. Initially, if the duo proceeded to the Beast Hall by foot, it would take at least an entire day. However, with this fellow, they would reach in at most another two hours, so they were no longer in a rush. "Senior!" Knowing that the other party was stopping for their sake, Yun Tao heaved a sigh of relief. After resting for a moment and recovering a slight bit of his stamina, he walked forward and greeted Zhang Xuan respectfully. "Given that I have tamed the Gold Alloyed Panther, does it mean that you have failed your beast tamer exam?" Along the way, Zhang Xuan gave the matter some thought. Yun Tao and the others had pursued this Gold Alloyed Panther for several days, only for the prize tond in Zhang Xuansp. While the savage beast wasnt a huge deal, the beast tamer examination was. With this, Yun Tao would likely fail the examination. "This..." Yun Tao replied awkwardly, "If not for elder taming the Gold Alloyed Panther, we might all have died on the spot. Compared to our lives, the exam means nothing at all!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. While the fellow might be narcissistic, he was rational. It was impossible for the Green Wood Confinement Formation to trap the Gold Alloyed Panther. If Zhang Xuan hadnt been there, given the strength of Yun Tao and his Pixue realm subordinates, they would have died for sure. Even though Zhang Xuan had taken the Gold Alloyed Panther out of their hands, he had also saved their lives. "What are the tests required for the beast tamer exam?" After riding on the Gold Alloyed Panther, Zhang Xuan understood the convenience of having a savage beast as a mount. If he could be an official beast tamer, it would be convenient for him to travel long distances in the future. If Yun Tao could hear his thoughts, he would definitely spew blood. For the beast tamer examination, he had lived alongside savage beasts for many years in order to study from them. Even so, he had yet to pass the examination. On the other hand, this fellow wanted to take the examination just because he felt that it was tiring to walk on foot.... "First, one has to be an apprentice beast tamer. There are two parts to the apprentice examination: Theoretical Paper and Savage Beast Distinguishing. Only after passing these two will you be qualified to take the beast tamer exam. Simrly, there are also two parts to the beast tamer exam. First, you have to gain the recognition of a savage beast. Second, you have to tame a savage beast," Yun Tao exined. "Gain the recognition of a savage beast?" "Yeah. The examinee will be ced in an enclosure with five savage beasts. Within two hours, the examinee has to gain their approval and stop them from attacking him. If you cant do so, it only means that you dont have a good understanding of savage beasts! Also, theres a requirement for the tamed savage beast. Its cultivation realm has to be higher than the examinees." Yun Tao exined, "Otherwise, if the savage beast is too weak, one could use brute force to coerce its submission. If so, it would be impossible to determine whether the examinee has the true skills to be a beast tamer." Zhang Xuan nodded. The beast tamer examination was simr to the apothecary examination. To be an apprentice, one had to possess sufficient theoretical knowledge. And to be an official member, one had to possess practical skills. For thetter, one had to forge a tier-1 pill. As for the former, one had to tame a stronger savage beast. It was no wonder why Yun Tao was pursuing this Gold Alloyed Panther. At Dingli realm pinnacle, thetter was an entire cultivation realm higher than him and fulfilled the prerequisites of the examination. Once he seeded in taming it, he would pass the examination. "There is a time limit of half a month to the taming of the savage beast. Just looking for this Gold Alloyed Panther has already taken me more than ten days. It is impossible for me to find another one right now. Besides, if I met one that was even fiercer than this Gold Alloyed Panther, I might even lose my life...." Yun Tao had managed to let it go. It was all thanks to the youngster before him that he was able to survive this ordeal. He might not be as lucky the next time. It seemed that he would have to make thorough preparations the next time he took the examination, such that all precautions were in ce. Otherwise, if he died before bing an official beast tamer, it would be toote for him to cry about it. In fact, there were numerous apprentices who died at the hands of the savage beasts every year while taking the beast tamer examination. "Its good that you are willing to let it go. However... no matter what, I feel partly responsible for it. How about this: if you wish to tame another savage beast, I can give you a helping hand!" Zhang Xuan said. More importantly, he was interested in seeing how someone could tame a savage beast that was stronger than the tamer. After the affair with the Gold Alloyed Panther, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be difficult to build camaraderie with a savage beast if it didnt admit defeat willingly, let alone taming it. Even if not used for taking the beast tamer examination, the art of beast taming would prove useful in his future journeys. After all, he couldnt possibly be so lucky as to happen to meet a savage beast weaker than him and that submitted easily. What if he encountered a strong one? Therefore, he wished to make use of this opportunity to see how this fellow would go about it in order to steal his skills. Of course, he wouldnt say these words out loud. Otherwise, wouldnt the image of a "senior" he had built with great difficulty crumble in an instant? Having disguised himself as Yang shi, he understood that the identity of a "senior" would make it easy to resolve many issues. However, it carried risks as well. Once exposed, he would likely be pummeled to death. "Senior... is willing to help me?" Hearing his words, Yun Tao immediately trembled in excitement. He had witnessed the strength of Elder Zhang Xuan for himself. If he were to lend a helping hand, capturing a Pixue realm savage beast would definitely be an easy feat. As long as the savage beast was captured, he had his owns means to tame it. "Yeah!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head with the look of an expert. "Thats great! As long as Senior is willing to help me, I will definitely seed..." Balling his hands into fists, Yun Taos eyes reddened in excitement. "Calm down first. Even if I did help you, can you find a suitable savage beast first?" Zhang Xuan asked. "A suitable savage beast..." Yun Tao immediately puckered his face. He had already taken more than ten days to find a Pixue realm Gold Alloyed Panther. Even if the other party had agreed to help him, it was useless if he wasnt able to find another suitable savage beast. "Your Highness, have you forgotten about that?" A subordinate stepped forward. "That?" Yun Tao was perplexed. "The one whoes by daily to cause trouble," the subordinate said. "That thing?" Seemingly recalling something, embarrassment appeared on Yun Taos face. "Its toote to find any other savage beast. Your Highness, if you can capture and tame that fellow, you will pass the exam. Right now, the priority is to pass the beast tamer exam. We can talk about taming other savage beasts in the future!" the subordinate persuaded. "This..." Yun Tao hesitated for a moment before turning to Zhang Xuan. "Elder, there is indeed a suitable savage beast. I will require your help in this matter." "Oh?" Zhang Xuan stared at Yun Tao curiously. "Its a... strange bird!" Yun Tao said. "An aerial savage beast?" Given that Yun Tao was a Dingli realm pinnacle cultivator, and since the savage beast he had to tame had to be a cultivation realm higher than his, the savage beast he was speaking of had to be Pixue realm. On top of that, given that it was a bird, Yun Tao was probably asking him to capture an aerial savage beast for him. All of the aerial savage beasts Zhang Xuan had passed by in the Xuanluo Mountain Range were soaring in the skies several thousand meters above them. Even if Zhang Xuan intended to capture them, he was helpless. "It cant be considered an aerial savage beast. It is quite small in size, about... the size of a palm!" Yun Taos face reddened. "The size of a palm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Based on Shen Bi Rus descriptions, Zhang Xuan knew that aerial savage beasts were around several zhang long, and their wings were two to three zhang wide. Only with such size could they possess sufficient strength to carry a human to the skies. To be the size of a palm... Indeed, it couldnt be considered an aerial savage beast. At best it was a canary. "Even though that thing is small, it is a savage beast. Furthermore, its strength has reached Pixue realm primary stage, so its cultivation realm is slightly higher than mine.... Its just that its physique isnt suited for battle, so it isnt a match for me. However, it possesses incredible speed and is impossible to catch up to!" Yun Tao exined in detail. "Small but fast? Even if you want to tame it, it probably wont be easy to find it!" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even arge and slow savage beast was hard to find. A palm-sized, flying-type savage beast possessing tremendous speed could be hiding anywhere in this vast forest. How could they possibly find it! Furthermore, it could freely fly about in the sky.... It was probably even harder to tame than the Gold Alloyed Panther. Upon hearing those words, Yun Tao felt a little sheepish. "It is hard to find it, but for the past few days, that fellow has been pestering us. Even if we dont take the initiative to look for it, it wille to look for us on its own." "Pester?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Even though he didnt have much of an understanding of savage beasts, he knew that they were guarded around humans. If a savage beast realized it wasnt a match for its opponent, it would immediately run away as far as possible. If so, why would it pester them every day? "This... I happened to smash its nest. Infuriated, that fellow has beening to harass us every day...." Yun Tao quickly exined the situation to Zhang Xuan. After hearing the story, Zhang Xuan shook his head, unsure of whether he should sympathize with Yun Tao or burst outughing. This strange bird apparently liked to consume the wild honey of the mountain forest. Unaware of this fact, Yun Tao stumbled upon its nest and took away its collection of honey. That little fellow had probably been saving up for many years before being able to collect such a huge stockpile. Upon realizing that someone had stolen its treasure, it flew into a rage and chased the group. However, due to its small physique, it wasnt suited for battle, so it wasnt a match for Yun Tao and his subordinates. Unable to take back its property, it had been trailing behind the groups back. At a fixed time, it would charge in and wreak havoc. This was now the eighth day. Looking at the time, it was roughly the time for its entry. "That fellow seems pretty persistent...." After learning of the grudge between the bird and the man, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "How does it wreak havoc?" Shen Bi Ru asked, curious. Since it would charge in to cause trouble at a fixed interval, given the number of Pixue realm experts they had here, couldnt they find some way to capture it? "It..." Yun Taos face turned as red as an apple. He coughed. "It poops when it is directly above me...." "Eh?" Zhang Xuan and Shen Bi Ru stared at one another. They almost failed to contain theirughter. It had to be said. This bird was truly entric. "It always gets me, every time. After doing so, it flies several dozens of meters away to provoke us. By the time we catch up with it, it has already flown far away. Every day it torments us like that for two to four hours...." Yun Tao was honestly speechless with the actions of this strange bird. He had only stolen its honey, yet it was tormenting him every day to the point that he was already on the verge of insanity. If not for his desire to pass the beast tamer examination, he would have never revealed it to Zhang Xuan. After all, it was very embarrassing. For the great seventh prince of Hanwu Kingdom to be treated as a toilet by a strange bird, flying by the moment it felt an urge.... Just thinking about it drove him crazy. "Why dont you just return the honey?" asked Shen Bi Ru, her hand over her mouth. "Eventually, I returned its honey to it. Yet, that fellow... stilles to harass me every day! It is too fast to be struck by our arrows, so I was preparing something for it after I finished taming the Gold Alloyed Panther. However, since Ive failed to tame the Gold Alloyed Panther, I can use that bird for my exam instead!" At this point, Yun Tao hesitated for a moment. "Just... that fellow is way too fast. Even an arrow cant outpace it. Capturing it... is simply too difficult. Does Eder have anything in mind?" "I dont even know the appearance of that fellow or its speed. Even if you ask me now, what kind of n can Ie up with?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had never even seen this strange bird before, so how could he formte a n to capture it? "Ah, right! Didnt he say that whenever the strange birdes over to wreak havoc, it flies a dozen of meters forward to taunt them? At that moment, it would be near the ground. You can use your movement technique to dash forward to capture it!" Shen Bi Ru suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Zhang Xuan. She had seen Wang Yings movement technique, and the speed of her movements was almost equivalent to teleportation. No matter how fast that bird was, it shouldnt pose a huge problem to Zhangoshi. "Yeah, I can consider that..." Zhang Xuan nodded. After his cultivation reached Tongxuan realm, the distance and number of times he could execute the Heavens Path Movement Art increased once more. In the past, when he used the full might of the technique, he was able to travel twenty meters in a tenth of a breath. But now, in the same amount of time, he was able to travel forty meters. Furthermore,pared to the past when he was only able to execute the technique once, he was able to execute it twice now. Of course, this was when he was using theplete version. If he used the simplified one which he imparted to Wang Ying, given the amount of zhenqi he possessed, executing it twenty to thirty times wasnt even a problem. Just, his speed would decrease significantly. With theplete version, Zhang Xuan was able to leap forty meters in a tenth of the breath. On the other hand, with the simplified version, Zhang Xuan could only cover three to four meters. Furthermore, the burden the simplified technique had on his body was significantly lower. This was precisely the reason why Wang Ying was able to execute the technique six times in the battle with Du Lei before she felt drained. Even so, it was still an extremely fearsome technique. Covering three to four meters in a tenth of a breath, most people would be struck before they could react. That bird might be fast, but it was only Pixue realm. It would definitely be unable to match up to the Heavens Path Divine Art. "You wish to depend on movement technique? Im afraid that it would be difficult to do so..." Hearing the conversation of the two, Yun Tao shook his head. Even the most profound movement technique of their Hanwu Kingdom, [Tortoise Firmament Sonic Steps], at its top speed, was unable to match up with that strange bird. Furthermore, there was a limit to a persons attention as well. Since Elder Zhang Xuan seemed to specialize in strength-based assault, speed was likely to be his fatal w. Even if he possessed a formidable movement technique, it would still be difficult for him to keep up with the strange bird. Besides, given that the other party came from Tianxuan Kingdom, what kind of formidable movement techniques could he know of? Based on his knowledge, the kingdoms most powerful movement technique was [Illusory Shadows Nine Celestial Steps], and the technique paled far inparison against the Tortoise Firmament Sonic Steps. Since even executing thetter technique was insufficient to keep up with the bird, the former was out of question. Thus, Yun Tao continued, "That strange bird is extremely wary of its surroundings. It often stays a suitable distance away so that it has time to react to abrupt changes. Given that even arrows are unable to hit it, catching it bare-handed is a nigh impossible task. I think we should make a trap simr to the one from before. Perhaps... we might stand a chance like that!" "We have tried setting up traps before, but none of them worked!" a subordinate mentioned. Upon hearing those words, Yun Tao nodded his head helplessly. "Indeed, we have set several traps for it in the past, but they never worked. The strange bird seems to know of the preparations we have made beforehand. Regardless of what we did, it refused to fall for our traps...." Wuwuwu! Before he could finish speaking, the whistling of the wind echoed from the on high. Something seemed to be whizzing through the sky, heading straight for Yun Taos head. "Its here!" Upon hearing the sound of the wind, Yun Taosplexion turned awful. Knowing that the strange bird was here, he didnt even bother lifting his head and dodged to the side immediately. Padah! However... he had barely taken a few steps when a stench assaulted his nose. His entire body was drenched with slimy white spots. Without even looking, he knew that he had fallen for the birds tricks yet again! Smelling the stench on him, Yun Tao was on the verge of tears. Turning his head to take a look, he realized that what that had fallen where he was standing before was just a rock. Seemingly aware that Yun Tao would dodge, the bird threw a rock first to distract him. "This fellow is capable of strategizing?" Upon seeing the sight, Zhang Xuan was stunned. After hearing the story, he only thought that the strange bird was vindictive. To think that it would be this smart as well. It waspletely different from the reckless Gold Alloyed Panther. Lifting his head to take a look, a small flying bird appeared in his sight. Just like Yun Tao said, it was barelyrger than a palm. Its entire body was dyed ck and its appearance was reminiscent of a crow. It carried along with it a sharp aura simr to a Pixue realm experts. There were many different sizes to savage beasts. Since there were beasts as huge as the Gold Alloyed Panther, there would naturally be small ones as well. Having struck Yun Tao urately, the strange bird was gleeful. "Caw caw!" it called before flying to around a distance of thirty meters ahead of everyone. Its beady eyes stared at the group, as though mocking everyone. "Damn bird..." Even though Yun Tao was infuriated at being done in by the bird again, he felt more dismay than anger. The fellow came before they coulde up with a concrete n. Thus, it was unlikely that they could capture it today. While he felt conflicted over the next course of action he should take, his vision suddenly blurred. A figure abruptly appeared before the strange bird, and with a pinch of his thumb and forefinger, whoosh, the swift bird was caught in the figures hand before it could even react. "This... is a movement technique? How is this possible?" Yun Tao froze. Chapter 240: Beast Hall [2 in 1] Chapter 240: Beast Hall [2 in 1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "How is that possible?" "Are my eyes ying tricks on me?" Everyone instantly began moring. Even though Yun Taos subordinates didnt say anything, they shared the same thoughts as their master. It was impossible for a cultivator to capture that strange bird based on their movement technique and speed. As the subordinate of a prince, they had seen plenty of swift Tongxuan realm experts, but the sight in front of their eyes still left thempletely bewildered. For Zhang Xuan to travel dozens of meter from their side to the strange bird in the blink of an eye, this... was way too fast! Could a movement technique be capable of such speed? "Could it be that... weve underestimated him? Is Zhang Xuan a... Zongshi realm expert?" The several of them shuddered at the thought. Even though Hanwu Kingdom had Zongshi realm cultivators, they rarely made a move. As a result, even they were unable to fathom how fast a Zongshi could travel. However, they had heard from the grapevine that Zongshis, as a stabilizing force of a kingdom, possessed profound abilities, and their strength was so great that it was hard to imagine. Given how this youngster was able to subdue a Gold Alloyed Panther barehanded and capture the strange bird with just two of his fingers, even if all of them were to gang up on him, they wouldnt stand a chance. Could it be that he was really a Zongshi realm expert? Zongshi realm... that was the strength of the old ancestors who propped up Tier 2 Kingdoms with their sheer might. For one to appear before them, not to mention, he seemed to be under twenty.... Could it be that he was actually a young master from some prestigious ns in one of the Conferred Kingdoms? Otherwise, how could he possibly possess such cultivation and incredible movement technique at such a young age? Nevertheless, regardless of the truth, this youngster wasnt someone they could afford to offend. The several of them gulped in anxiety. For fear of inciting his rage, they didnt even dare to breathe loudly. "Compared to Wang Ying... hes faster!" Shen Bi Rus face paled. Even though she was prepared for it after Wang Yings show of might at the Teacher Evaluation, Zhang Xuans speed still managed to astound her. If he were to utilize it against her, she would probably die from the impact before she could execute any moves. "Caw..." While Yun Tao and the others were shocked speechless, the eyes of the strange bird widened in astonishment. The strange bird had properly nned everything beforehand. Once the group closed in on it or use their weaponry against it, it would escape immediately. Then, when the time came, it would appear once more to wreak havoc. But why did this person suddenly appear? If it knew that one of them possessed such incredible speed, capturing it before it could even react, it wouldnt have dared toe over here to wreak havoc.... "Its speed isnt that impressive!" Holding onto the strange bird, Zhang Xuan shook his head. When Yun Tao described how arrows were unable to hit the strange bird and how incredible its speed was, Zhang Xuan thought that it would be a troublesome opponent. As a result, he used theplete version of the movement technique, but.... What the heck is this! Like a corpse, the bird didnt even move! If Zhang Xuan knew that it would be like that, he would have used the iplete version instead! At this moment, his body was aching from the burden of the swift movement. If not for the fact that he cultivated Heavens Path Golden Body, this forceful increase in speed would have caused him to spit out blood. Even though Zhang Xuans voice wasnt loud, those here were all cultivators. Everyone heard his words loud and clear, and their mouths twitched. This... Its not that the strange bird was slow, but that you were too fast. The bird didnt even have the time to react, alright.... Ignoring the shock everyone else was going through, Zhang Xuan activated his cultivation technique and circted the zhenqi within his body, easing the pain. Then he turned around and called for Yun Tao. "Come over and tame it!" "Right!" Yun Tao ran over. Taking out a unique rope, he bound the strange bird, disabling its faculty of flight. Only then did Zhang Xuan loosen his grip. Seeing that Yun Tao was thinking of ways to tame it, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on him. After a while, he lost interest. Actually, it was no different from taming a dog or a cat. He prepared plenty of good stuff savage beasts would find hard to reject beforehand to attract the other partys attention. Then, making use of all kinds of means, he tried to instill a good impression in the other party to obtain its trust. "Normally, it would take three to four days for a savage beast to be tamed and establish a contract with a human. At the moment, His Highness is trying to gain intimacy with it. When their rtionship reaches a certain point, there will be a possibility of the savage beast submitting to him. At that point, the two of them will cultivate a cultivation technique that canplement each other and boost the others strength. In this way the taming process will beplete!" Afraid that Zhang Xuan was getting impatient, a subordinate walked forward and exined the process to him. "It takes three to four days?" "Indeed, and were talking about those that are easier to tame. As for the more powerful savage beasts, even official beast tamers would have to take a ton of effort. Beast Tamer Hu Qunxun from our Hanwu Kingdom once apanied a Half-Zongshi savage beast by a marsnd for three years to tame it. Every day, he would give it the food it favored. As time went by, their rtionship deepened and it eventually submitted to himpletely. This incident eventually went on and became a legend in our kingdom." The subordinate nodded his head. "This... can be a legend?" Zhang Xuan was exasperated. That beast tamer must be truly free to spend three years taming a savage beast. Zhang Xuan didnt have the effort and patience to spend that much time on such a thing. "Indeed, strong savage beasts have their pride. Without making it feel touched or enticed, how could it willingly submit to someone else?" At this point, fervent passion gleamed within the eyes of that subordinate. "I would be willing to spend a decade if I could win the loyalty of a Half-Zongshi realm savage beast." Seeing the other party getting so agitated, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. But he soon understood the reason behind his agitation. Not everyone had the Library of Heavens Path like Zhang Xuan, so they werent able to raise their cultivation as easily as if eating and drinking like he did. For most people, once they dredged up the final inch of their potential, they would be stuck at the same cultivation realm for their entire life, unable to achieve a breakthrough, only waiting slowly for their lives toe to an end. Shen Hong, Liu Ling, and the others were prime examples. If they hadnt met with Zhang Xuan, it wouldve been nigh impossible for them to achieve a breakthrough. Given such circumstances, it was natural that they would devote their efforts into other means to raise their fighting prowess. Putting others aside, if Emperor Shen Zhui was able to tame such a savage beast as well, even if Shen Hong were to pass away, Tianxuan Kingdom wouldnt be at risk of an invasion. Know that not only could a savage beast match up against cultivator beyond that of its strength, its longevity was also significantly greater than that of a humans. Just by taming one, the safety of the kingdom would be reassured for a century. Let alone ten years, an ordinary cultivator would probably be willing to devote decades to something if there was a possibility of sess. After all, not everyone was like Zhang Xuan, possessing strength surpassing that of the Gold Alloyed Panther, which was well-known for its might, pushing it to the point it was utterly unable to fight back. Further, he helped it surpass its limits within a few moments. "How long will he take to tame this strange bird?" As he pondered, Zhang Xuan no longer felt interested in watching the taming methods of a beast tamer. "I will help Elder ask!" The subordinate quickly rushed over. A momentter, he returned and said, "Elder, His Highness says that he estimates it will take around two days for him to seed with the Inceptive Taming! For the beast tamer examination, just Inceptive Taming is enough. You dont need to go through Complete Submission." "Inceptive Taming?" "That means that the strange bird will remain by his side. Even if His Highness doesnt bind it, it wont leave!" the subordinate exined. "Two days of effort just for this?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "This is too slow." Having to spend an immense amount of effort, resources, and time just to tame a savage beastit was much more convenient to rent one directly from the Beast Hall. Looks like... beast taming wasnt worth learning after all. "I shall take a look!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan walked over to Yun Tao and the strange bird. "Elder!" Upon guessing that the person before him ought to be a Zongshi, Yun Tao felt even greater admiration for the other party, and his attitude couldnt be any more respectful. "You need two days toplete the Inceptive Taming with this fellow?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. "Yes!" Yun Tao nced at the strange bird excitedly. "I used a specialmunication method which savage beasts can understand tomunicate with it just now, and I offered it an unlimited amount of honey as long it follows by my side. Eventually, it promised to try living with me. The assessment will be two dayster, and as long as I can provide it with sufficient honey, I should be able to seed!" "Caw!" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the strange bird, only to see that fellow stretching its neck and tilting its head back arrogantly, as though saying that he wasnt worthy to be in its sight. "Isnt there any way to speed up the process?" Zhang Xuan frowned and asked. "Caw! Caw! Caw!" the strange bird crowed. After which, an awkward expression appeared on Yun Taos face. "It says that Elder was too rough with it when you captured it just now, and it is still extremely angry. Two days is already a short duration. If we try to haggle with it, it will raise it to ten days or even a month...." "Short?" Seeing the strange bird acting so arrogantly, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I dont think so. I think it will submit within ten minutes." "Ten minutes?" Yun Tao was taken aback. Then, he immediately smiled awkwardly. "How is that possible...." Taming a Pixue realm savage beast within ten minutes was an impossible feat. Even the most incredible beast tamer of the Beast Hall couldnt do so. "Its quite simple!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He stretched out his hand and said, "Give it to me!" "Yes!" Although Yun Tao didnt know what Zhang Xuan was up to, he handed the strange bird over. Grabbing the bird, Zhang Xuan stared at it. "Submit right now and be his tamed beast." "Caw!" Hearing those words, the strange bird immediately red at Zhang Xuan unhappily, as though challenging Zhang Xuans words. It seemed to be saying that if Zhang Xuan wanted it to be Yun Taos tamed beast, he better treat it properly. "Fine, since you are unwilling to do so, you can die right now!" Unwilling to waste his time with it, Zhang Xuan pped it. Padah! Before the strange bird could even react, it was smacked onto the ground. "Elder..." Yun Taos mouth twitched and he nearly went into a frenzy. Who tames a savage beast like this? Even if the savage beast submits to you now, it might change its mind, bringing about plenty of trouble in the future. The others were also dumbfounded. You call this taming? More like murder! "Caw!" Clearly, the strange bird also didnt expect Zhang Xaun to be violent, nearly killing it with a p. The eyes of the strange bird turned red and it struggled to its feet. However, before it could stand up, a leg appeared above it. Whoosh! Like a rubber ball, the strange bird flew straight onto a massive boulder. Mouthful after mouthful of blood vomited from its mouth. "Ill give you onest chance. Submitpletely, and I will raise your cultivation and treat your injuries. Otherwise, die!" Zhang Xuan stared at that strange bird emotionlessly. "Caw..." Struggling to open its eyes, the strange bird hesitated for a moment before squawking. Hearing that sound, Yun Tao was taken aback. Then his face flushed from emotion. "Elder... it, it agreed to it...." "It agreed to it?" Yun Taos subordinates and Shen Bi Ru felt dizzy, and they nearly fainted from shock. This works as well? When did beast taming be so easy? "Its good that you agreed. I thought that you were a valiant figure who would persevere until the very end!" Zhang Xuan couldnt stand watching such a small and weak savage beast acting so cockily. If it didnt want to live, he could just send it on its way. In any case, Xuanluo Mountain Range had no shortage of savage beasts. "Establish the contract!" Unwilling to say anything more, Zhang Xuan grabbed the strange bird and threw it to Yun Tao. Grabbing the strange bird while flustered, Yun Tao established a contract with the bird. "Good, now give it to me!" Upon seeing the confirmation of the contract, Zhang Xuan poked the strange bird, knocking it out. Then, after touching it, he passed it back to Yun Tao to wake it up. After which, his fingers began prodding the body of the strange bird. His fingers were swift as the wind, his zhenqi sharp as a sword. Surge after surge of pure zhenqi gushed into the body of the strange bird, inducing an evolution. Crick crack! After dozens of breath, the sound of the crackling of the bones echoed. The dying bird abruptly grewrger and its aura suddenly grew significantly stronger. In a few moments, it reached Pixue realm intermediate stage. Along with the rise in its cultivation, the injuries on its body disappeared. "Caw?" Sensing the changes in its body, the strange bird stared fixedly at Zhang Xuan in disbelief. The reason it collected arge amount of honey in its nest wasnt just to satisfy its craving. More importantly, it could raise its cultivation. Yun Taos action of stealing its honey was equivalent to preventing it from raising its cultivation. That was the reason why it was so infuriated such that it was willing to waste its time wreaking havoc on the group every day. Initially, it just intended to agree to the contract temporarily and think of a way to get back at that fellow who beat it to submission previously and cleanse itself of this humiliation. Yet the man who beat it up helped it achieve a breakthrough with just a few pokes. Its cultivation had been stuck at the same level for many years, to achieve a breakthrough in an instant.... The strange bird suddenly felt that it might not be a bad thing to submit to a human.... Upon thinking so, its previously perfunctory submission suddenly became sincere. Bending its body, it respectfully lowered its head. All signs of arrogance from before disappeared without a trace. "This..." Savage beasts werent as adept at deception as humans. Upon seeing the attitude of the strange bird, everyone was dumbfounded. When other people tamed a savage beast, they would do their best to serve it like it was their grandfather. Even so, it was still possible for them to fail. Yet just by punching the savage beast, this guy had been able to get it to utterly submit to him. They were just thinking that the affair with the Gold Alloyed Panther might just have been a coincidence, but when it happened for the second time, it was clear to them that Zhang Xuan possessed extraordinary capabilities in taming beasts. "This isnt something you can learn!" "The first step, beating up a savage beast, isnt hard to learn. But the second step, helping it achieve a breakthrough and healing its injuries, how could we possibly do so?" "Frankly, you might not even be able to learn the first step either!" "Why? Isnt it just going all out to mercilessly beat up the savage beast?" "Beat up the savage beast? Its not that simple! When taming a savage beast, you try to hold back so you dont kill it. But if you do so, the intimidation factor goes down! The reason why the strange bird submitted was because Elder Zhang Xuan would really kill it if it didnt do so! But more importantly... Zhang Xuan was able to surpass that fellow in speed! Along with his unconcealed killing intent, he induced fear within the strange bird. Otherwise, how could that proud savage beast submit that easily?" "Now that you speak of it... it does sound logical...." ... Even though Zhang Xuan tamed the strange bird easily, everyone knew that it wasnt something they could do if they were in his ce. In fact, even official beast tamers couldnt imitate his method. Just the fact that they had to crush the confidence of the strange bird by surpassing it in terms of speed would stop many experts in their tracks. "This fellow has already submitted, so lets leave now!" The reason why Zhang Xuan made a move was so that he could leave quickly. Now that the strange bird had been tamed, there was no need to remain here. "OK!" Delighted, Yun Tao nodded his head vigorously. When Zhang Xuan tamed the Gold Alloyed Panther, Yun Tao thought that he was doomed for this examination. He didnt expect the other party to be able to reverse the situation in a single go. He looked at Zhang Xuan with gratitude. Since they were done with their exam, all that was left was the journey back to the Beast Hall. Zhang Xuan and Shen Bi Ru sat on the back of the Gold Alloyed Panther while Yun Tao and the others kept up with them with all their might, nearly breathing theirst in the midst of doing so. Tears streamed down Yun Taos cheeks as he ran. The other party got to sit on the back of a savage beast grandly, while he could only carry that silly bird of his while running behind with all his might. Even though they had both tamed a savage beast, the difference between the two sure was huge.... Two hourster, a huge valley appeared before them. "The spiritual energy is dense!" Upon entering, Zhang Xuan immediately realized that something was amiss. The spiritual energy within the valley was almost doubly denser than the spiritual energy anywhere else. The pores in his body couldnt help but breathe in the spiritual energy gleefully, and the brushing of the spiritual energy against his body made him feel like he was soaking in a hot spring. One could definitely cultivate to higher realms here whenpared to cultivating outside. "The Beast Hall has set up a Spirit Gathering Formation in the valley so that spirit flowers and spirit herbs can grow. The constitution of savage beasts can improve as well, increasing the probability of them achieving a breakthrough!" Shen Bi Ru said. The first time she was here, she was astonished as well. For a formation to span the entire valley, and the spiritual energy to be doubled.... How much would something on such a grand scale cost? Only an organization as wealthy as the Beast Hall would likely be willing to invest such a sum! "Thats true!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He breathed in deeply, and felt the cells in his bodye to life. The first 7 dans of a Fighter were 1-dan Juxi, 2-dan Dantian, 3-dan Zhenqi, 4-dan Pigu, 5-dan Dingli, 6-dan Pixue and 7-dan Tongxuan. Putting aside the first three elementary realms of a cultivator, in 4-dan Pigu realm, zhenqi is used to nourish the physical body; in 5-dan Dingli realm, one learns to utilize their zhenqi more efficiently and raise their strength; in 6-dan Pixue, one opens up the acupoints in ones body; in 7-dan Tongxuan, one opens up all meridians, allowing zhenqi to flow through the entire body. These 7 dans didnt require high amounts of spiritual energy. As such, there were plenty of Tongxuan realm experts in a ce like Tianxuan Kingdom where spiritual energy was severelycking. However, without sufficient spiritual energy, it was difficult for one to reach Zongshi realm. A Zongshi possessed immense strength within his body. Without sufficient spiritual energy and umtion, it was impossible for one to reach that level. Take Zhang Xuan for example. Even with Heavens Path Divine Art, it was still difficult for him to achieve a breakthrough without sufficient spiritual energy If Zongshi realm was an ocean, then Tianxuan Kingdoms spiritual energy was like a trickling stream. At such a pace, it would take decades of umtion before he could fill that ocean. However, if he could use the current of a river instead, the speed would increase significantly. Even though the spiritual energy in the air was just two times more concentrated than outside, his cultivation speed would be raised severalfold. Looking around his surroundings, the nts were clearly much lusher and denserpared to the outside. From time to time, canaries and savage beasts would fly by, their physique significantlyrger than those that roamed on the outside. Using an analogy from my previous life, the Beast Hall is like an airport. It is built far away from the city, and those who want to go overseas and are in a rush would be forced to make the trip there! ncing at the numerous flying savage beasts in the air, this thought popped up in Zhang Xuans mind. Previously, he wondered why the Beast Hall wasnt built within the capital. Upon seeing those savage beasts, he immediately understood the reason. These fellows were massive and ferocious, and if ced in the capital, conflicts would likely break out often with the indigenous poption. This was something that the emperor would want to avoid happening. "The Beast Hall is inside. Lets enter!" Walking down the path in the valley, the group hurried forward. Not too long after, a city appeared before their eyes. Stretching for dozens of kilometers, all kinds of beautiful infrastructure could be seen. Crowds packed the street, and even though the bustle of the city couldnt match up to Tianxuan Royal City, it had surpassed most of the 2nd-tier markets. "This is... the Beast Hall?" Zhang Xuan blinked. He thought that the Beast Hall would be just like the Apothecary Guild, an average-sized building in the middle of the forest, isted from the world. Yet, to think that it would be a prosperous city. "Initially, it was only a hall. However, as time went by, traders and the descendants of beast tamers started to reside here, and eventually it grew to be the city it is today." Yun Tao exined. Zhang Xuan nodded. Xuanluo Mountain Range bordered numerous kingdoms, and there were plenty of people who wanted to purchase a savage beast to protect their n or to ride on an aerial savage beast. Furthermore, the spiritual energy here was concentrated. As such, it quite normal that it would grow to such a scale. It was just like an airport. As time went by, all kinds of industry would be built alongside the airport, attracting countless people to reside there. It was no wonder Shen Bi Ru gave him a strange look when he asked about how those in the Beast Hall obtained their resources. "Lets go to the Beast Hall!" Upon entering the city, Zhang Xuan loitered around the streets, but he didnt see anything of interest. So he called out and the several of them walked into the tallest building in the dead center of the city. As the core of the city, the Beast Hall was tall and towering. Painted caesious, it was a hundred meters tall, shooting straight into the clouds. There were two gigantic savage beast sculptures at the entrance. They looked extremely savage and fearsome, adding to the grandeur of the building. Straight ahead of them was a dozen-meter-long que with the words "Beast Hall" written on it in red. It was hard to tell what was used to write it, but it felt intimidating. "Its the blood of a high-tier beast!" Yun Tao exined, "Such savage beasts are born strong, and even after their death, the pressure their presence exerted doesnt disappear. Using their blood for calligraphy can instill fear in those looking at it, making them apprehensive about causing trouble there." "Mmm!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. It must be said that the Beast Hall was indeed grand in scale. Much less others, even he couldnt help but feel overwhelmed before entering. Upon walking through the gates, just like the Apothecary Guild, a lounge came into view. A huge crowd paced to and fro, and there were plenty of experts in their midst. In fact, some of them were even lining up, and the entire ce was bustling. "That is... Pixue realm pinnacle? Tongxuan realm intermediate stage? Also... Tongxuan realm pinnacle?" Looking around, Zhang Xuan was astounded. In Tianxuan Kingdom, Tongxuan realm experts were rare and highly-esteemed, but here, like cabbages in a market, they were everywhere. In fact, even the most unimpressive looking elder could very likely possess the cultivation of a Tongxuan realm pinnacle. On the other hand, Pixue realm experts, who were qualified to be the head of a n, seemed to be insignificant figures here. Just by sweeping in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan was able to spot a handful of them. Chapter 241: I Tamed a Bird [2 in 1] Chapter 241: I Tamed a Bird [2 in 1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Stop arguing. The ten slots to Hanwu Kingdoms Sebei City has been filled up. If you wish to head there,e back tomorrow!" "We still have three empty seats for Jibei City of Anyuan Kingdom! Hurry up, before it is toote!" "The youngling of the Tongxuan realm savage beast Red-tailed Fox is for sale here. Interested buyers, take this opportunity...." ... All kinds of ruckus and noise could be heard from the crowd ahead. "Xuanluo Mountain Range borders ten kingdoms. Beiwu Kingdom, Hanwu Kingdom, Tianxuan Kingdom... All of them travel here to trade. Everyday, plenty of people visits the Beast Hall, especially those who wish to travel long distances. However, given the limited number of savage beasts in the entire Beast Hall and the huge traveling crowd, it is impossible for the supply to meet demand. Thus, one has to queue in advance; a few had waited for several weeks, but are still unable to get a seat!" Watching the bustle, Yun Tao exined. "They were unable to get seats even after several weeks?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Zhang Xuan had already guessed that it was impossible for the Beast Hall to possess sufficient savage beasts to meet the demand, but he hadnt expected such a queue. Compared to waiting here for several weeks, it might be faster for him to just ride the Gold Alloyed Panther to Tianwu Kingdom instead. "Elder, dont worry!" Upon seeing his expression, Yun Tao chuckled. "Once Iplete the examination and be an official beast tamer, I be able to request an aerial savage beast for elder immediately so that you wont have to wait like the others!" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Most upations gave privileges to their own members. For example, apothecaries are given preference and a discount in purchasing pills. The Beast tamer upation is no different. Others would have to queue and pray to get a slot in order to ride a savage beast . But it is a different story for official beast tamers. They are allowed to skip the normal queue and directly ess any savage beasts, thus saving time. "Then... lets goplete your examination!" Upon witnessing the incredible queue, Zhang Xuan felt his goosebumps rise. Thus, he immediately turned to Yun Tao and said. "Un, the examination site is over here!" Yun Tao led the way. On their journey there, the passers-by would step aside immediately upon seeing Zhang Xuans tall and ferocious Gold Alloyed Panther. At this moment, the Gold Alloyed Panther had already withdrawn the sharp aura it had exuded after reaching Tongxuan realm. Thus, at this moment, other than its massive size, it wasnt too different from how it was before. At first nce, others would simply think that it was still at Pixue realm. However, even if it were just a Pixue realm savage beast, no one was willing to get on its bad side. It wasnt because of the strength of the savage beast, but because they were in the Beast Hall. A person who was able to bring such a huge savage beast around must have connections around. He would either be an apprentice or a beast tamer, and regardless, both arent people they could offend. Thus, without anyone obstructing the way, they proceeded swiftly through the Beast Hall. Before long, they arrived before a massive room with the words Beast Tamer Examination hung outside. Inparison to the apothecary examination hall, the room was much wider. "Theres quite some time before the examination ends. Lets first enter and take a seat!" Thinking that he would be able to be an official beast tamer soon, Yun Taos eyes gleamed with exhration. With a bright smile, he lifted his feet and walked toward the room. "Isnt that Yun Tao? Why are you back so quickly? Is it because you have given up on the examination and decided toe back alone?" A voice with a mocking tone rang out of a sudden. Turning his head to take a look, it was a young man, who led several subordinates and a gigantic Tiger Head Beast, strutting in their direction. The Tiger Head Beast wasrger in size than the Gold Alloyed Panther and the aura it emanated was much more fearsome. It felt as though it was capable of tearing apart the heavens. Nevertheless, it was stillcking in its cultivation, being just Pixue realm primary stage. "This is the sixth prince of Beichen Kingdom, Zhu Jinhuang. He has always been at loggerheads with our prince..." Sensing Zhang Xuans confusion, Yun Taos subordinate whispered to Zhang Xuan. "Beichen Kingdom?" A book about the geography and containing maps appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Just like Hanwu Kingdom, Beichen was also a Tier 2 Kingdom. As they were close neighbors, there was constant friction between the two countries, and they could be considered as rivals. Belonging to the royal family of each kingdom, it was natural that they would view one another with hostility. "Actually, their grudge isnt... because of their countrys background, but..." Before Yun Taos subordinate could finish his words, footsteps rang and another group approached. "Jinhuang, how can you say so? Dont you see that Gold Alloyed Panther behind him? With such a huge fellow, he will surely pass the examination!" A white-robed young man chuckled softly. But then, he frowned and continued, "Just that... Doesnt it seem that the Gold Alloyed Panther isnt intimate with him? It cant be that it isnt his tamed beast!" It sounded as if he was here to absolve Yun Tao from his awkward situation, but his lips were curled up in ridicule. "This is the ninth prince of Qianyuan Kingdom, Zhou Xuan. He isnt on good terms with our prince as well..." Yun Taos subordinates continued exining. Qianyuan Kingdom was also a Tier 2 Kingdom, and it wasnt too far from the Beast Hall. However, it was on the opposite side of the Xuanluo Mountain Range from Tianxuan Kingdom, closer to Tianwu Kingdom. "Oh, I only noticed it now that you spoke of it!" ncing at the Gold Alloyed Panther who was intimate with another unknown youngster instead of Yun Tao, Zhu Jinhuang chuckled, "Yun Tao, it cant be that you failed to tame a savage beast and found someone to borrow one in your stead? If thats the case, I advise you to be careful. If the Beast Hall were to find out about this matter, you will be barred from the examinations for life. By then, you can only leave obediently!" There were clear rules in the Beast Hall, and if a beast tamer used another persons savage beast for the examination, once found out, that person would be barred from the beast tamer examination for life. In other words, he would never be an official beast tamer. As fellow apprentice beast tamers, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang possessed superb eye of discernment as well. With a single nce, they were able to tell that the Gold Alloyed Panther was only close to Zhang Xuan. Clearly, it wasnt Yun Taos tamed beast. "Hehe, once he fails that examination, I would like to see how he dares to continue pursuing Mo Yu xiaojie!" Zhou Xuan said. "Pursue? He should be escape as far as he can! Given the incredible talents Mo Yu xiaojie possesses, someone like him will never match up to her!" Zhu Jinhuang harrumphed coldly. "Me, unqualified? None of you are any better than me, so stop making a fool out of yourselves here. Why dont you pass the beast tamer examination before spouting such nonsense?" Seeing the two of them ganging up against him, Yun Tao flung his sleeves furiously. "Is that so? You seem quite confident! Well see how you cryter on then. It is not just about passing the beast tamer examination, I would like to see what grade you are capable of obtaining!" Zhou Xuan said. "Worry for yourself! Im afraid that you wont even obtain a grade-3!" Yun Tao said. "You..." Zhou Xuan narrowed his eyes. "I hope that you can continue being that confident after the examination." "Hmph!" The trio stared at one another in hostility, none of them seeming to possess the intention to back out. Hearing their words, Zhang Xuan understood the situation immediately. Their rivalry wasnt because of their countries, but ady named Mo Yu. "Mo Yu xiaojie is a famous genius among the apprentice beast tamers. Currently, shes undergoing the beast tamer examination along with all of the princes. Due to her beauty and capability, these princes, hailing from different countries, are all infatuated with her, and they fight secretly in the shadows, hoping to gain her favor..." Yun Taos subordinate told Zhang Xuan via zhenqi transmission. Upon knowing the reason, Zhang Xuan shook his head. As princes, they were thought to be disputing over territories or such. To think that it would be because of a woman. "Its Mo Yu xiaojie!" "Quick, look at that savage beast behind her..." "How incredible!" ... The trio were in a ring at one another when amotion broke out and a slim figure slowly walked over. Behind her, a towering eagle followed. Steel-backed with golden wings, its eyes were sharp as though lightning, causing its viewers to put on their guards subconsciously. "A Tongxuan realm savage beast?" Zhang Xuans expression turned grim. This eagle has reached the strength of a Tongxuan realm advanced stage, and it is much stronger than his Gold Alloyed Panther. Furthermore, vaguely, Zhang Xuan could feel something reminiscent of a storm within its aura. Most probably, the eagle possesses speedparable to the strange bird previously, exceeding it even. "Mo Yu xiaojie!" Upon seeing the figure, Yun Tao, Zhu Jinhuang, and Zhou Xuans eyes lit up. They hurried to wee her. "So this person is Mo Yu?" Only after examining the eagle did Zhang Xuans gaze finallynd on the slim figure in front. Around twenty-three or twenty-four-year-old, she was dressed in a light green robe which disyed her beautiful figure perfectly. Her lustrous hair which trailed down to her slim waist, coupled with her white smooth skin made her a unique beauty. In terms of her beauty, she was in no way inferior to Shen Bi Ru. In fact, she wasnt too far from Zhao Ya after triggering the ten percent of the Pure Yin Body Consitution. While she was beautiful, she had an extremely cold expression. Toward Yun Tao and the others, she disregarded them altogether. "As expected of Mo Yu xiaojie, your skills are indeed incredible!" Zhu Jinhuang walked up to her with a smile. "A Tongxuan realm Viridescent Eagle, probably you are the only one who is capable of taming it. Im impressed!" "Of course, its just a mere Viridescent Eagle. Any savage beast would be willing to submit to Mo Yu xiaojie immediately!" Zhou Xuan chuckled. Toward the ttery of the two, Mo Yu xiaojie simply nced at them impassively. Gazing about, she saw Shen Bi Ru and froze for a moment. Then, she walked over. "You came here to take the beast master examination? What about Han Qiong? Is she here?" Her voice was crisp and moving, but it felt distant and foreign. "She didnte. I came here with another friend." Shen Bi Ru pointed at Zhang Xuan. Mo Yu xiaojie nced at Zhang Xuan casually before turning away, as though his presence meant nothing at all. Without saying anything, she walked into the room. Even though they had been disregarded, Zhu Jinhuang and the others didnt seem displeased at all. They hurriedly followed her in. "You two know each other?" Unbothered with Mo Yu xiaojies disregard, he turned to look at Shenoshi doubtfully. "I met her with I was here with Han Qiong the previous time." Shen Bi Ru nodded her head. "Is she really just a talented apprentice beast tamer?" Zhang Xuan asked. No matter how beautiful thatdy was and how talented she was in beast taming, it shouldnt be possible for the princes of three great kingdoms to be fawning on her like that. Regardless of whether it was Beichen, Qianyuan, or Hanwu, as Tier 2 Kingdoms, they should have a sizeable number of beast tamers in their country. As she is a mere apprentice, there was no reason for the princes to talk to her so subserviently. In a Tier 2 Kingdom, not even a master teacher apprentice has such standing. Along with the rise in the tier of the kingdom, the stronger the monarchy bes. Unless one is a high-tier member of his upation, he would simply be disregarded by the royal family. Only in small countries like Tianxuan Kingdom would an emperor treat a master teacher apprentice with utmost respect. "Indeed, she isnt a mere apprentice beast tamer. Ive heard Han Qiong speak of it once, she possesses another identity... The third princess of Tianwu Kingdom!" Shen Bi Ru pondered for a moment before replying. "The third princess of Tianwu Kingdom?" Zhang Xuan finally understood the reason. This is more like it. As a Tier 1 Kingdom, Tianwu Kingdom is the dominant power among the surrounding twelve kingdoms. As a princess of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Yus identity is much more noble than the royal family of those smaller kingdoms. If they were to marry her, as the prince consort, they would gain a powerful backing in their fight for the throne in their kingdoms. It seems that Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and Yun Tao all have the same idea in mind. However, the fact that she was a princess didnt matter at all to Zhang Xuan. In Zhang Xuans view, one should rely on himself. Power granted by others is illusory. The duo walked into the room as they spoke. Contrary to the situation outside, there were only a few people in the room. "All four of us taking the examination are back. Who do you think will be the one to assess us?" "Of course it will be the Hall Master! As a 2-star beast tamer, he is the most capable beast tamer in the Beast Hall. Usually, hes the one who acts as the examiner." "Thats true. Ive heard that the Hall Master is extremely strict in his assessment, I wonder if thats the case." "Regardless, our prince has already tamed a savage beast and fulfilled the passing criteria. There should be no problem bing a 1-star beast tamer." ... Upon walking into the room, Zhang Xuan heard some hushed discussions. The three princes have each brought a few of their subordinates along, while Mo Yu xiaojie came on her own. Standing by the side, the cold aura she emanated discouraged anyone from approaching her. "Judging from her tone early, is there a conflict between her and Hanoshi?" Seeing how the third princess of Tianwu Kingdom didnt bring along a single servant and her cold behavior, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the conversation between her and Shen Bi Ru. Thus, he asked. "It cant actually be considered as a conflict. As an apprentice beast tamer, Hanoshi also once stayed at the Beast Hall for a period of time. As theyre both beauties, they were oftenpared to each other and as time went by, they became rivals. Just that, I didnt expect her to take the beast tamer examination so quickly. She is indeed talented." Shen Bi Rus astonishment was clear to see. "Talented?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. She is talented just because she took the beast tamer examination? "Looks like you dont know of it. This Princess Mo Yu has barely learned beast taming for a year!" Shen Bi Ru said. "Barely for a year? Then shes indeed talented!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Even though Zhang Xuan didnt have much of an understanding of beast taming, he was a certified apothecary. Given that both upations were around the same ranking in the Upper Nine Paths, beast taming was likely to be a highly difficult upation as well. To be an apprentice, and even undergo the beast tamer examination when she has barely learned for a single year, she was indeed a fearsome genius. "More importantly... she is also a 1-star apothecary! Furthermore, she isnt far from reaching 2-star! On top of that... shes also a master teacher apprentice. Its said the reason why she came here to learn beast taming is train her mental fortitude. Once her preparations are done, she can take the 1-star master teacher examination upon returning to hernd." Shen Bi Ru said. "1-star apothecary? Master teacher apprentice?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Even though she shared a simr situation to him, Zhang Xuan knew that the other party was much more talented than him. Luck yed a big part in why Zhang Xuan could be a 1-star apothecary. Furthermore, he had relied greatly on the power of the Library of Heavens Path. With his current pill forging proficiency, he can only formte some basic powder, and forging pills is still way out of his reach. To sessfully be a 1-star apothecary through her very own capabilities at such a young age, and not to mention, having became a master teacher apprentice, it was no wonder why others would call her a genius. She was indeed worthy of the title. While the two was speaking, an elder walked in. "Silence. Im in charge of assessing you today!" Upon seeing the elder, everyone was taken aback. "Beast Tamer Hong? Why is he the one in charge of the assessment?" Yun Tao was stunned. "Usually, the Hall Master would be the one who conduct the assessment. Furthermore, the rules state that a 2-star beast master must be present at the assessment. Even though Beast Tamer Hong possess a high standing within the Beast Hall, hes still at 1-star pinnacle... He isnt yet qualified to conduct an assessment." Seeing the doubt on everyones faces, Beast Tamer Hong said, "The Hall Master and the other elders have something else to attend to, so today, Ill be conducting the assessment in their ce! I will follow the steps strictly and I wont condone any bribery or cheating, so theres no need to worry at all. Besides, there are Record Crystals all around, and as long as you fulfill the criteria, you will pass the examination and be a member of the Beast Hall." "Yes!" Everyone nodded in assent. Regardless of whether it was for the apothecaries or the beast tamers, all examinations would require Record Crystals to be ready so that the proceedings can be checked on if something turns out to be amiss. With this object present, no one would dare to cheat. "Those here are apprentice beast tamers who have passed the first examination. I believe everyone is well aware of the content of the second examination and the structure it takes, but for the sake of formalities, I shall mention them once more." Beast Tamer Hong nced at the surroundings, "The test requires you to tame a savage beast whos stronger than you. Even though an Inceptive Taming would be sufficient, different grades can be awarded." "The higher the cultivation of the savage beastpared to you, and the more loyal the savage beast is, the higher your grade." "There are 3 grades, namely grade-1, grade-2, and grade-3. The higher ones grade is, the better ones results are. I believe that no one here has any disagreements to my words, right?" "Yes!" Yun Tao and the others nodded hurriedly. "Alright, Ill start the examination then. First, Zhou Xuan!" Beast Tamer Hong nced at Zhou Xuan. "Yes!" Zhou Xuan stepped forward. "What did you tame?" Beast Tamer Hong asked. "Reporting to Beast Tamer Hong, I tamed that Whistling Fang Wolf! It is a Pixue realm primary stage savage beast." Zhou Xuan pointed to the side, and his subordinates immediately brought a three-meter long wolf over. The huge wolf has gray fur, and within its mouth, sharp fangs could be seen. Just by its outer appearance itself, one could almost see how it would brutally tear apart its prey. "Un!" Nodding his head, Beast Tamer Hong retrieved and passed a crystal ball. "This is a Heart Inquisition Crystal which tests a savage beasts loyalty. A number will appear on it, and for Inceptive Taming, the Loyalty Level would range between 15 to 30. The higher the number, the better the grade." "Heart Inquisition Crystal?" Looking at the object, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Back then, during the Enlightenment Will Trial, that was the object which was used to test Liu Yangs Trust Level. It seems that the object is more than capable of testing a humans trust; it is able to gauge a savage beasts loyalty as well. But on further contemtion, it made sense. Since it was able to induce life-like illusions in ones head upon contact, the Loyalty or Trust Level shown should be extremely urate. Just like the test of Trust Level, Zhou Xuan first dripped a droplet of blood on it beforemunicating with his savage beast. Soon, a number slowly floated into appearance on the crystal20! "For its Loyalty Level to reach 20 within less than half a month, you have passed the Inceptive Taming prerequisites. Not bad, Ill give you a grade-2!" Upon seeing the numbers, Beast Tamer Hong stroked his beard in approval. To find a savage beast, tame it, and raise its Loyalty Level to this point within half a month, the other party is definitely qualified to be a 1-star beast tamer. "His Highness is indeed impressive!" "It has been long since anyone has been given a grade-2 in the Beast Hall!" "Indeed, this is incredible!" Upon hearing his results, discussions immediate broke out below. For the beast tamer examination, grade-3 was already considered as a pass. Those who reached grade-2 were considered as geniuses among the new beast tamers. "Grade-2, not bad. However, I wont lose to you!" Not expecting Zhou Xuans results to be so good, Zhu Jinhuang was stunned. However, he soon smiled and walked over. It didnt take long for the results to be out. That Tiger Head Beast of his also had a Loyalty Point of 20 or so, and he was deemed to be at grade-2 as well. "Its Mo Yu xiaojies turn!" "Mo Yu xiaojie tamed an aerial savage beast, which is much harder to tame than any other savage beast. Furthermore, it is at Tongxuan realm, so the additional points she receive should be great!" "Youre right. I think her result will probably exceed that of a grade-2." "It has been thirty years since thest grade-1 result in the Beast Hall. Do you think that the record will be broken today?" ... Seeing Mo Yu xiaojie walk up, everyones anxious gazes immediately fell on her. To be given a grade-1 ranking in the beast tamer examination is equivalent to forging a pill reaching Perfection in the apothecary examination. Such a beast tamer will be highly valued by the Beast Hall. All kinds of resources would be invested into grooming her. It was already an incredible feat for Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang to receive a grade-2, but Mo Yu xiaojie was clearly much more skilled than them. Everyone was curious to see if history could be created today. Disregarding themotion, Mo Yu xiaojie calmly walked forward. With a beckon, the massive Viridescent Eagle slowly paced forward as well. Repeating the same actions as the two before her, she soonpleted the assessment. Loyalty Level, 40! "Grade-1! This result definitely warrants for a grade-1!" The room immediately burst intomotion. Even though everyone has already guessed that Mo Yu xiaojie would likely receive a grade-1 ranking, they were still shocked when it came. "Hehe, Yun Tao, its your turn. Were all grade-2, and Mo Yu xiaojie has achieved a grade-1. You spoke so arrogantly previously, so I think it should be impossible for you to show us a grade-3. If I were to get a grade-3, I would be so embarrassed that I would hole myself up in my room!" Seeing that it was Yun Taos turn, Zhu Jinhuang sneered. "I think Brother Zhu is overestimating him. Putting aside grade-3, I think that... passing the examination may already pose a problem to him!" Zhou Xuan harrumphed coldly. "This Gold Alloyed Panther isnt his, so wheres the savage beast he tamed?" "Thats true, it cant be that he hadnt tamed any savage beast?" "If thats the case, it means that he has already failed..." The two of them spoke loudly, and their words immediately created an uproar. Even Mo Yu xiaojie couldnt help but frown. "Silence!" Waving his hand and silencing the discussions, Beast Tamer Hong turned to look at Yun Tao doubtfully, "What did you tame? Is it that Gold Alloyed Panther?" "Thats not it, the panther was tamed by Elder Zhang Xuan..." Yun Tao scratched his head awkwardly, "I... tamed a bird!" ----- "A bird" is a chinese pun, and it also can be interpreted as The heck that I have tamed anything. It is an offensive way of replying another persons question. Chapter 242: Failing the Examination! Chapter 242: Failing the Examination! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - You tamed a bird? Upon those words, the bustling room turned quiet all of the sudden. Everyone covered their mouths in shock as they turned to look at Yun Tao. Are you trying to insult someone here, or are you giving up on yourself because you failed to tame anything? It cant be that this fellow had been scared silly seeing the others before him receiving grade-1 and grade-2 results. "Tamed a bird? The heck, why dont you say you tamed a hammer! To dare to speak to Beast Tamer Hong like that, you sure are brazen!" "This is no longer a problem about being brazen or not, theres something wrong with his head! If he tamed a bird, I tamed a ball!" "If thats the case, then I tamed a chili padi... Actually, all of us have something we tamed, so shouldnt we take the beast tamer examination as well?" ... A moment of silence, and the room burst intoughter. The heck. Ever since the establishment of the Beast Hall, this is the first time someone failed to tame anything and dered it so proudly. This is a new high for crudeness. If you dont have anything to show, why are you here? Still saying that you tamed a bird... A bird your head! Can you be anymore audacious? "Haha, Yun Tao. All along, I thought that you are an incredible figure. To think that you didnt let me down... To tame nothing at all and speak of it so proudly and brazenly, Im impressed!" Zhu Jinhuang was almost getting cramps fromughing. Is this fellow a retarded? If he tamed nothing at all, the most that could happen is a failure. To tell Beast Tamer Hong that he tamed a bird... Is he looking for some thrill? Beast Tamer Hong may not be the best beast tamer in the Beast Hall, but he is known for being austere. To spout such brazen words.. he is clearly challenging his authority! "You truly are courting death..." Zhou Xuanughed. To think that he thought of this man as apetitor. At this moment, he felt that he had undermined his own worth by having even thought such. He was worried that this fellow would awe everyone with his capability... He did awe everyone, with his audacity, that is. "Hmph!" With her hands behind her back, Mo Yu xiaojie raised her impable face and snorted. Even if Yun Tao didnt tame anything this time, he could try again the next time. But with such an immature attitude, no matter how talented he was, he would never be anyone great. While everyone else roared inughter, Beast Tamer Hong almost died from anger. His hair stood on its ends as he gritted his teeth, "What did you say?" As a reputable beast tamer of the Beast Hall, this was the first time he had been provoked in such a manner. Bird your head! Come, why dont you show it to me right now? If you cant, why dont I take yours away and kick it like a ball? "I mean... I tamed a bird, a strange bird!" Only now did Yun Tao realize that he has misspoke. He quickly exined and whistled. Wuuu, the strange bird flew into view. From the instant they reached the Beast Hall, this fellow had been flying around freely, and no one noticed its presence. Savage beasts are usually three to four-meter big, and even the smallest ones are around a humans height. Given that the bird was only a palms size, if one didnt look at it carefully, he would only think that it was a canary or a wild bird. No one would dare to think that it was an aerial savage beast. Furthermore, even if they had considered this possibility, they would have found it unbelievable. The purpose of taming savage beasts is to aid one in his battles. Even the worst beasts could be used as a method of transportation. Given the miniature size of this fellow, what could it do? Honestly speaking, it wouldnt even be sufficient to fill ones stomach. "You call this a savage beast?" "Are you sure you didnt take it from some random bird cage?" "What the heck is this? I thought you were just joking. To think that youve really tamed a bird! But, what is the use of this bird? To y with?" Seeing that Yun Tao had really just tamed a bird, the room was silent for a moment before bursting intoughter once more. Look at the Viridescent Eagle which Mo Yu xiaojie had tamed. It is also a bird, but it is mighty and exudes majesty! Yet, yours is just nothing but hrious! You should know that you are here for the beast tamer examination! Those who dont know whats going on might just think that you are in a market putting on a circus show. "Is this the savage beast that you tamed?" Beast Tamer Hongsplexion didnt recover just because he saw the strange bird. With a steeled face, he asked coldly. "Yes!" Yun Tao replied. "ording to the rules of the Beast Hall, in the second test, one has to tame a savage beast which is stronger than himself. This little bird can be killed with just a p. Yet, you brought it here for me to assess... Are you joking with me?" Beast Tamer Hong tried to hold back his anger. "I am not joking!" Sensing the bizarre tone in the other partys voice, Yun Tao hurriedly exined. "This strange bird may be small, but its not weak. It possesses incredible speed which even Pixue realm experts are unable to catch up to. It must be a kind of savage beast..." Pah! Before he could finish his words, Beast Tamer Hong mmed the table and stood up. His eyebrows shot up and his cheeks were trembling. "Audacious! Yun Tao, do you think that this is your Hanwu Kingdom? Do you think this is a ce you can fool around at? Beast taming isnt a joke! You passed the first test with outstanding results, so I thought that you would be able to achieve amazing results in the second one. But... you chose tomit such a preposterous actions instead!" "As a Dingli realm pinnacle cultivator, even if you cant tame some of the stronger savage beast, a Pixue realm primary stage should be no problem for you. To tame a small bird and put on a show here, further iming that it has incredible speed and that it must be a type of savage beast, do you think that Im blind?" "To dare to challenge an examiner directly in the beast tamer examination, bringing a wild bird here for assessment... Who gave you such guts tomit such audacious actions?" Infuriated, Beast Tamer Hong waved him away with unquestionable authority, "Scram! You failed your second test. If you wish to take the examination,e again next year!" "Beast Tamer Hong! This... This strange bird is really a savage beast with cultivation above that of Pixue realm, even I am not an opponent for it..." Not expecting Beast Tamer Hong to fly into such a temper and proiming his failure, Yun Tao went pale. He hurriedly exined. "Arent you done yet? Yun Tao, didnt you hear those words? Beast Tamer Hong asked you to scram! Stop disgracing yourself here, you have already tarnished the good reputation of beast tamers!" Seeing how his opponent has failed the examination, Zhu Jinhuangughed heartily. He walked forward and stared at Yun Tao in disdain. "Why dont you give up on beast taming? Without sufficient skills, it is impossible for you to be a beast tamer anyway. If Beast Tamer Hong were to pass you, wouldnt that mean that everyone can be a beast tamer just by buying a bird in the market?" Zhou Xuan sneered by the side. In the previous exam, Yun Tao had managed to stand above the rest of them. They thought that he would continue to outshine them for the rest of the exam, but never in their dreams did they expect that fellow to do himself in. He could have just caught a normal Pixue realm primary stage savage beast, yet he chose to go for a wild bird which god knows popped out from where... "Beast Tamer Hong..." Ignoring the insults of the other two, Yun Tao turned to the elder. "Arent my words clear? Get out!" Beast Tamer Hong red at him. "Give me another chance, you can test it for yourself. This strange bird is really a savage beast, and its cultivation isnt weak..." Not expecting such a situation, Yun Tao panicked. He had just promised Elder Zhang Xuan that he would help him choose a good savage beast once he bes a beast tamer. If he fails the examination now, he would be unable to make good of his words. And this isnt yet the biggest problem. At least for this problem, he could just apologize, and Zhang Xuan should be magnanimous so as to not pursue this matter. More importantly, after creating such a huge uproar here, when he returns to the kingdom, his otherpetitors for the throne would make use of this matter to oppress him. If so, the opportunity for the throne would slip by his hands. His pursuit for Mo Yu xiaojie would also have toe to an end. "I dont want to say it for a third time. Ill allow you to walk out by yourself. This way, at least you get to retain a little bit of your pride!" Beast Tamer Hong refused to listen to his exnation and waved him away. If he wasnt a prince, he would definitely have pped him out instead of wasting words with him. "Scram! Yun Tao, if you still refuse to leave, I will have my men throw you out!" Zhu Jinhuang stared at Yun Tao gleefully. From today onward, this fellow would be out of the race. Meaning to say, he was one step closer to Mo Yu xiaojie. "Hurry up and leave. If you continue to cause trouble here, dont me me for getting nasty." Zhou Xuan sneered. With his hands behind his back, he nced at Yun Tao contemptuously. "I..." Angered and embarrassed, Yun Tao clenched his fists tightly. He thought that he could pass the examination easily, yet it ended like this. Gritting his teeth tightly, he turned around and prepared to leave. But at this moment, a calm voice echoed in the air. "Yun Tao, since the beast tamers of the Beast Hall are all such useless fools, I dont think you should bother taking the examination!" From where the voice came from, Zhang Xuan was looking at Yun Tao calmly. Chapter 243: Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow Chapter 243: Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - The beast tamers of the Beast Hall are useless fools? Hearing those words, everyone was outraged. "What did he say?" "Whos this fellow? Is he courting death?" "To dare to insult beast tamers, he must be tired of living!" ... Everyone red at Zhang Xuan, their eyes filled with killing intent. The reason why the Beast Hall grew so prosperous was because of the beast tamers. Yet, this fellow had dared to insult all of the beast tamers here. There must be something wrong with his head! Shen Bi Rus body trembled and she tugged on the sleeves of the young man before her hurriedly. She nearly fainted from shock. Where are we? The Beast Hall! To be saying that the beast tamers here are all useless fools, arent you asking for trouble? This isnt something that can be exined as a rash act, this is clearly a provocation! From long ago, she knew that Zhangoshi was bold. But no matter what, she had never imagined that he would be so daring! "What did you say?" As everyone expected, Beast Tamer Hongs face turned so red as though he was bleeding. He turned his head to Yun Tao and questioned, "Yun Tao, is this what you think of the Beast Hall as well?" Zhang Xuan stood together with the crowd from Hanwu Kingdom, so everyone thought that he was Yun Taos subordinate. "Elder..." Yun Tao quickly turned to look at Zhang Xuan. When he heard Zhang Xuan say those words, he nearly went insane as well. Even though he might fail due to a biased judgement by the examiner, he could still try again next year. However, now that those words have offended the Beast Hall, it would be impossible for him to take the examination ever again. Even though he hadnt been with Elder Zhang Xuan for long, he knew that he was a powerful and calm person. He deals with everything rationally and appropriately. So why is he acting so unreliably at such a crucial moment? He stared at the young man in panic, only to see the other party looking at him calmly, as though he was unconcerned. Unconcerned? The edges of Yun Taos lips twitched. Is he really bold, or is he truly confident in his strength? There were several thousands of savage beast in the Beast Hall, and even the weakest one had a Pixue realm cultivation. Even a Zongshi realm expert wouldnt be able to escape after wrecking havoc here! Flustered, he immediately walked over to persuade Zhang Xuan to apologize. However, the young man simply smiled. With his hands behind his back, he turned to look at Beast Tamer Hong. "Disregarding the rules, failing to recognize a savage beast before him, acting as he pleases,ing to a conclusion without verifying his facts... If he isnt a useless fool, what else can he be?" He spoke slowly and calmly, as though the infuriated Beast Tamer Hong meant nothing to him at all. "Is he... lecturing Beast Tamer Hong?" "Who is this fellow?" "Even Hall Master Feng wouldnt dare to speak like that!" ... Hearing that young mans tone that sounded as though he was lecturing a student, everyone felt as though their brain wasing to a halt. They have seen arrogant people, but they have never seen such an arrogant person. This fellow must be mad! Who do you think you are? Beast Tamer Hong is a famous beast tamer of the Beast Hall. To say that he came to a conclusion without verifying his facts... This is no longer speaking up for Yun Tao. This is a blunt insult, he doubts the other partys professionalism. "You said that I disregard the rules and failed to recognize a savage beast?" Having been criticized in public, Beast Tamer Hong felt the blood within his body go on a rampage. "I, Hong Feng, have been a beast tamer for thirty-seven years. I have tamed twenty-four savage beasts and taught a hundred and eighteen students. Three of them even became beast tamers. Even though I dont im to be learned in the profound art of beast taming, I am not someone who would speak nonsense! Yet, you said that I disregard the rules and failed to recognize a savage beast? Fine! If you dont exin yourself today, regardless of who you are, dont me me for not going easy on you!" Infuriated, Beast Tamer Hongs revealed his cultivation. He was a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert, and was not too far away from reaching Half-Zongshi. Roar! At the same time, a massive savage beast appeared and stood beside him. It was a giant red-eyed ape. Around three-meter tall, every single movement it made caused the ground to tremor. A beast tamer usually fought along with its tamed beast. This giant red-eyed ape had also reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. A savage aura emanated as though a tide over the crowd, and the pressure it exerted on the others was several times stronger than that of Beast Tamer Hong. Upon witnessing this, everyones face went pale. Subconsciously, they retreated a few steps backward. If the two of them were to fight alongside one another, they would be able to match up against even a Half-Zongshi! "Why? You refuse to admit your mistakes and want to make a move on me?" Even amidst the immense pressure, Zhang Xuan simply flung his sleeves and replied calmly. The other party may be strong, but he has also reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Furthermore, given the numerous tactics he possessed, even if ten of them came at him, it would be impossible for them to hurt him at all. "What is going on?" The atmosphere in the room waspletely still and it seemed that Beast Tamer Hong was about to make a move when a bellow sounded in the room. Then, three figures walked in. "Its Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang. They are all 2-star beast tamers!" "Didnt Beast Tamer Hong say that they are busy?" "This fellow challenged the prestige of the Beast Hall. Even if they are busy, they would definitely rush over upon knowing of the matter!" "This fellow is done for. Yun Tao as well!" "Thats right. Hanwu Kingdom is just a Tier 2 Kingdom, how can it withstand the anger of the Beast Hall?" ... Upon seeing the trio, everyone immediately burst into discussion. All three 2-star beast tamers of the Beast Hall have arrived at the scene. Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan nced at Yun Tao gleefully, as though heartened by the tragic plight that was about to befall him. When Yun Tao and Zhang Xuan insulted Beast Tamer Hong, it could only be considered as a personal grudge. However, from the moment that the Hall Master appeared, it be an issue between the Beast Hall and Hanwu Kingdom. This matter could no longer be settled easily. Even Mo Yu xiaojie couldnt help but shake her head. She thought that Yun Tao was a fool for bringing a bird for the beast tamer examination, but to think that his subordinate would be even dumber! He insulted Beast Tamer Hong so thoroughly, how could the other party simply let this matter go? If this matter blows up, the one who would be at a loss is Hanwu Kingdom. Even so, there wasnt the slightest bit of emotion on her face. As though an emotionless fairy, she watched the spectacle impassively. Yun Taos fate has nothing to do with her, and she couldnt be bothered with it either. "Hall Master, Beast Tamer Lu, Beast Tamer Wang!" Upon seeing the trio, Beast Tamer Hong immediately stepped forward and greeted the three. Even though he was raging within, he took the time to exin the situation to them. "You said that Hong Feng disregarded the rules and failed to recognize a savage beast before him?" Hearing those words, the Hall Master Feng turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a sharp nce. Hall Master Feng is an elder in his sixties. With a towering stature, his movements are dignified. He is a Zongshi realm expert! Beast Tamer Lu and Beast Tamer Wang merely stood quietly beside him, but somehow, they felt like mountains, impossible to budge. The three 2-star beast tamers were all Zongshi-realm experts! It was precisely because of them that no one dared to act out of line in the Beast Hall. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Do you know that your words are questioning his professionalism? To a beast tamer, those words are equivalent to sullying his reputation." Hall Master Fengs eyes narrowed. The reason why Beast Tamer Hong was so infuriated was because the young man questioned his abilities as a beast tamer. For a beast tamer to be unable recognize a savage beast, he would be aughingstock. Zhang Xuan didnt exin the matter. Instead, he walked to the center of the room and snapped his fingers. Wuuuu! The strange bird on Yun Taos shoulder flew over. Compared to Yun Tao, the strange bird was much more receptive to Zhang Xuansmands. Even though thetter had beaten him up, he had also helped to raise its cultivation. After the strange bird sat on Zhang Xuans hands, Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze and smiled. "I would like to ask the four beast tamers what the name of this bird is." "The name?" Seeing Zhang Xuan ask about the name of the bird instead of answering Hall Master Fengs question, everyone gaze swiftly fell on the bird. Beast Tamer Hongsplexion darkened, and he harrumphed, "Even though it is rare, I have once read a description of this bird on a book. The name of the bird is [Bone Bird]. Its said that this bird has an additional bone on its back to support its entire body. This bird is usually used for appreciation purposes and doesnt possess anybat abilities. Naturally, it isnt considered as a savage beast. Why? Are you going to say that Im wrong?" "Now that you speak of it, the bird does match the description of the Bone Bird!" Beast Tamer Lu stroked his beard as he said, "The Bone Bird lives in the depths of the forest, and it is known for its moving song at daybreak. Just like Beast Tamer Hong has said, this bird is only for appreciation purpose. Even though it is a rare and valuable bird, as it cannot be considered as a savage beast, it isnt eligible for use in the beast tamer examination!" Hearing the words of the duo, Zhang Xuan simply chuckled and turned to Hall Master Feng. "What does Hall Master Feng think of this?" "I think that it is the Bone Bird as well. There is a bone protruding out from its back clearly!" Hall Master Feng nodded in approval of the other twos words. Upon hearing the three beast tamering to the same conclusion, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. "Since you have all determined it to be the Bone Bird, who can tell me the specific traits of a Bone Bird?" "Since you all have determined it to be the Bone Bird, who can tell me the specific traits of a Bone Bird?" "The Bone Bird has a ck back, red beak, and golden ws. On its back, there are three feathers which creates a clear melody when its flying. Thus, its melodious birdsong actually doesnte from its throat, but from the feathers behind..." Before the three beast tamer could answer, a quiet voice sounded. It was Mo Yu xiaojie. She stated the unique characteristics of the Bone Bird recorded on the books. But before she could finish stating the full description, she paused abruptly. Her beautifulplexion turned dark, and confusion reflected in her eyes. "Youre right. The clear birdsong of the Bone Bird doesnte from its throat, but from the feathers at its back. That is to say, as long as it flies, there should be a melody... But when it flew over just now, did any one of you hear it?" Zhang Xuan smiled. "This..." Everyone was taken aback. The strange bird has flown about several times, but not even once did they hear any sound. If they didnt see the bird for themselves, they wouldnt have known that it was in here. If what Mo Yu xiaojie mentioned was correct, does it mean that... the strange bird isnt the Bone Bird? "The w of this strange bird is gold, but there is a red dot at the center of its w. Furthermore, there is a crown at the top of its head. Also, instead of one, it has three bones protruding from its back, and there isnt any sound-making feathers behind either. More importantly... It is light and flies swiftly!" Zhang Xuan raised the strange bird up and exined its characteristics one after another. With every aspect he exined, Beast Tamer Hongs face would darken. Because at this moment, he could also tell that the strange bird was slightly different from the Bone Bird he spoke of. "But if it isnt a Bone Bird, what is it?" He asked. Putting his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan smiled. "It is an Ancient BeastAncient Lightning Cloud Sparrow!" Chapter 244: Punishment Chapter 244: Punishment Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Ancient beast?" Everyones expression changed immediately. There are many different kinds of savage beasts, and ancient beasts possess the strongest bloodline of them all. Along with their maturing, the blood within their body awakens and their strength grows. There is no beast tamer in the world who doesnt take pride in taming an ancient beast. That is because along with the rise in the tamed beasts strength, the owner, through the connection created via the contract, would find his cultivation raised as well. However, such savage beasts are extremely rare, to the point that they are almost extinct. Countless beast tamers have traveled through the mountains, scaled various mountains, and investigated the innumerable legends and folklores of the world, but even so, they had been unable to find any trace of ancient beasts. Yet, one had appeared right here, and it had been tamed by... Yun Tao? "Thats impossible! Even if this fellow isnt a Bone Bird, it is impossible for it to be an ancient beast. They are already extinct..." Beast Tamer Hong was the first one to question Zhang Xuans words. Even though the others didnt say anything, they shared his thoughts. They couldnt believe that the strange bird is an ancient beast. "The ancient bloodline has ceased to exist. Even if there are still ancient beasts out there, they must have attained the level of spirit beasts. How can it be an ordinary savage beast?" Zhu Jinhuang couldnt help but harrumph, "Even if you wish to escape from punishment, you shouldnt spout lies." "You say that this strange bird is an ancient beast? What a joke! My Tiger Head Beast must be a primordial beast then!" Zhou Xuan sneered. Primordial beasts are even more incredible than ancient beasts, and were naturally much rarer as well. They werent the only ones acting like that. Even Yun Taos lips twitched upon hearing those words and he nearly fainted. It is just a gluttonous and vindictive bird, how can it be rted to the ancient beasts in any way? One must know that this is the Beast Hall. If Zhang Xuans words were to be proven false, he would be in deep trouble. "Hehe!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "If Im not wrong, the Beast Hall should have a way to ascertain bloodline, right? It doesnt matter if you dont believe my words. Well know the answer once we give it a quick check." Since it is an ancient beast, its bloodlinees from the ancient times and possesses unique powers. Thus, it isnt difficult to conduct a test. "This..." Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Hong, and the others nced at each other and nodded their heads simultaneously. If this strange bird is truly an ancient beast, then this would be a groundbreaking affair for the Beast Hall. It has been more than a thousand years since the establishment of this branch, but there hasnt been a single beast tamer who had tamed an ancient beast. "Legend has it that during ancient times, the spiritual energy in the air was violent and harsh. It is far from the gentle spiritual energy in the air now. Even though it was easier to cultivate then, it caused the blood of the savage beasts to contain destructive powers, and the blood would billow as though boiling water. If the strange bird is truly an ancient beast, other savage beasts would surely be unable to withstand the might of a single drop of its blood..." After a momentary pause, Hall Master Feng said. The bloodline of ancient beasts is pure and searing. It ispletely different from that of the savage beasts existing now. Mostly, just a drop of the blood of an ancient beast can cause the entire bloodstream of a savage beast to boil and burn it to death. Thus, it isnt too difficult to check verify an ancient bloodline. After passing down some instructions to an apprentice, the apprentice walked out and he came back in with a savage beast not before long. It was around the size of a hare, and its entire body was white. It was somewhat simr to the Pill Sample Beast of the Apothecary Guild, just that it was slightlyrger. That is the savage beast used by the Beast Hall to experiment all kinds of medicine and food. "Here!" Zhang Xuan tapped softly and a droplet of blood emerged from the body of the strange bird. With a light flick, it flew toward Hall Master Feng. Grabbing it with his hands, Hall Master Feng swiftly enveloped it with his zhenqi before cing it into the mouth of the savage beast. Sssssss! It was as though water was thrown into a pot of burning oil, a sizzling sound echoed in the room. Soon, the savage beast turnedpletely red and it squirmed about the floor in agony. Then, it ceased to move. It was dead. Clearly, it was burned to death by the overwhelmingly powerful bloodline. "This..." Upon witnessing this, Hall Master Feng and the others narrowed their eyes. Only the ancient bloodline possesses such might. Silence! The entire room turned deathly silent. Even the most foolish of those here could tell that the young man was right. The unimpressive strange bird before them was indeed an ancient beast. It might be small, but it was dozens of times more valuable than the savage beasts Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang had tamed just because of its ancient bloodline. The two shouldnt even bepared to it, it was just likeparing diamond and dirt. "Did I just mock an ancient beast?" Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuans mouth twitched. They felt as though their faces had been pped, and they were on the verge of tears. That was a savage beast, an existence that would cause an uproar in the Beast Hall! Yet, they insulted it as though it was worth nothing... To be unable to recognize an ancient beast, how shameless was it for them to have called themselves beast tamers? If word were to spread out, they would beughingstocks. Even if they do be official beast tamers, this piece of history would follow them no matter where they go. While the others were focused on the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, Mo Yu xiaojies eyes were fixated on the young man. Her expression was grim. Even Hall Master Feng and the others failed to recognize the true identity of the bird, yet this fellow was able identify it. Furthermore, before three great Zongshis, he was able to speak calmly without fear... Where in the world did hee from? Is it possible for such an incredible figure to hail from a small and remote kingdom like Tianxuan Kingdom? "Did I... actually judge Yun Tao, who tamed an ancient beast, with a fail?" Beast Tamer Hongs face paled. In an instant, he seemed to have aged a decade. This is an ancient beast! Something which countless beast tamers dream of, but are unable to tame! Not only are they rare, they possess great intelligence as well. As such, they dont submit to anyone easily... Given his own taming skills, it would be hard for him to sessfully tame an ancient beast even if he met one. On the other hand, Yun Tao had managed to tame one, but he failed him and even demanded him to get out... Ignoring everyones shock, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and said. "Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow possesses the ability to absorb lightning to awaken its bloodline. While this ancient sparrow is simr to the Bone Bird in many ways, there are also many differences. Due to the omnivorous nature of the Bone Bird, its eyes are cloudy. On the other hand, the ancient sparrows eyes pierces straight into ones soul. Even though it isnt obvious, if one pays careful attention, the difference can be seen." "Next, the ws. Putting aside the red dot at the center, the ws of the ancient sparrow are hard and sharp, allowing it to tear through the average weapons easily, needless to say, human flesh. Beast Tamer Hong said that it doesnt possess highbative abilities, but that is because it is still young and doesnt know how to use them. The moment it learns to to utilize these, it would be able to tear even Tongxuan realm experts into two easily. "Of course, these two characteristics arent too obvious. It is difficult for the average beast tamer to spot them." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment and calmly pointed to the head of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, "The greatest distinguishing trait is its red crown. Even though it isntrge, it is clearly a symbolism of sovereignty. With this crown, even those who dont know anything about beast taming will know that this bird is anything but simple, and that it isnt something that an ordinary wild animal like the Bone Bird canpare up to! To fail to spot such an obvious distinguishing characteristic, and im that Yun Tao is wrong and fail him..." At this point, Zhang Xuan gazed coldly at him, "Beast Tamer Hong, is this how you assess savage beasts?" "I..." Beast Tamer Hongs face paled. Under Zhang Xuans gaze, he couldnt help but step back. "What gave you the confidence to immediately deem Yun Tao to have failed, and ask him to scram?" Zhang Xuan continued to utter harshly. Deng deng deng! Under the sharp words of the other party, Beast Tamer Hong seemed to have lost all of his courage and retreated once more. A book on the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow waspiled after Zhang Xuan knocked it out. As there was a detailed introduction on the ancient beast within the book, Zhang Xuan knew about these facts long ago. If the examiner were to assess Yun Taos tamed beast seriously, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have hidden the matter. However... After Zhang Xuan pointed out his mistake, he went so far as to emanate his zhenqi and summon his tamed beast, wanting to get rough with Zhang Xuan! As Zhang Xuan was a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator, he didnt need to fear the other partys intimidation. However, if his cultivation was any lower, he would have suffered a severe injury from the other partys actions. Since the other party was treating him in such a manner, there was no reason for Zhang Xuan to treat him kindly either. "Its my negligence..." Beast Tamer Hongsplexion was awful. The other partys words werepletely true. Even if he wanted to refute his words, there was nothing he could say. "As an examiner, you judged Yun Tao by your emotions, failing to maintain impartiality. Your actions nearly caused a talented beast tamer who tamed an ancient beast to be buried in dirt!" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves, "Is this how the Beast Hall operate? If so, am I mistaken in saying that the beast tamers are useless fools?" "I..." Facing the other partys questions, Beast Tamer Hong trembled in agitation, but he wasnt able to say anything at all. When he first heard the other partys words, he was so furious that he felt he could explode. However, after knowing that he nearly sent away a talented beast tamer who tamed an ancient beast, he could only silently ept the other partys criticisms. The main point of the beast tamer examination was to recruit new talents for the Beast Hall. To send away a genius like that is a vition of the rules of the Beast Hall. "Please calm down. There are innumerable species of ancient beasts, and the information on eighty to ny percent of them had disappeared along with time. Even the Beast Hall cant possibly have aprehensive list on all of them. It is natural for such mistakes to ur!" Hall Master Feng walked up with a smile, "How about this, since its our Beast Halls fault, we wont shirk responsibility. Well give Yun Tao another shot at the assessment! As for Beast Tamer Hong, due to his negligence, he will be sent to the Beast Forest to raise savage beasts, and for three years, hes not to step out from the ce!" After saying those words, he turned to look at Beast Tamer Hong and asked, "Beast Tamer Hong, do you ept your punishment?" "I am willing to ept my punishment!" Beast Tamer Hong bowed, disconste. "To send Beast Tamer Hong to the Beast Forest for three years just because of that? Furthermore, not to step out from that ce?" "Isnt that... too harsh?" "The Beast Forest is a ce where savage beasts are raised, and it is simr to a pig sty. Normally, only apprentices would visit there. For the 1-star pinnacle Beast Tamer Hong to stay there for three years, thats truly a harsh punishment!" ... Upon hearing those words, everyone was stunned. Then, they turned to look at Zhang Xuan in fear. That was Beast Tamer Hong! Other than the three 2-star beast tamers, he was the most prestigious beast tamer in the Beast Hall. Yet, with just words, thatd managed to get him exiled to the lowly Beast Forest to do menialbor, not to leave the ce for three years. His abilities and means are truly fearsome! While everyone was staring at Zhang Xuan fearfully, Zhang Xuan secretly sent a telepathic message to Shen Bi Ru. "That... What kind of ce is the Beast Forest? Is that fellows punishment harsh?" "..." Shen Bi Ru widened her eyes, and her face was distorted in her frenzy. Chapter 245: Mo Yus Challenge Chapter 245: Mo Yus Challenge Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Shen Bi Ru got increasingly confused about the young man before her. The Beast Forest is where the savage beasts reside, and it is an untidy and dirty location. It is one thing to feed the savage beasts, but for one to have to clean their feces, bathe them andb their fur... For an official beast tamer to be grounded to such a location, it could be considered as a severe punishment. All beast tamers, even if it were a mere apprentice, who have been to the Beast Hall would know what this represents... Yet, he asked what kind of ce it was and whether the punishment was considered harsh... Are you joking with me? It is one thing if you dont know the first thing about taming. However, you easily tamed the Gold Alloyed Panther and the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, as well as raised their cultivation. Furthermore... You were able to identify an ancient beast when Hall Master Feng and the others were unable to... You recognized an ancient beast so unknown that even Hall Master Feng knew nothing about, yet you dont know about such fundamental knowledge... If it were anyone else, she would have thought that he was intentionally looking for reasons to strike up a conversation with her so as to win her favor. However, Shen Bi Ru knew that this young man truly knew nothing at all! Because... Even if he didnt say anything, Shen Bi Ru was more than willing to strike up a conversation with him! "The Beast Forest is..." Suppressing the stifled sensation she was experiencing in her chest, she exined the matter regarding the Beast Forest. At the very end, she couldnt help but ask, "Do you really not know anything about beast taming?" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Even though there were records on beast tamers in Tianxuan Kingdoms Book Collection Vault, information was in random bits and pieces; there wasnt any reliable content on the upation. The reasons why Zhang Xuan was able to help the Gold Alloyed Panther and Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow achieve a breakthrough was because of the Library of Heavens Path and his pure zhenqi... Truthfully speaking, Zhang Xuan knew nothing about beast taming. "Alright!" Hearing the other partys confirmation, Shen Bi Ru became speechless. Despite knowing nothing at all, you managed to tame a savage beast. Furthermore, you were able to make the Hall Master punish an official beast tamer, and not to forget, leave four beast tamers speechless... At this rate If you were to know beast taming, wont you overthrow the entire Beast Hall? You said that you dont know anything about formations, yet you were able to see through the ws in the Green Wood Confinement Formation. You said you dont know anything about beast taming, but you were able to tame a savage beast so easily... Brother, can you teach me how I can be as ignorant as you? Honestly speaking, I finally understand why ignorance is bliss... Shen Bi Ru felt so stifled that she wanted to vomit blood. On the other hand, Yun Tao was about to go mad with excitement. After being criticized by Beast Tamer Hong, he thought that he would have to leave the Beast Hall in disappointment today. Yet, Elder Zhang Xuan managed to solve his problem with just a few words. More importantly... That strange bird is actually an ancient beast, the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow! As an apprentice beast tamer, he knew how valuable the bloodline of an ancient beast was. While it couldnt be said to be worth a city, it didnt pale much inparison. Elder Zhang Xuan recognized the true identity of the strange bird, but he still gave the opportunity to him, allowing him to tame it... "After this beast tamer examination is over, I should find a way to dispel the contract..." Yun Tao made up his mind. While having an ancient beast was great, it was impossible for him to control or protect it with his current strength. On top of that, the ancient sparrow was obviously much closer to Elder Zhang Xuan. After the examination was over, he would dispel the contract and allow the ancient beast to apany its true owner. If Zhang Xuan were to know of his thoughts, he would definitely shake his head with a smile. Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan had no interest in a mere ancient beast. Possessing the Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path zhenqi, along with the rise in his cultivation, he would be able to cleanse the bloodline of any savage beast as he pleases. As long as he has sufficient time, he would be able to transform any ordinary savage beast into an ancient beast! More importantly, even though the bloodline of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow was impressive, it was small. Not only could Zhang Xuan not ride on it, it would be riding on his shoulder all day long. Thus, to Zhang Xuan, it was of no value to him. If it were an aerial primordial beast, Zhang Xuan would have given it some thought. While Zhang Xuan didnt mind taming ancient beasts, bringing it around everywhere, cultivating together, the contract, and all kind of other misceneous matters, just thinking about them was a huge hassle in itself... Better not. ... Hall Master Feng personally conducted the examination for Yun Tao. Knowing that the ancient beast had submittedpletely, there was no doubt about its loyalty. Thus, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to continue watching. Stretching his back and pondering about how he should go to Tianwu Kingdom to look for the Poison Hall, he suddenly caught a whiff of fragrance. A beautiful figure appeared before him. In her eyes, one could see pride and a refusal to concede. "To be able to recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, you are knowledgeable. You must be a beast tamer!" The genius, Mo Yu. When she was evaluated as a grade-1, she should have been the one to enjoy the looks of admiration from the others. Yet, this fellow stole her limelight, and thus, she couldnt help but be interested in the affairs of this young man. Ever since her birth, except for that one person, regardless of whether it was her upation or her cultivation, as long as she set her mind to it, she would always stand out from the others. She thought that, just like the many times before, she would definitely be in the first ce for this beast tamer examination, but from the looks of it now, it is likely to be impossible. While the Tongxuan realm Viridescent Eagle isnt weak, it pales too far inparison to an ancient beast. After several days of being with Yun Tao, she knew that it was impossible for that fellow to possess the capability to tame an ancient beast. Thus, it was likely that he had a helper with him, and that helper was this unimpressive-looking fellow before her. "Im not a beast tamer!" ncing at the other party, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Youre not? Then how do you know of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow? Also, how did you tame this Gold Alloyed Panther then? Not to mention, gain intimacy with that ancient sparrow?" A glean shed across Mo Yus eyes. As a master teacher apprentice, it was natural that she had a sharp eye for things. It was clear that he possessed great intimacy with his Gold Alloyed Panther, and the ancient sparrow seemed to be attached to him as well. She found it hard to believe that he wasnt a beast tamer. "Oh, it might just be my good luck!" Zhang Xuan casually replied. Other people would be trying their best to fawn on her given her noble identity as the third princess of Tianwu Kingdom and her great talents. However, Zhang Xuan didnt think much of her identity. "Luck?" Mo Yu staggered. Taming beasts is about sparing no means and schemes to build a rtionship with savage beasts. Luck... What the heck is that? Whenever others speak with her, they would be trying their best to act knowledgeable, using all sort of exaggerated and bombastic phrases to impress her. However, not only did this fellow refuse to tell her anything, he was even unwilling to put in the effort to make up an excuse... Luck... If such a thing could tame savage beasts, who would be willing to spend so much effort to be a beast tamer? Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, everyone has always talked to her respectfully. No one has ever dared to treat her in such a way. She couldnt help but feel dismal. Seeing how even the esteemed third princess of Tianwu Kingdom suffered a blow from Zhang Xuan, Shen Bi Ru shook her head. When she first spoke to this fellow, she also nearly died from anger. Now that she has gotten used to it, it felt much better. Other than suffering a few shocks and the face-pping on a daily basis, at the very least, she is able to handle his speech now. Talking to Zhang Xuan when one doesnt know his temper and character is definitely suicidal. Unaware of Zhang Xuan glorious past, Mo Yu xiaojie took in a few deep breaths before managing to calm her breathing. Then, she raised her head as though a proud crane. "If youre unwilling to speak of it, I shall not force you. But to be able to make a savage beast submit so willingly, you do possess some capability! How about this, why dont we have apetition? If I win, you will tell me how you caught the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow and how you won its favor! On the other hand, if you win, I will you give a 2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shus Tutge Jade Token!" "2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shu?" "I heard that he is the most incredible master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom, reaching 2-star pinnacle. Furthermore, he is the person in charge of Tianwu Master Teacher Pavilion. His Tutge Jade Token is invaluable, even if its just for two hours!" "This object is something one cant buy with just money... If I were to obtain it, I will surely be able to reach Tongxuan realm or even higher!" "It is a waste to use this token when trying to reach Tongxuan realm. At the very least, one should only use it when trying for Half-Zongshi. Only then will it be worth its value!" ... Several people in the surrounding had been paying attention to Mo Yu xiaojies actions. Seeing her strike up a conversation with this fellow, they immediately focused the hearing. Upon hearing the stakes, they were so excited that their eyes shone and their breathing hastened. Even if it were just for two hours, a 2-star master teachers Tutge Jade Token was something countless people dream of. It might very well be the impetus for one to surpass their current limits to reach higher realms. No one would be able to turn down such an enticing offer. Everyone thought that thed would agree immediately when Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, "Im not interested!" After impersonating a master teacher for a period of time and interacting with Liu shi and the others, Zhang Xuan knew what a Tutge Jade Token was and what it was used for. However, his method of cultivation is only limited by the number of books in his possession. He doesnt require guidance from anyone. Even the Tutge Jade Token of a 3-star or a 4-star master teacher wouldnt entice him. No matter how knowledgeable they are, can they be even more knowledgeable than the Library of Heavens Path? Nothing could be hidden from the heavens. Even 7-star or 8-star master teachers wouldnt match up to the value of the Library of Heavens Path. "Not interested? Have you thought the matter through..." With such a huge bait, Mo Yu originally thought that Zhang Xuan would ept it immediately. However, after hearing his answer, she was taken aback. She was about to say something when the Heart Inquisition Crystal lit up. Yun Tao was done with his examination, and slowly, numbers floated into appearance on the surface of the crystal... 40! "What? A Loyalty Level of 40? Is this... Advanced Taming?" Hall Master Feng was taken aback. He stood up abruptly, and his eyes reflected his disbelief. He wasnt the only one. The entire room immediately burst intomotion. Even Mo Yu was dumbfounded by the sight. The various phases to the taming of a beast could be divided into Inceptive Taming, Advanced Taming, and Complete Submission. For Inceptive Taming, the loyalty of the tamed beast would be around 15 to 30. At this level, the Beast Tamer is able to easily summon their savage beast, and it will follow him. In a way, it is simr to a domesticated animal. For Advanced Taming, the loyalty of the tamed beast would be around 31 to 45. At this point, the beast tamer and savage beast would establish a contract and they would be capable ofmunicating with one another telepathically. As for the even more advanced Complete Submission, the Loyalty Level would exceed 45. Usually, it would require many years of friendship between the tamed beast and the beast tamer. At this level, they would be able to practice the same cultivation technique and improve together. It was already incredible to achieve Inceptive Taming with an ancient beast. Yet, the Loyalty Level of the strange bird has already reached 40... This means that it was already beyond the level of just following Yun Tao. A contract has already been established between the two! But... how is this possible? "How... did you do it?" Hall Master Feng couldnt help but ask. "This..." Yun Tao hesitated. "I understand that it might be inconvenient for you to speak, but dont worry too much about it!" Upon seeing his attitude, Hall Master Feng thought that it was secret, so he hurriedly added in. "Thats not it. Actually..." Yun Tao scratched his head. "Its Elder Zhang Xuans efforts. He beat up this ancient sparrow, and this fellow submitted immediately..." Chapter 246: 246.Are You Taking the Beast Tamer Examination? Chapter 246: 246.Are You Taking the Beast Tamer Examination? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Gave it... a good beating?" Everyone present was stunned. Hall Master Fengs lips twitched and he nearly fainted. This is an ancient beast, and there might not a second one in the entire Xuanluo Mountain Range. Given its value, everyone would be vying to dote on it, yet... beating it up? Furthermore, to tame a beast, a beast tamer has to cultivate feelings with it. Beating it up may encourage it to submit grudgingly, but as time goes by, all kinds of problems would surface. But... if Zhang Xuan really used such rough methods to force the Ancient Lightning Cloud Beast to submit to Yun Tao, then why would it have a Loyalty Level of 40 toward Yun Tao? There were those who forced savage beasts to submit to them, but even those who managed to establish a contract with their tamed beast could only attain a Loyalty Level of 31 or so at maximum. A Loyalty Level of over 40 means that a tamed beast is truly willing to follow its master, without the slightest bit of doubt! "Can it be that... ancient beasts have to be tamed in such a way?" Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang stared at one another in deep contemtion. There wasnt a precedent in which an ancient beast was tamed in this Beast Hall, and as such, no one knew how an ancient beast was supposed to be tamed. As such, everyone thought that to tame an ancient beast, one had to employ the same method as with other savage beasts; treat it with care and concern to befriend it before trying to tame it... Can the key to taming them truly be simple violence? "This... Where is the Elder Zhang Xuan you speak of? Can we pay him a visit?" Even after pondering, Hall Master Feng was unable to reach aprehension. As such, he asked Yun Tao for Zhang Xuans whereabouts. From what he visualized, this elder Yun Tao spoke of was likely to be an esteemed beast tamer who has an in-depth knowledge about ancient beasts "Pay him a visit? Theres no need for it, Elder Zhang Xuan is here..." Hearing Hall Master Fengs words, Yun Tao was stunned. Then, recovering from his daze, he pointed to Zhang Xuan as he spoke. "He is... Elder Zhang Xuan?" Hall Master Feng was astounded. He felt his vision turning gray. No matter what, Yun Tao was twenty-seven years old and, not to mention, a prince of Hanwu Kingdom. Since he addressed the other party as an elder, the other party should at least be someone in his fifties and sixties. Yet... it was the fellow who just recognized the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, a youngster who hadnt even reached his twenties... "Thats right. Elder may be young, but his ability in beast taming is incredible. Do you see that Gold Alloyed Panther beside him? It is savage beast that he just tamed, and it was less than ten minutes from the point he saw it before it was tamed." Afraid that Hall Master Feng would disregard Zhang Xuan, Yun Tao hurriedly added in a praise for Zhang Xuan. "Taming a Gold Alloyed Panther... in less than ten minutes?" "Am I dreaming?" "Even if youre spouting nonsense, you should have a limit. Even the most basic Inceptive Taming takes a minimum of three to five days. Yet, you said that he tamed it within ten minutes?" "Why does it sound like a huge joke to me?" ... Yun Tao didnt try to lower his voice at all. As such, everyone in the room heard his voice clearly. They stared at one another nkly. Putting aside Mo Yu, Zhou Xuan, and the others, even their guards who had experience in beast taming knew how difficult it was to tame a savage beast. One had to understand the other partys condition, habits,panion, likes and dislikes... Only after getting familiar with all of these information can one formte a n to tame the savage beast. Furthermore, they have to do subtly so as to not incur the savage beasts displeasure... In all, if one includes the preparatory work one has to do beforehand, taming a savage beast should take a minimum of several months. Ten minutes... Who are you trying to deceive? Not mentioning a Pixue realm savage beast, would a young puppy follow you home just after ten minutes? Mo Yu xiaojie stared at the young man who has just rejected her in disbelief. Taming a savage beast in ten minutes? If it was true, then it was suicidal for her to challenge him to a beast tamingpetition! To tame this Viridescent Eagle, she had spent a huge amount of time and prepared two months in advance... "How did he manage to tame a Gold Alloyed Panther in such a short time? What kind of method did he use? Did he use a femalepanion to attract it? Or maybe he tackled its gluttony? The allure of power... Or did he resort to some other unique means?" Beast Tamer Lu couldnt help but ask. He immediately pointed out over ten different ways ofmon beast taming methods "Thats not it. Those are the fundamental methods, and those methods are slow. I think he probably used multiple methods simultaneously. He first captured the attention of the other party in the shortest time possible before removing the guard of the savage beast bit by bit, increasing the intimacy between the duo swiftly... Hall Master Feng said. "However, it is impossible for him to employ so many different methods within just ten minutes. My conjecture is that it should be a single powerful method..." Beast Tamer Lu shook his head. The two of them had dedicated their entire lives to the art of beast taming, and knowledge of beast taming had been ingrained directly into their soul. Upon hearing that someone had managed to sessfully tame a savage beast within an extremely short period of time, their first question was the method the other party used to achieve the feat. "Cough cough, Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, Elder Zhang Xuan... didnt use any of those methods!" Hearing their discussion slowly bing more and moreplex as various theories were dumped in to support their ims, Yun Tao couldnt help but stop them. "He didnt use any of those methods? Could it be that... he used some new beast taming method?" The duos eyes lit up. A new beast taming method was simr to the emergence of a new apothecary forging technique. It would create a huge uproar, and the creator would leave his name in history. If there was truly a method to tame a Pixue realm savage beast in less than ten minutes, the art of beast taming would be revolutionized. "Its not a new beast taming method, but..." Yun Tao scratched his head, as though he still found the fight he saw previously incredulous. "Elder Zhang Xuan pummeled this Gold Alloyed Panther, then... it submitted to him!" "What?" "Pummeled it?" Hall Master Feng and the others were bbergasted. Zhang Xuans actions of taming the ancient beast by beating it up could have been attributed to the difference in species, so his violent method might have worked. However... there were others had tamed Gold Alloyed Panthers before him, and it was a known fact that these panthers possess an arrogant personality. They rarely interact with others, and the best way to tame it was to attract it using a femalepanion... Yet, it submitted right after receiving a beating? "Thats right. Actually, I intended to tame this Gold Alloyed Panther for the examination, but I underestimated its strength and nearly got killed. It was Elder Zhang Xuan who appeared and saved us. After elder pummeled that fellow, it submittedpletely to him, initiating a contract on its own volition. In truth, elder had been unwilling to ept it. If not for my persuasion, he might have turned it down." Yun Tao recounted. "Submitting right after a pummeling? Furthermore, its a Complete Submission, and it initiated a contract on its own volition?" "The Gold Alloyed Panther offered to be his tamed beast, but he was unwilling to ept it..." "Other people had to squander their fortune and serve a savage beast as though it was a king in order to tame it, but he only has to beat it up..." ... Hearing those words, everyone staggered and nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Especially for Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang. Their body trembled and they nearly passed out from astonishment. In order to tame the savage beasts beside them, the kingdoms behind them had devoted great manpower and a massive fortune. Even so, they had only managed to achieve an Inceptive Taming, and the savage beast could possibly leave them at any moment. On the other hand, this fellow simply beat up the savage beast, and it immediately submitted to him... When did beast taming be so simple? "To be able to tame a savage beast just by beating up, as well as to recognize an ancient beast... Without a doubt, hes a genius beast tamer!" Recovering from the shock, Beast Tamer Lus eyes glowed in excitement. "Right, is he... a beast tamer?" Suddenly recalling something, Beast Tamer Wang asked. Since the other party was able to tame savage beasts so easily, he should be a beast tamer. But if so, why wasnt there any records on him in the Beast Hall? "He isnt one, he hasnt taken the examination yet! He is just an amateur who learned a little beast taming during his free time!" Yun Tao said. Along their journey here, Yun Tao had already inquired if Elder Zhang Xuan had attempted any beast tamer examination. There was arge group of talented personnel in the world who didnt take the examinations, but possessed exceptional talents. "He hasnt taken the examination? Great, can you help me ask him if hes willing to be a beast tamer? As long as hes willing to, I will conduct an individual examination for him!" Beast Tamer Feng hurriedly said. With his incredible aptitude and means in beast taming, he would surely shine brightly when he bes an official beast tamer. Perhaps, this Beast Hall branch might... be well-known because of his influence. More importantly, if he truly possesses the ability to tame a savage beast just by beating it up, then if he were to join thatpetition... he would surely be able to win first ce! Of course, in order to make sure of that, Hall Master Feng would conduct the examination personally. "Take the beast tamer examination? Ill help you ask him..." Yun Tao nodded his head. He walked over to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Elder, Hall Master Feng said that if you are willing to take the beast tamer examination, he will conduct an individual examination for you..." "Forget it..." After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan rejected the offer. The reason why Zhang Xuan was able to tame beasts was because of the Library of Heavens Path. If he were to take the examination, hisck of knowledge would immediately be revealed. However, that wasnt the aspect Zhang Xuan was the most concerned about. Regarding hisck of knowledge, he could easily solve it by going through the books in the Beast Hall. More importantly... the second phase of the beast tamer examination would take half a month by itself, not to mention the various tests he would have to undergo beforehand. For the moment, the poison aura within his body was the topmost priority. He didnt want to waste any time here. "This is a good opportunity, Hall Master Feng will be conducting the examination personally..." Yun Tao didnt expect Zhang Xuan to reject the offer immediately. Thinking that this was too good an opportunity to let by, Yun Tao tried persuading him. As long as he could impress Hall Master Feng, the Beast Hall would be willing to devote all kinds of resources to groom him. This was something that countless beast tamers dreamed about. "I have urgent business to attend to, so Ill have to leave soon. Since youve already be a beast tamer, help me choose a good aerial savage beast. It doesnt matter to me whether I take the examination or not!" Zhang Xuan said. "This..." Confirming that the other party wasnt inclined to take the beast tamer examination, Yun Tao shook his head in disappointment, "Actually, for the beast tamer examination, you just have to find a suitable savage beast to tame. It doesnt necessarily have to take half a month toplete. Besides, as an official beast tamer, not only do you get to freely choose among the aerial savage beasts, you dont have to pay any fees or whatsoever for it as well. In fact, you are allowed to change mounts freely at any Beast Halls..." "Dont have to pay any fees?" Before Yun Tao could finish his words, the calm Zhang Xuan from a moment ago was currently standing in front of him with glowing eyes. "Thats right. Official beast tamers have privileges. 1-star beast tamers are exempted from the fees borrowing mounts below Zongshi realm, while 2-star beast tamers are exempted from the fees of borrowing mounts at Zongshi realm, and so on. The higher your rank as a beast tamer, the more privileges you enjoy..." Yun Tao exined. However, halfway through, Elder Zhang Xuan looked at him with a serious expression, and with a determined tone, he said, "The fee exemption or whatsoever is just a small matter, you need not say anymore! How does the beast tamer examination work..." "Why dont... I try taking it on!" Chapter 247: Soul Depth Above 10? Chapter 247: Soul Depth Above 10? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Ah?" Yun Tao couldnt react to the abrupt change before him. Didnt he dere with determination that he wouldnt take the examination, just a moment ago? Why did he change his mind so quickly? The moment he mentioned that there were exemptions of fees for riding aerial savage beasts, Zhang Xuans attitude changed immediately... Feeling overwhelmed, Yun Tao nearly choked on his saliva. In his perspective, Elder Zhang Xuan, who was a powerful Zongshi who possessed incredible strength, shouldnt have any interest in material wealth. For his eyes to glow the moment he heard that it was free... Cough cough, wasnt he too materialistic? "Fine then..." It took him much effort before he managed to swallow the saliva stuck in his throat. He was about to say something when Mo Yu xiaojie turned over, and with her head raised proudly, nced at Zhang Xuan in disdain. "Try taking it on? Hmph, do you think that bing a beast tamer is a joke? You just happened to seed in taming two savage beasts, and you think that beast taming is easy? Let me tell you, just for themonly seen savage beasts in the world, there are already more than tens of thousand of them. Not to mention, they have their own defining characteristic, personality, habits, and other numerous other traits. Without at least a year of effort, it is impossible for you to remember them all!" Mo Yu was still infuriated by how that fellow rejected her challenge. Upon hearing his arrogant words, she struck back immediately. What do you mean by "try" taking it on... Beast taming is one of the top upations among the Upper Nine Paths. The difficulty of bing an official beast tamer is not any lower than that of bing an apothecary. Do you think that this is a joke? Do you think that you can pass the examination just because you tamed two savage beasts by luck? It is just like one wanting to be a physician just because he happened by ident to formte a medicine which is useful toward an illness. Dream on! Every single upation has its own depth andplexity. It is impossible for one to be proficient in an upation within just a day or two. This is especially true for beast taming. You might be able to tame savage beasts weaker than you through brute force. However, what about those with higher cultivation than you? If you dare to disrespect them, they would destroy you in an instant. Despite knowing nothing about the characteristics of the savage beasts, you said that you want to take on the beast tamer examination. If this isnt being arrogant, what else can it be? "Mo Yu xiaojie, theres no need to get mad at such a haughty and ignorant person! He just happened to know the name of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow and tamed a Gold Alloyed Panther by luck, and he thinks that the world revolves around him. Given how he knows nothing about beast taming, his ignorance will surely be revealed the moment he takes the examination!" Zhu Jinhuang stepped forward. Beast taming is a profound art. Even if one is talented, he would require at least several years to learn the fundamentals. This fellow is definitely not an apprentice beast tamer, and from the looks of it, he hasnt really learned much about beast taming either. With those subpar skills, he wishes to take on the beast tamer examination? "He is just a conceited fellow. A beast tamer must know more than taming savage beasts. More importantly, one has to understand the savage beasts from head to toe. All he did was to coerce savage beasts to submit through brute force, and he thinks that he is a beast tamer already. What a joke! If thats the case, anyone can be a beast tamer!" Zhou Xuan sneered. The two of them were hostile toward Yun Tao. Naturally, they hoped that those around him wouldnt be able to pass the examination. Besides, that fellow had just snubbed Mo Yu xiaojie, and speaking up for her now could possibly win them some brownie points. "Since I just happened to tame two savage beasts and know nothing at all... then Mo Yu xiaojie, why do you want topete with me and learn how I won the favor of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow?" Couldnt be bothered with Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan, Zhang Xuan turned to the beautiful figure and spoke impassively. "You..." Mo Yus body stiffened and her face turned red. Given her noble standing, others usually maintained an attitude of utmost respect when speaking to her. Never had anyone dared to speak to her in such a manner. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, she felt so furious that her words jammed in her throat. "Lad, do you know who youre talking to? You arrogant fellow..." "Hurry up and apologize. It is your honor to be criticized by Mo Yu xiaojie. How can you be so audacious so as to refute her words..." Seeing how the fellow insulted their goddess, Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan felt greatly displeased. They bellowed at him immediately, but before they could finish their words, Mo Yus expression darkened. "Shut up! No one will take you for a mute if you dont speak!" "Xiaojie..." Taken aback by her sudden outburst, the two of them went silent. They were speaking up for her, yet they ended up being yelled at instead. In any case, they knew that they had identally triggered Mo Yus ire with their fawning, thus they decided not to speak anymore. "Its this fellows fault. Ill see how he make a fool of himselfter on!" The more they thought about it, the more furious they became. Not daring to vent their anger on their goddess, they chose to divert it all toward Zhang Xuan. As such, the more they looked at him, the more of an eyesore he became to them. Couldnt be bothered to deal with these three fellows, Zhang Xuan followed behind Yun Tao as he walked toward Hall Master Feng. "Hall Master Feng, Elder Zhang Xuan has agreed to take the beast tamer examination. So... when can the examination begin?" Yun Tao asked excitedly. He hadpletely confidence in this Elder Zhang Xuan. Other people had to go through all sorts of hardship to tame a savage beast, but he was able to achieve the same feat just by beating it up. Not to mention, he was able to raise their cultivation easily. Even if it were Hall Master Feng, Yun Tao didnt believe that he was capable of doing the same. Since he is a person of such great means, how can he possibly fail a mere beast tamer examination? "We can start now. I heard that you havent participated in any examination before, and you arent even an apprentice beast tamer. Is that true?" Hall Master Feng nced at Zhang Xuan. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Since you are able to tame a Pixue realm savage beast and recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, this shows that you have an in-depth knowledge of beast taming. As such, Ill skip the apprentice beast tamer examination." Hall Master Feng said. The main purpose of the apprentice examination was to test the foundation of a person in the certain upation. Since Zhang Xuan was able to recognize the Ancient Cloud Lightning Sparrow while the others werent able to, Zhang Xuan was likely to be someone who has a solid foundation in beast taming. Thus, to have him take the apprentice examination would be both troublesome and pointless. Of course, if he were to know that Zhang Xuan didnt know anything about beast taming, he wouldnt be thinking the same. "However, it would be hard to test your understanding of savage beasts without the apprentice examination. Since thats the case, I will remove the first phase of the beast tamer examination and, instead, add in a theoreticalponent to the apprentice examination." The apprentice examination consisted of a theoretical examination and a savage beast discernment test. On the other hand, the beast tamer examination consisted of receiving the acknowledgement of a savage beast and taming a savage beast. Since Zhang Xuan was able to recognize a rare savage beast like the Ancient Cloud Lightning Sparrow, it could only mean that he was extremely knowledgeable in the different types of savage beasts. As such, the test on discerning savage beasts would be aplete waste of time. Also, for a person who had sessfully tamed a savage beast, there was no purpose in getting him to earn the acknowledgement of a savage beast. Thus, Hall Master Feng contemted for a moment and decided to change the format of the examination. "The first phase will be a theoretical examination, which will be presented in the form of a written paper. After you pass the first phase, you will have to tame a savage beast which is stronger than you! Ill be impartial in the judgement, and as long as you pass the two phases, you will be an official 1-star beast tamer." "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Yun Tao had told him about the beast tamer examination beforehand and it was around the same as what Hall Master Feng has said. He didnt intentionally make things difficult for Zhang Xuan. Upon seeing him agree to it, Hall Master Feng smiled. "Alright then, I will prepare the written paper now. Its a pass if you can answer all of the questions correctly!" "Wait a moment, do you have any books on beast taming here? Can I browse through them?" Zhang Xuan asked. "You wish to browse through books?" Hall Master Feng and the others stared at one another in confusion. Why would you look at books now? "The library over there is full of books on beast taming. Usually, only apprentice beast tamers are allowed to browse through them, but I can give you special permission to look through them now if you want. But to browse through them now..." Hall Master Feng felt perplexed. Even though he didnt finish his final sentence, everyone knew what he was trying to say. There are at least hundreds of thousand of books on beast taming. Isnt it a little toote to do some cramming now? It is just like looking for a wife only when one wants to have a child. Your way of doing things is unbelievable! "Oh, its a habit of mine. Before major events, I tend to feel a little anxious and would have to browse through books to adjust my state of mind. Thus, I will have to trouble Hall Master Feng for this matter!" Zhang Xuan replied his doubts casually. He used the same reason at Master Lu Chens residence back then, and the result wasnt too bad. Thus, he decided to use it once more. "Is that so... Alright, the library is over there. You can head there directly!" Hall Master Feng was unsuspecting and pointed toward the door. "Much thanks!" Zhang Xuan nodded before heading forward with widened strides. It would be impossible for him to pass the beast taming examination without reading up on it. However, given that he now has ess to the library, as long as he copies all of the books there into the Library of Heavens Path, the rest would be a piece of cake. "This fellow..." Upon seeing Zhangoshi agree to go ahead with the beast tamer examination, Shen Bi Rus eyelids twitched. She could feel blood welling up in her mouth, threatening to spurt out at any moment. Isnt this way too daring! It wasnt that she didnt believe in the other party, just that... along the way, he had shown hisck of knowledge in the field of beast taming time and again. In fact, it was just a moment ago that he asked her what the Beast Forest was... You dont even know the Beast Forest, yet you dare to challenge the beast tamer examination? More importantly... The other party would be bringing in the papers in a moment, but youre only going to start reading up now? The heck you are up to? "Un? Wait a moment... Thest time he was at the Compendium Pavilion in the academy, he was also flipping through the books randomly. Could it be that..." Suddenly, Shen Bi Ru recalled the sight when the two of them was in the Compendium Pavilion. This Zhangoshi was flipping through the books randomly. She thought that he was doing it intentionally to attract her attention, but only after that did she realize that she had been overthinking it. The other party wasnt just flipping through the books randomly. He was actually remembering the contents of the books. To remember contents of the books just by flipping through them haphazardly... Can it be that Zhangoshi really knows nothing about beast taming, and that his purpose of browsing through the books is to... learn? "This... How can this be? After bing a teacher at Hongtian Academy, he probably visited the Compendium Pavilion often to read through those books. After all, even 3-star master teachers who possess photographic memory cant possibly learn the contents of that much books within such a short period of time!" Finding her conjecture ridiculous, Shen Bi Ru dumped it aside immediately. It is said that if one who possesses the State of Insight of Heart of Tranquil Water has a Soul Depth of 10 and above, he would gain photographic memory. Then, the moment he flips through a book, he would be able to remember the content clearly until his death. This is precisely the reason why the more incredible master teachers are able to immerse themselves in so many upations and remember a vast amount of knowledge. However... Assuming that Zhangoshi really possesses a Soul Depth exceeding 10, flipping through the pages of that hundreds of thousand of books one by one would still take several months! "Can it... can it be?" Another thought appeared in Shen Bi Rus mind and her body shuddered involuntarily. Chapter 248: He Is Running! Chapter 248: He Is Running! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "This is impossible..." The moment the thought appeared in her mind, Shen Bi Ru shook her head vigorously. She had once read on an ancient manual that in the Upper Nine Paths, other than themonly seen upations such as cksmith, apothecary, and formation master, there was another mysterious upation, seer. Seers are skilled in divination. Using special methods, they are able to foresee the events that would happen in the near future and then make preparations for it in advance. If Zhang Xuan were a seer, it would have beenpletely possible for him to know the questions in advance and flip through the corresponding books to memorize the correct answers. But if so, he didnt need to browse through all of the books in the library. Could it be that Zhangoshi possess talents in this mysterious upation? If that was the case, that exined why Zhang Xuan was able to answer her questions outside the Compendium Pavilion perfectly back then. That also exined why he knew that Yun Taos formation couldnt confine the Gold Alloyed Panther... Now that she thought of it, this might really be the case! Just that... This upation exists only in the legends. ording to the ratio stated in the books, out of billions of cultivators, there might not even be a single seer. Given the absurd rarity of the upation, nearly no one has ever seen a seer. If Zhang Xuan possessed such abilities, he could have avoided scoring a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination, and he wouldnt have suffered so much afterward either. Besides, divination only allows one to foresee the rough outline of affairs that is about to happen. It is impossible to peer into the specific questions of the examinations and make preparations for them beforehand! Shen Bi Rus eyebrows knitted tightly together as she mused over the matter. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She thought that she knew this Zhangoshi well, but from the looks of it, all she had seen was just the tip of the cier. After deriving nothing at all after a long period of contemtion, her curiosity toward Zhangoshi grew. At this moment, she finally understood why Han Qiong said she wasnt worthy of the other party. While she was beautiful and possessed quite some talent, Zhang Xuan was simply out of her league. As her thoughts were wandering around the ce, Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan were staring at Zhang Xuans back with widened eyes. "This fellow... Is he mad? To only start reading right before the examination?" "There must be something wrong with his head. What use is there to browse through books now?" The two of them muttered as they sneaked nces toward Mo Yu. There were deep creases on her forehead, and it was a mystery to them what she was thinking about. They were about to walk up to fawn on her when their goddess turned around and walked in the librarys direction. "Mo Yu xiaojie..." The duo hurriedly followed behind her. "Stay here! I will break the legs of whoever who follows me!" Harrumphing coldly, Mo Yu turned around and headed straight for the library. "Damn it, damn it!" Hearing Princess Mo Yu berate the two of them because of a fellow she had just met, Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuans faces reddened in anger. But before their rage could burn for long, Mo Yu xiaojie returned to the examination hall. She was muttering something beneath her breath, and there was a bizarre expression on her face. The two of them stared at one another in confusion. They were curious about what she was saying, but fearful of angering the other party, they could only remain where they were and scratch their heads in frustration. After a short period, they finally came to the limit of their patience. Zhu Jinhuang beckoned a guard over and whispered into his ear. The guard then circled around the room and appeared behind Mo Yu. After listening in to her words for a moment, he returned with an equally bizarre expression. "What did Princess Mo Yu say?" Upon the guards return, the duo asked anxiously. "She... kept saying flipping through books, flipping through books, flipping through books... As for her other words, I didnt manage to catch them!" The guard scratched his head. "Flipping through books?" Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan stared at one another. They could see bewilderment in each others faces, and at the same time, a thought appeared in their minds... Can it be that... their goddess has gone insane? ... Oblivious to the fact that the goddess of the duo was in a frenzy because of him, Zhang Xuan was, at the moment, engaged the action which Mo Yu kept mumbling about, flipping through books. He thought that there would at most be tens of thousand of books on beast taming here. However, upon walking into the library, he realized how childish his thoughts were. Looking at the dense congregation of books around him, there was surely no less than several hundred thousand books. Even though it wasnt asrge as Tianxuan Kingdoms Book Collection Vault, it wasnt far from it. If he were to use his usual method, several days would have passed before he could manage to flip through them all. He thought that the beast tamer examination would be easy, and that he would be able to finish it swiftly. If he were to spend several days flipping through books, even if he doesnt go mad, Hall Master Feng and the others waiting outside would go mad. Usually, people only spend a maximum of four hours to adjust their state of mind for examinations. If he were to take several days at a single go and emerge with bloodshot eyes, everyone would realise that something is amiss. "But if I dont flip through all of these books, the Library of Heavens Path wont be able topile a corresponding book. If the knowledge within that book which I missed out were to be tested, I will fail the examination..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "If so, I wouldnt be able to enjoy the free rental that beast tamers enjoy..." Even though Zhang Xuan possessed over ten million gold coins in his storage ring, he had already cultivated frugal habits as a result of being an average librarian in his previous life... If he has the chance to save money, he would definitely seize it! This was no longer a matter of money, but principles! "The Library of Heavens Path allows me to view the information and ws of an object just by touching it. If I were to touch this bookshelf... Will the content of the books on it appear as well?" Going by his usual pace, it would be impossible for him to finish flipping through so many books within a few hours. Thus, he had to look for another method. With a deep frown on his forehead, an idea suddenly appeared in his head. With a touch of his finger, he was able topile a book on any objects, unconscious people, and unconscious savage beasts. Since these books were ced on a bookshelf, was it possible for all of the content of the books to appear in the Library of Heavens Path just by touching the bookshelf? "I should give it a try!" Zhang Xuan walked up to a bookshelf, touched the bookshelf, and mentally echoed ws. Hu! The library jolted and a book appeared. Flipping it open, Zhang Xuans body swayed and he nearly vomited blood. Written in the book is: Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall 3rd row bookshelf. Crafted by a 1-mo craftsman using camphor wood. It has 37 years of... "This is not what I want..." Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears. Clearly, only when an objectes into direct contact in his hands would information and ws be generated. There were no shortcuts around it. "Un? Thats not right. If information is generated when an objectes in contact with my fingers, then... even if I dont flip through these books, just by touching it, a corresponding book should bepiled as well, right?" Before long, another thought popped into Zhang Xuans mind. The duration of contact didnt matter. As long as Zhang Xuan willed for the ws of an object to be shown, a book would bepiled. If so, it should be possible for Zhang Xuan topile corresponding books just by brief contact. "I should try it out..." Zhang Xuan walked over to a pile of books and, yelling ws in his head, his fingers slid past over them. Huhuhu! Zhang Xuan was still considering whether its usefulness when the library jolted, a pile of new books appearing in his consciousness. "It works?" Zhang Xuans face reddened in agitation. He flipped open thepiled book quickly, and verified that the content of the original book was imprinted perfectly on it along with the various ws. "Its workable!" Crying tears of happiness, Zhang Xuan carried out several more tries more in order to confirm the situation. As long as he willed for ws to appear, he would be able to duplicate the books his fingers slid past in the Library of Heavens Path. This was more than a hundred times faster than flipping through the books. Zhang Xuan was able to flip through more than a dozen books at once, but retrieving and returning the books from and to the shelves consumed much of his time. Now that Zhang Xuan had confirmed that he could duplicate a book just by touching it, he could slide his fingers over the books without even moving the books from their original positions. As such, he was able topile an entire shelf of books in less than a minute. However, due to the rapid pace of collecting the books, the intense tremor in the library would cause Zhang Xuans head to hurt. He was therefore unable topile all of the books at a single go. Usually, after duplicating the books on several shelves, he would have to take a rest. Even so, his speed was much faster than before. At his current pace, he would only need around two hours to finish duplicating all of the books present. "Lets go!" Zhang Xuan was delighted at finding an efficient way in collecting books. As he mentally yelled ws, he ran alongside the shelves as his fingers slid on the books. After finishing a row, he would double check the books in the Library of Heavens Path to see if he had missed out any. If so, he would return to add it in. As he collected more and more books, Zhang Xuans understanding toward beast taming increased swiftly. ... "Hall Master Feng, are you done preparing the papers?" In the room, Beast Tamer Lu and Beast Tamer Wang, upon seeing Hall Master Feng walk over, turned to look at him. "Un!" Hall Master Feng nodded his head. "Characteristics of hundreds of savage beasts are tested in this examination, and I hadnt gone easy on him at all. If he can answer all of these questions urately, then his proficiency in beast taming is truly incredible." "Since he is able to identify the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, he should be well-versed in the knowledge of savage beasts. I think that theres a high probability of him passing the examination." Beast Tamer Lu said. "Indeed. Our Beast Hall often ranks among thest in thepetition because of our remote location andck of talents. If a genius were to appear in our Beast Hall and win thepetition, we might be able to sessfully advance to be a 3-star beast tamer as part of the rewards!" Hall Master Fengs eyes glowed in excitement. "Thats right. But we shouldnt rush the matter, lets wait for the results of the examination first!" Beast Tamer Wang said. "Honestly speaking, I think that Yun Tao had exaggerated his achievements. I find it hard to believe that a person can tame a Pixue realm savage beast within ten minutes!" "I also find it hard to believe, but Ive questioned Yun Taos subordinates as well. All of their replies are the same, and they dont seem to be lying. Even if he isnt as amazing as Yun Tao put him out to be, he probably isnt too far from it." Beast Tamer Lu replied. "No matter what, this is an opportunity. If he disappoints us, we will just have to continue looking for another candidate. Ah right, is Zhang Xuan still browsing through books in the library?" At this moment, Hall Master Feng suddenly noticed Zhang Xuans absence and frowned. "He isnt out yet!" Beast Tamer Lu nodded. "Xiao Zhu, you take a look!" Hall Master Fengmanded. Xiao Zhu was an apprentice which was currently learning beast taming under him. Hearing hismands, Xiao Zhu rushed into the library. Then a momentter, he returned with a flushed face. He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it hesitantly. "Why? Is he still browsing through books?" Upon seeing the expression on his apprentice, Hall Master Feng frowned in confusion. For his usually calm apprentice to behave in such a manner, what could have happened? "Thats not it..." With an awkward expression, Xiao Zhu said, "H-he is in the library... running!" Chapter 249: Discourse Chapter 249: Discourse Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Running?" "Running inside the library?" Hall Master Feng and the others questioned immediately if they had heard wrongly. They turned to look at Xiao Zhu with a perplexed expression. If you say that he is browsing through books or meditating in the library, I will be able to ept it. But running... Hall Master Feng blinked, "Could you have seen wrongly?" The library is full of bookshelves, it wouldnt be convenient to run in there! More importantly, since he was able to beat up a Pixue realm savage beast, his cultivation realm should be rather high as well. How fast does he have to run for it to be of any use to his cultivation? "Could it be rted to some beast taming methods? Maybe it is about catching up to some savage beasts?" Beast Tamer Wang asked doubtfully. "He... isnt running quickly but merely at the pace of an ordinary human. Also, he seemed to be mumbling something while running around. However, as he is too far away, I couldnt really make out what he was saying." Xiao Zhu said in embarrassment. He didnt feelfortable speaking about what he had seen just now, fearful that someone might take him for a lunatic. For a person who went to the library to adjust his state of mind to be running about while mumbling something... No one would ever think of it to be possible. "Running, mumbling?" This time, the three beast tamers were truly baffled. They thought so hard that they were about to w out their head, but even so, they were unable to understand... what in world has running got to do with adjusting his state of mind! Honestly speaking, the first idea that would pop into anyones mind upon hearing about the other partys actions is... wrecking havoc! If he isnt trying to wreck havoc, then what? Who in the world adjusts his state of mind like that? Furthermore, to do it in the library.... Given how big the examination hall is, do you think that there isnt any space for you to run here? Besides, if you find this space small, there is a savage beast activity site which is several kilometers long. You wont be able to reach the other end even if you were to do somersaults for half an hour straight... "No, I should go in to take a look. There are too many precious manuals in the library. I cant allow them to get damaged because of him!" After pondering of a moment, Hall Master Feng thought that he couldnt let this matter be. Given how the other party was running about in the room, he was likely to not be in his right mind. If he were to suddenly set the library aze, it would be toote for tears then. He mustnt allow such a thing to happen! With a grim expression, he walked straight toward the library. But at that moment, a young man walked over, his face full of fatigue. Zhang Xuan. The current Zhang Xuan waspletely different from how he was an hour ago. Regardless of whether his mental state or his physical body, he appeared clearly worn out. It seemed as though he had just undergone a torturous training, and that the energy in his body had been sapped dry. "Are you alright?" Hall Master Feng couldnt help but approach him. When others adjust their state of mind, they would enter their peak condition. On the other hand, this fellow seemed as if he had spent an entire night engaging in physical exercise. Are you sure you are adjusting your state of mind, not wearing your mind out? "Oh, Im alright. Is the paper ready? Lets begin!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Even though he had managed to imprint all of the books in the library into the Library of Heavens Path swiftly through the new method he discovered, due to the excessive amount of content inserted within a short period of time, the reverberation on his head was too great, causing him to be slightly faint-headed. At this moment, he felt as though he hadnt slept for five days. He was fatigued from head to toe. "So... do you want to start now?" Seeing that the other party was having trouble opening his eyes, Hall Master Feng couldnt help but ask, "Are you sure?" "Im sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Fine then. Lets go over there, the Record Crystal is out of range here." Hall Master Feng nodded. Regardless of whether it was for the apothecary examination or the beast tamer examination, for the sake of fairness, a Record Crystal would be used to record the entire process, such that those who doubt the impartiality of the examination could check on it. Soon, they arrived at the center of the room where the Record Crystal was located. Hall Master Feng and the other two beast tamers sat down. Upon seeing them sitting down, everyone knew what was going to happen. They immediately burst into discussions. "The examination is about to start!" "Right! He is skipping the apprentice examination and going straight for the beast tamer examination. This is the privilege given only to the topmost geniuses. Even Mo Yu xiaojie didnt enjoy such a benefit. I would like to see if the fellow would dare to remain in this ce once he fails!" "He just happened to tame a few savage beasts by luck, do you think he possesses true capabilities? I think that he will fail for sure!" "The first test assesses his theoretical knowledge. Without several years of study, it is impossible for one to remember the countless savage beasts in the world and their characteristics. Back then, in order to remember them all, our prince made to read through the books everyday. This fellow isnt even twenty. Even if he were to start studying from his mothers womb, how much content can he remember?" "He is trying to attract attention. I doubt that he has any true ability..." ... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to take the examination, everyone immediately crowded over, and many of their gazes were filled with derision. It has been long since someone had skipped the apprentice examination and gone straight for the beast tamer examination. Green with envy, most of them hoped that Zhang Xuan would fail. This was especially so for Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang. Due to their rtionship with Yun Tao and Mo Yu xiaojie, they were filled with hatred for this fellow. They would love it if Zhang Xuan were to make a mockery of himself. If the other party were unable to even pass the theoretical examination, bing a beast tamer... would be nothing but a dream! Amidst themotion, Mo Yu was also brought back to reality. She stepped forward and nced at the young man coldly. With just a single nce, her eyebrows shot up. What is wrong with this fellow? Just a moment ago, he was flipping through books spiritedly. But now... Why does he seem as though he had been sucked dry? The others could tell that something was amiss with Zhang Xuan as well. Shen Bi Ru exchanged nces with Yun Tao, and deep creases appeared on their foreheads. "Zhangoshi, are you alright?" "Im fine!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Its just that Im a little exhausted!" To duplicate that huge collection of book in less than two hours into the Library of Heavens Path took up a lot of his energy. Not only did he have to keep willing for ws to appear, the tremor in his mind whenever a book waspiled took a toll on him. It would be truly weird if he were to appear spirited instead. In his current condition, it was a wonder that he could still remain standing. "Elder, if you arent feeling well, why dont we rest for a bit and take the examination tomorrow?" Yun Tao asked. The person before him was potentially a Zongshi realm expert. What in the world did he go through for him to be so exhausted? "Its no problem..." Knowing that they were simply expressing their concern, Zhang Xuan was about to reject them politely when a cold sneer echoed. "I think he is intentionally feigning it. Maybe his actual intention of heading into the library is to read up on the beast taming books, and upon realizing the difficulty of the examination, he decided to feign weakness to avoid the examination!" The one who spoke was Zhu Jinhuang. There was tant contempt in his eyes, and it seemed as though he was resolute to uncover a frauds disguise. "There must be the case! How is it possible to be so withered after reading just a few books? Pardon me for my ignorance, but this is my first time hearing of such a thing!" Zhou Xuan took this opportunity to get back at Zhang Xuan. "This..." "Now that they spoke of it, it does seem possible." "He was probably confident until he started flipping through the books and realized how profound the art of beast taming is. Fearful, but not wanting to disgrace himself, he decided toe up with an excuse..." "That must be the case..." Most of the crowd thought that the words of the duo were logical and agreed with their view. If thats not the case, how can a simple trip to adjust his mental state result in him returning as though he was on the verge of death? He seemed so exhausted that it was as if he could copse at any moment... It is impossible for someone to be so tired just by reading books... Since this situation cant be exined, only a single possibility is left. He is feigning it. "Theres no need for it. We can start now!" Hearing the doubts and discussions in the surrounding, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "This is the paper that I just came up with. You have an hour toplete it, and you will pass the examination if you score full marks. You may start now!" Seeing him persist, Hall Master Feng decided to say nothing. Instead, he passed a huge stack of paper to Zhang Xuan. Just like the written paper in the apprentice apothecary examination, it was dozens of pages thick. It would take a long time just to write an answer to every single question, not to mention the effort required to think through every question carefully in order to ensure that the answers are correct. Zhang Xuan lowered his head to nce at the papers, only to see all kinds of questions on the fundamental knowledge of beast taming on it. The questions covered all aspects of beast taming, and without sufficient knowledge, one might not even understand the questions. "Alright, you can begin answering. The time starts now!" Seeing Zhang Xuan receive the papers, Hall Master Feng gestured grandly and said. "Un!" Zhang Xuan ced the papers on the desk and picked up a brush. He was about to begin answering when he felt his head ring. His entire hand seemed to be trembling uncontrobly. The rapid pace at which he duplicated the books into the Library of Heavens Path had really taken a toll on him. Due to his insufficient cultivation, not only was he drained mentally, his body took a huge toll as well. It would probably take at least an hour of rest before he can recover. But he didnt have the time for it now. If he were to rest for an hour, it would be impossible for him to finish that thick stack of papers. Even with the assistance of the Library of Heavens Path, it was an impossible feat. As long as he were to answer a question wrongly, he would fail the beast tamer examination. Failing and embarrassing himself was a small matter. More importantly... He would be unable to enjoy the privilege of a free ride. That was something he couldnt tolerate. "Look, he seems to be so tired that he cant even hold the brush!" "Hehe, do you believe that a cultivator whose cultivation exceeds Pixue realm can be so tired as to be unable to hold a brush? It must be an act!" "That must be the case! He must have seen the questions and felt that it is beyond him. Thats why he chose to feign weakness... Honestly speaking, this is the kind of people that I despise the most!" "Who doesnt despise such people?" Seeing how Zhang Xuans fingers were trembling to the point where he was unable to grip his brush properly, everyone harrumphed coldly. Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and the others stared at one another doubtfully. Can that really be the case? But it isnt logical for Zhang Xuan to be so exhausted just by running about the library! "Zhang Xuan, if you feel that you arent in a condition to answer the questions, I can allow you to rest for a day and start tomorrow." After confirming visually that the fellow before him was to be in a bad state to answer the paper, Hall Master Feng couldnt stand it further and said. Sighing, with trembling hands, Zhang Xuan ced the brush down. The other party was right. Even if he were to force himself to write, his words would likely be illegible given his current condition. More importantly... His speed wouldnt be sufficient. It was likely that he would have to stop to rest after writing a few lines. It was impossible for him to finish the paper like that. If Zhang Xuan wanted to pass the examination without wasting a day resting here... There was only onest option! Sighing, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and looked forward. "Hall Master Feng, the two beast tamers, I am not in a condition to hold a brush. Can I opt for a discourse instead?" "Discourse?" The three beast tamers stood up in astonishment. Disbelief was reflected in their eyes. "Wha-What did you say? You wish to take on the most difficult form of the theoretical examination... discourse?" Chapter 250: Can You Lend Me Your Tamed Beast? Chapter 250: Can You Lend Me Your Tamed Beast? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Discourse is the most difficult mode of assessment in the beast tamer theoretical examination. Instead of answering using a brush, one answered by speaking with his mouth. When answering through writing, one is free to contemte over the question for as long as they wish. Even if they were to write wrongly, they are able to change their answers. However, a discourse is not like that. The examinees arent given thinking time or an opportunity to change their answers. The moment it starts, the examinee will have to answer all questions correctly. If he were to spout a single erroneous word, it would mean his failure. This examination model is simr to the Pill Debate of the Apothecary Guild. It is specially prepared for master teachers so as to reduce the time required for the examination. At the same time, it assesses how well-versed one was in the knowledge of beast taming, as well as how fast one can ess that knowledge. A normal written theoretical examination takes two hours while a discourse is only an hour long. Even so, the difficulty of a discourse is way higher than that of a written paper. It has high demands on a persons reaction speed and their grasp on their knowledge. Virtually no one dares to take it on, and there is no need for them to do so too. As such, for the past thousand years since this branchs founding, no one had ever taken up the challenge. Hall Master Feng and the others didnt expect that this fellow, who seemed as though he would copse at any moment, would choose to challenge the beast tamer examination in this format! "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "You should think it through. You arent allowed thinking time during a discourse, and the moment you make a mistake, you will be disqualified..." Hall Master Feng advised. "I understand, but Im really too tired to use a brush. Thus, I can only opt for this method!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Since you insist, lets start then!" Seeing the determination in Zhang Xuans eyes, Hall Master Feng decided to follow his wishes. Thus, he stepped forward, retrieved the examination papers, and looked at Zhang Xuan. "Tell me about the defining characteristics of Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast!" "The Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast is a Pixue realm savage beast whose entire body is covered by golden scales, providing it with powerful defensive ability. It usually dwells in the marsnds or near mountain streams, feeding on Green Bamboo Grass which grows around that area. Also, it is nocturnal... This is what Senior Hu Yao mentions as in "Stratagem to Beast Taming". In the "Encyclopedia on Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast" written by Beast Tamer Bai Zhen, his descriptions of the savage beast are slightly different from Senior Hu Yao. Based on his observations, the Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast prefers cooling ces. As such, it often lives in shadowy ces where the sun doesnt reach..." "Thirty years ago, numerous outstanding seniors of the Beast Hall gathered the theories of all of the predecessors and after many years of research, they realized that the Gold Armored Steel Fang Beasts spoken of werent of the same species. There is a total of three different species, namely the Marsh Steel Fang Beast which resides in the marsnds, the Mountain Steel Fang Beast which lives near mountain streams, and the Shadow Steel Fang Beast which dwells in the colder regions." "There are clear differences between these three Steel Fang Beasts. Firstly, the scales in the center of their foreheads are different. Secondly, the structure of their tails is different... If you wish to check on my answer, you can browse through the "Detailed Exnation on Gold Armored Steel Fang Beasts" left behind by them. It is toward the left of the 17th bookshelf in the library!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "His answer is...pletely correct!" The Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast was a rare savage beast. Furthermore, its ssification was extremely confusing. Most people would only be able to recall basic characteristics about the savage beast, and the examiner would have already considered their answers to be correct. However, not only did Zhang Xuan provide aplete answer, he even introduced the various books left behind by the senior beast tamers, even... pointing out the exact locations of those books... The heck, is he really just a human? The crowd widened their eyes in shock. The entire room was deathly silent. "The defining characteristics of Steelbacked Monkey!" "The Steelbacked Monkey has a massive spinal bone that towers up high. Most of the strength the Steelbacked Monkey possesses originates from its unique bone. Also, it possessesrge feet which grant it swift speed. Even though it is a monkey, it is unable to scale trees. Instead, its body structure resemblesrger ape-like savage beasts... These defining characteristics are recorded in "Zashans Savage Beasts Exposition". Senior Zashan is a famous beast tamer of the Beast Hall 140 years ago..." Before everyone could recover, Hall Master Feng posed another question, and without any hesitation, the young man answered once more. Just like that, with a person asking questions and the other one answering them, the discourse proceeded extremely swiftly. Most of the time, while the crowd was still pondering whether the answer to the question was correct or not, the next question was already answered. In the eyes of the crowd, this young man who wasnt in his twenties yet felt like an answer sheet. Not only were his answers detailed, he even listed out the various possibilities and theories written in the books out. There wasnt a single w that could be picked out in his answers. "Completely correct!" "Completely correct!" "The River Worms living habitat... correct!" "Why the Three Stream River and the Erudite Bird is unable to co-exist... correct!" ... As Hall Master Feng raised question after question, the replies he received left him in so much so much shock that his mind was about to go nk. Initially, he thought that the other party only happened to know the answer to the questions he raised. As long as he increased the difficultyter on, the other party would surely be unable to reply so swiftly. However... Despite the other party seeming as though he was on the verge of fainting, his replies only came faster and faster. Hall Master Feng felt as though he was unable to keep up with the situation. More importantly... Not only was he fast, his answer was wless. If Hall Master Feng didnt see it for himself, he wouldnt dare believe it to be true. To think that there would be such a monster in the world! It was no wonder why the other party could recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow. In terms of fundamental knowledge on savage beasts, it was likely that Zhang Xuan far surpassed the three 2-star beast tamers. "This... This is impossible!" "These questions are... so difficult!" While the three 2-star beast tamers were overwhelmed by shock, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang were dumbfounded by the sight before them. They could see the fear in each others eyes. The questions which Hall Master Feng just raised were of such great difficulty that even they would be unable to answer them. It wasnt that their fundamental knowledge of savage beasts was weak. Rather, in several questions, the defining characteristics of the savage beast were extremely simr. With just the slightestpse in judgment, they would make an error. For example, the River Worm which was just mentioned may sound like an insect, but it is actually an extremely powerful savage beast. Its bones grow on its surface and it possesses immense strength. Yet, such a ferocious and immense savage beast is able to float on the surface of the river. Most people would think that this savage beast lives on the surface of the water upon hearing the word river. Yet, contrary to all expectations, the habitat it ispatible with is the mountains... None of the questions that Hall Master Feng raised was simple. Even on a written paper, they would have to contemte for a long period before they can jot down their answer. On the other hand, the other party is able to answer immediately, as though he didnt need to muse over the question at all... How does he do it? Putting aside them, even the super genius Mo Yu would be incapable of answering such a question on the spot! This is the performance of someone who had assimted all of the fundamental knowledge thoroughly into his bones! Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan shuddered. They actually used a person of such greatness of knowing nothing at all and putting on an act? Compared to him, the knowledge they had wasughably pathetic. While passing the apprentice theoretical examination through discourse and written paper seemed like the same thing, as someone who had studied beast taming for several years, they knew that it wasnt that simple. Often, while taming a savage beast, unexpected situations would ur. Under such circumstances, one would have to swiftly organize the situation and knowledge in their arsenal to decide on the optimal course of action. Every second count. If they were to miss the timing, it is likely for the situation toplicate, causing the difficulty of the taming process to multiply several folds. This is precisely the reason why a beast tamer who passed the theoretical examination through discourse is highly respected by the others. Every single beast tamer who passed the discourse eventually went on to achieve incredible feats. Initially, they thought that Zhang Xuan was only a clown who wished to make a name for himself. Never in their dreams could they have imagined that... not only did were his answers perfect, he didnt even need to think at all... This isnt something a human can do! While the two of them were trembling in fear, Shen Bi Rus mouth was wide opened. The fellow who didnt know what the Beast Forest was two hours ago was now spouting innumerable theories and facts as though they were nothing at all. No matter how foolish she could be, it was clear that something was amiss. "Does he really... possess the talent of a seer?" If it were just a doubt to her before, at this moment, she waspletely certain of it. How could he have answered all of the questions so swiftly if he didnt know the questions beforehand? On the other hand, a frown was etched on Mo Yus forehead. Doubt shed across her eyes as she pondered. "...This is all. Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, Beast Tamer Wang, are my answers correct?" After a moment, Zhang Xuan finally finished answering the final question and smiled at them. "Your... answers arepletely correct!" The three of them nced at one another before Hall Master Feng nodded his head. The other party had answered all of the questions in the theoretical examination in less than an hour. Not only so, he even brought up the history of how the answers were derived. They couldnt help but admire how detailed and precise his answers were. "Since youve answered all of the questions correctly, youve passed the first test!" It didnt take long for Hall Master Feng to announce the result. Then, he gazed at Zhang Xuan once more and said, "Since youve passed the first test, lets go on to the second one, taming a savage beast. You have half a month, and you only have to achieve Inceptive Taming to pass." "Half a month? Thats too long... Do you keep any untamed savage beast here? Can you allow me to tame it?" Even though there are countless savage beasts in Xuanluo Mountain Range, it isnt easy to find a specific one which fits the examination criteria. If Zhang Xuan were to head out to look for one, it would definitely take up plenty of time. Since he is in the Beast Hall now, there is likely to be a suitable savage beast. As he said so, Zhang Xuan stood up. Throughout the duration of the discourse, Zhang Xuans fatigued physical body had recovered slightly. Even though his condition remained nonoptimal, he was clearly in a much better state than before. "Allow you to tame it?" Hearing those words, everyone became speechless. "What a joke! Every single savage beast is valuable, how can we possibly allow you to tame it? Besides, only tamed beasts are allowed to enter the Beast Hall! Otherwise, if a stampede were to ur, no one would be able to bear responsibility!" Hearing Zhang Xuan spout such amateurish words, Mo Yu harrumphed coldly in displeasure. "Is that the case..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didnt expect the beast tamer examination to turn out to be so troublesome. Where in the world can he look for an untamed savage beast now? "Ah, right! Can I borrow your Viridescent Eagle to tame?" Suddenly, a thought shed in Zhang Xuans mind. He immediately turned to Mo Yu and asked. Chapter 251: Beast Pummeling Taming Method Chapter 251: Beast Pummeling Taming Method Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - The savage beasts in the Beast Hall are those brought back by beast tamers after great efforts to tame them. As such, they are considered as private possessions. Most beast tamers regard their savage beasts as their wives, and Zhang Xuans request for wanting to borrow a tamed savage beast was no different from borrowing another persons wife to y with. Everyone stared at him as though staring at an idiot. Mo Yu nearly exploded on the spot. Borrowing my savage beast to tame? How in the world did he think of such an idea? How can taming a wild savage beast be the same as taming a tamed beast? Taming thetter is several times harder than taming a wild savage beast. Even though she had only aplished Inceptive Taming with the Viridescent Eagle, she had already interacted with it for seven to eight days and had agreed to many of its difficult demands. Throughout the days that the both of them were together, a deep and strong bond had already sprouted between them. The Loyalty Level of the Viridescent Eagle had already reached 30 and wasnt too far from 31 to achieve Advanced Taming. Besides, this Viridescent Eagle is arrogant and hates interacting with humans. It was the work of numerous coincidences that allowed her to tame it. Yet, this fellow said that he wanted to borrow it from her to tame it... Do you think that this is a joke? She felt so stifled that she was about to go on a frenzy. She had be so impressed with the solid fundamental knowledge of the other party and thought that he was a beast taming genius when he immediately spoke the words of an amateur. Borrow? Borrow your head! This is my first time Im hearing that one can borrow a savage beast to tame! Why dont you borrow another persons wife to y with instead? She narrowed her eyes and sneered coldly. Just as she was about to reprimand the other party for his thoughtless words, Zhu Jinhuang walked up and whispered into her ears. "Mo Yu xiaojie, I think that its a good idea to lend the Viridescent Eagle for him to tame!" "What did you say?" Mo Yu red at Zhu Jinhuang ferociously. It seemed as though if his answer didnt please her, she would immediately fly into a rage. "You have already tamed the Viridescent Eagle, and its Loyalty Level has also reached 30. It is definitely impossible for him to tame it! Isnt this fellow acting arrogantly and gleefully? You should give him a try, and once he fails, he would definitely be embarrassed!" Zhu Jinhuang harrumphed. "Indeed. Even a 2-star pinnacle beast tamer like Hall Master Feng is unable to tame a tamed beast. Despite not being a beast tamer, he is speaking such arrogant words. I think that we should teach him a lesson!" Zhou Xuan chirped in. "This..." Hearing the words of the two, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. She felt that their words made sense. It is technically impossible to tame a tamed beast. Since this fellow is acting so impudently, it isnt anything to let him embarrass himself. As she thought so, she harrumphed coldly and looked at Zhang Xuan. "You wish to borrow my Viridescent Eagle? Here it is. If you can tame it, Ill allow you to have it." "Are you serious?" Zhang Xuan was only asking casually, he hadnt expected the other party to agree to his request. With glowing eyes, he turned to look at Hall Master Feng and the others, "If I were to tame this Viridescent Eagle, will it be considered as a pass for the second test?" "This... Yes, it can be considered as a pass!" Hall Master Feng nodded. He had a bizarre expression on his face. This fellow had just shown his vast knowledge on beast taming through the discourse. Why did he be an ignorant amateur all of a sudden? This Viridescent Eagle is clearly extremely fond of Mo Yu, and it is just a matter of time before it submitspletely to her. Yet, you want to try to tame it... Arent you looking for trouble? You are wasting time like this. You might as well head out and look for a wild savage beast. "Good!" After the moment of rest, Zhang Xuan has roughly recovered from the toll from duplicating those books. Chuckling, he walked forward to the Viridescent Eagle. "Little eagle, your master has already lent you to me. You should hurry up and submit to me!" "Qiu!" A Tongxuan realm savage beast like it is capable of understanding human speech. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, it exploded into a rage. This is tant provocation! Other people brought it good food, entertainment, and all kinds of treasures when trying to tame me. Yet, you came to me empty-handed. More importantly... Whats with this attitude? Acting as though it is my fortune to be able to submit to you... Pui! The furious Viridescent Eagle patted its raised its giant wings and smacked it straight at Zhang Xuan. H! The wind blew violently. The resilient wings and the sharp feathers cut through the air as though a sharp knife, causing the air to shrill. This fellow is a Tongxuan realm savage beast, and its fighting prowess is much stronger than an average Tongxuan realm cultivator. The air seemed to part wherever the wings passed by. Everyones face immediately turned pale as they stepped backward. It would be difficult for a Pixue realm expert to even withstand the shock wave from its movement, needless to say, face it head on. Hu! Even as everyone retreated backward, Zhang Xuans expression remainedpletely calm. With a slight sway of his body, he was already seven to eight meters away, thus dodging the attack. Pipa! A dozen meters long crack appeared on the tough bluestone ground after being struck by the wings. The bluestone ground was something the Beast Hall purchased from Baiyu City at an exorbitant price. Even a Pixue realm pinnacle expert would find it difficult to leave a mark with a punch from their fists. Yet, with a slight sweep from the Viridescent Eagles wings, such a huge crack appeared. "Strong..." Yun Tao and the others turned pale. If it were them, they would surely have been unable to dodge the attack in time. They would have been struck to death in an instant. "If you continue, dont me me for not going easy on you!" In contrast to everyones fear, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Qiu! Upon hearing those words and seeing the expression in Zhang Xuans face, the Viridescent Eagle was enraged further. pping its wings, it flew into the air and struck at Zhang Xuan with its sharp ws. The two most powerful moves of the Viridescent Eagle are the Wing Sweep and Steel w. The second move is much stronger than the first one. Furthermore, it has a flight advantage, and the momentum from its swoop downwards adds to its force. Even a Half-Zongshi expert would find it hard to deal with this move unprepared. "One wouldnt die if they dont court death. You shouldnt have been so arrogant in the first ce!" "To even dare to taunt a Viridescent Eagle, you deserve it!" Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and the others sneered coldly. Even their strongest guards were unable to withstand this powerful move from the Viridescent Eagle. They didnt believe that this youngster who wasnt even in his twenties yet could survive the attack. "The moment he is grabbed by those ws, even if he isnt torn apart, he will surely sustain severe injuries!" "With this move, the Viridescent Eagle is able to unleash a might exceeding 500 ding, and that isparable to a Half-Zongshi. The only way to deal with this move is to avoid it!" No one could have imagined that thisd would be so good at incurring the ire of others. With just a few words, he caused the Viridescent Eagle to fly into a rage. Upon seeing it use its powerful steel ws, everyone grew anxious. There are innumerable cases of beast tamers killed while trying to tame a savage beast. However, it was unheard of for a person to be killed by a savage beast in the Beast Hall. Just when everyone thought that misfortune would befall Zhang Xuan, his calm voice echoed. "Since youre unwilling to listen, Ive no other choice!" As he spoke, he clenched his fist and faced the other partys ws straight on. "Ah?" Everyone shuddered. The ws of the Viridescent Eagle are more than capable of smashing through steel. Yet, to face it with his fists... Peng! Before anyone could recover from their terror, the fist and the w had met. Everyone was expecting the youngster would fracture his arm and suffer grievous wounds when the haughty Viridescent Eagle suddenly released a shrill scream. As though struck by a massive mountain, it was unable to control its body and fell from the skies. Pu! It crashed heavily on the ground. At this moment, everyone could see its distorted ws. "Ah?" Everyone eximed in astonishment. Ah, the same exmation, but one was in fear while the other one was in shock. They felt as though their moods were on a roller coaster ride, flying from one end of the spectrum to the other, and then end abruptly. Even catching a savage beast isnt as thrilling as this. "Werent you acting arrogantly just now?" However... Before they could recover from the shock, Zhang Xuan has already walked up to the Viridescent Eagle and sent a kick at it. Peng! Before the Viridescent Eagle could react, it was sent flying outward. It crashed heavily into a pir in the room and twitched non-stop. The strength of his kick definitely exceeded 600 ding. Regardless of how powerful the defenses of the eagle was, it should be impossible to withstand. "To dare to make a move against me, you must be tired of living!" It seemed that a single kick wasnt enough to vent Zhang Xuans frustration. He walked forward and kicked yet again. Peng! The Viridescent Eagle was sent into the air once more. Its haughtiness had disappeared without a trace, and at this moment, it appeared exceptionally shabby. If not for the strong defense it possessed as a savage beast, it would have already died from the two kicks. "Stop..." Mo Yus face turned red in anger. That was her savage beast! If Zhang Xuan were to continue beating it up like that, even if it doesnt die, it would be crippled. She couldnt allow the savage beast which she has tamed with great difficulty to die here just like that. "Mo Yu xiaojie, dont panic. This should be the Beast Pummeling Taming Method!" Yun Tao hurriedly walked over to inform her. "Beast Pummeling Taming Method?" "This is the name that I came up with. Every time Elder tames a beast, he would first beat it up. It seems that hes doing the same this time as well!" Admiration gleamed in Yun Taos eyes. As expected of Elder Zhang Xuan, his beast taming method is indeed extraordinary! This is one of the hardest Tongxuan realm savage beasts to tame! Other people would have to bring tons of delicious food and treasures to coax it. Yet, he started pummeling it immediately without any mercy... He couldnt help but admire his courage! "Can he really tame the savage beast like that? I think hell only incur the wrath and resentment of the Viridescent Eagle!" Mo Yus eyes narrowed. She had read nearly all of the books in the library, but she had never heard of any Beast Pummeling Taming Method! Such an action would only cause resentment in the savage beast. If so, how can one sessfully tame it? "The Viridescent Eagle, as one of the stronger aerial savage beast, has a wild and arrogant nature. It has great pride, and if one tries to befriend it as an equal, it might still choose to give in. However, if one hopes to tame it by pummeling it, thats no different from daydreaming..." Flinging her sleeves, Mo Yu harrumphed. However, before she could finish her words, her body froze abruptly. Her eyes widened as she muttered, "Ah? This... This... What is going on?" All of a sudden, the hostile Viridescent Eagle struggled to its feet and rubbed its head against Zhang Xuans body, fawning on him as though a loyal dog. This is... Voluntary Submission! Chapter 252: Failed? Chapter 252: Failed? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - This is an iparably prideful Viridescent Eagle. In order to tame it, Mo Yu had specially climbed to the peak of the mountain, personally ughtered a Pixue realm snake for its dinner, gathered snow water for its bath... Even so, this fellow had only agreed to follow her to the examination. In a sense, she hasnt sessfully tamed it yet. Yet, after the beating, it lowered its head immediately... What that maddened Mo Yu the most was the fawning expression it had on its face, as though it was trying to please the other party... What the heck is that? Mo Yu felt a stifling sensation at her chest. All of the sudden, she felt ufortable. That was her savage beast, and she wasnt too far away from establishing a contract with it. Yet, at this moment, it was lying on another personsp, trying to please the person. She felt so depressed that she was not far from sustaining internal injuries from it. Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan, who were extremely confident a moment ago, looked as though they had been pped in their face. Their faces distorted in disbelief, and they looked as though they were on the verge of tears. Voluntary Submission after a beating? Are our eyes ying tricks on us? "You two..." They were still brooding over the matter when Mo Yu xiaojie turned to them with an icy-cold expression. Her teeth were so tightly gritted together that the sound of them grinding against one another could be heard. "Didnt you two say that... he will fail?" "I..." Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan trembled in fear. They were the ones who persuaded Mo xiaojie to hand over the Viridescent Eagle for the other party to tame. They thought that they would be able to see the other party make an embarrassment out of himself. Not in their wildest dreams did they expect this situation to ur. "Mo xiaojie, dont panic, I think that the Viridescent Eagle is just flustered after being beaten up, so it is feigning submission. Itll probably retaliate in short moment..." With twitching lips, Zhu Jinhuang hurriedly exined. "Indeed, indeed! Savage beasts of such level possess intelligence. It must have thought that it wasnt a match for the fellow, so it decided to pretend to submit to Zhang Xuan and look for another opportunity to exact vengeance..." Zhou Xuan said. However, before he could finish his words, an uproar could be heard. He turned over hurriedly and saw Zhang Xuan ce a drop of blood into the other partys throat. The contract had been established. Qiu! After establishing the contract, the Viridescent Eagley before Zhang Xuan in satisfaction. It rubbed its head against Zhang Xuans clothes unceasingly, as though azy cat who had just been fed and was filled with fondness for its master. "Is this what you call feigning submission to exact vengeance?" Furious, Mo Yus face turned beet-red in anger. She kicked the duo, sending them flipping in the air. Have you seen any beast which establishes a contract while feigning submission? Have you ever seen any vengeful savage beast act in such a manner? Mo Yus breathing hastened, and she felt as though she was about to burst from all the rage. Why did she believe the words of these two fellows and lend the Viridescent Eagle to the other party to tame? It was toote for regrets, given that the two of them had already established a contract. Even so, amidst her anger, she was shocked as well. How in the world did he do it? She had watched the entire taming process carefully. All he did was to incur the other partys wrath before beating it up. Then, he whispered some words to it before patting a few spots on its body... and the attitude of the Viridescent Eagle changed immediately. Its infuriated expression suddenly turned into surprise and excitement. After which... It immediately submitted to Zhang Xuan! Can it be that... Thats right! It must be something that he said! Otherwise, how can its attitude have changed so quickly? Just that... what in the world could he have said to drastically change the attitude of the furious Viridescent Eagle who desired to kill him so suddenly? "How is it? My words are true, right? This is Elder Zhang Xuans skill, Beast Pummeling Taming Method. Any savage beast, after being beaten by him, would willingly submit!" Yun Taoughed heartily. Didnt you doubt him just now? Take a good look at this then! "The Viridescent Eagle really submitted after a beating..." "This is Mo Yu xiaojies savage beast! How is this possible?" "I dont understand it as well. Its not like weve never tried taming savage beasts by beating them up before. But, all of the attempts had ended in failure, so how in the world did he seed?" ... Everyone was dumbfounded. This was especially so for the three 2-star beast tamers. They felt a dizzy sensation in their head. Its not like no beast tamer had attempted to tame a savage beast by beating it up. However... Not only did such actions fail to tame the savage beast, it even incurred their wrath. Most of the savage beasts tamed in such a method would refuse food and die of starvation. There were cases of failures all around. Putting others aside, they had tried this method personally as well. This was the reason why they found it hard to believe Yun Taos words. Yet... To think that he wasnt lying! Just by beating the Viridescent Eagle up, it immediately submitted to him... Is this the same prideful and wild Viridescent Eagle? Why does it seem like an obedient dog now, fawning on Zhang Xuan so shamelessly? They were still in a state of disbelief when Zhang Xuan walked forward and inquired, "Hall Master Feng and the two beast tamers, have I passed the examination?" "This..." Recovering from his shock, Hall Master Feng coughed immediately, "Cough cough, wait a moment. We have to check the Loyalty Level before deciding on your pass or failure!" Even though it looked like the Viridescent Eagle had been tamed, there was still a need for official verification. Firstly, it was to ensure that the test was impartial and precise. Secondly, they were curious to see if this Viridescent Eagle has sincerely submitted to him. If it didnt submit to him from the bottom of its heart, flying on it may prove to be dangerous. "Lets do the test then!" Zhang Xuan said casually. He was confident in the Viridescent Eagles loyalty toward him. Naturally, the Viridescent Eagle didnt submit to him just because he beat it up. When it attacked him, a book on it waspiled in Zhang Xuans head. Thereafter, he swiftly looked through the book and understood the eagles ws. While it seemed that he was merely beating it up, he had infused his pure zhenqi into the body of the other party to cleanse its bloodline. Employing both the carrot and the stick simultaneously, it would be difficult for it to not submit to him. His Heavens Path zhenqi is an unparalleled tool in cleansing a savage beasts bloodline and raising its cultivation. No savage beast is able to resist its allure. Given that there were only two choices, be killed by Zhang Xuan, or follow him and raise its strength, regardless of how foolish a savage beast could be, it was obvious what they would choose. Compared to cleansing its bloodline and raising its strength, all of the other delicacies, tonics, and such were nothing. Weng! Beast Tamer Lu took the Heart Inquisition Crystal and started conducting the test on the Viridescent Eagle. Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang stood up and walked over to Princess Mo Yu. "Mo Yu xiaojie, dont worry. So what if he has established a contract? Given that the Viridescent Eagle is tamed through brute force, its Loyalty Level must be low. Even at maximum, it will only be 31!" "If its just 31, given that xiaojies Loyalty Level is 30, theres a high possibility you might be able to tame it back!" The two of them consoled. Even though Advanced Taming is technically a high level than Inceptive Taming, in practice, a Loyalty Level of 31 doesnt actually differ much from a level of 30. As long as Mo Yu pleased it by feeding it with delicious food, the Viridescent Eagle might stille back to her. The saying that a savage beast recognized only a single master in their entire life is actually just a general statement. Legend has it that the truly formidable beast tamers are able to tame another persons tamed beast with just a few words, even if it has already established a contract with another tamer. Putting everything else aside, the very fact that Zhang Xuan managed to tame Mo Yus Viridescent Eagle proved that it wasnt entirely impossible. Since it has changed sides once, it is possible for it to do so once again. "A maximum of 31?" Mo Yus anger still wasnt cated. "Indeed, how loyal can a savage beast who was tamed through brute force be? Does this even need to be said..." Zhu Jinhuang sneered coldly. Yet, before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a tightening sensation on his arm. "Whats wrong?" Turning around to look, it was Zhou Xuan who had grabbed him. "Look..." Zhou Xuans lips were quivering. Following the direction where he was pointing in, Zhu Jinhuang took a nce and all of the words he was about to spout vanished. In an instant, he felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Numbers had appeared on the Heart Inquisition Crystal. Loyalty Level of the Viridescent Eagle toward Zhang Xuan, 45! Complete Submission, the highest realm possible... Complete silence. Everyones jaws fell to the ground. Actually, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang werent the only ones who thought so. Everyone also felt that the Loyalty Level of the Viridescent Eagle would be low, given that it was beaten into submission. Yet... never had they imagined that it would reach 45! This was Complete Submission, the highest level of loyalty a savage beast could have! Countless beast tamers had lived together with their savage beasts for numerous years, but remained unable to induce such loyalty in their savage beast... Yet, this level was reached just by giving a round of beating... Everyone felt their perspective of the world overturn. "This should be considered as a pass, right?" Seeing the number on the Heart Inquisition Crystal, Zhang Xuan wasnt surprised at all. He turned to look at Hall Master Feng with a smile. "In the first round of the theoretical examination, you passed the discourse without making any mistakes. In the second round, you managed to tame a Viridescent Eagle with a Loyalty Level of 45..." Hall Master Feng nodded his head. "I dere that Zhang Xuan has passed the beast tamer examination and that he is officially a 1-star beast tamer!" Seeing that he had passed the examination, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. With this identity, he would be exempted from paying for future rides on aerial savage beasts borrowed from the Beast Hall... "Wait a moment..." The moment Hall Master Feng finished announcing the result, a bellow sounded. "Whats wrong, Beast Tamer Mo?" Hall Master Feng turned to look at her. The one who spoke was Mo Yu. She had passed the examination, thus he addressed her as a beast tamer to disy his respect. "I disagree with the results. I believe that he hasnt fulfilled the criteria of the examination and thus, he isnt qualified to be an official beast tamer!" Mo Yu stepped forward and spoke. "Oh?" Hall Master Feng frowned. "For the beast tamer examination, one has to tame a savage beast stronger than him. Even though Zhang Xuan didnt disy his cultivation, given how he was able to defeat the Viridescent Eagle easily, his cultivation realm is most likely higher than it. At the minimum, he is probably at Tongxuan realm pinnacle!" Mo Yu sneered coldly, "Meaning to say... even though he tamed the Viridescent Eagle, he had merely tamed a savage beast with a cultivation realm lower than him. With this, he doesnt meet the required conditions, and thus, he shouldnt pass!" "This..." Upon hearing her words, Hall Master Feng hesitated. The situation was exactly as what the other party said. The conditions for the savage beast tamed for the examination is that its cultivation realm has to be higher than the examinee. Zhou Xuan, Zhu Jinhuang, and Yun Tao had fulfilled this condition. In the previous battle, Zhang Xuan relied solely on his physical body strength, and as such, the others werent able to see through his cultivation realm. Even so, given how he was able to defeat the Viridescent Eagle so easily, there was no doubt that his cultivation realm was above that of the Viridescent Eagle... Going by the usual practice, Zhang Xuan wasnt yet qualified to be a beast tamer. "You mean to say... I am unqualified to be a beast tamer because the savage beast I tamed has a cultivation realm lower than mine?" Zhang Xuan nced at her. "Yes!" Mo Yu replied coldly. "Then, what if... this Viridescent Eagle isnt at Tongxuan realm, but at Half-Zongshi, does this mean that Ive passed the examination?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Of course!" Mo Yu nodded. Even though she didnt know how strong the other party was, she didnt think that he had reached Half-Zongshi. "Good..." Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan turned to the Viridescent Eagle and said, "Alright, its your turn!" Qiu! Following a piercing call, a powerful force suddenly burst forth from the massive body of the Viridescent Eagle. Chapter 253: You Are a Master Teacher? Chapter 253: You Are a Master Teacher? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Boom! At this moment, the Viridescent Eagle seemed like a bomb that is about to explode at any moment. The sound reminiscent of flowing water sounded from its body, and its numerous acupoints were flickering, as though a powerful energy was gushing into them. Geji! Geji! The sound within its body crescendoed, and its three-meter-tall body grew suddenly. At the same time, its feathers also extended outward. "This... is this Bloodline Evolution? Is it breaking through its cultivation realm?" Hall Master Feng narrowed his eyes. Coming to the same conclusion as well, Beast Tamer Lu and Beast Tamer Wangs faces grew red with agitation, and they clenched their fists tightly. "Bloodline Evolution? Whats that?" Someone asked doubtfully. Not everyone in the room was a beast tamer, such as the guards of Yun Tao, Zhu Jinhuang, and Zhou Xuan. They didnt have aplete knowledge of beast taming. "The strength of a savage beast is affected by several factors, and of which, there are three which is the mostmonly seen. Firstly, age. A savage beast would grow along with age, reaching the peak of its strength only when it reaches adulthood. This is also the mostmon limiting factor of a savage beasts strength. Secondly, bloodline. The more powerful a savage beasts bloodline is, the more potential it has. Even when it reaches adulthood, if its bloodline is sufficiently potent, it can continue to raise its cultivation. Thirdly, cultivation techniques. Some of the more intelligent savage beasts are capable of cultivating alongside their beast tamers and improve along with them." One of the more knowledgeable people in the room replied him with a hushed voice. "Usually, it is impossible for a savage beast to improve its bloodline. However, sometimes upon eating unique herbs or undergoing an exceptional experience, it is possible for a savage beasts bloodline to break through its limits and reach higher levels!" "As its bloodline evolves, its cultivation also breaks through its limit and reach higher realms. This kind of evolution is simr to mutation and is extremely rare. To think that the Viridescent Eagle would be so lucky as to chance on such an opportunity. Its truly lucky..." "Along with the Bloodline Evolution, its cultivation soars rapidly. Will this Viridescent Eagle really reach Half-Zongshi?" "If it seeds to reach Half-Zongshi, it would mean that Zhang Xuan has sessfully tamed a Half-Zongshi savage beast. If so, he would meet the conditions for the test, thus passing the beast tamer examination!" Upon hearing the exnation, everyone came to a realization. "This... This is impossible..." Upon witnessing such a situation right after challenging Zhang Xuans qualification, Mo Yus face turned red. She was on the verge of going insane. This Viridescent Eagle was her tamed beast, and she had investigated its background clearly. It had be an adult and it hadnt eaten any precious herbs that could possibly trigger a Bloodline Evolution. As such, it should have been impossible for such a situation to ur. Yet, right after being beaten up by Zhang Xuan, not only was its cultivation raised, its bloodline even evolved... You must be joking with me! If I knew that it would undergo Bloodline Evolution, I would have never given you a chance to tame it! A Half-Zongshi realm savage beast... Once tamed, one can cultivate along with it. It would be much easier for her to reach Half-Zongshi with its assistance... Yet, she gave away this opportunity just like that! She felt so stifled that she was about to go insane. "Mo Yu xiaojie, can it be that fellows beating which triggered the Viridescent Eagles bloodline to evolve, resulting in the rise in its cultivation?" Zhu Jinhuang asked. "Thats impossible!" Before Mo Yu could reply, Zhou Xuan shook his head. "Usually, a Bloodline Evolution can only be triggered by consuming precious herbs or blood essences left behind by powerful savage beasts and purifying its bloodline. How can it achieve a breakthrough just by undergoing a beating?" Bloodline Evolution requires a huge amount of luck to ur. Regardless of whether a savage beast consumed a precious herb or the blood essence of a powerful savage beast, it has to bepletelypatible with the savage beast for it to work. The sess rate is below 1 in 10000. The concept of its bloodline evolving through a beating... is a joke! "Zhou Xuan is right. No matter how capable that fellow is, it is impossible for him to purify the Viridescent Eagles bloodline and trigger a Bloodline Evolution just by beating it. The only exnation is that... the Viridescent Eagle had consumed something special beforeing here, and that it began to take effect here..." Agreeing with Zhou Xuans words, Mo Yu nodded her head. "If Im not wrong, it might be the Bewildering Soul Flower that I fed it beforeing here! I heard that it is a tonic to the Viridescent Eagle, and I had specially spent a huge sum of money to purchase it for the purpose of taming the eagle..." Recalling the price of the Bewildering Soul Flower, she felt her heart ache. Just as she was gritting her teeth in resentment, she saw Yun Tao walk over, muttering something beneath his breath. "As expected of Elder Zhang Xuan. Any savage beast which he beats up experiences a Bloodline Evolution. It was the same for the Gold Alloyed Panther and the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow as well... I thought that it was just a coincidence, but to think that this Viridescent Eagle has achieved a breakthrough as well!" "What did you say?" Upon hearing his words, Mo Yu swallowed back the words at the tip of her tongue. With widened eyes, she stared at Yun Tao. "Oh, nothing much. I am just impressed by Elder Zhang Xuan. You have all seen his Gold Alloyed Panther as well. It should have been a Pixue realm savage beast, but it has already reached Tongxuan realm! The Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow was also merely a Pixue realm primary stage savage beast, but at this moment, it has reached intermediate stage... All because of Elder Zhangs beating." Yun Tao replied seriously. "After being beaten up... Not only is he able to get the savage beast to submit, he can trigger a Bloodline Evolution as well?" Mo Yu, Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and the others felt themselves entering a frenzy. Why... do Yun Taos words seem so incredulous? This was especially so for Mo Yu. It hadnt been long since she dered that it was due to her Bewildering Soul Flower that the Viridescent Eagle was able to achieve a breakthrough. Upon hearing Yun Taos words, she felt a stinging sensation on her face. Who is she? An incredible genius. Even considering the entire Beast Hall and Tianwu Kingdom, she belonged to the very top. Being awarded a grade-1 in the beast tamer examination, she outshone everyone. But while she was still gleeful over this feat, this fellow tamed her savage beast, pummeled it, and even helped it achieve a breakthrough... Are you sure your purpose here isnt to humiliate me? Otherwise, why would you disprove every single word that I say... Boom! Amidst everyones shock and frenzy, the Viridescent Eagles rising aura finally came to a standstill. At this moment, its physique was significantlyrger than how it was previously, reaching a height of four meters. At the same time, it emanated a much more powerful aura than before. It felt as if with a slight scratch of its ws, cracks would appear on the bluestone ground. Half-Zongshi! This Viridescent Eagle has actually reached Half-Zongshi! "So... have I passed the examination?" Zhang Xuan smiled. "You pass!" The three beast tamers nodded. If this cant be considered a pass, what can? Besides, they were also overflowing with doubts. Mo Yu might not be able clearly to tell what Zhang Xuan did, but as 2-star beast tamers, they could tell that the Bloodline Evolution of the Viridescent Eagle was Zhang Xuans credit. To trigger a Bloodline Evolution within a savage beast... If he can do this for any savage beast, it will definitely cause an uproar in the Beast Hall. At this point, Hall Master Feng couldnt hold himself back anymore. sping his fists, he said, "Beast Tamer Zhang, I have something I would like to ask..." "I know what you want to ask. Are you curious why this Viridescent Eagle would suddenly undergo a Bloodline Evolution?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. "Yes!" Hall Master Feng replied. Hearing the exchange between the two, the others immediately focused their attention here. After beating up the Viridescent Eagle, not only did it submit, it even underwent a Bloodline Evolution. If they hadnt witnessed this sight for themselves, they would never have believed it to be possible. Everyone was dying to know what happened. "Its simple. I used the blood essence of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow as a bait to induce its submission. Then... I fed the blood essence to it, thus triggering the Blood Evolution." Zhang Xuan said. Inducing a breakthrough in a savage beast was no easy feat. If others were to know that Zhang Xuans zhenqi could trigger a Bloodline Evolution, it would bring him a whole lot of trouble. Thus, he attributed the matter to the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow. In any case, there were precedents of savage beast consuming the blood essence of powerful savage beasts and achieving breakthroughs... As an ancient beast, the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow possessed a pure bloodline. Even though the Viridescent Eagle had a massive physique, it was nevertheless considered as an avian. There was a possibility that the bloodline of the ancient sparrow might bepatible with the eagle... However, if someone else wanted to try the same thing, Zhang Xuan wouldnt take the me if their tamed beast dies. More importantly, the Ancient Cloud Lightning Sparrow was Yun Taos savage beast. Even if anything happened, Zhang Xuan wouldnt be held responsible. Since that fellow obtained a free ancient beast from him, he should at least contribute by bing his whipping boy! "So thats the case!" Upon hearing his exnation, Hall Master Feng and the others exchanged gazes and nodded their heads. This seemed to be the only usible exnation. Otherwise... to achieve a breakthrough by receiving a beating... it sounded nonsensical no matter how they looked at it. "Its the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow..." Upon hearing the exnation, Mo Yu came to a realization. At the same time, she felt intense regret. If she knew that the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow could help trigger a Bloodline Evolution in the Viridescent Eagle, she would have tried to get close to Zhang Xuan and Yun Tao. It could have been the final trigger for her to achieve Advanced Taming. But now, she has nothing left... Her savage beast waspletely tamed by the other party, and the Loyalty Level was at an astonishing 45. Even though he said borrow, it was unlikely that he would return it... "To be able to recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow and possess so many means, can it be..." Upon recalling something, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment before walking over to Zhang Xuan. "Damn it!" Seeing numerous emotions flicker across Mo Yus face and her walking toward Zhang Xuan, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang clenched their fists tightly. They had beenpletely outdone by this fellow this time. Needless to say, Mo Yu must have fallen for him. "I heard that this fellow came from Tianxuan Kingdom and doesnt have any strong backing. If thingse down to this..." Zhu Jinhuang gestured his intentions to murder Zhang Xuan. Given that Yun Tao was the prince of a country, they didnt dare to push things too far. However, Zhang Xuan was different. As an insignificant figure without any backing, his life and death meant nothing. They might not be a match for the other party, but as princes of their kingdoms, it wasnt difficult for them to gather a few powerful subordinates to deal with him. "Alright!" Zhou Xuan spat through gritted teeth. Today, they werepletely humiliated by that youngd. It would be hard to quench their anger if they didnt get back at him. To dare to offend two princes without having any backing, he is truly courting death! The duo was discussing how they could murder this Zhang Xuan when Mo Yu was already right before Zhang Xuan. With glowing eyes, she spoke of her doubt. "The essence blood of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow is probably just one of the contributing factors. There should be a more important reason behind its breakthrough... If Im not wrong, you are a master teacher, right?" "Master teacher?" Upon hearing Mo Yus words, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang, who were just discussing how they could kill Zhang Xuan, shivered uncontrobly. At that moment, they could no longer hold themselves back and cried. Those two fools had actually intended to kill a master teacher... They sure are brazen! The heck, didnt they say that he doesnt have any backing? But his backing seems to be even greater than the heavens... Chapter 254: Critically Ill Savage Beast Chapter 254: Critically Ill Savage Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Master teachers are protected by the Teacher Guild and the Master Teacher Pavilion. Putting aside whether they would be able to get off with assassinating a master teacher, even if they were to just offend one, a sanction may be imposed on them. Given their power and prestige of the, almost all powers and experts have no choice but to show respect to the Teacher Guild and the Master Teacher Pavilion, needless to say, a mere Tier 2 Kingdom. Even if the sanction was applied on a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom, it would merely be a matter of time before the country fell apart. That was to say, if they were to attempt to assassinate a master teacher and be discovered, not only would they be killed, even their kingdom would be implicated! This is how fearsome master teachers are! The number one upation in the world mustnt be insulted or desecrated! Regardless of emperors or sect leaders; regardless of how powerful or influential one can be, with a single word from the Master Teacher Pavilion, his existence would be erased. It was said that an emperor of a Conferred Kingdom once teased a beautiful female master teacher, incurring her wrath. Without even using the power of the Master Teacher Pavilion, simply just by conducting a lecture on the same spot for seven days straight, she attracted countless experts, and with a singlemand, captured the emperor alive and beat him to death. There was a very powerful old elder in the kingdom, and he could have stopped them. Yet, he dared not to do so. When an emperor dies, another one can be appointed. But if a kingdom were to be destroyed, nothing would be left. It was hard to tell how many students a master teacher could have, With just a single pointer, one can already be regarded as half a teacher. Thus, master teachers were thought to be beehives. If a person were to agitate them, he would be crippled even if he were to survive the ordeal. Assassinating a master teacher... Honestly speaking, it was no different from courting death. Zhu Jinhuang and the others trembled in fear. He immediately suppressed the thoughts in his head. "Master teacher?" Not expecting Mo Yu toe to this conclusion, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Im not one yet!" Even though he was acknowledged by three master teachers, he could only be considered as one of the more incredible master teacher apprentices. Since he hasnt passed the master teacher examination yet, he couldnt be considered as a master teacher. "You arent?" Mo Yu was stunned. She thought that the reason why the other party possessed such formidable means was that he was a master teacher. To think that he wasnt one... "He isnt a master teacher? Great..." "As long as he isnt a master teacher, he must die by hook or by crook!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuan confess that he wasnt a master teacher, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang, who were panicking a moment ago, heaved a sigh of relief. Their killing intent started to emerge once more. But in the next moment, Shen Bi Rus voice rang, "Although Zhangoshi isnt a master teacher, he is a senior to Beiwu Kingdoms Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Hanwu Kingdoms Zheng shi!" "The senior of three master teachers?" The duo stared at one another. This time, they really burst into tears. As princes from Tier 2 Kingdoms, they have heard of the name of the three master teachers. They were considered as one of the top-notch figures in the Tier 2 Kingdoms, and even the lowest of men knew of their existence. And Zhang Xuan was their senior... Even if he wasnt a master teacher, his standing was already way above that of a master teacher! It was fortunate that they didnt make a move. Otherwise, the one who would die by hook or by crook would be them two... ... "I know Liu shi from Beiwu Kingdom, and Ive met him once at 2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shus lecture. If youre his senior, can it be..." Upon hearing Shen Bi Rus words, Mo Yu immediately realized something and her eyes narrowed. Given that he was the senior of a master teacher, it meant that they have the same teacher. For a person to make a master teacher willingly acknowledge him as his teacher, that person had to be at least a 2-star master teacher, or even... above that! For Zhang Xuan to be the direct disciple of a master teacher of 2-star or higher. His standing was even above that of hers, a princess of Tianwu Kingdom. Furthermore, to be epted as a direct disciple of such an incredible figure meant that Zhang Xuan possessed incredible potential. It was likely that his future achievements would far surpass hers. After all, even though she was an apprentice of 2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shu, she wasnt his direct disciple. Upon realizing these, she nced at the young man before her once more. This time, admiration could be seen in her gaze. ... "So youre a direct disciple of a master teacher, no wonder you have such an in-depth understanding of beast taming!" Uponing to a realization, Hall Master Feng and the others nodded their heads. They were just about to ask Zhang Xuan about the Beast Pummeling Taming Method and learn it from him. However, upon knowing of his true identity, they immediately dispelled this thought. Even though beast-taming was an upation in the Upper Nine Paths, it was far from matching up to master teacher, who stood at the zenith. It was likely that Zhang Xuans Beast Pummeling Taming Method came from that master teacher... If the other party were to find out that they had tried to learn his skills from his direct disciple, they could be in trouble. Rather than that, it was much wiser to just build a good rtionship with Zhang Xuan. "This is your 1-star beast tamer emblem!" Upon knowing of Zhang Xuans identity, the attitude of the three master teachers immediately improved. They swiftly retrieved an emblem representing ones identity as a beast tamer and presented it to Zhang Xuan. Upon grabbing the emblem, Zhang Xuan casually ced it into his storage ring before asking. "I would like to go to the Red Lotus Ridge and I need an aerial savage beast. What do you think I should do?" Even though he had be a beast tamer and read arge collection of book on beast taming, he had never ridden on an aerial savage beast before, and there might be a difference between theories in the book and practical situations. As such, he hoped to receive some professional input. "Red Lotus Ridge?" Hall Master Feng stroked his beard as he calcted, "Tianwu Kingdom is around tens of thousand of kilometers from here. If you ride on the Viridescent Eagle which youve just tamed, it should take around half a month!" "Half a month?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He thought that since the Viridescent Eagle had reached Half-Zongshi, the journey should only take a couple of days. The thought that he would still require half a month never crossed his mind. "Thats right. This Viridescent Eagle has just achieved a breakthrough, and its cultivation hasnt yet stabilized. At most, it can travel 4000 to 5000 kilometers per day. Furthermore, it has to take frequent rest, so it is unable to fly overnight. Therefore, half a month is the fastest that it can go!" Hall Master Feng said. Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though he didnt know how fast the Viridescent Eagle could fly, given how it had just reached Half-Zongshi, it was unlikely that it was able to unleash the full strength of the realm. In addition, it has to stabilize its cultivation and adapt to its new strength. As such, the estimate of half a month made sense. After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan recalled what Han Qiong said before and asked. "Ive heard that the Beast Hall have [Lightning Mounts] which travel at swift speeds and are able to easily cover distances of tens of thousand of kilometers within a few days. May I ask if thats true?" "The Beast Hall does have Lightning Mounts, which are Zongshi realm savage beasts. They are given the nickname of lightning due to the swift speed at which it can ferry humans. However..." Hall Master Feng hesitated for a moment before speaking. "There are only two such Beast Mounts in the Beast Hall. One of which is on the way to Qianxue Kingdom, while the other one..." At this point, he shook his head. The other two beast tamers beside him also seemed to be dispirited upon talking about this matter. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan became puzzled after seeing their strange expressions. "The other Lightning Mount has be critically ill. Today, it was unable to even stand up, needless to say, fly. Just earlier today, I, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang were examining it to identify possible treatments. That is also the reason why we werent able to make it for the examination and had Beast Tamer Hong stand in for us!" Hall Master Feng said. "Critically ill?" At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled Beast Tamer Hong saying that Hall Master Feng and the others were busy with something and as such, they were unable to make it for the examination. A while ago, he was wondering what could be more important than the beast tamer examination. Turns out, this was the matter they were attending to. The Zongshi realm savage beast could be considered as the trump card of this Beast Hall. Given that it was too ill to even stand up, it was no wonder why they were feeling flustered. "What illness is it?" Zhang Xuan asked. The condition of the savage beast didnt matter to him at all... What Zhang Xuan was concerned with was how much time he could save if he flew on that Lightning Mount. Upon hearing his question, Hall Master Feng shook his head, "Its precisely because we cant tell whats wrong that were helpless on this matter!" "The three of us had used all kinds of beast tamer diagnosing methods, but we remain unable to tell whats wrong!" Beast Tamer Lu smiled bitterly. Since they were unable to even tell what illness it was, they were, naturally, unable to treat it. "Is there any solution?" Mo Yu could not help but ask. As a beast tamer, she was concerned over the health of the savage beast after hearing about its plight. "Weve already sent someone to Beiwu Kingdom to invite Grandmaster Qing Yang over. Perhaps he would be able to diagnose the root of the illness!" Beast Tamer Wang said. "Grandmaster Qing Yang? Is Beast Tamer Wang talking about the only 2-star physician in Beiwu Kingdom?" Shen Bi Ru pondered for a moment before asking. "Thats right! Even though we, beast tamers, do possess methods to diagnose and treat the illnesses of savage beasts, we are still far from matching up to real physicians. Ive already sent someone to invite him, so he should be arriving soon!" Beast Tamer Wang smiled. Even though beast tamers have their own methods to treat savage beast illnesses, their treatment methods mainly catered tomon symptoms. They were helpless toward the moreplicated illnesses, such as the one the Lightning Mount was afflicted with at the moment. The only option for them was to employ the help of a grandmaster physician. Beiwu Kingdom wasnt too far from the Beast Hall, and a roundabout trip on an aerial savage beast wouldnt take more than two hours. Since they were waiting for the arrival of Grandmaster Qing Yang, they decided to spectate the beast tamer examination and happened to witness the conflict between Zhang Xuan and Beast Tamer Hong. Beast Tamer Wang seemed to be extremely confident in that physician named Qing Yang, and turning toward Zhang Xuan, he smiled, "As soon as its illness is cured, we can lend it to you for a trip to the Red Lotus Ridge! However... The price for riding on a Zongshi realm Beast Mount is quite steep. You will have to prepare yourself for it!" "How much does it cost?" Zhang Xuan asked. "ording to the price of the Beast Hall, a journey to the faraway Tianwu Kingdom on a Zongshi realm savage beast would require at least twenty [Beast Bloodstone]. As Beast Tamer Zhang is one of our members, we can give you a 20% discount, thus you will only require 16 Beast Bloodstone. In terms ofmon currency used in the kingdoms, it is around eight million gold coins!" "Eight million gold coins?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. In order to earn that sum, he had to disguise himself and work himself down to the bones. Yet, it cost so much money just to make a single trip... That was no different from daylight robbery! "Theres no way around it. A Zongshi realm savage beast requires a 2-star beast tamer to drive it. Furthermore, you are riding it as an individual. This is already the lowest price we can give you!" Beast Tamer Wang smiled bitterly. Even though the Zongshi realm Lightning Mount had been tamed, it was impossible for one to drive it without sufficient expertise. Thus, a 2-star beast tamer had to tag along for the ride. Beast tamers who have reached 2-stars were at least Zongshi realm. That is to say, for a single trip, a Zongshi realm expert and Zongshi realm savage beast have to be mobilized. Thus, how can the price possibly be low? One must know that a Zongshi realm expert can be considered as a stabilizing pir in a Tier 2 Kingdom! Eight million gold coins werent demanding too much given that a person of such immense standing would have to be mobilized. Even so, Zhang Xuan still found the price hard to ept. "Didnt you say that... beast tamers can ride on Beast Mounts for free?" Suppressing his dismal, Zhang Xuan asked. The reason why he took the beast tamer examination was that Yun Tao said that he could ride for free. Yet, it turned out that he has to pay eight million... He felt depressed just by thinking about it. "A 1-star beast tamer can only ride on aerial savage beasts below Zongshi realm for free. If he wishes to ride on Zongshi realm savage beasts for free, he has to be a 2-star beast tamer!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was ignorant of the matter, Hall Master Feng exined. "A 2-star beast tamer can ride on the Lightning Mount for free?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked, "If thats the case... Whats the requirement for the 2-star beast tamer examination? Ill try challenging the examination!" Chapter 255: Grandmaster Qing Yang Chapter 255: Grandmaster Qing Yang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - Try challenging the examination? The corner of the mouths of Hall Master Feng and the others twitched. Of the countless examinees who had ever taken an examination in the Beast Hall, this was the most entric reason they have ever heard. Most people took the beast tamer examination because their capability and strength had met the basic requirements, and they hoped to receive recognition. Yet, this fellow was doing it just so that his ride would be free... You are a senior to master teachers! With such incredible capability, as long as you are willing to put in some effort, you should be able to earn a few million gold coins easily. To act like that just for some money... Where is your pride? Where is your dignity? What about your standing? More importantly, the examination he wanted to take was the 2-star beast tamer examination. In the thousand years since the establishment of the Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, there hadnt been more than ten 2-star beast tamer. Try challenging the examination... You make it sound as though it is as easy as eating and drinking, and theres nothing to be scared or nervous about. Do you know the difficulty of the examination? Do you know that an expert like Beast Tamer Hong has already failed it seven times? To speak of the matter so casually, arent you underestimating the profession a little too much? Mo Yus chest expanded and contracted violently. She was close to bursting into a rage. Despite being one of the top geniuses in Tianwu Kingdom, she spent a year before achieving the status of a 1-star beast tamer. She thought that she would win the admiration of everyone here, but... she met this fellow. It took her countless resources, coaxing, and pleading to achieve Inceptive Taming with the Viridescent Eagle. Yet, just by beating it up, the Viridescent Eagle submittedpletely to the other party... He had just passed the 1-star beast tamer examination, yet he wasnt satisfied and wanted to take on the 2-star beast tamer examination immediately... It was one thing if Zhang Xuan had built up a solid foundation and wanted to take on both examination at once to amaze others. However... He obviously didnt have such intentions beforehand. It was only after hearing that he would get to ride on the Lightning Mount for free did he have such thoughts. Other people tire themselves to death in order to be a 2-star beast tamer, yet you regard it as though a walk in the park. You dont have to demoralize others like that, do you... "The 2-star beast tamer examination requires..." Suppressing the stifling sensation in his chest, Hall Master Feng was just about to start exining when an elder abruptly walked in with an agitated expression. "Hall master, hall master! Grandmaster Qing Yang is here!" "Hes here?" The eyes of the three beast tamers lit up immediately. They stood up in a hurry and walked out without saying a word. After taking a few steps, Hall Master Feng abruptly stopped. He turned around and said, "Since you are all official beast tamers already, you are qualified to examine the proceedings as well. This is a good opportunity for you to spectate how a grandmaster physician treats a Zongshi realm savage beast and build on your knowledge!" "Yes!" Mo Yu, Zhu Jinhuang, and the others nodded their heads and followed along. "Elder, lets take a look as well. Its a rare opportunity to witness the treatment of a savage beast, and we might be able to learn a thing or two from it!" Seeing the others walk into the distance, Yun Tao walked over to Zhang Xuan. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had been wanting to ride on the Lightning Mount all along. Once that fellow was treated, he would be able to save considerable time and effort for his journey to the Red Lotus Ridge. Following behind the crowd, he soon arrived at a giant courtyard. It wasrge and vast, and the infrastructures were several timesrger than those of an ordinary residence. It felt as if one had stepped into a country of giants. The stone stools in the courtyard were all seven to eight meters wide. If one didnt examine it carefully, he might even think that it was a stage. The stone pavement by the courtyard was also extremely wide, around several dozens of metersrge. There was a pond at the center of the courtyard, and the entire ce felt like a majestic pce. "This is the residence specially built for the[Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast]. There are seven apprentice beast tamers who live together with it to manage its day-to-day necessities..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuans bewildered expression, Yun Tao exined to him telepathically. "The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is the ill Zongshi realm savage beast." "A residence built specially for a savage beast?" Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. Does it have to be so extravagant? Regardless of thend area or the grandeur of the infrastructure, it was a match for Tianxuan Royal Pce. As such, Zhang Xuan thought that an important figure lived in the residence. Yet, to think that it was built specially for a savage beast... Furthermore, seven apprentice beast tamers were assigned to it to take care of its day-to-day living... The privileges it enjoyed seemed to be beyond that of an ordinary expert. It was no wonder why a single trip to Tianwu Kingdom would cost eight million gold coins. Without such fees, it was impossible to sustain the cost of housing it. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, we will be depending on you..." Zhang Xuan wasmenting how the living conditions of a savage beast surpassed even that of a human when Hall Master Fengs excited voice sounded. ncing over, Zhang Xuan saw a tall elder dressed in green standing not too far away. With his hands behind his back, he exuded a distant aura that seemed to ward off strangers. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be in his fifties. And without any emotions on his face, it was difficult to fathom what was going on in his mind. He appears to be the legendary Grandmaster Physician Qing Yang! Usually, a 1-star for any upation would be addressed as a master while a 2-star would be addressed as grandmaster. Grandmaster Qing Yang, as a 2-star physician, was clearly much more capable than Master Yuanyu. "Alright! Wheres the Howling Firmament Beast? Bring me to it!" Nodding at Hall Master Feng words, Grandmaster Qing Yang dived straight into the matter at hand. "Yes, over here!" Hall Master Feng led the way. Soon, they arrived at the backyard. A humongous savage beast could be seen lying on a massive stone pedestal. Its eyes were tightly shut, and it was hard to tell whether it was alive. This savage beast bore some resemnce to the Viridescent Eagle but was significantlyrger. With a physique of a dozen meter wide, it looked like a small mountain from afar. "Unconscious?" With a single nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that the humongous fellow was in aatose. It was no wonder why Hall Master Feng and the others were in such a panic, rushing off upon hearing that Grandmaster Qing Yang had arrived. It seemed that the Howling Firmament Beast was truly in a critical condition. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, the illness struck three days ago. Initially, it only refused food, and the condition didnt seem to be serious, so we didnt pay it much attention. But this morning, it passed out all of a sudden. Weve tried several methods to wake it up, but it was futile..." Hall Master Feng exined. "Un!" Nodding, Grandmaster Qing Yang stepped forward. He circled around the Howling Firmament Beast, and the more he walked, the darker hisplexion became. "Tell me about its recent diet!" Hall Master Feng beckoned, and an apprentice beast tamer who was in charge of waiting on Howling Firmament Beast walked over and bowed respectfully. "Ten days ago, the Howling Firmament Beast started to lose his appetite, and it seemed to have be slightly agitated. As it is the dry season of autumn and it is easy for internal heat to umte, we fed it the calming [Spirit Rejuvenation Water], and its symptoms were somewhat alleviated." "However, something remained amiss with its situation. It would thrash around the residence at night, and from time to time, it would howl toward the sky. Especially, in the past few days, when there was a full moon present, it stayed up all night, running about, as though it was trying to look for an outlet for its inexhaustible energy!" "Yet, when it wakes up, it would lose all appetite, and nothing can catch its attention. Today, it even fainted!" "The amount of food it consumed has been decreasing constantly through the days, and other than the cooked beast meat and porridge, it doesnt eat anything else. Oh, abiding by Hall Master Fengs words, it was fed two [Heat Dissipation Pill] yesterday, but it seemed to be ineffective. On the contrary, its condition seemed to have worsened." Very quick;y, the apprentice beast tamer conveyed the basic condition of the Howling Firmament Beast. After which, Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded and waved his hands, "You can leave now!" "Yes!" Not daring to say anything else, the apprentice turned around and left. "How is it?" Hall Master Feng asked. "Wait a moment!" Grandmaster Qing Yang didnt exin anything. Instead, he continued circling around the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. In the midst, he plucked a strand of fur and pulled up its eyelids. A deep frown was etched on his forehead, and he seemed to be trying to deduce the condition. ... "Can physicians treat savage beasts too?" Seeing Grandmaster Qing Yang in deep thoughts, Zhang Xuan asked. "Grandmaster Qing Yang is the best grandmaster physician in Beiwu Kingdom. Its said that he has already reached 2-star pinnacle, and is just a step away from reaching 3-star. Many of the illnesses which the Beast Hall was stumped by was treated by him!" Yun Tao said with a suppressed voice. "The fundamental theories behind illnesses, be it for a human for a beast, are the same. Since he is able to treat humans, naturally, he is able to treat beasts as well! Otherwise, how can physicians, despite theirckingbat ability, be ranked among the top of the Upper Nine Paths?" Hearing their conversation, Mo Yu interjected. Without a doubt, the master teacher was the number one upation among the Upper Nine Paths. On the other hand, the rankings for the other upations were blurred, and there wasnt a standardized ranking. Even so, apothecary, physician, formation master, and beast tamer weremonly epted to be the few upations which ranked at the front, and their practitioners were highly respected. Compared to formation master and beast tamer, physician, as an upation, possessed no fighting ability at all. However, it was able to be ranked alongside them because their capability extended beyond just treating humans. "Arent you skilled in beast taming? I thought that you are knowledgeable in everything. Why, do you know nothing about the Way of Medicine?" Seeing Zhang Xuans confused expression, Mo Yu lifted her head haughtily. Arent you formidable, taming a savage beast just by beating it up? Yet, to know nothing about the Way of Medicine! You shouldnt have acted so arrogantly. Embarrassed now, arent you? "Err..." Hearing the other party words, Zhang Xuan smiled awkwardly. The books on the Way of Medicine in Tianxuan Kingdom were far toocking, and the only physician he knew was Master Yuanyu. Furthermore, he had merely conversed with him on painting. As such, Zhang Xuan didnt know much about physician as an upation. This was the first time he heard that a physician could treat savage beasts as well. "Not only is Mo Yu xiaojie a 1-star beast tamer, 1-star apothecary, and a master teacher apprentice, she is an apprentice physician as well!" Yun Tao whispered to Zhang Xuan with a hushed voice. His admiration for Mo Yu gleamed in his eyes. "Apprentice physician?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Even though this Mo Yu was rather arrogant, she did have the achievements to back it up. Despite her young age, she was adept in numerous upations. Of all of the people Zhang Xuan had met, she was probably the most talented one. "There are some points of ovep between a physician and an apothecary, so I went ahead to learn a little. For me, it isnt difficult at all! After this, Ill be returning to Tianwu Kingdom to take the physician examination!" Mo Yu chuckled lightly. For what seemed to be an incredibly profound upation in the eyes of others, to Mo Yu, it was as simple as ying house. She had always towered over others as a genius, but over here, she had been humiliated time and again because of this Zhang Xuan. Thus, upon seeing that the other party knew nothing about physicians, she decided to leverage this fact against the other party and rebuild her confidence. She thought that she could win his admiration just by saying so, but when she turned to look at him, he had already disappeared from sight. "Damn it!" Stomping her feet, her face flushed with anger. ... "Did you manage to diagnose anything? Seeing a deep frown on Grandmaster Qing Yangs forehead, Hall Master Feng asked once more. "Un, I have a rough idea on its condition now. I should be able to deduce what its suffering from..." Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded. Halfway through his words, his face suddenly darkened and he bellowed, "What are you doing?" Hearing his voice, everyone turned their gazes over. Unknowingly, a youngster was already standing before the Howling Firmament Beast. After stretching his hands over... he touched its head. --- Internal heat is a concept of traditional Chinese medicine. It is normally associated with a bodys difort and various symptoms. Chapter 256: I Said That You Are an Inept Physician Chapter 256: I Said That You Are an Inept Physician Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "This..." Seeing the actions of the youngster, everyone became dumbfounded. Isnt this fellow too brazen! Dont you see that the grandmaster physician is examining the Howling Firmament Beast? Why did youe over? Furthermore... This is a Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, a Zongshi realm savage beast, not your familys pet. Touching it... as if it were a domesticated dog, what in the world are you up to? "I, too, would like to take a look to see what this Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is suffering from!" Seeing the doubt in everyones eyes, the youngster turned around and smiled. "Hmph!" Hearing his words, Mo Yu harrumphed. She recognized the person as soon as he turned around. It was the person who had been embarrassing her time and time again, Zhang Xuan. No wonder he disappeared just now! He had headed forward to touch the Howling Firmament Beast. Hall Master Feng invited us over to view how Grandmaster Qing Yang would treat the savage beast. Were here to learn, so we should remain obediently at our spots and observe the proceedings quietly. Yet, to interrupt the other partys diagnosis... Why the heck are you trying to touch it! Arent you asking for a scolding? As expected, the moment this thought appeared in her mind, Grandmaster Qing Yangs face steeled and his eyes narrowed. "Audacious!" Flinging his sleeves, he turned to Hall Master Feng and criticized sharply, "Is this how the people in the Beast Hall act? Are they usually this undisciplined? Take a look... Does he even know what he is looking at? To be touching around so casually despite knowing nothing at all, how conceited can one be!" "Grandmaster, calm down. He didnt do it intentionally. He is probably just worried about the Howling Firmament Beast..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to act so rashly so as to run forward to touch the Howling Firmament Beast, Hall Master Feng tried to cate Grandmaster Qing Yang immediately. "After years of working together, you should know that I need absolute silence during my treatment!" Interrupting his words, Grandmaster Qing Yang spoke haughtily. "I know, but..." "Its good that you know, there are no buts. Since weve been friends for numerous years, I wont pursue this matter. However, this shouldnt be a ce where an ipetent nobody can enter. I am in the midst of treating the Howling Firmament Beast, so chase all of them out." After finishing his words, Grandmaster Qing Yang waved his hands arrogantly. Who was he? A grandmaster physician, a highly respected figure in the Beiwu Kingdom. While hes in the midst of treating someone, a fellow suddenly popped out and said that he would like to take a look as well. What do you know about the Way of Medicine? Do you know what to look for? "Please calm down, Grandmaster Qing Yang. These few youngsters are beast tamers who just passed the examination today. The reason why I brought them over was so that they can watch the treatment process. They definitely didnt mean to offend you!" Hall Master Feng said. "Indeed. Beast Tamer Zhang merely touched the Howling Firmament Beast out of curiosity. I guarantee you that it wont happen again!" Beast Tamer Lu walked up to persuade him as well. "Hmph, I will let this matter go on your ount then. I hope that the Beast Hall can be more disciplined in the future! To treat someone, I require absolute silence. Not everyone is qualified to watch the proceedings, and my treatment isnt something just anyone can understand! If some ignorant fool were to mess about, interfere with the treatment process, and dy the optimal treatment timing, can any of you take responsibility?" Grandmaster Qing Yang harrumphed as he scanned the surroundings, him holding an irrefutable authority. "Yes, yes!" Hall Master Feng hurriedly nodded. The standings of beast tamers and physicians were simr, but given that he was the one who had a request for the other party, he had no choice but to lower his head. This was the only person who was capable of treating the Howling Firmament Beast. Thus, even though the physician was speaking so harshly, he had no choice but to tolerate it. "Un!" Observing the other partys pleasant attitude, Grandmaster Qing Yang decided to not pursue the matter. Instead, he turned his attention to the unconscious Howling Firmament Beast. "You said earlier that you have identified the problem. Is there a way to treat its illness?" Hall Master Feng asked nervously. "After my initial diagnosis, I have confirmed the root of its illness." Grandmaster Qing Yang gestured grandly. Everyones eyes lit up. As expected of a grandmaster physician. He was able to locate the root of the problem swiftly. One must know that the three 2-star beast tamers and numerous 1-star beast tamers have examined the Howling Firmament Beast for two whole days but to no avail. Amidst everyones expectant gazes, Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded his head in satisfaction. He calmly said, "Given how this Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is vigorous at night, filled with internal heat, and often howled to the heavens, I suspect that... its craving for a mate!" "Craving for a mate?" "Thats right. Savage beasts possess libido as well, and this libido heightens during the autumn season, reaching a level where it is hard for them to control itself. Based on what I saw previously, its body is warm and it urgently needs an outlet to vent its frustrations. However, as it is unable to find a release, it is growing more and more restless. As time went by, the internal heat that gathered within its body diffused into his organs, causing him to descend into aa." Grandmaster Qing Yang lifted his head slightly, and he seemed to be glowing with wisdom. "Weve also thought of the possibility before, just that... given the age of the savage beast, it is unlikely that it has reached that point..." Hall Master Feng asked doubtfully. "Savage beasts cannot be gauged using the human standards. Once its bodily functions mature, it will experience libido. Its symptoms of being unable to sleep at night, howling toward the skies, and such are all signs of its desire for a mate. Its impossible for me to be mistaken!" Grandmaster Qing Yang turned to look at the crowd, and there was a bizarre glint in his eyes which exerted pressure on those he gazed upon. "Why? Do you doubt my diagnosis?" "Thats not it, just that..." Hall Master Feng shook his head, choosing not to linger on this problem. Rather, he looked at Grandmaster Qing Yang anxiously, "So... How can such an illness be treated?" "Even though it appearsplicated, once the root of the problem is identified, it isnt that difficult to solve. Since it wishes to look for a mate, we can just find one for it!" Grandmaster Qing Yang smiled. "Find one?" A bitter expression appeared on Hall Master Fengs face. The other two 2-star beast tamers also shook their heads. "Its not that we dont want to find one for it, but the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is a rare species. It is nearly impossible to find another female which is of aparable age!" An aerial savage beast such as the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast which could possess the strength of a Zongshi before maturing was extremely rare. Even considering the entire range of the vast Xuanluo Mountain Range, it was unlikely for there to be more than two of them. More importantly, it is capable of flying at incredible speed. Even if they happen to find one, how can they possibly capture and tame it? The reason why there was a Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast in the Beast Hall was that they had raised it from young, even going to the extent of building a residence for it and sending apprentices to wait upon it. That was the main reason why it chose to remain here. Honestly speaking... Until now, no one had managed to tame it, and it hadnt established a contract with anyone either. Its not that they didnt want to do it, but that it was impossible for them to do it! The Howling Firmament Beast was prejudiced against humans, so taming itpletely was impossible. Assuming if it was tamedpletely, it would have been able tomunicate with its master. If so, the beast tamers would know what was wrong with it and treat it by themselves. They wouldnt have had to go through so much trouble as to invite Grandmaster Qing Yang to diagnose its condition. Since they werent even able to tame a Howling Firmament Beast which they raised from young, how could they possibly bring a mate for it within a short period of time? Clearly, this isnt a feasible solution! "It is impossible to find another one?" "Yes!" Hall Master Feng nodded. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, please look for another solution. Im willing to give anything as long as the Howling Firmament Beast can be saved!" "I do have a solution, and it will solve the problem once and for all. Just that... this solution will be slightly troublesome." Grandmaster Qing Yang hesitated for a moment. "Since theres a solution, then Ill have to trouble you to hurry up and treat it." The eyes of Hall Master Feng and the others lit up as they hurriedly said. "Un, alright!" cing his hands behind his back, Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded his head. "Even if its impossible to find a mate for it, theres actually another simple solution to curb its frustration. Thats... castration! As long as the operation is sessful, it will not be gued by such problems in the future. Itll then be able to focus its attention on working for the Beast Hall." "Castration?" Hall Master Feng and the others became dumbfounded. "Only through castration will it be able to calm its mind. At the very least, it will not feel frustrated and be overwhelmed with heat every day, and such a situation wouldnt ur again." Grandmaster Qing Yang turned to Hall Master Feng and questioned, "Arent there many other savage beasts in the Beast Hall which were castrated to avoid trouble?" "This..." Hall Master Feng hesitated before nodding. There were plenty of savage beasts in the Beast Hall who were castrated upon birth. This way, its attention wouldnt be diverted to its other needs, and it would be more obedient to its master. "Alright, this is my diagnosis. You should give it some thought. If you want to go through with it, you should make your decision quickly. It is clear that this fellow will not hold on for long. If you dont resolve the problem soon, Im afraid that it might not survive even until tomorrow!" At this point, Grandmaster Qing Yang stopped speaking and stood quietly on the spot as he waited for the others to make their choice. "Must we do this?" Hall Master Feng and the others stared at one another in dilemma. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had been with them since young. They had been together for many years, and the beast tamers had already regarded it as their kin. To castrate it... They really couldnt bring themselves to do it. Besides, while there were plenty of precedents of savage beasts having been castrated in the Beast Hall, a significant number of them didnt survive the operation and died on the spot. The Howling Firmament Beast was critically ill, and at this moment, it had already descended into aa. Conducting such an operation when it wasnt in a good physical condition bore a huge risk to its life. Besides, a Zongshi realm savage beast possesses wisdom. If they were to infuriate it by doing so, it was likely that it might just leave the Beast Hall permanently. In fact, it might even try to exact vengeance on the Beast Hall, and this would put the Beast Hall at a huge peril. It wasnt that there were no precedents to such a situation. There were other Beast Halls who had met with simr situations and castrated a Half-Zongshi savage beast. This infuriated the savage beast, and not only did it leave the Beast Hall, it viewed the personnel of the Beast Hall with enmity and often returned to wreck havoc. Eventually, the Beast Hall could only dispatch experts to kill it. Its said that after it was killed, the master of the savage beast cried for three days straight. Due to his excessive grief, his zhenqi dissipated and he died a few dayster. Just like humans, savage beasts have to be respected. Castrating the other party without informing it is a type of extreme humiliation. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, is there any other solution? This... really isnt an easy choice!" After hesitating for a moment, Hall Master Feng asked. "This is already the best solution to the problem! If you are unwilling to do so, we can just forget the matter. I have already presented my diagnosis and the treatment to you, and its your choice to go through with it or not. However, if there are any other problems in the future, you dont need to dream of looking for me!" Grandmaster Qing Yang harrumphed in displeasure. He had presented the root of the problem and the treatment method, yet the other party kept questioning his judgment. Did they not trust his capability as a grandmaster physician? "This..." Upon hearing the other partys words, Hall Master Feng gritted his teeth and decided to go ahead with the other partys solution. However, before he could speak, an impassive voice suddenly echoed in the air. "In the past, Ive heard that inept physicians could kill their patients. Back then, I thought that it was impossible, but to think that I would be seeing one right before me..." "What did you say?" Grandmaster Qing Yang burst into an outrage. He turned his head over immediately and saw a youngster standing amidst the crowd, looking at him with a calm expression. It was the fellow who sneaked forward to touch the Howling Firmament Beast awhile ago. Zhang Xuan! "I say that you are an inept physician! If you dont understand what Im saying..." With a serious expression, Zhang Xuan said, "It means that you are a fool with inferior medical skills. When you are unable to determine the root of the illness, you make up a random diagnosis using your own imagination!" Chapter 257: What Else Can You Be If Not an Inept Physician? Chapter 257: What Else Can You Be If Not an Inept Physician? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "He said that Grandmaster Qing Yang is an inept physician?" "He said that he is a fool with inferior medical skills?" Everyone was stunned. Even Mo Yu, who was resentful against Zhang Xuan, was stunned. To say that Grandmaster Qing Yang is an inept physician... This is equivalent to insulting the other partys professionalism, and there is no way for reconciliation. Why in the world is a fellow like you, who is ignorant in the Way of Medicine, acting big? Even though it wasntmon for a savage beast to be castrated, it wasnt as though it had never happened before. If they dont castrate it, is there any other solution to treating the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast? "Beast Tamer Zhang..." Not expecting him to insult Grandmaster Qing Yang all of a sudden, Hall Master Fengsplexion darkened. He immediately turned to Grandmaster Qing Yang and tried to appease him, "Grandmaster Qing Yang, dont get angry. He isnt doing this on purpose..." "Shut up!" Grandmaster Qing Yangs expression warped savagely. As though a furious lion, he stared coldly at the young man before him. With a frosty tone, he dered, "I, Qing Yang, have been practicing medicine for more than thirty-nine years. I have saved countless lives and relieved countless people of their ailments. This is the first time I have been insulted by someone like that. Lad, regardless of whether you are a beast tamer or not and who is backing you, if you dont exin yourself clearly today, dont me me for getting nasty!" Boom! The moment he finished speaking, a powerful aura immediately burst forth from him, reaching even the heavens. It was so powerful and repressive that it forced Yun Tao and the others to retreat continuously. Grandmaster Qing Yang is a Zongshi expert! Regardless of upation, while talent was a factor, one required a cultivation realm that could match up with it. All those who have reached 2-star were mainly Zongshi realm experts. This was also the reason why those who have reached 2-star were termed as grandmasters. This wasnt just a show of respect toward the persons mastery in the upation, but to the persons cultivation and strength as well. As the most skilled physician in Beiwu Kingdom, Qing Yang had never suffered such humiliation while practicing his medical art. If not for his sophistication, he would have alreadyshed out at Zhang Xuan. "The reason why youve never been insulted... is because youve never met me. If youve met me earlier, you would have long been insulted!" Despite the other partys intimidation, Zhang Xuan simply looked at him indifferently. Grandmaster Qing Yangs eyebrows twitched, "Do you think that I dare not kill you?" "Kill me? Being unable to see through the Howling Firmament Beasts illness, you came up with a nonsensical diagnosis. If it were to be treated as you said, not only will the Howling Firmament Beast not be saved, it will die on the spot... Is this the result of your diagnosis? What else can you be if not an inept physician? And you still want to kill me... Despite erring so severely, you refuse to allow anyone to talk about it. How can one be so thick-skinned?" Zhang Xuan lifted his eyebrows. "You..." Upon hearing those words, Grandmaster Qing Yang was so maddened that he almost spurted a mouthful of blood. After releasing his full might as a Zongshi realm expert, he thought that the other party would apologize to him fearfully. Yet, not only did Zhang Xuan continue to criticize him boldly, he even reprimanded him for being thick-skinned... A dignified grandmaster physician getting scolded by a youngd in public. He felt so humiliated that he was about to go insane. "Do you feel indignant? Fine, Ill exin it to you then!" Just as Grandmaster Qing Yang was about to fly into a rage, the young man approached and stood before the Howling Firmament Beast. "The most direct way to determine the age of a Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is through its teeth. The teeth exposed outside for a mature Howling Firmament Beast will be exactly three chi and three cun. I believe that all beast tamers should know about it, so I need not borate more!" (Three chi and three cun ~1.1m) Zhang Xuan pointed to the Howling Firmament Beast and said, "The teeth of this fellow are only two chi and seven cun long, proving that it is still some age away from adulthood. If Im not wrong, it should be only seventeen-year-old. Based on the two hundred years lifespan of a Howling Firmament Beast, it should still be a child... I would like to ask you, how can a prepubescent savage beast possess libido?" (Two chi and seven cun ~90cm) Initially, Hall Master Feng and the others thought that Zhang Xuan was just causing trouble. However, after hearing his words, they were all taken aback. Other people might not know how old this Howling Firmament Beast was, but they were extremely clear of this. Ever since it was an infant, it had been living in the Beast Hall. It had been seventeen years since then. Zhang Xuans words werepletely urate. If one didnt know beforehand, it was impossible for one to fathom that a fellow possessing such a gigantic body would be merely seventeen-years-old. For a savage beast which has a lifespan of two hundred years, it was no different from a seven to eight-year-old human. "It is a savage beast..." Grandmaster Qing Yang harrumphed. However, before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan had already interrupted him. "Dont tell me that the physical condition of a savage beast is different from that of a human, so their physical development is different. If this fellow is truly suffering from excessive libido and craves for a mate, it would only suffer from excessive heat, difort, and a fiery temper. Libido causing one to go into aa like that... Grandmaster Qing Yang, for you to make such a judgment, can it be that... you experience the same phenomenon?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats true!" "Even if it is overwhelmed by lust, it would only be in difort. I have never heard of anyone going into aa from an overwhelming desire for the female body!" Everyone was taken aback by Zhang Xuans words. Finding his exnation logical, they began to mutter in agreement. It is a physiological need for a mature adult to look for a mate. This isnt applicable to just savages beast, the same goes for humans as well. However, never have they ever heard of a person being stifled to the point of going into aa just because they were unable to find a girlfriend. That isnt logical at all! "Hmph!" Grandmaster Qing Yangs face flushed furiously. He wanted to refute Zhang Xuans words, but he found himself unable to say a single thing. Flinging his sleeves, he harrumphed, "Since you im that it isnt libido, what do you think caused it to be agitated then? Also, why would it run about as though finding an outlet for its inexhaustible energy during the nights of the full moon?" "Does being agitated and possessing inexhaustible energy at night mean that it is looking for a mate? What reasoning is that?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If thats the reason, why would its appetite dwindle, with nothing able to catch its attention?" Grandmaster Qing Yang was stumped. Even if it were looking for a mate, despite being unable to talk as a savage beast, there were plenty of ways for it to express himself. It was truly inexplicable why it would it refuse food and be disinterested in everything. "From the words of the apprentice, we know that ten days ago, the Howling Firmament Beast merely suffered from ack of appetite. As the days went by, his condition worsened, and by morning today, it was unable to endure any longer and finally fainted. If it was truly just looking for a mate, it could just fly away. There doesnt seem to be any chains binding it to the Beast Hall, preventing it from flying away!" The crowd nodded their heads. The Beast Hall would try to fawn up to that fellow at every avable chance, how can they possibly bind it? If it was truly distressed by theck of a mate, it could simply fly outward to look for one itself. There was no reason why it should stifle itself in the courtyard to the point of fainting! Upon hearing his analysis, everyone started to doubt Grandmaster Qing Yangs diagnosis. They turned to look at him with a bizarre expression. "Then... What do you say it is?" Grandmaster Qing Yangsplexion paled. He realized that he had neglected many details, and at this moment, his rage had already vanished. Unable to hold himself back, he asked. "Since its not seeking a mate, the answer is simple... The Howling Firmament Beast is either truly critically ill or is gued by some other problem!" Zhang Xuan surveyed the crowd. "Everyone, you should look at the w of the Howling Firmament Beast." "Different from the usual eagle-type savage beast, the Howling Firmament Beast has a thickyer of flesh covering its ws, simr to human feet. Under normal conditions, the w should be greenish-gold in color. However, at this moment, red veins can be seen within the flesh." Everyone immediately turned to look at the w of the Howling Firmament Beast. Taking a closer look, they realized that there were really blood-red veins. The veins were extremely thin, simr to the capiries in a humans body. If one didnt pay careful attention to it, it was easy to neglect. "Most savage beasts have a meat crown, and the Howling Firmament Beast isnt an exception either. Under normal circumstances, the meat crown would be slightly red. However, it is slightly pale at the moment. Even though it is inconspicuous, it remains visible to the eye." Zhang Xuan said. Everyone quickly looked over, and it was exactly as Zhang Xuan said. "What kind of illness is this?" Zhang Xuans ability to point out the numerous inconspicuous symptoms on the Howling Firmament Beast had convinced the crowd of his judgment. Unable to hold himself back, Hall Master Feng asked immediately. "In a sense, it isnt really an illness. In fact, I should congratte Hall Master Feng." Zhang Xuan smiled. "Congratte? Why would you congratte me?" Hall Master Feng was stunned. The Howling Firmament Beast was still in aa, and it was hard to tell whether its life was still in danger or not. Furthermore, if you know the cause of the problem, you should know the solution as well. Such congrattory words should only be said after it rises from itsa, why would you say it now? "If Im not wrong, the Howling Firmament Beast is probably undergoing Bloodline Evolution!" Zhang Xuan said. "Bloodline Evolution? How... How is that possible?" Hall Master Feng was stunned. The rest of the crowd also found Zhang Xuans words inconceivable. The Bloodline Evolution of a savage beast was simr to a mutation in the genes, it was extremely rare. Furthermore, without a trigger, it was impossible for it to happen. The trigger could be the absorption of an even purer blood essence or the consumption of precious herbs... However, the Howling Firmament Beast didnt appear to have experienced any of the two. Furthermore, a Bloodline Evolution shouldnt have caused the Howling Firmament Beast to descend into aa, as though it had fallen into critical illness. Seeing the disbelief in everyones eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled and turned to Hall Master Feng, "Half a month ago, did the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast visit a location dense in yin energy?" "This... Half a month ago, it ferried a person to the Yin Tempest Valley!" The one who replied was Beast Tamer Wang. He was the one who drove the beast there, so he remembered the details clearly. "The Yin Tempest Valley is dense in yin energy, and an extremely potent yin attribute fruit called Yin Tempest Fruit grows there. It has the ability to raise the cultivation of a person whose physical constitution is aligned toward the yin. If Im not wrong, the person probably presented this fruit as payment!" Zhang Xuan said. "Thats right!" Beast Tamer Wang nodded. One could pay the fee for the Beast Mount through gold coins or rare herbs. The Yin Tempest Fruit was an extremely well-knownmodity, and it was worth a fortune. Furthermore, it was the kind of product which rarely appeared in the market, and one might not be able to buy it even if one had money. Naturally, Beast Tamer Wang epted his payment. "The cause of the incident is the Yin Tempest Fruit!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "Everyone should be aware of the gender of the Howling Firmament Beast, male. As such, it has overwhelming yang attribute within its body. After consuming the Yin Tempest Fruit, the yin and yang shed with one another. Even so, the worst that would have happened to it was difort. Given its gigantic physique, it was just a matter of time before it tides through the period! However, at this point, you fed it Spirit Rejuvenation Water." "The Spirit Rejuvenation Water calms ones mind, revitalizes ones spirit, and eases ones agitation. The main ingredient in it is [Fermented Mother Grass]." "This is a neutral medicinal herb which served as a mediating factor. Logically speaking, no matter how many of it one consumed, it wouldnt cause any adverse effect. However, it just happened that the property of this herb shes with the nature of the Yin Tempest Fruit. Upon contact, the yin aura of the Yin Tempest Fruit is amplified by more than three times. These two happened to be the main ingredients required for the forging of [Unravel Yang Pill], and it is extremely potent in awakening yang attribute physical constitutions." Zhang Xuan continued, "It was due to the stimting of the yang attribute within the body of the Howling Firmament Beast that it was unable to sleep at night and possess inexhaustible energy, as though afflicted with overwhelming libido!" "If this was only it, it would have been able to tide through the matter. As long as the yin and yang within its body achieve a bnce, the problem would be resolved. However, it is a pity that... Hall Master Feng had someone feed it two [Heat Dissipation Pill] At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity. "The Heat Dissipation Grass contains the Arctic Grass, and the Arctic Grass dispels yang mes within ones body... The yang energy within the Howling Firmament Beast was stimted when it was fed this. Not to mention, it had consumed two at once. That is equivalent to throwing ice cubes onto a fire seedling... With the sh of hot and cold within its body, it is already extremely fortunate that it didnt die on the spot!" Honestly speaking, the Howling Firmament Beast was truly a pitiful soul. Initially, it would have been able to recover on its own after resting for a few days. Yet, under the kind intentions of those around it, it was sent to the brink of death. And yet, they imed that they were trying to treat it... More like murdering it! Theplexion of Hall Master Feng and the other beast tamers immediately turned awful. Clearly, they hadnt expected that the condition of the Howling Firmament Beast was a result of them... feeding the wrong medication! "Try recalling the matter. Is it after feeding the medication that the condition of the Howling Firmament Beast slowly deteriorated?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. "Yes..." Recalling the words of the beast tamer apprentice, everyone couldnt help but nod in agreement. That was indeed the case. No one could have imagined that feeding it amon medication would cause such adverse side effects. "Currently, the yang energy is currently in conflict with the yin aura within its body. If you were to castrate it right now, the yang energy would be quenched and the yin energy would overwhelm it. In less than two hours, it would breathe itsst!" At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Grandmaster Qing Yang and said, "This is also the reason why I said that you are an inept physician. If the treatment is carried out as youve said, not only will the Howling Firmament Beast not be saved, it would have already be a corpse by now." "This..." Grandmaster Qing Yang felt his body turn cold. As a 2-star physician, he had an in-depth knowledge in the Way of Medicine. The other partys deduction was logical and backed up by facts, to the point that he was unable to pick any ws with it at all. It was as though the other party has witnessed the entire scene for himself, and he couldnt help but feel admiration for the other partys capability. He felt that there was a need for him to refute the other partys words to protect his reputation, but he couldnt find a word to say. "Then, what about the Bloodline Evolution you spoke about previously?" Afraid that Grandmaster Qing Yang would be put in a difficult position, Hall Master Feng quickly interjected and changed the topic. "Once the stimted yang energy within its body stabilizes, it will undergo a Bloodline Evolution. On the other hand, if it fails to strikes a bnce between the yin and yang, it would die. Thats to say, if the Howling Firmament Beast is able to survive this ordeal, its cultivation will reach new heights. If not, death awaits." "Then... Is there any way to help it?" Hall Master Feng asked anxiously. "Of course there is. However... I will need the help of an apothecary." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying. "Mo Yu xiaojie is an official apothecary. She can help you." Yun Tao hurriedly said. Everyones gazes shot toward Mo Yu immediately. "I am willing to help. What do I have to do?" Mo Yu ced her hands behind her back confidently. Even though she didnt like the fellow before her, she wanted to help save the Howling Firmament Beast. Besides, even though she was inferior to the other party in the other aspects, this provided her an opportunity to showcase her talents as an apothecary and cleanse herself of her past shame. Arent you an incredible beast tamer, the senior of master teachers, and a capable physician? I may not be able topare to you in these fields, but at the very least, I am able to forge pills! At the very least, Im a 1-star apothecary! Thus, she proudly stepped out from the crowd and asked the other party what she should do. Yet, she was weed with a frown and a questioning tone. "You... can you forge pills?" "You..." Mo Yu staggered. She nearly exploded upon hearing those words. Cant you say anything good? I am a 1-star apothecary, of course, I can forge pills! How can one be an apothecary without being able to forge pills? Even though she knew that this fellow couldnt speak any good words, she didnt expect him to be so hateful. Gritting her teeth, her breathing hastened, and her chest expanded and contracted rapidly. "Have you ever seen an apothecary who is unable to forge pills?" "I have..." Zhang Xuan nodded. "I was worried that you passed the apothecary examination through Pill Debate. If so, you probably wont be able to forge pills..." "Pill Debate? Only those who have reached a high mastery in the Way of Pills are capable of passing the examination!" Reverence brimmed in Mo Yus eyes, "All of the seniors who managed to pass the Pill Debate are amazing talents, and yet, you say that they are unable to forge pills? What a joke! If you were to say such words in the Apothecary Guild, you will surely be beaten to death..." Before she could finish her words, the young man before her silently took out an apothecary emblem and pinned it on his shirt. While scratching his head, an awkward expression appeared on his face. "I am the type of senior you are talking about, and I happen to be unable to forge pills..." Chapter 258: Guidance on Pill Forging Chapter 258: Guidance on Pill Forging Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - This time, Mo Yu really cried. Are you toying with me? The moment I scored the top in the beast tamer examination, you ran over immediately, pummeled my savage beast, and became an official beast tamer. Just when I proudly dered that I am an apprentice physician, you popped out once more. Not only did you criticize a 2-star physician, you even exined the illness of the Howling Firmament Beast and offered a solution to the problem... Just when I thought that I can brag about my aplishments in the Way of Pills... you took out your apothecary emblem and said that you passed the examination through Pill Debate... Who in the world did I offend? Cant you allow me to show off my capabilities for a bit? "Pill Debate? What is that?" "It is an examination where one challenges ten official apothecaries and forces them to admit defeat! I heard that this method of examination is extremely harsh, and the sess rate isnt even one percent." "An examination with a sess rate below one percent?" ... Most of the beast tamers present werent knowledgeable about apothecaries. Upon hearing the exnation, they became dumbfounded. How incredible does one have to be in order to force ten official apothecaries to admit defeat? All along, Yun Tao thought that he was a genius. However, after the various affairs, he finally understood that his talents were nothing inparison to this Elder Zhang Xuan. Formation, beast taming, medical skills, master teacher, pill forging... Brother, is there anything in the world that you arent good at? Ill go and learn that now... Forget it, I think I better not ask about it. Every single time I ask you about something, you would say that you dont know about it. I would be naive if I take your words for it. Judging from the usual pattern, Im afraid that I would be pped so hard that I wouldnt be able to recover from the blow... After all, look at Mo Yu xiaojie. Even Yun Tao couldnt help but pity Mo Yu. In any case, this fellow is a monster. It is best to notpare ourselves with him. "Since you are able to forge pills, you should have a pill cauldron with you or something like that, right?" Ignoring everyones shock, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Yu. "Un!" Gritting her teeth, Mo Yu suppressed her anger and harrumphed. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, turning to the other beast tamers, he said, "Hall Master Feng, Ill need the medicinal herbs that Im about to recite. A stalk of thirty-year-old Searing Sun Grass, a tael of fifteen-year-old Sr me Grass..." In one single breath, he mentioned the names of a bunch of medicinal herbs. Upon hearing the names of these herbs, Mo Yu was stunned. Then, a thought appeared in her mind and her eyes narrowed, "You... It cant be that you want me to forge... the Searing Sun Pill?" "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head as though it was the most natural thing to do. "Are you joking? The Searing Sun Pill is a grade-2 pinnacle pill while I am merely a 1-star apothecary. How can I possibly seed?" Mo Yus body trembled and she nearly fainted. Is there something wrong with this fellows head? Forged using nine yang attribute medicinal herbs, the Searing Sun Pill was rich in yang energy. As a grade-2 pinnacle pill, even 3-star apothecaries would find it hard to sessfully forge. Yet, Zhang Xuan was trying to have a 1-star apothecary like her to do it... Are you sure you arent mistaken? "Rest assured, I will guide you. It is sufficient as long as you know how to use a cauldron and control the temperature of the fire. It is actually very easy!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Use a cauldron? Control the temperature of the fire? Very easy?" Mo Yu wished she hadnt listened to his exnation. After hearing his words, she could feel the final thread of her rationality snapping. Brother, are you really an apothecary? Even apprentices know such fundamental knowledge. If pill forging were that easy, everyone would have be a grandmaster apothecary! Pill forging isnt just a mere routine one-plus-one-equals-to-two. More importantly, one has to have an absolute control over the temperature and timing during forging. She had just reached 1-star this year, and she wasnt capable of forging even the slightly more incredible grade-1 pills. Yet, Zhang Xuan was trying to get her to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill... More importantly, one has to be forging the pill by oneself to grasp the progress of the forging in real time so that he can decide on the next course of action. If he wasnt going to be involved in the pill forging process... how was he going to guide her? Where does this fellows confidencee from? "Indeed. If you feel that youre unable to rise up to the task, I can find another apprentice. It might be difficult to find 1-star apothecary in the Beast Hall, but it should still be possible to find a few apprentice apothecary!" Seeing her frenzied expression, Zhang Xuan frowned. There must be something wrong with this woman. Do you have to react so greatly to everything I say? I have already told you that I will guide you, so why are you spouting so much nonsense? If you feel like you arent able to do it, I can just look for another person. "Theres no need for it, Ill do it!" Seeing the other partys contemptuous gaze, Mo Yu felt as though her heart had been scratched by ten thousand cats. Unable to bear the humiliation, she gritted her teeth and epted the task. Other than that person in Tianwu Kingdom, she was a top-notch genius in all fields. She hadnt expected to be scorned by a countryside bumpkin in such a remote location. Damn it! Fine. Trying to act incredible? Ill see what you do when I fail to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pillter on! "Un. Later on, follow my instructions strictly. There mustnt even be the slightest error." Afraid that the other party would cause trouble, Zhang Xuan reminded. "Dont worry!" Mo Yus obstinate nature surfaced. "Thats good then!" Zhang Xuan nodded and did not speak further. Knowing that this matter was urgent, Hall Master Feng didnt dare to dawdle. Soon, a bunch of medicinal herbs appeared before them. Even though this wasnt the Apothecary Guild, as savage beasts have an innate interest in medicinal herbs, the Beast Hall had an abundant inventory of herbs. "Lets begin!" Upon the arrival of the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan examined them thoroughly and made sure they were sufficiently mature to be used for the pill. Thus, he nodded in satisfaction. Of all of the upations, the one Zhang Xuan was the most familiar with was pill-forging. Putting aside the fact that the first examination he took was the apothecary examination, more importantly, under the effects of the golden book, he had assimted the knowledge contained within the books he flipped through in the Apothecary Guild into his mind. In terms of fundamentals, even 2-star and 3-star apothecaries would find it difficult to match up to him. "Un!" Albeit stifled, Mo Yu didnt waste any time. With a flick of her wrist, a massive cauldron appeared before her. She then lit up the mes immediately to warm the cauldron. Her smooth motions bore testimony to her strong foundation in the upation. Even though she was hundred percent sure it was impossible for her to forge a grade-2 pill, given how confident the other party was, she decided to give it a try. After all, it wasnt toote to mock him after they fail. "Not bad!" Seeing her fluid motions, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. As expected of a genius from Tianwu Kingdom. Even though Mo Yu was young and slightly condescending, her skills in pill forging were significantly better than Bai Ming, Chen Xiao, and the others. As Zhang Xuan thought so, he walked toward the cauldron and casually touched it. Without saying another word, he stood there unmoving. "Do you think that... he will be able to seed?" Staring at the duo, Beast Tamer Lu couldnt help but to start feeling worried. "Ive no idea. However, if I were to tell you that someone is able to tame a savage beast by beating it up with the resulting Loyalty Level hitting 45, will you believe it?" Hall Master Feng asked bitterly. "This... I would probably have never believed it." Beast Tamer Lu hesitated for a moment before replying. If someone were to have told him such words before the astonishing sight he witnessed today, he would definitely have beaten the person to death. To tame a savage beast by beating it up, furthermore, with its Loyalty Level reaching 45... Isnt that clearly a joke? However, after witnessing it personally today... There was no way he could retort even if he wanted to. This young man before him seemed to be a creator of miracles, rewriting everyones understanding of the world with every single action. "I have once seen a 3-star master teacher guide an apprentice apothecary in a Conferred Kingdom. The feat astonished everyone at the scene. To think that I would have another opportunity to witness such a sight!" Beast Tamer Wangs eyes glowed as he muttered to himself. "I know about that as well, but the pill forged back then was a grade-1 pill. On the other hand, the pill which Beast Tamer Zhang is going to guide Princess Mo Yu on is a grade-2 pinnacle pill. The difficulties for both tasks are on entirely different levels." "Indeed, there is a huge difference in difficulty with each increase in the grade of the pill. If a 1-star primary stage apothecary were to be able to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill, it would definitely pop some eyes!" Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Lu nodded in agreement. "Look, the pill forging is about to begin!" They were discussing the matter when the pill forging begun. Xiong xiong! The mes in the cauldron burnt furiously. As though a skillful butterfly treading through the flowers, Mo Yus slim and slender hands flew about the cauldron at a speed so swift that afterimages could be seen. "ce the Green Kudzu Leaves in. Seven breathster, ce the White Beard Grass in. Then, fourteen breathster, use the Thousand Illusory Cloud Rippling Hands to ce the Searing Sun Grass in..." With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuans calm and clear voice sounded. There wasnt the slightest pause or hesitation in it. Even though the Searing Sun Pill was known to be forged using nine types of yang attribute herbs, many other medicinal herbs had to be ced in to act as mediators. Otherwise, with so many yang attribute herbs ced into the cauldron, it would be a miracle if the cauldron didnt explode. "Un?" Initially, Mo Yu didnt think that following the instructions of the other party would allow her to craft a grade-2 pinnacle pill. However, as the medicinal herbs disappeared one after another into the cauldron, the disdain in her mind slowly faded away. Instead, her face grew increasingly grim, and she couldnt help but feel astonished by Zhang Xuans capability. She had seen the pill form for Searing Sun Pill. The nine yang attribute herbs were like nine bombs. Even with other medicinal herbs act as mediators, if one fails to grasp the timing urately, an explosion would ensue immediately. Many 2-star apothecaries have failed due to a slightpses in their timings. She was already more than halfway through the forging process, having thrown in five of the yang attribute medicinal herbs but the cauldron continued to function normally. There were no signs of instability in the pill at all... That was to say, the sequence and timing of the medicinal herbs thrown in were perfect! This... How can this be possible! One must know that with the difference in ones cultivation, zhenqi, the cauldron, and fuel used makes huge differences in the forging process. As such, during forging, one has to make constant adjustments with no room for any breather. In fact, if the same person, with a different cultivation and state, were to craft the exact same pill twice, cant use the same sequencing of cing the medicinal herbs! For such aplex pill form, there wasnt the slightest instability when following Zhang Xuans instructions. That was to say, there wasnt the slightest error in his instructions. How could Mo Yu not feel astounded? More importantly... How did the other party know her forging techniques and her pill forging standards? There wasnt a single instruction of his that surpassed her current pill forging capability! She was certain that she had never forged pills before the other party. But if so... how could he possibly know about her in such great detail? "Dont let your thoughts wander!" Mo Yus mind was wandering when a bellow suddenly echoed by her ear. At this point, she suddenly realized that the temporarypse in her attention had caused her to throw in a medicinal herb half a breath earlier than the instruction given by the other party. Gugugugu! In an instant, the yang energy in the cauldron surged. The energy, that had remained stable all along, seemed as though it had suddenly been set alight. The entire cauldron shook violently. "Oh no, the cauldron is going to explode!" There was a random cry from the crowd, and everyones face warped immediately. Chapter 259: Cauldron Explosion Chapter 259: Cauldron Explosion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Cauldron explosion?" Hall Master Feng and the others could not help but clench their fists. Cauldron explosion is the most fearsome event an apothecary can encounter during pill forging. It is usually due to an apothecary failing to control the energy contained by the medicinal herbs, causing the process to turn violent and uncontroble. The moment an explosion happens, the medicinal herbs within, as well as the entire cauldron, will be ruined. The apothecary might also get injured by the impact of the explosion. The higher the grade of a pill, the more violent the energy contained within, and the higher its tendency to explode during the pill forging process. If Mo Yu were a 2-star apothecary and that her cultivation had reached Zongshi realm, given her own strength and her grasp over medicinal herbs, she might have been able to suppress the raging strength contained in the cauldron forcefully. But at this moment, the entire cauldron was swaying violently, and it seemed as though it would blow at any moment. It was clear that it was toote to reverse the cauldron explosion. "Is this is a failure?" Hall Master Fengsplexion looked awful. He knew how important the Searing Sun Pill was to the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. If the pill was sessfully forged and fed, the yang attribute energy in its body would be augmented. This would increase the chances of it sessfully achieving a Bloodline Evolution and raise its strength significantly. On the other hand, if the pill forging fails, the chances of the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast oveing its current crisis would be low. Once it fails, it would be difficult for it to ever wake up and only death awaits it. Before, with Beast Tamer Zhang guiding Mo Yu to forge the pills, he had carried a sliver of hope. However, looking at the rocking cauldron, he reckoned that it was all over. The cauldron would definitely explode, and the pill would be ruined. It was an unchangeable fact. "Its over..." Not expecting such a situation to ur, Yun Taos face paled. Even though it hadnt been long since he met this young man, his confident smile and his ability to achieve the impossible had long left a deep impression in his mind. Will this seemingly omnipotent Elder Zhang Xuan fail in this pill forging? "Who asked you to act so haughtily? Youre getting what you deserved!" Distinct from the tense looks on others faces, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang exchanged gazes and sneered coldly. Werent you bragging just now that nothing would go wrong with your guidance... Pui! Now that theres a cauldron explosion, I would like to see how you exin yourselfter on. Despite being a brat, you kept acting as though you know everything. See how well mock youter on! ... Oblivious to the tension in the air, Zhang Xuan frowned. This Mo Yu is simply too unreliable. To think that her attention would waver at such a crucial timing. It is a wonder how she became an apothecary. Even though she was early by just half a breath, that half a breath was more than sufficient to destroy the bnce which he had sustained with great difficulty. It caused a vast difference in the results. Formidable apothecaries were capable of using their own strength to forcefully suppress the violent reaction between medicinal herbs. However, Mo Yu was only a 1-star apothecary, and her strength and capability didnt allow her to do so. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only ensure a bnce among the various herbs to forge the pill. Yet, a mistake urred, and if he didnt salvage the situation quickly, all of his previous hard work would go to vain. "Calm your mind, dont panic and dont retreat!" Seeing that the cauldron was on the verge of exploding, Mo Yu instinctively tried to retreat. With a darkenedplexion, Zhang Xuan bellowed at her. She mustnt back down at this point. The moment she leaves her spot, the medicinal properties in the cauldron would spiral out of control and an explosion would definitely ur. "I..." Mo Yus face turned red. "Why? Are you scared? If I knew earlier, I wouldnt have asked for your help. If only I had looked for another apprentice apothecary, such a situation wouldnt have urred!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "You..." Mo Yu was enraged. She was a proud andpetitive person. That was also the reason why she was able to take on so many different upations at once and achieve great aplishments in them, thus bing the genius in the eyes of others. Initially, when she saw that the cauldron would explode at any time, she was hesitant to continue the pill forging. However, when she heard the other party say that looking for her to forge the pill for him was a mistake on his part and that even an apprentice would do better than her, her anger peaked. If she were to back down now, wouldnt she be ridiculed by the other fellowter on? Gritting her teeth, she forcefully held herself in ce. "What do we do now?" Seeing that his provocation had worked, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Throw the remaining White Sun Leaf and Turbid Sr Vine in together!" "Throw all of them in?" Mo Yu was taken aback. The energy was already running rampant, and if she were to throw in the remaining yang attribute medicinal herbs in, wouldnt that just cause the explosion to be even more violent? Who in the world forges a pill like this... At the very most, under the current situation, only the cauldron would be destroyed. If she were to throw these two herbs in, not only would the cauldron explode, the violent and searing heat from within would deal her a severe injury! Could it be that this fellow is seeking vengeance... "Hurry up!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Fine!" Not expecting the other party to bellow at her, her face darkened. Gritting her teeth, she made up her resolution. If I die from this, so be it! At the very least, this is much better than being mocked by that fellow! Agreeing to it, she flicked her wrist and threw the two remaining yang attribute medicinal herb into the cauldron. Boom! As she expected, the moment the two yang attribute medicinal herbs were thrown in, the cauldron began to shake even more violently. Before, if it only looked as if the cauldron might explode, at this moment, everyone was hundred percent sure that it would explode. This was because the cauldron was obviously nearing the limits of its durability. Cracks had started to appear on its walls. "Everyone, back away..." With a dignified expression, Hall Master Fengs zhenqi billowed and created a barrier before himself. Knowing the danger of a cauldron explosion, everyone else also retreated hurriedly. As though facing a dangerous enemy, all of them stood on their guards. Geji, geji! The cracks grewrger andrger, and the violent aura grew increasingly vigorous. It seemed that the cauldron was unable to take any further pressure. "Add in the Green Toad Grass and the Crepe Myrtle Flower..." Without the slightest panic, Zhang Xuan continued instructing. Knowing that she had no other choice than to listen to the other partys words, Mo Yu swiftly grabbed the mediating medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan spoke of and threw them in. At this moment, all of the medicinal herbs required for the Searing Sun Pill had been fully thrown into the cauldron. The addition of the herbs resulted in the cauldron rocking even more violently. The scorching heat waves caused even the air to distort. At this sight, everyone subconsciously wiped away the cold sweat on their forehead, and anxiety gripped their hearts. "Raise the intensity of the fire by a single fold!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Raise the intensity of the fire?" Mo Yu clenched her fists tightly together. The cauldron was on the verge of exploding, yet Zhang Xuan ordered her to raise the intensity of the fire. It wasparable to adding fuel to explosives! Even so, having made up her mind, she decided to go through with it without care for the result. Zhenqi furiously surged from her palms into the mes. Xiong xiong! Triggered by Mo Yus zhenqi, the mes grew by a single fold immediately. The searing mes embraced the entire cauldron. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The cauldron had been pushed to its limits by the violent reaction among the medicinal herbs, so how could it survive this abrupt rise in temperature? A series of cracking sounds echoed and a slight crack crept along the surface of the entire cauldron immediately... "Its exploding!" Someone eximed. The next moment, the cracked cauldron gave way. Boom! A powerful explosion urred. Strong heat waves gushed into the surroundings, and fragments of the originally sturdy cauldron flew in all directions. "Its over..." Mo Yu, who was still in the midst of infusing zhenqi into the cauldron, hadnt expected the explosion toe so suddenly. Caught off guard, she didnt even have the time to react when a powerful pressure came gushing straight toward her. Amidst the intense outward pressure were cauldron fragments. If she were to be struck by any of it, despite her powerful cultivation, she would be severely injured. "Its over. Im really going to die because of that fellow..." Mo Yu shuddered. Knowing that it was impossible for her to escape at this point, she drove her zhenqi to protect her vitals. Hu! She was thinking that she would be severely injured this time round when a figure suddenly appeared before her. Boom boom boom! The violent shock wave burst forth vigorously, but the figure before her didnt budge in the least. As though an immovable mountain, he took all of the impact himself. "Zhang Xuan..." At this point, she recognized the fellow to be the one whom she had resented all along. At the moment of the explosion, he rushed to her front to shield her from the impact... Her eyes reddened slightly. Even though this fellow spoke words that sounded awful, he was warm-hearted within. The trio, Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and Yun Tao, dered that they would do everything for her. Yet, at such a crucial period, they simply watched from the side. Instead, it was this foul-mouthed fellow who shielded her. Hu! Soon, the dust settled. At this moment, the towering cauldron had already been reduced to pieces after pieces of shattered metal. The coal within spilled onto the floor. Zhang Xuan was standing right before the cauldron, shielding Mo Yu from the brunt of the explosion. His appearance was unkempt... His clothes were tattered and his face was charred ck. "Are you alright?" Hall Master Feng and the others walked over. "Im okay!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Possessing the Heavens Path Golden Body and Heavens Path zhenqi, his defensive capability was nowhere beneath that of steel. While the might of the explosion was incredible, he had only sustained superficial wounds. "Its good that youre alright... Its impossible to forge it, Ill send someone to Beixu Kingdom to render the service of Apothecary Wang Xing." Hall Master Feng consoled. Wang Xing was the guild leader of Beixu Kingdoms Apothecary Guild and was a 2-star pinnacle apothecary. Usually, it would be difficult for anyone to employ his services. But Hall Master Feng had some ties with him and furthermore, they were of equal standing, so it wouldnt be too hard to obtain his assistance. "Theres no need..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to exin the situation, Zhu Jinuang and Zhou Xuan hurried forward to help Mo Yu up. They had concerned looks on their faces. "Mo Yu xiaojie, are you injured..." Seeing them rush over, a disappointed expression shed across Mo Yus face. She quickly shook her head. Zhang Xuan had taken the brunt of the impact from the cauldron explosion for her, so she didnt sustain any physical injuries. Rather, she was only rmed by the force of the explosion. "Its all this fellows fault! What about guiding you to forge pills, he spoke as if he is so incredible. Yet, what happened in the end? Not only did the cauldron explode, Mo Yu xiaojie was almost injured! Are you sure that you can take responsibility if something happens to her?" "Pill forging isnt a childs y, its not like one can simply guide another. Do you really take yourself to be a master teacher? Even a master teacher wouldnt dare to im that they would be able to guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pill. You should really learn some humility!" Seeing how their goddess didnt say anything, the duo felt even more furious. They immediately turned to Zhang Xuan and began to criticize him. "Shut up!" She was already disappointed by the actions of the duo. Upon seeing them harping on this issue, she felt her anger escte. Thus, herplexion darkened and sheshed out at them. "Mo Yu xiaojie..." The duo was just trying to speak up for her, so they didnt expect that they would agitate her further. They were about to exin themselves to their goddess when they saw her walk to Zhang Xuan with an apologetic look. "Its my fault that the pill forging failed. If its possible, I can do it once more. This time, I promise you that my attention will not waver!" "Dont worry about it!" Zhang Xuan casually waved. "Thank you for standing in front of me and shielding me from the impact of the exploding cauldron. Ive never had a man treat me this way before. I understand your intentions..." Seeing the casual look on the other party, Mo Yu felt even more guilty. "Cough cough, wait a moment! Youre mistaking something... I wasnt shielding you from the impact of the exploding cauldron!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Stretching out his hand, a few round pills could be seen in his palm, "I was just collecting the freshly forged pills!" Chapter 260: Half-Zhizun Chapter 260: Half-Zhizun Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Freshly forged pills?" Mo Yu was taken aback. With quivering lips, she asked, "Can it be that... is the forging a sess?" Due to the explosion of the cauldron, everyone thought that it was a failure. However, Zhang Xuan carried in his hands round pills which exuded a powerful yang attribute aura. What else could those pills be other than the Searing Sun Pill? "A sess?" "How is that possible?" With Mo Yus exmation, everyone turned their attention to the pills in Zhang Xuans hands and upon seeing the pills in his hands, turned dumbfounded one by one. What is going on? To think that... pills were actually formed! Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuans body stiffened, and they felt as though they had been pped in their faces. They had just criticized the other party for attempting something beyond his means, and in the next moment, he whipped out these pills... Even the cauldron had been blown into smithereens, where could this stuff havee from? If not for the fact that the pills had a lustrous appearance and were emanating heat, which screamed that they were freshly out of the cauldron, the crowd would have suspected if he had prepared these pills beforehand to y out this act. "Didnt the cauldron explode? Your pills..." Trembling, Zhu Jinhuang asked. The others in the room also swiftly turned their heads over. Unable to believe the sight before them, they experienced fainting spells. "Who says that it is impossible for pills to be sessfully forged in the case of a cauldron explosion?" Zhang Xuan lifted his eyebrows. "Is it possible for pills to be formed even with a cauldron explosion?" Everyone felt faint. It wasmon knowledge that a cauldron explosion was a sign of the failure of a pill forging process. Yet, this fellow broke all preconceptions. Despite the broken cauldron, the pill remainedpletely intact. What in the world happened? "What is going on?" Hall Master Feng couldnt help but ask. As the hall master of the Beast Hall, he hade across by all sorts of bizarre happenings. Even so, he had never heard of such a thing. "The cauldron merely acts as an intermediary for pill forging. The main factors that result in the formation of the pill are the mes and the medicinal herbs!" Seeing that everyones eyes were widened in disbelief, Zhang Xuan exined. "Earlier, because Mo Yu xiaojie ced in a medicinal herb at the wrong timing, the medicinal properties within the cauldron shed, resulting in the violent reaction. Even so, at the veryst moment, right before the moment of the explosion, the rise in heat forced the pills to form sessfully." If the other party had followed his instructions strictly, she would surely have been able to sessfully forge the Searing Sun Pill without any mishap. However, Mo Yus attention wandered at a crucial moment, resulting in a mistake. Even so, as long as Mo Yu continued forging the pill, the book in the Library of Heavens Path would continue to refresh itself. Thus, he chose not to give up, and instead, continued instructing to her, trying to avoid all mistakes in the process. Even though the cauldron eventually exploded, the pills were formed at the veryst moment. "The pills formed at the moment of explosion?" "This..." Everyone stared at one another in a frenzy. The situation sounded even more incredulous after hearing the exnation. How did you know that the pills had formed given that it was in the cauldron then? Furthermore, to form them at the moment of explosion... How much mastery does one need to possess over medicinal herbs in order to do this? Just when everyone thought he was only skilled in beast taming, he stood out and showcased his medical knowledge; just when everyone thought that possessing some medical knowledge should be the real limit of his abilities, he ran forward and dered that he was an apothecary... Fine, well ept that you are an apothecary. After all, while its rare, its not impossible for one to be skilled in multiple upations. Yet... You dont know how to forge pills. Fine, well take that as well. However... Despite being unable to forge pills yourself, you are able to guide a 1-star apothecary to sessfully forge a grade-2 pill. Furthermore, for the pill to be formed at the moment of the explosion... This is inconceivable! People often said that geniuses are entric. However... Arent you being too entric! Each and every single time, you exceed all of our expectations and aplish the unthinkable! "Even though the cauldron exploded, because the pills were within the cauldron, they managed to survive the primary impact. However, if I didnt swiftly rush forward to guard them, the shock wave from the explosion would still reduce the pills to powder. Thus, I rushed forward to grab the pills at the moment of the explosion. It is fortunate that I managed to make it in time!" Zhang Xuan exined. Then, he turned to Mo Yu, and with an earnest look, he said, "The reason why I charged forward was really to save the pills. Because you were apothecary, when the pills form, they would definitely fly in your direction. Thus, standing before you was the ideal location to catch it. Please do not misunderstand, I really didnt mean to save you..." "You..." Seeing the other party exining the situation to her earnestly, Mo Yus face twitched. Rage surged through her trembling body, and she nearly exploded. When she saw the other party charging forward to protect without care for his personal safety, she was incredibly moved. Yet, now with Zhang Xuans words, the goodwill she held for him vanished without a single trace. Damn it! Cant you say anything good? To have won the favor of a beautifuldy by mistake, even if it wasnt ones original intention to do so, one would usually ept it politely. Yet, Zhang Xuan was in a rush to deny the fact, as though it would blemish his reputation... No matter what, she is a top beauty, and, not to mention, is the princess of a Tier 1 Kingdom. To be in such a rush to deny the matter... What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I am not worthy of you? Or do you find my looks repulsive? Mo Yu gritted her teeth angrily. If she didnt know that she wasnt a match for him, she would have long stepped forward in an attempt to give him a good bashing. Taking a few deep breaths, she forcefully suppressed the anger within her heart. Then with tightly clenched jaws, she said, "Im the princess of Tianwu Kingdom, and I wont owe anyone a favor. No matter what, you saved me. So, feel free to speak of anything you want!" "Thats to say... Ill receive a reward for saving you?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Thats right!" Mo Yu spat out. "So thats the case!" Putting on a serious expression, he said grandly, "Actually, it was because I noticed your precarious situation that I rushed forward despite the personal risks. As for the pill... That was of secondary concern! Saving you was my greatest priority. Look, Ive even sustained injuries on your behalf. Honestly, I wont mind if you pay me ten million or so. Otherwise, some pills for the wounds would do..." "..." Mo Yu. "..." Hall Master Feng and the others. Theyve seen shameless people, but theyve never seen such a shameless one. Mo Yu was so infuriated that she nearly breathed herst. After so muchmotion, despite being a princess of a powerful country, the verdict was that her value was beneath that of gold and silver to the other party... "What should we do now that the pill has been forged? Do we feed it directly to the Howling Firmament Beast?" Hall Master Fengs mouth twitched. Seeing that Mo Yu was on the verge of tears, he quickly interjected and changed the topic to avoid the awkward situation. He was afraid that if he allowed things to progress like that, this princess of a Tier 1 Kingdom would die from anger. "Oh, dissolve it in water and force it down the Howling Firmament Beast using zhenqi." Zhang Xuan passed forward a Searing Sun Pill over. Then, he kept the remaining two into his storage ring. "Alright!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuans instructions, Hall Master Feng dissolved the pill in water anxiously and fed it to the unconscious Howling Firmament Beast. Gugugu! As the medicinal fluid entered the body of the Howling Firmament Beast, a sound reminiscent to the roar of lightning reverberated. Its body began to emanate a wave of heat, just like a pot of oil that has been set on fire. Pi li pa! Soon, the noise of the cracking of bones sounded. The massive physique of the Howling Firmament Beast grew and expanded once more, and it became just like an insurmountable mountain. Hu! The massive savage beast opened its eyes abruptly and released a long howl. The clouds parted immediately, and its voice shook the entire valley. Feeling its intimidating presence, all savage beasts fell silent immediately and trembled in fear. "Is this... Half-Zhizun?" "He leapt straight from Zongshi realm to Half-Zhizun?" Hall Master Fengs lips quivered in agitation. On the other hand, Beast Tamer Lu and the others widened their eyes in disbelief. They knew that the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast would grow significantly stronger after undergoing the Bloodline Evolution, but they didnt think that it would be able to surpass Zongshi realm immediately to reach Half-Zhizun! Zhizun realm was the highest realm of a fighter. The strength of a Zhizun realm expert was several folds greater than that of a Zongshi realm cultivator, and every single Zhizun expert stood at the very top of the pyramid. As a Half-Zhizun, the Howling Firmament Beast had yet to take the final step into the realm. Even so, it wasnt far from it. Even in Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom, an expert of this level was considered as a national trump card! With such a powerful savage beast in Xuanluo Mountain Range, the standing of the entire branch would rise exponentially. "His words are right..." Grandmaster Qing Yangsplexion paled, and he staggered a few steps back. While the other partys words sounded logical, he had remained a little doubtful. However, upon witnessing the situation, the answer couldnt be any more clear to him. The other partys conjecture waspletely true. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had fallen into aa due to the sh of differing attributes within its body. If they were to have really treated it using the method he had proposed, instead of making a breakthrough to Half-Zhizun, this powerful savage beast would have been dead by now. As a 2-star physician, he had treated countless people. He didnt expect that he would make such a grievous mistake because of a savage beast. In an instant, he looked as though he had aged a decade, and the imposing aura from when he first arrived faded into thin air. "For a fellow who hasnt reached twenty to be able to see through the root of the illness of the Howling Firmament Beast with a nce and guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill..." Grandmaster Qing Yangs lips trembled uncontrobly as he turned to look at Zhang Xuan. The more he looked at him, the more he found the situation unbelievable. Putting him aside, even the famous Liu shi of Beiwu Kingdom wasnt capable of such a feat. As long as such a person doesnt die, he would definitely be so well known in time, his name resounding throughout the world. "Youngd, whats your name?" Unable to hold himself back, he walked forward and asked. "My name?" Zhang Xuan nced at him. "I am an ipetent nobody!" "Ipetent nobody?" Grandmaster Qing Yang froze. Previously, when the other party touched the Howling Firmament Beast, he insulted him as an ipetent nobody, and demanded for Hall Master Feng to chase him out... To think that the other party would return those words to him now. The Beast Hall specially invited him to treat the Howling Firmament Beast, but not only did he fail to do so, he nearly killed it. On the other hand, not only did the youngster who he called an ipetent nobody cure the beast of its illness, he even helped it break through and achieve Half-Zhizun... At this moment, all Grandmaster Qing Yang could feel was a burning sensation on his face. Unable to remain here for a second longer, he said, "Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang, Ill be taking my leave!" After saying so, not even getting onto the savage beast he arrived on, he left the Beast Hall. This time, he had truly made a fool of himself. He felt too embarrassed to remain any further. "This..." Seeing how Zhang Xuan sent a grandmaster physician leaving in shame, everyones mouth twitched. This fellow may seem to be casual and light-hearted, but when someone steps on his toes, he bes fearsome monster. They wouldnt doubt it if someone said that he had killed a person with his words before! "Beast Tamer Liu, go and send off Grandmaster Qing Yang!" Hall Master Feng didnt expect Zhang Xuan to reply in such a manner. Smiling bitterly, he shook his head and made arrangements for the grandmaster physician. In any case, Zhang Xuan was still young and, not to mention, he was capable. It was natural for him to retaliate when someone insulted him. "Yes!" The elder rushed out immediately. Even though Grandmaster Qing Yang had misdiagnosed the Howling Firmament Beast, it didnt mean that he was ipetent. On top of that, he specialized in treating humans rather than savage beasts. Furthermore, which physician could ensure that every single one of their diagnosis was urate? Even a 9-star physician would be unable to achieve that. There are many different kind of bizarre illnesses in the world. No one would dare to im that theyve seen all of the illness there is in the world and that they can treat all kinds of sickness. Hu! Soon after Beast Tamer Lu left, the aura of the Howling Firmament Beast finally hit a ceiling and stopped rising. Turning around its gigantic head, its gaze fell on Zhang Xuan. Then with a roar, it walked to him, lowered its head, and rubbed it against him. "Is this... Voluntary Submission?" Even though the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast was raised by the Beast Hall, it had never submitted to anyone. Yet, at this instant, it actually took the initiative to submit to Zhang Xuan. The eyeballs of all beast tamers on the scene popped out immediately, and they were just a slight push away from fainting. This was especially so for Hall Master Feng. His entire body trembled, and he was on the verge of tears. He was just thinking that the Beast Hall could rise to greater heights with a Half-Zhizun savage beast backing it, yet this savage beast chose to submit to someone else. The moment it leaves with its owner... Without a backing, how could the Beast Hall rise? "You wish to submit to me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before he realized the intentions of the Howling Firmament Beast. Most likely, this fellow found out that it was Zhang Xuan who saved it after waking up and decided to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as its master out of gratitude. "Alright!" It just happened that Zhang Xuan was unsatisfied with the Viridescent Eagles speed. Since the Howling Firmament Beast had reached Half-Zhizun, its speed should be sufficient to meet his expectations. With a tap of his finger, a droplet of blood flew into the mouth of the Howling Firmament Beast. The other partys intention to submit to him could be felt immediately. It was exactly as Zhang Xuan had guessed. The Howling Firmament Beast found out that someone nearly castrated it, and that it was Zhang Xuan who saved its life and helped it achieve a breakthrough, thats why it chose to submit to him. After choosing a master, it couldmunicate with its master if anything happens. At the very least, it wouldnt be put into such danger in the future. "Un!" Upon realizing these, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. On this trip to the Beast Hall, he had tamed three savage beasts and even became a 1-star beast tamer. This was a huge gain for Zhang Xuan. "Ah, right! Hall Master Feng, how does the 2-star beast tamer examination go? I asked you this question previously, but youve only answered half of it and..." Suddenly recalling a matter, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask. Previously, after he inquired how the 2-star beast tamer examination worked, Grandmaster Qing Yang happened to arrive. Due to the urgent matter at hand, Hall Master Feng rushed off immediately, and the session ended abruptly. Since the issue had been settled, the Hall Master was free and Zhang Xian could rify his doubts and decide whether he should take the 2-star examination. Even though he already possessed this Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, it would be a waste to allow this opportunity to take the 2-star beast tamer examination slip him by. Besides, there mighte a time when he would need to borrow Zongshi realm Beast Mounts from other Beast Halls. "For the 2-star beast tamer examination..." Hall Master Feng shook his head, "Theres no need for you to take it!" "Theres no need for me to take the examination?" "Yes, thats because... youve already passed the examination! Youre already a 2-star beast tamer!" Hall Master Feng shed a bitter smile. Chapter 261: Beast Taming Competition Chapter 261: Beast Taming Competition Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "Passed the examination?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by his answer. "When did I even... take the examination?" Before the other party could finish his words about the 2-star examination, the issue of the Howling Firmament Beast came up. Zhang Xuan didnt even know what the 2-star beast tamer examination was about, so how did he... suddenly pass the examination? "The 2-star beast tamer examination is significantly easier than the 1-star examination. One just has to tame a Zongshi realm savage beast... Given that the Howling Firmament Beast has submitted to you, you have already met the criteria for promotion!" Beast Tamer Lu said. "Ah... Its that simple?" Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. He had to run about and undergo a Pill Discourse for the 1-star examination. He hadnt expected the 2-star examination to be so easy and straightforward. Upon hearing his words, everyone became speechless. Savage beasts who managed to reach Zongshi realm possess their own pride and do not submit easily to humans. This could be clearly seen from the fact that the Howling Firmament Beast had never submitted to anyone, even when Hall Master Feng and the others had taken care of it for more than a decade. Zhang Xuan only happened to earn its gratitude by treating it when it was in a dire state, thus prompting its submission. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for one to tame a Zongshi realm beast so easily under normal conditions. "Beast Tamer Zhang, Im afraid that your 2-star beast tamer emblem wont be ready by today. At the earliest, I can only deliver it to you tomorrow. Why dont you remain here today? I also have something that I would like to discuss with you!" Hall Master Feng smiled. "This..." Zhang Xuan hesitated. "The Howling Firmament Beast has reached Half-Zhizun, so its speed has increased tremendously. Even though the Red Lotus Ridge may be far, you can reach in two days. Besides, its also getting dark, so it would be good for you to rest here for the night as well." Hall Master Feng persuaded. "Alright then!" Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan realized that the sky had dimmed unknowingly while he was busy, and it was already nearing sunset. Thus, he nodded in agreement. "Alright, Beast Tamer Zhang, this way." Seeing the other party agree to the matter, Hall Master Feng was delighted. He immediately ushered him along. "Lets go!" Zhang Xuan nodded and followed behind him. Since themotion hade to an end, the crowd gradually dispersed from the scene. ... "Are you saying that... not only did Beast Tamer Zhang treat the Howling Firmament Beast but also tamed it?" "And he treated an illness which even Grandmaster Qing Yang is incapable of solving?" "You must be joking with me, surely?" "The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast has reached Half-Zhizun?" The news spread across the Beast Hall swiftly. Upon hearing the news, everyones first reaction was disbelief. Shen Bi Ru, who was waiting outside, waspletely dumbfounded. She knew that Zhangoshi had a tendency to cause an uproar wherever he went, but she didnt expect that he would cause such a hugemotion! For him to see through an illness which even Grandmaster Qing Yang was unable to discern... When did this fellow be so adept in the Way of Medicine? Furthermore, he tamed the Howling Firmament Beast and became a 2-star beast tamer... "I wonder if Han Qiong will believe me if I tell her about it..." After confirming the news again and again with Yun Tao, a bitter smile appeared on Shen Bi Rus face. Her best friend, Han Qiong, had spent a great effort before she managed to be an apprentice beast tamer. It had been several years since then, and she had been unable toplete the final step to bing an official beast tamer. On the other hand, this fellows original intention was to borrow a Beast Mount at the Beast Hall ... Yet, not only did he be an official beast tamer, he even reached 2 stars... More importantly, he even managed to take the prized treasure of the Beast Hall for himself... If she were to tell Han Qiong about this matter, she might just go insane on the spot. ... As a 2-star beast tamer, Zhang Xuan was entitled to numerous privileges. For one, he was immediately given a residence in the Beast Hall. Knowing that Shen Bi Ru had no lodging here, Zhang Xuan had her move in to settle down first. On the other hand, he followed behind Hall Master Feng to arge and wide lounge. "Beast Tamer Zhang possesses outstanding talents, and not to mention, you are a master teacher apprentice. This thing will probably be of use!" After they sat down, Hall Master Feng smiled and passed an object to Zhang Xuan. Casually grabbing it, Zhang Xuan took a look and was astonished. "Enlightenment Jade?" The Enlightenment Jade was the item which Zhao Yas father, City Lord Zhao Feng, gave him back then in Tianxuan Kingdom. It is useful for raising ones Soul Depth. "Thats right!" Hall Master Feng nodded his head. Zhang Xuan stared at him doubtfully. Despite the huge amount of jade that Baiyu City mined throughout the years, only a single Enlightenment Jade was found. This showed how rare and valuable the object was, yet this Hall Master Feng was giving it to him so casually... "I only happened to obtain it by coincidence. As a beast tamer, this object ispletely useless to me. On the other hand, you are a master teacher apprentice, and since youre going to take the master teacher examination eventually, theres a need for you to raise your Soul Depth. Rather than allowing this item to collect dust in my storage, I might as well give it to you." Sensing Zhang Xuans doubt, Hall Master Feng exined. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Just as he was about to speak, Beast Tamer Lu grinned, "I realized that Beast Tamer Zhang has reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle, and you arent too far from Half-Zongshi. I happen to still have the cultivation technique manual that I practiced back then, as well as a notebook on the epiphanies I had, so Ill give them to you! Even though you already have an incredible teacher and probably dontck these, please ept this token of sincerity on my part." As he said so, he retrieved a few books and passed them over. Zhang Xuan flipped through them, and they were indeed manuals and cultivation pointers for reaching Half-Zongshi. "I am not as wealthy as the other two and do not have many prized possessions. All I own is this sword. It was crafted by Grandmaster cksmith Qing Yanzi of Tianwu Kingdom personally, and Ill give it to you now!" Beast Tamer Wang stroked his beard with a smile and passed forward a sword. "Wait a moment..." Seeing the three smiling elders stuffing objects at him, Zhang Xuan stopped them hurriedly. There is no such thing as a free lunch. He didnt think that his reputation was so sound as to have three great 2-star beast tamers gift him with such treasures despite having just met. "If theres anything on your mind, feel free to speak of it!" "As expected of Beast Tamer Zhang, you sure are a frank person!" Hall Master Feng nced at the other two before nodding. "Since thats the case, Ill get straight to the point. Actually, theres something that we require your help with." "You require MY help?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. While Zhang Xuan had be a 2-star beast tamer, the same could be said of the other three. Besides, having served as leaders of the Beast Hall for many years, their connections far surpassed his. Zhang Xuan couldnt think of anything that might require his help. Could it be... "The Beast Pummeling Taming Method was created by my teacher. He has strictly instructed me to not impart it on to anyone, so..." After digesting all of the books in the library of the Beast Hall, Zhang Xuan understood why everyone was so shocked by his feat of taming a savage beast by beating it up. It was precisely due to the pure Heavens Path zhenqi and the ability of the Library of Heavens Path to peer into the ws of savage beasts that he could easily tame them. Even if he wanted to impart it to them, they wouldnt be able to replicate his means. Furthermore, there was a risk that the existence of the Heavens Path Divine Art might be revealed. It was clear that these three elders had something to request of him given how they were stuffing gifts toward him. However, there was no way that Zhang Xuan could teach them the Beast Pummeling Taming Art. Thus, it was best for him to turn them down in advance. In any case, teachers were highly respected in the world, and a teachers words were absolute to his students. If Zhang Xuans teacher instructed him to not impart the technique on to anyone, then he mustnt impart it regardless of the situation. Therefore by saying so, it would be hard for the three elders to persist on the issue. In a sense, it was the best excuse for the situation. "Ah, every single beast tamer has their own secret technique. We wont ask for it if you are unwilling to impart it. However, our purpose isnt this!" At this point, Hall Master Feng shook his head. Just like how most established apothecaries have their own personal forging technique, most famous beast tamers also possess their own beast taming methods. On top of that, depending on ones disposition and cultivation technique, everyone has different beast taming methods that werepatible with them. Even if they were to learn the other partys means, it wasnt guaranteed that they would be able to replicate his aplishments. Rather than offending a rising beast tamer for an unlikely probability, they would rather not touch on the subject. "Its not that?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "Can it be that... you three have some incurable disease, and you all want me to treat you? Are you suffering from the same symptoms as the Howling Firmament Beast, being unable to sleep at night as well? If its really that bad, you can try Grandmaster Qing Yangs treatment method..." "Cough cough!" Upon hearing those words, Hall Master Feng and the others choked on their saliva. They felt a cold sensation in the lower half of their body. What the heck are you thinking about? We merely require your help! If we allow you to ramble on like this, we might really end up as eunuchs... "Its like that!" Afraid that they would lose their dignity if Zhang Xuan went on like that, Hall Master Feng hurriedly interjected. "Just like the Apothecary Guild, the Beast Hall has many branches as well. Since youre an official beast tamer, I probably wont have to exin too much." "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After reading through the books in the library, Zhang Xuan had gained some understanding of the Beast Hall. The Beast Hall wasnt just a singr entity. There were many branches just like the Xuanluo Mountain Range branch spread all over the world. "Our Beast Hall is a Tier 2 Kingdom level branch, and we are under the jurisdiction of the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall." There were many different tiers to the various branches as well. The Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall mainly dealt with the surrounding dozen or so Tier 2 Kingdoms, and it was considered as the lowest tier branch. Xuanyuan Kingdom was the closest Conferred Kingdom in the area. Kingdoms can be ssified as Conferred, Tier 1, Tier 2, and unranked (Meaning, theres no master teacher backing the country, and that it is unqualified to be ranked). Tianxuan Kingdom was an unranked kingdom. While Beiwu Kingdom, with 1-star master teachers holding reign in the kingdom, was a Tier 2 Kingdom. Tianwu Kingdom, who had 2-star master teachers, was a Tier 1 Kingdom. On the other hand, Xuanyuan Kingdom had 3-star master teachers, thus it was ranked as a Conferred Kingdom. As a Conferred Kingdom, it was qualified to build a gigantic transportation portal to trade with other countries. As such, this solidified its standing as a trading hub, and its national power was on the constant rise. "The Xuanyuan Kingdom conducts a Beast Taming Competition once every five years, and it invites young beast tamers from the various subordinate beast halls to participate." Hall Master Feng exined. "Since you officially became a beast tamer at our Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, you are considered as a member of our branch. I hope that... you can attend thepetition in the name of our Beast Hall." "Beast Taming Competition?" "Thats right. This Beast Taming Competition brings the various talented beast tamers from surrounding kingdoms together, and if you can stand out from the group and emerge victoriously, you will be highly regarded by the Beast Hall, and all kinds of resources will be devoted into grooming you. At the same time, the reputation of our branch will also grow." After saying so, Hall Master Feng looked at Zhang Xuan expectantly. "This..." Zhang Xuan didnt expect the request to be this. ncing at Hall Master Feng, he asked, "When is thepetition?" If thepetition wasing up soon, Zhang Xuan would reject them immediately. His main priority at the moment was to deal with the deadly poison lingering in his body and take the master teacher examination. The only reason why he took the beast tamer examination was for the fee exemption on using their Beast Mount. "It will be held half a yearter in Xuanyuan Royal City." Hall Master Feng said. "Half a yearter? That... Ill have to see if I have the time then!" Zhang Xuan didnt dare to agree immediately. He didnt want to make empty promises. "Despite your young age, you have already reached the level of a 2-star beast tamer. On top of that, youre skilled in the Way of Medicine and are a master teacher apprentice. If you were to join thepetition, you will surely be able to achieve remarkable results..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unmoved by his words, Hall Master Feng decided to throw in his trump card, "Furthermore, youll be entitled to generous rewards if you win thepetition!" "The rewards arent important. Its just that I might be busy during that period of time!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Rejected by the other party, Hall Master Feng and the others couldnt help but feel disappointed. However, before they could wallow in their disappointment for long, the other partys voice sounded once more. "Ah, by the way... what are the rewards? Chapter 262: Guiding Mo Yu Chapter 262: Guiding Mo Yu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: - - "The rewards of thepetition differ every single time but it has always been very generous. More importantly, if you earn the acknowledgment of the Beast Hall, you might get an opportunity to study in higher tier kingdoms." Hearing his question, Hall Master Feng hurriedly exined. "In fact, the previous champion won the Tutge Jade Token of a 3-star master teacher and a Flowing Water Beast Taming Method manual." "You call this abundant?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. He thought that the champion would obtain some incredible treasure, but a 3-star master teacher Tutge Jade Token and a beast taming secret manual... To him, these were useless. "If I win the championship and dont want their rewards, can I swap it for something else?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. "It depends on what you want!" Hall Master Feng looked at him with a perplexed gaze. Even to him, the Tutge Jade Token of a 3-star master teacher was a priceless treasure. Was this fellow unsatisfied even with this much? Does he still wish for something even more valuable? "Can I trade those for a few cultivation technique manuals instead?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Cultivation technique manuals? A few of them?" Giant question marks hung on the faces of the three beast tamers. Do you think that cultivation technique manuals are like cabbages in the market? Asking for... a few of them at once? Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Un. Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals. Itll be better if there is more of them. In fact, if possible, I would like a thousand books." "A thousand books?" Everyones body swayed. They thought that Zhang Xuans a few would mean a dozen or so. Yet, a thousand books... Are you trying to rob the entire Beast Hall of its wealth? "What tier of cultivation technique are you looking at?" Hall Master Feng couldnt help but ask. There were different tiers to cultivation techniques. The higher the tier, the more valuable it was. Finding even a single high-tier cultivation technique was difficult enough, needless to say, a thousand of it. "Oh, I dont have any requirements on the tier, Im fine with anything. All I require is a great quantity of Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals." "This..." Everyone was taken aback. If Zhang Xuan has no requirements on the tier, then... the cultivation technique manuals are truly inexpensive! While Zongshi realm secret manuals are valuable in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Kingdoms, they actually arent worth much in Conferred Kingdoms. As long as one had sufficient gold coins, he would be able to buy them easily... This fellow actually wanted to trade a 3-star master teacher Tutge Jade Token for this? This was a huge waste of the treasure! Even in Conferred Kingdoms, 3-star master teachers stood at the very top of the pyramid. Their lessons were something that countless cultivators dreamt about, and yet, Zhang Xuan wanted to swap such an object for a bunch of useless cultivation techniques? Why does it feel like Zhang Xuan was picking the shell of a m over the pearl within? One must know that a cultivator can only practice one cultivation technique. If he wants to change his cultivation technique, he has to start from scratch. They might be able to understand it if Zhang Xuan had asked for a powerful cultivation technique, but to have no demand on the quality... He would only ruin his cultivation at this rate! Upon realizing these facts, the three beast tamers stared at Zhang Xuan with strange gazes. This Beast Tamer Zhangs preferences... were simply too entric! "If you dont have any requirements on the tier, your request actually isnt that difficult to fulfill. They should approve of it... However, the prerequisite is that youll have to win the Beast Taming Competition first." After hesitating for a moment, Hall Master Feng nodded his head. There was a precedent of someone swapping the prize of the Beast Taming Competition for something else. As long as its value didnt exceed the prize by too much, and it was within their means, given that this would win them the goodwill of a talented beast tamer, the Beast Hall wouldnt object. "Alright, I agree to your request!" Zhang Xuan replied. As his cultivation realm rose, gathering cultivation techniques had been bing increasingly difficult. It was just a matter of time before he would have to head to the Conferred Kingdoms, and having the backing of the Beast Hall would be for the best. "Thats great! Well meet in Xuanyuan Royal City half a year from now then!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuan agree, the eyes of the three beast tamers immediately lit up, and they clenched their fists in agitation. Their Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall had been at the very bottom of thepetition every single time. Now with a talented beast tamer joining their ranks, they might be able to awe the other Beast Halls. After resolving the issue regarding the Beast Taming Competition, they chatted for awhile longer. While they called it a chat, their actual purpose was to pry information from the other party. However, upon seeing that they were unable to get anything out of the other partys mouth, they decided to let the matter slip. Whenever they reached a crucial point, that fellow would act ignorant. They were frustrated with his disy but could do nothing about it. If you say that you dont know about anything else, we can let it slip. But as a senior to master teachers and a master teacher apprentice, you should at least know how the master teacher examination goes, right? Or at the very least, you should at least know how to raise ones Soul Depth, right? In the end... It turned out that he knew nothing about them! Fine, well tolerate it! But given how skilled you are in the Way of Medicine, you should at least know some basic medical knowledge, right? Yet... How could you not know anything! Well tolerate that as well! However... You are already a 2-star beast tamer. How can you not even know how to ride an aerial savage beast and the various branches of the Beast Hall... Alright, assuming that we tolerated that as well, what about when we asked you about howrge the Beast Forest is, how many apprentice beast tamers there are in it, how many apprentices a beast tamer could ept... Arent you going too far with your act! If you dont wish to tell us anything, you can just say so. Acting ignorant about everything... Is that fun? Previously, when you tamed a beast, treated the Howling Firmament Beast, forged pills, and pped everyones faces, it seemed as if there is nothing you are incapable of. Yet, at this moment, you are acting like a fool. Seeing you in such a state, some might even think that you have dissociative identity disorder... After chatting for a short while longer, the three beast tamers couldnt stand Zhang Xuan any further and bade farewell hurriedly. "Ah, dont go... I still have a lot of things to talk to you about!" Zhang Xuan tried to stop them. Hu! Executing their battle techniques, the three figures blurred and disappeared without a trace immediately. Whoever who wants to talk to him, feel free to do so. We do not want to die of frustration... "In short chat, I learned quite a lot of things." Oblivious to the thoughts of the trio, Zhang Xuan reflected as he stood up. While Hall Master Feng and the others were just beast tamers, they had a good grasp of the powers and situation of the surrounding kingdoms. They were quite knowledgeable about the various upations, and their words had expanded his horizon. Even though this world wasnt as modernized as the one Zhang Xuan was in before his transcension, the knowledge which grew throughout the ages here was much more profound than that of his previous world. It had just been barely twenty days since Zhang Xuan has transcended, and his line of thoughts had yet to fully adapt to this world. Thus, he was unclear of numerous matters, and speaking to these veterans was extremely helpful in expanding his outlook. After the days of journey and the events that took ce at the Beast Hall, Zhang Xuan had be slightly fatigued. Under the guidance of an apprentice, he headed to the residence assigned to him. Upon reaching the residence he saw an elegant and beautiful figure, reminiscent of a painting, standing at the entrance. "Mo Yu?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It wasnt anyone else. It was the genius who had pitted herself against him for the entire day, the third princess of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Yu. "Beast Tamer Zhang!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu immediately walked forward to greet him. "Xiaojie, were you waiting for me?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. It was already sunset by the time he was done treating the Howling Firmament Beast and after that, he chatted with the three beast tamers for around four hours. By modern standards, it was already around ten oclock. Why would she be waiting at the entrance at such a timing? "Thats right. There is something which I am unable toprehend no matter how much I ponder, so I came over personally to ask you about it." Mo Yu gritted her teeth. "Oh?" "How can you be so sure that the pills had already formed in the cauldron when the cauldron was on the verge exploding?" Mo Yu stared at Zhang Xuan. No matter how much she contemted, she was unable to understand how he did it. As an official apothecary, she knew very well how difficult it was for a pill to be formed. A split second error in the timing could spell the difference between sess and failure. It would take incredible coincidence for a pill to be formed at the very moment of the cauldron explosion. Even though Mo Yu witnessed everything with her own eyes, she nevertheless found the matter hard to believe. It felt surreal. "Its luck!" Zhang Xuan casually said. With the Library of Heavens Path overseeing the situation, Zhang Xuan had aplete grasp of the timing of the cauldron explosion and the formation of the pill. However, he couldnt possibly reveal the truth, so he could only make up an excuse. "Luck?" Mo Yu shook her head. "Theres no such thing as luck in pill forging! I will be truly grateful if Beast Tamer Zhang can enlighten me." As a genius who dabbled in numerous upation, Mo Yu possessed a strong desire for knowledge. Initially, she didnt think much. However after returning, she tried recalling the matter, and to her surprize, she realized that the other partys understanding of medicinal herbs and control over mes were superior to even that of her teacher! One must know that her teacher was a 2-star pinnacle grandmaster apothecary. Even in Tianwu Kingdom, he was an incredible existence. A fellow who isnt even twenty being superior to her dignified teacher... How is this possible? Thus... She concluded that Zhang Xuan had used trickery. She contemted over the various possibilities, but she realized that none of them could exin his feat. Thus, she made the trip here in hope that she could be enlightened. "You wish to learn from me?" Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would back off after a few nonsensical statements. Yet, to his astonishment, the other party continued to stare at him with an earnest look. "Yes! I really wish to learn from you." Mo Yu looked at Zhang Xuan earnestly. "Un!" Satisfied with the other partys attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Without the airs of a princess, she was willing to lower her head to seek enlightenment. With such humility and intense desire for knowledge, it was no wonder that she was able to master so many upations. "Since you wish to learn, Ill tell you more!" Toward those who sincerely desired to learn, Zhang Xuan wasnt selfish with his knowledge. cing two hands behind his back, he spoke, "Pill forging is an art of melding medicinal herbs together to better bring out their medicinal properties. However, there are many factors that one has to consider in the process of doing so." "If Im not wrong, the cauldron that exploded then was forged using the cial Metal of the cial Metal Mountain at the northwest of Tianwu Kingdom. There were many processes to its forging, and the entire process took a total of forty-nine days. Even though it wasnt forged by an official cksmith, it came from the hands of a famous 5-mo craftsman. After several refinements, it became exceptionally sturdy. However..." At this point, his tone suddenly changed, "Youve forged pills with this cauldron a total of eighteen times, and there were seven times when there were signs of cauldron explosion! Even though they were suppressed by using overwhelming energy eventually, the pressure had damaged the cauldron, creating numerous cracks in the interior of the cauldron. If that was just it, it wouldnt have been a big deal. However, if Im not wrong, half a month ago, you forged an [Ice Soul Pill] using it. The sh between the lingering frost from back then and the heat from the forging of the Searing Sun Pill damaged the cauldron significantly." "One should use their zhenqi to line the cauldron so as to prevent it from getting damaged. However, you didnt do so, and this caused several problems to appear with the cauldron. Even if it didnt explode this time, it is unlikely that it wouldst for long!" "Now that were done with the cauldron, lets talk about the environment where the pill forging was conducted. Given that it was an autumn evening, the surroundings were slightly chilly. When you first started the forging, you didnt warm the cauldron properly before raising the heat in your haste to show off your fire control mastery. Even though it did look shy, it was equivalent to destroying ones own cauldron..." At this point, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and smiled, "Mo Yu xiaojie, is what Ive said... true?" "This..." Trembling, Mo Yus lower jaw fell to the ground. Chapter 263: To the Poison Hall! Chapter 263: To the Poison Hall! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Mo Yus cauldron was a gift from her teacher when she first passed the 1-star apothecary examination. Thinking about it, she had forged pills with it eighteen times, and of which, there were signs of cauldron explosion seven times. Each time, her teacher would help her suppress the violent energy within. And she did forge an Ice Soul Pill a month ago. The other partys words werepletely true. Being able to tell all of these just by looking at her cauldron? Mind-blowing! Mo Yu felt her entire body shudder in disbelief. It was as if she was dreaming. "Of course, these are just the fundamentals. They give one a gauge on when a cauldron can explode, but it isnt sufficient to determine when exactly it will explode, how strong the explosion will be, and how long the cauldron willst." Seeing the other party remain silent, Zhang Xuan continued. "To ascertain this, ones grasp over medicinal herbs must reach a certain level. The main ingredients of the Searing Sun Pill are the nine yang attribute medicinal herbs. Only by maintaining a delicate bnce among the nine herbs and have them counteract one another can one prevent the energies from conflicting. Once the bnce is broken, it would be difficult to salvage the situation. It would be equivalent to lighting a bomb." "Previously, when you followed my instructions strictly to ce the medicinal herbs in, there was no problem at all. However, on the seventeenth step, you ced the Rooted Grass half a breath early." "The Sr me Wood in the eleventh step and the Golden Sun Flower in the fourteenth step counteracted one another. Given the conditions of the cauldron then, it required twelve breaths and seven breaths respectively for their essences to meld with one another, and that was also the ideal and only timing to put in the next medicinal herb!" "When you ced the Rooted Grass in, the two medicinal herbs had yet to meld together, and the yang attribute of both medicinal herbs were still in the midst of counteracting one another. Thus, it was as though you were lighting up a bomb, and a shock wave was induced. The strength of the shock wave wasnt sufficient to break the pills but it hastened the crumbling process. After which, when I had you throw in all of the other ingredients and increase the firepower, It was actually to deduce the impending impact, as well as the durability of the cauldron." "Based on my calctions, I gauged that it was possible for the cauldron tost until the formation of the pill. Thus, I decided to have you continue forging." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused and looked at Mo Yu calmly. "Do you have any other questions?" "I... No, thats all!" Mo Yu was unable to calm down from her shock. She thought that it was some secret technique that had allowed the other party to urately gauge the situation of the pill forging. But now, she realized that even though he had indeed used a technique, as she has deduced, it wasnt something she could learn. There were too many factors contained within it for her to do the same. Equipment, medicinal herb, forging technique, environment, and even the state of mind during forging... She had to take all of that into ount when doing her calctions. A single error could mean an entirely wrong answer. A while ago, she was still thinking that she would work hard so as to quickly catch up with the other party in the field of pill forging. But at this moment, she realized that... the difference between them was so great that they werent even on the same track. It was no wonder why the other party was able to pass the Pill Debate. Just his understanding of pill forging was sufficient to send her into despair. "If you dont have any more questions, Im going to rest!" Seeing that he had managed baffle Mo Yu after much effort, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. In truth, he was unable to tell any of it as well. If not for the Library of Heavens Path, not to mention him, even a 5-star apothecary would be unable to analyze the moment of pill formation and cauldron explosion just through those minor details. At the very least, one has to be 6-star to be able to do so. "Beast Tamer Zhang, wait a moment..." Seeing that the other party was about to enter the residence, Mo Yu hurriedly shouted. "I heard that youre heading to Tianwu Kingdom?" "How did you know?" The moment he asked the question, he realized that it must have been Yun Tao. However, he didnt have the intention to hide this fact. Thus, he nodded, "Im heading to the Red Lotus Ridge." "The Red Lotus Ridge is quite a remote location, and rarely do anyone travel there. Can it be that youre looking for the... Poison Hall?" Mo Yu asked. The Xuanluo Mountain Range was lush and filled with countless savage beasts. Inparison, the Red Lotus Ridge seemed as though it had been razed by savage mes, and there was nothing there. There were practically no cultivators who would want to go there. As a result, Legend has it there was a Poison Hall hidden in the depths of the mountains, and the poison masters there hadid lethal poison in the surroundings. Those who enter the depths of the Red Lotus Ridge would be afflicted with the poison and die swiftly. No one knew for sure whether it was true or not because those who headed for the Poison Hall never returned. As time went by, it became one of the forbidden zones where no one dared to venture. As such, it became a remotend which everyone avoided. The reason why Zhang Xuan was heading there... was probably because of that Poison Hall. "You know of the Poison Hall?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Zhang Xuan has only heard of the Poison Hall in the Red Lotus Ridge from Liu shi and the rest, and they werent sure of its existence as well. Thus, hearing the matter from Mo Yu, he became agitated immediately. "It is said that theres a Poison Hall in Red Lotus Ridge. However... no one knows of its specific location!" Mo Yu shook her head. "Its fine as long as there is one there. I will find it eventually!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. As long as there was truly a Poison Hall in the ridge, finding it wasnt a problem. In the worst case scenario, Zhang Xuan would just try verifying the location of the Poison Hall using a map through the Library of Heavens Path. Given its ability of discerning truth and false, even if Zhang Xuan wasnt able to pinpoint the exact location, he could at least avoid the wrong ones. And the location which has no ws would be the correct one. "Speaking of which, the Red Lotus Ridge spans for several thousand kilometers. If you were to search every single acre ofnd, you would first die of exhaustion. Besides, there is lethal poison present in the surroundings of the Poison Hall. Even if you were to find the exact location, without someone to lead the way, it is impossible for you to enter." At this point, Mo Yu paused for a moment and stared at Zhang Xuan with her beautiful eyes. "If you wish to head for the Poison Hall, I can help you with the matter." "You?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "You know of a way to enter the Poison Hall?" "I dont know of a way, but I know of someone who does." Mo Yu chuckled mysteriously. "Oh?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He didnt expect Mo Yu to possess such connections. If she could bring him in, it would save him a lot of trouble. "If you teach me how to forge pills, Ill bring you to that person. How is it?" Mo Yu stared at Zhang Xuan intently. "Deal!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Then when do we head out?" "Tomorrow morning. Right, do you have an aerial savage beast?" Zhang Xuan nced at her. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had achieved Half-Zhizun and possessed astonishing speed. If her aerial savage beast were unable to keep up, she would just slow him down. "You!" Hearing the other partys question, Mo Yus eyes trembled. Gegege, the sound of her teeth crunched against one another could be heard, and her breathing hastened. Are you intentionally rubbing salt on my wounds? "Ah..." Only upon seeing her expression did Zhang Xuan recall that she once had an aerial savage beast, just that... it had betrayed her for him! "Alright, how about you ride on the Howling Firmament Beast with me?" The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had a huge physique which was more than sufficient to ferry seven to eight people at once. "Hmph!" Only after hearing those words did Mo Yusplexion improve. However, it didntst for long. "The Howling Firmament Beast is my tamed beast. If you wish to ride on it, you will have to pay a fee. When it was still at Zongshi realm, a trip to Tianwu Kingdom would cost around 20 Beast Bloodstone. Now that it has reached Half-Zhizun, its speed has increased significantly... Ill charge you double then. 40 Beast Bloodstone." After calcting for a bit, Zhang Xuan said. "Prepare the sum by tomorrow and pay in advance. Do not renege on the deal!" There was information on the Beast Bloodstone within books in the Beast Hall. Simr to gold coins, it was amon currency used by Beast Halls. The Beast Bloodstone was extremely useful in triggering a Bloodline Evolution in savage beasts. While a cultivator absorbed spiritual energy from the air, a savage beast ate the Beast Bloodstone. "..." Mo Yu staggered. Given how you are adept at so many upations, do you have to be such a money-grubber? "Hmph!" Knowing that her blood would boil just talking to this fellow, she decided to leave before she could be angered to death. However, after barely taking a few steps, the mutterings of the other party echoed behind her. "Sigh, people nowadays sure are miserly. Despite saying that she is grateful to me, the moment I talk about money... she turns silent. Now, she even expects to sit on my aerial savage beast for free... If you dont have any money, you should say so earlier. You raised my expectations for nothing. To think that you are a princess, can a princess default on her payment?" "You... Zhang Xuan, you better exin yourself! Who doesnt have money..." Mo Yu could no longer hold herself back and turned around abruptly. Just as she was about to confront the fellow, he shook his head and entered the residence sighing. "Damn it! Damn it! You stinky Zhang Xuan, darned Zhang Xuan, just you wait!" Seeing him disappear into the residence, Mo Yu red furiously at the mansion for a moment before stomping away with a puff. Given how infuriated she was, it was unlikely she would be able to fall asleep tonight. Feeling fatigued, Zhang Xuan went straight to bed after entering the residence. The night passed silently. Then the next morning, a 2-star beast tamer emblem was sent to the residence. Keeping the residence in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan made some arrangements. Shen Bi Rus purpose was to guide Zhang Xuan to the Beast Hall and would be returning to Tianxuan Royal City. Initially, he intended to give her a lift on the Viridescent Eagle, but she refused him adamantly. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to give her the Gold Alloyed Panther instead. Possessing the two great aerial savage beasts, the Viridescent Eagle and the Howling Firmament Beast, the Gold Alloyed Panther was of no help to him. Rather, it would be of a greater help to Shen Bi Ru. At the very least, no one would dare to cause her trouble in Tianxuan Royal City. In a sense, this was Zhang Xuans way of repaying the other party for the care and concern she had shown him on the journey. After making arrangements with Shen Bi Ru, Zhang Xuan headed to the courtyard of the Howling Firmament Beast. At this point, he realized that there was a room-like infrastructure built on its back. It was forged using metal, and it was streamlined to the body of the Howling Firmament Beast. This way, no matter how strong the wind was during the flight, it would not shake. Most of those riding on Beast Mounts didnt possess powerful cultivation, and there was a risk of them falling when traveling at high speeds. As such, the Beast Hall prepared these rooms on aerial savage beasts to prevent such cases. The Howling Firmament Beast had arge physique, and as though reflecting that, the infrastructure on its back was around six to seven meter wide. There were table, chairs, and beds in it, and it didnt feel as if one was soaring in the air. Not to mention two people, even with the Viridescent Eagle inside, it wouldnt feel cramped in the least. "Farewell!" Zhang Xuan bided Hall Master Feng and the others farewell before walking into the room. Huhu! The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beasts powerful wings pped, and the two humans and two beasts soared into the air. Gazing at the Beast Hall and Xuanluo Mountain Range which was growing smaller by the second, Zhang Xuan smiled. Poison Hall, here Ie. Chapter 264: Heavens Path Disguise Art Chapter 264: Heavens Path Disguise Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove White clouds floated by and the wind whistled. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beasts massive body soared through the skies. Sensing the powerful aura of a Half-Zhizun, the other savage beasts immediately fled in fear. In the housing on the savage beasts back, Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu were seated opposite to each other. "There are so many savage beasts in the air. If not for the Howling Firmament Beast, even though our safety wouldnt have been a problem, we would still face quite some hassle with them." Mo Yu said as she stared out of a window to observe the boundless sky. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Through the books in the library, Zhang Xuan had gained some understanding on this matter. The aerial space may seem peaceful like a safe haven, but in truth, it was actually no different from the world below. In the end, the strong still preyed on the weak. If the savage beast one rode on wasnt strong enough, there was a probability of it being targeted and attacked by other savage beasts. This was precisely the reason why the cost of savage beasts increased exponentially along with their cultivation realm. As much as it was a matter of speed, it was also a matter of safety. "To find the Poison Hall, well have to first head to Red Lotus City!" After a night of rest, Mo Yu finally managed to suppress her anger and reverted back to the prideful and cold princess. "Red Lotus City?" "Right, it is an ancient city at the foot of the Red Lotus Ridge. One has to pass through the city in order to enter the mountains. The person whom I spoke of previously lives in the city." Mo Yu nodded. "Is he a poison master?" Zhang Xuan asked. "No, hes a herb king!" Mo Yu replied. "Herb king?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Regardless of whether it was for pill forging or to treat illnesses, there was great demand for medicinal herbs. Herb kings were people who had special connections to those who cultivated, purchased. and sold these medicinal herbs. Given the sinister nature of the Poison Hall, why would a herb king have ties with it? "This is a ssified secret of the kingdom. I only happened to overhear people speaking of it." Frowning, Mo Yu exined, "The Poison Hall is hidden in the depths of the mountains. Every year, countless people attempt to scale the mountain in hopes of learning the Way of Poison. However, most of them end up dying because of the poisonous mist. Rumor has it that the only way to find the Poison Hall is through the herb kings. The reason is that the Poison Hall requires intermediaries to purchase arge amount of medicinal herbs for the crafting of poison, as well as to sell their poison... And the intermediaries are the herb kings! There is a total of thirteen herb kings in Red Lotus City, and the one that Im bringing you to is the greatest of them all, the Great Herb King." "The Great Herb King controls the flow of medicinal herbs in the Red Lotus City, and if anyone has connections to the Poison Hall, it must be him. However..." Mo Yu hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I heard that the Great Herb King is already advanced in age and has gone into seclusion. It would be almost impossible for us to meet him and get him to bring us to the Poison Hall." "Impossible? You said that you were going to bring me to the Poison Hall..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. This person said that she would help me find the Poison Hall. Yet, it turns out that it would be impossible to meet with the Great Herb King and, not to mention, for him to bring me there. What kind of help is this? "I only said that I will you to find that person. As for whether you can meet him and convince him, thats none of my business!" Mo Yu said gleefully. Arent you always trying to anger me? See how Ill get back at you! "Ah, that seems to be the case!" Recalling carefully, it was true that the other party only mentioned that she would bring him a person who knew the way to the Poison Hall. She had never said that she would bring him to the Poison Hall. Zhang Xuan felt that he had been taken advantage of, having guided the other party in pill forging only to receive such a miserable amount of information in return. All along, he had been the one to hoodwink others. To think that this fellow would get the better of him. Even so, Zhang Xuan wasnt too bothered. Compared to his previous situation, at least he now had an idea of where he should begin to work from. "Un?" Mo Yu thought that the other party would panic upon hearing her words. In the end, he only said an Ah, that seems to be the case and fell silent. Sneaking a peek at him, she saw a rxed expression on the other partys face, as though none of it concerned him. "Arent you worried that the other party might refuse to meet you?" After a moment, Mo Yu couldnt hold back her curiosity anymore. I said that the Great Herb King is advanced in age and doesnt meet anyone. Why isnt this fellow flustered at all? "Of course Im worried!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Then, you..." Mo Yu blinked in surprize. Is this how you look when youre worried? I cant tell at all. "But theres no use worrying about it. Rather than wasting my time, I might as well think about when youll pay me my money..." At this point, Zhang Xuan stared at her doubtfully, "Right, can it be that your identity as a princess is impersonated? Otherwise, how can you be so poor? Having not paid the fee, how can you be so thick-skinned as to ride on my Beast Mount?" "..." Mo Yus slender body swayed violently. She initially thought that she had finally won one over Zhang Xuan and would be able to admire the exasperated look on his face, but contrary to her expectations, he appearedpletely calm. On the other hand, the moment he spoke, her rage soared once more. Damn it! I knew that nothing good cane out from this mans mouth... Looks like I should avoid talking to him in the future. Otherwise, it would just be a matter of time before I die from his words... "Hmph!" Mo Yu ground her teeth together, but she didnt dare to say anything else. She decided to ignore the other party and pouted her mouth. "Sigh, despite owing money, you refuse to let me speak about it. Why are people so thick-skinned these days?" Muttering under his breath, Zhang Xuan stretched his back. "You..." Mo Yu felt a strong regret for following this fellow to Red Lotus City. On seeing her beauty, everyone would always act carefully for fear of offending her. Yet, this fellow managed to push her buttons with every single word he said. It was as if he wouldnt be content until he gave her a heart attack. How can there be such a fellow in the world? She thought that she would die from anger in the two-day journey, but unexpectedly, the fellow didnt pay her any attention. Rather, he sat quietly in a corner of the room and remained in... a daze. "What is he up to?" Initially, Mo Yu thought that the other party was intentionally putting on an act to vex her. However, his trancested for an entire day, and his eyes had reddened in fatigue. Deciding that it was unlikely for the other party to go such great lengths just to prank her, she became perplexed. Speaking of provoking others, this fellow was capable of murdering with his words. In terms of talents, even Mo Yu, a renowned genius, wasnt a match for him. In terms of wisdom, he had been in a mindless daze. What was he up to? Staring at the fellow before her, she realized that the more she knew about him, the less sheprehended. Oblivious to the other partys confusion, Zhang Xuan was upied inside the Library of Heavens Path, fully engrossed in reading through the books. Given that his awareness was immersed entirely within the library, it looked as if he was in a daze from the outside. Zhang Xuan was able to ess the books duplicated in the library with a single thought in his mind. However, while they were stored in the library, this knowledge didnt yet actually belong to him. He was still unable to utilize it freely under all situations. Having transcended into this world for over twenty days, Zhang Xuan knew that he mustnt just rely on the Library of Heavens Path if he wants to be a true master teacher. He has to read more books and learn more. Only with sufficient knowledge will he be able to reach greater heights. While the golden book has the effect of assimting the content within all of the books in the library into his very own knowledge, no one can tell when it would be formed. In any case, since Zhang Xuan didnt have Heavens Path Divine Art for the Half-Zongshi realm to raise his cultivation and was free, he might as well read some more books and take in more knowledge. Perhaps, it might even turn out to be useful to himter on. "Hm? To think that there would be so many books on disguising in the Tianxuan Kingdoms Book Collection Vault." Sweeping through the innumerable books he had collected in the kingdoms Book Collection Vault, Zhang Xuan stopped before a particr bookshelf all of a sudden. There were more than a thousand books ced on it and all of them were about altering ones appearance and disguise. "I heard that when Emperor Shen Zhui was younger, he once roamed around the world. Could he have collected these books then? After all, as an emperor, there are too many people who wish to take his life. It would be much safer for him to don a disguise." An idea popped into Zhang Xuans mind. Rumor has it that Emperor Shen Zhui once traveled around the world when he was younger to train himself and to widen his boundaries. However, if he were to have walked around in his original appearance, he would have probably been killed by his enemies back then. After all, the allure of a throne is too great. Even blood-rted brothers would brutally ughter one another for that one and only seat. When Emperor Shen Zhui was traveling around the world, his cultivation had yet to mature. He probably collected these appearance altering and disguise books in consideration for his safety. "Since there are so many books here, I might be able to form a Heavens Path secret manual!" Thinking so, Zhang Xuan started to organize the correct content within the books. Soon, they melded together to form a single book. "It worked!" A delighted gleam shed through Zhang Xuans eyes. "The art of disguise is centered around intent. Changing ones appearance with pills and suppressing ones voice is actually the most mediocre type of disguise. A true disguise requires one to have absolute control over their muscles..." The book was filled with knowledge on disguising oneself. After having flipped through a few pages, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but smile bitterly. It was no wonder why Liu Ling and the others could tell that something was amiss when he was disguised as Yang Xuan. After reading through this book, he realized how subpar his disguise then was. It was due to theck of powerful experts in Tianxuan Kingdom that no one could see through his disguise. Otherwise, even if it werent Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuans disguise would have been exposed in any other Tier 2 Kingdoms. Very quickly, he finished reading the entire book. "Even though these are just the fundamentals to disguising, I should be able to hide my appearance from most people!" Even though the books in Tianxuan Kingdom covered just the bare fundamentals of disguising, after mastering these, Zhang Xuan was nevertheless able to easily alter his appearance to the extent that even Liu shi and the others would find it difficult to notice. "This disguising method has a demanding requirement on ones control over their muscles as it works by moving muscles around to change ones appearance. It would be impossible for anyone else to cultivate this technique because being able to control every single muscle in their body is a nearly impossible. However, its a different story for me! After cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body, the muscles in my body have gained immense flexibility and I am able to move them as I please." Zhang Xuan smiled gently. Just by reading through the Heavens Path Disguise Art, Zhang Xuan had more or less mastered the skill. At this moment, even without using pills for his disguise, Zhang Xuan was able to easily alter his appearance without anyone noticing anything amiss. With this ability, even if Zhang Xuan was unable to defeat someone, he would be able to avoid him by altering his appearance. This meant that Zhang Xuan had just gained another mean for survival. "Weve reached!" Zhang Xuan was about to test out his disguising technique when Mo Yus voice resounded. Looking out of the windows, Zhang Xuan could see massive mountains appearing before his eyes. The entire ridge extended for several thousand kilometers. The barrennd was devoid of any greenery and its crimson surface was filled with sand and rocks. "Is that the Red Lotus Ridge?" The rise and fall of the geographical terrain extended toward the horizon, and one couldnt see the end with a single nce. It looked as though a massive red lotus had spread across the vast area of the earth. It was no wonder why Mo Yu said that it would be impossible to locate the hall by casually fumbling around. Given the massive size of the ridge, it would be indeed difficult to discover an intentionally concealed Poison Hall. "Thats right. That over there is Red Lotus City!" Mo Yu pointed. Following her finger, Zhang Xuan saw an ancient-looking city beneath the glow of the morning sun. Chapter 265: The Great Herb King’s Residence Chapter 265: The Great Herb Kings Residence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Unlike Tianxuan Royal City, this city was built using red-colored bricks, and it blended in perfectly with the entire Red Lotus Ridge, looking extremely ancient. In terms of size, it was much smaller in size and could not bepared with the Beast Hall. "The Red Lotus City is older than even Tianwu Kingdom. It is said that it has more than three thousand years of history, and is the trading hub of medicinal herbs for the dozen or so countries around Tianwu! However, due to the influence of the Poison Hall, no one is willing to remain here for long. As such, it had been on a decline, and now it doesnt match up to even those third-rate cities." Mo Yu exined. The Red Lotus City belonged to Tianwu Kingdom, and as the princess of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Yu was well aware of its background. "The Howling Firmament Beast and Viridescent Eagle are too conspicuous, and we might attract unwanted trouble if we enter like that. It would be best if we enter by foot." Even though the Red Lotus City was merely a small city at the borders, it acted as a major trading hub for medicinal herbs and poison. As such, there was arge traffic of experts from surrounding kingdoms through the city gates. Given the humongous size of the Viridescent Eagle and the Howling Firmament Beast, entering just like that would bring unwanted attention to themselves. In terms of strength, there were few who could defeat the Half-Zhizun Howling Firmament Beast. However, there was a possibility of poison masters hiding within the city, and attracting scrutiny to themselves might be perilous. While Zhang Xuan and the others didnt fear a straightforward assault, it would be hard for them to guard against sneak attacks that used poison. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan replied. He got the Howling Firmament Beast tond somewhere a distance away from the city and instructed the two beasts not to stray too far away before heading to the Red Lotus City together with Mo Yu. Walking on the streets of the ancient city, surrounded by ancient buildings, it felt as though they had traveled into the past. Despite the small city, there was quite a huge crowd on the streets. Lined along the long streets were vendors, and huge piles of medicinal herbs stacked up before them. There was a significant number of herbs which one usually couldnt find in any other market. "Withering Earth Grass, Gossamer Cicada, Five Poison Silk Thread..." Briefly ncing at the herbs, Zhang Xuan recognized quite a few of them and frowned. These medicinal items contained lethal poison within them. They were rarely used in treatments and pill forging, and this was Zhang Xuans first time seeing it sold in such great quantities. "There must be poison masters here!" Only poison masters would stock up on these items at great quantities. There was no need for ordinary apothecaries and physicians to store so much of them. "There are poison masters here, but you wont be able to recognize any if he doesnt concoct poison before you!" Mo Yu said. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Unlike master teachers, skills of a poison master are independent of his cultivation. Sometimes, a seemingly powerless child or a stumbling olddy is capable of concocting poison which even Zongshis are unable to withstand. Thats why it was hard to recognize poison masters. Even if a person with high cultivation realm were to purchase poisonous herbs, he may not necessarily be a poison master. On the other hand, an inconspicuous and fragile lookingdy may just happen to be a famous assassin. "If you wish to look for a poison master, you can sell medicinal herbs here. If you were to continue for three to five years, you might just meet with one." Mo Yu said. "There are plenty of people who are seeking vengeance but unable to raise their cultivation waiting here for an opportunity to be epted into the tutge of a poison master. However, those who seed are among the minority." "Three to five years?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. I might already be dead by then... why not kill me with a stab of the knife right now. While the Library of Heavens Path revealed a persons upation, the requirement was that the other party had to first execute a battle technique. Otherwise, the person had to be unconscious... If Zhang Xuan were to try to knock someone out here, endless trouble would surely ensue. Others might think of him as a lunatic and chase him away. "Lets first look for the Great Herb King!" Thinking of that, Zhang Xuan said. "Indeed, the only clue we have at hand is the Great Herb King. However, have you ever wondered why everyone chose to sell medicinal herbs here despite being aware that the Great Herb King knows the location of the Poison Hall and is acquainted with poison masters?" Mo Yu stared at Zhang Xuan. "This..." "The Great Herb King isnt someone anyone can meet easily!" Mo Yu shook her head. "Even so, we should give it a try." Zhang Xuan also knew that it wouldnt be easy. However, since he was already here, it wouldnt hurt to give it a try. Perhaps, the other party might just meet him. "Alright then! However, Ill just say this first. The Great Herb King isnt someone anyone can offend. Even though your cultivation isnt weak, its best for you to keep a low profile here. Otherwise, you wont even know how you died!" Mo Yu advised. "Rest easy, Im not a rash person!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Fine, follow me!" Seeing the other party agreeing to the matter, Mo Yu led the way. She seemed to be well-acquainted with the roads here, as though she had been to this Red Lotus City. After around an hour, a massive manor appeared before them. Red bricked with an emerald roof, green trees, and a beautiful stream, this manor which contained some modern elements in its design seemed out of ce in this ancient city. Several guards stood proudly at the door, exuding an astonishingly powerful aura. "Tongxuan realm?" With a nce, Zhang Xuans expression turned grim. The guards at the entrance were all Tongxuan realm primary stage experts. In Tianxuan Kingdom, experts of such level were capable of rattling thends with a stomp. Yet, over here, they acted as mere guards. "This is the manor of the Great Herb King!" Mo Yu whispered telepathically to Zhang Xuan. Even without her exnation, Zhang Xuan had already arrived at that conclusion. Just as he was about to speak, a young gentleman approached the entrance with two retainers beside him and passed a name scroll forward. "I am the prince of Tier 2 Baili Kingdom, Qing Yu. Im here to seek an audience with the Great Herb King." Tier 2 Baili Kingdom was a country of equivalent standing as Beiwu Kingdom. It was significantlyrger and more powerful than Tianxuan Kingdom. "Im sorry, the old master had instructed us to turn away all guests." A guard spoke expressionlessly, blocking his way. "Audacious! Our master is the prince of a Tier 2 Kingdom. How dare you obstruct his path?" A retainer behind the young man bellowed. Stepping forward, he roared, "Get out of the way!" "In the Red Lotus City, our old master is the ultimate authority. Even if the emperores personally, we will turn him away, needless to say, a prince from a Tier 2 Kingdom! Scram, otherwise dont me us for getting nasty." The guards narrowed their eyes. With a swift movement, all of them drew their swords. "Youre courting death!" Upon hearing those words, the retainer flew into a rage. He charged forward, aiming his palm straight at the guards neck. A powerful wind blew into the surroundings. "Tongxuan realm intermediate stage?" The retainer was actually a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage expert! It was no wonder why he would act so arrogantly. Hu! At Tongxuan realm intermediate stage, one possesses 200 ding of strength. Before his hands could reach the guards, thepressed air as a result of his movements had already let out a piercing screech. "Are you trying to barge into the Great Herb Kings residence?" The guard who spoke took a step back. "So what if Im trying to barge in?" Prince Qing Yus retainer harrumphed coldly. Not only did he not back down, he exerted even more strength into his palm. "If thats the case, you can... die now!" Sensing the increasing vigor in the other partys movements, the guards and harrumphed and flicked their wrists. Hu! The retainer was covered in a white mist immediately. "You..." Before the retainer could react, the white mist came into contact with his skin. His entire body convulsed, and soon afterward, white foam leaked out from his mouth. It wasnt long before he fell to the ground and his eyes rolled backward. Just like that, he met his end. "What?" Qing Yu and his remaining retainer were shocked by the sight before them. They hurriedly retreated in fear. The retainer charged forward to attack was significantly stronger than the two of them, but yet, he died before he could even touch the other party. The poison they used was simply too vicious. "Scram!" After killing the retainer, the guards waved the two of them away. This time, Yu Qing and his retainer didnt dare to say anything else. Carrying the corpse with them, they left in a hurry. "This..." All of these happened within a few breaths. Taking this scene into sight, Zhang Xuans expression became grim. The other party was a prince from a Tier 2 Kingdom, yet the guards poisoned his retainer without any hesitation... This was something that Zhang Xuan never expected. It was no wonder why Mo Yu treated this matter with grave importance. This Great Herb King was indeed a difficult and cruel figure. "Are we unable to enter, even with your name scroll?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. No matter what, Mo Yu was the princess of Tianwu Kingdom after all. Her prestige should be much greater than a Tier 2 Kingdom prince. "Thats right." Knowing Zhang Xuans thoughts, Mo Yu shook her head. "The Red Lotus City may belong to Tianwu Kingdom in name, but its actually a free zone. Even if a prince were here in person, he would be unable to interfere with the matter here, not to mention that I am a mere princess. Havent you seen for yourself? Despite having his retainer killed before him, that prince didnt dare to say anything at all." "Then... Is it possible to sneak in?" "Sneak in? Thats even more impossible! Since the Great Herb King is able to be the sovereign of this city, there is no doubt that he possesses incredible means. If anyone can sneak in that easily, his manor would have been patronized by countless people." Mo Yu said. "Thats true..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Given the Great Herb Kings position as the most powerful man in the chaotic Red Lotus City, if anyone could sneak into his manor freely, he would have already died hundreds of time by now. "Yet another person seeking death!" "Do you think that itll be that easy to enter the Great Herb Kings manor?" "Its said that only three types of people are allowed to enter the manor. Herb kings, poison masters, and those with an invitation letter! Otherwise, its best not to loiter here, or you might die without knowing why!" "Thats right!" ... Seeing the prince from a Tier 2 Kingdom sent running, hushed discussions arose in the surroundings. "Invitation letter? Old uncle, do you mean that anyone with an invitation letter can enter?" Hearing the discussion, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He walked up to the group and passed forward a gold bill. "Thats right!" Grabbing over the gold bill, the elder smiled and nodded. "Then, how does one obtain an invitation letter?" Zhang Xuan asked. "That I dont know..." The elder shook his head. However, he seemed to have recalled something all of a sudden and added, "Oh, theres another type of person who can enter with an invitation letter." "Oh?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Yus attention was piqued. "The Great Herb King is old, and his physical condition hasnt been well recently. He has been inviting physicians thest few days, and all official physicians with a physician emblem in their hands are allowed to enter the manor." The elder said. "Physician?" Zhang Xuan looked at the elder. "Is there a Physician Guild here?" Physicians, just like the many other upations, have an organization behind them, and it is called the Physician Guild. Due to Tianxuan Kingdoms remote location, it didnt have a Physician Guild. If there was one in the Red Lotus City, Zhang Xuan could try taking the physician examination. "How can there be a Physician Guild here? All of them are physicians who are stopping by to purchase medicinal herbs." Pointing forward, he continued, "Look, that person over there should be a physician!" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan directed his gaze to the manor immediately. A middle-aged man was walking up to the entrance. "I am 2-star Physician Nie Yuan from Beichen Kingdom. The Great Herb King has invited me." As he said so, he produced an emblem and passed it to one of the guards. "Its Physician Nie Yuan, this way please!" Upon seeing the emblem, the guards bowed hurriedly and opened up a path for him. "Thank you!" Physician Nie Yuan walked into the manor. Chapter 266: Physician Bai Chan Chapter 266: Physician Bai Chan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Thats right, I can do that!" Seeing the physician entering unobstructed after shing his physician emblem, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. "Lets go!" Wasting no time at all, Zhang Xuan returned to the street where he came from withrge strides. "Do you intend to take the physician examination? I intend to take the examination as well, so we can go together. There is a Physician Guild in Tianwu Kingdom, and a roundabout trip should take a total of only five to six days. It wont take too much time." Following behind him, Mo Yu asked. To enter the Great Herb Kings manor, one had to be a herb king, a poison master, or possess an invitation letter... Those three were too difficult to achieve, and the best chance Zhang Xuan had was to earn a physician emblem. Mo Yu was an apprentice physician, and she intended to take the physician examination after bing an official beast tamer. Watching Zhang Xuan treat the Howling Firmament Beast had deepened her understanding of the upation, and apanied with the knowledge she had umted throughout the years, it wouldnt be difficult for her to pass the examination and be an official physician once they found a Physician Guild. "Five to six days?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Theres no need for it, I have another idea in mind!" There were too many possible deviations that could ur if he were to spend five to six days obtaining a physician emblem at Tianwu Kingdom. What if the Great Herb King was cured by another physician while he was away? What if the Great Herb King failed to hold on until Zhang Xuans return? If so, he would have wasted his effort obtaining the physician emblem. "Then what do we do? Do you want to gather medicinal herbs to be a herb king? However, the difficulty of achieving this is even higher, and you will suffer the oppression from other herb kings as well..." Mo Yu was perplexed as to what Zhang Xuan was up to. After the shortmotion at the Great Herb Kings manor, he should be aware that the Great Herb King dont meet with anyone except for the four types of people. Since Zhang Xuan does know where the Poison Hall is, it is impossible for him to be a poison master. On the other hand, if he has the invitation letter, he wouldnt have had to inquire Mo Yu about the matter. Therefore, the only solution is to be a herb king... But this is even harder than earning a physician emblem. Despite its three thousand years of history, there were only thirteen herb kings in the Red Lotus City. They had already established a stable distribution of power among themselves, and if Zhang Xuan were to barge into the industry abruptly, it was highly possible that they might just make attempts on his life. "Were here!" Instead of answering the other partys doubts, Zhang Xuan simply smiled mysteriously. After walking around for a bit, he stopped abruptly. Mo Yu lifted her gaze. They were at a luxurious medicinal herb trading market. It wasnt as busy as the street they were previously at, and there were only a few people browsing through the herbs. "Atrocious! Do you take me for a fool? For you to dare to use such subpar products to swindle me, is it because youve found a new buyer and dont want to work with me anymore?" Walking along the trading market, a bellow could be heard from a vendor not far away from them. It was a middle-aged man in his forties dressed in a light green robe. On his chest, there was a physician emblem gleaming beneath the sun. "Its Physician Bai Chan!" Mo Yu frowned. "Do you know him?" Zhang Xuan nced at Mo Yu. "Un, hes a 1-star physician in Tianwu Kingdom. Greedy and lustful, he likes to take advantage of others. In fact, theres nothing good that can be said about his character. To think that I would meet him here." Mo Yu harrumphed. "Since his reputation isnt good, that makes it much convenient for me!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Lets go and take a look!" Mo Yu nodded. "Physician Bai, you are already an old customer of mine. No matter who I swindle, I cant possibly swindle you. This is already the best Green Bamboo Grass in my possession!" Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan heard the negotiation between Physician Bai Chan and the vendor, "How about this, instead of five thousand, I will just charge you three thousand gold coins for each stalk. Itll just be thirty thousand for ten of them! This is already the lowest price I can offer you..." "Thirty thousand? Twenty-five thousand and Ill take all of them!" Physician Bai Chan said impatiently. "I will be making a loss at twenty-five thousand..." The vendor shook his head. The duo was negotiating when Zhang Xuan approached with an agitated expression, "Physician Bai, what a coincidence! To think that youll be here as well!" "You are..." Unable to recognize the foreign-looking face, Physician Bai Chan asked with a puzzled expression. "I am an admirer of Physician Bai. Ive long heard of your name, and Ive been wanting to get to know you, but I wasnt able to find a chance. It must be fate that brought us together today!" Zhang Xuan said. "Boss, help me wrap these ten stalks of Green Bamboo Grass up. Here is thirty thousand!" Zhang Xuan gave three ten-thousand gold bills. "Alright!" Grabbing the gold bills, the vendor wrapped up the medicinal herbs immediately. "Physician Bai, here you go!" Zhang Xuan passed the wrapped medicinal herbs to him. "This..." Physician Bai was taken aback. Even though his words showed his embarrassment, his hands have, in actual fact, already grabbed hold of the gift, "How can I ept such a valuable gift from you when its our first time meeting..." "Youre my idol, so its only right for me to buy medicinal herbs for you." Zhang Xuan smiled. "Whats this fellow up to?" Following behind Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu was perplexed. How can it be possible for this miserly fellow to pay thirty thousand for someone elses medicinal herbs? Isnt he is so money-minded and petty that he has to demand money from me every single day? Why is he being so generous now? "Can it be that... he wants Physician Bai to bring us into the Great Herb Kings manor?" Suddenly, a thought appeared in Mo Yus mind. Since the other party was fawning on Physician Bai instead of going for the examination, this was probably the intention he has in mind. However, Zhang Xuan didnt understand Physician Bai Chans character. She had heard numerous rumors about him back in Tianwu Kingdom. He was lustful, greedy, and incapable. It wasnt likely that he would even want to approach Great Herb Kings manor. After all, the Great Herb Kings manor could be said to be a dangerous ce. If he were to approach it despite not possessing the necessary capability, wouldnt he be courting death? "Since you insist, I will ept it humbly!" Mo Yu was still trying to fathom Zhang Xuans thoughts when Physician Bai Chan had already kept the medicinal herbs. "Its nothing! Its my honor to be able to purchase medicinal herbs for my idol!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Is Physician Bai free? Since weve met, I would like to treat you to a drink, as well as to express my admiration for you." "This..." Physician Bai Chan hesitated for a moment. This fellow suddenly appeared from nowhere, paid his bill, and invited him to a drink. Even though Physician Bai Chan was greedy, he couldnt help but be suspicious of the other partys intentions. "Oh, looks like Physician Bai is a little hesitant because you dont know me!" Seemingly guessing the thoughts of the other party, Zhang Xuan smiled. He walked to Mo Yu and said, "You should know her, she is my friend. With her here, there is nothing for you to worry about." "Princess Mo Yu?" Physician Bai Chan was astonished to see Mo Yu. Even though she was merely an apprentice physician, she was the third princess of the kingdom. Her status was way above that of a 1-star physician like him. "Un!" Mo Yu didnt expect Zhang Xuan to make use of her name. Even so, sheplied with him and nodded. "Oh, you are a friend of our princess! I should be the one treating you then..." Seeing that the young man was a friend of the princess and, from the looks of it, that their rtionship seemed to be close, Physician Bai Chan didnt dare to behave arrogantly. He agreed to the invitation hurriedly with a polite smile. "It doesnt matter whos the one treating. Since fate has brought us together, we should have a good drink. Lets go!" Zhang Xuan led the way with a smile. The trio swiftly left the trading market and arrived at an isted street. "Why would wee here? I know a good tavern that serves excellent wine..." Upon reaching the alley, Physician Bai Chan put up his guard. Even so, after considering the fact that the princess was tagging along and it was unlikely for anything to happen to him, he continued to follow behind Zhang Xuan. "We can have our fill of wer on. Actually... I have something that I would like to discuss with Physician Bai." Zhang Xuan turned around. "Oh, may I know what it is?" Physician Bai asked, bewildered by the situation. "Actually, its like that. I would like to borrow Physician Bais emblem for awhile. Would you be so kind as to lend it to me?" Zhang Xuan asked. "My emblem?" Physician Bai was taken aback. "How can I lend that to you! The emblem represents my identity as a physician, I cant lend it to others so easily..." Before he could finish his words, the sight before him turned dark. A fist had already smashed into his face. Pah! It was an exceptionally crisp sound. Knocked unconscious, Physician Bai Chan copsed to the floor. "When I asked you for it courteously, you should have just lent it to me instead of yapping away!" He stretched out his hand to retrieve the physician emblem from the other party. "You... What are you doing?" Initially, Mo Yu thought that Zhang Xuan was going to have Physician Bai Chan lead them into the Great Herb Kings manor. Yet, contrary to all her expectations, the other party knocked him out with a single fist. Mo Yu waspletely dumbfounded. "Oh, its nothing much. Im just borrowing his emblem to use!" Zhang Xuan exined. "Borrow?" Mo Yu went into a frenzy. "This is equivalent to robbing an official physician! Therell be huge trouble once he reports this incident to the Physician Guild when hees to..." Every single upation is protected by a guild of their own. If he were to file a report to the Physician Guild about how you swindled him, knocked him out, and stole his emblem, youll definitely be in for deep trouble. This is too reckless! "Trouble? What kind of trouble? He doesnt know me anyway. I didnt tell him my name!" Zhang Xuan answered nonchntly. "Doesnt know you..." The moment she heard those words, Mo Yu nearly spurted blood. "He doesnt know you, but he knows me!" "Thats not a matter of mine. In any case, since youre a princess, you should be able to resolve the matter easily. If it reallyes down to it..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment. "Ill overlook the money you owe me then. Besides, I spent thirty thousand gold coin to purchase medicinal herbs for him. In a way, I have alreadypensated him..." "You..." Mo Yu staggered. At this moment, she was on the verge of going on a rampage. The heck! Do you have to be so darned? He might not know you, but you brought me out into the picture just now. Even if he is unable to find you, hell look for me! And to bring up the money that I owe you... How much does riding a savage beast cost? What you robbed is the emblem of an official physician, and you expect me to bear the consequences... My reputation as a princess... "Put down the emblem, lets find some other solutions... Ah, what are you up to?" Just as she was about to stop Zhang Xuan, the other party did something which frightened Mo Yu once more. That fellow had squatted down and stripped Physician Bai Chan of his clothes. Is stealing an emblem not enough for you? To think that you would take his clothes as well... But what Mo Yu was more concerned about was that she had actually be his aplice... Mo Yu felt as if she would faint at any moment. "Make some preparations. Well be going to the Great Herb Kings manor now!" Couldnt be bothered to argue with the other party over this matter, Zhang Xuan took off his outeryer of clothing and, in its ce, put on Physician Bai Chans clothes. "Are we going to the Great Herb Kings manor just like that? Physician Bai Chan may not be famous, but his name is marked on the emblem. If any other physician were to be there, well be exposed in an instant..." Mo Yu was still wondering what the other party has in mind. In the end, what Zhang Xuan intended to do was to impersonate Physician Bai Chan in order to sneak into the Great Herb Kings manor. This may have been possible for any other upations, but the physician emblem was marked with the name of its owner. The circle of physicians wasnt toorge in Tianwu Kingdom, so it was highly probable that Zhang Xuan would be exposed instantly. "What exposed?" Before Mo Yu could finish her words, Zhang Xuan was already done putting on the clothes, and he turned to look at her. Seeing the face of the young man, Mo Yu was stunned for a moment. Then, her body trembled violently, and her eyes widened into circles. "Physician Bai Chan... No, thats not right. Is this... the ability of a disguiser? How is this possible..." Chapter 267: Butler Lu Chapter 267: Butler Lu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove All she saw was that Zhang Xuan appeared identical to Physician Bai Chan, who was lying on the floor. If Mo Yu hadnt seen him put on the other partys clothes, she would have suspected that Physician Bai had a twin brother. She had heard of disguising from others. However, in her opinion, it was just a way of tricking the eye. As long as one was careful, he would definitely be able to see through any disguise. However, the sight before her shattered her understanding of disguises. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan had turned into another person. Furthermore, she couldnt discern any differences between the disguised Zhang Xuan and the real Physician Bai Chan... How did this fellow manage to do it? Can he really be a... professional disguiser? Legend has it that there is an extremely formidable job in the Middle Nine Paths known as disguiser. Even though it doesnt add to ones fighting prowess, it allows one to impersonate anyone that hees across perfectly. It is the best method to escape from any pursuit. However, the upation had long disappeared in the annals of history. No one had seen a disguiser for a very long time. Mo Yu only happened to overhear it from the conversation of some elders. All along, she had thought that it was just a legend, but to think that... it would be true! Physician, beast tamer, apothecary, master teacher... She thought that this was already his limit, but to think that he would be a disguiser as well! Even when devoting an entire life to a single upation, a normal cultivator may not even be able to master this one item. Yet, this fellow seemed to be capable of everything... Does your family deal in upations? Otherwise, how can you be so skilled in so many upations when you arent even twenty? How is it possible for there to be such a monster in this world! More importantly, if this fellow were just a monstrous genius, it wouldnt be anything... But his talents were matched with his entric nature! Initially, she thought that this fellow just had a provocative mouth. Not even in her dreams could she expect that his actions... would be even more vicious! In the Beast Hall, he stole a savage beast that she tamed with great difficulty. She thought that it was as bad as it could get. Yet, this time, he knocked out Physician Bai with a fist and left her to bear the consequences... I am only here to offer help. Tell me, did I offend you? With this blemish in my history, how can I take the physician examination in the future? Upon thinking of this, Mo Yu felt an urge to enter a rampage. "Lets go!" Ignoring the conflicted Mo Yu, Zhang Xuanpleted his preparations and, with big strides, began to head toward the Great Herb Kings manor. The Heavens Path Disguise Art allowed him to alter the muscles and bones in his body as he pleased. Not only was his appearance identical to Physician Bai Chan, even his voice was remarkably simr. It was nearly impossible for anyone to tell that he was a fake. This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan chose to impersonate a physician instead of taking the examination. This way, he didnt have to worry about offending the Physician Guild. On the other hand, given Mo Yus status as a princess, wouldnt it be a joke if she were unable to resolve such a small issue? Besides, his reason for impersonating him was to meet the Great Herb King and ask about the location of the Poison Hall. He wasntmitting any heinous crimes, so no harm was done. "Damn it..." Seeing the other party walk out of the alley, Mo Yu gritted her teeth and followed behind him. Now that the other party had already dragged her down, it was toote for her to back out. She could only go along with him. "Its easy to obtain a physician emblem, but as for treating Great Herb King... Lets see what youll do when you cant say a single word!" There were physicians who specialized in treating humans, and there were those who specialized in treating beasts. Since this fellow was able to treat the Howling Firmament Beast with ease, it was likely that he belonged to thetter group. When ites to humans, he might not be able to showcase the same level of expertize. If you arent able to treat the Great Herb King, there is no point meeting him. Walking through the streets, it didnt take long before they reached the Great Herb Kings manor once more. As before, the entrance was protected by guards. Aware of the fact that the Great Herb King wouldnt meet with any guests, even though a huge crowd has gathered outside, no one dared to rush forward to offer their name scroll. After tidying up his clothes, Zhang Xuan tried to recall Physician Bai Chans walking habits. Then, while imitating it as closely as he could, he walked toward the entrance. "Look, another person is courting death!" "Hehe, there are already quite a few brazen fellows who have been beaten to death today. This fellow sure is gutsy to dare to approach the manor!" "Lets just watch the show. I bet that he wont even know how he died!" Seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, the crowd in the surroundings began to gloat over his impending doom. There were countless people who wished to visit the Great Herb King, and there was a reason why they had held themselves back. To head toward the entrance so leisurely, what else could he be doing if not seeking death? "Halt!" Lifting his eyebrows, one of the guards blocked Zhang Xuan and Mo Yus path. "I am a physician!" Zhang Xuan whipped out his emblem. "Physician?" The guard nced at the emblem before shaking his head. "Im sorry, the manor only allows the entry of physicians who are ranked 2-star and above!" "2-star and above?" Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood. After hearing the elder say that all physicians could enter, Zhang Xuan immediately rushed off to look for an emblem. He didnt expect that there would be further conditions. Even if he has the time, where in the world can he find a 2-star physician emblem? 1-star physicians were mostly Pixue realm and Tongxuan realm cultivators, so Zhang Xuan was able to deal with them easily. However, virtually all 2-star physicians were Zongshi realm experts. Even if Zhang Xuan intended to steal the emblem from them, there was no way he could seed! "Please leave!" Stepping forward, the guard gestured for them to leave. Seeing the other partys actions and hearing his words, Mo Yu knew that it was a hopeless cause. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Zhang Xuan ced both his hands behind his back and his eyebrows shot up. "Audacious!" With imposing might, he bellowed, "I, Bai Chan, am a 1-star physician, but who says that 1-star physicians are inadequate to cure illnesses?" Mo Yu felt her sight turning dark. Youre right in saying that a 1-star physician can cure illnesses... But even your 1-star ranking is fake. Where in the world does your confidencee from? Arent your guts a little too inted! Didnt you see what happened to the princes retainer? If things go wrong, you might very well die... Mo Yus heart beat furiously in anxiety. She was already regretting following this fellow here. "Its true that a 1-star physician can cure illnesses, but..." The guard didnt expect a mere 1-star physician to speak so confidently, and he was overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the middle-aged man gestured grandly, and with a questioning tone, asked, "Did those 2-star and 3-star physicians who entered previously manage to cure your old master of his illness?" "This..." The guard was taken aback. Quite a few 2-star and 3-star physicians havee and left the manor, but until now, not a single person was able to deduce their old masters affliction, needless to say, cure him of his illness. "Ones emblem isnt representative of ones medical standards. Are you certain that you can take responsibility for dying your old masters treatment?" Raising his eyebrows, he bellowed sternly, "Hurry up and get out of the way!" "This..." The several guards stared at one another. For a moment, they were unable to make up their minds. While it was true that higher ranked physicians were more skilled, there were also rare experts who were unconcerned with the ranking of the Physician Guild. If this fellow were truly capable and they obstructed his entry, none of them would be able to withstand the rage of their old master. However, their superior had given instructions that only physicians of 2-star and above were allowed to enter. As such, they felt conflicted. "Whats wrong?" At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded, and a middle-aged man walked out. "Butler Lu!" Upon seeing this middle-aged man, the guards immediately bowed. "Whats going on?" The middle-aged man saw Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu standing a short distance from the manors entrance, and the guards were blocking their way. A slight crease appeared on Butler Lus forehead. "This is Physician Bai Chan. Hes a 1-star physician..." A guard quickly exined. "A 1-star physician? Chase him out then!" Butler Lu waved his hands impatiently. As the butler of the Great Herb King, he had met with numerous 2-star and 3-star physicians. As such, he didnt think highly of a mere 1-star physician. "But he said that... we wont be able to take responsibility if we dy the treatment of the old master. He seemed confident of treating the old masters illness..." The guard spoke hesitantly. "How arrogant!" Harrumphing coldly, Butler Lu turned to Zhang Xuan, his eyes filled with contempt. "Did you im that you are capable of treating the old master? Not even 2-star and 3-star physicians dare to say such words, where in the world does your confidencee from?" These guards may not know much about the old masters illness, but as the butler of the manor, he was well aware. Several 3-star physicians had seen him, but they were helpless at diagnosing the root of his illness. If so, what can a mere 1-star physician do? "Its none of your business where my confidencees from! If you dont believe my words, we can make a bet!" Zhang Xuan looked at him. Butler Lu stared at Zhang Xuan with disdain, "What do you want to bet?" "Whether I will be able to point out your illness through your punches!" Zhang Xuan said with his hands behind his back. "What rubbish are you talking about? Butler Lu is still young and healthy, what kind of illnesses can he have?" "It is clear that you are just an arrogant brat. Ive met numerous 3-star physicians, and all of them make their diagnosis based on their examination of the patient. Ive never heard of anyone who can diagnose someone just by observing his punches!" "He is merely a boastful fellow, we should just chase him away!" The guards roared furiously in unison. Standing beside Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu felt her face heating up. She was just a step away from digging a hole and leaping into it. Other physicians diagnosed patients through examining, smelling, and asking questions. It was unheard for one to examine someone through their punches... Do you think that this is a circus act? Initially, Mo Yu thought that Zhang Xuan possessed an in-depth understanding of the Way of Medicine given how he was able to treat the Howling Firmament Beast. But in the end... Are you sure you are treating a human, not a savage beast? Due to the inability of a savage beast to speak, physicians often require them to move about in order to determine the root of the illness. For you to ask Butler Lu to do the same as well, are you trying to ascertain whether he is a savage beast? Besides, the one who is sick is the Great Herb King. Why are you trying to diagnose the butler... "You..." Butler Lu often came into contact with physicians, so he knew that such a situation only applied to savage beasts. Humiliated, his face grew beet-red. Just as he was about to criticize the other party, a blur flew across his eyes. A fist shot straight toward him. "Audacious!" A 1-star physician had actually dared to punch him at the entrance of the Great Herb Kings manor! Butler Lu felt so angered that he was on the verge of exploding. His hands shot out immediately to counter the other partys fist. "Youre seeking death!" "Impertinent fellow!" The guards didnt expect Zhang Xuan to be so daring. They drew their weapons immediately and in an instant, a strong killing intent was released into the atmosphere. There were even some who had grabbed poisonous pills, prepared to throw them at any moment. Hu! Before Butler Lus palm coulde into contact with the other partys fist, the physician who assaulted him backed away abruptly. With a calm expression, he ced his hands behind his back, as though nothing had happened at all. "Men, take him down!" Butler Lu roared. The Red Lotus City was the territory of the Great Herb King, and his prestige mustnt be sullied. Regardless of what the other party was up to, whether he was a 1-star or 2-star physician, even if he were the prince of the kingdom, for causing trouble at the manor of Great Herb King, it was the death penalty! "Take me down?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Staring at the middle-aged man before him, he said, "If you feel that you can continue enduring the hyperventtions you suffer at night, I can leave right now!" "What did you say?" Butler Lu froze at the other partys words. His face turned as pale as a sheet of paper. Chapter 268: Entering the Courtyard Chapter 268: Entering the Courtyard Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Ever since he met a problem in his cultivation three years ago, he had been suffering from hyperventtion every night. He would feel as if a person was strangling his neck, torturing him to the verge of death. He had consulted physicians, but regardless of 2-star or 3-star physicians, they were unable to identify the cause. They had prescribed him several different medications, but none of them were effective. He thought that he would have to suffer the torture of the illness for his entire life, up till he steps into his grave. Yet, the seemingly unimpressive 1-star physician before him was able to point out his condition with a single nce. Can he, in actual fact, be an expert despite being just a 1-star physician? "May I know how to address you?" Stopping his guards, who were on the verge of charging up to the other party, Butler Lu suppressed his shock with great effort and bowed politely. "Tianwu Kingdoms Bai Chan!" Zhang Xuan replied impassively. "So youre Physician Bai Chan! May I invite you in for a talk?" Butler Lu didnt want the entire city to know about his hyperventtion issue. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Ah..." Witnessing this sight, Mo Yus pair of beautiful eyeballs nearly fell onto the ground. No matter how slow she could be, it was obvious that Zhang Xuans diagnosis of the other partys condition was correct. Otherwise, there was no reason for this Butler Lus sudden change in attitude. Without any questioning or a close-up examination, just by observing one punch, he was able to tell what the other party was suffering from... To think that the method of diagnosing savage beasts would work on humans as well... Why does the situation seem so incredulous? Other people might have suspected the middle-aged physician of having looked into Butler Lus condition beforehand, using it as a tool to enter the Great Herb Kings manor. However, Mo Yu knew that Zhang Xuan hadnt even heard of the Great Herb King, so it was possible for him to know of this butlers condition. The only possible exnation was that Zhang Xuan had diagnosed his condition on the spot. To tame savage beasts through brute force, instructing her to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill, diagnosing someone through observing their punches... She already knew from long ago that this fellow wasnt ordinary, but wasnt this... way too extraordinary? "I should go over and take a look." After a moment of shock, Mo Yu realized that the duo had already walked into the manor. She ran forward hurriedly in order to catch up with them. Butler Lu had given the orders, so the guards didnt dare to block her way. "Even though I dont know how that fellow managed to urately diagnose Butler Lus condition from just a punch, it would be futile if he isnt able to solve it!" Mo Yu thought. Red Lotus City was the greatest medicinal herb trading hub for the surrounding dozen or so kingdoms, and there were innumerable physicians who traveled in and out of it. Given the Great Herb Kings esteemed position, if Butler Lu was injured, how could there not be any physician to treat him? Since even 2-star and 3-star physicians were unable to cure his affliction, Mo Yu found it hard to believe that Zhang Xuan could cure him. Mo Yu spected as she walked into the courtyard. She was considering what she would do if Zhang Xuan failed to treat Butler Lus illness when she caught sight of the duo who entered the manor before her. With a single nce, Mo Yu staggered backward, nearly falling onto the floor. At this moment, Butler Lu was standing respectfully before Zhang Xuan. As though a student, his eyes were filled with gratitude and admiration. "This..." Mo Yu rubbed her eyes, fearful that they were ying tricks on her. She entered the manor mere moments after the duo, and Butler Lu was clearly infuriated with the two of them just seconds earlier. What in the world happened to cause such an abrupt change in the situation? If it werent because of the fact that there was no one lying on the floor, she would have even suspected that the fellow had knocked Butler Lu out and disguised as him. Thus, she walked forward, wanting to ask Zhang Xuan about the matter. But at this moment, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said impatiently, "Alright, bring me to the Great Herb King!" Mo Yu staggered once more. Impatient? What the heck are you getting impatient about? This is the Great Herb Kings manor! To get impatient with his butler, are you that tired of living? Mo Yu thought that Butler Lu would definitely be displeased with Zhang Xuans attitude. Yet, contrary to her expectations, thetter bowed so politely that it was as if he was bowing to his parents. "Yes, this way, please. I will bring you to the Great Herb King now!" Mo Yu swayed violently, feeling giddy all of a sudden. What in the world is going on? Even though he identified your illness, you need not behave in such a manner! urately diagnosing an illness and curing it are two different manners! To act in such a manner before the other party has treated you, arent youcking backbone? The situation was too strange for Mo Yu to ept. She walked over to Zhang Xuans side immediately andmunicated to him telepathically. "What is going on? Why would Butler Lu act..." "Oh, Ive just solved his problem!" Zhang Xuan replied telepathically. "So-Solved?" Mo Yu froze. A sudden vertigo overwhelmed her. In that single minute, he solved the other partys illness? Are you joking with me? "He wasnt really ill, he was merely poisoned. I helped him expel the poison, so naturally, hes grateful to me for that." Sensing the other partys doubt, Zhang Xuan exined. The reason why Butler Lu suffered hyperventtion in the middle of the night wasnt a fault in his cultivation. Rather, someone has secretly poisoned him. The poison was extremely strange. Even 3-star physicians would be unable to identify it, needless to say, treat it. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the Heavens Path zhenqi, he was able to expel such a poisonous aura from the butlers body easily. The duration of a few breaths was more than what he required. "Poisoned? Expelled the poison?" Even though Zhang Xuan made it sound as though it was a simple task, Mo Yu went into a frenzy over his words. Expelling poison is way harder than treating just an illness! Otherwise, poison masters wouldnt have been such a fearsome existence. Besides, only official poison masters, who are well-versed in the properties of poison, are capable of expelling poisonous aura from a persons body... Isnt it that you dont even know the location of the Poison Hall? When did you learn how to expel poison? Initially, Mo Yu had intended to return to Tianwu Kingdom right after bringing Zhang Xuan here. However, her curiosity toward this young man was growing by the moment. She felt impelled to follow him and witness personally what kind of unbelievable legends this fellow would continue to forge. ... Oblivious to the thoughts flowing through Mo Yus mind, Zhang Xuan examined the surroundings silently as he followed behind Butler Lu. It was no wonder why the princess said that it was impossible to sneak in. Taking a good look at the interiors of the manor now, Zhang Xuan realized how true the other partys words were. Putting aside theplicatedyout within, the manor was packed with sentries. Most guards possessed a Pixue realm cultivation, and some of themanders had even reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Not just so, Zhang Xuan could also see several formation gs and formation core at the corners of the courtyard. If an intruder were to enter without knowing the position of the formation and stepped into one of them, it was highly likely that the person would be trapped for good. And these guards and formations made up only the things that could be observed on the surface. Given the rtionship between the Great Herb King and the Poison Hall, how could the defenses of the manor not include lethal poison? Thus, despite Zhang Xuans high cultivation, it was almost impossible for him to sneak into this manor. With the butler leading the way, Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu didnt meet with any obstructions. Soon, they arrived at a vast hall. Walking in, they saw more than ten middle-aged men and elders seated on chairs located by the sides. Each of them had donned an emblem on their chests. With a single nce, Zhang Xuan felt astonished. They were all physicians of at minimum 2-star, and three of them had even reached 3-star. Even in a Tier 1 Kingdom, a 3-star physician could be considered to be a part of the highest echelon of the country. For three of them to be gathered here, the Great Herb King was indeed an impressive figure. "Butler Lu, I thought that only physicians of 2-star and above are allowed to enter. Why did you bring a 1-star physician?" Noticing Zhang Xuan, one of the 3-star physicians could not help but frown. "Isnt this Physician Bai Chan? This isnt a ce where you should be. Scram!" Another physician recognized Zhang Xuans disguised identity and harrumphed. "Physician Mu Hong and Physician Cheng Feng, even though Physician Bai Chan is just a 1-star physician, his mastery in the Way of Medicine isnt mediocre. Thus, I specially invited him in." Seeing the contempt in the eyes of the two physicians, Butler Lu quickly exined. "Did you say that his mastery in Medicine isnt mediocre? Butler Lu, you must be joking!" The one who recognized Zhang Xuan, Physician Cheng Feng, sneered, "Ive known him for over twenty years, do you think that Im unaware of his standard?" Even though Physician Bai Chan was merely a 1-star physician, due to his greedy and lustful nature, he hadmitted numerous atrocities, making him a notorious figure in the Tianwu Kingdoms Physician Guild. At one particr point in time, he almost had his physician license revoked. If not for his absurd luck at that crucial moment, that 1-star emblem on his chest would have long been gone. Yet, Butler Lu said that his mastery in the Way of Medicine isnt mediocre... Even going to the extent of inviting him in... "Butler Lu, you must have been mistaken!" "I know this fellow as well, and he barely made it to qualify as a 1-star physician. How can his mastery in the Way of Medicine not be mediocre?" "Do not be fooled by his flowery words..." There were quite a few people within the group who had either heard of Physician Bai Chan or knew him personally, and all of them felt nothing but contempt toward him. Despite being a 1-star physician, he didnt possess any true medical capability. In fact, he didnt even dare to treat anyone and made a living by trading medicinal herbs. When in the world did he be an expert? "He..." Hearing everyones words, Butler Lu was stunned as well. Clearly, he hadnt expected this formidable physician who resolved his issue so easily to have such a poor reputation. Just as he was about to speak up in Physician Bai Chans stead, a 3-star physician in the group interjected. "Alright, who the hell cares whether he is a 1-star or 2-star physician. If he fails to produce any resultster, he will be ashamed to remain here, so lets not waste our words. Our purpose here is to treat the Great Herb King. Butler Lu, since so many of us are gathered here already, shouldnt you bring us to meet the Great Herb King already?" "Yes, I will now invite the old master here for everyone to examine!" Seeing that the crowd was no longer pursuing the matter, Butler Lu arranged for Zhang Xuan to sit by the side before nodding his head in agreement. Chapter 269: Let Me Take a Look Chapter 269: Let Me Take a Look Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Not long after Butler Lus departure, an elder was carried in. He looked significantly older than Shen Hong, and his skin was saturated with creases and age spots. Lying on a reclining chair, his breathing was faint, and it seemed that he would die at any moment now. It was no wonder why the manor strictly rejected all guests except for physicians. Given the current state of the Great Herb King, it was unlikely that he would be able to hold on for long. "You are all highly famous physicians of the Physician Guild. I beseech you to save the old master!" Butler Lu bowed to the crowd. "Tell us about the condition of the Great Herb King in detail!" The 3-star physician, who interjected previously, said. "Yes!" Knowing that physicians needed to know about the medical history of the patient, Butler Lu answered without any hesitation. "The old master used to be extremely healthy until a disease abruptly struck him half a month ago. He found himself without appetite, and his physical condition deteriorated continuously, day by day, to the point that he is now unable to speak. As for the cause... Weve no idea as well. We only know that his physical condition is worsening by the moment and that no medicine he ate alleviated his condition." "Ill all of a sudden? Can it be that he has been poisoned?" A physician asked. Usually, when one bes ill without any signs beforehand, it is highly likely that it is due to poison. "Weve taken into ount that possibility and used a unique method to check, but there wasnt any sign of poison." The Great Herb King had been reigning over the Red Lotus City for many years, and he had close ties with the Poison Hall. It shouldnt be a difficult task to check if he was poisoned. Since they imed that he wasnt poisoned, that was likely to be the case. "Let me take a look!" A 3-star physician approached the Great Herb King and examined him. A momentter, a deep crease appeared on his forehead. "Lips are white, breathing is inconsistent, loose skin, deep age spots, spiritless eyes..." After taking a look, the physician shook his head. "These are signs that his lifespan ising to an end!" A persons lifespan is determined by fate, and if one has reallye to the end of his lifespan, it is impossible for any physician, regardless of how capable they are, to offer any help. Unless his cultivation reaches greater heights. "While the title, Great Herb King, is well-known, it is actually a title that is passed on from one generation to the other. It has only been a few years since the old master had received the title, and he is currently only in his forties." Butler Lu hesitated for a moment before answering. The Great Herb King of the Red Lotus City didnt refer specifically to anyone. Rather, it was like a noble conferment that could be passed on. Anyone who managed to be the Great Herb King would be the sovereign of the Red Lotus City. "Still in his forties?" The crowd was taken aback, and even Zhang Xuan was astounded. No one would have doubted if Butler Lu said that the elder before them was in his nies. Yet, for him to be in his forties... At forty, a Zongshi realm expert should have been at the peak of his power. Regardless of strength, spirit, energy, or stamina, they should be at their best. It wasnt logical for his lifespan to reach its end at this age. "Has he consumed the [Energy Rejuvenation Pill]?" After hesitating for a moment, the 3-star physician asked. Energy Rejuvenation Pill allows ones deteriorating physical condition to burst with strength once more. It is effective even on those who have reached the end of their lifespan. "He has already consumed it, but... it isnt effective!" Butler Lu shook his head. "Even the Energy Rejuvenation Pill is useless?" This time, the 3-star physician wasnt the only one to frown. All of the physicians had grim expressions on their faces. The Energy Rejuvenation Pill was a grade-2 pill, and it had mystical effects on Zongshi realm experts. Its ineffectiveness meant that the physical condition of the Great Herb King had deteriorated to an unimaginable level. "I know a set of acupuncture routine that can stimte ones acupoints and recover their stamina. I can give it a try!" Saying so, Physician Mu Hong stood up. "Ive heard of Physician Mu Hongs impressive acupuncture. It should be effective." The crowd nodded. Without wasting any time, he retrieved his silver needles immediately and pierced them into the acupoints of the horizontally lying Great Herb King. A momentter. Shaking his head, Physician Mu Hong walked back. His impressive acupuncture was renowned, but it waspletely ineffective on the Great Herb King. "I have the form for a mystical medicine here, I can give it a try..." Someone else stood up. Just like that, the physicians tried all of their specialties while discussing the condition of the Great Herb King. The various means and theories they raised left Mo Yu electrified. Those who were present were the most incredible grandmaster physicians within their country, and even the worst of the lot here was much more skilled than Grandmaster Qing Yang. As a mere apprentice physician, she had never experienced such a majestic gathering. She benefitted greatly from their conversation, and her knowledge in the Way of Medicine deepened significantly. "He..." Suppressing the agitation in her heart, she turned to Zhang Xuan and with a nce, her expression darkened. She thought that the fellow would, like her, immerse himself in the profound theories that were spoken here. Yet, he was sitting nkly on the spot. She was familiar with this expression. This was the confused look of an amateur who couldnt understand a single word. Do you not understand what they are saying? How is this possible? Unable to believe her eyes, she sent a telepathic message to him. "Zhang Xuan, I dont understand the [Extreme Treatment Method] that Physician Mu Hong spoke of. What does it mean?" Taken aback by her sudden question, Zhang Xuan was stunned. He hadnt browsed through much books on the Way of Medicine, so how could he know of these theories and terms? He pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "I dont know either. Ive never heard of it." Mo Yus vision turned gray. Extreme Treatment Method was a diagnosis method that assumed the worst situation to determine the root of an illness. Needless to say physicians, even apprentices would have known it. Yet, this fellow said that he has never heard of it... "Then... What about Observation Diagnosis Method?" She asked once more. "Ive never heard of it either!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. There was only one 1-star physician in Tianxuan Kingdom, and he was Master Yuanyu. Zhang Xuan had never conversed with him about the Way of Medicine, so it wasnt wrong to say that he didnt know a single thing about medical theories. The corners of Mo Yus mouth twitched violently. Observation Diagnosis Method referred to the standard steps of determining an illness through observation of the patient. This was one of the topics that would surely be tested for the apprentice physician examination, and it wasnt possible for any single physician to not know of it. Yet, he said that he hasnt heard of it... To not even know the basics of the Way of Medicine and still dare to pass off as a physician to treat the Great Herb King... Brother, are you that sick of living, or are you that bored? Mo Yu felt a stifling sensation in her chest. At the same time, she was also baffled. Zhang Xuan isnt acquainted with the fundamentals of the Way of Medicine... but how was he able to diagnose the illness of the Howling Firmament Beast and Butler Lu urately, and treat them? While Mo Yus thoughts were wandered, Zhang Xuan looked at the Great Herb King helplessly. The Library of Heavens Path could onlypile a book when one executed a battle technique or when one was unconscious. Even though the Great Herb King was unable to speak a word, he was conscious. His current situation was not much better than Shen Hongs back then, and if Zhang Xuan were to ask him to execute a battle technique for him... He would probably die before he could lift his fist. On the other hand, if he were to reenact what he did with Shen Hong and knock the Great Herb King unconscious with a p... It was highly likely that he would be cut into innumerable pieces before he could even read the contents of the bookpiled. Although this lounge seemed quiet, there were numerous experts lurking in the shadows. If he were to make a move on the Great Herb King, these people would definitely charge out immediately. "I must think of a way to knock this Great Herb King out open and aboveboard..." Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan scrabbled to find an excuse. "Im truly sorry. This is my first time seeing an illness like the Great Herb Kings, and I am helpless before it!" "Indeed, Butler Lu. We cant find any other possible solutions, sorry." "My skills are stillcking..." Mo Yu and Zhang Xuan were still deep in contemtion when Mu Hong and the others stood up and shook their heads in embarrassment. In the end, they werent even able to determine the illness of the other party, needless to say, treat him. "This..." Looking at their expressions, Butler Lu couldnt help but reveal his disappointment. Many physicians havee to and fro ever since the old master fell ill, and this wasnt his first time hearing such answers. "Even though you werent able to treat the old master, were still grateful. The Great Herb King Manor will not allow all of you to make this trip for nothing..." Shaking his head, Butler Lu was in the midst of addressing others when Physician Cheng Feng nced at Zhang Xuan with a contemptuous gaze. "Butler Lu, we have tried to diagnose the Great Herb King and discussed the matter, but if Im not mistaken, this Physician Bai Chan whom you invited over has been sitting in the same spot throughout the whole time. Is it because he looks down on us, and does not think that were worthy of his words? Or is it because he has an idea in mind and he doesnt want to discuss it with us?" Hearing Physician Cheng Feng words, everyone was taken aback. At the same time, they recalled that the fellow named Bai Chan didnt seem to have spoken a single word throughout the entire diagnosis, as though a mute. "This fellow has been seated the entire time!" "Not just that, he didnt even say a single word." "Hes a mere 1-star physician, it would be weird if he could contribute to our discussions." "Its because he knows that his skills arecking that he chose not to speak. At the very least, he has avoided being mocked because of his words." Recalling that the other party was just a 1-star physician, disdain shed through their eyes. A 1-star physician would be a respected figure anywhere else, just not here. Given how even 3-star physicians didntprehend the illness, what could a 1-star physician possibly understand? It was wise of him to choose to keep mum. "It shouldnt be put like that. Since Butler Lu has specially invited him over and praised his mastery in the Way of Medicine, how can he possibly be afraid to speak up?" Physician Cheng Feng shed a contemptuous smile at Zhang Xuan. He was well aware of this Physician Bai Chans standards. He felt envious of the fact that Butler Lu had invited him personally and praised him in public. This was a treatment which even he didnt receive. Now that there was an opportunity to shame him, he found it a waste to let it slip by. "This..." Butler Lu hesitated for a moment before turning to Zhang Xuan, "Physician Bai Chan..." Since this Physician Bai was able to determine his illness with a nce, Butler Lu was confident in his medical skills. However, the other party hadnt spoken a word from the start to the end, and this had left him perplexed. Only upon hearing Butler Lu call him did Zhang Xuan snap back to reality. With a puzzled look, he asked, "Whats wrong?" "The matter is like this!" Butler Lu coughed, embarrassed by the fact that the fellow nked out while the others were examining the old master. Then, he exined, "The other physicians were unable to determine the root of the old masters illness, and they would like to hear your opinion." "They failed to even determine the root of the illness?" Standing up, Zhang Xuan nced at the crowd before shaking his head. "Since they are unable to make it, Ill give it a try!" Chapter 270: Zhang Xuans Secret Art Chapter 270: Zhang Xuans Secret Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Atrocious!" "Who did you say is unable to make it?" "Being a mere 1-star physician... how dare you speak such arrogant words!" The crowd burst into an uproar immediately. What do you mean by we are unable to make it and that youll give it a try... Do you mean that you are more skilled than us? Despite being a measly 1-star physician, how can you be so confident? "What arrogant words. Bai Chan, you sure became capable in just a few days!" Even Physician Cheng Feng hadnt expected him to say such words. He narrowed his eyes angrily at Zhang Xuan. "Ignorantd, how dare you utter such conceited words. I would like to see what you are capable of then!" Physician Mu Hong flung his sleeves in displeasure. Even we 2-star and 3-star physicians arent able to determine the root of the illness and treat it, so what is a 1-star physician like you bragging for? Give it a try? Do you even understand what is going on? "This fellow..." Mo Yu rolled her eyes. Even the 3-star physicians present werent able to make sense of the Great Herb Kings condition. Yet, you, who dont even know what Extreme Diagnosis Method and Observation Diagnosis Method are, dare to dere that you would give it a try, disregarding everyone else... Arent you afraid of getting beaten to death? Where does your confidencee from? Ignoring their furious and doubtful gazes, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Great Herb King. He didnt notice it from afar but upon walking closer, Zhang Xuan realized that the Great Herb Kings condition was indeed critical. His flesh was hanging loosely off his body, his skin was incredibly dry, and the life in his eyes seemed to be flickering as if it would extinguish at any moment. Circling around the other party, Zhang Xuan touched and examined him meticulously... As expected... He wasnt able to discern anything at all! "Physician Bai, are there any results from your observation?" Seeing the other party deep in contemtion, Butler Lu couldnt help but ask. The others paid close attention as well. The man had acted arrogantly, and they wanted to see if he did have the capabilities to back his words. "Un, Ive noticed a few things. However, Im not very sure!" If Zhang Xuan were to say that he was unable to discern anything, he would surely be beaten to death on the spot. Thus, after a moment of silence, Zhang Xuan replied. "You noticed a few things? Really?" Hearing Zhang Xuans reply, Butler Lu was thrilled. The other party was able to tell that he was suffering from asthma with just a nce, so perhaps, he might be able to do what others were unable to aplish. "Hmph, putting on an act!" "I would like to see what you have managed to find out!" The other physicians responded disdainfully to Zhang Xuans words. There were particr methods and steps to examine a patients condition, and all the fellow did was to circle around the patient. He had disregarded the most important aspects, yet he arrogantly dered that he noticed a few things... Are you dreaming? Feel free to brag all you want, lets see what you can doter on! "Dont be in such a hurry. Even though I now have a rough idea about the problem, I should confirm his condition before starting the treatment!" Ignoring the disdainful gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan shook his head and paused for a moment. "I do have a secret art which would allow me to easily ascertain the root of the illness. However..." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused, and hesitation hung on his face. "However?" Hearing that there was a secret art which could ascertain the root of the illness, Butler Lu became agitated immediately. Even the corpse-like Great Herb King rolled his eyeball over as well. The greatest problem they were facing wasnt the treatment. Rather... they didnt even know what the condition was. If they could ascertain his illness, they might be able to search through the books and look for a solution. "Just that... the Great Herb King might have to suffer for a little!" Zhang Xuan slowly spoke. "As long as you can ascertain the illness, a little suffering means nothing. Physician Bai, feel free to speak of what that needs to be done!" After discussing with the Great Herb King, Butler Lu looked at Zhang Xuan with determined eyes. Compared to death, suffering or that sort was nothing. "I dont require any other preparations. Since you have already said so, I will be executing my secret art now..." Zhang Xuan said seriously. "Un!" Butler Lu nodded his head. Then, he asked doubtfully, "Since youre going to use a secret art, do you require us to excuse ourselves..." Just as the name stated, secret arts tend to be something personal. It might have been inconvenient for Zhang Xuan to disy his secret art before so many physicians. However, before he could finish his words, he saw Physician Bai Chan lift his hands and send a p straight at the Great Herb King. Pah! It was a crisp sound. His palm struck the back of the Great Herb Kings head, and before thetter could even react, his vision went dark. With a look of disbelief... he fainted. "What are you doing..." Not expecting the other party to knock the old master out instead of executing his secret art, Butler Lu was enraged. He was about to rush forward when the other party touched the Great Herb King and pped. "Alright, Im done executing my secret art..." "Youre done... executing it?" The crowd staggered and they nearly fainted on the spot. Brother, you must be joking with us! Do you mean to say that... your secret art is to p the Great Herb King? Secret art my foot! Even a dog can execute such a move... To think that I even thought of excusing myself so that you can execute it freely... On the other hand, Mo Yus slim body was trembling in fear, and she nearly fell limply to the ground. When the other party dered his intention so confidently previously, she thought that it might be possible that he had a good idea in mind that could help ascertain the illness. To think that this would be it... pping the Great Herb King out of consciousness with a single p... If Zhang Xuan failed toe up with a valid excuse, the two of them might very well die here. "Old master..." Butler Lu rushed forward and massaged the other party. It took him great effort before thetter regained his consciousness, and only then did he heave a sigh of relief. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he suppressed his urge to tear the fellow into pieces and spat, "Physician Bai, you..." Honestly speaking, if the other party hadnt treated the poison in his body, he would certainly have ordered the guards to kill him just now. The old masters body was already in such a weak condition. Knocking him out... was no different from murder. "My secret art requires the patient to be unconscious to be performed. I have no other choice, so I beg of your understanding!" Zhang Xuan had thought of an excuse beforehand. "Is there such a secret art?" "The patient has to be unconscious in order to be diagnosed?" Members of the crowd stared at one another, and for a moment, they found it hard toprehend the situation. Is it possible for such an entric skill to exist? The three 3-star physicians looked at one another, and they could see the confusion in each others eyes. They had read countless books in the Physician Guild but had never heard of any diagnosis method that required one to be unconscious. This method was in conflict with the fundamental principles of the Way of Medicine. "So thats the case..." Butler Lu hadnt heard of it either, but that fellows previous action of diagnosing him through his punch was againstmon sense as well. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "May I know if Physician Bai was able to ascertain the illness that the old master is suffering from?" Upon hearing the question, everyones gazes immediately turned to Zhang Xuan. They wanted to hear what this braggart had to say. "Ive verified the illness!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed, "Its... suffering for ones own deeds!" "What did you say?" Butler Lu was stunned for a moment before heshed out. "Audacious!" The sound of swords being drawn echoed in the air and countless guards charged forward immediately. Chapter 271: Contract Gu [2in1] Chapter 271: Contract Gu [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove The guards were gritting their teeth and had tolerated the other partys action of knocking the Great Herb King unconscious since he said that it was a secret art. However, he went overboard and imed that the Great Herb King reaped what he sowed. That was clear provocation, so how could they take it lying down? "How dare you!" "Youre looking for death!" The numerous guards red furiously at Zhang Xuan, and a cold gleam shed from the swords in their hands. The moment themand was given, they would immediately mince this braggart of a fellow. "There must be something wrong with his head." "Ive known Bai Chan for a while, and while his character is so-so, his brain should be functioning normally. Why has he... be so dumb all of a sudden?" Initially, everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would bring up some astonishing theory, so upon hearing those words, the physicians present nearly spurted blood. All of them stared at Zhang Xuan dumbfounded as if they had seen a monster. Every single person who had been to Red Lotus City were all aware of the Great Herb Kings might. In this piece ofnd, he was no different from an emperor. Even if a prince of Tianwu Kingdom were toe here, he would have no choice but to lower his head before him. Zhang Xuans action of smacking him unconscious was already provocative, yet he went a step further to say that he was suffering for his own deeds... Have you grown tired of living, or do you think that the Great Herb King has an amiable personality? Physician Cheng Feng stared at Zhang Xuan as if he were looking at a fool. Can it be that... this fellows head had been kicked by a savage beast? Otherwise, why would he say such preposterous words? "Doomed. This time... were really doomed..." Mo Yu smacked her forehead. At this moment, she was on the verge of tears. Zhang Xuan could exin his action of knocking the Great Herb King out as a requirement for his secret art, but the words he spoke afterward thoroughly offended the other party. There was no point of return. If you want to die, go ahead. But why must you drag me down with you... My purpose here is to gain some knowledge and worldly experience. Who did I offend to warrant this... Forget it, since we came together, even if this fellow has suicidal tendencies, I shouldnt leave him in the lurch! Even though she felt stifled, Mo Yu gritted her teeth and spoke telepathically to Zhang Xuan, "Zhang Xuan, inform the Howling Firmament Beast toe over right now. I have with me the formation te that my father left behind for me. I should be able to buy some time with it, so hurry up. Perhaps, we might still stand a chance." They might be in the depth of the enemys base, but given the Howling Firmament Beasts Half-Zhizun cultivation and its ability to fly, there was a good chance that they could sessfully flee. However, the crucial problem was how they could survive until the Howling Firmamant Beasts arrival. Grabbing her storage ring tightly, Mo Yu surveyed her surroundings warily. The moment anyone makes a move on them, she would immediately retrieve and toss the formation te. As the princess of a kingdom, she possessed several tricks for survival up her sleeves. Formation tes were convenient tools on which arge formation was engraved through special means. Even if one wasnt a formation master, one could easily activate it in times of need by pumping their zhenqi into the te. While it was significantly weaker than true formations, it was portable and could be triggered instantaneously, making it a nifty tool for survival. However, this object was expensive and was a one-off consumable. Only someone of her standing would be able to afford it. "Why should I call for it? Dont worry!" Seeing the anxiety on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan smiled. "You..." Seeing the fellow continue to act so calmly despite being in grave danger, Mo Yu was on the verge of exploding. "Youve offended the Great Herb King, and if we dont leave right now, we might just die here!" "Offended him? Im exining his illness to him, how will this offend anyone?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually as he assured her. "Theres no need to worry, just stay here and wait patiently!" "Exining his illness?" Mo Yu went insane. How can gloating over the other party by iming that he is suffering for his own deeds be considered as exining illness? Ive been an apprentice physician for so long, but Ive never heard of such a case. Stay here and wait patiently? I would really be insane if I were to stay and wait patiently under such circumstances! Mo Yu was infuriated, but she knew that it wasnt the time to throw a tantrum. She surveyed her surroundings and analyzed the ideal escape path. If she had known that this fellow was so unreliable, she wouldnt havee adventuring with him. "Physician Bai Chan, Ive invited you over with goodwill to treat the old master, and yet, you spouted such derogatory words. If you dont exin yourself, you dont even have to dream about leaving this manor!" Ignoring everyones shock, Butler Lu flung his sleeves angrily and red at Zhang Xuan. If the other party hadnt treated his problem, he would have decapitated the other party with a sword before he had a chance to exin himself. "Theres no need to rush, Ill exin everything clearly. Just that... there are many people present. Are you sure that you want me to speak?" Zhang Xuan was nonchnt toward his threat, simply smiling in response. "Stop putting on an act here. No matter how incredible your words may sound, the only thing that awaits you is death!" "To dare to taint the Great Herb Kings honour, you deserve to die!" "Butler Lu, why waste words on him? With just a singlemand, we will mince this fool who dares to insult the old master immediately!" ... Seeing how the other party was unrepentant, the guards were on the brim of erupting. Not hiding their killing intent for Zhang Xuan, they bellowed furiously. Every single one of these guards was Tongxuan realm experts, and with several dozens of them unleashing their cultivation at once, people in the room began to breathe heavily under the pressure and their hands became moist with perspiration. Even the faces of the numerous Zongshi realm physicians turned pale. Unable to withstand the might, they retreated uncontrobly. While Zongshi realm experts were far stronger than Tongxuan realm cultivators, the guards had been living together and had forged a strong teamwork. On top of that, they wielded various lethal measures that even Zongshi realm experts would find it hard to guard against. "Enough!" Seeing how the guards were on the verge of attacking Zhang Xuan, Butler Lu waved his hands and roared, "Step down!" Then, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Physician Bai, these guards are loyal to the old master. Your words have offended them, and if you dont exin yourself, even I will find it hard to stop them." His words wereced with threat. If Zhang Xuan failed to provide a reasonable exnation, these guards would destroy him in an instant. "Im fine with exining yourself, but this involves a secret. My view is that I shouldnt speak of it before such a huge crowd!" Even though he was standing on the edge of the cliff, Zhang Xuan didnt seem worried in the least. He walked leisurely to the Great Herb King and dered calmly, "How about this, I will just say two words. If you think that my diagnosis makes sense, we can talk about it. Otherwise, you can just kill me right away!" After interacting with the Great Herb King, Butler Lu nodded his head, "Fine!" "Alright then!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "My two words are simple... Contract Gu!" "Contract Gu? Whats that? Butler Lu was wondering what miraculous words Zhang Xuan would spout, and he couldnt help but fall into a daze upon hearing his words. Just as he was considering whether he should make mincemeat of the other party, an expression of shock suddenly appeared on the dying Great Herb Kings face. His murky and lifeless eyes suddenly gleamed in agitation. "Get... get... the others out..." Struggling with all his might, his hoarse voice echoed in the air. "This..." Seeing how Bai Chan had caused the withered Great Herb King to struggle so terribly to speak with merely two words, everyone turned to look at him as though he was a monster. They thought that he was doomed and didnt expect such a twist. Can it be that... these three words wield some kind of magic? "Old master!" Seeing the old master speak, Butler Lu rushed to him immediately. Then after a moment of conversation, he stood up and scanned the surroundings. "I apologize, but the diagnosis ends here, so Ill have to invite all of you to leave! I will have my men send thepensation each of you." After which, he couldnt help but nce at Zhang Xuan. The Great Herb Kings condition was critical and he wasnt able to say anything. Even so, Butler Lu had been serving the other party for numerous years, and he was able to understand the other partys intention just through his gaze. The old masters intentions were simple. Do as Physician Bai says! Hes the only one who can save him! Can such a brazen fellow, who seemed to be spouting nonsense, really be capable of saving the old master? Can it be that it is as he said, that the old master is suffering for his own deeds? "Alright!" "Great Herb King and Butler Lu, we will be taking our leaves then!" Seeing that Butler Lu had already invited them to leave, even though the crowd was baffled within, they turned around to leave without any hesitation. However, before walking out of the lounge, they couldnt help but send a confused nce at Physician Bai Chan. With just two words, this fellow is able to get the Great Herb King to chase them out. Can his words be really true? But... I dont recall any illness that is called [Contract Gu]... "You all should leave as well!" Ignoring the bewilderment that the crowd was in, Butler Lu ordered for the guards to leave as well. "Yes!" Knowing that this was the intention of the old master, they answered and left the lounge quickly. Upon seeing everyone leave, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment and, eventually, decided to remain. Regardless of whether the fellow was right or not and whether he would be reduced to meat mince in a moments time, she hade with him, and it wouldnt be right for her to leave alone. Even though the prideful princess had an unpleasant mouth, she seemed to be a loyal buddy. Inconspicuously, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in response to her decision. Soon, they were the only ones left in the room. "Physician Bai Chan, now that everyone has left, can you exin the matter?" Knowing that Mo Yu came along with Physician Bai, Butler Lu turned to Zhang Xuan and bowed respectfully. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Actually, I already had a rough idea of the situation when I first saw the Great Herb King earlier. After using my secret art, I have now ascertained his condition..." At which,mentation shed through Zhang Xuans eyes. "The Great Herb King isnt ill or poisoned. Rather, hes afflicted by something called [Contract Gu]! This was imnted in him when he made a deal with a specific someone, and now that the person is dead, under the effects of the Contract Gu, he, expectedly, will lose his life as well!" "Contract Gu... Whats that?" Butler Lu was still unable toprehend the situation. Despiteing into contact with physicians and medicinal herbs daily, he had never heard of this term. The Great Herb King clearly knew what the other party was talking about, but it wasnt convenient for him to speak now. Even though Butler Lu could perform basicmunication with him, it was impossible for the other party to express such aplicated matter. "Contract Gu is a special practice used when making a deal with someone to win the other partys trust, and it is one of the means unique to a poison master. To summarize, it is simr to the life and death contract between beast tamers and their savage beast. Once established, it is equivalent to bing a loyal subordinate of the other party. Once the master dies, the subordinate wouldnt live for long either, and he would soon follow the other party." "This thing is normally used by poison masters to manipte their subordinates. The moment one establishes the contract, his life and death are no longer within his control. If he were to disobey the will of his master, he would suffer the ache of thousands of bugs nibbling at his heart!" With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan exined slowly. "Is there... such a thing in this world?" Butler Lu was astonished. He found the entire affair hard to believe. If the other party hadnt spoken of it, he would have never believed that such a thing could exist. At the same time, Mo Yus eyes were about to pop out from her sockets. She hadnt heard of Contract Gu, but she knew clearly what a life and death contract was. With this kind of contract, the moment the master dies, regardless of how strong or where a savage beast was, it would also breathe itsst. From Zhang Xuans descriptions, it seemed that the Contract Gu was much more potent than that. If that was truly the case, didnt that mean that humans could bemanded and tamed as though savage beasts? That was an extremely terrifying thought! "Can it be... that this Contract Gu is rted to the old masters condition?" Butler Lu recovered from the shock, but his face remained ghastly pale. "Not only is it rted, it is exactly the cause of it!" ncing at the Great Herb King, Zhang Xuan shook his head inmentation. "As the Great Herb King and the sovereign of the Red Lotus City, he chose to be another persons subordinate and willingly allowed the other party to imnt this kind of vicious gu into him. If this wasnt suffering for his own deeds, what else can it be?" The emperor of Tianwu Kingdom dared not to offend the Great Herb King of Red Lotus City, and 3-star physicians willingly lowered their heads before him. His standing was far superior to the kings of Tier 2 Kingdoms. Despite possessing such prestige, he willingly consumed a Contract Gu to be another persons servant. If this wasnt courting his own death, what else could it be? He couldnt me anyone else for his own plight. Upon hearing those words, the dried face of the Great Herb King turned slightly red. Regret brimmed in his eyes. "Physician Bai, please save the old master!" Finally knowing what the old master was suffering from, Butler Lus body trembled, his knees bent, and he knelt to the floor. Watching the old master grow weaker and weaker and being unable to identify the cause had left him distraught, but as the second-inmand of the manor, he couldnt cave in. Now that a glimmer of hope had finally appeared before him, he could no longer hold it in. Having grown up in the Great Herb King Manor, he possessed absolute loyalty toward the Great Herb King. On top of that, if the old master were to die, the other herb kings would make use of this opportunity to attack the manor and the Great Herb King Manors crumble would be absolute. As the butler of the manor, he would suffer the brunt of the impact, and it would be hard for him to live for long. Regardless of whether it was for his loyalty toward the Great Herb King or for his own life, he mustnt allow anything to happen to the Great Herb King. Since this Physician Bai was able to see through and treat his own affliction, as well as determine the root of the old masters frailty, he might have a solution for the matter. "Get up first!" Zhang Xuan reached out to help the other party up. Shaking his head, he said, "Once the contract is established, the Contract Gu enters ones bloodstream. It is extremely difficult to solve the matter!" After establishing a contract, the gu worm dives into ones innards and moves along with his blood flow. It is impossible for it to be located and destroyed. "As long as Physician Bai treats the old master, the Great Herb King Manor is willing to ede to any of your requests..." Butler Lu clenched his jaws. "To save him, Ill have to find the location of the gu worm and extract or exterminate it!" Zhang Xuan exined. "However, the gu worm is alive, and it flows along with the blood. The moment it realizes that it is in danger, it will escape immediately. How can I capture it like that?" The main reason for the Great Herb Kings suffering was the gu worm living in his body. The solution for the problem actually sounded extremely easy; one merely had to extract or exterminate it. However, it was hard to put into practice. That thing lives in ones bloodstream, and cannot be seen or felt. In addition, it is constantly moving about and knows how to avoid danger. How is it possible to remove and destroy it? Before the gu worm can be killed, the person would have probably died first. "Since Physician Bai is able to determine what the old master is suffering from, you must have a solution. I beseech you to save him!" Butler Lu knelt down once more. The many physicians that had examined the old master werent even able to identify the illness. Bai Chan was their only hope. "I can save him, but... I have a condition!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. While others would be hard-pressed to look for the gu worm, Zhang Xuan was different. With the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could inly see the location of the gu worm. Thus, it was still possible for him to treat the Great Herb King. "Physician Bai, feel free to speak of your condition!" Hearing that the other party could really treat him, Butler Lu clenched his fists tightly in agitation. "I want to go to the Poison Hall. I hope that someone can bring me there after I cure the Great Herb King!" Zhang Xuan nced at Butler Lu. "This..." Butler Lu didnt expect the other party toe up with such a condition. "Currently, the Poison Hall isnt epting any guests, especially physicians. Itll be extremely dangerous for you to head there now!" Poison masters and physicians are at perennially odds. Arent you, a physician, courting death to want to visit the Poison Hall? "Dangerous for me to head there now? What do you mean?" Noticing a hidden meaning to the other partys words, Zhang Xuan stared at him doubtfully. ncing at the old master and seeing that the other party wasnt objectionable to him revealing the issue, Butler Lu gritted his teeth and said, "An internal conflict has broken out within the Poison Hall, and it is currently closed to outsiders. They refused all guests, and even the old master isnt allowed to enter. Heading there now... is truly an unwise decision!" "Internal conflict?" "Yes!" Butler Lu said. "However, if Physician Bai really wishes to visit the Poison Hall, the conflict should probably die down within a year. By then, it should be much safer..." "A year? Thats too long!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. In the first ce, the reason why he chose to disguise as Physician Bai Chan instead of taking the physician examination at Tianwu Kingdom was so that he could get to the Poison Hall as soon as possible to resolve the poisonous aura that was lingering in his body. Since he was unwilling to wait even a month, how could he possibly wait a year? What joke is this! "As long as you bring me to the entrance of the Poison Hall, Ill settle the rest myself. If you promise to ede to my condition, I will save the old master now. Otherwise, lets forget about everything!" Zhang Xuan calmly said. "However, I doubt that theres anyone else in the surrounding thirteen kingdoms who can save the old master!" The other party seemed to be determined. Thus, Butler Lu turned to consult the old master, and upon seeing him blink his eyes, turned back to Zhang Xuan. "Alright, the old master has agreed!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "ce your old master horizontally. Ill begin my treatment now." "Yes!" Given that this was the Great Herb King Manor, Butler Lu wasnt worried about the other party doing anything foolish. Thus, he adjusted the reclining chair to ce the old master in a lying position. Knowing that the other party was about to remove the Contract Gu from his body, nervousness shed on the Great Herb Kings dry face. Butler Lu and Mo Yu might have never heard of the Contract Gu, but as the person who had it imnted into his body, he knew that there was nearly no cure for it. Yet, the person before him imed that he was capable of treating it! Even though he didnt truly believe the other partys words, he, nevertheless, wanted to give it a try. Hu! Since he had already decided to treat the other party, Zhang Xuan immediately got on with it. With a jerk of his hand, a box of silver needles appeared in his palm. Then, submerging his consciousness into the library, he flipped to the page where the ws were listed (which reflects the location of the Contract Gus worm). He drove his zhenqi and immediately pierced a silver needle right at the spot where the worm wasst located. The silver needle which was infused with the Heavens Path zhenqi would definitely be able to easily destroy the gu worm if it were to pierce through it. "Hm?" After piercing the needle into the other partys body, Zhang Xuan circted zhenqi around the other partys body for a moment. Noticing the absence of the presence of the gu worm, Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. "The gu worm actually escaped..." Time was wasted discussing the matter after theption of the book, and the gu worm in the Great Herb King was no longer at the position indicated in the book. It seemed that the book had to be refreshed for him to pinpoint the new location of the gu worm. Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Great Herb King sheepishly. "Great Herb King, Im sorry but... is it convenient for you to pass out once more?" --- Gu is a venomous being used often in voodoo and ck magic in the south China. There are many methods of preparations depending on the custom, but the most traditional one is to keep countless poisonous animals into one jar and let them fight it out. Chapter 272: I Understand Chapter 272: I Understand Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Are you asking if its convenient for... him to pass out once more?" Butler Lu and Mo Yus mouths twitched. The Great Herb King shook his head vigorously. No one liked to be knocked out, so who would possibly agree that its convenient for them to pass out? Hearing those words, the Great Herb King would have struck first if not for his physical disability, needless to say, to allow the other party to knock him out. "Physician Bai Chan, this..." Seeing the objection in the old masters eyes, Butler Lu hurriedly spoke up. However, before he could finish his words, the middle-aged man before him seemed to havee to an epiphany, "Forget it, theres no use asking you about it. Its best that I do it myself!" Thus, he stretched out his arm. Padah! With tears brimming in his eyes, the Great Herb King passed out once more. Having knocked out the Great Herb King, Zhang Xuan noticed that Butler Lu was in the middle of his words and turned to look at him with a doubtful expression, "Whats wrong?" "I... That... Nothing!" Butler Lu smiled awkwardly. He had intended to stop the other party and to see if there was a way to treat the old master without knocking him out. However, since the daylights had already been knocked out of the old master, there was no longer any need for him to speak up. "Un, Ill continue on with the treatment then!" With the Great Herb King now unconscious, the book in Zhang Xuans hands jolted the moment he came into contact with the other partys body. The location of the gu worm was refreshed. Having ascertained the location, Zhang Xuans hands jerked, and a silver needle was pierced into the other partys body. "Hm? I missed it..." Checking the area with his zhenqi, he realized that the gu worm had escaped once again. "Looks like killing the gu worm is much more difficult than I have expected!" Zhang Xuans expression was grim. He thought that it would be easy for him to eradicate the gu worm with the Library of Heavens Path providing him its location. However, from the looks of it, he had underestimated the gu worm. Even though the dy between browsing the book in the library and the piercing of the needle was extremely short, it was more than sufficient for the gu worm to escape from its original position. Zhang Xuan touched the Great Herb King once more and pierced a silver needle into the other partys body. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Under the numerous assaults by the silver needle, the gu worm seemed to have realized that it was in danger, and it escaped furiously through the other partys blood vessels. "The blood vessels within a human areplicated, and countless small capiries spread out across the entire body. If this goes on, I wont be able to catch it even after a day of effort. I have to find a way to corner it before I can destroy it!" After inserting a few needles in quick session, he noticed that the gu worm moved faster and faster, and its movements were erratic without any specific pattern. Troubled, a deep crease emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. "Is it dead yet..." After a dozen of consecutive needles, Zhang Xuan eventually managed to force it to a corner and just as he was about to deal the final blow, a weak voice sounded. Turning his head to take a look, he saw that the Great Herb King had roused from his sleep. Him bing awake meant that the location of the gu worm on his book in the library couldnt be refreshed. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan didnt even bother to speak this time. He stretched out his hand immediately and padah!, the other party was knocked out once more. "Not good! That fellow has escaped again..." By the time the book was updated, the gu worm had already escaped. Zhang Xuans expression darkened. The other partys awakening had hastened his blood flow, allowing the gu worm to escape far away from Zhang Xuans encirclement. "Damn it!" He didnt expect that a small gu worm would be that sly. With his eyebrows shot up, he turned to Butler Lu. "Come here. Knock out the old master the moment he awakens..." The Great Herb Kings cultivation had reached Zongshi realm pinnacle. Even though his body had been driven to the brink of death under the torture of the gu worm, the defensive mechanism from the zhenqi in his body remained functioning, allowing him to recover swiftly from his unconscious state. On the other hand, in order not to worsen the dying Great Herb Kings condition, Zhang Xuan couldnt exert too much force when knocking him out. In order to prevent the gu worm from getting away again due to him awaking, it was best to make preparations beforehand. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to render Butler Lus help. With someone to knock the Great Herb King out, Zhang Xuan would be able to direct his undivided attention toward killing the worm. "Knock the old master out the moment he awakens..." Butler Lus body trembled in agitation, and he was on the verge of tears. The man before him was his old master. If he were to do this, he could imagine the kind of trouble that would await him if the old master were to choose to pursue this matter in the future... "Can I turn down your request..." "Dont waste my time, hurry up!" Seeing a conflicted expression on the other party, Zhang Xuan frowned. "If you dont want to save the old master, feel free to reject my request!" "I..." Even though Butler Lu was torn, he knew that the priority was to save the old master. Thus, he walked over and stretched out his hand. Just as his heart was in turmoil, Mo Yus voice suddenly sounded. "That... Physicians often use [Soul Numbing Powder] to knock their patients out. With a single whiff, one should stay unconscious for a significant period of time. Furthermore, it doesnt hurt ones body... Will that work?" "Soul Numbing Powder? Is there such a thing? Of course, it will work!" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. His goal was just to keep the other party in an unconscious state. It didnt matter whether the other party was knocked out through physical means or through medicine. "The Soul Numbing Powder works as well?" Hearing Zhang Xuans reply sent tears flowing down Butler Lu and Mo Yus face. The Soul Numbing Powder was amon medicine used by physicians, and it was often utilized on the less courageous patients. There wasnt a single physician who hasnt heard of it, and most would carry several doses with them wherever they go... Yet, this fellow has never heard of it... The heck! If not for the incredible skills he has disyed, we would really doubt if he is a physician! Otherwise, how can he possibly not know the basics? If Zhang Xuan had used this earlier, the Great Herb King wouldnt have to be smacked on the head so many times. If this continued, even if he sessfully treated the other party, it was likely that the Great Herb King would be dumb from the multiple impacts on his head... "We have the medicine here, Ill fetch it right now..." Fearful that the old master would be struck once more, Butler Lu rushed out in a hurry. The Great Herb King dealt in medicine, and it was absurd to think that they wouldnt possess such an elementary herb in their storage. In no time, Butler Lu arrived with several sacks. Zhang Xuan grabbed a sack casually and ced it before the Great Herb Kings nostril. As expected, the medicine quickly sent thetter into a deep sleep, and it didnt seem likely that he would regain consciousness so soon. "To think that you would have such a good stuff. You should have taken it out earlier!" Seeing how amazing the medicine was, Zhang Xuan red at Butler Lu. "I..." Butler Lu felt wronged. As a physician, you brought a chopper into the surgery room. Naturally, I thought that you specialize in using it. Who in the world would expect that... you dont even know what a scalpel is... Mo Yu shot a look of sympathy at Butler Lu as well. If not for her having gotten used to Zhang Xuans bizarre actions, she herself would have thought that he was doing it on purpose. Under the potency of the Soul Numbing Powder, the Great Herb King fell into deep sleep. Zhang Xuan continued with his treatment; leaving a single hand in constant contact with the other partys body while having the other hand pierce needles into the other party swiftly, forcing the gu worm to a corner in the bloodstream. This time, his operation went sessfully and the gu worm was entrapped shortly. "Go!" With a jerk of Zhang Xuans fingers, a silver needle immediately pierced straight into the Great Herb Kings body. Jijiji! In that instant, a piercing shrill sounded from the Great Herb Kings body and the worm could be seen to be struggling about in his blood vessel. "Die!" With a tap of his finger, a surge of pure zhenqi flowed into the other partys body through the silver needle. And in the next instant, the worm, as though meeting with its nemesis, thrashed for awhile longer before falling motionless. Just like any other poisonous substances, the Heavens Path zhenqi, which was reminiscent of pure water, was the gu worms greatest nemesis. Upon contact, that resilient lifeform crumbled immediately and died on the spot. "Come on out!" Exerting pressure on the other partys blood vessel, Zhang Xuan sent a burst of zhenqi into the other party, and the silver needle and gu worm flew out simultaneously. Padah! The twonded on the floor. "Is this the so-called Contract Gu?" Butler Lu and Mo Yu walked over immediately. The gu worm on the floor was the size of a firefly. There were unique runes scribbled on its dark green body, and it looked so disgusting that it could send a cold chill down ones spine. "Un!" Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. The greatest problem that gued the Great Herb Kings body was this gu worm. With this little fellow extracted from his body, hisnguishing body should recover with time. Moments after removing the sack of Soul Numbing Powder from the other partys nostril, the Great Herb King slowly awoke. "Old master..." Butler Lu walked forward. "Do I... still need to be knocked out?" After waking up, the Great Herb King nced at Zhang Xuan and his lips quivered uncontrobly. He was traumatized after getting knocked out continuously. He was afraid that a fist would be awaiting him the moment he awoke. "Theres no need for that anymore. The gu worm has already been killed!" Butler Lu pointed to the worm on the floor. "Its dead?" The Great Herb King was taken aback. ncing at the corpse of the gu worm on the floor, his face reddened in agitation. After being afflicted with the Contract Gu, his life and death became something beyond his control. The reason why the Contract Gu was used to gain anothers trust was that even the most incredible poison masters were unable to cure one of it. Yet, the physician before him was able to kill it easily. Even though he had witnessed the event personally with his own two eyes, he found the situation hard to believe nevertheless. "Physician Bai, thank you for saving my life!" Standing up from the reclining chair, the Great Herb King knelt to the floor. Initially, he thought that it was his fate to die from the Contract Gu. Never in his dreams did he expect that he would be saved by the man standing before him! In order to be rescued from his despair, not to mention three times, even if he were to be knocked out ten times or hundred times, it would have been worth the suffering. "Old master, you... you..." Seeing the Great Herb King get up to kneel on the floor, Butler Lu grew agitated. It was just awhile ago that the old master was unable to move or speak. Yet, at this moment, he had stood up and knelt down all by himself. This went to show that his body was already starting to recover. "With the gu worm in my body dead, my strength is gradually returning to me. However, the trauma within caused by it isnt resolved yet. Physician Bai, I beseech you to treat me..." Stopping Butler Lu from helping him up, the Great Herb King kowtowed to Zhang Xuan. While the death of the gu worm had solved the root of the problem, that little fellow had been on a rampage inside the Great Herb Kings body for the past few days, sapping his spirit and energy dry. He would still require the help of this physician to nourish his damaged body and rejuvenate his stamina. Otherwise, now possessing the appearance of a person in his nies despite not having reached even fifty, it was clear that he would not have long to live. "You want me to solve your current problem?" Reading through his book in the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan frowned. Tortured by the Contract Gu for numerous days, his body was severely injured. If not for the innumerable precious herbs he possessed as the Great Herb King, he wouldnt have been able to survive until this day. His physical and mental frailty could only be gradually treated through the consumption of various tonics over a long period of time. However... Zhang Xuan was different. Not only could the Heavens Path zhenqi heal ones stamina and bring him back to his peak, it could also heal the Great Herb Kings damaged blood vesselspletely, simply by driving it through his bloodstream. However, the Heavens Path zhenqi was too pure. Previously, when Zhang Xuan was treating the other party, he was unconscious. Furthermore, by the time he awoke, the Heavens Path zhenqi had already melded as one with the zhenqi in his body, making it impossible for the other party to detect any abnormality. However, if Zhang Xuan were to treat him now, the other party would definitely realize the uniqueness of his zhenqi, and this could bring about unwanted trouble. Zhang Xuan was unwilling to take this risk. "I can treat you, but..." After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan spoke up. However, before he could finish his words, he realized that the Great Herb King was staring at him with incredible determination. "Physician Bai, you need not speak any further. I understand!" After which, he lifted his hand and struck his head. Padah! He fell limply onto the floor, unconscious. Chapter 273: Whats Going On [2in1] Chapter 273: Whats Going On [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Not expecting the other party to knock himself out before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan became speechless. "Cough cough, what I meant to say was... I can solve your problem, but youll have to increase thepensation. How can I negotiate with you now that youre unconscious?" Zhang Xuans condition for removing the Contract Gu from the other partys body was to bring him to the Poison Hall. Zhang Xuan had fulfilled his end of the deal, but the other party was now requesting for him to treat his wounded body. This was an entirely different matter, and Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly expend his own zhenqi for nothing. Yet, before he could say anything, the other party had already fainted. No matter what, I am a physician. Arent you being too disrespectful to me? Hearing Zhang Xuan mutter to himself, Butler Lu hurried up to Zhang Xuan and coughed awkwardly, "The old master wishes for you to treat him as soon as possible. If Physician Bai has any requests, feel free to speak to me of it. Ill do my best to satisfy them!" "Thats more like it!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "How about this, youre selling this [Soul Numbing Powder] as well right? If so, you should have an inventory of it. Help me prepare three doses... No, ten doses." If Zhang Xuan had this, he wouldnt have to resort to knocking anyone out by force again. Since he had learned of this object, it was only natural for him to want more of it. Who else would he exploit if not the rich tycoon in front of him? "Ten doses of Soul Numbing Powder?" Butler Lu blinked. "Indeed. Dont tell me that your Great Herb King Manor cant even afford this meager amount of medicinal herbs?" Zhang Xuan frowned. At the same time, he was pondering whether he had asked for too much and that the other party was incapable of bringing out that much. "No, its... its that..." Butler Lu seemed conflicted by the request and he looked as though he was suffering from constipation. "Its that this object is too inexpensive..." The Soul Numbing Powder was one of the most fundamental prescriptions in a physicians arsenal. A single dose costs only a few hundred gold coins, and ten of it was worth mere thousands. To think this little amount of money could save the old masters life... Arent you thinking to cheaply of the Great Herb Kings life? "Inexpensive?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He immediately turned to Mo Yu, only to see her nodding her head with a speechless expression. Only then did heugh awkwardly, "That... right. Do you have any Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals in your manor? The tier of the manual doesnt matter, and all I need is quantity. If you can manage to gather more than a thousand of them, I will ept it as thepensation." Zhang Xuans cultivation had already reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle, and to achieve a breakthrough, he would have to gather higher-realm secret manuals. Tianxuan Kingdom was too backward, and excluding the old ancestor, the strongest cultivators were merely at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. As such, there was only a handful Half-Zongshi realm manuals in its territory. Red Lotus City was the city of a Tier 1 Kingdom, as well as a medicinal herb trading hub, so it might be possible for the other party to gather a sizeable quantity amount of cultivation technique manuals for him. "Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm secret manuals? More than a thousand of them?" Not having expected Physician Bai Chan to ask for something so peculiar, Butler Lu contemted for a moment before answering, "Our Great Herb King Manor controls the flow of all medicinal herbs in Tianwu Kingdom and the twelve surrounding nations. Many cultivators do not possess sufficient money to purchase herbs, so they could only trade in their unique secret manuals." "Thus, we have umted several hundreds of Half-Zongshi secret manuals over the years. With the rallying ability of our Great Herb King Manor, we should be able to gather more than a thousand books swiftly. As for Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals... If you have no requirements on the tier, it isnt a problem for us to gather a few hundred books for you. However, gathering above a thousand of it would be difficult." "Alright, Ill take these then!" Hearing that the other party could gather more than a thousand Half-Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals and a few hundred Zongshi realm manuals, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He nodded in agreement hurriedly. As expected of a city of Tianwu Kingdom, resources flowing through this single city werent what that the entire Tianxuan Kingdom couldpare up to. With sufficient manuals, Zhang Xuan would be able to reach Half-Zongshi or even Zongshi realm effortlessly. By then, he should at least possess the ability to protect himself in the Poison Hall. "Alright, you should go on and make arrangements. Ill treat the old master now!" Contented with thepensation, Zhang Xuan instructed Butler Lu before grabbing the Great Herb Kings arm and beginning to transfuse a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into his meridians. Actually, why the Great Herb King looked lifeless and withered was because of the blockage in his meridian, causing the flow of his zhenqi to stagnate. As long as Zhang Xuan cleared up the blockages, the other partys dense and powerful Zongshi zhenqi would naturally rejuvenate his spirit, energy, and soul, thus inducing aplete recovery. Boom! The pure zhenqi gushed through the blocked meridians one after another. The damage left behind by the Contract Gu, as though snow meeting with the radiant sun, disappearedpletely. The dry and loose skin on the Great Herb King regained its sticity and liveliness. In an instant, he seemed to have turned several decades younger. "This..." Mo Yu, who was standing by the side, blinked her eyes furiously, unable to believe her sight. She thought that Zhang Xuans treatment, like any other physicians, would require theplement of medicinal herbs, and would be over the course of numerous months. She hadnt expected the Great Herb King to recover instantly just by having his wrist grabbed... Is this really something a physician can do? Why havent I heard of it? All of her preconceptions of the world seemed to be overthrown one after another. "Alright!" Soon, the Heavens Path zhenqi circted a full round around the other partys body, clearing all of the blockagespletely. Zhang Xuan stood up and exhaled deeply. It was much easier than he expected. The Great Herb King, who had his trauma resolved, slowly awoke from his slumber. Feeling the softness and sticity of his skin and the overwhelming strength surging through his body, even though the Great Herb King was impressed, he wasnt as surprised as Mo Yu. The physician before him had managed to cure him of his Poison Gu, a feat which countless physicians and poison masters were incapable of. Rather, it would be bizarre if he couldnt do something as easy as treating his wounds. "Physician Bai Chan, you have my gratitude!" The Great Herb Kings face flushed in agitation as he knelt onto the floor once more. If not for the physician before him, he would have been dead by now. The gratitude he felt wasnt something that could be measured using money. "Its merely a deal! However, Im curious why a person of your standing would ept a Contract Gu and allow yourself to be manipted." Zhang Xuan waved casually before turning to look at the Great Herb King doubtfully. Mo Yu was baffled as well. The Great Herb Kings status and influence were so great that even the Tianwu Kingdoms royal family didnt dare to offend him. Yet, such a great person actually chose to take on a Contract Gu. This was something beyond their imagination. "Sigh, this is a long story. If you knew the person whom I formed a contract with, you would not be thinking like that!" Seeing the doubt in the duos eyes, the Great Herb King shed a bitter smile. The other party had saved his life, and he felt that his life belonged to the other party. Thus, he didnt think that there was anything inappropriate to say before the other party and didnt intend to hide anything from him. "The person I contracted with is... the Hall Master of the Poison Hall!" "Hall Master of the Poison Hall?" "Un!" The Great Herb King nodded his head. With aplex expression, he exined, "The Great Herb King may seem like an awe-inspiring and powerful figure whom no one in the Red Lotus City dares to offend, but the truth is that were merely the spokespersons for the Poison Hall! Im not the only one; every single Great Herb King of previous generations had established a contract with Poison Hall Masters and became their puppets." "Every single generation?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu was stunned. However, as they thought further, they realized that it was logical. The Red Lotus City was the only intermediary to the Poison Hall, and it was hard to believe that the Poison Hall didnt establish any power within the city. Without the support of the Poison Hall, how could the Great Herb King of every generation control the gigantic medicinal herb market and earn massive profits? Simrly, they wouldnt have been able to kill princes and princesses of the various kingdoms without fear either. It was only because of the Poison Halls support that the Red Lotus City was powerful. Otherwise, how could a declining ancient city be able to stand against powerful countries like Tianwu? After all, Tianwu Kingdom had the backing of several 2-star master teachers. With the guidance of a master teacher of such tier, even though it would be pushing it to say that everyone was an expert, the average level of cultivation within the city was much higher than that of Tianxuan Kingdom. Its army was capable of splitting the ocean and copsing mountains. If not for the backing of the Poison Hall, how could a mere Red Lotus City escape the Tianwu Kingdoms jurisdiction? Otherwise, it would have long been destroyed. "The only reason why a Contract Gu would act up is that a contractee is dead. Could it be that... Upon realizing something, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Great Herb King. "Thats right!" The Great Herb King nodded. "The Hall Master is dead!" "Butler Lu wasnt lying when he said that an internal conflict has broken out within the Poison Hall, and it is turning away all guests! The Hall Master died abruptly without dering his sessor, and three candidates are currently vying for the top seat, resulting in chaos. Even I myself am trying to keep away from the Poison Hall or else, I might not even know how I die." The Great Herb King smiled bitterly, "To them, I am only a puppet. As long as the Poison Hall exists, they can always raise a new Great Herb King." Even though he did not want to admit it, Zhang Xuan knew that it was true. With the strength of the Poison Hall, it was merely a walk in the park to make someone the Great Herb King. For the prestigious and powerful Great Herb King to be an inconsequential puppet, it would be hard for anyone to believe it to be true if not hearing it from the person himself. The Great Herb King nced at Zhang Xuan with a grim expression. "Physician Bai Chan, you saved me, and in return, Ill bring you to the Poison Hall. However... There are currently three candidates vying for the seat, and the Poison Hall is filled with uncountable dangers. Death is the only thing that awaits any visitor. If you have time to spare, you can stay here in my manor for the moment, and Ill help you look into the matter. If we go after the Hall Master is confirmed, well be spared from unnecessary danger." The fight over the position of Hall Master was no different from princes vying for the throne; it would be filled with schemes and assassinations. If outsiders were to enter, it was highly likely that they would be taken as pawns, and they wouldnt even realize how they had died. It wasnt wrong to say that the Poison Hall at present was at its most chaotic and dangerous. However, once the Hall Master was confirmed, the situation would settle down, and the ce would be much safer. "I cant wait that long!" Even though Zhang Xuan knew that what the other party said was valid, he couldnt wait that long. The poison aura in his body was suppressed by Heavens Path zhenqi, but no one could guarantee when it would counterattack. If it was just three to five days, he could still wait. However, a year or two was too long for him. "Actually... If Physician Bai does have a pressing urgency, theres another way." Seeing that his benefactor seemed to be in a rush to head to the Poison Hall, the Great Herb King contemted for a moment before speaking, "The three main disciples of the old Hall Master each possess support from a faction of the Poison Hall, and their influences are roughly equal. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for a victor to emerge without a year or two of grinding it out. However, there is an exception." "Tell me about it!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The Great Herb King continued, "Just like the Apothecary Guild and cksmith Guild, the Poison Hall has a headquarter and numerous branches. The Poison Hall in our Red Lotus Range is a minor branch of the lot!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. After reading through books of all kinds, Zhang Xuan knew that the Tianwu Kingdom and the other countries surrounding it formed just a small part of the world. While the Poison Hall of the Red Lotus Range was famous, its reputation was limited to the area around Tianwu Kingdom. Much more incredible branches could be found in higher tier kingdoms. "Based on what I know, the old Hall Master died suddenly, and he didnt appoint a sessor beforehand. Thus, the elders in the hall have reported this matter to the headquarter! If the headquarter decides to interfere, it will send an envoy to calm the chaos and decide on the new Hall Master. If so, the entire process can be resolved quickly!" The Great Herb King said. "Oh? Theres such a matter as well?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. All branches had to follow arrangements by the headquarter. No matter how chaotic the situation was after the death of the Hall Master, the envoy from the headquarter should be able to resolve the issue swiftly. "In such situations, how long does it usually take for the Poison Hall to send an envoy? Also, how soon will the internal conflict be resolved? Are there any precedents?" Zhang Xuan could not help but ask. "There are indeed precedents in the history of the Poison Hall, but..." The Great Herb King hesitated for a moment before smiling bitterly, "This time, I cant confirm this matter. While the Poison Hall of the Red Lotus Range sounds impressive, it is just an unimpressive countryside branch to the headquarter. If an envoy is sent over, the conflict should be settled in less than half a month. However... If the headquarter feels that it is a waste of personnel and decides not to send anyone over, it will take at least one to two years!" Even though an envoy could settle the issue easily, the Red Lotus Range Poison Hall branch was an unimportant branch, and the headquarter might think that there was no need to waste any effort on it. Thus, it wouldnt be unordinary if they did not send any personnel. There were simr cases in the past. As such, it was difficult to guess the headquarters decision. Even the Great Herb King was unable to determine when the internal conflict would end. "Even so, I cant simply keep waiting like that!" After hearing the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan felt even more dismal. He needed to gather sufficient books on poison to learn how to rectify the hidden poison aura in his body. He couldnt possibly wait mindlessly for news which might not arrive. "The best way is to keep waiting. However, if Physician Bai hopes to head there now, I can bring you there. Just that... I cant guarantee your safety!" The Great Herb King hesitated before speaking. "Allow me to consider for a moment!" Zhang Xuans main purpose of heading to the Poison Hall was for the books. As long as he didnt interfere in their fight for the position of the Hall Master, he should be able to stay out of danger. But of course, he didnt know much about the poison masters, so he couldnt say for sure. He could only go with the flow. "After youre done collecting the books, lets head to the Poison Hall!" Zhang Xuan hesitated for a short while before making up his mind. It wasnt easy for him toe to the Red Lotus City, and he couldnt wait endlessly for the conflict to cease. Thus, he decided to brush aside the internal conflict and do what he had to do. But before that, it was imperative for him to raise his cultivation. As long as he achieved Zongshi realm pinnacle, with the Library of Heavens Path and his pure Heavens Path zhenqi, he would be able to match even a Half-Zhizun. Even if those from the Poison Hall wanted to kill him, it would not no easy task. "Collecting the books?" The Great Herb King asked doubtfully. When Zhang Xuan was negotiating the terms with Butler Lu, the Great Herb King has already knocked himself unconscious, so he wasnt aware of the deal. "Its like that..." Zhang Xuan exined. "Oh, so Physician Bai wants those books. That isnt a difficult task, Ill supervise them personally. Within three days, we should be able to gather all of the Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals in Red Lotus City!" Upon hearing that Physician Bai Chan wanted these books aspensation, the Great Herb King was taken aback. Then, he smiled, and intense confidence shone through his eyes. He had managed Red Lotus City for many years, and it was under hisplete control. Those books might be precious, but if he were to demand them personally, it would be an easy feat. "Thats great, Ill be relying on you then!" Hearing that the matter could be settled in three days, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. "Physician Bai, feel free to stay here for the time being. Ill go and urge them right now." The Great Herb King stood up and called for a guard, arranging for the duos amodation before heading out in a rush. It was a request from his benefactor, he didnt dare to dawdle. "Well stay here for the time being then!" Zhang Xuan knew that there was no rushing the issue. Thus, he decided to stay in the manor with Mo Yu for the time being. ... "Do you think that the fellows diagnosis is correct?" Outside the Great Herb King Manor, the numerous physicians who left earlier were gathered together. Every single one of them had a deep frown on their foreheads. Ever since they departed from the manor, they had been keeping vigil outside discussing Physician Bai. For 2-star and 3-star physicians with astounding reputations to be outdone by an unimpressive 1-star physician, they found the matter hard to ept. "Do you think that a mere 1-star physician can make an urate diagnosis on the Great Herb King? What a joke! He was probably just spouting bullshit!" "That might not be the case, his words have generated a huge reaction in the Great Herb King. Why else would be Great Herb King get so agitated if the other partys words arent right?" "Assuming that he is right, then what in the world is that [Contract Gu]? Why havent we heard of it?" The more they discussed, the more confused they got. If this fellow was spouting rubbish, it is impossible for the Great Herb King to have such an intense reaction, even causing him to drive us away. But if what he said is true, then what in the world is a Contract Gu? Why havent we heard of it? Is there such an illness in the world? Besides... How can a 1-star physician notice something that we couldnt discern? "Ive known Bai Chan for several years, but I never knew that he has such abilities!" Of the crowd, Physician Cheng Feng felt so stifled that he was about to lose it. He was the most familiar with Physician Bai Chan, and his original intention was to mock the other party and embarrass him. He didnt expect the other party to outdo him and p him hard so on the face. "Theres no need for us to debate. Our questions will be answered soon enough!" "If he had indeed diagnosed the condition of the Great Herb King sessfully, he would be to strut out of the manor openly. Otherwise, the only fate that awaits him is to be a corpse!" Mu Hong and the other 3-star physicians interrupted the crowds discussion. "Thats right!" Everyone nodded in agreement. That arrogant fellow had overstepped his boundaries, knocking out the Great Herb King with a single fist. It was one thing if he could treat him, but if he failed, he would definitely be killed. Knowing this, the others decided not to make a fuss. If that fellow were to walk out, it would simply mean that his diagnosis was spot on. On the other hand, if he were to be carried out, it would mean that he was spouting nonsense and had paid for his arrogance. "Theres no need to think about it, he will definitely be carried out..." Physician Cheng Feng gritted his teeth. However, before he could finish his words, jiya!, the doors to the manor opened. "Look, someone ising out..." Upon hearing the loud creaking, the physicians turned toward the door and with just a single nce, all of their eyes widened, and they nearly passed out. The one who walked out was an elder, and Butler Lu followed behind him respectfully. "Is he... the Great Herb King?" After getting a clear view of his appearance, every physician present swallowed a mouthful of saliva simultaneously. They had examined the other party for an extended period of time, so how could they not recognize him! Even though he looked so much younger, given how Butler Lu was acting respectfully to him, who else could he be? Just a moment ago, the other party was lying motionless on the reclining chair and was on the verge of death... And in less than twenty minutes, he is now walking withrge strides. His movements are filled with vitality, and he now looks several decades younger... Can anyone tell me what happened? Even if the other partys diagnosis was spot on, it isnt possible for the treatment to be so quick, right? To be fully treated in twenty minutes... and for him to walk about without assistance... The heck, my eyes must be ying tricks on me! "This..." Physician Cheng Fengs body swayed, and he nearly vomited blood. He had just mentioned that the other party would definitely be lifted out and, instead, it turned out that... the Great Herb King came out on his own two feet. Can anyone tell me whats going on? "Distinguished physicians, youre still here?" Seeing that the crowd had not yet left, the Great Herb King walked over with a smile. "Great Herb King, this..." Physician Mu Hong could no longer hold himself back, and he walked forward with a bewildered expression. "Physician Bai Chan has treated my affliction. His medical skills are incredible!" A hint of reverence shed across the Great Herb Kings eyes. Then, he sped his hands and said, "Alright, I still have affairs to attend to, so I will not hold you up. Farewell!" After which, he walked away with light footsteps. "Was it really Physician Bai Chan who treated him?" "In less than twenty minutes, he returned a person who looked to be in his nies to his fifties?" Even though they had guessed so the moment they saw the Great Herb King, they could not help but feel faint-headed upon hearing his personal affirmation. There were so many of them and they had spent a significant amount of time examining the other party but werent able to identify his illness. Yet, Physician Bai Chan was able to treat him in such a short period of time... The difference in their standards was clear. Is he really a 1-star physician? "Looks like... we have all misjudged him. That Physician Bai Chan is probably not just a 1-star physician!" After a long moment of silence, one of the 3-star physicians spoke up. The emblem isnt representative of ones true abilities. "Indeed. How can a 1-star physician treat the Great Herb King so easily... With his skills, he is probably at minimum a 4-star!" Another 3-star physicianmented. Even though he was unwilling to admit it, Physician Mu Hong nodded in agreement. "4-star physician... When hees out, Ill have to pay my proper respects and make up for my impertinence!" "Thats right. I would like to consult him as well..." Upon hearing the three 3-star physicians judgment, everyones faces froze. Back then, when they were in the lounge, they had mocked Physician Bai without restraint. Now that they knew that he was likely to be an incredible 4-star physician, they started to panic. "Damn it, dont let me see you. Otherwise, I will beat you to death..." Just as everyone made up their minds, a furious bellow sounded from the manor. Turning around, they saw a fellow who wasnt even wearing a coat in this cold weather standing not too far away, shaking his fists angrily. "Physician Bai Chan?" Obtaining a clear view of his appearance, all of the physicians were dazed for a moment. After which, a gleam appeared in their eyes, and they dashed forward. The pitiful Physician Bai had just regained his consciousness and he realized that his physician emblem and coat had gone missing. Thus, he howled furiously and was about to search for the culprit when he saw a mob of 2-star and 3-star physicians charging toward him, as though they had seen their idol. Frightened, he mped his bottom and his body went limp... These fellows usually act so haughtily upon seeing me, disregarding my presence. Why would they be bowing to me as though they had seen their senior? Can anyone tell me... What the heck is going on? Chapter 274: Half-Zongshi Chapter 274: Half-Zongshi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Physician Cheng Feng, this... Whats going on?" It took Physician Bai Chan a moment before he recovered. Upon recognizing a familiar face, he asked hastily. "Physician Bai, I was blind to not notice your greatness, to think that your medical skills have reached such an astounding levels in just a few years. I hope that you can forgive me for the times that Ive offended you!" With a reddened face, Physician Cheng Feng sped his hands respectfully. "..." Countless question marks popped in Physician Bai Chans head. Did these fellows eat something wrong this morning? Why have all of their attitudes changed after I fainted? After a moment of doubt, the confused Physician Bai finally understood the situation. The fellow who stole his emblem seemed to have treated the Great Herb King under his identity. Despite knocking him out, that fellow didnt take his money or his possessions. In fact, he even bought him medicinal herbs that were worth thirty thousand gold taels... All of these, just to help treat someone? Why does this feel so suspicious? How can there be such a good thing in this world... If thats really the case, shouldnt I consider finding another remote alley to loiter in? Shouldnt I beg the heavens to show mercy and bring me a few more robbers like him... ... Zhang Xuan was oblivious to Physician Bai Chans earnest pleas. In the past three days, he had been staying in the Great Herb King Manor. Other than reading through the books in the Library of Heavens Path, he spent most of his time tutoring Mo Yu. This was what he had promised her. Now that he had managed to convince the Great Herb King to help him, it was time for him to fulfill his end of the promise. After a few days of tutge under Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu waspletely impressed with the capability of the man who was even younger than her. Her apothecary teacher was a famous figure in Tianwu Kingdom, but in terms of imparting knowledge, his ability to identify crucial points and mistakes was nowhere near Zhang Xuans. In just three days, her pill forging skills had made a huge leap. At this moment, she was already capable of forging a grade-2 pill independently. And being able to forge a grade-2 pill meant that she could take the 2-star apothecary examination. To be able to reach such a standard with just three days of tutoring, even until now, Mo Yu could not believe that this was indeed reality. Under normal circumstances, without at least five to six years of hard work, it is impossible for one to advance from a 1-star apothecary to a 2-star. "Physician Bai, weve gathered all of the books that you require!" On the morning of the fourth day, Zhang Xuan was guiding Mo Yu as usual when the Great Herb King walked in. "Lets go and take a look!" Zhang Xuan stood up. He had been staying in the manor for the past three days for this, and he was d that the other party didnt let him down. "This way!" The Great Herb King led the way, and soon they arrived at a huge room. Books of all appearance filled the interior, and with a nce at the outermost row, they were verified to be indeed Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals. "Ill take a look, you can all leave first!" Aware that his reading method was beyond unorthodox, Zhang Xuan waved them away. "Yes!" The moment the Great Herb King and Butler Lu stepped out of the room, they heard hurried footsteps from within, and it seemed to them that someone was running in the room. Didnt he ask us to gather these books here so that he can browse through them? Running? The duo stared at one another in puzzlement. "Physician Bai is an extraordinary expert, so its not surprising for him to have extraordinary methods of doing things. It would be best for us... to leave him be!" Suppressing the urge to peek inside, the Great Herb King shook his head. Other physicians would observe and ask the patient numerous questions in order to confirm their diagnosis... Yet, this fellow does so by knocking the patient out! The other physicians usually demand medicinal herbs and gold coins in return for treating others, but this fellow requested cultivation techniques that were regardless of tier... Being gluttonous just results in indigestion, this was a principle that everyone knew. Furthermore, cultivators could only practice a single cultivation technique, so they couldnt understand why Zhang Xuan required so many books. For the past three days, this question had been guing their minds. They hade up with dozens of reasons, but none of them seemed viable. They thought that they would be able to guess the other partys intention by observing his actions, yet all they got was the sound of running... Since theyve brought the books here, the other party should at least browse through them and learn! Yet, he was running about in the room... They knew that experts usually do things peculiarly, but... this was way too peculiar! "Old master, what do we do now?" They stood outside the room for a long while, but other than the sound of hurried footsteps, their ears failed to catch anything else. Finally, Butler Lu couldnt stand it anymore and asked, "Should we... run with him as well?" "Theres no need, well just wait outside. He shoulde out once hes done!" Shaking his head, the Great Herb King was just about to continue speaking when, jiya!, doors opened and Physician Bai walked out. "That... Physician Bai, is something wrong with the manuals?" Seeing the other party walk out of the room, the Great Herb King was astonished. He was unable toprehend the situation at all. Zhang Xuan had specially demanded these cultivation technique manuals, so the Great Herb King thought that he would at least immerse himself in them for a day or two. Why would he be out... right after running for a while in the room?" He shouldnt be able to finish more than a handful of books in such a short period of time, right? "Im done looking through them!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "If theres anything wrong with the books, I can think of another way... Ah? What did you say? You fi-fi-finished reading all of them?" The bodies of the Great Herb King and Butler Lu staggered, and they nearly vomited blood. It took us so much effort to gather more than a thousand books. Youve barely entered for a few minutes... and you say that youre done reading through them? All weve heard was the sound of you running in the room, when did you read those books? "Un, those books were extremely helpful to me. Thank you!" Ignoring the shock on their faces, Zhang Xuan nodded. There were just a thousand plus books inside, and it only took a few moments for Zhang Xuan to finish touching all of them. In fact, the reason why he took a few minutes was that he was busy breaking through Half-Zongshi, which took up some time. Otherwise, he would have probably finished reading through them even before the other party walked out the door. Of the books which the Great Herb King gathered, there were more on Half-Zongshi, and Zhang Xuan was able to form aplete Heavens Path Divine Art, so he practiced his cultivation on the spot. Half-Zongshi was merely a transition phase to Zongshi realm. With the correct cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan was able to improve swiftly. In just a few minutes, he managed to reach Half-Zongshi and reinforced his cultivation. On the other hand, the Great Herb King had only gathered seven hundred to eight hundred of Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals, so Zhang Xuan was stillcking a little more to forming theplete cultivation technique. Thus, he stopped at Half-Zongshi. Upon reaching Half-Zongshi, Zhang Xuans strength increased immensely. He broke through the 1000 ding barrier and reached 1500 ding. At Zongshi realm, a cultivator usually possesses 1000 ding at primary stage, 2000 ding at intermediate stage, 3000 ding at advanced stage, and 4000 ding at pinnacle! Possessing 1500 ding, Zhang Xuans strength had already surpassed that of Zongshi realm primary stage cultivators despite being a Half-Zongshi. More importantly... Other people took several years, some even decades, to reach Half-Zongshi realm, yet he... only took a few minutes! It was fortunate that the Heavens Path zhenqi was pure, making it impossible for anyone to see through his cultivation. Otherwise, if the Great Herb King were to know that Zhang Xuans cultivation made a tremendous leap in the few minutes that he was inside the room, he would definitely cry on the spot. One has to know that he had eaten countless medicinal herbs back then to reach Half-Zongshi. If one were to equate it to money, it was already more than sufficient for one to buy an entire city. He had to spend so many resources in order to achieve a breakthrough, yet this Physician Bai seeded just by running around the room for a moment... Even the worlds greatest genius would blush furiously before Zhang Xuan. "Dont worry about it, this is something that I should do!" Suppressing the urge to tug out his hair, the Great Herb King asked, "Physician Bai, so... what do we do now? Are you still determined to head to the Poison Hall?" "Of course I am!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Not only so, well also walk through their doors proudly!" "Proudly?" "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Didnt you say that the headquarter has already been informed of the old Hall Masters death?" "Un! Just that, its hard to tell whether the headquarter would send an envoy. If they do send one, the chaos should be quenched swiftly, and that would spare us from danger!" The Great Herb King said. "Otherwise... It would be troublesome." "I have a n in mind! Rather than waiting here for an envoy who might not evene, why not we... make an envoy ourselves!" Zhang Xuan said. "Make an envoy?" The Great Herb King was confused. "Its simple. Youll bring me to the Poison Hall iming that Im the envoy! In any case, none of them has seen the envoy before, so I doubt that theyll be able to tell that Im a fake." In the past three days, Zhang Xuan gave this matter much thought. Rather than waiting here, he might as well take the initiative. Since an internal conflict had broken out in the Poison Hall and it was dangerous to enter, why not he make an envoy himself to quench the conflict... After all, no matter how much they want the seat of the Hall Master, they wouldnt dare toy their hands on an envoy of the headquarter. On top of that, they didnt know who the headquarter would send! Thus, why couldnt he pass off as the envoy? In any case, his main motive was to get his hands on the books. He could leave right after duplicating them in the library, and even if someone were to notice that he was a fake after that, he would have been long gone. He has already impersonated as a master teacher before, an envoy of the Poison Hall shouldnt be much of a problem. "You want to pass off... as the envoy?" The Great Herb Kings face paled, and his body trembled in fear. Brother, Im already old and my heart is weak... Are you sure you arent pulling my leg? Impersonating the envoy wasnt a joke. If someone were to notice a w in their disguise, they would be beaten to death on the spot! "Un! Make some preparations, well set out now. Youve already promised me that youll bring me to the Poison Hall. Surely you arent thinking of going back on your words, are you?" Zhang Xuan nced at the Great Herb King with a frown. "If youre afraid, you only have to bring me to the Poison Hall. You dont have to follow me in!" "I..." This isnt a problem of being afraid or going to the Poison Hall... If your impersonation of the envoy were to be exposed, even dying a thousand times wouldnt be sufficient to make up for our sins! I was just pulled back from the hands of the grim reaper, and now, you are expecting me to leap into a valley of mes... If I knew that this was the intention you have in mind, I would never have agreed to your condition! Is it toote... to take back my words? The face of the Great Herb King twitched. This time, he really burst into tears. Chapter 275: Entering the Poison Hall Chapter 275: Entering the Poison Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Wuuwuuu wuuuwuuu! The gale in the Red Lotus Range felt like knives stabbing into ones skin. The monotonous light red scenery made ones eyes hurt, and one couldnt help but feel fatigued. From time to time, a worm around the size of a fingernail would appear in the path ahead. Wet and fetid, the sight of it left one nauseated. "This is the Humid Worm, an animal unique to the habitat of the Red Lotus Range. It feeds on medicinal herbs, and it is the greatest nemesis of medicinal herb ntations. However, the bizarre thing is that its corpse is a great nutrient for medicinal herbs. Medicinal herbs grown using the corpse of the Humid Worm as fertilizer possess incredible spiritual energy and a lustrous appearance. Many nts that cant be cultivated here grow easily to great heights with Humid Worm fertilizer. It is the main reason why the Red Lotus City is able to be the greatest medicinal herbs trading hub in the thirteen surrounding kingdoms!" In the depths of the lotus-shaped mountain range, two figures could be seen treading forward. Noticing the worms crawling about the surface, one of them exined. "No wonder. Ive been thinking why the Red Lotus City, despite being in such a remote location with an environment unsuitable for the growth of herbs, would be the trading hub of medicinal herbs." The second person nodded in agreement. Proceeding forward, he nced upward and saw ayer of mist shielding the rays of the sun, then asked, "Is this the poison mist you spoke of?" The duo was Zhang Xuan and Great Herb King, who had left the Red Lotus City for the Poison Hall. As the Poison Hall was in a state of chaos and filled with dangers, Zhang Xuan didnt bring Mo Yu along. Instead, he had her return to the Tianwu Royal City. The Great Herb King was also conflicted for a period of time before deciding to bring Zhang Xuan to the Poison Hall. The other party was his benefactor, and since he had agreed to his request, it wasnt appropriate for him to go back on his words. It had been five days since the start of their journey. "Thats right! A huge volcano lies under the Red Lotus Range, causing the surface to be torrid. Thats the reason why there is no greenery in the region, and all of the rocks are red in color. Within the hot gas, a several hundred meters thick poison mist lingers around the area dozens of meter above the surface. While it is possible for one to fly over the region on an aerial savage beast, it would be impossible for them tond in the Red Lotus Range. Even for a Zongshi realm savage beast, if it were toe into contact with the poison mist, it wouldnt be able tost for a moment before it dies from excessive bleeding from its seven apertures!" The Great Herb King exined. "Thus, one can only enter the area via walking! This is also the reason why the Poison Hall is able to remain unscathed in the Red Lotus Range, safe from extermination by those supposed warriors of justice." The Poison Hall crafted poison for sale, and given the sinister nature of its business, it was unavoidable that it would offend many different people. While it was partly due to the support of the powerful headquarter that it was able to remain standing after several millenniums, the main factors were its secretive location and the veil of the poison mist. In the first ce, it was almost impossible for anyone to find the Poison Hall amidst the vast mountain range. Besides, even if one were to find it, it was inessible via aerial savage beasts and no one could pose a threat. "Impressive." Zhang Xuan nodded. It was no wonder why no one was able to find the Poison Hall, and many even doubted its existence. With the cloak of the poison mist, even if one knew of its existence, no more than a handful would be able to find it. On top of that, the poison mist stuck close to the earth at certain spots. If not for the Great Herb King knowing the way, the duo would have long walked into them and be lethally poisoned. It could even be said that it is impossible to find the Poison Hall without someones lead. Zhang Xuan had heard that most of those who tried to look for the Poison Hall by themselves end up dead, and from the looks of it, it seemed that it wasnt just a rumor. It was fortunate that Mo Yu had brought him to the Great Herb King and that he didnte running over here all by himself. Otherwise, even though his Heavens Path zhenqi allowed him to expel some of the poisonous air which he inhaled, too much of it would pose a huge problem. "How far are we from the Poison Hall?" Looking into the distance, the mountain range extended toward the horizon, and not a single infrastructure or silhouette could be seen. Unable to hold himself back, Zhang Xuan asked. We have traveled for five days but have yet to arrive at our destination. Isnt the Poison Hall way too far? "Were reaching soon, its right in front!" The Great Herb King pointed forward. "In front?" Zhang Xuan felt perplexed. Other than a few stones here and there, there was nothing in sight. How could the Poison Hall be hiding here? "Follow me!" Chuckling, the Great Herb King led the way. After circling around a gigantic boulder and a slope, a valley appeared before their eyes. Lowering his head to ncing at the bottom of the valley, a look of astonishment appeared on Zhang Xuans face. A huge city sat within the valley. The infrastructure was built ording to the gradient of the ground, and most of them had ancient designs, simr to those found in Red Lotus City. With a single nce, one could tell that the building had been standing for countless years. "Is this the Poison Hall?" The city of the Poison Hall was in no way inferior to that of the Beast Hall. The sight of the bright green buildings in the crimson valley looked like a scene right out of a beautiful painting. "Its said that when the Poison Hall was built, the founder specially invited a formation master to set up a concealing formation with the mountain range as its core. If one doesnt follow the specific path in, he wont be able to see the city even if he is standing right before it." The Great Herb King exined. Zhang Xuan nodded. That was indeed the case. All he could see before was merely the endless towering mountains, but after circling around a few boulders and a slope, this gigantic city appeared before him immediately. With such a majestic city hidden in in view, even if someone told him that there wasnt a concealing formation present, he would never believe it. "Physician Bai, the Poison Hall is right before us, but do you intend to go in just like that?" The Great Herb King inquired once again. Recalling the other partys intentions, he felt nervous. Honestly speaking, it was true that no one had met the envoy from the Poison Hall headquarter, but... certain doom would await them if they were exposed. "Un, my current identity is a physician, so it is possible that someone might recognize me... I have to make some changes!" Zhang Xuan was still in Bai Chans guise at the moment. There were several poison masters in the Poison Hall who often traveled out of the mountain range, so it was possible that someone might recognize him. Thus, he decided that it was better to y safe. Gege! Utilizing his disguise art, the muscles and bones in his entire body creaked. In a few short moments, his looks and height had changedpletely. Looking at him once more, he had already be a middle-aged man in his forties. After which, he changed into a set of grayish-green clothes which he had prepared beforehand. At this moment, Zhang Xuan had morphed into an entirely different person, and there was not a single simrity between him and the previous Bai Chan or his original appearance. Putting aside the Great Herb King, even if Zhao Ya and the others were here, it would be impossible for them to guess that the person standing before them was their teacher. Assuming an identity someone knew was difficult, but impersonating a person who has never appeared was simple. "Is this... the art of disguise?" The Great Herb King trembled. He didnt expect Zhang Xuan to possess such an ability. At this moment, he finally understood why Physician Bai dared to impersonate the envoy. It was because he had the skills to carry it out. Just that... Others may not be able to recognize you once you take off your disguise, but what about me? I am the Great Herb King of the Red Lotus City! I might be able to run, but Ill have to abandon the empire that I have built up. Once they realize that I brought a fake envoy here, even if I were able to escape now, I will definitely be captured again. I will then be chopped into countless pieces and made into meat sauce. Initially, he thought that the both of them would be sharing the danger, but it turned out that his partner-in-crime didnt even intend to reveal his true appearance. Even if the Poison Hall tried to pursue the matter, it would be impossible for them to find Physician Bai... This meant that he would have to bear the brunt of Physician Bais actions. Upon understanding this, the face of the Great Herb King twisted in agony. "Dont worry, when we enter the Poison Hallter, you can mention that I am the one who looked for you, iming that Im the envoy from the headquarter, and unable to ascertain the fact, you decided to bring me over. This way, you will be able to steer clear of any me. As for the Contract Gu nted in you, you can say that Im the one who treated you inpensation for you to bring me here." Seeing through the other partys thoughts, Zhang Xuan said. "This..." The face of the Great Herb King reddened. He didnt expect for the other party to have already thought of an excuse for him. He has truly misjudged the other party! The excuse that the other party gave him was indeed wless. He wasnt someone from the Poison Hall, so it was natural that he wouldnt be able to identify the envoy. In fact, if the personnel in the Poison Hall were blind enough so as to not notice the fake envoy as well, it would be difficult for them to fault him. Besides, even though the Contract Gu between the Great Herb King and the Hall Master was a confidential matter, the top echelon of the Poison Hall was aware of this matter. Now that the Hall Master was dead, being alive and kicking, he would incur their suspicions if he did not give a convincing reason. These few words easily solved the impending problem that he would face, avoiding anyones doubts and, thus, any harm. It was truly a perfect excuse. Just that... "If I were to do that, they will definitely direct their doubts to you..." The Great Herb King hesitated for a moment before asking, "How much does Physician Bai know about poison masters?" If the Great Herb King were to speak ording to Physician Bais rmendation, he would be free from trouble. However, this would plunge the other party into greater danger. The personnel of the Poison Hall would definitely try all means to ascertain his identity. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan had an in-depth understanding of poison masters, but if there were anypse in his disguise, it would be extremely easy to give himself away. "Ive only heard of this upation half a month ago!" Zhang Xuan said. "Youve only heard of it... half a month ago?" The Great Herb Kings eyes rolled to the back, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Brother, are you ying with me? You dont even know what a poison master is half a month ago, yet you dare to pass off as an envoy of the Poison Hall headquarter... "Indeed!" "You dont have the poison master emblem or token of identification from the headquarter since youre passing off as the envoy. To win the other partys trust, you will have to disy your poison techniques. But if you know nothing at all..." Seeing the other party nod his head so casually, the Great Herb King felt a stifling sensation in his chest. If you have an identification token or a high-tier poison master emblem, other people might buy your story. And without these, if you were to disy extraordinary skills, you might be able to convince them as well... But youve only heard of poison masters half a month ago. Despite knowing nothing at all, you dare to pass off as an envoy. Are you really that courageous, or do you not understand the risks involved? This isnt ying house. If the other party were to see through your disguise, youll really get killed! "Its not a problem, Ill just adapt to the situation then!" Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan waved casually. "Alright, since were already here, theres no point thinking too much. Lets go!" Even though Zhang Xuan didnt know much about poison masters, he possessed the Library of Heavens Path. Since he was even able to pass off as a master teacher, it shouldnt be a challenge for him to impersonate a formidable poison master. "..." Seeing the unconcerned look on the other partys face, the Great Herb King felt something within him crumble. The confidence, which had just sprouted within him, vanished without a trace. He truly had no idea how this fellow could remain so confident. Even so, they were already here and did not have any other options. All they could do now was to take one step at a time. Walking down the passageway toward the valley, they soon arrived at the city. "Who dares to intrude the Poison Hall?" Before walking through the gates into the city, a bellow roared. A few ck-robed middle-aged men rushed out, and every single one of them stared at Zhang Xuan and the Great Herb King with cold eyes, as though eagles staring down their preys. "Poison Master Zhou, Poison Master Liu, and the others, its me!" Taking a step forward, the Great Herb King said hastily. "Oh? The Great Herb King? What are you doing here instead of staying in the Red Lotus City?" The middle-aged man known as Poison Master Zhou narrowed his eyes. "In this situation right now, others would be trying their best to stay away, yet you came here on your own ord. Are you tired of living?" Poison Master Liu harrumphed. With the Poison Hall in chaos and every man for himself, toe here was no different from courting death. The two men who spoke were acquainted with the Great Herb King. They had epted quite some precious treasures from him, so naturally, they spoke with his welfare at heart. "I am here to look for the three Vice Hall Masters..." Knowing that the other party bore goodwill, the Great Herb King was just about to exin the situation to them when a poison master walked up to Zhang Xuan. "Whos this? Dont you know that it is capital punishment for one to casually bring anyone in without permission?" Killing intent shed in the poison masters eyes as he gazed at Zhang Xuan. "Outsider, its your honor to die under the poison that Ive just created! me it on your own misfortune if you must." "Wait, he is..." Seeing that the other party was about to make a move, the Great Herb King immediately panicked. He was about to say that he was the envoy from the headquarter when the Physician Bai before him raised his leg and sent a kick at the poison master. Peng! Before the poison master, who was going to kill Zhang Xuan, could react, he was already sent flying, and he crashed heavily into the city wall. His neck bent at an unnatural angle from the impact, and he breathed hisst. "What?" "Atrocious!" Not expecting this trespasser to make a move on them, Poison Master Zhou, Poison Master Liu, and the others burst into anger immediately. Their killing intent flurried as they surrounded the duo. "Were doomed..." Without an emblem or knowledge to prove that he was a poison master, the Great Herb King was thinking that it would be best for Physician Bai to keep a low profile and slowly earn their trust. Yet, he killed a poison master the moment he arrived... Brother, are you in such a rush to head to the underworld? Taking in the situation, the Great Herb Kings body trembled in agitation. He could no longer hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. The heck, why do others have god-like teammates... While all I have is this... suicide bomber! --- Seven apertures: Refers to the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and mouth. Chapter 276: Golden Poison Heart Token Chapter 276: Golden Poison Heart Token Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Have your Vice Hall Masters and eldere out to meet me!" Despite being surrounded by arge group of poison masters, Zhang Xuan wasnt flustered at all. Rather, as if he didnt notice the situation, he raised his chin, ced his hands behind his back, and stared at the group with frosty eyes. "You wish to meet our Vice Hall Masters and elders? Who do you think you are!" To think that the fellow would fearlessly demand to meet their Vice Hall Master and elders after having attacked their colleague! Infuriated, Poison Master Zhou roared savagely, "To dare to kill in the Poison Hall, you shall be dead meat..." Harrumphing coldly, he had decided to make his move in order to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson. But at the next moment, the vision before him blurred. Hu! In the sh of a shadow, a hand was already grabbing at Poison Master Zhous neck and he was held dangling in midair. "Yo-you..." Poison Master Zhou trembled in fear. The middle-aged man who was ten meters away from him had appeared right before him all of a sudden. His face paled with every passing second, and through gritted teeth, he spat, "Let go of me! Otherwise, you dont have to dream of leaving here alive..." "This is the Poison Hall, not a ce for you to behave atrociously!" Poison Liu and the others didnt expect the fellow who came with the Great Herb King to be so arrogant, attacking them the moment there was a verbal conflict. Feeling incensed, they roared angrily. Even though the Poison Hall was located in such a remote region, it was an entity which struck fear into the hearts of countless powers. Yet, for an outsider to rush in and kill their men... Who gave him the guts to do so? Disregarding their furious roars, Zhang Xuan remained grabbing Poison Master Zhous neck with an indifferent expression. At the same time, he whipped him with his other hand. Pah pah pah pah! Four consecutive sounds echoed crisply in the air. Poison Master Zhous face swelled up immediately, and fresh blood spilled from the corners of his lips. Several of his teeth also fell to the floor. "This is your punishment for being disrespectful toward me!" After smacking him, Zhang Xuan casually threw the other party onto the floor. Then, cing his hands behind his back once more, he stood proudly with the aura of a conqueror. "Theres a limit to my patience. Dont make me angry, I dont mind wasting a bit of my time to destroy this useless branch of yours!" "Destroy this useless branch..." The Great Herb King felt his vision turn dark. Destroying this branch... Physician Bai, do you know how many Zongshi realm experts there are in the Poison Hall? With just the strength of us both... We probably wont even reach the elders before we are beaten to death. Furthermore, this is assuming if the other party didnt use their poison on us... Even though the Great Herb King felt stifled, he understood Physician Bais intentions. Since the other party is ying as the envoy of the headquarter, he has to have the disposition of one as well. How can an expert from the headquarter allow himself to be bullied by the poison masters from a branch? If he didnt dare to retaliate, no matter what he sayster, no one would believe his words. Thus... It is vital for him to instill fear among them! He has to make everyone in the Poison Hall know that... the envoy is here! This way, he can establish his standing rapidly. However... if he shows an opening and gives himself in, he will die tragically. The Great Herb King felt his legs tremble with fear. As the dominant power in Red Lotus City, he wasnt an amateur in such matters. Even so, when he recalled how the Poison Hall dealt with their enemies, a cold chill went down his spine immediately, and he found himself unable to remain calm. "You..." Upon hearing those words, no matter how foolish Poison Master Liu and the others could be, it was clear that the person before them wasnt a simple figure. Otherwise, he wouldnt dare to act so arrogantly in the Poison Hall. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "May I ask... how I should address you?" Zhang Xuan stood quietly on the spot, as though he were saying that these small fries werent worthy of his words. Seeing Physician Bai act in such a manner, the Great Herb King could only muster his courage, step forward, stabilize his breathing as far as he can, and say, "This... This is... the envoy sent by the headquarter!" "Envoy?" The expressions on Poison Master Liu and the others faces darkened immediately. They knew that the elders had requested for an envoy from the headquarter to quench the inner conflict, but they didnt think that the headquarter would really send a person over! It was no wonder why the other party acted so arrogantly, attacking them the moment there was a conflict without any regards to the possible consequences. If the other party was really an envoy from the headquarter, he did have the qualifications to do so. "Since youre the envoy... do you have the Golden Poison Heart Token from the headquarter?" Steadying his breathing, Poison Master Liu stepped forward. The Golden Poison Heart Token was the identity token the headquarter issued to their envoys, and only with this would the envoys be recognized. In a sense, it was simr to a Sword of state, and it represented the headquarter, as well as its full authority. Upon hearing the question, the Great Herb King clenched his fists. This Physician Bai is a fake, how can he possibly have the Golden Poison Heart Token! However, if he doesnt produce it, the other party will definitely not believe him... The Great Herb King tried to think of several excuses, such as having lost it along the way or having forgotten to bring it along... However, all of them didnt seem feasible. How can an envoy of the Poison Hall lose his Golden Poison Heart Token? It is equivalent to an ambassador losing the Sword of state, and this is equivalent to courting death! No matter how foolish one is, such a thing would appear imusible! Worried, he turned to Physician Bai to see how he would resolve the issue. However, what he saw was Physician Bai ring at the crowd through narrowed eyes, and exuding an intimidating aura which left all of them breathless. "Who do you think you are?" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuanmanded authoritatively, "Have your Vice Hall Masters and elders meet me!" "I..." Poison Master Lius face flushed in anger. He was a respected and feared figure no matter where he went ever since he became a poison master. This was the first time someone was criticizing him right in his face! However, he also knew that if the other party was truly an envoy, he was likely to be at least a 4-star poison master. Before such a figure, he was no different from a nobody. "Whats wrong?" Just as Poison Master Liu was conflicted over whether he should report this matter to the Vice Hall Masters and the others, a cold voice sounded. Then, an elder walked over with widened strides. "Elder ckeye..." Upon seeing the elder, Poison Master Liu sped his fist immediately. The person who came was the Fourth Elder of the Poison Hall, ckeye. The eyes of this Fourth Elder werepletely ck, devoid of the white pupils ordinary humans possessed. From afar, he looked like a horrifying demon. Rumors have it that he identally poisoned his eyes in the midst of concocting poison, resulting in his current state. Since then, he had been reputed after his ck eyes, and his original name was gradually forgotten. It was a known fact in the Poison Hall that this Elder ckeye was in charge of executing punishments, and he was the most ruthless and merciless poison master here. Usually, when they see this elder, they would experience fear and run away as far as they could out of instinct. But at this moment, they felt as though they had found their backing, and they heaved a sigh of relief. "Reporting to Elder ckeye, this... elder was brought here by the Great Herb King, and he says that he is the envoy sent by the headquarter..." Stepping forward, Poison Master Liu exined. "Envoy?" Frowning, Elder ckeye stared at the middle-aged man before him. Despite knowing that the other party was looking at him, Zhang Xuan ignored him and continued to gaze forward with indifferent eyes. "The envoys sent by the headquarter can be ssified as red, white, gold, and green... May I ask which of the four you are?" After hesitating for a moment, ckeye sped his fist. As an elder, he knew about the authority an envoy wielded. Thus, he didnt act as rashly as Poison Master Zhou and the others did. Thus, he adjusted his initial attitude. "Red, white, gold, and green? Are there different types of envoys?" Gedeng! The heart of the Great Herb King leaped. He knew that the Poison Hall headquarters could send an envoy to the branch, but he didnt know that there were different tiers to the envoys. Naturally, Physician Bai was ignorant of the matter as well. At the same time, it was possible to be a trap prepared by the six elders. If Physician Bai were to answer with any of the four options, the other party would be able to ascertain that he was a fake, and he would be killed in an instant. Nervous, the Great Herb King turned his eyes toward Physician Bai once more. He knew that passing off as a special envoy would be difficult, but he didnt think that it would be so nerve-wracking! If his heart were slightly weaker, he might really be scared to death. "Are you a Vice Hall Master of this branch?" Disregarding the anxious Great Herb King and the other partys question, Zhang Xuan asked. "I... am not!" Elder ckeye was stunned. "I am just the Fourth Elder..." "If you arent, who gave you the right to be spouting nonsense here?" Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. "I..." Elder ckeye was at a loss for words. "Is it because the previous envoys were too kind that you have all grown spoilt? Do you think that youre qualified to ask about the matters of the headquarter?" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuans expression was frosty, "How dare a poison master of an insignificant branch question me! Who gave you the guts to do so!" "I..." Elder ckeyes breathing hastened. It seemed as if a storm was brewing within his pitch-ck eyes. After a moment, he held himself back and replied, "I dare not. I will call the Vice Hall Masters and the Grand Elder over now to wee the envoy!" After which, he walked back into the city. "Elder ckeye..." Seeing the cold and unfeeling Fourth Elder being yelled at in public and leaving without daring to refute at all, Poison Master Zhou, Poison Master Liu, and the others shuddered. They turned to look at Zhang Xuan again, and awe reflected in their eyes. "Un!" Sensing the change in their attitudes, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. From his experience of passing off as a master teacher, he knew that the key to convincing others was to maintain a powerful front! A momentter, just as Poison Master Liu and the others were about to crumble from the pressure, a few figures walked over. They were the three Vice Hall Masters, the Grand Elder, and a few other top personnel of the Poison Hall. The old Hall Master had epted a total of three disciples, and they were these three Vice Hall Masters. They were all 2-star poison masters and Zongshi realm pinnacle experts. Each of the three had been managing a portion of the Poison Hall for many years now, and they had already built a following for themselves. At present, they were on equal footing. This was also the reason why the fight for the seat of the Hall Master was likely to drag on for a long time. "I apologize for failing to wee the envoy upon arrival!" A green-robed middle-aged man stepped forward. With a single nce, Zhang Xuan immediately knew that he was the first Vice Hall Master, Liao Xun! While the Great Herb King didnt know much about envoys from the headquarter, he was well aware of the three Vice Hall Masters of the Poison Hall. On the road here, he had already described the unique characteristics of each of the three to Zhang Xuan in detail. Liao Xun was a 2-star pinnacle poison master, and it was probable that he would be a 3-star poison master in the near future. Even though he put on a gentle front, he was the kind to have a de hidden beneath his smile. It waspletely possible for him to be smiling at you at one moment, only to stab you in the back once you turn around. The typical wolf cloaked in a sheeps skin. The other two middle-aged men beside Liao Xun also stepped forward and bowed, "Red Lotus Range Poison Hall branch Vice Hall Master Yao Qing (Ge Xiao) pays respect to the envoy!" Zhang Xuan lightly nodded in response to their greetings. "How should I address you? If its convenient, can you show me your [Golden Poison Heart Token]? Its not that I am doubting your identity, but its a rule from the headquarter. The envoy has to sh the token representing his identity before we can wee you in!" The three Vice Hall Masters and the several elders walked toward Zhang Xuan. The first Vice Hall Master Liao Xun smiled politely as he asked. "You wish to see my Golden Poison Heart Token? I dont mind showing you!" Zhang Xuan looked at him impassively. With a perfectly calm and cold voice, he uttered, "But..." "Are you qualified?" --- Sword of state: In China, it is known as Shangfang Baojian. In ancient times, the bearer of the sword was able to represent the emperor himself. Chapter 277: Another One Appears Chapter 277: Another One Appears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Just as the Great Herb King was wondering how Physician Bai would deal with the three Vice Hall Masters and the numerous elders, he heard the other partys reply. At this moment, he could almost see the grim future which awaited him. The Golden Poison Heart Token bore testimony to the identity of the envoy, and it was natural that the other party would request to see it. There was no problem with their words at all. Yet, to ask if they were qualified... The old Hall Master had died, and the three Vice Hall Masters and the numerous elders were already the top leaders of the Poison Hall. If even they werent qualified, who could be? No matter how noble the position of an envoy is, there should be a limit to your arrogance. To act so haughtily... You will surely be beaten be death! "Envoy must be pulling our legs!" As the Great Herb King expected, Vice Hall Masters smiling face crumbled upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. "I am the first Vice Hall Master of the Red Lotus Branch. Now that the Hall Master isnt around anymore, I have be the highest ranking person here, so naturally, I am qualified!" "I already know that your Hall Master is dead, and the reason why I am here is to decide on the next Hall Master. Otherwise, why would Ie to such a rundown ce?" "Before deciding on a new Hall Master, all of you have the same standing. If you think that youre qualified, dont tell just tell me with your mouths... prove it to me through your mastery and understanding of poison." Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves, and he stared at the group authoritatively. "What our Poison Hall needs are capable poison masters, not a bunch of useless fools!" "Mastery of poison?" Liao Xun was taken aback. "Envoy wishes to test us?" "Thats right. I have no time to squander on you, and I dont want to waste my breath. The value of a poison master should be determined by the poison they can create. You will all concoct a poison while I observe by the side, and whoever is able to concoct a poison that Ive never seen before or speak of a theory Ive never heard before, will be qualified to see the Golden Poison Heart Token and be the next Hall Master!" Zhang Xuan nced at the crowd with an indifferent gaze. "Otherwise, rather than handing over this branch to any useless fool, I might as well destroy it myself!" "Yes..." Upon hearing the straightforward words of the envoy, the group looked at each other with grim expressions. In the past, as long as they served the envoys well, the envoys would satisfy their demands. But from the looks of it, this method would not work on this envoy. As soon as he reached, this envoy established his dominance, and dered that the top seat would be granted based on nothing else but capability! And those who didnt possess the capability should stop spouting nonsense. ... "As expected of the man who managed to remove the Poison Gu from me, incredible!" Seeing how Physician Bai resolved the crisis with a few words, the Great Herb King heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he feltpletely impressed with the other partys ability. This Physician Bai wasnt just capable in the Way of Medicine, he also possessed a precise understanding of the human heart. Aware that the three Vice Hall Masters were vying for the seat of the Hall Master, he used it as a bait very conveniently. They had already been fighting for the seat for a long time now, and none of them was willing to submit to anyone else. Now that there was a charter to resolve the conflict, they were determined to make use of this opportunity to surpass the other candidates. Even if they doubted his identity, they werent in any position to make the verification. If any of them insisted, it would mean that... he was incapable, and wasnt able to establish dominance! With a single word, he turned the arrows back at the three Vice Hall Masters and forced them to fight it out. He is indeed incredible! However... In order to test the three of them, you yourself must be adept in poison as well. Given how you dont even know what a poison master is just half a month ago, how do you intend to test them? If you arent able to recognize any of the poison the three Vice Hall Masters concoct, it would be clear that you are a fake without even having to check on your Golden Poison Heart Token! Upon thinking of this, the Great Herb Kings face turned bitter. He felt that his life was truly hanging by a thread, and a single mistake would send him crashing straight down. ... After settling this matter, the three Vice Hall Masters led the duo to the grandest building in the city. "Envoy, please enlighten us on how you intend to conduct the examination!" As soon as everybody was seated, Vice Hall Master Liao asked. "Simple, my test will consist of two stage. In the first test, each of you will disy your capability and concoct a poison you are adept at. In this stage, whoever who concocts the highest grade poison wins! As for the second stage, each of you will concoct a poison that you have created through your own research. Whoever can create a poison that is the most lethal andplex, such that even I am unable to discern it, will be dered the winner!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. Hearing the contents, the three Vice Hall Masters nodded their heads simultaneously. Just like the apothecaries, the grade of the poison a poison master could concoct was directly proportionate to his tier. At the same time, the more incredible the poison one could create, the more likely one could reach greater heights as a poison master. Thus, the first test assessed their abilities while the second one assessed their talents. If any one of them could stand out in both tests, no one would be able to object to him bing the new Hall Master. "Alright, Ill give you four hours to prepare!" Casually waving them away, Zhang Xuan stood up. "Right, wheres your book collection vault? Ive received orders from the headquarter to look for a certain book." "Look for a certain book?" Everyone was perplexed, but upon hearing that it was an order from the headquarter, they hesitated for a moment and decided against asking. "Envoy, the book collection vault is over there. Ill send my man to lead you there right now!" Liao Xun hurriedly said. "Theres no need, I can walk over myself. You all should start preparing for the examination. The position of the Hall Master is at stake, and I hope that you can give me a satisfactory performance so that I can ount to the headquarter!" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Liao Xun and the others nodded. Ignoring the others, Zhang Xuan started walking toward the book collection vault. The Red Lotus Range Poison Hall had been established for several millenniums, and they had a vast collection of books. The number of books here was nowhere inferior to that of the Beast Hall. Upon entering the vault, a huge array of books ced neatly on bookshelves appeared before Zhang Xuan. The other end of the room could not be seen with just a single nce. There were bamboo scrolls, papers tied together with strings, and even engravings on porcin and animal bones. Due to the secure location of the Poison Hall, it had not been through any war and the books were able to be maintained in good condition. "To think that I would be able to enter so easily..." After checking that there was no one behind him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. His purpose at the Poison Hall was to browse through these books, and he thought that he would encounter a lot of trouble along the way. He didnt expect to seed so easily. But thinking about the matter, it wasnt that surprising either. While the others doubted his identity as the envoy, they didnt dare to challenge him openly. After all, if Zhang Xuan turned out to be the real envoy, it meant that he represented the headquarter himself. It waspletely possible for the entire branch to be destroyed if they were to get on his bad side. On the other hand, if he were a fake, giving himself away was a matter of time and they would be able to get even with him then. "I shouldnt care that much for now, reading the books and resolving the poison aura in my body is the priority at the moment!" Even though the poison aura in his body had been suppressed by Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan knew that it was a matter of time before it rebounded. Once that happens, his life would be in grave danger. If not for this tangible threat he felt, he wouldnt have risked his life to barge into the Poison Hall. Since he has managed to enter the Poison Halls book collection vault, it was imperative that he made good of his time. The few Vice Hall Masters might have been daunted by him at the moment, but nobody could ensure that they wouldnt notice his disguise and turn on him at the next moment. There was a huge collection of books here, but with Zhang Xuans new Sprinting Book Browsing Technique, he should be able to finish duplicating them in the Library of Heavens Path within two hours. "Time to start working!" Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan focused his attention. cing his hands on the first row of the first bookshelf, he started to run. ... "Vice Hall Master, do you think that the envoy... is authentic?" At the back of the room, Liao Xun was seated on an extravagant throne, and standing before him was the worried Elder ckeye. Everyone knew that Elder ckeye was an impartial person, but they werent aware that he was actually a subordinate of Vice Hall Master Liao Xun. "Without seeing the Golden Poison Heart Token, even I am unable to confirm it!" Liao Xun hesitated for a moment before speaking. "However, even though the Poison Hall has kept a low profile for innumerable years, its name still strikes fear in hearts. I doubt that theres anyone who would be so daring as toe and court death!" "Thats true..." Elder ckeye nodded. While the Poison Hall had been living in seclusion, it didnt mean that anyone could climb over their heads. Impersonating an envoy... is no different from courting death! "Besides, there should be a motive behind for every action anyone does. If he is a fake, there has to be something here that is worth him risking his life for..." Liao Xun continued. "Other than poisons, our Poison Hall does not have anything valuable. I doubt that therell be anyone who would risk his life to sneak in here!" No matter what one does, there has to be a purpose behind it. All the Poison Hall had was poison, and the most valuablemodity they possessed was medicinal herbs. Once the other party was exposed as a fake, he would definitely be killed within the blink of an eye. It was unthinkable for the other party to take such a huge risk for just that! He didnt think that anyone would do this for any medicinal herb, which could be bought using money. Of course, if he were to know that the other party was here for merely the books... He would probably puke blood and go insane. At least their poisons had a market value... Whats the use reading those books? More importantly, he was running about instead of flipping through them... "Vice Hall Master, have you forgotten... about that?" Elder ckeye hesitated for a moment before speaking. "You mean that object below the volcano?" Liao Xunsplexion turned grim. "Indeed!" Elder ckeye nodded. "The main reason why our Red Lotus branch is located in this remote and barren area is that objects existence. Could it be that news of that objects maturity had leaked and that the old Hall Master died because of this?" "Its not impossible!" Upon hearing those words, Liao Xun could no longer remain calm. "Call the Great Herb King in, I want to interrogate him!" "Yes!" Elder ckeye stood out, and in a moment, the Great Herb King was brought into the hall. "The Great Herb King pays respect to Vice Hall Master Liao Xun and Elder ckeye!" The Great Herb King sped his fist. "Speak, how did you meet the envoy? Also, if Im not wrong, you should be dead by now. Why are you still alive and kicking?" Liao Xuns eyes narrowed. "Under the effects of the Poison Gu, I was indeed on the verge of death. It was the envoy who saved me, and after which, he told me to bring him to the Poison Hall. Other than that... I dont know anything else!" The Great Herb King poured out the words, which had he agreed on with Physician Bai previously, hastily. "Do you really not know anything else?" Vice Hall Master Liao Xun harrumphed. "You do know the consequences of lying to me, right?" "I know!" Fearful, the Great Herb King knelt to the floor. "Theres no a single falsehood in my words. Vice Hall Master is also aware that I am only a puppet and spokesperson of the Poison Hall. Because the elder said that he is the envoy, I didnt dare to stop him. Thus, I could only bring him here. I am truly unsure about anything else!" "Un, you can leave now!" After asking a few more questions, Liao Xun realized that he couldnt get any more information out of the Great Herb Kings mouth. "Yes!" As if he were pardoned by the emperor, the Great Herb King rushed out of the hall without a second thought. "Even my teacher is unable to remove the Contract Gu once it has melded into ones bloodstream. To be able to cure him without leaving any traumas, that person must be at least a 4-star poison master!" After the Great Herb King left the room, Liao Xun tapped a finger on the table as he analyzed the matter. "Only the headquarter has 4-star poison masters!" Even the greatest poison master in Red Lotus Range Poison Hall was only a 3-star. Only the headquarter was capable of dispatching 4-star poison masters. With that being established, the envoy was likely to be authentic. "However, its best to be careful. Elder ckeye, Ill have to trouble you to head to the book collection vault to see what kind of book the envoy is looking for and see what hes up to!" After hesitating for a moment, Liao Xun instructed. "Yes!" Elder ckeye replied and stepped out of the room. About two hourster, he returned back to the same room. He had an expression on his face that spoke of puzzlement and bewilderment. "Whats wrong? Is there anything amiss? Did he find the book he was looking for?" Seeing his expression, Liao Xun couldnt suppress his curiosity and asked. "Theres nothing wrong... and he didnt seem to be looking for a specific book either!" Recalling the sight back then, ckeye shook his head fervently. He saw the incredibly callous envoy run around the book collection vault as though a lunatic. Even though the other party imed that he was looking for a book, he didnt pull out a single book at all. He had experienced and witnessed many different things in his life, but even so, he was unable toprehend what he just saw. If he wasnt certain that the other party was the envoy, he would have thought that the other party was a lunatic. "Its good that theres nothing wrong!" Liao Xun heaved a sigh of relief. "Seems like the envoy should be authentic, theres no need to doubt his identity anymore! We should spend more effort thinking of what poison to concoctter to win his admiration!" Elder ckeye nodded. Just as he was about to speak, the flustered Poison Master Liu from before barged into the room all of a sudden. "Vice Hall Master..." "Whats wrong?" Liao Xun frowned. "Theres someone outside. He demands you and the other two Vice Hall Masters meet him... he imed that he is the... envoy!" Anxious, Poison Master Liu stuttered. "Envoy?" Liao Xun and Elder ckeye nced at each other and their eyes widened in doubt. Isnt the envoy already here? Why would... another one appear? Chapter 278: This Time, Were Really Doomed Chapter 278: This Time, Were Really Doomed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Seated on a stool in the hall, the Great Herb King wiped the cold sweat off his face. Liao Xun wasnt the only one who had questioned him. The second and third Vice Hall Masters had sent men to interrogate him as well. If not for the words he had prepared beforehand, he would probably have been overwhelmed by the situation. The pressure was just too great! He was just a spokesperson. It was one thing for him to put on a mighty act outside, but to lie to the poison masters here... It was something which he had never dared to think of. If not for the other party having saved his life and the Poison Hall being so ungrateful, he would have refused to get involved... But now, there is no path of retreat. The moment Physician Bai is exposed, it is highly likely that he would die along with him. The three Vice Hall Masters would poison to death everyone who knew that they were duped by a physician and failed to recognize the real envoy. If such a humiliating matter were to spread out, they would find themselves too ashamed tomand their subordinates and vie for the Hall Master position. They would definitely ughter a few people here and there to quell their anger. Thus, if the Great Herb King wanted to live, he had to convince everyone that Physician Bai was the true envoy. This way, they wouldnt dare toy their hands on him. And from the looks of it, it seemed to be quite effective. At the very least, even though the three Vice Hall Masters had their own doubts, they didnt dare to act recklessly. "I wonder what Physician Bai wants from the Poison Hall. He should hurry up and get on with it so that we can leave quickly..." Upon recalling Physician Bai, the Great Herb King shook his head. The other party hadnt told him the reason why he had toe to the Poison Hall at all cost, but he had his own guesses; it was probably a treasure or something he needed. If thats the case, he should quickly look for it... What was he up to running over to the book collection vault? The book collection vault contained only books of rtion to poison masters. Since any poison master in the Poison Hall could enter freely, it was impossible for any treasures to be hidden within. Or did he really risk his life toe here... to look for a certain book? If that was the case, then the situation was too darned! "Forget it. He should be well aware of the danger too, so he wouldnt stay here for too long..." Just as the thought shed through the Great Herb Kings mind, amotion could be heard outside. Countless poison masters headed straight for the entrance of the city. The Poison Hall has been closed to outsiders for countless years, and poison masters usually remain in their stations and mind their own businesses. It is rare to see such huge movement within the city. What is going on? "Poison Master Han, whats going on?" Standing up, the Great Herb King pulled a poison master aside and asked. "You dont know? Theyre saying that another person iming to the envoy has arrived, and everyone in the Poison Hall is expected to wee him!" Poison Master Han said. Since Physician Bai is an imposter, can it be that... this is the real deal? If he is indeed the real one, then we are in deep trouble! To think that they would possess such incredible luck as to meet the real one under such circumstances. To make things worse, they were trapped in the Poison Hall... The Great Herb King saw everything before him turn dark and grim. "Thats right. Lets go and take a look. Its rare that the headquarter send anyone down, why would it send two envoys at the same time?" Poison Master Han was perplexed. As he said so, he pulled the Great Herb King toward the entrance. "I..." The Great Herb King felt his both legs convulsing. Shaking his head profusely, he panicked, "I... I think Ill pass!" They had just barely managed to scrape by, and the true envoy had to appear now. Heavens, you must be ying with me! "Lets go!" Not allowing the other party to reject him, Poison Master Han pulled him, and it didnt take long for the duo to reach the entrance of the city. By the time they arrived, the entrance was already filled with countless poison masters. The three Vice Hall Masters and all of the elders stood in front of the crowd. Two figures stood before them. "Butler Lu?" With a single nce, the Great Herb King recognized one of the two figures. It was Butler Lu from his residence. He once brought Butler Lu here, but the other party merely waited for him at the entrance to the Poison Hall then. To think that he would still remember the directions. He must be the one who led the way here. Otherwise, it would be difficult for even the envoy to find the Poison Hall which was hidden amidst the mountains. Understanding this, he turned to look at the person standing next to him. He was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark-red cloak. His hands were behind his back, and his chin was tilted upward. His face had a bizarre expression which made it impossible to discern whether it was a smile or a furious one. "That is... poison master emblem... 3-star poison master?" The Great Herb Kings eyes fell upon the other partys robe, and his mouth twitched. There was a poison master emblem hanging on the other partys chest, and the three stars on it shone brightly. Even the old Hall Master, the greatest expert of the Poison Hall when he was still alive, was merely a 3-star primary poison master. After his death, the position as the strongest was taken over by Vice Hall Master Liao Xun, a 2-star pinnacle poison master. The fact that the other party was a 3-star poison master... Initially, the Great Herb King had suspected whether the other party could be fake. However, upon seeing his emblem, that sliver of hope he held was crushed. Even if he werent the envoy, as a 3-star poison master, no one in the Poison Hall would dare to offend him. Otherwise, it was likely that the hall could be reduced to a hos nest through his poison in an instant, and they probably wouldnt even realize how they died. Those who are able to reach 3-star possess a cultivation of at minimum Zhizun realm. Even if he didnt resort to poison, he was able to easily destroy the entire Poison Hall with a flip of his palm. "This..." Liao Xun didnt expect another envoy to appear, and a 3-star poison master at that. His attitude turned polite immediately, and sping his fist, he greeted, "May I know how I should address you? If its convenient, can you show me your [Golden Poison Heart Token]? Its not that I am doubting your identity, but its a rule from the headquarter. An envoy has to sh the token representing his identity before we can wee him in!" He spoke the same words that he said to Zhang Xuan when he first arrived. The envoy didnt reply. Instead, he flicked his wrist, and a golden heart-shaped token appeared in his palm. He threw it over casually. Catching it hastily, Liao Xun and the others examined it quickly. With a single nce, their eyes narrowed, and they came to a conclusion. "Its real!" The Golden Poison Heart Token was something that only an envoy could possess and it represented the Poison Hall headquarter. There was a unique distant aura infused within it, allowing people who look at it to immediately discern its genuity, even if they hadnt seen it before. "He is a 3-star poison master and possesses the Golden Poison Heart Token... If thats the case, its impossible for him to be a fake. Then, the one before..." Gedeng! Upon seeing the token of identification, Liao Xun and the others hearts skipped a beat simultaneously. If this one is real, the one before is likely to be a fake. Otherwise, why would he refuse to show the Golden Poison Heart Token? "Why, is there a problem?" Seeing the rapidly changing expressions in the crowd, the envoys own expression darkened. Even though there wasnt a hint of anger in his tone, his words seemed to possess an authoritative quality. "Thats not it..." Liao Xun hesitated for a moment before exining, "Another envoy arrived right before you. Thats why, when we heard of your presence, we were astonished!" "Hm?" The envoy frowned. "The headquarter has only sent me over to determine the new Hall Master, as well as to retrieve that object, which should have matured by now. It didnt send anyone else. An envoy who came before me? What do you mean?" "Its like this. Two hours ago, a man came iming that hes the envoy. He is currently browsing through books in the book collection vault!" Liao Xun exined. "He imed that hes the envoy? Then, does he have the Golden Poison Heart Token?" The envoys eyebrows shot up. "That..." Liao Xun hesitated for a moment. "He didnt show us the golden token!" "Preposterous!" The envoy flung his sleeves, and an overwhelming aura gushed into the heavens. "How can he be the envoy without the Golden Poison Heart Token? Bring me to him! I would like to see the one who is so brazen as to impersonate an envoy of the headquarter!" "Yes! Envoy, this way please!" Liao Xun and the others ushered him in toward the center hall of the Poison Hall hastily. Watching as the group left, the Great Herb Kings body swayed, as though the energy in his body had been sapped dry. "Old master..." Upon seeing the old masters state, Butler Lu hurried forward to support him. "Whats going on..." The Great Herb King sent a telepathic message to Butler Lu. "A day after you and Physician Bai left, that man appeared and demanded for you to lead him to the Poison Hall. Without a choice, I could only bring him up the mountains. I rushed all the way up so as to catch up with you, but... it turns out that I am toote!" Butler Lu was also on the verge of tears. A total of four people knew that Physician Bai was going to impersonate the envoy, and they were the Great Herb King, Butler Lu, Physician Bai, and Mo Yu. Mo Yu had already left for Tianwu Royal City, so only the three of them were left. That person has already verified his identity, so Butler Lu wasnt in the position to turn him down. As the Great Herb King was absent, he could only lead him up the mountains himself. Initially, he nned to catch up with the Great Herb King and Physician Bai so as to inform them that there was no need for thetter to pass off as the envoy anymore. But... despite rushing the entire road, he wasnt able to catch up with them. "This time... were really doomed!" After hearing Butler Lus exnation, the Great Herb Kings mouth twitched. Blood welled up in his chest, and it felt as though it would spurt out at any moment. If Butler Lu and the envoy hade a littleter, Physician Bai could have got what he wanted and left the Poison Hall. Even if he was discovered to be a faketer on, there was nothing the others could do about him once he took off his disguise. If Butler Lu and the envoy was a little earlier, they would be able to catch up with them. If they knew that the envoy was already on his way to the Poison Hall, there would be no need for them to impersonate as him. They could simply follow behind the envoy and enter the Poison Hall just the same. But... Physician Bai had just imed that he was the envoy, and the other side had already believed his words. Yet... the true envoy had to arrive at this moment... It was like having a naked beautifuldy beside you. Even if you said that you didnt do anything to her, no one in the world would believe it! Being caught in the act, no exnation would work! He knew that it was a bad idea to pass off as the envoy... But to think that it would be that bad of an idea! It looked like the life which he had just retrieved with insurmountable difficulty would have to be forfeited... "Old master, what do we do now?" Butler Lu had also arrived at the same conclusion and his face warped with worry. "I dont know..." The Great Herb King shook his head, "Looks like we can only wait for our deaths..." Tearful, he scanned the surroundings. Numerous poison masters had their eyes set on him, so it was impossible for him to escape. Thus, he could only follow behind the crowd toward the hall. "Right... It seems that Physician Bai is still unaware of the arrival of the real envoy!" After taking a few steps forward, the Great Herb King suddenly thought of something and his expression changed. If the other party knew of the matter beforehand, he could at least start thinking of a solution. Given that he was in the dark, he would definitely be caught off guard when the others challenged him all of a sudden... However, the Vice Hall Masters and elders were walking in front of him and the envoy was present as well. It was already toote to inform Physician Bai. His thoughts were still running wild when the group arrived at the main hall. "Elder ckeye, I trouble you to invite that envoy out!" After taking a seat, Liao Xun waved his hands and instructed. "Yes!" Elder ckeye walked in a hurry toward the book collection vault. It has already been more than two hours since Zhang Xuans arrival, and he had finished reading through all of the books in the book collection vault. Seeing that the other party was here inviting him over, he tagged behind him toward the main hall without questions. "Why? Are you done preparing already? If youre done with your preparations, we can start now!" Upon reaching the hall, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and nced impassively at Liao Xun and the others. "Are you the one who imed that youre the envoy?" Before Liao Xun and the others could speak, the envoy stood up and stared at Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes. "Who do you think you are?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Carrying the same unopposable authority in his voice, he spoke sharply, "Did I allow you to speak?" "The heck!" Blood spurted from the mouth of the Great Herb King, "Were really doomed..." Chapter 279: Senior Uncle Chapter 279: Senior Uncle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove When Butler Lu realized that the middle-aged man was Physician Bai in disguise, his face contorted, and he nearly ripped off his own shirt out of frustration... Even if you dont recognize the envoy, you should at least recognize the poison master emblem pinned on his chest! There are no 3-star poison masters in this Poison Hall. Where else can hee from other than the headquarter? If you pay a little more attention, youll notice all of these details... To say Who do you think you are, did I allow you to speak straight in his face... The heck heck heck heck heck! Before you said those words, you could have at leaste up with some excuse to exin yourself. Now that youve insulted him in public, theres no room for reconciliation! Even though he has only known the other party for a few days, the Physician Bai he knew was an impressive and rational figure. Why did he suddenly be such a reckless person? Your actions arent just bringing harm to yourself, the old master and I will also be dragged into this disaster! The master and servant duo felt as if they were going insane. At the same moment, the mouths of Liao Xun and the others twitched. They have seen arrogant people, but it was their first time meeting SUCH an arrogant person! For a mere impersonator to speak to the real envoy in such a manner, the word "courageous" is no longer sufficient to describe him! This is simply... courting death! Not just courting death, but courting the worst possible way to die. "You reap what you sow!" "This time, we dont even have to do anything. The envoy will help us settle it all!" A gloating expression appeared on the faces of the other two Vice Hall Masters. To think that a mere impersonator had managed to scare them, they felt ashamed just by the thought of it. If they could, they would rip apart the other partys tendons and pluck out his bones, so as to pay him back for the humiliation. But from the looks of it now, they wouldnt get a turn. "What did you say?" As everyone expected, the envoy flew into a rage immediately. A powerful aura burst forth from him, reaching to the skies. It exerted so much pressure on the crowd that they found it difficult to even breathe. Zhizun realm! Just as they had guessed, the envoy was indeed a Zhizun realm expert! Fighter 9-dan Zhizun realm. In this vast world, they were the ones who reigned supreme. With strength exceeding ten thousand ding, they possessed the might to destroy castles, eradicate oceans, and obliterate mountains. The moment his rage flurried, the heaven and earth wailed in agony beneath his might. The pure energy he emanated gushed over the crowd, and as though a massive torrent, they were helpless before it. Liao Xun and the others retreated uncontrobly before the overwhelming might that was disyed. The Great Herb Kings face scrunched up in fear. It was too frightening. Even if a Zongshi pinnacle were to face him, he would be renderedpletely helpless. They were thinking that the impersonator would be forced to give himself away under the intimidating aura when, instead, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. "Atrocious!" Bellowing angrily, Zhang Xuan flung his hands, "How dare you darned rascaly your hands me! Who gave you the guts to do so?" "Ah..." The Great Herb King convulsed. Displeased, the heck you are displeased about! Furthermore, calling him a darned rascal... Brother, where does your confidencee from? Your identity has been exposed. If you carry on with the act, the other party will really beat you to death... Even though the Great Herb King couldnt tell the exact strength of Physician Bai, after days of interacting with him, he had gauged it to be around Zongshi realm. In any case, he thought that it was impossible for the other partys cultivation to be above Zongshi realm pinnacle. Even I myself will be rendered helpless before the envoy, why the heck are you acting so arrogantly? ... "Fine! To think that an impersonator would dare talk to me like that, Im truly impressed. Since you are that tired of living, allow me to grant your wish!" He thought that the impersonator would be intimidated by his aura, but contrary to his expectations, the other party criticized him for being brazen. The envoy felt so infuriated that he could feel himself losing his rationality, and killing intent gleamed in his eyes. The headquarter had sent only him here, so the man before him had to be a fake! For a mere impersonator to yell at him, there must be something wrong with his head, or he must have extremelyrge guts! With a slight step, the envoy charged forward as though a bolt of lightning. Opening his fingers, an immense force burst forth from his palm and flew straight at Zhang Xuan! Zhizun realm is also known a Ten Thousand Ding realm, and the strength of a Zhizun realm expert isnt something that any Zongshi realm cultivator can withstand. The envoys might crushed down on Zhang Xuan as though a gigantic wave, leaving him with no ce to hide. Even a small hill would be reduced to powder under that might! Due to his insufficient cultivation, Zhang Xuans body stiffened before that overwhelming strength. Under this condition, it would be difficult for him to even execute a battle technique. With his pure Heavens Path zhenqi, it was rare for Zhang Xuans to suffer from such suppression. However, he was only a Half-Zongshi, and the gap between him and a Zhizun realm expert was simply too huge. Even though Zhang Xuan was capable of defeating opponents beyond that of his cultivation realm, that was only limited to Zongshi realm primary stage cultivators. Before a Zhizun expert, he wasnt capable of any retaliation. The most he could do was to escape his attacks using the Heavens Path Movement Art. Feeling the intense pressure on his body, Zhang Xuans mind moved swiftly. He maintained the impassive look on his face, but inside, Zhang Xuan was panicking. He had guessed that the other party was the true envoy, but if he were to back out at this point, death would be inevitable. Arent you arrogant? Ill be more arrogant than you. And this was the only way Zhang Xuan would be able to scare the other party, making him fearful ofying his hands on him. Yet, that fellow didnt fall for his tricks and, instead, attacked him directly. This ced Zhang Xuan in a terrible position. "ws!" Even if he were to dodge using the Heavens Path Movement Art, he could only do so for a blow or two before his stamina ran out. By then, he would be dead meat as well. Thus, he hurriedly turned his attention to the Library of Heavens Path. A book appeared before him. Looking at the contents, Zhang Xuan calmed his nerves. He revised his original intention of escaping using the Heavens Path Movement Art, and with an absurdly calm expression, spouted coldly. "Gu Mu, to dare toy your hands on me, do you crave for your entire line to die?" Hu! "You..." Upon hearing those words, the calm envoy was taken aback. He pulled back his palms forcefully and questioned in astonishment, "Who are you? Why do you know my name?" Upon receiving the orders from the headquarter, he rushed here from afar, and on the journey, he had never mentioned his name to anyone. Before receiving the orders, he had been secluding himself to focus on his cultivation. Other than his examiners and friends, almost no one knew his name. Logically speaking, it would be impossible for anyone in this backward location to know of his identity. Thus, upon hearing his name from the mouth of that fellow before him, he could not help but feel bewildered. Of course, even though he withdrew his palms, he didnt disperse his might. The moment the other party spouted nonsense, that force would burst through his body immediately. Seeing the other party stop, Zhang Xuan knew that he had taken a sessful gamble and heaved a sigh of relief. Humans were curious creatures, and regardless of how furious a man could be, hearing a stranger call his name would cause him to be puzzled. Using the information from the book on the other party in the library, Zhang Xuan was confident of convincing him to not dare raise his fists again. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stood upright as though an erect spear before the other party. It seemed as though he was impervious to the rage and intimidation of the party. "In the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom branch, you are the fourteenth person to pass the 3-star poison master examination, and you took only five years to reach 3-star pinnacle from then. As such, you are reputed to be a genius who appears only once every century!" "Born with an innate passion toward poison, you passed the apprentice poison master examination at fourteen years of age. The [Fiery Heat Powder] which you concocted then killed the 314 people in your mortal enemys household. At seventeen years of age, you created the [Soul Shattering Dust], and you managed to kill a Zongshi realm primary stage expert with it. At twenty-six years of age, you passed the 2-star poison master examination, and the [Frangible Bone Fragrance] which you concocted allowed you to sessfully poison a Zongshi realm pinnacle savage beast to death..." "At thirty-five years of age, you came under the tutge of the Hundred Variations Poison Master Jin Conghai. This year, youre forty-four, and your prowess in poison is unmatched in the Xuanyuan branch... This time, the headquarter sent you here as the envoy to train you so that you can take over as the next Hall Master of the branch!" "I wonder..." Zhang Xuan paused for a moment. Chuckling, he nced at the envoy. "...if what Ive said is true?" "Who in the world... are you?" Envoy Gu Mus eyes narrowed. Other than his closest kin, no one knew about these facts, especially the orders from the headquarters. Yet, the other party knew of them as though it was in the grasp of his palm... Who in the world is he? He didnt recall any acquaintance having such an appearance. Thats to say, he didnt know the person before him at all. But how could the other party know of the affairs surrounding him in such great detail? Disregarding the Envoy Gu Mus question, Zhang Xuan chuckled, "In order to be a 4-star poison master, you went to the extent of even testing out poisons on your own body. Others are impressed by your feat of giving up your life for your passion for poisons, but the truth is that you wish to exact vengeance for your dead wife!" "Your enemy... is a 4-star poison master! His abilities at using poison are above yours, and if you dont reach his level, youll be unable to kill him!" "You, you..." Gu Mus face paled, and his eyes narrowed. His face seemed as though he has seen a ghost. The other party waspletely right. All along, he had been cultivating and researching new poison with everything he had, and this all was for his vengeance! Just that, it was a secret he had hidden in the depths of his heart. He had never told anyone about it, and he didnt dare to. After all, every single poison master was an important asset of the Poison Hall. If they found out that he intended to kill a 4-star poison master, someone would definitely stop him. Thus, this matter had always remained as his own personal secret. Yet, at this moment, it wasing out from the mouth of a stranger. How could he not be astonished and terrified? "Your current cultivation realm is Zhizun realm pinnacle, and to be a 4-star poison master, you have to achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation. Thus, youve been feeding on [Green Snake Grass] and applying it on your shenmen acupoint so as to increase your potential. At the same time, you applied [Bone Corroding Powder] on your shenhun acupoint to boost your Soul Depth. Even though your strength and Soul Depth has increased under the stimtion of the poison, it has worn your life thin. If Im not wrong, you are already nearing your end, and you can possibly die at any moment now!" Circling around the other party, Zhang Xuan sighed. When the other party attacked him, he executed a battle technique. As such, a book waspiled, and the other partys ws were revealed on it. Shockingly, there were more than hundred ws on him! To outsiders, he may seem like a person who has a bright future ahead of him, a 3-star pinnacle poison master who could be the new Hall Master of the Xuanyuan branch at any moment. However, his body had already reached his limits, and he could die at any moment. Based on his current condition, it was unlikely for him to survive more than three years. Deng deng deng deng! Staggering backward a few steps, Gu Mus face became ghastly white. The other partys words werepletely correct, he had been exchanging his own life for strength. If he didnt do so, he would never be a 4-star poison master in this life, and without reaching that level, how could he exact his vengeance? If he didn;t avenge his wife, he wouldnt be able to face her in the underworld. "Who in the world are you?" Clenching his fists tightly, Gu Mu stared grimly at Zhang Xuan. To know his background so clearly and not fearing his attacks at all, could he possibly be an unknown senior of Xuanyuan branch? "Who am I..." Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze, and a faraway look appeared in his eyes. "Of course you dont know who I am. Thats because... even your teacher would have to call me..." "Senior uncle!" --- Those whoe under your teacher earlier than you are normally known as your seniors. (Unless you are a direct disciple. Direct disciples are given seniority over normal students, as in the case with Liu shi and the others) Your teachers senior is known as your senior uncle. Chapter 280: Display of Strength Chapter 280: Disy of Strength Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Your teachers senior uncle?" "Senior granduncle of the envoy? Staring at each other, the Great Herb King and Butler Lu nearly pulled off all of their beards. Arent you Physician Bai? Werent you unaware of whether the envoy woulde, and if he did, when he woulde? Arent you an impersonator? When did you... be the envoys senior granduncle? The heck! More importantly... the envoy seems to bepletely dazed at the situation. He doesnt seem to know that he has a senior granduncle! You could have feigned as his senior, his junior, his acquaintance, or even his friends... Yet, to take such a high position... Brother, you sure know how to speak! If they were in Zhang Xuans position, they wouldnt have even dared to think about it. The duo only felt a surge of blood rushing up their throat, threatening to burst out at any moment. Liao Xun, the other two Hall Masters, and the numerous elders stared at one another nkly. They thought that the impersonator would be killed with a single p from the envoy, or at the very least, be crippled. Never in their dreams did they expect the both of them to be acquainted, and... they seemed to share the same lineage at that. It cant be such a coincidence, can it? "My teacher calls you senior granduncle?" Gu Mu was stunned as well. His entire body stiffened in difort. The person before knew everything about him, so he thought that perhaps he was a colleague in the same branch whom he had never noticed. Never in his dreams did he expect that... they would be rted in such a way! He had followed his teacher for countless years but had never heard from him that he had a senior granduncle. But if the other party was lying, how did he know everything about him? And on top of that, for everything he said to be correct? Putting everything aside, just his ability to discern his current condition was something even his teacher was incapable of. "Thats just in terms of our seniority. I like to wander about, and I often dwell outside. Thus, your teacher might not even know of my existence!" Putting on the disposition of an expert, Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually. If Zhang Xuan wanted to prevent the other party fromying hands on him, he had to possess an identity that was sufficiently convincing. In any case, even those who attend the same lesson can be termed as senior and junior. Given that Zhang Xuan was impersonating as someone who was distantly rted to him, it was impossible for him to gather sufficient evidence to overthrow his im on the spot. After all, he cant possibly run over to his teacher now and ask him if he has a senior uncle! Besides, Ive already said that even your teacher might not know of me, so even it would do nothing even if you try to verify with him. However, just words were insufficient to establish Zhang Xuans prestige. The best way to do so was to cure him of his problem, and only that way would the other party holdplete faith in him. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to get straight to the topic. He nced at Gu Mu with a smile and said, "Lets not talk about this anymore. Its fate for us to meet here, so I would like to ask you. Do you want to solve your affliction?" "Is there... a solution... for my affliction?" Gu Mu initially held some doubts about the identity of the person before him. However, upon hearing the other party talk about solving his affliction, his face immediately flushed with agitation. If given a chance to live, who would be willing to die? Furthermore, he was shouldering a heavy grudge. His wife was killed by a 4-star poison master, and all along, he had been suppressing the pain and anger within him. He had focused all of his energy on his cultivation in hopes that he could return justice to his wife. He was just a thin line away from reaching a higher realm and a faint ray of hope had appeared for his vengeance. Yet, recently, he realized that the forceful method of raising his cultivation had already sapped his vitality dry. Just like what the other party said, he didnt have long to live. He didnt mind dying! But he had to tear that person to pieces before he dies. "You used poison to raise your cultivation forcefully, resulting in the loss of your vitality. If it were anyone else, they would be helpless before your condition. However, your issue doesnt mean anything to me!" Zhang Xuan said with an indifferent expression. The Heavens Path zhenqi was capable of even mending a body which had been ravaged by the Poison Gu, not to mention, Gu Mu who was still full of strength. "Senior uncle, I plead of you to save me!" After hesitating for a moment, Gu Mu knelt onto the floor, and his eyes were filled with determination. "As long as you treat my affliction such that I am able to ughter my enemy, I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life!" After the death of his wife, he has been wanting to follow her footsteps. However, the reason why he had been struggling in life was that he wanted to avenge her. He wasnt certain about the background of the person before him, but since he was able to discern the problems he was suffering from, something that even his teacher failed to notice, perhaps he could solve this problem of his! As long as the problem disappeared, Gu Mu was confident that the foundation he built throughout the years would allow him to break through the final impasse, reaching the level he dreamed of. This could be considered an opportunity. If it seeded, there would be hope for his vengeance once more. However, if the other party was fooling him, he would make sure to drag him down as well. In any case, he didnt have long to live, and there was nothing for him to fear. "Ah..." Upon seeing Gu Mu kneel to the floor, everyones eyeballs fell to the ground. The lofty envoy of the headquarter, a 3-star pinnacle poison master who possessed the strength of a Zhizun pinnacle, was kneeling to an impersonator... Is this for real? Everyone was shocked, especially the Great Herb King. The Great Herb King knew the true identity of this impersonator. He wasnt the senior granduncle of the envoy as he imed and wasnt even close. Yet, with just a few casual words, the other party knelt to him willingly... Physician Bai, you have my utmost respect! If it was him, he would definitely kneel down fearfully and plead for his life the moment someone might expose his identity. In the end, someone did indeed kneel, but the one who knelt was the real deal... Even though he had witnessed the sight with his own eyes, he couldnt help but doubt if it was a dream. The twist urred too quickly, catching him off guard. However, after recovering from his astonishment, he could understand the rationale behind the other partys actions. Taking him from a few days ago, if someone had said that he was capable of curing him of the affliction caused by the Poison Gu, putting aside senior granduncle, he would even willingly call him grandfather. It is only on the verge of death would one understand how valuable life is. In the face of death, dignity and pride mean nothing at all. "I can help you, but Ill have to state my rules clearly beforehand!" Turning around, Zhang Xuan beckoned with his hands, "Great Herb King, tell Gu Mu about my rules!" He had achieved only Half-Zongshi, and if he were to treat the other party while he was awake, the other party would definitely notice a peculiarity and thus, destroy his image as an expert which he had painstakingly built up. In the end, it was best for the other party to be unconscious during the treatment. This way, he would be able to hide his true cultivation realm and conceal the uniqueness of the Heavens Path zhenqi However, if he were to say these words himself, many people would doubt his intentions. Thus, it was better for Great Herb King to do the talking instead. The Great Herb King was also a smart person, and he understood Zhang Xuans intentions immediately. Stepping forward, he exined, "When Senior Bai treats someone, he requires the patient to bepletely unconscious!" "Completely unconscious?" Gu Mu frowned. Being knocked unconscious meant that he was entrusting his life into the hands of the others, and he wouldnt have any say over what the other party did. While the other party knew everything about his background, he still bore doubts toward the other partys identity, and he didnt yet trust him. "Dont worry, this is just Senior Bais rules. Back then, when he treated me from my Poison Gu affliction, he knocked me out as well!" Seeing the hesitation in the other partys eyes, the Great Herb King persuaded. "Treated you from your Poison Gu affliction? You mean... he settled the Poison Gu you were suffering from?" Gu Mu was taken aback, and disbelief filled his face. Liao Xun and the others may not understand fully the potency of the Poison Gu as 2-star poison masters, but as a 3-star pinnacle who had encountered innumerable formidable poison masters, Gu Mu knew just how fearsome the Poison Gu was. Rumors had it that once one was afflicted with the Poison Gu, even a 5-star poison master would be unable to save him. For this senior granduncle to be capable of solving an affliction which even a 5-star poison master is unable to, can it be that... his tier has already surpassed that? "Thats right. A few days ago, I nearly died from the Poison Gu, and it is Senior Bai who helped me then!" The Great Herb King said. "I can bear testimony to that. A Poison Gu was indeed imnted into him by the old Hall Master!" Liao Xun and the others affirmed the Great Herb Kings words. "Able to remove the Poison Gu?" Clenching his fists tightly, Gu Mu turned to examine the Great Herb King, and he realized something amiss in him. As a 3-star pinnacle poison master, he was able to see the telltale signs that a Poison Gu once inhabited his body and wrecked havoc within. Upon confirming his judgment, his face flushed furiously. If this senior granduncle was able to treat the Poison Gu, it was highly possible that he would be able to treat him as well! However, he was still worried about being knocked unconscious. "I know what youre worried about. Allowing yourself to be knocked unconscious means entrusting your life to another, and if the other party holds malicious intentions toward you, you wont even know how you died. No one would be able to make such a decision easily!" Zhang Xuan could sense his hesitation. "I would have left immediately if it were anyone else who doubted me, but since youre my junior, I can tell you this right away... If I want to kill you, I need not go through so much trouble!" At this point, Zhang Xuans foot pushed against the ground. Sou! Before anyone could react, he was already sixty meters away. Then, in the next instant, the figure in the distance blurred, and Zhang Xuan had returned to where he was before, as though he had never moved at all. "What incredible speed!" "Even Zhizun pinnacle experts arent capable of such a feat!" "Can it be that... he has already surpassed Zhizun realm?" ... Everyone present was astonished by the disy, and their eyes narrowed in fear. They were all cultivators of Zongshi realm and below, and they had never witnessed such speed. How can one who is capable of traveling at such incredible speed possess a weak cultivation? It was fortunate that they didnt make a move on him. Otherwise, if they were to have angered him, he could have really destroyed this entire Poison Hall branch. The Great Herb Kings face turned pale too. All along, he thought that he was evenly matched with this Physician Bai. Never in his dreams did he expect such a huge gap between the two of them. With such speed, before he could even react, his head would have been lopped off his neck. Gu Mu tightened his clenched fists too. His maximum speed wasnt even close to that that the other party just disyed. And judging from the partys expression, he had exerted nowhere near his full strength. That was to say... The cultivation of this senior granduncle of his had definitely surpassed Zhizun, reaching a whole new level. "The effect seems to be good!" Seeing the astonishment on everyones faces, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Having reached Half-Zongshi, the speed and distance he could cover with a single usage of Heavens Path Movement Art had increased. This move might have appeared formidable with its outstanding speed, but given Zhang Xuans current physical resilience, executing it twice was already his limit. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan himself was unable to react to that overwhelming speed, making it impossible for him to use it to hurt or kill another. In fact, while this move was an ideal escape technique, it was utterly useless for offense. Of course, Zhang Xuan had just found another use for it... showing off. Suppressing the tremendous ache across his entire body, he drove his zhenqi to heal those muscle tears discreetly. On the surface, he was standing quietly on the spot with his both hands behind his back, as though an expert unsullied with worldly affairs. He nced at Gu Mu calmly, and his voice waspletely tranquil and devoid of emotions. "I wonder if, with my strength, will killing you..." "...be as easy as ughtering a chicken?" Chapter 281: Crimson Flame Lotus Seed Chapter 281: Crimson me Lotus Seed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Silence. The entire environment was devoid of sound. Gu Mus face paled. He saw the speed his senior granduncle disyed, and if the other party were to use this speed against him, he probably wont evenst for a breath! That is to say... Killing him is indeed not any harder than ughtering a chicken! Upon recalling the fact that he had tried to get violent with such an expert, cold sweat drenched his back immediately. It was fortunate that the other party had recognized him, and that there was a form of kinship between them. Otherwise, even though he was an envoy of the headquarter, he would definitely have been reduced to a corpse in an instant. The other party was an expert of an entirely different level, and given he didnt attempt to retaliate when Gu Mu provoked him earlier on, why would he need to fool him just to take his life? Rather, that would just sully his status. "Senior granduncle, I was too skeptical, please forgive me!" Upon understanding this fact, Gu Mu bowed in apology. If killing him was as easy as killing a chicken, there should be no need for the Senior granduncle to y mind games with him if he really wished to ughter him. "I was traveling around the world when I passed by Red Lotus City and noticed that the Great Herb King was afflicted with the Contract Gu. Thus, I saved him, and from him, I heard about the conflict over the seat of the Hall Master in the Poison Hall branch. Unable to bear the sight of the younger generation of poison masters killing one another over such a minor matter, I came here with the intention of resolving the conflict!" Staring at the skies, benevolence shone through Zhang Xuans eyes. "This..." Upon hearing that the other party came here for such a reason, Liao Xun and the others felt embarrassed. To think that they had believed that he was a fraud hankering for some treasure... Such thoughts appear ludicrous now that they recalled about it. No wonder he spoke of conducting an examination the moment he arrived and dered that the most outstanding poison master would be the Hall Master. Through such, they would be able to avoid unnecessary conflict and trouble. Gu Mu came to a realization as well. He had been thinking why his senior granduncle, despite his position, would choose to impersonate as the envoy. In the end, it was because he was unwilling to see fellow poison masters killing one another. Upon realizing this fact, Gu Mu couldnt help but be impressed with the other party. Probably, only a true poison master, one who had an intense love for this upation would be able to possess such magnanimity. "Alright, since the real envoy is here, its meaningless for me to remain here. Thus, Ill be taking my leave!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned around and walked out of the Poison Hall. The reason why the others took in his words so easily was that they were still awed by the Heavens Path Movement Art. As time went by, they would realize the many loopholes in his words. However, Zhang Xuans motive here was to browse through the books. Now that he had aplished his primary aim, and that the real envoy had arrived, remaining here would do nothing but increase the chances of his disguise being seen through. In that case, he might as well leave immediately. After leaving the perimeter of the poison mist, he would be able to summon the Howling Firmament Beast and leave this ce for good. "Senior granduncle, please save me..." Seeing the other party turn around to leave without talking about his illness, Gu Musplexion turned pale. He knew that his doubt had offended the other party, so he hurried forward and kneeled to the floor. All experts had their own dignity. From the moment he arrived, Gu Mu has been antagonizing him, even making a move against him. Furthermore, when the other party offered to help him out of goodwill, he refused to believe him and doubted his intentions. It was no wonder why the other party was displeased. His temper could already be considered good for not teaching Gu Mu a lesson there and then. "I require my patients to be unconscious when treating them. I understand that youre worried about your safety, and I dont me you for not believing me!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The other party was clearly angry from his tone, and he didnt seem to intend to help him. Thus, Gu Mu hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and sending a telepathic message, "Senior granduncle, wait a moment! It was merely a pretense that the headquarter sent me to nominate a new Hall Master and stabilize the situation in the branch; the truth is that the [Crimson me Lotus Seed] in this branch has matured!" "Crimson me Lotus Seed?" "Thats right. The Crimson me Lotus Seed lives in the depths of the volcano, and it absorbs the strength of the earth veins for its growth. If a cultivator were to consume it, their chances of breaking through the Zhizun realm bottleneck to reach higher realms would be increased by 20%! It is precisely because Im stuck at this bottleneck that I took the initiative to apply for this mission." Gu Mu spoke of everything without withholding any information. "I know that given senior granduncles strength, this object is useless to you. Even so, it would be beneficial to your disciples and students if they were to consume it." "It can increase the chances of breaking through Zhizun by 20%?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. A breakthrough in cultivation depended on ones will, faith, umtion, and cultivation technique... Pills are considered as supplements, and most medicinal herbs werent very effective for helping to raise ones cultivation. Yet, the Crimson me Lotus Seed increased the chances of breaking through the Zhizun realm by a full 20%. If Zhang Xuan didnt hear this news from a Zhizun realm expert himself, he wouldnt dare to believe it to be true. Even though 20% may not seem to be much, such effectiveness was already considered to be amazing by cultivators. Many would kill toy their hands on the seed. Zhizun realm was the pinnacle of being a Fighter, but it wasnt the terminal point of ones cultivation. In the vast world out there, there were countless experts who had surpassed the Zhizun realm. A single Crimson me Lotus Seed can increase the possibility of ones breakthrough by a staggering 20%, so it is definitely considered a priceless treasure. Zhang Xuan didnt expect to find such a valuable object in this Poison Hall branch. "Alright, speak of your request!" Knowing that the other party must have his motives for this matter, Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "I only hope that senior granduncle can lend a helping hand to cure my physical trauma. As for the lotus seed, I only require one for my breakthrough, and Ill present the rest to senior granduncle!" Gu Mu said. Gu Mu knew that given his current physical condition, even if he were to obtain the lotus seed, it would be impossible for him to reach higher realms. If that was the case, he might as well trade the seeds in return for treatment. Besides, even though the Crimson me Lotus Seed was good stuff, it wasnt that easily obtainable. Otherwise, the old Hall Master wouldnt have died so abruptly. Other people may not be aware of the cause of the death of the old Poison Hall, but Gu Mu was in the know. The branch had written and submitted a report on the old Hall Masters death, and Gu Mu happened to see its content by coincidence. The rumors outside iming that he died due to an illness were false. Rather, it was because the Crimson me Lotus Seed had matured and in the midst of picking it, the old Hall Master was burnt to ashes by the Earthen mes. Given how even a Zhizun expert was burnt to ashes by the mes, it was likely that Gu Mu would require the help of his senior granduncle to obtain that lotus seed. Thus, after some contemtion, he decided to inform the other party of this news and make a deal. Gu Mu knew that an expert of the other partys level wouldnt treat him poorly in consideration of thetters status after knowing of the news. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Zhang Xuan had already intended to treat Gu Mu from the start, and now that there would be a reward, there was no reason for him to turn the other party down "So... When do we begin?" Seeing the other party agree, Gu Mu was delighted. "Are there any preparations that need to be done?" "Theres no need for any preparations, we can start now!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. The longer he dragged the matter, the likelier a twist would ur in the situation. It was best for Zhang Xuan to get it over and done with. "Alright!" Upon hearing that the other party would conduct the treatment now, Gu Mu was overjoyed. "Ill be depending on senior granduncle then!" After which, he raised his hands. Padah! Knocking himself on his head, his body went limp and fell to the floor. "Ah?" Seeing that the other party had knocked himself unconscious, Zhang Xuan nced downward to look at the bag of [Soul Numbing Powder] in his hands. Helpless, Zhang Xuan could only ce it back into his storage ring. "I was intending to use this. To think that you would be even more reckless than the Great Herb King..." The [Soul Numbing Powder], which can send a person unconscious, is extremely useful for his unique medical techniques. Thus, before setting off, he asked for plenty of it from the Great Herb King. In any case, the object wasnt expensive, and the Great Herb King was also willing to do Zhang Xuan this favor. Thus, he gave him over twenty packets of it. He was intending to test the effects of the powder, but by the time he managed to take it out, the other party had already knocked himself out. That was way too fast! However, this was good as well. In any case, he was unconscious, and this spared Zhang Xuan some effort. Stepping forward to the unconscious Gu Mu, Zhang Xuan shook his hands and a few silver needles appeared in his palm. A detailed description of the other partys physical condition was formed when the other party made a move on him earlier, so there was no need for Zhang Xuan to diagnose him once more. With a flick of his fingers, the silver needles flew toward Gu Mus body. Zhang Xuans movements were light and nimble, as though a butterfly. Gu Mus physical condition wasrgely different from that of the Great Herb King. Thetter had his foundations damaged by the Contract Gu, resulting in his declining health, whereas the former used poison excessively to stimte his acupoints so as to raise his cultivation, during which, the poison seeped into his body and began to destroy his physical functions. The former required the nourishment of the Heavens Path zhenqi whereas thetter merely required Zhang Xuan to locate the area where the poison umted and use the Heavens Path zhenqi to expel it from his body to solve the issue straightforwardly. In fact, the treatment for Gu Mus condition was much easier than that of the Great Herb King. Tzzzzzzz! The Heavens Path zhenqi flowed through the silver needle toward the areas where the poison aura umted. Soon, the sound of flowing water could be heard from Gu Mus body, and ck water flowed out from his fingers and toes. "Is this... the poison aura hidden in his body?" "Is it being forced out just like that?" Looking at the situation, Liao Xun and the others widened their eyes in disbelief. Coming into contact with poison on a daily basis, they understood the difficulty of expelling poison from ones body. Some poison aura, once seeped into the body, can never be removed regardless of the valuable herbs one consume or how long one tries. This was precisely the reason why even though poison masters were fearsome existences, their lifespan tended to be extremely short. Reaching fifty to sixty years of age was already a huge achievement for them. Even though they didnt have any visible conditions, there were already numerous problems within their bodies. The poisons that they came into contact with were already slowly gnawing at them from within. They thought that there was no cure for them, but to think that the senior before them was able to resolve this trauma easily. If he is able to expel the potent poison contained in the envoys body so easily, doesnt it mean that he can treat us with ease as well? Thus, they started staring at Zhang Xuan with fiery eyes. Oblivious to the crowds reaction, Zhang Xuan was immersed in the matter at hand. Every single needle was pierced urately at areas where the poison aura was hidden within his body. Before long, he shook his hands, and all of the silver needles flew back to him. Then, he swung his arms in a grand fashion. Gu Mu slowly roused into consciousness. "This..." Opening his eyes, Gu Mu detected the changes within his body immediately. Before, when his body was affected by the poison aura, he felt as though he was weighed down by gigantic shackles. Every single movement and action he made felt difficult. But now, as though all of the shackles were removed, his body felt as light as a feather. Even without checking his condition with his zhenqi, he knew that the other party had pulled him back from the gates of hell. "Senior granduncle, thank you for saving my life!" Thus, he knelt to the floor once more. This time, it wasnt out of fear for the other partys strength, but in earnest respect for the other partys capability and assistance. Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually, "Your condition is more severe than I thought, and you will require three treatments before the problem can bepletely solved. Thus, theres no need for you to be thankful to me. Its not toote to say such words after you arepletely cured!" Zhang Xuan hadnt received the Crimson me Lotus Seed, and he wasnt out of danger either. Thus, Zhang Xuan left himself a bargaining chip, choosing not to cure the other party in a single go, in case the other party reneged on his words. Chapter 282: Heavens Path Poison Art Chapter 282: Heavens Path Poison Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Yes!" Gu Mu knew that his physical condition had already deteriorated to the worst possible state, so he thought it would take several months to treatment for the other party to alleviate his situation. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the other party said that three treatments were sufficient. Thus, he couldnt help but feel amazed by his senior granduncle once more. "Your current condition shouldnt pose any problem to you in the short term, so I will arrange for the other two treatments at ater date. Also, Ill leave the matter regarding the Crimson me Lotus Seed up to you! After all, youre the envoy, so I will stay out of this matter!" The carrot and stick each has to be employed at the right moments for it to be useful. Knowing that Gu Mu waspletely impressed by him, Zhang Xuan wasnt worried about being attacked by him again. Thus, as he spoke, he walked up and sat at the centermost position in the hall. Gu Mu nodded before turning to Liao Xun and the others, "Other than the Vice Hall Masters and the elders, the rest of you can leave now!" "Yes!" No one dared to disobey the words of the envoy. Soon, only the four elders and the three Vice Hall Masters remained in the room. "Im here for two matters!" Flinging his sleeves, Gu Mu scanned the surroundings. Even though he behaved as an obedient junior before Zhang Xuan, acting cautiously and subserviently, it was a fact that he was still a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert and a 3-star pinnacle poison master. Destroying this branch didnt mean anything at all to him. His absolute strength granted him unparalleled authority, and no one dared to talk back to him. "Envoy, please speak!" Liao Xun and the others quickly bowed. "Firstly, I will choose the new Hall Master. Secondly, I am here to pick the Crimson me Lotus Seed, which should have matured by now." Gu Mu said. "Crimson me Lotus Seed..." Liao Xun and the others shuddered, their faces turning pale at the same time. "Crimson me Lotus lives in the regions where the earth mes burn, and it feeds on lethal poison to nourish itself. Both the flower and the leaves contain lethal poison, and they are ideal ingredients to concocting poison. However, despite the lethal poison on the other parts of the lotus and its surroundings, its seeds remain untainted. On the contrary, it is an unparalleled treasure for cultivators trying to surpass Zhizun realm. The reason why the Red Lotus branch was established several thousand of years ago at this spot was to monopolize this lotus." With an authoritative tone, Gu Mu spoke, "Now that the lotus seed has matured, Ill take the seeds and leave the flower and leaves to you. I presume that you have no problems with this, right?" "Theres... no problem!" Liao Xun and the others smiled bitterly as they nodded. The envoy had already spoken, and the senior granduncle was observing beside. Even if they had a problem with his words, they wouldnt dare to voice it out! "Thats good. How much longer will it take before the lotus seeds mature?" Seeing theck of opposition to the matter, Gu Mu nodded his head in satisfaction before asking. He chose this period of time toe after having estimated the maturing of the lotus seed, but the specific date that it would fully mature eluded him. "Reporting to the envoy, theres still ten days to its maturity!" Liao Xun replied. "Ten days? Good. Prepare the best room in the Poison Hall for my senior granduncle. In this ten days, I will pick out the new Hall Master!" Gu Mu said. "Yes!" Everyone nodded in response to the envoys instructions. Knowing that it would take ten days before the Crimson me Lotus Seed mature, Zhang Xuan decided to make use of this time to digest the information which he had just absorbed to analyze the poison aura within his body. In any case, since he hadnt yet cured the other partypletely, so even if Gu Mu were to realize apse in his statements and conclude that this senior granduncle of his was a fake, it was unlikely he would do anything to him. Besides, he had disyed numerous incredible feats which even 5-star poison masters were incapable of. Most probably, he wouldnt dare to pick a fight with him either. ... Ignoring the issue of selecting the new Hall Master, Zhang Xuan sat quietly in his room after instructing the Great Herb King and Butler Lu to guard his door. He was analyzing the books which he had gathered, and his mind operated at maximum efficiency. "Correct!" Muttering under his breath, the countless books on poison on the shelves merged into one and formed a thick secret manual. Knowing that this was the [Heavens Path Poison Art] that he wanted topile, he grabbed it lightly and started browsing through it without hesitation. "Poison is a type of medicine. It can kill, and can also save lives..." Written on the first page of the book was an introduction to poisons. This Heavens Path Poison Art manual formed with the books on poison here was clearly much more advanced, detailed, and profound than the one formed with the books in Tianxuan Kingdom. Zhang Xuans understanding of poisons deepened with each page he read. After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly opened. The confusion which could be seen in his eyes before was reced with rity. "To think that the study of poison is so vast and profound as well!" Recalling the content he has just learned moments ago, Zhang Xuan felt amazed. It was no wonder why poison masters were the subjects of fear for countless people. In terms of theplexity, it wasnt inferior to apothecary, cksmiths, and the other Upper Nine Paths upations. In terms of offensive ability, it might even exceed them. For example, with Zhang Xuans current cultivation, he would definitely be unable to match a Zongshi realm intermediate stage cultivator. However, if he were to utilize poison, he could easily kill a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert! Or perhaps, even a Zhizun realm expert! Of course, poison wasnt omnipotent either. Without a sufficiently high cultivation, one would be unable to conceal the killing intent within them, and their attempt at poisoning the other party would be easily detected. If so, they would probably be killed before they could even do anything. Furthermore, there were some formidable poisons which required a poison master to use his blood essence and zhenqi to trigger its effects. Even if a person who wasnt a poison master or didnt possess sufficiently high cultivation were to be given a potent poison, he would be unable to utilize it. On the contrary, he might even be killed by it instead. It is just like how everyone knows about the might of the atomic bomb, but without sufficient knowledge and strength, it is impossible to control. Even if you were given one, you wouldnt be able to threaten anyone with it. On the other hand, you might even put yourself in danger by wielding it. Potent poison is just like a powerful weapon. Without sufficient strength and mastery, putting asideing into contact with them, even if one was several hundred meters, or even several thousand meters away, it was possible for him to be poisoned to death by it! It is an iparably dangerous tool! Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that if he formted a potent poison, he wouldnt have to fear even Zhizun realm pinnacle experts. But from the looks of it, he had been overthinking. "While I dont intend to harm anyone through poison, I can avoid being harmed by others with this knowledge!" The strength that a poison master could potentially wield rmed Zhang Xuan. While he didnt intend to kill anyone with poison, he had to be careful to not allow anyone to obtain a chance of poisoning him. It was just like the poison aura in Zhang Xuans body. If he had been guarded against all poison masters beforehand, he wouldnt havended himself in such a difficult situation. "ording to the manual, the highest level that a poison master can attain is to create the Poison Body. It is entirely possible for me to cultivate it!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Just like any other upation, being a poison master is heavily reliant on talent. Talented poison masters would possess Innate Poison Body. Not only does the Innate Poison Body grant one incredible sensitivity to poison, it would also give them extraordinary resistance toward it. That is to say, if a poison master possesses this constitution, even if he were to consume the poison concocted by other poison masters, he wouldnt suffer any effects or damage, as though eating an ordinary meal. Even more so, rumors have it that a person with such a constitution can absorb the energy contained within the poison they consume in order to raise their cultivation. Of course, this constitution is incredibly rare. Even within billions of poison masters, there might not even be a single one. Simr to Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body, one had to be born with this constitution to possess it, so it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to cultivate the Innate Poison Body. However, the countless secret arts that poison masters cultivate contained in the books of the Poison Hall had formed a corresponding cultivation technique alongside the Heavens Path Poison Art. And if he were to cultivate ording to the cultivation technique, even if he is unable to reach the level of the Innate Poison Body, he would be able to significantly increase his physical immunity to poison. This was much more efficient than the special techniques poison masters utilize to temper their physique to make it more resilient toward poison. "I should give it a try!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan willed for the book on the cultivation technique to appear and started browsing through it. After an unknown period of time, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and stood up all of a sudden. Geji! Geji! Geji! The bones throughout his body crackled as though fried beans and his aura evolved in an instant. "Even though it pales inparison to Innate Poison Body, it grants me immunity toward ordinary poisons. In my current state, consuming poisons formted by a 3-star poison master wouldnt hurt me in any way!" Sensing the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan smiled. There was an obvious change in his body after cultivating the Heavens Path Poison Art and his immunity toward poison had increased. Even though it wasnt the Innate Poison Body, he had achieved perfect immunity to poisons concocted by 3-star poison masters and below. "More importantly... After cultivating the Heavens Path Poison Art, on top of curing people and inducing a breakthrough in their cultivation, my Heavens Path zhenqi can also be turned into lethal poison with a single thought, killing an enemy instantaneously!" Rather than his physical body, the greatest change from cultivating the Heavens Path Poison Art was actually his zhenqi. The purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi made it an unparalleled tool in healing injuries, rejuvenating ones stamina, augmenting ones life force, and inducing a breakthrough in cultivation... And after cultivating the Heavens Path Poison Art, Zhang Xuan was now capable of converting the Heavens Path zhenqi into a lethal aura that was impossible to withstand. Once it seeps into ones veins, even a Zhizun realm expert would be unable to neutralize it. As clear as spring water, it was capable of diving into any holes or acupoints within the human body. Even if one were to know where it was, without sufficiently pure zhenqi, it would be impossible to expel. This was no different from terminal stage cancer. Even if one knew the cause and solution to the problem, it was impossible to treat. As expected of the Heavens Path zhenqi. Life and death hinged on just a single thought. Zhang Xuan didnt know that it could wield such an incredible power. "Now that Im done cultivating the Poison Body, I should check on the poison aura!" Having finished cultivating the Poison Body, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. He turned his attention once more to the poison aura hidden in the depths of his body. In the past, he understood very little about poison, and thus, he was unable to ascertain what the poison hiding in his body was. Now that his knowledge wasparable to a 3-star poison master, such that Gu Mu might not even be a match for him, he finally possessed the capability to look into the origin of the poison aura and find a way to expel it. Upon entering the state of Heart of Tranquil Water, Zhang Xuans mind began clocking at a rapid speed. "This poison aura can hide within my bloodstream and escape the pursuit of my Heavens Path zhenqi..." As he examined the poison aura hidden in his body, books after books of poison appeared before his eyes, and countless knowledge flooded his mind. There was more than a million type of poison in the world, and every single one of them had a different concoction and cure. Even the slightest mistake could cause a huge difference in the result. Thus, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. He took his time and sieved through the countless books in the library slowly. "Green Spirit Poison, thats not it! Phantom Shadow Toxic, thats not right either! Clear Snake Venom, that doesnt seem like it..." Zhang Xuanpared the poison based on its color and traits to those listed in the books one by one. After a period of time, Zhang Xuan suddenly halted. His face paled, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. "To think that it would be this. How... How is this possible?" --- rifications: A Heavens Path (perfect) cultivation technique is formed along with the Heavens Path Poison Art. While the book is called Heavens Path Poison Art, the cultivation technique is also called Heavens Path Poison Art. Cultivating Heavens Path Poison Art will grant you the Poison Body. Chapter 283: Lava Beast [2in1] Chapter 283: Lava Beast [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove This is... the Innate Fetal Poison! Its a type of Innate Poison! Upon identifying the poison, Zhang Xuan felt as if he could go insane. Innate Fetus Poison is a poison that affects a fetus in its mothers womb. The poison melds with ones blood and soul, making it impossible to cure. Zhao Ya possessed the Innate Pure Yin Body and, after awakening her unique constitution, gained overwhelming strength and incredible beauty befitting of a queen. On the other hand, Yuan Tao possessed the Innate Emperor Bloodline and, after its awakening, gained an invincible defense, bing a human-shaped meat shield... Zhang Xuan had always been envious of them, and now, he realized that he possessed an innate constitution as well, just that... These are all innate constitutions, but why the huge difference? Other peoples innate constitution allow their cultivation to soar, but his innate constitution was instead threatening to im his life... "Innate Fetal Poison is a unique poison that is nted into the body of a pregnant mother. It fuses with the fetus within her before it is born and causes an innateck of Fetal Vitality. Those who have been inflicted with this poison rarely live beyond thirty, and this constitution is also termed as the Constitution of Premature Death... and there is no cure for it." Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. Other people possess overpowered innate physical constitution, while I possess the innate Constitution of Premature Death... Premature death your head! Is it even possible to pull an even bigger prank on me? If I wont live beyond thirty, doesnt that mean that I only have a decade more to live? My days are numbered... Suppressing his dismay, he searched through the books in the Library of Heavens Path and found seven to eight other books with descriptions on Innate Fetal Poison, but... these descriptions tallied with the poison aura hidden in his body. That meant that without a doubt, Zhang Xuan was inflicted with this poison. Just that... "To be capable of nting the poison in the mother and have her pass it to her offspring without being noticed, the one who nted the poison must be at minimum a 7-star poison master. But I am only an orphan, there shouldnt be any need to go through so much trouble..." After confirming the poison in his body, Zhang Xuan brooded for a moment before doubts started appearing in his mind. Having read so many books on poison in the Poison Hall, Zhang Xuan had gained an in-depth understanding of the usage of poison. For one to nt an Innate Fetal Poison into a person without being noticed, the poison master must be above 7-star. He would be either an 8-star or even a 9-star poison master. A poison master of this level already possesses unparalleled cultivation. Why would he waste so much effort just to deal with an orphan like him? His previous self was just an insignificant figure living in a backward ce like Tianxuan Kingdom. Being an orphan, he was so poor that he did not have a single cent in belonging. Nothing about him was exceptional, except for his cultivation before he reached eighteen. But after that, he fell behind and even earned a reputation as the worst teacher in the entire history of Hongtian Academy. How can a figure like him be worthy of the attention of a poison master standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid... Isnt this inconceivable? "This poison fuses with ones body, and under normal circumstances, one wouldnt notice it until his death. It is due to the Heavens Path zhenqi that I cultivated being too pure that it was forced to reveal its presence. Even so, theres no way for me to treat it..." Zhang Xuan felt helpless. The first time he noticed this poison, he thought that someone had nned to murder him, and his previous self was killed by that person. But from the looks of it now, he had been overthinking. This poison had apanied him from birth, and it was hidden so deeply that even a 9-star poison master wouldnt be able to notice it. Without a doubt, this would have been a perfect murder. Even if Zhang Xuan were to die, it would be impossible for anyone to pinpoint the murderer. In fact, even if Zhang Xuan were a poison master it would have been almost impossible for him to notice the poison aura. However, the Heavens Path zhenqi that he cultivated was simply too pure. Flowing through his meridians and blood, no impurity was able to able to remain hidden. As such, it was forced out of its hiding. Even so, Zhang Xuan could do nothing about it. Nourished during the pregnancy of its former host, it had already gained intelligence such that even the Heavens Path zhenqi was incapable of expelling it. Furthermore, it would grow more and more potent with the passing of time, and Zhang Xuan would surely die before reaching the age of thirty. The heck! What in the world is this! Other people are blessed with golden fingers which allow them to reign supreme in their worlds, but he was given a time bomb instead. Furthermore, it was the type that straps tightly to you, in order to ensure your death. It was likely that this poison had yed a part in the death of his previous self. Under uncontroble depression and a strong will to end his life, the poison aura acted up prematurely, iming his soul. However, Zhang Xuans transcension urred before the poison aura could corrode the body fully. Zhang Xuans sudden fall as a genius, due to his cultivation stagnating, was also rted to this poison aura. Before reaching Zhenqi realm pinnacle, his previous self advanced swiftly in his cultivation, and he was reputed as a genius that appeared only once every hundred years. However, he ended up being stopped before the gates of Pigu realm for countless years. The reason for this was that the poison aura fused with his entire body, and this severely suppressed the might of his once murky zhenqi. Unless one achieved the level of purity of Heavens Path zhenqi, it was impossible for him to ovee the suppression of the poison aura and reach higher realms. Given the murky zhenqi that one could only cultivate practicing the inferior cultivation techniques in Tianxuan Kingdom, there was no way his previous self could have reached Pigu realm. "All poisons must have a cure. However, the tier of this Poison Hall is too low. Maybe I would be able to find a solution within the books at a higher tier branch..." Even though Zhang Xuan felt dismal at his condition, he wasnt ready to give up. Afterprehending the Heavens Path Poison Art, Zhang Xuan had gained an extensive understanding of poison. Every cause is linked to an effect, and simrly, there isnt such a thing as an incurable disease in the world. Even though the books Zhang Xuanpiled in the Library of Heavens Path stated that there wasnt a solution to the poison, that didnt mean that it was truly incurable. He could perhaps find a remedy in another higher tier Poison Hall. "This Innate Fetal Poison will not act up before I reach thirty. That is to say... I have to find a remedy within the next ten years!" As though a dagger, the Heart of Tranquil Water state sliced away all negative thoughts from Zhang Xuans mind. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had transcended for barely more than a month, and he had already reached Half-Zongshi up from Zhenqi realm pinnacle. It was hard to imagine what heights he would reach in the next ten years, and by then, he might have already found a cure. There was no need for him to panic. But the matter nevertheless weighed down on him heavily, exerting a constant stress on him. Often, what happens in practice do not obey logical theories. It took Zhang Xuan great luck to live once more, and he didnt want to die for such an absurd reason. "Summon Gu Mu!" Standing up, Zhang Xuan instructed the Great Herb King and Butler Lu, who were guarding the entrance to his room. "Senior granduncle, did you call me?" Not too long after, Gu Mu walked into the room. "Sit!" Zhang Xuan gestured. "The reason why I had youe over is that I have something I would like to ask you!" Gu Mu sat upright immediately. "Senior granduncle, please speak!" In thest few days, Zhang Xuan had taken out some time to conduct a second treatment for the person before him. After which, thetter felt rejuvenated, and he felt as though he had returned back to the time ten years ago when his stamina was at his peak. Endless energy seemed to gush through him. After two treatments, he knew that this senior granduncle before him possessed heavenly means. He had long been fully impressed by thetter, and he didnt dare to hold any doubts or vile thoughts toward him. "Have you heard of the Innate Fetal Poison?" Zhang Xuan asked. Gu Mu came from Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall branch, and he had read through profound secret manuals. It was possible that he might know something that Zhang Xuan didnt. "Innate Fetal Poison?" Gu Mu hesitated for a moment before answering, "Ive heard of this poison. It is a lethal poison which is imnted into the womb of a woman, and the poison fuses itself with the fetus along with its growth. Theres no cure for the poison!" "No cure?" "Yes!" Gu Mu nodded. However, he suddenly thought of something, and hesitation flickered on his face. "But..." "But what?" Zhang Xuan stared at him intently. "Ive heard a rumor, but I cant ascertain its authenticity!" After hesitating for a moment longer, Gu Mu said, "It is said that the greatest man in history, Empyrean Kong shi, was afflicted with Innate Fetal Poison. No one knew how he resolved it, but he lived to ten thousand years old and passed away from old age." Empyrean Kong shi was known as the number one master teacher in the world, the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion. He was revered by countless people in the world, and there wasnt a single master teacher or master teacher apprentice who didnt know of him. "Oh?" Zhang Xuan had once heard Huang Yu spoke of him and he felt immense respect for the legendary figure as well. However, he didnt expect that senior to be afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison as well, to have been in a simr predicament as him. However, since he managed to ovee it, it meant that there was a cure for the poison. "However, this is only a legend spread among the civilians. If one wants to know about the matters surrounding Kong shi, one would probably have to pay a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion as a master teacher. Poison masters like us only know a thing or two about him from the rumors... But, why would senior granduncle ask about this?" Gu Mu asked doubtfully. "I am just casually asking about it!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. At this moment, Zhang Xuan decided to pay a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion right after he settled the things here. An autobiography would bepiled on the life of outstanding figures in each upation and kept in their respective guilds so that theter generations can learn from their example. Since Kong shi was the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was likely that his records were in the Master Teacher Pavilion. If he was truly afflicted with Innate Fetal Poison and if he eventually lived to the end of his full lifespan, it would mean that he had managed to resolve the poison. If there was a precedent of sess, Zhang Xuan would need not panic that much. "Whats the situation in the Poison Hall?" Having a n in mind, Zhang Xuan decided not to linger on this topic. "After several rounds of examinations, I have already decided on the new Hall Master; he is the Vice Hall Master Liao Xun! Also, the Crimson me Lotus Seed is nearing maturity and we can pick it tomorrow." Gu Mu replied. "Tomorrow? Great!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had obtained the knowledge he required and had also identified the poison he was suffering from. As such, there was no further need for him to remain here, and it was best for him to leave as soon as possible. After Gu Mu exited the room, Zhang Xuan continued to look through the books in the Library of Heavens Path to augment his knowledge, and he took time to reinforce his cultivation as well. Even though there werent sufficient Zongshi realm cultivation techniques in the Red Lotus City to form the Heavens Path Divine Art, there were sufficient lines of information that were correct, allowing Zhang Xuan to start on the next level of cultivation. After several tries, Zhang Xuan was able to clearly sense the Half-Zongshi zhenqi in his body growing more and more powerful, and he was barely a step away from stepping into the Zongshi realm. Even though the Library of Heavens Path was capable of peering through the ws of all objects and beings, Zhang Xuan nevertheless required a stable foundation to reach greater heights. Thus, he had been studying whenever he had the time, and in just ten days, his knowledge had expanded by more than twofold. His understanding of beast taming and poisons had deepened significantly, and even without the assistance of the Library of Heavens Path, he could be considered as a knowledgeable veteran. At the same time, Zhang Xuan practiced a round of the Heavens Path Fist Art, Heavens Path Leg Art, and Heavens Path Spear Art each once more. These skills were the most fundamental of all but were capable of bringing out the strength in ones body perfectly. They boost Zhang Xuans abilities in offense significantly, allowing him to stand against some Zongshi realm intermediate cultivators, and perhaps, even kill them. Of course, if Zhang Xuan were to use the Library of Heavens Path ability to detect ws and the Heavens Path Movement Art along with it, by going all out at the expense of his own body, he might be able to kill even a Zongshi realm pinnacle. It waspletely unheard of for a Half-Zongshi to defeat a Zongshi realm pinnacle in a straightforward fight. Even the most talented genius in the Master Teacher Pavilion would be incapable of such a feat. "Senior granduncle, the Crimson me Lotus Seed has matured!" Zhang Xuan spent his entire time cultivating, and at the daybreak of the second day, Gu Mu knocked on his door. "Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan stood up. Zhang Xuan had waited ten days for this treasure which could increase the chances of breaking through Zhizun realm by 20%, and finally... it had be ready for picking! "The Red Lotus Range is a gigantic volcano, and our Poison Hall branch is built at the opening of the volcano. When the branch was built back then, a formation master was invited to build a formation to seal the volcano and gather Earthen mes to nourish the Crimson me Lotus." Even though Liao Xun had be the official Hall Master, he didnt dare to pull his rank before the duo. On their way there, he exined the situation to them respectfully. "Envoy, senior granduncle, this way!" Liao Xun had also followed Gu Mus way of addressing Zhang Xuan. Proceeding forward, the trio soon arrived at an altar. "The mouth of the volcano is hidden below!" Liao Xun pointed. Zhang Xuan nced downward. A gigantic altar with a radius of more than a hundred metersid before them. From afar, it looked ancient. Rather than an entrance to the volcano, it seemed more like a piece of barren ruin. Zhang Xuan was perplexed, but having heard the history of the branch, Zhang Xuan knew that there was likely to be a formation in ce, so he kept quiet. And just as he deduced, Liao Xun stepped forward to the altar. With a flick of his hands, he whipped out the token representing his identity as the Hall Master and ced it in an opening at the center of the altar. Hong long long! The world spun, and the sight before them changed immediately. A seemingly endless staircase that led downward appeared on the t and vast altar. "This way!" Liao Xun led the way, and after walking down the staircase for nearly two hours, a vast underground pce appeared before them. At the center of the pce was the huge mouth of the volcano. Scorching mes burned on the surface, and waves of heat gushed forth from it, making it grueling for anyone to approach. Feeling the heat surging from within, Zhang Xuans expression turned grim. They had yet to enter through the opening but just the torrid air in the main hall was sufficient to cause any Pixue realm cultivator to copse. "Envoy, senior granduncle, that is the Crimson me Lotus!" Stepping forward to the entrance of the volcano, Liao Xun pointed. At the center of the volcano, amidst the searingva, a crimson lotus floated. On it was a lotus pod filled with countless seeds, exuding a slight fragrance. "How beautiful!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The Crimson Lotus before him was two to three meters tall, and its entire surface was fiery-red, resembling raging mes. It was several hundred meters away from their present location, but they could already feel the heat wave emitted by it searing their skin. Putting aside Zhang Xuan, even a Zhizun realm expert would find the heat hard to tolerate. "How do we pick the lotus?" Zhang Xuan asked. Not only was the heat wave emitted by the Crimson Lotus intolerable, the crux was that it was floating on the surface of theva several hundred meters away from the shore. How can one reach it? Step into theva? Even with the powerful Heavens Path Golden Body, Zhang Xuan would be reduced to ashes the moment he stepped in! Needless to say, the rest. "Ive no idea. My teacher was burnt to ashes while attempting to pick the lotus seed upon observing that it was nearing maturity..." Liao Xun shook his head sorrowfully. The abrupt death of the old Hall Master was due to his attempt to pick the Crimson me Lotus Seed. "The Crimson me Lotus Seed matures once every century, and each time, someone would seed. The headquarter has always received your tribute, so why would the old Hall Master be burned to death?" Gu Mu asked doubtfully. This Poison Hall branch had been guarding this lotus since its inception, and it wouldnt make sense for them to spend countless medicinal herbs to nourish it just to hand it over to the hands of another. Besides, this branch had been supplying the headquarter with a certain amount of lotus seed every century, so they had to have a way to harvest it. "We do have a way, but were no longer able to utilize it. Look!" Liao Xun smiled bitterly. Picking up a rock, he threw it straight toward the Crimson me Lotus. He was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, and under the augmentation of zhenqi, the stone flew at an incredible speed with a screeching sound, as though it was tearing air apart. "What are you doing..." Seeing the other party throw a stone with such immense force toward the Crimson me Lotus, Gu Mus expression darkened. The Crimson me Lotus had matured, and upon being struck, it was highly likely it would fall into theva. Once it fell in, it would be nearly impossible to find. "Envoy, take a look!" Liao Xun said. In the midst of their exchange, the stone was already right before the Crimson me Lotus. Just as it was about to strike the lotus, theva surrounding the flower tremored violently and suddenly, and a bizarre creature flew upward. Opening its mouth, it swallowed the entire stone. That bizarre creature was shaped like a snake, and it was several dozens of meters long. Covered in a thickyer of bright red scales, it swam leisurely in theva, creating an extremely peculiar sight. "What is that?" Gu Mu didnt expect such a bizarre creature to be swimming in the scorchingva. He pondered for a moment, and his eyes suddenly narrowed, "Can this be the Lava Beast that you brought up with the headquarter previously? Upon seeing the creature, he suddenly recalled the contents of the report the Red Lotus Range branch submitted to the headquarter previously. Not only did the report talk about the abrupt death of the old Hall Master, it also spoke of a savage beast that lived in theva around the lotus, and they have termed it as the Lava Beast. He thought that it was just nonsense the other party came up with to avoid handing over the Crimson me Lotus Seed, and the possibility of it being true never shed across his mind. "Yes, this is the Lava Beast. The unique scales around it grants it tolerance to high heat, allowing it to live in theva. Its strength isparable to a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert..." Liao Xun shed a bitter smile. "To think that such a creature exists in the world!" Gu Mu wasnt the only one shocked, Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the sight as well. The temperature of theva below was definitely above two thousand degree Celsius. They could never have imagined that such a huge creature would be able to survive such extreme conditions if they hadnt seen it for themselves. "Indeed. This creature appeared all of the sudden, and for the past few years, it has been guarding the Crimson Red Lotus as though it was his property. Anyone who tries to approach it would have to suffer his attacks!" Liao Xun exined. "It is one thing if we are on the shore, but theva is its haven. Furthermore... it has reached the level of Zhizun realm pinnacle. Honestly, we are helpless before it!" "This..." Gu Mus expression darkened. Even though he had achieved Zhizun realm pinnacle as well, if he were to battle with this gigantic fellow in theva... There was a nine out of ten chance that he would die here. "Does poison not work?" Zhang Xuan couldnt resist asking. The Poison Hall was adept at using poison, so it was usible that they could kill the creature using it. "The Lava Beast isnt afraid of even the searing Earthen mes, so how can any ordinary poison be effective on it..." Liao Xun said. Theva was about two thousand degree Celsius hot. Most poison would be reduced to ashes before it can even reach theva, thus making it nigh impossible to use poison. "Weve tried all kinds of methods, except... finding a beast tamer to tame it. Honestly speaking... there doesnt seem to be any other solution!" Liao Xun shook his head. "However, this is our greatest secret, and the Poison Hall doesnt interact with any other upations. It is highly likely that inviting a beast tamer will cause unnecessary trouble!" The Poison Hall didnt possess any connections with the other upations; there were some which were actually hostile to it. Inviting people from another upation here would mean having to reveal their den, and this could potentially bring them a catastrophe. If so, they would have wasted their years living in seclusion in the Red Lotus Range. "Thats right..." Understanding this fact as well, Gu Mu shook his head. Poison and brute force wouldnt work, and they couldnt hire a beast tamer either... It was indeed a huge question how they could harvest the Crimson me Lotus Seed. "Will beast tamers be able to subdue that fellow?" Hearing the duos conversation, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps... I can give it a try!" --- Golden finger refers to the gifts/talents one receives upon transcending to an alternate world. For example, Zhang Xuans Library of Heavens Path can be considered as a golden finger. Kong shi is most probably a reference toward Confucius, otherwise known as Kong Zi. He is a philosopher who had formted a line of thoughts that became known as Confucianism. On top of that, he is also informally known as the first teacher. Chapter 284: Go Down and Beat It Up Chapter 284: Go Down and Beat It Up Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Upon hearing those words, Gu Mu and Liao Xuns eyes lit up, "Can it be that senior granduncle intends to subdue it?" The person before them was an incredible expert who had surpassed the Zhizun realm. No matter how domineering this giant fellow was in theva, if he were to make a move personally, he would be able to kill it effortlessly. "It is just a small savage beast, its not worthy of being my opponent!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, revealing an expression full of disdain. However, on the inside, he was spurting blood. Me, subdue it? What a joke! That is a Zhizun realm savage beast! Even if I were to face it onnd, I will run as far as I can. To want me to subdue it... If I were to really get closer, I would be a delectable meal for the other party. "Then..." The duo was perplexed. "It isnt easy for a savage beast to achieve a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivation. It would be a pity to kill it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, and a benevolent expression appeared on his face, "Gu Mu, since youre my junior, Ill give you this opportunity to tame this savage beast! Once it bes your tamed beast, harvesting the Crimson me Lotus Seed will be easy!" "Me... tame it?" Gu Mu was still wondering what ideas Zhang Xuan had in mind when he heard the other partys words. He staggered and nearly cked out. Even onnd, it would be difficult for him to defeat this massive fellow. To face him inva was equivalent to courting death! To talk about taming the savage beast... it would already be a huge blessing for him to not be the one who gets tamed! "Senior granduncle, I know nothing about beast taming..." With a reddened face, Gu Mu shook his head hurriedly. He had dedicated himself to the Way of Poison. Even though he had heard of beast taming, it was something very unfamiliar and foreign to him. To tame a humongous fellow who has achieved the same cultivation realm... Better not. I wish to live a much longer life. "Theres no need to worry about that, I can guide you!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. With an imposing tone, he spoke, "Dont you believe your senior granduncle?" "I dare not..." Shuddering, Gu Mu hurriedly bowed. Then, unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked, "Senior granduncle... Can it be that you are well-versed in beast taming as well?" Even though this senior granduncle of his didnt appear much older than him, his mastery of poison far surpassed him, and his understanding of the Way of Medicine didnt seem to be mediocre. Could it be that he is versed in the art of beast taming as well? If that was the case, he would surely have been a legendary figure. But if that was the case, why hadnt he heard of him? "I know a thing or two!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back as he walked to the mouth of the volcano. The Lava Beast was swimming in theva around the Crimson me Lotus, resembling a gigantic snake. To harvest the seeds, it was impossible for them to get close without rming it. Turning around, Zhang Xuan stared at Gu Mu. "This is a Zhizun pinnacle savage beast, and countless people dream of taming such a savage beast. This is a good opportunity, are you really reluctant to grasp hold of it?" "I..." Seeing the other partys serious expression, Gu Mu hesitated for a moment. Then, with a slightly reddened face, he asked, "Can I... really tame it?" Taming a savage beast of the same cultivation realm meant that his fighting prowess would be increased twofold. In truth, he was tempted by the idea. On top of that, if it were to consume the Crimson me Lotus Seed, it was possible that it would be able to break through its bottleneck. At that time, with the strength of the human and the beast in unison, he would have a much better chance at exacting vengeance. Just that... Isnt taming savage beasts a skill that only beast tamers are capable of? Guide me? Even if you were to guide me, it is impossible for me to be a beast tamer instantly and be able to tame this incredible savage beast! "If you follow my instructions carefully, taming it shouldnt be a problem!" Sensing that the other party had been tempted by his offer, Zhang Xuan swung his sleeves and spoke indifferently, "The choice is yours. If you are unwilling to do so, we can drop the idea. Its just a Zhizun realm savage beast, I can kill it effortlessly. However... If you miss this opportunity, there wont be a second chance." "This..." Gu Mus eyes flickered with hesitation and doubt. But eventually, he gritted his teeth and nodded, "Alright, senior granduncle. What should I do... Do I need to prepare anything?" It was indeed a good opportunity for him. Not only did the savage beast rival him in strength, it did not fear poison. The moment he seeded, his standing in the Xuanyuan branch would rise greatly. Even though Gu Mu had never tamed a savage beast, he had seen others do so. He knew that a beast tamer would have to prepare numerous items beforehand so as to attract the other partys attention and win its goodwill. He would have to find a way to deepen his bond with it and gradually gain intimacy before it would submit to him. "Theres no need for it, and theres no time either!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, "Since this fellow has decided to camp around this Crimson me Lotus, he must be extremely fond of it. No matter what it is that we prepare, it is impossible to be more attractive to it than this lotus. Besides, the lotus seed has already matured and it is ready for consumption. If we were to start making preparations now, by the time were done, it would have already eaten all of the seeds." "That..." Gu Mu was perplexed. If we do not prepare any gifts for the Lava Beast, how will we attract its attention? At this moment, the senior granduncles voice sounded once more. "Its simple. Youll jump down right now and beat it up. After that, I will tell you how you should tame it!" "Beat it up?" Gu Mus face turned green. Other people would be thinking of ways to win the trust of the savage beast and move it. Yet, this senior granduncle asked me to attack it... Wont we incur this gigantic fellows wrath this way? Once this fellow bears hostility toward us, wouldnt it be impossible for me to tame it? More importantly... It is highly probable that I would be unable to return once I go down... Are you sure that you are sending me to tame this savage beast, not to feed it? Sensing his hesitation, Zhang Xuan knew what he was worried about. Thus, he reassured him, "Dont worry, Im here. It wont be easy for that fellow to kill you." "Yes!" Gu Mu clenched his jaws. Thats right, senior granduncle is a formidable figure who has surpassed Zhizun realm. With him here, how can I possibly be subdued by that mere Lava Beast? Of course, if he were to know that this senior granduncle of his had merely a Half-Zongshi cultivation realm and that he could easily crush him to death... He would probably burst into tears. Having made up his mind, Gu Mu took in a deep breath and flicked his wrist. The next moment, a sword appeared in his palm. Pumping the zhenqi in his body, he shed at the ground several times swiftly, and the firm granite ground was immediately cut into tiles of simr sizes. There were roughly seventy to eighty tiles, and each of them was a square of a chi wide. He stacked those tiles up and ced them before Liao Xun. "Hall Master Liao, Ill have to trouble you to build a footpath for meter on!" "Alright!" Liao Xun nodded. Even Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators were incapable of flight. To fight with the Lava Beast from above the scorchingva, he had to build suitable footpaths. By throwing these tiles into theva, Gu Mu would be able to utilize the feedback between the granite and theva to move about. This is a feat that only Zhizun realm experts are capable of. A Zongshi wouldnt even be able to tolerate the heat wave, needless to say, tread above theva. "Senior granduncle... Ill be going down now!" Now that the preparations were in ce, Gu Mu took in a deep breath. Zhang Xuan waved casually in response. Hu! Upon seeing the senior granduncles response, Gu Mu pumped his zhenqi to the maximum, and with a flick of his wrist, threw out a granite tile, and itnded on the surface of theva. At the same time, he rushed forward and leaped toward the tile. Stepping lightly on the tile, he was able to push himself upward once again. Most Zhizun realm experts would have cultivated lightweight movement techniques, which allowed them to even tread across the surface of the water. As such, treading the denserva wasnt a problem at all. Sou! Seeing the other party starting to descend, Liao Xun immediately estimated hisnding spot and threw a tile over. As though a dragonfly treading on water, he stepped on the granite tile and leaped upward once more. Just like that, he quickly arrived before the Lava Beast. "Lets begin!" Gathering the entire might of his body into his sword, Gu Mu roared and stabbed straight at the Lava Beast. Since he was facing the Lava Beast, he had to give his all without reserve. Otherwise, the one who will end up dead would be him. Roar! Seeing that someone had made an attack against it, the Lava Beast flew into a rage. Roaring loudly, his bulky tailshed out. Hula! Magma sshed about the field with great force. Before Gu Mu could reach the Lava Beast, he felt an overwhelming heat gushing straight at him. Gu Mu hurriedly twisted his wrist to turn the stab into a parry. Ding! The tail struck his sword, and the aerial Gu Mu was sent flying instantaneously as if he were a cannonball. Sou! After determining precisely the other partysnding spot, Liao Xun swiftly threw a tile over for Gu Mu to step on. Even though the both of them didnt have any experience of working together, as a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, Liao Xun wouldntmit a mistake in the simple job of throwing tiles. "Senior granduncle, what do I do next?" Not expecting the creature to be so formidable, as to be able to send him flying with a single strike of its tail, Gu Mu questioned in a panic. "Give me a moment, I havent thought of it yet. You should continue for now..." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "You havent thought of what to do? Continue...?" Gu Mu nearly failed tond on the tile and almost fell into theva. This senior granduncle is too unreliable! It was just a moment ago that you imed that you will guide me to tame the savage beast, that I should first engage it. The battle has already started, yet you have note up with an idea... Do you need to be so darned? Hu! Just as Gu Mu was feeling dismal, the provoked Lava Beast charged up to him, and its sharp dagger-like teeth abruptly closed in on him. The attack came too swiftly, and Gu Mu didnt have any time to evade. Thus, he could only face it head on with his sword. Peng! The sword came into contact with the Lava Beasts sharp teeth. Feeling a numbness in his hands, Gu Mu was sent flying once again. Lava flowed beneath Gu Mu. Even though he was able to move around using those granite tiles, without the solid earth for his feet to apply his force on, the strength he could exert dipped significantly. At present, he was only capable of disying sixty to seventy percent of his full strength, It was impossible to face the frenzied attacks of the Lava Beast in his weakened state. "Senior granduncle, are you ready yet? It took much effort before he managed to stabilize himself once more. He nced at Zhang Xuan immediately to rush him, but what he saw was the other party standing on the spot with a nk expression, as though he was... daydreaming. A chill surged into his heart, and at this, Gu Mu really cried. If only he knew this senior granduncle of his was that unreliable, he would have nevere down. Now that this fellow was fixated on him, it was impossible for him to escape even if he wanted to. Will he really meet his end here? "Forget it, Ill go all out!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to escape, he gritted his teeth and lifted his sword high up. Zhenqi flurried through his body as though a storm, and he sent the sword right down on the Lava Beast. Peng! When the two came into contact, Gu Mu was sent flying ten meters backward once more. It was fortunate that Liao Xun was able to determine hisnding points urately each time with precise timing. Otherwise, he would have long fallen into theva and be reduced to ashes. Ding ding ding! After crossing a few more blows with the Lava Beast, Gu Mu was already on the verge of copsing. At this moment, a voice sounded by his ear. "Alright, listen to my instructions!" Turning around, he saw his senior granduncle looking at him with a calm expression. Chapter 285: Master Teacher Pavilion, Here I Come! Chapter 285: Master Teacher Pavilion, Here I Come! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Roar! In the split moment when Gu Mus attention was diverted by Zhang Xuan, the Lava Beast charged forward once more, generating frightening torrid air currents that threatened to rip him apart. Taking a deep breath, Gu Mu prepared to face it once more with the sword in his hands. However, at this moment, his senior granduncles voice sounded once again. "Dont fend off its attack, keep your sword back into your storage ring!" "Dont fend off its attack?" Upon hearing those words, Gu Mu nced at the agitated Lava Beast which was charging toward him and he nearly keeled over. If he doesnt fend against such a violent attack, wont he be killed instantly? "Hurry up!" In the midst of his hesitation, the voice urged him. "Alright!" Even though he was doubtful, he didnt think that his senior granduncle would go through so much trouble to kill him. Thus, he kept his sword back into his storage ring, and at this moment, becamepletely defenseless. "Stretch your head toward him!" Right after he kept his sword, the next instruction reached his ears. Gu Mu staggered, and he nearly fell off the granite tile into theva. I can still ept it, albeit reluctantly, when you tell me to keep my sword and not fend off its attack, but why in the world do I have to stretch my head forward? Senior granduncle, are you in such a hurry to see me die? Looking at how furious the Lava Beast is charging at me, wouldnt it bite my head off immediately if I were to stretch it over? This isnt beast taming at all, this is a tribute... "Dont waste any time, hurry up!" The voice by his ear urged him. The duo was conversing through zhenqi telepathy. Even though they had exchanged quite a few words, only two breaths had passed. At this moment, the ferocious Lava Beast was just three meters away from Gu Mu, and it could bite down on him at any moment now. It was already toote to try anything else. "Forget it, Ill just give it a try!" Reminding himself of the fact that his senior granduncle could have easily killed him when he was unconscious, he told himself that there was no need for him to use this gigantic fellow to murder him. Gritting his teeth, he stuck out his head, pointing it right into the other partys gaping mouth. "This..." As the duo spoke using telepathy, Liao Xun waspletely oblivious to their exchange. Upon seeing the envoy trying to send his head into the mouth of the Lava Beast, he was horrified. His entire body trembled violently, and he was about to pass out. Others would prepare delicacies and treasures to attract a savage beasts attention in order to tame it. It was his first time seeing someone offer his own head... Even those who surpassed Zhizun realm would have their brain matter spurt out upon the bite of the Lava Beast! If the envoy were to be killed here, he wouldnt have to dream about holding on to his position as the new Hall Master. He would be summoned by the headquarter immediately and be questioned for a month or two before being sentenced to death by poison. He quickly turned to look at the senior granduncle, but the other party was watching the situation impassively. There wasnt the slightest bit of anxiety in his eyes. "Senior granduncle..." Liao Xun couldnt help but yell for the other party to do something. However, before he could say anything else, he saw the other party point forward with his finger. Hurriedly turning his head over, he witnessed a sight that left his eyes widened. Gu Mus head was already within the Lava Beasts mouth and if thetter closed its mouth, he would be killed on the spot. However, at this crucial moment... Not only did the Lava Beast not bite down, it even turned around to flee. Isnt it intent on tearing Gu Mu into pieces a moment ago? Why would it back away when the other party has delivered his head to it? What... is this situation? He wasnt the only one who was bewildered by what was happening. Gu Mu was also confounded. He had already prepared himself for his death and he hadnt expected such a situation to ur. "Dont nk out. Quickly, rush forward and grab its tail!" Gu Mu was still trying to make sense out of the situation when his senior granduncles voice echoed once more. At this point, he was already holdingplete confidence in the other partys words. Thus, he stepped against the granite tile immediately and flew forward as if he were a swallow. In the blink of an eye, he had caught up with the other party. Closing his arms, he embraced the creatures bulky tail tightly. Roar! Having his tail grabbed, the Lava Beast panicked. It began to thrash about immediately with all its might, andva sshed into the surroundings, burning hole after hole in Gu Mus clothes. "What do I do next?" Sensing that his zhenqi was reaching its limits from fending against thevas heat, Gu Mu asked anxiously. "Hold its tail tightly, no matter what it does!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Alright!" With vicious tenacity, Gu Mu held onto the Lava Beasts tail with his four limbs. No matter how the other party struggled, he refused to let go. At this moment, he had no choice but to furiously pump even more zhenqi to fend off the intense heat in the surroundings. Roar! Roar! With its tail grabbed, Lava Beast was infuriated and it howled ceaselessly in anger, trying its best to shake Gu Mu off. However, its movements gradually slowed, and in less than a single minute, it went limp, its condition resembling a dead snake. "This..." Seeing the Lava Beast copse, Gu Mu heaved a sigh of relief. He thought that he was going to die, and the current situation was unbelievable to him. He had felt the ferocity from the Lava Beast when he faced it just a moment ago, that if it could, it would surely have torn him into pieces. But... when he stretched his head toward the other party, why did it refuse to bite down and, instead, back off? Also, why did grabbing its tail result in this situation? "Alright, bring it up to shore!" Gu Mu was still wondering when he heard his senior granduncles instruction in his ears. "Yes!" Grabbing onto the tail end of the paralyzed Lava Beast, he exercised his zhenqi and dragged it to shore. In no time, the human and the beast were on the concrete granite ground. Zhang Xuan walked up to the Lava Beast the moment it was on shore. With a flick of his wrist, a few silver needles appeared in his hands and he threw them straight at the Lava Beast. "Tell it to submit to you. If it agrees, Ill help it achieve a breakthrough in its cultivation. Otherwise, die!" After which, Zhang Xuan sat quietly by the side. "Alright!" Gu Mu walked up to the Lava Beast and ryed Zhang Xuans words. A momentter, its massive head nuzzled against him, disying its submission. The contract was established swiftly and Gu Mu had sessfully tamed the Lava Beast. Liao Xun waspletely dumbfounded, observing everything from beside He had seen people tame beasts, but he had never seen anyone doing it so speedily! That is a Zhizun realm pinnacle savage beast! For it to submit to a human so easily, isnt this... too simple? If taming a beast is that easy, doesnt that mean that I can be a beast tamer as well? He wasnt the only one who thought so. Gu Mu also felt as if he was in a dream. If not for the massive Lava Beast nuzzling against him continuously, he would truly doubt if everything was an illusion. "Senior granduncle..." Knowing that the one who pulled this miracle off was the senior granduncle, the duo turned to look at him immediately. "This Lava Beast lives in theva, and it doesnt have any peer orpanion. It has nevere into contact with any other life forms, and as such, it has a skeptical personality, having a fear ofing into contact with unfamiliar things!" Knowing the question that was lingering in their minds, Zhang Xuan exined. Even a person would be autistic after living in seclusion for too long, needless to say, a savage beast. A Zhizun realm pinnacle savage beast possesses an intelligence that is in no way inferior to humans. Living in the depths of the volcano, it had not once met another lifeform. As such, it was filled with curiosity and fear for Gu Mu. "When you utilized brute force and tried to kill it, it had retaliated instinctively. Even though this Lava Beast didnt have any battle experience, it held the advantage of being on its home ground, and it would have been impossible for you to emerge triumphantly!" Zhang Xuan continued. Gu Mu nodded. In that battle just now, he could barely fend off the other partys attacks. He clearly wasnt a match for thetter. If it had continued that way, he would surely have died. "Even though keeping your sword and sending your head to it was a clear act of suicide, the skeptical Lava Beast was doubtful toward your actions, and it felt fear! Thats because... the move was irrational!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "On top of that, the Lava Beast has a huge weakness on its mouth. Upon seeing your irrational movement, it began to suspect if you had noticed that weakness and that you were baiting it. Thus, it chose to escape instead." "So thats the case!" Upon hearing the exnation, Gu Mu and Liao Xun came to a realization. Gu Mu felt relieved that he had listened to his senior granduncle earlier on. Otherwise, if he were to continue fighting against the Lava Beast, he would have be a cripple by now. "Then... Why did grabbing its tail cause it to fall limp and lose its ability to fight?" "Do savage beasts need to breathe?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. "Of course they need to breathe..." Surprised by the question, Gu Mu was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly nodded his head. Just like humans, savage beasts require air to survive. "The Lava Beast had been living in theva, but when we first arrived, we didnt see it. Dont you find it strange?" Gu Mu was taken aback by Zhang Xuans words. The reason why fishes can breathe in water is that it has gills that can filter out water and absorb the oxygen contained within it. Lava is in fact just molten granite and it is impossible for there to be oxygen within the thickva. When the three of them first arrived, they did not observe the Lava Beasts head. It was only after Liao Xun threw a stone at the lotus that it jumped out. Can it be that... this fellow doesnt need to breathe? But that is impossible! It is not heard of that a savage beast can survive without breathing! "The breathing organ for Lava Beast, which is to mean the nose that we speak of, isnt on its head. Rather, its on its... tail!" Zhang Xuan exined. "On its tail?" The duo hurriedly turned to the Lava Beast, and they saw two rows of fine opening on its tail. "Usually, this fellow would hide in theva, exposing only its tail to breathe. Furthermore, its tail is the same color as theva, and thats the reason why we failed to notice it when we first arrived!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "The reason why I had you hug the other partys tail is to obstruct its breathing. While a cultivator would still be able to sustain himself through his zhenqi, the same cant be said about savage beasts! Not to mention, it was thrashing around the scorchingva, causing its stamina to fall rapidly! Naturally, it would lose its ability to fight! I didnt notice these special characteristics from the start as well and I only managed to deduce them during your battle." "I see!" Gu Mu finallyprehended the situation the reason why his senior granduncle didnt say anything at the start. The other party wasnt toying with him, he was observing the characteristics of the Lava Beast to formte a n to subdue and tame it. It wasughable that he mistook his intentions... It was truly embarrassing! Upon knowing all these facts, Gu Mus reverence for his senior granduncle reached a new peak. He was able to deduce the characteristics and personality of this Lava Beast within such a short period of time while observing their battle and formte a method to tame it. Even a 4-star beast tamer would be incapable of aplishing the same feat! On top of that, the needles which he shot out at the Lava Beast probably curbed the other partys movements. Otherwise, it was impossible for the taming process to proceed so smoothly. "Now that the Lava Beast has been tamed, you can now harvest the lotus seed!" Done with his exnation, Zhang Xuan waved casually. "Alright!" Gu Mu nodded, and without a word ado, he leaped into theva once more, flitting swiftly toward the Crimson me Lotus. Actually, upon seeing Gu Mu sessfully tame the Lava Beast, Zhang Xuan had heaved a sigh of relief as well. Just like humans, the Library of Heavens Path willpile a book on a savage beast when it is engaged in a fight. The reason why he had Gu Mu face off with it was topile a book to view its ws. Once he knew its ws, the rest became simple. Without the obstruction of the Lava Beast, Gu Mu brought a lotus pod back in no time. There were nine gold lotus seeds within and it emanated a fragrance which rejuvenated ones spirit. "Senior granduncle, this is the Crimson me Lotus Seed..." cing the lotus seed carefully in a jade box, Gu Mu passed it forward. "Un!" Grabbing over the box, Zhang Xuan took out two of the seeds and passed it over to Gu Mu. "One is for you, while the other one is for this Lava Beast!" They had agreed beforehand that Gu Mu would take one Crimson me Lotus Seed, while the rest would belong to Zhang Xuan. Due to the presence of this Lava Beast which was already at Zhizun pinnacle, Zhang Xuan decided to give him another seed. After all, if not for this envoy telling him about it, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have known that there was such a treasure hidden in this Poison Hall branch and he would have missed it. "Thank you, senior granduncle!" Gu Mu was moved with great agitation. "Here, I will leave this one at this branch. Whoever who reaches Zhizun realm pinnacle first will gain the right to consume it!" Zhang Xuan took out another seed and passed it to Liao Xun. Thetter was also extremely grateful to Zhang Xuan. Even though the Crimson me Lotus Seed was a preciousmodity, it wasnt of much use to Zhang Xuan. As long as he was able to find sufficient secret manuals, breaking through Zhizun realm pinnacle wasnt a problem at all. As such, the bottleneck in cultivation which others faced was non-existent for him. Since it wasnt much use to him, and that he had obtained it from the Red Lotus Range Poison Hall branch, he didnt think that it was right for him to deprive the branch of all seeds. After giving three of the lotus seeds out, Zhang Xuan kept the remaining six in his storage ring. "Since Im done with the matters here, its time for me to leave!" Zhang Xuan had aplished his primary aim of browsing through the books in the Poison Hall, and he obtained the Crimson me Lotus Seeds on top of that. After conducting thest treatment for Gu Mu, he bided the others farewell. "Senior granduncle... Where can I find you if I wish to greet you in the future?" Even though he knew that the other party would leave after harvesting the Crimson me Lotus Seeds, Gu Mu nevertheless felt a reluctance to part with him. Even though he had merely known the other party for a few days, thetter had treated his trauma and helped him tame a Zhizun realm pinnacle savage beast. The favor that he had showered upon him was so great that it would be hard for him to repay. Even though he had roughly guessed that the other party might not be his senior granduncle as he imed to be, it didnt hinder his respect for him in any way. "The world is my home. If were fated, well eventually meet!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was assuming a pseudo identity, and it was best for them not to meet ever again. "Senior granduncle, this is my identity token. I know that it is useless to senior granduncle, but if you have any kin or students who are in trouble, you can get them to take this to Xuanyuan Kingdoms Poison Hall to look for me. As long as it is within my means, Ill do my best to help!" With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved a jade token and then passed it to Zhang Xuan. "Alright then, thank you!" Knowing that the other party was doing this to repay the gratitude, Zhang Xuan didnt turn him down. He took the token and kept it in his storage ring. "Farewell!" After saying all that had to be said, Zhang Xuan walked out of the Poison Hall withrge strides. He remembered the roads he took on the way here with the Great Herb King, so even without anyone to lead him, he was able to leave easily. Five dayster, he finally stepped out from the perimeters of the Red Lotus Range. He yelled with a deep tone, and after a moment, the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast appeared in the air above him. Leaping onto the back of the Howling Firmament Beast, thetter unfurled its wings, and the duo headed straight toward Tianwu Royal City. Master Teacher Pavilion, here Ie! Chapter 286: Tianwu Royal City Chapter 286: Tianwu Royal City Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove The vastnds of Tianwu Kingdom span tens of thousands of kilometers. Due to the backing of 2-star master teachers, it is ssified as a Tier 1 Kingdom. Tianxuan, Beiwu, Hanwu, Beichen, Qianyuan, Anyuan, Baili... With Tianwu located right at the center of twelve other neighboring kingdoms, Tianwu Kingdom became the cultivation and trading hub in the area, a sacrednd where countless people yearned to traveled to. Princess Mo Yu had long left on her Viridescent Eagle, and thus, Zhang Xuan was the only person on the Howling Firmament Beasts back. Out of boredom, Zhang Xuan worked on increasing his knowledge in the Library of Heavens Path and, at the same time, reinforced his cultivation and evaluated his current condition. "Along with the rise of my cultivation, the effect of the Heavens Path Golden Body is bing increasingly insignificant..." When Zhang Xuan was at Tongxuan realm, the Heavens Path Golden Body had allowed him to easily subdue cultivators of the same realm. Upon reaching Half-Zongshi, the effects had be less apparent. Eventually, when he reaches Zongshi realm, its potency would be reduced further. To the point that it bes insignificant. It appeared there was a need for him to look for additional physical body cultivation techniques for further upgrade and training. As for Heavens Path Fist Art, Heavens Path Leg Art, Heavens Path Movement Art... Even though they were simple moves, they wielded incredible strength. From the looks of it, before he reached Zhizun, it was unlikely for him to be outdone in terms of battle technique. Thus, there was no hurry for him to look for new books. "Ill have to take the master teacher examination as soon as possible after reaching Tianwu Kingdom. Only after bing a master teacher will I gain the rights to enter the Master Teacher Pavilion and browse through records on Kong shi..." On the way here, he had written what Gu Mu told him about Kong shi on a nk piece of paper and confirmed the matter using the Library of Heavens Path. It was true that Celestial Kong shi was afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison just like him and that he waster cured of the poison. That was to say, the Innate Fetal Poison wasnt without a cure. It was just that at his current standard, he was unable to identify the correct method to cure it. Aftering to this conclusion, Zhang Xuan felt reassured. However, at the same time, doubts emerged in his mind. His previous self was only an orphan, so why would an 8-star or 9-star poison master go so far as to poison him himself? Could it be possible that he possessed an incredible background and came from a powerful family? Even though Zhang Xuan was perplexed, he decided not to think too much about the matter. Putting aside the fact that his previous self was an abandoned orphan, he, as a transcender, felt ufortable at the thought of abruptly stumbling upon people iming to be his parents or one of his kins. Rather than to feel distressed, it was much wiser to just ignore it altogether. In any case, with the Library of Heavens Path in his grasp, Zhang Xuan could only grow stronger. The world is vast, and there was nowhere that he couldnt go! After traveling for another two days, when the sun was about to set in the west, a towering city appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. Under the orange glow of the evening sun, the city appeared just like a vast mountain range which extended into the horizon. The city was more than several dozen timesrger than Tianxuan Royal City. Its infrastructures were beautiful and elegant and the ancient city walls which stood dozens of meters tall wereparable to relics of history and were altogether an imposing sight. Staring down from above, the streets in the city were well-connected and filled with crowds walking to and fro. All kinds of carriages and horses were traveling in and out of the city, creating an image of a lively painting. As the trading hub of thirteen kingdoms, Tianwu Royal City was extraordinarily grand. It simply wasnt something that any of the cities Zhang Xuan had seen couldpare to. "Lets go down!" Knowing that a city of such scale would surely have restrictions on massive savage beasts such as the Howling Firmament Beast, Zhang Xuan decided not to cause a ruckus. Thus, hended at a location in the mountains not too far from the city, where the Howling Firmament Beast could behave freely, before walking toward the grand city with big strides. "Please wait a moment! Youve to pay the entrance fee to enter the city!" He was about to walk through the gates when a group of guards stopped him. "Entrance fee?" Only upon looking around him did he realize that all visitors had to pay a certain sum to enter the city. If there wasnt such a restriction, the Tianwu Royal Citys poption would surely suffer from an uncontroble poption growth, possibly to the point that even the Tianwu royal family would be unable to manage the situation. "Thats right! Unless youre a master teacher or apprentice, youll have to pay the toll fee!" The guard said. Master teachers were the foundation to the progress of the world, and thus, they possessed a high status in society. No matter where they went, they would be granted special privileges. This was something that the other upations can never enjoy. "Enough, whats the use of wasting your breath on him? Given his age, how could he be a master teacher or a master teacher apprentice?" "Thats right. Hurry up, there is a huge crowd waiting behind you!" Seeing that the fellow was wasting their times, the two guards became impatient. The crowd behind which was waiting to enter the city was also urging them to hurry up. What are you putting an act for? Since its establishment several thousand years ago, a toll had been imposed on all entries into the city. For you to not even know such a basic fact, which backward ce did youe from? "How much does it cost?" Ignoring their irritated gazes, Zhang Xuan asked. "100 gold coins!" A guard replied. "100?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Even a star teacher in Hongtian Academy earn only two thousand gold coins per month. Hundred gold coins for an entrance fee was indeed exorbitant. "Thats right!" Seeing the shocked expression on the other partys face, it was clear that he was someone who had never seen the world. The guards stared at him contemptuously. To make such a huge fuss over a hundred gold coins, it is clear that he is a poor bloke. "I dont have money..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Upon hearing those words, the guards revealed an expression that screamed I knew that you would say that and bellowed, "If you dont have money, dont waste our time here! For you to think that you can enter the city like that, you must be dreaming..." However, before he could finish his words, the irksome fellow before him lifted up a token in his hand and looked at him with an excited expression, "But with this, I shouldnt have to pay any money, right..." "No matter what you have, it doesnt make a difference... Ah? A master teacher apprentice identity token..." Halfway through his words, the guard recognized the token in the other partys hands. His entire body trembled in shock, and all of the words that he was about to speak choked in his mouth. At this point, he was already on the verge of tears. "Are you... a master teacher apprentice?" Those guards who were criticizing him just a moment ago turned pale upon seeing the token. They had thought that he was a countryside bumpkin, but to think that he would be a formidable figure. Brother, if youre a master teacher apprentice, you could have just entered straight away. Why do you have to go through all the trouble to ask us about the toll fee? Arent you intentionally making things difficult for us... "Please enter..." Suppressing the stifling sensation in their chests, the guards stepped aside immediately to open up a path for him... If the royal family were to find out that they had troubled a master teacher apprentice, their heads might be lopped off their necks. Upon seeing that the token Liu shi and the others could allow him to enter freely, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "To think that this toy would be this useful, saving me a hundred gold coins so easily..." "..." The guards. They had seen misers, but they had never seen such a scrooge. For a master teacher apprentice, a figure who induces respect no matter where he goes, to be so happy just because he saved a hundred gold coins... Behaving like that, arent you doing injustice to your prestigious identity? Ignoring the stifled guards, Zhang Xuan walked right into the city. Even though he had several ten million gold coins in his storage ring, he nevertheless maintained the mindset of a spendthrift. After all, gold coin saved is a gold coin earned. As for the opinions of others... What does it have to do with me! ... The streets within the city were wide, shops could be seen all around and vendors shouted passionately to gather customers. The remaining sunlight from the setting sun reflected off the towering buildings, inducing in oneself a warm feeling. "As expected of Tianwu Royal City, an object picked at random from any vendor is of much higher grade than those in Tianxuan Kingdom!" Walking along the street, Zhang Xuan nced at the various products sold in the stores and he could not help but feel astonished. Him right now was like Granny Liu stepping into the Prospect Gardens, curious about everything around him. Even though he had read about most of the objects present here in the books, it was a different thing to see them in person. "So youre a master teacher apprentice as well?" Zhang Xuan was looking around his surroundings when a voice sounded behind him. Turning around, he saw ady in her twenties looking at him with a perplexed expression. Thisdy was dressed in a light green robe. Even though her appearance paled inparison to amazing beauties like Shen Bi Ru and the others, she had an amiable face which felt pleasant to the sight. An elder dressed in an obvious bodyguard outfit stood beside her, and the aura he exuded felt deep. From time to time, a spark of light would sh across his eyes. He was a Zongshi realm expert! To be able to hire a Zongshi realm expert as her bodyguard, thisdy was likely to be of an extraordinary standing. "Un!" Zhang Xuan replied casually. It was likely that these two saw his apprentice token when he entered the city, so they gave chase to ask him about it. "Me too!" With aughter, thedy flipped her hand and a token appeared in her palm. To think that she would be a master teacher apprentice as well. "Incredible!" Zhang Xuan was impressed. In Tianxuan Kingdom, even someone as outstanding as Lu Xun was unable to be a master teacher apprentice, but a randomdy he met on the streets turned out to be one. The disparity between both kingdoms was indeed huge. Thedy was clearly satisfied with Zhang Xuans response, and her attitude toward him improved significantly. "My teacher is 1-star Master Teacher Cheng Xuan. May I know who youre studying under?" "My teacher isnt well-known, and I doubt you would have heard of him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didnt actually have a teacher, and this token was given to him by Liu shi and the others. As such, he could only beat around the bush. Seeing that the other party was unwilling to disclose anything, thedy also didnt pursue this any further. Instead, she looked at him with a doubtful expression and asked, "For you to arrive at the capital at such a time... can you be here for the [Question Symposium] as well? "Question Symposium?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "Whats that?" "You dont know?" Thedy stared at Zhang Xuan as though he was a monster. "The Question Symposium is the final test for the master teacher examination. Only those who have passed the Question Symposium can be a true master teacher. Since youre a master teacher apprentice, how can you not even know about it?" Zhang Xuan was confused. He only obtained the apprentice token by impersonating as Yang shis disciple, so there wasnt anyone to exin to him the process of the master teacher examination. Previously, Liu shi and the others had only spoken briefly about the eligibility for the examination, and they hadnt touched on anything else in detail. Thus, he didnt know about the Question Symposium. "Thats right!" Thedy hesitated for a moment, and a thought seemed to have shed into her head. Coming to an epiphany, she said, "I get it, you must have just be an apprentice not too long ago! As a new apprentice, it is a long way before you can take the master teacher examination. Naturally, your teacher wouldnt have told you about the examination yet!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Putting aside how long it had been since he became a master teacher apprentice, it wasnt even two months since he arrived in this world. Besides, there wasnt even a single master teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom, and there wasnt a single book on master teachers. Thus, it would be a wonder if Zhang Xuan knew about the examination process. "Since youve just be an apprentice, you need not be so anxious. Study hard, and as long as you pass the examination within ten years, you will bring glory to your ancestors!" Hearing that the other party had just be an apprentice, thedys attitude became even more amiable. "After all, we cant expect ourselves to be as talented as Princess Mo Yu and pass the master teacher examination at twenty-two!" Upon speaking of Princess Mo Yu, her eyes began to glow in reverence. --- Granny Liu stepping into the Prospect Gardens Reference to the Dream of the Red Chamber. It is simr to Alice walking into Wondend. Chapter 287: Painter Guild Chapter 287: Painter Guild Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Princess Mo Yu passed the master teacher examination?" Zhang Xuan asked with doubt. Wasnt her still an apprentice when they were at Red Lotus City? He had spent only twenty days in the Poison Hall. Could it be that the princess began the master teacher examination the moment she arrived in Tianwu Kingdom and had passed it? "Princess Mo Yu is one of the most renowned geniuses in Tianwu Kingdom. She has just returned from her training half a month ago and, upon her return, passed the 2-star apothecary examination before taking on the master teacher examination. In a single breath, she overcame countless tests, and all that is left is the Question Symposium tomorrow. As long as she conquers the Question Symposium, she will be a true 1-star master teacher!" Thedys eyes shone with excitement. "The only one who can outdo her feat of bing a 1-star master teacher at twenty-two would be the number one genius in Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Hongyi!" "Mo Hongyi?" Despite being a 2-star apothecary, 1-star beast tamer, 1-star master teacher, and apprentice physician at twenty-two, she actually isnt the number one genius? "You dont know about him?" Seeing the confusion on the other partys face, thedy became speechless. If she hadnt witnessed his apprentice token for herself, she would have thought that he was a fake. It is one thing for you not to know about the various tests in the master teacher examination and the [Question Symposium]... But to not even know Mo Hongyi... Which corner of the world did you pop out from? "Is he famous?" Zhang Xuan asked. Upon hearing those words, thedy suppressed the stifling sensation in her chest and asked, "It cant be that... is this is your first timeing to Tianwu Royal City?" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Fine!" Seeing how the other party admitted to the matter so frankly without the slightest bit of embarrassment, thedy rolled her eyes. Anyone else would surely be filled with embarrassment and a sense of inferiority upon being asked such a question, but this fellow answered it so boldly. It is as thoughing to Tianwu Kingdom for the first time is a glorious affair... It is truly a wonder how he has such confidence. "Since you dont know about him, let me tell you!" Thedy exined, "Mo Hongyi is reputed as the number one genius in Tianwu Kingdom in the past thousand years of history and his name is known throughout the surrounding thirteen countries. Despite being just twenty-six this year, he is already a 1-star pinnacle master teacher, 2-star apothecary, 2-star formation master, and 2-star cksmith!" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. 1-star pinnacle master teacher, 2-star apothecary, 2-star formation master, and 2-star cksmith... Despite being just twenty-six, he was shouldering four great upations of the Upper Nine Paths! From the looks of it, he is on a totally different level from Lu Xun, who is also reputed as a genius in Tianxuan Kingdom. In fact, even Mo Yu is far from his match. Seeing the change in the other partys expression, thedy nodded her head in satisfaction before continuing on, "Not only so, this Great Genius Mos talent in cultivation is also outstanding. Three years ago, he achieved Zongshi realm and defeated the Zongshi realm intermediate stage General Tie Shu. After which, with a single sword, he ughtered the Five Northern Warriors who have been guing the northern regions! One must know all five of them were Zongshi realm experts, and three of them had even reached Zongshi realm intermediate stage! For him to kill all five of them single-handedly, I would not have dared to believe it if I had not heard it from a reliable source." "At the start of this year, he reached Zongshi realm advanced stage. Just a while ago, at the Heaven Spring Peak, he battled the Zongshi realm pinnacle Master Hong Ruo, defeating him within a hundred blows. Furthermore, in the midst of the battle, he sessfully achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle. Even the emperor hadplimented him as a genius who appears only once in a thousand years, and that his future aplishments would be limitless!" "Zongshi realm pinnacle at twenty-six? Furthermore, he is capable of battling those with cultivation above his?" Zhang Xuan was astounded. It was no wonder why he could be reputed as the number one genius in the past thousand years. This Mo Hongyi was indeed a fearsome figure. Inparison to him, all of the so-called geniuses he had seen were as though fireflies before the sun, too insignificant to mention. "Since this Mo Hongyis surname is Mo, does it mean that he is part of the Tianwu royal family as well?" Suddenly, Zhang Xuan noticed a peculiarity and asked. Princess Mo Yus surname is Mo, so this means that the royal family of Tianwu Kingdom goes by this surname. Can this Mo Hongyi be a member of royalty as well? "Thats right!" Thedy nodded her head. "He is a son of one of the princes but he isnt favored by the emperor. Although he is Princess Mo Yus elder brother in terms of seniority, his standing pales far inparison to hers. Even so, given his talent, no one dares to underestimate him!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan agreed. In this world, even though ones birth determines his nobility, as long as one is willing to work hard, he can nevertheless earn respect. Mo Hongyi was an example. Even though he wasnt in line for the throne, given his current prestige, if he truly wanted the crown, the other princes were not likely to be a match for him. When ones capabilities exceed a certain level, schemes and ploys beughable deeds that areparable to ying house. Seeing the other party enter into contemtion, thedy continued, "However, even though hes an incredible figure, I revere Princess Mo Yu more. Not only is she beautiful, shes talented as well. I want to be like her, polite, humble and possesses an earnest desire for knowledge. Just like her, Ill work hard and make a name for myself with my own capabilities!" "Polite, humble, and possessing an earnest desire for knowledge?" Zhang Xuan had been with this Princess Mo Yu for many days, but why hadnt he notice these strengths of hers? Shaking his head, he chose not to dwell on this question. Recalling all that the other party had said before, he asked, "The Question Symposium that you spoke of... Other than Princess Mo Yu, how many other people are taking it?" Upon hearing his question, thedy rolled her eyes once more. "Do you think master teachers are like cabbages in the market, avable whenever you want it? There might not even be a single person who sessfully passes every test in the master teacher examination in the whole of a year! Ive specially traveled here from Quanhai City just to spectate the princesss master teacher inauguration ceremony, so how can there be anyone else?" "Quanhai City?" A book appeared in Zhang Xuans mind, and within it was a map of Tianwu Kingdom. For example, if Tianwu Royal City were Tianxuan Royal City, Quanhai City would be simr to Baiyu City, the secondrgest city in Tianwu Kindom. Given that this talkative and extroverteddy was escorted by a Zongshi realm bodyguard, it was likely that her standing wasnt ordinary. But that is to be expected as well. It is impossible for one to be a master teacher without sufficient connections to search for a good teacher to guide them. After another short exchange, Zhang Xuan learned that her name was Ling Xiaoxiao and that she had just be a master teacher apprentice during the year. The reason why she spoke so much to him was that they were fellow apprentices and that she thought that they should look out for one another. "The Question Symposium will be carried out tomorrow afternoon at the Master Teacher Pavilion. If you wish to take the master teacher examination, you should take a look. Ill be leaving now, farewell!" After speaking for a short while longer, Ling Xiaoxiao realized that this apprentice known as Zhang Xuan seemed to bepletely ignorant of the master teacher examination. As such, she lost her interest to chat with him. In her opinion, it would be several decades before he would be eligible to take the master teacher examination, and they were of twopletely different standards. "I should first find a restaurant to dine in before looking for lodging!" Biding thedy farewell, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily. He had already obtained a clear idea of the Master Teacher Pavilions location and it was gettingte. Furthermore, after seven consecutive days of consuming dry rations on the back of the Howling Firmament Beast, Zhang Xuan had gotten sick of that food. After eating his dinner, just as Zhang Xuan was about to look for an inn to settle in, he saw a massive building before him. On the que hung above its entrance were two majestic words which felt vigorous and soulful, as if it would soar out from the board at any time. "Painter Guild?" Recognizing the words on it, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The Painter, just like Apothecary, is an upation of the Nine Paths and there is a guild to oversee its affairs. However, Tianxuan Kingdom was too small and remote, so it didnt possess the qualifications to build a branch. Zhang Xuan didnt expect to see the Painter Guild right after entering Tianwu Royal City. "I should take a look!" Of the numerous skills that Zhang Xuan possessed, after pill forging and beast taming, the one he was the most skilled at was painting, and he was capable of even producing a painting of the fifth level. Since he managed to chance on the guild, it was a good chance for him to take the examination to be an official painter. After all, he had only acquired the emblems of a 2-star beast tamer and 1-star apothecary at the moment and this looked rather in. As for poison master, even though his mastery in poison had also reached the level of a 2-star, he was in disguise as the envoys senior granduncle then, so it was impossible for him to take the poison master examination. Naturally, he didnt manage to obtain the corresponding emblem. But even if he were to have sessfully acquired it, given how hostile the other upations were toward poison masters, he wouldnt dare to take it out either. As such thoughts shed through his mind, Zhang Xuan stepped into the Painter Guild. As expected of the Painter Guild. Its vast hall was arranged in an orderly and artistic manner, making one feel as though he has stepped into a painting. Slowly walking inward, Zhang Xuan felt as if he were walking leisurely in the midst of a book, and an indescribable sensation offort embraced him. Hung on the walls around him were all kinds of art pieces, and every single one of them was astonishingly lifelike, having reached the first level of paintings, Reality Depiction. A painter has to grasp the first four realms of a painting, Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, and Breathtaking Verisimilitude before he can be qualified as a 1-star. Even though a painting of the first level sounds unexceptional, several years of effort is required before one can produce such a painting. Without sufficient experience andprehension, it is no simple task to depict a scenery realistically. Those who are capable of drawing these paintings are at minimum apprentice painters. "Gongzi, may I know what kind of painting you are looking for? I can bring you around!" As Zhang Xuan slowly browsed through the paintings, a green-robed attendant suddenly walked up to him politely. "Are these paintings for sale?" Zhang Xuan pointed to those pieces hung on the wall. "Indeed! Isnt gongzi here to buy a painting? The attendant nodded. If the Painter Guild doesnt sell paintings, where else can one buy them? "Oh..." After giving the matter some thought, Zhang Xuan felt embarrassed for asking this question. It was simr to how the Apothecary Guild sold pills. It was absurd to think that the Painter Guild doesnt sell paintings. Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan asked, "These are all paintings of the first level. Are there any higher level paintings?" "Please follow me upstairs! In the guild, the paintings on the first floor are mainly those of the first level, the paintings on the second floor are mainly those of the second level, and so on. Gongzi, what level of painting are you interested in buying? Ill bring you up right now!" The attendants eyes lit up. The higher the level of the painting, the more expensive it was. As an attendant, he received amission based on the price of the painting sold. The more expensive the painting Zhang Xuan bought, the more money the attendant would earn. "Is there..." Just as he was about to ask if there was any painting of the fifth level for him to look through, he saw a crowd charge forward. "Hurry up, Ji Mo gongzi is out!" "He passed the 1-star painter examination?" "Indeed! The examination has just ended and in order to thank the crowd for their support, he intends to conduct an open painting, and will auction the finished art piece on the spot!" "Open painting? Great! I will get his painting for sure..." ... People in the crowed started to discuss among themselves. They were mostly youngdies and, walking slightly forward, Zhang Xuan could see a few middle-aged men. Judging by the clothes on them, they were likely to possess great wealth. "Ji Mo gongzi, painting?" Zhang Xuan looked at them contemptuously. "Ji Mo is the young master of the capitals Ji n. Despite just being in his teens, he is already an official painter of the guild..." Upon speaking of Ji Mo gongzi, the attendants face grew red in agitation as well. "Gongzi, if you intend to purchase a painting, you should take a look at the open painting too. If you can buy Young Master Jis painting, you will have made your trip here worth it." Chapter 288: Ji Mo gongzi Chapter 288: Ji Mo gongzi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Oh? Lets go over then!" Since Zhang Xuan was free, he decided to take the opportunity to learn more about how the painter examination was conducted. Thus, he followed behind the green-robed attendant into the crowd. Right at the front, before a dark green table lined against the wall, an eighteen or neen-year-old youngster, dressed in white, was sitting on a wooden chair, and his eyes were tightly closed. "Ji Mo gongzi, I love you! I want to bear your babies!" "How shameless can you get? Ji gongzi is mine! Whoever who dares to vie with me, Ill rip off her clothes!" "Young mistress, a beautifuldy over there is intent on vying with you. Go and rip off her clothes, well cheer you on from here!" "..." Even though Ji Mo gongzis eyes were still tightly shut, manydies in the surroundings had already gone into a frenzy. "Ji gongzi may be young, but hes extremely gentle towarddies. More importantly, he has a suave appearance. Thus, he became the idol ofdies in the capital!" The green-robed attendant exined with a hushed voice. Zhang Xuan nodded. Turning to look at Ji Mo gongzi, his skin was indeed fair and smooth, and he had a dashing face. Even though his eyes were closed, his lips were slightly curled upward and vaguely, it seemed as if he was smiling. Zhang Xuan could understand why he was able to win the fancy of thesedies. Talented, capable, a good background and most importantly, he was dashing. It was no wonder why so manydies went insane for him. "This is... What is he doing?" Seeing the other party seated with his eyes shut, ignoring the ruckus around him, Zhang Xuan inquired. "Ji Mo gongzi is about to paint, he is probably calming his brain and adjusting his mental state!" The green-robed fellow said. "Adjusting his state of mind? Here?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. It was just a painting. Zhang Xuan would usually grab a brush and start on his work right away... Is there a need to adjust any state of mind? Besides, even if he truly needs to adjust his state of mind, he should have gone somewhere quiet and peaceful. With so many people causing a huge ruckus here, how in the world does he expect to adjust his state of mind? "Ji gongzi possesses incredible talents, having reached the level of a master painter before even reaching twenty. Every single action that he makes has its own profound purpose, this isnt something a countryside bumpkin like you canprehend!" Before the green-robed attendant could reply, ady turned around and red at Zhang Xuan furiously. "Indeed, where did this amateure from? Scram aside, dont taint Ji gongzis painting!" Anotherdy harrumphed angrily. Hula! Thedies in the surroundings turned to re at Zhang Xuan with disdainful eyes. "Ah?" Not expecting to meet with so much hostility just by raising a simple doubt, Zhang Xuan became speechless. "A lot of civilians in Tianwu Kingdom are interested in painting, thus raising the status of painters here greatly. Ji gongzi, as one of the most talented painters of the younger generation, has countless fans. Thus, it is best for you not to say anything here. Otherwise, you might really drown from the criticisms of his die-hard fans!" With a bitter smile, the green-robed attendant whispered to him Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to speak, Ji gongzi abrupt opened his eyes and stood up. "Look, Ji gongzi is about to begin painting!" "I wonder what level of painting will he create!" "Does it have to be said? Ji gongzi is an official painter, his works are definitely at least of the second level!" ... Upon seeing Ji gongzi move, those who were ring at Zhang Xuan previously turned to look forward immediately, their eyes twinkling with adoration. The first four realms of painting are Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, and Breathtaking Verisimilitude. Just like in the case of Lu Chen and Yuanyu, official painters, otherwise known as master painters, are capable of producing a painting of the second level or third level with ease. As for whether the painting can reach Breathtaking Verisimilitude, it would depend on his luck and condition. "Me, Ji Mo, will now disy my humble skills!" Ji Mo stood before the table and with a flick of his wrist, a Chinese fan appeared in his hand. Gently fanning himself twice, his ck hair and white robe danced along with the light breeze. "The painting that I create will be sold on the spot. However, I will not im a single cent of the money, and instead, Ill be using it to build a Painting Hall. Ill invite apprentice painters to conduct lessons there so as to propagate theprehension and passion for painting!" "As expected of Ji gongzi, he truly doesnt care for material wealth..." "A character befitting of a master painter, I am impressed!" ... Hearing his words, the crowd burst intomotion once more. Numerousdies screamed fanatically. "This fellow sure knows how to win the hearts!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. This Ji Mo gongzi might be young but he was obviously skilled in politics, knowing how to attract attention. That was simr to the charity auctions conducted by celebrities in his previous life. In in honesty, they were just gimmicks. If he truly wanted to build a Painter Hall and propagate the passion and understanding of painting, he could have done so silently. There was no need for him to create such a huge ruckus. More importantly... It was alreadyte autumn, and not to mention, night time. It felt cold just to stand on the spot and yet he was fanning himself... "Silence!" Shutting his fan, Ji Mo gongzi gestured grandly, "Alright, not to waste everyones time, I shall begin painting now. I hope that everyone can remain silent while I am at work!" Hearing his words, the screaming crowd quietened down all of a sudden. Smiling lightly, Ji Mo gongzi flung his sleeves and picked up a brush. After opening a xuan paper on the table, Ji Mo struck the table lightly with his left hand, and under the tremor of his zhenqi, a droplet of ink leaped into the air from the ink b andnded precisely on the tip of his brush. Then, with a grand movement of his right hand, the brush fell on the surface of the paper. The brush flew around the paper gracefully, creating an imposing sight. Hula! The brush danced about on the paper, reminiscent of a fish swimming freely in a pond. Apanying the passing of time, and the painting gradually took shape. It was a painting of a mountain and a stream. On the tall and towering mountain was abination of mystical forests and mysterious boulders, divided by a stream that flowed through them. Ding dang, one could almost hear the sound of the stream striking the surface of the boulder, and the leaves were dancing toward a certain direction, as though a gentle breeze was caressing them. "This is a painting of the second level!" With a single nce, Zhang Xuan nodded his head silently in approval. The Heavens Path Painting Art which Zhang Xuanpiled using the books in Master Lu Chens house had given him a profound understanding of paintings. Even without the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was capable of appraising paintings to a certain standard. This mountain stream painting was detailed, allowing people to feel as if it were a true mountain right before them. There was a spiritual touch to the painting which gave it bizarre but wonderful aesthetics. This was proof that it has reached the level of Spiritual Canvas. However, even though the contents were outstanding, the mountain and stream werecking artistic conception and a personal touch. In other words, it did not reach the level of Infused Intentions. "It is a pity. If he wasnt overly focused on showing off his skills, and instead, had carved out his painting slowly and calmly, he might have been able to achieve the level of Infused Intentions!" Zhang Xuan sighed after a moment Even though this Ji Mo gongzi was a braggart, his painting fundamentals were in ce. Logically speaking, as long as he were to paint calmly, producing a painting of the third level shouldnt be a problem. However, his obsession with graceful and exaggerated movements had caused him to neglect the essence of the painting. Thus, this painting had only managed to reach Spiritual Canvas pinnacle, just a small step away from Infused Intentions. Even though Zhang Xuan thought that it was a pity, he didnt voice out his thoughts. He was only here to see how the master painter examination was conducted and he wasnt rted to this Ji Mo gongzi in any way. Besides, he had been criticized by the crowd just moments ago for expressing his doubts on Ji Mos actions, and he didnt want to be berated by this bunch of women before him. Soon, the painting waspleted. Ji Mo gongzi threw the brush into the brush holder and hung the painting on the wall. "This is a painting that has reached the second level pinnacle, and it is called Breeze By the Mountain and Stream. The auction will start now. The starting price is one million gold coins, and every raise must be a hundred thousand gold coins at the minimum." At which, the edges of Li Ji gongzis lips shot up, and a mesmerizing smile appeared on his face. Waving the fan in his hands, he brought out the disposition of a dashing schr. "Ill apany anyone who manages to purchase this painting for dinner, for free!" "Apany for dinner? This painting is mine!" "Dontpete with me, Ill offer one million and a hundred thousand!" "You wish to buy Ji Mo gongzis painting for one million and a hundred thousand? Stop joking! A million and three hundred thousand!" "I offer two million!" ... Upon hearing the additional service that came with the painting, thedies eyes reddened with excitement immediately. As theypeted wildly against one another, the price soared rapidly. "Two million and four hundred thousand?" Seeing the price reach two million in the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan was bbergasted. He sold the fifth level painting he created to Lu Chen, Huang Yu, and the others for merely two million each and this mediocre second level painting has exceeded that sum..." This is way too damned! "That... How much is a painting of the fifth level, Spirit Creation, worth?" Feeling dismayed, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask the attendant beside him. "A painting of the fifth level? That would be a treasure left behind by a 2-star grandmaster painter! Furthermore, even such a painter wouldnt be able to produce a fifth level painting as when he pleases. It depends heavily on his condition and luck... A painting of that level will easily be the treasure of our Painter Guild, and one can say that it is... priceless!" The green-robed attendant hesitated for a moment before answering. "Priceless?" Zhang Xuans body swayed violently. "Indeed! If one has no choice but to assign it a price, this starting price would likely be at minimum ten million gold coins. As for how high it can rise, I cant give a concrete answer to that. However, half a year ago, an auction for a painting of the fifth level was conducted here, and the final price was thirty-four million gold coins." The green-robed attendant replied. Zhang Xuans mouth twitched and he was on the verge of tears. Thirty-four million for a single painting and he sold four of it at two million each... Why is the world be so cruel to him? "The Painter Guild has been established in the capital for less than thirty years, and it was only from then that the price of paintings had been on the rise. If it was thirty years ago, when no one held paintings in high regard, a painting of the fifth level would only be worth one or two million." The attendant said. "If it were any higher than that, no one would be willing to spend their money!" "One or two million, thirty years ago?" Zhang Xuan shook. "Thats right!" The attendant nodded. After hearing the other partys verification, Zhang Xuan finally recovered, and his aching heart was soothed. Tianxuan Kingdom was remote and there wasnt the presence of a Painter Guild. It seemed that what Huang Yu and the others reported to him was the thirty-year historical price, and two million... could already be considered as a huge sum for a painting of the fifth level then. "Does Gongzi want to buy a painting of the fifth level?" The green-robed attendant looked at him. "Only our guild leader is capable of drawing a painting of the fifth level, but he had gone out half a month ago in search of inspiration and isnt back yet..." "I am just making a casual inquiry..." Suppressing his vexation, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "That..." Staring at Zhang Xuan, the attendant asked, "Then, gongzi... why dont you buy Ji Mo gongzis Breeze by the Mountain and Stream? It is second level pinnacle and, not to mention, Ji gongzis work. Its value will definitely rocket in the future!" "Forget it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Im not here to buy paintings... Besides, its just a painting of the second level. Im not interested in it!" "Just a painting of the second level? How arrogant!" Before the green-robed attendant could reply to Zhang Xuans words, a cold harrumph sounded. Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan saw Ji Mo gongzi staring coldly at him. "Hm?" Zhang Xuan didnt expect the other party to hear his words when he had already spoken so softly. Zhang Xuan replied with embarrassment, "I apologize, I was just speaking casually, so please do not be offended by my words!" Every painting is created painstakingly and saying such words before a painter is indeed inappropriate. "Hmph, do you think this can be settled with just an apology?" Ji Mo gongzi flung his sleeves, and his eyebrows shot up, "This action of interrupting the auction and treating my painting with contempt, you are insulting the upation and belittling all official painters!" "Then... What do you think I should do?" Zhang Xuan had only made a casualment and had already apologized for his disrespect. Yet, the other party went on and imed that he was insulting the upation and him. Feeling helpless, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Simple, buy my painting at five million gold coins!" cing his hands behind his back, Ji Mo gongzi nced at him impassively. "Dont worry, I wont take a single cent of that money. Ill donate all of it to build the Painter Hall so you can consider it as atonement for your mistake!" "Five million gold coins?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had merelye to take a look, making ament in passing, but the other party actually wanted to force a deal upon him. What a joke! There are so many people who worship you present, cant you get them to buy it for you... "Why? Are you unwilling to buy it?" Ji Mo gongzi sneered coldly. Waving his hands casually, he said, "You can refuse, but you must apologize now and swear not to step into the guild ever again! Our Painter Guild doesnt wee people like you!" "Never step into the guild ever again?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. Kindness doesnt beget kindness. Other people will simply take advantage of you. It was just a casualment and he had already made an apology, yet the other party refused to let the matter go. "I can apologize, and never stepping into the Painter Guild is fine by me as well. In fact, I can even buy your painting for five million gold coins. However... Your painting has to be worth that price first!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, "Do you think that this toy, which any apprentice painter can create, is worthy of that price?" --- Xuan paper -> a kind of high quality paper. Chapter 289: Painting Through a Savage Beast [3in1] Chapter 289: Painting Through a Savage Beast [3in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove After the uproar that Zhang Xuan created with thedies, the crowd had cleared the area around him, causing him and the attendant to stand out with exceptional conspicuity. While everyone was busy cing their bids, the two of them were chatting incessantly about something else, and upon witnessing this, Ji Mo gongzi felt displeased and disrespected. Then, when he listened carefully to their conversation, it turned out that they were belittling his work. How could he tolerate this? Thus, he bellowed at them immediately. They were clearly challenging his prestige and authority. He had thought that the other party would apologize immediately upon being questioned like that, but contrary to his expectations, the other party spoke such words in return. A toy which any apprentice painter can create... Bing infuriated, his face turned crimson red immediately. "What did you say?" Clenching his fists tightly, a surge of power gushed out from him, causing the air in the surroundings to howl. He was actually a Pixue realm expert! To be able to attain Pixue realm below twenty years of age, it seemed that this Ji Mi gongzis talent in cultivation was no way inferior to his ir for painting. The green-robed attendant didnt expect Zhang Xuan to say such words, and his face paled immediately. Putting aside the fact that the Ji n was one of the Three Great ns in the capital, this Ji gongzi himself was a highly respected 1-star painter with incredible rallying abilities. Provoking him like that... Wasnt that equivalent to courting death? Angering the other party and receiving a beating were no big deals, but it was highly likely that Zhang Xuan would be banned from the Painter Guild. If so, he wouldnt be able to buy a single painting no matter how much money he offered. "Gongzi, calm down. Its best that... you apologize and give in..." He tugged on the clothes of the young man beside him involuntarily and sent a telepathic message. After which, the young man before him nodded and spoke, "Oh, its my mistake to say that any apprentice painter can create such a painting!" "Thats more like it..." Hearing Zhang Xuan admit his mistake, the attendant was just about to heave a sigh of relief when he heard the second half of his words. His eyes shot upward and he nearly passed out from shock. "... This is an insult to apprentice painters! Given the standard of this painting, even a random savage beast is able to do better than that! Five million you say? I wont even buy it for five gold coins!" Zhang Xuan uttered. He didnt wish to cause trouble, but that didnt mean that he would allow anyone to climb all over his head. Trying to take advantage of me? You must be joking! Its already good enough that Im not trying to take advantage of you. While the other party was drawing, without using the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to see seven to eight ws with just his own judgment. He wouldnt want this mediocre drawing even if the other party were to give it to him for free. To pay for it... You must be pulling my leg! Savage beast? Five gold coins? Zhang Xuan spoke calmly and the crowd became tongue-tied, beginning to stare at him as if they were looking at a monster. To insult a painter right at home in the Painter Guild, where did you get such confidence? "You..." Ji Mo gongzi was so angry that he nearly vomited blood. Even a random savage beast would be able to do better than him... Wont buy it even for five gold coins... The other party was clearly doubting his professionalism! "Alright, theres nothing much to see about this clown. Lets go up and take a look at the other paintings!" Disregarding the infuriated Ji Mo, Zhang Xuan turned around impassively and prepared to leave. Even though he had just arrived at Tianwu Kingdom and didnt possess any standing in the capital, he was someone who was about to take the master teacher examination and should carry a befitting disposition. If the other party were to dare to say such words to him after he bes a master teacher, he wouldsh him to death on the spot instead of wasting any breath on him! This is the authority and power unique to a master teacher. Master teachers mustnt be sullied, and those who dare to desecrate one has to die! He was just a boastful painter and yet he dared to force a sale upon him. Zhang Xuan was already behaving very respectfully to him, having merely criticized his piece. "Hold it right there!" Seeing how that fellow intended to leave straight after humiliating him, Ji Mo gongzis face warped in anger and he almost flew into a rage. However, even though he was infuriated, he didnt lose his rationality. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anger and stared at Zhang Xuan coldly. "Since you spoke so confidently, you must be rather confident in your knowledge of painting. Then, do you dare topete with me?" "Compete?" "Thats right! Well start painting simultaneously and after were done, well find someone to appraise our work. The person whose painting is superior and attains the higher level wins! The losing side will have to kneel down and apologize, and swear to never enter the Painter Guild ever again..." Ji Mo gongzis eyes were filled savagery, "How about it, do you dare to take on the challenge?" "Start painting simultaneously? Find someone to appraise our work? Are you certain?" Seeing how confident the other party was, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didnt mindpeting with the other party. In any case, he had nothing else to do today apart from exploring the Painter Guild and, from the looks of it, the other party wouldnt let this matter slip if he were to reject his challenge. "Why? Do you not dare to take me on?" Ji Mo gongzi sneered. "Thats not it, its just that..." cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked at him with a helpless expression, "Im afraid that... youll cry!" Gudong! Everyone fell to the ground, the entire room falling into silence. Hu! Then, the entire room burst into an uproar. "What in the world are you bragging about?" "Ji Mo gongzi is an official painter! How dare a nobody like you spout such arrogant words!" "Compete with him! Let him know the capability of a true master painter!" ... Thedies present stared at Zhang Xuan furiously. With arms akimbo, each and every one of them felt a strong urge to tear Zhang Xuan into pieces. Weve seen arrogant people, but weve never seen such an arrogant person. You dare say that Ji Mo gongzi will cry? Do you know who he is? He is the first person in Tianwu Royal City to pass the painter examination before having reached twenty years of age, a person who possesses unparalleled talent in painting... Afraid that he will cry? Who do you think you are? The guild leader of the Painter Guild? "You..." Ji Mo gongzis body swayed, and blood nearly burst forth from his mouth. The other partys words were way too vicious! He knew that the more he quarreled with the other party, the more likely he would die from anger. Thus, he waved his hands and said, "Then lets not waste any time then, let our skills do the speaking!" After which, as if he was afraid that the other party might back out, he turned around and issued instructions to an attendant behind him immediately. The attendant then turned around and left, returning with two elders in no time. "This is Vice Guild Leader Cheng and Vice Guild Leader Wu. They are 2-star grandmaster painters, so there shouldnt be a problem having them act as the judges, right?" Hearing that the two were vice guild leaders, Zhang Xuan directed his attention to them immediately. These two seemed to be around Master Lu Chens age and snowy beards hung on their chins. Perhaps due to years of immersion in painting, both of them carried unique and refined dispositions. "Im fine with it!" It made no difference to Zhang Xuan whoever the judge was. Thus, he nodded to indicate his approval. "Do the two of you wish topete?" Walking forward, Vice Guild Leader Cheng asked with a frown. The attendant had exined to them about the conflict on their way here; a youngster of unknown background suddenly appeared and spoke arrogantly before Ji Mo, resulting in a conflict between them... The two vice guild leaders were curious to see how that youngster could be so confident. "Yes!" Ji Mo gongzi bowed. "May I ask from whom did you learn painting?" Vice Guild Leader Cheng turned to Zhang Xuan and asked. "I am acquainted with master and grandmaster painters in the thirteen surrounding kingdoms, so I might just happen to know your teacher!" "I merely possess an interest in painting, I do not have a teacher!" Zhang Xuan said. His understanding of painting came from books, so it was true that he did not have a teacher. "An interest? Do not have a teacher?" Both Vice Guild Leader Cheng and Vice Guild Leader Wu exchanged gazes, and they felt baffled at the situation. Even though painting ranked among the lowest in the Nine Upper Paths, it was impossible to learn true skills without guidance from a teacher. The other party dares topete with a 1-star painter just because he is somewhat interested in painting? Is he unaware of a master painters capabilities, or did his arrogance blind his rationality? "Painting is an elegant art and such a contest would be a breach of decorum. If the both of you have any arguments, it would be best to settle it privately. Theres no need to settle it through apetition!" After hesitating for a moment, Vice Guild Leader Wu tried to persuade the duo. Painting is a refined activity, and using it for apetition is unbefitting of a refined painter. "I beseech the two grandmasters to persuade us no further. Academics get to know each other through literature. On top of that, I believe that theres a need to uphold our pride as painters. This fellow dared to insult painting, if I do not have a showdown with him today, I will not be able to lying down!" Before Zhang Xuan could speak, Ji Mo gongzi had already spoken up. This fellow imed that even apprentice painters and savage beasts could do better than him. If he didnt teach him a lesson today, his reputation would fall to the gutters, and he would be too embarrassed to meet anyone in the future. "This..." Seeing that Ji Mo was adamant on the matter, the two vice guild leaders turned to Zhang Xuan, only to see him nod his head casually. "If he wishes topete, so be it!" "Alright then!" Seeing that both parties had agreed to thepetition and that it was impossible to persuade them otherwise, the two vice guild leaders could only agree to the matter. "Since the both of you have decided topete with one another, well serve as judges then! The rules are simple; the time limit is two hours, and the person whose painting is at the higher level will be dered victorious! If both paintings are of the same level, the one who took the least time will be the winner." Theres nothing such as superior or inferior in art, and everyone has different tastes and interest. Thus, it is impossible to decide which artwork is superior or inferior. However, since there were different levels to painting, they could use it as a benchmark to assess their painting skills objectively. "Lets begin!" With the rules set and no disagreements from both parties involved in thepetition, a few apprentice painters began toy out two tables with brushes, ink bs, and paper. "There are no restrictions to the topic, feel free to paint anything you desire to!" Seeing that the both of them had taken their positions, Vice Guild Leader Wu said. "Yes!" Ji Mo gongzi nodded his head. Since there were no restrictions, he could choose to paint what he was best at. The mountains and streams that he drew before were not what he was good at. If he were to draw what he was the most adept in, he would surely be able to produce a painting of the third level. He had just be a 1-star painter and was looking for an opportunity to increase his reputation when this fellow appeared from nowhere. The idiom delivering a pillow when one is craving for a nap fitted the situation perfectly, Zhang Xuans appearance was simply too timely! Otherwise, Ji Mo wouldnt have gone to the extent of blowing the matter up. "Alright, since there arent any objections, you may begin now!" Since the duo wasnt objectionable to the rules, Vice Guild Leader Wu waved his hands, gesturing for them to start. "Alright!" Ji Mo gongzi harrumphed coldly. With a swift movement, he picked up the brush, dipped it in the ink, and began drawing. This time, in order to obtain a more convincing victory, he chose to use plenty of mboyant techniques, winning him the loud cheers from the crowd. "Do all of you think that Ji Mo gongzi will win?" "Of course! Ji gongzi is the most talented painter in the younger generation. Even the guild leader has said that it is highly possible that he will take over his position in the future. How can he possibly lose to a countryside bumpkin?" "Thats true..." "Un? Ji gongzi has already begun drawing, but why is that countryside bumpkin still standing idly? It cant be that his words are louder than his actions and that he doesnt know how to paint at all?" "That may really be true... Look, he is totally motionless..." Mesmerized by Ji Mo gongzis graceful brush strokes, everyone had been discussing Ji Mo gongzi excitedly, and only at this moment did they realize that the youngster he waspeting against was standing motionlessly on the spot, his expression seeming to indicate a dilemma within. "Is there anything wrong? Do you have any problem that you find hard to voice out? Feel free to speak." Seeing him in such a state, Vice Guild Leader Wu asked. "Oh, its like that..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment, "Ive been thinking about it. If I were to simply paint and win him like that, I would be bullying him. Since I imed that even a savage beast can paint better than him, may I ask... are there any savage beasts here? Can I borrow one to use? Rest assured, after its done with the painting... Ill return it to you!" "What?" "He intends to use a savage beast to...pete against Ji Mo gongzi?" "The heck, surely I am hearing things!" Everyone was dumbfounded, and they stared at the man as if he were a lunatic. Even though savage beasts possess intelligence, it is insignificant inparison to human thoughts. As such, it is impossible for a savage beast to be capable of painting. Pitting a savage beast against an official painter in a painting contest... How is that possible! You must be pulling our legs! Even if they werent here, being able to see and hear it in person, they would have thought that the fellow was insane. In fact, even though they were actually here in person witnessing the situation, they were doubting his sanity. While everyone was just shocked, Ji Mo gongzis body was already convulsing. Ten thousand imaginary divine beasts flew around his head and he nearly threw his brush at the other partys face. Finding a savage beast topete with him... The heck, do you mean that I am not worthy of being your opponent? He thought that he would be able to humiliate the other party once the results were out, but... the painting had barely started, and the other partys contempt had by now seared his skin. If that fellow were to really win with a savage beast, doesnt that mean that I am inferior to a beast? Even I win, it would only mean that I am better than a beast... The heck! Ji Mo gongzi felt blood welling up in his mouth and that he was about to break down. "Cough cough, even though savage beasts possess intelligence, they are incapable of painting. Are you... certain of this?" Vice Guild Leader Wu was also astonished at the youngsters request. He couldnt help but ask him once more. He had seen people request for a longer duration, better quality paper, a better standard of ink... Of all of these innumerable requests, he had nevere across someone requesting for a savage beast! Are you sure this isnt a joke? "Yes, I am certain!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head with a serious expression. He could easily paint a fifth level work. If he were to take the painter examination, even if it wasnt sufficient for him to reach 3-star, he would be a 2-star pinnacle at the minimum. With such a capability, for him topete with a young fellow who had just passed the 1-star painter examination would be akin to bullying the weak. Even if he were to win, it wouldnt be honorable! However, even after he had affirmed his request, the other party didnt make a move. Therefore, Zhang Xuan asked, "Can it be that... there arent any savage beasts here? Or is looking for a savage beast too difficult a request?" After all, this is the Painter Guild, not the Beast Hall. Can it be that savage beasts are difficult to find in Tianwu Royal City? "Difficult..." Everyone staggered. This isnt the main point at all! The main point is... how can a savage beast be capable of drawing? "Arrogant!" While Vice Guild Leader Wu was at a loss, Vice Guild Leader Chengs face darkened, and he flung his sleeves angrily. He had immersed himself in painting for several decades now and he was well aware of the difficulty of this art. To wish to outdo an official painter at painting using a savage beast? That was an incredibly arrogant thought. Initially, he thought that this would be a valiant battle between two outstanding youths, but to think that the youngster before him would be such a conceited fellow! "Why not... I go out and look around? I know of a wild savage beast in the vicinity..." Recognizing the persisting awkwardness, the green-robed attendant hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Go on!" Zhang Xuan gestured. "Yes!" The green-robed attendant rushed out immediately and in a short while, came running back with a savage beast in his embrace. Rather than a savage beast, it was more appropriate to call it an undomesticated animal. Simr to dogs and cats that households kept, it didnt possess any fighting prowess. Oblivious to the reason why it was brought here, it had a confused look on its face. Upon receiving the savage beast, Zhang Xuan took a quick look at it. Even though he wasnt very satisfied, thepetition had long begun, and there wasnt time for him to be picky. "Time to try out the abilities of a poison master!" With the savage beast in his embrace, Zhang Xuan thought. As for why he dared to make such a bet with his opponent, in iming that he would use a savage beast to create his painting, it wasnt because he was arrogant, but rather because he had aces up his sleeves. Even if a savage beast is tamed, it is impossible for it to obey exactly the thoughts of its owner. If one desires to create a painting that surpasses the second level, he cannot ce his hopes on something beyond his control. One has to have absolute control over the painting process. As a 2-star beast tamer, it would have been impossible for him to control the actions of a savage beast precisely. However, after the trip to the Poison Hall, the situation had changed. After ten days of studying in the Poison Hall, not only did Zhang Xuan manage to cultivate the Poison Body, his mastery of poison had also reached the level of a 2-star poison master. More importantly, he had also gained an additional use for the Heavens Path zhenqi. He is now able to convert it into tonic with a single thought and transform it into deadly poison with another. The Heavens Path zhenqi happened to be the ideal tool that allows him to control movements of a savage beast precisely using just his mind. Stretching out his hands, he sent a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into the meridians of the savage beast that was in his embrace. Then, with a simple will, he distributed it into the various acupoints all over its body immediately. "Time to start!" Now that the preparations were in ce, he had the savage beast roll around in the ink before casually throwing it onto therge piece of xuan paper. "Is he really having the savage beast draw for him?" "I would like to see what kind of painting he can create!" "Ive seen this savage beast and it does not possess any intelligence. What kind of painting can it possibly draw?" ... Seeing that Zhang Xuan wasnt joking and that he had soaked the savage beast in ink and had it step onto the xuan paper, the crowd burst into an uproar. To have a savage beast paint... And win against an official painter? Brother, are you daydreaming, or are you just pulling a prank? "Preposterous!" Vice Guild Leader Chengs face steeled. Painting is a respectable and refined upation; to actually call a savage beast sshing ink around as painting is clearly an act of provocation. He had decided to chase this fellow out the moment thepetition ended. He couldnt allow the art of painting to be insulted like that. Feeling displeased within, he was ring at Zhang Xuan in fury when Vice Guild Leader Wus words rang beside his ear. "Something is wrong. Cheng Feng, look!" "Whats wrong?" He turned around to look at his old friend, only to see him staring at the youngsters painting in bewilderment. Frowning, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng turned his head over as well, and with a single nce, he became stupefied. "How... How is this possible?" The savage beast on the xuan paper hesitated for a moment before beginning to saunter on the paper, leaving behind one plum flower after another in its wake. There wasnt a specific pattern to those plum flower marks, but they went along a straight line and seemed as if they were held hanging by a formless vine. Shouldnt an unintelligent savage beast, who was sshed with ink all over, run away the moment it was released? Why would it walk on the paper slowly without the slightest repetition in its footsteps? "Its a type of beast taming technique!" Vice Guild Leader Wus voice sounded in his ears. "Thats right!" Hearing his old friends words, Cheng Feng came to a realization. Not only did the savage beast not escape or run about, it walked in a straight line on the paper. This showed that it was listening to someones orders, and to be able to get a savage beast to obey hismands immediately... It had to be an extremely advanced beast taming technique! Can it be that... this extremely young fellow is a beast tamer? "However, so what if he has the ability to tame a savage beast? No matter how neat these footsteps are, it isnt a painting. Naturally, it is impossible for it to reach the level of Reality Depiction and, not to mention, Spiritual Canvas." Cheng Feng was surprised but he shook his head nevertheless. Even though Reality Depiction was merely the first level of painting, countless apprentices and painting fanatics had to be locked out from its gates for several years, and sometimes, even several decades before it could be achieved. So what if that youngster can control movements of a savage beast using techniques belonging to beast tamers? Savage beasts being savage beasts, it is impossible for them to devote any emotion or artistic conception to the painting. It is just like controlling a puppet, it is impossible to instill spirit into the work! "Youre right!" Vice Guild Leader nodded in agreement. He was also curious what the fellow was up to. Padah! Just as they were pondering what kind of painting the youngster would show them, the savage beast, which was advancing on the xuan paper, fell down abruptly and the ink on its body blotted an area of the paper ck. "Seems like we had been overthinking..." Initially, the plum blossoms that the savage beast created with its footstep looked satisfactory, appearing to be a proper piece of painting. Even though Cheng Feng didnt think that the youngster could achieve much with the savage beast, it was nheless a novelty. However, with the fall, the entire painting was ruined immediately. That was to say... the painting had been turned into scrap. "Indeed, how is it possible that a savage beast can create a painting?" Cheng Feng harrumphed. "Youre right!" Vice Guild Leader Wu agreed. Shaking their heads, they chose to ignore this attention-seeking fellow and turned to Ji Mo gongzi instead. As expected of a genius. Even though he was infuriated just a moment ago, he hadnt allowed those emotions to interfere with his painting. With swift brushstrokes, the outline of the painting was already in sight. It was a peony that stood proudly amidst a cluster of flowers. It carried a powerful disposition which made the other flowers pale inparison, resembling a monarch. "The King of Flowers is the peony, and his painting has brought out the refined and prideful nature of the peony that causes surrounding floras to bow in deference. His painting will probably attain the third level, Infused Intentions, the moment it ispleted!" Cheng Fengs eyes lit up. "Thats right. Ji Mo is indeed a promising bud. As long as we do a good job grooming him, we might have a legendary figure emerge in our guild!" Vice Guild Master Wu nodded in agreement. As 2-star painters, they were well-versed in paintings. Although Ji Mo gongzis work had yet to bepleted, they were nevertheless able to tell a thing or two just from its outline. This painting was clearly of a much higher grade than that of the Breeze By the Mountain and Stream, the conception behind the painting being at a much higher level as well. As long as there werent anyrge deviations, it would surely reach the level of Infused Intentions. Even if it were the most basic standard under Infused Intentions, to be able to create a painting of the third level despite having just be a 1-star painter showed that Ji Mo gongzi was indeed talented. "Look, Ji Mo gongzis painting is about to be done..." "What a beautiful peony, I like this painting!" "This is too beautiful..." ... The two vice guild leaders were still conversing when Ji Mo gongzi had already begun the final touches on his painting. His brush flew about the xuan paper, and an alluring peony appeared before everyones eyes. Hu! Then, with a light jerk of his hands, thest stroke waspleted. Hu! The moment the painting waspleted, a sweet scent of flowers struck everyones nose, as if they had stepped into a garden of flowers. A single peony stood out proudly from amidst the crowd, outshining every single other surrounding flora. "This is a painting of the third level!" "It has reached the level of Infused Intentions, incredible!" "Ive already said so, how can Ji Mo gongzi possibly lose..." ... Most of the people present were either here to purchase paintings or were a fan of Ji Mo, and naturally, would have some understanding of paintings as well. They might not have been able to estimate the level of the painting when he was still working on it, but the effects that urred uponpletion allowed them to recognize it immediately. Even a 1-star painter would be incapable of producing a painting of the level of Infused Intentions every single time he paints. It was even rarer to see one being created in a public setting and, furthermore, in apetition. "Ivepleted my painting!" Throwing his brush aside, Ji Mo gongzi looked at hispleted work and nodded in satisfaction. The best way to win adys fancy was to paint flowers. The peony was the king of the flowers, so he spent a huge effort to practice it. He might not be able to ensure that any other of his works would be able to reach the third level, but he had practiced painting this for more than a thousand times. If he were to paint it, nine out of ten times, it would be a painting of Infused Intentions. Clearly, it didnt disappoint him this time as well, having reached the level he desired. Even some 1-star painters who had immersed themselves in painting for more than a decade would find it hard to produce a painting of the third level. To have produced a painting of this level so easily despite just bing a 1-star painter, regardless of the duels oue, his goal of making a name for himself had already been aplished. "You acted so arrogantly just now, lets see what you are capable of painting." Harrumphing coldly, Mo Ji put down his artwork and turned toward Zhang Xuan. At this moment, the savage beast finally jumped off the xuan paper. Because the savage beast was soaked with excessive ink, the painting, from the plum blossom footsteps which the savage beast imprinted, to the blotch caused by its fall, was smudged heavily. Even until now, the ink had yet to dry and the entire piece was glistening with ink water. Especially for the patch which was created due to the fall earlier, because of the savage beasts tough fur, a chaotic mess was created. "Is this the savage beast painting you spoke of? Haha! How hrious!" Ji Mo gongzi nearlyughed his lower jaw off. He thought that since the other party acted so high and mighty just now, he would really be able to create some impressive painting through a savage beast. Yet, to think that this was all he was capable of... Do you call this a painting? Even random flinging of ink onto a paper would be much better than this! "What nonsense is he painting? To dare topete with Ji gongzi, he sure isughable!" "If you call this a painting, wont I be considered a painter as well?" "Ignorant fellow, lets see how you embarrass yourselfter on!" Hearing Ji Mosughter, the crowd turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan, and a scornful expression appeared on their faces. Can the random spilling of ink be considered a painting? What a joke! "Are you done with your... painting?" Lifting his hand to interrupt the crowds discussion, Vice Guild Leader Wu turned to look at Zhang Xuan. "Un, Im almost done..." At this point, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. If someone were to pay careful attention, the person would notice that his body was trembling and that his face had be pale. After browsing through books on poison in the Poison Hall, Zhang Xuan had gained the ability to convert the Heavens Path zhenqi into tonic or poison with a single thought. He had been secretly controlling the savage beast using the zhenqi he left inside its body, making it behave as he desired on the paper. Even though it had only been ten minutes or so, it was sufficient to wear out his spirit, sending him into a state of weakness. "Seems like my cultivation is still too weak..." Zhang Xuanmented. Taking a deep breath, he started to pump his zhenqi to rejuvenate his body. He had been converting the zhenqi he deposited in the savage beast into either poison or tonic to stimte its acupoints, so as to induce the savage beast to act the way he intended. Even though it sounded simple, it had a high requirement on ones Soul Depth. If not for Zhang Xuans Soul Depth exceeding 5.0, it would have been an impossible task. But more importantly, the savage beast was of an extremely low tier, making it easy to manipte. If it were any stronger savage beast, given Zhang Xuans current cultivation, it would have been an impossible task to manipte them. "Almost done?" Disappointment surfaced on Vice Guild Leader Wus face. He was wondering what formidable painting the youngster could create, but to think that this would just be it... "Alright, since Ji Mos painting ispleted, and this youngsters painting is roughly done, lets just announce the results right away!" Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng said. "Alright!" Vice Guild Leader Wu nodded. Pointing to Ji Mo gongzis work, he appraised, "Painter Jis peony creates ripples in the surrounding spiritual energy and it has a deep artistic conception. Undoubtedly, it has reached the third level of painting, Infused Intentions." After which, he turned to Zhang Xuans work and said, "As for this painting, I am unable to understand its meaning. In my opinion... it is nothing at all..." After hesitating for a moment, Vice Guild Leader Wu continued, "Thus, my verdict is that... it is Painter Jis victory!" "I share the same opinion as Vice Guild Leader Wu!" Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng nodded in agreement. "Ive won..." Hearing the results from the judges, Ji Mo gongzi turned to Zhang Xuan and sneered, "Since the results are out, are you going to kneel down and then scram on your own two feets, or do you want me to break your legs before throwing you out of the Painter Guild?" Before thepetition, they had decided to have the loser kneel down and apologize to the other party before leaving the Painter Guild, never to return. Now that Zhang Xuan had lost, how could he simply allow this matter to slip by? "This..." Seeing the savage expression on Ji Mos face as he pressurized Zhang Xuan, the two vice guild leaders nced at each another. Initially, they had intended to mediate between the two, but eventually, they simply shook their heads and chose to stay out of this matter. This foreignd had shown tant disrespect for painting by having a savage beast paint in his stead, and the both of them thought that he should be taught a lesson. Otherwise, wouldnt it signify there are no consequences for desecrating the Painter Guild? "Ah? Youve made a verdict just like that?" After resting for a moment, Zhang Xuan finally regained some strength. Upon hearing Ji Mo gongzis gleeful words, he lifted his head. "Why? Do you refuse to acknowledge the verdict by the two vice guild leaders?" Ji Mo harrumphed coldly. "The two vice guild leaders are 2-star painters and I believe in their eye for painting. Just that... I had only mentioned that my work was almost done, I have never said that it was done..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Are you iming that your work is iplete? What do you want to do then? Do you intend to lift your brush and continue painting?" Ji Mo gongzi was taken aback. "Since I said that this is a savage beast painting, naturally, I wont use my brush. Just that, this painting is stillcking one final step..." Zhang Xuan smiled. "One final step?" The entire crowd was startled. The painting that you created through the savage beast is such rubbish, do you think that adding some final touches will make any difference? Under the situation that you arent going to use the brush, do you think that the conclusion can really be changed? "I think that hes just unwilling to admit defeat!" "To be bragging despite the fact that he has lost, how can there be such a person in the world!" "Shameless!" Everyone began to mor and looks of disgust fell on Zhang Xuan from all around. Werent you behaving very arrogantly? Youre already nearing your end, why are you still putting on an act? Even Vice Guild Leader Cheng and Vice Guild Leader Wu were perplexed. It is just ayer of ink water on top of the paper. Without using a brush, is there really a way to turn it into a painting? "You say that theres a final step before itspletion. Fine, lets see what you have to say after this then!" Ji Mo gongziughed coldly. "Alright, Ill start then!" Disregarding themotion around him, Zhang Xuan walked up to the painting, grabbed the xuan paper by the corner and gave it a gentle shake. Hula! The ink water on the surface of the painting flowed down, dyeing the entire painting. "Alright, Ivepleted my final step!" cing the xuan paper back on the table casually, Zhang Xuan smiled. "Thats all?" Everyone was taken aback. They thought that the youngsters final step would be some incredible move, but to think that it would be just a gentle shake. For a moment, they werepletely dumbfounded. "Wait, somethings not right... look!" Just as they were wondering what that fellow was up to, a person from the crowd suddenly shouted. Upon hearing the voice, Vice Guild Leader Cheng and Vice Guild Leader Wu turned to look at the xuan paper. Instantly, their bodies began to tremble uncontrobly, with their faces turning pale and their eyes widening. A momentter, words of disbelief escaped through their mouth. "How... how... is this possible?" Chapter 290: A Draw? Chapter 290: A Draw? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove With a gentle shake from Zhang Xuan, the ink on the xuan paper flowed down. The many footsteps left behind by the savage beast were linked together by a dark stroke, forming a painting of haughty and unyielding plum blossoms. The portion where the ink flowed through formed a ck dry tree bark, on which, plum blossoms bloomed sporadically. Looking rather deste from afar, one could feel bone-chilling intent from the painting, as if the bitter winter had struck. The location where the savage beast fell formed two ring boulders, and the marks left behind by its fur formed ridges of differing depths on the surface of the boulder. Plum blossoms grew from the crevices within the boulders, standing proudly in the frigid weather. Ji Mo gongzi made use of a field of flowers to entuate the nobility of the peony. On the other hand, these plum blossoms didnt have any other flowers topare to, but one couldnt help but sense its haughtiness, with nothing that dared to vie with it, that there was no one that did not fear to stand beside it. Even without the intention to vie for supremacy, it was able to surpass the radiance of all other flowers. Upon seeing this flower, one could almost see the painter standing lonelily by the edge of the world. So what if they disregard me? So what if they dont understand me? All I desire is to stand proud and remain true to my conscience! "I... Why am I crying?" "I feel as though I saw a man uprehended by the world, but even so, he continued to step forward bravely, without the slightest intention to retreat!" "Is this... the third level of painting, Infused Intentions?" "That must be it! Otherwise, it is impossible for our emotions to resonate with it with just a single nce..." ... The surroundings fell silent. In that moment, many peoples emotions were influenced by the deste mood in the painting, and their eyes reddened in agitation. A painting with high artistic conception is able to influence the state of mind in its viewers. Clearly, this painting is one such masterpiece. "A painting that was drawn by a savage beast... has reached the third level, Infused Intentions?" Seeing the crowd being influenced by the deste beauty of the winter plum blossoms, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Fengs mouth quivered, and his body trembled. Since others were able to tell the level of the painting, naturally, he did so quickly. With just a shake of the painting, the other party was able to turn a nothing into a masterpiece. Not only was the spirit of the painting overwhelming, its artistic conception shone through in an instant. Even they, as 2-star painters, would need a long period of preparation before they can create a painting of such level. Yet, for a savage beast to create such a painting by walking a few steps, rolling about, followed by a mere shake... Even though it happened right before their eyes, they nevertheless couldnt help but suspect that it was a dream. It was inconceivable. "The crux to the painting is that final shake!" Vice Guild Leader Wu contemted for a moment before saying, "How much ink is left on the xuan paper, how one should shake it, and how much force should one use, one has to take all of these into ount to determine the flow of the ink to form the tree branch to finish the painting... One has to imprint and remember all of these details perfectly into mind before one can create this painting. Even the slightest error could spell failure!" "Indeed. It may seem simple, but it is actually a profound movement. With different ink and paper, the effects would be different. To be able to reach such a state with a mere shake, his eye of discernment and mastery of painting... Even I would be unable to do it..." Even though he was reluctant to admit it, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng nodded in agreement. Previously, it was the savage beast who was in charge of painting; the youngster didnt do anything at all. However, the most important part of the painting was the final shake. It was just like adding the eyes to a painted dragon; with the slightest error, the result would bepletely different. If not for Zhang Xuans perfect control over the final shake, this painting of the third level would be nothing at all. And for him to find the ideal strength and method to shake off the ink on the painting... This meant that he had absolute control over the painting! He knew what the product would be, and what level it would reach... This required a profound understanding of painting! For one to picture what theplete painting would be like down to the minor details... Even their guild leader, a 3-star painter, would be incapable of such a feat! "This... impossible..." Upon witnessing the stalk of plum blossoms appear with the shake, Ji Mo gongzi, who was gleefully waiting for Zhang Xuan to make a fool of himself, staggered backward in shock. His face paled and looked as if he were going insane. The other party had just randomly dipped a savage beast into a pool of ink and threw it on a xuan paper, and it became a painting of the third level... When did a painting of the third level be so easy to create? He had worked so hard, to the point that he almost vomited blood, just so that he could refine his painting to reach this level. Yet, the other party easily... It cant be that my talents are inferior to a savage beast? The green-robed attendant who had brought Zhang Xuan in was also yanking at his ears. If not for the inappropriate asion, he would have gone on a rampage by now. As an attendant of the Painter Guild, he earned a mere several thousand gold coins a month, and even at best, his wages would only reach ten thousand. Yet, the other party was able to create a painting which was worth several million just by throwing a savage beast on a paper.... The heck! Why was he working so hard then! If he were to capture the savage beast to draw for him, wouldnt he have long be a millionaire? The numerous apprentices who carried the tables before also felt tears welling up in their eyes. Of them, there were those who had spent more than a decade on painting, but even so, their painting could only reach the level of Reality Depiction at best. Spiritual Canvas and Infused Intentions were way out of their reach, and they didnt dare to think about it. Seeing a savage beast produce a better painting that they could, in that instant, they felt that all of their hard work in the past few years had been...pletely useless. It was already a miracle that they didnt break down on the spot. "The two vice guild leaders, may I know whether it is my victory or my loss with this painting?" Seeing the painting take the shape as he had nned, Zhang Xuan turned to the two elders with a smile. It was just as the two vice guild leaders thought, the crux to the painting was his final shake. Even if he was able to control the savage beast perfectly, how could this create a painting of the third level? In order to turn the ink-filled paper into aplete painting with his final shake, he had to make use of the ability of the Library of Heavens Path to avoid all mistakes. Since there were no mistakes in his movements, it had to be correct. The timing, the strength, the shaking method, grasping the paper... All of these had to be paid attention to. A single error would cause the entire painting to fall apart. It was fortunate that he seeded. "This..." The two vice guild leaders nced at one another. "Your Winter Plum Blossoms Painting and Painter Jis Peony Painting have both reached the third level. Even though the two paintings are ofpletely different style, they are both on the same level. Thus, I announce that..." Hesitating for a moment, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng dered, "... it is a draw!" "Draw?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, although he had expected such a situation. In terms of quality, his painting was clearly of a much higher standard than Ji Mo gongzis Peony Painting. However, as theirpetition had a wager at stake, and thetter would be a future elite of the Painter Guild if he were dered to be the loser, wouldnt that mean that he has to kneel down, apologize, and leave the guild for good? If that really happened, they would have to lose a valuable talent. Dering that it was a draw could avoid offending any of the two parties. In a sense, it was the perfect conclusion. Of course, this Ji Mo gongzi wouldnt appear as dashing as he was before. Even though it was a draw, it was with a savage beast. In other words, he was no different from a beast... No matter where he went, people would definitely be gossiping about him. Even so, Zhang Xuan was indifferent to his plight. The other party had iting. "A draw? To think that it would be a draw!" "This is for the best..." "Thats right, its best not to sully the harmonious spirit among fellow painters..." ... Hearing the verdict, the crowd broke into amotion. "Thats good. The two of you are genius painters, so you both should try to get along..." After the deration, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng smiled in an attempt to mediate the conflict. However, Ji Mo gongzi took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Vice guild leaders, hold it for a moment!" The crowd immediately turned to look at him. "Everyone has seen the painting just now. The crux of the painting lies in his final shake. If not for that, it wouldnt even reach Reality Depiction, needless to say, Infused Intentions!" Ji Mo gongzi turned to look at Zhang Xuan and sneered coldly, "Thats to say, his drawing waspleted with the effort of a human and a beast. It was only with abined effort from them that they were able to match up to my standard, so how can he be worthy of bing my equal?" Everyone was taken aback. It was obvious that having a savage beast in a painting process would only drag one down. To be capable of creating a painting of Infused Intentions under such circumstances bore testimony to the incredible painting mastery that the other party possessed. This fact couldnt be any clearer on everyones mind, yet he dared to spout such words. He has truly thrown away his dignity for thispetition. But even so, there was a sliver of truth to his words. It was indeed a coboration between Zhang Xuan and the savage beast! Since this was apetition between Zhang Xuan and Ji Mo, there should just be a single person painting. No one else should be allowed to touch the painting; even a single word of guidance cannot be epted. The plum blossoms by the savage beasts footsteps and the tree bark from Zhang Xuans shake... These two were essential to forming this art piece, and without any of them, it would have been iplete. Given that this was a coboration work against an individual, it was indeed... an infringement of fairness. "Oh, so you mean that..." Seeing how shameless the other party was, Zhang Xuan didnt get angry. Instead, he turned to gaze at the person squarely. "Simple, Ive won thispetition. Since you have only managed to reach my standard through a coboration, your skills can only be said to be inferior to mine!" Ji Mo gongzi smiled coldly. "Painter Ji, a draw isnt a bad conclusion either..." Not expecting the other party to be socking in sportsmanship, Vice Guild Leader Wu felt rather displeased. Can a savage beast really know how to paint? It is clearly that it was through the sole efforts of the painter that a painting of such quality could be created. Even though it could be said to be a coboration by a human and a beast, it was due to the incredible painting mastery of this youngster that this painting could reach such a level. We are already giving you leeway to back down by dering a draw, yet you dont know how to be contented? Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng was also incensed by the other partys actions. Just as he was about to speak up, Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually and looked over with a faint smile, "Ji gongzis words make sense. Since you believe that this is a coboration between me and the savage beast, well take it as that. However, since you dont consider this a draw, I would like to ask... under what kind of circumstances will you be willing to admit defeat?" "Want me to admit defeat?" Ji Mo gongzi sneered coldly, "I am a fair person, so I will not use your coboration as a reason to proim my victory. If your painting had reached the fourth level of Breathtaking Verisimilitude, I would have admitted my defeat immediately. However, its a pity... that it isnt! Given that your coboration has barely reached my level, how can I consider this a draw?" "Your words are logical, I cant find any words to refute them!" Zhang Xuan didnt seem to be vexed by the other partys words. Instead, he shook his head with a smile. "Since youve nothing to say, just admit defeat..." Ji Mo gongzis eyes shone brightly. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the edges of the lips of the youngster before him curled up, and he looked at him pitifully, "Are you that certain that... this painting has only reached the third level?" "What do you mean?" Ji Mo gongzi nced at the xuan paper on the table. As it was just a moment ago that the painting had beenpleted, the ink on it had yet to dry. The painting was outstanding, but it was clear that it had only reached the third level. Thus, he sneered coldly, "Stop putting on an act here. If you wish to admit defeat, hurry up. Even if you were to argue about it the entire day, its impossible for the painting to reach the fourth level..." "That might not necessarily be the case..." Zhang Xuan calmly turned around and said, "Vice Guild Leader Wu, Ive something which I need to trouble you with!" "Feel free to speak!" Vice Guild Leader Wu nodded. "May I know if there are any fire torches in the guild? May I borrow one?" Zhang Xuan asked. The Painter Guild used Night Illumination Pearls as the source of light for its interiors. Its radiance was gentle as bright as the morning sky. But despite the brightness, it didnt provide any warmth. Furthermore, it was in the middle of the autumn, and the room was slightly cold. As everyone present was a cultivator, they didnt pay the matter any heed. "There is!" Vice Guild Leader Wu nced at the youngster doubtfully for a moment before waving his hands. An apprentice stepped out from the room, and soon, returned with a fire torch in his hands. "Bring it to the painting to warm it!" Instead of receiving the fire torch, Zhang Xuan instructed the apprentice. "Yes!" The apprentice nced at Vice Guild Leader Wu, and upon seeing him nod, walked to the Winter Plum Blossoms Painting. Under the heat of the fire, the wet ink began to coagte. Hong long! Under the warmth of the torch, a change urred in the ink, inducing a vastly different sensation in the painting from before. A slight trace of white appeared in the four corners of the inky ck flower buds, as though the flower was beginning to bloom. For a moment, the crowd could smell the aroma of plum blossoms in the air. Wu wu wu! A few butterflies flew into the room from nowhere andnded on the painting, as if they were attracted by the aroma of flowers, then lingering on the surface for an extremely long time. "Is this... Breathtaking Verisimilitude?" "How is this possible?" ... Everyones body shuddered. They felt that they were about to go insane. Before the ink dried, it was clearly only at the level of Infused Intentions. Yet, the moment it dried, it became a fourth level painting. How did this situation happen? However, if the painting hadnt reached the level of Breathtaking Verisimilitude, how could those butterflies be attracted to it? And how could they catch the faint aroma of plum blossoms in the air? Deng deng deng deng! Ji Mo gongzi staggered backward with a pale face. He had just imed that he would admit defeat if the other partys painting reached the fourth level, and never in his dreams did he expect that it would be one the moment it was dried with a burning torch... Are you for real? He has examined the painting multiple times to ascertain that it was only at Infused Intentions. How could the heat from a fire torch raise, so easily, the level of the painting? "This cant be true... You must have cheated!" Shaking his head vehemently, he was unable to believe the sight before him. He howled in a frenzy. "Cheated?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. His gaze swept through the surroundings and finally, fell on Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng. "Vice guild leader, are you able to tell the reason?" "I can roughly see a thing or two, but Im unsure whether my judgment is correct!" With a grim face, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng spoke of his conjecture, "The savage beast which did the painting just now is known as the Verdant crity Beast, and it likes to build its nest in the mud. On the other hand, our ink originates from the ck Inkstone and mud carries substances that neutralize the ck Inkstone. Thats why, upon the heat of the fire torch, the color of the ink became lighter." "The Verdant crity Beast that was brought here is likely to have just been caught, so there are traces of mud still on its body. The mud is mixed into the ink ground from the ck Inkstone, and after some heating, the effects were disyed immediately, creating the sight of the flowers blooming, thus... inducing a rise in the level of the painting!" "To be able to do this requires a profound understanding of beast taming, as well as the properties of the various materials. You..." At this point, Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng stared at Zhang Xuan with eyes filled with disbelief. The sight before seemed magical; a painting of the third level was brought up by an entire level just using the heat from a torch. However, it was actually a fusion of numerous knowledge to create that exact oue. In fact, even without the heat of the torch, this painting would automatically rise to the level of Breathtaking Verisimilitude in a days time. And to do this, one has to have a deep understanding of beast taming, the properties of the substances involved... And numerous other matters. Everything must be fully within grasp, and this youngster who hasnt even reached twenty yet has managed to achieve this... The heck! Is it the world thats mad, or have I gone mad? Chapter 291: Painting of the Fifth Level, Done! Chapter 291: Painting of the Fifth Level, Done! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Is such a thing possible?" "To know the constituent of the ink and the mud on the savage beast beforehand, is he still a human?" ... Listening to the exnation, the crowd widened their eyes in disbelief, as if it were the most absurd thing they had ever heard. Painting a picture using a savage beast that was caught at random, and you were able to create a Breathtaking Verisimilitude art piece which only 2-star painters are capable of producing... Brother, you are about to break through the heavens! "Vice Guild Leader Cheng does indeed possess a superior eye of discernment!" Hearing the other party point out the reason, Zhang Xuanplimented. Even though the other partys words were not perfect, the idea was there. While he was correct about the mud on the Verdant crity Beast, he failed to exin why they appeared so perfectly on each corner of the plum blossom. Naturally, it was due to his maniption. However, since the other party had exined it this way, he did not bother to add on. "You said that as long as this painting reaches the fourth level, you will admit defeat. Do you still have anything else to say?" Zhang Xuan nced at Ji Mo gongzi with a sharp gaze. "I..." Ji Mo gongzis knees caved in, and he fell to the ground. His face went as pale as a sheet of paper. Initially, he thought that his victory was certain and that nothing in the world could change it. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party would hide a trump card within his painting! By heating it with a fire torch, the painting was brought up by entire level... Ji Mo gongzi could only hear the thunder rumbling in his mind, and he nearly burst into tears. At this moment, all he felt within himself was regret. Of all people, why did he have to provoke this fellow? Furthermore, he could have epted the draw, yet he had to push his luck. In the end... he simply dug his own grave. Feeling greatly depressed, he turned to Vice Guild Leader Cheng. Initially, Vice Guild Leader Cheng intended to ignore his plight. However, after a moment of hesitation, he sighed and asked, "Little brother, how should I address you?" "Zhang Xuan!" "Brother Zhang Xuan, you and Painter Ji are pirs that will prop up our guild. On my ount, can you... forgo the bet?" Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng asked. Ji Mo was courting death. Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng was already siding with him by dering the match a draw, yet he wasnt content with the result, choosing to push the boundaries. Now that the other party has brought the painting up to the fourth level without having made a single action, Ji Mo had no choice but to admit defeat. Just that... if he were to admit defeat, he has to carry out the bet they promised on, and this bet would be too huge of a loss for both this talent and the guild. "Forgo the bet? Im sorry, but I dont have the habit of not retaliating when someone has already climbed over my head!" Waving his hands casually, Zhang Xuan uttered, "Kneel down and admit your mistake. Then, leave the Painter Guild and never return." If the other party had merely provoked him once or twice, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have been bothered to waste his efforts on him. However, since the other party had chosen to cross his line time and time again, he shouldnt be med for getting nasty. "This..." Hearing those words, Vice Guild Leader Cheng and Vice Guild Leader Wu exchanged gazes, shook their heads simultaneously, and fell silent. Since Ji Mo has lost the bet, he was expected to carry it out. Otherwise, if words spread that the Painter Guild was siding with their own people, the prestige it had built up in the capital would crumble. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to give in even after the vice guild leader had pleaded on his behalf, Ji Mos face darkened, "Fine, Ill apologize to you!" After which, he kneeled to the floor. ring at Zhang Xuan with a grudge so deep as though the other party had killed his father, he spat, "Its my fault for provoking you. I apologize to you!" "Scram!" The other party was clearly insincere in his apology, but Zhang Xuan wasnt bothered. In his eyes, Ji Mo was nothing more than a pesky fly. "Scram?" Ji Mo stood up resentfully and he sneered, "Hmph, I may have lost the bet, but you dont have the right to prevent me from entering the Painter Guild! Even I leave today, I can still return tomorrow. I am an official painter of the Painter Guild, do you think that a mere bet can restrain me? Dream on!" "This..." Hearing Ji Mos sneer, the crowd felt despise for this rising painter. However, they couldnt help but agree with the other partys words. No matter how mediocre and unseemly Ji Mo gongzi was, he was nevertheless an official painter after having passed the examination. Even if the bet could cause him to leave temporarily, it was clearly impossible to ban him from entering the guild for good. "The bet cant restrain you?" Zhang Xuan stroked his chin, him appearing to be deep in thoughts. "Thats right! Unless you camp outside the guild every day, I will still return, without a doubt! Haha, I might have lost this time, but it cant be considered your victory either!" Ji Mo gongzi put on a so what can you do about it expression gleefully. His words were true. No matter who it was, it would be impossible to camp outside the Painter Guild forever. The moment Zhang Xuan left, the other party would be able to easily return back in. After all, it is just a verbal bet, not an official contract. Even if I do notply with the bet, what can you do to me? "I wont be camping here. However, if you were to return while I am away, it will indeed look bad on me!" When a human tosses aside his pride, he will feel invincible. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that this fellow would value his dignity, given how he had won himself the heart of countlessdies. Yet, to think that he would be so shameless. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only nod his head in agreement, "This is indeed a dilemma. However... this isnt any big issue, and theres a simple solution to it!" "A simple solution? Only 3-star painters are qualified to issue a ban. Are you thinking of banning me from the Painter Guild? Dream on..." Ji Mo gongzi sneered coldly. Only painters who have reached a minimum of 3-star have the right to order a permanent ban on specific people. In Ji Mos opinion, no matter how incredible Zhang Xuans painting skill was, he could only be a 2-star painter at maximum. Since he wasnt a 3-star painter, how could he ban him? "3-star painters can issue bans?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head. "Then... Ill take the 3-star painter examination first then!" "Take the 3-star painter examination?" "Is this person sleeptalking? To actually say that he wants to take the 3-star painter examination?" "He must be joking! While I admit that hes formidable for being able to create a fourth level painting, he is still a far way off from reaching the level of a 3-star painter!" Shocked by Zhang Xuans words, the crowd nearly fainted. Of the entire Tianwu Kingdom, only the guild leader has reached the level of a 3-star painter, it being so obvious that to do so isnt any simple feat. Do you think that you can pass the examination just because you want to? Speaking so arrogantly, arent you afraid that the heavens will punish you? Even the two vice guild leaders couldnt help but shake their heads to his words. The youngsters nowadays arecent, unable to realize there is a huge world beyond what they are able to see and imagine. Even though it was just a level of difference between 3-star and 2-star, the gap was just like the divide between heaven and earth. Otherwise, they wouldnt have been stuck at the level of a 2-star pinnacle for so long. They werent the only ones. There were more than a dozen 2-star painter in the Tianwu Kingdom Painter guild, but there was only one 3-star painter. The disparity between a 2-star and a 3-star painter wasnt something that just anyone could fathom. Yet, to say so easily that he would take the examination... The ignorant sure is fearless! "Haha! This is the funniest joke Ive heard today!" Ji Mo gongzi sneered coldly. "Dont becent just because you happened to create a painting of the fourth level. Youre still way too far from bing a 3-star painter!" Disregarding the conceited Ji Mo gongzi, Zhang Xuan walked up to the two vice guild leaders, hesitated for a moment, before asking sheepishly. "Actually, Im here to take the painter examination. That... I would like to ask how does the apprentice examination work?" Putong! Everyone fell to the ground. The heck! Didnt you just dere haughtily that you would take the 3-star painter examination? Yet, to ask about how the apprentice examination work... Brother, you must still be sleeping! Besides, you just created a painting of the fourth level, which means that your skill is on par with a 2-star painter. How can you not even know how the apprentice examination works? "How does the apprentice examination work? You... It cant be that you arent even an apprentice?" Realizing something, Vice Guild Leader Wu could not help but ask. "Cough cough, thats right. Ive never taken the apprentice examination. The reason why Im here today is to give the examination a try..." Zhang Xuan nodded his head as if it was the most natural thing to do in this world. Pu! Everyones eyes fell to the floor. The two vice guild leaders shuddered at the same time, and they nearly vomited blood. Being not even an apprentice, you dare to challenge an official painter and wager with him... Arent you being too bold! Furthermore, to be able to easily utilize a savage beast to create a painting of the fourth level... Despite not even being an apprentice, your skills and experience are clearly higher than ours! Are you sure that you arent lying to us? More importantly, you speak so lightly of the examination as if it were nothing... Other people have to put in the grueling effort just to pass the painter examination. Yet, from your tone, it sounds as if youre doing this just because youve some free time... Fine! You do seem to have the ability to do so anyway! Suppressing the depression welling up in them with great effort, Vice Guild Leader Wu began to introduce the examination. "The examination for painters isnt asplicatedpared to the upations. One doesnt need to take the examinations one by one; as long as one is able to create an art piece to prove that his skills have already reached a certain level, he is qualified for the rank. For example, a person who has created a first level Reality Depiction work is qualified to be an apprentice painter, and a person who has created a second level Spiritual Canvas is qualified to be a 1-star painter. Given that you have just created a painting of the fourth level, you are already qualified to apply for the 2-star painter rank." "Ah? Its that easy?" Not expecting the painter examination to be so much easier than that of the other upations, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Then, what is the requisite to apply for a 3-star painter rank?" "A 3-star painter has to create a painting of the fifth level, Spirit Creation. There is a huge gap between the fifth level and the fourth level, and of the entire guild, only our guild leader has reached this level!" Seeing that the other party was still hung up on this matter, Vice Guild Leader Wu tried to persuade him, "Given that youre able to create a painting of the fourth level at your current age, your talent is top-notch. Furthermore, you have never undergone professional painting training. If you study diligently under a true master, you will surely be able to create a painting of the fifth level in less than a decade and pass the 3-star painter examination. As such, theres no need for you to be so anxious!" The difference between a painting of the fourth level and the painting of the fifth level was extremely huge,parable to the gap between the Tongxuan and Zongshi realm. Even though the Winter Plum Blossoms Painting that Zhang Xuan just created had reached the fourth level, luck seemed to have yed a huge factor and even so, the painting appeared to have barely reached that level. It is still a far way off from reaching the fifth level. To wish to sprint before you can even walk... Arent you being too anxious! "Vice Guild Leader Wu is right. Being able to create a painting of this level at your age bears testimony to your incredible talent. In my years with the Painter Guild, youre already the most talented painter that Ive seen. As for 3-star, its better for you..." Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng quickly chirped in as well. However, halfway through his words, he saw the youngster walk past him, and within a few steps, he was standing before the [Winter Plum Blossoms Painting]. There was a bowl of water, which appeared out of nowhere, in his hand. Taking a gulp, he sprayed the water out from his mouth, all of a sudden, onto the xuan paper. Hula! The water droplets fell onto the painting, and gray spots appeared on the previously white portions, as though snow falling from the heavens. In an instant, it created an image of the plum blossoms standing proudly in the snow, contending against the heavens. Weng! Spiritual energy in the surroundings suddenly gathered around the painting, and the plum blossoms emerged from the surface of the xuan paper. Relentlessly, the flowers were trying to climb into the sky, as though trying to challenge the heavens and destiny. "Im done!" cing the bowl on the table, Zhang Xuan pped his hands. Then, turning toward the two vice guild leaders, Zhang Xuan casually pointed to the painting. "A painting of the fifth level..." "Done!" Chapter 292: Zhao Ya and the Others Arrive Chapter 292: Zhao Ya and the Others Arrive Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Zhao Ya and the Others Arrive "The winter plum blossoms are using spiritual energy from the surroundings to grow, is this... a painting of the fifth level?" "Just by spurting some water, it became a fifth level painting?" "Does it have to be so exaggerated?" The faces of everyone present distorted in shock as they became dumbfounded It was merely a savage beast yfully running and rolling about on the paper, so they thought that the painting would be nothing at all. Yet, with a mere shake, it transformed into a third level painting. And that wasnt the all. By heating the painting with a fire torch, it was immediately elevated to be a fourth level painting... Then, with a spurt of water, it created the effect of snow, allowing the painting to reach the fifth level... The heck! Are you a painter... or are you a street performer? A fifth level painting is something that only a 3-star painter is capable of creating. Yet, to be able to reach that level with a savage beast... What is this craziness? Everyone turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, and they couldnt help but doubt if he were human. A moment ago, they thought that he was just an arrogant, boastful, and ignorantd. But now, they realized how wrong they were. He was actually a grandmaster possessing skills beyond their imagination. A painting that seemed to be scrap was forcefully raised to be a painting of the fifth level! It was just like magic, leaving the crowd present thoroughly bewildered and dizzied. "This... This..." The lips of the two vice guild leaders quivered in astonishment. This is beyond incredible! For a child who isnt even twenty to create a fifth level painting... Even in the headquarter, he would be considered as one of the top geniuses! More importantly, anyone else, even if it were a 3-star painter, would have to abstain from meat, meditate, and conduct several types of preparations to adjust their state of mind before they were able to create a painting of the fifth level. Yet, this fellow achieved this with just a spurt of water... When did creating a fifth level painting be so simple? "Did I actually challenge a fellow who is capable of creating fifth level paintings?" Ji Mo gongzis face paled, wishing to knock himself dead on a pir at this instant. After scolding the other party, the other party took out a savage beast to challenge his skills. After mocking the other partys painting, the other party immediately brought the painting up to the third level with a shake. After saying that the other partys work was a coboration and that the result shouldnt be a draw, the other party immediately raised the level of the painting to the fourth level. And now, it has been raised to the fifth level. Are you here with the purpose to p my face? If I knew that you are a grandmaster capable of producing a fifth level painting, no matter how foolish I may be, I wouldnt have dared to provoke you! Now, my attempts to make my name known has made me a fool, and I have be aughingstock. Needless to say flirting withdies, I would be too embarrassed to walk in the streets... "Give it a check, ascertain whether it is a fifth level painting!" Ignoring the shock that the crowd was going through, Zhang Xuan turned to the two vice guild leaders. "Theres no need to check, it is definitely a fifth level painting!" The two vice guild leaders were astonished beyond words. A fifth level painting is capable of absorbing spiritual energy to materialize its own contents. Even though the painting didnt yet possess wisdom, it was capable of leaving the original dimension of the painting and creep outward. One didnt require a deep understanding of painting in order to identify a fifth level painting, only requiring that one not be blind... As the vice guild leaders of the Painter Guild, 2-star pinnacle painters, how can they possibly be unable to tell a fifth level painting! "Then... Am I eligible to im the 3-star painter emblem?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "This..." Vice Guild leader Wu forcefully calmed down the agitation rippling within his mind, and after hesitating for a moment, spoke, "Going by logic, you are eligible as a 3-star painter. However, our guild leader is the only 3-star painter at our branch, and he is absent at the moment... We dont have the qualifications to confer this rank upon you!" "You dont have the qualifications?" "Grandmaster Zhang, theres no need to panic..." Vice Guild Leader Wu waved his hands immediately to cate him. His method of addressing Zhang Xuan had changed from brother to grandmaster. Since the other party was able to create a painting of the fifth level, this showed that his skills had far surpassed theirs. Even though they were much older than him, they didnt dare to overstep their boundaries and call him brother. It would truly be indecorous for them to do so. They would be disregarding order and hierarchy. "As long as we send your painting to the headquarter and have someone to examine and verify it, the emblem should be issued soon." Vice Guild Leader Wu added. "This will take... around ten days!" "Ten days?" "Yes. However, while we are unable to give you the 3-star emblem, for the time being, we can present you with the 2-star emblem on the spot!" Vice Guild Leader Wu gestured, and an apprentice walked forward to receive instructions. Very quickly, an emblem with two shining and brilliant stars on it was brought out. 2-star painter emblem! It signifies ones identity as a 2-star painter. "Un!" Zhang Xuan was delighted. He didnt expect the painter examination to be so simple, that one is able to directly obtain a rank just by producing a piece of work. It is unlike the other upations which conduct all kinds of troublesome tests in order to assess ones skills. "Since Grandmaster Zhang has sessfully produced a fifth level painting, even though you have not obtained the actual emblem, you already possess the authority of a 3-star painter!" Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng interjected. "Can I already exercise the authority of a 3-star painter? Very well, this Painter Ji Mo has provoked me time and time again, and I hereby dere that he is permanently banned from the Painter Guild!" Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd as he spoke. Hearing those words, Ji Mo gongzis face turned pale, and he copsed to the ground. The other party had be a 3-star painter, and he had gained to authority to issue bans. Once this ban was filed, all of the branches of the Painter Guild would receive the order, and he would be unable to enter any single one of them. Any attempt to circumvent this ban would be taken as an act of provocation against the Painter Guild, and the offender could be killed on the spot! Ji Mo thought that he use this countryside bumpkin as a stepping stone to make his name known. Never in his dreams did he expect to instead knock into a tough boulder, leaving himself with a smashed head... "Painter Ji, you may leave now!" Hearing Zhang Xuans orders, Vice Guild Leader Wu shook his head, having no choice but to drive the other party away. Even though he thought that it was a little too harsh, it was an irrefutable fact that Ji Mo had lost thepetition, and thus, the wager. Hence, there was nothing more he could say about the situation. Besides, in Zhang Xuans presence, Ji Mo gongzis talents amounted to nothing at all. There was no need to think about whom they should support. "Yes!" Albeit reluctant, Ji Mo gongzi knew that the ban had been issued, and there was no point of reconciliation. Unless his skills surpassed that of the other party, he would never be able to ovee this ban. Hu! Rising to his feet, he turned around and walked out of the Painter Guild immediately. He would only be embarrassing himself further by staying here! "Damn it, damn it!" Upon leaving the guild, he roared furiously to the skies, and killing intent shone in his eyes. "To dare to humiliate me like that, Ill never forgive you! Men!" "Young master!" A figure immediately appeared from the depths of the darkness. "Investigate his background, find out who that fellow is, and if there is an opportunity... kill him!" He flung his hands grandly. For him, a young master of one of the Three Great ns in the capital, to be humiliated in public by a nobody, he felt an indescribable rage within him. "Yes!" The shadowy figure nodded and, with a slight blur, disappeared into the darkness once more. ... "Where is your library?" After obtaining the status of an official painter, Zhang Xuan didnt leave immediately. Instead, he inquired about the location of the library. The painting books he browsed through in Master Lu Chens house back then only covered the fundamentals. While it was sufficient to create lower level paintings, Zhang Xuan required more advanced books to improve. Since he had already be an official painter and was at the Painter Guild, it would be beneficial for him to look through the books, and seek further improvements. "Grandmaster Zhang, this way please!" Vice Guild Leader Wu led the way. In no time, the party arrived at a massive room. "This is our library!" Vice Guild Leader Wu pointed inward. Zhang Xuan nodded, "Id like to take a look at the books, do not allow anyone to interrupt me!" After which, he strolled in with his hands behind his back. The collection in the Painter Guild was muchrger than that in Master Lu Chens house. An innumerable amount of books and art pieces of all sortsid within the massive room. Seeing that Vice Guild Leader Wu and the others didnt follow him in, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, cing his finger on the first row, and then started on his job. Swiftly, book after book was duplicated into the Library of Heavens Path. ... While Zhang Xuan was duplicating books in the Painter Guild, a huge aerial savage beastnded outside Tianwu Kingdom, and several figures leaped off its back. "So, this is Tianwu Kingdom?" A youngster stared at the towering city walls, his eyes glittering with excitement. "Thats right!" Within the crowd, an elder stroked his beard and chuckled. "We had to take a carriage to Beiwu Kingdom so as to borrow an aerial savage beast from the royal family to travel to Tianxuan Kingdom. Even though we didnt rest much throughout the journey, it took us a month to reach this ce. Tianwu Kingdom is incredibly vast!" Ady within the crowd smiled. The slight illumination from the stars and the moon added a mysterious allure to her beautiful face. Blinking her eyes twice, she asked, "Say, do you think that teacher has arrived yet?" "I heard from Shenoshi that Zhangoshi would be heading straight for the Red Lotus Ridge right after leaving the Beast Hall. He probably has something to attend to there, so I doubt that he has reached Tianwu Kingdom. However, theres no need for us to worry. He will surelye here to take the master teacher examination, so well just have to wait for him here!" Anotherdy spoke up. In contrast to the shydy from before, this one exuded a valiant aura. Her facial features were unbelievably beautiful, it was as if she hade right out of a painting, "Lets not waste our time here. We should proceed into the city!" The elder from before interjected into the discussion. "Im reminding all of you beforehand, Tianwu Kingdom is a Tier 1 Kingdom, unlike Tianxuan Kingdom. You have to behave cautiously so as to not offend any formidable figures by mistake. Although I can solve most problems through the Master Teacher Pavilion, it will be exceedingly troublesome. Thus, itll be best to remain prudent!" "Yes!" A few people answered harmoniously. Seeing the group agreeing to his words, the elder nodded. "The sky has turned dark. We should enter the city and find a ce to rest. Tomorrow morning, I will contact the Master Teacher Pavilion to check if Senior Zhang has arrived. Before Senior Zhang returns, you must have all broken through to Dingli realm, or else I would be too ashamed to meet him!" "Liu shi, rest assured!" Hearing his instructions, the group nodded immediately. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would surely be able to recognize these figures as his five students, together with Liu shi, Lu Xun, Huang Yu, and a few others. When Zhang Xuan left Hongtian Academy for the Beast Hall, this group had also headed for Beiwu Kingdom. Riding on a carriage, it took them more than ten days to arrive at their destination. Then, Liu shi borrowed an aerial savage beast from the Beiwu royal family, and only then did they manage to pick up speed. However, this savage beast was unable topare up to Zhang Xuans Howling Firmament Beast, possessing only a Tongxuan realm cultivation. Thus, it took them a dozen more days to arrive here. As such, it took them slightly over a month before they managed to arrive at Tianwu Royal City. In this long period of time, Zhao Ya and the gangs cultivations had improved significantly. The Library of Heavens Path-modified secret manuals that Zhang Xuan left behind were top-notch and coupled with Liu shis tutoring, it would not be an easy feat for them to not improve swiftly. Right after the awakening of her unique constitution, Zhao Yas cultivation had originally risen to Dingli realm pinnacle. At this moment, two faint bundles of light could be seen on her body surface, bearing testimony to the fact that she has already opened two acupoints to be a Pixue realm expert. On the other hand, Zheng Yang and the others had also improved swiftly. They had reached Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm pinnacle, and they were only a single step away from reaching Dingli realm. Of the group, the one with the weakest cultivation remained as Yuan Tao. But even so, he had already reached Pigu realm intermediate stage. On top of that, his defensive ability had grown greatly, to the point that Zhao Yas offense was a mere itch to him. Even Pixue realm pinnacle experts would be unable to break through his defense. He had be a human shield in the truest sense. Lu Xun, as Liu shis apprentice, had also improved significantly under thetters guidance. A month of training had allowed him to advance to Tongxuan realm primary stage. Huang Yu had also sessfully advanced from Dingli realm pinnacle to Pixue realm. But of course, the one who underwent the greatest improvement was Liu shi. The pointers which Yang shi offered him back then in Tianxuan Kingdom allowed him to ovee the obstacle which had hindered him for many years, and he sessfully became a Zongshi realm expert. The magnificent energy in his body billowed mightily. "Alright, lets enter!" After paying the entrance fee, the group entered the capital. Zhao Ya and the others were immediately captivated by the bustling city, and their eyes widened in thrill. "Well stay here!" Walking through the streets, they soon spotted an inn in the distance. Liu shi led the group there and settled them in. "Liu shi, on the way here, I noticed that the Painter Guild is in the vicinity. I would like to... try taking the apprentice painter examination!" Having made all necessary arrangements, Lu Xun walked over and looked at Liu shi expectantly. "You will require a supporting upation to be eligible for the master teacher examination in the future. Go on!" Liu shi waved his hands casually. "Yes!" Nodding his head, Lu Xun walked out of the inn. Chapter 293: He is Called Zhang Xuan Chapter 293: He is Called Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Hu! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan rubbed between his eyebrows. Even though there were many books in the Painter Guild, to Zhang Xuan, it just meant a slightly longer run. In less than an hour, he managed to duplicate all of the books in the library into the Library of Heavens Path. "Even though I am able to produce fifth level paintings, my understanding of the upation is sorelycking. Now that I possess these books to augment my knowledge, I should finally be able to live up to my identity as a 3-star painter!" Looking at the neat rows of books in the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily. Even though he was able to create fifth level paintings through the painting techniques mentioned in Master Lu Chens books, he didnt know much about the basic history of painting, the various styles, schools, and such. Taking Duan Yu, for example, he was capable of executing the top-notch martial arts technique, Six Pulse Divine Sword, which allowed him to defeat the powerful Murong Fu. However, his fundamentals were extremely weak, and he didnt know any other basic techniques. If he were to face a group of hoodlums, he might not even be a match for them. Zhang Xuan was in a simr circumstance. He was able to create a fifth level painting easily, but if one were to ask him to produce a Reality Depiction painting, he would find it very difficult to do so. However, with the books from the Painter Guild library, it was no longer a problem. Once Zhang Xuan read all of these books, his knowledge would far surpass that of 3-star painters, and perhaps, even 4-star painters. "However... I have countless books in the Library of Heavens Path collected from Tianxuan Kingdom Book Collection Vault, the Beast Hall, Poison Hall, and Painter Guild... There are several ten million of them in the library, and if I were to read them one by one, how long would it take for me to finish reading all of them?" After gathering the books, another dilemma struck him, leaving him with a slight headache. He had already duplicated over tens of million books since his time at Tianxuan Kingdom, and even though he had been reading whenever he found the time, apanied by his fast speed at reading, he could only cover a maximum of one to two thousand books every day. Inparison to the huge collection consisting of tens of million of books... The number of books he could read a day was just like a droplet of water in an ocean. Furthermore, as he goes further and deeper into each upation, the amount of books he would have to read would only increase. Without several years of effort, it would be impossible for him to convert all of them into his own knowledge. "If only I have the golden page..." Zhang Xuan thought. The golden page was something that was formed by the Book of Heavens Path. It could instantly assimte all of the knowledge contained within the library into his own mind. If he obtains the golden page, he would be able to easily remember everything contained in the library, and he wouldnt have exhausted himself flipping through the books one by one. "I thought that it is formed only when someone is grateful to me, but thinking about it now, that shouldnt be the case! When I was passing off as Yang shi, there were many people who were grateful to me, but the golden page didnt form. This means that there is more to it!" Thinking of the golden page in the Book of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan tried to recall the scenario in which it appeared. He had no idea when the first golden page appeared, but the second golden page appeared when Zhao Ya and the others challenged Lu Xun on the dueling tform in order to defend his honor. Back then, their gratitude carried the purest and most earnest of emotions between teacher and student. Can it be that... only strong feelings of gratitude between the teacher and his students can make the golden page appear? As Yang shi, most of the people he helped felt deference to him instead of such feelings. "I can give it a try!" Thinking of this, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. While other people might find it impossible to verify such matters, Zhang Xuan had a method up his sleeves. Casually taking out an empty book from his storage ring, he wrote his conjecture in a book before touching it lightly. Weng! With a jolt, an identical book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan flipped it open casually. "It is really the earnest gratitude between the teacher and student that forms the golden page...! To think this would be the case!" Upon seeing the results of his conjecture, Zhang Xuan felt agitated. If he knew that this golden page was formed like that, he wouldnt have exhausted himself reading along the entire journey. He put in so much effort but had only managed to read a small portion of the entire sea of books. "Looks like I should ept a few students and think of a way... to make them feel grateful to me!" Zhang Xuan smiled gently. Once the golden page was formed, he would be able to easily convert those knowledge into his own. Right now, what hecked was an umtion of knowledge. Only with sufficient knowledge can he easily identify ws and solve problems without utilizing the Library of Heavens Path. "I wonder if Zhao Ya and the others have arrived. Seems like my only choice is to make an inquiry at the Master Teacher Pavilion tomorrow. Since Im free now, maybe I should walk around to see if theres anyone I can guide. Perhaps, I might even find myself a student..." Thinking so, Zhang Xuan stepped out of the Painter Guild library. As he was leaving the library, he met the two vice guild leaders and after a short chat, he stepped, out of the guild, onto the streets once more. Time is precious, so it was imperative for Zhang Xuan to identify a way to form the golden page. The moment he stepped out of the guild, another young man walked in from another direction. He was Lu Xun, who had just arrived at Tianwu Royal City. The [Tianwu Inn] which they settled in was just a few hundred meters away from the Painter Guild, and he rushed here as soon as Liu shi finished making arrangements. "To take the master teacher examination, one must have a supporting upation. I have learned painting from my father from young, and Ive long been able to produce paintings of the Reality Depiction level. I should first settle the apprentice painter examination before thinking of a way to be an official painter!" Witnessing therge and majestic calligraphy at the entrance of the Painter Guild, Lu Xun felt agitated. With his current skills, it would be difficult for him to qualify as an official painter. However, bing an apprentice painter shouldnt be much of a challenge. Upon stepping into the guild, he saw paintings after paintings hung on the walls. There were mountains, streams, canaries, spring, the radiant sun... And to his astonishment, all of them had attained the level of Reality Depiction. With a single gaze, he could tell that the painters behind those works possessed an understanding of painting that was in no way inferior to his. "As expected of the Painter Guild, impressive..." Lu Xun couldnt help butment with glowing eyes. Because this branch didnt have a long history, even Master Lu Chen hadnt been here to visit, so Lu Xun naturally wasnt aware of what was within. He hadnt expected to be able to see so many incredible art pieces the moment he enters and was impressed by the sight before him. "Gongzi, may I know what kind of painting you are looking for? I can bring you around the guild!" Right after he entered, the green-robed attendant who served Zhang Xuan previously walked up to him with a respectful attitude. "Im not here to buy a painting... I am here to take the apprentice painter examination! May I know where the examination held would be held?" Lu Xun smiled. "Are you here to take the apprentice painter examination?" The green-robed attendant was taken aback. Usually, examinees appear only once every several months. What is going on today? Why have they appeared in a whole group today? Right after Ji Mo gongzis assessment, Grandmaster Zhang appeared. And right after Grandmaster Zhang left, this fellow came to take the apprentice painter examination... It sure is lively today! "This way please!" Even though he was bewildered by the situation, he didnt dare to keep Lu Xun waiting. After all, he was just an attendant of the guild, while an apprentice is someone who has a chance to be an official painter in the future. There was a huge gap in status between the two. "Un!" Lu Xun followed behind him. "Impressive, this is really a fifth level painting!" "Indeed, to think that he would be capable of painting a fifth level work in his first examination, and moreover, below the age of twenty! He is such a genius!" "Even Ji Mo gongzi fell in defeat before him and was chased out of the guild. His talents are indeed impressive!" "My head is still whirling from the situation just now. That is truly the most excitingpetition Ive ever seen!" "I didnt think that a savage beast would be capable of painting as well. This is something which Ive never dared to even think about in the past..." ... Making his way in the spacious hall, discussions in hushed voices echoed from all directions. Even though there were many of Ji Mo gongzis fans within the crowd during thepetition an hour ago, there were also plenty of noblemen and aristocrats who were truly passionate about painting. It was Grandmaster Zhangs first appearance here, and he had already left the entire guild amazed. "They say that... someone was able to produce a fifth level painting in his first attempt at the examination. What is that about?" With the discussions around him heating up, Lu Xun could no longer hold back his curiosity and asked the green-robed attendant. "Oh, theyre talking about thepetition that concluded just a moment ago!" The attendants eyes glowed with excitement when he heard the question. Not only was he able to watch the proceedings of thepetition clearly from right beside, he was the one to attend to the grandmaster, and he felt greatly honored. "Competition?" "Thats right. It happened just a few moments ago..." The green-robed attendant soon recounted the events vividly to Lu Xun. "You say that... the grandmaster dipped the savage beast in ink, allowed it to walk on the xuan paper, and with just a shake, turned the painting into a third level art piece?" Lu Xun widened his eyes in disbelief. Having studied painting under his father since young, he understood the difficulty in producing a third level painting. Even his father couldnt guarantee to be able to produce a third level painting every single time he paints. Yet, this grandmaster is able to create such a painting using the random footsteps of a savage beast and a casual shake... Are you trying to exaggerate things? However, the true shock wasying in wait. "By heating the painting with a fire torch... it turned into a fourth level painting?" "With a mouthful of water, it became a fifth level masterpiece?" The more he heard, the more he found his mind unable to cope. He was on the verge of entering a frenzy. Why does it sound like fiction? If it is true, then that grandmasters control over his painting is way too fearsome! "Its all true! I attended to the grandmaster myself, and I witnessed the proceedings of thepetition personally. I cant be wrong!" Seeing the disbelief in the other partys eyes, the green-robed attendant dered proudly. "Thats amazing... If I can be a student of this grandmaster, my painting mastery will definitely soar rapidly, and it wont be long before I be an official painter!" Seeing how the other party was so certain of himself, a thought appeared in Lu Xuns mind and it soon grew to the point that it could no longer be contained. One of the prerequisites to the master teacher examination is to be an official member of another upation. Even though Lu Xun had been studying painting from young, he knew that there was a world of a difference between Reality Depiction and Spiritual Canvas. If he studied all by his own, he could possibly take decades to reach the next level. However... With the guidance of an incredible teacher, this process could be greatly shortened. He didnt know about other grandmasters, but the one which the attendant just spoke of amazed him greatly. To be capable of elevating the level of a painting so easily, especially to the fifth level, the grandmastersprehension of painting must be unimaginably profound! If he were toe under the grandmasters tutge, he would be able to clear all the doubts he had immediately, and his path as a painter would be much more smooth-sailing. "What is the name of that grandmaster? Do you know where he is? Is he epting any students?" Arriving at this conclusion, Lu Xun could not help but ask, his face reddened with agitation. "That grandmaster... If Im not wrong, his name is... Zhang Xuan!" The green-robed attendant pondered for a moment before replying. "Zhang Xuan?" Lu Xuns eyes widened immediately. --- Duan Yu: Reference to Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils He is known for being capable of utilizing the ultimate art, Six Meridians Divine Sword. However, he only managed to learn this technique due to a series of coincidences, and due to hiscking fundamentals, he was unable to execute the technique every single time, which posed as a fatal w. He managed to defeat powerful antagonists like Murong Fu but often lost to minor and weaker characters. Chapter 294: Sneak Attack Chapter 294: Sneak Attack Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Can it be that this person is... Uncle Zhang? Lu Xuns body swayed, and an urge to vomit blood welled up within him. From the moment he challenged him in Tianxuan Kingdom, he had been suffering blow after blow. He thought that now that he hade to Tianwu Kingdom, he would be able to walk out from the other partys shadow and make a name for himself. Yet, the moment he arrived, he suffered yet another blow. Are you my nemesis? Why must you appear wherever I go, just like a vengeful spirit? More importantly... to always hog the limelight... Holding back his dismay, Lu Xun asked, "How does this Grandmaster Zhang look like?" "Hes around my height, slightly thin, having fair and smooth skin..." The green-robed attendant pondered for a moment before describing Zhang Xuans physical traits. Halfway through, Lu Xun could already tell that it was definitely Zhang Xuan. "Forget it, Im already used to suffering these blows on my confidence..." Ascertaining that it was the person he was thinking of, even though Lu Xun felt gloomy, he heaved a sigh of relief. This monster wasnt just incredible, the students he taught were the same. Competing with him would just frustrate him and shorten his lifespan. Lu Xun had thought this matter through on the way here and had decided to just ept his lot. Initially, when he heard about the legendary affairs of this grandmaster, he thought that there were monsters like Zhang Xuan in Tianwu Kingdom. But since they were the same person, at the very least, it was proof that Zhang Xuan was the anomaly. Otherwise, if everyone were like him, Lu Xun wouldnt stand a chance at all. "I should first take the apprentice painter examination. After Im done, Ill inform teacher, Zheng Yang, and the others about it. Theyll probably be delighted at the news!" Adjusting his state of mind, Lu Xun decided not to dwell on this matter and, under the lead of the green-robed attendant, entered the examination hall. ... Zhang Xuan was oblivious to the fact that Lu Xun had entered the Painter Guild right after his departure. At this moment, he was strolling casually on the streets. In order to form the golden page, he must find students and win their earnest gratitude. But where can Zhang Xuan find a student? He couldnt possibly grab a random passerby and demand the person to acknowledge him as his teacher, right? If he did so, he would probably be pummeled to death on the spot. "Tianwu Academy!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up all of a sudden. He would definitely be pummeled to death if he were to grab random passer-bys and plead with them to be his student, but... in an academy, the situation waspletely different. The reason why students join an academy is to seek knowledge, and they offer their unconditional trust to its teachers. It was feasible for Zhang Xuan to impersonate a teacher. As long as he is able to find a suitable student, it wouldnt be difficult to make him feel grateful. Furthermore, he had heard that the best academy in Tianwu Kingdom is in the capital when he first entered the city. "Not a bad idea, I shall head over now!" Thus, he made up his mind to ask around for directions to this academy. However, at this moment, he noticed something strange and his eyebrows shot up. "Someone is following me!" He is currently a Half-Zongshi expert, and even without utilizing the Library of Heavens Path, he is able to sense the hostility in others. Despite the dense crowd, he could clearly sense a faint but malicious intent in the air. Even though this intent was carefully concealed to the point that any other Zongshi realm experts would find it hard to detect, Zhang Xuan, who had reached a Soul Depth of 5.0, was still able to discern it easily. "Could it be that Ji Mo gongzi?" He had just arrived at Tianwu Kingdom and didnt know anyone. The only enemy he had made was Ji Mo, whom he had just taught a lesson. He didnt expect the other party to send someone after him so quickly. He nced over casually using his peripheral vision. There was a total of five people, and they were all at Tongxuan realm. Two of them had even achieved Tongxuan realm pinnacle. It seemed that Ji Mo gongzi was unaware of his actual cultivation realm, thus he thought that sending these few people would be sufficient to deal with him. After all, painters are different from the other upations of the Upper Nine Paths. A prerequisite for beast tamers and apothecaries to attain a promotion to 2-star is to possess Zongshi realm cultivation and to reach 3-star, they have to possess a Zhizun realm cultivation. On the other hand, ones cultivation realm is irrelevant to his status as an official painter. Regardless of whether he is at Tongxuan realm or Pixue realm, as long as one has reached a level of enlightenment and is capable of painting a fifth level work, he would be eligible to be a 3-star painter. That being said, those who are capable of produce a fifth level painting tend to have a rich experience in life, most of them already in their seventies and eighties. In addition, given the huge amount of money they could earn from each of their painting, they wouldntck resources. Thus, even if they werent able to reach Zhizun realm, they would be at minimum Zongshi realm pinnacle. Thus, on the whole, there wasnt toorge of a difference between painters and the other upation. It was extremely rare for a quirk such as Zhang Xuan to appear. To paint a fifth level painting before the age of twenty, he had already broken all of these underlying assumptions. Back in the Painter Guild, he didnt disy his strength, and the Heavens Path zhenqi allowed him to conceal his cultivation realm perfectly. Thus, no one was able to tell how high his cultivation realm was. However, based on his age, it was unlikely for him to exceed Pixue realm. Thus, Ji Mo gongzi thought that these few experts would be more than enough to give him a punishment. "There are too many people here. I should look for somewhere remote to y with them!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. Since his transcension, even though he has been trying his best to raise his cultivation all along, he didnt have much of a chance to try out his moves, and his fists had been itching for an opponent. Since these fellows were here to cause him trouble, he could make use of them to test his techniques. Acting as if he didnt notice the other party, he nced around to look for a remote alley. To his frustration, he realized that Tianwu Kingdom was way too prosperous. Given that the sun had just set not too long ago, the streets were still filled with crowds, so he was unable to find any suitable locations. "Time to go out of the city then!" Besides, he was on the outskirts of the city and wasnt too far from the city gates. Thus, he began walking with widened strides. "Why is this fellow heading out of the city?" The group of pursuers, upon seeing Zhang Xuan stride past the city gates, became dumbfounded. There were too many people in the city, and if a conflict urs, it was highly probable that it would blow out of proportions. Just as they were in a dilemma about how they could bring this fellow to an isted location, this fellow took the initiative to leave the city, all by himself. Isnt he acting too obediently! "Who cares, hes just a youngd. Dont tell me that youre scared of him?" "Thats true. Even if he were to have started cultivating even from inside his mothers womb, he can only have attained Tongxuan realm at best. It is impossible for us to lose!" The few men hesitated for a moment before nodding simultaneously. Even though the environment and resources for cultivation in Tianwu Kingdom were much better than that of Tianxuan Kingdom, a Tongxuan realm cultivator could already be considered an expert. Given that not one but five such experts were at once sent to deal with an insignificant youngd, it was no wonder why they were so confident. "I shall remind all of you once more, the young master has instructed us not to kill that fellow. No matter what, hes a 3-star painter. If he were to die, the Painter Guild headquarter would definitely look into the matter, and this would bring the young master a lot of trouble! What well do is to humiliate him. I trust that you know what you should do!" A Tongxuan realm expert, who appeared to be the leader of the group, instructed the others in a suppressed voice. "Rest assured, we know what to do!" The others nodded simultaneously. Because of his status as a 3-star painter, the Painter Guild headquarter would definitely send someone to investigate if he were to go missing. Even though the Ji n was one of the Three Great ns of Tianwu Royal City, it was impossible for them to withstand the Painter Guilds rage. Thus, Ji Mo gongzi had already instructed the group that instead of killing Zhang Xuan, they were to humiliate Zhang Xuan and allow him toprehend the meaning of a fate worse than death. ... Tailing behind Zhang Xuan, it didnt take long for the group to leave the city. After walking for a distance, they soon arrived at a remote forest. "Be careful, I think thatd has already noticed us, and he brought us here by intention..." The leader said with a hushed voice. "What do we have to fear? This is just what we wanted, we can let loose and teach him a lesson here!" The rest of the group was unsuspecting. From their perspective, Zhang Xuan was simply courting death. Despite knowing that there are people on his tail, he dared toe to such a secluded ce. Isnt it obvious that he is tired of living? Hu! Drawing their weapons simultaneously, the few of them entered the forest. They were wondering if the fellow would conceal himself and wait secretly for them, when they suddenly caught sight of him lying opening on a tree branch, looking at them with a bright grin. "Did Ji Mo send all of you here?" Since there was no one here, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to beat around the bush. To him, they were just a few small fries. "Move!" Not expecting the youngd to face them so fearlessly, the leader harrumphed coldly and gestured. "Ill do it!" The weakest of the group, a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage cultivator, chuckled. Pushing forcefully against the ground, he leaped straight at Zhang Xuan with amazing speed. Hula! The human was airborne, the powerful zhenqi that he exuded causing the surrounding flora and fauna to bow before his presence, and sent sonic waves into the surroundings. "This battle technique is not bad. Judging from his wholesome aura and the might of his leap, it seems that Zhang Qing isnt too far off from reaching Tongxuan realm advanced stage!" The leader nodded. At the same time, he bellowed, "Control your strength, do not kill him..." "Dont worry, I know what I am doing..." Zhang Qing replied. He was still considering how much strength he should put into his fist when the vision before him blurred all of a sudden. Pah! With a crisp sound, a p struck his face, and an excruciating pain assaulted his cheeks. Before Zhang Qing could react, his entire body had twisted like a fried dough twist, and he flew several dozen meters away. Coughing up mouthfuls and mouthfuls of blood, a few of his teeth could be seen on the ground amidst red liquid. "Ah?" "What?" Initially, they thought that Zhang Qing would be able to subdue the youngd easily. Yet, contrary to their expectations, he was sent flying with a single p. The sight left the leader and the three remaining members stunned with astonishment. "Im sorry. Ive been cultivating by myself, and I havent really fought with anyone. Thus, I identally put too much strength into my p!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Ever since he transcended into this world, he hadnt fought with anyone. Thus, he wasnt able to urately gauge how much strength his p would wield. He thought that it was just a gentle hit, and at the very most, the other party would just feel a slight sting, but... Upon seeing how the other party was already on the verge of death, Zhang Xuan apologized immediately and sheepishly. "This fellow isnt as simple as we thought him out to be. Everyone, use your full strength!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was capable of exerting such great might easily, the leaders face turned pale immediately. Initially, he thought that the young master was making too big a deal out of nothing to send so many of them just to deal with an insignificant fellow. Nevertheless, they obeyed his order since it was just a simple mission. However, upon witnessing this situation, they realized that... it wasnt as they thought. That youngd was definitely stronger than them. Possessing a strength exceeding Tongxuan realm pinnacle under the age of twenty? Probably only the number one genius Mo Hongyi is capable of rivaling him! Hu! The others werent fools either. With a single nce, they recognized that the fellow was much stronger than they had expected. They held their swords tightly as they surrounded Zhang Xuan, each of them with a grim expression on their face. Of the four, two were Tongxuan realm advanced stage and the rest were Tongxuan realm pinnacle. With their strength united, they exerted an imposing might, and the atmosphere seemed to have grown heavy all of a sudden. "Go!" Knowing that the other party was strong, the leader didnt hesitate and immediately ordered everyone to charge forward, in order to im the initiative. Hul! Four weapons stabbed out at the simultaneously. All four of them were guards of the Ji n, and they had been living together for more than five years, so they possessed great teamwork. Driving their zhenqi, they struck at the same time with amazing speed, and their swords were aimed at each of Zhang Xuans top, middle, and bottom, sealing all possible escape routes. With their outstanding coordination, coupled with powerful battle techniques, it would be difficult for even a Half-Zongshi to deal with them. However, Zhang Xuan wasnt an ordinary Half-Zongshi but could be considered an unparallelled genius. The four of them thought that they would be able tond at least a single strike on the youngd, but the moment they sent their swords out, they suddenly felt an emptiness in their palms. Looking downward, they realized that their ferocious assault had beenpletely neutralized, the swords in their hands were already in the other partys grasp unknowingly. "Ah!" The entire group was rmed and they shrieked in fear. The heck! This is too frightening! To be able to steal their swords with bare hands, it was no longer just a problem of the difference in their cultivation. The other party had to have aplete understanding of their battle techniques, strengths, their movements, and the position of their swords to be capable of achieving this feat. With a single error, it could mean the loss of his fingers! Even a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert... would be incapable of doing so! They thought that it would be a walk in the park to teach this young fellow a lesson. Yet, it turned out that what they were dealing with was a... ferocious tiger! "Retreat!" Narrowing his eyes, the leader knew they would die if they continued to remain here. Thus, after yelling out amand, he turned around to escape immediately. Without any hesitation, the other three turned to flee as fast as they could as well. They had no choice but to ignore the convulsing fellow on the floor who was sent flying by Zhang Xuan with a p. "We havent even done anything, why are you in such a hurry?" They had yet to cross any blows, yet these fellows were already escaping. Speechless, Zhang Xuan beckoned. Hu! Before the four could react, the view before them turned pitch ck. A massive figure descended from the sky. Padah! As though they were struck by a small mountain, the four of them were sted like a cannon ball. The sight before them blurred, and they spurtedrge mouthfuls of blood. "It... is a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast..." It took them much difficulty before they could recover from their stupor. Squinting at the massive fellow, they nearly lost their minds. To think that it would be a... Half-Zhizun realm savage beast! Only the old ancestor of the Tianwu Kingdom would possess the strength of a Half-Zhizun! This beast can already be considered the most lethal weapon in Tianwu Kingdom! To think that the other party would possess such a tamed beast... What kind of monster did they exactly provoke? The Howling Firmament Beast had been roaming around the forests and, upon hearing Zhang Xuansmands, rushed over immediately. In its eyes, these few fellows were mere ants. If it hadnt held back, these fellows would have been easily reduced to meat paste. After knocking the four away, before they could evennd on the floor, the Howling Firmament Beasts massive body shook once more. It dashed forward and struck them with its wing. Padah! Padah! Padah! Padah! Four consecutive thuds sounded loudly in the silent forest. As they fell limply to the ground, fresh blood gushed from their mouths. Most of their bones seemed to have been fractured from the impact. The Howling Firmament Beast had a Half-Zhizun realm cultivation and, not to mention, savage beasts tend to be significantly stronger than cultivators with the same cultivation realm. With just a few light sweeps, it nearly shattered half of all the bones in their bodies and dissipated their zhenqi. Even with treatment, it was likely that they would remain crippled for life. "I told you to go easy on them, didnt I? I still have questions to ask them. How in the world can I interrogate them when you have reduced them to such a state?" Seeing how the Howling Firmament Beast had crippled the four of them, Zhang Xuan frowned. It would have been better if they did not hear him. Upon catching those words, the four of them twitched, and tears nearly spilled from their eyes. Brother, how can you be so thick-skinned as to criticize your savage beast? You were the one who attacked Zhang Qing, and his state seems to be worse than ours. Until now, he is still puking blood, and his entire face has distorted under your p. Even his mother wouldnt be able to recognize him now! If he isnt given treatment soon, losing his cultivation would be a small matter, he might not even survive tonight... Dealing such cruel blows yourself, how do you have the skin to criticize others? Wuuuu... Who in the world told us that this would be a simple mission! Young master,e here! We promise that we wont beat you to death... Chapter 295: Acknowledge Me As Your Teacher Chapter 295: Acknowledge Me As Your Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Speak, is it Ji Mo who sent you here?" After reprimanding the Howling Firmament Beast, Zhang Xuan turned to the leader of the group. Even though they were stubborn at the start, upon being forced to consume poison by Zhang Xuan, they realized immediately that the person before them wasnt just a simple painter and cultivator. He was a poison master as well! Recalling the stories about poison masters that they heard of, the final line of defense in their minds crumbled. They disclosed everything that they knew. "Ji Mo gongzi told you not to kill me, but to strip me, hang me on the tree, and then record this down using a Record Crystal?" Hearing the other partys motive, Zhang Xuan became speechless. However, after giving the matter some thought, Zhang Xuan realized why the other party would want to do so. Zhang Xuan had be a 3-star painter, and if he were to be humiliated, he would probably keep silent for fear of embarrassing himself. On the other hand, if he were to be killed, the Painter Guild would definitely pursue the matter. Given that he had a recent dispute with Ji Mo, thetter would be the prime suspect. That would put the Ji Mo at risk of facing the Painter guilds punishment. If it were just a 1-star or 2-star painter, the headquarter might not even be bothered to interfere. However, if a genius who managed to reach the level of a 3-star painter before twenty were to be killed, it was possible that they would destroy the Ji n out of rage. On the other hand, if they were to humiliate Zhang Xuan and use the Record Crystal to tape down his shameful demeanor, Ji Mo would gain a weapon against him. Even when he eventually discovers the culprit, in order to prevent the video from getting out, Zhang Xuan wouldnt dare to confront the Ji n. It must be said that even though Ji Mo gongzi appeared to be a rash person, he had actually nned out the matter carefully in consideration of the consequences. However, it was a pity that he had underestimated Zhang Xuans cultivation, causing the five of them tond in such a pitiful state. Upon uncovering the other partys motive, Zhang Xuan nced to the five and gave each of them another kick. "The poison that I fed you will act up within five days and it will corrode your organs, making you die in agony. Regardless of how you do it, strip Ji Mo gongzi naked, hang him up on a tree and record a video using a Record Crystal. In return, I will give you the antidote to your poison. You dont have to dream about finding any other poison masters to treat you. The poison that I introduced into your body is my own secret concoction, even a 3-star poison master would be helpless before it!" An eye for an eye. Werent you trying to embarrass me? Fine, Ill have these subordinates of yours give you a dose of your own medicine. Lets see what happens. As for the secret poison concoction that Zhang Xuan used, it was actually just Heavens Path zhenqi. However, it was true that no one could remove it except for him. With a single thought, Zhang Xuan would be able to detonate the zhenqi, already hidden deep inside their acupoints, causing them to die on the spot. Thus, he wasnt lying. "Yes, yes!" Upon hearing about the poison that was nted in their bodies, their lips quivered in fear. Poison masters were a feared throughout the continent, their methods sinister and terrifying. Offending any of them spelled certain doom. If only they knew that the person whom their young master sent them after was such a terrifying figure, they would have disobeyed his order and escaped from the city. They had never thought of rushing to their dooms just like that. "Scram!" After instructing them, Zhang Xuan sent them away. "Yes!" Supporting each other, the five of them struggled to their feet and left the forest in a haste. The moment they returned back to the city, they nced at one another with uncertainty. "What should we do?" The severely injured Zhang Qing asked the others in a feeble voice. "What else can we do? We can only obey hismands. At worse... well just leave Tianwu Kingdom after that, never to return!" The leader gritted his teeth. They were all mercenaries who worked for the Ji n in return for money and resources. Now that their lives were threatened, it was clear what was the most important. Besides, if not for Ji Mo gongzis willful nature, he wouldnt have offended such a formidable character, which eventuallynded them in such a tragic state. Their hatred for this young master fe had long permeated their bones. "We should discuss this matter carefully to see how we can aplish his mission within five days..." Having decided their next course of action, the five men pledged their brotherhood, before limping to find a suitable resting spot to treat their injuries. ... Ignoring the crippled five, just as Zhang Xuan was just about to return to the city to look for Tianwu Kingdom, he heard a ruckus in the mountain not too far away. There seemed to be a battle going on. "I should go and take a look!" Zhang Xuan leaped onto the back of the Howling Firmament Beast, and with a strong gust of wind, the savage beast soared into the skies and, under the cover of darkness, crept toward the source of the noise. ... Tianwu Inn. "Are you saying that... teacher took the painter examination just moments ago?" Zhao Ya and the others stared at Lu Xun, their faces red with agitation. They had thought that their teacher would require another period of time before he could arrive at the kingdom. To think that he would get here earlier than them! "I heard that from the personnel of the Painter Guild that a person named Zhang Xuan had passed the examination to be a 3-star painter. As for whether he is... senior uncle, Im not too certain!" Lu Xun said. After he passed the apprentice painter examination, he rushed back to the inn immediately to inform the group about the news he had. "It must be him! For two people to possess the same name and, at the same time, be capable of painting a fifth level art piece, is such coincidence even possible?" Huang Yu said. She had personally witnessed Zhang Xuan painting, and not only were his painting skills formidable, his speed was one to behold. She didnt think that it was impossible for him to use a savage beast to produce a fifth level painting. "Since teacher took the painter examination less than two hours ago, he should still be nearby. Lets search around, perhaps we may be able to find him!" "I agree, I want to look for teacher as well!" Hearing that their teacher was in the vicinity, Zhao Ya and the others couldnt remain seated. "Alright, lets check the area and meet back here in four hours then!" Understanding their feelings, Liu shi found it hard to reject them. Thus, he issued his instruction. "Alright!" Unable to remain still any further, Zhao Ya and the others dashed out upon hearing the eldersmand. ... Hong hong hong! Zhenqi filled the air and shock waves ravaged the surroundings. A human and a beast was engaged in an intense battle. "A Zongshi realm cultivator against a Zongshi realm savage beast?" Standing on the back of the Howling Firmament Beast, Zhang Xuan observed the battle from above and felt somewhat astonished. A Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator was actually battling a Zongshi realm advanced stage Crimson Tiger. The Crimson Tigers physique greatly resembled the Gold Alloyed Panther that Zhang Xuan tamed previously. Not only did it possess tough fur and skin, it also wielded tremendous strength in itspact body. This Crimson Tiger was clearly much stronger than the Gold Alloyed Panther. Every single w and kick seemed to rip air apart. Under the devastating force from both human and beast, trees were torn into pieces while boulders were smashed into fragments. Even though the Crimson Tiger was only at Zongshi realm advanced stage, its physical advantages allowed it to match up against cultivators stronger than it. The Zongshi realm pinnacle seemed to possess multiple incredible methods, but he was unable to ovee the Crimson Tigers defense. In a mere few moments, they had already crossed blows numerous times, but none of them was able to get the better of the other. Peng peng peng peng! After a few more blows, upon realizing that there would be no conclusion to this battle, the Crimson Tiger shook its thick tail, turned around, and left. Seeing it disappear into the distance, the Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes narrowed suddenly, and he lifted his head to look at the Howling Firmament Beast which was airborne. It was alreadyte into the night, but the Howling Firmament Beast wasnt flying too far off the surface and was visible to the naked eye. Back then, the cultivators attention had beenpletely taken by the battle with the Crimson Tiger, so he failed to notice its presence. However, now that the battle had ended, if he still were to be unable to notice that powerful presence lingering above him, he should really jump off a building. "May I know which elder it is? I hope to seek your understanding for being unable to wee you!" The cultivator sped his fist respectfully and in a hurry. Since the other party was able to tame a Half-Zhizun savage beast, he was probably a Zhizun realm expert. Even though he possessed a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivation, he didnt dare to act impertinently before the other party. "Elder?" Right after the battle, Zhang Xuan was about to leave when he was noticed by the cultivator below. Hearing his words, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. "Thats right, I am looking for a student to make him feel grateful toward me! Since this fellow thinks of me as his elder, I can make use of this opportunity to hoodwink him. Perhaps, this might work out!" Zhang Xuan was getting frustrated over where he could find a student when this fellow appeared out of nowhere. Thus, he decided to give it a try. "However, my current appearance is too young. He will definitely question my abilities if he sees my face... I should assume Yang shis appearance!" Thus, making use of his disguise ability, Zhang Xuans bones and muscles shifted to model: Yang Xuan. In any way, he was on the Howling Firmament Beast, and it waste at night. Even though the other party had noticed his presence, he was unable to see his appearance clearly. Hu! Uponmand, the Howling Firmament Beast slowly descended to the ground. Landing on the ground surface, Zhang Xuan could see that the Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator was a spirited, middle-aged man dressed in tight clothes. With prior experience from passing off as Yang Xuan, Zhang Xuan was able to get into character easily. Standing atop the Firmament Howling Beast, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back, and then with apletely calm expression, he replied, "Theres no need to worry, I am just passing by this area. I happened to see you battling with the Crimson Tiger, so I stopped for a moment to observe the fight. Are you trying to tame it?" There were many ways to tame savage beasts, and pleasing them was just one method. Battling them was another. Even though the beast and the human had fought ferociously, if they were to truly get serious, they should have been bleeding by now. Given that this middle-aged cultivator allowed the Crimson Tiger to leave freely, it was highly probable that he was trying to tame it. Furthermore, judging from their battle, they seemed to have some understanding of each others techniques. It was most likely that that wasnt the first battle between them. "Youre right, elder. I do intend to tame it." The middle-aged man sped his fist in response. He had tried to examine the other party, but he realized that he wasnt able to detect any signs of his cultivation at all. To be capable of this feat, the other partys zhenqi must either be purer than his or... that his cultivation far surpassed his! Given that the other party possessed a Half-Zhizun Howling Firmament Beast as a tamed beast, and that he was unable to see through his cultivation, the elder before him was at minimum a Zhizun realm expert! Coming to this conclusion, the middle-aged cultivators attitude grew even more respectful. "The Crimson Tiger is the king of the forest, and taming it is no easy task. It is impossible to do so through a few mere battles!" Zhang Xuan spoke casually. Even though Zhang Xuan might not have heard of rarer savage beasts just as the Lava Beast, as a 2-star beast tamer, he nevertheless knew quite a bit about the Crimson Tiger. The Crimson Tiger is the king of the forest, and upon maturity, it would possess the strength of a Zongshi realm pinnacle. Given that this Crimson Tiger was only at Zongshi realm advanced stage, it had yet to reach maturity. Such savage beasts, who are powerful from birth, rarely submit to anyone. The chances of taming it with just a few fights is extremely low. "I understand that as well, but... I cant help my greed!" The middle-aged man shed a bitter smile. He knew that it was too difficult to tame this Crimson Tiger. However, when he thought about the benefits taming it could bring him, he found himself unable to suppress his desire. "I can impart to you the way of taming it!" Zhang Xuan said. "Is Elder willing to teach me?" The middle-aged man was feeling distressed over this matter when the other party spoke these words. Narrowing his eyes, his face grew slightly red in agitation, "Elder, may I ask if theres anything you need help with? As long as it is within my abilities, I wont speak a single word ofint!" Knowing that there was no such thing as a free lunch in the world, even though the middle-aged cultivator was thrilled by the idea, he didnt allow it to consume his rationality. "Ive nothing that requires your help, and given your cultivation realm, you wont find it worth to be used by me. However... I cant allow my techniques to be leaked. Since its fate that brought us together, Ill teach you the method, but youll have to acknowledge me as your teacher!" Zhang Xuan nced at the other party. "Acknowledge you as my teacher?" The middle-aged cultivator had thought of the countless different request that the other party coulde up with, but even so, Zhang Xuans words caught him by surprise, and for a moment, he became dumbfounded. Chapter 296: Student Jiang Shu Chapter 296: Student Jiang Shu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove He had heard of experts injuring others because of a mere disagreement and had also heard of experts breaking societal conventions. But he had never heard of experts going around epting random strangers as students... The middle-aged man blinked his eyes. The ability to achieve Zongshi realm pinnacle bore testimony to his talents, but he was also aware that he was a far cry from true geniuses. He wasnt a genius, yet the other party, without thinking twice, offered to ept him as his disciple... What in the world is going on? "Thats right! Are you bewildered why I would ept you as my student?" Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually. With profound intent andposure reflecting in his eyes, he spoke, "Your talent isnt top-notch and your cultivation isnt anything. Therefore, there should be no reason for me to have taken a fancy to you, right?" "I..." Having his thoughts verbalized, the middle-aged cultivator smiled awkwardly. "I watched your battle with the Crimson Tiger, youplemented the [Verdant Stream Movement Technique] with [Hong Yan Fist]. Even though its quite a goodbo, you are unable to disy the full might of these skills. If Im not wrong, the Hong Yan Fist which you practice is iplete!" Zhang Xuan said, as a matter-of-factly. "Elder... How did you know?" The middle-aged mans face warped in shock immediately. The Verdant Stream Movement Technique was a famous movement technique in Tianwu Kingdom, so it wasnt surprising that the other party knew it. However, Hong Yan Fist was his exclusive technique. He happened to stumble upon the grave of a Zhizun expert inside a valley during his travels and, in it, he found the Hong Yan Fist secret manual. The fist technique was created by an elder named Hong Yan. The technique allows the user to exert an immense force that is capable of breaking through even a savage beasts resilient defense. Even though the secret manual left in the grave of the expert was an iplete version, after practicing the technique for many years, the middle-aged cultivator had already mastered it, and he had since always regarded it as his trump card in times of danger. During the battle with the Crimson Tiger, he executed the technique with the intention of brushing up his skills. Never in his dreams did he expect that this elder would be able to recognize it in a single nce. Zhang Xuan didnt reply his question. Rather, he continued impassively, "The Hong Yan Fist emphasizes heavily on brute force through huge motions. If you practiced just this battle technique, even though it is iplete, there wouldnt be any adverse side effects. However, you cultivated the [Three Cun Fist] along with it. The main concept behind the idea is a burst of strength within three cun of space. The idea of huge motions and explosive strength is at odds with each other. If Im not wrong, you should have some stubborn ailments on you!" "I..." The middle-aged man shuddered in astonishment and hurriedly sped his fist out of respect, "Elder... youre right!" The very first battle technique that he ever practiced was the Three Cun Fist. Subsequently, when he encountered the Hong Yan Fist, he knew that it was likely that the two techniques would be in conflict, but was unwilling to allow such a powerful fist technique pass him by. Thus, he chose to practice it forcefully. He thought that given his identity, he would be able to solve all possible traumas easily. But who knew that the more he cultivated the technique, the greater the damage to his body was. Especially in the recent few years, he could already sense that his stamina was farcking aspared to before. This was precisely the reason why he wanted to tame this young Crimson Tiger. If anything happened to him, he could still ensure the safety of his kins. "As a master teacher, despite knowing that there is a conflict between both fist techniques, you chose to go ahead and practice it, damaging your own body. Foolish." Zhang Xuan spoke sharply. "Elder... You know that Im a master teacher?" The middle-aged man stared at Zhang Xuan in disbelief. In the previous battle, he had utilized both the Hong Yan Fist and Three Cun Fist, thus it wasnt surprising for the other party to be able to tell that much. However, he wasnt dressed in the master teacher robe and didnt don the emblem either. How did the other party know that he was a master teacher? He didnt say anything that would have betrayed his identity! "When you fought with the Crimson Tiger, you were able to predict and avoid the other partys lethal blows. Even though this is partly due to the numerous fights with it which resulted in familiarity with each others techniques, the fact you were able to exploit the other partys weaknesses tounch counterattacks precisely every single time proves that you are a master teacher!" Zhang Xuan said. Master teachers possess the State of Insight, which allows them to peer into the ws and weaknesses of each battle technique. It is through such that they are able to pinpoint problems and their causes and steer their students to the right path. This is also the reason why master teachers are the strongest among cultivators of the same realm. In the battle just now, the middle-aged cultivator was able to strike a good bnce between offense and defense. Despite facing a ferocious savage beast, he was able to remain calm, and every single move he made was purposeful. Any cultivator could have easily sensed that something was amiss. Furthermore, when he fought with the Crimson Tiger previously, he had executed several battle techniques. As such, a book on him had beenpiled in the Library of Heavens Path... "Elder, your eye of discernment is incredible..." The middle-aged man contemted for a brief moment and suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Can it be that... is elder a master teacher as well?" Other than a master teacher, he couldnt think of anyone else who would be capable of discerning the battle technique he practiced, deduce that there was a problem with his body, and even identify his upation. As Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back, a mountainous breeze tugged on his robe, creating an impression reminiscent of a saint. "I spend my time traveling around the world, and it has been years since someonest addressed me by that title!" "As expected, elder is a master teacher..." Hearing the other partys words, the middle-aged mans eyes shone in agitation. The fact that the other party was at least a Zhizun realm cultivator and that his discernment ability far surpassed his meant that... he was at least a 3-star master teacher! If he was a master teacher, he could understand why the other party would request him to be his student although they had just met. Master teachers bear the responsibility of educating the masses. Upon meeting the puzzled, they are to answer their doubts. This is precisely the reason why the human race was able to prosper throughout the entirend. It was the reason why master teachers became an upation respected by the masses. The hierarchy among master teachers was strict. It was normal for a low-tier master teacher to address a high-tier master teacher as teacher, and there werent rules against acknowledging a fellow master teacher as ones teacher. More importantly, given how the other party was able to see through his problems in a single nce, and that he could help him tame the Crimson Tiger, it would be nothing but advantageous for him to be his student! "Its my honor to be elders student!" Holding back his agitation, he hastily replied with a reddened face. "Do you not doubt me anymore?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I dare not to!" The middle-aged man quickly nodded his head. Given the other partys indiscernible cultivation realm, Half-Zhizun tamed beast, and incredible discernment ability, even if the other party were to now im that he wasnt a master teacher, he would definitely not believe it. "The Crimson Tiger that you fought with has yet to mature, and his strength hasnt reached its peak yet. If you can find a way to raise its cultivation to Zongshi realm pinnacle, it wont be difficult for you to tame it!" Now that the other party was convinced of his identity as a master teacher, the rest was easy to aplish. Without further ado, Zhang Xuan began to toss out the benefits. "That... I know that as well, and Ive tried. However, I couldnt find anything that can raise its cultivation..." The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment before answering. Master teachers are expected to be knowledgeable in all upations, and the middle-aged cultivator dabbled in beast taming, so he knew that he would have to offer some incentive to tame the other party. However... he had experimented numerous methods, but wasnt able to find anything which could help this Crimson Tiger achieve a breakthrough. After all, the savage beasts strength was shackled to its age. There are no herbs in this world that can raise ones age! Even if such a herb did exist, that would be equivalent to pulling on a seedling for it to grow taller. If the Crimson Tiger were to learn of it, it would definitely feel a resentment toward him, and by then, it would be impossible for him to tame it. "Do you have any pills on you?" Zhang Xuan asked impassively. "I do... I have a few pills for injuries!" Not knowing the intention behind the question, the middle-aged cultivator hesitated for a moment before replying. "Pass it to me!" Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand. "Yes!" Even though he didnt understand why the other party wanted his pills, he didnt hesitate at all. With a flick of his wrist, a jade bottle appeared in his palm. With a light toss, the pill rode on his zhenqi and floated slowly to Zhang Xuan. Even though his actions were simple, it disyed the amazing control he had over his zhenqi. Zhang Xuan was astonished by the other partys feat but hid his expression well. Grabbing the jade bottle, he opened it casually and saw ten smooth, round pills within. Every single one of the pills had reached grade-2! Every single grade-2 pill was worth an exponential sum, and the entire bottle of pills was likely to be worth more than ten million! Probably, only a master teacher would bring such a bottle around with him and throw it so casually. Pouring these pills onto his palm, he started to infuse the pure Heavens Path zhenqi into them. Then, he crushed the ten pills to form onerge pill. The only way for an immature savage beast to achieve a breakthrough was the Bloodline Evolution. Zhang Xuan didnt know what medicine was capable of inducing a Bloodline Evolution in a Crimson Tiger, but he knew that... his Heavens Path zhenqi could! The Crimson Tiger was at Zongshi realm advanced stage while Zhang Xuan was a step away from reaching Zongshi realm. Thus, his Heavens Path zhenqi should still be highly effective in inducing a Bloodline Evolution in the former. However, the Heavens Path zhenqi was too pure, and the other party was a master teacher who also possessed incredible discernment ability. If he were to help the Crimson Tiger achieve a breakthrough directly, it was possible that the other party might notice something suspicious. If so, his efforts in disguising as an expert would have been in vain. Furthermore, if Zhang Xuan wanted to infuse Heavens Path zhenqi straight into the other partys meridians, he had to ensure that the other party would not retaliate. Be it his own strength or the middle-aged cultivators strength, it was impossible for them to knock the Crimson Tiger out. Thus, even if he wanted to do so, it was unfeasible! As such, he chose to pump his zhenqi into the pills instead. As soon as the pills dissolve within the Crimson TIgers body, the Heavens Path zhenqi would permeate into its body. As it circted along its bloodstream, it would cleanse its bloodline, thus inducing in the savage beast a Bloodline Evolution. However, the method was exceptionally wasteful on pills. The higher the grade of a pill, the more zhenqi it could hold. In just a short moment, ten million gold coin worth of pills went to waste. But of course, to Zhang Xuan, it made no difference whatsoever. The pills didnt belong to him. Furthermore, ten million gold coins for a tamed Zongshi realm pinnacle savage beast... This was an extremely good deal. "Alright, Ive modified the pill a little. Once you feed it to the Crimson Tiger, it would be able to break through its current cultivation realm immediately. As for how youll make it submit to you afterward, that would depend on your skills!" With a flick, the pill shot straight back at the middle-aged man. He didnt possess the other partys control over zhenqi, so he could only use this crude method. "Yes!" The middle-aged cultivator grabbed the pill but found it hard to believe the other partys words. He had bought these recovery pills from the Apothecary Guild and knew that there was nothing unique about them. All the elder did was to grab the pills for a moment and then knead all ten of them into arge pill. Is just this... sufficient for the Crimson Tiger to achieve a breakthrough? Why does it sound so unreliable?" "Find the Crimson Tiger and feed this to it now!" Zhang Xuan didnt bother to exin. "Yes!" Even though the middle-aged cultivator held doubts, he didnt think that the other party would lie to him. After all, as a 3-star master teacher and a Zhizun realm expert, there was no need for him to go through so much trouble. Thus, as he nodded his head, he kept the pill properly and dashed in the direction where the Crimson Tiger escaped. Instead of following him, Zhang Xuan waited calmly on the back of the Howling Firmament Beast. Around two hourster, a violent roar sounded. Then, the middle-aged cultivator could be seen returning on the Crimson Tigers back. This time, without any hesitation, he leaped off the back of the tiger and kneeled to the floor, "Student Jiang Shu pays respect to teacher!" Chapter 297: Taking Liberties with Zhao Ya Chapter 297: Taking Liberties with Zhao Ya Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Un!" He saw that the Crimson Tiger, which hovered about the middle-aged Jiang Shu, had indeed reached Zongshi realm pinnacle. Knowing that the other party had sessfully tamed the savage beast, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He turned to Jiang Shu and spoke in an indifferent manner. "This teacher of yours is called Yang Xuan, and I just happened to pass by Tianwu Kingdom and decided to stay here for awhile. During this period of time, youll be considered as my student, but after my departure, Ill remain as myself, and youll remain as yourself. After all, were just mere passer-bys in each others life. However, you are not to use my name to conduct viinous acts, otherwise, I will kill you!" Zhang Xuans motive for epting this student was to form the golden page. Naturally, he couldnt bring him around and, thus, decided to make things clear beforehand. "Yes!" Jiang Shu nodded as a tinge of disappointment crept onto his face. Earlier, when the other party said that he would take him as a student, even though he didnt outright decline, he felt resistant to the idea. However, when he fed that pill to the Crimson Tiger and thetter really achieved a breakthrough, he realized that it was his fortune to be able toe under the tutge of the other party. Just by kneading an ordinary recovery pill, the other party was able to turn it into a treasure that would help savage beasts achieve a breakthrough. Despite the vast knowledge he possessed as a master teacher, he had never heard of such a matter. Just this feat alone allowed Jiang Shu to realize that the person before him wasnt likely to be simply a 3-star master teacher. "May I know where does teacher live? So that in time toe, I may pay my respect!" Even if it were just for a short period, bing Yang shis student was a huge advantage. Jiang Shu sped his fist, hiding his disappointment. "I do not have a definite abode as of now. Once I find one, I will send someone to inform you!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Alright, you should return first!" To induce gratitude in another person and form the golden page wasnt something that could be done all of the sudden. Zhang Xuan was already making great progress, having collected the other party as his student and establishing trust. If he were rush into things, he might just mess it up instead. "Yes!" Knowing that experts have their own way of doing things, Jiang Shu didnt dare to inquire any further. After leaping onto the Crimson Tiger, he turned around and left. Hu! After the other party left, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was troublesome to act as an expert before a master teacher. After all, master teachers possessed incredible abilities of discernment. A singlepse in his disguise could have resulted in failure. "Right! I forgot to ask him where Tianwu Academy is!" Zhang Xuan had intended to ask about the location of Tianwu Academy so that he could gather a few more students to groom in one go, but he ended up forgetting about this matter. His only choice was to return to the city to look around. Soon, he was once again back in the capital. This time round, with no one stalking him, he was able to conduct his inquires freely. Tianwu Academy was where the talents of the capital were gathered, hence nearly everyone knew about it. Thus, it didnt take long before he found out about its approximate location. It was actually in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Pavilion, near the center of the city. To travel there by foot would take three to four hours. Upon hearing that it was so far away, Zhang Xuan dropped his n of finding a student today. When he first arrived at Tianwu Kingdom, the sun had already set. Eating dinner,peting with Ji Mo, and reading books had taken up more than two hours of his time and, after which, he dealt with the assassins and epted Jiang Shu as his student, taking up another two hours of his time. With reference to the time system used in his previous life, it was already nearing eleven oclock. Even if he were to rush over now, everyone would have been asleep by the time he arrived. If he were to sneak into the academypounds in the middle of the night to solicit some students... Others might just think that he was some corpse who had climbed out from his grave and bury him back in. "I leave this for tomorrow. For the time being, Id better look for a ce to rest for the night!" After a long journey here, as well as the painterpetition, fighting, and feigning as an expert, he had long been drained of energy. "Un? [Tianwu Inn]? Alright, Ill stay here!" After looking around the streets for a short while, an inn appeared before Zhang Xuan and he walked right in. The inn was wide and clean, and after finding out at the receptionist that there was an empty room avable, he then chose to settle down here. The moment he stepped into the room, a few figures rushed into the lounge. "Is Zhao Ya not back yet?" "Yes, Liu shi!" Wang Ying replied apprehensively. "Didnt I instruct all of you to return in two hours regardless of whether you manage to find him? Why is she not back?" Liu shi frowned. "All of us... split up the moment we left. We didnt see her on our way back in, so we thought that she had already returned to her room. We then waited for her, but she didnte out after such a long time..." Wang Ying replied fearfully. "Alright. Lu Xun, bring Zheng Yang to look around the east. Sun Qiang, you bring Liu Yang and Yuan Tao to search the west. Wang Ying, Huang Yu, and I go to the north. As for the south, thats where the city gates are, so theres no need to look around there!" Liu shi instructed. "Regardless of your oue, just like thest time, all of you must return within two hours!" "Yes!" Everyone nodded their heads before proceeding out of the inn. ... Physician Bai had been on a rolltely. Ever since he returned from Red Lotus Range, all the physicians that he met treated him with utmost respect and deference. In fact, even the guild leader of the Physician Guild had aplete change in attitude. From an insignificant snub figure, he was now the center of attention. All of those haughty 2-star physicians from before didnt even dare to speak loudly before him... He was getting increasingly happy and increasingly satisfied with his new life. "To think that getting knocked out in an alley would reap such benefits..." Today, the guild leader even proimed him as his brother and drank with him. By the time he left and was back on the streets, he was already feeling very groggy. The turning point in his life came from being knocked unconscious in the Red Lotus City. After waking up, the attitude that all the physicians had toward him changed. He had even thought that he was dreaming. But of course, in the past few days, he had managed to understand the situation fully. That fellow from that day, who appeared together with Princess Mo Yu, knocked him out and saved the Great Herb King in his appearance and name. The reason why these physicians were behaving so friendly to him was first, to be able to purchase good medicinal herb from the Great Herb King through him at a discounted price, and secondly, to find out what the Contract Gu actually was, and how it could be treated. He was unconscious and naked in an alley throughout the entire incident, so how could he know the Great Herb King? Needless to say, the Contract Gu... However, this change in his life didnte easy. He had be so highly regarded and it would be embarrassing if he were to speak the truth. Wouldnt it be likely that he would get beaten to death? Thus, after contemting carefully, he decided to carry on with the lie. Whenever someone asked him about the incident with the Great Herb King, he would change the topic forcefully. Since he was unwilling to speak, the crowd assumed that some kind of important secret was involved, so they didnt dare to continue asking. Thus, his status grew instead. This oue left him thrilled. Every time he saw an alley, he would dive in expectantly in hopes that he would be knocked out again so as to gain greater prestige. After bidding the guild leader farewell, he was on his way back to his residence all alone. Upon noticing an alley, he was just about to enter when he saw ady walking toward him from the opposite direction. Thedy was young, her age between sixteen and seventeen, but her facial features were extraordinarily beautiful. Even Princess Mo Yu, who was reputed as the number one beauty of Tianwu Kingdom, wasnt a match for her. He had never met such a beautiful person in his life. He had a reputation for being lecherous, and that was the main reason why Mo Yu disregarded him then. Having pretended to be an expert for such a long time, he had already begun to feel deprived. Upon confirming that there was no one around, as well as the under the influence of alcohol, his eyes started to glow. ... Knowing that Zhangoshi appeared in the Painter Guild, Zhao Ya and the others left the inn to look for him. For greater efficiency, all of them split up to search alone. They looked around the surrounding alleys and taverns, but there wasnt a single sign of him. Having justpleted searching this alley, Zhao Ya was rubbing her rather exhausted eyes, intending to return to the inn before doing anything else when she saw a middle-aged man with a lustful look on his face approaching her. "Drinking alone is boring. Lady, do you want to apany me for a drink?" Physician Bai blocked her path. "Get out of my way!" Zhao Ya frowned. After her Pure Yin Body was activated, her appearance and disposition had be more refined. Thus, she would often meet with this kind of harassment, just that they mostly came from those of her age. Yet, upon seeing a person who was old enough to be her grandfather appearing before her, her expression became especially awful. "What if I refuse?" Physician Bai Chan harrumphed. It was already close to midnight, and the bustling streets were nearly empty. Furthermore, even if there were anyone around the area, they would be hesitant to stop him once they notice his extravagant clothes. "Youre courting death!" Seeing how the other fellow was behaving like a rogue, Zhao Yas eyebrows knitted together. With a flick of her wrist, a sword appeared in her palm. Circting her Pure Yin Body fully, a frigid sword qi immediately was sent straight at the fellow before her. "You dont know whats good for you!" Seeing how Zhao Ya dared to swing her sword at him, Physician Bai Chan harrumphed coldly before stepping forward. Ding! Zhao Yas sword fell into the other partys hand. Even though Physician Bai Chan was someone whom Zhang Xuan could knock out with a single punch, he was after all a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert. He wasnt someone that Zhao Ya, who had only opened two acupoints, could stand against. "This is bad!" Having her sword taken from her, Zhao Ya was astonished. She could tell that with her cultivation, it was impossible for her to handle this person. Thus, she dashed straight toward the inn immediately. With the awakening of her Pure Yin Body, even though she didnt be as fast as Wang Ying, her speed was incredible, nevertheless. She wasnt far from the inn and once she was there, Liu shi would surely be able to deal with this rogue. "Trying to escape? Do you think that I will allow you to do that?" It wasnt easy for him toe across such a beauty, so how could Bai Chan allow her to escape so easily? Thus, he chased after her hastily. "Zhao Ya?" Sprinting with all her might, Zhao Ya soon arrived at the lounge of the inn and encountered Liu shi and the others, who were just about to set off. "Whats wrong?" "What happened?" Seeing her charge into the lounge anxiously, everyone became perplexed. "Someone tried to take advantage of me..." Zhao Ya pointed to the back. At that moment, Physician Bai Chan walked into the lounge as well. "What?" Upon hearing that someone wanted to take advantage of her, Zheng Yang and the others flew into a rage and prepared to charge at Physician Bai Chan. "Hold your horses!" Seeing through the other partys cultivation in a single nce, Liu shi halted them immediately. Upon seeing the people present, a gleam shed across Physician Bai Chans eyes. "Its no wonder why you escaped so quickly, you have backups here! If so, this will make the matter much easier!" As a cunning old wily, he had experienced such situations innumerable times, so he was able to react immediately without panicking. "This friend, may I know, why you are chasing my student?" He knew that Tianwu Royal City had many powerful and influential ns and that members of these ns were everywhere and could be anyone on the street. Therefore, even though was he felt angry, Liu shi held himself back, stepped forward, and sped his fist. "This youngdy stole my item, so I chased her to take it back! Since you all know one another, this will make this matter easier to settle. You either can choose to return my item, or leave her for me to deal with!" Physician Bai Chan spoke, casually gesturing with his hand. "Stole your item? You... Youre lying!" Not expecting that the other party would frame her as a thief after trying to take liberties with her, Zhao Yas face flushed in anger. --- Sword qi This refers to a visible wave of energy from the might of a sword swing. Chapter 298: Framed Chapter 298: Framed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "May I know what it is that you have lost?" How could Liu shi not tell that the other party was lying? Hearing the other partys words, his eyebrows knitted together into a frown. "I lost a stalk of precious medicinal herb!" Physician Bai Chan had been used to carrying out this scam, so he continued calmly, "Hand it over now, or else I will report all of you and have you jailed!" "Liu shi, I didnt take his things. Hes ndering me!" Zhao Ya exined hurriedly. "Indeed, Liu shi. Zhao Yas father is the city lord of Baiyu City, and she has everything she needs. It isnt possible that she resorts to stealing!" "Zhangoshi is an apothecary. There is no need at all for her to steal!" Zheng Yang and the others stepped forward. Having spent so much time together, all of them naturally ced their trust in Zhao Yas character. How could she possibly steal the belongings of this shabby middle-aged man? "Un!" Liu shi held his hand up to silence everyone, before raising his head to look at the other party. "I am Beiwu Kingdoms 1-star master teacher, Liu Ling! These are my students whom I have brought along, and there seems to be a misunderstanding..." After which, he flicked his hands and a token representing his identity as a master teacher appeared in his palm. "1-star master teacher?" Physician Bai Chan was taken aback. Master teachers possess an extremely high standing in Tianwu Royal City, and with them both having a 1-star grade in their respective upations, he was far beyond what a mere physician couldpare up to. However, the truly prestigious ones in Tianwu Royal City were the 2-star master teachers. Furthermore, as a veteran in the city, he didnt fear a mere outsider. So what if he was a master teacher? As long as the other party didnte from Tianwu Royal City, he had ten thousand ways to silence him. At the same time, he recalled how respectful the other 1-star physicians were to him recently, and his pride immediately swelled. With a darkened face, he said, "Misunderstanding? Even the guild leader of the Physician Guild treats me respectfully, and you say that I framed your little student?" "Thats not what I meant..." Liu shi didnt expect the other party to disregard his identity, so he quickly exined himself. In Tianxuan Kingdom and Beiwu Kingdom, no one would have dared to offend a 1-star master teacher. However, in a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu, the standing of master teachers took a dive. Some of the powerful ns even raised master teachers of their own. This was precisely why even though the identity of a master teacher could induce fear in most people, those who had truly strong backings wouldnt care too much about it. Unless... the person was a 2-star master teacher! With the Master Teacher Pavilion behind his back, Liu shi wasnt worried that anyone would do anything to him. However, Zhao Ya and the others were different. He didnt have many connections here, and if this matter wasnt resolved properly, it could potentially bring about a lot of trouble. If the other party tried to be shameless, it might even affect his reputation as a master teacher. "If thats not what you meant, then what do you mean? Your student stole my possession, and I have already chased her all the way here. Do you mean to say that I chased her for nothing?" Physician Bai flung his hands imposingly. He knew what the other party was afraid of, and this boosted his courage. "Masters, whats wrong?" Because both sides were speaking loudly, their quarrel caught the attention of the boss of Tianwu Inn. "These customers of yours have stolen my possession, what do you think that we should do?" Physician Bai Chan pulled out a chair and sat down. "This..." The boss panicked. Before he came over, an attendant had already informed him of the situation. On one side was a 1-star master teacher, and on the other was the prominent Physician Bai Chan. He couldnt afford to offend any of them. "I shall not make things difficult for you. Since you cant settle this, lets just invite a patrol squad in!" Lifting his eyelids slightly, Physician Bai Chan felt confident. A master teacher that hailed from a small ce such as Beiwu Kingdom... there wasnt a reason to feel fear! "Yes, yes!" The boss heaved a sigh of relief. He gestured to the attendant in a hurry, who then ran out hastily. Tianwu Royal City was huge, and there were all kinds of fights and conflicts every day. Only by resolving them in a timely manner could order be maintained. Thus, the royal family formed patrol squads to uphold the peace within the city. In case of trouble, one could inform and invite them over. "That... May I know what kind of medicinal herb did you lose? Its not convenient to rm a patrol squad at this time of the night. Why dont we settle this matter privately!" Upon hearing the other party mention calling for a patrol squad, Liu shi chose to give in. It was a major disadvantage being in the other partys territory, it being likely that the patrol squad would side with the opponent. If they pronounce that Zhao Ya stole the other partys possession, she would have to go through all kinds of interrogation and investigation. If it were just him, he wouldnt have feared the other party. Without the Master Teacher Pavilions approval, no one would dare to capture a master teacher. However Zhao Ya and the others came from the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, and they didnt possess any formidable background. The moment investigation began, it was likely that it would drag on for months. Furthermore, once they were thrown into the jail, wouldnt the other party would gain the power to twist their words? His senior had entrusted these students to him. If they were to be locked up, how could he ount to his senior? Thus, he chose to settle this matter peacefully in order to avoid trouble. "What medicinal herb did I lose? Since you want to know, Ill tell you then. I lost a thousand-year-old [Green Steel Flower]. It is worth... at least ten million gold coins! Im fine with settling it privately. You can choose to either pay me ten million gold coins or hand this girl over to me." Physician Bai Chan looked at them gleefully. Small matter! So you wish to settle this privately now? Lets see how I y with you! "You... Bullshit!" "How dare you frame me!" Zhao Ya didnt expect the other party to be so shameless. Her face turned scarlet in anger, and her breathing hastened. Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists as well. "A thousand-year-old Green Steel Flower?" Liu shis expression turned awful too. As a master teacher, although he didnt specialize in medicine, he had heard of the Green Steel Flower. Those which had grown to reach a maturity of a thousand years were extremely valuable, and even with ten million gold coins, one might not necessarily be able to purchase one. Given his many years of savings, he did have ten million gold coins. However, anyone, even him would find it hard to ept to being scammed of so much money all of the sudden. "Thats right!" Physician Bai Chans finger drummed on the table. Lifting his eyelid slightly, he said, "Right after bumping into your student, the medicinal herb which I just bought went missing. If it isnt her who is responsible, who else can it be? You can either pay me the money or hand her over for me to interrogate. Otherwise, I shall publicize this matter, iming that you turn a blind eye to your students misdeed. Lets see how the Master Teacher Pavilion deals with you!" Pouring a cup of water for himself as he spoke, he nced at Liu shi gleefully. "This..." Liu shis was livid. The other party seemed to be clear of a master teachers weakness. All master teachers valued their own reputation. If he were to be framed of condoning his students misdeeds, how will he be able to he take the 2-star examination in future? How will he face the world? Hula! The entire room was silent when a group of men arrived; the attendant had returned with a patrol squad. All of them had a Pixue realm cultivation at the minimum, and the one standing at the forefront was a Tongxuan realm expert. They were dressed fully in steel and carried swords in their hands, appearing to be a cold-blooded bunch. "Paying respect to Physician Bai Chan!" Upon stepping into the lounge, the members of the patrol squad nced around the room and recognized Bai Chan immediately. They walked forward and sped their fists. To name the persons who were the most prominent in the capital recently, without a doubt, the first ce would go to Third Princess Mo Yu, and after which, the second ce would go to this person before them. It was said that he cured an illness which even 3-star physicians were incapable of treating. If so, his ability must have far surpassed a 3-star grade, just that he was unable to take the examination due to hiscking cultivation. "Oh, its Squadron Leader Yao!" With a brief look, Bai Chan recognized the other party as well. He waved his hands grandly and proimed "Since its you, this will make things easier. This girl stole the medicinal herb which the Great Herb King just gave me, a thousand-year-old Green Steel Flower. What do you say about how we should handle this?" "The Great Herb King?" Squadron Leader Yaosplexion changed. The Great Herb King was an extremely famous person in the capital. He represented the Poison Hall and, as a result, could almost be considered an overlord in the Red Lotus City, such that even the Tianwu royal family dare not deploy troops against him. If the Great Herb King gave him a medicinal herb personally, it appeared that the rumors were true; he had to deal with this matter prudently. "Audacious! How dare you steal Physician Bai Chans medicinal herb?" Harrumphing coldly, Squadron Leader Yao walked over to Liu shi, "This master teacher here, in respect for your identity, I will not make a move on you. So, hand over your student so that I can interrogate her! Rest assured, the patrol squads are impartial, and if she is innocent, I will do her justice. However, if she really stole something, even if you are a master teacher, we wont hesitate to raise this to the Master Teacher Pavilion!" "This... Please calm down, we are willing to settle this matter in private!" Seeing how the both of them were acquainted, Liu shi knew that Zhao Ya would surely be deemed as a thief if she were to be captured. Thus, after taking a deep breath, he decided to give in. "Liu shi, you mustnt!" "Zhao Ya didnt steal anything, why should we settle this matter privately?" "Thats right, Liu shi. The moment we choose to settle this matter privately, it would mean that Zhao Ya had taken his item. This will be harmful to teachers reputation..." ... Hearing that Liu shi intended to settle the matter privately, Zheng Yang, Lu Xun, and the others voiced their disagreement immediately. The moment this matter was chosen to be settled privately, it would mean that they were guilty, that they had really stolen the other partys possession. This would blemish Liu shis reputation, and if the matter reached the Master Teacher Pavilion, he might even be taken in for investigation. It would be impossible to exin himself then. "Enough! Keep your mouths shut!" Liu shis face darkened. If he didnt keep the matter privately, Zhao Ya would surely be taken in for interrogation. How would he dare to face his senior if a mishap happened to his student while she was under him? "You choose to settle it privately?" Not expecting the other party to be willing to pay ten million gold coins for a students sake, Physician Bai Chan was surprised. He then adapted quickly and sneered, "Im fine with settling it privately. However, I recalled that this thousand-year-old Green Steel Flower is incredibly valuable, and it is impossible to get it at ten million, requiring at least fifty million. Take this sum out and Ill leave immediately. Otherwise, I apologize, but Ill be taking her with me today!" "Fifty million? You... what kind of medicinal herb would be worth so much money?" "You just said its worth ten million, how can you inte the price so abruptly? Damn it..." ... Hearing the other party raise the price to fifty million, everyone burst into an uproar and red at him furiously. Liu shi clenched his knuckles. In his numerous years as a master teacher, he had never suffered such humiliation! "Why? If you wish to settle this privately, hurry up. My time is precious and I dont have any to waste on you!" Physician Bai Chan raised his cup and gazed at Liu shi gleefully. "You..." Liu shis face steeled. "Liu shi, Ill go with them. He is obviously the one who tried to take advantage of me, yet now he frames me for stealing his medicinal herb. I dont believe that Tianwu Kingdom is such awless ce!" Stepping forward, Zhao Ya dered loudly. ... Meanwhile, in the room, Zhang Xuan had just washed up and as he was about to go to sleep, he froze all of a sudden. "That sounds like... Zhao Ya? Can it be that they have arrived?" Chapter 299: A Beating Chapter 299: A Beating Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove After half a month getting along with each other, how could Zhang Xuan not recognize Zhao Yas voice? Who else could the owner of that angry voice be, if not her? After a brief moment adjusting his clothes, he pushed open his door and came out, immediately noticing the two hostile and opposing sides in the lounge. "It really is her!" Upon seeing so many familiar figures, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He didnt expect that they would arrive at Tianwu Kingdom right after him. Furthermore, they happened to put up lodging at the same inn, which was extremely lucky. "Is that person... Bai Chan?" ncing at the fellow standing opposite Zhao Ya and Bai Chan, Zhang Xuan realized that it was the fellow whom he knocked unconscious at the alley back then! "Seems like this fellow is trying to bully my student..." The situation wasntplicated and it didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to understand the situation using just his own observation. Zhang Xuan knew very well what kind of person Zhao Ya was. Stealing? What a joke! On the other hand, this Physician Bai Chan was greedy and lustful. He wasnt anything good. Since Zhang Xuan happened to meet him here, he could use the chance to teach him a lesson. Chuckling lightly, he lifted his foot and began walking over. ... "Zhao Ya, you cant go..." "You wont know what will happen if you follow them..." Hearing Zhao Yas decision, Zheng Yang and the others panicked. It was clear that the physician and the patrol squad were in cahoots. If she were to follow them, who knows what kind of crime would be pinned on her? "Cant you tell? Hes doing this intentionally! No matter how much money you give him, hell just keep raising the price!" Zhao Ya said. Everyone fell silent. She was right. The other party was clearly taking advantage of them just because they were outsiders. Even if they agree to give him money, he would simply say that it was insufficient. Perhaps, he might even im that he has lost something else. Rather than to face humiliation here, she might as well follow the patrol squad and vie for her innocence. The crowd thought that the capital of a Tier 1 Kingdom would be filled with hopes and that they could fulfill their dreams here. Yet, right after arriving, they encountered such an incident and a sense of helplessness gloomed over their hearts. "If you go, it would be falling for the other partys trap!" "I have no choice. The patrol squad is here and looking at how adamant he is on insisting that I stole his herb, I will be taken in regardless!" With their fists clenched tight, everyone was infuriated, but they found themselves without any solution. "Fifty million... So be it! I am still willing to... settle it privately!" Liu shi shook his head, full of indignance. Just as the saying goes, A dragon by the shallow shores would be ridiculed by a prawn, and a tiger which leaves its mountain would be bullied by a dog. If such a thing happened in Beiwu Kingdom, this fellow before him would have been beaten to death right on the spot. But over here, despite his status as a dignified master teacher, he was renderedpletely helpless. "Liu shi..." The crowd was incensed. They squeezed their fists tightly, and their faces were steeled. "Enough, its just a small matter. Theres no need for anyone to go!" Just as everyone thought that this matter was a hopeless cause, a slightlyzy voice echoed, and with his hands inside his pocket, Zhang Xuan strolled over. "Ah... Teacher?" "Zhangoshi, why... are you here?" "Zhangoshi, you put up lodging here as well?" Seeing him emerge from inside the inn, everyone was taken aback for a moment. Then, furious joy overwhelmed them. They had been searching for him the entire night, but to think that he would be right under their noses. Ignoring the crowd which was filled with excitement, Zhang Xuan sauntered to Physician Bai Chan and smiled, "Are you the one who is bullying my student?" Thinking that victory was in his grasp, Bai Chan sipped on his tea, not even bothering to lift his head to look at Zhang Xuan. As such, he didnt recognize him. Gesturing grandly, he harrumphed, "Its your student who stole my possession. I am merely retrieving what I lost..." "Steal your head!" Before Bai Chan could finish his words, he heard a voice, and a shadow flitted across his vision. A teapot had crashed onto his skull. Peng! The teapot shattered, and steaming hot water drenched his entire body. Scalded, Bai Chan leaped up abruptly and fanned himself hard. "You are fricking courting death!" These days, be it the guild leader, nobles, or prestigious ns, who didnt treat him with respect? Yet, this fellow mmed a teapot on his head! How dare he! Hair fell off from his entire face under the hot water. His head, which had be as red as a braized pig head, was steaming, and the aroma of cooked flesh could be smelled. "Teacher..." "This is... way too intense!" Zhao Ya and the others widened their mouths in shock, and their lower jaws nearly fell to the ground. They knew that Zhangoshi would definitely stand up for them, but they didnt expect that... he would do it like that! Smashing a pot of hot tea into the other partys head... The heck! Zhangoshi wasnt even treating the other party as a human. On the other hand, Liu Ling and Lu Xuns lips twitched, and they nearly fainted on the spot. If this was a matter that could be solved through brute force, why would he, as a Zongshi realm master teacher, behave so subserviently? Just from how arrogant the other party acted, it was clear that he possessed an extraordinary status. Furthermore, he had the patrol squad standing guard right beside him. Yet, Zhang Xuan still chose to p him hard in his face. Seems like... This matter will not end peacefully. "This is too rash... Liu Ling shook his head with a bitter smile. This senior of mine has always been calm, always nning his actions carefully. Why is he acting so rashly today? This is Tianwu Kingdom, not Tianxuan Kingdom. To beat someone up right after arriving, not to mention, a person of tremendous standing... The thorns in the path ahead can already be seen clearly. "Has this fellow gone mad?" "That is Physician Bai Chan..." Squadron Leader Yao and the other squad members didnt expect such a twist and were dumbstruck. "Are all of you here to catch a show? This fellow made a move on me, what are you dawdling around for? Kill him..." It took him awhile before he could recover. Seeing the patrol squad standing idly by the side, Physician Bai Chan bellowed angrily. "Yes!" Only then did they recover from their daze. Squadron Leader Yao drew his sword and charged forward, "Lad, how dare you touch Physician Bai? Do you not know who he is? How dare you attack someone in the capital, who do you think you... Aiya, the hell!" Before he could finish his words, a shout of agony escaped his mouth, and his face was immediately distorted just like a fried dough twist. Then, he flew backward, flipping a few rounds beforending on the ground more than a dozen meters away. "Squadron leader..." The entire patrol squad flew into a frenzy. The heck! They were the kingdom patrol squad! They represented the kingdoms dignity, and wherever they went, people would be trembling, careful not to step on their toes. Yet, that fellow gave a tight p to their leader... "Lad, you are making yourself an enemy of the kingdom..." With a roar, they charged forward to avenge their squadron leader. However, before they could finish their words, a series of crisp sounds echoed in the air. Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! Their faces warped, and they were sent flying as well. In an instant, wails of agony echoed in the air. "Were doomed, doomed..." The inn and the attendant in the inn almost wed out all of their hair upon witnessing this sight. They thought that this incident could be resolved quickly since the patrol squad was present. It had been many years since anyone dared toy their hands on a patrol squad. The only difference was that the one ten years ago was a Zongshi realm primary stage wandering cultivator. He had a conflict with a patrol squad member and ended getting violent. Eventually, he became wanted throughout the city, and in less than a single day, he was caught and executed! Yet, not only did this fellow beat up the entire patrol squad, he even scalded Physician Bai Chans head into a pig-head-resembling mess... They thought that it was just a simple affair that could be resolved quickly. To think that it would escte so dramatically! If they knew this would happen, they would have never gone to look for the patrol squad... If the authorities were to me them for housing such violent characters, their inn would be shut down immediately... "You are courting death..." Physician Bai Chan finally regained himself from the searing pain. Through his puffy eyes, he saw members of the patrol squad lying all over the ground. Infuriated, he turned to Zhang Xuan and dered "Youre done for, youre really done for this time. To dare toy your hands on even the patrol squad, no one can save you now..." Before he could finish his words, he felt his throat tighten, and an excruciating pain could be felt at his neck. Zhang Xuan had lifted him up. Pah! Pah! Pah! He felt stinging pain on both sides of his cheeks. Just like that, he had been pped more than a dozen times consecutively. "No one that can save me? Are you sure?" Zhang Xuan smiled brightly. "Wuu..." Physician Bai Chan was on the verge of tears. It was too painful to bear. He had never suffered such a beating from birth. Not daring to spout any further nonsense, he slowly opened his swollen eyes to look at the person who beat him up. He was intending to imprint the other persons features into his mind so that he could get back at him in the future. However, with this single nce, his face turned deathly pale. Too familiar. He was the fellow who was with Princess Mo Yu at the Red Lotus Range, as well as the one who knocked him unconscious. The status he possessed today was all because of him... "Thats right, its me!" Throwing Bai Chan to the floor, Zhang Xuan said impassively. "I..." Bai Chans expression became distorted. If there was a person whom Bai Chan wanted to meet the most, it was definitely the person standing before him. It was because of his impersonation that he possessed such an important standing today. However, if there was a person whom Bai Chan would never want to meet, it was this very person as well. He could expose the fact that he wasnt the one who treated the Great Herb King and pull him down from his high horse. Once the truth was exposed, who in the Physician Guild would respect him? Who would even bother to look at him? He thought that he merely had to guard against Princess Mo Yu. Thus, wherever she went, he would avoid. This way, he would be able to continue living off the prestige of having treated the Great Herb King. However, never in his wildest dreams had he expected to meet Zhang Xuan under such a situation. And not to mention, he had even tried to take advantage of the other partys student... Was I courting death? Even if Zhang Xuan didnt touch him, just by revealing the fact that Physician Bai Chan wasnt the one who actually treated the Great Herb King, he would have been pummelled to death by the countless physicians even before he could take a step out of his own doors. ... "Senior, were in trouble now..." Seeing the unkempt and head-swollen Physician Bai Chan, Liu Ling walked forward and could not help but to shake his head. "Trouble? Theres no trouble at all!" Zhang Xuan answered casually. Since he had made his move, it naturally meant that he had long thought of a solution to resolve this situation. If everything else fails, he would just have to feed each of them lethal poison. He didnt believe that they would dare to wreck havoc under the threat of death. "This is the patrol squad. To have given them a beating..." Not knowing what Zhang Xuan was thinking, Liu Ling spoke a short few words before stopping. Then after hesitating for a moment, he continued again, "Why dont I go to the Master Teacher Pavilion to seek for protection? Given my identity as a master teacher, the Tianwu Kingdom shouldnt dare to do anything to me for the time being. It is just that I might have to undergo judgment at the Master Teacher Pavilion..." The Master Teacher Pavilion carries the responsibility of protecting master teachers, but if master teachers were to err, they possess to authority to judge them as well. Originally, because the other party tried to exploit them, they had valid reasons in their defense. However, now that Zhang Xuan had beaten them up like that, no matter how they exin it, they were the first to get physical and hence, in the wrong, "Theres no need!" Zhang Xuan gestured. Pointing to the Bai Chan, whose head had swell to resemble a pig head, he said, "Hell settle this matter for us." "Him?" Liu Ling was perplexed. Even Zhao Ya and the others looked at Zhang Xuan in bewilderment. The very reason why this fellow is here is to cause trouble, and not to mention, now that you have smashed a teapot on his head and even beat him up into such a state... If he could, he would probably kill you on the spot, yet you hope that hell settle this situation for you? You must be pulling our legs! Even Lu Xun, who was standing off to the side, shook his head as well. This Senior Uncle Zhang is exceptionally talented in various upations, but he has one fatal w; he is too rash. With such a personality, it is a matter of time before something grave happens. "Physician Bai Chan, what do you think... we should do?" Ignoring the doubtful look that the crowd cast on him, Zhang Xuan turned and smiled at the physician whom he had just beaten up. "Cough cough, this..." Despite the other partys smile, he could see a menacing gleam in his eyes and cowered backward immediately. "I am in the wrong. I was blinded by lust and came to cause trouble for your student. Dont worry, Ill resolve this issue quickly..." After which, Physician Bai Chan stood up, and with an expression full of righteousness, walked over to Squadron Leader Yaos party, and took out a bottle of medicine. "This is some medicine to treat superficial wounds. Also, here is a hundred thousand worth of gold bill, Squadron Leader Yao, you should bring the men to eat something good..." "Physician Bai?" Seeing how the fellow was paying and speaking up for the person who beat him up, Squadron Leader Yao and the other patrol squad members were on the verge of madness. However, at this moment, the hushed voice of Physician Bai sounded by their ears. "Shh, this person over here has connections with Princess Mo Yu, and I saw him traveling alongside her... You should know how to handle the rest..." "Connections with Princess Mo Yu?" Squadron Leader Yao and the others froze, and their eyes narrowed. Chapter 300: Extorting Physician Bai Chapter 300: Extorting Physician Bai Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Even though Princess Mo Yu couldntpare to Mo Hongyi, the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom in the past thousand years, she was nevertheless a top-notch genius. Her status far surpassed any other princes and princesses. Furthermore, she was on the verge of passing the master teacher examination, besides being highly favored by the emperor. In fact, there were even rumors iming that he would devote the resources into grooming her as the candidate to be the next emperor. This way, he could prevent the throne from falling into the hands of Mo Hongyi. To have connections with her? Traveling alongside her? Could it be... They were merely ordinary soldiers who relied on bribes to earn some additional money... Offending the princesss friend, that was no different from suicide! "Are you... serious?" Squadron Leader Yaos heart quivered, and he found himself unable to ept the situation. How is the world be so small? To stumble upon the princesss friend in such a huge Tianwu Kingdom? Besides, the princess had always maintained her purity and stayed a distance away from the countless geniuses who attempted to pursue her. They had never heard of her having such a friend. "I wish that it were false too..." Physician Bai Chan looked as if he was about to cry. "This..." Seeing the other partys expression, the patrol squad members immediately understood that it was true. After all, this was the up-anding, highly prominent Physician Bai Chan. To not even dare to retaliate after getting pummeled into such a state, something was clearly amiss. "Since thats the case, then well ept Physician Bais kind gesture. Farewell!" After struggling to his feet, Squadron Leader Yao sped his fist. He didnt dare to offend Physician Bai, needless to say, Princess Mo Yu. Rather than asking for a beating here, it was much wiser for them to just leave. To be patrolling in the capital, if they didnt know how to adapt to situations, they would have long been beaten to death. Regardless of whether it was Physician Bai or Princess Mo Yu, they were both figures whom they couldnt afford to offend and it was best that they leave as soon as possible. Hula! In just a few moments, the patrol squad members disappearedpletely. "How are they leaving just like that?" Liu Ling and the others were still worried just a moment ago, and upon witnessing this urrence, each and every single one of them became dumbfounded. This was especially so for Lu Xun. He thought that his Senior Uncle Zhang had been too rash, and upon seeing this sight, his mouth twitched violently. That was the kingdom patrol squad, they represented the dignity of the kingdom. They got beaten up so badly that their entire faces were swollen like pigs, yet they walked away without a single word? However, this wasnt the end yet. Physician Bai, who was so arrogant as to disregard even Liu shi, walked up to Zhangoshi and bowed respectfully, "That... elder, I have already settled the matter. Do you think that... I can leave now?" Everyones eyes popped out. Senior? You are already in your forties to fifties, while the other party hasnt even reached his twenties. And you call him your elder? Do you have to be so shameless? "Can it be that... are all Tianwu Kingdom civilians that cheap? Do they have to be beaten up before they can talk properly?" Yuan Tao could not help but mutter. Upon hearing those words, even though the crowd remained silent, internally, they couldnt approve of Yuan Taos words anymore. How in the world did Zhangoshi do it? That fellow was already threatening to make this matter known to the entire city before they even did anything. With the smash of a teapot on his head and more than a dozen consecutive ps, wouldnt he exterminate everyone here? Yet, at this moment, he was behaving just like an obedient dog. No one could understand what had happened, and at this very moment, all they could feel was deep admiration for Zhangoshi. It seemed as if... regardless how insurmountable an obstacle could be, once ites into his hands, it would be a non-issue. Lu Xun had initially harbored hopes ofparing with the other party. From the looks of it now, his thoughts were trulyughable! "Leave? Dont be in such a hurry, Im not an unreasonable person. Since I did something, I will definitely take responsibility. After all, I do feel embarrassed for beating you up." Zhang Xuan nced at the other party. "How do you intend to deal with your injuries?" "I was asking for it. It will be fine if I just find some medicinal paste to apply..." Physician Bai Chanughed dryly. Make the other party take responsibility? He didnt dare to! Putting aside his rtionship with the princess, just the fact that he could treat the Contract Gu, which baffled even 3-star physicians, showed how incredible his mastery in the Way of Medicine was. Most probably, no one in Tianwu Kingdom would be able to match up to him. In addition, considering his rtionship with the Great Herb King... Make the other party take responsibility? That was no different frommitting suicide! "Since you say you deserved it, I will not interfere. However... You framed my student, and this has left a huge trauma in her mind. How should we settle this?" Knowing what the other party was thinking of and what he feared, Zhang Xuan looked at him impassively. "I..." Physician Bai Chans mouth twitched. "Didnt you say that your stalk of medicinal herb is worth fifty million? How about this. Since your actions have left a scar in my students heart, you will use this money topensate her. After paying up, you can scram. Otherwise, lets see if I will break that cmity-bringing thing of yours!" After which, Zhang Xuans eyes drifted downward and fell upon a certain spot. Feeling terrified, Physician Bai Chan could but help but to shudder. "I... I dont have so much money!" After a moment, Physician Bai Chan replied meekly with a tearful face. He was only a 1-star physician. Even though he had swindled quite a bit fortune andmitted many evil deeds, he wasnt able to save up that much of money. "You dont have it?" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuans hands stretched out all of a sudden and stabbed straight at the other partys forehead. Almost jumping in shock, Physician Bai Chans neck tilted backward and simultaneously, his mouth opened just a little. Hu! Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and an object flew straight into his throat. "Cough cough... What is this..." Pinching his throat, Physician Bai Chans face paled. "Its nothing much, just some good stuff which the Great Herb King gave me. Didnt you treat the Great Herb Kings illness? You should be familiar with him, right? You can try asking him about it!" Zhang Xuan answered casually. "I..." Physician Bais face reddened, and his legs went weak. Unable to suppress himself any longer, he fell to the floor, kneeling. "Elder, please be magnanimous as to spare me..." The Great Herb King was the spokesperson of the Poison Hall. Even without thinking, it was clear what the other party fed him was... "Its not impossible for me to spare you. We have just arrived at the capital, and we dont have a ce to stay. I want you to find a mansion near the Master Teacher Pavilion! Once youre done, I can consider saving you. Otherwise... Even if I dont do anything, the Great Herb Kings poison should be more than sufficient to send you on your way!" Zhang Xuan waved casually. Even though this fellows character was atrocious, he could still be of help. Zhang Xuan and the others had just arrived at the capital, and they were strangers in a strange ce. With Physician Bai taking care of stuff for them, many difficult matters could be resolved easily. The reason why Zhang Xuan chose to beat the other party up directly was that he knew the other party would recognize him. Back then, he was with Princess Mo Yu when he encountered the other party, so the other party would surely think that they were rted. If the situation was any different, such brute actions would have had apletely opposite effect. Thus, he decided to render help from Physician Bai. This way, they could have a reliable person stand up for them and settle any matter that urred in the future. "Elder..." Physician Bai Chan felt dismal, and bitterness welled on his face. What the heck is this? He had merely drunk a little bit of alcohol and teased a beautifuldy. In the end, not only was he scalded with boiling water, the assaulter even demanded a mansion aspensation... Why does he have to pay despite being the victim? "Why? Are you unwilling? Fine then. I heard that the poison which the Great Herb King gave me causes maggots to grow in ones head, resulting in a constantly groggy state of mind. If it gets severe, the person might even rip off his clothes and run about nude... This willst for three days straight before one sumbs to death. I wonder... does this suit your taste?" Zhang Xuan said. Physician Bai Chan felt so terrified that his face was drained of color. Even though his behavior was atrocious, if he really did something like stripping nude and running in the city, life would lose its meaning. "Why? Dont you like it? Thats easy. He gave me eighteen types of poison back then, and if you dont like it, I can let you try something else!" Zhang Xuan said. "Dont..." Tearful, Physician Bai Chan shook his head in a hurry. "Elder, theres no need to go through that much trouble. Isnt it just about looking for a mansion? This is simple, I will do it right now. Ill find one by tomorrow!" Having been inflicted with poison, his life and death were under the other partys control. Since he couldnt defy the other party, he might as well... submit to him! "Un, thats more like it. Sun Qiang!" Hearing his reply, Zhang Xuan turned around. "Young master!" Sun Qiang walked forward. Yang shi was his old master, and naturally, he would address Zhang Xuan, who was Yang shis student, as young master. "Follow him and look for a good mansion. Tidy the ce carefully. My teacher may being in two days!" Zhang Xuan said. "Is old mastering? Alright!" Sun Qiang nodded his head in excitement. "Hurry along then, are you waiting for the sun to rise?" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Physician Bai Chan quickly nodded his head and left. He didnt wish to stay here for a single moment longer. Only after leaving the inn did he heave a sigh of relief. He couldnt help but turn to Sun Qiang, who had just chased up to him. "May I know... whats the name of your young master?" When he met the other party in the Red Lotus City previously, the other party has merely mentioned that he was a fan of his before knocking him out. Even today, the other party had not revealed his identity. Even though he was so fearful of him, he realized that he didnt even know the other partys name. "Our master is called Zhang Xuan!" Sun Qiang nodded. "Zhang Xuan?" Physician Bai Chan was perplexed. He hadnt heard of any prince or incredible genius going by that name! "You spoke about your old master previously... May I know who he is?" Even though Physician Bai was bewildered, he didnt dare to underestimate them. Thus, he continued asking. "Our old master is a master teacher of a grade exceeding 3-star!" Sun Qiang said in admiration. "A master teacher... of a grade exceeding 3-star?" Physician Bai Chan trembled. Even Tianwu Kingdoms most formidable Jiang shi, the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion, was only a 2-star master teacher. Yet, Zhang Xuans teacher was a master teacher who had exceeded 3-star? It could be said that if his teacher wished to do so, he would be capable of destroying the entire Tianwu Kingdom, at his whim! This Zhang Xuan, so hes actually a student to such a person. "Indeed. As the old masters direct disciple, the young master has received his inheritance. The reason why he came to the capital is to take the master teacher examination! Not only so, hes a 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer (heard for Shen Bi Ru), and 1-star apothecary!" Sun Qiang continued. "3-star... painter? 2-star beast tamer..." Physician Bai Chans body stiffened. It was no wonder why he was so incredible at such a young age. Any single identity that he casually mentions would already be earth-shattering. Perhaps... Even Princess Mo Yu might be inferior to him! "If you serve the young master and old master well, you will be in for a life of glory. But if you were to betray him, I believe that I dont need to tell you what woulde!" Knowing what the other party was thinking of, Sun Qiang added in. "Yes!" Physician Bai Chan nodded. Thinking about what he had enjoyed in the past few days, his heart leaped all of a sudden. The events today are truly unfortunate, but perhaps, this might also be a rare opportunity! Chapter 301: The Excited Ji Mo gongzi Chapter 301: The Excited Ji Mo gongzi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Teacher, why are you here?" Zheng Yang couldnt help but ask. The others also quickly turned to look over. They had searched the entire area but didnt even see a hint of him in the city. Yet... It turned out that they were in the same inn. Truly, one always overlooks the ces closest to them. "I just arrived at Tianwu Kingdom today. This inn is closest to the city gates, so naturally, I settled in here as well!" Zhang Xuan smiled. This was the only decent inn near the city gates. Where else would he choose to stay if not here? "You just arrived today? Then..." Zheng Yang pointed at Physician Bai Chans departing figure in disbelief. The other party was so arrogant that if he could, he would have torn down the entire heaven. Yet, after you beat him up, he acted so obediently as if he were a loyal dog. It is inconceivable for the two of you to not have known each other before that. Furthermore, the patrol squad seemed to have left fearfully after they heard something. He had just arrived but was able to instill fear in them? What was going on? "Perhaps my ps were more painful than usual, so he felt intimidated!" Zhang Xuan replied casually. The matter regarding the Red Lotus Ridge involved the Great Herb King, Poison Hall, poison master, physician, disguiser... This wasnt a matter that could be easily exined even if he wanted to. Therefore, he decided that he might as well avoid the topic altogether. Besides, what Bai Chan was fearful of wasnt just his connection with the Great Herb King. What he was more intimidated by was his rtionship with Princess Mo Yu, so in a way, Zhang Xuan was taking advantage of another persons prestige. It wasnt anything honorable, so Zhang Xuan didnt feelpelled to exin the matter to them. "ps are more painful than usual?" Everyone became speechless. If beating the other party up was useful, they would have long done so. There wouldnt have been a need for you to interfere at all! If you dont want to exin, you should at leaste up with a better lie! This lie of yours is way too perfunctory? "This fellow is the same as ever..." Huang Yu rolled her eyes. This fellow was just like that. If he didnt want to speak, he could just say so. After all, everyone has their own secrets. However, what they found hard to ept was him lying so tantly without any feelings of embarrassment. "Regardless of the reason, as expected of teacher. No matter how big the problem is, you can solve it without a hitch!" Zhao Ya and the other students eyes burned ardently. The issue with Physician Bai Chan had left all of them helpless, yet their teacher was able to turn the situation around the moment he appeared. More importantly, the other party listened obediently to him. As expected of their teacher, it seemed as if there was nothing in the world that was insurmountable to him. "Senior, if Im not wrong, your cultivation has reached Half-Zongshi, right?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was reluctant to remain on that topic, Liu Ling stroked his beard and asked. Zhang Xuan possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi, and even a Zhizun realm expert or a 2-star master teacher would be unable to tell the depth of his cultivation. However, during the battle just now, Liu Ling was able to discern Zhang Xuans cultivation realm through the overwhelming might and aura he that disyed. Even so, he found it hard to believe. Although reaching Half-Zongshi wasnt as difficult as reaching Zongshi realm, it was nevertheless an extremely tall obstacle to ovee. In Tianxuan Kingdom, there were several hundreds of Tongxuan realm pinnacle experts, but only one of them, Old Ancestor Shen Hong, was able to reach Half-Zongshi. This proved clearly how herculean the advancement to Half-Zongshi was. It was just a while ago that Zhang Xuan was still Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Liu Ling thought that it would take at least two to three years of effort before Zhang Xuan could take the final step to reach higher realms. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that... in just a month of absence, the other party had already achieved Half-Zongshi! "Half-Zongshi?" Everyone was astonished, especially Lu Xun, who became wide-eyed. After an entire months time, Lu Xun finally broke through to reach Tongxuan realm. He thought that he could finally be on equal footing as the other party. He wasnt expecting that... the other party would have walked even further ahead! "Un!" Zhang Xuan replied. "By embracing the various schools of cultivation, a Zongshi is able to create his own unique school. This is the first difficult hurdle of the Fighter 9 dans. Even though you arent far from it at Half-Zongshi, it will be difficult for you to achieve a breakthrough without umting experience and reinforcing your cultivation time and time again." Upon hearing the other party affirming his conjecture, Liu Ling nodded. Half-Zongshi may sound as though one is extremely close to reaching the level of a Zongshi, but in reality, one has only stepped onto the jumping tform. To truly make a sessful leap over is another matter. Shen Hong, him, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi, which of them werent famous geniuses when they were younger? s, they were stuck at this hurdle for decades, unable to make the final jump no matter how hard they tried. If not for Yang shi, they might have been stuck at Half-Zongshi for the rest of their lives. Thus, Liu shi knew very well that if one didnt adjust ones state of mind to cultivate properly and patiently, reaching Zongshi would be nothing but a fleeting dream. "Yes!" Zhang Xuan knew that the other party was saying these words for his own good, so he nodded in agreement. "Youre much more talented than I am, and you are entitled to teachers personal guidance. Thus, your breakthrough should be much smooth-sailing than mine. The reason why I said so much to you is that I hope that you wont get anxious and lose yourself. You would still be considered a genius among geniuses if you manage to reach Zongshi realm within three years." Liu Ling continued. This senior of his had reached Half-Zongshi at such a young age, and it was unavoidable for him to feelcent. The reason why he said so much was that he wanted to remind the other party to remain humble and persevering so as to not lose himself in pursuit for greater heights. Otherwise, he might just end up destroying himself. "Alright, I wont obstruct the reunion between senior and your students. Well leave to take a rest first!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan and his students had a lot to catch up on, Liu Ling smiled, sped his hand, and bided his farewell. Huang Yu, Lu Xun, and the others followed behind him. "Teacher!" After the three left, Zheng Yang and the others kneeled onto the floor in agitation. This was especially so for Zhao Ya. She felt extremely grateful to her teacher for saving her. If not for his timely appearance, who knows what might have happened to her by now. "Execute a punching routine so that I can see how much you have all improved!" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan sat down and looked at his students. Since he was their teacher, it was his responsibility to keep a close watch on their cultivation. "Yes!" The group immediately executed their punching routine. Huhuhu! A strong gust of wind, full of might, whipped up within the room immediately. If it were anyone else, even if they manage to discern the cultivation realm of the five, they wouldnt be able to see where their wsid. However, Zhang Xuan was different. With a jolt inside his mind, the recent ws in their cultivation appeared in their respective books instantly. "Not bad. All of you have improved in the past month. Nheless, you are still farcking." After browsing through the issues they met in cultivating written in each of their books, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Zheng Yang, the cultivation technique I gave you specifically called for you to cultivate your taiyin meridian, why are you cultivating your sancu meridian instead? Not only are you wasting your effort, you are destroying your own cultivation. If you continue to behave like this, you should just scram now. Dont waste my time!" "Liu Yang, although your right arm has recovered, when youre training, you still have to be mindful of exerting too much strength. Do you wish to be crippled again?" "Wang Ying..." ... Very quickly, Zhang Xuan pointed out the recent cultivation ws that his five students had and imparted them some new methods. Even though Zhang Xuan might be unreliable when it came to other aspects, he didnt cken at all when it came to guiding his students. Honglong! Pipa! In the next two hours, the five students started to achieve breakthroughs. Zheng Yang and Wang Ying first broke through Pigu realm to reach Dingli realm primary stage, and Yuan Tao followed closely behind, reaching Pigu realm pinnacle. Of the five, the one who experienced the biggest improvement was still Zhao Ya. Initially, she had only opened two acupoints. However, after Zhang Xuans exnation and deciphering of the Pixue realm, she opened ten acupoints consecutively in the next two hours, resulting in an exponential rise in her strength. Having their cultivation raised significantly in such a short period of time, everyone felt both excited and astonished. Previously, Liu shi said that if they wanted to achieve a breakthrough, they would require an impetus. Even at the fastest, it would take about half a month. However, after a session with Zhangoshi, all of them broke through into higher realms immediately. Didnt this disy clearly that Zhangoshis means were superior to Liu shis? Upon realizing this fact, they felt even greater admiration for Zhangoshi. "Alright, Ill be taking the master teacher examination tomorrow, so well stop here for today! Have a good rest!" Zhang Xuan instructed. After this incident with Zhao Ya, he realized that there was an urgent need for him raise his status. This fueled his determination to pass the master teacher examination. ... "I have urgent matters to report to Ji Mo gongzi!" At the Ji n, one of the Three Great ns of Tianwu Kingdom, a figure could be seen in an urgent rush to the doorstep. If Zhang Xuan were here, he would surely have been able to recognize the person as the leader of the group whom he pummeled outside the city previously. This leader was still wounded throughout his body. However, after undergoing treatment, his situation had alleviated greatly, and at the very least, he was able to move around without help. "How is it? Have you seeded yet?" Jiya! The doors opened. Upon seeing the other partys face, Ji Mo gongzis face lit up. "Reporting to gongzi, even though we are severely injured, we have managed to aplish the task you asked of us!" The leader kneeled onto the floor. "Un, not bad, not bad!" An excited gleam shed across Ji Mo gongzis eyes. Thatd had caused him to lose his entire dignity, and he wouldnt be able to vent his anger if he didnt teach him a good lesson. "Take out the Record Crystal, I want to take a look!" Stretching his palm forward, Ji Mo gongzi asked expectantly. Werent you full of arrogance? Producing paintings of the third level, fourth level, and fifth level as if they are circus acts... So what if youre a 3-star painter? Lets see if you can remain as haughty now that we hung you nude on a tree. "Reporting to young master, the Record Crystal was ruined in the middle of the battle!" The leader answered in embarrassment. "Ruined?" "Yes. However, we have hung thatd on a tree outside the city, and the other brothers are currently guarding him. Young master, why dont you follow me there to mock him in his face? This way, you will be able to vent your anger better!" The leader replied. "Thats a good idea. Ridiculing him right in his face is what I like best!" Chuckling, an evil gleam flickered across Ji Mo gongzis gaze. It felt that it would be a great pity if he didnt personally view and mock that arrogant fellow who had been hung naked on a tree. "Lets go!" Ji Mo gongzi was ready to go right after putting on his robe. "Gongzi. No matter what, the person we have offended is a 3-star painter. Even if we were to record his sorry state with a Record Crystal in order to ckmail him and that the other party does not dare to do anything to us, if any of those elders in the residence find out about this, you wont be able to avoid ashing. In my view... Why dont you put on a ck suit and sneak out? This way, we wont rm anyone, thus preventing the news from leaking out and avoiding unnecessary trouble." Seeing that Ji Mo gongzi was about to walk out openly through the main door, the leader immediately advised him otherwise. "Youre right. Not bad, seems like you have given the matter some thought. Ill deal with those old fellows sooner orter. Once I be a 2-star painter and inherit the position of the n leader, Ill definitely teach them a lesson!" Ji Mo gongzi nodded his head in satisfaction. Did you see that? This is what a loyal subordinate should be like, keeping the welfare of his owner at heart. I am probably the only person who is sufficiently charismatic such that my subordinates give their all in order to aplish my tasks. Thinking of this, he felt exhrated. Chapter 302: Paying Respect to Zhang laoshi [2in1] Chapter 302: Paying Respect to Zhangoshi [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "I shall reward you handsomely, in view of your loyalty, when we return!" Giving the leader apliment, Ji Mo gongzi changed into a ck suit and followed behind the other party to an isted corner of the residence before secretly flipping over the wall. They proceeded carefully and they sessfully managed to avoid rming anyone. Soon, they arrived at the forest beyond the city. "Young master, this is the ce..." The leader pointed forward with a finger. "Alright!" Upon hearing that the person who embarrassed him was inside, Ji Mo gongzi proceeded in, his body shaking with excitement. "Where is the person?" Walking into the forest, Ji Mo scanned the surroundings, but it waspletely empty. He was feeling perplexed when the sight before him turned dark all of a sudden. A gunny sack had been pulled over his head. "What are you doing..." Feeling shocked, Ji Mo was about to struggle, but he felt a sudden and excruciating pain on his face. Fists, sticks, and stones came raining down on him. Pi li pa! The sounds of fists and legs sinking into his flesh filled the air, and before Ji Mo gongzi could react, he was already knocked onto the ground. Innumerable bones throughout his entire body had been fractured. Wuuu! Ji Mo gongzi wailed through lips that had swollen to look like sausages. Until now, he had yet toprehend the situation. Isnt the purpose of the trip here to watch Zhang Xuan getting humiliated? Why am I getting beaten up now? It seemed as though an eternity had passed before the torrential blows on his body came to a stop. The gunny sack was torn apart, and his clothes were taken off his body. Then, he felt an ache on his hands. When he finally recovered, he was already hanging on a tree. A chilly night breeze blew across his bare body. "What are all of you up to?" At this moment, Ji Mo finally saw the faces of the group who bashed him up. They were the five subordinates whom he sent after Zhang Xuan. "Gongzi, we dont have a choice either. Why did you have to offend someone you shouldnt have offended? You even had to implicate us..." As the leader spoke, he infused zhenqi into a Record Crystal, recording the sight before him. "You... Puuuu!" Realizing that his naked body was getting recorded, Ji Mo gongzi felt embarrassed and infuriated, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. What the heck is this... Arent these people my subordinates? When did they betray and be the other partysckeys? It wasnt easy for me to devise this n, a n where the other party has no choice but to suffer in silence. Yet... To think that it would be executed on me instead! It wasughable that he had felt impressed with his subordinates loyalty... They were indeed loyal, just not to him... "All along, I thought that he would be big and strong since he was able to attract the attention of so many beauties. To think that it would be that small!" "Youre right, its really small. Its my first time seeing one of that size..." "Me too. It is such an eye-opener!" ... Just as his frustration was bubbling within, he heard the discussion that went on in the group below him. The hell! Youre the one who has a small one, your entire family has small ones... Pu! Greatly infuriated, Ji Mo gongzi couldnt hold himself back, and he sprayed another mouthful of fresh blood. Then, he fainted. ... It was a silent night. When Zhang Xuan finally woke up from his sleep, his fatigue from the journey had disappearedpletely. As he stepped out from his room, he saw Liu Ling and the others standing right outside his doors, looking at him as if he were a monster. "You... simply gave them a few pointers and they achieved breakthroughs?" Pointing to Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others, Liu shi asked in disbelief. When he woke up early in the morning and saw the leap in the groups cultivation, he was so shocked that his teeth nearly fell onto the floor. For all of them to achieve breakthroughs with just a brief of guidance... Isnt it way too easy to achieve breakthroughs! All along, Liu shi thought that even though his senior had a unique and impressive way in guiding his students, his senior was inferior to him, especially since that he wasnt yet a master teacher. Only after witnessing this situation did he understand... That there was indeed a gap between the two of them, but it was the other party who was way ahead of him... "Ah, thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "It isnt anything much. Lets go to the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Upon hearing these words, the group staggered on their feet. Breakthroughs in their cultivation arent any big deal? Seeing how casually he put it, Liu shi and the others felt as though they had taken a thousand arrows to their heart. In order to help students achieve a breakthrough, they had to go through all kinds of trouble and dig up everyst inch of their knowledge, but even so, it wasnt certain that the other party would seed. Yet, Zhang Xuan made it seem as easy as eating and sleeping... Indeed, humans arent born equal... After checking out from the inn, they rented two carriages and headed straight for the Master Teacher Pavilion. Two hourster, a grand building stood before them. On top of the entrance were three grand words which represented the ultimate authority! Master Teacher Pavilion! Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion is considered as a function of the Teacher Guild, it wields much greater influence and power. Those who are able to join its ranks would gain incredible standing in society. shing his emblem, Liu shi led the group in. The hall was vast and grand. "Zhang Xuan? Youre here!" Melded within the crowd, Zhang Xuan was about to inquire about the examination venue when he heard a voice, then with a turn of his head, he saw a youngdy who was apanying an elder. "Its you?" The person was the master teacher apprentice whom Zhang Xuan met right after entering Tianwu City... Ling Xiaoxiao! "Yeah. Youre here to attend Princess Mo Yus Question Symposium as well, right? Its about to start and almost every master teacher in the city is there. Lets go!" Even though she wasnt very fond of this ignorant fellow, he was nevertheless an acquaintance. Thus, Ling Xiaoxiao invited him with a smile on her face. "Are they all there? Alright, lets go then!" Hearing that every master teacher was there, Zhang Xuan knew that his master teacher examination would have to wait until after the Question Symposium. Hence, he decided that he might as well take a look to get an idea of the symposium so that he will be able to make better preparations for his own turn. Upon hearing that someone was facing the Question Symposium, Liu shi and the others became interested as well. Thus, all of them followed Ling Xiaoxiao into a room. It was simr to those theory ssrooms. Tables and chairs of various designs filled the room, and a crowd, numbering above a hundred, was gathered in here. An entire row of powerful-looking elders and middle-aged men were seated at the very front. "To think that this fellow would be here as well..." Scanning the surroundings, Zhang Xuan suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure. He was Squadron Leader Yao of the patrol squad from yesterday night. This fellow stood by the corner and was acting as a guard. If not for his reddened and swollen face, Zhang Xuan would have suspected if he were his twin brother. After scanning the entire room briefly, Zhang Xuan didnt see Mo Yu. Thus, he followed the group and casually took a seat. ... Just as Zhang Xuan noticed Squadron Leader Yao, thetter saw him as well. In usual circumstances, the kingdom patrol squad would never be responsible for the safety of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but because the person taking the examination this time was Princess Mo Yu, he was transferred here for temporary duties. Initially, he intended to look for a recement due to his injuries, but upon recalling that it was the princesss examination, he thought that the fellow would definitely appear if he was truly rted to her. If he didnt show up, or if the princess didnt recognize him, that would mean that Physician Bai Chan was lying. Considering how badly he was beaten up, no one could me him for desiring to take revenge. Thus, with such motives in mind, he endured his injuries and stood guard at a corner. To think that the fellow would really turn up. "Hmph, I would really like to witness if you are indeed close to the princess..." With a cold harrumph, Squadron Leader Yao stood upright and observed the situation quietly. ... Zhang Xuan and the others took a seat. "Theres a total of thirteen 1-star master teachers and three 2-star master teachers in Tianwu Kingdom. The Question Symposium is thest formal procedure for a master teacher examinee, and none of the 2-star master teachers is here." Knowing that the person before her knew nothing at all, Ling Xiaoxiao exined kindly. Zhang Xuan was astounded. Tianxuan Kingdom didnt even have a 1-star master teacher, yet Tianwu Kingdom had thirteen 1-stars and three 2-stars. Just by the number of master teachers, one could tell the difference in the national might. As expected of the strongest kingdom within the cluster of thirteen countries. With so many master teachers conducting lessons here, how is it possible that the next generation not be incredible? How would the nation not be so mighty? "Who are the 2-star master teachers in the kingdom?" Recovering from his shock, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask. Hearing the other party ask such a fundamental question, Ling Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes once more. "The most formidable 2-star master teacher in the empire is naturally Pavilion Master Jiang. ording to the rumors, he has reached 2-star pinnacle, and it is just a matter of time before he reaches 3-star. As for the other two, they are Wang shi and Mu shi. Mu shi reached 2-star less than two years ago, and he is the newest of the three." "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded. ncing around, he asked, "Is the genius you spoke of, Mo Hongyi, present?" "Of course hes here! Furthermore, he has the highest position of all the master teachers here. Look, hes the one seated right at the center!" Ling Xiaoxiao pointed. "Right at the center?" Zhang Xuan raised his head to take a look. At the center of the very front row of master teachers sat a young man who seemed to be about twenty-five. He exuded an aura which felt as vast and deep as an ocean, and it exerted an immense pressure on those around him. Zongshi realm pinnacle! Not only was he strong, his pitch-ck eyes seemed to wield some kind of unique power as well. He was appeared to be confident and astute, seeming as if there was nothing in the world which could trouble him. "Incredible!" With just a single nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other geniuses he had met were nothingpared to him. They were in different leagues. Even Princess Mo Yu paled far inparison to him. "Im afraid that his Soul Depth is 6.0 at the very least!" Liu shis attention was also on Mo Hongyi, and he sent a telepathic message over. "6.0?" Zhang Xuan was thrown. With a Soul Depth of 3.0, one bes eligible for the 1-star master teacher examination; 6.0, one can take the 2-star examination. To possess such incredible Soul Depth at just twenty-six year old and, not to mention, his formidable cultivation, he sure lives up to his name as THE genius! "Princess Mo Yu is here!" Just as he was busy examining Mo Hongyi, Ling Xiaoxiaos voice echoed once more. Turning to the entrance, he saw a youngdy making her way in. Who else could the person be if not Mo Yu! Dressed in a bright red robe, her hair and face had been immactely done up, making her appear much more charming and beautiful than before. At this moment, she was in no way inferior to Zhao Ya. As expected of the number one beauty in Tianwu Kingdom. It was mere moments since her entrance and she had already managed to attract everyones attention. Once inside, Princess Mo Yu began to scan her surroundings, then her eyes fell on a certain spot and lighted up unwittingly. As the center of attention, her expression piqued everyones curiosity immediately. They followed the direction of her gaze and swiftly turned their heads over. They thought that they would find a formidable figure, but it turned out to be just an ordinary young man. Seeing her look toward him, Zhang Xuan became speechless. You know that youre the star of the show, yet you just have to look at me like that, bringing me unwanted attention. You are doing this intentionally, arent you... Feeling despondent, Zhang Xuan was thinking about what to say when he heard an agitated and excited voice sound out beside him. "Princess Mo Yu looked at me! She actually noticed me..." Ling Xiaoxiao was so excited that her face turned red. If not for the situation, she would have shrilled in joy. "Ah?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, looking at that zealousdy before him. However, coincidentally, her actions actually helped Zhang Xuan to avert that awkward predicament. "The Question Symposium begins!" Upon the arrival of the examinee, Mo Hongyi dered, and the final test of the master teacher, the Question Symposium, began. The Question Symposium was simr to the Pill Debate of the apothecaries. Every 1-star master teacher in attendance would pose a question regarding cultivation, and the scope would usually be limited to below Zongshi realm. "Ones zhenqi is congested at thest acupoint, resulting in the person being unable to reach Tongxuan realm. How can this problem be solved?" A master teacher asked. "There are two solutions. The first solution is to gather arge amount of zhenqi around the acupoint to stimte the blocked zhenqi. As for the second method, one can utilize medicine. A grade-1 Acupoint Soothing Pill can resolve this situation, but it is ineffective for those who have suffered from this problem for an extended period of time. If so, one should consume a grade-2 Acupoint Breakthrough Pill instead..." Princess Mo Yu answered the question calmly. Clearly, a question of this level wasnt sufficient to stump her. After listening for a few moments, a nk expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Although he could impersonate master teachers and had, in fact, helped many people achieve breakthroughs, he had basically been relying on his Heavens Path zhenqi . The methods that Princess Mo Yu mentioned werepletely foreign to him. There wasnt a question that he could answer! "Looks like I have to browse through some books first before taking the 1-star master teacher examination. Otherwise, I will surely fail this Question Symposium..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. After all, when they ask him about how to achieve a breakthrough in different circumstances, he couldnt simply reply them all with a needle and a surge of zhenqi! If he were to really reply like that, he would surely be evicted right away. After listening for another duration, he ascertained that he truly didnt understand a single word that the other party spoke. Thus, he could not help but look at thedy beside him and ask, "How many tests are there in the master teacher examination?" Even though his purpose here was to attempt the master teacher examination, he had no idea how the examination was conducted. "Do you not even know that?" Ling Xiaoxiao was on the verge of going insane. She was even suspecting whether the other party had bought his apprentice emblem using money. These are all... fundamental knowledge! If you dont even know these, how the hell are you going to take the master teacher examination! Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Alright!" Feeling utterly defeated by the other party, Ling Xiaoxiao could only exin helplessly. "There are a total of five tests for the master teacher examination!" "Five tests?" "Thats right. The first test is the House of Trust. What it assesses is the Trust Level that the examinees student has for him, and the passing criterion is a Trust Level that exceeds fifty. If one doesnt have any students or if none of his students had a sufficient Trust Level, it would be deemed as a failure." "The second test is the Supporting upation Pavilion. In order to be a 1-star master teacher, one must possess a supporting upation and reach the level of an official member." "The third test is Puppet Hall. During the test, two puppets fighting each other will appear. These puppets are forged using a unique method, and the moves and battle techniques they utilize will bepletely different. However, they are simrly powerful, and neither of them is able to defeat the other. The examinee has to provide guidance on the spot such that one of them achieves victory over the other." "The fourth test is the Cultivation Technique Ocean. There are countless cultivation and battle technique manuals in the Ocean, and one will have to pick out a random book and conduct a relevant lecture immediately. During the lecture, you will be judged by several master teachers, as well as the Whilom Sage Bell!" "Whilom Sage Bell?" "Un. The Sages Bell is a spirit treasure in the Cultivation Technique Treasure. Imprinted inside the Whilom Sage Bell is theprehension that former sages had over the techniques. If the content of ones lecture doesnt satisfy the Whilom Sage Bell, the bell will not chime and he obtains a fail!" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didnt expect such an incredible object to exist in this world. "After the first four tests, one will have to undergo the Unerring Pavilion! In the Unerring Pavilion, a puppet will disy a cultivation technique, battle technique, or even a skill from the supporting upation you chose. The movements that it disys will contain errors within them, but they will all be well-disguised, making it nigh impossible to discover them. The examinee has to identify one error within an incense sticks burn time in order to pass, otherwise, it is considered a failure." Ling Xiaoxiao seemed to be extremely familiar with the various tests of the master teacher examination, and she exined each of them in detail. House of Trust, Supporting upation Pavilion, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Sea, and Unerring Pavilion... Five tests, with each of them is harder than the previous. "Wait, what about the Question Symposium?" Zhang Xuan had a perplexed expression. Isnt the Question Symposium the final test in the master teacher examination? Why didnt Ling Xiaoxiao mention it? "Even though the Question Symposium is the final test out of the entire master teacher examination, it is also the easiest one. As long as an examinee is able to pass the first five, thisst test is negligible. So far, its passing rate is hundred percent. Thus, as long as one passes the first five tests, he would be considered to have passed the master teacher examination and be qualified to call himself a master teacher. The Question Symposium is more of a formal event to introduce the new master teacher to the others." Ling Xiaoxiao exined. Zhang Xuan nodded, but at the same time, a wave of dejection took over him. So it appears that this symposium is the simplest stage of the entire examination... To think I would be unable to understand anything that they said on stage! From the looks of it, the master teacher examination isnt that easy after all. As the two of them continued to converse, the Question Symposium above neared its end. "Congrattions, Master Teacher Mo Yu!" "Here is your emblem. From now on, youre a 1-star master teacher!" ... The master teachers in the front row of seats offered their congrattions. After receiving the master teacher emblem and the robe specially tailored for master teachers, Princess Mo Yu felt thrilled. There seemed to be just a sliver of difference between an apprentice and a true master teacher, but the status they possessed were worlds apart. Only after sessfully bing a master teacher can one truly be considered to be at the pinnacle of society. "I have something on, so Ill first take my leave!" After passing presenting the emblem and robe to Mo Yu, Mo Hongyi nodded and then turned around to leave immediately. Seeming to be well aware of the other partys temperament, Mo Yu didnt look angered. After trading a few obligatory pleasantries with the crowd, Mo Yu was finally able to extricate herself and she headed in Zhang Xuans direction. Upon seeing Mo Yu walking over, Ling Xiaoxiaos face flushed in agitation, and words could do little to describe her excitement. "My idol ising. Does she really recognize me? Hurry, help me take a look. Is my hair messy?" "Er... Its not messy!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Thats good..." Ling Xiaoxiao stood up hastily. "Apprentice Ling Xiaoxiao pays respect to Mo shi!" "Un!" Nodding her head slightly, Princess Mo Yu then ignored her, turning to face Zhang Xuan instead. Seeing how the princess who had just passed her 1-star master teacher examination had her gaze fixated on an unfamiliar youngster, the environment fell into silence immediately. Ling Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded by the sight, and she nearly keeled over. She thought that her idol hade for her. Never in her dreams did she expect for Princess Mo Yu to simply respond with a slight nod and then immediately turn to the person beside her. Isnt this fellow merely an ignorant apprentice who knows nothing? Toe here specially to meet him... What in the world is going on? "Can... what Physician Bai Chan said be true?" From the side, Squadron Leader Yao had been keeping tabs on Zhang Xuan. Upon witnessing Princess Mo Yu approach that person, his breathing hastened. What Physician Bai Chan said must be true, without a doubt. Otherwise, the princess wouldnt have gone to him. It was fortunate that he listened to the other partys advice and stepped down. Otherwise, he wouldnt even know how he died... "However, the princess always carries herself with dignity and does not get involved with any men. If this fellow does have a rtionship with her, many people will definitely soon learn about it..." Squadron Leader Yao thought. Just as he was picturing how the bewildered faces of her suitors would look like when the news spread out, he saw Princess Mo Yu sp her hand and perform the formality that would only be done when a student meets her teacher. "Student Mo Yu pays respect to Zhangoshi!" Chapter 303: Master Teacher Examination, Begin! [2in1] Chapter 303: Master Teacher Examination, Begin! [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Student Mo Yu? Pays respect to Zhangoshi? The entire room became ghastly silent. Everyones eyes widened in shock. What is going on? Princess Mo Yu is the second greatest genius of the kingdom, a figure who became a 1-star master teacher at such a young age... Yet, to respectfully greet someone younger than her as Zhangoshi... Where did this he appear from? What rights does he have to make the princess behave in such a manner? Putong! Squadron Leader Yao felt his knees go weak and he nearly kneeled onto the ground. Oh my gosh! He thought that the other party was romantically involved with the princess, but to think that the princess was actually the other partys student... Is there a need for such exaggeration? It was fortunate that he didnt behave too recklessly the day before. Otherwise, even if he were to be killed on the spot, no one would have dared to speak up for him. On the other end, Ling Xiaoxiaos face became frozen. She thought that her idol was here to speak with her. She couldnt have imagined that she was here to greet this ignorantd. Brother, didnt you not know where the Master Teacher Pavilion is? Didnt you not know how the master teacher examination is conducted? Didnt you not know who Mo Hongyi is? An insignificant and ignorant apprentice made the number two genius of the kingdom, the newly qualified master teacher, Princess Mo Yu, bow and respectfully address him asoshi... What kind of twist is this? Even the expert beside her widened his eyes in astonishment, nearly dropping to the ground. Initially, he had been feeling somewhat dissatisfied to see the young mistress wasting her breath on this fellow. But at this moment, he realized that this ordinary-looking guy was actually a hidden expert! To be addressed by the princess as teacher... Based on just this fact alone, he was on an equal footing with several prestigious ns in the capital. They werent the only ones, even Zhao Ya and the others felt bewildered. The arrogant Physician Bai Chan was beaten to a pulp, but he didnt dare to retaliate; the genius princess bowed respectfully and addressed him asoshi... Didnt Zhangoshi say that... he arrived at Tianwu Kingdom just yesterday afternoon? It had not been long since his arrival and he had already managed to cause such a huge ruckus, earning himself respect, fear, and awe... If he were to remain here for any period longer, wouldnt the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion have toe greet him personally as well? "Un!" Ignoring everyones shock, Zhang Xuan nodded his head faintly. He was indeed worthy of the other partys bow. If not for his guidance back at Red Lotus City, it would have been impossible for her to pass the 2-star apothecary examination. "Zhangoshi..." Princess Mo Yu had intended to ask about the matter in the Poison Hall, but after hesitating for a moment, she decided not to bring it up, especially with such a huge crowd present. Back then, when she left Red Lotus City for Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuan and the Great Herb King had already set off for the Poison Hall. Impersonating the special envoy to enter the Poison Hall was extremely dangerous, so she had been worried about him. Initially, she thought that even if Zhang Xuan were to return alive, it would be difficult for the two of them to meet again. But never in her dreams did she expect that she would encounter him in just a few days time. This was why she lost herself back then and stared at him. Then after the end of the Question Symposium, she couldnt hold herself back anymore and came forward to greet him. As the number two genius of Tianwu Kingdom, she did possess her own pride. However, after the days apanying this young man, she realized that the little talent she possessed meant nothing before him. "Mo Yu, arent you going to introduce him to me?" Mo Yu was about to continue speaking when a voice suddenly sounded. Then, a tall and muscr man could be seen walking over. Looking to be in his thirties, he was dressed in a long robe, and the emblem on his chest signified his identity as a 1-star master teacher. Judging from the aura he exuded and his immense strength, he was a Zongshi realm expert! Being a 1-star teacher and a Zongshi realm expert in just his thirties, even though his talent was beneath that of Mo Hongyi and Mo Yu, he wasnt too far from them. Upon seeing him, a faint look of displeasure flickered across Mo Yus eyes. Nevertheless, she nodded, "The reason why I am able to forge a grade-2 pill and pass the 2-star apothecary examination, despite my cultivation not having reached Zongshi realm, is due to Zhangoshis guidance. As such, he is half a teacher to me!" The Apothecary is one of the top upations among the Upper Nine Paths, and under normal circumstances, a practitioners cultivation has to reach Zongshi realm before he can take the 2-star examination. This is because only upon achieving Zongshi realm can one better control the heat of the cauldron, the properties of the medicinal herbs, the sh of various energies within the cauldron... And from there, forge a grade-2 pill. By merely following Zhang Xuans instructions, Mo Yu was already able to sessfully forge a grade-2 pill in the Beast Hall. Then after continuing to learn diligently from Zhang Xuan for several days in the Red Lotus City, her proficiency in pill forging improved even further. After returning to the capital, with the support from the royal family, her cultivation escted. Even though she was still a distance away from reaching Zongshi realm, she had already managed to reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Under usual circumstances, no one is allowed to take the 2-star examination without first reaching Zongshi realm. However, she sessfully forged a grade-2 pill and was granted a special exception to be promoted to a 2-star apothecary. From then on, her feats became a legend. "Half a teacher?" "For Mo shi to pass the 2-star apothecary examination at such a young age, that young mans pill forging skills must be incredible!" The crowd burst into an uproar, and they stared at Zhang Xuan in amazement. They finally understood why Mo Yu regarded that young man so highly. If Mo Yu passed the 2-star apothecary examination due to his guidance... Doesnt that mean that he is superior to her in the field of pill forging? Surpassing 2-star? It cant be possible that hes a 3-star apothecary, right? A 3-star apothecary who has yet to reach twenty? Everyone poured out a cold breath of air. "Taught you how to forge pills?" A sh gleamed across the muscr mans eyes. He turned toward Zhang Xuan immediately and smiled, "So its a grandmaster apothecary. I apologize for my disrespect. My name is Jiang Chen, and I am grateful for your guidance to Princess Mo Yu!" However, Mo Yus eyebrows knitted together in displeasure and she spoke sharply, "I dont need you to thank him for me!" "Hehe!" Jiang Chenughed dryly, not giving any heed to Mo Yus attitude. Flinging his sleeves aside, he carried an aura of superiority as he looked at Zhang Xuan, "The Apothecary Guilds Apothecary Hong is my friend, and he passed the 3-star apothecary examination recently, Since Zhangoshi is a talented apothecary as well, I believe that the two of you should be acquainted with one another. But why have I never heard of there being a genius like you in the guild? Furthermore, I know every single apothecary in the guild who is 2-star and above... May I enquire what Zhangoshis grade is?" Hearing what he said, everyone turned to Zhang Xuan immediately, their eyes filled with curiosity. "I am only a 1-star apothecary!" Zhang Xuan replied. He had only taken the 1-star apothecary examination and didnt think that he was a genius of any sort. Besides, he had never been to Tianwu Royal Citys Apothecary Guild, so naturally, he neither knows Apothecary Hong nor possesses any fame. "1-star?" "A 1-star apothecary guided Princess Mo Yu to forge a grade-2 pill? You must be joking!" "The hierarchy in the Upper Nine Paths upation is extremely strict. How can a 1-star apothecary guide a 2-star apothecary..." ... Everyone became baffled once again. They had seen for themselves how highly Princess Mo Yu regarded the young man, and it felt as if she would really kneel down in admiration for the other party. Thus, they thought that the young man would be a formidable apothecary. In the end, it turned out that he was only a 1-star... Did someone make a mistake? "1-star?" Jiang Chen was taken aback as well. An expression of disdain was revealed on his face but was swiftly hidden. "To be able to reach 1-star at your age, Brother Zhang is indeed talented. As long as you work hard, you will surely be able to reach great heights!" He had addressed the other party as Zhangoshi previously, but in the blink of an eye, he had amended that to Brother Zhang. He had even dropped all of the pleasantries. After which, he ignored Zhang Xuanpletely and turned to Princess Mo Yu, "Mo Yu, I have prepared a feast to celebrate your sessful promotion as a master teacher. Lets go!" "I refuse!" Princess Mo Yu shook her slender hands. "This celebration feast is specially prepared for you, how can the star of the show go missing..." Getting rejected before such a huge crowd, Jiang Chen felt somewhat embarrassed. "I still have things that I need to consult Zhangoshi with. Feel free to carry on with the feast without me!" Mo Yu replied coldly. It seemed that she wasnt fond of the other party. "How about this, why dont Brother Zhange along as well? This way, you can consider it as repayment for his guidance." At which, Jiang Chen turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "What does Brother Zhang think? You seem like you have just arrived at the capital, and there are many VIPs joining in the celebration. Apothecary Hong will be there as well, and I can make use of this opportunity to introduce him to you. As a 1-star apothecary, it will be good for you toe into contact with high-ranking apothecaries like him." "Im not free!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. If the other party was inviting him sincerely, he would have considered heading over after he was done with his master teacher examination. However, Jiang Chen acted as though he was inviting Zhang Xuan out of charity. Taking into ount the other partys attitude, even if it were the emperors birthday celebration, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have bothered. "Youre not free?" Jiang Chen could tolerate being rejected by Mo Yu, but to be turned down in public by a 1-star apothecary, hisplexion darkened immediately, and his eyebrows shot up. He emitted the pressure of a Zongshi realm expert, "An official apothecary may possess incredible status, but that is nothingpared to a master teacher. You should reconsider your option. Dont let a moment of follynd you in deep trouble... Hey, Im still talking to you! Hold it right there!" Jiang Chen thought he could frighten the other party into obedience by pointing out the possible consequences of his rejection. However, before he could finish his words, the other party was already gone. Jiang Chen nearly fainted out of anger. As a 1-star master teacher and a Zongshi realm expert, when had anyone dared to disrespect him like that? Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan disregarded the conceited fellow and stopped before Mo Yu. "Bring me over!" "Yes!" Back in Red Lotus City, Zhang Xuan had told her that he intended to take the master teacher examination. Thus, Mo Yu immediately understood the other partys intentions, and the duo walked pass Jiang Chen. "This fellow..." Seeing how Zhang Xuan disregarded Jiang Chen and left just like that, the corners of Ling Xiaoxiaos mouth twitched. Do you know who this fellow is? To ignore him like that... Even the emperor would have to give him VIP treatment, yet you ignore him... Ling Xiaoxiao was about to go forward to offer some advice when she saw Princess Mo Yu stop before an elder and said, "Wu shi, Zhangoshi intends to take the master teacher examination. I will have to trouble you to make preparations." "Take the master teacher examination?" Ling Xiaoxiao had barely taken a step forward when she heard those words and staggered, nearly falling to the ground. It is just a moment ago that you are clueless about the master teacher examination and you want to give it a try now... Brother, are you sure you arent joking with me? After the conversation just now, she could have confidently dered that the fellow named Zhang Xuan knew nothing about master teachers. In fact, she had even suspected that Zhang Xuans master teacher apprentice emblem was bought... Does he want to take the master teacher examination, just like that? Do you know what master teachers represent? Ling Xiaoxiao felt as that she was on the brink of going insane. Jiang Chen, who intended to step forward to teach the other party a lesson, also stopped upon hearing Mo Yus words. His eyes narrowed, and he seemed to have fallen into deep contemtion. "Alright, but Ill have to check if you are qualified to take the examination!" Wu shi nodded. In the guild, he was in charge of conducting the master teacher examination, thus he was extremely well-versed in the procedures. Before taking the examination, he had to ascertain that the candidate fulfilled both the internal and external conditions. The external conditions are: the rmendation from a master teacher, the identity of an assistant master teacher, and at least one supporting upation! The internal conditions are: reaching the State of Insight of the Heart of Tranquil Water and Tongxuan realm cultivation! Liu Ling had told Zhang Xuan about these conditions at Tianxuan Kingdom, so Zhang Xuan was no stranger to them. With a flick of his wrist, he took out his master teacher apprentice emblem and 1-star apothecary emblem and passed them forward. At the same time, he revealed his Half-Zongshi cultivation. With a nce, Wu shi verified that the emblems were genuine. Thereafter, he took out a Stone of Insight and passed it to Zhang Xuan. "Its a test of your Soul Depth!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He grabbed the Stone of Insight and adjusted his state of mind. ... "Jiang shi, theres no need to get angry. He is just an ignorant countryside bumpkin. I doubt that he will even be eligible for the examination!" Upon seeing Jiang Chens darkened expression, an apprentice walked up and fawned on him. "Besides, even if he is eligible for the examination, it is impossible for him to match up to you! After all, you are a genius who is born with a Soul Depth of 4.0!" The requirement for the master teacher examination was a Soul Depth of 3.0. Most apprentices, upon achieving Heart of Tranquil Water, would only possess a Soul Depth of 1.5. They would require countless years of cultivation before they are able to raise it to 3.0. But this Jiang Chen possessed a Soul Depth of 4.0 from the moment he reached Heart of Tranquil Water. His name was spread far and wide. Even though he wasnt able to match up to Mo Hongyis 6.0 and Mo Yus 5.0, he was still ranked among the best of geniuses in the capital. "Competing with me? Who does he think he is!" Upon hearing those words, Jiang Chens grimplexion lightened greatly. Other than those two monsters, he didnt fear anyone when it came to Soul Depth. The other party was just a nobody. He might be skilled in pill forging, but his Soul Depth... This is the foundation of being a master teacher, simr to what zhenqi is to a fighter. Even if the other partys Soul Depth had reached 3.0, he would still be a far way off from him, who was blessed with a natural Soul Depth of 4.0. The difference between 3.0 and 4.0 doesnt appear to be great, but this gap can only be bridged by decades of effort. Ling Xiaoxiao looked over as well. She didnt think that this ignorant fellow would possess a Soul Depth that was eligible for the master teacher examination. After all, have you ever met a master teacher who came for the examination without knowing what would be tested? Every other master teacher had to study and prepare for their master teacher examination in advance, not daring to ck off in any way. Yet, this fellow wants to make an attempt without knowing anything about it. Examination... your head! If even this guy manages to pass the examination, didnt that mean that I, who know everything about the tests, am ready for the 2-star examination? She was thinking about what she should say if the other partys Soul Depth didnt meet the criteria when she heard a light buzz. The Stone of Insight in Zhang Xuans hands shone, and a line of digits slowly floated into appearance. Wu shi received the Stone of Insight over from Zhang Xuan and lowered his head to take a nce. His indifferent expression was shattered immediately, and his lips quivered uncontrobly, "This... this..." "Quick, lets see how much it is!" Everyone was startled to see the usually calm Wu shi behave in such a manner. With faces full of curiosity, they could not help but direct their attention to the Stone of Insight. With a single look, each and every single one of their bodies shuddered. "Go and take a look!" Full of pride, Jiang Chen refused to go forward and instead, sent his apprentice. The young man nodded and walked forward. But when he returned, he had an expression that seemed as if he had just seen a ghost. "Why? Can it be that his Soul Depth matches me, Jiang Chen? Did he attain 4.0 as well?" Jiang Chen frowned. "Ie from a n of master teachers, and from young, I have been receiving guidance from master teachers. This is also the reason why I can achieve such a high Soul Depth upon reaching Heart of Tranquil Water. How can a wild brat like himpare with me? How much is it?" With an extremely red face, the apprentice spoke hesitantly, "He... 5.1!" Putong! Jiang Chens body swayed, and he immediately felt his heart stifle. The heck! He had just imed that this fellow could neverpare up to him and his Soul Depth was revealed to be 5.1... This was superior even to that of Princess Mo Yu! Jiang Chen could feel fresh blood welling up in his mouth. "5.1? This..." Ling Xiaoxiaos eyes widened in shock. Brother, you have achieved a Soul Depth of 5.1 and yet you dont know what the master teacher examination tests are about? Do you live under a stone? 5.1, thats already the level of a top-notch genius! With just a bit of effort, your Soul Depth will be able to reach 6.0, and you will be eligible to take the 2-star master teacher examination! Despite the geniuses that have appeared in Tianwu Kingdom over the years, less than a handful became 2-star master teachers... The person whom she thought to be an ignorant countryside bumpkin suddenly became an absolute genius. Ling Xiaoxiaos face reddened, and for a long while, she was unable to say a single word. ... "Soul Depth of 5.1, you are a genius among geniuses. Lets go to the field, Ill conduct the examination for you right now!" With a greatly agitated expression, Wu shi tookrge strides as he headed out of the room. Zhang Xuan and the others quickly followed behind him. In no time, the group arrived at a vast hall. At the very end of the hall were five tightly shut doors. "The five tests for the master teacher examination are House of Trust, Supporting upation Pavilion, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Ocean, and Unerring Pavilion! If you have students, you can have them enter that room. As long as their Trust Level exceeds 50, you will pass the first test!" Pointing to the very first door, Wu shi said. "Un!" Having heard the rules from Ling Xiaoxiao, Zhang Xuan nodded and beckoned for Zhao Ya and the others toe closer. "These are my students!" "They..." ncing at the crowd before looking back at Zhang Xuan, a sliver of doubt shed across Wu shis eyes. Usually, there would be a significant age gap between the teacher and student because it would be easier to establish a trust that way. Taking, for example, if a twenty-year-old man were to teach a seven-year-old child, he would be likely to hold unconditional trust for your words. However, if that same man were to teach a sixteen-year-old teenager, putting aside whether he would trust your words, it would be a problem in itself to have him acknowledge you as his teacher. Why should he? This was exactly the situation before him. This Zhangoshi appeared to be below twenty, but his students were sixteen to seventeen, and there was a small age gap. Are you sure that the Trust Level these students have in you exceeds fifty? "That... May I ask how long have you taught these students for?" After hesitating for a moment, Wu shi asked. While the small difference in age posed a problem, it could be made up with time. If one could impress his students with his guidance over time, the Trust Level would surely rise. "Around half a month..." Then, after hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan added sheepishly, "For that half a month, Ive been out often, so adding it all up, its probably only around five to six days!" "Five to six days..." Wu shis body swayed violently, and he nearly passed out. He stared at the fellow before him as if he were looking at a monster. When others take the master teacher examination, they would bring students whom they have groomed for numerous years. This way, the Trust Level would be higher, increasing the likelihood that they pass the examination. Yet, you sure are bold... Bringing students whom you have taught for just five to six days... Are you sure that their Trust Level in you exceeds 50? "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan didnt know that there were so many things to consider about deciding on which student to deploy, so he felt perplexed. "That... Its nothing. I would like to ask if you have any other students whom you have taught for a longer period of time or are younger..." Fearing that the other party wouldnt understand his meaning, Wu shi exined patiently. "Theres none. They are the ones whom I have taught for the longest period of time, as well as the youngest!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Wu shi rolled his eyes. The heck! They are almost the same age as you and youve only taught them for five to six days. And you say that they are your youngest students, those whom you have taught for the longest period of time? You must be pulling my leg! Feeling dismayed, Wu shi was thinking about how he should exin to that fellow when the other party shot him a doubtful look, "If they wont do, I have taught Princess Mo Yu for a few days as well. She can give it a try too!" Give it a try? Try your head! Do you think that the master teacher examination is a joke? He thought that since the other party had a Soul Depth of 5.1, a top-notch talent, it shouldnt have been a problem for him to pass the examination. Yet, to think that... even such simple words could not get through to him. "If these are your only students, you can get them to enter. However, allow me to remind you in advance. Their Trust Levels in you must reach at least 50 in order for you to pass. If they dont... You can only try again the next time!" Forcefully suppressing his own feelings of frustration, Wu shi couldnt be bothered to exin any further. "Un, I understand!" Zhang Xuan turned to Zhao Ya and the others. "You all should enter!" "Yes!" Zhao Ya and the others nodded their heads before stepping into the room. "Drip a droplet of fresh blood here. Just like the crystal ball used to test Trust Level, all kinds of illusions will appear in this room to assess your students trust in you. Eventually, the result will appear on the wall!" Seeing the fellow urge his students to enter without even giving them any instructions, Wu shi felt increasingly dumbstruck. At this point in time, he was no longer carrying any expectations for him. Other teachers would exin to their students what they should do upon encountering the illusion to hint their students about how they can achieve a higher Trust Level... Yet, he didnt even bother to say anything. It was a wonder how someone like him became a teacher. It was true that Zhang Xuan wasnt aware of the rules for the master teacher examination, but from his perspective, there wasnt really a need for any rifications. He simply came to the front and released a droplet of blood onto a pedestal. Weng! With a light ring, the entire House of Trust burst into action, and a ring radiance filled the room. Seeing that the first test of the master teacher examination had begun, the crowd, who had followed along, focused on the tightly shut doors with great anxiety. "To bring simrly-aged students whom he had taught for just five to six days... It would already be considered incredible if his Trust Level reaches 20!" Jiang Chen sneered coldly. Even though the master teacher examination was difficult, there were certain tricks. As a 1-star master teacher who came from a n of master teachers, he was well aware of the ways to maximize the possibility of passing the examination. Ones Trust Level toward ones parents would be only around sixty, while this test required a Trust Level of fifty at the minimum. This was equivalent to trust that people have for their own siblings. How can he establish a trust of this level with students whom he had taught for just a few days? Putting aside a star teacher, even 1-star teachers are unable to induce this level of trust in simrly-aged students within such a short period of time. "Did you really only teach these students for... five to six days?" Jiang Chen wasnt the only one who thought so. Mo Yu could not help but ask Zhang Xuan. "Actually... If I were to add up the time Ive been together with them, its only about fifteen to sixteen hours!" Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before answering. During the period he was teaching Zhao Ya and the others, he was busy every single day with many different things. Thus, he would often just lecture and correct their ws in the morning before disappearing in the afternoon. Thus, the time in which they spent together might only add up to a total of fifteen to sixteen hours. "Fifteen to sixteen... hours?" Princess Mo Yu saw her vision turn gray for a moment. What kind of trust can you establish in such a short period of time? She thought that this fellow was well-prepared, thats why she brought him here. To think that he would be so unreliable... "Look, the Trust Level is out!" Just as she was considering how she should exin the matter to this fellow and have him prepare himself properly before retaking the examination, she heard someone from among the crowd shout. Mo Yu turned to look immediately. Weng! The first door trembled violently, and a row of digits slowly appeared on its surface. "What? How is that possible?" Mo Yu, Jiang Chen, and the others eximed in shock. "The Trust Level of Life-and-death Kindreds? This is what only a 5-star master teacher can achieve..." Wu shi trembled vigorously in agitation. All of the master teachers who tagged along fell silent, disying their shock for the numbers before them. The tworge digits that hung on the door were exceptionally conspicuous, but those looking at it couldnt help but doubt their eyes... 85. Chapter 304: No Mistake? Chapter 304: No Mistake? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The rtionship between parent and child was around 60 while with ones spouse, it was around 70. Beyond that was the level at which both parties would be willing to die for one another, Life-and-death Kindreds! This was the level at which both parties had unreserved trust for one another. They would willingly die for the sake of one another if there was a need to! This was a level that would only appear in students taught by a 5-star master teacher! Jiang Chen had just said that it would be impossible for the Trust Level to even reach 20, and such a situation urred in the very next moment. He felt a stinging sensation on his face as though someone had pped him hard and dislocated his lower jaw. He stared at the numbers with his mouth agape. He only taught his students for only five to six days? Have you ever seen anyone reaching such a high level of trust after teaching for just a few days? If you can reach this level after such a short period of time, doesnt that mean that if you were to teach them for a few years, you would reach 90 and above? The heck! Even a 5-star master teacher would be incapable of such a feat! Soul Depth of 5.1, Trust Level of 85... This countryside bumpkin was about to charge through the heavens! Ling Xiaoxiaos slender body trembled, and ten thousand mud horses raced across her mind. Bringing over new students who were around the same age as him... It was clear that the young man was a newbie who didnt know a single thing about the master teacher examination. Yet, it was the same person who casually sted their eyes with a Trust Level of 85! She felt helpless and frenzied. Mo Yus mouth twitched violently as well. She had guessed long ago that Zhangoshi would surely pass this test. However, she had never expected him to do it so overwhelmingly with such inconceivable results. One must know that she had brought students who she had groomed for three years for her test but their Trust Level only reached 52. Even the students brought here by the number one genius of the kingdom, Mo Hongyi, only had a Trust Level of 55. Those students had been following him since they were seven and at the time of the examination, they were only eleven. Regardless of whether it was the age of Zhang Xuans students or the duration he had guided them for. The result of the House of Trust waspletely inconceivable, to the point that they started to doubt if it was malfunctioning. Jiya! The door opened and the slightly fatigued Zhao Ya and the others walked out. They turned around and nced at the Trust Level on the door. "Im sorry, teacher..." The few of them apologized. On the inside, they felt that they would trust Zhangoshi unconditionally no matter what he did, or else, they wouldnt have left their kin to follow him here. Thus, upon seeing the result of the test, they felt embarrassed. Seeing their expressions, the crowd immediately suffered billions of damage. Not only was the teacher a monster, the students were monsters as well. To be discontent with a Trust Level of 85, why dont you all just go and die... "Cough cough!" Seeing that the master teachers and apprentices were traumatized and rendered speechless by this matter, Wu shi immediately coughed to draw everyones attention. "With a Trust Level of 85, you passed the first test! Well move on to the second test now, Supporting upation Pavilion!" "The content of the test for the Supporting upation Pavilion will naturally be on your supporting upation. However, as your supporting upation is that of an apothecary, I will have to warn you in advance." He said as he turned towards Zhang Xuan. "For the 1-star apothecary examination, you have to forge a grade-1 pill. However, the test for the Supporting upation Pavilion is different. What it tests is not your understanding on pill forging, but... your ability to impart your knowledge!" "Thats to say, even if you are a 3-star apothecary, if you are incapable of guiding others on pill forging, you will be deemed to have failed this test! The results of the test will be determined by two factors. Firstly, the level of the pill you have forged. Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill... The higher the level, the better your results. Secondly, the number of errors you make in your guidance. For every error made, you will have points deducted from your score. Do you understand?" After exining the content of the test, Wu shi asked. "I understand!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though he was a 1-star apothecary, he passed the examination through Pill Debate. As such, he was unable to even forge a grade-1 pill. For him, guiding others... was much easier. With the all of the books from the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild in his head, even if he didnt use the Library of Heavens Path, he would still be able to guide others to forge a grade-1 pill with ease. "Good, you may enter!" Wu shi gestured. "Un!" Not wasting any time, Zhang Xuan walked in. "Do you all think he will be able to pass this test?" "Even Mo shi has addressed him as teacher, he must possess incredible aptitude in pill forging. Passing shouldnt be an issue, I only wonder what his results will be." "Just like the House of Trust, the maximum score that one can get in the Supporting upation Pavilion is 100 points, and the passing score is fifty. The difference in upation will result in a difference in judging criteria. For a painter to pass, he has to guide someone to paint a second level painting. Since he is an apothecary, as long as a pill is sessfully formed, he should be able to reach 50 points and pass the examination." "Indeed. Back then, when Mo Hongyi took the Supporting upation Pavilion test, he was tested on his upation as a formation master. With his score of 60, he created a hugemotion back then!" "Reaching a score of 60 means that ones understanding of ones supporting upation has already exceeded the level of a 1-star. To be achieve such results for the 1-star master teacher examination... Only a genius like him is capable of doing so!" "However, this fellows Soul Depth is 5.1 and his students Trust Level is 85. I think that... his results wont be low." "Youre right. However, forging a pill by yourself and guiding another person to do the same are twopletely different matters. I think that reaching 55 will already be a huge hurdle for him!" ... The crowd started discussing as they saw Zhang Xuan walk into the Supporting upation Pavilion. What the Supporting upation Pavilion tested was ones ability to guide others on the upation, not their own mastery in the upation. There were many geniuses who came to take the examination, only to leave the examination hall disappointed. Even though Zhang Xuans Soul Depth and House of Trust results have astonished the crowd, most people didnt think that he would do well for the second test. ... Jiya! The doors closed. Zhang Xuan scanned the room. It was a room of around twenty meters in length and width, and there was a massive cauldron ced in the center of the room. "It looks like this room will change ording to the supporting upation of the examinee!" Zhang Xuan was taken aback when he saw the cauldron. However, after giving the matter some thought, he came to a realization. The Supporting upation Pavilion would change its interiors depending on the supporting upation of the examinee. Since Zhang Xuans supporting upation was apothecary, naturally, a cauldron would be ced at the center of the room. Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering how the test would be carried out, a puppet walked over to the side of the cauldron. Zhang Xuan couldnt tell what the puppet was made of, but it seemed no different from a human apart from itspletely impassive expression. Before the puppet was a row of around forty to fifty different medicinal herbs. "Green-leafed Split Palm Flower, Rootless Grass, White Angelica Flower...Am I supposed to forge a grade-1 Spirit Enriching Pill? Zhang Xuan deduced as he examined at the medicinal herbs. Based on his knowledge on pill forging, even without using the Library of Heavens Path, he could tell what kind of pill these ingredients could make. Right as he was discerning the various herbs present, the puppet started to move. Lighting the me, warming the cauldron, cing the medicinal herbs in... Even though the puppets movements werent fluid, they were orderly and sequential. "It is impossible for a pill to be formed like that..." With a nce, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Pill forging was just like executing a battle technique. Even with the same herbs and the same forging sequence, if the person forging it was different, the result would be different as well. Although the sequence in which the puppet ced the medicinal herbs in was correct, the puppet failed to grasp the timings well, resulting in multiple conflicts between the medicinal properties of the various herbs. Under such circumstances, the pill forging was inevitably bound to end in failure. Bo! As expected, when the pill forging came to an end and the cauldron was opened, ck smoke immediately billowed out. Failure! "To pass this examination, you have to guide the puppet to sessfully forge the pill!" A voice sounded. It seemed like the examinee was supposed to carefully watch the forging process of the puppet and determine the errors in its movements so as to guide it when it forges for the second time. As soon as those words sounded, the puppet started forging once more. Its actions were exactly the same as before. If it was an ordinary apothecary, it would be impossible for him to forge another pill in the exact same way as he did before. Probably, only this kind of specially created puppet could follow instructions so precisely. "However, this is better for me. Unlike humans, puppets wont suffer frompses in concentration. As long as it strictly follows my instructions, it will surely be able to forge the pill out!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Back then, when he instructed Mo Yu on forging a grade-2 pill back in the Beast Hall, it was due to her concentration wandering that the pill forging nearly failed. Humans have emotions, be it happiness, sadness, or anger, and these could affect the result of the pill forged. However, puppets were different. They would strictly follow the instructions given to them so it was impossible for them to make any mistakes. "Slow the igniting process of the me by half a breath, and extend the warming of the cauldron by four breaths. Wait a moment. Alright, begin..." Understanding this, Zhang Xuan smiled. Standing on the spot, he muttered instruction after instruction. ... In the hall outside, everyones gaze was fixated on the number on the door. "He should already be guiding the puppet by now!" Someone shouted. "Thats right! Different from the House of Trust, the score of the Supporting upation Hall will be reflected on the door as soon as the test begins. As correct instructions are issued by the examinee, the score increases. On the other hand, if erroneous instructions were to be issued, the score decreases." "This way, we can see his result real-time!" "Back then, when Mo Hongyi guided a puppet to set up a formation, the points kept increasing and there were only five asions where the score fell. That is to say, he has only made five errors!" "Indeed. Even Pavilion Master Jiang made seven mistakes when he took the 2-star master teacher examination. Yet, Mo Hongyi only made five. This in itself is making history!" "I wonder how will the fellow inside fare!" "Even if hes a genius, his Soul Depth is only 5.1. Compared to Mo Hongyi Mo shis 6.0, he is still slightlycking. I think that his mistakes should probably number at least ten!" "I think so too. It should be above ten!" ... Everyone were chattering wildly about the situation. "Look, the score is starting to increase!" Another voice broke all of the discussions in the room. All gazes swiftly fell onto the door. The number which appeared previously was slowly increasing. 10! 11! 12! "Not bad, his score is increasing steadily. This means that he hasnt made any errors so far, I am impressed!" "Its just a matter of time before he makes a mistake. After all, who can guarantee that he will be able to guide someone perfectly?" "Your words make sense..." The crowd nodded as they watched the number on the door. Initially, they were still chatting casually, but as time went by, their faces slowly turned grim. "Its already 40 and he hasnt made a single error..." The eyes of all the master teachers in the room widened, as though they were looking at a fearsome monster. The number on the door has already reached 40 but it hasnt decreased a single time yet. This meant that from the start of the pill forging, Zhang Xuan hasnt issued a single erroneous instruction! --- Mud horses -> It is a homophone for a vulgarity in Chinese Chapter 305: Mo Hongyi Goes Into A Frenzy Chapter 305: Mo Hongyi Goes Into A Frenzy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "45, no mistakes!" "50, no mistakes!" "55, no mistakes!" The unceasing voice gradually grew fainter and slower, as if the one speaking was finally ovee by disbelief. Since the score had reached 55 without a single error, it meant to say that the pill forging was already more than halfway through... To make no errors for the entire former half of the examination? Even that invincible genius, Mo Hongyi, wasnt capable of such feat back then! It could even be said that no master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom had ever achieved such an impressive result. "This... impossible! It wouldnt be possible for even a 3-star apothecary to offer such perfect guidance... He is just a countryside bumpkin, what basis does he have to achieve that?" Jiang Chens mouth quivered, and his body trembled uncontrobly. Even though one merely has to guide the puppet to forge a grade-1 pill, the answer key was based on the forging process of a 4-star apothecary. At 4-star, an apothecarys understanding toward medicinal pills has reached an extremely profound level. They are already capable of forging grade-1 pills impably. Thus, using their forging process as an answer key was more than appropriate. For the fellow inside to forge the pill without any errors, what does that mean? Can it be that hisprehension of pill forging is alreadyparable to that of a 4-star apothecary? How is that possible? The most capable apothecary in the entire of Tianwu Kingdom, the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild, was only a 3-star apothecary primary stage. Just like the newly-promoted Apothecary Hong, he was still a long way from reaching 4-star. Yet, a youngster below twenty has managed to reach the level of a 4-star? "Can it be that... what Princess Mo Yu said is true?" Someone within the crowd muttered. Upon hearing those words, the eyes of the crowd narrowed involuntarily. Previously, Mo Yu, a 2-star apothecary, said that Zhang Xuan was half a teacher to her, and if not for him, she wouldnt have sessfully passed the examination. Back then, most of the crowd found it hard to believe. Then, when he revealed his apothecary grade... 1-star! Everyone thought that the princess had exaggerated her words. A mere 1-star apothecary... How skilled and knowledgeable can he be? But after witnessing the result he obtained in this Supporting upation Pavilion, they realized that it was all true. If it wasnt true, then the situation that had unfolded before them couldnt be exined. "Dont worry, he will definitely make an error soon. Even a 4-star apothecary cant promise to forge a 1-star pill perfectly each time..." Veins popped out on Jiang Chens temple. Unable to ept the situation, a ferocious expression had crept onto his face subconsciously. He thought that this fellow would make a disgrace out of himself once the examination started. Who would have thought that he would be so formidable, going against all odds and not making a single mistake in the entire first half! "60, no mistakes!" Without care for the astonished expression on the audiences faces, the digit on the wall continued to increase steadily without any signs of stopping. "He has already broken Mo Hongyi, Mo shis record!" "I thought that this record would remain unbroken for at least several centuries, to think that it would be broken in just a few years time!" "This Zhang Xuans understanding of pill forging is simply too formidable. Not only is his score high, the crux is that he hasnt made a single mistake. Will he really create a new record?" "Who knows? In any case, based on the current flow of events... He will surely make a new record. Just that, I wonder how far he can go... 65? 70? Or 75?" ... Apanying the unceasing rise in his score, everyone grew progressively nervous. Wu shi, who was in charge of conducting the examination, felt his body stiffen, and sweat flowed down his forehead incessantly. He had conducted uncountable examinations throughout the years, but it was his first time witnessing such a situation. Despite having exceeded 60 points, Zhang Xuan hadnt made a single error. No one would have believed it if they hadnt seen it for themselves. "Wait, look, he made a mistake!" Weng! Just when everyone began to think that the fellow would continue his streak until the end of the examination, the number on the wall flickered all of a sudden, and from 60, it dropped to 59! Since the score dropped, it meant that there was an erroneous instruction! "He finally made a mistake! I thought that he mightplete the test without making any mistake. Phew..." "Indeed, didnt I say so? How can there be anyone who doesnt make a mistake guiding another on pill forging? It wouldnt be logical..." ... Seeing the dip in the score, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. If he were to really achieve a perfect score, that would be truly scary. That would mean that the fellow inside was way beyond their league. They felt relieved that that wasnt the case. "As time passes, the rise in temperature and the increasing medicinal herbs in the cauldron makes errors more likely to happen. Even if he made no mistakes in the earlier half, there is no guarantee that he can keep this up for the rest of the process. In fact, most of the errors should be made toward the end!" A master teacher within the crowd, who had a supporting upation as an apothecary, stroked his beard. The crowd nodded in approval of his words. That was also why it was so difficult to be an official apothecary. Due to the me beneath the cauldron, the temperature within would just grow higher and higher as time passes. Furthermore, while fusing two medicinal herbs together may be easy, fusing dozens at once might result in all kinds of unexpected conflicts. This is simr to stacking blocks of wood. Stacking two pieces of wood may be easy, but when ites to stacking several hundred of them, putting aside how they are stacked toward the end, a single error at the start can possibly result in a poor foundation and an unstable center of gravity, and all of your work might end up in vain. The slightest mistake would cause miles of difference. It was the same any other thing. The further one got, the greater the difficulty. Zhang Xuans flying start had indeed shocked them all, but once a mistake urred, it would be as if a dripping a droplet of ink into clear water, resulting in an irreversible domino effect. "Hmph, I thought that you would never make a mistake..." Jiang Chen also heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to continue speaking, his eyes suddenly narrowed into two thin slits. The number on the door, which had just decreased, flickered again before increasing abruptly! Zi! 62! ... In a silent chamber inside the Master Teacher Pavilion. Seated within, Mo Hongyi was in the midst of adjusting his breath. Wave after wave of visible spiritual energy absorbed into his skin, slowly but steadily pulling his cultivation to higher heights. Hu! He opened his eyes all of a sudden and revealed his displeasure, "Didnt I say that no one is to interrupt me when Im cultivating?" Jiya! The door opened, and a servant walked in fearfully. "I dont mean to interrupt Your Highness, just that..." At this moment, he hesitated with his words. "Speak!" Mo Hongyi frowned. "Its because someone is taking the 1-star master teacher examination!" The servant spoke up hastily. "The master teacher is the worlds number one upation, and many view it as their dream. Every day, countless people travel to the Master Teacher Pavilion from all around the world in hopes of achieving their goal, but those who do pass amount to less than a handful!" Mo Hongyi thought that it would be a something important. However, after hearing the servants words, he shook his head and said indifferently, "Did you interrupt my cultivation just for this matter? If thats the case, go ahead to receive your punishment. 100 whips, not a single one less!" He hated to be interrupted during his training, and as such, he made a rule stating that anyone who interrupted him without a good reason would be punished. Upon hearing the punishment that his master had issued, the servant shuddered and hurriedly added, "Its not just that... The one taking the examination has a Soul Depth of 5.1!" "Soul Depth of 5.1? Even higher than Mo Yu?" A gleam shed across Mo Hongyis eyes. Without a doubt, the news had surprised him. "That isnt anything much. However, to be able to achieve such a Soul Depth during the 1-star master teacher examination, he is indeed talented!" Even though Mo Hongyi was surprised, he didnt think too much of the matter. He was a genius whose Soul Depth exceeded 6.0. A mere 5.1 didnt mean anything to him. "A person with a Soul Depth of 5.1 taking the master teacher examination is indeed a huge affair. However, it isnt good enough a reason to interrupt my cultivation. Go back and take 50 whips!" Mo Hongyi waved his hands and returned back to his cultivation. "Your Highness, Your Highness... Im not done yet..." Seeing that his master was about to return to his training, the servant hurriedly spoke up. "Is there anything else?" Mo Hongyi frowned. "That person taking the examination is known as Zhang Xuan, and he seems to be below twenty. Just a moment ago, he brought a few sixteen to seventeen-year-old students into the House of Trust and... he achieved a Trust Level of 85!" Afraid that he would incur his masters displeasure if he wasted his time, the servant spoke swiftly. "House of Trust... 85 points?" Mo Hongyi lost his calm and stood up abruptly. He had never heard of any teacher in Tianwu Kingdom who could induce such trust in his students. Thispletely exceeded his expectations. "Yes!" The young man nodded his head and his disbelief was apparent as well. "Not only so, he is currently undergoing the second test, Supporting upation Pavilion and managed to reach 60 points without making a single mistake!" "Reached 60 points? How... How is that possible?" Mo Hongyis face warped in shock. He was the one man who scored the best result in the Supporting upation Pavilion throughout the past thousand years of history of the guild. Even so, he had made five errors. Yet, the other party hadnt made a single mistake? Didnt this mean that the other party was even more talented than him? "Yes... However, this is where weird things started to happen. At 60 points, he made a single mistake, so a point got deducted. However... in the next instant, his score leaped to 62!" Up until now, the youngster still unable to understand what was going on. He had even suspected that the scoreboard was malfunctioning. "After getting a point deducted, his score decreased to 59, but in the next moment, it increased to 62?" Mo Hongyi had never heard of such a situation either and he became stupefied. "Thats the case!" At this point, the servant hesitated once more. "Furthermore..." "Furthermore, such a situation was repeated three times afterward. A point was deducted first before three points were swiftly added..." "Points were deducted before being added again? Whats going on? The scoreboard of the Master Teacher Pavilion was created with the efforts of a formation grandmaster and countless master teachers. For thest several thousand years, it has never once malfunctioned. Why would it behave like this all of a sudden?" Mo Hongyi felt perplexed, "Has anyone checked if it is damaged?" "Wu shi, who is in charge of the examination, checked the scoreboard on the spot and has confirmed that there is nothing wrong with it..." The servant said. "If theres no error, why would his score be added back after being deducted? This..." Mo Hongyi shook his head. Then, he suddenly froze upon a certain thought, and his eyes narrowed to small slits, "What did you say just now? The situation happened after he reached 60 points, and repeated itself for another three more times afterward?" "Yes!" The young servant nodded. "Then..." Mo Hongyis lips quivered. "What... is his current score?" The first time it happened, Zhang Xuans score reached 62. If it happened another three times, didnt that mean that his score had already exceeded 62? Judging by how his point would increase by a total of 2 every time the situation urred, his score would be at minimum 68 by now! Achieving 68 points in the Supporting upation Pavilion? This... Such a score ispletely unimaginable! Can that fellow called Zhang Xuan really be more talented than me? How is that possible? "His... His current score is..." Upon recalling the score, the servants face contorted immediately as if he had thought of something terrifying. His body trembled, and his mouth opened and closed for several times before words escaped from his quivering lips. "101 points!" Chapter 306: The Expert Chapter 306: The Expert Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "101?" Mo Hongyis shuddered violently and he nearly fell onto the ground. The heck! The maximum score in the Supporting upation Pavilion is 100 and you tell me 101? Are you for real? It was no wonder why this servant was trembling as if he had gone mad! If Mo Hongyi were in his ce, he would be shivering as well! Managing to achieve 60 points back then had already made him the idol of countless people. What in the world is 101? "Whats key is that... 101 doesnt seem to be the conclusion. His points are still increasing, and until now, the test at the Supporting upation Pavilion has not yet ended..." The servant added in. "The test isnt over yet?" Mo Hongyi felt a sudden urge to rip out his hair. Achieving 60 points in the Supporting upation Pavilion for his 1-star master teacher examination had made him a legend, but now, the other party had reached 101... and the test had yet to end... Madness! The world has gone mad! "Lets go and take a look!" Unable to endure any longer, Mo Hongyi lifted his legs and made his way out immediately. "Your Highness, about my punishment..." The servant was about to follow along when he recalled something. "Punishment? What punishment? Go and im your reward, ten Night Illumination Pearls, and one steel sword!" Taking big strides, Mo Hongyi continued his way to the examination hall. Upon hearing that not only was the punishment abolished but that there were also generous rewards, the servant knew that he had made the correct decision reporting this matter to the master. Overjoyed, he chased after Mo Hongyi hurriedly. ... The same situation was also urring at several other locations. In the Apothecary Guild. "Congrattions, congrattions!" "Apothecary Hong, congrattions on your breakthrough. You have finally taken the final step and became a 3-star apothecary. You have my admiration and respect!" "Indeed! Back then, we took the 2-star apothecary examination together, but in the end, you are the only one who has managed to reach this level!" Numerous apothecaries surrounded a middle-aged man. Dressed in a long robe, a prominent emblem decorated with three stars was pinned on his chest. He was the person who reached 3-star not long ago, Apothecary Hong. He took the examination a few days ago, and today, the emblem representing his new identity finally arrived. The most formidable apothecary in Tianwu Kingdoms Apothecary Guild was also a 3-star. At his grade, he was already standing toe-to-toe with the guild leader. "Theres no need for all of you to be so modest. I happened to meet an expert when I was out a while back, and his guidance has enlightened me. If not for him, I couldnt have imagined how long I would take before I can reach this level!" Apothecary Hong said. "Even if you meet an expert, you need to possess the wisdom to decipher his words. I wonder when I can reach 3-star like you!" Seeing the Apothecary Hong responding to their praises with such humility, another apothecary shook his head with a bitter smile. "Teacher!" At this moment, an apprentice apothecary barged into the room in a hurry. "Calm down, it is unseemly to panic like that!" Upon realizing that the apprentice was his student, Apothecary Hong flung his hand. "Yes!" The apprentice halted, panting heavily to catch his breath. "I told you to ask Master Teacher Jiang Chen about the feast. What did he say? Will Princess Mo Yu be attending?" Apothecary Hong asked. "I..." The apprentice was taken aback by his teachers question. "I... havent asked him!" "You didnt ask him?" Apothecary Hongs face darkened in rage. "If you cant aplish such a simple task, dont bother calling me teacher anymore!" The apprentices face paled. Apothecary Hong was a 3-star apothecary, and as his student, he would have a huge advantage when taking the 1-star apothecary examination in the future. If he were to be expelled from his tutge... he would lose all hopes of bing an apothecary in this lifetime. "Teacher, I have a reason... for panicking. Just now... someone was taking the 1-star master teacher examination... and he entered the Supporting upation Pavilion. He chose pill forging and..." The apprentices body shuddered. "Whats wrong? Did he achieve a score of 60? Is his score higher than that of Mo Hongyi Mo shi?" Apothecary Hong waved his arm. The student quivered for a moment before replying, "He... he scored... 101 points!" "What? 101 points?" Apothecary Hongs entire body trembled, and his eyes nearly popped out from their sockets. His face spoke of nothing but disbelief. Even though the master teacher and the apothecary were two separate upations, many formidable master teachers chose apothecary as their supporting upation, so he was very familiar with how master teachers worked. The maximum score for the Supporting upation Hall is 100. For someone to score 101, what in the world is going on? "101 points in the Supporting upation Hall?" "Lets go and take a look!" After hearing the apprentices words, everyone went into a frenzy. All of them rushed out of the Apothecary Guild. To score 101 for instructing a puppet in pill forging in the Supporting upation Hall, how incredible must that person be? They felt that this was a sight they mustnt miss. The Apothecary Guild was located nearby the Master Teacher Pavilion and it didnt take long for them to arrive at the examination hall. The hall, by this time, was already flooded with people, and all of their gazes were fixated on the tightly shut door. "Jiang shi, what is going on?" Scanning the surroundings, Apothecary Hong finally noticed a familiar figure and walked over. That person was Jiang Chen. At this moment, his eyes were opened so wide that they might drop out at any moment. His body was shaking uncontrobly, his fists were tightly clenched by the side, and he had an expression full of fear. Upon seeing Apothecary Hong, he pointed to the door in front with a shaky finger. "Take a look for yourself..." "Un?" Lifting his head, Apothecary Hong saw the numbers on the door and his body wobbled, causing him to nearly fall to the ground. "130? How can it be 130? Isnt the maximum score for the Supporting upation Pavilion 100?" He eximed in shock. The number 130 was disyed prominently on the door. The number seemed to pierce into the hearts of those whoid their sight on it. The apothecaries behind him froze on the spot, dumbfounded. "I am not sure what happened as well..." Jiang Chen shook his head. He, too, felt that the situation was insane, "Perhaps there is a problem with the Supporting upation Pavilion. Otherwise, how can it be possible for someone to achieve such a result?" "A problem?" "Thats right! There must be a problem with the system. Otherwise, how can one achieve such a high score?" "If theres a problem, this result should be invalidated and a retest should be conducted!" Someone chirped in. The maximum score was 100, yet someone shoved a 130 in their faces. It was natural that anyone would think this way. "Ill talk to Wu shiter..." Jiang Chen nodded, but halfway through his words, a voice interjected. "The examination hall is a spiritual treasure that the Master Teacher Pavilion specially tasked experts to create, so it is impossible that it contains any faults!" Not expecting someone to refute his words so disrespectfully, Jiang Chen was about to rebuke when he obtained a clear look at the other partys appearance, immediately suppressing himself. "Since Mo shi said that it isnt a problem with the Supporting upation Pavilion, then... what is going on?" The one who refuted his words was the number one genius of the kingdom, Mo Hongyi. He had also received the shock of his life after witnessing the results disyed on the door. "Ive heard of a legend regarding the master teacher examination, but Im unsure of its authenticity!" Mo Hongyi said with a grim face. Looking at his grave expression, the surrounding crowd turned uniformly to focus their attention on him. Even Wu shi, who was conducting the examination, turned to look at him as well. "In the Supporting upation Pavilion, what is tested is ones ability to guide another. A wrong guidance results in the deduction of one point, and a correct guidance results in an addition of a point. Everyone should know this, so I will not borate any further!" Mo Hongyi said. The crowd nodded. "However, have all of you ever thought... about how the Supporting upation Pavilion judges whether ones actions are correct?" Mo Hongyi surveyed the surroundings and continued, "Just like the apothecary test going on now, the so-called correct procedure is based on the standards of a 4-star apothecary forging the same pill. What if... one were to judge the process from the perspective of a 5-star or 6-star apothecary?" "This..." Everyones body trembled simultaneously. Knowledge was rtive. Something that a 1-star apothecary thinks to be a fundamentalw might not necessarily be true in the eyes of a 3-star apothecary. A child might think that the sky is round and the earth is t, but the same could not be said about an adult. The assumption for judgment in the Supporting upation Pavilion is that the forging procedure created by the 4-star apothecary is entirely correct. If ones pill forging standards havent reached 4-star, one would think that there is no mistake in his actions. However... what if ones skills and knowledge surpasses 4-star? If a 5-star, 6-star or even 7-star apothecary were toe, will he think that the forging procedure is perfect? That might not necessarily be so. In the eyes of such an expert, the model answer might actually be filled with mistakes. "Are you saying that... the fellow taking the examination inside possesses knowledge that already exceeds that of a 4-star apothecary?" How could Jiang Chen possibly believe this? How can that seemingly ordinaryd actually be such an incredible apothecary? "If thats not the case, how can you exin why a point is deducted before three is added? In the Supporting upation Pavilion, a single mistake that is pointed out should award only one point, the total score rising in increments of one!" With a grim expression, Mo Hongyi continued, "The person taking the test inside must have found loopholes in the answer key, and initially, these were judged by the Supporting upation Pavilion to be mistakes. However, the Supporting upation Pavilion is a treasure which possesses intelligence. It realized that the modifications that the examinee made allowed the pill forging process to continue more smoothly, so itpensated for the points immediately, and awarded double bonus points for discovering the loophole." "This..." The crowds eyes narrowed involuntarily. "So that is to say... has the person inside found 15 mistakes in the pill forging procedure of a 4-star apothecary?" If one were to follow the forging procedure of 4-star apothecary perfectly, one would be able to attain a score of 100 points. However, given that the score had reached 130, it meant that Zhang Xuan had found 15 mistakes in the model answer provided by a 4-star apothecary! The heck! Is he human? "Other than this... I truly cant think of any other possibility!" Mo Hongyi shook his head. "Now that Mo shi mentioned it, I recall having read about this situation while browsing through books regarding the master teacher examination. However, as no one has managed to achieve such a feat for a very long time, it became forgotten!" Seeming to have remembered something, Wu shi could not help but remark. Having had two master teachers verify the situation, the crowd realized that it was highly likely to be the case. Nheless, they continued to find the situation hard to believe. Not only did the person inside notice the mistakes intentionally incorporated into the puppet, he was even able to point out the ws left behind by the 4-star apothecary. If so, what is the actual standard that the fellow inside possesses as an apothecary? "Who is the person inside? Can it be that he is an elder in the Apothecary Guild? " Apothecary Hong could not help but ask. "He isnt an elder, he is merely a 1-star apothecary. Whats more, he hasnt even reached twenty years of age. His name is..." Jiya! Just as Jiang Chen was about to speak his name, the door of the Supporting upation Pavilion opened all of a sudden. A young man walked out slowly from within. "Ah... Zhang Xuan? Why is he here?" Apothecary Hong burst out in shock. "Apothecary Hong, do you know him?" A 2-star apothecary that had followed behind him asked immediately. "He... he..." Apothecary Hongs face paled. "He is the one who helped me achieved a breakthrough in my pill forging, the expert whom I just spoke of!" Chapter 307: How Many Moves? Chapter 307: How Many Moves? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "Expert?" The several 2-star apothecaries at the back nced at one another in astonishment. "Thats right. Didnt someone request to purchase the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossal Rhinoceros Blood some time ago? Out of all the kingdoms nearby, we are the closest branch who possesses both items. Thus, I was ordered to deliver the medicine!" Apothecary Hong nodded. "I know about this matter. Didnt they say that you were going to the lowest tiered Tianxuan Kingdom? Why would..." The person from before, a 2-star apothecary, felt baffled and asked once again. Going to the lowest tiered kingdom and meeting an expert? Inducing a huge improvement in his pill forging skills? "I did go to that lowest tiered kingdom, and during my journey, I found out that the person who purchased the two objects is a 1-star apothecary who passed the examination through the Pill Debate!" Apothecary Hong replied. "Passed the examination through the Pill Debate?" The crowds eyes narrowed into thin slits. In a small and weak country like Tianxuan Kingdom, not many people knew what the Pill Debate was. However, in the powerful andrge Tianwu Kingdom, virtually every apothecary knew about it. This examination is several times harder than forging a grade-1 pill. One has to have a profound knowledge of pill forging in order to pass. Even in the thousands of years of history of Tianwu Kingdom, there wasnt anyone who passed the Pill Debate with sess! How fearsome would someone who became an apothecary through the Pill Debate be? "Indeed. After hearing that news, I was infuriated. I thought that Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild didnt know the rules and was interpreting it as they please. However, when I arrived and looked at the Record Crystal they left behind, I realized that I was wrong!" Recalling the situation that day, Apothecary Hong was still daunted. If Zhang Xuan were to see him, he would surely be able to recognize this Apothecary Hong whom Jiang Chen said he would introduce him to. He was Apothecary Hong Yun who made a wager with him in Tianxuan Kingdom and eventually gave him the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossus Rhinoceros Blood for free. Back then, he was still a 2-star apothecary. In the single month after they parted, he managed to pass the 3-star examination and was sessfully promoted. "Can it be that... the person who passed the 1-star apothecary examination through Pill Debate... is him?" Realizing the meaning behind Apothecary Hongs words, another 2-star apothecary eximed. "Thats right, its him!" Apothecary Hong Yun smiled bitterly. "After we met, the pointer he offered gave me enlightenment, allowing me to forge a grade-3 pill and advance to be a 3-star apothecary!" "This..." Everyone stared at the young man who emerged with fearful, narrowed eyes. He became an apothecary through Pill Debate, allowed a 2-star apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill through his guidance, and achieved 130 points in the Supporting upation Pavilion... "How can he possess such profound pill forging knowledge when he isnt even twenty..." Someone couldnt help but mutter. No matter how talented a person is, there is a limit to what he can learn in a fixed period of time. It was hard to believe that he could possess such profound knowledge considering his age. "I was also puzzled at first, so I found someone to specially investigate this matter. It turns out that he has an extremely incredible teacher called Yang Xuan, and he is a master teacher whose rank is likely to exceed 3-star!" "A master teacher whose rank exceeds 3-star?" The crowds breathing hastened. Just like any other jobs, the highest rank that a master teacher can attain is 9-star, and every 3 stars signify a different league. Even Conferred Kingdoms might not necessarily have master teachers above 3-star! With such a powerful background, it is no wonder why the other party can be so incredible at such a young age. ... Members of the crowd were still whispering among themselves when Zhang Xuan walked up to Wu shi. Zhang Xuan was able to identify numerous mistakes in the puppets pill forging at a single nce, but due to the limitation of time, he knew that he wouldnt be able to point out all of them. Even so, when the cauldron was opened and upon seeing the pill, he knew that he would pass for sure. The pill was round and smooth, and a unique pattern had formed on the surface of the pill. It was a pill that surpassed the level of Perfection, an Inscribed Pill. It would truly be unbelievable if he were failed after producing such a pill. He thought that managing to forge such a pill would award him with seventy or eighty points, but never in his dreams did he expect to attain 130. He was also shocked by the score he saw on the door. "This... is it malfunctioning?" Zhang Xuan uttered. Hearing those words, Wu shis body swayed as he exined, "Its because you found the ws in the pill forging of a 4-star apothecary..." "Is this the level of a 4-star apothecary?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes, and a look of disdain appeared on his face. "Isnt that too weak?" Members of the crowd vomited blood. Its not the 4-star apothecary who is weak, you are the one who is too formidable, alright... It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan thought that way. This time, he didnt resort to the Library of Heavens Path, relying on solely his own judgment for the test. After taking in the knowledge of all of the books in Tianxuan Kingdoms Apothecary Guild for his own, his understanding of forging grade-1 pills had reached a different realm. If he were to instruct another person on forging grade-2 pills without using the Library of Heavens Path, he might turn out inferior to some 2-star apothecaries. However, for grade-1 pills... Putting aside a 4-star apothecary, even a 6-star apothecary might not be able to match up to him. This was just like Heavens Path Divine Art. It was currently limited at merely Half-Zongshi, but in terms of the most basic of foundations, even the most valuable cultivation technique in the world might not be able to create pure zhenqi like his. Which means, even if a 5-star or 6-star master teacher were to exin the cultivation method for Half-Zongshi and below, they might not be able to point out the essence as precisely as he could. "Lets begin the third test, Puppet Hall, then!" Knowing that he would only get increasingly frustrated speaking to this monster, Wu shi ushered him toward the third door. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Theres no scoring system for Puppet Hall. Upon entering, you will meet a red puppet and a blue puppet of simr cultivations. You have to offer pointers to the red puppet to help it defeat the blue one. Once you do so, you will have passed this test." Wu shi exined the rules. "Alright!" It was the same as Ling Xiaoxiao exined to him. Without too much hesitation, Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and walked in. In the room was a circr dueling ring which was about 20 meters wide. Two puppets were in the dueling ring, one dressed in a blue and another dressed in a red. Upon seeing him enter, the two puppets began their battle. Peng peng peng! The duo crossed blows and the shock waves from their fists caused gusts of wind to billow around them. "Tongxuan realm pinnacle?" Zhang Xuan was full of astonishment. To think that the two are able to exert the strength of Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivators! Furthermore, their movements are nimble and profound, such that even an ordinary Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator might not be a match for them. In Tianxuan Kingdom, a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator is already the regarded as among strongest, on par with its royal elder. Yet, to think that they would notpare to even a puppet here. As expected of the Master Teacher Pavilion! "This test is indeed difficult. No wonder people say that it is uphill to pass the master teacher examination if one does not reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Seems like this is the reason why!" Zhang Xuan was awed. If a persons strength does not even match the two puppets, it would be difficult for him to see through their ws in order to offer wise guidance. If so, how can one pass the examination? "Lets begin!" Even so, Zhang Xuan was already in the midst of the test. Thus, he swiftly focused his attention on the battling puppets. He had already achieved Half-Zongshi, and even without the Library of Heavens Path, he was capable of clearly identifying ws in those who had not reached his level of cultivation. It was because his cultivation was a perfect version, and anyone who possessed a different cultivation had to be wrong. It was childs y for him to identify any ws. It didnt take long before he memorized every w that the two puppets had. Hu! The battle stopped. Just like what happened in the Supporting upation Pavilion before, a voice sounded, prompting him to guide the red puppet to victory. "The red puppets movements are forceful and savage whereas the blue puppets movements are lithe and nimble. Both of them have their own strengths, making it difficult for one to triumph over the other... Since thats the case, Ill point out the ws in them both side in a way that grants the red an advantage over the blue..." Very quickly, Zhang Xuan had formted a n. He simted it once in his mind, and it was only after confirming that it was feasible that he heaved a sigh of relief. Hu hu hu! Not long after he finished thinking, the puppets began fighting once more. "Red puppet, retreat three cun, twist your body to the right by half a body, and strike with your fist..." Seeing the both sides engaged in a battle once more, Zhang Xuan began issuing instructions. ... "Do you think that hell be able to pass this test? Even though his skills as an apothecary are remarkable, the same might not apply to his ability to impart knowledge rting to cultivation!" "Looks like you are still unaware. Apothecary Hong Yun said just now that this Zhang Xuan is a student under a master teacher whose rank exceeds 3-star!" "The student of a master teacher whose rank exceeds 3-star? Then... he will certainly pass the examination!" "Indeed..." Master teachers are adept at guiding others in cultivating. As the student of a master teacher, his ability to guide another person in cultivating is most likely to be far superior to his ability to guide another on pill forging. It would be hrious if he couldnt pass this test. "Even though there isnt a score for this test, many peoplepare the results among candidates through the amount of time they take and the number of moves required to pass!" Standing before the door of the third test, Wu shi stroked his beard. The other master teachers nodded as well. In guiding a specific person to defeat the other when they are of the same cultivation realm, using three minutes and ten seconds are two very different concepts. Simrly, after receiving the guidance, whether the person used a hundred blows or a single blow to defeat the enemy were also two very different concepts. "I remember that Mo shis guidance back then allowed the red puppet to defeat the blue puppet in less than twenty blows, and that went on to be a legend in the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Wu shi nced at Mo Hongyi in admiration. "Its seventeen!" Mo Hongyi nodded confidently. "Indeed, its seventeen blows! To be able to get one of the two equally powerful puppets to triumph over the other in so little blows, Mo shis understanding of cultivation must have reached an extremely high level!" Afterplimenting thetter, Wu shi turned to the door once more. "Just that, I wonder how many blows would this Zhang Xuan take!" "I am curious as well!" A gleam shed across Mo Hongyis eyes. The other party has already broken several of his records, so he was interested to see how formidable this fellow who came from Tianxuan Kingdom would be. Can his guidance on cultivation be as incredible as the other skills he had just disyed? ... "Given how he is under twenty, Ill ept that he is phenomenal at pill forging, but I dont believe that he can be so incredible at cultivation as well!" With eyes fixated on the door, Jiang Chen harrumphed. He had grown up in a n of master teacher, and under his fathers guidance, he rarely stumbled in his cultivation. At the same time, this gave him a deep insight into cultivation. Even then, he had to take a full twenty-five blows before managing to pass this examination. He didnt believe that this fellow could fare any better than him. "The first demonstration should take around three hundred breaths, and ten breaths after that, the test will officially begin! Based on the assumption that one blow is made in a single breath, we can roughly calcte how many blows he used..." Even though he didnt think that the other party could match his record, Jiang Chen felt nervous nheless. This fellow had exceeded all of the expectations that he had of him previously. Before this, if someone were to tell him that a person has achieved a Trust Level of 85 after casually teaching his students for a few days, he would definitely spit on the other partys face. If someone said that an examinee achieved a score of 130 in the Supporting upation Pavilion, he would definitely have torn the persons mouth. But now... all of these which he had deemed impossible before was happening with this fellow. Even though he was hostile to him due to Mo Yu, he had to admit that this fellow did possess exceptional abilities. "312, 313, 314..." He counted the time, tapping his right forefinger on his left arm. As more time passed, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. "333, 334, 335!" Eventually, when he reached 335 breath, the duration which Jiang Chen took to pass the test, the other party had yet toe out from the room. Only then did Jiang Chen heave a sigh of relief, and a delighted look appeared on his face. "Haha, looks like his ability to give guidance on cultivation iscking..." With a cold harrumph, his eyebrows shot up haughtily. He thought that the other party would be able to surprise him just like he did with the previous two tests. In the end, it had already exceeded 335 breaths, but he was still inside the room. This meant that under his guidance... the red puppet wasnt able to defeat the blue puppet within twenty-five blows. Even if the other party were toe out now, his result would be considered inferior to his. ... While Jiang Chens eyes lit up, Wu shi and Mo Hongyi nced at one another and shook their heads. "Looks like he is still slightlycking in imparting knowledge on cultivation!" "Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. While he might be skilled in pill forging, his ability to instruct on cultivation iscking. However..." Mo Hongyis head tilted upward and, with an intimidating brilliance, said, "He has abandoned his fundamentals! Theres nothing to fear about such a person!" You are taking the master teacher examination, and the main responsibility that a master teacher has is to provide guidance on cultivation so that his students can grow stronger. So what if you are skilled in pill forging? There are many other skilled apothecaries who have devoted their lives to pill forging. Theres no reason for them to look for you! What use is a teacher if he is skilled in flying an airne instead of teaching? He had forgotten the core responsibility of his upation. In the previous two tests, this fellow achieved such overwhelming results, that Mo Hongyi thought that he would be his greatest rival from this day on. However, from the looks of it now, he had simply been thinking too much. If he is mediocre at guiding cultivation, then he is nothing to fear as a master teacher. "Indeed, its such a pity..." Understanding this as well, a look of regret appeared on Wu shis face. The other party had performed exceedingly well in previous two tests, so Wu shi thought that he would do the same for the third test too. But looking at how things turned out, he had pinned too many expectations on the other party. How can there be a person in the world who is skilled at all upations? He is already a formidable apothecary. Isnt it too much to expect him to be as knowledgeable in cultivation? Everyones thoughts continued to wander as another ten breaths passed. Jiya! At this moment, the door finally opened, and only Zhang Xuans head could be seen popping out from behind. "A total of 352 breaths. That means that the two puppets have crossed a total of 42 blows..." Jiang Chen sneered coldly. Just as he was about tomence his mockery, the young man scratched his head in embarrassment. "That... During my guidance, the red puppet exerted too much force and bashed the blue puppets head off... I tried to fix it but to no avail. May I ask... that... Its not a fail, right?" "Bashed the head off?" "Regardless of the resilience of their physical structure or strength, they are of the same level. At the very most, it should only be possible for one side to subdue the other. To bash the other puppets head off... What in the world happened?" The crowd fell to the floor in shock. For a moment, the entire examination hall became silent. Chapter 308: Cultivation Technique Ocean Chapter 308: Cultivation Technique Ocean Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove Top-notch cksmiths were invited to create the puppets in the Puppet Hall and infuse spirit into them. The moves and cultivation technique of the two puppets were calibrated to the same level, making it difficult for one to defeat the other in battle. Under usual circumstances, the examinees are only able to grant a slight advantage to one of the puppets so that it can defeat the other. Yet, this fellow got the puppet to bash the other puppets head out... How in the world did he do it? Wu shi, Mo Hongyi, and a few other master teachers walked to the door in a hurry and peered inside. Their eyes narrowed immediately, and they nearly fainted. They saw the blue puppet lying on the floor with its head was lying a great distance from its body. For the red puppet to smash through the blue puppets head, they thought that it should have suffered some kind of severe injury in exchange for this fatal blow. However, after ncing at the red puppet, they realized that they were wrong. The red puppet stood motionless on the spot, and there wasnt a single scratch on it. Without incurring the slightest injury, it was able to knock the other puppets head off... The heck! How in the world did it happen? In a normal battle, such a situation was only possible if a persons cultivation was way above the others. With just a simple guidance, he was able to raise the red puppets strength exponentially to subdue the other puppet so overwhelmingly? Why does it feel like a dream? "You said that you took a long time trying to fix it... How many blows did the red puppet take before defeating the blue puppet?" Mo Hongyi asked. It was the matter he was most concerned about. Hearing his words, everyone pricked their ears up immediately, afraid that they might miss a single word he was about to say. "How many moves? Given the immense strength of the red puppet, a single blow was more than enough. If it were to execute a few more moves, the blue puppet would have be a meat paste by now..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. What do you mean by how many blows? The blue puppet didnt even manage to survive the first blow. If the red puppet were to release any more blows, wouldnt it bepletely wrecked? "One blow..." Mo Hongyi, Jiang Chen, and the others vision went gray, and their bodies swayed violently. They thought that their feats of seventeen blows and twenty-five blows were incredible, but to think that this fellow required only a single blow... With a single blow, not only did he allow one of the two equally powerful puppets to subdue the other, he even managed to knock off the other puppets head... Is he still a human? More importantly... What is with your look of disdain? Under guidance from other examinees, the puppets usually had to exchange numerous blows before the battle coulde to an end. Yet, with your advice, the red puppet crippled the blue with a single strike... "This... Pardon me, but for the red puppet to destroy the blue with a single blow... how did you do it?" Wu shi couldnt hold it back any longer, and he asked the question that was on everyones mind. Every single master teacher here had been through this Puppet Hall test, and they knew that the two puppets were of absolutely equal strength. In a normal battle, it would already be considered an incredible feat for one side to defeat the other in just a dozen blows, needless to say, in a single blow. This was precisely the reason why he couldnt understand how this was possible. Mo Yu looked at him in doubt as well. She had just taken the examination a few days ago, and it took her twenty-two blows before she seeded. Thus, she was also curious to know what method Zhangoshi utilized. Hearing the question, Zhang Xuan was stunned for a short moment before he replied casually, "Its simple! The red puppet possesses extraordinary strength whereas the blue puppet is exceptionally swift. In a normal battle, it would be difficult for either side to defeat the other. However, it bes a simple matter once you realize the w in the blue puppets movement. No matter how fast it is, it cant possibly remain in a state of constant motion! By predicting the location it would stop at and then instructing the red on where tond its strike, thetter would be able to subdue the former easily..." "Predicting?" "Foresee the other partys location?" Everyone present trembled Zhang Xuans theory sounded simple, but it was extremely difficult to carry out in practice. Everyone knew that with a 10000 ding strength, even a Zongshi can be defeated with a single blow. However... even though everyone knew that it was true, it would be useless if one isnt able to exert that strength. Simrly, the method that Zhang Xuan spoke of sounded simple, but a battle changes every single moment. Apse of judgment in a tenth or even a hundredth of a breath could very well spell failure, and if things go wrong, the other party might even be able to make use of thispse in judgment to retaliate. Predicting the other partys location so that the red puppet could strike off the blues head with a single punch... To do this, not only must one possess absolute grasp over the flow of the battle, one must know about the strength, physical condition, speed of the movements and punches of the two puppets, so on and so forth! Only after knowing all of these can one issue a precisemand to achieve such a feat... The heck! Brother, are you actually a 3-star master teacher feigning as a 1-star master teacher candidate to y with us? Ling Xiaoxiaos slender body trembled so violently that it seemed as if she was about to fall to the ground convulsing. When she met the other party a day ago, she thought that he was an ignorant apprentice. Only at this moment did she realize that he was actually a hidden monster! Despite being so ignorant, you are able to fare so well in the examination... You monster... Where in the world did you pop out from? She felt an extremely stifling sensation in her chest. If not for her holding herself back, she would have long spurted blood all over the room. "About this... I shouldnt need to pay, right?" After exining himself, everyone in the room fell dead silent. Zhang Xuan nervously pointed to the puppet on the floor. "The Puppet Hall possesses the ability of self-recovery. After a few days of rest, the puppet will be as good as new!" Snapping back to reality from his shock, Wu shi nodded. "Thats good..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Then... Is this considered as a pass?" "Of course!" Wu shi smiled bitterly. The others rolled their eyes as well. With your guidance, the red puppet wrecked the blue puppet with a single move. If you do not pass, who else can? The next test is Cultivation Technique Ocean!" Holding back his dismal, Wu shi started to exin the content of the next examination. "The Cultivation Technique Ocean possesses countless cultivation techniques, and a book is chosen at random and one has to conduct a lecture on its contents. During the lecture, one will not only be judged by numerous master teachers, but by the Whilom Sage Bell as well!" "The Whilom Sage Bell is a spiritual treasure which has theprehension, that past sages had over cultivation techniques, imprinted within. If the examinee is unable to satisfy its requirements, it will not chime, and he will be considered to have failed! The more chimes there are, the more urate and precise ones lecture is indicated to be." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Alright, you may enter now. Master teachers, please follow me in. As for the others, I will have to request you to remain outside!" Surveying the surroundings, Wu shi said. The fourth test, Cultivation Technique Ocean, requires master teachers to be present to serve as examiners. Outsiders do not possess the qualifications to participate in the test. "Yes!" Everyone answered simultaneously. Pushing the door open, Zhang Xuan walked into the room. The Cultivation Technique Ocean was simr to an ordinary ssroom, and the primary objective of the test was to assess a master teachers ability to conduct lessons. No matter how incredible a master teacher is and how good his pointers are, if he is inept at lecturing, he would only serve a good private tutor, and would not be considered a good teacher. An excellent teacher should have students all over the world, and every student under his tutge should be an expert. It isnt anything impressive to produce just one or two good students. Surveying the interior of the room, there were two rows ofrge, magnificent bells hung on the two sides of the room. Every single one of these bells was around the height of a human, and there were unique and profound inscriptions on them. There were tables and chairs in the center, and they were arranged neatly like in an ordinary ssroom. More than ten master teachers walked entered and took their seats. At this moment, they were just students, and there was only one teacher, Zhang Xuan. Once the crowd sat down, the doors closed and the room became quiet immediately. Hu! The lecture table trembled for a moment and a book slowly appeared. "This is the secret manual taken at random from the library. You have an incense sticks worth of time to read through it before conducting a lesson! The Whilom Sage Bell will analyze the content of your lecture, and we will make our own judgment as well. The final verdict of whether you pass or not will be based on both the input from us and the Whilom Sage Bell." Upon seeing the book appear, Wu shi exined. The Whilom Sage Bell was left behind by a 4-star master teacher, and contained within was his understanding toward cultivation techniques, battle techniques, as well as their merits and demerits. As long as the content of ones lesson was aligned with the concepts infused within it, one would gain the recognition of the Whilom Sage Bell. On the other hand, if ones lecture turned out to be full of mistakes, the bell wouldnt chime. Even though it soundedplicated, it was actually simr to the Supporting upation Pavilion test. In the Supporting upation Pavilion, the uracy of the examinees guidance was reflected in their score whereas over here, it was reflected through the chiming of bells. "Un!" After hearing Wu shis exnation, Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand and picked up the book before him. "Undting Water Ripple Palm?" Numerous eyes fell on the cover of the book. It was a battle technique. "Undting Water Ripple Palm? Seems like his luck isnt good. This is one of the most profound battle techniques in the Master Teacher Pavilion used for the purpose of this test!" "Thats right. The more profound the technique is, the more difficult it is to decipher and exin. In the several millennia that the kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion has been established, there were eight examinees who had managed to pick this book, and out of them, seven left disappointed. The remaining one had also managed to only touch on the surface of the battle technique and barely passed!" "Even if he were to pass this test by luck, it is unlikely that his results would be as good as those before..." ... Upon seeing the name on the book, the master teachers seated below shook their heads, and looks of pity shed across their faces. The Cultivation Technique Ocean picked cultivation techniques and battle techniques at random, so luck yed a part as well. If one is lucky, he would manage to pick an easy book or a technique that he has seen before. If so, it would be much easy to exin and decipher. However, if one were to pick a difficult technique which he finds hard to even practice, how can he possibly give a lecture about it? It was apparent that this Zhang Xuans luck wasnt too good. This Undting Water Ripple Palm might not be the toughest battle technique to learn in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, but it wasnt too far from it. Innumerable cultivators had tried learning it and they put in great effort, only to end in failure. It was nigh impossible to obtain a sufficient understanding of the entire technique in just an incenses time. Oblivious to the thoughts in the crowd below, Zhang Xuan flipped open the book casually, browsed through it briefly, and nodded his head. Even though this secret art seemed to be profound, it was nheless within the scope of a Tongxuan realm cultivation. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Spear Art, Heavens Path Movement Art, and such, he had gained a deep understanding of battle techniques. As long as it was within his level, no matter how profound or difficult it was, he would be able to see through the intentions the creator had in mind when creating the technique and from there, identify the correct cultivation method. Having been trained by the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuans eyes became extraordinarily sharp. Many times, even without resorting to the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to discern a thing or two in a persons cultivation technique and enlighten them. It was just like aftering into contact with a genuine money note, even if one hadnt seen a fake money note, with a single touch, one would still able to discern whether it was real. Heavens Path Divine Art and the various battle techniques borne from the Library of Heavens Path stood at the very pinnacle of cultivation. Standing right at the peak, it was extremely easy for Zhang Xuan to look down and pinpoint the problems in other techniques. "Alright, Ill start my lecture..." Several dozen of breathster, Zhang Xuan was done browsing through the secret manual and he ced it on the table casually. "Zhangoshi, theres no need for you to rush. You have an incenses time to analyze it carefully..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to start the lecture after browsing through the book once, Wu shi couldnt help but advise him. "Theres no need for it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was instead a waste of time for him to browse through such a simple battle technique once more. Scanning the crowd, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to dawdle any longer and began immediately. "Undting Water Ripple Palm may sound like a water attribute palm technique, and many perceive the technique as such when practicing it. However... this is wrong!" "Wrong?" The crowd was taken aback. Zhang Xuan continued, "Actually, what the name, Undting Water Ripple Palm, means is that after mastering the technique, ones attack will be just like ripples, striking one after another ceaselessly! This technique has nothing to do with the water attribute..." Zhang Xuan offhandedly raised themon problems that a cultivator would face with the technique, as well as the correct training method. "This..." "To think that this would be the case, I didnt expect it at all..." "So thats the case! I am enlightened!" ... His exnations left everyone flushed and trembling in agitation Those present were all master teachers, and naturally, they possessed the capability to deduce whether his exnations were correct or erroneous. Initially, all of them assumed that this palm technique was a water attribute technique. Never in their dreams did they expect themselves to be so sorely mistaken. After analyzing the technique from another angle, the incredibly technique from before seemed to be just like a beautifuldy who was fully stripped; demystified. "There is indeed a great difference between us..." After hearing the exnation, Mo Yu nced at the young man on the stage with aplex gaze. She had seen this Undting Water Ripple Palm before, and her understanding of the technique was no different from what the others believed. She never thought that the technique could also be interpreted in such a manner. After hearing the other partys exnation, she felt that her understanding of battle techniques had been too shallow. "Incredible..." Mo Hongyi clenched his fists tightly. Even though he didnt want to admit it, he felt that the other partys exnation was wless. "This person will probably be my greatest rival..." Narrowing his eyes, a strong fighting spirit had been ignited within Mo Hongyi. As an unparalleled genius in Tianwu Kingdom, he had never met any equals. To have met a person who was tied with him, or had even surpassed him, had ignited his fighting spirit. "Looks like its time for me to take the 2-star master teacher examination!" Exhaling fully, Mo Hongyi harrumphed coldly. In actual fact, given his cultivation, he could have taken the 2-star master teacher examination. However, he chose to dy it so that he could improve himself and break all of the records in the Master Teacher Pavilion in a single go. However, after seeing Zhang Xuans outstanding performance, he felt that if he didnt pick up his pace, he might be soon be overtaken by the other party. ... Every master teacher present had their own thoughts, but one thing they had inmon was that they felt impressed by the young man before them. On the other hand, the crowd outside was anxious to know the results. "I wonder how his results would be!" Ling Xiaoxiaos eyes were fixated on the fourth door. If she could, she would have dived right in at this very instant. "The result of the Cultivation Technique Ocean is closely tied with the chiming of the Whilom Sage Bell. A single chime means a pass, two chimes means good, three chimes means excellent, four chimes means outstanding, five chimes means that there are no ws in the personsprehension of the technique, and six chimes mean a perfect score!" The Zongshi guard behind her said. "The record holder for this test is Mo Hongyi with four chimes. Back then, he astounded many with this feat. If Zhang Xuan wants to outdo him, he must achieve a result of at least five chimes!" "Five chimes? How can it be that easy? It is too difficult to browse through a battle technique and understand it fully within an incenses time." "I heard that when Mo Hongyi took the examination, he was lucky enough to pick a battle technique which he happened to have seen before, allowing him to exin the technique in depth. I doubt that this fellow can be as lucky as him!" Hearing the duos conversation, the crowd shook their heads. They didnt think well of Zhang Xuan. Everyone wants to score well in examinations, but how is it possible that one ace every single subject? He might have been formidable in the past few stages, but they didnt believe that he could do the same for this stage. Dang! Everyone was still immersed in their discussions when the ground suddenly trembled, and a deep and loud chime resounded. The Whilom Sage Bell rang! "How many chimes will there be?" Everyone held their breaths as they gazed at the door in uniformity. Chapter 309: Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells Chapter 309: Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove "How is it happening so quickly?" "It hasnt even been half an incense sticks time since he entered, right? And he has started on the lecture... and already finished it?" "What in the world did he lecture about?" Upon hearing the chime, everyone in the crowd trembled. After the Cultivation Technique Ocean passes a secret manual to the examinee, the examinee is given an incense sticks time to browse through it before having to conduct the lecture. It had only been a total of half an incense sticks time since the very first examination began, but the Whilom Sage Bell has already chimed. Does he... not need to read the secret manual before beginning to teach? Furthermore... toplete the lecture so quickly? It is only after one finishes his lecture will the Whilom Sage Bell express its recognition orck of through its chimes. If it were anyone else, even if he were to earn the recognition of the Whilom Sage Bell, it would take at least three to four incenses time before it chimed. There was even a case where an examinee lectured for half a day before it chimed! For it to start chiming after just half an incense sticks time... Putting aside whether they had ever seen this, they have never even heard of such an urrence! "Given how short his lecture is, his content must becking. I think a single chime must be the limit!" The elder behind Ling Xiaoxiao shook his head in pity. Haste makes waste, this saying applies to everything in life. Even if he is capable and can understand the technique swiftly... But to start lecturing right after ncing through the book is just too rash. In such a hurry, it is likely that he has missed out some parts. After all, no matter how simple a technique appears to be, it is the crystallization of our predecessors wisdom. The slightest mistake can lead result in a cultivation going amok and cause irreversible damage. In this world, it wasnt rare for a cultivators cultivation to go berserk. Most of the time, it was due to their erroneous understanding of a technique that resulted in a divergence in their cultivation. It was one thing for Zhang Xuan to be unable toprehend the techniquepletely, and it was another for his lecture to be short. It was highly likely that he missed out many important points given how brief his lecture was. Most master teacher examinees would treat this test as a written examination. They would spew all of the knowledge they knew of and pray that one of the words that they spoke would turn out to be correct. For the lecture to end so swiftly meant that the lecture wascking in content. Even if the Whilom Sage Bell chimed, it was unlikely to chime more than once. "Indeed. It seems that hes still too young and impatient..." Apothecary Hong Yun nodded. Zhang Xuanoshi could be considered his benefactor, and naturally, he hoped that the other party would fare well. He hadnt expected him to be so reckless. With this, it was likely that he wouldnt obtain any ster result. "Even though it is a pity, he should at least learn from this incident. When he finally takes the 2-star master teacher examination, he probably wont be so reckless anymore..." The elder nodded. He was stillmenting when the ground trembled once more, and a resounding chime sounded once again. Dang! Dang! Dang! It was three consecutive chimes. The ground could be seen trembling. "Four chimes? Outstanding? Is his result on part with Mo Hongyi Mo shi?" The elder and Apothecary Hong Yun nced at each other, and they nearly vomited blood. They had just said that the other party was too reckless and that his results would surely be poor, yet in the next moment, the bell chimed another three times... They felt a stinging pain on their faces as if someone had set them alight. "Four chimes... that should be the limit, right?" After four chimes, the entire hall fell silent and only then did the elder heave a sigh of relief. Looking at the door with a meaningful gaze, he was just about to continue speaking when another deafening chime assaulted his ears. Dang! The bell sounded once more. "Five chimes, wless Comprehension... Its a new record!" Everyone became dumbfounded. Since the establishment of the kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion several thousand years ago, the best result achieved that was ever achieved was Mo Hongyis four chimes... Yet, in just half an incense sticks time, this Zhang Xuan induced five chimes from the Whilom Sage Bell... At this moment, he had be the new record holder! "Genius! He is truly a genius! He is able to understand the technique right after picking the secret manual, allowing the bell to chime five times. wless Comprehension... Im impressed, Im..." But before the elder could finish his words, the ground shook once more. It was yet another chime. "..." The heck! Are you done yet? The elder was on the verge of tears. Every single time he thought that the other party had reached his limits, the bell would chime... You must be doing it on purpose! In other peoples cases, the bell would chime in a consecutive fashion only after they finished their lectures. There werent such long intervals between any chimes. Yet, why is it that when it came to you, the bell chimed so irregrly? Are you trying to scare us out of our wits? "Six chimes, Perfection..." At this instant, everyones face turned pale, and as if they were stone statues, they stood unmoving for a very long time. ... "Vice Pavilion Master Guan, where is the pavilion master? Send someone to get him now!" In a room located in the depths of the Master Teacher Pavilion, an elder rushed in with big strides. "The pavilion master returnedst night and is currently cultivating in seclusion. He gave the instruction that no one is to interrupt him if it isnt anything pressing!" Vice Pavilion Master Guan Zequan nced at the elder doubtfully. "Elder Zhu, what in the world could have happened for you to be so flustered? Come, tell me about it. If it is something important, Ill look for the pavilion master right now!" "Cultivating in seclusion?" Elder Zhu frowned. Then after hesitating for a moment, he started speaking, "Its someone taking the 1-star examination!" "Taking the 1-star examination?" Vice Pavilion Master Guan chuckled before shaking his head, "Isnt Wu Quan there? He should be more than capable of conducting the examination, there is no need to trouble the pavilion master over such a small matter. Dont you know that the pavilion master sustained internal injuries and has to rest?" "I know that it isnt worth rming the pavilion master over a 1-star master teacher examination, but... if you know what results the examinee has actually achieved and the ruckus it is causing, you wont be saying such words!" Elder Zhu shook his head. "Oh? Did it manage to create amotion? Can he be a genius of Mo Hongyis caliber?" Vice Pavilion Master Guan was taken aback. "Mo Hongyi?" Elder Zhu shook his head. "I went to take a look only after hearing the Whilom Sage Bell, so I dont know his result for the first three tests. All I know is that when I arrived, the Whilom Sage Bell was chiming ceaselessly..." "Chiming ceaselessly? Do you mean to say that it chimed more than four times?" Vice Pavilion Master Guans eyebrows shot up. "More than that..." Elder Zhu smiled bitterly. "If it is more than four chimes, does it mean that... his result has reached five chimes? That is wless Comprehension! It means that there is zero mistake in his lecture..." Pavilion Master Guan could no longer maintain hisposure by this point. With a grim face, he stood up, "Infused within the Whilom Sage Bell is the knowledge of a 4-star master teacher. If he achieved five chimes, that means that the persons lecture has gained their absolute acknowledgment... Are you sure that the person taking the test is undergoing the 1-star master teacher examination?" "The one taking the test is undergoing the 1-star master teacher examination!" Elder Zhu nodded. "Furthermore... The chimes didnt just stop at five!" It wasnt that Elder Zhu was reluctant to speak or that he was trying to keep the other party hanging, but that even until now, he was still unable to ept what he had just seen. "Didnt just stop at five..." Vice Pavilion Master Guans hands shook in agitation, and through his quivering lips, spoke, "Can it be... six chimes? Six chimes represent Perfection, and it means that the persons understanding of the technique is no different from that of a 4-star master teacher..." Before he could finish his words, Elder Zhu eximed in a frenzied voice, "Its seven chimes!" Putong! Vice Pavilion Master Guans knee caved in and he fell back onto his seat. At this point, his face had turnedpletely pale. "Seven chimes, Approval of the Sages? How... How is this possible?" Most people knew that six chimes represented Perfection, but very few knew that there was another level above it. In such a situation, it means that the examinee has gained the approval of the Whilom Sage Bell! In other words, he has gained the approval of a 4-star master teacher, and that he can be considered as an equal in terms of his understanding of the technique. A fellow taking the 1-star master teacher examination has gained approval from the spiritual will left behind by the 4-star master teacher, such that it regarded him worthy as a peer? Guan Zequan felt the blood draining from his face, and at this moment, his mind had gone into a turmoil. After innumerable years as the vice pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had seen plenty of geniuses. However, he has never even heard of such a monster! "Seven chimes... Shouldnt we invite the pavilion master?" Elder Zhu wasnt surprised by Vice Pavilion Master Guans reaction. Anyone who heard of this news would probably act in the manner he did. "This... Of course, we should! However, I want to take a look personally to first ascertain the matter..." Suppressing his shock, Vice Pavilion Master Guan exhaled deeply and flung his sleeves. "Alright, lets go!" Elder Zhu nodded his head, and just as they walked out from the room... Dang! A resounding chime echoed throughout the entire Master Teacher Pavilion. Previously, the chime resounded only within the examination hall, but this chime seemed to have caused the entire Tianwu Royal City to rattle for a moment. The tremor was extremely violent and it felt as if the Whilom Sage Bell was trying to break free from the shackles of the Master Teacher Pavilion and open a path to heaven. Under the powerful tremors, both Vice Pavilion Master Guan and Elder Zhu fell to the ground simultaneously. Their faces had turned pale and they spoke in disbelief... "Is this... Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells... Admiration of the Sages?" "This... What in the world is going on?" ... "Admiration of the Sages? What does that mean? Why havent I heard of it?" All of the bells chimed at once, and the deafening sound seemed as if it would rip apart the air. Ling Xiaoxiao turned to the elder behind her and yelled. She had heard of one chime, two chimes, three chimes... all the way to six chimes, but she had never heard of seven chimes! Not to mention, Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells... At this moment, she felt a splitting headache. She couldnt understand what was going on. "[Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells, Admiration of the Sages] means that... even if a 4-star master teacher were present, he would listen to the lecture obediently and quietly... In other words, Zhang Xuans exnation of the technique has already exceeded the level of a 4-star, reaching the level of a 5-star master teacher, or even higher..." The elder trembled. "What? Exceeded the level of a 4-star master teacher?" Ling Xiaoxiaos face paled. That ignorant fellows understanding of cultivation and battle techniques surpasses that of a 4-star... How is that possible? Her body shuddered slightly, and she felt as if she was about to go insane. "Thats right. However..." At this point, the elder hesitated for a moment. Doubt could be seen within his fearful eyes. "However what?" Apothecary Hong Yun has been standing beside the duo, and he had heard their conversation. Perplexed by the elders words, Apothecary Hong Yun asked. "However... Under normal circumstances, the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells should at leastst for a teas time as a celebration. However, why would it only chime for just a short moment beforeing to an abrupt end?" (10-15 minutes) "A teas time?" "Thats right!" The elder nodded. "Seems like we will only know the answer after the master teacherse out!" ... In the room where the Cultivation Technique Ocean test was conducted. Every single 1-star master teacher who was here as an examiner was in a trance. The exnation of Undting Water Ripple Palm by the young man before them was too thorough. If they were to cultivate ording to the way he exined, it wouldnt take long before all of them master the skill. Truly, it was at the level where everyone bes an expert. Dang dang dang dang! Everyone was listening to his lesson attentively as if they were in a trance when the bells by the side, upon hearing such profound theories, chimed excitedly, and their resounding peals prated straight into the heavens. "Shut up, are you done yet? When you chimed for the first time, the second time, and the third time, I did not make a fuss. And you have now climbed over my head, chiming together in such disorder. Im not yet done with my lecture, why the heck are you chiming!" With his eyebrows knitted into a frown, Zhang Xuan bellowed. Wu! The chiming of the manyrge bells silenced abruptly. Chapter 310: This is Bad! Chapter 310: This is Bad! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove The Whilom Sage Bell was forged personally by 4-star master teachers, and their will were infused within it. The entire Master Teacher Pavilion, including the pavilion master, treated the bell as if it were their ancestral tablet. Yet, ad who was taking the 1-star master teacher examinationshed out at it without hesitation... Furthermore, with such fury and annoyance... The hell! At this moment, Wu shi and the others even had thoughts of dying. Upon receiving the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells, Submission of the Sages, they would definitely be so excited that they would even forget their own names. On the contrary, this fellow thought that it was too noisy, and berated angrily as if he were scolding his own grandson... Frick, frick, frick, frick (HUƟ)! Can you be any more arrogant and brazen than that? This isnt the most shocking part... The most shocking part of the entire affair is that the chiming of bell actually stopped after he bellowed at it! In order words, the will of the 4-star master teacher infused within the bell has submitted to him... The heck! This is no longer admiration, but submission! The faces of the master teachers turned green, and they could, they would have pulled off their own heads right on the spot. As master teachers, they were all worldly veterans, but such situation nheless sent them into an uncontroble frenzy. Especially so for Jiang Chen. He had always viewed the other party with hostility. Upon witnessing this sight, he nearly dived underground in fright. Where did this monstere from? To bellow at the will left behind 4-star master teachers and frighten them to the point that they dont dare to chime any further... The heck! Even his father wasnt as savage as that! "I... I... wont lose to you..." Mo Hongyis body had stiffened. After a long while, he revealed a ferocious expression. Ever since he started cultivating, he had been walking around with the halo of a genius. Regardless of upation, cultivation technique, or battle technique, as long as he put his mind to it, he had always emerged to be the number one! It was the same for the master teacher examination. He broke every single record in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and his name resounded throughout thirteen countries. But now... All of his records were getting broken one after another by the person right before his eyes. A strong sense of humiliation sent him into a frenzy. "I will go out now and take the 2-star master teacher examination!" Mo Hongyi said with a determined gaze. He could long have taken the 2-star master teacher examination, but in order to break more records, he had been holding back his attempt. However, after seeing Zhang Xuan hot on his heels, he no longer dared to rest. "You might be formidable, but your Soul Depth is only 5.1. Theres still a long way before you can take the 2-star master teacher examination. By the time you are eligible, I would have widened the distance between us once more." Mo Hongyis confidence rocketed once more. The other party achieved astounding results in the House of Trust, the Supporting upation Pavilion, the Puppet Hall, and the Cultivation Technique Ocean, but so what? The Soul Depth is the basis of a master teacher, and Zhang Xuan only has 5.1. To take the 2-star master teacher examination, ones Soul Depth has to be at least 6.0. He wasnt eligible to take the 2-star master teacher examination. He might be a genius in the other aspects, but for Soul Depth, the only way is for him to progress bit by bit, step by step. When he passes the 2-star master teacher examination, he will be able to retain his title as the number one genius. No one will be able to take it away from him! ... Seeing the bells fall silent after berating at them, Zhang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Say, is there something wrong with these bells? Just a single chime or two to express its recognition would have done, but for all of them to ring at once, and to ring non-stop at that... I have already given you much face. Bastard. If not for the fact that youre a public property that belongs to the Master Teacher Pavilion, I would have disassembled you into pieces. After lecturing for another short while, Zhang Xuan then paused and lifted his head to look at Wu shi. "Me like this... is it considered as a pass yet? If I havent passed the test, Ill continue..." He was merely halfway through deciphering the battle technique, but he recalled Ling Xiaoxiao and Wu shis words, saying that it would be a pass as long as the bell chimes. Since the bell had chimed time and time again, he should have already passed the examination. "You have passed..." Swallowing his saliva, Wu shi nodded. He has already caused a Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells, Admiration of the Sages. If he didnt give him a pass, the pavilion master would probably beat him to death the moment he stepped out from the room. "Good!" Upon hearing that he had passed this test, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Since I have passed, lets move on to the next test..." After which, he walked out of the room. ... In the examination hall. "ording to the records, the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells shouldst for a teas time. Why would it stop after chiming after just a few breaths?" At this moment, Vice Pavilion Master Guan and Elder Zhu had already arrived at the examination hall, and they were staring at the fourth door with a perplexed expression. "Can it be that... the examinee was extremely lucky, and he picked an easy battle technique or cultivation technique which he had read about, and thats why he managed to achieve the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells, Admiration of the Sages? However, as it isnt his original understanding and theory, the chimingsted for only a short moment before ending abruptly." Elder Zhu contemted for a moment before voicing his conjecture. A master teacher should possess his own unique perspective. If one were to just copy from others, he cannot be considered as anything above mediocre. If that is really the case, it is understandable why the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bellssted for only a moment. "Your conjecture seems usible!" With a grim expression, Vice Pavilion Master Guan was about to continue speaking when Jiya! the door opened, and Zhang Xuan was the first the emerge. Following immediately, the other master teachers stepped out of the room as well. "Wu shi!" Upon seeing that the group was out, Vice Pavilion Master Guan beckoned for Wu shi. He was just about to speak to Zhang Xuan when he saw the vice pavilion master. Due to the esteemed standing thetter possessed, he had no choice but to attend to him quickly. In the entire Tianwu Kingdom, there were a total of thirteen 1-star master teachers and three 2-star master teachers. Vice Pavilion Master Guan and Elder Zhu were two of the three 2-star master teachers. Two 2-star master teachers had called for him, how could he possibly dare to keep them waiting? "What was the secret manual picked for the examination just now?" Vice Pavilion Master Guan frowned as he voiced his doubts. "If it is Tianwu Nine Dan Form, Air Revolving Palm, or such manuals, we might have to get the examinee to retake the examination..." The Tianwu Nine Dan Form and Air Revolving Palm were simr to the Hongtian Nine Dan Form of Hongtian Academy. They were the two fundamental cultivation and battle techniques of Tianwu Kingdom, and virtually everyone knew it. If an examinee happened to have drawn a technique of this standard for the master teacher examination, it would mean nothing even if they were to receive the approval of the sages. They were simply too shallow and exining it cant prove an examinees capability. "Tianwu Nine Dan Form? Air Revolving Palm?" Wu shi didnt expect the vice pavilion master to think this way, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. "It is... the Undting Water Ripple Palm!" "Undting Water Ripple Palm? What... did you just say?" Vice Pavilion Master Guan froze for a moment before his entire body shuddered. "That set of incredible confusing and unfathomable battle technique?" "He drew that?" There were also a few others who shared the same thoughts as Elder Zhu, and they trembled upon hearing Wu shis words as well. It was a known fact that it was one of the hardest battle technique to practice in Tianwu Kingdom. To pick that book and induce the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells... "If it is the Undting Water Ripple Palm, then... why did the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells chime for just a moment before stopping? Based on past records, shouldnt it chime for a teas time straight?" Elder Zhu couldnt help but interject. The crowd also turned to look at Wu shi, curious to hear his answer. "It is..." With a bizarre expression, Wu shi said, "Initially, the bell should have continued chiming, but Zhangoshi thought that it was too noisy, so he reprimanded it..." He described what he saw just now. The other master teachers nodded their heads too. Even until now, they still had dazed expressions, and it appeared that they had yet to recover from their shock. "Too noisy?" "Reprimanding the Whilom Sage Bell?" Upon hearing about the events that urred within the room, Elder Zhu, Vice Pavilion Master Guan, and all the others in the hall nearly vomited fresh blood. Other people would die just to have the bell chime a few times for them, yet this fellow thought that it was too noisy... "Alright, since theres no problem, lets continue with the fifth test! I would also hope for another genius to emerge from our Master Teacher Pavilion!" Upon confirming that there was nothing wrong with the test in the Cultivation Technique Ocean, Vice Pavilion Master Guan forcibly suppressed his astonishment forcibly and gave instruction. It was an honor for him, as the vice pavilion master, to have a genius emerge from the Master Teacher Pavilion. "Yes!" Wu shi nodded. Then after scanning his surrounding, he jerked all of a sudden. "Where is Zhang Xuanoshi?" He was right before him a moment ago, how did he suddenly disappear in the blink of an eye? "He has already entered the Unerring Pavilion!" A person in the crowd said. After Zhang Xuan came out, he saw Wu shi rush straight toward two elders. Since he had to take the fifth test sooner orter, he decided to enter the fifth room right away. In any case, the first four tests were just as how Ling Xiaoxiao has put them out to be, so he thought the fifth one shouldnt be too different as well. "He entered?" Wu shi was taken aback. Seeing the tightly shut door of the fifth room, Wu shi was just about to say something when a thought appeared in his mind. His eyes narrowed, and his face paled, "This is bad..." "Whats wrong? Isnt he supposed to take the fifth test anyway? There shouldnt be any problem, right?" Seeing the other partys face turn pale, Vice Pavilion Master Guan frowned. He was supposed to enter anyway, why are you making such a big fuss? "He is supposed to take the fifth test..." Wu shi panicked, and a sliver of fear shed across his eyes, "But... I havent told him about the rules of the Unerring Pavilion, and the things he should take note of..." He was about to exin the fifth test to Zhang Xuan when the vice pavilion master called for him. By the time he had realized it, the other party had already gone through the fifth door. He hadnt gotten a chance to exin anything. Meaning to say... the other party entered the Unerring Pavilion knowing nothing. "It shouldnt be a problem even if you didnt exin the fifth test to him beforehand. Which of the examinee who came for the master teacher examination wasnt aware of the five tests? Dont worry about it, he would surely have made preparations for the tests in advance!" Vice Pavilion Master Guan initially thought that it was some grave matter, but after hearing Wu shis words, he waved his hands casually. Which of those who came to take the master teacher examination didnt know about the five tests? Since they knew, they would surely have looked into the tests beforehand so that they can prepare for them in advance. This way, they wouldnt panic and err during the tests. "Made preparations? I would also like for him to have made preparations..." Recalling Zhang Xuans performance in the previous few tests, Wu shi nearly burst out crying. If that was the case, he wouldnt have to panic. But no matter how he looked at it, this fellow seemed to be an ignorant newbie. If he were to know that the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells was the highestpliment, how could he possibly have berated the Whilom Sage Bell? If he had known the tricks for the House of Trust, how could he possibly have brought students of his age over? If he had known that the Puppet Hall has the ability of self-regeneration, how could he possibly have tried to fix the puppet inside despite having passed the test? "He... he probably doesnt know anything. The five tests of the master teacher are something that I just told him about... When I met him yesterday, he didnt even know the location of our Master Teacher Pavilion!" Hearing the conversation between the two, Ling Xiaoxiao couldnt help but speak up. In an instant, the entire crowd in the examination hall turned to look at her. Vice Pavilion Master Guan, Elder Zhu, and the others seemed to recognize her, and they didnt get mad at her abrupt interjection. Ling Xiaoxiao recounted the details of her meetings with Zhang Xuan yesterday and today. "He came for the master teacher examination not having known about the tests, but he achieved such outstanding results nheless?" After hearing her words, everyone flew into another frenzy. They thought that this fellow must have been extremely familiar with the tests and had made sufficient preparations beforehand in order to achieve such results. Yet... the other party doesnt even know the rules, simply strutting into the rooms for the tests! To have achieved such results so easily... How formidable is he? Mo Hongyis body swayed violently, and he felt an urge to vomit blood. He had spent countless hours preparing for the 1-star master teacher examination before he could achieve his results. Yet, he was unable to match up to the other party, who simply came without possessing the slightest idea... If that was the case, why did he waste his time on those preparations! "If he knows nothing at all, then he surely doesnt know that the Unerring Pavilion... has two stages!" After hearing Ling Xiaoxiao recount, Vice Pavilion Master Guans face darkened as well, and his body trembled in agitation. "This..." "Thats right. Furthermore, the two stages are just side by side..." Upon recalling the matter, the others narrowed their eyes as well. "What do you mean by two stages?" Unable to understand the anxiety on the others faces, Apothecary Hong asked doubtfully. "On the surface, the Unerring Pavilion consists of a puppet disying cultivation technique and battle technique, simr to that of the Puppet Hall, but the two are actuallypletely different! In the Puppet Hall, the two puppets fight one another, and what one is tested on is his ability to guide another. On the other hand, in the Unerring Pavilion... not only is one tested on his ability to discern the ws in a puppet, one is also examined on his cultivation!" "That means to say... in the Unerring Pavilion, one has to fight with the puppet. Within an incenses time, one has to find ws and use it against the puppet to defeat it. If the examinee is unable to find them, the puppet will not stop its attacks, and it might even... kill him!" "Kill him?" Most of the apprentices here werent aware that the Unerring Pavilion was that fearsome, and they were startled. "But those who take the master teacher examination would have to undergo this test, so there shouldnt be any great danger..." Apothecary Hong Yun could not help but ask. So many people have taken the master teacher examination, but he hadnt heard of anyone getting killed during the test. Since those who came before him were fine, he should be the same as well. "Others might be alright, but he is different..." Wu shis mouth twitched, "Theres a total of two stages to Tianwu Kingdoms Unerring Pavilion. The first stage is for the 1-star master teacher examination while the second stage is for the 2-star master teacher examination. If it were anyone else, they will definitelye out afterpleting the first stage. However, as I didnt exin, it is highly likely that he doesnt know. If he were to enter into the second stage... What he will be facing is a Zongshi realm puppet!" "Zongshi realm puppet?" Everyone was shocked. Those who take the 1-star master teacher examination usually possess a Tongxuan realm cultivation, so the puppet they had to face was Tongxuan realm as well, in order to make it possible for them to defeat it. However, if they were to face a Zongshi realm puppet... Especially a Zongshi realm puppet with nearly no ws! This is no different from courting death. The crowds faces turned pale. This is a situation of absolute death! Tongxuan realm and Zongshi realm were twopletely different levels. "Hurry up and stop him..." Vice Pavilion Master Guan shouted. It wasnt easy for a genius to appear in their guild. If he were to fall due to his ignorance about the rules, the entire branch would be in deep trouble. Weng! Before he could finish his words, the door of the fifth test, Unerring Pavilion, quivered, and a brilliant light shone from it. "He... He..." Seeing the color of the light, Wu shis body trembled, and his vision turned gray. "Its toote... He-he didnt go for the first stage, he went straight for the second stage!" --- Frick, frick, frick, frick (HUƟ)! These four pitchforks are a ng word in Chinese. The pronunciation is che cao hui mang. It is a roundabout swear word. Grass is a homophone of a swear word in Chinese, and these four pitchforks refer to grasses in one way or another. Chapter 311: Thirty Flaws Chapter 311: Thirty ws Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The air was still with silence. The worst had really happened! The first stage and the second stage of the Unerring Pavilion were just beside one another. Under normal circumstances, before an examinee entered, Wu shi would inform them in advance on how they should trigger the first stage. Even if he didnt inform, as long as one was a master teacher apprentice in the Tianwu Kingdom, one should know the rules. Thus, no mishaps had ever happened. Yet, this fellow just had to be the exception! Furthermore, despite knowing nothing at all, he simply barged in! It was one thing for him to barge him, but for him to disregard the first stage and head for the second one straight... Wasnt his luck way too bad? "Cant we enter now to save him?" Apothecary Hong Yun enquired anxiously. "Once the Unerring Pavilion is activated, it will not stop until there is a conclusion..." Wu shis face paled. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he added, "Unless... the pavilion master personally makes a trip down and uses the Pavilion Master Token to forcefully enter!" "Alright! I will look for the pavilion master now. Lets hope he canst until then..." Vice Pavilion Master Guan nodded before turning around to leave. Zhang Xuan was a genius who has broken all of the records of the previous tests. If he were to fall here because of their mistake, the entire branch would have to suffer the wrath of the headquarters. "Surviving until the pavilion master arrives... Is that possible?" Wu shis face paled. A Tongxuan realm would be destroyed in mere seconds before a Zongshi realm expert, how can he possiblyst until the pavilion master arrives! "At this point, we can only hope for the best..." Knowing that there was no other way, Wu shi gazed at the door before him, praying from his heart for the young mans safety. ... In the room of the fifth test, Zhang Xuan stared intently at the puppet before him. Ling Xiaoxiao was right, the first four tests did not differ much from what Wu shi said, so he thought that the fifth test would be the same as well. Seeing that the others were preupied with talking, he had pushed the door open and walked in alone. However, upon entry, he was immediately hit with the realization that something was amiss. A puppet had pounced at him the moment he stepped inside. Despite that, Zhang Xuan immediately crushed it on the spot, crippling itpletely. Then, a second puppet came rushing over at him as well, and it was clearly much stronger than the first one. If not for Zhang Xuans swiftness, he would have been injured by now." "A Zongshi realm primary stage puppet? As expected of the final test, it is indeed much more challenging than the previous tests!" As the strength of the puppet dawned upon him, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. In the third test, the two puppets who exchanged blows were only of Tongxuan realm cultivation whereas this fellow was at Zongshi realm primary stage. No wonder so many people were unable to pass the master teacher examination. They would surely be helpless before such a powerful enemy. "However... this means nothing to me!" A Zongshi realm puppet might be powerful, but it meant nothing to Zhang Xuan. After reaching Half-Zongshi, his strength had increased to 1500 ding. In terms of strength, he was already above that of a Zongshi realm primary stage cultivator. Furthermore, when his overwhelming strength was coupled with unparalleled battle techniques like Heavens Path Movement Art, Heavens Path Fist Art, as well as the eyes of discernment to detect others ws, even a Zongshi realm advanced stage would find it difficult to get the better of him, needless to say, this puppet. Hu! As Zhang Xuan immersed in his thoughts, the puppet before him had already rushed up to him. Focusing his attention on the puppet, he immediately spotted seven to eight ws on it. With a ghost of a smile, he retreated a step backward, then using his finger as a sword, he aimed and stabbed at a specific point in the air. Peng! Although little power was invested in this move, the massive body of the puppet fell backward involuntarily as though it had suffered a heavy blow. "Continue!" Sessfully striking the other party, Zhang Xuan leaped, dashed forward, and pummeled the puppets ws one blow after another without any hesitation. Since this was called the Unerring Pavilion, this meant that one should strike at the weaknesses of the puppet. The more one struck the puppets weaknesses, the higher ones results should be. Previously, the first puppet had dashed over too suddenly and Zhang Xuan had sent it flying with a single p before he could react. Inparison, this second puppet was significantly stronger, and it would serve as a good sparring partner. Peng peng peng peng! Fists, kicks, elbows, smashes... All kinds of attacksnded on the puppets body, causing it to retreat continuously. Ever since his transcension, Zhang Xuan had not let loose and fight before. At this moment, unleashing all his strength, he could feel the zhenqi in his body gushing through his entire body, and an unspeakable sensation of pleasure assaulted him. Pipa! Pipa! As the flow of pure zhenqi coursed faster and faster through his meridians, a few bottlenecks which he had struggled with in his usual training was suddenly broken through. "I actually broke through the final hurdle of Zongshi realm?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He didnt expect that this series of offense would allow him to break through the hurdles that kept him away from Zongshi realm. This effectively left him on the verge of achieving a breakthrough to the Zongshi realm. Advancing to the Zongshi realm meant going up a level of existence. There would be a visible qualitative change in one, be it ones longevity or stamina. Despite the fact that Zhang Xuan could already sense himself nearing the attainment of the Zongshi realm previously, he knew that without several months of gruel training, it would be difficult for him to finally take thest step. Little did he know that this single battle would serve as the impetus for this breakthrough. "This is a good opportunity. I should use this fellow to train for a bit longer first, Im in no hurry to advance to the Zongshi realm anyway!" Even though he was delighted at the unexpected gain, he wasnt in a hurry to achieve a breakthrough. Once he breaks through to the Zongshi realm, beating up this fellow would be as easy as crushing an ant. There would be no meaning behind it. Rather, in his current state, he could refine his battle abilities as well as the ability to exploit the enemys ws. ... "Pavilion Master Hall, hes not here..." "Conference Room, hes not here..." "Where could the pavilion master be?" Knowing that the genius was still trapped in the Unerring Pavilion, Vice Pavilion Master Guan rushed through the entire Master Teacher Pavilion without the slightest moment of rest. With the cultivation of a Zongshi realm pinnacle, his movement was as swift as a whirlwind. Soon, he had looked through all the ces where the pavilion master often visited, but there wasnt a single sign of him. He knew that the pavilion master had gone into seclusion to cultivate, but he didnt think that... he wouldnt be at the Master Teacher Pavilion. "The backyard!" Having searched through almost everywhere in the Master Teacher Pavilion, all that was left was the backyard. At the back of the Master Teacher Pavilion was a gigantic residence, and it was split into numerous courtyards. There were numerous master teachers who lived here, and the pavilion master was one of them. Moving swiftly, it only took him the span of six to seven breaths to reach the pavilion masters courtyard. Just as he was about to enter, he heard the roar of a savage beast. "Why is there a savage beast here?" Vice Pavilion Master Guan was shocked by the abrupt sound. This is the Master Teacher Pavilion, not the Beast Hall. Where did the savage beaste from? "Could the pavilion master be in danger?" Overwhelmed by worry, the various formalities which included reporting his arrival deserted Vice Pavilion Master Guan as he barged in. "Pavilion master..." Yelling, he drove his cultivation, prepared to make a move. However, as his eyes fell on the scene in the courtyard, he was immediately stunned. The pavilion master was in the courtyard, and a savage beast was present as well. But unlike what he thought, they werent battling at all. Rather, the former was grilling meat to feed thetter. A gigantic savage beast was currently eating delightfully, and its pleasure was explicitly shown on its face. "Guan shi, toe over in such a hurry, did something happen?" Seeing how the other party barged in without reporting, the pavilion master frowned. "Pavilion master, something bad had happened! A genius was in the midst of the master teacher examination when he identally entered the Unerring Pavilion..." Vice Pavilion Master Guan knew that it wasnt the time to be asking him about anything else, so he quickly summarized the situation. "You mean to say that... he unwittingly triggered the puppet of the second stage?" Hearing those words, the pavilion master became anxious as well. "How foolish! Lets go!" Knowing that there wasnt any time to be wasted, the pavilion master couldnt be bothered about the savage beast now. He swiftly dashed out of the courtyard. The two Zongshi realm pinnacle experts possessed exceptional speed. Like a whirlwind, they arrived at the examination hall in the span of just ten breaths. Expecting anxious faces upon entering the examination hall, what greeted them was eyes widened in shock instead. The crowd stared nkly ahead, as though they had lost their souls. "Whats going on?" The pavilion master asked in confusion. Such an incredible genius has entered the Unerring Pavilion and triggered the second stage, shouldnt the crowd be anxiously anticipating his arrival to save him? Why wasnt anybody worried at all? Why did it seem as though they had all turned dumb? "Pavilion master... lo-look!" Perplexed, Vice Pavilion Master Guan looked around when he suddenly saw something, and he pointed to something before him. What he was pointing at was the door of the fifth test. A line of digits was shining ringly. "465... What is this?" The pavilion master shuddered, and he nearly keeled over on the spot. "This... this should be the score from the ws he found..." Vice Pavilion Master Guan swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "The score from finding ws?" The pavilion masters face darkened, and for a moment, he could feel blood welling up at the back of his throat. Didnt you say that this fellow was in danger and that he was about to be killed? Didnt you say that he was stuck in the Unerring Pavilion and that he needs to be saved? What in the world is wrong with that score? In the Unerring Pavilion, the first mistake found awards one with one point, the second mistake found awards one with two points, the third mistake found awards one with three points... so on and so forth. If a genius was able to find six ws and score 21 points, that would already be a groundbreaking feat, a record that wouldst for at least a century. Yet... 465? The heck! "465, which means to say... He has found thirty ws of the puppet..." Shuddering, the pavilion masters face twitched uncontrobly. At this moment, he felt that the world has gone mad. The movements disyed by the puppet in the Unerring Pavilion were vetted by 4-star master teachers. In other words, their blows were no different from a 4-star master teacher suppressing his cultivation. Even if the 4-star master teacher unintentionally overlooked some ws, there should only be at most one or two, needless to mention, it wouldnt be easily detectable. Yet, this fellow... Thirty mistakes, 465 points... Was the puppet created by your family? "Are you sure that... he triggered the second stage, not the first stage?" The corner of the lips of the pavilion master twitched for a long while before he forced himself to calm down and ask. A 1-star master teacher unintentionally barged into the second stage and found thirty ws in the Zongshi realm puppet... Even a 2-star master teacher examinee wouldnt be capable of such a feat! "If it was the first stage, the door should shine blue, and if it was the second stage, it should shine red... When the test was triggered, I personally verified that it shone red. There is no mistake about it!" Vice Pavilion Master Guan was dumbfounded as well. He had anxiously pulled the pavilion master here for him to save a genius from losing his life. In the end... the other party was actually having fun inside. Moreover, hadnt it only been a while? Yet, he had already found thirty ws in the puppet? Vice Pavilion Master Guan staggered. Even if they were to gather all the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion in there, they wouldnt be able to find that many ws! After all, this was a puppet left behind by a 4-star master teacher. Unless ones eye of discernment was above that of the other party, it was impossible to find so many ws! Jiya! Just as the two of them were in a frenzy, the door opened and a young man walked out. Upon seeing him walk out, Wu shi immediately rushed up to him. "Zhang shi, are you... alright?" The other party had already passed the five tests, so he could be officially be considered a master teacher now. Thus, he changed his address for the other party from Zhangoshi to Zhang shi. "Why wouldnt I be alright?" Zhang Xuan stared at him with a confused expression. Then, his face slowly turned red and he said sheepishly, "However... I failed to control my strength and identally destroyed the puppet. It... should be capable of self-regeneration too, right?" Chapter 312: 2-star Master Teacher Examination Chapter 312: 2-star Master Teacher Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Destroyed the puppet?" A dark line appeared on Wu shis head. That was a Zongshi realm puppet! Yet, you, a 1-star master teacher examinee, not only found thirty ws on it but even destroyed it... If the 4-star master teacher who made the puppet were to learn of it, he would definitely spurt blood and faint on the spot. This is way too much! "Since you triggered the second stage, I thought that you would meet with danger. Thats why I asked you if you are alright..." Holding back his dismal, Wu shi exined. "Second stage? The Unerring Pavilion... has stages?" Zhang Xuan stared at him doubtfully. He had started fighting with the puppets from the very first moment he entered, yet he didnt notice any stages inside! Upon hearing his words and seeing his confused expression, all of the master teachers staggered. If not for their strong self-control, there would have been a blood rain in the room. "You... only met with one puppet? You didnt see anything else?" Jiang Chen couldnt resist asking. "Puppet? Oh, I met with two. A puppet rushed at me as soon as I entered but I identally used too much force in my p. It is currently lying over there, and I think that it is... destroyed as well! Could that be considered... as one of the stages?" Zhang Xuan recalled. The moment he entered the Unerring Pavilion, a puppet immediately rushed at him. Catching him off-guard, he reflexively pped it with his full force. Little did he expect to cripple it with just a single blow. Soon after, the second puppet appeared. As he was too engrossed in the battle, he had forgotten about this matter. Could it be... the fellow who was destroyed in a single p was considered as the first stage? If that was the case, then wasnt the first stage too easy? "Destroyed in a single p?" "That is the test that you have to undergo for your 1-star master teacher examination..." ... Everyone was thrown into a frenzy. Jiang Chen could only see the vision before him darkening. Back then, when he took the master teacher examination, he had to expend all his effort just to match this puppet, and he even nearly lost his life to it. Yet, this fellow... To send it flying unintentionally... Must there be that much of a difference between our situations? More importantly... That was the test you were supposed to take! To think that you would continue on ignorantly despite having sent it flying, do you have to be so boastful? "Forget it..." Wu shi was also speechless. Brother, are you here to take the master teacher examination, or are you here to wreak havoc? It seemed that you had already destroyed nearly all of the puppets in our Master Teacher Pavilion... "Since you have passed all the five tests, you can now be officially considered to be a master teacher. However, you still have to pass the Question Symposium before the emblem can be presented to you!" Taking a few deep breaths, Wu shi forcefully suppressed his dismal and announced. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had originally thought that the master teacher examination would be difficult, but to think that it would be so easy. Given that he was already a 1-star master teacher, he could finally enter the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion to browse through their books! At the same time, he could look into the history of Kong shi to look for the way to dispel the Innate Fetal Poison in his body. Just as he was about to inquire directions to the library, he saw Mo Hongyi approaching him with astonishing confidence and haughtiness. "Wu shi and Elder Zhu, I want to take the 2-star master teacher examination. Please open up the examination grounds for me!" Seeing this fellow breaking all of his records, Mo Hongyi could no longer hold himself back. He decided to go through with the examinations immediately. Only upon bing a 2-star master teacher would he be willing to let todays matter rest. Otherwise, whenever others speak of him, they would also bring up this fellow who broke all of his records. In that case, how would he still have the face to go out and meet others? As the number one genius of the kingdom, he couldnt ept the fact that he was beneath anyone! "Take the 2-star master teacher examination?" "Mo shi only be a master teacher a few years ago, right? He is taking the 2-star examination now?" "As expected of a genius. His cultivation speed isnt something ordinary people like us can match up to..." The crowd trembled. It had been years since someone took the 2-star master teacher examination. To think that he would want to take the examination at this junction! Even though they were taken aback by his timing, a number of people with a discerning eye easily saw through his intentions. Mo Hongyis intention was to pit himself against Zhang Xuan and prove to everyone that he was the true number one genius in the kingdom. "Alright!" Elder Zhu and Wu shi hesitated for a moment before nodding their heads. The Master Teacher Pavilion encouragedpetition. Only withpetition would one be motivated to work harder to improve oneself. On top of that, Mo Hongyi taking the 2-star master teacher examination served as good news to the branch as well. "I will make the preparations now. You should be able to take the test by today!" Elder Zhu said. Just as he was about to head off to make preparations, a faint voice resounded. "That... Since it is possible to take the 2-star master teacher examination today, and it is troublesome to prepare it on two separate asions, why... dont I take it today as well?" Zhang Xuan peered over. Since it was possible to take the 2-star master teacher examination today, Zhang Xuan decided not to waste his time and simply go through with it at one go. Pu! Upon hearing those words, everyone in the vicinity spurted blood. The bustling examination hall abruptly fell silent, and everyone stared at Zhang Xuan as though he was a monster. Troublesome to prepare it on two asions... Take it today as well... The heck! This is the 2-star master teacher examination! In the entire kingdom, there are only three 2-star master teachers... To take it for convenience sake... You speak as though you are buying vegetables from a wet market. You want to buy vegetables? Ill buy it for you then since it is convenient for me... The hell! Can you be any more ridiculous than that? Mo Hongyis body staggered. After witnessing the other party trample over all of his records, he finally made up his mind to take the 2-star master teacher examination. Yet, the other party said that he wanted to take the examination as well... A strong stifling sensation rose in his chest and left him on the verge of puking blood. Are you intentionally doing this to embarrass me? Fine! Since you are so adamant on going against me, dont me me for getting nasty... Harrumphing coldly, he gritted his teeth and nced at Zhang Xuan, "Given the results of the past five tests, you do have the capability to take the 2-star master teacher examination... However, there are prerequisites for the examination. Have you fulfilled all those prerequisites?" He hated to admit it, but it was clear that the fellow had the capability to be a 2-star master teacher. But just possessing capability was insufficient. There were conditions one had to meet to take the 2-star master teacher examination. If one didnt meet these conditions, one wouldnt be eligible to take the examination. "Oh?" Zhang Xuan nced over. "Just like for the 1-star master teacher examination, there is a requirement on ones supporting upation to be a 2-star master teacher. One must have at least 2 supporting upations, and each of them must reach the 2-star tier!" Mo Hongyi smiled confidently, "Despite my inability, I managed to be a 2-star apothecary, 2-star formation master, and 2-star cksmith, so I meet the requirement! Do you meet this requirement?" At which, he ced his hands behind his back and turned to Zhang Xuan. "Given that youre only a 1-star apothecary, I doubt that you are qualified to take the 2-star master teacher examination!" "The supporting upation has to reach the 2-star tier? And there must be two of them?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didnt think that there would be such a rule. Liu shi seemed to have mentioned something like this before, but he wasnt too clear on the matter, and Zhang Xuan wasnt too concerned about it at that time. "Thats right. If you dont have the supporting upations, I will have to ask you to leave..." Since he had already opened fire, there was no need for him to put on an amiable front. Harrumphing coldly, he was just about to continue speaking when the young man before him suddenly flicked his wrist after a brief moment of hesitation. An emblem promptly appeared in his palm. "This is the emblem of a 2-star painter. I have already passed the 3-star examination, but they said that they dont have it with them at the moment and it would take ten days for it to arrive. Thus, they gave me a 2-star emblem to make do with it. To think that I would have a use for it!" "2-star painter?" "Will that do?" The crowd spurted blood once more. Mo Hongyis face warped as well. He just said that the other party was only a 1-star apothecary, and didnt have the qualifications to take the examination when the other party took out a 2-star emblem. Did the p have to be so quick and so hard? "I need two supporting upations, right? Here is another one..." Flicking his wrist once more, another emblem appeared. It was the 2-star beast tamer emblem which he obtained at the Beast Hall back then. The two 2-star emblems glimmered brightly in Zhang Xuans eyes. "He really has two 2-star supporting upations?" "2-star painter and 2-star beast tamer... Not to mention, his fearsome pill forging skills..." "It will be tough for Mo shi from now on..." ... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was able to produce the required emblems right after Mo Hongyi challenged him on hisck of supporting upations, everyones focus instantly shifted onto the number one genius. They wanted to see what he had to say about this matter. Sensing everyones gaze on him, Mo Hongyis face twisted. However, he had alreadye this far and it was impossible for him to back down now. Clenching his teeth, he pushed on. "Even though you have sufficient supporting upation, you need to reach the Zongshi realm before you can take the 2-star master teacher examination. Given your current strength, you arent qualified yet!" Just like how one needed to be at Tongxuan realm to take the 1-star master teacher examination, there was also a requirement for the 2-star master teacher examination as well. If one failed to attain the Zongshi realm, he would be ineligible to take the 2-star examination. Hearing those words, everyone immediately turned to Zhang Xuan. Due to the purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, if Zhang Xuan does not propel his cultivation, no one would be able to tell his true strength. However, the fact that he was able to defeat the Zongshi realm puppet in the Unerring Pavilion made everyone curious about his current strength. "Zongshi realm... Its true that I have yet to reach that level. I am only at Half-Zongshi!" Upon hearing of the cultivation requirement for the 2-star master teacher examination, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before disying the full might of his cultivation. Half-Zongshi! "Even though Half-Zongshi is extremely close to Zongshi realm, it isnt Zongshi realm..." "Indeed. From the looks of it, he probably wont be able to take the 2-star master teacher examination..." "Still, to be able to find thirty errors on a Zongshi realm puppet and defeat it with the cultivation of a Half-Zongshi... His ability is indeed frightening!" ... Upon seeing that Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at Half-Zongshi, the crowd shook their heads. The criteria regarding supporting upation and cultivation were fixed prerequisites that one had to meet to take the 2-star master teacher examination. If one failed to reach that level, they would be ineligible to take the examination. These were the hard rules determined by the headquarters that no one could change. Half-Zongshi may seem as though it was just a step away from Zongshi realm, but there was a huge distance between the two. If one was lucky, one might be able to achieve a breakthrough within one or two years, but on the other hand, it was also possible for one to remain in this realm for their entire life. Putting everything aside, if Liu shi and the others didnt meet with Yang shi, it was highly possible that they might have remained at Half-Zongshi for the rest of their lives. The conditions for the 2-star master teacher examination were harsh. Just the fact that there were fifteen 1-star master teachers (including Mo Yu and Zhang Xuan) in the Tianwu Kingdom but only three 2-star master teachers showed how difficult it was to be a 2-star master teacher. "You arent eligible to take the examination since you arent at Zongshi realm yet. I advise you to drop the idea!" Upon seeing that Zhang Xuans cultivation had yet to reach Zongshi realm, Mo Hongyi heaved a sigh of relief. "That... Wait a moment!" Zhang Xuan shook his head upon seeing the other partying to a conclusion so swiftly. "Since the prerequisite for taking the 2-star examination is the attainment of the Zongshi realm, give me a moment!" After which, he shut his eyes. Wait a moment? Mo Hongyi was stunned. Wait for what? Boom! Before he could react, he suddenly felt the other partys aura growing exponentially stronger, as though a bird soaring into the heavens. Opening his eyes once more, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly, "Alright, Ive attained the Zongshi realm." Chapter 313: Meeting Senior Chapter 313: Meeting Senior Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Pu! Mo Hongyi staggered. He had him wait a moment, and... and he just achieved a breakthrough like that! The heck! Could there be anything more ridiculous than this? Understanding the various schools of techniques and gathering their knowledge to form one''s own school, that is a Zongshi. When people close their eyes and opened it, they were merely dozing off. Yet, after closing your eyes and opening them a few momentster, you imed that you have reached Zongshi realm... Screw it! Did it have to be so ludicrous? Did you have to be so arrogant? In an instant, Mo Hongyi felt as though thousands of bolts of lightning had struck him, burning him all the way down to his core. At this moment, he even felt like dying. "He has reached Zongshi realm?" "It''s true, the aura around him is clearly that of a Zongshi realm expert!" "He achieved a breakthrough just like that? Isn''t that too simple?" ... The crowd looked as though someone had stuffed wool into their mouth and their eyes were widened to the point that their eyeballs threatened to fall to the ground. They had seen people who strived hard and eventually reached Zongshi realm after gaining enlightenment. They had heard of people who went into seclusion for innumerable years and eventually seeded. But... shutting one''s eyes for a moment and achieving a breakthrough... This was their first time seeing and hearing of it. It felt like a joke. This was Zongshi realm, the first big hurdle of a Fighter''s cultivation, the gates that shut innumerable people out their entire life... To breakthrough just like that, am I going mad, or was there something wrong with the world? "He has already achieved a breakthrough, but we''re still unable to find our way..." Those master teachers who had been stuck at Half-Zongshi for countless years felt a fiery stinging sensation on their cheeks. If they could, they would like to find a hole to hide in. Even if humans were born unequal... You didn''t have to make it so apparent! Wasn''t the difference too great? On the other hand, Liu Ling''s body swayed. It was just yesterday night when he advised the other party to train diligently and umte experience, or else it would be impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough. Yet, the other party achieved a breakthrough right before everyone''s eyes today, not to mention, he did it just by shutting his eyes for a moment. Senior, could it be that you already had the capability to achieve a breakthrough yesterday, but you intentionally suppressed your cultivation to spare my dignity? If that was the case, you might as well not spare my dignity. The blow from this is much worse, alright... Everyone harbored their own thoughts toward this matter, but one thing they had inmon was their shocked gazes. The actions of this youngster had destroyed their understanding of cultivation. "Now that I am a Zongshi, I should be eligible for the 2-star master teacher examination, right?" Actually, Zhang Xuan could have achieved a breakthrough while he was at Unerring Pavilion, but he intentionally suppressed it so that he could train himself against the puppet. All he did just now was to channel his zhenqi for his cultivation to immediately rise to the level of Zongshi realm. Upon reaching Zongshi realm, his disposition became more refined, and his zhenqi became denser and stronger. Without testing, it was impossible to gauge how powerful he was, but based on the energy flowing through his body, it was likely that his strength had increased by two-folds. The previous 1500 ding of strength had probably already reached 3000 ding! Such strength wasparable to a normal Zongshi realm advanced stage! If he were to meet with the Zongshi realm puppet once more, he would be able to destroy it with a single punch, just like what he did with the first puppet. "You have reached Zongshi realm, so you do fulfill the condition!" Elder Zhu nodded nkly in response to Zhang Xuan''s question. The condition for taking the 2-star master teacher examination was to reach Zongshi realm. Since Zhang Xuan already reached that level, Mo Hongyi could no longer use it as a reason to stop him. "So what if you have reached Zongshi realm? Your Soul Depth is only 5.1! As long as you don''t reach 6.0, you aren''t eligible!" Mo Hongyi clenched his fists tightly. Since he had already offended the other party, he might as well go all the way through! "That... There is indeed a condition stating that one''s Soul Depth has to reach at least 6.0 before one can take the 2-star master teacher examination!" Afraid that the other party didn''t know of the matter, Elder Zhu exined. "That''s true, I remember Liu Ling telling me about it!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Back then, when he was still at Tianxuan Kingdom, Liu Ling and the others had raised the subject while they were talking about Soul Depth. They said that one''s Soul Depth had to reach 3.0 to take the 1-star master teacher examination, 6.0 for the 2-star examination, 9.0 for the 3-star examination, so on and so forth. Zhang Xuan''s Soul Depth was only at 5.1, so he didn''t have the right to take the examination. "Even though I am incapable, my Soul Depth has reached 6.0, reaching the minimum requirement for the 2-star master teacher examination." Finally triumphing over the other party on one aspect, Mo Hongyi heaved a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, a Stone of Insight appeared in his hands. After a few moments, the number 6.0 appeared on it! "His Soul Depth has really reached 6.0!" "Fearsome! Soul Depth is the foundation of a master teacher, and if one''s Soul Depth is unable to keep up, it is useless no matter how high one''s cultivation is!" "That''s true. It seems like Zhang shi''s miracles will stop here!" "This is already a miracle in itself! Look at how old he is, he isn''t even in his twenties yet... To possess a Soul Depth of 5.1 at his age, it is just a matter of time before he reaches 6.0!" ... Upon confirming that Mo Hongyi''s Soul Depth had reached 6.0, everyone burst into an uproar. At the same time, they felt pity for Zhang Xuan. He could take the tests for the supporting upations beforehand, and he could achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation on the spot, but it was impossible for him to raise his Soul Depth all of the sudden! There was no way around it. "Alright, since you don''t meet the prerequisite, you should wait by the side. I have an examination to take now!" After disying his Soul Depth, Mo Hongyi ced his hands behind his back while disying a haughty expression and calmly added. "It is indeed a point for concern that my Soul Depth has not reached 6.0, but... don''t be in such a hurry, give me a moment..." After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said. "Give you another moment?" Hearing those words, Mo Hongyi staggered. He was on the verge of going insane. Is he for real? Different to the case of one''s cultivation, Soul Depth could only be raised slowly with time. I don''t believe that a moment is sufficient for your Soul Depth to reach 6.0! He nced at the young man with unfriendly eyes, and this time, the young man didn''t shut his eyes. Instead, he surveyed the surroundings, as though looking for someone. Raising one''s Soul Depth was an extremely difficult and lengthy process. It required one to put in hard work every day, year after year. It was impossible for Zhang Xuan to wait that long. Since Elder Zhu was already going to prepare for the examination, it would be best for him to take it along with Mo Hongyi. Otherwise, he would have to make another trip here, and that would be troublesome. Thus... He thought of a way, the golden book! This Book of Heaven''s Path could easily raise one''s Soul Depth, sparing one the trouble and time of doing so. Initially, he intended to visit Tianwu Academy to ept a few students and induce their gratitude towards him. However, now that Zhao Ya and the others were here, he could simply call them over and find a way to form the golden page. Just as he was surveying the area for Zhao Ya and the others, he suddenly froze. A familiar figure caught his eyes. It was the master teacher he met in the mountainsst night, Jiang Shu! "He is also my student, and I have already won his gratitude and trust by helping him tame the Crimson Tiger. If I were to help him solve the hidden traumas in his body now, the golden page may just form!" Such a thought shed across Zhang Xuan''s mind. With a slight smile, he walked up and beckoned, "Jiang Shu,e here for a moment!" Initially, Elder Zhu, Mo Hongyi, and the others were filled with curiosity about what Zhang Xuan was up to after asking them to wait for a moment. However, when they heard his words, all of them staggered, and blood nearly spurted from their mouths. Jiang Shu... That is the pavilion master of our Master Teacher Pavilion! As a 2-star pinnacle master teacher, everyone here has to address him respectfully as Jiang shi. Yet, you called him straight by his name! Is there something wrong with you? Not only was the crowd astonished, Pavilion Master Jiang was taken aback as well. He had no idea why the other party was calling for him. Perplexed, he was just about to walk over when Jiang Chen stepped in front of him. "Zhang Xuan, what are you up to? My father is a 2-star pinnacle master teacher, the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion, who are you to order him about?" This Jiang Chen is the son of Pavilion Master Jiang. "He is your father?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didn''t expect this situation at all. However, thinking about it, everything made sense. As a 2-star pinnacle master teacher and a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator, even the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom had to treat Pavilion Master Jiang with the utmost respect. It was no wonder why even though Mo Yu clearly detested Jiang Chen, she didn''t dare to do anything about him. It was because Jiang Chen had a powerful background. "That''s right!" Jiang Chen tilted his head upward proudly. As a 1-star master teacher, he possessed an esteem standing in Tianwu Kingdom. Furthermore, despite the fact that he wasnt much aspared to those who stand at the top echelon, because of his background, no one in the kingdom dared to disregard him. Even the royal family held him in high regard. He was extremely proud to have such a father. Yet, this hateful fellow was actuallymanding his father toe over. Naturally, he was displeased. "You should go to the side first, I have something to talk to your father about!" Although Zhang Xuan was surprised that Jiang Shu was the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and Jiang Shu was Jiang Chen''s son, he was quick to recover hisposure. The bookpiled on Jiang Shu in the Library of Heaven''s Path only stated that he was a 2-star master teacher, it didn''t mention that he was the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even so, there were only three 2-star master teachers in the entire kingdom. He had already met with Elder Zhu and Vice Pavilion Master Guan, so naturally, Jiang Shu had to be the pavilion master. Zhang Xuan thought that he was lucky for the student he casually epted to be the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion. "You..." Seeing the other party disregard him, Jiang Chen''s face paled. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he was pulled to one side. "Alright, you should step aside for now!" Jiang Shu walked up to Zhang Xuan and faced him. At this point, he was sure he had never met the young man before him. Yet, the other party addressed him by his name. He couldn''t help but feel slightly peculiar about the matter. "May I know the reason why Zhang shi called me here?" In spite of his slight displeasure towards Zhang Xuan''s rudeness, he upheld his etiquette. "Did you acknowledge a master teacher named Yang Xuan as your teacher yesterday?" Zhang Xuan asked. "How did you know?" Jiang Shu''s body jolted. He didn''t tell anyone about the events that happenedst night. Yet, the young man knew of the matter. This shocked him. "Pavilion Master Jiang has acknowledged someone as his teacher?" "To be Pavilion Master Jiang''s teacher, doesn''t that mean that the person''s ability is above that of a 2-star pinnacle master teacher?" "He is probably a 3-star master teacher..." "When did such a formidable figure appear in Tianwu Kingdom?" ... Hearing the pavilion master admit to it, amotion immediately broke out among the crowd. Pavilion Master Jiang was the most skilled master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom, yet he had acknowledged someone else as his teacher. How skilled must that Yang Xuan be for Pavilion Master Jiang to submit to him? "It''s teacher!" "It''s grand-teacher!" Hearing Zhang Xuan''s words, the eyes of Liu Ling, Zhao Ya, and the others glowed. "You are..." After recovering from his shock, Jiang Shu asked carefully. Since he didn''t tell anyone about this matter... then it was likely that the news got leaked by his teacher. Could the person before him... be rted to his teacher? "I am Yang Xuan, Yang shi''s, direct disciple. Following the customs, you should call me..." "Senior!" Chapter 314: Soul Depth of Zero? Chapter 314: Soul Depth of Zero? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Fathers senior?" Jiang Chen spurted blood. Are you for real? When did father acknowledge someone as his teacher? Furthermore, you are his senior? If thats true, then what am I? Your junior nephew? Jiang Chens face distorted in agitation. Frustration wed at him as he teetered on the edge of losing his mind. The others quickly turned their attention to the pavilion master, as though trying to spot any signs of him joking. "You are Yang shis direct disciple?" Ignoring the gazes from the surroundings, Pavilion Master Jiang took a moment to let this information sink in before he came to a realization. "It is no wonder you are so formidable despite your age. So you are teachers student..." He would never believe it easily if someone were to appear and imed that to be his senior. However, if the other party wasnt Yang shis student, how could he have known that he had be Yang shis student? And how could he possess such astonishing capability? To be able to cause such a hugemotion just by taking an examination, he would never believe that Zhang Xuan didnt have a formidable teacher behind him. He just met Yang shi yesterday, and Zhang Xuan appeared today. Considering the coincidence in timing, he judged that it was unlikely for the matter to be a lie. "Indeed. Teacher said that you have met with some trouble while cultivating and that had left traumas on you. He had entrusted me with a cultivation technique and said that as long as you cultivate ordingly, your traumas will be resolved. In fact, reaching Half-Zhizun will not be a problem at all!" Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to Pavilion Master Jiang. "What?" Pavilion Master Jiangs face flushed. Yesterday, when Yang shi pointed out his problem, Jiang Shu thought that he would have to do several things for the other party before he would treat his affliction. He didnt expect the other party to send Zhang shi to ry the solution to him. "Listen carefully!" After seeing what affliction Jiang Shu was suffering from through the Library of Heavens Path, he flipped through numerous books and finally found a solution to his problem. Since he wanted to obtain the gratitude of the other party to form the golden page, there was no reason for him to hesitate in telling him the solution. Thus, he imparted theplete method without holding anything back. Soon, he finished rying the entire cultivation technique. As a 2-star pinnacle master teacher, before Pavilion Master Jiang heard the entire cultivation technique, he could already tell that it would be effective on his affliction! After hearing theplete form, he trembled in excitement. He could foresee that if he were to cultivate ording to the other partys form, not only would his trauma be treated, his cultivation would also progress swiftly. Reaching the level of his dreams was no longer an impossible feat! Pavilion Jiangs knees caved in, and he kneeled onto the floor. Earnestly, he sped his fist. "Thank you, teacher, for the bestowment! Thank you senior for imparting this cultivation technique to me!" The duo had beenmunicating through telepathy, so no one knew what the duo was talking about. Just when they were perplexed over what was going on, Pavilion Master Jiang suddenly kneeled on the floor. Everyone was shocked. "Pavilion Master Jiang actually kneeled to thisd?" "He isnt kneeling to thisd, but his teacher... Which means to say, Zhang shi is really his senior!" "Who in the world is Yang shi? How strong is he?" "Who knows? But to be able to get Jiang shi to willingly acknowledge him as his teacher, he must be at least 3-star, or perhaps even higher..." ... The crowd clenched their fists tightly. The highest ranking master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom was Pavilion Master Jiang at 2-star pinnacle. Yet, someone who he was willing to acknowledge as a teacher suddenly appeared. Anyone who heard of this would surely find the matter unbelievable. "Father..." Jiang Chen cried. He thought that the fellow was just bragging and that his father would destroy him. Yet... it was real! Furthermore, his father even kneeled in submission? Heavens, you shouldnt y with me like that... At the same time, Zhao Ya and the others flushed in agitation. It was just awhile ago that they thought that since their teacher was able to send Physician Bai Chan running in fear and Princess Mo Yu to sp her fist to him respectfully, it was just a matter of time before the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion greets him, yet... Not only did the pavilion master greet him, he even kneeled down... As expected of their teacher, he was indeed incredible! Just when everyone was dying from shock, Zhang Xuans eyes turned red with excitement. As expected, diligence does not betray one. At the moment of Pavilion Master Jiangs kneeling, Zhang Xuans mind jolted and the golden book appeared. Flipping it open, another golden page was in it. Seemed like his previous conjecture was correct. Only the earnest gratitude from a student could form the golden page. "With this, I can finally raise my Soul Depth..." Zhang Xuans lips curled up. Boom! His head jolted, and the golden page immediately burnt into ashes. Immediately, Zhang Xuan felt as though his head was filled with something. All of his doubts from before suddenly cleared up, and his flow of thoughts hastened as well. "So this is the State of Insight..." Many confusing issues that he was stuck with previously suddenly seemed clear and orderly to him. Without even checking, Zhang Xuan knew that his Soul Depth must have increased. The greater ones Soul Depth, the easier it was for one to find and grasp the essence of something. In the past, Zhang Xuan required the Library of Heavens Path to look for ws. However, along with the increase in his Soul Depth, he found himself being capable of finding ws without using the Library of Heavens Path, and he could even deduce the solution to them as well. "My original intention was to use the page to assimte the contents into my mind..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had recently collected a huge number of books in the Library of Heavens Path, so he intended to use the golden page to assimte their contents into his head. Even though he ended using the golden page for his Soul Depth, it was of no consequence now that he knew of the method to form those golden pages, he could just find a way to form more of those. Calming his mind, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. Then, he turned to Elder Zhu and smiled, "Alright, my Soul Depth is sufficient now!" "Your Soul Depth is sufficient now? What do you mean?" Mo Hongyi looked over. Even though he wasnt present then, he had heard from the others that Zhang Xuan had tested his Soul Depth and it was at 5.1. Thus, he shouldnt be eligible for the 2-star master teacher examination. Yet, after speaking to Pavilion Master Jiang for a moment, he turned around and said that his Soul Depth had reached the requirement... What do you mean? Surely you dont intend to say that... in this short period of time, your Soul Depth has exceeded 6.0? If it was anyone else who said those words, Mo Hongyi would surely kill the other person on the spot. But... this fellow was different. With a maximum score of 100, he was able to achieve a score of 130. Despite identally trespassing into the second stage, he was still able to find 30 ws. Just by shutting his eyes for a moment, he was able to achieve a breakthrough to Zongshi realm... He wasnt something thatmon sense was applicable to! "You... mean to say that... your Soul Depth... has reached 6.0?" Elder Zhus mouth twitched as he looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Im not sure.... But I think it should be enough. We can look for a Stone of Insight to test it now!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The golden page was capable of raising his Soul Depth, his previous experience had proved this. However, he couldnt confirm how much it would increase each time. After all, no one could guarantee that the previous increment of 5.0 wasnt an exception. Thus, Zhang Xuan didnt dare to phrase it definitely. When he said he wasnt sure, the crowd went speechless again. You dont know? Should be enough? You dont even know your Soul Depth? You must be joking! At my age, I had seen countless monsters and geniuses, but this is my first time seeing such a peculiar and frustrating one! "I have one here, take it!" Holding back his urge to vomit blood, Elder Zhu took out a Stone of Insight and offered it to him. Grabbing hold of it, Zhang Xuan focused his mind to enter Heart of Tranquil Water. Weng! A light buzz. "Quick, how much is it?" "It cant be that it has really exceeded 6.0, has it?" "Who knows? If it is anyone else, I will definitely think he is boasting. But this fellow..." ... Everyones eyes were gathered on Zhang Xuan. They wanted to know the result of the test. Even Mo Hongyis breathing hastened unknowingly. Hu! Zhang Xuan opened his palms expectantly and nced downward. However, what he saw almost made him throw the Stone of Insight outward. "This... What is going on?" The glowing Stone of Insight had turned gray and lost its radiance. Moreover, there were no numbers on it. No numbers? Before he used the golden page, even his Soul Depth of 0.1 was reflected. Yet, nothing was shown on it now, not even a zero. What the heck was going on? "Could it be..." Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart leaped a beat, and his mouth twitched. Could it be that while the Soul Depth could increase his Soul Depth, it could cancel it out as well? The 5.1 which he had painstakingly umted has been canceled out? If that was the case, then it was really darned... He had just boasted about the matter when this happened... Would he be beaten to death by everyone here? "No numbers?" "I thought that he would really reach 6.0. Seems like hes just bragging after all!" "Indeed! How can it be possible for one to reach 6.0 from 5.1 in just an hour?" ... Not only was Zhang Xuan stunned, the crowd was confused as well. Didnt you just confidently dere that you had met the requirement for the 2-star examination? Why does your test... reflect nothing at all? "You sure know how to act. To think that I really believed you..." "Seems like were just thinking too much into it. Soul Depth has to be slowly cultivated, how can it increase on ones whim?" Voices sounded from the crowd. The matter of Zhang Xuan reaching Zongshi realm could still be attributed to his solid foundation. However, Soul Depth was different. The previous test had clearly reflected 5.1, so how could it reach 6.0 all of a sudden? Just the very thought of it was ludicrous. "Since there are no numbers, this also means that your Soul Depth hasnt reached 6.0 yet. As such, you arent qualified to take the examination. Elder Zhu, theres no need to dy it any longer. Lets begin!" Seeing that the other partys Soul Depth had not reached 6.0, Mo Hongyi heaved a sigh of relief, and slowly, he regained his confidence. Continue acting! Hmph, you screw it up this time, right! Since your Soul Depth has not fulfilled the requirement, you arent eligible to take the examination. You wish to catch up with me? Try harder! "Un...". Looking at Zhang Xuans Stone of Insight and noticing theck of numbers on it, Elder Zhu shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, Pavilion Master Jiang walked over with a grim expression. "Hold on for a moment!" "Whats wrong?" Elder Zhu was bewildered. It was the first time he had seen such an expression on the pavilion masters face. The crowd also turned their gazes over as well. Pavilion Master Jiang didnt reply. Instead, he walked up to Zhang Xuan and picked up his Stone of Insight. The moment his fingers came into contact with the Stone of Insight, kacha! A crisp sound and the Stone of Insight was reduced to powder. "This..." Everyone froze. Just like jade, the Stone of Insight was iparably resilient. Pavilion Master Jiang didnt even exert any force on his fingers, so why would it break? "As I expected..." As though having verified something, Pavilion Master Jiang nodded his head, and a bright gleam shed across his eyes. "Pavilion master, what is going on?" Elder Zhu asked. The crowd also looked at him anxiously. "As long as one possesses the State of Insight, when grabbing the Stone of Insight while in the state of the Heart of Tranquil Water, numbers should appear on it. All of you had personally witnessed Zhang shis Soul Depth reaching 5.1 so dont you all think that its weird that theres no result at all this time?" Pavilion Master Jiang asked. The crowd nodded. This was indeed the case. As long as one possessed the State of Insight, there should be numbers reflected on the Stone of Insight. How could it bepletely nk? "There are only two possibilities for the Stone of Insight to not disy a result. Firstly, one doesnt possess the State of Insight. Secondly... ones Soul Depth has surpassed the range which the Stone of Insight could bear. Thus... it isnt that there isnt a result, but that... it is unable to show it!" Pavilion Master Jiang exined slowly. "Surpassed the range which the Stone of Insight could bear?" Chapter 315: Soul Depth 10.1! Chapter 315: Soul Depth 10.1! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "The Stone of Insight that we use is known as the Inferior Stone of Insight, and it can only detect Soul Depth of 9.0 and below. That is to say, we can only check the Soul Depth of one below the level of a 3-star master teacher. Once it exceeds that level... the Stone of Insight will crumble." Pavilion Master Jiang nodded as he pointed at the powder on the floor. "Otherwise, given how resilient the Stones of Insight are, how could it possibly shatter upon contact. "Now that you speak of it, it does make sense!" Everyone was stunned once more. As a precious jade, the Stone of Insight was extremely tough. It would be difficult for even a sword to leave a mark on it. Yet, it crumbled upon contact. The situation was indeed bizarre. "Pavilion master means to say that... Zhang shis Soul Depth is possibly... above 9.0?" Catching the gist of the other partys words, Elder Zhu said in a quivering tone. What did 9.0 mean? It was the standard of a 3-star master teacher! A fellow who wasnt even twenty yet had reached such a level? Upon hearing those words, everyone immediately understood the underlying meaning behind this situation. Everyone was dumbfounded. The heck! Just moments ago, you were tested to have achieved 5.1, and it would already be astounding for you to breakthrough to 6.0. Yet, judging from Pavilion Master Jiangs words, it wasnt capped at that level... "It is simple to check whether the conjecture is true or not. I have an Intermediate Stone of Insight with me. We will know the answer once we put it to the test!" With a grim expression, Pavilion Master Jiang flicked his wrist, and a jade stone appeared in his hand. Unlike the Stone of Insight Elder Zhu just passed him, it assumed a more brilliant and eye-catching appearance. The lines on its surface were much morepact and those with low cultivation would find themselves suffering severe vertigo from a mere nce at it. Intermediate Stone of Insight! Every single one of those was iparably valuable. In the entire Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, there was only one of it. "Senior Zhang, I will have to trouble you to give it a test!" Pavilion Master Jiang handed the Stone of Insight over. After the cultivation technique was ryed to him, he had already affirmed Zhang Xuan to be Yang shis student. Thus, he began to call him senior. The pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion was a figure which could even disregard the emperor of the kingdom. If it was anyone else, he would definitely be troubled to have to call a fellow who was younger than his son as senior. However, after personally witnessing Yang shis fearsome abilities, coupled with the saying among master teachers that Capability, instead of age, is what that determines ones seniority, he did not feel as awkward addressing Zhang Xuan as senior after addressing him once. "Un!" Zhang Xuan took the Stone of Insight and grabbed it in his hand. After which, he started to enter the Heart of Tranquil Water once more. Weng! Hearing a light buzz, Zhang Xuan nced downward. A bright radiance shot out from the Intermediate Stone of Insight, illuminating the surroundings. Slowly, a line of digits floated into appearance. Upon seeing the numbers on it, everyone was stunned. For a moment, the entire Master Teacher Pavilion went silent. Then, an uproar broke out. "Te-te... 10.1?" "His Soul Depth is... 10.1?" They had thought that the other party was bragging, but to think that... it had reached 10.1! At 3.0, one was eligible for the 1-star master teacher examination. At 6.0, one could take the 2-star examination. At 10.1... It was more than sufficient for one to take the 3-star examination! "Wasnt it... 5.1 just now? Why..." Mo Hongyi was on the verge of tears. He felt as though the other party was here just to embarrass him. Putting aside the fact the other party broke all of his records, more importantly, he refuted every single thing that he doubted. When he said that his supporting upations didnt meet the requirement, the other party took out his emblems. When he said that the other party hasnt reached Zongshi realm yet, he achieved a breakthrough on the spot. And the worse part... when he said that his Soul Depth was insufficient, he showed him a Soul Depth that was sufficient for him to even take the 3-star master teacher examination. Couldnt you y fairly? If there was a burrow in the ground, he would definitely dive in immediately. He didnt even feel like living on anymore. Lu Xun also felt a sweet sensation at his throat as he nearly spurted a mouthful of fresh blood. When he reached Heart of Tranquil Water and his Soul Depth was tested to be 1.8, he was so excited that he couldnt sleep for the entire night. He had thought that he was a genius and that he could wander around the vast world freely. However, when he saw Zhang shis Soul Depth, he realized that... the little bit of Soul Depth he had meant nothing at all. He turned to Mo Hongyi and shook his head in sympathy. This number one genius had suffered so much blows that... it would be a huge blessing if he could recover this trauma at all. Zhangoshi, thats enough of you! Even a powerful figure like Mo Hongyi had been reduced to such a state because of you. Knowing that the gap between him and Zhangoshi was irreconcble, Lu Xun gave up on all thoughts ofparing with thetter. "Reached 10.1?" Zhang Xuan was also astonished for a moment before nodding in agreement. Seemed like the golden page didnt cancel out his previously umted Soul Depth. Instead, it was as impressive as before, increasing his Soul Depth by 5.0 once more. "..." "..." Originally, everyone was already despondent from this situation, but after seeing Zhang Xuans look of realization, they spurted blood once more. You didnt even know your own Soul Depth... Can you not be so dense? "Zhang shi, it is hard to raise ones Soul Depth. This is..." Suppressing his shock, Elder Zhu couldnt hold himself back any longer and asked. Soul Depth assumed a simr concept as ones age. Even if one had a good method to cultivate it, one could only umte it bit by bit. To increase it from 5.1 to 10.1 in an instant, wasnt this a little too fast? Furthermore, to not even know the extent of the growth of his Soul Depth... Could you be any more foolish? Upon hearing Elder Zhus question, everyone swiftly turned over to look, curious to know what had happened. "This..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, a look of difficulty apparent on his face, before he sighed, "Never mind, I doubt all of you will give up if I dont ount for it today. It is indeed true that I dont know how much my Soul Depth had increased by. Thats because back then when I reached Heart of Tranquil Water, my teacher sealed my Soul Depth, and he sternly instructed me to only unseal it when my strength reaches a certain level... It must be because I had reached Zongshi realm and regained some of my Soul Depth that my Soul Depth experienced a sudden leap!" Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly speak about the golden page and the Library of Heavens Path, so he had conjured up an excuse beforehand and pushed the me to that imaginary teacher. "Sealed your Soul Depth? There is such a thing?" "How strong must your Soul Depth be that it had to be sealed?" Amotion broke out. A sealed Soul Depth was unheard of. But if that wasnt the case, then there was really no other way to exin the sudden increase by 5.0 of Zhang Xuans Soul Depth! Shocked, they surveyed Zhang Xuan as though examining a freak. How high must ones Soul Depth be to require sealing? And what master teacher rank had his teacher achieved to be capable of such a feat? Initially, they had thought that Zhang Xuan was harboring some incredible method to raise ones Soul Depth. However, after listening to his exnation, they realized that his Soul Depth was something that came with him since birth, and it was impossible for them to match up to him. "Some people are indeed born with overwhelming Soul Depth. Rumor has it that Empyrean Kong shi possessed Innate Saint Soul Depth, which wasparable to that of a 9-star master teacher. From birth, he was already destined to be extraordinary. Eventually, he went on to climb to the peak of the world and achieved many great things!" Pavilion Master Jiang said. "Innate Saint Soul Depth? Comparable to a 9-star master teacher?" Everyone was shocked. Although they didnt know how much Soul Depth one needed to be a 9-star master teacher, going by the 3.0 per rank convention, a 9-star master teacher should possess a Soul Depth of 27.0 or above. A Soul Depth of 27 from birth? "Kong shi wasnt the only one. There was a genius in Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion that reached Heart of Tranquil Water at seventeen. During his first test, his Soul Depth had already reached a frightening level of 9.3, which is sufficient for one to take the 3-star master teacher examination." As the pavilion master, Jiang Shu was well-informed of a lot of secrets. "These talents may be rare, but they definitely exist! Even so, if ones Soul Depth is too high and ones cultivation is unable to catch up, it could possibly result in unwanted consequences. Perhaps it was due to this that your teacher chose to seal your Soul Depth." With this, he turned to look at Zhang Xuan in envy. It was no wonder why a formidable figure like Yang shi would take him in as his student. Possessing such Soul Depth from birth made him a rare genius destined to be a master teacher. As long as he doesnt die, he would definitely join the ranks of a 4-star master teacher. "So thats the case..." "Thats true. Soul Depth is extremely hard to raise. One could only raise it by zero point something or one point something with decades of effort. If everyone were to start out the same as us, how could there possibly be 6-star, 7-star, or even higher ranked master teachers in the world?" "Indeed. The world is big, and there are countless experts. Even though Tianwu Kingdom is thergest country among the thirteen surrounding states, we are only a countryside kingdom to the truly powerful countries." ... ... After hearing Pavilion Master Jiangs exnation, everyone came to a realization. The world was big and it was filled with countless experts. Many things that seemed illogical to them was simply because of ignorance from theirck of exposure. Simrly, the thought of anyone possessing such high Soul Depth at birth had never crossed Zhang Xuans mind. Therefore, when he heard Pavilion Master Jiangs words, he too was surprised. However, since Pavilion Master Jiang had justified his case for him, he couldnt be bothered to refute his words. With that, he turned to Mo Hongyi once more. "upation, cultivation, and Soul Depth, I have fulfilled all them. Mo shi, is there any more prerequisites to taking the 2-star master teacher examination? Why dont you list them all out at a single go, so that I can make preparations for them together?" "There isnt anything else..." Mo Hongyi felt a burning sensation on his face. His body trembled, and his face was as bitter as a bitter gourd. He wanted to stop the other party from taking the examination so that he could amaze others, yet... not only did he not amaze anyone, he only made a fool out of himself. "Since there isnt anything else, then... I should be able to take the 2-star master teacher examination, right?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Of course..." Mo Hongyi suppressed his urge to spurt blood. He already knew how monstrous this fellow was, so why did he still pit himself against him for nothing? Not only did he lose his reputation as the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom, he even became an egotisticughingstock... "Since the criteria are met, lets start the examination now!" Afraid that Mo Hongyi wouldmit suicide if Zhang Xuan were to continue asking, Elder Zhu hurriedly interjected. "There are also five tests to the 2-star master teacher examination, and they consist of the same Supporting upation Pavilion, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Ocean, and Unerring Pavilion, albeit with a higher level of difficulty. For example, in the Supporting upation Pavilion, an apothecary will have to guide the puppet to forge a grade-2 pill, and a painter will have to guide the puppet to create a fourth level painting!" "These four tests are the same, and the only difference is the House of Trust!" "The first test, House of Trust, tests the Trust Level of a master teachers students. In the 1-star examination, the chosen students can be under ones tutge for several years with no age limit. Thus, many people chose to circumvent the rules by bringing a student whom theyve taught from young. Naturally, the student would be extremely close to them, making it easy for them to pass the test... However, the 2-star examination wont be that easy." "For the 2-star examination, the examinee has to ept a student on the spot and within ten days, one has to establish a Trust Level of 40 with them." Elder Zhu exined the rules of the tests of the 2-star master teacher examination. Chapter 316: The True Test of the House of Trust Chapter 316: The True Test of the House of Trust Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "ept students on the spot?" "Have their Trust Level reach 40 within ten days?" Mo Hongyi frowned. Compared to the passing criteria of umting Trust Level of 50 for the 1-star master teacher examination, Trust Level of 40 sounds easier. However, in actual fact, the difficulty was several times greater. For the 1-star master teacher examination, many examinees brought in young students whom they have taught for a minimum of three years to meet the Trust Level of 50. But to pass the 2-star master teacher examination, they only had ten days to establish a Trust Level of 40 with their students. The difficulty of the matter was unimaginable. "The House of Trust examination will be ced at the veryst. Both of you can start with the other four tests now!" After introducing the rules, Elder Zhu turned to Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded and took a step forward to enter the hall. However, he had barely taken two steps when Elder Zhu stopped him. "Zhang shi, wait a moment..." Intrigued, Zhang Xuan turned around. "Ah... Its like this. Can you take the examination after Mo shi? Im afraid that... after you enter, something might happen to the puppets. If so... Mo shi wouldnt be able to take the test!" Elder Zhu said awkwardly. This fellow broke almost all of the puppets during his examination. Who knows how long it would take before those puppets could recover. Elder Zhu was already dreading the aftermath. He was afraid that Zhang Xuan would wreak havoc and damage the 2-star master teacher equipment as well. If that was the case, Mo Hongyi wouldnt be able to take the examination. "Ah... Alright!" Zhang Xuan answered in embarrassment. He didnt think that he would leave such a bad impression on the other party after just one examination. Of course, if he were to know that everyone thought of his act of taking the examination equivalent to challenging and wrecking a dojo, he would be even more speechless. Mo Hongyi was indeed worthy of his title as a genius of Tianwu Kingdom. He managed to storm through all of the examinations within a mere two hours. Even though he didnt achieve astonishing results like Zhang Xuan, he did break several of the past records. Then, it was Zhang Xuans turn. It was a total mess. Almost all of the tests mechanisms were wrecked by the time Zhang Xuan walked out. Looking at the destroyed Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Jiang, Elder Zhu, Wu shi, and the others were on the verge of tears... Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion puppets had the ability of self-regeneration, resources had to be devoted to it. Considering all the puppets for the 1-star and 2-star master teacher examinations were destroyed, who knows what kind of heavy price they had to pay before they could revert them back to their original state. "You have both passed the first four tests. For the final one, House of Trust, I will give both of you ten days toplete the task. You are allowed to ept one or several students, and as long as the Trust Level for any one of them in you is forty and above, you will officially be a 2-star master teacher!" Elder Zhu began exining the procedures for the final segment now that the duo had passed the other tests. "One student is enough?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Thats right!" Elder Zhu stroked his beard. "Ten days..." Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment. "Can I just ept a student right now?" Ten days for a 2-star master teacher examination was simply too long for him. If possible, he wanted to ept a student on the spot and raise his Trust Level to 40. Zhang Xuan had the confidence to do so. "Calm down, there are some requirements to the student you ept!" Elder Zhu shook his head. He quickly surveyed the surroundings and said, "For the 2-star master teacher examination, I have another mission to assign to Zhang shi and Mo shi so I will have to trouble all of you to return for now. In addition, they will be leaving Tianwu Kingdom and will be uncontactable for a short period of time! However, please be at ease, there isnt any danger to this mission!" "Another mission?" "They need to leave the kingdom? Why havent I heard of it before?" "Its fine as long as theres no danger to it!" Not expecting the 2-star master teacher examination to be soplicated, the crowd was stunned with the additional mission that even required the duo to leave the kingdom. Nheless, despite their urge to inquire more about it, they could only shake their heads while leaving the examination hall with Elder Zhu having no intention to shed light on the matter. Zhao Ya and the others also nced at Zhang Xuan before walking out. Soon, only Zhang Xuan, Mo Hongyi, and the three 2-star master teachers were left in the room. "Alright, Elder Zhu, you should tell them about it now!" Pavilion Master Jiang gestured. "Un!" Elder Zhu nodded. Turning to Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi, he said, "Actually, what I just told to the others about you having to go out of the city toplete a mission is a lie. This is so that the both of you canplete the House of Trust test without causing unnecessary trouble!" Confused by the situation, Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi exchanged nces." "Just like what I previously mentioned, the House of Trust test requires you to ept new students and induce a Trust Level of 40 with them. However, both of you cant use your current identity to carry out the test. Otherwise, there will surely be countless people who will be willing toe under your tutge, and it wont be difficult for you to reach the required Trust Level either!" Elder Zhu said. "This..." The duo nodded. Even though they didnt want to admit to it, but what the other party said was true. Having passed the four previous tests for the 2-star master teacher examination, they were currently potential 2-star master teachers. If they were to ept students now, countless people would definitely rush up to them, begging to be their students. It would then be a walk in the park for the two of them to induce a Trust Level of 40 in their new students. "If we cant use our current identity, then..." Mo Hongyi asked doubtfully. He didnt seem to be well-versed in the rules of the 2-star master teacher examination either. "The Master Teacher Pavilion will assign you two new identities and alter your appearances before sending you two into Tianwu Academy as ordinary teachers. Within ten days, the two of you have to use your new identity to recruit students and bring their Trust Level up to 40 to pass the test. In this period of time, you two are not to reveal your identity or contact anyone. Otherwise... it will be taken as a fail!" Elder Zhu said strictly. "Hiding our identities and be ordinary teachers?" "We are not to reveal our identities or contact anyone?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi were taken aback. They didnt expect the 2-star master teacher House of Trust test to be so bizarre. But after giving it some thought, it made sense. The identity of a master teacher was a huge trust booster in itself. If they were to ept students using their current identity, it wouldnt be too hard for them to pass the examination. This was even more so for Mo Hongyi. As the number one genius of the kingdom, he would surely have many supporters. It would be a breeze for him to find a few people who had a Trust Level of 40 in him. However, if they were to assume another identity for this task, it would be a whole new story. If they were to start from scratch and still be able to raise their students trust in them to 40, it would show that they truly possessed outstanding aptitude toward teaching and that they were worthy of the position of a 2-star master teacher."The reason why I intentionally told the others that you have to leave the city to aplish a mission is so that no one will suspect anything even if two new teachers were to appear in the academy!" Elder Zhu exined with a smile. The duo immediately came to a realization. With Elder Zhu announcing it, it probably wouldnt take long before the entire capital knew that they had to leave the city to aplish a mission. In that case, little doubt would be cast on their new identities when they enter Tianwu Academy. If no one carries any doubt toward their new identity, naturally, their previous identity would bepletely useless. It would be no different from starting anew. "Alright, the Master Teacher Pavilion had already prepared your new identities, and these new identities would be able to pass any identity check in the city. Tomorrow morning, following the departure of a few teachers, Tianwu Academy will be conducting a public recruitment to add new blood to their team. Both of you shall attend the recruitment... Just a heads up, none of the staff in the academy, including the principal, is aware of your true identities. Therefore, the two of you can only depend on yourselves. After ten days, you will bring your newly epted students here. As long as their Trust Level reaches 40, you will be considered to have passed the examination, and we will present the 2-star master teacher emblem to you straight away. There wont be any Question Symposium for the 2-star master teacher examination." Elder Zhu said as he passed two books over. Grabbing one of the books, Zhang Xuan started browsing through it. "Liu Cheng, an ordinary teacher who passed the teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdoms Quanhai City. Twenty-four-year-old, Tongxuan realm primary cultivation, served as a relief teacher in Quanhai City for a year..." The information of the person he had to disguise himself as was written in the book, all the way from his birth to his present state. The person he was disguising as couldnt be considered as a genius, but he wasnt mediocre either. He barely made it as a teacher, and even though there werent any fatal ws on him, there werent any glorious achievements either. Soon, he finished reading through the entire book and memorized everything regarding his assigned new identity. The preparation made for the Master Teacher Pavilion examination cannot be underestimated. Liu Cheng was a true existent figure and anyone could easily uncover his background with little effort. However, no one knew where the real Liuoshi was at the moment. He probably signed some kind of agreement with the Teacher Guild, and in order to allow smooth progression of the examination, he hid himself up. Turning to Mo Hongyi, the other party had also finished browsing through the book. The content of his book was probably also the identity and the history of the person he would be disguised as. "Alright, here is a mask from our Master Teacher Pavilion. After wearing this, you will take on the appearance of the person you will be disguised as. The examination will start tomorrow. Within ten days, you must bring your students here to take the Trust Level test. Otherwise, it will be considered as a fail!" Elder Zhu passed the duo a human skin mask each. The moment Zhang Xuan ced the mask on his face, he felt a surge of coolness as the mask fuse fully into his skin, making it impossible to touch or see it. Zhang Xuan didnt know what his current appearance was like, but when he turned to Mo Hongyi, he realized that the other partys outer appearance waspletely different from before. It was as though he was an entirely different person. Even his aura had changed. As expected of an object from the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was indeed formidable! "There is still some time left today for both of you to make any necessary preparations. You can use this time to tie up any loose ends on your side. However, you mustnt tell anyone where you are going and who you are disguising as!" After which, Elder Zhu reminded them once more. The duo nodded. They were two potential 2-star master teachers for their Master Teacher Pavilion, and naturally, Elder Zhu hoped that they wouldnt be disqualified due to their carelessness. Zhang Xuan had no qualms on the requirements of this test. Instead, he felt thrilled. It just so happened that his original n was to head to Tianwu Kingdom to ept a few students and earn their gratitude so as to form the golden page. In a sense, this examination coincidentally aligned with his goals. "Elder Zhu, I would like to read some books regarding master teachers. May I know where they are?" Before heading to Tianwu Kingdom, he wanted to visit the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion to look for information on Empyrean Kong shi, as well as Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals. Previously in Red Lotus City, he had already collected quite a number of Zongshi realm secret manuals. At this point, he only needed a few hundred more books to form the Heavens Path Divine Art before he could start cultivating. In any case, he had ten days to spare. As long as he esses sufficient cultivation technique manuals, he would be able to use this period of time to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. "You wish to browse through the books? The library is over there. However, you are only a 1-star master teacher, so you are only entitled to look through the 1-star library. The 2-star library is still out of limits to you!" Elder Zhu casually pointed. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan replied. Then, he started walking toward the Master Teacher Pavilion 1-star library. Chapter 317: Respectful Bai Chan [2in1] Chapter 317: Respectful Bai Chan [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The 1-star library was vast. The colossal amount of information and techniques recorded in this extensive collection, spanning across the various upations, was unimaginable. With a mere nce, Zhang Xuan was filled with amazement. This library was muchrger than that of Tianxuan Kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Not only were there significantly more books, the knowledge contained within them was also spread over a wider range. Geography, savage beast pills, secret realms, artifacts... It felt as though everything that one could know was in here. "So many books! I have to finish reading through them before tomorrow morning..." Zhang Xuan sighed. Previously, he had spent five entire days to finish duplicating all of the books in Tianxuan Kingdoms Book Collection Vault. Now, even with his new book duplicating method, it would take at least half a day of effort to finish copying the books in the 1-star library. "Lets begin!" Knowing that he wascking on time, he started into a sprint. With the increase of his Soul Depth and attainment of Zongshi realm cultivation, his endurance was much higher than before. Unlike before, he was able to collect books at a faster speed for a longer period of time before needing to rest. Hul! Rows after rows of books formed in his mind. Slowly, Zhang Xuan lost track of time. ... ... Physician Bai Chan was on the brink of a mental breakdown. He had found a residence near the Master Teacher Pavilion, but the price was terrifying. He had to devote almost all of the money he earned in his lifetime for it. However, inparison to his life, what did these material possessions count as? "Young Master Zhang Xuan is at the Master Teacher Pavilion? Is he taking the master teacher examination?" After finding a residence, he followed his supervisor, Sun Qiang, to the Master Teacher Pavilion. "Un! The young master is the direct disciple of the old master. Naturally, there is no upation more fitting for him than a master teacher..." Sun Qiang nodded. "Lets hurry. Perhaps, we might even see the young master amaze the crowd!" "Amaze the crowd?" Physician Bai Chan shook his head, "The master teacher examination isnt easy. Each of the five tests is harder than the previous. Your young master may be incredible, but hes still young. He may be able to pass the tests sessfully, but it will be difficult for him to amaze the crowd, especially after Mo Hongyi had broken all of the previous records!" "Mo Hongyi?" Sun Qiang nced at Physician Bai Chan. Yesterday, right after they arrived at Tianwu Kingdom, they had coincidentally bumped into this fellow. After which, he had busied himself the entire night looking for a suitable residence for the group. Thus, he hadnt caught wind of the reputation of this famous genius before. "Thats right. Mo Hongyi is the number one genius of our Tianwu Kingdom. When he took the master teacher examination, he broke all of the records, earning him the title of a Once in a Millennium Genius!" Reverence was reflected in Physician Bai Chans eyes. "His Soul Depth even reached an unparalleled level of 6.0! Pavilion Master Jiang once said that it would be impossible for anyone capable of surpassing him to appear in a century." "Soul Depth of 6.0? Once in a Millennium Genius?" Sun Qiang was astonished. He didnt expect there to be such a genius in the kingdom.. The two chatted while they walked and soon, they arrived at the Master Teacher Pavilion. Just as they were about to enter, a guard walked over. "Physician Bai..." Upon seeing the duo, the guards eyes lit up and he hurried over to them. "Squadron Leader Yao, youre here as well!" Physician Bai Chan nodded. The identity of the guard was Squadron Leader Yao whom they just metst night. However, at this moment, Squadron Leader Yao didnt have the authoritative aura he had yesterday. His face was still swollen, but in his eyes, one could see the irrepressible shock. Putong! Kneeling to the floor, Squadron Leader Yao said, "Thank you, Physician Bai, for saving my life!" "Saving your life?" Physician Bai Chan was bewildered. He couldnt understand what was going on. "Squadron Leader Yao, whats wrong?" When did he save the other party? "If not for your advice, I might have arrogantly and foolishly tried to seek vengeance on Zhang shi. Its thanks to your words that I avoided a crisis..." Squadron Leader Yao said. As the guard of the princess, he was able to witness the entire process of Zhang Xuans master teacher examination and he nearly fainted from shock. Zhang Xuan was half a teacher to the princess, Pavilion Master Jiangs senior, the direct disciple of a master teacher who was likely to be ranked above 3-star, an existence who was about to be a 2-star master teacher... None of those identities was something a mere guard like him could offend. If not for Physician Bai Chans advice, he might have really tried to wreak havoc with the other party. Moreover, even if he were killed by the other party, probably no one would cry for him. This was too frightening! "Zhang shi?" Bai Chan was confused, "You mean... Young Master Zhang Xuan?" "Thats right! Zhang shi is too incredible. Not only did he break all of Mo Hongyis 1-star master teacher test records, he even broke all of the records of the 2-star examination as well. How could I be so blind to even think of wanting to exact vengeance on such a genius? I must be tired of living..." "Breaking Mo Hongyis records? What happened?" Physician Bai Chan was stunned. "You dont know? Oh, you werent at the Master Teacher Pavilion so its natural for you not to know of it. Today, I came under the orders to protect the princess..." Squadron Leader Yao hurriedly recounted what he saw and heard. "Trust Level of 85, a score of 130 at the Supporting upation Hall, defeating the puppet in the Puppet Hall with a single move... reaching Zongshi realm on the spot, passing the four tests of the 2-star master teacher examination, Pavilion Master Jiangs senior..." After hearing the other partys story, Physician Bai Chans eyes reddened, and his body trembled. He was on the verge of crying. What kind of monster did he offend? He had just said that it would be difficult for the other party to break Mo Hongyis record... Not only did the other party did, he even did so with such gusto... He had intended to immediately turn against the other party once he purged the lethal poison from his body. Given his connections, it should be easy to teach that fellow a lesson. But after hearing Squadron Leader Yaos words, he realized that his connections meant nothingpared to Zhang Xuan! With his 2-star master teacher and Pavilion Master Jiangs senior statuses, even the emperor would have no choice but to obey hismands. It wasughable that he even tried to take advantage of the other partys student... He had truly tightened the noose on himself... He must be tired of living! "Zhang shi... Where is he now?" With a tearful face, Physician Bai Chan asked. "The Master Teacher Pavilion had assigned him a mission that might require him to leave the capital for a period of time!" Squadron Leader Yao contemted for a moment before sping his fist. "In gratitude for your assistance, I will treat you to a meal some other time. I still have something to attend to, so Ill take my leave now!" After which, he turned around and left. "I told you that young master would amaze everyone in the examination, see?" Sun Qiang lifted his head proudly. "Yes, yes!" Physician Bai Chan suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up, "Since Zhang shi has a mission to attend to, his students will be free. I should bring them to the residence and... serve them properly!" After hearing Zhang Xuans affairs, all thoughts of rebellion vanished from his mind. The tear in his rtionship with the other party came from him trying to take advantage of his student, so he was considering of making use of this opportunity to mend the rtionship. "Ah, alright!" Sun Qiang nodded and the duo walked into the Master Teacher Pavilion. ... ... "Liu shi, Zhang shi told me to tell you all to find a ce to rest first and take care of his students first. He might take some time for his 2-star master teacher examination!" In the Master Teacher Pavilion, an apprentice walked up to Liu Ling. "Thank you for rying the message!" After the apprentice left, Liu Ling turned to the crowd. "Since senior will still take some time, why dont we look for a lodging first!" "Alright. But... where should we live at? We arent too familiar with Tianwu Royal City and if we were to live in an area too remote, what if teacher is unable to find us after he returns?" Zhao Ya asked. "This..." Liu Ling frowned. "If nothing else works, we should just stay at the inn we stayed at yesterday..." Before he could finish his words, a shout sounded behind them. "Liu shi, young masters, and young mistresses, I have already prepared a residence for all of you. Please follow me..." Turning around, they saw Physician Bai Chan, the person who had taken advantage of Zhao Ya and even acted haughtily in front of them the night before. Nheless, at this moment, he had assumed a subservient attitude of a servant, as though he was afraid he would incur their displeasure. "..." "..." "What in the world is going on?" Liu Ling and the others were stunned. ... ... "What did you say?" "Someone broke Mo Hongyis records consecutively?" "Pavilion Master Jiangs senior? His teacher is a master teacher ranked above 3-star?" "Passed the 2-star master teacher examination?" Like a hurricane, the events in the Master Teacher Pavilion swiftly blew onto the streets, and into the ears of the n heads of the prestigious ns. Master teachers were the foundation of a country. And 2-star master teacher was an existence which stood at the zenith of Tianwu Kingdom. Having passed the examination and broken all of Genius Mo Hongyis record, it would be impossible to conceal the news even if the Master Teacher Pavilion wanted to. "Such a formidable figure actually existed in our kingdom? Men, send an edict to bestow this Zhang shi the name of King Xuan. He will be permitted to enter the royal pce freely without requiring a summon..." At the topmost throne in the royal pce, a middle-aged man dered after reading the report in his hands. However, before he could finish his words, he shook his hands hastily. "Wait, these seem too crude. Send someone to stand guard at the Master Teacher Pavilion, and as soon as Zhang shi appears, inform me. I want to greet him personally!" "Greet him personally? Your Majesty, this..." The officials were taken aback by the emperors words. Regardless of the situation, he was the emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom. To personally pay respects to a youngster who wasnt even twenty yet... Wasnt this making a big fuss out of nothing? "Say no more, I have made up my mind!" The middle-aged man harrumphed. Even though this Zhang Xuan hadnt passed the 2-star master teacher examination yet, given his potential, it was only a matter of time before he reached 3-star or even higher. Such a figure would be a strong existence who wielded the power to reign supreme no matter where he goes. Therefore, despite him being an emperor, he didnt dare to be impolite to him. "Yes!" The crowd could only nod in agreement. ... ... "With such splendid results, he would surely pass the 2-star master teacher examination. Help me prepare a luxurious gift! Send it over to Zhang shi as soon as he appears..." In a luxurious residence in the capital, a middle-aged man, too, caught wind of the news and quickly instructed. Secondster, he mmed on the table and added, "No, I will send the gift over myself!" "Yes!" The guard before him nodded. "Right, have you found the young master yet?" After issuing his instructions, the middle-aged man asked. "Reporting to the old master, we had found the young master. Someone had stripped him naked and hung him on a tree outside the city..." The guard hesitated for a moment before sping his fist and reporting on the matter. "What? Someone dared to strip my son bare and hang him on a tree? Who is it? He is courting death..." With a steeled face, the middle-aged mans face turned crimson and looked as though he was about to burst into mes. For the son of the n head of one of the Three Great ns of the capital to be humiliated like that, the person was disregarding the prestige of their Ji n and challenging their authority! "Young master didnt speak of it, so I dont know!" Frightened by the n heads sudden outburst, the guard bowed fearfully in haste. "Bring him to me!" The middle-aged man waved his hand. "Yes!" The guard hurried out. Soon, a young man with a swollen red face walked in. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would surely recognize the other party. He was the 1-star painter who had challenged him, Ji Mo gongzi. However, the current Ji Mo was stripped of his carefree and dashing look. His body, covered with red swells, was only covered by a thinyer of clothes, draped over him. If he were to im that he had just returned from begging for food on the streets, people would definitely believe him. "Father, you have to exact revenge for me..." Upon entering, tears immediately streamed down Ji Mo gongzis face. Kneeling on the ground, he wailed sorrowfully. "Rest assured! Whoever it was who dared to challenge the authority of our Ji n and humiliate my son, even if he is a god from the heavens, I will make sure to leave holes in him!" Upon seeing the state his son was in, the middle-aged man roared furiously. A frenzied and powerful aura gushed out from him. "Thank you, father, for standing up for me!" Hearing his fathers words, Ji Mo gongzis eyes reddened. "Speak, who is the one who left you in such a state? I will send my men over to tear him apart now!" Waving his hands grandly, the middle-aged man disyed the majestic disposition of the n head of one of the Three Great ns. "Its those subordinates of mine. Oh, no, they arent the mastermind. The mastermind is a fellow who had just passed the painter examination. I have no idea what he did, but he made my subordinates betray me and hang me on a tree. I want him dead..." Ji Mo gongzi howled furiously. "A painter? Hmph! A mere member of the Lower Nine Paths upation dares to challenge our Ji n? I will find their guild leader right now and have him hand this fellow over!" A furious gleam shone in the middle-aged mans eyes as he exuded a domineering aura. "Has our Ji n has been keeping a low profile for too long that people are climbing over our heads? Its time to show them our might!" "Indeed..." Hearing fathers words, Ji Mo gongzi suddenly felt a gush of hot blood stream through his body. The excitement left his eyes red once more. It had been long since the Ji n made a move in public and many people had already forgotten about its existence. It was time to let them know that Ji n was still a huge existence in Tianwu Royal City. No matter how powerful the Painter Guild was, it was just an upation of the Lower Nine Paths. What could they do to them? "Right, whats the name of the person who did you in?" The middle-aged man asked. "Reporting to father, that person is called Zhang Xuan. Despite having just passed the painter examination, he dares to call himself a genius!" Ji Mo gongzis eyes turned red. "Wait until I get my hands on him. I will show him what does suffering worse than death feels like..." However, as he was howling ferociously, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. The room was too quiet. Turning around, he saw his father who was still shouting passionately a moment ago stare at him with widened eyes. "Father, whats wrong..." He was perplexed. Before he could finish his words, a gigantic foot came flying at him. The middle-aged man roared. "Whats wrong your head! You profligate son, why dont you die outside..." Peng! Before Ji Mo gongzi could react, he was already sent flying. "Men, tie this beast up. Present him to Zhang shi as an apology!" The middle-aged mans lips quivered. "Apology?" The corners of Ji Mo gongzis mouth twitched. His vision turned dark and unable to hold himself back, he cried. Didnt you say that you would exact revenge for me? Didnt you say that you would show them the might of the Ji n? What did kicking me and apologize mean? Can anyone tell me... What in the world is going on? ... ... After half a day and an entire night of effort, Zhang Xuan finally managed to duplicate all of the books in the 1-star library of the Master Teacher Pavilion into the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan was in a state of extreme fatigue. He had expended his mental strength too vigorously. Despite his Soul Depth reaching 10.1, he still found himself on the brink of copsing. He had to rest on the spot for an hour before his fatigue alleviated. Browsing through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan frowned. "To think that there isnt any information on Empyrean Kong shi nor any Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals..." These were the two main purposes for Zhang Xuans visit to the library. Yet... he didnt aplish a single one of them. "It must be because 1-star master teachers didnt have the right toe into contact with a figure of Kong shis level yet. As for cultivation technique, 1-star master teachers mainly possesses Tongxuan realm cultivation. Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals are useless to them..." After a short while of pondering, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Seemed like he was expecting too much. 1-star master teachers stood at the very bottom of the master teacher upation so it was natural that many secrets were out of their reach. After all, Kong shi was known as the greatest teacher in the world, the leader of all master teachers. How could the background of such an incredible figure be ced casually in such a ce for the browsing of others? Even if there were such books, it would only record his general details. It was impossible for the matter regarding Innate Fetal Poison to be recorded in it. "Forget it. Even if I dont have any Zongshi realm cultivation technique secret manuals, there are still quite a number of Tongxuan realm and Half-Zongshi realm cultivation technique secret manuals. I can modify them slightly and pass them to Zhao Ya and the others to cultivate." While there were no Zongshi realm cultivation technique secret manuals, there were thousands of manuals on the other cultivation realm. As long as he was given sufficient time to arrange the information, he would surely be able to create a set of cultivation techniques suited for Zhao Ya and the others to cultivate. After which, Zhang Xuan turned his focus onto the books on master teachers. After a brief look, Zhang Xuan finally understood why master teachers were able to stand at the zenith of all upations. Seeing through ws and weaknesses in ones cultivation technique werent abilities that a master teacher was born with. It was developed through continuous hard work and study. ording to the books, there were several hundred thousand of methods to determine whether there was a problem in a persons cultivation technique. Simr to how a physician diagnosed his patients, there was a need for master teachers to know of all these to peer into what others couldnt see and solve the problem. Due to the high difficulty level of the upation, they were granted utmost respect. "I should study them in the next ten days..." While Zhang Xuan had assumed the status of a master teacher and solved many problems, he mainly relied on his Library of Heavens Path to do so. In truth, he didnt know much about the techniques a master teacher used. Thus, it would be good to use the next ten days to learn more about master teacher as an upation and augment his knowledge, so that he could be more fitting of his position as a 2-star master teacher. After ncing through the books on master teachers, he proceeded to scan through the various other genres as well. Even though there were many types of books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, they were mainly focused on themon upations. There were very few books on the sidelined upations such as poison master. Seemed like the Master Teacher Pavilion wasnt omnipotent. Despite master teachers possessing the State of Insight, allowing them to learn and memorize things better than the average cultivator, it was impossible to them to be adept on every single upation in the world. "While there arent many books on the other upations, there are quite a few of them on cksmiths here!" His eyes fell on a pile of books. They were books regarding equipment forging and they added up to several ten thousands. Zhang Xuan could be said to bepletely ignorant to the field of smithing. There was a cksmith Guild in Tianxuan Kingdom, but he hadnt been there, so naturally, he hadnt read any books on it. "All equipment can be divided into five levels, God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal. Each of these levels can be split further down to four tiers, low-tier, intermediate-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle..." Casually flipping open the book, Zhang Xuan read through the introduction. "Cultivators of the 9 dans of a Fighter would usually use only Mortal and Phantom equipment. On the other hand, only cksmiths of 4-star and above are capable of forging spirit equipment..." Zhang Xuan swiftly browsed through the book. "I didnt know that there are so many levels for equipment..." He had seen the puppet in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he was perplexed over it as it was unlike any other equipment he had seen before. However, at this moment, he finally realized that it was a Spirit equipment. Spirit equipment meant that the equipment possessed a soul. For example, if there was a sword soul within a saber, it would be considered as a Spirit equipment. The strength of this kind of equipment far surpasses that of any ordinary weapons. However, due to their prohibitive value, there might not be more than a handful of them in the entire Tianwu Kingdom. "This isnt just applicable for equipment. Even cultivation techniques and battle techniques have different levels as well!" After browsing through the books on equipment, he was reminded of the book he just read about cultivation techniques. Cultivation techniques were also divided into five levels, God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom and Mortal, and they were divided into four tiers as well, low-tier, intermediate-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle. For example, the Hongtian Nine Dan Form of the Hongtian Academy was only a low-tier Mortal cultivation technique. Most of the cultivation techniques of the Tianxuan Kingdom royal family were only at intermediate-tier Mortal as well. Due to the low level of these cultivation techniques, the speed of cultivation would be slow, and the purity of the zhenqi would be poor as well. As Tianxuan Kingdom didnt possess higher level cultivation techniques, the differentiation between the tiers wasnt apparent. Only after reading through these books did Zhang Xuan gain enlightenment on this issue. "I wonder what level the Heavens Path Divine Art is at!" Knowing that the cultivation techniques he had encountered in the past werecking, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought about the Heavens Path Divine Art which he was cultivating. This Heavens Path Divine Art was formed through theption of the correct cultivation method contained in innumerable books by the Library of Heavens Path. Regardless of whether it was his cultivation speed or the quality of his zhenqi, it was far superior to that of any ordinary cultivation technique. Even though Zhang Xuan wasnt too sure what level it was at, it was probably at minimum Saint level, or perhaps even God level! It was because of this incredible cultivation technique that allowed him to cultivate the iparably pure Heavens Path zhenqi, allowing him to easily clear up blocked meridians. "Alright, since Ive already duplicated these books in the Library of Heavens Path, I can slowly browse through themter on. Its gettingte now, I should make my way to Tianwu Academy!" ncing outside, the night had already passed, and the sun had risen. Stretching his back, Zhang Xuan walked out with widened strides. His priority now was to pass the final test of the 2-star master teacher examination. He could take his time to browse through those bookster on. "Zhang shi, the public recruitment exercise of Tianwu Academy is about to start. Lets hurry!" The moment he stepped out of the library, he was approached by Mo Hongyi. The Mo Hongyi at this moment looked like apletely different person. Around twenty-six to twenty-seven-year-old, his face was slightly ashen. There was a stark difference between his original cold but dashing face. "Alright!" Knowing that it would be hard to get into Tianwu Academy once he missed the public recruitment today, Zhang Xuan nodded. After stepping out of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they walked along the streets for an hour before a majestic campus appeared before their eyes. Built against the mountain and epassed by a river, the academy was vast and grand! Countless students walked to and fro the gates, and the harmonious reciting could be heard. It had a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Inparison to this academy, Hongtian Academy seemed no different from a countryside academy. The duo stopped before the gates. They had arrived at Tianwu Academy! Chapter 318: Hell Mode Chapter 318: Hell Mode Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Doesnt the academy usually only recruit new teachers at the start of the term? For a public recruitment to be conducted now, is it an intentional action of the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Upon entering the academy, Zhang Xuan saw innumerable passionate students studying and training peacefully on the campus. Seemingly influenced by the environment, he suddenly felt rxed. Turning to Mo Hongyi, he asked. Most academies ept students at the start or the end of the term so that when new students arrive, they would get to choose among the teachers. Judging from the current point in time, it had already been two months since the start of the term. If they were to ept teachers now, who would they teach? Were the other teachers expected to donate students to them? This didnt seem practical. Probably, only the Master Teacher Pavilion wielded such influence. "Thats not it!" Mo Hongyi shook his head. "Some teachers of the academy have left for some unknown reasons, resulting in vacancies for their sses. Thus, they decided to recruit new teachers to take charge of these sses so as to not dy their lessons." "Vacancies for their sses? You mean that... once hired, well take over their sses? Its not a schoolwide student and teacher selection exercise?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Taking a ss straight and having a student choose you were two different concepts. Taking a ss meant that everything was already decided beforehand, and one had no choice even if one was displeased with the students. As for thetter, one was allowed to choose freely and take in students of ones liking. "Student and teacher selection exercise? How can that be possible? It is not the start of the term, so theres no student for you to choose. Besides, given our current identity, it is unlikely that students will choose us either!" Mo Hongyi rolled his eyes. Knowing that it was impossible for him to surpass this monster before him, he no longer viewed his hostilely. As such, his attitude became much more amiable than before. He wouldnt live up to his reputation as a genius if he couldnt even adjust his state of mind. "Thats true..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He was currently in disguise as a person named Liu Cheng. He didnt have a striking reputation and didnt have any impressive qualifications either. Even if it was at the start of the year, it was unlikely that any students would want toe under his tutge. But even so, this was already a much higher starting point aspared to his experience in Hongtian Academy. Back then, he had to shoulder the notoriety as the worst teacher in the academy. In any case, he still managed to ept a few outstanding students. "How are the grades divided in Tianwu Academy?" After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. "You dont even know that?" Mo Hongyi looked at Zhang Xuan as though he had lived under a rock all this time. At times, this fellow seemed so monstrous that it made others despair. Other times, he seemed so innocent and pure, knowing nothing at all, as though a newborn infant. Tianwu Academy was the kingdoms number one academy! All of the teachers know about it, so how could a master teacher like you not know such elementary knowledge? "To enter Tianwu Academy, ones cultivation must at least be at Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm! There are a total of four grades, and they correspond to Zhenqi, Pigu, Dingli, and Pixue respectively. Upon reaching Pixue realm, one can apply for graduation." After hesitating for a moment, Mo Hongyi continued exining. "Teachers are allowed to ept new students every year. As such, most teachers will have students of all four grades." Zhang Xuan nodded. These rules were simr to those of Hongtian Academy. If his previous self hadnt caused his students cultivation to go berserk, Zhang Xuan would have had old students as well. "Were here!" Just as Zhang Xuan was musing over this matter, Mo Hongyis voice sounded. Lifting his head, he realized he had arrived right before Tianwu Academy Elder Hall. New teachers had to be approved by the elders to be recruited. An entire row of around a dozen elders was seated in the center of the courtyard. The weakest of them was at Half-Zongshi while the strongest one had reached Zongshi realm pinnacle. "The one sitting at the center is Principal Xie Bi, one of the top ten experts of our Tianwu Kingdom. He is a 1-star master teacher and is extremely famous in our kingdom. Even I would find it hard to defeat him in a duel!" Mo Hongyi discreetly pointed across and sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. His finger was pointed toward a white-bearded old man seated at the very center of the row. His eyes wererge like a ferocious tiger. Even though he wasnt young, it didnt seem his vigor had declined in the least. On the contrary, he exuded a spirited and powerful aura. This was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert! However, Zhang Xuan didnt see him in Mo Yus Question Symposium yesterday. Standing before the white-bearded elder was a row of people lined up in order, the numbers seeming to exceed a hundred. "If you two are here for the teacher interview, please write down your personal details here and line up over there!" Upon entering, a student immediately walked up to them. The both of them walked in and filled up a form. The content was simple. They only had to fill up their name, gender, cultivation, and their qualifications as a teacher. They had memorized the background of the person they were impersonating yesterday, so it didnt take them long to fill the form up. "May I ask if everyone here is for the teacher interview?" After passing the form over, Zhang Xuan pointed to the hundred people lining up and asked. "Thats right!" The student nodded. "So many people?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. "Then... how many teachers is Tianwu Academy recruiting?" If they were recruiting a sizeable amount, it shouldnt be a problem for Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi to get in. Otherwise, they would have to fight with the others for the cing. "Oh. We are epting a total of five teachers. Three had already passed the interview, so there are only two slots remaining!" The student said. "Only two slots remaining?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi nced at one another. Over a hundred teachers werepeting for two slots... Wasnt the test supposed to be on increasing the Trust Level of the students we ept? Why did it suddenly be a recruitment test instead? If we were to fail the interview, does that count as an immediate failure? "Yes!" The student nodded. "Arent these teachers still queuing up? Why had three of them passed already? What are the prerequisites for the recruitment of these teachers?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. The others were still queuing, but three of them had passed already? Shouldnt they go through everyone before choosing carefully? "Oh, the principal looked over their interview, and after determining that they are suitable, he immediately brought them in. Those three who were epted are Half-Zongshi experts, so they are more than qualified to be teachers!" The student smiled. "Half-Zongshi?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi smiled bitterly. With that level of cultivation, one was already qualified to be an elder at Tianwu Academy. It wasnt surprising that they would be epted immediately. On the other hand, the Liu Cheng whom Zhang Xuan was impersonating as only possessed a cultivation of Tongxuan realm primary stage, which was significantly much weaker than them. A Half-Zongshi cultivator against a Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator, no matter how foolish one was, it was clear which one would be chosen. The person Mo Hongyi was impersonating also only possessed a cultivation of Tongxuan realm primary stage. Thus, they were both on the same starting line. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that once he became a teacher, he just had to lead a few students so it wouldnt be too difficult. He didnt expect to be thrown into a Hard Mode stage which one might die even before seeing the dungeon. One of them was the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom while the other one was a rising star who broke numerous records of the Master Teacher Pavilion... For the 2-star master teacher examination, they actually had topete with a bunch of normal teachers... Just the thought in itself felt bizarre. "Alright, you two should queue up as well. If you meet the criteria, the academy will pick you!" The student urged them on. Nodding, Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi proceeded forward. "You two are here for the interview as well? Tongxuan realm primary stage, I think the both of you should just leave. Even the worst of the lot here have reached Tongxuan realm intermediate stage!" The moment they walked over, a young man turned to look at them disdainfully. At the same time, he revealed his cultivation. Tongxuan realm advanced stage! Due to the disguise, they had to suppress their cultivation to be visibly at Tongxuan realm primary stage. Otherwise, given how pure Zhang Xuans Heavens Path zhenqi was, even Pavilion Master Jiang would be unable to discern his cultivation realm, needless to say, this fellow. "The ability to impart knowledge is the most important ability of a teacher. If a teacher is incapable of doing so, whats the use of having a high cultivation?" Mo Hongyi harrumphed. As a top-notch genius, he had been admired by others from young. Other than suffering a setback inflicted by Zhang Xuan, he had never been underestimated before. Yet, this fellow spoke such words to him the moment they met. Mo Hongyis blood boiled with anger. "Despite your young age, you sure have a fiery temper!" The young man harrumphed, "I am saying these words for your welfare. Im afraid that you will just waste your time!" After which, he turned around haughtily. Disregarded by the other party, Mo Hongyis face turned pale. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan chuckled. To be able to send the number one genius into a fit of anger, that person could also be considered a talent. Just as he was about to say something, the voice of an elder sounded from the front. "I, Xie Bi, thank the teachers here for attending this public recruitment!" Everyone immediately fell silent upon hearing the principals voice and focused their attention on the front. "I believe everyone here had heard about the shortage of teachers in the academy. Since all of you are here for the recruitment, I believe all of you are informed of the situation of the sses in question." Principal Xie Bi surveyed the surroundings, "However, I should still say a few things about these two sses in advance. Their previous teachers were Hu Yioshi and Bai Fangoshi. Thus, the students of these sses are outstanding. I hope to recruit a worthy teacher so that their talents dont go to waste." "Hu Yi and Bai Fang?" Upon hearing those names, Mo Hongyi frowned. "You know them?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at Mo Hongyi. "They are famous star teachers in Tianwu Academy and their teaching skills are outstanding. Furthermore... They are Pavilion Master Jiangs apprentices!" Mo Hongyi told him through telepathy. "Pavilion Master Jiangs apprentice?" To be capable of bing the apprentice of a 2-star pinnacle master teacher, it was impossible for their teaching skills to be mediocre. "Thats right. Ive heard that their sses are the two most outstanding sses in the entire Tianwu Academy. The students they ept are also top-notch. Seems like our test isnt as easy as we thought!" Mo Hongyi rubbed his be. An outstanding student had a tendency to becent and as a result, they often would feel less attached to a teacher. It was just like if one taught a genius and a normal student. Assuming that you helped the both of them advance from Zhenqi realm to Dingli realm, thetter would be thankful to you while the former might think that you were merely a mediocre teacher who was impeding his talent. Giving a rich man a thousand gold coins was apletely different notion of giving a beggar a thousand gold coins. Delivering charcoal in winter was apletely different concept from gifting nkets in summer. It would be hard for Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi to win the favor of their students. These two sses were the most outstanding sses of the academy and their students were also top-notch. If one was more talented than them, one might still be able to win their respect... However, given that they had to carry out this test with their fake identity, keeping them in control was already a challenge, needless to say, winning their trust... How could those geniuses be willing to submit to two average teachers? The heck! Zhang Xuan had thought it would be a piece of a cake. He had thought that what was required of him was merely toe here to teach a couple of students. He had thought that the ten days was more than enough for him to win their trust. But what he hadnt expected was that it wasnt just Hard Mode, but Hell Mode. As expected, the 2-star master teacher examination... wasnt as easy as he thought. Chapter 319: Aversion Toward Studying? Chapter 319: Aversion Toward Studying? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "I know that all of you present here have an extensive amount of teaching experience and are official teachers qualified by the guild. If I were to make a decision based on your resume by asking a few questions, no matter who I choose, it will be hard for all of you to ept the result." Principal Xie Bi nced at the surroundings before continuing. "Since thats the case, Ill choose based on your teaching standards." "Choose based on our teaching standards?" Everyone looked at Principal Xie Bi in bewilderment. "Thats right! A teacher is responsible for imparting knowledge and rifying the doubts of the students! The fundamental responsibility of a teacher is to guide a student onto the right path so that he will be able to reach greater heights! I have two students here and each of them are facing some problems. The academy will recruit whoever who manages to solve their problems. If two people were to solve their problem, the one who does it better will have the priority!" Principal Xie Bi said. "The fundamental responsibility of a teacher is to teach. If one is inept in teaching, then it is useless even if he is proficient in everything else!" "No matter how high a persons cultivation is, if he is unable to verbalize it, he will still be an inept teacher!" Upon hearing the selection criteria, the crowd nodded their heads. "This kind of test is indeed fitting for a teacher interview!" A satisfied expression appeared on Mo Hongyis face. There were different types of expertise required for different upations. Without the experience of teaching students andprehension of teaching theories, no matter how high ones cultivation may be, it would be difficult for them to impart their insights to their students. Many schrs who stood at the top of their fields had conducted lessons. Although they were able to go on and on, at the end of the lesson... the students ended up learning nothing at all. "Bring them in!" Principal Xie Bi shouted and two fifteen to sixteen-year-old students were brought in. A male and a female. The female had a cold and haughty expression whereas the male had sharp eyes reminiscent of an eagle. Despite standing before a huge crowd, there wasnt any sign of fear present in the two students eyes. Seeming to know the reason why they were here, they remained extremely quiet. "These are the two students. Who wants to take a look first?" Xie Bi surveyed the crowd. "Me!" The young man standing in front of Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi shouted and stepped forward haughtily. "Not bad. A teacher should have this kind of adventurous attitude. It is impossible to bring up good students by cowering fearfully!" Xie Bi nodded his head in satisfaction. Upon hearing those words, a wave of regret struck the crowd. If only they knew that was the case, they would have definitely rushed up. That fellow had managed to win himself some brownie points from Principal Xie. If things go well, he might even pass the examination. Having beenplimented, the young mans eyes lit up brightly. He strode up to the two students and circled around them before instructing, "Show me your battle techniques!" "Yes!" With a casual expression, the female student began first. Her movements were exceptionally precise, forceful and nimble, hinting of superior talent. Soon, she finished disying her battle technique. After which, the male student took her ce to demonstrate his. His movements werent as nimble as the former but they were straightforward, swift and was executed with overwhelming strength. In fact, one could sense a slight killing intent behind his actions. While the duo was executing their battle techniques, the other candidates looked on intently by the side and contemted silently over the matter. It wasnt long before the both of them finished demonstrating their battle techniques. sping their fist, they bowed and went back to standing upright. "Alright, you can give your evaluation now!" Xie Bi gestured. "Alright!" The young man replied. cing his hands behind his back, he exined haughtily, "The battle technique that thisdy executed was [Clear Water Fleeting Cloud Hands]that prided itself on its nimble and smooth movements. Although her demonstration of the movements exuded elegance and also disyed her solid foundation in that technique... she iscking in zhenqi. When she was moving about, her movements seemed slightly strained. If Im not wrong, it hadnt been long since she attained the Zhenqi realm. As such, she isnt too adept with the utilization of zhenqi!" After which, he turned to the female student and asked, "May I know if I am right?" "I just reached Zhenqi realm three months ago!" The female student nodded. "It is clear that she had trained hard to perfect the battle technique. Her movements are skilled, beautiful and precise, but due to herck of zhenqi, they are just empty movements. If she is my student, I will ask her to immerse herself in her cultivation and try her best to gather zhenqi first. Only after her zhenqi fills up will she be able to execute the full might of the techniques!" The young man smiled, "She has an elegant, refined figure and a pure aura so I will rmend her to cultivate the academys [Lucid Jade Technique]. It is in line with her disposition, so it should be easy for her to cultivate it!" "The technique I am cultivating is Lucid Jade Technique!" Hearing his words, the female student said in surprise. "Hehe!" Gleeful, the young man then turned to the male student. "You possess great brute might. As such, you have good affinity with strength-based cultivation technique and battle technique. I think that [Searing Bamboo Art] is the most suitable for you!" "Teacher, the cultivation technique I am currently training with is Searing Bamboo Art!" The male student nodded his head. "Alright, Im done with my evaluation..." Flinging his sleeves, the young man walked back to the crowd with a gleeful expression. When he returned to his original position and saw Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi, he intentionally tilted his head upward haughtily. "I have also seen through all of that. I should had volunteered myself earlier!" "Indeed! He got the opportunity to step up first. If I were to go up now, it would just look forced and this will just look bad on me!" "Damn it..." ... ... Hearing the young mans words, the crowd felt regretful. As official teachers who passed the examination, they were able to see this much. However, since someone else had already spoken for them, others would just suspect one to be copying his words if one were toe up with a simr analysis, and that would look bad on one. "Un!" Contrary to the others expressions, Principal Xue Bi seemed to be indifferent to the situation and a sliver of disappointment even shed across his face. Surveying the crowd, he continued, "Is there anyone who wants to add on?" "Allow me!" After hesitating for a moment, another man walked up. It was a middle-aged man in his forties. "It is Tianquan Academys Du Xunoshi!" "I heard that he is a star teacher and is already epted as an apprentice by a master teacher!" "Indeed! Ive attended his lessons before. He is truly incredible..." "Seems like we will lose another slot!" ... ... Amotion burst out as soon as the middle-aged man walked out. Everyone couldnt help but feel tense. He didnt stand out much from the crowd. However, the moment he walked out, quite a handful of people immediately recognized him. To be able to be a star teacher and a master teacher apprentice, he was bound to possess capability that surpassed others. Moreover, those who answered the public recruitment were mostly ordinary teachers, so there was a huge gap between them and him. "I have seen the battle techniques they executed and I can also tell that the movements of this female student here are nimble. The teacher before is right to say that she is suited to cultivate Lucid Jade Technique... However, he neglected a point. This female student has only reached zhenqi realm for three months, yet she was able to master such a powerful battle technique. Given how she is able toplement her body and zhenqi so well... this shows that she is talented and that she possesses aptitude far surpassing the others! In other words, she is a... genius!" Du Xunoshi walked up to the duo, examined them for a moment before giving his evaluation. "The Lucid Jade Technique can only be considered an ordinary cultivation technique for thedies. If ones talent is mediocre, there is no problem cultivating it. However, given her high aptitude, cultivating such a technique is a waste. I think that it will be better if she cultivates[Maiden Method] instead!" "As for this male student, his movements are forceful. Indeed, strength-based techniques such as [Searing Bamboo Art] are more suitable for him. However, his moves are direct, sharp and pointed straight toward ones vitals. This shows that he has outstanding battle experience. While Searing Bamboo Art is still eptable in terms of raising ones cultivation, it causes ones zhenqi to move slowly. For someone like him who is skilled in the offense, it isnt the best skill for him to learn. I think that it will be more suitable for him to cultivate [Domineering Heavens Might] instead. This cultivation technique allows ones zhenqi to burst at short intervals and this better augments his strengths!" At which, Du Xunoshi sped his fists and said, "Im done!" "Good!" After hearing his words, Xie Bi nodded his head in satisfaction. When the other young man before him spoke, he shed a look of disappointment. On the other hand, he actuallyplimented Du Xun. It was clear that he regarded Du Xun higher than the young man before. "Damn it!" Taking the other partys expression into sight, the young mans gleeful face darkened and he clenched his fists tightly. As expected of an expert. There was nothing wrong with the young mans analysis, butpared to Du Xun, it was clear that he wascking. He could tell that Du Xuns solution was at a much higher level than his. "Alright, is there anyone who wants to add on?" Xie Bi nced at the crowd once more. A few more people walked up, but what they spoke of was mostly simr to that of the first two teachers, demonstrating ack of novelty in their words. "If no one has anything else to add on, the slots will be given to the first two teachers!" With a slightly disappointed expression, Xie Bi said. "Allow me!" Mo Hongyi walked up. Surprised that someone would still volunteer himself when there was already nothing to be said, everyones gazes immediately gathered toward the source of the voice. However, when they saw his cultivation realm, they immediately shook their heads in disappointment. Many Tongxuan realm advanced stage and pinnacle teachers had spoken, but they werent able toe up with anything new. How could a mere Tongxuan realm primary stage be more insightful than them? Even Xie Bi and the other elders didnt have much hope in him. Even though cultivation didnt necessarily rte to ones teaching abilities, there were still some links between them. The higher ones cultivation, the deeper the understanding of cultivation one has, the more knowledge one could impart to ones students. Ignoring everyones gazes, Mo Hongyi walked up to the two students, examined them carefully before turning to the principal, "Principal, if Im not wrong, the problem you spoke of earlier wasnt referring to their cultivation, but something else!" "Something else?" "What can a teacher teach other than cultivation?" "Ridiculous! Dont spout nonsense if you know nothing at all..." ... ... Hearing his words, the faces of the other teachers darkened. The young man who spoke up first earlier looked at him disdainfully. What else could the students problems be other than their cultivation? Their background? "Oh? Tell me about it!" The disappointed Principal Xie Bi abruptly raised his head up. "Regardless of whether this female student cultivates the Lucid Jade Technique or Maiden Method, there isnt too much of a difference. Just like what Du Xunoshi said, she possesses great talent, so the difference in cultivation technique wont affect her too much." Mo Hongyi nced at the female student, "Besides, even if the Lucid Jade Technique is slightly weaker, she has already cultivated it for many years and is already familiar with it. Changing it abruptly will just impede her progress. Besides, as long as she is given proper guidance, there isnt too much of a difference between the two cultivation techniques!" "Thus... In my opinion, her greatest problem isnt her cultivation technique or the need to reinforce her Zhenqi realm cultivation. It is instead her... aversion to studying!" "Aversion to studying?" Principal Xies eyes lit up and he hurriedly turned to look at Mo Hongyi, "Thats right, continue on!" "This..." Hearing the principal admit to the matter, everyone widened their eyes. Aversion to studying? What the heck! How in the world can one tell such a matter? Chapter 320: I Can Solve Their Problems Chapter 320: I Can Solve Their Problems Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Contrary to everyones reaction, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. As expected of the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom and a potential 2-star master teacher, he was able to grasp the essence of the matter instantly. "Yes!" Reverting to the aura of a genius, he gestured grandly, "This female student possesses superior talent, but she has a cold disposition and she seems unwilling to interact with others. Since her talent is not bad, how can she still be at Zhenqi realm given her age? Clearly, she isnt serious about her training!" Everyone was taken aback. That was indeed the case! Everyone had said that her talent was good, but reaching Zhenqi realm primary stage at sixteen to seventeen-year-old, she barely even met the prerequisites to enter the academy. Theoretically, it didnt make sense at all. The only possibility was that she was talented, but she wasnt interested in training. Despite her reluctance to cultivate, she was confined to the academy. It couldnt be helped that she would grow an aversion towards studying as time goes by. To deduce this based on the mere difference between her aptitude and cultivation level... Your discernment ability is way too incredible! The face of the arrogant young man from before immediately turned ghastly white. As a teacher, he knew that such situations weremon. Cultivation is an extremely boring process and it isnt umon for one to detest it. Even in this world where strength reigned mighty, there were still a lot of people who were unwilling to cultivate. As a teacher, one would hope for all of his students to be outstanding. However, if a student is unwilling to cultivate, theres no way that a teacher could cultivate in his stead! Teaching is a two-way thing. It is one thing for a teacher to teach well, and it is another thing for a student to learn seriously. This female students aversion toward studying was probably the problem that Principal Xie was talking about previously. All of the teachers here had been tackling the wrong problem from the very start. It was no wonder why the principal wasnt happy. "What about him?" Hearing Mo Hongyis rational and clear analysis on the situation, Principal Xie stroked his beard and pointed to the male student. "If Im not wrong, hes probably a problematic youth who often gets engaged in battle, causing him to face the threat of expulsion!" Mo Hongyi chuckled. "Oh?" Principal Xie looked at Mo Hongyi with interest. "The reason for thinking so?" "Simple. I have examined the battle techniques he disyed just now and even though it is modeled from the knowledge one learns in a ssroom, his movements were aimed straight for the vitals. Clearly, he had undergone quite a few battles, refining his movements to be swift and precise." Mo Hongyi spoke casually, "But of course, that isnt the main point. More importantly, when he executes the battle techniques, there is a savage gleam in his eyes and one could easily feel killing intent from him. Given his personality, it is normal for him to fall out with his ssmates easily... This kind of problematic youth often causes trouble for an academy and it is within expectations for him to be facing the threat of expulsion." Everyone was stunned again. Musing over his words, his analysis seemed to be correct. To deduce so much from a mere battle technique, the fellows eye of discernment and analysis ability was beyond that of an ordinary teacher. "Good, good!" Principal Xies eyes shone with admiration. Mo Hongyi was right. This was exactly the test he was posing to all of the teachers here. If it was just guiding those students on their cultivation, any single teacher would be capable of it. There would be no need to conduct a selection exercise at all. A truly outstanding teacher would be capable of seeing what others overlook. "How can that problem be solved then?" An elder asked. "Since she has an aversion toward studying, we have to look for a way to invoke her interest in cultivating. On the other hand, since the male student faces the threat of expulsion, we just have to suppress his urge to fight with other students... However, this isnt something that can be aplished in a day or two. It requires continuous hard work over a period of time!" Mo Hongyi said. "Un!" "Good, youve been recruited!" Principal Xie and many other elders nodded their heads. To be capable of seeing through the problem in the students attitude through their battle techniques bore testimony to his eye of discernment. A teacher had to first find the root of a problem before he could deal with them specifically. If they didnt recruit such a talent, who else would they recruit? "Is there anyone who still has anything to say? If so, then the ones recruited for this selection exercise will be this Sun Chengoshi and Du Xunoshi." Principal Xie gestured as he confirmed the names. Sun Cheng was the name of the identity Mo Hongyi was impersonating as. "I dont have any objections!" "There is nothing more we can say, so we might as well not humiliate ourselves!" Even though the other teachers felt reluctant to give up, it was true that the analysis of the two were the best. They had no choice but to give up. They werent able to value add to their answers anymore, so there was no point in saying anything else. "Un, good. Then I announce the ones who have passed this selection exercise to be..." Just as Principal Xie was about to dere his decision, a voice interjected, "Wait a moment! Why dont I... say something as well!" After which, the young man who came with Sun Chengoshi walked up. Zhang Xuan. He would had failed the examination if he were to remain silent. Thus, he had no choice but to step up. Seeing him walk over, Mo Hongyi chuckled. He had already said all that he could see, making it impossible for Zhang Xuan to say anything else. If this genius who had exceeded him was unable to say anything deeper than that, he would surely fail this selection exercise. Knowing his thoughts, Zhang Xuan shook his head. This fellow sure had no sense of camaraderie. He could have left something for him to say, but he chose to touch on everything, leaving Zhang Xuan in a spot. "This Sunoshi and Principal Xie had already revealed the purpose of the test, so theres no use for me to repeat their words once more!" Suppressing his dismal, Zhang Xuan said, "Since theres no use in repeating their words, why dont I... solve the problems of these two students on the spot!" "Solve their problems on the spot?" "What kind of joke is this!" "One of them has an aversion toward studying while the other one is facing expulsion. These are the two most difficult problems for a teacher to solve, what kind of solution can you have?" "Even if there is a solution, it has to be done over a long period of time, just as Sun Chengoshi has said. Solving it now? How arrogant!" ... ... An uproar broke out. As a teacher, the greatest problem one could face was an unmotivated student and a student who often engages in fights. These two problems had urred on these two students and even if one knew the problem, it wasnt an easy feat to solve them. One would have to invest quite a bit of time into it. Yet, this fellow imed that he was able to solve it on the spot. This made most of the crowd think that he was being overly boastful. Even Principal Xie and the other elders frowned upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. Even they were helpless before them. Yet, this young fellow dared to utter such big words. Wasnt he being too arrogant? "Why dont you tell us your solution to their problems?" With a darkened face, Principal Xie looked at him with a face of displeasure. "Simple!" Zhang Xuan walked forward to the female student and whispered a few words in her ears. The female student was first stunned, then a bright shade of red began creeping over her face. After which, she kneeled to the floor and sped her fist, "Teacher, please ept me as your student. I am willing to learn seriously under your tutge!" "Ah?" "What is going on?" Upon seeing this sight, the crowd, who thought that he couldnt possibly seed, nearly keeled over. They had just said that this fellow wouldnt be able to solve this problem when he whispered a few words in her ears and the attitude of the female student immediately changed, even kneeling on the floor and pleaded with him to ept her as his student.... I thought you have an aversion toward studying? Your attitude sure changed faster than the weather! The displeased Principal Xie and the elders widened their eyes in shock, as though they had seen a ghost. Since they found these two students to serve as the topic of the test, it was natural that they knew of their conditions beforehand. This female students aversion toward studying was exceptionally severe. She was unwilling to listen to her teacher regardless of what her teacher said, needless to say, study. They had thought that it would be impossible to change her attitude in the short term, yet with a mere few words by the teacher before them, she immediately kneeled down. What in the world happened? If not for the fact that they knew it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to have cheated, they would have truly suspected that the two of them knew each other in advance and intentionally yed out this show. "That... What did you just say to make her attitude change so abruptly?" Unable to hold himself back anymore, one of the teachers asked. Instantaneously, everyones gazes gathered on Zhang Xuan. Even Mo Hongyi couldnt help but look over with a perplexed expression as well. He could discern that the other party has an aversion toward studying, so naturally, he knew that it was difficult to alter such a mindset. Yet, to change the other partys attitude with just a few words... He, too, wanted to know what kind of words it was that possessed such magical powers. "She does have an aversion toward studying, but it isnt because of her disinterest. It is because of her physical condition." Zhang Xuan smiled. "I saw through her problem and promised her that I will solve it for her, so naturally, she is willing to study under me!" The reason why this female student was averse to studying was that of a physical condition. Every time she tried to cultivate, an intense pain would torture her entire body. It is natural that no one would be willing to suffer pain willingly, so eventually, she became averse towards the idea of cultivating that culminated into her disinterest. Given that Zhang Xuan was able to see through her condition and even promised to solve it for her, it wasnt surprising for the female student to bow down to him immediately. "That simple?" "If she has a physical condition, why didnt she mention it before? Why did she keep it to herself?" Another doubt shed through everyones mind. If she had incurred a problem in her cultivation, she could have discussed it with her teacher. Yet, this female student had never brought the matter up before... "This is a matter regarding her privacy, so how could she be willing to speak of it?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The other partys condition was simr to Zhao Yas affliction, making it difficult for her to speak of it. Naturally, she found it hard to raise the subject to her teacher. "If thats the case, then I wont ask any further!" Even though he was curious, Principal Xie knew that it would be inappropriate for Zhang Xuan to divulge the other partys private condition, thus he chose not to ask any further. Instead, he turned to the male student and said, "What about his problem? If you can make him promise not to fight with other students anymore, we will take it as you have passed this selection exercise and the academy will recruit you as an official teacher!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Everyone immediately turned to him once more. If it was really that easy to get that male student to make such a promise, Principal Xie wouldnt be so troubled over this issue and wouldnt have set it as the test question for the selection exercise either. They wanted to see what tricks the young man who had just dispelled the female students aversion toward studying had up his sleeves to stop the male student from fighting with others. Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Zhang Xuan walked up to the male student with a smile, "Do you like fighting with others?" "Yes!" The male student nodded. "Thats simple!" With a narrow smile on his face, Zhang Xuan suddenly pped the other party. Peng! Before the male student could react, he felt an ache on his face before he was sent flying upward. "The heck!" "Beating up a student? Doesnt he know that it is forbidden to get physical with a student..." "What the heck is this fellow up to?" Just when they thought that the young man had some good idea to deal with the problem, he suddenly started getting physical. Shocked by the sight before them, they nearly cked out. Peng peng peng peng! Despite the criticisms, the young man continued delivering punches and kicks onto the other party. Every single move of his was brutal and he didnt hold back at all. Principal Xies face darkened. However, just as he was about to step forward to stop him, the pummeled student suddenly kneeled onto the floor. "Teacher, I.. promise to never fight with anyone ever again..." "Ah?" Everyone was stunned. Had the world gone insane? Chapter 321: You Have Been Recruited Chapter 321: You Have Been Recruited Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Done!" Zhang Xuan pped his hands with glee. Seeing how casual the other party was, everyone suddenly felt dizzy and an urge to spew blood welled in them. Wasnt he being too entric? The Teacher Guild had explicitly stated that one was not to punish a student physically, yet you had to the cheek to beat the other party up so severely. If the Teacher Guild were to pursue the matter, no one would be able to shoulder the responsibility. "Liuoshi, you..." Mo Hongyi was speechless. He nearly fainted from anger, "Teachers arent allowed to beat students up!" Is this fellow for real! It is one thing for you not to know the rules of the master teacher examination, but you would have at least taken a ss before, you would have at least taught some students before... As a 2-star master teacher examinee, how could you not know these fundamental rules? A teacher was supposed to win over his students by virtue. If the Teacher Guild were to realize that one had punished a student physically, it is very likely that ones teaching license would be revoked. "Beat students up? Who said that I had beaten a student?" Zhang Xuan red at the male student. "Did I beat you up?" "No! I am indebted to teacher. You did it to save me, you did not beat me up!" The male student quickly kowtowed as he exined through his now-iplete set of teeth. "..." The crowd was thrown into a frenzy. Brother, can you be any more arrogant? Do you think that we are all blind? All of us personally saw you beat the other party up. It is one thing for you not to admit it, but you even threatened the student! This is truly atrocious and deplorable! They had seen ridiculous people, but they had never seen someone who left them so speechless. "Hmph!" Flinging his hands, Principal Xies face steeled. As the principal and a 1-star master teacher, a teacher had beaten up and threatened a student before him. He couldnt simply remain motionless to this matter. "Liuoshi, punishing a student physically is already a vition of the responsibilities of a teacher. I will report this matter to the Teacher Guild, so you should prepare yourself for the sanction from the guild! Also, our Tianwu Academy is unwilling to recruit a deplorable and irresponsible teacher like you, so please leave immediately!" After which, he pointed to the doors. "Sanction? Irresponsible?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He turned to Principal Xie and asked, "Is this your judgment on the matter?" "Thats right!" Principal Xie harrumphed. "Fine!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Given your eye of discernment, you still call yourself a 1-star master teacher? Honestly speaking, I would really like to ask... Are you blind?" Pu! "Did this fellow just insult Principal Xie?" "The heck! He physically punished a student and insulted a 1-star master teacher. Is this fellow insane?" ... ... The other teachers eyeballs were about to pop out from their sockets. This is the principal of Tianwu Academy, a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert. In terms of strength, he is ranked in the top ten of the academy. Not to mention, he is a 1-star master teacher as well. To say that he is blind... The heck! They had only thought that he was arrogant a moment ago, but now, they realized that he was insane! Otherwise, how could a teacher who came for a public recruitment beat up a student in public and insult a 1-star master teacher? Master teachers were not to be sullied. Just this crime was sufficient to have him killed! The corners of Mo Hongyis mouth twitched as well. However, he knew that even though Zhang Xuan had an entric personality and a vile mouth, he had the capability to back it up. Based on his understanding of thetter, it was impossible for him to be insulting Principal Xie for no good reason. Reexamining the male students condition, he suddenly froze. "This..." Meanwhile, Principal Xie was already spurting blood. He was so furious that all of his hairs stood at its end and it felt as though he would erupt at any moment. "Liuoshi, do you know that you are insulting a master teacher!" Suppressing his rage, Principal Xie spat through gritted teeth. If not for his identity, he would have charged up and taught this arrogant fellow a lesson. "Insulting a master teacher? Me?" Zhang Xuan looked at him with a look of pity. "Someone is insulting the identity of a master teacher, but it isnt me. It is you!" "You..." Infuriated, Principal Xie was just about to step forward to teach this conceited brat a lesson when the other party walked up to the male student with his hands behind his back and exined calmly. "Blood Cmity Spider. It is a unique type of savage beast around the size of a humans thumb. It feeds on the blood of living beings and favors dark and cold habitats. It often moves around in the dark and most importantly, it carries a lethal poison on it." Everyone thought that this fellow was going to say something important, but he talked about an unrted savage beast instead. Everyone was baffled. Principal Xie came to a halt and his eyebrows furrowed together. He wanted to see what this fellow had up his sleeves." "If a cultivator were to fall prey under this spiders poison, he wont die immediately. However, the venom will numb his nerves and cause a change in his personality. He will be violent and an urge to battle with others would overwhelm him... This is because only battle could alleviate the boiling poison in his body and bring him peace!" Zhang Xuan continued. "There is actually such a savage beast?" "Is there really such a peculiar poison in the world?" Upon hearing the effects of the poison of the Blood Cmity Spider, a conjecture appeared in everyones mind. However, they didnt dare to confirm it. Rather, their gaze remained fixated on the young man before them. "Thats right, this male student had fallen prey to this poison and it was already at an extremely severe stage! Thus, he couldnt help but fight with others to alleviate his raging emotions. Did you all realize that even though the movements of his battle techniques were sharp and lethal, there was a trace of redness in his eyes? No matter how many battles a cultivator undergoes, it isnt possible for their fights to affect their mental state and change the color of their eyes." Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings. "Trace of redness... I noticed it too, but I thought that it was because of his agitation!" "Thats right, I saw it too. I thought that it was because of his unique battle technique... Could it really be because of a lethal poison?" "How is that possible? If he was poisoned, why couldnt any of us detect it?" ... ... Recalling the sight they saw when the male student was disying his battle technique, everyone froze. There was something bizarre about that male students gaze, but there were some battle techniques which could change ones gaze as well. Thus, they didnt consider such a possibility. Besides, who would have known that there was a poison in the world which could affect a persons mental state and make them aggressive? "I wasnt beating him up just now. I was using a unique method to force the poison out of his body. If you dont believe me, you can look at the blood on the floor!" Zhang Xuan casually pointed. Following his finger, the crowd saw the blood that flowed out from the apertures of the male student when Liuoshi beat him up just a moment ago. To their horror, the blood was thick and ck in color. The blood had curdled on the spot and the stones in contact with it corroded, causing a dent to appear. It was an extremely eerie sight. "There was really lethal poison..." Principal Xies face turned pale. It was impossible for normal blood to curdle so quickly, even less so, corrode stone. Such a situation would only ur if the blood was harnessing a lethal poison. Which meant to say... There was lethal poison within the male student! And Liuoshi wasnt beating him up just now, he was... expelling his poison! "Usually, one would die within three months of falling prey to the Blood Cmity Spiders poison. Judging from his current state, he should only be a month in, so he isnt in any danger. Thats also the reason why he was still able to suppress the poison with his cultivation, making it impossible for anyone to notice it." Zhang Xuan turned to Principal Xie and said, "Even so, despite being the top academy in Tianwu Kingdom, how could you all not know that one of your students had fallen prey to lethal poison! It is out of kindness that I saved him, yet you framed me of beating him up and even threatened to report this to the Teacher Guild... Youre the principal of the academy as well as a 1-star master teacher. How could you fail to see through this much? May I ask... If you arent blind, what else could it be?" "I..." Principal Xies face paled. The ck poisoned blood was an extremely clear sign that the male student had been poisoned. However, overwhelmed by rage, Principal Xie actually overlooked the matter. He even bellowed at the other party for beating the male student up. Embarrassed, his face flushed. He wanted to exin but words evaded him. "Liuoshi, please calm down. Poison master is an umon upation and very few people have knowledge of it. Its normal for one not to know of it!" Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Mo Hongyi interjected. He was right. Most of the information regarding poison had been sealed by the Poison Hall so most people were uninformed about the matter. Furthermore, teachers prided themselves on being righteous. As such, they rarely came into contact with something as vile as poison, so naturally, they would have very limited knowledge on them. Knowing that it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to insult the other party for no good reason, he had reexamined the condition of the male student. When he saw the poison in the blood he spat, he was also thrown into a state of shock. To be able to tell that the other party had been poisoned just through his battle technique, and even solve it... This meant that Zhang Xuans mastery of poison had most probably reached the level of a grandmaster. 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer, and pill forging skills exceeding that of a 4-star apothecary... How many hidden capabilities was this fellow hiding up his sleeves? Initially, he had thought that even though the other party was superior in terms of pill forging and teaching, it would just be limited to those. However, after this incident, he realized that... the other party was skilled in many other upations as well, just that he hadnt disyed it before him. "Even if you didnt know that it was lethal poison, that student had already said that I am saving him. Yet, you still chose to doubt me. Is this the discerning ability that a 1-star master teacher should have?" Oblivious to Mo Hongyis attempt to alleviate the atmosphere, Zhang Xuan continued. "..." "..." Upon hearing those words, everyone went speechless. The male student did say that you were saving him, but you had just finished beating him up then, not to mention, your ferocious re. No matter who saw this, they would have thought that you were threatening him. Intimidated, he would have no choice but to answer that way. Who would have known that... he truly meant it. "Its due to myck of observation. I am truly unworthy of the title of 1-star master teacher..." Under Zhang Xuans intense interrogation, Principal Xies face paled and he looked as though he had aged a decade. He was supposed to be the one conducting the test for the public recruitment, but little did he know that he himself had failed to notice so many crucial details. "Alright, theres no need to be depressed. Just continue learning earnestly and donte to a conclusion recklessly before rifying the situation!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually. Everyone staggered. This was the principal of Tianwu Academy! Yet, he was being lectured as though he was a student by a mere ordinary teacher... Everyone waspletely speechless, but at the same time, they were also astonished by this Liu shis means.. Not only did he manage to locate the root of the problems of the two students, something that even Principal Xie overlooked, he was even able to treat the two of them easily. Be it his eye of discernment or his means, it was at an astounding level. If not for them witnessing this sight personally, they would have never believed it to be possible. In an instant, they were all filled with amazement and respect for this young teacher. Just when everyones gazes were gathered on him, wanting to know how he managed to notice the lethal poison in the male students body, Liu shis majestic aura suddenly dissipated. Like an expectant student waiting for his examination results, he scratched his head awkwardly and asked, "This... So, will I be epted into the academy?" "Of course, of course, youre epted into the academy!" Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Principal Xies vision suddenly turned dark, but he hurriedly nodded his head anyway. If youre not epted into this academy even with such high-level capabilities, then I would really be unworthy to be the principal of the academy... Chapter 322: Mu Xueqings Countermeasure Chapter 322: Mu Xueqings Countermeasure Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Mu Xueqing was a talented student of Tianwu Academy. Despite being only eighteen this year, she had already reached Pixue realm with over a dozen acupoints opened up. Given her fame and the bright futureid before her, she should have been happy. Yet, she had been in low spirits recently. This was because her teacher had left the academy. Since the new teacher wasnt here yet, she was left to her own devices and was currentlyzing around. Stretching her back, a beautiful curvature which could easily send any man into frenzy appeared. "Senior!" At this moment, a youngster walked over. "Meng Tao, what news have you uncovered? Is it reliable?" Upon seeing the approaching person, Mu Xueqing immediately turned to face him with a serious expression etched on her face. "I have looked into the matter, and... that Master Teacher Zhang Xuan is indeed an incredible figure! In fact, based on what Ive just found out, he seems to be even more amazing than how you made him out to be! However, I heard that he is in the midst of his 2-star master teacher examination and has to leave the capital for a while." The eyes of the youngster named Meng Tao gleamed in reverence. "Tell me about it!" Mu Xueqings blushed. Last night, when the news of Genius Mo Hongyis records being broken reached her ears, the name of Master Teacher Zhang Xuan was also brought to her attention. Despite being under twenty, he had achieved many outstanding feats, leaving others amazed and frenzied. In fact, he was even already in the midst of taking his 2-star master teacher examination... even though she heard it directly from an elder in her n, she still found the matter hard to believe. After confirming the matter several times, she decided that from then onwards, Zhang shi would be her number one idol! Thus, when she arrived at the academy this morning, she immediately told her juniors of this matter, and the news left all of them gasping in amazement as well. The junior before her, Meng Tao, had refused to believe this matter, so she had him check for himself. "I heard that when Zhang shi arrived at the capital, he went to the Painter Guild to take the painter examination. Over there, he was met with provocation by the Ji ns Ji Mo gongzi and eventually, he used a savage beast to create a fifth level painting, earning him the rank of a 3-star painter..." Meng Tao said. Initially, he couldnt believe that someone could be more impressive than Mo Hongyi. After all, Mo Hongyis reputation as the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom was already deep-rooted in the capital. However, after looking into the matter, he realized that not only was Zhang shi more capable than Mo Hongyi, the gap between them was huge as well. Even after verifying the news personally, he still found it hard to believe. He had to pinch himself to make sure that it wasnt just a dream. "Using a savage beast to paint a fifth level painting?" Mu Xueqing clenched her fists tightly. As a genius, she revered other geniuses as well. Although the name of Zhang shi was only established the day before, the number of legendary feats he had achieved was overwhelming, leaving her with no other choice but to be awed. "Say... now that our teacher has left, if the academy can get Zhang shi to be our recement teacher, how wonderful will that be..." Even though the news gathered by her junior was identical to what Mu Xueqing had heardst night, she couldnt help but feel another surge of admiration for the young master teacher. "Bring him in? Senior, Zhang shi is a figure who is going to be a 2-star master teacher, how can the academy afford to hire him..." Meng Tao was speechless. There were only three 2-star master teachers in Tianwu Kingdom, and every time they held a lecture, all teachers, including the principal, would attend it. To invite the other party over as their teacher... It was nothing more than a pipe dream. "I know it as well, but I cant help but hold such expectations. I really wish that I can listen to his lecture once. Given how talented he is, his lessons must be deep and profound. Perhaps I might even achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation just by listening to one of his lessons!" Mu Xueqing said with a dreamy look. "Right, isnt the academy recruiting teachers today? Are the results out yet?" "Theres not much news circting at the moment, but from what I gathered, there is only a handful of star teachers applying for the position. The rest of them are just some ordinary teachers. I doubt they will be able to teach us anything good..." Meng Tao shook his head. He didnt bear much expectations for the new teachers. "Thats true..." Mu Xueqing nodded as well. If they were good, they would have long been brought into Tianwu Academy. They wouldnt have the need to attend the public recruitment at such a timing. "Bad news, bad news..." Just when the two of them were discussing the matter of the new teacher, they heard an anxious voice. Then, ady rushed in with a reddened face. "Calm down, dont panic. Whats wrong?" Mu Xueqing frowned. "Didnt I ask you to camp outside the Elder Hall to check out the epted teachers? Why are you already back? Wait, could it be that the results are already out?" "Yes!" Panting, thedy hurriedly nodded her head. "So fast?" Mu Xueqing was taken aback. ording to the news, there were over a hundred teachers who attended the public recruitment today. By right, it should have taken a significant amount of time to sieve through them. "I saw the principal pass the identity tokens of our ss over to a young teacher..." After taking a few deep breaths, thedy finally managed to catch her breath and she started recounting the situation. "A young teacher?" "Un. That teacher seems to be in his twenties. Since I was too far away, I didnt manage to hear anything. However, I saw..." even now, thedy still found it hard to believe what she saw to be true. "You are murdering us with anxiety! What did you see?" Mu Xueqing red at her and hurriedly urged her on. "I saw... the teacher beating up a freshman to the point the other party was vomiting blood..." thedy said. "He beat up a freshman to the point the other party was vomiting blood?" Mu Xueqing and Meng Tao nced at one another in horror. A teacher beating up a student? Such violence was unheard of in Tianwu Academy. "Its true! Ive seen it with my own eyes... this is what Ive secretly recorded down previously, look!" With a flick of her wrist, thedy produced a Record Crystal. Infusing zhenqi into it, two figures instantly appeared on it. Taking a closer look, a young man was beating up a student. Peng! The student spurted a mouthful of blood, and eventually, he kneeled before the young man. As the scene was recorded from a distance, they were unable to hear the conversation taking ce inside the Elder Hall. Even so, they could clearly see the tragic state of the pummeled student. "You said that... the principal gave our identity tokens to this fellow?" After seeing that sight, Mu Xueqings face turned ashen. What in the world was going on? How could they hire such an aggressive person to be their teacher? "Indeed, I witnessed it myself! Furthermore..." Thedy uttered nervously before she pausing for a brief moment. "After grabbing the tokens, he immediately started walking toward our ss. He should be arriving soon!" "Arriving soon?" Mu Xueqing clenched her fists tightly. "Doesnt the Teacher Guild prohibit teachers from getting physical with students? Why would the academy hire this kind of teacher?" "This..." Thedy shook her head. "I dont know either!" "Senior, could it be that the academy knew that our ss... is uncontroble, so they intentionally found such a teacher to teach us a lesson and beat us into submission?" Meng Tao scratched his head. "Beat us into submission? Hmph, lets see if he has the capability to do so!" Mu Xueqings face darkened. "Meng Tao, get everyone to stop cultivating and gather here!" "Alright!" Meng Tao nodded and hurriedly left. Soon, slightly more than a dozen students gathered around Mu Xueqing. "Senior!" "Un! I believe that Meng Tao should have told you about what happened earlier. The academy has hired that vile fellow who gets physical with students on a whim to be our teacher. About this issue, what thoughts do you all have?" After saying so, Mu Xueqing nced at the crowd. "If he were to be our teacher, our lives will be a living hell! I oppose to it!" "However, what can we do about it? The academy has assigned him to us, and our identity tokens are already in his hands. Unless we head to the Administrative Office to request for a teacher switch, theres nothing we can do in this situation!" "Since the academy has sent him to us, it definitely wont allow us to switch to the other sses. Since it came down to this, lets think of a way to chase him away so that we can get a better teacher here!" "Even if we cant get a genius like Zhang shi, we have to at least have a star teacher. If we were toe under the tutge of an aggressive fellow like him, our future will be ruined!" ... The crowd harrumphed indignantly. Meng Tao had already exined the situation, and he had shown them the recording in the Record Crystal as well. Every single one of them felt infuriated upon seeing the teacherying his hands on a student, especially since it was to the point that the student was vomiting blood. Given how brutal he was in treating his students, how could he be worthy of being a teacher? They expected them to be the students of such a person? Dream on! "Alright, theres no use talking about it. Since the academy has passed our identity tokens to him, we are already his students. We have to find a way to chase him away!" Mu Xueqing raised her hand to get the others to calm down. "Why dont we intentionally go against him to trip him up!" "Trip him up? How do you intend to do it?" "For example... lets refuse to follow all of his instructions! As a teacher, realizing that he is powerless in the ss, he would surely leave on his own ord soon." "This might be useful against others, but that fellow is an aggressive person. If we were to really disobey his instructions and he were to get physical with us, who would be able to stand against him?" "This..." The group fell silent. Regardless of what ns they had, the main problem was that this new teacher was an aggressive person. If he were toy his hands on them, given the disparity in their strength, it would be impossible for them to stand up against him. After all, even the strongest person among them, Mu Xueqing, was only at Pixue realm. Given their strength, it was impossible for them to stand against a Tongxuan realm cultivator. "How about this? If he were to reallyy his hands on us, lets record the scene down using a Record Crystal and find a way to send it to the Teacher Guild. I dont believe that the guild will ignore such a matter!" "It is a good idea, but given how that teacher dared to beat up a student before the principal, elders, and so many teachers, he must have connections there. Or perhaps he might even be backed by the academy. If we were to screw this matter up, he might make things worse for us!" "Indeed! If he were to know that we are plotting his downfall, wont he oppress us even further?" ... The crowd proposed several more ns, but they were all vetoed. Given how their new teacher was able to beat up a student before so many teachers, he must have had the backing of the principal. Otherwise, he wouldnt dare to act so brazenly. The idea of recording down the scene was not bad, but if it were tond in his hands before reaching the Teacher Guild, they would have a tough life ahead of them. They had devise a n properly so as to solve the problem once and for all. Otherwise, once they were to rm him, their life would just get worse. "What should we do? Senior, do you have any ideas?" After racking their brains, they found that they were unable to think of a feasible n. Eventually, everyone turned their sights to Mu Xueqing. She was the de facto leader of the ss, and everyone obeyed her words. "I do have an idea!" Mu Xueqings eyes suddenly lit up. Looking at the crowd, she said, "We are all students, and if we were to try to torment our teacher, once the Teacher Guild learns of it, well surely be punished. Or even worse, if the word of the matter were to spread, our reputation might fall to the gutters!" The crowd nodded. In this world, teachers were an esteemed existence and students were expected to obey their teachersmands. If it was discovered that they tried to harm their own teacher, they would definitely suffer the condemnation of the public, and their families wouldnt let them off easily as well. "Then what should we do?" Meng Tao asked anxiously. "Since we cant do anything to our teacher, then... we should still be allowed to ask questions, right?" A mischievous glint appeared in Mu Xueqings eyes. "There are quite a few students in our ss who like painting, tea ceremony, formations, equipment forging, pill forging... we can ask questions about these! If he is unable to answer those questions, lets see if he still has the cheek to remain here!" "Thats a good idea!" "This way, not only will we not offend him, he will also be too embarrassed to remain here. Two birds with one stone!" "Thats a good n..." Hearing Mu Xueqings idea, everyones eyes lit up. This was indeed a good n. Not only would they not offend the other party, they could also humiliate him at the same time. "Wait... he is supposed to be a teacher guiding us on our cultivation. If we were to ask about these, he could just say that he isnt adept in those upations. If so, our n will be foiled!" One of the female students spoke up. Every teacher had their own expertise. Given Tianwu Academys size, it was natural that they had teachers specializing in the various upations as well. It was clear that they were up to something if they were to pose all of these questions to a single teacher. Besides, as a teacher specializing in cultivation, it wasnt embarrassing for him to be unable to answer questions on other upations! After all, it wasnt possible for one to be adept in all upations! "I have already thought of that as well. We can just exert some pressure on him!" Mu Xueqing seemed to have already thought of a countermeasure, and a hint of a smile shed across her beautiful eyes. "Exert some pressure on him?" "Thats right! Later, when that teacher arrives, I will say that I have met with Master Teacher Zhang Xuan and he has expressed the intention to ept me as his student!" Mu Xueqing smiled. "If thats the case, with Zhang shi as a backing, that teacher will surely be intimidated. He probably will be hesitant to go too far, and he will be too embarrassed to admit to knowing nothing at all as well... just that, if Zhang shi were to realize that we had made use of his name, wont we be in trouble?" A student asked hesitantly. "How is that possible? Zhang shi is an amazing genius, not to mention, hes a 2-star master teacher as well. We probably wont even get a chance to meet him in our entire life! Who asked him to suddenly be so famous all of a sudden, so much that everyone in the streets is talking about him? Besides, its just a name, he probably wont ever find out about it!" Mu Xueqing flung her hair. The world that Zhang shi lived in was vastly different from theirs, it was impossible for them to ever be associated with him. Since he had be a huge topic in the past two days, they could make use of his name to intimidate that aggressive teacher. "Alright, lets do it this way then..." After contemting for a moment, the group felt that there wasnt too much of a problem with the n and they nodded in agreement. "Un, when that teacher arrives, make sure not to disy your hostility. All of you must be respectful to him so as to not allow him to grab hold of any of your handles!" Mu Xueqing instructed. "Yes!" The group answered. ... "Is this the ss I will be taking?" Just when the group was busy plotting against Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan himself was currently standing outside the ssroom, looking around to verify that he hade to the right location. Chapter 323: Youre Expelled! Chapter 323: Youre Expelled! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric After Liuoshi had settled the problems of the two students, Principal Xie no longer doubted his capability and passed the ss token over. Based on his teaching experience in Hongtian Academy, he knew that each of these tokens represented a student. cing them in his storage ring, he started walking toward his ssroom. The school was vast, and he got lost several times. It was only after grabbing a passerby and verifying the directions several times that he finally reached his ssroom. Jiya! Pushing the door open, he walked in. The ssroom was much wider than those in Hongtian Academy. It was around seven to eight hundred meters square big, and the ground was forged using smooth bluestone. On the two ends, there was a sculpted savage beast each, adding an aura of grandness to the ssroom. In the center of the room, there were slightly more than a dozen of students surrounding a beautifuldy. They were absorbed in a discussion, and as such, none of them seemed to sense his presence. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The sound of him pushing the open wasnt loud, but it wasnt soft enough for him to go unnoticed either. For all of them to be oblivious to his presence, they were trulycking in alertness. Walking forward, he was just about to address them when he heard the content of their conversation. "Senior, did you really meet Master Teacher Zhang Xuan yesterday? And he said that he wanted to take you in as his student?" "That is Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom! I really want to meet him too... Senior, if you were to be his student, you must bring me to meet him. I am his loyal fan!" "Same here..." The students surrounding thatdy had faces flushed with excitement, as if they were fans talking about their idol. "Met me? And I intended to take her in as my student?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He hurriedly took a closer look at thatdy. He was certain that he had never met that girl before, needless to say, epting thatdy as his student. Besides, he spent the entire day at the Master Teacher Pavilion yesterday, and he came here for the public recruitment right after leaving the library. Thus, how could he have met a Tianwu Academy student? After all, he was someone who didnt even know where the academy was at... "Zhang shi is currently in the midst of conducting a mission for his 2-star master teacher examination, and by the time hes back, he will already be a 2-star master teacher. Even though itll be difficult, I will plead with him to conduct a lecture for us..." Thedy in the middle grinned. However, halfway through her words, she suddenly noticed Zhang Xuan and she frowned, "Who are you? Why are you in our ssroom?" Hu! The moment she said those words, the students surrounding her immediately turned around to stare at Zhang Xuan with a guarded expressions. "I havee under the dispatchment of the academy to be your teacher for this term!" Facing their gazes, Zhang Xuan said. "Our teacher?" The students were taken aback. As the recording in the Record Crystal was taken from quite a distance away, they werent able to see Zhang Xuans appearance clearly. However, after hearing that he had beaten a student up, they thought that he would be a bulky person. They didnt think that he would look so refined. Liu Cheng, whom Zhang Xuan was impersonating, was a twenty-four-year-old young man with a slim build. Even though Zhang Xuan thought that the other partys appearance was far from a match to his, at the very least, it was still pleasant to the eye. "Paying respect to teacher!" Thedy in the center coughed, and only then did everyone recover from their daze. They hurriedly bowed and greeted Zhang Xuan. "Un! My name is Liu Cheng, and you all can call me Liuoshi. I will be guiding you all on your cultivation from now onward!" After that, Zhang Xuan walked up to the lecture stand and sat down. Then, he turned to thedy in the center and asked, "You have met Master Teacher Zhang Xuan?" "Reporting to Liuoshi, it was just a stroke of good luck!" Mu Xueqing hurriedly nodded her head. "So you really met him? May I know how he looks like?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. "This..." Not expecting Liuoshi to ask such a question, Mu Xueqing hesitated for a moment before answering, "He is slightly taller than Liuoshi, and he has a muscr build. When I met him then, he was dressed in a green robe. His eyes are electrifying and his smile is charming. He gives a feeling of one who is unsullied by the world, as though a deity in the heavens..." Even though she had heard numerous stories about Zhang shi, no one had ever described his appearance! Even so, she had no choice but to answer Liuoshis question. If she didnt, it would definitely incur the other partys suspicion. Thus, she could only describe him based on her imagination. A bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Zhang Xuan was at least aware of how high he stood. Since when did he possess such outstanding appearance? "Based on my knowledge, if a 2-star master teacher intends to ept a student, countless people would definitely jump at that opportunity. Furthermore, Master Teacher Zhang Xuan is a genius among geniuses, so there must be many talented students interested ining under his tutge. So, why would he ept you as his student?" He was already sure that the other party was lying, and based on the expressions of the crowd, he could roughly deduce what they were up to. Thus, Zhang Xuan continued questioning. "I..." Not expecting this aggressive teacher to ask such difficult questions, Mu Xueqing swayed from side to side. Suppressing the urge to spurt blood, she mustered her courage and continued on with the story, "I helped him on a minor affair yesterday, and upon realizing that my talent is still eptable, Zhang shi decided to take me in. As for the details... I dont really know either!" "I see... since Zhang shi is willing to take you in, as a normal teacher, I dont think that Im qualified to vie with him over a student. You do have the right to choose your teacher as well. Here is your identity token, you should go to him!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a token and threw it over. Zhang Xuan didnt know who thedy was, but her blood was infused into the token. By matching the aura of the two, Zhang Xuan was still able to find her token easily. "What do you mean..." Mu Xueqing subconsciously grabbed the token, but she was in a daze. This wasnt how it should have gone. It was impossible for one to only have a single teacher in his entire life. It should be an honor for a student to have a master teacher value his students. Shouldnt Liuoshi value her more after hearing that Zhang shi was interested in epting her? What did he mean by throwing the token over? "I dont mean anything!" Zhang Xuan shrugged casually. Lifting his eyelid slightly, he said, "It just means that... youre expelled!" "Expelled..." Mu Xueqings body shuddered, and she nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. I am a genius! Regardless of where I go, I am someone who all teachers want under their tutge. Yet, to expel me at first sight? Are you sure you arent joking? "Thats right. As a student, instead of studying, you choose to use your wits to fool your teacher... of what use are you to me? Dont worry, Ill report this matter to the academy and have them post an announcement to inform all students of the matter. Thus, you can feel free to go to Zhang shi!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "I..." Mu Xueqings body trembled. Due to her appearance and her talent, she was one of the most celebrated students in the academy. If the entire school were to know of her expulsion, how could she face others in the future? She knew that this teacher was entric, but... this was way too entric! Based on her predictions, even if the other party didnt believe that she was acquainted with Zhang shi, he would at least be intimidated. After all, what if, against all odds, she was really acquainted with Zhang shi? Even the principal would have to take her seriously if that was the case. Yet, this fellow... he didnt even bother to weigh the consequences before expelling her from his ss... If scoring poorly in the Teacher Qualification Examination was the most shameful matter for a teacher, then being expelled was the most shameful matter for a student. Even if her cultivation were to reach a high level, this blemish would continue to remain with her no matter where she goes. "I am not fooling teacher..." Gritting her teeth, Mu Xueqing hurriedly spoke up. "You arent fooling me?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Standing up, he ced his hands behind his back and walked slowly around the ssroom. "Firstly, despite the sound I madeing in, you, as a Pixue realm cultivator, didnt notice me at all. Instead, you continued chatting with the others. Do you think that it makes sense?" "You chose to disregard the presence of a teacher, this is flouting use 17 of the student guidelines of Tianwu Academy, disrespecting ones teacher. In severe cases, one is even susceptible to being expelled!" "Also, to intentionally say that you know Master Teacher Zhang Xuan before me... lets put aside the question of whether it is real or not. If it is real, it means that you are using Zhang shis reputation to oppress me. Based on use 42 of the student guidelines, making use of your background to disrespect ones teacher or even threaten him is prohibited. In severe cases, one might even be expelled!" "On the other hand, if it is false, that means that you are lying to your teacher. This is flouting use 45 of the student guidelines, spreading false rumors to mislead or deceive a teacher. This is also a use going against whom calls for expulsion!" "Regardless of which it is, if we were to operate strictly by the rules, you will be expelled. What else do you have to say for yourself?" The student guidelines of Tianwu Academy were pasted all over the academy. On his way here, Zhang Xuan had passed by it numerous times, and he had long memorized them all. This bunch of children wanted to climb over his head... since that was the case, he should first teach them that he wasnt one to be trifled with! "I..." Mu Xueqings face became devoid of color. Staggering backward, she stared at Zhang Xuan as though he was a monster. Didnt he just arrive at the academy? Why is he so familiar with the student guidelines? More importantly... I thought that he is a person who settles matters physically! Why are his verbal skills equally powerful? "Pack up your things and leave! I wee students with their own opinions and thoughts, but I dont wee students who fan others to stand against me!" Zhang Xuan gestured. With just a single word, thisdy was able to get the other students to greet him. It was clear that she wielded great prestige among the group. If he didnt intimidate them on the first meeting, it would be impossible for Zhang Xuan to control them in the future. Teaching wasnt confining ones students to follow strictly by ones instructions. However, if Zhang Xuan failed to establish his superior position on the first meeting, he wouldnt be able to control them once they rebelled. More importantly... the students wouldnt learn anything like that. They would underestimate you, and naturally, they wouldnt learn properly from you as well. "Teacher... Senior Mu is the most talented student in our ss. Despite being only eighteen this year, she has already reached Pixue realm. She is our goal and direction, so we beseech teacher to rescind your order!" Seeing that the new teacher was going to expel their leader as soon as he arrived, Meng Tao immediately stood forward. "Most talented student? Goal and direction?" "She started training when she was seven, and it has been eleven years since then. During that time, she consumed three Acupoint Soothing Pill and ten other pills, but even so, she only managed to open twelve acupoints, giving her a strength of 16 ding." "Despite having learned the Floating Water Palm for three years, she has only reached Minor Aplishment in it. Furthermore, she isnt adept in it yet, and in a battle, she is unable to bring out its full might!" "On top of that, at least seven of her acupoints arepletely sealed by her turbid zhenqi, making it difficult for her to advance in her cultivation. Even reaching Tongxuan realm will be a huge hurdle for her..." At that point, Zhang Xuan turned to Meng Tao and spokeposedly, "This... can be called talented as well? You must be joking!" "I..." Mu Xueqings face immediately turned as pale as a sheet of paper. Chapter 324: The Dumbfounded Students Chapter 324: The Dumbfounded Students Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Everyone knew that her cultivation speed was amazing, and that she was a genius. However, none of them knew that it was because of her n. Furthermore, due to the excessive number of pills she had consumed in the past few years, pill poison had umted in her body, making it extremely difficult for her to raise her cultivation. Otherwise, she could have long applied for graduation upon reaching Pixue realm. She wouldnt have to remain in the academy all this while. Not a single teacher had noticed her condition, not even the previous teacher who she was fond of. Yet, this person was able to point out her condition urately despite having just met her. This was way too fearsome! Could it be that... he wasnt an aggressive teacher, but someone who possessed true capability? Mu Xueqings body trembled. If that wasnt the case, how was he able to tell that seven acupoints had been sealed with her turbid zhenqi and that it would be hard for her to reach Tongxuan realm with just a single gaze? Meng Tao also didnt expect this teacher to know so much either. Even though he had been with Senior Mu daily for several years, he didnt know of this matter either. Frozen on the spot, he wanted to speak up for his senior, but couldnt find the words to say. "In the previous academy tournament, Senior Mu was ranked number ten. She is one of the most talented geniuses in the academy, and everyone agrees on it. Why... are you saying that she isnt a genius?" A female student couldnt ept Zhang Xuans judgement. "Being a genius isnt about how far one can progress in a limited period of time, but how far one is able to go! It is incredible that she has reached Pixue realm at her age, but due to pill poison umting in her body and the fact that she has cultivated a mindset of reliance on them, her future growth is limited!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Since he was taking over the ss, he was given basic information on the students. Matching it with the students, he could tell that thisdy with appearance that could match Wang Yings was the strongest student in the ss, Mu Xueqing. Knowing her name, it wasnt too difficult to look into her background. Mu Xueqings father was a famous 2-star apothecary. What others deemed as iparably valuable pills wasnt anything much to her. While it provided her an edge over the other students, it also created a fatal w for her future cultivation. Even though Zhang Xuan didnt use the Library of Heavens Path, given his Soul Depth of 10.1 and his expertise as an apothecary, he was able to discern and deduce Mu Xueqings condition with a nce. After all, he used his own strength to take the 2-star master teacher examination. If he couldnt even see this much, it would have been impossible for him to pass the first four tests. This Mu Xueqings cultivation was not bad, but she was too reliant on pills. This was detrimental to her future growth. All medicine possessed poison, and the same applied for pills as well. Of course, that was assuming that the pills didnt reach the level of an Inscribed Pill. Be it Formation, Satiation, or Perfection... considerable amount of impurities still remained in those pills. Without pure zhenqi to wash away these impurities, it was very easy for the pill poison to umte and block ones acupoints, slowing down the progress of ones cultivation. This was precisely the reason why many people choose not to consume pills unless they were unable to achieve a breakthrough with their own strength. It was just like with an illness. If one could tide through it easily, very few people would choose to resort to medicine even if they knew that medicine would help them recover faster. Her current cultivation speed was outstanding. Furthermore, with a 2-star apothecary of a father guiding her along, her foundation was strong as well. However, as time passed, she would slowly lose out to her peers. In fact, it was a huge question whether she could even reach Tongxuan realm or not. The pill poison was one problem, but the mindset she formed which made her reliant on pills was another one. As she achieved breakthroughs in her cultivation relying on medicine, she had already lost confidence in herself. "She isnt a genius. In fact, you are in a much better position than her!" Zhang Xuan turned to the female student who had just spoken up for Mu Xueqing and said, "Even though your cultivation is only at Pigu realm primary stage, you have trained your physical body well, and your State of Mind is steady as well. If Im not wrong, theres a beast tamer in your family who used the blood essence of a savage beast to help you raise your cultivation." "Such a method is simr to consuming medicine to raise one cultivation, but as the blood essence of savage beasts is morepatible with the human body, not only will it not hinder your cultivation, it will even make your muscles morepact, thus raising your strength!" "If Im not wrong, you should be capable of battling against Pigu realm intermediate stage opponents!" "I..." The female student nearly leaped in shock. Her father was a 1-star beast tamer, and before she reached Pigu realm, she had consumed the blood essence of a savage beast. This made her physical body significantly stronger than an ordinary cultivators, thus granting her the strength to fight against those with cultivation exceeding hers. She had only told this matter to a few good friends, so it was impossible for the academy to know of it. Yet, this teacher was able to point it out with a single nce... This was way too scary! "However... while the blood essence of a savage beast is not bad, theres a saying that the weak must be slowly nourished. There wont be severe side effects if a male were to consume it, but for you... the body of a female is already weak, and while triggering your physical functions through the blood essence might grant you significant strength in the short run, as time goes by, all kinds of invisible side effects will start appearing." "It is just as if a severely ill patient consumed a thousand-year-old ginseng, not only will his illness not be treated, it might even im his life!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The female students skin was slightly red, and her blood was boiling forcefully. Her condition showed signs of the beast tamer secret arts. Even though it wasnt written in the information provided by the academy, it wasnt too difficult for Zhang Xuan to deduce this much. "You as well!" After speaking on the twodies circumstances, Zhang Xuans gazended on Meng Tao. "You have a reserved personality, and there is a shroud of schrly aura around you. Also, I can see several calluses between your thumb and your middle finger, and I dont think that theres any battle technique that would result in that. Furthermore, there is a slight patch of darkness at the corner of your shirt. If Im not wrong, you should be fond of painting, and you often imitate the drawings of experts!" "However, it is a pity that you arent looking deep enough, resulting in your failure to capture the essence and spirit of whatever you see. If you are to continue painting like that, it is unlikely that you will ever create a Spiritual Canvas or Infused Intentions level painting." "As for you, you must be interested in tea ceremony! I can catch a slight aroma of tea from you and it smells refreshing as well. However, you have been spending more time on the Way of Tea than your cultivation, causing thetter to stagnate and be unstable... if Im not wrong, you havent achieved a breakthrough in a years time. Furthermore, your will in cultivation iscking. You often ignore your teachers instructions and spend your time thinking about other matters. You are the typical example of a person who gets easily distracted by toys..." With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan pointed out the conditions of four students straightforwardly, and there was no mistake in his words at all. Everyone was shocked and dumbfounded; the entire room fell silent. What in the world was going on? They had just decided to intentionally ask him questions on their other upations so as to embarrass him, but... before they could say anything, he had deduced their upations and spoke about them casually! Could it be that this teacher... was skilled in all upations? If that wasnt the case, how could he deduce so easily based on an ink mark on the corner of his shirt and the scent on the others body that Meng Tao liked painting and the other male student was interested in tea ceremony? This... was way too scary! "Alright, show me your battle techniques!" Seeing that he had managed to amaze everyone, Zhang Xuan turned to the remaining students and said. The situation with the first four was more apparent, and he was well-versed in their upations as well. Thus, he was able to speak of them easily. On the other hand, he couldnt do the same for the remaining students. Tianwu Academy waspletely different from that countryside Hongtian Academy. Other than cultivating, most students would take on an upation that they liked as well. Even though most of them wouldnt even reach the level of an apprentice, it could serve as a hobby and a way to train their State of Mind. It was just like Liu shi and the others learning the Way of Tea from Elder Tian. Their understanding of tea ceremony hadnt reached the level of an apprentice, but this didnt hinder their interest in it at all. These fellows were the same as well. Even though they had learned a little of their supporting upation, they were still a considerable distance away from reaching the level of an apprentice. "Yes!" Amazed by the teacher before them, the others immediately executed their battle technique, not daring to hesitate at all. In an instant, the howling of the wind roared in the entire ssroom. A momentter, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had to say that the students in Tianwu Academy were at a much higher caliber than those in Hongtian Academy. Regardless of whether it was their battle techniques, cultivation techniques, or their understanding toward their supporting upation, it wasnt something that Zhu Hong, Mo Xiao, and the others couldpare to. "The battle technique [White Canary in the Clear Skies] you practiced has swift and powerful movements, but you arent able to catch up with their pace. Furthermore, your zhenqi is toocking to train in this technique. If you were to meet with a slightly stronger opponent, without even moving, if he were to attack your armpit, you would immediately fall in defeat!" "The reason why there is such a situation is because you arent serious about your training. If Im not wrong, your supporting upation should be a cksmith! A cksmith needs to refine all kinds of ores and metals, and this requires great strength. Wielding the hammer for extended periods of time caused the strength of your right arm to far surpass your left, resulting in imbnce. A bird has a pair of wings, and if one wing is stronger than the other, it would be weird if a problem didnt ur!" "You must be interested in appraising. However, it is a pity that appraising is a money-burning upation. Judging from how tattered your uniform is, you must have worn it for more than half a year already. Which is to say... your family isnt too well off. Despite not possessing the money, why are you learning appraisal? Withouting into contact with true treasures, will you be able to identify a treasure if you see one?" "As for you, you are dedicated to your cultivation training, and as such, you didnt pick any supporting upation. This isnt anything much, but did you realize that even though you are diligent in your training, you didnt improve much? This isnt because you arent working hard enough or arecking in talent. It is because you are cultivating wrongly! It should have been a wide and open cultivation technique, but you cultivated it as though a close and confined technique..." ... Walking among the students, every single seemingly casual word of Zhang Xuan would cause a student to pale and sweat profusely. This Liuoshi was able to tell the problems in their cultivation and supporting upations through their battle technique, and his words were spot-on! His discerning ability was truly at a frightening level. It was almost... terrifying! Their supporting upations were at a very low mastery, barelying into contact with the basics, but they spanned over seven to eight upations. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan spoke the same words as those said by their supporting upation teachers. This wasnt a feat that a normal cultivation teacher should be capable of. In fact... they felt that even a master teacher might not be as discerning as him! "T-this..." Mu Xueqing waspletely dumbfounded. It was just a moment ago that she confidently said that as long as they asked him some questions on their upations, this new teacher would definitely back down. Yet... Before they could say anything, the other party had already stripped them bare, pointing out to them all their ws. Arent you a teacher who dealt with students through violence? Arent you just a normal teacher, one who hasnt even reached the level of a star teacher? Why do you seem to know everything? Why do you seem to be adept in everything? This... What kind of monster did the academy send them?! Chapter 325: The Shocked Elders Chapter 325: The Shocked Elders Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Elder Hall. The teachers who came for the public recruitment had all left and Principal Xie was gone as well. All that were left were the elders. "The ss Bai Fanoshi left behind is one of the best sses in the entire academy, as well as the one thats the hardest to take. I wonder if Liuoshi can subdue them and make them listen to him obediently!" Upon recalling the arrangements made previously, an elder shook his head. The students in the ss possessed superior talent, and on top of their high cultivation, most of them had strong backgrounds as well. Putting everything aside, their leader Mu Xueqing was the only daughter of a 2-star Apothecary Mu Dan of the Apothecary Guild, and she was well doted on by him. Putting aside her high cultivation, she had many tricks up her sleeves as well. No ordinary teacher would dare to offend her. "Im afraid that it will be difficult. Those students are troublesome. Have you forgotten the teachers we sent to them before? They didnt evenst for a day!" Another elder shed a bitter smile. "If that wasnt the case, we wouldnt have to conduct a public recruitment for them!" The main reason why a public recruitment was conducted during the term wasnt just because of the departure of those teachers. After all, if a teacher could take ten students, taking twenty wasnt too much of a problem either. They could simply scatter the ss and spread them out over the others, and assign a few teachers over to take them. However, the main problem was that... these students refused to cooperate! Especially this ss. They had sent several teachers already, but none of themsted for more than a few days before being chased away. Furthermore, due to backgrounds of the most of them, the academy wasnt in a position to punish them too harshly as well. After a few rounds, no teachers were willing to ept them anymore. Left without a choice, they could only hire teachers from the outside. "I think that theres still a chance though. Those two students from before, one of them had an aversion toward studying while the other one was prone to violence; these were the most difficult problems a teacher could face. Yet, this Liuoshi easily solved them and even reprimanded the principal at that. He isnt any simple figure as well. He might really be able to subdue all of these students!" "This Liuoshi is indeed gutsy, but each of those students is a thorny one. I wonder what kind of conflicts would emerge when the two of them meet one another!" "Say, do you all think that they will fight?" An elder suddenly asked worriedly. "This..." Everyone suddenly froze. If it was any other teacher, in fear of the Teacher Guild and in consideration of their identity, it would be impossible for them toy their hands on the students. However, they couldnt say the same about that Liuoshi. He even dared to insult the principal, a 1-star master teacher, to be blind. Not to mention, he had beaten that male student in front of their eyes... If Mu Xueqing and the others went overboard, it seemed very likely that he would get physical with them! If these students were vtile chemicals, then this Liuoshi must be an explosive one... didnt you see the principals brooding expression? He left as soon as the public recruitment came to an end. "This is bad! If they were to fight, given the background of those students, it might cause a huge uproar!" "Thats right, we have to stop them!" At this, the elders faces immediately twisted in fear. Unable to remain still, they hurriedly stood up and rushed over. If the incident of a teacher beating up a student were to ur here, then Tianwu Kingdom would surely be theughingstock of all surrounding kingdoms! The Master Teacher Pavilion might even be urged into action! Realizing the graveness of the matter, the elders hurriedly rushed to Zhang Xuans ssroom. "Its over, look!" Before even reaching the ssroom, an elder wailed in agony. Hearing the shout, everyone hurriedly turned their gazes over and saw a female student kneeling motionlessly outside the ssroom. Upon seeing her appearance, everyone staggered and they nearly keeled over. This was the most troublesome student in the ss, Mu Xueqing! Thisss had good talent, and her cultivation was high as well. She was already a handful of trouble normally, but to have her kneel at the door... Liuoshi, you are about to smash through the heavens! They hurried over. "Xueqing, why are you kneeling outside? Hurry up and get up!" An elder walked up and tried to help her up. As this elder wasnt even a master teacher apprentice, he had to address Mu Xueqings father as Apothecary Mu respectfully whenever he saw the other party. Upon seeing this shocking sight, how could he remain motionless. "I cant!" Mu Xueqing shook her head. "Ive done wrong so its only deserving for me to be punished. If I were to stand up now, Liuoshi will surely expel me. If so, how can I face my father?" "We will deal with that Liuoshi for you, so dont worry..." They thought that she would plead with them to deal with Liuoshi, but never in their wildest imaginations did they expect her to say such words. Stunned, Elder Bai found the words he was about to say stuck in his mouth. With widened eyes, he asked, "Ah, what did you say?" "Its... deserving for you to be punished? You have done wrong?" The other elders were stunned as well. Mu Xueqing was nicknamed the Little Demoness in the academy due to her unruliness. Yet, to be kneeling at the door and admitting her mistakes... Why did it seem so inconceivable? "Indeed! After Liuoshis guidance, I realized my own inadequacies, and I am willing to study under him as his student. Elders, theres no need to persuade me anymore." There was a determined look in Mu Xueqings eyes. That Liuoshi was able to point out her physical problems, as well as those of other students, with a single nce. Without a doubt, he was a person of great capabilities. She had heard her father mentioning the issue of pill poison as well. It was something unavoidable when one consumed pills. Given how Liuoshi was able to point out her problems so easily, he might have a solution to it. It wasnt easy for her toe by such an opportunity and such a formidable teacher. If she allowed this chance to pass her by, she would definitely regret it for life. She might be rebellious, but she wasnt a fool. "Guidance? Realized your own inadequacies?" Elder Bai and the others were perplexed. When did this Mu Xueqing be so obedient? If she was like from the start, she wouldnt have scared away several teachers. "Elder Bai, is it possible that Liuoshi has already... started?" An elder suddenly thought of something and he paled. A shudder suddenly ran through everyones bodies. Given that it was Liuoshi they were talking about, it was possible! That male student from before also changed his attitude after being beaten up. Could this Mu Xueqing be the same as well? As such a thought ran through their mind, they subconsciously turned to look at her. However, they couldnt find a single injury on her. Jiya! Just when they were perplexed over the matter, the doors suddenly opened. A student walked out. It was Meng Tao. "Senior, teacher has asked for you toe in!" "Yes!" Hearing that she had obtained her teachers permission, Mu Xueqings eyelids leaped and she immediately charged in excitedly without even bidding the elders farewell. "This... it doesnt seem like she has been beaten up..." Baffled by the entire situation, an eldermented. If she was beaten into submission, there should at least be some injuries on her! Even if she wasnt injured, she should harbor some resentment toward the other party. To run in excitedly the moment the teacher called for her to enter, to the point that her face was red in agitation... Who in the world could look so happy and excited after being beaten up? But... if she wasnt beaten up, why in the world would this wilfulss be kneeling obediently at the door? "Youre called Meng Tao, right?" An elder hurriedly stopped Meng Tao before he could return to the ssroom. "Your grandfather, Meng Fan, is a good friend of mine. Weve met the other time as well!" "Elder Jin!" Only upon hearing someone call him did Meng Tao realize that there were so many people at the doorstep. Shocked, Meng Taos body stiffened and he hurriedly sped his fist. This Elder Jin was a good friend of his grandfather and theyve met many times. "Did Liuoshi... inflict any physical punishment on you all?" Elder Jin asked. The other elders pricked up their ears as well. "Inflict physical punishment?" Meng Tao was taken aback. "Liuoshi is such an amiable person, why would he inflict physical punishment on us?" "Then... Mu Xueqing..." Elder Jin pointed. "Oh, Senior Mu did it of her own volition. Teacher got her to pack up and leave this ssroom to join the other sses, but senior was unwilling to. Thus, she kneeled outside in hope that teacher would change his mind!" Meng Tao said. "Of her own volition?" The elders nced at one another. Based on their previous experiences, if a teacher dared to talk to her like that, this young miss would have already rushed to the Elder Hall to cause a ruckus. Why was she keeping silent this time, even willingly kneeling at the door? "Elders, Liuoshi is still in the midst of the lesson and I have to get back now. Farewell!" After saying so, Meng Tao hurriedly rushed back into the ssroom. "This..." Seeing that the fellow was the same as well, the elders couldnt help but open a slit in the ssroom doors and peer in. Through the slit, they could see the students standing respectfully before Liuoshi. No matter what Liuoshi asked them to do, they would immediately carry it out without protesting or hesitating at all. Was this really that most unruly and troublesome ss of the academy? How did it suddenly change so abruptly? Even if Liuoshi was capable, how long has it been since he left the Elder Hall? Adding it up, it was only an hour at most. In this time, he managed to whip the most rebellious students in the academy into obedience... Can anyone tell me what is going on? All of the elders felt dizzy. Chapter 326: Three Sentences Chapter 326: Three Sentences Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In the ssroom. Mu Xueqing was staring straight forward without blinking at all. She thought that Liuoshi would say something after calling her in, but he only got her to stand by in the corner while he continued to offer pointers to the other students one by one. "During your cultivation, do you feel a slight blockage when your zhenqi flows through your chest?" Walking up to a youngster, Liuoshi said. "Yes!" The youngster was shocked to hear Liuoshis words, but he still nodded. "The cultivation technique you took up at the start is [Tianwu Fundamental Form]. There isnt too much of a problem with your cultivation technique, but when you were trying to break through to the Zhenqi realm, you directed your zhenqi into the wrong meridian, causing a problem to ur with your body. Am I right?" "Thats right..." The youngster clenched his fist and nodded. That was true, but it was a matter of two years ago, and his previous teacher had already solved this trauma for him. "After which, you switched to [Four Tributaries True Martial Form]. This cultivation technique is slightly calmer than the former, and it did help to alleviate your problem. However, it doesnt solve the root of your problem, and as time went by, your hidden trauma worsened. Liuoshi looked at him calmly, "Listen to me, switch to [Eastern ze Art]!" "Eastern ze Art?" The corners of Mu Xueqings mouth twitched. That was the most violent cultivation technique Tianwu Academy had. Even ordinary cultivators had to be careful when practicing it, fearful that it might inflict some grievous injury on them. Given that the other party had already sustained a trauma, wasnt practicing this cultivation technique no different from courting death? "I..." the youngster also realized that something was amiss, and his face distorted in distress. "Rest assured, I am here. Nothing will happen to you!" Liuoshi gestured grandly. "Alright!" Clenching his teeth, the youngster nodded. Eastern ze Art couldnt be considered a valuable cultivation technique, and there was a copy in the ssroom. Taking the copy, the youngster flipped through it and started cultivating. Driving his zhenqi ording to the form written inside the manual, the youngsters flushed and paled at intervals, as though he was suffering from irrepressible pain. Just when Mu Xueqing thought that he would fail to hold on and his cultivation would go berserk, his aura suddenly rose. Boom! The sound of zhenqi exploding resounded, and the aura within the other partys body suddenly soared swiftly. "A br-breakthrough?" Mu Xueqing uttered with quivering lips. Unable toprehend the sight before her, her body trembled in shock. The other students also stared at the seemingly inconceivable sight with eyes widened as though a gong. As fellow peers who were together on a daily basis, they knew the situation of that youngster well. He had been stuck at his current cultivation realm for more than half a year without progressing at all. The previous teacher had tried many methods, and even Mu Xueqing had pleaded with her father for a precious pill for him... but it was all to no avail. His previous teacher said that he could only persevere and progress slowly. It would take at least two years before his cultivation could start to advance... in the end, just by getting him to change a cultivation technique, Liuoshi managed to induce a breakthrough in his cultivation... Did it have to be so exaggerated? "Do you find it difficult for you to harness your strength? It is because of your zhenqi..." Ignoring everyones shock, Liuoshi acted as though he had only done something insignificant and immediately went on to the next student. Ten minutester, the students aura also rose suddenly, and with a boom!, he broke through his bottleneck and achieved an advancement in his cultivation realm. Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! In less than four hours, all of the students in the ssroom had their cultivation raised significantly. This Liuoshi was as though an enlightened sage. With just a few words, he was able to point out the problems in their cultivation and resolve them. With a pale face, Mu Xueqings entire body stiffened. This sight was too shocking. Those who were weak-minded would have probably gone insane on the spot. Her father was a 2-star apothecary, and due to his esteemed standing, she had met with numerous star teachers and even master teachers! But even the master teachers she met werent so incredible as to get a person to achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation with just a few casual words... This waspletely beyond herprehension. "How could he be so incredible? He is... probably on par with Zhang shi..." Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, at this moment, Mu Xueqing felt nothing but reverence for Liuoshi. When she first heard of how this teacher inflicted physical punishment on a student, she was extremely angry, and she even found herself loathing him. Yet, after seeing the other party inducing a breakthrough in each of them with just a few casual pointers, she realized that he was an extraordinarily capable teacher He didnt pale inparison to her idol, Master Teacher Zhang Xuan. When did the academy recruit such a monster? Looking at the other students, Mu Xueqing trembled once more. The gazes they directed toward Liuoshi had changed as well--they were filled with admiration and respect. From the looks of it, even if she were to try to incite them to stand against him, none of them would listen to her. In less than four hours, he managed to surpass her position in the groups hearts... Even though this was all happening before her eyes, she couldnt help but suspect that her eyes were ying tricks on her. ... "Its your turn!" Disregarding the frenzied Mu Xueqing, Zhang Xuan walked up to another youngster. This was the final student in the ss, Lu Chong. He was currently at Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm primary stage. Upon seeing the teacher, the youngster didnt say anything. He simply sped his fist and stood silently on the spot. "Liuoshi, Lu Chong doesnt like to speak..." Meng Tao hurriedly walked up. "Un! I heard that his cultivation and family background are ordinary, and it is because he kneeled at the entrance of Tianwu Academy for seven days straight that an exception was made for him?" Recalling the information provided by the academy, Zhang Xuan asked. Most of the students in this ss had huge backgrounds, but this Lu Chong was an exception. The part on his background and family was vague, and the only thing detailed was that he had kneeled outside for seven days straight before his admission. "Yes!" Meng Tao nodded. "To be able to kneel for so long to be a student of the academy, you do have the tenacity. However, cultivation isnt all about tenacity!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Without a doubt, the student before him was the most stoic student in the ss. However, despite having being admitted into the academy for two years, he had only managed to progress from Pigu realm primary stage to Dingli realm primary stage. "The cultivation technique you are currently practicing is Frost Martial Technique, right?" Zhang Xuan continued looking at Lu Chong. The youngster nodded silently. "Please dont me him, Liuoshi. He is like that. We have been together for more than two years, but he hasnt spoken more than three sentences..." Seeing how the fellow was still reluctant to talk, Meng Tao quickly exined awkwardly. "Oh? He hasnt spoken more than three sentences in two years?" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly, "I will make him speak more than three sentences now!" Meng Tao was taken aback, and the others expressed their disbelief as well. Even Mu Xueqing couldnt help but shake his head. This Lu Chong was no different from a mute. Even her, as Tianwu Academys famous beauty, was unable to pry his mouth open. The previous teacher also failed to make him speak as well. If not for the fact that they had heard him speak before, they would have thought that he was mute! He hadnt even spoken three sentences in two years! To make him speak more three sentences now? How was that possible! "You all dont believe me?" Sensing the crowds disbelief, Zhang Xuan asked. Then, he turned to the youngster before him and asked him as well, "You dont believe me as well?" Lu Chong was still silent. "Fine then..." Not minding it, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and said, "If you were to cultivate on like that, you wont even reach Pixue realm in ten years. At this rate, you will be dead before you can... exact your vengeance!" "Exact vengeance?" Everyone was taken aback. Why did Liuoshi suddenly bring up exacting some vengeance? They had been with Lu Chong for two years, but they had never heard that he had a grudge against anyone! Just when they were perplexed over the matter, they saw the seemingly mute youngster suddenly turning pale, and his body trembled in agitation. "Tea-teacher, how did you know that my goal is to exact vengeance?" "You dont have to bother how I know of it! Your vengeance is both a motivation as well as a hindrance to your cultivation. You are suppressing your worries too deep within, and it has suppressed your cultivation, making it difficult for you to achieve a breakthrough. I know that the reason you refuse to speak is because youre afraid that you might identally speak of your enemys name and make them aware of your existence." Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Dont worry, as long as you believe in me, I promise you that you will be able to exact your vengeance within ten days!" "Ten days?" Lu Chong found his words hard to believe, "This enemy... is a Tongxuan realm expert..." He was only at Dingli realm primary stage whereas his enemy was a Tongxuan realm expert. There was a huge gap between the two, and it couldnt be covered that easily. Let alone ten days, even five years would be insufficient for him to catch up! "Its your choice to choose whether you want to believe me or not! However... You only get this one chance!" Zhang Xuan said. "I..." Conflicted, Lu Chong hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. His knees caved in and putong!, he kneeled on the floor. "Liuoshi, please guide me..." "It has been more than three sentences..." Hearing the duos conversation, everyone flew into a frenzy. ... Near the Master Teacher Pavilion, in a grand residence. "Liu shi, how long will it take before teacher finishes his 2-star master teacher examination and returns?" Zhao Ya asked. "I dont know either. Ive tried looking into the affair at the Master Teacher Pavilion this morning, and based on what Ive got, he has already left the capital to conduct the mission, and they estimated that it would take at least ten days!" Recalling the answer from the Master Teacher Pavilion, Liu Ling replied. "That is quite long..." Zhao Yas eyebrows furrowed into deep creases. "Ten days isnt really long, it depends on how you look at it. How about I bring you all around Tianwu Royal City so that you all can expand your horizons?" Seeing the bitter look on the faces of Zhang Xuans students, Liu Ling chuckled. "Expand our horizons? Sure! Where are we going?" Yuan Taos eyes lit up. Tianwu Royal City was a city far grander than any of those in Tianxuan Kingdom. He had already wanted to explore the city, and upon hearing Liu shis words, he could no longer hold back his excitement. "Why dont I bring you all to Tianwu Academy first? That is the greatest academy in the thirteen surrounding kingdoms, a sacrednd for cultivators. From time to time, the master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion would head there to conduct lectures. It might be good for you to take a look around there!" Liu Ling pondered for a moment before replying. "Master teachers conduct lectures there as well?" "The greatest academy?" "Zhang shi would take a minimum of ten days anyway, it would be good to take a look!" ... Upon hearing that master teachers would conduct lessons there and that it was a sacrednd for cultivators, everyone was moved. "Furthermore, I heard that Tianwu Academy promotes a free learning environment, so we can enter the lesson of any teacher freely without reporting in advance. It would be good for you to listen to the lectures of other teachers as well!" Liu Ling smiled. "Alright!" Hearing that they could listen in to any lessons they wanted, the crowd was excited. Thrilled, Zhao Ya and the others immediately set off for Tianwu Academy. Chapter 327: Teacher, I Was Wrong! Chapter 327: Teacher, I Was Wrong! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Teacher, can I... really exact vengeance within ten days?" In the one-to-one tutoring room, Lu Chong kneeled before Zhang Xuan. Until now, he still found the situation hard to believe. Shouldering a debt of bloodshed, he had never told anyone about his burden, and he never expressed it either. In order to prevent himself from revealing it in his dreams or such, he even feigned a mute. He was confident that he had hidden it well. But this Liuoshi was able to conclude that he was shouldering a huge grudge just by hearing of his past affairs and his cultivation state. His capability was way too fearsome! More importantly... the other party promised him that he would be able to exact his vengeance within ten days! His enemy was a Tongxuan realm cultivator! If it was that simple, he wouldnt have to cultivate as though his life was at stake for the past two years! "Since I have promised you as such, I have my own ways. However... my method will be excruciating, and whether you can take it or not will be up to your will!" Zhang Xuan looked at the youngster. He was extremely satisfied with this student of his. In order to learn under a teacher to raise his cultivation, he was willing to kneel for seven days straight; for fear of revealing his secret, he pretended to be mute for two years straight. Regardless of which it was, it was a clear sign that he had strong mental fortitude and a resolute will. His talent might not be anything much, but as long as he was groomed properly, his cultivation would definitely soar. It was just a matter of time before he surpassed Mu Xueqing. Otherwise, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have said that much to him. When epting students, he valued mental fortitude and will more than anything else. As for talent, with his capability, it didnt mean anything to him. "As long as I can have my revenge, I am willing to suffer any kind of pain!" Lu Chong clenched his fists tightly. His eyes were determined. "Alright!" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stared at him with deep eyes. "Theres a special upation which none is willing toe in contact with or bring up. Have you heard of poison masters?" "I have!" Lu Chong nodded. He had wanted to learn the art of a poison master back then, but he didnt have the connections to look for the Poison Hall. "Teacher, could it be that..." Lu Chong hesitated for a moment before asking doubtfully. Wasnt poison master a job which was looked down on by the others? Could it be that Liuoshi was a poison master? Or did he want to impart to him the skills of a poison master? "I am not a poison master, and I wont teach you that either!" Seeing through his thoughts, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I have a way that can raise your strength swiftly, but it will require the use of poison. Even though it wont be detrimental to your future cultivation, you will have to suffer excruciating pain. Furthermore, if you fail to endure it, you will die." What he was referring to was the method to cultivate the Poison Body which he saw in the books in the Poison Hall. Once one managed to sessfully cultivate the Poison Body, not only would one be immune to the toxicity of poisons, ones strength, spirit, and agility would be enhanced significantly as well, granting one significantly higher fighting prowess. Other than the Heavens Path Divine Art, the only way to raise his strength immensely within the limited time he had was this. Usually, when poison masters cultivated the Poison Body, they would consume poison and this would affect their longevity. Back then, the reason why Gu Mu sustained a trauma was due to this as well. However, after theption of the Library of Heavens Path, the detriments to the cultivation method had been reduced to the bare minimum. Even so, without the support of Heavens Path zhenqi, it wouldnt be easy to cultivate it. One would have to suffer a great pain. Since Lu Chong possessed strong mental fortitude, it was worth a try. Perhaps, he might produce outstanding results. "Regardless of how much pain it puts me in, as long as it allows me to exact vengeance, I am willing to give it a try!" Lu Chongs eyes were filled with resolve. He only had this one opportunity. While he was cultivating, his enemy wasnt resting either. Given his talent of only a single rise in a cultivation realm every two years, it was impossible for him to ever surpass the other party. Since this Liuoshi said that he could give him the strength to exact vengeance within ten days, he was willing to believe in the party. He had seen with his own eyes how his fellow peers grew visibly stronger under his guidance. No matter how foolish he could be, it was obvious that he was a person of great means. Seeing the resolve in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Then, with a deep and slightly cold voice, he warned, "The cultivation technique that I am about to impart you must not be leaked to anyone. Otherwise, even if I dont do anything, you will suffer a recoil from your zhenqi and you will die tragically!" "Yes!" Lu Chong nodded. Raising a hand, he swore, "I, Lu Chong, swear to never impart the cultivation technique and secret arts Liuoshi impart me to anyone else, and if I were to break my vow, may my soul dissipate!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan tapped on an acupoint on Lu Chongs body and discreetly sent a surge of zhenqi into his body. The cultivation technique he was imparting to the other party was too powerful. If it were to leak out, it would bring trouble to him, as well as the world. Even though the other party had sworn to it, he himself needed to prepare a countermeasure as well. After his study and research of poison, his Heavens Path zhenqi was capable of turning into a tonic or a poison with a single thought. If the other party were to seal his mouth tightly, this surge of zhenqi would clear away all of the obstacles lying in his meridians and raise his cultivation. However, if he were to abuse his strength, this surge of zhenqi could also have him killed in an instant. "Cultivating the Poison Body requires theplementation of poison. I dont have such medicinal herbs on me at the moment, so I will impart the cultivation technique to you tomorrow! However, I will teach you another technique that can strengthen your physical body. You should learn it well as a strong physical body is required to withstand the lethal poison!" After making preparations, Zhang Xuan looked him in the eye and said, "I will only recite the cultivation form once. How much you remember and understand will depend on your ability. Dont let me down!" "I wont let teacher down!" Lu Chong nodded. "Very well, this physical body enhancement technique..." Zhang Xuan started exining. The technique he was referring to was the Heavens Path Golden Body. Of course, he imparted the simplified version which he imparted to Zhao Ya and the others as well. Cultivating the Poison Body required ones body toe into contact with lethal poison. If ones body wasnt strong enough, it would be hard for one to hold on. Even though this Heavens Path Golden Body was inferior to the one which Zhang Xuan cultivated, it was still a product of the Library of Heavens Path and it mustnt be underestimated. As long as one cultivated it seriously, it wouldnt be a problem for one to grow stronger swiftly. "... and this is what we call aplete body!" Soon, Zhang Xuan finished reciting the cultivation form. "Teacher, thank you for your bestowment!" After hearing the form of the technique, Lu Chongs body trembled and his face flushed in agitation. Having studied in Tianwu Academy for two years, he had seen quite a few cultivation techniques and he also knew of a few physical body enhancement technique forms. Compared to the one which Liuoshi had just taught him, they were all trash. At the very least, this technique was at Phantom pinnacle or above! If Liuoshi were to auction it, it would definitely fetch an astronomical sum. Even the Tianwu royal family would go in a frenzy for it... It was such a valuable technique, yet Liuoshi taught it to him without asking for anything... This was a huge debt which he would never be able to repay. "You should start cultivating!" Ignoring the other partys agitation, Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Yes!" Knowing that teacher didnt like to waste his words, Lu Chong hurriedly sat on the floor and started cultivating. Following the Heavens Path Golden Bodys form, Lu Chong drove his zhenqi on a specific path in his body, and after a moment, he felt an extremelyfortable and rxing sensation gush through his body; all of the traumas he had sustained before instantaneously disappeared. "Incredible!" After an unknown period of time, a cracking sound echoed in the muscles throughout Lu Chongs body, and his strength rose significantly. Hu! Lu Chong opened his eyes. At this moment, he felt as though he harnessed boundless strength in his body. "Un, not bad. You managed to achieve Minor Aplishment within two hours. This shows that you have a good foundation!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. For revenge, the other party was willing to take all kind of pain, so he must have trained his body for this goal as well. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to reach Minor Aplishment for the simplified version of Heavens Path Golden Body within two hours. "You can go out now. Your other ssmates are probably anxious for you!" After he was done with the cultivating the physical body enhancement technique, Zhang Xuan pushed the door and walked out. It had been more than two hours since the duo entered, and the students outside were probably anxious from waiting already. ... In the ssroom. "Liuoshi said that... he would grant Lu Chong the strength to defeat a Tongxuan realm expert within ten days. Do you think that... it is possible?" Until now, that student was unable to believe it. "I dont know either. However, judging from how Liuoshi was able to help us achieve breakthroughs in our cultivation just by giving us a few casual pointers, I doubt that his discernment is inferior to that of a master teacher!" "I have heard the lessons of a master teacher before, and it is only slightly deeper than the lecture of our previous teacher. Compared to Liuoshi... I think that their lessons arecking!" "Indeed... is he really just an ordinary teacher?" Discussions sounded in the ssroom. Initially, they harbored deep hostility toward this teacher. However, the moment he started guiding them, everyone immediately realized that they had met with a good teacher and fell to his side. "At Tongxuan realm, ones strength exceeds 100 ding, granting them the might to easily split open a tree. Lu Chong is currently only at Dingli realm primary stage, and that is two whole realms away from Tongxuan realm... how can he possibly reach Tongxuan realm in ten days under such conditions?" Mu Xueqing shook her head. She was at Pixue realm, and she knew how difficult it was to raise ones cultivation. It would already be incredible if Lu Chong could reach Dingli realm intermediate stage within ten days. To advance two whole realms and match a Tongxuan realm expert... To her, it sounded no different from boasting. "Indeed..." Meng Tao nodded as well. Back then, it took him an entire year of effort to advance from Dingli realm primary stage to advanced stage. To reach Tongxuan realm within ten days... he didnt think that it was possible either. Jiya! Just when they were discussing, the door suddenly opened and Liuoshi and Lu Chong walked out. At this moment, Lu Chong looked spirited, and his eyes were filled with energy. Explosive power could be felt from his body, and it felt like the mighty waves in the ocean, exerting great pressure on the one looking at him. "Dingli realm... pinnacle?" Upon sensing his aura, Mu Xueqing and Meng Tao fell silent. Their eyes grew so wide that they were about to pop out from their eyes. How long had it been since he entered the room with Liuoshi? To advance from Dingli realm primary stage to pinnacle in two hours... The duo felt like spurting blood. Compared to him, their cultivation speed was no different from a snails. It took them several months before they could see a slight progress in their cultivation, yet Liuoshi simply brought Lu Chong in for just a while and he had already broken through two smaller realms... Did it have to be that exaggerated? Furthermore, they were oblivious to the fact that Lu Chongs simplified Heavens Path Golden Path had granted him the strength exceeding that of an ordinary Dingli realm pinnacle! Adding his physical strength along with that of his zhenqi, he possessed an astounding might of five ding! An ordinary Dingli realm pinnacle could only wield a might of four ding. "This... this is too incredible... Senior, I think it is best that you admit your mistake. It is impossible to find such an incredible teacher anywhere else..." Suppressing his shock, Meng Tao hurriedly sent a telepathic message to Meng Tao. Halfway through his words, Meng Tao realized that the other party wasnt responding. Thinking that his seniors proud nature was acting up again, he hurriedly turned around to persuade her, but the unexpected sight before him nearly caused him to faint. Putong! The iparably arrogant Little Demoness Mu Xueqing who would never admit her mistakes was already kneeling before Liuoshi with an earnest expression on her face. "Teacher, I am in the wrong... please forgive me! I will do whatever you ask of me in the future. I wont disobey you ever again! Even if that genius Master Teacher Zhang Xuan were toe over, I will disregard him as though he is just mere air!" "..." Zhang Xuan. Chapter 328: Brawl of the Two Ladies Chapter 328: Brawl of the Two Ladies Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Stand up!" Even though he felt dismayed at Mu Xueqings words, Zhang Xuan walked over to help her up. He didnt intend to quarrel with a student over this affair. The only reason why he threatened her with expulsion was to warn her so that she would listen obediently in the future. Due to her consumption of pills from young, the pill poison had already permeated deep into her body, blocking her meridians tightly like shackles. He needed her unreserved trust to clear away the impurities in her meridians. Thus, he intentionally gave her the cold shoulder so that she could think it through and cherish this opportunity. If she was willing to grasp this opportunity, Zhang Xuan didnt mind saving her. However, if she decided to remain obstinate, Zhang Xuan didnt think of it as a huge loss either. At worst, he would just lose a student. If he wanted, he could easily groom students with cultivation surpassing hers within ten days. "Even though there is poison in the pills, it isnt a severe problem. Otherwise, the standing of alchemists wont be that high either!" Zhang Xuan exined, "Your cultivation method has the effect of swiftly propelling the medicinal energy through your body, allowing it to take effect swiftly. However, at the same time, it also causes the pill poison to be absorbed into your body swiftly as well, thus causing your condition to be so severe. Over the years, the pill poison umted in your meridians, making it difficult to expel it!" "Write down your cultivation technique, I will modify it for you. As long as you cultivate ording to it, the pill poison that has sunk into your body should be expelled in less than ten days and you will experience a rise in your cultivation as well!" Pill poison was a difficult problem for even a 4-star master teacher. However, given that Zhang Xuan had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Artthe cultivation technique closest to perfectionit wasnt too difficult for him to solve it. "Yes!" Not daring to hesitate, Mu Xueqing quickly copied down her cultivation technique on a piece of paper. After taking a look at it, he did a few modifications before passing the paper back to her and instructing her to cultivate ording to it. An hourter, Mu Xueqing felt a refreshing sensation gushing through her body. The shackles which seemed to be binding her body before seemed to have been released, and a rxing feeling surged to embrace her body from within. In fact, she even managed to achieve a small breakthrough in her cultivation, opening up another acupoint. Sensing the change in her body, Mu Xueqing finally understood how incredible this Liuoshi was. Instantaneously, she was filled with gratitude for him. "Alright, well end the lesson here. You all may leave now!" After settling Mu Xueqings issue, Zhang Xuan casually waved his hands. The crowd nodded and left the ssroom. Leaving the ssroom, the group could no longer suppress the excitement in their hearts. "Liuoshi is simply too formidable! After his guidance, I realized that my cultivation method was entirely wrong. If I were to cultivate ording to his instructions, I will surely be able to reach Dingli realm in less than three months!" "Its the same for me as well. After cultivating ording to the form teacher gave me, I feel rxed all over, and my strength is also progressing swiftly. I didnt expect that a problem I didnt think much of would weigh me down so much. "This is what a truly incredible teacher is like! Did you notice that we actually know about the things he had pointed out, but we have never thought of putting them together..." "I thought that the academy would send another mediocre teacher over, but to think that Liuoshi would be this formidable..." ... Everyones eyes were glowing. Even though it hadnt been long since they met with their new teacher, they were alreadypletely amazed by him. "To be able to raise our cultivation with just a few casual pointers, even master teachers might not possess such capability!" Hearing the groups discussion, Meng Tao couldnt help but add in. "Indeed! Ive had the honor of meeting with several master teachers, and I even once obtained Pavilion Master Jiangs Tutge Jade Token and listened to two hours of his lecture. His lecture was impressive, but he was stillckingpared to Liuoshis precise guidance!" Mu Xueqing nodded. Due to her family background, she hade into contact with numerous master teachers from young, to the point that she had even listened to Pavilion Master Jiangs lesson before. However, his guidance wasnt as spot-on as Liuoshis, thetter pointing straight to the crux of the problem and allowing one to improve immensely once they corrected it. "Even Pavilion Master Jiangs lesson isckingpared to his? Does this mean that our Liuoshis teaching ability is already above that of a 2-star master teacher?" Meng Tao asked in disbelief. "Not only Pavilion Master Jiang, I think that the genius Master Teacher Zhang Xuan also pales inparison to him! He only managed to cause a huge uproar in the master teacher examination due to his talent... the cultivation of his students arent anything much. Based on what Ive heard, they are all at Dingli realm, and even the strongest of them was only at Pixue realm!" Mu Xueqing continued. "If he was really as proficient in teaching as Liuoshi, how could his students be so weak?" With a new idol, Mu Xueqing was no longer blinded in her reverence for the genius master teacher. Recalling the news she had heard, she made aparison between Zhang Xuan and Liuoshi, and arrived at this conclusion. Master Teacher Zhang Xuan was a talented individual, but in terms of teaching, it was impossible for him to match up to Liuoshi. Otherwise, how could his direct disciples be so weak? One had to know that Liuoshi had imed that he could make Lu Chong defeat a Tongxuan realm expert within ten days. Regardless of how short the duration when Master Teacher Zhang Xuans students had been with him, it was definitely more than ten days. It was clear who was the superior one. "Who did you say was mediocre in teaching? I dare you to repeat your words!" Mu Xueqing had just finished speaking her piece when a cold voice sounded out behind them. Turning around, they saw an incredibly beautifuldy who was around Mu Xueqings age standing in the distance. Her eyebrows were knitted tightly together in displeasure. Upon seeing thisdy, Mu Xueqing, who always prided herself on her looks, couldnt help but gasp in admiration. However, envy soon welled up in her. "What business of yours is it whomever I speak of?" Mu Xueqing harrumphed coldly. She was the Little Demoness who feared nothing at all. She might have be an obedientmb facing Liuoshis authority, but if a random stranger thought that she could climb over her head, then she must be dreaming! "Did you just say that Master Teacher Zhang Xuan is mediocre in teaching, and his students are weak?" The beautifuldy opposite to her stared at her with eyes burning with fury. "Why? Have I said anything wrong? There is nothing to be said about Zhang shis talents, but the students he taught are truly ordinary. Just by looking at their cultivation, one can tell that his teaching abilities are subpar!" Mu Xueqing was a person who favored the carrot over the stick. Even though she revered Zhang shi a lot, she couldnt help but retaliate verbally upon sensing the threat thedys voice. "You... since you said so, lets not waste any words. Do you dare to duel with me!?" Thedys face steeled and she gritted her silver teeth. "Duel with you?" Mu Xueqing was taken aback. She must be sick! She only casually said that Master Teacher Zhang Xuans lessons couldntpare up to Liuoshis, yet thisss was acting as though she had killed her entire family. What in the world was she up to? However, as the Little Demoness and one of the top students in the entire Tianwu Kingdom, she couldnt back down a duel! "Lets fight then, do you think that I will be scared of you?" Harrumphing coldly, Mu Xueqing flung her sleeve. "Senior..." seeing the Little Demoness flying to a rage, Meng Tao and the others were shocked. They hurriedly tried to stop her. On the other hand, anotherdy beside the beautifuldy looked a little worried as well. "Zhao Ya, Liu shi told us not to cause any trouble..." the female said feebly, worried that they would get into trouble. "Wang Ying, they have already insulted our teacher, are we to tolerate it?" A young man stepped forward. With a flick of his wrist, he whipped out the spear behind his back, and the joints of the spear started fixing itself together. "Indeed, we cant tolerate it. They have insulted our teacher and us. So what if this is Tianwu Academy?" A plump-faced fatty stepped forward. They were Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others who came to Tianwu Academy for a leisurely stroll. They had been walking around Tianwu Academy, and the grandeur of the top academy of the thirteen surrounding kingdoms had indeed left them stunned. After walking for an entire afternoon, just as they were about to return, they heard someone insult Zhangoshi! How could they watch by the side as the respected figure in their hearts was being sullied? They could tolerate being insulted themselves, but they couldnt allow anyone to insult Zhangoshi! In their hearts, Zhangoshi was an existence equivalent to a god. What Liuoshi and Jiang Chen... all of those meant nothing to them at all! "I..." Seeing Zheng Yang and Yuan Tao fervently supporting Zhao Yas decision, Wang Ying hesitated for a moment before nodding her head, "Alright!" Zhang Xuans five students always had a fearless personality. Otherwise, they wouldnt have dared to challenge Lu Xun publicly during the Teacher Evaluation. Even though they were at Tianwu Academy, and they had no connections or backing here, they couldnt forgive the fact that someone had dared to insult their teacher. "There is a sparring ring right in front. Whoever loses must apologize to the other party!" Zhao Yas pitch-ck hair flew in the air, and in an instant, she felt as though a pure and valiant goddess. "Do you dare to ept the challenge?" "What is there to fear? Rather, Im afraid that you will go back on your words when you lose!" Mu Xueqing didnt back down at all. "Then cut the crap, lets go!" Zhao Ya couldnt be bothered to argue with the other party, and she began to walk toward the dueling ring. As an academy for cultivators, Tianwu Academy had average-sized sparring rings throughout the entire campus to allow students to spar with one another and raise their cultivation. "Whats wrong?" "It seems like Little Demoness Mu Xueqing is sparring with someone!" "Sparring with someone? Who would be so daring as to fight with her? Zhao Wuxing? Or is it Liu Changyan?" "It isnt them... I havent seen the other party before either. It is an extremely beautifuldy, so beautiful that I couldnt believe my eyes!" "The battle between two beauties? I have to take a look then..." ... Sensing the strong smell of gunpowder between the duo, the other students, who were walking leisurely around the campus, were immediately roused and innumerable people gathered around the sparring ring. Mue Xueqing was both beautiful and strong, and she had always been in the center of attention in the academy. Not to mention, thedy she was facing was even more beautiful than her. In an instant, the attention of the entire academy was focused on this duel. Large circles of crowd gathered around the sparring ring. "Shes indeed beautiful!" "That... why havent I met her before?" "She must be new. Otherwise, given her beauty, it is impossible for me to not have heard of her!" ... Upon seeing Zhao Ya, the eyes of the student poption lit up. After triggering her Pure Yin Body, her disposition and appearance became refined, and she stood out from the typicaldies. In an instant, she attracted everyones gazes, and the eyes of many male students were glowing. "Damn it..." Seeing those male students directing furious res at her, Mu Xueqings face steeled, and she was about to explode with fury. In the past, regardless of where she went, she was the center of attention. But at this moment, her spotlight was being stolen by some otherdy. How could she take this lying down? "If I dont leave your smash your head until you even forget your own name, Ill forsake my surname..." Clenching her jaws forcefully, Mu Xueqing clenched her fists tightly. Chapter 329: Duel Agreement Chapter 329: Duel Agreement Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Zhao Ya, even though there isnt much to be said about the other partys character, she isnt weak. You must be careful!" Zheng Yang stepped forward and told Zhao Ya with a hushed voice. "Un, dont worry!" Zhao Ya responded. After Zhangoshis guidance yesterday, she opened up another ten acupoints. Even though thedy before her wasnt weak, she could only be considered to be on par with her. When ites down to it, it was hard to say who would lose. Hu! Leaping forward, Zhao Yanded lightly on the sparring ring. Staring at Mu Xueqing with her ck beady eyes, she gestured with her hands and said, "Lets begin!" "Hmph!" Refusing to back down, Mu Xueqing leaped onto the sparring ring as well. She unleashed her might, which had just risen from her breakthrough just a moment ago, and strength gushed through her as though a flowing river. "Its beginning!" "The battle between the two beauties..." Seeing the two beauties facing each other on the sparring ring, the crowd immediately fell silent, fearful that they would interrupt their concentration. "I will make you apologize!" With a clear thud, Zhao Ya pushed against the floor and charged forth. At the same time, a howling aura which bore some reminiscence to the gleam of a sword shrouded her arms. "The one to apologize will be you!" Refusing to yield, Mu Xueqing also charged forward. Peng peng peng peng! Soon, the duo had already traded blows several times. As Pixue realm cultivators, the might of their blows caused a violent sonic boom to burst in the air. "Incredible! Where did thisdye from? Despite her young age, she is actually able to match Mu Xueqing!" Amidst the crowd, a young man looked at the battle with a perplexed expression. It was the student who was ranked first in the student tournament, Zhao Wuxing. "I have no idea as well. It seemed as though she suddenly appeared today!" Beside him, another person looked at the stage with a doubtful expression as well. If Mu Xueqing saw this person, she would definitely recognize him as the one who was ced second in the student tournament, Liu Changyan. Despite being the two most famous students in the academy, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan couldnt hold back their curiosity to spectate the battle. "Who do you think will win?" After looking for a moment longer, Liu Changyan chuckled. "In just a few days, Mu Xueqings cultivation has improved, and the restraint in her movements has also disappeared, causing her fighting prowess to soar greatly. Even though thedy she is facing is using inferior battle techniques, her movements were forceful. Furthermore, there seems to be some kind of frosty aura to her moves, making it difficult for one face it head on... I cant really say for sure who will win!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Wuxing said. As the number one student in the entire academy, his eye for such matters was astonishing. However, regardless of whether it was their cultivation or their means, the twodies on the sparring ring seemed to be on the same level. He couldnt say for sure who would win either. Liu Changyan nodded in agreement. Then, he suddenly frowned, "Thatdy who abruptly appeared has a strong foundation, but why are her battle techniques so weak? All of the moves she has used were at intermediate-tier Mortal or so. If her battle techniques were slightly more advanced, she might have won already!" "Indeed!" Zhao Wuxing was also perplexed by the sight. These two beautifuldies had both reached Pixue realm. As long as they wished, they could easily ess the high-tier or even pinnacle Mortal battle techniques. To still be using intermediate-tier Mortal at her cultivation realm, that was indeed a littlecking. If not for the frosty aura in her body limiting the other partys movements, rendering Mu Xueqing unable to gain on her, she would have already lost. "This isnt good!" Zheng Yang and the others could also see the problem. Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body granted her a huge advantage against cultivators of the same cultivation realm. However, as the battle techniques she knew were still limited to the level of Tianxuan Kingdom, there was still a huge distance between both parties. More importantly, it had only been two months since Zhao Ya advanced from Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm to Pixue realm. The rapid rise in her cultivation caused her tock actualbat experience. On the other hand, as the Little Demoness who had caused innumerable storms in Tianwu Academy, Mue Xueqing had plenty of battle experience. Lacking battle techniques and battle experience. If not for her overwhelmingly powerful physical constitution and her powerful zhenqi, she would have already lost by now. "Dont panic. Even though Zhao Ya iscking in practical battle experience, it isnt that easy for the other party to triumph over her!" Liu Yang said. Back then, Zhao Yas physical constitution could even suppress Lu Xunoshi. No matter how powerful thisdy was, could she be stronger than Lu Xun? "Dont worry. Once she gets used to the tempo of the battle, it will just be a matter of time before she defeats the other party!" Zhao Yas disadvantage was due to hercking battle experience. As the battle continued on, Zhao Ya would slowly get used to the flow of the fight, and by then, it wouldnt be difficult for her to defeat the other party. "Damn it!" Since the crowd below was able to realize this, naturally Mu Xueqing could notice it as well, and her face steeled. Even though she wasnt the strongest female in her age group in Tianwu Kingdom, she wasnt too far from it. She thought that it should have been easy for her to teach ass younger than her a lesson, but never in her dreams did she expect for the other party to be this formidable! When did such an incredible freshman appear in Tianwu Academy? "If this continues to drag on, given how condensed her zhenqi is, I will surely lose. I have no choice but to use that technique!" Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth, and a ferocious glint appeared in her eyes. Even though the other party was in a disadvantageous position at first, as time went by, she found the tables being slowly turned on her. In the end, her cultivation was forcefully pulled by pills, so her zhenqi was still a little thin. "Hmph!" Harrumphing lightly, Mu Xueqing frowned. Her aura suddenly surged, and she released a forceful punch. "Its Apothecary Mus [Fallen Flower Fist]!" A grim look appeared on Zhao Wuxings face. "Fallen Flower Fist?" Liu Changyan turned to Zhao Wuxing and asked. "Indeed. Its a high-tier Phantom battle technique. Its said that when Apothecary Mu reached Zongshi realm, in remembrance of his dead wife, he created this technique. There is a total of three moves to this technique, and every single one has overwhelming strength. Even Mo Hongyi was filled with praises for it!" Zhao Wuxing stared at thedy on stage andmented, "To think that Apothecary Mu would pass this technique onto his daughter and that she would have already mastered the first move!" "High-tier Phantom battle technique? Techniques of such level are rare even in the capital, the otherdy Mu Xueqing is facing is in trouble!" Amazed, Liu Changyan nodded his head. Even in Tianwu Kingdom, a high-tier Phantom battle technique was considered to be top-notch. On top of that, the otherdy wascking in good battle techniques, making it difficult for her to withstand this move. As they expected, facing the savage pressure from the other party, Zhao Yas face warped in shock. "I have to go all out!" Gritting her silver teeth, she knew that she would definitely fall in defeat if she were to continue executing normal moves. Thus, with a bellow, she pumped her zhenqi furiously through her veins. She was putting her all into this single move. Peng! The Fallen Flower Fist met her palm. Deng deng deng deng! The duos faces reddened, and they retreated seven to eight steps consecutively before fresh blood spurted from their mouths. It was a draw! "Zhao Ya!" "Senior!" Zheng Yang and Meng Tao dashed up to the stage. "Seems like I have underestimated you. It is a draw today, but do you dare to fight against me three days from now?" Flinging her arms, Mu Xueqing pushed Meng Tao and the others aside before ring at Zhao Ya coldly. "So be it! If you lose at that time, you have to apologize!" Zhao Ya stared back at her as well. "Apologize? I only said that Zhang shi isnt good at teaching, what business of it is yours?" At this, Mu Xueqing suddenly realized something and she froze. "It cant be that... you all are Zhang shis students?" "Thats right! He is our teacher! Your action of insulting him is equivalent to insulting all of us!" Zhao Ya replied. "I see!" Finally understanding the reason why the other party was so furious as to challenge her to a duel, Mu Xueqing shook her head. "I am also filled with respect for Zhang shi, just that... I am being objective here. In terms of teaching, I can guarantee that our Liuoshi is definitely superior to your Zhang shi!" "Liuoshi? Ive never heard of him!" Zhao Ya shook her head. Then, with a proud look, she dered, "Our Zhangoshi is definitely the best in teaching! No one is able to match up to him!" "You..." Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth. "Since none of us is willing to concede, then let our fists do the talking! Lets meet again three days from now on, and whoever loses has to admit that their teacher is inferior to the other partys teacher! Do you dare to ept my challenge?" "Why wouldnt I dare to ept your challenge?" Zhao Ya nodded. "Fine, its a deal then! Lets go!" Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Mu Xueqing flung her arms, turned around and left. It hadnt been long since she came into contact with Liuoshi, but she felt grateful to the other party for solving the trauma in the body and raising her cultivation. Given that a student of Zhang shi was challenging his prestige, she felt a need to guard his honor! She wanted to let people know that even though Liuoshi wasnt a master teacher, he was in no way inferior to a master teacher! "Lets go!" Zhao Ya also left with Wang Ying and the others. "These few people are Zhang shis students?" "This is a huge affair..." "Ive heard of Zhang shi! Hes the genius who broke all of Genius Mo Hongyis records, taking over his position as the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom! No wonder thatdy was so incredible, she is his student!" Upon learning that Zhao Ya and the others were Zhang shis students, the crowd below broke into amotion. Those students who harbored ideas on Zhao Ya immediately vanquished all of their thoughts. Master Teacher Zhang Xuan was a rising figure in the city, and many influential powers were eager to build a connection with him. Laying hands on his students was no different than suicide! "Right, isnt Mu Xueqings teacher Bai Fanoshi? Who is Liuoshi?" "You still dont know about it? Bai Fangoshi has already left the academy, and this Liuoshi is a teacher who was just recruited today!" "Just recruited today?" "Thats right. I was in charge of attending to the interviewees, so I personally saw the scene back then. That Liuoshi is indeed a capable teacher..." ... The student recounted the events during the public recruitment. "With a single word, he fixed a students aversion to studying, and with a beating, he fixed a students violent tendencies?" "You must be joking! Theres actually such a person in the world?" After hearing those words, the crowd was dumbfounded. They couldnt help but doubt that the other party was lying to them. "Its true!" The student said indignantly. "You all know Mu Xueqings personality as well. If its not true, how could she be willing to fight with another person for him when she has onlye into contact with him for such a short period of time?" "This..." "Now that you speak of it, I suddenly thought of something. When I met the students in their ss this morning, their cultivation didnt seem to be that high yet. How in the world was all of their cultivation raised in just a few hours?" "That..." "Could this really be due to Liuoshis guidance? For him to be so formidable, who in the world is this Liuoshi?" The more the crowd discussed, the more curious they were about Mu Xueqings new teacher. "Ah choo!" After leaving the ssroom, just as Zhang Xuan was walking on a pavement, he suddenly sneezed. Perplexed, he rubbed his nose. Whats wrong? Did I catch a cold? Chapter 330: Physician Guild Chapter 330: Physician Guild Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Not long after Mu Xueqing and the others stepped out of the ssroom, Zhang Xuan left as well. To raise Lu Chongs cultivation in the shortest time possible, he had to purchase sufficient medicinal herbs to concoct the poison. It was impossible for him to obtain these herbs just by waiting in the academy. "There are only two sources where one can obtain medicinal herbs. The herb kings and the Physician Guild!" Zhang Xuan contemted as he proceeded forward. Herb kings referred to wholesaler of medicinal herbs, and the Great Herb King of the Red Lotus City was thergest wholesaler in the thirteen surrounding kingdoms. "If Tianwu Royal City has a herb king, Bai Chan and the others wouldnt have to go through so much effort to travel to Red Lotus City to purchase medicine... I better head to the Physician Guild!" Given how Bai Chan and the other physicians traveled all the way to Red Lotus City to purchase medicinal herbs, it was clear that there was no herb king in Tianwu Royal City. Even if there was, it was unlikely for him to have a wide variety of herbs. Since that was the case, Zhang Xuan decided to head for the Physician Guild straight. The Apothecary Guild and the Physician Guild both expended huge quantities of herbs on a daily basis. The pills the former forged were mostly rted to raising ones cultivation, and thus, the medicinal herbs they possessed were mostly tonics and Spirit medicinal herbs. On the other hand, thetter concocted medicine with the purpose of saving and treating others, and poisonous herbs frequently appeared in their prescriptions. Therefore, it was more likely thattter would possess the poisonous herbs that Zhang Xuan was looking for After asking around in the academy, Zhang Xuan soon found out where the Physician Guild was located. It wasnt too far from Tianwu Academy, and he arrived at its doorstep within an hour. The Physician Guild wasnt as grand as the Master Teacher Pavilion, but still, it wasrger and more imposing than the Painter Guild. Upon walking into the lounge, Zhang Xuan immediately saw a group of people lining up neatly within. There were apprentices seated at the front diagnosing the patient. It was quite simr to the hospitals in his previous life. Walking around the crowd, Zhang Xuan walked up to the reception and a youngdy in her twenties walked up to wee him with a sweet smile. "May I know what gongzi hopes to enquire..." "I wish to buy some medicinal herbs!" Zhang Xuan said. "You wish to buy some herbs?" Thedy hesitated for a moment before asking politely, "Can you show me your prescription?" "Prescription?" He was just here to buy medicinal herbs, so how could he possibly have something like that? "You can only buy medicinal herbs with a prescription..." Seeing the confused look on the other partys face, thedy frowned. "Where can I obtain a prescription?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Physicians and apprentices have the right to issue a prescription!" Thedy looked at Zhang Xuan with a bizarre gaze, "However, apprentices can only issue prescriptions consisting of low-tier medicinal herbs. If you wish to purchase high-tier medicinal herbs, you will have to look for a physician!" To dare toe up here to buy medicinal herbs when you dont even know where to get a prescription from... It is fortunate for you that my temper is good, otherwise you would have already been kicked out as a troublemaker! "Oh, the medicinal herbs I want to buy cant be considered as high-tier but they are still quite rare. I will recite them for you, so can you tell me whether I should look for an apprentice or a physician to issue a prescription?" Seeing the long queue before the apprentices and a longer one before the physicians, Zhang Xuan decided to rify everything properly before deciding on a course of action. He didnt want to leave in disappointment after lining up for several hours at the apprentice queue only to realize that the other party was unable to issue the prescription. "Alright!" Thedy nodded. "I want to buy White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, Wolf Venom Grass..." After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan listed out over a dozen medicinal herbs. Before he could finish his words, thedys eyes widened intorge circles. rmed, she took a step back and knocked a bronze gong. "Guards, someone is causing trouble..." "..." Zhang Xuan. Hula! A few armored guards rushed over. "Ya Rou xiaojie, whats wrong?" The guard leader was a tall and bulky man. With a physique as though a steel tower, his presence exerted a huge pressure on those around him. Tongxuan realm expert! "That man is causing trouble..." Receptionist Ya Rou pointed. "Cough cough..." Zhang Xuan didnt expect that he would be taken for a troublemaker when he only intended to purchase medicine. Shaking his head, he said, "I am a teacher of Tianwu Academy, I am really here to buy medicinal herbs!" After which, he shed an emblem indicating his identity as a teacher. He didnt want to be thrown out from the guild despite having only entered a moment ago. "Oh, so its Liuoshi. Pardon our disrespect!" After taking a nce at the emblem, the guard leader sped his fist. He then turned to Ya Rou and asked doubtfully, "What is going on?" Tianwu Academy was known as the sacrednd for cultivators, and the teachers possessed immense prestige in the capital. No one dared to look down on them. Since the other party was a teacher, it was unlikely that he would cause trouble here given his esteemed standing. "He... Despite not having a prescription, he said that he wanted to buy prohibited medicinal herbs like White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, and Wolf Venom Grass. If this isnt causing trouble, what else is...?" Not expecting that this ignorant fellow to be a teacher of Tianwu Academy, Ya Rou was taken aback for a moment. However, she soon recovered and exined the situation. "Buying prohibited medicinal herbs?" After hearing the reason, the guard leader turned to Zhang Xuan, "Liuoshi, medicinal herbs like the Wolf Venom Grass possess lethal poison, and thus, the guild deems them as prohibited herbs. Even with a prescription, we arent allowed to sell them to you. Unless... Unless a physician vouches for you personally, otherwise it will be impossible to purchase those herbs!" "Im unable to purchase those herbs even with a prescription?" "Yes! These prohibited medicinal herbs possess lethal poison, and in order to prevent people from abusing these medicinal herbs to conduct vile deeds, the guild decided to impose strict rules on their distribution. I seek your understanding on this matter." The guard sped his fist and exined respectfully. If not for the fact that the other party was a teacher of Tianwu Academy, he would have thought that he was here to cause trouble as well. Despite knowing nothing at all, to head to the guild to purchase prohibited medicinal herbs... He sure was brazen! "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He could understand the rationale behind their actions. In his previous life, some of the more potent medicine, such as sleeping pills, werent avable to the general public even with a prescription. They were simply trying to prevent widespread use of these lethal medicinal herbs, which could potentially cause unrest in the city. "Since Liuoshi understands this matter, I have to ask you to leave and not make things difficult for us..." Seeing that the other partyprehended their plight, the guard leader continued. However, before he could finish his words, the young man before him knitted his eyebrows tightly together. With a helpless expression, the other party shook his head, "Seems like... I have to try taking the physician examination then. Sigh, to think that even purchasing medicinal herbs would be such a hassle..." "Taking the physician examination?" "Purchasing medicinal herbs would be such a hassle? Upon hearing those words, Ya Rou and the guards nearly keeled over. Physician was one of the higher ranked upations of the Upper Nine Paths. As such, the difficulty of the examination was extraordinary. Despite not even being an apprentice, not to mention how you didnt even know that a prescription was required to purchase medicinal herbs, how could you boast so arrogantly that you are going to take the physician examination? Furthermore, for you to do so just to purchase medicinal herbs... Brother, will you die if you act a little humbler? Ya Rousplexion immediately turned awful. She had seen many braggarts before, but she had never seen one who was capable of bragging to the stars. Even if you dont know that a prescription is required to purchase medicinal herbs, you should at least know that taking the physician examination requires an in-depth knowledge of medicinal herbs! To not even know that the White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, and Wolf Venom Grass are prohibited medicinal herbs... and you still wish to take the physician examination? You must be joking! "Liuoshi, the physician examination isnt as easy as you think..." The guard leader was infuriated by how lightly the other party was taking the upation, but in consideration of his identity as a teacher of Tianwu Academy, he suppressed his anger and tried to exin the matter to him. "Un, I understand! How can bing a member of an upation of the Upper Nine Paths be easy?" Zhang Xuan nodded. Hearing the other partys words, the guard leader nodded, thinking that the other party had given up on the idea. However, upon hearing the words that followed behind it, he staggered and nearly spurted blood. The young man looked at him with a serious face and asked, "So... may I know where the physician examination is held?" To not even know where the physician examination is held... and you still want to take the examination? "Its at the Physician Hall over there..." The guard leader was seething with rage, but he still managed to hold himself back. Pointing to the front, he replied with a trembling voice. Looking toward where the other partys finger was pointed, Zhang Xuan saw a huge hall, and a que ced on top of the entrance that wrote Physician Hall! "Alright, thank you. May I trouble you to prepare the medicinal herbs that I just spoke of? I wille and im them after Im done with the physician examination!" Upon knowing the location, Zhang Xuan instructed the receptionist, Ya Rou, before heading over. "Braggart!" Upon seeing the other party leave, Ya Rou could no longer hold herself back and harrumphed with clear disdain in her voice. She was already absolutely certain that this fellow was here to wreak havoc. Otherwise, who would attempt the physician examination despite knowing nothing at all? "He does seem somewhat unreliable. Given the prestige associated with being a physician, how can it possible for anyone to pass the examination that easily?" The guard leader shook his head as well. It is one thing if you have studied the Way of Medicine before, but to not even know where the physician examination is held and that a prescription is required to purchase medicinal herbs, it cant be clearer to see that you are a newbie! And yet, you still want to take the examination... Arent you underestimating this upation a little way too much? "That may not necessarily be so. I recall that theres a person in our guild who managed to pass the 1-star physician examination despite not being an apprentice!" A guard spoke up. "Oh, youre speaking of 3-star Physician Mu Hong? He is an exception. Havinge from a lineage of physicians, he has been learning the Way of Medicine since young. He possesses true ability, thats why hes able to pass the 1-star physician examination straight!" The guard leader said. The other party was right, there was indeed an exception in the guild. It was the famous Physician Mu Hong. Even though Physician Mu Hong had never taken any examination prior to passing his 1-star physician examination such that he wasnt even an apprentice then, he had been apanying his father on diagnosis and treatment runs and he was already famous by then. "He is just an arrogantd, how can he bepared to Physician Mu Hong?" Ya Rou harrumphed coldly. Physician Mu Hong had begun learning Way of Medicine from young, and by the age of thirteen, he was already treating patients by himself. Even though he had never taken the examination prior to that, he practically grew up in the Physician Guild and he was well aware of everything here. On the other hand, that fellow clearly knew nothing at all. Given the foolish and ignorant look on his face, and how he didnt even know of the prohibited medicinal herbs... how could the two of them possibly be the same? "But no matter what, the other party is a teacher of Tianwu Academy. I dont think that he willplete not care for his reputation like that!" The guard leader said. "This..." Ya Rou fell speechless. The standing of a teacher was beneath that of a physician, but due to their rtionship with master teachers, it was an esteemed upation as well. As an official teacher of Tianwu Academy, it was unlikely for him to abandon his pride to cause trouble at the Physician Guild. "He might really possess true ability!" "Indeed, its possible that he might, like Physician Mu Hong, pass the 1-star physician examination straight and amaze everyone!" The two guards held deep respect for teachers. "Now that you speak of it, it isnt entirely impossible..." Hearing the analysis of the others, Ya Rou hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. Just as she was about to continue speaking, the young man who just left a moment ago returned and asked sheepishly. "May I know... what procedures are there to the physician examination? Also, what books do I have to read?" "..." Ya Rou. "..." The guards. Trantors Thoughts StarveCleric StarveCleric I have one extra edited chapter at hand so Illunch a challenge. Post a phrasemonly used in the series that you find interesting, and if one of them receives a hundred likes by today, Ill post another chapter. Chapter 331: Challenging the Guild Leader? Chapter 331: Challenging the Guild Leader? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Initially, they thought that the other party might really possess true capability as it was unlikely that a teacher would cause trouble given their esteemed standing. However, after hearing the other partys words, they realized... They were overthinking it! To not even know the procedures to the physician examination, the heck was he taking the examination for!? Suppressing his anger, the guard leader said, "Liuoshi, since you dont even know the procedure for the physician examination, I think... it is better for you to just drop the matter..." "Drop the matter?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, "I dont want to take the examination as well, but you just told me that it is impossible to buy those medicinal herbs if Im not a physician! Alright, you just have to tell me what is tested on the physician examination, Ill settle the rest!" The crowd tugged on their hair. We dont want to bother you either... Just that, dont you think that you are going a little too far, attempting to take the physician examination despite knowing nothing at all? However, since you are so adamant to shame yourself, well wash our hands clean of this matter then... Displeased, theplexion of the guard leader darkened further. Even so, he still exined the procedures of the examination, "Simr to the examinations of other upations, the physician examination tests ones theoretical knowledge and practical skills... After you enter the Physician Hall, there will be some specialized personnel to bring you around..." Hearing those words, the young man nodded, turned around, and walked to the Physician Hall. "Physician Hu, the one in charge of the Physician Hall, detests this kind of ignorant examinee who banks on sheer luck to pass. That fellow is probably in for a round of misfortune!" "I thought that teachers will at least conduct themselves with propriety in consideration of their standing. But from the looks of it, it seems like I was expecting too much... To not even know the procedures of the physician examination, how can he possibly pass the examination?" "Indeed! If it was so easy to be a physician, there wouldnt be just thirty physicians in the entire city!" ... Seeing how that fellow walked into the Physician Hall despite knowing nothing at all, everyone shook their heads. The guard leader initially thought that the other party might truly possess true capability. However, upon realizing that the other party was truly ignorant, he felt disdain toward the other party as well. It was often said that the academys teachers were respectable and modest. After seeing this teacher, he realized that it was all bullshit! Have you seen a person who would dare to take the physician examination despite not knowing a single thing at all? "Alright, Ya Rou xiaojie, we will continue our patrol. See youter..." Eventually, the guard leader sped his fist and prepared to leave. But just as he was about to leave, the ground beneath him suddenly shook. A loud chime reverberated within the Physician Guild. Dong! It seemed to originate from a huge bell, and under the deafening reverberation, even the ground tremored. "Whats going on?" "Ive got no idea, but it sounds like it came from the Physician Hall!" "Physician Hall?" "That seems to be the case..." ... After hearing the sound, the patients who were lined up for a diagnosis burst intomotion. In contrast to the confusion of the patients, the guard leaders face turned ghastly pale, and he began to tremble uncontrobly. With a fearful voice, he uttered, "This fellow... it cant be that he barged into the [Wall of Dilemma]..." "Wall of Dilemma? Whats that?" Ya Rou asked doubtfully. She was just a front receptionist. While she was roughly aware of the rules surrounding the physician examination, she didnt know the specific tests on the examination. "The Wall of Dilemma... is a ce where the incurable illnesses are recorded... The illnesses that no one in the Physician Guild has been able to cure for the past century!" The guard leader seemed as though he was about to cry. "The illnesses that no one in the Physician Guild has been able to cure for the past century? Even a 3-star physician like Mu Hong?" Ya Rou was taken aback. In their Physician Guild branch, the most skilled physician was 3-star Physician Mu Hong! If the illnesses that no one could cure were recorded on the wall, didnt that mean that even 3-star Physician Mu Hong was helpless before them as well? "Indeed..." The guard leader nodded his head, "Not just him, the physicians in our guild for the past few generations had been unable to do so as well. Thats why it is called the Wall of Dilemma..." "If thats the case, why do you look so worried? Since its a ce where difficult illnesses are recorded, it shouldnt be a problem for him to enter, right?" Ya Rou was perplexed. She thought that it was a huge affair. In the end, didnt that teacher just enter the ce where difficult illnesses were recorded? At most, the teacher could just back off after realizing his ignorance. As the guard leader of the Physician Guild, do you really need to be trembling uncontrobly like this over such a small matter? Ya Rou wasnt the only one, the other guards were bewildered as well. Their leader had always been a calm person. Taking the encounter from a moment ago as example, even though he was infuriated by the other partys arrogance, he still remained calm and responded to his queries patiently and politely. Why would someone as calm as him be so nervous upon finding out that the other party had barged into this Wall of Dilemma? "You all dont know what that ce represents..." Seeing the casual look on everyones faces, the guard leader shook his head. "What that ce represents?" "Thats right! The Wall of Dilemma is a ce... where only the guild leader of each generation is qualified to enter! Entering such a ce means to challenge the incumbent guild leader for his position!" With pale, trembling lips, the guard leader exined. "Challenging the guild leader... for his position?" Everyone felt their vision turning dark. What in the world was going on? Why would barging into the Wall of Dilemma equate challenging the guild leader? "Written on the Wall of Dilemma are problems that had stumped the physicians of the guild for a long period of time." Seeing the doubt in everyones eyes, the guard leader smiled bitterly and exined, "In order to be the guild leader, one has to possess medical skills far surpassing the others so as to win the respect of the entire guild!" Everyone nodded. It was natural that one had to possess skills far surpassing other members to be a guild leader of an upation! "Unlike cultivation, the Way of Medicine isnt something that can be quantified. You cant simply gauge a persons medical skills by how long the treatment takes. After all, aplete treatment involves many aspects such as the post-recovery care and checking whether any trauma was inflicted in the process of the treatment... A person might be able to treat a patient within two days, but in the end, he might only be treating the symptoms rather than the root of the problem, thus leaving room for the illness to make aeback. On the other hand, another physician could take a whole month to treat the same patient but he could be treating the root of the problem instead..." Everyone nodded in agreement. The strength of a cultivator could be easily gauged via a fight. But for physicians, it was harder to quantify ones ability. Different physicians had different specializations, and the fastest treatment might not necessarily be the most effective one. This was even more so when the two physicians were around the same level. "Thus, the Physician Guild came up with a way to determine if a physician was superior to anotherthe Wall of Dilemma!" The guard leader continued, "Recorded on the wall are the most difficult problems the physicians of the guild have faced throughout the years, and only those who intend to challenge the current guild leader would enter its premise. The more problems one solve, the more advanced ones medical skill is deemed to be, and thus, the easier it will be for one to gain the respect of the entire guild! If one couldnt even solve a single problem, it will be taken as that the other party was causing trouble and challenging the guild leaders authority. As such, that person will be punished!" "This..." Everyone blinked their eyes as they came to a realization. It was no wonder why he was so anxious. Despite knowing nothing at all, the other party barged into the Wall of Dilemmaan action taken as a challenge against guild leader. If he were to fail to solve any of the problems listed, he would be subjected to a severe punishment. On the other hand, they, who had misled him, might be implicated as well. "But since the illnesses listed on the Wall of Dilemma are problems that no one in the guild is able to solve, even if he were to answer them wrong... No one should know of it, right?" After a moment of silence, Ya Rou asked. Since it was a wall full of questions that no one could solve, no one should be able to say for sure whether a persons answer was right or wrong! Even if that fellow were to answer randomly, he might just be able to smoke his way through. "If only it was that simple..." The guard leader smiled bitterly, "The Wall of Dilemma is a unique Spirit artifact that is linked to the headquarters. If someone challenges the Wall of Dilemma, a 4-star physician on the other side of the wall will check the answer personally. If he deems it to be correct, an orange glow will appear on the wall; if he deems it to be wrong, a red glow will appear instead!" "Linked to the headquarters?" "Glow?" Everyone was stunned. If that was the case, it was impossible for that Liuoshi to falsify his results. Given how ignorantly that fellow acted just now, red glows would only appear again and again, and then... it would be the end of them! "Then that bell is..." Ya Rou asked. "That bell informs the entire Physician Guild that someone has triggered the Wall of Dilemma to challenge the guild leader..." At this, the guard leader froze and pointed forward, "Were done for..." Looking toward where his finger was pointed at, the edges of everyones mouths twitched. More than a dozen of the top echelons of the guild were currently walking toward them. "Guild Leader Mu Hong, 3-star Physician Du Rao, Physician Cheng Feng..." Every time a name was called, Ya Rous eyebrows would twitch once. They were all figures in the upper echelon of the Physician Guild. The chiming of the bell had summoned all of them here! For someone to challenge him... it was clear how awful the Guild Leader Mu Hongsplexion would be. "What happened?" Guild Leader Mu Hong immediately walked to the Physician Hall and asked imposingly. "Reporting to the guild leader, a person has just entered, and he seems to be challenging... the Wall of Dilemma!" An apprentice who was done diagnosing a patient replied. He didnt see the situation clearly, but after hearing the bell, he heard a thing or two from the discussions in the surroundings. "Challenging the Wall of Dilemma?" Guild Leader Mu Hongs eyebrow twitched. Someone was eyeing his seat! "Who is it?" "I... I didnt get a good look at him. However, he seemed to came from over there so the front receptionist might know something!" The apprentice hesitated for a moment before replying. "The receptionist? Call those guys over!" Guild Leader Mu Hong instructed. Ya Rou and the guards had no choice but to walk over with tearful faces. "Speak, what happened? Who is the one who challenged the Wall of Dilemma?" The guild leader spoke authoritatively. "Reporting to the guild leader, its a teacher from Tianwu Academy who goes by the surname of Liu..." The guard leader trembled in fear, but he mustered his courage and answered. "A teacher who goes by the surname of Liu?" Physician Mu Hong blinked, "Why would a teacher enter the Wall of Dilemma?" "He is here for the physician examination, so we directed him to the Physician Hall... We also have no idea how he managed to enter the Wall of Dilemma..." The guard leader said with a quivering voice. "He is here for the physician examination? How many stars is he? To challenge the Wall of Dilemma, is he a 3-star physician? But this doesnt make sense..." Guild Leader Mu Hong frowned as he contemted over the matter. Since the other party dared to challenge the Wall of Dilemma and him, he had to be at least a 3-star physician, but when did... such an incredible physician appear in Tianwu Academy? "3-star?" The guard leader nearly fainted. "Reporting to the guild leader... he doesnt have a rank yet, and he isnt even an apprentice!" "He isnt even an apprentice? And yet, he dares to challenge me?" A dark line streaked across Physician Mu Hongs forehead. "Is his medical skills outstanding?" "Outstanding..." The guard leader cried. "It... its possible that... he doesnt know medicine at all!" Chapter 332: Perfect Solution Chapter 332: Perfect Solution Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "He doesnt know medicine at all?" Guild Leader Mu Hongs body trembled. To dare to challenge him despite not knowing the slightest thing about medicine at all... When did the position of a guild leader be so cheap? "What happened? Exin everything to me clearly!" With aplexion so dark that it seemed as though one could squeeze ink from it, he bellowed. "It... its like that..." The leader of the guards and Ya Rou exined the situation with Liuoshi in detail to Guild Leader Mu Hong. After hearing the words of the duo, regardless whether it was Mu Hong, Du Rao, Cheng Feng, or the other physicians, they were all dumbfounded. How could there be such an entric person in the world... To manage to stumble into the Wall of Dilemma like that, wasnt he lucky! "Guild Leader, given that he has triggered the Wall of Dilemma, connection with the headquarter must have already been established. What should we do now?" Physician Cheng Feng asked. Upon the activation of the Wall of Dilemma, a bell would chime and the Wall of Dilemma would attempt to establish connection with the headquarter. Most likely, a 4-star physician would have already been stationed on the other side, waiting to assess the challenger. If they were to intrude into the test halfway, it was highly probable that they would incur the ire of the headquarters. "What else can we do? We can only wait here until hes done. Since he doesnt even know the slightest thing about medicine, he would surely be unable to answer any of the questions. Once he fails, well teach him a lesson and kick him out!" Mu Hongsplexion looked awful. Challenging the Wall of Dilemma didnt just undermine his authority and sully his prestige... More importantly, the headquarter would be rmed of this farce as well! To allow such an ignorant oaf to challenge the Wall of Dilemma... Just the thought of what the headquarter would think of them made Mu Hong tempted to kill the other party... For such a blemish to appear on a Tier 1 Kingdom Physician Guild, could the situation be any more darned... "Yes!" Knowing that the guild leader was truly enraged over this matter, the crowd didnt dare to even breathe loudly. "Can we see the results of the Wall of Dilemma from here?" While a gloomy atmosphere was looming in this area, there was huge bustle over at the apprentices and patients side. The apprentices had finally understood what was going on and they immediately put aside their work to observe the abrupt situation out of curiosity. "Un!" One of the more knowledgeable people in the crowd nodded. "The Wall of Dilemma of the Physician Hall is constructed with a unique material simr to that used in the examination hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion. If the challenger inside were to submit an erroneous answer, the exterior wall of the room will sh red. On the other hand, if a correct answer is submitted, an orange glow will appear. Furthermore... there are different tiers to the answer as well!" "Tiers?" "Thats right. Different techniques and medicinal herbs used in the treatment of the same illness would yield different effectiveness. As such, treatment methods can be ssified as Subpass, Pass, Good, and Excellent. A ray of orange light represents Subpass, two rays represent Pass, three rays represent Good, and four rays represent Excellent! Back then, Guild Leader Mu Hong consecutively solved four illnesses on the Wall of Dilemma, and on top of that, every single treatment method he submitted ended up inducing three rays of orange light, dazzling the entire Physician Hall. It was truly an unforgettable sight for all that was present back then..." Recalling that incredible scene back then, the faces of a few veterans of the guild reddened in agitation. Those illnesses were problems that had remained unsolved by the geniuses of the guild throughout the years. Those problems might not be anything much to those 4-star physicians of the headquarter, but to Tianwu Kingdom, they were questions of absurd difficulty! Guild Leader Mu Hongs feat of solving four questions with three orange rays of light each had left everyone both awestruck then. "Guild Leader Mu Hong sure is incredible!" "Indeed!" "Given how that fellow who just barged in knew nothing at all, a red light will probably appear very soon..." Discussions could be heard around the room. Weng! Suddenly, the wall of the Physician Hall trembled, and an imposing aura emanated from it. "That fellow has just finished answering a question on the Wall of Dilemma, and the physician on the other side is currently checking it. I think hell be in for a round of misfortune soon..." Halfway through his words, that persons eyes suddenly widened. A reverberation echoed in the room, and he suddenly froze. The wall before him emanated a bright light, but it wasnt red... It was orange! "How is this possible? Did he answer it correctly? But... how can that be? These questions have remained unsolved over the course of so many years, and innumerable 3-star physicians had attempted them only to end in failure. How could he possibly seed? Isnt he an ignorant oaf who knows nothing at all...?" Rubbing his eyes, that person stared at the sight before him in disbelief. "It seems like not only did he provide a correct answer, it seems to be... above the level of Subpass..." A voice sounded among the crowd. After which, before the light on the wall could fadepletely, another burst of light took its ce! The two rays of light ovepped with one another, filling the room with tremendous brilliance. Weng! Before everyones gaze of disbelief, the wall shook once more and yet another ray of light burst forth. For a moment, it was as if a sun had descended upon the room, blinding everyones eyes with its radiance. Three rays! Four rays! Five rays! A total of five rays of orange light had appeared from the wall! "This is... Perfect! A perfect answer..." Upon seeing the sight, the mouths of a few veterans in the room twitched. They were renderedpletely speechless by the sight. It wasmon knowledge that there were only four levels to a treatment method: Subpass, Pass, Good, and Excellent! But in truth, there was another level that few knew about, a level that only existed in the legends. A treatment method of that level was capable of solving an illnesspletely in the shortest period of time while using the most inexpensive andmon medicinal herbs! It was known as Perfect Treatment Method. Such treatment methods possessed absurdpatibility with the illness that not the slightest side effect would be derived from the treatment. Compared to this, all other treatment methods were no different from dirt. However, such level of treatment method existed only in the legends. In the several thousand years of history since the establishment of Tianwu Kingdom, no one had ever heard of the existence of a Perfect Treatment Method! Yet, not only did that ignorant oaf actually managed toe up with such a treatment method... Are my eyes ying tricks on me? "Five rays of orange light?" "What in the world is going on?" "A Perfect Treatment Method?" The entire room burst into an uproar. Upon seeing this sight, Guild Leader Mu Hong felt a little light-headed. He immediately turned to Ya Rou and the guard leader and red at them. The heck! Didnt you say that the fellow who went in was an ignorant fellow? Exin to me what is going on...! "I..." Tears streamed down the face of the guard leader. Brother, I thought you didnt know anything at all? How in the world did you manage to solve the incurable illnesses of the Wall of Dilemma? Furthermore... for it to induce five rays of orange light, a Perfect Treatment Method? "He... he... is probably just lucky. Perhaps he will fail at the next question..." Biting his tongue, the guard leader could only force his way through. However... before he could finish his words, the wall shook once more. Weng weng weng weng weng! Another five rays of orange light burst into the surroundings once more. "Another Perfect Treatment Method?" "What the heck is he!" ... Seeing the second instance of five rays of orange light, another huge uproar exploded in the hall. The guard leader felt a stinging sensation on his face, and he nearly spurted blood and died from frustration. He had just said that the other party was only lucky when the other party immediately overthrew his words with his actions. Even if you are so eager to p my face, surely you dont have to do it so quickly... Weng weng weng weng weng! However, that wasnt the end of it yet. The light grew brighter and brighter, and the intervals between them grew shorter and shorter. It was as if they had stepped into a festive firework celebration; wave after wave of orange light assaulted their vision. "Three times!" "Four times!" "Five times..." "Eighteen times..." ... It was only less than an hour since the appearance of the first instance of the five rays of orange light, and it had already appeared consecutively for another seventeen times. Slowly, the shock grew into numbness. Guild Leader Mu Hongs lips quivered. At this point, he was already on the verge of tears. He thought that he could already be considered as a genius given how he induced three rays of orange light for four times. He thought that no one in Tianwu Kingdom would be able to match his feat. However, after seeing this sight... he realized that his aplishment was truly nothing at all! The other party doesnt know medicine? What a joke! If the other party doesnt know medicine, then what do I count as? Am I worse than an ignorant oaf? "Guild leader..." Seeing Mu Hongs current state, the guard leader called cautiously after noticing thetters daze. "Guild leader your head! I am no longer the guild leader, that fellow inside is!" Mu Hong flung his sleeves furiously. As long as ones result in the Wall of Dilemma surpassed that of the previous guild leader, one would automatically take his ce. Mu Hong had only managed to induce three rays of orange light four times, but the other party had achieved the level of Perfect for eighteen times straight. At this point, there was already no way to dispute this! In other words, that fellow inside was already the guild leader! "Yes..." The mouth of the guard leader twitched, and he hurriedly shut his mouth fearfully. He was afraid that this Physician Mu Hong would go on a rampage and kill him on the spot if he were to speak any further. "H-he..." Ya Rou shuddered fearfully. She felt so much regret that her guts were turning green. If only she knew that the fellow inside possessed incredible medical skill that was superior to even that of the guild leader, she would have never dared to act so rudely to him! Considering how disdainfully she treated him at the start, it was about time for her to resign from her job and go into hiding. In contrast to the gloomy atmosphere floating around Guild Leader Mu Hong and the others, the majority of the crowd in the hall was rowdy, excited by this incredible sight. "Five rays of orange light! All eighteen of those solutions are a Perfect Treatment Method!" "To be able to see such a formidable physician ovee the Wall of Dilemma, I feel like I havent lived my life in vain..." "Hurry up and inform the old master! Wasnt his illness listed on the Wall of Dilemma? There is finally a cure for him..." ... Themotion slowly crescendoed as everyones eyes burned with excitement. The exnations and descriptions from the apprentices and veterans had given them a rough idea of the current situation. To actually solve eighteen difficult illnesses listed on the Wall of Dilemma, and on top of that, for all of them to reach the level of Perfect Treatment Method, the medical skill of the person inside had already surpassed the capability of a 3-star physician! It was a huge benefit to have such an incredible physician in Tianwu Kingdom. After all, no matter how much money they had, if they couldnt find a sufficiently capable physician to treat them, it would be for naught. ... "There are only a total of twenty questions on the Wall of Dilemma. Could he really... solve all of them in one go?" Putting aside his dismay, Physician Mu Hong stared at the wall before him intently. Other people might not be aware of how many questions there were on the Wall of Dilemma, but as the previous guild leader and someone who had challenged the Wall of Dilemma, it was natural that he was aware of the situation on site. Even though these questions had umted over several centuries, every seeding guild leader would always strike a few questions off the wall, leaving only a total of twenty questions. The other party had already solved the eighteenth, and every single answer was on the level of Perfect. Could this fellow really solve all twenty questions in one go? "Impossible... The final question is an illness who no one was able to solve in the past several centuries. It is impossible for him solve it..." Recalling the final question, Mu Hong clenched his jaws. Even though the other illnesses were difficult as well, this concept of difficult was only limited to Tianwu Kingdom. To the physicians in Xuanyuan Kingdom or other more advanced regions, those problems were nothing more than a walk in the park. However... the final question was an illness that stumped even the physicians of Conferred Kingdoms! It was an extremely rare and troublesome illness. Rumor has it that a 5-star physician had once attempted to find a solution to the illness, but in the end, he wasnt even able to find the root of the problem, leaving him at a loss to even where he should start. Weng weng weng weng weng! Just as his thoughts were wandering around, orange rays of light filled the hall once more. The neenth question was also solved with a Perfect grade. "Its down to thest question now..." Physician Mu Hongs breathing quickened. Chapter 333: We Dont Know Either Chapter 333: We Dont Know Either Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric A middle-aged man was seated on the lofty throne within Tianwu royal pce. The emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Tianxue! "You say that someone challenged the guild leader in the Physician Guild, and that he solved neen consecutive questions on the Wall of Dilemma?" Mo Tianxue was staring at a guard in disbelief. He was well aware of the fact that the questions on the Wall of Dilemma were difficult illnesses which had baffled innumerable genius physicians over the years. Even if a 4-star physician came, he would definitely be unable to solve all of them in a single go. Yet, a seemingly unimpressive fellow had solved neen sessive questions. On top of that, his solutions were on the level of Perfection... This is insanity! "It is the unmistakable truth!" A gray-robed man sped his fist respectfully. This gray-robed mans aura was rather irregr, but one could still tell that he was a Zongshi realm expert. Those who were familiar with the kingdoms workings would definitely recognise his identity as a member of the most secretive army in Tianwu Kingdom Shadow Squad! The Shadow Squad was an organization directly controlled by Mo Tianxue, and they often carried out unhonorable missions in the darkness. With such a huge affair at the Physician Guild, all of them rushed to the royal pce in first time to inform the emperor of the news. "To be capable of solving so many questions on the Wall of Dilemma and provide perfect treatment methods over and above all, that persons mastery in the Way of Medicine has most probably already reached the standard of a 4-star or even 5-star physician!" Mo Tianxue clenched his fists tightly. "Indeed. If he were to offer his services to the kingdom, the traumas that ur in the guards training would be resolved easily. Perhaps, with his help, Your Majesty might even be able to achieve a breakthrough to reach that level!" The gray-robed man said. "Youre right!" Mo Tianxues eyes lit up. Then, with an anxious look, he asked, "Have you found out who he is?" There was no such thing as a perfect cultivation technique. As such, all kinds of traumas would appear in ones cultivation. Even though most of them do not pose a threat to ones life and do not affect ones ability to exert their strength, it locks down ones cultivation, making it difficult to progress further. If one can solve his traumas, there is a high possibility that he will be able to advance another step in his cultivation. But of course, that is only a possibility. After all, a physician is only capable of treatment. Unlike master teachers, a physician is incapable of offering pointers for one to achieve a breakthrough. Even so, resolving ones trauma would extend ones longevity and make one more spirited. This is also the reason why physician is one of the top upations of the Upper Nine Paths. "We have already looked into the matter. His name is Liu Cheng, and he is a newly recruited teacher in Tianwu Academy! At twenty-four this year, his cultivation is at Tongxuan realm primary stage. He passed the teacher examination in Quanhai Citys Teacher Guild, and he once took a ss at Quanhai City for a year! Here is his information!" After which, the gray-robed man passed a piece of paper over. The fact that the Shadow Squad was able to gatherprehensive information on Liu Cheng so quickly bore testimony to their fearsome prowess. "Un!" Grabbing the paper, Mo Tianxue swiftly browsed through the contents. All kinds of personal information on Liu Cheng had been recorded on the document. The identity that the Master Teacher Pavilion created for Zhang Xuan was truly impable. There were no ws, and even the Shadow Squad was only able to gather this much. "To think that an ordinary teacher in Quanhai City would possess such astounding medical skills! Help me prepare another identical set of the gift that was meant for Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and as soon as he leaves the Wall of Dilemma, we will head over to greet him!" After browsing through his information, Mo Tianxue affirmed that there was nothing wrong with his background and he gestured excitedly. "The present for Zhang shi?" The gray-robed man was taken aback. As a close aide of the emperor, he knew how valuable the gift prepared for Zhang shi was. "Indeed! A talent of his level is already on par with Zhang shi. In fact, his usefulness surpasses even that of Zhang shi!" Mo Tianxue reasoned. "Yes!" The gray-robed man nodded. "Alright, lets go. Apany me to the Physician Guild!" After which, Mo Tianxue dismounted his throne and began forward without any hesitation. ... Tianwu Academy. Principal Xie was sitting gloomily alone in his courtyard. No matter who it was, it would be hard for one not to feel embarrassed getting criticized by a new teacher. "Principal, principal..." He was thinking of a way to vent his frustration when an elder rushed into his courtyard. "Whats wrong?" Principal Xie frowned. "That... Liuoshi went to challenge the Wall of Dilemma!" An elder said. "Challenge the Wall of Dilemma? To provoke Guild Leader Mu Hong, is there something wrong with that fellows head?" Principal Xies body swayed, and he nearly cked out. Instead of teaching your ss properly, what are you doing over at the Physician Guild? On top of that... challenging their Wall of Dilemma and provoking their guild leader, you must be mad! "He is truly a problematic teacher. Nevertheless, he possesses true capability and will be a pir of the academy in the future. We mustnt allow anything to happen to him!" The other party had embarrassed him in public, but as fellow teachers, he felt obligated to stand up for him. "Bring me my name scroll, I will visit Guild Leader Mu Hong now. Hopefully, he wont pursue the matter on my ount!" "No, thats not enough. Challenging the Wall of Dilemma is equivalent to an attempt to wrest authority from the current guild leader. Guild Leader Mu Hong wont allow this matter to simply rest... Lets go to the Master Teacher Pavilion to look for Pavilion Master Jiang. With his help, the situation should be much easier to resolve" Thus, Principal Xie stood up and prepared to rush to the Master Teacher Pavilion. "Cough cough... Principal, wait for a moment. Allow me to finish my words first..." The elder felt stifled. The principal had reacted violently after hearing a single sentence. He couldnt find a chance to cut into his words at all. "Whats the use of talking about it? I know Guild Leader Mu Hongs temper well, he will definitely fly into a rage upon seeing someone eye his position! Even though that Liuoshi is a little arrogant, he is still a member of our Tianwu Academy. We mustnt allow anything to happen to him. Otherwise, the pride of our academy will be sullied!" Principal Xie swung his hands and rushed out of the courtyard. However, barely after he took two steps, the elder stopped him. "Principal, allow me to first finish my words..." The elder felt faintheaded. Why are you so agitated? Cant you allow me to finish my words? "Speak! Can it be that... were already toote and that Guild Leader Mu Hong has alreadyid his hands on him?" Seeing the anxious look on the other partys face, an ominous omen loomed over his mind. Gedeng, Principal Xies heart skipped a beat. "Thats not it... Liuoshi has solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, and he provided a perfect treatment method for every single one of them... Right now, the entire Physician Guild is in an uproar!" Afraid that the other party would jump into conclusion once more, the elder spoke quickly. "Solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma? Provided a perfect treatment method for each of them..." Principal Xie was taken aback. It took him moments before he managed to digest the other partys words, and his eyes nearly popped out from its sockets. "You mean to say that... Liuoshi has already broken Physician Mu Hongs record and he is now the new guild leader of the Physician Guild?" "Yes..." The elder shed a bitter smile. When he first heard this news himself, he also felt as though the world had gone mad. His condition then wasnt any better than that of the current Principal Xie. "How-how-how is this possible?" Principal Xie froze in shock. ... Oblivious to the huge uproar he had caused, Zhang Xuan was staring at the final question on the Wall of Dilemma. The Library of Heavens Path could only reflect ws, it couldnt provide a solution to these ws. When a person is ill, it means that a w has appeared on him, resulting in his current condition. As long as one is able to identify the crux of the problem and work backward, it isnt too difficult to treat an illness. That was precisely the reason why even though the first neen questions had stumped many talented physicians, Zhang Xuan was able to solve them easily, providing perfect treatment solutions without thinking for long. "Innate Muscr Deficiency resulting in theck of strength in ones body and a lifespan of only twenty years. How do we treat this?" The final question carved on the Wall of Dilemma was just two short sentences, and it seemed to be simple. "Innate Muscr Deficiency?" With a will of his mind, a book appeared in Zhang Xuans head. Zhang Xuan had taken in a substantial number of books in the Master Teacher Pavilion. As physician was one of the top upations of the Upper Nine Paths, there was a substantial collection within. It just so happened that there was an introduction on the illness. "Innate Muscr Deficiency results in the stagnation of the growth in ones muscles. A person born with such a condition can only lie on the bed, unable to exercise or cultivate..." There was only a brief introduction to the illness in the book. There wasnt a solution provided. "Lets see whether there is any solution to it. ws!" cing his hand on the wall, Zhang Xuan thought. Weng! A book appeared in his mind. "Innate Muscr Deficiency refers to ack in strength in ones muscles. ws: An inborn damage in ones meridians..." On the portion of the book detailing the ws of Innate Muscr Deficiency, the locations of the damaged meridians, acupoints, and body parts were stated. "This..." With a nce, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze. "This illness is actually the opposite of the Heavens Path Golden Body?" He had never heard of the illness, but based on the ws, he realized that it bore striking resemnce to the cultivation method of Heavens Path Golden Body. That was to say, one could easily solve this illness through the cultivation method of Heavens Path Golden Body. "The Heavens Path Golden Body shouldnt be leaked out, but this is a part of the physician examination. If I were to answer this question inurately, I might not be able to be an official physician..." Feeling distressed, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. He didnt know about the Wall of Dilemma, and up until now, he still thought that he was only taking the physician examination. "Since I know the specific points where the ws appear in, as long as one uses zhenqi to nourish these few spots, the illness should still be treated even without the cultivation method of Heavens Path Golden Body!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly pped his forehead. All along, he had been thinking in the capacity of an individual, neglecting the fact that the zhenqi coulde from an external source. As long as he wrote down points that needed to be nourished with zhenqi and avoid mentioning the form in detail, the Heavens Path Golden Body would not be leaked. After all, the crux to all cultivation techniques lies in the form to propel ones zhenqi. "Alright!" After confirming the treatment, Zhang Xuan picked up a brush and started writing on the wall. ... "Itll probably be impossible for him to solve this question!" Physician Mu Hong stood stiffly before the Physician Hall with his hands clenched by his sides. The other party had already surpassed his feat, recing him as the new guild leader. No matter how depressed he got over this matter, this was already a fact. At this moment, all he wanted to know was whether this Liu fellow would be able to solve all twenty problems on the Wall of Dilemma with a Perfect grade. If that really happens, the Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild would gain great prestige because of this. However... Even 4-star physicians would be puzzled by the final question. Is it even possible for that Liuoshi to seed? Weng! Just as they were anxiously waiting for the result, the wall before them started to tremor once more. "The results are out..." Everyone waited with bated breaths. Physician Mu Hong stiffened in nervousness. Hu! A bright ray of light radiated from the wall. "Its... a ray of white light? What does white light means?" "Red light should indicate failure while orange light reflects a correct answer. Why would there be a white light?" Upon seeing the light, everyone became bbergasted. Even Physician Mu Hong widened his eyes in astonishment. The answers should either be right or right. In other words, the light should either be red or orange. For a white light to be emanated instead... What the heck? "Can the wall in the Physician Hall have spoiled?" "That should be impossible, right..." Everyone blinked in disbelief. "Wait, something seems to be appearing..." Just when everyone was overwhelmed with shock, someone from within the crowd shouted suddenly. Swiftly turning toward the smooth wall, four words slowly floated into appearance We dont know either! Trantors Thoughts StarveCleric StarveCleric Sorry to dy updates on a cliffhanger -_-"" Ive posted it on my Discord already but my editor and I have been rather busytely so do pardon us. I wont be able to guarantee updates for the next two days but rest assure that well make up for the chapters lost over the weekend~ Chapter 334: Guild Leader Chapter 334: Guild Leader Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "We dont know either? What does that mean?" "I have no idea too!" "It is said that answers to the Wall of Dilemma are appraised personally by 4-star masters... For we dont know either to appear, does that mean that... even 4-star physicians are unable to determine whether the answer Liuoshi gave is correct?" "That... cant be true, right? If thats the case, doesnt that mean that Liuoshis medical skill surpasses that of a 4-star physician? "This..." ... Everyone stared at the wall before them dumbfounded. The four words we dont know either left everyone faint-headed. The ones on the other side of the Wall of Dilemma are 4-star physicians. And, even they are unable to determine whether the answer is correct or wrong... The heck. Liuoshi, exactly what kind of answer did you give? Such that other side does not dare to reject it outright, even admitting its ignorance? The corners of Physician Mu Hongs lips twitched. He found himself swaying from side to side, unable to maintain his bnce. He thought he had imagined every circumstance possible, even that of five rays of orange light. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that the other party would admit to... not knowing the answer! Dont know your head! All of you are 4-star physicians! To speak of such words before so many people... Are you still in your right mind? Weng! Before they could recover from their shock, the four words on the wall had faded and another line appeared. "We will announce our judgement ten dayster!" These words disappeared slowly as well. "Seems like... the other side is truly unsure. They will need to report to a higher level branch or look for a patient with Innate Muscr Deficiency in order to test out the treatment method!" Even though it was said that the Wall of Dilemma was connected to the headquarter, this headquarter actually referred to another branch which was just a tier higher than that of the Tianwu Physician Guild branch. After all, the headquarter was a iparably powerful, filled with 8-star to 9-star physicians. How can it possibly be connected to small ce like Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild? It was just like how Zhang Xuan requested for a Unravel Yin Pill from the headquarter in the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild back then. In truth, theirmunications had merely reached Tianwu Kingdom, and Apothecary Hong Yun was dispatched. Otherwise, if everyone were to contact the headquarter for all random and misceneous matters, wouldnt it die from exhaustion? "We will give our judgement ten dayster... So does it mean that he solved the question... or not?" The crowd was stunned. "Even if he answered thest question wrongly, this Liuoshi has already answered neen questions with a Perfect grade. He has already surpassed Guild Leader Mu Hong, making him... the new guild leader!" Someonemented. Everyone came to a realization. So what if that fellow got the final question wrongly? The results had already far surpassed that of any previous guild leader! Without a doubt, he had already be the new guild leader. "However, wasnt his purpose here the physician examination? If he doesnt have a rank beforehand, what rank should he be assigned?" Someone raised his doubt. Suddenly, the entire room fell silent. Indeed, if he doesnt possess any rank as a physician from before, how should we handle this situation? He was able to solve all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma, even forcing 4-star physicians to admit their ignorance... The level of mastery of his medical skill definitely far surpasses that of a 3-star, perhaps even reaching the level of a 5-star! However... Since even the guild wasnt able to evaluate such a high ranked physician, how can they issue such an emblem to him? "Dont worry, the answer will be out in ten days. Once the answer is determined, the headquarter will decide his rank personally, so we dont have to worry too much!" A 2-star physician said. "Un!" The crowd nodded. That made sense as well. This shouldnt be a matter within their consideration. Given how the other party challenged the Wall of Dilemma and solved so many questions, even jotting down an answer beyond the understanding of 4-star physicians, this problem should be one for the headquarter to bear. There wasnt a need for them to think so much. Jiya! They were still discussing when the door to the Physician Hall opened and Zhang Xuan walked out. Upon seeing the huge crowd gathered outside, and that all of the gazes were on him, Zhang Xuan was given a shock. "What... is going on?" He had merely taken a physician examination, why was there such a huge crowd, and why were all of them looking at him? ncing around, he finally found the leader of the guards and Ya Rou, and the hurried over, "Why is the examination different what you told me... So, have I passed the examination?" ording to their words, the physician examination should be no different from that of other upations. Yet, after he went in, he didnt see anyone, only a wall which kept posing questions to him. It waspletely different from what they said. It cant be that I took the wrong examination? Will they fail me for this... "Gu-guild leader, you are jesting..." The leader of the guards trembled uncontrobly. "Guild leader?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He stared at the duo, and just he was about to ask them what they meant, more than a dozen of physicians with an emblem pinned on their chests walked over and sped their fists, "Paying our respects to Guild Leader Liu!" "Guild Leader Liu? What does this mean..." Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. He had no idea what was going on. It is just a physician examination... Why is everyone calling me guild leader? Did they eat something wrong this morning? "Guild Leader Liu challenged the Wall of Dilemma and solved neen questions consecutively. As such, you have be the new leader of our Physician Guild!" Physician Mu Hong stepped forward. "New guild leader?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. Bing a guild leader just by answering a few questions? Isnt this too much of a childs y? The others swiftly exined the situation to him, and uponprehending what was going on, Zhang Xuan went speechless. He had only intended to take the physician examination. Never in his dreams did he expect to cause such a hugemotion and be the guild leader of the Physician Guild... Even so, everything had already happened, and there was nothing much he could do. Remembering the initial aim he had in minding to the Physician Guild, he turned to Ya Rou and asked, "Then... since I became the guild leader, do I have to right to purchase White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, Wolf Venom Grass... All of these medicinal herbs?" "..." Ya Rou cried. She had just said that the other party didnt have the qualifications to purchase it, and he went on immediately to be the guild leader of the Physician Guild... This face p! "Since you are the guild leader, of course you do have the qualifications to purchase these medicinal herbs. However, we dont have all of the herbs you want here!" Upon knowing about the entire situation, Mu Hong hesitated for a moment before exining to the other party. Physicians do utilize poison in their treatments, but it is extremely rare. While the guild had White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, and such medicinal herbs, it didnt have the more potent poisonous medicinal herbs. "Then... Bring me those that can be found here first!" Zhang Xuan said. "Un!" Mu Hong replied and issued some instructions to Ya Rou. It didnt take long for Ya Rou to return with a huge bag of medicinal herbs. After taking a look, Zhang Xuan verified that all except two of the medicinal herbs he needed were inside. "Goldleaf Spark Twig and Nine Worms Flower are lethal poison, so we dont have any of them here. However... the Poison Hall will definitely have them!" Mu Hong said. "Poison Hall?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Naturally, Zhang Xuan knew that the Poison Hall had them as well. However, it would take him four to five days just for a to-and-fro trip to the Red Lotus City. On top of that, he would require an additional ten days to tread through the Red Lotus Range to arrive at and return from the Poison Hall. In total, the journey would would take at least half a month. By the time he returned, it would already be way past ten days. "Right, I heard that Pavilion Master Jiang likes collecting valuable medicinal herbs. You might be able to find those two herbs from him!" After hesitating for a moment, Mu Hong suddenly recalled something and said. "Pavilion Master Jiang? Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. It might have been difficult for him to obtain those two valuable medicinal herbs from anyone else, but Pavilion Master Jiang... was his student! As long as he appeared before the other party as Yang Xuan, obtaining these two medicinal herbs shouldnt be a problem at all. "How much do all of these medicinal herbs cost?" Keeping the medicinal herbs into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan asked. "A total of fourteen million gold coins!" Mu Hong sped his hand. "Fourteen million gold coins?" Zhang Xuan was astounded. He thought that it would only cost a few hundred thousand gold coin. For it add up to fourteen million gold coin, this was daylight robbery... But considering that he was already the guild leader, it was impossible for the other party to lie to him tantly in public. Thus, he could only hand over a huge wad of cash helplessly. Ten million might be a huge sum, but Zhang Xuan rued quite a substantial wealth back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom. As such, he was still able to bear with such expenditure. "I still have matters to attend to so Ill be leaving now. Physician Mu Hong, I will only serve as an honorary guild leader, so Ill be depending on you to deal with the matters of the guild!" Zhang Xuan only came here just to buy medicinal herbs. Since he had already achieved his goal, there was no need for him to remain here. Thus, he sped his fist and bided farewell. "Ah?" Everyone thought that the new guild leader would immediately attempt to conduct a reorganization of the entire guild. After all, most newly appointed leaders tended to unt their authority by trying to instill new changes to the organization. Yet, contrary to their expectations, the other party simply dumped everything on Physician Mu Hong and left. This left everyone dumbfounded. "Farewell!" Ignoring the bewildered gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan walked out of the Physician Guild. It didnt take long before he disappeared from their sight. He wasnt interested in being a guild leader or whatsoever. His only goal at the moment was to sessfully advance as a 2-star master teacher so as to gain the authority to look up the affairs of Empyrean Kong shi and find the solution to his Innate Fetal Poison. There was nothing more important than this. "What happened?" After Zhang Xuan left, everyone was silent for a long time. At this moment, a perplexed elder suddenly walked into the guild. "Physician Hu? You... arent at the Physician Hall?" Upon seeing the elder, the crowd froze in shock. Physician Hu was the physician in charge of the physician examinations. How in the world was he only walking into the guild at this moment? "I just went out for a moment. Whats going on?" Physician Hu had been away the entire time so he had no idea what was going on. He was just perplexed as to why such a huge crowd, not to mention, Guild Leader Mu Hong and the other influential elders, was gathered here. "Went out for a moment..." Everyone was speechless. They had considered the possibility that Liuoshi might have intentionally challenged the Wall of Dilemma. But judging from how Physician Hu wasnt around then... there was a high chance that the other party really stumbled into the room identally. But yet, he still managed to solve all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma... Does it have to be so darned? "You all are saying that... in the hour I was gone, someone barged into the Physician Hall and solved all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma with Perfect Treatment Methods?" Soon, someone exined the situation to Physician Hu, and in that instant, Physician Hu could only hear thunder rumbling in his head. For such a matter to happen while he was gone, it seems like he wouldnt be able to escape the me for neglecting his responsibility... ... The ruckus that Zhang Xuans sessful challenge of the Wall of Dilemma caused wasnt just limited to Tianwu Kingdom. On the other end of the Wall of Dilemma, a few elders were gathered together. They were all staring at one another nkly. "The Innate Muscr Deficiency is a terminal disease. Back then, Physician Fei Qing attempted to solve this affliction but even he fell in defeat before it. In the end, he could only watch as his patient fell into deaths embrace. The answer that physician gave us... Can it really be the right treatment method to the illness?" "That... I dont know either, but there are two ways to check on it. We can either report it upward or we can try the solution on someone with Innate Muscr Deficiency!" "I remember that the second princess of the alliance suffers from Innate Muscr Deficiency!" "Indeed! Prepare the carriages, lets head off to the Alliance Head Residence now!" The few elders stood up simultaneously. Chapter 335: Myriad Kingdom Alliance Chapter 335: Myriad Kingdom Alliance Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric There were countless kingdoms like Tianxuan and Tianwu scattered all over the continent. The ranks of a kingdom are as followsUnranked (Tianxuan Kingdom), Tier 2 Kingdom (Beiwu Kingdom), Tier 1 Kingdom (Tianwu Kingdom), and Conferred Kingdom (Xuanyuan Kingdom). Due to the multitude of kingdoms, conflict and war were inevitable. Thus, in order to mediate the conflicts among the kingdoms, an existence transcending beyond the system of kingdoms emerged. Myriad Kingdom Alliance! The Wall of Dilemma was connected to the Physician Guild of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! The alliance head who those elders spoke of was the most authoritative figure within the alliance, the one whom all emperors bowed down to and dared not defy. Soon, the carriage arrived at the Alliance Head Residence. "Report to the alliance head that Guild Leader Meng and Physician Hong from the Physician Guild requests an audience!" "Yes!" Soon, under the lead of the guards, the physicians walked into the pce-like Alliance Head Residence. "Youre saying that you found a way to treat Lian-er?" Arriving at the main hall, a middle-aged man looked at them with glowing eyes. He exuded an aura of authority and power which all would defer to. "We arent sure about whether the treatment method is effective or not, so we would like to..." Guild Leader Mengs face flushed as he hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...try it out..." "Audacious!" As the most authoritative man in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was already a huge torture for him to watch helplessly as his daughter suffer. Yet, these physicians were saying that they want to experiment an unverified treatment method on his daughter. If something wrong were to happen, who could bear the responsibility? "Are you suggesting to experiment with my daughters life?" Raising his eyebrows, a menacing aura emanated from that middle-aged man. In an instant, the two physicians felt as though they were suddenly plunged into massive storm, and the world was ripping apart before them. The alliance head of the Myriad King Alliance wasnt a hereditary position but a nominated one. Without absolute strength, it was impossible for one to rise up to the position. "I dare not to!" Guild Leader Mengs face paled. Exhaling deeply, he said, "Alliance head, please allow me to finish my words first. If you dont wish to have the princess take on this risk, then we wont say any more on the matter!" "Un!" The middle-aged man nodded gravely. "We are indeed helpless before the illness the princess is suffering from, but just today, a physician from a Tier 1 Kingdom has delivered us a usible treatment method to verify!" Guild Leader Meng said. Upon hearing that it was a treatment method from a Tier 1 Kingdom, the middle-aged mansplexion turned even more awful. Even a 5-star physician of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was unable to solve the matter, what kind of solution could a measly physician from a Tier 1 Kingdom possibly offer? Are you jesting with me? But even though the middle-aged man was infuriated, he didnt say a thing. He simply stared at the duo coldly, waiting silently to see what they had to say. "Alliance head, you must be thinking how absurd it must be for us to take the treatment method from a measly Tier 1 Kingdom for real... But if you were to see the treatment methods that person sent prior to that, you wont be thinking the same!" As though reading the thoughts of the other party, a bitter smile shed across Guild Leader Mengs face, "That person challenged the Wall of Dilemma, and in a single hour, he solved neen questions. On top of that, all of the solutions he gave... reached the level of Perfect!" "All neen solutions are at the level of Perfect?" The middle-aged man was taken aback, "Are you certain of this?" The Physician Guilds Wall of Dilemma was where all the difficult illnesses uncovered over the years were recorded. One could already be considered as a genius among geniuses if one could solve a question or two on it. To solve neen at once, and for all of the solutions to be Perfect... This meant that the other partysprehension of the Way of Medicine had already reached an incredibly high level. "Yes. This is the treatment method he proposed for thest question. His idea is extremely novel, and none of us here have ever seen something like this before. Upon recalling that the second princess is afflicted with the same illness, we came over in hopes of trying it... If its really effective, the princess will be able to recover from her affliction!" Guild Leader Meng said. The middle-aged man hesitated. There wasnt a single person in the world who would be willing to allow his own daughter act as a guinea pig. "Other than the method he proposed, we truly cant think of any other solutions. Furthermore... the second princess doesnt have much time left. Thus, I beseech you to give it a try!" Guild Leader Meng sped his fist. Those afflicted with Innate Muscr Deficiency were fated to be unable to reach their twenties. The princess was already neen this year, and her condition was deteriorating with every single passing day. Even if this treatment method was ineffective, it was much better than doing nothing at all! "Alright. Ill be troubling you then!" After a long moment of silence, the middle-aged man closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. If there was any other choice, he would have never allowed his daughter to undergo such risk. Soon, the princess was brought over. "Pardon my rudeness!" Taking a deep breath, Guild Leader Meng recalled the treatment method written on the Wall of Dilemma and drove the zhenqi in her body. Wu wu wu wu! The wind howled! The strength of a 4-star physician had already surpassed that of Zhizun realm. Even if he didnte into direct contact with the other party, he was still able to send a surge of zhenqi into the other partys acupoints to clear her trauma. Peng peng peng peng! Soon, an immense amount of zhenqi was sent through the other partys acupoints and meridians ording to the treatment method detailed on the Wall of Dilemma. Hu! Exhaling deeply, Guild Leader Meng wiped the sweat off his forehead. There was simply too many acupoints and meridians one had to deal with in the treatment method. Furthermore, many of these meridians and acupoints were narrow, and thus, he had to concentrate deeply. It was fortunate that he possessed superior medical skills and a high cultivation, otherwise, a single careless mistake could easily spell the other partys death. "I wonder if its effective..." After carrying out the instructions on the treatment method strictly, Guild Leader Meng nced at the second princess worriedly. But with just this single nce, his entire body shuddered and his eyeballs were popped out from their sockets. The second princess, who was still lyingpletely motionless a moment ago, suddenly leaped off the bed and smashed her fist into the ground, causing stone fragments to fly everywhere. "..." Rendered speechless by the sight before them, the other physicians trembled in astonishment as their lower jaws fell to the ground. The middle-aged man stared at the situation with a dumbfounded expression. At this point, he was already on the verge of going insane. His second daughter had been diagnosed with Innate Muscr Deficiency at birth. Pain and suffering followed her as though they were her shadows, and immobility had always been something she had to cope with. Making use of his connections as the most influential person in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, he had invited the most formidable of physicians from all locations, but all of them were helpless before her affliction. He thought that it would be yet another disappointment. Never in his dreams did he expect that she would really be cured of her affliction this time around... More importantly... Shouldnt recovery be a slow process? Shouldnt one start from moving their fingers before walking around? How in the world was she able to... leap off the bed right after the treatment waspleted, and not to mention, smash through rock with her fist? This was way too exaggerated! "Lian-er, youve... recovered?" Unable to believe his eyes, the alliance head asked. "Father, I have recovered fully. Furthermore... I feel boundless strength surging through my body!" Thedy chuckled as she stomped on the ground. Hu! A rock tile flew up, and thedy struck the tile with her palm. Peng! Fragments flew around the room. "..." The crowd. For an Innate Muscr Deficiency patient to abruptly be a powerful person with overwhelming muscle strength with just a short treatment... Even if the treatment method was effective... wasnt this was way too effective! "Guild Leader Meng, may I know from which kingdom did the person who presented the treatment methode from? I would like to thank him personally!" Seeing her daughter walking around healthily as though an ordinary person, the middle-aged man was so excited that his eyes were gleaming. "Yes... He came from a remote Tier 1 Kingdom near Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!" Guild Leader Meng pondered for a moment before replying. "Father, theres no need for you to do so. Since I have recovered, I would like to go out and walk around. I will meet and thank the person who saved me personally!" Thedy chuckled. "Alright then!" The middle-aged man nodded his head. ... Naturally, Zhang Xuan was oblivious to the matters urring at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. At this moment, he had already altered his features to take on the appearance of Yang Xuan, and he was currently on his way to the Master Teacher Pavilion. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped. "Wouldnt it be inappropriate for me to meet Jiang Shu like that?" Yang Xuan, who he was impersonating at, was supposed to be a master teacher ranked above 3-star. Given his standing, if he were to travel all the way to the Master Teacher Pavilion to look for Jiang Shu, he might incur the other partys suspicion instead. He was confident in fooling others, but having taken the master teacher examination, he understood how fearsome the eyes of master teachers could be. The slightest carelessness might possibly cast doubt upon his identity or even give him away. "I should look for Liu Ling and the others and have them bring Jiang Shu over to me!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan decided on another course of action. It was perfectly normal for a master teacher of Yang Xuans level to summon his student if he wanted to meet him. It would hurt his prestige instead if he were to head there personally to look for the other party. As Zhang shis students, Zhao Ya and the others were considered as celebrities in the capital. As such, it wasnt too easy for him to find their residence. "Looks like that fellow Bai Chan at least knows how he should act!" Upon seeing the residence, Zhang Xuan chuckled. He immediately knew that his threat was effective. Otherwise, it would surely be impossible for Liu Ling, Zhao Ya, and the others to find such a huge residence in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Pavilion. After ascertaining the location, Zhang Xuan walked over. Soon, he was already standing at the entrance. "Old master, youre back..." Just as Zhang Xuan was thinking about how he should exin his identity to the guards to enter, Sun Qiang suddenly appeared and weed him. Thetter was so agitated that the fats on his face were bouncing around vigorously. "Un!" Sun Qiang had appeared at a timely moment, saving Zhang Xuan of the hassle. Nodding his head, he walked into the residence. "Old master, I heard from the young master that youreing as well. I thought that it will take a while longer before you arrive here..." Sun Qiang spoke agitatedly as the duo walked along the corridor of the residence. Bai Chans ability to aplish tasks was indeed splendid. This residence was several timesrger than the one Zhang Xuan rented at Tianxuan Kingdom. "Teacher!" Soon, he arrived at the main hall. After receiving news of Yang Xuans arrival, Liu Ling and the others also hurried over. At this moment, Bai Chan had an anxious look on his face. The person before him was the teacher of Pavilion Master Jiang and Zhang shi. No matter how brazen he might be, he didnt dare to act out of ce before him. "Un!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings before frowning, "Where are the students of Xuand?" Bai Chan, Liu Ling, Lu Xun, and Huang Yu were all here. Why were all of his students missing instead? He was currently assuming the identity of Yang Xuan, the teacher of their teacher. In other words, their grandteacher! How could they not greet their grandteacher? They were being too impertinent! "They..." Liu Ling and the others were just about to speak when flurried footsteps sounded beyond the hall. "Liu shi, bad news! Zhao Ya has been injured by someone. Please save her..." After which, Zheng Yang and the others walked in while supporting Zhao Ya. Chapter 336: Medicinal Herbs Obtained Chapter 336: Medicinal Herbs Obtained Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhao Yas injury was far more severe than they expected. If not for her resilient physical constitution, she might not have even survived the journey back. Liu Ling didnt expect someone to end up so severely injured on a trip to the academy. Shocked, he hurriedly went up to them. "What happened?" "She was injured by a vile woman. Liu shi, please save her!" Zheng Yang said. "Un!" After taking a look, Liu Ling heaved a sigh of relief. "Her zhenqi is in an erratic state having suffered violent tremors. It isnt a serious problem, she should recover after half a month of recuperation." "Half a month? This wont do. She has to duel with that woman once more three dayster..." Taken aback, Zheng Yang was about to plead with Liu shi to do something about the matter when thetter waved his hands and sped his fist toward Yang shi, "This is your grandteacher, Yang shi. Hurry up and greet him!" "Grandteacher?" "Yang shi?" Only at this moment did Zheng Yang and the others notice the middle-aged man who was sitting at the center of the room. Yang shi was a man who had produced innumerable miracles in Tianxuan Kingdom. But more important than that, their teacher was his direct disciple. They had heard of the other partys legends, but they never had the chance to meet him. Upon hearing Liu shis words, they trembled in shock, hurriedly kneeled on the floor, and bowed deeply. "Grandstudent Zhao Ya (Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, Yuan Tao) pays respect to grandteacher!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, with a frown, he turned to Zhao Ya and said, "Whats wrong?" He didnt expect that someone would actually dare to beat up Zhao Ya when he had barely left for just a single day. Who in the world had such guts so as toy their hands on his student? "Reporting to grandteacher, my injuries are a result of a loss to another in a fair duel. Its only due to mycking cultivation that such a situation arose!" Zhao Ya exined. "A fair duel?" Zhang Xuan frowned. If she lost in a fair duel, it could only mean to say that she wascking aspared to the other party. Even as her teacher, it wasnt appropriate for him to stand up for her such a situation. "Come over!" Zhang Xuan beckoned. "Yes!" Zhao Ya walked forward. cing his finger on the other partys pulse, he sent a surge of pure zhenqi through thetters body via her meridians. Pilip! Under the nourishment of the Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhao Yas erratic zhenqi gradually calmed down, and her wounds healed at a speed visible to the eye. "Thank you grandteacher for treating me!" Feeling strength returning to her body, Zhao Yas eyes gleamed in excitement. Their grandteacher was indeed as incredible as the rumors put him out to be. With such a casual action, not only did the other party manage to heal her injuries, he seemed to have triggered her cultivation as well. At the current moment, Zhao Ya suddenly felt that an urge to achieve a breakthrough. "Incredible!" Upon seeing this sight, Liu Lings admiration toward Yang shi soared once more. He could tell that Zhao Yas injury was a result of her forcefully tapping into her strength, overexerting herself, thus resulting in a bacsh. Her internal organs had been jolted, and her zhenqi had been dissipated forcefully. It wasnt really a huge matter, but it would take at least half a month for her to recover fully. Yet, Yang shi managed to heal herpletely just by cing a finger on her pulse for a few breaths. His means were truly unfathomable. If not for witnessing the sight personally, he would have never thought of this to be possible. "What do you mean by dueling with someone else three dayster?" After waving his hands to show that it wasnt a huge matter, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled Zheng Yangs words and frowned. What was with these little fellows? Why were they always pitting themselves against others, arranging duels even? "Reporting to grandteacher, we were outside strolling when we heard a woman publicly sullying the reputation of our teacher. Unable to tolerate it, Zhao Ya stepped forth and challenged her to a duel to uphold our teachers honor. Who could have known that the other party wasnt weak, and Zhao Ya was eventually beaten into such a state!" Before Zhao Ya could reply, Yuan Tao had already opened his mouth. Upon hearing his words, the crowd was taken aback. Most master teachers detested seeing their own students causing trouble. Picking a fight with another was already a folly in itself. Yet, they were still unwilling to admit their mistakes and evenined so brazenly. Zhang shi might still be willing to overlook it, but to utter such words before a master teacher whose rank was likely to have exceeded 3-star... There was no doubt that the other party would be displeased. In the worst case scenario, Zhang shi might even suffer a severe reprimand from thetter... Knowing this, everyone rolled their eyes at Yuan Tao. They were all nervous that Yang shi would get angry. "Sullying the reputation of your teacher?" Yang shis eyebrows shot up, "Not bad, a student should indeed uphold the honor of his teacher. You all did well!" "Did well?" They thought that they would have to suffer a severeshing, but Yang shi ended up praising them instead. Everyone was stunned, and even Liu shi couldnt help but stagger. Did this mean that he was encouraging them to fight with others? The ideology that this teacher of his had was... way too extreme, wasnt it! "However, it is shameful to get beaten up when you were the one who challenged the other party to a duel!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "Actually... Zhao Ya didnt lose out to her in terms of cultivation. It was just that the other partys battle techniques were too strong..." Zheng Yang hesitated for a moment before speaking. In truth, the other party won only due to her superior battle techniques. Tianwu Kingdom was a Tier 1 Kingdom whereas Tianxuan Kingdom was an Unranked Kingdom. Given their different ranks, there was a world of difference in the battle techniques avable in the two kingdoms as well. It was already an incredible feat for Zhao Ya to withstand the other partys moves for so long. "Battle techniques?" Only at this moment did Zhang Xuan recall that he had never imparted Zhao Ya any battle technique before. He had imparted Wang Ying the Heavens Path Leg Art and Heavens Path Movement Art, Zheng Yang the Heavens Path Spear Art, and Liu Yang the Heavens Path Fist Art. After awakening the unique constitutions of Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya, he didnt impart them any battle technique. It was no wonder why they would suffer a huge disadvantage when battling others. "Since your teacher is currently taking the 2-star master teacher examination, I will impart you a battle technique on his behalf. Are you willing to learn it?" Thus, Zhang Xuan turned to thedy before him and asked. "I am willing!" Hearing that grandteacher was going to impart her a battle technique personally. Zhao Ya hurriedly sped her fist and bowed. What a joke! This was the teacher of her teacher! The battle technique he was going to impart her was definitely incredibly profound. "Since youve been using a sword since young, Ill impart you a sword art!" After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. "However, my sword art is sharp. Youve just gotten injured so its not suitable for you to cultivate for the time being. You should just rest for today, Ill impart the sword art to you tomorrow!" Even though Zhao Ya had learned some kicking and punching battle techniques, those werent her expertise. Her true specialty lies in swordsmanship instead, which she had been learning from young. Thus, she would be most suited to learn a sword art. "Yes!" Zhao Ya nodded. She had just gotten injured, and she was indeed not in a good condition to be learning a formidable sword art at the moment. Only when in her top condition would she be able to learn better and bring out greater might from the sword art. "Alright, you should rest for now. Sun Qiang, send someone to the Master Teacher Pavilion to get Jiang Shu over. Tell him that I have something I need him for!" After dealing with Zhao Yas matter, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and dismissed them. He had browsed through many books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and there were a substantial number of them on swordsmanship. However, those techniques were rather profound, and it might be difficult for Zhao Ya to master them if he were to impart them straight. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to learn them for himself and test their might before modifying it to suit her. If he didnt attempt toprehend every aspect of the sword art before imparting them to Zhao Ya, it might affect her fundamentals, thus causing potential problems in the future. Sun Qiang moved swiftly and in less than an hour, Pavilion Master Jiang was already before him. Looking at Yang shi, who was seated at the main seat in the hall, he excitedly kneeled down and bowed, "Jiang Shu pays respect to teacher!" Not only did the person before him help him to tame a powerful savage beast, the other party even imparted him a cultivation technique to clear away the trauma in his body. As such, he was filled with gratitude for the other party. "There are two medicinal herbs that I need, Goldleaf Spark Twig and Nine Worms Flower. Do you have them?" Cutting straight to the point, Zhang Xuan asked impassively. "Goldleaf Spark Twig and Nine Worms Flower? I do happen to have them!" With a flick of his wrist, two medicinal herbs appeared on Jiang Shus palm. These were the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan was looking for. "Un!" Taking the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "I wont take advantage of you. How much do these two medicinal herbs cost? Ill have Sun Qiang pass you the moneyter on!" "I am heavily indebted to teacher. Its just two medicinal herbs, please treat it as a filial gesture of mine..." Jiang Shu hurriedly said. Without Yang shis cultivation technique, it was just a matter of time before his trauma acted up. His life would have been constantly at risk. But now, not only did he manage to tame a powerful savage beast, he even managed to clear up his trauma. For this, he would be willing to even run through a mountain of mes for the other party! Inparison to that, two medicinal herbs were truly nothing. It was this kind of earnest gratitude that induced the formation of a golden page in the Library of Heavens Path. "Fate brought us together, that is the only reason why I helped you. I wont take advantage of you." Zhang Xuan frowned. With an imposing tone, he said, "I will pay you however much the cost!" Seeing his teacher insist on the payment, Jiang Shu was impressed. Did you see that? This is the true magnanimity of a master teacher. It was impossible for one to not respect him. "Yes!" Nodding his head, Jiang Shu rummaged through his memory before replying, "I got these two medicinal herbs from the Great Herb King back then. As both of their maturity exceeds a hundred years, they are worth a total of twenty million gold coins!" "Twenty million... cough cough!" Zhang Xuan had intended to pass the money to the other party grandly, but upon hearing those words, he nearly coughed blood and fainted. Twenty million gold coin? The heck! Even if he were to sell himself, he wouldnt be able to earn this sum of money! He thought that it would just be a few million gold coins, that was why he offered to pay for it so generously. Never in his dreams did he expect these two medicinal herbs to be even more expensive than all of the other herbs added up together. What the hell could these herbs be to cost so much money... All he wanted to do was to ept a student, raise his strength, and earn his trust. To think that just doing so would result in his bankruptcy... This was way too darned! "Money is just material possession. As a master teacher, thinking about money all day long... will affect your mental resilience!" With a reddened face, Zhang Xuan waved his hands grandly. "..." Jiang Shu was baffled. I said that there was no need to pay but you insisted on it. So why are you saying that thinking about money will affect ones mental resilience now? Seeing the bizarre expression on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan coughed awkwardly. Waving his hands casually, he said, "You should condition yourself well for the next few days. Ill find some time to help you achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation... Treat it as the payment for these two medicinal herbs!" He had promised the other party to pay him, only to realize that he had insufficient money. As the unfathomable expert Yang shi, he couldnt afford to lose his reputation over such a minor matter. Thus, he could only promise the other party some other benefits. "Help me achieve a breakthrough?" Just as Jiang Shu was curious as to why his teacher would have such a sudden change in attitude, he heard those words and his excitement then instantaneously erased all doubts that were on his mind. He hurriedly kneeled to the floor and kowtowed. "Thank you, teacher..." He had been stuck in Zongshi realm pinnacle for many years. If he could achieve a breakthrough and reach Half-Zhizun, his lifespan and strength would be increased significantly. "You can leave now!" Having collected all of the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan was anxious to return to the academy. Thus, he bided everyone farewell. "I still have matters to attend to so Ill be leaving first. Ille by once more tomorrow!" Saying so, Zhang Xuan stepped out of the residence. After leaving the residence, he walked into an isted alley. Looking around to ensure that there was no one around, he reverted back to the appearance of Liuoshi and headed straight back to Tianwu Academy. The residence that Bai Chan acquired was right between the Master Teacher Pavilion and Tianwu Academy. Thus, it didnt take him too long to return back to his ssroom. However, before he could enter the ssroom, Meng Tao rushed up to him and said in a fluster, "Teacher, youre back. Please save senior! Shes... injured!" "Mu Xueqing is injured?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Chapter 337: Raising Lu Chongs Strength Chapter 337: Raising Lu Chongs Strength Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In less than a day after leaving his students, Zhao Ya was injured by someone. Then, in less than four hours since leaving the ssroom, Mu Xueqing was injured as well? Wasnt this too coincidental? Was the God of Misfortune lingering around him? "Yes!" Meng Taos face was flushed. "Bring me to her!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan followed him into the ssroom. Upon entering the ssroom, he saw Mu Xueqing leaning against the wall of the ssroom with a pale face. Walking up to her, Zhang Xuan took a look and... He suddenly felt dismayed. Indeed.... He couldnt discern anything at all! Zhao Ya was cultivating a cultivation technique he imparted, and the technique could be considered as an offshoot of Heavens Path Divine Art. Furthermore, he had been with her for a significant period of time, thus even without knowing the illness, he was able to cure her easily. On the other hand, Mu Xueqing was a student he had just epted today. As such, he didnt have a clear idea of her physical condition and thus, was unable to see through the root of her affliction in a nce. If he couldnt even discern the root of her problem, how could he possibly treat her? "Execute a battle technique!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan could only decide on the crudest course of action. "Yes!" Even though Mu Xueqing was perplexed over her teachers instructions, she still nodded out of trust for the other party. Clenching her fist tightly, her arm shot out swiftly. Her offense caused the book of her in the Library of Heavens Path to be refreshed. After taking a look, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Thisss had forcefully used battle techniques beyond her and injured her meridians. This wasnt a big problem for him. With a flick of his fingers, a few silver needles appeared and flew toward several parts of her body. A momentter, Mu Xueqing felt a surge offort gushing through her body. The injuries she had sustained from forcefully executing battle techniques beyond her had disappeared without a trace. Sensing the change in her body, Mu Xueqing widened her eyes in disbelief. Her father was an apothecary who often formted pills to treat the traumas of others. She knew that injuries caused by forcefully using battle techniques beyond ones capability were hard to resolve. A single mistake in the treatment could potentially cause ones cultivation to be crippled. Yet, why did thisplicated problem seem so easy in the hands of Liuoshi? "I apologize for adding to teachers troubles..." Mu Xueqing understood that Liuoshis means far surpassed that of ordinary physicians or apothecaries, and her admiration for thetter deepened. "Its nothing. How did you get injured?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Senior got..." Meng Tao was about to exin when Mu Xueqing raised her hand and interrupted. "I was trying out battle techniques and forcefully used battle techniques beyond my cultivation out of my negligence... Teacher, sorry for worrying you!" Zhang Xuan could tell that that Mu Xueqing was hiding something, but since thetter was unwilling to talk about it, Zhang Xuan decided not to ask any further. "Alright! If theres nothing else, Lu Chong, you stay behind. As for the rest, you should return and rest for the day!" "Teacher..." Mu Xueqing hesitated. "Is there something?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at her. "Teacher, can you impart me a battle technique..." Mu Xueqing asked with a reddened face. She was the one who tried to turn the entire ss against him at the very start. Thus, she felt embarrassed asking the other party to impart her a battle technique at this moment. However, she knew that if she didnt learn a new battle technique, it would be impossible for her to triumph over thatdy. Her fathers battle technique was too powerful for her. If she didnt execute it well, she would sustain heavy injuries just like how she did earlier. More importantly... It was impossible to be adept at a battle technique without several years of effort. She was going to fight against that person three dayster. If she were to ask this of anyone else, she would never make it in time. Thus, she could only pin her hopes on Liuoshi, who had created miracle after miracle. "Battle technique?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at her doubtfully. "What do you want to learn?" "I specialize in saber, so if possible, I hope that teacher can impart me a saber art..." Mu Xueqing said. "Saber art?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. Ladies tended to prefer swords due to their lightness and elegance whichplemented their disposition. Yet, thisss favored sabers instead. This was something that was beyond Zhang Xuans expectations. "Alright, Ill think about a suitable saber art and impart one to you tomorrow. You should leave for now!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright!" Mu Xueqing bowed in gratitude before leaving with Meng Tao and the others. "Senior, why didnt you allow me to say it?" After leaving the ssroom, Meng Tao couldnt hold himself back and immediately questioned. She obviously got injured while trying to uphold Liuoshis honor, so why did she stop him from saying it? "Say? What do you intend to say? That I got injured while sparring with Zhang shis student? If I were to say so, Liuoshi would most probably drag me to the other party to apologize!" Mu Xueqing harrumphed. "This..." Meng Tao froze. The standing and influence of a master teacher mustnt be underestimated. A genius like Zhang shi wasnt someone that an ordinary teacher like Liuoshi could stand up against. If Liuoshi were to find out that his students had conflicts with other party, it was highly possible that he might drag senior there to apologize. "Its not a big deal for me to lower my head and apologize, but I earnestly feel that Liuoshi isnt inferior to Zhang shi in any way... In fact, I think he is even more capable than thetter! How can there be such a huge difference between their reputations? I must defeat that fellow and bring honor to Liuoshis name!" Determination gleamed in Mu Xueqings eyes. How could Liuoshi, despite his capability, remain as an unknown figure in the capital? Clearly, it was due to theck of a suitable tform for him to disy his prowess. The duel with Zhang shis student was an excellent tform to prove Liuoshis ability. As long as she wins against the other party... Liuoshis name would be known throughout the entire capital instantly. Everyone would know that even though Liuoshi wasnt a master teacher, his capability wasnt inferior to one! "I agree with you!" Meng Tao nodded his head in agreement. Indeed. If senior were to report this matter to Liuoshi, it would be impossible to continue on with the duel. If so, how could she bring honor to Liuoshis name? How could she make everyone understand that he is an incredible teacher? Of course, he also knew that she was only trying to justify her actions. That wasnt her primary aim at all. Mu Xueqing was a mini tyrant in the academy, having chased away several teachers. Someone had crossed her path and even wounded her. If she didnt get her revenge and make the other party apologize to her, she wouldnt be able to let this matter rest. "Alright, dont let Liuoshi know about this matter. Ill teach whoever who dares to babble to him a lesson!" Mu Xueqing red at her juniors menacingly. "Yes!" Everyone hurriedly nodded their heads. "We wont say anything, but what if Lu Chong..." Meng Tao suddenly thought of something and pointed toward the ssroom. Lu Chong was currently alone with Liuoshi in the ssroom. Even if they were to seal their mouth, it would be for naught if Lu Chong revealed the matter. "Lu Chong? That fellow is reluctant to even open his mouth! Do you think it is possible for him to babble to Liuoshi?" Mu Xueqing rolled her eyes. "Thats true..." Meng Tao scratched his head awkwardly. In the two years that they had been with Lu Chong, thetter had spoken less than three sentences. How could he possibly start gossiping about this matter... ... And just like they had guessed, Lu Chong didnt say anything. At this moment, he was staring cautiously at Liuoshi... The request that Liuoshi raised had put him in a difficult position. "Take off your clothes..." His teachers voice sounded. "Take off my clothes..." Scratching his head in embarrassment, Lu Chong was at a loss. "The cultivation of Poison Body is extremely difficult. For that, the physical body enhancement technique that I taught you has to reach Major Aplishment at minimum. You are stillcking in mastery, and Ill have to give you a boost!" Zhang Xuan said. Cultivating the Poison Body was an extremely difficult and dangerous matter. Otherwise, countless poison masters wouldnt have died in the midst of doing so. "Yes!" Upon hearing that his teacher was only getting him to strip for cultivation purposes, Lu Chong heaved a sigh of relief. If Zhang Xuan were to know what the other party was thinking, he would definitely die of rage. The students nowadays... Do they all mature that early? What in the world is going through their minds... Soon, Lu Chong took off his clothes andy horizontally on a bench in the ssroom. Frowning slightly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a few silver needles appeared on his palm. With a slight movement, the silver needles immediately pierced into Lu Chongs acupoints. The pure Heavens Path zhenqi started flowing through his body. Lu Chongs talent was nothing short of ordinary. Given his current cultivation speed, it would take at least two days or so before he could reach Major Aplishment for the simplified version of Heavens Path Golden Body. After reinforcing his cultivation, around four days would have already passed. Zhang Xuan had already boasted that he would grant Lu Chong the ability to exact vengeance within ten days. If Lu Chong were to spend so long a time on the Heavens Path Golden Body, it would be difficult for him to form the Poison Body within the deadline. Thus, in order to hasten the process, he intended to use his own zhenqi to drive the other partys and raise the other partys cultivation. If he were to do so for Zhao Ya and the others, they might grow reliant on him, and this kind of mindset could potentially limit their future aplishments. However, Lu Chong was different. He had kneeled at the entrance of the academy just so toe under the tutge of a teacher. Furthermore, to prevent himself from revealing anything, he could even y off as a mute for two years... His mental fortitude was far beyond Zhang Xuans other students. With such mental fortitude, how could he possibly lose his confidence even if his rate of growth of his cultivation was slow after this? More importantly, the method of forcefully raising ones cultivation would expose one in excruciating pain. Zhao Ya and the others, and this was including Yuan Tao as well, would be unable to endure such grievous pain. Peng peng peng peng! Zhang Xuan flicked his five fingers, and silver needles danced around. Surge after surge of zhenqi flowed through Lu Chongs body via his meridians, and the previously narrow meridians began to tear apart. It was as though thousands of knives were lodged into his body, slicing his flesh simultaneously into innumerable pieces. It was fortunate that Lu Chong possessed a strong will. Otherwise, his mind could have broken down by now. "Endure it!" The zhenqi in Zhang Xuans body pumped furiously as he shot all of the silver needles in his hands out. Zhang Xuan was well-versed in the pathways that ones zhenqi had to flow through for the cultivation of the Heavens Path Golden Body. The silver needles seemed lodge into Lu Chongs body in a certain pathway, heading upward until it eventually reached the cap of his head. Boom! Under the guidance of Zhang Xuans silver needles, zhenqi gushed into Lu Chongs head. In that instant, Lu Chong felt as if an explosion had urred in his head, as though he had broken through a bottleneck. "Pixue realm... I have actually reached Pixue realm?" He instantly realized that he had broke through Dingli realm pinnacle, reaching Pixue realm. "Dont move, its not over yet!" Feeling the agitated trembling of Lu Chongs body, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. With a flick of his hands, the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan obtained from the Physician Guild appeared in his hands. With a sudden burst of zhenqi, he reduced all of those medicinal herbs into powder. Tzzzzzzz! The powder melded together, and a reaction immediately urred. Swiftly, it morphed into an extremely toxic substance. With a grasping action, the silver needles across Lu Chongs body flew back and plunged into contact with the toxic powder. In an instant, the entire needle turned ck. Then, with another flick, these poison needles flew back into Lu Chongs body. "AH..." The lethal poison flowed through the silver needle and seeped into the Lu Chongs body. An excruciating pain several times greater than that of the previous one struck him. His face immediately paled, and unable to hold himself back, he yelled in agony. Hu! After striking all of the silver needles back onto the other partys body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he kept the remaining medicinal powder back into his storage ring. He was done conducting the first round of poison tempering. Whether the other party was able to pull through would depend on his mental fortitude. If he failed to hold on, he would fall into deaths embrace! But if he held on, he would be able to metamorphose from a cocoon into a butterfly, bing one of the strongest experts in Tianwu Kingdom! Chapter 338: Zongshi Realm Heavens Path Divine Art Chapter 338: Zongshi Realm Heavens Path Divine Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric As the lethal poison seeped into his bloodstream, Lu Chong found himself reaching the limits of his sanity. The intense pain that assaulted his mind was too hard for him to endure. "Father, mother, sister, brother..." Many figures shed across his head, as though attempting to summon him over to the other side. A powerful force threatened to pull his soul into the eternal darkness, a ce where he would never be able to return from. "No, I cant faint now. The moment I give in, teachers hard work would be in vain... How can I face father, mother, and the others like that?" Clenching his fists tightly, he yelled tenaciously within. For two years, he had yed the role of a mute. It wasnt because he didnt want to speak of the matter, but... his enemy was simply too strong and influential! He didnt want to be killed before he became sufficiently strong to exact vengeance. He was at the age where bustle posed an irresistible attraction to him. Yet, he forcefully held himself back and stayed away from social interactions, as though a reticent old man. This had caused great stress to weigh on his heart. Yet, why did he still continue to push on? It was because that resentment in his heart didnt allow him to rest! His father, mother, sisters, brothers... His entire family consisting of 137 people died in agony... If not for his coincidental absence during that tragedy, he might have been reduced to a corpse as well. He thought that his vengeance would be a hopeless cause, especially given his subpar talents... But Liuoshi had presented a chance to him. He mustnt let go of it! "Persevere! I have to persevere on!" Howling furiously in his mind, the will that he had tempered over the course of the past two years intensified. His drowsiness and weakness abruptly vanished, reced by tenacity. "Not bad!" Seeing how the other party was still able to hold on despite the intense pain, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. His evaluation of Lu Chong turned out to be spot-on. Thetters mental fortitude was indeed impressive. If he could persevere on with the same tenacity, it was highly likely that he would be able to sessfully cultivate the Poison Body. If so, his strength would be raised tremendously. "The effects of the lethal poison will continue on for an entire night. This night will be painful, so find some way to persevere on. Dont worry, youll soon realize that your suffering isnt in vain!" After instructing so, Zhang Xuan ced a nket over Lu Chong and walked out of the ssroom. The cultivation for the Poison Body had already started, and there was no stopping now. Whether Lu Chong could persevere on or not would depend solely on his mental fortitude. No one could help him through this. Since Zhang Xuan was of no use here, he decisively left the room. After leaving the room, he realized that the sun had already set. Thus, he found a restaurant and ate some food. "I have to impart a sword art and saber art to Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing tomorrow respectively. I should give it a try first..." He had promised the twodies that he would impart them battle techniques, but the current him was incapable of utilizing either weapon. Thus, he had to quickly cultivate and master these two battle techniques so that he could impart them well. "I should begin with swordsmanship!" Zhang Xuans consciousness delved in the Library of Heavens Path and he started browsing through the sword-rted battle techniques he saw in the Master Teacher Pavilion. "Correct!" Soon, aplete sword art secret manual was formed. "Sword, the sovereign of the hundred weapons. Nimble and flexible, as though a snake or a phantom..." Aplete cultivation method of a sword art was detailed in the book. Casually picking up a tree branch from the ground, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi ording to the form written in the book. However, a short momentter, he stopped and frowned. "Thats not right... There are still some ws in the sword art. It isntplete yet..." The battle techniques in the Master Teacher Pavilion were at a higher level than those in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even the weakest of them was at least of Mortal pinnacle, and many of them were at Phantom low-tier. The more profound a battle technique was, the rarer and more valuable it was. There were only several dozen of sword art manuals in the entire library. With this quantity, it was impossible to even form a single perfect move afterpiling all of the correct portions together, lest to say, a Heavens Path battle technique. "Forcefully cultivating this kind of iplete sword art might cause ones cultivation to go berserk..." Looking at the iplete sword art manual, Zhang Xuan felt dismayed. He thought that he would be able to form Heavens Path Sword Art with just the sword art manuals in the Master Teacher Pavilion. From the looks of it, he was underestimating the matter. It was fortunate that he didnt impart this sword art to Zhao Ya. If he did, thetter might have probably died from cultivating this technique before she could dueling with her opponent. "Forget it, I should take a look at saber art manuals first..." Holding back his dismay, he turned his attention to the saber art manuals. Soon, the frustration on his face deepened. Just like for sword art, there were too little saber art manuals here as well. It was impossible for aplete move to be formed with this meager quantity. Other people required profound secret manuals for their battle technique, but Zhang Xuan was different. All he needed was quantity. As for quality... it was of negligible difference. As the greatest upation in the world, master teachers didnt think highly of ordinary battle techniques. As such, they didnt bother collecting them. While this wasnt anything much to other master teachers, to Zhang Xuan, this was extremely bad news. "Where in the world can I find fundamental manuals on saber art and sword art?" After organizing his thoughts, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in frustration. "Right! How could I forgot that I am at Tianwu Academy! There must be quite a few fundamental saber art and sword art manuals here!" Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up. It might be difficult to find battle technique secret manuals elsewhere, but this wasnt an issue for Tianwu Academy. As a school for cultivators, there must be plenty of such items on the campus. Thus, Zhang Xuan grabbed a nearby student, asked for the location of the teachers library, and started walking over with widened strides. Soon, he arrived in a huge vault filled with books. After shing his identity token, he walked into the room. As expected of the location where the secret manuals of the academy were stored! Even though it wasnt asrge as the Master Teacher Pavilions library, it was still of formidable scale. Cultivation technique and battle technique manuals of all kinds filled the shelves, and in just a single nce, it was clear that the number of books definitely numbered beyond a million. There were many books on the other upations in the Master Teacher Pavilion, but over here, the books were mostly cultivation technique and battle technique manuals; the books on the other upations numbered in the minority. Cultivation techniques beneath Zongshi realm were useless to Zhang Xuan. Thus, he went straight for the sword art manuals. Soon, he found the shelves where the sword art manuals were held. There were more than several thousand books on those shelves. He quickly collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. "Compile!" This time, the sword art that waspiled was in perfect condition, thus safe for cultivation. Instead of testing it out immediately, Zhang Xuan went to the section on saber art and collected the respective books into the Library of Heavens Path as well. "Hm? Zongshi realm cultivation technique?" Walking along the shelves, Zhang Xuan collected a few other battle technique manuals when he suddenly saw the books on a row of shelves and his eyes lit up. To think that there would be... Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals here! In Hongtian Academy, Zongshi realm secret manuals were iparably valuable. As such, they were ced in an isted vault and only elders were qualified to browse through them. Zhang Xuan didnt expect Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals to be essible to all teachers in Tianwu Academy. Casually picking up a book, Zhang Xuan browsed through it. Soon, a bitter smile spread across his face. He thought that Tianwu Academy was truly practicing equality in education, granting both elders and ordinary teacher ess to the same resources. But after flipping through a book, he realized that... it was just wishful thinking on his part... Even though those were indeed Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals, no doubt about that, those were the most ordinary and simplest cultivation technique. In terms of quality, they were around Mortal low-tier. Using these cultivation techniques, even if one was incredibly talented, it would take at least a decade or so before one would be able to advance a single realm. It seemed like the truly incredible cultivation techniques were still kept in an isted vault. Those that were avable here were the useless ones. It was a waste to throw it away, but no one cultivated them anyway. Even so, this was a huge treasure trove to Zhang Xuan. Sliding his finger across those manuals, he swiftly collected them all in his mind. "Correct!" He had collected quite a few Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals back when he was at Red Lotus City. Adding all of these into the mix as well, the Library of Heavens Path immediately formed the Zongshi realm Heavens Path Divine Art. "I should go out first before starting to cultivate!" Holding back his urge to cultivate on the spot, he strolled around the library and collected some other useful-looking books before leaving. Returning back to the ssroom, Zhang Xuan went over to examine Lu Chongs condition, and upon seeing that thetter was still trying his best to withstand the poison, he nodded his head in approval. After which, he walked into the small ssroom and sat down cross-legged. Flipping open the Zongshi realm Heavens Path Divine Art, he closed his eyes and started cultivating. Tzzzzzzzz! Along with the flow of his zhenqi, spiritual energy in the air began to gush into his body, flowing through his acupoints and meridians. "Un?" After cultivating for a moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly opened his eyes. His cultivation didnt feel as smooth as before. In the past, achieving breakthroughs felt as easy as simply drinking a cup of water. But now, he felt starved instead. It was as if he was trying his best to gobble down whatever that was before him, but whatever that was before him was simply insufficient to satiate his appetite. "Its spiritual energy..." After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan came to a conclusion. The first seven realms of a Fighter, Juxi, Dantian, Zhenqi, Pigu, Dingli, Pixue, Tongxuan... The cultivation of these realms didnt require much spiritual energy. For example, in Pixue realm, one only had to open up ones acupoints to raise ones strength. In Tongxuan realm, one only had to connect all of ones meridians together. In Dingli realm, one only had to temper ones physical body... However, it was different once one reached Zongshi realm. The umtion of spiritual energy and storage of zhenqi became the priority instead. Every slightest increase in ones cultivation realm required a vast supply of spiritual energy. Using an analogy, a Zongshi realm cultivators dantian was like a pond whereas the spiritual energy in the air was like a stream flowing into the pond. If one wanted to fill the pond, naturally, the greater the flow, the better it was. Cultivating a high-tier cultivation technique would cause this stream to expand. With Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuans stream was no different from a ridiculously wide river. Naturally, the volume of water that could flow through it at any given moment was much greater than a small stream... But of course, that was only if there was sufficient water being supplied to the river in the first ce. Without sufficient water, no matter how vast the river was, the rate at which it filled the pond wouldnt be much faster than a stream. That was to say... while there was no problem with the Heavens Path Divine Art, due to thecking spiritual energy in the environment, Zhang Xuan would be unable to leverage the advantages of his cultivation technique to the maximum extent. In other words, Zhang Xuan was no longer able to raise his cultivation by an entire realm in just two hours like he did in the past! "Given how thin the spiritual energy in the air is, it will take at least three to five months before I reach Zongshi realm pinnacle!" Zhang Xuan thought in dismay. The prowess of Heavens Path Divine Art was incredible, but it had no way of making up for thecking spiritual energy in the air. Given the current rate of absorption, it would take at least three to five months before he reached the peak of Zongshi realm. Of course, if others were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely raise their pitchforks and light their torches. Reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle within three to five months is already an incredible feat, you know? To be unsatisfied with such speed... "Forget it. I should go to the Apothecary Guild tomorrow to see if I can find any pills harnessing spiritual energy. With the help of such pills, I should be able to advance my cultivation realm faster..." Knowing that it would be terribly inefficient to cultivate normally, Zhang Xuan chose to put the matter aside for now. Theck of spiritual energy in the environment was a huge problem to Zhang Xuan, but this problem could be alleviated by consuming pills. The Apothecary Guild had many pills that harnessed concentrated spiritual energy within them. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned his attention away from the Zongshi realm cultivation technique to the sword art manuals and saber art manuals in the Library of Heavens Path. Four hourster. Hu! Casually grabbing a sword from the weapon rack in the ssroom, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi ording to the form in his head and flicked the sword in his hand lightly. Sss! The zhenqi Zhang Xuan imbued into the sword formed a blinding radiance on the tip of the sword. And with a light sh...! A sword qi flew for more than a dozen meter beforeing to a stop. A narrow but deep cut appeared on the hard ground. --- Dantian refers to a ce in the abdomen. Usually, this is where the core of a cultivators energye from, somewhat simr to how our blood has to be pumped from our heart. In Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm, what one does is to open up this dantian so that they could umte zhenqi. Sword qi refers to a visible emanation of a sh from the edge of the sword. Weapons, Battle Techniques and Cultivation Techniques follow the same power system. Mortal, Phantom, Spirit, Saint, God. Each level can be divided into low-tier, intermediate-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle. There are exceptions, especially when ites to the higher tiers due to the massive difference in prowess between tiers. For example, there additional tiers between ranks. For a Battle Technique, there is the concept of mastery as well (i.e. how adept you are at using the technique). The higher the rank of the battle technique, the harder it is to gain mastery in it. Mastery is divided into Novice, Initiate, Minor Aplishment, Major Aplishment, and Consummation. Chapter 339: Lu Chongs Deep Grudge (1) Chapter 339: Lu Chongs Deep Grudge (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He immediately picked up a saber and attempted a light swing as well. Just like with the sword, an imposing white emanation formed flew forth the saber, leaving behind a deep cut on the ground. "As expected of a battle techniquepiled from high-tier battle techniques! These two techniques are much stronger than the Heavens Path Fist Art and Heavens Path Spear Art!" Zhang Xuan was satisfied with the force of the sword qi and saber qi. After reinforcing his understanding of the techniques, Zhang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief and a slight smile crept onto his face. "After I simplify these techniques and impart them on to Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing, they would surely be able to emerge victorious regardless of who their opponents are!" He had no idea who Zhao Yas opponent was, but he knew the primary reason behind Zhao Yas loss was due to her disadvantage in terms of battle techniques. Once she learns this sword art, no matter how powerful her opponent may be, it would be impossible for the other party to withstand her attacks. Zhang Xuan was certain that there was no battle technique in Tianwu Kingdom that could surpass those created through the Library of Heavens Path. As for Mu Xueqing, even though she didnt say a thing, it couldnt be any clearer to Zhang Xuan that her injury originated from a brawl. After imparting her this saber art, she should be able to protect herself from any opponent. ... Mu Xueqing returned to her residence. Recalling what that had happened today, she couldnt help but doubt that everything was just a dream. Even though she had witnessed Liuoshis capability with her own eyes, she still found it way too unbelievable. With just a few casual pointers from him, all of the students in the ss achieved a breakthrough in their cultivation, and the problem of the pill poison that had umted in her body was resolved. On top of that, he even dered that he would grant Lu Chong the strength rivaling that of a Tongxuan realm cultivator within ten days... Even a master teacher wouldnt be able to rival those feats! Walking into the living room, she stretched her back and prepared to return back to her room to rest. But just then, her father suddenly rushed into the living room with an agitated look on his face. "Qing-er, youre back! Ive good news for you!" "Whats wrong, father?" Her father, Apothecary Mu, had always maintained hisposure regardless of the situation. What in the world could have happened for him to get so agitated? "Theres a cure for you!" Apothecary Mus eyes were gleaming with excitement. "A cure?" Mu Xueqing was perplexed. A cure? It wasnt like she was terminally ill! What did a cure for you mean? "You have been consuming pills since young to augment the speed of your cultivation. Even though you managed to improve swiftly, due to your physical constitution and the nature of your cultivation technique, a significant amount of pill poison has umted in your body, thus making it extremely difficult for you to advance to higher realms! I only managed to notice this problemst year... and by then, it was already toote." Apothecary Mu looked at her daughter apologetically. "In order to solve your trauma, Ive visited the Physician Guild and consulted them on your problem. However... none of them had a feasible solution for your problem! Even Guild Leader Mu Hong is helpless before this matter, and he even inscribed the question on the Wall of Dilemma..." "I thought that it would be nigh impossible to find a cure for your problem, but... today, an incredible physician appeared, and he solved all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma with perfect treatment methods! In other words... theres a cure for your pill poison..." Apothecary Mus eyes were glowing. He had always felt guilty to his daughter over the issue of the pill poison, and thus, he had gone to great extents to find a cure to his daughters affliction. Upon realizing that the new guild leader of the Physician Guild could solve the problem easily, he could no longer hold back his agitation. "Pill poison?" Mu Xueqing blinked. She was just about to say that she had been cured of her pill poison when her father continued speaking. "You dont know how talented this new guild leader is. He solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, achieving a Perfect grade for each of them. In the end, he even came up with an answer that even 4-star physicians were incapable of evaluating..." Apothecary Mu praised in amazement. Even though he had heard the news from a reliable source, he still found it hard to believe. If not for his friend in the Physician Guild swearing on the matter, he would have surely thought the other party was just pulling his leg. "Ah, right! I heard that... the new guild leader is a teacher in your academy. Help me look into it tomorrow so that I can make some preparations. Ill pay him a visit and beseech him for the treatment method to cure you of your affliction..." Apothecary Mu turned to his daughter and said. "Theres such a formidable teacher in our academy? Whats his name?" Mu Xueqing asked doubtfully. She had heard of the Physician Guilds Wall of Dilemma as well. To be able to solve neen questions with a Perfect grade, that person was indeed an incredible genius! His feat was in no way inferior to that of Master Teacher Zhang Xuan. But Mu Xueqing knew all of the teachers in the academy, and she was certain that none of them were capable of such a feat. After all, how could a person possessing such formidable capability possibly remain unknown! "If I recall correctly..." Apothecary Mu pondered for a moment. "His surname seems to be Liu..." "Liu?" Gedeng, Mu Xueqings heart skipped a beat. A figure suddenly appeared in her mind, and her face flushed in agitation. Staring intently at her father, she asked, "It cant be that his name is... Liu Cheng?" This was the name Liuoshi introduced himself with when he entered the ssroom. "Thats right, his name is Liu Cheng. He seems to be a new teacher in Tianwu Academy..." Recalling the contents of his conversation with his friend, Apothecary Mu nodded. "Liu Cheng..." Mu Xueqings widened intorge circles, and at that moment, she looked as though she had seen a ghost. Was her teacher a physician too? Not to mention, he actually solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma and became the new guild leader of the Physician Guild? Even though she had already guessed the answer before her father said anything, she was still astonished when she heard the confirmation. "You know this teacher? Great! Ill pay him a visit tomorrow and beseech him to solve your pill poison..." Oblivious to his daughters shock, Apothecary Mu continued speaking excitedly. "Theres no need to pay him a visit... He has already cured my pill poison affliction..." It took awhile before Mu Xueqing managed to digest this news. Smiling bitterly, she said. "He has already cured you?" Surprised, Apothecary Mu swiftly turned to look at his daughter. "Yes..." Mu Xueqing nodded. "Why... would he help you?" The situation was much too sudden for Apothecary Mu to ept. Given Liuoshis standing, there shouldnt be any reason for him to solve his daughters affliction for free. "Thats because..." Hearing her fathers doubt, Mu Xueqing tilted her face upward and a proud expression appeared on her face. "He... is my teacher!" "Your teacher?" Apothecary Mu was stunned. The same situation was also urring with Meng Tao and the other students of Liuoshi. That very night left innumerable people astonished. ... Waking up from his sleep, Zhang Xuan felt revitalized. He had spent the entire night modifying the Heavens Path Sword Art and Heavens Path Saber Art for Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqings usage. The battle techniques created through the Library of Heavens Path were formidable, but without Heavens Path zhenqi to sustain one, not only would one be unable to bring out the full might of the technique, one might even sustain severe injuries from it. Just like a baby swinging a hammerWithout sufficient strength to wield it, a formidable tool would just hurt oneself. The twodies would be able to better bring out the might of the battle techniques after Zhang Xuan made some modifications to the respective techniques ording to their needs. After walking out from the small room, Zhang Xuan saw Lu Chong panting heavily on the bench. Thetter had managed to survive the first round of torture in cultivating the Poison Body. "Teacher!" Upon seeing Liuoshi, Lu Chong hurriedly sped his fist. "Un!" From the very start, Zhang Xuan had expected that Lu Chong would be able to tide through the pain. Thus, he wasnt too surprised by the matter. Nodding his head, he smiled, "How do you feel?" "I..." Lu Chong hesitated for a moment before replying, "I dont feel anything different from before. I am still at Pixue realm primary stage. Why didnt my cultivation rise..." As soon as the poison started to fade, he immediately took an internal look at his condition. Just like how he was yesterday night, he was still at Pixue realm primary stage. There wasnt any advancement in his cultivation at all. If not out of trust for Liuoshi, he would have thought that the pain he suffered yesterday night was for naught. Upon recalling the pain he felt then, he couldnt help but shudder. It was as if he was plunged into the deepest abyss of hell, subjected to the worst tortures that could exist in this world. Many a time he felt that it would be better for him to just let go of everything and give up. If not for the grudge in his heart fueling his determination, he would have surely caved in. "Theres a Strength Measuring Rock Pir there. You should give try hitting it!" Zhang Xuan smiled lightly. "Yes!" Even though Lu Chong was perplexed by the instructions, he still nodded his head and walked over to the rock pir. Clenching his fist, he struck it with all of his might. Weng! The rock pir trembled, and a line of digits slowly floated into appearance. "44 ding? Pixue realm pinnacle... H-how is this possible?" Upon seeing the numbers on the pir, Lu Chongs body trembled and his eyes widened in shock. He could clearly sense that his cultivation didnt rise at all. How did he manage to achieve a might of 44 ding? This was too scary! A normal Pixue realm cultivators strength would only increase by one ding for every acupoint opened. Going by that calction, 44 ding was equivalent to having 40 acupoints opened. However... Lu Chong had only cleared one acupoint to date. So, how in the world could he possibly possess such tremendous strength? "The strength originates from your physical body!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head as he exined. He was rather satisfied with the oue. What the Poison Body augmented was the might of ones physical body, not ones zhenqi cultivation. Upon reaching a certain level of strength for ones physical body, one could gain the strength to rival zhenqi cultivators. In fact, some of the formidable poison masters were even able to tear Zongshi realm cultivators apart without using their zhenqi at all. By tempering his physical body through lethal poison, in the course of a single night, Lu Chongs strength rose from 5 ding to 44 ding! "I..." Seeing the number on the stone pir, Lu Chongs eyes reddened. Back then, when Liuoshi said that he would grant him the strength to exact vengeance within ten days, he still bore some doubts to the other partys words. But now, not even the slightest trace of doubt lingered in his mind! In just a single day, his fighting prowess rose from the level of a Dingli realm primary stage cultivator to a Pixue realm pinnacle cultivator. This rate of growth waspletely unheard of! Even though Lu Chong was experiencing it firsthand, he couldnt help but doubt if it was all just a dream. "Thank you, teacher!" All that was left in his mind at this moment was awe and gratitude for the young Liuoshi. "So, can you tell me about your matter now?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I..." Lu Chong clenched his fists tightly. "Remember, you are Liu Chengs student, my student. Even if your enemy is the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, as long as he is at fault..." cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan exuded an aura of indubitable confidence. "Ill st a hole through him for you!" "Teacher..." Having lost his family, Lu Chong had to learn to be independent swiftly. In the past two years, he trusted no one and relied on no one. He chose to shoulder all of his burden alone. But despite his incredible mental fortitude, in the end, he was just a young child. In an instant, all of Lu Chongs pent-up emotions suddenly came bursting forth, and tears started streaming down his face. If it was anyone else who said such words to him, he would have surelyughed it off, thinking that the other party was just bragging. But for some reason, he couldnt help but feel inclined to trust the words of this Liuoshi. He had lost all of his pirs of support with his death of his parents. He didnt expect to find the feeling of wanting to rely on someone on Liuoshi. Even though the teacher before him was young, he felt like an indomitable mountain that pulled his floating heart back to the ground, allowing to him to find calmness. For once in a very long time, he felt that he wasnt alone. "Go on, speak!" Zhang Xuan looked at Lu Chong. "Yes..." Thus, Lu Chong began talking about his history. Chapter 340: Lu Chongs Deep Grudge (2) Chapter 340: Lu Chongs Deep Grudge (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric It wasnt too different from the plots of clich plots one would see in soap opera. The Lu n, which Lu Chong was born in, wasnt exactly a prestigious n in Tianwu Royal City, but still, it was a sizeable one. Lu Chongs talent had been average since young. On the other hand, her elder sister was the star of the n, bing an apprentice formation master at just seventeen-year-old. Back then, she was the talk of the town. However, that was also the origin of the disaster. Talented and beautiful, she caught the eye of a certain scion. Love eventually grew into hate, and the story ended in a tragedy. "Eventually, our entire family of 137 people was all killed in the span of a night. Back then, I happened to be out hunting and coincidentally avoided the cmity..." Recalling the matter, the resentment he sealed in his heart burst forth, and his entire body trembled in agitation. "Your n used to be in Tianwu Royal City?" Zhang Xuan asked. If his n wasnt located in Tianwu Royal City, there would be no need for him to act so cautiously here, going to the extent of even ying mute. "Yes!" Lu Chong nodded. "Given my weak cultivation, I knew that I would never be able to escape from the other partys pursuers. Thus, I decided to join Tianwu Academy instead and cooped myself within itspounds. I think that it is likely that the other party didnt think that I would pose much of a threat that I was able to survive until now." "The most dangerous ce is always the safest ce. Perhaps the other party didnt expect you to hide in the prestigious Tianwu Academy. However... given that a n of 137 people was killed, there should have been a huge uproar in the city. Didnt the Master Teacher Pavilion and Tianwu Kingdom attempt to investigate the matter and return justice to the Lu n?" Zhang Xuan realized that there were some doubtful aspects to the matter. The Master Teacher Pavilion was a powerful organization spread across innumerable nations. Not only was it responsible for grooming master teachers and guiding the popce, it also took on the role of maintaining order in the region. While they typically didnt interfere in fights of minor scale, an entire n being ughtered overnight was a huge matter. Given such, the Master Teacher Pavilion should have sent someone to look into the matter. Besides, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion chose not to interfere, how could the royalty of Tianwu Kingdom stay out of the matter as well? How could they allow the murderer to get away scot-free when an entire n was killed in the capital right beneath their eyes? "I am not sure about the details either. After everyone else died, I went undercover. I didnt dare to look into the matter out of fear that the other party would notice my existence." Lu Chong had a savage expression on his face, and deep resentment burned in his eyes. Zhang Xuan continued asking a few more questions, but after realizing that Lu Chong didnt know much about the matter as well, he stopped. "Theres no need to bother all these first, just focus on your training for the time being. Use the method I taught you yesterday to cultivate. As long as you persevere on for five more times, you should attain the strength to kill Tongxuan realm pinnacle experts easily. You should rest well for now and prepare for the second round tonight!" "Yes!" Lu Chong sped his fist before returning back to his dormitory. Even though Lu Chong had worded it lightly, Zhang Xuan knew that the matter wasnt as easy as it sounded. Given how the royalty of Tianwu Kingdom stood idle when an entire n was killed, his opponent must either possess immense strength or be of high standing. More importantly, if it was only a matter of love turning into the hate, the other party could have just killed his sister. Was there a need to wipe out the entire n? There was probably something deeper to it. It seemed like his student was still hiding several matters from him. "I shouldnt pressure him if he doesnt wish to say it. I will ask him when hes willing to talk about it!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to dwell on the matter. Even though he had decided to help the other party, their time together was still too short. It was normal for Lu Chong to not have absolute trust in him. Thus, Zhang Xuan wasnt angry. In the bookpiled on Lu Chong in the Library of Heavens Path, it was only reflected that Lu Chong carried a deep grudge against him. It didnt state who his enemy was, and what exactly happened back then. It was just like the case with Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing. He could tell that the duo was injured, as well as how they were injured, but he wasnt able to tell who was the one who did it. ... Walking out of the ssroom, Lu Chong turned around and nced at the young Liuoshi. His eyes reddened, and he tightened his fist. It wasnt that he didnt trust Liuoshi, but he... didnt dare to tell him th e truth! He knew very well the standing and influence his enemy wielded. He didnt want the only person in the world who treated him sincerely to be harmed because of him. "Liuoshi, I am indebted to you. It seems like I wont be able to repay you... I really hope that you wont be implicated in this matter. After all, youre just an ordinary teacher in the academy! If they were to realize that you have taken me as your student and imparted me with knowledge, they mighty their hands on you!" "Allow me... to settle my grudge myself!" Coming to this decision, Lu Chong turned around and left. The sudden surge in his strength had reignited his hope for exacting vengeance. ... Not long after Lu Chongs departure, the other students arrived. After imparting them some basic knowledge and giving them pointers on their cultivation one by one, Zhang Xuan called Mu Xueqing into the small room and imparted her with the Heavens Path Saber Art. Initially, when Mu Xueqing heard that there was only one move, she was slightly disappointed. However, after learning it, she realized that it was an exceedingly profound and high-level skill. Agitated, her body couldnt stop shaking. Even though she was unable to tell the tier of this saber art, she knew that it was at a much higher level than the Fallen Flower Fist that her father imparted her. They werent evenparable to one another. This saber art seemed to harness the fundamentalws of the universe. Profound concepts were concisely expressed through this single move, making one feel as though it was impossible to withstand it. "Thank you, Liuoshi for your generous bestowment!" After practicing it for two hours, Mu Xueqing finally opened up the zhenqi pathway required for the Heavens Path Saber Art. Filled with gratitude and reverence for her teacher, she kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed. The other party had solved her pill poison issue and imparted her with such an incredible battle technique... It was impossible to express her gratitude through words. "I must defeat thatdy and bring honor to Liuoshis name!" Gritting her silver teeth, she strengthened her resolve. She had no other way to repay her teacher but to bring glory to him, and defeating Master Teacher Zhang Xuans student was the most effective way to do so. Oblivious to the fact that this newly epted student of his had already made up her mind to give Zhao Ya a good thrashing, Zhang Xuan instructed for the other students to cultivate properly before leaving the ssroom. It wasnt easy for him to create the Zongshi realm Heavens Path Divine Art, but due tock of spiritual energy, he could only cultivate slowly. Now that he had some free time, he decided to head to the Apothecary Guild to find some suitable pills with concentrated spiritual energy. ... "Is that Liuoshi really as incredible as they say? Helping others achieve a breakthrough with just a few casual pointers?" Not too far away from Zhang Xuans ssroom, two young men were discussing. If any other students were here, they would surely recognize the duo to be the two stars of the academy, the champion of the academys tournament, Zhao Wuxing, and the first runner-up, Liu Changyan. The one who had just spoken was Zhao Wuxing. "There must be a reason behind these rumors! Its not like you dont know Mu Xueqings temper. To be able to make her listen obediently and even fall out with Zhang shis students, that Liuoshi must possess exceptional means." Liu Changyan replied. After witnessing the brawl between the twodies, the duo grew interested in the legendary Liuoshi. "No matter what, we should see for ourselves whether it is real or not. I dont believe that theres any teacher in this academy who can surpass Baioshi in terms of teaching!" Even though the Liu Changyans words were logical, Zhao Wuxing still found it hard to believe the matter. As they lived on the campus, they were unaware of the ruckus that Liuoshi had caused in the Physician Guild. Otherwise, they wouldnt have been doubtful of the other partys capability. As for Baioshi, he was the most famous star teacher in the academy. His standing was simr to that of Lu Xun in Hongtian Academy. "Hm? Why is the carriage of the royal family here?" Just as the two of them were discussing the matter, Liu Changyan abruptly pointed to the road. Tracing the other partys finger, Zhao Wuxing was stunned. A golden carriage was slowly heading toward the academy from the streets. The insignia of the royal family was on the exterior of the carriage. "Eight horses... This is the carriage that only the core members of the royal family are entitled to ride on. Is this the crown prince or... the third princess?" Speaking of the third princess, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyans eyes immediately burned in passion. Third Princess Mo Yu was the ideal goddess in their mind. Not only was she beautiful, she was blessed with great talents as well... Despite her young age, she had already passed the master teacher examination, causing her name to be known throughout the capital. If not for Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi, she would definitely be the brightest star in the city. Hu! The carriage came to a stop and an elegant figure alighted from it. "It is indeed the third princess..." Upon seeing the figure, the two geniuses immediately flushed in agitation. However, puzzlement soon reced their agitation. "Why would she be at the academy?" As a 1-star master teacher and an incredible genius, if Princess Mo Yu was nning to conduct a lecture in Tianwu Academy, they would have definitely heard of the news beforehand. But if she wasnt here to conduct a lecture, what other reasons could she be here for? Perplexed, they saw her walking toward Liuoshi ssroom and bowed. "Tianwu Kingdoms Mo Yu is here to pay respect to Liu Chengoshi!" A crisp voice sounded clearly in the surroundings. "Pay respect to Liuoshi?" "Princess Mo Yu is a 1-star master teacher, 2-star apothecary, and 1-star beast tamer. Despite all of these, she still has to pay respect to this Liu Cheng?" Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan were stunned. They were so shocked by the sight that their lower jaw nearly fell to the floor. In Tianwu Kingdom, Princess Mo Yus talent was only second to Mo Hongyi and Zhang Xuan. On top of being a master teacher, she was also a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert... Yet, she came to the academy to pay respect to an ordinary teacher? Surely they were seeing things? Didnt that Liu Cheng just entered the academy yesterday? For a 1-star master teacher and the princess of the kingdom to visit him personally, who exactly was he? Before they could recover from their shock, they saw Liuoshi open the door, walk out, and nce at Princess Mo Yu. "What are you doing here... Cough cough, do you need something of me?" Putong! Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan fell to the ground. A mouthful of blood welled up in their throat. What in the world was with that attitude! Even if you are capable, it is only right for you to bow in greetings to the princess! At the very least, you should at least address her respectfully... To immediately say what are you doing here and do you need something of me upon seeing the princess... Who do you think you are? You arent even a star teacher, you are just an ordinary teacher in the academy. The other party is a 1-star master teacher, but not only is your attitudepletely disrespectful, there is even a questioning edge to your voice. Arent you disregarding the other party a little too much? Infuriated, the duo was thinking about how they should report this matter to the academy to send a strict warning to this conceited fellow so that he would learn to follow the rules of the Teacher Guild when Princess Mo Yu stepped forward and said, "My father is waiting outside for you. He hopes that Liuoshi can spare some time for him..." "Father? His Majesty Mo Tianxue?" "He hopes that Liuoshi can... spare some time? What in the world is going on? His Majesty is actually paying a visit personally to an ordinary teacher?" Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyans eyes were widened to the maximum. At this moment, they really felt as though the world had gone mad. Chapter 341: Spirit Stone Chapter 341: Spirit Stone Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The two geniuses werent the only ones who were maddened by Zhang Xuans casual and impertinent reaction. Mo Yus eyebrows were also twitching and she nearly flew into a rage. She already felt indignant for having toe over personally to invite this fellow, and yet, the other party still acted like that. It was as if she meant nothing to him at all! At the first meeting, others would at least greet her politely with paying respect to Princess Mo Yu or my pleasure to meet you, trying their best to be as gentlemanly as they could be. Yet, the other party immediately came with a what are you doing here as soon as he saw her... Are we close buddies? If not for my father nagging me, do you think that Id be here? Ive met rude people before, but to think that you would top the list! Breathing heavily in anger, Mo Yu gritted her teeth. Upon recalling her fathers instructions, she felt even more dismayed. Even so, knowing the identity of the man before her, she could only suppress her rage. Her fathers intentions for demanding for her presence couldnt be any clearer... He wanted the both of them to have some time with one another, and it would be best if there was any spark between them! After all, this would be greatly beneficial to her. The fight for the throne was callous. Even though Mo Hongyis surname was Mo, he was neither from the main family nor was he a close kin. As a talented individual who was about to be a 2-star master teacher, if he truly set his eyes upon the throne, neither the crown prince nor the other princes would be a match for him. Mo Yu, as a fellow master teacher, was the only one who could stand against him. Thus, Emperor Mo Tianxue intended to groom Mo Yu for her to be the empress so as to prevent the royal insignia from falling into the hands of an outsider... And to do so, her husband would y an important role in consolidating her power. In the entire capital, the two most talented individuals other than Mo Hongyi was Master Teacher Zhang Xuan and Liuoshi. Master Teacher Zhang Xuan possessed high standing and powerful cultivation. On top of that, he also had the backing of a powerful teacher. Even if some spark were to be ignited between Mo Yu and him, it would be difficult for Mo Yu to keep him in check. But Liuoshi was different. Mo Tianxue had sent some men to look into his affairs and confirmed that the other party was a true-blue Tianwu Kingdom civilian. Due to theck of talent, he was unable to take the master teacher examination... At the same time, his cultivation was also only at Tongxuan realm primary stage, which was considerably weakpared to the geniuses in the city. Normally, this kind of person wouldnt be able to match up to Mo Yu. But no one could have imagined that he would possess divine medical skill which paved his way into bing the head of the Physician Guild all of the sudden. Even though physician wasnt abat upation, very few were willing to step on their toes. After all, no one could ensure that they wouldnt fall ill. If some kind of rtionship were to really sprout between him and Mo Yu, Mo Yus seat on the throne would be further stabilized. At the very least, Mo Hongyi would have to think twice before vying for the top seat. Thus, Mo Yu held back her displeasure and came here personally to invite Liuoshi over. She thought that the other party would be ttered and overwhelmed by her presence, but in the end, the other party simply disregarded her. She was a princess and a master teacher... What was with this attitude toward her? Gritting her teeth tightly, she harrumphed. After bringing up her father, she thought that no matter how arrogant Liu Cheng was, he would at least defer to her fathers standing. Yet, the other party simply frowned, "Your father? Why is he looking for me? I still have something to attend to so I dont have much time!" Zhang Xuan wasnt too bothered with the emperor of the kingdom. As a potential 2-star master teacher, he had the qualifications to do so as well. However, when Mo Yu heard those words, she flew into a frenzy. Even if you are the guild leader of the Physician Guild, your physician rank is still limited by your weak cultivation. Without a concrete rank to augment your standing, your position can only be considered to be an honorary one. What rights do you have to act so arrogantly? Dont have much time? How dont you just take the time to die... On the other side, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan were about to spurt blood as well. The other party being disrespectful to the princess was already sufficient to leave them speechless. To think that he would go as far as to disregard the emperor... Arent you afraid of incurring Princess Mo Yus wrath by doing this? Arent you scared that she would kill you with a single p? "Father hase here specially to meet you, it wouldnt look good if you were to turn him down like that!" Gritting her silver teeth, Mo Yu harrumphed. "Ah... Fine, bring me over!" Zhang Xuan gestured. He wasnt intentionally trying to anger this proud princess. Rather, the days with her in the Beast Hall and Red Lotus City had made him feel rtively close to her, and thus, he forgot about his identity as Liuoshi upon seeing her. From the looks of it, it seemed like the mask and fake identity that the Master Teacher Pavilion prepared for the examination was truly impressive. After all, even Mo Yu was unable to find anything amiss about him. "Hmph!" Flinging her sleeves, Mo Yu led the way. Seeing the two of them leave, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stared at one another in shock. Wasnt this fellow just an ordinary teacher? Why would the emperor pay him a visit personally? Also, why would Princess Mo Yu tolerate him despite being at the peak of her anger? Even Principal Xie didnt wield such prestige! "Lets go over and take a look..." Unable to hold back their curiosity, the duo hurriedly followed behind them. ... Parked at the entrance of the academy was a massive carriage. Before Zhang Xuan and the others could reach the carriage, the yellow drape veiling the interiors of the carriage parted, and a middle-aged man carrying a majestic disposition walked down. His eyes were filled with energy and his aura felt imposing as if a mighty dragon. Even from a distance, Zhang Xuan could already feel a strong pressure from him. The middle-aged man was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, an existence who was just a step away from reaching Half-Zhizun. "You must be Guild Leader Liu..." Mo Tianxue walked up to Zhang Xuan with a smile. As he proceeded forward, he examined the other party carefully. A momentter, amendatory gleam shed across his eyes. As the emperor of a country, he naturally carried a disposition which exerted immense pressure on others. Even if an expert of the same cultivation realm were to face him, the other party wouldnt be able to avoid feeling intimidated and anxious. As expected of the person who solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma. Despite his young age, the other party was extremelyposed. Just his mental fortitude in itself was something iparable by most. "May I know the reason behind His Majestys visit?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Liuoshi has solved neen questions of the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, thus bing a legend in the kingdom. I happened to pass by here today, and out of admiration for you, I would like to invite you to the royal pce!" Mo Tianxue said. "Royal pce?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I appreciate your goodwill but I have some affairs to attend to at the Apothecary Guild today. Thus, I will have to turn down your offer!" Zhang Xuan still had to look for pills containing spiritual energy at the Apothecary Guild before heading to the residence to impart Zhao Ya the Heavens Path Sword Art. He truly didnt have the time to be visiting the royal pce at the moment. "He rejected the emperors invitation?" Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan had been following behind Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu stealthily, and as soon as they caught up, they immediately heard those words and shuddered in fear. Liuoshi sure was daring! It was bad enough to be disrespectful to Princess Mo Yu, but to reject the emperors invitation to his face... "Since Guild Leader Liu has something up, I wont impose on you then. Here is a token of my sincerity, please ept it!" Despite the other party rejecting his goodwill, Mo Tianxue didnt fly into a rage. Instead, he simply gestured with a smile, and a eunuch quickly walked forward to present a jade box over. As the head of the Physician Guild, the other party was worthy to be considered as a fellow peer. Mo Tianxue waved his hand, and the eunuch opened the jade box. Concentrated spiritual energy immediately gushed out from within, stimting ones blood. A transparent rock of the size of a walnut was ced neatly within the jade box. Reflecting the rays of the sun, it was as brilliant as a diamond. "Spirit stone?" "Its a spirit stone!" Upon seeing the object, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyans body trembled. At the same time, a me ignited in their eyes. Spirit stone was an ore mined from regions where spiritual energy was dense, and it was amodity rarely seen even in Conferred Kingdoms. Every single one of them was iparably valuable and rare, and it was an unparalleled treasure in boosting a cultivators cultivation. ording to the rumors, only higher tiered kingdoms possessed the right to trade spirit stones, but even so, the demand still severely outstripped the supply! Even a 2-star master teacher would find it hard to obtain one... To think that the emperor would give such a valuable object to this Liuoshi! This gift was simply too big! If they were in his ce, they would have immediately be so agitated that they might even forget their own names. They hurriedly turned to look at Liuoshi... and he still had the same impassive expression on, as though he was unmoved by the other partys gift. "No wonder... Just Liuoshis ability to maintain hisposure in such a situation itself makes him already worthy of respect!" Upon seeing this sight, the duo suddenly found themselves in awe of Liuoshi. That was a spirit stone! There was no cultivator whose breathing wouldnt hasten upon seeing it. Just by how Liuoshi could remain calm before it already made him worthy of the emperors respect... Just as they werementing the innate difference among fellow humans, they heard the young teacher ask with a doubtful tone, "Whats this?" Putong! The duos vision darkened, and they suddenly found themselves on the verge of tears. To think that they felt deep respect for Liuoshi when the truth was that... he didnt even recognize what it was! They had wasted their respect on him... "Cough cough!" The proud Mo Tianxue, who was looking at Zhang Xuan expectantly in hopes of seeing the shock on the other partys face, choked on his saliva. He was renderedpletely speechless by the other party. Even if you havent seen a spirit stone before, you should have at least heard of it! Despite being so skilled in the Way of Medicine... how could you have never heard of spirit stones before... Zhang Xuan had read many books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, but he had yet to assimte the content of these books for his own. As such, he was stillcking in themon knowledge in the world. The Library of Heavens Path was simr to the search engines in his previous life. While one could easily search for answers on it... one had to know what to search for first. Otherwise, it would be useless! That was to say, even though he could easily ess the books in the Library of Heavens Path, he didnt have perfect grasp over the knowledge contained within them yet. The current situation was as such. A brilliant and extraordinary-looking stone was before him, but there were countless other stones in the world as well. How was he supposed to find this single stone among innumerable others among countless books? "This is a spirit stone. It contains concentrated spiritual energy within it, allowing to cultivate efficiently..." Mo Tianxue exined. "Spirit stone?" Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan immediately submerged his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path and a book instantaneously appeared before him. He quickly browsed through it. A detailed description on the subject was written within the book: Spirit stones are ores formed from a dense congregation of spiritual energy, and they contain a concentrated volume of spiritual energy within it. The spiritual energy within it could be absorbed by a cultivator to increase the efficiency of his cultivation, thus solving the problem of limited spiritual energy in his environment... "This..." Blinking his eyes in astonishment, Zhang Xuans face gradually reddened in agitation. Wasnt this what he was looking for? With this, he wouldnt have to head to the Apothecary Guild anymore! He could just absorb the spiritual energy within the stone to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle! "Thank you!" Knowing how valuable this object was, Zhang Xuan hurriedly grabbed the spirit stone and kept it in his storage ring without even waiting for the other party to finish his exnation. "..." It was just a moment that he was nonchnt to the spirit stone, but in the next instant, he swiftly snatched it away, as though afraid that someone would take it away from him. Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu immediately flew into a frenzy. The heck, your attitude is even more fickle than the weather! Just as they were thinking that the other party was suffering from dissociative personality disorder, they saw the young man cing his hands behind his back and looking into the distance with a deep look, as though an expert who had seen through the vicissitudes of life. "I wont take your item for free. How about this, I can conduct a free treatment for you!" "..." Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu. "..." Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan. Chapter 342: Imparting Sword Art Chapter 342: Imparting Sword Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The spirit stone was extremely important to Zhang Xuan at this moment. Since the other party was offering it to him, he had no reason to refuse it. However, Zhang Xuan wouldnt ept the other partys gift for free either. Thus, he offered him to treat them once for free in return. "Speaking of treatment, I really do require Guild Leader Lius help!" Recovering from his astonishment from the other partys actions, Mo Tianxue sped his fist and said. The main reason why he had chosen to befriend Liuoshi was because he wanted to borrow thetters medical skill. Since the other party had brought up the topic, he decided to grasp the opportunity. "Execute a battle technique then!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Execute a battle technique?" Mo Tianxue was rendered speechless once more. Shouldnt you ask about the illness instead? What do you mean by execute a punching technique? Laughing awkwardly, Mo Tianxue said, "Its not for me but... How about this, if Guild Leader Liu is free now, I would like to invite you to the royal pce." "I have some matters to attend to at the moment. Ill head there after Im done!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. "Isnt Guild Leader Liu heading to the Apothecary Guild? Xiao Yu, you should apany him there. As a 2-star apothecary, you should be well-versed with the matters there!" Seeing the other party agree to his request, Mo Tianxue stroked his beard with a smile. "Besides, the both of you are incredible geniuses. Itll be good for you to get acquainted and learn from one another." Mo Tianxue thought that it was a good opportunity to give the duo some time together. If sparks were to fly from their interaction, that would be for the best. "The emperor is asking Princess Mo Yu to apany him?" "Clearly, he is trying to pair the princess with Liuoshi..." Upon seeing this sight, tears streamed down Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyans faces. Regardless of whether it was her standing, beauty, or talent, Princess Mo Yu seemed to be favored by the heavens. No man could possibly reject her apaniment. The emperors intentions couldnt be clearer. If not for fear of being too abrupt, he might have even betrothed her to him at this very instant. As secret admirers of Princess Mo Yu, their hearts shattered. Just when they thought that Liuoshi would agree delightfully to the matter, thetter frowned and shook his head, "Theres no need for that..." "No need?" Mo Tianxue was caught by surprise by the other partys response. "Isnt Liuoshi heading to the Apothecary Guild? Even though my daughter isnt the best apothecary there, she is still a 2-star apothecary. With her connections there, you should be spared some hassle in obtaining what you need!" Even the most skilled apothecary in Tianwu Kingdom Apothecary Guild, the guild leader, was only at 3-star. Thus, 2-star apothecaries possessed immense say within the guild. "Oh, Im not heading to the Apothecary Guild anymore. I still have matters to attend to, so Ill be bidding you all farewell here. After Im done with my business, I will definitely pay the royal pce a visit!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist and left. The reason why he wanted to visit the Apothecary Guild was to look for a pill concentrated in spiritual energy for his cultivation. Having obtained a spirit stone, there was no need for him to do so anymore. His greatest priority at this moment was to return to the residence to impart sword art to Zhao Ya. After all, she was going to duel with someone two dayster. "You arent going there anymore?" Mo Tianxue blinked his eyes nkly. On the other hand, Mo Yu gritted her teeth. Her fathers intentions couldnt be made any clearer, and yet, this fellow actually rejected the offer... On top of that, it was just a moment ago that he insisted on heading to the Apothecary Guild. But upon hearing that she was tagging along, he immediately changed his mind... Am I that ugly? Do you have to be that frightened of me? "Farewell..." Oblivious to the misunderstanding he had caused, Zhang Xuan turned around and left. Master teachers did possess sufficient prestige to disregard royalty. Even though the other party was the emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom, he still had to think twice before doing anything to even an ordinary 2-star master teacher. Putting aside the fact that master teachers were backed by the Master Teacher Pavilion, just the ability of a 2-star master teacher to rally experts was sufficient to wreck havoc in the kingdom. All those who had benefited from their lessons in the past could be considered as their student. With the influence they wielded, destroying the royal family was nothing more than a walk in the park. "Father, this fellow is getting out of hand!" After the other party disappeared in the distance, Mo Yu bellowed furiously. "It is perfectly normal for talented people like him to be proud and unruly. The Zhang shi that you spoke of seems to be even more unruly than him, isnt that so?" Mo Tianxue replied. With superior talents, it was inevitable that geniuses would tend to be proud and unruly. Besides, they had the qualifications to act in such a manner as well. "Zhang shi possesses true capability. He isnt someone that fellow canpare with!" Mo Yu harrumphed. Having apanied Zhang shi from the Beast Hall to the Red Lotus City, she had a firsthand view of the other partys capability. While she couldnt say that his talents were unparalleled, she didnt think that he was too far from it. In a sense, Mo Yu viewed him as her idol. But this Liu Cheng... He was just an insignificant figure who hadnt even seen the wider world outside. He only happened to possess outstanding medical skills, how could hepare up to her idol? "This isnt necessarily so. Not only is that Guild Leader Liu skilled in Way of Medicine, his aptitude for teaching is also top-notch!" Mo Tianxue chuckled. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a confidential document and passed it over. "Take a look at this!" Mo Yu took it with a doubtful expression, and with a single nce, her eyes immediately widened. "He-he... With a single day of guidance, he made all of his students achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation? On top of that, he settled Mu Xueqings pill poison?" Mu Xueqings father, Apothecary Mu, was one of Mo Yus examiner during her apothecary examination, and she had met him several times. Through their interactions, she learned that Apothecary Mu was looking for a cure for his daughters pill poison. Given how Liuoshi was able to be the head of the Physician Guild, his medical skill had to be outstanding. As such, while it was amazing for him to have resolved Mu Xueqings pill poison, it wasnt beyond expectations. However, for the other partys entire ss to achieve a breakthrough in just a single day of guidance... This wasnt something that just anyone was capable of! Even her, a 1-star master teacher, was incapable of such a feat! "Indeed. If he wasnt that formidable, I wouldnt have tried to pair him with you!" Mo Tianxue chuckled. "You should continue on reading. Theres something even more interesting beyond that!" Princess Mo Yu continued browsing downward and her hands suddenly trembled, "Zhang shis student, Zhao Ya, fought with Mu Xueqing in a duel, and the result is a draw? And they are fighting once more two dayster?" "Un. If Mu Xueqing wins in this duel, it would mean that Liuoshis teaching capability has surpassed that of Zhang shi! Even if he isnt a master teacher, he would definitely contribute greatly to the country. Try thinking about it, if he were to conduct lessons in the military... What kind of effects would there be?" Mo Tianxue said. "That..." Mo Yu fell silent. In just a single day of guidance, the other partys entire ss managed to achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation. The benefits of the other party lecturing in the military were unimaginable. He might just singlehandedly induce the military might of the country to rise exponentially. "Liuoshi possess incredible medical skills and amazing teaching capability. Even though he is unable to match up to Zhang shi in pill forging and beast taming, the extent of his talent isnt inferior to the other party. It would definitely be beneficial to you to get close to such a person. But of course, you should also try to be closer with Zhang shi as well. If he were to speak up for you, regardless of how incredible Mo Hongyi is, he wouldnt be able to shake your position anymore!" Mo Tianxue instructed gravely. "Yes!" Mo Yu nodded. Suddenly, she thought of something and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Since we are intending to get on close terms with the two, should we stop the duel between Mu Xueqing and Zhao Ya?" "Why should we stop it? Not only should we not stop it, we should even propagate it. We should make everyone aware of this matter and create a huge uproar! This way, we will be able to win his goodwill!" Mo Tianxue dered confidently. "The other partys intentions are clear. Since he didnt attempt to stop the duel between Mu Xueqing and Zhao Ya, then clearly, he wishes to make use of this matter to strike his name out. Since thats the case, we should give him a helping hand!" Hearing Mo Tianxues words, Mo Yu came to a realization. To be honest, she was also curious whether Zhang shis student, Zhao Ya, or Guild Leader Lius student, Mu Xueqing, would win? But regardless of who wins, the fact that the two of them came to a draw in their first fight showed that Guild Leader Lius teaching capability was in no way inferior to Zhang shi! "I should watch their duel two dayster..." Mo Yu made up her mind. ... After leaving the academy, Zhang Xuan double checked that no one was following him before diving into an alley and transforming into Yang shi. Then, he walked into the residence. "Old master, a few guards came by yesterday night to seek refuge with the young master. However, young master is away now, so what should we do with them?" Upon seeing Yang shi, Sun Qiang stepped forward and greeted him before asking. "Seek refuge with the young master?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Thats right. They said that they were once guards of the Ji n and they havee here due to a promise with the young master..." Sun Qiang added. "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he recalled the matter. Two days ago, when he just arrived in the capital, he offended a painter, Ji Mo gongzi, and thetter sent his men after him. In the end, the other partys men ended up being thrashed by him instead. He then fed them poison andmanded them to teach Ji Mo gongzi a lesson. Given that Zhang Xuan was away due to his 2-star master teacher examination... These people had no choice but to escape here to prevent themselves from being killed by the men of the Ji n. "I have heard this matter from Xuand, and it seems like he intends to have them serve as guards. As for the trauma they are suffering for, I will resolve it for them!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually. While the cultivation of these people was nothingpared to Zhang Xuan, they were still Tongxuan realm experts. The residence would be much safer under their protection. Even though it was unlikely that anyone would cause any matter here in deference to Zhang shis name, it would still be best to prepare for the unexpected. "Yes!" Even though he wasnt too sure what the old master was speaking of, Sun Qiang took note of it. "Call Zhao Ya over!" Walking to the hall and sitting down on the center seat, Zhang Xuan instructed. Sun Qiang nodded and left. Soon, Zhao Ya walked into the hall. "I have found a sword artpatible with you and I will impart it to you now. Regardless of who you are fighting with two dayster, I hope that you can emerge victorious. Dont let me and your teacher down!" Looking at the girl before him, Zhang Xuan spoke impassively. "Grandteacher, rest assured! Zhao Ya will not disappoint you!" Zhao Ya clenched her jaws in determination. "Thats good. This is the secret manual for the sword art. After youve read through it, feel free to look for me to rify any doubts!" Zhang Xuan passed Zhao Ya the manual of the simplified version of the Heavens Path Sword Art. Knowing that the battle technique imparted by the grandteacher was couldnt be ordinary, she immediately started browsing through the technique seriously. The Heavens Path Sword Art had condensed innumerable profound concepts into simple ones that pointed straight toward the essence of swordsmanship. As such, it wasnt too difficult to learn the technique. In two hours, Zhao Ya managed to grasp the basics of the technique. However, it would still take some time before she manages to be adept in it. Even so, she could already feel the overwhelming strength of the sword art. It was even superior to Zheng Yangs spear art. "Teacher, Pavilion Master Jiang requests an audience!" Just as Zhang Xuan was done imparting Zhao Ya the Heavens Path Sword Art, Liu Ling walked into the room. "Bring him in..." Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually when he suddenly froze. pping his head, an idea popped into his mind. He was too used to operating in his identity as Zhang Xuan that he neglected Yang Xuans standing. As a 1-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan wasnt qualified to enter the 2-star library of the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, it should be easy for Yang shi to enter! In any case, this wasnt a huge matter in itself. If Yang Xuan were to raise the idea, Pavilion Master Jiang surely wouldnt stop him! Chapter 343: Solution to the Innate Fetal Poison Chapter 343: Solution to the Innate Fetal Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Following behind Liu Ling, Pavilion Master Jiang entered the hall. "Paying respects to teacher!" Pavilion Master Jiang sped his fist and bowed. Before he could speak, he heard his teacher ask, "Is there any books regarding Empyrean Kong shi in the Master Teacher Pavilion?" "Empyrean Kong shi?" Pavilion Master Jiang was taken aback. "There are some records about Kong shi in the 2-star library, but it isnt too detailed..." "Bring me there!" Hearing the other party confirm the matter, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though the Innate Fetal Poison was still dormant at the moment, he couldnt rest easy knowing that there was a ticking time bomb on him. It would be best if he could solve it as soon as possible. "Yes!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. The 2-star library of the Master Teacher Pavilion was only open to 2-star master teachers. However, given his teachers capability, he was definitely a master teacher who surpassed 2-star. Thus, he was qualified to enter freely. Thus, under Jiang Shus lead, the duo headed to the Master Teacher Pavilion. The residence wasnt too far from the residence, so it didnt take them too long before arriving at the 2-star library. Insisting that Pavilion Master Jiang stay outside, Zhang Xuan walked in. Even though the number of books in the 2-star library paled to that of the 1-star library, the quantity was still astonishing. Since Zhang Xuan had nothing urgent at hand, he began collecting them all into the Library of Heavens Path. It took him around half a day to collect all of the books in the 2-star library. "Kong shi!" As soon as that thought popped in his mind, two books appeared before him. He casually flipped it open. "Empyrean Kong shi possesses Innate Saint Soul Depth..." A few matters concerning Kong shi were written on the two books. Looking through the matters regarding Kong shi before he reached thirty-year-old twice, Zhang Xuan realized that something was amiss. Not only was Kong shi talented, he was also extremely diligent in his cultivation. In order to raise his strength, he put himself in precarious situations; entering the deep sea, stepping into the wilderness, infiltrating underground caverns... At an age below thirty, he had already reached the level of a 9-star master teacher! But after that, he seemed to have suddenly toned down. He traveled around the world to enlighten the masses, established the Master Teacher Pavilion, and brought order to the entire continent... While his deeds were still spectacr, he clearly wasnt as driven as he was in the past. "Could... bing a 9-star master teacher be the key to solving the Innate Fetal Poison?" Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Unlike other upations, master teachers had a strict requirement of ones cultivation. When Zhang Xuan was still at Tongxuan realm, he was still able to receive 2-star emblems from the Beast Hall and the Painter Guild. However, in the Master Teacher Pavilion, he wasnt even eligible to take the examination. To be a 9-star master teacher, on top of possessing overwhelming Soul Depth, Zhang Xuans cultivation had to reach an unimaginable level as well. If he had to reach this level to solve the Innate Fetal Poison, then this was truly terrible news! "I should test my hypothesis!" A nk book appeared in his palm, and fetching a brush, Zhang Xuan wrote, "Reaching 9-star master teacher can solve the Innate Fetal Poison!" He touched the book with his finger. Weng! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Quickly flipping through it, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. There werent any errors reflected in the book. In other words... this sentence was true! "I have to reach 9-star master teacher to solve the Innate Fetal Poison... In other words, if I dont reach 9-star master teacher before thirty, I will die?" Zhang Xuans body swayed weakly and he found himself on the verge of tears. The heck, did the world have a grudge with him? Other cultivators like Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao possessed all kinds of amazing physical constitutions, and by awakening them, their cultivation would be raised exponentially as if riding on a rocket. On the other hand, he was cursed with the Innate Fetal Poison which threatened to im his life if he didnt be a 9-star master teacher before thirty! Are you for real? 9-star master teachers were the greatest experts who could shake the entire continent with their stomp. Every single one of them only managed to reach that realm after countless years of umtion. To reach that level before thirty... Even though the Library of Heavens Path allowed him to raise his cultivation swiftly, where in the world was he supposed to find sufficient spiritual energy to sustain his cultivation? More importantly, where in the world was he supposed to find so many secret manuals for theption of subsequent levels of Heavens Path Divine Art? Dismayed, Zhang Xuan wrote another line. "Other than bing a 9-star master teacher, there are other solutions to solving the Innate Fetal Poison!" He touched the book once more. Weng! The book refreshed, and there were still no errors on it. "There are other solutions to it..." Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuan immediately grew agitated. However, his agitation onlysted for a short moment before bitterness crept onto his face. So what if he knew that there were other solutions? If he didnt know what they were, they were no different from being non-existent. Even if you know that transforming into a bird can allow you to soar in the skies... it doesnt mean a thing if you are unable to do so! "Forget it. Since there are other solutions, I should be able to find them. Otherwise, I will just have to experiment slowly!" Zhang Xuan consoled himself. Even though the Library of Heavens Path couldnt give him the solution to a problem, it could determine whether something was right or wrong. If ites down to it, he would just have to try treatment methods one after another. He should at least stumble upon the right one eventually. There was still some time before he reached thirty, so there wasnt much of a need for him to worry too much about it at the moment. At this moment, the sun had already set. Zhang Xuan walked out of the library while stretching his back. Leaving the Master Teacher Pavilion, he headed straight back to the academy and continued helping Lu Chong with the cultivation of the Poison Body. After which, he stepped into the small tutoring room and took out the spirit stone. Spiritual energy flowed within the transparent and brilliant stone, and it felt warm andfortable to the touch. "Time to cultivate!" With the spirit stone and theplete Zongshi realm Heavens Path Divine Art in hand, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to hesitate. Nothing was more concrete than strength. Only with sufficient strength could Zhang Xuan win the deference of others without disguising as Yang Xuan. cing the spirit stone in his palm, he closed his hands and started to cultivate ording to the form recorded in the Zongshi realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Gugugu! Spiritual energy immediately gushed into his meridians and turned into pure zhenqi before slowly umting in his dantian. Under the infusion of spiritual energy, Zhang Xuans cultivation rose swiftly. Zongshi realm primary stage! Zongshi realm intermediate stage! An hourter, Zhang Xuans cultivation had already reached Zongshi realm intermediate stage, and he was only a step away from reaching Zongshi realm advanced stage. Kacha! Just when he was going to attempt the breakthrough to Zongshi realm advanced stage, the spirit stone in his palm suddenly cracked and crumbled into dust. The spiritual energy in the spirit stone had beenpletely depleted. "It crumbled? Just like that?" Seeing the spirit stone being depleted of its spiritual energy and crumbling into dust, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He thought that he should at least be able to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle with this spirit stone, but it seemed like... he was overestimating it. There was no doubt that spirit stones were concentrated with spiritual energy, but there was still a limit to how much spiritual energy each spirit stone could contain. If it was any other Zongshi realm cultivator, they might have been able to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle with a single spirit stone. However, Zhang Xuan was different. The Heavens Path zhenqi was iparably pure, and it demanded an equal quality of the spiritual energy it absorbed as well. It would refuse spiritual energy with the slightest bit of impurity in them. Thus, almost half of the spiritual energy in the spirit stone ended up being wastes. It was already a huge blessing that Zhang Xuan was able to reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage despite the immense wastage! "Since a single spirit stone is insufficient... Didnt the emperor ask me to treat someones illness? Maybe I can try asking for a few more from him then..." Having known the prowess of a spirit stone, Zhang Xuan began to devise a n to obtain more of it. Since the emperor was willing to gift a spirit stone to him, chances are that he had more of it. If he couldy his hands on a few more, he would be able to easily reach Zongshi realm pinnacle! With such strength, even if he were to abandon his identity as a master teacher, no one would dare to stand in his way in Tianwu Kingdom. When dawn arrived, he passed the bottle of poison to Lu Chong, taught him how to use it, and instructed him to continue tempering his Poison Body. After which, he left the ssroom and headed toward the royal pce. ... Tianwu royal pce. "Emperor Tianxue, Prince Fei Xuan had traveled such a long distance to propose to Princess Mo Yu. With a matrimony urs between Tianwu and Kunqian Kingdom, we would be able to deepen our trust and better support one another. If so, the other countries would surely dare not harbor any ambitious thoughts against us!" In the royal court, an elder sped his hand as he spoke to Mo Tianxue, who was sitting on the throne. The elder was Envoy Ran Mu from Kunqian Kingdom. A Zongshi realm pinnacle expert. There was a twenty-four-year-old youngster standing beside him. He had a dashing appearance, but the arrogance on his face seemed to spoil the aesthetics of his features. Despite his young age, he was actually a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert! At the current moment, the young man was gazing at Mo Yu with unconcealed admiration. However, Mo Yu simply frowned. It seemed like not only was she uninterested in this prince, she even carried slight abhorrence for him. "Envoy Ran Mu, theres no need to rush things. Mo Yu is the daughter that I dote the most on, so I propose that we discuss the matter slowly!" Mo Tianxue replied with a vague answer, neither agreeing nor disagreeing to Envoy Ran Mus proposal. "Emperor Tianxue has already said such words many times. The very reason why I am here with the prince this time around is to facilitate this matter!" Envoy Ran Mu smiled, "I heard that something has happened to your guardian beast and that you have been using a formation to confine it. May I know if it is true?" Mo Tianxues face darkened, "What do you mean by that?" "Hehe!" Envoy Ran Mu chuckled. "Since our Kunqian Kingdom is able to obtain such news, naturally, the other kingdoms should already know of it as well! As long as His Majesty agrees to the marriage, we will present a stalk of [Spirit Beast Grass] to you! I believe that with this, you should have no reason to reject us!" "Spirit Beast Grass?" Mo Tianxue frowned. Just like cultivators, savage beasts had cultivation realms as well. Savage beasts who surpassed Zhizun realm to reach a higher level of existence were known as spirit beasts. Spirit Beast Grass was a medicinal herb which grew in areas where spiritual energy was dense. Spirit beasts are extremely fond of it, and they often fought with one another over it. The value of a Spirit Beast Grass was in no way inferior to a spirit stone. But of course, its rarity and value werent what that appealed to Mo Tianxue. What Mo Tianxue was interested in was its ability to soothe the injuries of a savage beast. On top of that, if a Zhizun realm savage beast could consume it frequently over a period of time, there was a good possibility that it might be able to advance to a spirit beast. The main reason why Tianwu Kingdom had been able to be a Tier 1 Kingdom and deter the aggression of surrounding Tier 1 Kingdoms was mainly due to the existence of their Half-Zhizun guardian beast. However, the guardian beast hadnt been in good condition recently. That was also the reason why Mo Tianxue approached Liuoshi, hoping that thetter could treat it. Even though a stalk of Spirit Beast Grass was probably insufficient to cure the guardian beasts illness, it could alleviate its condition. However, Mo Tianxue was grooming Mo Yu with the intention of making her inherit the throne. How could he sell the future emperor of the country for a single stalk of Spirit Beast Grass? Just as he was about to reject the other partys offer, Mo Yu stepped forward. "Father, since Prince Fei Xuan is proposing to me, may I offer my views on this matter?" "Feel free!" Mo Tianxue nodded. "In truth, I dont have any objections to getting married. However..." ncing at Prince Fei Xuan, Mo Yu spoke impassively, "You are also aware that I am a beast tamer. My tamed beast doesnt have a good temper, and if someone were to approach me, it would immediately fly into a temper. As such, I fear for Prince Fei Xuans life if he were to marry me. Thus, only if he is capable of defeating my tamed beast will agree to the marriage!" "Defeat your tamed beast? Do you mean it?" Prince Fei Xuans eyes lit up. "Of course!" Chuckling lightly, Mo Yu raised her hand and a massive Viridescent Eagle flew into the hall. Chapter 344: You Are the One Who Has a Problem With Your Head! Chapter 344: You Are the One Who Has a Problem With Your Head! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Qiu! Tilting its head up proudly, the Viridescent Eagle stared at Prince Fei Xuan arrogantly. "Viridescent Eagle?" Prince Fei Xuan immediately identified the savage beast. He wasnt a beast tamer, but he had a fundamental level of understanding of savage beasts. This savage beast was rtively strong aspared to other aerial savage beasts, but due to the limitations of its talents, it had a cultivation cap of Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Prince Fei Xuan himself was a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator as well, and given his numerous trump cards, it wasnt too a difficult task for him to defeat it. As the prince of a kingdom, he cultivated the best cultivation technique and the most profound battle techniques. If he couldnt even triumph over a savage beast who was capable of mere brute force, it would truly be a huge embarrassment. Chuckling lightly, he turned to Mo Yu and said, "Can I hold Princess Mo Yu to her words? As long as I defeat this Viridescent Eagle, will you agree to the marriage?" "Un!" Mo Yu nodded her head. "However, if you lose, youll have to leave immediately!" "Of course! If I cant even defeat your tamed beast, what rights do I have to marry you?" Prince Fei Xuans eyes were glowing with excitement. Mo Yus talent and beauty were well known even in the surrounding kingdoms, and many princes desired to take her hand in marriage. In truth, he didnt bear too much hope for this proposal, so Mo Yus offer came as an unexpected but pleasant surprise. He might not be confident in anything else, but it definitely wasnt a problem to subdue a Tongxuan realm pinnacle savage beast for him. "Your Highness..." Envoy Ran Mu frowned as he examined the Viridescent Eagle carefully. Different from ordinary humans, the source of a savage beasts strength was mainly derived from their physical body. Thus, when they werent inbat, it was impossible to gauge their strength. As such, despite being at Zongshi realm pinnacle, Envoy Ran Mu was unable to determine how powerful the Viridescent Eagle. Based on what he knew, the cultivation of a Viridescent Eagle shouldnt exceed Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Thus, it shouldnt be an opponent for the prince... However, as a master teacher, Princess Mo Yu should be aware of this as well. Her inconceivable confidence in this matter made him hesitate. "Its just a Viridescent Eagle, theres no need to worry about it!" Prince Fei Xuan shook his hands casually. "Lets begin then!" Chuckling softly, Mo Yu gestured to the Viridescent Eagle. With a piercing howl, thetter charged straight at Prince Fei Xuan, and its gigantic wings swooped down on him. The thick and massive feathers of the Viridescent Eagle were no different from steel. Due to its incredible strength, even before the attack couldnd on Prince Fei Xuan, a huge gale had already been whipped up in the hall. Under its forceful might, cracks started appearing on the tough granite-tiled floor. "Half-Zongshi? This..." Sensing the incredible strength originating from the other partys wings, the confident Prince Fei Xuan nearly fell to the floor in shock. Wasnt the strength of a mature Viridescent Eagle capped at Tongxuan realm pinnacle? How could this Viridescent Eagle possibly be at Half-Zongshi realm? Furthermore, given how adept it was at utilizing its strength, it was likely that it had already advanced to Half-Zongshi for some time already. Even though it was only a small cultivation realm of a difference between the two realms, the difference in fighting prowess was, in fact, worlds apart. "She got me!" Prince Fei Xuan immediately realized that he had fallen for the other partys tricks. rmed, he quickly pushed against the floor and retreated. Hu! However, before he could get far, the Viridescent Eagles giant body was already in midair once more. Its steel ws tore through space, headed straight for him. Not only was this fellow strong, its adaptability also far surpassed ordinary savage beasts. Upon realizing that its attack wouldnt work, it immediately changed its course of attack. The Viridescent Eagle had two main offensive techniques: Wing Sweep and Steel w. Since the first technique fell empty, it used the momentum from its sweep to push its body into the sky tounch the second technique. Si! The air moaned under the pressure, and before Prince Fei Xuan could respond, the steel w had already struck his chest, sending him crashing into a wall. Fresh blood spurted freely from his mouth. "Youve lost!" Mo Yu beckoned with her hands, and the Viridescent Eagle immediately flew back to her side. Then, turning to Prince Fei Xuan, she spoke nonchntly. "I..." Struggling to his feet, Prince Fei Xuans face was livid. He knew that he wouldnt be able to subdue this Viridescent Eagle easily, but never in his dreams could he expect to be severely injured in just two moves. This fellow was way too bizarre! It seemed to understand the art of fighting, as though it was a human. "You are cheating... Due to the limitations of its bloodline, the cultivation of a Viridescent Eagle can only reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle. How could this one be at Half-Zongshi realm?" Only after consuming a recovery pill did Prince Fei Xuans injuries alleviate slightly. Through gritted teeth, he protested. "A loss is a loss! Why? Does Prince Fei Xuan hopes to renege on his words?" Mo Yu answered impassively. This Viridescent Eagle was the one which Zhang Xuan tamed at the Beast Hall via his Beast Pummeling Taming Method back then. After its blood had been cleansed by Heavens Path zhenqi, it managed to sessfully advance to Half-Zongshi realm. Not only so, due to the incredible purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, savage beasts whose bloodline was cleansed by it would find their primal instincts being reced with rationality and intelligence. This was precisely the reason why the Viridescent Eagle was able to swiftly change its course of attack in the middle of a battle and defeat Fei Xuan easily. Back then, in Red Lotus City, as Zhang Xuan had managed to tame the Half-Zhizun Howling Firmament Beast, it no longer mattered whether he had this fellow or not. Thus, he returned it back to Mo Yu, and Mo Yu rode it back to Tianwu Royal City. Even though she hadnt established a contract with it yet, it possessed a Trust Level of 30 with her. As such, it was extremely obedient to her. "I..." Prince Fei Xuans face turned scarlet. He wanted to retort, but not a single word woulde out from his mouth. He had just dered confidently that he would give up if he were to be defeated by the Viridescent Eagle. Given how he didnt even manage to withstand two blows, no matter how thick-skinned he was, he wasnt able to say anything at all. Just as he was conflicted over how he should reply, a eunuch walked in. "Your Majesty, Liuoshi from Tianwu Academy requests for an audience!" "Oh? Liuoshi? Invite him in quickly!" Mo Tianxues eyes lit up. "Yes!" The eunuch walked out of the room. "Hmph!" Upon recalling that infuriating fellow, Mo Yus face darkened. She had always been the center of attention as far as she could remember, and this was the first time... Oh, second time that she had been treated like that. ncing at his daughters expression, Mo Tianxue shook his head with a smile, "Xiao Yu, make sure to build a good rtionship with Liuoshi, you mustnt be that stubborn anymore! Hes the ideal candidate that I have found for you!" "Ideal candidate?" Prince Fei Xuan and Envoy Ran Mu nced at one another with an rmed look. It was no wonder why Emperor Tianxue kept turning them down with all kind of excuses. It seemed like he already found a suitable spouse for Princess Mo Yu in Tianwu Royal City. "Hmph, I would like to see how incredible he is for Emperor Tianxue to act like that..." Prince Fei Xuans eyes narrowed into small slits. He immediately felt overwhelming hostility for this Liuoshi even though he hadnt met the other party before. A grim expression crept onto Envoy Ran Mus face. They had just arrived at Tianwu Royal City, so they hadnt heard of Liuoshis incredible feat of solving neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma in a single breath. Even so, to be so highly regarded by Emperor Tianxue, he couldnt help but feel a little curious about the other party. Turning to the entrance of the hall, he saw a young man walking in beside a eunuch. "Tongxuan realm primary stage?" ncing at one another, frowns appeared on Envoy Ran Mu and Prince Fei Xuan. They were wondering what kind of talented young man this Liuoshi would be, but contrary to the expectations they held, the other party was only a measly Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator. He would be considered as an exceptional genius in remote countries such as Tianxuan Kingdom, but in Tier 1 Kingdoms, his achievements could only be considered to be slightly above average. "Your Majesty!" Walking up, this young man known as Liuoshi casually sped his fist. "Ah?" Upon seeing his actions, the duo was even more perplexed. Under normal circumstances, one should at least bow respectfully upon seeing the emperor. Even if the other party wasnt a subordinate of the emperor, he should at least bow in the capacity as a junior. Yet, this fellow... actually greeted him as a fellow peer? Despite being in his twenties and possessing a cultivation realm of Tongxuan realm primary stage, he greeted the Zongshi realm pinnacle emperor as a fellow peer? What kind of identity did he possess? "Of the Three Great ns in Tianwu Royal City, the high nobles, and authoritative officials... there doesnt seem to be anyone who goes with the surname of Liu?" Envoy Ran Mu found the situation inconceivable. Given how they were able to uncover the condition of Tianwu Kingdoms guardian beast, a ssified secret, naturally, they were well aware of the various powers within the capital as well. However, they hadnt heard of any powerful figure that goes by the surname of Liu. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion didnt seem to have any master teachers whose surname was Liu. Besides, if he was a master teacher, he would be addressed as Liu shi instead. "Liuoshi, you sure kept me waiting, I thought that you would be visiting yesterday!" Mo Tianxue smiled bitterly. The other party was a genius physician, as well as the guild leader of the Physician Guild. Even though he was the emperor of the kingdom, he wasnt in a position to urge him into doing something. Thus, he could only wait silently in the royal pce. Even so, he didnt expect to end up waiting an entire day for the other party. "I had urgent matters to attend to yesterday!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Ive said yesterday that Ill conduct one free treatment for you. Whos the one thats sick? Bring him here!" After which, Zhang Xuan began scanning the surroundings, and soon, his eyes fell on Prince Fei Xuan and Envoy Ran Mu. Under the other partys gaze, Prince Fei Xuans eyebrows shot up. He had already carried immense hostility for the other party even before his appearance, and yet, at this very moment, the other party was actually insinuating that he was ill. Infuriated, he almost exploded on the spot. "You are Liuoshi, right?" Suppressing his rage, he stepped forward and asked coldly. Zhang Xuan stared at him doubtfully. "I am the second prince of Kunqian Kingdom. I am here to ask for Princess Mo Yus hand in marriage..." He emphasized on the word marriage so as to see the other partys reaction to the matter. However, the other party seemed to bepletely nonchnt to the matter, as though it was none of his affair. Feeling humiliated by the other partys indifference, he harrumphed, "Since youre the candidate the emperor and the princess have decided on, do you dare to take me on in a duel?" "Candidate the emperor and princess have decided on?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered by the situation. Is there something wrong with this fellow? How have I crossed you? You ask for your hand in marriage while I conduct my treatment, why in the world are you challenging me to a duel when Ive only just walked into the hall? Besides, what do you mean by I am the candidate those two have decided on? After a moment of contemtion, a thought suddenly shed across Zhang Xuans head, and he finally understood what was going on. Didnt Mo Tianxue invite him over to treat someone? This fellow kept rambling nonsense, so he must be that sick person... Un, mental illness. It was harder to treat than typical illnesses guing the body. He should make full use of this opportunity to highlight the difficulty of the treatment as a leverage for more spirit stones. It would be best if he could obtain two more... The very reason why he came here to conduct a treatment was to obtain spirit stones anyway. Even if the patients symptom wasnt too severe, he would still have to exaggerate it to ask for more spirit stones. However, judging from theplete nonsense this fellow was speaking, he was definitely severely ill. At the very least, his treatment would be worth two to three spirit stones! After clearing up his thoughts, Zhang Xuan looked at Prince Fei Xuan with a look of satisfaction and nodded. Then, he turned to Mo Tianxue, and with a contemtive look, he said, "Your Majesty, this patients illness is extremely severe! His illness lies in the head, and such illnesses are much more difficult to treat than ordinary illnesses. It will take me quite a bit of effort to cure him..." "Pu..." Prince Fei Xuan thought that the other partys nod represented his consent toward the duel, but upon hearing these words, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from him and he nearly fainted on the spot. Youre the one who is afflicted with mental illness, your whole family is afflicted with mental illness... --- The character of Liuoshis surname is different from that of Liu Ling. Also, Liu Ling isnt a master teacher of Tianwu Kingdom. Chapter 345: The Viridescent Eagle Who is Willing To Be Beaten Up Chapter 345: The Viridescent Eagle Who is Willing To Be Beaten Up Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Audacious!" Hearing the other party directly insulting the prince as mentally ill, Envoy Ran Mus face darkened, "Our prince is very healthy, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?" "He is healthy?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Then... are you the one who is ill?" Mo Tianxue had invited him over to conduct a treatment for someone, so naturally, someone here had to be ill. He had just met with the emperor and Mo Yu yesterday, so it was impossible for them to be the patients. The only ones left in this hall were the two of them, so who else could it be other than them? "You..." Seething with rage, a mouthful of blood almost spurted from Envoy Ran Mus mouth. With a reddened face, he flung his sleeves furiously and turned to the throne, "Emperor Tianxue, is this how your Tianwu Kingdom treats your guests? Our prince might not be the crown prince, but hes still a respected figure in our country, a king personally conferred by our emperor. To allow just anyone to insult him, isnt this a clear provocation toward our Kunqian Kingdom?" "Envoy Ran Mu, calm down..." Not expecting Liuoshi to say such words, Mo Tianxue was put in an awkward position. He hurriedly exined, "Liuoshi is a physician who I specially invited over to conduct a treatment. It is due to his failure to recognize you two that he unintentionally offended you. I hope that you can overlook this matter!" After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and exined, "Liuoshi, the two of them are guests of our kingdom, not patients..." "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded before turning to look at Prince Fei Xuan doubtfully. Since he wasnt a patient, why would he utter such gibberish? Seemed like that Kunqian Kingdom was nothing after all. To think that even a mentally ill person could be conferred a king... Sensing his intent behind the other partys gaze, Prince Fei Xuan nearly spurted blood and fainted. What do you mean? Why are your eyes filled with pity? I am a prince of Kunqian Kingdom, a person who is second only to the emperor, the figure of admiration for innumerable people! I dont need your pity! Looking at Prince Fei Xuans maddened look, Mo Yu widened her eyes and she nearly burst intoughter. It was no wonder why Liuoshi was able to make her so angry. His ability to get on the nerves on others was truly unparalleled. With just a few words, he was able to make the calm Prince Fei Xuan seething with so much rage that he was ready to kill anyone at this moment. In a sense, this was already a wonder in itself. She was initially rather discontented with him as well, but seeing him leaving Prince Fei Xuan on the verge of erupting, her grudge with the other party vanished and she nodded her head in satisfaction Forcefully suppressing his anger, Prince Fei Xuan red at Liuoshi coldly, "If you dare not duel with me, just say so. Theres no need for you toe up with such excuses!" He had lost his dignity before the princess just a moment ago, and at this moment, he was being mocked once again by this nobody. As a prideful prince of Kunqian Kingdom, this was something he couldnt ept! "Duel? What do you want topete in?" Seeing how the other party was so adamant as topete with him, Zhang Xuan felt slightly dismayed. Ill conduct my treatment while you ask for Mo Yus hand in marriage, why are you so intent on fighting with me? "Simple. Princess Mo Yu has personally said that she would only marry a person who could defeat her tamed beast. If you can defeat her tamed beast, Ill admit defeat! How about it, do you have the guts to take on the challenge?" Sneering coldly, Prince Fei Xuan flung his sleeves. It was just a moment ago that he lost his pride to the Viridescent Eagle. Since this fellow dared to step on his toes, he wouldnt let him off the hook easily. In any case, Princess Mo Yu was the one who decided the rules. If youre unable to pass this test as well, lets see how Mo Tianxue will respond to this matter. In truth, the thought of Liuoshi defeating the Viridescent Eagle had never shed across his mind. Despite being a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert, Prince Fei Xuan was defeated by the Viridescent Eagle in just two moves. Given how this young man before him was only at Tongxuan realm primary stage, how could he possibly withstand the attack of a Half-Zongshi realm savage beast? "Defeat her savage beast?" Turning around, Zhang Xuan finally noticed the Viridescent Eagle beside Mo Yu. Even with the sharp senses of a savage beast, the Viridescent Eagle was unable to see through Zhang Xuans disguise. "Thats right. If you dare not ept the challenge, I advise you to stop pestering Princess Mo Yu. She doesnt have any interest in weaklings like you!" The corners of Prince Fei Xuans mouth curled up. "This..." Zhang Xuan intended to simply disregard that arrogantd, conduct whatever treatment required of him, and leave when a thought suddenly shed through his mind and his eyes lit up. Wasnt the other party a prince? Then... he should have spirit stones, right? At this moment, Prince Fei Xuan suddenly didnt look as hateful as before. Rather, in Zhang Xuans view, he looked like a huge treasure trove instead. "It isnt anything much for me to defeat this savage beast, but... since you wish topete with me, there should at least be some bet involved, right?" "Bet?" Prince Fei Xuan was stunned. The loser loses the right to pursue Princess Mo Yu... Wasnt this the bet? "How about this? As cultivators, spirit stones are of utmost importance to us. If I defeat this savage beast, youll give me one spirit stone! On the other hand, if I lose, Ill give one to you. Do you dare to ept this wager?" The corners of Zhang Xuans mouth inched upward as he taunted the other party. "Spirit stone?" Prince Fei Xuans eyes narrowed. Spirit stones were iparably valuable, and even as a prince, he only had one in his possession. His father had given it to him, and he intended to use it to advance to Half-Zongshi realm. To use this spirit stone as a bet? "Why? You dont dare? If you dont dare, lets drop this matter then. Im not interested in dealing with that eagle anyway!" Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily. "You... Why would I fear you!" Seeing the other partys casual and nonchnt attitude, Prince Fei Xuan could no longer rein himself back anymore. "Lets do just that then!" "Your Highness..." Envoy Ran Mu immediately tried to persuade him otherwise. Spirit stone was acking resource even for Kunqian Kingdoms royal family. The only reason why Prince Fei Xuan was bestowed with one spirit stone was due to his standing as a king of the kingdom. It was a too big of a gamble to use it in a bet. "Dont worry, hes just putting on a brave front. I dont believe that a mere Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator can triumph against a Half-Zongshi realm savage beast!" Prince Fei Xuan harrumphed. The difference between each small cultivation realm was vast, especially between that of a Tongxuan realm and Half-Zongshi. At Half-Zongshi, one would have already attained the disposition of a grandmaster. Usually, even four to five Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivators working together would be unable to defeat a Half-Zongshi realm cultivator, needless to say, a mere Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator. Without a doubt, Liuoshi would be destroyed in an instant. In his opinion, the only reason why the other party had raised such a bet was to scare him off. With a flick of his wrist, Prince Fei Xuan took out a jade box and opened it. A transparent stone could be seen in it, and in a small area around it, one could see a dense congregation of spiritual energy. Spirit stone! "Here is my spirit stone. May I know where is yours?" Holding his spirit stone up, Prince Fei Xuan turned to Liuoshi. "Mine? Of course I have it with me. If I were to lose, Ill definitely hand it over to you!" Zhang Xuan said. "If you dont believe me, you can verify it with His Majesty!" His spirit stone had already been reduced to dust after being absorbed dry. Naturally, he couldnt take anything out. However, if he were to say that he didnt have a spirit stone now, the other party would probably back down in this instant. "Liuoshi does have a spirit stone. I gave him one as a present yesterday!" Even though Mo Tianxue didnt know where Liuoshis confidencees from, he hesitated for a moment and eventually nodded. "Alright!" Prince Fei Xuan gestured grandly. "Go on then! Princess Mo Yu, I hope that you wont get your savage beast to go easy on the other party. Otherwise, dont me me for not obeying the rules you set just a moment ago!" While he did have the intention to humiliate Liuoshi by inciting him to battle with the Viridescent Eagle, he also hoped to reverse his bet with Mo Yu through this matter. Once that fellow loses, lets see how you can still marry him... Mo Yu frowned. She hesitated for a moment, and eventually, she felt that she should say a thing or two to persuade the other party. "Liuoshi, you should reconsider your decision. My Viridescent Eagle has reached Half-Zongshi realm!" With the other partys Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivation, he would surely be unable to withstand the attacks of the Half-Zongshi realm Viridescent Eagle. Her father intended for her to befriend the other party, and if he were to be injured by her tamed beast before she could build an intimate rtionship with him, it would be difficult to mend this tear in the future. Hearing Mo Yus words, Prince Fei Xuan was infuriated. When I promised to fight your tamed beast, you immediately agreed to it happily, as though you couldnt wait for me to embarrass myself. Yet, when its his turn, you started to hesitate. What in the world do you mean by that? "Ive already taken on the wager, and if you were to take back your words now, itll be considered as your loss. Surely Princess Mo Yu wouldnt wish to see Liuoshi suffering a defeat without even trying?" Harrumphing coldly, Prince Fei Xuan said. "Princess, thank you for your advice. However, it doesnt make a difference to me!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response to Mo Yus goodwill before turning his attention back to Prince Fei Xuan. "I will fight with this Viridescent Eagle, but I would like to rify your definition of defeat first." "Defeat refers to the Viridescent Eagle being reduced to state such that it dares not make a move against you..." cing his hands behind his back, Prince Fei Xuan said. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, he turned to the Viridescent Eagle and beckoned with his forefinger, "Come over here and let me beat you up. Ill beat you until you are no longer able to retaliate!" "Cough cough!" Upon hearing those words, Princess Mo Yu and Emperor Mo Tianxue swayed from side to side and they nearly fainted. The aggressive nature of savage beasts made them react violently to provocations. Not only did you beckon it with your finger, you even spoke such arrogant words... Arent you afraid that the Viridescent Eagle would kill you with a p from its wings? "Youre courting death..." Initially, Prince Fei Xuan was still fearful that the other party had some tricks up his sleeves. However, after hearing the other party utter such provocative words, Prince Fei Xuans eyes immediately glowed in excitement. Despite having not provoked the Viridescent Eagle, he was nearly beaten to his death. For the other party to actually taunt the Viridescent Eagle, wasnt he courting his own death? He could already foresee the Viridescent Eagle going on a rampage and reducing this fellow to a lump of meat paste. Qiu! Just as what Prince Fei Xuan had expected, the eyes of the Viridescent Eagle immediately turned red, and it released a deafening howl which pierced through even the clouds. Hu! It immediately moved its thick and massive wings as it shot out from Mo Yus back. "Be careful..." Despite many months of being with the Viridescent Eagle, it was her second time seeing it fly into such a rage. The first time was in the Beast Hall, when it was taunted by Zhang shi. However, Zhang shi possessed the strength to back his words up. On the other hand, this fellow was only a Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator, what the heck was he bragging for? If the Viridescent Eagle were to kill him with a single p of its wings, wouldnt the people from the Physician Guild charge in here and demand an exnation from them? Just as Mo Yu was considering whether she should get the Viridescent Eagle to go easy to Liuoshi, the scene that unfolded before her caused her eyes to abruptly widen in shock. Her slender frame shook, and she nearly passed out from astonishment. Even the gleeful Prince Fei Xuan who thought that Liuoshi was doomed had his mouth agape. The furious Viridescent Eagle rushed up to Liuoshi, only to use its beak to pull thetters fist onto its body. From the looks of it, it seemed as though it was pleading with the young man before it to beat it up. Dont you feel insulted by him? Dont you want to kill him? What the heck is this then? What was even worse was that upon seeing the other party clench his fist, the Viridescent Eagle immediately stopped moving. Spreading its wings open, it stood motionless on the spot, not attempting to dodge or retaliate at all. Instead, it looked expectantly at Liuoshi as though it craved to be beaten up... Despite being insulted, not only did the Viridescent Eagle not attempt to kill the other party, it was inviting the other party to hit it... Prince Fei Xuan felt blood welling up at the back of his throat, threatening to spill out at any moment. Can anyone tell me what is going on? --- King conferred by our emperor (qinwang) In this case, king refers more to a noble (such as duke and marquis) rather than the sovereign of a nation. Chapter 346: Zhang Xuans Identity Exposed Chapter 346: Zhang Xuans Identity Exposed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Seeing the Viridescent Eagles attitude, Zhang Xuan was speechless as well. When he saw it charging at him, he immediatelymunicated with it through the contract and verified his identity. And... Such a sight urred. After a moment of daze, Zhang Xuan soon understood the reason behind the other partys bizarre behavior. Back then, when Zhang Xuan pummeled it, he cleansed its bloodline, allowing it to advance to Half-Zongshi realm. Upon realizing that the man standing before it was its owner, it would be bizarre if it wasnt d to be beaten up. Seeing the excited expression in its eyes as it waited to be pummeled, Zhang Xuan almost choked on his saliva. He turned to Prince Fei Xuan and said helplessly. "This... Look, it doesnt dare to stand against me. This is considered as my victory, right?" "..." Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu. Prince Fei Xuans vision turned dark. The other party had just asked what would constitute a victory, and he replied confidently that as long as the Viridescent Eagle didnt dare to stand against him, it would be considered as his victory... But... The battle hadnt even begun and the Viridescent Eagle had already conceded, and it was currently waiting patiently to be beaten up... What in the world was this? Were they putting on an act? "I get it now!" Just as Prince Fei Xuan was feeling gloomy over the matter, he suddenly thought of something and his eyes lit up, "You knew Princess Mo Yu beforehand so it isnt surprising for this Viridescent Eagle to be close to you. Naturally, it doesnt dare to make a move against you. You cheated!" Just a moment ago, this Viridescent Eagle seemed as though it would tear Liuoshis skin off, but at this moment, it was as obedient as a dog. Clearly, it already knew of the other party beforehand. They might even have an intimate rtionship with one another. Otherwise, why would the other party submit without retaliating at all? Actually, he wasnt the only one who came to such a conclusion. Envoy Ran Mu and Mo Tianxue shared his view as well. Only Mo Yu knew that it was the first time her Viridescent Eagle was meeting Liuoshi, and it was impossible for the two to be acquainted beforehand. "Spouts maddening words; possesses astonishing talent; incredible medical skills; able to disguise himself; a close rtionship with the Viridescent Eagle... Why havent I thought about it before?" A thought shed across Mo Yus mind and her entire body trembled. Due to herck of doubt in the information from the Master Teacher Pavilion and her father, as well as the visible physical difference between Liuoshi and that person, she didnt suspect the other partys identity at all. However, upon seeing this sight, she suddenly came to a realization. Others might not be aware of it, but she knew that that person possessed superb medical skills as well. In fact, she even saw it first-hand in Red Lotus City back then. Given how the other party was able to solve an affliction which stumped even 3-star physicians, his means were nothing short of exceptional... Given such, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to solve the questions on the Wall of Dilemma! She had been thinking that it was such a huge coincidence for two incredible geniuses to appear in Tianwu Royal City all of the sudden. In the end, it turned out that... they were the same person! "You were the one who chose to take on the wager just now, I didnt force you into it..." Oblivious to the fact that thedy before him had already guessed his true identity, Zhang Xuan turned to Prince Fei Xuan and nced at him disdainfully, "Surely you arent going to renege on your words just because you are unwilling to part with your spirit stone! To be unwilling to pay even a mere spirit stone, you sure are a poor bloke!" "You..." Prince Fei Xuans face reddened. No matter what, he was a prince. To be criticized as a poor bloke... He was about to explode. But regardless of how it had urred, it was true that he had lost. He was the one who requested for the duel, and he agreed to the wager himself too. In fact, he was the one to state the conditions for victory in thepetition as well... There was no doubt whatsoever that he had lost, and there was no excuse he coulde up with to shirk payment. "Its just a loss, I wont go to the extent of denying it!" With a jerk of his hands, Prince Fei Xuan passed the jade box over. Then, clenching his fist, he said, "Liu fellow, you might have triumphed over me once, but do you dare to wager with me once more? The bet will still be that spirit stone." "Wager? What should we wager on?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "Its simple. I dont mind letting you win even though you cheated, but do you dare to have a fair duel with me?" Prince Fei Xuan gritted his teeth. He was truly infuriated at this point. You might be able to get the Viridescent Eagle to be willingly be beaten up by you, but lets see how you can use the same technique on me! As a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator, he was confident of dealing with a Tongxuan realm primary stage weakling. "I dont mind having a fair duel with you, but... are you sure you can afford the bet? If you dont have any spirit stone, lets just drop the matter!" Zhang Xuan said. The other party was only a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator. Even if Zhang Xuan were to suppress his cultivation to Liuoshis level, he was still confident of defeating the other party easily. However, if there were no benefits involved on his part, he wasnt willing to waste his time and effort with the other party. "I..." Prince Fei Xuans face reddened. He only had one spirit stone, and the other party had just won it from him. Without chips for a bet, he wasnt in a ce to be issuing a wager. "If you dont have it, lets just drop the matter. I still have other things to attend to!" From the other partys expression, Zhang Xuan could tell as much that the other party had no more spirit stone, and thus, he waved his hands impassively in rejection. Since you have no spirit stone, why should I waste my time on you? After all, you are just an insignificant Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator to me. "I dont have a second spirit stone, but I have something of equal value!" Seeing the other partys dont bother me if you dont have any money attitude, Prince Fei Xuan gritted his teeth angrily. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a jade box and opened it. Suddenly, a gush of spiritual energy burst into the air. The spiritual energy originated from the medicinal herb within the jade box. It was the Spirit Beast Grass which he brought along with him! "Your Highness..." Not expecting Prince Fei Xuan to use this as a bet, Envoy Ran Mu hurriedly tried to persuade him. This medicinal herb was extremely beneficial to savage beasts. If this herb were to fall into the hands of Tianwu Kingdom without confirming the matrimony, it could be a disaster to Kunqian Kingdom. "If I dont cleanse myself of this shame, how can I meet others in the future?" Prince Fei Xuan raised his hand, indicating for the other party to speak no further. He had already reached the limit of his tolerance after being humiliated by a nobody teacher multiple times and even losing a spirit stone in the process. If he didnt exact his vengeance and news of this incident were to spread to his homnd, he would surely be aughingstock! "How is it? Do you dare to take me on?" Closing the jade box, Prince Fei Xuan nced at Liuoshi coldly. "This is... Spirit Beast Grass?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. The books he had read in Tianxuan Kingdoms Apothecary Guild regarding medicinal herbs had already been assimted into his mind through the golden page. As such, he was able to identify this valuable medicinal herb easily. "Thats right. This Spirit Beast Grass has several centuries of maturity to it, and its value isparable to a spirit stone, exceeding it even. I will use it right now as a bet against your spirit stone. How about it, do you dare to take on the wager?" Prince Fei Xuan said. "This... The Spirit Beast Grass may be valuable but its of no use to me. I only want spirit stones. If you have any other spirit stone, Ill dly take you on your wager right now..." Zhang Xuan said. Spirit Beast Grass was only effective to savage beasts. Even though it was filled with spiritual energy as well, it wasnt suited for a human cultivators absorption. On top of that, the Spirit Beast Grass couldntpare up to his Heavens Path zhenqi in terms of effectiveness in cleansing a savage beasts bloodline to raise their cultivation realm. There was no need for him to go through so much trouble to obtain something he had no use for. "You..." Seeing the other partying up with such excuses despite him taking out such a valuable object, Prince Fei Xuan felt as though he was boiling inside. "Emperor Tianxue, can this Spirit Beast Grass of mine be traded for two spirit stones?" "Spirit Beast Grass is an extremely raremodity... Of course you can!" Mo Tianxues eyes lit up. This was the item he had wanted, but the other party was unwilling to trade it for anything but Mo Yus hand in marriage. He wasnt ready to sour the rtionship between both countries by taking it by force either. Thus, upon hearing that the other party was willing to pawn it for spirit stones, he immediately felt agitated. "Did you hear that? This Spirit Beast Grass can be traded for two spirit stones. If I were to lose, you can take the herb and trade it with Emperor Tianxue. If I were to win... not only must you repay me the spirit stone you just won, you mustpensate me with an additional one on top of that. Do you... dare to ept my wager?" Prince Fei Xuan gritted his teeth. "This grass can be traded for two spirit stones? Great!" A smile crept onto Zhang Xuans face. He was just in a dilemma as to where he could obtain more spirit stones when this fellow delivered it to his door. He was truly a Samaritan! On the other hand, Mo Yu pped her forehead. If her conjecture was right, the person before her was a Zongshi realm expert, not to mention, a 2-star master teacher... For a mere Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator to challenge a 2-star master teacher... Indeed, the ignorant was fearless. Without any doubt, Prince Fei Xuan would surely lose. Shaking her head, Mo Yu almost felt sorry for him. At this moment, her fathers voice suddenly sounded beside her. "Xiao Yu, will... Guild Leader Liu be alright?" Mo Yu had a rough idea who Liuoshi could be, but Mo Tianxue was still kept in the dark. Given the present circumstances on the surface, it was unavoidable that he would be worried. In his perspective, even though Liuoshi was a talented individual, his cultivation was his greatest w. Possessing just a cultivation of Tongxuan realm primary stage, Mo Tianxue didnt think well of the other partys fighting prowess. He didnt think that Liuoshi would be a match for the Tongxuan realm pinnacle prince. "Dont worry, just wait and see..." Mo Yu shook her head. If Liuoshi was truly Zhang Xuan, then her father might not even be a match for him, needless to say, this prince. "Un!" Even though Mo Tianxue had no idea why Mo Yu was so confident in Liuoshi, he trusted his daughters judgement as a master teacher. Thus, he turned his attention to the duo below. "Since youve agreed to it, lets begin!" Prince Fei Xuan even prepared a long speech to shoot down all of the excuses the other party could give. Thus, when the other party agreed to it directly, Prince Fei Xuan froze for a moment. But slowly, his eyes started to glow. Given that it was a formal duel, the other party wouldnt be able to me him even if his blowsnded heavily. He was determined to make the other party regret offending him! "I dont have much time so lets not bother finding any other locations and just hold the duel here!" Zhang Xuan said. "Since youre courting death, dont me me for it!" Prince Fei Xuan sneered coldly in his minded. Savagery painted his face as he opened up his palm and charged straight toward Zhang Xuan. Hu hu! Before he could even reach Zhang Xuan, his zhenqi as a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator had already whipped up a powerful storm in the room, tearing apart the granite floor. Even though Prince Fei Xuan was arrogant, he had the strength to be so. He possessed superior fighting ability evenpared to those of the same cultivation realm. "What kind of moves should I use to teach this fellow a lesson without revealing my true strength?" Seeing the other party rush over, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment. He was currently impersonating Liu Cheng, who only possessed the cultivation of Tongxuan realm primary stage. If he were to defeat the other party too easily, everyone would definitely realize that there was something amiss. Thus, he had to think of a way to defeat the other party without revealing his true strength. Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of his contemtion, a gray silhouette shed across the room. Before Prince Fei Xuans palm couldnd, a giant talon suddenly appeared right before him. Peng! With a dull thud, Prince Fei Xuan was sent flying backward at an incredible speed. Taken aback, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and saw the Viridescent Eagle standing in front of him. The fellow who was knocked back by its talon was currently spurting mouthful after mouthful of blood after crashing into the wall. "The heck..." Prince Fei Xuan really cried. What was wrong with this Viridescent Eagle? When you were ordered to beat Liuoshi up, not only did you noty your hands on it, you even closed your eyes to allow him to pummel you... Yet, when its my turn to attack, you just had to charge up and kick me... Are you Princess Mo Yus tamed beast or Liuoshis? Dismayed, he was just about to push himself up when he felt astonishing weight pushing against his body. The massive physique of the Viridescent Eagle suddenly crushed down on him as though a giant mountain. A continuous creaking sound echoed beneath him. "Viridescent Eagle, what are you trying to do? This is my duel with Prince Fei Xuan, what are you interfering in it for?" "Besides, even if you want to beat him up, you should wait until Im done first. Cant you see that Im trying to earn some spirit stones now? If you wreck my moneymaking ns, I will barbecue you to eat..." "You undisciplined fellow..." "Take note of it in the future! Dont act so rashly next time! Only operate after you are certain of my intentions..." ... A lecturing voice sounded, and Prince Fei Xuan nearly cked out after hearing those words. Blood trickled down from the edge of his lip, and at the same time, tears gushed down his cheeks. Brother... Even if you wish to teach this savage beast a lesson, can you get it off me first? If it were to continue crushing me, before youre done lecturing it, I would have been dead already... Chapter 347: Grandmaster Physician? Chapter 347: Grandmaster Physician? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Your Highness..." Seeing that the Viridescent Eagle was crushing on the prince, and that the prince was spurting mouthful and mouthful of blood such that his face had already turned pale and it seemed as though he would die at any moment, he bellowed and charged forward. "Release Your Highness!" With reddened eyes, Envoy Mu charged toward Liuoshi and stretched out his hand, preparing to strike thetter. The Viridescent Eagle seemed to be extremely obedient to this fellow, so he deemed it likely that the savage beast was operating under hismands. "Envoy, what are you doing?" Seeing the other party making a move against Liuoshi, Mo Tianxue bellowed from the throne. Sou! A gray-robed man suddenly appeared from nowhere and faced the envoys offense with a palm of his own. Peng! The two palms shed together, and the duo took a step back each. The gray-robed man was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert as well. A member of the royal familys Shadow Squad! After blocking Envoy Mus assault, the gray-robed mans body blurred and he disappeared in the hall once more, as though his appearance was just an illusion. "This..." Envoy Mus eyebrows twitched. As a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, he didnt think very highly of the Tianwu royal pce. He thought that he would be able to escape easily even if the emperor meant them harm given his strength. But from the looks of it now, his thoughts were trulyughable. This seemingly peaceful hall was actually filled with many experts of the gray-robed mans caliber lurking in the shadows. "It is due to my overzealousness to save His Highness that I acted so rashly. Please pardon me, Emperor Tianxue..." Adjusting his breathing, Envoy Mu suppressed the raging zhenqi within him and apologized. "Dont worry, your prince is fine..." Mo Tianxue waved his hands casually. Envoy Ran Mu turned around and saw that the Viridescent Eagle had released its talon from Prince Fei Xuan. With a pale face and a trembling body, thetter slowly pushed himself up. While he was severely injured, it didnt hurt his vitals so there wasnt any threat on his life. "Your Highness..." Envoy Ran Mu hurried forward to support the other party, but thetter simply shook him off. "You cheated. It was supposed to be a fair duel but you got your savage beast to assault me..." Prince Fei Xuan gritted his teeth as he red at the young man before him. If he could, he would have crushed him into mere lumps of meat at this very moment. This was way too much. It was supposed to be a fair duel, and they even made a wager on it. Yet, the other party secretly ordered his savage beast to assault him. How could there be such a shameless person in the world? "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head indignantly. Upon realizing that Zhang Xuan didnt intend to beat it, the Viridescent Eagle was extremely frustrated. Thus, when it saw that someone wasying his hands on its master, all of its pent-up frustration immediately burst forth. In truth... Zhang Xuan didnt order the Viridescent Eagle to do anything at all! "You..." Seeing the other partys indignant look, Prince Fei Xuan felt so maddened that his wounds nearly aggravated. I am the one who was beaten up! What in the world are you feeling indignant for? Can you at least know some sense of shame? He was about to explode from anger when he heard the young man speaking apologetically, "It is this Viridescent Eagles recklessness that it unintentionally offended you. How about this, Ill get it to leave now so that we can conduct a fair duel. I promise you that this fellow wont cause any more trouble!" Hearing those words, Prince Fei Xuan spurted another mouthful of blood. This wasnt a problem of whether the Viridescent Eagle would cause any more trouble or not. I am already severely injured. Just the blood that I have vomited throughout the entire duration probably added up to a few liters. And yet, you still want to fight with me?" More importantly... You still dare to use the word fair. You, in perfect health, against me, a severely injured person. How can you dare to spout the word fair? "The prince is severely injured so lets forget about the duel!" Seeing how the prince was about to die from rage even before fighting with the other party, Envoy Ran Mus face darkened. If not for his fear of the powerful guards hidden in the royal court, he would have charged forward to tear this Liuoshi into countless shreds already. "Forget about the duel? How can we?" Hearing that the other party intended to cancel the duel, Zhang Xuan panicked. What kind of joke was this? That was two spirit stones! Wouldnt he be a fool if he were to allow this opportunity slip by him? "Its just some minor injuries. Give me a moment, Ill treat him now..." As he said so, he stepped forward. "What are you trying to do?" Envoy Ran Mu stared at him warily. "Dont worry, Im just going to treat him. These are just minor injuries so it wont take long to heal them!" Zhang Xuan nodded seriously. "Treat him? Envoy Ran Mu was doubtful at Zhang Xuans words. The corners of Prince Fei Xuans mouth twitched as well. It cant be that this fellow wants to deal me the final blow upon seeing how the Viridescent Eagle failed to get rid of me... "Prince Fei Xuan and Envoy Ran Mu, theres no need to panic! Liuoshi is the new guild leader of the Physician Guild. I can vouch for his medical skill. If he says that he is able to treat Prince Fei Xuan, hell surely be able to do so!" Seeing the wariness on the duos face, Mo Tianxue smiled. "Guild leader of the Physician Guild?" The duo was taken aback. "Indeed! Hes a grandmaster physician who had solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma in a single sitting. Since he was able to solve those difficult questions easily, your injuries shouldnt be a problem at all!" Mo Tianxue exined. "This..." Prince Fei Xuan and Envoy Ran Mu nced at one another. "Theres really no need to worry, those are just minor injuries!" Walking up, Zhang Xuan reached out to support Prince Fei Xuan. "Envoy, theres no need to worry. Since Guild Leader Liu has said such words, Prince Fei Xuan is in good hands." Mo Tianxue stroked his beard and consoled. No matter what, Liuoshi was a grandmaster physician who had solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma. Mo Tianxue didnt think that this kind of superficial wound could stumble him. "Alright then..." Hearing the confidence in the other partys tone, Envoy Ran Mu hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. It wasnt because he trusted Liuoshi. What he trusted was that the Physician Guild would care for its reputation, and that Tianwu Kingdom wouldnt dare to turn against Kunqian Kingdom. "Even though Your Highnesss injuries didnt reach his vitals, it is still quite severe. I will look forward to seeing Guild Leader Lius skills then..." Harrumphing, Envoy Mu stared intently at Guild Leader Liu, curious to see how the other party would treat these injuries. However, before he could finish his words, the actions of the other party left his eyes widened, and he almost spewed a mouthful of blood. Vulgarities burst forth from his mouth, "The heck! What are you trying to do?" The young man in front of him had lifted his palm, and pah!, struck Prince Fei Xuans nape. Before Prince Fei Xuan could react, he had already fainted. "..." Mo Tianxue was stunned as well. The ability of this Guild Leader Liu far surpassed that of the previous guild leader, Mu Hong, so Mo Tianxue gauged the other partys medical skills to be on par with a 4-star or even 5-star physician. He thought that the other party would be able to treat Prince Fei Xuan easily, and he was looking forward to seeing his medical skills as well. Yet... the other party ended up knocking Prince Fei Xuan out with a palm strike instead. Could it be that... he wasnt satisfied with the beating the Viridescent Eagle gave him? "Hold it right there..." Envoy Ran Mu immediately erupted. He swiftly rushed forward, but before he could do anything, a figure appeared before him. It was Princess Mo Yu. "Envoy, please calm down. Let Guild Leader Liu finish his work first..." If Mo Yu was still doubtful before, upon seeing Liuoshi knocking out Prince Fei Xuan with a single strike, she was now very certain that thetter had to be Zhang Xuan. Back then, when he treated the Great Herb King, he also knocked the other party out first. Since the princess had already said so, Envoy Ran Mu suppressed his rage. Calming himself down, he turned to look at Liuoshi and he was taken aback by the sight before him. The culprit who knocked out the prince was holding dozens of silver needles between his fingers, and which a light shake, all of them pierced into Prince Fei Xuans acupoints. Then, with a slight movement of his hand, he retrieved all of the silver needles and tapped the princes be with his forefinger. Hu! The unconscious Prince Fei Xuan abruptly opened his eyes and his body jolted. His entire face warped and he bellowed frenziedly. "Liu rascal, what are you up to! If you are a man, you should face me fairly. What do you mean by conducting such sneak attacks..." Roaring loudly, his voice echoed throughout the hall. He didnt bear any semnce to an injured patient at all. "Your Highness..." Envoy Ran Mu blinked in disbelief, "Your injuries..." "Injuries?" Prince Fei Xuan froze. He also realized that something was amiss. Trying to drive his zhenqi, he immediately felt overwhelming strength surging through him. This was a sign of a perfectly healthy body. It was as if he had never been injured before. "This... This..." This time, Prince Fei Xuan was truly astounded. It was just a few moment ago that he was still spewing mouthful after mouthful of blood. Yet, at this moment, he was as good as new... Did he really just recover that quickly? "With just a few needles, he managed to heal His Highnesss injuries?" Envoy Ran Mu was also in a state of disbelief. It was only at this moment that he finally understood why Emperor Tianxue valued thisd so highly even though he only possessed a cultivation of Tongxuan realm primary stage. Just his medical skill in itself was sufficient to make any kingdom go insane for him. "Un, its just some minor injuries!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands casually. "Now that youve recovered, we should continue with our duel." It was due to the huge disparity between the other partys cultivation and his true cultivation that he was able to treat him so easily. If the other partys cultivation was equal or higher than him, it would be much more troublesome than this. "This..." Prince Fei Xuan was taken aback for a moment before he replied, "I am in awe of Guild Leader Lius astounding medical skills. I humbly apologize for my inability to notice your capability. If I have offended you before, I hope that you can forgive me! As for the matter regarding the duel, I have been a little too rash. Thus, I hope that you can just let the matter go!" As a prince, he might be proud but he was no fool. He was extremely dissatisfied with this fellow, but given how the other party was able to treat his wounds so easily and swiftly, his medical skill was definitely at an astounding level. Even if he couldnt get on good terms with the other party, it would be best not to offend him. Otherwise, even Kunqian Kingdom wouldnt be able to protect him. "Let the matter go?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "How can I just let the matter go..." Thats two spirit stones! If they dont duel, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly steal from him, right? "I didnt know that Liuoshi is an outstanding physician, as well as the guild leader of the Physician Guild. If I knew earlier, I wouldnt have proposed this duel and would have admitted defeat straight..." Prince Fei Xuan quickly added. He finally understood why Emperor Tianxue was so lenient with the Liuoshi. This young man was truly someone that he couldnt afford to offend. Physicians may not possess the rallying ability on par with that of a master teacher, but one would do well not to underestimate them. In any case, as a mere prince, it would be wise for him to avoid treading on Liuoshis toes. But before he could finish his words, he heard the young man before himment, "What? Youre admitting defeat straight? I do feel a little embarrassed taking this Spirit Beast Grass withoutpeting for it..." "..." Prince Fei Xuan was stupefied. Those were only pleasantries to resolve the situation, how can you take them for real? As the guild leader of the Physician Guild, a grandmaster physician, can you at least have some sense of shame? Panicking, Prince Fei Xuan opened his mouth to exin, but the young man before him had already taken the jade box from his hand and kept it inside his storage ring. After which, he looked at him sheepishly and said, "Ill take the medicinal herb then. Your Highness sure is generous to admit defeat so frankly. I do feel a little guilty winning the bet just like that!" What a joke! The reason for his trip here was to procure spirit stones. Since this medicinal herb could be traded for two spirit stones, how could he let it escape from him? "Generous? Guilty?" The corners of Prince Fei Xuans mouth twitched. He had seen shameless people, but it was his first time seeing someonepletely devoid of his sense of shame. You took my medicinal herb away on your own ord and said that I am generous... Generous your head! Guilty? Why do I only see a bright smile on your face? If not for the overwhelming facts before him, he could have never believed that this shameless fellow could be a highly-skilled grandmaster physician... Chapter 348: Guardian Beast Chapter 348: Guardian Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "I wont take your medicinal herb for free. How about this then!" Just as Prince Fei Xuan was dismayed over the daylight robbery, the young man before him spoke. "Just like with Emperor Tianxue, Ill offer you a free treatment!" Even though Zhang Xuan was determined to grab the Spirit Beast Grass, which was equivalent to two pieces of spirit stones, he didnt think that it was appropriate for him to take it for free. cing his hands behind his back, he walked around Prince Fei Xuan and said, "When I was treating you, I realized that there are some blockages in your meridians, resulting in your zhenqi being unable to flow smoothly. While your body seems fine on the surface, it is actually a little weak! If Im not wrong, do you find it hard to wake up early and difficult to sleep at night recently?" "I..." Prince Fei Xuan was seriously contemting whether he should snatch the Spirit Beast Grass back when he heard Zhang Xuans words. His body trembled and his face paled, "You... You... How did you know?" He had indeed been facing such a problem recently. The blockages in his meridian prevented his zhenqi from flowing smoothly. On top of that, theck of quality sleep made him constantly grumpy and frustrated. If not for the case, he would have attempted to use the spirit stone to attempt a breakthrough to Half-Zongshi realm already. He wouldnt have to keep it with him all this time, eventually resulting in him losing it to the fellow before him... However, these were things that he had never told anyone before. Even Envoy Ran Mu beside him knew nothing about it, so how could this Liuoshi know of it? Did he really notice something? "I am a physician, and Ive checked on your physical condition while treating you a moment ago. Naturally, I would know it!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Guild leader... I beseech you to help me!" With a pale face, Prince Fei Xuan sped his fist respectfully. The arrogance from before had disappearedpletely at this instant. This illness had prevented him from concentrating, thus resulting in the stagnation of his cultivation. The Spirit Beast Grass was valuable, but if he could have his condition treated in exchange, it would be well worth the cost. "Un. Actually, the problem is simple. Your talent is not bad, but under normal circumstances, it shouldnt have been possible for you to reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle at your age. If Im not mistaken, in order to raise your cultivation, you utilized some unique methods, right? I will tell you upfront that its precisely those methods that left you with a trauma, thus inducing such symptoms!" Zhang Xuan said. Prince Fei Xuans body shuddered. The other party was right. His talent could only be considered as above average. The royal family was a cold and brutal ce. Without sufficient strength, he would meet with all kinds of trouble and danger. For the sake of his survival, he could only look for ways to raise his cultivation swiftly. Thus, he used a secret art, which involved the consumption of some unique medicinal herbs, to stimte his acupoints and trigger his potential. Even though he managed to improve swiftly, it had left traumas in his body. Could it be that... his recent physical condition was a result of this? "Exactly. I will prepare a prescription for you. If you follow it strictly, your trauma should be solvedpletely within a month. By then, it should be possible for you to attempt the breakthrough for Half-Zongshi realm!" Smiling, Zhang Xuan walked to a nearby table, took out brush and paper from his storage ring, wrote a prescription, and passed it over. "Thank you, Guild Leader Liu!" Grabbing the prescription, Prince Fei Xuans face flushed in agitation. He had been tortured by this condition for quite a while, causing him to be lethargic, absentminded, and irritable. This was precisely the reason why he was unable to hold himself back as soon as he felt provoked by Zhang Xuan, resulting in theck the restraint that he, as a prince, should possess. If he could treat his condition and advance to Half-Zongshi realm, then this prescription was truly something too valuable to him. Putting aside a spirit stone and a stalk of Spirit Beast Grass, even if he had to give in his entire fortune, he would be willing to do so! This was because... Kunqian Kingdom hadnt chosen a crown prince yet. If he could reach Half-Zongshi, there was an extremely high chance that the seat would be his! Waving casually, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Tianxue and said, "Your Majesty, please bring the patient here. I still have some things to attend afterward!" Just like the others, Mo Tianxue was also in a state of shock. After hearing those words, he quickly recovered and stood up, "Guild Leader Liu, the condition of this patient is slightly unique, so I will have to trouble you to proceed over to meet him..." "You want me to go over? Sure, lead the way!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Prince Fei Xuan and Envoy Ran Mu, you two should rest at the embassy for now..." Mo Tianxue turned to the duo and sped his fist. "We will be taking our leave!" The duo knew that it was an important matter of Tianwu Kingdom, and that they didnt want too many people to learn about it. Thus, they turned around and left as well. A eunuch hurried up to them and escorted them out. "Guild Leader Liu, this way please!" After the duo had left, Mo Tianxue started leading the way. Zhang Xuan followed closely behind him, but he had barely taken a few steps before a faint aroma drifted to his nose. After which, a telepathic voice sounded. "Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi! You sure have deceived me well..." "Cough cough!" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Princess Mo Yu, you must be mistaken. I am Liu Cheng, not Zhang shi!" "If you dont want to admit to it, so be it. I wanted to tell you about an interesting matter but since youre behaving in such a manner, lets forget about it then!" Seeing how the other party refused to admit to it, Mo Yu harrumphed. What she wanted to tell Zhang Xuan was the duel between Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing. However, since this fellow was unwilling to admit to the matter, she couldnt be bothered either. In any case, they are both your students. Whether they fight or not is none of my business! Seeing thedy turn her head and walking away in displeasure, Zhang Xuan shook his head. It seemed like he would have to pay careful attention being when being around those who were familiar with him. Otherwise, there was a good chance he would give his identity away. He had been together with Mo Yu for quite a period of time, and not to mention, there was the matter with the Viridescent Eagle as well. As such, he wasnt too surprised to know that the other party had managed to figure his identity out. "Princess Mo Yu, this is a test from the Master Teacher Pavilion so I hope that you wont leak this out!" Knowing that the other party was already certain of his identity, Zhang Xuan felt that it was impossible to keep it hidden anymore. Thus, he replied to Mo Yus words. "Dont worry. I am not the type to gossip about such stuff!" Seeing Zhang Xuan admit to the matter, Mo Yu smiled. "Since youve admitted to it, I wont hide the matter from you then. Come and find me tomorrow noon, Ill bring you to see a good show!" "Tomorrow noon? What good show?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Youll know once youre there!" Mo Yu grinned. Seeing the confusion on his face, it was clear that Zhang Xuan didnt know about Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqings duel. It would be fun to see his reaction when she brings him there tomorrow. Honestly speaking, she was curious to see how he would react to the sight of two of his students fighting one another for his honor... This fellow had always infuriated her, so she wanted to make use of this opportunity to get back at him. Of course, to do so, she had to stop this fellow from returning to the academy first. Otherwise, given the many mouths there, it was extremely probable that he would find out about it in advance. If so, it wouldnt be fun anymore... Thus, she started scheming her n as she walked beside Zhang Xuan. "Were here!" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to ask matter it was that warranted her to behave so secretively, Mo Tianxues voice sounded. Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan realized that they were at the entrance of a vast courtyard. The courtyard wasnt exceptionally big, but for some reason, he was unable to see the other end of the courtyard. It was as if something had sealed off the area, concealing whatever that was inside. "Could this be... a formation?" Zhang Xuan thought. Only a formation could possess the ability to hide the interior of a courtyard from those standing outside. "The one who requires Guild Leader Lius treatment isnt a human but our kingdoms... guardian beast!" Seemingly sensing the other partys bewilderment, Mo Tianxue exined. "Guardian beast?" "Indeed. Our Tianwu Kingdom doesnt have any powerful old ancestor so we depend heavily on our guardian beast to guard our territory and deter aggressors." Mo Tianxue exined. "However, along with the passing of time, our guardian beast has been growing older, and its strength and stamina is on the decline! Just some time ago, it fell severely ill and it doesnt seem like it has long to live. Thus... I thought of troubling Guild Leader Liu to diagnose it to see whether there is a cure for it or not. If not, I am hoping that you would be able to extend its lifespan, at least until Mo Yu matures!" Zhang Xuan nodded. If a kingdom wanted to grow peacefully, there must be a sufficiently powerful guardian present in the country to deter aggressors. It was just like Old Ancestor Shen Hong with Tianxuan Kingdom. Without his presence serving as a deterrence, it was highly likely that other kingdoms may invade Tianxuan Kingdom to annex it. As it was entirely impossible to avoid wars and conflicts, the Master Teacher Pavilion would usually stay out of such affairs. Unless it had really close ties with the kingdom thatpelled it into action, otherwise, for most cases, it would maintain its neutrality. After all, even if the kingdom were to switch hands, no one would dare toy their hands on the continents most powerful upation. In other words, no matter how many kingdoms were destroyed, the influence of the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt be rattled at all. "This formation..." Zhang Xuan stared at the formation doubtfully. Since it was where the guardian beast lived, why did they set up a formation here? "The guardian beast is already old, and due to its severe illness, it has been on a rampage recently, hurting several people. Left with no choice, I could only invite the experts of the Formation Master Guild to set this formation to confine it. Given its strength, if it were to run wild in the pce, no one would be able to stop it!" Mo Tianxue smiled bitterly. Hearing the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. No matter whether one was a human or a savage beast, one couldnt possibly wait idly for ones death as an illness slowly ground away on ones lifespan. At the very least, one would wish to struggle a little, even if it would be futile, in hope of earning some additional time. However, if the guardian beast were to really struggle for its life, it would spell a cmity for Tianwu Kingdom. Thus, the emperor chose to confine it using a formation so as to avoid needless trouble. "Guild Leader Liu, I have already invited a grandmaster of the Formation Master Guild over to bring us in. Otherwise, if we were to walk in by ourselves while the formation is still active, we might get lost..." Mo Tianxue said. In order to prevent the guardian beast from escaping, the formation had to be active at all moment. However, due to theplexity of the formation, even Mo Tianxue, the emperor of the kingdom, didnt know the way in. Only a grandmaster of the Formation Master Guild was able to tread through the formation freely. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He didnt know a thing about formations. Even though he had collected a significant number of books on the subject in the Master Teacher Pavilion, he hadnt had the time to browse through them yet. Thus, his understanding of formation was still stuck at the level of knowing its name. "Since the formation is active, will the Library of Heavens Path be able to see its ws?" Standing on the spot, a thought suddenly appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. The Library of Heavens Path could see the ws in a cultivator and his battle technique once he executed a technique. The same also applied when observing an apothecary in the midst of forging pills. The Library of Heavens Path couldpile the ws in his pill forging technique and determine whether the pill could be sessfully forged or not. It was also able to tell the problem when a formation master was setting up a formation. In other words, the Library of Heavens Path could see the ws of any ongoing actions. Since this formation was currently in operation, it should be able to be considered as an ongoing action as well. Zhang Xuan was suddenly curious to see if he could see the ws in it through the Library of Heavens path. "ws!" With a thought, Zhang Xuan hurriedly dived into the Library of Heavens Path. Weng! The library jolted and a book appeared. "It works..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he hurriedly browsed through the book. Chapter 349: Lin Clan Chapter 349: Lin n Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Billowing Waves Confinement Formation, grade-3 formation, ws..." The name and the ws of the formation were written in the book. Just as Zhang Xuan was browsing through the book, Mo Tianxue suddenly turned around and sped his fist, "Grandmaster Lin Tao!" Retracting his consciousness from his mind, he turned around and saw an elder walking toward them. The other partys chin was slightly tilted upward, and he had a proud expression on his face. With a cold and nonchnt voice, the other party replied, "Un!" "This is Grandmaster Lin Tao, the vice guild leader of the Formation Master Guild, as well as the grand elder of the Lin n, one of the Three Great ns of Tianwu Royal City!" Seeing the confusion in Zhang Xuans eyes, Mo Yu secretly sent a telepathic message over. "The vice guild leader of the Formation Master Guild?" Zhang Xuan assessed the elder before him. This elder possessed the cultivation realm of Zongshi realm pinnacle, and there was a golden emblem on his chest with two bright stars embedded on it. 2-star pinnacle formation master! "This formation was set up by the guild leader himself so it should have no problem confining the [Gold-tailed Lion]. What happened for you to call me over so urgently all of the sudden?" ncing at Mo Tianxue, Vice Guild Leader Lin Tao frowned. Not only was there not the slightest respect in his tone, and it even seemed as though he was ming the other party for bothering him. Zhang Xuan was perplexed. No matter what, Mo Tianxue was the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, and with his esteemed standing, even Pavilion Master Jiang would have to take on a respectful tone with him. Yet, wasnt this mere vice guild leader of the Formation Master Guild acting a little way too arrogant? Even if formation master was one of the top upation among the Upper Nine Paths, and their formations allowed them to disy a might far beyond their level, their standing still couldnt possibly be above that of the number one upation in the world! "Its because hes from the Lin n... The Lin n is an exception in this kingdom!" Sensing the other partys bewilderment, Mo Yu sent another message. Having guessed Zhang Xuans thoughts, she exined the matter, "The head of the Lin n is the guild leader of the Formation Master Guild. Not only has his cultivation reached Half-Zhizun realm, he is also a 3-star formation master as well!" "Half-Zhizun realm? 3-star formation master?" The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast was at a Half-Zhizun realm. Zhang Xuan was well aware how fearsome experts at this level could be. Half-Zhizun realm might only be just half a step higher than Zongshi realm pinnacle, but at this level, what one would being into contact with was the zenith of the Fighter realm, power iparable to the other realms. On top of that, he was a 3-star formation master capable of setting up grade-3 formations. Even real Zhizun realm experts would find it hard to subdue him easily. His strength might be nothing much when ced in a Conferred Kingdom, but in a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu, only the guardian beast confined within was capable of matching him. However, the savage beast was currently ill and went on frequent rampages. It was no wonder why the Lin ns respect for the royal family had been on a steady decline. "Even Pavilion Master Jiang hasnt reached Half-Zhizun yet. How did he reach that level?" After a moment of shock, Zhang Xuan found yet another doubt in the matter. Typically speaking, regardless of which kingdom one was in, the Master Teacher Pavilion would always possess strength that no other guilds could match up to. How could the guild leader of the Formation Master Guild possess strength superior to Pavilion Master Jiang? "Actually, Guild Leader Lin Ruotian has only managed to achieve the breakthrough earlier this year. It cant be helped, he has an outstanding daughter after all..." Mo Yu said. Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. "His daughter possesses outstanding talent in formations, and as such, she was sent to Xuanyuan Academy to study quite a long time ago. Due to some turn of events, the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom ended up falling in love with her, and she went on to be the princess consort! Under the halo of her daughter, Guild Leader Lin Ruotian was bestowed with a pill which allowed him to make the breakthrough into Half-Zhizun realm!" Mo Yu exined. Zhang Xuan finally understood the situation. It wasnt too difficult for the crown prince of a Conferred Kingdom, given his authority, to obtain a pill that could help a Zongshi realm pinnacle achieve a breakthrough for his father-inw. With such a backing, it was no wonder why the Lin n didnt think much of Mo Tianxue. Even though there was only a single rank of a difference between a Tier 1 Kingdom and a Conferred Kingdom, there was a huge difference in the strength of the two. Under Xuanyuan Kingdoms jurisdiction were at least twenty to thirty Tier 1 Kingdoms simr to Tianwu. If Tianwu were to offend Xuanyuan, thetter could easily eradicate it. After all, Tianwu Kingdom was a country without Zhizun experts at all. Even their strongest individual, their guardian beast, was only at Half-Zhizun. "I have specially invited Guild Leader Liu Cheng from the Physician Guild here to treat the guardian beast, Gold-tailed Lion!" Mo Tianxue smiled awkwardly as he exined. "Thus, Ill have to ask Grandmaster Lin Tao to help remove the formation so that he could enter to take a look. If he seeds in curing the guardian beast, the Formation Master Guild would be spared the hassle of maintaining the formation!" "The Gold-tailed Lion isnt just sick, its lifespan is also nearing its end. Our guild leader has already taken a look at it himself and determined that theres no solution to the problem. The reason why we set up a formation for you to confine the guardian beast is so that it could die in peace... What if Guild Leader Liu fails to treat it when I remove the formation, and thetter escapes to wreak havoc in the city? Who can take responsibility for the destruction itll cause?" Lin Tao flung his sleeves furiously. "This..." Mo Tianxue was unable to answer the other partys question. The other party was right. It would be ideal if Guild Leader Liu could treat the guardian beast. However, if the treatment fails and the guardian beast charges out, it could cause a huge catastrophe outside. By then, even as the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, it would be hard for him to escape me. "Since youre able to set the formation, you should have a way for us to enter and leave it freely! If youre afraid that Im unable to cure the guardian beast, I can just go in, take a look, and if its beyond my means, I can simply leave!" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but interject. Since formation masters were capable of setting up confinement formations, then they must know of a way to enter and exit it freely. After all, there was counterproductive for one to spend their time studying a formation with limited utilization. Initially, the reason why he had agreed to conduct a treatment for the other party was to return the favor for the spirit stone, as well as to see if it was possible for him to earn more of it for his cultivation. Due to his gamble with Prince Fei Xuan, he had a total of three spirit stones at hand, and that should be sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. Since his second aim had been met, it was no longer important to him whether he sessfully treated the guardian beast or not. But no matter what, he felt that he should at least give guardian beast a look. Even if he was stumped by its condition, at least he had given the matter a try. "Who are you to interfere in our conversation!" Hearing Liuoshis words, Grandmaster Lin Taos eyebrows shot up as he nced at the other party disdainfully. "Ive heard of your matter. You were lucky to solve all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma, but your strength is only at Tongxuan realm primary stage. Given how you barely qualify as a 1-star physician... What right do you have to be the guild leader?" "No matter what, the Physician Guild is of equal prestige with our Formation Master Guild. If you want to be the guild leader, you should at least reach the level of a Zongshi realm pinnacle first! Without sufficient strength, itll best for you to not im to be as the guild leader so that you dont embarrass yourself!" "..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. He didnt expect a few casual words he spoke would actually make the other party despise him. It was not like he had asked others to call him Guild Leader Liu. Besides, it was only the Physician Guild of a Tier 1 Kingdom. He didnt think it was a big deal for him to be the guild leader here. "Grandmaster, please calm down!" Afraid that Zhang Xuan would get angry by the other partys words, Mo Tianxue anxiously stepped in to mediate. "As long as grandmaster brings us in, even if were unable to treat the guardian beast, we can simply leave..." "This is a grade-3 formation, do you think that youll be able to enter and leave as you please? The formation is filled with peril, and even the slightest carelessness can ce you in grave danger! It isnt a problem for me to enter alone, but you want me to bring in a Tongxuan realm primary stage burden in as well? You must be joking!" Grandmaster Lin Tao sneered coldly. Mo Tianxue fell silent. Even though the other partys words were harsh and disrespectful, he was right. A grade-3 formation was something that could trap even a Zhizun realm expert. Judging from how the Gold-tailed Tiger was confined for so many days without seeding in breaking out, it was clear how powerful it was. Even if one knew the pathway in, one needed to be strong enough to react quickly to the dangers within to avoid them. In this case, a Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator was indeed a little too weak. Once he failed to keep up with their footsteps and got lost within the formation, it would be hard to save him. Mo Tianxue had failed to consider this aspect beforehand, and he only realized the matter after hearing the other partys words. With an awkward expression, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Guild Leader Liu, I apologize for this..." He had invited the other party over, but due to the matter regarding the formation, the other party didnt even get to meet his patient. He couldnt help but feel a little apologetic over this matter. "Its alright!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just then, he suddenly thought of something and asked doubtfully, "Since you cant remove this formation, and theres no way to bring me in either, cant we pause it temporarily? As long as its paused for a short moment, we shouldnt be in the danger of being trapped within. And after were in, we can activate it once more. This way, the guardian beast shouldnt be able to escape from its confines!" Since it was possible to activate the formation, then surely, there must be a way to pause it as well. Pausing the formation temporarily to enter before activating it once more, wouldnt that solve the problem? "Pause it?" Mo Tianxue smiled bitterly as he shook his head. Even though he didnt know much about formations, he found it hard to listen on to Zhang Xuans words. Powerful formations harnessed immense power once activated, and unless one destroyed the core of the formation, it would extremely difficult to pause it. Even the formation master who set the formation up would find it difficult to do so. Unless the formation master was at a much higher level aspared to the formation, thus allowing him to find and exploit the ws of the formation to aplish that, otherwise, it was an impossible feat. If everyone could stop formations that easily, then formation master wouldnt be such a fearsome upation, ranked at the upper echelons of the Upper Nine Paths. "Ignorant!" The disdain the Lin Taos eyes deepened. Pausing a grade-3 formation... Easier said than done! Even the guild leader would be incapable of such a task... Do you even know formations? On the other hand, Mo Yu pped her forehead. Brother, no matter what, youre a 2-star master teacher! Even if you dont know much about formations, you shouldnt say such amateurish words! A grade-3 formation was something that could trap even a Zhizun expert. If it could be paused that easily, then what was the use for it? "One has to have a profound knowledge of formations before one can pause a formation... In truth, its much more difficult than simply destroying a formation..." Seeing the confusion in the other partys eyes, Mo Tianxue spoke up. "Much more difficult than destroying a formation? Alright..." Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before saying, "Wait here a moment!" "Un?" Mo Tianxue thought that Guild Leader Liu would give up on the idea after listening to his exnation, but after everything he had said, all he could see on the other partys face was nonchnce. Wait for a moment... Wait for what? Will anything happen if we wait for a moment? Just as he was doubtful as to what was going to happen, he saw the fellow walking straight toward the courtyard in front. "Guild Leader Liu, be careful! Itll be troublesome if you got trapped by the formation..." Not expecting the other party to charge straight toward the formation without saying anything, Mo Tianxue was rmed. This is a formation which could trap even the Gold-tailed Lion. What in the world is a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert like you doing around it... "Youre courting death..." Not expecting that arrogant fellow to rush forward, Grandmaster Lin Tao harrumphed coldly. He was prepared to see this fellow step into the formation and embarrass himself, but contrary to his expectations, the other party stopped right before the formation, lifted his leg, and kicked forcefully. Weng! A sound simr to a buzz echoed. The interiors of the courtyard suddenly appeared clearly before everyones eyes. "Alright, Ive paused the formation..." Zhang Xuan pped his hands. Chapter 350: What Illness Is It? Chapter 350: What Illness Is It? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Silence loomed in the air for an instant. Mo Tianxue rubbed his eyes nkly, and he nearly fainted. The formation which had veiled everyones eyes from the interiors of the courtyard had indeed disappeared. Pausing a grade-3 formation with a kick? Were they dreaming? Confinement formations were unique fields aligned with the geography of the location, such as the mountains, the rivers, or even the stars. All lifeforms that step into such an area would find themselves descending in confusion, losing the ability to discern direction. Without an extremely deep understanding of formations, it was impossible for one to find the core of a formation and stop it. Yet, this fellow, who obviously knew nothing about formations, simply walked up and, with just a single kick, paused a grade-3 formation... Could the situation get any more exaggerated than that? If this was just luck, then his luck was way too overpowered! Mo Yu was taken aback as well. She had seen the innumerable means Zhang Xuan possessed, and she knew that he was mysterious and strong. However, she still couldnt help but keel over in fright upon seeing this sight. The reason why the Lin n dared to act so arrogantly in Tianwu Royal City, even when they were before the royal family, was mainly due to their ability to set up grade-3 formations. After all, even a Zhizun realm primary stage expert would be unable to escape from a formation of this level... Yet, this fellow, who didnt even know what the Lin n was, with a single kick... actually suppressed the formation easily! I know that you have a lot of astonishing means, but... isnt this way too much? Could it be that on top of being a master teacher, apothecary, beast tamer, poison master... Youre a formation master as well? Those are all upations in the Upper Nine Paths! (With the exception of poison master) Everyone said that she was a genius for being able to grasp any upation swiftly, butpared to this fellow... The heck, she seemed to be no different from an ignorant oaf! Just the thought of it sent her into a frenzy. "Y-you..." The two was only shocked, but Grandmaster Lin Tao, who had ridiculed the other party just a moment ago, had his mouth so widely opened that his lower jaw was almost hitting the ground. The reason why he kept refusing wasnt out of fear that the Gold-tailed Lion would escape, or that it was impossible to cure it, but rather... this grade-3 formation was set up personally by the guild leader. Being a mere 2-star pinnacle formation master, he couldnt even find where the formation core and formation gs were ced at, needless to say, remove it! Since he couldnt even remove the formation, pausing it waspletely out of question. Who could have thought that not only would this fellow be able to pause it, he would even be able to do it so easily... Pausing a formation would have required any other formation masters to study the area, calcte using theirpass, flip through ancient records, conduct several experiments... It was a veryborious and lengthy job. Not to mention, if things go wrong, they might even end up being trapped by their own formation... Yet, this fellow actually kicked the formation without even studying it closely, as though he was just kicking down a mere wooden nk... If anyone else were to do so, they would definitely suffer a rebound from the formation and die on the spot. But not only was the other party fine, the formation even freaking paused... Isnt there something very wrong about this? "Lets go in!" Just as he was silenced with shock, the young man in front beckoned to the group before walking into the courtyard. Following closely behind, Grandmaster Lin Tao examined the surroundings and confirmed that the formation truly wasnt active at the moment... It had truly paused under the other partys kick. "It was just a moment ago that I thought that this fellows reputation is overexaggerated. After all, this cultivation is clear to see. As such, I didnt think that he would be of any threat at all. To think that he would actually be such an incredible figure... Most probably, only that Master Teacher Zhang Xuan would be a match for him!" With a quick examination, Grandmaster Lin Tao could tell that the formation was only pausedit wasnt damaged at all. Slowly, the disdain on his face turned into graveness. In truth, when he first heard that Liuoshi had solved the illnesses on the Wall of Dilemma and became the new guild leader, he didnt think highly about the other party. After all, regardless of which upation one was in, ones cultivation was the most important factor. Everything else was secondary. Tongxuan realm primary stage was simply too unimpressive, so he disregarded the other party... But at this moment, the other party had actually stopped a grade-3 formation with a single kick. Even the guild leader wouldnt be capable of such a feat. It seemed like this Liuoshi wasnt as simple as he thought him out to be. "Ive to inform the n head about this matter as soon as possible..." He made a decision inwardly. ... Even Heavens Path was imperfect, so naturally, formations had its strengths and ws, its life gate and death gate as well. Once one found this w, no matter how formidable a formation was, it could be manipted or destroyed easily. To put it simply, this w referred to the point where the flow of energy of the formation field was centered. This w could be located in the direct center for some formations, and by the side for the others. Zhang Xuan was fortunate in the sense that it happened to be right in front of him, as stated in the Library of Heavens Path. While it might have looked like a simple kick on the surface, in truth, Zhang Xuan was actually infusing Heavens Path zhenqi into the formation. This interrupted the flow of energy in the formation, resulting in the deactivation the formation. Heavens Path zhenqi was the purest spiritual energy in the world, thus allowing it to easily destroy the internal structure of a formation. This was precisely the reason why that seemingly simple kick had such shocking effects. If it had been anyone else, even if they were to be aware of this w, it would take them a great deal of effort to exploit it. The group walked around a winding pebble path. The courtyard was tidy and clean, and after walking a short distance, a giant pce appeared before them. Soon, they heard a deafening snore which jolted the dirt on the floor into the air, leaving one slightly dizzy-headed. "Great! The Gold-tailed Lion is sleeping!" Mo Tianxues eyes lit up. He was afraid that the Gold-tailed Lion would charge out the moment the formation was paused. They were truly lucky to havee while thetter was asleep. Following the source of the voice, they soon arrived at a giant hall. In it, they saw a gigantic savage beast lying on the floor with both of its eyes tightly shut. It heavily resembled a normal lion, but its physique was significantlyrger. Its tail was colored in gold, but there was a slight trace of white at the very end of its tail. Inparison to the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast as well, its muscles were loose and its hair was messy, thus giving it the appearance no different from that of an elderly. From its outer appearance, one could tell that it was in an age of decline. "Guild Leader Liu, this is our guardian beast, Gold-tailed Lion. Its illness seems to have grown even more severe..." Looking at the sleeping Gold-tailed Lion, Mo Tianxue shook his head. Half-Zhizun realm savage beasts possessed strong wariness. The fact that it could remain asleep despite their arrival in its territory showed how serious its illness was. "What conditions did it show before?" Zhang Xuan asked. "It used to be extremely quiet and calm, but around half a month ago, its eyes suddenly turned red and it went on a rampage, biting everyone it could see. In the course of its rampage, it injured eight eunuchs and maids. Out of helplessness, I invited Guild Leader Lin here to help me trap it with a formation!" Recalling the sight that day, Mo Tianxue couldnt help but shudder in fear. This was a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast. If it were to really go into a frenzy, even if he would be unable to stop it. It was fortunate that the Gold-tailed Lion was still able to curb itself. Otherwise, half of the Shadow Squad would have probably died under its rampage. "It suddenly went on a rampage?" Zhang Xuan turned to examine the Gold-tailed Lion. Even if it had aged and its physical functions were failing, it was very unlikely for such a powerful savage beast to suddenly fall ill and lose its rationality. "Thats right. Even though the Gold-tailed Lion has a ferocious appearance, it is actually a rather gentle savage beast. Tamed by my ancestor, it has guarded the royal pce for more than two hundred years now. In this period of time, it has always been in a stable condition and it has never hurt anyone before. Thus, we are at a loss as to what kind of illness it is suffering from!" Mo Tianxue continued, "Back then, I invited Guild Leader Mu Hong to take a look at it, and he said that it was getting anxious because its reaching the end of its lifespan, and we had to find a way to cate it. After which, I found a few other physicians to diagnose the Gold-tailed Lion as well, but their diagnoses were around the same as Guild Leader Mu Hongs. They said that it is impossible to treat this kind of illness, and the Gold-tailed Lion can only slowly recover through its own means! If it can survive through this ordeal, it might still be able to live for a longer period of time. If not, it would mean that it hase to the end of its time..." "Furthermore, regardless of whether it is able to tide through this ordeal, three months is the limit on its lifespan. In other words... regardless of whether we were able to sessfully treat its illness or not, it will die within three months. Theres no hope for it to achieve aplete recovery..." "A limit of three months on its lifespan?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately immersed himself into the Library of Heavens Path and swiftly searched through the physician books for simr illnesses. And just like what he expected... he wasnt able to find a single useful thing on the matter. Even though there were many different bizarre and rare illnesses recorded in those books, none of them seemed to fit the Gold-tailed Lions symptoms. But Zhang Xuan had expected this as well. If it could be found in the books, Physician Mu Hong and the others would have already treated him long ago. "Seems like I have to find some ways to collect more books..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. If he had collected sufficient books, he would surely have been able to find a corresponding illness record to the Gold-tailed Lions condition. But since he failed to do so, this could only mean that the knowledge he had umted was still insufficient. "Looks like I should find some time to collect the books of the Physician Guild..." Even though Zhang Xuan had passed the physician examination and even became the guild leader, he hadnt been to its library yet. Most of the books he had in the Library of Heavens Path came from the library in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though the Master Teacher Pavilions library had books on most upations, its collection in each specific fields was still unable topare up to that in the corresponding guild. "Guild Leader Liu, do you need to me to bring you Physician Mu Hong and the other physicians diagnoses so that you can study them?" Seeing Zhang Xuan lowering his head in contemtion, Mo Tianxue asked. "Theres no need..." Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Since they were unable to find the cause of the Gold-tailed Lions illness as well, their evaluation was no use to him. "Then... Since the Gold-tailed Lion is sleeping, so you need me to wake it up so that you can better examine it?" Usually, when a physician diagnosed a patient, the patient had to be conscious so that the physician could examine thetters movements and pose questions to better understand his condition. Given that the guardian beast was asleep, it was unlikely that Zhang Xuan would be able to discern anything of use to treat it. Zhang Xuan quickly shook his head. If the Gold-tailed Lion were to awake, he would need it tounch an attack before a book could bepiled on it. If it chose not to attack or attacked too quickly, the situation could prove to be very troublesome for him. "Ill go over there to take a better look..." Saying so, he started walking over to the massive savage beast. "His cultivation might becking, but it is a fact that he solved all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma. There should be no doubt regarding his medical skill. I should take a good look to see how hell cure the guardian beast..." By the side, Grandmaster Lin Tao hurriedly turned his gaze to Guild Leader Liu upon seeing him walk forward. As the vice guild leader of the Formation Master Guild, he was acquainted with quite a few physicians, so he was aware of the fundamentals in diagnosing a patient. Asking questions, examining the skin tone, checking the breathing, listening to the heartbeat... There were even some who checked their patients feces to determine the root of their illness. Grandmaster Lin Tao was curious to see what method the person who broke the records of the Physician Guild would use. Thus, he stared at Guild Leader Liu intently, not daring to blink at all for fear of missing out a single detail. However, all he saw was that... the young man walking up to the savage beast, touching it, and then... returning with a bizarre expression. "This... Just like that?" Grandmaster Lin Tao was baffled. --- Life Gate and Death Gate are concepts in Qi Men Dun Jia, an ancient Chinese divination technique. Life Gate represents the onset of Spring, when all life blooms after the harsh winter, and it is viewed to be a symbol of prosperity. Death Gate represents the death of all beings in Autumn. (There are a total of Eight Gates but I wont introduce them due to theplexity of itthe Eight Gates are only a small part of it. You can read it up on Wikipedia, but the information there is very limited) Chapter 351: Chrysanthemum Chapter 351: Chrysanthemum Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The process of diagnosing wasnt a childs yone mustnt be negligent in it. All the other party did was to walk over and touch the savage beast. Without even examining the savage beasts fur, physical condition, heartbeat, or breathing rate, he came back... What was this? Dont tell me that you are already done examining the other partys condition, and you already have a solution for the matter? Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were perplexed. They couldnt tell what Guild Leader Liu was up to. After he returned to their side, they thought that he would say something, but to their frustration, he simply stood on the spot... and fell into a daze. Without examining anything, he touched the other party and fell into a daze. Even Grandmaster Lin Tao, who had seen innumerable diagnoses from different top-notch physicians before, was perplexed. "Cough cough, Guild Leader Liu, can the Gold-tailed Lion... be saved?" They waited for a very long time, but the other partys face only brightened and darkened periodically. Unable to stand the anxiety any longer, Mo Tianxue asked. You should at least tell me whether there is hope or not! Are you trying to kill us with anxiety by standing there? "Oh. Ive a few items that I need, so Ill have to trouble you to prepare them as soon as possible!" Recovering from his daze, Zhang Xuan instructed with a grim expression. "Yes!" Mo Tianxue nodded. "Boneless Flower, Gold Blood Venom, Three Thousand Worm Blood..." Zhang Xuan casually listed a few medicinal substance. "These... are all poison?" Mo Tianxue thought that the other party would list out nourishing medicinal substances, but contrary to his expectations, all of the items the other party listed possessed lethal poison. Just hearing those names sent shivers down Mo Tianxues spine. "Un. I need them!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Can these poisonous substance really treat the Gold-tailed Lions illness?" Mo Tianxue was perplexed. The Gold-tailed Lion was reaching the end of its life, and it even went on a rampage several times to express its frustration. Logically speaking, they should be feeding it nourishing medicinal herbs so that it could regain its spirit and recover. Why would you look for these poisonous substances instead? "Father, lets just listen to Guild Leader Lius words. Since he asked you to obtain these material, he must have a use for them!" Sensing her fathers hesitation, Mo Yu immediately urged him telepathically. Having witnessed Zhang Xuans treatment of the Great Herb King, she knew that thetter possessed astonishing means. Since he asked for her father to prepare these poisonous substances, he must have a n in mind. "Alright!" Agreeing to the matter, Mo Tianxue waved his hand. A split momentter, a gray-robed man appeared, and Mo Tianxue issued several instructions to him. The Tianwu royal family possessed exceptional efficiency in getting things done. It didnt take them long to gather all of the required medicinal substances. "Guild Leader Liu, what should we do now?" Seeing the bunch of poisonous substances ced on top of a huge table, the corners of Mo Tianxues lip twitched and he hurriedly averted his gaze. Just any single one of these medicinal substances was sufficient to poison a Zongshi realm expert to death. But at this moment, dozens of them were piled up together. Mo Tianxue truly couldnt imagine a use for these items. "Do you have any pikes? Prepare 36 of them for me!" Instead of answering, Zhang Xuan listed another request. Pikes were amon weapon used by the guards in the royal pce, so it wasnt too difficult to gather them. A few minutester, a pile of pikes were stacked up in the courtyard. "Prepare another forty cows andmbs. ughter them and fill their blood in buckets... Zhang Xuan continued instructing. Even though Mo Tianxue had no idea what was going on, he didnt think that Guild Leader Liu would do pointless things. Thus, he had his men prepare those as well. Soon, when everything was in ce, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Walking over to the table of medicinal substances that the other party had collected, he smacked on the table. Hu! A dozen of medicinal substances immediately flew into the air. Zhang Xuan closed his palms together, and with a burst of zhenqi, he crushed them all into medicinal powder and mixed them together one by one. The final product was a green powder which sent ones goosebumps rising. Without a doubt, this powder whichprised more than a dozen of lethal poisons was incredibly potent. If a Half-Zhizun were to get a whiff of it, he would at least pass out for half a day. "This is... the concoction method of a poison master? Could it be that... Guild Leader Liu is a poison master?" As the poison powder flew around the ce, they reacted with one another, causing the substance to change colors continuously. Mo Tianxue and Grandmaster Lin Tao stared at the sight warily. Poison masters possessed the might to kill those who possessed a cultivation realm beyond them. Liu Chengs cultivation could be considered as negligible inparison to theirs, but the notoriety of poison masters was simply too deeply ingrained in their minds. No one knew what kind of poison he was concocting, and there was a chance that they might end up dead if they were to be negligent at this point. There were many such precedents, and this was also the reason why this upation was extremely feared by many. The fact that Guild Leader Liu was able to fuse so many lethal medicinal substances together so casually showed that he had aprehensive knowledge over the properties of these medicinal substances, and he had an extremely high control over his concoction skills. Could he really a poison master? "Formidable physicians dabble in poison for their treatment as well. It isnt surprising for him to know a thing or two about the properties of poisonous medicinal substances!" Sensing the doubt of the duo, Mo Yu sent a telepathic message to them. Physicians and poison masters were actually two sides of the same coin. Both of them utilized medicinal herbs, but one used it to save lives while the other one used it to im lives. It was said that the very first poison master was initially an extremely proficient physician. After his wife was killed by his enemies, his personality became warped and he started to research lethal poison to exact vengeance. Eventually, he wiped out the entire n of his enemies, and before his death, he left behind a bookthe [Art of Poison]. Of course, as it was too long in the past, no one could verify the authenticity of this legend. Even so, this legend clearly indicated that there were many points of ovep between physicians and poison masters. As such, it wasnt too surprising for formidable physicians to be capable of concocting poison either. "Im done..." Just as the trio was discussing, the young man finally came to a stop. He was done concocting the poison powder, and he casually threw it into the pail by the side. The clear water within the pail immediately turned dark gray. After doing all of these, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He circled around the Gold-tailed Lion before stopping finally before Grandmaster Lin Tao. "Is there a way to activate the confinement formation quickly?" "Activate the confinement formation quickly?" Lin Tao was stunned. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Back then, when he was at the Beast Hall, he had the opportunity to see a formation being activated, and it seemed to be a troublesome process requiring much preparatory work. "Itll be best if you can do so within half a breath!" After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuan added. "Half a breath?" Lin Tao nearly choked on his own saliva. "How is that possible? Given the size of this grade-3 formation, it would require a minimum eight Zongshi realm pinnacle experts infusing zhenqi into the formation simultaneously at eight different locations to activate. Only when their zhenqi haspletely fused with the formation will the formation be triggered... Even with the fastest method, itll at least take ten minutes!" "Ten minutes?" "Un. If one possesses the strength of a Zhizun realm cultivator, one would be able to activate it alone, and the time taken will be significantly reduced as well. Even so, itll still be impossible to activate it without two to three minutes!" Lin Tao waspletely speechless. Do you really know formations? The triggering of a formation may sound simple, but it requires one to infuse zhenqi to drive and stimte the formation. This process is extremelyplex and troublesome to carry out. Anyone who had the slightest understanding of formation would understand this. As a person capable of pausing a grade-3 formations with a single kick, how could you not know this? "That is too long..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "Do you have any better ideas?" "I do, just that... I cant do it alone!" Lin Tao said hesitantly. "Oh? Tell me about it!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned to look at him. "Every single formation has a core, and that is where the entire formation is centered around. If one infuses zhenqi directly into that spot, the formation can be activated swiftly... This is also the fundamental principle behind how formation tes works!" At this point, Lin Tao suddenly looked slightly awkward, "However, you should know that only 3-star formation masters are capable of inscribing on a formation tes. Im only a 2-star pinnacle formation master... so Im still a littlecking in that aspect!" In truth, formation tes were created through using a special method topress massive formations into a small personal object that one could bring around conveniently. When the needes, one just has to infuse zhenqi into it. Even if one wasnt a formation master, one could still activate it easily. While its prowess was significantlycking aspared to a real formation, its strengthy in its ability to be activated instantaneously. Furthermore, due to its convenience in carrying around, many people use it as a survival mean. Mo Yu had one on her as well. This was also the main reason why Mo Tianxue was willing to allow her to explore outside on her own. "You mean that as long as I find the core of the formation... Ill be able to activate the formation quickly?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right!" Lin Tao nodded. "But while thats the case, it isnt that easy to find the core of the formation. Different from a formation te, where the core is fixed at a certain point, the formation core of huge formations tend to change depending on the geography and time. Even I am unable to find it, lest to say... activate the formation through it!" "Oh!" At this moment, Zhang Xuan froze for a split moment before turning to look at a specific point in space. Then, without any hesitation, he picked up a pike and walked up to the Gold-tailed Lion. With a swift jerk, he dipped the pike into the bucket of lethal poison, and a sizzling sound could immediately be heard from the surface of the pike, as though the metal was being corroded. "Go!" Raising his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan took out the venom-soaked pike, pulled it back, and threw it with a swift motion. Sou! As though a javelin, the pike flew out with astonishing strength and impaled the body of the sleeping Gold-tailed Lion. "Ah?" They were just wondering what the other party was going to do when this sight abruptly unfolded before them. Cold sweat immediately gushed down Mo Tianxue, Lin Tao, and Mo Yus bodies. That was lethal poison... Putting aside whether the guardian beast would be poisoned to death for the moment, this was a direct provocation to the other party! This fellow already had a been in an unstable condition recently, going around eating others. If it were to fly into a temper at this moment, wouldnt it ughter everyone? Roar! As expected, before they could recover from their shock, a furious roar reverberated in the air. The sleeping Gold-tailed Lion abruptly opened its eyes, and itsrge eyes instantaneously turned scarlet. "Were done for..." Upon seeing this sight, their hearts turned cold. Hu! Lowering his head, the Gold-tailed Lion saw the pike stabbed into its body. In an instant, its fury surged and it bellowed deafeningly, tremoring the heavens. Standing up, its massive figure, reminiscent of a small hill, became even more pronounced. Even without making a move, the immense pressure that it exerted had already made their legs go weak. "Guild Leader Liu, danger..." Mo Yu shouted anxiously. Even a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert like her father couldnt withstand the wrath of the Gold-tailed Lion. The other party was only at Zongshi realm primary stage, so how could he possibly survive an attack from it? She thought that the young man would retreat immediately after hearing her voice, but contrary to her expectations, the other party simply picked up another pike, soaked it in venom, and tossed it once more. On top of that... the area which he was aiming for... was the orifice at the end of the Gold-tailed Lions alimentary canal. Puhe! The pike urately stabbed straight into the opening, and fresh blood immediately gushed frenziedly along the body of the pike. "Roar!" This time, it wasnt just the Gold-tailed Lion who went into a frenzy. Mo Tianxue, Lin Tao, Mo Yu found the boundaries of their sanity being forcefully pushed on. It had just barely opened its eyes to identify the arrogant aggressor who dared to attack it when this fellow grabbed a pike and tossed it into the end of its alimentary canal. Rage immediately clouded its mind. Hu! It immediately swept its massive tail straight toward Zhang Xuan. Due to its astounding speed, a sonic boom burst the air. Seemingly aware that it would react in this manner, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. Instead, with a swift leap, he dashed to the spot around a dozen meter away where he nced momentarily at just a moment ago and forcefully kicked at it. Hu! Along with the sound, the vision before Mo Tianxue, Mo Yu, and the others blurred. The formation had activated once more, concealing the interiors of the courtyard. "The formation... has been activated?" Grandmaster Lin Tao widened his eyes. --- Chrysanthemum, or juhua (pronounced as jee-hwa) in hanyupinyin, is a ng referring to the opening of a humans alimentary canal... Chapter 352: Cured Chapter 352: Cured Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric To be able to activate the formation instantly, this could only mean one thing... That fellow had found the core of the formation! During that conversation, Grandmaster Lin Tao could tell that the other party didnt even know what a formation core was. Yet, right after that, the other party immediately found the formation core and even made use of it... Is this for real? Grandmaster Lin Taos body shuddered, and he felt as though he was about to faint. The location of the formation core would change along with a change in ones surroundings. Even for a 3-star primary stage formation master like the n head, without apass and careful observation, it was impossible to find it. Yet, without using any tools at all, this fellow simply pranced about and... with a single kick, the formation immediately activated! Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, he couldnt help but doubt if he was dreaming... He thought that he had a huge leverage as a formation grandmaster against the Tongxuan realmd... But after seeing this sight, tears threatened to flow down from his eyes. Guild Master Liu, are you the formation grandmaster, or am I the formation grandmaster? Why do I feel like nothing but a fool before you? Roar! Roar! Roar! With the activation of the formation, Mo Tianxue and the others couldnt see the situation inside anymore. However, they could hear the infuriated roaring of the Gold-tailed Lion, as though there was something happening within which sent it into a frenzy. Dozens of breathster, all sound from within disappeared. "Lets go over and take a look!" Anxious, Mo Tianxue and the others hurried forward. They werent too far away from Guild Master Liu and the Gold-tailed Lion, and with Lin Tao leading the way, they were able to walk past the mist without triggering the formation on them. Soon, when they reached their destination, the sight before them left their eyebrows twitching furiously, and for a moment, they thought that they would go insane. The Gold-tailed Lion, whom the young man was supposed to save, had pierced pikes all over its body, be it its nose, ears, end of the alimentary canal... Fresh blood flowed furiously down each of the thirty-six pikes, dyeing the entire ground crimson. The imposing Gold-tailed Lion which was roaring non-stop a moment ago was so drained at this moment that it couldnt even open its eyes, and its breathing was nearly imperceptible. "Guild Leader Liu..." Mo Tianxue felt his veins popping out, and he nearly vomited a mouthful of blood. The reason why I invited you over is to treat the guardian beast, not to kill it... Isnt it just your first meeting with it? Yet, you threw so many pikes toward it that it looked no different from a feather duster at this point. More importantly, every single one of these pikes wasced with lethal poison... You must be truly adamant to kill it! What grudge do you have with it for you to kill it so mercilessly? Rage bubbled in Mo Tianxues chest, and he clenched his fist tightly in anger. If he didnt give his all to hold himself back, he would have surely rushed forward to crush that fellow with his fist. Even though the guardian beast didnt have long to live and it had hurt some people when it went on a rampage previously, it had protected Tianwu Kingdom from harm for past several centuries. Mo Tianxue carried deep respect for it. Treating the guardian beast like that was as good as an insult to him! With a steeled face, he looked at the young man. The other partys face was slightly pale, and he seemed to be slightly sapped of energy. Upon seeing the trio, the young man heaved a sigh of relief. He weakly sat onto the floor and said, "Its illness is extremely hard to treat, but fortunately, I managed to aplish what that was asked of me..." "Aplish what that was asked of you?" Seeing the other partys confident smile, Mo Tianxue was taken aback. Did he misunderstand him? Was he really treating the Gold-tailed Lion? As this thought slowly surfaced in his head, he subconsciously turned to look at the guardian beast. However, with this nce, his rage surged once more. The Gold-tailed Lion which was still roaring furiously a moment ago had its eyes tightly shut as itid limply on the floor. Even its breathing seemed to have disappeared altogether. "The Gold-tailed Lion... is dead?" Mo Yu and Grandmaster Lin Tao also realized that something was amiss, and turning their heads to take a look, their eyeballs nearly popped out from their sockets. You were brought here to treat the guardian beast, not to kill it... Aplish what that was asked of you... Aplish your head! You mean that you came here with the intention to kill it?" "Guild Leader Liu, what do you mean by this?" Suppressing his fury forcefully, Mo Tianxue red fixedly at the fellow before him. He had sincerely invited the other party over in hopes that the other party could create a miracle and allow the guardian beast to live a little longer. Never in his dreams did he expect that not only did the other party fail to cure it, he even went on to kill it... If not for the considerations he held for the other partys identity, he would have ordered his men to tear this fellow into innumerable pieces already. "What do you mean by those words? I havepleted my treatment..." Seemingly oblivious to the other partys rage, Zhang Xuan answered calmly. "Its fortunate that my treatment went well!" "Went well?" Mo Tianxues eyebrows twitched. Killing your patient is a sign that things went well? You arent a physician but... a murderer! "Cough cough! Guild Leader Liu, why isnt the Gold-tailed Lion... breathing? Is it dead?" Seeing that her father was about to erupt at any moment, Mo Yu hurriedly stepped forward and intervened. "Dead?" Only at this moment did Zhang Xuan realize why everyone had such a grim expression on their faces. Shaking his head, he said, "Im here, how can it possibly die so easily..." Saying so, he walked toward the Gold-tailed Lion and kicked it. "Stop feigning death. Hurry up and get up..." Roar! Being kicked on its face, the seemingly dead Gold-tailed Lion seemed to be shocked into action. With a furious roar, its golden fur trembled. Sou sou sou sou! All of the pikes stabbed into its body flew out, dropping onto the ground. "Drink these pails of blood..." Zhang Xuan casually pointed. He had asked for Mo Tianxue to prepare the fresh blood of cows and goats beforehand, and they were stored in the wooden pails ced not too far away. The Gold-tailed Lion hurried forward and gulped them down. Soon, after consuming the blood in those pails, the Gold-tailed Lion seemed to have recovered considerably. Compared to its withered look from before, it looked extremely spirited at the moment. "This..." Seeing this sight, Mo Tianxue and the others felt as though they were dreaming. For a moment, they werepletely dumbfounded. Despite having thirty-six pikesced with lethal poison impaling it, not only did the Gold-tailed Lion manage to survive, it was even revitalized... What in the world was going on? Furthermore, didnt its breathing clearly stop just now? Why did it suddenlye to life after a kick? This Guild Leader Liu had dashed a total of three kicks. The first one, he stopped the formation. The second one, he activated the formation. And the third one... the Gold-tailed Lion came to life... It felt as though every single one of his kicks possessed mystical powers, astonishing everyone with its fearsome might every single time. "Guild Leader Liu..." Seeing that the vitality of the Gold-tailed Lion had recovered significantly, Mo Tianxue couldnt help but utter with a doubtful tone. "Are you curious about what is going on?" Zhang Xuan chuckled, "Actually... The Gold-tailed Lion wasnt afflicted with any illness... it was poisoned!" "Poisoned?" Mo Tianxue was taken aback while Grandmaster Lin Taos face distorted in terror. Someone actually dared to poison the guardian beast of Tianwu Kingdom? Who is it? And how did the person do it? "Under normal circumstances, the tail of the Gold-tailed Lion should be golden. However, there are slight traces of white at the tip previously. This shows that it isnt just an ordinary illness!" Zhang Xuan exined. Hearing these words, Mo Tianxue and the others suddenly recalled seeing traces of white at the end of the Gold-tailed Lions tiger. "You said that it went on a rampage... But if it truly went on a rampage, how could it possibly stop right after eating a few eunuchs and maids? This contradicts the very idea of a rampage. Clearly, it still possesses rationality!" Zhang Xuan continued, "Given these two factors, I deduced that it must have fallen prey to some lethal poison, and in an attempt to cope with it, it forced the poison to the tip of its tail, thus inducing the traces of white!" "This..." The crowd was taken aback. Thats right. If it had truly gone on aplete rampage, it would surely attack everyone it saw. It was illogical for it to stop at just a few insignificant eunuchs and maids. "Could it be that these maids and eunuchs were the ones who poisoned it, thats why it killed them out of anger..." A thought suddenly appeared in Mo Yus mind. Given the guardian beasts Half-Zhizun realm cultivation, there was no one in Tianwu Kingdom who could force poison on it. The only viable method was to spike its food. And the most usible culprits for it were the eunuchs and maids who served it. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Without any contractee, it is unable to express its thoughts. As such, it killed these eunuchs and maids to exact vengeance, as well as to tell you that these people are suspicious... Yet, you thought that it had gone insane and even used a formation to confine it..." Mo Tianxues face flushed. When the guardian beast ate those eunuchs and maids, he was horrified, thinking that thetter had gone insane. It happened that Guild Leader Lin was beside him then, so he immediately requested for thetter to set up a formation to confine it without giving it much thought. He didnt expect that... the other party was actually trying to express such intent. "Even though the poison it was afflicted with was potent, it is still a powerful Half-Zhizun realm savage beast possessing centuries of lifespan. This was what that allowed it to hold on all this while. However, just like what Physician Mu Hong and the others had said, it wouldnt survive past three months at this rate!" "It wouldnt be difficult to treat this poison in its earlier stages, but in the Gold-tailed Lions case, the poison had already permeated through the meridians across its entire body, making treatment difficult!" "After hesitating for a moment, I decided to counteract the poison with another poison!" "Thats why I got you to prepare all of those poisonous substances and used a pike to insert the venom into the locations where the poison was gathered. "It is fortunate that I managed to aplish what you asked of me and saved it..." Zhang Xuan smiled. After cing his hand on the other partys body, he immediately found out what poison the Gold-tailed Lion was suffering from. He had seen this poison in the books of the Poison Hall before, and he knew that to treat it, he would have to counteract its poison with another one. Knowing all of these, the rest was simple. He just had to neutralize the poison spread across the other partys body by inserting venom of his own. But of course, if it was anyone else, such a feat would have been impossible. The poison had already spread across its entire body, umting in many different meridians. It would be impossible to even identify the locations where the poison had settled down in, thus making it even more impossible to solve the problem. After all, if the venom were to be injected into the wrong locations, not only would it fail to neutralize the poison in the Gold-tailed Lions body, it would even poison it to death. However, possessing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could clearly see all thirty-six of the locations where the poison was umted. All he had to do was to aim the pike urately at the right location. As for the cow and goat blood, it was for the Gold-tailed Lion to regain its vitality after suffering such a massive loss of blood. After hearing the exnation, Mo Tianxue and the others widened their eyes in shock. At this moment, they felt nothing but admiration for the young man before them. It was no wonder why he could solve all of the problems on the Wall of Dilemma and be the new guild leader of the Physician Guild. His medical skill was simply too formidable! It was hard to believe that anyone could possess such capability even though they were seeing one right before them. "Even though I have neutralized the lethal poison it is suffering from, it is true that its lifespan is reaching its end. While it is still fine for the time being, it wont live beyond a year, unless..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "... it achieves a breakthrough into Zhizun realm!" "Achieves a breakthrough in Zhizun realm?" Mo Tianxues breathing suddenly hastened, "Does Guild Leader Liu have a solution to that?" Chapter 353: Zongshi Realm Pinnacle Chapter 353: Zongshi Realm Pinnacle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhizun realm stands at the very pinnacle of a Fighter. At this level, a cultivators physical body, zhenqi, and spirit will reach the limits of a mortal. However, it is extremely difficult to break through the barrier to reach this level. This is especially true for savage beasts, whose bloodline limits their progress. Without Bloodline Evolution, it is impossible for them to reach Zhizun realm. This was also the reason why the Gold-tailed Lion had been unable to achieve a breakthrough despite having guarded Tianwu Kingdom for two hundred years. Otherwise, given the royal familys wealth and connections, it would have taken the final step long ago. It wouldnt have been stuck at Half-Zhizun all this while, unable to advance a single step forward. "An idea... I do have one, but it will be expensive!" Zhang Xuan tilted his face upwards as the vicissitudes of life reflected in his eyes. "As long as the Gold-tailed Lion is able to reach Zhizun realm, I am willing to pay any price..." Mo Tianxue hurriedly replied. Once the guardian beast dies, Tianwu Kingdom would be at risk. On the other hand, if the guardian beast could reach Zhizun realm, not only would a crisis be averted, but the nations strength would also be boosted as well. The ns who had been harboring great ambitions toward Tianwu Kingdom would have to rein themselves in. Thus, Mo Tianxue was willing to pay any price for the Gold-tailed Lions breakthrough. "Un!" Seeing the other partys attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Turning to look at the others with the look of an expert unsullied by the material world, he continued, "It isnt exactly difficult, but it wont be easy either! Ill need spirit stones, and the more there are, the higher its chances of achieving a breakthrough. Also, I will require Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals. Theres no need for quality; I only require quantity. Simrly, the more there are, the better it is!" Naturally, these two objects werent for the Gold-tailed Lions breakthrough, but rather, preparation for the advancement of his own cultivation. He had already repaid the other partys favor by treating the Gold-tailed Lions poison. It would be considered as another service if he were to help it to achieve a breakthrough, and naturally, he would have to collect a separate fee for it. However, his demand for spirit stones and secret manuals wasnt entirely for his own private reasons either. While the Heavens Path zhenqi possessed the ability to cleanse a savage beasts bloodline, Zhang Xuans cultivation mustnt be too far from the other partys. Zhang Xuan was capable of inducing a breakthrough in a Zongshi realm pinnacle savage beast to Half-Zhizun, but without reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle, it would be hard for him to raise the cultivation of the Gold-tailed Lion to Zhizun realm. If not for this limitation, Zhang Xuan would be able to raise a savage beasts bloodline ceaselessly. He could have just raised the cultivation of the Howling Firmament Beast continuously until it reached Zhizun realm pinnacle, and by then, no one would dare to cross his path even at a Conferred Kingdom. He wouldnt have to go through so much trouble here. In a sense, while the purpose of the spirit stones and Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals was to raise his strength, it was also for the Gold-tailed Lions breakthrough. Thus, Zhang Xuan wasnt deceiving the other party. "Spirit stones... The royal family does have some, but theres only five of them!" Upon hearing what Zhang Xuan required, even though Mo Tianxue was perplexed, he still answered honestly. "As for Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals... we dont have a single one of them!" "Only five spirit stones? And not even a single Zhizun realm cultivation technique manual?" "Yes... Only Conferred Kingdoms have the right to trade spirit stones. The few spirit stones that our Tianwu Kingdom possesses were obtained by paying a heavy price, and throughout the years, we have been using them to reward meritorious subjects and to befriend talents, so we are running low on supply..." "As for Zhizun realm cultivation techniques, due to the restrictions on Tier 1 Kingdoms and theck of resources, it is impossible for one to reach this cultivation realm. Thus... these cultivation technique manuals are useless to us, and possessing them may even bring a cmity upon us..." Mo Tianxue said awkwardly. Spirit stones are too valuablethey are limited in supply even in Conferred Kingdoms, needless to say, a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom. In truth, it was already a sizeable fortune to possess five of them in their treasury. As for Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals, there wasnt a single Zhizun realm cultivator in Tianwu Kingdom, so where could they find a cultivation technique of this level? Besides, if a Zhizun realm expert were to appear in Tianwu Kingdom, it would definitely rm the Conferred Kingdoms and potentially bring cmity upon them. "Five... So be it then. Pass them to me. I will think of a way to help it achieve a breakthrough!" Even though Zhang Xuan thought that it was a pity that he could only obtain five spirit stones, he still nodded in agreement. Even though his demand for spiritual energy would increase as his cultivation increased, based on his calctions, since one spirit stone was sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage, six should be sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. "Ill be depending on Guild Leader Liu then!" Upon hearing that five spirit stones were sufficient, Mo Tianxue heaved a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, a long jade box appeared in his hand, and he passed it to the other party. Zhang Xuan opened the box and saw five spirit stones ced side by side. The spiritual energy in the air suddenly surged due to the presence of the five spirit stones, stimting his pores. An indescribable sense offort wrapped around his body. Casually keeping the box in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "Guild Leader Liu, do you need anything else? What about pills?" Mo Tianxue asked. Blood Evolution is an incrediblyplicated process. Even the more formidable beast tamers of the Beast Hall are unable to induce it in their tamed beasts. He couldnt imagine how the other party could help the Gold-tailed Lion smash through the final barrier blocking its way to Zhizun realm with just spirit stones. "I dont need those. Instead, I need a secret chamber to make some preparations. Dont let anyone interrupt me!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Yes!" Mo Tianxue replied. Since the Gold-tailed Lion was already treated of its afflictions, the courtyard was now safe from danger. Thus, Mo Tianxue looked for a quiet room around the area and brought Zhang Xuan over before departing with Mo Yu and the others. After stepping out of the courtyard, Grandmaster Lin Tao immediately bided the others farewell and left in a hurry. Watching the other party disappear into the distance, Mo Tianxues eyes abruptly narrowed. "Father..." Mo Yu turned to look at Mo Tianxue doubtfully. "Seems like we have to be careful of the Lin n!" Mo Tianxue shook his head. "Lin n?" Mo Yu was perplexed. Wasnt their rtionship with the Lin n amiable? Why would her father suddenly say such words? "I suspect that the Gold-tailed Lions poisoning is the Lin ns doing!" Mo Tianxue harrumphed. As an emperor, he couldnt possibly be a useless wastrel. As soon as Zhang Xuan confirmed his diagnosis, he already had his own guesses. However, Mo Yu still found the matter hard to believe. "The Gold-tailed Lion is the kingdoms guardian beast. If it were to die, who do you think would benefit the most?" Mo Tianxue turned to look at Mo Yu. "The royal family has a history tracing back more than a thousand years, and its roots run deep. Even without the Gold-tailed Lion, we are able to destroy normal ns and powers easily, so its death wont affect our influence too much. Only the Lin n is beyond our control... Without the Gold-tailed Lion keeping them in check, they might really..." Analyzing the matter, Mo Yus expression slowly turned grim. The Lin ns n head was a Half-Zhizun realm expert.On top of that, they possessed numerous powerful formations, as well as the backing of Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. If they were toy their eyes on the throne, they had a good chance at realizing their ambitions. Furthermore, ordinary ns dont have the connections to obtain poison that is effective on a Half-Zhizun savage beast. Besides, there truly arent that many powers capable of nting spies in the royal pce and feeding the guardian beast poison beneath the emperors eyes. "When the Gold-tailed Lion flew into a frenzy, Lin Ruotian happened to be in the royal pce, discussing certain matters with me. After the incident, I thought that it was a little too much of a coincidence. From the looks of it now, he had probably nned for it from the very start! As long as they trapped the Gold-tailed Lion in the formation and no physician was able to diagnose its condition, it would have been just a matter of time before it dies from the poison!" Mo Tianxue clenched his fists. Initially, he didnt think much of the matter. However, upon learning that the guardian beast had been poisoned, he realized that all of the evidence pointed toward the Lin n. "But even if we know that it was him, what can we do? Lin Ruotians daughter is the Princess Consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom..." Mo Yu shook her head. Even though there was a great possibility that the poisoning was orchestrated by the Lin n, they couldnt do anything to the other party. Putting aside the fact that Lin Ruotian possessed the strength of a Half-Zhizun expert, just her daughters rtionship with Xuanyuan Kingdom made it impossible for any country to dare to touch him. "Indeed... I can only hope that Guild Leader Liu is able to help the Gold-tailed Lion achieve a breakthrough. Once it reaches Zhizun realm, they will have to think twice before doing anything!" Mo Tianxue said. Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion doesnt interfere in the politics of a country, if one party operates immorally and brings great suffering to the people, it would definitely make a move. The Master Teacher Pavilions goal is to guide all men so that each and every one of them can be an expert. It is willing to overlook small fights, but if someone oversteps its moral boundary, regardless of who he is, it will destroy him. It is precisely out of fear of the Master Teacher Pavilion that no one dares to dream of annexing all kingdoms and uniting the world. But of course, another reason was that some countries, such as Tianxuan Kingdom, were simply too remote. What makes things worse was that it was too poor. Even if one were to annex it, one would still have to devote resources to developing it. No one was foolish enough to waste their efforts on such a pointless endeavor. Once the Gold-tailed Lion reaches Zhizun realm, the Lin n would be forced to rein themselves in. "I believe that Guild Leader Liu will seed!" Mo Yu said. She could still clearly remember the sight of Zhang shis Beast Pummeling Taming Method inducing a breakthough in the Viridescent Eagle. Perhaps this seemingly omnipotent young man could create another miracle and tide Tianwu Kingdom through this crisis. "Lets hope so!" Mo Tianxue nodded. However, he suddenly recalled something and looked at Mo Yu doubtfully, "Xiao Yu, I thought that you didnt get along well with Liuoshi? Why does your Viridescent Eagle seem to be intimate with him? Also, you seem to know a lot about him as well?" "I..." Mo Yus face slightly turned red, "How could I possibly know him well? Im just... casually saying all these!" "Regardless of what youre thinking of, Ill still say the same few words. Grasp this opportunity. Guild Leader Liu is an exceptional person, and if you can grasp his heart, it wouldnt just be a dream for Tianwu Kingdom to advance to a Conferred Kingdom!" Mo Tianxue continued, "But of course, theres Zhang shi as well. Regardless of which one, its enough for you to grasp just one of them." "Grasp one of them..." Mo Yu pped her forehead. I would also like to grasp one of them, but the two of them seems to be the same person... ... In a quiet chamber in the Gold-tailed Lions courtyard. Seated cross-legged, Zhang Xuan rested for a long period of time before he finally recovered from the fatigue he incurred from treating the Gold-tailed Lion. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a spirit stone appeared on his palm. "Time to begin!" After adjusting his physical condition, Zhang Xuan turned his attention toward raising his cultivation. He began to drive his zhenqi using the Zongshi realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Gugugugugu! The Heavens Path Divine Art swiftly extracted spiritual energy from the spirit stone, refined it into zhenqi, and gathered it in his dantian. At the same time, Zhang Xuans cultivation rose swiftly. Zongshi realm intermediate stage pinnacle! Zongshi realm advanced stage! Zongshi realm advanced stage pinnacle! ... Boom! About an hourter, Zhang Xuans dantian jolted. It felt as though he had struck some kind of wall, and a violent might gushed through his entire body. Slowly, a powerful aura began to emanate from his body. He was more than twofold stronger than before, and he could feel boundless strength surging through his body. Hu! Sensing the raging and powerful zhenqi in his body, Zhang Xuan abruptly stood up with glowing eyes. Zongshi realm pinnacle... Im finally here! Chapter 354: Come, Beat Me Up! Chapter 354: Come, Beat Me Up! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Kacha kacha! With a swift jerk, a sonic boom sounded. Taking a few steps forward, Zhang Xuan appeared before the Strength Measuring Rock Pir prepared for the guardian beast to test its strength, and threw a punch on it. Weng! Light shimmered on its surface. Several digits slowly floated into appearance... 5000! In Zongshi realm, ones strength had already exceeded 1000 ding. Under normal circumstances, a Zongshi realm primary stage cultivator would possess a strength of 1000 ding, an intermediate stage cultivator would possess a strength of 2000 ding, an advanced stage cultivator would possess a strength of 3000 ding, and a pinnacle cultivator would possess a strength of 4000 ding. When Zhang Xuan was at Half-Zongshi, his strength was already at 1500 ding. Upon reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle, his strength surged tremendously, reaching the level of 5000 ding. With such strength, he could alreadypete with an average Half-Zhizun expert. "However, its a pity that I dont have enough spirit stones. Otherwise, my strength wouldnt possibly amount to just 5000..." While Zhang Xuan was excited by his newfound strength, he was also slightly disappointed by the results. The six spirit stones that he had obtained from Mo Tianxue and Prince Fei Xuan had all been reduced to dust. Just like what he had thought, the further one advanced in ones cultivation, the greater the number of spirit stones required to achieve a breakthrough. In the past, a single spirit stone was more than enough for him to advance from Zongshi realm primary stage to intermediate stage, but now, even six of them was barely sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. Judging from his current rate of consumption, Zhang Xuan would require a minimum of ten to several dozen of spirit stones to reach Zhizun realm. "Seems like I have to find a way to earn more spirit stones..." Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. While the Heavens Path Divine Art allowed him to cultivate swiftly, its demand for spiritual energy was also frightening. The purer a cultivators zhenqi was, the greater the amount of spiritual energy required for a breakthrough. If he needed several dozen spirit stones to advance to Zhizun realm, wouldnt he require at least several hundred of them to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle? Even a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom had only a handful of it. Where in the world was Zhang Xuan supposed to find so many spirit stones? To think that he naively thought the several dozen million of gold coins he had in his storage ring would make him a wealthy person... From the looks of it, he was still a poor bloke. Money and everything else was just fleeting material possessions... Spirit stones were the way to go! "To think that a day has already passed..." Looking out of the window, Zhang Xuan realized that it was already the afternoon of the second day, and he couldnt help but be speechless. Curing the poison on the Gold-tailed Lion had expended a significant amount of his zhenqi and strength. Just the recovery his energy and conditioning his physical body had already taken a significant period of time. Including the time he had taken for his breakthrough, unknowingly, a day had already passed. "I should start by helping the Gold-tailed Lion achieve a breakthrough!" Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan ate the food that Mo Tianxue had someone sent over before walking out of the chamber. Upon reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle, Zhang Xuans Heavens Path zhenqi had be denser and purer, and he was now more than capable of inducing a Bloodline Evolution in that massive fellow. "Guild Leader Liu!" Upon walking out of the room, he saw Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu standing a short distance away. To think that they would be waiting for him outside. Whether the Gold-tailed Lion was able to achieve a breakthrough or not was intricately linked to the stability of Tianwu Kingdom. No matter how calm Mo Tianxue was, it was impossible for him to not feel anxious over this matter. As such, he had been waiting here with Mo Yu ever since daybreak. Understanding their emotions, Zhang Xuan wasnt surprised at all. Thus, he casually said, "Bring me to the Gold-tailed Lion!" "Guild Leader Liu, Ive already spoken to the Gold-tailed Lion about it. You can use your method to induce a breakthrough in its cultivation!" Mo Yu shed him a smile. "My method?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Did Mo Yu know that his zhenqi could cleanse the bloodline of savage beasts? But that was impossible! Back then, when he helped the Viridescent Eagle achieve a breakthrough, he credited it to the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrows blood. As for the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, it only achieved a breakthrough due to its physical condition then and the pill Mo Yu had forged... It should have been impossible for her to find out... Then... What did her words mean? With a grim expression, he was just about to ask about it when thedy beside her pointed forward. "The Gold-tailed Lion is already prepared!" Turning to take a look, Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched and he nearly keeled over. At this moment, the massive Gold-tailed Lion was bound by innumerable steel chains as though a dumpling, and it was staring at him resentfully. What the heck were they up to? Doubtful, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Yu and asked, "This is..." What did tying this fellow up as though a dumpling have to do with my method? He wasnt the only perplexed one. Mo Tianxue was also on the verge of a mental breakdown. Early in the morning, his precious daughter had knocked on his door and said that in order for the Gold-tailed Lion to achieve a breakthrough, they had to bind it first. It took a long negotiation with the Gold-tailed Lion before he managed to persuade thetter to allow them to tie it up. But was it really possible for it to reach Zhizun realm just like that? If that was the case, why had he never heard of such a method... "Your cultivation realm is only at Tongxuan realm primary stage, and so, for the sake of your safety while you execute the [Beast Pummeling Taming Method], we have no choice but to seal its movements..." Mo Yu answered him seriously. "..." Zhang Xuan had a strange expression on his face. Back then, when he induced a breakthrough in the Viridescent Eagle, he had used the [Beast Pummeling Taming Method]. As such, she thought that he was going to use the same method this time around as well... Given that he was disguised as Guild Leader Liu who possessed a strength of Tongxuan realm primary stage, he shouldnt be a match for the Gold-tailed Lion if it were to retaliate. That was why Mo Yu proposed to have the guardian beast bound... Cough cough! The other party had truly given him the fright of his life! To think that she was referring to this... Even though it looked unseemly, this was definitely a good idea. It could conceal his identity, as well as the ability of the Heavens Path zhenqi in cleansing the bloodline of savage beasts. "Un. Not bad, Ill begin now then..." Nodding his head in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan walked over to the bound Gold-tailed Lion. Mo Tianxue hurriedly focused his attention on Zhang Xuan, curious to see what the other party would do. His daughter had expressed her confidence in the other partys means, but until now, he was still unable toprehend what the Beast Pummeling Taming Method was. The Gold-tailed Lion whoid on the floor with a resentful look seemed even more oblivious as to what that was about to happen. However, when it saw Zhang Xuan walk over, gratitude brimmed in its eyes. If not for this physician, it would probably have died with deep regrets. Even though the opening of its alimentary canal still hurt at the moment, its body still felt a lot more rxed now that the poison had been removed. With the strong regeneration capability savage beasts were blessed with, it should only take a couple more days before it made a full recovery. Just as it was about to cuddle up to its benefactor in gratitude, the man in question suddenly sent a kick in its direction without any warning whatsoever. "Roar????" The Gold-tailed Lion was stunned. Arent you going to help me raise my cultivation? Why are you kicking me instead? Peng peng peng! Before it could react, the young man before it sent a few more powerful kicks toward it. Every single kicknded urately on its wounds from yesterday, causing it to hiss through its gritted teeth in pain. ... "This is the... Beast Pummeling Taming Method you spoke of?" The corners of Mo Tianxues mouth twitched. As the emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom, he was knowledgeable on many matters. He had the privilege of seeing how a beast tamer usually raised the strength of its tamed beast on several asions, but to do so through a violent thrashing... Despite his advanced age, he had never heard of such a thing. "Rest easy, since its Guild Leader Liu, therell surely be no problem at all!" Mo Yu said confidently. The sight of her Viridescent Eagle achieving a breakthrough after being beaten was still crystal clear in her mind. It shouldnt be too much trouble for him to do the same to this Gold-tailed Lion as well. "But..." Despite his daughters confidence, Mo Tianxue was still a little doubtful. "Look, the Gold-tailed Lion seems to have realized something..." Knowing that this kind of absurd method was hard to ept, Mo Yu pointed to the Gold-tailed Lion. Mo Tianxue turned to look. The guardian beast who was still hissing in pain a moment ago was currently looking at Zhang Xuan with eyes glowing in excitement. Despite being beaten up to the point that it was spewing blood and its body was trembling in pain, its eyes were filled with exhration... Mo Tianxue suddenly saw his own worldly horizons crumbling before him, and his mind went faint. ... Initially, the Gold-tailed Lion felt only excruciating pain from Zhang Xuans frenzied beating, but a few momentster, it noticed that something was amiss. What that came with every kick was a surge of zhenqi that cleansed its bloodline and raised its cultivation. At this moment, it couldnt be any more clear to it that the other party was sincerely trying to help it raise its cultivation. Thus, instead of retaliating, it focused all of its efforts into trying to absorb the zhenqi shot into its body to cleanse its bloodline. Boom! After absorbing many surges of zhenqi, it felt as though its bloodline had been cleansed to the limit, and under a violent buzzing sound, a powerful aura suddenly burst from its body. Zhizun realm! "Roar..." With a deafening roar, the Gold-tailed Lion stood up. Hula! With a jerk of its massive body, the steel chains locking it in ce immediately broke apart, falling onto the floor. "It... really managed to reach Zhizun realm?" Mo Tianxue was dumbfounded. Despite witnessing the sight with his own eyes, he felt as though his brain was unable to cope. It was difficult for even a human cultivator to reach Zhizun realm, needless to say, a savage beast which was limited by its bloodline... Yet, with a frenzied beating, it managed to achieve a breakthrough... Wasnt this way too easy? "Could it be that... even though it looked like Guild Leader Liu was frenziedly beating up the Gold-tailed Lion, he was actually opening up all of the restraints within its body in order to raise its strength?" A thought suddenly popped up in his mind. He had read on an ancient manual that there were some formidable master teachers who could raise the cultivation of another by beating them. By striking a person on the right locations, they were able to knock open the jammed parts in a persons body, allowing their zhenqi to flow smoothly, thus raising their cultivation. The young man before him struck the Gold-tailed Lion to the point that it was spewing blood, and it looked as though it was on the verge of dying. Yet, thetter was still able to achieve a breakthrough sessfully despite the overwhelming odds, so this might very well be the reasoning behind it. "Since he was able to help a savage beast achieve a breakthrough via such a method, would it be possible for him to do the same to a human as well?" As this thought popped into Mo Tianxues mind, his eyes lit up with fervor. ... "Im done!" Upon seeing that the Gold-tailed Lion had achieved a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. It seemed it was indeed possible for him to induce a breakthrough in a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast with the zhenqi of a Zongshi realm pinnacle. Thus, Zhang Xuan made a mental note to try it on the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beastter on as well. If that fellow was able to reach Zhizun realm as well, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have to fear any opponent in Tianwu Kingdom anymore. pping his hands, he disregarded the look of gratitude in the eyes of the Gold-tailed Lion before him, and walked up to Mo Yu and Mo Tianxue instead. "Guild Leader Liu, thank you for helping the Gold-tailed Lion to achieve a breakthrough. I am truly grateful to you..." Mo Tianxue bowed deeply and earnestly thanked Zhang Xuan. "Its nothing!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had already agreed to help the other party. Furthermore, he had epted five spirit stones from the other party, so it was only right for him to return the favor. Seeing the other party brushing off the matter nonchntly made Mo Tianxue even more confident of his conjecture. He hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "If possible, I would like to ask Guild Leader Liu to help me on another matter!" "Oh?" "Ive been stuck at Zongshi realm pinnacle for many years now, and no matter how hard I try, Ive been unable to advance my cultivation. Guild Leader Liu... Can you help me ovee my bottleneck as well? I dont ask of you to help me reach Zhizun realm, just Half-Zhizun will be enough..." Mo Tianxue stared at Zhang Xuan expectantly, and his breathing inadvertently hastened. "Help you ovee your bottleneck?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed! Dont worry, I know what I should do..." Mo Tianxue nodded. Looking at the other partys confident look, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. What was this fellow up to? Could it be that the other party knew that he needed spirit stones, and he had a hidden stash in his possession? But at this moment, the other party picked up the steel chain on the floor and tied himself up tightly. Then, lying on the floor, he yelled excitedly, "Im ready! Come, beat me up..." "..." Zhang Xuan. Chapter 355: The Promised Duel Chapter 355: The Promised Duel Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Cough cough!" Grabbing her forehead, Mo Yu nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Zhang Xuans Beast Pummeling Taming Method is only suitable for savage beasts. What are you doing tying yourself up and lying on the ground? Besides, the reason why the Gold-tailed Lion was tied up was out of fear that it would panic and hurt him. As a human, you only have to hold yourself back... More importantly... What do you mean by beat me up? Those who dont know the reason might think that you are a masochist... "Father,e up..." With a slightly flushed face, Mo Yu hurried forward and helped him up. However, Mo Tianxue couldnt truly be med for behaving in such a manner. Seeing the guardian beast who he thought would be unable to achieve a breakthrough for the rest of its life, he began thinking about himself as well. If he were to seed, the country could be brought to even greater heights. Over the past few years, the Lin n and Mo Hongyi had been exerting heavy pressure on him, leaving him in a constantly tense state. Upon seeing the hope of achieving a breakthrough before him, how could he possibly hold himself back? "Since the Gold-tailed Lion has already reached Zhizun realm, I wont impose on you any longer. I still have matters to attend to, so Ill be taking my leave now!" After exining that his Beast Pummeling Taming Method was only suited for savage beasts, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and left. In truth, Zhang Xuan was capable of helping the other party achieve a breakthrough. However, doing so would reveal his identity. On top of that, he had nothing to gain from doing it either! After taking a few steps, an aroma suddenly wafted through the air, and he saw Mo Yu running toward him. "Zhang Xuan, I said that I would bring you to watch a show yesterday. Judging from the time now, it should have already begun. Lets go together!" "A show? Whats going on?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by Mo Yus words. "Youll know once we get there..." Mo Yu grinned like a gleeful fox. "Alright!" Since the other party was unwilling to say anything, Zhang Xuan didnt ask either. The duo proceeded out of the royal pce. ... Tianwu Academy. Zhao Ya and the others were here once more. The previous time they were here, Zhao Ya had fought with that braggart of ady. The eventual draw had weighed on her mind since then. Thus, she had been diligently cultivating the sword art her grandteacher had taught her. At this moment, she hadplete confidence that she would be able to defeat the other party and force her to apologize! "That woman had only managed a draw due to her superior battle technique the previous time. Now that Zhao Ya has learned a sword art from grandteacher, that woman surely isnt a match anymore!" "Indeed! How dare she insult teacher! We must teach her a lesson!" Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others harrumphed coldly. It was due to Zhangoshis guidance that they were able to reach such heights in their cultivation. They admired and respected him deeply, as though he was their faith. Yet, someone actually dared to doubt their belief, even iming that he was inferior to what Liuoshi. How could they not be angry? What Liuoshi... Was he even worthy of being ced alongside Zhangoshi in the same sentence? "Un!" Wang Ying nodded as well, and her mouth slowly shaped into a pout. She might have a weak character, but if anyone were to insult Zhangoshi, she would be the first one to confront the other party! Soon, they arrived at the location promised for the duel. The usually remote sparring ring was filled with a crowd at the moment. Many students had heard of the news ande, curious to see whether the students of Zhang shi or the recently famous Liuoshi would be stronger. "That woman is here!" Zheng Yang pointed. The group turned over and saw Mu Xueqing, Meng Tao, and the others walking over. Deep confidence emanated from Mu Xueqing as she slowly walked over. She had tried out the saber art that Liuoshi had imparted her, and it was incredibly powerful. It was many times stronger than the battle techniques she had cultivated before. From the very start, that woman wasnt skilled in any battle techniques at all, and the only reason why it ended in a draw was due to her powerful zhenqi. Now that she had learned such a powerful battle technique, how could the other party withstand her offense? "Zhang shi isnt at Tianwu Academy, and even if he is here, it is impossible for her to learn a saber art of my level in just three days. Thus... she is bound to lose today!" The gazes of the twodies met, and Mu Xueqing harrumphed coldly in her mind. ... "Seems like the two of them are very confident of themselves!" Liu Changyan had arrived very early on, and upon seeing the expression of both thedies, he narrowed his eyes. "They must have learned even more formidable moves in the past three days to defeat the other party!" Not too far away, Zhao Wuxings expression was grim as well. As the two strongest experts among the younger generation in Tianwu Academy, they possessed an exceptional eye for such stuff. These twodies were spirited, and they exuded powerful confidence and pride through their gestures. Clearly, they were well prepared. "Who do you think will win this time?" Liu Changyan turned to Zhao Wuxing and asked. "I think that itll be Mu Xueqing!" Thetter replied. "Oh?" Hearing this evaluation, Liu Changyan, as well as several other students around them, turned to look at Zhao Wuxing. They wanted to know the reason behind the opinion of the number one student in the academy. "After hearing that Liuoshi had solved the questions on the Wall of Dilemma perfectly and be the new guild leader of the Physician Guild, I went to their ssroom to take a look yesterday and happened to see Mu Xueqing executing a saber art..." Zhao Wuxing clenched his fists tightly, and cold sweat started trickling down his forehead. "Honestly speaking, that saber art is truly formidable. Even I would be forced to kneel in defeat before it!" Remembering the sight yesterday, Zhao Wuxing felt fearful. Yesterday, when he heard the conversation between Emperor Tianxue and Liuoshi, he had his men look into the matter and learned of the ruckus that Liuoshi had caused in the city. Impressed, he had visited their ssroom and happened to witness Mu Xueqing executing the saber art that she had just learned. Every single movement of her saber was absurdly profound, and he found himself unable to decipher it at all. After simting the other partys movements in his mind the entire night, to his helplessness, he realized that even if he were to use all of the techniques he knew, he would still be unable to avoid her attacks. It was simply too powerful! It was far beyond any single battle technique one could find in Tianwu Academy. Now that Mu Xueqings powerful cultivation was paired with such a formidable saber art, who could possibly be her match? "Senior Zhao admitted defeat?" "Doesnt this mean that Mu Xueqing is currently the strongest student in Tianwu Academy?" "That is way too fearsome..." The crowd broke into amotion. Zhao Wuxing had dominated the academy for several years, and countless students viewed him as their idol and goal. Yet, at this very moment, he was actually admitting his inferiority to Mu Xueqing. The uproar that would result from these words once it spreads was unimaginable. "I dont agree with your evaluation!" Liu Changyan shook his head. "Mu Xueqings saber art might be incredible... But I dont think that she would necessarily win today!" "Why?" Hearing that his good friend didnt share his opinion, Zhao Wuxing turned to look at Liu Changyan. "I dont know whether this Zhao Ya has be more powerful in the past three days or not, but Ive looked into Zhang shis matters in the past few days. If you were to know of the miracles he had created, you would also think that there is nothing impossible when he is involved!" A look of respect appeared on Liu Changyans face. "He became a master teacher despite being under twenty, and in the midst of doing so, he broke the numerous records that Mo Hongyi left behind. On top of that, he is also a 3-star painter and a Zongshi realm expert... More importantly, I heard that his current students had onlye under him two months ago, and the total duration that he had been with them only numbered a total of five to six days!" "In such a short period of time, he was able to grant Zhao Ya and the others, who came from Tianxuan Kingdom, strength that could rival Mu Xueqing... Dont you think that his ability is terrifying?" "Only came under him two months ago?" "A total of five to six days?" "Where did you get this news? Is it reliable?" ... Hearing this news, the crowd waspletely shocked. What kind of ce was Tianxuan Kingdom? A backward kingdom located in a remote region! It was said that the students there could enter the academy at Fighter 1-dan, and upon reaching Zhenqi realm, they would already be considered as one of the top experts in the academy! In just five to six days of teaching over a span of two months, he was able to groom students capable of rivaling Mu Xueqing... Surely I have heard wrongly? "The person I asked is a master teacher apprentice, and she happened to be present during Zhang shis examination. She heard these words from Zhang shi in person, so its impossible for her to be mistaken!" Liu Changyan replied confidently. The person who told him this news was his childhood friend, so it was impossible for the other party to lie. "To able to attain such overwhelming strength with just around six days of guidance... It might really be possible for Zhao Ya to make another huge leap in just three days..." Zhao Wuxing nodded in agreement. "Even so, didnt Zhang shi leave the city for the 2-star master teacher examination?" "Indeed. Since he isnt here, without his guidance, itll be difficult for Zhao Ya to triumph over Mu Xueqing!" ... Someone from the crowd eximed, and a wave of approval immediately sounded out. "Even if Zhang shi isnt here, he could have left behind secret manuals for his students to learn... After all, Zhao Ya and the others are vying for his honor now. If they were to lose, wouldnt it mean that he is inferior to this Liuoshi?" "As a master teacher, how could Zhang shi be inferior to Liuoshi?" "Liuoshi isnt too bad as well, alright? Despite his young age, he has be the guild leader of the Physician Guild. Furthermore, in just the first lesson, he managed to induce a breakthrough in all of the students in his ss. If not for his limited talent which prevented him from taking the master teacher examination, he wouldnt be inferior to Zhang shi in any way!" "I still think that Zhang shi is stronger..." ... Soon, the crowd began arguing who was better. Some of the students were Zhang Xuans fan and were filled with admiration for him. Some were conquered by Liuoshi, and as students of TIanwu Academy, they hoped that a teacher of their academy could win against outsiders. They quarreled fervently with one another, and neither side was willing to budge. Before Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing could fight, a huge argument had started down below. ... "Damn it!" "How dare they say that Liuoshi is more formidable than Zhangoshi? Zhao Ya, even Ill look down on you if you fail to beat this Mu Xueqing up today!" Hearing themotion below, Zheng Yang gritted his teeth furiously. He always had a fiery temper, otherwise he wouldnt have epted Zhou Tianoshis Student Dueling tform challenge back then when thetter treated Zhangoshi unfairly back in Hongtian Academy. The reason why they epted this duel was to defend their teachers honor and bring glory to him. Yet, over half of the audience here were actually supporting Liuoshi, iming that Zhangoshi was inferior to him. How could he take this lying down? "Dont worry! If I dont force her into submission today, I will look for Zhangoshi myself and ask him to punish me for disappointing him!" Grabbing a sheathed sword in her hand, a powerful and cold aura surged forth from Zhao Ya. Hu! The crowd opened up a path, and Zhao Ya slowly walked up to the sparring ring. After which, she stood there proudly, as though there was no one in the world who could stand against her. Weng! A shrill sound rang clearly in the air as Zhao Ya drew her sword. She pointed it straight at Mu Xueqing valiantly. "Mu Xueqing, do you dare to fight with me using weapons?" "Why wouldnt I?" Mu Xueqing leaped onto the sparring ring as well. In her hand, a saber danced as if it were a mighty dragon, and the air moaned under the pressure of her swings. Her aura abruptly surged as she propelled her zhenqi. The battle... was about to begin! Chapter 356: Saber Intent, Sword Intent [2in1] Chapter 356: Saber Intent, Sword Intent [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Its about to begin..." Within a distant towering structure, a few elders were seated. Their gazes were directed toward the sparring ring. Among them was Principal Xie Bi, who had nearly spurted blood from anger while assessing Zhang Xuan, and the most prestigious elders in the academy. Even though Mu Xueqings duel with Zhang shis student was only a matter between students, there were many implications regarding it. As such, even they were rmed into action. "If Mu Xueqing is able to achieve victory, the prestige of our academy will rise!" An elder said as he stroked his beard. "Indeed. Even in the millennia of history behind Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang shi is, without a doubt, the most talented individual in Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion. Just his students terrifying Trust Level of 85 in him was alreadypletely unprecedented! If Mu Xueqing is able to win, our curriculum will be recognized and praised by countless people!" Another elder nodded in agreement. "Its true that therell be huge benefits if we win, but have you considered what will happen if Mu Xueqing loses?" "Actually, regardless of whether she wins or loses, our academy stands to benefit!" The elder from before smiled. "Why?" The elder who posed the question was unable toprehend the meaning behind those words. "Simple. Liuoshi is only an ordinary teacher in our academy whereas Zhang shi is a formidable 2-star master teacher. Losing to such an incredible person cant be considered an embarrassment. On the other hand, if she were to win, the benefits we stand to win are huge." The other elder replied with a smile. "Elder Luo is right. Regardless of whether Mu Xueqing wins or not, its good news for our academy! Thats also the reason why I didnt interfere with their duel!" Principal Xie Bi gestured grandly. Then, his expression suddenly turned grim as he said, "Look, theyve begun!" Everyone immediately turned their gazes over and saw the twodies crossing blows. "This move of Xueqing is well executed; it is both forceful and precise. As expected of a member of a distinguished n, her grasp over her battle techniques has reached an extremely high level!" The elders in the room were all experts of Tianwu Kingdom. With a single nce, they were able to see the mistakes in the movements of the twodies and they beganmenting on them. "This move is not bad. Lets see how the other party deals with it..." Another elder nodded. However, before he could finish his words, he couldnt help but p his thigh as his eyes glowed with excitement. "Incredible, incredible! This Zhao Ya is indeed a genius. Not only did she manage to neutralize Xueqings attack with this nted stab, she was even able to counterattack." "To be able to turn the tides of the battle with a single move, her decisiveness and calmness is incredible. I have only seen such traits on Elder Wu before!" "Even though her reaction is swift, Xueqing isntgging behind at all. Look at her counterattack. Her diagonal sh is precise, and she managed to achieve a perfect bnce in her strength! Ive seen her with her saber before, but when did she get so formidable? Im afraid that she might not even pale against Elder Bai!" "Against Elder Bai? You must be joking!" Principal Xie Bi shook his head. "Elder Bai has been immersed in saber art for more than thirty years, and he is just a single step away fromprehending Saber Intent. Hes the most powerful saber user in our academy! Look at how old Mu Xueqing is. She might be proficient in saber arts, but she must be still a long way off fromprehending Saber Intent!" "Youre right... One has to possess an utmost understanding of the saber before one couldprehend Saber Intent, and not even one in ten thousand cultivators could reach that level. In the entire Tianwu Royal City, only Insane Saber Guo Da had reached that level." "Indeed..." Principal Xie Bi nodded, "Its not that easy toprehend Weapon Intent! Without devoting decades into it, it is impossible to achieve that level. Even though Mu Xueqings mastery over saber is incredible, she still needs many years of umtion before she is able to touch that level... The heck!" Before he could finish his words, Principal Xie Bi seemed to have witnessed something that he couldnt believe, and vulgarities immediately spouted from his mouth. Upon seeing the other partys diposure, the other elders also swiftly turned their gazes onto the sparring ring. With a single nce, their eyes narrowed and their bodies began to spasm. "This... this... how can this be?" On the stage, Mu Xueqings pitch-ck hair was fluttering about as her long skirt danced along with the wind. In that instant, she looked like an elegant fairy! A white saber aura glowed on the saber in her hand. Like a savage snake, it danced about the surface of the saber. "The glint of the saber splits the air... and that static aura! This is... Saber Intent!" Principal Xie Bi felt his throat turned dry. He had just said that it was impossible for the other party toprehend Saber Intent without years of effort when this sight urred. At this moment, his shock was indescribable. Elder Bai had immersed himself in saber art for numerous decades, but he was still unable to take the final step to achieve Saber Intent. Yet, a teenagedy had seeded in reaching that level... How was this possible? "It is Liuoshi! It must be him!" An elder yelled out, "I have known thatss Xueqing since her childhood, and I am well aware of how powerful she is. A while ago, she demonstrated her saber art before me, and she was still thousands of miles away fromprehending Saber Intent. Given how she is able toprehend Saber Intent in such a short period of time, it must be Liuoshis credit!" "Ive also heard that Liu Chengoshi had imparted her a saber art a few days ago. Could that saber art be the cause of herprehension of saber intent?" An elder who had visited Liuoshis ssroom a while ago said. "Toprehend Saber Intent in just three short days... How in the world did this Liuoshi do it?" "Regardless of how he did it, his teaching standard has already reached an astounding level. The otherdy is definitely going to lose!" "Indeed! The only way she can withstand Mu Xueqing, who hasprehended Saber Intent, is byprehending Sword Intent... I have seen her swordsmanship just now!" Principal Xie Bi shook his head. "Even though she isnt weak, shes still a long distance away fromprehending Sword Intent. Her loss is inevitable now..." "Cough cough! Principal, that might not necessarily be the case. Look..." Before Principal Xie could finish his words, an elder interjected. "Whats wrong?" Frowning, Principal Xie looked at the sparring field doubtfully. "That... Even though Zhao Ya didnt raise her sword up, there is a light buzz from her sword, and a white aura is flowing around the de. No matter how I look at it... it seems like Sword Intent?" The elder asked. "Sword Intent?" Everyone hurriedly turned their gazes over. All along, Zhao Yas back had been facing them. On top of that, she had never raised her sword high up, and the elders were also too focused on Mu Xueqing due to her Saber Intent. Paying careful attention to Zhao Yas sword now, they immediately realized that something was amiss. Just like the elder before had said, her sword was emanating a slight buzz, and a white light was flowing around the de as though ripples across water. "The flowing ripples and the crisp call of the phoenix! This is... Sword Intent!" Everyone immediately recognized it to be Sword Intent. Thedy before them, Zhao Ya... had actuallyprehended Sword Intent! Two teenagediesone of them hadprehended Saber Intent while the other one hadprehended Sword Intent... How could this be? The heck! Can anyone tell me what is going on? Toprehend Sword Intent and Saber Intent in just three days... If anyone were to tell them such words, they would definitely spit in the other partys face. Witnessing this sight personally, they felt as though their view of the world had crumbled apart. Their hearts were beating so wildly that it felt as though they were going to explode. "..." Principal Xie Bi cried. Right after he said it was impossible for Mu Xueqing toprehend Saber Intent, the other party immediately disyed it. Then, when he said that Zhao Ya would definitely lose, she immediately executed Sword Intent... Tell me the truth! You two are here to p my face, right? Alright, Ill ept it, but... Saber Intent and Sword Intent... How could you two teenagedies possibly reach this level... You must be pulling my leg! In a moment, all of the elders in the room were dumbfounded. None of them were able to utter a single word. ............ Tianwu Academy, the residence of the elders. Wuwuwuwu! An elder moved forcefully around the courtyard with a saber in his hands. The winds from the saber were reminiscent of massive waves, and if one were to be swept in its flow, it would be impossible to escape. Hu! Afterpleting his routine, the elder kept his saber and stood upright. "Teachers saber art is getting more and more proficient. Youre probably not too far away fromprehending Saber Intent already!" A young man hurriedly passed a towel to him and said with a respectful look. "Sigh!" The elder shook his head, and mncholy brimmed in his eyes. "Even though I can already feel that state and Im already not too far away from it, if Im unable to take the final step, it will still be for naught!" The elder speaking at the moment was Elder Bai, the person whom Principal Xie and the other elders had been talking about a moment ago. Despite having immersed himself in saber arts for several decades, he was unable to take the final step. Many experts hade close to achieving Weapon Intent, but most of them were stuck at the veryst step, unable to make the final breakthrough until their deaths. "Teacher is onlycking a fortuitous encounter. Once such a fortuitous encounteres your way, all of your umtion will definitely allow you to achieve a breakthrough in an instant!" The young man also understood this logic, and all he could do now was to console his teacher. "Indeed, all Ick is a fortuitous encounter. However, where can I find such an encounter?" Elder Bai smiled bitterly. "If an elder who hadprehended Saber Intent were to appear before me now, Ill immediately acknowledge him as my teacher. As long as I can observe an expert executing Saber Intent for a single day, Ill surely be able toprehend Saber Intent in less than a month! However... no one in Tianwu Royal City has been able to reach this level. Perhaps, Saber Intent will forever remain a dream for me!" Rather than a concept, Saber Intent was more like a feeling, impossible to be verbalized. Even so, if an expert who hadprehended Saber Intent were to disy his saber art before him, given Elder Bais mastery in the field, he could receive an epiphany and this could allow him to take the veryst step. However, those who managed toprehend Saber Intent were all formidable existences. Who would be willing to be his teacher and demonstrate saber art for him daily? "Teacher, theres no need to worry..." The young man was about to console his teacher when he saw his teachers eyes widening and his breathing hastening. Dangng! The saber which he treasured as much as his own life dropped to the ground, but the elder didnt seem to have realized it at all. "Teacher..." His teacher had always been a calm person, and this was his first time seeing the other party get so agitated. He couldnt help but feel perplexed. "Its Saber Intent! An elder is executing Saber Intent in the academy!" Ignoring the other partys question, Elder Bais face paled and his lips quivered in agitation. "Saber Intent?" The young man was bewildered. He was still too far away from reaching that state, so he was unable to sense the presence of Saber Intent. "Quick, bring me my clothes. I have to head over now to acknowledge the expert who hasprehended Saber Intent as my teacher..." Unable to suppress his agitation, Elder Bai howled. He was currently dressed in a training robe, and he thought that he wasnt dressed formally enough to meet with such an expert. Such experts tended to be entric, and if he were to offend the other party, he would be in deep trouble! "Yes!" The young man recovered and hurriedly fetched his elder robe. Quickly donning it, Elder Bai left and headed straight for where he felt the Saber Intent from. ......... "To think that it would be Saber Intent and Sword Intent!" At the bottom of the sparring field, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan werepletely astounded. Their faces were pale, and their bodies trembled in agitation. When Zhao Wuxing witnessed Mu Xueqings saber art before, he already knew that he wasnt a match for the other party. However, upon seeing her Saber Intent, he instinctively realized that if the other party were to try to kill him, given his strength, he would definitely be defeated in an instant, even before he could escape. Even though this Mu Xueqing was also powerful in the past, she was still significantly weaker than them. How did she be so strong in just a few days of absence? To be capable of inducing such a massive growth within his student in just a few days... what kind of person was this Liuoshi? "A duel between Saber Intent and Sword Intent..." A sudden shout pulled him back to reality from his astonishment. Turning his head to the sparring ring, he saw the two ridiculously beautifuldies shing blows once more. The glints of the saber and sword shed, and they sliced through thin air to meet one another. The moment the two weapons collided, a violent shock wave immediately swept outward as though a tornado, causing cracks of differing depths to appear on the rock floor of the sparring ring. Zhenqi augmented with Weapon Intent was iparably sharp, and ordinary humans werepletely unable to withstand it, needless to say, the rock floor. "Damn it!" Mu Xueqings face steeled. After learning Liuoshis saber art, she hadprehended Saber Intent. She knew that her mastery in saber far surpassed ordinary cultivators, and with her current strength, she could easily defeat even Zhao Wuxing. Thus, she thought that she would be able to defeat the other party easily. Yet, never in her dreams did she expect that the other partys improvement... would be greater than hers! In the previous time that they crossed blows, this Zhao Ya was only capable of mediocre battle techniques. Yet, at this very moment, the other party was releasing Sword Intent. Furthermore, the Sword Intent was infused with a frigidity that came from her physical condition. Even though her body was protected by the Saber Intent, the chill was building up in her throughout the battle, and she was already on the verge of copsing! "This Zhang shi... is really that incredible?" The other partys massive improvement must be due to Zhang shis guidance. Only that top-notch genius who had defeated Mo Hongyi utterly and whose name had stunned the thirteen kingdoms was capable of inducing Zhao Ya, who didnt know any good battle techniques a few days ago, to disy a battle prowess several times greater than that of her cultivation. "Even though Zhang shi is incredible, our Liuoshi wont lose to you..." Gritting her teeth tightly, tenacity and indignance sprouted in her mind. Zhang shi was indeed incredible, but their Liuoshi didnt lose out to him at all! On top of herprehending Saber Intent, she had also seen the progress that the cultivating Lu Chong had made, and she realized how fearsome Liuoshis capability was. Three days ago, Lu Chong was only at Dingli realm primary stage. A Pixue realm expert like her could easily tear apart dozens of cultivators at his level. But today, when she saw him, he had already reached the cultivation of a Pixue realm primary stage! On top of that, he possessed overwhelming physical strength which even Tongxuan realm intermediate stage cultivator might not be able to withstand. In such a short period of time, Liuoshi made the averagely-talented Lu Chongs cultivation jump two realms... Given Liuoshis means, Mu Xueqing was confident that no master teacher couldpare up to him, not even Zhang shi! "Liuoshis name mustnt be sullied. I must win today!" Howling furiously inwardly, the light on her abruptly brightened as she shed frenziedly toward thedy before her. As Mu Xueqing started to grit her teeth and go all out, Zhao Ya also started to panic. She hadprehended Sword Intent from the sword art grandteacher had imparted her personally. Initially, she thought that she would be able to defeat the other party easily. Yet, the other partys improvement didnt pale out to hers at all. "No wonder she is so protective of Liuoshi. Seems like her teacher isnt a simple person!" In the past, Zhao Ya thought that Zhangoshi was far superior to all the heroes in the world. But at this moment, she suddenly realized that there were many formidable people out there. And this Liuoshi was one of them. "She might be strong, and she is incredible to haveprehended Saber Intent as well, but... it is a pity that her physical constitution is inferior to mine!" Exhaling deeply, Zhao Yas eyes glowed brightly. The other party possessed immense strength and profound moves. However, the other partycked a strong physical constitution like hers! She possessed the Pure Yin Body, and her unique constitution allowed her to challenge experts beyond her level. In the past duel, it was due to hercking battle technique that she lost out to the other party. But at this moment, she had alreadyprehended Sword Intent, thus allowing her to rival the other partys Saber Intent. Given that she had made up for her w in her battle technique, how could the other party possibly withstand her attacks? "Time to end it!" Zhao Yas eyebrows shot up as she drove her Pure Yin Body to full strength. Her pitch ck silky hair danced in the sky, and at this very instant, she felt like a mystical fairy. Even Mu Xueqing, who prided herself on her beauty, couldnt help but feel ashamed of her looks. The Pure Yin Body was capable of bringing out the beauty in a woman. Once it was activated, her beauty would be wless. As such, it was the physical constitution that countless women dreamt of. Hu! Unleashing the full might of her physical constitution, the light on Zhao Yas sword amplified furiously, and as if it were a dragon, the sword charged straight toward Mu Xueqing. With great might behind it, it struck the saber and sliced it into two. Without slowing in the least, it continued to proceed forward. "Ah..." Mu Xueqings face instantaneously turned pale. At this moment, to even her own surprise, what she was worried about wasnt getting severely injured from the other partys sword. Instead, she was worried that Liuoshis honor would be sullied. However, her saber had already been sliced apart, and the other partys sword was already right before her. Even if she wanted to dodge or do anything, it was already toote. She could only shut her eyes and wait for the sword to fall on her. "Seems like Mu Xueqing has lost..." "Indeed. It cant be helped either. Theres no student in Tianwu Academy who could possibly withstand this sh!" "Its such a terrifying attack. Even Tongxuan realm primary stage experts would be unable to face such an attack, needless to say, a Pixue realm cultivator!" Upon seeing this sight, everyones heart jolted. The twodies were outstanding, but there had to be a loser in a duel. Despite all of the talk before, everyone couldnt help but be astounded when they saw Mu Xueqing falling in defeat... ......... "For you to be so determined to pull me over, what kind of show could it be? I still have things to attend to, so I dont have the time to apany you to such events!" Upon walking out of the royal pce, Princess Mo Yu kept trying to pull him somewhere excitedly, causing Zhang Xuan to be slightly speechless. He still had to head to the Physician Guild to browse through books as well as to return to the residence to guide Zhao Ya and the others on their cultivation... There were too many things he had to attend to, so how could he have the time to waste on amotion? "Dont be so anxious, were already arriving. Youll surely be happy to watch this show..." Mo Yu chuckled softly. This fellow had always been calm and collected before her. Even though he seemed to be ignorant of everything, he was able to solve all problems easily. This time, two of your students are fighting for the sake of your honor. Lets see how youll deal with this! "Were heading to... Tianwu Academy?" Since Mo Yu was unwilling to speak, Zhang Xuan knew that there was no use for him to ask anything. Thus, he followed the other party quietly. However, taking a good look at the road he was at, he suddenly felt perplexed. He was sure that the direction they were heading toward led to Tianwu Academy. Didnt she want to bring him to see a show? Why would she bring him to the academy? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan followed closely behind her. However, the moment he stepped into the academy, he realized that something was amiss. "Why isnt there anyone here?" It was noon, and the academy should have been filled with people. However, why wasnt there a single figure to be seen? "Seems like theyve already begun... Lets hurry up!" With a grim expression, Mo Yu hurried over to the dueling ring. Since everyone in the academy had disappeared, it could only mean that they had run over to watch themotion. Both Zhang shi and Guild Leader Liu Cheng were names which had rattled this city at its core. Naturally, the fight between their students would pique everyones attention. Seeing Mo Yu proceeding forward urgently, Zhang Xuan was perplexed, but he followed closely behind. Soon, he saw a huge crowd gathered under a dueling ring, and the sight was extremely bustling. "Is someone dueling? Could it be that the principal is facing someone? Otherwise, why would there be so many people here?" Blocked by the crowd, Zhang Xuan was unable to see the sight in the ring. Even so, he could sense that something was amiss by the huge crowd gathered here. Zhang Xuan couldnt think of anyone who could rally so many students here other than the principal. "In the end, Zhang shis students are more powerful than Liuoshis students. Seems like Zhang shis teaching ability is superior after all!" "You cant really put it like that. Liuoshi has only taken over the ss for four days. I think that he is much more incredible to be able to achieve such results in the limited period of time he had!" "This Zhao Ya is truly beautiful! From today onward, she shall be my new goddess!" "I didnt expect Mu Xueqing to be so powerful as well. Thats Saber Intent... To be able toprehend it at her age, she is truly a genius..." ... Standing at the outer perimeter of the crowd, Zhang Xuan could hear the discussions of the spectators. "Zhang shi? Liuoshi? Zhao Ya? Mu Xueqing?" As though struck by lightning, Zhang Xuans eyes slowly widened. Connecting all of the dots, he came to a fearsome realization. "Could it be that... the both of them are sparring?" That night when Zhao Ya was injured, Mu Xueqing was injured as well. The two of them seemed to have been injured in a fight, and there seemed to be a continuation to each of their matters. Given the size of Tianwu Royal City, it was highly unlikely for the two of them to meet, especially when there was no connection between them. Thus, he didnt consider this possibility. Never in his dreams could he have imagined that not only would the two meet, they even fought each other! Are you for real? Quickly turning to look at Mo Yu, he saw a gleeful look on her face, as if she was happy to see the other party put in an awkward position. His heart suddenly skipped a beat. Ignoring Mo Yu, he immediately dashed forward and saw the two people sparring in the ring. Who else could it be other than Mu Xueqing and Zhao Ya? Wuwu! Right after recognizing the duo, he saw Zhao Ya driving her Pure Yin Body, and with immense force, she cut through the other partys saber. Mu Xueqing... was in danger! "Stop!" Hu! Operating the Heavens Path Movement Art, Zhang Xuans body blurred and appeared in the sparring ring. ... Initially, Mu Xueqing thought that she had lost. Thus, she closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow tond on her when she suddenly heard the whistling of the wind before her. Then, a figure appeared in front of her. "Teacher..." Mu Xueqings eyes reddened, and suddenly, all of her emotions came spilling out. Chapter 357: Second Promised Duel (1) Chapter 357: Second Promised Duel (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric She was obstinate and unruly. Yet, Liuoshi forgave her and solved the pill poison that was guing her, guided her on her cultivation, and even imparted her a formidable saber art. He was her benefactor! She wanted to repay her teacher by earning him honor. Yet... she ended up sullying his reputation instead... Despite that, he didnt give up on her. Worried that she would be wounded, he even dashed onto the stage to save her! Teacher, thank you! Teacher, please pardon Qing-er for causing you trouble! Teacher, Ill never do it again... Mu Xueqing clenched her fists tightly. The teacher before her may be young, but his existence felt like a humongous mountain, a reliable figure which she could fall back on, giving her an aim in life and allowing her to charge forward fearlessly. It was because of him that she was motivated to train hard and grow stronger! ... Just as Zhao Ya was conflicted over whether she should slice all the way down, a figure appeared right between her sword and Mu Xueqing. It was a twenty-four to twenty-five-year-old young man with a slightly yellowishplexion. Hu! Under the momentary shock from the sudden appearance of the other party, she failed to stop her sword in that crucial moment, and it continued to fall straight down. The young man frowned. Stretching out his hand, he bent his middle finger and flicked it lightly. Weng! As the tip of his finger came into contact with the sword, Zhao Ya suddenly felt a surge of pain in the area between her thumb and her forefinger, causing her grip to loosen. The sword immediately broke into two before flying straight out of her hand. Deng deng deng deng deng! Retreating two steps, Zhao Ya immediately adjusted her chaotic breathing. Fearful that the other party would attack her once more, she kept her guard up. Fortunately, it seemed like the other party only intended to flick away her swordit was only due to the immense force of her sh that resulted in the sword breaking abruptly whening in contact with the other partys finger. "Incredible!" Her eyes narrowed. It was an attack with the full might of her physical constitution behind it, and the strength behind the sh was so great that even she was losing control of her movements. Yet, the other party, with just a single finger, neutralized her attack without hurting her in the least. The eye of discernment and precise movements required for this feat werepletely unimaginable. In fact, she would have never believed it to be possible if not for the fact she had just witnessed it. "May I know why elder is interfering in our fight?" Even though Zhao Ya was astonished by the sudden turn of events, she didnt panic. sping her fist politely, she spoke impassively. Her attitude was neither subservient nor arrogant. "You two are really... preposterous!" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously. He was truly dismal by the actions of his two students. Of countless people in Tianwu Royal City, you two just had to fight with one another. Despite being under different personas, the both of you are my students. Is there really a need for you two topete with one another like that? I imparted one of you a sword art and the other a saber art, but the both of you simply ended up using them to hack at one another. The heck! You call this vying for honor for me? Clearly, you are trying to destroy my reputation! That exins the bizarre expression on Mo Yus face when she said that she was going to bring me to a good show. The heck... this truly is an incredible show! "You must be Liuoshi!" Having guessed the identity of the young man before her, Zhao Ya walked forward with a look of determination on her beautiful face. "Your students have insulted my teacher, and to defend the honor of my teacher, I challenged her to a fair duel. Why would you speak of our actions as preposterous?" "Hm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It wouldnt have been wrong for Zhang Xuan to reprimand his own students for acting preposterously, but in his persona as Liuoshi, that would be equivalent to making light of the other partys actions. It was one thing for him, as a teacher, to hinder a fight among students. Yet, on top of that, he even said that the other party was acting preposterously. If this wasnt being unreasonable, what else could this be? So it is right for your student to hit me, but if I do the same, I am acting preposterously? "Enough, lets stop this matter here. You should return!" Not expecting to be questioned by his own student in this persona, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt his head hurt. He really couldnt have imagined that such a farce would ur. If only he had paid these twodies a little more attention, he could have avoided this embarrassing misunderstanding! "Return? Why should we return? Mu Xueqing has clearly lost the duel, so she should fulfill the end of her bet and apologize at this very instant and admit that you are inferior to our Zhang shi. Otherwise, even if we have to cause a ruckus at the Teacher Guild or even the Master Teacher Pavilion, we wont back down!" Bellowing furiously, Zheng Yang jumped onto the stage and red furiously at Zhang Xuan. This time, he was truly angered. How can a respectable teacher like you tantly side with your own student in public? It is one thing for you to stop the duel as soon as you see that your student is falling in defeat, but to say that we are acting preposterously and dere that this matter will stop here like that... I have seen shameless people, but you are truly one-of-a-kind! As a teacher, are you going shamelessly refuse to admit defeat? "Indeed! Weve already agreed on it before the duel. Could it be that you are going against your words?" "A loss means a loss. As a teacher, you should at least have some dignity!" "Shameless!" Yuan Tao, Liu Yang, and the others charged up and bellowed at Zhang Xuan furiously. "The reason why Ive lost is because of my own inability. It has nothing to do with teacher!" Upon seeing her teacher being doubted by others, Mu Xueqing stepped forward. She had intended to vie honor for her own teacher; never in her dreams did she expect her actions put him in such an awkward position instead. Clenching her jaws tightly together, she said, "Ill apologize, but itll only be in my capacity as an individual. It doesnt mean that my teacher is inferior to your Zhang shi!" "What do you mean by that... After all that has been said, youre simply refusing to admit defeat? Surely you should remember the words you uttered so arrogantly three days ago! Are you trying to avoid fulfilling the end of the agreement now that youve lost?" Zheng Yang red at Mu Xueqing coldly. Three days ago, you arrogantly dered that Zhang shi is inferior to Liuoshi, and proposed for the loser of the duel to admit that their own teacher is inferior to the others. How could you simply disregard your words now? Do you think that were easy targets to bully? "Apologize immediately and admit that Liuoshi is inferior to Zhang shi, and well end things here. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty!" Liu Yang stepped forward. "I..." Mu Xueqings face steeled. If she were to admit to this matter here, how was Liuoshi supposed to face others and build his prestige in the academy? "Enough!" Seeing how the few rascals were trying to force their own teacher into a corner, Zhang Xuan felt even more dismal. "Well just take the duel today as a draw. You can return now!" He had never seen them getting so motivated in other matters. For his own students to pressure his other students to admit that he was inferior to himself... What in the world was this! "Draw?" "Why should we ept it as a draw?" ... After hearing those words, Zheng Yang and the others immediately erupted. Even Zhao Ya, who was usually the most rational one of the group, couldnt help but darken her face at those words. How could a person say those words unabashed? It was obvious that the other party had lost! It was one thing for the other party to not fulfill their end of their promise, but how dare they brazenly im that it was a draw? Initially, they were still impressed by Liuoshi ability in inducing such massive growth in his student and thought that he was a true genius worthy of respect. But from the looks of it now, the word genius seemed to bepletely wasted on him! How could a person who doesnt even dare to admit his defeat be considered a genius? How could a person who pulled his seniority to twist the truth be considered a genius? Do you think that youre really a big shot? To put an act before us, why dont you try your luck somewhere else! You should at least try to retain the final shreds of your dignity! "Zhao Ya didnt win, and Mu Xueqing didnt lose either. What else can this be if not a draw? Stop causing amotion here and return! Otherwise, I will tell your teacher to teach you a lesson!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands. He had no other choice but to announce it as a draw. If he said that Zhao Ya had won, wouldnt that mean that he, in his persona as Liu Cheng, was inferior to Zhang Xuan? When his identity finally gets exposed, he would really die of embarrassment! On the other hand, if he were to im that Mu Xueqing had won, wouldnt that mean that Zhang Xuan was inferior to Liuoshi... The consequences were the same! What in the world was this? No matter what he said, he would be the one to take the bullet. Instead of going through so much trouble, he might as well throw these rascals out first. "You..." Not expecting this Liuoshi to act so shamelessly, not admitting to the defeat of his student despite clearly losing, even going to the extent of acting so brazenly about it, Zhao Ya and the others were on the verge of erupting. ...... "This truly isnt a wise move on Liuoshis part!" Principal Xie and the others shook their heads. "He shouldnt have interfered. What in the world is a teacher like him interfering in a fight between the students for?" Another elder harrumphed. "Even so, if he didnt stop the duel just now, Mu Xueqing would definitely be severely injured. As a teacher, he couldnt simply watch idly from the side as his students got injured!" Principal Xie replied. "Thats true..." The crowd nodded. On top of guiding them, teachers had a responsibility to protect their students from harm as well before they mature. If they were in Liuoshis ce, they would surely be unable to remain idle too if their students were getting injured right before them. "The academy is in a difficult position now. If it were to help Liuoshi, Zhang shi will be dissatisfied. However, if we help Zhang shi, Liuoshi will be angered. What makes things even more difficult is that Liuoshi is no ordinary teacher. Not to mention, hes the guild leader of the Physician Guild as well. Helping one side would simply bring the academy the ire of the other. But if we were to wash our hands clean and stay out of the matter, we would risk angering the both simultaneously. After all, we simply watched idly as this duel went on..." Principal Xie rubbed his be in distress. This matter had truly left him with a splitting headache. A while ago, he was just excitedly thinking that regardless of which of the twodies won, Tianwu Academy would stand to win. He couldnt have imagined that the things would get to this point. With this turn of events, the entire academy was put into a difficult position. "If ites down it... Principal, why dont you step out and invite Zhang shi and Liuoshi to sit down together and get to know one another. After all, given that theyre both geniuses, there is a good chance that they might just find fellowship in one another through this." An elder proposed. Principal Xie contemted over the matter. "Its not a bad idea, but Zhang shi is currently in the midst of taking his 2-star master teacher examination and isnt in the capital now. If he were to know of the conflict and refuse the meeting, what should we do?" Another elder asked. It was a good method to solve the conflict by having the both of them sit down and talk things out. However, the problem lies in getting them to do so. Liuoshi was a teacher of their academy, so at the very least, he wouldnt tantly turn down the principals instructions. However, Zhang shi was a 2-star master teacher, and his standing was superior to even that of the principal. If he were to refuse to meet Liuoshi, then all of the ns they had prepared beforehand would be for naught. "Forget it. Ill just to plead with Zhang shi on this matter. At the very least, I am still a 1-star master teacher and the principal of Tianwu Academy. Zhang shi should probably sell me this favor!" After hesitating for a moment, Principal Xie shook his head. "Also, prepare a few of the academys [Esteemed Guest Token]. I want to give them to Zhang shis students so that they can freely enter the academy and browse through our books or any other resources!" "Yes!" The elders nodded in agreement. ...... Below, Mo Yu, who initially intended to watch themotion from below, waspletely dumbfounded. She thought that it would interesting see the students of Zhang Xuan under two different identities of his fight one another. However, she didnt expect things to evolve to this point. Zhang Xuan was put in an extremely awkward position with this. Regardless of which side wins, his reputation would be tarnished. "I have to stop them..." At this, she pushed aside the crowd and walked up. "Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang..." "Mo shi!" Just as Zhao Ya and the others were burning with anger, they heard someone calling them, and turning around, they saw Princess Mo Yu. Teacher had once taught her, so in a sense, they could be considered as fellow peers. They had met her back when their teacher was taking the master teacher examination. "Why dont... you all return for now? If Zhang shi were to know that you all are causing a ruckus at Tianwu Academy, he would surely be displeased!" Nodding her head, Mo Yu tried to persuade them. If not for her selfish motives, Zhang Xuan might have learned of this matter in advance, and things wouldnt have gotten so troublesome. Chapter 358: Second Promised Duel (2) Chapter 358: Second Promised Duel (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others nced at one another and hesitated. Even though they hadnt spent much time with Zhang shi, they knew that he disliked trouble. If he were to know that they had caused a huge ruckus at Tianwu Academy, even almost turning against one of the teachers here, he would surely be displeased. But how could they quell the anger in their hearts if they were to leave just like this? "Mo shi, since you are a master teacher, please give your judgement on this matter. In this duel, if not for Liuoshi interfering, Mu Xueqing would have surely lost. It is one thing for them not to fulfill their end of their bargain, but how could they actually im that it is a draw..." Zheng Yangined angrily. "Alright. Regardless of the situation, Liuoshi is still a teacher, so spare him some pride. As for Zhang shi, Ill exin this matter to him so that he wont me you for this!" Hearing the other partys furiousints, Mo Yu was afraid that it would be even harder to resolve the matter if left to be. Thus, she hurriedly sent a telepathic message to them. "Well be depending on Mo shi then!" Zheng Yang wasnt willing to give up yet, but Zhao Ya interrupted him. "Un!" Mo Yu nodded. Turning to Zhang Xuan, Zhao Ya spoke, "Liuoshi, the only reason why Im addressing you as a teacher is out of respect for Tianwu Academy. Since you imed that its a draw today, so be it! However... Mu Xueqing, I challenge you to another duel three dayster. Do you dare to ept it?" "Why wouldnt I dare to!" Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth. "Good. I hope that Liuoshi wont interfere in the duel three dayster. I also hope that you can fulfill the end of your bargain if you lose!" Flinging her sleeves, Zhao Ya turned to Mo Yu and sped her fist. "Mo shi, Ill be taking my leave!" After which, she shot Zhang Xuan a cold re before leading the group out. "Ah..." Not only did Zhang Xuans interference fail to settle their conflict, he even inadvertently encouraged a third duel between them... On top of that, he even ended up being hated by his own students. Rubbing his be, bitterness appeared on Zhang Xuans face. What in the world was this? I didnt even do anything! "Why didnt you warn me beforehand..." Dismayed, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Yu. "I..." Mo Yus face flushed. It was just a conflict between students, so she didnt think much of it. She never expected it to blow up like this and create such an awkward atmosphere... Stumped, she hurriedly rummaged through her mind for an excuse and replied, "Actually, this isnt as bad as it seems. With a short-term target in their mind, they will cultivate diligently. Look... Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing improved immensely over the past three days..." She intended for these words to just dissipate the awkward situation, but it caused Zhang Xuan to freeze momentarily instead. She was right. With this rivalry between them two, they would be motivated to give their all in their training, thus inducing rapid progress in the both of them. Even though the sword art and the saber art Zhang Xuan had imparted them was a simplified version tailored for them, still, it should have taken them a minimum of ten days to master those techniques andprehend Sword Intent and Saber Intent respectively. Yet, they seeded in just a short span of two days... This reflected how diligent they were in their training. More importantly... Through this experience, Mu Xueqings Trust Level in him would increase rapidly. "Alright, lets see how it goes then... Make sure you dont identally reveal my identity to Zhao Ya and the others!" Eventually, Zhang Xuan decided to simply think on the bright side. What was done was done, and no amount ofint could reverse time. After all, he couldnt possibly go around dering that Liu Cheng was Zhang Xuan, and that Mu Xueqing and Zhao Ya were actually under the same teacher? If he were to do so, he would immediately fail his 2-star master teacher examination. "Teacher, Im sorry..." Mu Xueqing walked up and apologized remorsefully. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to console the other party, an elder pushed through the crowd and yelled, "Which elder disyed the Saber Intent just a moment ago? Please ept me as your student! I am Bai Xin, and myprehension of saber has already reached an extremely high level. I definitely will not bring shame to your name..." "..." Zhang Xuan and Mu Xueqing. "..." Mo Yu. "..." The crowd. ... "Damn it! Damn it!" On the way back to the residence, the faces of Zheng Yang and the others were so livid that a dark aura seemed to be glooming around them. Recalling the vile words that Liuoshi spoke, the fury in them zed up once more. "Zhao Ya, why did you stop me? Honestly, if not for you, I would have surely applied for the Teacher Dueling tform!" Zheng Yang harrumphed. "Teacher Dueling tform? That Liuoshi managed to neutralize my offense with just a single finger. To be capable of such a feat, his eye of discernment and grasp over timing might not even be beneath that of Zhang shi. Even if he were to suppress his cultivation, we wouldnt be a match for him!" Zhao Ya shook his head. "So what if we arent a match for him? Its clear that hes stepping over us! The results are so clear and yet, he still dared to announce the result of the duel as a draw. How could he side with his student so tantly? Its my first time seeing such a shameless teacher! Even if I cant win against him, I must at least teach him a lesson!" Zheng Yang gritted his teeth furiously. "Zheng Yang is right. Even if we cant match up to him, we should at least make things difficult for him!" Yuan Tao fanned the mes from the side. "Enough. This Liuoshi might be shameless, but he indeed possesses true capability. If not for my physical constitution and the sword art grandteacher imparted, I would surely have been the one to lose the duel. The urgent matter at hand is not to insult him but find a way to raise my cultivation instead. If we were to lose the duel three days from now, well be the ones that are humiliated!" Zhao Ya interjected between the furious bellows of the duo. "Thats right..." The group nodded in agreement. Given the previous situation, it was necessary for them to issue another duel. If they simply allowed such provocation to go unchallenged, Zhang shis reputation might be sullied. However, to be able to induce growthparable to Zhao Ya in the past three days, they had to admit that Liuoshi indeed possessed fearsome capability. Given that Zhang shi wasnt in the city presently, they were at a huge disadvantage. If Zhao Ya were to lose, nothing they said would matter. "Since Zhang shi isnt around, we can only plead with grandteacher to help us... The rest of you must also cultivate diligently in the next few days. If the other party loses and refuses to admit defeat once more, well challenge Liuoshi to the Teacher Dueling tform and show him that Zhang shis honor isnt something that he could simply trample on!" Flinging her hands valiantly, Zhao Yas eyes gleamed with determination. If the circumstances are right, Zhao Ya wont hesitate to cause trouble. Just the fact that she was the very first one to step forward upon hearing someone say that Zhang shi was inferior to Liuoshi was a testimony to that. She could forgive the other party for acting shamelessly this once, but if he were to continue on with such an attitude, he shouldnt me her for getting nasty on him! They were willing to beat up Lu Xunoshi in Tianxuan Kingdom, and they didnt mind doing it once more for that Liuoshi! "Good, Ive been waiting for these words of yours..." Zheng Yang nodded before turning to Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and the others. "How is it? If that Liuoshi continues to act so shamelessly, are you guys willing to blow things up?" "Do you think that Ill be scared? What Liuoshi, screw him!" Yuan Tao bellowed. "I wont back down so easily the next time!" Liu Yang nodded. "Count me in!" Determination gleamed in Wang Yings eyes. "Alright, its a promise then..." After discussing the matter, they felt their mood lighten. Walking toward the residence, they suddenly saw two figures standing at the entrance. "May I trouble you to two to report to report to Physician Bai that an acquaintance from Red Lotus City is here to pay his respects?" A person who seemed to be a butler said to the guard standing at the entrance of the residence. "Yes!" Upon hearing that they were Physician Bais acquaintances, the guard hesitated for a moment before heading inside. Soon, he came out with Physician Bai behind him. "Physician Bai, we meet once more!" Upon seeing Bai Chan, the duo was ted. Bai Chan, on the other hand, was confused. "You two are..." "Hm?" Seeing that the other party didnt recognize them, the duo was perplexed. The butler-like person stood forward and asked, "Physician Bai, I am Butler Lu! This is my old master, the Great Herb King. Did you forget about us?" The two were Red Lotus Citys Great Herb King and Butler Lu. After the incident in the Poison Hall, the Great Herb King found himself being highly respected as the friend of the envoys senior granduncle. Naturally, no one dared to feed him the Contract Gu once more. Other people might not know the true identity of the envoys senior granduncle, but the Great Herb King knew that he was Tianwu Royal Citys Physician Bai Chan. He happened to have some business in the capital, so he brought Butler Lu to pay the other party a visit so as to touch up on their rtionship. As a celebrity in the capital and someone who had managed to leap onboard Master Teacher Zhang Xuans ship, it wasnt too difficult to trace Bai Chans whereabouts. It didnt take them too long toe to this residence. Just that... Why didnt the other party recognize them? "The Great Herb King?" Bai Chan shuddered. The only reason why he was respected in the capital was because Zhang shi had treated the Great Herb King while disguising as him. He could have never imagined that a person of such esteemed standing would actually pay him a visit. "Great Herb King, the one who saved you wasnt me. It was... Zhang shi. The matter went like this..." Without hiding anything, Bai Chan exined the entire matter. "So its Zhang shi who saved me... May I know where he is now? Is it convenient for me to pay him a visit?" Upon hearing the situation, the Great Herb King and Butler Lu were stunned. However, they received swiftly. This matter wasnt too difficult for them to ept. After all, the Great Herb King had personally witnessed Zhang Xuans ability to alter his appearance. It wasnt inconceivable for him to have disguised as someone else back then. "Zhang shi is currently in the midst of taking the 2-star master teacher examination, so he isnt in the residence at the moment..." Halfway through his words, Bai Chan suddenly noticed Zhao Ya and the others walking over, and hurriedly introduced them. "These are Zhang shis students. If you have any words you wish to ry to Zhang shi, feel free to tell them!" "Zhang shis students?" The Great Herb King and Butler Lu hurriedly sped their fists respectfully. Zhang shi was the envoys senior granduncle, and just that standing in itself was sufficient to crush them. While his students were still young, the duo didnt dare to disrespect them. "The Great Herb King?" Upon hearing the introduction, Zhao Ya and the others were astonished. "The Red Lotus Citys Great Herb King?" On their way to Tianwu Kingdom, Liu shi had exined the various power within Tianwu Kingdom, and as such, they had an brief idea of the Great Herb Kings standing and influence. To think that even such a person would act so respectfully to their teacher as well. "Our teacher is currently out at the moment, and hell only return five to six dayster. May I know what the Great Herb King has for our teacher? We can ry your message to him in your stead once he returns!" Zhao Ya said. "Oh, its nothing much. We just happen to be passing by Tianwu Royal City so we thought of dropping by to pay our respects to him!" Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan wasnt around, the Great Herb King was slightly disappointed. "Since Zhang shi isnt around, well be taking our leave then!" "Wait a moment..." Yuan Tao hurried forward and looked at them with a curious expression. "I heard that... youve an extremely close rtionship with the Poison Hall. May I know if you have any poison on you?" "This..." Not expecting the other party to ask such a straightforward question, the Great Herb King chuckled awkwardly. "I do have some!" "Then, do you have any poison that will cause a Tongxuan realm expert to suffer without causing any permanent damage? I would like to buy some..." Yuan Taos eyes lit up. "A poison that will cause a Tongxuan realm expert to suffer without causing any permanent damage?" The Great Herb King didnt know what the other party wanted such a poison for, but considering the fact that the other party was the student of Zhang shi, he nodded. "I do have such poison... If you want it, I can give them to you! However, you must be careful with it. This poison is extremely potent. Even a Zongshi realm expert will suffer greatly if he were to identally ingest it!" With a flick of his hands, a jade bottle appeared in his hands. Chapter 359: Apothecary Mu Chapter 359: Apothecary Mu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Thats great!" Chuckling happily, Yuan Tao received it eagerly and kept it in his embrace. "Well be taking our leave then!" Since Zhang shi wasnt around, there was no point for the Great Herb King and Butler Lu to stay here. Therefore, they bided their farewell and left. After the duo left, Zheng Yang and the others immediately turned to Yuan Tao. "What do you want this poison for?" Poison from the Poison Hall were objects of fear which people normally did not wish to be associated with. Thus, they were unable toprehend why Yuan Tao would ask for a bottle of it. "Even though Zhao Ya will duel with that Mu Xueqing once again three dayster, I still find it hard to quell the rage I have for Liuoshi. If I dont get back at him, I wont be able to take it lying!" A savage gleam twinkled in Yuan Taos eyes. "You mean that... you wish to use this poison to make him suffer?" Zheng Yangs eyes lit up. "Indeed! Not only did he break Zhao Yas sword, he even had us all thrown out. How could he be arrogant? Just because hes stronger than us? I despise this kind of people!" Yuan Tao gritted his teeth furiously. He was an orphan and had never feared anyone. Given how vile that Liuoshi acted, he could not suppress the urge to exact revenge on the other party. Even if he couldnt hurt him, at the very least, he should make him suffer a little for his actions! "Hehe, I like that idea. Remember to ask me along when the timees..." Zheng Yang smiled. Hearing the scheme of the two, Zhao Ya shook her head. While she didnt approve of their actions, she didnt try to stop them either. She didnt think that their actions were right, but in the depths of her heart, she secretly desired to get back at the vile Liuoshi as well. ... Oblivious to the malicious intent harbored by his students to do him in, Zhang Xuan was currently sitting in the ssroom, staring speechlessly at the unreasonable Elder Bai. Not only did this fellow barge in suddenly, he even begged Mu Xueqing to admit him as her student, leaving Zhang Xuan in a bewildered state. Youre a respected elder of the academy, yet why in the world do you want to take my student as your teacher? On top of that, to be so brazen about it... What is this? "Elder Bai, I really cannot be your teacher... The saber art is a creation of my teacher, and without his consent, I cannot impart it to anyone else. Please understand this!" It took a great deal of effort before Mu Xueqing managed to persuade Elder Bai to leave. Then, with a reddened face, she walked up to Zhang Xuan, "Teacher, I have brought shame to you!" "The duel is already over. Theres no use ming yourself for it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was done in by his students, but when he thought about it, both sides were actually fighting for his honor. In a sense, neither side was wrong. The only mistake was that they met each other and that neither of them was willing to back down. "I plead for teacher to guide me so that I can be stronger!" Seeing that her teacher had no intentions of ming her, Mu Xueqing felt even more embarrassed. Without any hesitation, she kneeled to the floor with determination glowing in her eyes. "Be stronger?" "Un!" Mu Xueqing nodded. "Afterprehending Saber Intent, every single movement with your saber can be considered as saber art. In terms of battle technique, you are superior to even Elder Bai, and Ive nothing more to teach you in that aspect. As such, theres only one way for you to grow stronger. That is to... raise your cultivation!" After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. There were two main methods to raise ones fighting prowess; raising ones cultivation and learning a powerful battle technique. Having learned Heavens Path Saber Art andprehended Saber Intent, Mu Xueqings mastery of battle technique had already reached a high level. Thus, there was only one way left for her to grow stronger. "Raise my cultivation? Mu Xueqings face immediately turned bitter. If it was that easy to raise a persons cultivation, there wouldnt be so little experts in the world. This was especially so when one had reached Pixue realm. One had to examine every single acupoint carefully before opening it. As such, the opening of each acupoint often required several weeks of studying. In three days... it was unlikely that she could get significantly stronger. "If it is anyone else, they might not be able to grow much stronger in just three days. However, youre different!" Seeing the gloom on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan smiled. "Youve consumed pills from young, and even though it had umted pill poison in your body, some medicinal energy had also been stored within you. If this medicinal energy can be triggered through some unique method, it wont be difficult for your cultivation to rise swiftly!" Zhang Xuan said. On the way here, Zhang Xuan had already thought about how he could raise Mu Xueqings strength. Mu Xueqing had been consuming pills from young. Just like fats in the body, a huge reserve of medicinal energy which she was unable to digest had settled inside her body. If this medicinal energy reserve could be triggered, her cultivation would surely be able to rise swiftly. "This... teacher... is able to do so?" Mu Xueqing was taken aback. Even though her teacher had phrased the matter simply, havinge from a family with an apothecary background, she knew the difficulty of the matter. Needless to say her father, even the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild would be incapable of this feat. The powerful medicinal energy of a pill was somewhat simr to fats whereby there was a limit to how much medicinal energy a human body can absorb each time. After which, the excess would settle down and be stored in parts of the body. Under normal circumstances, this umted energy would slowly dissolve as ones cultivation was raised. However, the process would take several decades. To trigger the medicinal energy that had settled in her body in just three days to achieve a breakthrough in her cultivation... How was that possible? "I am capable of it. However, youll have to prepare some things in advance!" Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment. The medicinal energy would hide in different locations depending on a cultivators physical constitution and cultivation technique. Thus, it would be impossible for anyone else to locate them and trigger them. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he could see the locations of these medicinal energy deposits clearly. After pinpointing them, all he had to do was to trigger them with his pure Heavens Path zhenqi and transform them into a source for energy to raise Mu Xueqings cultivation. However, if so much energy were to be released at once, it would be like the fierce torrents from a floodgate that had been opened. If it was Lu Chong, given his mental fortitude, he would surely be able to tide through the agony. However, the same could not be said about Mu Xueqing. Being born in a good family that provided her withrge amounts of external support, giving her a significant head-start, she wasnt as motivated as others in her cultivation. Moreover, if she were to fail to endure this torrent of energy, it would be one thing to miss the good opportunity but she might even suffer severe irreparable internal injuries. Thus, some preparation had to be made beforehand. She would have to nourish and increase her endurance level with some medicinal solution. "Condition your body and wait for me here. Ill take a short trip to the Apothecary Guild!" After a short moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan instructed. The kind of medicinal solution required was simr to the one he previously gave Wang Ying and only the Apothecary Guild would possess such material. "The Apothecary Guild? Teacher, why dont I go with you? My father is a 2-star apothecary. Hell surely be able to provide some help with whatever requests you have!" Mu Xueqing added hurriedly. "Alright!" Hesitating slightly, Zhang Xuan nodded. The person he was currently impersonating, Liu Cheng, wasnt an apothecary so it might be inconvenient for him to get what he wanted there. However, with the assistance of an apothecary, he could be spared a lot of trouble. Exiting the mini tutoring ssroom, Zhang Xuan proceeded to guide Meng Tao and the others on their cultivation before checking on Lu Chongs progress. This Lu Chong was truly tenacious in his training. He had already undergone the poison tempering three times. Although the pain he suffered was excruciating, he had managed to hang on, and thus managed to reap rewards that were proportionate to his suffering. With his current state of cultivation, Lu Chong was in no way inferior to a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert. It seemed like defeating a Tongxuan real pinnacle expert wouldnt be a problem as long as he persevered a few more times. After settling all of these matters, Zhang Xuan, along with Mu Xueqing, headed straight for the Apothecary Guild. The Apothecary Guild wasnt too far away from the academy, and the duo soon arrived at its entrance in an hours time. Tianwu Kingdoms Apothecary Guild was much more imposing and grand than Tianxuan Kingdoms. Mu Xueqing seemed to have been here often as she maneuvered expertly around the guild to find her father, Apothecary Mu. "Thank you, Guild Leader Liu, for resolving my daughters pill poison issue..." After receiving news that Liuoshi was here, how could Apothecary Mu remain idle? He immediately rushed forward to wee him. He might be a 2-star apothecary, but the person he was facing was the guild leader of the Physician Guild. On top of that, he solved his daughters problem and imparted her an incredible battle technique. Grateful to the other party, he greeted Zhang Xuan warmly and respectfully. "My daughter told me that Liuoshi intends to trigger the medicinal energy umted within her body? If there is anything I can be of assistance, feel free to speak!" After trading some pleasantries, Apothecary Mu dived into the topic at hand. Previously when his daughter informed him of Liuoshis intentions, he was astounded. As a 2-star apothecary, he knew how challenging this matter was! If it was anyone else, he would have surely thought that the other party was bragging. However, the person before him was someone capable of even curing pill poison. Perhaps, he could really aplish this matter that even the guild leader was incapable of. "I need a medicinal solution that can reinforce and nourish her internals. The higher the tier of the medicinal solution, the better it is!" After which, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "Also, I hope to ess the library of your guild. I hope that you can make an exception for me!" With the reinforcement and nourishment of the medicinal solution, the potential harm to her body caused by the overwhelming energy would be minimized. This way, the danger of the matter could be reduced. As for his request to ess the library... Firstly, he hoped to enhance his knowledge of pill forging. Secondly, he wanted to find a method to help Zhao Ya achieve a breakthrough. Since both parties had agreed on a duel, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly just help a single side. Zhao Ya might not have a huge umtion of medicinal energy in her body, but she was blessed with the Pure Yin Body. Back then, the Unravel Yin Pill that she consumed only awakened her unique constitution by ten percent. If her unique constitution could be awakened by twenty percent, her cultivation would surely soar once more. However, the prerequisite to the matter was that Zhang Xuan had to find a way to further awaken the Pure Yin Body. Since he was able to obtain information on the Unravel Yin Pill back in Tianxuan Kingdom, he might be able to find something simr in this guild too. "Leave the medicinal solution to me! As for the library... Typically speaking, only official apothecaries are allowed to enter. However, Liuoshi is a formidable physician, and there are many points of simrity between physicians and apothecaries. On top of that, you are helping my daughter to trigger her medicinal energy... I will check back with the guild leader on this matter, and perhaps he might be willing to make an exception!" After hesitating for a moment, Apothecary Mu said. Under normal circumstances, a guilds library was only essible to the members of the upation. Outsiders had no rights to browse through them. However, the person before him was the guild leader of the Physician Guild, as well as the teacher of his daughter. Even if it meant flouting the rules, he had to try his best to help him. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Apothecary Mu backed out of the room, and before long, he returned with good news. "The guild leader has agreed to it!" "Thank you!" After instructing Mu Xueqing on how she should condition her body, Zhang Xuan nodded and under Apothecary Mus lead, he headed straight for the library. ... A ssroom in Tianwu Academy. "Sun Chengoshi, the principal is looking for you!" Pushing open the ssroom doors, a teacher walked in. "The principal is looking for me?" Sunoshi asked doubtfully. "Thats right. It seems to be something rted to Liu Chengoshi!" The other teacher replied. "Has something happened to him?" Sunoshi was taken aback. "It cant be that you havent heard of it yet..." Noting the confusion in the other partys expression, the other teacher was speechless. How could you remain nonchnt and conduct your lesson calmly with such a huge ruckus outside? "A fight broke out between Liuoshis student and Master Teacher Zhang Xuans student... Since you entered the academy with Liuoshi and is familiar with him, the principal wishes for you to talk to him on the academys behalf!" The other teacher replied. "Liuoshi... and Master Teacher Zhang Xuan?" Sunoshi was dumbfounded. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would have definitely recognized this Sun Chengoshi. It was the unparalleled genius who was currently taking the 2-star master teacher examination along with him... Mo Hongyi! Chapter 360: Wall of Pill Formulae Chapter 360: Wall of Pill Forme Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Whats going on?" Mo Hongyi was on the verge of going insane. Liuoshi and Master Teacher Zhang Xuan... Werent they freaking the same person? Their students shed with one another? What was going on? "You sure are serious in your teaching..." Sensing the other partys bewilderment, the other teacher immediately filled him in on the details. "A student of Master Teacher Zhang Xuanif I recall correctly, her name is Zhao Yahad fought with Liuoshis student, Mu Xueqing, because of some unknown reason. It seems that they had shed once before and todays fight was the second time they faced one another..." He quickly recounted the entire matter. Upon understanding the entire matter, a bizarre expression appeared on Mo Hongyis face. It seemed as though he was trying his best to hold back hisughter. For the students under his disguised persona to fight with his original students, not to mention, so vehemently, as though they wouldnt let this matter go unless they do the other party in... Zhang Xuan was probably suffering from a breakdown at this moment. "What does the principal want from me?" Mo Hongyi asked. "The principal wishes to have Zhang shi and Liuoshi meet one another and settle their grudges. Since youre familiar with Liuoshi, he hopes that you can persuade him on this matter!" The other teacher said. "I have to persuade Liuoshi and Zhang shi... to sit down together and talk it out?" Mo Hongyis expression became even more bizarre. You must be joking! The two of them are the same person! How could Zhang Xuan possibly sit down and talk to himself? "Alright, Ill look for Liuoshi and talk to him about this matter. Tell the principal to leave this matter to me..." Suppressing hisughter, Mo Hongyi replied. Arent you a genius capable of everything? Lets see how youll deal with this... After conversing for a moment longer, Mo Hongyi started walking towards Zhang Xuans ssroom. ... "Yuan Tao, where are you going? Why didnt you invite me along?" As soon as Yuan Tao walked out of his room, a hushed voice sounded. He quickly turned around and saw Zheng Yang grinning a short distance away. "I..." Yuan Tao hesitated. "Alright, I know that youre going to cause trouble for that Liuoshi. Lets go together!" Zheng Yang rolled his eyes. "Im afraid that teacher will me us after learning about this..." Yuan Tao said. If Zhang shi were to find out about this, he would probably be in for a beating. Since Yuan Tao was resilient to thrashings, he wasnt afraid of it. However, he was unwilling to pull Zheng Yang down along with him. "Dont worry, were brothers after all. How can I allow you to suffer the me alone?" Knowing his thoughts, Zheng Yang chuckled. "However, Im afraid that just the two of us arent sufficient!" "What do you mean?" "Simple. If you wish to poison that Liuoshi, you will have to sneak into his ssroom, right? On top of that, you have to find the container which he stores his water in before you can spike it. You may possess incredible defense, but yourecking in agility! Its the same for me as well. So, its impossible for us to do it..." At which, Zheng Yang smiled, "Unless..." "Wang Ying?" Yuan Tao immediately understood Zheng Yangs words. "Indeed. Why dont we invite her along? Given her movement techniques, shell surely be able to spike Liuoshis drink without anyone noticing!" Zheng Yang suggested. "Alright..." After giving it some thoughts, Yuan Tao nodded in agreement. It wasnt too difficult for them to convince Wang Ying. Thatdy was a weak-willed person so it was normally impossible to convince her tomit such deeds. However, if one was able to grasp her weakness, she was still an easy target. And this weakness was Zhangoshi! In the fight for Zhangoshis honor, this Liuoshi had shamelessly sided with his own student. Even though Wang Ying didnt say anything then, she was actually extremely angry. Upon hearing that they were going to spike his drink, Wang Ying agreed without much hesitation. After further discussion and refinement of their n, they trio sneaked out of the residence under the concealment of the night sky and headed towards Tianwu Academy. Under the veil of the silent night, there werent too many students walking around the campus and just by asking around for a bit, they were able to find Liuoshis ssroom easily. "There doesnt seem to be anyone here!" Pushing the door open slightly, they realized that there was no one in the ssroom and their eyes shone in delight. They thought that Liuoshi or his students would be here, but to their relief, it was empty. Zhang Xuan and Mu Xueqing had headed for the Apothecary Guild whereas the other students had left right after they were done cultivating. Even Lu Chong, who had been training here for the entire day, had already dragged his wearied body back to his dormitory. At this moment, the ssroom was devoid of people. Entering the ssroom, they quickly searched and found the teapot and teacups reserved for the usage of the teacher. "This is it! ce the poison inside!" The trio nodded. Yuan Tao took out the jade bottle and poured the powdery content inside. Overjoyed by how smooth the operation went, the trio was just about to leave when jiya, the door to the ssroom opened. Even though they were astonished, they knew that it was toote for them to hide. Thus, they turned around and faced the person at the door. "Is Liuoshi in?" A voice sounded. "Reporting to teacher, Liuoshi isnt in..." Upon hearing his question, they immediately realized that it wasnt Liu Cheng or his students and they heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around with a lowered head, Zheng Yang replied to the other partys question. "He isnt in? When he returns, tell him that Sun Chengoshi had visited!" The person outside said. "Yes..." Zheng Yang hurriedly nodded. "Un!" After which, the visitor turned around and left. However, a distance away, he suddenly stopped. Why did those youngsters in the room look so familiar, as though he had met them somewhere before? "Forget it..." Unable to recall anyone who fit those profiles, he didnt think much of it. Thus, he resumed his steps. "We should leave now!" Seeing that they had managed to get away unscathed, Zheng Yang and the others immediately took the opportunity to leave the ssroom and dashed back to the residence. ... Hu! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan stretched his back. It took him an entire afternoon before he managed to duplicate all of the books in the Apothecary Guild into his head. Having expended much of his mental strength, he was exhausted. "Pure Yin Body!" With a thought, dozens of books immediately appeared before him. He casually flipped them open. Quickly browsing through them, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Indeed, there were records on the Pure Yin Body in them. "Grade-4 Frigid Yin Pill is extremely effective in the awakening of Pure Yin Body..." "Frigid Yin Pill?" Reading through all of the books on the Pure Yin Body, only two of them contained content regarding the awakening of the constitution. Both of them mentioned the Frigid Yin Pill. "Frigid Yin Pill, a grade-4 pill, forged with medicinal herbs of extremely cold attribute. It is an extremely valuable pill..." The content of the book was verified by the Library of Heavens Path, so Zhang Xuan was certain that the pill was useful for the awakening of the Pure Yin Body. However, it wasnt long before another dilemma struck him. There were no 4-star apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom, and naturally, there were no grade-4 pills either. Thus, the only way to obtain the pill was to purchase it from the headquarter. Moreover, it was highly probable that it would take several days for the pill to be delivered here, just like when Zhang Xuan ordered the Unravel Yin Pill from Tianxuan Kingdom. However, Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqings duel was in three days time. It was impossible for the pill to arrive in time. More importantly... A grade-3 pill was already sufficient to send him into bankruptcy, a grade-4 pill was bound to be worse. It was probably impossible for Zhang Xuan to afford it. "If I have the pill form, I may be able to guide someone to forge it..." A thought appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. He might be incapable of forging pills, but he could guide someone to do so. However, the prerequisite for that was that he had to have the pill form. Otherwise, given the countless medicinal herbs in the world, he would be dead before he could find the form for it on his own... "The pill form for the Frigid Yin Pill!" With a flick of his mental consciousness, he swiftly looked through the contents in the Library of Heavens Path, but soon, his face fell. Despite the innumerable books in the Tianwu Kingdoms Apothecary Guild, there werent any books that recorded the form for this pill. Nheless, it wasnt long before Zhang Xuan came to a realization. The Frigid Yin Pill was a grade-4 pill while the most capable apothecary in this guild was a 3-star. Thus, how could such an advanced form be in the library? "Without the form, Ill be unable to forget the pill... What should I do?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. After all, he couldnt just help Mu Xueqing and neglect Zhao Ya. In this case, it wouldnt be a duel, but a one-sided battle. "Forget it, Ill ask about itter!" By the time Zhang Xuan walked out of the library, the sky had already darkened. "Liuoshi!" Apothecary Mu rushed forward to greet Zhang Xuan. The other party was working diligently for the sake of his own daughter, skipping his meals and studying for long hours. This had made him extremely grateful to the other party. "Apothecary Mu, is there anyone in our guild who possess grade-4 pill forme?" Zhang Xuan asked. Even though there was no grade-4 pill form in the books in the library, some of the apothecaries might have it in their private stash. "Grade-4 pill forme?" Apothecary Mu shook his head. "Our guild doesnt have any pill form of this level. However, if you wish, its possible to apply for it from the headquarter!" "Apply from the headquarter?" Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. "Then, wouldnt it take at least half a month before the pill form arrives?" He knew that the headquarter would surely have the pill form, but the travel time, to and fro, from the closest Conferred Kingdom, Xuanyuan Kingdom, to Tianwu Kingdom, was at least half a month. Even if he were to apply for it right now, it would be impossible for the pill form to arrive on time. "Half a month? Theres no need for that! If its a pill, a tangible object, itll have to take at least half a month... However, the pill form will appear on the Wall of Pill Forme straight!" Apothecary Mu smiled. "Wall of Pill Forme?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. Simr to the Wall of Dilemma of the Physician Guild, the Wall of Pill Forme is connected to the headquarter. Through the Wall of Pill Forme, apothecaries who have reached a certain rank can pay a price to request for a pill form which grade isnt too far beyond their rank or knowledge!" Apothecary Mu exined. "Oh!" Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan immediately looked up rted information among the books in the Library of Heavens Path. Just like what the other party said, the Wall of Pill Forme was simr to the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild. It was connected to the headquarter and as long as one was able to pay the price, one could request for a pill form or information from the headquarter. However, to make use of the Wall of Pill Forme, one must at least reach the level of a 3-star apothecary. Apothecary Mu was only at 2-star pinnacle, so he didnt have the right to use the Wall of Pill Forme. "If thats the case, do I have to take the 3-star apothecary examination?" Zhang Xuan hesitated. He wasnt too worried about taking the apothecary examination, but everyone knew that Zhang shis pill forging was incredible and he would surely attract the suspicion of others if he were to do so. "How many 3-star apothecaries are there in the guild?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Initially, our guild leader was the only 3-star apothecary. However, some time back, Apothecary Hong Yun managed to achieve a breakthrough and became a 3-star apothecary as well. The others are all 2-star pinnacle just like me, a step away from reaching 3-star. Thus... only the two of them have the qualifications to make a request on the Wall of Pill Forme." At this, Apothecary Mu nced at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Does Liuoshi require a grade-4 pill form? However... even if we were to obtain the pill form, it will be for naught if we cant forge it!" "Apothecary Hong Yun? Where is he? Bring me to him!" Upon hearing Apothecary Hong Yuns name, Zhang Xuans eyes immediately lit up. This fellow was the arrogant fellow who delivered the Unravel Yin Pill to him back in Tianxuan Kingdom. They had also met while he was the taking the master teacher examination. Upon Apothecary Mus reminder, he suddenly recalled that thetter had indeed reached the level of a 3-star apothecary. Since he was able to make a request on the Wall of Pill Forme, Zhang Xuan could totally engage his help. This way, he could avoid taking the 3-star apothecary examination, as well as attracting unneeded trouble. Chapter 361: Then You Should Just Take The Examination! Chapter 361: Then You Should Just Take The Examination! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Under Apothecary Mus lead, it didnt take long for them to arrive at a room. "Please report that Apothecary Mu Yang requests for an audience!" Apothecary Mu sped his fist toward the apprentice guarding by the door. "Yes!" Knowing the other partys identity, the apprentice immediately went in to report his presence. A momentter, however, he returned with an apologetic look on his face. "Teacher is currently discussing some important matters with an esteemed guest, so he isnt free at the moment. Apothecary Mu, you should return tomorrow!" "This matter is urgent. I really cant wait until tomorrow..." Apothecary Mu shook his head. "I hope that you can ry another message for me. Just say that I have something urgent that I require Apothecary Hongs help on!" Since Liuoshi had made this request, the grade-4 pill form must be extremely important to him. Otherwise, he could have chosen to purchase a pill instead. No matter the cost, Apothecary Mu was determined to help Zhang Xuan on this matter. "This... Ill try asking again!" The apprentice nodded and walked in. "Arent you all apothecaries? Why..." Seeing the sight before him, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Hong Yun and Mu Yangfeng were both apothecaries. One of them was a 3-star primary while the other one was a 2-star pinnacle. There wasnt a huge difference between them, so why was it so troublesome to meet the other party? "The guild leader is already old, so he doesnt interfere in the affairs of the guild. At the moment, most affairs of the guild are handled by Apothecary Hong, and all of the apothecaries answer to him. Thus, his standing is much higher than mine. Because of this, it took me a great deal of effort before I managed to get you the permission to enter the library!" Apothecary Mu exined. After hearing the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan finally understood the situation. Apothecary Hong Yun had always been an arrogant person. Otherwise, he wouldnt have reprimanded the other apothecaries despite not having met Zhang Xuan and verifying the results of the test back in Tianxuan Kingdom. Having surpassed the boundary which had trapped many other apothecaries had inted his ego, and now, it was difficult for any apothecary to even meet him, much less ask him for requests. "Liuoshi, when we enter the roomter on, Ill have to trouble you not to say anything. Outsiders arent allowed to ess pill forme easily, and Im afraid that if you say that youre the one who wanted it, not only will you be rejected, it might even cause a whole string of trouble!" Apothecary Mu instructed. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Pill forme were the treasures of the apothecaries, and they would never show it to outsiders easily. It was indeed a little inappropriate for a physician like him to ask for a pill form from them. After waiting for around two incenses time at the door, just when they were about to reach the limit of their patience, the apprentice walked out. "Apothecary Mu, please enter! However, our teacher only has a teas time. After that, he still has other matters to attend to. Thus, if there are any important matter to speak of, please do it fast..." "Alright!" Apothecary Mu nodded. The duo entered the room and saw Apothecary Hong Yun sitting on the center seat. Beside him was a young man who was leisurely sipping his tea. It was none other than the 1-star master teacher who, due to his fancy for Mo Yu, kept trying to prove his superiority before Zhang Xuan back in the Master Teacher Pavilion, the son of Pavilion Master Jiang, Jiang Chen! "Apothecary Mu, what urgent matter do you have to ask of me?" Lifting up his teacup, he prodded at the tea leaves floating at the surface before turning to look at Apothecary Mu with a leisurely attitude. "I have something that I need to trouble Apothecary Hong on!" Apothecary Mu replied respectfully. "I wish to ask for Apothecary Hong to request for a grade-4 pill form for me. I will bear the fees for the transaction!" "Grade-4 pill form?" Apothecary Hong Yun frowned. "Youre just a 2-star apothecary. Why would you need that for?" sping his fist, Apothecary Mu replied, "I have others uses for it. However, Apothecary Hong, rest assure, I wont do anything that flouts the rules of the guild!" Apothecaries were allowed to request for pill forme, but they were forbidden from selling it or using it to conduct scams or any other immoral actions. "Other uses for it? Hmph!" Apothecary Hong Yun stood up, and with his hands behind his back, he walked up to Apothecary Mu and red at him imposingly. "As an apothecary, attempting something beyond ones capability will not only not bring one glory, itll even embarrass one! Your pill forging skill isnt bad, but grade-2 pinnacle pills are already your limit. Come back to request for a grade-4 pill form after you can sessfully forge a grade-3 pill!" In his view, the reason why this fellow was asking for a grade-4 pill was because he wanted to try forging it to impress everyone. However, despite being unable to forge even a grade-3 pill, he was actually attempting to forge a grade-4 pill. That was nothing more than a waste of precious medicinal herbs! "I..." Not expecting the other party to react so vehemently, Apothecary Mus face flushed. "Alright, you should leave now!" With a darkplexion, Apothecary Hong tilted his head upward with a proud expression. "I beseech you to help me request for it. The process isnt too bothersome so it shouldnt pose much of a problem. Its just a small favor..." Apothecary Mu tried once more. Regardless, they were both apothecaries of the same guild, and their ranks werent too far apart from one another either. A grade-4 pill form might be valuable, but Apothecary Mu had already promised to bear the price of it. Thus, it shouldnt be a big deal to apply for it. To be rejected on the spot and told such words ced Apothecary Mu in a very embarrassing position. "Arent my words clear enough? Given your current pill forging skills, you dont have the qualification to see a grade-4 pill form!" Apothecary Hong Yun flung his sleeves and said, "I still have things to attend to. Apothecary Mu, you should leave!" Then, ignoring Mu Yangfeng, Hong Yun turned to Jiang Chen and sped his fist with a smile. "Young Master Jiang, Ill be depending on you for Zhang shis side! Back then, I had benefited greatly from his guidance. You must introduce me to him!" "Dont worry, this is only a small matter. Senior Uncle Zhang is the senior of my father. After hes done with his 2-star master teacher examination, it wont be a problem for me to meet him. I promise to help you on this matter!" Jiang Chen replied impassively. The reason why he felt hostile toward Zhang Xuan before was due to Mo Yu. However, after realizing that he wasnt interested in her and witnessing his grand feats, not only did the hostility he felt disappear, he even started to regard the other party as his idol. "Then, Ill thank Young Master Jiang in advance then..." Hearing the other party agree to the matter, Apothecary Hong Yuns eyes glowed in excitement, and he hurriedly nodded. Even though his encounter with Zhang shi in Tianxuan Kingdom was very brief, the other partys guidance had opened up new doors for him in the art of pill forging. It was precisely because of that that he was able to reach 3-star. If he could listen to another lesson from the other party, his pill forging skill might reach even higher realms. "Un!" Jiang Chen nodded. Nodding with a delighted expression on his face, Apothecary Hong Yun suddenly realized that Mu Yangfeng and Zhang Xuan had yet to leave, and his face darkened once more. "Why are you still here? Are my words not clear enough?" "Apothecary Hong, I really have an urgent need for the grade-4 pill form. I beseech you to help..." Mu Yangfeng pleaded earnestly. "Atrocious!" Apothecary Hong Yuns eyebrows shot up, and an imposing aura immediately burst from him. With an invible disposition, he bellowed, "Apothecary Mu, take note of your identity! Only 3-star apothecaries have the rights to request for grade-4 pill forme. I am a busy person and I dont have the time to y along with you! Why? Are you going to drag me there?" "If you really want a grade-4 pill form, you can apply it yourself after you be a 3-star apothecary! If you continue acting unruly here, dont me me for charging you for insubordination!" Every single upation was governed by a strict hierarchy. Insubordination was a serious offense, and once reported to the headquarter, the headquarter would issue a severe punishment to send a loud warning to the others against it. Upon seeing the other partys attitude, Apothecary Mus body trembled and his face steeled. Just as he was about to speak, a slightly questioning voice sounded. "Grade-4 pill form... can be requested as long as one is a 3-star apothecary, right?" The one who spoke was Guild Leader Liu behind him. "Thats right!" Apothecary Mu nodded. "Then... Why dont you just take the 3-star apothecary examination?" Guild Leader Liu asked doubtfully. Upon hearing those words, a bizarre expression appeared on the face of the infuriated Apothecary Mu. Then, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "To be a 3-star apothecary, one has to be capable of forging a grade-3 pill. Im... still far from reaching that level!" Even though he had been stuck at 2-star pinnacle for many years, he was still a far way off from forging a grade-3 pill. In fact, given the limitations of his talents, he might not be able to do so in his entire life. This was a fact that everyone knew of. Thus, upon hearing Guild Leader Lius words, he didnt know how he should reply. "Ignorant!" "If grade-3 pills could be forged that easily, there wouldnt be just two 3-star apothecaries in the entire guild!" Upon hearing the apprentice behind Mu Yangfeng spouting such ignorant words, Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen flung their sleeves in disdain. What the heck was that! Why dont you just take the 3-star apothecary examination... Do you think that it is that easy to be a 3-star apothecary? Do you think that you can pass the examination just because you wanted to? There were a total of five 2-star pinnacle apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom Apothecary Guild, but despite many years had passed, the only one who managed to achieve a breakthrough was him. This clearly reflected the difficulty of the task. If Apothecary Mu was capable of forging a grade-3 pill, he would have taken the examination long ago. There was no need for him to wait until now! That fellow was truly iparably ignorant! "It is just a grade-3 pill; it is actually quite easy. As long as you follow my instructions closely during the forging, youll surely seed!" Ignoring the disdainful duo by the side, Zhang Xuan spoke nonchntly. He was counting on Apothecary Hong Yun to send in the request, but since thetter wasnt willing, he didnt want to stoop down to begging him either. Since all 3-star apothecaries could request for pill forms, then... why couldnt he make one himself! It isnt a big deal anyway! "Easy?" "How arrogant!" Upon hearing the apprentice bragging, Apothecary Hong Yunsplexion turned dark and he nearly erupted. Where did this fellow pop up from? Easy... Do you know what a grade-3 pill is? How dare you spout such arrogant words here! "This..." Apothecary Mu hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Alright!" He didnt know why Liuoshi would say such words, but as the guild leader of the Physician Guild, he didnt think that the other party was a braggart. Since he had said such words, he must have a way to do so. "Lets not waste time and just forge here then!" Seeing the other party agree to it, Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Back then, Zhang Xuan had guided Mo Yu to forge a grade-2 pill at the Beast Hall. Honestly speaking, guiding a 2-star pinnacle apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill wasnt too much of a problem for him. If he knew that it was that easy to be a 3-star apothecary, he wouldnt have gone through the trouble to look for Apothecary Hong Yun. "Alright!" Knowing that it was impossible to back down now, Mu Yangfeng did not hesitate anymore. With a flick of his wrist, a giant cauldron appeared in the room. "Fine... I would like to see what kind of pill you can forge!" Not expecting the apprentice to be so arrogant as to have Mu Yangfeng forge a grade-3 pill on the spot, Apothecary Hong Yun felt so angered that he startedughing instead. He had seen braggarts, but he hadnt seen one who was capable of bragging to such an extent! Guide him to forge pills... A grade-3 at that... Who do you think you are? Pavilion Master Jiang of the Master Teacher Pavilion? The pill forging genius Zhang shi? What a joke! Youre just a mere apprentice! Despite your insignificant position, you sure have a big mouth! By the side, Jiang Chen frowned as well. As a master teacher, he knew how difficult pill forging was. Guiding a 2-star pinnacle apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill was as difficult as ascending the heavens... Surely I must be dreaming? Are you sure there isnt something wrong with your head? Chapter 362: Who Are You? Chapter 362: Who Are You? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Liuoshi, what pill are we going to forge?" Knowing that there was no backing out now, Mu Yangfeng put down his cauldron, lit the fire, and turned to look at Zhang Xuan. There were countless grade-3 pills, and they had to decide on one to forge. Since the other party dared to spout such words, he must be extremely familiar with a certain type of pill. Otherwise, he wouldnt have possibly bragged that a pill would be formed as long as he followed his instructions strictly. "What pill?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had never considered this problem. Thus, after hesitating for a moment, he looked at Apothecary Mu and asked, "Right, what kind of pill must you forge before you can be qualify as a 3-star apothecary?" Since the 3-star apothecary examination required one to forge a grade-3 pill, there might be some guidelines on the pill. If so, it would be better to follow by the rules. "Any grade-3 pill will work, but most 3-star apothecaries choose to forge the grade-3 [White Sun Pill]. This is also the pill that Apothecary Hong forged for the examination back then." Upon hearing the other party asking such fundamental questions, Apothecary Mu rolled his eyes. At the same time, an ominous feeling sprouted in his heart. "Alright, lets forge this White Sun Pill then... Oh, can you lend me your pill form so that I can take a look?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head apologetically. "Ive never seen this pill before, so Im not too clear what kind of medicinal herbs are required for it... I have to look through it before I can guide you..." "..." Mu Yangfeng staggered, and he nearly burst into tears. Brother, I trusted you so much that I have already taken out the cauldron and lit the fire... Yet, youre telling me that... youve never seen the pill form before... Why are you treating me like this... "..." Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen were also speechless as well. They thought that the other party might truly be some incredible fellow that would amaze all of them, but it turned out that he was just an oaf! To say that he would guide someone on his pill forging despite having never seen the pill form before... Will you die if you dont brag? The other party had truly impressed them with this. "This is the pill form..." Apothecary Mu passed the pill form over resentfully. As the conventional pill used by most apothecaries for the 3-star examination, the pill form for the White Sun Pill was no secret. Almost all 2-star apothecaries were aware of it, and it wasnt a big deal to show it to him. "Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan touched it, and its contents immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. At the same time, many books regarding the forging of White Sun Pill appeared in his mind. He had collected almost all of the books in the library of the Apothecary Guild. Even though there were no pill forme therepill forme were invaluable treasures after alldetailed on those books were the reflections of the elders in forging specific pills. "Compile!" Muttering softly, an entirely new book appeared before him. "Alright, lets begin the forging!" Browsing through the book, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Apothecary Mu with a grave expression. "Follow my instructions strictly. You mustnt make the slightest error!" "Alright!" Even though he felt dismal, Mu Yangfeng had already put the word out. Left with no choice, he could only nod helplessly. As a 2-star pinnacle apothecary, he would often spend his time attempting to forge the White Sun Pill. As such, he had quite a few sets of spare medicinal herbs in his storage ring, thus sparing them the trouble of obtaining them. Soon, the ignition of the me, the warming of the cauldron, and the preparation of the medicinal herbs were done. Just by looking at the other partys smooth movements in the preparation, Zhang Xuan was already impressed. As expected of a 2-star pinnacle apothecary. His movements were much more skilled than any other apothecaries he had seen before, be it Mo Yu or Guild Leader Ouyang. Zhang Xuan walked up to the cauldron and touched it before retreating back. "The temperature is around there. Should I add the medicinal herbs in now?" The me licked at the sides of the cauldron, and soon, the cauldron was already fiery-hot, and the air in the surroundings distorted under the immense heat. "Wait a moment!" Zhang Xuan waved casually. "Continue warming the cauldron!" "Alright!" Since Apothecary Mu had already decided to follow the other partys instructions, he didnt hesitate at all. Under the drive of his zhenqi, the mes under the cauldron continued to ze furiously. "The cauldron is already red..." Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen nced at one another in bewilderment. Did this fellow really know anything about pill forging? Forging a pill was very different from forging an equipment, where the higher the temperature, the better it was. Harnessing the wood attribute, medicinal herbs tended to lose their medicinal properties easily when exposed to excessive heat, thus rendering them useless. The cauldron was already burning a shade of bright red, and it looked as though it would burst apart soon. Putting aside forging pills, the medicinal herbs would probably burn to crisp if they were thrown in under such a state. What in the world was he up to? "ce the White Wood Grass in!" Just as they werepletely baffled over this matter, the young mans voice finally sounded. "Hes throwing in the main ingredient of the White Sun Pill directly?" Apothecary Hong Yuns body swayed. White Wood Grass was the main ingredient of the White Sun Pill. It was highly mmable, and upon contact with mes, it would be immediately set aze. Conventions dictated that it should be ced in the middle of the forging to prevent it from being burned into cinders by the zing cauldron, as well as to allow it to better fuse with the other medicinal herbs. The cauldron was already on the verge of bursting from the intense heat and ck smoke was puffing out of it... To throw the White Wood Grass in under such conditions... The heck! Without a doubt, the medicinal herbs would be burned to ashes as soon as it entered the cauldron... "Preposterous! He is truly fooling around! This fellow knows nothing about pill forging. I truly wonder where Apothecary Mu found him!" Harrumphing coldly, Apothecary Hong Yuns face steeled. There was no doubt about itthis pill forging would surely end in failure! Anyone who had the slightest knowledge of pill forging would know not to raise the temperature of the cauldron excessively. That ignorant fellow bragged that he would instruct Apothecary Mu to sessfully forge a grade-3 pill, and yet, he made such an elementary mistake... Where did this cretine from? Apothecary Mu must truly be blind to trust a person like him! An Elder Council should be assembled after this farce to teach these two a lesson! Otherwise, not only would precious medicinal herbs be wasted, the reputation of the the guild would also go down the drain! Ignoring Apothecary Hong Yun, whose face was darkening by the moment, Zhang Xuan continued instructing Mu Yangfeng. "Twelve breathster, put in the Two-eyed Beard..." He issued a series of instructions. This sequence waspletely different from the conventional forging methods detailed in the books for the White Sun Pill, and it even seemed to contradict with the fundamental concepts of pill forging. Even so, since he had already given his word, Apothecary Mu followed the other partys instructions strictly even though he was doubtful of the result. Gritting his teeth, he continued throwing different medicinal herbs into the cauldron while controlling the temperature of the me carefully, not daring to make the slightest mistake. "Hm? Something is wrong..." As more and more medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron, doubts started sprouting in Apothecary Mus mind. He had forged the White Sun Pill many times in the past, and usually, after cing a few medicinal herbs in, the cauldron would begin to rock violently, as if it would explode at any moment. But this time, despite having thrown in so many medicinal herbs in, there wasnt any sign of movement at all. Could it be that all of the medicinal properties had been bnced out? If that was the case, the other partys instructions must be correct, and this meant that there was a high probability that the pill forging would be sessful. "Wait, that doesnt seem like it..." Then, he shook his head. While it was possible for the reason behind the cauldron being calm to be due to the medicinal properties being bnced out perfectly, there was also another possibility... All of the medicinal herbs inside had already been reduced to cinders by the searing heat. If the medicinal properties of the herbs had already been eroded, then naturally, they couldnt possibly react explosively with one another. Thinking about it, thetter seemed much more probable. After all, even 4-star apothecaries were incapable of bncing out medicinal properties perfectly... "Forget it, Ill just finish the pill forging first..." Even though Apothecary Mu didnt think that the pill forging would seed, he still followed Liuoshis instructions strictly and threw in medicinal herbs one after another. Soon, he threw in the veryst medicinal herb. "Open the cauldron!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Open the cauldron?" Mu Yangfeng was taken aback. Normally, after throwing all of the medicinal herbs in, the mixture had to be left to simmer for a moment so that the herbs could be fused together perfectly for the formation of the pills. To open the cauldron right after throwing all of the medicinal herbs in... Wasnt this being too hasty? "Quick!" Zhang Xuan didnt expect the other party to hesitate. Anxious, he urged him once more. Based on the book in the Library of Heavens Path, the cauldron had to be opened right after all of the medicinal herbs were thrown in for the pill forging to be perfect. The other partys slight moment of hesitation had caused many mistakes to appear in the book already. At this point, even if a pill were to be formed, its effectiveness would be lowered by several grades. On the other hand, upon seeing this sight, Apothecary Hong Yun harrumphed coldly and shook his head. "Do you think that the pills will be formed?" Jiang Chen couldnt help but ask. The pill that Apothecary Hong Yun had forged for his 3-star apothecary examination was also the White Sun Pill, and his feat of achieving Formation for it had caused a huge uproar in the city back then. "Do I think that the pills will be formed?" Apothecary Hong Yun harrumphed disdainfully. "While they are lucky that the cauldron didnt explode, all of the medicinal herbs inside it are surely ashes by now given the overwhelming heat in the cauldron just now. To expect a pill to be formed under such circumstances... Thats no different from dreaming!" "Burned to cinders?" Jiang Chen asked doubtfully. "If you dont believe me, watch on. If pills can be formed after all that have happened, Ill cut off my head..." Apothecary Hong Yun gestured confidently. If a pill could be formed with that nonsensical pill forging sequence... wouldnt 3-star apothecaries like himself would be truly worthless? He wasnt the only one to think so. Even Mu Yangfeng himself didnt think well of this pill forging. After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his jaws and opened the cauldron. Hu! Filled with despair, he prepared himself to see an entire floor of ck sludge from the herbs when a gush of pill fragrance wafted from the cauldron. "This..." Mu Yangfeng was taken aback. Rushing forward, he stretched his hand into the cauldron and grabbed onto something. Taking a closer look, it was a round and glistening pill. The fragrance it emanated assaulted his nose. "This is... a White Sun Pill... reaching the level of P-P-Perfection?" Mu Yangfeng widened his eyes, bbergasted. Pills formed had different tiers. Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill... Based on his judgement, given the forging method previously, the pill forging should have ended in utter failure, and the only thing that should appear from the cauldron was ck sludge. Never in his dreams did he expect that a pill would be formed... And at the level of Perfection at that! How... How is this possible? "What?" "Perfection?" On the other hand, Apothecary Hong Yun looked as though he was on the verge of fainting. His body shuddered violently, and he nearly bit his own tongue off. He had just said that if the other party managed to form a pill, he would cut his head off... In the end, not only did the other party manage to form a pill, it even reached the level of Perfection... The heck! How did this happen? That young man had started guiding Apothecary Mu on the process right after browsing through the pill form of the White Sun Pill for the first time... The other party even went against conventions and warmed the cauldron until its zing hot before throwing the medicinal herbs in. Yet, not only were the medicinal herbs not burned to cinders, it even reached the level of Perfection... This sight overturned everything he knew of pill forging. Thews that he thought were absolute in pill forging for several decades suddenly felt like a huge lie, and just the thought of it left himpletely frenzied. "This... this... Whats going on?" Shuddering, Apothecary Mu turned to look at Zhang Xuan, curious to know what had just happened. How did he seed in the pill forging... just like that? When did a grade-3 pill be so easy to forge? Seeing the other partys doubtful gaze, Zhang Xuan smiled casually. "Even though the White Wood Grass is highly mmable, that doesnt mean that it cante into contact with mes. On the contrary, strong heat brings out its medicinal properties better! Therefore, the first herb that one should ce in is this. This way, the medicinal properties of the other herbs can be fused perfectly with ityer afteryer, thus bringing out the full effectiveness of the medicinal herbs!" "On top of that, the opening and closing of the cauldron during the intervals where one ces the medicinal herbs in will cause the medicinal energy to escape. Thus, if you put the White Wood Grass from the very start, itll absorb all of the medicinal properties, fuse them together, and coagte into a pill..." "Continuing on, Two-eyed Beard grows in the marsnds. Even though it contains yang attribute energy, there are also traces of water attribute energy within it. Only under extreme heat can the water attribute energy be forced out..." With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan started strolling about the room as he exined the various sequences one after another. "This... this..." Initially, they were skeptical at the other partys words. However, after hearing his exnations one after another, Apothecary Hong Yun and the others couldnt help but tremble vigorously. Eventually, their face stiffenedpletely. Instead of touching on the pill forging techniques, his exnations came from the perspective of maximizing the effectiveness of the medicinal properties of each herb. How one should heat the medicinal herbs and mediate between the various herbs to fully bring out the properties of the medicinal herbs... It sounded like nothing much, but to analyze aplex a grade-3 pill form so thoroughly was an extremely fearsome feat! Firstly, one had to possess an utmost understanding of every single medicinal herb contained in the pill form. On top of that, one still had to deduce the individual reactions based on their properties precisely to select the most correct method to fuse them together. Not to mention, these deductions were highly prone to errors. As experienced apothecaries, they clearly understood the difficulty in doing so, and as such, the other partys feat had truly left all of them astounded! "With just his grasp over medicinal properties, he was able to ensure that the medicinal herbs could fuse together perfectly such that no problems would crop up... Y-you arent an apprentice... Who are you?" Apothecary Hong Yun stared at Zhang Xuan in fright. Just by his knowledge of the respective medicinal properties of the herbs, the young man before him was able to ensure that a grade-3 pill was being crafted wlessly. Even the guild leader was incapable of such a feat! Who in the world was this fellow? How could he possess such immense understanding of medicinal herbs? "Hes the new guild leader of the Physician Guild who solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma..." Apothecary Mu replied. "Liu Cheng!" Chapter 363: Price Chapter 363: Price Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Liu Cheng... Guild Leader Liu?" Apothecary Hong and Jiang Cheng trembled vigorously upon hearing that name. Even though this Guild Leader Liu had be a celebrity in the capital recentlyhis name was even ced alongside the supreme genius, Zhang Xuanthe duo had never seen his true appearance before. The duo had thought that he was an apprentice given that he was following behind Apothecary Mu, and his young age did little to change that perception. Never in their dreams could they have imagined that the young man would actually have such an astounding background. As the guild leader of the Physician Guild, his standing was in no way inferior to their guild leader! Even Apothecary Hong, as a 3-star apothecary, was beneath him in terms of standing. Just that... Wasnt the other party supposed to be proficient in the Way of Medicine? Why was he able to guide a 2-star apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill? "Be it the Way of Medicine or pill forging, one must possess absolute grasp over the medicinal properties of the respective herbs to decide on the most ideal form to create the most effective medicine! I might not be an apothecary, and Im incapable of forging pills as well, but my grasp over medicinal herbs allows me to deduce the changes urring within a cauldron precisely. With this, Im confident in guiding an apothecary to forge even a grade-4 pill, needless to say, a grade-3 pill!" Knowing the various thoughts running through other partys mind, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "One could achieve this much just by knowing the properties of medicinal herbs?" Apothecary Hong Yun felt as though he was losing his sanity. Even the temperature at which a medicinal herb was simmered could affect the medicinal properties it released. The slightest mistake could easily result in the greatest difference, determining a failure from a sess. Despite hisck of understanding in pill forging, he was able to guide someone in forging a grade-3 pill solely based on his grasp of the properties of medicinal herbs... Could such an existence still be considered a human? All along, the elites of Tianwu Royal City didnt think that highly of the famous Guild Leader Liu, believing that he might have prepared the answers to the neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma beforehand, thus allowing him to solve them in a single go. But now, they realized that... there wasnt any need for the other party to do so. His capability was the real deal! Putting everything aside, just his understanding of the properties of medicinal herbs would surely be unmatched by anyone in Tianwu Royal City! Even their guild leader couldnt match up to him! "The study of medicinal herbs is profound and deep... how can it be summarized with just a few words? In truth, be it the prescription of a physician or the pill form of an apothecary, they are both centered around the concept ofplementing medicinal herbs in the most perfect manner to draw out their medicinal properties effectively. The two paths would naturally converge together upon reaching a certain level of understanding toward medicinal herb!" As Zhang Xuan spoke casually, his sleeves swayed under the slight breeze. At this moment, his figure looked as though an unparalleled expert of the world. Even though his words were logical, making it impossible for anyone to refute it, but in truth, such things only existed in theory. In other words, it was impossible for an ordinary human to be capable of such calctions. Even if ones understanding of medicinal herbs reached the level of a 7-star physician, it would still be impossible for one to guide another to sessfully forge a pill just based on that. To make an analogy, it was just like how even though scientists knew that one could travel back into time just by exceeding the speed of light, it was impossible in practice, and to date, no one had been able to seed. In the end, theories were just theories; they were a long way off from urately depicting reality. The quality of the cauldron, the heat from the cauldron, the cultivation of the apothecary, the atmosphere, the maturity of the medicinal herbs... All of these were factors that would affect the ultimate product. A difference in one or two of these factors may not amount to anything much, but when all of these differences were stacked over one another, it would result in a huge divergence. Zhang Xuan had only managed to do so with the help of the Library of Heavens Path. "Ive been enlightened..." Knowing how difficult the feat was, Apothecary Hong was impressed. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "So, is Apothecary Mu considered a 3-star apothecary now? Does he have the qualification to request for a pill form from the Wall of Pill Forme?" "The reason why Apothecary Mu is able to forge a grade-3 pill is due to your guidance, but with this experience, it shouldnt be difficult for him to seed in the future. As such, he is qualified to request for a pill form at the Wall of Pill Forme!" After hesitating for a moment, Apothecary Hong replied. While Apothecary Mu had only seeded this time due to the other partys guidance, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to replicate this sess individually as long as he worked on it diligently. In other words, it was just a matter of time before Apothecary Mu became a true 3-star apothecary. Thus, in non-strict terms, it shouldnt be considered as a vition of the rules for him to request for a pill form anymore. "If I knew it was this easy, I wouldnt have wasted so much of my time asking for your help..." Hearing the affirmation, Zhang Xuan shook his head and remarked. He ended up waiting so long outside, only to be refused in the end. If he knew that it was just the matter of forging a single pill, he would have just done so from the start... What a huge waste of time! "..." Zhang Xuan was justining casually, but when Apothecary Mu heard those words, the edge of his mouth twitched. Guild Leader Liu was disregarding Apothecary Hongs pride before them, and this was no different from a public humiliation. He secretly sneaked a peek toward Apothecary Hong and saw the other partys entire body trembling violently. It seemed as though he was just a single push away from spewing blood. At this moment, Apothecary Hong was truly on the verge of a breakdown. Guild Leader Liu, you are doing it intentionally, arent you? You intentionally hid your identity from us just so that we could make a fool out of ourselves... The heck! If I knew that you had such capability, I wouldnt have dared to boast before you! Now, not only did I fail to pull my weight, I even became a fool instead! More importantly, I have insulted a genius because of this! How could I ask anything of you in the future like this? "Lets go!" Ignoring the dismayed Apothecary Hong Yun, the duo walked out of the room. Under Apothecary Mus lead, they soon arrived at a tightly sealed room. It was simr to the room where the Wall of Dilemma was affixed in the Physician Guild. There was nothing else other than a gigantic wall in the room. Apothecary Hong and Jiang Chen tagged along as well, curious to see what pill form was Apothecary Mu going to request for. "What I need is the pill form for the grade-4 Frigid Yin Pill!" Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to Apothecary Mu. "Un!" Apothecary Mu nodded. Upon cing the apothecary emblem representing his identity into the aperture on the wall, the wall immediately burst into life. With swift movements, he wrote three words on the Wall of Pill FormeFrigid Yin Pill! The procedures to using the Wall of Pill Forme wasnt tooplex. One just had to activate the wall and write down the name of the pill. As long as the pill wasnt too far beyond ones capability, the headquarter would usually agree to the request. Since there were 3-star apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom Apothecary Guild, it shouldnt be a problem to request for a grade-4 pill form, although it would be impossible for them to ask for a grade-5 one! The same rules applied for other Apothecary Guilds as well. Weng... A momentter, the wall trembled and a line of words appeared... Payment: Three spirit stones or a Transmogrification Bamboo Grass! "This is... the price for the pill form?" Staring intently at the words that appeared on the wall, Jiang Chen asked. "Un, it is a convention to pay a price when requesting for a pill form from the headquarter. Otherwise, the Wall of Pill Forme could be abused, and the headquarter might find itself constantly in a hectic state!" Apothecary Hong replied. Then, with slight doubt in his tone, he said, "However... usually, a grade-4 pill form should only cost one spirit stone. For this one to cost three spirit stones or a Transmogrification Bamboo Grass, thats way too overpriced!" "Whats a Transmogrification Bamboo Grass?" "Its an extremely precious and rare medicinal herb. Even at Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom, its one of the hardest herbs to obtain, needless to say, here! Apothecary Hong Yun shook his head in pity, "This is way too expensive, its impossible for Apothecary Mu to afford it!" ... Just as Apothecary Hong had guessed, upon seeing those words, Apothecary Musplexion immediately turned extremely awful. Initially, he had thought that if the price wasnt too high, he could help to foot the bill. But three spirit stones... This was simply too expensive! Even as a 2-star pinnacle apothecary, it was beyond his means. As for the Transmogrification Bamboo Grass, he had only heard of its existence from the books... "Guild Leader Liu, Im sorry..." Apothecary Mu turned to Zhang Xuan and apologized. The reason why the other party was at the Apothecary Guild was to help raise his daughters cultivation. He thought that he could at least be of some help to the other party, especially given his identity. Yet, in the end, he found himself unable to contribute anything at all. "This is the price for the pill form? How do I pay the spirit stones through this wall?" Upon realizing what was going on, Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Given how it was possible tomunicate via the Wall of Pill Forme, the pill form could also be written and, thus, sent to them through the wall. However, spirit stones and Transmogrification Bamboo Grass were tangible objects. How could they send it over through the wall? "Simple. As long as you promise to make the payment, someone will be dispatched here, arriving within half a month, to im it. As long as the payment is confirmed, the other side will send the pill form over!" Apothecary Mu replied. "Half a month?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. If that was the case, what was the difference between this and buying a grade-4 pill straight? It was only because buying a pill would require a minimum of half a month that he chose to request for a pill form instead. Despite all the trouble he went through, he simply went in a circle and ended up returning back at the starting point. "Its also possible for the pill form to be sent over on the spot. One just has to leave his emblem here as a guarantee. However, this would mean that one was putting his position as an apothecary on the line to guarantee the payment. After the pill form is sent over, someone wille over to im the items within half a month..." After a moment of hesitation, Apothecary Mu continued, "I dont mind leaving my emblem here as a guarantee, just that... I really dont have the means to pay for it. Once the other partyes and demands payment..." If he could produce three spirit stones, it wouldnt be a problem for him to put his emblem on the line. However... he had nothing in his hands now. Once the other partyes to im the payment and he fails to hand it over, he would be in deep trouble. His career as a 2-star pinnacle apothecary woulde to an end, and all of the hard work he had poured in in the past few decades would be wasted. "Its just a grade-4 pill form... How can it be so expensive!" Upon understanding the entire matter, Zhang Xuan was dismal. He was still wondering how he could procure spirit stones for his own use when the other party demanded three at once... Putting aside the fact that he didnt have any spirit stones now, even if he had any, he still needed them for his own cultivation. To exchange it for a pill form... You must be jesting! "Is there any other way?" Zhang Xuan asked Apothecary Mu. "Other than physical objects, one could pay using knowledge and information as well. As long as the other party deems what one offers to be valuable, it can be epted as the payment as well!" At this moment, Apothecary Mu shook his head with a bitter smile. "However... the person on the other side of the Wall of Pill Forme is at least a 4-star apothecary, a figure we cant possibly match up with. The knowledge and secrets we know of are probably worthless to them!" As a 4-star apothecary, the other partys understanding of pill forging had already reached an unfathomable level. As a mere 2-star pinnacle apothecary, how could Apothecary Mu possibly offer any knowledge of interest to the other party? "Knowledge can be used as payment as well?" Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck for a short moment before a gleam shed in his eyes. "Is that really true?" "Un!" Apothecary Mu and the others were stunned to see Zhang Xuans bizarre reaction. Could he, as a physician, really produce information of interest to a 4-star apothecary? "Alright, allow me!" Ignoring the shock the others were experiencing, Zhang Xuan mused for a moment before lifting up a brush to write a line of words on the Wall of Pill Forme. "..." Upon seeing the contents of his words, Apothecary Hong Yun staggered. He nearly spewed blood and fainted. Apothecary Mu was the same as well. Tears streamed down his face. This Wall of Pill Forme was activated using his emblem, so his name was on it. Guild Leader Liu, the words that you wrote... You are truly escorting me straight to my doom. Wuwu, what did I do wrong to make you hate me so much... Chapter 364: Price, Three Spirit Stones (1) Chapter 364: Price, Three Spirit Stones (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric An austere person, Qi Shengyu was a 4-star intermediate apothecary of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He had always been in charge of overseeing the Wall of Pill Forme. The Wall of Pill Forme was connected to many Tier 1 Kingdoms, and it was used as a tform to resolve the problems those guilds faced. Usually, there was nothing much for him to do, however today, upon reaching his position, he realized that it was activated. "Its from Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom?" Qi Shengyu could see the location and the identity of the person who activated the wall on the other side. "Mu Yangfeng?" Casually flipping open the list of apothecaries, Qi Shengyu browsed through the names and frowned. "A 2-star pinnacle apothecary? He must have just seeded the 3-star apothecary examination and has yet to change his emblem! Even so, to activate the Wall of Pill Forme and request for a grade-4 pill form right after clearing his examination, isnt he being too impatient?" At which, his face turned grim. Apothecaries who possessed an earnest desire to learn were weed by Qi Shengyu. However, one should at least reach 3-star pinnacle before requesting for a grade-4 pill form to study. Clearly, the other party was being overambitious. Despite having barely reached a rank of 3-starnot to mention, you havent even changed your emblem yetto request for a grade-4 pill form, are you taking this as a joke? "Furthermore, he even asked for the form of the grade-4 intermediate Frigid Yin Pill!" After seeing the pill form that the other party wanted, his rage crescendoed. Apothecaries who had just cleared the 3-star examination would still be having difficulties forging a grade-3 primary pill, and yet, the other party was actually asking for a grade-4 intermediate pill form... Were all the apothecaries so overambitious nowadays? "Hmph!" Harrumphing coldly, he wrote out the price for the exchange. You want a grade-4 pill form? Fine, Ill give it to you. However, youll have to be able to pay the price for it first. If you cant, you better pull down your head and study humbly. Thus, he intentionally inted the price by three times so as to deter the other party. As expected, as soon as he wrote those words, the Wall of Pill Forme fell silent. "Looks like the best way to deal with such ignorant fellows is to scare them off..." Qi Shengyu muttered silently to himself as he poured himself a cup of tea and sipped on it. He thought the other party would back down upon facing this obstacle, but contrary to his expectations, the Wall of Pill Forme suddenly shone once more, and a line of words slowly floated into appearance. "I dont have the spirit stones youre asking for, but I can answer any issues you are facing in your pill forging. If you have any queries, feel free to ask!" Pu! He spurted out his tea. With widened eyes, Qi Shengyu coughed non-stop. Feel free to ask? Answer my question? In that instant, ten thousand divine beasts stampeded across Qi Shengyus head. The heck! I am a 4-star intermediate apothecary! Even if I really had a query, I would consult a 5-star apothecary rather than a 3-star primary apothecary like you. To utter such arrogant words, arent you afraid of suffering a retribution from the heaven? He thought that he could scare the other party off by inting the price by three times, but what he received instead was the other partys conceited response. Rage immediately flurried through his body. "Apothecary Qi? Whats wrong?" Seething with rage, he was just about to teach this disrespectful fellow a lesson when, jiya, the door to the room suddenly opened, and an elder walked in. The head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Apothecary Guild, Su Xing! He was the only 4-star pinnacle apothecary within the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance! "Nothing much, just that Im facing an arrogant fellow from Tianwu Kingdom!" Suppressing his anger, Qi Shengyu harrumphed. "An arrogant fellow?" Guild Leader Su was stunned for an instant. Given their prestige as the headquarter of the Apothecary Guild for the Tier 1 Kingdoms, very rarely did members from lower branches dare to anger them. Qi Shengyu quickly recounted the matter to him, and he widened his eyes in shock at the entire matter. His gaze subconsciously turned to the Wall of Pill Forme with a look of incredulity. Your head! A 3-star apothecary who had only achieved his breakthrough recently was actually telling a 4-star intermediate apothecary to shoot his question, as though a teacher? This was no longer arrogancemore like having a screw loose! After all, no rational person would dare to spout such words to a high-ranked apothecary! It was no wonder why Qi Shengyu had flown into a rage. Even Su Xing himself felt dizzy-headed just by listening to the recount of the incident. That Apothecary Mus head must have surely suffered a stroke for him to dare to utter such nonsense! "Show me his background..." As the headquarter of all Apothecary Guilds in thends of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they had the information of all apothecaries within the area. Soon, a file was delivered over by an apprentice, and grabbing it, they began browsing through it and... that fellow didnt seem to possess any exceptional aptitude. To put it in short, he was nothing but average. It had been an entire seventeen years since the other party had reached 2-star pinnacle. How could he act so arrogantly when he had only just achieved a breakthrough? Was his head crushed by a door or did some savage beast identally kick it? Su Xing blinked his eyes, stupefied. "Guild leader, what should we do?" Qi Shengyu harrumphed. "Should we indict this fellow of insubordination and strip him of his license?" There was amon trait shared by many of the upations in the continentstrict hierarchy. Lower ranked members were expected to treat those of higher ranked members with a high degree of respect. And this was an official rule. Given how arrogant this fellow had spoken, they could easily charge him with insubordination and strip him of his apothecary license. "Calm down, theres no need to rush it. We should at least test him with a question first. It wont be toote to charge him after he fails to answer it correctly!" After a moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Su replied. One thing the world didntck was entric individuals, and they couldnt possibly strip him of his apothecary license just because he had spoken arrogantly. Perhaps, he might really have to strength to back his words up. "Alright!" Qi Shengyu nodded. "It just happens that I have a question that I wanted to consult guild leader but havent gotten the chance to yet. Ill pose the question to him and I hope that guild leader can help me vet his answer! If he were to answer it erroneously, Ill make sure to knock deeply into his dense head that the prestige of a high-ranked apothecary is not to be challenged!" "Un!" Guild Leader Su Xing nodded. Upon seeing the other partys agreement, Qi Shengyu picked up a brush and started writing on the wall. "For the forging of the[Constetion Sea Pill], Purple Pearl Grass, Evening Sun Flower, and Three-leafed Green have to be fused together. Why would there be a loss in the medicinal properties of the medicinal herbs despite procedures being followed strictly?" Seeing the question Qi Shengyu jotted down, Su Xing nodded his head. This question was indeed rather difficult. Many 4-star apothecaries faced simr problems while trying to forge the Constetion Sea Pill. Back then, he was no exception as well. A lot of research and experiments had to be done before he managed to arrive at the correct answer. However, to actually pose a question which he himself didnt have the answer to, Qi Shengyu must be truly infuriated. "Even some 5-star apothecaries would find it hard to answer this question. Its only due to my good fortunes that I chanced by the answer in an ancient manual. Given such, how could a person who had barely reached 3-star possibly answer it..." Harboring such thoughts, Su Xing turned to look at the Wall of Pill Forme, curious to see what the arrogant fellow on the other side would reply with. ... Meanwhile, on the other end of the wall. Apothecary Mu wasnt the only one who had flown into a frenzy. Even Jiang Chen and Apothecary Hong Yuns eyebrows were twitching furiously. This was no longer just a simple case of wreaking havoc; this a challenge to the other partys authority, a clear case of insubordination! If the other party decided to indict Mu Yangfeng of this crime, they could easily strip his qualification as an apothecary straight! "The elder on the other end of the wall must be infuriated!" With twitching lips, Apothecary Hong Yun sent a look of sympathy to Mu Yangfeng. The countdown to the end of his career had already started... Tick tick tick... Weng! Shaking his head, the wall suddenly shed and a line of words appeared. "Constetion Sea Pill?" "Purple Pearl Grass, Evening Sun Flower, and Three-leafed Green?" Seeing the content of the question, Apothecary Hong Yun waspletely bewildered. He didnt even know what the Constetion Sea Pill was, so how could he possibly know the reason behind the loss of the medicinal properties of these three herbs? He immediately sneaked a peek at Mu Yangfeng and saw a constipated look on the other partys face. Then, he turned his gaze to the culprit of this entire mess, Liu Cheng. That fellow seemed to be confused as well, seemingly uprehending of the question. Just as Apothecary Hong Yun was wondering how Liu Cheng was going to resolve this mess, the other party suddenly stood up and touched the Wall of Pill Forme... Then, picking up a brush, he began writing once more. ... "Dry the Purple Pearl Grass under extreme heat for three days, remove the roots of the Tenth Sun Flower, and choose a Three-leafed Green with a maturity of five years and below!" Words soon appeared on the Wall of Pill Forme, and upon reading its content, Qi Shengyu abruptly stood up, and his nose red in anger. "Nonsense, what utter nonsense!" "The Purple Pearl Grass possesses yin attribute and it thrives in dark ces. Once exposed to extreme heat, its medicinal property would dissipate swiftly. It wouldnt even survive for a day, lest three!" "As for the Evening Sun Flower, it is known to bloom only under the evening sun. Only with the setting of the celestial me would the earthen mes be reignited, and through its roots, the Evening Sun Flower absorbs the earthen mes to nourish itself and develop its medicinal properties. If the roots, where the bulk of its medicinal property is harnessed in, were to be removed, how much of medicinal property could it possibly retain?" "As for the Three-leafed Green, under normal circumstances, its maturity would require at least ten years. At just five, it would be no different from other ordinary grasses, devoid of any medicinal property..." "If I were to do as he says, the loss of medicinal properties is just a small matterI fear that there might even be none at all!" The more Qi Shengyu spoke, the faster his words got. Cracking sounds originating from his clenching of fists echoed loudly in the room. There were no 4-star apothecaries who had the experience of forging Constetion Sea Pill who didnt know the medicinal properties of these three main ingredients. The advice the other party offered were aplete joke, utter rubbish! "Guild leader, theres no need to consider it anymore. Theres clearly something very wrong with this fellows head. Ill apply for the stripping of his apothecary license right now..." Harrumphing coldly, Qi Shengyu turned to look at Guild Leader Su to seek his judgement on this matter. But to his surprise, he only saw thetter, who he had known to be able to keep hisposure under all circumstances, staring at the wall with widened eyes,pletely dumbstruck. "Guild leader..." He couldnt help but shake the other party to wake him from his daze. "Ah?" Only then did Su Xing finally recover from his shock and, with quivering lips, he replied, "This... His method is correct!" "Correct?" It was Qi Shengyus turn to be dumbstruck this time around. Are you for real? "Due to its yin attribute, cold energy easily umtes in the Purple Pearl Grass, and during the forging of the Constetion Sea Pill, this cold energy would hinder the fusing of the medicinal herbs, thus inducing the dissipation of medicinal properties. As such, it has to be exposed to extreme heat to remove the cold energy!" "As for the Evening Sun Flower, it serves primarily as a mediating factor. While its roots do possess incredible medicinal properties, it is, in fact, excessive. It only neutralizes the medicinal properties of the Purple Pearl Grass. The same goes for the Three-leafed Green as well..." "This is what I read on an ancient manual. Even 5-star apothecaries would find themselves stumped by this question... How did he know this?" Qi Shengyu was dumbfounded. "Guild leader, you mean that... the solution he proposed is correct?" "Thats right. Not only is it correct, it is perfect. I have tried it out myself and theres no problem with it!" Su Xing nodded. "This... How is this possible?" Qi Shengyu felt as though he was going insane. He thought that the other party was just an arrogant fellow who had just passed the 3-star apothecary examination. He couldnt have expected that the other party would be able to solve such a difficult question which even he was stumped by... Are you for real? Am I the 4-star intermediate apothecary, or is he? Chapter 365: Price, Three Spirit Stones (2) Chapter 365: Price, Three Spirit Stones (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Guild Leader Liu, is it really alright... for you write these words?" In the Apothecary Guild, Mu Yangfeng even felt like dying now. He should have stopped the other party from writing anything! It was one thing for you to know what the Constetion Sea Pill was, but you should at least check on it! To write the answer right after touching the wall, arent you being too casual? Even though Apothecary Mu didnt know the reason behind the loss of medicinal property in the Purple Pearl Grass, Evening Flower Sun, and Three-leafed Green, as a 2-star pinnacle apothecary, he still knew a little about them. Exposing a cold attribute medicinal herb to the extreme heat, removing the roots of the Evening Sun Flower, to demand for the maturity of the Three-leafed Green to be as low as possible... What the heck are you writing? Anyone who knew the least bit about pill forging would know that this was utter bullshit. It deviatedpletely from the core principles of pill forging. Was Guild Leader Liu really trying to do him in? Without a doubt, the 4-star apothecary on the other end would surely be stomping his feet in anger. If the other party could, he might have rushed over to kill him this instant. Initially, he was extremely grateful to the other party for guiding him to forge a grade-3 pill. He felt as though the other party had brought him to the peak of life, but at this moment, he realized that he was just imagining things. The other party was bringing him to the very top of the mountain before pushing him down into the valley! Otherwise, have you ever seen a low-ranked apothecary speaking to a high-ranked apothecary like that? Just as his lips twitched furiously and he felt that he was doomed, the wall before him lit up once more. "Im done for..." Certain that what that would be written on the wall would be his punishment, his heart turned cold. Unwilling to face reality, he immediately turned his head away to avoid seeing the content of the message. But to his astonishment, he heard Apothecary Hong Yun breathing heavily, as though he was suffering a heart attack out of shock. "Apothecary Mu, lo... look..." With a shaking finger, he pointed at the wall. Doubtful, Apothecary Mu turned to take a look, and with a nce, he felt as though his heart was about to burst apart. He suddenly froze on the spot. It took a long while before he managed to utter a word. "This... What is going on?" Bright and forceful words appeared on the wall Correct, this can strike off the payment required for the Frigid Yin Pill form. Correct? Apothecary Mu rubbed his eyes and confirmed that he wasnt seeing things. He found the sight before him impossible toprehend. The few casual words that Guild Leader Liu wrote with a confused look on his face was the correct answer? Am I dreaming? "Its good that its correct. With this, my career should be fine..." Relief gushed through his body. Since it was correct, it was unlikely that the other party would strip him of his apothecary license for insubordination. At the very least, his career was safe now. Heaving a sigh of relief, he was just about to say something when the wall in front glowed once more and a line of words appeared. "Grade-4 pinnacle [Energy Aperture Pill]; it ismon for the cauldron to explode during the forging process. How can this problem is solved?" "Grade-4 pinnacle pill?" "Energy Aperture Pill? Ive heard of this pill before. It is a grade-4 pinnacle pill, and even 5-star apothecaries would find it hard to forge. After consumption, it will open up a persons energy apertures, thus boosting their cultivation. As such, it is an extremely valuable and sought after pill... The other party is posing a question on it?" The entire room fell silent. Was the 4-star apothecary on the other side insane? Despite Guild Leader Liusck of respect, not only did the other party not pursue the matter, the other party even continued asking questions. Could it be that... this Guild Leader Liu was really that incredible as to be able to even guide a 4-star apothecary on his pill forging? "This..." Staring at the young man not too far away with a bizarre look, Apothecary Mu was just about to step forward and discuss with him on how to solve this problem when the other party picked up a brush and started writing once more. Taking a look at the words the other party wrote, Mu Yangfeng, who had just barely heaved a sigh of relief at having preserved with career, saw his vision go dark. His heart nearly leapt out of his mouth. Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen fared no better than him. They felt their knees caving in, and they swayed weakly on the spot. Brother... You are about to bash through the heavens. On the wall, four words shone brightly Price, three spirit stones! ... "This fellow... Does he really think that were trying to learn from him?" On the other end of the wall, upon seeing the words Zhang Xuan wrote, Qi Shengyu nearly erupted. Right after recovering from the shock from the other partys answer, he felt that there was a need to continue testing the other party to see whether he possessed true capability or merely lucked out in his guesses. Thus... Guild Leader Su raised the current question to see what the other party would answer. However, the other party simply replied with four words... Price... Price your head! I am testing you, a 3-star apothecary, in my capacity as a 4-star apothecary of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Apothecary Guild. And yet, you demand payment? The heck! This is a test! A test! Dont you get it? Do you really think that we dont know the answer and that we are consulting you on it? "Agree to his request!" After hesitating for a moment, Su Xing nodded. "Agree?" This time, Qi Shengyu was stunned. "Actually... I dont know the answer to this question as well. Im just curious to see what kind of answer he would give!" Su Xing replied. "You... dont know?" Qi Shengyu fell to the ground. You are the most capable apothecary in the entire guild, reaching a rank of 4-star pinnacle. What do you mean by you dont know the answer... Arent we supposed to be testing him? Why did it be a consulting session instead? Besides, if you dont know the answer as well, how can we determine the authenticity of his answer? Even though Qi Shengyu was shocked, under the persistence of the guild leader, he still wrote Agreed. After which, the other party replied with two words pill form. After hesitating for a moment, Qi Shengyu wrote the pill form for Energy Aperture Pill on the wall. Weng! Soon, words appeared on the wall once more. "The medicinal herbs required for the Energy Aperture Pill are vtile, and they react violently with one another. Thus, one has to first soak the medicinal herbs in flowing water to remove its vtility before adding in a stalk of Quxi Grass..." "Ill try it out..." The solution recorded on the wall was quite simple. After taking a look, Guild Leader Su immediately tested it out. Not too longter, he came to a stop. Catching the scent of the fragrance from the cauldron, he was dumbstruck. Its correct! To think that the method the other party provided was actually correct! To think that a question which even a 4-star pinnacle apothecary like him couldnt solve was answered by a fellow who had just be a 3-star apothecary so easily. On top of that, the answer was wless... What in the world was going on? "The person on the side probably isnt Mu Yangfeng. Apothecary Qi, go and check who he is..." After a moment of silence, he suddenly came to a realization. If Apothecary Mu was that capable, he would have be a famous figure long ago. How could he possibly remain unknown for so long? "Alright, Ill head to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom now..." Uponing to the same conclusion, Qi Shengyu hurriedly nodded his head. Tianwu Kingdom was a territory of Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. As such, he had to head to thetter first. "Un. However, hold it for a moment first. Lets first sound the bell and summon all of the apothecaries in the alliance to the guild now!" Guild Leader Su instructed. "Yes!" Qi Shengyu nodded, turned around, and left. ... "Alright, done!" After collecting the Frigid Yin Pill form in the library, Zhang Xuan chuckled. With this form, he would be able to forge the Frigid Yin Pill to awaken Zhao Yas unique constitution. Not only did he not spend any money on the pill form, someone would even be sending spirit stones to him. In a sense, he had profited from this deal. "Right, when will the other party send the spirit stones over?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This... Such a thing has never happened, so Im not too sure either... However, based on my estimations, it should take around half a month!" Mu Yangfeng contemted for a moment before answering. At the start, he was shocked, but eventually, everything faded and only numbness remained. When requesting for a pill form from the headquarters, everyone had to pay a heavy price. Yet, not only did this fellow manage to get his pill form, he even earned some spirit stones from the headquarters... If not for personally witnessing this sight, he wouldnt believe it even if someone were to coerce him at knife-point. At this moment, his head still felt light, as though he was in a dream. "Half a month? Thats still alright..." Zhang Xuan nodded. It was quite good for him that he would be getting three spirit stones in half a months time. "Guild Leader Liu, what do we do now?" Mu Yangfeng asked. "Since the pill form is here, naturally, we have to forge it. Help me gather these medicinal herbs..." Zhang Xuan said. "Even though the Frigid Yin Pill is a grade-4 pill, based on what Ive seen just now, the medicinal herbs required arent too rare. We should be able to find all of them in our Apothecary Guild. However... even if we manage to gather all of the medicinal herbs, without a grade-4 apothecary here, we cant forge it!" Mu Yangfeng looked at Guild Leader Liu doubtfully. Apothecary Hong Yun was also perplexed. The most proficient apothecary in the entire Tianwu Kingdoms Apothecary Guild was the guild leader at 3-star primary. No one else here was capable of forging a grade-4 pill! Even if they managed to get the pill form and gather the medicinal herbs, they were unable to do anything at all! "Who says that it is impossible to forge a grade-4 pill without a 4-star apothecary?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Then, he turned to Apothecary Mu and said, "Arent you here? You can just forge it for me..." "Me?" Shocked, Mu Yangfeng nearly fainted on the spot. He was well aware of his pill forging skills. He was only at the level of an ordinary 2-star pinnacle, and the only reason why he sessfully forged a grade-3 pill was because of the other partys guidance... Grade-4? He didnt even dare to harbor such thoughts! "Dont worry. Lets just gather the medicinal herbs for now, Ill instruct you on itter on!" Knowing what the other party was worrying about, Zhang Xuan consoled him. "Youll instruct me?" After hesitating for a moment, Mu Yangfeng looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Can I really seed?" If it was anyone else, Apothecary Mu would have surely thought that he was bragging. However, he had seen too much miracles from this youngster from the moment he met him until now. Perhaps, the other party might really be able to guide him to sessfully forge a grade-4 pill. "Dont worry. Even if we dont seed, well just fail. At the very worst, the cauldron will only explode..." Zhang Xuan answered casually. "The cauldron will only explode?" Mu Yangfengs lips twitched and he nearly fainted. "Do you know how strong the explosion will be... if the cauldron explodes while forging a grade-4 pill?" Even though it was only a level between grade-3 and grade-4, there was a qualitative difference between the two. It was just like how a Phantom equipment and Spirit equipment were twopletely different concepts. Even a Zhizun realm expert could be blown to smithereens if unprepared against a grade-4 pill explosion... Needless to say, Zongshi realm cultivators like them! To think that you said it will only explode... If it truly exploded, the entire Apothecary Guild would disappear from the face of this world. "It will blow the entire Apothecary Guild up?" After hearing Apothecary Mus exnation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He thought that, at the very worst, an explosion simr to that when Mo Yu forged the pill in the Beast Hall would ur. He didnt think that the explosive power of a grade-4 pill would be so great. "Un. On top of that, the medicinal herbs of a grade-4 pill are also extremely valuable. Even though our guild has them all, the total cost of them all adds up to a huge fortune! A single set would cost... around three spirit stones! In terms of gold coins, it is impossible to buy it without a hundred million..." Apothecary Mu continued. "Three spirit stones? Costs more than a hundred million gold coins?" Before Apothecary Mu could finish his words, the young man before him trembled. Then, he quickly turned to the Wall of Pill Forme with crimson eyes, picked up the brush, and started writing, "Is the apothecary on the other side still there? Do you have any other questions? Three spirit stones for one, the more the better. I can answer all of your queries now..." "..." Mu Yangfeng. "..." Jiang Cheng and Apothecary Hong Yun. On the other side. "..." Guild Leader Su Xing. Chapter 366: Tenacious Lu Chong Chapter 366: Tenacious Lu Chong Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Upon hearing the price of the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuans heart crumbled. After spending an entire night of effort to earn three spirit stones, he only managed to earn enough to buy the medicinal herbs... This is robbery! Do you think that it is easy for me to earn spirit stones? Do you all need to go that far? Holding his brush, Zhang Xuan waited for a very long time, but the other party didnt reply at all. Clearly... he had no other questions. "Stingy! To think that hes still a 4-star apothecary, its just a small sum of money. Scrooge!" Tossing the brush aside, Zhang Xuan bellowed. What the heck is this! Arent you a 4-star apothecary? Arent you a huge figure in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? To be unwilling to even spare three spirit stones... Ive never seen someone as miserly as you... "Scrooge..." Mu Yangfeng and Apothecary Hong trembled. Brother, youre the scrooge, alright? Since the other party has no questions, he cant possibly give spirit stones to you for free... To scold a 4-star apothecary stingy and scrooge... Youre probably the only one in the entire kingdom... "Guild Leader Liu, well take the spirit stones from the headquarter as thepensation for the medicinal herbs. Ill prepare the rest for you now..." Afraid that the other party would do extreme things once more, Mu Yangfeng hurriedly said and left. This Guild Leader Liu was indeed a person of great capabilities, but his guts were too huge for Mu Yangfeng to bear. Mu Yangfeng had always faced higher tier apothecaries with utmost respect. Yet, the other party didnt seem concerned about the hierarchy at all, spewing criticisms without the slightest hesitation... Mu Yangfeng was afraid that he would die of shock if he remained here. "We..." Just as Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen were about to leave, the young man turned to look at them with a bright smile. With glowing eyes, he asked, "Those scrooge dont even dare to ask their questions once they heard that they needed to pay... What about you two? Feel free to shoot. As long as you have the spirit stones to pay, Ill solve any problems you have..." "We dont have any..." Frightened, their faces turned pale. They quickly shook their hands. "No questions? Then... Are you all ill? I can treat you as well..." Zhang Xuan continued. "..." Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen. ... The efficiency of the Apothecary Guild was one to behold. In less than an hour, they had already gathered all of the medicinal herbs required for the forging of the Frigid Yin Pill. After confirming again and again that the duo didnt require any treatment, Zhang Xuan followed behind Mu Yangfeng with a regretful expression, and before long, they entered one of the Pill Forging Chambers prepared for the apothecaries in the guild. The best cauldrons were here, and a formation was also set up in the surroundings. Even if a cauldron explosion were to ur, the operations of the guild wouldnt be affected at all. "Guild Leader Liu, are you sure that... you want me to forge it?" Looking at the medicinal herbs and cauldron before him, Apothecary Mu hesitated. Grade-4 pills were also known as Spirit pills. Even if one didnt store it in a jade box, it would absorb spiritual energy from the world automatically, thus preventing its quality from deteriorating with time. Legend has it that someone had once dug out pills of this level from an ancient tomb, and despite countless years had passed, not only did the pills not lose their effectiveness, they even became more potent. Some of the pill at Formation level reached Satiation and even Perfection! This kind of pill didnt just have a high demand on ones pill forging skill, it also required one to possess superior cultivation. Otherwise, if something were to crop up and a cauldron explosion urred, it would very possibly result in ones death. Even though Guild Leader Liu had asked for his help, Mu Yangfeng didnt have any confidence in himself at all. "Later on, just strictly forge by my instructions. You mustnt make even the slightest mistake!" At this moment, Zhang Xuans face waspletely grave. After browsing through the books in the guild, Zhang Xuan understood the difficulty of forging a grade-4 pill. Even though he was able to rectify all of the errors in the forging process through the Library of Heavens Path, it was still an extremely difficult task to have a Zongshi sessfully forge a grade-4 pill. "Alright!" Despite knowing of the risks that came with forging a grade-4 pill, Apothecary Mu also knew that this was a valuable experience. Even if he were to fail in the forging, it would definitely help bring his pill forging skills to new heights. Thus, he didnt hesitate for long before clenching his jaws and agreeing to it. The young man before him had created way too many miracles. Deep down, he had already developed a deep trust for the other partys capability. If he were to turn down this opportunity today, he knew that he would regret it for life. "Lets start then!" Mu Yangfeng meditated for a moment to reach his tiptop condition before walking forward to the cauldron. With a slight wave of his hands, a me ignited beneath the cauldron. Xiong xiong xiong! Under the intense heat, the cauldron started to turn red. "Add in the Alfalfa Flower. Two breaths after, add in the Motherwort Grass. Fourteen breathster, add in the Coldfrost Leaf..." Zhang Xuan started to issue instructions non-stop. Mu Yangfeng followed all of Zhang Xuans instructions strictly, not daring to make the slightest mistake. Hula! Medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron one after another, slowly fusing with one another under the heat of the cauldron. ... Outside the Pill Forging Chamber. To prevent interrupting the duo, Apothecary Hong Yun and the others remained outside. "Do you think that... they will seed?" After a long moment, Jiang Chen asked. "Ive no idea either... It would be impossible for any other people, but this Guild Leader Liu cannot be understood bymon sense..." Apothecary Hong Yun shook his head. Until now, he was still unable to gauge the full extent of Liu Chengs ability. While requesting for a pill form on the Wall of Pill Forme, he was able to solve a question which stumped even the 4-star apothecary on the other side of the wall, leaving the other party tongue-tied... His capability was way beyond imagination. "Indeed!" Jiang Chen felt a sense of defeat. He was the son of Pavilion Master Jiang, and he was considered as a genius as well. Even though he couldntpare up to Mo Hongyi and Mo Yu, but he was considered as one of the most talented geniuses among his peers. He thought that even if he lost out to those two monsters in terms of talent, he could catch up to them through hard work. However, when he met Zhang Xuan and Guild Leader Liu, he realized that... There was a huge difference among geniuses as well. Despite being a physician, Guild Leader Liu was actually attempting to instruct a 2-star pinnacle apothecary to forge a grade-4 medicine just through his understanding of medicinal herbs... He felt like if he were to tell anyone about it, the other party would just think that he was a lunatic. "However, regardless of whether he seeds or not, Apothecary Mus pill forging skill would surely rise greatly. In fact, with this experience, it is not entirely impossible for him to be a 4-star apothecary..." Apothecary Hong Yun felt deep regret. Even if this pill forging failed, just the experience itself would allow Apothecary Mus pill forging skills to reach a whole new level. As long as he builds on it, it would just be a matter of time before the other party surpasses him. He could already see the seat of the guild leader falling to the Apothecary Mu and not him. If not for his bragging, this opportunity might be his! Its truly a huge pity... However, opportunities only present themselves once, and time couldnt be turned back! No matter how heavy the regret weighing down his heart was, it was all toote. ... In a small room in the Tianwu Academy. The naked Lu Chong slowly opened his eyes. Using a towel to wipe off the sweat which dripped off his body, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. "Its already my fourth time..." Looking at the bottle of medicinal powder, which was still more than half full, Lu Chong hesitated. "Teacher said that my strength will reach my limit after five times. If so, the medicinal powder will be useless... In the past few trainings, I can sense that the effectiveness is getting worse and worse. Most probably, after the fifth time, my strength will only reach the level of Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Itll still be difficult for me to exact vengeance!" Lu Chong gritted his teeth. Liuoshi had once told him that it would take around five times before he would sessfully cultivate the Poison Body. Thus, he had been cultivating doggedly in thest few days. As soon as he recovered, he would immediately continue with his training. Through his determination, his strength grew swiftly. However, a problem also soon became apparent to him. That was... the effects of the poison powder was slowly weakening. The previous time, his improvement was already less than half of his first session. He could foresee that it wouldnt take long before the poison powder becamepletely ineffective. "Since ites down to this... I should just use all of the poison powder at once!" Tenacity shed across his eyes. Strictly following his teachers instructions, the bottle should still be around half full by the time hepleted the five sessions. Since the effects of the fifth session were going to be minimal, what would happen if he tried increasing the dosage? "To exact my vengeance, Ill have to go all out!" Lu Chong gritted his teeth, and without using the silver needle, he poured all of the poison powder directly at his acupoint. Dabbing a little bit of poison on his acupoints through a silver needle and smearing it directly on his skin were two very different concepts. Even if Zhang Xuan was here, he would definitely think that the other party had gone mad. Boom! A heart-piercing pain suddenly struck him, and intense vertigo caused Lu Chongs body to sway vigorously. "I cant die yet, I need to exact my vengeance first. Father, mother, and big sister, I will avenge all of you..." Familiar faces shed across his mind, and Lu Chong howled furiously. Of his entire n consisting of 137 members, he was the only one left. How could he die before revenging them? Gugugugugu! The lethal poison seeped into his blood vessels and flowed through his entire body. Excruciating pain tore his entire body. If there was such a thing as hell, this must be it. Compared to the pain he felt during the first time he came into contact with the poison powder, the suffering he was undergoing now was ten times worse! If not for his increased tolerance to pain after the past few days of suffering, he might not have even persevered past a single breath! Even so, he felt a strong sense of dizziness clouding his head, and it seemed as though death was looming right on top of him. "Teacher has high expectations of me, father, mother, big sister, and the others are still waiting for me to avenge them. Hang on..." Bellowing tenaciously, Lu Chong bit on his tongue tightly. Blood slowly trickled down the corner of his mouth. For the past two years, he had been keepingpletely silent while cultivating as though his life was on the line. What was that for? Despite the pain and the risk of death, he chose to cultivate the Poison Body. What was that for? As long as my enemies arent dead, I, Lu Chong, cannot die! Boom! After what seemed like an eternity, the pain finally started to fade. Only then did Lu Chongs mental state loosen, and his vision immediately turned dark and he fainted. Before he fainted, the poison powder dissolved in a surge of incredibly pure zhenqi and slowly fused with his body, causing his strength to rise. This zhenqi was the one which Zhang Xuan left in Lu Chongs body when thetter made the vow to not divulge the techniques to others. If it wasnt for it protecting his heart, no matter how strong Lu Chongs will was, it was impossible for him to survive the onught of the lethal poison. For some reason, under the onught of the lethal poison, the zhenqi seeped into his body and augmented the flexibility and strength of his muscles. Just like that, his strength exceeded that of the foreseen limit of Tongxuan realm pinnacle. ... Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen waited for nearly two hours before the Pill Forging Chamber opened and two figures walked out. They were Apothecary Mu and Guild Leader Liu. At this moment, the duos faces were white and they looked exhausted. Sweat soaked their clothes, and their appearance was nothing short of unkempt. "Could it be that..." Gedeng, upon seeing the appearance of the duo, an ominous premonition appeared in their heads as they hurried up to the duo. Chapter 367: Mo Hongyi Fell Into the Fecal Drain Chapter 367: Mo Hongyi Fell Into the Fecal Drain Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "How did it go?" Apothecary Hong Yun stepped forward and asked. "Sess..." Mu Yangfeng was exhausted, but excitement twinkled in the depths of his eyes. He turned to look at Guild Leader Liu in reverence. Having forged alongside him, Mu Yangfeng finally understood how deep his understanding of pill forging was. This wasnt a level that one could reach based solely on ones understanding of medicinal herbs. Even though he had followed the other partys instructions strictly, several crises still urred throughout the process. It wasnt because he had made a mistake, but because his cultivation was too low. Tianwu Kingdom was a decently powerful kingdom, but it still wasnt capable of forging grade-4 pills yet. For the forging of the pill, maintaining the me, as well as the temperature of the cauldron, required zhenqi. There were many times that the pill forging nearly failed due to the depletion of his zhenqi. If not for the many regeneration pills that he had forged throughout the years, he might have died of exhaustion then and there. Every time his zhenqi ran low and a crisis urred, this Guild Leader Liu would use inconceivable but surprisingly effective means to salvage the situation. Even though it seemed as though failure was inevitable, he produced miracle after miracle, which led to the ultimate sess. It was as though he could see the situation in the cauldron with his own eyes, and he knew what he had to do to prevent an explosion. He truly couldnt imagine how someone of the other partys age could possess such vast and deep knowledge of pill forging. Just like Apothecary Hong Yun had guessed, he had learned many things through this pill forging. Regardless of whether it was his skill or his mental fortitude, he had experienced a huge growth. It probably wouldnt be long before he managed to forge grade-3 primary or even intermediate pills independently! "Sess?" Seeing Apothecary Mus look of admiration, Hong Yun and Jiang Chen also turned to look at Guild Leader Liu, dumbstruck. To think that the other party could really create a miracle! This was result that one couldnt ept easily even when seeing it for oneself! ... After the sessful forging of the Frigid Yin Pill, there was nothing left for Zhang Xuan to do here. After a moment of rest, Zhang Xuan started to help Mu Xueqing trigger the medicinal energy umted in her body. Apothecary Mu had prepared the medicinal fluid long ago, and Mu Xueqing had also reached the peak condition, allowing Zhang Xuan to start on the treatment immediately. Using the silver needles as a medium, Zhang Xuan infused the Heavens Path zhenqi into the other partys body. As soon as that pure zhenqi came into contact with the umted medicinal energy within Mu Xueqing, it was as though a spark of me hade into contact with gasoline. A huge me was ignited, and massive energy started streaming through her entire body via her meridians. Pilip! Crisp sounds, reminiscent of exploding bamboos, reverberated consecutively throughout her body as numerous acupoints were opened. Knowing that Mu Xueqing wouldnt be in any danger under the protection of the medicinal fluid, Zhang Xuan bade Mu Yangfeng farewell and left the guild. After finding a remote alley, he disguised himself as Yang Xuan and walked towards the residence. By the time he reached the residence, it was alreadyte at night. It was fortunate that Zhao Ya was still awake. He passed the Frigid Yin Pill to her and instructed her to consume it as soon as possible. After which, he passed to her the sword Beast Tamer Wang gave him back at the Beast Hall. This sword was at a significantly higher tier than the one he broke, and itplemented Zhao Yas disposition. After dealing with these misceneous matters, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a surge of fatigue, so hey down and fell into a deep sleep. Honestly, he had underestimated the difficulty of forging the Frigid Yin Pill. If not for the Library of Heavens Path instantaneous updates which allowed him to peer into the ws of the forging, an explosion would have urred. Keeping his mind working at maximum capacity had exhausted both his body and his soul, causing his face to pale. Seemed like he had to avoid doing matters beyond his strength. Otherwise, he might just die from exhaustion one day. ... By the time Zhang Xuan woke up the next day, the sun was already up. After a good rest, he felt revitalized. After asking the others, he found out that Zhao Ya had gone into seclusion to cultivate. Thus, he delegated some instructions to Sun Qiang before leaving the residence for Tianwu Academy. He hadnt met Lu Chong for two days already, so he felt that he should check on his condition now that he had the time. "Teacher, youre here..." As soon as Zhang Xuan reached the entrance of the ssroom, Meng Tao immediately rushed up to him. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. Meng Tao had always been aposed person. It was impossible for him to be waiting at the entrance of the ssroom for him for nothing. "Teacher, Sunoshi has been waiting for you since morning, and it has already been two hours since he arrived!" Meng Tao quickly reported. "Sun Cheng?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Wasnt that Mo Hongyi? Why would he look for him now? Walking into the room, he saw Mo Hongyi sitting quietly on a stool in the ssroom, sipping quietly on a cup of tea. "Youre finally here! You sure kept me waiting..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walk in, Mo Hongyi shed a bitter smile. Zhang Xuan was indeed incredible. To pass the 2-star master teacher exam, Mo Hongyi had been holing himself up in the ssroom, not daring to leave at all. Every single day, he would spend eight to ten hours conducting lessons so as to build trust with his students. This fellow spent less than an hour in his ssroom every day and disappeared frequently... Yet, his students were stillpletely infatuated with him! They even went to the extent of fighting with Zhang shis students for his honor... This was truly maddening! Mo Hongyi had no choice but to submit to him. "Lets go in to speak!" The ssroom was filled with students, so it wasnt a good location to speak. Thus, Zhang Xuan beckoned Mo Hongyi into the mini tutoring room. "I have two matters to discuss with you!" Mo Hongyi dived straight into the topic. "Firstly, the principal asked me to convince you to meet with Zhang shi for a meal so that no conflict will evolve between you two over the students fight!" "Meet with Zhang shi?" Zhang Xuan blinked in shock. "How can I agree to that..." Meeting with himself? And have a meal at that? How in the world can he do it? "Who asked you to be so high profile..." Seeing the fellow who had broken most of his records suffering from this dilemma, Mo Hongyi chuckled gleefully. You were only asked to act as an ordinary teacher, yet you went to the Physician Guild to take on the role of their guild leader, and the students you teach even insisted on fighting it out with Zhang shis students... Given how high-profile you are, it will be difficult for you not to attract any attention! You were the one who put yourself in such an awkward position! "Alright, lets not talk about this anymore. I know that you wont agree to it anyway. However, given the principals attitude, if I tell him that I am unable to persuade you, hell definitelye to look for you personally! At that time, itll be difficult for you to turn him down!" Mo Hongyi shook his head as he changed the topic. "Lets talk about the second matter then. After the past few days of effort, I think the Trust Level of my students should have already reached 40. Thus, I intend to return to the Master Teacher Pavilion to end the examination!" "Your students also seem to hold a high level of trust in you, so why dont we go together! Once you end the examination, others will know that Liuoshi is Zhang shi, and you will be able to get out of this dilemma. At the same time, your students will also stop their quarreling!" "Un..." After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan nodded. The condition that the Master Teacher Pavilion gave them was to earn a Trust Level of 40 from their students within ten days in their disguised self. This time was just a limit on the examination. If one could achieve this feat earlier, one would be able to end this examination in advance. However, if it turned out to be a fail, the students would definitely know their true identity, making it impossible for them to continue on with the examination. If so, it would be a fail for their 2-star master teacher examination. After the past few days of guidance, putting Mu Xueqing and Lu Chong who Zhang Xuan were exceptionally close to aside, Meng Tao and the others were alsopletely obedient to his words. Even if their Trust Level in him wasnt too high, Zhang Xuan was confident that it had already reached 40, allowing him to pass the examination. Seeing the other party agree to it, Mo Hongyi chuckled. "Alright, then lets visit the Master Teacher Pavilion tomorrow morning then!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan replied. This matter wasnt tooplicated, so aftering to an agreement, Mo Hongyi bade his farewell and left. He wanted to continue on his lesson to make onest push. Returning back to the ssroom, Zhang Xuan guided Meng Tao and the others on their cultivation before asking, "Wheres Lu Chong? Why isnt he here today?" "He should be cultivating. Ill get him here..." Meng Tao replied and left. As a student of the academy, Lu Chong lived in the dormitory. Knowing that it would take some time before Meng Tao can get Lu Chong here, Zhang Xuan took a seat. While overlooking the students cultivation, he poured himself a cup of tea and ced it to his lips. Just as his lips came into contact with the cup, he suddenly frowned. "Dry Earthen Powder?" Zhang Xuan had never taken the poison master examination, but after taking in all of the books in the Poison Hall, he already possessed the capability of a 2-star pinnacle poison master. Even beforeing into contact with the tea in the cup, he already noticed the lethal poison contained within. Dry Earthen Powder was a type of grade-2 pinnacle poison, and it was effective even on Zongshi realm pinnacle experts. Even though it wasnt deadly, it could sap a persons energypletely and induce both nausea and diarrhea, leaving him in agony. Who would spike his teacup? And why? Frowning, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask who hade into contact with his tea set when Meng Tao suddenly rushed back in with a bizarre and frantic expression. "Liuoshi, bad news!" "Whats wrong, has something happened to Lu Chong?" Seeing the other partys expression, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He had told the other party to look for Lu Chong, yet the other party came back with a panicked expression. Did that fellow deviate from the cultivation technique he taught him, and a problem had urred? If the student he taught during this period of time were to go berserk or die... Putting aside failing the 2-star master teacher examination, he might even be expelled! If it was in the past, given how he possessed the Library of Heavens Path, being a master teacher or not meant nothing much to him. However, if he didnt be a 9-star master teacher before reaching thirty, the Innate Fetal Poison in him would act up, causing his death. He had to pass the examination! Even though he knew that there were other ways as well, there was no guarantee that he would be able to find them... If he couldnt find those solutions, there was no point knowing of their existence! The best chance that he had now was this. Others might deem it impossible, but to Zhang Xuan, as long as he cultivated diligently and found the corresponding cultivation technique manuals he required, there was a high chance he could seed. "That shouldnt be it. I have sent in a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi to protect his heart. Furthermore, he has already survived the hardest ordeal, so he shouldnt meet with any problem!" Before leaving, Zhang Xuan had made sure to double check that the zhenqi he infused earlier was still within Lu Chongs body. Since he had survived even the hardest ordeal, there should be no reason why a problem would ur now. "Its not Lu Chong!" Meng Tao shook his head. A bizarre expression slowly unfurled on his face. "Its Sun Chengoshi! H-He..." "What about him?" Zhang Xuan asked. With an awkward expression, Meng Tao replied, "H-he fell into the fecal drain..." Chapter 368: Two Methods Chapter 368: Two Methods Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In the campus, the autumn wind blew and the tree rustled. "I must say that Sunoshis sses are indeed impressive!" Walking along the corridor, Zhao Wuxingmented. Even though Sun Chengoshi, who came in at the same time as Liu Chengoshi, was outshone by thetter, he did possess true ability. It was just yesterday that Liu Changyan and he listened to a lesson from Sunoshi, and they benefitted greatly from it. "Indeed, his lessons are very good. I think that hes even better than Huoshi!" Liu Changyan nodded. Actually, the ss which they wanted to listen into was Liuoshis, but he was rarely around. They had looked for him a couple of times but to no avail. Eventually, when they heard the rumors that Sunoshis sses were not bad as well, they went to attend his lessons. In an instant, they were astounded. Sunoshi may seem unimpressive, but his understanding of cultivation reached an unbelievable level. Even the most impressive star teacher in Tianwu Academy seemed to pale inparison to him. "Liuoshi and Sunoshi are people of great capability. But why would they be obscure before being epted by the academy?" While they were impressed by the means of the duo, they harbored their doubts as well. All gold shines. Given how capable the two teachers were, it should have been impossible to bury their radiance. They should have long been famous figures in a region, so how could they be only discovered now? "I have no idea, but since the academy took them in, it must have looked into their backgrounds beforehand so there should be no trouble!" Liu Changyan shook his head. "Actually, we need not pay too much heed to this matter, it is sufficient as long as their lecture is good. Lets listen to Sunoshis lessons more frequently. The most important thing we have to do right now is raising our cultivation!" Tianwu Academy had an open concept, and all students were allowed to enter ssrooms freely to listen to the lectures of other teachers. For top geniuses like them, ordinary lessons were already ineffective. Only by going around the sses and broadening their horizons could they grow. "Youre right... I have a new idol now - on top of Zhang shi and Liuoshi - Sunoshi!" Zhao Wuxing chuckled. "I feel the same as well. His ability to exin profound concepts so easily truly opens up my mind..." Liu Changyan nodded. Halfway through his words, he suddenly froze. Then, he pointed to a direction and asked, "Look, isnt that Sunoshi?" Following the other partys finger, they saw a youngster staggering weakly with spiritless eyes. Who else could it be other than the formidable Sun Chengoshi they just spoke of! "Whats wrong with him? Lets take a look..." When they met the other party yesterday, he was still filled with energy and vigor. Why would he be reduced to such a state today? "Could it be that... he is in the midst of cultivating some powerful battle technique?" Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhao Wuxings mind, and his eyes lit up in excitement. It was rumored that there was a powerful battle technique in Tianwu Kingdom which one could only execute when drunk. Even though the movements seemed sloppy, simr to that of a drunk person, it was profound and possessed great might. Sunoshi had touched on this battle technique when he was exining and deciphering the various cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Upon seeing his current state, the duo couldnt help but think of this matter. "Its possible!" Liu Changyan nodded. He couldnt help but utter in amazement, "Such a profound movement. It looks as though it is full of openings, but... there is high possibility that it is intentional!" Most of the talented geniuses in the academy had bizarre quirks, and given how capable this Sunoshi was, he might be the same as well. Until now, they still found it hard to believe that there could be such a formidable teacher in Tianwu Academy. Upon seeing the other partys weak and bizarre footsteps, their first thought was that he was cultivating some powerful battle technique rather than something had happened to him. "Look at this move. It seemed to be sided toward the east, but it is actually a movement to the west. This must a high-level feint technique..." "This move also seems quite incredible. His kneecap suddenly caving in might make it seem as though he is falling down, but in truth, this is a good move to avoid an opponents attack. I should give it a tryter on..." Just as they wereplimenting the other party, they suddenly paused. "The heck! Sunoshi has fallen into thetrine pit! Save him..." The Sunoshi, who they wereplimenting to the heavens a moment ago, had suddenly lost his bnce and fallen into atrine pit. Since there were public toilets in the academy, there were drainage systems for it as well. These drainage systems were located at the corner of the academy, far away from the official paths. As though drunk, Sunoshis footsteps were wobbly and unstable. The duo thought that he was practicing some formidable battle technique, and never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that he would suddenly fall into the drain. They quickly rushed forward and, enduring the stench, they fished him out. Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stared at one another with faces burning red. They had just said confidently that Sunoshi was definitely practicing some powerful martial arts when he fell into the drainage pit... The heck, what was going on? For a teacher with such incredible understanding of cultivation techniques and battle techniques to fall into the fecal drain while walking... Despite witnessing the sight with their own eyes, they were still stumped. They couldntprehend the situation. "Sunoshi, could it be that... you are tired of living?" After grabbing a few pails of water to wash up, Zhao Wuxing couldnt help but ask. Pu! Upon hearing those words, Mo Hongyis face immediately turned pale and spurted a mouthful of blood. Your head! Even if I am tired of living, I would at least choose to choose some better location to jump... Have you seen anyone jumping into the fecal drain tomit suicide? Even if I wish to die, I wont degrade myself like that! Ive been poisoned, alright... This kind of poison can numb ones mind, leaving one unable to control oneself. Otherwise... Do you think that it is possible for me to fall in? Its fortunate that he was using his impersonated identity. Otherwise, if word were to spread around the kingdom that the genius Mo Hongyi had fallen into fecal drain, how could he meet anyone else in the future? "Other than drinking a cup of tea at Zhang Xuans ssroom this morning, I didnt do anything else..." Despite his dismal, Mo Hongyi didnt dwell on his misfortune. Instead, he slowly inferred and deduce the situation. Upon waking up, he went straight to Zhang Xuans ssroom, and while waiting for him, the only thing he consumed was a cup of tea. Could it be that... the tea was poisoned? From the looks of it, that seemed highly probable! However, his arrival at the Liuoshis ssroom was opportune. It was impossible for the other party to bank his hopes on an uncertain factor. In other words, the other partys target was... Master Teacher Zhang Xuan! But who could it be? Who would be so daring as toy his hands on a master teacher? "Wait. Yesterday night..." A thought suddenly shed through his head, and he recalled the three figures he saw in Zhang Xuans ssroom yesterday. All along, he had thought that they were the newly-epted students of Liu Cheng, so he didnt think much of it. Yet, in the two hours he spent in the ssroom, he didnt see any of the trio. Despite not being Liu Chengs students, they suddenly appeared in his ssroom in the middle of the night. Could it be that... "They are... Zhang Xuans student?" Recalling the appearance of one of them, Mo Hongyis mind suddenly jolted. He remembered where he had met them before. Back when Zhang Xuan was taking the 1-star master teacher examination, he had brought his students along. Its these students who allowed him to pass the House of Trust with a Trust Level of 85, breaking his own record. Back then, overwhelmed by astonishment, he only briefly nced at their appearance. Thus, he didnt have a clear memory of their appearances. As such, the second time he met them, he only found their faces familiar. However, thinking about it now, that seemed to be the case... Zhang Xuans student had tried to drug Liu Cheng, and... he identally took the other partys ce! What the heck was this? Who in the world did I offend? Its one thing for those two female students of yours to cause such a huge ruckus throughout the capital... But on top of that, your remaining students even sneaked here to poison you! If they wish to poison you, so be it. But what does this have to do with me... Mo Hongyi felt a stifled feeling in his chest, and tears streamed down his face. Due to his talents, his name had induced awe through Tianwu Kingdom and even the neighboring kingdoms when he was just five. No one dared to disrespect him, so when did he suffer such grievous injustice before... ... "Mo... Sunoshi dropped into the fecal pit?" Hearing Meng Taos words, Zhang Xuan nearly choked on his own saliva. That was Mo Hongyi, a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, one of the top ten strongest cultivators in Tianwu Kingdom, the idol of countless youngdies... Yet, he fell into the fecal pit? What was going on? "Yes. When I went out, I saw Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan helping him out... Teacher, you should hurry and take a look!" Meng Tao urged him. Zhang Xuan nodded and he swiftly walked out of the ssroom. Walking around two hundred meters, he saw a stiff Sunoshi lying on the floor, staring at him with a look of anguish. "Liuoshi, could Sunoshi be tired of living? You should hurry up and talk him out of it..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stood up and sped his fist. "Tired of living?" A bizarre expression was on Zhang Xuans face. In just four to five days, he managed to induce a Trust Level of forty among his students with his disguised identity. He was currently filled with expectations to pass the 2-star master teacher examination... So how could he possibly be tired of living? "Dont worry, let me take a look!" Replying so, Zhang Xuan walked up to Mo Hongyi. At this moment, the other partys face was pale, and a powerful stench was emanating from his body. His lips were quivering, and it seemed as though he was trying to say something but his body wouldnt listen to him. "He is... poisoned?" Even without the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could immediately tell what was going on. With a nce, he could tell that the other party was poison... And on top of that, it seemed to be rather simr to the effects of the Dry Earthen Powder that someoneced his tea set with. "You drank the tea in my ssroom?" Zhang Xuan immediately understood the situation. The tea wasced with poison, and Mo Hongyi was acting abnormally. It was obvious that he had drunk the tea. Upon realizing this, Zhang Xuan was tongue-tied. Dry Earthen Powder was a grade-2 pinnacle poison. Not only could it induce nausea and diarrhea and leave onepletely weak, it would also numb ones nerves, leaving one unable to move ones body properly. This fellow was caught off guard. It was no wonder why he fell into the fecal drain. The poison concocted by poison masters were scentless and tasteless, making it nearly impossible to guard against. On top of that, even Zongshi realm pinnacle experts, despite their strength, had no immunity to their poison either. This was the reason why poison masters were such a feared existence, and few were willing toe into contact with them. Furthermore... Given how severe his symptoms were, he seemed to have consumed quite a lot of the poison. Probably around an entire bottle! Wuwu! Upon hearing Zhang Xuan deducing the matter urately, Mo Hongyi tried to nod his head, but he wascking the strength to do so. Thus, he could only whimper in response. "Un. Since youre poisoned, then we should find a way to treat you... I have two methods. One will require quite a bit of medal herbs, and itll take one to two days! As for the other, I am confident that I can treat you by today! Which one... do you choose?" Zhang Xuan gazed questioningly at Mo Hongyi. Mo Hongyi struggled to put out two fingers. "The second one, is it? Alright..." Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan lifted up his hand. Pah! A powerful p struck him. "..." With eyes widened in disbelief, Mo Hongyi fainted. Chapter 369: Kong shi Admits a Disciple, the Student of the Sage Chapter 369: Kong shi Admits a Disciple, the Student of the Sage Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Before passing out, Mo Hongyis heart was filled with boundless resentment. I came to look for you out of goodwill, yet first, I was poisoned by your students, then, I ended up being knocked unconscious by your p... How in the world did I offend you? "Liuoshi..." Zhao Wuxing and the others were perplexed as well. Ignoring their shocked gazes, Zhang Xuan took out a few silver needles, and driving his zhenqi, he pierced the needles at several acupoints of the other party. He had read about the Dry Earthen Powder in some books before, so he knew about the symptoms and the treatment method. Under normal circumstances, one would have to concoct the antidote, and the entire process was lengthy and troublesome. However, if he were to use the silver needles and Heavens Path zhenqi, it could be solved in a matter of moments. However, his zhenqi was extremely pure, so he couldnt allow any outsiders to learn of it. Mo Hongyi was a genius, and his cultivation realm also equaled his own. Instead of being stumped by his questionster on, Zhang Xuan decided to knock him out first. Before long, more than a dozen of silver needles were pierced into the locations where the bulk of the poison aura was umted. Under the cleansing from Heavens Path zhenqi, the poison was absorbed by the silver needles, causing their surfaces to turn ck. Mo Hongyis pale face slowly alleviated, and traces of redness returned to it. "Incredible..." Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stared at one another in shock. They had heard of Liuoshis amazing feat of solving neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, making him the new guild leader of the Physician Guild. Even so, they didnt have a clear grasp of his abilities. Upon seeing it firsthand now, they finally realized how fearsome the capability of the other party was. Even without conducting a diagnosis, with just a few needles, he was able to heal the incapacitated Sunoshi. Compared to him, the physicians in the academy seemed likeplete amateurs. "You two, send Sunoshi back. He should wake up in about two hours!" After finishing the acupuncture and confirming that the poison in the other partys body had been expelled, Zhang Xuan instructed the duo. Grade-2 pinnacle poison was an extremely fearsome substance. Even if it was cleared from ones body, it would take a while before one could recover from its damage. Of course, if Zhang Xuan were to infuse a little more Heavens Path zhenqi into the other partys body, he should be able to wake up swiftly. However, he would be unable to exin away his Heavens Path zhenqi that way. "Yes!" Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan quickly lifted Sunoshi and carried him to his ssroom. "Someone wants to poison me. Mo Hongyi only happened to be at that spot at the wrong timing and drank that drugged tea... Who is the one trying to kill me?" Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan was stumped. He was currently Liu Cheng and he didnt remember offending anyone. Who in the world would go through so much trouble to procure such a valuable poison to kill him? Could it be those men from the Physician Guild? Were they unhappy that he had be the new guild leader? Zhang Xuan immediately shook his head. Physicians were responsible for healing the injured and treating the sick, and those who choose this upation carriedpassion in their hearts. At the very least, they wouldnt resort to such lowly methods. Putting aside the fact that this Dry Earthen Powder wasnt fatal, more importantly, if he were killed and the headquarter were to investigate this matter, the physician would stand to lose more than he had gained. After pondering for a long moment, Zhang Xuan was unable to fathom who it was. Thus, he rubbed his be and decided not to be bothered about it anymore. "Lets go to Lu Chongs dormitory!" With Meng Tao leading the way, the duo soon arrived at the student dormitory. Rather than living with the other students, Lu Chong stayed in a storage room beside the dormitory. A typical room in the Tianwu Academy student dormitory consisted of four students. The reason why Lu Chong decided to stay there was because he was afraid of revealing his secrets in his sleep talk. The storage room was small and dirty, but he would be able to guard his secrets here. "Lu Chong! Lu Chong! Why didnt youe to ss today? Teacher is here to meet you!" Walking to the door, Meng Tao nodded. There was no response. Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Could this fellow have truly copsed from the poison? Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan kicked open the door and walked in. The room was small, and all kinds of misceneous objects were ced here. However, it was packed properly, and at the very corner, there was a small bed where one could rest on. "No one is here?" The ce was small, and with a brief nce, Zhang Xuan could see that there was no one in here. "Teacher..." Meng Tao noticed something, and he passed it over to Zhang Xuan. It was an envelope, and written on it was To Liuoshi. From the looks of it, he knew that Zhang Xuan would look for him, so he made preparations beforehand. Zhang Xuan swiftly tore open the envelope. There was just a line of words, and the meaning behind it was simple. "Liuoshi, pardon your unfilial student, but I cant abandon my vengeance for my parents and kin. Please dont look for me!" "He... went to exact vengeance?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He knew that Lu Chong was carrying a huge burden in his heart, and there wasnt a single day that he didnt think about exacting vengeance on his enemies. Even so, to rush over as soon as his Poison Body was sessfully cultivated, wasnt he being a little too anxious! Even so, Zhang Xuan could understand his impulse. How could a person allow the murderer of his family and rtives to get away scot-free? He had toiled silently for two years just for this, and upon seeing his goal right before him, how could he remain seated? "Just that, I wonder who his enemy is..." Afraid of implicating him, Lu Chong had never revealed who his enemy was. Even though Zhang Xuan wanted to look for Lu Chong, he didnt have any idea where he should start from! "Pay close attention to the movements in Tianwu Royal City these few days. If anyone is killed or theres any sort of uproar, notify me immediately!" Zhang Xuan instructed. Those students of his came from distinguished families. Alone, Zhang Xuan might be unable to find anything, but through their connections, he should be able to get some news soon. Since Lu Chong was going as far as to feign mute, there was a high probability that his enemy was in the capital, and he possessed a high standing at that! Thus, if he were to make his move, it would surely cause a hugemotion. By then, it shouldnt be a problem to find him. "Reckless!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was just thinking of imparting the other party a battle technique after he had finished cultivating his poison body to increase his chances of winning. Who knew that the other party would leave as soon as he was done, not even greeting him at that. Despite hisposed nature, he sure acted rashly. Actually, Zhang Xuan knew that Lu Chong was doing this because he didnt want to implicate him. If Zhang Xuan were to find out about it, he would surely interfere in his matters. Even more so, if he were to meet in danger, there was a high possibility that Zhang Xuan would stand up for him. If so, Zhang Xuan would be implicated to this matter as well. In order not to bring harm to his respected teacher, he chose to depart by his own, leaving behind just a letter. This fellow may be young, but he sure had a lot of thoughts. "Lets return to the ssroom first!" Sighing, Zhang Xuan started walking back toward the ssroom. Even though he felt that the fellow was acting too rashly, Zhang Xuan felt moved by his gesture. "Teacher and student. What makes a teacher? What makes a student?" Zhang Xuan contemted as he walked. Ever since his transcension, he had been epting students and teaching them for his own motives. He was earnest in his job as a teacher, and the knowledge he imparted was also carefully selected with the welfare of his students at heart... But in truth, from the very start until now, he hadnt been able to understand the true meaning behind a teacher. It was just like a pair of young parents. They might shower unconditional love and concern for their child, but the notion of being a parent was still blurred in them. Zhang Xuan was only a librarian of a high school in his previous life, so he wasnt a teacher in the truest sense. Even though he had epted quite a few students, his time with them hadnt been long, and he was gued with many other affairs as well. Somehow, Lu Chongs actions had unwittingly struck a chord in his heart. "Does imparting knowledge make a teacher? Does epting knowledge make a student? "Thats not it! Being a teacher isnt that simple, and being a student isnt that easy!" The interactions he had with Zhao Ya, Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and all of his others students slowly trickled through his mind, and gradually, the fog veiling Zhang Xuans mind gradually cleared. "Its camaraderie, its responsibility, its interdependence, its..." Boom! After a seemingly long yet short period of time, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt everything before him clearing it. It seemed as though something blocked him had been removed, and he felt enlightened. Then, a powerful energy shaped as though countless lines descended from the skies and seeped into Zhang Xuans head, causing his mind to be clearer and richer. "Dont allow anyone to interrupt me, I am going into seclusion!" Sensing the change in his State of Mind, Zhang Xuan could no longer hold himself back. After instructing Meng Tao, he walked into the mini tutoring room and sat down. ... Master Teacher Pavilion. "Father, Im speaking the truth. That Liu Chengoshi really guided Apothecary Mu to forge a grade-4 pill..." Jiang Chen looked at this father, who was seated a short distance away from him. The sight yesterday was too shocking that he had yet to recover from it even now. After looking through numerous books, he realized the impossibility of guiding a 2-star apothecary to forge a grade-4 pill. In any case, it wasnt something that could be exined by possessing absolute knowledge in medicinal herbs. In other words, that Liuoshi was likely to be an apothecary, an extremely skilled one at that. "Ok, I believe you!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. He already knew that this senior of his possessed pill forging skills far beyond others. Even so, this feat was still beyond his expectations. "Father, tell me the truth. Is Liuoshi rted to Senior Uncle Zhang?" Seeing that his father was nonchnt, Jiang Chen raised his doubts. Jiang Chen had been harboring this doubt since yesterday. Zhang shi was skilled in pill forging, and so was Liuoshi! The day that Zhang shi disappeared for the 2-star master teacher mission, Liuoshi appeared... The coincidences between these two absolute geniuses couldnt help but make him consider this possibility. Seeing that his son was getting doubtful, Pavilion Master Jiang opened his mouth to speak, but he suddenly paused and his face warped in shock. "What?" He wasnt the only one. Jiang Chen was dumbstruck as well. "Its the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall!" Pavilion Master Jiang quickly dashed out, and Jiang Chen followed closely behind. After leaving the residence, he realized that all of the master teachers had been rmed, and they were all headed anxiously for the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was where master teachers were where master teachers were given their emblem and officially acknowledged. After passing the examination, the new master teachers were to apply for their emblems here, pay respects to Kong shi, and request for the acknowledgement of the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was simr to how normal ns paid respect to their ancestors. As for the Question Symposium, it was more like a public deration of ones identity after one was acknowledged in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. However, Zhang Xuan had applied for the 2-star master teacher examination right after passing the first examination, so he hadnt had the chance toe here yet. Huhuhuhu! Many master teachers arrived at the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall at the same time, and they lifted their heads to take a look. The innumerable memorial tablets of the predecessors were shaking non-stop, as though an earthquake was going on. Putong! Putong! Putong! One after another, the memorial tablets fell over. "Trembling of Myriad Tablets, this is... [Celestial Master Teacher]?" Pavilion Master Jiangs lips quivered. "That isnt just the case. Pavilion master, look..." A master teacher pointed at a direction. Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Jiang and the others immediately looked over. At the center of the room, Kong shis statue was trembling slightly non-stop as well. "This is... Kong shi Admits a Disciple, the Student of the Sage?" Pavilion Master Jiang eximed. Chapter 370: Unwilling to Become Your Student Chapter 370: Unwilling to Be Your Student Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric One was required to go through all kinds of examinations to be a master teacher. Only then could he earn the acknowledgment of the Master Teacher Pavilion, obtain the corresponding emblem, and gain the respect of the masses. This was the standard procedure. However, there were also exceptions of geniuses who were born with capabilities way beyond that of the typical master teacher. Given their overwhelming ability, they couldnt be assessed through normal means and naturally, a standard rank couldnt be assigned to them. Take Kong shi as an example. As the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, who had the qualifications to test him? Such people possessed natural learning abilities so superb that they could gain the approval of heavens and assume the identity of a master teacher automatically. They were known as [Celestial Master Teachers]! As a title bestowed by the heavens, Heaven Master Teachers were recognized as master teachers even without undergoing trials and test. In fact... their standing was higher than that of ordinary master teachers. After all, who dared to defy the will of heaven? Nheless, such geniuses only existed in the legends whereby Kong shi was the only one back then who had reached such a level. Never could they had expected that someone from their guild would seed! To achieve the well sought-after standing of Celestial Master Teacher was already fearsome enough but for Kong shis statue to be trembling along as well... This made everyone even more frenzied! ording to the books, Kong shi had infused a sliver of his consciousness in his statues. As long as an existence whom he was willing to ept as disciple appeared, it would tremble. This was a dictum that was followed strictly by all master teachers. However, such a person had never appeared despite the passing of innumerable years. In other words, no one was able to win Kong shis recognition to be his student. Who could have thought that at the moment someone was bestowed the title of Celestial Master Teacher, the statue would begin to shake as well. In other words... Kong shi had acknowledged this very person and wanted to ept him as his disciple! A disciple of Kong shi. And that is... the student of the Sage! Empyrean Kong shi had epted many disciples in his lifetime, and rumors had it that they amounted to more than three thousand. However, the numbers had dwindled as more and more of them passed away as time went by. Even the most formidable 9-star master teacher in existence now could only be considered a descendant among their descendants. By bing the student of Sage meant that even 9-star master teachers had to call him elder or even old ancestor! To think that such an incredible existence would appear in their guild... If news of this matter were to spread, the entire world would be thrown into a frenzy. Who was it? Mo Hongyi? Zhang Xuan? Or was it one of them here? The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion only reflected the news and did not pinpoint the identity of the person. Thus, even though everyone was shocked, they were unable to confirm for sure who the lucky person who won Kong shis favor was. "Even so... The Sages eptance of a disciple is a huge affair. Im afraid that its impossible to hide this matter..." Pavilion Master Jiang muttered. Once the matter had been confirmed, the entire world would be informed of it. All kingdoms and Master Teacher Pavilions would receive the news. When that timees, people from all kingdoms woulde to offer their blessings. If that really happened, it would be impossible for that person to hide even if he wanted to. "Indeed. Our guild will be famous..." "Incredible! After such a long interval, Kong shi is going to ept a disciple?" ... The eyes of countless master teachers glowed with euphoria. But... Before they could even finish their sentence, Kong shis statue suddenly stopped trembling and with a sudden jolt, kacha!, a crack running down the middle of the statue appeared. Upon seeing this sight, everyone was once again stunned. Pavilion Master Jiangs eyes widened to their limits. "This is..." "Kong shi wishes to admit a disciple, but... he was rejected?" Complete silence. Everyone looked as though they had just seen a ghost. Since a teacher could choose his student, a student could choose his teacher as well. Therefore, even if Kong shi was considered as the teacher of all beings and was respectfully addressed as the Empyrean, he still had to ask for the other partys permission when intending to admit him as his disciple. If the other party was unwilling, he couldnt force himself on the other party either. The shaking of the statue had meant that Kong shi was willing to ept the other party as his disciple, but its subsequent fracture meant that... the other party had rejected him! Rejecting the opportunity to be Kong shis student? The heck! Who in the world is this formidable person? To refuse the offer to be the student of the greatest man in the world, could you be any more arrogant than that? ... In the small ssroom. Zhang Xuans mind was operating at high intensity as he tried his best to absorb the unique energy that descended from the skies. These slivers of energy seemed to fuse perfectly with his soul, causing his eyes to be clearer. "It is increasing my Soul Depth..." Having read the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan understood what was going on. This was neither spiritual energy nor zhenqi, this was Insight Energy! All that wished to be a master teacher had to possess the State of Insight Will of Mind. And to raise ones Will of Mind Soul Depth, one had to absorb this kind of unique Insight Energy. Back then, the Enlightenment Jade that Zhao Yas father gave him possessed this kind of energy, and it was through absorbing it that he managed to recover his Soul Depth back to 0.1. "Absorb!" Even though Zhang Xuan was surprised by the sudden appearance of the Insight Energy, he showed no indication of wanting to stop at all. Since he had attained his previous Soul Depth level with the help of the golden pages instead of cultivating his soul through the cultivation of a secret manual, he had never seen or absorbed Insight Energy before. Even so, he knew how precious it was. To master teachers, it was definitely a priceless treasure! Tzzzzz! As Zhang Xuan absorbed the Insight Energy that descended from the skies, his Soul Depth slowly inched forward. After an unknown period of time. His body jolted, and he came to a stop. "Theres nothing left..." Looking around, Zhang Xuan knew that he had absorbed the final sliver of the energy that had fallen and exhaled deeply. With a flick of his wrist, a Stone of Insight appeared in his hands. He immediately got into the state of Heart of Tranquil Water. Numbers appeared on the stone. 11.1! "Despite absorbing for so long, my Soul Depth only increased by 1.0?" Zhang Xuan pouted. He had thought that his Soul Depth would increase significantly after absorbing so much Insight Energy. At the very least, it would increase by eight or ten. Yet, betraying his expectations, it only raised by 1.0! This was way too little! If anyone else were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely rush forward to strangle him. To raise a mere 0.1 Soul Depth, others had to endure all kinds of hell, toiling in extreme cold and heat just to train their mind. In contrast, he had gained this 1.0 Soul Depth in a single go, yet he wasnt satisfied... Of course, if they knew that he could raise his Soul Depth by 5.0 using the golden page, they would definitely think otherwise. Zhang Xuan shook the dismal in his head away and slowly opened his eyes. String after string of Insight Energy flowed in his eyes, allowing him to peer through the fabric of the world to see its very essence. ncing at a saber on the weapon rack, he saw a faint apparition striking on a lump of metal, slowly shaping it. With just a single look, he could see the forging process of the saber, its tier, as well as its ws. Not too far away, behind a table, there was an apparition of a towering tree. The tree was hacked down and worked on by craftsmen... "This is..." A name appeared in his mind, causing Zhang Xuans eyes to widen and his fists to clench tightly together. Eye of Insight! It was said that formidable master teachers could expend their Soul Depth to activate their Eye of Insight to peer into the essence of matter, the strengths and weaknesses of battle techniques as well as cultivation techniques. It was just like how even Zhizun experts were unable to notice his original face under the human mask of Liu Cheng, but those who possessed the Eye of Insight could see through it in an instant and peer at the original appearance of the person. This was precisely the reason why high-tiered master teachers were fearsome existences. With just a single look, they could see through the problems and ailments of a person, and guide them to resolve it. Despite that... "I thought that only 6-star master teachers are able toprehend this technique? Whats going on?" After checking the details of the Eye of Insight in the books, Zhang Xuan felt bewildered. ording to the records, only 6-star master teachers possessed the strength toprehend this powerful talent. How could he possess it when he wasnt even a 2-star master teacher. Boom! Just as he was pondering over this matter, the sight before him blurred, and his consciousness seemed to have been pulled by an overwhelming strength reminiscent of a vast ocean into a chaotic dimension. Then, an elder with a snow-white beard walked over and apassionate voice sounded in Zhang Xuans head. "I wish to take you in as my disciple, do you ept?" "You want to take me in as your disciple?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Then, he quickly shook his head and said, "I refuse!" What a joke! Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to see through the ws of everything with a look. From his perspective, there was no need for him to acknowledge any teacher at all. Could 4-star to 5-star master teachers conjure theories that surpassed that of the Library of Heavens Path? In terms of cultivation, was there any technique that could surpass the Heavens Path Divine Art? Besides, the other party had invaded his mind without any forewarning. Who knew whether he bore malicious intents? It was better to be safe than sorry. After all, it was just a moment ago that someone spiked his tea. Hu! As soon as he replied the other party, his body jolted once more, and he realized that he was still in the mini tutoring room. He hadnt gone anywhere, and the sight just now seemed nothing more than a dream. "An Illusion Formation? No, there cant be any formation here. Otherwise, the Library of Heavens Path would have detected it... Could it be something simr to the Trust Crystal?" Zhang Xuan thought. The Trust Level test was something simr to what he had experienced; ones mental state would be sent into an illusion, and they would undergo various events so as to test theirpatibility with their teacher. Could he had just met with something simr? Otherwise, how could some old geezer just appear and ask to take him in as his student? What in the hell is this? If you wish to take me as your disciple, you should at least name yourself! To put me into this kind of illusion without any warning, arent you being inconsiderate? Harrumphing coldly, he immediatelybeled that elder as shameless. Of course, if he were to know that the elder was Empyrean Kong shi, and if he had agreed to be the other partys student, his identity and standing would rise exponentially... Would he spew blood and die straight from disappointment? "Even if I dont take the examinations now, I am already a recognized master teacher. No one will be able to refute that..." Ignoring that inconsiderate old geezer, Zhang Xuan hid his Eye of Insight and clenched his fists excitedly. After reading through the books, he knew that he had unintentionallyprehended the true meaning of teacher and student and from there, he was recognized by the heavens, bing a Celestial Master Teacher! In other words, even if he didnt take any examination, no one would be able to refute his standing as an official master teacher. There was already no need for him to continue his impersonation. "However... the title of a Celestial Master Teacher is too conspicuous. I should take the examination as per normal. Anyway, I am justcking the final step..." Even though Zhang Xuan was excited, he knew that it was best to keep it to himself. Celestial Master Teacher was a huge affair. If word were to spread, he might face quite a lot of trouble. Keeping a low profile was the way to go. No matter what others say, I, Zhang Xuan... have always been a low-profile person... Chapter 371: Sealing Gossip Chapter 371: Sealing Gossip Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Silence! Kong shi epting a disciple was a huge matter that could shake the world to its core. Regardless of whether one was a master teacher or not, as long as one was a cultivator, one would surely be so excited to even forget their own names upon receiving such an honor. Yet, this fellow... rejected it. On top of that, so decisively and affirmatively! Who can tell me what had happened? The appearance of a Celestial Master Teacher was already shocking enough... but to reject the offer to be Kong shis student, this was sufficient to send anyone into a frenzy. All of the teachers in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall fell to silence as though something had glued their mouths together. They stared at one another silently despite the huge storm raging in their minds. This expert, if you dont want to be Kong shis student, I would dly take your ce... You should have at least left the slot to me, why must you reject the offer... "Pavilion Master Jiang, whats going on?" After a long period of time, a master teacher finally turned to Pavilion Master Jiang and asked. At the same time, the gazes of the others also centered on him. "I... I dont know as well!" At this moment, Pavilion Master Jiang had broken down internally as well. He only rushed here because he felt an anomaly in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. Who would have known that he would witness such an earth-shattering matter? To reject Kong shi... Needless to mention this happening in the Tianwu Royal City, even if this matter had urred in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, a huge bunch of people would die of shock. Even 9-star master teachers were not capable of such a feat! "You dont know too?" The master teacher hesitated for a moment before continuing on, "In this entire city, there are only two people worthy of bing a Celestial Master Teacher... Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi! All you have to do is to tell us where the duo is and whether they are still in the capital!" The rm indicating the conferment of a Celestial Master Teacher would only affect the nearest Master Teacher Pavilion. Since the rm had sounded off at their Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, it meant that a master teacher in Tianwu Royal City must have achieved a breakthrough! Naturally, the crowds thoughts would be directed to the duo. "They..." Pavilion Master Jiang hesitated for a moment. "Lets just tell them the truth. Bing a Celestial Master Teacher meant that he is already a master teacher transcending beyond the rank system. The examination doesnt mean much to him anymore..." Elder Zhu said. "Un!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded in agreement. "They are still in the capital. However, they are currently in disguise for thest test of the 2-star master teacher examination!" "In disguise?" Everyone was taken aback. The House of Trust test in the 2-star master teacher examination was carried out in an extremely quiet and secretive fashion such that many of the master teachers on the spot didnt know of it. In fact, it was the first time Jiang Chen was hearing of this as well. "Its like this!" Pavilion Master Jiang exined the entire situation regarding the final test in the 2-star master teacher examination. "You mean to say that... Guild Master Liu Cheng who rocked the entire city at its core... is actually Zhang shi?" As the exnation sank in, everyone was shocked once more. They felt dizzy-headed. In the past few days, the two most talked about figures were the Master Teacher Pavilions Zhang Xuan and the Physician Guilds Guild Master Liu Cheng! Everyone knew that these two were absolute geniuses, and they felt deep respect and envy for them. How could they have possibly imagined that... the two of them were actually the same person! "Its no wonder..." Jiang Chen froze on the spot. He had been suspecting the matter before, but even so, in the depths of his mind, he didnt dare to think of it to be true. However, after hearing his fathers confirmation, he immediately came to a realization. It was no wonder why the other party was so skilled in pill forging, even going to the extent of guiding a 2-star apothecary to sessfully forge a grade-4 pill! Even though Jiang Chen knew that Zhang Xuan was much more talented than him, he still couldnt help butpare himself to the other party. He had always thought that as long as he followed strictly to the conventional route and continued working hard, he would catch up with the other party one day... But at this moment... he realized that the gap was too huge! Therespletely no basis ofparison for the two of them! Needless to say catching up with the other party, he couldnt even see the other partys back! The other party was skilled in pill forging, Way of Medicine, painting, and beast taming... The other party had reached such astounding proficiency in so many upations, how could he match up? "Since the two of them are in the capital, the Celestial Master Teacher must be one of them. As long as we find them and confirm the matter with them, well know who it is!" Suppressing his astonishment, a master teacher said. "Indeed! Regardless of the matter, given that a Celestial Master Teacher had appeared, and that he had nearly be a student of the Sage, we have to find out who he is..." Another master teacher spoke up. Within the radius of possibilities, there were only two usible candidates, so it wasnt hard to find out who it was. No matter what, the guild couldnt possibly stay ignorant when such a formidable figure had appeared in thend of their jurisdiction. "Everyone, dont panic. Ill send an apprentice to take a look now!" Pavilion Master Jiang turned around and left. Not too longter, he returned. Liu Cheng and Sun Cheng were extremely famous teachers in Tianwu Academy, so it wasnt too hard to get news on them. "How is it?" Elder Zhu asked in agitation. "Mo Hongyi... seemed to be ill. He is currently in aa! On the other hand, Zhang shi is currently in seclusion, and hes refusing all guests at the moment..." Pavilion Master Jiang said. "Theres no doubt about it then, it must be Zhang shi..." The group nodded in agreement. Since the other party was in aa, it was impossible for him to be the Celestial Master Teacher or to reject Kong shi. In that case, only one possibility remained... The only one who could create such a huge ruckus had to be the one who had shown them countless miracles right from his arrival, Zhang Xuan! "Since we had confirmed Zhang shis identity, should we report this matter to the headquarter?" A master teacher among the group asked. "We cant!" Pavilion Master Jiang shook his head. "If its just him being conferred the title of a Celestial Master Teacher, theres no problem reporting it to the headquarter. However... this Zhang shi had just rejected Kong shi. If the headquarter were to hear of it, they might burst into a rage..." The crowd was dumbstruck. Indeed. Who is Kong shi? The number one person in history, the teacher acknowledged by the heavens and earth... It would be a huge pandemonium if people were to find out that he was rejected! On top of that, it wasnt an honorable affair for Kong shi to be rejected. If they were to spread the news, they might incur Kong shis rage... It would be hard to appease his anger even with their deaths. "This matter is already way beyond our strength. The best choice we have at hand is to keep this matter to ourselves..." After a short moment, Pavilion Master Jiang instructed. "Yes!" The group was also clear on the severity of this matter. Thus, they nodded in assent without any hesitation. Regardless of whether it was the conferment of a Celestial Master Teacher or Kong shi getting rejected, they were matters surpassing their understanding. Facing such matters, it was wiser for them to keep mum, to stay silent, ignorant, and uninvolved. Otherwise, they might just get killed someday because of it. "Since thats the case, lets make an oath before Kong shis statue then!" Pavilion Master Jiang spoke up once more. "Yes!" Soon, the oath was made, and everyone felt a peculiar energy seeping into their mind, sealing away what theyve just learned. If they were to speak of the matter, they would be severely punished. ... Oblivious to the fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion had already known everything, Zhang Xuan was still harboring the thoughts of keeping this matter to himself to maintain a low profile. He pushed open the door of the mini tutoring room and walked out. Even though bing a Celestial Master Teacher had raised his Soul Depth by a hulking 1.0 and aided him in forging the Eye of Insight, it didnt boost his cultivation at all. He was still at Zongshi realm pinnacle, and his strength was at 5000 ding. "Teacher!" Upon walking out, ady immediately kneeled before him. Facing her teacher, her eyes were filled with reverence. She was Mu Xueqing. At this moment, she seemed to have just undergone an overwhelming change as a powerful aura reminiscent of a mighty dragon embraced her. Triggering all of the medicinal energy umted within her body had allowed her to immediately break through the Pixue realm bottleneck to reach Tongxian realm primary stage! In fact, from the aura, one could feel that she wasnt too far from reaching Tongxuan realm intermediate stage. She couldnt have imagined that it was possible for her to grow so much stronger overnight. "Not bad!" Seeing her improvement, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. She had been consuming pills from young, and the medicinal energy that had umted in her body had reached an astounding level. It wasntpletely unexpected for her to grow so rapidly. "You have just achieved a breakthrough, remember to reinforce your cultivation properly. Ill bring you somewhere tomorrow!" Knowing that the other partys Trust Level in him must have exceeded 40, and he could finally end the master teacher examination, Zhang Xuan instructed. "Yes!" Mu Xueqing nodded before retreating to a corner. ... Emerald Pavilion was Tianwu Kingdoms most famous expenditure abyss. The single day of expenditure here was sufficient to leave a small n of a Tier 2 Kingdom bankrupt. Even so, carriages still arrived one after another at its doorstep. It was the dream of countless people to be a frequent member here. This was because this was where, of the surrounding thirteen kingdoms, the best alcohol was, the best beauties were, the best service was, the most conducive atmosphere for pleasure-making... Regardless of male or female, any cultivators who had been here once would wish toe a second time. The thought would consume their mind, filling them with remembrance over their previous visit. Even before stepping in, one could already feel a dense concentration of spiritual energy two times of that of the outside world gushing straight towards one. Cultivating here would definitely be more than two folds faster than the outside world. Early this morning, a carriage stopped right at the entrance. The coach hurriedly got down andid a stepping stone for the esteemed person seated in the carriage. "Young master, were here!" "Un!" The curtain was parted, and a young man walked out. The young man was dressed extravagantly, adding an air of nobility to him. However, a dark shadow would flit past in his eyes from time to time. Bruises could be seen on some exposed skin which indicated an iplete recovery of recent injuries. "Young master, are we... really going to look for Lin Lang gongzi? I heard that his services are expensive!" The coach asked hesitantly. "Who else can I look for if not him?" With a steeled face, the young man said, "Even my n has abandoned me. They are determined to send me over to Zhang Xuan to appease his rage! Right now, only the Lin n can protect me! As long as Lin Lang gongzi speaks up for me, so what if he passes his 2-star master teacher examination? Would he dare to offend the Formation Guild, as well as Xuanyuan Kingdom?" If Zhang Xuan was here, he would have definitely recognized the person to be none other than the painter who was stripped buck naked by his own subordinates back then, Ji Mo gongzi! After realizing that the person he offended was the genius Zhang Xuan, no one in the Ji n had dared to shield him anymore. Even his own father, the n head, had wanted to tie him up and deliver him personally to ask for the other partys forgiveness. Knowing that he would be in for another round of suffering once he was sent over, Ji Mo sneaked out to seek for protection. Other than the Lin n, there was no one else in Tianwu Kingdom who could protect him, not even the royal family! Not only was the Lin ns n head the guild master of the Formation Guild, his daughter was the princess consort of the Xuanyuan Kingdoms crown prince. Even Pavilion Master Jiang Shu would have to spare the Lin n some face, needless to say, Zhang Xuan, who had just taken the 2-star master teacher examination. As for the Lin Lang person he spoke of, he was known as the number one gongzi of Tianwu Kingdom. He was the son of the Lin ns n head, the younger brother of Xuanyuan Kingdoms princess consort. It was only because of Ji Mos slightly superior talent and his identity as the son of the n head of one of the Three Great ns of the capital that he was able to get acquainted with the other party. As for this Emerald Pavilion, it was an establishment of Lin Langs. Chapter 372: Lin Lang Chapter 372: Lin Lang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "The Lin n is the number one n of Tianwu Kingdom, and Lin Lang is the sole son doted on by n Head Lin, needless to say, the younger brother of Xuanyuan Kingdoms princess consort. Even Emperor Mo Tianxue would have to defer to him. As long as he agrees to it, young master has nothing to worry about!" The coach hesitated for a moment before nodding vigorously. There was no better solution for the current situation. Once this Zhang Xuan passes the 2-star master teacher examination, his standing and identity would rise up ordingly. If he were to pursue the matter that day, the Ji n, despite being one of the Three Great ns, would not dare to oppose him. 2-star master teachers, especially this kind of exceptional genius, possessed immense prestige and strength. On top of that, he was the senior of Pavilion Master Jiang with an even more formidable teacher behind him... Ji Mo didnt dare to exact vengeance; all he wanted was to find an influential intermediary to resolve the issue. And this Lin n was the best bet he had. "Un, lets enter!" Waving his hands, Ji Mo gongzi started walking toward the Emerald Pavilion with widened steps. Judging from how he was able to maneuver around the ce easily, he must have visited here often. Soon, he arrived at a vast room. After exchanging some words with the guards at the door, he walked in. A sight of magnificence unfolded before him as soon as he stepped into the room. All kinds of gemstones were embedded into the vast lounge, and mats made from the hide of beasts filled the area. It was so extravagantly decorated that even the royal pce seemed to pale inparison in terms of grandness. Furthermore, under the influence of a formation in the room, not only was thepletely underground lounge not stuffy, it even felt like an otherworldly paradise. At the center of the room, a young many on arge beast hide mat, and beauties stood by his sides. Before him was an arrangement of all kinds of delicacies, and the smell of marvelous wine tickled ones nose. Sitting opposite to that person was another young man dressed extravagantly. He was holding onto a cup, proposing a toast with the other party. "Brother Ji Mo, it has been long since west met..." Upon seeing Ji Mo enter, the young man who was lying in the embrace of a beauty beckoned him over. "Lin Lang gongzi!" Ji Mo sped his fist. "Come, allow me to introduce you. This is Kunqian Kingdoms Prince Fei Xuan!" Lin Lang gongzi pointed to the young man opposite of him and introduced the two to one another. "Prince Fei Xuan, this is Ji Mo gongzi from Tianwu Royal Citys Ji n!" "So its Ji gongzi. To be able to be an official painter at such a young age, I have heard of your great name even from Kunqian Kingdom!" Prince Fei Xuan smiled. He was the prince who proposed to Mo Yu when Zhang Xuan visited the royal pce. Given that his proposal failed, and guessing that Guild Master Liu would cure the guardian beast, he had turned his attention to the Lin n. With the backing of the Formation Guild and the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom, Lin n was a massive power among Tier 1 Kingdoms. Even a prince like him didnt dare to act arrogantly before the Lin n. Before arriving at Tianwu Royal City, Prince Fei Xuan had already investigated the various powers in the capital. As such, he was able to trace his background upon hearing Ji Mo gongzis name. After getting to know one another, Ji Mo sat down, traded some pleasantries with the duo before diving straight into the topic. "Lin gongzi, the reason why I am here is that I have something to request of you..." "Oh?" Lin Lang nced at Ji Mo curiously. "Actually, I... unintentionally offended Master Teacher Zhang Xuan awhile ago, and Im afraid that he mighte and exact vengeance once he passes his 2-star master teacher examination. Thus, I would like to ask you to act as an intermediary to settle this issue..." Ji Mo gongzi said. "Zhang Xuan? You mean that famous genius?" Lin Lang poured himself a cup of wine nonchntly. "Thats him..." Ji Mo gongzi hurriedly nodded his head. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a scroll appeared in his hands. "I understand that itll be hard to resolve this matter. I recall that Lin gongzi fancies painting, so I prepared the [Withered Pine Painting] from Elder Jin Mantang for you. I hope that you can ept this gift of mine!" "Withered Pine Painting? Thats thest painting of Elder Jin Mantang left in this world! Even among fifth level paintings, it is considered as a top-notch work. This painting is extremely valuable, and it is only due to the kindness the Ji n showed the old master back then that he gifted this painting as a way of thanks. To be willing to give this to me... Not bad, not bad!" Grabbing over the painting, Lin Lang opened it, took a look, and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, I promise to help you on your matter!" "Thank you, Lin gongzi!" Ji Mo gongzis face flushed in agitation. "It isnt a huge matter anyway. 2-star master teachers may be impressive, but they mean nothing to our Lin n! Hes just a lucky fellow who managed to find a good teacher!" Lin Lang gongzi waved his hands casually and said, "When hes done with his examination, Ill send a letter to invite him over so that the two of you can meet one another and resolve whatever conflict you have!" "Yes!" Ji Mo gongzi nodded vehemently. If it was anyone else who said those words, he would have definitely scoffed. However, this Lin gongzi did indeed possess the rights to speak such words. Even though the other party was only three years older than him, he was already a 2-star formation master. On top of that, just two months ago, he had managed to achieve a breakthrough, reaching Zongshi realm! To break through the Tongxuan realm pinnacle to Zongshi realm, he had only used less than half a year. Even though part of the reason was that of the hulking resources that Xuanyuan Kingdom devoted to the Lin n, his talents still yed an important part! Above all, he had the Lin n as his backing. Conferred Kingdom Xuanyuan Kingdom had 3-star master teachers in their Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if Zhang Xuan could oppose the Lin n, it was impossible for him to oppose Xuanyuan Kingdom. No matter how talented and prestigious Zhang Xuan was, he was nothing before Lin Lang. "Lin gongzi, its best for you not to get careless. Ive heard of Zhang shi before as well, and he seems to be a person of great means. His talent surpasses that of even your kingdoms number one genius, Mo Hongyi!" Prince Fei Xuan interrupted. Having stayed in Tianwu Royal City for a few days now, he was well abreast of the current affairs here. Zhang Xuans feat of breaking the countless records set by Mo Hongyi was already a well-known fact throughout the entire city. "So what if he is a remarkable genius? His cultivation is only at Zongshi realm primary stage... If he wishes to remain in Tianwu Royal City, he better keep himself in check!" Lin Lang sneered in disdain. So what if that Zhang Xuan is a genius? Without sufficient strength, all of these were just illusory. After all, strength was what counted in this world. This was something that bes increasingly apparent in the higher ranked kingdoms. The stronger one is, the higher ones standing bes. Without sufficient strength, even if one had great achievements in their upation, they would still be looked down by others. "Thats true..." Prince Fei Xuan nodded in agreement. Then, he continued, "Right, theres another genius in the city recently, has Lin gongzi heard of Liu Cheng? ording to the rumors, he is a teacher in Tianwu Academy!" "You mean Guild Master Liu who solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild?" Lin Lang waved grandly and replied, "Of course Ive heard of him, hes indeed a talented person! However, his cultivation is too weak, being only at Tongxuan realm primary stage. Hes a figure that can be squeezed to death at a whim... Hes nothing at all!" "Alright, lets not talk about these unpleasant matters in my Emerald Pavilion, we should have fun instead! Men, the food has already turned cold, change them!" Chuckling lightly, Lin Langmanded. "Yes..." Upon hearing his orders, a few servants hurriedly rushed forward and reced those cold dishes with piping hot ones. All of them were wearing a hat, but one servants hat was exceptionally low, making it difficult to make out his appearance. That servant nced at Lin Lang, and dense hatred rippled in his eyes. It was Zhang Xuans missing student... Lu Chong! Chapter 373: Sorrowful Lin Lang Chapter 373: Sorrowful Lin Lang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric It was no wonder why Lu Chong refused to say anything at all before Zhang Xuan. No one could have thought that his enemy was the Lin ns young master, Lin Lang! The Lin n stood at the very top of the Three Great ns, and it wielded tremendous power. Even though Mo Tianxue knew that it was likely to be them who poisoned the guardian beast, he still suppressed the news. From this, it was clear how much he feared their influence. Lu Chong was alone and weak, and if he were to reveal the name of his enemy, it wouldnt take long for those hoping to please the Lin n to deliver him to their doorsteps... As such, he would rather act as a mute than to speak. The hatred only appeared for an instant. Before long, Lu Chong calmed down. To be able to stop himself from talking for two years and endure the excruciating pain from the tempering of the poison for the Poison Body said a lot about his mental fortitude. His chance was right before him, and he naturally wouldnt act rashly at this moment. The Emerald Pavilion might seem calm on the surface, but he knew that there were many experts hidden within. If Lu Chong wanted to make a move, he had to seed in a single try. Otherwise... he wouldnt get another opportunity. After cing the dishes on the table, Lu Chong slowly surveyed the surroundings before backing out of the room. There were many experts in the room, making it an unfavorable location to make a move. Thus, Lu Chong decided to wait patiently for his chance. After standing outside the room for a long time, Jiya!, Lin Lang walked out casually. The wine of the Emerald Pavilion was specially concocted by masters in the industry. Even if a Zongshi realm expert were to consume it, he would definitely fall over, drunk. At this moment, Lin Lang seemed to be extremely intoxicated. Featuring reddened cheeks, he walked towards the closest toilet in a wobbly fashion. "This is my chance!" Knowing that this was probably the best chance he would get, Lu Chong didnt hesitate. He slowly followed behind Lin Lang and entered the toilet as well. "Who is it?" Seeing another party walking into the toilet, Lin Lang, who was relieving himself, frowned. Hu! Knowing that such an ideal chance wouldnte twice, Lu Chong didnt bother to waste his time with words. He immediately charged forward and struck the other party with his palm. However, before the palm could hit Lin Lang, a huge wind had already been whipped up in the toilet. The violent shock wave from his strike came crashing straight towards Lin Lang. "Zongshi... Zongshi realm intermediate stage?" Narrowing his eyes, Lin Lang immediately woke up from his drunken stupor. Not only was the person who assaulted him a Zongshi realm expert, he even reached Zongshi realm intermediate stage. Experts of these level were all famous and respectable figures in Tianwu Royal City. Little did he expect that one of them would disguise as a servant to assassinate him. Lu Chong might have suffered pain worse than death itself by rubbing all of the poison on his acupoints, it had brought him gigantic benefits as well. Not only did he manage to break through Zongshi realm, his strength had even reached the levelparable to a Zongshi realm intermediate stage expert. "Youre courting death!" Bellowing coldly, Lin Lang immediately raised his palms to receive the other partys assault. Peng! Peng! The two palms struck one another, and both sides retreated a single step from the collision. Lu Chongs face darkened. Two years ago, when the other party ughtered his entire n, he was only a Tongxuan realm primary stage. Lu Chong thought that even if the other party were to improve swiftly, he would only be at Tongxuan realm pinnacle at best... Yet, to think that Lin Lang was at Zongshi realm intermediate stage as well! However, there was no path of retreat now. If Lu Chong fails to kill the other party today, he would be killed instead. Narrowing his eyes, Lu Chong drove his Poison Body to the limits of its ability and charged forward, sending consecutive swift and powerful palms straight at Lin Lang. "Damn it!" Even though Lin Lang had reached Zongshi realm intermediate stage, it was mostly due to the forceful nourishment from the consumption of various pills. His cultivation hadnt been perfectly reinforced yet, causing him to be unable to bring out the full strength of a Zongshi realm intermediate stage cultivator. Under such conditions, how could he withstand Lu Chongs tenacious attacks? He could only retreat continuously. Putong! Retreating backward, Lin Langs legs suddenly caved in and he fell down. The next moment, an overpowering stench immediately rushed up his nose, causing him to feel faint-headed in an instant. Lowering his head to take a look, he realized that he had been forced to a fecal drain under the relentless attack of the other party. "Damn you..." Lin Lang had always abhorred dirtiness. Falling into the fecal pit had left his mind in a state of frenzy. Furious, a vicious streak was triggered within him, and with a furious roar, he charged at the other party without a second thought. However, before he could reach the other party, Lu Chong had already sent a kick into his face, nting his face right into the fecal drain. To make things worse, since Lin Lang was in the midst of shouting, feces were stuffed right into his opened mouth. "I will kill you..." Lin Lang was on the brink of going insane. How could the number one gongzi of Tianwu Royal City, a person of such prestigious standing that even Mo Tianxue had to defer to, suffer such a setback from an anonymous opponent? Rage bubbled inside his chest. Putong! Before he could finish his words, his head was pushed right back into the fecal pit yet again, causing the brown liquid to smudge over his entire face and mouth. "Lin Lang gongzi, thedy you presented me with is indeed not bad. Her figure and that sensation..." Just as Lin Lang was being suffocated in the brown liquid, an intoxicated voice sounded, and Ji Mo gongzi walked in. Peng! Possessing only the strength of a Pixue realm, how could he be a match for Lu Chong? Before he could finish his sentence, the sight before him blurred, and he fell into the fecal drain as well. "The heck! Who dares to hit me! Do you know who I am..." Ji Mo gongzi howled furiously. This was Emerald Pavilion, the grandest ce in Tianwu Royal City, an establishment of the Lin ns young master, Lin Lang. Who would be so audacious as toy a hand on him here? Was that person so tired of living as to offend the Lin n? Putting aside the Lin n, Ji Mo was the son of the Ji ns n head. Although his standing couldnt hold a candle to Zhang shi, he wasnt someone anyone could simply offend. Infuriated, he hurled insults furiously. However, halfway through his words, he saw a person blowing bubbles right beside him as a pungent stench attacked his nostrils. That persons face was absurdly pale and bruises filled his body. It seemed as though he was on the verge of breathing hisst... Who else could it be other than Lin Lang... "You... actually dare toy your hands on Young Master Lin?" Ji Mo gongzi was on the verge of going insane. He had just threatened the other party with his own standing when he saw Lin Lang getting pummeled as well. The Lin n only had this male offspring. Laying ones hands on him was equivalent to waging a war against the entire Lin n. This was an act of suicide! Hurriedly lifting his head, he saw a young man stepping on Lin Langs body, leaving thetter incapable of retaliation at all. It seemed like Ji Mo had happened to walk in at a bad timing. "No. If Lin Lang were to be killed, Ill be doomed as well..." Ji Mo understood how severe this matter was. He hade here to look for Lin Lang, and the other party had ended up being killed in the toilet. Putting aside whether this mysterious assassin would be willing to let him go, even if he were to survive this ordeal, it would be difficult for him to withstand the wrath of the Lin n. In the worst case scenario, the entire Ji n might even be annihted. The heck, why do I have to meet with this kind of misfortune... Even if you want to kill Lin Lang, cant you do it when Im not around? Why did I have to happen toe to the toilet at this moment? If he were to die now, itll be as though I have stained my pants with mud, Ill be in deep shit even if it isnt shit... More importantly... Its one thing to kill the other party, but what did you mean by kicking the other party into the fecal drain? Lin Lang gongzi had always paid careful attention to his image and had always assumed a gentlemanly facade before others that attracted many female fans. Yet, at this moment, a fetid odor was lingering around him while his white shirt had been stained yellow. To make matters worse, the overwhelming scent was causing the food that he just ate to threaten to rise up his throat... Ji Mo clenched his jaws and whipped up his determination. "Let go of Young Master Lin..." Knowing that he couldnt allow Lin Lang to die now, Ji Mo gongzi charged straight at the mysterious young man. Peng! Before he could finish his words, a leg met up with his face, causing him to be smashed into the walls of the toilet. Blood trickled down his mouth and nose. Even though he failed to stop the other party, he managed to vie for sufficient time for Lin Lang to wake up. Injured and humiliated, Lin Lang was on the verge of erupting. "I had not intended to use this item at all. However, since it hase down to this, I want you dead..." Roaring furiously, Ji Mo whipped his wrist, and a palm-size circr te appeared in his palm. "Formation te?" Upon seeing the object the other party took out frenziedly, Lu Chongs eyes narrowed. He had heard of this item from his older sister before. It was called a formation te! It was a method ofpressing a formation into a small special jade te. By triggering the jade te, the formation inscribed on it would be activated, trapping or even killing ones enemies. In addition, one could use trigger a formation te even if one wasnt a formation master. However, formation tes were extremely valuable, and each of them was worth a huge fortune. There was less than a handful of it even in Tianwu Kingdom. As a 2-star formation master, the son of the Formation Master Guild Master, and the younger brother of Xuanyuan Kingdoms princess consort, it wasnt surprising for Lin Lang to possess this kind of survival mean on him. "This isnt good!" Lu Chong knew that a formation would immediately cover the surroundings as soon as it is triggered. Even though the might of a formation te was inferior to that of a normal formation, it was still more than sufficient to trap a person who knew nothing about formations at all like Lu Chong. The moment Lu Chong was trapped, not only would he be unable to kill Lin Lang, his life might even be in danger. For the sake of exacting vengeance for his n, he mustnt die! "Retreat!" Without any hesitation, Lu Chong dashed out. In just half a breath, he was already at the entrance of the Emerald Pavilion. Dressed in the attire of a servant, everyone thought that he was a servant whom Young Master Lin Lang had entrusted an urgent matter to. As such, he was able to make the escape quickly without much obstruction. Weng! As soon as he left the Emerald Pavilion, he felt an intense burst of spiritual energy behind him, and ayer of mist seemed to envelop the infrastructure. The formation te had already been triggered. "I should hurry up and leave..." Knowing that it wouldnt take long before the Lin n sent men after him, Lu Chong didnt dare to stop here. In the blink of an eye, he blended into the crowd and disappeared from the watchful eyes of others. Having escaped from the Lin ns pursuit once, he had learned how to prevent anyone from tracking him down, and he knew how he should act so as to avoid detection. "Why was a formation triggered?" "Did... something happened?" "This is the formation te that young master brings along with him everywhere. Damn it, young master is in trouble..." ... As soon as Lu Chong left, an uproar broke out in the Emerald Pavilion. The personal bodyguards of the young master immediately recognized that the abnormality originated from the formation te that their young master always carried around. To go to the extent of even triggering his final mean for survival, he must be facing grievous danger. "Hurry up and inform the old master!" The formation spanned over the entire Emerald Pavilion, and most of the guards herecked knowledge about formations. Thus, they didnt dare to move around recklessly. Even so, they had a specialmunication device. It didnt take long for the news to reach n Head Lin, Lin Ruotian. "What happened? Why would Lang-er trigger the formation te?" With eyes as cold as ice, Lin Ruotian enquired with a steeled face. "You better hope that Lang-er is alright. If something goes wrong, all of you will be buried along with him..." ncing at the bodyguards coldly, Lin Ruotian walked into the Emerald Pavilion. Even though the still-active formation te made it difficult for one to discern direction, as a 3-star formation master, Lin Ruotian was able to maneuver around it with ease. Walking straight towards the core of the formation, it didnt take long before he reached the toilet. "Why would it be here?" Lin Ruotian was perplexed. "Hurry up and find the young master..." The few guards hurriedly dived in upon hearing their masters instructions.. A momentter, a swollen-faced fellow who was emanating a putrid stench was brought before Lin Ruotian. As the state of the other party registered in his eyes, Lin Ruotian was taken aback. He almost couldnt recognize his own son. Isnt the ce Lin Lang opened supposed to be a ce to eat and drink? Why did he... fall inside the fecal drain? "Who was it? Go, go find the culprit! Even if you have to turn Tianwu Royal City upside down, you better bring the culprit to me..." Soon, after understanding the situation, a furious bellow pierced through the air, shaking even the clouds. Chapter 374: Tianwu Kingdoms Book Collection Vault Chapter 374: Tianwu Kingdoms Book Collection Vault Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Tianwu Academy, Zhang Xuans ssroom. After instructing Mu Xueqing on several matters, hemenced his lesson. The Eye of Insight had significantly augmented his ability to impart relevant knowledge to others.. In the past, he had to tap into the abilities of the Library of Heavens Path to determine the ws of Meng Tao and the others so as to guide and correct their cultivation methods. But now, all he needed to do was to expend a sliver of his Soul Depth to understand the problems the other party met during cultivation and offer the most urate solution for it. "This is the strength of a master teacher..." Zhang Xuans eyes glowed. Initially, Zhang Xuan had thought that master teachers were more of a title than anything else. Even though he had be a teacher, he didnt have a clear concept of what it was. Aftering to an epiphany, his understanding of the upation had reached higher heights. Every single action and gesture of his seemed to carry the disposition befitting of a teacher, and the slight sense of disharmony from before disappeared without a trace. With the Eye of Insight, even without the Library of Heavens Path, he could easily peer into the essence of anything. He no longer needed to knock a person out or have him disy a battle technique for everything. Even though the information he could obtain through the Eye of Insight wasnt as in-depth and detailed as that from the Library of Heavens Path, and he still couldnt peer into the information of those possessing a cultivation higher than his, it was already a good start. As he grew stronger and his knowledge broadened, his Eye of Insight would continue to grow more and more formidable. Compared to the past when he had to intentionally feign the role of a master teacher, his actions now seemed to carry the natural grace of a master teacher, fitting him perfectly into the ideal concept of a master teacher. Very soon, he finished his lesson, but his students seemed to be drunk on his words. They felt their cultivation leaping, and it seemed as though they would achieve a breakthrough at any moment. In the past, when they attended lessons, they had to force themselves to learn. As time went by, some of them even began to detest attending lessons. However, after Liuoshi became their teacher, they began to look forward to sses instead. Every single lesson made them feel as though they were drinking a barrel of divine wine, sending a surge of fresh air to all of them. Unknowingly, their trust toward him slowly but steadily deepened. "Teacher, Princess Mo Yu wishes to meet with you!" As soon as the lesson ended, Meng Tao immediately walked forward. "Un!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked out. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu smiled gently, and for a moment, it seemed as though a field of flowers had bloomed. "Liuoshi, didnt you say that you wish to browse through the book collection vault of the kingdom? My father has asked me to invite you over..." Back then, when Zhang Xuan was treating the guardian beast, he brought up a request to browse through the kingdoms book collection vault. However, the duel between the two of his students urred and he ended up missing the opportunity. Since there was nothing on at the moment, Mo Yu decided toe over to extend her invitation. This was a show of goodwill from the royal family, as well as Mo Yus way of apologizing to him for hiding the matter regarding Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqings duel. "Yes!" Zhang Xuan agreed to it. Lu Chong had disappeared to exact his vengeance while Zhao Ya was in the midst of awakening her unique constitution. He was only meeting Mo Hongyi tomorrow to head to the Master Teacher Pavilion together to end the master teacher examinations, so he had nothing to do at the moment. Thus, he decided to make good use of this time to broaden his knowledge through the books of the kingdoms book collection vault. With Mo Yu leading the way, the duo soon arrived at the book collection vault. "This is our kingdoms book collection vault. In it is the huge collection Tianwu Kingdom had gathered over the course of a thousand years. There are no books that you are seeking that that you will not find inside!" Mo Yu introduced. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Tianwu Kingdom had more than a thousand years behind it, and its collection reflected its long heritage. To Zhang Xuan, the genre didnt matterwhat mattered was quantity. In terms of books... Zhang Xuan was probably the least picky reader in the world. If anyone else were to know his thoughts, they would definitely spurt blood on the spot. No matter how capable a master teacher is, even if he possesses photographic memory, browsing through ten thousand books is the maximum one could do in a day. Not to mention, a humans vitality is limited. One would have no choice but to read selectively. On top of that, different books were written from different people, and as such, they contained different concepts and content. Often were the exnations in different books contradictory, making it extremely difficult for one to determine truth from false. If one were to absorb the thoughts of many different people without bias, it would just make one confused and lost. Thus, reading more books wasnt necessarily beneficial. Rather, one had to pick their books properly to pile up on their knowledge. Only this way would ones understanding of a topic deepen. Flipping through books randomly could cause ones mind to fall into chaos, and their cultivation might even go berserk due to this. But Zhang Xuan was an exception. All books recorded in the Library of Heavens Path would have their errors and ws pointed out clearly. What that would have perplexed others meant nothing to him at all. Walking into the book collection vault, Zhang Xuan took a brief nce and saw countless towering bookshelves erected all over the room. The number of books in here seemed to exceed ten million. "What kind of books are you interested in? Ill bring you there..." Smiling, Mo Yu asked politely. The reason why she was considered a genius was because of the humongous quantity of books that she had browsed through. Ever since learning how to read when she was six, she would spend at least two hours reading here everyday. It would be no exaggeration to say that she was the most knowledgeable among her peers. At the same time, this had also given her a clear idea of theyout of this gigantic library. Despite the hulking number of books here, she could still roughly point out the bookshelves of where the books one wanted to find was. "You should get along with whatever you intend to do. I can find the books that I want by myself so I wont trouble Your Highness on that! Besides, I prefer a quiet environment when Im reading, so..." Zhang Xuan said with an apologetic look. His way of reading books was simply too astounding. Just by running around the library, he could record the contents of the books into his head. If anyone else were to see it, they would definitely take him to be a lunatic. As such, he felt that it would be best for him to be alone while doing it. "Alright, Ill be going out now then!" Seeing that the other party didnt require her help, Mo Yu left the room slightly disappointed. She felt that her charms werepletely meaningless before this young man. Men of her age group would naturally find themselves allured by her looks, and they would try all means to perform and brag before her. Yet, this fellow seemedpletely nonchnt to her presence, treating her as though she was merely a part of the background. Sometimes, she couldnt help but feel dismayed by Zhang Xuans response, or more exactly,ck of response. Could it be that he was uninterested in women? Could he be... impotent? Cough cough! Princess Mo Yus face flushed. Given how capable the other party was as a physician, even if he was impotent, he would surely be able to treat himself... So, it must be that her charms werent sufficient to attract the other party! After all, the other party was a genius who even Mo Hongyi couldntpare up to. He must have high demands for his other half. Even though Mo Yu thought that she wasnt a bad candidate as a partner, that was probably limited to the sphere of a Tier 1 Kingdom. The other party probably had his eyes set even further, so its only normal for him to not be interested in her. Understanding all of these, she nced regretfully at the young man, whose head was lowered in contemtion, before turning around to leave. Mo Tianxue had asked her to look for means to strike up connections with Zhang Xuan and Guild Master Liu, and it would be best if she could make one of them her future partner. But from the looks of it now... it was definitely impossible! If Zhang Xuan were to know of her thoughts, he would definitely shake his head. Rather than ack of interest in beautifuldies, Zhang Xuan just hadnt met one who moved his heart. Mo Yu might be pretty, but could she be prettier than Zhao Ya? On the other hand, thetter was his student so that was out of question too. Besides, he had spent his previous life in the digital age. What kind of beauty hadnt he seen before? He had long built up a strong immunity to physical charm. More importantly, he had just arrived at a foreign world, and he hadnt trulye to terms with it yet. On top of that, there was a lethal poison within him that was threatening to blow up f he didnt reach the level of a 9-star master teacher before thirty. Given the threat on his life, how could he be in the mood to pursue romance? "I should begin now!" Seeing that Mo Yu had left and he was the only person remaining in the book collection vault, Zhang Xuan breathed out deeply. He walked over to the first shelf, ced a finger on the first book, and started running. Hul! Under his touch, row after row of books appeared on the shelves of the Library of Heavens Path. Having reached Zongshi realm pinnacle, as well as the strengthening of his soul, his rate of collection increased significantly. ... Hu! In a silent alley, Lu Chong stopped and panted heavily. After leaving Emerald Pavilion, he changed into a fresh set of clothes, changed his hairstyle, and hid his aura. He thought that he was already safe, but somehow, the men from Lin n still managed to find him. He had escaped from them several times already, and in the midst, he had tried changing into many different sets of clothes, but the other party was still able to track him down each time. "I have made sure to conceal my appearance back in the Emerald Pavilion, and during my escape, I made sure to stay out of open ces as well. How could they still find me so quickly each time?" Lu Chong frowned doubtfully. Despite his young age, he had undergone a near death experience before, and because of it, he had learned how to escape from ones pursuers. Even though he had grown significantly stronger under Liuoshis guidance, he didnt act recklessly! This assassination plot was actually carefully nned and refined over a long period of time. He had made sure not to catch anyones attention in the Emerald Pavilion, and he was certain that no one had seen his face during the time he was there. So, how could his pursuers still find him each time? "I cant allow this situation to continue on like that..." Lu Chongsplexion was incredibly awful. With his strength and wariness, he sessfully evaded his pursuers several times. However, he knew that continuing on like this wasnt a solution. Given how relentless the other party was in their pursuit, it was just a matter of time before he was caught. "If I were to head to Tianwu Academy, I might implicate teacher and the other students. Fleeing beyond the city isnt an option either. Given the vast empty terrain outside, Ill surely be found quickly. So, I can only find a hiding ce within the capital..." Lu Chong was anxious, but he didnt panic. If he were to head to Tianwu Academy now, someone would definitely point out that he was Liuoshis student, and this would bring cmity to his teacher and his peers. His teacher was his benefactor, so this course of action was out of question! As for escaping beyond the city... Beyond the city gates, other than small patches of forests here and there, an empty in extended to the horizon. Without the flow of crowd hiding his presence, he would only be making things easier for his pursuers. Given the Lin ns standing, they could definitely mobilize the kingdoms army to encircle him. If he were to be surrounded in the empty ins, he would truly be doomed. Thus, the only solution was to remain in the capital. Under the concealment of the infrastructures and crowd, it would be easier for him to hide. "But where can I hide for the Lin n to be unable to find me?" Lu Chongs mind whirled swiftly. Since the other party was able to find him despite having escaped multiple times, it was likely that they possessed some kind of special mean to track him down. If he didnt find a good hiding spot, it would just be a matter of time before he was found again. He would be a goner if the other party manages to surround him. "Right! Tianwu royal pce!" Suddenly, Lu Chongs eyes lit up. A location suddenly shed across his mind. Back then, the news of the destruction of the n was so carefully restrained that not a single person in the Master Teacher Pavilion knew of it. Lu Chong would never believe it if the Tianwu royal family didnt y a part in the matter! Since they had colluded with one another, he might as well hide in the royal pce and leave those two to fight with one another! After all, no matter how formidable the Lin n was, they couldnt possibly brazenly demand to search the royal pce! Even if they did, the royal pce couldnt possibly give in the other partys demands easily either. That would be a humiliation to the royal pce, sullying the prestige of the royal family. With an idea in mind, Lu Chong headed straight for the royal pce. Having sessfully cultivated the Poison Body, Lu Chongs current strength was at Zongshi realm intermediate stage. Even though his cultivation wasnt top-notch in Tianwu Royal City, there were very few who could match up to him. Most guards wouldnt be able to sense his presence. It didnt take long for him to arrive at the royal pce. Chapter 375: Seeking Mouse Chapter 375: Seeking Mouse Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Tianwu royal pce. Looking at his depressed daughter, Mo Tianxue was perplexed, "Whats wrong? Guild Master Liu turned down the invitation?" "He came..." Mo Yu shook her head. "However, he wishes to look through the books by his own. He doesnt need me to apany him!" "Forget it!" Mo Tianxue sighed. "This kind of thing depends on fate. If you two arent fated to be, theres no use forcing it!" He had been wanting to pair his daughter with Guild Master Liu for a while now. If he got his way, he would be able to tie the other party onto his boat. In the future, if the Lin n or Mo Hongyi harbored any thoughts toward the throne, they would have to think twice. But from the looks of it now, he seemed to have been expecting too much. His daughter could be considered as a phoenix among men, but she was still a far way offpared to Guild Master Liu and Zhang shi. Mo Yu nodded. It wasnt that she was interested in Zhang Xuan. All along, she had been the center of attention, and meeting a person who was nonchnt to her piqued her interest and herpetitive spirit. However, upon seeing that she had no hopes, her heart calmed down swiftly. "Father, is it the Lin n whoid their hands on the guardian beast? Are there any movements on their end?" Putting aside all other thoughts, Mo Yus eyes regained her previous rity. "Seven eunuchs were involved in this matter. However, the moment I started looking into this matter, all of them immediatelymitted suicide!" Mo Tianxues eyes turned grim, "I know that its impossible for us to find anything this way. Furthermore, our enemies are in the shadows while were in the open. This gives them the chance to prepare in advance. Even if we were to dig up anything, it might very possibly be something they nted to mislead us. Thus... while I had some of my men investigate this matter openly, I secretly sent the others on another trail!" "Sent the others on another trail?" Mo Yu asked in bewilderment. "Un. I sent them to... track the origin of the poison!" A glint shed across Mo Tianxues eyes. "Given how the poison was able to send the Half-Zhizun Gold-tailed Lion into such a dire state without us noticing, it must be at grade-2 pinnacle, perhaps grade-3 even!" Given how the poison was effective on even the Gold-tailed Lion, it must be extraordinarily potent. Grade-1 poison was capable of killing cultivators beneath Zongshi realm. Grade-2 poison was effective on Zongshi and even Half-Zhizun. Even though this poison didnt kill the Gold-tailed Lion instantly, it elerated its aging. Its effects were definitely at the level of a grade-2 pinnacle poison. "Only the Poison Hall is capable of bringing out such a poison. Based on the results of my investigation, the Lin n seems to have some dealings with Red Lotus City. In fact, the most powerful Great Herb King had arrived in the capital a few days ago!" Mo Tianxue flung his sleeves and harrumphed, "All of this is way too coincidental. As such, I sent my men to investigate the matter, and the conclusion is that the Lin n is involved in this matter!" "Then, what should we do?" Confirming that it was the Lin ns doing, Mo Yusplexion turned incredibly awful. Since the other party was able to make a move on the Gold-tailed Lion, it might very possibly be the members of the royal family next. Once one sets his eye on absolute authority, ones ambition would start to sprout like bamboo shoots after a rain. No one would be able to quell ones fiery desire anymore. "Even though the Gold-tailed Lion has reached Zhizun realm, the Lin n has Xuanyuan Kingdom serving as their backing. Thus, we cant afford to offend them!" Knowing what his daughter was worried about, Mo Tianxue shook his head. So what if we know that they were the ones who did it? On top of a 3-star formation master, they even have the princess consort of Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom on their side. They arent someone that we can afford to offend. As long as we pretend to be ignorant about it now, with the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Lin n still wouldnt dare overstep their boundaries. However, if they were to turn against the Lin n, Xuanyuan Kingdom only needed to send a slightly more formidable Zhizun realm expert to destroy their entire royal family. "Indeed! Its just like the Qu n back then... Seems like were helpless once more!" Understanding the troubles of her father, Mo Yu sighed. "The Qu n might not be a prestigious n, but they have a huge establishment in the city. Yet, for some reason, their entire n of 137 people were killed overnight by the Lin n... Even until now, I cant forget this matter..." Mo Tianxue clenched his fists tightly. Two years ago, the Qu n of Tianwu Royal City, for some unknown reason, offended the Lin n, and over the course of a single night, the entire n had been purged. When the royal family sent someone to look into the matter, n Head Lin arrived in the pce personally and forced them to mp down on all news. In the end, this matter could only end inconclusively. Despite being the emperor of the country, he was unable to protect his own people. As though a thorn, this matter had been pricking on Mo Tianxues heart. "Actually, this isnt fathers fault. Back then, the other party was holding onto the Xuanyuan KIngdoms token, saying that they are carrying out the orders of the crown prince. As a Tier 1 Kingdom, we cant possibly disobey his orders!" Seeing the sorrowful expression of her father, Mo Yu consoled. Back then, it wasnt because they feared the Lin n that they decided to lie low. It was because the other party was holding onto the edict from Xuanyuan Kingdoms crown prince. As a lower tiered kingdom, they could only submit. "I know..." Mo Tianxue shook his head. "In the end, a human cant defy circumstances! Thats why I hoped that you can pull Guild Master Liu or Zhang shi to our side. As long as one of them bes the prince consort, they wouldnt dare to make a move anymore!" That was the reason why Mo Tianxue had been trying to create opportunities for his daughter and Guild Master Liu to be together. However... the other party didnt seem to be interested in his daughter at all. Hearing her fathers words, Mo Yu felt a little depressed. Shaking her head, she was just about to speak when a panicked eunuch rushed into the room. "Whats wrong?" Mo Tianxue frowned. "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Third Elder of the Lin n has brought arge group of men here, saying that the royal family owes them an exnation..." The eunuch trembled. "We owe them an exnation? What does that mean?" Mo Tianxues eyes narrowed. We havent even settled the score of the Lin n poisoning the guardian beast, yet the other party came knocking? Demanding for an exnation even? Could it be that theyve decided to abandon everything and decided to just go through with it? "Your humble servant doesnt know. They are currently at the gates of the royal pce, and theyre about to rush in..." The eunuch hurriedly replied. "Lets go take a look!" Harrumphing coldly, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu started walking out. Soon, they arrived at the pce gates and saw a huge group from the Lin n standing arrogantly outside. "Emperor Mo Tianxue, I advise you to hurry up and hand over the man. If so, we can let this matter rest. Otherwise, dont expect this matter to end so easily!" Upon seeing Mo Tianxue walking over, an elder walked forward with a menacing expression. "Hand over the man? What do you mean?" Mo Tianxue was baffled. "Stop putting on an act, you sent your men to assassinate our Young Master Lin Lang. Even now, hes severely wounded and still in aa. It cant be that you dont dare to admit it?" The Lin ns Third Elder narrowed his eyes. "Assassinate Young Master Lin Lang?" Mo Tianxue was even more baffled. "Could there be a misunderstanding?" Even though he desired to destroy the Lin n, he knew the potential consequences of doing so. As such, he had been suppressing his desire all along. Could it be that something had happened to Young Master Lin Lang? "Misunderstanding? The culprit has already escaped into the royal pce, and hes currently within the pce walls. Yet, you say that its a misunderstanding?" The Lin ns Third Elder sneered coldly. Unable toprehend the situation, Mo Tianxue was about to continue asking when a gray-robed man silently walked toward him and whispered a few words into his ears. He was a member of the Shadow Squad. Given the huge ruckus in the Emerald Pavilion and that the entire Lin n was dispatched to dig out the culprit, it didnt take long for news to reach the Shadow Squad. Hearing the other partys words, Mo Tianxue immediately understood the situation, and a look of dismay appeared on his face. He had never sent anyone, and even if he did, he would ensure that the entire Lin n would copse with a single blow. To leave Lin Lang in aa... Wasnt this offering the other party a reason to strike at them? "Elder Lin Hui, I can tell you clearly now that Lin Lang gongzis condition isnt the doing of our royal family..." Mo Tianxue said. "Isnt your doing?" Third Elder Lin Huiughed frostily. "Im fine with you denying it. However, youll have to get your guards to leave so that we can search the royal pce. Well know the truth once we find the culprit!" Mo Tianxues face turned dark, and his entire body tightened. The royal pce wasnt only the royal familys foundation, it also represented the entire kingdoms dignity. If he were to allow them to search through the royal pce, what prestige would the Tianwu royal family have tomand the entire Tianwu Kingdom in the future? "You said that the culprit has escaped to the royal pce, but do you have any evidence?" Mo Yu frowned. "Paying respect to Mo shi!" ncing at Mo Yu, Lin Hui chuckled softly and said, "Of course we have our basis for saying so!" Then, he beckoned to the back. A man immediately walked forward with a cage in his hands. There was a snow-white mouse crawling around the cage. Lifting his nose, he kept sniffing around the ce. "This is a... [Seeking Mouse]?" Mo Tianxues body jolted. The Seeking Mouse was a unique savage beast that possessed an extraordinarily sensitive nose. No matter what it was, with a single sniff, even if it was thousands of miles apart, it would be able to find it. This animal was even rarer than spirit stones, and it was hard to find even in Conferred Xuanyuan Kingdom. To think that the Lin n would actually possess one of them. If it was the Seeking Mouse, as long as the assassin left behind his scent, no matter how far he escaped or how many clothes he changed into, it was impossible for him to escape. "Indeed. Seems like Emperor Tianxue recognizes it. Its not my im that the assassin is hiding in the royal pce, but the Seeking Mouses judgement. Why? Does Your Majesty doubt its judgement?" Lin Hui harrumphed. "This..." Mo Tianxue fell silent. Since they had followed the trial of the Seeking Mouse here, the culprit must truly be hiding in the royal pce. However... For him to know nothing at all, what in the world was going on? "All we want to do is to capture the man who harmed the young master, we wont wreak havoc in here. If Your Majesty insists on stopping us, we can only take it as a sign of guilt..." Lin Hui continued. If that Gold-tailed Lion had died, the Lin n would definitely make use of this opportunity to force the royal family who had ruled over Tianwu Kingdom for over a thousand years to step down. However, not only did that savage beast not die, it even became a Zhizun realm expert. With this consideration, they had to think twice before doing anything. Before they werepletely prepared, it was best not to fall out with the other party. Otherwise, if the Zhizun realm guardian beast were to make a move, it would be hard for the Lin ns grade-3 formation to withstand its might. "Fine. Our royal family definitely didnt send anyone to harm Lin Lang gongzi. As long the Seeking Mouse finds the culprit, well know the truth!" After hesitating for a short moment, Mo Tianxue nodded. Since the other party had the Seeking Mouse with them, it shouldnt be too difficult for them to find the culprit. They would have no reason to overturn the royal pce under the context of conducting a search. At the same time, Mo Tianxue would also like to see who it was who assaulted Lin Lang and ran to the royal pce to frame them. "Since Your Majesty has agreed to it, I wont stand on formalities then!" Seeing that Mo Tianxue had given in, Lin Hui raised his hand, and his subordinate immediately opened the cage, allowing the Seeking Mouse to jump out. Lifting up its slightly slender and long nose, it sniffed around before dashing forward. "Follow it!" Therge group followed closely behind the Seeking Mouse. Chapter 376: Im His Teacher Chapter 376: Im His Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Where is this?" Tianwu royal pce was massive. After a moment, Lu Chong was confused by the simr looking infrastructures all around and lost his sense of direction. After dodging a few patrols, a towering infrastructure appeared before him. Threerge words were written on a que above the entrance... Book Collection Vault! "So, this is the kingdoms book collection vault..." The Tianwu Kingdom book collection vault had all kinds of books from all around the world in it. It epassed nearly all of the knowledge from the surrounding thirteen kingdoms, making it extremely well-known. Lu Chong had long heard of it. Many young men took it as an honor to be able to enter the library to browse through its books. To think that after circling around the royal pce, he would stumble into this area. "To think that there are no formations guarding the area..." Carefully taking a look around the book collection vault, Lu Chong was stunned for a moment. Usually, this kind of location where knowledge was stored should be guarded with a formation. Without a unique token or such, one would be attacked upon entry. Yet, at this moment, he couldnt sense the slightest ripple in the spiritual energy in the air. Apparently, the book collection vault seemed to bepletely unguarded at the moment. Did someone stop the formation? "Hurry up, he should be in here..." "Dont let him get away, guard the area!" ... Just as Lu Chong was overwhelmed with bafflement, he suddenly heard footsteps and voices. "Theyre here..." Knowing that this wasnt the time to be thinking about such matters, Lu Chong rushed straight into the book collection vault. He silently opened the door and slipped into the area. He didnt have any other options. There was no ce for him to escape to. He could only hope that the other party would back down due to the importance of this location. Row after row of books stood imposingly on the shelves, and giant Night Illumination Pearls were embedded in the area, bringing radiance to this library. Surprisingly, there wasnt the slightest bit of gloominess and darkness that a sealed vault should have. Knowing that it was likely there was someone in here, Lu Chong carefully proceeded forward to look for a hiding ce. However, at this moment, he suddenly heard flurried footsteps in front. He lifted his head to take a look. A figure was running about the book collection vault, as though a lunatic. Other people came to the book collection to vault to read books or browse through books. Running in here... What the heck was this? Furthermore, to run so fast... It was impossible to even see the name of the book like that. What in the world was the person up to? "Wait... teacher?" Just as Lu Chong was perplexed over who this fool who was running about furiously was, his eyes suddenly caught the side profile of the other partys face and his body jolted. It was his teacher, Liu Cheng! What was his teacher doing here instead of teaching at the academy? Lu Chong was dumbstruck. He had no idea what was going on. "What are you doing here?" Zhang Xuan was in the midst of collecting books in the book collection vault when he noticed that someone was hiding by the corner. Initially, he thought that it would be Mo Yu or someone from the royal family, but never in his dreams did he expect that... it would be his student who was out for vengeance. He immediately stopped what he was doing and walked over. "Arent you in the midst of exacting your vengeance? Could it be that..." Zhang Xuan suddenly paused, and his eyebrows flew up, "Your enemy is... Tianwu Kingdoms royal family?" The other party said that he was out for vengeance, but he ended uping to the royal pce. Could the enemy of this student of his be the royal family? Thats why the other party didnt tell him anything for fear of implicating him? That seemed extremely probable! Probably only the royal family was capable of inducing such fear in him, going to the extent of even ying off as a mute. If that was truly the case, then Zhang Xuan would be in a spot. Putting aside his rtionship with Mo Yu, the Tianwu royal family had given him several spirit stones as a show of goodwill... On top of that, Mo Tianxue didnt seem like the type tomit atrocities, ughtering another n on his own whim. Furthermore, even if he were to do so, given that he wielded authority in his hands, it wasnt too difficult for him to pin a crime on the other party. There was no need for him to do it so secretively! Could there be a misunderstanding between the two? "I..." Hesitating for a moment, Lu Chong was just about to speak up when the sound of hasty footsteps sounded outside, and jiya! the doors to the book collection vault was opened. "Search properly! The culprit is definitely inside!" Hula! With a loud bellow, a group of men rushed in. The duo stood at the back of the first shelf, hiding from the sight of the crowd. As such, the crowd who came in didnt notice them immediately. Even so, they seemed as though they wouldnt back down until they found their target, so being caught was just a matter of time. Knowing that it would be difficult for him to survive this cmity, Lu Chong didnt panic. Instead, with determined eyes, he kneeled to the floor, kowtowed several times, and with reddened eyes, he said, "Please pardon your unfilial student for being unable to wait upon you. If theres an afterlife, I hope that I can still be teachers student!" In the end, the person he felt the most indebted to was his teacher. If he died, he could apany his parents and kin. On the other hand, this teacher of his had given so much to him, putting in so much effort so as to raise his cultivation. Yet, he was unable to repay the favor the other party had shown him... Teacher, I am sorry! I didnt wish to disappoint you! Teacher, if theres an afterlife, I wish to be your student once more. There, I will serve you until Im old, never to leave your side... Gritting his teeth, Lu Chong burst forward and headed straight toward the door. His sudden appearance immediately caught the attention of the crowd. Ji ji, the Seeking Mouse squeaked in confirmation of the target. "Hes indeed here! Lets see where he can escape to." Sneering coldly, an elder of the Lin n stepped forward. Hu hu! Before even making a move, his intimidating aura had already permeated into the surroundings, revealing his Zongshi realm intermediate stage cultivation. Knowing that it was impossible for him to retreat, Lu Chong drove his Poison Body to its limit without the slightest hesitation to face the elder. "You must be tired of living!" Chuckling softly, the Lin n elder clenched his fist tightly and sent it straight toward Lu Chong. The immense might of the fistpressed the air, sending a huge gust of wind flying straight toward its target, making it difficult for one to breathe. Lu Chongs muscles tightened in the face of the overwhelming shock wave from the fist. As a n of formation masters, the Lin n had many years of history behind it. It possessed a huge collection of impressive battle techniques and cultivation techniques, making it on par even with the Tianwu Kingdom royal family. The battle technique this elder used was an exceptionally famous fist art... Fist of the Radiant Sun! This fist art was exceptionally powerful and violent, and it carried an energy reminiscent of the burning sun. It flew straight toward its target as soon as it was executed, leaving one helpless before it. Putting aside those of the same cultivation realm, even Zongshi realm advanced stage experts would immediately avoid it for fear of its might. It seemed like this fellow was adamant to defeat Lu Chong. In the very first move, he had already executed his strongest move. Knowing that death was what that awaited him, Lu Chong chose not to dodge. Instead, with reddened eyes, he charged straight at the other party. With a loud explosion, the elders palm struck Lu Chongs body. At the same time, thetters shoulder struck the elders chest. Peng! The Lin n elder spurted a mouthful of blood, and he was immediately sent flying backward. Then, his vision turned dark and he fainted. On the other hand, Lu Chong was forced back two steps. He forcefully swallowed the blood which was regurgitating in his mouth. His Zongshi realm intermediate stage cultivation was very much different from that of other cultivators. His strength came entirely from his physical body. While the other partys Fist of the Radiant Sun was powerful, it only dealt excruciating pain to Lu Chong; it did little to wound his vitals. Having defeated a Zongshi realm intermediate stage expert with a single blow, Lu Chong roared deeply before continuing to charge straight to the exit of the book collection vault. If he were to stay here, not only would he die, he might even implicate his teacher. The only thing he could do now was to charge out of the other partys encirclement and escape as far as he could. It would be much better for him to die outside than to die here. "Since youre already in here, dont dream of getting out!" Not expecting the Zongshi realm expert of their n would be knocked out in a single blow, Lin Huis face steeled. Roaring furiously, he immediately stood in Lu Chongs path. That single movement revealed his cultivation realm. This Third Elder Lin Hui was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert! Furthermore, judging from how dense his zhenqi was, he didnt pale to Mo Tianxue in any aspects. He could be considered as strong even among those of the same realm. "As expected of the number seven in the Ten Great Experts Ranking of the kingdom..." Mo Yus eyes narrowed. Tianwu Kingdom had ranked the Zongshi realm pinnacle experts in their territory based on their battle result. This Elder Lin Hui usually kept a low profile, so he wasnt too famous in the kingdom. However, his strength was not to be underestimated! To be able to be ranked in the seventh ce meant that even the top genius Mo Hongyi had to cross over a hundred blows with him to defeat him. "That assassin is probably done for..." Mo Yu turned to examine Lu Chong. Even though she had been to Zhang Xuans ssroom, she had never met Lu Chong, so she didnt recognize him. However, upon seeing the other partys age, she couldnt help but exim in astonishment. A sixteen to seventeen-year-old Zongshi realm intermediate stage cultivator... This feat was even superior to that of Mo Hongyi! When did such a monster appear in the kingdom? To be able to reach such strength at such a young age, his future must be bright... For such a talented person to destroy his own future by assaulting Lin Lang, he must have a huge grudge with the Lin n! Turning around to look at her father, she realized that Mo Tianxue was also perplexed. Actually, Mo Tianxue was the most dismayed of the group. If it was someone he sent, at the very least, he wouldnt feel so indignant... Where in the world did this fellow pop out from? And why would he hide in the book collection vault of the royal pce? Even if he were to exin the situation now, the Lin n would definitely not believe him. Looks like a huge battle cant be avoided anymore. While the duo was still in shock, Elder Lin Huis palm had already fallen on Lu Chong. Hu! The other partys dense zhenqi had sealed all retreat paths for Lu Chong, leaving him with no choice but to face the palm face-on. He might be able to charge straight at the elder before, but facing Lin Hui, due to the huge disparity in their strength, he could already feel the strength coursing through his body being suppressed even before crossing blow with the other party, making every single movement difficult for him. Kacha! Under the tremendous might, Lu Chongs body caved in, and he was just about to fall down. In a battle between experts, the slightest error could spell ones death. As long as Lu Chong failed to persevere on, not only would he be injured, the injury he sustained from before would also worsen, leaving him with no strength to fight back anymore. "Its over..." Under the immense pressure, Lu Chong felt that he wasing to his limits, and a dark shadow appeared in his eyes. His final wish was to escape as far as he could, even if it meant his death, so that he wouldnt implicate his teacher into this matter. Yet, this elder was simply way too strong, leaving himpletely helpless. Goodbye, teacher! Goodbye, my benefactor! Just as Lu Chong closed his eyes, giving up on all retaliation, he suddenly felt the force on his body lightened. Someone had grabbed him from behind and hu!, he was thrown several dozen meters away. Peng! Lin Huis massive strength fell on where Lu Chong stood before, and ayer of dust blew into the air. Unknowingly, a young man had appeared before Elder Lin Hui. He was the one who had thrown Lu Chong back just now. "Who are you? To dare to stand in the Lin ns path, are you so eager to die?" Lin Hui red at the young man furiously, and a menacing killing intent burst forth from him. "Hold it for a moment, its a misunderstanding..." Upon seeing the young man, Mo Tianxue hurriedly stepped forward. Mo Tianxue was the one who had his daughter invite Guild Master Liu here to browse through the books in the book collection vault. The other party must be oblivious to the happenings outside, and upon seeing the young man before him getting bullied by a group of experts, he couldnt help but step in to defend the other party. Thinking so, Mo Tianxue stepped forward to introduce both sides, "Elder Lin Hui, this is the newly-appointed guild master of the Physician Guild, Liu Cheng! Guild Master Liu, this is... the Third Elder of the Lin n, Lin Hui!" "Liu Cheng?" Upon hearing the introduction, Lin Hui harrumphed coldly in disdain, "You must be the new guild leader who solved neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma! In respect of your identity and standing, if you get lost now, I can overlook your previous actions. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty!" Guild Master Liu? Being a guild master may seem impressive, but without a sufficiently high cultivation realm, one couldnt even qualify to take on the official examination. In a sense, this title was empty. In any case, Lin Hui wasnt even afraid of the previous guild master. Why should he fear this pseudo? Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that Lu Chongs enemy was the Tianwu royal family, and if that was the case, he would be put at a spot. However, upon seeing that it was the Lin n, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Lifting his head, the edges of his lips slowly curled up, "What if I refuse?" Where in the world did this arrogant fellowe from? "Guild Master Liu..." Upon hearing these words, Mo Tianxue was nearly scared to death. He hurried forward and exined the situation, "The Lin n young master has just met with an assassination, and Elder Lin Hui is in the midst of pursuing the murderer... The young man you saw just now is the culprit, so... its best for you not to get involved!" Out of goodwill, Mo Tianxue tried to advise Zhang Xuan. Even he was unwilling to offend the Lin n. The person before him might be the guild master of the Physician Guild, but before his cultivation bes worthy of his position, he didnt wield the equivalent authority to it. Under such circumstances, it was wiser to stay out of the Lin ns path! Besides, this matter is none of your business. Why should you involve yourself in such trouble? "This friend here, I appreciate your goodwill. However, I will take responsibility for my own actions. I am the one who beat up Lin Lang, so Ill leave with them. This matter has nothing to do with you..." Clenching his jaws, Lu Chong walked forward. If Lu Chong were to admit to the rtionship of the two, not only would he die, his teacher would be pulled down as well. The only thing he could do now was to steer clear of the other party. It was one thing for him to die, but he mustnt implicate his teacher in this matter. If that happened, even in death, he would never be able to forgive himself. "Zhang Xuan, dont quarrel with them. The Lin n... is problematic!" Fearing that the other party might be oblivious to the situation, Mo Yu hurriedly sent a telepathic message to him. At the same time, she felt a little bewildered. From the moment they met, this fellow had been a person who didnt like getting involved in troublesome matters. Why would he stand up for someone he didnt know? "You refuse? Does Guild Master Liu intend to stand against our Lin n for a stranger?" Taking the attitude of the crowd into sight, Lin Hui immediately understood the situation and sneered coldly. As a member of the dominant Lin n, he had the confidence to go with it. As long as he reported his identity, people would be willing to abandon even their closest kin, needless to say, a stranger. He thought that this Guild Master Liu was just young and hot-blooded, thats why he chose to stand forward for a stranger. The other party should back down in fear once he knew of their identity. After all, a Tier 1 Kingdom guild master in name meant nothing to the Lin n. The other party was someone they could squash easily! "Indeed. This friend, dont get into a conflict with the Lin n for a stranger like me..." Lu Chong advised anxiously. "Shut up! Did I allow you to speak?" Understanding the intentions of his student, Zhang Xuan frowned and bellowed. Then, turning to Lin Hui and the others, he said, "Pardon me, but I happen to know the assassin you speak of. Hes my student, and I... "...am his teacher!" "Teacher, you..." Lu Chong didnt think that his teacher would straight up admit to it. This was equivalent to directly opposing the Lin n for him. His entire body shuddered, and his eyes reddened. He could no longer hold back his tears, and slowly, they trickled down his cheeks and fell to the floor. Chapter 377: Lu Chongs Gratitude Chapter 377: Lu Chongs Gratitude Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric I am his teacher... These words sounded ordinary and simple, and there wasnt any excessive adornment or vehement emotions behind them. Yet, Lu Chong felt as though he was shrouded in warm water, and his blood coursed swiftly through his body. Havinge from a wealthy n, he knew how valuable the lethal poison his teacher concocted for him was. He also understood how valuable the cultivation technique the other party imparted him was... Without demanding anything return, he gave it his all to guide him, even going to the extent of offending the Lin n... All of this, just because he called him teacher! Just because he was his student! Teacher, do you know that your admission is equivalent to falling out with the Lin n? They will never let you get away with this... It isnt worth going this far for a student who youve barely known for six days and hasnt done anything for you... I have truly pulled you down... Lu Chongs body trembled in agitation. "Zhang Xuan, you..." Mo Yu was taken aback as well. She had thought that the two werent rted to one another, but to think that the assassin was his student. But... even if the assassin was his student, they probably just met not too long ago. To offend the entire Lin n over such a reckless fellow... Was it truly worth it? "Your student?" Lin Hui was stunned. He found the situation hard to believe. This Guild Master Liu, despite being a Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator, actually groomed a Zongshi realm intermediate stage student? But soon, he recovered from his shock. This kind of situation wasntpletely unheard of in this world. A student might not necessarily be inferior to his teacher, and a teacher might not necessarily be more virtuous than his students. Everyone has their own strengths, and this is how the world operated! Given how skilled this Guild Master Liu was in the Way of Medicine, it was highly possible that this assassin was simply his student in medicine rather than cultivation. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and nodded. Since the other party called him teacher, he couldnt abandon him at this moment. Even if it means offending the entire world, as long as you are my student, I will make sure you are safe! "Good!" Seeing the other party respond to his question, Lin Hui soon calmed down. Then, staring at Zhang Xuan, the corners of his lips crept up, "Its good that you admitted to it. Say, how did our young master offend you? Why did you send your student to assassinate him?" "Elder Lin, what do you mean by that? Even if Guild Master Liu is that boys teacher, he cant possibly know every action of his! He isnt his nanny or maid..." Mo Yus face darkened. So what if Zhang Xuan was that fellows teacher? Must it be under a teachers orders that a student killed someone? What kind of logic was that? Teachers are only responsible for rifying ones doubts and guiding one on the right path. They arent responsible for their own students life. In fact, even parents didnt have that responsibility! "Mo shi, this is a matter between the Lin n and Guild Master Liu. It isnt your ce to interfere!" Flinging his sleeves, Lin Hui interrupted Mo Yu, turned to Zhang Xuan, and chuckled, "Guild Master Liu, you are also a respectable figure. Do you wish to follow me obediently, or do you need me to drag you away?" He thought that the one who attempted to assassinate the young master was just an insignificant ruffian, but to think that such a formidable figure was behind it. However, this was an opportunity as well. As long as they taught this Guild Master Liu a lesson, they could strike fear in the hearts of the entire kingdom. Everyone would learn better than to offend the Lin n! "Im not done browsing through my books, so I dont have the time to follow you around!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. When Lu Chong barged in, Zhang Xuan had barely looked through half of the books in the book collection vault. He still needed some time to finish reading all of it, so he didnt have the effort to waste on this fellow. "Browsing through books?" Lin Hui was dumbstruck for a moment before hisplexion darkened. "I tried to spare your dignity, didnt I? No matter what reason you give, you have to follow me to the Lin n today and ept your punishment! To dare to harm the young master of our Lin n, at minimum, your cultivation will be crippled, or at worst, you might even be killed on the spot! Let me warn you, dont force me to make a move. You might be the guild master of the Physician Guild, but your strength is only at Tongxuan realm primary stage. You arent a match for me. Killing you isnt any harder than smashing an egg for me!" "Teacher..." Lu Chong immediately charged forward to stand before Zhang Xuan, protecting him. Nervous, he clenched his fists tightly together. He had just experienced Lin Huis strength firsthand, and it was indeed fearsome. His teachers fighting prowess couldnt evenpare to his; how could he be an opponent for the other party? "Zhang Xuan..." Mo Yu was also worried. She knew that Zhang Xuan wasnt weak, but he was only at Zongshi realm primary stage. Furthermore, he only achieved a breakthrough during the master teacher examination a few days ago, so it was impossible for him to be a match for the other party. "Force you to make a move? Feel free to do so..." Pushing Lu Chong to be side, Zhang Xuan nced at Lin Hui as though he was a pitiful fellow and shook his head. "Since you are so eager to die, allow me to grant your wish!" Narrowing his eyes, Lin Hui harrumphed coldly. Then, with a swift movement, his palm flew abruptly toward Zhang Xuan. Hu! Just like with Lu Chong a moment ago, before the palm could even reach, the air in the surroundings seemed to have solidified, locking Zhang Xuan in ce. "Teacher..." Clenching his fists tightly, Lu Chong was about to sacrifice himself to protect his teacher when he saw Liuoshi shake his head. The other partys hands remained firmly behind his back, and with azy expression, he lifted his legs and kicked at the other party. Zhang Xuans kick was so swift that one could barely see the afterimage of his movement. Before anyone could fully perceive the situation, his leg had already struck the area right in between the other partys thighs. Kacha! The crisp sound of eggs breaking echoed in the room. "AHH..." Flying into the air, Lin Hui released a high-pitch scream of agony which threatened to burst the crowds eardrums. After which, that arrogant fellow fell to the floor and scrunched together as though a shrimp. White foam kept flowing out of the corners of his mouth, and his entire body twitched non-stop. "Ah..." Lu Chong, Mo Tianxue, and the others were dumbfounded. This... They had seen Lin Huis attack clearly. As expected of the seventh strongest expert in the kingdom; before his palm even arrived, the pressure from his assault was already sufficient to render anyone helpless... Even if Mo Hongyi wanted to defeat the other party, he would take at least a hundred blows. Yet... With a single kick, this Liuoshi immediately sent him rolling around the floor... As though a dying dog! When did subduing a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert be so easy? The heck! Arent you a Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator? To render a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert powerless with a single kick? This... Mo Yu was also dumbstruck. She had personally seen Zhang Xuan reach Zongshi realm a few days ago. There was a huge gap between Zongshi realm primary stage and Zongshi realm pinnacle, and it waspletely impossible for the former to even match up to thetter. Yet, to subdue the other party with a single kick... How in the world did he do it? Even the guards behind Lin Hui were bbergasted. They thought that it was a sealed deal since the Third Elder was making a move personally. Who could have thought that before his attack could reach the other party, he was already rendered infertile with a single kick... "Theres no need to face a person head on in a battle, what you should do is to find the other partys weakness and utilize it against him! Take for example this elder, he managed to conceal his aura within, so his only visible w is that spot. If you strike at his weakness urately, you can subdue him effectively!" Ignoring the widened mouths of the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to Lu Chong and exined. The other party had reached Zongshi realm pinnacle as well, and his fighting prowess was one to behold. In a straightforward battle, even despite Zhang Xuans immense strength of 5000 ding, he couldnt have subdued the other party with a single blow. However, possessing the Eye of Insight, he was able to see the direction and speed of the flow of the other partys zhenqi. Thus, he immediately kicked out and struck the other partys mingmen. And thus... This fellow was in for a round of suffering. "Yes!" Despite nearly killing the Lin n Third Elder with a single kick, his teacher still deciphered the entire situation and exined it to him as though it wasnt a big deal. Feeling a little awkward, it took Lu Chong a while before he recovered and hurriedly nodded his head. "Good!" Nodding his head in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan instructed. "Since you understand, give it a try!" Previously, when Lu Chong was fighting against the other elder, his moves were too unpolished, and he relied too heavily on brute force to break through the other partys offense. Since he was free now, Zhang Xuan decided to guide him along. "Give it a try?" Lu Chong hesitated. "Indeed. Cultivation and fighting instincts require consistent polishing and refinement. If you dont practice, how can you grow stronger than the others?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Battle techniques were just empty movements if one wasnt able to integrate it into a real battle. Only when one managed to bring it out naturally in a true battle would it be able to show its true might and effectiveness. "Yes!" After a moment of hesitation, Lu Chong gritted his teeth and walked up to Lin Hui, who was scrunched up as though a shrimp. Then, facing a certain spot, he lifted his leg and kicked at him forcefully! "Ah..." Upon having that which was shattered kicked fiercely again, Lin Huis eyes flipped upward. With this single blow, even the pipe was gone. Unable to hold on any further, he immediately keeled over. After kicking the other party, Lu Chong turned to look at his teacher to listen to his evaluation, only to see thetter ring at him furiously. "When I asked you to give it a try, I meant those guards! Who asked you to kick him..." It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan was angry. He exined so much to the other party to make him understand that technique is equally important and brute strength... His motive for asking the other party to give it a try was also simple. Even though Lin Hui was down, there was still a huge group of guards for him to practice on. Perhaps, his skills might improve if he refined his offense on them... In any case, they were all his enemies, so it wouldnt matter beating them up either... But... What the heck are you doing? Why did you go and kick Lin Hui? That fellow is already spurting white foam, what can you learn from kicking him? Does stabbing a knife into a corpse means that you have managed to kill someone? "Yes..." It was only then that Lu Chong understood his teachers intentions. With a face flushed in embarrassment, he charged straight at the other guards. The guards were mostly at Tongxuan realm. While they werent weak, butpared to a Zongshi realm intermediate stage expert, they meant nothing at all. In just a short moment, they were all lying on the ground, motionless, and just like Lin Hui, white foam flowed out from their mouths. "Un!" Even though Lu Chongs offense was still slightly stiff, there was a visible improvement from hispletely unrefined movements from before. Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "..." Upon seeing this sight, Mo Yu and Mo Tianxues eyes circled around their socket, and they felt frenzied within. Liuoshi, do you know what youre doing? This is the Third Elder and theyre guards of the Lin n! To render the former infertile and knock out all of the guards... This is equivalent to aplete fallout with the Lin n, there is no room for reconciliation! Your student might be reckless, but as an elder, you should know better! "Teacher..." After knocking out everyone, Lu Chong walked up to Zhang Xuan and kneeled down. Agitation and gratitude reflected in his eyes. Being pursued, he had no choice but to hide his identity. In this period of time, he had undergone and seen numerous betrayals. He had once considered of the possibility that his teacher might deliver him to the Lin n once he knew of his enemy, but contrary to all that he could have imagined, not only did his teacher not do that, he even helped him despite incurring the wrath of the Lin n! He could never repay this gratitude in this lifetime! Knowing that Lu Chong was expressing his thanks, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Just as he was about to speak, his mind jolted, and the Library of Heavens Path shuddered. The golden book appeared once more. "This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had only thought of saving his own student. He didnt think that the other partys gratitude would bring him a golden page! Chapter 378: Physician Mu Hongs Breakdown (1) Chapter 378: Physician Mu Hongs Breakdown (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "With this page, I can finally assimte all of those books in the Library of Heavens Path into my knowledge!" Zhang Xuan smiled. After traveling out of Tianxuan Kingdom, he had visited the Beast Hall, Poison Hall, Apothecary Guild, Tianwu Kingdoms book collection vault... There were more than a dozen million books in the Library of Heavens Path. The content of all of these books added up to an unimaginably massive amount of knowledge. By then, even without the Library of Heavens Path, his knowledge would be sufficient to awe others. Taking on the 3-star master teacher examination wouldnt be an issue for him. "I should think about it only after collecting the books in the book collection vault!" Knowing that it wasnt easy to produce a golden page, Zhang Xuan wasnt in a rush to use it. In any case, this was a single use item. Thus, the more books he collected, the greater the use of the golden page. At the moment, he was only halfway through the books. It wouldnt be toote for him to use it once he was done collecting all of them. Delighted at the formation of the golden page, Zhang Xuan looked at Lu Chong in satisfaction. "Stand up! You are my student, and I am your teacher. As long as our rtionship holds... I cannot stand by idly and watch as you are insulted!" Helping the young man up, Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. Understanding the true meaning behind the teacher and student rtionship, Zhang Xuan meant the words that he just said. The earnest sincerity in his words affected all those listening to it, as though an Impartation of Heavens Will, causing everyones soul to tremble in agitation. Even he himself couldnt help but feel refreshed after saying those words. It was as though his mind had cleared up suddenly. Mo Yu clenched her fists tightly, "No wonder Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing are willing to give it their all to fight for his honor. So, this is the true meaning behind being a teacher and student!" She was a master teacher as well, and she had her own students too. However, her understanding of teachers and students was only limited to the impartation of knowledge and rifying doubts. All along, she couldnt understand how Zhang Xuans students coulde into conflict with one another just because of a few words. But now, she finally understood... It was out of pure admiration for their teacher! It was because of their teachers earnest sincerity in facing them that the students were willing to follow him, going to the extent of even fighting to defend his honor. "Incredible!" Mo Tianxue nodded. As the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, he had met with many teachers and students. However, it was an extremely rare sight to see such deep trust between teacher and student. Many teachers and students onlye together out of convenience and benefit, and such a rtionship was bound to fall apart eventually. It was no wonder why he could win the hearts of all of his students in just a few days in Tianwu Academy. His character and charisma were truly way beyond other teachers, and this included master teachers as well. "To win the hearts of others, one had to present his own first..." He feltpletely impressed. This Liuoshi treated his students with his heart, treating them with utmost honesty and concern. Naturally, it was only right for him to win the love and respect of his students. Then, Mo Tianxue turned to look at the guards and the convulsing Elder Lin Hui on the floor, and a headache immediately struck him. "Cough cough, its not that I want to ruin this atmosphere, but Guild Master Liu... You were truly reckless this time!" The people you two are going against arent just anyone but the Lin n! Even if the Lin n dont dare to do anything to you out of fear of your position as the guild master of the Physician Guild, but what about your students? Your kin and friends? The Lin n didnt just have the backing of the Formation Master Guild... Theres also the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom! That unreasonable older sister of Lin Lang! This was what worried him the most. Two years ago, a conflict broke out with the Qu n when her elder sister was visiting, so she sent a Zhizun realm subordinate to destroy the entire Qu n. The royal pce knew of this matter, but intimidated by the Zhizun realm expert, they couldnt say a single word! But now... The student injured Lin Lang severely, and ording to the rumors, he even pushed the other party into a fecal drain, humiliating him. On the other hand, the teacher went even further, castrating the Lin ns Third Elder, leaving him no different from a eunuch... This was picking a fight with the Lin n! Furthermore, it was the kind of irreconcble one! "Reckless?" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan looked at Mo Tianxue impassively and replied, "Even if I did nothing today, do you think that the Lin n would treat me kindly?" "This..." Mo Tianxue was stumped. If Lu Chong was truly taken away today, given the Lin ns means and connections, it would be a walk in the park to find out who his teacher was. Zhang Xuans feat of saving the Gold-tailed Lion and pointing out that it was poisoned had wrecked the Lin ns ns, making him an eyesore to them... Even if they knew that Zhang Xuan wasnt involved in this matter, they might very well make use of it to strike him. Thus, it was just bringing the conflict forward. "Since Lu Chong calls me his teacher, I cant stand and watch idly by the side!" Deciding not to dawdle on this matter, Zhang Xuan said impassively, "Im not done looking through the books yet, so Ill leave you all to settle the rest. As for Lu Chong, wait for me here. Dont leave this ce first..." After which, he walked back into the depths of the book collection vault, and it didnt take long for him to disappear from the eyes of the crowd. "He wants to continue reading now?" "Even with this timing, he still has the mood to continue reading?" Seeing him heading into the depths of the book collection vault, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu nced at one another and a strong sense of vertigo overwhelmed them. Big brother, this is the Lin n! Even the royal family doesnt dare to face them head on. After beating up their elder, you simply throw him on the ground and leave him to be... Continue reading? There are more than ten million books in this book collection vault! Even a decade wouldnt be sufficient for you to finish all of them. What use is there for you to read for a little longer? "This fellow... Perhaps... He truly likes reading!" After a long moment of silence, Mo Yu forced out a few words. It had been awhile since she was acquainted with Zhang shi. She remembered that back then, when they were at the Beast Hall, he also demanded to look through the books in the library. After which, when they arrived at Red Lotus City, the reward he wanted for treating the Great Herb King was also books. Right now, even though he had picked a fight with the Lin n, all that was on his mind was to read books... Exactly how deep was his passion for reading! It was no wonder why he could take on so many upations at such a young age. This probably had something to do with his passion for books. The thoughts of the duo wandered around the ce. Actually, Zhang Xuan wasnt acting calm, he truly didnt think much of the Lin n. While it might be the dominant power in Tianwu Kingdom, but he didnt think that it posed a threat to him. Even though Zhang Xuans strength was only at Zongshi realm pinnacle, with the Library of Heavens Path, he could match up to even a Half-Zhizun expert! If ites down to it, he could also summon for the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast to back him up... or even reveal his identity as Zhang shi! A genius master teacher, the senior of Pavilion Master Jiang, and Master Teacher Yang Xuans student... With his identity, no matter how brazen the other party was, it was unlikely that they would dare to do anything to him. Thus... In Zhang Xuans eyes, the Lin n that Mo Tianxue and the others feared tremendously meant nothing at all. Rather than wasting time on them, it was a better use of time to read books. ... Lin n. The Lin ns Elder Assembly Room was a grand and extravagant hall. It was usually restricted to the others, and even elders would have to apply for permission before being allowed to enter. However, at this moment, a huge crowd was gathered, and the entire field was chaotic. Two young men with faces swollen asrge as a pigs head were lying on the floor. It was nearly impossible to discern who they were just by their outer appearance itself. They were Lin Lang and Ji Mo gongzi whom Lu Chong mercilessly pummeled. At this moment, the filth had already been washed out from their body. But even so, the stench had seeped into their skin. No matter how many times they were washed, green flies still lingered around them, as though they had found a pair of rare delicacies. Just the sight of it was sufficient to disgust the food out of one. In the room stood the n head of the Lin n, Lin Ruotian, and few other people. "n Head Lin, whats going on? How did my sonnd in such a state during a visit to the Emerald Pavilion?" Amidst the ruckus, a tall middle-aged man walked over anxiously. The n head of the Ji n, Ji Feng! Upon seeing the motionless body of his son on the floor, Ji Fengs face steeled. Rage bubbled deep within him, threatening to erupt at any moment. He knew of Ji Mo gongzis intention to visit Lin Lang gongzi to plead with him. In fact, he was the one who hinted it to him. Otherwise, how could Ji Mo ride a carriage out so openly when he was supposed to be grounded in the residence? Initially, he thought that with the influence of Lin Lang and the Lin n, the matter with Zhang shi could be easily resolved. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that before this matter could be settled, his son was already beaten up to such a tragic state. The Emerald Pavilion was Lin Langs establishment, the expenditure abyss of the capital! Not even nobles dared to act up in there, yet Ji Mo was knocked into aa in there... Who in the world could it be? How dare he? Did he have no eyes for thew, for the Ji n, for the Lin n? Atrocious! "n Head Ji, calm down. The Third Elder has already led a team to apprehend the culprit. He should be returning soon!" Lin Ruotian said. "Besides, your son isnt the only one. Even my Lang-er came under his attack!" "Even Lin Lang gongzi was attacked?" Ji Feng had rushed here immediately upon hearing the news about his son being beaten up, so he was oblivious that Lin Lang was attacked as well. He hurriedly asked, "Where is Lin Lang gongzi? Are his wounds severe?" "Isnt he lying together with your son?" Lin Ruotiansplexion darkened. What in the world is wrong with your eyes? My son is lying right next to your son! How can you miss him? "This is... Lin Lang gongzi?" Only then did Ji Feng notice another figure lying next to his son, and he immediately leapt in shock upon seeing the face. Even though his son was severely injured, he could at least see the rough distinctive features on him. But this Lin Lang gongzi was beaten to the point that he didnt even seem human anymore. On top of that, an overpowering stench was emanating from him. If not for n Head Lins words, Ji Feng could have never imagined that this pig-head like fellow... was the famous number one gongzi in the capital. It was impossible to guess this much solely from his outer appearance... "What happened?" Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Ji Feng asked hesitantly. He thought that the other party was already being brazen for beating his son, but to think that even Lin Lang gongzi wasnt spared either... At this moment, he realized that the other party wasnt just brazen, he was insane! "The two of them were already in this state by the time I arrived!" Lin Ruotian shook his head. He wasnt exactly sure of the happenings either. He had to wait for the Third Elders return to confirm the matter. "Then... We should treat them quickly. Their wounds dont seem to be light..." Seeing that the other party wasnt certain on this matter, Ji Feng chose not to dawdle on this topic. "Their injuries seem to be a little bizarre, ordinary physicians are incapable of treating them. I have already invited Physician Mu Hong from the Physician Guild over. Judging from the time, he should be arriving soon..." Lin Ruotian replied. "Ok!" Ji Feng nodded. Other than the Guild Master Liu who suddenly became famous recently, the most capable physician in the capital was Physician Mu Hong. As the previous guild master and a 3-star physician, he wasnt an easy figure to mobilize. Even so, he didnt dare to turn down an invitation from the n head of the Lin n. Chapter 379: Physician Mu Hongs Breakdown (2) Chapter 379: Physician Mu Hongs Breakdown (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Not too longter, Physician Mu Hong arrived under an elders lead. "Paying respects to n Head Lin and n Head Ji!" Mu Hong sped his fist and greeted impassively. As a 3-star physician, he had his own pride. Even though these two were powerful figures in the capital, given his standing, there was no need for him to act subserviently around them. "Grandmaster Mu, I ask of you to save my son..." Lin Ruotian hurriedly requested. "Dont worry!" Offering the other party an assurance, Mu Hong walked nonchntly toward Lin Lang and Ji Mo, squatted down, and started examining the duo. There was no such thing as feeling ones pulse in this world, but examining, questioning, and listening were three fundamentals to diagnosing. Even though he couldnt question the other party due to theirck of consciousness, as a 3-star physician, he was still able to determine the rough problem the duo was suffering from. "How is it?" After a long moment of silence, Lin Ruotian couldnt hold back his anxiety any longer and asked nervously. Lin Lang was his only son, and he had always doted on him. Seeing the other party in such a state had left him diposed. "His injuries are severe. It seems like someone has struck him forcefully only relying brute force. If Im not wrong, the person who injured him must be someone who is adept in physical body cultivation!" After finishing his diagnosis, Mu Hong exhaled deeply and stood up. cing his hands behind his back, he began exining. Cultivators often used zhenqi when fighting with one another, and one of the most distinctive traits of injuries caused by zhenqi was that they tended to be internal. In other words, injuries sustained from fighting with another cultivator tended to be at ones meridians or organs. On the other hand, the two before him had their teeth knocked off, bones shattered, and skin ripped apart. It was clear that this was mostly done using physical strength. Thus, the culprit must either be an expert skilled in physical body cultivation or a savage beast. "A physical body cultivator?" Lin Ruotian frowned. He hadnt heard of anyone cultivating ones physical body to the level of a Zongshi realm in Tianwu Royal City. Perplexed, he looked at the Physician Mu Hong worriedly and asked, "Grandmaster Mu, is there any way to treat them? If not... Ill try looking for other physicians, or perhaps... invite Guild Master Liu over!" "Dont worry, its just some superficial wounds. Theres nothing to worry about!" Hearing the doubt in the other partys voice and the words Guild Master Liu, Mu Hongs face darkened and he gestured haughtily. In the past, he was the top physician in the Tianwu Kingdom. No one dared to doubt his capability. But ever since Guild Master Lius appearance, everyone had been carrying doubts at his skills, and this left him dismal. Was Guild Master Liu the only capable physician among them? "Then, Ill be troubling Grandmaster Mu then!" Hearing that the other party had a solution, Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng heaved a sigh of relief. "Un!" Not wasting any time, Mu Hong immediately flicked his wrist, and a jade bottle appeared in his hands. With a slight shake, medicinal fluid immediately flowed out and dripped on Lin Langs exposed skin. Tzzzzzzz! Upon contact, bubbles started to appear on the wounds, and the ringcerations healed at a speed visible to ones eyes. "Incredible..." Seeing the apparent effects, Lin Ruotian and Ji Fengs eyes lit up. As expected of a 3-star physician! His skills were indeed superb! "This is a medicinal fluid that I concocted by myself. It is exceptionally effective on external injuries. Regardless of what injury it is, upon contact with it, itll heal quickly. Its truly a miraculous medicine..." Seeing the surprise on the faces of the two, Physician Mu Hong nodded in satisfaction. However, halfway through his words, Lin Ruotians face slowly turned into shock. "Wait, Grandmaster Mu, look..." Seeing the other partys bizarre reaction, Mu Hong immediately followed the other partys fingers and nced at Lin Lang, and the sight before him left him dumbstruck. The wound that had just healed torn apart, and theceration grew evenrger than before. Even worse, blood flowed profusely out of the wound. Take for example, if the wound was two fingers wide before, aftering into contact with the medicinal fluid, not only did it not recover, it even became three fingers wide and started bleeding! "Whats going on?" He had just bragged that his medicine was a private concoction when such a matter urred. Mu Hongsplexion immediately turned awful. He quickly poured the fluid on another region. Siii! Just like before, the regenerated flesh suddenly tore apart once more and became even more ring. "That cant be..." He didnt expect such an abrupt change. With a flick of his wrist, Physician Mu Hong took out seven to eight different medicinal fluid and poured them into different wounds. These miraculous medicines for ones external wounds were also effective at the start, but before long, the wounds started tearing apart once more. It was just a while ago that Lin Langs bleeding stopped and his condition stabilized, and they thought that with Physician Mu Hong skills, Lin Lang could make a full recovery. However, not only did thetter fail to treat Lin Lang, he even caused the wounds to widen and blood started flowing profusely from them once more. With every passing second, Lin Langs face was turning paler and paler. "Grandmaster Mu, please... stop for a moment!" Seeing the other party grabbing another dozen bottles once more, clearly intending to try them one by one, Lin Ruotian shuddered and hurried forward to stop him. Grandmaster Mu, I invited you here to treat my son, not to kill him... If you continue on like this, my son will probably die from excessive bleeding before you managed to find the correct medicine! "Dont worry, I know what Im doing!" Physician Mu Hong interjected as his face darkened. Trying all of the medicinal fluids in his storage ring one by one, the frown on his face slowly deepened, and hisplexion turned more and more awful. Eventually, by the time he finished experimenting with all of his medicine, Lin Langs breathing was already extremely faint, to the point that it seemed as though he was just a step away from deaths embrace. "So, how is it?" Lin Ruotians lips quivered vigorously. Even though his son was severely injured, he was still in a stable condition a short while ago. Yet, under Physician Mu Hongs hands, his sons condition deteriorated by the second, to the point that it seemed as though he would die at any moment. This made Lin Ruotian extremely frustrated, but he didnt dare tosh out at this moment. If not for Guild Master Liu foiling his ns, making him subconsciously hostile toward him, he would have surely invited him over instead of Physician Mu Hong. If this previous guild master was at a loss as well, Lin Ruotian had no idea what he should do next. "Based on my diagnosis, Lin Lang gongzis wounds arent just normal, superficial wounds. Im afraid that hes... poisoned!" After hesitating for a moment, Mu Hong slowly answered. "Poisoned?" Lin Ruotian was taken aback. Could the person who attacked his son be a poison master? Otherwise, normal poison should be ineffective against Zongshi realm experts. "Indeed! This poison is extremely bizarre, so I wasnt able to recognize it instantly. However, theres no need for you to worry too much about it. I will use my zhenqi to expel it. Once the poison is expelled, his injuries shouldnt open up again. By then, hell recover swiftly!" Physician Mu Hong replied. After trying out numerous medicines, he finally concluded that the other party had been poisoned. Otherwise, how could these medicines, which were effective on others, have such bizarre effects on him? However, there were countless different poisons in the world. Mu Hong wasnt a poison master who specialized in the field, so there was no way he could identify the poison Lin Lang was suffering from. Thus, the only possible treatment he could conduct was to forcefully expel the poison from the other partys body. "Ill be depending on Grandmaster Mu then!" Lin Ruotian hurriedly nodded. "Un!" Replying casually, Mu Hong helped Lin Lang up and sat cross-legged behind him. cing his palm on the other partys back, he slowly infused a surge of zhenqi into thetters body. There was a unique method to expel the poison from another persons body. As a 3-star physician, he had learned it before and was familiar with it. His zhenqi slowly flowed through the other partys meridians, checking them inch by inch. "Here it is..." Before long, Mu Hong found where the poison was located, and his eyes lit up. After one was poisoned, the poison would flow through ones meridians and travel around ones body. If one wanted to expel it, one had to locate it first. Otherwise, regardless of what solutions one used, if it was targeted at the wrong spot, it would all be for naught. "Lin Lang gongzi cultivates the Lin ns cultivation technique so his zhenqi should be of apletely different nature from mine, making it impossible for the two to fuse together. I just have to wrap my zhenqi around the poisoned zhenqi and force it out of his body..." After finding the precise location, Mu Hong didnt get excited. Instead, he became even warier instead. Being poisoned meant that the poison had already fused with ones zhenqi and body. To expel it, ones zhenqi had to be of a different nature from the other party first. Otherwise, if the zhenqi were to fuse together, not only would one be unable to expel the poison, it was also highly likely that the poison from the patient would travel back to the one treating him. The Lin ns cultivation technique that Lin Lang cultivated waspletely different from that Physician Mu Hong cultivated. To make an analogy, it was just like oil and water. As long as he proceeded carefully, it shouldnt be a problem for him to expel the poison zhenqi out. Physician Mu Hong carefully pushed his zhenqi toward the other partys poison zhenqi, and then, the two touched. Just as he was intending to expel that poison zhenqi out of Lin Langs body, Tzzz!, an explosion sounded. It was as though fire meeting with gasoline. The poison immediately seeped into Physician Mu Hongs zhenqi. "What?" Physician Mu Hongs eyes narrowed. Before he could react, his hands swiftly turned ck. Then, the poison immediately spread upward, turning his arms ck as well. "This... This... How is this possible?" Mu Hongs face turned pale. He nearly turned insane on the spot. He had seen potent poison, but he had never seen one so formidable! He had personally treated a victim of a grade-2 poison before, and logically speaking, as long as his zhenqi was immiscible with that of the patient, the poison shouldnt pose any threat to him... After all, if their zhenqi doesnt fuse together, there was no medium for the poison to afflict him! What in the world was this? Why was his zhenqi immediately poisoned, as though gasolineing into contact with mes? "Damn it. It must be because... pure zhenqi is contained within this poison. That kind of zhenqi is capable of fusing with any zhenqi..." A thought suddenly shed through Mu Hongs mind, and he recalled some records on a book. Given that his zhenqi swiftly fused with the other party, transmitting the poison during the process, there was only one possibility. That was... the one who poisoned Lin Lang possessed exceptionally pure zhenqi. This allowed the poison to fuse perfectly with his zhenqi, thus transmitting the poison to him in an instant. "Doomed..." Mu Hongs body swayed. Not only did he fail to cure Lin Lang of his poison, he even got poisoned instead... Mu Hong was on the verge of tears. He was just thinking that he could prove to the Lin n that he wasnt inferior to Liu Cheng by treating Lin Lang sessfully, yet the situation ended up like this... What in the world was this! Flicking his wrist, Mu Hong immediately took out an antidote and sucked on it in his mouth. Just as his condition just barely alleviated, Lin Ruotian walked over with a panicked expression and grabbed his hand. "Grandmaster Mu, whats happened? Why did you..." "Stop..." Mu Hong had just forcefully suppressed the poison aura from traveling around his body when the other partys sudden grasp interrupted his concentration. Suddenly, he lost control of his zhenqi, and the poison zhenqi immediately broke through the two blockages he had just created on his arms and spread across his entire body. Pu! A mouthful of blood spurted from Mu Hongs mouth. His body staggered weakly. "Theres something weird about his poison..." Before Mu Hong could finish his words, his vision went dark and he fainted. "Grandmaster Mu..." Seeing a 3-star physician, as well as the previous guild master of the Physician Guild faint on the spot, Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng were stunned. Who can tell me what just happened? Physician Mu Hong, arent you here to treat our sons? Why did Lin Langs injury worsen with every action you took? Not only that, your face turned pitch ck, and you even fainted. To think that a physician would get poisoned in the midst of his treatment and faint... Mu Hong, didnt you just confidently dere for us to not worry? Dont worry... With this kind of standard, I would be a fool not to worry! Chapter 380: Knocking Chapter 380: Knocking Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "What do we do?" Not only did they fail to treat the other party, the physician even fainted. Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng stared at one another light headed. What kind of opponent did Lin Lang and Ji Mo meet for them tond in such a state? "Physician Mu Hongs medical skills are top-notch in Tianwu Kingdom. If even he is helpless toward their affliction, then no physician will be able to do anything!" A momentter, Ji Feng suddenly thought of something and said, "Unless... we neutralize the poison in their bodies first!" "Neutralize the poison in their bodies? We dont even know what kind of poison it is, how can we neutralize it?" Lin Ruotian shook his head. It was no easy feat to neutralize a poison. Without knowing that poison it was and the concentration of it that one consumed, it was impossible to do so! "Indeed, if we wish to treat a poison which even Grandmaster Mu is helpless toward, we will require the help of a real poison master..." Ji Feng nodded. "Poison master? Right, the Great Herb King of the Red Lotus City is currently in the capital. Hurry up and invite him over. I heard that Hall Master Liao Xun of the Poison Hall had just arrived yesterday as well. Invite him over too!" Upon hearing the words poison master, Lin Ruotians eyes lit up and he hurriedly issued several instructions. He had some connections with the Great Herb King, otherwise, it would be impossible for him to procure the poison used to kill the Gold-tailed Lion. "Hall Master Liao Xun? Isnt the hall master of the Poison Hall..." n Head Ji Feng asked doubtfully. Ji Feng didnt have much contact with the Poison Hall, but as one of the most feared and unique upations, he knew a thing or two about it. He might not remember the name of the hall master precisely, but he was certain that it wasnt Liao Xun. Furthermore, what in the world was the hall master of the Poison Hall doing at Tianwu Royal City instead of his own base? "I dont know the details either, but it seems like the previous hall master passed away, and his student had taken his ce. The reason why hes here is to send off a seemingly formidable figure!" Lin Ruotian pondered for a moment before replying. He had heard the news from the mouth of the Great Herb King personally. It seemed like the headquarter had sent an envoy to their branch, and Hall Master Liao was here to see off the other party. "Regardless of the reason, their presence is a secret. We mustnt let anyone learn of it!" After exining the situation, Lin Ruotian turned to look at Ji Feng, and a menacing glint shed across his eyes. "n Head Ji, I only told you the truth because of the several generations of close ties between our ns! You should know, better than most, what you should and shouldnt say!" Poison masters had a hostile rtionship with the other upations. If other people were to learn that the hall master of the Poison Hall was here, it was highly likely that unnecessary conflict might ur. "n Head Lin, dont worry. My lips are sealed!" Seeing the other partys stern expression, Ji Fengs face turned grim as well and he hurriedly nodded in agreement. He had no choice but to submit. Given the Lin ns strength, if he were to do anything excessive, the Ji n might be history tomorrow. And the Tianwu royal family would be pleased to see such a sight. Large ns like theirs were a hindrance to the authority of the royal family. They would definitely be delighted to see them destroying one another. ... Not too longter, the Great Herb King and Hall Master Liao Xun arrived in the room. At this moment, Liao Xun already had the disposition and authority befitting that of a hall master. With his hands behind him and eyes that seemed to peer into the far distance, he felt like an unfathomable being. Upon seeing him, the iparably arrogant Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng didnt dare to pull their weight at all. They hurriedly sped their fists and greeted him, "Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng pay respect to Hall Master Liao!" Different from the other upations, poison masters tended to have weird quirks in their character. If one were to offend a poison master, he could very well poison one without one noticing, and one would die with utmost grievance. "Un!" Seeing the respectful attitude of the two, Liao Xun nodded his head in satisfaction. Then, ncing at the duo, he asked, "May I know what business does n Head Lin have to invite me over so urgently?" "Its like this!" Lin Ruotian immediately replied. "My unworthy son is afflicted with lethal poison, and even Physician Mu Hong is helpless before it. Thus, I invited you over in hopes that you could save him..." "Afflicted with lethal poison?" Liao Xun nced at the trio lying on the ground, including Physician Mu Hong, impassively and replied, "Theyre indeed poisoned. However... Why should I help you?" What business of it is mine that your son got poisoned? Other people might be eager to suck up to your Lin n, but Im not interested in it at all! "This..." Seeing the nonchnce on the other partys face, Lin Ruotians face flushed. He felt so stifled that he could puke blood at this moment. The Lin n was the number one n in Tianwu Kingdom, and all along, he had been the one to crush others with his authority and demanding for privileges from others. When was anyone able to speak to him like that? However, before this dangerous man, he didnt dare to act up at all. The other party was indeed weaker than him, but poison masters tended to have numerous bizarre means up their sleeves, and they couldnt be measured simply by their cultivation. There were plenty of weak people who were capable of killing experts stronger than them. Not only was this Liao Xun the hall master of the Poison Hall, he was also a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert as well. It was in Lin Ruotians best interest not to offend the other party. Otherwise, if the other party were to fly into a rage, he might just poison everyone in the residence. Thinking of this, no matter how infuriated Lin Ruotian was, he could only suppress his rage down. With a flick of his wrist, a jade bottle appeared in his grasp. "This is the [Golden Origin Pill], a grade-3 intermediate pill. This is forged by Grandmaster Tie You of Xuanyuan Kingdom, and it has reached the level of Perfection! Itll definitely help your cultivation to advance upon consumption, and you might even step into the level of a Half-Zhizun!" The attribute of the Golden Origin Pill was metal, and metal had a sharp nature. The pill carried the effect of breaking through the bottlenecks one faced in ones cultivation. Furthermore, at the level of Perfection, the value of this pill was immense, rivaling that of a spirit stone! It wasnt an easy decision for Lin Ruotian to take this out. "Golden Origin Pill?" Without even looking at it, Liao Xun waved his hands in disdain and said, "Pills are useless to poison masters. Dont even bother taking such stuff out; youll embarrass yourself!" Poison masters cultivated poison attribute cultivation techniques, and they consumed poisonous substances to augment their cultivation. Pills didnt have much of a use to them. "This..." Not expecting that the other party would treat the item he had to undergo a mental turmoil to take out with disdain, Lin Ruotians face immediately reddened in embarrassment. At this moment, he waspletely lost, not knowing what else he could offer the other party. "Alright, how about this! Ill state my terms, and as long as you can aplish it, not only will I help you resolve your sons poison, I can even kill someone for you!" Liao Xun nced at Lin Ruotian and said. "Feel free to speak!" Seeing that the situation wasntpletely hopeless, a spark of hope appeared in Lin Ruotians eyes. "Simple. I heard that your Lin n is extremely influential in the kingdom. Thus, I hope that you can help to construct a trading hub for poison masters in the capital!" Liao Xun revealed his motive. If not for this, he would never havee here. Poison masters couldnt just stay in the Poison Hall for their entire life. They also had toe out and trade with others. If a trading hub could be built here, it would mean that the identity of poison masters would be officially recognized. If so, they could avoid many troubles, and there would be no need for them to intentionally hide from public view. "This..." Lin Ruotian hesitated for a moment. "I believe that you should know that even though our Lin n possess immense authority in Tianwu Kingdom, we arent the true ruler of the country. Im afraid that we might incur the displeasure of the guilds if we were to build a trading hub here all of the sudden..." "Dont beat around the bush! The Great Herb King has already told me what youre up to. Didnt you poison the Gold-tailed Lion so that you can rece the monarchy? Dont worry! As long as you agree to my request, we have a poison that can deal with that Zhizun realm guardian beast!" Liao Xun replied impassively. "You have a poison that can deal with Zhizun realm savage beasts?" Lin Ruotians eyes lit up. The sudden breakthrough of the Gold-tailed Lion had forced him to rein him in ambitions. The promise of Hall Master Liao had caused his ambitions to emerge once more. Honestly speaking, even without opening up a trading hub, poison masters were still trading in public. In truth, the Red Lotus City was already thergest trading hub for poison masters. In a sense, opening a trading hub in the capital wouldnt change anything, yet at the same time, he could pull an expert to his side... Why should he turn down such a beneficial deal? Thus, Lin Ruotian nodded, and just as he was about to speak, a guard suddenly rushed in. "n head, this is bad..." Even before reaching the room, the guards voice had already sounded. "Whats wrong?" Interrupted, Lin Ruotian was displeased. "The Third Elder, he..." The lips of the guard who came in quivered violently. "Whats wrong? Did he catch the culprit? Whats there to panic about if the culprit has been caught?" Lin Ruotian asked. Given that the Third Elder had gone out personally to apprehend the culprit, it was likely that the culprit had already been killed by now. "Thats not it... Someone has sent the Third Elder back! He is severely wounded, and hes currently unconscious. Furthermore..." "Furthermore what?" "Someone has kicked his lower body, and hes alreadypletely inept..." The guard was on the verge of tears. "Kicked his lower body?" Lin Ruotian was stunned for a moment before frenzy spread across his entire face. "Who is it? Who is the one who dares to assault a member of our Lin n?" The heck! The Lin n had always been a dominant power in the capital, an influence that no one dared to provoke. What in the world was going on today? First, his son was pummeled by someone and thrown into the fecal drain. Then, the Third Elder, who had gone on to investigate the matter, was kicked infertile! When did the Lin n be such easy targets to bully? If they were to remain motionless before such clear provocation, how could the Lin n establish its might in Tianwu Kingdom? "Its... Its the royal pce who sent them back here! Its said that the culprit who assaulted the young master had escaped to the royal pce, but the Third Elder still managed to track him down through the Seeking Mouse. Eventually, a fight urred, and the Third Elder has been reduced to such a state from a kick by his opponent. As for the other guards, we dont know whether theyre still alive or not..." The guard revealed everything that he knew about the matter. "The one who attacked the Third Elder seemed to be the new guild leader of the Physician Guild, Liu Cheng, and the one who attempted to assassinate young master is his student..." The Lin n had spies in Tianwu Kingdom, so it wasnt difficult for them to get their hands on this news. "Liu Cheng? Damn it... To dare to injure my son and the Third Elder, hes disregarding the authority of our Lin n! I swear that I will kill him..." After rifying the entire issue, Lin Ruotian howled frenziedly! Where did this fellowe from? Why did he keep hindering the Lin n? Was he addicted to it? We are already very kind to overlook the matter of you curing the Gold-tailed Lion and hindering our ploy. Yet, you still dare to send your student to assassinate my son, even going to the extent of injuring the Third Elder yourself... You are just an honorary guild master; did you think that you are some big shot? "Men! Capture Liu Cheng and bring him to me! If I dont kill him, I wont be able to quell the anger boiling in me..." Feeling so stifled that he could spurt blood, Lin Ruotian gestured grandly, and the aura of a conqueror slowly exuded from him. Who cares that you are some mere guild master or genius? Ill kill those who dare to offend me! Even if the Physician Guild headquarter were to investigate this issue in the future, I would stand on the side of reason... Before he could finish issuing his instructions, another guard ran over anxiously and reported, "n head, this is bad... That Guild Master Liu and his student are already at our door, saying that theyll settle the score with our Lin n today and return justice to the world. They demand us to... apologize!" "Apologize? He injured our men, and he still wants us to apologize?" With eyes turning crimson, the final string of Lin Ruotians sanity snapped. Chapter 381: My Students Cannot Be Bullied Chapter 381: My Students Cannot Be Bullied Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Is there something wrong with him? Lin Ruotian was the n head of the number one n of Tianwu Kingdom, a 3-star formation master, and a Half-Zhizun expert. Of the thirteen countries, everyone would bow to him in utmost respect, not even daring to breathe loudly for fear of incurring his wrath! Yet, not only did this fellow pummel his son and an elder of the n, he even came here to settle the score, saying that he wanted to return justice to the world... The heck! I should be the one settling the score with you! What the heck are you here for? Liu Cheng, you rascal, I will make you regret your actions! Did you think that our Lin n is something you can y with? Let me tell you, our Lin n has never feared anyone before! Since you are so anxious to die, Ill grant your wish. With a facepletely stiffened with anger, Lin Ruotian prepared to head out to see what the other party was up to when a voice so loud that it echoed throughout the entire capital sounded. "The head of the Lin n, whoever you are, hurry up and get out here to apologize! Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty!" A voice seething with rage boomed across thends. "The heck!" "Who the heck is that? He must be insane to dare to pick a fight with the Lin n!" "To be so disrespectful to the Lin n... Whats going on?" Hearing the deafening voice, everyone was scared out of their wits. Openly provoking the Lin n? Who could that brazen fellow be? "Isnt he being too gutsy?" "Get nasty with his meager ability? Isnt he afraid of biting his tongue bragging like that?" "He must be tired of living..." The deration outside sent the Lin ns hall into an uproar. The eyes of the elders turned red with fury, and they were about to faint from anger. Ever since the Lin ns rise to power, when had anyone dared to insult them publicly right at their door! How dare that conceited physician do so? "Damn it! Elders, follow me. Lets ughter that arrogant fellow!" Bellowing furiously, Lin Ruotian started walking outside. But halfway through, he suddenly recalled something and turned to look at the Great Herb King and Hall Master Liao Xun. "Hall Master Liao and the Great Herb King... I might have to trouble you two on something!" "Un?" The duo stared at one another. "My son and Ji ns gongzi were poisoned by the student of Liu Cheng, so theres a high probability that his student might be a poison master as well! It is difficult for me, even as a Half-Zhizun, to deal with a poison master. Thus, I hope that hall master can help me!" "Poison master? If he is one, I would definitely know of him. Otherwise, he probably only learnt some superficial stuff outside!" Hall Master Liao nodded as he gestured casually, "Alright! Leave that little ant to me. It isnt anything much anyway!" As the hall master of the Poison Hall, there was no reason for him to not know any poison masters in this vicinity! Since he had never heard of the other party, that could only mean that he wasnt anything at all. "Thank you!" Lin Ruotians eyes lit up, and he hurriedly nodded. Actually, what he feared the most wasnt Liu Cheng, but his poison-using student. Even Physician Mu Hong was unable to resolve the poison on Lin Lang, which goes to show how dangerous the poison was! Given how Lin Ruotian didnt know a single thing about poison, there was a high chance he might fall to it as well! Since the hall master of the Poison Hall was willing to make a move, then there was no need for him to worry at all. "Lets go!" With sufficient backing at hand, Lin Ruotian immediately led the various elders, Liao Xun, Grand Elder, Ji Feng, and the others out. ... Returning to an hour ago. After stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan walked out from the kingdoms book collection vault. After more than two hours of hard work, he had finally added all of the books to the Library of Heavens Path. Due to him overexerting himself and collecting the books too quickly, he felt like groggy headed at the moment. It was fortunate that he had experienced a significant rise in his cultivation recently, and he had been nourished by the Insight Energy when he became a Celestial Master Teacher, thus strengthening his soul significantly. Otherwise, he would have definitely fainted halfway through by the violent jolt in his head given the speed he was collecting at. "Right now, I am onlycking the books at the Physician Guild and Formation Master Guild... I should find some time to finish those books there before using the golden page!" Zhang Xuan muttered silently. He wasnt anxious to use the golden page. It was a one-time consumable, and he wanted to maximize the what he got out of it. "Liuoshi!" The moment he walked out, Lu Chong immediately stepped forward and sped his fist respectfully. Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were around as well, and they immediately walked up to Zhang Xuan. It wasnt that they didnt wish to leave, but they dared not to. If they were to leave now, what would they do about those fellows lying on the floor? "You havent sent them back yet?" Seeing that the Third Elder was still convulsing on the floor, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The imperial physicians of the royal pce had conducted a primary treatment on them, but given how severe their injuries were, this primary treatment was only sufficient to prevent their injuries from worsening. "Send them back?" Mo Tianxue scratched his head. You didnt say how we should go about settling this, how do we know what we should do? Sending them back was no different from dering war on the Lin n. There would be no retreat if they were to do so. "Un! We cant possibly leave them to die here!" Shaking his head casually, Zhang Xuan turned his attention from the wounded to Lu Chong and said, "You should be able to tell me about your enemies now, right?" For fear of implicating his teacher, Lu Chong beat around the bush when Zhang Xuan asked him thest time. However, since Zhang Xuan was already involved in the matter, it should be alright for Lu Chong to exin the entire happenings already! Upon hearing his question, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yus attention was piqued. They also wanted to know what in the world happened that made this fellow beat up even the young master of the Lin n! "Yes!" Knowing that there was no use hiding it any longer, Lu Chong finally nodded and exined, "Actually, my name is not Lu Chong but Qu Chong. I am the young master from Tianwu Kingdoms Qu n..." "Qu n? The Qu n whose entire n of 137 people was killed two years ago? They still have an... offspring alive?" ncing at one another, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were filled with shock. "Yes, I managed to survive that ordeal..." With reddened eyes, Lu Chong gritted his teeth. "You two know about this matter as well?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Could it be that the royal family colluded with the Lin n and helped to conceal the matter? "We do, but we had no choice then. Lin Long, Lin Langs elder sister and the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom, issued an order personally, and a Zhizun realm expert came personally to destroy the entire n!" At this, the usually calm emperor couldnt help but take in a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes, "There were many seniors and children in the mix. After the event, I went personally to take a look, and they didnt spare a single person. Everyone was killed in a single blow!" Upon hearing his words, Lu Chong seemed to have returned back to the time two years ago. Tears began to ripple in his eyes, threatening to trickle down at any moment. He was only seventeen years old this year. Back then, when the tragedy struck, he was only fifteen years old! For a fifteen year old to see his parents and kin being reduced to corpses, the agony he had undergone was hard to imagine. "What happened?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He felt outraged; his blood boiled. Even though he hadnt undergone this kind of pain before, he could almost see the sorrow and despair on his students face then. If that wasnt the case, how could a fifteen-year-old child kneel quietly outside an academy for several days straight, all just to gain the strength to exact vengeance! He also wouldnt have endured the torture from the tempering of the Poison Body and forcefully raised his strength to Zongshi realm intermediate stage in just a few days! "I heard that Lin Lang had set his eyes upon the Qu ns young mistress, Qu Ling, but thetter refused to give in to him at all, injuring him even... If Im not wrong, his injury was somewhat simr to that of the Third Elder, and this caused Lin Long to fly into a rage. Thus, she sent a subordinate to exact vengeance on the Qu n!" Mo Tianxue spoke of what he knew of the matter. "Un..." ncing at his silent student, Zhang Xuan reorganized the story in his head. Lin Lang was probably infatuated with Qu Ling, and he forced himself on her. In the end, thetter identally struck his vitals, causing him to be infertile. Having terminated the Lin ns lineage, Lin Long flew into a rage and sent a Zhizun realm expert to exact vengeance... "Even though the fault is on Lin Lang, they chose to me the Qu n for it, killing the entire n for this matter?" Zhang Xuans face was scarily dark. Ever since his reincarnation, it was the first time he had flown into a rage. Raping a woman and going to the extent of destroying the other partys family... In the face of the Master Teacher Pavilion, how dare theymit such atrocities? "Teacher, please redress my grievances!" Clenching his fists tightly, Putong!, Lu Chong kneeled on the floor. His entire body trembled in agitation. "Dont worry. Now that I know of this matter, Ill definitely find justice for you!" Anger burned in the eyes of Zhang Xuan, and he gestured grandly, "Lets go!" After which, he walked behind the men who were in the midst of sending Third Elder and the others to the Lin n. "Guild Master Liu, you... what are you intending to do?" Seeing the other party walking away without saying a single word, Mo Tianxue gulped down a mouthful of saliva and asked. Mo Yu also couldnt help but look over. "Not much, just seeking justice for Lu Chong!" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuans impassive voice wafted in the air. He could ignore everything else, but he felt that he should return justice to the 137 people the Lin n killed, and let everyone know that... My students... Cannot be bullied! ... "What... did you say? Teacher brought Lu Chong to the Lin n, and he is currently insulting the other party on their doorstep?" In Liuoshis ssroom in the Tianwu Academy, Mu Xueqing stared at Meng Tao in disbelief. The Lin n was the strongest n in Tianwu Kingdom! Even her father had to tread carefully around them. Yet, her teacher actually ran to the other partys doorstep to insult them... Are you for real? Teacher had always been a calm person. Why did he suddenlymit such foolishness? "You remember that Lu Chong left to exact his vengeance, right? Worried about him, teacher asked me to send some men to keep a lookout on the situation in the capital these past few days, and this is what my men just told me..." Meng Tao continued, "Those men are my fathers trusted aides, so theres no mistake about it!" "Exact vengeance? Could it be that Lu Chongs enemy is the... Lin n?" It was no wonder that fellow pretended to be mute! With this kind of enemies, she wouldnt dare to say anything either! Enemies of this level were even more fearsome than facing the royal family of Tianwu Kingdom... Mu Xueqing felt as though she was going insane. "No, we cant stand idly by the side when teacher is in trouble!" After recovering from her shock, Mu Xueqing clenched her fists tightly, and determination gleamed in her eyes. How could they, as students, remain unmoved when their teacher is in trouble? Even if others could, she, Mu Xueqing, couldnt do it! "Senior, well go as well!" "Senior, bring us along too! Teacher is our benefactor, and now that hes in trouble, how can we wait here idly?" ... Mu Xueqings words immediately stirred the entire group. It hadnt been long since theyd met Liuoshi, but they could sense their teachers earnest concern for them, and this filled them with respect for him. Chapter 382: Shadows of a Storm Chapter 382: Shadows of a Storm Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 They couldnt remain motionless toward a teacher who was willing to offend the Lin n for his own student. "Alright. Even though weve decided to help Liuoshi, our strength alone isnt sufficient. I know that everyone here has rather strong backing, so I hope that you all will try to mobilize them. Only then can we truly help Liuoshi!" Even though Mu Xueqing had an urge to charge over at this very instant to help her teacher, she knew that being rash was useless. She would only be a burden. While she didnt have too many ssmates, each of them had a powerful background. Taking Meng Tao for example, his father was the guild leader of the Painter Guild, 3-star Painter Meng Yuan. The others were the same as well. If they could mobilize all of these forces together, even the Lin n would be hesitant toy their hands on their teacher. "Alright!" Hearing their seniors words, the crowd knew that this was the best solution at hand. Thus, they nodded in agreement. "Lets start now then. Remember, we have to be fast!" After instructing the group, Mu Xueqing immediately dashed to the Apothecary Guild. ... "Zhao Ya, let me tell you some good news!" At that moment, in the residence that Physician Bai prepared for Zhang Xuan, Yuan Tao ran over to Zhao Ya with an excited expression. "What good news?" A beautifuldy nced at Yuan Tao curiously. At this moment, Zhao Yas aura felt deep and dense, and one could sense fearsome strength within it. Even though she was only standing quietly on the spot, one could feel an extremely powerful pressure emanating from her. Zongshi realm intermediate stage! As expected of a grade-4 pill! Using the Frigid Yin Pill to further awaken her physical constitution, her strength immediately surged. From Pixue realm, she broke through several realms to reach her current level. Her improvement was so huge that anyone who heard of it would be scared to death. After the consumption of the Frigid Yin Pill, her Pure Yin Body had been sessfully awoken to twenty percent. Her disposition became even more refined, and her outer appearance looked even more enchanting than before. If she was a rare beauty before, then she must be a fairy now. Even if Mo Yu were to appear before her, she would definitely feel embarrassed by her own form, not daring topare with her. Those possessing unique constitutions were people favored by the heavens. The moment it was awakened, one would gain overwhelming talent. This was the reason why countless people dreamt of possessing one. But of course, the awakening of a unique constitution was also extremely difficult. There were plenty of people who knew that they possessed a unique constitution, but despite their hard work, even when knocking on deaths door, they werent able to trigger their potential at all. In the end, they could only die in regret. While the Unravel Yin Pill and Frigid Yin Pill did trigger the awakening of Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body, they only yed a supporting role. The main reason was because she cultivated a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. Her pure zhenqi allowed strength to flow through her meridians and acupoints perfectly. It was with this foundation that her cultivation was able to progress swiftly without leaving behind any traumas. If it was anyone else, they would definitely face numerous problems in the midst of their cultivation. "That shameless Liuoshi has met some trouble!" Yuan Taos eyes shone in excitement. Aftercing the other partys teapot with poison, he had been waiting for news of Liuoshi being poisoned to arrive... In the end, he never heard anything of about the poison, but instead, he learned of a farrger affair. "What trouble?" Zhao Ya was bewildered. "There is a student beneath him who we never met before known as Lu Chong. For some reason, his n offended the Lin n, and thetter purged his entire family. Unwilling to see his student suffer such injustice silently, Liuoshi rushed to the Lin n to cause a huge ruckus!" Yuan Tao chuckled. "Lin n? You mean Tianwu Kingdoms number one n?" Having been in the kingdom for a period of time, she had already heard of the various powers throughout the kingdom several times by now. The Lin n was an extremely fearsome existence. Putting aside their immense influence, they even had Xuanyuan Kingdom as their backing. It was said that even the Tianwu royal family dared not to offend him. Why would this Liuoshi rush there to cause a ruckus? "Right, that Lin n. He went to their doorstep to insult them, demanding that they apologize..." Yuan Tao chuckled delightfully. No matter how formidable you might be, you are just an ordinary teacher. Tongxuan realm primary stage, and you dare to cause a ruckus at the Lin n, whose strongest expert is a Half-Zhizun. If this isnt courting death, what can this be? "You mean that... he went there for the sake of his own student?" Disregarding Yuan Taos glee, Zhao Ya frowned. Despite having just arrived, they have already learned how fearsome the Lin n was. There was no reason why Liuoshi would be ignorant of it! Despite knowing the risks, he was willing to brave through the mes for the sake of his student... How much courage did that take? How could such a noble person also be an unreasonable person? Could it be that they have been misunderstanding him all this time? "This... Youre right!" Not expecting Zhao Ya to be concerned about an entirely different matter, Yuan Tao pondered for a moment while scratching his head. "Call the others over as well and tell them of this matter!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Ya instructed. She was the strongest among Zhang Xuans five students, and she seemed to have taken the role of the de facto leader of the group, especially now that Zhang shi wasnt around. "Yes!" Yuan Tao walked out. Not too longter, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang arrived as well. "Zhao Ya, whats your view on this matter?" Upon entering, Zheng Yang immediately spoke up. Clearly, Yuan Tao had already exined the matter to them clearly before. "That... Liuoshi failed to remain impartial during the duel between me and Mu Xueqing, but his willingness to stand up against authority for the sake of his own student makes him a respectable teacher!" Zhao Ya replied. She didnt have a good impression of Liuoshi, and she had some qualms with his way of doing things, but the truth is the truth. She couldnt conceal it, and she couldnt pretend not to see it either. "Indeed!" Zheng Yang nodded. "Why dont... we go over and take a look! If we were to watch idly as something happens to such a good teacher who cares about his own students, Zhang shi will definitely me us when he returns!" After a moment of consideration, Zhao Ya made a suggestion. Zhang shi was exactly the same kind of teacher as Liuoshi. If the two of them knew each other, they would definitely see a soulmate in one another. Since Zhang shi was currently in the midst of the 2-star examination, there was a responsibility for them, as his students, to stand up. "Thats right, Zhang shi would do anything for us. This Liuoshi would also give his all for his own students... We cant allow anything to happen to such a good teacher. No matter what, we have to go over and take a look!" Zheng Yang nodded. Even though their strength wascking aspared to the Lin n, they represented Zhang shi. Even if the other party wanted to take any actions, they would have to consider Zhang shi. "Alright, lets go!" Uponing to a decision, the others nodded as well. Given how Liuoshi was willing to stand up against the Lin n for his own student, it wasnt surprising that Mu Xueqing and the others were able to fight against them without backing down at all. Such a teacher was indeed worthy of respect. He possessed character and charisma simr to Zhang shi! ... "Rash, too rash..." Hearing the report from his subordinate, Mo Tianxue was nearly scared out of his wits. As the emperor of the kingdom, every single action of his represented that of the kingdom. As such, when Zhang Xuan left, he wasnt able to tag along. Thus, he had been getting his men to keep tabs, and upon hearing the news he nearly passed out from shock. He thought that the fellow was only going to the Lin n to have them exin themselves and apologize, but who could have thought that he would start to criticize the other party at their doorstep, even demanding the n head toe out... The heck! Wasnt this courting death? "Men, gather all of the troops in the kingdom and have them wait for further orders!" Gritting his teeth, Mo Tianxuemanded. Nothing can happen to Guild Master Liu. Putting aside the favor he had shown in treating the guardian beast, just his identity as the guild master of the Physician Guild made him a target worthy of protection. Besides, the Lin n had also stepped on his bottom line. If it came down to it, hed turn against the Lin n... In any case, even if he were to try to fawn on the Lin n, it was impossible for them to back down anyway. "Yes!" A person with amanders bearing swiftly left the hall. "Mo Yu, go over to the Lin n to take a look. If they make a move on Guild Master Liu, try to stop them..." After making a few more arrangements, Mo Tianxue beckoned Mo Yu, and the duo hurriedly rushed to the Lin n. As the number one n of the kingdom, their main residence wasnt stationed too far from the royal pce. It didnt take long for the duo to arrive at the vicinity of the Lin n Residence. Outside the residence, they could see a huge bunch of people gathered around. Taking a closer look, the both of them were dumbstruck. "Thats... Demonic Hands Chen Jianze? The entric Zongshi realm pinnacle expert who cut down his enemys hands to cook and eat... I thought that he doesnt interfere in worldly affairs? Why is he here?" "Thats... The guild leader of the Painter Guild, Meng Yuan? Isnt he still in the midst of his painting journey?" "The guild leader of the Apothecary Guild... 3-star Apothecary Hong Yun... and Apothecary Mu Yang?" "The boss of Tianwu Bank..." Seeing the group of people gathered before them, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were stunned. All of them were esteemed figures that could shake the capital at its core. It would be an extremely difficult task for even the royal family to gather them, why would all of them gather here all of a sudden? "Could it be that... the Lin n has gathered them together to deal with Guild Master Liu? Wait... But there should be no need for them to gather all of these people just to deal with him?" A thought shed through Mo Tianxues head, but he immediately shook his head. Given the influence of the Lin n, it was a walk in the park to subdue a single Liuoshi. There was no need for them to utilize all of these connections. "Father, they are here to... help Guild Master Liu!" Mo Yu spoke up. Upon hearing those words, Mo Tianxue suddenly noticed that they were all standing behind Guild Master Liu, as though acknowledging him as their leader. In other words... They were here to support this Guild Master Liu? But... why? Even if the royal family were to fight with the Lin n, it would be impossible for him to gather so many people together. How in the world did a Tongxuan realm primary stage teacher who had just arrived at Tianwu Academy possess such immense rallying power? Even Mo Tianxue felt faint-headed, and he was on the verge of going insane. "Perhaps, it could be... his unique charisma..." Mo Yu sighed softly. Even though she was a proud princess and a genius, she couldnt help but admit that this Zhang Xuan seemed to possess a certain magic to him. He seemed to be able to win over all of the people around him and, as though a rolling snowball, his influence seemed to grow by the day. It would be impossible for anyone to imitate his charisma, not even Mo Hongyi. "Look, n Head Lin is out!" "So many elders! It seems like the entire Lin n has been mobilized..." "But I guess thats to be expected. After all, no one can stand having a person criticizing them at their front door..." In the midst of his contemtion, amotion suddenly broke out in front. Mo Tianxue hurriedly looked over and saw n Head Lin Ruotian leading a group of elders out. His face was as cold as ice. Chapter 383: Then Ill Beat You Until You Make Up Your Mind Chapter 383: Then Ill Beat You Until You Make Up Your Mind Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Youre Liu Cheng?" Seeing the young man standing outside, Lin Ruotian narrowed his eyes. Given how arrogant the other party was, he thought that he would be a formidable figure. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the other party was only a Tongxuan realm primary stage fellow. There were so many cultivators of his level in the residence that he wouldnt think it was a pity even if he were to kill a handful of them. Yet, such a person dared to seek trouble with their Lin n. Was there something wrong with his head? "Youre the head of the Lin n?" Ignoring the other partys question, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and looked at him indifferently. "Teacher, hes Lin Ruotian, the head of the Lin n!" Lu Chong clenched his fists tightly. Back then, when Lin Long sent someone to eradicate his entire n, this Lin Ruotian must have participated in the operation as well! Otherwise, how could Lin Long, who had already moved to Xuanyuan Kingdom, be so clear of the Qu ns situation so as to track and kill every single one of them cleanly? For the past two years, even though Lu Chong didnt take any action, he had seared the appearance of all of the Lin n members deeply into his head. "Lin Ruotian?" Upon hearing that the other party was indeed the head of the n, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "Since youre the n head, this matter will be much easier to settle. Two years ago, you killed my student Qu Chongs entire n of 137 people. Do you still remember the matter?" "Qu Chong? That little bastard who got away?" Lin Ruotian was taken aback. A youngd from the Qu n had managed to escape two years ago. Due to the limited talent and cultivation of that fellow, he didnt think too much of the matter. Yet, to think that the very same brat would eventually be a threat to him! In less than two years, the other party had actually already reached Zongshi realm! However... Since the other party hade knocking on his own ord, then dont expect to get away alive! Killing intent gleamed in Lin Ruotians eyes. With a slight gesture, a few elders immediately spread out and circled Zhang Xuan and Lu Chong tightly. "Since youre still here, allow me to send you on a journey to reunite with your family!" Sneering coldly, the corner of Lin Ruotians lips slowly crept upward. "Killed an entire n of 137 people? n Head Lin, whats going on?" "Indeed. Ive heard of the Qu n, but didnt they move away? Why is Liuoshi saying that they were killed?" "The kingdom forbids murder, needless to say, purging an entire n. You have to exin yourself today!" ... Those in the area were all respectable figures. Upon hearing the conversation of the duo, their sense of righteousness was immediately provoked. The Qu n might not be a prestigious n, but it still possessed a sizeable influence. The news that everyone else had received was that the n had relocated to another city. Never in their dreams did they expect the n to be ughtered callously instead. It was no wonder why Qu Chongs teacher woulde knocking. How could anyone overlook such great injustice? Even though they were dragged here by their offspring, they only intended to act as mediators for any conflict that would ur. They had no intentions of standing against the Lin n at all. But upon hearing this tragic case, their faces immediately darkened. Since the Lin n was capable of silently wiping the Qu n off the face of this world, they could easily do the same to their ns as well. At this moment, they felt threatened by the domineering Lin n! "Theres no need for our Lin n to exin our affairs to you all!" Gesturing grandly to stop themotion among the crowd, Lin Ruotian sneered coldly, "The Qu n had colluded with Tianwu Kingdoms enemies and attempted to assault the princess consort... This matter has been verified, and if you all believe it, feel free to check it with Xuanyuan Kingdom!" "You... Rubbish!" Not expecting the other party to nder his n instead, Lu Chongs entire body trembled in anger. "Enough. Since we can use other methods to resolve the issue, lets not waste our time on words!" Patting his students shoulder, Zhang Xuan nced at Lin Ruotian impassively and said, "Since you have admitted that the Lin n is responsible for the destruction of the Qu n, Ill offer you two choices. You can either hand the culprit over and have him held responsible for his own crimes or have the entire Lin n die for his sins!" "Die for his sins? You actually think that you two can destroy our Lin n? Hahaha!" As though hearing a hrious joke, Lin Ruotian stared at Zhang Xuan in pity. Where in the world did Qu Chong find such a lunatic of a teacher? If he had continued hiding, Lin Ruotian would have just allowed him to be, and he might still be able to continue living on peacefully. Yet, to attempt to assassinate his son and injure the Third Elder... Lin Ruotian wasnt magnanimous enough to forgive them for that! A mere Tongxuan realm primary stage and Zongshi realm intermediate stage... Did they think that such a line up was sufficient to destroy the entire Lin n? Even if Liu Cheng had been hiding his cultivation - otherwise it would have been impossible for him to injure the Third Elder - given his young age, and the limitations of Tianwu Kingdom, how powerful could he get? So what if the other party was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert? As a Half-Zhizun, he could still easily squash him! He wasnt the only one who felt this way. Even those who came to support Liuoshi felt awkward as well. To dere he would destroy the entire Lin n... Even Tianwu Kingdoms royal family didnt dare to spout such words. For a mere Tongxuan realm primary stage cultivator to spout such words, where does your confidencee from? Mo Tianxue was also perplexed. Where in the world did Guild Master Liu get such confidence from? He couldnt help but turn to his daughter. "I... dont know either!" Mo Yu shook her head. During the master teacher examination back then, she personally saw Zhang Xuan achieving a breakthrough into Zongshi realm. It had only been six to seven days since then, and such a short period of time wasnt sufficient for one to finish reinforcing their cultivation realm, needless to say, reach higher heights. Yet, for him toe over here and arrogantly dere that he would destroy the Lin n... Could it be that... he had brought the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast here as well? As such a thought popped into her mind, she immediately looked into the skies. But in the clear and cloudless skies, she couldnt see any hint of the savage beast at all. The Howling Firmament Beast wasnt here? Then on what grounds was he saying these words? Wasnt he afraid of incurring Lin Ruotians rage? ... "You mean that... you refuse both of the options?" Ignoring the bizarre gazes everyone was shooting him with, Zhang Xuan gazed at Lin Ruotian. "Agree your head! Brat, since you are courting death, Ill grant your wish!" Before Lin Ruotian could speak, an elder among the group could not hold himself back anymore. Roaring furiously, he stepped forth. Boom! The moment he walked out of the group, his aura immediately burst forth as though gasoline being ignited. Vigorous zhenqi shrouded the entire area, causing the wind to blow furiously. Zongshi realm advanced stage! "Its the Eleventh Elder of the Lin n, Lin Hu!" "I heard that he specializes in fist art, and hes unmatched in hand-to-hand fights. Out of respect, people have given him the moniker Steel Arm Tiger!" "His invincible arms paired with his Zongshi realm advanced stage cultivation make it difficult for even a typical Zongshi realm pinnacle to triumph over him..." ... Upon identifying the one who walked out, the crowd immediately whispered quietly amongst themselves. Every single one of the Lin ns elders were famous figures in Tianwu Royal City. This Lin Hu might not be as famous as the Grand Elder Lin Tao, but he was still a reputable figure in the capital. He was a formidable person whom even Zongshi realm pinnacle experts were hesitant to cross blows with. His appearance caused Mu Xueqing and the others to subconsciously clench their fists. "Will teacher... be alright?" One of the students asked. "He should be... Actually, we dont even know how strong teacher is..." Mu Xueqing said. Even though Mu Xueqings words were confident, her tone betrayed her uncertainty. However, thinking about how her teacher managed to help her to reach Tongxuan realm and Lu Chong to reach Zongshi realm in just a few short days... How could a person of such incredible means be weak himself? "Dont worry. If anything, Im confident that Liuoshis strength cant only be at Tongxuan realm primary stage!" said Apothecary Mu calmly with a deep gaze. He had never seen Liuoshi fighting before, but he had the experience of forging a pill with the other party. To be able to remain nonchnt before the forging a grade-4 pill despite the potential threat of an explosion, how could such a person only be at Tongxuan realm primary stage! Besides, all of the methods that Liuoshi brought up to prevent explosion happened to be within his means as a Zongshi realm expert. If Liuoshi wasnt at the Zongshi realm himself, how could he possibly offer such detailed, precise, and urate guidance? "Theyre going to start fighting soon..." At this point, Zhao Ya and the others finally arrived. Upon seeing the sight before them, they immediately realized that a fight was about to start. ... "Die!" After walking out from the group, Elder Lin Hu bellowed, and without any hesitation, he charged straight at Zhang Xuan. Didnt you want our Lin n to apologize or die for our sins? Fine, then lets see if you have the strength to back up your words! "Teacher..." Seeing the other party rush forward, Lu Chong tightened his fists and prepared to step forward. "Theres no need!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and stepped forward. Then, his legs suddenly moved. With his hands still firmly behind his back, Zhang Xuans entire body came crashing straight at Lin Hu. Before Lin Hus steel fist couldnd on Zhang Xuan, his body was already struck by thetters body m. Peng! Countless rocks flew into the air. Before this Lin Hu could react, he was already sent flying backward. In midair, blood spurted profusely from his mouth. Under this impact of the crash, his dantian broke apart, thus crippling his cultivation. Putong! Lin Hu flew for more than a dozen meters beforending heavily onto the floor. Then, he fell motionless, and it was impossible to tell if he was still alive. However, given that his dantian was crashed and his entire skeletal rack was fractured, even if he were to be saved, he didnt have a future before him. "What?" "A Zongshi realm advanced expert was sent flying with a single strike?" "How did he do it?" ... Everyone was dumbstruck. They thought that there would be an intense battle before a victor would emerge, and they could make use of this opportunity to gauge the strength of Guild Master Liu as well. Yet, this Steel Arm Tiger was already sent flying before he managed to even touch the other party... How powerful must Guild Master Lius body be and how fast must his reflexes get to achieve such a feat? "His strength..." Mo Yu was dumbfounded. She couldntprehend the situation before her. It was just a few days ago that Zhang Xuan had reached Zongshi realm primary stage. Yet, at this moment, he sent a Zongshi realm advanced stage expert flying in a single blow... How in the world does this fellow cultivate? "Teacher..." The one who was the most shocked of all was Lu Chong. He wasnt just shocked, he felt frenzied! It was just a moment ago that Zhang Xuan taught him the importance of using an opponents weakness against them instead of relying on mere brute force. Yet... his teacher simply charged forward to strike his opponent with his body? Isnt there something very wrong about this? What about the weaknesses you talked about? What about technique? How was what you just did any different from me? "Lin Hu..." Lin Ruotian and the others didnt expect Lin Hu to be crippled in just a single attack from the other party. Theirplexions immediately darkened. Even though his strength couldnt be considered as one of the top in the Lin n, he was, by no means, weak. They had truly underestimated this fellow! "Seems like he does possess some true capabilities. No wonder hes so arrogant. However... if he thinks that he can pull his weight with just a little bit of strength, he must be deluding himself!" ncing momentarily at the immobile Lin Hu, Lin Ruotians eyes narrowed as he stared at Zhang Xuan coldly. The disdain in his eyes from before disappeared without a trace. He was also capable of knocking down Lin Hu with a single crash, but he couldnt do it as easily as the other party had done. Even so, he didnt think that he was weaker than the other party. There were some people who specialized in brawling while there were some who specialized in battle techniques. Lin Ruotian happened to belong to thetter. "Why, you still cant make a choice between the two?" Despite having wounded Lin Hu severely, Zhang Xuan seemed as though he had just swatted a pesky fly. With his hands still behind his back, he chuckled lightly. "Since you cant make a choice, then...! "Ill beat you until you make up your mind!" After which, he stepped forward, and his cultivation of a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert immediately burst forth without any restraints! Chapter 384: Recognized by Wang Ying Chapter 384: Recognized by Wang Ying Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As an ex-member of the modern society, Zhang Xuan always thought of violence as thest resort. And from the looks of it now, he had no other choice! Since that was the case, there was no need for him to maintain his politeness. Isnt your Lin n formidable? No one in Tianwu Kingdom means a thing to you? Since that is the case, Ill beat you all into submission. Ill let you all know that... There is a type of person in this world... that you can never offend! "Zongshi realm pinnacle?" "Guild Master Liu is actually a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert?" "No wonder he dared to challenge the Lin n head on... With the strength to cripple Lin Hu with a single body m, he does have the rights to do so!" ... Upon sensing the aura Zhang Xuan emanated, everyone jolted. It turned out that the other partys cultivation of Tongxuan realm primary stage was just an illusion. In truth, he was actually at Zongshi realm pinnacle! With such strength, he was definitely counted as one of the top figures in Tianwu Kingdom! "He... He..." Mo Yus eyes were about to pop out from her eyes. Other people didnt know Guild Master Lius true identity, so even though they were shocked, that was just about it. After all, while it was an amazing feat for one to cultivate to Zongshi realm pinnacle at twenty-four to twenty-four-year-old, it wasntpletely unheard of. However... Mo Yu knew of the other partys true identity. Zhang Xuan! He had only reached Zongshi realm a few days ago, so how could he have reached the pinnacle stage in just six to seven days? Every single advancement in Zongshi realm required a huge amount of time. It would be difficult even for a genius to reach pinnacle from primary stage without a few years of effort. Yet, to do so in a few days... She felt as though herprehension of the entire world was copsing, and she was on the verge of going insane. More importantly... He had reached at least the level of a 3-star apothecary, master physician, master painter, 2-star beast tamer, and 2-star master teacher... All along, she had thought that his weak spot was his cultivation. Yet, to think that he didnt lose out in that aspect as well... Mo Yu felt as though she was going insane. It was no wonder why the other party wasnt interested in her. With such talents... A much wider world was waiting for him out there. "Liuoshi... is a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, even above that of Zhangoshi?" Zhao Ya and the others were shocked. When the other party had broken her sword with a single finger, she knew that the other party wasnt weak. However, she couldnt have imagined that he would be so fearsome. Zhangoshi was only at Zongshi realm primary stage, yet he was at pinnacle... To be even stronger than Zhangoshi... It was no wonder why Mu Xueqing and the others were so adamant about guarding his honor. ... "Zongshi realm pinnacle? Youre indeed incredible to possess such strength at such a young age. However, thats far from enough for you to challenge our Lin n. n head, allow me to teach him a lesson!" Zhang Xuans strength had caused the entire Lin n to be dumbstruck. However, at this moment, an elder stepped forward. His eyes were as sharp as a knife and as cold as frost. "Its Lin ns Second Elder, Lin Xie!" "Hes a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert! Furthermore, hes just a step away from reaching Half-Zhizun!" "He is ranked fourth in the Ten Great Experts rankings!" "Given that hes making a move personally, Liuoshi is in trouble..." ... The crowd narrowed their eyes once more. Liu Cheng might be formidable, butpared to the Ten Great Experts of the kingdom, he was stillcking significantly. These ten were the ones who stood out among the numerous Zongshi realm pinnacles, climbing to the very peak of strength in the kingdom... And this person was rank fourth among the group! His strength could no longer be described with fearsome. Putting everything aside, even the Third Elder whom Zhang Xuan castrated with a single kick wasnt a match for him. "Alright, be careful!" Lin Ruotian nodded. As the head of the Lin n, he had to consider his own standing and authority. While Liu Cheng was powerful, he still wasnt worthy of him making a move personally. Of course, having the Second Elder to make a move first was also to see what kind of trump cards the other party possessed. This way, he would be able to make precautions as well. "Dont worry, hell be a piece of cake!" Waving his hands casually, Second Elder Lin Xie walked up to Zhang Xuan, and with a look of superiority, he sneered, "Lad, make your move. I would like to see what gives you the right to spout such arrogant words andy your hands on our Lin n!" "You?" Paying no heed to the other partys provocation, Zhang Xuan shook his head impassively, "You arent sufficient. All of you shoulde at me together!" Since he was here to get back at the Lin n for Lu Chong, and he had already revealed his cultivation already, he couldnt be bothered to hide his strength anymore. With his strength, he was unmatched among the Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivators. No matter how formidable this Second Elder could be, he couldnt possibly withstand his might. "You want all of us toe at you together? You should try to get past me first before spouting such conceited words..." Not expecting that he would be underestimated despite being the ranked fourth expert in the kingdom, Lin Xiesplexion turned awful. He immediately charged forward, and his palm smashed directly down toward Zhang Xuan. "Its Elder Lin Xies [Great Split]!" "Many experts have fallen to this move. To think that he would utilize it at the very start of the battle!" "He has no choice on this. That Guild Master Liu had defeated Elder Lin Hu in a single blow, so he must have felt pressured. Thats why he chose to use his strongest attack right from the start!" "I wonder how will Guild Master Liu cope with it..." ... Upon seeing Elder Lin Xies offense, graveness started spreading throughout the crowd. While Lin Hu was strong as well, he was far from a match to Lin Xie. Given that such an expert had used his strongest attack right from the start, even the ranked first and second Mo Tianxue and Mo Hongyi would have to deal with it cautiously. "Elder Lin Xies Great Split might be formidable, but this move is only a feint. His true ace is the [Consecutive Phantom Kicks]!" Standing by the side, Mo Tianxue said grimly. "Consecutive Phantom Kicks?" Mo Yu was taken aback by her fathers words. "Indeed. The Great Split is an attack with a downward trajectory, and the immense might behind it instinctively made one cautious toward it. However, in truth, it is just a cover for his lower body attack!" Mo Tianxue exined. "This consecutive kick is extremely treacherous. Back then, when I sparred with him, I nearly fell for his trick!" The Great Split was an attack that came from above whereas the Consecutive Phantom Kicks was an attack that came from below. The main reason for the imposing might from the former was so as to conceal the movements below. If one wasnt aware of it in advance, even a stronger opponent could fall for it. "Then... Isnt Guild Master Liu in danger?" Mo Yu frowned, and anxiety shed across her face. Her father was already ranked first among the Ten Great Experts of the kingdom. If even he had nearly fallen for the trick, then didnt that mean that Zhang Xuan was in dire trouble? Its worth noting that the Ten Great Experts rankings only include those of Zongshi realm pinnacle. As Lin Ruotian had reached Half-Zhizun, he wasnt considered in the list. "He is in danger. It all depends on whether hes able to see through it in advance and guard against it. However, in my opinion, itll be extremely difficult for him to do so! After all, even though it may seem simple on the surface, it is actually quite an effective... The heck!" Recalling how frightening the move was, Mo Tianxue shook his head and expressed his doubts. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly froze. He was on the verge of having his final string of sanity snapped. "What... What is this?" Mo Yu also hurriedly looked at the fight, and the sight she saw made her freeze as well. For a moment, her mind went nk. Before Elder Lin Xies powerful Great Split could strike Zhang Xuan, he was already sent flying by a single kick from Zhang Xuan. At this moment, he was already convulsing on the floor. His injuries were... all too simr to the Third Elders... A certain essential organ had... exploded! With a single kick... it exploded! Lin Xie didnt even get the chance to react before he was kicked... How in the world did the other party do it? No matter what, the other party was the fourth strongest expert among the Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivators in the kingdom! Upon seeing the sight, the crowd suddenly felt a chill within their pants, and cold sweat dripped profusely from their forehead. They had clearly heard the crisp sound of an egg shattering just now. From the looks of it, this famous Elder Lin Xie was probablypletely crippled... He had probably lost his functionality as a man. "I already told you that you arent sufficient, but you refused to listen..." Disregarding everyones shock, Zhang Xuan shook his head. The other partysbination of Great Split and Consecutive Phantom Kicks was a deadlybo, and it would be difficult for any other Zongshi realm pinnacle to avoid it. However, Zhang Xuan possessed the Eye of Insight. Before the other party could make his move, he had already seen through it and counterattacked in advance. Putting aside the fact that the other partys strength was inferior to him, even if he was an equal, how could he possibly withstand Zhang Xuans pre-emptive strike? "This is... Heavens Path Leg Art?" Wang Ying was taken aback. When her teacher had imparted her this leg art, he had allowed her toe up with her own name. Eventually, she decided to follow by the name her teacher came up with and addressed it as Heavens Path Leg Art. This leg art was created by her teacher, and it was only imparted to her... How could this Liuoshi know of it too? "Wang Ying, whats wrong? What did you say?" Hearing Wang Yings muttering, Zhao Ya nced at her doubtfully. "No-nothing..." With a reddened face, Wang Ying hurriedly shook her head. Liuoshi had moved too quickly just now, and she had barely caught a glimpse of it, so she wasnt too sure... Thus, she didnt dare to speak of it yet. "Since you all arent willing to make a move together, then I will!" Seeing that everyone had been shocked by that single kick of his, Zhang Xuan harrumphed softly. Then, with a swift movement, he suddenly appeared amidst the Lin n members. He was so fast that it seemed as though it was teleportation. Before the elders could take a good look, he had already appeared before them. Peng peng peng peng! The sound of fists sinking into flesh and ps striking faces sounded; screams of agony filled the surroundings. Before Lin Ruotian could react, the dozen or so elders beside him was sent flying at the same time. Falling to the ground, all of them either fell motionless or convulsed vigorously. In any case, none of them were capable of fighting anymore. "Heavens Path... Movement Art?" This time, Wang Ying caught Liuoshis movement clearly, and her breathing hastened and her face flushed deep red. She wasnt too sure with the Heavens Path Leg Art, but there was no doubt about it, this movement art was Heavens Path Movement Art! Why in the world was Liuoshi... capable of executing the Heavens Path Movement Art created by Zhangoshi? Could it be... A possibility appeared in Wang Yings mind, and her slender body trembled vigorously. Slowly, her face turned paler and paler, to the point that it was no different from a sheet of paper. It was after Zhangoshi left that Liuoshi appeared! And after Liuoshi appeared, Zhangoshi had never appeared again... All along, they had trusted the words of the Master Teacher Pavilion that he had gone for some test... Could it be that he had assumed the identity of Liuoshi to take on the role of a teacher at Tianwu Academy? If that was true... then Mu Xueqing was his student as well? Then Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqings duel... It was no wonder why he stopped their duel that day, saying that they were being preposterous. It must be that he was unhappy seeing his students fight with one another... He wasnt oppressing them with his capacity as a teacher! Wang Yings body turned cold. "The poison..." At this moment, she suddenly recalled she sneaked into Liuoshis ssroom with Yuan Tao and Liu Yang to poison his drinking tools, and her face twitched. At this moment, she truly felt like crying. If Liuoshi was truly Zhangoshi, then their act of poisoning him... That waspletely an unpardonable crime! What the heck was this... To think that she yed along with Yuan Tao and Liu Yang and attempted to poison Zhangoshi... Until now, they still didnt know whether Zhangoshi fell for the poison or not. If he really fell for it, then how could they face him in the future? Their teacher had treated them earnestly, yet all they had been trying to do was to do him in return... "Whats wrong?" Seeing Wang Yings slightly scrunched face, Zhao Ya asked worriedly. "Its nothing..." Wang Ying hesitated for a moment, but she eventually closed her mouth, deciding against revealing her conjecture. What would happen to Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and the others if she told them about it? How would they react? At this moment, she felt so distressed and lost. "Teacher..." Wang Ying was at aplete loss. On the other hand, Lu Chong, who was standing behind Zhang Xuan, had his eyes widened to the brim, and he was on the verge of going insane. When he saw his teacher shattering the Third Elders eggs with a single kick, he knew that he must be formidable. At the very least, he should be stronger than him... Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that he was so much stronger! Singlehandedly, in less than two breaths, he rendered more than a dozen elders of the Lin n powerless... How did he do it? Even a Half-Zhizun would be incapable of doing it to this extent! If he knew that his teacher was that incredible, he wouldnt have hidden the matter from him! "Yo-you..." While Lu Chong was overwhelmed with shock, Lin Ruotian was about to go mad. The reason why the Lin n was able to dominate the entire Tianwu Royal City wasnt just because of his strength as an individual, but because of the immense strength that each of these elder wielded! Initially, he thought that given how the other party was just a mere Zongshi realm pinnacle, the crowd would be more than sufficient to subdue him. Yet, to think that in the blink of an eye, all of the elders he had brought out would be either crippled or severely injured... What in the world was this? "Liu Cheng, die!" Roaring furiously, Lin Ruotian could no longer suppress his rage. He raised his palm and struck straight at Zhang Xuan. Chapter 385: Zhao Ya, Your Sword! Chapter 385: Zhao Ya, Your Sword! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! Might gushed out from his palm in the form of a blinding radiance, heading straight for Zhang Xuan. Zhizun realm, otherwise known as the Ten Thousand Ding realm, was the final realm of the 9 dans of Fighters. At this realm, ones physical body and zhenqi would reach the very limits of a mortal, and the strength that one possessed would be unmatched by any Zongshi. Lin Ruotian was only a Half-Zhizun, but the strength he wielded was reminiscent of a huge river, ceaseless and overwhelming. Before his attack could reach Zhang Xuan, the zhenqi he emanated had already reduced the surface of the stone floor to dust, as though a massive whip striking ceaselessly on it. Having driven the zhenqi in his body to the maximum capacity, a shrill call - simr to a whistle - sounded in the air. "Harmonization of Breath and Blood, Emanation of Zhenqi. This... is the distinctive trait of one who is about to reach Zhizun realm!" Mo Tianxues face paled. He was the number one expert among the Zongshi realm pinnacle in Tianwu Kingdom, and he had a deep understanding of the Zhizun realm. It was said that those who had reached that level would possess blood as thick as mercury, and when one drove ones zhenqi, the call of a whistle would sound in the air. All along, he thought that Lin Ruotian, who had achieved a breakthrough with Xuanyuan Kingdoms help, would possess an unstable cultivation, making him of little threat. But upon seeing this sight, he realized that... He couldnt be any more wrong! The other partys strength could be considered to be at the top even among the Half-Zhizuns. Under his current state, there was a possibility of him breaking through the final barrier at any moment to reach the pinnacle of the Fighter realm! It was no wonder why he, despite possessing the cultivation of Half-Zhizun realm and the backing of Xuanyuan Kingdom, chose to poison the guardian beast secretly... It wasnt that he was afraid of the vengeance from Tianwu royal family, but that he wanted to confuse them. By the time he reached Zhizun realm, he would be able to crush all that stood in his way in Tianwu Kingdom easily. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion would be helpless before him then. If Guild Leader Liu hadnt forced him to show his hand, he could have taken that final step within several months! By then... He could simply openly demand the throne and no one would be able to stop him. Scary! Cold sweat drenched Mo Tianxues back, and he trembled in fear. If not for this Guild Leader Liu charging straight at Lin Ruotian, Mo Tianxue would never have discovered this secret. It wasughable how he thought that as long as the guardian beast managed to survive, the other party wouldnt dare to make a move. "Guild Leader Liu... wont be a match for him..." Amidst his fright, he was filled with worry for thetter. Guild Leader Liu might be powerful even among Zongshi realm pinnacle experts, but he was stillcking inparison to experts of Lin Ruotians caliber. Putting everything aside, just in terms of strength, Lin Ruotian should have already reached 9000 ding. That would be more than sufficient for him to subdue Guild Leader Liu. Thinking so, he returned his attention to the duos duel. ... "Incredible..." Facing Lin Ruotians might face on, Zhang Xuans face turned grave. At Zongshi realm pinnacle, his strength had risen to 5000 ding, making him on par with an ordinary Half-Zhizun. However, Lin Ruotian had reached the peak of Half-Zhizun realm, making him a difficult opponent for Zhang Xuan. At the first encounter, Zhang Xuan could already feel heavy pressure from the other partys might. The other partys zhenqi gushed at him as though a burst dam, and he couldnt avoid it even if he wanted to. Thus, he could only forcefully face it head on. Deng deng deng deng! Retreating seven to eight steps backward, Zhang Xuans internals were slightly rattled under the immense force. Even though Zhang Xuan knew that he was at a tant disadvantage, he didnt panic. Instead, a slight radiance glowed from his eyes, and lines of Insight Energy slowly drifted into appearance. Eye of Insight! But soon, Zhang Xuan frowned and shook his head in frustration. The gift from bing a Celestial Master Teacher was formidable, allowing him to peer into the ws of a cultivator, but... it came with a fatal w. The effects of the Eye of Insight were limited by the cultivation of its user. In other words, the Eye of Insight couldnt perceive the ws of those stronger than him, making itpletely useless against Lin Ruotian. "Forget it. ws!" Upon realizing that his newly-earned talent was useless here, he immediately turned his eyes to his other gift. Hu! His mind jolted, and a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He quickly browsed through the book. A momentter, a slight smile crept onto his lips, "No wonder his body feels so energetic, he consumed the blood of a spirit beast!" Different from the Eye of Insight, the Library of Heavens Path could perceive the ws in all cultivators, regardless of how high their cultivation was, as long as they disyed their battle technique before Zhang Xuan. The strength, battle technique, and cultivation technique of the head of the Lin n was recorded in detail in the book. The reason why he was able to achieve a breakthrough so quickly and achieve such overwhelming strength wasnt because he consumed some formidable pill, but because of... the essence blood of a spirit beast! Spirit beast was an existence above that of savage beast. Even the weakest spirit beast possessed strength surpassing that of a Zhizun realm. A drop of blood essence from this powerful lifeform could potentially induce a Bloodline Evolution in a Half-Zhizun savage beast, allowing it to sessfully reach Zhizun realm. It was through this that Lin Ruotian managed to reach Half-Zhizun from Zongshi realm pinnacle. On top of that, under the effects of the blood essence, his zhenqi became violent as though a feral beast, and it felt ceaseless as though a river flowing relentlessly. "How can I defeat him?" Many of the other partys ws were recorded in the Library of Heavens Path, but not only was the other partys stamina way above that of his, his violent-natured zhenqi made it difficult to get close, needless to say, injure him. Upon crossing blows with an expert of this level, Zhang Xuan suddenly realized that he wascking in battle techniques too much. Against those who were stronger than him, his disadvantage became apparent. Be it Heavens Path Fist Art or Heavens Path Movement Art... All of them were centered around subduing ones enemy in a single blow. His moves could work wonders in close quarters, but if he couldnt approach the other party, it would all be for naught. On top of that, under the nourishment of the spirit beast blood essence, Lin Ruotians defense had be as strong as a savage beast. It was another question whether Zhang Xuan would be able to defeat him even if he were to close in on him. Perhaps, even when Zhang Xuans zhenqi was sapped dry, he would only be able to injure the other party. Killing him seemed nigh impossible. In the end, the Heavens Path battle techniques sapped ones physical stamina and zhenqi tremendously. Even though Zhang Xuan had reached Zongshi realm pinnacle, he still was still severely limited by this w. "Forget it, I wont use the Heavens Path battle techniques for now. I dont believe that he can sustain his battle state for too long!" Having seen through all of the other partys battle techniques through the Library of Heavens Path, while it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to subdue Lin Ruotian in a single blow, it waspletely impossible for the other party to wound him as well. At most, he just had to slowly grind away at his opponent. Even if he had consumed the spirit beast blood essence and reached Half-Zhizun, he didnt possess endless stamina. ... As Zhang Xuans thoughts were flying about the ce, Lin Ruotian felt so stifled that he could spurt blood. The youngsters movements were bizarre and swift. The reason why he sted his zhenqi out as soon as he made a move was simple; it was to prevent the other party from getting close to him and to hinder his movements... Initially, he thought that under his powerful offense, no matter how strong the other party could be, it would be impossible for him to hold on for too long. Yet, he couldnt have imagined that... The other party was as slippery as a loach! It seemed as though he knew of the ws in his movements and cultivation technique in advance, and with very slight movements, he easily stepped into the blind spots of his offense. His violent strength sshed at the surroundings, destroying the stone floor and sting the air, but... he couldnt even touch a single hair on the other party! In fact, even the emanation of his raging zhenqi failed to touch a hair on the other party. Instead of fighting, that fellow seemed as though he was on a vacation. All of Lin Ruotians feints and sudden twists... werepletely useless! All of those traps that any other cultivators would have fallen for was totally ineffective on him... Every single movement of the other party seemed to be well-calcted, causing all of Lin Ruotians attacks to fall empty. It was as though grabbing onto a massive chopper and trying to hack at the only party, only to miss by several millimeters each time... Putting aside how the other party wasnt injured in the slightest, Lin Ruotian was already about to puke blood from exhaustion and frustration. Is this a game to you? We are fighting and a life and death battle here! We have already crossed over a hundred blows, yet we havent even touched the corners of each others clothes yet... What the heck are you up to! "This..." "Are the two of them... really fighting?" "Why doesnt it seem like it?" ... While Lin Ruotian was on the verge of going into a frenzy, the crowd was struck dumb by the sight. In a usual fight, two cultivators would collide with one another and cross blows. Even if the weaker side could hold on, it wouldnt be able to hold on for too long, especially when there was a huge disparity in strength. But... the heck! What was wrong with these two? No matter how they looked at it, it didnt seem like those two were fighting, but... Dancing! Most of the time, before Lin Ruotian could make a move, Guild Master Liu would have jumped to the side and look at the other party idly. Then, following soon after... the formers attack wouldnd on the spot where thetter was standing before. In other words, even though Lin Ruotian was conducting the offense, in the eyes of the crowd, it seemed as though he was attacking wherever Guild Master Liu was jumping from, as though Guild Master Liu was leading him on. To retreat and advance with such harmony... Even professional dancers dont have such synergy! Could it be that the duo had already known each other, and they were familiar with the fighting methods of one another? But that couldnt be it! Seeing how Lin Ruotian was ready to bite at the other party at any moment, it was impossible for him to be so bored as to intentionally perform such a show before everyone else! "Its Guild Master Liu who is seeing through Lin Ruotians movements in advance and messing with the other partys tempo..." Principal Xie said with a grim look. Given that a teacher of their academy was wreaking havoc at the Lin n, he had no choice but to rush over upon hearing the news. However, as soon as he arrived, this show immediately appeared before him, and a dizzy spell immediately struck him then. To see through the other partys movements and evade to a safe zone before he couldunch his offense, rendering the other partys raging might to fall empty... How in the world did he do it? Even 3-star master teachers didnt possess such fearsome abilities! Unless... This Guild Master Liu was Lin Ruotians father or teacher, and was well-versed in his offense, otherwise, it was impossible for him to make such precise judgements! But... how could Guild Master Liu be Lin Ruotians father or teacher? This matter waspletely impossible! He knew that Guild Master Liu was a talented person, and bizarre matters seemed to shroud around him, but he didnt think that it would be to this extent! To force the attacks of a stronger opponent to fall empty each time, regardless of how profound the movements were... Just the thought of it made his head go nk. ... "You... Do you dare to face me head on!" Lin Ruotian bellowed; he was on the verge of exploding. The more he fought, the more frustrated he got. "A head-on battle? Isnt that what were doing now?" Zhang Xuan said leisurely as he continued dodging. You attack while I evade, I advance while you retreat... Since youve been facing me all this while, how is this not a head-on battle? Upon hearing those words, Lin Ruotian nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. He knew that if he were to continue arguing with the other party, he would definitely die of anger before the other party could do anything. Thus, flicking his wrist, a sword appeared in his hands. Then, with a slight jerk, ripples appeared in the air, as though a paper had been cut apart. "Do you dare to face me in a weapon duel then?" "Weapon? Sure!" Zhang Xuan was frozen for a moment before the edges of his lips curved up. ncing backward, he chuckled, "Zhao Ya, your sword!" Chapter 386: Hall Master, Save Me! Chapter 386: Hall Master, Save Me! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan had no weapons in his storage ring, and he gave the one which the elder of the Beast Hall gifted him to Zhao Ya. Since the other party had taken out his weapon, Zhang Xuan immediately turned to thedy and shouted. "Sword?" Zhao Ya hesitated for a moment, but eventually, she still took out her sword and threw it straight toward Liuoshi. She didnt know why Liuoshi would ask to borrow her sword, but since she was here to help him, she didnt think too much about it. Hu! As soon as the sword was unsheathed, a cold light immediately shot out into the surroundings. In an instant, Zhang Xuans disposition immediately changed. For a moment, it seemed as though he had fused together with the sword in his hand, and his aura sted straight into the heavens, threatening to slice even the blue sky apart. Ding ding ding ding ding! Suddenly, all of the swords in the surroundings released a crisp buzz, as though greeting their sovereign. The buzzing harmonized together to form a pleasant and bright melody. "Call of the Myriad Swords... This is the realm beyond that of Sword Intent, Sword Heart?" "Despite being in his twenties, Guild Master Liu hasprehended Sword Heart?" "H-how did he do it?" ... Everyone trembled violently in shock, and all gazes were immediately fixed on Zhang Xuan. Weapon Intent was only the start of a long path for those specializing in weapons. Those who had reached a higher level couldprehend the Heart of Weapons. Sword Heart was the crystallization of ones deepprehension in swordsmanship, and even experts who had transcended Zhizun were unable to reach that level easily. Yet, it had appeared from a Zongshi realm pinnacle youngster at this moment, so how could they not be shocked? Sword Heart, moving ones sword with ones heart, turning the tides with ones will. Every single movement is a sword art. Havingprehended such a state, there wasnt a single sword user who could match him at his cultivation realm. "No, it isnt Sword Heart!" At this moment, Pavilion Master Jiang arrived and he shook his head. Others might not know Guild Master Lius true identity, but he was well-aware of it. Given the talents Zhang Xuan had disyed, if he were to allow Zhang Xuan were to be killed by the Lin n, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarter would definitely ughter him. Thus, he rushed here as soon as he heard the news. However, seeing that Zhang Xuan had the upper hand, he decided to watch by the side. "No?" Elder Zhu asked doubtfully. Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons, that was the distinctive trait of one who hadprehended Sword Heart. If that wasnt it, what else could it be? "Depending on how deep ones understanding is, there are three levels to Sword Heart, primary, intermediate, and advanced. One who hasprehended Sword Heart will be capable of nourishing spirit into a sword, allowing it to harmonize with one, making it an extension of ones limbs in the truest sense! Even though Zhang shi has managed to induce the Call of the Myriad Swords, he has only managed to stir the aura of the swords. He hasntpletely grasp the spirit of the sword yet..." Pavilion Master Jiang exined. Sword Heart was a realm, as well as a state. It represented the spirit and heart within a sword. Even though Zhang Xuans level ofprehension towards swords was outstanding, going to the extent of even inducing the Call of the Myriad Swords, his understanding of spirit was still toocking. In fact, he hadnt evene into contact with it yet, so naturally, he couldnt be considered to havepletely stepped into the level of Sword Heart. "Then, this is..." After hearing Pavilion Master Jiangs exnation, Elder Zhu asked doubtfully. If this wasnt Sword Heart realm, then what could this be considered as? "Its Partial Sword Heart realm!" Pavilion Master Jiang answered with a grim expression. "He hasprehended Sword Heart, but due to the limitations of his cultivation, he is still unable to grasp the idea of spiritpletely. As long as he achieves a breakthrough in his cultivation, its just a matter of time before heprehends it. By then, he would be invincible among sword users!" "However, to reach Partial Heart realm despite not knowing what spirit is... How in the world did he do it?" Even though Zhang Xuan hadnt fully stepped into the level of Sword Heart, just reaching Partial Heart realm was sufficient to fill Pavilion Master Jiang with astonishment. Many of the experts that had transcended Zhizun had spent their days observing and researching, only to be kept out of the entrance of the Sword Heart realm. Yet, this fellow who didnt even know what spirit was... to the extent of not even owning his own sword, was able to reach this realm... Just the thought of it was sufficient to send one into a breakdown. If those who specially researched swordsmanship but were unable to achieve a breakthrough in their entire life were to learn of it, would they die from frustration on the spot? "Such powerful Sword Intent..." Zhao Ya didnt know what Sword Heart was, but the Sword Intent that flurried from Liuoshi made her body tremble instinctively. It felt as though a pressure was pushing down on her, leaving her devoid of the courage to even draw her sword. The intimidation from a far stronger Sword Intent! Those who possessed deeper understanding of Sword Intent could suppress those with a weaker understanding with their disposition. "Suggesting the use of weapons is the most foolish decision you have made in your life!" Grasping the sword in his hand tightly, Zhang Xuan chuckled. Heavens Path Fist Art and Heavens Path Leg Art only consisted of a single movement, and it could only be executed in close quarters. However, Heavens Path Sword Art was different. Havingprehended Sword Intent, every single move one made was a sword art in itself! Previously, when crossing hands with the other party, due to the might from the other partys zhenqi, Zhang Xuan was unable to attack easily, so he could only dodge continuously. However, with a sword in his hand, the situation had changed. He could fight with the other party on the same footing now! Hu! With a slight jerk, the glint of a sword shot across the air, and a radiant sword emanation shot out straight toward Lin Ruotian. "What?" cried Lin Ruotian. The other party had been dodging his attacks before, causing all of his attacks to fall t. He thought that using a weapon could widen the range of his attacks, making it more difficult for the other party to dodge, thus forcing him up a corner... How could he have known that the other party would haveprehended the Heart of Weapons! The heck! How could he match up to that? Even though his cultivation had reached Half-Zhizun, hisprehension of the sword hadnt even reached Sword Intent, needless to say, Sword Heart! With an awful expression, his body immediately scrunched together to avoid the other partys sword qi. Just as he was about to counterattack, he saw another white light flying straight toward his neck. "The heck!" Sensing the killing intent imbued into the attack, he knew that his neck would be severed if he were to face it head on. Thus, without any hesitation, he immediately rolled away. Hu! The sword qi struck the ground and a deep gorge appeared. Rock fragments and dust flew in the air. "Damn it!" To think that a Half-Zhizun expert like himself would be forced to roll to avoid an attack! Lin Ruotians rage bubbled within. In the midst of his roll, his hand struck the ground to provide him momentum to leap up, but at that very moment, his hair stood on ends, and he instinctively rolled forward. Zi! A deep gorge appeared at where he was originally at. Havingprehended Sword Intent, one would be able to produce an emanation of ones sword and zhenqi in the form of sword qi. Sword qi was iparably sharp and indestructible by those of a simr cultivation realm. Even though Lin Ruotian was a Half-Zhizun expert, he was still unable to withstand the might of it. Previously, he was able to force the other party to keep a distance through his deep and powerful zhenqi. However, before the sharp sword qi, this technique becamepletely useless. If he were to try to do so, he would simply be cut through in the next instant. "Liu Cheng, you..." Forced to roll twice consecutively, Lin Ruotian was anxious and furious. He roared furiously, but before he could do anything, another sword qi came flying straight toward him. Si! This time, his reaction was a little slow. Feeling a slight chill, his loose robe was torn apart from the middle, and a few strands of his hair fell to the floor. Sensing the bone-piercing chill from the sword qi, he knew that his guts would be cut through if he were a moment slower. Knowing that this wasnt the time to speak, he continued rolling about. ... "This is truly weird. In terms of fist art, Liuoshi could only dodge continuously, helpless before Guild Master Lin... But in terms of sword, n Head Lin couldnt even stand on his own two feet, forced to roll around the area..." "The Lin n is reputed for its swordsmanship, and the head of the Lin n is a famous swordmaster in the kingdom... And Guild Master Liu, as a physician and a normal teacher, doesnt even own a sword! Yet, to think that the swordmaster is more skilled in fist art, and the sword-less physician is more adept in swordsmanship..." "What in the world is this..." ... Staring at one another, everyone was dumbstruck at the sight before them. The Lin n possessed a heritage of over several centuries in swordsmanship, and it stood at the very pinnacle of the field in Tianwu Kingdom. Everyone thought that Guild Master Liu would lose tragically upon seeing n Head Lin taking out his sword. No one could have imagined that there would be such a twist. To think that the Swordmaster Lin Ruotian would be forced to roll around the field, unable to retaliate at all... Wasnt he way too weak! "It isnt n Head Lin who is weak, its that... Guild Master Liu is too strong!" A grave expression sat on Principal Lius face. "Under normal circumstances, even if heprehended Sword Intent and Sword Heart, his cultivation is still only at Zongshi realm pinnacle. It should have been impossible for him to throw out sword qi one after another. On top of that, sword qi also has a maximum range. The further the attack, the greater the expenditure of ones zhenqi!" A few elders of Tianwu Academy nodded in agreement. Sword qi was the emanation of zhenqi. The further the attack, the greater the dissipation. Putting aside the weaker might of the attack, it took a huge toll on ones zhenqi as well. "Look, despite having thrown so many attacks, his sword qi still remains radiant and powerful, causing n Head Lin to bepletely helpless before it... This shows that his zhenqi is iparably dense and pure!" Principal Xie continued exining, "Only when ones zhenqi reaches a certain level of density can one execute sword qi continuously without fearing it running dry! Only when ones zhenqi reaches a certain level of purity will one be able to prevent ones zhenqi from dissipating in midair, thus maintaining its might!" "Indeed!" The crowd nodded. ... While the crowd was dumbstruck by the sight before them, Zhang Xuans sword was dancing in the air. "n Head Lin, didnt you say that you want topete with me in a weapon duel? What do you mean by rolling around on the floor..." Bellowing loudly, Zhang Xuan dered righteously, "Do you dare to face me head on?" Pu! Hearing those words, Lin Ruotians anger clouded over his mind for a moment, causing him to be struck by a sword qi. A mouthful of blood immediately spurted from his mouth. Madness! This was what hed said a moment ago. To think that the fellow would bring it up at this moment! Face you head on? To the hell with that! I dont even have the strength to withstand your sword qi, how can I face you head on? With his fist, he was still able to force the other party to dodge continuously, not daring to face him head on. Why did he have to suggest the usage of weapon? In the end, he only made a mockery of himself. For the number one expert of Tianwu Kingdom, a Half-Zhizun expert, to be forced to roll around the floor! "Hall Master Liao and the Great Herb King, hurry up and make a move... As long as you kill this fellow, Ill agree to any request of yours, and Ill even double it at that!" After a moment longer, Lin Ruotian realized that if this continued on, it would just be a matter of time before he was killed by the other partys sword qi. Unable to hold it in any longer, he immediately bellowed. The elders in the n were already crippled, so his final hope was on Hall Master Liao and the Great Herb King. As the master of the Poison Hall, Liao Xun was a poison expert which granted him the ability to kill even experts above his level. Before him, Guild Master Lius sword qi would bepletely useless! "Alright, remember your words. Ill settle things with this man for you!" Hearing the other partys promise, Liao Xun nodded in satisfaction and walked out. "Hall Master Liao? Great Herb King? Could they be... the Red Lotus Citys Great Herb King and the Poison Halls Hall Master Liao Xun?" Someone suddenly shouted, and everyones faces turned pale. Amotion broke out. Chapter 387: The Unreliable Hall Master Chapter 387: The Unreliable Hall Master Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Poison Hall was the fear of all ordinary cultivators. Poison came in many different forms, making it hard for a person to guard against it, no matter how strong they were. Initially, when Liao Xun walked out with the Lin n, no one paid him any notice. However, upon hearing the shout, the crowd suddenly realized that... he was the newly-appointed hall master of the Red Lotus Range branch! This matter wasnt well-known, but some of the ns with a wide intelligencework still managed to grab hold of the news. As the hall master, the other party surely possessed the strength of a 2-star pinnacle poison master. Needless to say a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator, even a Zhizun realm expert would have to wary against his poison! To think that the Lin n had dealings with such a person. Their hearts immediately turned cold. Guild Leader Liu might be powerful, but... poison was something much too fearsome. Even the slightest contact could potentially render an expert helpless. "Guild Leader Liu is probably done for..." "Indeed. ording to the rumors, Hall Master Liao even managed to kill a Zhizun realm primary stage expert. Given that Guild Leader Liu is only at Zongshi realm pinnacle, how can he withstand his poison?" "To think that the Lin n would have dealings with the Poison Hall. How could they..." ... After ascertaining the identities of Liao Xun and the others, even though the crowd was furious at the Lin ns doing, they couldnt do anything at all. Before the other partys poison, their overwhelming numerical advantage didnt mean a thing at all. "I must save Zhang shi! If the Poison Hall really makes a move, Ill immediately send a request to the headquarter to overturn the entire Red Lotus Range!" A glint shed across Pavilion Master Jiangs eyes. Master teachers promoted the equality of education. While the Poison Hall was a feared existence, it wasnt without its value. Thus, as long as it didnt go too far, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt go to the extent of eradicating it. However, if this Hall Master Liao Xun dared toy his hands on the genius Zhang shi, then he shouldnt me him for getting nasty. He would ensure that the headquarter would lead an army to destroy his entire nest! ... "Sword Intent, sword qi, and Heavens Path Sword Art?" In contrast to the crowds anger, Zhao Yas face turned pale, and her body trembled non-stop. Even though Liuoshi didnt explicitly execute the Heavens Path Sword Art, Zhao Ya was still able to catch some semnce of it. This was definitely the move that grandteacher taught her! How could this man know the sword art that grandteacher taught her? "Could it be that..." A thought suddenly shed across her head, and she immediately turned to look at Wang Ying. As soon as the eyes of the duo met, the other party nodded. "Really?" Zhao Yas face paled further. Only at this moment did she understand why the other party borrowed her sword, and why his face was so bizarre when he learned of her duel with Mu Xueqing... It turned out that Liuoshi... was Zhangoshi! Teacher, careful! Upon realizing this fact, she clenched her fists tightly together. She had absolute confidence in her teachers strength, but the other party was a poison master, skilled in utilizing what that was naked to the human eye. Could teacher... really withstand it? Anxious, she immediately turned her gaze forward. ... "Your name is Liu Cheng, right? I have to admit that youre a genius!" Walking forward, Liao Xun nced at Zhang Xuan withposure. "However, its a pity that... you met me!" He shook his head regrettably. The other party was indeed talented, but... what was the use of it? He shouldnt have made an enemy out of the Lin n! Only if the Lin n became the sovereign of Tianwu Kingdom would the Poison Hall be able toe out from hiding. Liao Xun wouldnt allow anyone to foil his ns... With a flick of his wrist, a bottle of powder appeared in his palm. Then, driving the zhenqi in his body, he prepared to scatter this at the other party at any moment. Hu! Seeing that Liao Xun was about to make a move, Zhang Xuan kept his sword. As soon as the relentless sword qi attack came to a stop, Lin Ruotian recovered and hurriedly dashed toward Liao Xun, hiding behind his back. "Kill him with your poison..." He roared excitedly and savagely. It was fortunate that he invited Hall Master Liao here today. Otherwise, even if the Lin n wasnt destroyed, its prestige would have fallen into the gutters! "Dont worry, leave it to me..." Twisting the bottle of powder in his hands, Hall Master Liao was ready to strike at any moment. "Teacher..." Anxious, Lu Chong dashed forward, but before he could reach Zhang Xuan, thetter shook his hands, turned to the Great Herb King, and smiled, "Great Herb King, now that youre cured of your Contract Gu, your guts sure have inted! How dare you bring Liao Xun out to cause trouble?" "Contract Gu?" The Great Herb King, who was looking at themotion, narrowed his eyes, and he almost fell weakly to the ground. Liao Xun didnt know the true identity of Physician Bai, but he did... The genius master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan! He was the one who cured him of his Contract Gu back then! Very few people knew of this matter. Given how the other party was able to speak of it so confidently, could it be that... One must know that he had personally witnessed the disguising ability of that Zhang shi! Could this Liuoshi be one of his disguises as well? It was no wonder... He thought that it was too much of a coincidence for two grandmasters of the Way of Medicine to suddenly appear in Tianwu Kingdom... So they were actually the same person! "It doesnt make a difference even if you know the Great Herb King..." Liao Xun didnt pay the other partys words any heed. Roaring furiously, he prepared to throw the poison powder in his hands straight at the other party. "Hall master, stop..." Flustered, the Great Herb King immediately charged forward to stop Liao Xun. "Whats wrong?" Liao Xun was taken aback. The Great Herb King had always been a calm person. Why would he suddenly act in such a manner? "Hall master, you mustnt make a move... H-he..." The face of the Great Herb King distorted, and he looked as though he was on the verge of tears. Hurriedly sending a telepathic message, he exined the situation, "He is... senior granduncle!" "Senior granduncle?" Hall Master Liaos kneecap suddenly caved in, and he nearly kneeled on the spot. Senior granduncle... That was a formidable figure who even Envoy Gu Mu had to show utmost respect to. The reason why he could sessfully be the hall master was also due to the help of this senior granduncle. And... this man before him was him? He nearly spewed a mouthful of blood. "Are you sure?" With a trembling body, he hurriedly asked telepathically. If the other party was really that man, and he tried to use his poison powder to kill him... Once Envoy Gu Mu learns of it, he would skin him alive! "Theres no doubt about it..." Nodding profusely, the Great Herb King was just about to continue exining when the voice of the young man before them sounded once more, "Hall Master Liao, wheres Gu Mu? Has he tamed the Lava Beastpletely yet?" Putong! If he still wasnt too sure before, upon hearing these words, Liao Xun suddenly felt an urge to kneel down and beg for forgiveness. Only three people knew of the Lava Beast; Gu Mu, him, and senior granduncle. Given that Gu Mu had returned to Xuanyuan Kingdom, and he had never told anyone about it, the man before him had to be senior granduncle. There was no doubt about it! "Hall Master Liao, dont listen to the nonsense of that fellow. Hurry up and kill him..." Seeing Hall Master Liao hesitate, Lin Ruotian hurriedly urged him worriedly. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw a jade bottle fly toward him. Peng! Before it could reach him, the bottle exploded, causing the poison powder to scatter all over him. Upon contact with his skin, an intense itch suddenly gued Lin Ruotians entire body. At the same time, he felt as though his meridians were being torn out. The intense pain made him burst into rage. "Hall Master Liao, you..." He roared furiously. What are you up to? I told you to kill Liu Cheng, what are you doing throwing it at me? Pah! Before he could recover from his astonishment, a stinging pain struck his face. Someone had pped him. His body swayed, and he fell to the ground. Large mouthful of blood spewed out from his mouth, and a few white teeth could be seen within the red puddle. "Vermin, Ill kill you..." Just as he was in a daze over who would be so daring as toy his hands on him, he saw Hall Master Liao charging straight up to him with crimson eyes clouded with rage. Peng peng peng peng! Hall Master Liao was truly incensed. If he had really made a move on senior granduncle today, putting aside his seat as the hall master, he might even die tragically... It was all the fault of this vermin. He would never be able to quell the rage in his heart if he didnt kill this vermin at this very moment... "What?" "This... What is going on?" Looking at the infuriated and frenzied Hall Master Liao, the crowd, who was intending to step in and help, were stunned. This was especially so for Pavilion Master Jiang and Principal Xie. Wasnt Hall Master Liao specially invited by n Head Lin to help? Didnt he arrogantly dere that he would kill Guild Leader Liu? Why would he... renege on his words the next moment, and start pummeling Lin Ruotian? "..." n Head Ji, who was hiding at the very back, nearly died from a stroke upon seeing the sight. Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on? Why would Hall Master Liao - who had confidently assured Lin Ruotian a moment ago - suddenly be so mad? That was Lin Ruotian, a Half-Zhizun expert! To be pummeled like that... The heck! It is fortunate that I didnt step forward just now. Otherwise, Id be probably in a worse shape... Lin Ruotians strength was originally above that of Liao Xun, but caught off guard and poisoned, how could he still match up to thetter? Completely helpless before thetters pummeling, his face swelled up, and the remaining traces of humanity was beaten out of his face. "Enough!" Seeing that Lin Ruotian was on the verge of dying under the pummeling, Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands. "Yes!" Liao Xun stopped and stood in front of Zhang Xuan with a fawning smile on his face. "That... Senior granduncle, please pardon my blindness to fail to identify your greatness..." "Where did that bunch of nonsensee from? Go and wait by the side!" Frowning, Zhang Xuan reprimanded. Why would the men from the Poison Halle here instead of staying peacefully at their Red Lotus Range? To dream of usurping power, they were tired of living! "Yes!" Seeing that the other party had no intentions of pursuing this matter, Liao Xun heaved a sigh of relief, and he quickly walked to the side, not daring to say a word at all. "Hall Master Liao went to stand by the side, as though an obedient student, after being reprimanded by teacher?" Mu Xueqing and the others blinked, and their hands tugged on their hair in frenzy. They thought that Liuoshi would surely lose in the battle against the Lin n, thus they begged with the elders in their ns to support him. Yet... Before these supporters they had brought could do anything, Liuoshi had already sent the entire n to its knee... Even the Half-Zhizun, Lin Ruotian, wasnt a match at all! They couldprehend it if Liuoshi was strong, but this master of the Poison Hall was a figure that instilled fear in all. Why would he suddenly be an obedient rabbit before their teacher? Obediently following what their teacher asked him to do... And why would he pummel Lin Ruotian? Doubts shed in the eyes of the crowd. "Damn it, damn it..." Just as everyone was perplexed, a roar sounded. Looking forward, Lin Ruotian had struggled to his feet, and a savage light glowed from his eyes. "Liu Cheng, you are the one who forced me. I didnt want to use this because its a huge waste, but... since you dont intend on letting me off, Ill have all of you die here!" Roaring furiously, two surge of zhenqi shot out from his two hands. Weng! A mist suddenly drifted into appearance, and a formation was activated. "This... The grade-3 pinnacle Killing Formation that Princess Consort Lin Long left behind back then? This time... "...were really done for..." Mo Tianxues body trembled! Chapter 388: Formation Destroying Kick Chapter 388: Formation Destroying Kick Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In order to protect her own family, that legendary princess consort once requested for a grade-3 pinnacle formation from Xuanyuan Kingdoms Formation Master Guild to protect the Lin n Residence so that the n could be evesting. It was precisely because of this that even though the guardian beast had managed to reach the Zhizun realm, Mo Tianxue didnt dare to do anything out of fear. Initially, he was still praying that perhaps no one here was capable of activating this formation. How could he have known that not only was Lin Ruotian capable of activating it, he was even able to do it in an instant, thus shrouding all of them in it. This was a grade-3 pinnacle Killing Formation! Different from the Confinement Formations, those who were trapped in the formation would be attacked by all kinds of bizarre attacks. At grade-3 pinnacle, even a Zhizun realm expert could easily die under the onught of the formation. "Haha, all of you, die..." As soon as the formation was activated, it seemed as though countless menacing sharp des had appeared in the air, threatening to fall from the skies at any moment and eliminate all within the area. Lin Ruotians eyes reddened, and he roared in excitement. This formation was the one which his daughter, Lin Long, left behind to guard the Lin n. It could only be used once, so Lin Ruotian was determined not to use it unless the Lin n was in a desperate situation. He was unable to cope with Liu Cheng already, and now that Hall Master Liao had gotten involved as well, he knew that it would be impossible for him to withstand theirbined might. Thus, without any hesitation, he immediately activated it. Didnt you all want to kill me? Alright then, Ill have all of you die here! A grade-3 pinnacle formation was a formation that could trap and kill even a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert. No matter how powerful you are, you are only a Zongshi realm cultivator! Death is all that awaits you! "Finished... To think that I would die due to my curiosity!" "The Lin n actually had this kind of trump card. No wonder the royal family was reluctant to make a move on them..." "At least we are dying to a powerful formation like this..." ... Despair appeared on the faces of the people trapped in the formation. Formation master was an upation at the forefront of the Upper Nine Paths. The might of a formation in operation was unimaginable. Once trapped, they could only wait for their deaths! "Pavilion Master Jiang, you have some understanding of formations. Cant you bring us out?" someone shouted. Everyone immediately turned their gazes to Pavilion Master Jiang, as though seeing their savior. On top of being a 2-star master teacher, Jiang Shu was a 2-star formation master as well. It was possible that he could have a solution to this crisis. "I... am helpless as well. This formation is way beyond my level of understanding!" Shaking his head, Jiang Shu smiled bitterly. He was just a 2-star formation master. There was nothing he could do in the face of a formation of this level. "Then, were really doomed..." Hearing that even Pavilion Master Jiang was helpless before it, the crowd felt despair. "Haha, only a 3-star formation master is capable of deciphering a grade-3 pinnacle formation! You all? Dont even dream about it..." Watching their panic and despair, Lin Ruotian howled frenziedly. However... Before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly interrupted. "Only a 3-star formation master can decipher this formation? I dont think thats necessarily the case!" The voice was exceedingly calm, and it contrasted greatly to the panic in the surroundings. Hurriedly turning their gazes over, they saw that the one who spoke was Guild Master Liu. The youngster simply shook his head, walked forward, and kicked into empty air. Weng! The air suddenly froze, and the fleeting mist, as well as the des above them, suddenly stopped. The formation had been stopped! As though he had only done something insignificant, Zhang Xuan pped his hands and said, "See, didnt I just decipher it?" "You..." The smile on Lin Ruotians froze, and his eyes slowly widened. His body swayed, and he nearly failed to catch his breath. That was a grade-3 pinnacle formation! Even 4-star formation master wouldnt be able to stop it as casually as he did... To do it with a single kick... The heck! Where is the fairness in the world? Back then, when Grand Elder Lin Tao said that this Guild Master Liu was capable of stopping formations with a kick, he thought that it could just be a coincidence. Perhaps the other party was familiar with the Confinement Formation used to trap the Gold-tailed Lion. But this one... Even Lin Ruotian himself only deciphered it halfway. The only reason why he could activate it was because he had control over the core of the formation. If he couldy out such a formation himself, he wouldnt have hesitated to activate it earlier. For a physician, an amateur, to stop it with a single kick... Lin Ruotians body convulsed, and he nearly tore out his hair. "This... this..." "The formation stopped?" "It was stopped with a single kick?" Pavilion Master Jiang also felt his head turning nk. Even a Zhizun realm expert could easily die in a grade-3 pinnacle formation. To stop it with a single kick... Painter, apothecary, beast tamer, master teacher, physician... and it turned out that he was a formation master on top of that! Brother, you should just tell us what there is in the world that you dont know so that we can prepare ourselves mentally! "Another kick again?" Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu nced at one another and shuddered. Was this really a formation that could kill even a Zhizun? Why did it seem no different from a toy? How in the world did he do it? "Right, I have to escape!" While the crowd was overwhelmed with shock, Lin Ruotian finally recovered. Gritting his teeth, he immediately darted into the residence. No matter how foolish he might be, it was already clear that the tides had changed. The best he could at the moment was to preserve his own life! He had to inform the princess consort of this matter as soon as possible so that she could send her men over. Otherwise, the Lin n would truly be destroyed today! Hu! Darting into the residence, he immediately triggered the formation within. A mist immediately floated into appearance, shrouding the entire Lin n. As the base of the Lin n, it was impossible for it to be guarded with just a single formation. However, given how easily the strongest formationid had been broken, all this formation could do was to dy his enemies. But of course, this little time meant a lot to him under the current situation! "You wish to escape when you havent apologized yet?" Seeing the other party scrambling back into the residence, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Ive already said it; if you dont apologize, Ill beat you until you apologize... Lu Chong, charge in!" Returning the sword back to Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. He walked up to the residence and kicked at a certain spot once more. Weng! The formation shrouding the residence stopped. The teacher and student entered. "Wait for me..." With the departure of the duo and the bizarre gazes of the crowd, how could Hall Master Liao Xun and the Great Herb King dare to remain here? They immediately dashed into the residence as well. ... As themotion came to an end, silence loomed over the entrance of the Lin n Residence. "Looks like... the Lin n is done for!" Looking at the convulsing elders who were lying on the floor and Lin Ruotian who had escaped without any hesitation, the crowd was still in a daze. Back then, when their children and juniors pleaded with them, they thought that this Liuoshi was being a little too rash arguing with the Lin n. Only now did they realize... how hrious their thoughts were. Singlehandedly, he managed to crush the Lin n who dominated the capital! This was something they could have never imagined in the past. What in the world was that fellow? How could he be that powerful? "Teacher..." Contrary to the shock of the others, the eyes of Mu Xueqing and the others were glowing, and they clenched their fists in excitement. All that lingered in their minds was a voice that kept shouting He is my teacher! My teacher managed to destroy formations with a single kick and vanquished the Lin n which dominated the capital! My teacher, with his powerful sword qi, was able to even render a Half-Zhizun expert helpless... How lucky and proud they were to have such a teacher! As their hearts trembled in agitation, their eyes suddenly fell on a few other people. They were Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and group. "Zhao Ya, I know that Zhang shi is formidable, but is he capable of unleashing sword qi that rendered even a Half-Zhizun helpless and stop a grade-3 pinnacle formation with a single kick like Liuoshi?" With her hands behind her back, Mu Xueqings eyes shone with excitement. Zhang shi was incredible, but he had only managed to reach Zongshi realm a few days ago. On the other hand, not only was their Liuoshi a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, he even managed to subdue the number one expert of Tianwu Kingdom, Lin Ruotian! The title of the number one expert in the kingdom rightfully went to him! How your Zhang shi be a match for such a person? "Liuoshi... is indeed incredible!" Zhao Ya replied calmly. "Zhao Ya, why would you..." Seeing Mu Xueqings gleeful look, Zheng Yang and the others were infuriated. They thought that Zhao Ya would refute the other party, but never in their dreams did they think that she would admit it directly. This caused their faces to flush in anxiety. "Dont worry. Liuoshi may be incredible, but our Zhangoshi... isnt inferior in any way!" Knowing that Liuoshi and Zhangoshi were the same person, there was no need for them to argue over this matter anymore. Since teacher had intentionally hidden his identity, not even notifying them of the matter, it wasnt Zhao Yas ce to expose him then. Harrumphing coldly, Zhao Ya turned around. Boom! A powerful aura surged forth from her. The strength belonging to a Zongshi realm intermediate stage rushed at Mu Xueqing and the others as though a massive wave. "Zongshi realm intermediate stage?" "Wasnt she still at Pixue realm a few days ago? How did she jump two realms all of the sudden?" "This is the result of Zhang shis guidance?" ... Sensing the aura from Zhao Ya, the crowd fell into amotion once more. Due to the uproar from the duel between Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing, the crowd knew that she was only at Pixue realm two days ago. To reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage within two days... This rate of advancement was way too fast! "You..." Mu Xueqings eyes narrowed. Initially, she was indignant when she lost the second duel against the other party, and she thought that she would be able to defeat the other party now that she had reached Tongxuan realm. Never in her wildest imaginations did she expect that the other party would have improved as well, and for it to be... even more drastic! She had skipped past Tongxuan realm to reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage directly! This... How could she fight against this? Could Zhang shis guidance truly be that incredible? "Thats nothing much. Five days ago, Lu Chong was only Dingli realm primary stage, but he has already reached Zongshi realm intermediate stage already!" Meng Tao harrumphed. "Advancing from Dingli realm primary stage to Zongshi realm intermediate stage in just five days?" Before the crowd could recover from their shock, another astonishing news sted at them once more. Liuoshi and Zhang shi, arent the two of you too monstrous! It would already an incredible feat to induce an advancement of ones cultivation by a small stage in just five days. Yet, your students leaped through several realms in just a few days... "Looks like this Liuoshi is as talented as Zhang shi!" "Indeed, the two of them are on par with one another. Theyre both incredible geniuses!" "Actually, I think that Liuoshi is more incredible. Inducing a growth from Dingli realm primary stage to Zongshi realm in five days is clearly much more difficult than inducing a growth from Pixue realm to Zongshi realm in two days!" "More importantly, he possesses a powerful cultivation. No matter how talented Zhang shi is, his true strength is only at Zongshi realm primary stage!" "Actually, I think that Zhang shi is more formidable! Just by his feats of bashing through the various stages in the master teacher examination and breaking all of the records already made him superior to most talents out there. More importantly, he is still young, so he still has a bright future before him..." Amidst the crowd, many loyal fans of Zhang shi and Liuoshi appeared, and they began to quarrel with one another. Neither side was willing to give in to the other. ... Escaping in a panic, he soon arrived at a sealed chamber. There was nothing but a white wall in the room. With a flick of his finger, a droplet of fresh blood fell into the aperture on the wall. Weng! A bright light shone, and the wall was activated. It was something simr to the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild and the Wall of Pill Forme in the Apothecary Guild Communication Wall! Chapter 389: Kong shis Personal Letter Chapter 389: Kong shis Personal Letter Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A unique formation had beenid out on the Communication Wall, allowing one to transmit messages to one another instantaneously over long distances. The Wall of Pill Forme and Wall of Dilemma operated by the same concept as well. The cost of this object was extremely high. Even though it was only a wall, a grade-3 pinnacle formation wasid out on it. It was through the formation that one could transmit the message from one wall to another. The cost of a single wall was so huge that even the Tianwu royal family couldnt afford it. Only some of the more esteemed guilds were equipped with it. No one could have imagined that there would be one in the Lin n as well. In order to protect her family, Princess Consort Lin Long was even willing to pay such an immense price. Picking up a brush, he clenched his jaws and wrote a line of words on it. "The Lin n has been besieged by the scoundrel, Liu Cheng. Lin Lang and father are severely injured. Require immediate aid!" Hu! A bright light shone, and the words slowly faded. After which, Lin Ruotian heaved a huge sigh of relief. A savage glint shed across his eyes. "Liu Cheng and Tianwu royal family... I want you all to pay for all what has happened today!" ... Beside the imperial pce of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there was another massive pce. It was the East Pce, otherwise known as Crown Prince Pce! It was where the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom lived. In a room at the very corner of the pce stood a white wall. It had been quiet for a very long time, but today, a bright light shone, and a few words appeared on it. "Something bad happened. Hurry up and inform Her Highness..." The face of the guard in charge of the wall warped in panic, and he hurriedly instructed the servants. Other people might not be aware of the purpose of the wall, but he was well-aware that it was linked to the old home of the princess consort. For it to be activated all of a sudden, not to mention with such a message, it was clear that... something huge had happened! Soon, an elegant-lookingdy walked over. Xuanyuan Kingdoms princess consort, Lin Langs elder sister, Lin Long! "Father... brother!" Seeing the words on it, thedys body shuddered, and a malicious aura flowed out from her. She was extremely concerned about her family; she didnt think that such a situation would ur since it hadnt been long since she had left Tianwu Kingdom! "Liu Cheng? Who is this Liu Cheng?" Bellowing furiously, resentment flowed through Lin Long. "Hurry up and get General Liang here!" "Yes!" The guards hurriedly walked over. General Liang, Liang Qingming, was the general under themand of the crown prince. As a Zhizun realm advanced expert, he was in charge of the security of the East Pce. Only the crown prince and the princess consort could issue himmands. Soon, a middle-aged man walked over. His ck dress up and sharp eyes gave him an extremely cold appearance. With just a single nce, shudders would instinctively run down ones spine. "Your Highness was looking for me?" Bowing politely, Lian Qingming sped his fist. "General Liang, pick two experts to apany me to Tianwu Royal City!" Lin Long said. "Tianwu Royal City?" Liang Qingming asked doubtfully. "Thats right. My Lin n has been trampled by others, and my younger brother and my father are severely injured. Make sure to do it fast..." Lin Long instructed anxiously. "No, two experts arent sufficient. You shall go with me now! Only with your strength will I feel assured!" "Me?" Liang Qingming hesitated. "However, the crown prince hasnt returned yet. Shouldnt I ask for his permission before leaving?" "What permission? If you dont hurry, my Lin n will be history!" Lin Long flung her sleeves furiously. "Yes!" Knowing that the crown prince doted greatly on Her Highness, if her n were to be destroyed, he would be implicated as well. Thus, without hesitating for too long, Liang Qingming nodded, "If youre in a rush, we should ride on the crown princes [Gold-scaled Lightning Beast]! Possessing a strength of Zhizun realm intermediate stage, it is capable of traveling at high speed. Tianwu Royal City might be slightly far from here, but on it, we can arrive in just two days!" "Alright!" Lin Long nodded. As a Zhizun realm savage beast, the crown princes Gold-scaled Lightning Beast was capable of traveling several ten thousand li in a single day. [1] They might make it in time if they travel on it. "Have Grandmaster Beast Tamer Zhou follow us, and get him to drive it as fast as he can!" Lin Long instructed once more. "Yes!" Liang Qingming turned around to make preparations. In less than an incenses time, a massive savage beast appeared in the courtyard. Lin Long dived into the room on its back, and with a p of its wings, the savage beast soared into the skies. ... Peng! Peng! Slowly advancing forward, Zhang Xuan broke through seven to eight formations before reaching the room where Lin Ruotian escaped to. Following behind Zhang Xuan, Liao Xun got a clear glimpse of the strength of this young man. Regardless of which formation it was, with a single look, he was able to stop it with a kick... This was no longer something that could be described with the word fearsome. It was fortunate that he reacted decisively and turned against the Lin n on the spot. Otherwise, he wouldnt even know how he died. "You sure caught up fast!" Knowing that they would appear, there wasnt the slightest panic in Lin Ruotians eyes when the door was opened. Instead, with savagery on his face, he hissed, "However, even if you managed to catch up, do you dare to kill me? Ive already informed the princess consort of this matter, and her men will arrive soon! As long as you dare to touch a single strand of my hair, not only will you die, the entire Tianwu Kingdom will be buried as well!" "You mean that if we dont make a move on you, the princess consort will let us get away scot-free?" Seeing the confidence on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. The grudge was already picked, and even if Zhang Xuan allowed Lin Ruotian to get away, the other party wouldnt let him off. "You..." He thought that the other party would be hesitant after hearing his words, but all the other party showed was indifference. Lin Ruotian was taken aback. "Lu Chong, Ill leave it to you to exact your vengeance. After youre done, look for me at the academy! Liao Xun, you stay here to support him!" Zhang Xuan instructed, not bothering with the arrogant Lin Ruotian. "Yes!" Lu Chong and Liao Xun nodded. All of the powerful elders had been defeated, and the rest had either escaped or scattered. There were no longer any powerful figures in the Lin n that were a match for Lu Chong and Liao Xun. Having settled the matter here, Zhang Xuan slowly walked out of the Lin n Residence. At this moment, the crowd outside had yet to scatter. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, admiration glowed on their faces. "I am truly thankful for all of your support!" He knew that these people were gathered under the effort of his students. Even though they didnt do anything, the fact that they were willing to offend the Lin n at this crucial timing to back him up made him emotionally indebted to them. "Liuoshi (Guild Master Liu) is being too polite, we didnt do anything at all..." The crowd immediately bowed; their faces flushed in embarrassment. They intended to help Liu Cheng, but in the end, the other party managed to wipe out the Lin n singlehandedly. "I, Liu Cheng, am one to repay favors. How about this, I will conduct a lecture here for everyone in gratitude for all of your help!" Given the sentiments they had shown, Zhang Xuan couldnt remain unmoved. "A lecture?" Delighted, everyones eyes shone in excitement. Even though this Guild Master Liu wasnt a master teacher, he was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert who hadprehended Sword Heart. His lecture would definitely contribute greatly to their cultivation! "The core of cultivation lies in ones heart..." Without wasting any time, Zhang Xuan started speaking. His voice touched the hearts of the crowd, shaking their souls. In order to prevent his true identity from being revealed, he didnt utilize Impartation of Heavens Will this time. Even so, there were many who managed to achieve a breakthrough in the midst of his lecture. There were at least a hundred people who came to back Zhang Xuan up, and there were seven of them who managed to achieve a breakthrough! "To induce a breakthrough in the crowd in a single lesson, as expected of the most talented master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom..." Seeing this sight, Pavilion Master Jiang felt impressed. Despite being a 2-star pinnacle master teacher, he wasnt capable of this feat. The other partys exnation was detailed and simple. Concepts that were often difficult to grasp became exceedingly simple under his exnation. It felt as though the cultivation of others were a huge ball of wool whereas he had managed to sort it out neatly into strand after strand. Under his exnation, it felt as though they were given a glimpse into the essence of cultivation. Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for them not to improve. "Incredible... To think that the lecture of Liuoshi isnt inferior to Zhang shi at all!" "Indeed! I found myself a new idol today!" Hearing Liuoshis lecture, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and Liu Yang fell into a trance. In the past, they had always though that Zhangoshi was the greatest teacher in the world, and that all other teachers were trash before him. However, at this moment, they realized that there was a muchrger world outside the one they knew. Zhangoshi was formidable, but it would be hard for him to triumph over this Liuoshi. It wasughable that they had always thought that the other party was unworthy of his reputation. "Do you think that Zhangoshis lesson is better, or that Liuoshis lesson is better?" Seeing the expression of the group, Zhao Ya shook her head helplessly and asked with a bizarre look. "The both of them... are good!" With a scarlet face, Zheng Yang replied. He wanted to say that Zhangoshi was better, but the lesson of this Liuoshi wasnt inferior to their teachers in any way. "Forget it, you all go figure it out yourselves!" Since teacher didnt say anything, Zhao Ya couldnt be bothered to exin either. Turning around, Zhao Ya and Wang Ying left together, leaving behind three dumbfounded guys behind. ... Afterpleting the lesson, Zhang Xuan returned to Tianwu Academy. Not too longter, Lu Chong walked up to him, and with slightly reddened eyes and a trembling body, he knelt to the floor. All of the words that he had wanted to say seemed to converge into a single one, "Teacher..." It was because of his teacher that he had a chance to exact his vengeance and found the purpose of his existence. It was because of teacher that his parents were able to rest peacefully in the earth, and that he will not be ashamed to meet them when he finally reunites with them. Finding such a good teacher was the best thing that the heavens had given him. "Stand up!" On the ssroom, Zhang Xuan looked at him gently, "You should be able to tell me why the Lin n had to eradicate your n now, right?" Even though Lu Chongs elder sister had castrated Lin Lang, the Lin n, in consideration of their reputation, shouldnt go to the extent of destroying an entire n consisting of more than a hundred members. Most probably... there was another morepelling reason! Back then, in the royal pce, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were around, so Lu Chong didnt mention the matter. The duo didnt realize anything, but Zhang Xuan still noticed that something was amiss. "Teacher, its true that the Lin n didnt destroy my Qu n because of that matter... Its because of an heirloom in my n!" Without any hesitation, Lu Chong immediately revealed the truth. Given how much his teacher had done for him, he had decided that he wouldnt hide anything from him. "Heirloom?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Yes, its an [Ancestors Handwritten Letter]!" Lu Chong replied. "Ancestors Handwritten Letter?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Why would the Lin n want a handwritten letter from your ancestors?" This letter was most probably a letter Lu Chongs ancestor left to his offspring, but why would the Lin n fight for it, even going to the extent of wiping out an entire n? "The handwritten letter of our ancestor indeed isnt worth much, but... within the letter is the handwritten reply from Kong shi!" Lu Chong exined. "Kong shis handwritten words?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback, and his head turned nk. Chapter 390: Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula Chapter 390: Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Empyrean Kong shi was the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the number one person in history. The value of his handwritten words was invaluable. To think that his handwritten reply would be in a letter of the Qu n ancestors... Putting aside the Lin n, even the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom would go into a frenzy over it! All of Zhang Xuans doubts were immediately answered as well. Lu Chong had tried to hide himself, changed his name, and gone to the extent of pretending to be a mute, but given the immense influence the Lin n wielded in the capital, they were more than capable of tracking him down. It was impossible for Lu Chong to live beneath their noses for two years without realizing a thing. From the looks of it, it seemed like the Lin n had intentionally left him alive so that they could use him to find the handwritten letter. They probably knew about Lu Chongs mediocre talent as well, and knowing that he was incapable of exacting vengeance, they left him be. They couldnt have imagined that Lu Chong would meet with Zhang Xuan, and that the insignificant figure whom they thought nothing of would bring ultimate doom to their n. "Your ancestors were acquainted with Kong shi?" Afterprehending the situation, Zhang Xuan continued asking. Why would Kong shi write his ancestor a reply for no reason? "Im not too sure about the details, and I havent seen the letter myself either. My father has only vaguely told me about it in the past..." Lu Chong continued, "The letter currently isnt in my old n or on me. Its hidden by my ancestors in the depths of a mountain range. If teacher wants it, I can hand it over to you!" This handwritten letter was left behind by the Qu ns ancestors. Even when facing impending death, the Qu n was unwilling to hand it over to the Lin n. Yet, Lu Chong was willing to hand it over to his teacher without any hesitation. "Forget it. Even though Kong shi handwritten words are valuable, its of no use to me!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Kong shis handwritten words might be an unparalleled treasure to the others, to the extent that they would kill one another over it, but to Zhang Xuan, it was nothing at all. No matter how formidable the letter was, could it match up to the golden page of the Book of Heavens Path? To Zhang Xuan, given that it couldnt contribute to his cultivation, it was just something he could sell for a lot of money. Besides, it belonged to his student. For this, Lu Chongs entire n was destroyed. Zhang Xuan hadnt stooped down to the level of vying with his student over his fortune. "Ive been rude!" Hearing his teachers words, Lu Chongs face flushed. He had seen his teachers sincerity toward him, and it should have been clear that he didnt do it for the Ancestor Handwritten Letter. To bring up this matter seemed as though Lu Chong was sounding Zhang Xuan out instead. Choosing not to dawdle on this problem, Zhang Xuan nced at Lu Chong. He had left right after conducting his lecture back then, so he didnt know how Lu Chong chose to deal with the Lin n. "I didnt kill them. Instead, I had Hall Master Liao cripple their cultivation entirely..." Lu Chong replied. Even though he was adamant to exact his vengeance so that his kin could live in peace, he knew that he would be letting them off too easily if he were to just kill them. The Lin n had been arrogant in the past few years, and they had offended many people. Given that their cultivation had been crippled, and that they no longer had formations to protect them, even if Lu Chong didnt kill them personally, this powerful n would soon disappear in the tides of history. On top of that, by choosing not to kill them, he could protect his teachers honor as well. "Un!" Hearing how Lu Chong dealt with the Lin n, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. After undergoing this incident, his student had matured. If he were to kill the entire Lin n, that would be granting them relief. Crippling their cultivation and allowing them to live on in such a manner was probably much more painful to them than death. "Teacher, this is what we confiscated from the Lin n..." Lu Chong took out a storage ring and presented in to Zhang Xuan. Being the previous number one n in Tianwu Kingdom, it possessed many treasures in its residence. As it would be a huge waste to leave those lying in the residence for others to grab, he chose to store them all into his storage ring and bring it to his teacher. As for the ring, he took it off Lin Ruotians finger. Zhang Xuan took the ring. He wasnt interested in his students possession, but he didnt feel any guilt taking the possessions of the Lin n. After all, the Lin n would have done the same if they were in his ce. Dripping a droplet of blood to im possession of the ring, Zhang Xuan protruded his consciousness into the ring, and a vast space immediately appeared before him. It was muchrger than his previous ring, and it was around the size of a hundred meters. "As expected of the Lin n, so many gold coins..." Quickly sweeping across the area, gold coin was stacked into towering mountains, and its quantity definitely numbered over a billion. But of course, the most valuable items werent the gold coins, but the various formations, weapons, and pills. "Spirit stones?" Quickly sweeping across the area, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up. In a corner of the ring, Zhang Xuan saw a few spirit stones being ced in a jade box by the corner; a small amount of spiritual energy was emitting from it. Counting them, there was a total of ten of them. It was even more than the amount he got from the Tianwu royal family. "With so many spirit stones, I should be able to reach at least Half-Zhizun..." Zhang Xuan chuckled gleefully. While Half-Zhizun realm was just a small realm above that of Zongshi realm pinnacle, the spiritual energy requirement was even more than the entire Zongshi realm added up together. Zhang Xuan was still frustrated thinking about where he could look for spirit stones when the Lin n solved his problems. "I should check if there are any cultivation techniques or secret manuals!" Zhang Xuan continued browsing through the various objects in the area. To him, there were only two things that were important to him now. Firstly, spirit stones. Secondly, cultivation techniques and secret manuals, and naturally, the greater the quantity, the better it was for him. "Hm? There seems to be a lot of books on formations in here..." Soon, Zhang Xuans eyes fell upon a huge collection of books on formations ced on bookshelves. As a distinguished n of formation masters, their collection of such books probably exceeded that of even the capitals Formation Master Guild. Quickly taking them into his collection, Zhang Xuans eyes fell on the final bookshelf. "As I thought, there are cultivation technique manuals on Half-Zhizun realm and Zhizun realm..." On the very end of the bookshelf was where the most powerful Lin n heirloom cultivation techniques and battle techniques were ced. Among them were Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm cultivation technique. However, the number was severelycking. There were only slightly more than a dozen Half-Zhizun realm manuals and two Zhizun realm manuals. "Even so, its still worth collecting..." Other people would be delighted to see these cultivation technique, but they were of little use to Zhang Xuan. Even so, every manual still counted. He decided to look at their contents first. Hu! Every book that his finger came into contact with would form an identical book in the Library of Heavens Path. "Compile!" Then, hepiled the dozen or so Half-Zhizun book together to form a single one. With a single look, he fell speechless. There were too few correct sentences, so the technique formed couldnt be cultivated at all. "Forget it..." Putting aside achieving a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan might even die if he were to cultivate this technique. Knowing this, Zhang Xuan immediately lost all interest. "Whats is that?" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to retract his consciousness from the storage ring, he saw a small jade bottle ced at the corner of the ring. It wasnt too big, and it was inconspicuouspared to all of the objects in the storage ring, but it was made of the top-quality [Spirit Harnessing Jade] which carried the attribute of warmth. With a swift movement, the jade bottle appeared in his hand. Instead of opening it, Zhang Xuan uttered in his head, "ws!" A book immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Flipping it open, it wrote, "Forged by a 7-mo craftsman using Spirit Harnessing Jade, it has the ability to prevent the dposition of blood and dissipation of spiritual energy. Stored within it are two drops of blood essence from a grade-1 spirit beast, Steel-armored Dragon!" "Spirit beast blood essence?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he nearly jumped up from agitation. When he first fought against Lin Ruotian, the Library of Heavens Path clearly detailed that the other party had consumed spirit beast blood essence, granting him overwhelming vitality. Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would have already consumed all of the blood essence. He didnt think that there would still be two drops left. Seemed like his daughter, the princess consort, had given him three droplets, but given the limitations of his physical condition, he only managed to absorb one. Even so, it was sufficient to grant him the strength equivalent to a Half-Zhizun realm pinnacle. "There should be an absorption method in here as well!" Different from spirit stones, spirit beast blood essence had a special method that one had to use to absorb it so that it would fuse with ones body and augment it. Since the head of the Lin n had seeded in doing so, he must possess a suitable absorption technique as well. Harboring such thoughts, Zhang Xuan started rummaging through the entire storage ring, and soon, he found a secret manual hidden in the corner. Written on top of it were five big words "Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form"! "ws!" Collecting it into the Library of Heavens Path, he immediately flipped through it and he fell speechless once more. This Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form seemed incredible, but the ws in it numbered at several hundred. How in the world did Lin Ruotian manage to cultivate this technique? "Right, theres quite a few books on physical body cultivation in Tianwu Kingdoms book collection vault. Perhaps, if I were to mix all of them together, something good might turn out..." Just as Zhang Xuan was intending to dump this book back onto the shelves, a thought suddenly popped into his mind and he froze. He had collected all of the books in Tianwu Kingdoms book collection vault, and there was a sizeable collection of physical body cultivation technique manuals in there. Many of these cultivation techniques were superior to that he saw in Master Lu Chens residence back then. After walking out from the book collection vault, Zhang Xuan immediately went over to the Lin n to seek justice for Lu Chong. As such, he hadnt had the time to look through it yet. Summoning all of physical body cultivation technique manuals from the library, he ovepped them together with the Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form. "Compile!" Hu! A brand new book appeared before Zhang Xuan. He anxiously flipped it open, and the contents appeared before him. "By training ones physical body and tempering it with ones zhenqi, ones physical body could gain the might equivalent to ones zhenqi, or perhaps even higher than that. However, it is difficult to reach higher heights in ones physical body cultivation. By using the blood essence of spirit beast to nourish ones body, one could gain the fearsome physical abilities of a spirit beast..." Aplete cultivation technique was detailed in the manual. "It worked!" Briefly browsing through it, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly. Just as he guessed, the Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form could bepiled with the other physical body cultivation technique manuals to form a new Heavens Path technique! "Ill call it... Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan!" Zhang Xuan immediately gave it a name. The Heavens Path Golden Body that Zhang Xuanpiled back in Lu Chens home was powerful, but as his cultivation progressed, its effectiveness was steadily going downhill. On the other hand, this physical body cultivation technique he had justpiled was clearly far superior to the previous Heavens Path Golden Body. "One has to rub the spirit beast blood essence on ones acupoint to absorb its strength and augment ones physical body. Once one seeds, one would gain immense fighting power..." Remembering the contents, Zhang Xuan immediately opened the jade bottle, poured out the two drops of blood essence, and following the method detailed in the secret manual, he rubbed it on his acupoints. Tzzzzzzzz! As soon as the blood essence came into contact with Zhang Xuans skin, a zing heat immediately seared his skin. Spirit beasts were existences that surpassed the Fighter 9 dans. If one tried to forcibly absorb spirit blood without a suitable absorption technique to go with it, not only would one be unable to improve, one might even die on the spot. Chapter 391: These Little Bastards! Chapter 391: These Little Bastards! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In a sense, the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan was the most correct method in absorbing the blood essence. As though a nt that had thirsted for several years, Zhang Xuans body greedily absorbed the energy within the spirit blood. After an unknown period of time. Boom! With a loud bang, as though something had exploded, and Zhang Xuans physical body strength had broken through a bottleneck and reached a brand new level. Hu! Breathing out a mouthful of turbid gas, Zhang Xuan realized that his entire body was revitalized, and his skin was morepact and smooth. At the same time, his appearance looked slightly more dashing, and his figure became slightly closer to the golden ratio. He had seeded in cultivation Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan! The two drops of spirit beast blood essence which he had rubbed on his acupoints had been absorbed cleanly by his body. "Time to test my strength!" Knowing that it was hard to determine the growth in his physical strength, Zhang Xuan walked over the Strength Measuring Rock Pir not too far away, raised his fist, and struck it. Kacha! The rock pir shuddered, and it was nearly broken into pieces. A line of numbers slowly floated into appearance. "9999 ding? Just a step away from reaching ten thousand?" Zhizun realm was also known as Ten Thousand Ding realm. Given that Zhang Xuans strength had reached 9999 ding, it meant that he was invincible against all those beneath Zhizun realm! "It is a pity that the amount of spirit beast blood essence is toocking. If I have several dozen more, I might be able to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle..." Zhang Xuanmented. Even though he had mastered Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, he knew that his physical strength hadnt reached its cap yet. As long as he had sufficient blood essence, he could continue to cultivate the technique and his strength would continue to rise swiftly. But even so, Zhang Xuan was already contented. Lin Ruotian was stuck in Zongshi realm pinnacle for a very long time, and even after using the energy harnessed within the spirit beast blood essence, he only managed to achieve a zhenqi strength of around 9000 ding. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans breakthrough was in his physical body, and his physical body strength had reached 9999 ding. The difficulty in doing so was several folds above that of the former. Ones zhenqi could run out in the midst of a battle, but physical strength was constant. On top of that, physical body cultivators possessed nearly invincible defense inparison to those of the same cultivation realm, allowing them to match with three to four of zhenqi cultivators easily. But of course, this was assuming that there wasnt a huge disparity in the skills and battle techniques of both sides. "With this kind of strength, Ill be able to defeat a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator easily, and even when facing a Zhizun realm intermediate stage expert, I wont bepletely helpless!" Previously, when Zhang Xuans strength was still at Zongshi realm pinnacle, he was already able to easily defeat the Half-Zhizun realm Lin Ruotian, who possessed a strength of more than 9000 ding. Given that he had managed to achieve such a huge leap in his strength, naturally, his fighting prowess rose significantly as well. At Zhizun realm primary stage, ones strength would finally break through the ten thousand ding mark. Then, for every increment within the cultivation realm, ones strength would increase by another ten thousand ding, thus granting one the strength of forty thousand ding at Zhizun realm pinnacle! 9999 ding of physical body strength, coupled with 5000 ding of zhenqi strength, added up to a total of 14999 ding. With such strength, Zhang Xuan was able to rival against Zhizun realm intermediate stage experts. Seeing the raise in his strength, Zhang Xuan heaved a huge sigh of relief. Previously, Lin Ruotian had told him that he had informed Princess Consort Lin Long of the matter, so it was highly likely that she would send her men over. Even though Zhang Xuan acted nonchntly on the surface, he was quite concerned over this matter. Given that he had managed to achieve a huge leap in his strength, he could finally relieve himself of the huge worry in his heart. Heaving a long sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered that Lu Chong was still in the room. Quickly extracting his consciousness from the storage ring, he turned around to look for Lu Chong, only to see the youngster staring at him with mouth agape and eyes widened into huge circles. The current Lu Chong was experiencing a slight breakdown. As soon as he passed the Lin ns storage ring over, his teacher had started to go into a daze. After a long moment, he suddenly leaped up, as though suffering from a stroke, and struck the Strength Measuring Rock Pir... Then... the pir disyed 9999 ding of strength! What in the world happened? His teacher had only whipped out a jade bottle, dabbled some crimson liquid on his body, fell into a daze, and his strength immediately surged. Not only did he achieve a breakthrough, he even nearly reached Zhizun realm... How in the world did he do it? All along, Lu Chong thought that he had improved swiftly through the poison tempering, but after seeing his teacher, he realized that... it wasnt a big deal at all. Other people would die of old age trying to reach the Half-Zhizun stage, but his teacher only had to fall into a momentary daze to do so... And not to mention, that daze brought him right to the peak of Half-Zhizun realm... If word were to spread out, those self-proimed geniuses would probably die of shame. This was no longer the feat of a genius, but... a monster! Just as he was overwhelmed by shock, he saw his calm teacher looking at him with glowing eyes, "Right, do you still have any enemies? Why dont I... help you get back at them as well! If not, help me ask Mu Xueqing and the others if they have any..." After which, Zhang Xuan started counting on his fingers, "If there are a few more such ns, Ill surely be able to obtain a lot of treasures and secret manuals. If so, Ill have truly struck it rich..." "..." Lu Chong. Teacher, arent you an enlightened expert who have seen through material possession? Arent you a genius who couldnt care less about those crude objects? Exacting vengeance for others... to confiscate wealth? Why do you seem more and more unlike an enlightened expert, but a greedy ruffian instead? In an instant, Lu Chong felt that he had to reevaluate his opinion of his teacher... But it was no wonder why Zhang Xuan was so excited. Initially, he only went against the Lin n because he felt indignant for Lu Chong. Who knew that he would suddenly attain such a huge wealth. Putting everything aside, if he could find a few more drops of spirit beast blood essence, through the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, he would be able to break through the bottleneck constricting his physical body and reach Zhizun realm! By then, even if he were to head to Xuanyuan Kingdom, there would be nothing for him to fear. He would be able to stand tall and mighty there too. While waiting for the other party to respond, the sound of someone knocking on the door suddenly echoed in the ssroom. "Is Liuoshi inside?" "Lu Chong, you should rest by the side first!" Bringing back his authority as a teacher, Zhang Xuan waved Lu Chong away and sat upright. Then, he replied impassively, "Is it Sunoshi? Please enter!" He could recognize the voice of the person outside; it was Mo Hongyi, who was disguised as Sun Cheng. It seemed like the poison in his body had been neutralized, and he had recovered from its effects already. Ji ya! As soon as Zhang Xuan said those words, a figure immediately rushed in and red at Zhang Xuan furiously. With a questioning tone, he bellowed, "Liuoshi, you should know that your tea is poisoned, right?" "I only knew after that incident. Honestly speaking, Im a victim here too..." Seeing the other partys look, Zhang Xuan consoled, "Someone must be trying to kill me, and you only happened to step right into it and identally consumed the poisoned tea that such a matter happened... Dont worry, Ill definitely look into the matter and return your redress your grievance!" "Redress my grievance? Victim? Victim my head..." Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Mo Hongyis hair stood on ends, as though a cat who had his tail stepped on, and he erupted into rage. The heck you are a victim! In the end, didnt you end up well? As the number one genius, not only did I get poisoned, I even fell into the fecal drain... More importantly, redress my grievance? How in the world are you going to redress my grievance when its your student who poisoned me? "Whats wrong?" Seeing the other party getting angrier and angrier, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. No one likes to get poisoned, and honestly speaking, how could I know that you would drink the tea from my room... "You... Alright!" Knowing that this fellow was indeed a victim, and he was ignorant of the matter, Mo Hongyi suppressed his rage and harrumphed, "Theres no need for you to investigate! I already know who the culprits are!" "Who?" Frowning, Zhang Xuans face turned grave. He had been contemting over this matter for a very long time. He didnt offend anyone in this identity of his, so why in the world would someone want to poison him? If he knew who the culprit was, he would definitely pursue the matter! "Its... Zheng Yang and the others! I saw them do it personallyst night!" Oblivious to Zhang Xuans thoughts, Mo Hongyi harrumphed coldly. "Zheng Yang?" Just as Zhang Xuan was thinking about how he should teach the other party a lesson, Mo Hongyis words caused his to stagger, and he nearly fell to the ground. It was his own students who poisoned him? What in the world is going on? Zhang Xuan was shocked, but it didnt take him long to deduce the entire matter. Hisplexion immediately darkened. "Those little bastards..." Roaring furiously, Zhang Xuan stood up abruptly with rage zing within him. The students of the other teachers were so obedient, yet what was with the students he taught? When they werent fighting or causing trouble, they were poisoning their own teacher... The heck! If I dont teach them a lesson, I am not Zhang Xuan! ... "Zhao Ya, whats going on? Given how arrogantly Mu Xueqing acted just now, why didnt you teach her a lesson? In any case, its Liuoshi, and not her, thats formidable, so what rights does she have to be acting so gleefully?" On the way back to the residence, Zheng Yang kept questioned Zhao Ya in displeasure. Zhangoshis reputation has beenpletely pushed down by that Liuoshi. As his student, even if you dont speak for your own teacher, how can youpliment the opponents teacher? Is there something wrong with you? "Teach her a lesson? I think you should think about how you can avoid punishment first!" Seeing how the fellow before her had yet to grasp the situation, Zhao Ya replied helplessly. "Avoid punishment? What punishment?" Zheng Yang asked doubtfully. At the same time, Liu Yang and Yuan Tao also looked over curiously. They were sharp-witted, but regardless, they were only fifteen to sixteen-year-old children. There were many things which they needed someone to point out to them before they could understand it. "Wang Ying, you should exin the situation to them. Ill try to think about how we can apologize to teacher..." Zhao Ya grabbed her forehead in frustration. Her original intention was to guard her teachers honor and bring eminence to him, yet... She did manage to make her teachers name known, but as soon as his true identity was dered in public, he would definitely be aughingstock. What in the world was this! To think that such a matter could happen. She truly didnt know how to face Zhangoshi in the future. "Wang Ying, whats wrong?" Sensing that this was a huge matter, Zheng Yang looked at her anxiously. "This..." Wang Yings face turned red. "I suspect that... Liuoshi is Zhangoshi in disguise!" "Liuoshi is Zhangoshi?" Zheng Yang and the others were stunned. "Indeed. When fighting against the head of the Lin n, Liuoshi executed Heavens Path Movement Art and Heavens Path Leg Art. Ive seen it clearly, and theres no mistake about it! On top of that, the technique that he used after borrowing Zhao Yas sword is Heavens Path Sword Art which grandteacher passed down to Zhao Ya... Furthermore, given how he treated us..." Seeing the disbelieving looks of the trio, Wang Ying exined. "Liuoshi is Zhangoshi?" "Then... The person we poisoned is Zhangoshi?" "And we even scolded him so happily..." ... Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang trembled in shock. Their faces turned pale, and they were on the verge of breaking down. If that was true, then what in the world did they do in the past few days? Teacher had done so much for them, yet all that was on their minds was how they could do him in... The trio felt so stifled that they might spew blood. "I want to go to Tianwu Academy to apologize to teacher..." After a long moment, Zheng Yang slowly said with a pale face. "Ill go with you!" "Same here!" Yuan Tao and Liu Yang hurriedly nodded. "Alright..." Upon making a decision, the group hurriedly headed toward Tianwu Academy. Knowing that they had to face it sooner orter, Zhao Ya and Wang Ying also tagged along with them. Dong! Before they could reach the academy, the sound of a deafening bell rang. "Its from the Master Teacher Pavilion..." The group couldnt help but turn toward the source of the ringing. Chapter 392: Envoy from the Headquarters Chapter 392: Envoy from the Headquarters Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This sound is the bell from the Master Teacher Pavilion to gather all master teachers! Something huge must have happened!" Zhao Yas face tightened in worry. The bell from the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt sound for no reason, and when it did, it meant that something urgent and important had urred. "Lets go over to the Master Teacher Pavilion and take a look first. If teacher is in the capital, hell surely rush over as well..." Frowning, Zhao Ya instructed. The bell demanded for the presence of all master teachers. If Liuoshi was truly Zhangoshi, he should rush there upon hearing the bell as well. "Un!" Zheng Yang and the others nodded. Thus, the group started heading toward the Master Teacher Pavilion. ... "This is the Assembly Bell? Who rang it?" Standing at the entrance of the Lin n was Pavilion Master Jiang, who was still in a slight trance after Zhang Xuans lecture. Upon hearing the sound, he was taken aback. Not everyone was qualified to ring the bell in the Master Teacher Pavilion. In the entire Tianwu Kingdom, only the pavilion master and the other two 2-star master teachers wielded the rights to do so. However, given that the three of them were here, what in the world was going on? "Something urgent must have cropped up. Lets hurry back to take a look!" A grave look appeared on Elder Zhus face. "Un!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. Without any hesitation, he led the group of master teachers gathered here back to the Master Teacher Pavilion as quickly as possible. "Lets go over and take a look as well!" Mo Tianxue and the others also followed them back to the Master Teacher Pavilion. The Master Teacher Pavilion was the foundation of a kingdom. Without their support, putting aside the fact that the kingdoms tier might be lowered, it would also make the kingdom more prone to attacks. At this moment, the sound of the bell reverberated through the entire capital, attracting the attention of countless people. Even Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi were taken aback. "The Master Teacher Pavilion is summoning us; lets go over as well!" Mo Hongyi said grimly. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Teacher..." Lu Chong hurried forward. "Find Mu Xueqing and the others, and bring them to the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Knowing Lu Chongs intentions, Zhang Xuan immediately issued him some instructions. Initially, they had agreed on finishing the examination tomorrow. However, since that Mo Hongyi had recovered, and he was going to head there anyway, Zhang Xuan didnt mind finishing the examination today so that he could be promoted to a 2-star master teacher. ... Not daring to dawdle, Pavilion Master Jiang and the others rushed straight back; it didnt take them to long to arrive at the Master Teacher Pavilion. As soon as they stepped into the guild, an apprentice quickly walked up to them. "Pavilion master, Elder Zhu..." "What happened?" Jiang Shu looked at him with a deep frown sitting on his forehead. "The headquarters sent two envoys over... Seeing that there isnt a single master teacher here, they instructed me to ring the Assembly Bell!" The apprentice exined. "Envoys from the headquarters?" Gedeng, Pavilion Master Jiangs heart skipped a beat. "Bring me over quickly!" Upon walking into the main hall, he saw two elders seated at the very top of the room. "Youre Jiang Shu?" Before Jiang Shu could reply, an elder stroked his beard and introduced themselves, "I am Su Fan, and this is Ling Yuheng. Were from the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion!" "Su Fan? Ling Yuheng?" Pavilion Master Jiang was stunned for a moment before a jolt shot through his entire body. Disbelief shone in his eyes, "The 4-star master teachers of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance... Su shi and Ling shi?" Even though Jiang Shu had never been to the Myriad Kingdom Alliances capital before, Su shi and Ling shi were names that all master teachers within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were familiar with. Could they... be those two legendary figures? Why would they... visit Tianwu Kingdom personally? "Hehe! Thats us!" Chuckling, the duo nodded slightly. Their movements and words werent excessive, and they exuded an extremely peaceful and tranquil feeling. The crowd didnt feel the slightest bit of pressure or intimidation from them, "4-star..." Upon hearing their words, the faces of Elder Zhu and the others turned pale, and they nearly fainted on the spot. They were legendary figures who were said to possess the capability to turn stone into gold, and the destructive might to crush mountains and split rivers. Under such rumors, the group subconsciously felt that they lived in apletely different world from the duo. Yet, to think that there woulde a day where they would be talking harmoniously. Initially, they were still slightly intrigued about the ringing of the Assembly Bell. This bell was usually used for emergencies, and only the 2-star master teachers had the right to ring it. As 4-star master teachers, the duo was more than qualified to ring the Assembly Bell. However, as 4-star master teachers, the duo was indeed more than qualified to ring the Assembly Bell. "Theres no need to get nervous. The purpose of our visit is to look for Zhang Xuan!" Seeing the stiff expressions on the crowd, Su shi chuckled lightly. His voice was as gentle as a spring wind, and subconsciously, the stiffened bodies of the crowd rxed, and their tension disappeared. Impartation of Heavens Will! "Incredible..." Sensing the visible changes in their bodies, the crowd was filled with awe for the duo. To dispel their nervousness with a single word, surely they would be able to render them powerless with another. The might of a 4-star master teacher... was indeed fearsome! "Zhang Xuan?" Heaving a sigh of relief, Pavilion Master Jiang asked doubtfully. Zhang Xuan had broken innumerable records of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though Jiang Shu didnt report the matter to the headquarter, the headquarter had a way of looking into such matters. Given the outstanding results, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to not attract any attention. "May I know if Zhang shi is here?" Su shi looked around the room. "Reporting to Su shi, Zhang Xuan is currently in the midst of his 2-star master teacher Trust Level test, so he isnt here..." Pavilion Master Jiang hurriedly replied. "He isnt here? Then, bring me the Record Crystal of his master teacher examination. I want to take a look at the situation!" Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan wasnt around, Su shi issued another instruction. "Yes!" Not daring to keep such esteemed guests waiting, Pavilion Master Jiang immediately issued the orders, and a master teacher quickly rushed out. Soon, the Record Crystal that had recorded Zhang Xuans examination was brought into the main hall. Su shi and Ling shi nced at one another. Then, Su shi stretched his hand forward to slightly tap on the Record Crystal, and the scene of the examination back then immediately appeared. House of Trust, Supporting upation Pavilion, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Ocean, and Unerring Pavilion... Seeing the young man undertake the tests one after another, the initial calmness of Su shi and Ling shi slowly faded, and eventually, just like the many others who were present that day, it transformed into shock. "This..." Soon, after watching the entire proceedings, the duo nced at one another, and they could see the incredulity in each others eyes. Despite teaching his students for just a couple of days, he managed to induce of Trust Level of 85 in them; at the start of the examination, his Soul Depth was only 5.1, but in the blink of an eye, it increased all the way of 10.1; scoring 130 points in the Supporting upation Pavilion where the highest possible score should have been 100; inducing the Harmonious Chiming of the Hundred Bells in the Cultivation Technique Ocean, and getting it to submit with a bellow; uncovering thirty ws in the Unerring Pavilion; reaching Zongshi realm in just a few moments... Despite witnessing his feats personally, they couldnt help but doubt that they were dreaming. Where in the world did this fellow pop out from? How did he manage to achieve such outstanding results? "Reporting to Su shi and Ling shi, I, Jiang Shu, can use my reputation as a master teacher to guarantee that Zhang shi didnt even know the proceedings of the examination beforehand. All of his records were made on the spot, and the Record Crystal hasnt been tampered in any way!" Seeing the disbelief in their eyes, Jiang Shu hurriedly exined. "Un, were still able to tell whether the Record Crystal has been tampered or not..." Su shi nodded. As a 4-star master teacher, he was more than capable of telling with a single nce whether the person before him was lying or not, and whether the Record Crystal had been tampered with or not. This was precisely the reason why he found the entire situation inconceivable. Of the kingdoms beneath the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there didnt seem to be a single one who was as incredible as this Zhang Xuan. But of course, if this wasnt the case, they wouldnt have rushed from the alliance to such a remote location upon receiving the news. "Tell us about the background of this Zhang shi!" Returning the Record Crystal, Su shi probed. "Yes, this Zhang shies from Tianxuan Kingdom..." After organizing the information on Zhang Xuan in his head, Pavilion Master Jiang replied. Talent wasnt the only factor required for one to be a master teacher; one had to have a clean background as well. It wasnt too difficult for him, as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, to look into Zhang Xuans identity and background. "... Currently, hes a 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer, and an apothecary and physician exceeding 3-star. Naturally, he doesnt have the emblems for thetter two yet. Even though his skills have reached the required level, his cultivation is still much toocking... Hes currently at Zongshi realm pinnacle, and he hasprehended the Partial Heart realm of Sword Heart..." Jiang Shu recounted. Every single point that he brought up caused the shock on Su shi and Ling shis faces to deepen, and eventually, the duo becamepletely numb to his achievements. However, a doubt slowly sprouted in their minds. How in the world did a fellow who originated from such a remote location be skilled in so many upations? On top of that, to possess such incredible talent as a master teacher? Upon thinking of this, Su shi couldnt help but raise his doubt. "I was perplexed over this matter initially as well, but eventually, I realized that its because Zhang shis teacher is formidable!" Jiang Shu exined. "Its very likely that hes a 4-star master teacher as well, or perhaps... even surpassing that level!" "Oh?" The faces of the duo immediately turned grave. "Whats the name of his teacher?" "Yang Xuan!" "Yang Xuan?" Su shi and Ling shi frowned. They knew quite a few 4-star and 5-star master teachers, but they had never heard of this name, "This Yang shi is currently my teacher as well..." Sensing their doubts, Jiang Shu started to recount how he met Yang shi, and how he eventually acknowledged the other party as his teacher. "With just the slightest guidance from him, you were able to tame the Crimson Tiger. On top of that, he was able to tell the ws in your cultivation in that short fight between you and the Crimson Tiger?" Su shi widened his eyes in shock. Su shi was also capable of those two feats... But he definitely wasnt able to do it as quickly and easily as the other party did. Given how easily that Yang shi did so, not to mention, during the fight between the Crimson Tiger and Jiang Shu, he was still on the back of an aerial savage beast, the other partys eye of discernment was simply way too formidable! "Thats right!" Jiang Shu nodded. Honestly, he was filled with earnest respect and admiration for Yang shi. After cultivating the improved cultivation technique that the other party gave him, not only did he recover from his hidden trauma, he could even vaguely sense that he was going to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation soon. No matter how foolish one was, it would be clear to them that this was all Yang shis work. With just a casual pointer, he was able to induce such massive effects. Given that Zhang shi was his direct disciple, he must have undergone personal tutge from the other party on a daily basis. Under such circumstances, it wasnt unimaginable for him to be capable of such incredible feats. "Is that Yang shi still in the capital? Can you bring me to pay him a visit?" Recovering from his shock, Su shi couldnt help but ask. Even though he had never heard of Yang Xuan, given how the other party managed to groom an outstanding student like Zhang Xuan and induce such a huge improvement in Jiang Shu with just a few casual pointers, his ranking as a master teacher must definitely be above theirs. If they could meet and interact with him, they would definitely benefit greatly from the exchange. "Teacher is currently in the capital, but... he is often out. If the two elders wish to meet him, please allow me to first report the matter to him first!" Jiang Shu hurriedly replied. Even though his teacher was in the capital, he was often out of the residence. Also, without teachers permission, he didnt dare to bring anyone else over, even if the people he was bringing over were 4-star master teachers. "Un! Well be troubling Pavilion Master Jiang then..." Su shi nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, Elder Zhu, who had gone out a while ago to settle a few matters, suddenly rushed back anxiously. "Su shi, Ling shi, and pavilion master, Zhang shi and Mo Hongyi have returned and they are currently at the examination hall. It seems like they have decided to end the examination in advance..." "End the examination in advance?" Pavilion Master Jiang froze. "It has only been a few days since the examination started, and they have already seeded in inducing a Trust Level of 40 among their students in their disguised identity?" Chapter 393: Your Name (1) Chapter 393: Your Name (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thest test of the 2-star master teacher examination was for them to assume the role of a teacher under another identity and raise the Trust Level of their student in them to forty within ten days. It hadnt even been seven days, and they were already here. Could it be that their students Trust Levels in them had already reached forty? "That Zhang Xuan is here too?" Hearing the conversation, Su shi looked over and asked, "Whats going on?" "Its like this..." Pavilion Master Jiang exined the situation in detail. There were several hundred types of 2-star master teacher examination depending on the guild one was in. This was precisely the reason why all of the 1-star master teacher in the guild, and this was including Principal Xie, didnt know that the examination for the duo was to conceal their identity and teach at Tianwu Academy. "So thats the case! I am also quite interested to see how high the Trust Level Zhang Xuans students have in him under his disguise!" Afterprehending the situation, Su shi nodded, turned his head to the side, and asked "Ling shi, do you want toe along as well?" "Un!" Ling shi smiled, "I am fine with going over as well, but we have to make some preparations beforehand. As 4-star master teachers, our arrival will surely cause a huge uproar, and the results of the examination might be affected. So, you all shouldnt immediately reveal our identities when we arrive in the examination hallter on!" As 4-star master teachers, the two of them possessed esteemed standing. Even the emperor would have to wee them personally with utmost respect in deference to their position. If news of their arrival were to spread out, it would definitely cause a hugemotion. There was a great possibility that it might affect the uracy of the results of the test. Jiang Shu and the others nodded in agreement. Since these two had spoken, who would dare to refute them? The group headed straight for the examination hall, and before they could enter, they could already hear a hugemotion in the area. "Why did the bell suddenly ring?" "Ive no idea. Maybe someone is going to take the master teacher examination? However, there doesnt seem to be anything here though?" "Impossible. Back then, when Zhang shi and Mo shi were taking the examination, I was here, and the bell wasnt rung then..." ... Pushing the door open, they immediately saw a huge crowd before them. It was the group who had gathered at the entrance of the Lin n previously. Mo Tianxue, Mu Yangfeng... Many esteemed figures of Tianwu Kingdom were within the crowd. They had all rushed here upon hearing the bell to join in with themotion, but due to the various restrictions of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they could only wait here. Even until now, they had no idea what was going on. "Pavilion Master Jiang is here! Pavilion Master Jiang, what happened?" Upon seeing the group walk in, someone among the crowd shouted. Of the group, the most conspicuous person was Pavilion Master Jiang. No one paid any heed to Su shi and Mo shi, who were standing at the back. Besides, even if they were to notice them, they wouldnt recognize them anyway. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was simply too far away, and Su shi and Ling shi were figures way beyond them. Pavilion Master Jiang also only managed to recognize them after their introduction. "Something did happen, but theres no need to panic. You will all know soon enough!" Pavilion Master Jiang shook his hands casually before turning around to discreetly issue some instructions to Elder Zhu. As soon as the Trust Level of Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyis students reach a minimum of forty, he would announce their true identity instantly. In a sense, this could be considered as a huge matter. However, he couldnt say anything about it now. If not, it might affect the final result. After being delegated with some tasks, Elder Zhu backed down, and soon, he led two people in. Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi! But they were still currently in disguise as Liu Cheng and Sun Cheng. "Its Guild Master Liu and Sunoshi!" "Ive heard of this Sunoshi as well! He was also epted into Tianwu Academy a few days ago, and his lessons are formidable as well. My son attended his lessons and his cultivation immediately soared furiously!" "To invite the two of them over... Could it be that the Master Teacher Pavilion is going to make an exception for the two of them and grant them the position of a master teacher?" "Grant them the position of a master teacher? There has never been such a practice. I reckon that the Master Teacher Pavilion is just going to bestow them with some special privileges or something..." Discussion sounded among the crowd once more. These two had made a name for themselves recently, and there were quite a few people who had looked into their backgrounds... Due to several personal circumstances, neither of them were eligible to take on the master teacher examination! To be brought here despite their ineligibility... Most probably, the Master Teacher Pavilion was just going to grant them some privileges and protect them. Such matters had happened in the past as well. More than a century ago, there was a teacher whose lessons was incredible, and he made a huge contribution to society. Thus, the Master Teacher Pavilion granted him the title of an Honorary Elder, and his standing immediately soared. Eventually, even the Tianwu royal family had to treat him as an important guest. Could it be that it was happening again? "Wait a moment. If thats the case, why would their students be here then?" "Thats true..." Soon, someone noticed that something was amiss. Usually, this kind of bestowment would be announced beforehand. On top of that, this wasnt good enough a reason to knock the Assembly Bell and have all of the master teachers gather here. And most importantly of all, there was no reason for the duo to bring all of their students here for the ceremony. The crowd here was brought together by Liu Chengs students. They might not recognize Sun Chengs students, but upon seeing that Lu Chong, Mu Xueqing, Meng Tao, and the others here, they immediately knew that something was amiss. Actually, they werent the only confused ones. Mu Xueqing and the others were perplexed as well. Teacher had Lu Chong urgently gather all of them, so they thought that it might be an important matter. They couldnt have imagined that the location they were heading to was... the Master Teacher Pavilion. Liuoshi wasnt a master teacher, so there shouldnt be any reason for him to be here. "The two teachers, who goes first?" Pavilion Master Jiang smiled at the duo. "Sunoshi, you should go first!" Zhang Xuan said. Until now, Zhang Xuan still felt a little guilty that his students were the cause of his suffering. "Alright then, Ill go first!" Mo Hongyi didnt turn down the offer. Beckoning behind him back, two students walked out. "You two, go in and test your Trust Level. Dont let me down!" "Its them?" Upon seeing the duo, Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. He actually recognized the duo! They were the two students whom he met during the public recruitment exercise; one of them detested studying while the other one was on the verge of expulsion... After being epted into Tianwu Academy and taking over Mu Xueqings ss, Zhang Xuan had been busy, so he forgot about the duo. To think that they had be Mo Hongyis students. Back then, Zhang Xuan had already urately pointed out the crux of their affliction. As such, Mo Hongyi was able to allocate the most appropriate treatment for their afflictions. It was no wonder why Mo Hongyi was so confident of passing the examination. He hade prepared. "Yes!" The two students nodded and entered the House of Trust. The procedure was exactly the same as for the 1-star master teacher examination. "Could this Sunoshi be... Mo Hongyi?" Taking this scene into sight, Mo Yu suddenly came to a realization. Since Liu Cheng was Zhang Xuan, then Mo Hongyi who had taken the 2-star master teacher examination alongside him had to be this Sun Cheng. "Only those who are taking the master teacher examination will have to test the Trust Level of their students, right? Could it be that these two are intending to take the examination as well?" "But they dont possess the State of Insight, how can they take the examination?" "Lets wait and see. The answer should be revealed soon!" The crowd waspletely bewildered by this bizarre turn of events, and a deep crease was etched onto their foreheads. They had absolutely no idea what Pavilion Master Jiang was up to, and why this Sunoshi was bringing his own student here to test their Trust Level. Weng! A short moment after the entry of the duo, light shone on the door of the House of Trust, and a few digits floated into appearance. The crowd hurriedly took a look. 42! Upon seeing the numbers, Mo Hongyis tension immediately escaped from him, and he heaved a huge sigh of relief. He was confident that it would exceed forty, but when it came down to it, uncertainty started scratching at his mind. Upon seeing the results, he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Given that he had passed the examination within ten days, he was, as of now, officially a 2-star master teacher! "Not bad!" Su shi and Ling shi nodded in approval. They had heard of this Mo Hongyi before, and he did possess outstanding talents. In a Tier1 Kingdom, he was indeed a top-notch genius. In fact, even in Conferred Kingdoms, he would rank among the top. However... in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, he was still far from matching to the true geniuses. While he wasnt mediocre, his feats wouldnt impress anyone there. "Liuoshi, its your turn!" Now that Mo Hongyi had passed, the eyes of Pavilion Master Jiang and the other master teachers immediately centered on Zhang Xuan. "Alright!" Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan nodded and smiled, "If I recall correctly, as long the Trust Level of a student of mine reaches forty, I would have passed the examination, right?" He seemed to recall that a single student was sufficient for the test. If so, there was no need to trouble the rest of them. "Indeed!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. "Alright. You enter!" Surveying the crowd, Zhang Xuan casually pointed. After several days of interaction with his ss, he was confident that the Trust Level of any single of his students would definitely exceed forty. Since that was the case, there was no need to intentionally cause a ruckus. Cough cough! At times like this, it was best to maintain a low profile. Of course, if Mo Yu and the others were to know his thoughts, they would definitely faint on the spot. Low profile? How in the world do you fit that image? It will already be a miracle if you dont flip the entire world upside down. "Yes, teacher!" A student walked into the House of Trust. "Hes Zhang Xuan?" After Zhang Xuans student walked into the room, the two 4-star master teachers from the headquarter immediately turned their attention to Zhang Xuan. The scene they saw in the Record Crystal was simply too shocking. They were curious to see if this young man could create another miracle this time. "He seems quite confident. Just that, I wonder what his results will be!" Stroking his beard, a contemtive look appeared on Su shi face. "Thirty years ago, our guild also used the same test for the 2-star master teacher examination. I recall that theres a genius who managed to induce a Trust Level of 65 in his student!" Nostalgia filled Ling shis eyes. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance had once adopted this examination method before as well, and countless geniuses had achieved outstanding results in it. "Indeed. That kind of Trust Level is alreadyparable to ones parents. To achieve such a level in ten days, and under disguise at that, that persons means were indeed outstanding!" Su shi nodded, It would be difficult for even a 3-star master teacher to induce a Trust Level of 65 in a person within a short period of time, not to mention, in an inconspicuous, disguised identity. To achieve such a result when starting from scratch was indeed a formidable feat, even within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. But of course, this was only limited to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. In higher tiered empires, there were even more absurd geniuses. "This Zhang Xuan has managed to make so many news records. I wonder if he can surpass the previous geniuss record of 65..." Ling shi said. "Un! Only if he breaks that record will he have the right topete with those people..." The duo spoke using telepathy, so no one could hear their words. Weng! Just as they were discussing, the door of the House of Trust swayed, and a few digits floated into appearance... 61! Chapter 394: Your Name (2) Chapter 394: Your Name (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "61?" Seeing the number, Su shi and Ling shi nced at one another, and a look of disappointment flickered across their faces. They bore high hopes for this youngster who had made many new records, but from the looks of it now, they seemed to have overestimated the other party. "61 is a decent score, but hes still a littlecking topete with those geniuses..." Su shi shook his head. "Indeed!" Ling shi agreed. A Trust Level of 60 was already equivalent to the rtionship between parent and child. Zhang Xuans record was far beyond that of Mo Hongyi, but he still failed to meet the expectations of the two 4-star master teachers. "This is a pass, right?" Oblivious to the disappointment of the duo, Zhang Xuan turned to Pavilion Master Jiang and asked. "Its a pass!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. It was a pass as long as the Trust Level of their student reached forty. 61 was already an extremely high score. Upon seeing Zhang Xuans result, a bitter smile shed across Mo Hongyis face. Given how his records werepletely overthrown by Zhang Xuan previously, even though he knew it was unlikely, he still bore some expectations that he might triumph over him this time around. However, it seemed like he was being too naive. He was truly a far match from this genius. "Wait a minute. Liuoshi, isnt your best student Mu Xueqing and Lu Chong? Whos this student? Why havent I met him before?" Even though Zhang Xuan had passed, Pavilion Master Jiang still couldnt help but ask in bewilderment. Based on the news he got, Zhang Xuan should be the closest to Mu Xueqing and Lu Chong, so their Trust Level should be the highest of his students. The candidates were allowed to pick any student for the test, but usually, one would pick the student they were closest with. Pavilion Master Jiang had been keeping tabs on the examination, but he hadnt seen or heard of this person. Thus, he was perplexed as to why Zhang Xuan would send this student forward. Could it be that he had cared for this student more than the others privately, allowing his Trust Level to reach 61? Upon hearing those words, the crowd also suddenly realized the peculiarity of this issue. Thus, they turned their sights to Zhang Xuan, curious to listen to his exnation. "Youve never met him before?" Not expecting the other party to ask such a question, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. "Allow me to introduce him then. This is..." Halfway through, an awkward look surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. He hurriedly turned to look at the student who walked out from the House of Trust and asked, "That... My apologies, but I dont remember your name. May I ask how I should address you..." Putong! Putong! As soon as Zhang Xuan said those words, the crowd immediately fell to the ground. They felt the world spinning around them, and they nearly keeled over on the spot. Even Su shi and Ling shi, who were shaking their heads in disappointment a moment ago, had the corner of their lips twitching. Are you for real? A student who has a Trust Level of 61 toward you, and you... dont even know his name? To earn the trust of their students, most teacher would treat them as though their friend and use all kinds of means to win their goodwill. Yet, you... despite conducting lessons for them for so long, you dont even know his name... More importantly, the other party actually had a Trust Level of 61 toward you! In other words, youre as close to him as his parents... The heck! Everyone hurriedly turned to the student. Your teacher doesnt even know who you are, and yet, you possess such deep trust in him, even moving your n to stand against the Lin n for him... Why? "Reporting to teacher, I am Ji Yi. Teacher once offered me some pointers, solving the problem of my blocked meridians on the left side of my body..." Upon hearing his teachers question, the young man immediately replied with an agitated look. "Ji Yi?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. He really hadnt heard of this name before. However, he did remember solving a students problem of blocked meridian on the left side of his body. It was at the very first day that he happened to see a student suffering from such a problem. With half of the meridians in his body blocked, he might be paralyzed if he were to continue cultivating. Thus, Zhang Xuan stepped in and helped him. In the midst of doing so, this fellows cultivation also rose by two stages, leaving many onlookers green with envy. Thinking of it now, he seemed to recall seeing the name Ji Yi in the Library of Heavens Path. However, as he had met and helped too many students back in Tianwu Academy, and this student didnt have any distinctive traits to him, he forgot about this matter. Operating under three identities, Liu Cheng, Zhang Xuan, and Yang Xuan, he had so many things to handle that he even finding time to eat was difficult, so how could he have the energy to remember the names of each and every student? It was already good that he could remember Lu Chong, Mu Xueqing, and Meng Taos names. "Alright, allow me to introduce him to you all. Hes Ji Yi, and hes... my student!" After finding out the other partys name, Zhang Xuan introduced him grandly to Pavilion Master Jiang. "..." Jiang Shu. "..." The crowd. We have already heard your conversation, what is the use of you introducing him to us once more? More importantly, given the confused look on your face, all you know about the other party is probably just his name. Clearly, you dont even know what n hees from and even how old he is! You might as well just remain quiet like that. At the very least, we can suffer less damage from this farce... At the side, tears were trickling down Mo Hongyis eyes. What in the world was this! In order to raise the Trust Level of his students in him swiftly, he only ran short of serving them as though they were his ancestor. Every day, he would ask about their condition and personally tutor them on their cultivation. He would stay up all night to ponder over their situation, fearing that he might make the slightest mistake... In the end, the Trust Level of these two fellows ended up to be only 42. Yet, Zhang Xuan didnt even know the name of his student, and the Trust Level was already 61... The heck! We are both humans, why is there such a huge disparity between us? He instinctively turned to look at his two students, and he nearly broke down. These two fellows were staring at Liuoshi with shining eyes. Clearly, they wanted to be his students as well, and they were filled with envy for Mu Xueqing and the others. That is enough of you two! Even you two are treating me like that? Its as though you two have never met a teacher before! Besides, I, Mo Hongyi, as the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom, am not inferior to him, alright? Seeing the sight before him turn dark, Mo Hongyi suddenly realized what a foolish decision it was for him to take the 2-star master teacher examination along with this fellow. "This monster..." Mo Yu muttered. Others might think that Zhang Xuan was putting on an act. After all, the idea of him not knowing the other party when the other party had a Trust Level of 61 in him was inconceivable. However, Mo Yu knew that this was true. Sometimes, this fellow could be so astute that it induced fear in others, and at other times, he could be so clumsy that it left others frustrated. Putting aside his students, Mo Yu thought that it was very possible that if she didnt apany him to look for the Great Herb King, he might not even remember her name as well. Just the thought of it left her stifled. "Alright. Then... can we test the Trust Level of Lu Chong then?" Holding back his frustration, Pavilion Master Jiang asked. If even a student he didnt know could have a Trust Level of 61 in him, then what about Lu Chong? After all, for Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan even went to the extent of standing against the Lin n singlehandedly! Taken aback, Zhang Xuan hesitated. "This..." "Teacher, Im willing to give it a try!" Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Lu Chong had already stepped forward. He was also curious to see how much trust he had in his teacher. "Alright then, be careful!" Seeing the intent gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be difficult for him to reject the matter. Thus, he shook his head helplessly. He had only intended to pass this examination peacefully... Sigh, why was it so difficult to keep a low profile? If Mo Hongyi were to know of his thoughts, he would definitely spurt blood. Brother, do you know how hard Ive been to keep a high profile all this time, and yet, you managed to reach so high while trying to maintain a low profile... Upon receiving permission, Lu Chong walked into the House of Trust delightfully. Weng! The House of Trust whirled into operation, and radiant light shed. "Will the Trust Level of this student be higher than the previous one?" Taking this sight in, Su shi couldnt help but ask Pavilion Master Jiang telepathically. He had just arrived at Tianwu Kingdom, so he hadnt heard of the affairs between Zhang Xuan and Lu Chong. Naturally, he couldnt understand the rtionship between the duo. "Su shi, just wait and see!" Pavilion Master Jiang chuckled softly. He wasnt too sure how much trust Lu Chong would have in Zhang Xuan, but he had seen the sight previously for himself. To return justice to his student, Zhang Xuan was willing to stand against the powerful Lin n. It would be inconceivable if Lu Chongs Trust Level wasnt high. "Un!" Su shi and Ling shi nced at one another. They knew that Pavilion Master Jiang must have his intentions for saying so, and their expectations couldnt help but rise. The crowd was also curious about the results. The entire examination hall fell silent, and everyones eyes were fixated on the door of the House of Trust. Weng! A momentter, the House of Trust began to shudder, and under a slight buzzing sound, several digits floated into appearance. Upon seeing the numbers, everyones eyes widened in shock, as though they had seen a ghost. Shock couldnt even begin to describe their emotion. Even the lips of Su shi and Ling shi were quivering, and their eyeballs nearly popped out of their skulls. "99? A Trust Level of... 99? This is..." "Impable Trust, Life-and-death Companions?" Chapter 395: Kong shi, Accept Me! Chapter 395: Kong shi, ept Me! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Trust Levels cap was 100, and anything above 90 was considered to be at the pinnacle. Usually, this was a rtionship that only existed between 6-star master teachers and their students. A Trust Level above 95 was even rarer. At the very least, at their level, Su shi and Ling shi had never heard of it. This kind of Trust Level was known as Impable Trust, Life-and-death Companions! In other words, with this kind of Trust Level, under the instructions of his teacher, the student wouldnt hesitate to charge to his death. Su shi and Ling shi could only feel the world rotating around them. A moment ago, they thought that Zhang Xuan was inferior to those top-notch geniuses, and only now did they realize that the other party had only chosen not to bring out his best student... A Trust Level of 99... Putting everything aside, even their students whom they have taught for more than thirty years didnt reach this level... Yet, in just six days, this fellow... How could there be such an incredible monster? "Trust Level of 99?" "So high?" The room immediately burst intomotion. There were many n heads and elders in the examination hall... Even though they werent master teachers, they still knew what Trust Level meant. To reach the level of 99... This was beyond their imagination; such a feat sent them into a frenzy. "How could he be an ordinary teacher with this kind of Trust Level? Even master teachers wouldnt be able to achieve such results!" someone shouted. Only with the trust of ones student would one be able to teach properly. Thus, trust had always been an important factor between the rtionship of a master teacher and a student. To be capable of such a feat, could it be that this Liuoshi was a master teacher? They had never considered this possibility, but at this moment, they couldnt help but doubt this matter. "Alright, since the examination has ended, allow me to announce the news that I spoke of earlier!" Seeing the doubtful expression on the crowd, Pavilion Master Jiang chuckled. Turning to Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi, he said, "You can take off your masks now!" "Un!" Knowing that they had passed their examination and it was time for them to revert back to their original identity, their hands reached for their faces, and tore off their masks. "Its... Zhang shi!" "Liuoshi is Zhang shi?" "No wonder! All along, Ive thought it was weird that two geniuses could appear in the capital all of the sudden. To think that... they were the same person!" "In my entire life, Ive only admired two people, and now, it has dropped down to one!" ... A ruckus broke out in the examination hall. The two geniuses that appeared in the capital recently had been a topic of contention, and many fans and haters had been arguing as to who was superior... Yet, to think that they were the same person! The heck! Surely there was a mistake somewhere? If so, didnt it mean that this Zhang shi was also a monster in the Way of Medicine and swordsmanship as well? "Liuoshi... is Zhang shi?" Upon seeing the other party take off his mask and hearing the discussions of the crowd, Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and the others were dumbstruck. A while ago, out of admiration for Zhang Xuan, they had desired to have him take their ss. However, they knew that it was impossible... To think that their dreams then actually came true! Happiness came so quickly! Liuoshi was actually Zhang shi... If only theyd known earlier, they wouldnt have botheredpeting with Zhao Ya and the others! They fought so heatedly with one another, only to realize that... they were rooting for the same person. "Indeed..." Standing at the back of the crowd, Zhao Ya and the others, who had just arrived at this moment, smiled bitterly. Even though they had their guesses about this matter, seeing this sight personally still astounded them. This was especially so for Zheng Yang and Yuan Tao. The two of them were already on the verge of tears, and if they could, theyd knock their heads against the ground and die. As students, they actually poisoned their own teacher... What in the world was this! They had truly brought Zhangoshi shame this time. "Guild Master Liu... is Zhang shi?" Mo Tianxue was also taken aback. He nced at his daughter and shook his head helplessly. Before, hed thought that Zhang shi was beyond their reach, so he had his daughter interact more with Guild Master Liu, earning his favor if possible. But from the looks of this, this was just wishful thinking on his part... A genius of that caliber was bound for the vast world outside. Tianwu Kingdom wasnt big enough to confine him, and it was a matter of time before he spread his wings to reach even higher heights. After unmasking, all kinds of thoughts shed through the minds of the crowd. However, what that dominated the minds of most was astonishment. No one could have imagined that Guild Master Liu who caused a huge uproar in the capital and the great genius Zhang Xuan would be the same person. After all, the both of them possessed different levels of cultivation and appearances. Also, their background was wless, and all the evidence proved that they were two different people... "Heres your emblems!" Knowing that there would be such a sight, Pavilion Master Jiang paid it no heed. He took out two emblems and passed them over to the duo. Since they had passed the examination, from today onward, they were 2-star master teachers. "Everyone, since Zhang shi and Mo shi have passed the 2-star master teacher examination, theyll have to head to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to seek the ancestors acknowledgement. Thus, well leave first!" cing the emblem into the palms of the duo, Pavilion Master Jiang smiled and sped his fist toward the crowd. "Alright, well be leaving now!" "Since this is the tradition of the Master Teacher Pavilion, we shant impose on you all then..." "In any case, being able to personally witness a Trust Level of 99 between a student and teacher and the unveiling of Liuoshis true identity as Zhang shi... This trip isnt wasted!" ... Knowing the meaning behind the other partys words, the crowd bade their farewells. The reason why they came here was to uncover the reason behind the ringing of the Assembly Bell. Being able to witness the final proceedings of the 2-star master teacher examination made this trip one worth taking. Todays matter would surely spread across the thirteen surrounding kingdoms in the fastest time possible; Zhang Xuan would soon be the idol of countless people. Soon, only the master teachers were left in the examination hall. "Zhang shi and Mo shi, since you two have passed the 2-star master teacher examination, then going by our traditions, well have to bring you all to the ancestors to seek their recognition, as well as to exin the responsibilities and duties of a master teacher to the two of you... Lets head to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall together!" After the crowd left, Pavilion Master Jiang started speaking. "Un!" Aware of this rule, Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, following behind Pavilion Master Jiang, he headed out of the examination hall. The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall wasnt too far away from the examination hall. In just a few footsteps, the group reached their destination. Countless ancestral tablets filled the room, and a massive statue stood at the very center of the room. Holding onto a scroll in his hands, he had an imposing appearance. "This..." Catching sight of the tablet, Zhang Xuans head jolted. Confusion blinked into his eyes, "Its that... old geezer?" He just met that man this morning, right after he was conferred as a Celestial Master Teacher! Not only did the other party pull him into an illusion, he even demanded him to be his student. Back then, Zhang Xuan rejected him tly. To think that there would be a statue of him in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. "Whos this old geezer? Is he the previous pavilion master? Why would the statue of this shameless fellow be ced here?" Recalling how the other party tried to do him in secretly, Zhang Xuan felt a little frustrated. Turning to Pavilion Master Jiang, he pointed to the statue and questioned righteously. What in the world was this! The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was such an important location, yet the statue of that despicable old geezer was actually ced here. Wasnt this way too inappropriate? "Old geezer?" Pavilion Master Jiang, Su shi, Ling shi, and the few other master teachers tagging along turned pale, and they nearly fainted on the spot. This was Kong shi, the greatest teacher in history! No matter who it was, even if one was a 9-star master teacher, one would have to bow to him with utmost respect. Yet, to address him as old geezer... The heck heck heck heck! You must be mad! "Audacious!" Fling his sleeves, Su shi roared furiously. "Im speaking the truth. This fellow assaulted me..." Upon recalling that sight, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel frustrated. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he suddenly froze. Turning to Su shi with a doubtful gaze, he asked, "Who are you? Where did youe from? Is this your ce to speak?" There were a total of thirteen 1-star master teachers and three 2-star master teachers in Tianwu Kingdom. Adding Mo Hongyi and him, there was a total of five 2-star master teachers now. Zhang Xuan had met all of them before, and other than them, there was no one who could match up to his current standing in Tianwu Kingdom. The hierarchy among master teachers was strict, and lower ranked master teachers werent allowed to talk back to higher ranked ones. Didnt this old fellow know that he was a 2-star master teacher? Wasnt he afraid of being charged with insubordination... "..." Pavilion Master Jiang, Vice Pavilion Master Guan, Elder Zhu, and the others tugged at their head in frenzy. Criticizing Kong shi as a shameless, old geezer was already sufficient to send everyone into a frenzy. And yet, now youre criticizing a 4-star master teacher in public? All of the master teachers who followed along felt as though they were going mad. They didnt even dare to breathe loudly before the two 4-star master teachers for fear of incurring their displeasure. Yet, this fellow criticized one of them to his face. Do you need to be so courageous? "Dont worry. Su shi and I came from afar, and Pavilion Master Jiang hasnt introduced us yet. So, its natural for Zhang shi to not recognize us!" Sensing the awkwardness in the atmosphere, Ling shi spoke up. Master teachers needed to have a disposition and attitude befitting of their positions. They had concealed their identity intentionally, so it wasnt surprising for the other party to not know the truth. "Seeing how respectful your tone is, Ill forgive you this time around!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Given the earnest attitude of the other party, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to pursue this matter either. "Cough cough!" Upon seeing that his words had earned him the forgiveness of the other party, Ling shi immediately choked on his saliva. Given that the other party didnt know their identity, he couldnt be med for hisck of respect. Thus, instead of dawdling on the issue, Su shi began to introduce the statue, "I was rash just now. Once I introduce the person the statue is modelled after, you will understand the reason behind my words. In the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, even 9-star master teachers were only given the rights to have their names marked on the ancestral tablets. Yet, the massive statue is ced right in the center of the hall. Cant you guess his identity?" "His identity..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. As soon as he saw the old geezers appearance, he immediately recalled how the other party assaulted him when he was off guard, and clouded by rage, he immediately spoke without thinking... Thinking of it now, there was indeed something amiss. Marked on the ancestral tablets were 8-star, 9-star master teachers whose name and feats shook the entire continent... Even so, their names were only inscribed on the tablets. Yet, this person had a gigantic statue ced at the very center of the room. This, in itself, already said a lot about the identity of the person. "Could... Could he be..." A possibility shed across his mind, and Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. "Indeed, hes Kong shi!" Su shi stroked his beard. "As the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, all newly appointed master teachers are to pay respect to him." "Kong shi?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had been looking into Kong shis affairs to uncover the cure for the Innate Fetal Poison all along. However, perhaps due to the remote location or that too long a time had passed, there wasnt too much information on the other party left in this world. Eventually, even with the help of the Library of Heavens Path, the only solution Zhang Xuan got was that he had to be a 9-star master teacher to resolve this poison. Thus, he intended to head to higher tiered Master Teacher Pavilions to continue looking into the matter, but who could have thought that... Kong shi tried to take him in as his student, yet he... straightforwardly... rejected him? "Old geezer... Ah, no, Kong shi. I agree to it! Take me in as your student, take me in as your student..." With a pale face, Zhang Xuan howled before diving straight toward the statue with glowing eyes. "..." Su shi and Ling shi. "..." Pavilion Master Jiang and the other master teachers. Chapter 396: Acknowledgement of the Ancestors Chapter 396: Acknowledgement of the Ancestors Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This was Kong shi! The incredible figure who founded the Master Teacher Pavilion! If Zhang Xuan was epted as his student, not only could he learn the solution to solving the Innate Fetal Poison, he would even gain a huge backer. If he were to be the student of such a formidable figure, he would probably get at least a few thousand spirit stones as an eptance gift, otherwise, it would be unbefitting of his title as the worlds teacher! If only I knew that you are Kong shi, I wouldnt have rejected you go haughtily. I would have surely agreed to it immediately... Zhang Xuan felt so regretful that his intestines were turning green. To reject even Kong shis admittance, was there a person who was more foolish than him in this world? If he knew that such a matter would ur, he would have at least flipped through some books to take a look at Kong shis appearance. If he knew who this old geezer was, he wouldnt have made such a foolish decision... "Zhang shi, Kong shi has already been dead for many years. This is only his statue, and it doesnt possess consciousness..." Seeing the fellow before him going into a frenzy, Su shi hurriedly stepped forward to persuade him. Kong shi had departed from the world many years ago, and what was left in his statue was just his lingering will. Putting aside your crying, it will be useless even if you were to smash this statue! Take you in? Do you think that its that easy to be Kong shis student? "Could it be that it isnt him?" Different from Su shis reaction, Pavilion Master Jiang, Elder Zhu, and the others nced at one another doubtfully. This morning, they had witnessed the bestowment of the title of Celestial Master Teacher and the act of Kong shi epting a disciple for themselves. And they remembered clearly how that person rejected him on the spot... All along, they had been thinking that it was Zhang shi, but from the looks of it, that didnt seem to be the case. After all, just by looking at the desire and anticipation on his face, how could he have possibly given up such a good opportunity? But of course, if Zhang Xuan were to know their thoughts, he would probably burst into tears. Do you think that I wanted that to happen? Its because I didnt recognize him! "Doesnt possess consciousness? I see..." Lifting his head to take another look at the statue, he confirmed that there wasnt any spirit within it, unlike the situation before. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head helplessly. Even so, he secretly sneaked his hand over and touched the statue. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path: "A statue produced in Luohai City from a 9-mo craftsman. It was created by roasting deep ocean soil for forty-nine days, giving it a durability that could evenst past a millennium. ws: ..." Pu! Zhang Xuans body swayed. There was no doubt about it. What was before him was just a simple statue. To think that he passed up the opportunity to be Kong shis disciple... Such a huge waste! "Lets begin!" Seeing that the genius Zhang shi had finally reverted back to his normal state, Su shi gestured. "Un!" Pavilion Master Jiang stepped forward and said, "You two have passed the examination and obtained your master teacher emblems, but to be acknowledged by the other master teachers, you all must gain the acknowledgement of the ancestors first!" "If you seed, the ancestors will bestow you a unique aura. Even without your emblem, through exuding this aura, other master teachers will still be able to recognize you." Even though Su shi and Ling shi didnt take out their emblems just now, and all they had said was their names, Pavilion Master Jiang didnt doubt their words at all. This was because of a unique aura that they exuded which confirmed their identities. "Seed? Does that mean that there are people who arent acknowledged?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Of course! The acknowledgement depends on the will of the ancestors. Every single tablet possesses a lingering spirit. Even though they dont possess consciousness, they are capable of determining whether a person is truly qualified to be a master teacher or not!" Smiling, Pavilion Master Jiang pointed to the front, "You both only need to kneel here. When an ancestor acknowledges you, his tablet will fall. With every acknowledgement, you will earn a surge of aura. The more ancestors who acknowledge you, the greater the surge of aura will be. This is also an indication of their approval of your talent, and their belief in your capability to reach greater heights." "I see!" Zhang Xuan came to an understanding. Since he took the 2-star master teacher straight away, he had never been here, so he wasnt too sure of the proceedings. On the other hand, Mo Hongyi, already being experienced in this matter, wasnt too surprised by the process. "If one fails to earn the acknowledgement of any ancestor, will one lose their master teacher qualification?" Since there were those who werent acknowledged by any as well, what would happen to them? They couldnt possibly strip a person of his license after all the hard work he put in into passing the examination just because some tablets refused to acknowledge them. "Of course not!" Pavilion Master Jiang shook his head. "Actually, itsmon for one not to be recognized. The owners of these tablets were all powerful figures in their lifetime, and they only acknowledged those who manage to catch their eye. Under normal circumstances, the chances of a 1-star master teacher being recognized are less than one percent. Even for 2-star master teacher, the chances are only at ten percent!" "Ten percent?" The crowd was dumbstruck. This percentage was really way too low. "At 3-star, the possibility will be raised to twenty percent. At 4-star, forty percent, and at 5-star, seventy percent. Only 6-star master teachers have a hundred percent possibility of being acknowledged. However, the number of tablets that fall for them would be apletely different matter." Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. Even though they didnt have any master teachers beyond 2-star in their guild, this was all basic knowledge. As the pavilion master, he was well-aware of such details. "This..." Zhang Xuan finally understood the difficulty of the matter. A 6-star master teacher was a powerful expert whose stomp could cause an entire region to tremble regardless of where he went. Even the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance could be easily destroyed before the might of such a figure. Yet, one had to reach such a level before there was a hundred percent chance they could be acknowledged. From this, the difficulty of the matter was clear to see. "Receiving the acknowledgement from the ancestors is an honor. Those whove received the acknowledgement of more ancestors tended to be more talented, and most of them went on to achieve great things in the future. The most famous genius in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Jun Ruohuan, managed to pass the 4-star master teacher examination before reaching his thirties, and his feat became a legend among the master teachers in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Back then, when he passed his 2-star master teacher examination, he earned the acknowledgement from seven of the tablets!" Su shi turned to look at Zhang Xuan and smiled. If the greatest genius in Tianwu Kingdom was Zhang Xuan, then Jun Ruohuan was, indubitably, the number one genius of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. "Bing a 4-star master teacher under thirty?" Zhang Xuan was astounded. All of the master teachers he knew were mostly in their seventies and eighties. Under such a trend, to be able to pass the 4-star master teacher examination below thirty was indeed a formidable feat, and it bore testimony to the other partys talents. Inparison to him, even the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom Mo Hongyi lost his radiance. The further one progressed as a master teacher, the more difficult the examinations became, the greater the demand on ones Soul Depth. Many talented experts ended up being stuck at 3-star for their entire life, unable to take the final leap to be a 4-star master teacher. Based on the ssification of the guild headquarters, one was considered a primary master teacher from 1-star to 3-star, an intermediate master teacher from 4-star to 6-star, and an advanced master teacher from 7-star to 9-star. There was a huge gap in standing between 3-star to 4-star. It was as though the distance between Tongxuan realm and Zongshi realm, and ordinary people couldnt hope to make the leap. "Theres no need for you two to feel pressured about this. Its best to be acknowledged, but if not, there is no need for you two to worry. For the past three hundred years, there hasnt been a person who seeded before. All I hope is for a single exception to happen while I am still the pavilion master so that I can brag about it when I visit the other pavilions!" Pavilion Master Jiang smiled bitterly. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He was initially a little tense over the matter, but after learning that it wasnt necessary, he heaved a sigh of relief. But that was to be expected. Different master teachers had different expectations. It was possible for a talented master teacher to not meet the eyes of any of the ancestors. Besides, the owners of those tablet had already turned into dust, and all that was left of them was just a lingering will. It shouldnt be a big deal even if one failed to win their acknowledgement. "Mo shi, you should go first!" After exining the entire matter, Pavilion Master Jiang beckoned Mo Hongyi forward. "Yes!" Mo Hongyi nodded. There was a grim look on his face. Back then, when he was still a 1-star master teacher, he failed to earn the acknowledgement of any of the ancestors. As the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom, especially after hearing the deeds of Jun Ruohuan, his motivation suddenly surged. If he were to seed, he would leave a mark in history. At the very least, he wouldnt pale too much inparison to Zhang Xuan. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and kneeled onto the prayer mat at the very center of the room. "Descendant Mo Hongyi pays respect to the ancestors, and I earnestly plead for your acknowledgement!" His voice was crisp. After finishing his words, his entire body bent forward, nearly touching the floor. "How is it?" Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his attention to the tablets. The other master teachers, including Su shi and Ling shi, also looked over in interest as well. Mo Hongyi was the most talented genius in Tianwu Kingdom for the past millennium. Despite his young age, he had already passed the 2-star master teacher examination. Putting aside the monster, Zhang Xuan, he was famous even in Xuanyuan Kingdom. If such a person couldnt earn the acknowledgement of the ancestors, then the test of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was indeed too difficult. No one dared to speak, and the entire room fell so silent that even a pin drop could be heard. Kacha! After a long period of time, just as everyone thought that there was no hope, a tablet fell over. Boom! Then, a surge of green aura flew from the depths of the hall and shrouded Mo Hongyi. "This is... the same unique aura from the bestowment of Celestial Master Teacher?" Upon seeing the aura, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Back when Zhang Xuan was bestowed the title of Celestial Master Teacher, he had been shrouded by a unique aura which swiftly increased his Soul Depth. To think that the acknowledgement from the ancestral tablets in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall would have the same effects. It was no wonder why a Celestial Master Teacher would be acknowledged by other master teachers even without an emblem. So, the aura that the others were talking about referred to this! "How sparse..." After confirming the identity of the green aura, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. When he became a Celestial Master Teacher, the green aura was as thick as billowing smoke, but the surge shrouding Mo Hongyi was only around the thickness of a finger. This was just like the difference between a raging river and a small stream. Hu! In a few breaths, Mo Hongyi managed to absorb it cleanly. Delight showed clearly on Mo Hongyis face as he stood up. He couldnt suppress the exhration in his heart. Even though only one ancestral tablet had fallen for him, he had at least won the acknowledgement of a single ancestor. With this, he had broken the record of the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion for the past few centuries! "Incredible!" "As expected of the ex-number one genius of our kingdom!" "Finally, one of our master teachers is acknowledged. Good! That old fellow Zhao Xue wont be able to brag about this matter before me anymore..." Upon seeing this sight, Pavilion Master Jiang, Elder Zhu, and the others couldnt help but exim excitedly. None of the master teachers in Tianwu Kingdom had ever earned the acknowledgement of the ancestors before. Seeing this sight before them, they couldnt hold back their agitation anymore. "Not bad! To earn the acknowledgement of an ancestor as a 2-star master teacher, you have a bright future in front of you! Even I only managed to earn their acknowledgement upon reaching 3-star!" Su shi nodded in approval. "Being approved at 3-star is already an incredible feat. I only managed to have a single tablet fall for me after bing a 4-star master teacher... Seems like the talent of Mo shi is indeed incredible!" Ling shi chuckled. Even Su shi and Ling shi failed to be recognized when they were still 2-star master teachers. From this, the difficulty of this trial was clear to see. "Alright, now that Mo shi has obtained the approval of an ancestor, Zhang shi, its your turn!" Recovering from his shock, Pavilion Master Jiang turned to Zhang Xuan. The crowd immediately turned their attention to Zhang Xuan as well. Chapter 397: Kong shis Statue Breaks! Chapter 397: Kong shis Statue Breaks! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. As a Celestial Master Teacher, the acknowledgement of these ancestors didnt mean much to him. However, since he was here, he was also curious to see how many of their acknowledgements he could receive. Thus, walking forward to the praying mat, he took a deep breath and knelt down. "Descendant Zhang Xuan pays respect to the ancestors, and I earnestly plead for your acknowledgement!" Then, Zhang Xuan bowed deeply, just as Mo Hongyi did earlier. Everyone immediately turned their gazes to the ancestral tablets. Even the 4-star master teachers, Su shi and Ling shi, felt a little nervous as well, and they clenched their fists tightly. This fellow had created too many miracles. Perhaps, he might be able to break Jun Ruohuans record. Everyone waited expectantly with bated breaths. The hall fellpletely silent. However, the ancestral tablets remained fixated on their spot, and there was no sign of them falling over at all. "It cant be that... he failed to earn the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors?" After a while, the master teachers in the hall nced at one another in bewilderment. This Zhang Xuan had broken so many records, and the Trust Level of a student he taught even reached a shocking 99. He should be able to earn the respect of quite a handful of experts. Why wasnt there any movement at all? This was way too peculiar. "Usually, the tablets will fall within a teas time. The time has already passed, but there isnt any movement. Seems like... its a failure!" After another moment of silence, Pavilion Master Jiang roughly calcted the timing, and a look of disappointment appeared on his face. Based on the results of the two, since Mo Hongyi was able to earn the acknowledgement of one of the ancestors, Zhang shi should be able to earn the acknowledgement of quite a few. Yet, the current situation broke all preconceptions they had. He couldnt help but feel slightly under. "Talent and strength arent the determining factors for the ancestors acknowledgement. Rather... its whether you are suited to be his student or not." After a momentter, Su shi spoke up, "It could be that Zhang shis talents are too high, and they feel pressured!" The exnation felt shaky to even Su shi, but this was the only reason he could find. Otherwise, it made totally no sense for the less talented Mo Hongyi to seed and the more talented Zhang Xuan to fail. "Indeed. That must be the case. Otherwise, how could not earn even a single acknowledgement from the ancestors?" Smiling bitterly, Pavilion Master Jiang was just about to continue speaking when Vice Pavilion Master Guan pointed over and said, "Wait, something is amiss. Look there... Everyone hurriedly raised their heads, but the ancestral tablets were stillpletely still. "Vice Pavilion Master Guan..." Jiang Shu looked at him doubtfully. "Im not referring to the tablets, but..." Vice Pavilion Master Guans face turned pale, and his lips quivered in fear. "But... Kong shis statue!" Everyone froze for a moment before swiftly turning their gazes to the massive statue. The statue which was fixated to the ground suddenly... swayed! "The statue is swaying?" Not only was the crowd surprised, even Su shi and Ling shi were perplexed over this phenomenon. They had seen the tablets fall over before, but theyd never heard of Kong shi swaying! "Its not swaying..." Just as everyone was stunned by this bizarre urrence, Pavilion Master Jiang suddenly realized something and eximed, "Zhang shi, watch out..." Before he could finish his words, jiya!, the gigantic Kong shi statue fell to the floor. The location where Zhang Xuan was bowing toward was right in front of the statue, and the statue fell straight towards his head. "The hell!" Zhang Xuan, who was kneeling and awaiting the acknowledgement of the ancestors, couldnt possibly have expected that such a huge statue would fall on him. Hisplexion immediately turned awful. Knowing that it was toote for him to avoid, he hurriedly stood up and faced it head on. Peng! His fist and the statue collided together. On top of being a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, Zhang Xuan possessed a physical strength of 9999 ding. No matter how resilient the Kong shi statue was, it was made of mud, so how could it withstand the might of his fist? Boom! It exploded from the center. Hula! The moment Kong shis statue was broke apart, the sound of beans popping sounded, and the ancestral tablets in the room hurriedly fell down. Then, jiya! jiya!, the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall began to shake as well. "Escape..." Pavilion Master Jiangs face paled, and he hurriedly shouted. Then, he darted out of the hall with the group of master teachers. Not daring to hesitate at all, Zhang Xuan also dashed out. The moment he left the room, boom!, the grand hall copsed inward. Dust flew in the air, and smoke billowed. "This... What the heck just happened?" Pavilion Master Jiang and the other master teachers werepletely dumbfounded. They hurriedly turned to the stunned youngster standing not too far away, and an urge to strangle him to death welled up within them. When other people paid respect to the ancestors, they either got acknowledged or ignored. Yet, when it was his turn, not only did he destroy Kong shis statue, he even tore down the entire Teacher Acknowledge Hall... What was wrong with you! Kong shi is the worlds teacher, an existence whom everyone respects. Even if his statue was going to fall on you, shouldnt you at least support him? To face him with a fist, what was going through your head? To make a move on Kong shi... That is enough of you! All of the master teachers felt a spell of dizziness. The young man before them stared at the ruins, and scratching his head, he asked, "This... Have I been acknowledged?" Acknowledged? Acknowledged your head! Everyone was on the verge of tears. You destroyed Kong shis statue and tore down the ancestral hall; how in the world can you still hope for others to acknowledge you? In truth, Zhang Xuan was breaking down within as well. He was fine with not being acknowledged, but what in the world was with that falling statue? Since it was durable to the extent of being able tost for beyond a millennium, its toughness was already far beyond that of ordinary rocks. If he didnt strike back and allow it to fall on his head, even if his physical body was strong enough to endure it, he would probably suffer a concussion. "This old geezer must be trying to get back at me..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. Back then, he refused to acknowledge Kong shi as his teacher, so the other party must be trying to get back at him for that. Otherwise, why would such a huge statue suddenly fall on him? And for the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to fall along with it? How was he supposed to resolve the situation now... "No one is to talk about what happened today!" After a moment of silence, Su shi scanned the surroundings and instructed. The destruction of Kong shis statue and the copsing of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall were no different from having the tomb of ones ancestor being ransacked... If news were to spread out, others would definitelyugh their heads off. The prestige of their Master Teacher Pavilion would be whittled down. Thus, the only thing they could do now was to seal the news. It was fortunate that there were only a handful of people present, and given their standing, they would surely be reluctant to speak of such a shameful affair. "Yes!" The crowd nodded. "Alright, its nothing much to not be acknowledged. Since you two have be master teachers, allow me to introduce you two to your responsibilities and duties as master teachers!" Knowing that it was a waste of time to discuss this matter, Pavilion Master Jiang immediately changed the topic. "As a teacher, ones role is to impart knowledge and rify doubts! As a master teacher, this is even more so expected of you. Back then, when Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion, he only had a single vision in mind. That is... for everyone to be an expert!" "For everyone to be an expert?" Mo Hongyi and Zhang Xuan frowned. "Indeed. Even though our world may seem peaceful on the surface, thats actually not the case." A grim expression appeared on Pavilion Master Jiang, "Back in Kong shis era, humans werent the only dominant race in the continent. There was another powerful race... the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" "Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" "Un. Its an extremely powerful race, and every single one of them possesses the strength of a Zhizun realm expert from birth! Back then, humans who were captured by them ended up as their ves for life!" Pavilion Master Jiang slowly exined, "Eventually, under Kong shis leadership, the human race managed to emerge triumphant. He then established the Master Teacher Pavilion and promoted the heritage of equality of education hoping that all humans could gain sufficient strength to fend for themselves." "This..." Zhang Xuan was shocked. Even though he had a huge collection of books in the Library of Heavens Path, such ancient secrets werent written in any one of the books, so he had never heard of it before. He could have never imagined that there would be such a powerful race in the world, possessing the strength of a Zhizun realm from birth. "Do you two know why poison masters are despised and unrecognized by the other upations?" Pavilion Master Jiang asked. Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi nced at one another doubtfully before shaking their heads. "Even though the ability of poison masters to kill others discreetly induces fear in others, their expertise contributes a lot to the human race as well. Even so, the other upations still despised them... The reason for it isnt just fear and worry, but back then, they once allied with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and helped them to bring harm to their human counterparts!" Pavilion Master Jiang exined. The duo immediately came to a realization. Actually, Zhang Xuan had also been perplexed over this matter. Poison masters were indeed fearsome foes, but they werent a deranged bunch who poisoned everyone they met. Not to mention, poison was, by no means, omnipotent too. He didnt think that there was a need to be so guarded against them, going to the extent of chasing them out of the cities and exiling them to remote corners such as the Red Lotus Range. However, after hearing this news, he realized that it was due to the unforgivable deeds that poison masters had once done. As time passed, the grudges were forgotten, but habits die hard, thus resulting in the current circumstances. Even today, poison masters remained a feared existence. No one was willing to provoke them, but their name remained sullied. "Alright, you two are just 2-star master teachers, and this matter has already passed. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe no longer exists, so theres no need for you to ponder so much over it!" Pavilion Master Jiang smiled. "Even though the danger from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has passed, the heritage of the master teachers continues on to this day. As long as you are a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion, you are expected to fulfill the role of a teacher, follow the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and enlighten the masses! "It is not because of our title as master teachers, but because of our role in enlightening the masses that we are given unparalleled standing and esteem!" Then, Pavilion Master Jiangs face grew stern, "If I were to learn that any of you two were tomit atrocities and infringe the rules, even if I didnt do anything, other master teachers would definitely find you and purge you!" "Yes!" Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi nodded. "Remember, being a master teacher isnt an honor or a standing, its a responsibility and a duty. A true master teacher should always have his students welfare in his mind. Only by fulfilling our role will we be acknowledged and respected by others!" After delegating his instructions, Pavilion Master Jiang shook his hands casually and said, "Alright, Ive already said all that I need to. Lets go to the main hall, Ill introduce you two to Su shi and Ling shi!" "Un!" The duo answered, and the three of them headed to the main hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion. No one noticed a slight unique aura slowly seeping out from each of the innumerable ancestral tablets and Kong shis statue. Gathering together, they formed a huge torrent. However, as there wasnt anyone to ept it, it slowly dissipated with time, as though it had never appeared before. Chapter 398: Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell Chapter 398: Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the conference hall of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion. "I believe that everyone should know of the matter. I hope that you all can try your best so that our name wont be sullied!" The austere elder seated on the center seat gestured grandly. The head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion, 4-star pinnacle master teacher, Pavilion Master Kang Gan. "Pavilion master, rest assured. We will do our best to find the most suitable candidate so as to not sully the name of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" "Ive been informed that Elder Su and Elder Ling heard of a genius in Xuanyuan Kingdom; they rushed there a few days ago!" "Elder Bai and Elder Lu heard that theres a genius who passed the master teacher examination at Chiyuan Kingdom, and they rushed there eight days ago as well!" ... The elders in the hall hurriedly answered. These elders were dressed in the robe specially crafted for master teachers, and an emblem sat on their chest, reflecting their ranks. There were several 4-star master teachers in the hall, and even the weakest of those present was a 2-star. The radiance that shone off their emblems was dazzling. "Good. Make preparations in advance to wee and groom them. In the past, our Myriad Kingdom Alliances ranking has always been at the very bottom. This time, we must show them that our geniuses dont lose out to them in any way!" The pavilion master harrumphed. "Un..." The crowd nodded. Just as they were about to continue discussing, a bell suddenly sounded. It carried deep sorrow in its chiming, as though something tragic had happened. Dong dong dong dong! Then, innumerable bells started sounding as well. "Whats going on?" Pavilion Master Kang abruptly stood up. "That direction... the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall!" Ascertaining the direction where the sound came from, a master teachers face suddenly distorted in shock, and he eximed loudly. "Lets go take a look!" Pavilion Master Kang and the others immediately rushed out and headed straight for the Master Teacher pavilion. Upon pushing open the door, what weed them was the sight of countless ancestral tablets shaking non-stop, and sorrowful calls sounded from them, as though they had met with something tragic. At the same time, surge after surge of bizarre aura circled around those tablets, and the deep rumbling of thunder roared from their movements. "This is... Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell" Pavilion Master Kangs face changed, and he nearly fell to the floor. "Rejection of the Ancestors? What does this mean?" Seeing Pavilion Master Kangs loss ofposure, one of the master teachers couldnt help but ask. "After passing the master teacher examination, one would head to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to pay respects to the ancestor and seek their acknowledgement. Many people take pride in being acknowledged by the ancestors." Pavilion Master Kang started exining. The crowd nodded. This wasmon knowledge among master teachers. The greater the number of ancestors who acknowledged one when one was a lower tiered master teacher, the more likely it was for one to climb to greater heights in the future. This should be something for master teachers to take pride in. "As master teachers, you all should know that while teachers can choose their students, students are allowed to choose their teachers as well!" At this point, slight disbelief shed in the eyes of Pavilion Master Kang, and he clenched his fists tightly, "The ancestors can acknowledge their descendants, but at the same time... their acknowledgement can be rejected as well!" "Rejected? The acknowledgement of the ancestors isnt just an honor, it also grants a unique aura that raises ones Soul Depth. Theres actually a person who would reject it?" Taken aback by Pavilion Master Kangs words, the crowd widened their eyes in shock. Putting aside the fact that the acknowledgement of the ancestors represented unparalleled honor, more importantly, it could nourish a persons Soul Depth. Yet, for someone to reject it? Why? "There were such cases in the past as well! Taking in the aura granted by an ancestor means having the will of the ancestors will imprinted within one. In other words, that ancestor will be considered as a half-teacher for one. As everyone should know, the moment one epts the favor of another, one will establish a karmic debt with the other party. One has to eventually pay back the favor. Some of the top-notch geniuses refuse to ept this kind of favor, so they reject it outright!" Pavilion Master Kang exined. "This..." The crowd was stunned. Even though it would establish a karmic debt, the benefits were too great to refuse. Everyone here dreamt of earning the acknowledgement of the ancestors, yet for someone to reject it... "Even though theres a sliver of the corresponding ancestors will sealed within each of the tablets, it contains their spirit. Being rejected by their descendant, naturally, theyll cry in sorrow! Its under such a situation thatll induce the Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell! Even so, Ive only read about all of this in books. To think that it was all... true!" Pavilion Master Kangs face paled, "More importantly... for so many ancestral tablets to cry sorrowfully at the same moment... It means that all of these ancestors have acknowledged a person at the same time, but all of them were... rejected!" "Acknowledgement... by all of these ancestors?" "H-how is this possible?" The crowd waspletely astonished. Some of them even nearly fainted on the spot. In the past hundred years, even the most talented genius of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for the past several hundred years, Jun Ruohuan, only obtained the acknowledgement of seven of the ancestors. Who in the world was this? To obtain the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors at once, and more importantly... to reject all of them as well? Surely I am hearing things? The lips of all of the master teachers quivered, and they fell into a frenzy. "Look into it, it must have happened within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, or else such a phenomenon wouldnt happen here! If we can invite the genius acknowledged by all of the ancestors, well surely be able to win..." Pavilion Master Kangs eyes shone in excitement. He was just about to continue issuing instructions when the ground suddenly shook. Hula! Then, he saw Kong shis statue trembling violently as well, calling out sorrowfully. "Kong shi crying out sorrowfully? Could it be that... Kong shi has been rejected as well?" Dumbfounded. Pavilion Master Kangs mouth was wide open, but not a word came out from his mouth. ... "This... Do we really need not bother about this?" Seeing Pavilion Master Jiang walk away, Zhang Xuan nced at the ancestral tablets and Kong shis statue which was lying under the ruins of the hall doubtfully. Those were the statue of the worlds teacher and the tablets of countless great ancestors. "Master teachers have already peered through the essence of the world, and what we value is the intent, not the form. The respect for Kong shi and the other ancestorsy deep in our hearts, not in these ancestral tablets. Otherwise, given how the falling over of the tablets should have been an extremely disrespectful action, how could we, as descendants, wait expectantly for it to happen? Dont worry, the Master Teacher Pavilion have specialized craftsmen in charge of fixing such damages. It wont take long for the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to be brought back to its former glory!" Pavilion Master Jiang exined. "What we value is the intent, not the form?" Zhang Xuan nodded. Zhang Xuan liked the sound of it. The master teachers he knew, be it Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, or Jiang Shu, never used their position as master teachers to oppress others. Instead, they interacted with others like anyone else, and upon realizing that they had erred, they werent hesitant to admit their mistakes as well. Instead of their pride, they used their heart and conscience to deal with matters. Knowing that the other party understands that he didnt intentionally break Kong shis statue, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Advancing forward, he soon arrived at the conference hall. "Allow me to formally introduce you two to them, these two are 4-star master teachers from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Su shi and Ling shi!" After the group settled down, Pavilion Master Jiang introduced. "4-star master teacher?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi leaped in shock. They thought that those two were 1-star master teachers who came from other kingdoms. How could have even imagined that they were 4-star master teachers... Especially for Zhang Xuan, his face turned green in regret. He had even criticized them earlier. "The two of you are talented, and its just a matter of time before you two be 4-star master teachers, so theres no need to feel so restrained before us!" Su shi chuckled. Then, turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Zhang shi, I have a presumptuous request to ask of you." "Su shi, feel free to speak!" Knowing that the other party was a 4-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan immediately sped his fist respectfully. Not only were 4-star master teachers knowledgeable, their cultivation had also reached a frightening level! To be a 3-star master teacher, one had to possess the strength of minimum Zhizun realm. At 4-star... his cultivation must have already surpassed Zhizun. "I heard that Yang shi is in the capital, so may I ask if Ling shi and I can pay a visit to him?" Su shi asked. "Pay a visit... to Yang shi?" The corner of Zhang Xuans lip twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot. What Yang shi... The teacher behind him was Zhang Xuan himself! The two 4-star master teachers were interested in meeting Yang shi, what should he do? It had already taken him a lot of effort to fool Jiang Shu. This time, the other party were 4-star master teachers. It wouldnt be a simple feat to fool them! It was possible that they might even be able to see through his disguising ability. "Why? Is it not convenient?" Su shi asked. "That isnt the case, just that my teacher... has always been wandering around the area. So, even Im not too sure where he is..." Zhang Xuan hurriedly added, "How about this, Ill ask him of this matter as soon as he appears!" "Un! Ill be depending on Zhang shi then!" Su shi smiled. Even though they were both 4-star master teachers, they didnt have any domineering aura to them. Instead, they felt particrly amiable. It was said that the higher ranked a master teacher was, the more they would be like that. Otherwise, it would be difficult for them to earn the trust and acknowledgement of their students swiftly, and better impart their knowledge. "Alright, now that you two are done with your examinations, I wont beat around the bush. Actually, there are two reasons why Ling shi and I are here. Firstly, its because of Zhang shis astonishing examination results, so we came over to take a look. Other than that, we have something that we might need your help on!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the matter, Su shi stroked his beard and spoke of the primary reason for their arrival. "Su shi, feel free to speak. If its within the abilities of Tianwu Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion, well definitely give it our all!" Pavilion Master Jiang said. Putting aside the fact that the other party was his superior, the other partys rank as a 4-star master teacher made him more than qualified tomand them. Chapter 399: Above the Alliance Chapter 399: Above the Alliance Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I wont stand on formalities then!" Hesitating for a moment, Su shi started exining, "I believe you all should have at least heard a little about the standing of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the continent!" Having read through books, Zhang Xuan knew that due to the influence of the master teachers, this continent was known as Master Teacher Continent. It was a huge continent that seemed boundless. In which, there were countless kingdoms, sects, and individual influences scattered all over. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance might be the strongest existence in this region, but when ced against the entire Master Teacher Continent, it didnt amount to anything much. Seeing the confusion in the eyes of many master teachers here, Su shi shook his head. "I guess that even if you all know a little about it, your knowledge is probably iplete. Allow me to exin more then!" "Im sure you all should be well-aware of the ranking system of the kingdoms. There is a total of four ranks, Unranked, Tier-2, Tier-1, and Conferred! "Your Tianwu Kingdom is a Tier-1 Kingdom, and it is considered as a vassal to Conferred Xuanyuan Kingdom. And there are 142 kingdoms of Xuanyuan Kingdoms level under the jurisdiction of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" "So many?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The map he saw was only at the level of a Tier-1 Kingdom. As such, he wasnt too sure about the conditions of the Conferred Kingdoms. Initially, he thought that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was just a name, but at this moment, he realized that the number of countries within it had to be at least ten thousand. There were 142 Conferred Kingdoms, and Xuanyuan Kingdom had twenty Tier-1 Kingdoms like Tianwu under its jurisdiction, and then going down further... The total quantity numbered so many that it was hard to calcte on the spot. "Thats right. The presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion and various historical circumstances formed the present situation, but I wont touch on that for now. For now, Ill focus on the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! "The Myriad Kingdom Alliance governs all of the kingdoms within a certain boundary, and even though it sounds like a massive organization, butpared to the scale of the Master Teacher Continent, it is actually just an insignificant droplet within a vast ocean. There are several thousands of simr powers in the entire continent, such as the neighboring Mingxia Empire, Henghai Empire... There are also some powerful third rate sects such as the Cascading Sand Sect and Frigid Gale Sect." "There are so many simr existences to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" Everyone was shocked. They knew that the Master Teacher Continent was vast, but they didnt expect it to be of such a scale. In their eyes, an existence that gathered over ten thousand kingdoms was already a mammoth. How could they possibly fathom that there were several thousands of such influences scattered throughout the continent? Just the thought of it was fearsome! "Myriad Kingdom Alliance might sound domineering, but as the kingdoms within are autonomous and theresck of connection between each of them, its actually one of the weakest among simr influences. "Take Mingxia Empire for example, regardless of whether its the number of experts they have or their economy, they are way superior to us. Liuyun Sect and Luosha Sect are also filled with outstanding geniuses, and their strength far surpasses ours. "But of course, these influential powers also have Master Teacher Pavilions within them, and theyre under the jurisdiction of a headquarter. "In order to better select talents to groom and glorify master teachers, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and 26 other simr influences cooperate together to conduct a Master Teacher Tournament! "Its conducted once every decade, and all master teachers under twenty are allowed to participate. The winner will be entitled to generous rewards. "This tournament has been conducted 77 times already, but its a pity that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance has continued to hover around the bottom! Even at best, we only reached the 23rd ce..." At this point, Su shis face flushed in embarrassment. Of 27 simrly influential powers, their best cing was only at 23rd ce, or fifth from the bottom. It was no wonder why he felt embarrassed. "This time, the newly-appointed Pavilion Master Kang has decided to make some changes and strive for better results... He instructed for the personnel of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion to pay attention to the other kingdoms and pick out talented individuals to groom for the tournament that would be held three monthster..." Su shi stared at Zhang Xuan expectantly. "Su shi means that... you wish to ask Zhang shi to join this tournament?" Pavilion Master Jiang came to a realization. "Thats right!" Su shi nodded. "Despite his young age, Zhang shi has broken many records of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there is probably none who can match his talents. Thus... I would like to formally invite him to participate in the tournament!" "This..." Not expecting the other party to ask such a request, Pavilion Master Jiang instinctively turned to look at Zhang Xuan. The gazes of the other master teachers focused on Zhang Xuan as well. It was Zhang Xuans personal decision to choose whether he wanted to participate or not. No one could force him into it. "This..." Zhang Xuan was also stunned by the sudden request. "Zhang shi, theres no need for you to rush to answer the question. You have two days to consider this this matter and discuss it with your teacher. You can answer me once youve made up your mind!" Su shi said. "Alright, then Ill give it some thought..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Zhang Xuan had never even heard of the Master Teacher Tournament, and he had no idea what form the tournament would be in. As such, he felt that he should be more prudent with this matter. His primary focus at the moment was to be a 9-star master teacher before thirty. Everything else was of secondary concern. "Alright, this is all I have. Zhang shi, Ill be troubling you to on Yang shis matter then. Ling shi and I are truly interested in meeting your teacher!" Su shi chuckled. Given how the other party was able to groom a talent of Zhang Xuans caliber, his means could only be greater than theirs. Since they were here, it was a breach of etiquette to not pay respects to their senior. "Once teacher returns, Ill immediately report to the two elders." Seeing that the other party hadnt forgotten this matter, Zhang Xuan felt his head hurt. Seeing the serious expressions on these two 4-star master teachers, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to avoid this affair. Just that, disguising before 4-star master teachers... Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan had no confidence at all. "If theres no other instructions, Ill be taking my leave first then!" Seeing that there was nothing else, Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "Farewell!" The others nodded. Since the 2-star master teacher examination and inauguration were over, it was about time for Zhang Xuan to return back to his residence to meet his students. Zhang Xuan had disguised himself a little after reaching the capital, so he hadnt really walked around the city in his original appearance yet. Walking out of the conference hall, he saw Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and his other students from Tianwu Academy walking up to him. "Teacher!" Their eyes were filled with admiration. They thought that their teacher was only an ordinary teacher. Who could have thought that he was the great genius whose name echoed throughout the entire capital, Zhang Xuan! They couldnt help but feel proud to have such an esteemed teacher. "Teacher..." Zhao Ya and the others walked over, but inparison to the excitement from the other groups, their heads were lowered as though a rooster who had lost a duel. This was especially for Zheng Yang and Yuan Tao. As though a rat meeting with a cat, they trembled fearfully. "See how Ill teach you all a lesson once we return to the residence!" This was the Master Teacher Pavilion, and there were many eyes here. If outsiders were to learn that his own student tried to do him in, they would definitelyugh their teeth out. The prestige he had just earned from bing a 2-star master teacher would also crumble in an instant. Such family scandals should be dealt with behind closed doors. He was determined to teach these arrogant brats a lesson once they returned to the residence. "You all should follow me as well!" ncing at Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and the others, Zhang Xuan gestured. Since his two identities had converged together, it was time for him to do some reorganization and end the rtionships that needed to be ended. "Yes!" The crowd nodded, and they followed behind Zhang Xuan. Returning to the residence, Liu shi, Bai Chan, and the others had already heard of the news. They hurried forward to wee Zhang Xuans return, and admiration glittered in their eyes. Reaching the main hall, Zhang Xuan sat at the top seat as he nced at the kneeling Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others below with a steeled face. As soon as he arrived, the group immediately exined the matter of the poison. "Regardless of who Liuoshi is, even if he isnt me, as a teacher, you should show him the basic respect he deserves. To poison him because of a small contention, how dare you all!" Zhang Xuan bellowed. These few fellows had indeed gone too far this time. He was embarrassed by their act of poisoning him, but what truly made him furious was theck of values in their actions. They disregarded the honor of a teacher and overstepped their moral boundaries. Once a person loses his values, then no matter how strong he became, he could only be a scum! As a teacher, what he should impart wasnt just knowledge, but morals and values as well. It was just like grooming a flower. It didnt just consist of watering and adding fertilizer, one also had to trim its branches from time to time. Otherwise, as its branches started to twist and turn, it would lose its aesthetics. "Teacher, we dont dare anymore..." Seeing their teacher fly to a rage, Zheng Yang and the others paled in fright. "Dont dare anymore? You all even dare to make a move on me, what else wouldnt you all dare to do? I, Zhang Xuan, dont have a student like you all, and I am not fitting to be your teacher!" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "Teacher..." Zheng Yang and their bodies swayed. This meant that Zhang Xuan was expelling them from his tutge! "Teacher, I beg of you to take back your orders. Zheng Yang and the others didnt do it intentionally..." Zhao Ya rushed forward and pleaded with Zhang Xuan. "Dont plead for them, leave them kneeling. Well talk about it once they finally think it through!" After bellowing at Zheng Yang and the others, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Mu Xueqing and his other students. "Its under my identity as Liu Cheng that fate brought us together as teacher and students. However, now that Im reverting back to my original identity, our fate hase to an end. Ill leave you all with cultivation techniques that will allow you all to reach Zongshi realm, so you all should return for now!" Zhang Xuans connection with these students was only through Tianwu Academy. Now that he hade to the end of his mission, it was time for their rtionship toe to an end. Other than that, Tianwu Kingdom was still way too small for him. It was just a matter of time before hed leave. Taking care of Zhao Ya and the others was already difficult for him, he couldnt possibly bring an entire ss around! "Teacher..." The eyes of Mu Xueqing, Meng Tao, and the others reddened. "Alright, theres no banquet that doesnt end. Even if you all arent my students, you all must cultivate diligently!" After issuing them onest instruction, Zhang Xuan waved his hands, "You all should go now!" "Yes..." The group kneeled down and kowtowed together once. "Teacher, I... would like to follow you. Ill go wherever you go!" Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth in determination. "You are the sole daughter of Apothecary Mu. If you leave, who will take care of him? You should return!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "I..." Mu Xueqing was tongue-tied. She had lost her mother at a young age, and her father went through a lot of trouble to raise her. If she were to leave, what would happen to her father? "If you still wish to follow me in the future, you can first settle the matter with Apothecary Mu before looking for me. Dont worry, as a master teacher, it wont be hard for you to track me down!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Yes. Teacher, thank you for your tutge over the past few days!" Uponing to terms with the matter, Mu Xueqing bent down and kowtowed deeply several times. Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to speak, his head suddenly jolted. A bookshelf trembled, and the golden book appeared once more. Chapter 400: Elder? Chapter 400: Elder? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Another page?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had gone through a lot of trouble to teach Mu Xueqing, even going to the extent of imparting the Heavens Path Saber Art to her. Even so, he didnt really expect to earn the other partys earnest gratitude and form a new golden page. Zhang Xuan had no idea what other effects there were to this Book of Heavens Path, but its ability to raise Zhang Xuans Soul Depth easily and assimte the contents of the books gathered in the Library of Heavens Path into his knowledge already made it a priceless treasure. "Teacher, regardless of where you go, Ill definitely look for you!" Making a vow in her heart, Mu Xueqing led the crowd away. The room soon chilled down with their departure. However, Lu Chong remained in the room, and he stood on the spot impassively. "You..." Zhang Xuan was about to speak, but the other party interrupted him. "Teacher, I have nothing to tie me down here anymore. Wherever you go, Ill follow you!" Lu Chongs eyes reflected his determination. After a long moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded, "Alright!" Zhang Xuan was well aware of the character of this student of his. Knowing that there was no use persuading him, he eventually relented. After dealing with that, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. At that moment, Liu shi stepped forward with a worried frown. "Are you going to keep them kneeling?" Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Wang Ying, and his other students were still kneeling motionlessly in the main hall. Did he intend to keep them kneeling like that? "Their cultivation has progressed too quickly, and this has added to theircency. Making them kneel will help build their character so that they wont act so rashly in the future!" Zhang Xuan said. Actually, Zhang Xuans rage had already died down. The poisoning incident didnt cause much harm, and his students already knew their mistakes. However, he still chose to neglect them and keep them kneeling. The reason for it was simple; he wanted to build their character. Only with a strong character will they be able to reach greater heights in the future. Taking Lu Chong for example, the tragedy in his n had made his mental fortitude as tough as steel. Even though his cultivation had progressed swiftly in the past few days, he didnt show the slightest arrogance orcency. On the other hand, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Wang Ying, and the others were entitled to the best education from the very start, and they have never faced any major problems in their cultivation before. Zhang Xuan thought that it was about time to teach them the difficulty of cultivating so that they wouldnt getcent. "Thats good. Ive neglected this matter..." Liu shi nodded. At this moment, he truly felt impressed by this senior of his. When he first met his senior, he thought that he was still slightly immature in his actions. However, at this moment, he already possessed on the disposition of a teacher, and every single action he took aligned with his duties as a teacher. As a teacher, one shouldnt just focus all of ones efforts on the cultivation of ones student; one must also reinforce their mental fortitude. Using building a pce as an analogy, ones mental fortitude would be like the foundation of the construction. Without the foundation, no matter how many bricks oneid on top and what kind of technologies one utilized, there would still be a limit to its final height. On top of that, it would be unable to weather the winds of a storm as well. Zhang Xuan made use of this matter to sternly punish the others, but the truth was that he was trying to grind their will... Without a bone-piercing chill, how could there be the fragrance of the plum blossoms! "I just hope that they can understand your efforts..." Liu shi sighed. Sometimes, students were unable to understand why their teachers were so harsh on them, and this incited a rebellious streak in them. By the time a falling out urred, it was already toote for regrets. Zhang Xuan nodded. After chatting with Liu shi for a moment longer, he walked out of the residence and settled some other misceneous matters. The Great Herb King and Liao Xun had already left the capital. The Ji n had sent many generous gifts in apology, and Zhang Xuan kept them all in his storage ring. In truth, the matter with Ji n wasnt anything much, and there was nothing for Zhang Xuan to pursue. By the time Zhang Xuan had settled everything, it was alreadyte at night. The next day, he went to the Physician Guild and swept through all of the books in their library. He went on to do the same for the other guilds in the kingdom, storing them inside the Library of Heavens Path. He busied himself throughout the day, and only upon sunset did he return to the residence. "Time to begin!" With a thought, the golden book appeared right before Zhang Xuan. The two 4-star master teachers had specifically brought up their desire to meet Yang Xuan before him, and dragging the matter out wasnt a solution. If Zhang Xuan didnt want to be exposed by the other party, he had to rue a huge mountain of knowledge to make up for hisck thereof. In any case, he had two golden pages now, so using one wasnt too much of a heartache. "Assimte..." Boom! As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, a violent buzz sounded. The golden page radiated a bright glow, and all of the books in the Library of Heavens Path immediately started infusing their contents into his head. Unable to withstand the huge surge of information, Zhang Xuans vision turned dark and he fainted. ... In the Physician Guild, Physician Cheng Feng stared helplessly at the unconscious Physician Mu Hong lying on the floor. This ex-guild leader had gone to the Lin n to cure the other party of their poison, but... not only did he fail to resolve their poison, he even got afflicted with it. For a 3-star physician tond himself in such a state... It was indeed shameful. "Physician Cheng Feng, is there any way to cure him?" Physician Mu Hongs student, 2-star Physician Xie Shunda, looked at Cheng Feng nervously. Physician Cheng Feng shook his head. "Ive tried all methods, but the poison hes afflicted with... is simply too formidable. I am also helpless before it!" He had carefully examined this poison, and he realized that it was able to fuse easily with all zhenqi. This problem had left himpletely stumped. "Unless..." "Unless?" Xie Shundas face tensed up. "Unless Guild Leader Liu, or rather, Zhang shi, treats him personally. Given how he was able to solve so many problems on the Wall of Dilemma, his aptitude for the Way of Medicine is truly frightening. This poison is formidable, but he might have a solution for it!" Physician Cheng Feng said. "Zhang Xuan..." Upon hearing this name, Xie Shundas face immediately sank, and he howled deeply, "His student is the one who nted the poison! He must have been in cahoots with the master of the Poison Hall!" Back then, he had clearly seen how Hall Master Liao treated Zhang shi so respectfully that it seemed as though thetter was his own father. During the period when Physician Mu Hong was afflicted with lethal poison, the master of the Poison Hall appeared in the city. It was hard to believe that there wasnt any corrtion between the two. "Audacious! Such words cannot be spouted without evidence!" Physician Cheng Feng berated sternly, "Zhang shi is a master teacher and a grandmaster physician. How can he be in cahoots with the Poison Hall?" "Without evidence? Hmph, so many people have seen it with their own eyes!" Xie Shunda harrumphed coldly, "What Wall of Dilemma and guild leader, pui! How can someone who has dealings with the Poison Hall be worthy to serve as the leader of our Physician Guild? "In fact, I think that he might not even know medicine at all. He might have prepared the answers to the problems on the Wall of Dilemma beforehand. Otherwise, how could he solve so many problems within such a short period of time?" Seeing his own teacher lying in aa on the floor, Xie Shunda couldnt hold back his rage anymore, and he bellowed furiously. Every single one of those questions on the Wall of Dilemma was extremely difficult. Even if Zhang Xuan were to start learning from the womb, given how he wasnt even twenty yet, how much could he learn? Clearly, someone had given him the answers beforehand, and all he had to do was to copy them down. Otherwise, given how skilled he was, why hadnt he treated anyone before? Its worth noting that the issue with the guardian beast is a state secret, so not many people know of it. "This..." Physician Cheng Feng hesitated. Back then, when Zhang shi came to the Physician Guild, he was also present. The fact that the other party could solve neen questions on the Wall of Dilemma despite being ignorant of basicmon knowledge already made the entire incident rather doubtful. Speaking of which, Physician Cheng Feng also held his suspicions. "This kind of person is unworthy of being the master of our Physician Guild. I hope that Physician Cheng Feng can host a meeting with the elders to strip that fellow of his position as the guild leader so that he cant go around fooling others..." Halfway through Xie Shundas incitement, a middle-aged man rushed into the room. As soon as he entered, the middle-aged man shouted excitedly, "Physician Cheng Feng and Physician Xie Shunda, theres a response on the Wall of Dilemma!" "Theres a response? Did he get the final question wrong?" Xie Shundas eyes lit up, and he hurriedly turned his gaze to the middle-aged man. A few days ago, Zhang shi provided the solutions for twenty difficult illnesses in a row. However, the other side of the Wall of Dilemma had been unable to give an urate judgement on the final answer he provided. Initially, it said that it would take ten days for it to assess the validity of the answer. However, the headquarters seemed to have operated more efficiently than it expected, and it had already given a reply today. "Wrong?" The middle-aged man froze for a moment before hurriedly shaking his head. "It doesnt mention whether its wrong or not..." "Doesnt mention?" The two physicians were stunned. Since the headquarter had given its reply, it should have alreadye to a verdict on the validity of Zhang shis answer. What did he mean by saying it wasnt mentioned? "Then... whats written on it?" Xie Shunda couldnt help but ask. The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment before replying, "It says that... itll confer Liu Cheng as an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Physician Guild, and as for his exact ranking, a test will be conducted when his cultivation reaches a certain level! "Confer him... as an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Physician Guild?" Physician Cheng Feng and Physician Xie Shunda nced at one another, and their bodies trembled. Blood nearly spurted out of their mouths. The heck, what was going on? The Myriad Kingdom Alliance, that was a top-notch existence that stood even above the Conferred Kingdoms! The elders of the Physician Guild there were at minimum 4-star. Conferring Liu Cheng as their elder? At this moment, Xie Shunda could only feel a piercing heat on his face, and it felt as though someone had pped him forcefully. He had just said that the other party was unworthy of being their guild leader, and the next moment... the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Physician Guild sent a message indicating their interest in having him as an elder of their guild... The heck! You must be doing this on purpose... Xie Shundas face turned scarlet, and he nearly cried on the spot. ... There was a peculiar room in the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion where a snowy-white wall towered. Communication Wall! At this moment, Su shi, Ling shi, and Pavilion Master Jiang was standing in front of the wall. "Reporting to Su shi, Ling shi, and Pavilion Master Jiang, the reparations of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall arepleted!" Elder Zhu walked in and sped his fist. "Good!" Pavilion Master Jiang heaved a sigh of relief. "The sudden shaking of Kong shis statue and the fall of innumerable ancestral tablets... Such a matter has never urred before. Ling shi, do you have any idea what happened then?" Su shi frowned. That day, they were all present on the spot. Kong shi suddenly fell, resulting in violent tremors throughout the hall. Even until now, they were still unable to make sense out of the incident. They had considered the possibility of Zhang shi winning the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors, but eventually, they shook their heads in denial. That was Kong shis statue! His lingering will was infused in it, how could it possibly acknowledge anyone easily? Rumor had it that there was once a 9-star master teacher who tried to acknowledge Kong shi as his teacher, only to be rejected. To reject a 9-star master teacher and take in a 2-star master teacher instead? You must be jesting! "Not yet!" Ling shi couldntprehend the situation either. Shaking his head, he picked up a brush and smiled, "However, theres no need to worry. I intend to ask the headquarter now... Even though we dont understand the situation, the guild leader and the other elders might know a thing or two!" "Un, hurry up..." Su shi nodded. Just as Ling shi was considering how he should phrase his words, the massive wall before them suddenly lit up, and a row of words appeared. "Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell! Someone in the Myriad King Alliance has refused the acknowledgement of the ancestors after passing the master teacher examination. If the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall of any branch has copsed, report swiftly!" "Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, copsed?" Su shi, Ling shi, Pavilion Master Jiang, and Elder Zhu were dumbstruck. Chapter 401: Paying Respects to Yang shi Chapter 401: Paying Respects to Yang shi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Someone had rejected the acknowledgement of the ancestors after passing the master teacher examination? You must be pulling my leg! Is there... such an insane figure in the world? "Winning the acknowledgement of a senior is a huge blessing! Reject? Who in the world is it?" After a moment of daze, Pavilion Master Jiang nearly went insane. Mo Hongyis feat of winning the acknowledgement from a single ancestor had already broken the record of Tianwu Kingdom for the past three hundred years, and it had incited a wave of excitement within the Master Teacher Pavilion. Pavilion Master Jiang also felt honored; he would be able to keep his head up in the other Master Teacher Pavilions of the other kingdoms in the future. Yet, for someone to reject the ancestors acknowledgement... It was fortunate that Mo Hongyi wasnt around. If he were to learn of this news, wouldnt he spew blood and faint on the spot? "This... Thats impossible!" Su shi and Ling shi were perplexed as well. The acknowledgement from the ancestors would grant one with a unique aura that would raise ones Soul Depth swiftly. There wasnt a single master teacher who could reject such a benefit. This... "Wait... The headquarter said that if theres a Teacher Acknowledgement Hall of any branch has copsed, report swiftly... The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall here has copsed!" Ling shi was the first to realize this matter, and his face tensed. They didnt know what Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell meant, but since the headquarter had asked about the copsing of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, it wasnt difficult for them to deduce the matter. The headquarter wasnt so idle as to do unnecessary things. Since they asked about the copsing of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, it must have something to do with these nine words. "You mean that... the person who rejected the acknowledgement of the ancestors might be in this guild?" Su shi eyes widened, and his voice sounded a little hoarse. In the past few days, only Mo shi and Zhang shi had passed the examinations. The former had managed to win the acknowledgement of one elder while thetter caused Kong shis statue to fall over and the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to copse... Even though the entire incident was bewildering, they didnt see him reject the ancestors. "Lets ask about it!" Confused, Ling shi dabbed the brush in ink and wrote, "What does Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell mean?" Weng! The words disappeared, and not too longter, a radiance shed, and another line of words appeared on the Communication Wall. "Not absorbing the unique aura granted by the ancestors, rejecting their goodwill..." Upon realization, the group shuddered once more. To reject the ancestors and induce their sorrowful cries... How incredible must a figure be to do such stuff? They stared at one another in shock, bewildered over who had that kind of guts that do such a thing. At that moment, the wall before them shone once more, and a few more line of words appeared. "Two days ago, at shu hour [1], he rejected the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors and Kong shi, resulting in the shaking of the statue... Under such circumstances, its highly possible for the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to copse! If theres the shaking of the Kong shis statue or the copsing of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall in any branch, report swiftly!" "Two days ago, at shu hour... That seems to be around the timing when Zhang shi is seeking acknowledgement from the elders..." Su shi trembled. "Indeed! The trembling of the statue and the copsing of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall... Could the one who incited the sorrowful cries of the ancestors be... Zhang shi?" Ling shis body swayed vigorously. He was just thinking which incredible figure it could be, when it turned out to be the fellow just around them! Are you for real? "It should be true..." Upon thinking of something, Pavilion Master Jiang smiled bitterly. "Oh?" Hearing Pavilion Master Jiang affirm the matter, the two 4-star master teacher turned to look at him. "A simr situation happened two days ago. The ancestral tablets of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall trembled... and Kong shis statue moved as well..." After pondering for a moment, Pavilion Master Jiang exined the situation that happened two days ago. "The Trembling of Myriad Tokens... Celestial Master Teacher? Trembling of Kong shi, this is... Kong shi Admits a Disciple, the Student of the Sage?" "But more importantly... he was rejected?" Su shi and Ling shi was on the verge of going insane. It was one thing to reject the acknowledgement of the ancestors, but to reject an offer to be Kong shis student... Since it happened here, it was clear that it was the doing of a genius in the guild. In that instant, a figure appeared in their minds... Zhang Xuan! "It must be him!" With quivering lips, Su shi jumped up in agitation. Celestial Master Teacher, an existence whom even Kong shi wanted as his student... Initially, they thought that all they would find was a slightly more capable genius. Never in the dreams did they expect that they would find such a formidable figure whose feats exceeded their imagination. "Hurry up and inform the headquarter! Have the pavilion master wee him personally..." Ling shi excitedly picked up the brush and prepared to write on it. Putting aside Kong shis intent to take him in, just the fact that Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Master Teacher already made him an existence worthy of the pavilion master to invite over personally. Of the entire continent, only Kong shi had managed to be a Celestial Master Teacher. Other than him, no one had ever achieved that feat. "Ling shi, wait a moment..." Jiang Shu hurriedly stopped him. "Whats wrong?" Frowning, Ling shi turned to look at Jiang Shu. "The matter of Celestial Master Teacher is too big... Im afraid that it might bring cmity to Zhang shi if the matter were to leak out. Besides... Kong shi being rejected isnt a glorious affair. Ive already ordered the others to keep quiet on the matter, but if the news were to leak in the headquarters..." Pavilion Master Jiang exined. Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion possessed overwhelming authority in the continent, they still had many hidden enemies. Besides, given that the Master Teacher Tournament was going to be held, if other powers were to learn of the existence of such a formidable genius, they might be tempted to poach him or even cut him off before he grows. It was better to proceed prudently. "Pavilion Master Jiang is right. We should report this matter straight on to the pavilion master alone. The fewer people who knows of it, the better it is!" Su shi nodded grimly in agreement to Jiang Shus words. "Un!" At this moment, Ling shi also recovered from his agitation and nodded. He then wrote on the wall, "None!" Since they decided not to speak of this matter on the Communication Wall, they could only reply like this for now. "Celestial Master Teacher, and on top of that, a person who nearly became Kong shis student... Its one thing if we didnt know, but once we know, we should pay him a visit regardless of the cost!" After replying to the headquarters, Su shi and Ling shi could no longer suppress their agitation in their hearts They might be 4-star master teachers, but aspared to a Celestial Master Teacher, they were way toocking. They had only earned the acknowledgement of the ancestors, but the other party earned the acknowledgement of the heavens... The gap between them couldnt be summarized with just the single word rge. As long as he survived, he would most probably reach the pinnacle of this world. "We must pay a visit to Zhang shi eventually, but the first person we should meet is... Yang shi!" Su shi replied grimly. "To be capable of grooming a Celestial Master Teacher, and more importantly, have his own student reject even Kong shi, how fearsome must this Yang shi be? If we were to listen to even a word of his guidance, we might be able to take a huge step forward in our cultivation!" At this time, Ling shi also came to the same conclusion, and he nodded in agreement. One could have a lot of teachers in their life. But there were some who have decided to only acknowledge one teacher in their entire life. It was just like Kong shis students. Even if they wanted to acknowledge others as their teacher, no one would dare to ept them! For Yang shi, Zhang shi was willing to even reject Kong shi. How fearsome could this Yang Xuan be? "Lets go!" Without any hesitation, the two 4-star master teacher swiftly headed for Zhang Xuans residence. ... In the past few days, Mo Hongyi had been in a good mood. Ever since that Zhang Xuan fellows appearance, his records had been beaten one after another, and his title as the number one genius had been usurped. Since he wasnt as capable as the other party, he could only work diligently in hopes of overtaking him in the future. And his efforts paid off. Two days ago, he was acknowledged by the ancestors, and he managed to triumph over Zhang Xuan for once. With this, he had broken the record of the Master Teacher Pavilion for the past three hundred years. Wasnt that Zhang Xuan a genius? Wasnt he formidable? But, so what? Zhang Xuan still ended up being acknowledged by none of the ancestors at all. In the end, he was still the ultimate victor. A slight smile curved onto Mo Hongyis lips. The refusal of the ancestors to acknowledge him meant that he hade to the limits of his potential, and his future achievements were limited! He had heard of many geniuses who shone brightly when they were younger, only to end up just like anyone else in the future. This Zhang Xuan was probably still the same as well. So what if he was a genius? Potential was the key! "I should look for Su shi and Ling shi, and see if they are willing to take me in as their student. If they really take me in, I would surely be able to surpass Zhang Xuan soon!" Tidying up his clothes, a streak of excitement shed across his eyes. Ever since Pavilion Master Jiang introduced Su shi and Ling shi to him, the intention to take one of them as his teacher had sprouted in his mind. If he seeded, a whole new world would open before him. "Mo shi, my apologies, but Su shi and Ling shi have already left this morning!" Mo Hongyi looked around the Master Teacher Pavilion, but he couldnt find the duo. In the end, after asking around about the matter, he met with Pavilion Master Jiang. "Left? Where did they go to?" Mo Hongyi asked. "Oh, they went to Zhang shis residence!" Pavilion Master Jiang replied. "Thank you..." Upon learning of their whereabouts, Mo Hongyi nodded and left. "I need to hurry..." It was very possible that Zhang Xuan might have the same thoughts as him. How could he give this good opportunity away to that fellow? He had surpassed the other party in the acknowledgement of the ancestors, and this was a good omen. As long as he worked hard, he would surely be able to surpass the other partys records. Zhang Xuans residence wasnt too far away from the Master Teacher Pavilion. It didnt take too long for Mo Hongyi to arrive at his destination. Turning around the streets, he suddenly caught sight of two figures and hurriedly stopped. "That is... Su shi and Ling shi?" The two master teachers were standing quietly in front of Zhang Xuans residence with a respectful look. Didnt they head here early in the morning? Why were they still standing at the doorstep? More importantly... that respectful attitude... what in the world was that? They were 4-star master teachers, the respected elders of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if the emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom were toe, he would have to wee them subserviently. Yet, at this moment, they seemed no different from anxious students... Mo Hongyi blinked his eyes in disbelief. Jiya! Just as he was still in the midst of his shock, the gates to the courtyard opened, and a plump man walked out. He spoke casually, "The old master has just returned, and he has asked for you two to enter! Ill just say this in advance, the old master doesnt like a ruckus, so try to maintain silence after you enter!" "Yes!" "Dont worry, well definitely keep quiet!" Su shi and Ling shi hurriedly nodded. "Alright, then lets go!" Waving casually, the plump man led the way. The two master teachers hurriedly followed behind. "The heck..." Mo Hongyis eyes were about to fall to the floor. What... in the world is going on? To think that 4-star master teachers would still have to request for a meeting! On top of that, to wait an entire morning for it? And that butlers casual attitude, almost to the point of being rude... Wasnt he afraid of being smacked to death? Mo Hongyis mouth twitched violently, and he felt as though the entire world had gone wrong. [1] shu hour is from 7PM to 9PM Chapter 402: Unfathomable Yang shi (1) Chapter 402: Unfathomable Yang shi (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan finally woke up. There was too much information contained within the Library of Heavens Path, causing the time he was passed out tost much longer than before. However, the rewards he got was massive as well. Battle techniques, apothecary, beast tamer, painter, physician, master teacher, poison master... The information of countless upations had be his own. He no longer had to dive into the Library of Heavens Path to look up this information; with a single thought, it would appear in his head. To gather all of this knowledge, even if one possessed photographic memory, it would take at least dozens of year. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan only took an entire day... If other were to know about it, they would definitely spurt blood. What genius and what advanced master teacher... Before such efficiency, they meant nothing at all. There was no basis ofparison at all. "As expected of the Book of Heavens Path. It truly doesnt let me down!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. Even though he knew the might of the Book of Heavens Path, the pages of which were formed by the earnest gratitude of a student, was formidable, he couldnt help but feel impressed every time he used it. To casually raise his Soul Depth by 5.0 and assimte the knowledge contained within the innumerable books in the Library of Heavens Path for his own... Regardless of which one it was, it was sufficient to send anyone into a frenzy. "The Book of Heavens Path probably has many more uses than this!" Zhang Xuan had only managed to uncover these two effects by chance. The use of the Book of Heavens Path was surely much more than that, and he had verified it back then. It seemed like he had no ept more students in the future and win their gratitude so as to collect much more golden pages. This way, he would be able to grow swiftly. After waking up, he spent a long time reorganizing his knowledge before stretchingzily and walking out of the room. Upon walking into the main hall, Sun Qiang walked up to him and reported, "Young master, someone has requested to meet with the old master, and they have already waited for an entire morning!" "Requested to meet the old master? Who?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "They said that they were from the Master Teacher Pavilion. One of them is Su Fan while the other one is Ling Yuheng!" Sun Qing replied. "Su Fan? Ling Yuheng?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Who were they? There didnt seem to be these two figures among the master teachers of Tianwu Kingdom... "Wait. They are... Su shi and Ling shi?" An epiphany struck him. and he nearly fainted on the spot. Back then, when Pavilion Master Jiang introduced the two master teachers to him, out of respect, he didnt use their full names. As such, Zhang Xuan didnt rte Su Fan and Ling Yuheng to the two 4-star master teachers instantly. However, given that they came from the Master Teacher Pavilion and they were here to look for Old Master Yang Xuan, who else could it be other than those two fellows? Didnt he say that he would tell them about it once Yang shi returns? Why would they rush here all of the sudden, not to mention, early in the morning? He hadnt even made preparations yet... The two 4-star master teachers were existences that surpassed Zhizun realm experts... Yet, they had been waiting at his entrance for an entire morning? "Where did you arrange them to rest at? The guest room or the conference room?" Upon thinking about how he kept these two formidable figures waiting, Zhang Xuans mouth twitched, and he couldnt help but ask. "Guest room? Conference room? They didnt even bring anything when paying a visit to Yang shi, are they worthy of such treatment?" Sun Qiang harrumphed in disdain. "I had those two disrespectful fellows wait outside the residence! If not for the fact that they came from the Master Teacher Pavilion, I would have chased them away already! Who the hell do they think they are, to not even know the rules!" Putong! After hearing those words, Zhang Xuans body swayed, and he nearly copsed to the ground. "Young master, whats wrong?" Sun Qiang hurried forward to support him. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears. The hell! Do you know how powerful the two of them are? Whats wrong? This useless fellow! How did he find himself such a darned butler... The two of them were 4-star master teachers, and he kept them waiting outside for an entire morning... He sure was courageous! Zhang Xuan felt blood welling up at the back of his throat. If he didnt discipline this butler of his soon, it was just a matter of time before he is done in by another party. It was fortunate that those two master teachers had a good temper. Otherwise, if they were tosh out, even the entire Tianwu Kingdom wouldnt be sufficient to cate their wrath! Just as he was about to berate the other party, he suddenly recalled that the other partys arrogant personality was a result of Yang shis teaching back then. Suddenly, he felt stifled within. "Hurry up and invite them in. Make sure to treat them respectfully..." Holding back his frustration, Zhang Xuan instructed. However, halfway through his words, he shook his head, "Forget it. Just treat them as any other guest, and bring them over here. Ill contact teacher now..." The old master whom the other party wanted to meet was supposed to be an equal existence to them. If he were to change his attitude now, it could bring even more trouble. It wasnt his first time ying off as an expert, and he didnt mind doing it again. Besides, he had no other choice anyway... The butler had already gone so far. If the strength of this Yang shi turned out to be inferior to them, wouldnt they immediately fly into a rage? "Yes!" Sun Qiang walked out. Upon seeing him leave, Zhang Xuan took out a set of clothes from his storage ring and put it on. Then, operating his Heavens Path Disguise Art, his muscles started moving, and his appearance changed. It didnt take long for him to turn into Yang Xuan. However, with his stronger cultivation and higher Soul Depth, he held a much more imposing dispositionpared to back when he was still at Tianxuan Kingdom. Ascertaining that there were no ws in his disguise, Zhang Xuan walked over to the main seat, sipped on his tea, and waited patiently. Not too longter, the duo walked in under Sun Qiangs lead. As Zhang Xuan expected, they were Su shi and Ling shi. "This is the old master, Yang shi!" Upon seeing that the old master was in the main hall, Sun Qiang was dazed for a moment before hurriedly introducing with a proud look. "Su Fan pays respect to Yang shi!" "Ling Yuheng greets Yang shi!" The duo sped their fists respectfully. Even though they could tell that Yang shi was man of great capabilities through Zhang Xuan, they still felt a little displeased at how the other party kept them waiting for an entire morning. No matter what, they were 4-star master teachers. To be left waiting at the doorstep, it could only mean that the other party didnt think much of them. Thus, they started observing this Yang Xuan as soon as they arrived, intent to see if he was as formidable as the others made him out to be. But with a single look, they frowned. The muscles and the bones of the man before them didnt align perfectly with one another, and there were signs of them being moved. Clearly, he was in disguise. They couldnt discern his original appearance, but through his clean and smooth skin, as well as his powerful vitality, he was likely to be young. There were geniuses in this world, but no matter how talented a person was, he needed time to grow. In the end, age was still a limiting factor for ones abilities. "This Yang shi seems young..." Upon seeing through all this, Su shi sent a telepathic message to Ling shi. "Indeed. However, I cant see through his cultivation!" Ling shi frowned. They were both existences who surpassed Zhizun realm. As long as the other partys cultivation didnt surpass theirs, they should be able to discern the other partys cultivation easily, even if the other party tried to conceal it. However... despite their intent observation, they were unable to tell anything at all. This meant that the person before them could only be stronger than them. "Un!" Su shi nodded. He was unable to see through the other partys cultivation as well. There were only two possibilities if one was unable to see through another persons cultivation. Firstly, the other party was stronger than them. Secondly, the cultivation technique that the other party cultivated was at a much higher level than their own, resulting in his zhenqi being so pure that one was unable to make a clear assessment. Regardless of which of the two possibilities it was, it could only mean to say that Yang shi wasnt an ordinary person. "Done looking yet?" They stared intently at Yang shi with a tenacious drive to dig out every single detail of his, only to see the other party casually lifting a teapot and slowly pouring himself a cup of tea. Without even ncing at them, his impassive voice sounded. "Weve heard of the numerous amazing feats of Yang shi, and your ability to nourish a student like Zhang shi has filled us with admiration and curiosity. Please pardon our breach of etiquette!" Upon being exposed, the duo felt a little awkward. Smiling faintly, Su shi and Ling shi nced at one another before taking a seat. "Its not a problem!" Putting down the teapot, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and nced at them. Only then did the duo clearly see his appearance. Yang shi was in his forties, and he had a dashing appearance. Su shi and Ling shi immediately tried to match his looks to the descriptions of the master teachers they had heard of, but at this moment, they suddenly saw the other partys clear eyes. Looking into those eyes, Su shi and Ling shis breathing immediately hastened. Their eyes widened, and they nearly dropped the teacup in their hands onto the floor. "This is..." "Eye of Insight!" Small strings of Insight Energy flowed within those wise and deep eyes, making the person before them an unfathomable existence. With just a single look, a name immediately appeared in their minds... Eye of Insight! This was an ability that only 6-star master teachers couldprehend. It was said that those who possessed this could peer into the essence of the world with a single look... They thought that it was only a legend, but to think that it would be true! And for it to appear on the person before them at that! "Could it be that..." The lips of the duo quivered. Could this Yang shi be a 6-star master teacher, or even higher than that? The very thought of it vanquished their displeasure from being disregarded by the other party. Putting aside the knowledge and rallying ability of a 6-star master teacher, with his cultivation itself, he would be more than capable of destroying the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance! Even if an expert of his caliber were to humiliate them, they wouldnt dare to utter a single word ofint! This was the strength and rank of a 6-star master teacher! The disparity between each rank grewrger the higher up thedder of a master teacher. Especially after 5-star, the difference between each rank was like heaven and earth. A 2-star master teacher might be hard-pressed to defeat ten 1-star master teachers, but it was a walk in the park for a 6-star master teacher to subdue a hundred 5-star master teachers at once. Hu! The duos hearts jolted. Fortunately, the Insight Energy flowing within Yang shis eyes disappeared after a short moment, and he reverted back to his original state. Gazing at the duo impassively, Yang shi said, "Su shi and Ling shi, may I know the reason for your visit?" "Ah..." Su shi was dumbstruck. Initially, they thought that Yang shi would be around their caliber, and their highest estimate was 4-star pinnacle or 5-star. If so, they could still interact and trade some insights. Who could have thought that... the other party would disy the Eye of Insight which only 6-star master teachers couldprehend? They could still trade insights with those around the same level as them, but with this kind of expert... How in the world should they trade insights with him? It would be more like seeking guidance! But given how they abruptly visited the other party, if they were to say that they were here to seek guidance, that would be a huge breach of etiquette! "Actually, we asked a favor of Zhang shi. May I know if he has discussed the matter with Yang shi yet?" Ling shi reacted swiftly, and he hurriedly replied. "Thats right! Were here for this matter!" Su shi nodded vigorously. "Is it about the matter of the Master Teacher Tournament?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He was perplexed by why these two experts were so intent to find Yang shi, but to think that it would be for this matter. Back then, when the other party told him to discuss this matter with his teacher, it seemed like they really meant that they said. "Yes. Despite being under twenty, Zhang shi possesses outstanding talents. If he were to join, hell surely be able to make a name for himself..." Su shi hurriedly exined. However, before he could finish his words, a cold harrumph echoed in the hall. "Does my student need a tournament to prove himself?" Yang shi gestured haughtily, "You must be joking!" "This..." Su shi and Ling shi shuddered, and their faces paled simultaneously. Chapter 403: Unfathomable Yang shi (2) Chapter 403: Unfathomable Yang shi (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This person before them could potentially be a master teacher beyond 6-star. At the same time, his student, Zhang Xuan, was a person who was capable of breaking the records of the guild simultaneously. If he truly wished to make a name for himself, there was no need for him to join any tournament or what. In fact, just by saying that he was Yang shis student, he was already able to incur the envy of countless geniuses in the world. "Yang shi, I have misspoken! Pardon me," Su shi hurriedly apologized. "Enough." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "If this is the reason why you all are here, you all can leave now. The decision in Zhang Xuans hands! I am only his teacher, Im not his nanny. I dont interfere in all of his affairs." "We were rash..." Upon hearing the other partys intent to chase them out, Su shi and Ling shi hurriedly stood up, but they didnt leave immediately. Instead, a hesitant look appeared on their face, and Su shi gritted his teeth and asked, "Actually, I have met with some doubts in my cultivation, and I would like to ask for Yang shis guidance." This was a master teacher who was likely to exceed 6-star! He might not necessarily meet another one in his entire life. Since he met with one, if he didnt ask any questions, he would surely regret it for the rest of his life. "What doubts do you have?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly, but he put on a nonchnt expression. This was what he feared the most disguising as a higher ranked master teacher. As a master teacher, he had a duty to enlighten his juniors. While he could refuse the other party, it could potentially raise doubts on his character, or even worse, his identity. Seeing that the other party didnt reject them outright, Su shi heaved a sigh of relief. A hint of delight shed in his eyes, and he hurriedly replied, "The cultivation technique that I am cultivating now is Miniature Sr Art, and every time I drive it to the seventh cirction I feel as though my body is being torn apart, and Im unable to continue on. This matter has been guing me for a while, and Ive been unable to find a solution to it!" "Miniature Sr Art?" Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had assimted the knowledge of the books in Tianwu Royal City into his head, but this name didnt ring a bell at all. He had no idea what the sixth or seventh cirction the other party was talking about was at all "Show me!" Even though Zhang Xuan felt a little stifled within, he had experienced this kind of stuff numerous times, so he didnt panic at all. Instead, he slowly sipped on his tea before raising his gaze to ask. His movements wereposed and refined. "Yes!" Su shi nodded. To offer the most urate guidance, one had to see the situation for themselves first. Su shi moved to the center of the room and sat down cross-legged. Then, his hands moved in a circr motion, and spiritual energy started to concentrate in the center. Tzzzzzz! The speed at which spiritual energy was being absorbed was so swift that a deafening sonic boom sounded. "Incredible..." Seeing the speed at which the other party was pulling in spiritual energy at, Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched. As expected of a 4-star master teacher, his means were indeed exceptional. "ws!" Given that the other party was operating his cultivation technique, a book immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped through it. "Su Fan, 4-star primary master teacher, Transcendent Mortal cultivator, an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion. Cultivation technique: Miniature Sr Art. ws: ..." Su Fans information was recorded in detail in the book. After using the golden page and assimting the knowledge in all of the books of the Library of Heavens Path into his head, Zhang Xuan already knew that beyond the Fighter 9 dans was [Transcendent Mortal]. The Fighter 9 dans was actually a stage to bring the strength of a mortal to the very limits. From there on, one would surpass his mortality to reach higher realms. Just like the Fighter 9 dans, the Transcendent Mortal realm also had 9 dans. However, as Tianwu Kingdom didnt have ess to books of that level, there wasnt any detail description on it. However, given that the person before him was a Transcendent Mortal expert, regardless of whether it was his physical body, spirit, or level of existence, he had already surpassed that of Zhizun realm to reach the heights unattainable by mortals. It was just like the gap between a Phantom weapon and a Spirit weapon. Their level of existence waspletely different from one another. After reading through the ws written in the book, a bizarre look shed on Zhang Xuans face. ... The moment Su shi started cultivating, Ling shi hurriedly turned his gaze onto Yang shi. As an old buddy of the former, Ling shi knew about this problem as well. He searched through countless books and even asked a higher tiered guild through the Communication Wall about the matter. However, no one had been able to answer this question. Since Su shi had brought up this problem, Ling shi was curious to see how Yang shi would deal with this situation. Given that the other party was likely to be a master teacher ranked beyond 6-star, seeing how he dealt with problems and learning from him might prove to be helpful to him for his advancement in the upation. Thus, he focused his all of his attention on Yang shi, intent on catching every single action of his. However, after taking a brief look, a deep crease furrowed on his forehead, and doubts sprouted in his mind. It was normal for master teachers to ask of the other party to disy their cultivation technique or battle technique and observe it intently so as to determine the problems within them. However... Yang shi closed his eyes right after catching a glimpse, and fell motionless. What in the world was he up to? Dont you have the Eye of Insight? Shouldnt you use this ability to determine the faults in his cultivation? Why arent you using it? On top of that, the faults in cultivation techniques tend to be deeper than battle techniques. You should at least observe it for a while longer and even ask him some questions about the matter before making a decision! To do nothing at all, and close your eyes as though you are sleeping... What kind of diagnosis method is that? Ling shi was baffled. Master teachers were simr to physicians in several ways. One had to observe carefully to determine the crux of a problem before dealing with it at the very root. As a 4-star master teacher, Ling shi knew more than ten thousand diagnosis methods, but none of it consisted of a momentary glimpse before closing ones eyes and falling into a daze... "It cant be that... even he cant solve it?" A thought appeared in Ling shis mind. Given how the other party possessed the Eye of Insight, he bore no doubts toward the other partys identity. However, he couldnt bear to see his good buddy to be disappointed once more. "Alright, its enough!" At this moment, Yang shi finally opened his eyes and said. There wasnt a single emotion that could be seen on his face. "Yes!" Calming down his cultivation, Su shi stared at Yang shi hopefully. "Yang shi... Is there a solution?" Ling shi asked carefully. Given how the other party closed his eyes right after catching a glimpse... He didnt think it was likely, but that couldnt stop him from hoping. "Solution?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Theres no problem with his cultivation. The Miniature Sr Art is also verypatible with his physique!" "Then..." The duo was stunned. If there was nothing wrong with his cultivation, and his cultivation technique waspatible with him as well, then why would he be unable to continue uponing to the seventh cirction? "You wish to reach the eighth cirction?" Seeing the duo fall silent, Zhang Xuan gazed at Su shi and asked. "Yes! Ive been stuck at the seventh cirction for more than five years already, but Im still unable to find the method to achieve a breakthrough..." Su shi hurriedly nodded his head. The cultivation technique that he practiced, the Miniature Sr Art, was a Spirit cultivation technique. It had been more than fifty years since he started cultivating the technique, and he had endured intense heat and frigid chill innumerable times to master it. He thought that he could try for the ninth cirction, the highest realm of the technique, at a single go to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation... But he couldnt have imagined that he would be stuck at the seventh cirction. For five consecutive years, his cultivation had stagnated. He had asked countless master teachers about this matter, and numerous elders of the guild even sat together to inspect this matter. However, none of them was able to determine the root of the problem. "If you wish to reach eighth cirction, then listen to my instructions. Dont try to retaliate and dont harbor any doubts!" Zhang Xuan stood up and slowly walked toward Su shi with his hands behind his back. "Alright!" Su shi agreed without any hesitation. The person before him was an expert who groomed a Celestial Master Teacher. Since the other party was willing to help him, this was an extremely good opportunity for him. "Alright. Start cultivating once more. Ill use a special method for you to pass the seventh cirction, but before that, you have to close your eyes. No matter what happens, just focus all of your attention on driving your cultivation technique!" Zhang Xuan said gravely. "Yes!" Still seated cross-legged on the floor, Su shi took a deep breath and started to cultivate once more. "You cant sit, you have to cultivate in the horse stance!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Cultivate in the horse stance?" Su shi was taken aback, but he nodded his head without much hesitation. At his level, he was more than capable of multitasking. Putting aside cultivating while in a horse stance, he could even cultivate while executing a battle technique. "Alright, Ill begin then!" Thus, Su shi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Gu gu gu gu! The spiritual energy from the air began to be pulled into his body once more. The Miniature Sr Art induced concentrated yang energy to be infused into ones zhenqi, thus granting one strength far greater than those of the same cultivation realm. This was precisely the reason why, even though Su shi and Ling shi were both 4-star primary master teachers, the former possessed a much higher standing. Su shi reached a state of imperturbability as soon as he began. Satisfied, Zhang Xuan nodded. He circled around the other party before turning over to Ling shi. "Do you wish to help him?" Ling shi was taken aback. "How can I help him?" Shouldnt your guidance be the key to his breakthrough? I have a y in this matter as well? "Just listen to mymands!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Ling shi agreed. The other partys action of closing his eyes after a glimpse had already left him doubtful. Yet, at this moment, the other party was asking him to help him in this matter. Ling shis curiosity was piqued. He wanted to see what kind of method the other party would use to help Ling shi to reach the eighth cirction, and what kind of role he would y in the matter. "Hold on for a moment!" After hearing Ling shi agree to the matter, Zhang Xuan stood silently on the spot, staring intently at Su shi impassively. Gu gu gu! Along with Su shis cultivation, his aura gradually grew stronger and stronger, as though a dragon awakening from his slumber. "Fourth cirction... Fifth cirction... Sixth cirction!" Feeling the aura on the other party slowly growing more and more powerful, Ling shis expression turned graver and graver. The two of them were close buddies, and Su shi had cultivated the Miniature Sr Art before Ling shi on numerous asion, so he was well aware of the details of his cultivation technique, as well as when the problem would ur. Kacha! The sixth cirction came to an end, and as soon as the seventh cirction began, jiya!, a crisp sound echoed from Su shis bones, and it sounded as though something had broken. Then, his flesh started to tear apart, and blood spilled out from thecerations. In the blink of an eye, the schrly-looking Su shi suddenly became a demon that crawled out from hell. "Yang shi, Su shi... might be unable to hold on any longer..." Upon seeing the state of his old buddy, anxiety showed on Ling shis face. Based on his understanding, this was the limit of the other party. Any further than that might cause severe injuries to him. It was precisely because of his body being unable to withstand the cultivation technique that the cultivation of his old buddy had remained stagnant for the past five years. This was also why he was intent on visiting Yang shi after hearing about his incredible feats. "Un! Lets begin now,e over here!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan beckoned Ling shi over. "Alright!" Ling shi hurriedly rushed over. "You just have to do this..." Zhang Xuan sent him a telepathic message, exining his secret technique to him clearly. "This... this..." Upon hearing Yang shis secret technique, the edges of Ling shis mouth twitched, and his entire body froze on the spot. He was already on the verge of tears. What the heck was this solution? Are you trying to kill him through my hands? "Will it... really work?" Chapter 404: Unfathomable Yang shi (3) Chapter 404: Unfathomable Yang shi (3) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Its worth a try!" After which, Zhang Xuan walked back to his seat and sat down calmly. Then, he poured himself a cup of tea and silently sipped on it. "Try?" Ling shi spewed blood. The method you brought up is obviously a murder attempt! I thought that you are confident in this matter. To think that it would only be a... try! What if it doesnt seed? Wont Su shi die for real? I will have to bear the crime of killing arade if that happens! "Yang shi... Is there any other possible solution?" Ling shi asked, hesitant to use Zhang Xuans method. Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to answer Ling shis question. He sat quietly on the spot, not even sparing thetter a nce. Upon seeing his attitude, Ling shi knew that it was impossible to pry anything out of his mouth even if there was another solution. Thus, he turned his gaze to Su shi hesitantly. What the hell was this! The one who was afflicted with the problem was Su shi, and the one who wanted to pass the seventh cirction was him as well, then why was the one who was in dilemma him... "How is it? Hurry up! I cant hang on any longer..." While Ling shi was still conflicted, Su shi bellowed with a savage expression. He had already held onto the seventh cirction for quite a period of time now. If nothing was done, he would surely be severely injured once more, and this attempt would end in failure. In the past, that was the case as well. Every time he tried to cultivate this technique, he would have to rest for at least a month. Honestly speaking, Su shi felt stifled as well. What was wrong with this old buddy of his? Since Yang shi had already told him the solution to the problem, he should hurry up. What was he hesitating for? Did he want to see him fail this attempt and be stuck in bed for another month? "Alright then!" Hearing the other partys urging, Ling shi gritted his teeth and walked over. Then, with a look of pity, he said, "Su shi, Im sorry!" "Sorry?" Su shi was taken aback. Using the secret technique to help me pass the seventh cirction is helping me, so what do you mean by sorry? Before Su shi could make sense of the situation, he suddenly felt a strong shock wave from beneath his crotch. "You..." Just the immense shock wave he felt caused Su shis soul to almost leave his body in fright. If the attack were to strike him, he would surely be crippled! There was no doubt about it! Even though he was already old and it wasnt of any use already, it was still a part of his body. What in the world are you trying to do... "Dont move!" Just as Su shi was about to twist and avoid the attack, Yang shis stern voice echoed. The slight moment of hesitation sealed his fate. Ling shis leg flew swiftly upward. Peng! Su shis face immediately distorted. His vision darkened, and an intense pain struck his entire body from his crotch, causing him to almost faint on the spot. Ling Yuheng, youd better remember this... Howling furiously in his heart, he was just about to tear the person before him apart when a giant palm struck his head. After seeing that he was still alive after having his crotch struck, the other party wanted to finish him off with a p? "You..." Su shi burst into tears. Didnt Yang shi get you to use that secret technique he taught you? Why are you beating me up instead? You dont think that crippling me is enough, so you wish to im my life as well? Stifled, Su shi tried to avoid the attack but to no avail. In terms of strength, the two of them were on par. Even if Su shi could defeat Ling shi, it would at least take a thousand blows. Now that his crotch had been struck, and unimaginable pain was coursing through his body, how could he possibly be in the condition to avoid the other partys attack? Furthermore, the other party used his zhenqi to seal his surroundings, causing him to be unable to move at all. Before he could struggle free, the other partys palm had already struck his head. Peng! His vision turned dark, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. But all of a sudden, Su shi felt a powerful strength gushing from his dantian, and unable to hold himself back anymore, he roared furiously. Boom! A powerful shock wave immediately gushed forth from him, and cracks swiftly spread across the floor tiles as though a spider web. At the same moment, the tables and chairs in the vicinity was reduced to dust. Kacha! As though having eaten some nutritious tonic, his zhenqi, which had stopped moving, suddenly formed a torrent, and having broken through the countless shackles from before, it performed another cirction in his body. The eighth cirction! "I suc-seeded?" Recovering from his pain, Su shi sensed the raging and seemingly endless zhenqi flowing through his body, and he froze for a moment before frenzied delight grasped him. Never in his dreams did he expect to break through the obstruction which had hindered him for five years just like that... "It worked?" Ling shi thought that his friendship with the other party would havee to an end after he crippled him and struck him on his face. He didnt expect the other partys aura to suddenly surge, allowing him to break through his bottleneck at the seventh cirction. He hurriedly turned to look at Yang shi. As though knowing that this would happen, the other party was still drinking his tea calmly, not paying any heed to the situation here. "This is a problem which even the pavilion master and a 5-star master teacher couldnt solve. Yet, with a single kick and p..." Ling shis eyes opened wide, and his body trembled slightly. He knew that it was impossible for Yang shi to be simple, given how he was able to groom a student of Zhang Xuans caliber, but... he didnt think that he would be so impressive! With a single nce, the other party had already found the root of the problem, as well as the solution to it. On top of that, he didnt even use his Eye of Insight at all. Yang shis capability was already beyond his imagination. "Just that... isnt the solution... a little way too ridiculous..." After recovering from his shock, Ling shis first reaction was speechlessness. When other master teachers guided someone, they would often alter their cultivation technique, point out the errors in their cultivation, rmend them some effective pills, or something along those lines. Yet, this fellows guidance was actually a kick and a p... It was simple, but... Upon recalling the kick just now, Ling shis mouth couldnt help but twitch. Even if the other party wasnt crippled, he would have to at least recuperate for two years before being able to use it once more. "Yang shi, thank you for helping me achieve a breakthrough..." At this moment, Su shi had finally finished his cultivation, and his aura felt significantly stronger than before. Excited, he hurriedly sped his hand to thank Yang shi. Having reached the eighth cirction, his cultivation rose significantly as well, even though it was still slightly unstable as he hadnt reinforced yet it. But in any case, he had managed to take a step forward after five years of stagnation. Just that... the price was a little way too high! The excruciating pain left his legs shaking non-stop, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead profusely. If not in consideration for his image, he would have definitely bent down and scrunched in a C shape. "Un!" Putting down his teacup, Zhang Xuan stood up and gazed at the duo calmly, "Do you all understand the reason behind this?" "Yang shi, please enlighten us!" The duo gazed at one another before bowing toward Yang shi. It was unfathomable how a single kick and a p could work such miracles. Even though they had seen the sight for themselves, they still couldnt help but find it inconceivable. Seeing the iprehension in their eyes, Zhang Xuan shook his head and turned to Su shi. "The technique you cultivate is Miniature Sr Art, and your physical constitution also possesses overwhelming yang energy. Without a doubt, this cultivation techniqueplements you very well! Rationally speaking, it shouldnt be a problem for you to reach the eighth cirction. However..." With a deep gaze with slight traces of regret within, Zhang Xuan continued, "Time trickles on like a relentless river. As you age, your physical function slowly deteriorates, and the yang energy within your body is already unable to keep up with your cultivation technique! If Im not wrong, you dont have much of an interest in the opposite gender now, right?" "I..." Su shi felt a little awkward. As he aged and his physical functions deteriorate, his interest toward the opposite gender slowly died down. However, this was his secret. After having such a matter pointed out by the other party, his face immediately flushed in embarrassment. What men feared was having their impotency pointed out. "Since even the opposite gender is unable to attract you, it goes to show that the decline of your yang energy has already reached a severe state. Without sufficient yang energy to sustain your cultivation technique, no matter how formidable you are, you wont be able to drive it as easily as you used to." Disregarding the other partys embarrassment, Zhang Xuan continued exining, "The crotch isnt just the symbol of ones masculinity, its also the origin of yang energy in a man. As such, when Ling shi struck on it with his might, the yang energy umted within immediately gushed out, granting you with a further drive for your cultivation technique. "But of course, this didnt necessarily guarantee that you can exceed the seventh cirction. Just in case, I had him strike your head as well. "The head is where the yang energy gathers at! After the origin has been struck, the dissipated yang energy would gather at your head. Thus, when Ling shi struck your head, you immediately broke through your bottleneck, reaching the eighth cirction!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan stood up with his hands behind his back. The shadow behind him extended far, making him look iparablyrge and powerful. "This..." The duo was shocked. The other party had put it simply, but as master teachers, they knew how difficult the matter was. While it was true that the crotch was the birth of yang energy, it was also the weakest spot of a man. On top of that, the head was an even more vital region. To strike the both of them consecutively... If there was the slightest error in the other partys conjecture, Su shi would have died! To have such grasp over Su shis illness, was this person before them... still a human? "Incredible! Yang shi is truly incredible..." ncing at one another, the same though appeared in the duo at once. To be able to identify his problem with a single nce urately and urately determining the amount of strength Ling shi should put into his attack in just this short period of time... There was no one that they knew who was capable of such a feat! To think that they thought that Yang shi would be of equal standing as them! In the end, there wasnt any basis ofparison between them at all, they were atpletely different levels! As expected of the master teacher who hadprehended Eye of Insight, fearsome! "You should hurry up and condition yourself. Your injuries are also quite severe this time around." Seeing the expression of the duo, Zhang Xuan knew that he had managed to hoodwink the duo, and he inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he looked at Su shi in sympathy. If Zhang Xuan made a move himself, he could use Heavens Path zhenqi to stimte the other partys acupoints to release the umted yang energy. This would produce the simr effect of breaking through the seventh cirction as well. However, the other party would surely be able to see through the uniqueness of his Heavens Path zhenqi, as well as his cultivation. If so, he would give himself in. Thus, after much contemtion, he decided to go with this. However, this was indeed a little too violent... Even Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a chill at his crotch upon seeing the sight. "Yes..." Upon hearing those words, Su shi heaved a sigh of relief. Putting everything aside, he immediately sat down and drove his cultivation, warding off the excruciating pain he was suffering from the two violent blows. "Yang shi, Su shi has managed to reach the eighth cirction this time, but... if he wants to try for the ninth cirction, what should he do?" At this moment, Ling shi couldnt help but ask. Only after reaching the highest level, the ninth cirction, could Su shi attempt to reach for higher realms. Given how difficult it was for him to reach the eighth cirction already, what should he do to reach the ninth cirction? "Simple! Just use the same method. If a single kick doesnt work, then kick another time. If it still doesnt work, then kick it ten more times... Eventually, sufficient yang energy should be stimted for his breakthrough!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "Ten times?" Ling shis sweat immediately flowed down profusely. At the same time, Su shis body trembled upon hearing those words, and his cultivation nearly went berserk. The heck... If only that I knew this would happen, I shouldnt have picked up this cultivation technique! ... While the two master teachers were on the verge of a breakdown, not too far away, in the Lin Residence, a giant savage beast flew straight over. Hu! Itnded at the center of the courtyard, and two men and ady alighted from its back. Chapter 405: The Formidable Sun Qiang Chapter 405: The Formidable Sun Qiang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This is the Lin n Residence? As the number one n in Tianwu Kingdom, even if it waste at night, the Lin n Residence should have been bustling with guests. However, the empty courtyard was wrecked, and there wasnt a single guard or servant to be seen. It waspletely different from how she remembered it. "Liu Cheng, Im going to kill you..." Princess Consort Lin Longs beautiful eyes widened in rage, and her ck hair drifted slightly despite the absence of wind. Her furious howl reverberated within the residence. When she received the news back then, the person named Liu Cheng was in the midst of dealing with the Lin n Residence. Without a doubt, that fellow must be the culprit! "Hurry up and look around to find my father and my little brother. If anything happens to them, I want the entire Tianwu Kingdom to be buried along with them!" Her silver teeth clenched tightly in resentment, and deep killing intent shed in her eyes. How dare a Tier 1 Kingdom, a trash-like existence whom wasnt worthy of her consideration,y its hands on her Lin n? It was courting death! To dare assault the Lin n, that Liu Cheng had to die! And for the Tianwu royal family to know of the matter but stay idle, it must pay the price as well! "Yes!" The two men behind her immediately darted away. Eastern Pce Commander Liang Qingming possessed the strength of a Zhizun realm advanced stage, while Beast Tamer Zhou Jin, who tagged along with the two of them, had reached Zhizun realm primary stage. The two Zhizun realm experts moved swiftly, and before long, they reported back to the princess consort. "Your Highness, n Head Lin and Young Master Lin are over there!" Upon hearing that her father and younger brother werent dead yet, Lin Long heaved a sigh of relief. She hurried over, and entered a giant hall. With a single look, her face immediately crumbled. The duo was alive, but they were no different from being dead. Their cultivation had been dissipated, and there wasnt a single spot on them that was intact. Heavily injured, even if they were to be saved at this point, they were already crippled. The younger of the duo was unconscious, and if not for his faint breathing one would have thought that he were dead. "Long-er, you must exact vengeance for us!" Upon seeing her walk over, Lin Ruotian immediately rushed over, as though meeting his savior. Back then, even though Lu Chong didnt kill him, he had Hall Master Liao nt at least seven lethal poison all over his body, causing him to be in agony at every single moment. On top of that, the Lin ns fall from grace caused all of their past enemies toe knocking. The torture and humiliation hed suffered made him tempted tomit suicide. If not for a tenacious drive pushing him on to wait for her daughter and have her exact vengeance for him, he would have already given in. "What happened?" Lin Long hurriedly fed the other party a recovery pill before asking. "Its... Liu Cheng! No, to be precise, its 2-star Master Teacher Zhang Xuan! His student is that bastard who fled from the Qu n two years ago..." After consuming the pill, Lin Ruotian recovered some of his stamina. Gritting his teeth, he started recounting the matter. But of course, all he talked about was how he was insulted and humiliated by the other party. As for the cause of the matter, as well as the destruction of the Qu n, he didnt bother to fill the other party in on the details. But in any case, it was unlikely that the other party would care either. "Zhang Xuan?" Lin Long narrowed her eyes and bellowed, "Commander Liang, head to the Master Teacher Pavilion at this moment and capture Zhang Xuan! I want him to pay the price and let everyone know that only death awaits those who dares to offend our Lin n!" "Your Highness, please reconsider your orders. This Zhang Xuan is a 2-star master teacher, and a genius at that. Hes likely to be a target of protection of the Master Teacher Pavilion..." Frowning, Liang Qingming tried to persuade the other party. A 2-star primary master teacher didnt mean much to Xuanyuan Kingdom. However, killing a master teacher publicly might result in a bacsh. Even Xuanyuan Kingdom couldnt afford to incur the wrath of the Master Teacher Pavilion. "He destroyed my family and killed my kin. So what if he has the backing of the Master Teacher Pavilion? Can a master teacher act unreasonably just because he has backing? Besides, the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilions Pavilion Master Luo is a close friend of the crown prince. As long as we exin the situation to him, he should overlook the matter!" Lin Longs eyes reddened in fury. The pavilion master of Xuanyuan Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion was Luo Qianhong. With his backing, Lin Long had very little worry. After all, it wasnt beneficial for him to turn against the future emperor over such a minor character. "Yes!" Seeing the other partys insistence, Liang Qingming could only obey her orders. Nodding, he was just about to leave when another voice sounded. "Wait a moment, I want to go with you. I want to see how this fellow is torn apart..." The savagery on the emaciated face of Lin Ruotian created an extremely eerie sight, as though a demon who had climbed out of hell. "Alright, lets go together!" Seeing her fathers state, Lin Long immediately agreed to the matter. Thus, the group climbed onto the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast and darted into the skies. "Ive been keeping tabs on that scoundrel. He isnt in the Master Teacher Pavilion now, but in a residence not too far away!" Lin Ruotian said. Knowing that his daughter would rush in as soon as she could to exact vengeance, he had the final loyal servants of the Lin n keep an eye on Zhang Xuan... Instead of escaping, the other party had been holing himself in his residence. Boom! Given the speed of the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast, it only took a few moments for it to reach the skies above the residence. "Commander Liang, I hope that you can capture him alive. I want to torture him slowly to his death..." With a face distorted in savagery, madness shone on Lin Ruotians face. As the father of the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom, he knew some of the important figures around the crown prince, and Liang Qingming was one of them. Based on what he knew, the other party possessed a strength of Zhizun realm advanced stage! With such strength, he could wipe out the entire Tianwu Kingdom easily! Even the guardian beast of Tianwu royal family was only at Zhizun realm primary stage. An expert of this caliber could easily crush it to death. "Dont worry!" Liang Qingming nodded. He walked up to the head of the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast and gazed coldly at the residence below. The might of a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert immediately shrouded the entire area, and a cold voice boomed. "Zhang Xuan,e out and die!" Boom! His voice was infused with the zhenqi of a Zhizun expert, and the entire capital trembled before it. "Come out and die?" "Shit, the princess consort of the Lin n is here!" "This is bad. Judging from the might from his voice itself, hes at least a Zhizun realm expert. Can Zhang shi... really stand against him?" "Zhang shi might be strong, but hes still far from a match from Zhizun realm experts. This time, hes really in trouble..." ... The voice rmed the entire poption of Tianwu Royal City, and their faces paled. The backing of the Lin n was no secret. Even though there hadnt been any movement from Xuanyuan Kingdoms side the past few days, they knew that it was only the calm before the storm. At this moment, given that fearless and mighty voice and the gigantic savage beast flying in the air, without a doubt, the other party... was here! They were here to exact vengeance! "Zhizun realm... advanced stage? If Im not wrong, that must be themander of the Crown Prince Residence, Liang Qingming!" In the pce, Mo Tianxue also heard the voice as well. Rushing up to the highest tower, he saw the middle-aged man on top of the savage beast, and his lips quivered in fear. As a vassal state, he still knew a little about the various powers and important figures in Xuanyuan Kingdom. Given the powerful might he shown, without a doubt, this middle-aged man had to be the Zhizun realm advanced stagemander! "Zhizun realm advanced stage? Isnt Zhang shi in trouble then?" Mo Yus body swayed, and anxiety filled her. Even though Zhang Xuan had produced miracles time and time again, there was a huge gap between Zhizun realm advanced stage and Half-Zhizun. To think that Lin Long would actually send such a person here! How in the world could Zhang shi withstand such overwhelming strength? "Theres... nothing we can do! On top of that... it seems like Tianwu Kingdom is doomed as well..." Mo Tianxues body shuddered. The other party was a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert. No strategy would work when there was such a humongous disparity in strength. Even the guardian beast was helpless in this situation. They werent a match at all. "Xiao Yu, take this ring and escape swiftly. As long as you survive, even if the kingdom is destroyed, it can still be rebuilt..." Mo Tianxue hurriedly took off the storage ring from his forefinger and passed it over to Mo Yu. Mo Yu was talented and smart. If Tianwu Kingdom were to be destroyed today, she would be the only hope to rebuilding it from ruins. No matter what, she mustnt die here. Otherwise, Mo Tianxue wouldnt be able to face the predecessors of the Mo n even upon death. "Father..." Mo Yus body trembled in agitation. She was unwilling to abandon her father, but she knew that this was the best solution they had. Back then, Lin Long could eradicate the entire Qu n over such a minor matter. Given that how the entire Lin n was destroyed this time around, it was highly possible that she would turn her rage to Tianwu royal family after Zhang shi dies! It was highly possible that she would wipe out all that possessed the royal blood in vengeance. "Alright, go. I cant go with you... If I were to leave now, thered be a pandemonium. My fate will be one with Tianwu Kingdom!" Mo Tianxue said determinedly. As the emperor of the kingdom, he couldnt abandon his men now. "Father..." Knowing that his death was sealed with this decision, Mo Yus body trembled. She wanted to say something, but at that moment, an impatient voice echoed from the Zhang Xuans residence. "Audacious! Which idiot is causing a ruckus here? You must be tired of living! If you wish to meet the young master, go out and kneel!" "Ah?" Mo Yu and Mo Tianxue were stunned. Given the huge uproar Liang Qingming stirred, almost every single person in Tianwu Royal City was staring at this situation intently. Upon hearing those words, they were dumbstruck, and they nearly spurted blood. This was a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert from Xuanyuan Kingdom! To speak such words... Everyone immediately hurriedly leaped to the highest location to see who was the one speaking. Perhaps, it might be a formidable figure who could save Tianwu Kingdom from this impending catastrophe. However, with a single look, they nearly keeled over. It was a potbellied middle-aged man... Butler Sun. In the past few days, quite a few people havee into contact with this fellow, so many knew that his cultivation was only at Pigu realm pinnacle. Even in Tianwu Kingdom, he stood at the very bottom of the power pyramid... With such weak cultivation... How did he find the guts to spout such brazen words? For you to dare spout such words, do you know how powerful is that guy in the sky? Mo Yu and Mo Tianxue nced at one another, and they trembled in fear. At Zhizun realm advanced stage, the other party could be considered as an expert of the highest tier even in Xuanyuan Kingdom. For a mere Pigu realm butler to act so arrogantly... The heck! This matter was already hard to resolve, and this fellow just had to anger him further. Without a doubt, a festival of blood would soon begin in this city. "You..." While everyone was in a frenzy, Liang Qingming nearly fell from the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast upon hearing those words. He was a famous and respected figure even in Xuanyuan Kingdom. He thought that his bellow would send these insignificant ants from a backward kingdom trembling in fear, but to think that... there would be someone who would disregard him, even ordering him to kneel outside... The heck! Are you brave, or is there a screw loose in your head? "Ill count to three. Get Zhang Xuan to scramble out here, or else, Ill destroy the entire residence and have everyone within apany him to hell!" Liang Qingmings face twitched furiously. Chapter 406: Slapping the Princess Consort Chapter 406: pping the Princess Consort Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Liang Qingming thought that this threat would send the plump man and the servants of the residence into chaos. Under the threat of such an expert, they would surely be scrambling to run as far as they can. But with a single look, his body swayed once more. The personnel in the residence were still working as per normal, as though his presence meant nothing at all. Those who were cultivating continued cultivating, those who were cooking continued cooking, those who were washing continued washing... It was as though he was transparent! Especially for that fatty below, he stared at him with utmost disdain, as though he was staring at an idiot. The heck! What was this situation? Shouldnt a mere 2-star primary master teacher of a Tier 1 Kingdom be trembling silently in fear upon seeing a Zhizun realm expert like him? Master teachers were the strongest among the same cultivation realm, but such a huge disparity in cultivation couldnt be made up with skills! It was one thing for Zhang Xuan to disregard him, but how could that weak fatty act so arrogantly as well? Wasnt he afraid of being killed? This was tant disrespect! As amander under the directmand of the crown prince, as well as a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert, he was a feared existence no matter where he went. Everyone he walked by would have to bow respectfully to him, and with a bellow, even the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Tianxue, would have to kneel to him... How dare this weak fatty show such contempt to him! Contempt your head! The more he thought about it, the more furious he got. At that moment, the fattys voice sounded once more. "Three counts? Hurry up then, but dont say that I didnt warn you. This might be the three final counts youll ever make..." "Damn it!" Commander Liangs face turned as ck as charcoal, and smoke was threatening to billow from his head. I am the one who is going to ughter you, and you say that its the three final counts I will ever make? You dare to disregard my honor as a Zhizun realm cultivator? You damned fatty, I will slice you apart... Coming to the limit of his tolerance, Commander Liang was just about tosh out and kill a few people to give a stern warning to the others when, jiya!, the doors to the main hall opened, and three figures walked out. The first one who walked out was a middle-aged man in his forties, and following behind him were two elders dressed in master teacher robes. However, even the head of Tianwu Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion was only at Zongshi realm pinnacle, so he automatically disregarded the duo. "Whats going on? Why is there such a ruckus out here?" Without even lifting his head, the middle-aged man frowned and looked at that plump man. "Old master, that fellow above demands to meet young master. What a joke, who does he think he is? Does he think that a nobody like him can meet the young master? "So, I asked him to scram." "Un, well done!" The middle-aged man nodded, approving the plump man words. Pu! Liang Qingming staggered once more. It was one thing for that plump man to be spouting nonsense, but to think that the middle-aged man, who seemed like the owner of the residence, to behave the same as well... This was getting way out of hand! Initially, Liang Qingming was still hesitant to go too far. After all, the other party was a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion. If things were to blow up, it might up disastrous. However, blinded by his rage, he couldnt care less about the consequences now. "Since you all are courting death, Ill grant you your wish..." Furious, Liang Qingmings thrusted his hand, and an overwhelming strength descended from the skies. A huge handprint pushed down straight toward the crowd in the residence. Phantom pinnacle battle technique, Adamantine Palm! The indestructible Adamantine Palm caused a huge gale to blow in the surroundings, and leaves gushed into the air. The palm possessed a strength beyond 30,000 ding. Even a Zhizun realm intermediate expert would be crushed to smithereens in an instant under the overwhelming force. Liang Qingming thought that the other party would tremble in fear immediately after seeing the might of his attack, but the middle-aged man only nced impassively at the elder beside him and said, "Little Su, Ill leave this fellow to you. Shoot him down along with that bird in the air!" "Yes, Yang shi!" The elder who was addressed as Little Su stepped forward. This Little Su wasnt of huge stature, and there wasnt any imposing disposition to him. More importantly, his legs were mped tightly together, and his face was pale. It seemed as though he was suffering from some indescribable agony. His hair was unkempt, and he looked as though he had just been beaten up. No matter how Liang Qingming looked at him, this Little Su didnt seem like an expert. To send such a fellow to deal with him? Were the people below insane? He wasnt just the only one. The various experts and influences were also dazed, and the corner of their lips twitched intensely. This was a top-notch expert form Xuanyuan Kingdom! Their princess consort had brought him here to kill you, you should at least send someone fitting to deal with him. What in the world do you mean by sending that pale-faced mped-legs elder? Arent you looking down on the other party too much! Su shi and Ling shi arriving at the capital was a confidential secret of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, no one knew that these two ordinary-looking fellows were actually unimaginably powerful experts. "Hmph!" Just when everyones heads were spinning from this ridiculous sight, this Little Su lifted his head and harrumphed coldly. Hu! His voice wasnt particrly loud, but it sounded as though a metal being burst apart. Upon colliding with the air, thetter immediately dissipated without any resistance. Peng! After which, Liang Qingming felt a sharp pain on his chest, as though he had been pierced by a sword. A mouthful of blood spewed out, and his vision darkened slightly. His entire body trembled from the impact, and he nearly fell down from the savage beast. "This... a Transcendent Mortal expert?" The other party didnt even move at all. With just a slight harrumph, he was able to neutralize his attack and injure him. No matter how foolish Liang Qingming was, it was clear that this Little Su was beyond his means. Liang Qingmings eyes narrowed, and his body trembled in fear. There wasnt even a single Transcendent Mortal expert in Xuanyuan Kingdom! How could one appear in a Tier 1 Kingdom? Furthermore, given the powerful might the other party was able to harness with a single sound... Even within the Transcendent Mortal realm, this Little Su must have reached a high level of aplishment! "This..." The crowd of spectators who were looking at the situation widened their eyes, and their hearts nearly stopped from shock. That weak-looking elder was actually able to neutralize a full strength attack from a Zhizun realm expert with harrumph, even nearly pushing thetter down the savage beast from the impact... What was going on? "This... Do you know this master teacher?" Mo Tianxue turned to ask his daughter. Mo Tianxue didnt recognize this Little Su, but since the other party was dressed in the master teacher robe, he must be a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Where in the world did this formidable figuree from? His strength was way off the charts! "This..." Mo Yu was taken aback by the sight as well. When the Assembly Bell sounded, she wasnt able to return immediately, so she missed out Su shi and Ling shis introduction. After which, she left right after witnessing Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyis examination. As such, she didnt know of the appearance of the two 4-star master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Besides, even if she knew, she couldnt have imagined that someone would dare to call a 4-star master teacher Little Su... To be able tomand a 4-star master teacher, what kind of fearsome existence was that middle-aged man? "Come down!" Before anyone could recover from the shock, the slightly hunched Little Su harrumphed yet again. Hu! It was as though a sword had flown through the air. Even the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast in the air could react, its body shuddered, and it plummeted straight down. Boom! Along with thending of the humongous savage beast, dust flew into the air. That arrogant fellow who had threatened to ughter everyone within the residence crashed onto the floor. Falling from such a great height, it took great effort for Lin Long to regain consciousness. She immediately turned to her father and her younger brother, and with a single look, she nearly turned insane. With this fall, the unconscious Lin Langs spinal cord broke, and he could potentially breathe hisst at any moment. There was no saving him anymore. On the other hand, Lin Ruotian, who was still holding on to the vestiges of his consciousness, was spewingrge mouthfuls of blood. His old wounds and new wounds gnawed at his vitality, making it a huge doubt whether he could survive from this ordeal. Lin Long flew into a frenzy. They were here to exact vengeance... And yet, before they could kill a single person or even meet their primary target, Zhang Xuan, her father and her little brother were already nearly dead. She was also severely injured from the fall as well. What was this? "Commander Liang, what are you doing? Hurry up and kill him..." Seated in the room on the Gold-scaled Lightning Beasts back, Lin Long knew very little about the situation outside. All she heard was the conversation between the two. She thought that Liang Qingming was going easy on the other party, so she howled furiously at him. "Kill him?" Commander Liangs body trembled in agitation, and he nearly fainted. How do I kill him? This old fellow is a Transcendent Mortal expert! Are you trying to send me to my death? How in the world did the wise crown prince marry a fool like you? Su shi nced at Liang Qingming. "Kill me?" Even though he had achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, it did little to alleviate the intense pain he was suffering from. He was already in a bad mood, and upon hearing the woman on the savage beasts back talking about killing him, his face immediately darkened. "Tha-thats not it... Elder, please calm down!" Commander Liang shuddered, and he hurriedly rubbed his hands together to plead with the other party. "Why are you so afraid of him? Hes just a master teacher from a Tier 1 Kingdom, what can he do to you?" Seeing how useless her subordinate was, even going to the extent of calling the other party elder, Lin Longs rage erupted. She was a smart person, but the situation with her father and her younger brother had clouded her mind. After the fall, they were already on the verge of dying, and at this moment, all that was on her mind was to exact vengeance for them. "How dare you disregard a master teacher!" Su shi bellowed. "p her!" Su shi was an amiable person, but as a 4-star master teacher, he had his own dignity as well. The other party was clearly disregarding the prestige of a master teacher, and this was a taboo for him. "Yes..." After hesitating for a moment, Liang Qingming eventually turned around and walked over to the room on top of the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast. Even if the person he had to p was the princess consort, he had no other choice. The person before him was a Transcendent Mortal expert. If he didnt obey hismands, all of them would die here today. "Commander Liang, what are you doing?" Upon seeing the other party walk in, Lin Long was taken aback. Before she could say anything else, the other party darted forward, and a p flew straight toward her cheek. Pah! Without any time to react, Lin Long was sent flying by that p. Her head crashed onto the ground, and her teeth fell onto the floor. Blood trickled down the edges of her lips. She was a genius, and her cultivation progressed swiftly. However, due to the limitation of her age, she was only a Zongshi realm advanced stage cultivator. How could she avoid the attacks of a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert? Pah pah pah pah! Since the elder outside didnt ask him to stop, Commander Liang didnt dare to stop either. He walked up to Lin Long and continued striking her. "You... You..." After several consecutive ps, her beautiful face swelled up as though a pigs face. The ps had awoken her, and she immediatelyprehended the situation here. With eyes overflowing with hatred, she red at Su shi and that middle-aged man, Yang shi. Ever since her birth, all of the way until she became the princess consort, she had lived a smooth-sailing life, and she had never suffered such humiliation. Her hatred was so deep that it couldnt be washed clean even if the water from three rivers were to run dry. Chapter 407: Spirit Stones Grades Chapter 407: Spirit Stones Grades Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Enough!" Seeing that thedy would die if the pping continued on, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Just as admiration for Yang shis magnanimity was welling up within Su shi and the others, his voice sounded, "Sun Qiang, call Lu Chong over. He should be the one pping this woman!" "..." Su shi and Ling shi. "..." Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu. This woman was the one who ordered the death of Lu Chongs entire family back then. Since the culprit was here, it was only fitting for Lu Chong to do the work. Actually, Zhang Xuan didnt expect the princess consort to arrive so quickly. However, the other party seemed to have lucked out. Since Su shi and Ling shi were here, their vengeance was destined to end in failure. "Yes!" Sun Qiang walked into the residence, and before long, he returned with Lu Chong beside him. "Grandteacher!" On the way, Sun Qiang had briefly exined the situation to him, and knowing that the middle-aged man before him was Zhang Xuans teacher, he immediately bowed respectfully upon his arrival. "Grandteacher? Old master? I finally get it. This must be Zhang Xuans elusive teacher, Yang Xuan!" Those who were looking at themotion suddenly came to a realization. It was said that Zhang Xuans teacher possessed unfathomable strength, and he even took in Pavilion Master Jiang as his student Everyone thought that it was just a rumor and waved it off back then. To think that it would be true! It was no wonder that Zhang shi didnt hesitate in the least when he destroyed the Lin n! With such backing, there was indeed no need for him to worry about the consequences at all. "Un, that woman is Lin Langs elder sister, the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom. Ill leave her to you!" Upon seeing Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan gestured forward. "Thank you, grandteacher..." Seeing that the main culprit behind the deaths of his kin was right in front of him, how could Lu Chong hold himself back? With reddened eyes, he immediately dashed straight toward Lin Long. "What do you intend to do? Im the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom. If you dare to touch me, Ill destroy your entire n..." Frightened, Lin Long retreated swiftly. However, before she could finish her words, she felt excruciating pain on her cheek and, peng!, she was sent flying to the side. Even though her cultivation was higher than Lu Chongs, the consecutive ps from Commander Liang had left her weak and faint-headed. Under such circumstances, how could she stand against Lu Chong? In just a short moment, she was pummeled to the point that she couldnt even utter a word, and there wasnt a single spot on her that wasnt bruised. Liang Qingming wanted to help her, but seeing Su shis gazend on him from time to time, he was scared stiff. If only he knew that this would happen, he wouldnt have apanied the princess consort here. This wasnt exacting vengeance, this was waiting to be tortured... "Grandteacher, thank you for fulfilling my wish!" After he was done, Lu Chong walked back to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply. Just like with Lin Ruotian and the others, Lu Chong didnt kill her, but he crippled her cultivation. This kind of punishment was definitely worse than death. "Un!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "Alright, throw all of them out!" He was currently the unparalleled expert, Yang shi. Since Su shi didnt kill the other party, he wasnt in a ce to say anything else. Lin Long was severely injured and this bodyguard was scared out of his wits, so Zhang Xuan reckoned that they wouldnt dare to do anything else. On top of that, with Yang shi serving as a deterrence, Xuanyuan Kingdom should be hesitant to take any drastic actions. If Yang shi were to continue remaining idle while insisting for Su shi to eliminate them, the two 4-star master teachers might get suspicious. Since they werent a threat anymore, Zhang Xuan was unwilling to take the gamble. Thus, he decided to throw them out for now. "Yes!" Su shi nodded. The, grabbing onto empty air, his zhenqi formed a huge palm which grabbed the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast, Liang Qingming, and the others up, and he threw all of them out. "It-Its over?" Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu nced at one another in disbelief. Initially, they thought that Lin Longs arrival would spell the doom of Tianwu Kingdom. Never in their dreams did they expect that the entire matter would be resolved so easily via the two people who appeared in Zhang Xuans residence. "Xiao Yu, go and check on the background of the two master teachers. Why are they so powerful? And how formidable must Zhang shis teacher be tomand them!" Mo Tianxue instructed after a moment of silence. Since the danger was averted, there was no longer any need for Mo Yu to leave. Delighted, Mo Tianxue thought of paying a visit to these powerful figures. "Yes!" Mo Yu nodded. Even if her father didnt say anything, she had already intended to look into the matter. To neutralize a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert with a harrumph, and to knock down a Zhizun realm intermediate stage savage beast with another... The strength of this Little Su far surpassed her imagination. At the very least, he had to be a 3-star master teacher! Given that such a powerful figure had appeared in the Master Teacher Pavilion, it could be considered as a breach of responsibility for her to be ignorant of it. ... After the incident, the group returned to the main hall. Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan was also astonished by Su shis might. He couldnt imagine that there would be someone in the world who could render a Zhizun expert helpless with just sound. Even though he knew that the other party was incredibly powerful through the Library of Heavens Path, he didnt think that he would be that impressive. "Yang shi..." Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering when he could gain such strength, Su shi turned to look at him. "Un?" "May I know... where Zhang shi is? I would like to discuss the matter of the Master Teacher Tournament with him." After resting for a moment, Su shi had recovered considerably. The main reason why they came over here from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was for this matter. It wasnt easy to find a genius of Zhang Xuans caliber, so how could they give up now. "Hes currently cultivating in seclusion!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Su shi nodded in realization. This exined why Zhang Xuan didnt appear despite the hugemotion. Yang shi yed a huge role in Zhang Xuans growth, but his current aplishments were impossible without hard work on his part as well. "Then... About the Master Teacher Tournament..." Since the other party was in seclusion, it would be rude and dangerous to interrupt him at this moment. Su shi fell into a dilemma. "You can tell me about it and Ill ry the message to him!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes..." Su shi began exining, "The tests for the Master Teacher Tournament is decided by the heads of the Master Teacher Pavilions of the various powers participating each year, so there arent any fixed rules. However, one thing I can confirm is that the rewards will be generous. Those who are ced high in the rankings will be awarded with spirit stones, as well as an opportunity to cultivate in a secret realm..." Before he could finish his words, Yang shis eyes gleamed, "Spirit stones?" "Er... Thats right!" Su shi nodded. "Around how many will be awarded?" Yang shi stared at the other party expectantly. He wasnt interested in the Master Teacher Tournament, but he held high expectations for the spirit stone reward. The higher his cultivation, the greater the demand on spiritual energy. Even with Heavens Path Divine Art, it would take a long time for Zhang Xuan to achieve a breakthrough just by absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings. However, if he could obtain sufficient spirit stones, it would be apletely different matter. "I dont know the details, but going my traditions, the contestant who takes first ce will be awarded a hundred middle-tier spirit stones!" Su shi contemted for a moment before replying. The rules and the prizes for thepetition this year hadnt been announced yet, but based on previous asions, this seemed to be the trend. "Middle-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. Due to the tier of Tianwu Kingdom being too low, the records of spirit stone here werecking. Middle-tier... What did that mean? "The normal spirit stones we use are low-tier. Even though theres plenty of spiritual energy stored within it, itscking in purity. Once ones cultivation reaches a certain realm, the quantity of spiritual energy one can absorb from a low-tier spirit stone bes severely limited." Even though Su shi was perplexed, he exined the matter regarding the spirit stones. "Compared to low-tier spirit stones, middle-tier spirit stones harness a muchrger quantity of purer spiritual energy, making it more suited for one to cultivate with. Usually, a middle-tier spirit stone can be traded for ten thousand low-tier spirit stone. However, most people wouldnt be so foolish as to do so!" "Ten thousand?" Zhang Xuan nearly threw the teacup in his hands out. For a single low-tier spirit stone, Zhang Xuan had to employ all of his deception means. Yet, just by winning the championship of the Master Teacher Tournament, he could earn a hundred middle-tier spirit stone, which was equivalent to a million low-tier spirit stones? Are you for real? "Yang shi, it cant be that... you dont know about all this?" Seeing the unfathomable Yang shi behaving in such a manner, Su shi and Ling shi nced at one another doubtfully. Once one reached Transcendent Mortal realm, it would be difficult for one to cultivate via absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings. Under such circumstances, spirit stones became a necessity. As such, spirit stones weremon knowledge among master teachers above 3-star. Why... did the powerful Yang shi behave as though it was his first time hearing of spirit stones? "Of course, I know about that! Its just that... I happen to remember some matters of the past!" Seeing that his agitation nearly did him in, Zhang Xuan looked into the distance with the gaze of one who had seen through the vicissitudes of life. The more mysterious he seemed, the more unfathomable he would be to the other party. "Oh!" As Zhang Xuan expected, upon hearing that Yang shi was reminiscing about his past, Su shi and Ling shi chose not to ask on. "Then... about Zhang shi participating in the Master Teacher Tournament..." Su shi continued, pushing for an answer about Zhang shis participation. "This kind of tournament is a good training ground for youngsters, and I think that itll be beneficial for him to join. Rest assured, Ill talk him into it!" Zhang Xuan gestured grandly. Are you joking? That is a million spirit stones... If he were to miss such an opportunity, he would truly be a fool. "This..." Expecting to be rejected, the two master teachers were stunned upon hearing Yang shi agree to the matter so readily. Yang shi, that isnt how you were acting a moment ago. You were clearly resistant to the idea... Why did you change your mind so quickly? To think that even experts were so fickle-minded... "Alright. Yang shi, with your words, were relieved..." Even so, at least they had managed to achieve their aim. With this, there would be hope for them to im a good ranking in this tournament. Su shi and Ling shi clenched their fists tightly in excitement. "Yang shi, well have to ask you to tell Zhang shi that he has to reach the Myriad Kingdom Alliance within three months for the tournament..." "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Su shi flicked his wrist, and a token appeared in his hands. "This is the token for the tournament. Yang shi, Ill have to trouble you to pass on it to Zhang shi on my behalf. With this, the apprentices at the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion will lead him to me!" Grabbing it, Zhang Xuan ced the token into his storage ring. "Since Yang shi has agreed to the matter, well take our leave for now and make preparations in advance. Well be looking forward to Yang shi and Zhang shis arrival!" Su shi sped his fist. The main reason for the two 4-star master teachers arrival at Tianwu Kingdom was to look for the genius, Zhang Xuan, and determine whether he was worthy to attend the Master Teacher Tournament. Given that Zhang Xuan had surpassed their expectations, and they had obtained the other partys guarantee on the matter, it could be said that they had aplished their mission perfectly. Having met their aim, they decided to take their leave. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. ... Outside the residence. Mo Hongyi waited nervously. He had heard Commander Liangs shouting from the residence a while ago, but at this moment, the entire residence waspletely silent. Could they be fighting with one another? Mo Hongyi clenched his fists tightly. He wanted to charge in to help, but it might be a little too abrupt. He feared that he might incur the displeasure of the other party if he were to do it, and this could hinder him from acknowledging the other party as his teacher. "I can only hope that it doesnt blow up..." Muttering under his breath, just as Mo Hongyi was trying to fathom what was going on inside, the sky above him turned dark, and a gigantic shadow flew across the gates from the residence. Putong! Putong! Putong! Shocked, Mo Hongyi immediately backed away. Then, after calming down, he took a closer look and saw a gigantic savage beast and three figures smashing into the pavement not too far away. Their heads were nted in the ground, creating a huge hole in the street. "Thats the princess consort from the Lin n?" Mo Hongyi was taken aback. Chapter 408: Direct Disciples Chapter 408: Direct Disciples Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Werent these guys the arrogant fellows from before? The domineeringmander who was standing imposingly on the savage beast before... Why was half of his body stabbed into the ground as though a seedling? And the main culprit of the entire incident, the princess consort, had her face swollen simr to that of a pig. If not for her elegant clothes, no one would have thought that she was out of ce amidst of a group of beggars. Even that ferocious savage beast seemed to have been knocked insensible from the impact. This, this... Mo Hongyis eyes widened as though huge bells. What in the world happened? In the blink of an eye, those arrogant fellows were reduced to such a state? Doubtful, Mo Hongyi heard the sound of another two hitting to the ground. Hurriedly turning his gaze over, he saw two patients who were flung out from the savage beast crashing into the distance. They were Lin Ruotian and Lin Lang. They were already severely injured before, and after being flung several hundred meters away from a height of several dozen meters, all of their bones were shattered. Their souls left their body, heading straight to the underworld to report their attendance. "Father, brother..." Upon seeing this sight, Lin Longs blood rushed to her head in agitation, and she fainted. Even to the moment of his death, Lin Ruotian was indignant. He thought that he would be able to get back at Zhang Xuan and ughter those who had dared to humiliate him. Yet, never in his dreams could he have expected that the savage beast would be struck down. Even so, he was still hopeful. No matter what, Commander Liang was still a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert. Yet, he ended up being flung into the air, and after that... there was no more after. He came here to exact his vengeance, yet he was done in before he could even meet his sworn enemy... How could his life end so tragically? If he knew this would happen, he wouldnt have waited for his daughter. If he had relented earlier, he wouldnt have suffered so many days of humiliation in vain... "The Lin n has truly met their match this time!" "Indeed! Not only is Zhang shi talented, he has a good teacher as well. Fighting with him, isnt that no different frommitting suicide?" "To rush over without even trying to investigate the matter clearly, they deserved it..." Seeing the pathetic state of the group from Xuanyuan Kingdom, not only did no one pity them, everyone even felt exhrated. Almost everyone had learned about Lu Chong and the Qu ns matter by now. The Lin n had oppressed many smaller ns in the capital throughout the years, and their reputation hadnt been great. Now that they had fallen, everyone swiftly turned against them. "This is the doing of Zhang shis teacher?" "Indeed. Someone in the sentry tower saw the entire situation previously. He ordered a master teacher named... Little Su or something, Im not too sure!" "Regardless of who it is, to be able to throw a Zhizun realm expert around so casually, that person possesses fearsome strength..." "Indeed. From now on, Zhang shis residence is a forbidden zone! Anyone who dares to barge in will be expelled from the n!" ... Amotion broke out in the capital. "Little Su? You mean that... Su shi was the one who did it?" Mo Hongyis face flushed, and he clenched his fists rightly. As expected of a 4-star master teacher! It was a correct decision to acknowledge one of these two after all. His cultivation would surely soar swiftly in the future. Jiya! Just as he walked around the area anxiously for Su shi and Ling shi toe out, he heard the gates opened, and two figures walked out. "Butler Sun, well be leaving now. If you meet Zhang shi, tell him that well be waiting for him at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" Su shi sped his fist. "Dont worry, its a small matter!" Sun Qiang waved. "This..." Mo Hongyis body swayed from side to side. That was Su shi and Ling shi, 4-star master teachers of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! It was one thing for Yang shi to not escort them to the door, but why didnt Zhang shi send them off either? To have a butler do the job... And more importantly, wasnt this butler being a little too disrespectful? Look at his expression, he was obviously being perfunctory and... impatient! Impatient your head! It was one thing if you didnt know Su shi and Ling shis identities, but they have just shown their incredible strength. How can you still treat them with tant disregard... Are you insane, or are you ill? "Probably not... That Yang shi probably possesses unfathomable means. This is why the butler dares to behave arrogantly as well..." Mo Hongyi was no fool as well. He soon understood the situation. But then, he fell silent once more. To be able to induce the fear of a 4-star master teacher... How powerful must this Yang shi be? ... Back in the Master Teacher Pavilion. "You said that... teacher addressed Su shi as... Little Su?" Staring at the report in shock, disbelief shed across Pavilion Master Jiangs eyes. "Yes! Not only so, Su shi seems to be exceptionally obedient to Yang shis words..." Elder Zhu replied. "Su shi is a 4-star master teacher of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, yet he treated teacher with such respect, not evenining when he was called Little Su... Could teachers capability be beyond that of a 4-star master teacher?" Pavilion Master Jiang knew that Yang shi was no ordinary person, but he couldnt have guessed that he would be such a formidable figure. To be treated with utmost respect by even a 4-star master teacher, how powerful must he be? After recovering from his shock, Pavilion Master Jiangmented with a sigh, "Probably only a master teacher of his caliber would be able to groom a talent like Zhang Xuan!" Despite his young age, Zhang shi had shown incredible talent. Even if he was talented, he would still require a capable teacher to show him the way. In the very least, Jiang Shu felt that he didnt have the ability to groom a student like Zhang Xuan. "Right, pavilion master. Su shi and Ling shi have left Zhang shis residence, and theyve returned to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance on an aerial savage beast!" Elder Zhu reported. "Un, Su shi and Ling shi are elders of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion. They must have a lot of matters to handle, so they couldnt possibly stay for too long!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded. Then, hesitating for a moment, he said, "Make some preparations, lets meet Zhang shi and his teacher. Most probably, they will be leaving Tianwu Royal City soon as well!" He knew about Su shi and Ling shis motive here, and given that they had left, it could only mean that they had achieved their goal. Since the Master Teacher Tournament was in three months, Zhang shi would probably be leaving soon. "Thats right!" Elder Zhu nodded. Zhang shi was a genius, and a small ce like Tianwu Kingdom wasnt sufficient for him to spread his wings. He had to head to somewhererger for him to soar into the skies! ... Pavilion Master Jiang and Elder Zhu were right. At this very moment, Zhang Xuan was considering the matter of leaving. His cultivation had reached Zongshi realm pinnacle, and without sufficient Zhizun realm cultivation techniques, he couldnt achieve a breakthrough. And it was impossible to find cultivation techniques of that level in Tianwu Kingdom. Thus, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to head to higher tier kingdoms. Reverting back to his original appearance, Zhang Xuan walked into the main hall. At this moment, Zheng Yang and the others were still kneeling. It had been two days since then, and even though their bodies were shaking and threatening to copse at any moment, their gazes were growing more and more determined. The frivolousness within their eyes had disappeared. The two days had sharpened their will and determination. Knowing that his purpose had been met, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Get up!" Zhang Xuan gestured before heading to the top seat. Lu Chong, Zhao Ya, and the others also walked up, and at this moment, all six students of Zhang Xuan were gathered in this area. "I intend to leave Tianwu Kingdom for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. If any of you are unwilling to follow me, I wont force you!" Zhang Xuan spoke calmly as he nced at the crowd. It was time for them to make a choice again. Students werent ves. If they werent willing to follow along with him, it could only mean that their fate as teacher and student hade to an end. "Im willing to follow teacher!" Zhao Ya stepped forward. "Im the same as well!" Zheng Yang and the others hurriedly spoke up. Without their teacher, they wouldnt possess the strength they did now. They wanted to follow behind their teacher and rise to greater heights. "Lu Chong, what about you?" Soon, his five students from Tianxuan expressed their willingness to pursue Zhang Xuan. Only Lu Chong remained quiet all this while. "Ive already said that my life belongs to teacher. Naturally, Ill follow teacher no matter where you go! However, before that, I have some matters that I have to attend to!" Hesitating for a moment, Lu Chong replied. "Hm?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is several hundred thousand kilometers away. Once we leave Tianwu Kingdom, itll be hard to tell when Ill be able to return. I hope that... before leaving, I can pay respects to my parents and kin first!" Lu Chong said. "Yes, its only right for you to pay respect to your parents and kin!" Zhang Xuan replied. Since there was a long journey ahead of them, it was understandable for Lu Chong to want to pay final respects to his family before leaving. "Also... I would like to ask teacher to help me to im the object that my ancestor left behind. My current strength... is still insufficient!" Lu Chong said. Zhang Xuan nodded. The object Lu Chong was referring to probably referred to the letter with Kong shis personal handwriting on it. This item was useless to Zhang Xuan, but this was an heirloom from Lu Chongs ancestors. It wasnt surprising that Lu Chong would want to retrieve it before leaving. "Thank you, teacher!" Gratitude filled Lu Chongs eyes. "Since you all agreed to following me, then allow me to bring up some rules!" Since everyone had agreed to it, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings, and a stern expression appeared on his face. "The rtionship between a teacher and student depends on fate. In an academy, you are free to leave a ssroom and change your teacher as you please. However, since you all have agreed to follow me, I wont ept that." In a normal teacher and student rtionship, even though the students were still expected to respect their teacher, the rtionship wasnt binding. Taking Lu Chongs ss for example, even though Baioshi, their previous teacher, had taught them for a considerable period of time, the students didnt feel any guilt acknowledging Liuoshi as their new teacher. It was the same in Hongtian Academy as well. If the teacher felt that a teachers education ability was subpar, they could withdraw and change teachers as they please. "Teacher... are you taking us in as your direct disciples?" Suddenly, realization struck, and Zheng Yang asked in agitation. Zhao Ya and the others also clenched their fists tightly. There was also a hierarchy to students as well; direct disciple, normal students, and listening in. There was a huge disparity in standing among them. A normal student could change their teacher as they please. However, if a direct disciple were to do this, it would be equivalent to betraying his teacher and his heritage. He wouldnt be able toin even if those from the same line killed him. Direct disciples were entitled to the secret arts of their teacher, as well as the most detailed guidance. At the same time, their standing was also superior to the other students. But in return, they had to remain loyal to their teacher. At the same time, bing a direct disciple was an acknowledgement from a teacher to a student. After all, no one would impart their ultimate techniques to someone they didnt acknowledge. Even though Zhao Ya and the others had regarded themselves as Zhangoshis direct disciples, thetter had never brought up the topic, and theyd felt a little disappointed over the matter. Thus, upon hearing this matter, they couldnt hold back their excitement. Bing a direct disciple meant officializing their identities! In the future, they would be able to stand upright when speaking up for their teacher. "Thats right. However, if you be my direct disciple, you have to follow some of my rules: You must respect me and follow my instructions; you are not to be defiant. "Without my permission, you are not to pass down the skills I impart you all. "You must treat others magnanimously, and you mustnt bully the weak. "Honesty is the basis of trust. You mustnt hide anything from me. "Unity is of key... "If you feel that you can follow all of these rules, Ill take you in as my direct disciple. If you were to infringe of any of these, I, Zhang Xuan, will kill you personally!" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stood up and spoke sternly. At the very end, it felt as though the air in the room had frozen. Even though his students might seem frivolous, they had held utmost respect for him in their hearts. Zhang Xuan felt that this was what he was looking in a direct disciple. But even so, he had to make some things clear beforehand. "We are willing toe under Zhangoshis lineage to be Zhangoshis direct disciple. Well follow teachers orders obediently and remain loyal to you until our deaths!" Without any hesitation, Zhao Ya and the others kneeled to the floor. "Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "From now on, Zhao Ya will be your senior while Wang Ying is ranked second, followed by Liu Yang, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, then Lu Chong. The six of you are to get along harmoniously, and I bar any internal conflicts among you all!" Even though Wang Ying was the first student Zhang Xuan epted, she had a weak character. Of the group, only Zhao Ya possessed the insight and cultivation to take on the role of the leader. If Zheng Yang and the others were to lead the group, who knows what kind of trouble they would cause. "Yes!" The group nodded. With this, the ceremony ended. ... Autumn of the Year 1736, in Tianwu Royal City, Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and Lu Chong became Zhang shis direct disciples. Chapter 409: The Crown Princes Decision Chapter 409: The Crown Princes Decision Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Your Highness, you must redress my grievance! Kill that fellow to avenge me!" In a sealed room, a woman whose entire face was swollen kneeled on the floor as she screeched. It was Princess Consort Lin Long, who had been subjected to a violent beating several days ago. She had applied some medicine, and her pain had alleviated. However, the swelling had yet to calm down, and her appearance was still hideous. Seated in front of her was a young man of around thirty-four-year-old. His face was distinctly shaped and, from the asional authoritative disposition which leaked out of him, one could tell that he was a person of high standing. He was the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom, Ding Mu! "Avenge?" Pah! Ding Mus face turned scarlet as he kicked the body of the other party. His body trembled lightly in rage as he bellowed, "Do you know who you offended? How dare you ask me to avenge you?" When Lin Long left the Eastern Pce, Ding Mu happened to be out. After receiving the news, he immediately rushed back to the Pce to see what was going on. However, he was still toote. After learning that his wife had been beaten to a tragic state, he immediately sent his men to look into it, and he was nearly scared out of his wits. A genius who broke innumerable records, and on top of that, he had an unfathomable teacher... Of all the people your Lin n could offend, why in the world did you have to offend such a powerful figure! Avenge? How in the world do I avenge you? Not many people knew about Su shi and Ling shis arrival at Tianwu Kingdom, and even official master teachers werent able to dig out the matter easily. But even so, the fact that Liang Qingming wasnt a match for the other party was an issue. Given how the other party was capable of rendering a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert and the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast helpless with just a harrumph, even if the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom were toe together, it wouldnt be a match for him! If I were to try to avenge you, wont the entire kingdom be doomed? You must be joking! "Of course I know who he is, a 2-star master teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion who has a master who seems to be a 4-star master teacher!" Kicked by Ding Mu, Lin Long didnt panic. Instead, she sneered coldly. Naturally, she also ordered her men to look into the matter. "Since you know, then what are you spouting nonsense for. To be a 4-star master teacher, one has to be at minimum Transcendent Mortal realm. That kind of expert is a powerful figure even within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, needless to say Xuanyuan Kingdom. He isnt someone that you or I can offend!" Waving grandly, Ding Mu had finally decided. "Alright, lets forget about this matter. Dont ever bring it up again!" "Dont make up your mind so quickly!" Lin Long stood up. "Your Highness, do you know the reason behind the grudge between my Lin n and Zhang Xuan?" "Isnt it because you ughtered the other partys n?" Ding Mu frowned. "Thats right, but do you know why I did that?" A bizarre smile crept on Lin Longs face. Ding Mu frowned. Regarding this matter, he had no idea at all. Rumor had it that it was because of the conflict between Qu Chongs elder sister and Lin Lang. However, from the looks of it now, the matter wasnt that simple. Lin Long was a person who was extremely protective of her family, but she wasnt someone who couldnt see the bigger picture. Otherwise, no matter how infatuated he was in her, Ding Mu would have never allowed her to be his wife. She was usually aposed person, and it was indeed bizarre for her to ughter an entire n outright despite knowing the various implications it could bring. Could there have been some hidden secret about the matter? Ding Mus curiosity was piqued, and he turned toward Lin Long with a gaze inviting her to continue on. "Your Highness, I know that you wish to enter the Fleeting Cloud Sect, and Ive been keeping that in mind... Actually, the key to doing so lies with Qu Chong!" Lin Long harrumphed. "Oh?" Ding Mu nced at Lin Long. Even though Xuanyuan Kingdom was a vassal to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the strongest influence in the surroundings was, without a doubt, this Fleeting Cloud Sect! In the past 77 Master Teacher Tournament, it had won the championship thirty-six times. From this, it could be seen how powerful it was. On the other hand, the best result the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had produced was only 23rd ce, fifth from the bottom. Ding Mu was the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom, and he would eventually inherit the throne. However, his ambitions didnt just stop here. He had only thought of Xuanyuan Kingdom as his stepping stone, and his eyes were set on the wider world outside. His current aim was to be a disciple of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, but he had been unable to find a suitable opportunity to be one! Once he seeds and receives the best grooming resources, his cultivation would surely soar, and bing a Transcendent Mortal, or even reaching greater heights, wouldnt just be a dream. Just that, the Fleeting Cloud Sect was a powerful organization with high bars, and joining it was no easy feat. On top of that, Ding Mu was the crown prince of a neighboring influence. Thus, without the rmendation of an insider, it was practically impossible. "That Qu n may seem like an unimpressive and shabby n now, but several ten thousand years ago, it was an extremely formidable n! Their ancestors even unintentionally saved the life of Sage Min!" Lin Long said. "Sage Min? You mean... one of the 72 Sages under Kong shi... Min shi?" Narrowing his eyes, Ding Mus breathing hastened. Kong shi had three thousand known disciples, and of them, the most formidable ones were known as the 72 Sages. They had participated in the creation of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and they were each considered as one of its founders. Unintentionally saved his life? Wasnt this Qu n impressive then? "Indeed! Precise due to this, they received a letter with Kong shis handwritten reply on it. They took it as their family heirloom, and they passed it down from generation to generation." ncing at Ding Mu, Lin Long continued, "Even if its just a single word, the value of handwritten words from Kong shi is unimaginable. I believe Your Highness should understand it even if I dont say too much about it! If you can obtain this and hand it over to the master of Fleeting Cloud Sect, bing an inner disciple wouldnt be a problem. In fact, it shouldnt be a problem for you to be a direct disciple, or even take on the role of an elder!" "This..." Ding Mus body trembled in agitation. Kong shi, the worlds teacher. The number one expert in history. Contained within his handwritten words were thews of the world, and his students had already taken all of them for themselves. Such treasures would never reach the outside world. Even a 6-star master teacher would happily ept a person as his student if the other party were to present Kong shis personal handwriting to him... It was simply too valuable! Putting aside the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, even the twenty-six other influences in the region might not even have one of such treasure... Yet, to think that the Qu n would possess it! This... Ding Mus breathing hastened, and he felt his tongue went dry. "Since you made a move on the Qu n two years ago, you should have eradicated all traces of them. Why did you intentionally leave a remnant running about?" Lin Long harrumphed coldly, "That fellow thought that just because he changed his name to Lu Chong and hid in the Tianwu Academy, we wouldnt be able to find him. What a joke! Our Lin n has the Seeking Mouse; even if he were to don on a full disguise, wed still be able to find him easily!" Lu Chong had been holing himself up in Tianwu Academy, rarely heading to the streets to avoid any attention. He thought that by doing so, the Lin n wouldnt notice him. Yet, it turned out that the Lin n had already grasped his whereabouts, just that they chose not to make a move. After all, even if the Lin n were to lose track of Lu Chong, the Seeking Mouse was more than capable of tracking him down. The Lin n would have dominated the Tianwu Royal City in vain if it couldnt even track down a Pigu realm teenager. "The members of the Qu n are obstinate, and no matter how we questioned them, we were unable to locate the whereabouts of that object. Thus, we intentionally left one alive to bring us to it." A savage glint shed across Lin Longs eyes as he said, "Yet, that fellow sure was patient. For the past two years, he didnt do anything at all. Initially, we were nning on capturing him to interrogate him, yet before we can make a move, this fellow found himself a good teacher who was willing to stand up for him..." At this point, Lin Long clenched her fists tightly, and resentment scrunched her face. Even though she had married into the Xuanyuan Kingdom, and she rarely returned back to her maternal family, she had been keeping an eye on the matter there. It was due to the importance of the letter that Lin Long even went to the extent of building the expensive Communication Wall in the Lin n to make it convenient for them to exchange messages. Who would have that this wall wouldnt send her news of the handwritten letter, but of the destruction of the Lin n. "A good teacher? I doubt so! Most probably, that Zhang Xuan knew about Kong shis handwritten reply in advance. Otherwise, there is no reason for a Zongshi realm pinnacle 2-star master teacher to go all out for a student, offending the powerful Lin n and Xuanyuan Kingdom," Liang Qingming interjected by the side. He was a confidant of the crown prince, and as such, the crown prince didnt bother hiding such secrets from him. "Thats right, that must be the reason. Otherwise, even with Yang shi as his backing, theres no reason for him to offend the Lin n for no reason and disregard the authority of Xuanyuan Kingdom!" Lin Long screeched. If not for this, she truly couldnt understand why a 2-star master teacher who had such a bright future ahead for him would go through all of this trouble for a student he had just met a few days ago, waging war with the Lin n, and beating up her, the princess consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom. "Alright, the important matter at hand isnt Zhang Xuans motive!" Ding Mu raised his hand to halt the vehement discussion of the two. His eyes reddened slightly in greed as he said, "It would be worth offending even the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance for Kong shis handwritten reply, needless to say a 2-star master teacher. If your words are true, then taking this risk will be worthwhile!" The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was powerful, butpared to the twenty-six other powers in the surroundings, it was ranked at the veryst. As long as heid his hands on the handwritten reply, he would be able to win the Fleeting Cloud Sect over to his side. Even if he had to offend the Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the midst of doing so, it would still be a huge gain. "Thats right, Your Highness. You must make your decision quickly. Ive already sent someone to look into the matter, and Zhang Xuan seems to be leaving Tianwu Royal City. He has already bid the personnel of the Master Teacher Pavilion farewell, and just this morning, he was seen heading for Tianwu Mountain Range. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is in the south, yet he headed for the southwest. If Im not wrong, he must be looking for this letter. Itll be hard for us toy our hands on the letter once they obtain it and bring it to the alliance!" Lin Long hurriedly said. Previously, she only acted rashly due to the rage from seeing the tragic state her father and younger brother were in. After being pummeled by Lu Chong, she woke up, and she made many preparations in advance. "Its indeed impossible toy our hands on it once its delivered to the alliance, but..." Ding Mu frowned, "He has his teacher and the two elders beside him..." Ding Mu wasnt worried about Zhang Xuan, but his teacher and the Little Su, who wounded Liang Qingming, were huge problems. With Transcendent Mortal experts apanying him, he would be dead before he could close in on Zhang Xuan. "Dont worry, Your Highness. Little Su and the other elder have already left yesterday, and when Zhang Xuan left this morning, Yang shi didnt tag along with him. He only brought his students and some retainers along with him!" Lin Long replied. Su shi and Ling shi didnt intentionally hide their departure, so it wasnt hard to look into the matter. This morning, Zhang Xuan and his group left on the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, and Pavilion Master Jiang sent him off personally. Lin Longs spies were among the crowd who saw him off, and none of them saw Yang shi. "He didnt tag along? Great... There are many savage beasts in Tianwu Mountain Range, and there are many experts under Zhizun realm who have died there. As long as we settle this matter properly... No one will be able to trace the matter back to me!" Ding Mu stood up, and a callous glint shed across his eyes. "Its decided then. Kill him!" --- This is how sects usually operate in most Chinese novels. Outer (Normal) disciples: They are in charge of menialbor, but the sect provides them with some, although limited, resources for cultivation. Inner disciples: This is where the more talented disciples are ced. They have a higher standing than outer disciples, and they dont have to do menialbor. The resources they are granted are significantly higher than that of outer disciples. Direct disciple: As long as a disciple catches the eye of an elder or sect leader, they could be epted as their direct disciple. Direct disciples usually have higher standing than inner disciples due to the backing of their master, and their master would also impart their secret arts to them. After that, disciples can be promoted to take on various roles of the sect. Chapter 410: Finding the Old Residence Chapter 410: Finding the Old Residence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Why are you here?" Seeing thedy before him, Zhang Xuan fell speechless. After epting Zhao Ya and the others as his direct disciples, Zhang Xuan had finished dealing with all of the misceneous matters in Tianwu Kingdom. Thus, he summoned the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast and left immediately. Knowing the limits of their capabilities, Liu shi and Lu Xun chose to remain in Tianwu Kingdom. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was filled with innumerable experts, and they had no backing there. On the other hand, they had the protection of the royal family and the Master Teacher Pavilion here in Tianwu Kingdom. Thus, they took the initiative to stay. Only Sun Qiang insisted on following with Yang shi. Thus, Zhang Xuan took him along with him. It was exactly ten days since Zhang Xuan had arrived in Tianwu Kingdom. His cultivation had risen from Tongxuan realm pinnacle to Zongshi realm pinnacle, and his physical body possessed the might nearly equivalent to a Zhizun realm primary stage expert. He also gained a new student, Lu Chong. As for his upations, he passed the 2-star master teacher examination, and his 3-star painter emblem just arrivedst night. Due to hiscking cultivation, the Apothecary Guild and Physician Guild werent allowed to allocate his 3-star emblems for the time being. Thus, his current upations were as such: 2-star master teacher, 3-star apothecary, 3-star physician, 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer. His stop at Tianwu Kingdom had been rather fruitful. In just ten days, Zhang Xuan achieved what others might never have been able to do even if they dedicated their entire lives to it. "I would also like to visit the Myriad Kingdom Alliance to watch the Master Teacher Tournament. It cant be that you wish to dump me here?" Mo Yu stared at the youngster before her furiously. What the heck! Even if we cant progress any further, surely we can remain as friends! How can you leave for Myriad Kingdom Alliance without biding me farewell? Do you consider yourself a buddy? It is fortunate that I have made preparations in advance and immediately rode the Viridescent Eagle after you. Otherwise, I would have surely missed you. As a master teacher and the princess of Tianwu Kingdom, it wasnt too difficult for Mo Yu to look into the matter of Su shi and Ling shi, as well as the Master Teacher Tournament. "Alright, Ill bring you along..." Zhang Xuan gave up. In any case, there was sufficient space on the back of the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. It wasnt cramped even with his six students, Sun Qiang, and Mo Yu. He couldnt be bothered with the infuriated Mo Yu, so Zhang Xuan stood by the window and gazed outward. White clouds ovepped one another, reminiscent of a boundless field of snow. In the midst between clouds, he could catch a glimpse of lush mountains. It felt rejuvenating. "Teacher..." Lu Chong walked over to Zhang Xuan and said, "In order to prevent the unfilial descendants of the Qu n from handing the letter over to the hands of others, they took precautions by hiding it in an old residence on the Tianwu Mountain Range. I only happened to hear my father bring the matter up. I roughly know the location, but Im not too sure for the exact spot." "Its alright, we can slowly look for itter on!" Lu Chongs n had given up their life to guard this heirloom. It was best if they could find it. "Teacher, its around this area!" Half a dayter, Lu Chong pointed. "The area is huge; how can we find it like that?" Leaping off the back of the Howling Firmament Beast, Zhao Ya nced at the surroundings and sighed. What stood before them was a gigantic mountain valley. The terrain was bumpy, and towering trees filled the area. Putting aside finding an old residence, they couldnt even see into the distance. More importantly, there were many savage beasts in the area. If they were to identally barge into a savage beasts nest, they would die indignantly. "Im... not too sure either!" Lu Chong scratched his head awkwardly. He had heard the elders of his family speaking about the rough geographical terrain, but he hadnt been here before, so he wasnt too sure. "To find an old residence on such a vast mountain range... Even a year wouldnt be sufficient!" Mo Yu shook her head. She knew that Lu Chong wanted to look for an item before heading to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but she didnt know what it was. However, the area before them was simply toorge. The vast mountain range was filled with nts, and on top of that, the old residence was likely to be hidden by a formation... How could they find it under such overwhelmingly unlikely odds? "Teacher..." After taking a look around, the crowd eventually gave up. Thus, all eyes gathered on Zhang Xuan. "This..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Theres no use asking me, Ive never been to the Qu ns old residence before..." Halfway through his words, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Wait, I just thought of a good idea!" "You have an idea?" Everyone froze for a moment before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with glowing eyes. Mo Yu was also curious. Even Lu Chong himself didnt know where the old residence was, so what kind of idea could Zhang Xuane up with? Just as they were perplexed, the young man before them took out an empty book, and he drew an arrow and scribbled a few words on it. Then, slowly rotating on the spot, he mumbled, "The Lu ns old residence is in this direction... this direction... this direction..." "..." Mo Yu, Zhao Ya, and the others were staggered. They thought that Zhang Xuan woulde up with some brilliant means, but upon seeing this sight, they nearly fainted on the spot. Taking out a book to draw an arrow to confirm the direction? And you still dare to say that your idea is good... Where did your confidencee from? If you wish to fool us, you should at least do it better! Arent you being too perfunctory? "Alright, this direction!" After spinning an entire circle, Zhang Xuan confirmed the direction and pointed forward. "..." Mo Yu staggered once more. Sometimes, it seemed like this Zhang shi possessed unparalleled talent; at other times, he felt so ridiculous that it made one want to smack his head. "You... are you sure that this method is feasible?" Mo Yu asked, unable to hold back her doubts. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded seriously. "The method I use involves aplex calction of the position of the stars, the mountains, and the rivers, and along with a profoundprehension of the universe, I am able to even locate treasures, needless to say, determine a direction!" The Library of Heavens Path could determine right from wrong. As long as the direction he was pointing to reflected no ws, it would mean that it was the correct direction. However, there was no way Zhang Xuan could exin this. "Position of the stars, the mountains, and the rivers?" "Profoundprehension of the universe?" The group stared at one another. Grabbing a book, scribbling an arrow and a few words, rotating on the spot, and you tell me that it involves all of that? Can youe up with anything more nonsensical than that? "Forget it. Since we cant find the direction either, we might as well listen to his words!" Mo Yu felt constipated. Why did she have to follow this fellow? She deeply suspected that at this rate, they might get lost forever in this forest. Thus, after Zhang Xuan reached the end of a path that he determined, or that there were new splits in the path before them, Zhang Xuan would take his book out and rotate on the spot. Two hourster, they arrived at a col. "This is it!" Zhang Xuan pointed forward. ncing over, everyone was taken aback. Amidst the greenery, they saw the roof of several rock residences. However, they looked slightly blurred, as though they were hidden in some formation. "This must be the location! Its exactly the same as my fathers description..." Lu Chongs eyes lit up in anticipation. "This..." Upon hearing Lu Chongs confirmation, everyones eyes widened, and their gazes hurriedly shot toward Zhang Xuan. They were on the verge of going insane. Even Lu Chong, the person-in-question, couldnt find the direction. Yet, just by scribbling on a book and rotating on the spot... They all thought that Zhang Xuan was fooling about, but to think that it would actually work! Could they have truly misunderstood him? Did it really involve what stars, mountains, and rivers? Otherwise, how did he manage to find the location? Thinking back on it now, ever since the other party took out the book and turned around with it, the location they trod on had been straight, and they didnt stumble by any savage beasts nest along the way, despite the odds. Even if one were to know the way beforehand, surely it was impossible to maneuver so precisely? More importantly, the location they were standing on happened to be the eye of the formation. It was due to them standing here that they were able to see the rock residences. If it was anywhere else, their sight would have been blocked by the formation. In other words, if they didnt know the location beforehand, they would have been fooled by the formation and walk by it. Despite not knowing where it was, Zhang Xuan was able to determine the precise location of the old residence... How in the world... did this fellow do it? "Forget it, he isnt human..." Unable to make sense of this situation, Mo Yu could only shake her head with a bitter smile. Ever since shed met this fellow, he had been amazing her with all kinds of unimaginable means. There were too many things to him that couldnt beprehended withmon sense. If she really tried to rationalize it all, she would probably die of exhaustion first. "Lets go in!" Ignoring the dazed crowd, Zhang Xuan walked straight toward the col. "Teacher, wait a moment. This formation is extremely dangerous!" Lu Chong hurried forward to stop Zhang Xuan, "ording to my father, only the blood of a Qu n descendant can stop the formation..." "The blood of a Qu n descendant?" Zhang Xuan nced at Lu Chong. "Un. If Im not wrong, I have to drip a droplet of my blood on the formation-controlling rock for a path for us to appear. Without this formation protecting the old residence, the area would have long been scavenged by humans or savage beasts!" Lu Chong exined. Coming to a realization, Mo Yu and the others nodded. Given that the old residence was still able to retain its original appearance despite the innumerable years since it was abandoned, the formation truly possessed incredible might. So far, it seemed to be effective in warding away humans and savage beasts. If one were to abruptly step into such a formidable formation, huge trouble might ensue. "Then, give it a try!" Mo Yu urged. Without wasting a word, Lu Chong looked around the area and a troubled look shed on his face. His father had told him that he had to drip a droplet of his blood on the formation-controlling rock for it to stop, but... which of these innumerable rocks was it? The entire col was filled with at least a thousand bizarre rocks. If he were to drip a droplet of blood on every single one of them, he would probably die of anemia before the formation stopped. "That... Teacher, I cant find the formation-controlling rock..." A momentter, Lu Chong returned with a sheepish look. His elder sister was a genius formation master, but he wasnt. There were many secret manuals on formations in his n, but he didnt like reading them, and he never did. In the end, when he visited the old residence of his ancestors, he wasnt even able to find the formation-controlling rock at all... "You cant find it?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He briefly looked around the surroundings before pinching his be, "I cant find it either..." Even though he had taken in quite a sizeable sum of books on formation, this formation was clearly above grade-3, beyond the level of Tianwu Kingdom With his current knowledge on formations, it was difficult for him to find it as well. Eventually, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Forget it, lets not bother finding the formation-controlling rock..." Lu Chong was taken aback. "Then... how do we enter?" "Simple..." Zhang Xuan stepped forward. Weng! As soon as he stepped into the formation, it started shaking vigorously. Then, lifting his foot, he kicked straight at a certain point. Hu! The formation stopped. Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually, "Alright, we can enter now!" "..." Lu Chong, Mo Yu, and the others. Chapter 411: He Is My Teacher Chapter 411: He Is My Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The difference of a sub-grade in a formation could easily mean a difference in might by twofold, and the difficulty in finding its core would increase exponentially. Everyone thought that Zhang shi was already formidable to stop a grade-3 primary formation with a single kick, but upon seeing this sight, they finally realized... Grade-2, grade-3, grade-4, these numbers meant nothing to him! As long as he was around, even the most formidable formations would be destroyed with a single kick. Lu Chongs mouth twitched violently, and he shook his head vigorously, as though trying to wake himself up from a dream. His father had once told him that this formation was unimaginably formidable. His ancestors had reinforced it again and again over the countless generations, and profound wisdom was harnessed within it... But from the looks of it now, wisdom my head! Before his teacher, all of this meant nothing at all. Since the formation had stopped, the crowd immediately walked toward the rock residences. It was clear that there was a long history to those few simple rock residences. Even though there were descendants who came from time to time to fix it, it was still severely damaged by wear and tear. "Go on!" Zhang Xuan stopped before the rock residences. This was an object that Lu Chongs ancestor had left for him. Zhang Xuans role was only to apany him; since there was no more danger now, it didnt matter whether he tagged behind Lu Chong or not. "Yes, teacher!" Lu Chong nodded and walked in with reddened eyes. Back then, when his parents and kin were killed, he didnt have the time to collect their bones before escaping. Thus, he created several tablets for them yesterday to ce alongside the ancestors. In a way, this was fulfilling the final regret he had regarding his n. "Things rarely go the way we want. Lets go!" Understanding the other partys emotions, Zhang Xuan sighed. "Teacher!" Lu Chong stepped forward and proffered a letter to Zhang Xuan. It was a simple, ancient bamboo scroll, and its worn-out exterior betrayed its age. Even so, it seemed to be crafted using some kind of unique method, making it extremely resilient. Knowing that this was the letter which Kong shis personal handwriting was on, Zhang Xuan took it and opened it. Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan also felt curious toward the worlds teacher, Kong shi. Even though he wouldnt stoop down to taking his students possession for his own, it shouldnt be much of a problem for him to peer into the contents. Unrolling the scroll, an ancient aura immediately unfurled from within. The handwriting for the former half was simple, it wasnt particrly astounding. But, even though thetter half only consisted on several words, the imposing aura it exuded felt as though a massive mountain was weighing on one. The content was simple, and it was indeed an ordinary letter. Most probably, Lu Chongs ancestor sent the letter, and in an attempt to return the favor, Sage Min requested for his teacher to write a few words before sending it back. Looking at the personal handwriting of Kong shi, Zhang Xuan felt a grand aura gushing into his head. All of a sudden, he reached the state of Heart of Tranquil Water, and fell into a trance. Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy! Rumors had it that there were some formidable master teachers who were able to harness their spirit and their understanding of the universe into their calligraphy, and looking at it frequently was helpful in raising ones Soul Depth. This was also known as Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy. However, this kind of tempering required a harmonization in spirit. Unless one was in a teacher-student rtionship or a blood-rted kin of the calligrapher, the chances of this phenomenon urring were nearly zero. Out of ten thousand people, it might not even activate once. Zhang Xuan and Kong shi werent in a teacher-student rtionship, and they werent blood-rted either. Yet, for it to be activated instantly, Zhang Xuans luck was truly astounding. Boom! Holding the letter, Zhang Xuan felt his Will of Mind stabilizing, and his Soul Depth slowly rose. It was as though he had fallen into some unique state, and he stood in a daze. ... "Your Highness, it seems like they have obtained the letter!" Behind a giant boulder above the col, Liang Qingming sped his fist and reported. After deciding to take the letter for themselves, Ding Mu, Lin Long, and the others had immediately rushed over. The one they were going to strike down was a talented 2-star master teacher, and if they were found out, they would be in danger. However, as long as they seeded, the returns would be immense. "As the student of a suspected 4-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan would surely have many life-preserving means on him. Thus, weve got to kill him in a single shot! We mustnt give him any opportunity to strike back. Otherwise, once he sends a rescue signal or activates one of his trump cards, it would be difficult for us to kill him anymore!" Ding Mu instructed with a grim expression. "But of course, our priority is to obtain that letter." Since Yang shi was willing to let Zhang Xuan venture out alone, he must have entrusted several life-saving tools to him. Thus, they had to strike swift and deadly. "Your Highness, dont worry!" Liang Qingming nodded. "Go!" Ding Mu nodded gravely. If he chose to simply steal the letter, there was a high chance he would be exposed. By then, if Yang shi decided to stand up for his student, the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom might be destroyed. On the other hand, if he were to kill Zhang Xuan, he could create a facade of him being killed by savage beasts. By the time Yang shi truly tracked them down, he would have already found a backing in the Fleeting Cloud Sect through the letter, and there would be nothing for him to worry about. The Master Teacher Pavilions might be under the same headquarters, but there was still rivalry among the various powers. Using an analogy, it was just like the feudal system. Although the governors were all under the royal court, there were still some rivalry and feuds among the various territories. Regarding the rivalry among the Master Teacher Pavilions, as long as they didntmit immoral acts, the headquarters wouldnt interfere. Competition induced advancement, and only with a suitable amount ofpetition would humans reach greater heights. As such, the Master Teacher Pavilion pushed for such rivalries as well. "Yes!" Hearing his order, Liang Qingming drove the zhenqi in his body, and with a flick of his wrist, a sharp sword appeared in his hands. Hu! In a sh, he leaped out from the boulder, and as swift as a sh of lightning, his sword headed straight toward Zhang Xuan. Pushing the might of a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert to the brim, in the blink of an eye, he covered the distance of several hundred meters between them. The formation had been stopped, and there was no other defensive mechanism in the col. As such, there was nothing to stop Liang Qingmings charge. Zhang Xuan was currently in a trance from the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy, so he didnt notice the other party approaching. Even more so, Mo Yu, Lu Chong, and the others didnt think that someone would assault them in such a remote area. Upon seeing the brilliant gleam of the sword and hearing a sonic boom, everyones eyes narrowed, and their faces immediately warped in shock upon seeing Liang Qingming. "Teacher!" "Zhang Xuan!" "Young master!" Loud bellows reverberated in the col, and everyones body trembled in astonishment. "Teacher, careful!" At the current moment, the one standing the closest to Zhang Xuan was Lu Chong. Upon seeing the brilliant gleam from the sword, he could tell that the other party would surely die if the sword were to strike him, and the thought of it sent him into a panic. To avenge him, his teacher confronted the Lin n alone without a word ofint. To raise his cultivation, his teacher was willing to pay a huge price, yet didnt expect anything in return... Imparting battle techniques and exining cultivation techniques! Lecturing the basic principles a human should have, and deciphering the essence of cultivation! All of these, he did on his initiative, even going far beyond what that was expected of him! Without his teacher, he would remain an average cultivator for his entire life, doomed to never be able to exact vengeance. Without his teacher, it was just a matter of time before the Lin n found him and silenced him. It was teacher who brought him out of his sinkhole and gave him the dignity to face his dead kin... This was the man who he respected and admired. He couldnt allow anything to happen to him! "If you were to cultivate on like that, you wont even reach Pixue realm in ten years. At this rate, you will be dead before you can... exact your vengeance!" "You dont have to bother how I know of it! Your vengeance is both a motivation as well as a hindrance to your cultivation. You are suppressing your worries too deep within, and it has suppressed your cultivation, making it difficult for you to achieve a breakthrough. I know that the reason why you refuse to speak is because youre afraid that you might identally speak of your enemys name and make them aware of your existence." "Dont worry, as long as you believe in me, I promise you that you will be able to exact your vengeance within ten days!" "Its your choice to choose whether you want to believe me or not! However... youll only get this one chance!" "Pardon me, but I happen to know the assassin you speak of. Hes my student, and I... am his teacher!" ... Boom! His encounters with Zhangoshi flowed through his head, and his words resounded in his mind. All of a sudden, his entire body moved on its own ord. In the blink of an eye, he had already leaped several meters away, standing right before Zhang Xuan. Puhe! Liang Qingmings sword also happened to reach at this very instant. It stabbed into his chest, and the zhenqi of a Zhizun realm expert gushed into the other partys body through the sword, frenziedly wrecking his physical functions. "AH!" Sensing the other partys sword qi ravaging through his body, threatening to tear his entire body apart at any moment, Lu Chong bellowed furiously. His hands stretched forward and grabbed the other partys sword firmly. "You..." Not expecting his sure-kill technique to be blocked by this fellow, Liang Qingmings face darkened. He was just about to pull out his sword and strike Zhang Xuan, but he realized that the other party was holding onto his sword firmly as though a sword stuck in a boulder. No matter how hard he tugged on it, it refused to move at all. "Let go..." He couldnt have imagined that a Zongshi realm fellow would have blocked his attack. Liang Qingming was furious and anxious. Roaring furiously, he drove his zhenqi into the other partys body, intending to kill him before striking down Zhang Xuan. "I wont allow you to hurt him because..." Lu Chong felt his life force slowly dissipating under the furious surge from the other partys zhenqi, but he didnt regret his actions at all. Instead, he stared at Liang Qingming with unwavering determination. "... hes my teacher!" ------------ Authors Notes: The fourth arc, [He is my Teacher], has to an end. The next arc, [Invincible], will unfold from next chapter onward. In He is my Teacher, I hoped to highlight the mutual respect and deep rtionship between a teacher and his students, and fortunately, it went as I nned. Due to my personal reasons, family issues, and my work, there are some parts that Im not too satisfied, but overall, I think I still brought out the main idea that I wished to express. Because I am a teacher myself as well, I can rte much more to this. Being a teacher shouldnt be only about constantly giving, and being a student shouldnt only be about constantly epting as well. The rtionship should be built on mutual respect, trust, and consideration, and only through such can the rtionship run deep. As for Lu Chong, as shown by the name of the arc, is destined to be the final sacrifice for the climax. But of course, theres no need to worry. This book wont be one on tragedies; as those who have followed my previous book, Endless Dantian, would know, I dont like tragedies and I dont intend to write them. Trantor Notes: I know I havent really marked the chapters by arcs, and QI doesnt have the function yet. But for those who are interested, Chapter 1 - 80 [The Teacher on the Verge of Expulsion] Chapter 81 - 238 [Freshmen Tournament] Chapter 239 - 315 [I Am a Master Teacher] Chapter 316 - 411 [He Is My Teacher] Chapter 412: Avenge Him! Chapter 412: Avenge Him! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Lu Chong!" After hearing the anxious bellows, Zhang Xuan stepped out of his trance from the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy, and the first sight that appeared before him was Lu Chongs chest being pierced by a sword. Countless thoughts immediately exploded in his head, and his eyes reddened uncontrobly. Even though he met this student considerablyter than his other direct disciples, the other party held the greatest trust and most earnest emotions for him. "Die!" Bellowing furiously, Zhang Xuans head jolted, and a golden book suddenly appeared. All of a sudden, a might capable of causing the entire world to crumble appeared. A gale rose, and the clouds swiftly flew by. A book as heavy as a mountain abruptly fell straight on Commander Liangs head. Pacha! Without the slightest obstruction, as though a watermelon crushed by a steel hammer, his head burst into bloodied remnants. Under the intense shock wave from the blow, a huge hole, several hundred meters deep and wide, appeared in the col. "What?" Ding Mu, Lin Long, and the others, who were hiding behind the boulder, preparing tounch a second wave of assault, were dumbstruck with terror. They didnt think that the Zhizun realm advanced stage Commander Liang could be destroyed by an object the other party thrown out casually. Their faces paled, and they nearly fainted from fear. They knew that Yang shi would surely bestow Zhang Xuan with some life-saving treasure, but how could they have known that it would be such a fearsome object! Even Transcendent Mortal experts werent capable of striking out a huge hole in the ground. "Escape..." Knowing that it was impossible to withstand such might, Ding Mu didnt dare to hesitate in the least. He immediately turned around to flee. Beast Tamer Zhou Jin also quickly followed suit. The two of them had reached Zhizun realm, and their speed was astonishing. In just two breaths, their silhouettes turned into a white sh, and they were already a hundred meters away. "Your Highness, wait for me..." Not expecting her husband, as well her greatest backer, to abandon her without any warning, Lin Long hurriedly chased him with a ghastly pale face. "Die..." Upon seeing someone run out from the boulder, how could Zhang Xuan not tell what was going on? Roaring frenziedly, hemanded the golden page rotating in the air toward Lin Long. Boom! The entire ground quaked violently. Yet again, a huge hole several meters wide appeared. Smashed by the immense might of the golden book, Lin Long was reduced to meat paste. Having fled swiftly, Ding Mu and Zhou Jin managed to escape the crisis. "Ah..." "Hurry up and get on the savage beast!" Seeing the sight behind them, the duo felt even more frightened. At this moment, Ding Mu couldnt care less about anything else. Leaping onto the back of the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast, he immediatelymanded it to fly as far away as it could. Zhang Xuans mystic tool was simply too powerful. The might of his tool could even smash a Transcendent Mortal expert easily, needless to say them. If they couldnt escape, the only thing that awaits them would be death. "Die!" Howling furiously, Zhang Xuan was just about to send the golden page straight toward the duo and the savage beast when weng!, the book disappeared. In the next moment, an indescribable fatigue overwhelmed him, leaving him groggy-headed, ready to faint at any moment. "Lu Chong..." Knowing that it was impossible for him to catch up to a Zhizun realm intermediate stage savage beast, Zhang Xuan withstood his dizziness to examine the condition of his student. The other partys eyes were tightly shut, and he had already lost consciousness. However, as though delighted to see that his teacher was safe, even though he couldnt open his eyes, a faint smile hung on his lips. He was still tightly holding on to the sword on his chest, unwilling to let go even upon death. As though he was dering that even upon death... As long as teacher was fine... everything was alright! "Heavens Path zhenqi can cure all wounds, youll be fine..." Tears that felt like burning oil flowed down Zhang Xuans cheeks. Grasping the other partys palm, Zhang Xuan furiously infused the Heavens Path zhenqi within him into the other partys body. "Tea-teacher, how did you know that my purpose is to exact vengeance?" "Liuoshi, please guide me..." "You cant hurt him, because... hes my teacher!" ... Recalling the bits and pieces of the youngster before him, Zhang Xuan trembled in agitation. After two years of silence, Lu Chong had be a reticent person. During their time together, he didnt speak much. Most of the time, what Zhang Xuan saw was his determined gaze and reliable back... In order to exact his vengeance, Lu Chong knelt in front of the academy for seven days straight and remain silent for two years. Despite the unimaginable pain from the poison tempering, Lu Chong persisted on with it. Even though he knew that the Lin n was powerful, he still charged straight at them... This reticent but determined youngster felt cold, but his heart was filled with warmth. To protect the teacher that he respected and admired from the bottom of his heart, he was willing to give in his own life. Lu Chong, my student, I have failed to protect you! Wake up, give me a chance to make it up to you... Zhang Xuan infused the Heavens Path zhenqi furiously into the other party, but Lu Chongs slim figure didnt budge at all. ... Seeing the frenzied look on the young man before her, Mo Yus face paled. Everything happened too quickly. By the time Mo Yu saw Liang Qingming, it was already toote. She thought that Zhang Xuan would meet his demise. Yet, she couldnt have imagined that a student would give up his life just to save him. Mo Yu clenched her fists tightly and walked forward. "Zhang Xuan!" She bellowed, but there was no response. "Zhang Xuan!" She shouted once more, and only then did the most radiant genius of Tianwu Royal City raise his head nkly, as though he had lost his soul. "Dont panic. You possess unparalleled medical skills... Lu Chong will be fine!" Feeling a deep piercing pain in her heart upon seeing the state of the man before her, Mo Yu consoled. "Right, my medical skills..." Upon the other partys reminder, Zhang Xuan finally recovered. Focus returned to his nk and soulless eyes. Thats right! On top of his medical skills, he had the Library of Heavens Path. There was nothing that could hide from the heavens. As long as Lu Chong wasnt reduced to ashes, there would surely be a solution for his situation! A flicker of hope appeared in Zhang Xuans eyes. "ws!" Zhang Xuan thought, and a book appeared in his head. He hurriedly flipped through it. "Theres still hope for him..." Upon seeing the contents on it, Zhang Xuans body trembled. In an instant, his entire face turned red. He thought that being stabbed by the sword of a Zhizun realm expert, Lu Chongs death was inevitable. Yet, there was still a breath left in him. All kinds of ws were written on the book; Lu Chongs meridians had been crushed by the other partys Zhizun realm zhenqi, and his internal organs had also suffered heavy damage. Under such conditions, anyone else would have been dead. However, having cultivated the Heavens Path Golden Body and Poison Body, Lu Chongs body was several times stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator. On top of that, Zhang Xuan had infused his Heavens Path zhenqi into the other party timely, thus preserving a final breath within him. "I should heal his meridians and internal organs first!" Having assimted all the knowledge within the books in the Physician Guild, even without the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuans medical skill wasnt inferior to that of a 3-star physician. He knew that the priority at hand was to heal the other partys injuries first. Thus, he immediately directed his Heavens Path zhenqi to flow throughout the other partys body, healing his damaged meridians and organs. At the same time, he fed the other party a recovery pill. Having ransacked the Lin n, he had many of such recovery pills within his storage ring. If it was effective, he was willing to feed all of them to him. "Zhang Xuan..." Seeing spirit returning to the young man, and that he was starting to treat Lu Chong, Mo Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Then, lowering her head to take a look, her eyes narrowed. Under the application of Zhang Xuans zhenqi, Lu Chongs wounds recovered at a visible pace. His pale face, due to excessive loss of blood, also slowly regained its redness. Even though he was still unconscious, his wounds seemed to have already fully recovered on the surface. "Healing a persons body thoroughly with just zhenqi?" Mo Yus body trembled in disbelief. Even though she had seen Zhang Xuans medical skills before, he had often made use of silver needles to stimte ones acupoints before issuing prescriptions to follow up. To be able to heal ones injuries and repair ones meridians like that... How pure must his zhenqi be? "Could he possess... superior zhenqi?" The thought shed across Mo Yus eyes. It was said that due to the absurd purity of superior zhenqi, it could be used in treatment or clearing away blockages in a persons meridians... All along, Mo Yu thought that it was only a legend. To think that there woulde a day which she would see such a sight with her own eyes! To possess cultivation technique capable of cultivating zhenqi of such caliber, how powerful must Yang shi be? It was no wonder why Su shi and Ling shi would obey hismands willingly! Hu! After repairing the final injury on Lu Chongs meridians, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan refreshed the book on Lu Chong, and with a single look, his face steeled. "Teacher, how is Lu Chong?" Zhao Ya asked worriedly. "There isnt any problem with his physical condition, but his consciousness has sunk into a deep sleep. Its hard to tell when hell be able to wake up!" The damage Lu Chong had suffered previously was too tremendous. Even if the unparalleled Heavens Path zhenqi could heal all of his injuries, it waspletely helpless as to his mental condition. Under the current situation, it was possible that Lu Chong might awake anytime, perhaps even at the next instant, but it was also possible that he might never wake up. "What should we do?" Zhao Ya asked. "I dont know either!" Zhang Xuan shook his head in destion. Even though he had taken in all of the knowledge within the books of the Physician Guild for his own, he still wasnt able to find a solution to this situation. Blocked meridians, afflictions, inability to break through ones cultivation bottleneck... The Heavens Path zhenqi could cure all of those. However, consciousness was a matter of ones soul. It was something incredibly unfathomable and hard to grasp. No matter how formidable Heavens Path zhenqi was, how could something physical affect the ethereal? "We might not have any solutions, but Yang shi might have an idea!" Seeing the awful look on the young mans face, Mo Yu consoled. "Yang shi?" Zhang Xuansplexion turned even more awful. "Ive heard that upon reaching 7-star, master teachers would be capable of using ones words to influence ones actions, consciousness, and soul. Lu Chong has only fallen into a deep sleep. If a master teacher of such a level were to delve into his mind and wake him up, Lu Chong might regain consciousness!" Mo Yu continued. "Influence ones consciousness and soul?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. It was just like what the other party had said. Lu Chongs consciousness was just asleep. If someone could delve into his mind and wake him up, it was possible that Lu Chong might regain consciousness. "Un. Even though Ive only heard it from others, its true that high ranked master teachers possess unfathomable means beyond us. We might be unable to find a solution now, but it doesnt mean that there isnt one..." Mo Yu replied. "Youre right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. It was just like his Innate Fetal Poison. Even though he didnt find a solution for it in Tianxuan Kingdom or the Poison Hall, there was definitely one out there in the vast world, in one of the innumerable Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, at least it gave him a direction. He was helpless toward Lu Chongs current situation, but as he grew stronger and read more books, he might be able to find a solution to his problem. "Ill eventually find a solution to cure him, but before that..." After hearing Mo Yus words of constion, Zhang Xuan felt at ease. But soon, he narrowed his eyes, and killing intent burst from his body, drowning the entire sky in it as though a torrent. "I will... avenge him!" Chapter 413: Xuanyuan Kingdoms Strength Chapter 413: Xuanyuan Kingdoms Strength Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a person born in the information age, Zhang Xuan was brought up to settle conflicts peacefully. Despite having transcended into this world, a part of him was still resistant to iming the lives of others. However, who knew that a moment of benevolence would ultimately lead to Lu Chongs state. If only he had known, he would have gotten Little Su to get rid of this Lin Long and Commander Liang, and todays matter wouldnt have urred. "Avenge?" Mo Yu frowned. "Lu Chong has to be avenged, but... do you know anything about Xuanyuan Kingdom?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. As a lower ranked kingdom, Tianwu Kingdom didnt have much information on Xuanyuan Kingdom. As such, Zhang Xuans understanding of Xuanyuan Kingdom was also severely limited. He knew some brief details, but when it came to the more confidential matters, it blurred out. Thus, even after reading through all of the books in the book collection vault, his understanding toward this Conferred Kingdom was still vague. At the very least, in terms of national strength and influence, he knew very little about Xuanyuan Kingdom. "Despite not knowing anything, you wish to avenge him?" Mo Yu rolled her eyes. You sure are courageous. The person you are facing is the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom. To make things worse, the current emperor is ill, making the crown prince a person who can ascend to the throne at any moment. As such, he already possesses the authority over the troops in the country, and he can deploy all of them against you. Putting aside how many troops there are in a Conferred Kingdom, just the number of experts in their midst makes it an existence impossible for you to seed by charging in alone. Unless you possess the cultivation equivalent to Su shi. But even with this kind of strength, you will surely meet with all kinds of obstructions when trying to kill a crown prince of a country. "To earn considerable prestige and standing in Xuanyuan Kingdom, one must at least reach Zhizun realm intermediate stage! Even though you are able to match up to even Half-Zhizun cultivators at the moment, you are stillcking aspared to real Zhizun realm experts!" After a moment of hesitation, Mo Yu exined with a slightly lighter tone. The young man before her had just lost his student. She was afraid of agitating him into doing something atrocious. "Its not justcking, its beingpletely helpless against Zhizun realm expert!" Zhang Xuan fell into contemtion. Zhizun realm was the highest level a Fighter could reach. At the intermediate stage, one would possess 20,000 ding of strength. At the advanced stage, 30,000 ding, and at the pinnacle, 40,000 ding. Taking into consideration Zhang Xuans physical strength and zhenqi strength, his total strength only added up to around 15,000 ding. He was still a long way fromparing up to the more powerful Zhizun realm cultivators. On top of that, he was only using strength as aparison. After reaching Zhizun realm, ones reaction speed andprehension toward battle techniques would rise significantly. That was also the main reason why no Zongshi could match up to a Zhizun. "Its good that you know. My suggestion is that... since the Master Teacher Tournament is going to be held in three months time, its best for you not to get involved in such trouble at the moment. As long as you join the tournament and get a good cing, with your newfound standing, youll be able to request the Master Teacher Pavilion to avenge Lu Chong! At the same moment, no one would be able to say anything about it. This is the most convenient and easiest way at the moment!" Mo Yu shared her thoughts. Zhang Xuans cultivation was currentlycking. If he were to forcefully try to exact vengeance, he would be putting himself in huge danger. Since that was the case, he might as well go for the Master Teacher Tournament first. By then, with his prestigious standing gained from the tournament, no one would dare to stop him from avenging Lu Chong. Master teachers possessed high standing, but that was rtive. 2-star master teachers were a formidable existence in Tianwu Kingdom, but when it came to Xuanyuan Kingdom and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they didnt mean much at all. Only when one proved their strength or unlimited potential would one be highly regarded and feared. Otherwise, no amount of words would carry weight. "I cant wait for three months, and I believe that... Lu Chong doesnt want me to wait either!" ncing at his unconscious student, a sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Three months was too long, Zhang Xuans wouldnt be able to hold back his rage for that long. The other party had reduced Lu Chong into such a tragic state, and he still had to leave him carefree for three months? You must be joking! "But your current strength... isnt even at Half-Zhizun realm yet, how do you intend to exact vengeance? You would require the strength of a Zhizun realm pinnacle at minimum to do so. Otherwise, youll just be killed..." Seeing the determination in Zhang Xuans eyes, Mo Yu panicked. What was wrong with this fellow? I have already told you that even Zhizun realm experts dare not do anything in Xuanyuan Kingdom, so what in the world does a person like you, who hasnt even reached Half-Zhizun yet, hope to achieve there? Arent you just courting death? One must know that there was a huge bunch of Zhizun realm pinnacle experts within a Conferred Kingdom. If one wanted to go against the royal family, one had to be at least a Half-Transcension. "Zhizun realm pinnacle? Simple!" Zhang Xuan said. "Simple? Could it be that... you have an idea in mind?" Seeing Zhang Xuans confident deration, Mo Yus eyes lit up. Seems like he has his own ns, I am probably overthinking it... After all, how can a genius act so rashly! Just as Mo Yu heaved a long sigh of relief and prepared to ask Zhang Xuan about his ns, the young man before him dered gravely, "Ill just have to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle in the next few days then!" Pu! Mo Yus body swayed, and she nearly choked on her saliva. The heck! Can you say anything more ridiculous than that? Zhizun realm is thest trial a Fighter has to undergo, and the difficulty in progressing in that realm is multiple folds higher than that of Zongshi realm. Do you think that its like cabbages in the market, easily obtainable? Reach Zhizun realm in the next few days... Cant you speak normally? If those who are stuck in Zongshi realm pinnacle heard your words, they would definitely pummel you to death. And to think that I thought you had a good idea in mind, to think this would be it... "Zhao Ya, hurry up and persuade your teacher..." Unable to stand it any longer, Mo Yu turned to thedy beside her. "Persuade? Teacher is right, why should I persuade him?" Zhao Ya asked doubtfully, as she stared at Mo Yu. "..." Mo Yu flew into a frenzy, "Thats Zhizun realm, Zhizun! Its not that easy to achieve a breakthrough as you all think! Even if your teacher were to dedicate the entire three months to his cultivation, it would be impossible for him to reach Zhizun realm..." "Teacher only used a month to advance from Pixue realm to Zongshi realm pinnacle. In fact, when he just arrived at Tianwu Royal City, he was only at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. However, hes already at Zongshi realm pinnacle now, and it has only been ten days since then... Dont worry about it, its not a big deal!" Zhao Ya consoled. Theyd seen all kinds of miracles urring due to their teacher, and this had left them with deep trust in him. Putting aside reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle, even if Zhang Xuan imed that he would reach Transcendent Mortal realm tomorrow, they would surely believe it. How big a matter is it; must you react so vehemently? "..." Mo Yu. What the heck... was with all of them! Not only were they not shocked by Zhang Xuans deration to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle in just a few days, they even felt that it was natural? Mo Yu hurriedly turned her gaze to Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others. However, all she saw was their looks of disdain, as though mocking her for her horizons being too narrow... Unable to hold back the agitation in her heart, Mo Yu spurted blood. To think that I, the princess of Tianwu Kingdom and a 1-star master teacher, would be looked down on by a bunch of students... What in the world is this? But thinking about it... their words did make sense. The fellow before her couldnt be understood throughmon sense. When he took the master teacher examination, he had barely reached Zongshi realm. Yet, when he faced the Lin n, he was already at Zongshi realm pinnacle. There was only an interval of six to seven days between the two events! If he could advance into Zongshi realm that swiftly, then perhaps... he might be able to do the same for Zhizun realm as well. "Even if you reach Zhizun realm pinnacle, Ding Mu is still the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom. If you were to kill him, it might cause instability within the country. Im afraid that... the Master Teacher Pavilion will hinder you!" Mo Yu said, while forcefully suppressing her bursting frustration from being looked down on. "Hinder? Isnt the Master Teacher Pavilion supposed to protect master teachers?" Baffled, Zhang Xuan frowned. The Master Teacher Pavilion was an organization created by master teachers for master teachers. Given that the other party had attempted to assassinate a master teacher, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion chose not to crack down on the culprit, how could it defend the culprit? "The Master Teacher Pavilion does protect the welfare of master teachers, but... if a Conferred Kingdom is involved, the matter bes uncertain! After all, if a crown prince of a kingdom of such level were to be killed, it would definitely cause a tremendous chaos in the country. Perhaps, it might even result in war, the death of innocent civilians, and discement of poption. In order to prevent this kind of situation, it is highly likely that the Master Teacher Pavilion might choose the other party over you! After all, you are only a 2-star primary master teacher, so you dont wield sufficient weight yet..." Mo Yu continued, "Besides, the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion is close with the royal family. As an outsider, its likely that youll be shunned instead!" "This..." Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. Even though Mo Yus words were frustrating, he had to admit that they made sense. The purpose of the presence of Master Teacher Pavilions was to maintain peace in the region. Given that Zhang Xuan was going to kill Xuanyuan Kingdoms crown prince, it would be hard for the Master Teacher Pavilion to simply watch by the side. Besides, no matter how impartial the Master Teacher Pavilion was, the Xuanyuan royal family had been in power for innumerable years. Along with the passing of time, they had established close ties with one another. With the identity of an outsider 2-star master teacher, it was indeed difficult for him to get them to his side. Rules are impartial, but humans have feelings. "Thats indeed a problem!" Upon thinking of all of these, Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, turning to Mo Yu, he asked, "Isnt there any solution for this matter?" "There is, just that... its too difficult!" Mo Yu shook her head. "Oh?" "If you want to stop the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion from hindering you, or even support you, you have to impress them with your capability." Mo Yu said. "Impress them with my capability? You mean... Pavilion Crashing?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. If one wanted the Master Teacher Pavilion to submit to one swiftly, there was only a single method. That was... Pavilion Crashing! It was simr to dojo crashing. With the strength of an individual, one would face the entire Master Teacher Pavilion. Once one seeded, regardless of how strong one was or what requests one had, the Master Teacher Pavilion was to obey without any conditions. This matter was written within the books of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and upon Mo Yus reminder, he recalled it. "Thats right, Im referring to Pavilion Crashing! However, the master of Xuanyuan Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion is a 3-star master teacher, and his strength has reached Half-Transcension... Without the strength and capability of a 4-star master teacher, itll be impossible for you to seed in the Pavilion Crashing." Mo Yu exined patiently. The master and elders of Xuanyuan Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion had all reached 3-star, and they possessed fearsome cultivation to match it. Pavilion Crashing consisted of tests of all fields. It was simr to Pill Debate; without sufficient strength and knowledge, it was impossible for one to seed. "If they know whats better for them, theyll choose not to interfere in this matter... But if they insist on protecting that crown prince..." Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists tightly, "Then, I dont mind... crashing it!" Chapter 414: Xuanyuans Beast Hall Chapter 414: Xuanyuans Beast Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Lu Chong could even disregard his own life for him. As his teacher, what could he not give up for the other party? So what if he had to face a Conferred Kingdom? So what if he had to face off against a Master Teacher Pavilion? Lu Chong, dont worry! Regardless of who the other party is, to dare to reduce you to such a state, as your teacher, I will make him regret his actions! "Fine..." Knowing that it was impossible to persuade the fellow before her, Mo Yu shook her head helplessly, and decided not to harp on this issue. "So, what do you intend to do now?" "Ill head to Xuanyuan Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan replied. At the same time, he whistled, and the air current above suddenly grew chaotic. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast whizzed over from the distant sky andnded right before him. Only in Xuanyuan Kingdom would he be able to find sufficient Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals for him to grow stronger swiftly. If he were to remain in Tianwu Kingdom, his strength would just stagnate. Just like Mo Yu said, without sufficient strength, it was impossible for him to aplish anything at all. He might even lose his life due to it. "Xuanyuan Kingdoms capital, Xuanyuan Royal City, is a few hundred thousand kilometers away from here. Given the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beasts Half-Zhizun realm strength, even if it were to fly with all of its strength, it would take at least seven to eight days!" Mo Yu replied. As a Conferred Kingdom, Xuanyuan Kingdoms territory was significantlyrger than Tianwu Kingdom. Taking seven to eight days to travel to its capital from here could already be considered fast. "Seven to eight days?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. That was already around the duration he had stayed in Tianwu Royal City. Mo Yu nodded, "Indeed. This is already the limit of a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast. Well, if it reaches Zhizun realm, it would only take three days. Otherwise, we can only go over like that!" Half-Zhizun realm and Zhizun realm was only a small leap in ones cultivation stage, but for an aerial savage beast, it meant more than a twofold increase in its flying speed. "Zhizun realm aerial savage beasts can travel that quickly? Then, Ill raise its cultivation realm then..." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Raise its cultivation realm?" Mo Yu shed a bitter smile. Shed almost forgotten it. On top of being a genius master teacher, the fellow before her was a formidable beast tamer as well. Even until now, she had been unable to make sense of the Beast Pummeling Taming Method that the other party created. She couldnt understand how it could make savage beasts obedient to one, and why it would induce a breakthrough in them. Lifting her head to take a look, she saw that the young man before her had already gotten into action; he walked over to the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast and smashed his fist onto it. Peng peng peng peng! If it was any other beast tamer, it would be impossible for them to punch their tamed beasts so fearlessly. Even if a contract had been established between them, such an action could easily incur the other partys resentment, and this may turn out to be a potential threat in the future. Yet, when Zhang Xuans fistnded on the savage beast, the huge fellow howled in delight. A euphoric expression slowly surfaced on its face as ity motionless on the ground. To react in such a way while being pummeled, that savage beast was truly one-of-a-kind... Boom! After a moment of pummeling, the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast released a piercing howl, and it broke through its bottleneck. In an instant, its aura surged and pierced through the clouds. Zhizun realm! Upon reaching a whole new realm, the Howling Firmament Beasts physique grewrger, and its movements became sharper. The group climbed onto the back of the savage beast, and after ascertaining the direction, it started flying toward the horizon. ... Sitting cross-legged in the room on the back of the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, Zhang Xuan recalled the events from earlier. Due to the dire circumstances then, all that was on his mind then was to kill Liang Qingming. And somehow, the golden book suddenly appeared and crushed him to death. Could it be that... the Book of Heavens Path also possessed the ability to smash someone to death? When he first obtained the Library of Heavens Path, he thought that while others were throwing out all kinds of mystic treasures, he would end up hurling books at others... To think that it was true! Recalling the might of the book, Zhang Xuan was awed. For a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert to be smashed into a lump of meat in an instant, the might of the attack was already beyond that of ordinary Transcendent Mortal realm experts. In other words, even Su shi would have been unable to withstand that attack! Fearsome! "But... its a one-time consumable!" Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. The move was indeed strong, but... it depleted the golden pages within the Book of Heavens Path, and with that, he had no golden pages left. It seemed like he would have to bring in more students, win their gratitude, and produce a few more golden pages for his own security. To be able to assimte the content of the books in the Library of Heavens Path into his own knowledge, raise his Soul Depth by 5.0 instantaneously, destroy an enemy far beyond ones cultivation realm... Zhang Xuan had only discovered three uses of the golden page, but every single one of them was fearsome in their own right. If he could gather sufficient golden pages, he wouldnt have to fear anyone anymore. He could just toss a book at anyone who dares to provoke him! "Judging from how long the golden book was materialized... there seems to be a time limit of ten seconds!" He tried to recall the details of the previous battle. Seeing Lu Chong being impaled right before him had clouded Zhang Xuans mind, so he didnt think much into the details then. However, now that he had calmed down, he was able to deduce some matters by analyzing the situation. This Book of Heavens Path could be summoned at Zhang Xuans will to smash his enemies. However, after leaving the Library of Heavens Path, it could only sustain itself for around ten breaths or so before disappearing. If not for this time limit, Ding Mu wouldnt have been able to escape! This book could even smash Transcendent Mortal experts to death, needless to say, those two fellows. "After going through Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy, my Soul Depth has increased considerably!" Looking at Kong shis personal handwriting had sent him into a unique state that nourished his mind. If not for thepse in his awareness due to that, with the Heavens Path Movement Art, it would be difficult for even a Zhizun realm expert to kill him! "My Soul Depth has reached 12.1. Thats sufficient for me take the 4-star master teacher examination!" Even though the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy only managed to work for a short period of time, given that it was induced by Kong shis handwriting, it still granted him a huge growth in his Soul Depth, raising it by 1.0. Given that the examination requirement on ones Soul Depth increased by 3.0 for each tier, Zhang Xuans Soul Depth was already sufficient for him to take the 4-star master teacher examination. "With the rise in my Soul Depth, my Eye of Insight has also grown significantly stronger! In the past, I could only peer into the essence of cultivators possessing the same level or weaker cultivation than me, but now, I can easily see the ws and problems of even a Half-Zhizun!" As Zhang Xuans Soul Depth reached 12.1, the level of a 4-star master teacher, his Eye of Insight also enjoyed a qualitative improvement. Given his cultivation realm of Zongshi realm pinnacle, it was impossible for him to peer into the ws of a Half-Zhizun in the past. But now, even if an expert of that level were to appear before him, Zhang Xuan would still be able to see through his ws easily even without the Library of Heavens Path. The Library of Heavens Path was formidable, but it had many ws. For example, it required one to execute his battle technique or be unconscious before a book on one would bepiled. On the other hand, just by expending some of ones Soul Depth, the Eye of Insight allowed one to peer into anothers ws. In a sense, it was much more practical and applicable than the Library of Heavens Path. "Not only so, the efficacy of my Impartation of Heavens Will has also improved significantly!" Currently, Zhang Xuan hadprehended a total of two unique abilities of master teachers. The Eye of Insight and Impartation of Heavens Will. Through the Impartation of Heavens Will, by expending his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan could easily induce trust in another. On top of that, he could also drive another persons cultivation through his words. In the past, the Impartation of Heavens Will only influenced cultivators who were much weaker than him. But now, he would be able to influence those of the same cultivation realm as him, Zongshi realm pinnacle, through words alone. All in all, the benefits that he derived from the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy were substantial. However, they were mainly limited to the master teacher abilities; it didnt contribute to his cultivation or any other aspects. "All of you, show me your battle techniques!" After sorting out his current state, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Zhao Ya and the others. It had been a while since he hadst given them guidance. Even though they had improved swiftly, it was clear that they were unable to keep up with Zhang Xuans footsteps. Thus, it was imperative for Zhang Xuan to pull up their cultivation so that they could at least fend for themselves. "Yes!" On the broad back of the savage beast, the group demonstrated their battle techniques, and Zhang Xuan offered them pointers one by one. Three days passed in a sh. After Zhang Xuans guidance, the groups cultivation rose significantly. Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and the others reached Pixue realm, and even Yuan Tao, whose cultivation was oftengging behind the others, had managed to open one acupoint. By unleashing the potential of her unique constitution, Zhao Ya even managed to reach Zongshi realm advanced stage. With the Pure Yin Body and Heavens Path Sword Art, she would be a match for even typical Zongshi realm pinnacle experts. Zhang Xuan also offered Mo Yu some guidance, and thetter improved significantly as well. "Why arent we heading to Xuanyuan Royal City?" After consecutive days of flight, just when the capital was in sight, Zhang Xuan suddenlymanded the Howling Firmament Beast to steer toward another direction, heading toward the mountain range not too far away. "I need a ce to raise my strength!" replied Zhang Xuan calmly, looking out of the window. "Raise your strength?" Mo Yu blinked in confusion. Seeing how adamant Zhang Xuan was at avenging Lu Chong, Mo Yu thought that he would cultivate hard in these three days so that he could at least reach Half-Zhizun. Yet, other than offering them guidance and taking care of Lu Chong, he didnt even bother cultivating at all. And only when he was close to reaching the capital did he suddenly speak of raising his strength... Did this fellow require some unique location for his cultivation? "The Beast Hall!" Zhang Xuan exined. After reading through all of the books in Tianwu Kingdom, even though Zhang Xuan had yet to get a good grasp of the various powers located within Xuanyuan Kingdom, at the very least, he managed to find information on the locations of the upation guilds. Simr to that of the Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, Xuanyuan Kingdoms Beast Hall wasnt in the city either. It was located in the depths of the mountain range several dozen kilometers away from the capital. "Beast Hall? Youre going there to raise your cultivation?" Hearing the location, Mo Yu was even more perplexed. She had heard of savage beasts visiting the Beast Hall to raise their strength, but she didnt know that it applied for humans as well. Could it be that his cultivation technique required the presence of savage beasts? ... Just as Zhang Xuan was heading for the Beast Hall in the small town located in the vast area controlled by the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, three figures leaped off the back of an aerial savage beast. Of them, two were Zhang Xuans acquaintances; Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Halls Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang. A man in histe twenties apanied them. That mans chest was puffed out, and he had an arrogant look on his face. "Beast Tamer Luo, this is the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, where the Beast Taming Competition will be held!" Hall Master Feng said. "Un, I know! Dont worry, a championship, is it? Ill definitely take first ce for you all!" Beast Tamer Luo waved his hands casually, as though speaking of an insignificant issue. "Ah..." Hearing the arrogant words of the other party, Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang exchanged nces, and a bitter smile shed across their faces. This Beast Tamer Luo was one of the more talented beast tamers in Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, but he was, by no means, the most talented one. If not for thepetition being brought forward by four months, and the fact that they were unable to find the candidate they had chosen, Zhang Xuan, they would have never brought this fellow over. Since the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had been taken by that fellow, the group could only travel here on a Zongshi realm savage beast. Due to its limited speed, it took them more than a month to arrive here, and all of them were wearied by the long journey. More than a month ago, Zhang Xuan had still been looking for the Poison Hall. Since he wasnt even at Tianwu Royal City yet, they were unable to find him "Why? You dont trust my capability? "Hmph, why do you keep mentioning that Zhang Xuan? Hes a 2-star beast tamer, but so am I! He passed the examination on his first try, but so did I! In fact, I even did better than him! How can you be so confident in him and yet doubt me?" Seeing the expressions of the duo, Beast Tamer Luo flung his hands in displeasure. Chapter 415: Ten Beasts Cage Chapter 415: Ten Beasts Cage Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What do you mean? That Zhang Xuan you speak of might be a genius, but arent I one as well? Why do you hold so high expectations of him yet think so lowly of me? We are both 2-star beast tamers, I am not inferior to him in any way! "Thats not what we mean, its just that..." Hall Master Feng smiled awkwardly, "The Beast Taming Competition gathers all of the geniuses in the vicinity of Xuanyuan Kingdom, so we mustnt let our guards down. We have to proceed carefully!" "Proceed carefully? What is there to be careful about! Ive studied the previouspetition, and all Ive to do is to tame a Zhizun realm primary stage savage beast. Even though my current cultivation realm hasnt reached Zhizun realm, I am still confident of doing so!" Clenching his fists tightly, the young man drove his cultivation. Zongshi realm pinnacle! To reach Zongshi realm pinnacle under thirty; even in Tianwu Kingdom, he could be considered as a genius. It was no wonder he was so confident. "The test for thepetition changes each time, so Im not too sure about what will be tested this time round. However... Ive heard that the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall has captured a powerful savage beast a while ago, and theyve tried taming it multiple times, only to end in failure. In order to resolve the matter quickly so as to prevent any unnecessary trouble, they decided to bring forward thepetition so as to gather the geniuses from all regions here!" After a moments hesitation, Hall Master Feng decided to reveal the news that he had heard. "In my view... I think it is very probable for the test to be rted to that powerful savage beast they caught!" "I share your sentiments as well. The Beast Taming Competition is held once every five years, and the timing has always been fixed. Theres no reason for them to suddenly push it forward just to conduct it earlier!" Beast Tamer Wang nodded in agreement. A friend of theirs from Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall had secretly delivered this news to them. However, whether it was true or not still had to be seen. However, based on their analysis, the intelligence was likely to be true. Otherwise, there was no reason for them to push forward thepetition all of the sudden, catching all of the candidates off guard. "The Beast Hall has captured a powerful savage beast? What cultivation realm is it?" Beast Tamer Luo was surprised. "Im not too sure about the details either!" Hall Master Feng shook his head. He might be the head of the Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, but he still wasnt qualified to learn of the confidential secrets in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall. "Since even 3-star beast tamers are unable to tame it, who of the younger generation could possibly seed? Even if its rted to that, itll probably be researching the savage beasts habits, likes, dislikes, and such to help with the taming process." Beast Tamer Luo lifted his head proudly and boasted, "On those aspects, I wont lose out to anyone!" Only those beneath thirty are eligible to participatr in the Beast Taming Competition hosted by the Beast Hall. Beast Tamer Luo didnt dare to say much about the experienced beast tamers, but under the age limit, he was confident that there were very few people who could triumph over him in the field of beast taming in the vicinity of Xuanyuan Kingdom. "I am aware of your capability, but Ive heard that numerous talented beast tamers have emerged this year, and all of them are formidable as well! Wei Youdao from Jibei Kingdom, Jiang Nanping from Kaixiong Kingdom, Ji Wuxin from Hongquan Manor... They are all powerful adversaries who have reached 2-star pinnacle below thirty... Seeing Beast Tamer Luos confident face, Hall Master Feng nced at Beast Tamer Wang before speaking. The young man before him was a talented beast tamer, and if not for Zhang Xuan, he would be the number one beast tamer among the younger generation in Xuanluo Mountain Range. However, he had a clear, fatal w: arrogance. If it wasnt for them being unable to get into contact with Zhang Xuan, honestly speaking, they wouldnt have approached him for thispetition. As a beast tamer, it was good to be confident but disastrous to be arrogant. Arrogance could potentially earn one the ire of the savage beast one was trying to tame. Having headed the Beast Hall for so many years, Hall Master Feng had seen many formidable beast tamers being torn apart by savage beasts due to this. "Theyre indeed not bad. Ive cross hands with them, and back then, I was indeed not a match for them. However, Ive learned a new beast taming technique since then, so it wont be easy for them to triumph over me..."Beast Tamer Luo said, cing his hands behind his back. However, halfway through his words, a cold harrumph sounded behind him. "Such arrogant words. I was wondering who it was, so its a braggart!" A young man walked over and scoffed. "Fang Jin? Why, you wish topete with me?" Recognizing the other party, Beast Tamer Luo frowned. "Compete? Luo Tang, do you think you are worthy ofpeting with me?" Chuckling softly, Fang Jin drove his cultivation, and his powerful aura gushed into the surroundings. "Half... Half-Zhizun?" Beast Tamer Luo widened his eyes in shock as he subconsciously retreated two steps. He thought that it was already a formidable feat for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. To think that Fang Jin had already reached Half-Zhizun! The stronger a beast tamer was, the easier it was for them to win the respect of a savage beast and tame it. "Two years ago, we were all Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivators. Given your beast taming capability, you could be considered as one of the top of the younger generation. However, Wei Youdao, Jiang Nanping, and the rest of us have already achieved a breakthrough since then. If this is all you have, I advise you to leave quietly now so that you dont make a mockery of yourself!" Fang Jin looked at Beast Tamer Luo indifferently. "You..." Beast Tamer Luos face turned pale. "You mean that... Wei Youdao and the others have also achieved a breakthrough in their cultivation as well?" There was a world of a difference between Zongshi realm pinnacle and Half-Zhizun. There were many who were stuck at Zongshi realm pinnacle for their entire life, unable to take the next step forward. How did all of them manage to achieve a breakthrough in the past two years? "Not only so, Wei Youdao has even reached Zhizun realm primary stage!" Fang Jin replied. "Zhizun realm primary stage?" Beast Tamer Luo clenched his fists tightly, "So what if you are stronger? What we arepeting on is our beast taming skill and understanding of savage beasts. Even if youre stronger, it doesnt mean that you can just beat a savage beast into submission..." Dong! Just as Beast Tamer Luo was refuting the other partys words, the ground suddenly quaked. A thunder-like chiming of a bell suddenly boomed. "A bell? Crap, something huge is happening!" Hall Master Fengs face suddenly warped. Luo Tang and Fang Jin, who were in the midst of an argument, suddenly stopped their actions, and their eyes narrowed. There were many savage beasts reared in the Beast Hall, and in order to avoid rming them, quietness had always been upheld here. Unless something huge happened, the bell would never be chimed. Its chiming meant that all beast tamers had to gather immediately to face whatever that was threatening the Beast Hall! What could have happened for this bell to chime all of the sudden? Dong dong dong! The bell continued chiming. "Quick, count the number of chimes!" Hall Master Feng urged. The number of chimes represented the message the Beast Hall was trying to ry to the beast tamers. Soon, when the chiming stopped, Luo Tang announced, "There was a total of... seven chimes!" Fang Jin also quickly turned his gaze to Hall Master Feng. Even though they were beast tamers as well, such incidents were rare, and their knowledge of these old traditions couldnt match up to this old head of Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall. "Seven chimes, this is..." Recalling the rules surrounding the chiming of the bell, Hall Master Fengs face paled. His body trembled vigorously as he muttered, "Someone is challenging the Ten Beasts Cage? How... How is that possible?" "Ten Beasts Cage?" Luo Tang and Fang Jin nced at one another doubtfully. This was their first time hearing of this term. "Ten Beasts Cage is actually a long and narrow metal cage. ced within it are ten savage beasts, and the further one advanced, the stronger the savage beasts be... To pass the trial, one has to travel from one end of the cage to the other end alone within two hours..." Hall Master Fengs lips quivered. "Ten savage beasts? Alone? This... Is it even possible?" "Its the primal instinct of a savage beast to attack strangers on sight. If that wasnt the case, beast tamer wouldnt be such a respected upation either. One has to travel from one end of the cage to the other end and face ten savage beasts within two hours?" Luo Tang and Fang Jin eximed in shock. Even Beast Tamer Wang was dumbstruck. Savage beasts had a skeptical nature, and they possessed an innate hostility toward humans. Without any unique means, one would be attacked as soon as they came within the proximity of the savage beast. On top of that, the cage was narrow, so it was impossible to avoid contact altogether. It was possible to subdue a savage beast within two hours, but to face ten of them consecutively? How was that possible? Suddenly recalling a matter, Luo Tang hurriedly asked, "Right! How strong will be the savage beasts be?" If the strength of the savage beasts was much weaker than the challenger, then even if there were ten of them and their strength rose progressively, it wouldnt bepletely impossible to clear the trial. "The first four savage beasts will be a small cultivation realm weaker than the challenger. The three afterward will be of the same cultivation as the challenger. The next two will be a small cultivation realm stronger than the challenger, and the final one will be... two small cultivation realms stronger than the challenger!" Hall Master Fengs voice quivered as he spoke. "What?" The faces of the other three immediately turned ghastly pale. As beast tamers, they were well aware of how fearsome savage beasts were. They possessed immense physiques and frightening brute strength; in the same cultivation realm, human cultivators were definitely no match for savage beasts. Yet, at the very end, one had to face a savage beast two small cultivation realms stronger than oneself? Are you for real? "Theres no doubt about it, anyone who tries to challenge will surely die... Who would do something so foolish? What does one stand to gain out of this?" Fang Jin couldnt help but ask. Intrigued, Luo Tang and the others turned to look at Hall Master Feng as well. It was impossible for someone to take such a risk if there was nothing to gain from it. This Ten Beasts Cage was clearly a death trap... Why would anyone even try to challenge it? Surely it was seeking death? "Of course there are benefits to it!" Hall Master clenched his fists so tightly that his nails were sinking into his flesh, "Anyone to seeds will be bestowed with a drop of... "Spirit beast blood essence!" Chapter 416: Who Is It? Chapter 416: Who Is It? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" Luo Tang and Fang Jins eyes immediately reddened in agitation. Spirit beasts possessed strength equivalent to Transcendent Mortal realm cultivators, and not only could their blood induce Bloodline Evolution in savage beasts, it could also temper a humans body, thus boosting ones strength. This thing was much more valuable than spirit stones. To think that the reward for challenging the Ten Beasts Cage was this! However... even though they knew now that there was such a reward, it was impossible for them to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage. No matter how valuable the reward was, it would be for naught if one lost ones life! What was the use of a blood essence if one was dead? "Its already difficult to triumph over a savage beast of the same cultivation realm as one, needless to say, challenging ten at once. Lets hurry over to see who... is so desperate to die." Luo Tang said, gritting his teeth. He was confident that he would emerge as the champion for the Beast Taming Competition, but even so, he didnt have the courage to face the ten savage beasts alone. Who could it be? To barge in just like that, even causing the chiming of the bells... Was he really tired of living? "Lets go over then!" Hall Master Feng nodded in agreement. Beast Tamer Wang and Fang Jin were also curious to see who that brazen fellow was. Thus, the group hurried toward the Beast Hall, and soon, they arrived at a vast open ground. There was an enormous crater around seven hundred to eight hundred meters wide right in front of them. The crater was covered by an immense steel cage, and the ten savage beasts were segregated into several groups, prowling around the area they were ced in. At this moment, arge group of people, attracted by the chiming of the bell, was standing at the perimeter of the crater, looking at the situation in the cage below. Their eyebrows and mouths were twitching in fear from that sight. There were many talented beast tamers amidst the crowd, but the sight of so many powerful savage beasts still caused their hair to stand on end. "And the final one is a Zhizun realm primary stage savage beast..." "Even a Zhizun realm intermediate stage expert would find it hard to subdue it. This... How does he intend to clear the trial?" "Judging from how the weakest savage beast in it is a Zongshi realm advanced stage... that means that the one challenging the Ten Beasts Cage is a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator! Is it Wei Youdao, Jiang Nanping, Ji Wuxin, Fang Jin, or Luo Tang? From what I know, their cultivation realms are around that level, and their beast taming capability is also up to par!" "You must have been living under a rock! Jiang Nanping and the others have reached Half-Zhizun, and Wei Youdao even managed to achieve a breakthrough to Zhizun realm primary stage. Its not them!" "Not them? Then who else could it be? Who would dare to challenge ten powerful savage beasts face on?" ... The strength of the savage beasts had caused a hugemotion among the crowd. The savage beast guarding the very end of the cage was a Zhizun realm savage beast... Facing it was truly a ticket to hell. Who would be so reckless? Does he not fear death, or is he tired of living? "To throw away ones life for a drop of spirit beast blood essence, that fellow must have a screw loose!" Luo Tang couldnt help butment. Spirit beast blood essence is valuable, but nothing could be more valuable than ones life. To disregard his life and challenge this hopeless trial... Has he gone mad? "I know nearly all of the famous Zongshi realm pinnacle beast tamers in vicinity of Xuanyuan Kingdom... Who could it be? From what I remember, none of them are this irrational though?" Fang Jins eyebrows knitted tightly together in contemtion. Judging from the strength of the savage beast, it couldnt be Wei Youdao and the others. But other than them, who could possess the capability to challenge this Ten Beasts Cage? Furthermore, even if it was that bunch, they probably wouldnt dare to take on this seemingly hopeless trial! ... "Challenging the Ten Beasts Cage? He sure is brazen! Hes probably tired of living, and he just wants to make a name for himself before his death!" Amidst the crowd, a young man crossed his arms and nced at the cage below with slight disdain in his eyes. It was the genius who induced fear in Luo Tang and the others, Wei Youdao! "Indeed. Ive seen many of such people. Now, the only thing Im curious about is whether he can even pass the first stage!" Another person standing beside him harrumphed. Another famous genius of Xuanyuan Kingdom, Jiang Nanping. The two geniuses were as though two radiant stars among the crowd, and privately, they were good friends as well. Upon hearing that someone wanted to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage, they immediately hurried over. They wanted to see who possessed such courage. As for whether that person could pass the trial or not, they thought that it was a ridiculous question. Putting aside the Zhizun realm savage beast at the very end which was two small cultivation realms stronger than the challenger, just in the very first stage, the challenger had to face four savage beasts which were only one small cultivation realm weaker than him. This, in itself, was already a hopeless cause. "The first stage consists of four Zongshi realm advanced stage Whirlwind Wolves! This savage beast moves extremely fast, and theyre adept at coordinating with one another in a battle. It is already a difficult feat for a Zongshi realm pinnacle to subdue one. With four of them... They could probably even defeat an average Half-Zhizun cultivator. Zongshi realm pinnacle? Hehe, you must be dreaming!" Wei Youdao shook his head. "Indeed. That fellow will be torn to shreds in this stage!" Jiang Nanping shook his head as well. "Hes asking for it anyway. Before challenging the Ten Beasts Cage, one has to sign a life-and-death agreement absolving anyone of me if the challenger were to die in the midst of the trial. Even if he were to die, it would only be his own fault!" Wei Youdao harrumphed coldly. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he suddenly caught sight of something and said, "Hes out!" Hearing his words, the crowd immediately turned their gazes onto the field below, and they saw a young man slowly walking toward the first stage of the Ten Beasts Cage. "This fellow looks extremely young, it cant be that hes under twenty..." "Hes indeed young. To be able to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle at such an age, he must be incredibly talented. Why would he be in such a rush to seek death?" Upon seeing the appearance of the figure below, the crowd was taken aback. "Brother Wei, do you recognize him?" Jiang Nanping was also stunned. He knew all of the geniuses in the vicinity of Xuanyuan Kingdom, but he had never seen this fellow before. "Ive never seen him before!" Wei Youdao shook his head. "To challenge the Ten Beasts Cage at such a young age, do you think that he has some ace up his sleeves?" Jiang Nanping frowned. "Ace up his sleeves? The Ten Beasts Cage has been here for more than a thousand years already, but no one has seeded in clearing it before. No matter how many aces he has up his sleeve, it is impossible for him to seed. Hes probably just another brat who is trying too hard to impress others!" Wei Youdao waved his hands nonchntly. "Youre right. In the thousand years since the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall is set up, countless geniuses have challenged the Ten Beasts Cage, but no one has seeded before. This unknown fellow is probably just trying to earn some fame." Jiang Nanping expressed his approval of the other partys view. "I wonder, by the end of this trial, will he still have a breath in him to enjoy his fame..." ... "I-I-Its... him?" "How could it be him? Is he mad?" Contrary to the crowds doubtful gazes, upon seeing the figure, Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wangs faces immediately warped, and they nearly bit off their tongues from shock. "You two know him?" Surprised, Luo Tang turned his gaze over. "Hes... the person I often speak of... Beast Tamer Zhang!" Biting his tongue tightly and confirming that he wasnt dreaming, Hall Master Feng fell into a daze. He was wondering what kind of incredible figure would challenge this impossible Ten Beasts Cage, and never in his dreams did he expect that it would be that youngster he just met a month ago... Zhang Xuan! Didnt this fellow head to Tianwu Kingdom? Why was he here? Furthermore... Challenging the Ten Beasts Cage? Didnt he know how dangerous it was? Furthermore... Wasnt he at Tongxuan realm pinnacle? When did he reach Zongshi realm pinnacle? Many doubts surfaced in Hall Master Fengs mind, jamming up his head, leaving him frenzied. The heck, what in the world was going on? "Hes Zhang Xuan?" Luo Tang froze for a moment before sneering coldly, "You all spoke of him as though he was some kind of deity. I thought that he would be some formidable figure... To think that hes just an ignorant brat!" Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang had praised Zhang Xuan before him innumerable times, and this had left the proud him displeased. Even so, to beplimented like that by the two elders of the Beast Hall, Luo Tang thought that he would be a truly formidable figure. Yet, the other party turned out to be an ignorant brat who would charge mindlessly into the Ten Beasts Cage. Genius? Pui! Challenging the Ten Beasts Cage, you sure know how to overestimate yourself. I will watch you be torn apart by the savage beastster on... Thinking so, disdain slowly appeared in his eyes. "Genius? You mean a genius at courting death, right?" Hearing the conversation between them, Fang Jin sneered. No matter how proud a genius was, they knew their limits. To challenge the Ten Beasts Cage for a drop of spirit beast blood essence that one couldnt obtain, that was an absolutely idiotic decision. ... "Zhang Xuan, be careful..." From above, Mo Yu, Zhao Ya, and the others gazed at the situation anxiously. Mo Yu had been intrigued by how Zhang Xuan intended to raise his cultivation bying to the Beast Hall. Upon hearing that he was going to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage, she immediately came to a realization... spirit beast blood essence! However... Even if the spirit beast blood essence could augment ones strength, was it worth going through such risk just for it? There are ten savage beasts, and every single one of them can easily ughter a cultivator. Even if you manage to pass the first two stages through your extraordinary beast taming capability, what about the ones afterward? Half-Zhizun savage beasts and a Zhizun realm primary stage savage beast... This was a line up that even a Zhizun realm intermediate stage cultivator would be unwilling to face. "Teacher will surely... be fine!" Zhao Ya said. She possessed absolute trust in her teacher, but the dangerous sight before her still left her worried. "He should be fine..." Mo Yu nodded as well, but it seemed as though she was convincing herself instead. ... In contrast to the disdain and tense expression of those above, Zhang Xuan seemedpletely rxed. To exact his vengeance, Zhang Xuan would have to grow stronger. Even if he were to gather a sufficient quantity of Zhizun realm cultivation technique to form aplete Zhizun realm Heavens Path Divine Art, he would require a huge number of spirit stones to fuel his cultivation. As such, there was only one way left for him to grow stronger swiftly... Spirit beast blood essence! As long as he had a sufficient quantity of it, through his Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, he would be able to temper his physical body to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle in the shortest possible time. Spirit beast blood essence was iparably valuable, so it was unlikely for Beast Halls to sell it to outsiders. Besides, even if it was up for sales, Zhang Xuan couldnt afford it anyway. Given his current strength, he couldnt snatch it by brute force either. Thus, the only path left before him was to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage. ording to the books, as long as he seeded, he would be given a droplet of spirit beast blood essence. Hu! Breathing out a mouthful of turbid gas, Zhang Xuan nced at the four Whirlwind Wolves of the first stage and smiled faintly. "Come on!" At which, he walked forward to the four ferocious wolves. ... "Hes charging straight in?" "Is that fellow trying to charge through via brute force?" "There must be something wrong with his head! One should use their beast taming capability along with their strength to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage. He should at least throw out some food or something to win the other partys goodwill before trying anything. Wouldnt he incur their anger by charging straight in?" "Hes doomed. The Whirlwind Wolves have already been provoked..." ... The Ten Beasts Cage wasnt just about ones battling prowess. After all, it was impossible for one to defeat so many powerful savage beasts within two hours! The standard way was to use beast taming means to get on good terms with the savage beasts so as to pass through their area peacefully. Yet, without even saying anything, this fellow charged straight in as though a fool. Arent you inviting the Whirlwind Wolves to tear you apart? Chapter 417: The Cute Whirlwind Wolves Chapter 417: The Cute Whirlwind Wolves Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Fool!" Wei Youdao harrumphed coldly in disdain. Those were Whirlwind Wolves, one of the most aggressive savage beasts in the forests. Even though they only possessed a cultivation of Zongshi realm advanced stage, in a practical battle, even Half-Zhizun cultivators had to be wary. Yet, this fool actually charged in without any preparation... You must be joking! "Whirlwind Wolves fancy the meat of Flowing Wave Beast. If one were to barbecue the meat and offer it to them, one could easily earn their goodwill. But of course, that isnt sufficient to tame a Whirlwind Wolf. It would require at least two to three additional years of hard work to do so... For this fellow to charge in without any preparations, it cant be that he intends to face them straight on?" Jiang Nanpings mouth widened in astonishment, "How can there be such a foolish person in the world? Could it be that... he isnt a beast tamer?" No matter how much strength one possessed, or how much zhenqi one harnessed in ones body, it was impossible for one to barge through the trial consisting of ten powerful savage beasts using brute force. One had to utilize all kinds of beast taming methods and win the other partys goodwill so as to keep it from attacking one. To charge straight in without any preparatory work... There must be something wrong with his head! No sane beast tamer would do this! "If hes truly a beast tamer, then hes a shame to all beast tamers in the world!" Wei Youdao harrumphed coldly. "Thats right!" Jiang Nanping nodded. No rational beast tamer in the world wouldmit such foolishness. "Lets not talk about him. Brother Wei, how would you get past this stage?" Disregarding that mad fellow, Jiang Nanping asked curiously. As geniuses, the both of them were rivals. However, at the same time, they were also learning from one another and improving together. "Me?" Wei Youdaos mouth curled up, and a dazzling smile surfaced on his dashing face. "Simple, Id offer them the barbecued meat of a Flowing Wave Beast and the spring water from the Turquoise rity Mountain. After which, Id defeat the strongest one of the lot in the fastest time possible!" Hearing the other partys solution, Jiang Nanping couldnt help but p his hands in praise. "Brother Wei is indeed incredible! The Flowing Wave Beast and water from the Turquoise rity Mountain are the favorites of the Whirlwind Wolves. Using these two things to win their fancy before striking down on one of them violently... The most attractive carrot and the most painful stick! Theyd surely lose their fighting will swiftly. Brilliant, that is truly brilliant!" "Hehe... No matter how united savage beasts are, theyre only beasts. One just has to divide them and make them lose their fighting will. The first stage actually isnt too difficult!" After which, Wei Youdai turned to Jiang Nanping and asked, "What about you, Brother Jiang? How will you deal with this situation?" "Me?" Jiang Nanping raised his right hand and pointed to the cage valiantly. "My method is different from that of Brother Wei. Id... Id... The heck! What is going on? How is this possible?" Jiang Nanping was about to exin the idea he had in mind to the other party when his eyes narrowed. Gradually, his face paled, and he nearly lost his bnce and fell down from shock. "Whats wrong?" Seeing his good friend losing hisposure, going to the extent of even spouting vulgarities, Wei Youdao frowned. He also turned his gaze to the cage below. With a single look, his body trembled, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. "Thi-this... Are my eyes ying tricks on me?" The duo stared at one another silently. ... "Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang, you two must be old! I told you all that Zhang Xuan couldnt be as incredible as you all put him out to be, but you all just wouldnt listen to me. See whats happening now?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan diving into the group of Whirlwind Wolves, Luo Tang nced at the two elders behind him and shook his head. What in the world were you all thinking? Do you think that this goof can represent the Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall in thispetition? And that he is superior to me? You must be pulling my leg! "Its fortunate you two didnt bring him here. Otherwise, itd only be embarrassing!" Luo Tang spoke with a concerned tone, but smugness hung on the corners of his lips. Those two old fogeys actuallypared him with this fool? They must be blind! "Actually, I dont mean to me you all by saying these words. I just hope that you all wont be deceived by the lies of despicable people..." Halfway through his words, Luo Tang suddenly felt someone tugging on his sleeve. "What?" Luo Tang frowned. Turning around, he saw Fang Jin staring at him with a dazed expression. Fear and shock reflected in his eyes. "Brother Fang..." Luo Tang was taken aback. He was just about to ask about it when he caught sight of the scene below with his peripheral vision. In that instant, it felt as though his head exploded, and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. What was... this situation? In the cage below, the ferocious and valiant Whirlwind Wolves were standing before the young man with a fawning look. They rubbed their heads ceaselessly on the pants of the other party and licked him throughout... On top of that, they were wagging their tails so fast that it almost looked like a propeller, and it looked as though it was going to be shaken off at any time now. They were not attacking him... but fawning over him? You all are the Conquerors of the Forest, the fearsome Whirlwind Wolves, not pugs... Why in the world are you all acting cute? What are you all up to? "This is... Complete Submission? Its offering to form a contract with him?" Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Luo Tang spoke with a hoarse voice. It couldnt be any clearer to him that the Whirlwind Wolves, who were feared as the Conquerors of the Forest, were fawning on Zhang Xuan, hoping that the other party would take them in as his tamed beast! Werent Whirlwind Wolves proud animals who refused to associate themselves with humans? Didnt taming them take several years of relentless effort? When did they be like dogs, stretching out their tongue and shaking their tails... waiting for someone to tame them? On top of that... Complete Submission? "What in the world happened?" Unable toprehend the sight before him, Luo Tang turned to look at Fang Jin. He was too busy lecturing Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang a moment ago, so he didnt pay careful attention. He didnt think that such a huge turnaround would ur in a blink of an eye. The situation at this instant left himpletely baffled. "That... Beast Tamer Zhang rushed into the wolves, and after pummeling them for a moment, it just... just... turned out like this!" Fang Jin was also on the verge of tears. He tried to exin the situation, but he realized that he had no idea what had just happened either. He had seen the entire proceeding clearly, but yet... despite seeing everything, he found himself even more confused than Luo Tang. The ferocious disposition of the Whirlwind Wolves a moment ago wasnt just a facade. Given his eye of discernment, he could at least tell this much... Yet, why did they suddenly change their attitudes after getting beaten up? He had once apanied an elder in the Beast Hall to capture a Whirlwind Wolf, and he had seen its callous personality for himself. Sometimes, it would evenunch a lethal assault on a person right after it was fed with delicacies! Otherwise, it wouldnt have earned the nickname Ingrate Wolf. It was one of the hardest savage beasts to tame. Yet, it was reduced to such a state right after a round of beating... Can you all be any more shameless? Can you all be any more embarrassing than this? "They became like that right after a pummeling?" Luo Tang was also dumbfounded. He was about to enquire more about it when Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang spoke in agitation. "Its Beast Tamer Zhangs unique technique, [Beast Pummeling Taming Method]!" "Indeed! To think that he would use it here. No matter how I look at it, I cant help but be impressed!" "Beast pummeling taming method?" Luo Tang and Fang Jin stared at the duo in confusion. "Un, beast pummeling taming method is a unique technique that Beast Tamer Zhangs teacher came up with. As long as a savage beast is beaten up using this technique, it would immediately submit to one. Back then, during the beast tamer examination, he used this technique to tame a Half-Zongshi Viridescent Eagle on the spot." Seeing iprehension in the eyes of the two, Hall Master Feng exined. Getting a savage beast to submit through beating it? What the heck? Shouldnt beating savage beasts trigger the rebellious streak in them? To submit after a pummeling... How in the world could there be such a bizarre beast taming technique in the world? Why did it feel as though they were dreaming? The duo only felt thunder rumbling by their ears, and their head was about to convulse from shock. ... "Complete Submission... He actually tamed those Whirlwind Wolves in just a few breaths?" At this moment, Wei Youdao and Jiang Nanping had finally recovered from their immense shock from the sight, and a dazed look appeared on their faces. "Even though Whirlwind Wolves are only Zongshi realm advanced stage savage beasts, they possessed incredible speed and outstanding offensive ability. Theyd definitely boost ones fighting prowess significantly. That fellow is truly lucky..." Jiang Nanpingmented in envy. He thought that given how rash this fellow was, he would definitely be torn to shreds by the fangs of the Whirlwind Wolves. Yet, not only was he fine, he even managed to tame four Whirlwind Wolves at a single go... "Indeed. I dont know what kind of secret technique he used to tame those Whirlwind Wolves, but its an extremely fortunate affair for a beast tamer to have a savage beast willingly pledge its servitude to him. That fellow must be overflowing with joy at this moment..." Wei Youdao said. There were different stages to the taming of a beast: Inceptive Taming, Advanced Taming, and Complete Submission. Only upon Complete Submission would a savage beast willingly sign a contract and serve one. This wasnt just a show of acknowledgement by a savage beast, this was also a disy of the capability of a beast tamer. That fellow must be feeling proud at how he managed to get the proud Whirlwind Wolves lower their heads in such a short period of time! Even if he failed theter stages, he would have already seeded in making a name for himself... "Indeed!" Awed, the duo nced downward to see the contract forming between the young man and the four savage beasts, but contrary to their expectation, the young man kicked them away impatiently. "Scram to the side, dont cause me trouble here!" Peng peng peng peng! Four sorrowful cries sounded as the Whirlwind Wolves were kicked to the side. Then, the young man started walking withrge strides over to the next stage. Wuu wuu wuu wuu! Despite being kicked, not only did the Whirlwind Wolves not charge forward to attack Zhang Xuan out of anger, they evenid on the ground motionless, not daring to make a single move as they watched the other party off with gazes mixed with desire and frustration. "The heck!" Upon seeing this sight, all of the spectators were dumbfounded. Chapter 418: Tiger Head Beast Chapter 418: Tiger Head Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Several hundred meters away from the Ten Beasts Cages stood a tall tower. Two elders were standing by the windows with an incredulous look on their faces. They were Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Halls Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing. And that Wei Youdao was the grandson of this Grand Elder. When Zhang Xuan arrived at the Beast Hall, the first thing he did was to look for these two. To enter the Ten Beasts Cage, he needed the permission of these two. "Did you see his movements clearly?" Xie Jiuchen asked in disbelief. "I... only saw him beating up the Whirlwind Wolves. Other than that... I am unable to see through anything else!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqings face reddened. As a 3-star beast tamer, his cultivation had reached Zhizun realm pinnacle, granting him vision much sharper than ordinary cultivators... He should have been able to at leastprehend the trick behind the other partys actions, yet... just like anyone else, he was alsopletely baffled. Just by thinking about it left him embarrassed. "His movements were too fast, so its normal that you were unable to see anything! If Im not wrong, on top of the means of a beast tamer, he has also utilized some master teacher techniques!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said with a grave face. "Master teacher techniques?" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing asked doubtfully. "Indeed. Even though it seemed as though he recklessly charged forward to attack those Whirlwind Wolves, every blow of his struck urately on the meridians and acupoints of the other party. With just a few strikes, he managed to stimte their cultivation, bringing their strength, which was capped by their bloodline, up to new heights!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen exined, "This is simr to clearing a cultivators meridians. After those strikes of his, even though there wasnt any visible difference to the Whirlwind Wolves, their cultivation has already grown significantly. Raising their own strength has always been a huge difficulty for savage beasts. Given how the other party is able to induce such a huge growth in their strength just through a few strikes, its natural that the Whirlwind Wolves would submit willingly to him!" "This..." Wei Yuqing widened his eyes in shock. Even though the other party had put it simply, the difficulty in doing so was so great that it could be said to be impossible. Every single Whirlwind Wolf possessed a different constitution and maturity, so their physical conditions, as well as the location of their meridians and acupoints, would differ from one another. To identify them in an instant and strike on them urately... What kind of eyes did the other party possess? How in the world did he do it? Putting him aside, even 4-star master teachers would be hard-pressed to do so. "Other than this, I cant think of any other possibilities!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchens eyes shone in agitation. "Thatd might be young, but he possesses top-notch talent for beast taming!" "Indeed. Lets see how hell pass the second stage!" Wei Yuqing nodded. To be capable of executing techniques so profound that even 3-star beast tamers were unable to decipher them, thatd was indeed impressive. "In the second stage, hell have to face three Tiger Head Beast of the same cultivation realm as him." Hall Master Xie Jiuchens face turned grim, "Different from Whirlwind Wolves, Tiger Head Beasts are solitary beasts, and they prefer to strike on their own. However, they possess formidable strength, and their bodies and ws are on the level of Phantom equipment. It wouldnt be wrong to say that... they possess invincible defense. Ordinary swords and spears can never hope to pierce through its skin! "Itll be hard for him to use the same method from before and strike their acupoints and meridians." "Indeed!" Grand Master Wei Yuqing nodded in agreement. As a 3-star beast tamer, he could deduce that much. Even though the four Whirlwind Wolves were fearsome adversaries, those who dared to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage were not ordinary beast tamers. At least eight to nine of the challengers would manage to get past the first stage. The true test... only started from here onward! Even though savage beasts possess superior physique, speed, and defense to cultivators of the same level, humans possessed an advantage in their intelligence and the heritage of battle techniques. As long as one learned several formidable battle techniques, with ones superior cultivation, it wasnt impossible to subdue four Whirlwind Wolves. However... Subduing three savage beasts of the same cultivation realm as one was clearly much harder. Furthermore, the Tiger Head Beast was adept at individual brawling, and its defense was invincible among those of the same cultivation realm. It was no joke to say that ten out of ten challengers would fail in this stage, ending up dead or crippled. "Prepare to save him as soon as it seems like hes in danger. Such talent is rare in the Beast Hall!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen felt that it was a pity to see such a talent fall here, so he passed on amand. "Un!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. Given that even he was unable to see through the beast taming technique that the other party used, it was likely that this Zhang Xuan either had an unbelievably formidable teacher or... he possessed an eye of discernment and talent far surpassing that of others. Regardless of which one it was, the Beast Hall would have to protect him with all its might. "Look, its starting..." In the midst of the conversation between the duo, Zhang Xuan was already right before the three Tiger Head Beasts, and it seemed as though a battle would trigger at any moment now. "Tiger Head Beasts possess a powerful physique and have a solitary and skeptical personality. It wont be as easy to tame as the Whirlwind Wolves!" Standing before the three massive gigantic beasts that resembled tigers, its information surfaced in Zhang Xuans head. Mature Tiger Head Beasts could grow up to a height of three meters and a length of five meters. Given its imprable defense and massive physique, it already emanated a formidable pressure to face one, so one can only imagine the pressure of fighting three of them simultaneously. Even without resorting to any techniques, just its charge would be sufficient to destroy an ordinary cultivator. However, all of this meant nothing to Zhang Xuan. Even though Zhang Xuans cultivation was still stuck at Zongshi realm pinnacle, his true fighting prowess was already equivalent to that of a Zhizun realm intermediate stage expert. Three Tiger Head Beasts truly meant nothing much to him. With a thought, lines of insight surfaced in Zhang Xuans narrowed eyes. The form of the three gigantic Tiger Head Beasts immediately changed. Theyout of their muscle, the arrangement of their bones, the pathways of their meridians, the faults in their physique... All of them suddenly appeared right before Zhang Xuans eyes. Eye of Insight! After the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy, not only was Zhang Xuan able to peer into the ws of those a small cultivation realm stronger than him, the number of ws he could see had also increased significantly. These three Tiger Head Beasts may seem imposing to the others, but all he could see were ws all over them. "Lets begin then, Ill end this in an instant! So what if theyre difficult to tame? My goal isnt to tame them anyway!" With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. His final goal was to pass the Ten Beasts Cage, not to tame the savage beasts in it. Rather, even if he managed to tame them and they became attached to him, that would be troublesome. Roar! He took a step forward, and with this, he stepped into the territory of the Tiger Head Beasts. With a ferocious roar, the three massive figures immediately charged forward and surrounded him. "Tiger Head Beasts possess outstanding defense. Itll probably be a difficult fight..." Wei Youdao narrowed his eyes. "Indeed!" Jiang Nanping nodded in agreement. "If he can break through the other partys defense, he might still stand a chance. Otherwise, hes doomed..." Peng peng peng peng! Just as the duo was talking, the young man below began exchanging blows with the three gigantic beasts. "He... Why did he strike the Tiger Head Beasts abdomen? Is he insane?" Jiang Nanpings face warped in shock. "Different from other savage beasts, the abdomen is where its defense is the strongest. It often intentionally exposes it to lure others to attack it so as to create a momentarypse in the other partys defense to strike..." Wei Youdaosplexion looked awful as well. Most savage beasts were unable to train their abdomen, so it was usually their weak spot. However... the Tiger Head Beast was different. It had an additional bone at its abdomen, granting it unimaginable resilience. This was precisely the reason why it often used it to bait cultivators to attack it. To strike at it, one would have to get into the range of the Tiger Head Beasts offense. By then, wouldnt it be free to do as it pleased? Given how the youngster managed to tame the Whirlwind Wolves so swiftly, the other party should have an in-depth understanding of the habits and properties of savage beasts. How did he make such a low-level mistake? Not only was striking the abdomen ineffective, one would be doomed the moment the Tiger Head Beast counterattacks! "Look, the Tiger Head Beast is about to retaliate..." While the duo was frowning at that sight, the man and the beast below had alreadye into contact with one another. Upon seeing the fellow strike its abdomen, the Tiger Head Beasts eyes glowed in excitement. Its thick tail immediately reached forward to pull the young man to him. Yet, before its tail could reach the other party, thetters fist had already struck its abdomen. Disdain and mock shed across its eyes when a dull thud suddenly sounded. Peng! Immense force flowed through the other partys arm onto its body. The mock on its face froze, and its eyes widened in shock. Its tongue fell out of its mouth, and saliva started dripping uncontrobly down the corners of its mouth. Sou! The five-meter long gigantic tiger body flew backward and struck the cage. Peng! The figure of a massive tiger was imprinted on the steel cage. Hu! Then, falling from the sky onto the ground, a huge storm of dust rose. The Tiger Head Beast struggled, andrge mouthfuls of vomit spilled from its mouth. It tried to get back up, but excruciating pain struck its abdomen, rendering itpletely immobile. "What?" "He struck at the point where the Tiger Head Beasts defense is the strongest, and he still rendered it powerless?" "This... This..." In an instant, the spectators standing in the perimeter of the cage fell silent. The Tiger Head Beast possessed incredible defense. Under normal circumstances, the fist of a cultivator felt nothing more like an itch to it. Yet, to nearly kill it with a single blow... How did the other party do it? Are you sure that it is a fist, and not the leg of an elephant? "Its Heavens Path Fist Art!" Among the crowd, Liu Yang tightened his fists and eximed with reddened eyes. This was the Heavens Path Fist Art that teacher imparted to him. Even though the movements were the exact same as his, there was a world of difference between the might of his teachers punch and his own. Given how the Zongshi realm pinnacle Tiger Head Beast was rendered powerless with a single blow, even a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator would be unable to withstand the might of that fist! "Looks like I should devote more effort to it in the future..." Liu Yang made up his mind. "Roar..." Oblivious to the shock among the crowd, after sending the first Tiger Head Beast flying, Zhang Xuan turned to the remaining two. Upon meeting his gaze, the edges of the lips of the other two gigantic fellows immediately twitched, and they hurriedly retreated backward. They didnt possess the intelligence of a human, but they were no fools either. The one who was sent flying was the strongest of them, but... at the moment, it looked as though it might just breathe itsst at any moment now. Since that was the case, how could they possibly withstand that strike? "Dont be scared. Let me hit you once, and we can end this here. Otherwise, if you all dont fall, I wont be able to proceed on with the trial..." Seeing the savage beast renowned for its ferociousness backing away from fear, Zhang Xuan was speechless. He clenched his fists and beckoned them forward. Padah! Padah! As soon as Zhang Xuan spoke those words, the sound of two heavy objects falling to the ground suddenly echoed. Then, they saw the two imposing Tiger Head Beast falling to the ground at the same moment with their four legs facing the sky. Their tongues were stuck out, and saliva flowed continuously out of their mouths. "..." Zhang Xuan "..." The crowd. Chapter 419: Seven Meridians Vicious Bear Chapter 419: Seven Meridians Vicious Bear Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Whats going on?" "Are the two Tiger Head Beasts sick?" "Sick my head! Cant you tell? Its obvious that theyre intimidated..." "After the other party said that if you all dont fall, I wont be able to proceed on with the trial, those two fellows immediately dropped from fright..." After a moment of silence, an uproar burst in the area. They had seen savage beasts fighting resolutely against an opponent to theirst breath. They had seen arrogant savage beasts who disregarded all that came their way... But they had never seen a savage beast who yed dead even before the fight began... How scared are you both of that fellow? "Without making a move, he made the ferocious Tiger Head Beast so scared that they chose to y dead?" Luo Tang and Fang Jin nearly bit their own tongues. Wasnt this way too exaggerated? Those were Tiger Head Beasts, iparably ferocious animals! They were existences who dared to bare their fangs against Zhizun realm experts! Yet, after witnessing a single punch, they immediately fell to the ground and allowed saliva to trickle from their lips... Can you all be any more shameless than that? What ever happened to the pride of a savage beast? The backbone of the Dictator of the Forest? The disposition of a Zongshi realm pinnacle? Luo Tang and the others felt as though their worldly horizons were being pushed to new boundaries. Ten minutes ago, they prided themselves on being invincible in the art of beast taming in Xuanyuan Kingdom. However, upon seeing Zhang Xuan, they realized how insignificant they were. Despite inducing Complete Submission among a group of Whirlwind Wolves within a few breaths, that fellow... kicked them away as though they were nothing. Alright, you might not necessarily need them, so I will grudgingly overlook it. But... to scare a Tiger Head Beast into ying dead with a single word, isnt that way too exaggerated? "If it were me... What would happen?" Putting himself in the other partys situation, Luo Tang immediately burst into tears. If he was the one facing the three Tiger Head Beasts, he would probably immediately fall to the ground and y dead upon hearing the other partys howl... Before this, he thought that Hall Master Feng and the others were going overboard praising this fellow. However, only now did he know that there was a world of a difference between this fellow and him. "I wont be able to do so either..." Fang Jin shook his head with a bitter smile. Even as a Half-Zhizun expert, he didnt stand a chance against three Tiger Head Beasts at once. Under such circumstances, the best he could do was to run as far as he could. Subduing and taming it werepletely out of question. ... "The Tiger Head Beasts defense is strongest at its abdomen, but its also where its strength originates from. Through striking at that spot with pure brute strength, thatd instantaneously destroyed its biological structure, resulting in its nausea and powerless!" Seeing that sight, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen widened his mouth in shock. It took him a long moment before he recovered. "After seeing the sight, the two remaining Tiger Head Beasts knew that the same plight would befall them if they were to be struck... "Once a savage beast loses its fighting prowess, it would be no different from dead. No matter how foolish they might be, it was clear what they should do!" The primal instincts of a savage beast also taught them to avoid the strong. When facing a being far stronger than itself, even the most arrogant savage beast would back down. "Indeed. However... to achieve this, one needs to possess more than brute strength. Above that, one has to have aplete understanding of the physique of a Tiger Head Beast so as to instantaneously determine the point of weakness among the muscles, bones, and meridians amidst its huge abdomen before one can subdue it with a single blow..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqing was also stunned. Those were Tiger Head Beasts! Even with his current strength, it was still impossible for him to instill so much fear in them with a single blow that they would y dead! This was no longer just a matter of possessing immense brute strength. Only those who possessesplete understanding of the Tiger Head Beast, its habits, attacking pattern, physique, and such were able to do so! Only then would one be able to achieve such a feat so easily. Was... Was he still a human? For a 2-star beast tamer who wasnt in his twenties yet... How in the world did he do it? "If Im not wrong, he probably has a Tiger Head Beast as a tamed beast. After innumerable days and nights ofpanion, he managed to gain an in-depth understanding of thetter. Otherwise... it doesnt make sense at all!" After thinking for a moment, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen eventually spoke up. It was impossible for such knowledge to appear from nowhere. It was only through books and practical experience that one could gainplete understanding over something. Back then, there was a painter in the capital who, in order to bring out the spirit within bamboo, nted bamboos all around his house and observed them day after day. After twenty-seven years, he managed to produce a masterpiece and made a name for himself! In order to better understand their tamed beast, some beast tamers would choose to apany their tamed beast day and night. Some even went to the extent of mimicking their actions so as to learn more about their habits. Through this, they were able to create cultivation techniques thatplemented their tamed beast, and they were also able to earn trust from their tamed beast as well. Given that the other party was able to get the Tiger Head Beasts to admit defeat in an instant through means they were unable to think of, this could only mean that the other partys understanding of this savage beast had far surpassed them. Most probably, he had put a lot of effort into the study of Tiger Head Beasts. And to do so, it was likely that he had tamed one. "Indeed!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded in agreement. Then, he nced at the cage, and worry surfaced in his eyes, "He might be able to pass this stage due to his deep understanding of the Tiger Head Beast, but the third stage wont be that easy!" "For the third stage, hell have to face the Half-Zhizun [Seven Meridians Vicious Bear] Hall Master Xie Jiuchensplexion slowly turned grim, "This kind of savage beast is extremely rare, and its nearly impossible to tame it. Thus, its impossible for him to have prior knowledge of it!" "More importantly, it possesses immense strength. Even though its cultivation is only at Half-Zhizun, its very likely that its true strength has surpassed ten thousand ding!" "Un. The Seven Meridians Vicious Bear only has seven meridians in its body, but it provides them with an advantage as well. To make up for thecking quantity of meridians in its body, its meridians grew thicker, granting it with immense strength. If not for its slow movements, it would have been surely ssified as a Zhizun realm savage beast!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. The only reason why the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear was publicly acknowledged to be a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast was because of itscking speed. However, in terms of strength, even Zhizun realm primary stage cultivators were unable to match up to it. "In order to make up for the w of the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear, the area for the third stage of the Ten Beasts Cage is made narrower. This way, its limited speed wouldnt be too much of a problem, and the challenger wont be able to circumvent it. Given the strength of the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear, itll be difficult for thatd to get by using the two techniques he used for the previous two stages!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said. Even though Zhang Xuan had passed the first two stages easily, there was a possibility that he might have prepared specially for them in advance. If he had studied the ws of the two savage beasts intensely beforehand, it wouldnt be too difficult for him to pass the two stages. But the third stage was different. Due to the narrow area, it would be difficult for one to escape from the assault of the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear. On top of that, the w of the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear was on its back, and given the limited area, it was impossible for one to sneak to its back and strike it. Thus, one would be forced to face it straight on. It was one thing if Zhang Xuans cultivation equaled with it. However, not only was the savage beasts cultivation one small realm higher than Zhang Xuan, he also had to face two at once... The difficulty was unimaginable. It was not an exaggeration to say that there was no hope of victory. ... "Most probably... His challenge wille to an end here!" Jiang Nanpings tightly clenched fists slowly released. It was true that the other party had shocked him with his feat with the Tiger Head Beasts. But the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear was different. Given the narrow space, one could only face it in a battle of strength. Without sufficient strength, losing... was inevitable. From the battle between the young man with the Whirlwind Wolves, it was clear that he was more adept in swift movements. Such cultivators oftencked strength. After all, it was impossible for one to be skilled in everything. "Even a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator would be unable to subdue a Seven Meridians Vicious Bear. Hell... surely be unable to withstand its attacks!" Wei Youdao shared the same point of view. If the second stage with the Tiger Head Beasts could be described as dangerous, then the third one with the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear would cause despair. Even with its slow speed, it was impossible for a Zongshi realm pinnacle to triumph over it. "Lets see what weapon hell use!" Jiang Nanpingmented. Due to the overwhelming difficulty of the third stage, challengers were permitted to use their choice weapon from a selection provided by the Beast Hall. However, due to the confined space, one had to choose carefully. If the weapon was too long, one would not be able to move freely, and it would be a burden instead. On the other hand, if it was too short, it would be difficult to deal significant damage to the massive body of the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear, thus rendering it useless. If one didnt choose wisely, it would almost be equivalent to forfeiting. "Hes already in front of the weapon rack. I guess hell probably use a hammer or something simr. It allows him tounch powerful blows, and it is easy to use as well." "I think it should be a sharp dagger or something of the sort. Itll be much easier to use them..." The duo stared fixedly at the young man below as they spoke their conjectures. However, before they could finish their words, the sight below caused them to freeze. The youngster below simply walked past the weapon rack as though he didnt see it. "He didnt choose anything? What does this mean? It cant be that... he intends to face the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear barehanded?" "Barehanded? Is that fellow mad?" The Seven Meridians Vicious Bear was known for his immense strength. Through the skillful utilization of ones weapon, one might still stand a chance... But barehanded, how could he possibly win? This was no different from smashing an egg on a stone! This was courting death! "Its beginning... Its toote to choose a weapon now..." Just as the duo were shocked, the young man below had already walked into the attacking radius of the two Seven Meridians Vicious Bear. Roar! Roar! Two massive figures blocking the narrow passageway of the cage entirely roared furiously as they stared at the young man in savagery. As though they would tear him apart. "Not only does the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear possess immense strength, its defense is also top-notch. Under such circumstances, the narrow space is truly advantageous to it... This stage is a little tricky!" Zhang Xuan muttered as he looked ahead. There was a lot of information on the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear within the books that he assimted to his head, and thus, he knew how fearsome and powerful these two fellows were. If he hadnt cultivated the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, he would surely find it difficult to face them. But now, they didnt mean much to him. As for weapons... The spear art, sword art, and saber art that Zhang Xuan learned were way too sharp and powerful. If he were to identally kill the other party in the midst of the battle, wouldnt the Beast Halle after him? Even in Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, Half-Zhizun savage beasts were rare. "Alright, I should hurry up. I still want to gather a few more drops of spirit beast blood essence..." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan dashed forward. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing right before a Seven Meridians Vicious Bear. Then, with both of his hands, he grabbed the arm of one of the massive fellows. "Rise!" Howling furiously, Zhang Xuan flipped it over. "..." "Whats this fighting method?" Wei Youdao, Jiang Nanping, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing, and the others were dumbfounded by the sight. Chapter 420: I Want to Challenge Ten Beasts Cage (1) Chapter 420: I Want to Challenge Ten Beasts Cage (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Roar? Roar? Roar?" The Seven Meridians Vicious Bear was dumbstruck as well. It thought that dealing with a Zongshi realm cultivator would be a walk in a park, but before it could even process what was going on, the fellow had already rushed up to him and flipped him over. "What are you roaring for?" The voice of a young man echoed before the head of the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear smashed onto the metal cage. Peng peng peng peng! Its massive body kepting into intimate contact with the metal cage; sometimes, it would be the left side of his head, sometimes it would be the right side. The continuous smashing left its head spinning, and it was on the verge of spurting blood. The other Seven Meridians Vicious Bear clearly didnt expect this fellow to be so ferocious and powerful, bashing itspanion around easily. It immediately prepared to charge forward to assist itspanion. "You wish to save it? Here you go!" Before the other bear could charge up to the young man, a light chuckle sounded, and a massive shadow came flying straight toward it. It didnt have any time to react before it was struck squarely in the face, and the two bears came crashing to the ground. "Do you two admit defeat?" With his hands ced in his pockets, Zhang Xuan casually walked over to the two light-headed massive beasts. Roar! The second Seven Meridians Vicious Bear bellowed once more, and prepared to counterattack. However, Zhang Xuan simple shook his head, grabs its arm, and started smashing it on the metal cage. Peng peng peng peng! Large holes appeared on the ground and the metal cage. Gathering all of its strength, the first Vicious Bear, whose head was still turning from Zhang Xuans prior assault, weakly got to its feet, but at that moment, itspanion, held by Zhang Xuan as though a club, was sent flying straight into it. Padah! Not too longter, the two massive fellows finally caved in. Theyy on the ground faint-headed, devoid of the strength to climb back up. Contesting strength with me? You must be jesting! Having cultivated Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, Zhang Xuan possessed a total strength of 15000 ding. No matter how strong those two fellows were, they didnt stand a chance against him. "To render the Tiger Head Beast who is known for its outstanding defense powerless with a single fist, and throw around the Seven Meridians Vicious Bear who is known for its unparalleled strength so easily..." "Is he still a human?" "Is he really just a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator?" ... The surroundings werepletely silent. Everyone thought that the other party must have a screw loose to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage, but at this moment, it couldnt be any clearer that he had the power to back it up! What Whirlwind Wolves, Tiger Head Beasts, or Seven Meridians Vicious Bears... Despite their fearsome reputation, they seemed no different from little chicks before him. They were sent flying about at his whim. "His cultivation is really Zongshi realm pinnacle, just that... he seems to be using pure physical strength!" It took a very long time before Hall Master Xie Jiuchen could shut his gaping mouth. Previously, as the other party subdued his opponents swiftly through technique, he failed to notice it. But this time, the other party was clearly using strength beyond that of an ordinary Zongshi realm pinnacle, and there wasnt even the slightest zhenqi disturbance from him... To think that on top of his understanding of savage beast and outstanding eye of discernment, thatds strength would be at a fearsome level as well. "It shouldnt be just his strength itself... Given how he was so able to hold onto the Vicious Bears arm so easily, he probably... used some technique as well!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing said. "Indeed. Even though the Vicious Bears movements are slow, it is still a Half-Zhizun savage beast, and it has adapted over time to make up for its ws. To be able to render it unable to retaliate so easily, his grip probably isnt as simple as it seems. Most probably, he held onto the savage beasts acupoint to prevent it from exerting strength!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was alreadypletely at a loss for words. Under normal circumstances, even if one were to grab onto the arm of a Seven Meridians Vicious Bear, given the savage beasts massive physique and overwhelming strength, how could it possible allow one to throw it around so easily? Thus, it was highly possible that thed had held onto the Vicious Bears vitals with his grip. This vital was probably something simr to the mingmen of human cultivators. Once grabbed, it would render itpletely powerless. "Hall master, do you think that it is possible that... he has been raising a Seven Meridians Vicious Bear?" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing asked. Previously the hall master said that it was likely that the other party had raised a Tiger Head Beast given his deep understanding of its physique. Given how thatd was able to find the w on the Seven Meridian Vicious Beast so quickly as well... Could it be that he had been raising one as well? "Cough cough..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchens face turned red, and he nearly choked to death on his saliva. It wasmon to for a beast tamer to rear a tamed beast at home, but a bunch? It wasnt like the other party was operating a zoo. How could he possibly be rearing Whirlwind Wolves, Tiger Head Beasts... and now, a Seven Meridians Vicious Bear as well? "He has passed through three stages already. Perhaps, this Zhang Xuan may be the first beast tamer in our Beast Hall to pass the Ten Beasts Cage!" Knowing that continuing on the prior topic would just embarrass him, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen chuckled awkwardly and changed the topic. There were people in the Beast Hall who challenged the Ten Beasts Cage before, but most of them couldnt even pass the second stage. Yet, thatd was able to pass three stages as easily as though eating and drinking. Perhaps, he might be able to do the same for the fourth stage as well. "Indeed, hall master. It seems like youll have to prepare a set of spirit beast blood essence!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing chuckled. The reward for a sessful challenge of the Ten Beasts Cage was a drop of spirit beast blood essence. Given how easily the other party passed the prior stages, it was likely that he would seed in a single go. By then, the Beast Hall would have to present the prize to him. "Hehe!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen stroked his beard and chuckled. "If a beast tamer can pass the Ten Beasts Cage, that can only mean that the talents in our Beast Hall are bing more and more formidable. Its just a drop of spirit beast blood essence, its nothing much! Not only will I present it to him, Ill also announce that if any other geniuses were to pass the Ten Beasts Cage, theyll be entitled to the same prize as well, and perhaps even more than that!" For the past thousand years, there hadnt been a single person who had passed Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Halls Ten Beasts Cage. There were also very few sessful challengers in the other Conferred Kingdom Beast Halls. With this record, he would be able to keep his head up high when meeting the other hall masters. On top of that, he could also motivate the other geniuses to work harder. This matter was beneficial to the Beast Hall. "Indeed!" Understanding this point, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, his gaze suddenly turned grim. "Look, hes about to challenge the final stage!" At that moment, all of the spectators turned their crowd to the cage below. After rendering the two Seven Meridians Vicious Bear helpless, Zhang Xuan continued to proceed forward, and before long, he reached the final stage of the Ten Beasts Cage. Standing in front of him was Zhizun realm primary stage... Steel-armed Gold Ape! "Steel-armed Gold Ape has a physique simr to that of a human, and this grants them agility and dexterityparable to that of a human. On top of that, they possess superior strength, making even the typical Zhizun ream intermediate stage cultivators to not be a match for it!" "Zhang Xuan is probably in for a difficult battle!" Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang nced at one another, and they saw the worry in each others eyes. To be honest, they had a good impression of this Beast Tamer Zhang. Even though he was capable, he remained humble, unlike Luo Tang, who went around boasting despite knowing nothing at all. The first three stages, the Whirlwind Wolves, Tiger Head Beasts, and Seven Meridians Vicious Bears, were only skilled in a single aspect. It was still possible for Zhang Xuan to exploit their ws to achieve victory. But not only did this Steel-armed Gold Ape possess a high cultivation, it was also an all-rounder, it had nearly no ws that one could make use of. Battling a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator would be much less difficult than fighting against it. "Theres no need to think too much into it. Beast Tamer Zhangs strength has already surpassed our understanding. Maybe... he might really be able to achieve victory!" Hall Master Feng shook his head. A month ago, when he first met this Beast Tamer Zhang, the other party was only a Tongxuan realm cultivator. But in the short span of a month, the other party had already reached Zongshi realm pinnacle, and his fighting prowess was even beyond that of the Half-Zhizun realm Seven Meridians Vicious Bear. His strength had already far surpassed them. They wouldnt be surprised if an expert of Zhang Xuans level were to possess such aces up his sleeves. Under the worried gazes of the duo, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Steel-armed Gold Ape. The Steel-armed Ape had watched how Zhang Xuan defeated the other savage beasts, and it could tell that even he was still young, he wasnt an easy opponent at all. Thus, without any hesitation, it immediately dashed forward without any warning tounch the first blow. Boom! As expected of a Zhizun realm primary stage savage beast, its might far exceeded that of the previous few savage beasts Zhang Xuan faced. Before its fist could reach Zhang Xuan, the shock wave from its punch had already ripped the air in the surroundings apart with sheer force. "Powerful!" Zhang Xuans face turned grim. He hurriedly faced it with a fist of his own. Peng! The two fists collided together, and both sides retreated several steps simultaneously. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didnt think that the Steel-armed Ape would be able to stand toe-to-toe with his Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan. Even though the previous savage beasts were famed for their fighting prowess, their true strength still paled far inparison to Zhang Xuan. Yet, the Steel-armed Ape was able to sh head-to-head with him, and this in itself proved testimony to its fearsome might. Hu hu! That single blow seemed to have incited the Steel-armed Apes excitement. With speed as swift as a bolt of lightning, it dashed toward Zhang Xuan once more. Just as the depiction of the rumors, it possessed far superior reaction speed or agility to those of the same cultivation realm, leaving one helpless before it. Peng peng peng peng! shing several times, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat continuously. "This isnt good. That fellow is extremely strong, and his defenses are hard to break as well. Even a momentarypse in judgement could result in my loss, needless to say, defeating it!" Zhang Xuan frowned. In the end, Zhang Xuans zhenqi cultivation was still at Zongshi realm pinnacle. The only reason why he could face the other party was due to his powerful physical body. However, the difference between Zongshi to Zhizun didnt just lie in strength. Currently, Zhang Xuans reaction speed still couldnt match up to Zhizun realm expert. This made it difficult for him to keep up with the other partys movements. If the other party was only a small cultivation realm higher than him, he could still use the Eye of Insight to deduce his next movement. However, the Steel-armed Ape was two small cultivation realms above Zhang Xuan, rendering the technique useless. Given that Zhang Xuan couldnt predict its next movement, and he couldnt keep up with the other partys movements as well, with just his physical strength, it was indeed difficult for him to triumph over it. But of course, if this was a life-and-death battle, through using the Heavens Path techniques, Zhang Xuan could still kill the other party easily. "ws!" Knowing that it was difficult to defeat the other party barehanded, Zhang Xuan immediately made up his mind. With a thought, a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He quickly browsed through the contents of the book. "So thats the case..." After reading the contents, the edges of Zhang Xuans lips curled up. ... "He might be strong, but it will be difficult for him to triumph over the Steel-armed Gold Ape!" Watching the battle, Grand Elder Wei Yuqingmented. As a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator, he was able to gauge the flow of the battle urately. It was clear that Zhang Xuan was in a disadvantageous position. "It isnt just difficult, it is impossible... To think that despite clearing the first three stages so smoothly, he will fall here. Its truly a pity!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen shook his head inmentation. He was looking forward to the first sessful challenger of the Ten Beasts Cage here, but in the end, it seemed like his hopes wouldnt be realized. Chapter 421: I Want to Challenge Ten Beasts Cage (2) Chapter 421: I Want to Challenge Ten Beasts Cage (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That Zhang Xuan had probably learned some kind of incredible body tempering cultivation technique, allowing his physical strength to reach ten thousand ding, thus granting him the ability to challenge those beyond his cultivation realm. However, the Steel-armed Golden Ape wasnt an easy opponent! Its greatest advantagey in that it was an all-rounder. It had no ws regardless of which angle one was looking from. Even though that young man wasnt weak, he didnt stand a chance at all. As the battle continued on, ws would only start appearing in the young mans movements, thus providing the Steel-armed Ape an opening to strike at. In Hall Master Xie Jiu Chens view, if Zhang Xuan didnt have anything else, his loss would be inevitable. "Its truly a pity..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqing also came to the same verdict, and he sighed as well. Just as he was about to speak, the edges of his mouth suddenly twitched. "Hall master..." He didnt need to speak any further. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen had also seen the sight, and his face turned pale, and his eyeballs were about to pop out from their sockets. Unknowingly, the atmosphere between the man and the beast who were still fighting intensely below a moment ago suddenly turned amiable, as though theyd been buddies for several decades. The ferocious Steel-armed Golden Ape, which was trying to tear Zhang Xuan into shreds a moment ago, was currently patting Zhang Xuans shoulder with a brotherly look that seemed to be saying Ill cover you. Not only were the duo shocked, the other spectators were alsopletely bewildered by this sudden situation. This... What was going on? Just a moment ago, they were still trying to rip each other apart. Yet, in the blink of an eye... such a matter happened? Even if you two knew each other before, you should at least give some signs of it. What is with that sudden change in attitude? "During the battle, I saw the young man whisper some words telepathically to the Steel-armed Golden Ape, and thetters attitude immediately changed! What words could he have said to induce such an abrupt change?" Jiang Nanping said in bafflement. Ever since he missed out on the first twist with the Whirlwind Wolves, he had been looking intently on the situation before, not daring to avert his eyes in fear of missing out a single detail. Thus, even though the change in the attitude of the human and the beast was swift, he still noticed some details When the Steel-armed Ape had the upper hand, the lips of the young man quivered slightly, and it seemed like he had spoken some words telepathically. Then... the ferocious savage beasts attitude changed all of a sudden. "I also saw it... But could one sentence really cause the attitude of the Steel-armed Golden Ape to change so rapidly? This... should be impossible, right?" Even so, Wei Youdao was still puzzled by the situation. "I also think that its impossible, but... have you seen someone taming Whirlwind Wolves into cute domesticated dogs just by beating them up? Have you seen someone who made Tiger Head Beasts y dead with a single punch?" Jiang Nanping argued. "This..." Wei Youdaos face stiffened. Honestly, if he hadnt witnessed this sight himself, he wouldnt even dare to entertain the possibility. Even so, he still felt doubtful about the situation. He wondered if the savage beasts had intentionally gone easy on him, even though he knew that it was impossible given the fairness of the Beast Hall. "However, even if that fellow earned the goodwill of the Steel-armed Golden Ape, it should be impossible for it to let him pass just like that! The Steel-armed Golden Ape is the tamed beast of Elder You, and since it has already promised to guard the final stage and prevent all challengers from getting past it, it should probably fulfill its responsibility..." Taking another nce below, Wei Youdao still wasnt able to make sense out of the situation. Even if that fellow used some trick to make the savage beasts in the cage go easy on him, it was impossible for the same trick to work on the Steel-armed Golden Ape. After all, this was the tamed beast of Beast Halls Elder You! It had already given its promise to guard the final stage to its dying breath. That fellow might have seeded in persuading the Steel-armed Golden Ape against fighting, but this didnt mean that it would allow him to pass! Before Wei Youdao could finish his words, the crisp voice of the young man below suddenly echoed in the air. "Brother Ape, I need you to step aside so that I can pass!" The Steel-armed Golden Ape nodded hurriedly, and without any hesitation, it immediately cleared the path. Then, it lifted its gigantic hands to bid the young man farewell. "I think... it just chose not to fulfill its responsibility..." Jiang Nanping said. "..." Wei Youdao. ... Zhang Xian bade farewell to the Steel-armed Golden Ape. No ws could hide itself from the Library of Heavens Path. The Steel-armed Golden Ape was born with some deficiencies, and Zhang Xuan had given him the solution to the problem. Putting aside giving way for him to pass through, even if he were to tell it to be his tamed beast at this moment, it would surely ept the request. As long as a savage beast hadnt beenpletely tamed and a contract wasnt established yet, there would not be any problems in changing owners. It was just like the situation with the Viridescent Eagle. Even though Mo Yu had paid an exorbitant price to cultivate trust with it, it still betrayed her for Zhang Xuan after a beating. Before long, Zhang Xuan reached the end of the Ten Beasts Cage. Lifting his hand, he touched the wall at the end of the road and a brilliant radiance shone. Ten Beasts Cage trial, sess! "He has... passed just like that? How long did he take?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen couldnt help but ask. "This..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqings lips quivered and he said, "Probably... around half a teas time!" "Half a teas time?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchens eyebrows twitched. Under normal circumstances, challenging the Ten Beasts Cage would take two hours. A teas time is equivalent to a quarter of an hour. And in half a teas time, an eighth of an hour, the other party subdued ten savage beasts and passed all four stages... "More importantly... Most of the time expended was spent on walking. Counting the time that he was facing the savage beasts... it adds up to a total of only several dozen breaths!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing continued. Passing the Ten Beasts Cage in half a teas time was already an astounding feat. On top of that, to think that he only spent several dozen breaths against the savage beasts... If not for witnessing this sight personally, if his subordinate dared to report such a matter to him, he would surely have the other party punished for lying so tantly to him... "Hall Master Xie, does this count as a pass?" Just as his eyes were twitching non-stop from shock, a young man walked up toward him. "Youve passed, youve passed..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded vigorously. If this wasnt a pass, what could be considered as one? "Then... my spirit beast blood essence!" The young man stared at him. "Lets head to the balcony on top. I want to present it to you before the crowd!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen smiled. It was a glorious affair for someone to pass the Ten Beasts Cage under his leadership, so naturally, he wanted to advertise the matter. "Alright!" Knowing the other partys motive, Zhang Xuan nodded silently. Soon, the group reached the balcony. "Fellow beast tamers and friends of the Beast Hall, I believe all of you have witnessed this young mans valiant challenge of the Ten Beasts Cage." Upon reaching the balcony, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen took a jade box from one of the elders hands, surveyed the surroundings below, and announced with a clear voice. "Incredible!" "I wonder what that beast tamers name is. He shall be my idol from now on! I shall work hard with him as my goal." "With him as your goal? Dont you think that you are being a little too ambitious here? Youll only end up despairing in the future. In my opinion, you should just aim for Jiang Nanping and Wei Youdao. Or else, Luo Tang, Fang Jin, and the others will do as well!" "... That makes sense!" Amotion broke out below. Upon hearing the discussions, Luo Tang, Fang Jin, Wei Youdao, and Jiang Nanping, who were vehemently vying for the top spot a moment ago, turned red in embarrassment. If there was a hole in the ground at that moment, they would surely have dived in instantly. They thought that they stood at the very top of Xuanyuan Kingdom, but with this... they realized that the other party was way out of their league! Clearing the Ten Beasts Cage in half a teas time, such a result was sufficient to leave them in despair. "ording to the rules of the Beast Hall, the reward for clearing the Ten Beasts Cage is a drop of spirit beast blood essence. Since Beast Tamer Zhang has seeded in the challenge, Ill present him with the reward now!" Hal Master Xie Jiuchens voice reverberated in the surroundings. He opened the jade box, and a droplet of blood swirling within a bottle appeared in everyones view. It seemed to exude the majesty of an unparalleled expert, exerting a strong pressure on those within its vicinity. Spirit beast blood essence! "Beast Tamer Zhang, congrattions!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen presented the jade box over to Zhang Xuan with a bright smile. "Un!" Zhang Xuan grabbed the jade box over. His main goal at the Beast Hall was this, and having achieved his primary objective, he was in good spirits. "From today onward, I hope that everyone can view Beast Tamer Zhang as their role model and cultivate diligently. The Ten Beasts Cage trial shall always be open to all beast tamers to prove their capability!" Knowing that this was an ideal asion to promote the matter, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen stroked his beard and chuckled, "No matter who it is, as long as one passes the trial, the Beast Hall will bestow a droplet of spirit beast blood essence to them!" "I believe I need not exin the significance of spirit beast blood essence to beast tamers! So, work hard. As long as you give it your all, the sky is the limit..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen dered grandly. Honestly speaking, his words were extremely motivational. When everyone saw the reward, they saw the possibility of them standing Zhang Xuans ce... As soon as the voice came to a halt, an uproar broke out below. Many of the younger beast tamers had their faces red in agitation, and their hands were tightly clenched together. The spirit beast blood essence was extremely useful to both human and savage beast alike. Every single droplet was worth a fortune, and there was no beast tamer who could resist such a reward. Since someone else passed the Ten Beasts Cage, why cant I do the same? In a moment, a wave of excitement swept across the crowd. "Hall Master, I would like to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage as well!" "I want to give it a try too..." In just a few breaths, more than a dozen beast tamers had already rushed up to the tower. Seeing the motivated faces below, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to speak, the young man beside him kept the spirit beast blood essence in his storage ring and started staring at him intently. "Hall master, since everyone can challenge the Ten Beasts Cage, it shouldnt be a problem for me to attempt it once more, right?" The two drops that he obtained by Lin Ruotian only granted him a strength of 9999 ding. He didnt even manage to reach Zhizun realm. Even if this single drop were to help him to break through his bottleneck, he would still be a far way off from Zhizun realm pinnacle. If he wanted to avenge Lu Chong, he needed to possess at least strength of that level. Thus, he needed much more spirit beast blood essence. "What did you say?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was taken aback by Zhang Xuans question, and for a moment, he couldnt react. "I said that... I want to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage again!" Zhang Xuan said. "You want to challenge it again?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchens lips twitched. "Didnt you just pass the challenge?" "Thats right. However, you just said No matter who it is, as long as one passes the trial, the Beast Hall will bestow a droplet of spirit beast blood essence to one. I need a lot more spirit beast blood essence, so I would like to continue challenging it!" Zhang Xuan replied seriously. "Continue challenging it?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchens body swayed vigorously. You sessfullypleted the challenge in just half a teas time. If you were allowed to attempt it again and again, wouldnt our Beast Hall fall into bankruptcy? Given how valuable spirit beast blood essence was, even Xuanyuan Kingdoms Beast Hall didnt have too much of it... "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded seriously. He started taking out his fingers and started calcting. "Dont worry, I wont get too greedy. Just allow me to challenge it another twenty times!" "..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchens body swayed, and he nearly fell over the railing of the balcony. Chapter 422: Nightmare Beast Chapter 422: Nightmare Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Twenty? And you said that you arent greedy? Do you know how many drops of spirit beast blood essence is there in our Beast Hall? Hall Master Xie Jiuchens face was turning green. If only hed known the intentions of this Beast Tamer Zhang in advance, he wouldnt have made his previous deration so valiantly. He had just said that anyone who sessfully clears the trial will receive a droplet of spirit beast blood essence, and this fellow immediately raised the topic. Why did it feel as though he was tricked? If he were to challenge it again and again, wouldnt the Beast Hall have to present him with spirit beast blood essence again and again? Even with the thousand years of heritage behind Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, spirit beast blood essence was still an extremely limitedmodity. If that fellow was allowed to do as he pleased, the Beast Hall would surely fall into bankruptcy! When other people challenged the Ten Beasts Cage, even if they were able to clear, it would likely to be a close call, and they would often have to remain in bed for three to five months to recuperate. Yet, this fellow passed the challenge as though he was just strolling in the gardens. Not only was he fine... he even managed to collect a group of savage beast minions. Just look at that, the sweetly smiling Steel-armed Golden Ape was still waving to him continuously, and it seemed as though its hands would tear off at this rate... And not too far away, the Whirlwind Wolves were still staring at him with looks of desire. Desire your head! It had been awhile since they were captured under Hall Master Xie Jiuchens orders, but due to their arrogant personality, most of the young beast tamers were unable to tame them. That was why he chose to put it in the Ten Beasts Cage as one of the stages... Yet, after a beating, not only were they not angry, they were stared at Zhang Xuan with a look of desire. Did they really crave for a beating so much? He could already see that if Zhang Xuan were to be allowed to continue on, at this rate, not only would the Beast Hall go bankrupt, all of the savage beasts within would also be his... What kind of monster was this? "Since hall master has agreed to it, Ill go down right now. Honestly speaking, the Ten Beasts Cage is quite an interesting challenge!" Taking the other partys silence as consent, Zhang Xuan prepared to leap down. He urgently needed the twenty droplets of spirit beats blood essence, and he had no time to waste. Since he had already decided on the matter, he nned to get it over and done with quickly. "Wait a moment..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen hurriedly walked over to stop him. With an awkward smile, he said, "Theres no hurry. You have just cleared the Ten Beasts Cage, so you must be exhausted. Why dont you rest first? We can talk about it afterward!" "Theres no need for that, Im not tired! Actually, this challenge is also a form of training to me, so theres no need for Hall Master to worry about me." Zhang Xuan nodded. Worry... Who the heck is worried about you! I am worried that you would copse the entire Beast Hall... Hall Master Xie Jiuchen hurriedly waved his hands, "I know that Beast Tamer Zhang possess extraordinary talents in beast taming, and challenging it consecutively isnt a problem for you. But... gathering so many powerful savage beasts isnt an easy feat... Even if youre not exhausted, you should allow the savage beasts to rest for a moment." "Rest?" ncing downward, Zhang Xuan asked, "Are any of you tired?" The Whirlwind Wolves, Tiger Head Beasts, and Steel-armed Golden Ape hurriedly shook their heads. "Look, theyre not tired!" Zhang Xuan said. "..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen felt light-headed. Say, how can someone as capable at beast taming as youck EQ? Isnt my intention clear enough? I dont want you to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage, why cant you get the hint? "Cough cough, Beast Tamer Zhang. Perhaps you dont understand the hall masters words. What he means to say is that since you have already cleared the Ten Beasts Cage once, you shouldnt challenge it again. Theres not much significance to it like that!" Seeing the conversation between the two, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing couldnt help but interject. "I can earn a droplet of spirit beast blood essence every time I clear it. This is extremely important to me!" Zhang Xuan replied with a serious expression. Of course there is a significance to it! If not, I would not have been so bored as to travel this far just to challenge it. "You..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqings face turned gray in frustration. He had tried to beat around the bush, but the other party revealed his intentions straight... How the hell can we continue talking if you are going to be just like that? "Alright, I know that youll definitely clear the challenge. However, the opportunity must be given to the other beast tamers as well. Thus, lets drop the matter!" Unable to hold it any longer, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen waved his hands and made up his mind. "This..." Zhang Xuan frowned. Hed learned about the Ten Beasts Cage from a book in the Beast Hall, so he traveled the distance here to challenge it. He thought that if he could do it twenty consecutive times, he would have sufficient spirit beast blood essence to fuel his Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan. Yet, the other party simply turned him down. "Its alright if you dont allow me to challenge it as well!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nced at the duo and said, "I urgently require neen more droplets of spirit beast blood essence. Regardless of whether I have to buy it or trade for it, I have to obtain it." "You still need neen more droplets?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nced at one another, light-headed. Why in the world would he need so much spirit beast blood essence? To boil a stew? Normal savage beasts would find it difficult to even absorb a single droplet of the blood essence. Yet, you asked for twenty at a single go... Are you trying to build an army of savage beasts? "Its possible for us to sell some to you. A single droplet of spirit beast blood essence costs five spirit stones. However, as youre a beast tamer, we can give you a discount and charge you four spirit stones!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said. "Four spirit stones for a single droplet?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. "Forget it, I guess Ill challenge the Ten Beasts Cage after all. You all should hurry up and make preparations!" He was also trying to find spirit stones to raise his cultivation as well! Four spirit stones for a single droplet... Why dont you rob a bank? Grabbing onto his chin, Zhang Xuan started to calcte, "Since spirit beast blood essence is so expensive, after challenging the Ten Beasts Cage twenty times, I dont really need anymore. If so, I can sell them back to you. If I challenge it a hundred times in a day, I can earn 400 spirit stones. Continue that for a month and Ill have more than ten thousand spirit stones..." "..." The two leaders of the Beast Hall felt frenzied. Brother, must you be so determined to wreck our Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall? What kind of grudge do you have against us? "Alright, enough! We can give twenty droplets of spirit beast blood essence to you, but we have a condition!" Feeling so stifled that his chest was about to burst apart, an idea suddenly appeared in Hall Master Xie Jiuchens mind. He gestured grandly and harrumphed. If he were to allow the other party to do as he pleased, not only would the Beast Hall fall apart, he would also be aughingstock of the other Conferred Kingdom Beast Halls in the surroundings. "A condition?" "Thats right. Our Beast Hall has just captured a savage beast, but its proving difficult to tame. If you can find a way to tame it for the Beast Halls usage, well be willing to give you ten additional droplets on top of your twenty!" "But of course, if you fail, you are not to bring up the matter of challenging the Ten Beasts Cage anymore!" "Ten additional droplets?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Alright, I agree to your condition!" Judging by how the other party kept pushing the matter down, it would be impossible for him to continue challenging the Ten Beasts Cage. Since the other party had already raised this condition, he would be a fool to not ept it. Ten droplets were equivalent to forty spirit stones. It was a profitable business to earn this massive sum just by taming a savage beast. "If you dont agree to it, Ill take it as you have forfeited to it yourself. So, dont ever mention the matter of challenging the Ten Beasts Cage ever again..." Yet to process Zhang Xuans reply, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen continued on. But halfway through, he suddenly paused, and his eyes slowly widened. "What did you say? You agree to it?" "Thats right. Why shouldnt I agree to it?" Zhang Xuan asked. "But... Do you know what savage beast you are going to tame? Why would you agree to it so readily?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was overwhelmed by so much shock that he was about to tear off his beard. Even a 3-star beast tamer, a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert, like himself was unable to tame the savage beast, yet you agreed to the matter so readily? Initially, he was only thinking of using this matter to deter the other party from bringing up the matter of challenging the Ten Beasts Cage ever again. After all, since even he was unable to tame it, he didnt think that the other party was capable of doing so either. Yet, before he could finish his words, the other party had already agreed to the matter. "Who cares what savage beast it is!" Zhang Xuan waved nonchntly. Honestly, to Zhang Xuan, the type or strength of the savage beast didnt matter to him. What he was concerned about was whether he could earn sufficient spirit beast blood essence. "... Alright!" Seeing how confident the other party was, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. The truth of the situation wasnt too far from what Hall Master Feng deduced. The reason why the Beast Taming Competition was suddenly brought forward was to bring all of the geniuses from the various kingdoms over here to brainstorm on a method to tame that savage beast. Given how talented the fellow before him was, especially after seeing how he tamed a group of Whirlwind Wolves in the blink of an eye... Perhaps, he might really have a solution to their problem. As long as he could tame that savage beast, even thirty droplets of spirit beast blood essence werent a big deal. "Lets go then. Ill bring you to meet it!" Coming to a decision, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen decided not to dawdle on. He called for an elder and gave him some instructions before leading Zhang Xuan and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing to the depths of the Beast Hall. Knowing that this was an opportunity for him to earn more spirit beast blood essence, Zhang Xuan hurriedly followed behind him without much hesitation. "Teacher!" "Young master!" Along the way, Zhang Xuan met Zhao Ya, Sun Qiang, and the others, who were waiting outside for him. "Lets go together then!" There werent many things Zhang Xuan needed to hide from these people. Thus, he invited them to tag along, and they soon arrived at a vast courtyard. The courtyard was surrounded with high walls that were around a dozen meters thick, simr to city walls. The interiors were slightly blurred, and with a single nce, one could tell that a formidable formation was set up within. "The savage beast is just inside! Ill just say it first, it isnt toote for you to back down now." The group came to a stop right outside the courtyard. With a grim expression, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said, "The savage beast is actually a [Nightmare Beast]. Our Beast Hall paid a heavy price before we were able to capture it. Due to the hint of Dragon Bloodline it possessed, it has an extremely arrogant nature, making it nearly impossible to tame it." "Nightmare Beast? A Half-Transcension savage beast?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Having assimted the knowledge from the books in the Beast Hall, Zhang Xuan possessed knowledge of the savage beast. It was known as the number one strongest savage beast beneath that of spirit beasts. Possessing a hint of Dragon Bloodline, it wielded incredible strength. Even Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage experts would find it hard to face! To think that the Beast Hall would actually manage to capture such a powerful beast, it was truly incredible! "Indeed. This fellow has a ferocious nature, and itll be difficult to even approach it. I can bring you to meet it, but if you find yourself stumped, just give up. Dont take the risk. But of course, once you give up, you mustnt bring up the matter of challenging the Ten Beasts Cage ever again." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen raised his conditions. He was afraid that the other party would turn his attention back to the Ten Beasts Cage after realizing that he was unable to tame the Nightmare Beast. If so, all of his efforts would be in vain. "Lets go in and take a look!" Zhang Xuan prompted. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. They found the entrance to the formation and led the crowd in. The courtyard was vast, and on top of the formation, a massive metal cage specially crafted by cksmiths wereid out within. If a savage beast were to be trapped within it, it would be nearly impossible to escape. After circling around the courtyard, they finally reached the perimeter of the metal cage. Within it, they saw a five-meters tall and ten-meters long massive savage beast lying quietly on the ground. Upon noticing the presence of outsiders, its eyes immediately turned red, and it released a deafening roar. Chapter 423: Ancient Beast Language Chapter 423: Ancient Beast Language Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its roar was so loud that it threatened to burst the ear drums of everyone present. Of the group, Yuan Tao, Sun Qiang, and the others who had weaker cultivation jolted upon hearing the roar. Their faces paled, and their bodies swayed weakly from side to side. It seemed like they were injured just by the powerful roar itself. "You all should leave first!" Knowing that a powerful savage beast could kill one with its roar by itself, Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Sun Qiang, Yuan Tao, and the others hurriedly left. "This is the Nightmare Beast!" A grim expression appeared on Hall Master Xie Jiuchens face. The Nightmare Beast was simply too strong; even he wasnt a match for it. If not for the sturdy cage, the unique formation, and the multipleyers of trapsid out in the courtyard, it would have already escaped. Spirit beasts possessed wisdom that was not inferior to a human in any way. Upon reaching this level, they could already cultivate on their own to raise their cultivation. Even though the Nightmare Beast before them had not reached the level of a spirit beast yet, it was not too far from reaching that level. On top of that, it possessed a trace of Dragon Bloodline, augmenting its already fearsome prowess. If not for the unique circumstances, it would have been impossible for the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall to capture it. "Its injured?" Zhang Xuan nced at it briefly before frowning. "Un!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded. The unique circumstances referred to this fellow being injured, thus giving them an opportunity to strike. However, judging from its rate of recovery, it should be able to fully recover in less than a month. If they didnt tame it within this period of time, it would surely escape from their grasp by then. This was precisely the reason why they went to the extent of pushing forward the Beast Taming Competition just to try and find a viable method to tame it. "Its internal injuries came from its failed attempt at breaking through the bottleneck of a spirit beast!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen exined. Zhang Xuan nodded. That was indeed the case. Even without the Library of Heavens Path and Eye of Insight, just based on his knowledge of savage beasts, he could tell this much. At Half-Transcension, be it humans or savage beasts, they would hope to take the onest step to reach a higher order of existence. This Nightmare Beast forcibly pushed itself to make that breakthrough, but it failed and a rebound urred, reducing it to its current state. Unable to move, it could only roar to instill fear in its enemies. Otherwise, if a Half-Transcension savage beast were to go on a rampage, even a Half-Transcension cultivator would be unable to withstand its might. It would have beenpletely impossible for Xie Jiuchen and the others to capture it and lock it here. "As long as you can find a viable method to tame it, well do it ourselves. If it works, well give you thirty droplets of spirit beast blood." Xie Jiuchen exined the terms of this exchange. Given that youngds strength, it would be impossible for him to tame a Half-Transcension savage beast. Thus, he only asked for a viable solution. If he deduces it to be feasible, all of the 3-star beast tamers would cooperate together to carry it out. As long as they seed, no price was too heavy to pay. If they were to tame a savage beast of this level, the strength of the entire Beast Hall would be brought to whole new heights. In contrast, thirty spirit beast blood essence wasnt a heavy price at all. "Find a viable method?" Not expecting the other partys request to be so simple, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Delighted, he gestured, "Alright, go over and knock that fellow out then. After I observe him, Ill give you a viable solution to the matter!" The Nightmare Beast was too strong, so the Eye of Insight was ineffective against it. On the other hand, for the Library of Heavens Path to be triggered, the other party had to execute a battle technique or... be knocked out. Given how that fellow couldnt even stand up, it was impossible for it to execute a battle technique. The roar couldnt be considered as a battle technique as well. Thus, the only way to activate the Library of Heavens Path was to knock it out. Only then could Zhang Xuan determine a viable taming method through its ws. "Knock that fellow out?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing thought that the other party might have some brilliant situation, so their ears were pricked to listen to whatever he had to say. However, after hearing those words, their eyelids twitched. That fellow possessed the Dragon Bloodline! Knock it out? They had to have the capability to do it first! Those of the Dragon Bloodline possessed outstanding recovery capability, and their defenses were far superior to other savage beasts. Even a Half-Transcension expert couldnt knock out a Half-Transcension savage beast easily, needless to say, them. "You cant do it?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Given that the other party couldnt demonstrate battle technique, and they couldnt knock it out either, this situation was a little tricky. "You should... think of another solution!" Xie Jiuchen said. Zhang Xuan scratched his head. There were many beast taming techniques, but given how even the experienced hall master was unable toe up with anything feasible, how could he have any ideas? The usual method Zhang Xuan used was to raise the other partys strength through the Heavens Path zhenqi, but given the huge disparity in strength, the effects of the Heavens Path zhenqi would be minimal. He wouldnt be able to earn the other partys goodwill through inducing such insignificant growth. "My opinion is still to... knock it out!" After a long moment, Zhang Xuan could not find any good ideas. Thus, he could only reiterate his stand. "..." Xie Jiuchen and Wei Yuqing. "Actually, weve also thought of a feasible solution, but we arent able to carry it out!" A long whileter, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen suddenly spoke. "Oh?" Curious, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over. "Since the Nightmare Beast attempted the breakthrough, it must know the method to do so. Such methods are normally left behind by ancient spirit beasts, and if we can find a beast tamer skilled in ancient beastnguage, he might be able to earn its respect. If so, it would be much easier to tame it." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said. "Ancient beastnguage?" "Un. While beast tamers can converse with their own tamed beast, it is still extremely inconvenient for them tomunicate with other savage beasts. Back then, Empyrean Kong shi left behind a [Beast Language Scroll], and as long as one learns it, one would be able to speak with spirit beasts freely. This fellow isnt a spirit beast, but its already extremely close to that level. On top of that, it also possesses a hint of the Dragon Bloodline, so it should be capable of basic conversation in thatnguage. Otherwise, it wouldnt be able to learn of the method left behind by ancient spirit beats either." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen eyes gradually grew grim, and he spoke slowly, "If there were someone among us who was skilled in it, wed be able to converse with it and know what it wanted. If so, taming it would be much easier." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. There was some information on the ancient beastnguage through the books in Xuanluo Mountain Beast Hall. However, there were very few people who were adept in it, and most of them were high-ranked beast tamers. This was precisely the reason why these beast tamers could win the trust of savage beasts easily, and make them listen to them. "Does our Beast Hall have books on the ancient beastnguage?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. "We do have some, but most of them are from a faraway era. On top of that, most of them are just the deductions of our predecessors, and weve no way of determining whether they are authentic or not." Xie Jiuchen shook his head bitterly. Even though theplete heritage of ancient beastnguage had slowly disappeared, some sounds of words still remained in cirction. However... these were useless by itself. Putting aside whether they were real or not, it was impossible to determine their meaning just by the sound itself. Countless predecessors of the Beast Hall had tried studying it, but most of the words originated from legends, and their meanings were lost. On top of that, some of these legends were fabricated, and it was impossible to discern truth from falsehood. Realizing the impossibility of the task, everyone eventually chose to give up on it. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Can you take me over to take a look?" Others might not be able to discern truth from false, but he was different! With the Library of Heavens Path, as long as they were in written form, it was a walk in the park for him to determine what was true and what was false! Chapter 424: Bizarre Language [2in1] Chapter 424: Bizarre Language [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You want to look at those books?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nced at one another in confusion. The ancient beastnguage sounded incredible, but its heritage had already been lost. The possibility of learning it through books was zero. Even if the content of the book was authentic, without a tutor to guide one, it was impossible for one to verbalize the sound out urately. What made things worse was that each word of the ancient beastnguage had a special zhenqi cirction method to verbalize it. Without it, it was impossible to pronounce it urately, especially with a humans sound box. Countless predecessors of the Beast Hall had devoted their lives in an attempt to decipher thenguage, but none had seeded. Yet, this fellow said that he wanted to browse through those books to learn thenguage so leisurely... Did he really think that he could master it just by reading through those? "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "This..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen hesitated. Knowing the impossibility of the task, he tried to talk Zhang Xuan out of it, "Studying the ancient beastnguage isnt something that can be aplished all of a sudden. Without a proper tutor, Im afraid that you might identally injure yourself..." "Im just taking a casual look. If, by chance, I were to seed, perhaps Ill be able to tame this fellow!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Hearing the other party insisting on the matter, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen frowned in displeasure. Given how the other party cleared the Ten Beasts Cage so easily, his talents and strength were definitely top-notch. But why would a genius like him choose to do something so pointless and foolish? Do you think that the ancient beastnguage is something one can grasp just by reading books? If that was the case, there wouldnt be so little beast tamers who knew the ancient beastnguage. By chance... If it were possible to seed by chance, they wouldnt be in such a dilemma. You must be jesting! "Fine. Elder Wei, lead him there. Feel free to browse through the books of the Beast Hall. However, I wont tolerate you making a fuss over the Ten Beasts Cage after this!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said, suppressing his displeasure. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though the Beast Hall had many savage beasts, it was still nigh impossible for them to gather a sufficient number of them for Zhang Xuan to challenge the Ten Beasts Cage another neen times. The reason why Zhang Xuan insisted on the matter previously was to force the other party topromise. After observing the Nightmare Beast for a while longer, Zhang Xuan was still unable toe up with a better idea, so he decided to follow behind Grand Elder Wei Yuqing to the library. "The books on the ancient beastnguage are ced randomly throughout the library, feel free to browse through them!" As the duo reached the library, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing gestured to the massive collection of books inside. He shared the same thoughts as Hall Master Xie Jiuchen. To think of learning the ancient beastnguage just by reading books... You must be dreaming! If it was that easy to take it on, beast tamers adept in the ancient beastnguage wouldnt be so valued. Grand Elder Wei Yuqing left with a look of disappointment on his face. Zhang Xuan noticed it, but he didnt pay it any heed. In any case, he would prefer to be left alone here anyway. The Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Halls library was muchrger than that of the Xuanluo Mountain Range branch. Countless books were ced upon tall bookshelves that extended all the way to the limits of ones sight. Since Zhang Xuan was already here, he might as well just collect all of the books within. Thus, cing his fingers on the first book on the first row, he started running. ... "Seems like hes still too young. His outstanding aplishment has led to hiscency!" Returning to the courtyard, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing shook his head. "Considering how he was able to be a 2-star beast tamer and could face a Zhizun realm savage beast despite his young age, it is no wonder that he would becent. But still, to attempt to learn the ancient beastnguage just by browsing through books, he is underestimating the upation!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen said with a slight frown on his face. Initially, he bore great expectations of this young man... However, after hearing the solution the other party came up with, all of his goodwill for the other party vanished. Knocking the Nightmare Beast out... You must be pulling my leg! To tame a savage beast, one had to learn its habits, likes, dislikes, and such. Forcibly knocking the other party out would only incur its resentment. That fellow had a proud nature. It was already difficult to tame, and if they were to really knock it out, the possibility would probably drop to zero. "Indeed!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded in agreement. "Lets not talk about him. How are the challengers of the Ten Beasts Cage faring?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen asked. While the group was tending to the Nightmare Beast, the Ten Beasts Cage had been busy as well. Many of the geniuses who came to Xuanyuan Kingdom were stirred by Hall Master Xie Jiuchens speech, and they were spurred to give it a try. "I took a look beforeing here, and the challengers... arent doing too well!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing shed a bitter smile. After bringing Zhang Xuan to the library, he took a look, and the sight he saw brought a bitter smile to his face. Beast Tamer Zhang had pummeled the Whirlwind Wolves and easily passed the first stage previously, even winning their admiration in the process of doing so. As though emting his sess, the first few challengers also charged straight at the Whirlwind Wolves. However... they ended up as the one being pummeled instead, and two of them were even nearly gnawed to death. One of the more formidable geniuses managed to get past the Whirlwind Wolves and proceeded on to face the Tiger Head Beast. He imitated Zhang Xuans strategy and struck the other partys abdomen. The result? His arms almost fell off from the rebound, and the momentary opening from that nearly turned him into a lump of meat paste. In less than an hour, more than ten geniuses had already fallen. On top of that, the majority of them didnt even clear the first stage. Even the famous Jiang Nanping, Fang Jin, and Luo Tang had given it a try. A handful of them was even stronger than Zhang Xuan, but they were still defeated in the first stage. Those wolves were obedient as though pugs before Zhang Xuan, so the challengers didnt think of them as a threat. Yet, when it came to them, they showed their true might as predators of the forest. "If it were that easy to clear the Ten Beasts Cage, we wouldnt be no sessful challenger for the past thousand years!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen seemed to have anticipated this result, and he shook his head inmentation. He knew very well the difficulty of the Ten Beasts Cage. He didnt underestimate it just because Zhang Xuan cleared it easily. "Un!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. At this moment, he suddenly recalled a matter and said, "Right, the ruckus Beast Tamer Zhang caused by challenging the Ten Beasts Cage is too great. Im afraid that... even if we were to host the Beast Taming Competition now, there wouldnt be much point to it!" "Oh?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen fell into deep contemtion. "Beast Tamer Zhang is young, and he meets the prerequisites for the Beast Taming Competition... After he cleared the Ten Beasts Cage, his prestige has soared. Under such circumstances, there wont be much point in winning the champion seat..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqing smiled bitterly. "You mean that... everyone views Beast Tamer Zhang as their goal? So, even if we conduct the Beast Taming Competition and someone wins the champion seat, as long as the champion doesnt clear the Ten Beasts Challenge, he wont be recognized by the masses?" Xie Jiuchen came to a realization. If the jade that came before was too radiant, it would dull the glow of those trailing behind. This Beast Tamer Zhang was clearly such a jade. He cleared the Ten Beasts Cage in a single go, breaking the thousand year record of Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall. Even if someone were to be hailed as the champion of the Beast Taming Competition, as long as he doesnt clear the Ten Beasts Cage, the prestige of his achievement would surely bepromised. "Indeed!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. "This..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchens smiled bitterly. Actually, it wasnt that hed neglected this matter. It was just that, from the very start, he didnt expect that fellow to clear the Ten Beasts Cage, let alone clearing it so easily! "Since thats the case, pass down an order saying that... the content of the Beast Taming Competition this time around will be the Ten Beasts Cage. Whoever passes the challenge will be the champion!" After hesitating for a moment, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen continued, "Also, check which branch does Beast Tamer Zhang belong to. If no one clears the Ten Beasts Cage... Hell be dered as the champion!" "Alright!" Wei Yuqing nodded. This was the only solution left. If Zhang Xuan knew that he could win the champion seat on top of earning the spirit beast blood essence through challenging the Ten Beasts Cage, it would be hard to say what he would feel. However, at this very moment, a helpless frown was etched deeply on his forehead. After a day of hard work, he finally collected all of the books in the Beast Hall into the Library of Heavens Path. Upon doing so, he thought that it should be easy for him topile all of the ancient beastnguage books to create an urate manual on thenguage. However... after taking a look, he finally understood why Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing didnt think well of him. The predecessors had indeed left behind many books on the ancient beastnguage, and written in these books were their personal insights on the verbalization of thenguage. However... after verifying the contents with the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan realized that the only words that were authentic... numbered less than ten! How could onemunicate with savage beasts with less than ten words? To think that there would be only ten correct words in several hundred ancient beastnguage books... It was no wonder that no one seeded. With this level of uracy in the ancient texts, it would take a miracle for one to sessfully learn thenguage. "Seems like learning the ancient beastnguage is impossible..." Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. If he had mastered the ancient beastnguage through the Library of Heavens Path, it would be much easier for him to tame savage beasts in the future. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like he had underestimated the matter. The ancient beastnguage was a creation of Kong shi, and if one could learn it that easily, there would not be so many stumped beast tamers in the world. "Hmm? There seems to be another book on the ancient beastnguage over there..." Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave the library to convince Xie Jiuchen to knock out the Nightmare Beast, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a book lying in the corner of the room. It was a thick book with the word Language written in an ancient script on its cover. As it was ced in a remote corner, he didnt notice it previously. He walked over and took it out. This book was around ten fingers thick, and a thickyer of dust cloaked its cover. Its pages had a yellowish tint, hinting at a long history behind them. It seemed to have been ced here for innumerable years, unnoticed by any. "ws!" Touching it, a simr book appeared on the shelves within the Library of Heavens Path. "Hmm? This isnt ancient beastnguage?" Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Written within the book was the introduction of a uniquenguage, as well as the way to verbalize it. However, there was a clear distinction between it and the ancient beastnguage. The book didnt reveal what exactly was thatnguage, and the details provided by the Library of Heavens Path didnt reveal anything significant about its origin either. "There is a total of three correct words!" Zhang Xuan flipped through the book. There were thousands of words described in the ten-fingers thick book, but after verification from the Library of Heavens Path, there were only three correct ones. "Compile!" Zhang Xuan gathered all of the correct portions to form an entirely new book. "I should try these three words first..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi ording to the cirction method derived from the book through the Library of Heavens Path. "Moo!" A sound echoed, and the world around Zhang Xuan seemed to tremor violently for an instant. At the same time, his body swayed, and the sight before him turned dark. "What... kind ofnguage is this? How can it be so fearsome?" The immense energy expenditure from verbalizing that single word had nearly knocked him out. He quickly took deep breaths to recover. Just verbalizing a single sound had nearly sapped his zhenqi dry. On top of that, his instincts told him that if not for his incredibly pure Heavens Path zhenqi, even with the knowledge of the correct verbalization method, he wouldnt have been able to verbalize that sound. After studying the ancient beastnguage, he realized that even though it was difficult to verbalize the words, it wasnt too hard to speak fluently once one grasps the correct zhenqi cirction method. This logic seemed to apply to the mysteriousnguage as well. But that single sound he just made nearly caused him to pass out! That was way too fearsome! "It is said that the more formidable anguage is, the more difficult it is to verbalize it. It will have a high requirement on the purity of ones zhenqi as well. Could it be that thisnguage is extremely formidable?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though he was baffled, it did little to dampen his agitation. After reading through innumerable books, he knew that humans werent the only race in the Master Teacher Continent. There were many races, and each of them had their ownnguages, the more formidable a race was, the more powerful their words would be. At the same time, the requirement on the purity of ones zhenqi would be much greater as well. Heavens Path zhenqi was definitely a top-notch existence even among superior zhenqi. Despite this, Zhang Xuan was still unable to sustain the expenditure from voicing out the words. What kind ofnguage did these three words originate from for them to be so powerful? After studying it for half a day, he realized that he couldnt interpret the contents of the ancient book. In fact, he couldnt even read a single word. Thus, he shook his head and gave up. "Given that I have only learned a few words, I cant depend on the ancient beastnguage anymore..." Zhang Xuan thought that he could return aplished with the ancient beastnguage in his arsenal. "But in any case, I should still try and see if I can hoodwink the Nightmare Beast with these words. It would be good if I seed. Otherwise, Ill have to look for other solutions!" Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan walked out of the library and headed toward the courtyard where the Nightmare Beast was housed. Even though he had only learned a few words, through the Library of Heavens Path, he was certain that these were authentic words from the ancient beastnguage. Perhaps, he might be able to convince the other party with just these words. If, on the off chance, he seeds, he would be able to earn thirty spirit beast blood essence immediately. Otherwise, he would have to find a way or another to knock the Nightmare Beast out. "Beast Tamer Zhang!" Soon, he arrived at the courtyard. Before walking in, he saw many figures walking anxiously about the previously remote courtyard. The huge group of beast tamers that he saw above when he was clearing the Ten Beasts Cage were all here. "What happened?" Zhang Xuan walked in doubtfully, and he immediately saw two familiar figures amidst the crowd. "Beast Tamer Zhang!" The other party also saw him, and they walked up to him. "Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang, why are you two here?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. These two were the beast tamers from the Xuanluo Mountain Range branch, Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang. "Why are we here?" Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang coughed. "The Beast Taming Competition has been brought forward, but we werent able to contact you. Thus, we came here in advance!" "The Beast Taming Competition has been brought forward?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in surprise. If the other party hadnt raised this matter, he would have already forgotten the issue. Ever since arriving at Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, he immediately rushed to the Ten Beasts Cage. Right after that, he went to the courtyard to meet the Nightmare Beast before busying himself at the library. As such, he had no way of knowing that the Beast Taming Competition had been brought forward. Besides, he didnt explicitly agree to thepetition then. Thus, he didnt pay much attention to the matter. "You didnt know?" Seeing the confused expression on the other partys face, the two great beast tamers swayed. "I didnt!" Zhang Xuan confirmed their suspicions. "But... you are the champion of thepetition!" The two beast tamers scratched their heads in frenzy. Are you for real? Just a moment ago... Hall Master Xie Jiuchen announced that Zhang Xuan was the champion of the Beast Taming Competition! He even specially visited them to offer his congrattions... Despite being the champion, he actually didnt even know that thepetition had been brought forward... Can you be any more confusing than that? "Champion? What champion?" Not only were the duo baffled, Zhang Xuan was also bewildered by the situation as well. I dont even know when thepetition is held, how in the world did I be the champion? "The content of the Beast Taming Competition this time is the Ten Beasts Cage. Of all of the participants, youre the only one who seeded... So naturally, you became the champion!" Seeing that the other party really knew nothing at all, Hall Master Feng could only exin the situation speechlessly. To think that even someone as confused as him could be the champion, he was truly speechless. For every singlepetition, their Xuanluo Mountain Range branch would always go around searching for talents to vie for a good cing. Yet, they had never seeded... This time, they managed to win the championship, yet the candidate himself didnt even know what was happening. "I see... Is there any prize for the champion?" After hearing that he became the champion just because he challenged the Ten Beasts Cage, Zhang Xuan was speechless. But soon, recalling something, his eyes lit up. Bing the champion wasnt anything much to him, what he was more concerned about was the reward! If he could win twenty or thirty spirit beast blood essence, he could spare himself much hassle. "The reward is five spirit stones. I have already imed it for you, you can check on it!" At which, Hall Master Feng took out a narrow jade box. Opening it, five spirit stones ced side by side appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. "Just these?" Zhang Xuan thought that he would be able to earn generous rewards by winning the championship. Yet, for the reward to be only five spirit stones, the Beast Hall was truly miserly. However, no matter how little the reward was, it was still useful to him. There was no reason for him to reject it. After keeping the spirit stones into his storage ring, he nced at the surroundings and asked, "Whats happening? Why are so many people gathered here?" Yesterday, when he came, a formation was set up here, and no outsiders were allowed to enter. Why did the situation be like that all of the sudden? "The Beast Hall caught a Half-Transcension savage beast, and they wish to tame it. However, they had been unable to find a feasible method to do so. The reason why the pushed forward the Beast Taming Competition was to gather the hall masters, elders, and talented beast tamers from all around Xuanyuan Kingdom here to brainstorm on a viable method to tame the Nightmare Beast!" Hall Master Feng exined. The motive of pushing thepetition forward was for this savage beast. Since thepetition was already over, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen decided to gather all of the beast tamers here to brainstorm over this matter. This led to the currentmotion outside of the courtyard. "Oh!" Zhang Xuan came to a realization. It seemed like the other party didnt think that he would seed in learning the ancient beastnguage. But it was no wonder why the other party would think so. Even with the prowess of the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan had only found a few correct words. It would take a miracle for anyone to learn thenguage through those books. "Has anyone seeded yet?" Zhang Xuan asked. "No one has seeded yet. A Half-Transcension savage beast is too strong, the possibility of seeding is extremely low..." Shaking his head, Hall Master Feng sighed. Even a 3-star beast tamer like Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was helpless before the Nightmare Beast. How could normal beast tamers like them have any good ideas? Several ideas were brought up, but they were all refuted. "Look, the genius Wei Youdao intends to give it a try!" "Wei Youdao? The genius who managed to reach the third stage of the Ten Beasts Cage yesterday?" "Yes, thats him..." ... Just as the trio was talking, amotion broke out among the crowd. Zhang Xuan turned around and saw a youngster walking toward the Nightmare Beast in the metal cage. In front of the metal cage stood Hall Master Xie Jiu Chen, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing, and a few other beast tamers. A grim expression hung on their faces. They also knew that it was unlikely for anyone to seed, and they were already prepared for a worst case scenario. Chapter 425: Allow Me! Chapter 425: Allow Me! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At this moment, the Nightmare Beast was currently lyingzily on the ground. It wasnt even angry; it just couldnt be bothered to lift his head to nce at the other party. Instead, it seemed to be using some kind of unique method to heal the injuries it had sustained. "Hall Master, I would like to give it a try!" Walking forward, Wei Youdao sped his fists. "Go on!" ncing at Grand Elder Wei Yuqing, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded. The grandson of his old friend had been blessed with exceptional talent for beast taming, and the other party had made a name for himself among the younger generation If not for Zhang Xuans abrupt appearance, Wei Youdao might very well be the number one genius of Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Halls younger generation. In any case, there was no better solution for the matter at the moment. If the Nightmare Beast were to recover substantially from its injuries, it would be impossible for the Beast Hall to confine it any further. Since that was the case, he might as well grant everyone a chance. Perhaps, someone might just seed. "Thank you, hall master!" Taking a deep breath, Wei Youdao walked up to the Nightmare Beast. With a flick on his wrist, a jade bottle appeared in his palm. Uncorking the cap, a dense fragrance wafted out, revitalizing everyones spirit. "Its the Seven-colored Honey from the Cloud Mist Mountain!" "Its said that the Zongshi realm savage beast Heaven Snow Bee concocted this honey from the nectar gathered from seven different colored flowers. It has an alluring fragrance, and its iparably sweet. Even spirit beasts would find it difficult to rein in their craving!" "This thing is iparably expensive and rare. Even with plenty of spirit stones at hand, obtaining it is no easy matter. Yet, to think that he would have an entire bottle of it!" "Since he is willing to take even that out, the Nightmare Beast should probably cave in!" ... Catching a whiff of the fragrance from the jade bottle, a hugemotion was stirred in the surroundings. The Seven-colored Honey was formed by seven different colored nectars. It possessed a fragrance that opened up ones pores with a single whiff. Savage beasts tended to be gluttonous; it would be difficult for the other party to hold back from such a delicacy. "The Seven-colored Honey is ranked fifth among the ten most favored objects of savage beasts. It is impressive that Wei Youdao was able to obtain such a good item, not bad!" Hall Master Fengs eyes also lit up. "Ten most favored objects of savage beasts? Theres such a ranking?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had read nearly all of the books in the Beast Hall, but he had never heard of such a ranking. "There is!" Hall Master Feng chuckled. "Actually, we only created this list out of boredom, and it isnt officially recognized by the Beast Hall, so it isnt recorded in any book. Seven-colored Honey isnt just fragrant, more importantly, it has the effect of nourishing and expanding a savage beasts meridians! Usually, if a beast tamer were to take out a single droplet of it, he would be able to induce Complete Submission in a Zongshi realm savage beast. The jade bottle that Wei Youdao might be small, but there are at least several dozens of droplets in it. He must be truly determined if he is taking so many droplets out at once!" "Nourish and expand a savage beasts meridians?" Upon hearing the effects of the Seven-colored Honey, Zhang Xuan was astounded. The meridians of humans and savage beasts had a certain cross sectional area. If one were to drive ones zhenqi too quickly, it might cause ones zhenqi to seep outward, resulting in severe internal injuries. Expanding ones meridians was equivalent to increasing the quantity of zhenqi one could drive within a specific period of time. This quality made the Seven-colored Honey extremely valuable. Putting aside savage beasts, even the eyes of the cultivators in the area reddened in desire upon learning of the effects of the Seven-colored Honey, "What other objects are there in this ranking?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask curiously. If he were to know the most favored objects of savage beasts, it might help him in taming powerful savage beasts in the future. "As its unofficial, its mostly spection. The publicly acknowledged number one object is Dragon Blood, number two is the inner core of spirit beasts, number three is ancient beast blood essence, number four is Godfall Flower, and number five is Seven-colored Honey!" "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had heard of the first four objects. The Dragon Tribe was iparably powerful. If a savage beast were to possess the slightest trace of the Dragon Bloodline, it would be significantly stronger than normal savage beasts. Taking the Nightmare Beast for example, even though the Dragon Bloodline within it was so meagre that it could be disregarded, it still granted it the potential to reach Half-Transcension. Just this in itself made the Dragon Bloodline a desired object that could send all savage beasts and spirit beasts into a frenzy. As for the ancient beast blood essence, as shown in the Xuanluo Mountain Range branch, it possessed the same effects as well. If used appropriately, it could induce a Bloodline Evolution in a savage beast. As for the inner core of a savage beast, it was something that spirit beasts nurture and cultivate day and night over a long period of time. It harnessed the essence of their cultivation and strength. If a savage beast could obtain it, even if it still wasnt able to make the leap to be a spirit beast, its cultivation would definitely be enhanced significantly. As for the Godfall Flower, rumor had it that it could nurture a savage beasts spirit. Of these four incredible objects, the very fact that the Seven-colored Honey could be ced at the fifth ce proved testimony to its fearsome effects. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but take a nce at the situation. As expected, upon catching a whiff of the fragrance, thezy Nightmare Beast in the cage was stirred into action. It lifted its massive head, and a ring radiance pierced from its eyes. It was clearly interested in the object. Grabbing the Seven-colored Honey in his hands, Wei Youdao confidently dered, "I know that you understand the humannguage, and you know our purpose here. As long as you swear to the Dragon Bloodline within your body to remain loyal to the Beast Hall, this bottle of Seven-colored Honey will be yours!" With this object, he didnt need to resort to any ploy. He only had to state his conditions. "Roar!" The Nightmare Beast was initially rather interested in it, but after hearing Wei Youdaos words, it began to lie back downzily. "I know that youve attempted a breakthrough to be a spirit beast and failed. The Seven-colored Honey can expand your meridians and heal your wounds. It could help you surpass your bottleneck, so why do you remain so obstinate? Besides, youre only pledging loyalty to the Beast Hall, not to an individual. If you do so, the Beast Hall will surely devote massive resources to your cultivation and your growth... I hope that you can consider this matter!" Wei Youdao said. Even though his words were moving, the Nightmare Beast remained indifferent. There was no difference to whom it would pledge loyalty to. In its eyes, it was still bing the puppet of the humans. Rather than being restricted, it would prefer to venture out and live its life as it pleased. "Seems like its a failure!" The crowd had finally seen a flicker of hope, but upon seeing this sight, their expression sunk again. They thought that the Seven-colored Honey, ranked fifth on the list, could move the Nightmare Beast. However, they seemed to have underestimate the fellows control. "Even though the Seven-colored Honey is irresistible to ordinary savage beasts, this Nightmare Beast isnt too far away from reaching the level of a spirit beast. As such, its effects would be severely limited. On top of that, as a proud bearer of the Dragon Bloodline, how could it serve the humans for just a bit of Seven-colored Honey?" Among the crowd, a 2-star pinnacle beast tamermented. "Indeed. The Dragon Tribe is one of the strongest tribes in the continent, and they have the pride matching their standing. Even though this fellows bloodline might be weak, it still wont lower its head to humans just over such small benefits. The only way for it to work is to offer it Dragon Blood!" "Dragon Blood? You must be joking! Do you think that its that easy to find some? Putting aside how difficult it is to find a member of the Dragon Tribe, even if you manage to find one, it would be impossible to subdue it! Even the weakest of their members is a Half-Transcension, like this Nightmare Beast before us. It isnt a being that normal beast tamers like us can hunt down." Amotion broke out. The Beast Taming Competition had gathered dozens of hall masters and elders from the surrounding kingdoms. To be able to be the head of their organizations, their eye of discernment and knowledge far exceeded that of ordinary beast tamers. The Seven-colored Honey was valuable, but it wasnt sufficient to make a savage beast with a hint of Dragon Bloodline lower its head. "My apologies!" After a moment of persuasion, the Nightmare Beast still remained unmoved. In the end, Wei Youdao could only retreat in defeat. "Is there anyone else who likes to try?" Expecting this oue, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen sighed. Turning to the crowd yet again, he asked. Silence. Initially, after hearing this news, many people were tempted to give it a try. However, after seeing the 2-star pinnacle and 3-star primary beast tamers falling in defeat, the others lost their courage as well. "Allow me!" Suddenly, a faint voice broke the silence. "Its Beast Tamer Zhang Xuan!" "Since he managed to clear the Ten Beasts Cage so easily, he must have a deep insight into beast taming. Perhaps, he just might seed!" "I dont deny that his beast taming skills are incredible, but his cultivation is way too low!" "Thats true. Its already a formidable feat for a beast tamer to tame a savage beast one or two small cultivation realm above him... He is only at Zongshi realm pinnacle while the other party is at Half-Transcension. Thats a total of six small cultivation realms. Its impossible for him to sessfully tame it!" "Indeed. If he were at Zhizun realm pinnacle, it might still be possible. But given his current strength... I dont think that hell seed!" After identifying the source of the voice, the crowd flew into an uproar. Zhang Xuans feat of clearing the Ten Beasts Cage had awed everyone in the Beast Hall. Thus, almost everyone here had heard of his name. His appearance had generated hope in some, but most simply shook their heads grimly. Beast taming wasnt just about technique, strength also yed a major role. If ones cultivation realm differed too much from the savage beast, it would only look down on one. Given theck of respect, how could it possibly allow one to tame it? "Ive heard that he came here to give it a try after clearing the Ten Beasts Cage yesterday, but he failed!" "Then why is he still volunteering again? Does he have a better idea in mind?" "I dont know. Lets wait and see then..." There were some who knew that Zhang Xuan had already attempted yesterday. Even though they didnt know what had happened, given that the Nightmare Beast hadnt been tamed yet, it was clear that he had failed. "You... seeded in learning thenguage?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Xie Jiuchens eyes lit up. That fellow ran to the library, iming that he was going to learn the ancient beastnguage. Yet, he appeared here today. Did it mean that he had seeded in learning thenguage? "Seed? Im still far from that..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. It wasnt that the ancient beastnguage was too difficult, but that the level of this Beast Hall was simply too low. There were insufficient books here for the Library of Heavens Path to work its wonders. "Then..." Hearing Zhang Xuan admit that he was still far from sess, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was baffled. "Ive only learned a few sounds, so I would like to give it a try. If it doesnt work, we can try the method I mentioned the previous time!" Zhang Xuan said. "The method you mentioned?" Hearing those words, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen fell speechless. Given how that fellow ran off to the library to study, he thought that he had given up on the idea. To think that he was still harboring those thoughts! Chapter 426: The Might of the Mysterious Language Chapter 426: The Might of the Mysterious Language Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The ancient beastnguage is expansive and profound. Its impossible to seed just by learning a few sounds!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing interjected. The other party said that he would study thenguage, and he cooped himself within the library for an entire day. Despite everything, Wei Yuqing still bore some expectations of the other party, yet he returned saying that he had only learned a few sounds... Are you here to amuse us? Even if you had learned the entire ancient beastnguage, it still remains an uncertainty whether that fellow will listen to you. With just a few sounds, do you think that the other party will bother with you? You must be joking! Given Zhang Xuans deration of Let me try!, they thought that he was very confident of the matter. Yet... to think that he was here just to cause trouble. Seemed like even top geniuses werent reliable either... "If it doesnt work, you all should just think of a way to knock it out!" Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan did not have much confidence either, given that he had only learned a few sounds. "Well talk about thatter. You should give it a try first..." Afraid that the fellow would continue pestering him on the matter, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen hurriedly interjected. What the heck is going through your mind! Just because you managed to tame the Whirlwind Wolves by pummeling them, do you think that the same method will work again? This is the Nightmare Beast, a top-notch savage beast possessing the Dragon Bloodline, a proud and noble existence. Even if you were to beat it to death, it would not lower its head to you. If it were that simple, they would have long done it. "Alright!" Sensing the other partys reluctance, Zhang Xuan decided to give it a try first. Thus, he took two steps forward to the Nightmare Beast. The massive savage beast was nonchnt to Zhang Xuans presence. It didnt even bother taking a nce at him. "Hes starting..." Wei Youdao clenched his fists tightly. He had even gone to the extent of taking out the Seven-colored Honey, but it proved to be useless. What kind of solution would the fellow who managed to clear the Ten Beasts Cagee up with? He stared fixedly at the situation in front with widened eyes, fearful that he would miss out a single detail. However, in the next moment, his lips couldnt help but twitch. That fellow didnt take out anything of interest to the Nightmare Beast, and instead, he simply frowned. After a long moment of struggling, a bizarre sound suddenly escaped from his throat. "Gu!" It sounded like lightning, and no one could understand what it meant. "This is ancient beastnguage?" Wei Youdao didntprehend the other partys bizarre action, but Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqings face immediately tightened. They hurriedly turned their gazes over to the Nightmare Beast. That fellow had gone off to study the ancient beastnguage previously, so it was likely that this sound was a part of thenguage. Even though it was just a single sound, there was an off-chance that it might just work! Under the intense gazes of the crowd, thezy Nightmare Beast suddenly opened its eyes... Then, it yawnedzily,y down, and fell silent. "It is ineffective?" Seeing that it waspletely ineffective, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Of the ancient beastnguage, Zhang Xuan had only learned a total of eight words. He had no problem reading or verbalizing it, but as the meaning wasnt written in the books, he couldnt tell what it was either. In other words, he only knew how to speak those words, he didnt know what they meant at all. Even if he were to voice out all of them, that fellow still wouldnt know what he was up to. "The next one." Even so, it was still worth a try. Thus, Zhang Xuan opened his mouth once more, "Wu!" It sounded like the call of an eagle, crisp and bright, piercing ones ears. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing hurriedly turned their gazes over, but the Nightmare Beast seemed to have fallen into a deeper sleep. With its paws cushioning its head, ityfortably on the spot. "This... So, is it working or not?" The duo stared at one another in confusion. If that fellows ancient beastnguage was useful, why was there no response from the Nightmare Beast? But at the same time, the Nightmare Beast did at least adjust its sleeping posture, so whether it waspletely useless or not... Could the sounds that Zhang Xuan was voicing a luby... I thought that you went away to learn the ancient beastnguage, why did you learn a luby instead? What is the use of your luby! What I want is to tame it, not for it to sleep... "Ji!" Amidst their bewilderment, the young man before him voiced the third sound. This time, not only did the Nightmare Beast get into afortable sleeping posture, it even stuck its tongue out, and saliva was flowing out of its mouth. "The heck!" "With just three notes, he managed to bring the Nightmare Beast into a deep sleep?" The surroundings beast tamers were stunned. They thought that the young genius would use some kind of inconceivable beast taming technique on the Nightmare Beast. While their thoughts were spot-on, it waspletely different from what they were thinking. Arent we supposed to tame it? What do you mean by luring it to sleep? "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan was baffled as well. However, upon seeing the sight, his eyes lit up. "This is good as well. If I can knock it out with these words, I wont have to waste my effort on trying to knock it out!" Besides the ancient beastnguage, Zhang Xuan had a backup n. He could knock the Nightmare Beast out, and through the Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to determine its ws and tame it. But it was a pity that Xie Jiuchen, Wei Yuqing, and the others refused to cooperate with him, and Zhang Xuan wasnt a match for the Nightmare Beast himself. Thus, he had been unable to carry it out. If he could lure it to sleep through the ancient beastnguage, that would be perfect. "Wu Ya Hai Wu Wu!" The more he thought about it, the happier he got. Thus, he voiced of the remaining words all at once. Hearing those words, the crowd immediately turned their gazes to the Nightmare Beast. This was especially so for Hall Master Xie Jiuchen. Anxiety could be seen in his eyes. However, with a single look, he suddenly felt a wave of vertigo striking him. The drowsy Nightmare Beast abruptly opened its eyes, and its massive body rose up. ! Roar! A deafening roar pierced through the heavens, parting the clouds above. The crowd in the surroundings felt dizzy-headed under the powerful roar. At the same moment, the massive head suddenly charged straight toward the metal cage. Weng! The formation immediately activated, sealing its movements. Even so, under the powerful charge, the sturdy metal cage was bent out of shape, and it seemed as though it would copse soon. "This is bad..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchens eyes narrowed, and his face reflected his astonishment. He thought that the fellow was still immobile from its severe injuries. To think that he had recovered sufficiently to stand up and exert such offensive might after a few days of recuperation. But of course, perhaps it was agitated by Beast Tamer Zhangs ancient beastnguage, it seemed to be in an extremely bad mood. If the Nightmare Beast were to escape under such conditions, the Beast Hall would be in grave danger. Most likely, it might be wiped off the face of the world. "See what youve done..." The more Hall Master Xie Jiuchen thought about it, the more furious he became. Thus, he turned around and chastised Zhang Xuan. What in the world is this? I asked you here to tame the savage beast, not to provoke it. "Elders, prepare the [Constetion Beast Confinement Formation]!" Knowing that it was useless to me this fellow at this point, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen bellowed. "Yes!" The elders of Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall also knew how dangerous the situation was, so they immediately got into action. They hurriedly rushed to their ces with a grim expression. The Constetion Beast Confinement Formation was a powerful formation used to trap savage beasts. Many of the elders in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall had studied and cultivated it. As long as they ran to their allocated location to infuse their zhenqi into the formation, they would be able to activate it even without in-depth understanding of the formations. "Whats going on?" "Beast Tamer Zhang seems to have provoked that savage beast?" "Isnt he here to tame it? How did he end up provoking it instead?" ... Wei Youdao, Jiang Nanping, and others also felt nervous upon seeing the situation. That was a Half-Transcension savage beast! Once it went on a rampage, the entire Beast Hall would be reduced to ruins! Hong hong hong! Amidst everyones shocked gazes, the Nightmare Beast threw its body at the metal cage several more times, and a huge hole, through which he could escape, appeared in it. Weng! As soon as its head appeared outside, a clear buzz suddenly echoed. The Constetion Beast Confinement Formation had been activated. A white light shot out from the locations of the elders, forming a gigantic that wrapped itself around the Nightmare Beast. Trapped by the gigantic of light, the Nightmare Beast became even more irritated. It howled furiously, and its giant ws grabbed at empty air. Tzzzzzz! White energy emanations reminiscent of sword qi shot out from the ws of the Nightmare Beast, striking straight at the trapping it. The tremored violently, and as though a shield struck by a powerful hammer, a deep reverberation sounded. Pu! Pu! Under the massive force, some of the elders standing at the center of the formation spat outrge mouthfuls of blood. Half-Transcension savage beasts were already an extremely strong existence, and this fellow possessed the Dragon Bloodline on top of that. Its immense strength allowed it to match up to even a Transcendent Mortal expert. Even though the elders were strong as well, most of them were only at Zhizun realm intermediate and advanced stage. They werent a match for this fellow at all. "Hurry up and infuse more zhenqi in to reinforce the formation..." Seeing that the Nightmare Beast was about to escape, Xie Jiuchen panicked. He hurriedly called for help. As soon as the formation copses, the entire Beast Hall would surely be destroyed. They could not back away at this point. Hong long! Knowing the severity of the issue, most of the elders immediately got into action. They charged forward and infused all of their zhenqi into the formation. Apanying the furious surge of zhenqi into the formation, the darkened suddenly glowed brilliantly once more. While the formation had been strengthened, the Nightmare Beast seemed to have derived strength from its rage as well. Roaring furiously once more, its lower limbs pushed against the ground, and its massive body struck the massive in midair. Si! Under the violent power contained in the massive body, the Beast Confinement Net caved in and was torn apart. Deng deng deng deng! All of the elders who had operated the formation copsed onto the floor with pale faces. Hu! After escaping from the formation, the Nightmare Beast red at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes. Carrying unparalleled strength in its body, it charged swiftly toward him. "Its over..." Seeing that the formation and metal cage had failed to contain the Nightmare Beast, Hall Master Xie Jiuchens face was ghastly pale. He didnt expect that the savage beast would suddenly go on a rampage in the midst of the beast taming process. Given that so many people were unable to withstand the might of the Nightmare Beast, no matter how talented Beast Tamer Zhang was, he would surely be torn to shreds. "Moo!" Knowing that it was impossible to save the other party, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was about to avert his gaze when the young man released another bizarre sound. Xie Jiuchen staggered. It was precisely because of your random babbling that provoked this fellow. Yet, to think that you wouldnt learn your lesson... Are you that intent to die? Just as Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was about to urge Zhang Xuan to hurry up and leave instead of continuing to dabble in the ancient beastnguage or whatever it was, he saw the Nightmare Beast suddenly kneeling onto the floor after hearing the sound. It stuck out its tongue, and it licked the young man all over. Its appearance... was no different from the Whirlwind Wolves back then. "Word of Submission, Bloodline Suppression... Could this be the True Voice of Dragons?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchens eyes narrowed, and his face paled. "What in the world was going on?" Chapter 427: True Voice of Dragons Chapter 427: True Voice of Dragons Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The True Voice of Dragons was anguage that only ancient Pureblooded Dragons were capable of using. As long as ones Dragon Bloodline didnt reach the level of a Pureblooded Dragon, a single word would cause a suppression from its bloodline, forcing it into submission. The Nightmare Beast was still baring its fangs at Beast Tamer Zhang previously, but at the very next moment, it suddenly fell to the floor and became as tame as a pup. If this wasnt thenguage depicted in the legends, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen had no idea what othernguages were capable of such a feat. But... didnt thisnguage disappear along with the Dragon Tribe, its heritage lost? How did he learn of it? More importantly... Even if the members of the Dragon Tribe were to impart the True Voice of Dragons to him, it was impossible for humans to learn it. This was not just a matter of talent. Even if one possessed superior zhenqi, the human body was still unable to withstand its sharp notes. This sound had to travel through all of the meridians within ones body and harmonize all of ones acupoints before it could be produced. Even if one cultivated the most profound cultivation technique, it was impossible for one to open up all of their meridians and acupoints! "Can it really be... that hes the True Incarnation of Dragons?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen narrowed his eyes, and his body trembled uncontrobly. Legends had it that the Dragon Tribe traveled across the world, and they took on many forms. Some became beasts, some became humans, some became spirits, some became monsters... No one could discern their true identity. Just by pummeling the Whirlwind Wolves, thetter immediately submitted to him and fawned on him; with a single fist, he caused the Tiger Head Beasts to y dead; with just a few words, he made the Steel-armed Golden Ape waved him goodbye, as though buddies with decades of history behind them... If he isnt a True Incarnation of Dragons, how can he possibly achieve such ridiculous feats? Even 5-star beast tamers are incapable of such a feat! "Regardless of whether he is one, I mustnt reveal this matter... Otherwise, Ill surely be silenced!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchens face paled. The members of the Dragon Tribe were iparably strong, and from birth, they were granted with powerful destructive might. If this Beast Tamer Zhang was a True Incarnation of Dragons, and he exposed the other partys true identity when he wished to conceal the fact, he might incur the wrath and killing intent of the other party to himself. Hall Master Xie Jiuchens conjectures caused his face to slowly pale in fear. On the other hand, the crowd, baffled by the sight before them, was about to go insane from bewilderment. The rage of the Nightmare Beast was not feigned in the least; even the grade-3 pinnacle formation maintained by so many elders was torn apart. Its might was truly fearsome. Yet, this strong, proud fellow was suddenly lying on the floor, licking the other partys pants... What in the world happened in between? "What is it doing?" "Ive no idea. Could it be that... theres something about Beast Tamer Zhangs pants thats even more delicious than the Seven-colored Honey? Is that why its licking it non-stop?" "It cant be that... it has been tamed? But even if its tamed, it couldnt possibly have changed its attitude so quickly!" ... Some of the older beast tamers tore their beards out, but their minds were too preupied for them to feel pain. The sight before them was simply too frightening. In the blink of an eye, a Half-Transcension savage beast, who was thinking of ughtering everyone here just a moment ago, was suddenly lying so docilely on the floor. No one could ept this abrupt twist. "With a scream... this fellow was tamed?" Wei Youdao, Jiang Nanping, and the others stared at one another, and their heads were about to burst from shock. Wei Youdao had taken out the Seven-colored Honey, which was ranked fifth on the list, but even so, he was disregarded. Just when they thought that this haughty fellow could never be tamed... Beast Tamer Zhang simply cried out a word, and that fellow immediately sprawled on the floor and fawned on the other party, as though afraid that the other party would not take him in... When did a Half-Transcension savage beast became so shameless? Was it insane, or were our eyes ying tricks on us? "Hmm?" In truth, Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded as well. Previously, when he identally agitated the Nightmare Beast through the ancient beastnguage, he was anxious as well. He only gave that bizarrenguage a try, especially since he could escape with the Heavens Path Movement Art if he failed. He didnt think that the other partys attitude would changepletely after hearing it. If only hed known before those words were so formidable, he wouldnt have wasted his effort with the ancient beastnguage. ncing at the massive head, which kept cuddling itself up to him, Zhang Xuan suppressed his astonishment and asked, "You wish to submit to me?" "Roar!" The Nightmare Beast hurriedly nodded its head. "This..." Even though the other party had admitted to the matter, Zhang Xuan was still a little dumbfounded. Wasnt it being... a little too easy? "Then... lets establish the contract then!" Even though Zhang Xuan was bewildered, he knew that this was a good opportunity. Touching the other partys head, he drew a droplet of blood from the tip of his forefinger. As though fearing that Zhang Xuan would change his mind, the Nightmare Beast hurriedly swallowed it with a contented look. After which, Zhang Xuan felt a will being bound to his own, allowing him tomunicate with the other party. "This is... Complete Submission?" The beast tamers in the surroundings felt light-headed. Just by shouting a few bizarre sounds, the other party actually seeded. When did taming a Half-Transcension savage beast be so easy? "To think that we even thought aboutpeting with him..." Many of the geniuses of the younger generation were on the verge of tears. Even though Zhang Xuan had passed the Ten Beasts Cage, there were still a few who refused to concede. However, upon seeing this sight... they realized that the difference in their capability was simply too vast... Even Hall Master Xie Jiuchen, a 3-star beast tamer, was unable to seed, yet, in just a dozen breaths or so, the other party was already done. This feat was so incredible that it felt that it could not have been done by a human. "This is a truly master beast tamer!" Someone amidst the crowd sighed. Hearing those words, the rest nodded their heads in agreement. Most probably, only masters of this level would be capable of taming the Nightmare Beast so easily and clear the Ten Beasts Cage in half a teas time... Everyone turned their gazes toward the master, curious to see how he would do now that he had established a contract... only to see the other party walking toward Hall Master Xie Jiuchen. "Hall Master Xie, Ive already tamed this fellow, so twenty droplets of spirit beast blood essence... Wait, you said that youre going to give me ten more. When will you be passing those to me?" "Spirit beast blood essence..." Xie Jiuchens body swayed, and his mouth twitched. When I told you to tame this Nightmare Beast, I meant that you should convince it to serve the Beast Hall as the organizations tamed beast. Yet... not only did you take it for yourself, you even have to cheek to ask forpensation... Can you be more reasonable? It is just like I have asked you to help me court a beautifuldy that I met with much difficulty, and yet, you seduced her for yourself... and you even expect me to pay you for it... Hall Master Xie Jiuchen felt so stifled inside that he was on the verge of throwing up blood. You cannot be so unreasonable... "Beast Tamer Zhang, you have tamed the Nightmare Beast to be your tamed beast. Isnt it inappropriate for you to expect us to pay you spirit beast blood essence like that?" Seeing the hall master go speechless from rage, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing could not help but interject. "Inappropriate? Didnt I tame the Nightmare Beast?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right..." "Didnt you say that youll pay me the spirit beast blood essence as long as I tame it?" Zhang Xuan continued. "Yes..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was on the verge of tears. Initially, he thought that no matter how formidable this fellow was, he was only a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator. Given how the Nightmare Beast disregarded even them, how could it possibly submit to such a weak fellow? Never in their dreams did they expect that the other party would really seed... "Since youve agreed to it, then we should get it over and done with. Otherwise... Ill go and clear the Ten Beasts Cage!" Zhang Xuan said. "Forget it. Grand Elder Wei, go and fetch the spirit beast blood essence. The corner of Hall Master Xie Jiuchens lips twitched, and he hurriedly waved his hands. There was no way to undo the matter of the Nightmare Beast anymore. On the other hand, if that fellow were to continue challenging the Ten Beasts Cage, it would not be long before all of the savage beasts in the Beast Hall would be his... If that truly happened, then as the hall master of the Beast Hall, he would be a hugeughingstock... "Alright!" Even though Grand Elder Wei Yuqing felt frustrated as well, he still fulfilled the hall mastersmand. A momentter, he returned with a jade bottle in his hands. Taking the jade bottle over, Zhang Xuan uncapped the lid and took a look. Scarlet blood flowed within the container, and it filled up to half of the bottle. Making a rough estimation, he confirmed there were around thirty droplets inside. "Great!" Zhang Xuans purpose at the Beast Hall was this. Having obtained what he wanted, Zhang Xuan happily ced the bottle into his storage ring. Seeing the sight, Hall Master Xie Jiuchens heart bled. Despite the huge umtion of Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall over a span of a thousand years, it only had around fifty droplets here. Having more than half of it taken away in an instant, he could not help but feel a sense of loss. However, upon thinking that it was possible for the other party to be a True Incarnation of Dragons, he hurriedly pushed down his displeasure. "Alright, theres no use for you to follow me. You might as well submit to the Beast Hall and stay here! As long as you agree to it, Ill take care of the afflictions you are suffering from. Its also not entirely impossible for me to help you be a spirit beast!" Oblivious to Hall Master Xie Jiuchens reactions, Zhang Xuan turned to the Nightmare Beast and waved his hands casually. This fellow was strong, but it was not capable of flying. Thus, its usability was limited to Zhang Xuan. Xuanyuan Kingdom was only a temporary resting point. Zhang Xuan had to reach the Myriad Kingdom Alliance within three months, and it would be impossible for him to take the other party along. Since that was the case, he might as well sell a favor to the Beast Hall. Of course, if the other party had not given the spirit beast blood essence to him, he wouldve rather let the Nightmare Beast loose than help tame it for the Beast Hall. In the end, Zhang Xuan was no Samaritan. If the other party had reneged on his promise, why should he help them? "You... What did you say? You want the Nightmare Beast to submit to our Beast Hall?" Initially, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen was displeased by the other partys extortion, but upon hearing his words, his breathing hastened in agitation. "Un!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "This..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing were stunned. Their eyes slowly turned red. This was a Half-Transcension savage beast! If anyone of them were to tame it, it would be impossible for them to give it up. Yet, this fellow was saying that he would give it to them. Wasnt he being too generous? They thought that the other party was a selfish and greedy person who only knew how to extort from others. However, Zhang Xuans actions had changed their opinion of him. Perhaps, he really might have some urgent use for the spirit beast blood essence. A Half-Transcension savage beast which possessed the potential to make the breakthrough to be a spirit beast was clearly much more valuable than thirty droplets of spirit beast blood essence. In fact, even a hundred droplets would still be unable to match up to its value. Since the other party was willing to give away such a formidable savage beast directly, how could he possibly be a greedy person? "We... We misunderstood him. Geniuses have their own pride, so how could he possibly act dishonorably just for this bit of interest..." A thought suddenly appeared in their heads. The impression the two had of Beast Tamer Zhang immediately went through a 180-degree reversal. But at that moment, the young man before them suddenly spoke up hesitantly, "Oh, right... Since I convinced the Nightmare Beast to submit to Beast Hall, shouldnt you all offer some token of appreciation? For example, spirit stones, pills, medicinal herbs, or that sort. I wouldnt mind a carriage or two of them..." "..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing. Chapter 428: Uncle Sun Qiang Is Here (1) Chapter 428: Uncle Sun Qiang Is Here (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 We are the Beast Hall, not some spirit stone mining n. How much of it do you think we possess? Still a carriage or two... Just a few dozen would already be almost their entire stock... As for pills, medicinal herbs, and the sort, even if the Beast Hall had them, they are mainly reserved for the savage beasts. How in the world are we going to find so many for you? They had just thought that this fellow was generous when he gave himself in right after... "Beast Tamer Zhang, you must be jesting. Its not that we dont want to give some to you, but its just that we dont have that many resources here..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen replied with a reddened face. "Its alright if you dont have those. However, theres something that I really require, and I hope that you wont turn me down!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at them. "Feel free to speak!" "I need over a thousand Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals. There are no requirements to their quality, and the more there are, the better it is!" Zhang Xuan said. Zhang Xuans motive wasnt spirit stones or medicinal herbs, but this. Only with sufficient cultivation technique could he form the Zhizun realm Heavens Path Divine Art and achieve a breakthrough. No matter what, if he wanted to avenge Lu Chong, he would require strength. "A thousand Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen blinked. What did he need those for? Its not like you could boil cultivation techniques together to make a stew... On top of that, to demand nothing of their quality. "This is simple, I can prepare them for you. However, Ill require at least three days!" After pondering for a moment, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded. Zhizun realm cultivation techniques were valuable in Tianwu Kingdom, and it was nigh impossible to find even a single one in the market. However, in Xuanyuan Kingdom, most ns would possess several books. Collecting a thousand of them was troublesome, but with the connections of the Beast Hall, it would not be too difficult. "Fine!" Hearing that it was possible for the other party to collect all of them, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With this, he had met two main goals he had at the Beast Hall, spirit beast blood essence and cultivation technique manuals. "Alright, Ill cure your wounds now!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Nightmare Beast. The fellow had suffered some afflictions when it failed in its breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal realm. Previously, Zhang Xuan had promised to treat it as part of his deal, so it was time for him to fulfill the end of his bargain. "Roar!" The Nightmare Beast knew that it would not be able to follow behind Zhang Xuan once its injuries had recovered, so it howled in reluctance. The other party was an expert capable of producing the True Voice of Dragons. If it were to follow behind him, it would surely be able to reach great heights in the future. Staying at this Beast Hall meant losing this great opportunity. However, the master had already made its stand. Contractually-bound to Zhang Xuan, it did not dare to protest. "For me to solve your problem, Ive to know what problems you are suffering from first!" Ignoring its unhappiness, Zhang Xuan nced at it and said, "Alright... Knock yourself out!" "Roar???" The Nightmare Beast widened its eyes in bewilderment. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and Grand Elder Wei Yuqing were speechless as well. It seemed like this fellow had not given up his intention of knocking the Nightmare Beast out... "What are you roaring for, hurry up!" Zhang Xuan chastised with a slight frown. He had no time to waste here, he needed to make use of his time to cultivate Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan. "Roar~~~~" It stared at Zhang Xuan pleadingly, but upon seeing the other partys determined gaze, it gritted its teeth before striking its massive hand on its head. Padah! The sight before it turned dark, and it passed out. If Xie Jiuchen and the others wanted to knock it out, they would probably have to go through a huge hassle. It was much simpler for it to do the work itself. "What is it doing?" "Whats happening?" When the Nightmare Beast barged out of its cage, the other beast tamers immediately retreated far away. Thus, they missed out on the conversation of the others. However, upon seeing the huge fellow knock itself out, bizarre expressions appeared on their faces. "Beast Tamer Zhang is about to treat that huge fellow!" Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Wang chuckled. "Treat?" Luo Tang, Fang Jin, and the others were bewildered. One had to knock out savage beasts before treating them? "This is Beast Tamer Zhangs unique diagnosis method, the Unconscious Treatment Method!" Hall Master Feng exined. "Unconscious Treatment Method? Beast Pummeling Taming Method... What the heck is with his techniques?" The duo found themselves at the end of their tolerance for this insanity. They had seen many entric things in this world, but such a bizarre sight was one they could have never imagined. Ever since they were apprentice beast tamers, there was an iron-d rule seared deep in their minds: To tame a savage beast, one had to have an intimate rtionship with it first. One must nevere into conflict with. Yet... Yet, the Beast Pummeling Taming Method and Unconscious Treatment Method... If anyone else were to try pummeling a savage beast, they would definitely be beaten to death. Yet, not only was this fellow still in perfect condition, he even managed to get the savage beast to submit to it... Just by thinking about it made them feel stifled. Amidst everyones bewildered and gloomy gazes, Zhang Xuan had already touched the Nightmare Beast and formed a corresponding book. Flipping through it, he found the root of the fellows illness. "Indeed, he suffered severe injuries from his failed breakthrough. Not only are his meridians injured, his internal organs are also damaged. He will require the nourishment of medicinal herbs... Ill write down a prescription for you all now. If you all treat him, itll help you all in earning his good will!" Zhang Xuan said. This fellow was indeed severely injured. After all, if that wasnt the case, it would have been impossible for the Beast Hall to capture him. On top of that, he overexerted himself previously, exacerbating his injuries. Even though Zhang Xuan could treat it without the Library of Heavens Path given his current level of medical knowledge, he would be only able to treat its symptoms, not the root of its illness. Knowing the specific location of the injuries had made it much simpler to cure the Nightmare Beast. However, to heal it to the point that it could try for Transcendent Mortal realm once more would still take at least half a year. Of course, if Zhang Xuan were to use his Heavens Path zhenqi, the other partys recovery rate would be boosted. However, Zhang Xuans current cultivation realm was far toocking aspared to the other party. Putting aside the doubt of the effectiveness of the Heavens Path zhenqi under such circumstances, there was a chance that Zhang Xuans pure zhenqi might be revealed, and this would bring him a whole string of trouble. Thus, he would rather dump the problem on the Beast Hall. In any case, this would also serve as a tform for them to strike up a rtionship with the Nightmare Beast. "Yes!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded. Zhang Xuan took out a piece of a paper and a brush, and started writing down a prescription. The main ingredient of the prescription just so happened to be Wei Youdaos Seven-colored Honey. He was only responsible for providing the prescription. As for how the other party would negotiate the matter, that was no longer a matter for him to worry over. "I need a quiet chamber!" After dealing with this matter, Zhang Xuan raised his request. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen did not dare to keep Zhang Xuan waiting. He hurriedly prepared a quiet and spacious residence for him. This Beast Tamer Zhang had sessfully cleared the Ten Beasts Cage. Just that in itself was sufficient reason for the Beast Hall to give him a residence already. Not to mention, the other party even tamed the Nightmare Beast and gave it to the Beast Hall. It would be hard for the Beast Hall to return this debt. After settling Zhao Ya and the others in, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Xie Jiuchen and asked, "Right, Hall Master Xie, may I trouble you on another matter?" "Feel free to speak!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen chuckled. Despite this fellow young age, Xie Jiuchen already viewed him as a fellow peer, or perhaps, even a senior. Putting all things aside, just the fact that Beast Tamer Zhang was able to tame the Nightmare Beast so easily and produce the True Voice of Dragons showed that his capability was far beyond his. "Hall master, may I trouble you to assign a person to escort a friend of mine to Gale Valley of the Duskfall Mountains?" Zhang Xuan called Sun Qiang over and gestured to him. "Duskfall Mountains... Gale Valley? You are going to the... Poison Hall?" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen narrowed his eyes. The Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall branch was well-hidden, and very few people knew of its exact position. Even so, as the head of the Beast Hall, Xie Jiuchen was well-informed on such matters. It was in Gale Valley! That region was usually forbiddennds for ordinary cultivators. Why was Beast Tamer Zhang sending his subordinate over? "You know of the Poison Hall as well? Indeed, I need him to make a trip for me!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "But... the surrounding area of the Poison Hall is treacherousnd..." Hall Master Xie Jiuchen tried to talk Zhang Xuan out of it. The Poison Hall had a horrible reputation, and there were many casualties under them. To abruptly pay a visit was an extremely dangerous affair. More importantly, this subordinate of his was only at Dingli realm! "Ah, I have a friend at the Poison Hall, and I just need Sun Qiang to look for him in my stead. There wont be any danger, so you dont have to worry! Its just that I need someone to protect him on the way to avoid unnecessary trouble," Zhang Xuan exined. Back then, when Gu Mu left, he had left Zhang Xuan with a token, saying that he could bring it to look for him when he needed help. Since Zhang Xuan was going against the Xuanyuan royal family now, he needed all the help he could get. However, Zhang Xuan urgently needed to cultivate now so that he could gain sufficient strength to exact his vengeance. Thus, after much contemtion, he decided to send Sun Qiang over. This fellow might be arrogant, but he was able to retain hisposure even before experts like Su Fan and Ling Yuheng. As such, he was in a much better position than Zhao Ya and the others. "Alright then! Ill go make preparations!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan had a friend at the Poison Hall, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding his head. Then, after the other party left, Zhang Xuan turned around to face Sun Qiang. "Butler Sun, I have something I require your help on." "Young master, feel free to speak!" Sun Qiang hurriedly sped his fist. As the sole direct disciple of the old master, Sun Qiang had to obey Zhang Xuansmands. "Take this token, visit a poison master named Gu Mu in the Gale Valley Poison Hall and have him meet me at Xuanyuan Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan instructed, taking out a token. "Alright!" Sun Qiang nodded his head. "May I know if this Gu Mu is young masters friend? How should I address him?" Zhang Xuan had never told anyone about the happenings in the Poison Hall, so Sun Qiang did not know about the matter. "Oh, this Gu Mu... is my teachers grandstudent, meaning, my junior nephew!" Zhang Xuan replied. Initially, Zhang Xuan was going to say that the other party was his grandstudent, but if the other party were to find out that his senior granduncle was not even twenty yet, he would surely bear doubts. Thus, he might as well push the identity of the elusive expert to his teacher. In any case, his teacher had always been an unfathomable figure. Adding anotheryer of secrecy to his identity did not mean anything much at this point. "The old masters grandstudent?" Sun Qiangs eyes lit up. He did not expect the old master to be so formidable as to have a grandstudent in the Poison Hall. "As a servant of the old master, even if I am of inferior standing to the old master, I am at least of the same standing as the young master! Since that Gu Mud is the old masters grandstudent, young masters junior nephew, that means that hes my junior as well..." Sun Qiang thought. "As his senior, its only right for him to run over as soon as hes called. Besides, as his senior, he should at least wee me grandly with good alcohol and meat!" The more he thought about it, the more satisfied Sun Qiang felt with the job he was assigned. Seeing the other partys delighted expression, Zhang Xuan warned, "The Poison Hall is a dangerous ce, so be careful!" "Young master, rest assured!" Sun Qiang nodded. "Ill leave a surge of zhenqi with you just in case someone tries to poison you. At the very least, youll be able to protect yourself this way!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi flew through the other partys meridians, seeped into his dantian, andy dormant within. Chapter 429: Uncle Sun Qiang Is Here (2) Chapter 429: Uncle Sun Qiang Is Here (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuans Zongshi realm Heavens Path zhenqi could neutralize all poison of grade-3 and below. It was hard to tell what kind of dangers Sun Qiang would meet, so it was best for him to be careful. With this surge of zhenqi, Sun Qiang should be able to protect himself from the poison of ordinary poison masters. "Thank you, young master!" Knowing that the young master was doing this for his safety, Sun Qiang bowed in gratitude. After thest few days of fellowship, he knew that even though the young master might be inferior to the old master, he was also a man of great capability. Since he decided to do so, he must have his own considerations. After exining the method of triggering the surge of zhenqi and ensuring that the other party understood his words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even though Sun Qiang was a little coarse, his ability to get things done was reliable. All along, he had been able to reliably aplish the tasks Zhang Xuan entrusted to him, saving him a lot of hassle. Yang shi was an unfathomable, advanced master teacher, and the butler of such a figure had to possess a befitting disposition. Even though Sun Qiangs cultivation was so-so, he had been able to y the role of a butler perfectly. Otherwise, Zhang Xuan would not have gone through the trouble of bringing him here from Tianxuan Kingdom. "These are a few pills beneficial to your cultivation. Remember to cultivate hard even when traveling." With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out several pills that he obtained from the Lin n and passed them over. "Yes!" Sun Qiang hurriedly received them. He was no fool. Given that his cultivation was alreadygging behind, he knew that if he did not work harder, he would soon lose his value. While Zhang Xuan was delegating a few more points for Sun Qiang to take note of, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen returned with an elder before him. It was Wei Yuqing, "The Poison Hall is dangerous, and after much consideration, I decided to assign Elder Wei to follow him. This way, his safety can be guaranteed!" Hall Master Xie said. On top of being a 3-star beast tamer, Wei Yuqing was a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert. Other than Xie Jiuchen, he was the strongest person in the entire Beast Hall. Also, he possessed the deepest understanding of the affairs of the Poison Hall as well. It should be safer for him to escort Beast Tamer Zhangs subordinate. Beast Tamer Zhang was an important guest of the Beast Hall. On top of that, they had yet to fully tame the Nightmare Beast. Thus, no matter what, they had to protect the other partys subordinate well. "Ill be depending on Elder Wei then!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "Dont worry!" Wei Yuqing nodded with a smile. "Even though Ive never been to the Poison Hall, Ive heard some rumors about it. If its just looking for someone, there wont be any danger!" As long as they werent going to the Poison Hall to wreak havoc, it should be fine. After all, even though poison masters were formidable, beast tamers, as a member of the Upper Nine Paths, were not to be trifled with either. "Un!" Since Grand Elder Wei Yuqing was making a move personally, Zhang Xuan felt reassured. The duo left on an aerial savage beast. After trading some pleasantries with Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen took his leave. The Nightmare Beast had awoken, and he had to make use of this opportunity to strike up an intimate rtionship with thetter before it recovered fully. "Time to start!" After the crowd left, Zhang Xuan found himself a quiet room, conditioned himself, and sat down cross-legged. With his recent gains, he should have sufficient spirit beast blood essence to reach Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan. After adjusting his state, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a few droplets of spirit beast blood essence appeared in his palm. There was a dense concentration of spiritual energy in the room. This was a unique cultivation chamber in the residence, and a spiritual energy gathering formation had been set up here. Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan began to drive his zhenqi ording to the form stated within the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan. Then, with a flick of his finger, the blood droplets suddenly turned into a mist, permeating into the pores throughout Zhang Xuans body. The spirit beast blood essence was the essence of the blood extracted from a spirit beast. Even though it wasnt as valuable as inner cores, harnessed within every droplet was the very essence of a spirit beast. The energy contained in every droplet was even purer and denser than those in spirit stones. A huge spiral formed within his body, taking in all of the energy within the blood to nourish every single cell within him. "The effects are indeed significantly less effective than before..." Taking a look at his body after absorbing the first batch of spirit beast blood essence, Zhang Xuan frowned. Along with the rise in his strength, the requirement on the spirit beast blood essence would increase as well. In the past, a single drop could induce massive improvements, but now, its effects had been greatly cut. But in any case, Zhang Xuan had sufficient spirit blood essence in his possession, so he had no worries. Based on his previous calctions, twenty droplets of spirit beast blood essence should be sufficient for him to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle. As long as his strength reached that level, it would be possible for him to face even a Half-Transcension cultivator through the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path. He would be able to exact vengeance then. Tzzzz! Under the effects of the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, the constitution of Zhang Xuans muscles were modified, making his physical strength soar to new heights. Boom! After an unknown period of time, with the sound of an explosion, Zhang Xuan seemed to have broken a shackle binding his body. It felt as though he was submerged into a tub of hot water, and a feeling of rxation spread all over him. Finally, he had broken through the 9999 ding bottleneck to reach the level of Zhizun realm! Even though there was only a single ding of difference between 9999 ding and 10,000 ding, it set apart the boundary between a Half-Zhizun and Zhizun. With this leap, ones level of existence becamepletely different. Zhizun was the peak of the Fighter realm. Regardless of whether it was ones physical body, spirit, or energy, one would be approaching the limits of a human at this realm. Only when one had reached this realm could one attempt to break their mortal limits to be a Transcendent Mortal. Upon sess, their lifespan and strength would be enhanced immensely. If one could not even take the step to Zhizun realm, one would be doomed to remain as a mortal for life. One could only watch helplessly as time left its mark on one. In other words, it was the stepping stone to be a true expert. Many cultivators found themselves locked outside its gates, unable to take the final step in, and thus, dying in regret. After previously absorbing the two droplets of spirit beast blood essence, Zhang Xuan also found himself stuck before this hurdle, unable to raise his strength by that final ding to push through the next realm no matter how he cultivated. However, with sufficient blood essence in his hands, he could finally take that final step. With the breakthrough in his cultivation, Zhang Xuans reaction speed and senses were enhanced immensely. His vision became much sharper and clearer. As expected of the top realm of a Fighter. Just the breakthrough in his physical body had brought him many benefits. Even though his strength was just increased by a single ding, his overall fighting prowess rose by almost two folds. If he were to fight with the Steel-armed Golden Ape once more, even without the Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to crush it easily with just his strength. This was Zhizun realm! "Finally!" Knowing that it would be easier to raise his cultivation now, having broken through his bottleneck, Zhang Xuan frenziedly absorbed the spirit beast blood essence within the jade bottle and drove the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan. Once again, his strength rose at a rate visible to the eye. 10,100 ding! 10,200 ding! 10,300 ding! ... 30,000 ding! In just a single day, Zhang Xuan reached 30,000 ding straight, granting him strength equivalent to a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert. At this moment, he had already expended a total of eighteen drops of spirit beast blood essence. "The expenditure is greater than Ive expected..." He thought that it would only take at most ten droplets for him to reach Zhizun realm advanced stage, but contrary to his expectations, it took eighteen instead. That was far beyond his estimations. It was fortunate that he received ten additional droplets from Hall Master Xie. With twelve droplets remaining, it should be sufficient for him to push to Zhizun realm pinnacle. "Continue!" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and continued cultivating. ... While Zhang Xuan was in seclusion, Sun Qiang had finally arrived at the Gale Valley in the Duskfall Mountains after half a day of traveling. Simr to the Red Lotus Range, it extended far beyond the horizon, and the Poison Hall was hidden somewhere amidst this vast plot of lush greenery. If one didnt know the exact location of the Poison Hall, putting aside finding it, one would probably end up dead at the hands of the powerful savage beasts prowling around or from the poisonous mist which lingered in the air. "Be careful!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing took out an antidote pill in advance. The duo abandoned the aerial savage beast and began proceeding through the mountain valley on foot. Grand Elder Wei Yuqings strength of Zhizun realm pinnacle made the weaker savage beasts dare not approach him. On top of that, he was an experienced veteran, and under his guide, the duo avoided most of the danger. After a day of walking, having circled around innumerable savage beasts and poisonous mist, a massive infrastructure appeared before them. Countless tall dark-gray stone buildings reminiscent of ancient relics clustered around it. Theyout was simr to the Red Lotus Range Poison Hall, but it was clearlyrger and grander. There were all kinds of formidable formationsid out in the area. After circling around a massive boulder, they finally arrived at the entrance. Before they could walk in, they seemed to have triggered some kind of mechanism. Jiya! A loud sound echoed, and immediately afterward, and the ringing of bells sounded. Hu! A few poison masters wearing long robes appeared before the duo. Even though Poison Hall was well-hidden and no one would easily attempt to besiege it, it was still one of the most hated and feared upations in the continent. As such, they went to the extent of building a strong defensive system. "Who dares to barge into the Poison Hall?" A young man walked forward as he assessed the two intruders with a cold gaze. These few people seemed to be in their thirties, and they had all reached Zongshi realm, and the young man who spoke had even reached Zongshi realm pinnacle. But of course, what was fearsome about poison masters wasnt their strength but their ability to utilize poison. Even though they were only at Zongshi realm, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing didnt dare to underestimate them. "I am a 3-star beast tamer from the Beast Hall, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing. Im here to seek a friend!" Wei Yuqing stepped forward and sped his hands. After a day of apaniment, Wei Yuqing realized that Sun Qiang was only at Dingli realm. It was likely that the poison masters would simply disregard his presence so he chose to take on the job of interacting with the other party. "An elder from the Beast Hall?" Taken aback, a grim look slowly surfaced on the young man. Even though they rarely interacted with the outside world, poison masters still roughly knew the various powers out in the world. Given that the other party was an elder of the Beast Hall, his strength was most probably at Zhizun realm pinnacle. This wasnt a figure that they could trifle with. "May I know which poison master within our Poison Hall are you looking for?" The young man replied politely. "Its a poison master named Gu Mu!" Sun Qiang said. "Gu Mu?" The young man was taken aback by Sun Qiangs words, and a furrow slowly appeared on his forehead. "Youre looking for Hall Master Gu Mu?" "Hall master?" Sun Qiang and Wei Yuqing were dumbstruck. Wei Yuqing knew that they were here to look for Zhang Xuans junior nephew... He thought that the other party would just be some unknown poison master, to think that he would be the head of the Poison Hall! The standing of the head of the Poison Hall was in no way inferior to the head of the Beast Hall. "Thats right!" Seeing that the other party clearly didnt know that Gu Mu was the hall master despite being here to look for him, a wary look appeared on the faces of the poison masters. "May I know the reason why you are looking for the hall master? Ill help you ry your message!" "The reason?" Sun Qiang hesitated for a moment, but upon recalling his standing, he straightened his plump body and stood imposingly. cing his hands behind his back, his eyebrows shot up, and an arrogant look appeared on his face, "Hmph, tell him that his Uncle Sun Qiang is here, so he should hurry out to wee me!" Chapter 430: Gu Mus Teacher Is Here Too [2in1] Chapter 430: Gu Mus Teacher Is Here Too [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Uncle Sun Qiang?" Wei Yuqing was just about to exin the matter when he heard these words. His lips trembled, and he nearly bit his own tongue. As the head of the Poison Hall, there were no doubts about the other partys strength and his ability to utilize poison. Even if Hall Master Xie Jiuchen were toe personally, there was no guarantee that he could defeat the other party. Even Wei Yuqing had to bow respectfully before such an elder for fear of offending the other party. Yet, this fellow dered that uncle is here as soon as he arrived. Where in the world did thate from? Even if Gu Mu was Yang shis grandstudent, you should have nothing much to do with it! For a Dingli realm fellow to im to the be uncle of a Zhizun realm expert... And to dere it so loudly and imposingly at that... Wei Yuqing felt his face turn green. He thought that it should be a simple matter bringing Sun Qiang here to look for someone. How could he have known that Sun Qiang was such an unreliablepanion? "What did you say?" "Where did this foole from!" As expected. As soon that Sun Qiang spoke those arrogant words, everyones fury immediately erupted. They had always admired Hall Master Gu Mus incredible strength, so how could they tolerate a random stranger iming to be his uncle, his senior? This was an insult! Furthermore, even if Hall Master Gu Mu were to really have an uncle, the other party should at least be a powerful Transcendent Mortal expert. How could such a shameless-looking Dingli realm fellow like you be his uncle? "Audacious!" Used to such situations, Sun Qiangs eyebrows shot up as he bellowed authoritatively, "Hurry up and call him out. Otherwise, dont me me if I get thatd Gu Mu to tear you apart!" "Lad? Gu Mu?" Wei Yuqings mouth twitched yet again. He felt that a heart problem would crop up if he continued listening to these words. "You..." The faces of the poison masters steeled in fury. Unable to hold back their fury, they were about to make a move on Sun Qiang when a voice echoed. "What happened? Who are these visitors?" Turning to the origin of the voice, an imposing young man walked over with widened strides. It had not been long since the bell rang, and it was already ringing for the second time. When did the Poison Hall get so bothersome? "Poison Master Wu Xi, you came at the right time. These fellows popped out from nowhere and imed to be Hall Master Gus uncle..." The group hurriedly exined the matter to the young man who had just appeared. "Teachers uncle? I dont recall teacher having any rtives..." Wu Xi frowned in confusion. Even though he was baffled, he chose to handle the matter prudently. Thus, he sped his fist and asked. "I am Wu Xi, and Hall Master Gu Mu is my teacher. May I know how to address you and where did youe from so that I can report this matter to teacher." Seeing the other partys respectful attitude, Sun Qiang nodded his head in satisfaction. "How to address me? I am your teachers uncle, so you can address me as grandfather!" Wu Xis eyebrows twitched, and his body swayed for an instant. As the direct disciple of the hall master, he possessed a high standing in the Poison Hall. For a Dingli realm fellow out of nowhere to im to be his grandfather... Stifled, he nearly exploded. Even so, if the other party was truly his teachers uncle, there would be no problem with the address. "Since you im to be teachers uncle, may I know if you have... anything to affirm your identity?" Suppressing his rage, Wu Xi sped his fists respectfully. "Here!" With a flick of his wrist, Sun Qiang threw the token Zhang Xuan gave him over. "Its teachers token..." Upon seeing the object, Wu Xis face changed. He had seen teachers token once, and it was a one-of-a-kind object. To think that he would see it on this plump man... Could this unimpressive fellow truly be teachers uncle? "Elder, please wait for a moment. Ill report this matter to teacher now!" Given that the other party was able to take out his teachers token, it was highly likely that his words were true. Thus, Wu Xi hurriedly sped his fists respectfully. At the same time, he also changed his method of address to elder. "Un, go on!" Sun Qiang waved his hands proudly. Seeing the imposing Wu Xi behaving so respectfully, the other poison masters were dumbfounded. They thought that this fellow was bragging. To think that it was actually true! Just a moment ago, someone had just appeared iming to be the hall masters teacher. Given his powerful and majestic disposition, no one doubted his words at all. And now, the uncle had appeared as well. However, why did this uncle seem so weak and unimpressive? ... In the lounge of the Poison Hall, Gu Mu was seated on a chair, and he had an extremely respectful and humble look on his face. In the past twenty days, his cultivation had leaped considerably. Vaguely, one could sense that he was just a single step away from reaching Half-Transcension. It seemed like it wouldnt be long before he managed to make that breakthrough to a whole new world. Seated before was a white-haired elder. His eyes were deep as though an abyss, filled with the vicissitudes of life, leaving one with an unfathomable impression of him. Seated beside the elder was a youth dressed in a white robe. The youth had rosy lips and held a foldable fan in his hands. Taking a closer look, he was even more dashing than the refined Ji Mo gongzi, who won the hearts of thedies in Tianwu Royal City. In fact, the disposition and appearance of this youth far exceeded that of Ji Mo. The difference was as huge as though the gap between the heaven and the earth. A feature that stood out for that youth was his smooth and pale skin. Even Zhang Xuan, who had already cultivated the Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan, could not match up to hisplexion. Perhaps, only Zhao Ya could be a match for him. The youth sat quietly on a chair beside the elder. Even though he didnt speak a single word, he exuded a pressure that caused the white-haired elder to feel slightly restrained, not daring to speak excessively. "Teacher, this is the Crimson me Lotus Seed. Upon consumption, itll increase a persons chances of breaking into the Half-Transcension realm by twenty percent!" With a flick on his wrist, Hall Master Gu Mu took out a jade box and passed it over to the elder. Opening the box, a blood-red object the size of a peanut appeared before everyones gazes. It exuded astonishingly concentrated spiritual energy which revitalized one with just a single breath. Crimson me Lotus Seed! This was the treasure obtained back when he was at the Red Lotus Range. "Un!" Nodding his head, the elder took it and passed it to the youth beside him, "Gong-gongzi!" "This is the reason why you came here?" The youth who was addressed as gongzi nced at the seed for a moment before closing it. The iparably valuable Crimson me Lotus Seed that other cultivators would kill to obtain seemed to be something of zero value in his eyes. "I heard that this object is beneficial to gongzis recovery..." the elder hurriedly exined. "Youve been troubled!" Upon hearing that it was for him, gongzi nodded his head, kept the jade box, and fell silent once more. "Well done!" Seeing the finicky gongzi ept the Crimson me Lotus Seed, the elder heaved a sigh of relief. Only then did he turn to Hall Master Gu Mu and nod his head in satisfaction. "Teacher has done so much for me, its only right for me to be filial to you!" Gu Mu hurriedly sped his fist humbly. The person seated before him was his ex-teacher, 4-star Poison Master Jin Conghai. When Jin Conghai was still a 3-star poison master, he epted Gu Mu in as his student and groomed him. Eventually, he managed to break through his bottleneck, so he left Xuanyuan Kingdom. With this departure, he was gone for two whole decades. Even so, his guidance had yed a fundamental role to Gu Mus current aplishments. Otherwise, he would probably still be trying to crawl ahead as a 2-star poison master. Knowing that the Crimson me Lotus Seed was an incredible treasure, he immediately sent the news over to his teacher. As such, his teacher made a detour to the Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall. "Since weve obtained what we needed, lets go!" The gongzi didnt seem to care for pleasantries or that sort. Waving the fan in his hand, he stood up. "Yes!" Jin Conghai nodded. "Teacher, may I know... where are you heading in such a hurry to? If its within my means, I wish to offer my assistance..." Hall Master Gu Mu hesitated for a brief moment before asking. He thought that his teacher would stay a period of time, during which, he could seek his guidance on his cultivation to break through his bottleneck. Yet, the other party was going to leave right after arriving. This left him slightly disappointed. "Gongzi is intending to head to a Tier 1 Kingdom below Xuanyuan Kingdom. Theres nothing we need your help on, you dont have to worry about it!" Jin Conghai shook his hands and rejected the other partys offer with a smile. "There is a total of twenty-seven Tier-1 Kingdoms under Xuanyuan Kingdom. May I know which one is gongzi and teacher intending to head to? I am familiar with some of them, so perhaps I can help lead the way." Knowing that his teacher was deferential to this gongzi, Hall Master Gu Mu asked for thetters opinion as well. "Tianwu Kingdom!" Jin Conghai said. "Tianwu? Ive just returned from there a few days ago. In fact, this Crimson me Lotus Seed came from the branch there! I am well-versed with the directions there, so if I may, I could guide you both!" Gu Mus eyes lit up in excitement. Given that he had juste from Tianwu Kingdom, he was still rather familiar with the basicyout of the region. "Youve just returned from Tianwu Kingdom?" Hearing the Gu Mus words, the nonchnt gongzi suddenly turned around and asked, "Good, Ive something to ask you about." "Gongzi, feel free to speak!" Gu Mu replied respectfully. After a momentary pause, the gongzi was just about to voice his query when anxious footsteps sounded outside. Then, Wu Xi appeared in the groups sight. "Teacher!" "Whats wrong?" Given that the other party interrupted the esteemed gongzis words, Gu Musplexion immediately darkened. "Theres a person outside iming to be your uncle, and he insists on meeting you..." Wu Xi hurriedly said. "My uncle?" Gu Mu was baffled. "When did I ever have an uncle?" His father was the sole son in his family, so how could he have an uncle? "But... he has your token!" Wu Xi quickly lifted the token Sun Qiang gave him up. Upon seeing the token, realization suddenly struck Gu Mu. "Could he be someone senior granduncle sent?" It was just a few days ago that he gave this token to the mysterious senior granduncle. Even though the other party looked young, he possessed unfathomable means. The reason why he managed to touch on the gates of Half-Transcension in just a short span of twenty days was because of this seniors guidance. The other party had cured him of his affliction and helped him tame the Lava Beast, thus granting him sufficient time and hope to avenge his wife. To be honest, the gratitude he felt toward this mysterious senior didnt pale to that of his teacher. "What senior granduncle?" Hearing Gu Mus mutterings, Jin Conghai turned his head over. "I was just about to report this matter to teacher..." Gu Mu hurriedly walked forward and asked, "May I know if... teacher has a young-looking senior uncle?" Since the other party was his senior granduncle, then naturally, he would be his teachers senior uncle. "Senior uncle?" Jin Conghai was bewildered. "Young-looking? Whats his name?" "His name is Bai Chan... However, I think that its just an alias. Im not too sure what his real name is either!" Gu Mu said. Gu Mu had Liao Xun investigated the matter, but the results showed that Bai Chan was only an ordinary physician in Tianwu Royal City. Most probably, senior granduncle did not want others to know his identity, thats why he chose to conceal his true name. Seeing that Gu Mu was unclear of the matter as well, Jin Conghai asked, "Wheres he now?" It wasmon for a cultivator to have many teachers throughout his entire life. However, most of them could only be considered as a half-teacher. More often than not, one would only have a single true teacher. His teacher had already passed away many years ago, and he didnt hear of his teacher having any juniors at all. Where did this senior uncle appear from? "I havent met him ever since I parted with him at Red Lotus Range. However, I gave him my token, and someone is looking for me now with it. Most probably, that person should be his junior or his student!" Gu Mu said. Since the other party imed to be his uncle, it meant that the other party was a junior of his senior granduncle. "My teacher, Jin Chengxue, has already passed away, thirteen years ago. Hed never spoken of our lineage, so Im not too sure about the details as well. However, if hes truly rted to my teacher, I should be able to recognize it..." With a deep frown, Jin Conghai suddenly felt intrigued to know who this senior uncle was. After a moment of hesitation, he turned to look at gongzi. "Its only out of interest that Im heading to Tianwu Royal City. It isnt much of a problem for me to push back my schedule for a few days. Since this is a problem regarding your lineage, you should investigate it properly to prevent anyone from making use of your name!" Knowing Jin Conghais intentions, gongzi shook his hands casually. "Thank you, gongzi!" Upon receiving the other partys approval, Jin Conghais eyes lit up. Then, turning to Gu Mu, he issued an instruction. "Allow him in. I would like to see if this senior uncle is real or not..." "Yes!" Gu Mu nodded before gesturing to Wu Xi. The young man walked out, and before long, he returned with two figures behind him. The one walking in front was a plump man whose cultivation was only at Dingli realm. His hands behind his back, his chests were puffed up, and he carried a slight air of superiority. Sun Qiang. The other man was an elder possessing a cultivation of Zhizun realm pinnacle. He had aposed disposition, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes. Grand Elder Wei Yuqing. As soon as the trio walked in, before Wu Xi had a chance to introduce them, Sun Qiangs eyes swept across the people in the room and he said, "Which of you is Gu Mu?" Seeing how that fellow arrogantly addressed the hall master by his name, theplexion of Wu Xi and the others turned awful. "I am!" Gu Mu frowned as well, but he sped his fist and responded politely. "I believe you have seen the token already. The old master hopes for you to make a trip to Xuanyuan Royal City." Without the slightest hesitation, Sun Qiang walked up to the main seat and waved his plump hands, "You should hurry up and make preparations!" "May I know... the reason why senior granduncle is asking me to head for Xuanyuan Royal City? And what should I prepare?" Gu Mu asked in confusion. Since the other party had the token, it was unlikely that this plump man was an imposter. Besides, Gu Mu had given his word that regardless of who it was, as long as they came to him with the token in hand, he would fulfill their demands regardless of what it was. Sun Qiang replied, "As a subordinate, I dare notment on the old masters affairs. I advise you to do the same as well... When you reach Xuanyuan Royal City, hell inform you on the rest!" "This... Yes!" Gu Mu nodded. Not only was this Dingli realm fellow fearless before the Zhizun realm pinnacle Poison Hall Hall Master, he even spoke with a lecturing tone. Grand Elder Wei Yuqing felt so faint-headed that the whites of his eyes were showing. He thought that given Sun Qiangs weak cultivation and shabby background, it was unlikely for him to be experienced in this kind of huge matter. Thus, as a Zhizun realm pinnacle, the grand elder of the Beast Hall, he intended to bring him along and teach him a thing or two... In the end... he became the countryside bumpkin instead. Before the fearsome head of the Poison Hall, he was so scared that he didnt dare to utter a single word. On the other hand, the other party was able to speak nonchntly, lecturing as he pleased, not giving the slightest consideration to the hall masters face at all... He sure was bold! Where in the world did he get such confidence from? Did he really think that the other party wouldnt dare kill him? Even theposed gongzi couldnt help but widen his eyes in astonishment. He had seen arrogant people before, but this plump man clearly topped them all. Given the other partys strength, even an apprentice in the Poison Hall could easily extinguish his measly life. Yet, he was able to speak fearlessly here. Could his backing truly be that great? Was he certain that Gu Mu wouldnt make a move on him, thats why he was able to remain fearless? "This friend here, may I know how I can address your old master?" Unable to hold himself back anymore, Jin Conghai spoke up. The other partys confidence and boldness had left him puzzled as well. If the other party was an imposter, he would surely show some hints of fear. However, Jin Conghai could sense that this plump man was truly confident and fearless. This meant that he must have something to fall back on... Such boldness was not something an imposter could possess. "Audacious! Who do you think you are? Im speaking to Hall Master Gu Mu, this isnt your ce to butt in!" Sun Qiangs eyebrows shot up furiously. "The heck!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. He nearly couldnt hold back his urge to escape. Due to Sun Qiangsck of strength, he was unable to gauge the strength of this elder. However, as soon as Wei Yuqing walked in, he had already noticed the peculiarity with this elder. Given the deeply concealed and exceptionally calm aura of the other party, there was a high chance that he was a Transcendent Mortal expert! It was precisely of this elder that he didnt dare to move or speak at all. Yet, this fellow... berated him! Doomed! Wei Yuqing thought that this should be an easy mission since they only had to look for a person. But from the looks of it now, this simple mission was going to im his life... He wasnt the only one astounded by this situation. Gongzi and Gu Mu also nearly bit their tongues. How dare a Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm weakling speak to a Transcendent Mortal expert like that... This was no longer boldness, this was madness! "You..." Having been bellowed at, Jin Conghais face darkened. He flung his sleeves and said, "I am Hall Master Gu Mus teacher, 4-star Poison Master Jin Conghai. Even so, I still have no rights to speak?" "Gu Mus teacher? 4-star poison master?" Sun Qiang was taken aback. He thought that the other party was just a sidekick, and he didnt expect him to be such a formidable figure. Even so, Sun Qiang didnt panic in the least. He simply stared at Jin Conghai with a look of disdain. "So what if youre a 4-star poison master? Even 4-star master teachers like Su Fan and Ling Yuheng have to pay respect to the old master in the capacity of a student, not daring to refute even when reprimanded... Why, do you think that youre superior to 4-star master teachers?" Trying to scare me? Let me tell you, I, Brother Qiang, am no bumpkin! Back then, even the 4-star master teacher Little Su acted subserviently to the old master, not daring to speak loudly or go against his wills. You are just a mere poison master. No matter how incredible you are, do you think you can match up to the number one upation in the world? Didnt I try to spare your pride already? What are you bragging for! "Su Fan? Ling Yuheng? Do you mean Elder Su and Elder Ling from the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion?" Jin Conghai was about to erupt from rage when he heard those words. His face immediately warped in shock. As 4-star master teachers, Su Fan and Ling Yuheng were famous figures in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Not only were they powerful, they also possessed incredible influence as the elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Their standing wasparable even to the nobles of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances royal family. Yet, these two noble and powerful master teachers actually paid respect to his old master in the capacity of a student... Are you for real? If thats true... Then who in the world was his old master? A grave look surfaced on Jin Conghais face. Chapter 431: Wreaking Havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom (1) [2in1] Chapter 431: Wreaking Havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom (1) [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You know Little Su and Little Ling?" Sun Qiang frowned. "Ive... met them once!" Hearing him address 4-star master teachers in such a manner, the corner of Jin Conghais lips twitched. Those two were powerful figures in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet, in this plump mans mouth, they seemed as though insignificant small fries... His head spun frenziedly. "Since you know them, then it wont be a problem to tell you then!" Sun Qiangs expression finally alleviated slightly upon seeing the fear on the other partys face, and he revealed, "The old master, Yang Xuan, is a master teacher. As for his rank... he has never revealed it before, so I dont know either. However, Su shi has once hinted that his capability has definitely reached the level of a... 6-star master teacher!" "A 6-star... master teacher?" Gongzi, Jin Conghai, Gu Mu, and the others leaped in shock. Even the most formidable master teacher in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Kang, was only at 4-star pinnacle. He was still a far way off from reaching 5-star, needless to say, 6-star. In the ranking system of a master teacher, the higher the rank, the greater the difference between each ranking. Even though there was only a difference of two ranks between 6-star and 4-star pinnacle, there was actually a huge disparity in their cultivation. Even if all of the experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were to band together, they wouldnt be able to match up to an expert of this ss. To think that the old master the other party was speaking about was such a formidable existence... It was no wonder why this plump man, despite being only at Dingli realm, could act so fearlessly before them. With such a huge backing, putting aside Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators and Transcendent Mortal experts... Even the powerful Fleeting Cloud Sect wouldnt dare offend him! On the other hand, Grand Elder Wei Yuqings body shuddered, and he nearly fainted from shock. He had never seen the old master that Sun Qiang was speaking of, but he had seen the young master... it was the iparably talented Beast Tamer Zhang! To that genius, taming a beast was as though a walk in the park, and even the incredibly difficult Ten Beasts Cage was no more than a slight workout for him! All along, he had thought that Beast Tamer Zhang might be the direct disciple of some high-ranked beast tamer. He never could have imagined that Beast Tamer Zhangs teacher would be a 6-star master teacher! It was no wonder why he was so formidable despite his young age. I must hurry back to inform the hall master of the matter! Grand Elder Wei Yuqing thought. "Thats right! However, the one who wishes to meet Hall Master Gu this time is Young Master Zhang Xuan. Make some preparations and bring more poison along. At the very least, you wont panic when the timees!" Seeing the fear in everyones eyes, Sun Qiang nodded his head in satisfaction. Who was Yang shi? As the butler of a master teacher whose ranking potentially exceeded 6-star, even if he didnt possess sufficient strength, he mustnt lose out in his disposition. If he were to be frightened by these small fries, how could he still proudly im to be the old masters butler? "Yes!" Upon learning that senior granduncle was a 6-star master teacher, bits and pieces of Gu Mus interaction with the other party gradually surfaced in his mind. Solving his affliction, helping him tame the Lava Beast, expelling the Contract Gu from the Great Herb Kings body... All of his feats were anything but ordinary. At that moment, he realized that... this fellow might not necessarily be bragging. That senior granduncle Yang shi might truly be a person of such great means. "Gongzi, is what he said true?" Jin Conghaimunicated telepathically with gongzi. Gongzi might be young and his cultivation could notpare up to him, but he was extraordinarily sharp when it came to discerning people. "His tone is confident, and there isnt the slightest hint of a lie in his words. That Yang shi probably isnt an ordinary figure!" Gongzi replied calmly. "This..." "Actually, its not difficult to determine whether his words are true or not. Based on his words, his young master is probably at Xuanyuan Royal City. If I recall correctly, we have to pass by there to reach Tianwu Royal City so we can go over to take a look. If the old master he speaks of is truly a 6-star master teacher, then befriending him would surely be beneficial." Gongzi continued, "If thats not the case, you can handle the matter as you please!" "Yes!" Jin Conghai hurriedly nodded. That plump man had spoken so confidently that even he was unable to gauge whether the other partys words were true or not. If this plump man was truly the subordinate of a 6-star master teacher, offending him could potentially be cmitous. Getting on bad terms with an expert of that caliber spelled certain doom. In any case, since they were heading for Xuanyuan Royal City anyway, they could take a look. Through assessing the young master the other party spoke of, they might be able to determine the authenticity of the other partys words. Uponing to a decision, the duo decided to speak no more. As all of Gu Mus possessions were kept in his storage ring, there was nothing for him to prepare. Soon, he was ready to set off. Thus, the group left the Poison Hall, headed in the direction of Xuanyuan Royal City. ... Hu! In the chamber, Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes. "Such a pity..." Lamentation surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. Ever since Sun Qiang left, Zhang Xuan had been immersing himself into his cultivation. Today was already the third day since then. On the first day, his physical strength reached 30,000 ding. In the next two days, he expended a total of five droplets of spirit beast blood essence, but his strength had only reached 35,000 ding before reaching a bottleneck. "Theres nothing wrong my cultivation method, its the spirit beast blood essence that became ineffective!" Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan was a form to enhance ones physical body through absorbing spirit beast blood essence. As a cultivation techniquepiled by the Library of Heavens Path, it was impossible for there to be any problems with it. At the same time, Zhang Xuan could sense that he hadnt reached the cap of his cultivation yet. The problem was that... the spirit beast blood essence had lost effectiveness. All Zhang Xuan could found in Xuanyuan Kingdoms Beast Hall was the blood essence of grade-1 spirit beasts. An item of that rank was useful and powerful when ones cultivation was still weak. However, after reaching the strengthparable to a Zhizun realm advanced stage, the effects of the blood essence had be minimal. Using an analogy, when there was a huge difference between the height of two connected ponds, the flow of water from the higher pond to the lower pond would be extremely fast. Eventually, when they finally reach the same height, the height of the lower pond would stop rising. This grade-1 spirit beast blood essence was only sufficient for Zhang Xuan to reach Zhizun realm advanced stage. At this level, the height between both ponds would be already equal. No matter how much more grade-1 spirit beast blood essence Zhang Xuan absorbed, it would be difficult for his strength to progress. Immersing his consciousness into the state of his body, Zhang Xuan saw that the blood droplets flowing through his body were round and satiated. They were dense as though mercury, and every single droplet had immense strength packed within it. They were in no way inferior to the grade-1 spirit beast blood essence that Zhang Xuan consumed before. Even though Zhang Xuans cultivation had not progress by much in the past two days of cultivation, his efforts were notpletely futile. He managed to reinforce his cultivation and adapt to his newfound strength. At the very least, he wouldnt lose control of his strength as he did back then in Master Lu Chens house. "I still have seven droplets left. Ill give three of them to Yuan Tao and find a way to further awaken his Emperors Bloodline. As for thest four, Ill give them to the Howling Firmament Beast!" Since he still had remaining spirit beast blood essence, and there was no point for him to keep them, he might as well just give it away. Yuan Tao possessed the Emperors Bloodline, and the spirit beast blood essence was a treasure that could be used to awaken ones unique constitution. As for the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, as Zhang Xuan had yet to make a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation, he was still unable to trigger a Bloodline Evolution in it yet. However, through channeling the energy contained within the spirit beast blood essence properly, raising its cultivation by one or two small realms could still be easily done. With the knowledge from the books contained within Xuanluo Mountain Range and Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, coupled with the Eye of Insight, even without utilizing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was still capable of such a feat. In fact, putting aside Zhang Xuans unique abilities as a master teacher, just in terms of the capabilities of a beast tamer, he was superior to typical 3-star beast tamers. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan immediately got to action. Summoning Yuan Tao and the Howling Firmament Beast over, he distributed the remaining seven droplets of spirit beast blood essence and exined the method to using them clearly. After dealing with that matter, he saw Hall Master Xie Jiuchen walking over with a delighted expression. "Beast Tamer Zhang, Ive managed to gather all of the books that you require!" In exchange for taming the Nightmare Beast, Zhang Xuan demandedpensation in the form of cultivation technique manuals. After three days of hard work, the Beast Hall finally managed to gather a thousand manuals of Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm cultivation techniques each. Hu! As Hall Master Xie Jiuchen spoke, he flicked his wrist and two huge bookshelves appeared before Zhang Xuan. An entire collection consisting of two thousand books were ced in them. Fearing that Zhang Xuan would be unsatisfied, the Beast Hall had used all of its connections and paid a heavy price to gather all of these books from the distinguished ns. As such, most of the cultivation techniques within the pile were actually rather decent. Even though they were only copies, being able to gather so many valuable manuals within a short span of three days proved testimony to the immense influence the Beast Hall wielded. "You have my gratitude, Hall Master Xie!" After a brief nce, Zhang Xuan could instantly tell that the Beast Hall must have paid a heavy price for it. Grateful for the favor, Zhang Xuan asked, "How is the taming of the Nightmare Beasting along?" "That fellows injuries are starting to recover, and its no longer as resistant to us as it was... Its all thanks to Beast Tamer Zhangs help!" Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded with a bright smile on his face. Even though the Nightmare Beast was reluctant to submit to the Beast Hall, it had already signed a contract to Zhang Xuan, and Zhang Xuans words werew to it. Resigning to fate, its attitude toward the Beast Hall improved significantly. As time passed, even if the Beast Hall was unable to tame itpletely, as long as they were able to build a good rtionship with it, it shouldnt be a problem for them to rely on its help during times of crisis. "Thats good!" Seeing that everything was going well, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "Beast Tamer Zhang, you should continue on with whatever youre busy with. Ill take my leave now!" Given that Zhang Xuan had requested for these cultivation techniques, it was likely he was nning to cultivate or research them. Thus, deciding not to be a nuisance, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen left. As soon as the other party was gone, Zhang Xuan immediately slid his fingers through the secret manuals to duplicate them in the Library of Heavens Path. "Compile!" With a hushed exmation, two secret manuals appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. They were the Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm Heavens Path Divine Art manuals. Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan began browsing through them. It didnt take him long toplete the two books. "Time to try cultivating it!" Choosing not to waste his time, Zhang Xuan sat down cross-legged, and with a flick of his wrist, a spirit stone appeared in his palms and he started cultivating. He had obtained ten spirit stones from the Lin Ruotians storage ring, and five from winning the championship of the Beast Taming Competition. In other words, there was a total of fifteen spirit stones in Zhang Xuans hands at the moment. Back when Liang Qingming and Lin Long were smashed to meat paste by the Book of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was unable to find their storage rings. Even though there werent many of them, he calcted that it should be sufficient to raise his cultivation considerably. Kacha! Kacha! The spirit stones that were sapped dry were reduced to powder. At the same time, an immense amount of spiritual energy surged into Zhang Xuans meridians, causing his cultivation to steadily grow stronger. Boom! Around ten minutes or soter, his body jolted and his cultivation broke through Zongshi realm pinnacle to reach Half-Zhizun. Jiang Shu, Mo Tianxue, and the others had cultivated their entire lives, only to be kept out of this level. If they were to know that this fellow had only spent a dozen minutes to aplish his feat, they would probably die from excessive vomiting of blood. Half-Zhizun meant that that one already had half a foot into Zhizun realm, and ones level of existence was already undergoing a metamorphosis. Even so, Zhang Xuan didnt stop then. He continued absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stones greedily. Kacha! An hourter, Zhang Xuans body jolted, and he had sessfully reached Zhizun realm. Cultivating from Zongshi realm pinnacle to Zhizun realm didnt even take him an hour. As expected of the Heavens Path Divine Art. With sufficient spiritual energy, cultivating was no different from eating or drinking. The concept of bottlenecks didnt exist in Zhang Xuans training. Having achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan immersed himself in the sensation of having an immense amount of zhenqi flowing through his body. At this moment, just his zhenqi strength itself amounted up to 10,000 ding. He had truly stepped into the top ranks of the Fighter realm. Two hourster. Coming to a stop in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan sighed. Along with the rise in his cultivation, the demand for the quality and quantity of spirit stones was rising exponentially. In the past, five spirit stones were more than sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. However, at this moment, fifteen spirit stones were only barely enough for him to reach Zhizun realm. It wasnt even sufficient for him to reinforce his cultivation as a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator. The main reason why Zhang Xuans spirit stone expenditure was so exaggerated was due to the absurd purity of his Heavens Path zhenqi, which in turn resulted in an absurdly high demand in the quality of spiritual energy that he absorbed. If it was any other Zhizun realm expert, a single low-tier spirit stone would be sufficient to raise their cultivation significantly. However, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to absorb most of the impure spiritual energy contained within the spirit stone. About eighty to ny percent of it went to waste. Even so, the gains were great. Despite still being in Zhizun realm primary stage, his zhenqi strength had risen by another 5000 ding to reach 15,000 ding. With such strength, he could easily crush any Zhizun realm primary stage expert. "Along with my physical strength of 35,000 ding, Ill be able to defeat even Zhizun realm pinnacle expert. Coupled with the prowess of the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, Ill be a match for even a Half-Transcension expert!" Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in confidence. Adding both his zhenqi strength and physical strength together, his overall might summed up to an astonishing 50,000 ding. This made him significantly stronger than the 40,000 ding of strength that a typical Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator possessed. Pairing that with his Heavens Path battle techniques and the various abilities of a master teacher, it would be possible for him to defeat even a Half-Transcension expert. In the fourth day upon reaching Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, as well as the seventh day that Lu Chong fell intoa, Zhang Xuan, from a Zongshi realm cultivator, finally gained the strength surpassing a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert! In other words... He finally possessed sufficient strength to avenge his student! "Lu Chong, look at me... I shall avenge you!" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed as he muttered hoarsely. Since he had already achieved sufficient strength, it was time for him to make a move. But before that, he had to gain some understanding of the overall strength of Xuanyuan Kingdom first. Thus, walking out of the chamber, Zhang Xuan walked to another room, knocked on the door, and entered. "How is it?" Without wasting any words on pleasantries, Zhang Xuan immediately got straight to the point. Before his seclusion, on top of instructing Sun Qiang to look for Gu Mu and Hall Master Xie Jiuchen to gather the secret manuals, he had also arranged for Mo Yu to head to Xuanyuan Kingdom to look into Ding Mus affairs. If Zhang Xuan wanted to kill the Xuanyuan Kingdoms crown prince, he mustnt allow the Beast Hall to hear of it. Otherwise, if word were to leak out and that fellow were to choose to hide in some remote corner in the world, given howrge the alliance was, it would be impossible for Zhang Xuan to find him. Thus, he decided to entrust this job to Mo Yu. The other party probably had already looked into his affairs, and it wasnt too hard to dig up news of his students. It would be extremely easy for Zhao Ya and the others to be noticed and captured if he were to send them instead. Besides, Mo Yu was a 1-star master teacher, and given her standing, it would be rtively easier for her to gather intelligence. "Ive gathered some news..." A slight frown crept onto Mo Yus forehead as she replied, "As soon as Ding Mu returned to Xuanyuan Kingdom, he immediately chose to hide in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even now, he hadnt stepped out from it!" "Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Things always seemed to go in the worst direction. If one wanted to go against the Conferred Kingdom, the greatest obstacle wasnt the country itself but its Master Teacher Pavilion. The Master Teacher Pavilion had a responsibility to maintain peace and stability in its region, so it rarely allowed anyone to wreak havoc in its territory. Otherwise, given how many experts there were in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they could easily travel to a weaker kingdom and proim themselves as emperors. With such instability, the kingdom system would fall apart eventually. While killing the crown prince might result in chaos, it wasnt as destabilizing as killing an emperor. Given Zhang Xuans standing as a master teacher, the other party would probably just overlook the matter. However, from the looks of it, he seemed to have been underestimating the severity of the matter. "Its said that the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Luo Qianhong, is indebted to the royal family, and hes a close friend of Ding Mu as well. As such, he intends to stand out to mediate the matter!" Mo Yu revealed the news that she had just heard. The other party had intentionally put word out, so it wasnt difficult for Mo Yu to hear of it. "Hmph!" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed and dense killing intent poured out of him, "As long as he hands over Ding Mu, Ill allow him to mediate whatever he likes!" Mediate? If he were to ept it, then what about Lu Chong? You must be dreaming! "Zhang Xuan, theres more news..." Seeing the other partys expression, Mo Yu knew that he was determined to kill Ding Mu. A hint of worry shed across her eyes. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Mo Yu. "The Xuanyuan Kingdoms emperor, Ding Chong, has announced that he will pass down the throne to Ding Mu!" Mo Yu said. "Pass down the throne?" Zhang Xuans forehead furrowed. If Ding Mu remained as a crown prince, even though killing him might bring some trouble, it wasnt beyond his means to resolve it. However, once he inherits the throne and bes the emperor, killing him would rattle the foundation of the kingdom. The other Conferred Kingdoms might strike at this good opportunity. If so, there would be war, and the poption would suffer. Given such, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely step in to stop Zhang Xuan. "Seems like hes well-prepared!" As long as Ding Mu was sessfully inaugurated as the new emperor, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to strike. It seemed like that fellow was truly frightened by the sight of Liang Qingming being crushed by the Book of Heavens Path. However... So what if he became the emperor? So what if the Master Teacher Pavilion was going to stop him? Since the other party injured Lu Chong, he should be ready to face his wrath! If the kingdom tries to stop him, he will eradicate the kingdom. If the Master Teacher Pavilion tries to stop him, he will eradicate the Master Teacher Pavilion! At most, he would just have to find some way to form more golden pages. Even if he had to be everyones enemies, he was determined to avenge his student! Coming to a decision, Zhang Xuan asked, "When is his inauguration ceremony?" The inauguration of an emperor was not a minor affair. The royal family, nobles, envoys from the surrounding Conferred Kingdoms... there were many people to be invited. Given the huge amount of preparatory work required, it should take some time. It had only been seven days since that fellows escape. Even if the announcement of him inaugurating as the emperor was made as soon as he returned, there should still be some time before the inauguration ceremony. "It is... today!" Mo Yu smiled bitterly. As the princess of a country, as well as a potential emperor candidate groomed by Mo Tianxue, she was well-aware of the various formalities required for an inauguration ceremony. The other party should have taken two days at minimum to travel from Tianwu Kingdom back to Xuanyuan Kingdom. In other words... in just five days, the other party managed toplete all of the formalities. They sure were efficient. Before the inauguration was held, Ding Mu would continue to hide in the Master Teacher Pavilion. And when hes finally inaugurated as the new emperor, it will be even harder to kill him... Even Mo Yu couldnt have expected that Zhang Xuan would force the crown prince of a Conferred Kingdom up the wall. "Today?" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out. "What are you going to do? It cant be that... you intend to barge into the inauguration ceremony?" Mo Yus face paled. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "But your current strength... Didnt you say that youll only head over after reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle? Youre being too reckless like that..." Mo Yu hurriedly persuaded. "Zhizun realm pinnacle?" Without turning back, Zhang Xuans aura suddenly burst out. In an instant, it was like a flood dragon was rising to the heavens, or a tiger stepping out of the forest, leaving one feeling helpless and insignificant. "... Ive already reached it!" Chapter 432: Wreaking Havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom (2) Chapter 432: Wreaking Havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Going over without reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle is courting death..." Mo Yu anxiously shouted. However, halfway through her words, she finally came to a realization and her lips quivered, "What did you say... Youve already reached it?" Four days ago, when this fellow went into seclusion, he was only at Zongshi realm pinnacle. Yet, he was saying that he had already reached Zhizun realm pinnacle? That is Zhizun realm! Countless people have been stuck at its gates, unable to surpass the bottleneck their entire lives. Yet, in four short days... Do you have to be so exaggerated? What in the world did you eat to be so scary? Overwhelmed with shock, Mo Yu hurriedly took a closer look. Feeling the powerful aura the other party was exuding, she trembled. Even though she had finally reached Zongshi realm, before him, she couldnt help but feel as helpless as an ant before a wave. "Youve really reached Zhizun realm pinnacle?" Mo Yu was stunned. What kind of monster was this? Just a few days ago, when the other party told her that he wanted to exact vengeance, she told him that he had to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle to stand a chance. In truth, she had hoped that he would back down after being told the difficulty of the matter. In this way, the other party would give up on these dangerous thoughts and focus on the Master Teacher Tournament instead. Yet... the other party simply made breakthroughs as though they were nothing. In just a few short days, he rose from Zongshi realm pinnacle to Zhizun realm pinnacle. It was as if those so-called cultivation bottlenecks were a concept non-existent to him... Could he still be considered as a human? If she were to say that he would at least require the strength of a Half-Transcension, would he rise to that level as well? She had always been proud of her talent, but why did she seem no different from a trash before this person... Even the incredible genius Mo Hongyi,pared to him, was... nothing at all. It was no wonder why Zhao Ya and the others thought nothing of it when Zhang Xuan said that he was going to aim for Zhizun realm pinnacle. Shed only realized at this moment that the others werent just fawning over Zhang Xuan; it was the absolute truth, and perhaps... they might even be underestimating him. "Wait a moment, Ill go along with you..." Multiple emotions shed across Mo Yus face, and by the time she regained herposure, that fellow was already far away. She hurriedly rushed over to catch up. "Youre still far too weak. Itll be better for you to stay here with Zhao Ya and the others!" Zhang Xuan stopped and waved her away. Even though Mo Yu had improved swiftly during this period of time, breaking through the Zongshi realm barrier, her strength was still far from enough to match up to those experts in Xuanyuan Kingdom. Bloodshed couldnt be avoided in this confrontation. Zhang Xuan was confident of holding his ground, but it would be difficult for him to protect others along with him. "I am a master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion. On top of that, I am a princess of Tianwu Kingdom as well. As long as I dont make a move, they wont do anything to me!" Mo Yu hurriedly said. As she spent more time with the young man before her, she gradually found it harder and harder to part with him. For some reason, knowing that he was headed for danger, she wanted to follow him as well so that she could lend her assistance if something were to really happen. "Alright then. Later on, just remain on the back of the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. If theres any sign of danger, leave straight away!" Seeing the worry on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding his head. He felt that it was his responsibility to exact vengeance for Lu Chong given that he was his teacher, but this had nothing to do with Mo Yu at all. He didnt want his own affairs to result in any harm to the other party. "Alright!" Knowing that this was the other partys bottom line, Mo Yu agreed in gratitude. Reaching the courtyard, they climbed onto the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, and with a roar, thetter soared into the skies. After consuming the spirit beast blood essence and driving the spiritual energy using the method Zhang Xuan gave him, this fellow made a breakthrough once more, reaching Zhizun realm intermediate stage. At its current strength, it was on par with Ding Mus Gold-scaled Lightning Beast. Given the short proximity between Beast Hall and the capital, it didnt take long for them to arrive at their destination. "Today is Crown Prince Ding Mus inauguration ceremony! With such a genius bing our emperor, it seems like we can finally hold our head high before other Conferred Kingdoms!" "Indeed! Despite only being thirty-two this year, he is already a 3-star formation master and a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert!" "Throughout the entire history of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there have only been a handful of people who managed to reach Zhizun realm before thirty. Given his talents, he will surely be able to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle in less than ten years. With sufficient luck, he might even be able to reach Half-Transcension in his lifetime." "Crown Prince Ding Mu has always been my idol, as well as my goal! I heard that todays inauguration ceremony will be held at the Heavens Altar. I must go over to have a look!" "Wait for me, I want to go as well..." Walking along the wide streets of Xuanyuan Royal City, such discussions could be heard all around. Before Crown Prince Ding Mus inauguration had even started, everyone was already thrilled. "He sure knows how to make his move!" Zhang Xuansplexion darkened further. Perhaps, the other party couldnt stand the idea of a threat looming the shadows. Thus, he decided to make a huge fuss of this celebration to bait him out. Without a doubt, an impable trap must have already been set up at the Heavens Altar, just waiting for him to walk into it. If Zhang Xuan were to really make a move, the other party would surely mobilize the entire army of the kingdom to crush him. However... So what if he had set up an impable trap? Since the other party dared toy his hands on his student, then he should be prepared for the most brutal vengeance. With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan stepped onto the back of the Howling Firmament Beast and flew toward the Heavens Altar. ... Xuanyuan Kingdom, Green Leaf Pavilion. This was the information hub of Xuanyuan Kingdom. There were countless information dealers and clients walking in and out of here daily; it was even more bustling than some of the massive markets in the city. In here, one could buy all kinds of information, as well as sell exclusive news. The Green Leaf Pavilion wouldpile all of this news based on their value and create a ranking on them. The rumors that The scrolls of the Green Leaves resound across the capital didnte from thin air. In the past, Hall Master Feng had mentioned the ranking of items that savage beasts were fond of. Even though it was an unofficial ranking made by beast tamers, it had the shadows of the Green Leaf Pavilion in it. If not for this massive informationwork pulling its connections, such private news wouldnt have spread so far. Not only so, it had also created a ranking of the experts in the kingdom in the form of the Green Leaf Board and Young Leaf Board. Only the most powerful experts in the kingdom were on the Green Leaf Board. Even the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Half-Transcension Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong, was only in third ce on the Green Leaf Board. As for the Young Leaf Board, recorded on it were the most powerful young geniuses. And of the Young Leaf Board, Crown Prince Ding Mu was listed on the very top. "Pavilion Head, why is the Crown Prince listed on the top of the board? His strength is only at Zhizun realm advanced stage while the second ced Ling Luoye was clearly already at Zhizun realm pinnacle!" In one of the executive room in the Green Leaf Pavilion, two figures were seated face-to-face. The one speaking was a gray-robed elder. He was staring at the ranking board on the table in iprehension. Elder Liao Qingxun. Opposite to him was a white-robed elder. He had eyebrows that were slightly arched upward, snowy hair, and eyes that were sharp as though lightning. With a single look, one could tell that he was an extraordinarily intelligent person. Pavilion Head Dai Feng. "The Young Leaf Board ranks the young geniuses based on their strength. Even though Ling Luoyes cultivation was above that of the crown prince, if a battle were to break out between the two of them, it was more likely that the crown prince would emerge victorious!" Pavilion Head Dai Feng chuckled. "Oh?" Elder Liao Qingxun was clearly doubtful of thetters words. "You dont believe me? Ill exin it to you then!" Seeing the doubt in the other partys eyes, Pavilion Head Dai Feng calmly picked up the teacup on the table, scraped the floating tea leaves on top and said, "Ling Luoyes indeed talented to have reached Zhizun realm pinnacle at thirty-four. However... if a persons cultivation rises too quickly, all kinds of problems will ur. Firstly, his cultivation technique, [Profound Ripple Art], is a water element cultivation technique. As such, itcks offensive power. On top of that, his strongest battle technique, [Frigid Water Dance] was also rtivelycking in power. As such, he could only be considered as average among those of the same cultivation realm. "On the other hand, Crown Prince Ding Mu... "Firstly, I believe you should have heard of the royal family hunting down a wounded spirit beast! Back then, they procured quite a substantial amount of spirit beast blood essence. The royal family possesses an extremely powerful physical body cultivation technique known as [Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form]. Anybody that was tempered by it would be incredibly resilient and powerful! "Other than that, the cultivation technique he cultivates, [Might of the Celestial Bear], grants him extraordinary strength. On top of that, he also learned the [Heaven Shattering Fist] which was known for its aggressiveness. Putting aside how none of those in the same cultivation realm would be able to match him, it wouldnt be hard to face those of higher cultivation realm than him as well. "But of course, most importantly of all, as a 3-star formation master, he had at least seven to eight grade-3 formation tes on him. If he were to throw all of them out, it would be difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal expert to kill him, needless to say, a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator! "Thus, without doubt, he was worthy of being the first ce!" At which, Pavilion Head Dai Feng turned to look at the other elder with a wide grin, "How is it? Do you still think that Ling Luoye can defeat him?" After a moment of contemtion, Elder Liao Qingxun shook his head. "... Impossible!" Given the Crown Prince Ding Mus powerful cultivation technique, extraordinary talents, and numerous aces, even despite his cultivation realm being only that of Zhizun realm advanced stage, probably not even Zhizun realm pinnacle experts would be willing to offend him. "Its due to all of this that he was ranked at first ce of the Young Leaf Board. Hes deserving of his position on the Young Leaf Board. Putting aside Ling Luoye for the moment, there hasnt been anyone who could match him in the past five hundred years, and I believe there wont be anyone like him in the next five hundred years either!" Pavilion Head Dai Feng chuckled. "Indeed. Crown Prince Ding Mu is truly a talented person..." Elder Liao Qingxun felt awed by the exnation and insight. "Its about time for you to change your method of address. Its going to be Emperor Ding Mu from today onward!" Pavilion Head Dai Feng reprimanded with a smile. "Youre right, its Emperor Ding Mu. No wonder everyone is thrilled about this inauguration. With such a genius leading Xuanyuan Kingdom, its national strength would only continue to grow further. Soon, among Conferred Kingdoms, no one would dare offend us!" Recalling the sight outside, Liao Qingxunmented. A nation being weak wasnt just a problem of its weak military; more importantly, it was rted to the character and attitude of its leader. If its leader was a talented and headstrong person, the nation would surely grow strong. "Indeed. Hell be a much better sovereign than old Emperor Ding Chong. At the very least, his reputation should strike fear in the surrounding kingdoms, and those ambitious kingdoms would be hesitant to make their move. Seems like Xuanyuan Kingdom is about to usher in a new era of unparalleled growth!" Pavilion Head Dai Feng was filled with anticipation for the future. Elder Liao Qingxun nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to say something, the ground suddenly shook and a deafening sound resounded across the entire capital. "Ding Mu, I, Zhang Xuan, am here. Get out here to face your death!" "Face your death?" "Someone has barged into the Heavens Altar during the inauguration ceremony... to kill Emperor Ding Mu?" Pavilion Head Dai Feng and Elder Liao Qingxun were dumbstruck. Chapter 433: Bai Chen Chapter 433: Bai Chen Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The duo had just said that with Ding Mus inauguration, no one would dare to wreak havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom anymore when they heard this stark provocation. They felt a stinging sensation on their cheeks, as though someone had just struck them. What was going on? They hurriedly stood up and looked out of the windows. The Green Leaf Pavilion was a tall infrastructure, and from the executive room, they could see the vast field around the Heavens Altar. The field was filled with a massive crowd, and in the air, a young man stood on the head of a massive Howling Firmament Beast. The young man was currently staring coldly down upon the inauguration ceremony below. "From the looks of it... he isnt even twenty yet. However, given how deep his aura is, his cultivation has probably already reached Zhizun realm pinnacle... When did such an expert appear in the city?" The mouths of the duo twitched. They had just said that Crown Prince Ding Mus feat was unsurpassed in the past five hundred years, and would remain to be so in the next five hundred... and at the next moment, this fellow appeared. Wasnt this too coincidental?! "Zhang Xuan... If I recall correctly, a few days ago, a beast tamer going by this name won the Beast Taming Competition. However, that persons cultivation should only be at Zongshi realm pinnacle? Why is his cultivation suddenly at Zhizun realm pinnacle?" A beast tamer was bellowing for the inaugurating crown prince to face his death... What was going on? The two heads of thergest informationwork in Xuanyuan Kingdom stared at one another in frenzy. ... In the house on the back of a flying massive savage beast, a few people stood by the window. Standing at the very front was a white-robed young man. With his hands behind his back, he carried an ethereal aura. Gu Mu stepped forward and announced, "Gongzi, Xuanyuan Royal City is right ahead of us!" Not too far away, a massive city came into sight. It extended for several hundred kilometers, and its thick city walls were connected to the meandering mountains. It resembled a sleeping behemoth. "Theyout of this city is indeed interesting. To think that it would be a formation!" Opening his fan, the gongzi chuckled. Those within might not realize anything, but from above, it was clear that the city that was connected with the mountains appeared to be aligned with some formation theories. There seemed to be a slight gathering of spiritual energy in the region. "The Xuanyuan royal family is a n of formation masters, and the generations of emperors had been skilled formation masters themselves. In this field, Crown Prince Ding Mu seemed to be an exceptional genius..." Gu Mu exined. "Pui, genius my head!" Before Gu Mu could finish his words, a disdainful voice sounded. Turning to take a look, they saw Sun Qiang with a contemptuous expression on his face. "You disagree with my words?" Knowing that there was a high chance that the other party was a butler of a 6-star master teacher, Gu Mu dared not get angry. Rather, he gazed at the other party with a look of bewilderment. "This Ding Mu, having offended the young master, probably wont live for long. In terms of talent, who could match up to the young master?" Sun Qiangs lips curled up in pride. Sun Qiang had witnessed how Ding Mus subordinates severely wounded Lu Chong, and he knew that the other partys actions had piqued the young masters killing intent. While the young master was a headstrong person, he had the capability to match it. Even without the assistance of the old master, the young masters wrath wasnt something that the mere Xuanyuan Kingdom could withstand. In Sun Qiangs eyes, there was no genius in the world who could evenpare to the pinky of the young master. Genius? Stop bringing shame to the word. "Is this... senior uncle very talented?" Gu Mu asked. "Of course. The young master isnt twenty yet, but hes already a 3-star painter, 2-star master teacher, 2-star beast tamer... and on top of that, he was recruited as an elder of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild. Do you think that a fellow like Ding Mu could match up to the young masters talents?" Sun Qiang was filled with pride. The reticent gongzi standing by the window suddenly turned around and asked, "Isnt your young master from Tianwu Kingdom? How did he be an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" How could a small figure from Tianwu Kingdom be an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild? "Who do you think the young master is? He solved all of the problems written on the Physician Guilds Wall of Dilemma in a single taking. Among those questions, there are even problems that the physicians from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild are unable to solve. As such, in awe of the young masters capability, they decided to recruit him as an elder..." Sun Qiang harrumphed. He liked speaking of the young masters aplishments. He was just about to brag more about the various feats the young master had done when the calm gongzis face paled and his body trembled. "Isnt your young master... called Zhang Xuan? If I recall correctly, isnt the one who solved the questions on the Wall of Dilemma called Liu Cheng?" "Oh, Liu Cheng is an alias that the young master used during the 2-star master teacher examination!" Sun Qiang said. "Zhang Xuan is Liu Cheng? Your young master?" Gongzi and Jin Conghai nced at one another in shock. "Indeed!" Sun Qiang nodded. "Since hes a physician, why is he involved with the matters of poison masters as well? These two upations are contradictory to one another..." A momentter, gongzi asked once more. A master teacher could take on many upations at once. Initially, upon hearing that Yang Xuan was a skilled poison master, as well as Gu Mus senior granduncle, they thought that Zhang Xuan would be a skilled poison master as well... But if that was the case, how could the other party be a skilled physician too?" "The young master is a talented individual. What is bizarre about him mastering two upations at once?" "The responsibility of a physician is to bring salvation to the world, and only those with benevolence in their hearts are suited for the upation. On the other hand, the poison masters concoct poison for malicious means, and those who take on this upation tend to be callous... Given how the two upations are at the opposite end of the spectrum, could it be that your young master has dissociative identity disorder?" Gongzi was still baffled by this matter. Given how physicians and poison masters stood at the opposite ends of the spectrum, he couldnt understand how one could take on these two upations simultaneously. "Whats so bizarre about that? Our young master is normally a gentle person, and he rarely argues with others. Even though hes capable of utilizing poison, unlike other poison masters, he doesnt kill everyone that he gets into a dispute with. On the contrary, he tends to resolve problems through reason and seeks to win over others via morals..." Upon learning of the other partys doubts, Sun Qiang nced at the other party contemptuously. Expert? If youre truly an expert, how could you not know this? How embarrassing. Just as Sun Qiang was about to continue introducing the various strengths of Zhang Xuan, a deafening voice suddenly sounded from the city. "Ding Mu, I, Zhang Xuan, am here. Get out here to face your death!" "Zhang Xuan?" Upon hearing these words, the group on the back of the savage beast fell silent. Everyones gazes hurriedly turned to Sun Qiang. This is the man that you said is gentle, rarely argues with others, and uses morals to win others over? It seemed like the other party had already ughtered his way to the other partys doorstep! "What is he up to?" Wei Yuqing was stunned. He was just gone for a few days. Why was Beast Tamer Zhang wreaking havoc in the royal pce, even threatening to kill the crown prince? "Grand Elder Wei, lets go over to take a look!" Of the crowd, only Sun Qiang understood the abrupt situation. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, he hurriedly instructed. It seemed like the young master couldnt wait any longer, so he decided to make his move today. "Alright!" Knowing how urgent the matter was, Wei Yuqing tapped his feet and the savage beast dashed straight toward the direction of the voice. ... Standing at the very center of the Heavens Altar, Ding Mu was just about to undergo the final rituals to be officially inaugurated as the emperor when he heard those words. For a moment, he was dumbstruck. He thought about the various forms that the other party may exact vengeance on him; assassination, life-and-death duel, poisoning... But one thing he never expected was for the other party to do it so openly. Before the innumerable civilians, master teachers, officials, and nobles of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, the other party fearlessly rushed here and dered brazenly that he would kill him... Was this fellow insane? This was Xuanyuan Kingdom, his home ground! Putting aside the troops, there were many formationsid out all over as well... To dash right here fearlessly, was the other party really a genius 2-star master teacher? "This is the master teacher who wishes to kill you?" A middle-aged man walked over. The head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Luo Qianhong. In the past few days, Ding Mu had been staying in the Master Teacher Pavilion. He had told him about the recent events, and it seemed that a master teacher desired for his death. Initially, he thought that Ding Mu was just overthinking it, but to think that the other party really came knocking. "Un!" Ding Mu nodded. sping his fist, he said, "Its a misunderstanding. I hope that Brother Luo can mediate the situation for me!" "The other party is just a mere 2-star master teacher. He wont dare to defy my words!" Luo Qianhong waved his hands. There was strict ranking hierarchy to master teachers. 2-star master teachers possessed incredible standing in the kingdom, but to a 3-star intermediate master teacher like him, the other partys standing didnt mean much. In fact, the other party had to pay respect to him in the position of a student, otherwise, he could report the matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion and have the other partys master teacher license revoked. "Ill thank you in advance then..." Seeing that the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion was going to stand up for him, Ding Mu heaved a sigh of relief. "Bai Chen, go over and issue a stern warning to that young man. Dont allow him to dy His Highnesss inauguration ceremony. If he doesnt know whats good for him, I permit the use of violence to deal with him!" Luo Qianhong instructed one of his subordinates. "Yes!" A master teacher dressed in a long robe walked out of the crowd. This master teacher seemed to be in his forties, and his eyes were gleaming with spirit. On the emblem pinned on his chest, there were three bright stars. He was a 3-star primary master teacher. His cultivation was also at Zhizun realm pinnacle. Upon receiving the orders, Master Teacher Bai Chen turned to look at Zhang Xuan above and frowned, "Today is Crown Prince Ding Mus inauguration ceremony, so I ask of you not to cause trouble and leave immediately. If so, we will not pursue this matter. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty!" "Ill leave after killing Ding Mu!" Couldnt be bothered to waste his words, Zhang Xuan leaped down the back of the Howling Firmament Beast. Even though he didnt possess any technique capable of breaking his fall, given his Zhizun realm cultivation and powerful physical body, an altitude of a dozen meters didnt mean much to him. Hu! Landing on the stairs of the Heavens Altar, the ground below cracked. After which, without any hesitation, he began walking up. "I am 3-star Master Teacher Bai Chen. As a master teacher, you should be well aware of the rules. A lower-ranked master teacher has to unconditionally obey themands of higher-ranked master teacher. It cant be that you are intending to defy my words?" Upon seeing the young man disregarding him, Bai Chensplexion turned awful. He immediately stepped forward to block Zhang Xuans path. He heard the conversation between the pavilion master and Ding Mu, and he knew that the other party was a master teacher as well. A mere 2-star primary master teacher should bow respectfully upon seeing a 3-star primary master teacher like him... Yet, to dare to disregard him altogether, how brazen! "Scram!" Seeing the men from Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion blocking his path, Zhang Xuan bellowed coldly. "You... Youre courting death!" He thought that after revealing his identity, the other party would retreat out of fear. Yet, the other party dared to ask him to scram. The arrogance of the other party caused Bai Chens face to turn livid, and he nearly erupted from rage. Chapter 434: Bai Chens Breakdown Chapter 434: Bai Chens Breakdown Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ever since clearing the 3-star master teacher examination seven years ago and bing an elder of the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, Bai Chen had been well-respected no matter where he went. Even the Xuanyuan Kingdom royal family had to wee him with the grandest of formalities. If a 2-star master teacher were to show the slightest disrespect to him, he would immediately bellow at the other party, and the other party wouldnt even breathe loudly out of fear. Yet, this fellow actually told him to... scram! Bai Chens eyes narrowed. Is there something wrong with your head? How dare you ask me to scram! Unforgivable! Boom! His aura abruptly burst out. Master teachers, due to their State of Insight and their deep understanding of cultivation techniques and battle techniques, tended to be the strongest among all of the other upations. Even among Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators, Bai Chen definitely ranked among the top. Even though his name wasnt listed in the Green Leaf Board, he was, without a doubt, one of the top figures within this kingdom. Yet, such an expert was insulted by a mere 2-star master teacher. How could he tolerate such humiliation? With a livid expression, the might of a Zhizun realm pinnacle came gushing out as though a massive torrent. Kacha! Kacha! Unable to take the pressure, cracks appeared on the stairs beneath his feet. "You were scared into hiding in the Master Teacher Pavilion because of this fellow?" Taking this sight in, Luo Qianhong shook his head. He thought that the master teacher who struck so much fear in the crown prince, who was ranked first in the Young Leaf Board, that he was sent into hiding would be an incredible fellow, but from the looks of it, the other party seemed to be a fool. Putting aside how he walked in so openly to wreak havoc on such a major affair, he even dared to spout such rude words to a 3-star master teacher. Even the word fool was insufficient to describe him. This wasnt Tianwu Kingdom, where a 2-star master teacher could reign mighty. Here, even a 3-star primary master teacher would have to lie low! Given the innumerable rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, just by picking a few, one could condemn a lower-ranked master teacher to the pits of hell. "I must be blind as well..." Ding Mu uttered awkwardly. Back then, Zhang Xuan had used a mystical treasure to crush Liang Qingming and Lin Long, and the sight of it was a huge shock to him. That was why he escaped immediately then. After which, fearing that the other party would mobilize the help of his teacher, the unfathomable Yang shi, he decisively chose to go into hiding. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the other party came alone... If Yang shi was here, Ding Mu might still be frightened. But a 2-star master teacher, honestly speaking, meant nothing to him at all. It wasnt because master teachers meant nothing at all. Rather, even though a 2-star master teacher was a huge asset to a Tier 1 Kingdom, to a Conferred Kingdom... it just wasnt that important. "To charge here instead of resolving the issue at the Master Teacher Pavilion, thats ack of rationality. On top of that, despite being a junior, he dares to talk back to a 3-star master teacher. Thats ack of respect. Furthermore, despite being the civilian of a vassal state, he dares disregards the emperor. Thats ack of patriotism. Lack of rationality, respect, and patriotism; just with these three, we can revoke his master teacher license!" Luo Qianhong shook his head as the disdain in his eyes deepened. "Even so, given how he dared to provoke Bai shi, theres probably no need to revoke his license anymore!" Nodding his head, Ding Mus lips slowly curled up. "Of course!" Putting his hands behind his back, Luo Qianhong exuded an authoritative disposition as he said, "Not only do we need to teach him a good lesson, its also about time to reorganize the Master Teacher Pavilions of those vassal Tier 1 Kingdoms. Otherwise, if even trash like him can be a master teacher, how can the prestige of master teachers be upheld?" "Youre right. Its about time for some reorganization!" Nodding his head, Ding Mu was just about to speak when his eyes lit up. "Look, Bai shi is making a move..." Not too far away, Bai Chen spread open his fingers, and leaving a huge gale of wind behind him, he dashed forward to w at Zhang Xuan. An expert pulls his weight as soon as he makes a move. With the strength of a Zhizun realm pinnacle, a towering pressure came crashing down on Zhang Xuan. Even before his blow could reach, the stairs beneath him were already cracking from the immense shock wave. "Bai Chens [Great Reversal Hands] is a Phantom battle technique, and it possesses immense strength. Back then, when he was still at Zhizun realm advanced stage, he managed to subdue the Zhizun realm pinnacle Zhou Tian with a single palm. This fellow is probably in for misfortune!" Luo Qianhongmented. The intruding master teacher had a frightening aura shrouding around him, and he seemed to possess the strength of a Zhizun realm pinnacle. However, through his acute discerning ability as a 3-star intermediate master teacher, Luo Qianhong could tell that the other party was only at Zhizun realm primary stage. Even if he utilized some physical body cultivation technique to boost his physical strength... what about it? In the end, a strong physical body amounts to mere brute strength. One couldnt execute the full might of battle techniques through mere brute strength. When faced with an expert, the other party would surely crumble quickly. Just as the duo was giving theirments on the battle, Bai Chens palm was already right before Zhang Xuan. Hmph! Not expecting that a master teacher would attack him straight without even trying to understand the situation, Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. Harrumphing coldly, lines of insight surfaced in his eyes. In that instant, it was as though the other partys movements had slowed. The gaps and ws in his movements suddenly seemed to magnify, bing clear to Zhang Xuans eyes. Thus, Zhang Xuan slightly tilted his body to the side before sending a kick right at the other partys ankle. "What?" Bai Chen had wanted to cripple this arrogant 2-star master teacher to serve as a warning to the rest against disrespecting him, but upon seeing the other partys kick, his face paled. His Great Reversal Hands was powerful, and it would be difficult for even those of the same cultivation realm to withstand his blow. However... no matter how powerful it was, there were still ws to it. Zhang Xuans kick was aimed right at the center of where his zhenqi was gathered. Once struck, no matter how weak the other partys kick was, he would immediately suffer a rebound and sustain severe internal injuries. Having the w of his ultimate technique seen through in an instant, Bai Chen felt so stifled that blood was threatening to spurt from his mouth. At this moment, he could no longer be bothered with offense anymore. After all, once the other partys kicknds, not only would his attack be rendered ineffective, he would also be crippled. Thus, he hurriedly exerted all of his force on his feet and leaped backward. Even so, forcefully retracting his strength in the midst of an attack and leaping backward had caused the zhenqi flowing through his body to go into chaos. A sweet sensation welled in his throat and a mouthful of blood spurted out from his mouth. "Damn it!" Even before crossing blows with the other party, Bai Chen was already injured. He couldnt help but feel frenzied. As a master teacher, his discernment and knowledge far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. When had he suffered such a humiliation? "Damn you!" Bellowing furiously, Bai Chen shot out two fists simultaneously. His fists felt as fleeting as the wind, but undeniably, if it were tond on one, one would be crippled if not dead. Phantom battle technique, Consecutive Breezy Fist! In terms of burst strength, this technique was not a match for the Great Reversal Hands. However, the execution of this technique was much faster, and its reach was significantly greater as well. There werent many obvious ws to it, so the other party shouldnt be able to do the same as he did before. With a savage expression, Bai Chen howled furiously. However, just as before, before his fists could reach the young man before him, the other partys foot appeared in his sight once more. Upon seeing the area that the kick was aimed at, Bai Chen coughed another mouthful of blood again. He was already on the verge of tears by now. Helpless, he could only hurriedly retract his offense. The Consecutive Breezy Fist was a well-known battle technique in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it was said to be the creation of a 4-star master teacher. Its swift movement left very few ws for ones opponent to exploit, and even Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong would have to take on this battle technique squarely. Yet, this fellow sent a leg straight at the opening of the battle technique without any hesitation... If the kick were to reallynd on him, even if he survived this blow, he would surely be lying on the bed for months. For two consecutive kicks tond on the w of his battle techniques... Was this fellows eye for discernment really that incredible, or was it just a coincidence? "I dont believe it!" Howling furiously yet again, he flicked his wrist and a long saber appeared in his hands. He shed the saber art furiously, and in the blink of an eye, afterimages appeared. Phantom battle technique, Saber of Sorrowful Departure! The Saber of Sorrowful Departure consisted of sixty-four moves, and the movements connected with one another, allowing one tounch a continued offense against ones enemy to push the other party into a corner. Unless one possessed an even more powerful weapon and battle technique, it would be impossible to withstand this swift saber art. Hu hu hu! With the saber flying all around the ce, Bai Chen didnt think that the other party would be able to find the weakness in this move. However, just as this thought appeared in his mind, the other partys foot appeared in a momentary gap in the movements of the saber art yet again, headed straight for his mingmen. "I... Pu!" Bai Chen hurriedly retracted his saber and backed away. Once again, the sudden withdrawal of force caused his face to reddened and fresh blood spurted out of his mouth. Three consecutive Phantom battle techniques consisting of palm, fist, and saber, and Bai Chen only ended up injuring himself. He was about to go insane. Wasnt this fellow only a 2-star master teacher? To see through the ws in the battle techniques of a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert with a single look... When did 2-star master teachers be so formidable? If even 2-star master teachers were that formidable, then what did he, a 3-star master teacher, count as? Bai Chen felt more and more stifled as he fought on, and he was on the verge of going insane. The crowd watching themotion by the sides stared at one another frenziedly. The two were both Zhizun realm experts, and on top of that, they were both master teachers. As such, their movements were extremely fast. On top of that, with their eye of discernment, more often than not, they could tell the other partys attacking trajectory and deduce the oue before the attack evennds, and through that, determine their next movement. In other words... the Bai shi who had just furiously dered that he would teach his foreigner a lesson, in the eyes of the crowd, leaped backward as soon as the other party lifted his legs on the three asions, and on top of that, he even spurted a mouthful of blood each time... The heck! Do you think that youre a clown in the circus? Why does it feel that Bai shi is even more unreliable than the person who came to wreak Crown Prince Ding Mus inauguration ceremony? "Is Bai shi... dancing?" "It does... look like it!" Some spectators amidst the crowdmented. As soon as the young man raised his leg, Bai shi would jump backward. It was as though a human was toying with his own dog, and at the same time, it resembled a dancing couple as well. You advance while I retreat... and an asional spurting of blood for a touch of intimacy... Didnt you furiously dere that you would kill the other party? To be jumping around the area... Are you sure you arent flirting with the other party instead? No one does it the way you do... Pu! Pu! Pu! Bai Chen was already severely injured before, but after hearing those words and seeing the bizarre gazes in the crowds eyes, he nearly failed to catch his breath and fainted on the spot. Dancing... Dance your head! Youre the one who is dancing, your whole family is dancing! It only appears that way due to my battle techniques beingpletely suppressed by the other partys movements... The more he thought about it, the more furious Bai Chen became. As a 3-star master teacher, a prestigious and respected figure in Xuanyuan Kingdom, even if he were to win against the other party now, he would surely be aughingstock. "Today, itll be either you die or I die..." Roaring furiously, he whipped the saber around once more. His saber gleamed, as though creating a spherical light force field around him. With such a swift saber art, even if a pail of water were to be sshed over one, one would be able topletely deflect it. Just as he thought that the other party would bepletely helpless before this technique, he lowered his head, only to see a foot leisurely being stretched over toward him. Just as the several times before, it shot straight through the gaps in the saber art. "The heck!" What the heck is this? How in the world can you know the ws of every single battle technique I disy... Did you study all of my battle techniques beforeing? Is there a point to this? Cant we have a hot-blooded and valiant fight? To strike so mercilessly at my ws, dont you know what love and concern for ones elders is? Bai Chen cried. Chapter 435: The Night Rain Drenches Every Traveling Downstream! Chapter 435: The Night Rain Drenches Every Traveling Downstream! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "No, thats not it. This fellow seems rather skilled!" Luo Qianhong said with a grim expression. The inexperienced spectates themotion while the veteran analyzes the technicalities. Bai Chens jumping around and asional spurting of blood may look ridiculous in the eyes of others, but Luo Qianhong was still able to discern something about the situation. Clearly, the young mans kick had posed a huge threat to his old friend, impelling him to back away even despite the threat of a rebound urring. In other words... That fellow had seen through the ws of Bai Chens movements and struck directly at its openings. That was why he was able to neutralize his attacks so easily, putting Bai Chen in such a difficult position. "It cant be that... he knew that Bai shi would make a move, so he decided to study his battle techniques and cultivation techniques in advance?" Ding Mu could also roughly tell what was happening, so he couldnt help butment in astonishment. "Study in advance? Thats impossible! There is no cultivator who would reveal all of his cultivation techniques and battle techniques to others, even to his closest kin in case his enemies found out about it through certain means." Luo Qianhong shook his head. "I know of Bai Chens Great Reversal Hands, but he has never utilized the Consecutive Breezy Fists and Saber of Sorrowful Departure before anyone, so even I am unaware of it. How could a foreigner find out about such confidential secrets beforehand?" "That..." Ding Mus face paled. He suddenly recalled the various legends of that young master teacher. Back then, he didnt think much of it. He attributed it all to the other party having a good teacher. However, from the looks of it, he was vastly underestimating the other party. "Most probably, he might have cultivated or studied these battle techniques before, thus granting him some knowledge of its ws..." Luo Qianhong deduced. Then, he turned to look at the crown prince and said, "Are you hiding something from me? Is that person really just an ordinary 2-star primary master teacher?" The other party had only told him that he offended a master teacher of a Tier 1 Kingdom. Since the other party was just a 2-star master teacher of a vassal kingdom, he didnt think much of it so he didnt investigate the matter. To think that this negligence would result in such a huge problem. When that fellow bellowed on top of the savage beast, Luo Qianhong thought that the other party was an ignorant, reckless fellow. Even if he was talented, given his young age, he should not pose a threat at all. However, after seeing all that had happened... he couldnt say the same about it now. An ordinary 2-star master teacher seeing through the ws in the battle techniques of a 3-star master teacher in an instant? Without a doubt, Ding Mu must have misled him! "He..." Under the other partys interrogation, Ding Mu clenched his fists tightly and said, "I dont know much about him either, just that... it has only been ten days since he became a 2-star master teacher!" "Ten days?" Luo Qianhong frowned. Logically speaking, a 2-star master teacher who had just passed the examination shouldnt be so formidable? Peng! Luo Qianhong was baffled. However, before he could make sense of the situation, the sound of a foot sinking into flesh sounded. He hurriedly turned around, only to see Bai Chen, unable to dodge any longer, being kicked in the face and flying forty to fifty meters back. His head smashed into the wall of a building, and the immense force caused him to pass out. After being forced to withdraw his battle techniques halfway through executing them, he had already suffered significant damage via the rebound of his strength. Unable to withstand this humiliation, the thought of dying with the other party shed through his head and he decided to go all out. Yet... it ended up being a one-sided event. "Bai shi was sent flying with a single kick?" "How is that youngd so strong?" "Didnt they say that the crown prince is the greatest genius in Xuanyuan Kingdom? The other party defeated Bai shi despite being... under twenty, doesnt this mean that hes even more talented?" Not one person in the crowd was able to make sense of the dancing previously, and now, Bai Chen had been kicked unconscious. No matter how foolish they were, it couldnt be more apparent now that the other partys strength surpassed even that of the 3-star primary Bai shi. The crowd stared at one another nkly. Hula! While everyone was overwhelmed with shock, the young man continued walking up the stairs, closing the distance to the crown prince. Upon seeing this sight, the soldiers in the surroundings immediately advanced forward to protect their liege. "Wait a moment!" Seeing that Ding Mu intended to have his guards make a move, Luo Qianhong shook his hands to wave them away. "Pavilion Master Luo..." Thinking that the other party was going to betray him, Ding Mu looked at him worriedly. "Ill help you reconcile with him. Itll be best to end this matter peacefully." Luo Qianhong was angry that Ding Mu didnt tell him the truth, but he was indebted to the Xuanyuan royal family and this was a debt he had to repay. Besides, it was already toote to back out of it. Thus, he could only face it straight on. "Ill be depending on Pavilion Master Luo then!" Ding Mu nodded. "Un, continue on with your ceremony and make haste. As long as you be the emperor and the royal seal is in your hands, things will be easier to settle. Ill also be in a better position to speak up for you!" Luo Qianhong said. "Yes!" Ding Mu nodded as he hurriedly walked toward the throne in the center. Upon seeing him being bestowed the crown and undergoing the final rites, Luo Qianhong heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he turned around to face Zhang Xuan. Looking at the guards by the side who already had their weapon drawn, hemanded, "Clear away!" "Pavilion Master Luo!" Knowing the other partys identity, the soldiers hurriedly opened up a pathway and bowed. "You must be Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi. I am the head of the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, Luo Qianhong!" Walking forward, Luo Qianhong sped his fist, "Even though I am not aware of the grudge between you and Ding Mu, its always better to makerades than enemies. Since were both master teachers, allow me to y the role of a mediator to resolve the conflict between the both of you. No matter what you request, Ill have Ding Mu prepare it!" "The only thing I want is Ding Mus life. As soon as I get that, Ill leave!" Zhang Xuan spoke impassively. Whatpensation could match the life of his student! "Not only is Ding Mu the crown prince, hes also about to be the emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom. If he were to be killed, itll surely cause chaos in the country. The poption will suffer. Theres no Master Teacher Pavilion that could watch idly as all of these unfold. If this matter blows up, you might even end up losing your identity as a master teacher..." Luo Qianhong frowned. "Scram!" While Luo Qianhong spoke, the ceremony was still going on. It was clear that he was trying to stall for time. Zhang Xuansplexion immediately darkened. "The only reason I am hesitating to make a move on you is due to your immense talent. Dont you try to overstep your boundaries!" Luo Qianhong harrumphed. I am already trying to spare your pride. So what if you are a genius? Do you think that I, as a 3-star intermediate master teacher and a Half-Transcension expert, would fear you? "If you dont scram, Ill leave you in the same state as that fellow!" Seeing that Luo Qianhong was still stalling for time, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Without any hesitation, his figure immediately blurred. Hu! He disappeared from the spot, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped several dozen meters forward, appearing right before the other party. Heavens Path Movement Art. When Zhang Xuan was fighting with Bai Chen, he didnt utilize any of the Heavens Path battle technique. It was just to add in the element of surprise when he was facing a stronger enemy. Otherwise, once his ultimate techniques were revealed, the enemy could take precautions against them. If so, the effectiveness of the techniques would be minimized. Reaching Zhizun realm, the Heavens Path zhenqi became purer and more concentrated. As such, the speed and distance of the Heavens Path Movement Art had increased significantly. Even Luo Qianhong, as a Half-Transcension expert, was incapable of moving at such speed. Before he could even react, Zhang Xuan was already right before him. "You..." Luo Qianhongs eyes narrowed and he hurriedly tried to retreat. However, before he could even take a single step back, a fist slowly magnified right before him. Heavens Path Fist Art! The speed of the fist was in no way slower than the movement art, and in fact, it might even have exceeded thetter. A sonic boom resounded deafeningly on top of the Heavens Altar. Knowing that it was impossible for him dodge already, Luo Qianhong propelled the zhenqi in his body and sent a fist of his own to face the other partys blow. Boom! Both fists collided, and Luo Qianhong felt his palm turning numb. His face paled, and he had to take eight steps backward consecutively before he managed to steady his figure. In order to ward off the rampaging might of the other party, his feet sank three inches into the ground. Even ayer of granite on the iparably resilient ground of the Heavens Altar was reduced to dust under the powerful shock wave "What a powerful fist art!" A sharp pain came striking Luo Qianhongs shaking arm. In that sh, he could tell that even though the other party possessed massive strength, he was still a way off from matching up to a Half-Transcension like him. What a truly fearsome fist art that was! It was aligned with the world, and to Luo Qianhongs shock, he realized that... there were absolutely no ws he could exploit! Under this abrupt encounter, even a 3-star intermediate master teacher like him ended up suffering a setback. Taking a deep breath, Luo Qianhong suppressed his chaotic breathing, and raising his palms, he charged ahead. The fact that the other party had forced him back had embarrassed him. He mustnt allow the other party to take the initiative once more. Boom! The zhenqi of a Half-Transcension expert gushed out, creating a river on the Heavens Altar. In an instant, it felt as though the air had turned viscous. Fighters cultivate their own bodies to bring out the full strength of their physical bodies and zhenqi. The cultivation of a Mortal Transcendent expert was very different from that. True Mortal Transcendent experts were capable of utilizing Origin Energy from their surroundings to disy a battle prowess several folds of their own strength Using the words from Zhang Xuans previous world, if Fighters fought with their own fists and flesh, Mortal Transcendents would be equivalent to using robots and external equipment. There was no basis forparison for the two. How could a bare-handed martial artist defeat tanks and cannons? At Half-Transcension, one wasnt able to fully utilize the strength of nature yet, but still, one was still able to unleash a might far exceeding that of the 40,000 ding limit of Zhizun realm pinnacle experts! In fact, even Zhang Xuans 50,000 ding was insignificantpared to the other party. With the full might of a Half-Transcension expert unleashed, Luo Qianhong gained control of the surroundings. Then, harrumphing softly, he dashed forward and struck Zhang Xuan with his palm. Phantom pinnacle battle technique, Whisking Sleeves! The warm breeze whisks willow tugging ones sleeves, the night rain drenches every traveling downstream! This gentle palm seemed to hold no weight to it, but having gathered an immense amount of the surrounding Origin Energy, it was capable of breaking through even steel and Phantom equipment. A Half-Transcension expert coupled with a Phantom pinnacle battle technique was a frightening force. Even an expert of the same level would find it hard to withstand the immense might. With this move, Luo Qianhong had taken out nearly all of his aces. Sou! The palm flew straight toward the young man with frightening speed, threatening tond at any moment. However, not only did the other party not dodge or evade, he even dashed straight toward the palm. "This is bad!" The Whisking Sleeves was a very flexible battle technique, making it hard for someone to withstand its might... but even so, there was still one major w to itthe stream. And this fellow happened to be standing right at the location of the stream! To determine its ws and find the location precisely in that short moment... How was that possible! In that instant... Luo Qianhongs shock was indescribable. Chapter 436: Expelling an Army with Words (1) Chapter 436: Expelling an Army with Words (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Formidable!" On the back of the savage beast, Gongzi and the others, who had just arrived, caught the sight, and even Jin Conghai couldnt help but exim. "Hes indeed formidable to be able to see through the w of the attack in an instant. Charging straight into the eye of the storm to tide through the barrage... To do that... just possessing an exceptional eye of discernment wouldnt be sufficient. More importantly, one has to have great mental fortitude!" Gongzi nodded in agreement as well. "Most probably, even this Luo Qianhong will lose. However... there are many troops in this Xuanyuan royal pce, and no matter how powerful Zhang Xuan is, he is still an individual. Itll be impossible for him to withstand the might of a country. What should we do? Should we help him?" Jin Conghai asked hesitantly. "He must have realized this problem as well. The reason why he asked for Gu Mus assistance is probably to ward off these soldiers!" Gongzi said. Of the many upations, master teachers possessed the strongest individual offensive power. However, in terms of facing multiple enemies at once, poison masters reigned supreme. With a sufficient poison stockpile, it was futile no matter how many enemies charged at a poison master. "That should be so!" Jin Conghai nodded in agreement. "Lets not rush in first. Given how this young 2-star master teacher managed to see through the ws in the battle technique in a Half-Transcension expert in an instant, his eye of discernment and knowledge are indeed incredible. If he wishes for someones assistance, he would have already rendered Yang shis help. Since he didnt do so, he probably wishes to do the deed alone. Well only go in when hes unable to hold on anymore!" Gongzi chuckled. "Yes!" Jin Conghai nodded. Then, looking at the sight below, his eyebrows shot up. "Luo Qianhong has lost!" As Jin Conghai spoke, on the Heavens Altar, Zhang Xuan had dived out from the stream and struck the other partys chest with his elbow. Peng! Struck with immense brute strength, Luo Qianhongs face warped together. He was immediately sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground. The head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a 3-star intermediate master teacher, a Half-Transcension expert on the third ce on the Green Leaf Board, was defeated in just a few breaths. The crowd flew into an uproar. All along, Luo Qianhong was a figure synonymous with invincible in their hearts, and he possessed innumerable fans. They thought that he would surely be able to defeat that youngd, who wasnt even twenty yet, easily. However, the one who was defeated turned out to be Luo Qianhong himself... Not to mention, he was utterly crushed. On the top of the Green Leaf Pavilion, Elder Liao Qingxun subconsciously asked, "Pavilion head, does the first ce on the Young Leaf Board... still belong to Crown Prince Ding Mu?" "Ding Mu? Nonsense! Of course its that Master Teacher Zhang Xuan! How can the two of them bepared with each other? You must be pulling my leg!" Pavilion Head Dai Feng said. "But you... you just said that there was no one who could match Crown Prince Ding Mu in the past five hundred years, and it would be like that for the next five hundred..." Elder Liao Qingxun asked in bewilderment. It was just a moment ago that the other party praised the crown prince up to the stars. Why did he suddenly change his tune for another person? Wasnt this way too fast? "Did I say that? Elder Liao, lets not bother about such unnecessary matters. Hurry up and send some men to look into that young mans background!" Having hispse in judgement exposed, Pavilion Head Dai Fengs face flushed. He hurriedly issued some instructions to clear away his awkwardness. "Yes!" Elder Liao Qingxun immediately walked out to attend to the matter. The Green Leaf Pavilion was in charge of gathering intelligence on everything within the territory of Xuanyuan Kingdom. For such an expert to appear without them noticing, it was truly a failure on their part. "His strength..." The crowd was in disbelief. Mo Yu, who was on top of the Howling Firmament Beast, was even more so. She had witnessed the other partys growth for herself throughout the journey. She thought that even if Zhang Xuan were to be a Zhizun realm pinnacle within four days, he would surely be the weakest of that tier. After all, it would take some time to adapt to ones newfound strength, and on top of that, ones zhenqi would be a little unstable as well. Yet... Zhang Xuan actually managed to defeat a Half-Transcension expert so easily! Was that fellow... even human? Not only did his cultivation raise quickly, it was even reinforced perfectly. His strength was stable and deep, and there wasnt the slightest sign of instability... How in the world did he do it? ... That strike caused Luo Qianhong severe injuries. He felt so stifled that he could go insane. At this moment, all he felt was regret. Why was he so foolish as to listen to Ding Mus lies? How could a person who could force him into hiding in the Master Teacher Pavilion be an ordinary figure? If he didnt get involved, he could at least uphold his honor. Yet, all he had done now was embarrass himself. After this incident, his prestige as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely plummet, and many people would find faults with him. "As a 2-star master teacher, I challenged a 3-star master teacher. This can be considered as insubordination... After Im done with the matter here, Ill offer an exnation to the Master Teacher Pavilion through crashing the pavilion myself!" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan harrumphed. Pavilion Crashing referred to the act of challenging an entire Master Teacher Pavilion as an individual. Regardless of whether it was a conflict, a dispute, or unintentional disrespect, as long as one didnt betray humanity, one could crash a pavilion to absolve one of his crimes, and the headquarters would not pursue the matter. "Crashing the pavilion?" Luo Qianhongs face turned pale. Even though a sessful Pavilion Crashing rarely urred, as long as it happened, the Master Teacher Pavilion would be as good as destroyed. It would be theughingstock of the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance! He would be forced to step down as the pavilion master, and in the worst case scenario, the headquarters might even summon him to conduct an investigation. After all, if one was forced to the point of resorting to Pavilion Crashing, this meant that the matter had reached a dire state. Putong! Luo Qianhongs body was suddenly sapped of strength, and he fell to the ground. It was just a moment ago that he was standing majestically before the crowd, but after hearing those words, he found himself falling into despair... What kind of monster did Ding Mu offend? ... Ignoring the despairing Luo Qianhong, Zhang Xuan nced forward and saw that the inauguration was about toe to an end. As such, he hurriedly advanced forward. "Stop him!" Seeing that even the Master Teacher Pavilion had failed to stop the other party, and the other party even dered his intentions of Pavilion Crashing, Ding Musplexion turned awful. Hula! Along with his bellow, innumerable soldiers immediately stepped forward to surround Zhang Xuan. The swords that they drew gleamed coldly under the sun. These soldiers werent strong, and most of them were only at Dingli realm. However, it was their numbers that were truly impressive. On the vast Heavens Altar, there were at least several thousands of them. A formation consisting of several thousand soldiers... Even a Half-Transcension would have to back down before such a terrifying force. "Zhang Xuan... be careful!" Mo Yus face paled. As an individual, how could he possibly withstand an army? A Dingli realm soldier was no threat to him, and fighting ten was just a walk in the park. However, when the numbers added up to several thousands, the nature of the event changed. No matter how strong an individual was, there was a limit to ones stamina. In a battle of attrition, Zhang Xuan would eventually lose. This was the reason why itinerant cultivators didnt dare offend kingdoms. There was nothing an individual cultivator could do before the might of an entire country. "This will be troublesome..." Jin Conghai frowned. As a Transcendent Mortal realm expert, it would be difficult for even him to face a few thousand Fighter realm cultivators at once. Killing amander was easy, but facing off with an entire army was difficult. "Indeed, this will be troublesome. Unless... he uses the means of a poison master!" Gongzi frowned as well. Even Jin Conghai would be troubled to face so many soldiers, needless to say, the other party. Even though the strength this Zhang Xuan had disyed was outstanding, he was still far from matching up to his subordinate, Jin Conghai. The only way to achieve victory was to use the means of a poison master. Otherwise, no matter how powerful he was, he would surely eventually run dry before this huge army. "He cant use the means of the poison master here. As a master teacher, killing the crown prince of a Conferred Kingdom is already a huge blemish on his records. I fear that if he were to use poison... he might incur the displeasure of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. On top of that, he might be regarded as a traitor, given the hostile rtionship between the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Poison Hall..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqing said. "Hall Master Gu Mu, if things get down to it... I think it would be better for you to make a move!" As an elder of the Beast Hall, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing had a deep understanding of the affairs of the master teachers. This upation served as the moralpass of the entire continent. To kill an inaugurating crown prince was already scandalous in itself. If Zhang Xuan were to use the means of a poison master on top of that, his reputation would be ruined. As a master teacher, reputation was everything. Who would be willing to admit a person with questionable conduct as their teacher? It would be a huge blemish of his life that he would never be able to wash off. It would be nigh impossible for him to win the respect of other master teachers around the world and advance to a higher rank. "Alright!" Hall Master Gu Mu nodded. He was invited here precisely for this matter. As long as he were to offer his assistance, he could be considered as to have repaid the debt of his senior granduncle. "Lets wait awhile longer first. Look at Zhang Xuans gaze, it seems like he has an idea in mind!" After agreeing to the matter, Hall Master Gu Mu was about to make a move when gongzis voice suddenly echoed. "Gaze?" Hall Master Gu Mu was taken aback. He hurriedly nced downward and he realized that something was amiss as well. Despite being surrounded by so many experts, the young man below didnt panic at all. Instead, he faced everything withposure. Way too muchposure. If it was anyone else, they would have surely panicked under such circumstances. "He must already have an idea in mind. Otherwise, he couldnt possibly remain so calm!" Gongzi said. "Lets watch on first!" "Un!" The crowd nodded in agreement as they turned their gazes to the sight below. Just as they were wondering what kind of method the young man was going to use to deal with these soldiers, a voice echoed. "The core of cultivation lies in persistence. Only with diligence can one achieve improvement. For a Dingli realm to reach Pixue, there are three main factors. Firstly, one must urately gauge the strength required for opening ones acupoint..." A crisp voice echoed from the young mans mouth. "A lecture?" "Hes conducting a lecture now?" "Has he gone mad?" ... Everyone was wondering what kind of strategy the young man would have against the thousands of soldiers before him. When the other party started preaching, everyone stared at one another in bewilderment. What was this? Surrounded by soldiers, yet he started preaching? Everyone thought that the troublemaker would surely fail terribly, but the other party had yet to lose yet. Everyone thought that the interference of the Master Teacher Pavilion could mediate the conflict, but the other party dered that he would crash the pavilion, not sparing the Master Teacher Pavilion any pride at all... Now, just as everyone thought that the Heavens Altar would be washed with blood, the young man began preaching... Can you at least obeymon sense? Your actions are way too unfathomable! The group on top of the savage beasts were also stunned, unable toprehend what Zhang Xuan was up to. "No, this isnt just a lecture..." Suddenly, gongzi seemed to realize something and his face warped in shock. His body trembled lightly as he said, "This is Impartation of Heavens Will... Expelling a Hundred Enemies With a Word, Eradicating An Army With a Phrase!" Chapter 437: Expelling an Army with Words (2) Chapter 437: Expelling an Army with Words (2) [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Impartation of Heavens Will?" Everyone was bewildered. Those who were slightly more knowledgeable knew that Impartation of Heavens Will was a unique ability to master teachers. As long as ones Soul Depth was above 3.0, and the content one spoke was aligned with the essence of cultivation and was devoid of errors, there was a chance it could be triggered. Once triggered, those listening to the lecture would find their zhenqi being driven automatically, resulting in their cultivation being raised subconsciously. This sounded incredible, but in truth, all master teachers were capable of doing so. Given how talented that Zhang Xuan was, it wasntpletely unexpected for him to be able to utilize this ability in the midst of his lecture! "The Impartation of Heavens Will isnt a very powerful ability. However... if one can reach a high level of mastery in it, its effects can be amazing!" Gongzi said as his body trembled in disbelief. "A high level of mastery?" The crowd was even more bewildered. "Elder Jin should know that my physical condition hasnt been good ever since a young age, resulting in my inability to cultivate. As such, Ive spent my time immersed in books, and Ive read nearly all of the books essible to me once. I once read, in an ancient manual, that when the Impartation of Heavens Will reaches the highest level, one would be able to utilize the Voice of Truth, which was capable of striking the depths of a persons soul directly. Even if the other party was an enemy, he would willingly concede to you and address you as teacher!" Taking a deep breath, Gongzi suppressed his heavy breathing and spoke up. "Voice of Truth?" Everyone widened their eyes in shock. Did the Impartation of Heavens Will possess such incredible effects? If that was the case, wouldnt one be almost invincible? Regardless of who it was, one just had to conduct a lesson for the other party to submit to him. All living beings in the world would be considered as ones student! Wait a moment! A person suddenly shed across Grand Elder Wei Yuqings mind as his face paled and his eyes narrowed. With quivering lips, he asked, "Do you mean... Empyrean Kong shi?" It was said that Kong shis words could bring about a celestial phenomenon, and there was none who had heard his lecture who wouldnt call him teacher. Even the most formidable and most hostile enemy would immediately concede to him and willingly serve him as his student. There was a very old legend depicting Kong shi when he hadnt reached the level of a 9-star master teacher yet. Back then, there was a person named Tui who carried intense animosity against him and thus, wanted to im his life. He had looked into Kong shis affairs and heard that the other party often held lectures beneath a certain tree. Thus, he decided to hide within the lush leaves of the tree with a weapon in hand, ready to strike when Kong shi appeared. In the end, his efforts paid off. Kong shi walked over to the tree and began conducting a lecture. However, after hearing a few words, Tui immediately felt embarrassed by himself, and he leaped out of his hiding spot and acknowledged Kong shi as his teacher. It was due to this legend that Kong shi earned himself the nickname of Worlds Teacher, and his name spread far and wide. Without any exception, those who had heard Kong shis words would eventually be his student. This was the ability that only Kong shi possessed. Could Zhang Xuan be capable of the same feat as well? "Indeed. The person I am referring to is Kong shi!" Clenching his fists tightly, gongzis face turned red in agitation. "Kong shis Impartation of Heavens Will had reached an incredible level. With an utterance, the entire world would tremble before him. With an artiction, a gale would rage and thunder would rumble. Expelling a Hundred Enemies With a Word, Eradicating An Army With a Phrase!" "It was said that when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sent its army to assassinate him, Kong shi was alone. However, without any fear, he began to preach, indifferent even when the swords and axes were before him. A few minutester, the army of Otherworldly Demonic Tribe waspletely wiped out due to infighting..." At which, gongzis pitch-ck eyes turned to look at the others, "Dont you think that what Zhang Xuan is doing resembles the plot of the story?" "It does resemble it a bit..." With pale faces, the crowd trembled slightly. "What you mean is that... Beast Tamer Zhang, no, Zhang shi intends on conducting a lecture tomand these soldiers to back off?" Grand Elder Wei Yuqings body shuddered in disbelief. There were many legends on Kong shi going around on the continent, and over time, they had be overly exaggerated, making it difficult to determine fact from fiction. Thus, very few people took the stories for real. The matter of preaching to destroy the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was one of suchmon legends, and many people simplyughed it off. However, looking at Zhang shi preaching before so many enemies, their hearts started beating wildly. "Im not too sure either, this story only happened to appear in my mind... Since Zhang shi chose to do so, he probably has his reasons for it. After all, he cant possibly just be doing it out of boredom!" Gongzi said. He wasnt Zhang Xuan; he couldnt urately guess the other partys thoughts. "Now that gongzi raised the idea, I think that what you say is really true. Look!" In disbelief, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing was just about to continue enquiring about it when Jin Conghais voice sounded. Jin Conghai had a grim look on his face as he stared at the scene on the Heavens Altar beneath with a look of incredulity. Turning his gaze over, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing was also stunned. Half of the ferocious soldiers who had wanted to attack Zhang Xuan together suddenly fell in a daze, and as though the best treasures in the world had appeared before them, a look of delight slowly spread on their faces. As for the other half, they went further as to dump their weapons on the ground and sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate as per the other partys guidance. All of a sudden, the menacing atmosphere suddenly turned into a sight of harmony. "It... it... is actually true?" With widened eyes and mouth agape, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing seemed to have petrified. No words could describe his shock at the moment. Suddenly, an aura behind him began to surge intensely. P p! The sound of beans popping echoed. Unknowingly, drunk on Zhang Xuans words, Sun Qiangs zhenqi became driving on its own ord, and he broke through his Dingli realm bottleneck, sessfully stepping into the realm of a Pixue cultivator. "Breaking through ones bottleneck through just words? Seems like the rumors are true..." Taking in this sight, gongzi and the others clenched their fists tightly. If they werent sure before, it couldnt be any clearer now. To break through the bottleneck between Dingli and Pixue with just words... This was simr to the ability depicted in that legend between Kong shi and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Even if other master teachers were able to do the same as well, it would still require umtion on the cultivators part and some time. But how long has it only been since Zhang Xuan started his lecture? Twenty breaths? Thirty breaths? At most, it was only forty breaths. In other words, in less than a minute, not only did Zhang Xuan manage to stimte the zhenqi in Sun Qiang body, he even sessfully induced a rise in cultivation realm in thetter... Such capability couldnt even be seen in 4-star pinnacle master teachers! "Wait, look at those citizens around the Heavens Altar..." Gu Mu said. The group hurriedly shifted their gazes over to the crowd. The citizens who were busy watching themotion also began sitting down and meditating ording to Zhang Xuans guidance. The sound of beans popping echoed throughout the square, and it was hard to imagine how many people had managed to achieve a breakthrough during this short period of time. These people were residents who had grown up here in Xuanyuan Kingdom, and they each possessed a dear patriotism toward the royal pce. Thus, when the young man barged into the Heavens Altar and dered his malicious intentions against the crown prince, they felt deep hostility for thetter. However, in an instant, all of these emotions turned into admiration and gratitude. An itinerant cultivator, without the guidance of master teachers and formidable cultivation technique, would have to spend much effort just to break through a small cultivation realm. But now, with just a few words from the other party, they were making this leap in their cultivation. This was something they couldnt have fathomed before. The hostility they felt slowly faded, turning to gratitude and admiration. Having benefitted from Zhang Xuans guidance, thetter could be considered as half a teacher to them already. "Ho-how is this possible?" In the Green Leaf Pavilion, Pavilion Head Dai Feng grabbed the edges of the windows tightly as he watched the phenomenon unfold before him. His head spun in astonishment. As the head of an intelligence-gathering agency, he had heard of the legend between Kong shi and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well. He thought that it was just a legend, but... to think that it would be true! To remain unaware when such a formidable master teacher hade to Xuanyuan Royal City... The Green Leaf Pavilion could close down its services already! "No, this cant be! Ill investigate myself to see who this Zhang Xuan is... What kind of existence did Crown Prince Ding Mu offend?" Upon thinking of this, Pavilion Head Dai Fengs lips twitched; unable to remain seated, he dashed down the pavilion. For the Green Leaf Pavilion to be unaware of such huge news was a massive failure! If he didnt gather all information rted to the background of this fellow, he wouldnt be able to sleep well tonight. ... "What are you all doing? Stop listening to his nonsense and kill him!" Seeing all of the guards falling into a daze, Crown Prince Ding Mu bellowed frenziedly. The reason why he had stationed an army on top of the Heavens Altar was to guard against any sudden movements or mystic treasure of that young man. Yet, with just a single lecture, the other party had sessfully left everyone dazed. What was this? I told you all to kill him, what are you all doing listening to his lecture? This isnt a ssroom... "Immanding all of you to kill him..." Gritting his teeth, Crown Prince Ding Mu continued howling. However, before he could finish his words, all of the soldiers turned their heads simultaneously. "Shut up!" Boom! Even pebbles could be stacked up into a mountain. With so many trained Dingli realm and Pixue realm experts roaring furiously at the same time, it was as though a strike of celestial lightning had flown across the heavens, striking down on Ding Mu. Pu! Struck by the sonic boom, Crown Prince Ding Mus ears rang, and blood started flowing down his mouth and his nose. Even his eyes turned red from the impact, and it seemed as though blood would ooze down at any moment. Even a Transcendent Mortal expert would have to avoid abined attack from several thousand soldiers at once, so of course a mere Zhizun realm advanced stage cultivator like him was wounded. "You all... you all..." Quickly retreating a dozen steps, Crown Prince Ding Mu felt as though he was going mad. These were all his soldiers! They lived off the royal familys stipends, and they were specially groomed so that, when the need arises, they could be mobilized... Yet, all of them turned against him! What in the world? Ding Mus body couldnt stop convulsing. "You! Its all your fault!" With reddened eyes, Ding Mu red at the preaching Zhang Xuan with clenched jaws. Didnt I just kill a student of yours? Do you have toe all the way here and go to the extent of wounding a 3-star master teacher - the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion - and making so many soldiers turn against me? Damn it, damn it! Roaring furiously, Crown Prince Ding Mu scrambled for an idea to win back the hearts of these soldiers. But at this moment, standing at the very center of the crowd, the young man suddenly stopped his lecture, and scanning the surroundings, he said, "Bow!" Hu! In that instant, several thousands of soldiers, as well as the countless spectators, immediately kneeled to the floor as respect and admiration gleamed in their eyes. Then... their voices echoed in the square. "Paying respect to teacher!" ... "Its a Half-Teacher Formality! So many people are bowing to Zhang shi earnestly..." On the back of the Howling Firmament Beast, Mo Yu swallowed a mouthful of saliva. She knew that young mans talent as a master teacher surpassed that of ordinary people, but she didnt expect that he would be able to win over the hearts of the soldiers on the Heavens Altar and the surrounding crowd with just a lecture. While a half-teacher couldntpare up to ones true teacher, it was still a rtionship surpassing that of most ordinary ones. In this world, the prestige of teachers was immense, and students were expected to treat their teachers with the utmost respect. At that moment, Zhang Xuan was standing with his hands behind his back, watching nonchntly at the kneeling crowd as though a conqueror. Ding Mu, who was undergoing the crowning ceremony at this instant, seemed no different from a clown. "To remain nonchnt before an army of several thousand, and conduct a lesson to turn them into his students instead... Zhang Xuan, perhaps you might really be able to fare well in the Master Teacher Tournament and strike your name out into the world!" Clenching her fists tightly, Mo Yus eyes reddened in agitation. That was a true genius! There was only a single oue for those who refused to submit... to be crushed! Regardless of whether you are an expert or an influential individual, before absolute might, nothing else mattered! Mo Yu could already see the storm that Zhang Xuan would cause during the Master Teacher Tournament. ... "With just a short moment of preaching, hes able to make so many people willingly acknowledge him as a half-teacher... On top of the absolute control over the Impartation of Heavens Will, his Soul Depth must have reached at least 12.0! In other words... in terms of Soul Depth, he isnt inferior to a 4-star teacher?" Luo Qianhongs teeth were ttering together. In that instant, it felt as though he had dropped into an ice vault, and he shuddered in fear. Even though gongzi was well-informed, he wasnt a master teacher. As such, he was unaware of many matters. It wasnt that difficult to utilize the Impartation of Heavens Will - one only had to speak of content aligned with the essence of cultivation - but to make so many people fall into a trance and achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation simultaneously was no simple feat. There was a high requirement for ones Soul Depth! Putting everything aside, the insight energy contained within the other partys words felt as though a cool breeze to the ears, inducing subconscious trust into him... With just this, Luo Qianhong could conclude that the other partys Soul Depth was at least 12.0. Every 3.0 difference in Soul Depth was a demarcation zone for a master teacher. A Soul Depth above 12.0 was equivalent to a 4-star master teacher! A 4-star master teacher beneath twenty? What kind of monster is that? Isnt the other party just a 2-star master teacher? Isnt the other party just a reckless countryside bumpkin? If I knew how formidable the other party is, I would never have gotten involved! ncing at one another, Luo Qianhong and Bai Chen could see the fear and regret in each others eyes. If they could, they truly wanted to tear apart that Crown Prince Ding Mu at this instant. What one feared the most was a lousy teammate that would pull one down. This time, they were truly done in badly by that fellow... "Pavilion master, what should we do now?" Bai Chen asked with a tearful face while suppressing his injuries. Initially, he was plotting his revenge for this humiliation. However, after seeing that the other partys Soul Depth had exceeded 12, such thoughts vanished altogether. The greatest difficulty to the promotion of a master teacher was Soul Depth. As long as ones Soul Depth reached the mark, with sufficient time, the rest wasnt too much of a problem. To exact vengeance on a future 4-star master teacher? He really didnt have the guts to do so! "Go back and make some preparations for his Pavilion Crashing... All we can wish for is for him to fail. Once he passes, well be doomed!" With a resigned expression, Luo Qianhong shook his head. If the other party failed the Pavilion Crashing, he could still sell the other party a favor and let bygones be bygones. However, once the other party seeded, there would be nothing left for him. What the heck was this! How did he offend such a monster? With a stiff body, Luo Qianhong was just about to say something more when the young man standing at the very center of the crowd coldly surveyed the surroundings before speaking with an authoritative voice. "Since you all address me as your teacher, are you all going to stop me from killing this person?" Bing a Celestial Master Teacher had not just granted Zhang Xuan with the Eye of Insight, his Impartation of Heavens Will had also made a huge breakthrough. Once these people achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation and became his student, the rest was a walk in the park. "We wouldnt dare!" "If teacher doesnt wish to dirty your hands, we can do it for you!" "Despite his position, Crown Prince Ding Mu hasmitted many vile deeds. Weve long wished to teach him a lesson. As long as teacher gives the order, were willing to take him down for you!" ... Hula! The army of soldiers immediately opened up a pathway, and at the same time, several voices sounded here and there. Crown Prince Ding Mu was a willful and arrogant person; he had made many unwise decisions andmitted innumerable vile deeds. Even though many soldiers were aware and infuriated by it, none of them dared to voice theirints. However, before this half-teacher of theirs, their true sentiments came pouring out. "You all..." Crown Prince Ding Mus heart had already turned cold upon facing the betrayal of so many soldiers, and upon hearing those words, he nearly fainted on the spot. The armies that other kingdoms groomed were willing toy down their lives for the royal family, but what in the world was with the army he had groomed? Hemanded them to kill someone for him, but all of them ended up acknowledging thetter as their teacher and even offered their services... The heck! I am the crown prince, the future emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom! How can I be killed by trash like you? "It wont be that easy to kill me! Give me the crown..." Ding Mus expression warped in savagery. My life is my own, dont even dream aboutying your filthy hands on me! With a loud roar, Ding Mu rushed toward the old Emperor Ding Chong, snatched the crown from his hands, and ced it on his head. At this time, he could care less about formalities or traditions. He walked directly to the throne at the center of the Heavens Altar and sat down. "Under the decree of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, I am now the emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom. Lets see who dares to touch me now!" With a face distorted by insanity, he bellowed furiously. Sitting on the throne with a crown on his head, he could be officially considered as the new emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom. As such, he was under the protection of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting aside a 2-star master teacher, even a 4-star master teacher would have to think twice beforeying a hand on him! Otherwise, if an emperor could be killed that easily, what was the use of the existence of the alliance? The alliance was a bnce of power between the various kingdoms. While internal struggles were reluctantly overlooked, the murder of an emperor was something that was vehemently disallowed. "This..." "This is bad!" The soldiers who had offered to make a move for Zhang Xuan looked at one another hesitantly upon seeing this move. If a crown prince was killed, the emperor could still appoint a new one. However, killing an emperor was synonymous with challenging the prestige of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. "This..." Zhang Xuans face darkened as well. He didnt expect the fellow to be so shameless as to ignore the ceremony and immediately don the crown either. Now that the other party was the emperor, killing him would bring about a lot of trouble. "Haha, I am now the emperor! With the backing of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance behind me, do any of you dare touch me? Are any of you qualified to touch me?" Seeing the hesitance in everyones eyes, Ding Mu roared inughter. Glee reflected in his eyes. Knowing that Zhang Xuan would go after him, he had already nned out his countermeasure. Everything he prepared was just for this day! You might be capable, talented, strong, and above all, you have a good teacher. However, I am notcking either. I have an entire Conferred Kingdom behind me. I have the Myriad Kingdom Alliance behind me! With such an identity, even if I have faulted, only the alliance had the rights to pursue it. A 2-star master teacher like you... Arent worthy! "Also, all of you! Despite living off the stipends of the kingdom, how dare you all betray the kingdom? You all deserve to die!" Ding Mu roared furiously with a savage expression. "We..." The faces of the crowd paled. Even though there was just a thin line between the crown prince and the emperor, of a kingdom, this gap meant everything. The crown prince didnt possess the authority to behead so many soldiers, but the emperor did. "Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Luo has proposed to mediate the matter previously but you disagreed. Its toote to change your mind now!" After mocking Zhang Xuan, Ding Mu stared haughtily at the crowd, and with the disposition befitting of an emperor, he dered, "Ill give you all a chance to make up for your mistakes. As long as you all kill this intruder, Ill pardon you all for your previous sins. On top of that, Ill even confer a nobility on the one who finishes him off and grant him a life of utmost prestige and wealth!" "Why? Do you all still intend on going against my orders, the orders of your emperor..." Seeing the crowd hesitating, Ding Mu gazed downward at the faces below, suppressing the entire square with the majesty of an emperor. Weng! However, before Ding Mu could finish his words, a jade token flew out. Then, bright light burst forth from it, forming a gigantic image. The image consisted of just three words Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Following which, a deep voice reverberated in the air. "The session of the throne requires a prior announcement and aplete ceremony. Ding Mu has disregarded the rules and snatched the imperial authority willfully. The alliance deres his inauguration invalid!" The voice echoed loudly throughout Xuanyuan Royal City, and even the clouds seemed to tremor slightly under it. "This is... a decree from the Myriad Kingdom Alliances envoy!" Someone uttered amidst the crowd. Chapter 438: The Great Xuanyuan Formation Chapter 438: The Great Xuanyuan Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Silence. Ding Mu had just dered his unparalleled authority within the kingdom when the decree of the envoy arrived the next instant. Everyone was dumbfounded. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was several hundred thousand kilometers away from Xuanyuan Kingdom, and even when riding on a Zhizun realm pinnacle savage beast, it would still take several dozen days of journey to travel here. This envoy... sure is efficient... "This... Impossible! How can this be possible..." While jaws were falling to the ground, Ding Mus final string of rationality finally snapped. Are you ying with me? I had just barely managed to be the emperor and force the other party to step down. Victory is right before me, and yet, such a twist just had to ur at this moment. With this, no matter what I do, Ill just be regarded as an unofficial and unrecognized sovereign! Conferred Kingdoms were vassal kingdoms to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and if thetter refused to recognize his position, nothing he said would be useful! "Your Majesty, that... is an authentic decree from the envoy of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Ive seen it before..." Seeing the doubt on Ding Mus face, an official walked over with a nervous look and reported. The decree of the envoy couldnt be forged. The words Myriad Kingdom Alliance possessed a unique authority to it that no one else could imitate. With just a single look, one could determine whether it was authentic or not. "Men, the Left Minister is spouting nonsense and shaking the foundation of the country. Kill him!" Ding Mu was already in a frenzied state, and the words of the official pushed him off the edge. He immediately bellowed amand. "Your Majesty..." The crowd stared at one another hesitantly, not knowing what to do. "You all..." Seeing that everyone was disregarding his orders, Ding Mus eyes reddened in rage. Just as he was about to roar furiously once more, an impassive voice sounded in the air. "Since the Myriad Kingdom Alliance refuses to recognize you, that means that your position is unofficial. No one will listen to themands of a fake emperor!" Turning around, he saw Zhang Xuan gazing at him with cold eyes. In truth, Zhang Xuan was also bewildered by the situation. Beforeing, he had already prepared himself for the worst situation. Regardless of whether the other party became the emperor or not, he would make his move. Of all things, he didnt expect the Myriad Kingdom Alliances involvement in this matter. The appearance of the decree meant that Ding Mus ascension to the throne was uwful, and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance wouldnt pursue the affair even if he were killed. "So what if these useless fools refuse to obey mymands? Do you think that Ill fear you just because of that? You might be strong, but it wont be that easy to kill me!" Having lost the throne, the backing of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and being unable to mobilize his subordinates, Ding Mu knew that he had no choice but to resort to brute force. His face warped as though a ravenous wolf as he red fixedly at the young man before him. Then, he abruptly reached forward to grab the jade seal. With the jade seal in his hands, his disposition changed all of the sudden. In an instant, he felt as if he were a towering mountain standing before everyone else. Even a Half-Transcension expert would have to back off before the powerful aura he was emitting at this moment. "The reason why our Ding n was able to build a massive kingdom that no other kingdoms dare to attack and maintain our lineage for more than a millennium isnt just purely through brute force... It is because of a formation! "The infrastructures in Xuanyuan Kingdom are positioned in a way that aligns with the sun, moon, and the stars, forming a grade-4 primary formation! You wish to kill me? Dream on! Even if I cant be the emperor, Ill pull you down along with me!" Roaring furiously, the jade seal in his hands flew in the air, triggering the formation. In an instant, it seemed as though the entire capital hade to a life. An incredibly powerful pressure fell down from the skies. All of the sudden, the crowd in the square suddenly felt something sealing their movements. At the same time, a powerful pressure overwhelmed them, threatening to kill them if they were to make an unwise move. "Its... the Great Xuanyuan Formation! Hes actually triggered the Great Xuanyuan Formation!" Amidst the crowd, an officials face suddenly paled. His body ckened, and he fell weakly to the ground. "Great Xuanyuan Formation? Whats that?" There were many people who were unaware of its existence, and a person asked anxiously amidst the crowd. "Its said that the founding ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom was a formidable formation master. After uniting thends and building the kingdom, he chose this location to build the capital. Using the mountains, rivers, and the infrastructure as the formation gs, he built an immense formation. Even a Mortal Transcendent expert would die easily if he were to be caught in it!" "This formation can only be triggered by the imperial seal, and its the final line of defense of the kingdom. No one here will be able to withstand its immense might..." The official trembled uncontrobly as he spoke. Previously, when Ding Mu ordered them to kill the other party, no one listened to him. Now that he had activated the formation and trapped everyone within it, if he intended to take revenge, who could stand against him? Hearing those words and feeling the violent might of a formation shrouding them, the crowds faces warped in fear. They thought given the disparity in strength between the other master teacher and Crown Prince Ding Mu, even if no one were to obey hismands, there was nothing for them to worry about. No one could have expected for thetter to have such an ace up his sleeves. A grade-4 formation could kill even a Mortal Transcendent expert, so how could mere Fighter realm cultivators like them withstand it? And without sufficient strength, it was impossible for them to break out of it. I looked like... they were doomed! ... "You are... an envoy of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" While a pandemonium had broken out below, in the air, on the back of a savage beast, Wei Yuqing looked at the young man with tightly-clenched fists. From the attitude of the others toward this gongzi, he could tell that the other partys standing was definitely extremely high. Otherwise, Gu Mus teacher, as a 4-star poison master, wouldnt act so deferentially to him. But even so... He didnt expect the other party to be an envoy from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. An envoy holding a decree was representative of the head of the alliance. If anyone dared to challenge his authority, he could kill them as he pleased! In other words, he possessed unparalleled authority within the territories of the alliance. Yet, to think that the person wielding such immense authority would just be a teenage child... If he hadnt seen the other party throwing out the token personally, he would have never believed it to be true. "Un!" Gongzi nodded silently. At this moment, his gaze was directed at the formation below, and a frown appeared on his face. A momentter, he turned to the elder beside him. "Is there any way for you to break this formation?" "Gongzi, you should also know that Im not adept at formations!" Jin Conghais face flushed in embarrassment. Even though he was a Transcendent Mortal expert, his upation was a poison master. His knowledge of formations was severely limited. On top of that, the formation below was incredibly massive, and even if a 4-star primary formation master were to be here, it would be hard for him to stop the formation. "This formation makes use of the mountains and rivers in the surroundings to augment its might. On top of that, it hasnt been used before ever since it was set up, and over time, a massive amount of spiritual energy had umted within it. Not just me, Im afraid that... even if Pavilion Master Kang were to be here, he would be helpless before it!" After a moment of hesitation, Jin Conghai spoke his analysis. Even though he wasnt adept in formations, as a Transcendent Mortal expert of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, he still possessed a decent discernment ability. It wasnt too difficult for him to determine how fearsome the formation below was. Even the head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Kang, would be helpless before it. And Pavilion Master Kang was the most capable formation master throughout the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! Through this, the fearsomeness of the formation was apparent. "I know that this formation is formidable, but... do you have any way to save him?" Gongzi couldnt help but ask. Deciphering and stopping a formation was very much different from saving a person from a formation. In which case, thetter was much easier than the former. Jin Conghai shook his head and said, "This formation has been nourished over a long period of time, granting it immense might. Life and death hinge on just a single thought of the one controlling the formation! To break it, itll require sixteen Mortal Transcendent experts standing at sixteen different locations... Even if its just saving someone from within, it would require at least five people at the same level as me to make a move simultaneously..." On top of the grade, the scale also determined the strength of the formation. Therger the formation set up, the more powerful it would be. This was the reason why formation tes werecking in might. The formation below covered the entire Xuanyuan Royal City, extending for a length of several hundred kilometers. On top of that, it had umted a frightening quantity of energy over the course of a thousand years, making it a fearsome weapon. It would already be a blessing if a Mortal Transcendent expert could survive a killing formation of such might. Saving someone within... waspletely impossible! "Then... what should we do? You also know that hes Liu Cheng!" Hearing that even his guard was helpless before this immense formation, gongzi panicked. "Dont panic. If ites down to it, Ill just have to try barging into it..." Jin Conghai gritted his teeth. He knew of the gratitude that gongzi felt toward Physician Liu Cheng. The other party had specially traveled from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance here just to look for him. If the other party were to die before him, wouldnt he die of regret? "What do you mean by barging into it?" At that moment, a doubtful voice sounded within the room. Turning around, the group saw that Sun Qiang was done with his cultivation and had stood up once more. Under Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will, not only had Sun Qiang reinforced his Pixue realm cultivation, he had even opened up three acupoints. Thus, he was in good spirits. Sun Qiang had been on the verge of breaking through Dingli realm for a while now, so Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will was exceptionally effective on him. "Your young master is trapped in Ding Mus formation, and hes in an extremely precarious situation now. If you can contact Yang shi, you should hurry up. I fear that... Zhang shi might being to his limits already!" Seeing that Sun Qiang was done with his cultivation, gongzi hurriedly advised. In truth, he regretted not getting Jin Conghai to make a move on Ding Mu when he threw out of the envoys decree earlier on. If he had done so, such a situation wouldnt have urred. He was here to repay the favor, but not only did he fail to achieve anything, he evennded his benefactor into a precarious situation. How could he have the face to live on if the other party really died? In his view, if not for the decree he threw out, Ding Mu wouldnt have been forced to activate the formation. "Formation?" ncing out of the window to look at the sight below, Sun Qiang brushed the matter off impassively, "Seeing your grim faces, I thought that it would be some serious affair. Turns out that its just this. Dont worry, the young master is fine!" Hearing those words, Jin Conghai staggered and nearly fainted. "Do you know how powerful this formation is?" The one below is your young master! Hes trapped in a formation which even a Mortal Transcendent expert would be unable to break out off! Yet, how can you remain so nonchnt? Are you truly that brave, or is there something wrong with your head? "I have no idea!" Sun Qiang waved his hands nonchntly, "But that doesnt make a difference. A small formation like this doesnt mean anything at all!" Tianxuan Kingdom had no formation masters at all, so how could Sun Qiang know anything about formations. Even if the most basic formation wasid out before him, he still wouldnt be able to decipher it at all. But even though he knew nothing at all, Zhao Ya and the others had recounted the events at the Lin n back then to him at least a few hundred times. On top of that, he had also personally witnessed the young master kicking the formation at the residence of Lu Chongs ancestors to a stop. He knew that no one could match up to the young master in the field of formations. It might be something fearsome to the others, but to the young master... it was just a walk in the park. "Doesnt mean anything at all? A small formation? How can you call Zhang shi your young master and behave like that?!" Gongzis face darkened and he nearly erupted on the spot. Chapter 439: Lucid Mind Chapter 439: Lucid Mind Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Upon hearing that their young master was trapped, other subordinates would surely hurriedly plead with others to save him. Yet, not only was this fellow not worried, he even looked at them with such an expression... Are you a subordinate or an enemy? That was a formation that even Pavilion Master Kang would find hard to break! Yet, to view it with such nonchnce, are you that brave or do you desperately crave for your young master to die here? Gongzi was about to faint from anger, and by the side, Wei Yuqings eyes were also rolling around the ce. If not for Zhang Xuan entrusting his subordinate to him personally, he would have thought that this fellow was an imposter. Probably, he was the only one in the world who could watch idly as death loomed above his master. "Whats wrong?" Sun Qiang couldntprehend why the other party had reprimanded him. "Ill go then! I am indebted to Yang shi, and now that his student is in trouble, I cant sit idly by the side..." Seeing how this cretin didnt have any intentions to look for Yang shi to save his young master, Gu Mu and the others decided to disregard him altogether. "You are intending to save the young master?" Sun Qiang finally came to a realization, and a look of disdain appeared on his face, "I didnt expect you all to be so inexperienced... And to think that one of you is the envoy from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance... Its just a formation, whats the big deal? With the young master around, you all really dont need to worry at all!" "Inexperienced?" A fellow from an unranked kingdom who didnt even know what a formation was dared to look at the envoy from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance with disdain? The crowd was so furious that they nearly spurted blood. You are the one whos inexperienced, your entire family is inexperienced! Gongzi clenched his jaws together, tempted to tear the fatty before him apart. But other than having him look for Yang shi, there was no better solution. Thus, suppressing his anger, he began to exin, "This is the Great Xuanyuan Formation, and nourished over a course of thousand years, its the first time its being activated..." "Oh!" After hearing the exnation, Sun Qiang simply nodded his head indifferently and said, "Now that youre done, you should take a rest!" "You..." Gongzi nearly flew into a rampage. It was as though the fellow before him didnt understand the humannguage at all. He had wasted his breath on him! Damn it! Forget it, this wasnt the time to beshing out on this kind of heartless fellow. Saving Zhang shi took priority. As such, he decided to disregard the fatty and turned to look at Jin Conghai instead, "Elder Jin, I might require your strength on this matter. Here is a decree representing my identity. If Ding Mu insists on making a move, you are free to kill him on the spot..." Just as gongzi was issuing some instructions to Jin Conghai, intending to resolve the matter the brute way, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing and Gu Mu suddenly eximed. "What?" "Gongzi, look..." Seeing the expressions on the duo, gedeng, gongzis heart skipped a beat. Thinking that perhaps Zhang Xuan might have already died in that short moment of dy, he hurriedly turned his gaze down and his eyes widened in shock. That humongous formation which seemed as though it would wipe out everything within it suddenly vanished into thin air. The sight below waspletely calm, as though nothing had happened at all. Zhang Xuan was still walking forward slowly, and at this moment, he was already less than ten meters away from Ding Mu. "What happened?" Rubbing his eyes furiously, gongzi was astounded. It was just a moment ago that he saw the formation ravaging, threatening to im the lives of those inside at any moment. Yet, why did it disappear all of the sudden? Did he see wrongly? "Just now... Just now..." Wei Yuqings face waspletely pale, and his lips were quivering. It seemed like even speaking was a great difficulty for him at the moment. "What happened?" Jin Conghai couldnt help but ask as well. "It seems like... Zhang Xuan stretched out a finger, and then... it simply turned out like this!" Wei Yuqing was on the verge of tears. Despite witnessing it with his own eyes, the situation simply seemed even more unbelievable to him. What the heck was this? With just a light tap of a finger, the ravaging formation came to an instant stop. Didnt Jin Conghai and gongzi just praise this formation to the skies... Didnt they say that even the pavilion master of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion couldnt stop him, and it would require at least a dozen Transcendent Mortal experts to forcefully halt it? Yet, the other party stopped it so easily! Was he dreaming? "Stopped it with a single finger?" Jin Conghai and gongzi nearly bit down on their tongues out of shock. Just as they were about to ask if the two of them had seen wrongly, Sun Qiang walked forward with both hands behind him and a proud look on his face. "Our young master might have never taken the formation master examination, but this kind of weak formation means nothing to him at all..." Then, he stared at the group disdainfully once more. How inexperienced. Envoy? 4-star poison master? Pui! In the end, you all still panic over minor situations like this! "You..." Being looked down, gongzi was just about to rationalize it out with this fellow when Jin Conghai pointed below with a grim look. "Gongzi, look!" Afraid that he would miss out anything just like before, he ignored Sun Qiang and turned his gaze downward as well. ... "You... Impossible!" While gongzi, Jin Conghai, and the others were dying from shock above, Ding Mu was also on the verge of suffering a stroke. The Great Xuanyuan Formation was his greatest backing. One of the main reasons why he hurriedly ended the inauguration ceremony was so that he could gain control of the jade seal... He thought that once he activated it, even the envoy would mean nothing at all. Yet, before such a formidable formation could work its course, the other party had already halted it with a light tap... Brother, who the hell are you? Without raising your legs, you could scare Bai Chen into leaping away; with a single hit, you caused the Half-Transcension Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong to vomit buckets of blood; and now, you stopped such a formidable formation with a single finger... Are you sure that you are a 2-star master teacher and not the reincarnation of Kong shi? "You should have expected this when you tried to kill me back then!" Ignoring the other partys shock, Zhang Xuan continued advancing forward. The Great Xuanyuan Formation might be vast and powerful, but just like any formation, it had a core. Since Ding Mu activated the formation via the jade seal on the Heavens Altar, naturally, the core was somewhere around here as well. Through the Library of Heavens Path, it wasnt too difficult for Zhang Xuan to determine the precise point to strike and stop it. "You wont know whos the victor until the very end..." Recovering from his shock, a savage expression reappeared on Ding Mus face. Knowing that the formation was already useless, he threw the jade seal on the floor. Then, clenching his fists tightly, he propelled his cultivation and cloaked his hands with ayer of zhenqi. Phantom battle technique, Heaven Shattering Fist! Ding Mu was only at Zhizun realm advanced stage, but through this battle technique, he was able to take the top spot of the Green Leaf Board. This showed how formidable this battle technique was. "Die!" Knowing the other party was a tough adversary, Ding Mu drove his cultivation to his limits and took the initiative. Boom! The air was tightlypressed under his might, causing a deafening sonic boom. In the blink of an eye, his fist was already right before Zhang Xuan, headed for his chest. "Strong!" "Hes at Zhizun realm pinnacle as well... To think that hed made a breakthrough as well!" Upon seeing the massive strength the Ding Mu disyed, the crowd was stunned. Many of those who were aware of the affairs of the crown prince realized that the crown prince wasnt at Zhizun realm advanced stage as per the rumors, he had already reached pinnacle! "Its not that he made a breakthrough. Rather... he used some kind of secret art!" Luo Qianhong had a grim look on his face. He was a good friend of the other party, and the other party had been hiding in the Master Teacher Pavilion the past few days. As such, he had a good grasp over the other partys strength. Even though he had reached Zhizun realm advanced stage for some time now, it would still take at least half a year before he could make another breakthrough. Thus, the only usible exnation was that he had used some kind of secret art. Rumor has it that the royal family had a secret art which burned their blood essence in exchange for a temporary increment in their cultivation by one to two small realms "Even so, that Zhang Xuan... is in trouble!" He clenched his fists tightly. The reason why Ding Mu could reach the top of the Young Leaf Board wasnt due to his position as the crown prince but because he possessed true strength. Even without resorting to such secret art, he could defeat a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert. With this leap in his cultivation, even Luo Qianhong himself would find it hard to triumph over the other party. That Zhang Xuan had only managed to injure him through exploiting the ws in his techniques and his powerful physical body. On the other hand, Crown Prince Ding Mu, due to the Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Form of the royal family, possessed a powerful physical body as well. Regardless of whether it was his cultivation technique, battle technique, or physical body, there was no w to be picked from him. It would be impossible for Zhang Xuan to defeat the other party using the same means. "This is your ace?" Just as Luo Qianhong thought that Zhang Xuan would be unable to hold his ground against Ding Mu, the young mans calm voice sounded. After which, the young man flexed his fingers and grabbed forward, as though capturing a rabbit trapped in a cage. Hu! Ding Mus fist art was dispelled in an instant. Then, as though Ding Mu was a little chicken, Zhang Xuan grabbed at his neck, lifting him up. What Heaven Shattering Fist, Phantom pinnacle battle technique, blood-burning secret art... Before that young man, it was asughable as ying house! "This is... the realm which even 4-star master teachers find it hard to achieve, [Vanquishing Facade, Lucid Mind]?" Narrowing his eyes, Luo Qianhongs face reflected his disbelief. Chapter 440: Ding Hong [2in1] Chapter 440: Ding Hong [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Most cultivators were able to reach a State of Mind at the level of 2-dan Heart of Tranquil Water. But to exceed that level was extremely difficult. It was said that only upon reaching the level of a 4-star master teacher would one have the chance to make the breakthrough. Heart of Tranquil Water only allowed one to remain impervious to external factors. The higher realm to that was Vanquishing Facade, Lucid Mind that Luo Qianhong just eximed. Upon reaching this level, one would be able to peer through chaos to see the crux of the matter. At the same time, with a clearer mind, ones analytical power would grow substantially stronger. Even though it was far from a match for the Eye of Insight, it was useful in the sense that it provided a master teacher with a greater degree of rationalizing abilities. For example, no matter how knowledgeable one was, it was impossible for one to have seen all questions in the world and know the answers to them. However, if one had reached this state, one could easily deduce the motive of the one setting the question and the content which the question was trying to assess a person on. By seeing through all of the facade, one would be able to provide the most urate answer. Knowledge is omnipresent around us, only waiting to be analyzed! As such, this realm was also known as [Lucid Analytical Realm]. This Zhang Xuan was able to see through Ding Mus Heaven Shattering Fist and blood-burning secret art, immediately aiming for the neck instead. Clearly, he had seen through all of the facades contained within the moves and the purposes each of them served. Even if the person hadnt reached the Lucid Analytical Realm yet, he wasnt too far from it. This exined why the other party could neutralize his Whisking Sleeves so easily. As for whether it was the higher realm, Eye of Insight, this was something that he dared not even imagine. After all, this was an ability that even most 6-star master teacher didnt possess. How could it appear in a 2-star master teacher who wasnt even twenty yet? Even so, just the thought that the other party had reached Lucid Analytical Realm had already left him incredibly shocked. What kind of monster was the other party? ... "Yo-You..." Having his neck grabbed, a mix of shock and fear surfaced on Ding Mus face. He thought that by using the blood-burning secret art and his most powerful move, even if he wasnt a match for the other party, he would still be able to stand his own ground. He didnt even consider the possibility of being subdued as soon as he made a move. "Dont kill me! I was bewitched by that woman, Lin Long, back then. I was blind to have made a move on you... As long as you dont kill me, Ill give you whatever you want. Anything that is within Xuanyuan Kingdoms means, Ill give it to you! Even a hundred or two hundred spirit stones isnt a problem at all!" The young man before him had defeated Luo Qianhong, dispelled the Great Xuanyuan Formation, and even his final ace was crushed that easily. This time, Ding Mu truly felt frightened and helpless. Xuanyuan Kingdom was qualified to deal with spirit stones, and as long as the other party was willing to spare him, no amount of wealth was too much. "Spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. If not for Lu Chong taking the blow for him, he would already have been dead. Could spirit stones be used to trade for the welfare of his student? "Since I said that Ill kill you, then pardon me... Only one fate awaits you!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he exerted more force through his fingers. "AH... Great grandfather, save me!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to really make a move, Ding Mus face paled and he hurriedly shouted for help. "Let him go!" As soon as Ding Mu shouted for help, a loud bellow reverberated across the entire city. It sounded as though the rumbling of a thunder, shaking the ground and buildings in the area. Frowning, Zhang Xuan nced over. The voice came from the depths of the royal pce right in front of him. Deep and steady, those words seemed to wield an immense pressure. Even despite Zhang Xuans recent massive breakthrough, he found himself on the verge of caving in from the pressure. "Strong..." He clenched his fists tightly. Apanied with the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could match up to even a Half-Transcension at his current strength. Yet, the other party was able to induce such a sensation within him with just words. Without a doubt, the other partys cultivation definitely exceeded that of Luo Qianhong, reaching that legendary realm. He didnt expect such an expert to exist amidst the Xuanyuan royal family! ... "Great grandfather? Could it be... He isnt dead yet?" Atop of the savage beast, Grand Elder Wei Yuqings face darkened. "You know this man?" Gongzi turned to look at Grand Elder Wei Yuqing. "Un!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing nodded. "Theres a ranking board for the strongest experts within Xuanyuan Kingdom known as the Green Leaf Board, and on it, despite being a Half-Transcension expert and a 3-star intermediate master teacher, Luo Qianhong was only in the third ce!" "Third ce?" Gongzi and Jin Conghai nced at one another. They had seen the pavilion masters strength for themselves previously when he made a move on Zhang Xuan. Even though he was defeated by Zhang Xuan in an instant, his true strength shouldnt be underestimated. Among Half-Transcension expert, he definitely ranked amidst the top. Yet, with such strength, he was only ced at the third rank. Who could the other two in front of him be? "The one ranked second is not a cultivator, but the greatest backing of Xuanyuan Kingdom a Half-Transcension savage beast, [Steelback Winged Dragon]!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing said. "Youre referring to that powerful savage beast which possesses a trace of the Dragon Bloodline?" Jin Conghai frowned. Simr to the Nightmare Beast, the Steelback Winged Dragon also possessed the Dragon Bloodline. Even though it was extremely thin, it granted them a portion of the overwhelming strength of the Dragon Tribe. It possessed steel wings as sharp as knives, and its speed was one that would leave the mouths of onlookers agape. Thick scales filled its body, granting it an imprable defense. On top of that, it possessed immense strength and stamina as well. From birth, it was already destined to reach Half-Transcension realm. In fact, with its powerful physical traits, it could even match up with some of the weaker spirit beasts. "The other Conferred Kingdoms may not know much about the Great Xuanyuan Kingdom, but the Steelback Winged Dragon ismon knowledge. This was precisely the reason why, despite Emperor Ding Chongs weak personality, no kingdom dared to turn their des to us!" As the Grand Elder of the Beast Hall, there was no way Wei Yuqing wouldnt know about such a powerful savage beast in Xuanyuan Kingdom. If not for this formidable backing, even if Zhang Xuan didnt do anything at all, this kingdom would have been annexed by the other Conferred Kingdoms already. "But if the Steelback Winged Dragon is only ranked at second ce, could the first ce refer to..." Gu Mu turned his gaze over in astonishment. "Thats right, its the person who had just spoken, Crown Prince Ding Mus great grandfather, the 178th emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom... Ding Hong!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing clenched his fists tightly as he said, "This Ding Hong could be considered a genius among geniuses. Eighty years ago, he was already the number one expert in the kingdom, just that, one day... he faded out of public view. Even I had thought that he was already dead and the reason why his name remained on the Green Leaf Board was out of remembrance... Yet, to think that he was still alive!" "The number one expert eighty years ago? But his lifespan..." Gu Mu widened his eyes in shock. Making the breakthrough to Zhizun realm meant that ones level of existence had reached greater heights, and there would be an overall enhancement in ones physical attributes. Even though ones lifespan would be increased as well, this increment was minimal, perhaps just a few years at best. Under normal circumstances, a hundred years was already the limit for most Zhizun realm experts. If Ding Hong was the number one expert of the kingdom eighty years ago, he must have at least reached the Half-Transcension realm at that time. To be still living now... Didnt this mean that he was already beyond a hundred years old? "If its really him, he should be one hundred and fifteen this year!" Grand Elder Wei Yuqing said. "A hundred and fifteen? Transcendent Mortal 1-dan... Prolonged Longevity realm?" Jin Conghai asked. The Transcendent Mortal realm, also known as the Surmounting Mortality realm and the Mortal Metamorphosis realm, meant oveing the limits of a mortal and reaching a brand new level of existence. This was the terminology used for the realms, and just like the Fighter 9 dans, it had nine different realms to it as well. 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm. Upon reaching this level, there would be a huge leap in ones level of existence. At this realm, one would be able to absorb the spiritual energy in the world to heal the various traumas cultivating had brought to them, and through such means, enhance their longevity. At Fighter realm, even if one had reached Zhizun realm pinnacle or even Half-Transcension, surpassing the century limit was an extremely difficult task. But if one were to reach this higher realm, ones longevity could potentially be doubled to two hundred years. Given that Ding Hong was still alive and kicking despite exceeding the hundred year mark, he must have made the breakthrough to be a full-fledged Transcendent Mortal expert. To think that there would be a Transcendent Mortal expert in Xuanyuan Kingdom! "There is a huge gap between the strength of a Transcendent Mortal cultivator and a Half-Transcension cultivator. Gongzi, should we help him?" Jin Conghai asked grimly. Even though it was just a difference of a small cultivation realm, it represented the difference between a mortal and a transcendent being. How could the two begin topare with one another? Zhang Xuan might be able to defeat a Half-Transcension expert easily, but a Transcendent Mortal was definitely beyond his means. With such a huge difference in their level of existence, there was no way his fighting prowess could match up to Ding Hong. It was just like how the possibility of a human defeating a tiger bare-handed was practically zero. "Wait a moment first, lets see how he deals with this matter. Well only help him when things look dire!" Gongzi shook his head. The other party had defeated a Half-Transcension expert easily and stopped the Great Xuanyuan Formation with just a single finger. The means that he had disyed had piqued gongzis curiosity. He was interested to see if the other party had any unique methods to deal with a Transcendent Mortal expert. Besides, Jin Conghai was a person who had traveled quite far in the path of a Transcendent Mortal. With his strength, it wasnt difficult for him to subdue a Prolonged Longevity realm in an instant. Thus, there was no harm in doing so. "Un!" Nodding his head, Jin Conghai turned his gaze back to the field below. Gu Mu and the others also anxiously shifted their sights. ... "Youre a master teacher, right? Can you sell me a favor and let this unfilial progeny of mine off? Im willing to offer you two thousand spirit stones in exchange for this favor!" After a moment of hesitation, the deep and ancient voice echoed once more. "Two thousand spirit stones?" The breathing of the crowd hastened. The value of a spirit stone was immense. It was difficult to trade for a single one even with a massive sum of gold. Yet, the other party offered two thousand spirit stones immediately. This was truly a generous offer. With so many spirit stones, one could buy up the entire Tianwu Kingdom! To be giving away wealth equivalent to the value of a Tier 1 Kingdom just to save Ding Mu, it was clear to see how important thetter was to him. Upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was stunned as well. Even when he was at the peak of his wealth, he only had fifteen spirit stones in his possession. He knew how valuable spirit stones were, and this two thousand spirit stones would surely contribute greatly to his cultivation. "Thats right, two thousand spirit stones. I believe you should understand the value of my offer!" The elder spoke slowly and deeply. "Besides, you have nothing to gain from killing him. Rather, youll face my relentless pursuit for revenge then. You are a wise man, so I believe you should know what to choose!" The other partys voice may seem calm, but it wasced with threat. If Zhang Xuan truly intended to make a move, Ding Hong would surely step forward and kill him. Hearing the other partys threat, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. Zhang Xuan loved money, and he was in dire need of spirit stones as well. However, he would neverpromise his own principles for such material wealth. If he were to do so, how could he face Lu Chong when he finally wakes up? Kacha! With a slight exertion of force, his grip tightened and a crisp sound echoed. Before Ding Mu could make a single sound, his head tilted and he breathed hisst breath. Putong! The corpse was thrown to the ground. "You... Audacious!" Not expecting that this young fellow would actually kill Ding Mu despite all that he had said, Ding Hong couldnt hold back his rage anymore. The restraint present in his voice previously vanished, and his bellow reached even the heavens, threatening to tear the sky apart. Hula! Hearing that thunderous voice, the crowd who was watching themotion suddenly lost their bnce and fell to the ground. The rage of a Transcendent Mortal caused even the skies to pale! "This is bad..." "He should have just exchanged for the two thousand spirit stones!" "Indeed, hes really doomed this time. Thats a Transcendent Mortal! No matter how powerful he is, its impossible for him to be a match for Ding Hong..." ... An uproar broke out beneath the Heavens Altar as well. Clearly, they didnt expect Zhang Xuan to kill Ding Mu either. Even more so, they didnt think that there would be such a formidable expert behind Xuanyuan Kingdom. With just a loud bellow, he was able to make so many cultivators topple down. His strength was terrifying. Even though Zhang shi had shown them plenty of miracles before, no one thought his prospects looked good. There was too huge of a gap between Transcendent Mortals and Fighters. It was like a battle between a god and a mortal, there waspletely no hope of victory. "Transcendent Mortal... Zhang Xuan, Ive brought harm to you..." Mo Yus face paled, and her body trembled uncontrobly. She knew that Xuanyuan Kingdom was powerful, and without the strength of a Zhizun realm pinnacle, it was best not to cause any trouble here. However, she couldnt have imagined that the famous old ancestor who had rattled the entire kingdom during his time was actually still alive. And on top of that, he was stronger than he was back then. Putting aside the increment in ones strength upon reaching Transcendent Mortal realm, Transcendent Mortals could tap into the energy existent in the surroundings, making no Fighter a match for them. As long as this old ancestor made a move, no matter how many aces Zhang Xuan had up his sleeves, it would be futile. Master teachers had the ability to see through ws, but it didnt guarantee their omnipotence. It was just like how everyone knew that the easiest way to capture a city was to destroy its walls... but without sufficient strength, could one do so? It was one thing to know the ws, but it was another thing to be able to exploit them. Upon reaching Transcendent Mortal, ones physical attributes would have raised to a whole new level. On top of that, most weaknesses would be hidden as well. Even if one was able to find an opening, without sufficient speed and strength to get past the enemys defense, it would be impossible to get to it. Roar! Just as everyone was anxious and worried about what was to happen, the deafening roar of a beast sounded from the depths of the royal pce. Then, a bolt of lightning streaked out from within, and a figure appeared in the aerial space above the Heavens Altar. It was a massive aerial savage beast with a length of ten meters, and when its gigantic wings were spread open, it spanned a width of thirty meters. Thick scales covered its entire body, and the sharp aura it exuded was greatly intimidating. "Steelback Winged Dragon?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Having read so many books on beast taming, Zhang Xuan instantly recognized this beast that was at the pinnacle of savage beasts. Simr to the Nightmare Beast, it was a Half-Transcension savage beast which possessed the Dragon Bloodline as well. However, this fellow was significantly stronger, and its nature was even more callous as well. It was already frightening that there was a Transcendent Mortal old ancestor in the royal pce. To think that there would be such a formidable savage beast on top of that. As expected of a Conferred Kingdom. Zhang Xuan had truly underestimated the other party. A man stood proudly on the back of the Steelback Winged Dragon This person wasnt as old as his voice sounded, and he looked like he was only in his fifties this year. The aura he exuded felt as vast as the ocean, making it impossible for one to peer into its depths. Upon reaching Prolonged Longevity realm, ones aged body would also be younger as well. Even though this old ancestor of the Xuanyuan Kingdom was already beyond one hundred years old, he didnt look as old as Zhang Xuan expected. "Its indeed him..." Luo Qianhongs eyes narrowed. Even though he had never met this old ancestor before, he had seen his painting before. All along, he had thought that the other party was dead. Yet, not only was the other party still alive, he was still vigorous. "I gave you a chance; its a pity that you didnt grasp it well!" Clenching his jaws tightly, Ding Hong stared down at Zhang Xuan coldly. He doted on that great grandson of his greatly. Otherwise, he wouldnt have made Ding Chong bestow him with the position of the crown prince so early on. Yet, this fellow actually dared to kill his beloved grandson right before him... Unforgivable! Boom! The voice reverberated from the heavens, falling down upon Zhang Xuan like a plummeting massive hammer. Deng deng deng deng! Zhang Xuan felt a stifling sensation in his chest, as though someone had struck it forcefully. His face paled and he was forced to retreat several steps backward to ward off the force. A Transcendent Mortal expert was already capable of manipting the strength of the world. It wasnt difficult for him tounch an attack from a distance. It was just like Su shi back then. With a single sound, he made the Gold-scaled Lightning Beast fall from the sky and dealt Liang Qingming severe injuries. Ding Hongs cultivation was not a match for Su shi, and Zhang Xuan was significantly stronger than Liang Qingming as well. Even so, he was still knocked back by the other partys words. The strength of a Transcendent Mortal was indeed fearsome. "I didnt grasp the chance? Pardon me, but even if I could redo it, Id still kill him!" Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan dispelled the pressure on him and nced into the sky. "Eye of Insight!" Lines of insight flowed within Zhang Xuans eyes as he tried to look into the ws of the other party, but as expected, it was futile. At Zhang Xuans current level, he could only peer into the ws of those at most a small cultivation realm higher than him, meaning a Half-Transcension expert. His Eye of Insight waspletely useless against a Transcendent Mortal expert at his current cultivation. Despite knowing that his ability as a master teacher waspletely useless to him at the moment, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. Without any hesitation, he turned to the Library of Heavens Path. "ws!" Hu! A book appeared in his mind. The other party was exerting pressure on him through his voice, and this could be considered as a battle technique of some sort. Thus, the Library of Heavens Path was able topile a book on him. Zhang Xuan hurriedly flung it open and browsed through it. After a quick look, Zhang Xuans face turned grave. There were many ws on Ding Hong detailed in the book, but given Zhang Xuans current cultivation... even if he knew of them, he still couldnt pose a threat to the other party. It was just like how even if an infant knew that the crotch was a mans weakness, putting aside whether the infant could strike it or not, even if he could, he might not be able to injure the other party. Zhang Xuans current strength totaled up to 50,000 ding, but wounding a Transcendent Mortal expert with such a level of strength was still nigh impossible. In other words, this was a hopeless battle for Zhang Xuan! "Since you wish to die, Ill grant your wish!" Seeing how this fellow still dared to talk back to him under such circumstances, Ding Hong harrumphed coldly. Roar! The Steelback Winged Dragon immediately pped its massive wings violently. Sou! The immense body of the beast swooped down as though an arrow released from a bowstring, and in the blink of an eye, it was already right before Zhang Xuan, threatening to sweep across Zhang Xuan with its dagger-like wings. Judging from the shrilling sound, it seemed that even metal would be torn apart under the sharpness of the wings, lest to say, a human. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. While his Heavens Path Golden Body 2-dan granted him incredible defense, he knew that his body wouldnt be able to withstand this attack. Hu! Heavens Path Movement Art. In the blink of an eye, he appeared at a distance several dozen meters away, thus dodging this assault. Roar! Missing the attack, the Steelback Winged Dragon immediately turned around in midair and darted toward Zhang Xuan once more. Zhang Xuan retreated once more. Having the same situation happen again and again, Zhang Xuans face turned grim. Even though the number of times Zhang Xuan could use the Heavens Path Movement Art had increased due to the rise in his cultivation, he knew that there was a limit to his stamina. If this went on, it would just be a matter of time before his zhenqi ran out. "Its not a solution to continue dodging like that but... a Half-Transcension realm savage beast and a Transcendent Mortal expert... Zhang shi isnt a match for either of them!" "Indeed, Zhang shi is in a bad position!" A tense look was on everyones faces. Putting aside the Transcendent Mortal realm Ding Hong, even the Steelback Winged Dragon, ced second on the Green Leaf Board, wasnt an existence that Fighter realm cultivators could deal with. Putting aside its powerful defense and overwhelming offensive ability, more importantly, it was able to fly... No matter how powerful Zhang Xuan was, he could only withstand its assault. After all, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to fly into the skies and knock it down. "Will... Zhang shi be killed?" someone amidst the crowd asked. Zhang shi had just helped him achieve a breakthrough, and he owed him a debt of gratitude. Yet, upon seeing that the other party was in a difficult situation, he wasnt able to do anything at all. Thus, he panicked. "If Zhang shi knocks the Steelback Winged Dragon down, there might still be a chance... But is that possible?" another person replied. The Steelback Winged Dragon was a Half-Transcension realm savage beast. Its aerial capability was its greatest strength, so how could it give up on it? The only possibility was for one to cripple its flying capability. But... even if one possessed sufficient strength to break through its nearly imprable defense, one had to be able to catch up with it first. In other words, the Steelback Winged Dragon was already in a position that made it impossible to lose. If this went on, Zhang Xuan would only be killed. The crowd fell silent. They were anxious, but there was nothing they could do. "You sure dodge fast, lets see how many more times you can avoid its attacks!" Since the crowd was able to analyze this much, Ding Hong, being a Mortal Transcendent expert, was able to do so as well. Sneering coldly, he stared at Zhang Xuan haughtily as if he were looking at a dead person. So what if you could run fast? Can you exceed the flying speed of the Steelback Winged Dragon? "Youre right, I cant go on dodging its attacks forever!" Zhang Xuan abruptly came to a stop. Lifting his head, he said, "Since thats the case... Ill stop dodging then!" "Youll stop dodging? Hahaha, ept your death then!" Harrumphing coldly, Ding Hong was just about to get the Steelback Winged Dragon to advance toward Zhang Xuan when a sharp voice suddenly echoed from below. "Moo!" Putong! Before Ding Hong could react, his footing suddenly disappeared. Along with the Steelback Winged Dragon, he plummeted head down into the ground, raising a huge cloud of dust. Chapter 441: Ill Make a Breakthrough Then! Chapter 441: Ill Make a Breakthrough Then! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Complete silence. The spectators and soldiers on and below the Heavens Altar, numbering up to several tens of thousands, were all dumbfounded. With just his words, Old Ancestor Ding Hong was able to force everyone here to submit to him. The valiant sight of him entering the field on the Steelback Winged Dragon was engraved deep into everyones mind. Everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would be crushed helplessly, but before Ding Hong could even wound the other party, he ended up falling from the sky... The heck! Could things get any more ridiculous? For an expert like you, walking out from the royal pce wasnt a big deal. Yet, you just had to put on a show and enter the field riding on the Steelback Winged Dragon. On top of that, you chose to fly at such a high altitude in an attempt to y god and bring heaven retribution onto others... Yet, retribution did appear, but the target seemed to be you. All gazes immediately turned toward the silhouette who was stabbed more than half a meter deep into the ground. Everyones mouths were twitching, and they couldnt help but wince at the tragic sight. Even Transcendent Mortal experts were incapable of flight. Falling from an altitude of fifty to sixty meters unprepared might be insufficient to kill him, but it was more than enough to incapacitate him for a short moment. It was fortunate that Ding Hong had a strong cultivation. At that height, even a Zhizun realm expert would find himself crippled. "The Steelback Winged Dragon is a Half-Transcension savage beast, why would it suddenly lose its stability and fall from the skies?" Recovering from the astonishment, bewildered exims echoed amidst the crowd. It wasnt like this was an untamed savage beast intentionally trying to cause damage. The Steelback Winged Dragon had already served as Xuanyuan Kingdoms guardian beast for several centuries, and it was a respected guardian deity in the hearts of all the citizens. For such a noble savage beast to plummet from the skies all of a sudden and crash so heavily that it couldnt even push itself up anymore... Even though they had witnessed this sight with their own eyes, they had no idea what to make out of this matter. "It seemed like... that fellow dropped right after Zhang shi released a bizarre sound!" "Indeed! I heard it as well. It sounded crisp and clear, reminiscent of the sound a cow makes, as well as a deafening thunder on the ground. To cause the Winged Dragon to panic like that... I wonder what it was?" Some of the keener people who noticed the entire proceedings of the mattermented. The savage beast was perfectly fine a moment ago, but after that crisp call from Zhang Xuan, it suddenly plummeted to the ground. Could there be a rtionship between the two? While the crowd was struck by astonishment, Old Ancestor Ding Hong finally recovered and pulled himself out from the ground. He was so furious that he could explode from rage at any moment. He thought that as long as he killed Zhang Xuan on the Winged Beast, he would be able to win the hearts of the people and restore ultimate power to the Ding n. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect to nearly die from a fall. If he were to be the first Transcendent Mortal to die from falling from too high up, he wouldnt have the face to meet anyone even as a ghost. Wiping away the dust from his face, he red at the young man with reddened eyes. If looks could kill, holes would have appeared on Zhang Xuan. "Kill him!" ncing at the Steelback Winged Dragon which was still recovering from the impact, Ding Hong roared. However, right after he issued themand, he realized a hint of fear in the gaze of the Winged Dragon directed toward the young man in front of it. Putting aside killing him, it seemed as though it didnt even dare approach him. "You trash!" Ding Hong was infuriated. What the heck was this! As the bearer of the Dragon Bloodline, you always act so arrogantly in the royal court, disregarding everyone else. Yet, you act so cowardly before an enemy? Can you be any more useless? Back then, you even ughtered a spirit beast before! The other party is just a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert... Ding Hong bellowed at the Winged Dragon several more times, but this fellow seemed to be adamant not to make a move even if it spelled his death. Suppressing his anger, Ding Hong turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuan. "To be able to persuade it not to make a move on you, I admit that youre a capable man. But since thats the case... Ill do it myself then. Its your honor to die by my hand!" Ding Hong didnt know the reason behind the attitude of the Steelback Winged Beast, but it had to be a doing of the brat before him. But so what? The other party was just a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator. Even if he could defeat a Half-Transcension expert, he was still a huge way from matching up to a Transcendent Mortal like him. With the huge disparity in strength, no matter what aces the other party had up his sleeves, it was all useless. Boom! Harrumphing coldly, Old Ancestor Ding Hong charged forward to make a move. With a thrust of his hand, rampaging zhenqi infused with the Origin Energy from the world formed a gigantic handprint, and it charged straight toward Zhang Xuan. Spirit low-tier battle technique, Origin Energy Palm! Back then, on the back of the savage beast, the other party had used long-range sonic offensive means on him. Even though it was powerful, the distance had whittled down the might of the attack significantly so Zhang Xuan wasnt able to get a clear gauge on the other partys strength. However, at such close proximity, he finally understood how fearsome Transcendent Mortals were. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt overwhelming energy rushing toward him, causing his entire body to stiffen from the pressure. Under such a pressure, even driving his own zhenqi felt arduous. "Ill have to go all out!" Transcendent Mortal experts possessed great control over the environment they were in, and knowing this, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to escape. Thus, he drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to its maximum capacity and faced the other partys palm with his fist. Heavens Path Fist Art! Propelling the strength of his muscles, zhenqi began gushed forth from his fist. An immense strength exceeding 60,000 ding burst out as though a massive primordial beast tearing open the heavens, colliding with the other partys Origin Energy Palm. Peng! Under the intense collision, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but retreat ten steps back. His face flushed and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Even though he had massively improved in the past few days, and his strength exceeded that of ordinary Zhizun realm pinnacle experts as well, he was still far from matching up to a true Transcendent Mortal. There was no way he could remain unharmed from that blow. "You withstood the attack? Not bad. Lets see how much more can you take then!" Ding Hong was astonished to see Zhang Xuan survive his Origin Energy Palm. It was no wonder that this fellow could defeat even Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong. His strength was indeed formidable. Even Half-Transcension experts would definitely end up severely injured under his Origin Energy Palm. Yet, the other party was only forced to retreat several steps. On top of that, he realized that the other partys physical body was on par with him. A mere Zhizun realm cultivator actually possessed a physical body on par with a Transcendent Mortal? How can that be? Boom! Even though Ding Hong was surprised, there was no hesitation in his movements at all. His next palm came striking down as soon as he saw Zhang Xuan sessfully warding off his first attack. Upon noticing the absurd resilience of Zhang Xuans body, he chose to exert more force this time around. Before the palm print even reached the other party, a huge fissure had already been torn on the ground. "Origin Energy Palm is formed via the ability of a Transcendent Mortal to manipte the Origin Energy in the world. ws: No. 1, if one only cultivates it to the level of an initiate, one wont be able to control if perfectly..." The various ws of the other partys battle technique surfaced in his mind. The Origin Energy Palm possessed immense might, but as a Spirit low-tier battle technique, it was impossible for Ding Hong to fullyprehend it with his cultivation as a Prolonged Longevity realm cultivator. Even if he had studied it for a significant period of time, he would only be able toprehend the basics. And in truth, he was a far way off from reaching Consummation. The Master Teacher Pavilion had allocated various tiers of mastery for battle techniques, and they were namely: Novice, Initiate, Minor Aplishment, Major Aplishment, and Consummation. At Novice, one had a surface understanding of the battle technique and could forcefully execute it. At Initiate, one would be able to bring out the essence of the battle technique but was stillcking in control. At Minor Aplishment, ones understanding of the battle technique had already reached a deep level, and it could be relied on as a life-preserving means. One must know that most of the cultivators had only reached Minor Aplishment in the mastery of their battle techniques. As for Major Aplishment and Consummation, without decades of practice, it would be impossible to reach that level. Ding Hong might have studied the Origin Energy Palm for a very long time, immersing him into it for more than several decades, but due to theck of a teacher and his insufficient cultivation, hisprehension of the skill was severely limited. Thus, he was only able to reach the level of Initiate. "Initiate Origin Energy Palm has a total of seventeen ws..." Knowing that it would just be a matter of time before he died if he were to face Ding Hong face on, Zhang Xuan hurriedly looked for a w in Ding Hongs technique. The current him wasnt a match for a Transcendent Mortal at all. Only through exploiting the enemys w was there a possibility of him retaliating. "Found it!" Suddenly, Zhang Xuan caught sight of something and his eyes gleamed in delight. Hu! He finally found a w that he could exploit. Without any hesitation, he immediately stepped aside, dodging the other partys assault, and with a flick of his wrist, he whipped out a spear from his storage ring and stabbed it straight toward the opening. Heavens Path Spear Art! He had obtained quite a few weapons from the Lin n, and most of them were stored in his storage ring in case of emergency. It was their time to shine now. That w was actually an opening in between the interval of the execution of the previous attack and the charging of the next Origin Energy Palm. His spear whizzed and stabbed forward like a valiant dragon. "Formidable! That Zhang shis eye of discernment is indeed fearsome!" On top of the back of a savage beast, Jin Conghai witnessed Zhang Xuan making this pierce and his eyes narrowed. Despite being a Transcendent Mortal expert, even he was unable to find a w in Ding Hongs battle technique yet. For Zhang Xuan to be able to find it in an instant, his battle sense was truly terrifying. "However... its a pity that his offensive power is too weak. Even if he augmented his strength with a spear art, its futile!" Recovering from his shock, Jin Conghai shook his head. "Futile?" a bewildered Gongzi asked. Since Zhang Xuan had found the other partys w, why would it be useless? "Thats right!" cing his hands behind him, Jin Conghai spoke with a deep gaze, "The Transcendent Mortal Realm... isnt as simple as it seems!" ... Weng! Unaware of the conversation of the duo above, Zhang Xuans spear dived swiftly toward Ding Hongs opening as though a roaring dragon charging toward its prey. "Hmph!" Ding Hong narrowed his eyes and he hurriedly retreated. Hu! For a moment, the air seemed to have solidified. It was as though the spear was trapped in a bog all of a sudden, and its movement abruptly slowed. Hu! The next moment, Ding Hong grabbed the end of the spear. Kacha! Exerting his zhenqi, the Phantom spear broke into countless splinters instantaneously. At the same moment, Zhang Xuan felt an ache in his chest, and he was knocked back more than a dozen steps. "Damn it!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. He had found the w, and the spear was aimed and timed perfectly. Yet, he was still unable to hurt the other party at all. Transcendent Mortals were indeed fearsome existences. No Fighter, even at Zhizun realm, was a match for them. "Youre indeed incredible to make use of the temporarypse in between my attacks against me. I truly didnt expect it!" Ding Hong turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuan. It was impressive for a Zhizun realm cultivator to find the w of a Transcendent Mortal cultivator so quickly. If not for Ding Hong having reached Transcendent Mortal realm, he would have surely been injured by the previous attack. "However, youre too weak! If your cultivation was at Half-Transcension, I might have been injured just now. However, its a pity that... at Zhizun realm pinnacle, youre still a long way off! Even if you can find my ws... what can you do to me?" Ding Hong sneered coldly, "As a show of respect for you, Ill face you with my full strength!" "Youre right!" Zhang Xuan faced the other partys threat nonchntly. He simply shook his hands and said, "My offensive capability is indeed far toocking. With the cultivation of a Zhizun realm pinnacle, its impossible for me to wound you! "Since you said that Id require the strength of a Half-Transcension..." "Ill make the breakthrough now then!" Upon saying so, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and threw something resembling a seed into his mouth. Boom! In that instant, it was as though he was set aze. Chapter 443: Strength of a Hundred Thousand Ding Chapter 443: Strength of a Hundred Thousand Ding Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" Narrowing his eyes, Ding Hong saw the dust clearing, and a figure was slowly walking toward him. Who else could it be if not Zhang Xuan! At this current moment, Zhang Xuan was still in perfect condition, and there wasnt even a speck of dust on his clothes. It was as if the target of the previous attack wasnt him. But what stood out the most was the overwhelming aura he was exuding. Ferocious might exuded from every single point of his body; he was clearly many times stronger than before. "Yo-you..." Ding Hongs body froze. He hadunched an attack with his full might, and he was certain that the attacknded on the other party. Yet, not only did Ding Hong fail to kill him, the other party even managed to achieve a breakthrough and reach Half-Transcension. This... This cant be real! As for gongzi and the others who thought that Zhang Xuan was doomed this time, they werepletely dumbstruck. Was he a cockroach? How could he be fine after being punched like that? "So what if youve reached Half-Transcension? Die!" With eyes reddened with frenzy, Ding Hong clenched his teeth, flicked his wrist, and whipped out a sword. Then, he charged straight toward Zhang Xuan. The reason why he didnt use a weapon before wasnt because he was intentionally going easy on Zhang Xuan, but rather, he didnt think that there was any use for it. However, given that the other party had reached Half-Transcension realm and considering his incredible means, if he didnt give it everything he had, he would really die here. Hu! The cold gleam of the sword shone across the entire Heavens Altar. Ding Hong had immersed himself within swordsmanship for more than a hundred years, and he had already reached an incredibly high mastery in the art. With this sh, white sword qi gushed out from his sword, reaching a distance of more than several dozen meters, making it difficult for anyone to approach him. "Its Sword Intent!" Everyones faces froze. Those whoprehended Weapon Intent had achieved an extremely profound level of understanding of weapons, to the point that their weapon felt no different from an extension of their hands. This was an abstract state, and it took countless years of hard work before one could achieve it. However, the benefits it brought were massive as well. One who hadprehended Sword Intent could be said to be invincible among those of the same cultivation realm. "Not only has heprehend Sword Intent, hes even advanced rather far in it!" Jin Conghai frowned. "Seems like its not possible for Zhang shi to achieve victory!" If Ding Hong had used Sword Intent earlier on, Zhang Xuan might have lost immediately. Even though Zhang Xuan had managed to reach Half-Transcension, the situation was still against his odds. Sword Intent was a representation of ones level of achievement in swordsmanship, and the strikes of those who have reached this level tended to be swifter and sharper. This Zhang shi wasnt even twenty yet, and on top of that, he was a spear user. His understanding of the sword was probably far inferior to the other party. It would be nigh impossible for him to achieve victory. Gongzi, Wei Yuqing, and the others didnt speak, but every single one of them had a grim expression on their faces. Clearly, they shared the same thoughts as well. A Transcendent Mortal who hadprehended Sword Intent was a truly terrifying force to reckon with. Even Jin Conghai would face some trouble with him. Hu! A sword qi flew across the air, leaving a deep tear on the ground. Different from the anxious crowd, Zhang Xuan didnt seem flustered in the least. He smiled lightly and stepped forward. His figure faded, and in the blink of an eye, he had already advanced four to five meters. It was as though he could foresee the future. His body moved from the left to the right, and the sharp sword qi simply slid past his skin, without leaving a single cut on him. At that moment, Zhang Xuan seemed as though an agile fish. Even though the sword qi before him was spread widely like a, he was still able to easily find an opening and slide through. "Half-Transcension... is indeed powerful!" Feeling the immense strength surging through his body, Zhang Xuan thought. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for him to reach Half-Transcension. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen had gathered a huge collection of Zhizun realm manual under his request, but very few of them detailed the method to breaking through to Half-Transcension. As such, afterption, a Half-Transcension Heavens Path Divine Art couldnt be formed. This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan stopped right after he had reached Zhizun realm pinnacle. However, the energy within the Crimson me Lotus Seed far exceeded his expectations. He wanted to stop, but the violent nature of the energy prevented him from doing so. Thus, he was forced to continue striving for Half-Transcension. Under normal circumstances, without apiled Heavens Path Divine Art, it would be hard for him to achieve a breakthrough. It could potentially lead to his cultivation going berserk, and in the worst case scenario, he might even sustain severe internal injuries. The situation back then was precarious, and Zhang Xuan nearly lost control of the rampaging energy within it. And at that crucial moment, Ding Hong made a move. The strong external force that struck the Zhang Xuan who was on the verge of exploding suppressed the rampaging energy within him. Not only was he fine from the collision of energy, he was even able to make use of this as an impetus to advance his cultivation. If Ding Hong hadnt made a move, Zhang Xuan might have been severely injured from the rampaging energy of the Crimson me Lotus Seed. Even though the other party had intended to kill him, he ended up doing him a big favor instead. Thus, Zhang Xuans thanks before was truly earnest. But of course, if Ding Hong were to learn of it, he might have died out of anger. What the heck was this! If only I knew earlier, I wouldnt have been so anxious to strike... ... The thought disappeared as soon as it appeared. Entering the sea of sword qi created by the other party, Zhang Xuans fist struck out. At the same moment, lines of insight flowed within his eyes. Eye of Insight. His Eye of Insight could peer into the ws of a cultivator a small realm above that of his cultivation. Ding Hong was a Transcendent Mortal Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage expert, and thus, under the flowing lines of insight, all of the ws of his movements and cultivation appeared in Zhang Xuans sight. Boom! The Heavens Path Fist Art, augmented by overwhelming zhenqi, shot straight to the center of the sword qi. "Damn it! Ding Hong didnt expect the other party to slide through the sea of sword qi that he had produced and to even throw a fist straight at him. His face paled, and roaring furiously, he twisted his sword and blocked the fist with the body of his sword. Ding! The fistnded on the sword, and a deafening metallic sound reverberated in the air from the collision. Ding Hong couldnt help but retreat two steps back. "Hundred thousand ding? The strength of a 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivator?" Ding Hongs face paled. Zhizun realm was known as the Ten Thousand Ding realm, and it was representative of the level that a cultivators strength finally exceeded 10,000 ding. After that, every small cultivation realm would add an additional ten thousand ding of strength. Thus, a normal Zhizun realm pinnacle would possess a strength of 40,000 ding. As for Transcendent Mortals, even though they had reached a level of existence and could draw energy from the heavens to augment themselves, there was a limit to their might as well. At 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm, the limit of ones strength was 100,000 ding. Thus, it was also termed the Hundred Thousand Ding realm. If Ten Thousand Ding represented Zhizun, then Hundred Thousand Ding represented Transcendent Mortal. The fellow before him was clearly just a Half-Transcension cultivator... How in the world did he manage to achieve a strength of a hundred thousand ding? Initially, Ding Hong had been thinking that even though the other party had achieved a breakthrough, he would surely be unable to match up to him in terms of might. However, after taking a blow, he realized that he had lost this advantage. "So what if your strength has reached 100,000 ding? Do you think that your fist art can defeat my Sword Intent? Dont even dream of it!" Ding Hong clenched his teeth tightly. Hu! His sword began dancing about, and Sword Intent surged out as though a burst of light. In the blink of an eye, it wrapped itself around him, forming a flowing barrier. "Shameless!" Upon seeing the move, gongzi harrumphed "Hes indeed shameless!" Jin Conghai nodded. "Making use of Sword Intent as a defensive measure... To think that a Transcendent Mortal expert would be forced by a Half-Transcension to take defensive maneuvers!" Ding Hong seemed to have given up on offense, choosing to focus entirely on defense instead. The Sword Intent had an iparably sharp nature, and it covered the area around him entirely. No matter how powerful Zhang Xuans fist was, it was impossible for him to strike through the wall of sword qi. In other words, Ding Hong was afraid of Zhang Xuan. He knew that it was impossible for him to kill the other party, so he chose to fight defensively instead. Transcendent Mortals were respected even in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Yet, at this moment, one was being forced into a corner by a Half-Transcension cultivator. Even though they were witnessing this sight personally, they still felt faint-headed. "But even though other party had chosen to focus on defense... Isnt Zhang shi helpless before it as well?" Wei Yuqing asked. "Indeed, theres nothing he can do about it. The Sword Intent has covered his body entirely, and there are no openings to be exploited here. Unless Zhang shi hasprehended Sword Intent as well, otherwise itll be extremely difficult for him to break through Ding Hongs defense!" Jin Conghai replied. Within the flowing Sword Intent was iparably sharp sword qi. No matter how tough ones fist was, it was still made of flesh and blood. How could it face sword qi which was publicly acknowledged for its sharpness? "Zhang Xuan, you might be formidable, but theres nothing you can do about me now! Since Ding Mu is already dead, why dont we drop this matter?" Having blocked the other partys attack, Ding Hong heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to the young man not too far away and said. The other party had killed his most beloved and valued progeny. Thus, he wanted to destroy the other party and restore prestige to the Ding n. Yet, at this very moment, he realized that not only was he unable to defeat the other party, he might even die from the other partys assault. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to take a step back. Ding Mu was already dead, and he had many other progenies. As long as he survived, the Ding n could still start anew. "Theres nothing I can about you?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Youre overestimating yourself!" "My Sword Intent is flowing around my entire body; do you really think that your fist can break through it?" Ding Hong sneered coldly. "Its impossible unless youprehended Sword Intent and face my Sword Intent face on... But do you think that its possible?" You must be joking! Toprehend Sword Intent, he had traveled across and lived in all kinds of barren and destends for more than thirty years before he seeded. On the other hand, that fellow wasnt even twenty yet. Even if he started cultivating from his mothers womb, how much could he haveprehended about swordsmanship? Furthermore, the other party had executed a spear art previously. Judging from his sharp and forceful movements, he clearly possessed some aptitude in it. Even though there was no limit to the Weapon Intent one could cultivate, there was a limit to a humans talent and energy. It was already incredible for him to bring his spear art to that height. To be capable of utilizing Sword Intent on top of that... Was it even possible? "Sword Intent? Thats indeed not quite possible!" Knowing the other partys thoughts, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. With a flick of his wrist, a sword appeared in his hands. "Sword Intent is too mediocre for me!" As Zhang Xuan spoke, he slowly drew his sword. Weng! Weng! Weng! Before the sword was fully drawn, the swords by the waists of the swordsmen amidst the crowd began buzzing. It was as though they were paying respect to their emperor. "Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons... Thi-this... the realm beyond that of Sword Intent... Sword Heart?" Ding Hongs vision turned dark. Chapter 443: Strength of a Hundred Thousand Ding Chapter 443: Strength of a Hundred Thousand Ding Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" Narrowing his eyes, Ding Hong saw the dust clearing, and a figure was slowly walking toward him. Who else could it be if not Zhang Xuan! At this current moment, Zhang Xuan was still in perfect condition, and there wasnt even a speck of dust on his clothes. It was as if the target of the previous attack wasnt him. But what stood out the most was the overwhelming aura he was exuding. Ferocious might exuded from every single point of his body; he was clearly many times stronger than before. "Yo-you..." Ding Hongs body froze. He hadunched an attack with his full might, and he was certain that the attacknded on the other party. Yet, not only did Ding Hong fail to kill him, the other party even managed to achieve a breakthrough and reach Half-Transcension. This... This cant be real! As for gongzi and the others who thought that Zhang Xuan was doomed this time, they werepletely dumbstruck. Was he a cockroach? How could he be fine after being punched like that? "So what if youve reached Half-Transcension? Die!" With eyes reddened with frenzy, Ding Hong clenched his teeth, flicked his wrist, and whipped out a sword. Then, he charged straight toward Zhang Xuan. The reason why he didnt use a weapon before wasnt because he was intentionally going easy on Zhang Xuan, but rather, he didnt think that there was any use for it. However, given that the other party had reached Half-Transcension realm and considering his incredible means, if he didnt give it everything he had, he would really die here. Hu! The cold gleam of the sword shone across the entire Heavens Altar. Ding Hong had immersed himself within swordsmanship for more than a hundred years, and he had already reached an incredibly high mastery in the art. With this sh, white sword qi gushed out from his sword, reaching a distance of more than several dozen meters, making it difficult for anyone to approach him. "Its Sword Intent!" Everyones faces froze. Those whoprehended Weapon Intent had achieved an extremely profound level of understanding of weapons, to the point that their weapon felt no different from an extension of their hands. This was an abstract state, and it took countless years of hard work before one could achieve it. However, the benefits it brought were massive as well. One who hadprehended Sword Intent could be said to be invincible among those of the same cultivation realm. "Not only has heprehend Sword Intent, hes even advanced rather far in it!" Jin Conghai frowned. "Seems like its not possible for Zhang shi to achieve victory!" If Ding Hong had used Sword Intent earlier on, Zhang Xuan might have lost immediately. Even though Zhang Xuan had managed to reach Half-Transcension, the situation was still against his odds. Sword Intent was a representation of ones level of achievement in swordsmanship, and the strikes of those who have reached this level tended to be swifter and sharper. This Zhang shi wasnt even twenty yet, and on top of that, he was a spear user. His understanding of the sword was probably far inferior to the other party. It would be nigh impossible for him to achieve victory. Gongzi, Wei Yuqing, and the others didnt speak, but every single one of them had a grim expression on their faces. Clearly, they shared the same thoughts as well. A Transcendent Mortal who hadprehended Sword Intent was a truly terrifying force to reckon with. Even Jin Conghai would face some trouble with him. Hu! A sword qi flew across the air, leaving a deep tear on the ground. Different from the anxious crowd, Zhang Xuan didnt seem flustered in the least. He smiled lightly and stepped forward. His figure faded, and in the blink of an eye, he had already advanced four to five meters. It was as though he could foresee the future. His body moved from the left to the right, and the sharp sword qi simply slid past his skin, without leaving a single cut on him. At that moment, Zhang Xuan seemed as though an agile fish. Even though the sword qi before him was spread widely like a, he was still able to easily find an opening and slide through. "Half-Transcension... is indeed powerful!" Feeling the immense strength surging through his body, Zhang Xuan thought. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for him to reach Half-Transcension. Hall Master Xie Jiuchen had gathered a huge collection of Zhizun realm manual under his request, but very few of them detailed the method to breaking through to Half-Transcension. As such, afterption, a Half-Transcension Heavens Path Divine Art couldnt be formed. This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan stopped right after he had reached Zhizun realm pinnacle. However, the energy within the Crimson me Lotus Seed far exceeded his expectations. He wanted to stop, but the violent nature of the energy prevented him from doing so. Thus, he was forced to continue striving for Half-Transcension. Under normal circumstances, without apiled Heavens Path Divine Art, it would be hard for him to achieve a breakthrough. It could potentially lead to his cultivation going berserk, and in the worst case scenario, he might even sustain severe internal injuries. The situation back then was precarious, and Zhang Xuan nearly lost control of the rampaging energy within it. And at that crucial moment, Ding Hong made a move. The strong external force that struck the Zhang Xuan who was on the verge of exploding suppressed the rampaging energy within him. Not only was he fine from the collision of energy, he was even able to make use of this as an impetus to advance his cultivation. If Ding Hong hadnt made a move, Zhang Xuan might have been severely injured from the rampaging energy of the Crimson me Lotus Seed. Even though the other party had intended to kill him, he ended up doing him a big favor instead. Thus, Zhang Xuans thanks before was truly earnest. But of course, if Ding Hong were to learn of it, he might have died out of anger. What the heck was this! If only I knew earlier, I wouldnt have been so anxious to strike... ... The thought disappeared as soon as it appeared. Entering the sea of sword qi created by the other party, Zhang Xuans fist struck out. At the same moment, lines of insight flowed within his eyes. Eye of Insight. His Eye of Insight could peer into the ws of a cultivator a small realm above that of his cultivation. Ding Hong was a Transcendent Mortal Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage expert, and thus, under the flowing lines of insight, all of the ws of his movements and cultivation appeared in Zhang Xuans sight. Boom! The Heavens Path Fist Art, augmented by overwhelming zhenqi, shot straight to the center of the sword qi. "Damn it! Ding Hong didnt expect the other party to slide through the sea of sword qi that he had produced and to even throw a fist straight at him. His face paled, and roaring furiously, he twisted his sword and blocked the fist with the body of his sword. Ding! The fistnded on the sword, and a deafening metallic sound reverberated in the air from the collision. Ding Hong couldnt help but retreat two steps back. "Hundred thousand ding? The strength of a 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivator?" Ding Hongs face paled. Zhizun realm was known as the Ten Thousand Ding realm, and it was representative of the level that a cultivators strength finally exceeded 10,000 ding. After that, every small cultivation realm would add an additional ten thousand ding of strength. Thus, a normal Zhizun realm pinnacle would possess a strength of 40,000 ding. As for Transcendent Mortals, even though they had reached a level of existence and could draw energy from the heavens to augment themselves, there was a limit to their might as well. At 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm, the limit of ones strength was 100,000 ding. Thus, it was also termed the Hundred Thousand Ding realm. If Ten Thousand Ding represented Zhizun, then Hundred Thousand Ding represented Transcendent Mortal. The fellow before him was clearly just a Half-Transcension cultivator... How in the world did he manage to achieve a strength of a hundred thousand ding? Initially, Ding Hong had been thinking that even though the other party had achieved a breakthrough, he would surely be unable to match up to him in terms of might. However, after taking a blow, he realized that he had lost this advantage. "So what if your strength has reached 100,000 ding? Do you think that your fist art can defeat my Sword Intent? Dont even dream of it!" Ding Hong clenched his teeth tightly. Hu! His sword began dancing about, and Sword Intent surged out as though a burst of light. In the blink of an eye, it wrapped itself around him, forming a flowing barrier. "Shameless!" Upon seeing the move, gongzi harrumphed "Hes indeed shameless!" Jin Conghai nodded. "Making use of Sword Intent as a defensive measure... To think that a Transcendent Mortal expert would be forced by a Half-Transcension to take defensive maneuvers!" Ding Hong seemed to have given up on offense, choosing to focus entirely on defense instead. The Sword Intent had an iparably sharp nature, and it covered the area around him entirely. No matter how powerful Zhang Xuans fist was, it was impossible for him to strike through the wall of sword qi. In other words, Ding Hong was afraid of Zhang Xuan. He knew that it was impossible for him to kill the other party, so he chose to fight defensively instead. Transcendent Mortals were respected even in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Yet, at this moment, one was being forced into a corner by a Half-Transcension cultivator. Even though they were witnessing this sight personally, they still felt faint-headed. "But even though other party had chosen to focus on defense... Isnt Zhang shi helpless before it as well?" Wei Yuqing asked. "Indeed, theres nothing he can do about it. The Sword Intent has covered his body entirely, and there are no openings to be exploited here. Unless Zhang shi hasprehended Sword Intent as well, otherwise itll be extremely difficult for him to break through Ding Hongs defense!" Jin Conghai replied. Within the flowing Sword Intent was iparably sharp sword qi. No matter how tough ones fist was, it was still made of flesh and blood. How could it face sword qi which was publicly acknowledged for its sharpness? "Zhang Xuan, you might be formidable, but theres nothing you can do about me now! Since Ding Mu is already dead, why dont we drop this matter?" Having blocked the other partys attack, Ding Hong heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to the young man not too far away and said. The other party had killed his most beloved and valued progeny. Thus, he wanted to destroy the other party and restore prestige to the Ding n. Yet, at this very moment, he realized that not only was he unable to defeat the other party, he might even die from the other partys assault. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to take a step back. Ding Mu was already dead, and he had many other progenies. As long as he survived, the Ding n could still start anew. "Theres nothing I can about you?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Youre overestimating yourself!" "My Sword Intent is flowing around my entire body; do you really think that your fist can break through it?" Ding Hong sneered coldly. "Its impossible unless youprehended Sword Intent and face my Sword Intent face on... But do you think that its possible?" You must be joking! Toprehend Sword Intent, he had traveled across and lived in all kinds of barren and destends for more than thirty years before he seeded. On the other hand, that fellow wasnt even twenty yet. Even if he started cultivating from his mothers womb, how much could he haveprehended about swordsmanship? Furthermore, the other party had executed a spear art previously. Judging from his sharp and forceful movements, he clearly possessed some aptitude in it. Even though there was no limit to the Weapon Intent one could cultivate, there was a limit to a humans talent and energy. It was already incredible for him to bring his spear art to that height. To be capable of utilizing Sword Intent on top of that... Was it even possible? "Sword Intent? Thats indeed not quite possible!" Knowing the other partys thoughts, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. With a flick of his wrist, a sword appeared in his hands. "Sword Intent is too mediocre for me!" As Zhang Xuan spoke, he slowly drew his sword. Weng! Weng! Weng! Before the sword was fully drawn, the swords by the waists of the swordsmen amidst the crowd began buzzing. It was as though they were paying respect to their emperor. "Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons... Thi-this... the realm beyond that of Sword Intent... Sword Heart?" Ding Hongs vision turned dark. Chapter 444: Slaying a Transcendent Mortal Chapter 444: ying a Transcendent Mortal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sword Heart was the state of driving ones sword with ones heart, controlling it with ones intentions. Every move made in this state could be considered as a sword art in itself. In contrast with it, Sword Intent was extremely mediocre and immature. It was like the difference between a weed and a towering tree. Ding Hong thought that with his Sword Intent, even if he couldnt kill the other party, he could at least force a draw and step down from there. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that everything he did was only a farce to the other party... The other partys sword mastery was far above his own, reaching the level of Sword Heart! That was a realm that countless Transcendent Mortal dreamt of and dedicated their lives to, only to never reach it in their lifetime. Yet, a fellow who wasnt even twenty yet and who had just barely reached Half-Transcension actually managed toprehend it... When he mocked the other party for being unable to fly, the other party yelled and the Steelback Winged Dragon immediately fell from the sky. When he mocked the other party for being too weak to hurt him... in the blink of an eye, the other party broke through to Half-Transcension. When he mocked the other party for his incapability to wield Sword Intent, the other party topped him with the higher realm Sword Heart... Brother, can you at least tell me what you arent capable of? At the very least, I can prepare myself. Do you know how terrifying it is... Ding Hong felt his confidence crumbling. "Youre right, its indeed Sword Heart!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan finally drew his swordpletely. His sword came from the Lin n, and it was only at Phantom intermediate-tier. At the same time, it wasnt too sharp either. Yet, it had an indomitable presence. Sword qi flowed around its edge. With a slight flick of Zhang Xuans wrist, the air seemed to have been torn to shreds. Hu! Under normal circumstances, as long as ones strength didnt exceed him by too much, Ding Hongs Sword Intent barrier would be hard to break. Yet, for some reason, as soon as the blunt-looking sword came into contact with it, the barrier immediately dissipated without the slightest resistance. Puhe! A sword qi flew across, severing Ding Hongs left arm. It was so sharp that not even blood flowed out of his wound. The sword qi emanated by a swordmaster who hadprehended Sword Heart was indomitable. On top of that, Zhang Xuans strength also wasnt inferior to him as well. Even though the other party was a Transcendent Mortal expert, he wasnt able to withstand the attack. "Escape!" Knowing that he would surely die if he remained here, Ding Hongs face paled. He immediately turned around and fled. He had stepped in ferociously back then, but he ended up escaping with his tail between his legs. No one expected for the legendary old ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom, a Transcendent Mortal expert, to meet with such an ending. It was truly beyond expectations. "Incredible!" "To achieve a breakthrough at that crucial moment and y a Transcendent Mortal, how valiant! This is how a man should act!" "From today on, Zhang shi shall be my idol. Dont even try to steal him from me!" "This is what a true genius is. Compared to him, Ding Mu was nothing at all." ... The eyes of the spectating youngsters burned with passion. When Zhang Xuan came alone to challenge the incumbent crown prince, everyone thought that he was being too arrogant and they felt intense loathing toward him. But after undergoing his teachings via the Impartation of Heavens Will and bing his half-students, their feelings for him gradually changed into gratitude. And at this moment, looking at him sending even the old ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom fleeing, it evolved into veneration. A person single-handedly standing against an entire country! That is how a man should be! "You all might not know, but I heard that the reason why Zhang shi came after Ding Mu is because thetter had killed his student!" "How did you know?" "My cousin, Zhou Jin, is an Imperial Beast Tamer serving the crown prince. He blurted the matter out when he was drunk!" "Standing up against an entire country alone to avenge his student, even going to the extent of standing against a Transcendent Mortal?" "On top of that, when he came, he wasnt that strong yet. How much courage must it have taken to make this move..." "With such a teacher, even if I were to die now... it would be worth it!" ... Amidst the crowd, some of the well-informed ones spoke of the matter from start to the end. The eyes of the listeners gradually reddened, and they clenched their fists tight. The greatest fortune that a cultivator could encounter was a good teacher. Not only was Zhang shi strong and capable at teaching, more importantly, he cared for his students. He stood up against an entire Conferred Kingdom alone just for his student. With such sentiments, he was more than worthy of being addressed as a teacher. ... While everyone was overwhelmed with agitation, on the Heavens Altar, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed as he noticed Ding Hong escaping. "Hmph, do you think that you can get away?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and exerting force on his feet, he immediately dashed forward. After the matter with Ding Mu, he realized the danger of sparing ones enemies. Since he had already fallen out with the other party, he had to clear them out cleanly. Otherwise, the one who would be threatened would be him. If not for hispassion back then, Lu Chong wouldnt have been sacrificed. Thus, he was determined to leave no more threats behind. "Dont even try!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuans sword sliced down. Tearing through a hundred meters of space, a sword qi flew toward the escaping Ding Hong. After reaching Half-Transcension, Zhang Xuan had already gained a certain level of control over the environment. In the past, the range of his sword qi was limited to only a dozen meters. However, with his enhanced degree of control and enhanced zhenqi, a hundred meters was no longer a problem. Hu! The sword qi struck the other partys back, tearing open a massive, ring wound in an instant. Due to the long distance, the sword qi had dissipated significantly. Otherwise, it would have been more than sufficient to slice Ding Hong into two. "Blood Tribute!" Feeling the sharp pain on his back, Ding Hong was rmed. He knew that it wasnt easy for the other party to kill him due to the long distance, but if he were to be struck any more of that sword qi, he would surely die. Thus, gritting his teeth, Ding Hong burned his life force and his speed abruptly increased by a single fold. Like the Blood Tribute that Ding Mu used back then came from him, even though it allowed him to utilize strength and speed beyond his current cultivation, it had a time limit. After the duration, ones cultivation would automatically fall. It was a technique that hurt oneself as much as it hurt ones opponent. It was a move that wouldnt be used unless the situation truly called for it. Usually, Ding Hong would surely go after the other party if he activated the Blood Tribute to avenge his great grandson... But this time, he was truly frightened by the other party. Every time that fellow looked as though he were going to lose, he would always make a shockingeback. He was afraid of the means that the other party would continue pulling out if he chose to continue to fight. If so, once the Blood Tribute duration ran out, he wouldnt be able to even escape. Sou! With his hastened speed, Ding Hong disappeared amidst thebyrinth-like infrastructures of the capital. "Damn it!" Seeing the other party vanish into the shadows, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Even though he had managed to reach Half-Transcension, he had suffered quite a few traumas in the midst of doing so. On top of that, he had used the Heavens Path Movement Art too many times previously, and he was already reaching his limit now. If he were to attempt to catch up, he might copse before he could catch up with the other party. On the other hand, he had never learned any other movement arts before. Furthermore, his cultivation was beneath that of Ding Hong, so it would be difficult for him to catch up. "Theres no need to feel pity over this. That fellow has lost his arm, and on top of that, he even used the Blood Tribute. Even if he manages to get away with his life, his cultivation would definitely plummet. "Based on my estimations, itll be hard for him to even sustain his cultivation as a Half-Transcension. Thus, hes not a threat anymore!" Zhang Xuan was just thinking whether he should make use of these soldiers to search through the entire city to cut off the weed at its root when a voice echoed. Turning around, he saw a youth walking toward him with a bright grin on his face. He was around the same age of Zhao Ya, but his body seemed a little weak. His ck eyes were gleaming with spirit, and his skin was smooth. All in all, he had an exquisite appearance. "A woman?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though the other party was dressed in the clothes of a man, it wasnt sufficient to deceive Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight. This was an ability that only a 6-star master teacher had the chance toprehend. It could even see through the hidden ws of a cultivator, lest to say, a cross-dresser. "I am Zhao Feiwu, and I came from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Nice to meet you, Zhang shi!" The youth didnt know that her identity had been exposed, and she sped her fists with a carefree smile. This youth was the gongzi from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Just that, no one could have expected that he was actually a she. "Envoy, thank you for your help!" Upon hearing that the other party came from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang Xuan immediately understood the situation. That alliance decree that dered Ding Mus inauguration as illegitimate probably came from this person. Otherwise, he couldnt think of anyone else. "The Xuanyuan Kingdom has acted on their own whim, conducting an inauguration ceremony without reporting the matter to the alliance. I am just dealing with this matter as per the rules!" Gongzi Zhao Feiwu smiled admiringly at the young man before her. "Speaking of thanks, I should be the one thanking you instead. Its due to your treatment method that I was able to recover. Otherwise, I would still be lying on the bed waiting for my death now!" "Treatment method?" Zhang Xuan was stumped. "It was the final question that Zhang shi solved in your alias as Liu Cheng on the Wall of Dilemma in the Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild. I was afflicted with the illness, and my father had consulted countless physicians about the matter but they were all at a loss. Its only because of you that I was able to make a full recovery!" Zhao Feiwu said. The noble gongzi who was cross-dressing as a male was the second princess of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance whoy sickly on her bed just a few days ago. Upon knowing that the one who provided the treatment method was a physician named Liu Cheng from a Tier 1 Kingdom, she immediately rushed over along with her subordinate, Jin Conghai. While passing through Xuanyuan Kingdom, Jin Conghai received a message from Gu Mu and headed over to the Poison Hall. Over there, the two of them met Sun Qiang, and upon learning that Liu Cheng was Zhang Xuan, they chose to head over to Xuanyuan Royal City to assist him. Otherwise, given how the both of them were unrted, there was no reason for Zhao Feiwu to favor a 2-star master teacher over a vassal Conferred Kingdom, or even harboring the thought of sending Jin Conghai over to save him? "Innate Muscr Deficiency?" Zhang Xuan also recalled the matter. Back then, he only solved the problem thinking that it was a necessity for him to be a physician. He didnt expect to save a person due to that. Furthermore, from the looks of it, thisdy seemed to have a powerful background. "Exactly!" Zhao Feiwu nodded. "My treatment method has saved you, but you have already returned the favor by helping me out of this matter. So, were on equal footing now!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Zhang Xuan didnt want to owe a debt to anyone as this could bring about a karmic cycle. Since he had helped the person before, in a sense, the other partys actions could be considered as returning the favor. Thus, neither of them owed anything to the other anymore. "Equal footing?" Zhao Feiwu was taken aback. Despite learning that she was the envoy from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and on top of that, it was clear that she was expressing goodwill toward him, he actually shrugged it off, not demanding anything at all. He was truly a peculiar person. There were very few people who could resist this kind of opportunity. However, Zhao Feiwu quickly recovered and smiled, "Lets do that then! However... youve killed the emperor of a Conferred Kingdom and driven away his old ancestor. How should we settle this matter? If we dont resolve this matter properly, it could cause a huge pandemonium." To think that the royal family of a Conferred Kingdom could be reduced to such a state; the inaugurating emperor dying and the old ancestor fleeing in a fluster. If other kingdoms were to learn of it, they would definitely make use of this opening. "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He was too preupied with avenging Lu Chong that he failed to consider this matter. The current circumstances were indeed dire for Xuanyuan Kingdom. If this matter wasnt resolved properly, it would be a matter of time before the entire kingdom falls into chaos. "Actually, I have an idea in mind." Seeing the other partys hesitation, Zhao Feiwus eyes twinkled and she smiled. "Oh?" "Since you were the one who destroyed the royal family, I believe that no one would dare to raise any objections if you became the new emperor. This way, Ill be able to report the matter to my superiors as well," Zhao Feiwu suggested. The main reason why she had spoken her previous words wasnt to put Zhang Xuan in a spot but to bring up this suggestion. In truth, she had already considered this oue. Otherwise, she wouldnt have helped Zhang Xuan. The person before her was able to stand up against an entire kingdom on his own. If he were to be the emperor, he would surely be able to bring the kingdom to greater heights. At the same time, she could return the favor as well. Thus, in her opinion, this was a win-win situation. "Bing the emperor?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Ill pass on that." He had to reach 9-star master teacher before thirty to live on. The thought of staying here as the emperor had never crossed his mind. "This..." Not expecting to be rejected, Zhao Feiwu was stunned. An emperor wielded absolute authority over the territory he governed; it was a dream for countless people. Yet, the other party turned her down without any hesitation... "However, its indeed my fault that Xuanyuan Kingdom was reduced to its current state. Even though Im reluctant to be the emperor, why dont I nominate another candidate?" Zhang Xuan said, after a moment of hesitation. But no matter what, a country mustnt go a day without an emperor or else it would lead to social instability and various other problems. This wasnt what Zhang Xuan hoped to see. "Oh?" Not expecting Zhang Xuan to reject it and nominate another candidate instead, Zhao Feiwu stared at him with an intrigued expression, "Nominating another emperor? May I know who it is? Dont tell me that youre going to nominate Sun Qiang!" If it was Sun Qiang, she would probably burst into tears on the spot. That fellow was weak, yet he was exceptionally arrogant and boastful. More importantly, the words wise and astute were in a whole different world from him. If he were to be the emperor, Xuanyuan Kingdom might fall into greater ruins. "Sun Qiang? How can that be? Theres no way such a great talent should be ced in such a humble position!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Sun Qiang was his butler, and he was going to venture out into therger world alongside him. How could he leave the other party behind in such a shabby location? "... Cough cough!" Zhao Feiwu choked on her own saliva. Truly, the attitude of the servant reflected the personality of the master. At the start, she thought that Sun Qiangs boastful nature was an individual problem. However, after looking at Zhang Xuan, she realized that it was impossible for him not to be boastful with such a young master... An ignorant Pixue realm cultivator bing the emperor of a Conferred Kingdom, and you think that its a waste of his talents... Can we still talk properly? Suppressing the stifling sensation in her chest, Zhao Feiwu asked, "Then who are you nominating?" "Her..." Zhang Xuan smiled as he beckoned to the skies, "Mo Yu,e down!" Roar! The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast in the skies howled furiously and swooped down. Mo Yu immediately rushed up to Zhang Xuan with reddened eyes, wanting to dive into his embrace. However, she hesitated and eventually decided against it. He had truly left her worried just now. However, she was aware that the other party harbored no feelings toward her. If she were to dive into the other partys embrace, that would truly be awkward. "Her?" Not expecting the candidate that Zhang Xuan was going to nominate to be ady, Zhao Feiwu was perplexed. "Indeed, I want her to be the first empress of Xuanyuan Kingdom. I wonder if its eptable?" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Empress? Xuanyuan Kingdoms empress?" Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, Mo Yus body began trembling uncontrobly. Chapter 445: Raising Mo Yus Cultivation Chapter 445: Raising Mo Yus Cultivation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Tianwu Kingdoms Emperor, Mo Tianxue, had always been grooming his daughter to be the empress of the kingdom. Thus, even though Mo Yu was still young, she was already adept in the process of governing a country. In that sense, she would be a much better ruler for Xuanyuan Kingdom than him. "Her?" Zhao Feiwu was dumbstruck. She couldnt help but refute, "Her cultivation seems to have only reached Zongshi realm..." Xuanyuan Kingdom was and filled with Zhizun realm cultivators. A Zongshi realm cultivator simply wasnt strong enough to stabilize thends. "Her cultivation is indeed a little too weak. However, to be able to possess this kind of strength at her age, she could already be considered as a top-notch genius. As long as she has sufficient cultivation resources in the future, it wont be too difficult for her to gain sufficient strength to be a powerful ruler in the future!" Despiteing from a Tier 1 Kingdom, Mo Yu still managed to reach a high level of cultivation at her age. Once the resources of Xuanyuan Kingdom were channeled toward her, her cultivation would surely soar swiftly. It wouldnt be a dream for her to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle or even Half-Transcension in the future. "I believe in her talents as well, but what about the present state? The peoples hearts are currently in turmoil, and if there isnt a sufficiently strong presence to hold things together, I fear that a cmity may ur!" Zhao Feiwu was speechless to see how lightly Zhang Xuan was taking this matter. Not everyone could be the ruler of a country. The primary requisite for it was for one to possess top-notch cultivation. Otherwise, who would be willing to listen to a weakling? Without sufficient strength, even if Mo Yu were to ascend to the throne with the backing by the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, she might very well be assassinated by her rivals. After all, the seat of an emperor of a Conferred Kingdom was an incredibly prestigious one. There were countless people who had their eyes set on this position. Electing a weak emperor would only cause chaos and strife, and this would push the country straight toward the mes of destruction. "Is that so..." Knowing that his thoughtscked depth, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. Thus, he turned to Mo Yu and asked, "Do you wish to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle?" "Of course I do!" Even though Mo Yu didnt know the significance behind Zhang Xuans words, she still nodded her head. Who didnt wish to be stronger? But could Zhizun realm pinnacle be that easily achieved? Of the countless cultivators in the world, probably not even one out of ten thousand was able to reach that legendary realm. The difficulty of the matter was unimaginable. Zhao Feiwu felt perplexed when she heard Zhang Xuans words. What is this fellow up to this time? "Good. Open your mouth then!" Ignoring the onlookers bewilderment, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger. Before Mo Yu could react, a lotus seed was shot into her mouth. It immediately melted into immense, violent energy which seeped into her meridians in an instant. However, her cultivation was still far too weak for her to bear such immense energy, and she immediately swelled up, nearly exploding into shreds. "Sit down!" Zhang Xuan immediatelymanded. "Yes!" Not daring to hesitate, Mo Yu hurriedly sat down. Following which, she felt a huge hand being ced on the top of her head. Boom! Dense, pure zhenqi seeped down her body, controlling the rampaging energy of the lotus seed. It guided the rampaging energy in a unique cirction pathway around her body. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! A series of popping sounds echoed, and Mo Yu felt her body abruptly lightened. The bottlenecks which had kept her out previously was broken through in an instant. Zongshi realm intermediate stage! Zongshi realm advanced stage! Zongshi realm pinnacle! Half-Zhizun! ... Mo Yus aura grew stronger at a pace visible to the eye. "This, this..." Zhao Feiwus eyeballs were about to pop out of her head. Shed thought that this fellow was up to something, and she was right! Making someone achieve consecutive breakthroughs in the blink of an eye? Even the most capable 4-star pinnacle master teacher in Myriad Kingdom Alliance was incapable of such a feat! You... Are you still human? It was no wonder that Sun Qiang stared at her with such disdain back then. Upon seeing Zhang Xuans means, she realized that there was a muchrger world outside that of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. "To induce a breakthrough in another so easily..." Jin Conghai also felt a dryness at the back of his throat. He was a Transcendent Mortal expert, but he was incapable of such feat, and he had never seen anyone achieving such a feat either. Yet, the fellow before him aplished it so easily, as though it was a walk in the park... I would like to know if theres anything you are incapable of. When did such a ridiculous monster appear in Tianwu Kingdom? This is way too frightening... Pavilion Master Luo Qianhongs mouth was also twitching violently from fear. If not for his strong mental fortitude, he might have turned insane on the spot. As a master teacher, he understood clearly how difficult it was to achieve that feat. To be able to achieve multiple breakthrough himself, Zhang Xuan could be considered as a genius. However... To do the same for others as well, that was already surpassing the realm of a mere genius. "This is... Cultivation Impartation?" A phrase surfaced in Luo Qianhongs mind amidst his trembling. It was said that formidable master teachers could design a cultivation technique based on their students physique and use their own zhenqi to impart energy into thetter to raise their cultivation. But to do so, there were several conditions that had to be fulfilled. Firstly, one had to be a 6-star master teacher. Secondly, one had to have absolute understanding of the student, be it the state of their meridians, their bodys limit, and innumerable other factors. Lastly, the cultivation technique one designed must bepletelypatible with the other partys physique... There mustnt be the slightestpse in any of the three conditions, or else the other partys meridians could rupture and die. Yet, this fellow did it so easily without the slightest preparation. On top of that, there didnt seem to be any side effects at all... Are you really a 2-star master teacher? Are you sure you are under twenty? In an instant, Luo Qianhong felt that his time spent studying and understanding the master teacher upation had been for naught. In the end, despite his efforts, he didnt seem to have achieved anything at all... "To raise someones cultivation so easily... My heavens, can anyone tell me that this isnt a dream?" "Idol, hes truly my idol. I want to acknowledge him as my teacher!" "Incredible! This is the means of a god..." ... The soldiers who saw this sight were dumbfounded as well. They had seen geniuses, but they had never seen such a talented genius. In fact, the word genius seemed like a gross underestimation. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Amidst everyones shocked gazes, Mo Yus aura continued rising rapidly. Eventually, when it slowed down and came to a stop, Mo Yu opened her eyes and a sharp glint reflected from within. Zhizun realm pinnacle, achieved! She had been cultivating ever since she was six, and it took her seventeen years for her to reach Zongshi realm. She thought that it would take at least twenty years before Zhizun realm would be in her reach. Never had she ever thought that she would seed in just a few breaths. This rate of progression was like a dream to her. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" Knowing that it was impossible for her to seed without the help of the person before her, Mo Yu stood up and bowed earnestly. Her address also changed from Zhang Xuan to Zhang shi. Initially, she was still harboring thoughts ofpeting with this young man, hoping to win the other partys admiration one day. But at this moment, she realized that there was a world of a difference between the two of them, and this gap would only continue growingrger. It would be impossible for her to catch up with the other party. Putting asidepeting and winning his admiration, she probably wasnt even qualified to be the other partys student. In the end, they were just passers-by in this vast world. "Its no problem at all!" Oblivious to her thoughts, Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Then, turning to gongzi, he asked, "Is it fine now?" After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Feiwu said, "She has reached Zhizun realm pinnacle so she does have the qualifications to be the emperor now. However... itll take more than that to win everyones trust..." While a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator was indeed powerful in Xuanyuan Kingdom, there were many others of the same cultivation realm here as well. Just this by itself wouldnt be sufficient for Mo Yu to stabilize the entire country. At the very least, she would require the strength of a Half-Transcension to do so. After all, those who were listed in the Green Leaf Board had all reached this realm. Zhizun realm pinnacle was just sufficient for one to be listed in the Young Leaf Board. "That... Alright then!" Rubbing his hands, Zhang Xuan turned to the trembling Steelback Winged Dragon and said, "Acknowledge Mo Yu as your master, and from today on, protect her and obey all of hermands!" "Ah?" Hearing these words, everyone was dumbfounded. Even Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu were perplexed. Are you speaking nonsense? This fellow was the guardian beast of the Xuanyuan royal family! On top of that, it was a proud bearer of the Dragon Bloodline. For it to submit to Mo Yu on the first meeting... How was that possible? Roar! Just when everyone thought this massive fellow wouldnt agree to it, the Steelback Winged Dragon smiled in delight and hurriedly climbed over. It began rubbing its massive head on Mo Yu in an attempt to fawn on her. "The heck..." "This... Isnt it being way too shameless?" Everyones body trembled violently and they nearly spat out blood. As a proud bearer of the Dragon Bloodline, the Steelback Winged Dragon was usually condescending toward humans. Yet, it fell from the sky with a call from Zhang Xuan and abandoned its owner. Then, it even went on to obey every singlemand from him... Can you at least possess some dragon pride? You make yourself seem as though youre no different from a pug, how can a powerful savage beast like you act so shamelessly! "This fellow seems to wield a strength that simply leave others speechless..." Grand Elder Wei Yuqing who had just climbed down from the back of the savage beast sighed. Somehow, this fellow was able to aplish what others deemed impossible easily. Sometimes, one couldnt help but wonder if he was a high-ranked master teacher in disguise. "Now that the matter with the kingdom is settled, its time for me to deal with the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Luo Qianhong with aposed look. For a Master Teacher Pavilion to cover up Ding Mus viiny against one of their own members, it was about time to deal with it. On top of that, if Zhang Xuan didnt resolve this matter cleanly, his action of making a move against a 3-star master teacher would be a permanent blemish on his records. If so, it would be difficult for him to take the subsequent master teacher examinations. After all, master teachers prided themselves on their morals. For a master teacher to disregard the clear hierarchy and defy a higher ranked master teacher, no one would be willing to see him climb through the ranks. "Are you certain that... you want to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhao Feiwu asked worriedly. If Pavilion Crashing only consisted of fighting against the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion, there would be nothing for Zhang Xuan to fear. After all, he was someone who could even y a Transcendent Mortal. Even the strongest master teacher, Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong, was only a Half-Transcension. There was nothing for Zhang Xuan to fear from them. "Pavilion Crashing is equivalent to challenging all of the master teachers that have gone through Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion ever since its inception. Even though the location of this Master Teacher Pavilion is remote, it has several thousand years of history behind it. Based on the records, a 5-star master teacher and three 4-star master teachers once emerged from here..." Zhao Feiwu clenched her fists tightly, "Even though they are already dead, their lingering wills are imprinted within the Master Teacher Pavilion. To crash it meant to stand against them as well. Are you sure you dont want to reconsider the matter?" If Pavilion Crashing only meant challenging the incumbent master teachers, there was nothing much for Zhang Xuan to worry. However, the tricky part was the deceased seniors. Some of them had reached 4-star and even higher. As a mere 2-star master teacher, how could you stand against them? "My mind is made up!" Zhang Xuan said. There was nothing for him to worry about! Those people were only lingering wills now; if they thought that he would be an easy target, they were about to be proven wrong! Chapter 446: The Frenzied Mo Tianxue Chapter 446: The Frenzied Mo Tianxue Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In Tianwu Kingdom, the head of the Shadow Squad sped his fist. "Your Majesty, Her Highness and Zhang shi have arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom!" "Un!" Nodding his head, Mo Tianxue seemed to have recalled something and sighed. "Theres nothing bad about thess except that shes too sentimental. Sigh, she has truly wasted all of the efforts I have spent on her!" The rise of Mo Hongyi had left Mo Tianxue worried about the session of the throne. As such, he had always raised his most talented daughter, Mo Yu, as the future empress of the kingdom. In the end, thatss, for her own personal feelings, decided to leave with Zhang shi. This had left him both worried and helpless. The saying it was impossible to keep a daughter by ones side was indeed true. Zhang shi was incredibly talented, and a person of his caliber couldnt possibly remain in Tianwu Kingdom for his entire life. Since there was no hope, she should have just given up on it. She could have remained within the kingdom to cultivate properly and raise her strength to take over the throne. Mo Hongyis prestige had been on the steady rise ever since he became a 2-star master teacher, and at such a crucial period, she chose to leave instead. When everyone has forgotten about you, how do you intend to inherit the throne? He had truly no idea what was going through the mind of thatss! "Her Highness might be willful but she listens obediently to Your Majestys words. Shell probably return after sending Zhang shi off to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" the head of the Shadow Squad said. As the head of the private elite squadron under Mo Tianxue, he was a close aide of thetter and understood his thoughts well. On top of strength, prestige was also an important factor for ones session to the throne. The reason why Mo Tianxue was reluctant to allow Mo Yu to go with Zhang Xuan was because he wanted to keep her by the side so as to have here into contact with governance matters and achieve some aplishments in the field so as to win the respect and loyalty of the royal court. Only then would he be able to pass on the throne without any worries. Yet, she went ahead and left without even informing him. It was no wonder that he was angry. "Lets just hope thats the case!" Mo Tianxue smiled bitterly, "If she were able to win Zhang shis heart, I wouldnt mind it. She would probably have a brighter future by his side anyway. However, Zhang shi is an incredibly talented person, and I can tell that he has no such intentions about her. Even if she were to apany him all the way to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it would just be a waste of time!" The head of the Shadow Squad had no idea how to alleviate Mo Tianxues worries. Even though he had never interacted with this Zhang shi, he had seen him various times from the shadows and heard much about his affairs. A genius of that caliber belonged to therger world out there and wouldnt be tied down by romance. "Alright, lets not talk about this for now..." Putting aside his worries, Mo Tianxue was just about to bring up another topic when an elder barged anxiously into the hall. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." That elders face was flushed, and his entire body was trembling intensely in agitation. "Elder Qu, arent you responsible for keeping watch at the Communication Wall? What are you doing here?" Mo Tianxue frowned. Elder Qu, whose full name was Mo Qu, was an elder of the royal family. Since the Lin n had a Communication Wall that could contact Xuanyuan Kingdom, naturally, the Tianwu royal family had one as well. Through this, they couldmunicate with Xuanyuan Kingdom, understand the various changes in the other country swiftly, and make appropriate countermeasures. This Elder Qu was the person responsible for maintaining contact at the Communication Wall. His position was equivalent to Pavilion Elder Qian of the Tianxuan Kingdom, and he was the head of intelligence of the entire kingdom. This job required him to keep a constant lookout on the various happenings around the region, and thus, he would normally send a subordinate to report to the emperor. Unless something huge had urred, it was impossible for him to report an issue personally. "Your Majesty, something huge... has urred!" Elder Qu eximed in agitation. "Something huge?" Mo Tianxue turned to look at Elder Qu. "What is it?" "Zhang shi has arrived at Xuanyuan Royal City, and just today, he caused a huge ruckus in the capital and he... killed Crown Prince Ding Mu!" Elder Qu said. "Killed Crown Prince Ding Mu?" Mo Tianxues face paled, and he nearly fainted from shock. The standing of a crown prince of a Conferred Kingdom was far above that of an emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom... To kill a figure of such standing, was that Zhang shi insane, or was he simply tired of living? "Indeed! Not just so, he even did it in the midst of Crown Prince Ding Mus inauguration ceremony!" As though oblivious to Mo Tianxues darkenedplexion, Elder Qu continued, "In the end, even Old Ancestor Ding Hong was rmed..." "By old ancestor, do you mean Emperor Ding Hong whose name took the world by storm? He... is still alive?" Mo Tianxues body swayed weakly. Hundred years ago, this Emperor Ding Hong had already reached the level of a Transcendent Mortal. Everyone had thought that he was dead given his long period of absence, but to think that he was still alive! "Indeed. Not only so, he has even be a Transcendent Mortal expert..." Elder Qu said. "Transcendent Mortal?" Mo Tianxues voice trembled. "Then Zhang shi..." Mo Tianxue didntplete his words, but the meaning behind it was clear. Zhang shi was most probably dead by now. After running over to kill the inaugurating crown prince, how could the other partys old ancestor possibly spare you? Mo Tianxue knew this Zhang shi quite well. He was able to defeat a Half-Zhizun with the strength of a Zongshi realm pinnacle, but against a Transcendent Mortal... the gap was simply toorge. It was like the difference between a divine dragon and a measly ant. Most probably, Zhang shi was already reduced to a lump of flesh under the might of the old ancestor. "Oh, Zhang shi is alright. He broke through the Half-Transcension realm on the spot and subdued Emperor Ding Hong..." Elder Qu said. "What?" Mo Tianxues head spun. To reach Half-Transcension from the cultivation realm of Zongshi realm pinnacle on the spot? Are you joking with me? On top of that, theres a huge difference between a Half-Transcension cultivator and a Transcendent Mortal cultivator. How could Zhang shi possibly subdue the other party? "This is what the report from the other side of the Communication Wall said, and Ive confirmed it myself. Theres no mistake about it!" Elder Qu nodded. "On top of that... that..." "What?" Elder Qu hesitated for a moment as he recalled the content of the report on the Communication Wall, and even until now, he seemed as though he was still unable to believe the news. "The primary reason why Im here is to report this news to you. After Zhang shi subdued Emperor Ding Hong, he nominated Princess Mo Yu for the throne, and she is now the ruler of Xuanyuan Kingdom..." "The ruler... of Xuanyuan Kingdom?" Mo Tianxue nearly fell off his throne. He had just said that Mo Yu was wasting her time over her sentiments, and thetter... went on to be the ruler of Xuanyuan Kingdom! Did this p have toe so violently? There were at least twenty vassal kingdoms like Tianwu beneath Xuanyuan Kingdom. To be the ruler of such a powerful kingdom... Why did it seem like a dream? "But Yu-ers cultivation is only at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. How could she be the ruler of a Conferred Kingdom?" Recovering from the shock, Mo Tianxue suddenly realized that there were some things that were amiss. When Mo Yu left, she was only at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. It was already difficult for her to ascend to the Tianwu Kingdom throne given hercking cultivation. To ascend to the throne with such strength in Xuanyuan Kingdom, wasnt that no different frommitting suicide? "This... Zhang shi also thought that her cultivation was too low, so he helped her achieve a breakthrough on the spot through Cultivation Impartation. Currently, Princess Mo Yu is a... Zhizun realm pinnacle expert!" Elder Qu said. "Achieve a breakthrough on the spot? Zhizun realm pinnacle?" Putong! Mo Tianxues body shook so violently that he fell to the ground. A dazed look was on his face, and he didnt even feel pain when he pulled out a fistful of hair from his head. Tongxuan realm pinnacle... reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle on the spot. Zhang shi, can you tell me how did you do it? "Yu-er... sure has good eyes..." After a long period of time, Mo Tianxue swallowed a mouthful a saliva and muttered slowly with a pale face. Chapter 447: Soul Oracle Chapter 447: Soul Oracle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Master Teacher Pavilion of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, a gray-robed elder stood at the very front of a room. A warm voice flowing from his mouth drew in spiritual energy from the surroundings. Spirit Gathering Diction, an ability that only 5-star master teachers possessed! Seated on the front rows of the room were elders dressed in master teacher robes. All of them were seated upright, and as the words from the gray-robed elder in front washed over them, they fell into a trance-like state. Weng! The voice eventually came to a stop, and the gray-robed elder ced his hands behind his back. "Ill be stopping here for today. If any of you have any questions, feel free to raise them!" "Hong shi, sorry for the trouble. Im truly grateful to you for conducting a lecture here right after your long journey!" Pavilion Master Kang stood up and smiled. Hong shi, Hong Qian, was a 5-star master teacher from Hongfeng Empire. He was specially invited over to host the Master Teacher Tournament. The gray-robed elder Hong shi nodded. "Its the duty of master teachers to solve the problems that a cultivator meets so that everyone can be strong. Theres nothing troubling about that!" "Yes!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the ground shuddered and a bell chimed four times. "Four chimes, someone is crashing a pavilion? To think that I would meet with such an interesting matter right after my arrival!" Hong shi chuckled. The different number of chimes of the bell held different meanings in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Four consecutive chimes meant that someone was crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion within the territories of Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even though Pavilion Crashing was equivalent to challenging an entire Master Teacher Pavilion, there were actually quite a few challengers every year. After all, sess meant that one would gain great prestige and go down in history. Master teachers were public figures. On top of being teachers, their reputation was important as well. In order to raise ones reputation quickly, there were many who were willing to take the risk. But of course, despite the great benefits Pavilion Crashing could bring, the penalties for failure were harsh as well. "Wu shi, go and look into the matter. Find out which branch is it..." Pavilion Master Kang frowned. He felt embarrassed that such an incident urred immediately after Hong shis arrival. "Yes!" The elder known as Wu shi backed out of the room. Before long, he returned and reported, "Reporting to Hong shi and pavilion master, its from Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!" "Xuanyuan Kingdom?" Taken aback, Hong shi raised his head and stroked his beard, "I havent been there for a period of time. My 3-star master teacher examination was taken there!" "Now that Hong shi mentions it, I do remember the matter. Even though you were only there for less than three years, you towered over all of the master teachers of the kingdom with your talents!" Pavilion Master Kang replied after a moment of contemtion. Even though Hong shi had already be an esteemed 5-star master teacher of Hongfeng Empire, he originated with Xuanyuan Kingdom, which resulted in his deep ties with Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Otherwise, he wouldnt have gone through the trouble to travel such a long distance to conduct apetition among the younger generation. "Those are in the past now. But in any case, that person who crashed Xuanyuan Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion will probably be in for some pain!" Hong shi chuckled. "Ive left a sliver of my will there. Even a 4-star master teacher would find it hard to sessfully crash the pavilion." "You left your will there? Itll be nigh impossible for the challenger to pass then..." For a moment, Pavilion Master Kang was stunned before a bitter smile crept onto his face. Pavilion Crashing wasnt just about defeating all of the current master teachers within the Master Teacher Pavilion. The greatest difficultyy in answering the questions raised by the will of the preceding generations master teachers. Hong shi was a 5-star master teacher who possessed incredible means. Since he had left behind a sliver of his will in Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, who could possibly crash the pavilion sessfully? Even Pavilion Master Kang himself, despite being the pavilion master of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, would find it hard to seed, not to mention, a person from a Conferred Kingdom. "Some youngster hoped to earn prestige quickly through Pavilion Crashing, but how can it be that easy?" Nodding his head, Hong shi suddenly recalled some matters about the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion and said, "In the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, other than me, three other 4-star master teacher left behind their wills as well. To get to me, the challenger would have to pass their tests first!" "Those three tests are probably more than enough to halt the challenger in his footsteps..." Pavilion Master Kang nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the ground shook once more, and the bell chimed for five times consecutively. "That... That person sessfully crashed the pavilion?" For an instant, everyone froze. From the start of the crash until now, it had only been ten minutes or so. To defeat the will of three 4-star master teachers and one 5-star master teacher in such a short period of time... Wasnt that way too fast! Hong shi was also stunned. "Hurry up and find out who it is!" A momentter, his lips quivered and he hurriedly instructed. To answer the question raised by will in ten minutes and sessfully crash the entire pavilion... How in the world did that person do it? A hugemotion broke out within the entire Master Teacher Pavilion. ... Hu! While a hugemotion was going on in Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, in Xuanyuan Kingdom, Luo Qianhong was staring at the darkened Master Teacher Tower with a helpless look. There were various steps to Pavilion Crashing. Firstly, one had to defeat all of the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion. He knew that there was no one in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion who was a match for Zhang Xuan and there was no point in battling, so he immediately activated the Master Teacher Tower. Retained within the Master Teacher Tower were the wills of predecessors. To sessfully crash a pavilion, one had to walk from the bottom of the tower to the top and extinguish all of the lights in the midst. Given that the tower waspletely dark already, this meant that... Zhang Xuan had passed all of the tests and seeded in his Pavilion Crashing. Jiya! A young man walked out from the tower gate. ncing at the young face which reflected an age below twenty, Luo Qianhong shook his head. He had already guessed that the other party would seed after his outstanding performance at the Heavens Altar, but even so... he didnt expect the other party to seed so quickly. Those were the wills from a 5-star master teacher and three 4-star master teachers! To pass their tests in ten minutes, even a 5-star master teacher would be hard-pressed to do so! What kind of monster was he? "Since Zhang shi has seeded in the Pavilion Crashing, the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion will listen to yourmands." Stepping forward, Luo Qianhong sped his fist. The rules had stated that the losing side of the Pavilion Crashing had to fulfill the demands of the winning side without anyints. "I require books and herbs regarding waking a dormant soul!" Zhang Xuan said. The reason why he caused a ruckus on the Heavens Altar and killed Crown Prince Ding Mu was to exact vengeance for Lu Chong. "Zhang shi intends to attempt waking your student?" Luo Qianhong asked. While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of crashing the pavilion, he had looked into the entire happenings from start to end. He felt great regret for listening to Ding Mus lies, and at the same time, he found himself impressed by Zhang shi. How deep of a rtionship between a student and teacher must be for a student to be willing to put himself at risk for his teacher? And for a teacher to cause a ruckus at a Conferred Kingdom and challenge a Master Teacher Pavilion for his student... "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Dormant soul... Honestly speaking, even our Master Teacher Pavilion isnt qualified toe into contact with information regarding souls. However..." At this point, Luo Qianhong hesitated. "Pavilion Master Luo, feel free to speak your mind." Zhang Xuan immediately replied. "I do know that if one bes a 7-star master teacher, one will gain the ability to influence ones consciousness and search souls! Other than that... theres an ancient upation known as Soul Oracle. If you were to find their inheritance, you might be able to learn their means and wake up your students dormant soul!" Luo Qianhong said. Zhang Xuan frowned. "Soul oracle? Whats that?" Zhang Xuan had heard the matter regarding a 7-star master teacher being able to search ones soul and rouse a persons consciousness from Mo Yu, but he had never heard of a soul oracle before. Despite reading so many books and assimting so much knowledge, there was nothing on this topic at all. "Soul oracle is a unique upation that existed in ancient times. Ive only heard about this from the predecessors, but its said that the soul oracles were able to summon and gather souls through celestial dances. However, this upation has already disappeared for more than ten thousand years, and its regarded as a mere legend nowadays. As such, no one can tell what kind of abilities they possess for sure." Luo Qianhong pondered for a moment before replying. "Itll be easy for me to determine whether its a legend or not!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a book and wrote a line of words on it. After which, he ced his fingers on it and muttered ws in his head. Weng! For matters that couldnt be ascertained, Zhang Xuan would use this method to confirm its authenticity. There was nothing that could elude the eyes of heavens. Its words of guarantee were more reliable and useful than anything else. Casually flipping it open, Zhang Xuans breathing began to hasten, and his fists subconsciously clenched together. A line of words was written on the nk page, Soul oracles can summon and gather souls, and the bookpiled in the Library of Heavens Path didnt indicate any error with the statement. In other words... It was right! To think that there would be an upation capable of manipting souls in this world! Suppressing his agitation, Zhang Xuan asked, "Pavilion Master Luo, do you know where the inheritance of soul oracles can be found? Or where I can find books regarding the upation?" As long as he gathered sufficient books, he would be able to form a Heavens Path manual and learn the upation. It didnt matter much to him whether the inheritance wasplete or not. After a moment of contemtion, Luo Qianhong said, "I dont know where you can find the inheritance of soul oracle. However... recently, there have been rumors that a [Soulless Metal Humanoid] was found in Honghai City of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and an auction over it will be conducted in the next few days. The Soulless Metal Humanoid is known to be a product created by soul oracles. If they have truly left behind an inheritance, you might be able to find some clues on it." "Honghai City?" Zhang Xuan frowned. A map of Myriad Kingdom Alliance appeared in his head, and he immediately located Honghai City. Even though Myriad Kingdom Alliance was known as an alliance, it was actually an empire ruling over all of the other kingdoms in the region. The position of the alliance head was somewhat simr to the position of an emperor in a kingdom. Honghai City was arge city within the territory of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and its scale was on par with the capital, Myriad Kingdom City. "Honghai City is known as the trading hub of the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The Soulless Metal Humanoid is known to be a special puppet crafted by ancient soul oracles to protect themselves at close proximity. Since one of them was found there, you might really find something there," Luo Qianhong said. While the chances of unearthing the inheritance of the soul oracles were extremely slim, it still beats searching and engaging the help of a 7-star master teacher. A 7-star master teacher could be considered to be a figure that stood at the pinnacle of this world. Putting aside how even the strongest experts of Myriad Kingdom Alliance had never met such a figure before, there was also no reason why a 7-star master teacher would go through the trouble of treating the student of an insignificant person like Zhang Xuan. "Un!" After hearing the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan made up his mind. "Since Im heading for Myriad Kingdom City anyway, Ill drop by Honghai City to take a look then!" Chapter 448: The Levels of Transcendent Mortal Chapter 448: The Levels of Transcendent Mortal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A gigantic spirit beast glided through a sea of white clouds. From the back of this gigantic spirit beast, Zhang Xuan nced out of a window to peer into the distance. This Transcendent Mortal 3-dan spirit beast was gongzi Zhao Feiwus mount. Upon knowing that there was a clue to the inheritance of soul oracles in Honghai City, Zhang Xuan immediately gathered Zhao Ya and the others and left for Honghai City. As Mo Yu was now the empress of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there were countless matters on her agenda, thus making it imperative that she remains in the capital. Before departing, Zhang Xuan instructed Luo Qianhong to take care of her. Initially, Zhang Xuan intended to ride the Steelfang Howling Beast to Honghai City. However, after learning that it was over a million kilometers away, he immediately dropped the idea. Given the Howling Firmament Beasts current speed as a Zhizun realm savage beast, even if it were to travel non-stop through the day and night, it would still take at least a month for it to cover the distance. Inparison, Zhao Feiwus Transcendent Mortal 3-dan mount was much faster. On top of that, its back was broad so it wasnt cramped even when the entire group was riding on it. Besides, Zhao Feiwu insisted on it, and Zhang Xuan couldnt find any reason to turn her down either. To date, it was already the fifth day since they took off from Xuanyuan Royal City. "Teacher, arent you a poison master? Why did you be a subordinate of the envoy..." It wasnt easy for Gu Mu to meet his teacher, so the duo started catching up. Gu Mu raised a doubt that he had been harboring in his mind ever since he learned of gongzis true identity. Poison master was an upation that left others trembling in fear, and most would choose to keep their distance. Given such, how did his teacher be a subordinate to this gongzi? "The reason why I left the Poison Hall back then was to exact vengeance. However, I fell into my enemys trap instead, and even though I still managed to kill him in the end, I was severely injured in the process as well. It was gongzis father who saved me... In order to prevent others from learning of my identity as a poison master, Ive been avoiding the use poison in public since then!" Jin Conghai said. Just like what Gu Mu said, it was rare for a poison master to be subordinated to another. After all, even if poison masters were willing to be subordinated, considering their horrid reputation on the continent, who would be willing to take them in? After Jin Conghai was saved by gongzis father, he had been serving thetter by his side. To prevent others from learning of his identity as a poison master, he chose to avoid the usage of poison, and it had been several years since then. In the eyes of others, he was nothing more than a diligent subordinate. Little did they know that a fearsome 4-star poison master hid beneath that cover. "Teacher!" On the other hand, Yuan Tao and the others walked over to Zhang Xuan. After consuming the spirit beast blood essence, Yuan Taos Emperors Bloodline was further awakened, thus inducing a significant leap in his cultivation. With this, he caught up with Zhao Ya, who had been the strongest in the group with a cultivation of Zongshi realm pinnacle. As for Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan gave them a lotus seed each. Instead of raising their cultivation through Cultivation Impartation, he imparted them a simplified version of Heavens Path Divine Art instead. Even so, their cultivation increased by leaps and bounds. In just five days, they had smashed through multiple realms consecutively, thus reaching Zongshi realm primary stage. Even though they were still slightly weaker than Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao, the foundations of their cultivation were strong and stable. More importantly, they hadnt even consumed a hundredth of the energy contained within the lotus seed. By the time they fully absorb the energy contained within the lotus seed, they would be Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators as well. Zhao Feiwu and the others suffered a breakdown when they saw Zhang Xuan giving away the Crimson me Lotus Seed so casually to his students and subordinates to enhance the growth of their cultivation. However, as the shocks piled up, they found themselves gradually building up an immunity to his inconceivable actions and feats. To them, Zhang Xuan was a person who simply couldnt be measured throughmon sense. Rather than racking their brains over it, they might as well just ept him as he is. "Honghai City is right before us!" Before long, a massive city appeared before everyones sight. From their height, the countless buildings beneath the sun looked no different from gleaming small dots. The scale of Xuanyuan Royal City was astonishing, but it couldnt hold a candle against Honghai City. It was as though putting a remote mountainside vige against a bustling city! As expected of one of thergest cities of Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting everything aside, just therge and refined infrastructures reflected wealth far above that of a Conferred Kingdom. "Honghai City is a trading hub where merchants from all over Myriad Kingdom Alliance, be it Xuanyuan Kingdom, Chihe Kingdom, or Liusu Kingdom, gather... Goods tend to fetch a higher price here, so the merchants from the various Conferred Kingdoms would export their goods here to earn a greater profit margin. Over time, Honghai City grew to be the most prosperousmercial city throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" Zhao Feiwu exined. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. There was some information on Honghai City among the books of Tianwu Kingdoms book collection vault. Known as the City of Merchants, most of the trade and interactions among the vassal kingdoms of Myriad Kingdom Alliance were conducted here. In terms of prosperity, it even exceeded that of the capital, Myriad Kingdom City. "Myriad Kingdom Alliance is of a significantly higher-tier than Xuanyuan Kingdom. Even though your strength has reached Half-Transcension and you can be considered rather strong for those around your age, its best for you to remain careful here." Zhao Feiwu advised with a grim expression. "The Honghai City Master Teacher Pavilion has a 4-star master teacher behind it. Even though hes only a 4-star intermediate master teacher, his true strength is at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, and hes not to be trifled with!" "Yin-Yang realm?" Zhang Xuan asked. He knew that above the Fighter realm was Transcendent Mortal, and that there were nine levels to it. However, he didnt know the details behind it. "There is a total of 9 dans to Transcendent Mortals, and they are 1-dan Prolonged Longevity, 2-dan Origin Energy, 3-dan Yin-Yang, 4-dan rifying Turbidity, 5-dan Consonant Spirit, 6-dan Cosmos Bridge, 7-dan Perfect Harmonization, 8-dan Ethereal Treading, and 9-dan Chrysalis!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan was unaware of the details about the Transcendent Mortal realm, Zhao Feiwu began exining, "You should already be aware of Prolonged Longevity realm by now. While ones strength will remain at 100,000 ding throughout this realm, ones lifespan will increase by a fair amount with every breakthrough. The average lifespan of a Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle cultivator is around two hundred years. "At 2-dan Origin Energy realm, the zhenqi within a cultivators body will be converted to Origin Energy, thus granting one the strength of manipting the natural energy present in the environment. The beginning of another origin, the unraveling of a whole new world... Theres a huge difference between zhenqi and Origin Energy. The former represented strength and ones existential potential whereas thetter allows one to tap into the power of nature to actualize the mysticisms of the world! "Take for example, if an ordinary paper is infused with Origin Energy, it could gain spirit, enabling it to float in the air and dance by itself. Thus, Origin Energy realm is also known as Mystical Energy realm, in which, Origin Energy is equates to Mystical Energy. "As for 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, the contrasting nature of yin and yang energy present in ones body will amalgamate,plementing the ws of one another to bring forth greater power. As such, Yin-Yang realm cultivators are capable of drawing forth incredible destructive might! Take that cliff in the distance for example, a Yin-Yang realm cultivator would be able to easily crush it with a single fist." Zhao Feiwu had a deep understanding of the various cultivation realms of Transcendent Mortal, and she began exining them to Zhang Xuan. "Destroying a cliff with a single fist?" Zheng Yang and the others were dumbstruck. They thought that the ability to hurl rocks weighing over a thousand kilograms at Zongshi realm was already an impressive feat. There is a limit to a humans strength, and destroying a cliff with a single fist is far beyond the means of a human. That is already at the level of deities. That is also why the Transcendent Mortal realm was known as the Divine realm. The strength Transcendent Mortals possess isnt something that mortal Fighters, or even Half-Transcension cultivators, can take on. "And for Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity, as most would know, different cultivators will have different levels of purity for their Origin Energy and different weights for their soul. Cultivate diligently in this realm, and one will be able to bring up the purity of their Origin Energy. In other words, this is an opportunity for one to purify their Origin Energy (zhenqi). I believe you should understand the huge difference between an inferior zhenqi and an intermediate zhenqi!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled as she continued, "Pavilion Master Kang of Myriad Kingdom City is a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and his cultivation realm is at this level. Only one who has reached this level of cultivation can one tread fearlessly around Myriad Kingdom Alliance. As for 5-dan Consonant Spirit, its only hearsay for me. Its already beyond the level of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so Im not too sure about the details either." "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The 9 dans of Transcendent Mortal is simr to the 9 dans of Fighter. The progression through Transcendent Mortal realm can be considered to be ayer stacking over the previous, and there are no shortcuts to it. The only way to advance is through ceaseless diligence and perseverance. But to Zhang Xuan, it was just a matter of finding sufficient cultivation technique manuals to form the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art. "Were here, lets alight!" Amidst their conversation, they finally arrived at Honghai City. The spirit beast pped its wings gently as it gradually descended to the ground. Just like the other cities, one needed to pay a toll fee to enter the city. Zhang Xuan shed his master teacher emblem and he was exempted from the fee. The broad streets of Honghai City were bustling, and one could see all kinds of objects being sold everywhere. Phantom pinnacle weapons, the strongest weapon tier among the possessions of the wealthy Lin n, could be found easily in any shop in the area. "Gold coins are technically useless in Honghai City. The currencies that are mostmonly used here are Tutge Jade Tokens and spirit stones," Zhao Feiwu said. "The Tutge Jade Token of master teachers are valued based on the rank of the issuer. A 4-star master teacher Jade Tutge Token is equivalent to a hundred from a 3-star master teacher, and a 3-star master teachers Jade Tutge Token is equivalent to a hundred from a 2-star master teacher, so on and so forth. As for spirit stones, a 3-star master teachers Tutge Jade Token is worth around ten of them!" "One can use Tutge Jade Tokens for trading?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. It was no wonder why master teachers were so well-respected around here. To think that even their lesson time was regarded as a currency! Even if one wasnt interested in cultivating, there is no reason for one to shun money. But thinking deeper into it, it did make sense. The guidance of a master teacher could solve the various problems and hups that cultivators meet during their training. Putting aside two hours, even just a few minutes of guidance could y a pivotal role toward a cultivators breakthrough. Given the value of these Tutge Jade Tokens, it wasnt surprising for it to be traded as a form of currency. After listening to Zhao Feiwus introduction of Honghai City and gaining a deeper understanding of it, Zhang Xuan asked, "I heard that a Soulless Metal Humanoid has been uncovered in this area. If I wish to find where its sold, where should I go?" "A treasure as invaluable as the Soulless Metal Humanoid would usually be auctioned by the Appraiser Hall. If Im not wrong, it should be within the Appraiser Hall at the moment!" Zhao Feiwu pondered for a moment before replying. "Appraiser Hall?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Is it the guild for appraisers?" Back in Tianxuan Kingdom, Zhang Xuan had once met a master appraiser... Mo Yang. That fellow was only an apprentice, but he impersonated a master appraiser to scam others for money. And unfortunately, many fell for his deception. Even though appraiser was only a Middle Nine Paths upation, due to their ability to determine the value of treasures, it was an exceptionally popr profession. Chapter 449: Appraiser Hall [2in1] Chapter 449: Appraiser Hall [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The cities that Zhang Xuan visited previously didnt have an appraiser guild, so he didnt expect to see an Appraiser Hall here in Honghai City. Since that was the case, they should conduct appraiser examinations here as well. With this, Zhang Xuan could consider taking the examination so that he could conduct appraisals as a source of ie. Otherwise, even if he knew that the Soulless Metal Humanoid was here, he would have no money to buy it. If anyone else were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely fall speechless. Even though appraisers werent part of the Upper Nine Paths, their examination was publicly known for its difficulty. Every appraiser would have to spend decades of their lives dedicated to the study of treasures before they could gain an in-depth understanding of the subject required to pass the examination. Yet, this fellow wanted to take the examination just because he was short of money. If anyone else were to hear his words, they would definitely find themselves speechless. "Lets go to the Appraiser Hall!" With a n in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately asked around for its location before heading over with the group. The Appraiser Hall was grand and imposing. On top of being a guild for appraisers, it was also a massive trading market. All kinds of goods were ced on the counters, and a huge crowd walked in and out of the halls. Even before arriving at the location itself, Zhang Xuan already found himself awed by the bustle before him. "This is a market managed by the Appraiser Hall. Most of the goods in here are authentic, having been verified by the Appraiser Hall, thus paving way for it to be thergest trading market in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" Seeing the astonished expression on the face of this incredible genius, Zhao Feiwu couldnt help but feel slightly gleeful. Due to the unique nature of the upation, the Appraiser Hall had be a symbol of trust among the poption. Most of the objects that the Appraiser Hall dealt in were expensive before the appraisal, and thus, most people were willing to fork out an additional sum to ensure the authenticity of the goods bought. As such, the business conducted by the guild grew steadily over time. This was precisely the reason why even though appraiser wasnt a member of the Upper Nine Paths, it was one of the most lucrative upations. Most master teachers preferred to take on this upation as their supporting upation. However, appraising required one to have a deep understanding of the artifacts history, background, purpose, material, origin... Only when one was able to apply such vast knowledge in appraising would one be able to achieve some aplishments in the art. Even so, the further one climbed, the harder the examinations became. Thus, even though there were many people who dreamed of taking the appraiser examination, there were very few who had managed to achieve a rank of 3-star and above. In fact, the number was even far beneath that of master teachers. This was the main reason why there were very few Appraiser Halls on the continent, such that even a ce like Tianwu Kingdom didnt have an Appraiser Hall. This was also why an impersonator like Mo Yang was able to win the admiration of so many people easily. "Can appraisers ensure that their appraisals are urate?" Sun Qiang couldnt help but ask. He had once operated a shop in a market, and thus, he knew a thing or two about imitations. So what if one was an appraiser? There was no one who could ensure that their judgement would be hundred percent correct all of the time! After all, it was normal for a mortal to err. Just like how it was impossible for one to tread along the riverside often and avoid getting wet, formidable appraisers couldnt possibly ensure that they wouldnt make a mistake in their entire life either. "Appraisers are limited by their discernment ability and rank, so it is indeed impossible for them to guarantee that all of their appraisals are urate. Under such circumstances, they would invite other appraisers to appraise it together, and if the invited ones are unable to give a concrete answer as well, they would simply give the client their evaluation on the artifact to serve as a basis for consideration." Zhao Feiwu said. "But thats no different from giving no answer at all!" Sun Qiang shook his head. "An appraiser is only allowed to make three judgmental errors throughout his life. Once they exceed this limit, theyll be stripped of their license. Thus, when stumbling across something theyre unsure of, they wont give their judgement easily!" Jin Conghai interjected. "Three times?" "Un. From the moment one bes an appraiser, every artifact that one appraises will be documented and filed. If something goes wrong with the artifact, itll be considered as an error. Once the number of errors exceed three times, regardless of the rank of the appraiser, hell be stripped of his license!" Jin Conghai continued. Throughout his years, he had seen many appraisers being stripped of their licenses just because of a careless mistake. Some of them had rued prestigious reputations throughout their lives, only to lose it all due to a few careless mistakes. Everyone fell silent. Even though many people craved to be an appraiser, it seemed like this upation wasnt as easy as it seemed. Once the number of mistakes onemitted exceeded three, ones license could be revoked... But who could ensure one wouldnt make any mistakes at all? "Actually, all upations are the same. The rules governing master teachers are even stricter; ones reputation could potentially be destroyedpletely if they were to make a single mistake in their guidance, resulting in a loss in trust in one!" Seeing how everyone was sympathizing with appraisers, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Before he came to this world, his previous self alsomitted the same error. Due to misguidance, he caused a students cultivation to go berserk, resulting in Zhang Xuan being unable to recruit even a single student after his arrival. "Indeed, physicians are the same as well. A single error could possibly result in a death..." Zhao Feiwu nodded in agreement as she nced at the youngster before her. Even though he seemed to be around the same age as her, how was he able to solve the Innate Muscr Deficiency, that even 5-star physicians were helpless before, and treat her? "So many things..." "How beautiful..." Just as Zhao Feiwu was contemting over how thetter managed to learn his medical skills, the excited voices of Yuan Tao and the others sounded from behind. While she was deep in contemtion, the group had already walked into the grand hall. Everywhere that the eye could see were vendors selling their goods, and the variety of goods covered dozens of upations. Medicine, pills, cauldron, weapons, formation tes... As though stars in the skies, they densely filled the hall within, making it hard for ones mind to process everything. The treasures which were impossible to see under normal circumstances gleamed all around them, stimting their minds. "Those who are passing by,e over and take a look. This is the newest [Treasure Discerning Mirror]. It has the ability of determining the value of an artifact automatically, giving you assurance when youre buying other goods. Its only going off at ten spirit stones now! If you dont buy it, youll be making a huge loss and putting yourself at risk of scams!" a young man shouted. "Treasure Discerning Mirror?" Zhao Ya and the others blinked their eyes in interest, and they prepared to head over. "Its just an ordinary mirror, its a scam. If that were really a Treasure Discerning Mirror, he wouldnt be selling the mirror here for ten spirit stones!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even without using the Library of Heavens Path, he could determine the value and background of some of the less potent artifacts via the Eye of Insight. With just a single look, he could tell that the supposed Treasure Discerning Mirror in the young mans hand was a fake. "A scam? Isnt everything in here authentic?" Zheng Yang couldnt help but nce doubtfully at Zhao Feiwu. The other party had just said that the Appraiser Hall served as a guarantee for the authenticity of the goods here, so why would there be an imitation here? "How many artifacts are there here?" Zhao Feiwu rolled her eyes as she gestured to the surroundings. "There are at least several tens of millions of goods here, perhaps even a hundred million!" Zheng Yang said, while taking a look around. "Furthermore, that is only as far as my eye can see. There are still some ces beyond my view, so... there should be even more than that!" There were nearly a hundred thousand booths scattered throughout the market, and innumerable treasures were ced neatly on each booth. Tallying up the numbers, there was indeed a frightening number of artifacts. "Indeed. Given how many artifacts there are here, the appraisers would die of exhaustion before they appraised everything here! Besides, there is a huge flow of goods in and out of the Appraiser Hall daily How could it be possible to keep track of all of them?" Zhao Feiwu chuckled, "By authentic, I mean the goodsbelled with the insignia of the Appraiser Hall. It would be best for one to not buy any goods without thisbel, otherwise one would be putting themselves at risk of a scam!" "Oh!" The crowd nodded. As thergest market in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there were too many vendors in the Appraiser Hall for them to take note of. Even if every single appraiser in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were to be gathered here, it would be impossible for them to appraise everything here. "But of course, if you find something suited for you, you can feel free to buy it. If youre worried, you can pay an exorbitant fee to have an appraiser upstairs appraise it. If its authentic, then youre making a profit. Otherwise, youll be making a loss!" Zhao Feiwu said. Just like treasure spection, buying something that hadnt been appraised was highly dependent on ones eye of discernment and luck. Without sufficient luck, all one could do was toment over ones own misfortune. "Appraiser sure is a lucrative upation..." Putting aside themission fee from the market, the appraisal service they offer also made customers willingly part with their money in exchange for security. As expected of one of the most lucrative upations in the world. "Come and look, I have a [Water Continental Fish] here! As long as one holds this fish in ones mouth, one will be able to breathe freely underwater. Its definitely a treasure you must have!" "Come and see this authentic [Antidote Grass]. It can cure one of the mostmonly seen seventeen poisons. With just a low price, you can buy some assurance on your life!" "I have the Celestial Stone here! Itll illuminate your path like the stars themselves if you take it out at night. Those passing by, please dont miss this ideal opportunity..." ... Countless voices echoed in the bustling market. Treasuresy everywhere, and if one hade in alone and ignorant, itll be impossible for one to determine the authentic from the fake! Walking along the various booths, Zhang Xuan suddenly frowned and came to a stop. On a booth not too far away, a gray-colored artifact, around the size of ones palm, appeared in his view. Even though his Eye of Insight hadnt reached the highest level yet, and he was still a far way from matching up to the means of an advanced master teacher, he was still able to easily determine the origin and background of normal artifacts. But for some reason, he was unable to assess anything about this piece of scale at all. "Thats weird!" Zhang Xuan turned to examine it more thoroughly, but his eyebrows only furrowed deeper. If he was unable to see through it, did it mean that it was an invaluable treasure? That it was far beyond his current analytical means? "Friend, are you interested in my product? I can guarantee you that all of my goods here are authentic..." Upon seeing that there was a customer, the vendor hurried forward and weed Zhang Xuan with a bright smile. "Authentic?" Zhang Xuan briefly looked through the other goods in the booth. There were many goods in this booth, numbering up to at least several hundred thousand. Weapons, pills, armor... most of the things that one could think of were present here. While there were many authentic goods amidst them, there were plenty of fakes as well. All of my goods here are authentic. Indeed, the words of a merchant couldnt be trusted. Zhang Xuan browsed through the various goods around the booth as lines of insight rippled in his eyes. He could see through the other objects easily, and there wasnt anything too valuable in its midst. Thus, his gaze didnt linger on them for too long before returning to the gray object. He immediately asked, "What is this?" "This?" The vendor was taken aback for a moment before a smile returned to his face. "Friend, you sure have good eyes. This is the most valuable item on my stand, and Ive obtained it from the hands of a grave robber. Im not too sure what kind of artifact it is. Ive tried burning it and quenching it with water, but it doesnt leave a mark at all. On top of that, its incredibly resilient, so Im sure that its definitely a top-notch treasure..." "The most valuable item? Who do you think you are fooling?" Seeing the other party bragging about his goods, Zhao Feiwu harrumphed in disdain. All vendors would often use this line in an attempt to drive up their prices. What most valuable or most precious, one would truly be a fool if one were to believe it. "How could I dare try to fool you all? This item is indeed very valuable! Ive once had a 2-star appraiser to appraise it, but even hes unable to make a judgement on it as well!" The vendor spoke indignantly. "Alright, how much does it cost?" Unwilling to waste time arguing with the vendor over such insignificant matter, Zhang Xuan asked. "Since youre interested in it, it only means that youre fated with it. Thus, Ill sell it to you at a discount then. A hundred spirit stones!" Upon hearing the other party asking about the price, the vendors eyes lit up. "What did you say?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. He thought that since it was a street side vendor, the goods should be cheap. At the very most, it should only cost one or two spirit stones, or perhaps even gold coins... Yet, to think that it was that expensive. A hundred spirit stones... Zhang Xuan had already used up the final few pieces he had on the way here. Even if he were to sell himself away, he wouldnt be able to rake up such a price! As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even the prices they offered were equally frightening. "Dont fall for it. Such vendors often offer a high price to hoodwink others!" Seeing the other partys dumbfounded look, Zhao Feiwu chuckled and sent a telepathic message over. "Hoodwink?" "Ill haggle for you, just wait and see. Ill definitely get a low price for you!" Zhao Feiwu dered confidently. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. To him, a hundred spirit stones was an astronomical price; it was impossible for him to take out such a sum. Since Zhao Feiwu was offering to haggle for him, he was willing to allow her to give it a try. "Theres no need for you to give us this kind of nonsense, its not like weve never bought from the Appraiser Hall before. A hundred spirit stones can already be exchanged for ten 3-star Tutge Jade Token, do you think this lousy good of yours is worth this price? Why dont you rob a bank instead?" Gesturing grandly, Zhao Feiwu put on the airs befitting of a veteran trader and red at the merchant, "Give us an honest price!" "Gongzi, you must be jesting with me. The price that I offered is an honest one. Even though this artifact may seem like nothing much, I spent a huge fortune to purchase it, and I even tried to recruit a cksmith to work on it, just that it didnt work out in the end. Even though I cant say for sure what it is, one thing Im certain of is that its definitely a treasure..." Laughing dryly, the vendor gritted his teeth and said, "However... since gongzi is a frequent customer, Ill make an exception then. How about this, Ill allow you to offer a price, and if its suitable, you can take it away. Otherwise, lets just forget it!" "This is more like it. Since thats the case, Ill offer you fifteen spirit stones then!" Seeing that her old customer trick was working, Zhao Feiwu gestured gleefully. "Fifteen? Sigh, I guess this can be called fate as well. Alright then, Ill make a loss this time and sell it to you for fifteen!" The vendor said with a pained look. "This works as well?" Zhao Ya and the others staggered, and their eyes widened in shock. shing the original price of a hundred to fifteen in an instant, they thought the vendor would surely fly into a rage. Yet, the other party agreed to it immediately... This was way too incredible! If they hadnt seen this for themselves, they would never believe it to be true. "Un!" Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Zhao Feiwu felt as though she had just won a war. She turned to look at Zhang Xuan gleefully and said, "Alright, you can pay up now!" "Pay up?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He would love to pay up as well, but... fifteen spirit stones was a huge sum to him as well. Even if he were to sell all of his properties, he wouldnt be able to gather so much money. "I think that fifteen spirit stones is still too expensive!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at the vendor. "Fifteen spirit stones is too expensive? Friend, you must be joking. This is already the lowest price I can offer you..." The vendor smiled bitterly. "That... Its indeed a fair price already. If youre interested, you should just buy it down!" Seeing that the other party was still trying to haggle even though she had even shed the price down to fifteen, Zhao Feiwus eyebrows shot up. Youre here to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, right? Without several thousand or even ten thousand spirit stones, its impossible for you to take it for yourself. Even so, fifteen spirit stones for an object that interests you, and yet you still find it expensive? "Is that so? Then, can you allow me to take a look so that I can get a clearer gauge on its price before we negotiate?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Sure!" The vendor handed the gray artifact over to Zhang Xuan. Only upon taking a closer look was Zhang Xuan able to see clearly what it was. It was around the size of a palm, and it took on a shade of dark brown. It was slightly arched, reminiscent of a giant piece of fish scale. There were some unique inscriptions densely scribbled on the side that was bent in, and there were some parts that were blurred, making it impossible to discern what it was. "ws!" After taking a rough nce at its outer appearance, Zhang Xuan muttered silently. Even though the Eye of Insight failed to work on it, the Library of Heavens Path should be able to determine what the artifact was. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Casually taking a look at it, Zhang Xuans eyes immediately widened and his breathing hastened. "This is indeed a treasure..." On the book was a detailed introduction on the artifact, recording its name and ws. "Dragon Scale Protective Amulet, crafted by 6-star Craftsman Bai Xi two thousand years ago. Its capable of warding off the offense from a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times. ws: ..." Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Putting everything aside, just its ability to ward off the offense of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times already made it a fearsome tool. If he had obtained this artifact earlier, Lu Chong wouldnt have gotten injured and fall into aa. "I definitely must get this!" Initially, Zhang Xuan only came over out of curiosity. He didnt expect it to be so valuable. Suppressing his agitation to prevent it from appearing on his face, he was just about to agree to the deal when another voice echoed. "Fifteen spirit stones, is it? Ill take it!" Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw a middle-aged man looking over with gleaming eyes, staring fixedly at the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet in his hands. "Grandmaster Appraiser Liu Chang!" The vendor seemed to recognize the other party and he hurriedly spoke up, "I would have given it to you straight since youre interested in this item. However, this friend here has set his eyes on it first, so... how about you two negotiate over this matter?" "Grandmaster appraiser?" Upon hearing how the vendor addressed the other party, Zhang Xuan immediately started assessing the middle-aged man. There was an emblem pinned on his chest, on which, there were two bright stars. A 2-star appraiser. Appraisers would also stroll around this area sometimes to browse through the different artifacts and purchase items that interest them. If they were to stumble by some valuable treasure, they could make a huge killing as well. Appraiser Liu Chang frowned. He turned to Zhang Xuan and ordered, "Im interested in this item so give up on it!" "Pardon me but Im interested in it as well. Ive no intentions on giving it up!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. You must be pulling my leg! If I didnt know what it was, I could have given it to you. However, now that I know how valuable this artifact is, I wouldnt give it up even if you were to beat me to death! This artifact could potentially save my life three times, only a fool would give up on it. "You refuse to give up on it?" Appraiser Liu Chang harrumphed coldly. Ignoring Zhang Xuan, he immediately turned to the vendor and said, "Even though he has set his eyes on it, he hasnt paid up yet, right? Its only natural for the good to go to the highest bidder. How about this, Ill offer you fifty spirit stones so sell it to me!" "50?" "50?" The vendors eyes lit up. He obtained this artifact unintentionally so he had no idea how much it was actually worth. In his view, it was definitely a good deal for him to sell it for fifty spirit stones. Agitated, he quickly turned to the young man and said, "Friend, Grandmaster Liu has already made an offer, so... if youre not going to offer anything higher, Ill have to ask of you to return the object to me..." Zhang Xuan turned to look at the vendor and said, "Since thats the case, Ill offer you a price too. If you find it appropriate, sell this item to me!" "Alright!" The vendor nodded. "Fifty gold coins!" Zhang Xuan dered. "Fifty... gold coins?" The vendor froze for a moment, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. The other party had offered fifty spirit stones, and yet you still dare to offer fifty gold coins? Brother, are you taking me for a fool? Chapter 450: Grave Robber Chapter 450: Grave Robber Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The gold coin was a generally epted currency within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. However, along with the rise in the rank of the kingdom, its use grew less and less frequent. One couldnt buy a spirit stone even with a million gold coin. To offer fifty gold coin for something valued at fifty spirit stones? You must be joking! By the side, Zhao Feiwus eyebrows twitched and she nearly puked blood. It took her so much effort to haggle the price down from a hundred to fifteen, yet this fellow offered fifty gold coins? It was just a moment ago that she said that the other party might as well rob a bank... Why does it feel like Zhang shi was the one who should be robbing a bank instead? In a sense, Zhang Xuans offer wasnt any different from daylight robbery. "Fifty... gold coins?" Appraiser Liu Chang was still worried that the other party might offer a higher price. Thus, when he heard Zhang Xuans words, he nearly burst outughing. Where did this countryside bumpkine from? Spirit stones and gold coins were two different trading currencies withpletely different values. I offered fifty spirit stones, yet you went ahead to offer fifty gold coins. Why dont you just tell the vendor to give it to you instead? You sure are thick-skinned! Appraiser Liu Chang nced at Zhang Xuan in disdain. To dere an offer of fifty gold coins so brazenly, youre probably the only one in the entire market. "I apologize, but Ill have to turn down your offer..." Recovering from his shock, the owner hurriedly shook his hands. Hed thought that the other party was some rich gongzi, young master, or something simr. In the end, he turned out to be just some poor bloke. To think that he had wasted so much time on the other party. "Do you think that my price isnt high enough?" Zhang Xuan didnt get angry. Instead, he smiled calmly in response. The vendor fell speechless. This was no longer a problem of whether the price was too low or not, but that the offer was as good as offering nothing! Have you ever seen anyone holding a stalk of grass to purchase anything? "Appraiser Liu Chang, Ill be selling this item to you then. May I know if theres anything youre interested in as well? Ill wrap it up for you together..." Having lost his patience for the countryside bumpkin, the vendor turned his attention to Liu Chang. "Does that mean that you arent going to sell it to me?" Zhang Xuan shook his head and a look of pity shed across his face. "Sigh, I was thinking that I could solve your insomnia and nightmares if youd sold the item to me. Since you arent interested, lets forget about it then!" After leaving behind these words, Zhang Xuan ced the scale back in ce, turned around, and prepared to leave. "What did you say?" The vendor had intended to ignore Zhang Xuan regardless of what he said, but upon hearing those words, his body immediately stiffened and his face turned pale, "Friend, please wait a moment!" To cultivate was to go against heaven, forcibly absorbing the spiritual energy from environment to nourish oneself. Under normal circumstances, it was rare for one to suffer from insomnia and nightmares. But for some reason, for the past half a year, he found himself unable to fall asleep, and even if he managed to doze off, he would immediately be jolted awake. If it was just a day or two, he would still be fine with it. Yet, it continued on consecutively for half a year. Despite his powerful cultivation, his mind was already reaching its limit. Privately, he had consulted many physicians but they were all powerless against it. Yet, the person before him had pointed out his problem and offered to give him a solution to it. How could he not feel agitated? "Recently, do you find yourself being jolted awake frequently, sweating profusely whenever it happens? Also, when you fall asleep, does your body convulse slightly?" Knowing that the other party would definitely stop him, Zhang Xuan smiled and turned around. "You... how did you know?" The vendors body trembled in shock. Due to being unable to sleep, even though he could make up for hisck of rest through cultivating day and night, his face was still unnaturally pale. Most physicians could tell that much, but... Waking up sweating profusely and convulsing in his sleep, these were symptoms that only he knew of. He hadnt told anyone about it before, not even his wife. How did the other party learn of it? And to even point it out directly. "I can solve your problem!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Solve my problem?" The vendors body trembled in agitation, unable to believe that he would be freed from his agony. "You are free to choose whether to believe my words or not, but... this is the only chance youre going to get. If you dont solve it soon, your lifespan will take a toll and you wont live for much longer!" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan spoke indifferently. Even though Zhang Xuan wanted the Dragon Scale Amulet, he needed the other party to ce his trust in him first. Otherwise, it would be futile no matter how much he spoke. "I..." The vendor hesitated. After a moment, he gritted his teeth, turned to the middle-aged man and said, "I apologize, Appraiser Liu Chang, but it seems like I cant sell this item to you anymore..." Money was important, but what could be more valuable than ones life? For the past half a year, gued by this affliction, he had spent more than fifty spirit stones on consulting physicians but it was to no avail. If the person before him could truly solve his affliction, then he didnt mind giving the artifact away to him. As for whether he should believe the other party or not... Just by how the other party was able to determine the symptom of his affliction, his eye of discernment was already superior to the physicians he had consulted before. Perhaps... the other party might really be able to solve his affliction. "Hmph, there are many untrustworthy fellows loitering around the markets nowadays. You should be careful!" Not expecting his fifty spirit stones to lose out to the other partys fifty gold coins, Appraiser Liu Chang turned to Zhang Xuan and stared at him with narrowed eyes. "I dont think that its a concern of Appraiser Liu whether I am trustworthy or not!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Hmph, very well..." With an awfulplexion, Appraiser Liu Chang flung his sleeves and left. It would be humiliating if a well-respected appraiser like him were to cause trouble just because he couldnt buy an item. But of course, that was if he didnt know the value of the artifact he had just missed. He had only wanted to buy it due to his curiosity after finding himself unable to identify the artifact. In truth, he didnt really think that it was a huge loss just because hed failed to obtain it. Even so, to be outdone by a countryside bumpkin despite putting in so much money, he still felt a little enraged. "Friend..." Upon seeing Appraiser Liu leaving with a displeased expression, the vendor turned to Zhang Xuan. If that fellow had truly been speaking just for the sake of it and was unable to solve his affliction, he really might burst into tears. Offending a 2-star appraiser in this market was truly an unwise move. "Dont worry, since Im able to see through your affliction, Ill surely cure you of it. Show me your punching routine!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Without much hesitation, the vendor began executing his fist art, causing a huge gust of wind to blow. To think that even an ordinary vendors cultivation would reach Half-Zongshi, as expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. With sufficient resources and master teachers, its overall strength was innumerable times above that of Tianxuan Kingdom. "Alright, thats enough!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. As the other partys cultivation was far beneath him, Zhang Xuan was able to see through most of his problem through his Eye of Insight. Even so, if he wanted to cure himpletely, he needed the help of the Library of Heavens Path to determine the root of the illness. "Youve quite a few valuable objects on you, but if Im not wrong... you obtained them through depraved means. The objects have an ancient tone to them, and theres a slight green shade to their surface. This is caused by ack of air venttion. On top of that, an aura of death is exuding from you... If Im not mistaken, your expertise is digging graves!" Walking up to the vendor, Zhang Xuan looked around before speaking nonchntly. "Yo-you..." The vendors face paled, and he nearly fell to the floor in fright. Digging graves was a nicer way to put it. In truth, he was a grave robber. No matter how powerful an expert was, regardless of whether he reached Zhizun realm or Transcendent Mortal realm, it was impossible for him to escape the sands of time. Eventually, all would be swept away by the river of history. After their deaths, these people would be buried in a tomb along with their most prized possessions. And it was exactly through digging these ces and selling the artifacts of the dead that the vendors business could grow to such a scale. However, he had hidden this fact well. Many of his close friends werent aware of it. Thus, having his main trade being exposed by Zhang Xuan left him light-headed, and he nearly fainted from shock. "You dont need to worry, Ive no interest in your business!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan continued, "Im just talking about the origin of your affliction. "If youd only dug up ordinary tombs, there wouldnt be any problems at all. However, eight months ago, you dug up the grave of a Transcendent Mortal. Am I mistaken?" Zhang Xuan looked over. "This... No, you arent!" The vendor clenched his jaws. "Unfortunately for you, that Transcendent Mortal was betrayed by his wife and killed by his good friend, causing his resentment to linger in the world even after his death... If my judgement doesnt fail me, you must have taken a personal possession of his and carried it along with you." Zhang Xuan continued asking. "... Yes!" The vendor nodded his head as he stared at that the fellow before him as though he had seen a ghost. The other partys tomb was shabby and there was nothing of value there except for a personal amulet. Since it seemed as though it was at least worth something, hed taken it along with him... How did this fellow know about something so private? On top of that, to describe it so clearly as though he had seen it himself? "Its precisely due to the resentment contained within this object that you found yourself suffering from insomnia and convulsions when you finally fall asleep... Its actually not too difficult for you to solve your problem. You just have to return to the tomb, pay respects to the owner, return the amulet, and treat his descendants well. If so, your affliction should disappear!" Zhang Xuan stated. In truth, the affliction this vendor was suffering from was kind of simr to that of Apothecary Chen Xiao back then. Thetter took possession of an apothecarys cauldron while disregarding his promise toward the other party. As a result, he was cursed. On the other hand, this vendor had been gued with the resentment of a Transcendent Mortal expert for a long period of time. It wouldve been bizarre if there hadnt been anything wrong with him! If he didnt resolve the issue soon, his longevity would definitely be reduced significantly. Most probably, in less than a few years, just as with Apothecary Chen Xiao back then, the aura of death would shroud him, iming his vitality. Zhang Xuans words from before iming that the other party wouldnt live for long wasnt just fear mongering. "Master, thank you for your guidance!" Given how the other partys analysis was spot-on, the vendor already felt significant trust toward Zhang Xuans words, and he was filled with gratitude for him. All along, he thought that it was a problem with his body. Never in his dreams could he have imagined that it would be due to this. "This item... Master, please take it!" Upon learning the method to curing his affliction, the vendor immediately passed the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet over. He had no idea what use this artifact had, but no matter of how expensive it was, he didnt think that it could be more valuable than his life. In a sense, he had profited from this deal. Zhang Xuan nodded his head and kept the amulet. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he took out a pile of gold coins. There were precisely fifty of them in the stack. "Here is your money!" "Theres no need for it..." The vendor shook his hands, turning down the payment. Rather than taking this measly sum of money, he might as well just give the amulet away. At the very least, he could win the goodwill of the other party in this way. "Why is there no need for it? Since weve agreed on the price, if I dont pay you, wouldnt it be no different from robbery?" Zhang Xuan spoke righteously. "This... Alright then!" Left with no choice, the vendor could only ept Zhang Xuans payment. "This works as well?" Taking the entire happening into sight, Zhao Feiwu felt as though her understanding of the world was being overturned. Buying a treasure worth fifty spirit stones for fifty gold coin, and for the seller to even thank the buyer for it... That was way too incredible! As the daughter of the alliance head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the princess of an empire... She had seen many formidable physicians, but to tell that someone was sick and even deduce that the other party was a grave robber... You arent a physician at all... You must be a fortune teller instead... Chapter 451: Spirit Calming Grass Chapter 451: Spirit Calming Grass Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Having bought the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet for fifty gold coins, Zhang Xuan bade the vendor farewell in satisfaction. There was no one in the world who waspletely healthy, and demandingpensation for treatment wasnt anything much. Even if one was truly healthy, one would at least want to raise ones cultivation. Considering how even a 4-star master teacher wasnt capable of making a person achieve a breakthrough with just a short moment of guidance, Zhang Xuans guidance was more than sufficient to rece a Tutge Jade Token. Even without money, Zhang Xuan was confident that he could buy this artifact for sure. Thus, he wasnt worried at all. After walking around the market for a while longer, the group realized that there was nothing else of value left here. Thus, Zhao Feiwu said, "Lets go up and take a look. The treasures on the second floor are much more valuable than those of the first floor, and most of them have already been verified by appraisers!" As such, the crowd headed up the stairs. The second floor wasnt as chaotic as the first floor, where booths and shouting vendors filled the entire venue. The scale of the second floor was much smaller, and there were various stores in the area. The objects on disy were clearly much more valuable than those on the first floor. If what was sold on the first floor could be considered as misceneous goods, then those on the second floor could be considered as true treasures. All the stores here had at least a hundred years of history to them, and regardless of whether it was their reputation or the goods that were on sale in their shops, they were much better than the booths on the first floor. Hung at the front of each store were all kinds of ques, such as Master Mo Xius Appraised Treasures, Master Sun Xiangs Appraised Treasures, Master Hong Lis Appraised Treasures... All kinds of different goods were disyed in each store. Even though these stores werentrge and the items inside werent as many as the booths below, just the fact that it carried the name of the appraisers attracted the gazes of many, making them even more popr than the booths below. "Thergest store on the second floor is [First ss Pavilion], which is right in front of us. The items they sell, just like their name, are all top grade. Even though it isnt operated by an appraiser, its the most bustling store here. In fact, appraisers also frequent there personally to trade for some treasures!" Jin Conghai said. He had been here before so he knew quite a bit about this ce. As for Zhao Feiwu, she only knew about this location from some books so she wasnt too sure about the details. "Lets go over and take a look!" The primary objective of Zhang Xuans trip here was the Soulless Metal Humanoid, so he wasnt really interested in the other misceneous stuff. However, since the supposed First ss Pavilion was right before them, it wouldnt hurt to take a look. Besides, he could also try asking about the Metal Humanoid there. Walking past row after row of stores, it didnt take long before they stopped by a vast space with three gold words written on it. With just a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the calligraphy had reached an extremely high level of artistic conception. "To think that it would be an art piece of the fifth level!" Zhang Xuan eyes couldnt help but light up. He was a 3-star painter so he had an in-depth knowledge of calligraphy and painting. The threerge words First ss Pavilion might seem simple on the surface, but the words were written with forceful and flowy strokes, giving a feeling as though the words would leap out at any moment just like an ascending flood dragon. It was clear that the words were anything but simple, and it had already reached the fifth level of painting. At this kind of level, the words had already reached the level of Spirit Creation. Even if one were to look at it for an extended period of time, not only would one not feel fatigued, one would even feel refreshed and revitalized. Just these three words were probably worth a huge fortune already. As expected of the number one store in the Appraiser Hall, its scale sure wasnt anything that the other stores could match up to. Walking into the store, Zhang Xuan saw several people strolling about the disys. Some of the customers dressed in appraiser robes were staring fixedly at the treasures before them with a tranced look. All upations were enjoyable when one could immerse oneself into it; appraising was the same as well. Some of the most exquisite masterpieces were at a quality such that even the greatest craftsmen and cksmiths could only create one in their entire lives. It was practically impossible to replicate it, and these were the treasures that left countless appraisers awed when they examined them. "Wee, may I know what you are looking for? I can guide you around if you need!" offered an attendant as he walked over. "Theres no need for that, well just take a casual look!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Then, he walked over to the various treasures disyed on the shelves. They were indeed much more valuable than the artifacts seen below. All of the items carried a powerful aura, and they seemed to resonate with the spiritual energy in the air. Even without the Eye of Insight, it was apparent with a look that they were of great value. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuans gaze was on a chi (33.3cm)rge cauldron, the attendant immediately walked forward and introduced, "This is the Divine Copper Cauldron. If you were to put spirit stones inside, it would automatically refine and cleanse it, making it easier to absorb the spiritual energy within it! Using this object, your speed of cultivation can be heightened by ten percent!" "As for this, its the Nine Dragons Cauldron. Every single mouth of the cauldron harnesses a surge of sword qi, making it a formidable weapon when its activated. Even a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert would be killed swiftly before it..." Upon hearing the introduction, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in awe, Honestly speaking, all of these items were truly worthy of being ssified as treasures. If ced in any of the Tier 1 Kingdoms, it could be a national weapon to deter aggressors. But after taking a look at the price, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but smile bitterly. None of these items were cheap. Putting everything aside, just the Divine Copper Cauldron was already worth two hundred spirit stones, and the Nine Dragons Cauldron was priced at three hundred and twenty spirit stones! Even a Tier 1 Kingdom would be unable to fork out such a sum. Even if it was Xuanyuan Kingdom, its finances would probably suffer greatly for many years if it were to purchase it. "This is the appraisal authentication certificate?" Regardless of whether it was the Divine Copper Cauldron of the Nine Dragons Cauldron, there was a carved jade at its bottom which detailed the name of an appraiser, his evaluation, as well as his signature. "Yes, most of the treasures of our First ss Pavilion will go through the hands of appraisers to have them authenticated. We will never deceive our customers!" the attendant said proudly. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, with a thought, lines of insight appeared in his eyes. Eye of Insight. He wanted to see if there was any treasure beyond his current means here. It didnt take him long to scan through the artifacts in the room, and in the end, he simply shook his head. There were many valuable treasures here, but there was nothing beyond him like the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet from before. "Teacher, Appraiser Liu Chang..." Just as Zhang Xuan was looking around to see if there were any treasures he had missed, Yuan Tao eximed in shock. Following the direction of Yuan Taos finger, Zhang Xuan saw a familiar figure. It was the person whopeted with him over the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet previously. At this moment, his haughtiness and aura of superiority had disappeared. He followed behind an elder with a respectful look just like a humble student. The elder was in his fifties, and he had an authoritative disposition to him. With a single nce, it was clear that he was a person who had been on a powerful position for a long period of time. Right in front of the duo was an average-sized nt with a purple flower on top. Amidst the petals, faint yellow veins could be seen, and it exuded a faint fragrance which left one in a tranquil state upon being breathed in. On top of treasures, the First ss Pavilion also dealt in some of the rarer medicinal herbs. "Ashen stems, slightly yellow leaves, petals divided by yellow veins... Could this be [Spirit Calming Grass]?" after a moment of hesitation, Zhao Feiwu asked. "This gongzi indeed has good eyes. Thats indeed Spirit Calming Grass. This is the only stalk within the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and our First ss Pavilion bought it at an exorbitant price. Its said to be exceptionally useful in nourishing ones soul, and rumor has it that it can even wake a dormant soul!" The attendant chuckled. "Wake a dormant soul?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and unknowingly, his fists clenched tightly together. Chapter 452: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (1) Chapter 452: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 However, he quickly shook his head with a bitter smile. Zhang Xuan had stumbled across the Spirit Calming Grass in one of the books he had read, and its main function was to calm ones spirit, allowing one to enter the state of Heart of Tranquil Water more easily. It didnt have the effect of waking a dormant soul. Otherwise, given Zhang Xuans understanding of herbs, he wouldnt be at a loss over the matter. "Wake a persons soul? Thats impossible!" Zhao Feiwu frowned. She had read many books regarding medicinal herbs as well, and she knew that the effects of this herb werent as exaggerated as the attendant put it out to be. "Normal Spirit Calming Grass indeed doesnt have that effect, but this one is different. Its the Emperor Spirit Calming Grass, and it grows by consuming the spiritual energy within spirit stones. As such, its properties have been enhanced to the point that its highly effective even for Transcendent Mortal experts." Upon speaking of this stalk of grass, the attendants eyes began to glow. "Consuming spiritual energy within spirit stones? Its fed using spirit stones?" "Correct. From its germination, its ced within a unique formation which extracts the purest spiritual energy contained within a spirit stone to provide the required energy for the Spirit Calming Grasss growth... And to grow to such a size, this Spirit Calming Grass has probably consumed over a hundred pieces of spirit stones. Considering the manpower and resources required to groom this herb, its definitely an invaluable treasure!" the attendant exined. Zhang Xuan was taken aback, "A hundred spirit stones just to groom a stalk of grass?" Even Zhang Xuan had yet to expend so many spirit stones in his cultivation. To think that a single stalk of grass would be treated even better than him. It was truly the case of a human being beneath a stalk of grass. "Indeed. Due to the great care showered during its growth, its property has been enhanced greatly, granting it immense effects on ones soul!" the attendant said. Even though Zhang Xuan was surprised, he didnt take the attendants words at face value. Instead, he activated his Eye of Insight and took a closer look. He had to determine for himself whether this stalk of grass was truly effective on dormant souls. Soon, his eyes lit up. Even though the medicinal herb was expensive, it wasnt beyond Zhang Xuans current cultivation realm yet. ording to the information reflected in the Eye of Insight... it was really useful toward dormant souls! However, unlike what the attendant said, it couldnt wake dormant souls. Instead, it simply stabilized it, preventing it from dissipating. Even though dormant souls were known to be souls that were sleeping, in truth, they were just too weak to be woken up. It was just like how a severely ill patient was too weak to get up from his bed. The great impact that Lu Chongs body suffered back then had caused his soul to dissipate. Even though Zhang Xuan had saved him swiftly, the other party still suffered great damage, and the strength of his soul was less than a hundredth of what it was previously. As such, it was unable to sustain the functions of his body, resulting in hisa. Even though this Spirit Calming Grass didnt have the ability to wake Lu Chong up, it could stabilize his soul and even strengthen it slowly. "I must get it!" Zhang Xuan had no idea how he could wake Lu Chong up at this point, but one thing he was certain was that he couldnt allow his soul to grow weaker and weaker. Since he had stumbled across this Spirit Calming Grass, he mustnt allow it to pass him by. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan turned to the attendant and asked, "This... How much does it cost?" "This stalk of Spirit Calming Grass is one of the most expensive treasures in our First ss Pavilion. Its priced at five hundred spirit stones!" the attendant said. "Five hundred?" Zhang Xuans body shook. He couldnt even take out five spirit stones at the moment, not to mention, five hundred... You must be jesting! Will you ept my five hundred gold coins instead? Appraiser Hall... Why dont you call it Daylight Robbery Hall instead? Given how expensive every single one of your items are, how in the world do you expect others to buy it? Surely there are very few customers who can afford that sum... Just as Zhang Xuan was considering how he could lower the price to five hundred gold coins and take it down, a deep voice sounded in front of him, "Alright, Ill be taking that Spirit Calming Grass. Also, help me wrap up the Verdant Bamboo, Deep ruing Grass, Yinyang Umbre... that Ive just browsed through as well!" Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan saw that the one who had just spoken was the elder who came in along with Appraiser Liu Chang. It seemed as though in the other partys view, five hundred spirit stones were no different from five hundred gold coins. "Sure!" Upon hearing the other partys words, the attendant serving the elder hurriedly took the various items that the elder pointed out excitedly. The more the customer buys, the greater themission of the attendant. "I apologize but its already sold... Customer, why dont you continue browsing around to see if theres anything that would interest you?" The attendant who tagged along with Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment upon seeing that the Spirit Calming Grass had been taken away. "Theres no need for me to look any further, I want this herb..." There was nothing else in this store that caught Zhang Xuans eyes. As such, he walked forward and said, "Wait a moment!" "It cant be that youre still interested in the Spirit Calming Herb?" Seeing Zhang Xuan rushing forward and shouting wait a moment, the attendant beside him leaped in fright. The other party had already said that he was taking it, if you were to insist on taking it away at this point, itll be no different from theft... But more importantly, do you know who the other party is? To rush over despite not knowing who the other party is, arent you being too reckless? Zhang Xuans voice was bright and clear, and he immediately caught the notice of the elder and the others around him. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Appraiser Liu Chang began ring at the other party. He had just attempted to im the item that the other party was buying. Could the other party be holding a grudge, so he wanted to do the same as well? "What are you up to?" Thus, Appraiser Liu Chang stepped in front and blocked Zhang Xuans path. Since he couldnt be bothered with Appraiser Liu Chang, Zhang Xuan turned to the elder and said, "I want this Spirit Calming Grass." "Weve already set our eyes on this herb, you should look for other items to buy!" Appraiser Liu Chang waved his hands. "Even though you all have set his eyes on it, you all havent paid up yet, right? Its only natural for the good to go to the highest bidder. As long as the price I offer is higher than yours, I should be able to take it, right?" Zhang Xuan replied Appraiser Liu Chang calmly. "You..." Appraiser Liu Changs chest rose and fell rapidly, and he nearly erupted on the spot. Those words were extremely familiar to him; it was what he said to the other party just a moment ago. It seemed like this fellow was really here to cause trouble. Otherwise, how could even his words be identical? Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai exchanged nces and smiled bitterly. Zhang Xuan indeed wasnt one to let anyone who crossed him get away easily. However, the elder didnt look like someone whocked money. It would be no easy feat to purchase the item he had set his eyes upon! "What is your offer then? Just to let you know, were purchasing this Spirit Calming Grass for five hundred spirit stones!" Suppressing his fury, Appraiser Liu Chang harrumphed. The fellow before had to hesitate even before a measly sum of fifteen spirit stones, so it was almost certain that he didnt have much money. To outbid them on this medicinal herb and take it away was surely impossible for him. "Can you give this Spirit Calming Grass away to me?" Zhang Xuan turned to the elder and asked. Even though Appraiser Liu Changs standing was high, he acted subserviently before this elder. From this, it could be seen that the standing of the elder was far superior to Appraiser Liu Chang. Also, the one who was buying the Spirit Calming Grass was the elder, so Appraiser Liu Chang probably had no say in this matter. Since he had no say, what was the point of wasting time with him? "I..." Upon being ignored, Appraiser Liu Changs face flushed bright red. The elder had been watching the argument of the duo, and with his hands behind his back, he replied impassively, "Hes my student so he has a say in whether Ill sell this medicinal herb or not. However, I do have a use for this medicinal herb and I dont wish to part with it. Thus, it doesnt matter how high a price you offer!" "Student?" Given that Appraiser Liu Chang was a 2-star appraiser, his teacher must be at least a 3-star or even 4-star appraiser. It was no wonder that he could buy a stalk of medicinal herb priced at five hundred spirit stones so easily. "Doesnt matter how high a price I offer? That might not necessarily be the case!" Zhang Xuan said. "Oh? Why dont you tell me your offer then?" The elder looked at Zhang Xuan in interest. The attendants spectating themotion were also filled with curiosity. That young man might be unaware of who the elder was, but they were extremely clear of his identity. Even if this elder wasnt the richest man in Honghai City, he wasnt too far away from it. Even if one could offer up something that interested this elder, it would probably have an astronomical price. Zhao Feiwu and the others were also intrigued and curious at the matter. This fellow had bought the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet previously through his medical skills, so until now, they had no idea how much wealth this young man possessed. Since he was determined to buy this Spirit Calming Grass, he should at least take out a portion of his fortune now. After all, without real money, the First ss Pavilion wouldnt sell something worth five hundred spirit stones to him? Even if Zhang Xuan intended to talk his way out of it, these attendants werent qualified to make the decision. After all, such a sum of money was way beyond them as well. Just as everyone was perplexed over this matter, curious to see what Zhang Xuan would do next, the young man in question dered confidently. "I can offer five hundred gold coins!" Pu! Appraiser Liu Chang nearly spurted a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot. This again? Is there even a point to be doing this? When I offered fifty spirit stones to buy down that bizarre object, you offered fifty gold coins in exchange. This time, for such a valuable Spirit Calming Grass, you intend to use the same method as well... Can we start conversing properly? The mouths of the attendants watching themotion also twitched violently. The young man had spoken so confidently so they thought that he would offer a huge sum of money. In the end, to offer five hundred gold coins... Youre here to cause trouble, right? The attendant who had been waiting on Zhang Xuan ever since his entry felt so embarrassed that he wanted to find a pit to bury himself in. He thought that Zhang Xuan would really be able to offer a price that no one could match up with, but to think that it was this... Cough cough. Even if you dont have sufficient money, you shouldnt offer something that cant even buy you a handful of dirt. Just as the crowd was about to faint from the ridiculousness of the situation, Zhao Feiwu pped her forehead and said, "Elder Jin, prepare to make a move. Im afraid that if we dont protect him, he might end up being... pummeled to death!" "Yes!" Jin Conghai nodded as he secretly propelled the zhenqi in his body, preparing himself to make a move at any moment. He shared the same sentiments as gongzi. This elder was clearly of high standing, and to provoke such a person as well, Zhang Xuan was truly arrogant. In fact, he found it a miracle that the other party could survive until now given his character. "Purchasing a Spirit Calming Grass for five hundred gold coins?" As expected, the elders face immediately darkened. His aura began gushing out like a gigantic torrent. Even though it was hard to gauge his cultivation realm, his strength didnt seem to pale to Jin Conghai in any way. Most probably, the other party had at least reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Seeing how the other party admitted to it so candidly without the slightest hint of embarrassment, the elder harrumphed, "Do you think that the First ss Pavilion would reject an offer of five hundred spirit stones and sell such a valuable herb to you for five hundred gold coins instead? Who do you think you are? Do you think that you are the lord of Honghai City or the head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" "I am neither of the two, Im just someone whos interested in buying the Spirit Calming Grass." Zhang Xuan shook his head calmly, "Besides, I intend to buy it from you instead of the First ss Pavilion! I believe that youll definitely sell it to me for five hundred gold coins!" "Buy it from me?" The elder flew into a frenzy, and his facial muscles convulsed violently. How can you be so sure that Ill be so cheap as to sell a medicinal herb worth five hundred spirit stones to you for five hundred gold coins? You must be dreaming! Chapter 453: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (2) Chapter 453: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though he was rich, it didnte from nowhere. Naturally, he wouldnt be so foolish as to sell an item he bought for five hundred spirit stones for five hundred gold coins. Was there something wrong with this fellows head? Otherwise, how could one speak such foolish words?" Turning his head to look at the young man, he saw the other party nodding his head with a smile, "Indeed!" "Are you done yet? Do you know who my teacher is? How dare you speak such arrogant words here!" Seeing how the other party was going overboard as to even provoke his teacher, Appraiser Liu Chang couldnt hold himself back anymore and stepped forward. "Who your teacher is? Given his sharp eyes that could determine the crux of an artifact with a single nce, if Im not mistaken... he must be an appraiser!" Zhang Xuan nced at Appraiser Liu Chang. "Its good that you know that much. My teacher is..." Liu Chang was just about to introduce his teachers identity when the elder interrupted, "Alright, since you know that Im an appraiser, you should know that Ive nock of money. Thus, you should know that its impossible for me to sell something that Ive already bought!" He finally understood that that the fellow must have something wrong with his head. As he couldnt be bothered with to argue with a psycho, he turned to his attendant and said, "Wrap these items up for me and sent them over to my residence!" "Yes!" The attendant nodded. Before long, several stalks of herbs and artifacts were brought to one side to be packed. Zhao Ya and the others sneaked a nce over and they were astounded. Even though the elder didnt buy much, every single one of the item was exceptionally expensive. None of their prices were below three hundred spirit stones. The total cost had already exceeded two thousand spirit stones. To spend so much money in one go without the slightest hesitation, the elders wealth was indeed astonishing. Facing such a person, their teacher actually offered to purchase a herb worth five hundred spirit stones for five hundred gold coins... Wasnt that going a little too far? Staring at their teacher doubtfully to see what he would do next, they only saw him cing his hands behind his back and shaking his head with a look of pity. "Sigh, I thought that an appraiser would at least be a little sharper when purchasing something. To think that you would spend such a huge sum of money just to take away a fake. Your preferences... are indeed hard to understand!" There was a hint ofmentation to his tone, as though disappointed by the other partys actions. "Fake? Do you know who my teacher is? How dare you spout nonsense here..." Appraiser Liu Chang thought that the other party would tone it down after his teacher had spared him. Yet, the other party still went on to utter such words. Liu Changs face immediately darkened. Are you done yet? My teacher chose to let you off, and yet you still dare to say that he bought a fake. Are you seeking death? "Sigh!" Zhang Xuan waspletely unconcerned with the other partys reprimand and simply sighed once more. Shaking his head, he continued, "Its one thing for ones eyes to be bad, but to refuse to admit to it as well... "More importantly, you still im to be some incredible figure, how humiliating. Forget it, since youre unwilling to listen to my advice and insist on buying a fake, I wont be nosey then. Lets go!" After finishing his piece, Zhang Xuan prepared to leave with Zhao Ya and the others. "Hold it right there! Who did you say is buying a fake? If you dont rify yourself right now, dont even think of leaving..." Seeing how the other party was hinting at his teacher buying a fake and shamelessly denying the matter, Appraiser Liu Chang couldnt hold himself back any longer and immediately stepped forward. At the same time, his aura gushed out. Zhenqi drove through his body, granting him immense strength. Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm! Even though he was at the same realm as Ding Hong, he was a cultivator of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and was entitled to significantly greater resources than thetter, and as such, he was much stronger as well. If he were to make a move, Zhang Xuan would probably find it hard to withstand his might. Even so, Zhang Xuan remainedpletely nonchnt to the immense might the other party was exuding. Instead, he nced at the other party disdainfully and said, "Why? Not only do you have bad vision, causing you to be unable to discern a fake good, youre also attempting to silence all those who those who advised you out of goodwill?" Zhang Xuan had encountered many of such situations as Yang Xuan. Without such confidence, he wouldnt have been able to fool others with his act. "Bad vision? Do you know who my teacher is? There are countless people in Honghai City who are begging my teacher to spare a nce at their artifacts..." With a face reddened in anger, Liu Changshed out. However, halfway through his words, the elder walked over. "Enough!" Waving his hands casually to stop Liu Chang, the elder turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "You said that Ive bought a fake, so may I know which one is it? Do you have any proof of it?" Even though the elder had asked an extremely ordinary question, his tone carried deep confidence, exerting a huge pressure on Zhang Xuan. It felt as though as long as Zhang Xuan were to misspeak, he would immediately be punished. "Proof? Are you sure you want to know?" Zhang Xuan smiled. "If your reasoning is sound and you have evidence of the matter, Ill admit to my vision being bad! However, if it ends up that youre only spouting rubbish to gain the attention of others, I can overlook it but... Im afraid that Liu Chang might not share my sentiments!" The elders tone was filled with authority. As an appraiser, being used of making a wed judgement was a huge matter. If the other party was truly speaking nonsense, even if he didnt make a move, his student, Liu Chang, also wouldnt let the other party off. "This fellow sure knows how to cause trouble..." Taking all of these into sight, Zhao Feiwu rolled her eyes. In her view, if Zhang Xuan really wanted the Spirit Calming Grass, he should just take out the money required for it. To make an enemy out of such a powerful figure for it was the most foolish decision one could make. Why must he cause trouble wherever he goes? Couldnt be learn how to stay still? If only he was willing to take out the money, wouldnt the matter be solved easily? If Zhang Xuan were to learn of the other partys thoughts, he would definitely burst into tears. You are the daughter of the Alliance Head, the princess of the empire. Its easy for you to say those words since you dontck money. If I had the money too, do you think that Id be so bored as to put my life at risk just to act cool... ... "Spouting rubbish to gain the attention of others? Youre thinking too much into it!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and pointed at the pile of objects that the elder had just bought. "This Verdant Bamboo is something that you have just bought, right?" "Indeed. Teacher spent three hundred spirit stones on buying this Verdant Bamboo. Just to let you know, its the only one youll find in the entire Honghai City!" Liu Chang sneered coldly. "Why, do you think that theres a problem with it?" The item was right there and there was abel beneath it. There was nothing to deny about it. Besides, Liu Chang didnt think that there was a problem with this object either. He had also taken a close look at that item and verified that there was no problem with it. Ignoring the other partys words, Zhang Xuan circled around the bamboo, touched it with the tip of his finger, and as though having confirmed something, he smiled and asked, "May I know what the properties of the Verdant Bamboo are and what do you intend to do with this medicinal herb?" "The Verdant Bamboo is a unique spirit medicine. Its leaves are the main ingredient to forging [Verdant Crystalline Pills]. This pill can nurture a Heart of Crystal within one to dispel ones inner demons, thus putting one in a state of calmness. Its exceptionally useful to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm experts. "As for the stem, its extremely tough and it can be used to forge the Spirit weapons [Verdant Bow] and [Piercing Arrows]. The Verdant Bow is a Spirit low-tier weapon, and when paired with the Piercing Arrows, it can easily pierce through ones body. Due to the extreme speed of arrow when the two are paired together, its capable of killing one without even leaving behind a wound. Its one of the weapons that Transcendent Mortal experts are willing to fork out an exorbitant sum to buy. "And of course, it has onest method of utilization; it can be used as a formation core. However, this property is significantly weaker than the former two and its not worth mentioning at all!" Stroking his beard, the elderly spoke impassively. Hisposed voice was tinged with confidence as he revealed his broad knowledge on the matter. Most people knew that the Verdant Bamboo was valuable but very few were aware of its uses. It was only because of his identity as an appraiser that he knew a thing or two about it. Otherwise, he wouldnt have spent a hulking sum of three hundred spirit stones to purchase it. "Indeed, most people only know that the leaves of the Verdant Bamboo can be forged into a pill. Very few know that it can be forged into a bow, arrow and serve as a formation core as well. Its impressive that you know all of these!" After praising the other party, Zhang Xuans lips curled up and he continued on, "Since you know the various functions of the Verdant Bamboo, may I know if youre using it toy out a formation, forge a bow and arrows, or forge a pill?" Given that the stem and the leaves came from the same origin, the medicinal properties of the leaves could be best brought out if the stem was used as fuel for the pill forging process. On the other hand, for the forging of the bow and arrow, the Verdant Bamboo would have to be nourished in a unique medicinal fluid when its still in its freshest state. However, if one were to do so, the leaves would be mixed in with impurities, rendering it useless. And simrly, if the Verdant Bamboo was used as a formation core, one would have to carve inscriptions on it. This would damage the leaves and bamboos, rendering it unusable for any other purpose. Thus, even though the Verdant Bamboo had three uses to it, one could only choose one of it for each bamboo. If one attempted to be ambitious and use a single bamboo for multiple purpose, one might potentially end up simply wasting the bamboo instead. "Of course its for pill forging! Even though it isnt too bad to use it for the other purposes, the Verdant Crystalline Pill is still the most valuable of the three!" A deep frown appeared on the elders face. He had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, but even so, he still answered his question patiently. The Verdant Crystalline Pill was a nourishment that was useful to even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm expert. Every single pill could fetch an astronomical sum; this wasnt something that the Verdant Bow or the formation could match up with. If one wanted to maximize ones profit from the Verdant Bamboo, one should definitely choose to forge the most valuable Verdant Crystalline Pill. After receiving the answer to his question, Zhang Xuan dered, "Since youre intending to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, I can tell you upright that what you bought is a fake!" "Fake? The Verdant Bamboo has a smooth green body, reminiscent of jade. There is a huge gap in between its leaves, and even the sharp edge of a de cannot wound it. On every single division, there are three leaves, and each leaf has seven veins on it..." This time, it was Liu Chang who replied. He swiftly stated the dozens of ways to appraise the authenticity of a Verdant Bamboo, and every single point that he mentioned matched the properties of the bamboo in his hand. "This is the way to ascertain the authenticity of a Verdant Bamboo. Even I can easily tell that its definitely an authentic good, and yet youre saying that its a fake? Fine, if this is a fake, why dont you tell me whats wrong with it?" "Your method of appraising is indeed correct!" Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile, not refuting the other partys words at all. "Ah? Since you know it, why do you say that its a fake?" Liu Chang was taken aback by the other partys words. "Youve memorized it urately, and your method of appraisal is correct as well. Theres no doubt that this is a Verdant Bamboo!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. "These have been confirmed by our predecessors, how dare you try to deny... Huh? What did you just... say? If thats the case, why do you im that its fake..." "Are you making a fool of us?" Everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would deny the matter, but he admitted to it directly. For a moment, everyone was stunned. Even Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai found their eyebrows shooting up. You imed that the other party had bought a fake, and yet, the next moment, you turned around and said that it is real... Even a person with dissociative identity disorder wouldnt be as fickle as you! Chapter 454: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (3) Chapter 454: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (3) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Making a fool of you all? You are misunderstanding me!" Even though the other partys face was turning green, Zhang Xuan didnt fall into a panic. Instead, he chuckled lightly and said, "Ive only said that its a fake because you are intending to use it to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, Ive never said that it isnt a Verdant Bamboo!" Confused by Zhang Xuans words, the elder and Liu Chang nced at one another in bewilderment. Eventually, thetter couldnt hold it back any longer and asked, "What do you mean?" The attendants, Zhao Feiwu, and the others were baffled as well. They had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to. "Simple, theres no doubt that this is a Verdant Bamboo, but if you were to use its leaves to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, I can guarantee you that not only will the pills be ineffective, one will even die upon consumption!" Zhang Xuan said. "Death? You must be joking! Transcendent Mortals have the ability tomunicate with the world and sense the surroundings. While it grants them great strength, it also makes them particrly vulnerable to external influences, making it easy for them to breed inner demons. The Verdant Crystalline Pill forges a Heart of Crystal within one, thus significantly reducing the damage one could suffer from inner demons. Theres only benefits to be derived from its consumption, so how could anyone die from consuming it?" Liu Chang uttered in disbelief. Even the elder couldnt help but shake his head. As a Transcendent Mortal, ones will could meld together with ones environment to move the energy in ones surroundings. However, this made it particrly easy for inner demons to appear. The Verdant Crystalline Pill was the best medicine for one to dispel inner demons, and he had even consumed one himself. Its effectiveness was so great that he couldnt even put it into words, so how could one possibly die from it? This was clearly nonsense! Besides, as a skilled appraiser, he had also appraised the Crystalline Pill for others, and the other party had consumed it before him. There were no problems whatsoever with it. To die from consuming it... waspletely unheard of. "Can you prove it?" The elder turned to Zhang Xuan and harrumphed. If the other party couldnt prove it, then he could only be spouting nonsense. "If it were anyone else, there would be no way to prove it other than forging the pill and consuming it. However... it just happens that I do have a way to prove it!" As though expecting the other party to ask this question, Zhang Xuans lips curled up. He turned to Liu Chang and asked, "Ill have to trouble you to fetch a piece of leaf for me!" Liu Chang turned to the elder, and upon seeing thetter nod his head, he walked over and plucked out a leaf. "Try burning it with fire!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Teacher..." The elder gestured toward him. "Do as he says!" Even though he didnt quite trust the other partys words, the other partys calmness had unnerved him. If the other party were truly spouting nonsense, the other party would have surely flustered before his immense strength and authority. Yet, not only was the other party calm, his movements also exuded deep confidence. This casted doubt in the elders mind. Could the Verdant Bamboo... really be a fake? But thats impossible! He had specially examined it several times, and regardless of whether it was its stem, leaves, aura, degree of hardness... There were no problems whatsoever. "Yes!" Upon receiving his teachers consent, Liu Chang nodded and took out an ignitable fire roll. Then, he turned to Zhang Xuan and harrumphed coldly, "This single leaf is worth at least dozens of spirit stones. If your words turn out to be a lie, Ill be expecting you topensate our loss..." There were only twelve leaves on the Verdant Bamboo. Given that the entire bamboo was worth three hundred spirit stones, every leaf was worth an exorbitant sum. A single leaf was more than sufficient to purchase a city in Tianwu Kingdom. In that sense, every leaf was literally worth a city. Yet, due to this fellows im, they were going to burn a single leaf. The huge loss left even a 2-star appraiser like him with an aching heart. "Dont worry, if theres no problem with the Verdant Bamboo, Ill surelypensate you. However... Im afraid that you wont be saying such words in a moments time," Zhang Xuan said. "Hmph, lets see what youre up to then!" Seeing the confidence on Zhang Xuans face, Liu Chang harrumphed. He ignited the ignitable fire roll and ced it beneath the leaves. Weng! After around two minutes, just as Liu Chang was about to demand Zhang Xuan topensate them, his hands suddenly jolted violently. The green leaf abruptly turned ck and an iparably pungent smell exuded from it. If there was hell in this world, this was probably what it would smell like. The sight felt extremely sinister. "Ah..." Shocked, Liu Chang subconsciously let go of the fire roll and the leaf. "This..." Jin Conghai and Gu Mu stared at one another in shock. "Ah?" The elder was initially looking at Zhang Xuan nonchntly, but at this moment, his face abruptly warped in shock. He swiftly stepped forward to grab the leaf with his hands, and he stared at it with a grim expression, as though unable to believe the sight before him. "What a potent poison. If this were infused into the Verdant Crystalline Pill, not only would it not dispel ones inner demons, it would even seep into ones zhenqi, assault ones internal organs, causing one to die on the spot..." As he spoke, cold sweat trickled down his forehead. If the other party hadnt said anything at all and hed taken the Verdant Bamboo back to have it forged into Verdant Crystalline Pills, many people would have died. At the same time, his reputation would bepletely ruined! On top of that, he was intending to consume one himself to try for a breakthrough into a higher realm... If he were to really eat it... Putting aside his reputation and his standing, even his life would be gone. "Whats the meaning of this?" The elder couldnt maintain his calmness any longer. He turned to look at the attendant with an incredibly awfulplexion. Dangng! Liu Changs face was also iparably dark. With a flick of his wrist, he drew his sword and pointed it toward the attendant, threatening to kill thetter as soon as the slightest bit of nonsense was uttered from his mouth. If it were just a fake, they could only me themselves for theck of acuity in their judgement. However, it was clear that someone hadced the leaves of the Verdant Bamboo with lethal poison. From the start to the end, that young man had only moved his mouth, and only the attendant hade into contact with it. Who else could the culprit be if not him? "Ah... Hall Master Sai, please spare me! Im just an attendant, Ive no idea whats going on. Besides, how could I possibly obtain poison of such high grade that even youre unable to perceive it..." The attendants knee immediately caved in, and he hurriedly kowtowed non-stop, pleading for the other party to spare him. Other people might not know this elders identity and the authority he wielded, but he was well aware of it! To that elder, killing him was no different from killing an ant. Thus, not daring to hesitate in the least, he immediately kneeled down and admitted his fault. "Alright, hes indeed unaware of it!" Recovering from his shock, the elder realized that he had also med the attendant erroneously. Thus, he gestured for Liu Chang to sheathe his sword. Given the lethality and inconspicuous nature of the poison hidden within the Verdant Bamboo, it must be at least a grade-4 poison. In other words, the one who poisoned the Verdant Bamboo was most probably at least a 4-star poison master. How could a person of that standing be willing to serve as a mere attendant in the First ss Pavilion? Besides, if the other party truly wanted to make a move on him, given how his guard was down just now, there was no need for him to go through so much trouble. After all, he might not necessarily buy the Verdant Bamboo. Thus, the hypothesis that the other party had poisoned the Verdant Bamboo in advance to harm him didnt seem to hold. "Hmph!" Liu Chang sheathed his sword, but he still maintained an air of hostility. The medicinal herb that his teacher bought was actuallyced with lethal poison. If news were to spread, his teacher would be in great trouble. To sessfullyce a medicinal herb within the First ss Pavilion with poison, who in the world could it be? And what did he hope to achieve from this? "Little brother, thank you for your help!" The elder turned to Zhang Xuan once more, and this time, instead of disdain and coldness, his gaze was filled withmendation and respect. Even he was unable to discern any problem with this Verdant Bamboo. Yet, the other party was able to determine that there was a problem with it without even getting close to it. His eye of discernment was way too fearsome! Most probably, the other partys appraising ability was even higher than his. Fearsome! "Now, its been proved that the Verdant Bamboo is a fake, right?" Zhang Xuan nced at the elder. "Yes... Its a fake!" After a moment of hesitation, the elder nodded. The main purpose of a Verdant Bamboo was to forge it into a pill to supplement ones cultivation. Yet, this stalk would kill the one who ingests it. In that sense, it could indeed be considered a fake. "Actually, you need not me him nor the First ss Pavilion. They werent the ones whoced the Verdant Bamboo with poison. In fact, it wasnt the doing of a human at all!" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan lifted his head slightly and spoke withposure. "It wasnt the doing of a human?" The elder was bewildered. Even Jin Conghai and Gu Mu couldnt help but turn their gazes over. Other people might not know too much about poison, but the two of them were true poison masters. They had grown up alongside poison, and they possessed broad knowledge in the field. The poison contained in the Verdant Bamboo was extremely bizarre. It had already melded within the veins of the leaves, making it extremely difficult to be noticed. On top of that, the poison was exceptionally potent such that it could even kill a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert easily. All evidence pointed to it being the doing of a 4-star poison master. If it wasnt the doing of a human, then... where did the poisone from? "Bring me the information on the production of the Verdant Bamboo!" Instead of answering the crowds doubts, Zhang Xuan turned to the attendant from before and instructed. "Yes..." Upon hearing the young man speaking up for him and the First ss Pavilion, the attendant shed him a look of gratitude before hurriedly walking out. Not too longter, he returned with a book in his hands. Mostrger retailers would look thoroughly into the background of the artifacts they bought andpile it into a book so as to prepare their attendants for the questions of the customers. This could enhance the value of the treasure and track down the source of the problem if a fault appeared in the goods. "Read it out loud!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Un!" The attendant nodded. Flipping open the book, he began reciting, "Verdant Bamboo, originated from Hongxu Marsh. It was found by a merchantpany and four months ago, the merchantpany used a unique method to pick it and delivered it here..." The information regarding the Verdant Bamboo was extremely detailed, and it even included details on who was the one who dug it out, who was the one who delivered it, where was the trade conducted, what kind of method was used to preserve its freshness... All in all, the introduction took up more than several hundred words. However, upon hearing the introduction, not only did the crowd not feel enlightened, they fell into even deeper confusion. The Verdant Bamboo was extremely well-guarded and there was no chance for a poison master toy his hands on it at all. Thus, this made the possibility of it being a human doing extremely unlikely. But if it wasnt a human doing, then how did the poison get here? "The lethal poison had seeped into the branches and leaves, but yet, there isnt any damage on the nt at all. In fact, its impossible for one to discern that its poisoned from its outer appearance. Even 4-star poison masters would require a long duration of time to achieve such a feat!" Jin Conghai spoke with a grim expression. He was also intrigued by this matter. If those records were real, there was indeed no way for anyone to strike at all. After all, it was no easy task for even a 4-star master teacher to poison the Verdant Bamboo so inconspicuously. One had to know that lethal poison had an adverse effect on nts as well. "Whats going on?" The more Appraiser Liu Chang listened on, the more confused he became. Eventually, unable to withstand his curiosity anymore, he turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "You still dont understand?" Zhang Xuan chuckled and said, "Fine, Ill exin the matter then! I believe all of us here should know what the specialty of Hongxu Marsh!" "Specialty? That region seems to specialize in the production of [Withered Leaf Tea]... Could it be rted to that?" The elder couldnt help but turn to look at Zhang Xuan. Chapter 455: Concrete News of the Soulless Metal Humanoid Chapter 455: Concrete News of the Soulless Metal Humanoid Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Withered Leaf Tea, also known as the Withered Glory Tea, was a well-known specialty of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Hongxu Marsh. The tea grew in the marsh, and in a single year, there was only a single month that it would be alive. At any other time, it would be no different from a withered tree. Dead branches growing leaves, one withered while the other glorified, life and death intertwined together in such a mystical manner; this was where the origin of the name of the tea came from. Upon preparation, this tea could grant one the refreshing sensation of the four seasons, thus making it one of the most well-known tea throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. However, Hongxu Marsh was extremely dangerous. There were Transcendent Mortal experts who were devoured by the marsh, never to be seen on the face of this world every again. On top of that, theres only a month of harvest for the tea leaves and the production amount was extremely low. As such, very few people had a chance to taste it. "Indeed, that ce is known for the production of Withered Leaf Tea! But theres also an animal which lingers around the tea leaves... the Withered Leaf Snake!" Zhang Xuan said. "Un!" The crowd nodded in agreement. The Withered Leaf Snake was a spirit beast which lived off the Withered Leaf Tea. It was a highly venomous spirit beast, and even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert would die easily if bitten by it. "Could it be that the venom on the Withered Leaf Tea...es from the Withered Leaf Snake? But that cant be! Even though the Withered Tea Snakes poison is lethal, it has a unique smell to it. On top of it, its saliva also leaves a mark, making it extremely conspicuous to the eye. However, theres no visible damage apparent on this Verdant Bamboo, and it looks as good as new..." The elder couldnt help but remark. The Withered Leaf Snake was an extremely fearsome adversary that even Transcendent Mortals had to be careful of, thus contributing to its great reputation. If the Withered Leaf Snake had left behind its saliva on the Verdant Bamboo, he would surely be able to tell so. "Its not the saliva of the snake, but that... this Verdant Bamboo was the nest for the Withered Leaf Snake. In other words, this smooth-looking bamboo has had a Withered Leaf Snake slithering over it every single day," Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression. "Ah..." Hearing the words, the face of the attendant holding the records immediately paled, and he nearly stumbled over. He was in charge of taking care of the bamboo, and he had been wiping it frequently in the past few days. The thought that it used to be the nest of a snake left him flustered and disgusted. "As such, the excretions of the Withered Leaf Snake would stick onto the Verdant Bamboo, and over time, they would be absorbed and umte within the depths of the veins of the leaves!" Ignoring the crowds difort, Zhang Xuan continued, "As its hidden very deeply within, its impossible to notice it under normal circumstances and it wont have any adverse effects on individualsing into contact with the bamboo either. However, as soon as the Verdant Bambooes into contact with intense heat, the poison will seep out, and all those who touches the poison will suffer greatly! "If this Verdant Bamboo is only used as a formation core or a weapon, there wouldnt be much of a problem with it. However, itll be disastrous if one were to use it to forge pills. Even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert would die instantaneously if he were to identally consume it! Thats also the reason why I said that if youre intending to use it to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, the Verdant Bamboo youre buying would be a fake!" Zhang Xuan exined. "So thats the case!" Uponing to a realization, the crowd turned to look at the young man in admiration. To be able to notice the poison hidden deeply within the Verdant Bamboo just by looking at it, how deep must his understanding of the properties of nts, their habitats, and origins be! "Incredible!" The elder clenched his fists tightly together. Putting all other things aside, just the other partys eye of discernment was already far superior to his own. "Gongzi is indeed formidable, youve truly taught me a valuable lesson today. Since youre interested in the [Spirit Calming Grass], allow me to gift it to you as a token of my gratitude!" the elder gestured grandly and said. "Teacher..." Liu Chang was stunned. Just a moment ago, when that fellow said that he was offering five hundred gold coins to purchase the Spirit Calming Grass, he thought that there was something wrong with the other partys head. But thinking back on it now, the other party had probably already expected this sight then. But still, the Spirit Calming Grass was something worth five hundred spirit stones! To give it away just like that... wasnt his teacher being a little too generous? Even though the other party had helped him by pointing out that there was venom within the Verdant Bamboo, there was no need for such a generous token of gratitude. "Could it be that... But how is that possible! How could he have predicted this too?" Suddenly, Liu Chang recalled something and his entire body stiffened. Then, he began to tremble violently. He suddenly understood why his teacher was being so generous. An appraiser could only make three appraising mistakes in his entire life. Exceed that amount and ones qualifications would be revoked. His teacher had appraised countless treasures, and he had already reached the limit of three mistakes. If he were to make another single error, he would be revoked of his license as an appraiser! In other words, if the other party hadnt interfered and his teacher were to have this Verdant Bamboo forged into a pill, even if no one were to die from this incident, his teacher would still lose his appraiser qualifications. Being in a high position for many years, it was unavoidable that he would offend many people and have many enemies. If he lost the protection of his identity, his enemies could potentiallye straight for him. In other words... the other party had saved his teachers life. Putting aside the Spirit Calming Grass, even if it was something even more valuable than that, his teacher would probably give it to him willingly. But... the matter regarding his teacher reaching the limit of three appraising errors was only known among his teachers close friends and kin. How did this fellow find out about it? And if he didnt know about it, how could he be so sure that his teacher would give the Spirit Calming Grass to him out of gratitude? Recalling the encounter a moment ago on the first floor... Could this young fellow be actually an iparable expert appraiser? As such a thought shed across Liu Changs mind, the hurriedly turned to look at the young man in an attempt to confirm his evaluation, only to see the young man reply with a righteous look, "How can I ept such a valuable present as a gift? Sun Qiang, pass this senior five hundred gold coins. We have to pay the sum that we agreed on so that this elder doesnt make a loss!" Pu! It was just a moment ago that Liu Chang thought that the other party was an expert, but upon hearing those words, Liu Changs body swayed violently and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. The heck! To speak such shameless words so brazenly, where is your dignity? What was the difference between five hundred gold coins and not paying at all? Was this how an expert should behave? Hurriedly turning to look at his teacher, he saw his teacher wobbling unstably on his feet, and it seemed as though blood was welling up in his chest. His entire face steeled in frustration, "Gongzi, this is my heartfelt gratitude. Theres really no need... for money!" "Elder, theres no need to be so courteous with me!" The young man insisted. "Five hundred gold coins... is still within my means!" "..." Liu Chang. Any trash that you pick up from a battlefield would be worth that much money, of course it is within your means... Knowing that he would definitely die of frustration if they were to continue quarreling on this matter, the elder chose to ept the gold coins. "I see that gongzi seems to be well-versed in appraising as well. May I know... who is your teacher? Could he be an appraiser as well?" Liu Chang immediately became more attentive. Given how the other party was able to discover a problem, which even his teacher couldnt notice, his mastery in appraising had reached an incredible level. Such a capable young individual must have a peerless expert behind him. He was curious to know which grandmaster Zhang Xuans teacher was. "Our young master is Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and his teacher is Master Teacher Yang Xuan." Sun Qiang stepped forward and introduced proudly. "Master teacher?" The elder froze for a moment beforeing to realization. His respect for the other party deepened. On the other hand, Liu Chang leaped back in shock. If only he knew that the other party had this kind of identity, he wouldnt have dared to stand against him from the start. Even though an appraiser was one of the most lucrative upations, it still couldnt match up to master teachers. It was just like a government official and a noveau riche; no matter how wealthy one was, the level of influence and prestige the two wielded were worlds apart. On top of that, this appraising capability of this master teacher wasnt inferior to even that of his teacher. "I see, that exins your acute eye of discernment. Please do pardon me for my previous rudeness!" After recovering from his momentary shock, the elder sped his fist and said, "I am Sai Xiaoyu. I am unbefitting of the address elder so feel free to call me Brother Sai instead!" The other partys appraising capability wasnt beneath him, and on top of that, he was a master teacher as well. The elder immediately thought of befriending the other party. "Sai Xiaoyu? Could you be... Hall Master Sai of the Appraiser Hall?" Upon hearing that name, Zhao Feiwu couldnt help but agitatedly ask. As the princess of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and an avid reader, she knew quite a bit about the experts at the peaks the various upations within the alliance. It was said that the head of the Appraiser Hall was a man by the name of Sai Xiaoyu, and he was a 4-star pinnacle appraiser. He had appraised countless treasures throughout his life, and it was said that the Alliance Head Residence had hosted him as one of their esteemed guests before. She thought that it would be nigh impossible to meet such experts, and never in her dreams did she expect to find one being taught a lesson and scammed of a Spirit Calming Grass right before her... "The position of a hall master is just a result of my old buddies ttery, its not worth mentioning!" Upon being recognized, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head with a smile. "I see, so its Hall Master Sai. This is great, I just happen to have something that I require your help on." Upon learning of the other partys identity, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up and he asked, "I heard that... a Soulless Metal Humanoid has been found in Honghai City. May I know if the news is true, and if so, where it is?" This was the main reason why he came to Honghai City. Since this person was the head of the Appraiser Hall, if the news was real, he would definitely be aware of it. "Soulless Metal Humanoid? I see, Brother Zhang is here for that!" Hall Master Sai chuckled uponing to a realization. "The rumors are true, and it is currently in the Appraiser Hall right now. The auction would be carried out tonight." "Tonight?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together, and a troubled look slowly crept onto his face. It was already afternoon by the time the group arrived at Honghai City, and they spent quite a bit of time strolling around the Appraiser Hall as well. Judging from the current time, wasnt the auction about to start already? Yet... he didnt even have a single spirit stone on him at the moment. Without any money on him, he would probably be expelled right at the door, lest to say, participate in the auction. One must know that it was amon procedure forrger auctions to demand an entrance fee so as to sieve out true buyers from the troublemakers. Otherwise, if everyone could enter freely, it might cause chaos in the auctioning. "Indeed, itll be conducted two hourster. If Brother Zhang is interested in the auction, I can reserve a suite for you!" Sai Xiaoyu said. "Ill be thanking Brother Sai in advance then!" Nodding his head in agitation, Zhang Xuan continued, "May I know how many spirit stones will it require to win the Soulless Metal Humanoid?" Only with sufficient information could he make thorough preparations. "The Soulless Metal Humanoid is something left behind by the soul oracles so its rather difficult to estimate its price. Our primary evaluation has priced it at 1500 spirit stones, but considering the atmosphere in the auction, its final price will definitely be jacked up to at least three thousand spirit stones!" Sai Xiaoyu exined before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with a smile, "Why? Is Brother Zhang interested in the matter?" "I am. Its just that... Im a little short on funds..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. "Short on funds?" Sai Xiaoyu chuckled. "Theres no need for worry about that. I have some savings of my own so I can lend some of it to you to make up for the amount you arecking. May I know how much money are you short of?" "Youre willing to lend some money to me? Great!" Zhang Xuan gazed at Sai Xiaoyu in gratitude, "I am stillcking three thousand spirit stones, can you... lend the money to me?" "..." Sai Xiaoyu. "..." Liu Chang. "..." Everyone. Chapter 456: Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets Chapter 456: Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Three thousand spirit stones should be sufficient for you to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid. To borrow so much money... Does that mean that you dont even have a single spirit stone on you... A dark line streaked across Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghais foreheads. It was no wonder why this fellow offered gold coins each time he tried to buy something. They thought that it was an entric quirk of an expert... But to think that there would be such a practical reason to it! To think of buying the Soulless Metal Humanoid without any money on hand... Just the thought of it left them faint-headed. "Cough cough!" Sai Xiaoyu coughed. He nearly choked to death on the other partys words. "Brother Zhang Xuan, this... Do you not have even a single spirit stone on you?" "Thats right!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had only started with a total of ten or so spirit stones, and he had used it all in the midst of the journey. As such, his pockets werepletely empty at the moment. Even though he had almost a hundred million gold coins in his storage ring, gold coins werent really in use here. In a sense, it wasnt wrong to say that Zhang Xuan didnt have even a single cent on him. "This..." Not expecting the other party to reply so candidly, Sai Xiaoyus face turned so red that it nearly oozed blood. In truth, it was only out of politeness that he offered to lend the other party money. After all, given the other partys capability, he was indeed a person worth befriending. Yet, the other party took it for real and asked for three thousand at a single go... The heck! Even though he was the head of the Appraiser Hall, he didnt have that much money on him either. Furthermore, he had just spent two thousand spirit stones and given away a stalk of Spirit Calming Grass... Even if you wanted to exploit the rich, you should at least show some restraint! "You dont have that much money? Never mind then. Is there any way to earn money swiftly in the Appraiser Hall?" Seeing the other partys expression, Zhang Xuan immediately knew that the other party was surely unable to fork out this sum, and he shook his head in disappointment. In truth, he was only giving it a try. He didnt really think that the other party would be able to loan him this massive sum of money. Besides, the both of them had only just met. It would be bizarre if one was willing to lend such a huge sum to a stranger. "A way to earn money swiftly? You wish to earn sufficient money now to join the auction two hourster to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid?" Sai Xiaoyu and the crowd nearly spurted blood. That fellow sure knew how to dream! If it was that easy to earn spirit stones, he, as the head of the Appraiser Hall, wouldnt have toe over here to browse through the various artifacts in hopes of earning a profit. If there was truly such an easy way to earn spirit stones, he would have surely done it himself already. There was no reason to leave it for someone else. "Un, I have to earn three thousand spirit stones before the auction!" Zhang Xuan nodded. If he didnt earn this sum of money within the next two hours, he would be unable to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid and thus miss the opportunity to wake Lu Chong up. "Theres truly no way around it. You also know it yourself, three thousand spirit stones is a huge sum..." Seeing that the other party was serious, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head helplessly. Appraisers mainly earned their money through the price difference from buying and selling treasures. Even for Sai Xiaoyu, it would take several years before he could save three thousand spirit stones. Furthermore, it was assuming that he was lucky enough to stumble by cheap treasures and find suitable buyers. Without meeting these two conditions, it would be impossible for him to earn money. In fact, it was often that he wasnt able to find any suitable buyers for the treasure that he bought. To earn three thousand spirit stones in two hours... No one would dare to even dream of it! "Teacher..." But halfway through his words, Liu Chang abruptly interjected. Turning around, he saw his student looking at him hesitantly, "I think that maybe that... can earn one that much money within two hours!" "That? Do you mean... [Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets]?" Sai Xiaoyus body jolted, but he eventually simply shook his head with a bitter smile on his face, "Its impossible for anyone to seed in it! It has been many years since the establishment of the Appraiser Hall, but there hasnt been a single person who passed it yet..." "But thats the only way for one to earn three thousand spirit stones within two hours. I dont think that theres any other usible way other than that!" Liu Chang shook his head. Even though being an appraiser was a lucrative upation, spirit stones still werent that easy to earn. Usually, they would earn amission determined by the value of the item. However, putting aside how there were very few valuable treasures to be appraised, there werent many customers in the first ce. After all, no one would be willing to spend their spirit stones if they could avoid it. Thus, even if Zhang Xuan were to offer his service as an appraiser at this moment, it was impossible for him to gather three thousand spirit stones in just two hours. "This..." Sai Xiaoyu hesitated. He knew that what his student said was true. "Why? Do you have an idea in mind? What does Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets mean?" Zhang Xuan asked, having heard the conversation of the duo. "Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is actually a trial for the 5-star appraiser examination. Once one passes the examination, one will be entitled to a massive reward umted within the Appraiser Hall over a long period of time. If Im not wrong, its worth... around five thousand spirit stones now..." Since the other party asked about it, Sai Xiaoyu could only exin the matter. "Trial?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "There are rewards to taking high-tiered appraiser examinations?" He had taken on the master teacher examination, beast tamer examination, painter examination, physician examination... But he had never heard of one earning rewards from taking on the examination. If that was true, then he should indeed try taking on the appraiser examination. "Theres indeed a reward, but it is actually... prize money umted over time." Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head helplessly. "Prize money?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in confusion. Zhao Feiwu had read many books, but even she was unaware of the internal rules within the Appraiser Hall. "Un, there are many appraisers in the Appraiser Hall, but... theres a limit to the knowledge an individual can wield. As such, appraisers often stumble by treasures that they were unable to be identified. Some of these treasures had been discussed by innumerable appraisers throughout generations, but no one was able to urately identify what they were. "Thus, in order to dispel their doubts, some of our predecessors chose to offer mary incentives out of their own pocket to attract others toe forward, examine, and identify these treasures, as well as to encourage their juniors to study hard and solve these mysteries. However... even until date, no one has seeded yet. As time passed, the reward grewrger andrger, and to date, it has already reached five thousand spirit stones!" Sai Xiaoyu said. While the reward was indeed tempting... but how could be easy to identify the treasures that countless predecessors had failed to sessfully appraise! "Theres such a matter?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. This seemed somewhat simr to the Wall of Dilemma of the Physician Guild. No matter how impressive a guild was, there would always be problems that would stump them. "Indeed! It has been long since the founding of the Appraiser Hall, and many talented appraisers have given it a try. However, no one had yet to seed!" Sai Xiaoyu shook his head. The reason why he didnt bring it up was simply because it was way too hard. He was the most impressive appraiser in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but even he was helpless before it, needless to say, a youngster like Zhang Xuan. "Yet to seed? But since no one knows what those treasures are, how do you ascertain whether someone has seeded or not?" Zhang Xuan asked in puzzlement. Since even the predecessors were unable to identify those treasures, then who could confirm if ones answer was right or not? After all, if no one could identify those treasures, no one could say for sure whether ones evaluation was right or not. "When a treasure reaches Sprit rank, itll gain wisdom. As long as theres no mistake in ones description, one will be acknowledged by the treasure. Besides, were all official appraisers. Even though we might not be able to identify the treasure, were still more than capable of assessing and testing whether ones answer is correct or not!" Sai Xiaoyu exined helplessly. These were basic facts that an appraiser should know, yet this fellow didnt even know about it at all? Was this fellow truly an appraiser who was more than capable than him? "Thats true..." Zhang Xuan came to a realization. Even if a formidable appraiser was unable to identify the specifics of a treasure, they should still have a way to determine whether a persons evaluation was correct or not. If they didnt even have this much skill, they would be unqualified as an appraiser. "Alright, bring me over to take a look. I would like to give it a try!" Knowing that this method could bring him easy money, Zhang Xuan swiftly made up his mind. "Brother Zhang, hold it for a moment. Allow me to finish my words first before you make your decision!" Seeing the other party deciding on the matter recklessly, Sai Xiaoyu hurriedly stopped him. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Even though theres a reward for this trial, theres actually stake involved. Every challenge requires one to put a hundred spirit stones as deposit! But of course, I can pay the deposit for you, so theres no need for you to worry about it." Sai Xiaoyu said. "A hundred spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It seemed like there was no free lunch in the world. He thought that he could join for free, but that didnt seem like it was the case. But thinking about it, it was to be expected. Without this restriction, all appraisers would be rushing to give it a try whenever they had the time, and the Appraiser Hall wouldnt be able to function normally anymore. "Not only so, theres also a strict time limit to the challenge!" Sai Xiaoyu continued, "Just as the name, Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, suggests, the treasures will be sent down to one via water, and one will be given ten breaths to assess and identify it at a river bend. After which, onell have to point out the name and origin of the treasure immediately!" "Point out the name and origin of the treasure within ten breaths? How is that possible?" Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, Zhao Feiwu had already eximed in shock. To identify something, an appraiser usually had to do all kinds of assessment on the artifact, such as using a magnifying crystal, studying the patterns on it, and knocking on it to determine its constituents. The identification of any treasure was a lengthy and troublesome process; even if one was familiar with the item, one would have to confirm it multiple times beforeing to an evaluation. Yet, to have to offer a correct answer in just ten breaths, that was outright impossible! On top of that, one was supposed to identify a treasure that even the predecessors were unable to identify? "Before the identification process, is there any tip or information avable to one?" Zhao Feiwu asked. If there was some information, one could at least prepare oneself and focus on the key points of the treasure immediately. "There isnt! The main reason why were reluctant to give out prior information is so as to not mislead the challengers!" Sai Xiaoyu said. If anyone knew what the treasure was for sure, they would have long passed the trial. Since no one was able to identify the treasure, the information was bound to be iplete. If so, there was a high chance it could influence the challengers evaluation and impede them froming up with the correct answer. "Thats true..." Zhao Feiwu frowned deeply. While the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets sounded like easy money, it was simply way too difficult. Putting aside 4-star appraisers, even 5-star appraisers would probably be stumped by it. Just as Zhao Feiwu was about to turn to Zhang Xuan and advise him against it, thetter smiled lightly and replied, "Alright then, I wish to challenge this Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. Ill borrow a hundred spirit stones from you first, and after Im done with it, Ill return you the sum multiple folds!" Chapter 457: Why Dont We Make a Bet Then? Chapter 457: Why Dont We Make a Bet Then? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the other party insist on it, Sai Xiaoyu relented, "If you really wish to attempt it, I can bring you over!" Even though the young man before him was able to see through a problem that he couldnt discern, deep in his heart, he still thought that it was impossible for the other party to pass the trial. Thus, he didnt pay much heed to Zhang Xuans deration of paying him back multiple folds. Truthfully, he had already regarded the hundred spirit stones as a gift. After putting away the items that he had bought, the group walked out of the First ss Pavilion and headed up the stairs. The bottom two floors of the Appraiser Hall were markets while the floors beyond that made up their official guild. Walking into the lounge, they saw dozens of people lining up in two neat columns with all kinds of treasures in their hands. These artifacts werent too valuable; they were most probably ordinary goods that could be bought for just several spirit stones on the first floor. There were two young men at the very front of the queue examining each of the customers artifacts carefully. After assessing it closely, they would leave a mark on it and write an appraisal document. Some of those who had their artifacts appraised left overjoyed whereas some left depressed. Both fake and authentic goods were mixed up with one another in the market on the first floor; if one chose correctly, one could make a huge profit. Otherwise, one could only concede to their misfortune. Looking at the expression of the crowd, it was clear that arger proportion of the people belonged to thetter group. "There are some who feel worried even after buying their goods so they woulde over here and have their items appraised. The ones conducting the appraisal on this floor are 1-star appraisers who have just passed their examination!" Sai Xiaoyu said. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had also seen the single shining golden star on the emblem pinned in front of the two young mens chests. 1-star appraisers were already capable of identifying some of the moremon and simpler treasures, and the artifacts sent here were mostly of this tier as well. "The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is in front, lets proceed on!" The group didnt dawdle in the main lounge for too long. Under Sai Xiaoyus lead, it didnt take long for them to arrive at a room. "Hall Master Sai!" "Teacher!" Upon walking into a room, several elders immediately came forward and greeted Sai Xiaoyu respectfully. As the hall master, Sai Xiaoyu wielded immense prestige in the Appraiser Hall. There were many 3-star appraisers who were his students, and they were indebted to him for his guidance. Taking a nce in the room, there were only around six to seven people here. Puzzled, Zhao Feiwu asked, "How many appraisers are there in the Appraiser Hall in total?" Upon hearing the question, a bitter smile appeared on Sai Xiaoyus face as he shook his head, "Even though the Appraiser Hall sounds impressive, including me, there is only a total of three 4-star and eight 3-star appraisers. The others are all 2-star and 1-star appraisers!" "So few people?" The crowd was taken aback. Seeing the grandness of the Appraiser Hall, they thought that there would be at least a dozen of 4-star appraisers here. Yet, contrary to their expectations, there were only three of them. It was no wonder why people said that it was hard to qualify as an appraiser. From the looks of it now, that didnt seem like just a rumor. "Indeed!" Sai Xiaoyu shook his head. Changing the topic, he turned to the two 3-star appraisers and said, "Call Elder Chen and Elder Lu over. Tell them that someone is interested in challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets!" "Challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets?" The duo was taken aback. They hurriedly turned around and left. As 3-star appraisers, they were well aware of the difficulty of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. It had been many years already, but still, not a single person had seeded. To think that someone would still be interested in attempting it even now, he must be blinded by the immense reward. Not too longter, two white-bearded elders walked over. Before they even reached the room, a rough voice had already sounded, "Hall Master Sai, someone intends to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets? Is it Old Hu or Old Du? Those two fellows havent given up yet?" The Old Hu and Old Du that he spoke of were 4-star appraisers from other branches. They had visited Honghai City several times in hopes of clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, but to date, they hadnt seeded yet. Only those two fellows had attempted the trial in the past few years. Most of the appraisers didnt bother trying, knowing the difficulty of the trial. Thus, as soon as the two elders heard that someone intended to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, they immediately thought of them. "Hmm? Where are they?" Looking around the room but not seeing the familiar figures he expected to see, the rough-voiced elder asked in bewilderment. "Elder Chen, the challenger this time isnt one of them. Its this little brother here, Zhang Xuan!" Seeing Elder Chen looking around in bewilderment, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head and stopped thetter. "Him?" Not only were the two elders stunned, the other appraisers in the room also had a confused expression on their face. They thought that the one challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets would be some incredible appraiser, but to think that it would still be an immature fellow who wasnt even twenty yet. Ignoring the crowds reaction, Sai Xiaoyu introduced, "Brother Zhang, this is Elder Chen Yu. The one next to him is Elder Lu Xi. They are the other two 4-star appraisers of the guild!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Even if Sai Xiaoyu hadnt introduced them, Zhang Xuan had also guessed as much. Even though the two elders werent dressed in the appraiser robe, their aura was incredibly profound and heavy. With just a look, it was clear that they possessed incredible cultivation that was on par with Jin Conghai. Judging from their strength and their casual attitude before Sai Xiaoyu, it was clear that they were the two remaining 4-star appraisers. "Hall master, what did you call him? Brother?" Elder Chen was the first to notice Sai Xiaoyus bizarre way of addressing Zhang Xuan, and he was puzzled by it. As the head of the Appraiser Hall, his standing was so high that everyone, with the exception of them two, had to address him as teacher. Yet, he actually addressed a young fellow as brother... What could that young fellows background be? "Un, even though Brother Zhang is young, his expertise in appraising is in no way inferior to me!" Sai Xiaoyu chuckled. "In no way inferior to you... Arent you exaggerating it a little too much?" Elder Chen shook his head in disbelief. The other appraisers in the room shared his thoughts as well. Rather than talent, appraising was more about experience and knowledge. Knowledge formed the basis of an appraisers evaluation, and only with boundless knowledge would one be able to reach great heights in the path of an appraiser. Judging from this fellows appearance, he seemed to be only eighteen or neen this year. Even if he had started studying from his mothers womb, at maximum, he only had twenty years to rue knowledge. How could he possiblypete with Hall Master Sai, a 4-star appraiser who had devoted his entire life to appraising? "Its true. A problem has urred with the Verdant Bamboo that teacher appraised previously..." Seeing the doubt in the eyes of the crowd, Liu Chang quickly exined the happenings from earlier. "You mean that... with just a look, he noticed the lethal poison contained with the Verdant Bamboo and determined that it wasnt suitable for the forging of pills?" "This doesnt seem like the means of an appraiser, doesnt it?" After hearing Liu Changs story, not only were the crowd unimpressed, their bewilderment only deepened. An appraiser would have to examine the bamboo carefully, perhaps taking some samples and experimenting with them even beforeing to such a conclusion. Yet, to be able to determine so much with just a single nce... Why did he feel like a fortune teller instead? "Alright, Brother Zhang, well open the chamber to the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets for you right now. Youll have to enter alone, and therell be a total of ten treasures within. As long as you appraise a single one of them urately, you will be considered to have passed the trial!" Disregarding the doubtful looks from the crowd, Sai Xiaoyu waved his hands. "Un!" Zhang Xuan replied. It didnt seem difficult since he only had to identify one of the artifacts correctly. "Lets begin!" Sai Xiaoyu beckoned for Elder Chen and Elder Lu to the wall, and each of them took out a key and ced it into an aperture in the wall. Jiya! The wall parted, revealing a door within, The artifacts within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets were incredible treasures. Thus, for security purposes, only when the three keys were gathered could it be opened. Without the three keys, even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert would be unable to enter. With a flick of his wrist, Sai Xiaoyu took out a pile of spirit stones and ced it within a gray aperture on the wall. In an instant, it was as though a formation had been activated, and brilliant light shone from it. "You can enter now!" Sai Xiaoyu gestured. Thus, Zhang Xuan began walking over. However, before he could walk through the door, Elder Chen stepped in front of him. "Do you understand the difficulty of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets?" Even though Hall Master Sai had just praised the other party, he still didnt think too much of this young man. If Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was that simple, someone else would have seeded long ago. "I have no idea!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I have just heard about it, and its said that as long as one clears the trial, one will be entitled to a reward of five thousand spirit stones. Thus, I decided to give it a try!" "You dare to challenge it... right after hearing about it?" Elder Chen felt his vision turning dark. He thought that the other party might be genius who had prepared a long time for this since Hall Master Sai had brought him over. Yet, to think that he hade over right after hearing of it... Also, what did he mean by five thousand spirit stones? It cant be that he was here for the reward, was he? Elder Chen was furious. The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets wasnt a mere challenge. It was a trial for 5-star appraisers as well, and as such, only 4-star appraisers were qualified to attempt it. Yet, to wish to challenge it just for the prize money, wasnt the other party taking this way too lightly? "Hall Master Sai, to allow a person to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets just for the prize money, isnt this infringing on the prestige of the Appraiser Hall?" Unable to hold back his rage, Elder Chen turned to Sai Xiaoyu to protest. To wish to attempt a 5-star appraiser examination test just for its mary reward, the other party was underestimating the upation a little way too much. "Elder Chen, youre exaggerating the matter. Brother Zhang is... is... here for the spirit stones, but he has the capability to back it up!" Sai Xiaoyu intended to speak up for Zhang Xuan, but after a moment of hesitation, he realized that this fellow... was indeed here for the spirit stones! "Capability to back up his words? Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was also known as Harmonious Stream of Flowing Leaves. Its meaning is simple; the challenger has to identify the type, name, origin, value, and various other properties of the artifact in the time that the artifact is flowing by... To challenge it just for the spirit stones, this..." Elder Chen protested furiously. Interrupting the other party, Sai Xiaoyu said, "Enough, since the trial is already activated, lets just allow him to attempt it. Who knows, perhaps Brother Zhang might be able to induce a miracle?" He didnt bear much hope for Zhang Xuan, but since he had agreed to give him a try, he decided to go through with it. After all, the other party had done him such a huge favor. How could he face others if he couldnt even deliver what he had promised? "Un!" Seeing that Sai Xiaoyu had managed to keep Elder Chen in check, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to say anything else. Thus, he stepped forward and entered the room. Weng! As soon as he entered, the doors behind him closed. "Nonsense! This is truly nonsense!" Elder Chen flung his sleeves in displeasure. "This elder over here, do you mean that our young master will fail the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets?" Just as Elder Chen was displeased with Hall Master Sais actions and was about to protest, a nonchnt voice sounded from behind. Turning around, Elder Chen saw a plump man whose fat was trembling standing not too far away. "Indeed, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets requires one to have a deep understanding of the art of appraising. Given how even Old Hu and Old Du werent able to clear it, how can an eighteen or neen-year-old fellow like him clear the trial?" Elder Chen harrumphed in displeasure. "Since youre so certain of it, then... why dont we bet on it then?" the plump man said. "Bet?" Elder Chen was taken aback. "Indeed. Ill bet that our young master will surely be able to clear the trial while youll bet for the opposite. As for the stakes... lets not make it too big. What do you think of three thousand spirit stones?" The plump man stared at Elder Chen with a bright smile. Chapter 458: Copper Hammer Chapter 458: Copper Hammer Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Not make it too big... and three thousand spirit stones?" Elder Chen nearly fainted on the spot. If he were to take out all of his assets, he could fork out this sum. However, he would be as good as bankrupt if he were to do so. To take out so much money for a bet, you must be insane! "Three thousand spirit stones... Do you have that much money?" Seeing that his old friend was ced in an awkward position, Elder Lu stepped forward to intervene. "Of course I dont have that much money!" the plump man dered proudly. "You dont have that much?" Everyone fell speechless. You spoke as though you had several ten thousand of spirit stones in your possession... Despite having nothing at all, you still dare to initiate a gamble, not to mention, to speak so brazenly. Arent you being way too arrogant! Zhao Feiwu pped her forehead in frustration. She had witnessed this fearless fool acting up many times, but still, she couldnt have imagined that he would go straight up to a 4-star appraiser and propose a bet... And more importantly, he didnt even have the money to pay up! The heck, you sure are an incredible person! "It sure is true, birds of a feather do flock together..." She couldnt help but shake her head. The young master of that plump man, Sun Qiang, was a fellow who seemed to fear nothing but peacefulness. Just a while ago, the young master taught Hall Master Sai a lesson in public, and now, the servant was going even further. Honestly, where did these two entric fellows pop out from? "Since you dont have any money, why should I gamble with you?" Elder Chen replied with a steeled face. "Its true that I dont have any money, but Hall Master Sai does. Its just three thousand spirit stones, hell at least lend us this meager sum!" Sun Qiang smiled. "..." Hall Master Sai, who was watching themotion by the side, didnt expect to get brought into all of the sudden. He nearly spurted blood. He did say that he would lend some money to Zhang Xuan but that was more of a pleasantry. Yet, this master and servant duo took his words seriously; putting aside how one tried to borrow three thousand spirit stones from him for an auction, the other one was now trying to get three thousand spirit stones from him for a gamble... Do you all know what politeness is? Can you all show some restraint? Do you all need to be so darned? "I..." Hall Master Sai was just about to exin when the plump man before him shook his hands casually and said, "Even if Hall Master Sai is ungrateful decides to disregard how our young master helped him, Zhao Feiwu gongzi would also surely loan the sum to us. Its just three thousand spirit stones, to gongzi, it doesnt mean anything much!" "..." Zhao Feiwu. Im just an innocent passer-by, why did you have to involve me in the conflict... Hall Master Sais eyes also flipped over. What do you mean by calling me ungrateful and disregard how your young master has helped me? Havent I given him a Spirit Calming Grass already? In fact, I even suppressed all opposition and paid a hundred spirit stones for him so that he can enter the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets... Is this not considered as repaying the favor? The duo was just about to protest when Sun Qiang shook his hands and spoke up once more, "Look, neither of them are disagreeing with me. This shows that three thousand spirit stones mean nothing to them at all! Dont worry, if we were to lose, well surely be able to rake up the money to repay you. But as for you... You just dered so confidently that our young master will surely fail, it cant be that youre regretting what you said right now, can it? To think that youre a 4-star appraiser at that! To be unable to take out this little bit of money to prove yourself, how embarrassing..." "You..." Not expecting to be looked down on by a servant, Elder Chens face flushed red in anger. "What you? If you truly dont dare to gamble with me, then lets just forget about it. However, youd better keep your mouth in check next time. Our young master is incredibly talented, and your insignificant Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets means nothing to him at all!" Harrumphing coldly, Sun Qiang tilted his head upward arrogantly. He hadplete confidence in Zhang Xuan. "Fine, Ill wager with you then!" Seeing how the other party was getting more and more arrogant, Elder Chen couldnt hold himself back anymore. As a 4-star appraiser, it was indeed embarrassing for him to argue with a servant. However, this plump man had truly gone too far. His tone was contemptuous and his attitude was arrogant. On top of that, his disdainful nce... How did a 4-star appraiser like him, who was respected no matter where he went, be no different from a shameless beggar? He could tolerate being looked down on by a 5-star appraiser, a 4-star master teacher, or even the hall master. However, being looked down by a fellow whose cultivation was only... only... He simply couldnt take this lying down! "Not bad, does anyone else dare to wager with me? I thought that all of you doubted our young masters capability? Its not toote now. Otherwise, you wont get a second chance..." Sun Qiang chuckled gleefully upon seeing that he had managed to hook this big fish. He immediately scanned the room for any potential customers. "..." Hearing that the fellow still wanted to wager with the rest of them, the crowd fell speechless. "Look, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is beginning..." Just as Sun Qiang was trying to dupe a few other people to wager with him, a voice amidst the crowd suddenly sounded. Everyone immediately turned to look at the wall, only to see it growing brighter and brighter, as though some formation was gradually whirling to its peak. ... What thaty beyond the door wasnt another room but a garden. It was filled with flowers, and a faint aroma lingered in the air. There was a stream within the garden flowing from the distance, and a tik tak sound echoed in the air as it struck against the rocks, forming a melodious tune. The stream was winding, and right before Zhang Xuan was an arc that was sufficiently wide for an individual to stand on. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked over, it was as though a formation was activated instantly. A leaf slowly flowed over from the distance. A bizarrely-shaped object was ced on top of the leaf. Its irregr shape made it difficult for one to tell what it was. "Seems like this is the artifact that Ill have to appraise..." Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan realized that he couldnt see through the properties of the artifact and his eyes immediately lit up. As expected of a treasure that stumped even 4-star master teacher. Even the Eye of Insight was unable to discern what it was. Of the name, Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, goblets referred to wine cups and it wasmonly used by literati. They would often sit by the stream and allow a goblet to slowly flow along with the currents, and whoever it reaches shall gulp down the wine ande up with a poem. As most artifacts would simply sink due to their weight, the leaf of a Purple Mountain Tree was used to float them. This leaf was extremely light, and it could easily keep one or two adult humans afloat on the surface of the water without any problem. This was also the reason why the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was also known as Harmonious Stream of Flowing Leaves. "What in the world is that?" Since the leaf hadnt reached Zhang Xuan yet, he could only assess the artifact by its shape and outer appearance. It was around the size of a watermelon, and it was indigo in color. It seemed to be forged by some kind of special alloy. After staring at it for a moment, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. He had never read any book on appraising so he wasnt too sure how appraisers work. Given how many master appraisers couldnt identify these artifacts, how could an amateur like him possibly see through them? "Forget it!" Turning his head away from it, Zhang Xuan took out a paper and brush. Then, when the leaf finally reached him, he stretched out his hands to touch it. Weng! A book appeared in his mind. The main reason why he dared to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was due to the Library of Heavens Path. Otherwise, given hiscking appraising skills, he would surely be unable to identify even a single one of the artifacts. Flipping open the book, Zhang Xuan began jotting down the details. "Copper Hammer, crafted three thousand years ago by 5-star cksmith Duanmu Yiguang. Its material is an alloy consisting of thirteen rare minerals, Hundredwar Metal, Cleardust Sand, Indigold Metal... and crafted over a period of forty-nine days..." ... While Zhang Xuan was writing on the book, the crowd outside was staring at the wall nervously. Sun Qiang ran around to persuade others to wager with him but no one bothered with him. At this moment, everyones attention was fixated on the wall. They wanted to know whether this young man could sessfully identify an artifact and clear the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. "Judging from the time, the first treasure should have reached him already. Do you think hell seed?" an appraiser amidst the crowd asked. "Seed? You must be joking! Even Hall Master Sai has challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets multiple times but he was unable to identify a single one of the artifacts. This just shows how difficult the matter is. How could a youngd like him possibly seed?" "Putting everything aside, just look at that arrogant servant of his. Do you think that a real appraiser would have such an arrogant servant?" "Thats hard to say though. Since hes willing to propose this bet, it could only mean that hes confident..." ... Everyone discussed with hushed voices. Even the youngest of the appraisers in the room were in their thirties. They found it hard to ept that ad who wasnt even twenty yet was challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. "Dont worry. If the artifacts in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets could be identified so easily, it wouldnt be taken as the 5-star appraiser examination!" Seeing Elder Chen staring at the wall nervously as well, Elder Lu walked over and consoled him. In truth, he didnt think much of Zhang Xuan either. He had attempted the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets before, and putting aside how difficult it was to identify those peculiar artifacts, more importantly, the time which one had to examine them was way too limited. In just ten breaths, it would have already flowed away from one. How could one sessfully appraise an artifact which one had never seen before in just ten breaths? "Worry? What do I have to worry? Hes just an ignorant brat. Even though he isnt an appraiser at all, he still dares to spout such arrogant words..." Elder Chen harrumphed, but halfway through his words, a bell chimed and his body suddenly jolted. Dong! That sound came from the beyond the wall, and it seemed to resonate in the depths of ones soul. "A chime? Did he fail?" "Wait, that shouldnt be. Only after all of the artifacts have been appraised will a bell chime to indicate the challengers failure. Judging from the time, he should have just barely appraised his first artifact!" The crowd was taken aback. A confused look appeared on their faces. The chiming of a bell usually meant that one had failed to identify a single artifact in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and that one had failed the trial. Was it over already? But Zhang Xuan had only just entered a moment ago, and judging from the time, he should have only just appraised the first artifact! "Its said that if one didnt offer the slightest appraisal on the first artifact, one will be dered to have failed the trial immediately!" "Theres such a saying?" "Wait a moment. Now that I think about it, I recall reading it somewhere in the books before!" Some amidst the crowd shouted and a bizarre expression immediately crept on everyones faces. Even if a challenger couldnt identify the first treasure, he could at least make a rough guess. If Zhang Xuan had really failed because he didnt write anything at all, that would be truly embarrassing! Hula! Everyone immediately turned to look at Sun Qiang with eyes of sympathy. Without a doubt, this fellow had lost tragically this time. Dangng! But at that moment, the sound of a teacup falling to the ground echoed in the room. Following which, everyone saw Hall Master Sais body trembling ceaselessly, and his face gradually paled. "That isnt... a chime. Its... Spirit Euphoria! In other words, not only did he manage to identify the artifact, he even gained the acknowledgement of the artifacts spirit!" Chapter 459: The Call of the Spirit, Acknowledgement of the Painting Chapter 459: The Call of the Spirit, Acknowledgement of the Painting Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Spirit Euphoria?" Elder Chen and Elder Lu stared at one another and froze. "How... How is that possible?" "The chiming should be heavy and deep, but this sound is sharp and resonates with ones soul... Only the legendary Spirit Euphoria is capable of inducing such euphoria in ones heart..." Hall Master Sai said. "This..." The duo staggered. Thinking back, given the agitation they had just felt from the sound a moment ago, it was indeed unlikely to be the doing of a bell chime. Could it be really... Spirit Euphoria? But how was that possible? Elder Chens face twitched, and his lips turned white. He had just proudly dered that the other party surely wouldnt be able to identify even a single treasure, yet not only did the other party manage to do so, he even induced Spirit Euphoria... Did he have to be so formidable? "The Acknowledgement of a Treasure, Spirit Euphoria! This is the call that formidable spirit weapons induce when theyre excited?" "This-this..." Hearing Hall Master Sais words, all those who shot gazes of sympathy toward Sun Qiang were dumbfounded. It was as though someone had forced a turtle into their mouth, making it impossible for them to close it. They thought that this fellow would lose so tragically that he might be leaving stark naked, but he managed to make such a hugeeback... It was fortunate that no one was silly enough to wager with him previously. Otherwise, the one who would be leaving stark naked would be them! As cold sweat drenched their backs, they subconsciously turned to look at Elder Chen, only to see his face steeled and his forehead marked with ck streaks. He looked as though he would faint at any moment. Three thousand spirit stones... Even though he was a 4-star appraiser, he was probably doubting the meaning of life at this moment. Seeing everyones expression, Sun Qiang asked in puzzlement, "What does Spirit Euphoria mean?" Pu! Elder Chen couldnt hold it back anymore and a mouthful of blood spurted out. There was not a single appraiser who didnt know of Spirit Euphoria. In fact, even apprentices would be aware of it. Yet, this fellow didnt know a thing at all... It was one thing for him to lose to a 5-star appraiser or a formidable expert, but to lose to a servant who couldnt evenpare to an apprentice... Why was he so foolish as to be goaded into making the wager? Seeing how the confused plump man was about to ask the frenzied Elder Chen about the matter, Liu Chang finally couldnt watch on anymore and hurried forward to exin, "You should know about how items can be divided into five tiers; God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal, right?" "Un!" Sun Qiang nodded. This ssification wasnt a secret even in Tianxuan Kingdom. It was amon fact known to all cultivators. "When an equipment reaches Spirit tier, itll gain spirit. Its simr to the Spirit Creation of paintings. Even though its unable to think like humans, itll be able to recognize and acknowledge cultivators. This aspect is somewhat simr to having a beast tamer acknowledge one as its master." Liu Chang continued, "Equipment that acknowledged a cultivator would release this kind of euphoric sound, and this is termed as Spirit Euphoria. As soon as it appears, a cultivator would be able to be the true master of the weapon by feeding it a droplet of his blood..." "Be the true master?" Sun Qiang widened his eyes in shock. "Indeed... The artifacts on the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets are treasures that countless appraisers were unable to identify. To induce Spirit Euphoria right after he entered, could it be that... not only did he manage to identify the artifact, he even managed to analyze the strengths and ws of it as well? Liu Changs face was filled with disbelief. "Analyze the strengths and ws?" "Every top-notch equipment is forged with a cksmiths heart poured into it, but due to the limitations of material and the skill of the cksmith, ws will appear on even the most formidable treasures. As long as this kind of ws is made up for, the equipment could reach higher tiers. "An equipment possessing spirit is aware of its own ws, but as its unable tomunicate with anyone, its unable to find a way to make up for them. Some experts could easily find these ws and earn the acknowledgement of the spirit of the equipment. However, this is a skill that only high-raked cksmiths possess. Why would it... appear in an appraisal?" The more Liu Chang exined, the more confused he became. The main responsibility of an appraiser was to determine the identity of an artifact and its background. As for the ws and strengths of the artifact, that was beyond their means. That was a skill that only skilled cksmiths who had achieved a profound understanding of equipment would have. Could it be that... the fellow inside wasnt just an appraiser but... a formidable cksmith as well? Was that why he could easily identify the treasure and analyze its strengths and ws? Finally recovering from his shock, Elder Lu turned to his old friend and consoled, "The first artifact that appears happens to be an equipment. If hes a cksmith, its not too surprising for him to be able to identify it. However, an appraiser has to be more than capable of identifying weapons. Paintings, antiques, medicinal herbs, and even cultivation techniques and battle techniques... They must be well-rounded in all aspects. The ten artifacts of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets cover the various upations. If hes just a cksmith, hell only be able to identify the first one..." cksmiths had an in-depth understanding of equipment. It wasntpletely impossible for Zhang Xuan to be capable of identifying an equipment swiftly, find its strengths and ws, and win its acknowledgement. However, it was a pity that the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets tested one on ones appraising ability, not on ones understanding of equipment. The ten artifacts didnt just consist of equipment. There were many other items as well. No matter how knowledgeable Zhang Xuan was in the field of equipment, he would only be able to identify one. Elder Lu was in the midst of consoling his old friend when they heard the plump man beside them muttering to himself, "Right, didnt Hall Master Sai say that he would have cleared the trial as long as he could recognize a single artifact?" Elder Chen had just barely calmed down when he heard those words and his face paled once more. Internally, he could feel his heart bleeding. There had been not a single sess case to the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets in the past. As such, as long as one was able to identify even one of the ten artifacts, it would be considered as a pass... In other words, regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was able to identify any other artifacts or not, he would have to part with his three thousand spirit stones! ... While a huge wave of shock had washed over the appraisers outside, in the trial, Zhang Xuan stared at the bizarre metal hammer speechlessly. "What are you calling out for? You scared me!" After jotting down the details on the artifact from the Library of Heavens Path, this toy suddenly began buzzing, causing him to nearly drop his brush in shock. What the heck was it? It wasnt like it was a clock, gong, or something. What was it trying to call out for! Dont you know what is manners? Its rude to shout in public, you know! Forget it, Ill just write the names then... Zhang Xuan thought. There were seventy-two ws on the Copper Hammer recorded in the Library of Heavens Path, and if he were to jot down all of them, he would surely die of fatigue. Since he had written down its name, origin, and two to three of its ws, it should be sufficient for a pass! Putting down his brush, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze away from the Copper Hammer to wait for the arrival of the next artifact when hu!, the heavy lump of metal suddenly flew from the stream andnded right before him. "Whats going on?" Zhang Xuan blinked in shock. Why is a hammer like you jumping right in front of me instead of lying obediently on the tree leaf? Just so you know, Im not a female hammer! "Forget it..." Zhang Xuan was unable toprehend the situation before him. However, since the previous tree leaf had already floated away and the next artifact was slowly flowing down, Zhang Xuan shook his head and turned his attention away. ced on top of the second tree leaf was a painting. It was emitting a faint glow. The spiritual energy in the surroundings were automatically attracted to the painting, and incredibly realistic birds flew into the air, dancing with liveliness. "Its at least a fifth level painting!" As a 3-star painter, Zhang Xuan still possessed some understanding of painting. Even though the artifact was still a far distance away from him, he could already see what was incredible about it. At the very least, its grade was no lower than the fifth level. He activated his Eye of Insight. However, just like the Copper Hammer, he wasnt able to tell anything at all. In other words, the paintings value had surpassed the ability of his Eye of Insight. Soon, the leaf reached his surroundings, allowing him to catch a clearer glimpse of the painting. The painting was exquisite, but there was no signature left behind, making it impossible to determine whose work it was. The birds flying above the painting also looked extremely foreign. Of all of the savage beasts that Zhang Xuan learned about from beast taming books, there was none that fits the shape. In other words, not only was there no name for the painting, it was even impossible to determine what those birds were. It was no wonder why so many appraisers before were unable to identify it. "ws!" Uponing into contact with the painting, Zhang Xuan began moving his brush excitedly. ... "Teacher, after the Spirit Euphoria, its highly likely that the artifact will automatically acknowledge Zhang Xuan as its owner. If so, on top of paying the five thousand spirit stones, that artifact will also have to..." Upon recalling something, Liu Chang hurried over to Hall Master Sai and brought up the matter. Artifacts possessing spirit were able to choose their owner as they pleased. In other words, through this Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, not only did Zhang Xuan earn five thousand spirit stones from clearing the trial and three thousand spirit stones from winning the wager against Elder Chen, perhaps... he would be taking away the equipment as well. What in the world was this! When other people challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, they ended up paying a hundred spirit stones. On the other hand, not only did this fellow earn a huge profit, he even managed to steal away the various treasures in it... The Appraiser Hall was truly making a huge loss this time around. "Artifacts have their own spirit, and they are allowed to choose their owners. Even though these artifacts have been with our Appraiser Hall for many years, no one has been able to identify them. Now that someone is able to point out their identity and origin, its only natural for them to be excited and want to acknowledge the person as their master. Theres nothing we can do about this!" Hall Master Sai had also considered this matter, and he shook his head helplessly. Every single treasure in the Appraiser Hall was iparably valuable, and if possible, he didnt wish for any of them to get out. However, since the other party had earned the acknowledgement of the spirit of the weapon, there was nothing he could do. Seeing that his teacher was helpless toward this situation as well, Liu Chang asked worriedly, "Then... What if this happens to the artifactster on as well?" "Hehe, dont worry! The first artifact is an equipment so cksmiths or those who possess a natural affinity toward equipment would be able to win its acknowledgement easily. However, itll be different for the artifacts behind. There are antiques, paintings, as well as medicinal herbs... Itll be impossible for him to identify all of those treasures. Besides, even if he does, itll be extremely difficult for him to earn the acknowledgement of their spirit. It wouldnt be a joke to say that it is practically impossible!" Hall Master Sai smiled lightly, "Theres no need to worry so much." "Thats true!" Liu Chang was taken aback for a moment before recovering. Nodding his head, he was just about to say something when the spiritual energy before him suddenly rippled intensely and gushed straight through the closed doors. Following which, everyones eyes blurred for a moment, and countless birds formed by spiritual energy danced and chirped in the air. "The Call of the Spirit, Acknowledgement of the Painting? This is a masterpiece painting acknowledging its owner?" Hall Master Sais vision went dark. Chapter 460: Poor People Have It Rough Chapter 460: Poor People Have It Rough Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The first five levels to painting were: Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, and Spirit Creation. Upon reaching Spirit Creation, the beings within the painting would be able to absorb spiritual energy to reach higher levels. In fact, the entire painting would be granted spirit, and it would be able to find a suitable owner for itself. In this sense, it was simr to formidable spirit equipment. Before them, birds from a painting were formed by the gathering of spiritual energy, dancing and chirping energetically. Clearly, it had acknowledged the challenger within the trial. This... If it was an equipment or a person who possessed exceptionally affinity with equipment, the acknowledgement of the first artifact could be exined. However, it waspletely different for a painting. Painting was a refined sport, and it was the expertise of literati. No matter how strong one was, it would be difficult for one to earn the acknowledgement of a painting. The only way to earn its acknowledgement was to understand the true artistic conception contained within the painting andprehend its true meaning. But... for a painting which one didnt know the name, the content, or even the year of production... How could one possibly understand the intent behind it? Could this fellow be a painter as well? Only a true master in painting would be able to discern the thoughts of another painter in a painting that wasnt signed, sealed, or dated. Everyones eyes shot toward Sun Qiang, curious to hear his exnation. Since this servant as so sure that his young master could pass the trial, he definitely knew a thing or two about it. "Painter? Our young master is already one!" Seeing the doubtful gazes from the crowd, Sun Qiang smiled gleefully. cing his hands behind his back, he tilted his head upward proudly, "On top of that, he created a fifth level painting through a savage beast. To him, this is just a walk in the park!" "Created a fifth level painting through a savage beast?" Everyones mouths twitched. One would have to at least be a 3-star painter to create a fifth level painting. To do the same through a savage beast... How many stars would that require? Even the 4-star painters that they knew werent capable of such a feat! "It just happens that hes knowledgeable in equipment and painting, this doesnt truly reflect his appraising proficiency. Perhaps... it might just be luck?" an appraiser amidst the crowd said. However, after saying those words, putting aside whether there was anyone willing to believe his words, even he found his own words hard to believe. Seeing how everyone was shocked speechless, and Elder Chen even seemed to be on the verge of copsing, perhaps due to the sympathy he felt for his fellow appraisers, Hall Master Sai scanned the surroundings and said, "Well know whether its luck or not in the next artifact! If Im not wrong, it should be a celestial treasure. These kinds of items appear randomly and no one can replicate them. No amount of prior knowledge of other upations can help him on this... This is the purest form of appraisal!" If it was truly luck, and Zhang Xuan had only happened to identify the first two artifacts due to his double identity as a cksmith and painter, it would surely be impossible for him to do the same for the rest of the artifacts. "I really do hope that he fails to identify the other artifacts. The artifacts in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets are all incredible treasure left behind by the predecessors, and every single one of them can fetch an astronomical sum. Two of them have already recognized him as their master. If this goes on, I fear that... our Appraiser Hall will go bankrupt!" Elder Lu muttered pitifully. "That... Thats true!" Hall Master Sais mouth twitched as well. Just identifying the artifact itself was sufficient for one to pass the trial, but this fellow went ahead and had the artifacts acknowledge him as their master... They had already lost two artifacts. If this were to go on, it would be a huge blow to the Appraiser Hall despite its affluence. "Dont worry, Ive challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets before, and the third one is a celestial treasure." Elder Chen finally managed to suppress his urge to spurt blood and gritted his teeth. "There are no records on what material it is made of, and its even unclear as to whether it has a spirit or not. Itll be nearly impossible for one to identify it, needless to win, earn its acknowledgement..." Celestial treasures were extremely rare in the world, and they werent recorded in the books. As such, it was nearly impossible to call out their names. Furthermore, it was unclear whether it had a spirit or not. Thus, it was nearly impossible to have it acknowledge one as its master. However, as soon as he said those words, a chuckle sounded. "You mean that our young master wont be able to identify the object and earn its acknowledgement?" The one who spoke was still Sun Qiang. "Hmph!" Elder Chen flung his sleeves. "Theres no need for you to get displeased. How about this? Ill give you a chance to earn back your money. Lets continue to wager three thousand spirit stones; if our young master is unable to identify what the object is and earn its acknowledgement, well call off the debt. Otherwise, youll owe me another three thousand spirit stones. How about it?" Sun Qiang stared at Elder Chen with glowing eyes. "I..." Elder Chens lips quivered. He wanted to agree to it but he didnt dare to do so. He had just said that it was impossible for the other party to pass the trial but the fellow went ahead to earn the acknowledgement of two of the artifacts. Who knows what would happen this time? "Youre chickening out again? Im giving you a chance but you sure dont know how to make use of it. With guts like yours, I truly wonder how you can call yourself a 4-star appraiser and a Transcendent Mortal expert!" Sun Qiang nced at Elder Chen disdainfully. "You..." Not expecting to be looked down by a servant twice in just a few short minutes, Elder Chens face flushed red, and he looked as though he would faint from anger at any moment. "Enough!" At that moment, another fatty walked out from Sun Qiangs back and bellowed. Seeing someone stepping out to speak up for him, Elder Chen heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to thank the other party when he heard the other partys words, "Youve to consider matters from Elder Chens perspective as well. What if he doesnt have sufficient money to pay you back if, by chance, he loses? Butler Sun, you should learn to be more understanding. It isnt easy for him either. Poor people have it rough, you know... This cant be helped at all." Pu! After hearing those words, Elder Chen spurted another mouthful of blood. At this moment, he waspletely frenzied. Appraiser was one of the most lucrative upation in the world. As a 4-star appraiser, he was one of the top of the trade. Even though his wealth couldnt be said to be able topare up to an entire nation, he wasnt too far from it. Yet, someone was publicly saying that... he was poor. Poor your head! "Fine, lets wager then! Whos afraid of whom..." Unable to hold back his rage, Elder Chen bellowed. "Thats a promise then. However... what if you dont have any money to repay your debt after you lose?" Sun Qiang shot his aplice, Yuan Tao, a look of approval and chuckled. "Ill borrow it from Elder Lu then, theres no need for you to worry about that!" Elder Chen flung his sleeves. "Elder Chen... You should reconsider the matter!" Elder Lus eyebrows twitched, and he hurriedly stepped forward to persuade the other party against it. "Dont worry, I dont believe that that fellow can even identify a celestial treasure. If he really is able to do so, Ill just admit my misfortune..." Elder Chen clenched his jaws tightly. As a 4-star appraiser, he wasnt a reckless person. However, the two fatties before him were simply too infuriating. Besides, he truly believed that it would be impossible for that young man to identify a celestial treasure. One must know that this artifact that stumped even a passing 5-star appraiser. How could a fellow who popped out from nowhere possibly know anything about it, let alone earn its acknowledgement? Weng! While he was still immersed in his thoughts, a crisp buzz sounded from the room. It was simr to the call from before. "The Acknowledgement of a Treasure, Spirit Euphoria... He was acknowledged by the celestial treasure?" Elder Chens face paled, and he suddenly burst into tears. To be able to win even the acknowledgement of a celestial treasure, what kind of monster was the other party? How in the world did he manage to do it? Ding dong! However, he wasnt stunned for too long. Various sounds echoed from within soon afterward. It didnt feel as though Zhang Xuan was in a trial; rather, it felt as though he was in a music room, and various melodies mixed in with one another. "Hall master... I think we should forcefully terminate the trial!" Hearing the various sounds within, Elder Lu couldnt hold himself back anymore and suggested. "Terminate?" "If we dont terminate it now, I fear that... our Appraiser Hall might be shut down by him..." Elder Lus lips twitched. "This..." Hall Master Sais face steeled. It would be formidable if anyone else can recognize one out of ten artifacts, yet not only did this fellow manage to identify all of them, he even won their acknowledgement in the midst of doing so... If he were to continue on like this, he might really make a clean sweep of the treasures within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. "You should quickly make up your mind! If he continues on like this, and ims all of the artifacts, what should we do in the future? Lets just terminate it now. In any case, he has passed the trial already anyway!" Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Elder Lu urged Sai Xiaoyu. "Alright, lets have him stop now then!" Knowing the severity of the matter, Hall Master Sai clenched his jaws. Initially, he thought that the other party only visited the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets out of curiosity, and he would give up once he realized its difficulty. Who could have known that he would make the artifacts submit to him in an instant... Seeing so many valuable treasures submitting to him, they were scared out of their wits. They didnt dare to allow him to proceed on with the trial. Even though the Appraisal Hall was known for its affluence and immense collection of treasures, there was still a limit to it. And the treasures that no one had been able to identify in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets were the height of the collection. They could ept having one or two being taken away, but if it were all of them, then the overall fortune of the Appraisal Hall would be reduced immensely. What in the world was this? For the Appraisal Hall to be forced to a corner by just an individual, the thought of it felt ludicrous in itself. Yet, it was happening at this very instant. "Fetch the keys!" Since there was a way to activate the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, naturally, there was a way to stop it as well. However, simr to the activation process, it required the usage of three of the keys simultaneously as well. "Alright!" Elder Chen and Elder Lu hurriedly walked up to the wall, and stretching out their hands, they ced their keys into the apertures. Jiya! Jiya! Along with the insertion of the three keys, the formation immediately rumbled to a halt. The radiance slowly faded. "What... are you all doing?" Sun Qiang frowned. "Dont worry, weve only stopped the formation. This wont hurt your young master at all!" Hall Master Sai said. "To stop the formation because you cant afford to lose, the Appraisal Hall... sure is shameless!" Sun Qiang harrumphed. Even though he hadnt heard their exchange, the meaning behind their actions was clear. Clearly, they were scared of the young master taking away all of the artifacts inside so they didnt dare allow the trial to continue on any further. "Cough cough, its indeed our fault to forcefully terminate the trial. However, theres no need to worry. Ill make it up to your young master!" Mocked in public, Hall Master Sais face turned red. It was just as the other party had said, these treasures were left behind by their predecessors and they were necessary to conducting the 5-star appraiser examination. As such, they truly couldnt afford to lose them. However, forcefully terminating the trial like that was unfair to the other party as well. Thus, the Appraisal Hall could only find some way to make up for the other partys losses. "Hmph!" Sun Qiang harrumphed in displeasure. However, the formation was already stopped, and there was no way around it anymore. "Alright, open the door!" Once the formation was stopped, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets would automatically cease to operate, and the artifacts wouldnt appear anymore. Relieved, Hall Master Sai shook his hands with a smile. Boom! But at that moment, the ground shook, and everyone nearly fell down. After which, a thunderous chime reverberated within the room, leaving everyone nearly deaf. "Its... the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets acknowledging its master. The heck!" Hall Master Sai looked at the door and bellowed frenziedly. Chapter 461: Compensation Chapter 461: Compensation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Returning back to a minute earlier. After four consecutive treasures had leaped off the tree leaves and flown to him, no matter how foolish Zhang Xuan was, it was clear that these artifacts had acknowledged him and wanted to leave with him. After all, treasures were crafted with a purpose in mind and they craved to disy their value. Being trapped within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets for a time so long that swords were buried in dust and pearls lost their glow had left these artifacts spirits indignant. As such, as soon as they were identified, they immediately submitted to Zhang Xuan. "I wont hold back then!" His mouth slowly curled out as he stretched out his hand and swiftly kept the treasures who leaped off the leaves into his storage ring. Even though Zhang Xuan wasnt very knowledgeable about treasures, he could tell that they were valuable based on their descriptions in the Library of Heavens Path. In any case, they were definitely worth more than a few hundred spirit stones. He would be insane to turn down these valuable treasures. After putting away those objects, while he was waiting for the next artifact to appear, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets suddenly shook and stopped. The flow of water also abruptly halted. "Could it be that... this artifact has something wrong with it as well?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was driven by a formation, and logically speaking, its flow shouldnt stop until all ten of the artifacts appeared. Why did it suddenly stop when only four had appeared? "Let me see if I can fix this!" Doubtful, Zhang Xuan stretched out his hands and touched the stone pedestal. The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets should be simr to the various trials of the master teacher examination. Most likely, it was a Spirit tool used to control the water flow and protect the treasures. Since it came to an abrupt stop, it probably meant that it was malfunctioning. However, Zhang Xuan wasnt worried at all. After all, he had the Library of Heavens Path. As long as it was a w or loophole, he could easily determine the problem and find a solution to it. Hu! A book appeared, and browsing through it, he picked up his brush and started writing some words down. "The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is a Spirit low-tier tool, and its a part of the Appraiser Hall..." Right after writing just a few ws, a buzzing sound echoed and the entire ce began to shake, as though expressing its intimacy toward Zhang Xuan. "This toy can be taken away as well?" Sensing that the attitude of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was simr to that of the artifacts he identified before, Zhang Xuan was astonished. If he could take the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets away, didnt it mean that he could im all of the treasures here in one ago? "Lets give it a try then!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan issued the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets amand, and as he expected, it didnt try to resist him at all. Hu! The entire tool was ced inside his storage ring. "What the heck?! It really worked..." The edges of Zhang Xuans lips crept upward. Just as he was about to see if there was anything else of value in the room... Jiya! The door opened abruptly and Hall Master Sai, Elder Lu, and Elder Chen rushed in. "Yo-you..." "You took the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets as well..." Upon seeing the empty room, the lips of the three 4-star appraisers quivered. They stared at the young man before them as if he was a monster. Are you sure youre here to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and not to sweep away everything within it... A moment ago, there were still mountains, flowing water, flowers... But all that was left now was an empty room devoid of anything. You arent here to challenge the trial but to take away everything of value in the Appraiser Hall! "Zhang shi, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is... property of the Appraiser Hall. It represents our prestige and dignity, I beseech you to leave it behind..." Holding back the urge to spurt blood, Hall Master Sai uttered with a scarlet face. It was just a moment ago that he addressed Zhang Xuan as Brother Zhang, but at this moment, he didnt dare to do so anymore. Not only did the other party manage to im so many treasures in a single move, he even took away the operating table as well. The other partys mastery of appraisal was definitely way above of his... He was no longer qualified to call the other party brother anymore. "Leave it behind? But it has willingly chosen to acknowledge me as its master!" Zhang Xuan red at the other party. You must be joking! How much do you think these treasures are worth? How can I simply leave them behind? "That... I know!" Hall Master Sais face was flushed. The ownership of artifacts usually hinged on a single word affinity. All of these artifacts had acknowledged Zhang Xuan as their master, and this showed that he had affinity with them all. As an appraiser, Sai Xiaoyu should be more than aware of this. If he were to force the other party to hand it over, that would be no different from stealing. But... the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was one of the most valuable treasures of their Appraiser Hall so they couldnt afford to lose it. Otherwise, even before the headquarters dismissed him, he would probably have to resign from his seat for the discontentment of the other appraisers in the hall. It was just like someone iming and taking away the Spirit tool used to operate the various tests in the Master Teacher Pavilion. If word were to spread out, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be aughingstock. After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai said, "How about this, as long as Zhang shi is willing to leave the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets behind, the Appraiser Hall is willing to...pensate your losses!" "Compensate? You wish to pay me spirit stones? Im fine with it!" Zhang Xuan started counting on his fingers, "The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets contains ten artifacts. I wont demand too much so Ill go by the estimate of five thousand spirit stones for each of them. Totaling them up, its only fifty thousand spirit stones! As for this operating tform... Ill take it to be ten thousand then! Thus, as long as the Appraiser Hall pays me sixty thousand spirit stones, Ill return everything back to you!" "Sixty thousand spirit stones..." The three appraisers trembled and their eyes turned red. They were the Appraiser Hall, not a bank... Besides, even if they were the bank, they wouldnt be able to fork out so many spirit stones either. "This... We truly arent able to take out so many spirit stones at the moment..." Hall Master Sai felt so embarrassed that he wished that there was a hole in the floor that he could dive into at this very moment. What the heck was this. When no one was able to clear the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, he wished that some challenger could simply ovee it. Yet, now that someone had seeded, he found himself on the verge of tears, wishing that it was just a dream... "You cant take it out? Alright then. If you all can take out the following items, Im willing to fork out the items in return!" Seeing the tearful faces of the three great 4-star appraisers, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for them to fork out so many spirit stones. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, he proposed, "Firstly, help me find as many Transcendent Mortal cultivation techniques and battle techniques as possible, the more the better. Other than that, I want the Soulless Metal Humanoid and all books rted to soul oracles. Simrly, the more there are, the better it is!" Actually, Zhang Xuan didnt really need the treasures within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. If he really wanted to earn spirit stones, there were various means for him to do so. There were only two priorities for him at the moment. The first was to find a way to wake up Lu Chongs dormant soul and bring him out of hisa, and the second was to raise his cultivation and advance through the master teacher ranks so that he could be a 9-star master teacher before reaching thirty. Treasures and spirit stones were just means to these ends. "This..." He thought that the other party would say something overboard, and upon hearing that he only needed these few items, Hall Master Sai was taken aback. Even though they were the Appraiser Hall, they still had quite a decent collection of Transcendent Mortal cultivation techniques and battle techniques. And as for books on soul oracle, even though this upation no longer existed and there were many contentions regarding its existence, the Appraiser Hall still had a few books on the upation... Just that, it was hard to gauge whether the information was true or not. Honestly speaking, these items... werent worth much. There was noparison between them and those treasures in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. Having witnessed the greed of the other party for himself, he thought that the other party would be willing to stoop to even unscrupulous means to earn spirit stones. Since he had earned the upper hand this time, he thought that the other party would raise some outrageous request that would cause the Appraiser Halls bankruptcy. Yet, to think that... it would be just these few items. This... Was there a problem somewhere? Seeing the bewildered faces before him, Zhang Xuan asked, "What, cant you do it?" "I can find a few of the others, but regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid... As it doesnt belong to the Appraiser Hall - someone is just keeping it with us at the moment for the auction - I cant say for sure how itll be auctioned and how much itll be auctioned for!" Hall Master Sai said. The figure he had given for the Soulless Metal Humanoid before was just a rough estimate. Even if the Appraiser Hall were to speak on Zhang Xuans behalf, it was hard to tell whether the seller would be willing to sell it to him. Thus, they couldnt give their word on this matter. But of course, this was just a conservative way of putting it. Inparison to other powers in the region, the influence of the Appraiser Hall was immense. On top of that, the item was to be auctioned on their territory. If even the Appraiser Hall couldnt get it, it would be even more unlikely for others toy their hands on it. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan said, "Theres no problem about that. Didnt you say that the clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets would entitle me to a reward of five thousand spirit stones? Ill bid for it myself! You just have to gather the other things that I asked for. The quantity for each of those books mustnt be any less than a thousand!" "A thousand books?" Hall Master Sais face went pale. He thought that the other party was just asking for a few dozen books. To ask for a thousand of them in one go, what did he wish to do with them? He thought that the other party was letting the Appraiser Hall go by not insisting on the sixty thousand spirit stones, but it seemed like things werent as easy as he thought. "Books on soul oracles are rare even when considering the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. At best, well just only be able to find... a few dozen of them. As for Transcendent Mortal cultivation technique manuals, if its only Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm manuals, I think well still be able to find above a thousand of it." "But for 2-dan Origin Energy realm, the quantity is significantly lower. My estimate is that well only be able to find around five hundred of them. As for 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, while there are a lot of them in the Myriad Kingdom City, in Honghai City... itll already be great if we can gather a hundred of them!" Doing a rough estimate, Hall Master Sai exined the circumstances for each of the items. Even though the Honghai City was a massive city in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was still inferior aspared to that of the Myriad Kingdom City. As such, it wasnt as easy to gather over a thousand manuals here. This was especially so for Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivation technique manuals. Even if one were to search through all of the powerful ns in the city, it would be hard to find a hundred of them. On top of that, every single n valued their manual as their greatest treasure and they didnt allow it to go out into the public. Even if the Appraiser Hall were to exert its influence, it would be hard to gather them. "Thats fine as well. Ill take whatever thats avable, so go ahead and look for them!" Knowing that he was limited by the geographic boundaries and that it was already great if he could gather this much here, Zhang Xuan nodded and agreed to it. Then, flicking his wrist, he took out the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. He was willing to return this to the other party, but as for the other four artifacts that had already acknowledged him, they shouldnt even think about it. "Thank you Zhang shi!" Hall Master Sai heaved a sigh of relief and sped his fist. "Dont worry about it. Alright, I would like to get the five thousand spirit stones from clearing the trial now!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Un, Ill go get it for you now!" Hall Master Sai walked out. Not too longter, he returned, and with a flick of his wrist, a bunch of spirit stones appeared in front of him. The spiritual energy in the surroundings immediately rippled, forming a mini tornado. Scanning through it and confirming that there were around five thousand spirit stones in the pile, Zhang Xuan chuckled and put it all away in his storage ring. After keeping the items away, Zhang Xuan was about to say something when Sun Qiang walked up and said, "Young master, this Elder Chen has just lost to us in a bet and he owes us six thousand spirit stones!" "Bet? Six thousand spirit stones?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan turned to the elder and eximed, "To offer six thousand spirit stones in a single go, Elder Chen, you are indeed much more generous than Hall Master Sai!" "Generous?" Elder Chen cried. How was this generosity? How did it feel more like suicide... Chapter 462: Celestial Designers Mechanical Container Chapter 462: Celestial Designers Mechanical Container Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 From Sun Qiangs exnation, it didnt take long before Zhang Xuan understood the happenings of the entire incident. "Not bad, you did well. The only thing pitiable is that the number of spirit stones at stake were too few. No matter what, it should be at least ten thousand!" Not expecting for Sun Qiang to perform so excellently, earning so many spirit stones for him through a wager, Zhang Xuan looked at him inmendation. "Ten thousand!" Elder Chens lips twitched once more. Six thousand was sufficient to leave him so frustrated that he felt likemitting suicide already. If the debt was truly ten thousand, he would have already run away. "Since Ive the wager, I wont refuse to pay up. However..." Stepping forward, Elder Chen gritted his teeth and said, "My total fortune only adds up to around three thousand spirit stones. As for the rest... Can you allow me to repay it back in a years time?" "A years time? A yearter, it would be useless even if you were to give me twenty thousand spirit stones!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It had only been two to three months since his journey started in Tianxuan Kingdom. A yearter... He could foresee that three thousand spirit stones would just be an insignificant sum to him. "I..." Elder Chens face flushed red. As a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert and a 4-star appraiser, he was a respectable figure. If he were to refuse to pay up after losing a wager, even if the other party didnt do anything at all, he would die from the humiliation. Besides, if his trustworthiness was brought into question, his career as an appraiser mighte to an end. Thus, after hesitating for a moment, he clenched his jaws and said, "Even though I dont have many liquid assets, as a 4-star appraiser, I do have some treasures in my possession... How about this, Ill allow you to pick any item among my treasure aspensation for the three thousand spirit stones!" Appraisers were very simr to antique collectors. Even though they might not have many liquid assets, they had quite a valuable inventory in their home. These items were treasures that he had slowly umted over the course of his life. If not for being forced into a corner, he would never bear to take them out. "Treasure? Let me take a look. If its suitable, I can strike off your entire debt of six thousand spirit stones for it!" Knowing that this person would surely have some valuable possessions having dealt in artifacts his entire life, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Alright!" Knowing that it was impossible to avoid this anymore, Elder Chen flicked his wrist. Hula! Before long, a pile of treasures appeared before the crowd. There were antiques, paintings, weapons, sets of armor, as well as some bizarre y molds. There were all kinds of treasures within Elder Chens collection, and astonishingly, its total value seemed to exceed even that of the shops on the second floor. "I only have these, feel free to choose..." Elder Chen forcefully put on a generous front and gestured. These were his prized possession, and he couldnt bear to part with any single one of them. However, what else could he do having lost the wager? It simply wasnt worth shattering the reputation that hed built up over the course of so many years due to a wager. "Let me take a look!" Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the various artifacts on the ground. A momentter, he shook his head in disappointment. Most of these items were rare and valuable but to Zhang Xuan, they didnt hold much meaning. In contrast to these items, spirit stones were much more practical to him. Zhang Xuan turned to look at Elder Chen helplessly and said, "You only collected these few useless toys over the course of your entire life?" "I..." Elder Chens face flushed in embarrassment. Knowing that the other party was a grandmaster appraiser and his eye for things exceeded even that of the hall master, he couldnt protest at all. He had treasured these possessions as though they were his own children, yet the other party viewed them as nothing but useless toys. He couldnt help but feel slightly awkward. "Elder Chen, why dont you take out that object that you obtained just a while ago? If... Zhang shi likes it, he might even trade it for six thousand spirit stones." Just when Elder Chen was at a loss, he heard Elder Lus telepathic message. "That object?" Recalling something, Elder Chen hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Zhang shi, please hold on for a moment. I have an object that Ive been unable to identify ever since I received it. Ill bring it over now. If even that doesnt interest you, then Ive nothing else to offer you anymore!" "Alright!" Hearing that the other party still had another treasure, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He wasnt in a hurry anyway. Elder Chen turned around to leave, and around half an hourter, he returned, and with a flick of his wrist, a ck object appeared before him. It was a fist-sized ck sphere, and no matter how one looked at it, it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary ball of lead. "You call this a treasure?" Sun Qiang took a nce at it and protested, "Elder Chen, arent you trying to take advantage of us if you wish to use this to call off the entire debt?" "I..." Elder Chens face flushed. "Youre misunderstanding Elder Chen!" Hall Master Sai said. "This object was dug up from an ancient tomb ten years ago, and even though it doesnt seem like anything much, its invulnerable. Weve tried quenching, burning, shing, and smashing but nothing could leave a mark on it. Weve studied it innumerable times but we werent able to determine what it is." "Since you dont know what it is, how can you say that its a treasure?" Sun Qiang refuted. "You cant really put it that way. It could be possible that it is an ore that no one has ever seen before. If one used it to craft a weapon, one would surely be able to forge a top-notch weapon," Hall Master Sai said. "Use it to forge a weapon? Putting aside whether its possible or it, itll surely be a troublesome and lengthy process..." Sun Qiang harrumphed. "Enough. Allow me to take a look at it first!" Interrupting Butler Suns words, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. He had tried to examine the metal ball with the Eye of Insight, but to his astonishment, he realized that he was unable to see anything about it. In his time in the Appraiser Hall, he learned that the true treasures were among the objects that he couldnt see through with his Eye of Insight. Thus, he grabbed the ball and muttered ws internally. Hu! A book appeared in the library. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open. "Celestial Designers Mechanical Container, forged by the Celestial Designer Institute withplex mechanical systems. It cant be opened without knowing the specific sequences required to do so. Its likely that some important treasure is hidden within it. ws..." After which were the various ws of the object. "There are only seventeen ws?" Even though the Library of Heavens Path didntbel the value of the object and Zhang Xuan had never heard of the Celestial Designer Institute, he was still astounded by the number of ws contained in the object. The ws that the Library of Heavens Path could detect ranged from the material of the object to the technique used to craft it, covering nearly all fields possible. Take the first artifact from the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, the Copper Hammer, for example, even though the Eye of Insight couldnt determine any problem with it, the Library of Heavens Path was still able to find a total of seventy-two ws. But of course, it didnt mean that the fewer ws there were, the more valuable an artifact would be. It was also rted to theplexity of the artifact. The moreplex an artifact was, the more likely it was that there would be ws in it. This object was known as the Celestial Designers Mechanical Container, and based on its description, it was clear that there was a system far moreplex than the Copper Hammer contained within it. Yet, despite being moreplex than the Copper Hammer, there were so few mistakes with it. Didnt that mean that the value of this object far surpassed that of the Copper Hammer? Treasure! This was definitely a treasure! "Zhang shi, are you able to determine what this artifact is?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had examined the object for a long time already, Elder Chen couldnt help but ask out of curiosity. Hall Master Sai and Elder Lu also turned over as well. They had studied this artifact for many years, and they had utilized all means avable to them to examine it. However, they were still unable toe to a conclusion. The fellow before him had such a great appraising ability that he could even earn the acknowledgement of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. Perhaps, he might really be able to see through it. "Im not able to tell what it is exactly as well so I might require some more time to examine it." Understanding the logic of keeping ones wealth a secret, Zhang Xuan chose to hide the matter. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Alright, even though Im unable to determine what this artifact is, I think that theres something deeper to it as well. Ill trade this for six thousand spirit stones then. What do you think of it?" "Fine!" Not expecting that this artifact could rece the six thousand spirit stones, Elder Chen heaved a long sigh of relief. At the same time, he secretly sneaked a nce at the plump servant. The one that he wagered with was this fellow. Would he protest to such a decision? As a master teacher, Zhang shi should still pay some consideration to his reputation. Even if this artifact wasnt worth the price, he wouldnt pursue the matter in the future. However, this servant was different. He was afraid that the other party would continue arguing with him. If that was the case, he would be put in truly tight a spot. However, after taking a nce, he saw the plump servant standing quietly at the side, not interfering in his young masters decisions at all. "It seems like he respects his young master quite a lot!" Seeing that the plump servant had decided to stay out of this matter, the tenseness finally left Elder Chens body. In truth, even though part of the reason why Sun Qiang didnt speak up was out of respect for Zhang Xuan, the main reason was because he knew that the young master was smarter than him and would never allow himself to be on the losing side of a deal. Since the young master was willing to purchase this ball for six thousand spirit stones, it could only mean that its value was way beyond that amount. Since that was the case, why should he interfere in the matter? "Ive already sent some men to gather the books that you want. Itll probably take around three days!" Seeing Zhang Xuan keep the ball into his ring, Hall Master Sai chuckled, "The auction is about to start. Shall we go over?" All in all, the time they had spent here totaled up to nearly two hours. Judging from the time, it was indeed about time for the auction to start. If they were to head over immediately, they would barely make it for the opening. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The main goal of his journey here was the Soulless Metal Humanoid. It was imperative that he attended the auction so that he could obtain the item. Thus, under Hall Master Sais lead, the group hurriedly headed to the auction hall. The auction hall was located on the second floor, not too far away from the First ss Pavilion. Before the group even reached the auction hall, they could already see a huge crowd gathering outside. It seemed like the items offered in the auction were extremely attractive. There were many powerful and affluent individuals and powers here. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan swept across the crowd and saw dozens of Transcendent Mortal experts. In fact, most of them had reached 2-dan and 3-dan. As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The number of experts were indeed incredible. "Isnt the auction hall operated by the Appraiser Hall?" Following behind Hall Master Sai, the group managed to enter the venue without any hups. Not too longter, they arrived at a rtivelyrge suite. At this moment, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but raise a question. They were in the Appraiser Hall, so logically speaking, the auction hall should belong to them as well. Yet, why did they require an invitation letter to enter the venue? Could it be that the Appraiser Hall didnt have a stake in the auction hall? "No, the auction hall isnt operated like us. Its simr to the First ss Pavilion; its only in a working rtionship with the Appraiser Hall. Were in charge of appraising their artifacts while they are responsible for finding buyers and customers to conduct the auction... After all, we dont have sufficient manpower and energy to manage all of these misceneous affairs!" Hall Master Sai answered. The strength of an appraisery in appraising and determining the value of an artifact. As such, they might not be as adept at running a business. Thus, it was much better to leave it to the veteran merchants instead. Chapter 463: The Auction Begins Chapter 463: The Auction Begins Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "No wonder..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. If this auction hall was operated by them, they would have been able to arrange a meeting between him and the buyer; his chances of getting the Soulless Metal Humanoid wouldve been much higher. "Have you all appraised the Soulless Metal Humanoid? May I know the story behind it?" Since the auction hadnt begun yet, Zhang Xuan asked about the Soulless Metal Humanoid. After receiving the five thousand spirit stones reward, hed repaid the loan he borrowed from Hall Master Sai andpensated him with an additional hundred spirit stones. Thus, he had a total of 4800 spirit stones on hand at the moment. Even though Hall Master Sai was rather confident that it was sufficient for him to take away the Soulless Metal Humanoid, Zhang Xuan still felt that he should listen to the details to make a judgement himself. "Alright!" Hall Master Sai nodded. "Around a month ago, an elder came to the Appraiser Hall and requested that I appraise an artifact. The artifact seems to have been forged out of gold, and its shaped like a puppet. After much assessment and contemtion, I determined that it is the legendary Soulless Metal Humanoid. I sought Elder Lu and Elder Chens opinions on the matter beforeing to a final verdict! "That metal humanoid is iparably resilient, and most probably, it was crafted by having a human swallow metal while they were still alive before proceeding to use a special secret art to forge the puppet. Its body is wholesome, thus preventing the slightest bit of aura from leaking out. A formation is constructed within its body, and one can control it through spirit stones. In terms of strength, it possesses a mightparable to a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert." "While they were alive... Was the Soulless Metal Humanoid crafted out of real human bodies?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had only heard about soul oracles from Pavilion Master Luo so he wasnt too sure about the details. When he heard about the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he thought that it would be a man-made object just like those puppets he met in the Master Teacher Pavilion when he was taking the master teacher examination. However, Sai Xiaoyus words seemed to hint at something very different. "Of course it isnt. Man-made puppets, just like other crafted tools, will gain spirit over time. As such, its impossible for a humans soul to delve in it. Even if one managed to do it, ones control over the puppet would still becking. This is simr to weapons and armor; even though they are convenient to use, one still isnt able to manipte it as easily as ones own limbs." Hall Master Sai said. Zhang Xuan nodded. No matter how adept one was in using tools, it could never match up to the level of control one had over ones own limbs. A man-made puppet followed the same rule as well. Even if one could drive it with ones soul, one wouldnt be able to move it as seamlessly as ones own body. "However, the Soulless Metal Humanoid is different. Its crafted using the body of a living human coated with metal. Not only is its defensive and offensive capability impressive, more importantly... it can contain a soul perfectly, making it easy for a cultivator to drive it. Legend has it that even though soul oracles had outstanding control over their souls, their physical bodies were extremely weak. As such, they possessed such powerful physical bodies with their souls to grant them immense power, thus making them a subject of fear." Hall Master Sai exined. Zhang Xuan finally came to a realization, and he was astounded. To craft a living human into a puppet to protect oneself... This upation sure was bizarre and vile. "The reputation of soul oracles was put alongside poison masters in ancient times, they were the two most feared upations. It is said that soul oracles, with their powerful souls, could forcibly extract a cultivators soul from his body and forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid through their empty body. In fact, some of the more powerful soul oracles were even able to create a fearsome army of metal humanoids." Hall Master Sai continued, "This was the reason why it was struck down by the other upations. The Master Teacher Pavilion personally led the other upations on a crusade against it and destroyed the soul oracles, thus terminating their heritage. I only learned of the existence of the Soulless Metal Humanoid by flipping through innumerable ancient books. Otherwise, I would have probably just thought of it as an ordinary puppet." Suppressing his anxiety, Zhang Xuan asked, "I heard that this upation... possesses the ability to wake dormant souls. May I know if its true?" Even though Luo Qianhong was a 3-star master teacher, his knowledge of this subject was definitely inferior to Hall Master Sai. Thus, Hall Master Sais evaluation was likely to be much more urate. "The soul is a veryplicated and profound subject. Only 7-star master teachers would begin to dabble in the subject. Otherwise, no matter how strong one was, even if one were a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan pinnacle expert, one wouldnt dare to touch in this field. The only exception to this rule are the soul oracles! Those of this upation could even extract the soul from a living body, so waking a dormant soul should be a simple feat to them." Hall Master Sai replied with a grim expression. Upon hearing the other party confirm the matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Alright, the auction is starting!" While the duo was speaking, amotion had sounded below. Turning around to take a look, the host was already on the stage. Taking a closer look, the host was no other than Elder Chen. As a 4-star appraiser, an elder of the Appraiser Hall, his words felt more credible and persuasive, and in such auctions, trust was an important factor to hiking up the prices. "The items on auction today cover weapons, armors, antiques, paintings, celestial treasures, the ancient Soulless Metal Humanoid, and such, totaling up to a number of 35 artifacts. Every single one of them has been approved by the Appraiser Hall, and we can guarantee their authenticity." Elder Chens gaze swept across the crowd with majesty. As soon as he reached the stage, he turned into that indomitable 4-star appraiser. Not a hint of that fellow who was forced to a corner by Sun Qiang and ended up spurting blood about remained. "35 artifacts? So many?" "Of course, the auction of the Appraiser Hall is only conducted once a year. As such, all of the artifacts put up for sale are invaluable treasures!" "Ive prepared a very long time for this auction, there are some things among the 35 artifacts that Im determined to get..." ... After hearing the introduction, the crowd fell into amotion. The auction was around the size of an ordinary sparring field. People of Hall Master Sais standing were allocated a suite whereas ordinary customers were seated below. Some of these people were itinerant cultivators, and some of them were guests of prestigious ns as well. In any case, all of them had prepared a long time for this auction, determined to obtain the object of their desire. Looking through the window, Hall Master Saimented, "It seems like the allure of the Soulless Metal Humanoid is great. There are many experts here!" "Indeed!" Jin Conghai nodded in agreement. He was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, and he had followed the alliance head for quite a period of time. As such, he knew most of the reputable experts in the alliance. Even though this auction was conducted in Honghai City, scanning across the room, he could see many experts whose strength was on par with him, some exceeding him even. It was impossible for so many powerful experts to be gathered in an ordinary auction. Most likely, they were all here for the Soulless Metal Humanoid. "Im afraid that three thousand spirit stones might be insufficient to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid!" Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly after scanning the room. His previous judgement was that the metal humanoid should be only worth around 1500 spirit stones. Even if the price doubles due to the heated atmosphere in an auction, itll only cost around 3000 spirit stones. However, considering the number of experts that were here for it, it probably wouldnt be easy to win the bid at that price. "Lets wait and see then! If I really dont have sufficient money, Ill be depending on Hall Master Sai to loan me some then!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Ah..." Hall Master Sai rolled his eyes. To think this fellow hadnt forgotten that matter yet. "Everyone, please remain silent. The auction will be starting now. Ill be bringing up the first item now!" After allowing everyone to vent their astonishment, Elder Chen smiled in delight and gestured grandly. Hu! A stone pedestal below slowly rose up, revealing a narrow and long jade box. Opening the jade box, a transparent nt appeared before everyones eyes. It exuded a bone-chilling frost that seemed to reach straight into ones soul. Even when looking at it from afar, the crowd couldnt help but feel as though they were about to be reduced into pirs of ice. "This is a five-hundred-year-old cier Spirit Grass, and it has exceptional effects for those who cultivating ice attribute cultivation techniques. If one were to forge it into a pill, ones cultivation would surely rise immensely. The minimum bid is 220 spirit stones, and every increment must be no lower than 20 spirit stones!" "cier Spirit Grass? This is the main ingredient for the grade-4 Ice Soul Pill! Not only is it useful for those cultivating ice attribute cultivation technique, it is also extremely useful to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm cultivators!" "Indeed, this is truly a treasure! As expected of the auction conducted once a year by the Appraiser Hall. Even the first item is exceptional!" "Ill be taking this Ice Spirit Grass, 240 spriit stones!" "You think you can buy a five-hundred-year-old Spirit herb with just that bit of money? Dream on, 260 spirit stones!" "Hah, its mine! 300 spirit stones..." Even though the first artifact was only a Spirit herb, it immediately heated up the atmosphere. The cier Spirit Grass was an extremely herb in itself, needless to say, one that had reached a maturity of five hundred years. In the end, the hammer price was 540 spirit stones! "As expected of an auction conducted in the Appraiser Hall, it sure is lively..." Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan was impressed. Based on his estimations, this cier Spirit Grass was only worth 300 spirit stones at maximum. Yet, it was hiked up to a whole 540 spirit stones. That was almost a single fold of his estimated price. Just like Hall Master Sai had said, it probably wouldnt be easy for him to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid. After which, the second item was brought out. It was a unique mineral which raised the enhanced the durability and sharpness of a weapon greatly if a sliver of it was added during the crafting process. As soon as the mineral appeared, the atmosphere immediately became even more elevated than when the cier Spirit Grass appeared. What that apanied cultivators through their days were weapons. The stronger their weapons, the greater their ability to protect themselves. As such, who would be willing to miss such a good item? It didnt take long for the price to exceed 600 spirit stones, and eventually, a middle-aged man imed it at a price of 720 spirit stones. "The third object is a long sword known as [Cold Yin]. It was crafted by a 4-star pinnacle cksmith, Jiu Muzi. He gathered a total of 37 minerals, one of which is the extremely valuable Cold Yin Rock, before managing to forge the weapon. It contains an extremely strong yin attribute within, and if a cold attribute cultivator were to wield it, its might would be increased by several folds, allowing one to bring out fighting prowess far exceeding their limits!" Elder Chen slowly drew the sword from its sheath, and an incredibly cold gleam immediately escaped into the room, leaving shivers down the spine of whoever it shines upon. "This is a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, and it can cut through metal as easily as though mud. The minimum bid is 500 spirit stones, and every increment must be no lower than 50 spirit stones "Cold Yin sword? I heard that its an extremely powerful sword suited for females!" "A Spirit intermediate-tier weapon is more than sufficient for the usage of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert. Given that, 500 spirit stone isnt too expensive. I want it!" "Dont even dream ofpeting with me, Ill be taking this sword down for mypanion. 550 spirit stones..." ... The cold gleam of the sword brought heat to everyones gazes. Zhang Xuans eyes also lit up upon seeing it. Thus, he turned to Zhao Ya and asked, "That weapon is indeed not bad. Zhao Ya, do you want it?" Zhao Ya possessed the Pure Yin Body, and this sword happened toplement her constitution. If she were to wield it, her battle prowess would surely leap greatly. "Teacher, I think you should save the money to purchase the Soulless Metal Humanoid instead to save Lu Chong. I... dont need it!" Zhao Ya shook her head, but her eyes were filled with desire. Chapter 464: Let Me Give It a Try Chapter 464: Let Me Give It a Try Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Zhao Ya found herself desiring this sword greatly, she knew that the reason why her teacher came to Honghai City was to obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If he were tock the funds to purchase it due to buying this sword for her, he would definitely regret it for life. Knowing Zhao Yas thoughts, Zhang Xuan said, "Its sufficient that you like it. If we end up having insufficient spirit stones, we can just find some other ways!" It wasnt easy toe by an equipment that waspatible with one, and as such, Zhang Xuan didnt purchase many items for his students. Since he had managed to stumble by one for Zhao Ya, he was determined to buy it for her. "Find some other ways? What other ways are there now?" Zhao Ya was taken aback. For this five thousand spirit stones, her teacher had gone to the extent of nearly tearing down entire Appraiser Hall. Where else could he obtain even more spirit stones? After all, he couldnt possibly tear down this auction hall. "Simple!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan gestured to Sun Qiang and said, "Get the one in charge of the auction over here!" "Yes!" Sun Qiang blinked his eyes in iprehension. Even so, since the young master had issued such an instruction, he must have his own purpose. Thus, he immediately left to get the person over. Zhao Ya and the others stared at one another in confusion... Did their teacher really intend to tear down this auction hall? Not too longter, Sun Qiang brought a middle-aged man back with him. Logically speaking, given the middle-aged mans standing, he wouldnt allow himself to be summoned by just anyone so easily. However, this was Hall Master Sais suite so he had no choice but toply. "Hall Master Sai!" Upon walking into the room, the middle-aged man immediately turned his sight onto the elder. "Manager Luo, youre here. Allow me to make the introductions, this is Zhang shi!" Hall Master Sai chuckled. "Zhang shi, this is Manager Luo Qin. Hes in charge of the matters regarding the auction, and if youve any problems, feel free to approach him!" "Zhang shi?" Only then did Luo Qin notice that a youngster was seated right beside Hall Master Sai, and on top of that, his disposition didnt pale inparison to Hall Master Sai. Clearly, he was of esteemed standing as well. "May I know the reason why Zhang shi is looking for me?" Stepping forward, Luo Qin sped his fists and smiled. "Oh, I would like to add an additional item into the auction!" Zhang Xuan said. "Add an additional item?" Luo Qin was taken aback for a moment before a look of difficulty appeared on his face, "This... the auction has already started, and Im afraid that its toote to add anything in..." To only bring up the matter now, you must be pulling my leg! Besides, who knows whether the object you are adding in is valuable or not. If it turns out to be fake, wont the reputation of the auction be destroyed? "Dont be in such a hurry to deny it. Why dont you take a look first before making up your mind?" Anticipating the other partys response, Zhang Xuan smiled nonchntly. He waved his hands to interrupt the other party. "Alright then!" He didnt think that Zhang Xuan would offer anything that would interest him, but considering how the other party was a Hall Master Sais guest, and Hall Master Sai even went to the extent of addressing him as shi, the other partys standing must be rather high. Thus, Luo Qin nodded his head. Hall Master Sai also turned his gaze over. He was curious to see what this young man could take out. Logically speaking, if he had any treasure, he would have brought it up already. He wouldnt have to go through the trouble with the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. Hu! Before everyones intrigued gazes, the young man took out an item. Upon seeing the appearance of the item clearly, Hall Master Sais body shook and he nearly coughed blood. What was in the young mans hand was a painting. It was the second artifact of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. "Its this. Is it possible for you to put it into the auction as well?" Zhang Xuan asked. The most valuable objects on him were naturally the treasures he received from the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. Given how those artifacts were able to the trial for the 5-star appraiser examination, they must be of great value. Purchasing one or two swords with the sum earned from these artifacts shouldnt be too difficult. This was the reason why Zhang Xuan could remain calm even though he knew that the money he had on him was probably insufficient to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid. "Zhang shi, this artifact... is iparably valuable. I think you should just keep in instead..." Hall Master Sai chuckled awkwardly as his heart bled profusely. That was a treasure belonging to their Appraiser Hall... It is one thing that the artifact to acknowledge and follow a new owner, but for you to sell it off at the very next moment... What the heck is this! "If you think that its a pity to see it sold... Hall Master Sai can buy it back! After all, were friends. I wont demand too much; 5000 spirit stones will do..." Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Cough cough..." Hall Master Sais face turned red and he choked on his saliva. Eventually, he shook his head helplessly and said, "Alright, you should continue on with whatever youre intending to do..." He couldnt even take out three thousand spirit stones at the moment, how in the world could he afford to buy this painting? Even though he was unwilling to see the treasures of the Appraiser Hall being leaked out, there was nothing he could do. "If you doubt the authenticity of this artifact, you can feel free to have Hall Master Sai appraise it!" Having received Hall Master Sais approval, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Qin and said. "Theres no need to appraise it, this painting is definitely real. I can tell so much..." Unrolling the painting and taking a nce at it, Luo Qin nodded his head. As a manager of an auction hall, his appraising ability was above average as well. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if he couldnt even identify a real treasure when it was ced before him. The painting before him had a profound aura to it and concentrated spiritual energy was gathered around it. The birds in the painting felt as though they would soar out at any moment. Even a fool could tell that this was a valuable masterpiece. "Alright, take it to the auction then! Itll be best if it can fetch 5000 spirit stones." Since the other party could recognize the value of the painting, Zhang Xuan could save the hassle of exining. Thus, he dived straight into the matter. "This..." Upon hearing the other partys words, Luo Qin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Zhang shi, even though this painting is of extremely high grade, selling it for 5000 spirit stones... would be impossible!" "Oh? Then how much can it fetch?" Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked. He wasnt too sure of the prices of artifacts, especially in terms of spirit stones. He thought that since this artifact was found in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, it should be an incredible treasure. Thus, its value should exceed at least five thousand... But yet, this fellow said that it was impossible. What was going on? "At the very most... It can only fetch 500 spirit stones!" Luo Qins face reddened. "500?" Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. "This painting came from the hands of a 5-star painter, and it also possesses a spirit. Not only can it absorb spiritual energy from the air to nourish itself, it also contains the essence of the world that is valuable to cultivators. Even Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts would benefit greatly from looking at it for extended periods of time, so... how could it be worth only 500 spirit stones?" After the verification from the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was authentic, and it was a treasure left behind by a 5-star painter. The grade of the painting had reached the sixth level pinnacle, and it was just a step off from the legendary seventh level. Yet, it was only worth 500? You must be kidding me! "Indeed! Who do you think you are fooling? How can such a great painting be worth only that much money?" Sun Qiang and the others also found the matter hard to believe. "Zhang shi, calm down. Listen to my exnation first!" Luo Qin hurriedly bowed and exined awkwardly, "The painting is exquisite and majestic, and it clearly carries the disposition fitting of a great painter. However... it doesnt have a name, and it isnt signed off either. This causes the value of the painting to drop tremendously. In truth, the art industry is somewhat simr to the antique industry. What that determines the value of an artwork isnt really the quality of the painting itself but the reputation of the artist. If this painting was created by a famous painter of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it can easily fetch 5000 spirit stones... But under the current circumstances, even 500 is a positive estimate!" Upon hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He immediately turned to Hall Master Sai, only to see thetter nodding his head. "Theres such a matter as well?" Zhang Xuan fell speechless. Thinking about it, it did make sense. After all, paintings werent like weapons or medicinal treasures. Thetter was truly beneficial to a persons cultivation whereas the former was more of a personal interest and hobby or an individual. If it wasnt the work of a famous painter, the collection value of the work would immediately plummet. "This painting is the work of a 5-star Grandmaster Painter Wu Xuanzi from eight hundred years ago. Is he not considered as a famous painter?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Wu Xuanzi? Of course hes considered as a famous painter. In fact, hes the very first 5-star beast tamer of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. If this is truly his work, itll be worth more than 500 spirit stones. Just that... even though he possesses a great reputation, he didnt live in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for too long, and he left behind very few works as well..." Luo Qin froze for a moment before asking, "How can you prove that this painting is his?" Wu Xuanzi was an unparalleled figure in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance eight hundred years ago. Despite not having reached two hundred, he had already brought his art of beast taming and painting up to 5-star. However, it was a pity that he left behind too few works in the world. Most appraisers couldnt discern his handwriting or his habits, and as such, it was difficult to determine whether this painting was a work of his or not. "Ah..." Zhang Xuan was stumped. He only knew of the origin of the painting via the Library of Heavens Path, but... how in the world was he supposed to prove this fact to others? Wu Xuanzi didnt leave behind many works so it was hard to draw aparison between his works. Otherwise, this painting wouldnt have remained unidentified for so long a period of time in the Appraiser Hall. "Unless... a formidable painter bestows a name upon this painting. Even if the painters reputation isnt as striking as Wu Xuanzi, as long as theyre around the same level and the name he bestows bring out the true disposition of the painting, the title should be recognized by the spirit of the painting and the value of it will immediately increase by several folds... But even so, itll probably only fetch around two thousand spirit stones at best!" Luo Qin said. "Name? Brings out the true disposition of the painting?" "Un. Bestowing a name to apleted painting isnt a simple matter. Everyone has different thoughts, and there could many multiple interpretations to a single painting. If ones line of thoughts differs from the original painter by even the slightest, one would be unable to earn the acknowledgement of the spirit of the painting! If so, not only would the value of the painting not increase, itll even cause a fall in the artistic conception of the original painting, thus resulting in a massive plummet in its value!" Luo Qin exined. "Thus, the only way is to first understand the background of the painter to attempt to get into his line of thoughts. Only then can onee up with a name that could bring out the true disposition of the painting and boost its value. Otherwise..." Even though Luo Qin didnt finish his words, the meaning he wished to convey was clear. Ten thousand people viewing a single painting would generate ten thousand different thoughts. To fathom the thoughts of another, how difficult a task it was! In fact, it wouldnt be wrong to say that it was nearly impossible! "Youre saying that... if one could emte the original authors understanding of the painting and bestow a fitting name to the painting, theres a chance that it could bring out its true disposition?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right... If one understands the thoughts of the original painter, meaning Wu Xuanzis thoughts, and write them down on the painting, itll definitely allow the value of the painting to soar. However, putting aside how its impossible to verify whether its a painting left behind by Wu Xuanzi or not, even if it is his work, he is well-known for keeping a low profile. As such, his background, the condition, and state he is in when he paints arepletely unknown to others... And to make things worse, this painting is extremely bizarre as well. Its difficult to even identify the species of the birds in the painting... To fathom the painters thoughts on top of that, it is impossible!" Luo Qin shook his head. Even though he had only taken a look, based on his many years of experience, he could tell that it was impossible to fathom Wu Xuanzis thoughts. "Impossible?" After hearing Luo Qins exnation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Then, a smile slowly crept onto his face. "Since bestowing a name will boost the value of this painting... "Let me give it a try!" Chapter 465: Rousing from the Drunken Dreams Chapter 465: Rousing from the Drunken Dreams Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You?" Everyone was taken aback. Hall Master Sais eyes even rolled around. Based on what Sun Qiang said, the other party was a painter. But... even if the other party was a painter as well, to fathom the true meaning behind a painting made eight hundred years ago... That was an impossible task! Furthermore, the birds in the painting were neither spirit beasts or savage beasts; since it couldnt be identified at all, how could one bestow it with a name? Putting aside how the painting wouldnt fetch a high price, more importantly, it was a crime to ruin such a valuable art piece! "This..." Luo Qin scratched his head in embarrassment, not knowing what to do. The main reason why he exined the entire matter so carefully was so as to dispel the other partys thoughts. Who knew that his words would only egg the other party on... Are you that frenzied for money?! If it was that easy toe up with a title that would bring out the true disposition of the painting, there would have been at least a single sess case in the past few years. Hu! Disregarding the crowds response, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a brush. Then, he ced the painting on a table in the room. It might be difficult for others to fathom the thoughts of the painter and find a suitable name for this painting, but he was different! The Library of Heavens Path could provide him with the ideal name immediately! If he were to write the name, he would surely be able to bring out the true disposition of the painting, thus inducing a leap in the value of the painting. "It cant be that... youre serious about doing it!" Seeing Zhang Xuan dab his brush in ink, Hall Master Sai hurried forward to persuade him otherwise. "You should reconsider your actions, thats... a supreme treasure left behind by our predecessors..." This treasure had been passed down within the Appraiser Hall from generation to generation. To have it destroyed right before him... He couldnt allow himself to simply look on by the side. "Since it can raise the value of the painting, why shouldnt I do it?" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "But what if you fail..." Hall Master Sai was agitated. He was just about to continue speaking when Sun Qiang walked up to him with a heated gaze. "Hall Master Sai, judging from your experience, it seems like you think that our young master will fail. If so... why dont we wager on it then? Theres no need to make it too big, three thousand spirit stones will do!" "..." Hall Master Sais body swayed. What the heck was this! Cant at least one of you two be normal? One insisted on bestowing a name on the painting while the other one was challenging him to a wager so confidently... Whats wrong with you two! Hall Master Saisplexion was extremely awful. He was tempted to ept the wager but upon recalling the tragic fate that befell Elder Chen, he backed down. This fellow was an incredible figure who could win even the acknowledgement of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets... Perhaps, he might really find the words to bring out the true disposition of the painting. "Regarding the wager... Ill pass!" With a pale face, Hall Master Sai backed down. "Ah?" Taking this scene into sight, Luo Qin widened his eyes in shock. Hall Master Sai clearly didnt believe that Zhang shi coulde up with a correct name, and he was determined to stop him. Yet, with a word from a servant, he immediately backed down from fear... What was going on? When did the hall master be so easy to talk to? Just as Luo Qin was perplexed over the situation, he suddenly felt a violent disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air. It seemed to be to be gathering at an area not too far away from him, and vaguely, he could hear the chirping of the birds. Qiu qiu qiu! The sound was crisp, and even though it wasnt too loud, everyone within the auction hall could hear it clearly. "Ah..." Following the direction from where the sound came from, he realized that in his short moment of hesitation, that Zhang shi had already finished writing a name on the painting. Upon seeing it, the birds chirped and flew excitedly, as though delighted to be given a name. "This is... tion of Unearthed Disposition, Enlightened Spirit? The heck... What the heck is going on?" Luo Qins mouth twitched in agitation, and his body trembled violently. "Enlightened Spirit... That is a work of the seventh level, a masterpiece that only a 6-star painter can produce..." Hall Master Sais vision went dark. He had just thought that the other party would fail when the other party came up with a name that not only brought out the true disposition of the painting, he even induced the phenomenon tion of Unearthed Disposition, Enlightened Spirit. This... Was this really happening before him? The first six levels of painting were as followed: Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, Spirit Creation, and Spirit Wisdom! Normal 3-star painters could only produce a painting at the level of Spirit Creation, and a Spirit Wisdom painting could only be created by the hands of a 4-star and 5-star painter. Going beyond the sixth level, Spirit Wisdom, the seventh level was a realm that only 6-star painters could hope to reach... Enlightened Spirit. At this level, all of the living objects within the painting woulde to life, and they would possess their own intelligence and they could acknowledge their own master. In fact, they could even soar out of the painting and they wouldnt disappear even after a day or two... In other words, a painter who had reached this level of enlightenment could easily draw out birds and soar to the skies. It was said that a formidable 6-star painter had once drawn a crane on a wall, and it materialized from the wall. Then, riding on the crane, he soared into the distance, leaving behind the legend of Soaring on the Heavenly Crane. Initially, this drawing should have only been at sixth level pinnacle, and it was still a far way off from reaching the next realm. Even if the name one came up with was able to bring out its true disposition, it should only have added slightly to the harmony of the painting... Yet, Zhang Xuans name allowed it to immediately surpass its limits and reach the seventh level instantaneously... The heck! Am I insane, or is this fellow mad? Are you a monster? How in the world... did you manage to do it? Hall Master Sais body froze and his eyes were filled with frenzied. At the same time, relief gushed through his body. He felt that it was a blessing that he didnt wager with Sun Qiang. Otherwise, he would probably end up in the same state as Elder Chen... Actually, the frenzy wasnt just limited to the group in the suite. The entire auction hall also broke out inmotion. The ongoing auction for the [Cold Yin Sword] also abruptly came to a halt. The dancing birds werent just limited to within the suite; they flew through the windows and danced around the auction hall. The bright red flying birds resembled mini suns in the evening, illuminating the entire ce with its brilliance. "What... are those?" "These birds are illusory beings. Someone has created a painting of the seventh level..." "A seventh level painting? A 6-star painter? Th-this..." "Which senior is it? Is this painting for sale? If it is, Ill be willing to put all of my fortune into it..." "So do I!" ... The dancing birds formed a spectacr sight within the auction hall. Everyones eyes reddened in excitement. Even the most formidable painter in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was only at 4-star pinnacle. The legendary Wu Xuanzi from eight hundred years ago had reached 5-star, but it was a pity that... he didnt leave behind any works. Yet, a work that could onlye from a 6-star painter had suddenly appeared in the room. How could the crowd not go into a frenzy? "This... It cant be the doing of that Zhang shi, could it?" The host, Elder Chen, upon seeing that no ones attention was on him, immediately turned to look at the suite where the birds appeared from and he immediately frowned. That was the hall masters suite... He couldnt think of anyone else other than that unfathomable young man who could cause such a hugemotion. ... While the crowd outside had fallen into a frenzy, Zhang Xuan, who had justpleted the painting, kept his brush and smiled at the dumbfounded Luo Qin, "May I know if this painting is worth 5000 spirit stones like that?" "Five thousand? Worth, its definitely worth that amount..." Recovering from his shock, Luo Qin hurriedly nodded his head. Just a named sixth level pinnacle painting was already worth 5000 spirit stones. A painting of the seventh level... Even if it was sold for 10,000 spirit stones, there would probably be someone who would be willing to fork out the sum! Just by casually writing a few works, this young man had raised the value of the painting by twenty times. This... It would be a gross underestimation to say that his words were worth gold! Fearsome! Curious to know what it was that the young man wrote that transformed a sixth level pinnacle painting into a seventh level one, they hurriedly turned their gazes to the painting. However, upon taking a look, their bodies swayed and they nearly fell to the floor. It was just five squiggly words [Rousing from the Drunken Dreams]! These five words werent written in any conventional form of calligraphy; rather, it felt as though it was written right after one woke up from a drunken stupor. Even though it was squiggly, there was exquisite in a very different manner. Not only werent they out of ce, it seemed toplement with the bizarre birds on the painting, harmonizing the painting into one entirety. "Rousing from the Drunken Dreams? This is the name of the painting?" Luo Qin grabbed his hair frenziedly. If it was anyone else, they would surely be racking their brains to think of the origin of the bizarre birds, given that they were the main theme to the painting. Yet, this fellow simply went on to write Rousing From the Drunken Dreams... And what was even more frightening was that... he was right! Could it be that... the legendary Wu Xuanzi drew this painting right after he woke up from a dream after drinking the previous day? If that was the case, wasnt this way too difficult to guess! Furthermore... how in the world did this fellow know about it then? "Indeed, this painting is indeed made by Wu Xuanzi right after he woke up from his drunken stupor!" Zhang Xuan confirmed everyones doubts. Unable to ept this oue, Hall Master Sai asked, "But... but... what spirit beasts are those birds? Why havent I heard of them before?" He had stumbled by this painting back then when he was challenging the Harmonious Stream of the Flowing Goblets, and for this, he had flipped through innumerable books, but he was unable to find an answer. Since this was Wu Xuanzis work, these birds should at least have a name. "Oh... Theyre called White Purity Birds!" Zhang Xuan said. "White Purity Birds? That cant be! White Purity Birds have long wings, purple beaks, golden ws, red head, and theyre slightly plump as well. Not only does these birds not possess those unique traits, they clearly possess a slim physique..." This time, the one who spoke was Zhao Feiwu. She felt that there was a clear problem in Zhang Xuans analysis. The White Purity Bird was amonly seen spirit beast, and its unique characteristics made it extremely easy to identify. On the other hand, these bizarre birds didnt possess a sliver of those characteristics, so how could they be White Purity Birds? If those were really White Purity Birds, Hall Master Sai and the others would have long identified the painting. "Oh, when Wu Xuanzi drew this painting, he was still slightly intoxicated so he depicted the White Purity Birds inurately, resulting in their current forms..." Zhang Xuan exined. "Inurate depiction?" At that moment, everyone trembled in shock. Who could have thought that a 5-star painter would make such a fundamental error! "Indeed. When he woke up from his stupor, he realized how ridiculous his drawing was, and he thought that if it were to get out, it would surely affect his reputation. However, he found it a waste to tear it apart as well. Thus... he removed his name and signature, thus resulting in this iplete work!" Zhang Xuan said. It was recorded amidst the ws in the Library of Heavens Path. Initially, when Zhang Xuan first saw it, he felt that it was ridiculous as well. But this was the truth. If it wasnt so ridiculous, Wu Xuanzi would have surely left behind his name, and the painting would have never reached the Appraiser Hall. "Th-this... is the result of your appraisal?" Hall Master Sais teeth ttered together, as though fearful of the terrifying monster before him. Chapter 466: Our Young Master Is Buying It! Chapter 466: Our Young Master Is Buying It! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 4-star pinnacle appraiser, he had a deep understanding of the upation. It was already formidable if one could determine who the painter was based on the brush stroke. To determine that the painting was drawn when the painter was drunk, and that he had removed the title and his own signature from it... Was this truly humanly possible? Hall Master Sai wasnt the only one harboring such thoughts. Zhao Feiwu, Luo Qin, and the others were also dumbfounded by the sight before them. They stared fixedly at Zhang Xuan, determined to find out how he managed to deduce this much. "Hehe!" Meeting their gazes, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "Appraising isnt just about identifying a treasure and its origin. More importantly, one should guess the thoughts going through the mind of the creator, and only then can one gain a deeper understanding of an artifact! "This painting may seem well-organized, but in truth, its extremely inconsistent. One of the basics of painting is bnce, but this painting is high on the left and low on the right, giving a feeling that it is tilted toward one side. Clearly, the person drawing isnt steady on his feet. It is very likely that he was lying on the paper. Also, look at this area, that area, and that area. Its clear those portions can only be drawn when one is lying down... "Also, the bizarre birds have short wings, white beaks, ck ws, ck heads, and a slim body. It doesnt resemble White Purity Birds at all, and it is impossible to tell what species it is with a single nce! "However, if one were to take a closer look, there are reeds and blooming purple flowers all over the painting. Those two are the favorites of White Purity Birds. And most importantly, every single of those birds has a stalk of grass in its beak!" Zhang Xuan pointed. And just as what Zhang Xuan had said, every single bird in the painting had a stalk of grass in their mouth. "This grass bears a striking resemnce with Riverleaf Grass. The Riverleaf Grass contains lethal poison, and there isnt a single spirit beast that enjoys eating it. As such, it causes some confusion. However, what if these were White Jade Stem instead? "The stems of the White Jade Grass resemble the Riverleaf Grass a lot, and there are even medicine suppliers intentionally mixing the two together to earn arger profit margin... While the White Purity Bird wouldnt even touch the Riverleaf Grass, the White Jade Stem is its favorite food..." "This..." Hall Master Sai and Luo Qins bodies froze. The other partys words were logical and rational. By following his analysis, one can easily conclude that the birds were White Purity Birds. "Now that weve confirmed the species of the bird, the rest is simple. If one pays careful attention, one can see that the painting ispleted in a single breath. Unlike usual paintings, an outline wasnt drawn beforehand. As a talented painter who is capable of producing a work of the sixth level, how could he possibly neglect such fundamentals? More importantly... there are even traces of corrections being made to the birds! Following the previous line of thought, it can be deduced that this painting was done when the other party was in a drunken state! "After deducing this much, it isnt that difficult to fathom its origin..." Zhang Xuans lips curled up. He wasnt just spouting nonsense. As a painter with capability of 3-star and above, given that he knew the result in advance and the ws listed in the Library of Heavens Path, it wasnt too difficult for him to notice the various peculiarities with the painting. Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible for one to link all of these peculiarities together. "Th-this..." Seeing how Zhang Xuan exined the entire matter calmly, everyone in the room was frenzied. At this very moment, Hall Master Sai realized that the other partys appraising ability wasnt just slightly higher than his; the two of them werent even on the same level. "I must report it to the headquarter immediately. With his eye of discernment and capability, he should be qualified as a 5-star appraiser at the very least... or perhaps even higher!" Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Hall Master Sai made up his mind. This fellows capability had already surpassed the level within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He was in no way inferior even whenpared to a 5-star appraiser. Given how talented the other party was, he had to report the matter up swiftly so that he wouldnt be buried amidst dust. "Alright, lets not dy the auction. Take it over!" After he was done with his exnation, Zhang Xuan took a nce outside and saw that the entire auction hall had been rmed by themotion he caused. Thus, he shook his hands casually and sat back down. "Yes!" Finally recovering from his shock, Luo Qin carefully rolled the painting, kept it, and backed out of the suite. Not too longter, Elder Chen shocked voice sounded, "I believe everyone here witnessed the spectacle just a moment ago. A painting of the seventh level has been created, and all of us here were privileged to watch this phenomenal sight! "The painting itself came from a grandmaster painter from eight hundred years ago, Wu Xuanzi, and another rising painter has bestowed it with a name and triggered a Spirit Euphoria, allowing it to make the breakthrough from the sixth level pinnacle! "This is the very first seventh level painting created in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Its a result of the perfect harmony between the older and current generations. I cant say for sure whether therell be any more of such miracles in the future or not, but without a doubt, this is unprecedented in history!" The more Elder Chen spoke, the more agitated he became. "And now, the owner of the painting wishes to auction it off. The starting bid will be 8000 spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than 1000. Let the bidding begin!" "That painting is really up for sale? Great! I want it..." "8000 spirit stones is the starting bid? Its a little expensive, but itll be worth the price. Hurry up and inform the n of the matter. Even if we have to mortgage our old residence, weve got to obtain it!" "No matter the price..." ... Hearing that the painting was up for sale, everyone below fell into a frenzy. A painting of the seventh level had never appeared in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance before. If one could obtain a painting of such level, it would be worth if even if one had to go into bankruptcy. Putting everything aside, it was highly likely that the price could increase by several folds when selling it in the future. "I offer 9000!" "10,000!" "11,000!" ... The price rose swiftly. "This..." Seeing the frenzy below, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in shock. Given how Hall Master Sai could only produce three thousand spirit stones, he thought that 5000 would be the limit already. Never in his dreams did he expect to see the price soar to beyond 10,000. "Just like Elder Chen and the others, I spent most of my money on the collection of treasures. As such, I dont have many spirit stones on me. Besides, Im only an individual while they represent an entire power or a prestigious n..." Noticing Zhang Xuans doubt, Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly. Logically speaking, given how lucrative appraising was as an upation, these 4-star appraisers should possess immense wealth. At the very least, they should be able to match up to those bidders below. But unfortunately, they spent all of their wealth collecting treasures. As such, their liquid assets were severely limited. Three thousand was already the limit of their wealth. Furthermore, the n that those bidders below could have thousands of years of history behind them. The wealth that a n could umte over such a long period of time was astonishing. While Hall Master Sai and the others would find it hard to take out 10,000 spirit stones, to those below, it only meant a short moment of financial difficulty. As long as they managed to find a buyer for it, not only would they recoup their losses, they would even earn a huge profit. ... Within a suite in the auction hall. A young man was currently seated right in front of the window. He carried a majestic and lofty aura reminiscent of a noble dragon. Standing behind him was an elder. Even though he waspletely motionless, his very presence felt like an endless abyss, leaving one unable to determine the depth of his strength. It was likely that his cultivation was superior even whenpared to Jin Conghai. "A seventh level painting? Interesting!" Looking at the [Rousing from a Drunken Dream] that Elder Chen took out, the eyes of the young man gleamed. The elder bowed. "Young master, are you interested in it?" The young man nodded. "A seventh level painting is a valuable treasure even to the elders of the sect. If I manage to buy it, itll surely be extremely useful to my supporting upation as a painter." "Alright, Ill buy it then!" Nodding his head, the elder prepared to offer a price. "Theres no rush to it. We can make our offer after themotion below dies down." The young man waved his hands casually. "Yes!" The elder hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Just that... Im afraid that if the price reaches way too high, we might not have sufficient spirit stones to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid..." "The Soulless Metal Humanoid is linked to the soul oracles. As long as we take some useful information back to the sect, my standing will surely surge greatly... Once I earn the recognition of the Master Teacher Pavilion, itll just be a matter of time before I be the number one expert of the younger generation." The young man chuckled, "But... theres no need to worry about it. Ive already looked into the matter regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and the fellow auctioning the item doesnt seem to intend to sell it for spirit stones." "He isnt selling it for spirit stones?" The elder was taken aback. If a person took an artifact out for it to be auctioned, shouldnt the purpose be profit? To refuse spirit stones as payment, what did that mean? "I heard that fellows longevity is reaching its limit. As long as his bottleneck continues to confine him, itll be futile no matter how much spirit stones he has in his possession. Seems like you got it. Indeed, what he wants is a Tutge Jade Token; the higher grade it is, the better it is," the young man said. Even though spirit stones were valuable, there was a limit to what they could do. If ones cultivation was stuck at a bottleneck, ones longevity would remain at a standstill. If so, it would just be a matter of time before one was reduced to dust... Once one died, what use would money be? One might as well trade it for Tutge Jade Tokens. In the off chance that one managed to achieve a breakthrough, one could even extend ones longevity. In any case, it was way better than hoarding spirit stones. Besides, with a higher cultivation, it was much easier to earn money. No matter where one went, strength was still the most important factor one needed to possess. Everything else was just secondary. "If he only needed Tutge Jade Token, then this matter is indeed easy to settle... Young master is a talented master teacher yourself. To guide a cultivator from this kind of small ce and help him achieve a breakthrough shouldnt be too difficult!" Uponing to a realization, the elder smiled. "Of course. After all, Im aiming for the top five ces in the Master Teacher Tournament this time around!" The young man dered confidently. "Young master possesses unparalleled talent. Regardless of whether its your Soul Depth or your understanding toward martial arts, you are far superior to the others. I think that even the first three ces wont be too difficult for you!" the elder said. "First three... Itll be hard to say. Those few arent easy to deal with. However, Im not afraid of them. Lets see who will get the upper hand then!" The young mans expression turned grim for a moment before he shook it off and turned his attention back to the auction hall. "Alright, its about time. Make an offer! Right, I still have some uses for spirit stones so dont waste them." "Yes!" The elder nodded. At that moment, the price had alreadye to a standstill. Before such a price, the affluent ns and powers had no choice but to back off. "20,000 calling once. 20,000 calling twice. Is there anyone who can offer a price higher than this? If not, this Rousing from the Drunken Dreams will be going to this friend from the Suite 14..." Elder Chen scanned the surroundings. ... "20,000 spirit stones? To think that a painting could fetch such a price..." Zhang Xuans eyes glowed when he heard the final price below. "Indeed, it seems like no one else canpete with that anymore. 20,000 spirit stones... This is truly a huge sum!" Sun Qiang nodded excitedly. Before the duo could finish their words, the voice of an elder sounded. "Wait a moment, I offer 21 4-star Tutge Jade Tokens. Our young master will be taking that painting!" Chapter 467: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (1) Chapter 467: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "21... 4-star Tutge Jade Token? In terms of spirit stones, that will be 21,000 spirit stones! What a generous offer!" "Incredible! Tutge Jade Tokens are iparably valuable, especially those belonging to 4-star master teachers. Even though the price is publicly known to be 1000 spirit stones per token, the price in the ck market has already reached up to 1200. 21 of those would mean a hulking sum of around 25,000!" "Seems like no one will be able to top that price..." ... Upon hearing the offer, the auction hall flew into an uproar. In truth, the mostmon currency on the continent wasnt spirit stones but Tutge Jade Tokens. A 4-star Tutge Jade Token could be traded for a hundred 3-star Tutge Jade Token; a 3-star Tutge Jade Token could be traded for a hundred 2-star Tutge Jade Token... So on and so forth. And with ten spirit stones, one could buy one 3-star Tutge Jade Token. Thus, going by the proportions, a 4-star Tutge Jade Token was worth 1000 spirit stones, and on top of that... they werent readily avable. One must know that of the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there were only ten or so 4-star master teachers. On the other hand, there were billions of cultivators... Considering the proportion of the two, one could imagine howcking the resource was. Usually, if a cultivator were to obtain a 4-star Tutge Jade Token, they would use it for themselves. Thus, it was hard to find one even in the ck markets. Yet, that person in the suite actually offered 21 of those tokens just to buy a single painting. This iparably generous act made everyone felt frenzied. "Incredible!" Hall Master Sais eyebrows twitched as well. Even those of his cultivation would benefit greatly from the guidance of a 4-star master teacher. The value of 21 4-star Tutge Jade Token clearly exceeded that of 20,000 spirit stones by way too much. Just as Hall Master Sai was about to turn to the young man to congratte him on his massive profit he had just earned, the other partysplexion darkened and he cursed out loud. "The heck!" At this moment, Zhang Xuan was undergoing a breakdown within. The reason why he took this painting out was so that he could earn more spirit stones to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, as well as to fuel his future cultivation. He was just delighted by the windfall of 20,000 spirit stones when that fellow wrecked his dreams. 21 4-star Tutge Jade Tokens... Why in the world would I want your Tutge Jade Tokens? Even the lesson of a 6-star master teacher would be useless to me! No matter how formidable a master teacher was, even if it were Empyrean Kong shi himself, they couldnt guarantee that the contents of his lesson would be entirely correct. However, the Library of Heavens Path could! As long as a something written had no errors or ws, it must be correct. As long as he had this with him, there was no master teacher, no matter how formidable he was, who was qualified to be his teacher? That fellow actually hoped to purchase his painting using this toy? Zhang Xuan felt so stifled that he was about to explode. What that left him even more speechless were the countless gazes of envy from the surroundings... Envious your head! Zhang Xuan was on the verge of crying. "Zhang shi, those are 4-star Tutge Grade Tokens! Countless people dream of it, you..." Seeing Zhang Xuans reaction, Hall Master Sai was perplexed. Everyone wanted to get their hands on some Tutge Jade Tokens; even low ranked master teachers hoped to receive the guidance of higher ranked master teachers. Yet, this Zhang shi... Why did he seem so unhappy? Wasnt it something to be overjoyed about? Suppressing his dismal, Zhang Xuan said, "Hall Master Sai, Ill have to trouble you to send a message to Elder Chen to say that... I dont need the Tutge Jade Token. I only want spirit stones!" "You only want spirit stones?" Hall Master Sai was taken aback. Indeed, the actions of a genius couldnt be understood by mortals such as him... "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright then!" Seeing the other party insist on it, Hall Master Sai could only agree to the matter. ... "21 4-star Tutge Jade Token, lets see who else canpete with me!" Seeing the uproar in the hall right after his bid was announced, the young mans mouths crept upward. Master teacher was a lucrative upation, and this Tutge Jade Token was the main reason behind it. But of course, this token couldnt be given out as one pleased. There was a limit to how much Tutge Jade Token a master teacher of a certain rank could distribute each year, and this was regted by the Master Teacher Pavilion. If ones quota exceeded the limit in the first year, he would have to cut down on the next year. After all, master teachers couldnt possibly spend all of their time conducting lessons. They had to cultivate too, and there were many other things they had to attend to as well. To give out 21 Tutge Jade Token at a single go, that was nearly half a year of lessons for him! "21 4-star Tutge Jade Token, is there anyone who can offer a higher bid? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 23..." Elder Chen was clearly stunned by this sudden generous offer as well. However, after a moment of daze, he hurriedly recovered and continued on. However, just as he was about to dere the results, he suddenly heard something and his body froze. Then, with a bizarre face, he shouted, "Is there anyone who is offering a price above that of 20,000 spirit stones? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 14!" "What?" The young man was just swelling in pride at having bought the painting when he heard those words, froze, and nearly keeled over. What was going on? "Our young master has just offered 21 4-star Tutge Jade Token. Does that price not exceed 20,000 spirit stones?" The elder couldnt help but ask. "If thats insufficient, we can still raise the stakes!" "Oh, that friend over there, I apologize but the seller has just told me that hes only epting spirit stones!" Elder Chen replied. "Only epting spirit stones?" The young man felt his head spin. There was actually such a foolish person in the world? With so many Tutge Jade Tokens, not only could one from a 4-star master teacher, one could befriend him as well. Yet, this fellow actually turned it down... and went for the cheaper spirit stones instead? "Thats right. Are there any higher bids? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 14!" Elder Chen continued. The person in Suite 14 was a renowned painter. He thought that he would surely lose the bid given how the otherpetitor had offered so many Tutge Jade Token. He didnt expect to make such a suddeneback; he was overjoyed. "Sold!" After confirming that there would be no one offering a higher price, the painting was eventually dealt at with a price of 20,000 spirit stones. "Damn it, damn it!" The young mans face steeled, and he was on the verge of going on a rampage. 4-star Tutge Jade Tokens were goods that were highly desired but in short supply no matter where one went; yet, over here, he failed to trade them for the item he wanted. This made him infuriated. "Go and check the identity and the background of the one who sold the painting!" The young man instructed. "Yes!" The elder walked out, and not too longter, he returned. "Reporting to the young master, the painting is sold by the people within Suite 1. If Im not mistaken, the seller seems to be a friend of the head of the Appraiser Hall, Hall Master Sai. As for his identity, I wasnt able to get any information on that at the moment!" "Suite 1?" Narrowing his eyes, the young man harrumphed. "Young master, now that the painting is bought away by someone else, what should we do?" the elder asked. "Lets put that aside for the moment and focus on obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid first!" The young man was frustrated, but knowing that there was no helping it, he shook his hands. Once the hammer was struck, no matter how prestigious his standing was, he couldnt reverse the decision. If the seller insisted on dealing in spirit stones, then no matter how formidable he was, there was nothing he could do about it. "Alright then!" The elder also shook his head helplessly. ... The auction continued on. After selling away the painting which had caused such a hugemotion, the Cold Yin Sword was put on sale again, and eventually, Zhang Xuan took it for a price of 700 spirit stones. The artifacts that came afterward didnt cause as much of a storm as Zhang Xuans painting. Even though they were valuable, they were iparable to a seventh level painting. On top of the Cold Yin Sword, Zhang Xuan bought another two artifactsa spear for Zheng Yang and a body te for Yuan Tao. The total price of the two objects was around a thousand spirit stones so it was still within an eptable price range. As for Liu Yang and Wang Ying, as there was nothing suitable in the auction, Zhang Xuan wasnt able to buy anything for them. "Now, the final object of the auction, as well as the one everyone has been anticipating for, the Soulless Metal Humanoid!" As Elder Chen spoke, a stone pedestal slowly rose, and a figure seemingly crafted of gold donning a full body armor appeared before the crowd. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over as well. It was indeed no different from a human; the only difference was that a huge quantity of metal had been added into the body, enhancing its defense. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan soon shook his head in disappointment. Clearly, this object was beyond his current analytical ability. He wasnt able to discern anything about it at all. "This Soulless Metal Humanoid has undergone a coborative appraisal by Hall Master Sai, Elder Lu, and myself, and weve confirmed that theres no mistake about it. This is the guard of the ancient soul oracles and it possesses unimaginable value." Elder Chen introduced. "However, Im afraid that I am not in charge of this one. The owner of the Soulless Metal Humanoid has decided to sell it for himself. He intends to trade it for a treasure he needs... Lets invite the auctioneer up on stage then!" Following which, an old man walked in from the back of the round stage. This old man had a white beard, his skin was slightly loose, and he carried a slightly archaic aura with him. With just a nce, it was clear that he was advanced in age. "Hmm?" Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan took a nce at the old man and he immediately frowned. Even though the old mans cultivation seemed to have reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle already, for some reason, Zhang Xuan was still able to discern some things about him via the Eye of Insight. Under normal circumstances, the Eye of Insight should only work on those of a small cultivation realm above him. Given that Zhang Xuan was current at Half-Transcension realm, he should only be able to peer into the ws of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator. But for some reason... He was able to see some problems from the other party. This was extremely peculiar. "That is the person who discovered the Soulless Metal Humanoid?" "It seems so. Who knows what kind of luck he has to stumble by it. Once he sells it, his wealth will surely increase by leaps and bounds!" "Indeed, why do I not possess such luck..." ... Upon realizing that it was a decrepit old man whod found the Soulless Metal Humanoid, amotion broke out amidst the crowd. "Everyone, please calm down. Since everyone is interested in buying this object, lets listen to what he intends to exchange it for. Regardless of whether it is on your own or with your n, as long as you can produce the item he needs within a single day, you can feel free to make an offer!" Elder Chen said. "Alright!" Upon hearing that the conditions for participating was sox, everyone was overjoyed. Initially, just like Hall Master Sai, they thought that the other party would be trading it for spirit stones. Thus, they brought a huge fortune out with them. Yet, the owner was actually intending to trade it for another object. This had caught them off guard. However, upon hearing that they would be given time to prepare whatever that was needed, they regained their spirit. Who of those who could participate in this auction didnt belong to an influential power? As long as the other party could name out the treasure, they were confident that even if they couldnt find it, they could at least find some news on it. Stepping forward, the old man said, "It is very simple. Everyone here can feel free to offer anything that you can produce within a single day, and if it satisfies me, Ill make the trade immediately!" Chapter 468: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (2) Chapter 468: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Feel free to offer?" "As long as hes satisfied, hell make the exchange? What kind of condition is this?" "Could it be that this fellow is lustful, and we have to prepare somedies for him?" "Indeed, this condition is way too bizarre. After all, you cant possibly expect us to fathom his thoughts to give him something he desires!" ... Upon hearing the bizarre condition of the auction, everyone was dumbfounded. In an auction, one would usually demand spirit stones, Tutge Jade Tokens, or valuable objects. Never had they heard of an auction which the condition was as long as Im satisfied. What if that person was unable to find something that satisfies him? Would he refuse to sell it then? What the heck was this? "Interesting!" In Suite 23, the young man had finally recovered from his shock. The anxiety from his eyes disappeared, and a slight smile crept onto his face. "Interesting?" The elder was puzzled. "The reason why he made this condition is so as to hook a big one!" the young man said. "Young master, you noticed something about the auction?" "Simple. As were dealing with artifacts here, the value might be subjective as people have different needs. As such, interested buyers can only raise their bids to their upper limit in hopes that the artifact they offer will satisfy him." The young man chuckled, "This way, the price will soar. All kinds of treasures will be offered, and all he needs to do is to choose the one that is the most valuable and useful to him." "This..." The elder was stunned. That was indeed the case. There were some treasures hoarded by some of the influential powers that one couldnt obtain by normal means. If they were unwilling to take it out, those items would never see the light of the day. However, for this Soulless Metal Humanoid, there was a good chance that they might take those treasures out. If so, this method of conducting the auction would bring the owner even greater value. "Lets forget about that for now, lets see what those people have to offer!" Knowing the other partys motive, the young man chuckled silently. ... "Something that would satisfy him?" Hearing the condition, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "What arrogant words! Even though the Soulless Metal Humanoid is valuable, its just an ancient relic now. Who knows whether it still can be used or not? The only reason why most people are interested in it is because it came from the ancient soul oracles!" Zhao Feiwu harrumphed. In truth, the Soulless Metal Humanoid was no different from a slightly more advanced puppet, wielding the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. If not for research purposes, there was no one who would spend a fortune to purchase it. With a few thousand spirit stones, one could easily hire several Transcendent Mortal 3-dan experts already. "Youre wrong... What they truly wanted isnt the Soulless Metal Humanoid but the heritage of the soul oracles!" Hall Master Sai shook his head. "Heritage?" Zhao Feiwu turned to look at Hall Master Sai in bewilderment. "Un, Ive examined the Soulless Metal Humanoid and even though it was forged a very long time ago, its in extremely good condition. If one were to study it carefully, one might be able to uncover the way to forging it! While this puppet only forms a small part of the strength of the soul oracles, it could still be a huge source of fortune," Hall Master Sai said. "So what if one uncovers the way to forging this puppet? Would one really... use a living human being to forge this darned puppet?" Taken aback, Zhao Feiwu frowned. "If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to learn of it, they would surely eliminate that person." "Its not to forge the puppet..." Hall Master Sai shook his head and exined, "Theres a limit to a persons lifespan. However, a persons soul can continue existing for a very long time as long as its well cared for. Four hundred to five hundred years wouldnt be a problem at all. If one learns the way to crafting it, one might learn how to transfer ones soul into this puppet as well. In the ancient times, when the Master Teacher Pavilion was on a crusade against the soul oracles, they managed to escape on many asions making use of this method..." "Transferring ones soul to the Soulless Metal Humanoid to sustain oneself?" Zhao Feiwu widened her eyes in shock. Even though she had read a lot of books, this was the first time she was hearing of such a peculiar notion. "Thats right!" Hall Master Sai nodded. He only found out about this after reading through many books concerning the Soulless Metal Humanoid while he was doing his research. The powers who were interested in it also managed to grab hold of this news through certain means, and thus, they went to great extents to prepare for this auction. After all, there were very few people who could resist the allure of an extended lifespan. This was especially for those who were reaching their limit. Even if they had to give up on their humanity to live for just another decade or so, they would be delighted to do so. "If thats the case, then this auction will surely raise a storm..." Hearing the conversation of the duo, Zhang Xuan sighed. If that was truly the case, many people would surely be frenzied over the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If so, the price would surely rise to an astronomical sum. "Since no one is making an offer, allow me to go first!" Just as the crowd was contemting over the matter, an elder below raised his hand and shouted. "Its the Gold Saint Phantom Hands, Liao Yuxi! He had made a name for himself a hundred years agoto think that he isnt dead yet!" "If he were to go first, he might possiblye up with a price that no one will be able to top!" "Lets just watch on first..." ... After getting a clear glimpse of the elders appearance, the crowd immediately discussed with hushed voices. Gold Saint Phantom Hands was an expert whose name induced fear across the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance a hundred years ago. Everyone had thought that he was already dead since it had been a century since he had disappeared from the public eye. Yet, to think that not only was he alive and kicking, he even attended this auction and became the first one to make his offer. As an expert who had lived for so many years, no one would believe it if he said that he had nothing valuable on him. Scanning the surroundings, the Gold Saint Phantom Hands Liao Yuxi said, "The Ursae Majoris Umbre!" "Ursae Majoris Umbre? Whats that?" "Its a Spirit intermediate-tier equipment crafted in reference to the Alpha Ursae Majoris star of the Big Dipper constetion. It is aligned with a formation, and its an incredible treasure that is both suited for offense and defense. A hundred years ago, the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance trembled before its name. To think that that legendary weapon would appear here!" "If one were to exchange it for spirit stones, its value would be inestimable..." ... After hearing Liao Yuxis words, the faces of the people who recognized the treasure were astonished, and disbelief marked their faces. "The Ursae Majoris Umbre might be incredible, but its definitely not enough to trade for this Soulless Metal Humanoid. Allow me instead! Old mister, judging by your weak aura, you must be in poor health. I have a Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng here. Even if youre nearing the end of your lifespan, if you were to consume it, you will definitely be able to live for another decade or so!" Before the crowd could recover from their crowd, another cold voice echoed. Everyone turned their gazes over. The one who had just spoken was a middle-aged man with thick, ck eyebrows. He was dressed in a luxurious robe, and he had an arrogant expression on his face. "Its the Herb Emperor of the Great Herb Gazebo! That is a Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng! It is much more valuable than the cier Spirit Grass sold previously, and even the Ursae Majoris Umbre cannotpete with it!" "Indeed, the idea of trading with other artifacts is indeed insane. Its just the second offer, but it has already locked out innumerablepetitors!" "How can wepete with this? A Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng isnt something that one can obtain from the market with just money..." ... Upon hearing the offer of the Herb Emperor, amotion broke out once more. Even the eyebrows of the old man on the stage twitched a little. However, he soon calmed down. Clearly, this wasnt the item that he was in desperate need of. "The Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng might sound incredible, but if a person who doesnt know how to process it consumes it outright, not only will his lifespan not be expanded, he might even die from the violent energy contained within the herb. Rather than that, dont you think that the grade-4 pinnacle spirit pill [Duodecennial Longevity Pill] is better? Not only does it enhance ones lifespan by twelve years, there are no side effects at all. Isnt it clear which one is better with just a single look?" An elder harrumphed. "Its the head of the Apothecary Guild..." "Duodecennial Longevity Pill, the pill famous for being able to extend a persons lifespan by twelve years... Even though its a grade-4 pill, its a known fact that one has to be at least a 5-star apothecary to sessfully forge it! What a generous offer this is!" "Insane, everyone has gone insane..." Even though only three people had made their offers, the atmosphere had already reached a new high. There were many powers here who had made ample preparations beforehand and they were confident of obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid. However, at this moment, they felt an immense pressure weighing down on them. "Blood Ginseng and Duodecennial Longevity Pill? As long as ones body is ipatible with either of them, itll be a deadly poison. I have a Spirit-tier cultivation technique here that is suited for all constitutions. Ones cultivation will surely soar swiftly with this! The best way to ensure ones longevity is for ones cultivation to grow!" another person said. "Cultivation techniques are profound. Without many years of hard work, how can one possibly achieve a breakthrough? On the other hand, I have a grade-4 Bottleneck Breakthrough Pill here. The bottleneck that has been impeding your cultivation all along will be destroyed in an instant, allowing your cultivation to rise ordingly..." "Dont listen to them! I have a Myriad Manifestation Design. Itll definitely grant you immense power to dominate others..." "I have..." Slowly, all of the powers raised their offers without holding back at all. There were several powers here who was in no way less affluent than the Appraiser Hall here. Naturally, the artifacts they had to offer were unimaginable. "Alright, everyone!" Just as everyone was in the middle of bickering with one another over whose artifact was better, a calm voice sounded. It was from the old man on the stage. Upon hearing him speak, everyone quickly quietened down. "All of the items you all have offered are valuable, but its a pity that those arent what I wanted." The old man shook his head. A person among the crowd harrumphed in displeasure. "Those arent what you wanted? Then what do you want? If you were to tell us, I believe that at least one of us here can offer it to you." "Indeed, just say it. Even though were interested in the Soulless Metal Humanoid, we dont have the time to be wasting here with you!" Seeing that the other party had turned down all of these invaluable artifacts, everyone howled in anger. Its true that we are interested in buying the Soulless Metal Humanoid, but we dont have the time or effort to be guessing your thoughts. Is there even any basis to what youre doing? Or are you trying to y us like fools? "I..." After hesitating for a moment, the old man opened his mouth to speak but his entire body abruptly froze. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and mouth, not saying a word at all. "What is that fellow doing?" "Does he think that were jokes?" "Damn it!" Not expecting the other party to still be ying such games, the fury of the crowd surged. If not in consideration of the location, they might have rushed forward to beat him up. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan found the other partys abrupt freezing to be extremely bizarre. But just as he was about to use the Eye of Insight to take a closer look, his mind suddenly jolted and a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "That person executed a battle technique?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. There were only two reasons behind the appearance of a book in the Library of Heavens Path. Given that he wasnt in physical contact with the other party, the only possibility was that the other party was using a battle technique. To think that just shutting his mouth was a battle technique in itself... This was way too bizarre! "I should take a look at the book first!" Even though Zhang Xuan was perplexed, he knew that there was no point pondering over the matter. Thus, he turned his attention to the Library of Heavens Path and browsed through the book. After flipping through the book, a bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. "Such a matter can happen as well?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in disbelief. Chapter 469: I Can Help You Get It Out Chapter 469: I Can Help You Get It Out Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Zhang Xuan was slightly dumbstruck from the content of the book, that old man had already recovered from his bizarre condition. With a pale face, he surveyed the surroundings and said, "I understand the purpose behind why everyone wishes to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If any of you can bring me the treasure I want, on top of this Soulless Metal Humanoid, Ill bring him to the ce where I unearthed the metal humanoid as well so that he can explore the secrets of the soul oracle!" "What?" "Legend has it that the Soulless Metal Humanoids will apany their soul oracles side, buried along with them even upon death... If its the ce where he unearthed the metal humanoid, doesnt it mean that its the tomb of a soul oracle?" "After the soul oracles were destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion, their heritage disappeared from the world. Even if we cant obtain their heritage, as long as we manage to uncover some information on that ancient upation, there will surely be many people who would be willing to buy that information for hefty sum." "More importantly, soul oracles were known for being the most lucrative upation in ancient times due to the nature of their powers. Even appraisers arent a match for them. If we were to unearth the tomb of a soul oracle, we would surely obtain a massive fortune." "Indeed, anyone who gets this opportunity will strike it rich!" ... Initially, everyone was rather displeased with the old man due to his ridiculous auction proposal. However, after hearing those words, everyone began trembling in agitation. The responsibility of the Master Teacher Pavilion was to enlighten the world, and they believed in equality in education as well. Unless truly necessary, they would never make a move against other upations. Back then, it was due to the soul oracles pushing things too far that they were exterminated. Even if someone were to obtain their heritage now, as long as they didnt use it for malicious intentions, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt interfere in the matter. In fact, if one were to make use of this opportunity well, one might even be able to win the grooming and protection of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Besides, given that an intact Soulless Metal Humanoid was dug up, the soul oracle buried in the tomb was likely to be extremely powerful before his death. If they were to find the tomb, even if they failed to obtain the soul oracles heritage, they would at least be able to find a whole mountain of treasure that was sufficient to send others frenzied. "I must obtain it!" "Indeed. But... so many invaluable treasures have been turned down already. The other party doesnt seem to be interested in anything at all! Does he expect us to give our entire n away?" "Give our entire n away? That is provided hes willing to ept it first..." ... After a short moment of excitement, the crowd fell back into a dilemma, and they rubbed their be in stress. That fellow simply refused to say what he wanted. Everyone here had already offered about everything that could be offered. Was it because the artifacts they offered werent valuable enough, and he wanted to go for something better? "I have the seedling of a Thousand Leafed Tree here. Would you be interested in making a trade for this?" Just as the crowd was in a dilemma, an impassive voice sounded from one of the suites. "Thousand Leafed Tree?" "That legendary spirit tree that can fight and guard over a n?" "On the single trunk on a Thousand Leafed Tree, there are a thousand branches, and on each of those branches, there are a thousand leaves. After it reaches maturity, just like any Spirit tool, itll instinctively protect its owner. On top of that, the Thousand Leafed Tree possesses an astonishing cultivation that is on par with even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm expert!" "If one were to nt the seedling in ones n, a hundred yearter, the n will be blessed with a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan guardian which would devote its life to protecting the n. This is an ultimate treasure that all big ns are vying over!" "This is way better than those Spirit weapons, pills, and cultivation technique manuals. Who is in that suite? To think that he would be willing to bring out such a valuable treasure!" ... There was a limit to a persons longevity; no matter how powerful one was, there would eventuallye a day which one would have to die. As such, it was impossible for an expert to watch over his n forever. But the Thousand Leafed Tree was different. In a hundred years, one would gain a powerful guardian that could ensure the prosperity of the n for the next hundred years. It was no different from having a powerful expert looking after ones n at all times. Given such, how could the crowd remain calm before such a treasure. To trade it for a Soulless Metal Humanoid... This was truly a losing deal. "This... He cant possibly reject this as well, can he?" The crowd turned to the old man on the stage, curious to see how he would react. The Soulless Metal Humanoid was valuable, but it wasnt anything muchpared to the Thousand Leafed Tree. Given the vast difference in the value of the two artifacts... Even a fool would know what to choose. "I apologize but Im not interested in the Thousand Leafed Tree." Just when everyone thought that a new owner of the Soulless Metal Humanoid had been determined, the old man shook his head once more. "Hes not interested?" "He rejected it outright? This... If it was me, I would have definitely made the trade immediately!" "Such a waste..." ... Clearly, the crowd didnt expect that even a Thousand Leafed Tree seedling would be insufficient to move the old man. At this moment, they felt a little frenzied. What in the world did he want? "Ill repeat my words once more. As long as anyone can bring out an object that interests me, Ill trade for it immediately. This is apetition over the value of the objects!" The old man shook his hands. "Interests?" Hearing those words, everyone fell silent. For a long while, no one made any offer. You asked for us to offer something that would interest you, but yet, you refused to tell us what is it that you want. Even if we were to continue making offers like that, who knows whether or not we will ever be able to find something thatll interest you. Why in the world did the auction hall bring such a weirdo in? ncing at Luo Qin, Elder Chen said, "Manager Luo, in my view, this fellow is here to cause trouble. Besides, I dont think that the auction can benefit from a trade of goods. So, why did the auction hall take up this deal?" The other party was clearly here to cause trouble! Who in the world auctions items like that? Besides, under normal trades, the auction hall would usually im a smallmission from the sales to earn a profit. However, given that the other party was trading the Soulless Metal Humanoid for another artifact, how was the auction hall supposed to im amission off the price? "He isnt causing trouble, he has already paid an advance of 5,000 spirit stones!" Luo Qin shook his head. "He has already paid even though his item hasnt been sessfully auctioned yet?" Elder Chen was taken aback. Even he was unable to take out so many spirit stones in a single go! To pay this sum in advance... Wasnt he worried that the Soulless Metal Humanoid might not be sold? "Indeed. So no matter how he auctions his item, the auction hall wont make a loss at all." Luo Qin said. "Then... What does he really want?" Elder Chen was perplexed. Since the other party was able to produce 5,000 spirit stones in a single go, it was highly likely that he didntck money at all. On top of that, all of the artifacts offered previously were invaluable treasures that had epassed all sectors, and yet he turned down all of them, even the Thousand Leafed Tree... So what was his goal in conducting this auction? "I have no idea either. Ever since his arrival, he has spoken less than ten words to me so how could I possibly know what hes thinking of!" Luo Qin smiled bitterly. He was the manager of the auction and the sales of the Soulless Metal Humanoid was mainly arranged by him. However, his interactions with the seller were terribly limited. They had barely traded more than a few words. And thus, the other partys thoughts and wants remained an enigma to him. ... "To turn down even the Thousand Leafed Tree, interesting!" The young man from Suite 23 chuckled lightly. He was the one who made the offer for the Thousand Leafed Tree previously. This object was of great value, and even three Soulless Metal Humanoid couldnt match up to a single one of it. Only a top-notch genius of a prestigious sect like him was able to take out an item of such quality easily. But it was a pity that the other party wasnt interested in it at all. "Young master, it doesnt seem like hes trying to hike up the price," the elder beside him said. Previously, the young master said that the reason why that fellow refused to reveal what he wanted was so as to hike up the prices, but from the looks of it, that didnt seem to be the case. After all, in terms of price, what else could beat the Thousand Leafed Tree? To turn down even this object, this only went to show that his motive could be to find something that he really needed. "Regardless of what he needs, he surely wont be able to turn this down!" Flicking his wrist, a jade token appeared in the young mans hand. Upon seeing the item, the elder was taken aback. He uttered in shock, "Young master, this item is iparably valuable. Are you sure... that you want to make an offer with it?" "Thats right!" A glint shed across the young mans eyes, and his lips curled up slightly, "Since he has even refused the Thousand Leafed Tree, I cant think of anything else that might interest him." The elder hesitated. "But... this item is useful to you too..." "If I have any problems, I can consult teacher straight. So in truth, this item isnt of much value to me!" The young man waved his hands and said, "Make the offer!" "Yes!" Seeing the determination on the other partys face, the elder knew that it was impossible to convince him out of it. Thus, nodding his head, he stepped forward to the windows and bellowed, "A half 5-star master teacher long-range Tutge Jade Token!" ... Everyone in the auction hall was wracking their brains to fathom what that fellow on the stage want when the voice sounded. A short moment of silence, and a huge uproar was suddenly generated. "Half 5-star master teacher? What does that mean?" "When a master teacher reaches 4-star and above, the difficulty to advance through the ranks would be exponentially more difficult. As such, there were many people who ended up being stuck at 4-star pinnacle their entire life, unable to make a breakthrough. However, there are clearly masters teachers who possessed teaching capability above ordinary 4-star pinnacle but simply havent reached 5-star yet... Thus, this rank was born!" "There isnt a half 5-star master teacher in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even though half 5-star master teachers are, in the truest sense, 4-star pinnacle master teachers, the value of their Tutge Jade Tokens far surpasses those of ordinary 4-star pinnacle master teachers... Putting everything aside, even the 21 Tutge Jade Tokens offered before cannotpare up to this in value!" "I see. Then what is a long-range Tutge Jade Token?" "When one obtains an ordinary Tutge Jade Token, one can look for a master teacher and request for two hours of his time for a one-to-one guidance session. However... finding this master teacher is likely to expend a significant length of time. On the other hand, a long-range Tutge Jade Token isnt restricted by this limitation. A sliver of the master teachers soul has been infused into the jade token, and when one drips a droplet of blood on it, one will be able to enter an illusionary ssroom where ones problems can be solved. "In other words, as long as one possesses this item, its as good as having a half 5-star master teacher around you. No matter what cultivation problem one has, one can enquire about it at any moment. Even though its just a one-time use object, its value is unimaginable!" Being able to undergo the guidance of a half 5-star master teacher on the spot and running around the world with the jade token in hand to look for the specific half 5-star master teacher were two vastly different concepts. The value of this jade token definitely far surpassed that of the previous 21 jade tokens. Having understood this, everyone turned to the old man on the stage to see how he would choose. If he were to reject this as well, then no one here would probably be able to produce a treasure to his liking. "This..." The old man also clearly didnt expect the person from the suite to take out such a valuable object. Hesitation clearly surfaced on his expression, and after a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, Ill agree to the trade!" "He agreed to the trade?" "Well, I cant imagine him doing otherwise..." Hearing that the other party had agreed to it, even though the crowd was a little disappointed, they knew that the value of this jade token was simply too great for anyone to resist. "This is more like it..." The young man from Suite 23 chuckled lightly upon hearing the old man agree to it. He had even gone to the extent of taking out this treasure. If the other party still continued to turn him down, there would be nothing else he could do. Just as he was preparing to go down and conduct the trade with the old man, a nonchnt voice suddenly sounded from Suite 1. "Theres no need to rush into an agreement, I havent made my offer yet!" "You? Do you think that you can produce something even more valuable than my Tutge Jade Token?" The young man stood up in displeasure. "I cant say for sure whether the thing I can offer is of greater value because my offer is only a single sentence..." A calm voice sounded, "I can help you... get it out!" "What did you say?" Hearing those words, the old man standing on the stage suddenly froze and his face paled. Then, he began to tremble non-stop. Chapter 470: Zhang Xuans Move [2in1] Chapter 470: Zhang Xuans Move [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Help you get it out? The entire auction hall fell silent. The respectable figures of Honghai City stared at one another with so much frustration that they were about to explode. What the heck was this situation? Who in the world was that hero in Suite 1? Your interest... ... is way too heavy! More importantly, he didnt seem to be in the least embarrassed spouting such dirty words in public; on the contrary, he spoke forcefully and proudly... Big brother, where in the world does your confidencee from? Pu! Hearing those words, the young man from Suite 23 immediately spat out the mouthful of tea that he had just drunk at the elder opposite of him. The heck! I gave out a long-range Tutge Jade Tokenthat is literally worth cities, and its value doesnt lose out to even a Spirit high-tier equipment... If you had made a normal offer, I would still overlook it. After all, its a fairpetition. I can only concede if my financial ability is unable to match up to yours. But... help you get it out, what the heck was that? The fellow selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was already in his declining years, and he looked as though he could pass away at any moment. Yet, you want to help him g-get it out? Am I being too dirty-minded or is your taste really that heavy? "That..." The elder beside the young man wiped the tea off his face, and it took him a long moment before he recovered from the shock. "Young master, that person doesnt have long to live so I doubt that he would be tempted by the pleasures of the body. Besides, even if he is interested, he could simply head to a brothel. Why should he resort to finding a male..." "Cough cough..." After a bout of violent coughing, the young man finally managed to prevent himself from choking to death. "I know that much. Just that... that fellow from Suite 1 sure is an incredible fellow to be able to say such words... It seems like we arent the only one astounded by his words. Even that old fellow up there is about to faint!" "Indeed! No normal cultivator would ept such a depraved offer. How can someone be so shameless?" the elder replied indignantly. In the midst of his words, the ruckus below suddenly disappeared, and following closely, an agitated and excited voice sounded. "Mister, do you... mean your words?" The old man on the auction stage was trembling in excitement. His face was flushed, seemingly unable to believe the other partys words. "Of course I do! As long as you pass the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me, Ill try my best to help you get it out!" the calm voice from Suite 1 replied. "Alright then, Ill agree to it!" Upon hearing the other partys confirmation, the old man nodded his head immediately. Pu! "If only Id known earlier, I would have prepared a few beautiful girls... or perhaps dashing men..." Hearing the old man agreeing to the matter readily, everyone felt blood welling up in their chest and they nearly fainted. This works as well? Cultivation technique, weapons, Thousand Leafed Tree, and even a half 5-star long-range Tutge Jade Token... You turned all of them down just for this? Your interest sure is unique! To abandon all of these treasures just for a short moment of pleasure... More importantly, the other party is a male... You have truly opened up our eyes today. What is even more impressive is how the fellow in Suite 1 can speak such words in public without the slightest bit of embarrassment... And most importantly of all, how could you tell that the old man on stage has such an interest? Could it be that you are also... Everyone shuddered. "He agreed to it?" The young man from Suite 23 trembled. For that moment, it felt as though the skies were rumbling. Did he reallye to a prestigious auction or was this truly a ce for such exchanges? Putting aside how his 4-star Tutge Jade Tokens were turned down from spirit stones, now, even his Thousand Leafed Tree and the even more valuable half 5-star long-range Tutge Jade Token was rejected, all for just... a moment of relief! Their world horizons shattered in an instant. "He... agreed to it!" The elder uttered through trembling lips. "Damn it! If only I knew that that fellow has such interests, I wouldnt have wasted so much effort!" After a moment of dismal, a vicious glint shed past the young mans face, and he turned around tomand. "Make the offer saying that we can help him get it out as well. Furthermore, well agree to all conditions he sets, regardless of what poses he wants!" "Young master, you..." The elders body froze. "Isnt your sacrifice... a little too great?" To go so far for a Soulless Metal Humanoid... Young master sure is vicious to himself! "Sacrifice? Sacrifice your head! Do you expect me to do it? You think that I, Song Chao, a 4-star master teacher, would do such a thing? You must be joking! If someone has to go, itll be you. As long as he agrees to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me, youll have to serve him well!" The young man, Song Chao, harrumphed. "Me?" It was just a moment ago that the elder thought that the young master was extremely noble, but after hearing those words, he shuddered and nearly burst into tears. Do you have to be so callous? I watched you grow up from young boy to a young man, and Ive followed behind you for so many years. To sell me like that... surely this isnt right... Who did I offend? Im already so old and yet I still have to give up my reputation and decency... to not please a youngdy but a... decrepit, old man? "Hurry up! Once they conduct the trade, itll be toote!" Seeing the other partys warped face, Song Chao hurriedly urged him on. "Yes!" Even though the elder was reluctant to do so, he still stepped forward to the window and said, "Our young master wishes to make an offer. Hes willing to help you get it out as well!" "Ah? Another one?" "The heck! Theres another one who has given up on his decency as well? How in the world did a normal auction hall turn into a location where such deals are made?" "Are they all mad?" The entire auction hall flew into a frenzy. To think that there would be another one to make such an offer. Wheres their pride? Wheres theirmon decency? For this Soulless Metal Humanoid, you all are willing to give up even your dignity? While the stage below was in a frenzy, in Suite 1, Zhang Xuan was also perplexed. He stood up and facing the suite which had just made the offer, he asked, "You can help him get it out as well? How do you intend to do it? Shall wepete to see whose technique is better so that he can make a better choice?" Based on what he knew, it should be very hard to get that thing out. Even with the omniscient Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan still found the matter troublesome. Thus, he was curious to see what kind of method the other party was going to use. Pu! Hearing those words, Song Chao felt as though a snake was diving around in his chest, and he nearly tore his hair out with his hands. Can you at least have some pride? Topete over whose technique is better... Is it really alright for you to say such things in public? Do you have to be so fierce? Furthermore, what is there topete about it? The main issue at hand should be just to satisfy him, right? The mouth of the elder beside Song Chao twitched, and tears streamed down his face. Doomed, he knew that his reputation would surely be tarnished at this point... "Why? You cant say anything? To make such a im despite being incapable, are you intentionally trying to jack up the price?" Upon seeing that there was no response from Suite 23, the person from Suite 1 continued. "I-I... What other kind of techniques can I use? Of course its the one that everyone knows of..." Seeing that the elder had been shocked speechless, Song Chao couldnt hold himself back anymore so he harrumphed. "The one that everyone knows of?" Hearing the other partys frenzied words, Zhang Xuan was even more perplexed, "What kind of method is that? You should rify yourself. He has been gued by an evil spirit and hes currently going through great anguish. What method do you intend to use to get it out? If it is feasible, Im willing to let you give it a try first." "gued by an evil spirit? Get it out? Th-this..." Song Chaos body swayed and his face paled. If there was a hole in the ground, he would definitely jump in this very instant. What the heck was this! Can your words not be that darned? You kept saying get it out so I thought you were talking about that... I was even willing to have my close subordinate give up his decency topete with you and it turned out to be getting an evil spirit out... You must be toying with me! "So its to force an evil spirit out..." "The gue of an evil spirit is iparably dangerous. Under such circumstances, ones life hinges by a thread. Its no wonder that person is refusing all treasures. After all, given that his life is in danger, what use are those treasures? What he wants is probably a way to expel the evil spirit, but if that is the case... Why didnt he say anything?" "That is exactly what stumped me as well... However, being gued by an evil spirit is an extremely rare urrence. Ive only read about it from some ancient books, how in the world did that fellow manage to stumble by it?" "Soul oracles are skilled in attacking the souls of others. He must have suffered the retaliation of the evil spirits from the soul oracle whose tomb he dug up..." ... Hearing the words of the person from Suite 1, everyone came to an understanding and wiped away their cold sweat. So it wasnt what they were thinking. What the other party meant was to get the evil spirit out. It seemed like they were the ones who were corrupted... "I see..." Hall Master Sai heaved a huge sigh of relief and his face flushed red. Zhang shis previous words had nearly scared him to death. He had really thought that the other party had such heavy preferences... Only after hearing this did hee to a realization. In truth, Zhang Xuan also didnt expect his words to incur such a huge misunderstanding. His mind had been too absorbed into getting the Soulless Metal Humanoid that hed failed to consider the possible innuendo in his words. Just like everyone guessed, the reason behind the affliction of the old man selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was indeed vengeance from the soul oracle whose tomb was dug up. With his life at stake, it was natural that no treasure would be able to interest him. It was because he had been trying to suppress the evil spirit through the use of battle technique that the Library of Heavens Pathpiled a book on him. It was because of that that Zhang Xuan couldprehend what was happening. Recovering from the awkward atmosphere, Song Chao asked, "Based on what I know, the gue of an evil spirit concerns the subject of souls. Since you said that you are able to... get it out, does it mean that you are skilled in that subject?" Due to the intricacies behind souls, even master teachers would be stumped before this problem. Based on the other partys voice, he seemed to be rather young. Thus, Song Chao was curious to know what method the other party in mind. The crowd immediately turned their gazes over, and even the old man on the stage seemed a little anxious at this point. He was worried that the man in the suite was just making empty promises. "The gue of an evil spirit is simr to a lethal poison corroding ones soul. Theres nothing I can do about that!" The voice from the suite echoed. "Nothing you can do about that? Then..." Everyone nearly fainted. The other party had dered so confidently a moment ago and yet he was saying that he was helpless at this point in time. Wasnt this change in attitude a little too rapid? Having his hope shattered when it was so close to him, the old man couldnt retain his calmness. He immediately asked anxiously, "Then why did you say that you can help me get it out..." "Since I can discern your condition and describe it so aptly, naturally, I have my own means!" Man from the suite chuckled. "This..." The old man was baffled. The other party had clearly stated that he was helpless toward the gue of the evil spirit. But now, he was iming that he had a solution in mind. Was that fellow ying him a fool or was there some secret meaning behind those words that he failed toprehend? Just as the old man was still stuck in bewilderment, the voice from the suite continued, "Alright, hand the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me and Ill solve your problem. There are too many people here so its not convenient for me to go into detail!" "Alright!" After a moment of hesitation, the old man surveyed the surroundings and bowed, "I thank everyone here for participating in the auction of the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Pardon me, but Ive managed to find a buyer already. Thus, I can only apologize to everyone here!" After finishing his words, the old man grabbed the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Hu! With a light smile, the old man put the metal humanoid lying vertically on the stage away before walking off. "Young master, what do we do?" Seeing that the buyer had been confirmed, the elder in Suite 23 started to panic. The young master hade over excitedly with a huge fortune in hand just to buy this Soulless Metal Humanoid but in the end... he didnt manage to spend a single cent. He could still ept it if the other partys financial ability was above that of his, but the problem was that... the other party managed to win over the metal humanoid with just a single word without spending a single cent... The more he thought about it, the more dismal he felt. "What else can we do? Are you able to expel the evil spirit guing him?" Song Chao asked with a darkenedplexion. "I... cant!" The elder shook his head. The gue of a spirit involved the subject of soul. Even though his cultivation and knowledge were impressive, there was nothing we could do about the sellers problem as well. "Forget it. Go and look into who the person in Suite 1 is. Well decide on our actions afterward!" Song Chao instructed. "Yes!" The elder nodded his head. If he didnt even know who the enemy was, how could he make suitable preparations? "To be capable of produce a seventh level painting, discern that the seller is gued by an evil spirit, and show no interest in 4-star Tutge Jade Tokens... That person in Suite 1 sure is a mysterious figure. Investigate him! Make sure to dig up every single bit of information about him!" Song Chao wasnt the only curious one. Everyone in the auction was also dying to know whom that formidable figure in Suite 1 was, especially given how he was able to get Hall Master Sai willingly share his suite with him. ... "This is the Soulless Metal Humanoid?" In a vast room in the Appraiser Hall, Zhang Xuan studied the puppet on the floor in interest. The sale of the Soulless Metal Humanoid meant that the auction hade to an end. Under Manager Luos lead, the old man was brought to the room. The metal humanoid was around the size of a real human but its physique was much more muscr. As though crafted using metal, its skin was also gold in color. It was hard to tell the persons original appearance under the metal coating. Knowing that this wasnt the time to be examining the object, Zhang Xuan stored it in his storage ring right after confirming the product was authentic. Then, he turned to look at the old man before him. "Mister, please cure me of my affliction!" The old man hurriedly sped his fist. In truth, after seeing that the other party was a young man, he suffered a breakdown. After all, no matter how talented a person was, his extent of knowledge was still limited by his age. He thought that the person who was able to tell that he was gued by an evil spirit should at least be an old man who was beyond his sixties... He didnt think that the other party would be so young, and he found it hard to believe that such a young person could cure him of his affliction. If not for the other party pointing out his condition urately, he would have surely thought that this was a scam. "Un!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan started circling around the other party silently. Then, lifting his eyebrow, he said, "Hall Master Sai and Elder Jin, I have something that I would like to trouble you two!" "Zhang shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Feel free to speak whatever thats on your mind!" The duo nodded. Even though each of their cultivation was higher than thed before him, thetter had simply performed too many extraordinary miracles. They didnt dare view him as a junior. "Simple..." Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over. "This..." Hearing Zhang Xuans message, the duo stared at one another in shock. After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai awkwardly asked, "Zhang shi... Surely this isnt good?" "Just do as I say. I know what Im doing!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright!" The duo gritted their teeth. Seeing the look of difficulty on the faces of the two elders, everyone was perplexed, especially the old man selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Does my treatment require the help of these two? "Pardon me!" Just as he was perplexed, he heard Hall Master Sai and Jin Conghai harrumph at the same moment. Then, the duo lifted their palms and two surges of zhenqi surged into the surroundings, sealing the entire area from the world. "What are you all trying to do?" The old man frowned. Through this action, the duo had sealed his path of escape. In other words, they nned to make a move on him! "Do you all... intend to steal the Soulless Metal Humanoid?" Upon realizing something, the old mans eyes narrowed. The Soulless Metal Humanoid was iparably valuable. As just a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator, he was still a far way from bing one of the top experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He knew that if he were to spread the word, there was a high possibility that someone mighte after him for it. Thus, as soon as he obtained the object, he immediately rushed to the Appraiser Hall. He felt that given the Appraiser Halls reputation, they shouldnt conduct despicable acts like stealing the goods of its customers. Yet, to think that... the respectable hall master would make a move on him himself! "Zhang shi..." Luo Qin also didnt expect such a sight to ur and his face paled. To think that Zhang Xuan would resort to this eventually! If the Appraiser Guild were tomit such actions, the reputation of the auction hall would also go down to the drain. An auction hall that had lost its credibility would surely lose all of its customers. "Dont worry. If I intended to kill him, he would already be long dead. There would have been no need for us to seal his surroundings at all." Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes. No matter what, he was a master teacher. The other party should have been able to see through the benevolent face he had, why was the other party treating him as though a viin who would resort to such petty crimes? To kill a person and rob him of his possession... To think that you can even think of this! It was just a Soulless Metal Humanoid. Its value still wasnt sufficient for Zhang Xuan to go to such an extent. "Thats good..." Hearing Zhang Xuans promise, Luo Qin heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around, he saw Hall Master Sai and Elder Jin making a move simultaneously. The old man could barely take two blows before he was subdued. Then, the duo sealed his cultivation, leaving himpletely powerless. These two were top-notch experts. With their strength, dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator was a walk in the park. Seeing that the other party had only sealed his cultivation, the old man knew that he was overthinking it and he heaved a long sigh of relief. But still, baffled by the condition, he asked, "What do you all intend to do?" "Didnt you ask me to expel the evil spirit in you? If we dont limit your movement, how can we expel the evil spirit?" Zhang Xuan smiled. Hearing that the sealing of his cultivation was a necessary procedure to expelling the evil spirit, the old man nodded his head and said, "I see! Ill be depending on you then, mister!" "Un!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. The edges of his lip slowly curled up as he raised his hands. Pah! His palm struck the other partys face. "You..." The strike had caused the old man to flip on the spot and crash onto the floor. Dumbfounded, the old man stared at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes. What was going on? In exchange for the Soulless Metal Humanoid, you are supposed to expel the evil spirit within me. Yet, you had someone seal my cultivation first before... then came over here to p me... What are you up to? The old man was just about to ask about the situation when a kick came flying toward him. Peng! "What is going on..." His words were jammed back into his mouth by the kick, and he was sent flying a few meters away. Struggling to his feet, the old mans eyes were filled with fury. He was about to turn insane at any point now. But of course, he wasnt the only one that was about to turn insane. Everyone in the room looked as though they had seen a ghost. This was especially so for Luo Qin. At this point, he nearly couldnt hold back his tears anymore. Didnt you say that... you arent intending to kill the other party and steal his possessions? Even if you arent going to kill him, beating the other party up and taking his possession like that... isnt alright either... Chapter 471: Do You Dare? Chapter 471: Do You Dare? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Peng peng peng peng! With his cultivation sealed, how could the old man withstand Zhang Xuans attacks. In just a few moments, he was reduced to a pig head. "I want to kill you..." The reason why he brought the Soulless Metal Humanoid here was so that he could be cured of his affliction. Yet, he was beaten up like that instead. Unable to hold himself back anymore, the old man clenched his teeth in anger and his eyes turned bloodshot. "Kill me? I thought you wanted to use my hand to kill him? Why do you want to kill me?" Smiling faintly, Zhang Xuan looked at the old man with a look of leisure. "W-What are you saying? I dont know what you are getting at!" Hearing those words, the old man panicked for a moment. However, he concealed it swiftly. "You dont know? Coming over here to possess another persons body and going to the extent of trying to eradicate his soul... and you tell me that you dont know anything at all?" Zhang Xuans lips curled him in disdain. "Possess?" Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others were taken aback. They nced at the old man once more, but this time, with wariness. Possession was the means of a soul oracle, and it was also known as borrowing a body to reanimate a soul. Just as the name hinted at, a soul oracle whose lifespan wasing to an end could forcefully suppress or a destroy a persons soul and make use of their body toe alive again. This was an extremely mysterious and vile process. "Dont worry, he hasnt seeded yet!" Seeing the wariness in everyones eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "If he had seeded already, thered be nothing I could do about the matter anymore." Zhang Xuan had previously said that he couldnt do anything if the old man was gued by an evil spirit, and these words had left everyone stumped. However, it seemed that instead of being gued by an evil spirit, this fellow was possessed instead. "You... Dont spout nonsense! I am myself, and Ive only been gued by an evil spirit..." The old man clenched his jaws. "Youve been gued by an evil spirit?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Circling around the old man with his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said, "I dont know what method you used to suppress the original hosts soul, but I can still roughly tell what happened. "Despiteing to the auction hall to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid, you refused to say what you wanted and kept everyone guessing... If Im not wrong, at that moment, the original hosts soul is still in control of the body. It wasnt that he didnt want to say anything but that you were exerting a pressure on him to prevent him from speaking up! "Under the pressure from everyone else, he grew agitated and this created an opening for you to strike... Then, you said that youd take the person who managed to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid to the tomb of the soul oracle. If Im not mistaken, you probably intended to lure someone there and activate some traps so as to im the bodies of a few more experts!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "Otherwise, how could a person who is on the verge of death due to being gued by an evil spirit in the soul oracle tomb propose to head there a second time? Unless hes masochistic and eager to die, theres no way a rational person would do so!" "This..." Jin Conghai and Hall Master Sai shuddered in shock. Previously, back in the auction hall, under the intense questioning of the crowd, the old man did seem to intend to say something, but his body simply shook and he fell silent. Afterward, he immediately mentioned the issue regarding the soul oracle tomb. Thinking back, it did seem slightly bizarre. Even though the old man managed to obtain the invaluable Soulless Metal Humanoid in the soul oracle tomb, he was possessed as well, putting him on the verge of death. It didnt make any sense for him to want to return back to such a dangerous ce. It was clearly a huge w in logic. It was a pity that everyone had been blinded by the heritage of the soul oracle and the treasures contained within the tomb and failed to consider this logicpse. "I only intended to hike up the prices..." the old man said. "Hike up the prices? Alright!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "Elder Jin and Hall Master Sai, may I trouble you two to release the seal on him?" "Release the seal?" The duo was taken aback. Even though Zhang Xuan seemed to have struck the old man viciously, they were actually just superficial wounds. Once the seal was released, the other party would regain the cultivation level of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. If so, Zhang Xuan surely wouldnt be a match for the other party. "Dont worry!" Knowing what the duo was worried about, Zhang Xuan shot them a reassuring gaze. "Alright!" Even though Zhang shi was still young, he never did anything he wasnt certain of. Thus, the duo let go simultaneously. Hu! The seal suppressing the old mans cultivation vanished and strength returned to his body. "Humph, since you all arent capable of expelling the evil spirit at all, Ill be taking my leave. Farewell!" After the seal was released, the old man heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to leave. However, barely after he took two steps, a young man blocked his path. "Hah, with just your cultivation, do you think that you can stop me?" the old man sneered coldly. Even though he couldnt tell the exact strength of the young man before him, from the fact that he got others to fight in his ce, he could deduce that the other partys strength was inferior to his. "Give it a try then!" Zhang Xuan didnt bother saying anything unnecessary. Lifting his leg, he sent a kick toward the other party. "Humph!" The old mansplexion darkened. His palm immediately struck forward. However, before he could strike anything, he felt an ache at his chest. Peng! He was sent flying, and he crashed heavily to the ground. "You..." The old man narrowed his eyes. "Are you very surprised?" Zhang Xuan stepped forward and lifting his hands, he struck the other party. Pah! The shape of a palm was printed on the face of the old man as he fell back down to the ground. "This..." The crowd stared at one another. "A Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator isnt able to match a Half-Transcension cultivator. Wha- what... is going on?" "I dont understand either..." The old man clearly possessed the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. When he was sealed, everyone had witnessed the immense strength that he possessed. How in the world did he get subdued so easily? It was as if he couldnt retaliate against a Half-Trancension cultivator at all! Even though Zhang shi possessed the strength beyond that of his cultivation realm, dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator would already be tough. Smashing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator like that so easily waspletely out of the question. "Could it be that teacher has grown stronger again?" In contrast to everyones shock, Zhao Ya and the others looked excited. Their teachers ability to achieve breakthroughs as easily as drinking water had left asting impression in their mind. Seeing the Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator being crushed so easily made them think that Zhang Xuan had achieved a huge breakthrough once more. "No, thats not it... Its the old man who has be weaker! His current fighting prowess is only that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator!" Zhao Feiwu said. Due to the limitations of her physical body, she had never cultivated before. Even so, having read through innumerable books, her knowledge and eye of discernment were extraordinary. "Un, gongzi is right. His current fighting prowess is at most Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage only. Just that... for some reason, I can certainly feel the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle flowing within him!" Jin Conghai said. "Despite having the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, his fighting prowess is only that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage. This..." Hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others were baffled. Luo Qin was also bewildered. "Did you hear that? Im not the only one who has noticed it. Everyone can tell as much too. What else do you have to say?" Halting his attack, Zhang Xuan smiled at the old man whom he had just beaten up. "Its because... Im injured. Thats why I cant disy my full strength..." The old man gritted his teeth. Having predicted that the other party would surely bring up such an argument, Zhang Xuan refuted, "Even if youre injured, its impossible for your strength to fall by two realms!" "Zhang shi, whats going on?" Seeing that the old man was unable to exin himself, Hall Master Sai couldnt hold back his curiosity anymore and asked. "Simple. The strength of the soul possessing and the person being possessed are of different cultivation! If Im not mistaken, the one possessed has the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle whereas the soul possessing only has the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage!" Zhang Xuan continued, "Even though he has taken over the body already, he hasnt adapted fully to it yet. On top of that, my pummeling has made it harder for his physical body and soul to harmonize with one another. As such, even though he is able to move the body easily, he isnt able to move the Origin Energy in the other partys body, thus resulting in his weakness!" When Zhang Xuan first saw the old man on the stage of the auction hall, he managed to see numerous ws through the Eye of Insight. This, in itself, had created doubts in his mind. Under normal circumstances, given his current cultivation, he would only be able to peer into the ws of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator at most... Yet, he was able to see the problems of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle. Thinking about it now, it was probably due to the soul that had possessed this body being of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage. From the very start, it was extremely rare for a soul to have high affinity with the body possessed. The trauma caused to the body under such a state would result in the body rejecting the soul of the possessor... And thus, even though the old man clearly had the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, he was unable to disy it at all. "Y-you..." The old mans face paled. He could havee up with a logical excuse for it if he had sufficient time. However, now that everything was exined so rationally, even if he were to exin now, it would already be toote. After all, the injuries dealt to him previously were just superficial wounds. To a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator, those were negligible. "Theres no need for you to be so surprised. The reason why I said that an evil soul is guing you is so as to lower your guard. This way, youll think that this is a good opportunity to get rid of the other soulpeting with you over the body through my hands... Am I right?" Zhang Xuan pushed on. Even though the other party had managed to take over the old mans body, he had yet to eradicate the original hosts soul. In fact, the original hosts soul was still on the upper hand just a moment ago. Otherwise, the old man wouldnt have been able to bring the Soulless Metal Humanoid here and auction it for a way to suppress him. The n of the possessing soul was indeed brilliant. If it was anyone else, they would have surely fallen for the trick and killed the original hosts soul, thuspleting the possession. But... it was a pity that he met with Zhang Xuan. There was nothing that could conceal itself from the heavens. Putting aside a soul, even a speck of dust couldnt escape from its sight. "You... Since youve managed to see through it, theres no need for me to hide any longer. Thats right, I possessed this fellow!" Seeing that there was no way to hide anymore, the old man stood up and harrumphed coldly. "To think that it is really true!" "A Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul possessing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivators body..." Hearing the other party agree to it, everyones faces turned pale. There were almost two realms of difference between Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary and Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle. That was an entire world of difference in terms of fighting prowess. It was a gap that was impossible to breach. Yet, the soul still managed to possess the body sessfully... How in the world did it seed? That was way too fearsome! "Its good that youve admitted to it! In truth... all those that I said before are just my conjectures. If you didnt admit to it, I would have no way of proving the matter..." Zhang Xuan said. What Zhang Xuan said was the truth. The Library of Heavens Path only reflected ws. It wouldnt analyze a situation or provide answers for Zhang Xuan. He only deduced the entire situation by stringing all of the ws reflected together through logic. He also didnt expect that... he would be spot-on. "You..." The old mans face reddened and he nearly spewed blood. If only hed known that it was a conjecture, he would have never admitted to it. Now, it would be hopeless even if he tried to deny it... "Theres no need for you to act so gleefully!" Narrowing his eyes, the old man tossed aside his dismal and sneered coldly, "My soul is in control now. Even if you know that Ive possessed the body, what can you do? Do you intend to kill me? Or rather, I should ask... "Do you dare?" Chapter 472: Possessing Sun Qiang Chapter 472: Possessing Sun Qiang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The soul that is in control effectively bes the owner of the body. If another soul couldnt make it in time to fill up the gap following that souls expulsion, there was a high possibility that the body might die, thus bing a corpse. At the very least, at the current situation, even though the previous hosts soul was suppressed, it still stood a chance. Once the body became a corpse, he would be doomed. "Zhang shi, the study of the soul is an iparablyplex subject. Even gods dare not im to fully understand it. Given that hes in control now, if the other soul is unable to take back control in time... that would be no different from murder!" Hall Master Sais expression turned grim. "Indeed! You should think twice!" Luo Qin also panicked. Everyone knew that the old man was here to conduct a trade. If he were to die here, the reputation of the auction hall would fall into the gutters. "I should indeed think twice!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. They were right. The topic of souls was incredibly profoundconventional rules may not necessarily apply to it. If Zhang Xuan fails to resolve the issue properly, the old man might be an idiot or even worse, meet his demise. If so, it would be hard for him to avoid responsibility. "Many people know about our trade. If anything happens to me, the Appraiser Hall and auction hall will be doomed!" Seeing the hesitation in everyones eyes, the old man chuckled, "Why dont I suggest something? Lets continue on with our trade. Ill give you the Soulless Metal Humanoid but... in exchange, you have to eradicate the soul of the previous host for me! In the end, regardless of whether you are trading with me or him, you will obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid, so why should you take the risk?" There was nothing for Zhang Xuan to lose from epting his deal. On the contrary, if he were to insist on saving the previous host, it was one thing if he seeded, but what if he were to fail? "Zhang shi..." Luo Qin looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously. He was a businessman and, in his view, there was nothing profitable from going through so much risk to save a mere passer-by. In any case, everyone only knew that this fellow was gued by an evil spirit. Regardless of which one was killed, as long as he walked out of the Appraiser Hall alive, the auction halls reputation could be retained. "Your words do make sense! My goal is the Soulless Metal Humanoid so theres indeed no need for me to take this risk." Sighing, Zhang Xuan eyebrows shot up and he nced at the old man indifferently, "However, did you just say that theres nothing I can do? I happen to have just thought of one method and I would like to give it a try..." "Try?" Not expecting the other party to want to make a move despite having persuaded him the entire time, Luo Qins face reddened in panic. Are you trying it out just for fun? You do know that a life is at stake here right... "Gongzi..." Worried, Jin Conghai turned to gongzi in hopes of getting him to convince Zhang Xuan otherwise. But this time, Zhao Feiwu waved his hands grimly and said, "Dont. This is the responsibility and mission of a master teacher. This isnt something he should avoid!" Behind the respect and prestige master teachers possessed was heavy responsibility. Zhang Xuan didnt know the name and background of this old man, and he never even interacted with him before. However... if he were to overlook his life and death, what would be left of his morals? How could an immoral person enlighten the world and guide his students? If one is upright, his intentions will be obeyed without amand. If one isnt upright, hismand will not move anyone. Guiding a student wasnt just about imparting him the best cultivation technique so that they could grow strong. More importantly, one had to instill the correct values in them. Otherwise, even if they were to mature, they would only be scum and bring harm to the world. If so, master teachers would lose their purpose of existence. "This..." Jin Conghai froze, and he clenched his fists tightly. As a poison master, he could resort to underhanded tricks to achieve his goals. However, the other party was different. He was a master teacher whose responsibility was to enlighten the world. If he were to cower before difficulty, how could he win the hearts of his student? ... The old man didnt expect for Zhang Xuan to adamantly choose to deal with him despite the advantages and disadvantages being set out clearly. His face darkened and he said, "So, you intend to stand against me?" "Stand against you? Youre thinking too much. I just want to expel you. After all, this body doesnt belong to you!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a few silver needles appeared on his palm. "Silver needles? You intend to use this to deal me, a soul?" He thought that the other party had some idea in mind but after seeing what the other party took out, the old man burst intoughter. Those needles might be able to heal ones physical injuries and resolve ones cultivation bottleneck... But to deal with a soul? You must be joking! It was as though using an arrow to shoot a fly futile. Disregarding the old mans contempt, Zhang Xuan infused a surge of zhenqi into the needles and flicked his finger. A cold gleam shed as the needles shot through the air. "Needles arepletely ineffective against souls..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan really intended to use those needles to deal with the old man, Hall Master Sai pped his face. Given how confident the other party was, he thought that he might have some good idea in mind. In the end, it seemed like the other party intended to just try everything that seemed usible. Hall Master Sai had read quite a few books on soul oracles and so he knew a bit about souls. Souls were intangible anding into contact with it through material objects was impossible. It was just like using ones sword to cut air. Even if the needle struck the old man, it would be ineffective on the intangible soul. Perhaps, it might even cause meridian blockage, resulting in internal injuries for the body. "To expel a soul, one has to prepare in clothes, yellow amulets, an altar of tributes to the heavens, and a formation as well. Theres no way a silver needle can work..." Knowing that the method wouldnt work, Hall Master Sai shook his head. He immediately revealed everything he knew in hopes that Zhang Xuan could follow the conventional method. However, halfway through his words, he gulped down a mouthful of saliva and started trembling. "How... is this possible?" As soon as the silver needle pierced into the arrogant old mans body, thetters face immediately paled. Fear surfaced in his eyes. He wanted to escape, but he fell to the ground instead, convulsing ceaselessly. With just a single needle, the other partys soul lost control? This... How in the world did he manage to do it? If souls were that easy to deal with, soul oracles wouldnt have been such a feared existence back then so as to require the Master Teacher Pavilion to make a move personally. "Y-your zhenqi..." While Hall Master Sai and the others were overwhelmed with shock, the old man was frenzied. He had just said the silver needle would be useless when such a situation urred. The intense fear he felt made him shriek uncontrobly. What he feared wasnt the silver needle but... the other partys zhenqi! That zhenqi seemed to carry a bizarre strength that expelled souls. Upon contact with it, his soul felt as though a bottle of hard alcohol being set aze. The excruciating pain made him feel as though he was being torn apart. This is... superior zhenqi? The elder narrowed his eyes and a thought appeared in his head. Legend had it that due to the inconceivable purity of superior zhenqi, it possessed the ability to ward off evil. This was also the main reason why despite the incredible means of the soul oracles, they still chose to avoid crossing the paths of master teachers back then. Just that... superior zhenqi was something that very few people in the Master Teacher Pavilion possessed, inherited only by the descendants of the Kong shi and his students. Why in the world did this fellow possess it as well? Could this fellow be a descendent of Kong shis lineage as well? If that was the case, he was truly an existence to be feared. He had only barely escaped from the eerie tomb and he just had to meet with this person. Fate sure was cruel! "No, if this continues on, Ill surely die..." As the number of silver needles on him increased, zhenqi was constantly being transmitted over via the tip of the needle, threatening to tear him apart. The old mans eyes turned crimson. Superior zhenqi was the bane of soul oracles. If this were to go on, there would be only one result he would be incinerated into oblivion. "I have to find someone to possess..." Knowing that he would surely crumble if this were to go on, the old man bore with the pain and silently assessed the group before him. Continuing to remain in this body would only lead to his death. The only usible course of action at this moment was to possess someone else and find a way in the future to exact vengeance. But even if he were to sessfully possess someone here, he had to make sure that the bizarre young man wouldnt find out. Otherwise, if the other party were tounch another course of attack on him, he would still be doomed. "Damn it... To force me into possessing another body once more, Ill never forget this grudge!" Even though he had made up his mind, the old mans heart was dripping blood. Possession wasnt as easy as it sounded. Every single attempt at possession would cause immense damage to his soul. Not only would his cultivation fall, his soul would also be significantly wounded as well. Before possessing the body of this old man, his cultivation was actually at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage. However, after the possession, his cultivation fell by two cultivation realms to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage. In other words, even if he were to seed, his cultivation would plummet sharply. Perhaps, it might fall by another two cultivation realms once more, falling down to Zhizun. "Itll have to be one of them..." Roaring furiously, he looked around and finally found an ideal target. Of the entire room, the weakest one should be Zhao Feiwu who had never cultivated before. However, she had quite a few treasures on her that made it difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan to kill her, lest be said, an iplete soul like him. Thus, the only viable targets were Zhao Ya, Sun Qiang, and the others. Their strengths were at Zongshi realm so even if his cultivation fell once more after possession, he would still be able to suppress them easily. "He is the one..." The old mans eyes glowed as he focused his attention on a plump man standing not too far away. That fellows cultivation was the lowest of the group, and judging from the dull-witted expression on his face, he seemed to have the lowest wariness of the group. Thus, it should be easiest to possess his body. "Possession!" Having chosen a target, the old man immediately acted, knowing that he might lose his chance if he were to dawdle. Hu! His soul immediately converted into an intangible smoke which gushed straight toward the plump man. Putong! As soon as the soul left, the old mans body immediately froze and fell motionless. "Hes gone..." Upon seeing the changes, Hall Master Sai cheered in delight. Theck of reaction meant that there was no soul to control the body at the moment. Most probably, the possessing soul was driven into a corner some method of this Zhang shi, leaving it with no choice but to escape. When the young man said that he was going to give it a try, Hall Master Sai thought that the possibility would surely be extremely slim. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party... would seed so easily. "Un..." Then, the unconscious old man suddenly jolted and his eyes slowly opened. As the possessing soul escaped, the original soul was finally free of its shackles, allowing it to regain control over the body. "I am itinerant cultivator Luo Zhu. Thank you Zhang shi for saving my life..." Even though his soul had been suppressed during this period of time, he was still able to see the entire proceedings clearly. He knew that if it wasnt for this young mans persistence, the one to die would have surely been him. No amount of words could express the gratitude he felt for the other party. Standing up, he was just about to express his deep gratitude when a sound echoed not too far away. Ah choo! A plump man standing a short distance away suddenly felt a gust of chill and shivered. "This is bad, h-he is being possessed!" Hearing the sneezing sound, the old man Luo Zhu suddenly remembered something. His eyes narrowed and he immediately eximed. A cultivators body is tempered by zhenqi, making them invulnerable tomon illnesses. Under normal conditions, they would never sneeze. Back then, when Luo Zhu was being possessed, he also sneezed. Given that the fellow had just left and this plump man immediately sneezed, it was clear that he was trying to take over the body of thetter! Chapter 473: Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation Chapter 473: Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To think that this fellow would still try to possess other people despite having been driven off by Zhang shi, Luo Zhus face immediately paled. "Possession?" Everyone was taken aback. The soul was an intangible matter. As such, when the possessing soul left the old mans body, no one could tell where it went. "Thats right. Back then, when I was possessed, I also sneezed. That fellow must have surely entered his body..." Luo Zhu hurriedly pointed toward the plump man. "Me?" Naturally, the plump man was Sun Qiang. He was just watching the young master unt his immense capability in expelling the soul when the old man pointed a finger toward him. Taken aback, he blinked his eyes innocently and said, "Ive been possessed?" Shouldnt possession result in a tug between the souls? If so, why was he still standingpletely fine here? "That fellow is iparably cunning. He must have known that Zhang shi would expel him as soon as he takes control of your body. As such... he chose to hide within your body!" Luo Zhu said. Having been possessed once before, hed learned quite a bit about the means of the soul oracles. "Hide?" Sun Qiang scratched his head. "Thats right. Given the size of a human body, once he decides to conceal his presence, itll be impossible to find him..." Luo Zhu panicked. If an intangible object like a soul were to really try to conceal itself, it could be lying practically anywhere within a persons body. Even the most formidable of people wouldnt be able to sense it at all. This way, it would be equivalent to this plump man being equipped with a ticking time bomb. He could possibly be possessed at any moment! Luo Zhu felt incredibly guilty. It was due to helping him that another person got harmed. "If thats really the case, the situation is really bad then..." Hall Master Sai clenched his fists tightly. Based on the few books that he had browsed through in the past, it would be one thing if the possessing soul were to make a move and forcibly wrestle for control over the body, but if the soul decided to conceal itself and make use of the other partys body to nourish itself as though a leech, that could prove to be troublesome. Under such circumstances, it was like a virus lying dormant in your body. If the illness hadnt even struck yet, even the best of physicians couldnt possibly treat you! Zhang Xuan harrumphed and said, "He has decided to hide himself? He sure is bold!" He didnt expect the other party would dare possess Sun Qiang right after he had expelled him from the old mans body. If he had known about it earlier, he would have sent a torrent of his zhenqi in to destroy his soul instantly. But still, this problem wasnt too difficult for him. Even 7-star master teachers who were known to specialize in the subject of souls might find it difficult to find a hiding soul but he was different. With the Library of Heavens Path in hand, there was no w that he couldnt find. A mere hiding soul was nothing before it! "Sun Qiang, execute a punching routine!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Nodding his head, Sun Qiangs clenched fists shot out, creating a huge gust of wind in the surroundings. Upon seeing his fist technique, the mouths Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others twitched. To think that a Zongshi realm expert would still be using a Mortal low-tier battle technique... They found it hard to look at those incredibly crude and simple moves. Even 5-year-old kids were able to execute several of these kinds of battle techniques in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet this fellow was using this... Just the thought of it left them light-headed. "Ive been too busy with my cultivation technique recently that I neglected my battle techniques..." Sun Qiang could tell what everyone was thinking through their expression and he felt a little embarrassed. Even though his cultivation had soared during this period of time, he didnt cultivate any new battle techniques to match his newfound strength. He was still stuck with the moves hed used back in Tianxuan Kingdom. Naturally, before the experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the battle techniques of an unranked kingdom meant nothing at all. Given the other partys battle technique and his slightly unsteady cultivation, they could easily wipe out dozens of him with just a single finger. Recalling how they were actually scared by this fellow back then in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, Jin Conghai and Gu Mu felt a little awkward. "Alright!" Ignoring the expression of the crowd, Zhang Xuan had already managed to find the location where the soul was hiding after a book waspiled in the Library of Heavens Path. Taking out a silver needle, he immediately pierced it into the spot. Puhe! As soon as the silver needle pierced into Sun Qiangs body, a piercing scream echoed from within. "Y-you... How did you know I was here?" An agitated ripple of a soul echoed by everyones ears as though a voice. Clearly, that fellow who possessed Sun Qiang didnt expect to be found in an instant. "If you get out now, I will spare your life!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed as zhenqi rumbled on the tip of the silver needle. "Get out? Humph! Since you want to destroy me, lets die together then! This fellow is only of Zongshi realm; I might be unable to devour Luo Zhu but devouring this fellow still isnt a problem at all! Even if you were to kill me, what you will be left with is just a corpse!" The frenzied thoughts of the soul came gushing out. "Dont harm the innocent..." Luo Zhu anxiously stepped forward. Even he had nearly failed to hold on while wrestling control with the other party. Given how this plump man was only at Zongshi realm, if the other party were to really attempt a possession, the plump mans soul would surely bepletely devoured in an instant. "Its toote to beg with me now..." Along with the furious howling of the soul, a powerful aura abruptly engulfed Sun Qiang, striking his consciousness, attempting to devour him altogether. "Since Ill die anyway, Ill recoup my losses by dragging one or two down with me! After killing him, Ill devour the others as well. How are you going to do about it? Do you think you can be bound down a soul? Haha... Ah? The heck! What is this? AH... SAVE ME..." Just as the soul was gleefully trying to devour Sun Qiang whole, a frightened scream suddenly echoed. Following which, everyone felt the aura of the iparably arrogant and powerful soul shatter apart, as though a balloon ced atop of a pot of sizzling oil. "This... What happened?" Luo Zhu was dumbstruck. Hall Master Sai and the others also widened their eyes in shock. They had clearly felt the souls killing intent for themselves previously. Why did it suddenly begin to shout in agony, as though it had seen a ghost? Did Zhang shi do something? Everyone hurriedly turned to look at Zhang shi, only to see him dumbfounded, unable toprehend what was going on. Turning to look at Sun Qiang once more, his eyes were widened and he shook his hands frantically, "It wasnt me..." Boom! Before he could finish his words, the aura of the plump man suddenly surged as though he had eaten some incredibly nutritious tonic. His cultivation realm soared swiftly from Zongshi realm primary stage. "This is... Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation?" Luo Zhu and Hall Master Sais vision suddenly turned dark simultaneously. "What does that mean?" Zhang Xuan asked. "While ordinary cultivators cultivate their physical bodies and zhenqi, soul oracles are different in the sense that they cultivate their souls. Their entire cultivation is contained within their soul such that even if they were to possess someone, they could recover back to their original strength swiftly..." Luo Zhus lips turned pale, "Now that soul oracles soul has been destroyed, his entire cultivation has been reduced into nourishment for your servants body..." "Theres such a matter as well?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. The strength of soul oracles is derived purely from soul energy, and it has no attributes whatsoever. It ispatible with all cultivators, and there is no threat of a conflict at all... If Im not mistaken, your servants cultivation will surely increase by leaps and bounds!" Even until now, Luo Zhu still had a dazed look on his face as he stared at the ignorant Sun Qiang. What kind of monsters did he meet this time? A young man who wasnt even twenty yet was able to expel the possessing soul of the soul oracle from him with just a silver needle. His servant turned out to be even more formidable. A soul oracle tried to devour him, only to end up being devoured himself... "H-he... was able to devour even a soul oracle?" Gu Mu and Jin Conghai, who was just making light of Sun Qiang a moment ago due to his mediocre battle technique, suddenly turned pale. Soul oracle was one of the most fearsome upations in the ancient times. Back then, even the reputation of the poison masters paled to them. There were no experts who wouldnt tremble before them... And yet, this fellow devoured one of their members as though it was nothing at all... Did you have to be so monstrous? It was no wonder why you acted so arrogantly at the Poison Hall back then... it seems like you have the capability to back your actions! "His soul cultivation is currently at an unfathomable level, make sure not to offend him in the future..." Clenching his fists tightly, Jin Conghai hurriedly instructed his student through telepathy. Even Luo Zhu, a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle expert, was helpless before the possession of the soul oracle, and he could only be tortured day and night by it. Yet, this fellow, despite possessing only the cultivation of a Zongshi realm, was able to kill the other party so easily. The strength of his soul must have reached an astounding level. "If even the servant is so formidable, how powerful must the young master be?" Thinking so, Jin Conghai turned to look at the young man not too far away in awe. Since even a mere servant could devour a Transcendent Mortal realm soul oracle so easily, the young master must be even more formidable than that. It was no wonder why he was adept in so many upations and his eye of discernment was extraordinary. Perhaps, even though his cultivation seemed to be only Half-Transcension before them, his true strength might be far beyond that. Just as he was overwhelmed by shock, Sun Qiangs rising aura finally came to a halt. From Zongshi realm, his cultivation surged swiftly and broke through the bottleneck of a Half-Transcension, thus sessfully advancing to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan! Even though the cultivation of a soul oracle would plummet after a possession... that fellow was devoured even before he had a chance to possess him. In other words, the energy his soul harnessed was still that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Having devoured the entire strength of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul, Sun Qiangs cultivation managed to soar above Zhang Xuans, reaching Transcendent Mortal 1-dan intermediate stage. However, as this energy came from an external source, Sun Qiangs ability to drive it was still immature. As such, his fighting prowess was still far beneath Zhang Xuan. "M-my cultivation..." Sensing the change in his body, Sun Qiang blinked his eyes nkly. Even until now, he hadnt made sense of the situation yet. Wasnt that fellow going to devour him? Did the other partyspassion suddenly work up, and knowing that since he was going die, he allowed himself to be devoured instead? "Its... the zhenqi that young master left within me!" Quickly turning his gaze into his body, he soon came to a realization. Back then, when he went to Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, fearful for his safety, the young master had left a surge of zhenqi in his body. However, he ended up not using it in the end, and gradually, he forgot about the matter. And previously, when the soul tried to devour him, the surge of zhenqi immediately gushed forward to protect him, reducing the assant into ashes. In reality, his guess was spot-on. That was indeed the case. When Zhang Xuan treated Luo Zhu previously, in order to prevent the other party from realizing the uniqueness of the Heavens Path zhenqi, he only infused a tinge of it in each silver needle. On the other hand, hed left an entire surge within Sun Qiangs body. That was a difference in quantity of nearly a thousand times... The soul of that soul oracle had already been wounded before so how could it possibly survive that onught! "Thank you, young master..." Coming to a realization, Sun Qiang was just about to run forward to thank the young master for saving his life when, unbeknownst to him, the calm young master was already standing before Luo Zhu. "Elder Luo Zhu, is it? May I ask you where did you capture the soul oracle from? Can you get a few more here so that my students can make a breakthrough in their cultivation as well?" "..." Luo Zhu. "..." Hall Master Sai. Chapter 474: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (1) Chapter 474: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Other people would tremble in fear upon hearing the reputation of the soul oracle, escaping as far as they could. And yet, this fellow actually wanted to obtain a few more so that his students could make a breakthrough? Everyone felt their lower jaws falling to the floor, and they nearly spurted blood. If anyone else had said such words, they would definitely doubt if they had gone mad. However, after the incident with Sun Qiang, they knew that the other party was making an earnest request... Capturing soul oracles to raise ones cultivation... Big brother, are you treating that fearsome upation as a nourishment pill? Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Luo Zhu hurriedly exined, "That... Zhang shi, the soul oracles have already died out; its been that way since ancient times. The reason why this one was still alive is probably because it made use of some secret art to put itself in a dormant state, and I only happened to wake it up unintentionally... There wont be many of such exceptions in the world." Soul oracles didnt number many, even during the ancient times, and after the crusade the Master Teacher Pavilionunched against it back then, those who survived could be counted on ones hands. To find even one required immense luck. Did you think that they are like potatoes and carrots on the street, and you can easily fill a sack of them anywhere? To find a few to augment the cultivation of your students... You sure know how to dream! "There arent many of them? Thats truly a pity..." Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. Seeing how easily Sun Qiang advanced from Zongshi realm to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan as easily as though eating or drinking... If he were to manage to obtain a few of them, he wouldnt have to worry about the cultivation of Zhao Ya and the others. If they could reach Transcendent Mortal realm, they would surely be a great assistance even if they were to reach the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Knowing that finding other soul oracles depended heavily on luck, Zhang Xuan decided not to dawdle on the topic. Thus, he turned to Luo Zhu and asked, "Right, about the soul oracle tomb where you found the Soulless Metal Humanoid, can you tell us your story?" The others were also intrigued by the matter. Where in the world did this fellow obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid from, and how in the world did he end up getting possessed by a soul oracle? "I can only me my own greed for the matter! I found some possible clues to a soul oracle tomb on an ancient book and thinking that there might be invaluable treasures housed there, I went over... in the end, I did manage to find a few Soulless Metal Humanoids. However, right after I kept one of them, I was possessed by the soul oracle there. Flustered, I immediately escaped..." Luo Zhus face turned red in embarrassment. His experience was rather simr to what the others guessed. He managed to find a soul oracle tomb so he entered it in search of treasure. Yet, he couldnt have expected that a soul oracle was lying in wait for a victim. After wrestling for many days, he felt that the other party was getting stronger and stronger, and he sensed that he would be doomed if this were to continue on. Thus, he immediately headed over to the auction hall so as to make use of the Appraiser Halls reputation to gather arger group of people interested in the soul oracles here in the hope that one of them could cure him of his affliction. It was fortunate that his luck wasnt bad; he managed to meet Zhang shi. Otherwise, if it were anyone else, the other party would have surely traded with the soul oracle and destroyed his soul instead. After hearing the other partys experience, Zhang Xuan asked, "I would like to take a look at the soul oracle tomb and see if I can find their heritage. Can you bring me over?" The reason why he came to Honghai City was to find the heritage of the soul oracles so as to find a method to wake Lu Chong up. Since there was an opportunity right before him, naturally, he couldnt simply let it go. "Go to the soul oracle tomb?" Luo Zhus body trembled in fear. The previous experience had already left him wary of the location. As such, he couldnt help but feel intense fear from the thought of having to return there. "If youre worried, you can just tell me the location. I can head there alone." After hesitating for a moment, Luo Zhu clenched his jaws and said, "That... Theres no need for that! Since Zhang shi has saved me, my life belongs to you. If you really intend to head there, Ill lead you over!" If not for this Zhang shi, his soul would definitely have been eradicated. The huge favor that the other party had shown him was definitely beyond the value of a mere Soulless Metal Humanoid. "However... Zhang shi, you have to be careful. That ce is treacherous so I think that it would be best for you should make some additional preparations beforehand. Otherwise, I fear that... even with your extraordinary capability, you might still be caught off guard!" Recalling the various sinister encounters in the tomb, Luo Zhus heart shuddered. Zhang Xuan nodded. To be capable of bing one of the most feared upation during the ancient times, soul oracles were anything but simple. Even though the Heavens Path zhenqi had yed a part as to why Sun Qiang could devour the soul oracle so easily, more importantly, that fellows soul had already declined to a very weak state after innumerable years of existence. On top of that, he had wrestled control with Luo Zhu for such a long period of time so it wouldnt be wrong to say that he was already wearied out. Thus, it wasnt surprising for him to be defeated so easily. But it was a different matter venturing into the tomb. It was impossible to know if there were more soul oracles in the tomb, and if so, their means and their strength. As such, this journey was fated to be a difficult one. After contemting for a moment, Luo Zhu said, "I will make the preparations for the items required now so lets set off in three days time!" Having explored the soul oracle tomb, he had a rough idea on the various objects that soul oracle feared. However, these objects werent sold on the market so he had to make them himself. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. It worked with him as well since the cultivation techniques and battle techniques hed asked the Appraiser Hall for hadnt arrived yet, and there were various matters he had to attend to here as well. As such, an interval of three days was perfect for him. "Then... Ill be taking my leave then!" After chatting for a moment longer and knocking into ce the various details regarding the visit to the soul oracle tomb, Luo Zhu sped his fist and left. After Luo Zhu left, the room fell silent. With a reddened face, Hall Master Sai asked, "Zhang shi, the bizarre heritage of the ancient soul oracle intrigues me as well so... I wish to take a look as well. Would you mind if I were to apany you on the journey?" He failed to be of any use for the purchase of the Soulless Metal Humanoid this time around and yet he was requesting to be allowed to enjoy the rewards as well. As such, he felt a little embarrassed. However, the soul oracles had left an astounding legend in history and as an appraiser, he didnt wish to miss a chance toe into contact with it in close distance. "Zhang shi, I wish to take a look as well..." Luo Qin hurriedly chirped in too. Since there were profits to be derived from it, the auction hall wanted to have a stake in it as well. The soul oracles specialized in the study of souls, and one could only render their services if one were to offer a huge amount in tribute to them. Thus, many soul oracles possessed a huge wealth. If he could obtain some of them, the auction hall would surely reap huge profits. "You wish to take a look as well?" Zhang Xuan frowned for a moment before his eyes abruptly lit up, "Sure! However, I advise you all to prepare sufficient spirit stones beforehand. This way, if there are any treasures there, you can buy it on the spot!" These two were definitely wealthy people. If there was anything of value in the tomb, he could sell it to them straight and earn some profits. Currently, gold coins were already useless to him. If he could obtain some more spirit stones, it would surely benefit both the cultivation progress of him and his students. "Yes!" The duo nodded their heads in agreement. If anyone were to say such words, the both of them would definitely leave the other party searching the floor for their teeth. But after witnessing Zhang shis incredible capability that could eradicate even a soul oracle easily... they didnt dare to harbor such thoughts anymore. To be acknowledged by the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, discerning that Luo Zhu was possessed immediately... and not to mention, he was a master teacher. Given all of these, it was clear that the other party wasnt someone they could trifle with. After confirming the matter, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Sai and asked, "Right, may I trouble Hall Master Sai to bring me to your library? I wish to look through the books concerning soul oracles!" Since he hade to the Appraiser Hall, naturally, he should also pay their library a visit as well. A deep knowledge on appraising and soul oracles might just serve him well in the future. "Thats not a problem at all!" Hall Master Sai was still fearful as to what ridiculous request Zhang Xuan might ask of him but after hearing that it was just to look through the books, he heaved a sigh of relief and agreed with a smile. The young man before him possessed appraising capability above that of his. Even without permission, he also possessed the qualifications to enter the library. "That would be great! Also, may I trouble Hall Master Sai to prepare living quarters for my students and Zhao gongzi so that they may rest?" Zhang Xuan requested once more. Right after their long journey from Xuanyuan Kingdom, they immediately visited the Appraiser Hall and attended the auction... At this moment, everyone was already feeling slightly fatigued. Hall Master Sai nodded his head and backed out. Not too longter, he led the group into a few quiet rooms. Right after entering one of the room, Zhang Xuan immediately called Zhao Ya and the others to gather by his side. "The soul oracle tomb is a treacherous ce so you have to raise your cultivation as much as possible in these few days so that you all can ensure your own safety." Even a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, Luo Zhu, had fallen prey to the threats lying within the tomb. His students were only at Zongshi realm at the moment, thus putting them in a very vulnerable position. They had to raise their cultivation quickly or else they would just end up as baggage. "Feel free to use the spirit stones as you all like. Within three days, all of you must reach Zhizun realm. Otherwise, I wont allow you toe with me!" Throwing a bunch of spirit stones to each of them, Zhang Xuan instructed. Previously, due to hisck of wealth, he felt reluctant to even use the spirit stones himself and thus, his students had never reallye into contact with them as well. However, after the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and the auction, Zhang Xuan had more than twenty thousand spirit stones in hand at the moment. With such wealth at hand, he wouldnt be stingy with his own students. "Yes!" After hearing their teachers instruction, the group immediately clenched their jaws in determination. The breakthrough from Zongshi realm to Zhizun was difficult. However, their teacher had already deciphered and analyzed the various cultivation problems they were facing and might face. In addition to that, they were also cultivating the cultivation technique their teacher tailored for them. With so many spirit stones in their hands now, if they were unable to aplish such a simple task, they would be too ashamed to address Zhangoshi as their teacher. "Alright, go and cultivate!" After which, Zhang Xuan left the room and following behind Hall Master Sai, he arrived at the Appraiser Halls library. Appraising covered a huge range of topicsculture, history, painting, antiques, equipment... The knowledge in the subject was unimaginably vast and so, the Appraiser Halls library had much more book than the libraries of other upation. Upon stepping into it, Zhang Xuan was immediately stunned by the immense size of the library. Compared to this library, the Tianwu Kingdoms book collection vault and even Xuanyuan Kingdoms Master Teacher Pavilion werent worth of mentioning. "Time to begin!" Zhang Xuan began collecting the books into the Library of Heavens Path. Hul! After spending nearly an entire days time, he managed to duplicate all of the books in the library into the Library of Heavens Path. Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan realized that his body was fatigued and even staying awake was a chore. After traveling here from Xuanyuan Kingdom, visiting the Appraiser Hall, challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, and participating in the auction, Zhang Xuan was extremely exhausted. His physical exhaustion didnt amount to much but overuse of his Eye of Insight had depleted his Soul Depth. On top of that, he had collected a vast quantity of books in a short period of time and this had left himpletely fatigued. Thus, he went to sleep and only on the second days afternoon did he manage to recover. As long as he didnt hurt his foundation, his Soul Depth would naturally recover with sufficient rest. "Lets see if I can find any clues from the Soulless Metal Humanoid!" After waking up and stretching his back, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a giant metal humanoid appeared in front of him. Ever since he bought it from the auction, he hadnt gotten a chance to examine it closely yet. Since he was free at the moment, he decided to give it a good look. Perhaps, he might be able to find some clues that could give him a deeper understanding of the soul oracles. The gold humanoidy there quietly in front of Zhang Xuan, no different from a lifeless puppet. After observing it for a moment, Zhang Xuan was unable to discern anything peculiar about it. Thus, he ced his finger on the puppet. "ws!" Hu! A book appeared in his mind. Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan began reading through his contents and slowly, his eyebrows knitted together. A bizarre expression appeared on his face. "Th-this... How is this possible?" Chapter 475: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (2) Chapter 475: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A detailed introduction on the metal humanoid was written in the book. "Grade-1 Soulless Metal Humanoid, a unique puppet crafted by soul oracles. It possesses its own consciousness and one can control it via fusing their soul into it. Theres a spirit stone formation ced within its body which allows for its strength to be enhanced even without cultivating. If several metal humanoids were to be controlled simultaneously, it would form an incredible fighting prowess. ws: ..." Possesses its own consciousness? What does that mean? Could it be that this fellow was still alive? Otherwise... How could it possibly possess its own consciousness? Zhang Xuan continued reading on. "... w 4, its soul has been willingly stripped from its body, leaving behind only a sliver of inextinguishable me of life within its body. Thus, it cannot regain sanity. w 5..." "Could it be that..." Suddenly recalling something, Zhang Xuans face darkened. Legend had it that the Soulless Metal Humanoids were crafted using living human beings. Initially, Zhang Xuan still held some doubts toward this matter as legends tended to be exaggerated. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like it was true. The main reason why an inextinguishable me of life within the body was probably prevent the body from rotting. In essence, the metal humanoid was no different from a person in a vegetative state. While it was a corpse on the surface, its body still retained equal flexibility as it did when it was still alive. A persons body was intricately linked to the soul. Once a soul was lost, a person would die and their soul would gradually decay. But if that were to happen, how could one forge the metal humanoids? Putting everything aside, it would take some time to coat the entire body with metal. If body were to bepletely dead, it would probably decay before one could seed in the process. Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan was angered by the cruelty of soul oracle when he suddenly noticed something and shook his head, "That isnt it. Their souls were stripped from them with their consent. Could it be that these people had done so willingly?" It was written in the book from the Library of Heavens Path that these people had allowed for their own souls to be extracted. In other words, the soul oracles didnt force this fate on them. The original host of the metal humanoids had consented to the matter themselves. That was also why an inextinguishable me of life could be left behind. Otherwise, if they were to struggle, there was an extremely high chance that the entire soul would be destroyed. If that were to happen, it would be impossible to preserve the body, lest to say, forge a metal humanoid. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xuan deduced most of the matter. "Legend had it that some influential powers groomed teams of loyal death soldiers who wouldy down their lives for their masters. The original host of this metal humanoid was probably the same as well. Groomed by the soul oracles, the purpose of their lives was to turn into metal humanoids and serve them for all eternity..." Since mostrge powers chose to groom death soldiers, there was no reason why the soul oracles wouldnt. Besides, this type of upation specialized in subject of souls. Brainwashing a cultivator to have them ept having their souls taken away from them was also a possibility. Fearsome! Sinister! To be able to make someone willingly allow himself to be turned into a puppet, soul oracles were indeed fearsome. He was just considering whether he should capture a few of them to devour them so as to raise his cultivation. However, after learning about their callous means, he shuddered... It was best for him not to take the risk! Continuing on, he soon finished browsing through the books. There wasnt anything much noteworthy in thetter part of the content. Most of them were just on the ws of the Soulless Metal Humanoid and the method to drive them. "Its a pity that I cant use it..." After reading through the contents, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. The soul oracles specialized in the study of souls, and their souls were capable of leaving their body to control the puppet. However, Zhang Xuan wasnt capable of doing so. Throughout his cultivation, he had nevere into contact with any books detailing the cultivation of ones soul. In other words... even though he had reached Half-Transcension already, his soul was still firmly integrated in his body. He couldnt operate the two of them separately. This was just like driving a car. In order to drive a car, one had to get onto the drivers seat first. If ones soul couldnt leave ones body, one wouldnt be able to enter the metal humanoid to drive it. In truth, Zhang Xuan had been thinking that if he could control it, it would be equivalent to gaining a Transcendent Mortal realm death soldier. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like it was nothing more than a dream. His soul was still locked in his physical body, unable to leave its restraints. In other words... this puppet waspletely useless to him now! Admittedly, if he were to meet with danger, he could still use it as a shield. Cough, cough. After going through so much trouble, he only ended up buying a shield... Just the thought of it left him faint-headed. "Keep!" After taking another look, Zhang Xuan verified that there was no important information to be derived from the Soulless Metal Humanoid and thus, he put it away within his storage ring. Then, flicking his wrist, a round ball appeared on his palm. It was the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container that Elder Chen had used to repay his debt. "Theres a w here, here, and here as well..." Touching the round lead-like object, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the various location of the ws detailed in the Library of Heavens Path. There was only a total of seventeen ws so it didnt take him too long to finish the job. Kacha! A mechanical sound suddenly echoed from the sphere in his hand. It sounded as though something was being unlocked. "This..." Zhang Xuan leaped in shock. From the outer appearance, the artifact was no different from a lead ball. There wasnt the slightest gap or slit on it, causing him to suspect that it was just an ordinary ball of metal. He didnt expect that it could be opened. "How exquisite..." Lowering his head to take a look, Zhang Xuan couldnt help butpliment, "Could it be that this Celestial Designer Institute is something simr to the Beast Hall and Apothecary Guild, that it is somewhere celestial designers gather?" Having duplicated the books throughout the entire Appraiser Hall, even though he hadnt assimted all of the knowledge yet, hed learned of another incredible upation Celestial Designer! This upation didnt possess too much fighting prowess. Rather, the field they specialized in was machinery, and they belonged to the Lower Nine Paths. It was said that the most elusive secret weapon, the mostplicated puppet, and the toughest armor all came from their design. Even though cksmiths were capable of forging powerful equipment and tools as well, if one wanted to bring out a greater prowess from these equipment and tools, one had to find a celestial designer for a blueprint. Most top-notch experts would choose to hire both a celestial designer and a cksmith simultaneously when they wanted to craft their personal weapon. The tools designed by celestial designers tended to contain innumerable tricks within them, making it difficult for one to guard against such tools. Taking Zheng Yangs spear for example, he had to fix the spear himself manually each time he wanted to wield it, making it an exceptionally troublesome process. However, if a cksmith were to craft something based on the design of a celestial designer, it could end up being an object simr to a chopstick that could extend to more than a zhang long (3.33m) upon a light click. Another example was this Celestial Designer Mechanical Container. The ws recorded in the Library of Heavens Path were probably the weaker points at which it was linked at. Only when exerting pressure precisely at these points could one open it properly. Otherwise, no matter how powerful one was, one could do nothing about it. And if one were to use excessive strength, one might end up ruining the object contained within it as well. "What kind of valuable object was stored in this container?" Curious, Zhang Xuan pried the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container open. The moment he came into contact with this object, the Library of Heavens Path immediately gave him the evaluation saying that Celestial Designer Mechanical Container, forged by the Celestial Designer Institute withplex mechanical systems. It cant be opened without knowing the specific sequences required to do so. Its likely that some important treasure is hidden within it! Since it was an artifact stored in such an exquisitely-made container, it was unlikely for it to be anything ordinary. Opening the box, a thinyer of beastskin was ced within it. Zhang Xuan couldnt tell what kind of beast the fabric was made of but one thing that was certain was that it was extraordinarily durable. It was clear that it had been kept for innumerable years already but yet it remainedpletely undamaged. He carefully lifted it up. "Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps? Whats this?" Fiverge words Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps were written on the very top of the beastskin. Reading on, a poem appeared in Zhang Xuans sight. "A cloud of red dust for three thousand li, treading to the clear skies with a smile!" Beyond the poem detailed the origin of the beastskin. "The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps originates from Sage Zhong, one of Kong shis students. On the day which he sessfully mastered the technique, shouldering a massive mountain, with a single step, he appeared three thousand li away and soared into the vast skies. With the grace from Sage Zhong, our lineage is bestowed with the first scroll of Heaven Ascending Steps to pass on to our descendants so I hope that you can treasure this scroll. In order to prevent it fromnding into the hands of outsiders, its ced within a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container so that no one except for those who carry our bloodline are capable of opening it..." "Its a movement technique?" Coming to a realization, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Given that this was the creation of one of Kong shis students, the value of the battle technique was unimaginable. It was no wonder why it was ced within a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container. Under normal circumstances, this container could only be opened with a unique method that only those who bear the bloodline of their lineage knew of. Naturally, Zhang Xuan had no idea what that method was. The only reason why he could open it was due to him finding the ws of the object through the Library of Heavens Path. It was just like a typical security system in his previous life. One could unlock it if one knew the password but even if one were to forget it, one could still ask for an administrator to help them unlock it. That was the privilege that Zhang Xuan was using now. The Library of Heavens Path was able to see through the very core of the container, allowing Zhang Xuan to strike urately at its fundamental ws. Thus, no matter how tightly-sealed or intricate the container was, it didnt make a difference to him. "I wonder if there are any ws in the battle technique left behind by Kong shis student!" Holding the secret manual, Zhang Xuan muttered ws. It had already be a habit of his to check if there were any ws in a battle technique. Since this skill was created by Kong shis student, it must be of an unimaginable tier... However, no matter how powerful a skill was, it was impossible for it to bepletely wless. Hu! A book appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. He hurriedly flipped it open to take a look. "Only 42 ws?" Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan was astonished. As expected of a movement technique created by Kong shis student, it was indeed a fearsome existence. Having only 42 ws in a high-tier technique was truly a formidable aplishment. In the battle techniques that Zhang Xuan had flipped through previously, there were at least several hundred ws. This was the reason why every single battle technique required more than a thousand books to form the wless Heavens Path battle techniques. Yet, this battle technique only had 42 ws. This clearly reflected how formidable a battle technique it was. If knowledge of it were to be leaked out, it would surely cause massive bloodshed. "But there are still so many ws in there, how am I supposed to learn it..." It was one thing if Zhang Xuan didnt know that there were any ws in there, but now that he knew, his face immediately turned bitter. No matter how delicious a fruit is, once you know that there are worms within, it will be impossible to whet your appetite. Zhang Xuan was too used to his cultivation techniques and battle techniques being wless. Knowing that there were more than forty ws in the technique, even though he knew that it was a powerful skill, he was still unable to get past this and learn it. "Right, Heavens Path Movement Art is also a type of movement art. Perhaps I might be able to fuse them together!" Heavens Path Movement Art was a technique created bypiling innumerable movement technique secret manuals together. Even though it only consisted of the bare basics, it was the fundamentals to the very essence of the world. Perhaps, the both of them could be fused together to make up for the ws of the Heaven Ascending Steps. "Compile!" cing the two books together, Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! A new book appeared. Zhang Xuan immediately flipped through it. "Three ws? Great! Even though there are still three left, its still an eptable number..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though there were still three ws left, there wasnt any major mistakes to it anymore, making it worthwhile to learn. At the very most, he would just have to collect more movement technique secret manuals and try to fuse them together with the Heaven Ascending Steps. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the contents. With a single look, his eyes narrowed and his lips went pale. "Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps Parallel Heaven Scroll. Could this be... flight?" Chapter 476: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (1) Chapter 476: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Parallel heaven, in order words, to stand on equal footing with the heavens. Ordinary cultivators, even Transcendent Mortal experts, were incapable of flight. They still had to rely on aerial savage beasts to reach the skies. Yet, this cultivation technique imed to be able to parallel the heavens. Didnt this mean that one would be capable of flight after learning the battle technique? Flight had always been one of the greatest dreams of humans. Be it his previous life or his current one, Zhang Xuan had always possessed a yearning to soar through the skies. Thus, upon seeing the content, he couldnt help but feel agitated. "A smile in the red dust, soaring alongside the wind. Parallel Heaven Scroll, upon mastery, grants one the ability of soaring in the skies, standing alongside the heavens..." Zhang Xuan swiftly continued reading on. "Incredible..." Reading the contents within carefully, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt as though a new perspective to his understanding of cultivation had been unlocked. Flight was something that even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts were incapable of. Legend had it that only upon ascending beyond the Transcendent Mortal realm would one be capable of the feat. Yet, it was detailed here that as long as one cultivated properly, a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, or perhaps even a Half-Transcension like him, would be able to step into the skies! "Transcendent Mortal cultivators strive toprehend the essence of the world, thus granting them a certain level of control over their environment. By gathering this energy and molding it, one would be able to step on thin air and ascend to the skies!" This was the main concept behind the scroll. If it were any other Half-Transcension cultivator, they would definitely be unable toprehend such a deep cultivation technique. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Given that most of the ws had been resolved by the Library of Heavens Path and the deep knowledge Zhang Xuan contained in his head, even though there were some intricacies here and there, they werent sufficient to impede his progress. "When one falls into the water, one can ascend upward by stepping against the water. Even though water iscking is solidity, it is still able to make one float... and air is capable of the same feat as well! As long as one finds the correct method to driving the energy of the world, stepping against the air to float one isnt a difficult task at all. This is also what it means to mold energy with ones cultivation..." After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan breathed out a mouthful of turbid air and his eyes lit up. "Incredible! To think that there would be such a formidable battle technique in the world!" As expected of Kong shis student, Sage Zhongsprehension of the heavens had reached an unthinkable level. All of the battle techniques and cultivation technique he had seen before paled far too much before it. There was no basis ofparison at all. The scroll had opened an entirely new world before him, granting him a much deeper understanding of battle techniques and cultivation techniques. "Its a pity that this is only the first scroll. I wonder how profound thetter ones might be!" Zhang Xuan sighed inmentation. After he finished browsing through it, he came to a realization. This Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps was only an introduction form. It was only suited for Transcendent Mortal cultivators, and after going beyond that realm, it would be redundant. That was because beyond Transcendent Mortal, one would gain the capability of flight. Even if one had mastered the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, at best, it would only augment ones flight speed by a small bit. "I should give it a try..." After resting for a moment, Zhang Xuan reorganized the Parallel Heaven Scroll before sitting down to drive his zhenqi ording to the form detailed in the scroll. Even though he was still at Half-Transcension only, he already possessed a certain level of control over his surroundings. At this very moment, all of his attention and energy throughout his body was focused at a single point. Hu! Zhang Xuans meditating body gradually lifted up, as though a balloon rising up from the bottom of the water. Putong! But barely after three breaths, he immediately fell down and began panting heavily. "What fearsome expenditure..." Zhang Xuans face turned pale. Just to hold himself in the air for three breaths, he had sapped his zhenqi dry. This Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps sounded incredible, and being capable of flying in the air was also extremely incredible, but the zhenqi expenditure was simply way too exaggerated! If he could only sustain it for such a short period of time, he woulde falling down to earth before he could do anything in the air. "Looks like... this is still a rather useless battle technique for me at the moment..." Zhang Xuan was disappointed. He thought that he would be able to soar into the heavens right after mastering it but from the looks of it... he was expecting way too much! A flight that could only be sustained for three seconds was futile. No matter how high he could soar, after three seconds, he woulde crashing back to earth due tock of zhenqi. What in the world was this? Hed learned such a formidable battle technique... But in the end, it waspletely useless; he could reach even greater heights just by jumping. On top of that, he woulde crashing down right after three seconds... At this very moment, Zhang Xuan made up his mind not to use this technique in public so as to not embarrass himself. Grabbing a few spirit stones, Zhang Xuan frenziedly absorbed the spiritual energy within them; it took him an hour before he fully recovered. In the end, the main problem was that his cultivation was too low, resulting in him possessing insufficient zhenqi to upkeep with his expenditure. If he could bring his cultivation realm up a few notches, it might be much easier than him to execute the technique. After studying the technique for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan evaluated that he wasnt suited to using the battle technique at the moment so he stretched his back and walked out. "Young master, theres a fellow outside insisting on meeting you. Ive already chased him away three times but he still shows up every single day... Should I inform Elder Jin so that he can toss the other party out?" Right after walking out, Sun Qiang hurriedly walked up and spoke with an annoyed expression on his face. "Someone is insisting on meeting me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didnt know anyone here so why would anyonee here to look for him? "I dont know who he is either. Ive asked him several times but he simply refuses to speak. Just looking at his arrogant face makes me feel so infuriated..." Sun Qiang harrumphed. "Arrogant?" Zhang Xuan felt even more perplexed. There was someone in the world who could be more arrogant than this Big Brother Qiang here? It was truly incredible that someone could annoy him to such a point. "Is that person still around?" Intrigued, Zhang Xuan asked. "Yes!" "Lead me to him!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Un. Hes at the lounge!" Sun Qiang pointed. The living quarters that Hall Master Sai assigned them was an independent residence with seven to eight bedrooms and an average-sized lounge. Stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan saw a young man sitting on one of the seats. An elder stood behind the young man, and the aura shrouding him was vague and barely discernible, revealing his extraordinary cultivation. It was the young man and the elder of Suite 23. ... Seated in the lounge, Song Chao felt a little frustrated. That day, when the item he wanted was intercepted by Suite 1, he had felt extremely displeased. Thus, he secretly had his men look into the matter and he finally managed to track the other party down. The one who was with Hall Master Sai then was a master teacher named Zhang Xuan. As for his specific identity, there wasnt sufficient information to make any conclusion. Upon hearing that the other party was a master teacher, Song Chao immediately heaved a sigh of relief. If the other party was of any other identity, he wouldnt be in a good position to do anything. But for master teacher... As a 4-star master teacher, he definitely ranked within the top in Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He didnt think that a fellow who wasnt even twenty yet could be a match for him. Master teachers viewed hierarchy very strictly. Since the other partys ranking was lower than him, this matter would be easy to solve. Thus, he excitedly came knocking on the other partys door but in the end, all three trips of his ended in futile... And more importantly, that butler of his even viewed him as a scammer and tried to chase him out... If not in consideration of his identity, he would have long pped the other party to death. "Young master, do you think that... hell sell it to us?" Seeing the frustration in the young masters eyes, the elder couldnt help but ask. The reason why they made the long journey here was due to hearing rumors regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Yet, the young master ended up being outbid on the auction. Thus, he looked into the background of the buyer and came knocking in hopes of being able to buy it down... But given how the other party bought it at an exorbitant price, why would he be willing to sell it to them? "Humph, he doesnt have a choice in the matter! As long as hes a master teacher, I have a way to make him sell it to me!" Grabbing the armrest of the chair, Song Chaos face turned frosty. "Does young master have an idea in mind?" The elders eyes lit up. "Of course. As a 4-star master teacher, Ill definitely be able to easily see the ws in his cultivation. As long as I offer his guidance, hell definitely hand it over obediently..." Song Chaos mouth curled up. It was impossible for a cultivator to possess no ws with his cultivation at all. As a 4-star master teacher, he was more than confident of guiding a small figure who wasnt even twenty yet on his cultivation. The moment he helps the other party achieve a breakthrough, the other party would surely be filled with gratitude for him. Putting aside the Soulless Metal Humanoid, it was even possible for the other party to kowtow on the spot and beg him to take him in as his student. "Thats true..." After a moment of silence, the elder slowly nodded his head in agreement. Master teachers did possess the capability and charisma to do so. The reason why he willingly followed the young master wasnt just because of the debt of gratitude he owed to the young masters n; more importantly, it was because of this. Following behind a master teacher was an opportunity in itself. Listening more to the words of a master teacher could help one to avoid straying on the wrong path on ones cultivation, allowing ones cultivation to rise swiftly. "Young master, they are the ones who wish to meet you!" Just as the elder was wondering whether they would be able to meet Zhang shi today, the butlers sound echoed and two men walked into the lounge. The one walking in front didnt look too old, seemingly below twenty. From the looks of it, he must be that legendary Zhang Xuan. "Youre looking for me?" Upon stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuans confusion deepened. He had never met these two before. What business could they have with him? "Thats right. I am 4-star Master Teacher Song Chao!" Song Chao stood up and gestured grandly. "4-star master teacher?" Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before quickly sping his fist. "Oh, Zhang Xuan pays respect to Song shi!" He didnt think that this fellow who didnt seem as though he was thirty yet would actually be a 4-star master teacher. As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was indeed filled with talents. "Un!" Seeing that the other partys attitude was not bad, Song Chao nodded his head in satisfaction. He was just about to bring out the disposition of an elder and guide the other party when a set of footsteps sounded outside. "Zhang shi, youre finally out! All of the items you asked for have already been gathered..." Hall Master Sai walked in. Upon walking into the room, Hall Master Sai saw Song Chao and sped his fist, "Sai Xiaoyu pays respect to Song shi!" Hall Master Sai had met Song Chao over the past two days, while thetter was trying to look into Zhang shis affairs. After greeting thetter, Hall Master Sai immediately turned his attention to Zhang Xuan and delightfully passed a storage ring over to him with a fawning look. "Youve gathered everything? So fast?" Didnt you say that itll take three days? It has only been slightly more than two days but youre already done? Taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swept through the contents within with his mind and realized that it was filled entirely with cultivation technique and battle technique manuals. In total, they added up to more than ten thousand books. There were cultivation technique manuals on Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, 2-dan, and 3-dan. But just like what Hall Master Sai said before, the quantity of the books reduced as the level of the cultivation technique manuals went up. But even so, it was already a huge harvest. From the looks of it, he should be able topile a perfect Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivation technique. "You did well!" Smiling slightly, Zhang Xuan nodded his head inmendation. "Since Ive already given you my word, its only right for me to do it to the best of my abilities..." Hall Master Sai replied in delight after receiving themendation. After which, with a flick of his wrist, he took out an emblem and said, "Zhang shi, Ive reported the matter regarding how you passed the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets to the headquarters, and this is the 5-star appraiser emblem that they have bestowed to you..." "5-star emblem?" Taking the emblem from the other partys hand, as expected, Zhang Xuan saw five bright stars on the surface of the emblem. This almost felt like a dream. To think that he would be a 5-star appraiser just by clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet. Wasnt the appraiser examination a little too easy? Chapter 477: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (2) Chapter 477: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet is a test for 5-star appraisers, and its of extreme difficulty. Under usual circumstances, one would have passed the test just by sessfully appraising a single object. Yet, you managed to appraise three of them and even to the extent of... having the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet operation table acknowledge you as its owner. If you cant even qualify as a 5-star appraiser with that..." Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly. Honestly speaking, in his view, even the rank of a 5-star appraiser seemed to be an understatement of the other partys ability. Just through his appraisal, he could make those invaluable artifacts acknowledge him as their master. That as a skill that only appraisers of 6-star and above possessed. But of course, the Honghai City Appraiser Hall wasnt of sufficient rank to apply for a 6-star emblem. "Does appraiser have no demand on ones cultivation?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. Master teacher, apothecary, beast tamer, physician... All of these Upper Nine Paths upations were very demanding on ones cultivation. Without a sufficiently high cultivation realm, no matter how capable one was in the upation, one would still be unable to progress through the ranks. It was just like how even though Zhang Xuan caused such a huge uproar in Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild back then, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild was only able to grant him the position of an elder and his ranking was still pending to date. To be suddenly given the ranking of a 5-star appraiser just like that, wasnt it making a little too light of the upation? "The main responsibility of an appraiser is to appraise artifacts. As such, there isnt any specific requirement to ones cultivation. In truth, most Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths upations work in the same way as well. Only the upations of the Upper Nine Paths have such rigorous restrictions on ones cultivation!" Hall Master Sai exined. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. While the duo was chatting so happily, Song Chaos vision was turning dark and he nearly fainted from anger. No matter what, he was a 4-star master teacher, a pinnacle existence within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting aside how that Zhang shi ignored him right after greeting him... To think that Hall Master Sai would do the same as well! Furthermore, for the two of them to be chatting so happily in his presence, disregarding his existence... Wasnt this tant disregard for him? Previously, he thought that the butler must have a screw loose to have tried to attempt to chase him out. But now, from the looks of it... it was probably the owners influence! To think that the two of you would disregard a 4-star master teacher and chat so happily together like that, do you all not even know basic courtesy... "Hmph!" Unable to hold it in anymore, Song Chao flung his sleeves and tilted his face upward. cing his hands behind his back, he spoke furiously, "Zhang shi and Hall Master Sai, a 4-star master teacher is in your presence. Is this how you treat your guests..." But before he could finish his words, the elder beside him said awkwardly, "Young master, they have already left..." "Left?" Taken aback, Song Chao quickly turned his head around, only to see Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Sai walking out of the room with a smile on their faces. Having obtained the cultivation technique and battle technique manuals he had been waiting for, Zhang Xuan was eager topile the Heavens Path Divine Art to make the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Thus, how could he possibly be willing to stay here a single moment longer? "You..." Song Chao was on the verge of spewing blood. It was one thing to disregard his presence, but to leave without saying a word... It was clear that they had forgotten about him, a 4-star master teacher! Damn it! Were they simply too brave or was he really that insignificant? "Hold it right there..." Bellowing furiously, his figure blurred and as though an apparition, he flitted a distance of several dozen meters in an instant and blocked the path of the duo. His cultivation was immediately revealed as soon as he used his cultivation technique. Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm primary stage! "Zhang shi, do you know that there is a fatal w with your cultivation technique, and your life is hanging by a thread?" Knowing that violence should be thest option, Song Chao suppressed his anger and donned the disposition befitting of an expert. "My cultivation technique?" The cultivation technique Zhang Xuan practiced was derived from the Library of Heavens Path so how could there possibly be a w in it? But a momentter, Zhang Xuan immediatelyprehended the situation. ws in ones cultivation technique were an unavoidable problem for all cultivators. The other party was probably trying to use words to hoodwink him before using some method to find a w in his cultivation technique so as to offer him some pointer. There were some master teachers who used this method to have the person they had set their eyes on to have him acknowledge them as his teacher. In fact, Zhang Xuan had done so himself as well. Back then, Wang Ying fell for the exact same trick. "Thats right. If you wish to ovee your current realm, I can lend you my assistance. If so, you can avoid many unwanted hassles!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was hooked, Song Chao felt gleeful. With an earnest expression on his face, he was just about to randomly spout somemon problems in cultivation so further enhance his credibility when the young man before him stared at him with a frown. "Song shi, do you feel an aching pain in your [Huihai Acupoint] and frailty in your [Baichi Acupoint] that results in you being unable to focus your attention?" "Im talking about your problems so you should..." Song Chao was just about to reprimand the other party when he suddenly realized something and his body froze. "How do you know about it?" Recently, during his cultivation, he found that he was unable to gather zhenqi in his Huihai acupoint, and whenever he did so, he would experience a sharp pain as though someone was tearing it apart. His Baichi acupoint also felt a little feeble, thus making it hard for him to concentrate. This was precisely the reason why he took this trip out, unintentionally heard news regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and came over here. Otherwise, as a talented 4-star master teacher, how could he have the spare effort to be wandering around? "Not only so, when you cultivate, do you feel a numbness in your left thigh and your right leg often convulses?" Zhang Xuan continued. "I..." Song Chaos face slowly turned pale. That was spot-on. "If Im not mistaken, your cultivation technique should be [Supreme Art of Heavens Frost]. Theres no mistake with your cultivation method and your cultivation technique, at Spirit intermediate-tier, is rather powerful as well. However, its a pity that... three months ago, in an attempt to forcibly raise your cultivation, an error urred which resulted in your meridians being blocked by the frost element of your cultivation technique. The direct result of that is numbness in your left thigh, convulse of your right leg, frailty in the Baichi acupoint, and sharp pain in the Huihai acupoint!" Zhang Xuan analyzed calmly. This fellow had just executed his battle technique to block their way, and this had caused a corresponding book to bepiled within the Library of Heavens Path. "Then... is there a way to resolve this problem?" Song Chao asked anxiously. The other party had described his current physical condition urately. However, there wasnt a clear solution for the blockage of his acupoints. Even his teacher, a half 5-star master teacher, was incapable of solving the problem so he could only let it recover gradually with time. Thus, Song Chao had given up all hope and decided to simply wait it out. Yet, this young man here had identified all of his symptoms clearly... How in the world did he manage to do it? "Five thousand spirit stones. Ill help you solve your problem and achieve a breakthrough!" Zhang Xuan spoke impassively. "Five thousand?" Song Chao hesitated. "If Im not mistaken, you should have consulted a few other people on your problem but they are all helpless before it. If you dont use my method, youll need at least an entire year to recover. Im sure you know the consequences of not cultivating for an entire year!" Zhang Xuan was in no hurry at all. "Alright, here is the spirit stones. I beseech Zhang shi for your guidance!" Soon, Song Chao gritted his teeth and replied. With a flick of his wrist, a bunch of spirit stones fell to the floor. In an instant, dense spiritual energy gushed into the air. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He swiftly kept the spirit stones in his storage ring before saying, "The cure is extremely simple. You just have to drive your zhenqi along this meridian..." "To offer pointers to even 4-star master teachers? Exactly how highly ranked is this Zhang shi..." Hall Master Sai widened his eyes in shock. He already knew that Zhang shi was extraordinary but still, he didnt expect it to such a degree. This Song Chao was a 4-star master teacher, and yet, his cultivation errors could still be pointed in an instant. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was able to solve the problem that had gued the former for such a long period of time! Through this, it could be deduced that Zhang Xuans capability had reached an astounding level. The body of the elder in the lounge froze, and his hyperventtion nearly acted up. The young master had gone over to offer guidance to the other party in hopes of winning the other partys gratitude and earn the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he became the one being guided instead? And on top of that, to be paying money as well... What was with this sudden twist? Even though he had witnessed the sight with his own eyes, he still felt as though he was going mad. "... Alright, just cultivate using the method I just told you and your affliction will definitely be solved within three days!" While the duo was shocked speechless, Zhang Xuan finished his guidance. "Thank your Zhang shi for your guidance..." After memorizing the method the other party spoke of, Song Chao felt awed. He subconsciously sped his fist in gratitude. "Un!" Replying with a nod, Zhang Xuan continued walking on. Any other master teacher would definitely find it hard to determine the cause of Song Chaos affliction. However, once the cause was determined, solving it became much easier. Given how the other party was a 4-star master teacher, he should be more than capable to tell whether what Zhang Xuan said was true or not. "Young master... Arent you going to ask for the Soulless Metal Humanoid from him? Why did you end up paying him instead..." After Zhang Xuan left, the elder hurriedly walked up. "Ah?" Song Chao was suddenly jolted from his trance. For some reason, when he was listening to the other partys analysis and guidance previously, he unknowingly fell into a state of trance. "This is... Impartation of Heavens Will? He used Impartation of Heavens Will on me? And I actually fell for it?" Upon realizing something, Song Chaos mouth twitched and he nearly fainted on the spot. Even though the other partys analysis and guidance were spot-on, logically speaking, he shouldnt have obeyed every single word the other party said, going to the extent of even paying money. The only logical exnation for it was that... the other party had used Impartation of Heavens Will on him! That was an ability unique to master teachers. As long as ones words were true, one would be able to stimte the zhenqi within the bodies of others and induce unconditional trust within others, making others follow ones orders obediently. His original intention was to offer guidance to the other party and yet, he ended up falling for the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will instead... Song Chao felt as though he was going insane. However, as a 4-star master teacher, Song Chaos Soul Depth had reached 12.0. For the other party to be able to induce unconditional trust in him through the Impartation of Heavens Will, didnt that mean that the other partys Soul Depth was higher than his? Are you for real? "On top of that, just Impartation of Heavens Will by itself is insufficient... More importantly, one has to have the acknowledgement of the predecessors! Those who have been acknowledged of the predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion will possess a disposition that induces deference in others... Could it be that this fellow had earned the acknowledgement of even more predecessors than me?" Song Chaos fist clenched tightly together once more. Master teachers were exceptionally sensitive to this kind of disposition, thus making it much easier for them to listen to the words of acknowledged master teachers. This was also why it was said that even without the master teacher emblem, those who had been acknowledged by the predecessors could be easily recognized by their peers. Song Chao was an incredible young genius who had been recognized by nine predecessors during the ritual, and as such, his sect had sent him to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament... Yet, such a figure was sent into a trance just by a single word. Didnt this mean that the other party was acknowledged by even more predecessors than him? B-but... How was this possible? Where in the world did this fellowe from? How could he be so formidable? Song Chao was dumbfounded. Chapter 478: Formation Master Guild Chapter 478: Formation Master Guild Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Young master, have you... asked about the Soulless Metal Humanoid yet?" Seeing the young masters slightly trembling body, the elder knew that the young master would surely lose his sanity if they were to continue discussing this topic. Thus, he hurriedly changed the subject. "Ah? I... forgot!" Song Chaos body swayed weakly. He only had time to say a single sentence before the other party began pointing out the various symptoms he was suffering from. After that... he fell to the onught of words and lost himself. Putting aside the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he didnt even manage to speak much. How was he supposed to ask the question when he was in a trance? "Then... Ill try asking..." the elder said slowly. "Un, go on... Be careful!" After hesitating for a moment, Song Chao nodded his head. He was a little fearful at the moment already. He was scared that if he were to go over again, he might be bewitched by the other partys words once more. Thus, it might be wiser to send his subordinate over instead. But... Given that the other party was able to give him a lesson via the Impartation of Heavens Will and determine the root of his problem, the other partys ranking as a master teacher was definitely above his. It was natural for a person of such capability to want to retain the Soulless Metal Humanoid to study it. If so, how could the other party possibly give it up to him? "Yes!" The elder nodded his head. He hurriedly walked over to Zhang Xuan who had already traveled a very far distance away during this period of time. "Zhang shi, we wish to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid. May I know if... youre interested in selling it? Our young master is willing to offer two half 5-star master teacher Tutge Jade Tokens for it!" "Forty-thousand spirit stones!" Zhang Xuan came to a stop. "This price is already extremely high. Even our young master only has three of such Tutge Jade Token... Wait a moment, what did you say?" The elder thought that Zhang shi would reject him outright, but contrary to his expectation, the other party tossed out a price so candidly. Taken aback, the elder attempted to verify the matter by asking, "Youre saying that youre willing to sell it to us at... forty-thousand spirit stones?" Hu! Before he could finish his words, a shadow shed across his eyes and a Soulless Metal Humanoid appeared on the floor. "If you can produce the spirit stones, you can take the metal humanoid away. I wont be epting any Tutge Jade Token. If you dont have the money to pay up... Ill have to ask of you to leave!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. He was in a rush topile and study the Heavens Path Divine Art, and he didnt want to waste any time dawdling here. Since Zhang Xuan had already examined the Soulless Metal Humanoid already, it was of no use to him anymore. Rather to keeping it with him, he might as well sell it for a profit. "...So simple?" Standing behind, Song Chao had thought that the elder would surely fail. Never in his dreams did he expect the matter would be so simple... If only hed known that the fellow had the intention to sell it, he wouldnt have tried to act cool and insist on offering guidance to the other party. In the end... not only did he fail in his deed, he became the one being taught instead... He had truly embarrassed himself greatly today... Song Chao felt frenzied. As a master teacher, he was always able to perceive the intentions and meaning behind the actions of others. Yet, this fellow before him didnt seem to obey anymon sense at all. It felt as though he was knocking his head on a rock, every interaction with the other party simply left him faint-headed. "Zhang shi, are you serious in selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me for forty-thousand spirit stones?" Unable to hold back his agitation, Song Chao stepped forward. "If you cant afford it, the deal is off!" Putting away the metal humanoid into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan prepared to leave once more. "Ill buy it..." With a reddened face, Song Chao hurriedly spoke up. Hu! After saying those words, a mountain of spirit stones immediately appeared before everyones eyes. It totaled up to exactly forty-thousand. "Un, the metal humanoid is yours then!" Taking the spirit stones, Zhang Xuan tossed the metal humanoid to the other partys side, turned around, and left. "Thank you, Zhang shi..." Grabbing over the Soulless Metal Humanoid, Song Chao quickly ced it into his storage ring, fearful that the other party might change his mind. However, right after he kept the item, he suddenly froze. An urge to bash his head into the nearest pir suddenly gripped him. "I fell for his trick again! My forty-thousand spirit stones..." How could he not even have tried to haggle with the other party? Clearly, he had fallen for the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will once more, resulting in him taking out the sum immediately... Thpse were his total savings throughout the years. To think that he would be sapped dry by the other party in an instant... Why did it have to be so damned? What kind of monster was the other party? "Congrattions, young master. You finally managed to obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid..." The elder sped his fist. "Scram!" Song Chao was already in a very bad mood, and when he heard the congrattions, he immediately erupted. "Keng... alright!" Perplexed, the elder scratched his head doubtfully. What was wrong with the young master? Did he... damage his brain somehow? ... While relishing in the joy of having just earned forty-thousand spirit stones with little to no effort, Zhang Xuan returned back to his room. With a flick of his wrist, several rows of bookshelves appeared before him. With this, he wouldnt have to worry about having insufficient spirit stones for his cultivation in the short term. The pressing matter at hand was for him to read through more books so that he could raise his cultivation. Sliding his finger across the rows of books, identical books appeared in his head. Soon, all of the cultivation technique and battle technique manuals that Hall Master Sai had collected were replicated within the Library of Heavens Path. "Compile!" cing all of the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivation techniques together, Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! An entirely new book appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. Picking it up, he began flipping through it. "Transcendent Mortal, also known as Surmounting Mortality and Mortal Metamorphosis, refers to the stage where one evolves beyond the limits of mortals. Ones level of existence will be increased significantly. In order to transcend mortality, one has to abstain from inferior mortal sustenance and feast on the spiritual energy in the air instead. Those who consume material sustenance are intelligent but die, those who consume spiritual energy are intelligent andsting..." The content of the book appeared in Zhang Xuans eyes. After an unknown period of time, he breathed out a mouthful of turbid air and opened his eyes. He had finishedprehending the essence of the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, and he was ready to cultivate it now. "Lets begin!" Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he flicked his wrist and a spirit stone appeared in his hand. Driving his zhenqi ording to the method detailed in the cultivation technique, he began absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stone. Kacha! Two breathster, the spirit stone in his hand was reduced to powder. "Hmm? This..." Zhang Xuans face twitched. Spirit stones were a natural product of the world. They contain spiritual energy and each of them are crystal clear... Going by logic, it should be exceptionally tough. Why did it simply crumble all of the sudden? Lowering his head to assess the situation, a bizarre expression soon surfaced. "The spiritual energy within... has been fully absorbed?" Looking at the crumbled spirit stone on the floor, it waspletely white, reminiscent of ashes. Clearly, the spiritual energy within it had been devouredpletely. "This... How many spirit stones will I require to make the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan?" Zhang Xuan felt faint-headed. He thought that several hundred spirit stones would be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Given that he had several ten thousand in his possession now, it should be a piece of cake. However, it seemed like he was severely underestimating his consumption rate. Transcendent Mortal meant evolving beyond mortality. His body had been tempered by Heavens Path zhenqi, making it far superior to that of ordinary humans. As such, the difficulty in him making the leap from a mortal to the next realm was hundred times greater than them as well. It was easy to expand a ditch of one-meter radius wide by twofold but expanding an ocean by twofold... was exponentially more difficult! That was exactly the case with him. Nourished by the Heavens Path zhenqi, his physical body and soul had undergone a qualitative change, making him invincible among his fellow peers. However, this also made it harder for him to make the final breakthrough. "If I were to absorb them one by one, it would just be a matter of time before I died of exhaustion..." Zhang Xuan had several ten thousand spirit stones at the moment. It should be sufficient to fuel his breakthrough, but... the spiritual energy contained within these low-tier spirit stones was limited. On top of that, his consumption was extremely great... If he were to go on like that, having to pause his cultivation to rece a broken spirit stone every two breath, it would be incredibly inconvenient! Who knows how long it would take for him to reach Transcendent Mortal realm if he had to do it that way? Even if there was sufficient water in a bottle to alleviate ones thirst, if one could only drink a drop at a time, one would still die of dehydration! In other words, Zhang Xuan had to find a way to extract the spiritual energy from the spirit stones so that he could cultivate continuously without pause. "Formations!" Frowning, an upation suddenly appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Holding a spirit stone one at a time to cultivate wouldnt work out at all. There was only one way if Zhang Xuan wanted hundreds or even thousands of spirit stone to provide him spiritual energy simultaneously... Formations! Back then, after eradicating the Lin n, Zhang Xuan had read through several books regarding formations and learned that some of the more formidable Spirit Gathering Formations were capable of extracting spiritual energy from spirit stones and gather them in the area. If he had this kind of formation, he could simply put spirit stones in it and the spiritual energy within them would be extracted automatically. If so, his cultivation would be much smoother. "I should go and look for some formations!" Zhang Xuan stood up. Along with the rise in his cultivation, his requirement for spiritual energy would increase exponentially as well. Even if he had sufficient spirit stones, cultivation would be terribly inefficient. Walking out of the room, Zhang Xuan went to look for Hall Master Sai. "Hall Master Sai, may I know if there is a Formation Master Guild in Honghai City? If so, could you take me over, please?" Hall Master Sai looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, "As argemercial city, theres no reason why Honghai City wouldnt have a Formation Master Guild. Does Zhang shi intend to purchase formation tes in preparation for the trip to the soul oracle tomb?" Formation tes were a miniaturization of a formation and could be easily carried around with one. Even if one werent a formation master, one could still activate it by infusing ones zhenqi into it. As such, it was one of the most sought-after product in the Formation Master Guild. The trip to the soul oracle tomb was filled with dangers. With a formation te in hand, Zhang Xuan would gain another assurance on his survivability. "Formation te? Right, I also wish to see if theres anything suitable there to buy!" Zhang Xuan nodded. If he could find a Spirit Gathering Formation te, he could easily carry it around and use it whenever he needed it. That would surely prove to be convenient. "I am old buddies with the head of the Formation Master Guild, Guild Master Zheng Jingfeng. He has the highest tiered formation tes in the entire Honghai City. Allow me to take you there, Im certain I can get you something youll be satisfied with!" Hall Master Sai said. "Ill be depending on Hall Master Sai then!" Knowing that this was a gesture of goodwill from the other party, Zhang Xuan didnt turn it down. Due to the unique role that the Appraiser Hall yed in Honghai City, it was located at the center of the various guilds. As such, it wasnt too far away from the Formation Master Guild. In just ten minutes, they had already arrived at their destination. Previously, at Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuan had paid the Formation Master Guild a visit to gather the books contained within. Compared to the magnificent infrastructure standing before him at this very moment, the Tianwu Kingdom felt nothing more than a crude shack. The gates to the guild were tall and majestic, and an Eight Trigram was imprinted on it, creating a profound and mysterious air to it. Stepping into the guild, Zhang Xuan immediately felt the air around him change. The temperature wasfortable, the air was slightly moist, and the surroundings was concentrated in spiritual energy. It felt as though one had walked into a garden in spring, and an indescribable sensation of rxation and tranquility swept over him. "This..." Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. It was alreadyte autumn, and winter was able to set in soon. How could this area be warm as though spring? "The Formation Master Guild has set up a formation here so that itll be permanently spring in here..." Seeing Zhang Xuans expression, Hall Master Sai understood what Zhang Xuan was thinking of and stroked his beard. "Dont worry, this formation will only put one in afortable position. It doesnt possess any offense capability so theres no need to worry!" "To set up such an borate formation just forfort... As expected of the Formation Master Guild!" Zhang Xuanmented in awe. To control such a huge formation so precisely such that it was limited to the interiors of the guild was a difficult feat. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Formation Guild was indeed formidable. Just this formation itself was probably grade-3 pinnacle or perhaps even grade-4! Chapter 479: Give Me a Moment Chapter 479: Give Me a Moment Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The vast lounge was filled with a huge crowd walking to and fro. There was a long queue in front of the front counter. Formation tes, weapon, and pill, these three were known as the necessities for a journey. However, the variety and number of formation tes that the Formation Master Guild sold everyday was limited so there was often a long queue of people hoping to buy just one. "Paying respects to Hall Master Sai!" Walking around the crowd, before Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Sai could reach the reception, a young man had already walked forward to wee them. "I have some matters to ask of Guild Leader Zheng, Ill be troubling you to lead the way." Hall Master Sai waved his hands. "My teacher is currently in the midst of inscribing a formation te. Ill lead you there now!" The young man smiled and led the way. Walking along the stairs up to the second floor, it didnt take long before they arrived at a room. Formation tes of all sizes were ced around the room, and at the very center sat an elder who was busy carving something. A formation required a formation core and formation gs to be ced in a manner thatplemented the geographical terrain to maximize its might. As such, setting one up and activating it were extremely troublesome processes, and only those who were well-versed in it were capable of the feat. Formation tes were much simpler inparison. One just had to inscribe a miniaturized version of the formation on the unique round te, and just by infusing ones zhenqi into it, one would be able to trigger it. But formation tes had two major ws to them. Firstly, due to its size, it was unable harmonize with the surroundings and thus, it typically only contained around half the might of an ordinary formation. Secondly, every usage would result in immense damage to the formation te. As such, it was limited by the number of uses, and while five times was the maximum, it was often the case that the formation tes broke after the first use. While the ws couldnt be said to be insignificant, its benefits still far outweighed its disadvantages. Otherwise, there wouldnt be so many people queuing up for it. Its greatest strengthy in that anyone, even those who werepletely unknowledgeable in formations, could use it. Secondly, it was convenient to carry around and it could be activated quickly and easily one just had to infuse zhenqi into it thus, making it a valuable tool in times to danger. The elder in the room seemed to be in his sixties but there wasnt the slightest trace of facial hair on his face. Hisrge hand was holding a small carving knife, and he was carefully carving a te. The creation of a formation te was an extremelyplicated process. After all, what one was trying to do was to condense a massive formation into a round te around the size of ones palm. The difficulty of the task was obvious with just a single thought. With the slightest mistake, the inscribing process might very possibly end in failure. Inscribing formation tes was somewhat simr to forging pills. Even 4-star formation masters couldnt im to be able to seed all the time. The creation of every single te was an extremely effort and time-consuming process. "Teacher, Hall Master Sai is here!" Walking into the room, the young man bowed. Putting down the carving knife, the elder raised his head, looked at his old friend, and smiled. "Ive always been the one to look for you in the past, what brings you here today?" "I have something that I have to request of Guild Leader Zheng this time!" Hall Master Sai nodded before introducing, "This is Zhang shi. He hopes to purchase a formation te, and after some consideration, I felt that the items you sold here are the most reliable of them all so I brought him over!" "Zhang shi?" Guild Leader Zheng stood up and assessed Zhang Xuan with a doubtful expression. He knew the temper of this old friend of his very well. Thetter was an extremely proud person, and he acted extremely casually even with him. Yet, when thetter was introducing the young man, he spoke with a very grave and earnest tone which left him intrigued. Taking a closer look, he couldnt find anything unique about this young man. One thing notable was that he was unable to see through the cultivation of thetter, but even so, given how his actions werent aligned with the flow of the world, it was clear he hadnt reached Transcendent Mortal realm yet. A youngd who hadnt reached Transcendent Mortal actually made his old friend act so respectfully? "May I know what kind of formation te Zhang shi is looking for? Confinement Formation, ughter Formation, Illusion Formation... Ive a few of those in stock!" Even though Guild Leader Zheng was perplexed, he had only just met the other party and it would be rude to ask of it before him. "What I wish to find is a... Spirit Gathering Formation!" Zhang Xuan said. "Spirit Gathering Formation?" Guild Leader Zheng was perplexed. "... Theres no such formation te. Usually, its set up at a certain fixed location..." Spirit Gathering Formation was mainly used for cultivation, and normally, it would be set up by some influential powers at a specific location to groom their talents. On the other hand, formation tes were often viewed as an offensive or defensive measure. Thus, very few people would inscribe a Spirit Gathering Formation on a formation te, and even he, the guild leader of the Formation Master Guild, had never done it before. In truth, Guild Leader Zheng wasnt the only one who was surprised. Even Hall Master Sai was taken aback. Hall Master Sai had thought that Zhang shi was buying a formation in preparation for the exploration of the soul oracle tomb. However, from the looks of it now, it didnt seem like that was the case. After all, what was the use of a Spirit Gathering Location in there? Was he supposed to throw it in to gather spirits and capture soul oracles? "Theres no such item?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Indeed. Ive never drawn it before. If you really require it, I can draw one for you. However, itll take some time!" After a moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Zheng said. The purpose of a Spirit Gathering Formation was to gather spiritual energy. As such, one would be affected by the disturbances in the spiritual energy while inscribing the formation te. As Guild Leader Zheng had never tried it before, he didnt dare give his word. How long will it take?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This... Ive never inscribed it before so I might take some time to grasp it properly. At worst, it might take an entire month. However, if no hups ur, I should be able to finish it within... half a month!" Guild Leader Zheng said. "Half a month?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Too long. He was supposed to meet Luo Zhu tomorrow and set off for the soul oracle tomb. Before that, for his and his students safety, he had to at least reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. By the time the formation te was done, it would already be toote. "Why? Do you doubt my capability?" Seeing Zhang Xuans action of shaking his head, Guild Leader Zhengs face darkened. Of all things, to be buying a Spirit Gathering Formation formation te... do you even know the slightest thing about formations? If not for my old friend making this request of me, Id definitely have thrown you out instantly! Yet, you still dare to shake your head at me? "Oh, Im not saying that you cant inscribe it!" Hearing the displeased edge in the other partys voice, Zhang Xuan realized that the other party was mistaken. Thus, he immediately rified sheepishly, "Its just that I think your speed is a little too slow. Half a month... is a little bit too long. I really have urgent use for the formation te now. If you can finish it within two hours, Im willing to pay a little more!" "Too slow? Two hours?" Guild Leader Zhengs face immediately steeled. Flinging his sleeves, he bellowed, "Hall Master Sai, is this your guest? I dont wee him here! Xiaowu, send our guest out!" Two hours? Do you think that inscribing formations can be done as easily as eating or drinking? Putting aside the Spirit Gathering Formation which he had never inscribed before, even Confinement Formations and ughter Formations which he was familiar with would require at least a week time to inscribe. On top of that, that was assuming that his full concentration was into the task such that he didnt make the slightest error. Otherwise, even one month would be insufficient to inscribe a single formation te. And that was still if he did it himself. If it was a 3-star formation master of the guild, it would take at least half a month to inscribe a single formation te. Yet, this fellow wanted it done... within two hours? Are you here to make a fool out of yourself or are you trying to mock me? "Yes..." The young man who brought the two of them in walked over and gestured, "This way please!" In truth, the young man was also dissatisfied with Zhang Xuans atittude. He was a 2-star formation master and inscribing a single formation te would take him more than a month. Yet, this fellow expected his teacher to finish one within two hours. Clearly, he wasnt a customer but a troublemaker. "Guild Leader Zheng, please calm down." Not expecting his old friend to chase them away all of a sudden, Hall Master Sai immediately walked up with a flushed face, "Zhang shi is just unfamiliar with formations. In terms of appraising ability, hes a 5-star appraiser who has passed the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet. His capability is far above me!" "5-star appraiser?" Guild Leader Zheng leaped in shock. He thought that his old friend was so fearful of Zhang shi due to thetters prestigious background. Never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be a 5-star appraiser! With just this identity, there was no one who would dare to trifle with him in Honghai City. It was no wonder why he dared to spout such arrogant words. "Un!" Hall Master Sai nodded his head. While master teachers immersed themselves in multiple upations, they were, by no means, omniscient. Zhang shis words had clearly reflected his position as an amateur in the upation. And his guess was right. Even though Zhang Xuan had read through the books in Tianwu Kingdom Formation Master Guild and assimted them, due to the guild being of too low tiered, there wasnt much information on formation tes detailed within them. Thus, even though those were basic information, Zhang Xuan was unaware of them. "Pardon me, I was unaware of Zhang shis identity!" Upon knowing that the other party was a 5-star appraiser, Guild Leader Zheng immediately reined in his previous attitude and bowed respectfully with a sped fist. While the ranking of an appraiser didnt tie in with ones cultivation, it was still a respected upation due to its involvement in dealing with precious artifacts. Even as the head of the Formation Master Guild, he didnt dare to offend the other party easily. Not to mention, the other party was still a master teacher on top of that. "Youre being too polite!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands, not paying it any heed. After some contemtion, he asked, "Since its impossible to seed within two hours, may I ask you to sell me a set of Spirit Gathering Formations formation gs, core, and blueprint instead?" Since there was no formation te to be sold here, he could try doing it himself instead. As long as he had the formation blueprint, gs, and core in possession, it wouldnt be too difficult for him to seed. "Formation blueprint, gs, and core? We do have them but if one isnt an official formation master, theyll bepletely useless..." Guild Leader Zheng said. Formations had to beid out in a way that aligned with the environment. If one didnt know the slightest thing about formations, it would be useless even if one were to obtain the formation blueprint, gs, and core. If one could simply forge it with just these three items, they, as formation masters, would have already gone out of business long ago! "Itll suffice as long as you sell it to me. Ill find a way myself after that!" Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan continued. "This isnt a problem of whether I am willing to sell or not..." Seeing the other party insist on the matter, Guild Leader Zhengs face darkened. He couldnt help but shake his head. Why did Hall Master Sai bring such an unreliabled here? Formation g, core, and blueprint were useless in the hands of ordinary people. Furthermore, they were extremely expensive... It was truly a waste of resources in the hands of the other party. Besides, while I could sell the formation gs and core to you, the blueprint... That is something simr to pill forms. There are strict rules within the guild, and as long as one isnt an official formation master, one would be prohibited from looking at it, needless to say, sell it. From the previous exchange, it was clear that this fellow was a person who didnt know a thing about formations. Putting aside selling formation gs and core, formation blueprint... Arent you dreaming? If anyone could simply look at the blueprints and buy them as and when they please, what kind of prestige would the guild retain? "How about this? If you can set up a formation and prove that youre an official formation master, Ill let you see the formation blueprint and record it down. Ill also sell the formation gs and core to you... But if you cant do it, youll have to drop the matter!" Shaking his head, Guild Leader Zheng gave an ultimatum. "If I can set up a formation, youll sell them to me?" Zhang Xuan stared at the other party. "Thats right!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head. Then, a slight frown appeared on his face as he continued, "Why? Is Zhang shi a formation master as well?" But before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan had already shut his eyes. "... Give me a moment!" Chapter 480: Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples Chapter 480: Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Give you... a moment?" Guild Leader Zhengs body swayed from side to side. Why did it feel like this fellow didnt understand human speech? I asked whether you are a formation master and yet you replied with give me a moment... What does that mean? Do you mean that you arent one now, and a momentter youll be one? Arent you just pulling my leg? All of the Upper Nine Paths upation required one to put in immense effort before one could qualify as a member. Even a genius would require several years of perseverance to seed. Yet, this ignorant fellow actually said give him a moment... Give you a moment for what? For you to embarrass yourself? Besides... Closing your eyes? Close your head! What the hell are you up to? Guild Leader Zhengs face twitched. If not for the fact that the other party was a 5-star appraiser, he would have surely kicked the other party out already. "Old Zheng, I think youd better prepare the set of formation gs and the core!" Seeing that his old friend wasing to the limit of his tolerance, Hall Master Sai stepped forward and advised. "Prepare?" "Indeed. If Zhang shi said so, he must have a n in mind. Besides, it wouldnt be too much effort to prepare a set!" Hall Master Sai replied. He didnt know where did Zhang shis confidencee from, but after witnessing the various miracles the other party had produced, his trust for the other party had nearly reached an unconditional level. This was a person who could even teach a 4-star master teacher. Somehow, Hall Master Sai didnt think that it would be surprising if he learned about formations on the spot and seeded. "Alright, Ill believe you this time! Xiaowu, take out the formation g and core for the Spirit Gathering Formation you have been using to practice over the past few days!" Seeing the deep trust his old friend had in this young man, Guild Leader Zheng shook his hands in frustration. "Yes!" The young man flicked his wrist and a bunch of objects appeared on the floor. Formations were built using formation g and formation core. These two were crafted using unique materials. There were differing attributes to them depending on the formation they were used for. Xiaowu was a 2-star formation master and recently, he had been practicing a graded-2 Spirit Gathering Formation. Thus, he had been keeping a set of it in his storage ring. After the various objects were taken out, the crowd turned to that fellow, only to see that his eyes were still tightly shut. It was hard to tell what he was doing. "Could it be that... Zhang shi intends to learn about formation on the spot? But even if he were to learn it right now... he should at least be browsing through books or consulting a teacher. To be standing nkly on the spot, what is he up to?" Hall Master Sai was perplexed. The study of formations involved innumerable profound secrets. Thus, it was imperative for one to find a formidable teacher to learn about the basic properties of geography, five elements, yin-yang. This was the first time he had seen someone learning by standing idly with a dazed expression. But if he wasnt studying, what else could he be doing? Everyone was perplexed. In truth, it was exactly as everyone was thinking. Zhang Xuan was studying formations. Previously, he had gathered quite a few books on formations in the Library of Heavens Path. However, he hadnt organized and read through them yet. At this moment, with his attention immersed within the Library of Heavens Path, all of the books regarding formation floated before him. "Compile!" With a silent mutter, a book with the words Heavens Path Formation Art appeared before him. He quickly flipped it open. A vast sea of knowledge came gushing into Zhang Xuans mind. "Since Ive already assimted these knowledge, Im only reorganizing them at this moment. Thus, its much simpler and more efficient..." Previously, back when he was in Tianwu Kingdom, he had used the golden page to assimte the knowledge of formations, pill forging, medicine... contained within the books he duplicated into the Library of Heavens Path. Even though he had never gone through them before, the knowledge was already imprinted in his head. With this serving as a foundation, learning the Heavens Path Formation Art became extremely easy. Knowledge flowed through his mind, and in just ten breaths, he had already mastered it. If it was an upation he waspletely ignorant about, it would have taken at least two hours. But with a strong foundation built from the prior knowledge obtained through assimtion, all he had to do was to do was to reorganize the information. Hu! Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd. "Are the formation g and core here already? Do I set up the formation here?" "Cough cough..." Guild Leader Zheng was just waiting to see what intentions the other party had when the other party suddenly opened his eyes and said such words. Just a moment ago, he was stillpletely ignorant about formations... And after shutting his eyes for a moment, he wanted to try his hand on setting up a formation already... Fine! I would like to see what kind of formation you set up! "Since you think youre ready, you can just set it up here!" Suppressing his rage, Guild Leader Zheng flung his sleeves and harrumphed. "Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked over to grab the formation g and core. Seeing his actions, putting aside Guild Leader Zheng, even Xiaowus face was streaked with dark lines. The very first step one should do before setting up a formation was to study the surroundings and measure the positioning of the formation. Through this, one would be able to tap into the natural flow to generate energy for the formation. Only then would one set up the formation ordingly to gather that energy. This fellow didnt even bother taking out hispass to make measurements. The first thing he did was to dive straight at the formation g, as though a glutton seeing a pile of meat... You call this setting up a formation? You must be kidding! Even pigs would be able to fly if you can set up a formation like that. "Hall Master Sai, what kind of person... did you bring here this time?" Harrumphing angrily, Hall Master Zheng sent a message to the Hall Master Sai telepathically. "Zhang shi... is a truly formidable person!" Hall Master Sai replied with a slightly reddened face. He had only been in contact with this Zhang shi for a few days. From the first time they met at the First ss Pavilion, the other party had barged through the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and nearly tore down the entire Appraiser Hall through that... he even managed to solve the issue of a possession by a soul oracle! Such a talented person shouldnt do something he was unconfident in. Why did he simply seem so unreliable at this moment? He knew that there were three things one had to do before setting up a formation. Firstly, one had to take out apass to measure the maic field and the concentration of spiritual energy in the air. Next, one had to measure the size of the formation and deduce the various problems that could ur when the formation fused in with the surroundings so as to make precautions beforehand. Finally, one would calcte the specific locations which the formation core and gs had to be ced at before proceeding on to set up the formation. Putting aside 1-star and 2-star formation master, even his old friend, the guild leader, had to spend a significant amount of time preparing beforehand. Without an hour or two of preparation, it would be impossible for him to set up a formation sessfully. Furthermore, this was only for the most basic formations. For those that spanned over several hundred meters or even several thousand meters would take at least several years of conception and deduction before there was a possibility of sess. Yet, this fellow... without apass, without any deduction process, and without examining the grounds, went straight for the formation g and core... He was taking this way too lightly! "Formidable? You call this formidable? Hmph, I dont care whether he is a 5-star appraiser or not. Later, when he fails, take him away. Our Formation Master Guild doesnt wee such a frivolous person!" Guild Leader Zheng harrumphed. "This..." Hall Master Sai was ced in an awkward position. Just as he was about to speak in Zhang shis stead to salvage his reputation, the voice of thetter echoed. "Done!" "Done? Whats done?" Taken aback, the duo quickly turned their heads over. The formation g and core that Zhang Xuan just picked out had been tossed out, and it stabbed upright into the ground not too far away. It was arranged in a very unique position within a circr radius of six to seven-meter. "Didnt you ask for a Spirit Gathering Formation? Ive set up one for you!" Zhang Xuan said. "Set up one? This is a Spirit Gathering Formation?" Hall Master Sai looked at theyout before him with a dazed expression. The positioning of the formation g and core did resemble a Spirit Gathering Formation... But he didnt understand too much about formations so he couldnt make a clear judgement. As such, he quickly turned his eyes to Guild Leader Zheng. "You might have gotten the shape but the intent iscking! You call this a formation?" Flinging his sleeves, Guild Leader Zhengs eyebrows shot up. Seeing the other party flying into a rage, Hall Master Sai asked, "Why? Is there a mistake with what Zhang shi set up?" "Xiaowu,e and give me your evaluation of this formation!" Instead of replying, Guild Leader Zheng ced his hands behind his back and harrumphed. "Yes!" The young man, Xiaowu, walked forward. "The position of the formation core and g are correct. However... a formation doesnt work just by following theyout in the blueprint strictly. More importantly, it has to be capable of stimting the spiritual energy in the environment!" Xiaowu analyzed confidently. "Stimting the spiritual energy in the environment?" "Thats right!" Flicking his wrist, Xiaowu took out apass. With that object in hand, his disposition immediately changed. It was a just a moment ago that he seemed like a mere follower but at this instant, he carried the airs of a true formation master. "Look at what he has set up. There isnt even the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air at all. In other words, the formation gs arent ced in the most urate positions toplement the environment. Naturally, his formation doesnt hold any power at all, and this is what we call... an ineffectual formation!" "Ineffectual formation?" "Un. Since its a Spirit Gathering Formation, it should gather the spiritual energy in the air as soon as it isid out. The spiritual energy in the air should be drawn in as though a typhoon in the water and gather in this region. But this... the spiritual energy is showing no signs of gathering at all. In other words, he has only emted the shape of the formation in the blueprint instead of setting up a formation!" Xiaowu said. Positioning the formation correctly didnt equate to setting up a formation. Even though it sounded extremely profound andplex, this was actually basic knowledge that all formation masters, even if one was an apprentice, would know. It was just like how an apothecary wouldnt necessarily form a pill even if they were to follow the sequence recorded in a pill form perfectly. A formation blueprint was just a fixed arrangement. For a formation to work, one had to align it with the environment. "Well-said! Alright, Zhang shi, in consideration that youre Hall Master Sais friend, I will overlook this farce; you should leave!" Hearing his students analysis, Guild Leader Zheng could tell that he had improved significantly during this period of time and he nodded his head in satisfaction. "Farce? How is this a farce?" Zhang Xuan didnt expect the formation that he had set up with such great effort would be considered as a farce. "Your formation failed to draw in spiritual energy from the surroundings. Shouldnt this be sufficient to show that your formation is nothing but a farce?" Seeing that the other party refuse to ept his own failure, Guild Leader Zheng was displeased. "Oh... You mean this. I was afraid that you cant see it properly so I stopped the formation for the time being!" Zhang Xuan thought that the other party was referring to something else so he shook his head. Then, he stomped his foot on the ground. Weng! A ripple slowly spread out from his feet, striking the formation not too far away. Then, with a slight buzz, the entire formation was immediately shrouded with spiritual energy. Huhuhu! The surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward the center of the formation as though pulled in by a hurricane, leaving a sharp pain as it brushed by the faces of the group. "Th-this..." It was just a moment ago that Xiaowu was gleefully pointing out the other partys errors. Upon seeing this sight, he was shocked to the point that his lower jaw was about to fall to the ground. "This is... [Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples]. Even though it doesnt disturb the environment, it causes a huge uproar when activated... a perfect formation? H-how is this possible?" Guild Leader Zheng shrieked hoarsely. He stared at Zhang Xuan in shock, as though he was looking at a monster. Chapter 481: Challenging the Sea of Formations Chapter 481: Challenging the Sea of Formations Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Perfect formation?" Seeing his old friend losing hisposure, Hall Master Sai was baffled. He had heard of Confinement Formation, Illusion Formation, Beguilement Formation, Spirit Gathering Formation... But he had never heard of a perfect formation before. "Just like with painting and pills, there are different tiers to apleted formation as well. Even when setting up the same formation, how can the might of a formation set up 2-star formation masterpare to that of a 5-star formation master?" Suppressing his confusion, Guild Leader Zheng began to exin. Hall Master Sai was taken aback. Even with formation tes of the same grade, everyone hoped to buy one inscribed by a higher ranked formation master as their craft tended to be more stable and powerful. The same applied for pills as well. Those forged by higher ranked apothecaries tended to be of higher quality and thus, possessed greater medicinal effectiveness. "The difference between formations mainly lies in how much theyplement the environment and how much energy they can borrow from the surroundings!" Seeing the iprehension on Hall Master Sais face, Guild Leader Zheng exined, "Formations that reach a synchronization rate of twenty percent with the environment are termed as Initiate. A formation of this level can be sessfully activated to do whatever it is intended to do. Only when one can prepare a formation of this level can one be considered an official formation master. "At a synchronization rate of forty percent, the formation will be able to borrow a portion of the energy from the surroundings to augment the might of the formation. At this level, ones understanding of the formation can be considered to have reached intermediate-tier. As a 4-star formation master, I can still easily reach this level when setting up a grade-2 formation. "Going on, at a synchronization rate of sixty percent, the environment and formation can be considered to beplementing one another already. This is also what we call a high-tier formation. asionally, while I am setting up a grade-1 formation, I can reach this level... "Then, at a synchronization rate of eighty percent, it wouldnt be wrong to say that the environment is what that is driving the formation. Just like conscious Spirit tools, a formation of this level is able to tap into the natural energy contained in the surroundings to create hurricanes, storm, trap beings, and leave them in distress." After saying that, Guild Leader Zhengs lips turned pale. "Even if you can break out of a formation, can you break out of your environment?" Hall Master Sai was stunned. One can walk out of a formation, a room, a courtyard... But everywhere one stood was the environment, so how could one walk out of it? How could one ovee it? Uponprehending this level, even formation masters would find it hard to break out of the formation once trapped "Wait a moment..." Upon recalling something, Hall Master Sais body trembled and his eyes widened in round circles. He stared at Guild Leader Zheng in disbelief and asked, "Thats just a synchronization rate of eighty percent... What about a hundred percent?" "Indeed, its exactly what youre thinking. Its known as the... perfect formation!" There was a slight quiver to Guild Leader Zhengs voice as he said, "It perfectly harmonizes with ones environment such that when its in a dormant state, it wont cause any disturbances to the surroundings, thus giving rise to the term Absence of Ripples. However, the moment it is triggered, the environment will bepletely changed. The formation will be the environment, and the environment is the formation... Try thinking about it, how can cultivating in a Spirit Gathering Formationpare up to cultivating in a natural environment?" It was just like an air-conditioner. No matter howfortable the temperature was, it still couldntpare to the warmth of spring. "Using just formation gs and core to change the environment, legend has it that only formation masters of 6-star and above are capable of such a feat..." At this point, even Guild Leader Zheng himself was in disbelief. A while ago, this fellow before him didnt even know that Spirit Gathering Formation tes didnt exist in the Formation Master Guild and yet, in the next moment, he set up a formation that only 6-star formation masters were capable of, a perfect formation... Am I insane or is the world going mad? There had never been such a happening in the history of the guild! Perplexed, the voice of the young man sounded, "You can sell the Spirit Gathering Formation gs, core, and blueprint to me now, right?" The formation that Zhang Xuan had just prepared was the most basic type of Spirit Gathering Formation. It wasnt capable of extracting spiritual energy from the spirit stones to fuel his consumption. To do so, a formation of at least grade-4 was required. "Of course..." Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head stiffly. If a person who was capable of forging a perfect formation was unqualified to purchase those items, then wasnt him even more unqualified? "May I know... what is Zhang shis formation master rank?" After agreeing to the matter, Guild Leader Zheng hesitated for a short moment before asking. While it was a known fact that only 6-star formation masters were capable of preparing a perfect grade-2 formation, some of the top-notch geniuses were able to do so as well. The person before him hadnt even reached Transcendent Mortal realm yet so clearly, it was impossible for his to rank to be too high. Even so, he wanted to know the other partys exact ranking so as to determine how he should treat him. "Formation master? Ive never taken the examination before so I cant be considered as one..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was just a moment ago that he started learning about it so naturally, he had never taken any examination of that sort before. "You arent a formation master?" Guild Leader Zhengs mouth twitched and his body swayed feebly. Putting aside how other party was able to set up the formation so swiftly, the formation even reached such a high tier... And yet, the other party wasnt even an official formation master? Where in the world did this monstere from? He was a 4-star pinnacle formation master, but in terms of speed, he couldnt match up to the other party at all. And naturally, he couldnt prepare a perfect formation either. "May I know if... Zhang shi is willing to participate in our guilds examination?" A thought shed through Guild Leader Zhengs mind and his eyes lit up in desire. There were countless branches under a headquarters. If the other party were to take the examination here, he would be considered as a genius of Honghai City. If the headquarters were to hear of it, they would definitely reward the Honghai City Formation Master Guild handsomely. "Sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. It didnt matter to him where he took the examination. In any case, to advance through the ranks of a master teacher, he needed more supporting upations. Formation master was considered as one of the most influential upations of the Upper Nine Paths. It would be for the best if he could be an official member of this group. "Great! Ill make preparations now then..." Upon hearing the other party agree to it, Guild Leader Zheng smiled in excitement. "As for the Spirit Gathering Formations formation gs, core, and blueprint, once you pass the examination, there will be no need for you to buy them. I can simply give you a set!" The Formation Master Guild operated in a simr manner to the Apothecary Guild it was extremely difficult for a low-ranked member to ess content beyond their level. He would have to clear many authorizations first. However, if ones rank had reached the prerequisite, one could take it away straight even without payment. "Alright!" Upon hearing that he could be spared from his expenses, Zhang Xuan hurriedly nodded his head. Even though he wasntcking in spirit stones now, he felt that he should save as much as possible especially since he would require a humongous amount of spirit stone to achieve breakthroughs. Several ten thousand spirit stones might be a huge fortune to other cultivators, but to him, it might not even be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. Thus, he felt that he should save as much of it as possible. "What is the format of the formation master examination?" Zhang Xuan asked. He felt that he should at least ask properly before taking the examination. Just like the master teacher examination, there were many variations to the formation master examination. Depending on the branch itself, the requirements may differ. It was just like how in Tianwu Kingdom, the examination content to bing a 1-star formation master was to sessfully set up a grade-1 formation. As a prosperous city of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the examination here might be slightly different. "The examination of our branch is indeed slightly unique aspared to the other branch. It is slightly more difficult, and it is known as the... Sea of Formations!" Guild Leader Zheng said. "Sea of Formations?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Un. The Sea of Formations refers to the multitude of formation that countless formation masters of the guild have left behind throughout the years. Upon entering it, one could meet with a formation of any kind. The condition for sess is to break out of the formation one is trapped in. There is a total of four stages and each stage corresponds to formations of grade-1 to grade-4 respectively. If one passes the first stage, one will be qualified as a 1-star formation master, and if one passes the second stage, one will be qualified as a 2-star formation master... so on and so forth!" Guild Leader Zheng exined. "I see, thats indeed more difficult than setting up formations!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Setting up a formation and breaking out a formation was just like ascending and descending from a mountain. It was easy to ascend a mountain, but descending a mountain was fraught with many difficulties. While setting up a formation, one just had to identify the correct attributes and position the formation urately in order to seed. But to break out of a formation... considering that one would be within the formation, it would be hard for one to get an overview of the situation to discern the type of formation. If one were to make apse of judgement, it would be extremely easy for one to make a fatal mistake. "Its indeed a little difficult. However, if one possesses a deep understanding of formations, it wont be a problem at all!" Guild Leader Zheng chuckled. "Oh?" "Even though there are innumerable formations contained within the Sea of Formations, if one can urately determine the type, name, and life gate of the formation quickly, breaking out of it would be much easier than setting up a formation. But regardless of which examination it is, be it the setting up of a formation or the Sea of Formations, one has to possess an in-depth understanding of formations first. Otherwise, it will be impossible for one to pass the tests!" After exining, Guild Leader Zheng looked at the young man before him and said, "Since Zhang shi has never taken the formation master examination before, you should start from the grade-1 formations to get used to it first. This way, you can umte some experience such that you wont panic when meeting with formations of higher grades." Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "But before that, I would like to pay a visit to the library!" Even the most formidable formation that he had gathered via the Library of Heavens Path was only of grade-2 at the moment. If he wanted to go further in the examination, he would have to browse through more books. "You wish to browse through some books? Thats fine as well. Xiaowu, take Zhang shi to the library. It has been long since anyone has challenged the fourth stage of the Sea of Formations so itll require some preparation time anyway!" Guild Leader Zheng chuckled. He didnt think about the other partys request to browse through books much. It was natural for formation masters to request for ess to books to enhance their knowledge. He also frequented the library himself to look up unique formations so as to expand his horizons. "Yes!" The young man Xiaowu nodded. "Zhang shi..." Zhang Xuan was led away by the young man, leaving Hall Master Sai standing in a daze on the spot with widened eyes. Werent you here to buy formation tes? How did it turn into you taking the formation master examination? That was an Upper Nine Paths upation, one of the top upations of the continent. To take the examination so abruptly... It was almost like how he challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets previously... "Old Zheng, how far do you think... Zhang shi can go in the examination?" He couldnt help but turn to Guild Leader Zheng. "I have no idea how many stages he can clear but given how hes able to set up a perfect 2-star Spirit Gathering Formation so easily, his understanding of formations can only be above mine. In other words, even at worst, hes at least of 4-star pinnacle or perhaps... even 5-star!" Guild Leader Zheng said with a grim expression. "4-star pinnacle? 5-star?" Hall Master Sai was shocked. When he first met Zhang shi, he only thought that the other party was formidable in appraising, but even so, that was more than sufficient to awe him. Never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be so knowledgeable in formations as well, to the extent of surpassing even his old friend. To possess such knowledge and capability at his age... How in the world did he manage to do it? "Thats right. However, the Sea of Formations isnt easy. Itll be hard for those inexperienced to pass the examination. All I hope is for him to clear more stages so that another genius can rise from our branch!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head. "Clear more stages..." As he replied, Hall Master Sais mouth suddenly twitched. A thought popped into his mind. If this fellow were to challenge the Sea of Formations, would it end up... just like the Appraiser Hall? Would he cause chaos in the Formation Master Guild as well? Chapter 482: The Fearsome Illusion Formation Chapter 482: The Fearsome Illusion Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The books in the Formation Master Guild were significantly fewer than that of the Appraiser Hall. Almost seventy percent of the books were for 2-star formation masters and below. Havingpletelyprehended that level, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to go through those books once more. As such, it didnt take him long to collect the books. In just two hours, he already had all of them duplicated in the Library of Heavens Path. With this collection, he had sufficient books to form Heavens Path Formation Art 3-dan and 4-dan. Another two hours passed, and he finally managed to master them. Rubbing his be wearily, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. Having collected so many books and cultivated 2 dans of the Heavens Path Formation Art, even though his cultivation had already reached Half-Transcension, he still felt slightly faint-headed and his face was ghastly pale. But still, his hard work had brought him great benefits. In terms of knowledge on formation, he still might not be a match for Guild Leader Zheng, but in terms of setting up formations, thetter was definitely far from a match for him. More importantly... "So, this is what inscribing a formation te means. Inscribing a Spirit Gathering Formation sure isnt easy..." With a deep understanding of formation tes, Zhang Xuan finally understood why Guild Leader Zheng flew into a rage when he told him to finish it within two hours. Crafting a formation te was equivalent to carving a massive formation onto a ce the size of a palm. Furthermore, it had to be aligned with the environment. As such, the difficulty of the matter was extremely great. This was especially so for Spirit Gathering Formations. The timing of half a month that the other party gave was actually truly the fastest speed possible already. "Its true that using ordinary means to inscribe a formation te will be difficult. However, if I were to use the Heavens Path Formation Art to do so, it would be much easier!" Ordinary formations had to follow the blueprint strictly and ensure that theyout was aligned with the environment, thus making the process incrediblyplex and troublesome. A single wrong mark could potentially result in the formation being ruined. On the other hand, the Heavens Path Formation Art emphasized on continuity and smooth flow instead. There was more flexibility in it. Thus, using the Heavens Path Formation Art to inscribe the same blueprint would be many times simpler than using ordinary means. "The preparation of the Sea of Formations should be ready by now. I should go over and take a look!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided to put aside the matter regarding the formation te for the moment and walked out of the library. Now that he had assimted the books within the library, his understanding of formations had deepened. It was time for him to try out the Sea of Formations and be an official formation master. ... "The Sea of Formations is just a name. Rather than an actual sea, its just a long corridor. It is located at the third floor of the Formation Master Guild, and countless formations are set up in the area. As long as one walks into the area, one will be at risk of being confined, beguiled, and even... dying! "That is because... there are all kinds of formation in there, and that includes ughter Formations as well. "But theres no need for you to worry. Every single examinee will be given a formation amulet. When you meet with true danger, you just have to crush it and the formation will immediatelye to a halt!" At the long corridor of the Sea of Formations, a young man gestured to the surroundings as he exined the entire proceedings to his two juniors. The three of them hade from the same teacher. It was the first time the two juniors behind was taking the formation master examination whereas the senior in front was here to take his 2-star examination. At this moment, the two juniors were slightly nervous. Their lips had turned white and their palms were soaked with sweat. "Theres no need to worry. Ill pass the first stageter on to give you all a demonstration of the happenings inside. Remember, the formation which one will undergo ispletely random so my experience is only for reference purposes. You mustnt deal with it the exact same way as I did... Do you understand?" the senior said. "Senior, rest assured. Well pay some attention to it!" "Lets pass the examination so as to not let teacher down!" The two juniors behind clenched their fists tightly. "Good. Ill demonstrate the examination to you all now. Take note, regardless of which formation you meet with, dont be too anxious to get through with it. You must analyze it calmly as only then will you find the life gate and break out from it!" Seeing the humility of his juniors, the senior nodded his head in satisfaction. After which, he turned around and began walking over to the long corridor of the Sea of Formations. Weng! As soon as he stepped in, mist immediately appeared. A formation had been activated, trapping the senior entirely. The first stage of the Sea of Formations, a grade-1 formation! "That wall..." The duo turned to look at the wall by the side. By the side of the corridor, there was a wall made of special crystal which showed the situation of the one challenging the examination clearly. Their seniors figure was currently reflected on the wall, and at this moment, he was observing the situation around him with his eyebrows knitted together. In order to break out of the formation, one had to decipher the formation first. One had to know what kind of formation it was, where the life gate, death gate, and weakest link were... If one couldnt find these, one would never be able to break out of the formation regardless of how strong one was. Hu! Apass appeared in the seniors palm and he studied it intently with a lowered gaze. After which, he took three steps left and three steps right, trying to test the formations reaction. A short period of timeter, his eyes suddenly lit up, as though having discovered something. Chuckling lightly, he started walking toward a direction at which he had decided upon. At the same moment, he gathered strength in his palm and struck out. Hu! A buzzing sound echoed and the mist disappeared. A figure appeared before the duo againit was their senior. "Did you see that? This is the first stage. As long as you analyze it carefully and determine the origin of the flow of spiritual energy, as well as the various changes that urs with your movements, youll be able to deduce what kind of formation it is, confirm your current location and find the life gate... And just like that, youll be able to break out of the formation!" After clearing the first stage, the senior didnt proceed straight on to the second stage. Instead, he turned around and exined the various happenings to the duo. He was here to take the 2-star formation master examination. The 1-star examination didnt pose much of a challenge to him anymore, and the only reason he took it was just to give a demonstration to his juniors, as well as to calm their nerves. "Yes!" The two juniors nodded their heads. There wasnt anything wrong with the words of their senior, but the situation was very different when one was trapped in a formation. The surroundings would bepletely different there would be no point of reference and it would be extremely easy for one to get lost. The most one could do was to analyze the flow of spiritual energy. Determining what kind of formation one was trapped in and where one was positioned within the formation would be extremely difficult. There were more than several thousand types of grade-1 Confinement Formation. The same type of formation could be divided into several hundreds of sub-types. If one didnt possess vast understanding of formations, deciphering and escaping from it would be nigh impossible. "Alright, Im going to challenge the second stage now. Regardless of whether I seed or not, you all should try to look properly and learn from my experience!" Saying so, the senior took a deep breath and his gaze turned grave. As a 1-star pinnacle formation master, he was more than confident in clearing the first stage. However, the second stage would be difficult for him. Hu! Stepping forward, the formation within the second stage was immediately activated. Just like before, a figure appeared on the wall by the side. "Why isnt senior moving at all?" Turning their gazes over, the two juniors soon realized that the movements of their senior had been peculiar ever since he stepped into the second stage. Previously, he immediately took out thepass and began walking around to analyze the formation. But now, it seemed as though he was in a daze, not moving at all. The white-robed junior suddenly thought of something and asked, "Crap, it couldnt be an Illusion Formation, could it?" "Illusion Formation?" The green-robed juniors eyes widened in shock. An Illusion Formation interfered with ones psyche directly. As soon as the formation was triggered, those within would be plunged into a scenario that the formation master had prepared beforehand, leaving them unable to collect themselves. As such, it was more feared than Confinement Formations. Confinement Formations were simr to a cage in the sense that even though one might be unable to escape, one was at least able to retain their thoughts and consciousness. However, in an Illusion Formation, ones thoughts would be forced to wander, and at that moment, one would forget even ones own name and purpose. Under such circumstances, there wasnt the slightest possibility of escape. Hu hu hu! Just as the duo was in doubt, the pale face of their senior in the formation gradually grew more and more savage. His zhenqi grew erratic, and he randomly struck out at thin air, as though a lunatic. Pu! After a period of time, it seemed like his zhenqi had been fully expended and he spewed a mouthful of blood. Only then did he regain his consciousness and hurriedly crush the jade token in his hand. The mist disappeared and he appeared before his two juniors once more. However, this time, his face was withered. The second stage, failed! "Senior..." The seniors confident disposition from before had disappeared without a trace. Instead, as he walked over, he looked like a defeated rooster. His two juniors felt even more flustered. "Its normal to fail when challenging the Sea of Formations. I can only say my luck is bad for having triggered an Illusion Formation..." Swallowing a pill, the seniorsplexion improved slightly. Turning to his two juniors, he smiled awkwardly. "Indeed, Illusion Formations are simply too difficult..." the green-robed junior said. "If only it was a Confinement Formation, senior would have definitely passed and be a 2-star formation master..." The white-robed junior said. "Indeed! If it was a Confinement Formation, Im confident that I would have cleared the stage!" Seeing that the admiration his two juniors had for him didnt falter in the least, the senior heaved a sigh of relief. "Ive done some research on the matter, and for the past decade, there was a total of 88 challengers for the 2-star formation master examination. Of that, there were 22 times that an Illusion Formation was triggered... but there wasnt a single person who cleared the stage in those 22 times! Those who cleared the examination were mainly those who faced Confinement Formation and Beguilement Formation." "What about ughter Foramtion?" "ugher Formation?" The senior shook his head. "Thats even more impossible to clear. A single wrong move would spell death. It is already a blessing if one can survive within it, lest be said, escape from it..." "Its that difficult?" Upon learning how scary ughter Formations were, the two juniors began to tense up once more. "Let me tell you honestly, no one has ever seeded with an Illusion Formation or a ughter Formation before. Later on, when you enter, as soon as you realize that something is amiss, its best that you crush the jade token immediately. Theres no point struggling needlessly!" The senior instructed grimly. "Yes!" The two juniors nodded their heads. "Rest assured, senior. If we encounter an Illusion Formation or a ughter Formation, well give up immediately! Since even you are unable to clear them, how could others possibly seed? At the very least, I doubt that anyone in this guild would be able to do it..." Just as the duo wasplimenting their talented senior, at the entrance of the corridor of the Sea of Formations, a young man walked overzily. The young man looked younger than them, probably below twenty. His eyes were reddened with blood vessels, and it looked as though he hadnt slept for several days consecutively. Exhaustion was the only thing one could see from his face. "Who is this fellow? Why havent I seen him before?" The trio was taken aback. They had been in the Formation Master Guild for a minimum five years by now, and there wasnt a single apprentice or formation master that they didnt recognize. But that young man in front waspletely unfamiliar to them. "Hes probably some apprentice who have just joined... With just one look, its clear that his mental fortitude iscking. He probably hasnt slept for several days due to anxiety for the examination, thats why hes in such a state!" "Indeed! Even his eyes are red. To think that the Sea of Formations could scare someone to this extent!" The two juniors sneered. They were embarrassed over their previous anxiety, but this fellow topped them on it. His clothes were unkempt and his posture was ckened. With just one look, it was clear that he hadnt slept for several nights out fear. "Whats wrong with the guild? Isnt there a limited number of slots every year for those taking the examination? How can a person like him challenge the Sea of Formations as well?" The senior frowned as well. Chapter 483: Kick (1) Chapter 483: Kick (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Clearing the Sea of Formations would make one an official formation master, but not everyone was qualified to challenge it. One had to make a request beforehand and the guild leader had to approve it personally. After which, it had to be discussed upon during the conference of the elders, and a selection process would be conducted... And on top of that, one had to pay an exorbitant fee as well. Since this fellow was here, he must have obtained an approval beforehand. When did the guild fall to such a level... that even a person with such poor mental fortitude could take on the examination as well? It was one thing for him to be deprived of sleep, but more importantly, what that displeased him was the attitude of this fellow when facing the Sea of Formations! There wasnt a single person who came to take the examination that didnt carry fear and respect for it. In a sense, this could be considered as ones respect for the upation as well. Yet, this fellow was behaving so casually here. Was he that confident in the examination? Disgusted, the senior instructed, "Let him go first. You can learn from his counter example when he fails!" "Yes!" The two juniors nodded their head with a gleeful expression on their faces. They didnt carry any doubt that this fellow would definitely fail. The young man who had left the trio speechless was Zhang Xuan, who had rushed here from the library. After reading books for such a long period of time and mastering two dans of the Heavens Path Formation Art, it would be a miracle if he wasnt slightly withered. Thus, as he walked over to the Sea of Formations, he adjusted his breathing to rid himself of his fatigue. Before long, he arrived before the trio. Noticing that the gazes of the trio were on him, Zhang Xuan asked them doubtfully, "Are you all here to challenge the Sea of Formations as well?" "Were still conditioning ourselves. If you wish to go first, feel free!" Seeing how that fellow didnt carry the slightest respect in his tone when facing an official formation master, the senior flung his sleeves and harrumphed. "Oh. Since you all arent in a hurry, I wont stand on ceremony then!" It had been awhile since he had arrived at the Formation Master Guild, and Zhang Xuan was in a hurry. Since the other party was willing to allow him to go first, Zhang Xuan chose to not turn the offer down. With a smile, he nodded his head and walked in. "To go in without any preparation... Isnt he taking this too lightly?" Seeing how the other party didnt try to push the offer or even look at them before rushing straight into the Sea of Formations, the trio felt as though their vision was spinning. That was the Sea of Formations! There was no formation master who didnt feel fear for it! To charge right in without even iming the jade token to stop the formation, wasnt he being too brazen? "Hes just asking for trouble! Even senior was unable to clear it easily and yet this fellow dares to charge in without preparation. What else can this be other than courting death!" The green-robed junior harrumphed. "Indeed. I bet that hell be trapped in the first stage. By then, he will understand how fearsome formations are..." The white-robed junior smirked. Weng! At that moment, the young man walked into the corridor, triggering the formations. A mist slowly rose, shrouding his figure. At the same time, the young mans figure appeared on the wall beside. Wuwuwuwu! Spiritual energy flowed in the surroundings of the young man as though billowing clouds, sealing off his five senses entirely, leaving him incapable of discerning directions at all. "Its a Confinement Formation! Given how concentrated the white mist of spiritual energy is and how fast it is flowing, if Im not mistaken, he must have activated the [Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation]!" The senior recognized the formation. When one was trapped in a formation, one had to use apass to determine ones location and analyze the spiritual energy flow to determine the type of formation. But when spectating from the outside, one could easily deduce the type of the formation through its physical properties. This was much more efficient and urate than the former. As the saying goes, it is the passersby who sees things clearly. "Cloud Ocean Confinement Ocean? That is the mostplex formation among the grade-1 formations, and it is the hardest to deal with as well!" "That formation seals all of ones senses, leaving one unable to determine anything at all. Even if one could use apass to discern ones location, if one cant urately decipher the formation, itll be hard to escape from it!" They didnt expect this fellows luck to be that bad. To think that he would meet with such a formidable Confinement Formation as soon as he entered. The two juniors shook their heads in sympathy. Even if he wascking in capability, if he were to meet with an easy formation, he might still be able to clear it. However, having encountered such a formidable Confinement Formation, he could only raise his hands to surrender. "See. Even if you meet with a Confinement Formation, it doesnt necessarily mean that you can break out of it. Thus, you must be on your toes at all times and, by no means, should you underestimate the formation you are in. You mustnt be like this arrogant and ignorant fellow. Hes just looking for trouble..." Seeing how that fellow inside didnt even bother taking out apass, the senior shook his head, turned to his two juniors, and advised them. However, before he could finish his words, his two juniors widened their eyes simultaneously, and their faces starting twitching violently. "Whats wrong?" Seeing the two of them lose theirposure, the senior frowned, "Teacher has already told you that before challenging the Sea of Formations, you must focus your attention and avoid getting arrogant or anxious. Look at what state you are in, how do you expect to seed like that?" "Thats not it, senior. Look..." With a reddened face, the green-robed junior hurriedly pointed to the front. "Whats there to make a fuss about? Isnt he just trapped in the Confinement Formation? Dont worry, if he isnt out within two hours, the formation will dispel itself automatically. This is just a Confinement Formation; his life isnt at risk..." Harrumphing, the senior turned around and histter words immediately jammed in his throat. His body stiffened and his lower jaw fell to the ground. "What?" He thought that what he would see was a helpless young man trapped in a Confinement Formation, but contrary to his expectation, the young man was standing quietly not too far away, shaking his head calmly. And the mist that had shrouded around him had disappeared without a trace. In other words, the Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation which had left him fearful... had already been broken! To stop the formation entirely... I thought you wouldnt be able to ovee it? Even if you have the capability to do so, surely you dont have to be so fast? You didnt even bother taking out thepass or discern the flow of spiritual energy, and yet, in the time that I was lecturing my two juniors, the formation was already gone... Do you need to be so extreme? "What just happened?" Frenzied, the senior hurriedly asked. "We also... didnt see it carefully. We only saw him kicking the formation... the-then... it simply disappeared!" the green-robed junior said. "It disappeared with a kick? What in the world are you talking about?" The seniors face darkened. Im asking you how the other party overcame the formation and youre telling me that he kicked it? Kick your head! Do you think that a formation is a living being that will stop with a single kick? If that is true, then we, formation masters, would have long gone out of business! This upation wouldnt have been the dreams and fears of so many people. "It was really just a kick..." With his mouth twitching violently, the green-robed junior protested. He was already nearly on the verge of tears. He had seen with his own eyes that the other party sent a kick at the formation and it immediately stopped... But how could a grade-1 pinnacle Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation be broken so easily? "It was indeed just one kick..." The white-robed junior nodded his head in a daze. "Even he saw it, Im not mistaken..." Upon seeing his fellow peer confirming his words, the green-robed junior ascertained that he wasnt insane and hurriedly nodded his head. "Kick?" The senior felt frenzied. Your heads must be the one that was kicked for you all to say such ridiculous words! Formations are intangible... Do you think it makes sense for them to be kicked? "Enough. Regardless of whatever method he used, its just the first stage so its still within an eptable difficulty range. I dont think hell be able to do it as easily for thetter stages!" Seeing that his two juniors were getting incoherent, the senior waved his hands and looked at the young man in front intently. Since he missed it previously, he was determined not to miss the other partys actions this time. He had to get to the bottom of the matter and see what method that fellow used to break out of the formation. After all, it hadnt been too long since his juniors started learning about formations. It was possible that they were deceived by some bizarre method used by the other party, thus missing the true way. Hu! Thus, he gathered his attention to look at the young man. As expected, the young man who just escaped from the Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation didnt just stop right there. He proceeded on to the next stage. Weng! Soon, he came into contact with the formations of the second stage and a white mist rose up, shrouding the young man once more. "Its an... Illusion Formation!" The senior narrowed his eyes. After being plunged into an Illusion Formation a moment ago, he was already rather fearful of it. Judging from the type of mist and the movement of the spiritual energy, he immediately deduced that the fellow had met with one, and from the looks of it, it didnt seem at all inferior to the Illusion Formation he encountered previously! "Illusion Formation?" His two juniors were stunned. Sympathy immediately appeared on their faces. Honestly speaking, this fellow was truly unlucky. He met with such a formidable Confinement Formation in his very first stage so they thought that perhaps, his luck might be better in the second stage. Yet, he met with the Illusion Formation which their senior failed at. "Thats right. In the formation, the clear air is rising while the turbid air is sinking. The collision of the two produces a unique moaning sound which will cause those hearing it to suffer from hallucinations! That was precisely how I unwittingly fell under the illusion previously!" the senior said with a grim expression. Even now, when he recalled the experience from before, he couldnt help but feel fearful. As soon as he stepped into the formation, before he could even react, the unique sound reached his ear and assaulted his psyche, causing his consciousness to be fuzzy. For a moment, he waspletely helpless and defenseless. If not for his body being jolted due to the depletion of his zhenqi, he wouldve probably been unable to pull himself out from the illusions. "Its that fearsome?" The white-robed junior narrowed his eyes. "Doesnt that mean that... he has no chance of seeding at all?" "Breaking out of an Illusion Formation requires one to have high mental fortitude. If ones mental fortitude doesnt reach a certain level, itll be very difficult to escape from it. Given how he isnt even twenty, even if he started cultivating from a very young age, how strong can his mental fortitude be? Even I have failed, lest be said, him!" The senior shook his head. He didnt see how that fellow had passed, but it showed that the other party possessed a certain level of aptitude in formations. However... Illusion Formations were simply too difficult. It wasnt just about onesprehension of formations. More importantly, it was about ones mental fortitude. If one couldnt maintain a calm and impervious mind, it was very easy for to get confused and lost, thus resulting in ones inability to pull out from the illusions. In order to deal with illusions, he had undergone tough training for countless months but even so, he still failed in an instant. He found it hard to believe that a youngd who wasnt even twenty yet could do better than him. "Look, hes starting to kick around randomly as well... The heck!" Previously, when he sumbed to the Illusion Formation, he also began striking out randomly. This fellow was starting to show the same symptoms as well. However, before he could finish his words, his body suddenly trembled violently. As soon as the young mans leg kicked out, the corridor which was filled with mist suddenly cleared up. The formation... had been broken again! Chapter 484: Kick (2) Chapter 484: Kick (2) [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That was a grade-2 Illusion Formation! When he was within it, he found it hard to even discern reality from illusion. That was how fearsome it was... And yet, this fellows random kick actually cleared away the formation? Are you messing with me? He had said that the juniors im that the other party had broken through the formation with a single kick was nonsense previously, but this time... he had witnessed it personally. With a single kick, the Illusion Formation came to a halt... The overwhelming incongruity between reality and expectations left him on the verge of going mad. Possessing outstanding aptitude in formations, he had always been envied by his fellow ssmates, and he managed to be a 1-star formation master at a very young age. After driving himself to the core for many years to toughen up his mental fortitude... he still ended up losing himself as soon as he stepped into a grade-2 Illusion Formation. Yet, this fellow simply did a single kick... and the formation came to a halt! Did reality have to be so harsh? Did you collude with the formation to pull one over us? While he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, the anxious voice of the green-robed junior beside him sounded, "Senior, do you think that its calcted, or is he simply just randomly kicking around?" "Randomly kicking around? Have you seen anyone sessfully breaking out of a formation by randomly kicking around?" The seniors mouth twitched as his vision turned dark. He had seen people randomly kicking around to incapacitate an opponent, he had also seen people randomly kicking around and causing damage to their meridians, but he had never ever heard of a person destroying a formation with just a single kick! Formations were positioned to be aligned with the essence of the world. They were an unsubstantial existence, reminiscent to ones environment... Have you seen anyone destroying their environment through a kick? Thus... It was impossible for this kick to be of random nature. It was a purposeful, well thought-out, responsible, and decisive kick! It was a kick made after seeing through the facade, peering into the very essence, and determining the fundamental ws! Otherwise, how could a single kick break a formation? "It was intentional? Then... how strong must his grasp of formations be?" The white-robed juniors lips went dry. "Even teacher would find it hard to do the same!" Their teacher was a famous 4-star formation master even within the guild, but even he was incapable of breaking a formation so easily. "I have no idea either. However, as long as he continues attempting the examination, we might be able to see through something!" the senior said, suppressing his shock. There was a limit to his eye of discernment, and as such, he failed to understand how the other party broke the formation. However, if he were to continue analyzing the other partys action, he might be able to notice something. Perhaps, he might even be able to learn a thing or two from the other party and in the future, when meeting these types of formation, he would be able to break them easily. "Continues attempting the examination? You mean that he would challenge the third stage?" "Given how easily he broke through a grade-2 Illusion Formation, he must be at least a 3-star formation master. Naturally, theres no reason for him to stop here..." "Thats true!" The trio hurriedly turned their gazes forward. Indeed, just like what they guessed, that exhausted-looking young man who seemed as though he would crumble at any moment continued advancing forward after clearing that Illusion Formation. "At grade-3, a formation will require more than spiritual energy from the surroundings to drive it. Often, spirit stones will be ced at the formation core to power it. As such, the might of grade-3 formations is many times greater than that of grade-2, and with greater energy, there is more flexibility in the design as well. He wont be able to clear it as easily as he did before." the senior said gravely. All formations, regardless of the type or design, required energy to drive it. It was just like how cows eat grass and humans eat rice to move. There was nothing that could move without energy fuelling it. As grade-1 and grade-2 formations were of low tier, they could be driven just by the absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings. However, it was impossible for grade-3 formation to do the same. Even though formations could absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings, a grade-3 formation would still require an umtion of several months before it could be used once. Taking the Great Xuanyuan Formation for example, it had gathered an immense amount of energy over a thousand years but it was sapped dry just with a single usage. As the Sea of Formations was the examination criteria for formation masters in Honghai City, there were innumerable people who were waiting to challenge it every year. They couldnt expect it to recharge itself just by absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings. Thus, often, spirit stones would be ced at the formation core to drive it. With energy from the spirit stones, the formations would be able to disy much greater might than what they were normally capable of, thus making them harder to escape from. This young man had managed to ovee grade-1 and grade-2 formations easily but in face of a grade-3 formation powered by spirit stones, he probably wouldnt be able to ovee it as easily as before. Hu! In the short time which the trio spent chatting, the grade-3 formation was triggered and the young man suddenly disappeared amidst a white veil. In an instant, the figure on the wall seemed to have fallen into a treacherous trap. Descending flower petals alongside sharp glints of aura filled the surroundings, creating an extremely bizarre sight. "The descending flower petals and sharp spiritual energy... Could this be the [Qinghong Falling Petal Formation]?" The seniors lips quivered and he nearly fell to the ground from shock. "Qinghong Falling Petal Formation? What kind of formation is that?" The two juniors turned to look at him. They were only apprentices and they were here for the 1-star formation master examination. As such, they werent well-versed in some of the higher tiered formations. "I-its a... ughter Formation!" The seniors voice quivered. "ughter Formation?" The two juniors shuddered and they nearly bit their tongues from shock. Of all the formations, Illusion Formation and ughter Formation were the most feared of all. Yet, this fellow managed to meet with the both of them. Wasnt his luck a little too bad? Illusion Formations were already an exceedingly scary adversaryeven their senior was almost unable to free himself from itso one can imagine how frightening ughter Formations are. This fellow didnt take the jade token before taking the examination, he couldnt possibly die inside, right? Suppressing his shock, the white-robed junior asked, "Is this ughter Formation... formidable?" "The Qinghong Falling Petal Formation is a grade-3 pinnacle ughter Formation. Its said to be created by a man named Shen Qinghong 1500 years ago. The entire ground serves as a trap in itself, leaving one with nowhere to escape to. One will find himself dying tragically in the beautiful scenery... This formation has once killed a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan expert, and its known as the strongest among grade-3 formations... Could anyone say its not formidable?" It was hard to tell whether the senior was nervous or scared but his voice was slightly hoarse. "Killed a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan expert? This is alreadyparable to a grade-4 formation!" The duos eyes went wide in shock. Grade-1 formations were capable of killing Tongxuan realm cultivators; grade-2 formations were capable of eliminating Zongshi realm cultivators; grade-3 formations were capable of subduing Zhizun realm, Half-Transcension, and even Prolonged Longevity cultivators. And this ughter Formation actually managed to kill a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan! That was alreadyparable to the strength of some grade-4 formations... This formation wasnt to be trifled with! Even though they were hearing it with their own ears, they still found it hard to believe. The green-robed junior couldnt help but ask, "Then... Will he meet with any danger?" "Thatll be hard to say. Itll depend on his strength and his defensive measures. If he has nothing up his sleeves, only one conclusion remains for him... death!" Shaking his head, the senior was about to continue speaking when he frowned, "Look, the formation is getting into action now!" As he said those words, the sharp glints made of spiritual energy suddenly showed their ferocious side. As though arrows, they suddenly shot toward the young man from all directions. The might of every single glint was fearsome. Even a Zhizun realm expert would be easily impaled by them. "It depends on how he deals with the situation now. If I were in his position, I would try to dodge those glints before looking for a usible escape route..." Putting himself in the other partys shoes, the senior began to analyze how the other party could escape from this cmity. But at that moment, that ordinary leg was lifted up once again. Hu! Facing the rain of flower petals, he kicked. "That... Isnt that courting death?" Seeing that the fellow was still using the same move, the trio was frenzied. There were no threats on his life in a Confinement Formation and Illusion Formation so his attempt to stop the formation with a kick could still be overlooked. However, this was a ughter Formation! Every single glint was a small dagger threatening to reap his life, there was no one who could possibly withstand their assault. And yet, he was kicking against them with his leg... May I ask, what in the world are you thinking? Frenzied, they were thinking that even if this fellow didnt die, his legs would also be sliced into innumerable pieces when the entire formation suddenly froze. Hu! With a buzzing sound, the sharp glints in the air suddenly dissipated. The iparably powerful formation, which would tear the young man apart at any moment, suddenly faded away as though snow melting in the presence of spring. The young mans figure appeared before the crowd once more. "He broke the formation?" "H-he... seeded again?" The trio looked at one another and they could see the disbelief in their eyes. For a moment, it felt as though they were struck by a bolt of lightning. "He broke the formation with a kick once again. What in the world is going on..." The seniors body twitched. He felt a stifling sensation on his chest which made it hard for him to breathe. He thought that the other party had simply acted too quickly for him to properly discern what had happened, and as long as he could see it again, he would surely be able to determine the technique the other party used to break the formation and learn a thing or two from him. But from the looks of it now... it seemed like he was overthinking it! Breaking a formation with a kick... It was futile no matter how many times he saw such an entric move! How was he supposed to learn that? "Its not over yet, look... Am I mistaken or does it seem like hes going to challenge the fourth stage?" the green-robed junior asked. Hearing those words, the other two immediately turned their gazes over. The young man who had just appeared in their sights shook his head, as thoughmenting the formations weakness, and started walking toward the fourth stage. If he were to pass the fourth stage, it would mean that he would be qualified as a 4-star formation master... A fellow who wasnt even twenty yet bing a 4-star formation master? Who was the one who said that he wouldnt even pass the first stage? Who was the one who looked down on him just now? The trio felt their body stiffened, and they were on the verge of going mad. ... While the trio was about to lose their sanity, outside the corridor where the Sea of Formations was located, four incense sticks were lit in an incense pot. The smoke danced in the air, creating a tranquil atmosphere. "Guild Leader Zheng, what do you mean by that? You know that my three students are challenging the Sea of Formations today and yet you still allowed that fellow to enter. Is this a personal attack?" In front of the incense pot, a white-bearded eldershed out furiously. 4-star Formation Master Wang Haoxun, an elder of the Formation Master Guild. He was the teacher of the senior and juniors in the corridor. His three students were challenging the Sea of Formations today, this was something that had been decided upon one month ago. And yet, the guild leader simply came over and insisted on slotting someone in. He thought that the other party would be slotting his student, Xiaowu, in as that fellow seemed ready to take on the 3-star formation master examination already... Yet, it turned out to be a youngd whom he had never even met before. Even if he didnt meet the other party before, if the other party possessed true capability, he would have nothing to say. However, look at that casual andzy attitude, the other party seemed like he would fall asleep at any moment... Such a person was qualified to challenge the Sea of Formations as well? If he were to seed, it wouldnt be too long before the sun starts rising from the west! "Elder Wang, theres no need to be so infuriated. Itll help your students if another person were to challenge the Sea of Formations as well!" Guild Leader Zheng shook his head. "If he is able to pass, that will of course be something good. However, look at his attitude, do you think that hell be able to pass? If he were to fail, wont he simply cause additional stress to my students? If they were to lose theirposure, how are they supposed to take the examination?" Wang Haoxun harrumphed. Challenging the Sea of Formation wasnt just about ones understanding of formations and skills, mental fortitude also yed an extremely important role. Otherwise, if one were to meet with an Illusion Formation, one would lose onesposure swiftly and this could potentially result in failure. If those who challenged the examination along with them were to produce good results, it could serve as an encouragement for his own students to do well. But on the contrary, if the results were poor, it might leave his students feeling apprehensive and this would prevent them from doing well. "Dont worry. The reason why I slotted him into the examination is because I am confident in his ability. Theres no need to worry..." While consoling the other party, the fire on the first incense stick suddenly flickered and extinguished. This incense stick was known as the [Incense of the Formation Sea]. It was forged alongside the Sea of Formations, and it would light itself as soon as someone challenged it. It would take exactly two hours for each incense stick to burn all the way down. If the incense doesnt extinguish by itself during this period of time, it would mean that the challenger had failed to clear the stage and vice-versa. If the fire on the incense stick were to extinguish, the formation inside would automatically shut down. This was the reason why the senior said that even if one were to be trapped in the formation, there was nothing to worry about. Thus, the Incense of the Formation Sea served both as a timer and a switch. The four incense sticks represented the four stages in the Sea of Formations respectively. Since the fire on the first incense stick was extinguished, it meant that someone had cleared the first stage. "How about it? He has sessfully passed the first stage, what else do you have to say?" Upon seeing the sight, Guild Leader Zheng chuckled. "Hmph, my students entered much earlier than him. Who knows, what if one of them is be the one challenging the examination?" Wang Haoxun harrumphed. Even though the extinguishing of the incense sticks fire meant that someone had sessfully cleared the stage, there was no way of telling who it was. It had only been around two minutes since that fellow who was on the verge of knocking out had only just entered so how could it be him? It must be his students. "That... is possible as well!" Taken aback, Guild Leader Zheng soon nodded his head in agreement. Even though he had witnessed Zhang Xuans astonishing speed in setting up formations, he had no idea about his ability in breaking formations so he didnt dare to jump into conclusions. Even though the first stage was just a grade-1 formation, he knew that even he would be unable to clear it so swiftly. Thus, he also found it hard to ept that Zhang Xuan was the one who cleared the challenge. "Since its your student who cleared the stage, theres even less need for you to worry..." Shaking his head, Guild Leader Zheng smiled. However, before he could finish his words, the fire on the second incense stick flickered and abruptly extinguished. "The second stage has been cleared?" Shocked. It hadnt even been a minute since the first stage was cleared, and the second stage was already cleared? How could anyone be that fast? With a perplexed expression, Guild Leader Zheng asked, "This... is your student?" "..." Wang Haoxuns face froze. He knew the capability of his students very well. It would at least take ten to twenty minutes or even longer for them to clear a single stage. To break out of a formation in less than a minute... That was way too fast! Kacha! Just as they were overwhelmed with shock, they saw the fire of the third incense stick flicker and extinguish. "The third stage has been cleared as well?" Wang Haoxun nearly burst into tears. No matter how great his expectations for his students were, he knew that this was an impossible feat for the three of them. Of those three, one was intending to take on the 2-star formation master examination while the other two was challenging the 1-star examination. Since the one challenging the examination cleared even the third stage so swiftly, it could only mean that it was someone else. "Its that fellow from before?" With widened eyes, Wang Haoxun exchanged nces with Guild Leader Zheng and the two of them fell into a frenzy. They werent surprised by the other partys feat of clearing the third stage but that... he was simply too fast! They could still ept it if the other party was able to clear the first and second stage easily. However, the formations in the third stage were driven by spirit stones, and even they would be slightly troubled to break out of them. To do it so quickly... how in the world did he aplish it? "Since he cleared the three stages so quickly... Do you think hell pass the fourth one as well?" Recovering from the shock, the group immediately turned their eyes onto the final incense stick. This incense stick represented the fourth stage, as well as a grade-4 formation. If the other party seeded in clearing the fourth stage as well, that would truly be fearsome. A 4-star formation master who wasnt even twenty yet? More importantly, for him to break out of all those formation so swiftly, exactly how deep was his understanding of formations? This was something they dared not imagine in the past. Weng... Just as they were harboring such thoughts, the fire on the fourth incense stick suddenly flickered, and for a moment, it looked as though it would extinguish at any moment. However, in the end, it stabilized and was reignited again. "It didnt extinguish... It seems like that fellow didnt pass the fourth stage. I guess its to be expected. After all, grade-4 formations arent that easy to ovee!" Seeing the me on the fourth incense stick, it was clear that the person inside had failed to clear the challenge. Thus, Wang Haoxun shook his head. The speed at which that fellow had cleared the stages had frightened him. He thought that the other party might be able to clear a grade-4 formation easily as well. However, from the looks of it, the other party hadnt reached such a level yet. But that was to be expected. After all, even he couldnt guarantee that he could break every single kind of grade-4 formation, needless to say, a young fellow who wasnt even twenty yet. If he were to seed, that would be truly a miracle. "But in any case, it is already formidable for him to be a 3-star formation master in his first examination..." Guild Leader Zheng was slightly disappointed. From the speed and acuity at which that fellow set up the grade-2 Spirit Gathering Formation, he thought that the other partysprehension of formations wasnt beneath him. But it seemed like there was still some disaparity between them after all. Even so, given how he was able to reach 3-star at such a young age, as long as he were to work hard, it would just be a matter of time before he bes a 4-star or even 5-star formation master. "He didnt clear the fourth stage? Seems like... Zhang shi isnt omnipotent as well..." Hall Master Sai stood behind the duo. After seeing that the fourth incense stick wasnt extinguished, he shook his head as well. He thought that this fellow would cause a great chaos in the midst of challenging the Sea of Formations, just like how the other party did when he challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. However, it seemed like he was just worrying excessively. At his age, it was already extremely incredible for the other party to be a master teacher and a 5-star appraiser. If the other party were to be a 4-star formation master on top of that, he might have to start doubting the meaning of life already... Heaving a sigh of relief, he was just about to go to the corridor to wait for the young man when the ground suddenly shook. Hong long long! The sound of a millstone being turned reverberated in the air as though an earthquake. "What happened?" A grave expression immediately appeared on everyones faces, and even Guild Leader Zhengs eyebrows were knitted together. The group started looking around warily. Hu! Suddenly, the warmth in the room vanished and a bone-chilling breeze of air blew in. Kacha! At that moment, the me on the fourth incense stick suddenly extinguished... And soon afterward, with a crisp sound, the pot cracked open. "This... The guilds Eternal Spring Formation which is sustaining the Sea of Formations has been... broken?" Upon realizing something, Guild Leader Zhengs vision darkened and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Given that there were innumerable formations in the Sea of Formations, naturally, arger formation had to be set up to control and manage them. And this formation happened to be the Eternal Spring Formation which regted the interior conditions of the Formation Master Guild. Since the warmth had suddenly disappeared from the air and the incense pot suddenly cracked... There could only be one possibility. That was that the formation... had been stopped. In other words, someone had broken it! But that was a grade- 5 formation... Back then, the headquarters had sent specially sent an expert down here to set it up. Who could be possibly of achieving such a feat? In an instant, a frenzied expression appeared on everyones faces. "Could it be... Zhang shi?" With trembling bodies, a thought suddenly popped in Guild Leader Zheng and Hall Master Sais minds. The core of the formation was located in the depths of the Sea of Formations. At the current moment, that fellow, who was challenging the fourth stage of the Sea of Formations, was the closest to it... Other than him, they couldnt think of any other culprit. "But if it was really him... How in the world did he manage to stop the formation?" Guild Leader Zheng had a dazed expression on his face. There were specific tricks to breaking a formation. What kind of trick did the other party use to be able to clear the stages so quickly, going to the extent as to be able to... break even a grade-5 formation? Just as the group was overwhelmed with shock, a few figures walked out from the corridor. They were the three students who were supposed to challenge the Sea of Formations. Given that the formation operating the corridor had been broken, there was no way for the examination go continue on. Thus, there was no point for them to remain there and so, they came out. "What happened?" Wang Haoxun walked up and asked. "That person who just entered... broke all of the formations..." The senior shuddered as he spoke. "Broke all of the formations? So fast?" Guild Leader Zheng walked forward and asked, "How did he do it? Did he use Grandmaster Hong Beis [Celestial Chasing Formation Breaking Art], Grandmaster Nan Yangs [Energy Seeking Formation Breaking Art], or the Five Element Formation Master Senior Sai Yangs [Force ruing Formation Breaking Art]? Of all techniques I know, only these three can achieve such speed..." "Ah... Guild leader!" Seeing that the most authoritative person in the entire guild was questioning him personally, the senior was taken aback and his face paled. "Reporting to the guild leader, h-he didnt use any of the three techniques..." "He didnt? Then what technique did he use? To the extent of my knowledge, these three are already the strongest and most formidable formation breaking techniques already Guild Leader Zheng frowned. Were there even stronger techniques that he was unaware of? "What he used was..." The seniors face distorted in frenzy and disbelief. "... a kick!" Chapter 485: Quasi 4-Star Formation Master Chapter 485: Quasi 4-Star Formation Master Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "A kick?" Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun were taken aback. They were baffled. What kind of formation breaking technique was called a kick?" "Thats right. From the first stage to the fourth stage, before all of the formations, he simply kicked, and then... then... the formation simply stopped!" the senior said. "A kick each? You mean that... he used a kick to break the formation?" Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun nearly spewed blood. "Yes!" The senior nodded his head. The two great 4-star formation masters stared at one another. "Yes? Yes your head! What kind of formation breaking technique is that? Do you think that makes sense? "Senior is right! He simply kicked each of them to ovee the formations. The both of us saw it ourselves too..." Seeing the disbelief in the guild leader and their teachers eyes, the two juniors immediately stepped forward to testify. "Could it be that he was lucky such that the formations he met were some of the more basic and simpler?" Since there were three people saying the same words, Wang Haoxun knew that it was unlikely to be a lie. Thus, he tried asking from another perspective. In the Sea of Formations, the formation one triggered waspletely random and so, luck yed an important role in the examination. For the other party to pass all four stages so swiftly, could he have met with the weakest formations of each grade? "Lucky?" The trios mouths twitched, "Weve never met a person who is as unlucky as he is! In the first stage, he encountered the Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation, in the second, an Illusion Formation, in the third, the Qinghong Falling Petal Formation..." "Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation? Illusion Formation?" "Qinghong Falling Petal Formation?" Just by hearing the formations the other party encountered in the first three stages, the two 4-star formation masters nearly fell to the ground. Those were formations unparalleled in their respective grade! For a person to meet all of them in a single examination... Are you for real? How unlucky must one be for that to happen? ... More importantly, even though he met with those formations, he still managed to clear the stages so quickly? He even went to the extent of breaking the great formation sustaining the guild... "What was the formation for the fourth stage then?" Guild Leader Zheng hurriedly asked. Could the formation for the fourth stage be rtively easier? "If Im not wrong, it seemed to be the... [Drunken Heart Beguilement ughter Formation]!" the senior said. "Drunken Heart Beguilement ughter Formation... The grade-4 pinnacle formation which fuses Beguilement Formation and ughter Formation together?" Guild Leader Zheng eximed in shock. He thought that after the fellow was unlucky for the first three stages, his luck might get better in the fourth one. Who knew that he would meet with the worst of the lot! That was definitely the most fearsome formation within the Sea of Formations. Ordinary formations only took on one typethey were either Illusion Formation, ughter Formation, Beguilement Formation, or Confinement Formation... Under normal circumstances, there would be no ovep between the two. But this formation hadplemented the two together in a very profound manner. In other words, if one were to be trapped in it, one would first be beguiled before being... ughtered. Even Guild Leader Zheng had to admit that it would be difficult for him to survive if he were trapped in it. Yet, not only was the other party fine, he even broke the formation and went ahead... to get rid of the guilds main formation... Did you have to be so extreme? "Indeed. After stepping into the formation, his eyes were dazed for a moment so I thought that his mind might have sumbed to the formation. But in the end... with two consecutive kicks, the Drunken Heart Beguilement ughter Formation broke down and soon afterward... the great formation of the guild was stopped as well. Seeing that there was no way for the examination to continue on, we decided to just step out of the corridor..." the senior exined. "A grade-4 pinnacle formation and a grade-5 formation can be broken with a single kick?" Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun felt as though their worldly horizons were crumbling down. By the side, Hall Master Sai pped his forehead. He thought that Zhang shi would at least a little more reasonable here... But it seemed like he was too naive. That fellow was just intent on causing trouble wherever he went! While the crowd was overwhelmed with shock, the main character of the entire saga walked out from the corridor. In truth, the current Zhang Xuan was slightly nervous. The first three stages were extremely easy to him. Even without using the Library of Heavens Path, with just a nce using the Eye of Insight, he could easily find the core of the formation and kick them to a stop. However, the final stage wasnt that easy. A grade-4 pinnacle Beguilement and ughter Formation. If not for his Soul Depth having reached 12.0, the level equivalent to a 4-star master teacher, he would have surely lost his ability to think rationally as soon as he stepped in and died from the formation. At the crucial moment, he activated the strength of the Library of Heavens Path and found a few ws. Knowing that it was too dangerous then, he didnt have the time to analyze the consequences of his actions so he immediately kicked the two formations to a halt. "Seems like itll be best for me not to trifle with grade-4 formations in the future..." Remembering the previous experience, Zhang Xuan still felt a little fearful. If not for his high Soul Depth, he would have been dead by now. Since even a grade-4 formation was that scary, it was difficult to imagine how fearsome the higher tiered ones were. Zhang Xuan thought that formations were nothing but a decoration to him especially since he could determine their ws via the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path. However, he had just realized that his thinking was too naive. The truly formidable formations would kill one before one could even react. No matter how capable one was and how many ws in the formation one knew of, it would be for naught. "Zhang shi, you... managed to break through all of the formations?" Just as Zhang shi was preparing himself, he saw Guild Leader Zheng and Hall Master Sai walking over with a look of awe. "I only stopped them temporarily!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Breaking a formation meant destroying the formation core. Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for the formation to work again. On the other hand, stopping a formation was different. A formation which had its operation stopped was just a formation that had been switched off. One could still reactivate it after that. To summarize, it was just the difference of whether the formation core had been destroyed or not. Breaking a formation meant destroying the entire formation while stopping a formation meant using a unique method to stop its operation. Even though the effects were simr on the surface, there was a huge difference between the two. "Stop?" Hearing those words, Guild Leader Zheng and the others heaved a long sigh of relief. If he had really destroyed the Sea of Formations strongest grade-4 formation and the guilds main formation, then he, as the guild leader, would surely be held ountable. After exining the matter, Zhang Xuan asked, "Since Ive managed to clear the Sea of Formations, can I be considered as an official formation master now?" "May I know what cultivation realm is Zhang shi at..." Guild Leader Zheng asked. "Im at Half-Transcension... However, I should be able to reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan within the next two days." Zhang Xuan replied. Havingpiled the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan of the Heavens Path Divine Art, as long as he managed to find a Spirit Gathering Formation, he should be able to achieve a breakthrough very quickly. "One has to possess at least the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan to apply for the rank of a 4-star formation master. Your cultivation is stillcking..." Guild Leader Zheng frowned. Just as he had deduced before, the young man before him hadnt even reached the Transcendent Mortal realm yet. Bestowing him the rank of a 4-star formation master wasnt quite possible. As one of the upations of the Upper Nine Paths, one of the promotion criteria involved ones level of cultivation. Without a sufficiently high cultivation realm to match up with the rank, it wasnt possible for the rank to be bestowed to one. A momentter, Guild Leader Zheng said, "How about this? Zhang shi, Ill give you a quasi 4-star formation master emblem for the time being. At the same time, Ill report the matter to the headquarter and if they give their approval, there will be no problems giving you the rank of a 4-star formation master! But even if they do not approve the request, given your talents, you should be able to easily reach Transcendent Mortal 3-dan before thirty. By then, you will be automatically given the rank without having to take the examination again!" "Quasi 4-star formation master?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. There was such a rank? "Indeed. This is how the guild deals with individuals who were able to pass the 4-star formation master examination when their cultivation hasnt reached the required level yet! Its the same for most guilds as well. There are some upations that dont have a requirement on ones cultivation realm and an emblem is bestowed straight after the candidate passes the examination, but those number in the minority," Guild Leader Zheng said. Take the appraiser upation for example. Right after Zhang Xuan passed the examination, he was given a 5-star emblem. "Quasi 4-star formation master works for me too. Then... Can you give me the formation blueprint, g, and core of a grade-4 Spirit Gathering Formation?" The main reason why he took the formation master examination was for this. Since he was already a quasi 4-star formation master, he should be qualified to obtain them. "Un, wait a moment!" Seeing that the other party was asking for the items, Guild Leader Zheng shook his head with a bitter smile. He turned around to instruct Xiaowu and thetter left the room. Not too longter, thetter returned wiht a jade token, formation core, and g in hand. "This is the formation blueprint for a grade-4 Spirit Gathering Formation. You can record it down but make sure not to leak it out!" Saying so, Guild Leader Zheng passed the jade token over. Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan took the jade token and immersed his consciousness into it. A formation blueprint appeared in his mind, and it even described the various ways of setting it up when on the differing geographical terrain. "Hm? Wait, this Spirit Gathering Formation can only extract spiritual energy from ten spirit stones at once?" After reading the content and the introduction within, Zhang Xuans expression showed slight disappointment. The Spirit Gathering Formation was formidable, but it could only extract spiritual energy from ten spirit stones at once. Ten was a huge number for others, but to Zhang Xuan... it was far too insufficient. A single spirit stone would break within two breaths of his cultivation. Even though ten spirit stones could sustain him for a little longer, all in all, it was only twenty breaths. That wasnt really much of a difference from before. In the end, he still had to keep switching spirit stones in the formation while attempting to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation. "To be capable of extracting spiritual energy from ten spirit stone at a once, this is already the most efficient Spirit Gathering Formation in our guild. It is enough to sustain even the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert. Is it still insufficient for Zhang shi?" Guild Leader Zheng frowned. A grade-4 Spirit Gathering Formation could already be considered as top-notch within Myriad Kingdom Alliance. If ones cultivation hadnt reached the corresponding level, it would be very hard to set it up. If the other party still thought that it was insufficient, there was nothing he could do about it. After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan carefully asked, "Is there a formation... which can extract the spiritual energy from all of the spirit stones ced within, regardless of the quantity?" He needed to expend an ocean worth of spirit stone to reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. If he could only use ten of them at once, he would surely waste a lot of time. It would be best if he could put in all of the required spirit stones at a single go. In this way, he could focus his attention on cultivating. It was just like the petrol tank of a car. If it was the size of a teacup, regardless of how many petrol stations there were on the way, one would be terribly inconvenienced. On the other hand, it would be much convenient if it was the size of a fish tank. "No limits on the quantity?" Guild Leader Zhengs mouth twitched. "There is one but... that is a grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation. Furthermore... I only have the formation blueprint. I dont have the formation gs and core!" In Honghai City Formation Guild, the highest rank formation master, Guild Leader Zheng, was only at 4-star pinnacle. He wasnt capable of preparing a grade-5 formation so naturally, he didnt possess the materials required to set it up. Besides, these items were exorbitant, and if ones rank hadnt reached the level yet, it would be difficult to obtain the items. "Only the formation blueprint..." A deep frown was etched on Zhang Xuans forehead. Hed spent the entire day reading books and taking the formation master examination. Did he really have no choice but to ept this insignificant Spirit Gathering Formation and cultivate slowly? If that was really the case, then it was really darned! Chapter 486: Imperial Jade Sword Acknowledging Its Master Chapter 486: Imperial Jade Sword Acknowledging Its Master Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head, "This formation blueprint was left behind by a 5-star formation master back when the branch was first built. Otherwise, as a 4-star branch, even if we were to apply for a grade-5 formation blueprint from the headquarter, we might not necessarily be able to obtain it!" The formation blueprints in the Formation Master Guild was as strictly regted as the pill forme in the Apothecary Guild. One was only allowed to ess resources corresponding to ones current level. If one were toe into contact with advanced topics when ones capability hadnt reached the required level, it would only harm oneself. As such, 4-star branches like the Honghai City Formation Guild was only qualified to collect grade-4 formation blueprints. If one wanted to ess higher grade formation blueprints, one had to apply it from the headquarter and pay a certain price. Besides, this was only limited to the more basic grade-5 formation blueprints. As for the more profound materials, one would only have ess to it when visiting a higher tiered branch. Given how just the formation blueprint was so tightly regted already, no more needed to be said about formation core and gs. "Do I really have to head to higher ranked Formation Master Guild?" What in the world was this? He spent an entire day here and it turned out that even though there was a grade-5 formation blueprint here, there wasnt formation gs and core to set it up. Was he supposed to build it out of thin air? The higher the grade of a formation, the higher the demand of the quality of the two items. These were fundamental needs so there was nopromising over them... Was he supposed to head to the cksmith Guild to learn how to forge these items just over a Spirit Gathering Formation? Putting aside how it would take up a lot of time, the Honghai City cksmith Guild might, due to its limited rank, be unable to ess the corresponding information required, just like the Formation Master Guild. Besides, even if he could find the respective blueprints for the formation g and core, it wasnt guaranteed whether he could find the required material for it to forge them. Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan was distressed. He thought that buying a Spirit Gathering Formation would be an easy and joyful matter, and he would be done in a moments time. In the end, he spent several hours and the problem still wasnt solved yet. "Actually... even without formation gs and core, its not entirely impossible to set up a grade-5 formation!" By the side, Elder Wang Haoxun seemed to have recalled something and interjected. "Hm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Through the books he had read through, he knew that these two items were necessities to setting up a formation. These were the basic materials and there was no way to avoid them. Could it be possible that there was some secret method to go around it? "You mean that..." Guild Leader Zheng seemed to have thought of something as well and he quickly shook his head. "Are you joking with me? Thats impossible to aplish!" "Why?" Seeing that the duo seemed to have an idea in mind, Zhang Xuan asked curiously. "What he means is... inscribing a formation te!" Guild Leader Zheng smiled bitterly, "But inscribing a formation te is even harder than setting up a formation. Itll be impossible for one to seed unless one reaches the level of a 5-star formation master!" "Formation te?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Indeed! Why didnt he think of it? The formation te was a unique material that could substitute formation gs and core! "On top of that, itll be impossible to inscribe with it without a specialized carving knife. I once bought a nk formation te from the Appraiser Hall and tried inscribing it myself. However, the surface was incredibly tough and ordinary des couldnt even leave a mark on it. How is one supposed to inscribe on it like that?" Guild Leader Zheng shook his head. The higher the grade of a formation, the greater the requirement on the quality of the formation te. If the formation te was too weak, it could crumble even before the formation was triggered. The carving knives in the guild were only suited for the use of 4-star formation master. Even though they had a 5-star nk formation te, those knives were simply insufficient to inscribe anything on it, needless to say, draw out a formation. "Can you bring the grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation and formation te so that I can take a look? If I really cant think of any solution, Ill drop the matter!" Even though Zhang Xuan knew that what the other party said was true, he wasnt willing to give up on this chance. Thus, he made the request. "Alright!" Seeing the other partys insistence, Guild Leader Zheng nodded. Flicking his wrist, a jade token and a nk formation te appeared in his hands. These two objects were the most valuable resources of the entire guild. As such, he carried them with him everywhere he went. Grabbing hold of the jade token, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into it. Just like the grade-4 formation blueprint jade token from before, the grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation blueprint was also extremely detailed. All kinds of demands were written clearly on it. Zhang Xuan hurriedly remembered all of the details. "Its indeed quite difficult to set up!" Reorganizing the information in his mind, Zhang Xuan sighed. Even though there was only a grade of difference between grade-5 and grade-4 formations, their difference was immense. If ones cultivation hadnt reached the required level, even if one had the formation gs and core, it would be very difficult to set it up properly. It was just like pill forging. Even if a 1-star apothecary possessed the pill form of higher grade pills, he would still be unable to suppress the violent energy within the cauldron to forge a grade-2 or grade-3 pill. If the different ranks were so easy to ovee, there would be no need to create such a clear ranking system within the upations. "However, if I use the Library of Heavens Path to find out the various errors and ws in them, theres still a chance that I might seed!" With this cheat code, even though ordinary 4-star formation masters would be hard-pressed to prepare a formation of such a high grade, there was still a chance that Zhang Xuan might seed. Taking pill forging for example again, if there were no errors in the sequencing, one could easily guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill. Simrly, as long as there was no error in his sequencing, with just his cultivation as a Half-Transcension cultivator, there was still a good chance he could set up a grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation. But... These were just thoughts. Without the required resources, there was nothing Zhang Xuan could do at all. "I should take a look at the formation te!" Dumping aside those misceneous thoughts, Zhang Xuan took hold of the nk formation te. The formation te was ck and heavy. It was a little hard to tell what it was crafted from but if one were to only look at one of the surfaces, it resembled a smooth copper mirror. "This is a carving knife. You can give it a try!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still carrying some hope over the matter, Guild Leader Zheng whipped out a carving knife with a flick of his wrist and passed it over to him. Grabbing hold of the knife, Zhang Xuan drove the zhenqi in his body and slit it across the smooth surface of the formation te. Jiya, jiya! A screeching sound echoed. Even though the carving knife was sharp, it wasnt able to leave a single mark on the nk formation te. Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. It seemed like what the other party said was true. Given how the carving knife couldnt leave a mark on it at all, it was impossible to inscribe the formation on it. "ws!" Frustrated, Zhang Xuan muttered silently while holding the nk formation te. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He slowly opened it. "Grade-5 nk formation te. Crafted using Frigid Silver and Nine Inch Gold by 5-star cksmith Yang Shu. It is iparably resilient, and only a Spirit high-tier carving knife or a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon paired with Weapon Intent can leave a mark on it. ws: ..." Several ws were detailed on the book. Sweeping through them, Zhang Xuan realized that the ws were beyond his current ability to exploit. Thus, he was preparing to put it down when he suddenly froze. "A Spirit intermediate-tier weapon paired with Weapon Intent... can also leave a mark on it?" A Spirit high-tier carving knife was a tool specially made for 5-star formation masters. As such, it was impossible to obtain it. However... Speaking of Spirit intermediate-tier weapons, some of the Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts possessed them. Thus, it wasnt too difficult to find it in Honghai City. In fact, a lot of treasures that Hall Master Sai gathered were of that level. As for Weapon Intent, given that Zhang Xuan had evenprehended Sword Heart already, it wasnt a problem at all! The sharp edge that Weapon Intent provided was sufficient to make up for the deficiency in the quality of the weapon. The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible. As such, with glowing eyes, Zhang Xuan raised his head and said, "I know how I can carve it now! Is there anyone of you who have a Spirit intermediate-tier sword? May I borrow it for a moment?" "Spirit intermediate-tier sword?" Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. "I have one, what do you need it for?" "Ill exinter, just lend it to me for a moment!" Zhang Xuan said. "Alright then!" Knowing that it was impossible for the other party to escape with his item, Guild Leader Zheng flicked his wrist and passed a sword over. Grabbing over the sword, Zhang Xuan slowly drew it from its sheathe. A cold gleam immediately reflected on Zhang Xuans face. Even without infusing zhenqi into it, he could already feel overwhelming spiritual energy weighing down on him from it. As expected of a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. It was truly much stronger than the weapons he had used before. Weng! However, as soon as the sword was out of the sheathe, a spirit wave began pulsing out from the sword. The sword was trying to struggle free out of his grasp. A weapon of this tier also possessed its own spirit. It could acknowledge a master, and if someone who wasnt its master tried to wield it, it could possibly go berserk and even injure the wielder. "I apologize. This sword has been with me for quite a long time so its a little apprehensive of strangers. Allow me to talk to it for a moment..." Seeing that the sword was on the verge of escaping at any moment, Guild Leader Zheng immediately walked up with a reddened face and stroked his finger on the de of the sword, as though cajoling a lover. "Alright, Zhang shi needs your help for a moment so listen to him obediently!" Weng! Hearing Guild Leader Zheng speak up for Zhang Xuans stead, the sword seemed to have suffered a great injustice and its trembling grew even more intense. "Cough cough, dont worry. Ill try again..." Embarrassed, Guild Leader Zheng continued to stroke the sword and attempted to cate it. However, the sword didnt seem to be willing to give in at all. The more Guild Leader Zheng tried to persuade it, the more violent its response. "Old Zheng, youve owned this Imperial Jade Sword for a very long time already, but you havent made it submit to you yet?" Hall Master Sai couldnt help but ask. He was the one who sold the sword to the other party five years ago. He didnt expect that the other party hadnt won the acknowledgement of the sword yet. Once a weapon acknowledged a master, it would respectfully listen to themands of its master. In any case, it was impossible for it to react so violently. "Cough cough, you know that the acknowledgement process is extremelyplex. After apanying it daily throughout the years, even eating and sleeping with it, the situation is already slightly better now. Its beginning to listen to my instructions now. Dont worry, give me an hour to talk to it, I guarantee you that there wont be any problems!" Guild Leader Zheng smiled awkwardly. There was no secret to making a Spirit weapon acknowledge one; one had to apany it daily and temper it with ones zhenqi. The Imperial Jade Sword had been with him for nearly five years now, and the spirit was on the verge of recognizing him already. Even though he was still a long way off from achieving an acknowledgement, the rtionship of the two of them was already intimate. If he were to talk to it, it would still listen to his words. "An hour is a bit too long. Pass me your sword!" Hearing that it would take so long to calm down a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Pass it to you?" Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. "Do you have an idea in mind?" Unwilling to waste his time on words, Zhang Xuan created a loop with his thumb and middle finger, and he struck the sword on its tip, de, and hilt. Hu! Hu! It was as though the sword had met something that had terrified it greatly, and it began to tremble violently. With a darkenedplexion, Zhang Xuan berated, "Youd better stay put obediently. If you were to cause any more ruckus, Ill cripple you!" Weng! Upon hearing those words, the sword immediately stopped its actions. Then, a sound reminiscent to the chiming of a bell sounded, reverberating straight within ones soul. "Spirit Euphoria..." Guild Leader Zhengs body froze and his eyeballs nearly popped out from their sockets. "The Imperial Jade Sword has acknowledged him as its master? Th-this... What in the world happened?" Chapter 487: Does Anyone Have a Saber? Chapter 487: Does Anyone Have a Saber? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The sword had apanied him for five whole years, and the time he spent with it was even more than that of his own wife. Even so, he was still unable to fully tame it yet. On the other hand, the young man before him had only bellowed at it and it immediately produced Spirit Euphoria... Euphoria your head! Could you be even more shameless than that? I treated you as though you were my ancestor and not only did you not know gratitude, you even dumped me for someone else, acknowledging someone else as your master... Guild Leader Zheng felt as though his heart was being torn apart by countless des. His chest felt so stifled that he could spurt blood at any moment. His entire face had turned green. What the heck was this? Could it be that he had to use forceful measures on this sword to force it into submission? Seeing the awfulplexion on his old friend, Hall Master Sai pped his forehead. This was an overpowered appraiser who could even make the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets acknowledge him. Wasnt earning the acknowledgement of the Imperial Jade Sword a walk in the park for him? "Zhang shi is just borrowing your sword, he doesnt intend to take it away..." Fearful that his old friend might pass out at this rate, he hurriedly sent a telepathic message over. "Un..." Only after hearing those words did Guild Leader Zheng finally calm down. He suppressed the urge to spurt blood and turned to look at the young man as a sliver of doubt rose within him. "Wasnt he going to inscribe on the formation te? Why is he borrowing a sword?" The other party had dered that he was going to try inscribing on the formation te so why in the world did he make the sword acknowledge him? "Its to inscribe the formation te!" Grabbing the grade-5 nk formation te, Zhang Xuan flung his hand. Peng! The formation te lodged itself onto the wall not too far away as though a mirror nailed onto a wall. After securing the formation te well, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up and a ferocious might gushed out from him. Flicking his sword, a radiant aura shrouded it. "Sword Intent... Sword Heart?" Hearing the crisp buzz of the sword, Guild Leader Zheng narrowed his eyes. Despite being a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, he hadntprehend Sword Heart yet. To think that a fellow who wasnt even twenty yet would have reached such a level. Appraising, formation, and now Sword Heart... What in the world was he incapable of? "Weapon Intent is iparably sharp, and the might of a Spirit weapon infused with it can be brought up by a notch... It cant be that you intend to use the sword to inscribe the formation?" As the thought arose in his mind, Guild Leader Zheng nearly choked on his own saliva. A grade-5 formation te could only be inscribed on by a Spirit high-tier inscribing knife. However, a tool of that level couldnt be found in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance... This fellow couldnt possibly be thinking ofplementing the sword with Weapon Intent to rece it...! It was easy to make mistakes during the inscribing process even with something as light and small as the inscribing knife. To use a sword directly... Are you here to y around? Using a sword to inscribe a formation... Putting aside whether Ive seen it before, I havent even heard of such a thing before! You must be pulling my leg! "Using a sword to inscribe a formation?" Hall Master Sai and Wang Haoxuns vision also darkened. This was no longer about being brazen, this was insanity! One might be able to wield a sword with astounding dexterity, but to use a three chi (ten meters) long sword to inscribe marks that were countless times thinner than a strand of hair... How in the world did such a ridiculous notion even appear in his mind? Ding ding ding ding! But before he could recover from the young mans actions, a metallic sounding from the contact between the sword tip and the formation te sounded. Slowly, a thin mark appeared on the surface of the smooth formation te. "Its really possible?" His vision went dark again. What kind of monster was this? To be able to draw formation marks with a sword... Exactly how adept was he with a sword? "To think that I often make mistakes even when using a carving knife... Wang Haoxuns lips trembled non-stop. Even as a 4-star formation master, he still often made mistakes while inscribing on a formation te. Yet, the other party was using a sword, which meant that he had to inscribe from a distance of three chi away... Must you be so exaggerated?! "Its workable!" Contrary to everyones shock, upon seeing the formation marks appear on the nk formation te, Zhang Xuans eyes gradually grew brighter and brighter. He had only thought ofplementing the sword with Sword Intent to do the inscribing on a whim so he didnt really give much of an expectation for it. Driving his Soul Depth to the limit, his Eye of Insight flickered as he measured the various imperceptible bumps and depressions on the formation te. Holding the sword tightly, he strictly followed the method detailed in the Heavens Path Formation Art to inscribe the formation on the te. If a master teacher were here, he would definitely realize that Zhang Xuan had reached a unique state at the moment... Vanquishing Facade, Lucid Mind! Lucid Analytical realm! After the State of Mind 2-dan Heart of Tranquil Water was this Lucid Analytical realm. Knowledge was omnipresent, only waiting to be analyzed! At this realm, one would be able to peer through chaos to see the crux. At the same time, with a clearer mind, ones analytical power would grow substantially stronger. Paired with the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to inscribe the formation marks orderly, unaffected by any disturbances or emotions. Other formation masters had to use a carving knife to inscribe the thin formation marks but Zhang Xuan could do the same with a sword. While the Heavens Path Formation Art yed a part in that, what yed a more significant role was this ability unique to only master teachers. "To use a sword to inscribe a formation te... Its no wonder why he can break formations with a single kick. Who in the world is this expert?" By the side, the senior, juniors, and others were so shocked that their hearts were about to stop beating. Other people had to use carving knives toplete the delicate actions, but this fellow went on to use a sword instead. What left them even more frenzied was that he was able to do it as exquisitely as others... Even when witnessing it with their own eyes, they still found the entire sight incredulous. Ding ding ding ding! After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan retracted his sword and came to a halt. Then, he began to pant heavily. "Sword Intent is an actualization of ones concentration. Its very easy for one to get exhausted by maintaining the state for a long time, not to mention, when doing such a delicate job!" Upon seeing his state, Guild Leader Zheng tried to persuade him. "Theres no need to hurry. A formation te isnt something that can be inscribedpletely within a day. You should take your time!" Sword Intent represented a cultivatorsprehension toward swordsmanship. Activating it for a short period of time was still manageable, but even with Zhang Xuans pure Heavens Path zhenqi, maintaining it for an extended period of time wasnt too possible. "Un..." Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan began recuperating for a moment. He stared at the formation te fixed on the wall with a grim expression. Even though hisprehension of Sword Intent had already reached the level of Sword Heart, he was still unable to maintain that state for extended periods of time. In just a short moment, he already found himself on the verge of copsing. If he were to forcefully continue on, he might possibly wreck his previous efforts due to his unstable condition. "If Sword Intent is a bottle filled with water, if it were to be poured out, there wille a point at which it will run dry." Frowning, Zhang Xuan fell into contemtion. "Im already dried out at the moment but the formation te isnt even halfway there yet... Itll at least take a day or two of recuperation for my Sword Intent to recover..." Sword Intent was simr to zhenqi. There was a limit to how much one could use it at a moment, and if one were to use it repeatedly, one would find himself sapped dry. And that was exactly what Zhang Xuans current state was. Even so, the formation te in front of him wasnt even half done yet. What should he do? Did he have to slowlyplete it over a course of few days, just as the other party said? If Guild Leader Zheng were to learn of his thoughts, he would surely think that the world had gone mad. Even 5-star formation masters would require several days to inscribe such a high grade formation te with a carving knife. With a sword in hand, the other party still expects to finish it swiftly... Wasnt this clearly daydreaming? Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted over the next course of action, his eyes suddenly lit up. On top of Sword Intent, he hadprehended Saber Intent as well. "Right! Since I can inscribe it with Sword Intent, Saber Intent should work as well! Even though my Sword Intent is sapped dry at the moment, my Saber Intent is still at its capacity..." Having learned Heavens Path Saber Art before, his grasp over sabers had reached an incredibly high level of mastery. Even though he couldnt activate his Sword Intent anymore, he hadnt expended his Saber Intent yet. It was still a full bottle ready to be used at his disposal. Chuckling lightly, he stood up and surveyed the surroundings. "Does anyone have a Spirit intermediate-tier saber here?" Even though it was possible to utilize Saber Intent through a sword as well, due to the differing nature of the two swords, the might and uracy of his movements might take a toll. There was no need for Zhang Xuan to take such a risk. "Saber?" Stars appeared above everyones head. Arent you using a sword to inscribe the formation te? Why do you need a saber?" "I have one here..." After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai flicked his wrist and a nine-ringed saber appeared in his palm. It was heavy and ferocious, and one could feel a violent disposition from it. "Allow me to borrow it for a moment!" Walking forward, Zhang Xuan grabbed the saber and flicked it lightly. A sound simr to the call of a dragon echoed. "Good saber!" From that, it was clear that the saber was a formidable Spirit weapon. It wasnt inferior to the Imperial Jade Sword at all. "Ill return you the sword first!" With a saber in hand now, Zhang Xuan tossed the sword that he borrowed back to Guild Leader Zheng. Even though the weapon had acknowledged him as its master, he had stated clearly before he was just borrowing it. Since that was the case, he had no thoughts of iming it for himself. Besides, he didnt have much of an expectation for his weapon. Even though the Imperial Jade Sword was excellent, he didnt possess any greed for it. And if he really needed one, he could always buy one for himself. If he had harbored such thoughts, he would have long carried the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets away with him. There would be no need for him to negotiate with the Appraiser Hall and let them off. "This..." Catching the sword, Guild Leader Zhengs face turned red in embarrassment. Spirit artifacts possessed consciousness, and usually, if the spirit chose to acknowledge another master, even if the original owner was reluctant to do so, most would still choose to part with it. After all, if one were to forcefully attempt to retain control over the weapon, not only would one be unable to earn the acknowledgement of the spirit, one might even incur its hostility. There was no use keeping a sword that was hostile to one. Since that was the case, one might as well sell the other party a favor. Perhaps, one might even get a good price for it. Thus, he thought that after Zhang shi had induced Spirit Euphoria in the Imperial Jade Sword, he would have to bid the sword goodbye. Yet... the other party simply returned it back to him, showing no signs of wanting to im it for his own. "Zhang shi, you seem to be fated with this Imperial Jade Sword given how easily you induced Spirit Euphoria in it! Suchpatibility between a weapon and a human is extremely rare, and these encounters usually end up going on to be legends. "Ive owned this sword for nearly five years now but still, Im unable to get its spirit to submit to me. Since thats the case, I might as well just gift it to you and fulfill the both of you..." Gritting his teeth, Guild Leader Zheng presented the sword back to Zhang Xuan. No one could easily part with apanion who had apanied one over a span of five years. However, this sword had already chosen its master, and there was no use keeping it to himself. Thus, he might as well extend his generosity to the other party. After finishing his piece, he thought the other party would immediately take the sword away. However, contrary to his expectations, there was no movement at all. Lifting his head, it seemed like that Zhang shi hadnt been listening to his words. Rather, he was tapping his fingers on several points on the nine-ringed saber that he just grabbed. Weng! A crisp call echoed from the saber. Guild Leader Zhengs lips turned white and his hands trembled. He nearly threw his sword aside out of agitation. "Spirit Euphoria... This saber... has acknowledged him as its master as well?" Chapter 488: Self-Activating Sentient Formation Plate Chapter 488: Self-Activating Sentient Formation te Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had just said that Spirit Euphoria was extremely rare, and encounters like the one a moment ago would tend to go on and be a legend. Yet, at the very next moment, this saber came and did the same as well. Were they so eager to find a master for themselves? You all are Spirit weapons! Youre supposed to have your own consciousness and pride, and not submit to anyone easily... When did you all be so easy to deal with? If you are so easy to deal with, then what do the five years that I spent wiping the Imperial Jade Sword and nourishing it with my zhenqi count as? Guild Leader Zheng felt faint-headed. He was just about to continue speaking when in front of him, Zhang shi flicked his wrist and a burst of aura shot forth from the saber. Then, grabbing the saber tightly, he hacked it straight toward the formation te. "Be careful!" Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. However, before he could finish his words, his words abruptly stopped. Unlike what he imagined, the powerful saber qi didnt tear apart the formation te. Rather, it left strokes and strokes of formation marks on it. The other party was actually using a saber... to inscribe formation marks! While most Transcendent Mortal experts hadnt evenprehended a single Weapon Intent, he had actuallyprehended two already... Just this sight in itself was enough to send him into a frenzy. Your swordsmanship is light and adept, allowing you to use it in recement of a carving knife to inscribe the formation marks. Fine, I admit that you possess incredible mastery so Ill ept it... But sabers are heavy and bulky, especially nine-ringed sabers. That one in your hand definitely weighs at least several dozen kilograms. Ordinary men would find it tiring just to lift it, but to use it to inscribe formation marks... How in the world are you doing it? Can formation marks be inscribed like that? Guild Leader Zhengs vision turned dark and his body trembled in agitation. He had studied formations for more than eighty years now and he had always thought that his aptitude was above average, especially when it came to inscribing formation tes. However, after seeing the other partys actions, he realized that he was sorely mistaken. Since his talent was great, could he use swords to inscribe formation marks? Could he use the bulky sabers to inscribe formation marks? Clearly, not! That was a thought he dared not harbor at all. Ding ding ding ding! As the saber came into contact with the formation te, the number of marks on the originally mirror-like surface increased swiftly. Just as Guild Leader Zheng thought that the other party wouldplete the inscription process in a single breath, the other party tossed aside the saber in his hand, wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked over expectantly, "Does anyone have a spear?" "..." The crowd. A momentter, holding onto a spear, the young man stood at a distance four meters away as he brushed the tip of the spear on the formation te on the wall. Peng peng peng! The spear moved swiftly, and just like with the sword and saber previously, formation marks swiftly appeared on the formation te... Grabbing onto their chests, Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun stared at one another. Even when using carving knives, the both of them had to inscribe the marks slowly for fear of making an error. Yet, this fellow used a sword, saber, and now he was going to the extent of even using a spear... If he couldntplete it with this spear, would he use a hammer next? All of the formation masters that they knew of inscribed every stroke on a formation te carefully as though a piece of art, fearful that it might break if with they were to use excessive strength. Yet, the other party went to the extent of using weapons on it... Even though they were witnessing the sight for themselves, they still felt as though they were going mad. Some of the crowd clutched onto their chests while some covered their mouths as they witnessed the astonishing sight. In the meantime, Zhang Xuan was still currently immersed in his work. Having consecutively used the Weapon Intent of three different weapons, even though he was left on the verge spewing blood, what was fortunate was that the formation te he was working on was about to bepleted. "The final stroke..." With glowing eyes, he flicked his spear and drew out an elegant arc at the very center of the formation te. Hong long! Carrying immense strength, the spear struck the surface of the formation te and a deafening rumbling sound echoed. The wall behind the formation te was no longer able to withstand the immense pressure anymore and copsed, leaving behind a gaping hole in its wake. Zhang Xuan had fixed the formation te on the wall to etch the inscription. Even though the formation te wouldnt be damaged due to its toughness, the same didnt apply for the wall. Even though the Formation Master Guild had used the best Green Steel Boulder as the foundation for the building, it was still insufficient to withstand the relentless rampaging might of the sword, saber, and spear. The corridor which the guild used to conduct the formation master examination copsed and dust rose up from the surface, choking the surrounding crowd. "Cough cough..." Looking at the ruins before him, the ashen-faced Guild Leader Zhengs mouth twitched. Are you here to take the formation master examination or are you here to demolish the ce? You first stopped the main formation of our guild before going ahead to destroy the walls... What the heck was this? What kind of grudge does our Formation Master Guild have with you? "Is the formation te still intact?" Hall Master Sai hurried forward. Hearing those words, everyone suddenly recalled the matter and turned their gazes over. Given how even the infrastructure had copsed, would the formation te still be fine? "I have no idea!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Hurrying forward, he quickly retrieved the round te that was crushed under a thickyer of wreckage. He wasnt being humble by saying those words, he really had no idea whether the formation te was still fine or not. Under normal circumstances, when he finished the final stroke on the formation te, the formation should have beenpleted... However, he couldnt have expected the wall to crumble. As such, it was hard to tell whether there was any deviation in his final stroke or not. There was a possibility that the might of the formation might be significantly reduced with this error. He lowered his head to examine the formation te. On the smooth surface of the formation te, innumerable strokes of differing depths could be seen. It looked like an eight trigrams formation, yet at the same time, it seemed to harness thews of the world within it. With just a single look, one couldnt help but feel faint-headed. "How is it?" Guild Leader Zheng asked anxiously. If a formation te wasnt activated, it was hard to tell just by the formation marks itself whether it was a sessful work or not. "Let me give it a try!" Zhang Xuan replied. Knowing this logic, he ced his palm on it and infused his zhenqi in. Hu hu! Nothing. "A failure?" Everyones face paled. Apleted formation te should be instantaneously activated as soon as zhenqi was infused into it. Given that nothing happened at all, it could only mean that... the formation te was a failure! There was only this grade-5 nk formation te in the guild. After going through so much trouble, going to the extent of using sword, saber, and spear intent, he still ended up in failure... Everyone looked at Zhang Xuan in sympathy. "In the end, the might of those weapons was still way too great. Even though you curbed their strength, its still unsuitable to use them to inscribe a formation te..." Wang Haoxun shook his head. It wasnt without reason why everyone chose to use carving knife to inscribe a formation te. No matter how well ones control over his spear, sword, or saber was, it was still a weapon crafted for destruction. It was inevitable that it would damage the formation te so Zhang Xuans failure wasnt too unexpected. At that moment, Guild Leader Zheng suddenly shook his head. "No, thats not it. If its a failure, the formation te should crumble. However, it is still intact and the spiritual energy within it is still flowing smoothly. Clearly, it isnt damaged at all!" "Ah?" Wang Haoxun was taken aback. What the other party said was true. A formation te was, in essence, the miniaturization of a massive formation into a palm-sized round te. As such massive energy was being condensed into such a small area, the slightest mistake would result in the te breaking into innumerable fragments upon activation. But, even though the formation te in front of them wasnt activated, the marks were still glowing as zhenqi flowed through it. There werent any signs of the energy within going berserk as well. What was going on? If it was a sess, why couldnt it be activated? But if it was a failure, how could it still be intact? "Could the formation have been inscribed incorrectly? The spiritual energy gathering nature of the formation isnt working and thats why it is still intact?" Wang Haoxun asked. "Inscribed wrongly? Thats impossible!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had followed the blueprint strictly and even used the inscribing method within the Heavens Path Formation Art for it. Even if he had made an error in his final stroke, it shouldnt have deviated too much from its original intention. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to use the Library of Heavens Path to get to the bottom of the matter, Hall Master Sais lips suddenly trembled as he walked forward. "Can you allow me... to take a look?" "Feel free!" Seeing the other partys reaction, Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered. Even so, he passed the formation te over. The reason why Zhang Xuan managed to be a 5-star appraiser was mainly due to the help of the Library of Heavens Path. In terms of understanding of artifacts, he was most probably still inferior to the other party. Hall Master Sai had immersed himself in the world of appraising for more than several decades by now. Even though he might not know much about formations, his intuition and eye of discernment still made his judgement a valuable one. The other party ced the formation te on his palm. Hu! Before Hall Master Sai could take a closer look, the weight on his palm suddenly disappeared. The formation te released a light buzz before flying back into Zhang Xuans embrace. "As I expected... As I expected!" With a reddened face, Hall Master Sais body trembled uncontrobly. Seeing the other partys response, as though having realized something, Guild Leader Zheng couldnt rein in his curiosity any longer and hurriedly asked, "Whats wrong?" "Is this formation te a failure?" Wang Haoxun asked as well. "Failure?" Taking a deep breath, Hall Master Sai calmed himself down and shook his head. "How could that be possible?!" "Then..." Everyone blinked in bewilderment. Even Zhang Xuan was unable toprehend the situation before him. If it was a sess, why was he unable to activate it with zhenqi? "Didnt you all see the formation te leaving my hand on its own ord? Do you all still not understand it?" Hall Master Sai spoke in agitation, "This... is clearly the reaction of a sentient tool. It has assessed me to be unsuitable, thats why it chose to leave..." "Sentient? You mean... [Self-Activating Sentient Formation te]? This, this, this..." Guild Leader Zheng had to say this consecutively three times before he could bring himself back to reality. His eyes were widened and his body had stiffened. It was as though he had seen a ghost! "That is the ability that only a grade-6 formation te should have! How can a grade-5 formation te achieve such a feat?" "Sentient formation te?" Wang Haoxun also trembled in shock. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the formation te in Zhang Xuans hand. The more he looked at it, the paler his face became. It seemed as though he would turn insane at any moment out of immense disbelief. "What... is going on?" Seeing the frenzied look on everyones faces, Zhang Xuan was baffled. Even though he had collected all of the books in the library of the Formation Master Guild, and he had studied the Heavens Path Formation Art as well, he hadnt assimted them yet. Thus, he was still unaware of much of the jargon that formation masters used. "This... it means that the formation te has gained spirit!" Guild Leader Zheng said with a quivering voice. "Spirit? That does seem to be the case, but does it make a difference?" Zhang Xuan asked. Only when the other party spoke about it did he realize that it was indeed the case. Just like the Imperial Jade Sword, saber, and spear from before, this formation te seemed to have sprouted its own spirit. However, as Zhang Xuan had only just crafted it, hed failed to notice the matter. "Due to the size limitation and inability to harmonize entirely with the environment, ordinary formation tes could only disy half of the strength of a normal formation. If the formation master inscribing it iscking in proficiency, the ratio might go even lower." Noticing Zhang Xuans doubt, Guild Leader Zheng began to exin. Zhang Xuan nodded his head, indicating that he knew about it. When he was reading through the books previously, he had learned about the unique nature of formation tes so he wasnt too surprised over it. "However... this nature only applies to ordinary formation tes. Sentient formation tes dont obey thatw!" With a flushed face, Guild Leader Zheng continued, "Not only can sentient formation tes bring out ny percent of the strength of the formation, it could even grow stronger over time! "In fact... even without infusing zhenqi into it, it can activate by itself!" Chapter 489: Huanyu Empire Chapter 489: Huanyu Empire Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A formation te that possessed spirit wasnt only strong, it was also capable of absorbing spiritual energy to grow. More importantly, even without the zhenqi of a cultivator, it could activate by itself. Even though self-activation didnt sound like a big deal, it could prove to be useful in desperate situations. For example, if a person was under immense danger and wasnt in the condition toe into contact with the formation te, a Spirit tool like this could potentially save ones life. Thus, a sentient formation te was one of the most sought after protective measures of cultivators. However, only 6-star formation masters had the ability to create them. Furthermore, luck yed a huge role as to whether an inscription would create a sentient formation te or not. Given the rarity of the object, he had only heard of it from rumors. As such, he didnt consider this possibility right from the start. In fact, even after Hall Master Sai confirmed it, he still found it hard to believe that the young man before him could inscribe a sentient formation te. And more importantly, it was with a saber, a sword, and a spear! Who could have thought that those weapons could be used to inscribe formation tes as well? Recovering from the shock, Guild Master Zheng turned to look at Zhang shi and sighed. To think that he had thought that his capability was at least on par with the other party previously... At this moment, he realized that there were unfair existences in this world known as geniuses. As soon as they made a move, one would only find themselves being left in the dust. To ovee five formations in just a few minutes, and stop the main formation maintaining the guild on top of that. To create a sentient formation te using sword, saber, and spear... If it wasnt clear that his cultivation hadnt reached Transcendent Mortal yet, he would have thought that a 6-star formation master was going through all this trouble just to prank him. Disregarding the other partys shock, Zhang Xuan asked, "You mean that this object can activate on its own ord?" "Thats right. After one earns its acknowledgement, one will be able tomunicate with it telepathically to activate the formation. Theres no zhenqi required in the process at all!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded. "Thats great!" Hearing that it wasnt a failure in the inscribing process, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Touching the formation te lightly, he could somehow feel an overjoyed feeling being transmitted to him. Given that the formation te was carved using the inscribing method detailed in the Heavens Path Formation te, and he had utilized Sword Intent, Saber Intent, and Spear Intent just for it, he would find it hard to believe if the formation te was ordinary. "Acknowledge!" Dripping a droplet of fresh blood on it, he found amunication bridge being slowly formed between him and the spirit of the formation te. "Activate!" With a casual throw, the formation te immediately activated in midair. The spiritual energy within the range of several thousand meter came gushing in as though a whirlpool was pulling them in. Due to the intensity of the attraction, a slight moaning sound reminiscent of frenzied wind being blown past a cave could be heard. "Strong..." Seeing the rate at which spiritual energy in the surroundings was being pulled in, everyone was taken aback. As expected of a grade-5 formation. Its might was indeed fearsome. Even though they werent in the formation, they could still sense the overwhelming concentration of the spiritual energy within. It was at least three times that of the external surroundings! If one were to cultivate within it, ones rate of cultivation would definitely be increased by several folds. Furthermore, a sentient formation te possessed the ability to repair its own damages. As long as one didnt use it too frequently or cause irreparable damage to it, there wasnt any limits on its usage. "Not bad!" Sensing that the might of the formation was simr to that described in the blueprint, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Grabbing forward, he put away the formation te and turned to the elder not too far away. "Guild Leader Zheng, may I know the price of this nk formation te?" The sword, saber, and spear that Zhang Xuan used for the inscribing process were borrowed so he just had to return it. However, this nk formation te was bought by the other party but he was now iming it for his own. Naturally, it was only right for him to ask for the price topensate the other party. "Zhang shi, theres no need to worry about it. The formation te is useless with me anyway so just consider it as a gift from my part..." Guild Leader Zheng hurriedly turned down the matter. The young man before him was a person who was capable of inscribing a sentient formation te. Given his young age, it was likely the other party would go on and aplish great things in the future. Thus, Guild Leader Zheng wanted to make use of this opportunity to strike up an amiable rtionship with the other party. "A gift?" Frowning, Zhang Xuan shook his head, "Its not right for me to ept a gift when I havent done anything deserving of it. How about this, since you havent earned the acknowledgement of the Imperial Jade Sword yet, Ill give you a hand in it. This can count aspensation for the formation te!" epting the favor of another meant to be tied in a karmic rtionship with the other party. This burden was a little heavy to bear. "Youll give me a hand in earning the acknowledgement of the Imperial Jade Sword? Its possible... to help other people earn the acknowledgement of Spirit equipment?" Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. Earning the acknowledgement of a sword concerns ones intimacy with ones weapon. To seed, one had to spend time with it so as to tighten their bonds... Cough cough, its possible to help one in that? Why does it sound as though you are helping someone consummate their marriage? "Of course!" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward, grabbed the Imperial Jade Sword form his hand, and stroked it gently. "The Imperial Jade Sword has already acknowledged you as its master so how can it possibly ept me?" Thinking that it was impossible, Guild Leader Zheng shook his head. "Dont worry, Zhang shi is a 5-star appraiser. Since he says that he can make the Imperial Jade Sword acknowledge you, he must have an idea in mind!" Seeing the disbelief in his old friends mind, Hall Master Sai stroked his beard and said. His trust in the Zhang shis capability was nearly unconditional at this point. In his view, as long as the other party said that it was possible, it had to be possible. It was almost at the level of blind admiration already. "An idea in mind..." Seeing the confident expression of his old friend and recalling the various astounding deeds that the other party had done, Guild Leader Zheng was suddenly filled with hope. Just as he was curious to see what kind of astounding means would this legendary figure use, the other partys cold, harsh voice sounded. "Youd better acknowledge Guild Leader Zheng as your master and listen to him obediently. Otherwise, you know that I can cripple you within seconds, right?" "Cough cough!" Guild Leader Zheng and Hall Master Sai choked on their saliva. Their faces turned green and they nearly burst into tears on the spot. They were curious to know what means the other party would use but to think that it would be a threat! Do you not know that all Spirit equipment are iparably arrogant, and the one thing they do not fear are threats? To cripple the equipment within seconds... If it operated the same as a human, he wouldnt have been put into such a difficult situation in the first ce. Why did this young man feel unfathomable as though an incredible expert in one moment and a naive amateur in the next... "Zhang shi..." Suppressing his dismal, Guild Leader Zheng shook his head. He was just about to advise the other party to not waste his effort when he heard a wuuu sound. The Imperial Jade Sword suddenly flew toward him. Hurriedly catching it, he immediately felt the Spirit Euphoria within it. Clearly... the sword was acknowledging him as its master. "..." Guild Leader Zheng went into a frenzy. What was with this? If the other partys Ill cripple you within seconds actually worked, then what did his five years count for... If it was under normal circumstances, he would surely dance in joy upon seeing that the sword which he had been keeping beside him for numerous years was acknowledging him. But somehow, in the current situation, he didnt feel the slightest delight. Instead, he felt so stifled that he could spurt blood. "It looks like I shouldnt be so gentle when trying to win the acknowledgement of Spirit weapons in the future. Seems like callousness is the way to go..." Dripping his blood on the Imperial Jade Sword to seal the rtionship, Guild Leader Zheng reflected on his own mistakes. "I still have something to attend to so Ill be taking my leave now!" Having repaid the debt of the nk formation te, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bade farewell. His purpose at the Formation Master Guild was to find a Spirit Gathering Formation. Since he had already seeded, it was time for him to return to raise his cultivation. "Farewell!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head. Watching the young man and Hall Master Sai leaving without any hesitation, Wang Haoxun stepped forward and asked Guild Leader Zheng, "What kind of person... is this Zhang shi?" "Ive no idea as well. However... this matter has to be reported to the headquarters. The other party isnt even a Transcendent Mortal yet, but he was able to use a sword, saber, and spear to inscribe a sentient formation te..." Recalling the other partys actions, Guild Leader Zhengs mouth twitched uncontrobly. "Thats right, we have to report it immediately!" Wang Haoxun nodded in agreement. Since the other party had taken the formation master examination in their branch, he could be considered as one of their members. If they were to report this, the headquarters would surely reward them handsomely. The resources obtained from the reward would prove to be useful to them in breaking through their bottlenecks and getting their own 5-star formation master would just be a matter of time. "But before that, we have to look into Zhang shis background, where he came from and where he is heading to for the report. Ill be depending on you for this!" Guild Leader Zheng instructed. "Yes!" Wang Haoxun nodded his head and hurriedly left. Not too longter, he returned with a piece of paper in hand. The paper detailed various information concerning Zhang Xuan. As one of the greatest power on the continent, it wasnt difficult for the Formation Master Guild to look into the affairs of an individual. Not to mention, Zhang Xuan and the others didnt try to conceal their trail either. "He came from Tianxuan Kingdom? In less than three months, he became a 2-star master teacher, 3-star apothecary, 3-star physician, 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer, 5-star appraiser, quasi 4-star formation master..." Browsing through the contents, Guild Leader Zhengs lips went dry. The other partys capability had far exceeded his expectations. In less than three months, the other party had walked from a remote location like Tianxuan Kingdom all the way to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Despite his young age, he was already a member of seven upations, and some of those were even higher than his... How in the world did he do it? "I was also very shocked when I first saw it..." Wang Haoxun smiled bitterly. After gathering the news, he nearly died from shock. "Actually, I wasnt the one who gathered this information. Zhang shi had eradicated a small n known as the Lin n in Tianwu Kingdom, and that Lin n had extremely close ties with the local Formation Master Guild. Most of the information on the paper was retrieved from there." Wang Haoxun continued, "However, even though we have so much information on his background, we still have no clue as to what hes going to do next. Should we ask him about it before reporting it to the headquarters?" Guild Leader Zheng shook his hands as he said, "Theres no need for it. Given his talents, theres little doubt that hes going to participate in the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Tournament!" "Master Teacher Tournament?" Wang Haoxun was taken aback. "The Master Teacher Tournament which involves twenty-seven other powers of influence rivaling the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" "Thats right. This is a tournament conducted by [Huanyu Empire]s Master Teacher Pavilion in coboration with the twenty-seven subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions under them. Its a grand gathering that happens once every decade. Given the extent of the other partys capability, he will surely participate in it. Even if that isnt the case, he would surely at least spectate the tournament!" Guild Leader Zheng said. "Indeed. As an event initiated by the Tier 2 Huanyu Empire, it boasts of handsome reward. There is no genius who could resist its allure." Wang Haoxun nodded in agreement. "Given Zhang shis capability, he will definitely participate in it." "Alright, you should hurry up and report it. Even though we cant rival the Master Teacher Pavilion, we should at least make formation master his secondary upation. We mustnt allow his talents to be buried in the dust!" Saying so, Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun began walking toward the Communication Wall. Chapter 490: Transcendent Mortal! Chapter 490: Transcendent Mortal! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Returning to the Appraiser Hall, Zhang Xuan immediately headed to his living quarters, secluded himself within a chamber, and immediately activated the Spirit Gathering Formation. Having collected innumerable books, learned two dans of Heavens Path Formation Art, sapped dry his Sword Intent, Saber Intent, and Spear Intent, Zhang Xuan was already terribly exhausted. If not for an adamant will driving him, he would have long copsed. Sitting at the center of the Spirit Gathering Formation, he flicked his hands and a pile of spirit stones appeared around him. Tzzzzzzzzzz! As soon as the spirit stones were ced in the formation, the spiritual energy harnessed within was immediately extracted. As though vegetables being ced within an oiled wok, a sizzling sound could be heard. After which, the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding started rising swiftly. Threefold! Fourfold! Fivefold! ... In the blink of an eye, the concentration in the area had already reached sixfold of the surroundings. Pili p! As spiritual energy was being drawn rapidly, some of the spirit stones started crumbling. Paying it no heed, Zhang Xuan continued adding in more spirit stones to fuel the formation. Eventually, when the concentration finally reached tenfold, Zhang Xuan stopped. At this concentration, it was already no different from the rate of absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stones straight already. "Begin!" Since all preparations were done, Zhang Xuan immediately widened the pores across his entire body to absorb the thick spiritual energy in the surroundings rapidly. Then, converting them into Heavens Path zhenqi, he refilled the energy expenditure he had incurred before. Two hourster, his fatigue disappeared without a trace and he felt revitalized. He had finally reached his peak condition. "Breakthrough!" Muttering softly, the overflowing Heavens Path zhenqi in his body began to strike at the barriers restraining his further progress. Kacha! After a seemingly long period of time, a crisp sound reminiscent of a small chick breaking out of its shell sounded. As though having knocked down a ceiling capping him, Zhang Xuans body underwent an astonishing metamorphosis. Nourished, every single cell on his body and his soul were undergoing a rapid qualitative evolution. His lifespan which was capped at 100 began rising at a speed visible to the eye. 110! 120! 130! ... His muscles and skin seemed to have been reborn, and they became even more supple and powerful. Of ones entire life, the growth stage at which one had the best skin was infancy. During that period time, ones body would be overflowing with vitality, allowing all injuries to heal swiftly. But along with the rise in ones age, as one consumed material food and the impurities in ones body started to increase, ones body would start to decline. As ones regenerative function lost out to the decline, ones bodily functions would gradually fail. The Transcendent Mortal realm served to ovee this limit. One who seeded in the breakthrough would be brought back to their prime. Even a person who had a single foot in the grave would be overflowing with vitality. Even though the Heavens Path zhenqi that Zhang Xuan cultivated was iparably pure and was highly beneficial to both his body and his soul, it still wasnt sufficient to grant him the strength and lifespan of a Transcendent Mortal. Thus, before this breakthrough, he was still constrained by the limits of a mortal. This was the difference in the level of existence. Take an ant and an elephant for example, even the strongest ant could never defeat the weakest elephant. Thus, having this step into new realms, his body seemed to have been nourished by the most concentrated energy of the world, making him feel incredibly energized and revitalized. "Continue!" After reaching the Prolonged Longevity realm, Zhang Xuan threw out another bunch of spirit stones and continued driving the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. Just like that, he gradually broke through the various bottlenecks in his cultivation. Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage! Prolonged Longevity realm intermediate stage! Prolonged Longevity realm advanced stage! ... Two hourster, Zhang Xuan finally reached Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle. And at that moment, his lifespan had been increased from 100 to 200 years! At Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle, ones lifespan would be doubled. When he exhaled deeply, unlike the usual turbid gas filled with impurities that were clogging up his meridians, it carried the light fragrance of nature. Having reached the level of a Transcendent Mortal, ones physical body would possess the quality simr to a newborn infant, untarnished by impurities or pollutants. Due to the overwhelming vitality within a child, it was extremely rare for them to suffer from bad breath. The current Zhang Xuan was also the same. "Hearing, sight, smell... My five senses have been significantly enhanced as well!" Opening his eyes and looking at the distance, he could see the ants several dozen meters away clearly. In fact, even the singing of the canaries several hundred meters away were crystal clear to his ears. The rise in his cultivation realm had enhanced his five senses significantly. His reaction speed had increased by twofold. The enhanced senses made it easier for him to harmonize with the nature, thus facilitating the absorption of spiritual energy and increasing his rate of cultivation. No wonder there was the saying Beneath the Transcendent Mortals are all ants! Only upon reaching this realm could one understand how fearsome it was. "It seems like Ding Hong is one of the weaker cultivators at Prolonged Longevity realm. Otherwise, it would definitely be impossible for me to subdue him so easily!" Upon reaching this level, Zhang Xuan realized how fortunate he was in his fight with Ding Hong back then. Without proper guidance, that fellow had fumbled his way through the realms. Even though he had sessfully made the breakthrough, he was one of the weakest ones of the tier. If Zhang Xuan had met with a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance back then instead, he would definitely have been in for a hard fight. "After reaching Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle, my strength, when totaled up, adds up to more than two hundred thousand ding!" Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan chuckled in joy. At Prolonged Longevity realm, only ones lifespan would be enhanced. As such, before reaching Transcendent Mortal 2-dan, ones strength would be capped at a hundred thousand. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had already achieved that might at Half-Transcension realm. At this moment, along with the rise in his cultivation realm, his strength had increased by two times, thus reaching two hundred thousand! In terms of just strength, he was alreadyparable to a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm intermediate stage expert. At Origin Energy realm primary stage, one would possess the strength of 150,000 ding, 200,000 ding at intermediate stage, 250,000 ding at advanced stage, and 300,000 ding at pinnacle. And this was only in terms of zhenqi. If one were to factor in onesprehension of the nature, the strength at ones disposal would be much greater. "I can achieve breakthroughs swiftly via Heavens Path Divine Art, but... the expense is truly too great!" Having gathered more than a thousand cultivation technique manuals, Zhang Xuan understood the rate of cultivation of ordinary Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivators. Even the most talented person would require several years of hard work to climb from primary stage to pinnacle. However, Zhang Xuan had done the same in just two hours... Anyone who had witnessed the speed of his cultivation could definitely die of shock. But while the speed was astounding, the expense was fearsome as well. After the breakthrough, his Heavens Path zhenqi had undergone a qualitative change, bing even purer and less viscous. If the Heavens Path zhenqi were sand grains that could easily pass through small spaces previously, then at this moment... it was no different from flowing water. It could even slip through gaps that were indiscernible to the eye. With the increase in the purity of his zhenqi, naturally, the requirements for Zhang Xuans spiritual energy rose proportionately as well. Even though he had earned several ten thousand spirit stones through various means, there wasnt much of it that was sufficiently pure for him to absorb. Almost ny percent of the spiritual energy contained within each spirit stone went to waste along with his cultivation. He thought that the amount of spirit stones he had earned should be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 3-dan or 4-dan but from the looks of it, he was being too naive. The spirit stones that he had earned from the Appraiser Hall, the wager, guidance, and sale of the Soulless Metal Humanoid... had nearly dried out! In other words... he used up nearly fifty thousand spirit stones just to advance from Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage to Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle! If it was anyone else, this amount of spirit stones would be more than sufficient for them to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan. "Im back to bing a poor bloke again..." Smiling bitterly, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Three days ago, he had to go through so much trouble just to make fifty thousand spirit stones. He thought that he had earned a huge wealth capable of rivaling several kingdoms already. Yet, to think that he would be back to square one after a cultivation session... It was no wonder by people say cultivating was a money-burning business. From the looks of it, the description couldnt be any more apt. Without sufficient spirit stones, it would be difficult for him to raise his cultivation realm. "This kind of low-tier spirit stone is no longer sufficient to fuel my cultivation..." Smiling bitterly, Zhang Xuan contemted over his future course of action. Several ten thousand spirit stones were only sufficient to raise his cultivation by one realm. If he were to attempt to advance through Origin Energy or even higher realms, it was unimaginable, how many spirit stones would be required? It felt as though even if he were to earn several hundred thousand or even a million spirit stones, it would still be far from sufficient to support his cultivation. Furthermore, there woulde a point that the quality he required for his cultivation would exceed the purity of the spirit stone. At that point, all of the spirit stones would lose their worth. If Zhang Xuan wanted to raise his cultivation swiftly, he would have to find some way to obtain a middle-tier spirit stone. This kind of spirit stone possessed spiritual energy of extremely high purity which was much easier and more convenient to absorb. "Three days is up, Luo Zhu should be done by now. I should hurry over to the soul oracle tomb to find a way to save Lu Chong!" Standing up, Zhang Xuan walked out of the chamber. It was already the second day when Zhang Xuan went to the Formation Master Guild. After the hassle there and the four hours spent on cultivation after returning, it was already around the promised time they agreed on. This trip to the soul oracle tomb would determine whether Lu Chong could be awoken from hisa or not. Zhang Xuan would not allow any hups to ur. Heading to the lounge, he realized that Luo Zhu had already arrived. Zhao Ya and the others were also done with their cultivation, and they were standing by the side of the room. His students didnt let down his expectations. In three days time, they had all reached Zhizun realm. This was especially so for Zhao Ya, who had reached Zhizun realm intermediate stage. From her aura, one could vaguely feel overwhelming power. Sun Qiang hadnt been cking off the past three days as well. He hadpletely reinforced his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Even though he was still a far way off from matching up to Zhang Xuan, aspared to his cultivation of Zhenqi realm a few months ago, he hade quite a long way in this limited period of time. "Zhang shi!" Upon noticing his arrival, everyone turned their gazes over. "Are you done with the preparations? If so, lets set off," Zhang Xuan said. "Im done with the preparations!" Luo Zhu nodded his head. The items he needed for the trip to the soul oracle tomb were all ready. "Do you all intend to apany us to the soul oracle tomb or are you all returning to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" Zhang Xuan turned to Zhao Feiwu and the others. "The soul oracle tomb is dangerous so well pass on the offer..." Jin Conghai was just about to reject the request when Zhao Feiwu interrupted, "Of course well be following as well. Ive only read about the soul oracles from ancient texts. If their inheritance can really be found in the tomb, then itll be worth going through the danger!" "Gong... Gongzi, your body..." rmed, Jin Conghai hurriedly persuaded. He wasnt weak, and he was confident of protecting the gongzi under most circumstances... However, the soul oracle tomb was simply uncharted territories. It was a treacherous location even for him. Gongzis cultivation was as good as null, and if they were to head there like that, he wasnt confident of ensuring thetters safety. As the other partys subordinate, he didnt dare to take such risks. "Dont worry. Even though my fighting prowess iscking, I am more than capable of protecting myself!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled lightly. "Besides, isnt Zhang shi here? I am eagerly waiting to see how he will wreak havoc in the soul oracle tomb!" "But..." Hearing the other partys resolute voice, Jin Conghai was conflicted. However, he still gave in eventually. "Alright then, lets set off!" Since everyone had already made up their minds, they climbed onto the back of the spirit beast without any hesitation. This mount was Zhao Feiwus spirit beast, and it had a wide back. Even though more than a dozen people were riding on it, it wasnt cramped at all. Spreading its wings, it soared into the vast skies. Soul oracle tomb, here wee! Chapter 491: Coax Ridge Chapter 491: Coax Ridge Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A spirit beast soared in the boundless skies. It was the third day since Zhang Xuan left Honghai City. The direction which the soul oracle tomb was located at a direction opposite of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The geographical terrain consisted of winding mountains reminiscent of a massive dragon lying the ground, ready to rise into the heavens at any moment. Within the room on the back of the spirit beast, Zhang Xuan stood in front of the window with his eyes closed. In the past three days, he had reinforced his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle cultivator. At this moment, he was currently reorganizing the information he had collected on soul oracles in his mind. Back then, in order to urately determine the identity of the Soulless Metal Humanoid, Hall Master Sai had collected quite a few books on soul oracles. After duplicating those books from the Appraiser Hall, Zhang Xuan hadnt been able to find time to browse through them. Since he had some free time now, he decided to make use of this opportunity look through them. "Compile!" Muttering softly, the correct information recorded in the dozens of books in the Library of Heavens Path gathered together to form a new book. All of the soul oracle-rted books collected shared amon description on the upationMysterious and fearsome. Their deep knowledge concerning the subject of souls made them a fearsome existence. It didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to read through the entire book, and he shook his head. The heritage of the upation had been severed and there werent many records left on it. The books remaining were uprehensive and useful information was terribly limited. After browsing through the books, Zhang Xuan was left with more doubts than hed started with. "Forget it, Ill just deal with whatever thates my way!" Knowing that there wasnt any useful information to be derived from the books, Zhang Xuan sighed. Opening his eyes, he turned to Sun Qiang, Zhao Ya and the others and said, "All of youe here!" "Teacher!" "Young master!" The group gathered around Zhang Xuan. Seeing the grave expression on Zhang Xuans face, Zhao Feiwu asked, "Since Zhang Xuan has some matters to delegate, should we step aside for a moment?" There were many secrets within a teacher-student lineage that outsiders shouldnt know of. Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Theres no need for it, it isnt something major. I just want to remind them of some things that they have to take note of when were at the soul oracle tomb." "Oh? Things to take note of? Then... can we listen in too?" Zhao Feiwu, Hall Master Sai, and the others eyes lit up, and they hurriedly turned their attention over. Who was the young man before him? He was the master teacher who could even expel a soul oracle from a persons body! Not to mention, he was a 5-star appraiser and quasi 4-star formation master. How could the advice from such a person be anything ordinary? If they were to listen to his words, they would definitely have a much better chance at survival in the soul oracle tomb. "Of course, feel free!" Ignoring the excited crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to his students and subordinate and spoke gravely. "Take note of this. When were at the soul oracle tomb, if anyone gets possessed... make sure not to devour the other partys soul carelessly. There are questions I would like to ask!" If the soul that possessed Luo Zhu was still alive, Zhang Xuan would surely be able to derive useful information from him. If so, there might be no need for him to take the risk and venture into the soul oracle tomb. The more he thought about it, the more regretful he felt about the matter. Thus, he made sure to instruct the others properly this time around. Otherwise, if this bunch of kids and Sun Qiang were to rush to devour the soul oraclester on, it would be toote. "Yes!" Zhao Ya and the others hurriedly nodded their heads. In order to protect them, their teacher had left a surge of zhenqi within each of them. Even if some soul oracle were to charge up to them, they would at least be able to avoid being possessed. "Un, thats more like it! Alright, thats all. You all should continue cultivating!" After finishing his instructions, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Nodding, Zhao Ya and the others nodded and dispersed. "Just like that?" The others thought that Zhang Xuan was going to conduct a detailed briefing so they were filled with expectations. However, after hearing those words, the mouths of Zhao Feiwu, Hall Master Sai, and the others twitched; their nearly fainted on the spot. There was no one who wouldnt be filled with trepidation when heading toward a soul oracle tomb, fearful that something might catch them off-guard... Yet, this fellow made it seem as though he and his students were just going on a pic! What in the world was with that official allow me to have a bite first before you all devour your food announcement... "Cough cough!" Luo Zhu even choked on his saliva. For this trip to the soul oracle tomb, he had prepared many things. In fact, he had even written his will... And yet, the other party seemed to treat it like a leisure walk, and there wasnt the slightest worry in his attitude. Humans were truly born different... Suppressing his frustration, Luo Zhu nced downward at the geographical terrain, did a rough calction on their current location, and walked up to Zhang Xuan. "Zhang shi, were about to arrive at the soul oracle tomb!" Zhang Xuan looked around and asked, "About to arrive? Where are we now?" "Were currently at the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Nine Folds Mountain." "Thousand li of Nine Folds Mountain, ten thousand li of Red Ripple Sea. This is where the border with Mingxia Empire is located?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. There was a map on the Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the Appraiser Hall, and Zhang Xuan had browsed through it. As such, he had a rough idea on the variousndmarks across the empire. He had thought that the soul oracle tomb would be located in the middle of the alliance so he was surprised to learn that they were at the border. Mingxia Empire was another empire of equivalent standing to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. They were also one of the twenty-seven powers participating in the Master Teacher Tournament. The Nine Folds Mountain was the boundary between the two powers, and battles broke out here often. As such, it was considered as one of the danger zones. "It isnt at the border yet, it is located at the third fold, Coax Ridge!" Luo Zhu said. The Nine Folds Mountain consisted of a total of nine folds. There was a more specific name for each fold, and Coax Ridge was located at the third fold. Legend had it that a powerful expert was once assaulted by a spirit beast stampede passing through the region. Thus, he calmly coaxed them and eventually, the spirit beasts decided to back off, thus came the name of the Coax Ridge. Spiritual energy was concentrated in this region, thus resulting in many spirit beasts and savage beasts roaming the area. Thus, even though it wasnt the border of the two empires, it was considered as one of the more dangerous locations. Most people would avoiding here if possible. "There are many spirit beasts on the Coax Ridge so we cant fly over. Otherwise, theres a chance that we might be assaulted by aerial spirit beasts!" Upon hearing the name of the location where they were headed to, Jin Conghai frowned. A Transcendent Mortal expert was still incapable of flight yet. As such, it could prove to be dangerous if they came under the assault of other aerial spirit beasts. After all, if they were to fall from the sky, at such a high altitude, they would most probably die immediately upon contact with the ground. Thus, very few people would dare to ride a flying mount through where aerial spirit beasts were numerous. "Elder Jin is right. However, theres no need to worry. Since Gongzis spirit beast has reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle, most spirit beasts wouldnt dare trifle with it. We should be able to fly straight to our destination. "But of course, we cantnd directly at the location itself. Theres a formidable aerial spirit beast living in the vicinity of the soul oracle tomb. Im afraid that we might incur its wrath if we were to approach carelessly!" "You mean that [Demon Cinque Beast]?" Jin Conghai asked. "Elder, you also know about this beast?" Luo Zhu was taken aback. "Of course I do! On top of its ability of flight, it has reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, thus making it a fearsome existence. It has terrorized some of the neighboring viges and killed on numerous asions. In order to deal with it, the alliance has tried sending many experts to kill it several times, only to end in failure!" With a grim expression, Jin Conghai continued, "Furthermore, on top of its speed and strength, it is said to possess a Dragon Bloodline, thus granting it nearly invincible defense. As such, its a troublesome adversary to deal with. Even the Beast Hall isnt able to do anything about it. You said that the soul oracle is near to its nest, may I know how far away it is?" "It is only several hundred meters away from its nest. Thest time I came, I studied its habits and sneaked in while it was busy looking for food. There are more of us this time around so it will be easier for us to get caught. Thus, I think we should proceed carefully," Luo Zhu said. "Several hundred meters? Thats a little too close..." Jin Conghai frowned. At Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm, ones soul would gain a certain level of autonomy from ones body. Under such a state, just by ones senses, one could easily perceive the happenings within a radius of several hundred meters around one. At such a distance, it was almost impossible for them to rm the other party even if they were to proceed carefully. Even though Jin Conghai was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert as well, he was only at primary stage. On top of that, the Demon Cinque Beast was an aerial spirit beast possessing a Dragon Bloodline. He wasnt a match for the other party at all. Even though he could resort to poison, he needed the other party to be unguarded first. Putting aside how the Demon Cinque Beast was wary of humans, the Dragon Bloodline also provided it with an extremely high immunity to poison. If he were to fail to kill it in a single shot, he might incur the other partys fury and cause everyones death. The soul oracle tomb was already dangerous by itself, to think that there would be such a ferocious fellow camping in the surroundings on top of that. After hesitating for a moment, Luo Zhu said, "It is an extremely short distance, but after hiding in this region for three months, I managed to find some patterns in its behavior. As long as we proceed carefully, we shouldnt get noticed." "Since you managed to find some patterns in its behavior, why dont we do it this way?" After contemting for a moment, Jin Conghai turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Zhang shi, shall we stop two kilometers away from the Demon Cinques nest and slowly walk over?" Unknowingly, Zhang Xuan had be the de facto leader of the group. It had be a habit for them to look to him for answers. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded. He had never been here before, and he didnt know about the Demon Cinque Beast or how strong it was. Since the duo had already discussed it, he thought that it should be fine to go along with their decision. Two kilometers wasnt much of a distance to cultivators of their capability. "Alright. Tell me when were nearing the location. Ill have the tamed beast make anding," Jin Conghai said. "Un!" Luo Zhu nodded. While the others were discussing, Sun Qiang, upon seeing Hall Master Sais face turn pale after hearing about the Demon Cinque Beast, couldnt hold himself back and asked, "Have you heard of that Demon Cinque Beast as well?" "Of course Ive heard of it!" Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly. "That fellow is iparably strong. Its said that the head of the Beast Hall has once led twelve elders to encircle and subdue it, but the operation eventually ended in failure!" "Twelve elders?" "Thats right. Those who are qualified to be elders in the Beast Hall possess cultivation at least that of my level. Much can be said about the strength of the Demon Cinque Beast given how they failed despite mobilizing so many experts!" Hall Master Sai shook his head, "Not only is that fellow capable of flight, due to its Dragon Bloodline, it possesses incredible defense as well. Even Spirit intermediate-tier weapons could do no harm to it. "On top of that, it has a violent temper and it is extremely territorial... If it is really guarding that area, it wont be easy for us to approach..." "Are you afraid?" Interrupting the other partys words, Sun Qiang uttered in disdain. "If you are scared, you might as well leave right now. To think that youre still the head of the Appraiser Hall..." "Me... afraid?" Seeing the other partys expression, Hall Master Sai nearly fainted. To think that a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert like him would be looked down on and mocked by an insignificant butler... Infuriated, he was just about tosh out when Luo Zhus voice echoed. "Were here..." After which, the aerial spirit beast began on its descend, headed straight for the winding mountain range. Chapter 492: Someone Is Here Chapter 492: Someone Is Here Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Jumping off the back of the spirit beast, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and immediately felt the dense spiritual energy in the surroundings. The concentration of spiritual energy here was indeed much higher than anywhere else. "Its nearly twofold!" Zhang Xuan evaluated. It was no wonder why Jin Conghai and Luo Zhu said that there were many spirit beasts here. With such dense spiritual energy, ones rate of cultivation would definitely be fast. Under such circumstances, it wasnt surprising for spirit beasts to be attracted to the region. Regardless of whether it was a spirit beast or savage beast, just like humans, they preferred areas with high concentration of spiritual energy. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings. As expected, he saw the traces of many savage beasts and spirit beasts. "Hmm? Why are there so many footprints?" Suddenly, Zhang Xuans eyes fell on a particr spot. No too far away, on top of the w prints of spirit beasts, he noticed some human footprints as well. There were nearly ten of such trails, and judging from the moisture of the surrounding ground, those footprints seemed to be freshly made. "Someone has just walked by here. Could they know about the soul oracle tomb as well?" Seeing those footprints, Jin Conghais eyebrows knitted together. A radius of two kilometers was about the limit of the Demon Cinque Beasts perception. Before such danger, one should be eager to escape as far as possible. Why would anyone walk in to court their deaths? Unless there was a greater profit driving them... In other words, there was a good chance that someone knew about the existence of the soul oracle tomb as well. This ancient upation might be mysterious and feared, but it was still a trove of knowledge and power. Many experts would definitely rush in if they were to learn of the location of the tomb. It was just like how the auction of the Soulless Metal Humanoid managed to attract the attention of so many powers. "Impossible! The location of the soul oracle tomb is deeply hidden. Even I had to spend a very long time searching before finding it despite possessing some hints on its location. Besides, when I left the tomb, I sealed tightly and concealed it..." Luo Zhu shook his head. The inheritance of the soul oracles had been severed since ancient times. The only reason why he could find the soul oracle tomb was due to some information he retrieved from another ancient tomb. The seniors of the ancient tombs owner had participated in the building of the soul oracle tomb, and they had left behind some hints on its location inside. It took him great effort to decipher the clues to pinpoint the soul oracle tomb to this area. He didnt think that there would be another person who would be as lucky as him. "Then those footprints..." Jin Conghai questioned doubtfully. "I have no idea either..." Even though he was certain that the location of the soul oracle tomb wouldnt be exposed, he couldnt help but feel slightly worried by those fresh footprints. "Are these footprints pointed toward the direction of the soul oracle tomb?" Zhang Xuan asked. After calcting the direction for a moment, Luo Zhu replied, "... Thats right." "Theres no point thinking about it here. Lets go up and take a look!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. There was no point getting distressed over the matter here. If someone had really beaten them to it, they might as well just go forward to take a look. It would be best if they could share some information regarding the soul oracle tomb, and if not, he would find some way to deal with it then. Besides, these footprints did not necessarily mean that those people were headed for the soul oracle tomb. "Un!" Everyone nodded, and the group proceeded forward. "The number of footprints are increasing..." The further they advanced, the more footprints that appeared. It seemed like quite a substantial group was gathered here. Analyzing the footprints, Jin Conghai said, "These footprints are extremely light, and the distance between every single footprint is almost identical... This means that those people possess a powerful control over the environment. From this, we can conclude the ones who left the footsteps behind were mostly Transcendent Mortal 2-dan or 3-dan experts!" As a poison master, he was often pursued by his enemies. Thus, in order to protect himself, he had specially studied tracking skills, granting him exceptional acuity in his assessment toward such matters. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Zhang Xuan had never studied books regarding tracking, but based on the feedback from the Eye of Insight, he came to the same conclusion as well. Knowing that the other party was arge group of experts, Jin Conghais face turned grim. As he advanced forward, he sent a telepathic message to Zhao Feiwu. "Gongzi, if there is any danger, summon the tamed beast immediately and leave along with the rest!" Zhao Feiwu turned to him and asked, "What about you?" "Even though my fighting prowess isnt top-notch in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, I still do possess some life-preserving skills. If I have to take care of the rest of you while in danger, none of us will survive!" Jin Conghai said. As a poison master, it wouldnt be easy to kill him. The one thing that poison masters didnt fear at all was encirclement. "Alright!" Seeing that the other party had already made up his mind, Zhao Feiwu nodded. Even though plundering was rare under the influence of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it didnt mean that it didnt happen at all. If they were toe under attack in the wilderness, there would be no one to redress their grievances. Even if she was the princess of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, considering how difficult it would be to trace down the culprits, it was unlikely that the enemies would give them any ck. "You all be careful as well!" Zhang Xuan turned to instruct Zhao Ya and the others as well before walking in front of them. Even if he were to meet with danger, with the Eye of Insight, Library of Heavens Path, and Heavens Path Movement Art, he was still able to take care of himself. However, his students had just achieved a breakthrough not too long ago, and they had yet to reach Transcendent Mortal realm as well. Thus, they might be unable to cope. "Yes!" Seeing their teachers back in front of them, Zhao Ya and the others found their anxiety disappearing. Their teachers silhouette felt like a reliable mountain to them. Regardless of where they were, as long as their teacher was with them, they felt as though there was nothing that they couldnt ovee. After carefully advancing forward for around a kilometer, the group passed a ridge and saw a valley before them. The valley was extremely deep, and they couldnt see the end at a single nce. It was filled with all kinds of trees and nts, and due to the high concentration of spiritual energy, they were exceptionally lush. At this point, the footprints from before disappeared as well. Luo Zhu walked forward and said, "Zhang shi, the soul oracle tomb is within the valley..." "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He was just about to instruct the group to be careful when hu!, a few figures appeared from the bushes and blocked the advance of the group. "Identify yourselves!" Hostility could be heard the other partys deep voice. Zhang Xuan nced at the few figures before him. There was a total of six men, and all of them were in their thirties. Vaguely, one could sense an aura no weaker than a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan from them. The strongest of them, a gray-robed man, had even reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan, Yin-Yang realm. With this kind of strength, he was on par even with that 4-star master teacher Zhang Xuan met before, Song Chao. "Who are you all?" Stepping forward, Jin Conghai revealed his cultivation. "What do you all intend to do by hiding here?" "Transcendent Mortal 4-dan?" Upon feeling the immense strength Jin Conghai was exerting, the faces of the men paled. They nced at one another, and eventually, the gray-robed man said, "Elder, our elders are currently doing something inside and they mustnt be interrupted now. I beseech you all to take a detour instead!" "Detour?" Frowning, Jin Conghais face darkened. "We have matters to attend inside as well, I ask of you to give way!" "Elder, do you intend to barge through?" Seeing that the other party had no intention to give in, the mensplexion turned awful. Hula! Crisp sounds echoed in the air as they drew their swords. Even though they were only Transcendent Mortal 2-dan and 3-dan cultivators, they had no intention of stepping back either. "Hah! Even if I do intend to barge through, do you all think you can stop me?" With a powerful and authoritative disposition, Jin Conghai stepped forward. Chapter 493: Hall Master of the Beast Hall Chapter 493: Hall Master of the Beast Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I have to try even if I cant!" The gray-robed man didnt retreat. Instead, he stepped forward and beckoned for the others. Then, all of a sudden, with a light metallic buzz, the few men charged forward simultaneously, and their weapons formed a of swords headed straight toward Jin Conghai. Their cultivation was far inferior to Jin Conghai but the powerful sword qi they were emitting felt indomitable. "A coborative formation?" Jin Conghai frowned. The movements of these men wereplementing one another via the usage of a battle formation. Furthermore, from the looks of it, the formation didnt seem to be weak at all. Even with Jin Conghais superior cultivation realm, he would probably be in for a difficult fight. The main function of this kind of coborative formation was to amplify the strength of a group to match up to a cultivator far stronger than them. It was just like how Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and the others were not a match for Lu Xun individually back then, but through the use of a coborative formation, they still managed to subdue thetter. Of the six men, the strongest person, the gray-robed man, was only a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan and the rest were all Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. However, through the use of a formation, they could disy strength several folds higher. A wave of sword qi gushed straight at Jin Conghai. Even when their opponent was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, they were still able to stand their ground. "Hmph!" Without the slightest fluster, Jin Conghai stomped his feet on the ground and charged forward. Zhenqi gushed into his fingers as hepressed the surrounding air, deflecting the sword qi that were rushing at him. This was the first time Zhang Xuan had seen a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert fighting at his full strength, and the battle was way beyond his expectations. Every single one of Jin Conghais move seemed to carry a unique order. His blows were heavy at a moment, light in the next, and the air in the surroundings seemed to move toplement his movements. Even though the other partys formation was profound and formidable, it wouldnt be easy for them to hurt him. However, he was restricted by the six swords. It would be difficult for him to break out of it within a short period of time. Admittedly, if he were to resort to his poison, he could subdue the other party immediately. However, there wasnt an irreconcble grudge between him and those men. Also, they werent worthy of having him reveal his hand as well. Peng peng peng! Both sides shed furiously with one another, but the shock wave was only confined to an area of several dozen meters. This revealed the precise control they had over their strength. "Let me help you!" Seeing that it would be impossible for the fight to end in the short run, Hall Master Sai was fearful that if they were to be stalled here for too long, the Demon Cinque Beast might be rmed. Thus, bellowing deeply, he stepped into the battle as well. His fighting prowess wasnt inferior to Jin Conghai in the least. With his entry, the coborative sword formation immediately fell apart, and the six young men were jolted backward. After several collisions, their swords were knocked away and they fell into a weak state. Given their cultivation realm, it was impossible for them to face two 4-dan experts simultaneously. "Alright!" Seeing that the six men were on the verge of defeat, Hall Master Sai and Jin Conghai prepared to advance forward to deal the final blow when Zhang Xuan suddenly shook his hands. "Thats enough, were all on the same side!" Hearing those words, everyone was taken aback. Could it be that Zhang shi knew the other party? "On the same side?" The gray-robed man was perplexed, and he looked at Zhang Xuan with a bewildered nce. "I am Beast Tamer Zhang Xuan!" Ignoring the other partys attitude, Zhang Xuan stepped forward, flicked his wrist, and took out a beast tamer emblem. "If Im not wrong, all of you are beast tamers as well, right?" Upon seeing the emblem, the few men immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Flicking their wrists as well, they took out their emblems. Just as Zhang Xuan had said, they were all beast tamers. Frowning, Hall Master Sai asked, "Youre all from the Beast Hall?" Probably only the Beast Hall had the capability to dispatch six beast tamers of such strength simultaneously. "Yes!" The gray-robed man nodded. "I am Sai Xiaoyu from the Appraiser Hall. May I know if your hall master is Han Chong or Luo Ming?" Hall Master Sai asked. "Its Hall Master Han Chong! Sai Xiaoyu... Ah, its Hall Master Sai! Pardon me for my discourtesy..." Hearing the name, the gray-robed man was taken aback for a moment before a figure appeared in his head and he immediately jolted in fear. He hurriedly sped his fist and apologized. There were two Beast Hall branches in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and their hall masters were Han Chong and Luo Ming respectively. On the other hand, there was only one Appraiser Hall, and it was located in Honghai City. Even though the cultivation of this Hall Master Sai might be inferior to their hall master, due to the vast connections of the Appraiser Hall, they were both of equal standing. Given that the other party was of equivalent standing to their hall master, it wasnt a big deal to lose to him. "Un, so youre Old Hans men. I am old buddies with your Hall Master Han." Upon knowing the background of the few men before him, Hall Master Sai nodded his head. Then, with slight doubt in his eyes, he asked, "Your Beast Hall branch should be in the vicinity of the Myriad Kingdom City, what are you all doing here?" The Beast Hall branch which Han Chong was the hall master of was located in the mountains near Myriad Kingdom City. The Nine Fold Mountains were several hundred thousand kilometers away from their base, what could they be doing here? "Reporting to Hall Master Sai, our hall master is currently in the midst of taming the Demon Cinque Beast..." Knowing that the other party was an old buddy of their hall master, the gray-robed man decided not to hide the matter. "Taming the Demon Cinque Beast? Didnt your hall master attempt it three years ago but it ended in failure?" Hall Master Sai was perplexed. The one who led the twelve elders to surround the Demon Cinque three years ago but ended in failure was exactly this Hall Master Han Chong. Could it be that the other party was unwilling to give up and came here to attempt it once more? "Ever since the failure three years ago, our hall master has beening here whenever he finds time to interact with the Demon Cinque Beast... After such a long period of time ofpanionship, their rtionship has grown rather intimate... Thus, he intends to give it his all to tame it today. In order to prevent anyone who interrupting him, he ordered us to guard this area and prevent any savage beasts or strangers in!" the gray-robed man replied. Hall Master Sai nodded his head. Zhang Xuan also finally understood the situation. Unlike Zhang Xuan, ordinary beast tamers didnt possess Heavens Path zhenqi, and they couldnt use it as a bait to convince a savage beast to submit to them. Thus, they could only rely on the fellowship built over a long period of time and win its goodwill to tame it. Back then, when Mo Yu tamed the Viridescent Eagle, she also used all kinds of treasure to attract it before winning its goodwill. Given Hall Master Han Chongs ability, three years was probably more than sufficient for him to earn great intimacy with the Demon Cinque Beast. Thus, gauging that it was about time, he decided to tame it in a single go. Hearing that his old buddy was currently trying to tame spirit beast whose notoriety was known in the entirety of the alliance, Hall Master Sai hesitated for a moment before asking, "Can we go over to take a look? If he were to meet with trouble, we may be able to offer some assistance." Beast taming was by no means an easy task. It wasnt too much if one could tame it, but failure could potentially unleash the wrath of the spirit beast onto one. It was said that in the battle three years ago, Hall Master Chong was so severely injured that he had to recuperate on the bed for more than a month. "Ah... Alright!" After a moment of contemtion, the gray-robed man finally nodded his head. "However, you all must be careful as well. The Demon Cinque Beast is arrogant and violent, make sure not to incur its ire!" Given Hall Master Sais esteemed standing, they were clearly not in the position to stop the other party. In any case, the beast taming hadnt started yet and the hall master and the other elders were still in the midst of the preparatory phase. Thus, thetter probably wouldnt me him if he were to bring some men in. "Rest assured, I am an old buddy of your hall master. I wont interfere in his affairs!" Hall Master Sai smiled. It was beneath the dignity of an expert of Hall Master Sais caliber to lie. Thus, the gray-robed nodded his head before turning to the other men and instructing, "The rest of you shall remain guard here. Dont allow any savage beasts or strangers to pass through!" After which, he gestured forward and said, "Hall Master Sai, this way please." The group followed along. A short distanceter, the lush mountain forest suddenly opened up. A waterfall flowed down from the mountain cliff, forming ake of several hundred meters wide. Not too far from theke, an immense cavern could be seen. Outside the cavern stood a few elder, and they seemed to be waiting for something. Upon hearing the footsteps, they turned around, and the elder standing at the direct center was just about tosh out when he caught sight of Hall Master Sai within the crowd and his eyes lit up, "Hall Master Sai, why are you here?" "I just happened to be passing by. I was looking for some items when I was stopped by your men. From them, I learned that you intend to attempt taming the Demon Cinque Beast once more. Thus, I decided toe over to take a look," Hall Master Sai said. The other party was the hall master of the Myriad Kingdom City Beast Hall, Han Chong! "You also know of my condition. Thepetition between the two Beast Halls in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance is intense, and only one of the hall masters will obtain the opportunity to study at Huanyu Empire. If I dont tame a spirit beast that towered over the others, theres no guarantee I will get the slot..." Hall Master Han Chong smiled bitterly. The two Beast Halls in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had always beenpeting with one another. For the opportunity to study at a higher tiered Beast Hall, the two hall masters had been shing with one another both in the shadows and in the open for several years already. There was nothing that could prove a beast tamers capability more than taming a powerful spirit beast. Thus, for the past three years, Hall Master Han had been trying to tame this Demon Cinque Beast to take the lead. "Thats true... I heard that youve been trying to get close with it for the past three years, how is the progress?" Hall Master Sai asked. "There isnt much of a difference from before. The Demon Cinque Beast possesses the Dragon Bloodline, thus giving rise to its arrogant and solitary personality. If it could be tamed that easily, I wouldnt have to go through so much trouble! If not for Huanyu Empires envoying in a few days time, I wouldnt be in such a rush as to thrash it out today!" Hall Master Han shook his head. For a spirit beast of this tier, three years was still a little too short. However, Hall Master Han had no other choice. The envoy was about to arrive soon, and if he couldnt tame this fellow before then, he would be at a disadvantageous position aspared to Hall Master Han Ming. And if he were to fail the selections, it would be impossible for him to be a 5-star beast tamer in his lifetime. "Then the reason why you all are waiting here is..." Since they had decided they were going to tame the Demon Cinque Beast, then where was the star of the show? Why would they be gathering here instead of looking for the Demon Cinque Beast? "Its inside the cavern now. That fellow usually only heads out to hunt during noon. Its still a little too early so its still sleeping!" Hall Master Han gestured to the cavern. "Ah!" Hall Master Sai nodded his head. "These are your juniors?" After which, Hall Master Han turned to Zhang Xuan and the others and asked doubtfully. "Cough cough!" Upon hearing the other party ask if Zhang shi was his junior, Hall Master Sai immediately jolted in fear. He quickly tried to rify the matter but Zhang Xuan beat him to it. "I am Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Sais friend!" "Friend?" Hall Master Han was taken aback. As a 4-star appraiser, Hall Master Sais standing wasnt beneath his in any way. Why would he be a friend with ad who wasnt even twenty yet? Perplexed, Hall Master Han asked, "May I know... what Brother Zhangs upation is?" "Reporting to the hall master, hes a 2-star beast tamer. I saw his emblem just a moment ago!" Before Zhang Xuan could reply, the gray-robed man by the side interjected. "2-star beast tamer?" Hall Master Hans bizarre expression deepened. There were many of beast tamers of such level in the Beast Hall. When did Hall Master Sai fall so low as to be friends with such a person? Chapter 494: Snatching Chapter 494: Snatching Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "So, Little Brother is a beast tamer as well. To be able to reach 2-star at such a young age, the younger generation sure is impressive!" Even though Hall Master Han was perplexed, he didnt allow his true thoughts to slip through. sping his hands, he spoke politely before turning his attention away. A 2-star beast tamer under twenty was impressive, but in their Beast Hall, it wasnt a particrly rare sight. Hearing the other partys perfunctory words, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to exin himself. His aim here was the soul oracle tomb. It didnt matter to him whether the other party viewed him highly or not. It would suffice as long as the other party didnt interfere in his affairs. "Hall Master Han, Zhang..." Seeing the attitude of his old buddy, Hall Master Sai immediately realized that the other party might be misunderstanding something. He immediately spoke up to exin the matter when the ground before them suddenly tremored and a loud voice echoed. Roar! A loud howl reminiscent of thunder boomed, and the leaves from the nearby withered trees immediately fell to the ground. "Impressive!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Just the voice in itself was sufficient jolt a cultivator beneath Zongshi realm to death. For a single roar to be so incredible, as expected of a famous spirit beast in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. It was indeed a fearsome existence. "Its awake, lets begin!" Hall Master Hans eyes lit up. He immediately turned around to instruct the elders. Upon hearing the instructions, the elders nodded and stepped forward. One of them flicked their wrist. Boom! The massive corpse of a spirit beast appeared on the ground. "The corpse of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan [Deerhorde Beast]? You all even managed to hunt down one of those?" Upon seeing the corpse, Zhao Feiwus eyebrows leaped and a look of disbelief surfaced on her face. "This spirit beast is incredible?" Sun Qiang asked doubtfully. "The Deerhorde Beast is only a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan spirit beast and it isnt particrly strong. However, it possesses extraordinary speed. Its meat is fresh and juicy, making it a favored prey among spirit beasts and cultivators. Unfortunately, their numbers are severely limited and there might not be a single one across the entire Nine Folds Mountain. It must have surely cost a lot of time and effort to capture one!" Due to her illness, Zhao Feiwu wasnt able to move around freely. Thus, she devoted her time to books. Given the unique nature of the Deerhorde Beast, she remembered it clearly. Hearing the conversation of the two, the gray-robed man proudly exined, "Looks like you know quite a bit. This Deerhorde Beast took seventeen beast tamers over a course of half a year to hunt! It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that this is the only hunted Deerhorde Beast within the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance at the moment. Itll be impossible to find a second one on the market!" Even though the cultivation of Deerhorde Beast wasnt too high, it possessed high wariness and it was exceptionally cunning. If not for so many beast tamers being dispatched for it, it would surely be impossible to capture it. "Un!" Even though the other party was being narcissistic, Zhao Feiwu knew that there wasnt any mistake in saying so. It was indeed extremely difficult to capture this beast. Back then, a prince of the alliance (the household of the Alliance Head) was ill and required the heart of the Deerhorde Beast for treatment. Thus, the Alliance Head Residence offered a high mary reward for the acquirement of this spirit beast but there was no result for five whole years. Eventually, due to theck of medicine, the princes physical condition deteriorated and he eventually died. It was also because of this that she flipped through the books and learned of the Deerhorde Beast. "Not only is the flesh of the Deerhorse Beast fresh and juicy, more importantly, this spirit beast feeds on spirit herbs. Despite its weak cultivation, it is overflowing with spiritual energy, making it no different from a tonic. If a spirit beast were to consume it, they would be able to easily ovee their current bottleneck and reach higher realms!" Hall Master Sai interjected. "In other words, its a mobile Realm Breakthrough Pill!" "I see. So, they are intending to use the corpse of this fellow to please the Demon Cinque Beast!" Coming to an understanding, Sun Qiang was astonished. To think that they would even procure such a rare and difficult to hunt spirit beast to tame this Demon Cinque Beast. The hall master of the Beast Hall had truly gone all out this time. While they were discussing this matter, Hall Master Han took in a deep breath and stepped forward. "Brother Demon Cinque, Ive prepared the items I told you about already. They are right here,e out and take a look!" The voice echoed into the cave. There was a moment of silence, and the atmosphere grew tenser by the moment. Just as everyone was about to reach their limit, a loud gust of the wind blew out from within and a gigantic figure flew out. It was a massive spirit beast possessing a height of around seven to eight meters. When its wings were spread apart, its length reached more than thirty meters long. Its eyes were scarlet as though fresh blood, giving it a fearsome appearance. At the same time, its body is filled with resilient-looking scales, reflecting its outstanding defensive capability. The Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle aerial spirit beast that everyone within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance feared... the Demon Cinque! Roarrr! As though havingprehended the words of Hall Master Han, the massive savage beast looked at the Deerhorde Beast corpse ced in front of him with fiery eyes. Spirit beasts were already capable of absorbing spiritual energy to cultivate, and they possessed intelligence not beneath that of a human. The corpse of this Deerhorde Beast was producing the deep fragrance of herbs and an intense spiritual energy disturbance. At this moment, its instincts were telling it that if it were to consume it, its cultivation would surely soar. Even if it wasnt able to reach Transcendent Mrotal 5-dan, it wouldnt be too far from it then. Under such circumstances, how could it not feel agitated? "Brother Demon Cinque, as long as you promise to a condition of mine, this Deerhorde Beast will be yours!" Seeing that its interest was piqued, Hall Master Han chuckled lightly. Roarrr! The Demon Cinque Beast turned its head to Hall Master Han, as though indicating its willingness to listen to the conditions of thetter. "For the past three years, Brother Demon Cinque and I have been spending much time together, and I believe you should know have a clear understanding of what kind of person I am. My condition is simple... I hope that you can be my tamed beast!" Hall Master Han said. "Dont worry, we can sign an equal contract. This way, I wont be able to force you to do anything you are reluctant to!" Roarrrrrr! Hearing that it had to be a tamed beast, the Demon Cinque Beasts face immediately warped in savagery and it roared in displeasure. It emanated a deep aura of hostility that left ones hair standing on ends. It seemed to be saying that if Hall Master Han dared to continue talking about the matter, it would surely make a move. As a bearer of the Dragon Bloodline, it was of esteemed standing. How could it possibly be willing to submit to a mere human and serve as itsckey? "You shouldnt be in such a hurry to make your decision!" Seeing how the other party refused him without the slightest hesitation, Hall Master Hansplexion turned awful. However, he quickly veiled it and chuckled, "I believe you should know of my standing among the humans. I am the head of the Beast Hall, a figure respected by many. Brother Demon Cinque, as long as you follow me, I will treat you as my peer and fulfill anything you ask of to the best of my ability! The lifespan of spirit beasts might be long, but how long does it take for you to raise your cultivation by absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings? You will be entitled to much better resources if you were to follow me!" After finishing those words, Hall Master Han beckoned to the elders behind. A few elders stepped forward and a bunch of spirit stones appeared on the floor. They were all low-tier spirit stones but they stacked up into a mini mountain. There was at least several thousand of them, and their appearance immediately caused the spiritual energy in the surroundings to surge. Just by taking a whiff, one could feel their pores opening up and an indescribable feeling offort would envelop one. Humans werent the only one who could utilize spirit stones for their cultivation; spirit beasts were the same as well. Cultivating through absorbing spiritual energy from spirit stones would surely be much faster than simply absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings. "Theres a total of 8000 spirit stones here. As long as you agree to the condition, I can give them all to you right now," Hall Master Han said. The reason why he could take out so many spirit stones while Hall Master Sai wasnt able to was not because thetter was poor. Rather, Hall Master Sai had spent the bulk of his money on collectibles, resulting in the amount of spirit stones he could take out at a moment to be severely limited. In terms of total assets, thetter would surely be far superior. It was just like those antique collectors in the world Zhang Xuan lived in prior to his transcension. If those collectors were to sell their entire collection, they would surely be drowning in cash. However, as finding a suitable buyer for these items were difficult, the amount of cash they could take out at a given time might notpare up to some of the wealthier merchants. "If you arent interested in these spirit stones, you might be interested in this!" Seeing theck of response from the Demon Cinque Beast after taking out the bunch of spirit stones, Hall Master Han hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. Flicking his wrist, he took out a jade box. Slowly opening it, a spirit stone came into sight. Boom! The moment the box was opened, the spiritual energy in the surroundings immediately grew so dense that it was nearly tangible. It felt as though as long as one was holding onto the spirit stone, even if one didnt attempt to absorb it, the spiritual energy would still seep into ones body, enhancing ones body. To put it simply, if one were to ce this spirit stone by the side of an infant, even if thetter didnt cultivate, nourished by the spiritual energy contained within it, his body would be incredibly powerful and it would be immune tomon illnesses. In less than two months, its physical body would be no weaker than that of a Pigu realm cultivator. "Could this be a... middle-tier spirit stone?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Having read innumerable books, he knew a thing about two on the various tiers of spirit stones. The spirit stones in his possession at the moment were of the most inferior grade, low-tier spirit stones. Low-tier spirit stones were sufficient to support the cultivation of a cultivator of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan and below. Any higher than that would require spirit stones of higher grade. Taking Zhang Xuan for example, due to the incredible purity of Heavens Path zhenqi, even though he was only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle, low-tier spirit stones were already nearly ineffective on his cultivation. If he wanted to reach Origin Energy realm, on top ofpleting the Heavens Path Divine Art of that level, more importantly, he needed a middle-tier spirit stone! That spirit stone in Hall Master Hans hand was more than sufficient for his cultivation to rise from Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle to Origin Energy realm pinnacle. While quantity could make up for the disparity in quality, this logic only applied if the disparity in quality wasnt too great in the first ce. With sufficient straw, one might be able to buy a diamond. However, the properties of a straw could never achieve the properties of a diamond. Thus, even though ten thousand low-tier spirit stones could be exchanged for a middle-tier spirit stone, it couldnt rece the effectiveness of a single middle-tier spirit stone. "Thats right, it is a middle-tier spirit stone!" Not expecting his old buddy to take out such an invaluable object, Hall Master Sais eyes widened in shock. Middle-tier spirit stones were iparably expensive. There wasnt more than a handful of it throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The value of it could only be greater than the Deerhorde Beast! Roarrr! Seeing the middle-tier spirit stone, the eyes of the Demon Cinque Beast grew even redder. In truth, Hall Master Hans heart was also bleeding from taking out his greatest treasure. However, he knew that it would be impossible to hook in the Demon Cinque Beast without this much. Thus, clenching his jaws, he continued, "As long as Brother Demon Cinque agrees to bing my tamed beast, this middle-tier spirit stone will be yours... Hm? Brother Demon Cinque, what are you intending to do..." Before he could finish his words, the Demon Cinque Beast pped in massive wings and charged forward. Its talons swooped forward swiftly amidst raging winds to grab the spirit stone in Hall Master Hans hand. "Snatching? The heck!" Chapter 495: Fearmongering Chapter 495: Fearmongering Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hall Master Han felt dismal. Over the past three years, regardless of what the other party wished for, he had definitely given his all to procuring it just to please the other party. All he wished was to earn the other partys gratitude so that the other party would consider their rtionship when he tried to tame it... Yet, this fellow forgot about their rtionship as soon as a treasure appeared, and even went to the extent of snatching it... The heck! Could he be any greedier than this? If only he knew that the other party was so ungrateful, he would have never gone through so much trouble! "Activate the formation!" Judging from how the other party was ferociously charging at him, it probably didnt have any intention of stopping until itid its ws on the middle-tier spirit stone. Knowing that this wasnt the time to get depressed, Hall Master Han bellowed. Since the carrot didnt work... He could only utilize his final resort! Forcing the other party to submit through violence! This was the least preferable method due to the overwhelming strength of the Demon Cinque Beast. Even though the Beast Hall had the numerical advantage, capturing it alive was a terribly difficult task. If not for such, Hall Master Han wouldnt have wasted his three years pleasing the other party. While he was confident that he could convince the other party to submit through three years of rtionship and the allure of profits, he still made preparations for the worst possible scenario... He had set up a formation here in advance in case something went wrong! To think that he would really end up using it! "Yes!" Nodding their heads, the elders dashed off in four different directions, and driving the zhenqi in their body to the maximum, they grabbed at the air before them. Boom! At a distance several hundred meters in front of the crowd, a mist slowly drifted into appearance, catching the Demon Cinque Beast off guard. In its short moment of hesitation, the mistpletely surrounded it. "Its a Confinement Formation!" Having learned the Heavens Path Formation Art, even without utilizing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuansprehension of formations wasparable to a 4-star pinnacle formation master. "Iron Chain Confinement Formation!" Recognizing it, Jin Conghais eyes narrowed. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Iron Chain Confinement Formation was a formation created by a 4-star pinnacle formation master more than a thousand year ago. It made use of the violent spiritual energy in the natural surroundings to form ovepping iron chains that bound lifeforms trapped within its area of effect. Even struggling free of the chains was a huge hurdle, needless to say, escaping from the formation. A grade-4 pinnacle Confinement Formation! Staring at the impressive formation before him, Zhang Xuan remarked, "It seems like Hall Master Han is truly determined to capture this fellow!" A formation of this level couldnt be set up on a whim. A formation master had to study the geographical terrain in advance to determine the various hiding spots for the formation g. Afterward, he had to hide the formation gs underground without leaving the slightest trace so as to not incur the suspicion of the Demon Cinque Beast... Even for a 4-star pinnacle formation master, it was impossible to achieve this without several months of preparation. "Indeed. If Im not mistaken, in the past three years, on top of pleasing thisrge fellow, he has made a lot of various preparations beneath the surface as well." Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly. Given the duration of time required to set up the formation and that the assistance of a 4-star pinnacle formation master was required, it seemed like his old buddy was determined to make this operation a sess. It was probably after he suffered a setback three years ago that he thought of this idea. On the surface, he did his best to please the Demon Cinque Beast, but in the shadows, he secretly hired others to set up this formation in case things didnt go as nned. Zhang Xuan shrugged. "Its perfectly normal for him to do this. A beast tamer must always consider the possibility of failure. If he couldnt do this much, he couldnt have possibly be a 4-star beast tamer!" Not even high-rank beast tamers could guarantee their taming to be sessful every single time, especially when dealing with a ferocious and proud spirit beast. Hall Master Han had already failed once. If he were to confront the Demon Cinque Beast without sufficient preparation in hopes of taming it, he wouldnt be worthy of his position as the head of the Beast Hall, a 4-star pinnacle beast tamer. Roar! While the group was chatting, the trapped Demon Cinque Beast realized that he had fallen for the other partys ploy and it howled furiously. It went on a rampage and destructive force shook the surroundings. "Its futile!" Hall Master Han harrumphed as he walked forward. With a flick of his wrist, a screen appeared in front of his crowd, reflecting the current circumstance of the Demon Cinque Beast. At Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, its zhenqi had already evolved into Origin Energy, allowing it to utilize unimaginable means. This screen was simr to the wall in the corridor housing the Sea of Formations in the Formation Master Guild, allowing one to clearly view the situation within the formation, as well as serving as a tform tomunicate with the prisoner inside. The thick chains created through immense quantity of spiritual energy locked the Demon Cinque Beast firmly in ce. The feared Demon Cinque Beast thrashed around violently, trying to free itself from its confines, but to no avail. "Ive already told you, its futile! I advise you not to waste your strength!" Hearing its frenzied howl, Hall Master Han chuckled lightly. Roarrrr! Hearing those words, the rage of the Demon Cinque Beast crescendoed. Three years of fellowship had made it lower its wariness toward the other party. Otherwise, how could it possibly overlook a formation that was set up at the entrance of its nest? It didnt expect this to put it into a perilous situation. Resentment gushed through its mind like a huge torrent, and if looks could kill, Hall Master Han would have been torn into countless shreds by now. "This is a grade-4 pinnacle formation. You might be powerful but itll be impossible for you to escape without knowing the correct method. Why dont we continue our previous conversation? As long as you promise to be my tamed beast, everything Ive promised you before still holds. If not... I believe you should be more than aware of your current circumstances. It might be a pity to kill you, but youre no use to me otherwise," Hall Master Han said. In truth, he didnt want toe to this step. Even if he were to sessfully tame the Demon Cinque Beast after this, it would be impossible for him to win the heart of thetter. That would be equivalent to a potential threat hanging over his neck. But the other party simply refused to submit to him, even going to the extent of snatching his item. Left with no choice, he could only resort to this. Roarrr! Seething with anger, the Demon Cinque Beast red at Hall Master Han with its massive eyes. "You need not give me your answer so quickly. I have the time to wait for you!" Seeing its attitude, Hall Master Han shook his head. Even so, he wasnt anxious in the least. Since the other party was already trapped, at the very most, he just had to expend more spirit stones to sustain the formation. No matter what, Hall Master Han was determined to tame the other party. Even though he had threatened to kill the other party, that was more of a mean to coerce the other party into submission. After all, once the other party was killed, his three years of effort would have gone in vain. Infuriated, the Demon Cinque Beast struggled. However, it wasnt able to struggle free of the iron chains which bound it tightly. Eventually, realizing that it couldnt free itself of its confines like that, ity down and slowly closed his eyes. "Hall master, what do we do?" Seeing that the huge fellow had calmed down instead, the other elders stared at one another in confusion before walking up to Hall Master Han. "What else can we do other than wait? Elder Hu, take out the Deerhorse Beast and roast it. Make sure that the aroma reaches the Demon Cinque Beast. I dont believe that gluttonous fellow can hold himself back when such delicacy is ced before him!" Hall Master Han said. Even when raw, the Deerhorde Beast carried the deep aroma of herbs. Roasting it would surely whet ones appetite. As an embodiment of gluttony, it would be a wonder if the Demon Cinque Beast could hold itself back. Honestly speaking, Hall Master Hans mastery in the art of beast taming was truly formidable. The aroma of the Deerhorde Beast was a clear contrast of the Demon Cinque Beasts current plight and the other possibility if it were to give in. This would surely gnaw at the other partys determination, luring it into submission... An ordinary spirit beast would have surely given in at this point. "Yes!" Elder Hu nodded. Just as he was about to start the fire to roast the Deerhorde Beast, the 2-star beast tamer from before shook his head with a helpless look and said impassively, "I advise you not to roast the Deerhorde Beast!" Elder Hu frowned, "Why?" Not expecting that a mere 2-star beast tamer would interfere in their affairs, Hall Master Han and the other elders stared at one another as displeasure appeared on their faces. Even the least capable of them was a 4-star primary beast tamer, and it wasmon consensus that roasting the Deerhorde Beast was the best course of action at the moment. Otherwise, there would be nothing they could do... Yet, a 2-star beast tamer was dared to refute their decision? "Nothing much, I just fear that the situation might evolve beyond your control if you were to roast it!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided to say no more. Even though he was a master teacher, he wasnt a Samaritan. There was no need for him to interfere in everything. Besides, the other party seemed to be looking down on him. "Its just the roasting of a Deerhorde Beast, what kind of situation could happen from it?" Seeing how the youngd wasnt able to back up his im, Elder Hu harrumphed coldly. Did he really take all of them 4-star beast tamers as fools? If catastrophe could reallye from this, they would have long noticed it already before a mere 2-star beast tamer could. "Forget it if you arent willing to listen!" Zhang Xuan sighed. He had done his part already. Since the other party was reluctant to listen, he wasnt willing to speak any further as well. "Humph, seems like youre just a fearmongering, arrogant brat!" Elder Hu flung his sleeves. The others also didnt seem too pleased by Zhang Xuansment. This was especially so for Hall Master Han. If not in consideration that the other party was Hall Master Sais friend, he would have surelyshed out already. What did a mere 2-star beast tamer know to dare to speak up on their affairs? How boorish! "Enough, go and roast the Deerhorde Beast!" With a cold expression, Hall Master Han waved his hands. Initially, he still held some considerations over the other party given how Hall Master Sai addressed the other party as his friend. However, from the looks of it now, he was just a rude liar. The situation might evolve beyond control? It was just the roasting of a Deerhorde Beast, what could happen? Other than testing a persons tolerance, what else could possibly happen? "Yes!" Nodding his head, Elder Hu, along with some of elders, stacked up some firewood and started roasting the Deerhorde Beast. As beast tamers, they often had to camp in the wilderness for many days toy in wait for a savage beast. Thus, it was inevitable that they would pick up such basic survival skills. Hu hu hu! Soon, the campfire was lit and the Deerhorde Beast was ced on top. Tzzzzzz, sizzling sound echoed as a deep aroma began wafting in the area. Roasting the Deerhorde Beast, which had lived by feeding off spirit herbs, further brought out the fragrance hidden in its body. The roasting had just barely begun, but the crowd was already salivating. "Lets retreat!" Catching a whiff of the fragrance, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Retreat?" Hall Master Sai and the others were taken aback. "Un. We should be at least several hundred meters away or else we might be implicated as well!" Saying so nonchntly, Zhang Xuan took the lead and retreated away from the Deerhorde Beast. As soon as he walked away, Zhao Ya, Zhao Feiwu, and the others hurriedly followed along. Hall Master Sai was put in a position, but after hesitating for a moment, he chose to tag along as well. "These fellows..." Seeing how the group turned around and left, saying that they might be implicated, bulging veins appeared on Hall Master Hans forehead, and he nearly erupted. Failing to tame that huge fellow had already filled him with rage, and the depressing words of this fellow were threatening to ignite his rage. You are just a 2-star beast tamer! To act as though an unfathomable expert with that deep expression of yours... Why dont you just be an actor?! Chapter 496: Bizarre Happenings Chapter 496: Bizarre Happenings Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Truthfully, if it had been any other 2-star beast tamer that said such words, Hall Master Han surely wouldnt have gotten angry. What triggered him was... the expression of that fellow who spoke. The other party acted as though he would surely suffer if he didnt heed his words. Not to mention, the contempt in his eyes couldnt be any more apparent... To think that a 4-star pinnacle beast tamer like him would be looked in contempt by a youngd... Contempt your head! This Demon Cinque Beast possesses the Dragon Bloodline, resulting in its proud nature. Its normal to be unable to tame it. Do you really think that I wished to go this far? Its precisely because theres no better solution that Im doing this! Hmph! Conceited! It sure is a wonder why Hall Master Sai would be friends with someone like you. "Dont bother about them, focus on the roasting instead. The more aromatic it is, the better!" Suppressing his rage, Hall Master Han instructed. "Yes!" Elder Hu and the others nodded, and they increased the intensity of the me. The aroma of the Deerhorde Beast immediately grew deeper, inducing groans of protest from ones stomach. ... While that group was about to erupt from rage, Zhang Xuan and the others stopped at a distance several hundred meters away. "This will do!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Zhang shi..." The crowd turned to look at him with questioning gazes. They had absolute trust in Zhang shis capability. Since he had said that something was going to happen, there was a high chance that something would happen. "Is Zhang shi worried about a stampede urring?" A thought shed past Hall Master Sais mind and he frowned. "Given how the aroma of the Deerhorde Beast is diffusing in the surroundings and considering the irresistible appeal of it to the spirit beasts, it is highly likely that arge group of spirit beasts might be attracted into the area... But... if a stampede is going to ur, wont we still be caught in it at this distance?" Under the charge of thousands and thousands of savage beasts, all life forms would be torn to shreds. If a stampede were to really ur, even if they were to escape several dozen kilometers away, they would still be caught within it. "Ah! That seems possible!" Everyone also came to a realization. What Hall Master Sai said made sense. There was indeed a high probability of a stampede urring. Such a matter had urred in Coax Ridge before so this wasnt an unfounded worry. Given the aroma from the Deerhorde Beast, it wouldnt be surprising if spirit beasts were lured in. But if it was such a situation, shouldnt they run away as far as possible? Wouldnt it be courting death if they chose to remain here? "A stampede? You sure have wild imaginations!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was speechless. "Since even you all can tell that other spirit beasts could be lured in by the aroma of the Deerhorde Beast, do you all think that a group of 4-star beast tamers would neglect this possibility?" "This..." The crowds faces immediately turned red. That was indeed true. Since even outsiders like them could tell that much, how could 4-star beast tamer veterans neglect such a possibility? Since the other party could even foresee the rejection of the Demon Cinque Beast and prepared countermeasures in advance, they must be prepared for the possibility of a stampede urring already. "Dont worry, such a thing cant possibly happen!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Why?" Zhao Feiwu was bewildered. Even humans like them found it hard to hold themselves back before the allure of the Deerhorde Beast, how could spirit beasts possibly resist it? Seeing how the usually astute gongzi asked such an obvious question, Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes. "Even though the Deerhorde Beast is very aromatic, how far do you think the smell can diffuse to?" "This..." Zhao Feiwu was immediately stumped. There was no doubt about the allure of the meat, but at their current distance, the aroma was already barely discernible. If they were to go any further, it would bepletely undetectable already. Even though spirit beasts possessed far stronger senses of smell than humans, it would still be impossible for them to discern a smell several kilometers away. "Besides, where do you think we are? We are on the territory of the Demon Cinque Beast! Even if other spirit beasts were to catch a whiff of the aroma, do you think that they would dare to gather here?" Zhang Xuan continued. "Ah..." Zhao Feiwu blushed in embarrassment. Powerful spirit beasts and savage beasts demarcated their own territories, and weaker beasts wouldnt dare to step into their boundaries. After all, the moment they stepped past the boundary, there was a high chance they would be killed as a prey. The Demon Cinque Beast could be considered as the strongest spirit beast throughout the entire Nine Folds Mountain. Given the duration it had lived here, how could there be any nearby beasts who still dared to trespass on its territory? Wasnt that courting death? "If Im not mistaken, in a ten kilometer radius where the Demon Cinque Beast lives, there wont be any other spirit beasts. No matter how aromatic the Deerhorde Beast is, its impossible for it cause an uproar among spirit beasts beyond ten kilometers away!" Zhang Xuan exined. "Ten kilometers?" Only then did everyone finally came to a realization. Stopping two kilometers away, it was true that they hadnt spotted any spirit beasts along the way. Even though they had noticed a few footprints, they were sparse. Most probably, those belonged to spirit beasts who identally wandered into the area and fled hurriedly after smelling the Demon Cinque Beasts scent. Otherwise, given that they were arge group, it was odd that not a single spirit beast hade forward to pester them. No matter how aromatic the Deerhorde Beast was, it was impossible for a spirit beast that was ten kilometers away to smell it. And even if one did, would it dare to walk in here? This was the territory of the strongest spirit beast in the Nine Folds Mountain! It was no wonder why Hall Master Han had no fear. He probably already knew in advance that it was impossible for a stampede to ur. "But if it isnt a stampede... What other situation could happen?" Eventually, they returned back to the original question. "Look on, youll understand soon enough!" Zhang Xuan didnt exin the matter. Since Zhang Xuan was unwilling to speak, the others didnt think that it was appropriate to question him further. At that point, Hall Master Sai suddenly requested awkwardly, "If theres any danger, I beseech Zhang shi to save Hall Master Han. The only reason why he snubs you is because he doesnt know of your capability. In truth, he isnt a bad person..." No matter what, Hall Master Han was his friend. He couldnt possibly watch on nonchntly if the other party was in danger. "Un, if something really happens, Ill help him. However, I just fear that they might not be happy if I do make a move!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Alright, you all should continue watching. It should be about time!" Hearing those words, the crowd turned their sights to the front. At this point, the cooking of the Deerhorde Beast was about to be finished. The aroma had already reached an unbearable level. These elders were all skilled in outdoor survival skills, and they had brought some seasoning along with them for this operation. Even though it was abrupt, their skills werent inferior even to the top chefs of Honghai City. Not just the aroma and the taste, even the tone of the meat was perfect. Just the sight of it was enough to induced uncontrolled salivation in one. "Brother Demon Cinque, can you smell it? If you be my tamed beast, this will be yours. Besides, you only have to stay by my side so theres nothing for you to lose. Once my lifespan reaches its end, youll be free once more. What else is there to consider?" Knowing that the aroma had already permeated through the entire formation, Hall Master Han continued, "Hurry up and make your decision or else, well be eating the Deerhorde Beast by ourselves. By then, itll be toote! I believe that you should know the value of the Deerhorde Beast as well. This is the only one in the entire Nine Folds Mountain, and once you miss it, youll surely regret it for life!" Hall Master Hans words were indeed very persuasive, any other spirit beast would have already been convinced by now. However, the eyes of the Demon Cinque Beast were still tightly shut, and it remainedpletely motionless. It seemed as though it was asleep. "When did the Demon Cinque Beast be so docile?" At this moment, Zhao Feiwu also realized that something was wrong. ording to the legends passed down in the Myraid Kingdom Alliance, this fellow was ferocious and savage. Back then, someone had also tried to use a formation to trap it. However, it was a pity that the stamina of the Demon Cinque Beast seemed to know no limits. Soon, under its struggling, the spirit stones in the formation ran dry and it broke out of the formation! Formations could be sustained by both spiritual energy in the surroundings and spiritual energy from spirit stones. The former would require a long charging period for the formation to be sustained whereas thetter only demanded sufficient spirit stones. But regardless which of the two it was, formations required an energy input to sustain it. To cope with the struggling of the prisoner, it would have to expend a greater amount of energy. Once the spirit stones ran dry, even if one didnt know the exact method to break the formation, the formation would still crumble by itself. This was precisely the reason why the corridor of the Formation Master Guild had a time limit of two hours. If not, as long as the examinee struggled, it would just be a matter of time before the energy in the formation ran dry... Breaking out of the formation under such circumstances wouldnt be a test of ones skill. Despite the ferocious nature of the Demon Cinque Beast before, it chose to lie down as though an obedient child. Even though it was interested in the Deerhorde Beast before, there wasnt any signs of it wanting to break out of the formation... This was contrary to its nature. "Hall master, its done!" Just as everyone was puzzled, Elder Hu and the others were done cooking the Deerhorde Beast. The golden spirit beast meat and the deep aroma made it irresistible to all. "Good, bring it over!" Hall Master Han nodded. Elder Hu and the others nodded as they brought the cooked Deerhorde Beast flesh over. "Do you see that? If you were to hesitate any longer, well be digging in..." Hall Master Han chuckled as he turned his gaze to the Deerhorde Beast. Just as he was about to pick it up to entice the other party, his eyes suddenly widened in astonishment and he erupted. "What the heck is this! Who in the world ate it?" "Ate it?" Everyone turned their sights over, only to see the previously intact Deerhorde Beast missing a limb. Only a trail of bones hung limply on the body. In other words... someone had secretly eaten one of the limbs! Hall Master Han was frenzied. Who in the world was the one who ate the Deerhorde Beast? Even though he kept saying that they were going to dig in, it was actually just a method to coax the Demon Cinque Beast. If they were to really eat it, the possibility of taming it would drop to zero. In other words, he was just saying it, it was impossible for him to really do it. Why... in the blink of an eye did a limb suddenly go missing? Not to mention, not the slightest piece of meat was left on the limb. Arent you all going too far? Dont you all know how much effort I have put into taming this fellow? Hall Master Han red coldly at Elder Hu and the others. Hall Master Sai and that infuriating 2-star beast tamer had left as soon as the roasting process started so it was impossible for them to be the culprit. The only usible suspects were the elders standing before him. "Hall master, we... didnt do it!" Being red at by the other party, Elder Hu and the other leaped in shock. They hurriedly shook their hands in denial. They had been swallowing their saliva and suppressing their agitation while roasting it, not daring to nibble the slightest bit of it. They were also baffled by how a limb went missing all of a sudden? "You didnt do it? Are you saying that the flesh flew away by itself?" Hall Master Hanshed out. What kind of teammates did I find... I asked you all to roast the meat to entice the Demon Cinque Beast into submission and yet you all ended up feasting on it yourself... What is wrong with you all! "Hall master, it really isnt us. I can swear to that..." Seeing that the hall master didnt believe them, Elder Hu raised his palm to vow to the heavens when he suddenly froze, and his expression slowly warped in shock. "Hall master..." "Whats wrong?" Hearing the sudden exmation, Hall Master Han traced Elder Hus gaze back to the Deerhorde Beast meat and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. The Deerhorde Beast, which was initially missing one limb, was missing two now. Staring at the bare bone hanging off its body, an air of eeriness floated in the area. Chapter 497: The Pummeled Hall Master Han Chapter 497: The Pummeled Hall Master Han Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Who was it?" Looking around, Hall Master Han raised his hands warily. At that moment, it was clear that it wasnt Elder Hu and the others whod eaten the Deerhorde Beast. But... other than them, who else could it be? Who in the world could eat the Deerhorde Beast without his notice? This was way too sinister! "Hall Master, look!" Elder Hu pointed. Lowering his head, Hall Master Han immediately realized what was going on. Unknowingly, a denseyer of golden worms had crawled onto the Deerhorde Beast. They were each around the size of an ant, and wherever they passed by, the meat would vanish, leaving behind only bones. Clearly, the two limbs were cleared away by these insects. These worms were extremely small, and their color resembled the tone of the roasted flesh. Thus, if one didnt pay close attention, it was easy to overlook them. "What... are those?" Hall Master Han was taken aback. Despite being a 4-star beast tamer, he realized that he had never seen those worms before. "Hall master, could these be..." Suddenly recalling something, Elder Hus body froze and fear reflected in his eyes. "Youre saying that..." Seeing the other partys expression, Hall Master Han froze for a moment before fear slowly crept onto his face. "Yes. Otherwise, how could any creature consume the flesh of the Deerhorde Beast so quickly..." Elder Hu swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "If its really that thing... we could really be in trouble!" Suddenly recalling something, Hall Master Han lifted his head and looked at the screen, only to see the eyes of the Demon Cinque Beast wide opened, gleaming with energy. The edges of its gigantic lips suddenly curled up coldly. ... "Zhang shi, what is that?" Upon seeing that bizarre sight, Hall Master Sai couldnt help but ask. As the head of the Appraiser Hall, his knowledge pool was formidable, but even so, he had never heard of such a bizarre creature. The others also turned their gazes over. Zhang shi had predicted this would happen and brought them over. From the looks of it, this must be what he was worried about. "Theyre Soul Devouring Ants," Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression. "Soul Devouring Ants?" The crowd was bewildered. They had never heard of them before, needless to say, know what they were. However, as soon as Luo Zhu heard that name, his body immediately froze and disbelief surfaced on his face. "Legend has it that these ants are the nemeses of soul oracles. They are beings who sustain themselves by consuming souls and spiritual energy..." Soul Devouring Ants were bizarre creatures who were capable of devouring soul and spiritual energy. As such, they were the nemeses of soul oracles. Why would such insects be found near the cave of the Demon Cinque Beast? Instead of replying his words, Zhang Xuan turned his head over and asked, "If Im not mistaken, the soul oracle tomb that you are talking of is located under theke, am I right?" "You... How did you know?" Luo Zhu was taken aback. He had only said that the soul oracle tomb was in the vicinity. He had never revealed the exact location, so how in the world did the other party know about it? Tombs were all about geomancy, and being buried beneath ake wasmonly known to be inauspicious. No one in the right mind would choose to do so. Thus, if one were to tell another that there was a tomb underwater, one would definitely be mocked by others. Back then, when he looked up the relevant books and found its exact location, he was still in disbelief. This was the reason why he was so confident that no one could have found it. However... the person before him pointed out the matter in an instant. Could it be really rted to these Soul Devouring Ants? "Soul Devouring Ants live by consuming souls, thus making them the nemeses of soul oracles. However... these things fear water, so the only way to avoid them and not be devoured by them is to be buried underwater," Zhang Xuan said. The books that Hall Master Sai gathered on soul oracles might not have had much useful knowledge, but it still provided some basic knowledge for Zhang Xuan to work with. Besides, Soul Devouring Ant was a type of spirit beast recorded in the books of the Beast Tamer Guild. After looking at the ground with his Eye of Insight, he had already noticed some peculiarities. With some deduction, he swiftly understood the situation. "Isnt being buried underwater inauspicious for both the living and the dead?" The one who asked the question wasnt Luo Zhu but Zhao Feiwu. Learning that the tomb was beneath theke had left her astounded. She had spotted theke as soon as she arrived in the area, and under the ceaseless torrent from the waterfall throughout the years, its current depth was unimaginable. To build ones tomb at the bottom of it, wouldnt one be afraid of ones resting ce being washed away by the water, unable to rest in peace even after death? "To the soul oracles, they could always possess another physical body toe alive again. Death was nothing more than a temporary sleep to them, and geomancy and the like didnt apply to them. Thus, it didnt matter where they built their tomb," Zhang Xuan exined. "Oh!" The crowd came to a realization. The main reason why tombs were ced at a location viewed to be auspicious was in hopes that they could bring luck to their future offspring. However, soul oracles didnt think that death was permanent to them, and thus, it didnt matter to them where their tomb was located. "But thats not right!" After a moment of hesitation, Luo Zhu suddenly recalled something and said, "Even though the soul oracle tomb is located beneath theke, it isnt submerged in water at all. Thus, even if the Soul Devouring Ants are unable to step into the water, they should be able to enter the tomb by burrowing their way into it. Then why..." If the soul oracle tomb were submerged in water, he wouldnt have been able to explore it, and wouldnt have been possessed by a soul within the tomb. That day, when he entered the underground tomb, even though it had been sealed for innumerable years, the air was dry and permitted one to breathe. Since even humans could enter the tomb, Soul Devouring Ants would surely be able to do the same as well! If that was the case, how could the soul have survived there for so many years? "If Im not mistaken, you are the one who brought all of these Soul Devouring Ants over!" Zhang Xuan said. "Me?" Luo Zhu was taken aback. Even though he had heard of Soul Devouring Ants, he had never met one in his life before. How could he possibly be the one who brought them over? "The soul oracle tomb is tightly sealed. For innumerable years, it remained secluded from the outside world. However, not only did you open the tomb, you even came out with a soul on you. Naturally, the scent of the souls leaked out... As such, these fellows who specially prey on souls were attracted here. However, due to the limited time of their arrival, they havent found the entrance yet. If we had dyed for another month, then even if we were to enter, we surely wouldnt be able to find anything at all!" Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression. Soul Devouring Ants were the nemeses of the soul oracles, so naturally, soul oracles learned how to guard against them. They knew how to prevent the scent of their souls from leaking out and prevent bringing attention upon themselves. However, Luo Zhu didnt. If Zhang Xuan wasnt mistaken, these Soul Devouring Ants had probably arrived not too long ago. Otherwise, they would have already burrowed beneath the deepke instead of loitering around the surface and wouldnt have been attracted by the aroma of the Deerhorde Beast. "This..." Luo Zhus face paled. He was actually the one who brought those fearsome things here... Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine. Recovering from his shock, Luo Zhu suddenly thought of something and asked doubtfully, "Even though Soul Devouring Ants favor consuming soul and the meat of the Deerhorde Beast, there shouldnt have needed to escape so far, right? Under normal circumstances, those ants wont harm humans, right?" Soul Devouring Ants were bizarre and abhorrent creatures, and they were the nemesis of the soul oracles. However, to ordinary humans, they werepletely harmless. Was there a need for them to escape several hundred meters away? "Youre right in that the Soul Devouring Ants wont do any harm to us. However... you mustnt forget that on top of consuming souls, these insects consume spiritual energy as well, and... what a formation primarily drives on is precisely... spiritual energy!" Zhang Xuan exined. "Formation?" Taken aback, everyone was stunned for a moment before their eyes slowly narrowed. They hurriedly turned their gazes over. ... "Damn it!" Seeing the opened eyes of the Demon Cinque Beast, Hall Master Han also realized that something was amiss and his body tensed up. Given that the Soul Devouring Ant was hidden underground, even though he was a beast tamer, it wasnt too surprising for him to have failed to notice it. However, the Demon Cinque Beast was different. Spirit beasts were exceptionally sensitive to their surroundings, not to mention, this was its nest. Thus, how could it possibly be unaware of the arrival of these guests? It seemed like it knew that those guests would be attracted by the scent of the Deerhorde Beast, and knowing their ability to consume spiritual energy, it was without fear. That was why it chose to close its eyes, lie low, and wait. The moment the spiritual energy of the formation had beenpletely consumed by those Soul Devouring Ants, the formation would be like a carriage without a steed. Without a driving force, how could it possibly operate? Upon thinking of all this, Hall Master Han hurriedly instructed, "Increase the energy and reinforce the formation..." However, before he could finish his words, a furious howl echoed. The trapped Demon Cinque Beast suddenly moved, causing the ground to tremor. Hu! The spiritual energy chains locking it, as though having been nibbled on by something, broke apart in an instant. After which, an iparably powerful aura gushed out from the body of the spirit beast. Both its wings pped furiously and it flew out of the formation, Hu! The formation copsed entirely, and the mist shielding everyones view disappeared. Following which, everyone saw the massive body of the Demon Cinque Beast charging straight toward Elder Hu and the others. Roar! A furious bellow. pping its wings, huge gusts of wind were whipped up. "What?" Before Elder Hu and the others could react, they were already struck and sent flying. Blood spewed from their mouths in midair. A Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast was typically already stronger than human cultivators of the same level. On top of that, it was just captured and forced to submit. All of the resentment umted in its heart caused it to go into a rampaging state. How could the elders of the Beast Hall withstand against such might? In just a single move, all of them were already injured. "Damn it!" Not expecting this fellow to be so callous, disregarding their three years of rtionship, Hall Master Hans face steeled. Raising his hand, a long spear appeared in his grip. Even though he was a beast tamer, his fighting prowess as an individual was formidable as well. He had already reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle as well. As soon as the spear left his hand, it immediately charged forward as though a mighty dragon, headed straight for the Demon Cinque Beast. Facing the offense, the Demon Cinque Beast didnt even bother to dodge. He simply faced it straight with his physical body. Ding ding! The iparably sharp spear came into contact with the Demon Cinque Beasts chest, but it failed to even pierce through thetters skin, needless to say, it was unable injure the beast. "What formidable defense..." Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Sai, and the others stared at one another with widened eyes. They knew that the spirit beasts Dragon Bloodline had granted it unparalleled defense among its peers, and ordinary weapons couldnt hope to ovee it. Even so, that was an attack which Hall Master Han had ced his full might into. It was a shocking sight to see that it didnt even leave the slightest mark. It was no wonder why its notoriety would be known throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and why the multiple attempts of the royal family in eliminating it ended up in failure. It was indeed a force to reckon with. Roar! After deflecting the spear with its chest, the Demon Cinque Beast roared furiously. Its powerful voice enveloped the area with rampaging might reminiscent of a storm. At the forefront, Hall Master Han bore the brunt of the attack. Despite being a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, he still felt a little faint-headed and nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Hu! After the roar, the Demon Cinque Beast swept its massive wings. A cloud of dust immediately rose into the air, and a massive tear appeared on the ground. Hall Master Han swiftly summoned its spear back to protect himself. Even so, the disparity in the strength of both parties was too great. With a numbing sensation in his arm, he was sent flying as though a ball being kicked into the distance. Pu! Even in midair, blood kept gushing out of his mouth, causing his face turn ghastly pale. With his internals rattled by the overwhelming force that struck him, Hall Master Han felt as though his body was tearing apart. At this very moment, a thought suddenly emerged in his mind. Did the 2-star beast tamer... predict that this would happen? Chapter 498: Despairing Hall Master Han Chapter 498: Despairing Hall Master Han Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The 2-star beast tamer had advised him against roasting the Deerhorde Beast, and thinking that it was impossible, he refused to listen to the other partys advice. As such, the other party left along with his group for fear of being implicated in the trouble. Initially, he thought that the fellow was just fearmongering but to think that trouble really urred out of it. Could it be that he had actually predicted the appearance of the Soul Devouring Ants, the copse of the formation, and the current, disastrous situation? "Thats impossible! Soul Devouring Ants are extremely rare spirit beasts. Even I was unable make the link out of the blue. How can such a young 2-star beast tamer possibly have foreseen this?" Even though he knew that it likely was the truth, he still found the entire matter too hard to believe. In ancient times, Soul Devouring Ants were the nemeses of the soul oracles. But ever since that era had passed, the entire species had disappeared from sight for a very long time. As such, very few people knew about their natural habitat, characteristics, and such. How could such a young beast tamer possibly discern so much within a few short minutes? Even 5-star beast tamers didnt possess such means! This thought disappeared as soon as it appeared in his mind. Even if he wished to pursue the matter, the current circumstance didnt allow for it. Landing on the ground, he suppressed the stifled sensation in his chest and straightened his back. Then, flicking his spear in his hands, he looked at the massive savage beast and said, "Brother Demon Cinque, no matter what, we have been together for three years. You should understand my character very well. I have no intentions of hurting you at all. How about this, why dont we just forget about this matter... Lets continue to get along as equal peers... Y-you... Stop! Why are you still charging here?" Before he could finish his words, the massive figure appeared right before him once more. Raising its ws, it struck down on him. Peng! Blocking it with his spear, Hall Master Han was knocked backward once more. Even though they were both at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, there was an irreconcble disparity in their strength. He wasnt a match for the other party at all. "Dont force me! Did you think that the formation was my only trump card... Shit!" Having been attacked relentlessly by the other party, Hall Master Hans chest ached from the heavy blows directed at him. Infuriated, heshed out. However, before he could finish hisshing, he was struck once more by the wing of the Demon Cinque Beast. He was sent rotating several rounds in the air before crashing heavily down. At this moment, Hall Master Han felt extremely dismal. If only hed known that the roasting of the Deerhorde Beast would attract the Soul Devouring Ants and destroy the formation, he would have never done so! In the end, not only did the Deerhorde Beast be a gift to the Soul Devouring Ants, the target he was aiming to tame was also in a berserk state. It seemed as though the other party would never rest as long as he was still breathing. He snuck a nce at the 2-star beast tamer, Hall Master Sai, and the others, and this single nce nearly caused another mouthful of blood to spurt from his mouth. At a distance several hundred meters away, the young man from before was looking at him leisurely as he lectured his students. "Do you all see that? This is the consequence of not listening to the advice of others. In the future, when you all explore the world by your own, make sure to remain humble and keep an open mind to the words of others... In any case, just dont be like him! "Also, even though that previous move of his looked incredible, its actually aplete failure. If he hadunched that attack half a breath earlier, the Demon Cinque Beasts movements would surely have been interrupted... To be able to use perfectly fine moves to such an extent, his fighting techniques are truly mediocre! "Thus, you all must train your battle techniques diligently. Dont always think about conquering this and that. Rather than wasting your time on such immaterial aplishments, you should work hard on raising your fighting prowess..." ... The young manmented as he lectured his students. Hearing those words, Hall Master Hans eyebrows leaped furiously. If he could, he wouldve charged forward to pummel that young man. The heck! I am a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, the head of the Beast Hall! Why, in the view of an insignificant figure like you, did I suddenly be a person incapable of anything at all? But... what left him even more frustrated was that... analyzing the other partys words carefully, he realized that the other partys words were actually spot-on. Even if he wanted to refute those words, he had no idea where he could start from. "There is something bizarre about that fellow. When Im done dealing with the Demon Cinque Beast, I will have to ask Hall Master Sai about it!" No matter how foolish he was, it was clear that the young man was extraordinary. Most probably, he must have noticed something in advance, thats why he spoke those words. However, this wasnt the time to be conflicted over this matter. Twisting his body, he dodged the Demon Cinque Beasts offense and raised his head. "Brother Demon Cinque, since you refuse to agree to my offer of reconciliation, dont me me for getting nasty!" After which, he took a breath and flicked his hands. While he was being continuously forced back by the Demon Cinque Beast, Elder Hu and the others had been making preparations. Even though they had been knocked away by the Demon Cinque Beast, those were mainly superficial injuries. A moment of meditation was more than sufficient to get them back to their full strength. Upon hearing those words, they immediately got into position and drew their weapons. Hu! Their aura harmonized together as one, forming a coborative offense formation. "Its the same formation as the one the younger beast tamers used previously. However, this one is much more profound and stronger!" From afar, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but nod his head. It was a rare opportunity to view the battle among Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts. Naturally, he should exin the entire battle to Zhao Ya and the others so that they could learn from it and improve. "Indeed. This formation further augments their individual strength, allowing their battle prowess to soar several folds!" Jin Conghai nodded. Even when crossing hands with the younger beast tamers outside, if not for his experience and superior cultivation, it would definitely be difficult for him to triumph over them. Since even the juniors were already so powerful, not much had to be said about the seniors who had immersed themselves into the formation for such a long period of time. Not to mention, their cultivation realms were also far superior, resulting in a vast difference in the might of both formations! "If they were the ones whom we were facing previously, even if there were eight of us facing them, we still wouldnt have had the strength to retaliate at all!" Taking a nce, Hall Master Sai couldnt help but remark. The reason why the both of them could suppress the formation of the young beast tamers previously wasnt because the formation was weak but because their cultivation far exceeded that of the other party. On top of that, the young beast tamers werent familiar with the coborative offensive formation either. But Hall Master Han, Elder Hu, and the others didnt have such a w at all. It was clear that they had practiced the formation for several years already, and every single move of theirs had a deep intention behind it. On top of that, their teamwork was exquisite, so as soon as the formation was executed, their fighting prowess immediately soared to formidable heights, thus exerting a huge pressure on the Demon Cinque Beast. Awed, Hall Master Saimented, "So, this is his true trump card! For the formation to be so powerful, it seems like they began practicing this coborative formation straight after the failure three years ago!" The Confinement Formation they used previously was formidable, but what if the other party was determined not to give in? Eventually, it would just be a matter of time before the formation ran out of power and the Demon Cinque Beast was let loose. Thus, Hall Master Sai was perplexed as to whether Hall Master Han had any backup n to deal with this situation. From the looks of it now, this seemed to be it. The coborative formation made up of the several elders harnessed immense power, making them a match for even a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan primary stage expert. Dealing with a 4-dan pinnacle Demon Cinque Beast shouldnt be much of a problem. "Do you think that... they can win?" Seeing through Hall Master Sais thoughts, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Their teamwork is wless, and the might of the formation is also formidable. They should be able to suppress the Demon Cinque Beast entirely!" Hall Master Sai said. As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, he was able to gauge of the fighting prowess of these elders urately. The coborative offensive formation was profound and it augmented the strengths of every single individual in it. No matter how powerful the Demon Cinque Beast, it would be hard for it to withstand thebined might of the group. "Should be able to?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Since they have their trump card, what makes you think that the Demon Cinque Beast doesnt have one? If a single coborative offensive formation could bring it down, it would have been eliminated by the forces dispatched by the Myriad Kingdom Alliance long ago!" Back then, even the many experts sent by the Myriad Kingdom Alliance ended in failure. To even entertain the thought that a single formation could subdue this Demon Cinque Beast was a gross underestimation of its ability. "Besides, this is in fact a ughter Formation. However, given that Hall Master Han is reluctant to kill the Demon Cinque Beast in hopes of taming it, his movements will be severely limited. This will prevent them from bringing out the full might of the formation!" After studying the Heavens Path Formation Art, Zhang Xuans understanding of formations had reached an astounding level. Even though he didnt know the name of the coborative offensive formation, he could urately discern its properties and might. Hall Master Han was too focused on taming the Demon Cinque Beast, and this would cause him to subconsciously hold back in his offense. In other words, he was treating this ughter Formation as a Confinement Formation... With the might of the formation greatly reduced, it was just a matter of time before the group fell apart. And just like Zhang Xuan had said, initially, Hall Master Han and the others had the upper hand. However, as the Demon Cinque Beast gave up on its defense altogether and attacked recklessly, the formation was swiftly torn apart. Pu pu pu pu! A few minutester, the elders were swept away by the wing of the Demon Cinque Beast and incurred heavy injuries. They spat out huge mouthfuls of blood. Peng! Eventually, under one of the attacks from the Demon Cinque Beast, Hall Master Hans spear was knocked out of his hand, and he crashed onto the ground. Hu! After breaking the formation, the furious Demon Cinque Beast immediately stomped its massive foot on Hall Master Han. If Hall Master Han were to be really stepped on by that humongous figure, no matter how powerful he was, it would be difficult for him to escape from his demise. "You..." Seeing the that his life was at risk, Hall Master Han bore with the intense pain pricking at his body and got up. Summoning the strength he had into his palm, he prepared to receive the other partys blow. Peng! The foot came into contact with his palm, and for a moment, there was a stalemate. However, the pressure on the foot only grew stronger and stronger. Just as Hall Master Han wasing to the verge of his endurance, and he thought that he would be reduced into meat paste, an anxious voice shouted, "Zhang shi, I beseech you to save Hall Master Han!" The one who spoke was Hall Master Sai. After years of being friends, he couldnt bear seeing his old friend dying before him. However, he knew the extent of his ability well. He wasnt even a match for his old buddy, needless to say, this monster that could easily subdue him. Thus, the only option left was to request for Zhang shis help. Zhang Xuans cultivation was far beneath his, but after the past few days of interaction, he found himself being continuously shocked by the other partys miraculous means. Perhaps, he might have a solution to save his old buddy. "I am not a match for the Demon Cinque Beast either, how do you expect me to save him?" However, contrary to his expectations, the young man gave a negative reply. Hearing those words, Hall Master Han despaired. He thought that three years of fellowship and the various hands he had prepared beforehand would allow this operation to end in sess. Never in his dreams did he expect for this fellows strength to be far beyond his, resulting in apletely one-sided fight! "Please, you must have a solution... Otherwise, if the Demon Cinque Beast were to kill Hall Master Han, itll definitelye for us next..." Hall Master Sai pleaded anxiously. "Oh, I do have a solution!" The nonchnt voice of the young man sounded. "What is it?" Hall Master Sai asked in agitation. Hall Master Hans body also tightened. Seeing a ray of hope, he immediately pricked his ears to listen closer. "Simple, we just have to ask this fellow to release him!" the young man said. Pu! Having his ray of hope abruptly crushed, Hall Master Han spurted a mouthful of blood and fell into despair. Chapter 499: Taming the Demon Cinque Beast Chapter 499: Taming the Demon Cinque Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Release him? Arent you spouting the obvious? Who doesnt know that that is the most direct method... However, look at how furious this fellow is! It seems as though it is ready to murder anyone, do you think that its possible for it to release him? Trapping the other party and using a coborative offensive formation, this had already created an irreconcble grudge between the two. At this moment, the Demon Cinque Beast couldnt wait to kill thetter to vent his resentment. Release? You must be joking! He thought that since this young man was able to predict the appearance of the Soul Devouring Ants, he might just be able toe up with a brilliant situation to save him. To think that he would be so unreliable as well! Asking for the Demon Cinque Beast to release him would probably only hasten his death! Depressed, Hall Master Han gave up all hope. At that moment, he heard Hall Master Sais voice sound. "Release? What do you need, Ill go make preparations now!" "Theres no need for any preparations. As long as I tame that fellow and make it my tamed beast, it will surely listen to my words," the young man said nonchntly. "Tame it and make it your tamed beast?" Hall Master Hans vision went dark, and for a moment, it felt as though he had seen all wonders in life. Over the course of the past three years, the treasures which he had presented to the Demon Cinque Beast could already make up a massive mountain. Not to mention, for this operation, he had used the Deerhorde Beast, middle-tier spirit stone, and various other treasures to entice it. Even so, the Demon Cinque Beast didnt even consider epting the offer in the least. How dare you speak as though taming it will be so easy? If it is that easy, do you think that I would be trampled beneath its foot at this very moment? "Forget it, I shouldnt depend on this fellow. I should think of a way myself instead!" Knowing that it wasnt a viable option to depend on this young man, Hall Master Han exerted his strength and attempted to push away the other partys foot. However, as soon as he exerted more strength, he felt the force weighing down him increasing proportionately as well. Boom! A huge shock wave rippled into the surroundings, and Hall Master Han was pushed deeper into the ground. A cloud of dust rose into the air, cloaking his face with dirt. Pu! Fresh blood spewed from his mouth once more. Under the immense force, his injuries worsened, and his consciousness was slowly getting hazy. "To think that I would end up dying here..." Destion gripped his heart. Having engaged in beast taming his entire life, he thought that with his innumerable means, he would surely be able to turn this big fellow into his tamed beast. Never in his dreams did he expect that he would end up dying under the foot of the other party... Just the thought of it left him frustrated. Just as he was about to close his eyes and await his impending demise, he suddenly heard a sound that resembled both the call of a cow and the rumbling of thunder. Then, the immense force crushing down on him suddenly vanished. Touching his body, he affirmed that he was still alive and that the Demon Cinque Beast, who was intent on crushing him into a lump of meat, had removed its foot. Baffled, he opened his eyes to take a look, and with a single nce, his entire body convulsed and he nearly fainted. "Th-this..." His lips twitched intensely, and his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Hall Master Han seemed to have seen an inconceivable sight that was pushing the boundaries of his rationality. The arrogant Demon Cinque Beast which was charging at him furiously to ughter him so as to vent its resentment was currently lying obediently in front of a figure. Its head was closely aligned with the ground, and its thick tongue licked the other partys foot relentlessly. With a respectful expression, it fawned on the figure as though a loyal dog serving its owner. It was an indescribably crude sight. What was going on? Wasnt that fellow arrogant to the extreme, refusing to serve anyone even if it had spelled its death? Shouldnt nothing have been able to move it at all? Why, in the blink of an eye, did it suddenly start licking the shoes of another person? Besides, what is with your look of reverence? You are salivating, you know? You look as though you hate the fact that you dont have two tongues to lick both shoes of the other party at once... Can you at least retain some basic decency? Rubbing his eyes forcefully, Hall Master Han tried to confirm whether he was seeing things when the figure in front of the Demon Cinque Beast pushed the face of thetter away impatiently. "Go and chew on the grass by the side instead!" Pu! Hall Master Hans body swayed from side to side. The Demon Cinque Beast is treating you so respectfully, and yet, you still pushed it away? Not to mention, asking it to feed on grass? Its a carnivore! How can it possibly eat grass? But another shock awaited him. Without any hesitation, the Demon Cinque Beast immediately rushed to the side excitedly, opened its mouth widely, and began chewing on the grass joyfully, as though afraid that someone might steal it from him... Pah! Thinking that he might be dreaming, Hall Master Han sent a forceful p to his face. The intense pain helped him to sharpen his consciousness, and looking over once more, the Demon Cinque Beast was still waging a war with the grass by the side. "The hell! What on earth is going on?" wing on his head frenziedly, Hall Master Han felt as though something had gone wrong with the world. He had caught a clear glimpse of the figure whom the Demon Cinque Beast was fawning on. It was the 2-star beast tamer who had advised him previously, Zhang Xuan. After three years of effort, the Demon Cinque Beast remained nonchnt to him, and even went to the extent of trying to kill him... Yet, this fellow only roared once, and the other party immediately licked his shoes and chewed on the grass by the side... Where has the fairness of the world gone to? Is the 4-star beast tamer me or you? Suddenly, an idea emerged in his head. "Could this be the reason why... Hall Master Sai is acting so politely around him?" He had been perplexed over why Hall Master Sai would choose to treat this young man with utmost respect, and from the looks of it now, it seemed like this young man wasnt just a simple 2-star beast tamer. Otherwise, how could he possibly make the Demon Cinque Beast lower its pride to such an extent and submit immediately with just a single howl? Adjusting his breathing, Hall Master Han bore with the pain and walked up to the young man, "Thank you Beast Tamer Zhang for saving my life!" If not for the other party taming the Demon Cinque Beast, he would have surely died. No matter what, the other party had saved his life, and this made him indebted to him. Waving his hands casually, Zhang Xuan said, "I am only doing this because of Hall Master Sais plea. If you must thank someone, thank Hall Master Sai!" If not for Hall Master Sai, I wouldnt have even bothered! "Still, its only right for me to thank Beast Tamer Zhang. If not for your help, I would have surely been dead by now!" After thanking Zhang Xuan once more, Hall Master Han turned to Hall Master Sai and sped his fist, "Hall Master Sai, thank you..." Weve been buddies for so long, theres no need for you to stand on ceremonies!" Hall Master Sais face reddened. "Besides, Im of no help at all. Zhang shi managed to tame the Demon Cinque Beast all by himself!" "Zhang shi?" Even though he had heard this address before, he thought that he might have just heard wrongly. After all, he was in the midst of battle, and there was a considerable distance between them and him. However, it was impossible for him to be mistaken this time around. His heart immediately jolted. Could the young man before him be a master teacher? "Un. Not only is Zhang shi a master teacher, hes also a 2-star beast tamer, 5-star appraiser, quasi 4-star formation master!" Hall Master Sai exined. "Master teacher, 5-star... appraiser, and quasi 4-star... formation master?" Hall Master Hans face paled. He thought that the other party was just a 2-star beast tamer, that was why he took the other party lightly. How could he have known that the other party would have so many upations? Putting everything aside, just his identity as a master teacher already made him of superior standing to him. Master teachers were not to be made light or sullied. Those who dared to do so would be beaten to death on the spot, and no one would dare to speak up for that person. Not to mention, the other party was a 5-star appraiser and quasi 4-star formation master on top of that. "Of course, our young master isnt just limited to these upations. Hes also a physician, apothecary, and painter!" Seeing that the other party was stumped, a plump man walked out from the back of the young man and harrumphed. "Seven... upations?" Hall Master Han swallowed a mouthful of saliva and his mouth started trembling. A person would have to spend much effort just to master one upation. And yet, the person in front of him had already mastered seven... When did such a monster appear in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? It was no wonder why Hall Master Sai paid such high regards to him. If he knew that the other party had such identities, he would have never dared to try pulling his weight before him. "Indeed. But putting that aside for now, our young master has saved your life. Did you think that a single thanks would suffice?" The plump narrowed his eyes and stared at Hall Master Han in disdain, "I recall seeing you offer quite a few good things to the Demon Cinque Beast when you were trying to tame it. Why? Do you think that your life isnt even worth that of a single spirit beast?" "I..." Hall Master Hans body froze. Indeed. It was a breach of propriety to brush off his savior with just a word of thanks. "Initially, I intended to use this spirit stone to attract the Demon Cinque Beast and tame it..." Taking out the middle-tier spirit stone from before, Hall Master Han nced at the Demon Cinque Beast, who was still busy chewing on grass. Knowing that it would be impossible for him to tame it at this point, he gritted his teeth and passed it over, "However... it seems like theres no use for it now. Ill give it to Zhang shi as a token of appreciation for saving my life then!" The plump man took the spirit stone, fiddled around with it, and frowned, "Just one?" "I... only have this single one!" Hall Master Hans face reddened. There werent too many middle-tier spirit stones throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. It took him a lot of effort and luck just to procure this one. "Alright then, so be it!" Seeing that this was the limit of the financial ability of the other party, Sun Qiang shook his head and presented the spirit stone to Zhang Xuan. "Young master!" "Un!" Catching it, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Honestly speaking, Sun Qiang was truly a capable subordinate. He was able to urately deduce that Zhang Xuan was interested in the middle-tier spirit stone, and knowing that thetter probably made a move for it, he stepped forward and closed the deal. In the end, master teachers werent saints. It wasnt unusual for one to demand reward after doing another a favor, and master teachers were no exception as well. Otherwise, given how many people were in need in this world, wouldnt he die of exhaustion? Putting away the spirit stone in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Han and said, "I just happen to require middle-tier spirit stones so Ill humbly ept your gift. But in any case, I wont take advantage of you. In exchange, Ill treat your injuries topensate you!" "Treat my injuries?" Hall Master Han was stunned. "Youre saying its possible to treat such severe injuries?" Under the relentless heavy blows of the Demon Cinque Beast and overexertion of his body, his internal organs had been shifted and his cultivation had fallen greatly. It would be difficult to treat such injuries at his age. Thus, when Zhang Xuan said that he could treat him, the first thing he thought was that it was impossible. "Since Ive said it, naturally, Ill be able to do it. However, if you dont wish to, we can drop the matter!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Of course I want to be treated..." Recalling the other partys identity as a physician and master teacher, Hall Master Han hurriedly nodded his head. If it was in the past, he would have never believed such words. However, looking at the Demon Cinque Beast obediently chewing on a patch of grass, he couldnt help but think that the young man before him just might be capable of doing so. After agreeing to the matter, Hall Master Han asked, "Zhang shi, do you need any medicinal herbs? I have some of them here..." Even though he wasnt a physician, as a cultivator and a beast tamer, he still retained some basic knowledge on medicine. Given the extent of his injuries, without theplementation of centuries-old medicinal herbs, it would be very difficult for him to make a full recovery. And he happened to have some of these medicinal herbs. Just as he was about to take these things out, the young man before him spoke up. "Medicinal herbs? Theres no need for any... Demon Cinque Beast,e over and knock this fellow out for me!" Chapter 500: Knockout Treatment Method Chapter 500: Knockout Treatment Method Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knock out? Not only did Hall Master Han widen his eyes, the others were baffled by Zhang Xuans actions as well, and they stared at one another in confusion. Arent you going treat Hall Master Hans injuries? What do you mean by knocking him out? "Theres no need to worry. This is our old masters exclusive technique, Knockout Treatment Method!" Sun Qiang exined. Having followed behind Yang shi for a period of time, he knew that this was the old masters exclusive technique. As the direct disciple of the old master, it was natural that the young master would know of it as well. The crowd became even more perplexed. To treat someone by knocking them out... Such a method existed in the world? Hu! Before the crowd could react, the Demon Cinque Beast suddenly turned around, walked, over, and stared at Hall Master Han, causing the other partys hair to stand on end. "Zhang shi... Why dont we pass on the knockout? Perhaps... medicine might be better..." Recalling how the gigantic fellow charged at him relentlessly to kill him previously, Hall Master Han started trembling uncontrobly. Would this big fellow use this opportunity to get back at him? Zhang shi told it to knock him out, but what if it used this chance to kill him instead? It was better to be safe than sorry... "Theres no need to go through so much trouble. Demon Cinque Beast, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up!" Zhang Xuan frowned. Roar! Hearing the instruction, the Demon Cinque Beast howled in delight. Stepping forward, its thick wings immediately flew over and struck him. "I..." Hall Master Han really cried this time around. If only Id known that this was your treatment method, I would surely have just given the middle-tier spirit stone to you for free. I dont need suchpensation... Peng! In his current condition, it was impossible for Hall Master Han to escape. Thus, when the wing struck the back of his head, his vision turned ck and he passed out. "This..." The corner of Zhao Feiwus mouth twitched violently. Her body trembled slightly, and at this moment, she felt extremely d that she was countless kilometers away from this fellow back when she was treated. It was fortunate that he only presented the solution via the Wall of Dilemma. If he had been the one to administer the treatment personally... Would this have been her fate as well? Was there really such a treatment method in the world? Being feeble since young, she had seen innumerable top-notch physicians. However, she had never heard of a case where one had to be knocked out in order to be treated. Perplexed, she turned her gaze over, only to see Zhang Xuan walking over to the unconscious Hall Master Han and cing his forefinger and middle finger on the other partys wrist. A momentter, he stood up, flicked his wrist, and a few silver needles appeared in his hand. Sou sou sou sou! The silver needles shot through thin air andnded straight on the numerous acupoints throughout Hall Master Hans body. Then, with a grabbing action, all of the silver needles returned back to his hand. "Done!" pping his hand, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Sai and said, "Wake him up!" "Done?" Everyone was dumbfounded. Were you really treating him or were you just fooling around? After cing a few needles, you say that youre done? Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai stared at one another. They had clearly seen the location of where the needlesnded. Rather than acupoints, those were mingmen! There wouldnt be any other physicians who would dare to touch these vulnerable spots. Even if this was a secret art of some kind, it should be impossible to induce a full recovery just by being pierced on several locations for a brief moment, right? Or was the treatment method simply too profound for them? Hall Master Sai had only seen the other party identifying treasures and earning their acknowledgement but he had never seen the other party treating someone before. As such, he was totally baffled by the sight before him. Even so, since the other party had already spoken, he nodded his head and stepped forward. Pressing on the other partys philtrum, he infused a surge of zhenqi in. "Cough cough!" Coughing violently, Hall Master Han opened his eyes. Hu! Pressing against the ground, he hurriedly retreated backward. "Zhang shi, can I pass on the treatment..." But before he could finish his words, he suddenly paused and his eyes widened. As a cultivator, he was well aware of the various changes in his body. Given how he was able to push himself backward just by exerting some force on his palm, and the unobstructed flow of Origin Energy in his body, there could only be a single possibility... He had fully recovered from his injuries! How was that possible? Doubtful, he stretched out his hand and grabbed forward. A massive handprint immediately gathered in the space in front of him. The handprint distorted the air in the surroundings with its immense might, reminiscent of a floating block of water, threatening to tear through space at any moment. "Great Ocean Seizing Hands? Hall master, y-you... have recovered?" Seeing his actions, not only was Hall Master Sai and the other perplexed, the other elders who had coborated with him on the formation also widened their eyes in shock, and their breathing hastened. Great Ocean Seizing Hands was Spirit intermediate-tier battle technique. It was iparably powerful, and without sufficient Origin Energy and strength, it was impossible to execute it. As the core of the formation, he was the one leading the fight against the Demon Cinque Beast previously. Thus, it was natural that he would bear the brunt of the attack and suffer the greatest damage. At the moment, every single one of them found it hard to even climb to their feet, and they felt as though they would breathe theirst at any moment. Yet, the other party executed a battle technique which one could only utilize at their peak condition... Did it have to be so exaggerated? "Ive recovered?" Hall Master Han widened his eyes in disbelief. Suddenly recalling something, he flicked his wrist and a spear appeared in his palm. Then, he shook it slightly. Weng! A surge of Weapon Intent was suddenly flicked out, and it stabbed into a gigantic boulder not too far away. Boom! The boulder exploded into innumerable smithereens. "Clear Passageway, wless Intent! Hall master... youve recovered... from the trauma you sustained before as well?" Elder Hus lips shuddered. In truth, the reason why they, the elders of the Beast Hall, were willing to assist their hall master in capturing the Demon Cinque Beast even despite the threat of danger was not due to his order but in awe of the hall masters character. Back then, in order to help them tame their spirit beasts, he had once entered the depths of a marsh and was bitten by a poisonous worm. Ever since then, there had been a blockage in his meridian, resulting in a trauma. As such, his Weapon Intent was unable to flow through his body, thereby ending his weapon cultivation there. If not for that, given the hall masters talent and strength, even if he couldnt tame the Demon Cinque Beast, he would still be able to triumph over Luo Ming in the selections. There would be no need for him to go through so much trouble. The hall master had never demandedpensation from them for his sacrifice, and simrly, they were also willing to give their all for the hall master. No matter how tiring it was, they cultivated the coborative offensive formation along with him without a word ofint. They thought that the hall master would be limited by hisck of Weapon Intent for his entire life. Never in their dreams did they expect that just by being knocked out and pierced with a few needles, the other party would not only be able to execute the Great Ocean Seizing Hands, he would even be able to utilize Weapon Intent... What in the world happened? "My trauma... is gone?" Since Elder Hu could tell this much, how could Hall Master Han, the person in question, remain ignorant of it? He hurriedly turned his sights to the young man before him. "Oh. I realized that you have sustained some traumas so I helped you treat those as well since its convenient. You dont need topensate me for that!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. In truth, when Hall Master Han fought with the Demon Cinque Beast previously, a book on him had already beenpiled in the Library of Heavens Path. The reason why Zhang Xuan went through all the trouble to knock the other party out and touch his pulse was to conceal the secret regarding his Heavens Path zhenqi. The bookpiled also reflected the other partys traumas as well. Since he was going to treat the other party, he couldnt possibly just go halfway. Besides, it wasnt difficult to do so either. Heavens Path zhenqi could be turned into both medicine and poison with just a single thought of his. He had treated many people whose meridians had been blocked by lethal poison in the past too. "Convenient..." Hall Master Hans eyes reddened and he nearly went insane. He had looked up all of the physicians throughout Myriad Kingdom City but none of them had a solution to his problem. Because the poisonous worm had bitten him while he was executing Weapon Intent, even though he was cured of the poison eventually, some remnants of the poison resulted in his meridians being permanently blocked... He didnt even mention his hidden problem but Zhang shi had already treated it out of convenience... Did you have to be that extreme? Suddenly, a thought shed through Hall Master Hans mind and he asked, "Elder Hu, how long... have I been out for?" Given how all of his injuries were treated and even his traumas were gone, the treatment process must have taken a significant length of time. Two hours? Four hours? Or perhaps... a day? "How long? From the moment you were knocked out until now... I think around a minute has passed!" Elder Hu calcted. "A minute?" Hall Master Hans body swayed weakly. He had already been awake for half a minute, so that meant... the treatment process took only a maximum of... half a minute? How in the world did he do it? "Since he was able to treat my injuries, he should be able to treat the other elders as well..." Suppressing his agitation and shock, Hall Master Han suddenly thought of something and his eyes lit up. He hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Zhang shi, Elder Hu and the others have gotten injured for my sake. If you can treat them as well, Ill be eternally thankful to you..." It was due to him that the elders had allnded in such a state. He couldnt possibly just leave them in the dumps now that he had recovered. "Our young master is a formidable physician so his services arent cheap..." Sun Qiang stepped forward. "I understand..." Hall Master Han hurriedly nodded his head. Flicking his wrist, the several thousand spirit stones that he had used to enticed the Demon Cinque Beast previously appeared in the ground before him. Under the sun, it looked like a mountain of crystal, and spiritual energy surged forth from the mini mountain. Even though spirit stones were valuable as well, they meant nothing whenpared to the lives of his old buddies. "Alright!" Putting away the spirit stones into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan first turned to Elder Hu and said, "I believe you all should know my treatment method!" "Ive heard everything!" Elder Hu quickly nodded his head. "I know what I should do..." After which, he turned to the Demon Cinque Beast and said. "Come and hit me with all of your might! I can take it..." "..." The crowd. Zhang Xuan staggered. The heck! It would suffice as long as you lose consciousness. Do you need to flirt with a spirit beast like that? Suppressing his urge to spurt blood, Zhang Xuan said, "Cough cough. Actually, theres no need for it to make a move, you can use any means to make yourself faint. Ill be able to conduct my treatment as long as youre unconscious!" "Itll suffice as long as I lose consciousness?" Elder Hu was taken aback. On the other hand, Hall Master Hans vision turned dark. If it was that simple, why did you have to get the Demon Cinque Beast to make a move on me? Do you know how to close to death I came because of it... "Alright!" After confirming the treatment method, Elder Hu stretched out his palm and struck his forehead without any hesitation. Padah! His vision immediately turned dark and he fainted. Zhang Xuan stepped forward. A momentter, Elder Hu woke up. Leaping to his feet, his eyes glowed brightly. A momentter, Elder Hu woke up. Leaping to his feet, his eyes glowed in agitation. "Its your turn!" After treating Elder Hu, Zhang Xuan walked up to another elder. Knowing what Zhang Xuan needed, without wasting any time, he immediately struck his own forehead. ... And thus, Zhao Feiwu and the others saw an incredibly bizarre sight unfolding before them. Renowned Transcendent Mortal beast tamers of the Myriad Kingdom City knocked themselves out as soon as Zhang Xuan approached them... And after having some needles pierced into several acupoints, they regained their vitality and leaped around excitedly... "So fast?" Only at this moment did Hall Master Han finally get a chance to see the other partys treatment method and speed, and his throat turned dry. Even though Elder Hus words had already given him some idea of it, witnessing it with his own eyes still left him in shock. Making a rough calction, from the moment that the elders were knocked out to the point that the silver needles were extracted, not even twenty breaths had passed... In less than twenty breaths, in the young mans miraculous hands, the severe injuries of the patients disappeared. On top of that, the patients were even able to leap around freely as soon as they woke up, as though the injuries they had sustained before were imaginary... He didnt know much about physicians so he couldnt make a clear judgement on the other partys capability. However, one thing he could make judgement on was the other partys beast taming capability. To make the Demon Cinque Beast submit with just a single bellow, and making it feed on grass willingly from an instruction, the other partys beast taming ability had at least reached... 5-star! A 5-star beast tamer and a potential 5-star physician... Really, where in the world did this monstere from? Chapter 501: Demon Cinque Beast - Breakthrough Chapter 501: Demon Cinque Beast - Breakthrough Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A few minutester, the injuries of Elder Hu and the others had fully recovered. Every single one of them was overflowing with vitality. "Thank you, Zhang shi..." The crowd expressed their gratitude. Even though they had already paid for the services so they didnt owe anything to Zhang Xuan, the other partys medical skill was still simply way too astonishing. It was almost miraculous, and it was hard to believe that someone in the world was capable of such a feat. "The Demon Cinque Beast has already been tamed by Zhang shi so it would be a waste of time if we were to remain here. Thus, I wont be imposing on you all any longer. Farewell!" Hall Master Han sped his fist and bade his farewell. His primary objective here was to tame the Demon Cinque Beast. However, since Zhang shi had already tamed it, there was no reason for him to remain here any longer. Even though he had failed to tame the Demon Cinque Beast, he had recovered from his trauma. With this alone, he was confident that he could triumph over Luo Ming and obtain the qualification to study at the headquarter. So, his final objective could be said to have been met. In a sense, his trip wasnt wasted. "Farewell!" Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Sai, and the others sped their fists as well. "Given how talented Zhang shi is, if Im not mistaken, you should be participating in the Master Teacher Tournament two months from now, right? Ill definitely head there personally to support you!" Hall Master Han chuckled before leaving. Given the extent of the other partys capability and his identity as a master teacher, and considering the major affairs surrounding the Myriad Kingdom City during this period of time, it wasnt too difficult to deduce his next objective. No matter what, he owed the other party a debt. If there was a chance, he would like to repay it. Besides, given the other partys immense capability and his proficiency in various upations, he was a person worth befriending. After Hall Master Han and the others left, the area grew quiet once more. "Zhang shi, do we enter the tomb now or do we rest here first?" Luo Zhu looked at Zhang Xuan with a look of admiration. The previous time he came here, he had to operate secretly for fear of being noticed by the Demon Cinque Beast. Yet, the person before him had managed to tame this notorious fellow. This was something he could never have imagined in the past. With the threat from the Demon Cinque Beast out of the way, there wasnt any reason for them to rush anymore. They could enter the tomb whenever they liked. "Hold on for a moment. Well enter after I solve the problem the Demon Cinque Beast is suffering from." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Problem? It isnt injured though..." The crowd was perplexed. This big fellow possessed such mighty strength and its defense was invincible within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even when battling against Hall Master Han and the others, it was able to crush all of them easily. Solving its problem? What kind of problem could it have? "The Soul Devouring Ants dont have much of an influence on ordinary lifeforms and humans. However, they are yin attribute lifeformsotherwise they wouldnt have sustained themselves by consuming soulsand after loitering around this area for a month or two, even if the Demon Cinque Beast didnt reallye into contact with them, it would still be affected by the yin energy they exude." cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan exined impassively. "The intense battle just a moment ago caused the yin energy to seep into its internal organs. If it isnt cleared away swiftly, itll be hard for it to achieve any breakthroughs in the future!" "Theres actually such a matter?" "If thats the case, shouldnt we stay away from those Soul Devouring Ants as well?" Upon hearing that even a powerful existence like the Demon Cinque Beast would be affected by the Soul Devouring Ants, everyone was rmed. They immediately scanned their surroundings warily. At this moment, after consuming the cooked Deerhorde Beast, the satisfied Soul Devouring Ants had burrowed back underground. Thus, there wasnt any trace of them left on the surface. If they hadnt witnessed it personally, it would have been difficult for them to believe that this ancient creature, which hadnt been sighted for such a long period of time, truly existed in the world. To consume even formations... It was truly a fearsome existence. "Itll be fine as long as you all dont consume the water from theke!" Zhang Xuan said, "The Soul Devouring Ants can sense that the soul oracle tomb is beneath theke. Thus, even though the water may seem clean, it is actually filled with the corpses of these fellows. One of the main reasons why the Demon Cinque Beast is gued by the yin energy of these fellows is due to drinking the water from theke." Everyone came to a realization. These creatures were drawn here by the scent of the soul oracle tomb. Realizing that the tomb was beneath theke, it was inevitable that some of them would be unable to resist the allure and attempt to head for the soul oracle tomb. As time slowly passed, the water became unsafe for consumption. "Then... how can this problem be solved?" Luo Zhu asked. Since even the Demon Cinque Beast could be gued by the yin energy, what should they do if they were affected as well? Everyone also turned their gazes over. They wanted to know the solution so that they would know what to do if they were to ingest the water from theke identally. "Simple, you just have to chew on the grass by the side!" Zhang Xuan pointed. "Chew on the grass?" Taken aback, everyone instinctively turned to the Demon Cinque Beast, which was still busy chewing on the grass, with a dumbfounded expression. They thought that Zhang shis act of ordering the Demon Cinque Beast to chew on grass was a punishment, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like he had another motive in mind. This exined why this massive fellow didnt feel displeased in the slightest, it even went on and munched on the grass excitedly. "If Im not mistaken, this should be Bluerain Grass, right? This grass can be found all around the mountain. However, if I recall correctly, this grass should have no particr attribute at all. Why would eating this grass clear away the yin energy in ones body?" Hall Master Sai was bewildered. As an appraiser, he boasted vast knowledge. As such, he was able to identify the grass in an instant. Bluerain Grass grew on mountainous areas that were near a water source. It didnt have any effect or attribute, and as such, it couldnt even be considered as a medicinal herb. Why would it be able to expel the yin energy from the Soul Devouring Ants? "Its true that this grass primarily has no attribute or effect. However, one has to take their environment into consideration as well. If its the patch of grass over there, itll bepletely ineffective!" Zhang Xuan pointed. He was pointing at the dense bunch of Bluerain Grasses that grew by the side of theke. Everyone blinked their eyes in bewilderment. It was just a distance of several dozen meters, why would the grass over there be ineffective? There was nothing different with their environment at all! Seeing the doubt on everyones faces, Zhang Xuan smiled and shook his head, "This is where the Demon Cinque Beast relieved itself... In other words, it is its toilet." "Toilet?" Everyone blinked. "The Demon Cinque Beast carries the Dragon Bloodline, which is rich in yang energy. Naturally, its waste product carries powerful yang attribute. Under such nourishment, the Bluerain Grass in that area naturally took on this attribute as well." After exining, Zhang Xuan turned to look at them and said, "If you are worried, you can cut a few stalks and bring it along with you. The moment you realize that something is amiss, just take a bunch out and chew on it..." "Ill pass..." "Zhang shi, thank you for your advice. However, since you said its fine, there should be no need to do so!" Everyone hurriedly waved their hands. They were still agitated over it a moment ago, but after learning that those were grass which the Demon Cinque Beast used to relief itself, they immediately lost their interest. Knowing what the crowd was thinking, Zhang Xuan didnt touch on the topic any further. Instead, he walked up to the Demon Cinque Beast. At this moment, this gigantic fellow had already consumed a huge quantity of Bluerain Grass already. The yang energy within its body was gradually searing the yin energy umted within its body. Taking out a few silver needles, Zhang Xuan casually pierced them into several locations on the Demon Cinque Beast. Boom! A loud explosion sounded, and everyone immediately felt the Demon Cinque Beasts aura rising swiftly. "Is it going to make a breakthrough?" Hall Master Sai and Jin Conghai stared at one another in shock. At Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, ones soul would be even more harmonized with the environment, thus augmenting ones strength greatly. If the first four dans of the Transcendent Mortal realm, Prolonged Longevity, Origin Energy, Yin-Yang, and rifying Turbidity, could be considered as refining ones zhenqi and enhancing ones control over the environment, then from this realm onward, ones soul would be nourished and tempered. This was precisely the reason why even though Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle master teachers, despite their strength, could only be only considered as 4-star master teacher. Unable to produce [Long-range Tutge Jade Token], they couldnt be considered to have reached half 5-star. Only when ones cultivation had reached Consonant Spirit would one be able to sever a sliver of ones soul to seal it within a Tutge Jade Token to guide others. One could say that the gap between Transcendent Mortal 4-dan and 5-dan concerned the metamorphosis of ones soul, and it was a major hurdle to ovee. Many people were stuck at this step, unable to make a breakthrough until the end of their lives. Despite the long history of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and the innumerable talents who hade and gone, there were less than a few who had managed to surpass this boundary. And for spirit beasts, due to their weaker souls, it was far harder for them to make this breakthroughpared to humans. This fellow was already at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, and yet, at this moment, its aura was currently rising swiftly. Could it really be attempting to break through to the Consonant Spirit realm? The duo hurriedly turned their gazes over. "It cant make the breakthrough yet!" Seeing the agitation on the faces of the duo, Zhang Xuan replied calmly, "All beings in the world are made equal. Due to the overwhelmingly powerful physical body of the Demon Cinque Beast, it was harder for its soul to make a metamorphosis. Simrly, if ones soul is too strong, under normal circumstances, ones physical body wouldnt be too strong." After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuan said, "However... after consuming the Bluerain Grass, the yin energy has melded as one with the yang energy. At the same time, Ive also cleared some of its meridians. Thus, its inevitable that itll enjoy a huge leap in its cultivation. Even though this isnt sufficient for it to reach Consonant Spirit realm, Half-Consonant Spirit shouldnt be a problem!" "Half-Consonant Spirit?" "Thats already very fearsome! If I recall correctly, the old ancestor of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance is also at this realm..." Hearing those words, the duo still leaped in shock. Half-Consonant Spirit, simr to Half-Zongshi and Half-Zhizun, referred to a person who was infinitesimally close to Consonant Spirit realm but had yet to take thest step forward. Not only was the physical body of an expert at this level strong, his soul would tend to be exceptionally powerful as well. No Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert would be his match. If say, the Demon Cinque Beast was already overpowered due to its Dragon Bloodline and talents, it would be even more fearsome now. If it were to go on a rampage, even the old ancestor of Myriad Kingdom Alliance wouldnt be able to stand against it. Formidable! Hong long long! Amidst the shocked gazes of the duo, the Demon Cinque Beasts rising aura finally came to a halt. Just as Zhang shi had guessed, it didnt manage to make the final breakthrough into Consonant Spirit realm, stopping at Half-Consonant Spirit instead. Even so, with this strength, there was already no one who could subdue it in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance already. Roar! Knowing that it was only with his masters help that his cultivation had risen and his trauma resolved, it rushed forward excitedly to Zhang Xuan and bowed respectfully. Previously, it had only feared the other party due to the high possibility of the other party being a Pureblooded Dragon due to his ability to utter the Dragon Language. However, at this moment, he felt truly grateful to the other party. If not for him, it wouldnt have been able to reach this realm without a century of hard work. Seeing its attitude, Zhang Xuan knew that this fellow was sincerely swearing fealty to him this time. Thus, he nodded his head in satisfaction and instructed, "Thats right, were diving to the bottom of theke. Guard the area outside for us. If any human or beast dares to barge into this area, kill them without exception!" The situation below was still a mystery, and having to watch their backs for enemies while exploring the region wouldve been troublesome. With thisrge fellow guarding in the area, they wouldnt have to worry about any knives behind their back. "Roar!" The Demon Cinque Beast nodded its head. "Alright, lets set off!" After giving out the necessary instructions, Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings before leaping into theke along with Luo Zhu. Zhao Ya and the others quickly followed suit. After so much hard work... The soul oracle tomb was finally right before them. Chapter 502: Celestial Designer Chapter 502: Celestial Designer Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Theke was frigid and everyone immediately felt a bone-piercing chill as soon as they stepped in. Following behind Luo Zhu, Zhang Xuan dived down into theke. Even the weakest among the crowd was at Zhizun realm. At that level, holding ones breath for twenty to thirty minutes wasnt a problem at all. Even though Zhao Feiwus cultivation was slightlycking, Jin Conghai used his zhenqi to form a protectiveyer around her and kept transfusing zhenqi to her. As such, she was able to avoid suffocation. Initially, with the light that shone through the surface of theke, they could still see the situation before them. However, as they went deeper in, darkness began to envelop them. Prepared, Luo Zhu took out a few Night Illumination Pearls and passed one to everyone. Under the gentle light, the underwater world appeared clearly before them. Due to the excessive frigidity of the water, there were no lifeforms in it. Swimming downward, at around a depth of seventy to eighty meters deep, they finally saw the bottom of theke. Corals of various differing colors filled area. It was impossible to speak underwater so Luo Zhumunicated via gesturing to the crowd. He adeptly maneuvered around the coral-filled ground and advanced. Before long, a cliff appeared before them. The surface of the cliff was smooth, and it didnt seem as though there was anything unique about it. If one didnt know that a soul oracle tomb was hidden within it beforehand, it would be impossible to know that there was a hidden mechanism on it. Flicking his wrist, Luo Zhu took out a stone te, and after feeling about the wall for a moment, he found a precise aperture and inserted the stone te into it. Jiya! A mechanism was activated. The cliff suddenly came to life and started opening up. "What exquisite craftsmanship!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though it was a mechanism created out of rock, there wasnt even the slightest mark on its surface that betrayed its identity. It might be less intricate than the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container, but its craftsmanship was still far superiorpared to the other artifacts he had seen before. It seemed like the craftsman who built this soul oracle tomb was an expert. Even at worst, he must have at least reached 9-mo. Legend had it that 9-mo craftsmen were capable of creating machineries and puppets which even Transcendent Mortal experts would be unable to see through. From the looks of it, the legend was indeed true. It was no wonder why Luo Zhu was so confident that no one other than him would be able to find this location. Given how obscure the location was, it would indeed be very difficult to find it. The opening of the cliff face revealed an entrance. Luo Zhu took the lead and stepped in. There were several unique mechanisms to keep out water inside the cavern, blocking the flow of water. As the crowd stepped in, they immediately realized that the area was well-ventted. There wasnt the slightest feeling that the room was stuffy that came fromck of oxygen. "This is the passageway to the soul oracle tomb. At the very end is the tomb itself!" After everyone entered the passageway, the cliff face automatically closed by itself. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The crowd looked at their surroundings in interest. This was a narrow passageway. Under the illumination from the Night Illumination Pearls, the group saw all kinds of inscriptions on the surface of the wall. Most of them were regarding the various rituals that soul oracles conducted. A sinister air loomed in the area. "We should proceed slowly. There are a lot of fearsome traps ced along the passageway!" Familiar with the environment within the ancient tomb, Luo Zhu reached forward and two child-sized puppets appeared before him. He had probably prepared these puppets specially for this asion. cing two spirit stones into them, the puppets headed straight down the passageway. Geji! Geji! Barely after the first puppet took three steps, a strong gust of wind blew, and with a crisp sound, the puppet burst into smithereens. Everyone narrowed their eyes. The puppet that Luo Zhu took was crafted using a unique material known for its sturdiness. Even a cultivator of Jin Conghais caliber would find it hard to smash it in a single blow. And yet, some unknown mechanism before them had caused it to be reduced to smithereens in a moment. If not for Luo Zhu warning everyone swiftly, that could have been the fate of one of them. In an instant, cold sweat immediately drenched the back of everyone here. As expected of one of the most feared upations in the ancient era, the soul oracle tomb was indeed extraordinary. If Zhang shi hadnt seen through Luo Zhus possession and allowed the soul oracle to guide them through this area, their entire group would have most probably been wiped out before even reaching the soul oracle tomb. Geji! Geji! While everyone was still overwhelmed with shock, the second puppet advanced forward. However, barely after it took a few steps, just like the first puppet, it was smashed to smithereens as well. "Within five steps, there are two death traps. Ill go on first and mark out the spot where you all should step on. Make sure to follow it closely, otherwise... Ill be unable to guarantee your safety!" Luo Zhu instructed gravely. "Yes!" Knowing the importance of this issue, everyone nodded their heads. Hu! Luo Zhu proceeded forward carefully. However, as soon as he stepped forward, the whistling of the wind sounded and it shot past an area not too far away from him. From the looks of it, if one were to be struck by it, one wouldnt be too far from death even if one managed to survive that attack. However, with a puppet to test out the path, they would be able to avoid the traps in the way. Looking at the treacherous passageway, Hall Master Sai asked, "Is this... a formation? "Given how danger was lying in wait throughout the passageway, could this be a ughter Formation?" If that was the case, given Zhang shis understanding of formations, they shouldve been able to break it and advance safely through. "It isnt!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. If it was a formation, he would have surely felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air... But there clearly was none. "The greatest fear of the soul oracles arent humans but Soul Devouring Ants, and formations are ineffective on those creatures... Thus, it is unlikely for a soul oracle to incorporate a formation into their defensive mechanisms. If Im not mistaken, these are mechanical traps!" After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan had finished his analysis. The Soul Devouring Ants were the nemeses of soul oracles, so naturally, they had to prepare some traps to protect themselves. Soul Devouring Ants were capable of consuming the spiritual energy contained within a formation and forcefully halt it. Thus, mechanical traps were preferred as to formations. The crowd nodded in agreement. "But if those are all mechanical traps, this will prove to be troublesome. None of us here are adept in this field. If only we had a celestial designer here, wed be really spared a lot of trouble!" Hall Master Sai frowned. "Celestial designer?" Sun Qiang and the others looked over. Zhang Xuan had never mentioned such an upation so they had never heard of it. "Indeed. Celestial designer, also known as master mechanic, is an upation of the Lower Nine Paths. They are skilled in designing these mechanical systems. Even though their creation might seem humble on the surface, they usually incorporate sword qi and battle techniques that could overpower even experts when they are activated." Hall Master Sai exined, "This upation also has their own organization, the Celestial Designer Institute. They specialize in designing the worlds most exquisite weapon and traps. However... Ive only read about this upation in books. There isnt a branch in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and its said that only an empire of Huanyu Empires tier is qualified to build a branch." "The artifacts designed by celestial designers are extremelyplex and exquisite. It would indeed be difficult to bypass these traps without understanding the logic behind them!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head as a frown slowly appeared on his forehead. He had seen theplexity of the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container himself. If not for the Library of Heavens Path, it would be impossible for him to open it. Even a single box could be designed so intricately. If a person of that upation had assisted with the design of the traps in this passageway, the dangers that lurked in this passageway would be unimaginable. If a celestial designer had assisted with the design of the traps in this passageway, the dangers that lurked in this passageway would be unimaginable. Puhe! Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, he heard the sound of a sharp knife tearing through flesh. Lifting his gaze, he saw Luo Zhu hurriedly retreating with a reddened face. His arm seemed to have been sliced by something, and it was bleeding profusely. "Are you alright?" Jin Conghai and the others hurried forward to help him stop the bleeding. "Im alright!" Luo Zhu shook his head. "The traps in this passageway seem to have be even moreplicated than before..." "Even moreplicated? How long is this passageway? How long did you take to reach the end?" Zhang Xuan asked. "It is around three hundred meters. The previous time I was here, I advanced bit by bit using the puppets and it took me around four days to get to the other end!" Luo Zhu frowned, "However, it seems like these traps change every single time one enters. My previous experience clearing the traps ispletely useless now..." "Four days?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. To travel three hundred meters in four days, this passageway was indeed difficult. "Indeed. But theres no other way around it. The sword qi contained within the traps possess the might of at least a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. If one were to identallye into contact with it, one will be torn into half in an instant!" Luo Zhu shook his head. "Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle sword qi?" The crowd was astonished. When they saw the puppet being reduced to smithereens previously, they already had an idea that the sword qi emanated in the traps were fearsome. Even so, they didnt expect it to be so powerful. Even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert would find it difficult to survive after being struck by such powerful sword qi. Not to mention, it would be difficult for them to dodge the attacks in such a narrow passageway. "Do we really have no other choice other than to advance bit by bit?" Zhao Feiwu frowned. "Thats right! The trap mechanisms left behind by celestial designers are iparably profound, and they are ever-changing. If one doesnt know the pattern behind the changes, itll be difficult to clear the traps." Luo Zhu shook his head. "It wont work even if we were to destroy the mechanical system in this passageway?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even formations, an intangible existence, could be stopped with a kick. If they could find the switch to the traps or the center of operation of the system, shouldnt it be possible to shut down the traps? "Destroy?" Luo Zhu smiled bitterly, "How could it be that easy? Just like a water wheel, the artifacts left behind by celestial designers are constantly on the move. Even if one had the blueprint on hand, if one doesntprehend the logic behind it, it will be futile. If its designs could be ovee so easily, it wouldnt be such a feared upation!" Mechanical systems and formations were simr in the sense that even if an amateur were to have the blueprint in hand, if they couldnt understand the workings of the system, they would still be unable to decipher it. After all, mechanical systems were built to be continuously on the move. If one didnt understand the slightest bit of this upation, one would be unable to get out of it alive, let alone, destroy it. "Indeed. This is the reason why celestial designers are feared. They are capable of incorporating mechanical systems into artifacts, thus crafting tools capable of ughtering experts easily. Furthermore, these artifacts dont need to be powered by spirit stones... If Im not mistaken, the energy required for powering these trapses from the waterfall above. As such, unlike formations,passes wont work. If one doesnt understand the logic behind the traps, one would never be able to ovee the traps!" Hall Master Sai nodded in agreement. Compasses were capable of determining the flow of spiritual energy to detect the weak points of a formation. However... mechanical traps werent powered by spiritual energy but kic energy. How were they supposed to decipher these traps? Hearing the analyses of the duo, theplexion of the crowd turned gloomy. The excitement from before had vanished altogether. Seeing that the morale is down, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "Even thoughpasses wont work, it doesnt mean that there are no other methods of deciphering the traps. Let me give it a try!" After which, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and gently touched the floor of the passageway with his palm. Chapter 503: Entering the Tomb Chapter 503: Entering the Tomb Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Be careful..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was touching the ground instead of studying the various logic governing the traps in the passageway, Luo Zhu felt faint-headed. Do you really think that you can analyze the entire mechanical system just by touching the ground? The traps designed by celestial designers were asplex and intricate as formations. There were innumerable types of mechanical system, and even for systems of the same type, there were countless variations. Not to mention, the design of the system would also affect its operation as well. Even a real celestial designer would have to take a long time analyzing the various properties of the mechanical system before being able to decipher it. No matter how skilled you are in the other upations, it is impossible for you to apply the logic from those into this field. "Theres no need to panic. Allow me to rest for a moment first. After that, Ill continue testing out the traps with my puppets. Anyway, the one thing we arentcking is time. Ive also brought sufficient water and rations so theres no need to worry!" Seeing that the morale was down, Luo Zhu consoled with a smile. In truth, his real upation was a tomb raider, and he had already traversed such treacherous ces innumerable times; he was used to it. However, the others were different. Having never encountered such a fearsome trap, it was natural for them to feel apprehensive. "Theres no way around it. We dont understand such traps at all so well be depending on you then." Jin Conghai nodded. "Dont worry. Even though theplexity of the trap has increased, as long as I have sufficient time, Im confident that I can still make it to the other end. You all just have to follow behind me..." Luo Zhu nodded. Most experts or wealthy merchants would opt to hire a celestial designer to design their tombs for them, and so, he had already faced off with such traps many times throughout the years. Even though the trap had be moreplicated, he didnt think that it would be a problem for him. Confident, Luo Zhu was just about to make preparations and make another attempt when he saw that Zhang shi, who was done touching the ground, had stood up. Thetter stretched his back before walking into the passageway. "Zhang shi..." Luo Zhu immediately narrowed his eyes in fear. Despite having tested the area with his puppet beforehand, he was still nearly torn in half by some sword qi. Wasnt it suicidal to be charging in so recklessly? Panicking, Luo Zhu was just about to pull Zhang shi out when the young man suddenly lifted his leg and kicked at the wall beside him. Hong long! An intense buzzing sound echoed throughout the cavern, and the crowd felt the ground beneath them shake. "Alright, the traps have been disabled!" After which, the calm voice of the young man echoed. Before the crowd could react, he began walking in with widened strides. "The traps... have been disabled?" Seeing how nothing was triggered despite Zhang Xuans casual movements, Luo Zhus expression made his frenzy apparent. What was going on? He had just tried it out for himself, and the trap in the passageway was clearly much stronger andplex from before. Even a person like him, who often hung out by the tombs, would find it hard to clear the entire passageway without half a month of effort. Yet, the other party managed to do it... with a single kick? Are you for real? This was a mechanical system designed by a celestial designer! Luo Zhu was already prepared to have several hundreds of his puppets destroyed, and yet, the other party, with a single kick... Luo Zhu was on the verge of going mad. He turned around to look at the crowd, only to see the others staring at him in bewilderment. Didnt you just prattle on about how formidable this thing was? Why did Zhang shi manage to stop the entire thing with just a single kick? "Lets go on..." Luo Zhu felt stifled. However, given how Zhang shi was capable of even dealing with a possession, it wasnt entirely impossible for him to haveprehended the various skills of celestial designers as well. Consoling himself like that, he advanced through the passageway. As expected, the traps in the passageway were truly disabled. Nothing was triggered as the group walked by. Soon, reaching the very end, a vast hall appeared before them. Upon seeing the hall, Luo Zhu said with a grim expression, "Previously, I was possessed as soon as I reached this point so I didnt dare go any further..." Zhang Xuan scanned the hall. Possessing a length and width of around twenty to thirty meters wide, it was reminiscent of an underground pce. At the very center of the hall were four huge ashen-green coffins. It was impossible to determine what material the coffins were made of, but they looked extremely heavy. "Eye of Insight!" Instead of rushing into the room, Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows and scanned the room once more. A momentter, he frowned. He found that he couldnt peer into the contents of the coffin. Most probably, it was a creation beyond that of his current cultivation realm. "I wonder if I can get any detail on the room from the ground!" Even though the Eye of Insight was unable to provide him with any useful detail, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. Instead, he bent down and touched the ground. Previously, recalling how hed opened the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container, Zhang Xuan thought that since the traps operated by a mechanical system as well, it should have a w. Thus, he gave it a try and to his delight, it really worked. The Library of Heavens Path immediately reflected the name and ws of the traps. After looking through, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. These traps were actually simr to formations, they had a life gate and death gate as well. Otherwise, how was anyone supposed to bypass these traps? Not only so, there was also a core as well. As long as one found the center of operations, no matter how powerful a trap was, it could be made redundant. After all, without energy, no matter how powerful a machine was, it would be useless. This was the reason why Zhang Xuan could stop the entire mechanical system with a kick and lead everyone in. Hu! A book appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. "Greenash Rock, naturally formed in the depths of the ground. It is resilient..." With just a brief nce, Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood. He thought that even though the Eye of Insight was ineffective, he should be able to find out something regarding the coffin or the hall via the Library of Heavens Path. Never in his dreams did he expect for an analysis on the rock he just touched to appear instead. The passageway constitutes the entirety of the mechanical system, thats why information regarding the traps was reflected when I touched it. On the other hand, this is just a normal tile so it reflects exactly what I touched. This is simr to the case when I touched the bookshelf back then! Dismal, Zhang Xuan soon understood. Back then, when Zhang Xuan attempted to gather all of the books on a bookshelf in a single go by touching the bookshelf, a simr urrence happened. It seemed like the Library of Heavens Path ssified matters by an entirety. Otherwise, it would only reflect what Zhang Xuan came into direct physical contact with. But thinking about it, if he were able to know the condition of the entire continent just by touching the floor, that would be a little ridiculous. Seeing the serious expression on Zhang shis face, Luo Zhu took the lead and exined, "Theres no danger here. We can enter the hall!" When he stepped into the hall, nothing particr urred. Thus, the group behind followed suit. "These are the coffins housing the Soulless Metal Humanoids. The one that I took came from here!" Walking up to the coffin, Luo Zhu pointed and spoke anxiously. Back then, it was precisely when he opened the coffin and was about to take away the Soulless Metal Humanoid that he was possessed. As such, he already had a trauma regarding the matter, and thus, he didnt dare to step forward. "Let me take a look!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked forward. As expected, one of the four coffins was open, and its interior waspletely empty. He touched the empty coffin. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "Grade-7 Metal Coffin, forged by 4-star cksmith Xu Zhe. It is used as a container to house a Soulless Metal Humanoid, and it wont dpose over time. w No.1, it cannot be used to house a normal corpse..." The introduction and ws regarding the coffin were detailed in the book. "Grade-7 Metal Coffin?" After reading through the details, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Based on the description in the Library of Heavens Path, this coffin should only be used to store Soulless Metal Humanoids. It shouldnt contain any souls at all. If so, why would Luo Zhu have been possessed? Thus, he turned to an unopened coffin and touched it. It was also a Grade-7 Metal Coffin, and its purpose was the same as wellstoring Soulless Metal Humanoid. There wasnt much of a difference from the first one. Zhang Xuan went on to touch the others and they reflected the same conclusion as well. Knowing that they were containers for Soulless Metal Humanoid, Zhang Xuan swiftly lost his interest. The purpose of his journey was to obtain the inheritance of the soul oracles. The Soulless Metal Humanoids didnt mean much to him. But in the end, these items were of great value. Previously, Zhang Xuan had managed to sell it for twenty thousand spirit stones. Even though he didnt need it, he could still earn substantial wealth from their sales. Seeing as Zhang shi touched all four of the coffins, Luo Zhu asked anxiously, "Zhang shi, I was possessed here... Should we open the other coffins?" The others were also awaiting Zhang Xuans decision. "Dont open them first!" Even though there were no problems reflected on the books, Zhang Xuan couldnt guarantee that no mishap would ur when the coffins were opened. It would still be fine if a soul of the level of the one who possessed Luo Zhu previously appeared, but if a powerful were to appear instead, Zhang Xuan could not say for sure whether his Heavens Path zhenqi would be effective on thetter. It was better to proceed carefully. "Put the coffins directly into the storage ring. Well open them after we get out!" Zhang Xuan said after a moment of contemtion. "Alright!" Sun Qiang had been waiting for these words. He hurried forward, stretched out his hand, and swept the four giant coffins into his storage ring. These belong to the young master. No matter who you are, dont even dream ofying your hands on them... "Cough cough!" Seeing how shameless Sun Qiang was behaving, Zhang Xuans face reddened. He turned around, issued some instructions, before proceeding ahead. "You all wait here first. Ill look around the area!" The hall had an eerie appearance, and it felt deste. The walls were all made of the tough Greenash Rocks. It seemed like the builder really put a lot of effort into building this hall. Not only did he excavate the entire area, he even used the toughest material to reinforce its structure, ensuring its long-term durability. Touching the walls around the room, Zhang Xuan didnt find any traps. Thus, he advanced forward. The hall was linked to another narrow passageway. Walking up to it, he bent down and touched the ground. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "Its just an ordinary passageway?" The book recorded the details of the floor material reflected in the book, thus proving that there werent any mechanical traps inside. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan soon came to a realization. Such traps were expensive. It was normal for traps to beid at the entrance for fear of invaders, but setting them up in the interiors seemed a little ridiculous. Since the purpose of those traps was to prevent anyone to entering the tomb at all, it would make more sense to spend the money on reinforcing the traps in the entrance. He turned around and shouted, "There is no danger here,e over!" The group hurried over. Zhang Xuan led the way forward. The passageway wasnt long, extending on for only a distance of ten meters or so. At the end, another vast hall appeared before them. It was muchrger than the one before. "Based on what I know, the first chamber is for the protectors of the soul oracle, the Soulless Metal Humanoids, while the second chamber is the main chamber prepared for the soul oracle himself. This should be where the souls of the soul oracles lies..." Luo Zhu swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "You mean that... well find the souls of the soul oracles here?" Zhang Xuan asked. Luo Zhu nodded. "Since this is the main chamber... I believe so!" Upon hearing the other partys confirmation, Zhang Xuan raised his head, and with a nce, a deep frown suddenly appeared on his face. "Th-this... What is going on?" Chapter 504: Second Acknowledgement of the Heavens Chapter 504: Second Acknowledgement of the Heavens Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Instead of a hall, what that appeared before them was a field of flora and fauna. A refreshing fragrance tickled their nose, and in the skies, they saw white clouds floating by. It was as though they had returned back to the mountains. "Could this be an... Illusion Formation?" Hall Master Sai and the others were taken aback. How could there be nts growing in an underground chamber? Not to mention, white clouds and blue skies. Clearly, it was an illusion. The only exnation for this bizarre sight was that it was an Illusion Formation. "This isnt a formation..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. As a formation master, he would surely be able to tell if it was one. However, there wasnt the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy before him, and the sight before him felt iparably real. It was as though one was traversing through space, and it felt indescribably bizarre. "Is this a mechanical trap? No, that cant be. Mechanical traps arent capable of producing such effects!" In the end, mechanical traps operated based on logic. They werent capable of producing these florae, fauna, and flowing water before them. "Let me test the situation out with a puppet!" Perplexed, Luo Zhu flicked his wrist and a puppet appeared. Then, the puppet slowly walked toward the field at the end of the passageway. Hu! As soon as it stepped out of the passageway, it immediately disappeared without a trace. "This... What happened?" Everyone leaped back in shock. How could the puppet simply disappear all of the sudden? Even if a mechanical trap was activated, at least the fragments of the puppets should remain. To disappear as soon as it walked toward the end of the passageway... This was way too bizarre!" "Could this be a... Teleportation Formation?" Hall Master Sais throat went dry. Everyone turned to look at him doubtfully. "The Teleportation Formation of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance is only capable of transferring words and information, and they are known as Communication Walls!" Hall Master Sai said, with a trembling voice, "Its said that at grade-6, Teleportation Formation will gain the ability to transfer material objects such as food, money, equipment, and even artifacts. At grade-8, even lifeforms can be transported... In other words, even a human can leap through space." "Transporting a human?" The crowd was astonished. Zhang Xuan also widened his eyes in shock. As a 4-star formation master, he had a deeper understanding of formations than Hall Master Sai. He thought that transporting information should already be the limit. To think that formations would be able to transport even a human. How deep of an understanding of space must one possess to be capable of setting up a formation capable of transporting humans! Given how the puppet abruptly disappeared... Could this really be a formation of that level? If so, it was normal that they couldnt see or feel the puppet anymore. As an Upper Nine Paths upation, formation masters had a high requisite on ones cultivation. If ones cultivation didnt reach the required level, one would be disallowed from studying more profound knowledge. It was just like how even though Zhang Xuan was able to inscribe a grade-5 formation te, he was only considered a quasi 4-star formation master. A person who was capable of setting up a grade-8 formation definitely possessed cultivation beyond that of a Transcendent Mortal... To be able to get such a figure to set up a formation for him, how powerful must the owner of the tomb be? Since Zhang Xuan was able toe to this conclusion, the others also realized the same as well. Their faces immediately paled. If it was just a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan or 4-dan soul oracle, even if they were possessed, they would still possess a certain degree of self-preservation means. However, if the opponent they met were to be beyond that level, they wouldnt stand a chance at all. "Zhang shi... Do we enter?" The crowd turned to look at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. If his conjecture was right, proceeding ahead would definitely put them in grave danger. He wasnt confident of holding his ground even with the Heavens Path zhenqi. It could be said that certain doom awaited them if they were to proceed forward. But if they backed down now... How much longer would it take for Lu Chong to recover? "For me, he was willing to even risk his life. What do I have to fear?" Recalling how that young man stepped in front of him calmly to protect him, determination gleamed in Zhang Xuans eyes. Lu Chong was willing to give up his life for him. As the other partys senior, if he were to back down in the face of danger, what rights did he have to be considered as the other partys teacher? Flinging his hands back, Zhang Xuan instructed, "You all wait here, Ill go in alone... If I dont return in four hours, Ill have to trouble Hall Master Sai and Zhao gongzi to help my students and Sun Qiang get out!" "Teacher, Im not leaving! I want to follow you!" Zhao Ya stepped forward. "We share the same thoughts! Well follow you no matter where you go!" Yuan Tao and the others dered resolutely. If not for Zhangoshi, they would still be ordinary students in Tianxuan Kingdom. However, at this moment, every single one of them was a Zhizun realm expert, each possessing the strength to lift a mountain. Since their teacher was willing to put himself with danger to save Lu Chong, how could they, as his students, back down? Zhang Xuan felt a surge of warmth. However, the situation before him was too bizarre. It was too dangerous to bring them over. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan shook his head and hisplexion darkened, "Are you all going to disobey my orders? Stay here!" "Teacher, we implore you to not chase us away. How can we possibly watch by the side as you put yourself into danger? Even if we were to survive this ordeal, wed definitely be gued by guilt in the future!" Zhao Ya spoke resolutely. "Teacher, please dont chase us away! Even if it means disobeying your words, Ill go with you!" Wang Ying said. She was usually the most indecisive one of the group, and yet, at this moment, the determination in her eyes was unwavering. Knowing that his students werent able to simply watch on by the side as he ventured through danger, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded his head after a long moment of contemtion. "Since you all have made up your minds, lets go together then!" "The teacher for the students, and the students for the teacher. This is what a true rtionship between a teacher and student should be!" Watching this sight, Zhao Feiwu and the others felt touched. Previously, they had been wondering why a person of Zhang shis capability would choose to bring around a bunch of young and weak students along with him. However, at this moment, they realized that the rtionship of a teacher and a student transcended far beyond the impartation of knowledge. A teacher could brave through danger for their students, whereas a student could remain unmoved before danger for their teacher. It was this self-sacrificial spirit that made the rtionship between the two so noble! Hong long! At that moment, a powerful aura suddenly descended from the skies. A unique energy began gathering in the world. It was neither spiritual energy nor Origin Energy, but with a single whiff, one could feel their analytical ability growing stronger and their thought process bing clearer. This energy swiftly gathered around Zhang Xuan as though a torrent, refining his presence and disposition. Narrowing her eyes, Zhao Feiwu suddenly thought of something and her lips trembled in disbelief. "Its... Celestial Master Teacher!" Jin Conghai was also taken aback. "Celestial Master Teacher? H-how... is that possible?" Celestial Master Teacher meant that even the heavens were acknowledging ones identity as a master teacher. Even if one didnt undergo the various examinations of the master teachers, one could still be acknowledged by the masses. Despite the long history of the continent, only Kong shi had ever seeded in being acknowledged by the heavens. To think that this Zhang shi would manage to achieve the same as well... Could this really be true? "Indeed, its really Celestial Master Teacher... Furthermore, it doesnt seem to be just 2-star!" Hall Master Sais face flushed red. As the head of the only Appraiser Hall in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, as well as a 4-star pinnacle appraiser, he had met with a lot of master teachers. However, he had never heard of a single one being acknowledged by the heavens. The other party had said that he was a 2-star master teacher so even if the heavens were to acknowledge him, he should only be a 3-star Celestial Master Teacher at maximum. However, the overwhelming energy before him actually made him feel like submitting to the other party. Without a doubt, the other party wasnt just a 2-star or 3-star master teacher. However, as for his exact rank, Hall Master Sai wasnt a master teacher and he had never seen a Celestial Master Teacher before so he couldnt make a clear gauge. But regardless of his rank, to be acknowledged by the heavens itself was already sufficient to send a ripple of shock through the world. "This..." Contrary to the shock the others were going through, the current Zhang Xuan was a little dumbstruck. Previously, when he agreed to Zhao Ya and the others request, he actually wasnt too keen on doing so. However, considering that his students would never grow up if he were to protect them tightly beneath his wings, he decided to let go. It was just like a seedling. If one were to use a wall to shield if from rain and storm, it would never grow tall. Thus, he reluctantly agreed to it. However, he didnt expect this to induce another Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgement. He had undergone such a situation before so even though the inflow of the energy made him a little dizzy, he knew that this was a good chance for him to raise his strength. Thus, without any hesitation, he immediately sat down on the ground and focused his attention into absorbing the unique energy shrouding him. Hong long! With the inflow of this strength, his Soul Depth raised swiftly. His thought process gradually became swifter and clearer. ... A meeting was taking ce in the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Master Teacher Pavilion. "We are the hosts for the Master Teacher Tournament this time around. Make some preparations, we have to at least get a good cing..." Seated at the center seat, Pavilion Master Kang surveyed the group before him. Those within the room were all elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Su Fan and Ling Yuheng were also within the group. The location for the Master Teacher Tournament wasnt fixed. The twenty-seven powers would take turns hosting the event, and it only happened that Myriad Kingdom City would be ying host this time around. This time, they were going to be battling on their home ground. It would be truly embarrassing if their results were as poor as before. "Yes!" The crowd nodded their heads. "This time, our elders have nominated a total of six candidates. I have looked through the information you all have submitted and they are indeed young talents. However, there are only two slots for this tournament so a round of selection will have to be conducted..." Pavilion Master Kang continued. However, before he could finish his words, his body suddenly froze. The other elders also noticed something and they narrowed their eyes. They quickly turned their sights toward a single direction. "Trembling of Myriad Tokens, Harmony of the Chimes... This is acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher?" After a long period of time, Pavilion Master Kang finally managed to utter with a hoarse voice. "Even though its an acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher and it has urred in our guild... given how the remarkable geniuses of the other powers are gathered in Myriad Kingdom City at the moment, there is a possibility that one of them might be the one who triggered it!" "Indeed. If they were to be acknowledged by the heavens in Myriad Kingdom City, the phenomenon would appear in our guild... Hurry up and find out which geniuses are in the city at the moment..." "It seems like... the champion of this tournament will surely be that person!" ... The faces of the elders paled, and they muttered to themselves. Celestial Master Teacher was an existence acknowledged by the heavens itself. In the entire continent, only Kong shi had managed to achieve this feat. Regardless of which power the Celestial Master Teacher came from, there was no doubt that... he would be the champion in the Master Teacher Tournament! "Could it be... him?" Different from the reaction of the other elders, Su shi and Ling shi nced at one another and a figure suddenly appeared in their mind. But soon, they shook their heads. He had justpleted by 2-star master teacher examination, and he hadnt even reached Zhizun realm yet. How could he possibly be acknowledged by the heavens? Thus... it couldnt be him! Chapter 505: Oasis of the Mirage Deity Chapter 505: Oasis of the Mirage Deity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After a long period of time, Zhang Xuan finally finished absorbing the energy in his surroundings and stood up. As expected of Celestial Master Teacher. Even though his cultivation realm remained the same, at the Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle, hisprehension of cultivation and battle techniques had deepened. With just this, his fighting prowess could be said to have raised by at least twofold. If he could fight equally with a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan intermediate stage previously, he would be able to match up with an advanced stage expert now. At the same time, his Soul Depth had also raised from 12.1 to 14.1. Even though an increase of 2.0 was humble aspared to the effects of the Book of Heavens Path, if he were to cultivate normally, this leap would require at least decades of effort. In other words, this acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher had saved him at least decades of training for his Soul Depth! Fearsome! Also, his Eye of Insight and Impartation of Heavens Will had also grown stronger. Using the Eye of Insight, he could now peer through existences two small cultivation tiers above him. Meaning, he could easily see through the ws of an Origin Energy realm intermediate stage cultivator already. As for Impartation of Heavens Will, his ability to induce trust in others had grown, and others would find it hard to refute his words. He had to expend his Soul Depth to coax Song Chao previously but now, as long as he were to utilize the Impartation of Heavens Will, the other party would feel inclined to trust his words automatically. More importantly, by earning the acknowledge of the heavens, his Will of Mind had also progressed significantly in the Lucid Analytical realm. As expected of Celestial Master Teacher. Its effects were truly immense to a master teacher. "Even though there was no change in my cultivation, I can feel that Im not too far from making a breakthrough!" With a deeper understanding of cultivation, it wasnt too difficult for him to bypass the barriers to reaching Origin Energy realm. After all, he had studied a few hundred Origin Energy realm secret manuals. Even though he hadntpiled a wless version of Heavens Path Divine Art yet, he had a clear idea on the direction of his cultivation. As long as he had sufficient spirit stones, making a breakthrough wasnt too difficult. "I should try to look at the field of grass before me once more with the Eye of Insight!" Thinking that he might be see something new with his improved Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze. "It isnt a formation or a mechanical trap!" There was a huge disparity between what he could see before and what he was seeing now. The previous obscurity had be crystal clear to Zhang Xuans eyes. "Did Zhang shi notice something?" The crowd turned their gazes over. They had never seen a Celestial Master Teacher before, but as a legend of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they knew that it was anything but ordinary. "It is a method used by soul oracles to beguile souls. In other words, what you all are seeing is fake, a mirage!" said Zhang Xuan, frowning. "But if its a mirage, why did the puppet suddenly disappear?" Luo Zhu found the matter hard to believe. At most, a mirage should only be able to confuse one. This exnation couldnt ount for the disappearance of the puppet. The puppet had disappeared right after walking through the passageway. It was clear that some powerful formation had transported it away. "Soul oracles have the ability to beguile all lifeforms possessing souls. They can make us all see the same image, and thus, inducing us to believe that what thaty before us is real. However... puppets are different. Puppets have no soul and consciousness, and as such, they cant be beguiled... Thus, its not that the puppet disappeared but that it has stepped through the passageway. Since it is unable to enter the mirage, naturally, we cant see it," Zhang Xuan exined. Soul oracles could beguile lifeforms possessing souls and muddle their ability to distinguish truth from false. However, puppets were different. Possessing no consciousness, they couldnt be beguiled and naturally, they would step right through the mirage. "If its true... then could this be the soul oracles... [Oasis of the Mirage Deity]?" Suddenly recalling something, Luo Zhus face paled and he nearly fell to the ground. "Oasis of the Mirage Deity?" Everyone was baffled. Even the knowledgeable Hall Master Sai was confused. "Oasis of the Mirage Deity is a skill unique to soul oracles. They are capable of using their soul energy to create an iparably realistic sight that subconsciously draws one in, simr to the oasis in the desert. The moment one steps into the mirage, ones soul will be forcefully torn from ones body ande under the control of the soul oracle..." Luo Zhu trembled as he exined. "Ones soul will be forcefully torn from ones body?" Everyone was shocked. The greatest weakness of the soul oracles was their physical body. Once one lost this advantage over them, wouldnt one be powerless to their whims? "Indeed. If we had entered just now, our souls would be torn from our body. Even if we managed to survive... We would be as good as dead!" Cold sweat seeped down Luo Zhus head. The faces of the others also paled. It was fortunate that they didnt charge ahead upon realizing the peculiarity of the matter. If they had really rushed over, they would have died for nothing. As expected of a soul oracle. Even their means were hard to guard against. "Just that... one has to be at least 6-star to be capable of utilizing the Oasis of the Mirage Deity. Could this be... the tomb of a 6-star soul oracle?" Luo Zhu asked doubtfully. Oasis of the Mirage Deity wasnt a skill that just any soul oracle could utilize. Only upon reaching 6-star would one be able to set it up. Just like master teachers and other Upper Nine Paths upation, the techniques of the soul oracles also had a requisite on ones cultivation... As such, the ranking of a soul oracle was also linked to his cultivation realm. A 6-star soul oracle would possess a cultivation realm at the zenith of the Transcendent Mortal realm! Even if it wascking a physical body, it wasnt an opponent that they could face. "I think that it would be best if we leave right now!" Hall Master Sais eyebrows leaped in unease. Even though he was interested in seeing the tomb of a soul oracle and view the various artifacts contained within... he didnt have the courage to disturb the tomb of a former 6-star soul oracle. Jin Conghai clenched his fists tightly and said, "Indeed. Its best for us to not get involved with an expert of this level..." The more knowledgeable one was, the more one understood ones own ignorance. Simrly, the higher ones cultivation realm was, the more they understood how powerful the top-notch experts were. Understanding the irreconcble gap between them and a person who once stood at the zenith of Transcendent Mortals, they didnt dare to proceed any further. They knew that with their force, they would never be able to deal with a 6-star soul oracle, no matter how many years he had been dead for. "Leave? Thats a good idea..." Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly, "But its already toote..." "Hee hee hee!" At that moment, everyone suddenly felt a chill and a sinisterughter echoed in the passageway. "To think that my Oasis of the Mirage Deity would be seen through so easily. Not bad, it seems that quite a few bodies havee this time!" The voice was bizarrely shrill, and it seemed to echo straight within the depths of ones soul, leaving one feeling unnerved. Hu! In an instant, the flowers, clouds, and blue sky before them disappeared, and a huge, empty hall appeared in its ce. In therge hall, there was only a single coffin ced at a distance forty to fifty meters away from the crowd. It was hard to tell howrge it was from this distance, but from the looks of it, it was significantly bigger and heavier than the other four coffins in the first chamber. "You wish to possess us?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Entering the Lucid Analytical realm, Zhang Xuan felt no anxiety, fear, or any negative emotions. "After such a long sleep, since someone dared to stumble into my tomb, of course I should im their bodies for my own use!" The voice chuckled. As the other party spoke, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings with his Eye of Insight Regardless of how powerful the other party was, he had already been dead for innumerable years. Given how he would rather resort to using a mirage than deal with them personally, it could only mean that... he wasnt as powerful as they thought he was. As long as Zhang Xuan found his hiding spot, there might be a chance to turn the situation around. However, to his disappointment, he couldnt find any trace of the other party at all. "Dont waste your effort. If I dont want to appear, do you think that you can find me with your mediocre skills?" Seemingly noticing Zhang Xuans intentions, the voice sounded once more. Zhang Xuan fell silent. The voice was transmitted straight into their soul, making it impossible to trace him via sound. It would indeed be difficult to find him so long as he wished to remain hidden. Turning around to nce at Jin Conghai and Hall Master Sai, the duo also shook their heads. It seemed like the two of them had the same idea in mind as well. Just as Zhang Xuan was racking his brain for a solution, Jin Conghais voice sounded. "Zhang shi, Ill try to stall for time. You should take the chance to leave with gongzi and the others!" Turning his head, he saw that Jin Conghais eyes were filled with the determination of a soldier ready to meet his demise. "You have an idea in mind?" Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message. "I dont. However, I do have a few poisons that work on souls so it might be effective against him!" Jin Conghai replied grimly. The effects on poison werent just limited to the physical body. Some of the more formidable poison could dissipate souls as well. Taking Zhang Xuans Innate Fetal Poison for example, it was nted in him while he was still a fetus. Given the nearly absolute nature of the poison, it was, in a sense, more fearsome than a soul-dissipating poison. "You wish to poison me? Hahaha, you should try to find me first!" In the midst of the discussion of the duo, the voice sounded once more. "You can listen to telepathic messages?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. They hadmunicated previously using telepathy, and only the two of them should know of the content of their words. Even Hall Master Sai, who was standing by the side, waspletely oblivious to their interaction. Yet, this fellow actually could tell that Jin Conghai intended to poison him... That was way too fearsome! "Hah, it isnt just your telepathic message. Via your souls, I can even tell what you all are thinking!" Harrumphing coldly, the voice continued, "I advise you all not to make any futile struggles. Even though there is no danger lying in wait in the passageway, it can be locked down. While you all were beguiled by the Oasis of the Mirage Deity, I locked down the area. Its toote for you to be thinking of leaving!" Hearing those words, everyone turned their heads around and their faces immediately paled. Just as the other party had said, the passageway behind had been sealed tightly by a stone wall. "Let me give it a try!" With an awfulplexion, Jin Conghai gathered his strength and struck the stone wall heavily. Hong long! There was a massive tremor. However, the stone wall seemed to have been protected by something powerful. Even the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan was unable to move it, needless to say, shatter it. "Let me give it a try as well!" Stepping forward, Hall Master Sai took out a saber and shed the stone wall several times. However, just like Jin Conghai, he didnt leave the slightest damage on the wall. "This is the [Dragon Severing Lock] set up by a 6-star celestial designer. Only those who harness the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivator can break it. You only have two fates before you. You will either meet your death here, or you will end up serving as my body..." The voice chuckled. "Dragon Severing Lock?" Everyonesplexion became extremely awful. Advancing and retreating werent an option for them. Were they really going to... die like that? Chapter 506: Let Me Start with a Thousand Books Chapter 506: Let Me Start with a Thousand Books Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The Dragon Severing Lock is usually the final line of defense used for a fortress. Its designed such that one would be unable to break it unless ones cultivation reaches the required level... Even the celestial designer who set up the trap himself would find it hard to open it!" Hall Master Saisplexion darkened. This was the final resort of celestial designers, simr to how a cultivator self-destructs when forced into a corner. Unless the circumstances were dire, no one would go to such an extent. Usually, it was only to block out ones enemies or to die along with ones nemesis that such a trap would be activated. The moment it fell, there was no way to undo it. Even dragons would be unable to enter, thus the name Dragon Severing. Unless ones strength surpassed the tolerance limit of the wall, one wouldnt be able to break it. In this case, it was Transcendent Mortal 9-dan. Otherwise, it was futile. "Then... Doesnt that mean that we cant leave?" Even the strongest of them was only a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan. Under such circumstances, wouldnt they be locked down forever? If they couldnt even break the wall, how could they leave the area? "Let me take a look!" Frowning, Zhang Xuan walked up to the stone door, touched it with his finger, and a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "Grade-6 Dragon Severing Lock, designed and crafted by 6-star Celestial Designer Hu Yangzi. It is crafted from a unique material, making it extremely resilient. ws No. 1: The crafting method..." After reading through the book, Zhang Xuans face turned extremely awful. Even though Dragon Severing Lock had its ws, it wasnt something that someone of his level of strength could exploit. In other words... what the other party said was true. No one of strength below Transcendent Mortal 9-dan could break this wall. What should he do? Were they really going to be trapped here until their death? Just as Zhang Xuan was ransacking his mind for a solution, Zhao Feiwus voice echoed, "Theres no need to worry. Since he intends to possess one of us, there must be another escape route. Otherwise, how does he intend to get out?" "This..." "Thats right!" Everyone was stunned for a moment before their eyes lit up. Since this fellow was going to possess one of them, he must have an escape route ready for himself. After all, how could he plunge himself into this kind of desperate situation? "We can find a way to leave after we deal with this fellow. Our most imminent danger isnt regarding our confinement!" Zhang Xuan said. Even if they couldnt get out, the rations in their storage rings were sufficient to sustain everyone here for several years. Factoring in the spirit stones they had on top of that, it should be impossible for them to die out of natural causes within the short term. Currently, the greatest threat they were facing was the owner of the tomb. If they didnt find and eradicate the hidden soul oracle, they would surely be unable to get out of here alive. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the voice harrumphed coldly. "Deal with me? Are you sure you have the capability to do so?" "Regardless of whether we do or not, we still have to give it a try!" Stepping forward, Jin Conghai flicked his wrist and took out a jade bottle. Then, he carefully surveyed the surroundings, as though trying to find the other partys location. "Give it a try? Let me show you howughable that idea is then!" Wu! After that, a ray of light suddenly shot across the hall. Before Jin Conghai could react, he was struck squarely on his chest. Pu! He flew all the way back and crashed heavily against the wall. Huge mouthfuls of blood gushed from him. "Elder Jin!" Not expecting that the strongest member, Jin Conghai, would be defeated in a single move, everyone clenched their fists tightly. To be capable of subduing a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan in an instant, even if the other party wasnt a 6-star soul oracle, he still wasnt someone that they could deal with. Even though Jin Conghai was injured, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. Rather, he made use of this opportunity to quickly nce at the direction where the light appeared from. Weng! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan hurriedly flipped it open and read through it. "Its an attack from a mechanical trap?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The previous attack didnte from the soul oracle but a mechanical trap. In other words... It was impossible for him to locate the other party from the previous attack. "Its impossible for the soul oracle to show any opening that would betray his location. Otherwise, we would be able to guard against him and hinder his possession!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuans action, Luo Zhu immediately sent a telepathic message over. "Thats true!" Zhang Xuan nodded his agreement. When a soul oracle possessed the body of another, they would enter via ones acupoints. If one were to seal the acupoint in advance and repel the soul oracle, it would be extremely difficult for the soul oracle to seed. After all, what the soul oracle was doing was expelling the original soul of the body and forcefully fusing their soul with the body. If the original owner were to struggle violently, it might cause irreparable damage to the body. If so, it would be meaningless even if the soul oracle sessfully possessed the body. This was the reason why that fellow would not allow himself to be noticed until he struck. Besides, it was also possible that a member of the group might have some specialized equipment to deal with souls. This would put him at risk. "Dont even think of finding me. Its impossible for you all to kill me; youre all still too weak!" Hearing the telepathic conversation between the duo, the voice continued haughtily, "Since you have entered my tomb, you should have been prepared to be possessed. However... I can only possess one of you so... the rest will be safe." "Safe? Hah, like it would be that simple!" Hall Master Sai harrumphed. Given how the other party locked all of them in this chamber, how could it be so simple? He didnt believe that the other fellow would allow any of them to leave after sessfully possessing one body. After all, soul oracles were a forbidden existence. If news that one had possessed the body of another were to get out, that person would surely be pursued to the ends of the world. "By safe, I meant that you wont have to die for the time being. As for how long you can live for, itll depend on your choice!" The voice chuckled. "Choice?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The voice said, "Indeed. Ill give you all two choices now. I have a total of three trials here. If you can clear the trials, I will consider sparing you. However, you still wont be allowed to leave. I will leave you here to do whatever you need to survive!" "Trial?" Everyone was taken aback. Wasnt this fellow going to possess them? What in the world were the trials for then? Zhang Xuan was also perplexed. Usually, trials would only be prepared for the various examinations for master teachers and the other unique upations. Given how powerful the other party was, killing them should be a walk in the park. What was the point of going through so much trouble? However, given that they were stuck now and that the other party had control over the mechanical traps, their life and death were in the hands of the other party. No matter how bewildered they were, they werent in the position to reject the other partys conditions. "What about the alternative option?" Zhang Xuan asked. "The other option is that Ill kill you all one by one until someone is willing to challenge the trial!" The voice harrumphed. Not expecting the second condition to be about the trial as well, the crowd felt even more baffled. What was this fellows motive for insisting for them to challenge the trial? "Could this be... selection of the receptionmb?" Luo Zhu suddenly asked. "Selection of the receptionmb?" Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. Selection of the receptionmb was a termmonly used by herders. Usually, when a guest visited, a herder would ughter amb to wee him. However, how to choose the most suitablemb to wee the guest warmly was a problem. Thus, they would allow themb to run on the fields. The one that ran the fastest and most happily would surely have the best meat texture. Could the soul oracle be intending to do the same as well? Through the trials, he would choose the one possessing the most suitable physical constitution to possess. This way, his soul could better fuse with the body and the decline of his cultivation would be minimized. "Thats very possible!" Contemting over the issue for a moment, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in agreement. There was a high possibility that this was the case. Which body to possess was also an important choice for a soul oracle as well. Taking that soul which possessed Luo Zhu previously, not only did his cultivation plummet, it would also be very difficult for him to sessfully fuse with the body. Even if he were to seed, due to the ipatible constitution, his future achievements would have been limited as well. Making an analogy, it was just like forcing a person adept in swordsmanship to use a hammer instead. No matter how good a physical body was, as long as it was ipatible, one would be unable to bring out its full strength. It was highly possible that that fellow was harboring such thoughts when asking them to challenge the trials. Through the selection, he would find the most suitable constitution for him to possess. Otherwise, how could an ancient soul be so bored as to seal the chamber using the Dragon Severing Lock just to fool around with them? Most probably, he had already decided on this from the moment the group entered the tomb. The main reason why he didnt make any move earlier was to wait until they entered this passageway so as to seal their escape route. Only then did he finally reveal his existence. "Thats right, Im indeed choosing the finestmb among you lot... Why, are you afraid?" Hearing their conversation, the voice sounded once more. "Afraid? Why would we be?" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan said. "Where is your trial? Bring it out so that we can take a look!" "Thats more like it!" Seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the matter, the voice sounded a little pleased. "Dont think that I wonty my eyes on you just because you failed the trial! My selection criterion is your constitution, not the speed and means you use to clear the trial! Remember this, only those who pass the trial will not be killed. Those who fail... regretfully, youll have to bid everyone else farewell!" Hong long! The ground tremored and a massive stone tablet appeared in the center of the hall. "This is the most basic Soul Guiding Form of the soul oracles. Study it, and within ten days, you must be able to draw your soul out of your body to clear the trial. Otherwise, the traps will eliminate you immediately!" The voice instructed impassively. "Soul Guiding Form?" Looking at the stone tablet, Zhang Xuan saw a dense congregation of words on it. The threerge words inscribed at the very top seemed to pierce straight into ones soul, jolting ones consciousness. Soul Guiding Form! The cultivation technique of soul oracles! To think that the first trial would be learning a cultivation technique. "It seems like this fellow is trying to find one with a constitutionpatible with the arts of soul oracles!" Zhang Xuan came to a realization. "Indeed, being capable of executing the Soul Guiding Form would mean that one ispatible with the arts of soul oracle. Possessing a body with such constitution, the other party would be able to resume his cultivation and return to his pinnacle state!" One who was adept at swordsmanship would naturally wish to possess a swordmaster. With a constitution suited for sword arts, it would be easier for him to relearn his techniques. As a soul oracle, the other party definitely wished to find someone capable of learning soul oracle cultivation techniques. It would be much easier for him to cultivate this way. "Dont bother trying your luck and waiting until thest day before drawing your soul out. It ispletely pointless. Whether one has talent in soul oracle arts doesnt depend on how fast one grasps the Soul Guiding Method. Besides... once you start learning the Soul Guiding Method, you wont have a choice in the matter..." Afraid that the group wouldnt put their effort into learning the Soul Guiding Method, the voice added. However, before he could finish his words, the impassive voice of a young man voice said, "This Soul Guiding Method seems not bad... Do you have any other simr cultivation techniques to this? The more there are, the better... Why dont you bring out a thousand books for me to browse through first?" The voice was taken aback. "A thousand books?" Chapter 507: Heavens Path Soul Art Chapter 507: Heavens Path Soul Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not only was the voice stumped, even Hall Master Sai and the others were stunned, and they nearly spurted blood. Bring out a thousand books for you to browse through first... Why did it feel less like a trial and more like ordering dishes in a restaurant instead? I dont know whether the food will be delicious or not so Ill take a serving first... "The Soul Guiding Form is the foundation art of soul oracles. There is only one form and cultivation technique manual!" After a moment of silence, the soul oracle hiding in the darkness finally harrumphed coldly. "It is the only one?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Thats right. All soul oracles cultivate via this method, there are no other alternatives!" After which, the voice continued, "Begin cultivating now. You will only be considered to have cleared the trial if you draw out your soul within ten days!" "Alright!" Knowing that there should be no other traps involved since the other party was conducting a trial, the group walked out from the passageway toward the stone tablet. Zhang Xuan had no idea who inscribed the tablet, but it had a bizarre beauty to it. Just by looking at the characters, one would feel tranquil. "Hes probably really a 6-star soul oracle!" This was already equivalent to a fifth level painting. Most probably, the soul oracle who inscribed the stone tablet had a deep understanding into the study of souls. There was a high chance that what Luo Zhu said was truethe fellow who was speaking to them from the dark was a 6-star soul oracle. He lightly brushed his finger over the stone tablet. Hu! A corresponding book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "Soul Guiding Form, the foundation art of soul oracles. Created by the first soul oracle, Liu Mozi, it can separate ones soul from ones physical body. ws: ..." Written on the first page was an introduction to the Soul Guiding Form, followed by the ws. "Theres only ten ws, thats not too bad." Casually flipping through it, Zhang Xuan realized that there were only ten ws in the cultivation technique. Most of the cultivation techniques that Zhang Xuan seen before had from a few hundred to more than a thousand ws. This showed that throughout the course of the inheritance of the Soul Guiding Form, it had been refined continuously and it was gradually approaching perfection. It was no wonder that this fellow said there was only a set of foundation form. It was already incredible that there could be such a cultivation technique like this that was so close to perfection. For a second one like this to appear was nearly impossible. There was only a single Heavens Path, and the fewer mistakes there were, the closer one was to the truth. It was hard to find another one different from it. "Let me see what ws are there first!" Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a look. "No. 1, upon sessfully mastering the form, ones cultivation will be conjoined onto ones soul, turning ones physical body into an empty shell. On top of that, thepatibility between ones soul and body will deteriorate. Even though one will look no different from a normal person, one would be actually driving the body using ones soul..." After reading the first w, Zhang Xuansplexion turned awful. Going by what was said above, if he were to sessfully draw his soul out, it would be equivalent to tearing his soul and body apart. Even if he were to continue driving his own body, it would be, in truth, no different from driving a puppet. Other than the soul oracle cultivation technique, he would be unable to cultivate any other normal cultivation technique. It was just like driving a car. After mastering the Soul Guiding Technique, ones physical body would be the car whereas ones soul would be the driver. No matter how good ones driving skill was... it was impossible to reach the same level of control as moving ones own body. In other words, once he sessfully draws out his soul, it would be equivalent to giving up on his own physical body and his past cultivation. In the future, even if he could live on for an eternity through possessing others, he would also be an unnatural being that had to live in the shadows... Zhang Xuan was originally thinking of learning the techniques of the upation but after reading that first w, he immediately lost his interest. Browsing on. Soon, he finished looking through all ten of the ws and gained a perfect understanding of the Soul Guiding Form. "If I cultivate ording to this form and seed, Ill be a monster. But if I dont, theres a high chance I might be killed by that fellow..." Zhang Xuan frowned Previously, as he didnt understand soul oracles, he didnt think much of them. However, after knowing that the cultivation method was filled with such fatal ws, he couldnt bring himself to do it. Putting aside how his Heavens Path Divine Art was paralleled and he would stand the top of the world as long as he cultivates ordingly, just the fact that his soul and body would be separate entities, making him no different from a monster, was already something he wished not. Besides, he was afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison. As long as he didnt reach the level of a 9-star master teacher by thirty, even if he were to be just a soul, he would still die. The Innate Fetal Poison was something that even Kong shi was unable to find a solution for. If bing a soul oracle could really fix that problem, thetter wouldnt have had to go to the extent of diving into the deep oceans, stepping onto the treacherous ins, and entering into underground chambers, putting himself in so much danger just to raise his cultivation swiftly. "This technique shouldnt be cultivated, but I dont have a choice right now..." The person hiding in the dark was at least a 6-star soul oracle, a being far beyond their means. Besides... Even if they had sufficient strength to deal with him, the other party could still easily kill them via the mechanical traps installed all around the hall. If he cultivated the Soul Guiding Form, it would be impossible for him to remain as a master teacher and by thirty-year-old, the Innate Fetal Poison would take effect and he would die. But if he didnt cultivate, he would be killed by the other party. It was certain doom regardless of whether he did it or not. He felt so frustrated that his head was aching. "Hm? If I find a way to improve the Soul Guiding Form so that the soul and body and separate and fuse back perfectly together, wont the problem be solved?" After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up and a thought popped into his head. There were ws in this Soul Guiding Art but as long as he filled up the gaps and created a perfect Heavens Path cultivation technique, wouldnt he be able to cultivate it without incurring such problems? Heavens Path cultivation techniques were perfect. As long as he couldpile one out, he wouldnt face the problem of an ipatibility between his soul and body after drawing his soul out. "But where can I find additional soul oracle cultivation techniques to make up for those ws?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Soul oracle cultivation techniques were mainly centered around will and soul. The cultivation technique manuals that Zhang Xuan had collected before were all revolving around physical body and zhenqi. They were both very different things, and he wouldnt be able to form a Heavens Path cultivation technique even if he were to put it together. Only by finding more soul oracle cultivation techniques would he be able to perfect the Soul Guiding Form. But... the lineage of the soul oracles had already disappeared for innumerable years, and the fellow hiding in the dark didnt have any more of such manuals. Just as Zhang Xuan was in dilemma, a thought suddenly struck him and he pped his forehead. "Hm? Why do I have to look for soul oracle cultivation techniques? Actually, wouldnt cultivation techniques that are beneficial to the soul work as well?" He had been going down the wrong path previously. In the end, soul oracles were just individuals who learned a unique soul-rted cultivation technique. Their aim was to gain the ability to transfuse their soul into another individual and possess their body to achieve the goal of immortality. Even though Zhang Xuan was unable to find any soul oracle cultivation techniques, he had a bunch of soul cultivation techniques in his arsenal. In his journey from Tianxuan Kingdom, all the libraries that he visited would have several books concerning the psyche and the soul. Even though they were foundation manuals, and there wasnt much benefit from cultivating them... he had a huge mountain of them! These manuals were useless to him previously, but if he were topile them along with this Soul Guiding Art, what would happen? With fiery eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he willed. "Soul cultivation technique and psyche cultivation technique manuals!" Hu! All of the rted books immediately appeared before Zhang Xuan. There was a huge quantity of them, and ced side by side, they could easily fill up ten of the humongous bookshelves within the Library of Heavens Path. Making a rough estimation, there were at least a few dozen thousand of them. The psyche and the soul were also important to a cultivator, and as such, there were quite a lot of cultivation techniques on them as well. However, they were much cruderpared to the Soul Guiding Form. Most of them were about putting one through hardship so as to build ones mental fortitude. "Compile!" Zhang Xuan muttered. H! The several dozen thousand books immediately fused together to form a single book. Zhang Xuan hurriedly grabbed it and opened it up. "The soul of a human is iparably profound and mystical. It can be cultivated along with ones body, and it can also be drawn out individually. The body and the soul are two separate entities, and yet, they form a single whole..." A new cultivation method was detailed in the book. Swiftly looking through it, Zhang Xuans breathing hastened and his eyes gleamed in excitement. As expected... There were no ws! A Heavens Path cultivation technique! Compiling the soul oracles Soul Guiding Form along with the psyche and soul cultivation techniques of ordinary cultivators would actually create a perfect cultivation technique! The issue of ipatibility between ones soul and body would be non-existent! In other words, cultivating this technique, one could be a soul oracle. However, one wouldnt be bound by the limitations of soul oracles. Ones soul would still be able to fuse perfectly with ones body, and one would still be able to cultivate like an ordinary cultivator. All of the ws from before had been perfectly solved! "Great! Time to cultivate!" Even though it soundedplicated, all of this only happened in a few breaths. After swiftly memorizing the Soul Guiding Form, Zhang Xuan gathered his concentration and started to cultivate. The energy in his body flurried as he gradually drew his soul out from his body. Heavens Path Soul Art was just a technique to draw ones soul out from ones body. There was no need to absorb spiritual energy or utilize external tools such as spirit stones or that sort. As such, its cultivation was exceedingly easy. Geji! Geji! It felt as though he was forcing something out from his body, and yet at the same time, it felt as though he was leaping off a tall cliff. For a moment, he seemed to have lost control of himself. Weng! The world before him immediately changed. When Zhang Xuan finally regained hisposure, he saw another him standing quietly before him. On the other hand, he was floating lightly in the air. His soul had sessfully left his body! As expected of a Heavens Path cultivation technique. It didnt take him too long to sessfully cultivate the Heavens Path Soul Art. Looking around the surroundings, Zhang Xuan tried to see if he could sense the soul oracles presence but to no avail. It seemed like that fellow was hiding in a secure location. Otherwise, it was impossible for even the Eye of Insight to be unable to detect him. Hu! He returned to his body. His vision suddenly turned dark and he staggered. Even though his soul didnt leave his body for too long, he still felt extreme fatigue. Only after circting his Heavens Path zhenqi around his body did he recover slightly. Opening his eyes once more, he saw Zhao Ya and the others gathering around him with worried eyes. "Teacher, are you alright..." They had just barely finished reading through the Soul Guiding Form, and before they had the time to fullyprehend the essence of it, they saw their teacher stumble so they immediately rushed forward worriedly. "Im fine!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. However, a doubt suddenly rose in his mind. When his soul left his body previously, that soul oracle should have noticed something. If so, why wasnt he reacting? Could it be that... a soul drawn using the Heavens Path Soul Art was different from that of a soul oracles, thats why he didnt notice anything? "Let me give it a try!" Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed and the edges of his lips curled up. Facing the crowd, he waved his hands. "Everyone, dont cultivate the technique first. Ive looked through the form and I realized that its impossible for one to sessfully draw out ones soul using this. I think hes trying to dupe us by giving us a bogus cultivation technique!" "Bogus cultivation technique? Ridiculous!" Hearing those words, a cold voice boomed across the hall. Chapter 508: I Can Teach You Chapter 508: I Can Teach You Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The crowd didnt expect Zhang shi to say such words, and they were perplexed. "Ridiculous?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Look at this verse Diffusing the zhenqi throughout ones body into the various acupoints to augment the materialization of the soul. Under normal circumstances, a cultivator would gather the zhenqi from the acupoints into the dantian so as to store, umte, and utilize it. However, this verse is telling one to dissipate their zhenqi, thats no different from crippling ones own cultivation... If one were to really do so, how are they to advance their cultivation in the future? Even if they were originally powerful, if they were to cultivate using this form, they would only grow weaker and weaker!" "This..." Everyone was stunned. It was normal for zhenqi to flow to and fro from the acupoint and dantian. Only through this would a cultivators body and soul be nourished and grow stronger. But why did Zhang Xuan speak as though it was crippling ones cultivation? "Now that you speak of it... It does seem a bit like crippling ones cultivation!" After a moment of silence, Hall Master Sai finally spoke up. Even though it was normal for one to diffuse ones zhenqi across the acupoints in his body, if one were to do it at a rapid rate, it would be the method to crippling ones cultivation. "My words arent wrong, are they?" Seeing that someone was agreeing with him, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. "You are trying to have us slowly dissipate our own cultivation so as to get rid of us in one go!" The Library of Heavens Path detailed the various ws of the Soul Guiding Form. All Zhang Xuan had to do was to state a few. That voice harrumphed. "Nonsense! Only by diffusing ones zhenqi to the various acupoints will one be able to protect ones soul with zhenqi so that it can exist out of the body. Otherwise, given how none of you have reached Consonant Spirit realm, your souls wont be able to move around independently considering how limited your soul energy is!" Upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm, ones soul energy would be significantly boosted, allowing even an ordinary cultivator to be able to draw his soul out of his body. However, given that their cultivation didnt allow for it yet, they could only guard their own souls with zhenqi. Why did the other party speak as though it was a cultivation crippling technique? "Protecting ones soul with zhenqi? You sure know how to phrase your words. Fine, let me ask you then. What does ones zhenqi gushing out of the huishen acupoint mean? The huishen acupoint is the area where ones spirit is concentrated. If zhenqi were to gush out of this area, it could potentially result in death! If Im not mistaken, if one were to cultivate using this form, even if one manages to draw ones soul out of ones body, ones body would suffer tremendous damage or even die!" Zhang Xuan said. The voice fell silent. One of the most important aspects of drawing ones soul out of ones body was the death of ones physical body. Only then would ones soul be free from its physical restraint to wander around freely. But of course, as long as the soul were to return to the physical body, ones heartbeat would resume and one would be resurrected. Not allowing the other party to continue speaking, Zhang Xuan harrumphed and continued. "Taking me for example, with my cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, even if I were to sessfully draw my soul out, thepatibility between my body and soul would deteriorate. If Im not mistaken, to sustain my appearance as an ordinary human on the surface, I would have to consume pills every day! Am I right?" Even if it was just a temporary separation between ones body and soul, after the body experienced a temporary state of pseudo-death, thepatibility between ones body and soul would deteriorate. Without pills to sustain oneself, it was just a matter of time before ones bodily functions deteriorated, and death marks started appearing on ones body. It was just like how organ transnts in his previous life worked. Once one donated ones own organ, even if one were to receive it back, ones own body would still reject it. Without medicine to sustain oneself, it would just be a matter of time before it was spoiled. "You... How did you know?" The voice was stunned. This was a secret among soul oracles, and they made sure never to let outsiders learn of it. How in the world did this young man learn of it? "It doesnt matter whether how I learned of it. While its true that reaching Consonant Spirit realm can help to alleviate the damage caused by the Soul Guiding Form... even for one as strong as you, do you dare to walk in the midst of a storm?" Zhang Xuan continued. "I..." The voice quivered. Souls were of yin attribute whereas lightning was a highly yang attribute natural phenomenon. Even if a soul oracle was hiding within a body, they would still have to retreat before lightning. They would no longer be able to live life as an ordinary human. Simr to the issue of one being rejected by his own body, this was a highly-guarded secret of soul oracles... For that fellow to deduce so much with just a nce at the Soul Guiding Form... Are you for real? Knowing that it was impossible for the ws recorded in the Library of Heavens Path to be wrong, Zhang Xuan chuckled. cing his hands behind his back, he walked up to the tablet and spoke slowly, "Putting aside lightning, lets talk about the onset of the night, a daily urrence. Every day, at zi hour (23:00 - 01:00), when the yin energy is the most concentrated, when yin energy seeps into your body, do you feel an unbearable itch guing you, and only by drawing ones soul out is the itch alleviated?" "Soul oracles dont rely on a physical body for their strength! So what if ones physical body is in difort? As long as ones soul remains fine, that isnt a trouble at all?" Stumped once more, the voice harrumphed coldly. "Youre right. The soul oracles greatest strength is their soul. Even if their physical body is ruined, it isnt a huge deal for them. They can simply possess another one and through such, live on in perpetuity... However, without the protection of a physical body, can you really survive... the Five Soul Declines?" Lifting his fingers, Zhang Xuan named, "Possession Decline, Senescence Decline, Combat Decline, Searing Yang Decline, and the most fearsome of all, Sense Decline!" "You... actually know of the Five Soul Declines?" The voice was no longer able to retain its calmness. "Possession Decline refers to the natural decline of strength when possessing the body of another. Even at minimum, it would cause a drop of two whole cultivation realms. As such, unless truly required, a soul oracle wont possess anybody. "Senescence Decline refers to the irreconcble conflict between ones soul and physical body. This will cause ones soul to slowly deteriorate with time. In order to maintain ones strength, one can only continue cultivating frenziedly. "Combat Decline refers to how ones cultivation would decline when using soul energy to fight. As such, what soul oracles specialize in is beguiling souls and creating fearsome mirages. In truth, soul oracles rarely fight squarely. "Searing Yang Decline. Just as said before, soul oracles dont dare toe into contact with elements that are rich in yang energy. Just bying into proximity with such objects can cause your soul to weaken. "While the first four declines are troublesome, they are still avoidable. What is the most fearsome of them all is the fifth one... Senses Decline! "A human possesses five senses and six perceptions. They are able to perceive shame, distinguish right from wrong, andprehend pride and honor. However, souls are incapable of housing these. The more intense the emotion, the greater to the damage to ones soul. A soul oracles emotion would cause huge ripples in their soul, resulting in their soul energy dissipating automatically..." Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan raised his eyelids and asked, "Is there any mistake in what Ive said?" Terrified, the voice stuttered, "Y-you..." The heaven is fair. Soul oracles were able to live a significantly longer lifespan than their peers, but in exchange, they had to suffer pain unimaginable by others. They were bound by innumerable restrictions. They werent permitted to love or hate, and they were confined to remaining only within the shadows. Just that... the Five Soul Declines was a ssified secret among the soul oracles. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion failed to uncover this matter back then. So how in the world did this fellow learn of it? Was it because of the Soul Guiding Form? If that was really the case, wasnt his understanding of cultivation techniques a little, no, way too deep? After recovering from his shock, the voice harrumphed. "You... Theres no need to talk so much! All cultivators, regardless of whether they are a soul oracle or not, are fighting against the heavens, so how can their lives possibly be smooth-sailing? Soul oracles experience the Five Soul Declines, but normal cultivators also experience the Five Ordealsheaven, earth, human, wealth, andw! Since it is impossible to avoid suffering, one should just be a soul oracle and enjoy an unlimited lifespan!" There was no cultivator whose safety was guaranteed. Crises revolved around the life of cultivator, be it from nature or other cultivators. Suffering and death were unavoidable. Someone had once made an estimate. Out of a thousand cultivators, at least nine hundred and ny-nine would die on the journey to reaching Transcendent Mortal pinnacle. It was, in the truest sense, one in a thousand. Even though the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion had significantly reduced wars throughout the continent, there were still powers vying with one another for influence, cultivators fighting with one another for valuable artifacts, ones cultivation going berserk... These were all ordeals that cultivators had to face, and many had died in the midst of these struggles. "Unlimited lifespan? Are you sure that a soul oracles lifespan is unlimited?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, "Even if one can avoid Senescence Decline by cultivating non-stop, are you sure that one can really stand this kind of suffering? If Im not mistaken... your physical body has already dposed entirely! Without a physical body to protect your soul, even though youre still sustaining your existence, you are undergoing immense anguish every single day! "Putting everything aside, just talking about noon every day, when yang energy in the air is the most concentrated, are you sure you can get used to that sharp piercing pain on your soul? If not for this tomb being hidden deep beneath theke, do you think that a soul like you have been able to survive until now?" "Y-you..." Hearing those words, the voice was no longer able to suppress his fear. His voice quivered even more vigorously. The other party was right. A soul could continue on for an eternity... but a body couldnt. Even when hiding in the darkest corner in the world, a soul without a body would still undergo tremendous pain at noon every day, making one wish that one was dead. In fact... the other party had thought of death innumerable times. However, as a soul, physical damage was ineffective against him as he wasnt able to kill himself. In the end, he could only continue living on in such a wretched manner. "So, tell me, is there a problem with this cultivation technique? Is it worth learning it?" Hearing that the voice had lost itsposure, Zhang Xuan pushed on. "Theres indeed a problem with it, but... what kind of cultivation technique can be wless?" The voice screamed hoarsely. "Youre wrong! Look at this verse Devoid of thoughts, guide ones soul around the tianzhu acupoint and leave via the huishen acupoint.... If it were to be changed to Gather ones soul, break through the huishen acupoint and escape through the tianzhu acupoint..., what do you think would happen?" asked Zhang Xuan. "The tianzhu acupoint possesses a yang attribute whereas the huishen acupoint possesses a yin attribute. Naturally, a soul is of yin attribute and as such, it wont be affected by yin energy. Through this method, one can minimize the effect of Searing Yang Decline or even...pletely nullify it?" The owner of the voice was a soul oracle expert who had immersed himself in the study of souls for innumerable years. After hearing the new form that Zhang Xuan proposed, he began muttering and all of a sudden, he froze. The other party had only changed a few words but this had changed the essence of the technique. Through using ones internal yang energy to nourish ones soul, one could reduce the effects of Searing Yang Decline or evenpletely nullify it. It was just altering the sequence of the two acupoints but it had further refined the Soul Guiding Form, bringing it a significant distance closer to perfection. "But... if you were to change it like that, there would be a high requirement on the quality of ones zhenqi. Otherwise, given how narrow ones huishen acupoint with, a soul wrapped with zhenqi will surely be unable to pass through..." After a moment of contemtion, the voice eventually deduced that it was impossible. Before drawing ones soul out of ones body, one had to wrap his soul with zhenqi first. If ones zhenqi wasnt pure enough, the impurities contained within would prevent ones soul from passing through the huishen acupoint. "Zhao Ya, disy your zhenqi to him!" Instead of answering him, Zhang Xuan turned around and instructed. "Yes, teacher!" Stepping forward, Zhao Ya pointed his finger forward and a surge of zhenqi gushed out. "This..." Sensing the purity of the zhenqi, the voice trembled. "Do you think it can pass through the huishen acupoint?" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "It can... but not everyones zhenqi can be as pure as hers..." The voice sounded slightly low. "Thats not a problem. Do you wish to learn it? Acknowledge me as your teacher then!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "I can teach you!" Chapter 509: The Deceived Soul Oracle Chapter 509: The Deceived Soul Oracle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! Hearing those words, Zhao Feiwu, Hall Master Han, and the others nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Arent we in danger? Isnt the other party threatening to kill us? Soul oracles, as one of the most sinister upation in the ancient times, are even more feared than poison masters. Not to mention, the other party is significantly stronger than them, possibly even reaching the zenith of Transcendent Mortal realm... How did it suddenly turn out that you are going to ept the other party as your student? Can it get even more exaggerated than this? Even though you are a master teacher, you have only barely stepped into the Transcendent Mortal realm. On the other hand, the other party is a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle expert! The gap between the two of you is immeasurable... Arent you afraid of being killed for saying such words? Luo Zhu widened his eyes in shock. When this Zhang shi first came to the soul oracle tomb, he didnt know anything about the upation at all. However, just by ncing at the Soul Guiding Form, he immediately learned about the Five Soul Declines and even found a way to solve it... It is no wonder why even the heaven acknowledges you... Your strength is truly fearsome! Sun Qiang and the others were also awed. As expected of young master, he is indeed as incredible as always. It doesnt matter whether the other party is a 6-star soul oracle or a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle expert, all have to bow before him... "Acknowledge you as my teacher?" The owner of the voice also seemed a little bbergasted. As a 6-star oracle, a being whose cultivation has reached Transcendent Mortal pinnacle, how can I acknowledge you, a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan ant, as my teacher? You must be pulling my leg! "Audacious..." Infuriated, his voice became sharp and piercing. Kacha! The sound of the mechanical trap whirring into operation sounded, and a gleam of light suddenly shot toward Zhang Xuan, as though trying to teach him a lesson for his rudeness. Hu! However, before it could even reach him, Zhang Xuan had already stepped away, dodging the sword qi easily. No matter how formidable a mechanical trap was, it was inflexible. By using the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could make judgements beforehand and dodge assaults easily with the Heavens Path Movement Art. It wouldnt be easy to hit him. "Theres no need to waste your efforts. If you were to make a move yourself, you might still be able to injure me. Mechanical traps... You should just drop this ludicrous idea. The trap at the entrance was stopped by me. Do you think that these things will be useful against me?" Zhang Xuan said impassively. "Hmph!" The voice harrumphed furiously. Even though the mechanical trap at the entrance was powerful, the young man still managed to stop it with a single kick. No matter how powerful his mechanical trap here was, it was truly unlikely for him to be able to injure the other party. Thinking so, the owner of the voice fell silent. The mechanical traps also stopped their operation. Even though the mechanical trap was powered by the kic energy of the waterfall, there was still a limit to its ammunition. Seeing that the other party had dropped the idea of resorting to the mechanical traps, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief within. Regarding the traps, if he had toe into direct contact with it before he could form a book, learn of its ws, and deal with it. However, there were many mechanical traps scattered around the room, and Zhang Xuan had no idea where they were as well. He might be able to dodge one, but if the other party were to attempt tounch all of the traps at once, given Zhang Xuans limited capability, it would be impossible for him to get away unscathed. In truth, the words he had just spoken were mostly a lie. He didnt really expect to seed. Facing this kind of hidden adversary, he had to use his words to outwit the other party. "Its such a pity!" Even though the other party had stopped his assault, Zhang Xuan had no intentions to stopping here. Shaking his head, he sighed in dismay. "Its such a good opportunity but you simply let it slip past you. Sigh, you are indeed such a soulbrainless!" "You..." Hearing those words, the voice nearly spurted blood from frustration and died on the spot. The heck! I am a 6-star soul oracle, who do you think you are speaking like that too? Putting aside how you are only a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator, even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan would have to tremble before me. Yet, how dare you dream of taking me in as your student, even going to the extent of calling me brainless... You are the one who is brainless, your entire family is brainless! "Dont think that Ill restrain myself just because I intend to possess one of you. If you are that intent to die, I dont mind granting your wish at this instant..." The voice wasced with threat. "Kill me? Do you dare?" With a look of disdain, Zhang Xuan nced in front and said, "Besides, you are just a monster who been dead for innumerable years already. All you have left are your mechanical traps. If you can kill me, you would have done so yourself previously. You wouldnt be threatening me now!" "You..." "You, what you?! If you have the capability,e and kill me now. Stop wasting time! Otherwise, hurry up and show us your three trials. To think that you are a 6-star soul oracle, how can you be so dumb?" Zhang Xuan sighed. "Forget it. Even if you want to acknowledge me as your teacher now, I dont want to ept you anymore. Im afraid that youll pull down my reputation!" "You..." The owner of the voice was about to explode. You are scared of your reputation being pulled down if I acknowledge you as my teacher? Can you be any more shameless than that? Seeing that the other party was leaping in anger, Zhang Xuan continued, "Why? Has all of your cultivation has gone to your mouth, and you are incapable of fighting anymore?" "You are seeking death!" Seeing Zhang Xuans annoying face, the owner of the voice exploded. Hong long! A violent ripple diffused in the air and an overwhelming might suddenly crushed down on the crowd. The soul oracle was initially hesitant to fight for fear of Combat Decline. However, choking with anger from the words of the youngd before him, he could no longer hold himself back anymore. H! A force suddenly crushed on Zhang Xuans neck, as though an intangible hand was grabbing onto it, lifting him up. "Teacher..." "Zhang shi!" Seeing that the soul oracle was provoked into making a move, everyone panicked. They hurriedly rushed forward. "You want to kill me? It wont be that easy!" Despite being suffocated, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. Instead, chuckling lightly, he willed and a gray scale-like object appeared before him. Weng! A light buzz. A barrier of light embraced his body. As thoughing into contact with burning oil, the hand grabbing onto Zhang Xuan quickly retracted. "AH!" The voice yelled in agony. From the looks of it, he seemed to have sustained significant injuries from it. Dragon Scale Amulet! This was the object that hed obtained at the Appraiser Hall some time ago. Based on the evaluation of the Library of Heavens Path, it could ward off the attack of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times. The time had finallye to use it! An amulet only had protective capabilities. However, once activated, it would return the force from the other partys assault back to him in the form of a bacsh. This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan intentionally used his words to provoke the other party into action. In any case, he could use this amulet thrice. Furthermore, as long as the fellow remained hidden, everyone else could only be manipted by him. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to lure him out despite the potential risks. Besides, given the age of the tomb, the other party was likely to have been dormant for a significant period of time already. His cultivation would have surely already deteriorated greatly, and in his weakened state, it was impossible for him to break the defense Dragon Scale Amulet! With just a single strike, the other party was already severely injured. "This..." Everyone thought that Zhang shi would be doomed given how the powerful soul oracle decided to make a move himself. They didnt expect him to possess a tool so strong that it could even injure a 6-star soul oracle. As such, they were astonished by the sight. "I will kill you..." Severely injured, the soul oracle flew into a frenzy. He bellowed furiously as he prepared tounch a second round of attack. "You want to kill me? You might have been able to seed a moment ago but now... Im afraid you dont stand a chance anymore!" The barrier of light could be sustained for several breaths. Seeing that it hasnt dissipated yet, Zhang Xuan charged forward toward the stone tablet. He didnt know where the other party was previously so there was no way for him to attack the other party at all. However, after the other party had executed a battle technique, not only did the Library of Heavens Path reflect the other partys ws, it had even detailed his current location. Hong long! With the immense might of two hundred thousand ding, the stone tablet was immediately smashed to smithereens. After smashing the tablet inscribed with the Soul Guiding Form, Zhang Xuan didnt stop. Instead, he continued charging all the way to the coffin. Just as everyone thought that he would forcefully smash open the coffin, the other partys hands swiftly pat on several ces over the coffin, his movements so swift that it left after images in its wake. Pah pah pah pah! It was a consecutive sixteen pats. There was seemingly no specific logic behind his blows, and his strikes werent heavy either. With such force, he might have been able to break ordinary boulders but it waspletely useless against a coffin that was crafted by a high-ranked cksmith like this. No one had any idea what he was thinking of. After that, he paused for a moment. Just as everyone was baffled by Zhang shis actions, thetter suddenly turned around, "Hall Master Sai, your saber!" "Saber? Alright!" Hall Master Sai was taken aback for a moment before registering what Zhang Xuan said. Flicking his wrist, he took out a saber and threw it to the other party. It was the same one that Zhang Xuan used back at the Formation Master Guild to carve the formation te. Grabbing the saber, Zhang Xuans aura abruptly changed. A sharp aura suddenly emanated from his body. Hu! The saber fell down with immense might. Boom! As soon as the saber came into contact with the coffin, a loud explosion sounded. It was as though someone had lit an explosive within the coffin, causing the thick coffin lid to blow up and burst into the surroundings. The immense force from the explosion lodged the fragments of the coffin lid onto the tough wall. "Shattered by none, the lock of Crimson Metal, an undisturbed rest for ten millenniums... This is a Crimson Metal Coffin! Even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan would be helpless before it. For Zhang shi to break it open with a single sh... How is this possible?" Upon seeing the sight, while others didnt think much of it, Luo Zhus body trembled in shock. He was on the verge of going insane. "Crimson Metal Coffin? You mean... the Crimson Metal Coffin crafted by 6-star cksmiths using an alloy of deep ocean metals?" Upon seeing Luo Zhus state, Hall Master Sai fell into a short moment of contemtion when realization suddenly struck him, and his eyes narrowed. "Indeed! Its that Crimson Metal Coffin!" Luo Zhu nodded his head. "Isnt it said that... once the coffin is sealed, no one will be able to open it? Why would..." Realizing the impossibility of the matter, Hall Master Sai also went into a frenzy. As the head of the Appraiser Hall, he had seen countless invaluable artifacts, and he had heard of many different treasures as well. Generally, coffins could be divided into nine main grades. Take for example, the four coffins at the other chamber are known as Grade-7 Adamantine Coffin, forged using iparably resilient top-quality metal. Even Spirit intermediate-tier weapons would find it hard to break it. And above the nine grades of metal was crimson metal! Crimson Metal Coffins were crafted by 6-star cksmith. It was designed such that once it was sealed, no thief below the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan would be able to break it. Such came the saying shattered by none, the lock of Crimson Metal, an undisturbed rest for ten millenniums! In order to not be disturbed after death, many powerful cultivators would specially hire a cksmith to craft a coffin of that tier for them so as to ensure that their corpses would remain intact and that no petty tomb raiders would be able to disturb their peace. For Zhang shi to break a coffin that only Transcendent Mortal pinnacle experts could break, how could they not be astonished? It was already an amazing feat that they didnt faint upon realization. To see through the w of the Soul Guiding Form with a single look, to injure a 6-star soul oracle, and to break the Crimson Metal Coffin with a single sh... Was this Zhang shi... really just a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan? Chapter 510: Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus Chapter 510: Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before the duo could recover from their shock, Zhang Xuans saber continued shing down and struck a corpse lying in the coffin. Hu! As soon as the corpse came into contact with the saber, it was immediately reduced to dust, scattering into all directions. "The body of a Transcendent 9-dan should be as though tough as diamond, how could it possibly be reduced to dust by a single strike of saber qi?" When ones cultivation reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, not only would ones soul energy increase, ones physical body would also be wless. As though a diamond, it would be impervious to corrosion and no weapon would be able to leave a mark on it. Even after death, considering how the corpse had been protected by a Crimson Metal Coffin all along, it shouldnt have been reduced to dust by a single strike of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator. "Could Zhang shis saber art really be that strong?" "Thats not it. While Zhang shis saber art and saber qi are strong, he still isnt strong enough to break a Crimson Metal Coffin and reduce the physical body of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan into dust," Jin Conghai said with a grim expression. After consuming a pill, he had recovered significantly from his previous injury. "Then whats going on?" "Lets continue watching first. Zhang shi will definitely have an exnation for it!" Jin Conghai shook his head. Everyone turned their attention to the man in front of them. Zhang Xuan didnt stop after dissipating the tomb owners corpse with a single sh. With a flick of his wrist, he whipped out several silver needles and tossed them into the coffin. As the silver needle shot into the coffin, everyone suddenly heard a piercing scream. "AH... What are you doing?" It came from the mysterious voice from before. At this moment, the arrogance in that fellows voice had disappeared altogether, reced by fear and disbelief. "Im not doing anything much, just digging you up!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan slotted his saber deep into the coffin and flicked his saber up. Hu! A ck lotus appeared before everyone. This lotus was around the size of a palm, and a ck aura shrouded its tip. Every single one of its leaves were pierced with silver needles. The silver needles that Zhang Xuan shot before were aimed exactly at this flower. To think that such a peculiar lotus would be hiding beneath an indestructible Crimson Metal Coffin in this incredibly deep tomb. Even when seeing it with their own eyes, everyone still took in a deep breath, unable to believe their sight. Hu! In truth, it had only been a few breaths since the tomb owner attacked Zhang Xuan to when the lotus was unearthed. Only at this instant did the Dragon Scale Amulets glowing barrier finally disappear. "Could this be..." Upon seeing the lotus, Luo Zhu contemted for a moment when something suddenly struck him. His eyes rapidly narrowed and with a quivering voice, he uttered, "Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus?" "Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus? What is that?" Hall Master Sai asked out of curiosity. Even though he was knowledgeable, he wasnt omniscient. Soul oracle was a mysterious upation even during the ancient times, and very little was detailed about them. "It is said to be an invaluable treasure for soul oracles. It can be used to forge a new physical body, and on top of that, the forged physical body will possess a unique constitution!" Luo Zhu exined. "Unique constitution?" Hall Master Sai widened his eyes in shock. As long as ones unique constitution was activated, ones rate of cultivation would exceed ordinary cultivators by many times. To be able to forge a physical body that possessed a unique constitution... That was way too fearsome! "Indeed. However... something seems amiss!" A momentter, Luo Zhu hesitated. "Whats wrong?" "The Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus survives by absorbing energy. If Im not mistaken, the corpse of the tomb owner must have been absorbed clean. Otherwise, its impossible for a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan corpse to be reduced to dust by Zhang shis strike!" Luo Zhu said. "Un!" Hall Master Sai nodded in agreement. They had been perplexed over how Zhang Xuan managed to reduce a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan corpse into dust with his sword qi. From the looks of it now, this bizarre flower must have sapped the energy remaining within the body dry. "Since the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan corpse had been used to nourish the lotus, the lotus should have already bloomed and turned into the tomb owners physical body. Why... would he still be lying in the coffin, trying to possess us?" Luo Zhu finally asked doubtfully. "This..." Hall Master Sai and the others, realizing the bizarreness of the situation, fell into contemtion. Indeed! If the other party had an invaluable object like the Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus which could serve as his physical body, why would he need to possess others? Not to mention, even going through all of the trouble of having everyone cultivate the Soul Guiding Form! Wasnt this apletely pointless action? "I dont understand it either. However, I think Zhang shi might have the answer. Otherwise, he couldnt have possibly opened the coffin and dug out this lotus!" Luo Zhu said. "Un!" Everyone immediately turned their eyes over to Zhang Xuan. At the coffin, that voice was still screaming. "You... let me go!" Being dug up, the ck lotus screeched in fright. The tomb owner who had threatened to kill everyone earlier was hiding inside. It was no wonder that they couldnt find the origin of the voice earlier. Given that the tomb owner was hidden in a lotus beneath the coffin, how could they possibly have found him? "Let you go? So that you can continue killing us?" Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes. "Y-you... As long you as let me go, we can talk things through. As a soul oracle, I have umted quite a lot of treasures. I can give them all to you. If you desire, this Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus can be yours as well," that voice said anxiously. "Give this lotus to me? No thanks..." Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "Also, you spoke of the treasures you umted? Havent you exchanged all of them into spirit stones to feed this lotus already?" "How... did you know?" A frightened voice echoed from within the lotus. "How did I know? The dust around the lotus all came from crumbled spirit stones, its not like Im blind!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. In truth, it wasnt that the lotus was buried underground. Rather, it was ced with a huge stack of spirit stones. However, after the spiritual energy from those spirit stones were extracted, they became ayer of dust covering the lotus. Zhang Xuan had once used a Spirit Gathering Formation to extract spiritual energy from spirit stones and arge quantity of simr waste product had appeared before. Thus, he was able to recognize it at first sight. Furthermore, this dust was more translucent and paler than the low-tier spirit stones that he used for his training. Most probably, the spirit stones used were at least of middle-tier. Judging from the size of the pile, that must be at least a mountain of ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones... Even for a 6-star soul oracle, that should be his entire wealth. Having deduced all of this, how could Zhang Xuan possibly fall for the other partys lies? "Y-you..." The lotus trembled violently as though it had seen a ghost. It seemed like in all of his shes with the other party, he hadnt even won once. The other party seemed to be omniscient, knowing every single thing about him. "All of you,e over!" Ignoring the tomb owners frightened shivering, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and beckoned the rest of the group over. Only then did the others rush forward. Unable to stand the intrigue any longer, Zhao Feiwu asked, "Zhang shi... What is going on?" Everyone also stared at Zhang Xuan with a look of bewilderment. Everything had happened too abruptly. It was just a moment ago that the tomb owner wasughing gleefully at controlling everyones life and death when, in the blink of an eye, he was dug out from the ground... This bizarre turn of events had left everyonepletely baffled. "Whats going on? I think you should be the one to exin..." Zhang Xuan patted the ck lotus in front of him. Hu! The ck lotus trembled slightly. At this moment, the voice seemed to have turned mute, unable to speak a single word at all. It seemed like being found and pummeled by a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan weakling had left it so stifled that it didnt feel like talking at all. "Do you think that you have a choice?" Seeing that the other party was unwilling to cooperate, Zhang Xuan lifted his hand and a needle appeared between his fingertips. Then, with a swift movement, the needle impaled a leaf of the lotus. "AHHH..." A cry of agony immediately sounded within the lotus, and the voice hurriedly gave in, "You... Ill speak, Ill speak..." The voice sounded much feebler than before. Clearly, the silver needle had struck its vitals, resulting in a tremendous fall in its strength. "Lets hurry up and begin then!" Plucking out the silver needle, Zhang Xuan infused zhenqi into the silver needle once more, causing it to gleam coldly. It seemed that if that fellow were to hesitate for even an instant, the needle would immediately impale the lotuss body. "Yes..." Terrified by the threat, the lotus trembled and hurriedly spoke, "I am a 6-star soul oracle, and my cultivation has reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan pinnacle... However, even until the very end, I failed to make the final step. Even though my soul still managed to live on, my physical body reached its limit!" At Transcendent Mortal realm, ones longevity would be increased by twofold. However, that would only add up to two hundred years. Even those who were blessed with exceptionally long lifespans only managed to reach three hundred at maximum. As long as one didnt surpass this realm, ones physical body would be restrained by that limit. This was the way of the world. Even though soul oracles could sustain themselves by possessing others, naturally, their own body was still the mostpatible with their soul. "It was then that I found this... Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus!" The voice continued, "This item is the greatest treasure for us soul oracles. As long as it matures, it can be molded into a physical body, not to mention, the body would possess a unique constitution. With this, I might just be able to ovee thest hurdle and surpass the Transcendent Mortal realm! Thus, I began making preparations for my funeral and squandered all my wealth on building a tomb. This is all so that I can focus my efforts on nurturing this lotus." "Un!" Everyone nodded their heads. In truth, they had been a little intrigue by the existence of this tomb. Since soul oracles were able to possess the body of other cultivators, why would one waste their fortune and effort on building a tomb beneath a river? From the looks of it now, it was all so that he could nurture this lotus without any disturbances. After all, given how rare and valuable the lotus was, it would be disastrous if other soul oracles were to learn of it. Thus, he chose to fake his death. Even though soul oracles were able to achieve immortality via their soul, they were impeded by the Five Soul Declines so it wasnt entirely impossible for a soul oracle to die. Thus, the other soul oracles didnt suspect a thing when he buried himself in his tomb. "But if that is the case, why havent you seeded yet?" Zhang Xuan asked. Soul oracles had already been destroyed for dozens of millenniums already so this tomb surely had a longer history than that. Judging from such, the other party should have been done nurturing the lotus by now already. But if that was the case, why was he still in such a state now? After all, if he had seeded, he would have already molded the lotus into a new body for himself already. Why was he still stuck inside the lotus, unable to leave? "I..." Hearing the question, the voice hesitated for a moment before replying, "After the tomb was built, I faked my death and began nurturing this lotus. I thought that, given my strength and experience, Id be able to seed swiftly. However... I never thought that... I would actually fail!" "Fail?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Since you went to the extent of faking your death, you must know the method to nurturing this lotus. How did you fail?" That fellow had prepared for this matter over such a long time, converting all of his possession into spirit stones and burying himself underground, even going to the extent of finding a celestial designer to build the tomb and a 6-star craftsman to forge the coffin. With such thorough preparations, how did the other party fail? "Thats because... because..." The tomb owners voice trembled, as though recalling something fearsome. "This... This isnt a Seven Hearts Underworld Lotus but a... Nine Hearts Lotus!" Chapter 511: The Truth of the Incident Chapter 511: The Truth of the Incident Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Nine Hearts Lotus?" This time, not only did Zhang Xuan frown in confusion, even Luo Zhu was perplexed as well. He hadnt heard of this name. "Thats right! Seven Hearts Lotus is known as a sacred object capable of being molded into a physical body but... the Nine Hearts Lotus is an object that has never appeared in the Master Teacher Continent before. If a tier must really be assigned to it, then it can surely be considered as a God artifact!" the tomb owner said. "God artifact?" Hearing those words, everyone froze. Just like cultivation techniques, artifacts and tools could be ssified by the ranking God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal. Saint artifacts were something that couldnt be found even if one were to ransack the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. As for God artifacts, they were things that belonged only to the legends only. It was a mystery as to whether they existed on the Master Teacher Continent or not. Yet, this ck object was actually an artifact of that tier? That was way too fearsome! One must know that even Kong shi failed to obtain any God artifacts back then! "Given my cultivation, how can I possibly seed in nurturing a God artifact? Not only were all of my possessions sucked dry, my soul was even imprisoned in this lotus for dozens of millenniums..." At this, the tomb owner suddenly sounded extremely depressed. It was no wonder why he was down. After all, he had expected to achieve great things after molding himself a new body. How could he have known that not only would be fail, he would even end up being imprisoned within the lotus, devoid of even the choice of terminating his own life... It already took a miracle for him to retain his sanity until now. Ordinary humans would have long sumbed to the despair already. To be able to hang on until now, the other partys mental fortitude was indeed extraordinary. "So, you intended to have one of us rece you so that you could regain your freedom?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right," the tomb owner replied. "After being trapped for dozens of millenniums, all that is left on my mind is how I can escape from the demonic grasp of this wretched nt. After a very long time, I finally came up with an idea! "Since the Nine Hearts Lotus didnt devour me after such a long period of time, it could only mean that it doesnt possess the ability to do so. Thus, if I can find another soul to rece me, I just might be able to escape!" In other words, the tomb owner intended to find a scapegoat. All the Nine Hearts Lotus wanted was a soul. As long as he could find another soul to rece him, he would be able to escape from this abyss. "After deciding on this, I began trying my best to divide my own soul. After many years of hard work, I finally managed to divide a small part of myself. However... its cultivation is only at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. With such weak cultivation, it is unlikely for it to live for too long before it is consumed by Senescence Decline. Who couldve known that... at this moment, a tomb raider would arrive!" Taken aback, everyone immediately turned their gazes to Luo Zhu. Thetters face reddened. Having his identity exposed in public, he felt a little embarrassed. After all, this upation wasnt a glorious one. It was no different from a petty thief or burr. "Thus, I formted a bold n! I would make the entrance traps slightly easier so that the tomb raider could enter sessfully. After which, I would find an opportunity to... possess him!" The tomb owner continued, "In the end, I really seeded. Terrified, that fellow quickly left this area. Initially, my idea was very simple. After possessing him, I would make use of the Soulless Metal Humanoid to attract more people here before choosing a suitable soul among them to rece me. However, I never expected his soul to be so strong. Not to mention, after the possession, my cultivation had been significantly weakened. Thus, I ended up in a standstill with him, and eventually, I even got killed by a weak, plump man..." At which, the lotus trembled with deep resentment. "Cough cough!" The weak plump man scratched his head awkwardly. Back then, he only managed to devour the soul that tried to possess him due to the Heavens Path zhenqi in his body. Inparison to the other party, his cultivation indeed didnt mean much. At this point, everyone finally understood the entire situation. This exined why Luo Zhu was able to enter and escape the tomb despite the presence of such a formidable soul oracle here. It turned out that the other party had intentionally allowed him to leave just to attract even more people here. The n was indeed feasible, just that he didnt expect to meet a monster like Zhang Xuan. The soul that took him innumerable years to divide out was cleanly wiped away. "Wait a moment..." Zhang Xuan frowned and waved his hands. "Since you were able to sever a part of your soul and send it out from the lotus, why do you need still need to lure more people here?" Since the fellows main goal was to leave the lotus, severing a part of his soul should do the job as well. There was no need to go through so much trouble to lure so many people here. After all, he would be putting himself at risk by bringing publicity to the tomb. Since the divided soul was also a part of himit carried his thoughts and consciousness as wellthe main issue he had at hand should have been solved. "Youre right. However... that soul was severely damaged when I tried to push it out from the lotus. As such, it wasnt going to survive for long! Besides, that doesnt solve the root of the problem. The main bulk of my soul would still continue to suffer here. The only way for me to free myselfpletely from this lotus is to have another soul take my ce," the tomb owner said. "Then... Why didnt you just bewitch Luo Zhu to rece you? What if hed left for good?" Zhang Xuan continued to ask. It wasnt easy for Luo Zhu to appear after countless years of waiting. How could the tomb owner be so certain that Luo Zhu would bring people here? Wouldnt it have been easier to just have the other party rece him first? "Tomb raiders are of yin nature. Such people will never be able to cultivate the Soul Guiding Form," the tomb owner replied. "Besides, look at his age. Hes already got one foot in the grave. Besides, his cultivation is sorelycking, what use would it be even if I were to possess him? Face death once more?" Luo Zhus face reddened. He didnt expect to be snubbed just like Sun Qiang... Hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in realization. All of the puzzle pieces fit now. Soul Oracles suffered from Possession Decline, and every possession would cause their cultivation to fall steeply once. Since that was the case, they should choose a good body to possess right from the start. "Later on, when the soul that I severed was destroyed, I thought that all hope was lost. But you all came... And the rest unfolded as you know!" The tomb owner said. "Then, you tried to make us cultivate the Soul Guiding Form, and once our soul were out, you were going to use the name of clearing the trial to have our soulse into contact with the lotus. This way, our souls will be drawn in, thus... bing your recement," Zhang Xuan said. "Thats right!" The tomb owner didnt deny the matter. Only at this instant did everyone realize the entire situation, and cold sweat drenched their back. The other party had said that he wanted to test them, but from the looks of it now, if they were to really cultivate the Soul Guiding Form and seeded in it, their soul would have been imprisoned by this bizarre flower and their body wouldve been possessedpletely. It was fortunate that Zhang shi caught onto the other partys ploy. Otherwise, the aftermath would have been unimaginable. "Thats not right!" Zhao Feiwu frowned. "Given how powerful you are, you could have totally torn our souls from our physical body to feed the lotus, right?" The other party was a 6-star soul oracle who could eveny out the Oasis of the Mirage Deity while even the strongest of their group was only a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivator. Tearing out their soul from their body shouldnt have been anything hard! Why did he have to go through so much trouble of having everyone cultivate the Soul Guiding Form? "Allow me to exin this!" Zhang Xuan nced at the lotus indifferently and said, "Its not that he doesnt want to do it but... he cant!" "He cant?" Everyone was taken aback. "There are two reasons for this. Firstly, a soul oracle suffers from Strength Decline and forcefully using ones soul energy to extract the souls of others would cause immense damage to oneself! Secondly, he has been trapped by the lotus for a very long time, and controlling the traps and attacking me are already the limit of his ability. It ispletely impossible for him to fight with us all at once! Otherwise, he would have long made a move already. He wouldnt have to hide himself and resort to all of these traps!" Zhang Xuan exined. After the other partys attack, a book waspiled by the Library of Heavens Path. Otherwise, he couldnt have been so brave as to charge forward to dig up the lotus. Trapped by a God artifact, it was already very difficult for the other party to exert energy and force himself out of the lotus. Controlling the traps were already a huge difficulty for him. If he could kill the crowd so easily, he wouldnt have to do things in such a roundabout manner. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyone came to a realization. It was no wonder why this soul oracle acted so hesitantly before weaklings like them, choosing to conceal his own presence. It turned out that... this fellow was all talk. In truth, he wasnt capable of doing anything to them at all. The tomb owner also didnt expect that even his weakness would be seen through by this young man, and his eyes were filled with fear and defeat. Initially, he had been thinking that if the other party was unaware of this, he could still use this as a leverage against him. However, even hisst hope had been shattered now. On top of that, the other partys silver needles had been pierced into the areas where he could transmit his will out of the lotus from. As such, he couldnt even control the traps now. His life waspletely in the hands of the other party now. Now that the mystery had been unraveled and the powerful 6-star soul oracle had been subdued, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan turned to the lotus and demanded, "Alright, tell us about the Dragon Severing Lock!" The entire area had been sealed, and the only way to leave was to break the Dragon Severing Lock. Since this fellow was the one who sealed the ce, he had to have a way to leave as well. "This... Theres no other exit!" The tomb owner spoke awkwardly. "No other exits? Then how do you intend to leave after possessing one of our bodies?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Since this fellow intended to escape from the lotus, he must have taken into consideration his escape route as well. He couldnt possibly possess another body only to be stopped by his own Dragon Severing Lock! "I can... escape using the means of a soul oracle!" The tomb owner said. "Means of a soul oracle?" The crowd asked in confusion. "Look on top. At the top of the tomb, there is a mechanism that will open up a path all the way to the surface of theke when triggered... Soul oracles are able to fly around freely due to their light souls... On the other hand, normal Transcendent Mortal cultivators are incapable of flight... Thats why I told you all, its futile!" the tomb owner said. "Fly?" Everyone turned their gazes to the top and saw that there was indeed a portion which seemed a little bizarre. However, given the height of the ceiling, even the Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Hall Master Sai would be unable to reach it. Needless to say, escape from this tomb. Chapter 512: Flying? I Can Do It! Chapter 512: Flying? I Can Do It! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Transcendent Mortals were far stronger than Fighters and possessed a significantly greater degree of control over nature, they were still incapable of flight. It was at least seventy to eight meters from the ground to the mechanism on the ceiling, and the surrounding walls were tough and slippery. It was nigh impossible to climb up! "What can we do then? Are we... supposed to just die like that in here?" Hearing those words, the hope in everyones hearts extinguished in an instant. Since this fellow had failed to possess any single one of them, naturally, he couldnt use his soul oracle abilities. Besides, even if he could, he wasnt trustworthy! This formed a huge dilemma. If they didnt find a solution, they might just end up being trapped down here for life. "How about this? One of you all sacrifice yourself to allow me to possess your body so that I can take all of you out. Otherwise, if this goes on, its just a matter of time before your rations run out, " the tomb owner said. Given that this was an enclosed space, no matter how much sustenance they had, it would just be a matter of time before it ran out. Seeing that the fellow hadnt given up yet, Zhang Xuan pped the lotus in displeasure. "Shut up, its not your ce to speak here! "You dont need to worry about how were going to leave here. You currently have two choices before you. You can choose to be my servant and jot down your soul oracle ability down for me. In exchange, Ill find a way to free you from that lotus." "Servant?" The tomb owner was taken aback, and he nearly burst into tears. "Arent I supposed to acknowledge you as my teacher?" "The offer has already passed. If youd agreed just now, not only would I have freed you, Id even have imparted theplete cultivation technique to you so that you wouldnt need to fear the Five Soul Declines. However... its already toote!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands impatiently. "I..." The tomb owner sounded a little constipated, and he was so frustrated that he could die on the spot. That was to be expected. Back then, hed still possessed the upper hand and had some leverage over the other party. Given the other partys identity as a master teacher, he wouldnt stoop so low as to harm his own student... But now, he was nothing more than a captive. His life and death hinged on a thought of the other party. It was already benevolent of the other party to offer to take him in as his servant. After a moment of silence, the voice helplessly said, "Whats the second option?" "Ill slowly interrogate you, and once I get my answers, Ill dispose of you!" Zhang Xuan spoke impassively. He couldnt help but tremble at his words. Even though the other party had spoken calmly, the tomb owner knew that the other party would really do it. "Alright, I, Mo Hunsheng, am willing to be Zhang shis servant..." The fellow before him had ovee his assault, saw through his ploy, and even opened up a sealed Crimson Metal Coffin. His means and capability were way off charts. It would probably be a walk in the park for the other party to eradicate him. There was no need to hesitate at all. After living for so many years, he understood the value of life. As long as he could free himself from this wretched lotus, being a servant was the least of his worries. After making up his mind, the tomb owner prepared to speak when the other partys impatient voice sounded, "What are you trying to do?" "Im making a vow..." the tomb owner, Mo Hunsheng, replied. Pah! "Whats the use of making a vow? Sign a soul contract! Dont tell me that a soul oracle like you doesnt even know something as basic as this!" Zhang Xuan pped the lotus. You must be joking! Given the innumerable mysterious means that soul oracles possess, I would be a fool to trust your vow. "Soul contract?" The lotus trembled. He was about to go insane. He thought that he could fool the other party with a show, and as soon as he freed himself from his restraints, he could teach the other party a lesson. Yet, who knew that... the other party didnt even fall for his trick! A soul contract was something simr to a contract with a tamed beast. Once it was established, one mustnt go against it. Otherwise, ones soul would dissipate. For a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert like him who was just a step away to reaching a whole new realm to sign a contract and be the servant of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator? The more he thought about it, the more frenzied he felt. "Why? Arent you willing?" Just as he was still feeling conflicted, he felt a silver needle pierce him and a surge of pure zhenqi seared his soul. "AH... I agree..." It was clear that his life was in the grasp of the other party. Mo Hunsheng dared not hesitate any longer. A white light shed, and a sliver of soul gushed into Zhang Xuans head. Soul contract established! "Alright!" Sensing his control over the other partys life and death, Zhang Xuan knew that the other party hadpletely submitted to him. Only then did he flick his wrist and put the lotus away into his storage ring. Regardless, this was a God artifact. It might be capable of incredible things so he decided to study it after they returned. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Sai and the others and said, "I hope that everyone here will refrain from spreading news regarding this lotus!" Zhao Ya and the others were his student so they were trustworthy. However, the same could not necessarily be said about the rest of the group. After all, a God artifact was a treasure surpassing that of even Saint artifacts. If news of its existence were to leak, Zhang Xuan would definitely be pursued to the ends of the world. Even if other people didnt dare to attack him in the open for fear of the bacsh from the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was hard to guarantee that they wouldnt resort to underhanded means. "Zhang shi, rest assured. If I reveal this matter, may the heavens smite me and my soul fall into oblivion!" Knowing what the other party was worried about, Hall Master Sai raised his hands and vowed to the heavens. Following which, Zhao Feiwu, Jin Conghai, Gu Mu, Luo Zhu, and the others did the same as well. They understood the danger behind carrying something beyond ones means to protect. Zhang Xuan had taken away the most valuable lotus whereas Sun Qiang had kept the other coffins in the first chamber. Given that everyone had worked hard ining here, they couldnt possibly just leave empty-handed. Thus, Zhang Xuan pointed to the coffins around and offered, "Un. Since youve all worked hard ining here, you cant simply leave empty-handed like that. Those coffins were forged by 6-star cksmiths so they could be considered as treasures as well. I believe they should fetch quite a sum!" Those were Crimson Metal Coffins forged by 6-star cksmiths, and they were all extremely resilient. They were of equal quality to Spirit pinnacle weapons even though their utility might not match up to it. If sold, it could definitely fetch a considerable sum. "Theres no need for it, we ended up contributing nothing at all..." "Zhang shi, youre being too polite..." Understanding Zhang Xuans intentions, the crowd hesitated for a moment before eventually shaking their heads. If not for Zhang shi, they would have surely all died. To take something on top of that... they were too embarrassed to do so. But even though they didnt obtain any treasures, they still managed to obtain a part of the Soul Guiding Form. If they were to study it, it could prove to be beneficial to their cultivation. "Since you all arent interested in it, I wont stand on ceremony then. Sun Qiang, collect everything here..." Before they could finish turning down the offer, Zhang shis voice sounded once more. "Great!" After which, Butler Sun immediately rushed forward excitedly and moved all of the coffins, including the one which Zhang Xuan had wrecked previously, into his storage ring. "..." The crowd. The person in front of them was obviously such a formidable master teacher, and if he wished for it, everyone would rush forward to fulfill his demands. Yet, he was still such a scrooge. That coffin had already broken into numerous fragments and yet he was still collecting all of the pieces, one at a time. If he could, would he go to the extent of even dismantling the mechanical system? Just as they were thinking so, the other partys voice sounded, "Sun Qiang, bring Little Mo around and take away all of the traps that can be dug up. Those are good items!" "..." The crowd. "Cough cough... Zhang shi, its still too early to be scavenging for treasure. Regardless of whether it is the mechanical traps or the coffin, we have to first be able to get out first..." Choking on her saliva, Zhao Feiwu couldnt help but say. The most important issue at hand was neither the revtion of the existence of the lotus or the scavenging of the mechanical traps and coffins... It was to find a way to leave this area! Given that the Dragon Severing Lock was in ce, the group couldnt go back the way theyde from. On top of that, they were incapable of flight as well. If so, how were they supposed to leave here? If they couldnt leave this area, it would be meaningless even if he were to take everything of value here. "Get out? Hasnt Little Mo spoken about that already? Theres a path on top!" Zhang Xuan pointed. Seeing how the other partyck of depth in thoughts, everyone was speechless. Zhao Feiwu rolled her eyes and replied, "But... its so high! We arent able to fly so how are we supposed to leave?" "Its just flying," Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. "I can do it!" "You can do it?" Shocked, everyone widened their eyes in shock. Are you for real? Even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert was incapable of flight, and yet, you, a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator, said that you are... able to do it? "Un!" Nodding his head casually, Zhang Xuan exined, "Its just an ability of a Celestial Master Teacher, its nothing much!" Just like the lotus, the issue regarding the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps should not be made known to outsiders. However, given the circumstances, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly hide his ability of flight any longer. Thus, he decided to attribute the matter to an ability of a Celestial Master Teacher. In any case, Celestial Master Teacher was apletely spontaneous event and not everyone would be able to be one. Even if one was jealous, there was nothing one could do about it. Besides, there had only been one Celestial Master Teacher in the world before Zhang XuanKong shi. Thus, no one could say for sure whether Celestial Master Teachers were capable of flight or not, and there was no way they could verify it as well. As such, this was the ideal excuse. "Just flying..." Everyone was on the verge of puking blood. That was flying... It was something that even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts were incapable of. Yet, why do you think of it as easy as though going to the market to buy cabbage? At the same time, they also felt perplexed. Were Celestial Master Teachers really granted the ability of flight as well? But... they didnt recall seeing it in any of the books regarding Kong shi? Even so, Celestial Master Teachers were a mysterious existence, and so, no one could say what they were capable of for sure. "Wait here for a moment!" Driving his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan began rising up into the sky, flying swiftly toward the mechanism at the ceiling. Red Dust Heaven Ascending StepsParallel Heaven Scroll! Back when Zhang Xuan was at Half-Transcension, he could only sustain himself for a few breaths before falling down. Now that he was at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle, his zhenqi had be purer and thus, the duration he could sustain himself had increased. His limit was currently dozens of breaths. In this short period of time, it was impossible for him to travel a great distance. Even so, opening a tunnel and flying out of it was a simple task. "Hes really flying?" Seeing Zhang Xuan floating up, the mouths of the crowd twitched violently. Flight had always been one of the greatest dreams of mankind. Yet, a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan was currently soaring in the air... This was way too fearsome! "Its best not to reveal anything regarding Celestial Master Teachers and soul oracles to anyone else... Zhang shi is a person who will achieve great things in the future. We cannot afford to offend such a person!" After a long moment of silence, the same thought appeared in everyones mind. A hero would eventually shake the world with his name, a dragon would eventually dominate the skies. A person destined for great things could only be befriended. By no means should one ever offend such a person. And Zhang shi... ... was such a person. Chapter 513: The Method to Save Lu Chong Chapter 513: The Method to Save Lu Chong Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! Ignoring everyones shock, Zhang Xuan reached the ceiling and touched the mechanism. Then, his fingers began operating swiftly, tapping on various protrusions on the ceiling. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could easily find the ws within a mechanical trap. It was just like with the Crimson Metal Coffin before. Even though it was known to be unbreakable, in truth, if one were to find the ws and exploit them, it wouldnt be a problem at all. This mechanism was the same as well. Kacha! After a few taps, a crisp sound echoed and a boulder slowly split open, revealing a passageway. Zhang Xuan immediately dived into it. The passageway waspletely dark. There should be another mechanical system installed above the passageway to prevent theke water from copsing in. After walking several dozen meters, he saw a gigantic boulder. As long as he knocked the boulder open, he should be able to return back to the bottom of theke. Just like with the entrance, there was a unique mechanical system installed here which allowed humans to pass but prevented theke water from gushing in. "Formidable!" Taking a brief sweep of the mechanical system, Zhang Xuan realized that its design wasnt inferior even whenpared to formations. He couldnt help but feel awed. As expected of a celestial designer. Some of the systems behind the mechanical traps were soplex that many men wouldnt get it even if they spent their entire life studying them. After recuperating for a moment and recovering from the massive expenditure from the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan finally returned back to the crowd once more. He took a rope from Luo Zhu and fastened it to the passageway. The group didnt hesitate and hurriedly climbed up. They were all cultivators so even though they werent capable of flight, scaling a rope was extremely simple. Swimming up theke, they finally returned back to the shore. Everything they just went through suddenly felt like an illusion, as though a dream theyd all had. Even though they were only in the soul oracle tomb for a short moment, they had been on the verge of death and experienced despair. To think that they would be able to see the surface once more. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" After drying his clothes with zhenqi, Hall Master Sai stepped forward and bowed earnestly. As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher. In the face of such danger, unlike the rest of them, he was able to maintain his calmness and use his wits to twist the situation around. Through doing so, he even managed to turn a 6-star soul oracle into his servant. If he hadnt witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldnt dare believe this to be true. "Youre being too polite, everyone has worked hard as well. Since we are in no hurry to leave, why dont we rest here for the night?" After all that they had gone through, the sun had already set. Stars shone brightly in the sky, and a crescent moon was hanging above the top of the mountain. The atmosphere felt peaceful. There was a slight scent of autumn in the air. Green had faded from the leaves on the trees, turning into a more yellowish shade. A mountain wind blew past, caressing the group with a chilly touch. "Alright!" Hearing that they were in no rush to leave, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. Their mind had been tense during the entire time in the soul oracle tomb, and that had left them in a withered state. They felt even more exhausted than if they had fought an intense battle. This was the Demon Cinque Beasts nest, and there werent any spirit beasts who would dare to wreak havoc here. Everyone started a campfire and whipped out the food they had stored in their storage ring. Before long, the fragrance of meat began wafting in the air. Zhang Xuan was also ravenous. While he was in the midst of digging into his food, Wang Ying suddenly walked over and asked concernedly, "Teacher, whats wrong with your neck?" "Neck?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan grabbed the copper mirror that Wang Ying offered him and observed his neck carefully. Below his lower jaw, there was a portion that was slightly gray. "Oh, it is caused by Little Mos soul oracle aura. Dont worry, itll fade away very soon!" Back when they were still in the soul oracle tomb, in order to bait Mo Hunsheng so as to use the Dragon Scale Amulet against him, he allowed the other party to grab him. It was probably then that the mark was left behind. Even so, it wasnt very conspicuous and one wouldnt notice it unless when paying close attention to it. It was only because of Wang Yings meticulousness that she noticed it. A soul oracle was a very different lifeform from a human being, anding into contact with such a powerful soul oracle, it was perfectly normal for a mark to be left behind. However, it should gradually disappear soon. "Thats good!" Seeing that it wasnt a major issue, Wang Ying heaved a sigh of relief. "I need you and Zhao Ya to bring Lu Chong over. Meanwhile, Ill investigate some things," Zhang Xuan instructed. Lu Chong didnte here along with the crowd. Instead, he was ced on the back of Zhao Feiwus spirit beast. Now that the Demon Cinque Beast was tamed, it posed no threat whatsoever anymore. Thus, it shouldnt be a problem for them to bring him over. "Yes!" Knowing her teachers intention to save Lu Chong, Wang Ying nodded her head. After delegating several tasks, Zhang Xuan stepped into the Demon Cinque Beasts cave. The cave was wide and clean. Finding himself a quiet ce, Zhang Xuan took out the Nine Hearts Lotus. He didnt have any time to ask Mo Hunsheng anything when they were in the tomb previously. Since he had some time now, he could properly question him to see if there was any way to save Lu Chong. "Master!" Upon leaving the storage ring, Mo Hunsheng immediately realized that he was out of the tomb and a tinge of excitement could be heard in his tone. After being trapped for several dozen millenniums, he finally managed to see the surface once more. The agitation he was feeling at the moment was unimaginable. As such, his use of master waspletely earnest; there wasnt the slightest sarcasm or insincerity in it. "I want to know if you have any way of waking a dormant soul!" Zhang Xuan asked with a grim expression. "Wake a dormant soul?" Mo Hunsheng was stunned for a moment before replying, "To wake a dormant soul, you just have to send your soul into the other partys body to wake him up. It isnt tooplicated!" Zhang Xuan fell into contemtion. In truth, he knew of this method as well. But back then, his soul was still unable to leave his body so he could only drop the idea. But now... everything was different. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, his soul could already exist separately from his body. He could easily enter the Lu Chongs body to wake up his soul. "However, this action is very simr to possession. The slightest mistake might result in you taking over control of the other partys body instead." Bound to Zhang Xuan by the soul contract, Mo Hunsheng didnt dare to hide anything from the other party. Sending a soul into another persons body was an action no different from possession. It was still alright if one could wake up the other party, but if it failed, it was very possible that a possession would really take ce, and the intruding soul would suffer from Possession Decline. "More importantly... if you fail to wake the other party up, your soul might just be acknowledged by the other partys body. If so, it would be impossible to wake the other party up anymore!" Mo Hunsheng hesitated for a moment before continuing, "After all, a soul capable of intruding into the body of another has to be incredibly powerful. Furthermore, given that the other partys soul is in a dormant state, he must bepletely defenseless at the moment. A body which hasnt been nourished by a soul for a very long time is extremely likely to acknowledge the wrong master. If that happens, not only will you fail to save the other party, you might even directly cause his death!" With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly. "Is there any way to avoid that from happening?" Since he was going to make a move, he should ensure that there was a hundred percent chance of sess. If he were to fail, how could he face his own conscience? After all, he was the cause of Lu Chongs current plight. If he failed to treat him own student, he should be ashamed of being the other partys teacher! "Avoid that from happening? If the other partys soul bes resilient and powerful, then even if you fail to wake his soul up, he should still be in control of his physical body. At the very least, a possession wont ur!" Mo Hunsheng said. "The best method is to use Soulrouse Grass to forge Soulrouse Incense. If you were to light the incense and allow the person with a dormant soul to breathe it in first, there will be a significantly higher chance of waking him up!" "Soulrouse Grass?" Zhang Xuan frowned. As an apothecary, he had browsed through many herbology books but he had never heard of such a medicinal herb before. "Soulrouse Grass isnt a nt but a unique object bred through the nurturing of a soul oracles soul!" Mo Hunsheng said. "How long does it take to grow one?" Zhang Xuan asked. If it took too long, he would have to resort to other alternative solutions. "Not too long, just a month! However... my soul is trapped within the lotus so I am unable to grow one..." Mo Hunsheng smiled bitterly. Even if he wanted to help, trapped in the Nine Hearts Lotus, he waspletely powerless. Instead of replying the other partys words, Zhang Xuan asked, "Can all soul oracles nurture one?" "Yes. As long as one is a soul oracle who has seeded in drawing his soul out, one will be able to nurture it. The method is extremely simple, Ill tell you about it now!" Mo Hunsheng said. Zhang Xuan shook his hands and said calmly, "Un, tell me the method!" "Alright!" Thus, Mo Hunsheng began speaking. Very quickly, he exined the entire process for breeding a Soulrouse Grass. Just as hed said, the Soulrouse Grass wasnt a specific nt but an object bred through the nurturing of ones soul. Only then would it harmonize with ones soul and achieve the purpose of waking up a soul. "It cant be that... youre thinking of learning the Soul Guiding Form to be a soul oracle and nurture one?" Seeing that his master had jotted the cultivation method for the Soulrouse Grass down, Mo Hunsheng was taken aback. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Since this object was useful to Lu Chong, he did have the intention to nt it. "But youre a Celestial Master Teacher..." Mo Hunsheng was shocked out of his wits. His master was a talented Celestial Master Teacher! If he were to cultivate the Soul Guiding Form, that would be equivalent to giving up his identity... Wasnt that being a little too reckless? "Dont worry, Ive already revised the Soul Guiding Form. Even if I were to seed in drawing out my soul, it wont have any adverse effect on my physical body such that my soul will still be able to harmonize perfectly with the body," Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Revised? Harmonize perfectly?" Within the lotus, Mo Hunshengs eyes widened into perfect circles and his lips quivered in disbelief. The Soul Guiding Form was the cultivation technique that was passed down among soul oracles for innumerable years. Countless experts had revised and improved it, but even so, they were unable to get past this bottleneck. Yet, just by studying the form for a few breaths, this fellow had actually revised it such that it didnt affect thepatibility between ones body and soul? How was that possible? Just as he was thinking that the other party might be bragging, he saw his masters body suddenly sway and an intangible shadow suddenly appeared above the body. "He drew his soul out?" The voice trembled. As a 6-star soul oracle, he could clearly see that his masters soul had already separated from his body. "Can you see me?" Just as he was overwhelmed with shock, the other partys soul voice sounded. Then, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and sat in front of the lotus. "I can see you now..." Mo Hunsheng trembled. Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. It seemed like the soul he drew out using the Heavens Path Soul Art was simr to his Heavens Path zhenqi. As long as he willed it to be so, if he wished to conceal his soul, even a higher ranked soul oracle would be unable to see him. On the other hand, he could also choose to reveal it as well. Hu! After confirming this fact, Zhang Xuan returned back to his physical body. "Return of the Soul... Perfect Consummation, Concord of Acupoints, Harmony of Body and Soul... Y-you really managed to improve the Soul Guiding Form!" Seeing that Zhang Xuans soul had returned back into his body without any problems, and his souls were even calling in harmony, producing a sound reminiscent of the call of a dragon, Mo Hunsheng screeched in shock and he nearly fainted on the spot. Chapter 514: But They Are Both Men! Chapter 514: But They Are Both Men! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The normal Soul Guiding Form would cause ones physical body to decline swiftly as soon as the soul was drawn out of the body. Yet, the person before him was still filled with vitality from head to toe. His acupoints were in concord, and his soul and physical body were in harmony. Not only was he not inferior to any Transcendent Mortal cultivator, his disposition even seemed more refined. His presence seemed to create immense pressure on other souls. With just a single look, Mo Hunsheng could immediately tell that the Soul Guiding Form that the other party cultivated was different from his. It had already been improved such that the concept of Five Soul Declines was non-existent. It was at a whole new level. Legend had it that the founding father of soul oracles, Liu Mozi, had stolen the knowledge of souls from the Heavens Path to create the upation. However, due to the imperfection of heaven, the content he stole was iplete, thus resulting in the Five Soul Declines and the ipatibility between ones soul and body. The soul oracles in thetter generations tried many means to improve the Soul Guiding Form but to no avail. Yet, the young man before him had only taken a momentary look and not only did he manage to rid it of all its fatal w, he even seeded in cultivating it... How could he not be surprised? "How in the world did you do it?" After the shock came deep excitement, "A Celestial Master Teacher who is capable of improving the Soul Guiding Form... Just his strength and knowledge in itself can probably bring me to greater heights..." The reason why he established a soul contract with the other party was out of helplessness before. However, upon seeing the other partys capability and means, he suddenly realized that... this might have been the most correct decision in his life! Following such a talented figure, if he were to earn the other partys favor and guidance, he would definitely be able to surpass his previous bottleneck! "These are the secret techniques that I have uncovered through my years of research. It might prove useful to master!" Thinking so, Mo Hunsheng immediately transmitted his knowledge over via his soul. Soul oracles were capable of transmitting information directly through their souls. This method was much more efficient than reading books or verbal exnation. Due to the contract forming a bridge between them, this transfer of information was exceptionally efficient. Zhang Xuan felt his eyes blur for a moment when in the next instant, a huge gush of information appeared in his head. They were all regarding soul oracles. Mo Hunsheng was a 6-star soul oracle from the ancient times. Back then, the inheritance hadnt been terminated yet so the knowledge he knew covered nearly everything regarding the upation. "As expected of a feared upation, it is indeed deep and profound..." After briefly looking through it, Zhang Xuans mouth widened in shock. It was no wonder why the lineage of this upation could be passed down for innumerable generations, even bing a subject of fear beyond that of poison masters. Soul oracles were indeed not to be trifled with. Inparison to all of this, Soul Guiding Form was indeed just the foundation. Suddenly, Zhang Xuan saw something and turned to the lotus. "Did you create this Soul Severing Technique?" That fellow had been trapped in the Nine Hearts Lotus for dozens of millenniums, and it was due to his intense desire to escape that he studied this technique for innumerable years so that he could sever a part of his soul to escape from the lotus. "I created it through innumerable trial and error..." Mo Hunsheng nodded. "Using this form, one can create another of oneself such that even if the main soul is destroyed in the future, one can still maintain his existence through this clone!" "Clone?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Thats right. This severed soul is aplete replica of oneself, possessing even onesplete memories. In other words, its equivalent to creating a spare soul. If you were to meet with danger, this can serve as your trump card so it isnt too bad," Mo Hunsheng said. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He quickly looked through the Soul Severing Technique. That skill was indeed incredible. Only one who had achieved a profound understanding of souls could create such a skill. From the looks of it, if it wasnt for this fellow being trapped within the Nine Hearts Lotus and was unable to cultivate, given his umtion over a course of several dozen millenniums, he could have been an 8-star of even 9-star soul oracle by now. But that was to be expected. Being trapped during this entire period of time, all he had been focused on was how he could free himself from this hell. If his understanding of souls didnt make any progress, he would truly be a hopeless cause. "Let me see how many ws there are!" Submerging his consciousness into his mind, he entered the Library of Heavens Path and imprinted the knowledge which the other party sent him onto nk books. Hu! After which, he grabbed the book regarding the Soul Severing Technique and flipped it open. "Soul Severing Technique, created by Mo Hunsheng. Upon mastering the technique, one will be able to divide ones soul into two... ws: ..." A huge amount of information was detailed on it. Reading through the content, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but praise, "Only 120 ws, thats rather formidable!" To create a technique possessing only a hundred ws through ones individual efforts... Even though Mo Hunsheng may seem unreliable, his talent and capability were indeed top-notch. How could a 6-star soul oracle possibly be ordinary anyway? "Compile!" With a thought, Zhang Xuan fused all of the books regarding souls together to rpile the Soul Severing Technique. Taking another look at it once more. There were only ten ws or so left in it. "Seems like my books regarding souls are still sorelycking. I should get someone to buy more for me when I arrive at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" Regarding the Soul Severing Technique being able to be used as a life preservation method, Zhang Xuan was rather surprised. It was impossible for any cultivator topletely stay out of harms way. If he were to sessfully cultivate this technique, he would have another ace up his sleeves. However, there were too many ws with this cultivation technique so he wasnt interested in it for the moment. Even if he wanted to cultivate it, he would have to collect more books and make up for its deficiencies first. "Now, time to look at the Nine Hearts Lotus!" Given the humongous quantity of information that the other party sent over, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to look through all of them in just a day or two. Thus, opening his eyes, he turned his attention to the ck lotus instead. A 6-star soul oracle had called this item a God artifact. Zhang Xuan was interested to see what effects it had. Thus,ing into contact with it, he muttered ws. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. "Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo, an object descended from the celestial. It requires the nourishment of the purest energy to grow, and upon mature, it could be used to craft the most perfect physical body. ws: No.1, it has yet to reach maturity, which is indicated by a white outer appearance..." "So, its not called Nine Hearts Lotus but Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo! The part regarding it being able to be used to craft physical body turns out to be true!" After reading through the first page, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. From the looks of it, even though Mo Hunsheng had been trapped within the lotus for more than several dozen millenniums, he was still unable to recognize it entirely. Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo... Even though its exact level wasnt stated within the book, it seemed to be a high tiered object. "To think that there would be only five ws!" Flipping to the second page, Zhang Xuan was just about to continue reading when he froze. There were only two pages detailing the five ws of the object. This was Zhang Xuans first time seeing an object with so few ws. "As expected of a God artifact..." With eyes reddened in agitation, a thought suddenly appeared in Zhang Xuans mind, If I were to learn the Soul Severing Technique and create a clone while nurturing this lotus to serve as its body, wouldnt it be equivalent to gaining another life? The more Zhang Xuan thought of it, the more agitated he felt. If he were to nurture this God artifact which only had five ws to create a clone for himself, wouldnt his fighting prowess immediately soar? "Its a pity that... I probably wont live to the day that this lotus matures..." One of the ws written in the book was that the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo had yet to mature. A mature Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo should bepletely white, but the lotus was currently pitch ck in color. After consuming Mo Hunshengs entire fortune and living for several dozen millenniums, it was still in this state. Given Zhang Xuans lifespan of several hundred years, it would be impossible for him to live until its maturity. It would be impossible to mold it before the lotus reaches maturity. If he were to try it forcefully, he might just end up like Mo Hunsheng, trapped in the lotus and losing his freedom, unable to even end his own life. Thinking so, a thought suddenly appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Hmm? This lotus requires the nourishment of the purest energy to reach maturity. My Heavens Path zhenqi is iparably pure. Will it suffice as a fertilizer for it? In the description regarding the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo, in the very first line, it was stated that the lotus required nourishment from the purest energy to mature. Zhang Xuan didnt have sufficient spirit stones to feed it but the Heavens Path zhenqi was iparably pure. He could definitely give it a try. Thus, grabbing the stem of the lotus, Zhang Xuan sent a surge of zhenqi in. "Ah.." As soon as the zhenqi seeped in, a loud shriek echoed in the air. "Ive already said all that has to be said, please dont kill me..." Mo Hunsheng was about to go mad. He had only just handed over the information regarding soul oracles when the other party infused his zhenqi into the lotus at the next instant. There was not a single person in his position who wouldnt think that Zhang Xuan was trying to kill him now that his worth had beenpletely extracted. "Ah..." Realizing the significance of his actions, Zhang Xuan hurriedly stopped. He had only been thinking of nourishing the lotus with his zhenqi. He forgot about the existence of the fellow inside. Soul oracles carried innate fear of Heavens Path zhenqi, and not to mention, this fellow had been severely injured by the Dragon Scale Amulet. Thus, how could he possibly be able to withstand the onught of zhenqi? It was already a blessing that he wasnt eradicated in an instant. Stopping the flow of zhenqi, Zhang Xuan was just about to put the lotus back into his storage ring and study it more next time when he saw that the stem where he infused zhenqi into previously had already turned white. "It turned white? Could Heavens Path zhenqi really be effective?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. In a state of disbelief, he grabbed another stem and infused zhenqi into the lotus. "Ah..." A terrifying scream of agony sounded from the lotus once more. A momentter, Zhang Xuan grabbed the lotus. "It has turned white as well! Indeed, Heavens Path zhenqi can hasten the maturity of this object..." Looking at the white stems, Zhang Xuan was delighted. Then, turning to Mo Hunsheng, he consoled, "Im not trying to kill you, Im just experimenting with this Nine Hearts Lotus. Theres no need for you to be anxious, Im just giving it a try. Just a short moment..." "Dont! Ah..." Mo Hunsheng cried. Ill listen to your obediently in the future, alright? If you were to give it more tries, there will be no need for you to get me out of the lotus anymore. I would have already died by then... ... At the opening of the cave. "Did something happen? Should we take a look?" "It sounds like Mo Hunshengs shout of agony. Is Zhang shi alright?" Hearing the shout of agony, the group who was in the midst of their meal stood up. "Zhang shi said previously that there are some things he needs to investigate so its best for us not to interrupt him. Why dont we first... try to determine the current situation inside beforeing to a decision?" Zhao Feiwu advised everyone with a grim expression. "Un!" Everyone nodded their heads and pricked their ears. After which, they vaguely heard a faint voice. "... Theres no need for you to be anxious, Im just giving it a try. Just a short moment..." "Dont! Ah..." ... "Give a try? Short moment? No need to be anxious?" Everyone stared at one another with widened eyes. Zhao Feiwus face turned red, and it took her awhile before she managed to speak. "But the both of them... are men..." Chapter 515: Zhao Feiwus True Identity Chapter 515: Zhao Feiwus True Identity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After testing it for a bit, Zhang Xuan confirmed that the change in the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo was due to the Heavens Path zhenqi. Only then did he stop with eyes glowing in excitement. Possessing both the method of nurturing the lotus and to sever a portion of his soul, it was now just a matter of time before he seeded in creating a clone. But before that, he had to find a way to get Mo Hunsheng out of the lotus first! Otherwise, as soon as he infused zhenqi into the lotus, an ear-piercing cry could echo in the air. Most probably, before the lotus could even mature, the person trapped inside would have already died. In the end, a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert servant, even if he was no longer as strong as before, was still better than nothing at all. However, he had no way of getting Mo Hunsheng out now. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the soul oracle cultivation technique. "I should first cultivate the soul oracle cultivation technique first so that I can nurture a Soulrouse Grass!" The Soul Guiding Form that he had cultivated before was simr to the Fighers Juxi realm. If one couldnt even absorb spiritual energy, one could never be a fighter. Simrly, if one couldnt draw out his soul, one possessed no aptitude whatsoever in bing a soul oracle. Soul Guiding Form was just a technique to draw ones soul out of his body. To strengthen ones soul, one would require another whole new set of cultivation techniques. As a 6-star soul oracle, Mo Hunsheng had many soul cultivation techniques in his arsenal. Adding his understanding of soul cultivation into the mix, Zhang Xuan managed to gather a thousand book topile together. After organizing them, Zhang Xuan realized that he had the perfected Heavens Path Soul Art all the way until Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. Beyond 2-dan, there were some mistakes here and there in the cultivation techniques, thus making them unsuitable to learn. "Thats around the level of my current cultivation. I should start now!" Zhang Xuan happened to be at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle at the moment. If his soul were to reach the same level, he could exert the strength of both his zhenqi and his soul simultaneously, and this could boost his fighting prowess significantly. Seated cross-legged on the floor, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out and began cultivating via the method detailed in the Heavens Path Soul Art. Tzzzzzz! His soul energy swiftly surged. After an unknown period of time. Hu! Zhang Xuans soul returned back to his body and he slowly opened his eyes. It was already daybreak. Sunlight shone in from the entrance of the cavern, blinding Zhang Xuans eyes. "After a year of cultivation, my soul cultivation has reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan!" Given that Zhang Xuan had theplete Heavens Path Soul Art all the way until Transcendent Mortal 2-dan, as well as a middle-tier spirit stone to fuel his cultivation, in just a nights effort, Zhang Xuan had already reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. In other words, his soul cultivation was currently beyond his current cultivation. "However, being a soul oracle is a taboo in the continent. Its best for me not to use the ability of a soul oracle recklessly..." Just like poison masters, soul oracles were a feared existence. If someone were to know that Zhang Xuan was able to draw his soul out and his soul possessed fighting power on its own, in the worst-case scenario, he might even be unable to keep his master teacher license. Thus, unless when put in a desperate situation, Zhang Xuan was determined not to resort to this method. "I can start cultivating the Soulrouse Grass now!" Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan stood up. Mo Hunsheng had already imparted the method of cultivating the Soulrouse Grass to him. In truth, Soulrouse Grass didnt refer to a specific medicinal herb but one nurtured using ones soul. A herb cultivated through such means would possess the attribute of rousing dormant souls. But the medicinal herb used couldnt just be any nt. It had to be one that was able to harness ones soul energy. Such medicinal herbs were hard to find, and so, he could only try looking through the market of the Myriad Kingdom City when he arrived there. Walking out of the cavern, Zhang Xuan realized that everyone was awake. All of the fright and fatigue from the journey to the soul oracle tomb had disappeared through a night of rest, and the group seemed revitalized. They had alreadypleted all preparations for departure. "Lets go to the Myriad Kingdom City," Zhang Xuan said. Everyone jumped onto the back of Zhao Feiwus spirit beast and soared into the sky. The Demon Cinque Beast also follow suit as well. As for Hall Master Sai and Luo Zhu, they had already heard of the Master Teacher Tournament and they were interested in spectating it as well. Thus, they decided to tag along. Hu! The spirit beast looked as though a ck line shooting through the sky. With the notorious Demon Cinque Beast protecting them, there wasnt a single savage beast or spirit beast who dared to trifle with the group. In fact, even the experts riding on spirit beasts made sure to keep their distance upon sensing the deep hostility the Demon Cinque Beast was emanating. Thus, the journey went smoothly without any hups. Five dayster, a massive city appeared before everyones eyes. This city was even grander than Honghai City, and all kinds of infrastructures were ordered neatly in a specific pattern, creating a beautiful sight. Looking out of the window from the beasts back, Zhang Xuan could see that the massive city was located in the midst of a giant in. It seemed as though a clean and massive river flowing through the middle of the ins, bringing it boundless vitality and liveliness. "The Myriad Kingdom Alliance has embassies from all of the countries that it trades with. There are also markets established by powers of equal standing here. In fact, Tier 2 Huanyu Empire even has a supply point here... There are many powers in the city, but regardless of who they are, as long as they are in Myriad Kingdom City, they have to obey the orders of the Alliance Head Residence!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had heard of the Alliance Head Residence. It was known as the royalty of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the one that wielded true power within the alliance. He had heard of it from Su shi back when he was in Tianwu Kingdom. Even though Master Teacher Pavilion possessed an esteemed standing, they didnt interfere in governance. Usually, as long as there was no social upheaval, they wouldnt get involved in anything. As such, the power was mainly held in the hands of the alliance head. "There is still some time before the Master Teacher Tournament. Why dont you all follow me to the Alliance Head Residence to rest for a few days? You can use these days to look into the situation before heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion," Zhao Feiwu said. There were still another two months before the Master Teacher Tournament so there was no need to hurry. "Alliance Head Residence? Could Zhao gongzi be someone from the Alliance Head Residence?" Hall Master Sai asked doubtfully. Zhao Feiwu had always been following behind Zhang shi. All along, the rest had thought that she was Zhang Xuans friend, unaware that she was a local of the Myriad Kingdom City. Even Zhao Ya and the others only know that Zhao gongzi was an envoy from the alliance. They were unaware of her real identity as well. "Yes. The alliance head, Zhao Tianhao, is my father!" Zhao Feiwu replied. "You are Alliance Head Zhaos son? Thats not right. Alliance Head Zhao only has a single son, Zhao Hui gongzi, and Ive met him before..." Hall Master Sai was taken aback. Alliance Head Zhao was the most influential person throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. His son was in a position simr to the crown prince, and as the head of the Appraiser Hall, Hall Master Sai had met him several times before. Zhao Feiwu clearly wasnt him. "I didnt intend to deceive everyone here. Just that, for the sake of convenience, I had no choice but to disguise myself!" Chuckling lightly, Zhao Feiwu rubbed her face and her appearance began changing. Her main appearance didnt change much but her features became from feminine, betraying her identity as a female. Even though she was still wearing male clothes, her disposition and her appearance were no different from a female. Herplexion was perfect, and she was no way inferior even whenpared to Princess Mo Yu. "You are a woman?" Only then did Hall Master Sai, Luo Zhu, Zhao Ya, and the otherse to a realization. The only one who was calm amongst them was Zhang Xuan. When he first saw the other party, the Eye of Insight had already revealed her identity as ady. Thus, he wasnt too surprised by her confession. "Zhao Hui is my elder brother, and I am the second princess of the alliance, Zhao Lian!" Zhao Feiwu introduced herself. "From young, Ive been gued with an affliction. In hopes that I can live like an ordinary person, he conferred me the title of the Dancing Princess. Thats where my name Zhao Feiwues from!" (Feiwu means dancing around) "So, its Princess Feiwu!" Hall Master and Luo Zhu nced at one another beforeing to a realization. They had long heard of the ill second princess of the alliance head, and ording to the rumors, she was suffering from Innate Muscr Deficiency. Despite searching throughout the alliance, they were unable to find a single physician capable of treating it. As such, when they met Zhao Feiwu, given the other partys gender, they didnt think that it would be her. "Ive heard that Alliance Head Zhao conferred this title to the ill second princess in hopes that she could dance lithely like the elegant swallows. However, its a pity that despite the reward hes offered, no one has managed to find a cure yet. Why would..." Hall Master Sai asked doubtfully. Princess Feiwus illness had shocked many. Countless physicians had stepped forward only to leave in defeat. Logically speaking, she should be confined to her bed, unable to move at all. How could she be walking around as though an ordinary human being? Could there be some falsehood in the rumors? "Zhang shi saved me!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled and her bright eyes shone. "Oh!" Hall Master Sai suddenly came to a realization. After learning of the other partys identity, he had been wondering why the princess, one of the most authoritative figures in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, would follow Zhang shi around and treat him with utmost respect. The other partys reply had finally solved this lingering doubt of his. "Ive long heard of Zhang shis outstanding medical skills, but I didnt expect you to be so formidable..." Hall Master Saiughed bitterly. Back then, Sun Qiang had bragged about how formidable his young masters medical skills were. At the Coax Ridge, he had witnessed with his own eyes how formidable the other partys Knockout Treatment Method was. However, it was only after hearing Princess Feiwu words did he truly realize how fearsome Zhang shis medical skills were. The princesss Innate Muscr Deficiency had caused a huge uproar throughout the alliance then, and countless physicians had taken a look at her condition only to find that they were helpless against it. Just by the fact that Zhang shi was able to solve it meant that his medical skills were probably superior to most physicians in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. "Zhang shi, Feiwu didnt mean to lie to you. I beseech for your forgiveness!" After introducing herself, Zhao Feiwu turned to Zhang shi and bowed deeply. Even though this young man was of the same age as her, he had already attained a high level of proficiency as a master teacher, physician, appraiser, formation master... He wouldnt even pale inparison to that famous elder brother of hers! This made her feel awe for the other party. Even though Zhang Xuan knew that the other party was ady, upon learning that she was the princess, he was still rather surprised. Seeing that the other party was speaking to him, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something. "Youre being too polite. Since youre the princess, you should be able to gather news easily. I just so happen to have something I need your help to look into!" "Zhang shi, feel free to speak!" Zhao Feiwu nodded. It must be said that she was indeed extremely pretty. Even though her cultivation was so-so, she had a valiant disposition which entuated her aesthetics. After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan said, "I wish to purchase a Soulcalming Grass, and the greater its maturity, the better it is. Otherwise, Sentiment Drowning Flower would work as well. Itll be best if they have a maturity of five hundred years and above. More importantly... They should be fresh and alive. Dried herbs will be useless for my agenda. Can Princess Feiwu help me look into the matter?" To nurture a Soulrouse Grass, the medicinal herb must be capable of harnessing ones soul energy. Over the past few days, Zhang Xuan had been contemting over the matter and in the end, he concluded that it would be easiest to find these two herbs within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The Soulcalming Grass and Sentiment Drowning Flower. These two medicinal herbs werent famous but there were extremely valuable. As Zhang Xuan wasnt well-connected in the alliance, it would be difficult for him to find these herbs. On the other hand, as the princess of the alliance, Zhao Feiwu should be able to find them easily. "Soulcalming Grass and Sentiment Drowning Flower? Fresh ones?" Not expecting Zhang shi to ask for these things, Zhao Feiwu frowned. Chapter 516: Alliance Head Chapter 516: Alliance Head Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Soulcalming Grass could calm ones mind, cing one in an imperturbable state. Sentiment Drowning Flower could stabilize ones mental fortitude, making one less affected by emotional changes. These two medicinal herbs were extremely rare, and there were less than a handful of them in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. For those herbs to be alive and possess a maturity of five hundred years on top of that... The difficulty was extremely high. "This... Im not too sure either, but when we arrive at the Alliance Head Residence, I can ask my father about it. Even if he doesnt know where he can find it, Im sure he can help you look into it," Zhao Feiwu replied. Zhang Xuan nodded. Her father, as the head of the alliance, wielded immense influence and power. It should be a walk in the park for him to find a single medicinal herb. Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded his head and fell silent. Standing quietly by the window, he continued reinforcing his cultivation. Even though he hadnt reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan yet, his efforts in the past five days had made his zhenqi had be even purer and denser. From his experience with the immense zhenqi consumption from the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, he realized that on top of purity, the denseness of ones zhenqi was extremely important as well. As such, in the past few days, he had been working hard umting his zhenqi into his dantian. His efforts had increased the quantity of zhenqi had at least increased by a tenth. One shouldnt underestimate this tenth. Using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps as a gauge, it could sustain him for another two to three breaths. In this time, he could descend back to the ground, thus avoiding a tragic fall. For the rest of the journey, there wasnt much of a conversation among the group. The spirit beast continued proceeding forward, and soon, a grand building appeared in everyones sight. As the center of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the Alliance Head Residence carried an imposing aura. Even before arriving at the location, everyone could already feel a heavy pressure pushing down on them. Chuckling, Zhao Feiwu exined, "Even my spirit beast is not allowed to fly straight into the Alliance Head Residence. Lets alight here!" The spirit beast they were riding on pped its wings and descended to the ground. Soon, it stopped at a vast square right in front of the Alliance Head Residence. Jumping off the back of the spirit beast, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings and was awed. As expected of the center of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Not only were the buildings towering, they were even infused with spiritual energy. Without even taking a closer examination, it was clear that they were filled with formations. If someone dared to wreak havoc here, the formations would be more than enough to ughter them. It was no wonder that Zhao Feiwu dared not enter the Alliance Head Residence riding on the back of a spirit beast. If she were to do so, it would probably trigger some formation. Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw a few soldiers patrolling the Alliance Head Residence. They were all dressed in gray armor and they had a spear each in their hands. A powerful aura could be felt from them. "Zongshi realm experts?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. To think that even the most ordinary guards here were Zongshi realm experts! No one of Tianxuan Kingdom had reached this level, and even in a Tier 2 Kingdom where Liu shi and the others resided in, that was the level of the old ancestor of a country. Yet, over here, they were only an ordinary guard. The huge disparity was truly astonishing. But thinking about it, that was to be expected. After all, the Myriad Kingdom City had 4-star master teachers. Just by listening to the ss of such an expert, ones understanding of cultivation would surely experience a huge leap. Surpassing ones bottleneck would be significantly easier. Even if one couldnt listen to the lessons of an expert of that caliber, the lessons of a 2-star and 3-star master teachers were fairly useful as well. Besides, as a prosperousmercial city, the Myriad Kingdom City was rich in resources. As such, it wasnt too surprising for the overall prowess of its poption to be much stronger Zhao Ya and the others had initially thought that Zhizun realm was already formidable. However, after seeing the guards, they couldnt help but feel disheartened. As expected of the capital of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was indeed formidable! "Your humble servant pays respect to Princess Feiwu and Lord Jin!" Just as the group were awed by the sight, a group of soldiers walked over and a golden-armoredmander stepped forward and weed them. Zhao Wufeis Transcendent Mortal 3-dan mount was known by everyone in the Alliance Head Residence. Its presence surely meant that the princess had returned as well. Themanders aura was slightly influencing his surroundings, thus revealing his strong control over the environment. It was clear from this that he was a Transcendent Mortal expert. "Prepare a clean and spiritual energy-rich courtyard for my friends to live in. Make sure to serve them well!" Zhao Feiwumanded impassively. She had never shown this side of her to Zhang Xuan and the others, but at this moment, the disposition of an authoritative princess was clearly shown through her movement and words. "Yes!" Themander nodded his head and hurriedly got into action. "Un!" Nodding her head, Zhao Feiwu turned around and said, "Zhang shi, let me take you to meet my father!" "Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan delegated some instructions to Zhao Ya and the others before leaving with Zhao Feiwu. The pce wasnt too extravagant, and there werent many guards here as well. It was extraordinarily peaceful here, reminiscent of a tranquil garden. If not for Zhao Feiwu leading the way and the huge number of guards defending the area outside, Zhang Xuan would have thought that he was in the wrong ce. "My father doesnt like a ruckus so there arent any guards here. Besides, this is the Alliance Head Residence so there wont be anyone so foolish as to cause trouble here!" Noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, Zhao Feiwu chuckled. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Ever since his reincarnation, he had visited various pces and without an exception, they all had tight security. Yet, this location formed a stark contrast to the norm. It seemed like Zhao Feiwus father had absolute confidence in his strength. While the both of them chatted, they walked down several corridors and finally arrived at arge hall. Someone entered the hall to report their presence. A momentter, the same person returned and invited them in. Entering the hall, Zhang Xuan immediately saw an authoritative-looking middle-aged man seated on the seat at the direct center of the room. He was exuding an exceptionally powerful aura that wasnt inferior even whenpared to the Demon Cinque Beast. Clearly, he had reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle as well. Even whenpared to Hall Master Han whom he had seen before, this middle-aged man was clearly much stronger. The both of them might be Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts, but the aura thetter was exuding showed the huge distance between their strength. It was just like how Hall Master Han Chong and the various elders, despite teaming together against the Demon Cinque Beast, were unable to defeat it. "Father!" Zhao Feiwu stepped forward and greeted. "Un, youve returned!" The middle-aged man nodded his head. Then, his bright eyes fell on Zhang Xuan. Being in an authoritative position for such a long time, he carried a majestic disposition that naturallymanded fear in others. Even the head of the Physician Guild, Guild Leader Meng, would stutter in fear before him. Yet, this twenty-year-oldd was able to keep hisposure. Just by this in itself, he could tell that the other party wasnt a simple figure. Smiling slightly, Alliance Head Zhao said, "You must be Zhang shi!" "I am Zhang Xuan. My greetings to the alliance head!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Un!" Seeing the other partys humble attitude, Alliance Head Zhao felt even more satisfied with the young man before him. "Ive heard of your affairs. Despite being under twenty, you are already a 2-star master teacher. Youve challenged Tianwu Kingdoms Wall of Dilemma and solved all of the questions on it, undergone the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and became certified as a 5-star appraiser, and on top of all that, you even managed to save Hall Master Han... Not to mention, you cured my daughter of her affliction as well. Youre truly a talented man!" "Alliance master, I am unworthy of your praise!" Zhang Xuan felt a little bizarre that the other party knew his affairs so clearly, but after giving it some thoughts, he felt that it was to be expected. After all, his daughter was traveling alone despite having only just recovered from her affliction. Even though Jin Conghai was protecting her, he couldnt help but feel worried. Most likely, he sent some men to keep tabs on his daughters trail so it wasnt too surprising for him to know of those matters. Besides, Jin Conghai, as his subordinate, would surely report these matters to him as well. "Having been in control of the alliance for many years, Ive seen many geniuses. However, men of Zhang shis caliber are indeed rare!" Alliance Head Zhaoplimented. Just as Zhang Xuan had thought, Jin Conghai had reported most of the matters that they had gone through. Even though he had excluded the matter regarding the soul oracle tomb and the Celestial Master Teacher, the affairs that he had gone through had shocked the alliance master. Despite being under twenty, the other party was a 5-star appraiser, quasi 4-star formation master, 3-star painter, 2-star master teacher... His titles and capability could leave anyone and everyone awed. As the most influential person in the alliance, he had seen countless great geniuses. However, whenpared to him, they were all like fireflies before the burning sun "Zhang shis aim foring to Myriad Kingdom City must be to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament, right?" After chatting for a moment, Alliance Head Zhao asked. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Back then, he had promised Su shi and Ling shi on the matter. Since he was already here now, naturally, he should at least participate in it. But more importantly, the reward for the Master Teacher Tournament was generous. "The Master Teacher Tournament gathers countless geniuses from the twenty-seven Master Teacher Pavilions. Even though Zhang shis talent is outstanding, it probably wont be too easy to rank amidst the top!" Speaking of the Master Teacher Tournament, Alliance Head Zhao shook his head bitterly. Having read through the other partys background, he knew that the person before of him had outstanding talent. However, getting a good cing among the twenty-eight powers wouldnt be easy. If it was that simple, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt have ranked amidst the bottom all this while. "Forget it, lets not talk about that!" There were still two more months before the end of the tournament. Knowing that it was still too early to talk of all these, Alliance Master Zhao shook his head. "Zhang shis extraordinary medical skill has saved my daughters life. I would like to show my gratitude to you. If you have any request, as long as its within my means, Ill surely try my best to fulfill it!" "Alliance head, youre being too polite. However... I do have a request to ask of!" Since the other party had already made an offer, Zhang Xuan didnt stand on ceremony. Even though the other party was the powerful head of the alliance, Zhang Xuan had undergone many things in his journey here. Such a situation was no longer sufficient to leave him tense. Alliance Head Zhao turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. "Actually, its like that. I need a medicinal herb but Im not too sure where I can obtain it. I hope that the alliance head can help me look into the matter!" Zhang Xuan raised the issue of the Soulcalming Grass and Sentiment Drowning Flower. "Soulcalming Grass? Ive never heard of it before. However... I do know of one Sentiment Drowning Flower of maturity five hundred years and above. Furthermore, its still alive!" Alliance Head Zhao hesitated for a moment before replying. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Soulcalming Grass and Sentiment Drowning Flower were both basic ingredient required for cultivating the Soulrouse Grass. Just one stalk was enough. "However... even though I know where it is, it wont be easy to get it..." Alliance Head Zhao shook his head. "Oh?" "Zhang shi, youll understand once I finish my part of the story! The ce where most medicinal herbs are gathered would be herb kings. Following which would be the Apothecary Guild and Physician Guild. I believe that as a master teacher, Zhang shi should be well aware of this," Alliance Head Zhao said. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Herb king actually just refers to merchants dealing with bulks of medicinal herbs. In terms of variety and quantity of herbs, there was no one who could beat them. After them would be the Apothecary Guild and Physician Guild, which used humongous quantity of medicinal herbs on a daily basis. Due to the nature of their upations, these three parties usually had a huge reserve of medicinal herbs. Chapter 517: The Reckless Demon Cinque Beast Chapter 517: The Reckless Demon Cinque Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "However... the herbs from those three parties are mostly dried. They dont possess much herbs that are still alive, let alone a rare medicinal herb like the Sentiment Drowning Flower," Alliance Head Zhao said. These three locations were where most medicinal herbs were concentrated at. As dried herbs shared the same medicinal property and they were easier to store, most of the herbs were dried before putting into storage. As such, there were basically no fresh medicinal herbs there. "There are various sources to a herb kings medicinal herbs. The mostmon source would be the herbologists but rare herbs like the Sentiment Drowning Flower wouldnt appear in those field. Besides, ordinary herbologists dont have the ability to nurture it. I do know of a herbologist who possesses such capability. That person has a herb garden in the west of the Myriad Kingdom City, and she has all kinds of bizarre herbs in her herb garden. Most of them are rare herbs that one could hardly see in the market. However..." Alliance Head Zhao smiled bitterly, "The owner of the herb garden has an entric personality, and shes nearlypletely unsympathetic. Her herbs arent for sale, regardless of how high a price one offers. Back then, Ive tried to purchase some unique herbs from her for Lian-ers illness but I was turned away!" "Arent for sale?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "What does she need so many medicinal herbs for then?" Given the humongous quantity of medicinal herbs the other party had, she couldnt possibly consume all of it herself... And since that was the case, what was the point keeping them? Medicinal herbs were just like ordinary nts in the sense that they had a limited lifespan. Even though there were some herbs that could live for several centuries, most only had a lifespan of a few years. More importantly, nting herbs and maintaining the herb garden were extremely expensive. Spirit stones, unique fertilizer, and manpowerthese three were essential for any herb garden. Refusing to sell any medicinal herbs meant that one was pumping money in without any ie. No matter how rich one was, it was impossible to sustain in the long run! "I have no idea either. There are many in Myriad Kingdom City who have been wondering about that but no one knows the real answer!" Alliance Head Zhao shook his head. "Then... Doesnt anyone think of stealing from her?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Given how the other party had the medicinal herbs that most needed, surely there should be some who were willing to take the risk! "Of course, people try to, but all of them ended in failure! The owner of the herb garden, Xue Yiyao, reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle fifty years ago. No one knows what level she has reached since then, and even I am unconfident of defeating her!" Alliance Head Zhao said. Given how the other party was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert fifty years ago, even if she had been unable to make a breakthrough, she was probably ranked in the very top among the experts of Myriad Kingdom City. "More importantly, the herb garden has an exceptionally powerful formation set up by Guild Master Zheng of Honghai Citys Formation Master Guild. It is at least of 4-star pinnacle, and many of those who try to steal the herbs within end up being killed or confined before they could even reach the fields... Soon, everyone realized that it is impossible to seed so no one dared to try so anymore," Alliance Head Zhao said. Refusing to sell the herbs and killing or confining those who dare toy their hands on her herbs... This fellow was indeed a tough nut to crack. "Is there anywhere else that could have these two medicinal herbs?" "There isnt! Other than this herb garden, I cant think of anywhere else that might this herb, except for dry ones!" "Dry ones are meaningless to me!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Only living herbs could be used to cultivate the Soulrouse Grass. Once the herb was dried, how could it possibly harness soul energy to gain the effect of waking ones soul? "Where is the herb garden you speak of located? I would like to take a look myself!" Zhang Xuan had to nurture a Soulrouse Grass by hook or by crookthis was the only way he could save Lu Chong. Since he even went to a ce as dangerous as the soul oracle tomb for it, no matter how troublesome the owner of the herb garden was, he would just have to find a way to deal with her. "This..." Hearing that the other party wanted to give it a try, Alliance Head Zhao hesitated for a moment. "Alright then. Ill have Jin Conghai apany you. This way, even if sheys a hand on you, youll at least be able to withstand her assault for a moment!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He didnt know the location of the herb garden so he needed someone to lead the way. "Father, I would like to take a look as well!" Zhao Feiwu hurriedly said. "What are you going there for?" Alliance Head Zhao frowned. "The owner of the herb garden doesnt listen to even your words. I want to see how formidable she is!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled. Having followed behind Zhang Xuan the past few days, she knew that the other party was a person who would never give up until he achieved his goal. Honestly, she was curious to see whether the difficult herb garden owner or the formidable Zhang shi would emerge victorious in the sh. Seeing that her father was hesitating, Zhao Feiwu hurriedly added, "Dont worry, Elder Jin is around. Besides, no matter how disrespectful that herb garden owner may be, she wonty her hands on me!" After hesitating for a moment, Alliance Head Zhao said, "Alright then. The two of youd better be careful, especially Zhang shi. If the other party refuses to sell the herb, by no means should you insist on the issue. If it reallyes down to it, Ill make a trip myself and perhaps she might sell me this favor." Back then, he had sent a subordinate to request for the required medicinal herbs only to end up being rejected. After which, he had intended to go over himself but just then, they managed to find some medicinal herbs from the Physician Guild in recement. Thus, the matter was settled just like that. Zhang shi was his daughters savior, and on top of that, the other partys outstanding talent also made it likely that he would aplish great things in the future. Thus, if things didnt go well, he didnt mind stepping forward to help. As the head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, no matter how entric the other partys temper was, she should still sell the herbs in consideration of his identity. After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan bade Alliance Head Zhao farewell and left with Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai. Riding on an aerial savage beast, they left for the west of the city. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was exceptionallyrge, extending for nearly several hundred kilometers. If one were to walk on their feet, it would take several hours to reach the herb garden. This time, the trio didnt ride on Zhao Feiwus mount but the Demon Cinque Beast. As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast, its movement was as swift as though a bolt of lightning. In just a few dozen minutes, the trio could spot a gigantic garden appearing before their eyes. The garden was several hundred murge, and it was shrouded by a light mist. With just a single nce, one could tell that it was guarded by a huge formation. (One mu = 666.6 square meters) "Lets alight here!" Knowing that they werent allowed to fly straight in, Zhang Xuan nodded his head and the Demon Cinque Beastnded at an area not too far away from the main door. The doors to the garden were tightly shut, and there wasnt a single person to be seen at the door. It seemed like everyone knew that the herbs here werent for sale so they all lost their interest. Otherwise, given the huge demand for medicinal herbs, it was impossible for a huge herb garden like this to bepletely devoid of customers. Jin Conghai stepped forward and just as he was about to knock on the door, jiya!, the door opened and a maid stepped forward. "Our herb garden doesnt sell any medicinal herb, please leave!" It seemed like she was already used to peopleing over in search of medicinal herbs. As soon as she saw Zhang Xuan and group, she immediately tried to chase them away. Not expecting to be rejected right before he could say anything, Zhang Xuan felt a little helpless. How could he hope to purchase any medicinal herb when he was denied entry at the front door? Just as Zhang Xuan was about to say something to persuade the other party to give way, the galloping of the horses suddenly sounded. Then, a carriage stopped at a direction not too far away and a middle-aged man alighted. "Garden Owner Mu, please enter!" Upon identifying the person, the maid immediately respectfully opened the gates to allow him entry. "Didnt you say that you dont sell any medicinal herbs? Why is he able to enter then?" Jin Conghai frowned. This was too stark a contrast. They were being turned away at the door while the other party was allowed to strut it. Was identity a criterion to entering the garden as well? "I apologize but hes a guest of our owner. He holds an invitation letter in his hand," the maid spoke apologetically. "One can enter as long as they have an invitation letter?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Before the maid could reply, a cold and arrogant voice sounded. "Of course!" The one who spoke was a curvaceousdy who seemed to be in her thirties. She had a thick make-up on, and even before her appearance, a heavy scent of rouge was already lingering in the air. "Garden Owner Xue is conducting a banquet tonight and only other garden owners are allowed to enter. Dont think that just any lowly peasant can enter this area. If you wish to purchase medicinal herbs, you should just leave right now. We dont wee you here!" Tilting her face up high, thedy spoke arrogantly. Her gaze was filled with cold disdain. "Banquet? Only garden owners are allowed to enter? If thats the case, you must be a garden owner as well?" Zhao Feiwu said. "Of course! I am the garden owner of Greenmist Garden, Luo Qingyan!" With a proud look, the beautifuldy flicked her wrist and took out a letter. It was the invitation to the herb garden. "Do you see it? This is the invitation letter. If you dont have it, leave right now! Dont cause any trouble!" Staring coldly at Zhang Xuan, thedy snickered, "Judging from your appearance, you arent even twenty years old yet. At your age, I doubt that you can even differentiate among the various herbs. A high-ss banquet like this is clearly out of your league, dont try to get ahead of yourself! Study hard and maybe in fifty years or so, you might just get the chance toe in... Hahahahaha!" Chuckling beneath her hands, thedy straightened her back. Her voluptuous chests looked ufortable in her tight dress, and they threatened to break free from their restraints. "Fifty years?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Turning to the maid guarding the door, he asked, "Can anyone with the invitation letter enter?" "Err... Thats right!" The maid contemted over the prior instruction from her superior and hurriedly nodded her head. "Thats good!" Hearing the other partys affirmative reply, Zhang Xuan turned to the curvaceousdy and scratched his head sheepishly, "I wish to negotiate with you. Can you lend me your invitation letter?" "Lend you? Hahaha!" As though hearing the most hrious joke in the world, the curvaceousdy burst intoughter. Following which, she stared down at Zhang Xuan with a look of disdain, "Why should I lend it to you? Garden Owner Xue gave this to me, who do you think you are?" "You refuse?" Zhang Xuan nced at the curvaceousdy. "Youd better scram before I fly into a temper. Otherwise, I swear you will be carried out of here..." Bellowing furiously, a powerful aura flowed out from her. Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. "You intend to kill me?" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan nced behind and instructed, "Demon Cinque, negotiate with her in my stead and see if you can borrow the invitation letter from her..." Roar! Hearing the order, the Demon Cinque Beast roared deeply and flew over. "What do you intend to do?" Before she could react, a humongous shadow appeared before her and a giant backside came crushing down her head. Putong! Just like that, she was crushed into the earth. Only her limbs and brain were spared, and she spewed huge mouthfuls of blood. Ding! After sitting down on the other party, the Demon Cinque Beast grabbed the invitation letter from the other partys hands with its mouth and threw it to Zhang Xuan. "..." Jin Conghai and Zhao Feiwu staggered. Their eyes were about to pop out from their eyes. Wasnt it supposed to be a negotiation? Why... did it suddenly turn out like that... Chapter 518: The Depressed Zhang Xuan Chapter 518: The Depressed Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To be crushed by that massive Demon Cinque Beast who weighed ten thousand kilograms... Just the thought of it was sufficient to leave the two trembling. Shaking their head, the duo nced at the curvaceousdy who was on the verge of fainting in sympathy. Of all people you could offend, why did you have to offend this fellow? This Zhang shi may seem to be a pushover, but in truth, he was a troublemaker who feared nothing in the world. Otherwise, he couldnt have possibly charged singlehandedly into the Xuanyuan Kingdom and destroy its entire royal family. If one were to speak politely with him, he would reply with equal courtesy... But given how youshed out at him as though a madman, it would be a wonder if he didnt teach you a lesson! You are already very lucky that he didnt make you acknowledge him as your teacher on the spot! He even dared tomand a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert to acknowledge him as teacher. As for you... Piece of cake! While the duo was shocked by the sight before them, thedy crushed under the Demon Cinque Beast felt like she was on the verge of going insane. As a powerful, beautiful, and influential garden owner, countless people vied for her favor. She thought that this fellow was just trying to attract her attention or even flirt with her by asking her for the invitation letter... Yet, he actually sent his spirit beast after her... Spurtingrge mouthfuls of blood, the curvaceousdy, Luo Qingyan, was frenzied. "You... I want to kill you!" Shrieking furiously, she was just about to gather her strength to push away the massive figure above her when she heard the displeased voice of the young man not too far away. "Demon Cinque, whats wrong with you? Didnt I tell you to negotiate with her to borrow the invitation letter from her? Which part of borrow dont you understand? Why are you acting on your own whim? Do you still have any respect left for me, your master?" "Roar?" The Demon Cinque Beast was stunned. Its massiventern-like eyes blinked in confusion. Even though it possessed intelligence on par with humans, it still wasnt too well-versed with thenguage of the humans. Most probably, it mistook Zhang Xuans negotiate for snatch. Besides, this fellow was used to being arrogant. It had always snatched whatever he wantedif it wasnt for that, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance wouldnt have sent so many experts after him. Even if it had truly interpreted Zhang Xuans negotiate correctly, how could it have the patience to do so? "Alright, enough. Stop putting on an act. Since youve made a mistake, you should be punished. You shall remain on that spot for an hour. Without my order, you are not to move at all!" That young man berated furiously. Pu... Luo Qingyans fresh blood spurted out. Her face was filled with tears. Are you punishing it or me? You could have gotten it to sit somewhere else, and yet, you ordered it to remain on the spot for an hour... By the time its done with its punishment, I will have already died... While she was spurting blood, Zhao Feiwu stepped forward and said, "Were here to buy medicinal herbs. Itll be best if we dont cause any unnecessary trouble..." "Youre right!" The young man nodded his head. Thus, he turned to the maid at the entrance and passed the invitation letter over. "Alright, heres my invitation letter. Can I enter now?" "..." The maid. Honestly speaking, she was on the verge of losing her mind as well. She had seen plenty of arrogant people, but the young man before her topped it all. The invitation letter should a proof of the persons standing, identity, and the garden owners courtesy. Snatching it like that... Would any sane person do it that way? More importantly... Even if you wished to do it, you could have done it discreetly where no one was around. If I didnt know about it, I could at least overlook the matter and allow you in. But... to snatch it right before my eyes, do you really think that Im blind? What was even more infuriating was that... even after youre done, you still have the cheek to present the invitation letter to me and innocently ask if you can enter or not... Enter your head! Infuriated, her chest puffed up and she was ready to explode at any time. "No way! How dare you snatch an invitation letter right before my eyes? Unless you kill me, dont even dream of entering..." Clenching her pearly teeth tightly together, the maid drove her zhenqi, seemingly prepared to prevent Zhang Xuan from entering even if it would cost her life. "No way?" The herb gardens dignity mustnt be sullied. Just as she was about to make a move, the young man hesitated for a moment before asking, "Lady, are you ill?" The maid staggered. You sure are scum! I didnt allow you to enter and you immediately say that Im ill... Youre the one who is ill, your entire family is ill! She had never felt so angry before. If she could, she would immediately charge forward to beat that fellow to death. Flicking her wrist, a weapon appeared in her hand. Just as she was about to make a move, the young mans voice sounded once more. "I see that the Yangbai acupoint on your be is slightly red, and the zhenqi flow in the left of your body is a little stifled. If Im not mistaken, do you suffer from severe headaches every night, and it will feel as though the back of your head is convulsing?" "You..." The furious maid suddenly froze. The other party was correct. She did suffer from splitting headaches every night, and it was as if the back of her head was convulsing violently. She had visited the Physician Guild to have it checked but the results were inconclusive. As such, she could only bear with it. How in the world did this fellow... know about it? "Not only so, zhenqi doesnt flow through the meridian of your right thigh smoothly, resulting in your strength being imbnced. As such, your cultivation has reached a bottleneck, and you find yourself being unable to take the final step forward. If Im not mistaken, you are secretly cultivating an ice-attribute cultivation technique. Am I right?" the other partys voice continued. "Y-you... How did you know?" The maid was taken aback. She had found her cultivationing to a standstill recently. In other to boost her cultivation, she chose to cultivate an ice-attribute cultivation technique. However, she kept this matter a secret and even her bosom buddies were kept in the dark. How did this fellow learn of it? "It doesnt matter how I know it. You were once injured by the attack of a person who cultivates a yang-attribute cultivation technique, causing a surge of yang energy to clog up your meridians. Your original intention is to cultivate an ice-attribute cultivation technique to neutralize the yang energy so that you can regain your cultivation talent..." The young man before her shook his head, "Your idea isnt bad, but the method you used... couldnt be anymore wrong!" The maid trembled in shock. Her eyes were so huge that they were about to fall to the floors. Her mouth was agape but not a single word could express her emotions at the moment. She had indeed fought with a person of yang-attribute a year ago, and due to an injury from that battle, her cultivation came to a standstill. As such, she lost the right to cultivate medicinal herbs and was reduced to bing a doorman. With his hands behind his back, the young man calmly exined, "Yin and yang do neutralize one another. However, the surge of yang energy in your body has already fused with your blood and meridian. Cultivating an ice-attribute cultivation technique all of the sudden will only turn your body into a battlefield. Of course, with every battle, the yang attribute zhenqi would slowly diminish with each battle. However... the ice-attribute zhenqi would also be scattered throughout your body during the collision, and some of them would flow along with your bloodstream into your head, thus inducing that sharp splitting headache of yours!" "This..." The maids lips quivered. "Is there any cure for it?" The other partys analysis was logical. She had thought that the headache was caused by her fatigue, and never in her dream did she expect that it would be a product from her cultivating an ice-attribute cultivation technique. Thinking about it, the headache did indeed start from the moment she started cultivating this cultivation technique! Not only did the other party notice her symptoms, he even found out the cause of the illness, something that even the physicians of the Physician Guild were unable to! To be able to do so much with a single nce... Who in the world was this person? "The treatment method is simple. You just have to practice the Fallen Flower Swordsmanship five times every day while driving your zhenqi. Within ten days, youll make aplete recovery!" Zhang Xuan said. "How... did you know that I have learned the Fallen Flower Swordsmanship?" The maids body swayed once more. The Fallen Flower Swordsmanship was imparted to her by Garden Owner Xue, and among her sisters, she was the only one whod managed to master it. How did the other party manage to discern so much when all she had done was take out her sword... Was she dreaming? Crushing Garden Owner Qingyan to the floor, leaving her spewingrge mouthfuls of blood on the ground, to steal her invitation letter... Seeing through her illness with a single nce and offering a solution to it on top of that... Was this fellow spouting nonsense or was he serious? Ignoring the other partys question, the young man continued with an impassive expression, "The Fallen Flower Swordsmanship allows one to create sword qi reminiscent of a fallen flower. If you were to drive your zhenqi while executing this technique, you can drive the yang energy clogged within your body out along with the sword qi. If you were to do it five times a day over a course of ten days, the yang energy shouldpletely dissipate, and there should be no aftereffect even if you were to continue cultivating the ice-attribute cultivation technique!" Hearing that the treatment method was that simple, the maid hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth. Lifting the sword in her hand, she began doing as the other party instructed. The Fallen Flower Swordsmanship created zhenqi reminiscent of fallen flowers. In an instant, a paradise filled with falling petals seemed to have appeared before everyones eyes. However, each of these petals carried an extraordinarily sharp and cold aura, creating a sight of deste beauty. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel awed as he watched the swordsmanship. As expected of the Myriad Kingdom City. Even a maid guarding the entrance was at Half-Transcension. Soon, the maid finished the entire sword routine. Sensing the changes in her body, she widened her eyes in astonishment and delight. It was just the first time, but her body already felt much morefortable. The yang energy which shed thought she would never be able to rid of had indeed dissipated by a little. Even though there was still a significant amount of it left in her meridian, at the very least... this meant that what the other party had said was true! Her affliction could really be treated by this method! "Thank you for your guidance!" Sheathing her sword, the maid sped her fists politely. At this moment, her anger had already vanishedpletely. To be able to see through the problem in her cultivation and allocate a treatment method to it, the other partys means were even more incredible than the physicians of the Physician Guild... Without a doubt, the person before her was anything but simple. A person of his caliber couldnt possiblye here just to cause trouble! "Un!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. The other partys problem wasnt tooplicated so it didnt take too much trouble. Chuckling softly, he spoke with a refined tone, "May I enter now?" "This... May I know who gongzi is..." The maid couldnt help but ask. Even though she knew that the other party was a formidable figure, she still had to enquire on his identity first. Otherwise, she couldnt ount for his entry to the garden owner. "This is Zhang shi!" Jin Conghai stepped forward and replied. "Zhang shi? Youre... a master teacher?" The maid was taken aback. "Un!" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Even if I am a master teacher, surely you need not be so surprised. After all, there is a huge bunch of master teachers in Myriad Kingdom City. "If only I knew that you are a master teacher, I wont have blocked your path. For the banquet tonight, the garden owner has dered that on top of the other garden owners... all master teachers are allowed to enter the premises of the herb garden freely..." the maid said. "Master teachers can enter freely?" Zhang Xuans body swayed and his vision went dark. What in the world was this! If only he knew that it was that simple, he wouldnt have gotten the Demon Cinque Beast to make a move. Just to enter this herb garden, he went through so much trouble... only to realize that his efforts were meaningless... "Zhang shi, this way please!" After confirming the other partys identity, the maid immediately gestured the young man in. "Un..." Suppressing his frustration, Zhang Xuan proceeded into the garden along with Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai. However, barely after taking two steps, he saw the maid pointing to Luo Qingyan, who was still crushed under the Demon Cinque Beast. "Zhang shi, what about Garden Owner Qingyan..." "Oh. Go and rest by the side first, Ill call youter on!" Knowing the other partys intention, Zhang Xuan waved the Demon Cinque Beast away. Even though it was an ident that the Demon Cinque Beast had misunderstood his intentions, thatdy had iting. Since she dared to disrespect a master teacher, she should have been ready to be punished. Roar! Hearing themand, the Demon Cinque Beast nodded. Shaking its giant backside, it spread its wings and soared into the sky. "Damn it! Damn it..." With her squashed body, Luo Qingyan stared hatefully at the departing backs of Zhang Xuan and the others. Her body trembled and she gritted her teeth in resentment. As the garden owner of Greenmist Herb Garden, her standing was on par with the nobility of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. When had she suffered such injustice? To be sat on by a spirit beast... This was an insult! Even if the other party was a master teacher, she refused to simply let this matter go. "Garden Owner Qingyan, whats wrong?" Just as she swore to exact vengeance on that hateful young man, a surprised voice suddenly sounded. Following which, a young man donning a master teacher emblem with four shining stars on top walked over. Chapter 519: Herbologist Clans Chapter 519: Herbologist ns Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That young man was actually... a 4-star master teacher! "Luo Qingyan pays respect to Song shi!" Upon seeing the young man, Luo Qingyan hurriedly sped her fist respectfully. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would surely recognize the other party as the man whod bought the Soulless Metal Humanoid from him in Honghai City. "Garden Owner Qingyan, this..." Seeing the beautiful and proud garden owner covered with mud from head to toe, Song Chao muttered doubtfully. After receiving the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he immediately returned back to the Myriad Kingdom City. Recalling the guidance of Zhang shi, he immediately visited all the herb gardens to buy the necessary herbs. It was because of this that hed met this garden owner several times. The other partys beauty had bewitched him, leaving him burning in desire. Upon seeing the other party in such an unkempt state, he couldnt help but feel puzzled. "Song shi, I beseech you to save me!" Luo Qingyans eyes shone as she recalled something. She immediately put on a tearful face that seemed as though she was going to kowtow to the other party at any moment just so that he would stand up for her. "Save you? Whats wrong?" Raising his hand to stop the other party, Song Chao asked doubtfully. "Someone tried to barge into the herb garden earlier, and knowing that Garden Owner Xue disliked strangers disturbing her, I stopped him. Who knew that... the other party would actually send his tamed beast after me!" At this moment, Luo Qingyan seemed nothing more than a pitiful weakdy. "Song shi, I really didnt know that hes a master teacher. If only I knew earlier, I surely wouldnt have stopped him..." "Just because you stopped him, the other party sent his tamed beast after you?" Song Chao frowned. "Actually, its not that master teachers fault. Even though he isnt wearing a master teacher robe and he didnt indicate his identity, I should have been asked him about it beforehand... Song shi, I wont do it again. Save me..." Luo Qingyan cried. Even though she seemed to be regretful of her actions, she was actually ying down her disrespect and emphasizing on the other partys domineering nature instead. This way, she made it seem as though Zhang Xuan was the one who was unreasonable. Not only did he not sh his identity, he even injured a person who was just acting within her scope of responsibility. "Atrocious! How dare a master teacher act in such a manner... This cannot be overlooked!" As expected, after hearing Luo Qingyans distorted version of the story, Song Chaos face darkened. Master teachers were a representation of the Master Teacher Pavilion. As such, wherever they went, they had to make sure to act in a manner appropriate for their identity. How could the other party act so domineeringly as though he was a hoodlum? "Dont worry. The me is not on you for this matter. When I see that fellowter on, Ill make sure to teach him a lesson. Ill drill the idea of respect into him and have him apologize to you!" Song Chao waved his hands grandly. How could a master teacher beat someone who was just doing her responsibility? This was something that only a tyrant would do! "Thank you, Song shi!" Seeing that the other party was going to stand up for her, Luo Qingyans eyes glowed in excitement. She turned to look at the young man in admiration. Did you see that? This is the might of a 4-star master teacher! Only a person of his level would dare to teach other master teachers a lesson! Humph, you sure acted arrogantly back then, having your tamed beast to sit on me. Lets see how you fare before Song shi! In her view, given how the other party wasnt even twenty yet and his cultivation was clearly beneath hers, even if he was a master teacher, he would be at most 3-star only. Before a 4-star master teacher, he would still have to bend his back and act obediently! "Song shi, Ill take you to him now!" The more she thought about it, the more excited she felt. Thus, she offered to lead the way. "Un!" Nodding his head, Song Chao ced his hands behind his back and followed Luo Qingyan. ... Under the lead of the maid, Zhang Xuan and group walked through a long corridor and arrived at a grand hall. At this moment, quite arge crowd had already gathered here. Taking a brief look, there were at least a hundred people here. The banquet hadnt even started but the guests were already gathering in groups, discussing something. "Zhang shi, this is the banquet venue. The garden owner will be arriving soon to wee all of you. Ill be leaving now then!" Nodding her head, the maid took her leave. If her impression of the young man before was reckless, arrogant, and a braggart, after the other party offered a solution to her affliction, all of these negative emotions turned into admiration, and the other party became her idol. "Un!" Knowing that the maid had to return to guard the entrance, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and proceeded into depths of the hall. "Garden Owner Xue usually doesnt allow us into her herb garden, why would she suddenly invite all of us over? Did something happen? This banquet cant be as simple as it looks!" "Dont you know?" "Ive been outside during the past few days and I only returned to Myriad Kingdom City today. I rushed here as soon as I saw the invitation letter so how could I know what is going on?" "Rumors have it that the herb gardens Centerpiece is severely ill, and it is on the verge of death. The banquet is just a cover. In truth, what she hopes to achieve is to bring all of us garden owners together to think of a solution!" "Centerpiece? You mean that..." "Shhh, lower down your volume! This is all that I heard from my sources. As for what exactly happened, I dont have a clue either!" "Since thats the case, why is she being so secretive about it? To even go to the extent of using a banquet as a cover..." "That Im not too sure as well. Its not like you are unaware of Garden Owner Xues entric temper. She must have her own reasons for doing so..." "Thats true!" Amidst the crowd, the lowered voice of a trio sounded. "Centerpiece? Could that be..." Zhao Feiwus eyebrows suddenly shot up. "You know about it?" Seeing that the other party seemed to have thought of something, Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze to her. "Ive once read a book concerning herb gardens so I know a thing or two about it!" Zhao Feiwu nodded her head. Suppressing her voice, she continued, "They should be referring to the Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" "Earth Vein Spirit Vine?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Even though he had read a considerable number of books, he had nevere into contact with information regarding herb gardens. As such, he found the name extremely foreign. "Un!" Zhao Wufei nodded her head. "Its not really a secret. All herb gardens would have this. The Earth Vein Spirit Vine is a unique that grows by aligning itself with earth veins, absorbing spiritual energy, minerals, and water from it... Then, it uses all of these to nourish the ground, thus creating a superior field suited for growing all kinds of medicinal herbs." If one were to release their cattle at the same location, no matter how lush and concentrated the grass was, it was just a matter of time before it all disappeared. Medicinal herbs were the same as well. It was still fine to grow a medicinal herb in one location, but if one were to try to grow multiple medicinal herbs on the same field, the herbs would startpeting for nutrients... And this would sap the field dry swiftly. Without nutrients to sustain the medicinal herbs, no matter how formidable the herb was, it would wither swiftly. The reason why herb gardens could supply a steady source of medicinal herbs without fail was due to the existence of this thing. Its decline and death meant that the entire herb garden was doomed. All of the medicinal herbs in the field would be ruined. "Medicinal herbs growing on a field nourished by the Earth Vein Spirit Vine have a much more beautiful tone and significantlyrger size. More importantly, its rate of maturity would be much faster as well. Some of the legendary five-hundred-year-old herbs could reach maturity here in just two hundred years. Otherwise, who could live for five hundred years just to grow a single medicinal herb?" Zhao Feiwu said. "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had been puzzled by how medicinal herbs could be grown inrge groups without any adverse effect. After all, unlike normal grains, they required a huge quantity of spiritual energy and nutrients. No matter how fertile the ground was, it was very difficult to sustain such massive output. It turned out that it was due to the credit of this mystical nt. "If they are really talking about the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, then its no wonder why Garden Owner Xue is panicking. Without the Earth Vein Spirit Vine to condition the field, given how the medicinal herbs were grown in proximity to one another, they would all surely shrivel swiftly..." Zhao Feiwu continued. The Earth Vein Spirit Vine was like a formation providing the required conditions for the spirit herbs survival. Once it died, their source of nutrition would be stopped and they would shrivel swiftly. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to speak, a friendly voice suddenly sounded not too far away. "Brother, did you follow your elders here to participate in the banquet as well?" The one speaking was an amiable-looking young man. Two dimples would appear on his face when he smiled, and this seemed to make him more approachable. "Elder?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Thats right. The only ones who are privileged to receive the invitation letters are the garden owners, herb kings, and the herbologist ns. I have met the eight herb owners and seven herb kings of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and you clearly arent any of them. Naturally, you must be here with your elder!" The young man grinned. "Herbologist ns?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. He knew of garden owners and herb kings, but what in the world were herbologist ns? "You dont know of herbologist ns?" Seeing the other partys perplexed expression, the young man widened his eyes in disbelief. This was part of the fundamental knowledge of herb gardens. To not even know this, how in the world did the other party manage to get in here? "The cultivation of medicinal herbs require the care of specialist, and herbologist ns like us provide such manpower to the herb gardens," the young man exined. There were farmers to care for the fields and shepherds to care for the herds... Simrly, there were herbologists to care for medicinal herbs. The high tier a medicinal herb was, the harder it was to cultivate it. Simr to pill forging, it was an extremely profound knowledge. To cultivate a formidable herb, not only would one require time, more importantly, one would also require skilled and experienced workers! The medicinal herb being unable to live up to its full potential was one thing. In the worst-case scenario, an error made could even cause the nt to wither and die! Using the spirit herb [Noble Grass] as example, this herb needed to be watered by maidens to live. If the maiden were to get into a rtionship with a male, as soon as a drop of water from her were to fall onto the spirit herb, the herb would immediately dissipate into a cloud of smoke. It was exactly due to this nature of Noble Grass that it was used to check whether ady was still a maiden or not. Melody Rapture GrassIt would take on an appearance simr to a humans eye once it flowers. To keep it alive, a person had to dance and sing to delight it with a melody. Otherwise, it would die very quickly. There were many of such bizarre medicinal herbs throughout the world, and without the required knowledge, it would be impossible to grow them. And this knowledge was passed down only within the herbologist ns who devoted their entire lives to raising herbs. Back then, when the Master Teacher Pavilion was organizing the upations, herbologists had been raised in the discussion. However, this upation had a very divided heritage and there wasnt any clear school. On top of that, it had very little to do with cultivation and skills, being a knowledge-oriented upation. As such, it failed to be ranked within the Nine Paths. Otherwise, its name would surely be listed amidst the upations of the Lower Nine Paths. Chapter 520: Impossible to Guard Against Chapter 520: Impossible to Guard Against Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I am just taking a look around, I didnte with anyone!" Understanding what was going on, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Just taking a look around?" The young man was taken aback. Where were they? The herb garden of Garden Owner Xue! Even an envoy of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance would find it hard toe in here. To be casually taking a look around here... You must be jesting! He had seen the fellowe in earlierthe maid guarding the entrance had escorted him personally here, and her attitude was exceptionally respectful... Even his grandfather didnt enjoy such a privilege! This was precisely the reason why he stepped forward in the hope of making friends. Otherwise, as the sessor to a herbologist n, he didnt have the time to be chatting everyone up. Thinking that the other party was just trying to keep a low profile, he decided not to ask any further. Smiling, he introduced himself, "I am Lu Zhan, a member of Myriad Kingdom Citys Lu n!" "Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan replied. "So, its Brother Zhang, nice to meet you!" Despite reporting the Lu ns name, the other partys expression remained unchanged. Lu Zhansplexion immediately turned grave, and he hurriedly sped his fist respectfully. As one of the Four Great ns of the Myriad Kingdom City, the Lu ns power and standing was known throughout the entire alliance. Even nobles and powerful officials would have to respectfully address him as Lu gongzi upon hearing of his identity. Yet, this fellow remained unmoved. It seemed like he must have a huge backing. Thinking so, his attitude became even more respectful. If he were to know that Zhang Xuan had simply never heard of the Lu n, it was hard to say whether he would puke blood or faint on the spot. After chatting a moment longer, Lu Zhan realized that the person before him truly knew nothing about medicinal herbs at all, and his confusion deepened. Other people were still guessing the reason behind Garden Owner Xues invitation, but as the sessor to a prestigious herbologist n, he had already received concrete news about the matter. After all, many of the herbologist maids serving in this herb garden came from their n. It wasnt a problem for them to gather some information. Just as everyone had guessed, a problem had cropped up with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine! This was precisely the reason why all those who were invited were the greatest minds in the topic of herbology. Yet, this fellow actually knew nothing at all. He had never even heard of herbologist ns... What exactly was his true identity for Garden Owner Xue to invite him over? ... While they were chatting, Luo Qingyan and Song Chao arrived at the hall. "Song shi, thats the fellow whoid his hands on me!" Scanning the crowd, Luo Qingyan soon saw that hateful fellow and pointed him out. Following the other partys finger, Song Chao soon saw a figure. Zhang Xuan was currently speaking to Lu Zhan, and his back was against them. Thus, Song Chao only saw the other partys back view. Even though it seemed weirdly familiar to him, he didnt connect it to Zhang Xuan. After all, Zhang shi seemed extremely close to Hall Master Sai of Honghai City back then, and so, Song Chao thought that the other party was from Honghai City. Why would someone from Honghai City suddenly appear here, and not to mention, how much of a coincidence would it be for the two of them to appear in the same herb garden? "Theres no mistake, it is him! He is the one who abused his identity as a master teacher to attack me! Song shi, please redress my grievance. As long as you teach him a lesson in my stead, I, Qingyan... shall be yours!" Luo Qingyan cuddled up with Song Chao with her voluptuous chests. She knew what men liked, and using her charms, she had always been able to convince them to help her. Otherwise, how could a youngdy like her possibly open up a herb garden in Myriad Kingdom City? Feeling the astonishing buoyancy pressing against his arm, Song Chao immediately nodded his head and dered righteously, "Dont worry, even if you didnt say a thing, I wouldnt allow a person who sullied the name of master teachers to get away scot-free!" Even though he knew that the other party was just making use of him for vengeance, he didnt feel put off by it. In the first ce, it was his duty to safeguard the honor and prestige of the Master Teacher Pavilion, not to mention, such a beautifuldy was asking for his help. Following behind that curvaceous figure, they soon arrived before Zhang Xuan and group. "We meet once again!" Knowing that the 4-star Song shi would get back at Zhang Xuan for her, Luo Qingyan was fearless. Stepping forward, she sneered coldly. Zhang Xuan turned around and froze for a moment. Blinking his eyes, he asked doubtfully, "I thought you dont have an invitation letter? How did you enter the venue?" "You..." Hearing those words, Luo Qingyan nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. You still have the cheek to ask if I have an invitation letter or not... Youre the one who snatch it away from me, okay?! "Ive entered by tagging along with Song shi!" Suppressing her rage, Luo Qingyan turned to Song shi and said, "Its this Zhang shi who abandoned his honor as a master teacher and ordered his tamed beast to attack me. I beseech Song shi to redress my grievance!" However, Song shi remainedpletely motionless. Luo Qingyan frowned. Just as she was about to further provoke him into action, Zhang shis voice sounded, "Song shi? Oh! Its Little Song!" "Little Song?" Luo Qingyan was stunned for a moment before frenzied joy gushed through her heart. This was a genius 4-star master teacher, an expert that came from a neighboring sect! Even the elders of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion would have to regard him as their peer, and yet, a young brat like you dares to address him as Little Song... Luo Qingyan had been thinking of how she should further fan the mes between the two young men but from the looks of it now, there was no need for it. The other party had simply courted his own death! Not only her, even Lu Zhan who had been trying to fathom Zhang Xuans identity nearly keeled over. There were four stars on the emblem pinned on the chest of this Song shi4-star master teacher. To address the other party as Little Song as though he was a junior... Lu Zhan hurriedly turned over to Song shi in hopes of mediating the situation when the face of the genius suddenly distorted, and he looked as though he was going to cry at any moment now. "Rookie Song Chao pays respect to Zhang shi!" At this moment, he could feel his heart crumbling. Even if the other party was a 4-star master teacher, he would have challenged the other party on his actions. But before this fellow... How could he dare to do so? Having been beguiled by the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will twice consecutively, his fortune had already run dry... Having experienced the other partys astonishing means personally in the past, if not in consideration for his pride and honor, he would have already run away straight upon seeing Zhang Xuans face. Teach him a lesson... Even if someone were to give him ten guts, he wouldnt dare to do it! "Song shi, hes being disrespectful to you! Why are... Huh?" Luo Qingyan was still immersed in the vision of Zhang Xuan being pummeled violently by Song shi, and she was just about to introduce some punishment methods to thetter when she suddenly realized what Song shi said and froze. What did rookie mean? It reflected ones ineptitude! Usually, only when juniors met with someone superior to them would they use such an address. This genius, a 4-star master teacher, was actually using this address with Zhang shi? Could it be that... this Zhang shi, despite his young age, was even more incredible than Song shi? Are you for real? Luo Qingyan was about to burst into tears. She thought that a huge figure like Song shi would surely be able to teach that arrogant fellow a lesson so that she could get back at him. Who knew that... the other partys backing was even bigger! Despiteing here to return the humiliation, she found herself being humiliated instead... What in the world was this! Lu Zhans mouth also widened in shock. His eyes grew even bigger than that of a goldfish. He had been trying to guess this persons identity all along, and he had even thought of the Alliance Head Residence. But one thing he never imagined was that the other party would be a master teacher... Not to mention, a master teacher who could make a 4-star master teacher address himself as a rookie willingly! This was too fearsome! It was no wonder why a maid escorted him personally. He did possess the qualification for such treatment! Ignoring the shocked duo, Zhang Xuan turned to Song Chao and asked, "Little Song, you wish to redress her grievance?" Initially, when he saw this fellow, he was a little surprised. However, he soon realized why the other party was here as well. In the treatment form that he gave the other party. there were some medicinal herbs that needed to be fresh, and the only ce to procure them was at the herb gardens. Most probably, he was here for that purpose. "N-no... I just happened to meet with her. I dont know her at all..." Song Chao smiled awkwardly. Having fallen under the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will twice, he knew that the other party was a master teacher who was far superior to him. Before such a figure, how could he possibly dare pull his weight? "You dont know her?" Zhang Xuan lifted his finger and pointed. Only then did Song Chao realize that Luo Qingyans voluptuous chest was still pressing against his arm. "I really dont know her at all..." Shocked, Song Chao hurriedly jerked his arm and pushed thetter away. Thefortable buoyant sensation from before felt like needle pricks at this instant, pricking him to the point that tears were threatening to spill from his eyes. "Song shi..." Being pushed away, Luo Qingyan finally realized that the formidable Song shi wasnt just respectful toward Zhang shi. Rather, he was fearful of the other party! A person capable of inducing fear in a 4-star master teacher? What exactly was the other partys identity? Terrified, Luo Qingyan slowly backed away. At this instant, vengeance was thest thing in her mind. All that she could think of was how she could get away. She really felt like pping the previous her at this moment. Why in the world was thetter so blind as to provoke a person of such standing? It was already huge blessing that she was still breathing at the moment! "Alright, I get it. Theres no need for you to act like that!" Ignoring Luo Qingyan, who was preparing to escape, Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. Then, something suddenly struck him and his eyes lit up. Turning to Song Chao, he said, "Right, do you need more Soulless Metal Humanoids?" Previously, at the soul oracle tomb, Sun Qiang had taken four grade-7 Metal Coffins, and of which, one of them was empty and the remaining three were filled with Soulless Metal Humanoids. In any case, since those things were meaningless to him and a wealthy potential buyer was before him, he decided to try his luck. "Soulless Metal Humanoid... Zhang shi still has more of them?" Song Chao asked. "I still have three more. On top of that, I have the coffins which they are stored in as well. If youre interested, I can sell the coffin together with it and give you a discount. Five middle-tier spirit stones for one set!" Zhang Xuan said. Previously, hed sold the Soulless Metal Humanoid to the other party for forty-thousand low-tier spirit stones. This time, the coffin was thrown into the mix as well but the price was only 5 middle-tier spirit stones. There was indeed a significant discount in the price. "Five middle-tier spirit stones?" Song Chaos lips twitched. "I dont have that many middle-tier spirit stones..." His entire fortune had run dry from purchasing the Soulless Metal Humanoid from before. Even though he had recouped his losses by reporting the expense to the elders of his sect after returning to the Myriad Kingdom City, that was all in terms of low-tier spirit stones... Even if he were to strip himself bare, he could only produce one middle-tier spirit stone! Furthermore, that was a reward for obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid. "Then, how much do you have?" Zhang Xuan asked. "One..." Song Chao replied honestly. "That works as well. Ill sell you one grade-7 Metal Coffin then. This is a work from a 4-star cksmith. It can serve as afortable bed which will cool you down in summer and warm you up in winter! More importantly, its a set with the Soulless Metal Humanoid you bought previously. If you were to return with it and study it thoroughly, you might be able to make a breakthrough in your soul cultivation!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a storage ring over. Storage rings were already worthless to him now, and he had several of them on him. In this storage ring was the coffin storing the Soulless Metal Humanoid which Luo Zhu stole previously. Zhang Xuan had already gained a deep understanding of soul oracles via Mo Hunsheng and so, these coffins and Soulless Metal Humanoids served little purpose to him. It would be best if he could trade them for something more practical. "Grade-7 Metal Coffin?" Grabbing the ring, Song Chao immediately dripped a droplet of blood on it before sending his consciousness into it. After taking a look, his eyes immediately lit up. There were indeed many symbolsmonly used by soul oracles carved on it. If one were to study the Soulless Metal Humanoid alongside the coffin, it could indeed help to augment ones understanding toward souls. "Alright, Ill take it. Heres your middle-tier spirit stone!" As he said so, he flicked his wrist and passed a jade box over. "Un!" Opening a crack in the jade box, Zhang Xuan immediately felt concentrated spiritual energy gushing straight toward him. Knowing that there was a middle-tier spirit stone inside, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction and put it in his ring. "I have another three Soulless Metal Humanoid and the higher grade Crimson Metal Coffin. If youre interested in them, bring more middle-tier spirit stones along with you to look for me! Ill wee you anytime!" After receiving the middle-tier spirit stone, the satisfied Zhang Xuan looked at Song Chao as though he was a mobile sack of money. This fellow was indeed wealthy. Zhang Xuan had profited significantly from the other party. As expected of a sect member. "Yes! Ill definitely report the matter to my sect. If theres anything we need, well definitely look for you!" Nodding his head, Song Chao turned around and left. However, right after taking a few steps, he suddenly froze and hisplexion darkened. Tears began streaming down his face. "Shit... I got beguiled again..." Despite being on his guard, he still fell for the other partys tricks. He was truly a foe that was impossible to guard against! Chapter 521: Herb Field Chapter 521: Herb Field Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back then, with a Soul Depth of 12.1, Zhang Xuan was able to persuade the other party easily. Now that his Soul Depth had reached 14.1 and he had undergone a second Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgement, it was no longer an issue for him to do so much. Even so, Song Chao actually didnt make a loss. A grade-7 Metal Coffin was an artifact that a 4-star cksmith specially crafted for housing a Soulless Metal Humanoid. It probably was even more expensive than this when Mo Hunsheng bought it back then. Depressed, Song Chao was just about to look for Zhang shi to take back his spirit stone when the room suddenly hushed. A slight air of vitality wafted in the hall. "Garden Owner Xue arrives!" Along with the deration, an elder who looked like she was in her fifties walked into the room. Even though her skin was a little loose and there were signs of age all around her, one could still see hints of a previous beauty in her. She didnt reveal her cultivation but vaguely, one could feel a powerful aura from her that seemed to nearly match up to the Demon Cinque Beast. It was no wonder why Alliance Head Zhao was slightly apprehensive of the other partys strength. From the looks of it, his worry was not unfounded. "I thank everyone here for attending todays banquet!" Walking into the hall, Garden Owner Xue addressed with a smile. "Garden Owner Xue, youre being much too polite!" "How could I dare miss out on a banquet hosted by Garden Owner Xue!" "We havent met one another for such a long time anyway. This banquet serves as a tform for us to catch up..." ... The crowd smiled. Even though this herb garden wasnt open to the public, everyone knew about the formidable variety and quality of herbs within this garden. Without a doubt, among the eight great herb gardens, this one ranked at the very top. The same went for Garden Owner Xues cultivation as well. Even though those were just pleasantries, it also reflected their true thoughts. "I apologize for calling all of you over so abruptly. Even though Ive used the front of a banquet to gather all of you here today, I believe most of you have already guessed my true intentions. "Even if I dont say anything, everyone here should know the importance of an Earth Vein Spirit Vein to a herb garden. The abrupt changes of the herb garden have caught me off guard, and due to my limited ability, I am unable to find a solution to the problem for the time being. Thus, I gathered everyone here together in hope of borrowing everyones knowledge to tide me through this crisis. As long as anyone cane up with a solution to the problem, I, Xue Yiyao, hereby swear that they shall be an eternal friend of mine. No matter what medicinal herbs they require in the future, my herb garden shall supply it to them for free!" "Supply medicinal herbs... for free?" "Isnt this gift a little, no, way too generous?" "Garden Owner Xues medicinal herbs have never been put up for sale before, and as such, there are quite a lot of herbs with the maturity of a century or higher..." "Thats not important. More importantly... If you were to be Garden Owner Xues friend, given her strength and identity, who would dare trifle with you?" "Thats true..." ... A hugemotion immediately broke out below. Everyones eyes went red in agitation. Even Lu Zhans breathing hastened, and his eyes went red in agitation. Even though the Lu n was noted as one of the Four Great ns of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it ranked at the very bottom of the four. It was at risk of being pulled down by thepetitors below them. If they could pull Garden Owner Xue to their side, it would just be a matter of time before they climbed to the very top. Suppressing his excitement, he nced at the young man he had just met and his admiration for thetter immediately deepened. Everyones faces were reddened in excitement and many elders in the room even had veins popping at their temples. Yet, this young man was able to retain hisposure despite the massive benefits involved. Perplexed, Lu Zhan asked, "Brother Zhang, arent you excited?" "What is there to be excited about?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. "Being Garden Owner Xues friend..." Halfway through his words, Lu Zhan suddenly smiled bitterly. The person before him was a figure who could evenmand respect from a 4-star master teacher and have thetter identify himself as a rookie. Xue Yiyao might be a formidable figure in the Myriad Kingdom City, but she might still be insufficient to catch the eye of thetter. Interrupting everyones excitement, Garden Owner Xue said, "Ive already said all that should be said. Those who are interested should follow me to the herb field. We can discuss the solution to the matter after you all see the condition of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine for yourself!" "Alright, well be troubling Garden Owner Xue to lead the way then!" "Lets see who can solve the problem!" ... Everyone replied as they followed Garden Owner Xue out. The herb field in the herb garden was a top-notch field nourished by the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. All medicinal herbs that grew here were much more potent andrger than those growing anywhere else. Zhang Xuan followed behind the crowd. Even before seeing the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, Zhang Xuan could already feel the spiritual energy in the air growing more and more concentrated. Vitality seemed to flow in the air itself. Here, not only were medicinal herbs nourished, even cultivators would feel revitalized. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings and he couldnt help but frown. Even though the herb field seemed to be filled with vitality, vaguely, a heavy aura of death seemed to linger in the area. It was a cold and sinister sensation. If one didnt pay careful attention, it would be easy to overlook it. "It seems like something has indeed gone wrong with this Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood why Garden Owner Xue would gather so many herbologists here and offer such a huge reward. From the looks of it, the problem surrounding the Earth Vein Spirit Vine was much greater than expected. Before even reaching the herb field, Zhang Xuan could already sense an aura of death. Wouldnt it be even more apparent when he stands before it? Judging from the concentration of the aura of death, if the Earth Vein Spirit Vine wasnt treated, it probably wouldntst past a year. "So many medicinal herbs... Incredible! Our n seems nothing inparison to this..." "It is no wonder why everyone says that Garden Owner Xues herb garden is the best across the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. I was harboring some doubts beforehand but after seeing this, I have no choice but to admit it!" "Garden Owner Xue hasnt sold any medicinal herbs for more than fifty years now. The herbs she has in her storage must be incredible!" Amidst shocked exims, the crowd arrived at the herb field. The herb field was several hundred murge, and it was impossible to see the end with a single nce. All kinds of medicinal herbs were nted in the area, and every single one of them was exuding concentrated spiritual energy. Walking through this area, everyone felt an indescribable feeling offort. (One mu = 666.6 meters square) "This is the Spiritearth Grass... Reticent Flower... Wild Goldsilver Grass... These are all extremely expensive herbs, and on top of that, there is an extremely limited supply of them outside. For there to be so many of them in here..." Lu Zhan was so shocked that his mouth could hardly close properly. The variety of medicinal herbs here was incredible. Many rare herbs that could rarely be seen outside filled the fields, and they came in different shapes and sizes, creating a very unique aesthetics to the area. "Everyone, this is the centerpiece to my herb garden, the Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" Walking along a narrow pathway in between the herb field, Garden Owner Xue pointed forward. Following his finger, everyone saw a massive vine rising up in the center of the herb field. Its trunk was seven to eight meters thick, and branches filled with lush leaves extended from it. It was the first time that most of the people here were seeing such a massive vine, and they couldnt help but be astounded by its hulking size. Even so, they swiftly noticed that something was amiss. The leaves on the thick vine were slightly yellowish, and they looked as though they were about to wither to death at any moment. "This vine seems to be on the verge of death..." "How did this happen? How could such a huge vine wither?" "Thats weird..." ... Everyone here was a herbologist who had a deep understanding of medicinal herbs. They couldnt help but be astounded upon seeing such a massive vein being on the verge of death. "You arent mistaken. This Earth Vein Spirit Vine is indeed on the verge of death. Ive tried many ways to save it but my efforts were futile. Left with no choice, I could only invite everyone else here to brainstorm for a better idea!" Garden Owner Xues eyes darkened. Earth Vein Spirit Vines were the foundation to a herb garden, and if it dies, it wont be long before all of the medicinal herbs wither. By then, the entire herb field would be ruined!" An elder took a look and remarked, "Since even Garden Owner Xue is helpless before the issue surrounding the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, we probably wont be able toe up with anything good either. His words received the approval of others as well. Judging by how Garden Owner Xue was able to cultivate so many superior medicinal herbs, her proficiency in the upation was definitely extremely high. If even she was helpless before this issue, how could the rest of them possibly solve the problem? Seeing that the morale was low, an elder spoke up, "You all shouldnt feel discouraged by it. If we put our heads together, we just might be able to find a solution to the problem. After all, this is the main reason why Garden Owner Xue invited us here today!" "Elder Lu is right!" "In the end, the strength of an individual is limited. If we work together, we just might be able to solve the problem!" "We have all dealt with medicinal herbs our entire life, so surely, we would have some secret techniques or nifty tricks of our own. Maybe if we try them all, we just might be able to save the Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" "As long as its concerning medicinal herbs, well surely be able to find a way out!" ... Hearing the words of the elder, everyone recovered from their low morale. The reward that Garden Owner Xue offered this time was too great. No one wanted to give up on such a good opportunity. They had no idea whether their solution would work or not, but... what if it worked? "Thats my grandfather, the current head of the Lu n!" Seeing how everyones morale lit up once more just because of a single word from Elder Lu, Lu Zhan immediately turned to Zhang Xuan and exined it to him. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded silently. His eyes were fixated on the vine before him. The vine was massive, and the length exposed outside already stretched for a height of several hundred meters high. It was unimaginable how deep the vine underground extended. For such a bizarre nt to exist as well, nature was truly filled with wonders. Zhang Xuan examined the leaves of the vine carefully with the Eye of Insight. "Thats not right..." After taking a look, Zhang Xuan frowned. The Eye of Insight should be capable of determining the current growth stage of the huge fellow and analyze it based on that. Even though it was inferior to the Library of Heavens Path, it was more than sufficient to solve most problems. Logically speaking, given how the leaves of the tree were yellow and it was on the verge of death, the tree must either be ill, infested with worms, oring to the end of its lifespan... But the Eye of Insight showed that wasnt the case! In other words... This Earth Vein Spirit Vine was perfectly healthy... but yet, it was gued with an aura of death. From the looks of it, it wouldnt live past a few more days. It was as if a fit and healthy man was suddenly too weak to stand up. The situation was truly baffling. It was no wonder why Garden Owner Xue, despite banning entry to visitors and rejecting sales of medicinal herbs to even the Alliance Head Residence, suddenly gathered all of them here today and made such a generous offer. She must truly have been forced into a corner. While Zhang Xuan was assessing the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, the others werentzing around either. After assessing the vine, Elder Lu suddenly spoke up. "Hall Master Xue, you should have a deeper knowledge regarding the details of this Earth Vein Spirit Vine. May I know when the illness struck, what kind of symptoms there are, and what methods youve used to treat it so that we can all analyze the information?" With just a single look, it was clear that the massive Earth Vein Spirit Vine was ill, and treating a medicinal herb, just like treating a human, required one to understand more about its condition. Only by learning about the cause and symptoms of the illness could one make deductions and decide on the most feasible treatment method. Chapter 522: Completely Helpless Chapter 522: Completely Helpless Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed, Garden Owner Xue, you should tell us about it. Otherwise, well just be grasping at straws!" "If we dont know about the situation, we wont be able to do anything about the Earth Vein Spirit Vines condition. Why dont you tell us about it in greater detail so that we can find a better solution together?" ... Elder Lus words immediately had everyone nodding their heads. For Garden Owner Xues reward, they decided to give it their best shot. "Alright then, Ill talk about the condition of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" Knowing that only after she revealed everything would everyone be able toe up with better solutions, Garden Owner Xue didnt reject the request, "The Earth Vein Spirit Vine has always been healthy. Back when it wasnt ill, the vine waspletely green, and its leaves were exceptionally lush. It exuded a deep aura of vitality that revitalizes all that approaches it... It was around half a year ago that everything changed! "Half a year ago, a maid whom I tasked with looking after the herb field reported to me that a slight yellowish shade appeared on the spirit vein. Back then, I didnt believe her words, so I immediately rushed over to take a look. To my astonishment, that was indeed the case! Even so, as most herbologists should know, the color of the leaves changes with the seasons, and thus I didnt pay much heed to it! "But ten dayster, the yellowish shade began to spread. From just a few leaves, it expanded to over half of the tree. By then, I finally realized that something was amiss and immediately tried to treat it! "Since the leaves had turned yellow, I immediately turned my suspicions to the water source. After all, the cause of such conditions is frequently due to the water! "So, I specially fetched the ice water from Tianhan Mountain and watered the vein with it. I thought that the issue with the yellow leaves would alleviate as time passed. But who couldve know that a monthter, the leaves of the entire spirit vein turned yellow instead, and even the veins within even had started to wither! "Thus, I panicked. I immediately turned my attention to the soil and after paying a heavy price, I changed the entire field of soil which the vine is absorbing nutrients from. However, there still wasnt any effect whatsoever. Thus, I found myselfpletely stumped. Thats why I invited everyone over to help me on this matter!" As she spoke, Garden Owner Xue shook her head in despair. "Yellow leaves and withering veins... Under normal circumstances, it should be a matter of malnourishment or over-nutrition. Has Garden Owner Xue tried tackling these issues yet?" Elder Lu asked. "Ive given it a try already but its futile!" Garden Owner Xue shook her head. "Let me give it a try!" After hearing the exnation, an elder stepped forward from the crowd. "Its Elder Liu!" "Which Elder Liu?" "Who else in the Myriad Kingdom City dares to call himself Elder Liu? Of course its Garden Owner Liu of the herb garden in the north of the city!" "Hes here too? The Northern Herb Garden is the secondrgest herb garden in Myriad Kingdom City!" "If even he fails, I doubt that there is anything else we can do..." ... Amotion immediately broke out when everyone saw the elder who volunteered to give it a try. "This fellow is very famous?" Zhang Xuan nced at Lu Zhan doubtfully. "Cough cough..." Lu Zhan choked on his own saliva. "Brother Zhang, this Elder Liu was already a famous figure in Myriad Kingdom City a hundred years ago. He once served as the Alliance Head Residences imperial herbologist! In the past, my grandfather often consulted him on many affairs. In terms of qualifications, he is definitely the most senior herbologist in the entire Myriad Kingdom City! It cant be that... youve never ever heard of his name?" Lu Zhan felt as though he was going mad. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was from the Myriad Kingdom City or not, how could he not know Elder Liu? One must know that Elder Lius fame transcended beyond just herbology. Even when just considering his strength, he was still one of the top figures in Myriad Kingdom City. "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Only an oh?" Lu Zhan nearly spurted blood. That is Elder Liu! Even Pavilion Master Kang of the Master Teacher Pavilion would speak of him with utmost respect. And yet, you simply reacted nonchntly with an oh? What the heck do you mean by that? It is as if you had just heard of someone insignificant Noticing the other partys intent gaze, Zhang Xuan asked, "Whats wrong?" "Nothing!" Seeing the other partys innocent look, Lu Zhan felt the world spinning around him. Only then did he realize that the young man wasnt feigning it. He was truly unaware of Elder Lius standing and identity. Suppressing his helplessness, he internally decided that he would hold a remedial lesson for Brother Zhang to brush up his knowledge of herbs. However, at that moment, the other party said a few words which left him frenzied once more. "That old fellows skill iscking, he wont be able to cure the Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" Turning his head, he saw the young man shaking his head in disappointment as he looked at Elder Liu. Shaking your head? Disappointed? Lu Zhan felt as though all of his blood was gushing into his chest, and the final thread of sanity that had been keeping him grounded snapped. What the heck are you disappointed about?! You might be a master teacher, but you clearly know nothing about herbology at all. Elder Liu is a great herbologist well respected by those in the field, and even if he is unable to cure the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, do you have any rights to be disappointed in him? Not to mention... that tone! To be speaking of him as though he is your junior... Big brother, where did youe from? Can you not be so arrogant and haughty? While Lu Zhan was about to faint from insanity, Elder Liu had finally finished circling around the thick vine. "The soil, water, air, and nutrition are all alright... What is going on?" Elder Liu frowned in confusion. Given his deep understanding of medicinal herbs, he was able to gauge whether the quality of soil, water, and such were fine just by looking at them. Those factors that could affect the healthy growth of the vine were all impable, and there was nothing toin about them. Even so, the giant Earth Vein Spirit Vine was still dying. This bizarre situation had left him truly stumped. After contemting for a moment, Elder Liu asked, "Garden Owner Xue, could it be that this Earth Vein Spirit Vine hase to the end of its lifespan?" Garden Owner Xue shook her head. "End of its lifespan? Thats impossible! Earth Vein Spirit Vine can live more than a thousand years, and this spirit vine has only lived for slightly more than a hundred years. How could it have reached the end of its lifespan already?" She had considered this possibility as well and analyzed the possibility. However, the vine was clearly pulsating with vitality, and the factors indicating that one had reached the end of its lifespan were all missing from the vine. "Besides, even if its lifespan has reached its limit, it should slowly wither away from its stem. However, the leaves are turning yellow first instead of its veins. Clearly, its lifespan isnt up yet!" "Youre right!" Hearing the other partys analysis, Elder Liu couldnt help but shake his head, "Pardon myck of wisdom but I am really unable to find the root of the problem." "Thank you for your effort, Elder Liu!" Seeing that Elder Liu was helpless before this matter, Garden Owner Xues eyes darkened. Even so, she still replied politely. "I apologize for being of no help!" Elder Liu backed down and fell into deep thought. It seemed like this problem had truly left him stumped. "Even Elder Liu is unable to solve the problem?" Seeing Elder Liu admit that he was helpless before the matter, Lu Zhan suddenly recalled the young mans words and he widened his eyes in shock. Did Brother Zhang happen to be right or did he really possess the eye of discernment to gauge that Elder Liu was unable to treat the Earth Vein Spirit Vine? Wasnt hepletely unknowledgeable about herbology? "Since Elder Liu is unable to do it, I doubt that I can be of help as well. Still, I wish to give it a try!" Elder Lu stepped forward. Walking up to the vine, he knocked on several ces carefully and tore off a part of the skin to analyze. After pondering for a long moment, he eventually shook his head and backed down, just like Elder Liu. Havinge into contact with medicinal herbs for so many years, they were well-versed with themon illnesses of the herbs. However, they had never seen an illness like that with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine before, and naturally, they were unable to find a solution for it. After the two most qualified elders failed, a few others stepped forward to give a look and offered some advice, but all of this advice was turned down by Garden Owner Xue. The ideas they proposed were normal and she had already tried them already, but to no avail. Two hourster, all of the herbologists and garden owners had already given it a try but were helpless before the situation. There were some of the younger generation who hadnt given it a try yet but most of them were only apanying their elders to or to expand their horizon. As their level of skill paled to the others, they werent able toe up with a feasible solution either. "Does anyone else have any ideas?" Seeing that no one could solve the problem despite inviting so many herbologists here, Garden Owner Xues disappointment deepened. "I cant think of anything else already!" "Garden Owner Xue has already tested all of the ideas I can think of. This really seems hopeless!" "Since even Elder Liu, Elder Lu, and Garden Owner Xue are helpless before this matter, how can wee up with a better solution..." "Its no wonder why Garden Owner Xue is offering such a generouspensation. Indeed, it wont be easy to win herpensation!" ... Hearing Garden Owner Xues words, everyone shook their heads. Most people had given the Earth Vein Spirit Vine a look but its affliction had surpassed their level of understanding. Even herbologists who had immersed themselves in the art for many years were unable to understand the situation at all, and they were stumped. "Alright, Ive troubled everyone. A banquet is prepared at the hall so do have some food before you leave..." Seeing that no one else had any idea, Garden Owner Xue shook her head. Since shed invited everyone here in the name of a banquet, naturally, she had prepared some delicious food and fine wine. "I wasnt able to be of help and I feel embarrassed by my powerlessness. I think I shall pass on the banquet..." "I still have matter at home to attend to, so Ill be leaving first..." Even though Garden Owner Xue was being hospitable, everyonesplexion didnt seem too well. But that was to be expected, everyone here was a celebrity among herbologists, and yet, despite putting their heads together, they were unable to even find the cause of the illness. It was no wonder why they felt embarrassed. "The illness of this Earth Vein Spirit Vine is indeed a little bizarre. Its not a big deal that you arent able to find its affliction. After all, Im the same as well. I hope that you all can remain and have your meal before leaving. Also, I happen to have something to ask of you all..." Seeing the embarrassed expression on everyones faces, Garden Owner Xue immediately understood what they were thinking and consoled them. Just as she was about to continue speaking, she suddenly froze. "That gongzi over there, what are you doing?" Hearing her words, everyone immediately turned their gaze over and saw a young man standing before the thick vines. He stretched out his hand and touched it lightly. After which, he walked around the vine once and went on to touch a few more valuable medicinal herbs beforeing to a stop. "What is he doing?" Everyone was dumbstruck. Medicinal herbs needed a unique environment to grow. In fact, there were some medicinal herbs that were exceptionally sensitive and abhor a humans touch. As such, none of the crowd approached the Earth Vein Spirit Vine to touch it. Even if they did, they were all wearing gloves. After all, depending on the cultivation technique that the person cultivated, there was a possibility that ones touch might cause some unintended reaction with the medicinal herb, resulting in an unimaginable situation. There was once a yang attribute expert who touched a yin attribute medicinal herb, and the medicinal herb withered on the spot. That was also the reason why herbologists cultivated neutral cultivation techniques. Even all of the herbologists were keeping their distance from the Earth Vein Spirit Vine for fear to exacerbating the situation and yet, this fellow actually dared to sneak forward to touch it without any fear... What the hell? Dont you know the basic rules? Chapter 523: Are You a Pig? Chapter 523: Are You a Pig? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While everyone was dumbstruck, Lu Zhan leaped in shock and nearly fainted on the spot. Others might not know that young man, but he had been talking to him just a moment ago. Why... in a moment when his attention was elsewhere, the other party began walking casually around the herb garden, touching things randomly? Even though you know nothing about herbology, you could ask me about it! Even if you dont have any questions to ask, surely you should have noticed that no one is wandering about and deduced something from it. Its one thing for you to touch the Earth Vein Spirit Vine-that thing is humongous, and it probably wont die even if you sh it with all of your might. However... those spirit medicinal herbs are a huge taboo! Anxious, Lu Zhan racked his brain to find an excuse for the other party when thetter turned around, pped his hands, and looked at the crowd nonchntly. "Oh, Im just trying to see if I can find a way to treat this Earth Vein Spirit Vine!" "Treat?" Lu Zhan spurted blood. Alright, I know that even a 4-star master teacher is fearful of you. However... after our previous conversation, it couldnt be more clear that you dont know a single thing about herbology. If one can find a solution just by touching a few things here and there, we, herbologists, would have lost our job long ago! If youre curious, just say it! Why must you spout such an obvious lie? Cant you see that so many people here are stumped by the issue already? "What arrogant words!" "Who do you think you are to be spouting such haughty words here? If its that easy to treat the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, Elder Liu, Elder Lu, and the others would have long given suggestions. Do you think that a small brat like you has the right to butt in?" "Where did this fellowe from? Garden Owner Chen, is he one of your men?" "I dont know him..." As expected, upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, a huge uproar was immediately generated. So many master herbologists were unable to determine the illness at all, what can a fellow like you who hasnt even reached twenty yet possibly notice? Braggart! Garden Owner Xue was also taken aback. A frown appeared on her forehead and she looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully, "Did you uncover anything?" "I did find something, but... I might require Garden Owner Xues assistance on this matter," the young man said. "Assistance? Feel free to speak. As long as its within my means, Ill do it!" Garden Owner Xue nodded her head. Even though she shared the same sentiments as the crowd-she didnt think that this young man would be able to aplish anything-she still wanted to give it a try. "Good..." The young man chuckled sheepishly and said, "Can you... execute a punching routine for me?" "Punching routine?" Garden Owner Xue was taken aback. The others in the area were also bbergasted. Of all requests, they never thought that he would get Garden Owner Xue to execute a punching routine! Arent we here to look at the Earth Vein Spirit Vine? What are you asking the owner to execute a punching routine for? Why does it sound like you are fooling with a monkey instead... If you execute a punching routine, Ill give you a peach... "Audacious! How dare you tease the garden owner?" "Youre courting death!" Hula! Some of the younger herbologists immediately rushed up. Garden Owner Xue was a famous figure even within the entire Myriad Kingdom City, not to mention, she was the owner of the number one herb garden. To ask her to execute a punching routine all of a sudden... Are you trying to make fun of her? "Everyone, calm down. There must be some kind of misunderstanding here..." Lu Zhan hurriedly stepped forward and intervened. Brother Zhang was a person who was likely to be a 4-star master teacher. Putting everyone else aside, even his grandfather couldnt afford to offend the other party. A young man harrumphed furiously. "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding can there be? What does treating the Earth Vein Spirit Vine have to do with getting Garden Owner Xue to execute a punching routine?" "This..." Lu Zhan was also baffled by that as well. Thus, he turned his sight to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Zhang shi, what is going on..." "Oh, I have a rough idea of the symptom of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine and I would like to double confirm my conjecture. Itll do as long as Garden Owner Xue executes a punching routine for me," Zhang Xuan said. After assessing the Earth Vein Spirit Vine with the Eye of Insight for so long, he came to the same conclusion as the crowd-the spirit vein wasnt ill. Helpless, he chose to step forward and touch it. Through the Library of Heavens Path, he finally found out what was wrong with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. Thus, he continued to touch a few more medicinal herbs and he realized that they were suffering from the same affliction as well. It was after deducing something from all of this evidence that he decided to make such a request. "Zhang shi?" Hearing the address, everyone frowned. "Yes, Brother Zhang is a master teacher. He must have his own reasons for doing all of this..." Lu Zhan hurriedly said. "Master teacher?" Taken aback, all eyes swiftly shot to Zhang Xuan. Since the other party was a master teacher, in consideration of his identity, he shouldnt spout any nonsense! Also, it was perfectly normal for a master teacher to ask others to disy their cultivation technique to him. Just that... they still couldnt understand what did this have to do with the illness of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. "Alright!" Knowing the other party was a master teacher, even though Garden Owner Xue was slightly skeptical at the other partys purpose, she still chose to nod her head. Driving her zhenqi, her fistshed out. Pi pa! A deafening sonic boom sounded as the air which waspressed by the immense might of her fist exploded. A huge gust of wind blew at the crowd, nearly sending them tumbling into the distance. Even though it was a punch infused with energy from the environment, it was no simple feat topress air to the point of forming a sonic boom with just an ordinary punch. At the very least, most Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts were incapable of such. It was no wonder why the other party was so feared by Alliance Head Zhao. The strength of this Garden Owner Xue was indeed formidable! "Is this alright?" After executing her fist, Garden Owner Xue retracted her fist and looked at Zhang Xuan quietly. "Un!" Zhang Xuan replied, seemingly confirmed something. Then, shaking his head, he looked at Garden Owner Xue with a sympathetic gaze, "I know the problem your Earth Vein Spirit Vine is suffering from! But before that, I would like to ask you..." Garden Owner Xue and everyone immediately turned their gazes over. They had examined the Earth Vein Spirit Vine for so long, but they were still unable to tell what was wrong with it. On the other hand, the master teacher before them came to a conclusion just by viewing the garden owners punching routine... Are you for real? Everyone pricked their ears in fear that they would miss out a single word that the young man would say. Following which, they heard a slightlymenting voice sounded, "Are you... a pig?" Pu! Garden Owner Xues body swayed and she nearly exploded. "What did you say?" Hong long! Her aura suddenly surged as if a spark of me had ignited a pot of hot oil. She was a renowned expert of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the garden owner of the Western Herb Garden. Even a master teacher wasnt permitted to humiliate her like that! "He said that Garden Owner Xue is a pig?" "Arent master teachers known for being reliable and courteous?" "Ive no idea either..." ... The crowd widened their eyes in shock, and they nearly turned mad. To insult Garden Owner Xue by calling her a pig, this fellows guts sure wasnt just extraordinarily big, it was about to break through the heavens! Lu Zhan also nearly bit his own tongue. I could mediate the matter regarding you touching the medicinal herbs by exining that youre a master teacher. But now that youve insulted the garden owner publicly, how do you expect me to clean up your mess? If only I knew you were such a fiery figure, I would have never approached you... Now, all he could hope was for Garden Owner Xue not to me the matter on the Lu n as well... Song Chao, who had followed behind the crowd in hopes of exchanging the coffin back for his middle-tier spirit stone, also froze. As a 4-star master teacher, his eye of discernment was extraordinary. Even though Garden Owner Xue had only disyed a single move, he could tell that thetters fighting prowess was impressive. Even the elders of his sect would find it hard to triumph over her! To say that such an expert was a pig... Zhang shi sure dared to shoot his mouth. There were many different reactions from the crowd, but one thought they shared inmon was that the young man before them was a lunatic. "Allow me to finish my words first!" Even though Garden Owner Xue was already on the verge of snapping, Zhang Xuan didnt seem worried in the least. Instead, he nonchntly waved his hands and pointed at the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. "If Im not mistaken, you often cultivate here, right?" "Thats right!" Garden Owner Xue replied. However, her rage wasnt cated yet. If it wasnt in consideration of the other partys identity as a master teacher, she would have charged forward and killed the other party with a p long ago. Due to the innumerable spirit herbs in the herb field, cultivating here could calm ones mind and make it easier for one to achieve a breakthrough. "You mean that the issue with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine is rted with my cultivation?" Frowning, Garden Owner Xue harrumphed. "Not only is it rted, it is the root of the problem!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Let me tell you the true problem with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. It is not it is ill, neither is it manifested with bugs, and it definitely isnt at the end of its lifespan... What it is suffering from was loss of spirit and soul!" "Loss of spirit and soul?" Everyone was taken aback. Zhang Xuan exined, "All sentient beings in the world possess spirit, and a spirit herb, just like Spirit-tier weapons, possesses spirit. As the centerpiece of the herb garden, if the Earth Vein Spirit Vine doesnt possess a spirit, how do you think its able to allocate the required nutrients to each individual medicinal herb urately?" Everyone nodded their heads. Upon reaching Spirit-tier, weapons, tools, and even medicinal herb would gain spirit. This was how the term spirit herb came about. It was precisely due to the possession of spirit that they would reject cultivators whose zhenqi didnt align with them, grow faster upon hearing and seeing melodies and dances that delighted them, and discern whether one was a maiden... "Without spirit, the Earth Vein Spirit Vine would have lost an important part of itself. Under such circumstances, it is inevitable that it would carry an aura of death." "A spirit herb losing its spirit is equivalent to a human losing its soul, so I can understand why the Earth Vein Spirit Vine is on the verge of death... But what does it have to do with Garden Owner Xues cultivation?" Everyone was perplexed. Instead of answering the question, Zhang Xuan turned to Garden Owner Xue and said, "If Im not mistaken, Garden Owner Xue has been stuck in Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm for at least seven to eight decades already!" "Eighty-seven years!" Garden Owner Xue nodded her head. "Having been stuck in the same realm for eighty-seven years, it would be a lie if one were to say that one is not interested in making a breakthrough! However, Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm is the first difficult hurdle of the 9 dans of the Transcendent Mortal stage. It requires ones soul to bepletely harmonized with the surroundings and achieving consonance to aplish a breakthrough! The reason why Garden Owner Xue has been stuck in the same realm is not due to herck of talent but that her soul... is damaged!" Zhang Xuan said. "Y-you... how did you know?" Garden Owner Xues body abruptly stiffened upon hearing those words. She was still extremely furious a moment ago, ready to ughter the fellow before her at any moment. However, upon hearing those words, the zhenqi that she had gathered abruptly dissipated out of shock. Her soul was indeed damaged. Otherwise, given her talent, she would have long achieved a breakthrough. She wouldnt have been stuck in the same realm for eighty-seven years! But... this matter was a secret which she had never told anyone about. How in the world did the young man before her learn of it? "It doesnt matter how I know of that matter! Even though your soul is damaged, you didnt give up like everyone else. Rather, you sought to repair the damage through different means! "It seemed like you heard rumors that the spirit contained within spirit herbs could heal the damage and so, you created this herb garden and cultivated medicinal herbs. The reason why you refused to sell them is so that you can absorb the spirit contained within them to mend the tear in your soul! "Your persistence is admirable, but you went down the wrong path right from the start! If the spirit of a medicinal herb could make up for the deficiencies in a human... Wouldnt that mean that anyone and everyone could reach Consonant Spirit realm?" Zhang Xuan looked at Garden Owner Xue with a look of disappointment. "Despite being a master herbologist; despite living beside spirit herbs for so long, you were unable to see through this fact... "What else can you be... if not a pig?" Chapter 524: Treating the Spirit Vine Chapter 524: Treating the Spirit Vine Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I..." Garden Owner Xues face flushed red. She wanted tosh out, but she couldnt find a word to say. As the number one garden owner of Myriad Kingdom City, her level ofprehension toward medicinal herbs was in no way inferior to Elder Liu and Elder Lu, or perhaps, she might even be above them. This was precisely the reason why no one thought well of the situation after learning that even she was helpless before the problem of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. Spirit herb and Spirit tools; even though there was a spirit in their names, they were different from the souls of humans. Even though unique spirit herbs could nourish ones soul, there had never been a case where one could heal ones soul through absorbing the spirit contained within a spirit herb. The nature of the two werepletely different from the start. It was just like how one couldnt expect a tiger to feast on grass like a goat when its hungry! "This..." The crowd was astonished. Garden Owner Xue was the most knowledgeable herbologist of their group, how could she possibly make such a fundamental error? It was no wonder why she refused to sell the medicinal herbs which she had nurtured. So, this was the reason! Since she hoped to heal her wounded soul through the spirit of the medicinal herbs, naturally, the more spirit herbs there were, the more effective the treatment should be. To a cultivator, there was no price too great to reach the Consonant Spirit realm! Just that, these were all her deepest secrets... How did this fellow learn of it? Everyone had examined the situation for so long but they were unable to uncover the problem with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. It was alsopletely out of their imagination that Garden Owner Xue would act like this... Just by touching the vine and watching a punching routine from Garden Owner Xue, that young man was actually able to deduce so much... Could things get any more exaggerated! Lu Zhan and Song Chaos eyes were alsopletely widened. They both knew that Zhang Xuan was a capable master teacher, but they never thought that he would be that formidable. "When Garden Owner Xue first entered the banquet hall, I had already noticed that something was amiss. Judging from her zhenqi and vitality, she should only be in her early hundreds. Its normal for a woman to value her appearance, and under normal circumstances, she should have never looked that old... Unless there was something causing it!" Zhang Xuan continued, "Thus, I paid close attention to the punching routine she executed just now. If Im not mistaken, the fist art used was Great Heliacal Punch. Going by the conventional zhenqi pathway for the technique, ones zhenqi should gush out from the Baixin acupoint. Yet, she deviated slightly such that the zhenqi came out from her Zhangxin acupoint instead. "As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, her grasp of cultivation should have already reached an incredible level. As such, there is only one exnation behind this peculiarity... Her Huiming acupoint is damaged, causing her to be unable to discern between the minute differences in her acupoints. Huiming is an acupoint governing ones perception, and it is one of the most important acupoints that determining the wholeness of ones soul. Since its damaged, naturally, her soul must be damaged as well! "I believe everyone should have seen the Earth Vein Spirit Vine for themselves. It isnt ill, and it isnt infested with bugs either. Yet, its withering, and nothing seemed to work on it. At the very start, I also didnt think that it might be due to its spirit being absorbed until I saw the area where I deduced to be where Garden Owner Xue often cultivates." At which, Zhang Xuan pointed toward the area where he touched the medicinal herbs previously. Everyone turned their gazes over. The grass growing in that area was both lush and green, seemingly faring much better than anywhere else in the herb field. "I believe everyone can see that the grass in that area is growing much better than anywhere else in the herb field. When cultivating, spiritual energy would be drawn into ones surroundings, which would in turn nourish the nts in the area and allow them to grow better. However... take a look at this!" Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand toward the grass. Hu! The grass seemed to have seen something fearsome and despite theck of wind, they hurriedly avoided his hand. "This is just ordinary grass that can be found everywhere. It shouldnt possess any spirit and yet, it is now avoiding my hand on its own ord... From this, it can be deduced that someone has been absorbing spirit from the medicinal herbs, thus granting even ordinary nts like this to possess the ability to avoid harm!" Chuckling lightly, "With this, it isnt too difficult to deduce the rest!" "This..." "As expected of a master teacher, what frightening eye of discernment..." Hearing the other partys exnation, everyone couldnt help but feel awed. They had long heard of a master teachers fearsome discernment ability, and from the looks of it now, they indeed lived up to their name. With just a punching routine and a field of grass, the other party was able to deduce the entire story... If not for the fact that they were witnessing this situation for themselves, they would have never dared believe this to be possible. "This..." Song Chao swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and his face turned pale. The other partys deduction waspletely rational, and he couldnt find any problem with it. While the other party had spoken of it easily, he knew that it was no easy feat to do so. Even a 4-star master teacher like him was incapable of doing the same! In fact, even his teacher and the elders of his sect couldnt possibly tell so much with just a nce. To uncover the root of the problem through examining insignificant details like this... Linking up all of the evidences to put together a whole picture... Not to mention, they had to fit together perfectly... Was this fellow actually a seer? Even a 5-star master teacher should be incapable of doing so! Or... could the fellow before him actually be a 5-star master teacher? That would exin why he fell for the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will easily! Only now did he realize that there was a huge gap between him and this Zhang Xuan! Song Chao was depressed. "It seems like itll be impossible for me to take back my middle-tier spirit stone. If I were really to ask him for it, I might even lose those low-tier spirit stones of mine..." He was beguiled every single time he tried to approach the other party. He was afraid that not only would he fail to get back his middle-tier spirit stone, all of the fortune that he had raked up with great difficulty might even be swiped clean. "Forget it, I should just bring this coffin back. Perhaps, if the elder is happy with this, I might be able to recoup my losses..." Zhang Xuans means had truly left Song Chao terrified. But at the same time, he was also earnestly impressed by the other party as well. To be able to deduce the entire situation with just a few minor clues, as expected of a master teacher who could beguile him. ... While everyone was overwhelmed by shock, Garden Owner Xues body was trembling violently in disbelief, "I found that method in an ancient book, and throughout the years, the damage on my soul has indeed alleviated a bit..." Back then, when her soul was injured, she was doomed to be unable to reach Consonant Spirit realm in her entire life. However, she didnt believe it, and after flipping through innumerable ancient texts, she finally found the method of absorbing spirit from medicinal herbs to nourish her own soul... Even though she carried her doubts to the feasibility of the solution, she had no other better alternatives. Besides, after years of hard work, her damaged soul had indeed recovered to a small extent. "Alleviated a bit?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Arent you still very far from making a full recovery? Do you think that you can live for another eighty years?" Garden Owner Xues body trembled. There was a limit to the lifespan of a Transcendent Mortal expert. Being beyond hundred, she had already lived half of her lifespan. At the rate which she was recovering at, could her soul possibly make a full recovery before shees to an end of her lifespan? Even if it did, what use would it be when she was already knocking on deaths door? Then... what was the use of it in the first ce? "I was wrong..." All along, Garden Owner Xue had been thinking of how she could heal her own soul and attempt to break into the Consonant Spirit realm. However, at this moment, she finally realized that it was nothing more than a pipe dream. Consonant Spirit realm was destined to be beyond her reach. Shaking her head, she seemed to have suddenly aged decade in an instant. Seeing her state, even though everyone felt sympathy, they couldnt find any suitable words to console her. She had driven herself with this faith for eighty years, and yet, her bubble was burst in an instant. No one could take such a blow lightly. After a long period of time, Garden Owner Xue finally pulled herself together and asked the young man before her, "Zhang shi, is there any way to save this Earth Vein Spirit Vine?" Since the other party was able to determine the problem with a nce, perhaps he might have a solution for the problem. Since her fate was sealed, she decided not to struggle any longer. However, this herb garden had apanied her for more than half of her life. She didnt want to see it destroyed just like that. "As you have cultivated here frequently over many years, this vine is nothing more than an empty shell now. Itll be difficult to revert it back to its original state! However, I do have a solution in mind, but it will be expensive!" Zhang Xuan said. If it was before the trip to the soul oracle tomb, given his limited understanding of souls then, it would indeed be difficult for him to deal with such a problem. However, after attaining Mo Hunshengs lifetime worth of knowledge andprehension, his understanding toward souls had reached an extremely profound level. Even though the Earth Vein Spirit Vine was on the verge of dying, he was still able to treat it. Just that, it might take a little more effort. Upon hearing that there was hope, Garden Owner Xue hurriedly said in agitation, "As long as you can save it, Im willing to pay any price!" Everyone else also turned their gazes over. Even expert herbologists like them had never heard that a spirit herb losing its spirit could be treated. Thus, they were intent to learn a thing or two from this. "The solution is actually quite simple... grafting!" Zhang Xuan said. "Grafting?" Everyone was perplexed. As herbologists, the term grafting wasnt foreign to them. It consisted of imnting a bud onto the stem of another nt to form a whole nt. Many new spirit herbs were created through this mean. "Thats right. nts can be grafted, spirits are the same as well!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly, "As long as you can find another Earth Vein Spirit Vine bud with intact spirit and graft it to this spirit vein, over time, the spirit of the bud will fuse together with the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine, thus forming one entity. If the grafting seeded, the two nts would be one, and the spirit of the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine would be replenished. "However... Given the normal rate of growth of Earth Vein Spirit Vines, itll be hard to seed without decades passing. By then, all of the medicinal herbs in your herb garden would have long died... Thus, the growth of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine must be hastened, and the price of doing so will be extremely heavy!" The concept of grafting was simple in theory, but it was terribly difficult in practice. Firstly, the imntation of the spirit from the bud onto the Earth Vein Spirit Vine would already require the ability of a soul oracle, thus making it out of question for almost all herbologists. Also, during the fusing process, one had to ensure that the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine would not reject the bud. In truth, this grafting was no different from possession. Even though the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine was empty at the moment, it would still be difficult for the immature spirit of a bud to possess the body of such a huge vein. It was just like an ant trying to pull a carriage. And the price for hastening the growth of the spirit would be extremely hefty. "What do you need? Ill prepare it all now!" Garden Owner Xue gritted her teeth. If the Earth Vein Spirit Vine were to die, all of the medicinal herbs in the herb garden would die. Her loss would only be greater then. "An Earth Vein Spirit Vine bud, fifty medicinal herbs with at least a hundred years of maturity, ten buckets of Stemless Water..." Zhang Xuan began reciting the things he required for the operation. Hearing those words, the crowd stared at one another with an awfulplexion. The price was indeed a heavy one to pay. Ordinary herbologist ns would surely be unable to take out all of these things, let alone, use them to save a single nt. "Alright, Ill prepare them now!" Hearing the items that were required, Garden Owner Xues eyebrows twitched as well. Even so, it was still within an eptable range for her. "Wait a moment..." Just as she was about to prepare the goods, the young mans voice sounded once more. "Prepare a Sentiment Drowning Flower as well. Itll be best if it has a maturity of five hundred years and above. Also, bring as many middle-tier spirit stones as you can!" Chapter 525: Nurturing Soulrouse Grass—Success! Chapter 525: Nurturing Soulrouse GrassSess! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Sentiment Drowning Flower? Alright!" Garden Owner Xue nodded. But soon, her face reddened in embarrassment as she said, "As for middle-tier spirit stone, I only have one here..." She had a few Sentiment Drowning Flowers in her herb garden, and the oldest one had already reached a maturity of seven hundred years. However, as for middle-tier spirit stones... even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert like her only had one in her possession. Only a Tier 2 Empire like Huanyu Empire had the rights to trade a spirit stone of that tier. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance usually traded using low-tier spirit stones. Even the royal family could only take out a few pieces at once, let alone, her. "Only one? One is fine as well!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The Sentiment Drowning Flower was for his personal interest, but the middle-tier spirit stone wasnt. For the spirit of a weak nt to grow swiftly, the pure spiritual energy in a middle-tier spirit stone was a necessity. If he were to only use low-tier spirit stones, the process would take significantly longer. "Ill go make the preparations now!" Garden Owner Xue hurriedly left. Soon, she returned. It would be difficult for others to gather the items that Zhang Xuan had asked for, and it would be impossible to do so without several months of effort. However, as the number one herb garden in Myriad Kingdom City, the herb garden had nearly all of the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan needed. As such, it didnt take too long for her to gather it all. In fact, she even managed to find a bud of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. "I require absolute tranquility for my treatment. Garden Owner Xue, Ill have to ask you to invite everyone out of the premises!" Seeing that everything was prepared, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Grafting the spirit of the bud onto the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine would require him to use the ability of a soul oracle. Even though its inheritance had already terminated long ago and very few would be able to recognize it, Zhang Xuan felt that it would be better to be safe than sorry. "Yes!" Garden Owner Xue knew that such means tended to be an exclusive secret, and it was normal for one to be unwilling to show it in public. Thus, she nodded her head and led the group out of the herb field. Only after seeing that everyone had left did Zhang Xuan heave a huge sigh of relief. Looking at the spirit vine bud before him, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul and began the treatment. ... "Why is Zhang shi not out yet? Do you think that hell be able to get the Sentiment Drowning Flower?" In the banquet hall, Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai walked about nervously, shooting nces at the herb field from time to time. Only herbologists and master teachers were allowed to enter the spirit field. As Zhang shis apaniment, they werent permitted entry. As such, they could only wait outside. Who knew that this wait would take five to six hours. The sky had already set but he hadnt returned yet. This had left them anxious and worried. Jin Conghai hesitated for a moment before saying, "It should be fine... After all, hes Zhang shi!" Ever since hed be acquainted with that young man, no matter what the other party did, he would be able to aplish it easily. He truly made one suspect whether there was anything he was incapable of. "I know Zhang shis capability but... Garden Owner Xues entric personality is well-known throughout the capital. She doesnt even hesitate to disregard father. Considering that an issue had cropped up with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, she must be even more anxious now. It probably wont be easy for him to purchase the required medicinal herb from her under such circumstances... Im afraid that, as soon as Zhang shi speaks, the other party might chase him out straight away!" Even though Zhao Feiwu admired Zhang shis capability, she was still worried for thetter. After all, this Garden Owner Xue was someone who couldnt be forced to do anything. Everything was based on her mood; if she was in good mood, she could sell you anything you wish for as long as you had to money to pay her... But given that her entire herb field was on the verge of dying, her mood must be terrible. It would be highly difficult for Zhang shi to purchase medicinal herbs from her. Perhaps, Zhang shi might even be chased out before he got a chance to speak. After all, such things had happened before. This was exactly what happened with the envoy of the Alliance Head Residence back then. "That... Now that you speak of it, it does seem possible..." Worry also shed across Jin Conghais eyes. "Zhang shi seems determined to obtain that Sentiment Drowning Flower. If ites down to it, Ill plead with my father to help him. With his help, Garden Owner Xue should probably... at least give it some thought..." A momentter, after seeing that Zhang Xuan wasnt back then, Zhao Feiwu couldnt help but dere. But even she was unconfident about the matter. After all, if her fathers name was effective, the envoy wouldnt have been chased out back then. Garden Owner Xue was powerful and didnt give in to threat or persuasion. Even though Zhao Feiwu tended to be witty when dealing such matters, she couldnt find a single solution to this problem. Before absolute power, all strategy was meaningless. "We can only hope so... Look, someone ising!" Jin Conghai nodded. Just as he was about to console Zhao Feiwu, he suddenly caught sight of a figure before him and pointed. A silhouette was slowly walking toward the banquet hall. "Its Zhang shi..." It was the person whom they had been talking about all this while, Zhang Xuan. "Without a doubt, he must have been chased out..." Seeing him appear alone, Zhao Feiwu said bitterly before walking up to him with Jin Conghai. "Zhang shi, youre out. Dont worry about being unable to get the Sentiment Drowning Flower. Ill help you plead with my father to stand up for you..." Seeing the pale and wearied face of the young man before her, Zhao Feiwu deduced that he must have suffered great humiliation and hurriedly consoled. "Indeed! Garden Owner Xue is known for being entric and difficult so you need not worry too much about it..." Jin Conghai said. "Ah?" Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, he ended up being consoled by the duo. He didnt know whether he should cry orugh at this situation. Just as he was about to exin what truly happened, some hurried footsteps suddenly sounded. Garden Owner Xue and a few other people rushed into the banquet hall. "What do you all intend to do?" Seeing the anxious look on their faces, Jin Conghai hurried stepped forward to shield Zhang Xuan and the princess. "Zhang shi, here is a hundred medicinal herbs with a maturity of five hundred years. Its a token of my appreciation so do ept it. Furthermore, from today onward, you shall be an eternal friend of my Western Herb Garden. If you have anything you need, feel free to speak. Ill supply you everything within my means for free!" Disregarding the anxious Jin Conghai, Garden Owner Xue walked up to Zhang Xuan, bowed deeply, and passed a storage ring over. "Eternal friend?" "Free?" Seeing the entric Garden Owner Xue who dared to even snub the Alliance Head Residence bowing to Zhang Xuan and even gifting him with medicinal herbs, Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghais eyes widened in shock. What in the world happened... Wasnt this fellow supposed to be an incredibly obstinate person? Why did she suddenly... bow as though a humble student, even going to the extent of gifting so many precious herbs? "Compared to Zhang shi, our proficiency as herbologists is indeedcking!" "Its all thanks to Zhang shis credit that the Earth Vein Spirit Vine was revived!" Just as they were perplexed over what was going on, they suddenly heard the discussion of the returning crowd. "Zhang shi... has cured the Earth Vein Spirit Vine?" Coming to a realization, the duo stared at one another frenziedly. They had heard Zhang shis discussion with Lu Zhan previously. For a fellow who didnt even know what a herbologist was to fix the Earth Vein Spirit Vine which stumped even the master herbologists... Why did it sound like something that came out from a novel? ... "Not only did Zhang shi manage to buy the Sentiment Drowning Flower, he was even escorted out of the herb garden by Garden Owner Xue, and thetter promised to supply him with whatever medicinal herbs he needed in the future... On top of that, you said that he treated the Earth Vein Spirit Vine?" In the Alliance Head Residence, Alliance Head Zhao widened his eyes in shock as he heard the report from his daughter and Jin Conghai. For a very long time, he was unable to recover from his shock... ... Seated cross-legged within a room, Zhang Xuan stared at the crimson flower before him. A fresh Sentiment Drowning Flower with a maturity of seven hundred years! With sufficient medicinal herbs and the means of a soul oracle, it wasnt too difficult to graft the spirit vine bud onto the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine. Naturally, after he seeded, Garden Owner Xue immediately thanked him profusely. His motive at the herb garden this time around was the Sentiment Drowning Grass. After obtaining what he needed, he immediately returned back to the Alliance Head Residence with Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai and shut himself within a room in the lodgings that Zhao Feiwu prepared for him. It was an average-sized residence, but it was very close to the Alliance Head Residence. There were guards, servants, and maids residing in the residence so Sun Qiang was spared the additional effort of hiring them. After arranging a resting spot for the Demon Cinque Beast, Zhang Xuan returned back to his room and took out the Sentiment Drowning Flower. "I have to draw my soul out first!" A soul slowly gushed out from his acupoint. Raising his hand, the flower before his physical body flew to him. "To nurture a Soulrouse Grass, one has to inscribe a formation to gather soul energy on a nt capable of harnessing soul energy... After which, one has to supply soul energy to the nt so hasten its growth..." Recalling the cultivation method of a Soulrouse Grass, Zhang Xuans sight fell on the flower before him. Even though the Sentiment Drowning Flower was a spirit herb, it didnt possess sentience. As such, it was easier for it to house the soul energy of a soul oracle. If it was any other sentient medicinal herb, the herb might be destroyed as soon as he tried to infuse his soul energy into it. Naturally, he would be unable to sessfully nurture a Soulrouse Grass like that. Hu! Driving his soul energy, a powerful energy enveloped the flower, slowly morphing the appearance and shape of the flower. After cultivating the Heavens Path Soul Art, Zhang Xuans soul energy in itself had already reached the level equivalent to the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan cultivator, and that was even above that of his zhenqi cultivation. The cultivation of Soulrouse Grass wasnt easy, but given his current level of soul energy, it wasnt an issue. Thus, he spent three days holed up in his room. Finally, on the fourth day, weng!, the crimson flower before him shook and turned into a white seedling. The nurturing of the Soulrouse Grass was a sess! "Now, I only have to nourish it with my soul energy every day. It should mature within two months!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. The Sentiment Drowning Grass had been sessfully cultivated into a Soulrouse Grass, but as it was still a seedling, it couldnt be used yet. However, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry either. In just one or two months time, it should mature fully. Once he crafts the Soulrouse Incense with it, he would be able to save Lu Chong. The past three days of exerting his soul energy in his room had left him slightly wearied. Returning his soul back to his body, he took out the middle-tier spirit stone he obtained from Song Chao and absorbed it. After he had recovered from his fatigue, he walked out of the room. The sun hung high in the sky, and even before walking into the main hall, Zhang Xuan saw Sun Qiang walking over. "Young master, Su shi and Ling shi are here to meet you." Su shi, Su Fan, and Ling shi, Ling Yuheng, were the two 4-star master teachers whod invited him to participate in the Master Teacher Pavilion back when he was still in Tianwu Kingdom. "How did they know that I was here?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head uponing to a realization. Zhang Xuan hadnt concealed his trail ever since arriving at the Myriad Kingdom City. He even went to the Western Herb Garden to solve the issue surrounding the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. As one of the most powerful organizations in the region, it wasnt difficult for the Master Teacher Pavilion to discover his location. Zhang Xuan had previously said that he would look for them as soon as he arrived at Myriad Kingdom City. However, it had been a few days since his arrival and yet he hadnt gone to the Master Teacher Pavilion yet. Most probably, they were getting impatient and thus they came here looking for him. "Lets go and take a look!" Understanding the situation, Zhang Xuan strode off, heading to the main hall. Chapter 526: Selection Round Chapter 526: Selection Round Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan saw Su shi and Ling shi seated on the chairs by the side. Upon seeing him, the duo seemed visibly relieved. If not for the ruckus he had caused at the herb garden a while ago, they wouldnt have known that Zhang shi was already in the city. As soon as Zhang Xuan entered, Su shi immediately stared at him expectantly and asked, "May I know if... Yang shi is in Myriad Kingdom City as well?" Back in Tianwu Kingdom, Yang shi had helped him reach the seventh cirction of the Miniature Sr Art, thus inducing a huge leap in his cultivation. Even until now, he was still grateful to the other party for his help. Inviting Zhang Xuan over to the Master Teacher Pavilion was only one of the reasons behind his visit. The other one was to meet his benefactor. After all, the other party was a master teacher who was likely to exceed 6-star! Otherwise, there was no need for the two of them toe personally just to meet a 2-star master teacher. "My teacher... is currently wandering around thends. I have no idea where he is either!" Zhang Xuan replied. The teacher Zhang Xuan spoke of was actually referring to Zhang Xuan himself. It was already so difficult for him to fool this duo; given that there were so many experts here, if he were to get caught ying off as Yang shi here, he would surely be a goner. In any case, just the existence of Yang shi itself was sufficient to induce fear in others, there was no need for him to take such a risk. If people were to realize that Yang shi was actually a fake, the entire situation could bacsh on him. Upon hearing that Yang shi wasnt around, Su shi and Ling shi shook their heads in disappointment. However, they soon recovered and said, "In truth, Ling shi and I are here because we have something we require your help on!" "Su shi, please speak!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Its like that. We have invited you to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament before... May I know if Yang shi has talked to you about the matter yet?" Su shi asked. Back then, in Tianwu Kingdom, they had once brought up the matter with Zhang Xuan, but Zhang Xuan seemed to be slightly hesitant about agreeing. In the end, it was Yang shi who epted it in his stead. Even though Yang shi said he would persuade Zhang shi on their behalf, it was best to double confirm the matter before jumping into any conclusion. "My teacher has told me about it! As long as I be the champion, Ill be rewarded with middle-tier spirit stones. Dont worry, Ive agreed to it already!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Cough cough..." Choking on their saliva, Su shi and Ling shi fell speechless. Champion? You sure know how to dream! Twenty-eight powers consisting of innumerable experts. Your talent might be formidable, but they are also geniuses, and not to mention, they have cultivated longer than you. Our motive in looking for you is just in hopes that you could win us a better cing. Even top ten seems out of reach, champion... They would only dare to say such words in their dreams. "Its like that. The Master Teacher Tournament is a battle among the geniuses of the twenty-eight powers, and our Myriad Kingdom Alliance is given the privilege of ying host this year. Pavilion Master Kang hopes for us to get a better ranking this year. Thus... we gathered the top-notch geniuses from throughout thends for them to pit it out in advance and narrow the group down to just two to participate in the tournament..." After hesitating for a moment, Su Fan spoke his motive. "Pit it out in advance?" "Yes. A total of six candidates have been nominated by the elders..." Su shi said. As the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was hosting the Master Teacher Tournament this time around, Pavilion Master Kang regarded this event very highly and he hoped that they could win a much better cing from before. As such, he passed down an order for the elders to nominate the most talented genius they could find, and it was for this purpose that Su shi and Ling shi visited Tianwu Kingdom. However, they werent the only elders in the Master Teacher Pavilion. The others also made their nominations too, and a total of six candidates were chosen. The duo had to spend a lot of effort to confirm Zhang Xuans cing as a candidate as well. Otherwise, given Zhang Xuans identity as a 2-star master teacher, how could he possibly be qualified topete with all the other geniuses? "What you mean is that... you wish for me to participate in an internal selection round conducted by the alliances Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan quickly understood what the other party was driving at. "Thats right. Only two participants from each power are allowed for the Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, theres a need for us to conduct a selection round among the six candidates. The two finalized candidates will be a target of grooming for the Master Teacher Pavilion for the next two months so as to prepare them for the Master Teacher Tournament!" Su shi said. The most practical way of getting a good cing was to train harder. Even if it was ast-minute effort, two months should be sufficient to achieve significant results. After hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. The Master Teacher Tournament was a huge event which the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and twenty-seven other powers were involved with. Even with Su shi and Ling shis rmendations, the alliance couldnt give the slot so easily to him. After all, he came from a humble kingdom. It had only been three months since his rise, and it was extremely normal for him to be doubted by others. Zhang Xuan didnt think much of the situation. In any case, he was also curious to see where he ranked among the geniuses of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. After settling Lu Chongs matter, he would concentrate his effort on cultivating so as to reach 9-star master teacher before thirty. Otherwise, once the Innate Fetal Poison made its move, everything would be for naught. Having read through innumerable books, Zhang Xuan learned that master teachers werent just about strength and capability. Reputation was also of essence. Reputation was credibility, and without a good reputation, how could a master teacher win the trust of others? As such, this was one of the less tangible criteria taken into ount when one was applying for a promotion. And the easiest way to rue reputation was to join the Master Teacher Tournament. Besides, to raise his cultivation, Zhang Xuan needed innumerable cultivation techniques to form the Heavens Path Divine Art and sufficient middle-tier spirit stones. Even though Zhang Xuan was skilled in the art of beguiling, there was a limit to what he could gather through such. If he could achieve incredible results during the Master Teacher Tournament, it should be much easier for him to gather spirit stones. After thinking all of these through, Zhang Xuan had nothing to hesitate about anymore. Thus, he asked, "When does the selection round begin?" "ording to Pavilion Master Kangs intentions, its supposed to be conducted a few days ago. However, you had yet to appear and so, the both of us tried all ways to postpone the selection round. Now that youre here, we can finally begin!" Seeing that the young man before them didnt reject the matter, Su shi and Ling shi heaved a sigh of relief. After all, they had to fight very hard to dy the selection round by several days, and there were many who were displeased by their action. If Zhang Xuan were to really refuse to join the selection round, they would be in trouble. "Is it conducted in the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right!" The duo nodded their heads. "Then lets go over then!" Zhang Xuan stood up. Since he had decided on the matter, there was nothing for him to hesitate about. "Ah..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was in a rush to head over, the duo smiled bitterly, "Zhang shi, hold on for a moment. Allow me to introduce to you the other candidates first. This way, you will be prepared when you meet them! "Of the five candidates, three are from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. The most famous among them is Ruohuan gongzi, Jun Ruohuan. Hes the head of the Four Gentlemen in Myriad Kingdom City, the direct disciple of Pavilion Master Kang. Hes twenty-nine this year, and he passed his 4-star examination at the start of the year, thus making him a full-fledged 4-star primary master teacher!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had seen a 4-star primary master teacher genius before as well-Song Chao. Even though that fellow seemed a little slow-witted before him, as a 4-star master teacher, he surely possessed an astonishing eye of discernment and unbelievable talent. Jun Ruohuan should be the same as well. "After him is the direct disciple of the Master Teacher Pavilions Elder Hai, Fu Xiaochen, Fu shi. He was evaluated as a 3-star pinnacle master teacher two years ago, and since then, he hasnt taken any examinations at all. Thus, no one knows the current extent of his ability. Even so, based on my estimates, he should be on par with Ruohuan gongzi! "These two are the most popr candidates this time around, and thus, they will be your greatestpetitors as well. As for the remaining three, one of them is Elder Fengs disciple while the other two are picked out from the vassal kingdoms under the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. They are all 3-star pinnacle master teachers under thirty as well!" Su shi quickly briefed Zhang Xuan on the background of the other five candidates. "Even the weakest of them is a 3-star pinnacle master teacher?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. One would already be considered as an incredible talent for reaching 2-star beneath thirty in Xuanyuan Kingdom, and yet here, there were five who far exceeded that level, and one of them had even reached 4-star. As expected of the alliance, the center of power and affluence of the innumerable kingdoms. Thinking that Zhang Xuan might have lost his confidence, Su shi consoled, "Indeed, but you need not worry about that. Your master teacher rank might be beneath them, but your eye of discernment and knowledge are in no way inferior to them... I think that you still stand a good chance!" If not for thetters outstanding performance in Tianwu Kingdom previously, the duo wouldnt have gone to such extents of rmending him. After all, an ordinary 2-star master teacher wouldnt stand a chance against that line-up at all. "What will be tested in the Master Teacher Tournament?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. He had only heard briefly about the Master Teacher Tournament from the duo and as such, he didnt know much detail about it. The books he had read also had a limited description on the matter. "You dont know?" The duo was taken aback for a moment before they flew into a frenzy. "Yang shi didnt exin the matter to you?" They had told Yang shi about Zhang shis participation in the Master Teacher Tournament back in Tianwu Kingdom, and so, they thought that Yang shi would at least offer some guidance or advice to Zhang shi beforehand... If that was the case, with the guidance from a 6-star or above master teacher, they would stand a much better chance. But who knew that... After so long, Zhang shi actually knew nothing at all? Are you mistaken? Half of the reason why the duo insisted on having Zhang shi participate in thepetition was because of his outstanding performance, and the other half was due to their trust in Yang shis teaching capability. Since Yang shi had agreed on the matter, surely he wouldnt make his student embarrass himself... But why in the world did Zhang shi not know anything at all? "My teacher hasnt told me anything about it!" Zhang Xuan replied. Hearing the other partys reply, the duo rolled their eyes. Was Yang shi simply that courageous or did he possess absolute trust in his student? Shaking his head, Su shi could only start exining the matter helplessly. "The Master Teacher Tournament assesses a master teacher on his overall capability. The test varies every year but... they are centered around the fundamentals of master teachers, such as Soul Depth, cultivation realm, teaching capability, understanding of cultivation, offering pointers, discerning ws... "In truth, it is simr to a master teacher examination, just that it will be slightly stricter. For example, in a normal master teacher examination, one is considered to have pass the examination just by meeting the passing requirement within a given period of time. On the other hand, the Master Teacher Tournament will gauge one by the duration one takes to aplish a task, and the one who takes the shortest time will be victorious." Zhang Xuan came to a realization. This was extremely simr to thepetitions in his previous life. Take a normal hundred-meter race for example, if A took ten seconds whereas B took three days, naturally, A would be the winner. Under the pressure of time, ones mental fortitude would be put to the test. Often, there were capable master teachers who found themselves unable to perform under such stress. After exining the matter a little longer, Zhang Xuans understanding of the Master Teacher Tournament deepened. In truth, the Master Teacher Tournament was a battlefield where different master teachers pitted their capability against one another, and the strongest one would emerge victorious. As long as ones foundation was strong, one need not fear anything in the tournament. This was the reason why Su shi and Ling shi went through so much trouble to go to Tianwu Kingdom just to recruit Zhang Xuan into their team. After introducing the tournament, Su shi said, "Alright, lets go to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though the tests in the selection round are likely to be different from the real tournament itself, the main idea is still there. This time, Pavilion Master Kang hase up with the tests personally. I think this will be a good experience for you to prepare for the real tournament!" "Un!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan instructed Sun Qiang on several matters before leaving to the Master Teacher Pavilion with the duo. Chapter 527: Pavilion Master Kang Chapter 527: Pavilion Master Kang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion is the headquarter of the Master Teacher Pavilions of the vassal kingdoms under the alliance. It was located at a distance not too far from the Alliance Head Residence, and the group didnt take long to reach their destination. It was a grand building with a majestic hall. As soon as they stepped into the lounge, they immediately saw a massive statue of a person holding onto a scroll and looking into the distance. In his eyes waspassion for all living beings in the world. The sight of the statue removed all negative emotions from one, putting one into a state of calmness. Empyrean Kong shi! Taking a brief scan of the hall, there were at least a hundred people dressed in long robe here. "So many master teachers..." Zhang Xuan was shocked. Those who were qualified to wear the long robe were master teachers who had obtained their emblems. Putting aside the ranks of the master teachers here, just the number of them was already astonishing in itself. One must know that Tianxuan Kingdom didnt even have a single master teacher. And yet, there were over a hundred of them here, and many of them were 2-star as well. As expected of the center of the alliance, the cultural hub for the kingdoms... Fearsome! "Actually, most of those master teachers arent from Myriad Kingdom City. Every month, a 4-star master teacher conducts a lecture at the square outside the Master Teacher Pavilion, and many master teachers visit the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion just for this event," Su shi exined. While the huge amount of resources flowing through Myriad Kingdom City was a reason why the cultivators here were strong, what that yed arger part to that was the presence of high ranked master teachers. The lessons of such master teachers tended to be more insightful, and if one managed to obtain one of their Tutge Jade Token, ones could receive tailored guidance on their cultivation, thus inducing swift improvements. In fact, it could be said that if Myriad Kingdom City didnt have this Master Teacher Pavilion, it would be impossible for so many Transcendent Mortal experts to appear here. Zhang Xuan nodded his head in agreement as he scanned the surroundings. Not only were there many master teachers here, there were also some who came here to study. There were many chambers in the surroundings of the hall, and as long as one was willing to pay a suitable price, one could be given a one-to-one guidance session any time they wished. But of course, the higher ranked a master teacher was, the more expensive the payment would be and the more difficult it would be to make an appointment with them. After all, there were a limited number of 4-star master teachers here, and they couldnt possibly be spending all of their time on teaching others. On top of the chambers, there were also some huge auditoriums within thepound. The poorer cultivators would often attend lectures conducted in the auditoriums instead. Even though the results would be far poorer than a one-to-one guidance session, one could save quite a bit of money through opting for this instead. Thus, it is quite a popr alternative. "2-star Master Teacher Huang Chens Zongshi Realm Introduction Lecture still has two slots. Is there anyone interested in signing up?" "3-star Master Teacher Bai Mus How a Zhizun Advanced Realm Should Battle still has three slots! Its a small ssroom of just ten people, and itll only cost 5 low-tier spirit stones..." Walking through the hall, Zhang Xuan could see quite a lot of people raising a board as they rallied for participants. Written on the board was the name of the master teacher, their master teacher rank, the content, and the timing of their lecture. There were manymon problems that cultivators would meet with in their cultivation, and based on their needs, they would sign up for the lesson they deemed most appropriate for their condition. While those who attended the lesson could copy down and repeat the content of the lecture to another, without the Impartation of Heavens Will, a skill exclusive to only master teachers, the same words would result in very different effects. Otherwise, if one could y the role of a master teacher just by repeating the content of a lecture, master teachers wouldnt be such a prestigious and irreceable upation. "The higher the tier of a kingdom, the greater the standing of a master teacher. In Myriad Kingdom City, even the alliance head would have to treat a 4-star master teacher with utmost respect!" Su shi said as he stroked his beard, his tone carrying a tinge of pride. Being a master teacher was known as the number one upation in the world, and at 4-star, one was already an existence that countless people could only look up to throughout their life. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He knew about the prestigious standing of master teachers as well. If not for the immense standing of this upation shielding him, his astonishing aplishments would surely have caused him to be kidnapped, dissected, and experimented on for research. It was precisely because everyone knew that he was a master teacher and that he had a powerful teacher backing him that they thought it was natural for him to achieve such results. After all, a 6-star master teacher was an existence unimaginable to them. It wouldnt be surprising if a 6-star master teacher was involved in they deemed impossible. "While master teachers enjoy tremendous prestige, they carry a burden equaling it as well. Back then, Kong shi ruled that master teachers have to be a role model to the world and bring enlightenment to everyone, regardless of their background... Over the years, the Master Teacher Pavilion has expanded into all kingdoms, and the strength of the human race has indeed been brought to new heights as well!" Su shi said. While he felt proud, he knew that this was nothing for him to brag about. Rather, tied along together with it was a heavy responsibility to shoulder. What a master teacher seeks to achieve is not personal glory, but the greatness of the entire human race. The greatest honor that a master teacher could receive was to have his own students surpass him. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The more he came to know about the responsibilities of a master teacher, the more he shared some thoughts. When he saw the rapid growth of his student, what he felt was no longer envy but delight. This was the essence of a teacher! There was no other upation that was the same as this! "Alright, lets not talk about this anymore. Ill take you to meet Pavilion Master Kang first before we continue on with the selection round!" Shaking his head, Su shi ounted grimly, "Pavilion Master Kang is the most talented genius of our Master Teacher Pavilion for the past hundred years. Hes a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and he has a straightforward and earnest personality! He values humility and so, when you meet himter, make sure to listen to his teachings earnestly. If you were to anger him, you might be stripped of your candidacy so take note of what you say!" Pavilion Master Kang was younger than Su shi and Ling shi, and he was the direct disciple of the previous pavilion master. Even so, he was the one who had the final say regarding the candidacy for the Master Teacher Tournament. The two of them had paid a heavy price for Zhang Xuans slot, so they couldnt allow anything to go wrong now. "Dont worry! Ive always been a humble person!" Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly. "You? Humble?" Su shi and Ling shi fell speechless. Do you think that the Master Teacher Pavilion is incapable of digging all that youve done... Destroying the Master Teacher Pavilion when taking the master teacher examination; barging into the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild, forcing the previous guild leader to step down... And not too long ago, you challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets in Honghai City and nearly caused the Appraiser Hall to close down; at the Formation Master Guild, you tore down the other partys wall... Look at your own records... Which part of it doesnt show that youre a troublemaker? And you still dare to tell us that youre... humble? If you are humble, there would be no arrogant people in the world anymore! "Cough cough! Try to cut down on your words when you meet Pavilion Master Kang, well speak for you instead. What you should focus on now is to condition yourself and prepare for the selection roundter on," Ling shi instructed. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He was delighted to be spared the hassle of talking as well. Amidst the conversation of the trio, they soon arrived outside a room. "Elder Su, Elder Ling!" The young man guarding outside the room sped his fist and bowed. "Is Pavilion Master Kang in?" Su shi asked. "The pavilion master is inside, this way please!" Given the other partys standing as an elder and a 4-star master teacher, the young man immediately led them in without any hesitation. Unlike the rooms allocated to the other master teacher, this one was much more spacious. Many bookshelves filled with all kinds of books were ced against the wall. A stern-looking middle-aged man was currently standing by the side of the bookshelf, browsing through a book in his hand. The young man stepped forward and bowed. "Pavilion master, Elder Su and Elder Ling are here!" "Un! Youre here, take a seat wherever you want!" Lifting his gaze, the middle-aged man smiled. Zhang Xuan turned to look at the middle-aged man. Even though the middle-aged man wasnt as advanced in age as Su shi and Ling shi, he exuded an incredible aura of authority. It was simr to the sensation he felt when facing Alliance Head Zhao, just that it was even more intense. This was especially so for his eyes. His dark irises were deep, and they gleamed with wisdom, seemingly capable of seeing through all facade. His Soul Depth is probably no lower than 14.0, Zhang Xuan thought. Every 3.0 Soul Depth was a demarcation point. A 4-star master teacher would possess a Soul Depth of at least 12.0 whereas a 5-star master teacher would possess a Soul Depth of at least 15.0. A normal 4-star master teachers Soul Depth would vary between 12.0 to 15.0, but due to the difficulty in raising ones Soul Depth, most 4-star master teachers only had a Soul Depth of around 12.0. Taking Song Chao for example, his Soul Depth was only 12.0. This was also why he waspletely helpless against Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will. Even well-established 4-star master teachers like Su shi and Ling shi only had a Soul Depth of 13.0. Yet, Pavilion Master Kangs Soul Depth was actually above 14.0. Considering his current age, as long as he didnt fall, it was just a matter of time before he bes a 5-star master teacher. It seems like his Soul Depth is slightly higher than mine... After the consumption of two golden pages, two acknowledgements as a Celestial Master Teacher, and a Soul Tempering of Mentors Calligraphy, Zhang Xuans current Soul Depth had reached 14.1. However, based on his estimation, the other partys Soul Depth seemed to be slightly higher than his. Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. I wonder if my Impartation of Heavens Will will work on him... Before heading to the soul oracle tomb, Zhang Xuans Soul Depth was only 12.1, 0.1 higher than Song Chaos. Even so, he still managed to beguile the other party. In other words... as a Celestial Master Teacher, it was easier for him to convince others through his Impartation of Heavens Will. Having gone through two acknowledgements, even though his Soul Depth was lower than the other partys, could his Impartation of Heavens Will possibly work on the other party? However, one of the requirements of using the Impartation of Heavens Will is to be on the side of reason. Only when ones logic is impable will it work. If I cant find any ws on him, itll be difficult for me to beguile him! Zhang Xuan didnt think that he could seed easily even though he had thought of giving it a try. The Impartation of Heavens Will was centered around trust and credibility... Without knowing the other partys ws to exploit to win trust and credibility, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to seed. His Eye of Insight was ineffective given the other partys cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. Under the condition that the other party didnt execute a battle technique, it was impossible for him to uncover the ws of the other party. These thoughts floated in Zhang Xuans mind for a moment before disappearing. Following which, Su shi stepped forward and introduced, "Pavilion master, this is Zhang shi whom we told you about previously!" "Hes the 2-star master teacher who broke the records of the Tianwu Kingdom master teacher examination, and you staked your all on rmending?" cing the book back onto the table, Pavilion Master Kang walked over and sat on the main seat before raising his head to assess Zhang Xuan. "Yes!" Su shi and Ling shi nodded their heads. "Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle and ack of discipline in his movements. With a look, its clear that he has never practiced any battle techniques... This is the genius you two spoke of?" Looking at Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Kang frowned. Chapter 528: Three Questions Chapter 528: Three Questions Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In order to avoid casting doubt on the peculiarity of his Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan didnt hide his cultivation. Thus, it was easy for any cultivator to see that his current strength was only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle. As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher possessing a Soul Depth of 14.0, it was no problem for him to see through this much. On top of that, experts who had trained hard in battle techniques tended to show some traces of it in their hands, feet, and habits. Yet, the young man before him showed no traces of these traits at all. It was clear he had never practiced any battle techniques before... How could such a person be a genius? The reason why master teachers were invincible in the same ss wasnt just due to their ability to seeing through the ws of their opponents. More importantly, their grasp over their own maniption of zhenqi and battle techniques had also reached an astounding level. How could a fellow who had never practiced a battle technique before be called a genius? It was making too light of the Master Teacher Tournament to have such a person represent the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion in it! Hearing the doubtful tone of the pavilion master, Su shi hurriedly exined, "Zhang shis cultivation might be low but hisprehension in the way of master teachers has reached an astounding level..." "Comprehension?" Pavilion Master Kangsplexion darkened. "Elder Su, what we are choosing are talents to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament. As an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, you should know what kind of opponents we are facing!" It was no wonder why Pavilion Master Kang was so angry. Su shi and Ling shi had staked their all to vie for this slot so thetter thought that Zhang Xuan would surely be a formidable genius. Yet, the other party turned out to be only a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle cultivator. Furthermore, he didnt seem to have practiced any battle technique before... With this level of strength, how could he emerge victorious amidst many other 4-star master teachers? Even though strength wasnt all that was tested in the Master Teacher Tournament, it yed quite a significant role. If ones cultivation realm wasnt even on par with the other party, how could one possibly offer the other party guidance? Even if one was able to do so, it would just bepletely theoretical. Any pointer that wasnt proven in practice was worthless. "I know, but..." Su shi panicked. "No buts, take him away!" Pavilion Master Kang shook his hands impatiently. "Pavilion master, dont be in such a rush to make a decision..." Ling shi stepped forward and said, "Zhang shis current cultivation might only be at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle now... but do you know what was his cultivation realm when west saw him?" "When youst saw him... around twenty days ago?" Pavilion Master Jiang raised his eyebrows. It was around a month ago that these two elders went to Tianwu Kingdom. Gauging by the time, considering that the trip took around ten days, they should have met with this young man around twenty days ago. "Un!" Ling shi nodded. "What was his cultivation realm then?" Pavilion Master Kang raised his teacup and sipped on it. So what if he was able to cultivate swiftly and raised his strength form Transcendent Mortal 1-dan intermediate stage to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle? There were only two months left until the Master Teacher Tournament. No matter how talented he was, he would only be able to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan during this period of time. With such cultivation, he would still be unable to match up to the otherpetitors! "Zongshi realm! Twenty days ago, when we first met Zhang shi... he was only at Zongshi realm!" Ling shi said grimly. Pu! A mouthful of tea came spurting out of Pavilion Master Kangs mouth and nose. Widening his eyes, he uttered in disbelief, "Fighter 8-dan... Zongshi realm?" You must be joking with me! To raise ones cultivation from Zongshi realm to Zhizun realm, then on to Half-Transcension and finally Transcendent Mortal 1-dan in twenty days... Not to mention, Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle... That was a total of three realms... Even if one were to ride on a rocket, it would be impossible to do it so quickly! In truth, he wasnt the only one in disbelief. When Ling shi and Su shi first noticed Zhang Xuans cultivation realm, even though they didnt say anything, they also felt their hearts crumbling within. However, knowing that the other partys teacher was likely to be a master teacher ranked 6-star and above, the shock they felt alleviated by a little. Given that a high-ranked master teacher like Yang shi had traveled to a backward location like Tianxuan Kingdom without informing the Master Teacher Pavilion, he was clearly trying to conceal his identity. As a junior of the other party, without thetters explicit permission, they didnt dare to inform others about him. Thus, even while frenziedly promoting Zhang Xuan, they had never divulged Yang shis existence. As such, Pavilion Master Kang was unaware of the matter as well. That was why upon hearing that Zhang Xuan had grown from Zongshi realm to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle in less than a month... he felt as though the world had gone insane. This was no longer cultivation but... infusion of cultivation! In fact, even infusion of cultivation wouldnt be so exaggerated! "I can vow the authenticity of this matter!" Su shi added. "To reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan from Zongshi realm in twenty or so days... As long as he cultivates diligently in the next two months, reaching Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle or even Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage shouldnt be an issue... He would still be able to stand against those geniuses..." Knowing that these two elders wouldnt lie, Pavilion Master Kang fell into contemtion. Most of the geniuses who traveled to the Myriad Kingdom City to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament were 4-star master teachers. A 1-star master teacher had to possess a cultivation of at least Tongxuan realm, a 2-star master teacher a cultivation of at least Zongshi realm, and a 3-star master teacher a cultivation of at least Zhizun realm. On the other hand, the prerequisite to bing a 4-star master teacher was Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. As long as one reached Origin Energy realm primary stage, one would have met the cultivation criterion to bing a 4-star master teacher. As such, most geniuses in the tournament possessed a cultivation realm between 2-dan Origin Energy realm and 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm. Given how quickly Zhang shi cultivated, it was possible that he could bring up cultivation realm up to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage within the next two months. With such cultivation, he would at least rank in the middle among the participants, and perhaps, he might really be able to get a good ranking down for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. "Since thats the case, Ill give him a chance then. Ill raise three questions, and as long as he can answer them urately, Ill allow him to participate in the selection round. As for whether he can take one of the two slots in the selection round, thatll depend on his performance then!" After a moment of contemtion, Pavilion Master Kang raised his head and said. "Alright!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan would at least be given a chance, Su shi and Ling shi heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly turned to look at Zhang Xuan. With this look, they staggered and nearly fainted on the spot. It turned out that Zhang shi wasnt even listening to their conversation. Instead, he was standing in front of the bookshelves by the wall and his finger was brushing across the books, as though he was looking for a specific book. They were so nervous over the slots that their hearts were about to beat out of their chests, and yet, this fellow didnt seem to care at all... Wasnt he way too daring? To allow you to participate in the tournament, the two of us even put our names on the line. Yet, you dont seem care at all... Just the thought of it left them dizzy-headed. "Zhang shi..." Unable to stand it any longer, Su shi stepped forward to stop Zhang Xuan. "The pavilion master has decided to give you a chance. Hell ask you three questions, and as long as you can answer them correctly, youll be allowed to join the selection round!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head and walked over. Uninvolved in the conversation, Zhang Xuan began looking around the room while the others were discussing the matter. It was then that he noticed that there were quite a few Transcendent Mortal 2-dan books on the bookshelves by the wall. Thus, he walked over and collected them in the Library of Heavens Path. He had collected five hundred Origin Energy realm cultivation technique manuals back in Honghai City, and adding the additional hundreds of books on the bookshelves here, he could already form a perfect Heavens Path Divine Art. As for their conversation, he wasnt really paying attention to it. He didnt even have sufficient time to look at the books, how could he possibly have the energy to listen to the boring discussion of another? "My questions will be about cultivation and guidance. As long as you can answer them correctly, Ill give you a chance to participate in the selection round!" Pavilion Master Kang turned around and casually picked up the book which he was reading just before. "This is a case that I have faced previously! "A Half-Transcension cultivator was once impaled in the left lung, and as a result, the zhenqi in the left meridian was unable to flow smoothly. Under such circumstances, what kind of pointer should one offer so that the cultivator can sessfully reach Transcendent Mortal realm?" This was a case which he had dealt with personally before. It was an extremely difficult problem, and hed had to look through innumerable books before he could find a solution for it. However, the Master Teacher Tournament would be a lot more difficult than this. If the other party couldnt even solve this problem, it would be futile even if the other party participated in the tournament. If that was the case, he would rather terminate the other partys candidacy right now. Since the question was concerning a Half-Transcension, it was within the other partys scope. "Transcendent Mortal realm requires ones cultivation to form aplete and whole system before one can harmonize and manipte the environment! Given that the cultivators left lung is pierced through and the zhenqi in his left meridian is blocked... that is equivalent to a deformity appearing on a perfect circle. It will be nigh impossible for the other party to achieve a breakthrough!" Upon hearing the question, Su shi frowned. "This is truly difficult!" "Indeed. Even for me, Id require at least eight steps to solve this problem!" Ling shi nodded in agreement. As 4-star master teachers, their depth and scope of knowledge were not to be underestimated. Even though this question was difficult, it was still within their capability. Just that, it would require significant effort on their part. After a moment of contemtion, Su shi replied, "I would require seven steps!" "Your Miniature Sr Art has reached the seventh cirction, so it is normal for you to require less steps than me. However, based on what I know, when the pavilion master solved the question back then, he was only a 3-star master teacher and... he only used five steps," Ling shi said. "Five steps?" Su shi narrowed his eyes. The less steps required to solve a problem, the more efficient it was. As such, the probability of sess tended to be higher. Simrly, the effectiveness would also be greater. Even given their current capability, solving the problem perfectly would require a minimum of seven steps on their part. Yet, back when the pavilion master was only a 3-star master teacher, he only needed five steps... That was truly an astounding feat. "I wonder how many steps Zhang shi would require to solve this question!" After a moment of shock, Su shi turned to look at the young man before them. "How many steps? Im worried that he might be unable to even find a solution to it!" Ling shi shook his head. Even though they were confident in Zhang shis capability, the pavilion masters question was indeed extremely difficult. Even they would require a long duration of research to solve the problem properly. It was extremely doubtful that the young man before them would be able to solve the problem. Just as the duo was worried for Zhang Xuan, thetter, after hearing the question, frowned. "What is the area of damage to the left lung? Can you give me the exact location of the impale? Also, what was the cause of the wound? Do you know the attribute of the assants zhenqi?" "The weapon used to wound that cultivator was a sword. The other party hadprehended Sword Intent, and a portion of the other partys sword qi had prated into the cultivators bloodstream. This was the diagnosis, you can take a look at it!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan would ask this question, Pavilion Master Kang passed a book over. Zhang Xuan casually flipped through it, and recorded in the book was the condition of the cultivator back then. The content was extremely detailed. Not only was the location of the wound recorded, even the battle technique that was used was recorded clearly. Zhang Xuan soon finished browsing through the book. "Have you found a solution yet?" Pavilion Master Kang asked. "Oh. Thats simple, just design a new cultivation route for the cultivator," Zhang Xuan replied. "New cultivation route?" Pavilion Master Kangsplexion darkened. "You mean... modifying the cultivators cultivation technique?" "Thats right. Since the wound in the left lung creates a gap in the flow of zhenqi, all that has to be done is to change the route for the flow of zhenqi. With that, the cultivators cultivation should form a whole once more, and achieving a breakthrough wouldnt be a problem," Zhang Xuan said. "Modifying the cultivation technique?" Su shi and Ling shi were taken aback. "That would save the hassle of healing the wound, reconnecting the meridians, conditioning the body, and many other steps... In total, it would only require..." "A single step?" Chapter 529: What Are You Standing There For? Go and Pour Me a Cup of Water! Chapter 529: What Are You Standing There For? Go and Pour Me a Cup of Water! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ling shis treatment required eight steps, Su shis required seven steps, and even Pavilion Master Kangs would require five steps. Yet, this fellow actually solved the problem using a single step? "Nonsense! You are dreaming!" At that moment, Pavilion Master Kang harrumphed coldly. His face was steeled, and the displeasure on it was clear, "Every single cultivation technique that is passed down is created, tested, and refined by innumerable predecessors. How can it be changed that easily? If that cultivator were to try an untested cultivation technique in a wounded state, putting aside whether it would be possible to reach Transcendent Mortal realm or not, their cultivation might even go berserk, thus exacerbating their wounds and putting them at risk of death. As a master teacher, how can youe up with such a flippant solution?" After hearing the words of the two elders, his expectations of the young man had been lifted. Yet, he didnt expect the other party to answer his question so frivolously. If a cultivation technique could be modified that easily, then what was the value of a secret art? Not to mention, there was a foreign zhenqi existent in the other partys body. Without neutralizing it, recovering from ones injuries, and conditioning ones physical body... how could one attempt for a higher cultivation realm? In the end, the other party failed to live up to his name. If they were to do so, not only would they fail to save the cultivator, the cultivator would even die because of them. The dignity of the Master Teacher Pavilion would vanish in an instant. "Berserk? You are overthinking it!" Waving his hands to interrupt the other partys reprimanding, Zhang Xuan looked at Pavilion Master Kang impassively, "Youll know whether it is effective or not once I tell you the new route for the zhenqi cirction! Upon leaving the dantian, the cultivators zhenqi will flow through the Taiyi, Guanmen, Liangmen... and finally, itll gather at Qishe. After three circtions, one should be able to try for Transcendent Mortal realm, and therell be a ny percent chance of sess!" Possessing the Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan grasped the very essence of cultivation itself. While modifying a cultivation technique, just like the other party said, was difficult, to him, it wasnt an issue at all. By slightly modifying the zhenqi route to circumvent the injured portion and mediating the foreign zhenqi in the cultivators body, reaching Transcendent Mortal realm wouldnt be a problem. "Flow through Taiyi, Guanmen, and Liangmen..." The trio frowned. This zhenqi route waspletely unheard of in normal cultivation techniques. Even as 4-star master teachers, they werent able to deduce its feasibility in an instant. Every single cultivation technique needed to be tried in action before a conclusion could be made about it. Even master teachers were unable to determine something was feasible or not immediately just by listening to it once. "Youre saying that as long as the cultivator cultivates using this method, shell be able to achieve a breakthrough immediately?" Pavilion Master Kangsplexion turned even more awful. It was extremely difficult for even an ordinary cultivator to achieve a breakthrough. To have a severely injured cultivator achieve a breakthrough just by circting ones zhenqi in the given pathway thrice... You must be joking! "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly, "Ive taken a look at the information given, and the cultivator is wounded by searing sword qi. This sword qi carries an exceptionally sharp edge, and after seeping into the cultivators body through the wound in her left chest, it was traveling toward her dantian. "The cultivation technique the cultivator cultivated was the [Great Ancient Incursion Art]. The technique focused heavily on sharpness and burst. Continuous usage of this technique results in the weakening of ones zhenqi, and three consecutive usages will deplete ones zhenqi! This is of simr nature to the searing sword qi in the sense that they are both extremely violent energy that will destroy all that stand their path. "When the two zhenqi collides with one another, it bes a case where the stronger energy triumphs. Under normal circumstances, as the cultivator will be able to send in a steady supply of zhenqi to deal with the searing sword qi, it shouldnt pose a problem at all... However, its a pity that this cultivators meridians were simply too thin. A violent collision can easily tear them apart, thus crippling her cultivation! Thus, unable to send in a surge of zhenqi to overwhelm the searing sword qi in a single go, a standstill urred instead. Not only would the searing sword qi be unable to be cleared, the injury would even... worsen over time!" At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly stopped. With eyes as sharp as lightning, he said, "If Im not mistaken, when these symptoms were recorded, it was the seventh day after the cultivator was injured!" "This..." Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback. "Youre right!" He had dealt with that cultivators problem personally, and it had always been something he was proud of. Thus, he remembered the details of the incident clearly, and it was indeed the seventh day that the details of the other partys condition were detailed on that book. Just that, the book only recorded the location of the injury and the battle technique that was used to injure the cultivator... The duration of the injury wasnt written. Could it be that... the young man before him actually deduced the timing based on the content recorded? "On the seventh day, unable to control the sh of zhenqi in her body, the injury on her left chest was unable to heal and it had even started to rot! Under that situation, given that two violent surges of zhenqi were shing with one another, forcefully driving her cultivation technique would only exacerbate the collision and aggravate her injuries!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly, "Under normal circumstances, one should first expend all of their zhenqi first... This is equivalent to drawing away the troops away from the point of collision so that the sword qi is able to flow out from the narrow meridian... Only after that should one find some way to neutralize it!" "Thats right..." Su Fan and Ling Yuheng nodded their heads in agreement. The eight and seven step methods that spoke of respectively consisted of the same procedures as well. In order to achieve a breakthrough, the cultivator must recover from her injuries first. And to recover from her injuries, one must first solve the issue causing it... And the sword qi was the main problem at hand. Expending ones own zhenqi was a means of retreat. Only then would the ferocious sword qi lower its guard ande out from the narrow meridian. Once that happened, there would be at least a dozen ways for one to neutralize the sword qi. Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head as well. He also solved it in that way back then as well. In fact, he felt that all master teachers would choose the same method when faced with that problem. Was this... incorrect? "Right? Not only is that wrong, its a grave mistake!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, "Removing ones zhenqi is just like moving away a boulder blocking the flow of a stream. While it does allow the sword qi to flow out, you must remember that it is an iparably sharp searing sword qi. Furthermore, the location of the wound was near the left lung... That location is extremely close to the heart. If the sword qi gushed out and impaled the heart... the cultivator would die on the spot!" "Die?" Su Fan was taken aback. "But given that the sword qi was trapped for seven days straight, its sharp edge should have already dulled..." "Youre right in saying that it would have be dull. The probability of impaling the heart is probably less than a hundredth. However, what if it didnt follow the usual path of heading toward the Zhuofei meridian via the Huichi acupoint? What if it headed to the Zhenxue meridian instead?" "This..." Su shi and Ling shi jolted in shock. Huichi acupoint was the point where the Zhuofei meridian and Zhenxue meridian intersected. The former led to the lung whereas thetter led to the heart. Even though the sword qi would usually flow down toward the dantian... there was no guarantee that the cultivator, out of worry, would leave a surge of zhenqi within her body. If so, there was a high possibility that the sword qi may proceed upward and enter the zhenxue meridian instead, thus impaling her heart. If that was the case, even the deities would be unable to save her. Pavilion Master Kangs face paled, and his body tightened. When he first stumbled by the case, all he thought about was how he could cure the cultivator. He didnt think too much about the consequences, and it was only very longter that he realized the presence of this problem. Even though the probability wasnt high... it was still an existent possibility. It was fortunate that he was lucky then. Otherwise, the cultivator would have been dead by now. If so, not only would he be unable to be a 4-star master teacher and the pavilion master, he might have even been stripped of his master teacher license and cursed at for innumerable years toe. However... he had only noticed this problem after reaching 4-star pinnacle, when he looked back at this case... Yet, this young man, with a single nce, actually thought of this possibility... Could the idea of modifying the cultivation technique really be feasible? Earlier, he thought that the other party was spouting nonsense. But given how the other party was able to consider even this situation... the issue regarding the cultivation technique probably wasnt as easy as he thought. "My idea doesnt require the cultivator to expend her zhenqi clean beforehand, and neither does the sword qi have to be lured out of the meridian!" Ignoring the shocked expressions of the trio, Zhang Xuan continued, "Taiyi acupoint is the first point of divergence between the left and right meridians. By having zhenqi flow through here, an energy harmonization could be achieved, thus pulling that sword qi down here. As long as the sword qi travelled down here, the rest would be easy. The Taiyi acupoint is close to the dantian so the cultivator can easily sustain the zhenqi to this area to force the sword qi out of ones body!" Widening his eyes, Su shi muttered to himself, "If one views the body as a formation, Taiyi is where the life gate is located. When the two zhenqi collides here, the sword qi will very naturally gush out from the acupoint..." ording to the theory of a formation master, the human body could be viewed as a formation as well. It possessed the origin gate, hibernation gate, life gate, impair gate, panorama gate, death gate, closed gate, and fright gate... The Eight Gates. Taiyi acupoint was the point of connection between the left and right meridian, as well as the location where the life gate of a humans body was located. If one were to gather the sword qi here, it would be easy to drive it out from ones body. Just like that, without wasting a single ounce of energy, one would be able to subdue the sword qi... It was dozens of times better than the expending of ones zhenqi to forcefully neutralize the sword qi. "Wait... If the sword qi were to travel here, it would indeed be easy to deal with it. However, what if it didnt?" Pavilion Master Kang frowned. The sword qi had been colliding with the cultivators zhenqi for seven days for now. Without withdrawing ones zhenqi, why would the sword qi charge into the Taiyi acupoint? It was just like having an enemy guarding at the doorway. As long as the enemy didnt retreat, there would be no reason for one to charge forward and put oneself in a position of danger. "Sigh!" Hearing the other partys question, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and shook his head helplessly. "It seems like you have a limited knowledge on the cultivators [Great Ancient Incursion Art]!" "I..." Pavilion Master Kangs face reddened. The Great Ancient Incursion Art was a unique and peculiar cultivation technique. Even though Pavilion Master Kang had heard of it, he had never tried cultivating it, and as such, his knowledge of it was limited. "The essence of the Great Ancient Incursion Art lies in sharpness and burst. Continuous usage of this technique will result in the weakening of ones zhenqi, and three consecutive usages will deplete ones zhenqi! Just like Ive said before, allow the zhenqi to circte via the new pathway for three times... This way, when the sharpness of the zhenqi disappeared, the sword qi will see it as an opportunity to charge out and wreck ones dantian... And to arrive at ones dantian, one had to travel past the Taiyi acupoint! Surely... you should have at least thought of this," Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "This..." Pavilion Master Kangs body jolted. After being jammed for seven days, even though the sword qi possessed no sentience, it would still charge forward as though a spring which had been suppressed with all of its might for thest few days... It wasnt easy for the Great Ancient Incursion Art to be so weak. This was the ideal opportunity tounch an offense, and there was no way for the sword qi to overlook it! As long as they put some thought into it, all cultivators should be able to think of this. "But your steps are iplete! You said that circting ones zhenqi three times will allow one to attempt a breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal realm. However, up until now, the sword qi has only been removed..." Recovering from his shock, Pavilion Master Kang continued asking slightly doubtfully. "The sword qi has only been removed? Think deeper into it, the zhenqi cirction method I just told you about..." Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Upon leaving the dantian, the cultivators zhenqi will flow through the Taiyi, Guanmen, Liangmen... and finally, itll gather at Qishe..." Pavilion Master Kang recalled and recited the content which the young man spoke of previously and his face suddenly warped, "As the cultivators zhenqi declines and the sword qi pursuits, the duo would reunite once more at Taiyi. After shing with one another... the sword qi would burst forth from the acupoint while the cultivators zhenqi would make use of the momentum from the sh to break open the Guanmen and Liangmen... and finally reach Transcendent Mortal realm?" "Thats equivalent to using the violent might of the sword qi to ovee ones bottleneck. The possibility of sess is... indeed no lower than ny percent!" Su shi felt his throat running dry. As a 4-star master teacher, he had fully grasped the oues that would ur from the different flow of zhenqi within ones body. Even though the sword qi would be expelled from the life gate when shing with the cultivators zhenqi at Taiyi, the violent energy within it would meld into her zhenqi. Since the enemy who dealt the sword qi to the cultivator was able to hurt her, it could only mean that the person was stronger than her. Going by such, the enemy must be at least a Transcendent Mortal. The violent energy of a Transcendent Mortal paired with the cultivators own strength... When the two oveps with one another, breaking ones bottleneck would be much easier! In fact, ny percent seemed to be an underestimation. If that cultivator had done that back then, the sess rate would probably be... a hundred percent! "Y-you..." Upon thinking of this, everyone widened their eyes in shock. When they heard of the symptom of the cultivator, what immediately ran through their head was how they could neutralize the zhenqi, condition the cultivators physical body, and find a way to help her reach Transcendent Mortal realm... Yet, the young man before them actually thought of harnessing the sword qi trapped within the other partys body to create a whole new cultivation technique that could help the cultivator achieve a breakthrough... More importantly, from the point he finished reading the case to his recitation of the solution, only ten breaths had passed... How in the world... did he manage to do it? Was he still a human? Seeing that the other party has already understood the logic behind his solution, Zhang Xuan asked nonchntly, "So, can this cultivation technique of mine cure the cultivator and help her achieve a breakthrough?" "Yes... It can!" Pavilion Master Kangs face paled. Steadying his breath, he slowly nodded his head. It had taken him only five steps and he had prided himself on it. Yet, the person before him only used a single step... It seemed like Su shi and Ling shi were right. Even though the person before them was slightlycking in his cultivation, he was anything but ordinary. "Then have I answered your question yet?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. "Yes..." Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. "Since Im right, what are you standing there for?" With a slightly displeased tone, the young man before him said, "Cant you see that Im thirsty after talking so much? Go and pour me a cup of water!" Chapter 530: He Is a Celestial Master Teacher Chapter 530: He Is a Celestial Master Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Putong! "Pour him a cup of water?" "Hes actually trying to get the pavilion master to pour him a cup of water?" Hearing those words, Su Fan and Ling Yuhengs mouths twitched violently. In that instant, the two Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts nearly fell to the ground together. When they first entered, they told Zhang Xuan clearly that the pavilion master was an austere person, and he had to take note of what he said... Who knew that this fool would actually order him around as though trying to teach a servant a lesson... The heck! Are you insane? The both of us had to plead so hard with him for your slot, do you think that it has been easy for us? Yet, you seem to be trying your best to dump this slot away from you... Just as tears were trailing down the faces of the duo as they anticipated the wrath of the pavilion master, the usually austere pavilion master suddenly stood up and respectfully replied, "Yes!" Turning around, he began heating up a pot of water. After which, he took out his most prized tea leaves, filled the cup with it, before passing it over to Zhang Xuan. "The heck!" "What... is going on?" The two 4-star master teachers, Transcendent Mortal 4-dan elders, stared at one another in astonishment, frenzied by the sight before them. Pavilion Master Kang was known in the Myriad Kingdom City for his austerity. Even Alliance Head Zhao wouldnt have the privilege of being served tea by him, and yet, despite Zhang shi speaking to him so impolitely, he still obeyed the other partysmand respectfully... What in the world happened? Suddenly, Su shi thought of something and his body trembled violently. "Its... Impartation of Heavens Will!" The main reason why lower ranked master teachers didnt dare to disobey the words of higher ranked master teachers was because of this! The words of Zhang shi a moment ago seemed to harness the voice of the heavens, the energy of the soul... Because it wasnt directed at them and they were busy analyzing the case as well, they didnt notice it... But thinking back, that was indeed it! To actually use Impartation of Heavens Will against Pavilion Master Kang... and to seed at that! What the heck?! Su shi and Ling shi stared at one another, and at this moment, they even felt like dying already. Pavilion Master Kang was an existence whose Soul Depth had reached at least 14.0. For the number one master teacher in Myriad Kingdom City to fall for Impartation of Heavens Will... and on top of that, for the one who did so to be a 2-star master teacher who wasnt even twenty yet... If word were to spread out, many people would surely die from shock. "Hmm?" While the duo was in shock, Pavilion Master Kang also recovered from his trance and his eyes slowly widened. His cheeks twitched violently, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. To think that the strongest master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion would actually be beguiled by the Impartation of Heavens Will of a 2-star master teacher, and willingly serve thetter tea... Just the thought of it left him in frenzy. Just as he was considering what he should do next, the young man before him sipped on the tea served to him and looked at him nonchntly, "Alright, lets move on to the second question!" "Second question..." Pavilion Master Kangs eyelids twitched. The first question had already made him prey to the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will. If he were to ask another question, would he be put under the same condition again? With a righteous expression, Pavilion Master Kang grandly dered, "Theres no need for it. The three questions are to test whether you have the qualifications to attend the selection round. Given how your answer for the first question was much more logical than our answers, that proves testimony to your capability. Theres no need for the next two questions!" The main point of the three questions was to test the other partys capability as a master teacher. Given how the other party used a single move to solve a question that would require five moves from his part, not to mention, how he fell prey to the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will... Just this in itself made him qualified to attend the selection round! Since that was the case, it was meaningless to proceed on with the other questions. If so, he might as well be magnanimous and allow the other party to pass straight. Otherwise, if he were to be beguiled again, that would truly be embarrassing. Waving his hands grandly, Pavilion Master Kang turned around and said, "Elder Ling, go and sound the Assembly Bell. Have everyone gather at the Master Teacher Hall now, well conduct the selection round!" "Yes!" Nodding his head, Elder Ling retreated from the room. A momentter, a bell chimed loudly in the master Teacher Pavilion. As long as one was a master teacher of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, one had to gather immediately upon hearing the sound. "Bring Zhang shi to the Master Teacher Hall. Su shi and I will be going overter!" Hearing the chime, Pavilion Master Kang knew that the Master Teacher Hall would be crowded very soon. Thus, he decided to instruct an apprentice outside to Zhang Xuan over first. Upon hearing the instruction, the young man guarding outside came in, bowed respectfully to Zhang Xuan, and led the way. Knowing that he was heading over to the Master Teacher Hall for the selection round, Zhang Xuan followed the young man without anyints. As the duo left the room, the room abruptly fell silent. Pavilion Master Kang stared at Elder Su Fan, whom he had been a close friend with for several decades, hesitated for a moment, before asking, "Regarding Zhang shi, do you have anything to say?" "He... is a 2-star master teacher from Tianwu Kingdom. He isnt twenty yet..." Su shi said. "Thats not what Im asking!" Pavilion Master Kangsplexion darkened. "I want detailed information. I want to know the reason why you two are so determined to rmend him!" What the heck?! You two are elders of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. Given that persons humble background, how could you have rmended him instead of your own students? After all, Su shi had a student who had reached 3-star pinnacle as well, and his capability was in no way inferior to Fu Xiaochen. "This..." Su shi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Shall we head to the Chamber of Confidence?" The Chamber of Confidence was a unique room where secrets were discussed. No matter how powerful one was, it would be impossible for one to eavesdrop on the content discussed from the outside. Thus, there was no need to worry about a single word being leaked out from within. "Alright!" With a grim expression, Pavilion Master Kang stood up. As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had toe into contact with innumerable secrets. As such, there was a Chamber of Confidence within his room as well. Pushing open the door and walking in, he activated the formation and the duo immediately fell into an absolutely silent atmosphere. After seating down, Pavilion Master Kang urged, "You may speak now!" Given how grim Elder Sus expression was, the matter he had to talk about must be of grave importance. Thus, he calmed himself down and prepared himself mentally. "Twenty days ago, a Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell happened in our Master Teacher Pavilion... Does pavilion master still remember the incident?" "Given how huge the matter is, how could I forget about it? Ive already informed all lower Master Teacher Pavilion to look into the matter... Just that, there have been no results at all. I cant help but suspect whether it might be triggered by the master teachers from the other empires participating in the Master Teacher Tournament." Pavilion Master Kang nodded. Back when they were in the midst of conducting a conference, the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall suddenly started trembling non-stop. Even though he had suppressed the news, as someone who had witnessed the massive uproar then, how could he possibly not remember the incident? "You sent a message to Tianwu Kingdom saying that... if either Kong shis statue had shaken or the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall had copsed, report to the Myraid Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion immediately..." Su shi continued. "Un! Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell... The most direct manifestation of this situation is the trembling of Kong shis statue and the copse of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. If it happened in the region, one can confirm that the exact location of the genius was there then..." Answering the question, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly froze and his breathing hastened, "Twenty days ago, you were in Tianwu Kingdom... Could it be that the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall there copsed?" "Thats right! However, due to the possible consequences of the matter, for fear of the news leaking out, I asked them to reply with a no for the time being!" Su shi sped his fist. "I seek your pardon for that!" Back then, Su shi had instructed the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion to reply with a negative then. Otherwise, if the matter were to blow up, Zhang shi would be in dire danger. "If the news were to leak, the master teacher responsible for the incident might be in trouble... You made the right call!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. If he were put in the other partys position, he would have surely done the same as well. After all, as senior master teachers, they had a duty to protect their talented juniors. "When the Tianwu Kingdoms Teacher Acknowledgement Hall copsed... Zhang shi was in the midst of taking the 2-star master teacher examination!" Su shi said. "Youre saying that... he is likely to be the genius who rejected the acknowledgement of the predecessors and triggered the Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell?" Pavilion Master Kang narrowed his eyes. At this moment, he finally understood why the duo had rmended Zhang Xuan so strongly, even putting their everything on the line. To be able to win the acknowledgement of so many predecessors... How talented must he be? "Not only so, if Im not mistaken... Zhang shi is very likely to be a... Celestial Master Teacher!" Su shi said. In truth, he should have reported this matter to the pavilion master as soon as he returned. The reason why he and Ling shi chose to continue to keep it to themselves wasnt because they were intentionally hiding the matter but that... they couldnt confirm it at all! Thus, they had been spending their time flipping through the books to ascertain the facts. However, it was a pity that there had only been one Celestial Master Teacher in history, and that was Kong shi. Without sufficient information, they couldnt confirm their deductions. Even after spending almost a dozen days buried in books, he and Elder Ling were stillpletely bewildered. "What did you say?" Pavilion Master Kang narrowed his eyes. "Back when Zhang shi took the master teacher examination, not only did the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall copse, Kong shis statue broke as well. Other than the acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher, the Student of a Sage, I cant really think of any other possibility." Su shi exined the happenings he had seen in Tianwu Kingdom. "Th-this..." Upon hearing of the phenomena that had urred in Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Kangs lips turned dry. Even though he couldnt confirm anything at this point, there was a good chance that Zhang shi, the culprit of all of these bizarre happenings, is a Celestial Master Teacher! Suddenly, he recalled another incident. "Ten days ago, another acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher urred. Could it be him as well?" Several days ago, the phenomenon of Trembling of Myriad Tokens, Harmony of the Chimes urred in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Alliance, and based on the ancient records, this was a sign of the acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher. But it was a pity that despite all the effort he had devoted into investigating the matter, there wasnt the slightest news on the matter. Since Zhang shi was likely to be a Celestial Master Teacher, could it be him this time as well? "That Im not too sure, but judging from the timing, I doubt that he was at the capital then..." Su shi shook his head. Since Zhang shi wasnt at the capital then, it would make it even harder to verify the matter. "Regardless of whether it is true or not... Given that hes likely to be a Celestial Master Teacher, there shouldnt be a problem in him participating in the tournament. Its just that its a pity that..." After a moment of hesitation, Pavilion Master Kang shook his head, "Hes still too young, and his cultivation is too weak. He might not be able to match up to the others!" Even though the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher, an impressive figure recognized by even the heavens... he was still much too young. Those who could participate in the tournament were all nearing their thirties. With ten years of difference, no matter how talented Zhang shi was, it would still be difficult for him to match up to the others. "Forget it, lets not think about this matter anymore. In any case, you did well in this matter. Make sure to keep this a secret, dont let anyone find out about it!" Shaking his head, Pavilion Master Kang decided to shove it aside for the moment. "All of the master teachers should be in ce already, lets head over to the Master Teacher Hall as well!" "Un!" Su shi stood up, but after taking two steps, he realized that the pavilion master was still stationary behind. Turning around, he saw thetter looking at him with an embarrassed expression. "Um... regarding the issue of me being beguiled earlier... I hope that you can keep it a secret!" "..." Su shi. Chapter 531: I Am That Dolt Chapter 531: I Am That Dolt Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Following behind the young man, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at a vast roomthe Master Teacher Atrium. The location where mass conferences involving all of the master teachers within the Myriad Kingdom City was held. Even before entering the room, Zhang Xuan could already see that the interior was packed with people. Many people were walking to and fro as they proceeded to their seats. At the entrance of the hall, the young man leading the way said, "Zhang shi, please put on your robe and emblem..." "Un!" This was an assembly area for master teachers. Naturally, one had to don the attire that represented ones identity so as to not be out of ce. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a robe and donned it. At the same time, he pinned his emblem on his chest. He had never worn this costume ever since he received it after passing the master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. It wasnt because he was intentionally trying to conceal his identity but that he was too used to be tighter fitting clothes from his previous life. The robe seemed much to inconvenient to him inparison. After tidying up his clothes, he followed behind the crowd and walked in. Even though Zhang Xuan knew that there were many master teachers gathered here, the staggering number of people within still shocked him. Taking a brief nce, there were at least five hundred master teachers in here! Five hundred master teachers gathered in a single ce... Just the thought of it felt inconceivable. But even so, given that this was the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, this much was to be expected. On top of that, the allure of the Master Teacher Tournament was also immense. Almost all of the slightly more powerful master teachers had gathered here. Those who werent here were master teachers who remained in their respective kingdoms to guard against unexpected situations, but even so, they numbered in the minority. All in all, the total number of master teachers in the alliance should be under a thousand. Considering the massivebined poption of all of the vassal states, be it Conferred Kingdoms, Tier 1 Kingdoms, Tier 2 Kingdoms, and Unranked Kingdoms-it definitely exceeded ten billion at the very least-and the huge proportion of cultivators among them, the proportion of master teacher was truly humble inparison. The young man guiding Zhang Xuan wasnt a master teacher yet, so he didnt tag along. Thus, Zhang Xuan walked into the room along with the group. There were innumerable rows of tables and chairs ced within. The front rows only had twenty to thirty chairs, and the further back it was, the more chairs there were. "It seems like the seating arrangement depends on ones identity..." With just a nce, Zhang Xuan immediately understood. Even though master teachers propagate the rise of all men, there was still a strict hierarchy among its ranks. The front seats were reserved for only 4-star master teachers, followed by 3-star, then 2-star... Given that Zhang Xuan was only a 2-star master teacher at the moment, he could only sit at the back. Even so, it didnt matter much to him. Since the selection round was about to be conducted soon, he probably wouldnt spend too long seated here. After searching around for a bit, he finally found the 2-star master teacher region and sat down. "Whats happening? Why is there such a sudden assembly?" "Im not too sure either. However, I heard a few days ago that a selection round for the candidates of the Master Teacher Tournament is going to be held. Perhaps, they intend to conduct it before all of us!" "Thats possible! But I wonder who will be chosen this time around..." "Need that be said? Of course, its Fu Xiaochen, Fu shi!" "That might not necessarily be the case. I think Ruohuan gongzi stands a better chance. After all, hes my idol!" ... Upon sitting down, Zhang Xuan immediately noticed the discussions around him. Ever since the pavilion master announced the selection round ten days ago, there had been many discussions and disputes on who would be chosen to represent the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. All kinds of rumors went around, and some were even gambling on the matter. Due to the smallmunity, most master teachers knew one another, and they had their own supporters and aides. Listening to the conversation of others for a while, just like what Su shi and Ling shi said, it seemed like Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen were the most popr candidates. The duo held an extraordinary position among the Myriad Kingdom Alliance master teachers. Following the gazes of the other master teachers, he saw a few figures who were clearly in the center of attention even among therge crowd of master teachers. One of them was a dashing gentleman who held a foldable fan in his hands. The stark contrast between his crimson lips and white teeth seemed to entuate his charm, and there was a bright glow in his eyes. Judging from the aura around him, his cultivation seemed to be above average. "It seems like that is Ruohuan gongzi, Jun Ruohuan!" Zhang Xuan had been intrigued as to why he, as a master teacher, wasnt addressed as Jun shi but Ruohuan gongzi instead. But after seeing the other party with his own eyes, he finally understood the reason. If not for the master teacher robe on the other party, it would be hard to imagine that he was an unparalleled talent who had already reached a rank of 4-star. And on the same row, not too far away from Ruohuan gongzi, stood a young man. Even though there were only three stars on his emblem, he didnt lose out to the former in terms of disposition at all. His appearance was average, and there were even some traces of baby fat on his face, giving him a chubby look. However, his eyes were sharp and the aura he exuded exerted an immense pressure on those around him. His cultivation could only be higher than Jun Ruohuan, and based on Zhang Xuans estimation, it was probably at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan! This should be the famous Fu Xiaochen! Just as Zhang Xuan wanted to assess the other three of his candidates, he heard aughter by his ear, "This friend here, Ive never seen you around here. May I know which country youe from?" Turning to look at the origin of the voice, it came from the young man who was seated beside Zhang Xuan. He seemed to be in his thirties, and there were two stars shining brightly on his emblem. "Tianxuan Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Tianxuan? What tier is it?" The young man scratched his head in confusion. "It doesnt have a tier, so it is considered as unranked!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Unranked Kingdom?" The young man was taken aback. After which, he immediately chuckled awkwardly, "To be able to be a 2-star master teacher at your age despiteing from such a ce, you are indeed extraordinary!" Knowing that this was just pleasantry, Zhang Xuan smiled, not saying much in response. Even though he had passed by Tianwu and Xuanyuan in his journey, if one had to talk about his origin, it was Tianxuan. "The Master Teacher Tournament is a huge event for us master teachers. No matter the price, we have to at leaste here to spectate it!" Seeing that Zhang Xuansck of response, the young man changed the topic. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Judging from how many master teachers hade just for this event, it was indeed an event of unprecedented scale. Given that so many master teachers were gathered here, if they could converse with one another, trade ideas, and learn from one another, it would surely be immensely beneficial to their future growth. Most probably, this was the main reason behind the establishment of the tournament in the first ce. "Right, regarding the selection round, who do you think will emerge victorious?" the young man asked excitedly. "Who do I think will emerge victorious? I dont really know." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Right, you only arrived recently so its normal for you to not know much! You should have heard the discussions of others as well. Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen are currently the two most popr candidates. Ruohuan gongzi came from the leading family of the Four Great ns, the Jun n, and on top of that, hes one of the Four Gentlemen of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Even Alliance Head Zhaos son, Crown Prince Zhao Hui, is overshadowed by him. On the other hand, Fu Xiaochen is the direct disciple of Elder Hai. Of all of the candidates, they are indeed the most likely to win." The young man said. "However, I think the one who stands the greatest chance is actually Elder Fengs student, Feng Mosheng." "Feng Mosheng?" "Thats right. Ive seen Feng shi once, and even though hes a very humble and low-profile person, his cultivation is one of the most impressive Ive seen! Three years ago, when I had the privilege to receive guidance from him, he was already a 3-star pinnacle master teacher. Its hard to imagine how far he has reached since then!" Speaking of Feng shi, the young mans eyes glowed in admiration. "As for the remaining two, I heard that they came from other kingdoms. One of them is known as Luo Xi, and a beautiful female master teacher. The other one is Du Hu... I dont know much about their strength, but judging from how they were specially chosen as candidates for the tournament, they must be extraordinary as well!" At which, the young man suddenly lowered his voice secretively and said, "Also, I heard that the total number of candidates for this selection round isnt five but six! The announcement for the selection round has been made ten days ago by the pavilion master but it ended up being dragged until now. ording to the rumors, the reason for that is because that sixth person isnt here yet!" "Oh? You know that person?" Zhang Xuan asked. "My teacher is one of the elders and he attended the conference regarding the selection of the candidates. That sixth person was highly rmended by Su shi and Ling shi, and if Im not mistaken, his name is... Zhang Xuan!" At which, the young man harrumphed, "If not for this fellow, the selection round would have been held long ago. He sure is a dolt!" "Cough cough, a dolt?" Zhang Xuan coughed. "The Master Teacher Tournament is such an important affair and yet that fellow was stillte for it. To keep so many master teachers waiting like that... It is one thing if hes truly formidable but ording to what I know, hes only a 2-star master teacher. On top of that, he seems to be quite young at that... To disrespect ones elders like that, what else can he be if not a dolt? If not for Su shi and Ling shi acting as a guarantor for him, he would have long been stripped of his slot!" The young man spoke contemptuously. "I see!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. To be called a dolt right to his face, Zhang Xuan had no idea what he should say. Even so, back then, Su shi told him that it would suffice as long as he made it to the Myriad Kingdom City within three months. How could he have known that there would be a selection round? "Im not the only one who thinks so, the others share the same thought as well! If I knew what that person looks like, Id definitely beat him up when I meet him!" The young man spoke ferociously. "If I hadnt been waiting for him, I would have long gone into seclusion to attempt for a breakthrough in my cultivation already. It is his fault that I ended up dragging the matter out until now..." Not expecting that his tardiness would bring him so much hostility, Zhang Xuan shed a bitter smile. Just as he was about to speak, the entire hall suddenly fell silent. Lifting his head, he saw Pavilion Master Kang and Su shi walking into the room. "I believe most of you all should have guessed the reason behind the chiming of the Assembly Bell!" Pavilion Master Kang waved his hands grandly, "Thats right, the selection round for the Master Teacher Tournament will be conducted today. The reason why I gathered everyone here today is so that everyone can bear witness to the event!" "As I expected, its the selection round!" "Does that mean that master teacher, Zhang Xuan, is here as well?" "Hes here? Where is he?" ... Hearing the confirmation from the pavilion master, the crowd began whispering amongst themselves, some of them began looking around. "The Master Teacher Tournament is a major event conducted by the vassal empires under Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. I believe I need not say anything about our past results, everyone here should know about them... It happens that were the host this time, so I hope that we can break out of our slump this time and bring some glory to our branch!" Pavilion Master Kangs eyes scanned through the crowd. "Yes!" Hearing those words, even though most of the master teachers were not going to participate in the event, their faces still reddened in agitation, and they clenched their fists tightly. As master teachers of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they couldnt help but feel frustrated upon seeing their Master Teacher Pavilion being ranked at the bottom each time. As the host this time around, they were determined to not allow history to repeat itself. Otherwise, how could they face their predecessors in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall? "Alright, all of you,e up!" After which, Pavilion Master Kang beckoned, and Ruohuan gongzi, Fu Xiaochen, and the others walked up. There was a total of five people. "Hmm? Wheres Zhang shi?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan wasnt with him, Pavilion Master Kangs eyebrows shot up. ... "Hehe, look. The selection round is about to start but that dolt Zhang Xuan isnt here yet. I sure hope that the pavilion master will strip him of his qualification for hisck of respect..." Seeing Pavilion Master Kang looking around in search for that Zhang shi, the young man harrumphed coldly and shook his head. Then, upon suddenly realizing something, he turned to look at the acquaintance he had just met and asked, "Right, brother, despite talking for so long, I dont think Ive heard your name yet!" "My name?" Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly as he stood up. "It seems that... I am the dolt you spoke of... Zhang Xuan!" Chapter 532: The Selection Begins! Chapter 532: The Selection Begins! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Y-you... are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi?" The young man shuddered as tears streamed down his face. He nearly fainted on the spot. Even though he had spoken badly of Zhang Xuan, he also knew that someone who was so strongly rmended by Su shi and Ling shi was anything but ordinary. Most probably, this Zhang shi wasnt just an ordinary 2-star master teacher. Just that... as a fellow 2-star master teacher, he couldnt help but feel jealous by the other partys candidacy. This was also why he found himself pouring out all of his grudges upon seeing a stranger. If it had been someone he was familiar with, he would definitely be unable to do the same. In any case, he didnt know the person anyway. Thus, he began talking to vent his frustration but never in his dreams could he have imagined that... not only did he urately find the person in question, he even called the other party a dolt to his face! What the heck?! Arent you going to participate in the selection round? Shouldnt you be seated with Ruohuan gongzi, Fu Xiaochen, and the others? Why are you sitting here with us? The young man only saw lightning shing through his head, and at that moment, even suicidal thoughts were popping up in his head. What the heck was this... He just wanted to grab a stranger toin to, and he just had to pick this Zhang shi of all people... Wasnt his luck too poor?! Just as he was worried that the other party might pick a bone with him, Zhang shi stepped away and walked to the front. "He isnt ming me for it?" Seeing that the other party didnt say a word to him before leaving, the young man widened his mouth in disbelief. Master teachers valued their reputation highly and being insulted as a dolt to his face was an immense humiliation. If the other party were to blow up the matter, he would have no choice but to just bear the consequences... But the other party simply walked away without saying a thing. This magnanimity was something that most master teachers werent equipped with. "I wonder... if he will be picked..." Suppressing his frustration, the master teacher turned his gaze to the stage. ... "Hes Zhang Xuan?" "He seems younger than what the rumors depict him out to be!" "Indeed. Hes not even twenty yet, and on top of that, hes only a 2-star master teacher. What rights does he have to participate in the selection round?" "That might not necessarily be the case. Even though hes wearing the 2-star emblem, his capability might not necessarily be just that of a 2-star master teacher. "Youre right... Without true capability, Su shi and Ling shi wouldnt have rmended him with such determination. But even if he isnt just a 2-star master teacher, given his age, his capability should still be severely limited!" ... Everyone stared at the young man who just walked up to the stage in incredulity. They had long heard that Zhang shi was young... but only witnessing his appearance first-hand did the image really strike them. Discernment ability and knowledge were important to a master teacher, but more important than that was knowledge far surpassing ordinary cultivators. No matter how talented this young man was, given that he had a decade less than the others to study, how much knowledge could he possibly have rued? "Since everyone is present, I shall begin exining the rules of the selection round!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was here, Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. Surveying the crowd, he began exining the details of the selection round. "There will be a total of five rounds, and they will be rted to the various fundamentals a master teacher should possess! Itll be presented in the form of apetition, and the first ce will earn six points, the second ce will earn five points, so on and so forth. "The two candidates who are ranked at the top in terms of points at the end of the five tests will be selected to represent Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the Master Teacher Tournament!" At which, Pavilion Master Kang waved his hands and asked, "Is there anyone who has any doubts?" "No!" everyone hurriedly replied. Jun Ruohuan and the candidates also shook their heads. "Ive already designed the tests with the other elders, and theyll be targeted at ones Soul Depth,prehension of cultivation technique, memory, knowledge impartation, and guidance respectively." Seeing that no one had any doubts, Pavilion Master Kang traded nces with the elders in the front row and nodded his head. "Well begin the first round now, the test of Soul Depth. Elder Wu, Ill be troubling you!" "Pavilion master, theres no need to stand on ceremony. It is only right that I do this!" An elder chuckled as he walked up to the stage. Flicking his wrist, an ancient zither appeared in his hands. "To think that Elder Wu would be sent out for the very first round!" someone in the hallmented. "Why? Is there something special about Elder Wu?" The person beside him asked doubtfully. "Of course! Elder Wu is a 4-star pinnacle master teacher just like the pavilion master, but... he has a very unique supporting upation. That upation is extremely useful for tempering ones Soul Depth!" replied the first person. "Oh? What kind of upation could be useful in tempering ones Soul Depth?" asked the second person curiously. The most fundamental aspect of a master teacher was their Soul Depth. The higher ones Soul Depth, the easier for them toprehend the essence of a master teacher. What kind of supporting upation did Elder Wu have to make him noteworthy even among the other 4-star pinnacle master teachers? "Demonic tunist!" the first person replied. "Demonic tunist? You mean that unique upation that can muddle a persons consciousness with music?" The second person was taken aback. "Un!" The first person nodded his head. "Even though demonic tunist is only an upation of the Lower Nine Paths, they are capable of using music to bewitch ones heart, making it hard to guard against. Our Myriad Kingdom City doesnt have an Demonic Tunist Guild, so Elder Wus upation is rather rare here!" "To actually send a demonic tunist up to test the candidates Soul Depth, just the first round in itself is difficult!" the second person remarked. In normal master teacher examination, a Stone of Insight would be used to test ones Soul Depth, and the one with the higher number would emerge victorious. The difficulty was clearly much higher now that a demonic tunist was involved. ... In the midst of the discussion of the duo below, Elder Wu had already ced his zither down on a table and turned his gaze to the candidates. "The first round will test your Soul Depth! As a master teacher, not only should ones Soul Depth be high, more importantly, one must be capable of thinking and operating rationally when put in a distracting environment! Under the request of the pavilion master, Im here to test your Soul Depth. Naturally, Ill give it my all, so you all should be mentally prepared." After which, he flicked his wrist again and a few round-shaped metal tes appeared on the table. "This is a nk formation te that formation masters often use. Later, Ill y a Demonic Tune of Psychosis which muddles ones consciousness, and you all will have to inscribe on the formation te under such a state. At the end of the tune, you will be judged on your progress in the inscription and the exquisiteness of your strokes!" Elder Wu nced at the candidates and said, "Ill just say it first, my Demonic Tune of Psychosis will only work on one person at a time. Who wants to go first?" "What an insane test!" "Ive heard of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis in a book before. It can muddle ones mind, leaving one unable to think properly. If a normal cultivator were to fall for it, hell be left in a state simr to heavy intoxication. Under the state where one cant even differentiate directions, how could one possibly inscribe anything at all..." "Indeed! Even standing upright will be a challenge then, for one to inscribe exquisite strokes on a palm-sized formation te..." "More importantly, the formation te used for the test is of grade-3. Not only will one have to be of clear mind to inscribe on it, the force used is also of absolute importance. Otherwise, theres a high chance that it might shatter!" "This test isnt just on ones Soul Depth. It is also assessing ones ability to control their strength in a confused state... Difficult, this test is extremely difficult!" ... After hearing the content of Elder Wus test, many master teachers below breathed in arge mouthful of cold air. There was a good reason for the fame of the demonic tunist despite being just a Lower Nine Paths upation! Under the onught of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, it would already be difficult for one to resist its effects and maintainposure. To inscribe on a nk formation te on top of that... The difficulty was immense! Putting aside the candidates, even the 4-star elders seated at the front row would find it hard to do so. "Demonic tunist? Inscribe?" Contrary to everyones shock, Zhang Xuan frowned. In the books that he had flipped through, there were some records on demonic tunists, but they were extremely brief. As such, he wasnt too sure about the abilities they possessed. He had always thought that demonic tunist were simr to painters, just that their area of specialization was music. But from the looks of it, it wasnt as simple as he thought. After hearing Elder Wus exnation, Ruohuan gongzi turned to look at hispetitors, curious to see their reactions. Fu Xiaochen had a calm expression, seemingly expecting that there would be such a test. Thus, he was currently conditioning himself in preparation for it. The others were also driving their Soul Depth, preparing themselves for the test with a solemn expression. Only a young man had his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. It was the person who had kept them waiting for several days, Zhang Xuan. "It is obvious that he has never heard of demonic tunists before!" Seeing the other partys confused expression, Ruohuan gongzi knew that the other party had never heard of demonic tunists before. To think that he, despite being one of the Four Gentlemen and a 4-star primary master teacher, would end uppeting with such a fellow... Just the thought of it left him frustrated. Chuckling softly, Ruohuan gongzi said, "You are Zhang shi, right? Even though you kept us waiting for quite a while, you still came from afar. As a guest... its only right for us to allow you to go first!" "Me?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Theres no need to stand on ceremonies. If you wish, feel free to go. Ill just take a look first!" There was no upation within the Nine Paths that was ordinary. Since Zhang Xuan had nevere into contact with demonic tunists before, he hoped to see the situation first before deciding on his next course of action. "Take a look first?" Ruohuan gongzi sneered, "Do you think that since Elder Wu is currently energized and that the one to go first will suffer the heaviest impact?" "Since this is a test of ones Soul Depth, one should brave forward! To be hesitant, it only shows that you are worried and fearful. With such a huge gap in your mental fortitude, how can you expect to achieve good results? You must be joking!" Since this was a test of ones Soul Depth, going first and goingst could make a difference in ones state of mind and thus results. If one were to hesitate for fear that one would suffer the brunt of the blow from going first, it could only go to show that there was a huge w in ones mental fortitude. And the moment there was a w in ones mental fortitude, one would sumb easily to the Demonic Tune of Psychosis. Ruohuan gongzi was intentionally saying those words so as to affect Zhang Xuans confidence and state of mind. Since they werepetitors, he had no intentions of going easy on the others. "Since you are fearful, allow me to go first then!" After striking at Zhang shis confidence, Ruohuan gongzi chuckled softly and walked up to the table, preparing to pick up the nk formation te. "Ruohuan gongzi, why dont you allow me to go first instead?" An impassive voice sounded. Then, Fu Xiaochen walked up to the table as well. He was already done conditioning his mental state. His expression was peaceful, and at this moment, it seemed as though nothing in the world could shake him. "You wish topete with me?" Ruohuan gongzis eyebrows shot up. "Compete? Youre overthinking it. Given Elder Wus strength, it doesnt matter whether one goes first orst. The effect of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis will surely be the same... The nifty tricks you use on others wont work on me," Fu Xiaochen replied impassively. Chapter 533: Demonic Tune of Psychosis Chapter 533: Demonic Tune of Psychosis Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher and a 4-star demonic tunist, his control over his strength had already reached an astonishing level. Since this was a fairpetition, how could he possibly vary the intensity of his attacks for the candidates? The words that Ruohuan gongzi said previously were clearly an attempt to shoot down Zhang shis confidence. This might be useful against someone who came from a remote area, but to him, Fu Xiaochen, it waspletely futile. "Since you understand that, you should know that I wontpromise on anything Ive decided upon!" Ruohuan gongzi said. "Im the same as well!" Fu Xiaochen replied. Before the test had begun, the duo had already collided with one another. "Oh? Since thats the case, why dont wepete to see who goes first then?" Ruohuan gongzi said. "Sure! What do you want topete on?" Fu Xiaochen nodded. The two of them were equally matched, and they were both contenders for the championship. Thus, they had been thinking of how they could suppress the other party right from the start so that it would be difficult for the other party to make aebackter on. "Letspete on..." After a moment of contemtion, Ruohuan gongzi was just about to say the content of thepetition when a melody suddenly sounded. Tzing! Turning around, unknowingly, Feng Mosheng had already stepped forward, picked up a formation te, and seated down on the floor, ready to take the test. Elder Wus hands were also on the ancient zither, and lightly plucking at it, a melodious tune sounded. "What the heck?!" Not expecting their slight moment of distraction would grant another an opportunity to go first, Fu Xiaochen and Jun Ruohuans faces steeled, and an urge to spurt blood welled up in them. What the heck was this?! He wanted to strike down on the other partys confidence so as to affect his performance, only to end up giving away the initiative to someone else. "Hmph!" Knowing that there was no use arguing anymore, the duo flung their arms and returned back to where they were. Weng weng weng! Upon sitting down, Wu shi began plucking his zither, and a tune that seemed to strike deep within ones heart gushed over as though a rampaging torrent. "This music... Nothing seems to be wrong about it?" The music sounded a little upbeat, but other than that, there didnt seem to be anything wrong about it. Zhang Xuan didnt feel any signs of him being controlled, and his mind didnt seem to be breached by anything as well. But taking a look at Feng Mosheng, he knew that it wasnt as simple as he thought. Thetter, as a 3-star pinnacle master teacher, had a Soul Depth exceeding 11.0. Even so, upon hearing the melody of the zither, sweat began dripping down his forehead. He seemed to be under great pressure. "It seems like theres an area of effect to the zither melody. Beyond that area, even if one hears the melody, one wont feel anything at all..." A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Elder Wu had said previously that he would test the candidates one by one. From the looks of it now, it seemed like there was a limit to the attack range of the zither melody. Beyond that area, the melody would just be like normal music. Hu! While the other candidates couldnt feel anything at all, Feng Mosheng, who was bearing the brunt of the impact of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, went pale. With trembling hands, he took out a carving knife and jiya!, he started carving on the formation te. The Demonic Tune of Psychosis yed by the demonic tunist resounded in his mind, leaving him faint-headed and unable to concentrate. As such, the carving knife in his hand was also slightly shaky. "As expected, it isnt as easy as I thought..." Seeing how even a genius like the other party was facing such immense difficulty, Zhang Xuans expression turned grim. As expected of a selection round conducted by the Myriad Kingdom City. Just the first round was sufficient to leave many in despair already. Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Does this Demonic Tune of Psychosis have a weakness? Since a cultivator executing a battle technique and a formation master setting up a formation could bothpile a corresponding book on it, given that a demonic tunist was in the midst of ying a melody, a book should be able to bepiled on it as well! Muttering ws softly, Zhang Xuans mind jolted and a book appeared before him. "Wu Xu, an elder of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. 4-star master teacher, demonic tunist, formation master, painter, and tea master. Specializes in using offense via demonic tunes, of which, the Demonic Tune of Psychosis..." "ws: ..." Flipping through pages, Zhang Xuan swiftly found some content concerning the Demonic Tune of Psychosis. "I see!" A gleam shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he chuckled. This Demonic Tune of Psychosis may seem extremely fearsome but it had its ws too. As long as Zhang Xuan used it properly, it wouldnt be too difficult to break it. Soon, after reading through the book, an idea appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Ill try itter on! Knowing that it wasnt the time for him to try out his idea yet, Zhang Xuan ced the thought aside and turned his attention back to the test. At this moment, the Demonic Tune of Psychosis was already reaching its end, and Feng Mosheng seemed as though he waspletely intoxicated. His body wobbled violently even though he was already seated down. He seemed to have inscribed quite a bit on the formation te in his hands, but from Zhang Xuans current position, it was hard to see what the other party had inscribed clearly. Weng! With a light pluck, the zither melody finally came to an end. "Wu shi, thank you for going easy on me!" Shaking his head, Feng Mosheng stood up, sped his fists and bowed before passing the formation te over. He could tell that the other party didnt give it his all. Otherwise, given his current level of Soul Depth, it would have been impossible for him to withstand the entire tune. "Un!" Nodding his head, Wu shi passed the formation te to a master teacher standing beside him. After grabbing over the formation te, the master teacher began counting and reported the result, "A total of 432 strokes, and every stroke is of equal depth!" "More than 400 strokes?" "Impressive! Even though he was clearly at his limit, he was still able to leave so many strokes behind. Not to mention, they are all of the equal depth as well. As expected of a genius qualified to participate in the selection round!" "If it was me, I would surely be unable to inscribe even a single stroke..." "Dont worry. Given your qualifications, Elder Wu probably couldnt even be bothered toy his hands on you!" "You..." ... Upon hearing the results, a huge uproar spread across the crowd. The Demonic Tune of Psychosis had onlysted for three minutes. Even though there was no specific rule dictating what one should inscribe, to be able to inscribe more than 400 strokes within such a short period of time was indeed impressive, not to mention, one had to do it while warding off the offense of the melody. "More than four hundred strokes?" "It seems like I underestimated this fellow. To think that he would achieve such impressive results!" Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen frowned. Even they couldnt help but feel pressured by Feng Moshengs result. "Alright, the next one!" After announcing Feng Moshengs result, Wu shi conditioned his physical state for a few breaths, and after recovering, he turned to look at the crowd. Given his current capability, it would have been difficult for him to use the Demonic Tune of Psychosis to subdue a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert in a real battle. However, given that there was no battle involved in this test, he was still able to keep up. "Allow me!" Fu Xiaochen walked over. This time, Ruohuan gongzi didnt vie with him. It wasnt that he didnt want to go but that Feng Moshengs result had exerted some pressure on him. He wanted to condition himself to be in his best state before challenging it. Tzing! The zither began ying once more, and the sound of a carving knife cutting a formation te sounded as well. Soon, the test came to an end, and Fu Xiaochen retreated back. The master teacher reported the result. "A total of 427 strokes. The strokes are clear and theres no repetitions." "Such a pity..." Shaking his head, Fu Xiaochensplexion wasnt too good. He thought that, given his ability, winning the selection round shouldnt be a problem at all. He didnt expect that he would lost out to this Feng Mosheng at the very first round. A difference of five strokes! But only when experiencing the Demonic Tune of Psychosis itself did he realize how fearsome it was. If not for the desire of victory pushing him on, he would have surely sumbed halfway through. Fu Xiaochen quickly calmed down. Even though my results arent as good as Feng shis, it isnt too far aspared to him. Itll depend on Ruohuan gongzis result now. If his result is worse than mine, Ill still stand a very good chance in earning one of the two slots! Two people were to be selected in the selection round, and this was only the first round. As long as he didnt make any errorster on, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to get one of the slots. "Allow me!" The third one to challenge wasnt Ruohuan gongzi but the beautiful female master teacher, Luo Xi! In terms of appearance, thisdy could only be said to be decent. She was a far match from Princess Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu, needless to say, Zhao Ya. However, as a 3-star pinnacle master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert, she had a unique disposition that entuated her beauty. This beautifuldy may seem weak, but her Soul Depth was exceptionally strong. She also managed to survive through the entirety of Elder Wus Demonic Tune of Psychosis. After Luo Xi, the other foreign master teacher, Du Hu, went up. The duo managed to achieve a result exceeding four hundred strokes, but they were still a distance away from matching up to Fu Xiaochen, let alone Feng Mosheng. "A dark horse!" "Indeed. Who could have known that this Feng shi would be so formidable!" "Even Fu shis result is unable to match up to him... I truly never expected this to happen!" "I told you all that Feng shi is a strong contender as well, you all just refused to believe me." ... Even after four candidates had challenged the test, Feng Mosheng was still ranked in first ce. This result had left all of the master teachers shocked. Initially, they thought that the slots would surely go to Ruohuan gongzi and Fu shi. Who could have thought that Feng Mosheng would be so formidable as well? It seemed like Feng shis low profile had indeed made a lot of people underestimate him. "Look, its Ruohuan gongzis turn!" Just as everyone was astounded by the previous results, someone shouted out and everyone immediately turned their attention back to the stage. At that moment, Ruohuan gongzi was already seated down with the formation te right before him. He held onto a carving knife in his hands. Tzing! Tzing! The melody of a zither sounded. Frowning, Ruohuan gongzi swiped the carving knife across the formation te swiftly. "Fast!" "As expected of Ruohuan gongzi, it seems like the zither is ineffective on him!" "Looks like the champion of this test will surely be Ruohuan gongzi!" ... Seeing Ruohuan gongzis actions, everyone clenched their fists tightly. To be capable of moving so swiftly under the influence of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, as expected of the most popr candidate, one of the Four Gentlemen of Myriad Kingdom City! Hu! Soon, the melody came to an end. Ruohuan gongzi came to a stop. After keeping the carving knife in his storage ring, he passed the formation te forward. "A total of 431 strokes!" The master teacher counted for several times before announcing in disbelief. "A stroke less than Feng shi?" "How is that possible?" "That cant be, his hands moved so quickly then!" ... Upon hearing the result, a hugemotion broke out among the crowd. Everyone had seen Ruohuan gongzis carving speed previously... How could his result possibly be inferior to Feng shi? But the invigtor checking on the formation te was extremely well-known in the Master Teacher Pavilion for being impartial. It was impossible for him to be biased. "Ruohuan gongzi doesnt seem to be too disappointed..." Just as everyone was perplexed by the situation before them, someone amidst the crowd suddenly muttered in disbelief. Everyone turned their gazes over, and as expected, they noticed that something was amiss. When Fu shis result was worse than Feng shis, he was clearly depressed. On the other hand, not only did Ruohuan gongzi not seem defeated at all, he even had a faint smile hanging on his face. A smile? What was going on? Did he not care whether he won or lost? Chapter 534: Elder Wus Complete Breakdown (1) Chapter 534: Elder Wus Complete Breakdown (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That was impossible! There were only five rounds for the selection, and every single round was of utmost importance. This concerned whether one would obtain the final slot or not. Even if Ruohuan gongzi knew that he would pass the selection round for sure, he couldnt possibly be content with being in second ce. After all, the ultimate goal was the Master Teacher Tournament. If he couldnt even be the champion for a selection round, how could he possibly fare well in the tournament? Amidst perplexed gazes, Ruohuan gongzi walked up to Zhang Xuan with a smile and said, "Its your turn..." Only then did everyone realize that it was Zhang shis turn. "To be rmended so strongly by Su shi and Ling shi, he must possess some outstanding capability!" "Look at his age, how capable can he be? I worry whether that fellow can survive until the end of the melody or not!" "If he cant even withstand it until the end, it would indeed be embarrassing!" "Indeed!" ... Seeing that it was Zhang shis turn, everyone tore their gazes away from Ruohuan gongzi onto the new contender. In truth, they were rather curious about this mysterious young man. Toete even for an event as important as the selection round, was he truly that confident or was it just in arrogance? Ignoring the glee on Ruohuan gongzis face, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and picked up the formation te. Even though he was a quasi 4-star formation master, the only nk formation te he hade into contact with was the grade-5 formation te which he inscribed into a Spirit Gathering Formation. This was his first time seeing such a low-grade formation te. Holding it in his hand, he could clearly feel that the material was much softer than a grade-5 formation te. Clearly, the quality of the material was atpletely different levels. Walking over to the location where the previouspetitors sat down earlier, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings for a moment and did a quick mental calction. Then, scratching his head, he asked sheepishly, "I apologize but can I affix this formation te on the wall?" "Affix?" Elder Wu was taken aback. "As long as its convenient for you, feel free!" The main point of the test was to test ones resilience under the onught of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis. The formation te was just a means to gauge ones consciousness. Whether it was affixed onto the wall or within ones hand, it didnt make a difference at all. "Thank you!" Receiving the other partys agreement, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and flicked his wrist. Hong long! The nk formation te was fixed onto the wall not too far away. "Im ready, lets begin!" Zhang Xuan pped his hands. "What is he doing?" "Ive no idea. Shouldnt he hold the formation te in his hand to inscribe it better? What is he doing by affixing it onto the wall?" "I dont know either..." The crowd didnt expect Zhang Xuan to throw the formation te straight at the wall. None of them had ever seen someone inscribing a formation te like that! Besides, the wall was three to four meters away from the seat. Could his carving knife even reach the formation te? Everyone stared at one another in confusion. "What in the world... is this fellow thinking?" Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen stared at one another in bewilderment. Only by holding the formation te in ones hand could one control his strength better to carve thin lines of equal depth. To smash the formation te into the wall... Could this be the other partys way of dering his loss? "Ready?" Elder Wus mouth twitched. "You do know that for the sake of fairness, you can only stand there, right?" The previous five had sat on the same position on the test. If this fellow were to walk to the wall, he would be cast under the doubt of cheating. "I know!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Then... Since your carving knife cannot reach the wall, how do you intend to carve the formation te?" Elder Wu asked. Everyone carried the same doubt as well. A carving knifes length was only half a chi (16.6cm) long whereas it was a distance of four meters to the wall... No matter how long ones arm could stretch, one couldnt possibly cover that distance! If ones carving knife couldnt even reach the formation te, how could one possibly inscribe anything on it? Pavilion Master Kang, Elder Su, and Elder Ling stared at one another in doubt as well. The trio knew that Zhang shi was a man of great capability, so it was unlikely for him to be fooling around... But this sight still left thempletely bewildered. They couldnt fathom what the other party was trying to do at all. "Oh, Im not going to use a carving knife. Im using this instead!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a spear. A grade-5 formation te needed a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon to carve on it but a grade-3 formation te had no such requirement. A Phantom pinnacle weapon would be more than sufficient to leave a mark on it, and this spear happened to be of that level. The spear was already more than three meters in length. Taking into ount the length of Zhang Xuans arm as well, he could easily cover the distance to the formation te. "Did he just say that... he is using a spear to carve the formation te?" "Am I seeing things?" "The heck, is there something wrong with that fellows head?! It is easy to err even with a carving knife, and yet, he wants to use a spear... Can that toy even be used to carve a formation te?" "Ive no idea at all..." ... Seeing the young man take out a spear, everyone nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Using a spear to carve a formation te? What the heck was going on? Never in their lives had they stumble across such a ridiculous notion! Ruohuan gongzi, Fu Xiaochen, and the others found their mouths twitching violently, and their eyes nearly popped to the floor. Su shi and Ling shi trembled violently and their vision went dark. They knew that this fellow wasnt one to follow conventions but this... Wasnt this too freaking unconventional? Using a spear to inscribe? Can you be even more exaggerated than that? I dare you to be even more ridiculous than that! With a spear in his hands, Zhang Xuan looked like an undefeatable war god. Ignoring the doubtful gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Wu and said, "Lets begin!" "Since you insist on it... Alright then!" Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, Elder Wu nodded in agreement. Since the other party insisted on it, he had no other choice as well. Tzing! Plucking the string of the zither, the Demonic Tune of Psychosis sounded once more. Zhang Xuan immediately felt a violent aura gushing at him, stimting his soul, threatening to tear his head apart. "Its exactly as I inferred!" The bizarre energy kept striking at Zhang Xuans consciousness, leaving him faint-headed. It waspletely different to when hed listened to it previously. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. When listening from outside, Zhang Xuan could only hear the musiche couldnt sense the violent aura at all. On the other hand, from his current location, he felt like a boat in the midst of a storm. No matter how he struggled, he seemed to be unable to avoid his ultimate fate of drowning in the whirlpool. It was no wonder why Ruohuan gongzi, Feng Mosheng, and the others looked so worn out when they were challenging the test previously. Indeed, no upation of the Nine Paths was ordinary. "If we view the world with humility, theres much that is to be learned!" Knowing that he might be forced mad if he were to withstand it forcefully, he immediately drove his Soul Depth of 14.1. Weng! Vanquishing Facade, Lucid Mind! Upon reaching this state, one could find order amidst chaos. Ones mind would be clearer, making it much easier to analyze matters. Driving his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan immediately felt the violent aura stimting his soul previously dampening to the point that he could hardly feel it at all. "This Elder Wus Soul Depth is around the same level as me. Even though his Demonic Tune of Psychosis is impressive, it doesnt have much of a use on me!" Looking around, he saw that the other partys melody had yet to stop. Clearly, it wasnt that the other party was going easy on him but that the other partys ability was no longer effective on him. Zhang Xuans Soul Depth was on par with a 4-star pinnacle master teacher. He didnt even lose out much inparison to Pavilion Master Kang. No matter how formidable Elder Wu was, he could only be equal to him! Besides, Zhang Xuan was a soul oracle on top of that. The resilience of his soul was far greater than that of ordinary cultivators. It was impossible for a Demonic Tune of Psychosis to subdue him. "Time to start!" Knowing that the melody was ineffective on him, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the spear immediately exuded a radiant white glow and flew at the formation te affixed on the wall. Ding! The collision between the spear and the formation te created a crisp sound. It wasnt loud, but as though the chiming of a bell, it resounded in ones heart. Affected by the sound, Elder Wus zither couldnt help but fall into a temporary state of chaos. However, it didnt take long for him to recover, and the melody began flowing smoothly once more. Ding! However, the crisp sound echoed once more urately during a moment of weakness of the melody. Under the influence of the sound, the smooth melody fell into chaos once more. "Hmm?" With a grim expression, Elder Wus eyebrows shot up. It might have been a coincidence the first time, but it was impossible for such coincidences to happen twice. The two strikes of the spear urred at the instant when the old tune had faded and a new tune was in the midst of being produced. Not only did it break the flow of the music, even Elder Wus zhenqi, under the other partys disturbances, began to flow erratically. A demonic tunist uses his own zhenqi to convert them into notes to attack another. Interrupting his melody means to interrupt his flow of zhenqi. If this goes on, not only would Elder Wu be unable to finish his melody, he might even be severely wounded due to the disturbance in his zhenqi. Hu! With a grim expression, Elder Wu stood up. With his both hands moving quickly about the zither, he drove his zhenqi to the maximum and the melody crescendoed. Seemingly pressured by the other partys sudden movements, the sh between the spear and the formation te also hastened. Ding ding ding ding! The crisp sound produced by the spear and the formation te sounded like a dissonance, but nevertheless, it struck urately during the weak points of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis. "Something is wrong!" Despite exerting his full strength, the other party was still able to strike urately at his brief windows of weakness. This showed that the other party wasnt striking randomly but that he intended to pit it out with him! "Humph! I dont believe that I cant even subdue a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle cultivator like you!" Having been interrupted by the other party consecutively, Elder Wu felt a stifled sensation on his chest. Harrumphing forcefully, Elder Wu drove his zhenqi even harder, and it seemed as though steam was pouring out from his head. In that instant, his might reached a maximum. Hong long! Under the violent sh of energy, the table beneath the zither burst apart. However, expecting such a situation, Elder Wu used his leg to hook the zither up and embraced it with his left hand while ying it with his right. The melody didnt stop in the midst of this hup at all. Ding ding ding ding! Simrly, the sounds of collision between the spear and the formation te didnt stop either. On the contrary, it grew louder and louder, leaving one feeling immensely pressured. If the melody Elder Wus zither was relentless waves, then the crisp sound Zhang Xuan produced would be a huge tornado that blew away everything in its path! No matter how huge a wave was, it couldnt possibly fight against something a tornado! "Damn it!" With a pale face, Elder Wus right hand swiftly moved around the zither, producing a consistent melody. Due to his zhenqi flowing too fast, a sound reminiscent to the rumbling of the thunder could be heard in the hall. At the same time, he was swiftly moving about using a unique footwork technique. Ancient Zither Eight Trigram Steps! Through this unique footwork, he created a formation thatplemented with the zither, thus causing the prowess of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis to increase by twofold in an instant. Chapter 535: Elder Wus Complete Breakdown (2) Chapter 535: Elder Wus Complete Breakdown (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Whats going on?" "What is Elder Wu doing?" The battle left all of the other master teachers bbergasted. What was going on? Wasnt Elder Wu still perfectly fine a moment ago? Why was smoke suddenly gushing out from his head at one moment, the table breaking the next, and now, hed even started dancing about as though trying to use some formation... Wasnt this a test on ones Soul Depth... Why did he end up leaping about as though this was some kind of dancingpetition... "Has Elder Wu... gone mad?" someone amidst the crowd shouted, causing the hall to fallpletely silent. From the looks of it... it did seem like he had lost his sanity... "Hes not mad, hes just executing the Ancient Zither Eight Trigram Steps! Just that... Why did Elder Wu suddenly execute this move?" A 4-star master teacher amidst the crowd suddenly remarked with a frown. The elder sitting next to him doubtfully asked, "You know this movement technique?" "Of course I do! Thats Elder Wus strongest offensive technique. It creates a formation that perfectlyplements the demonic tune..." At which, the first elder suddenly paused and said, "Do you all still remember the Cmity of the Seven Swords?" The second elder nodded his head and replied, "Of course we do! It is the greatest cmity known to Myriad Kingdom City for the past century! Alliance Head Zhao sent innumerable experts out but to no avail. In the end, he could only request the assistance of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Back then, Elder Wu and you were dispatched for the mission!" The Cmity of the Seven Swords was a serial killing incident that happened in the Myriad Kingdom City back then. Every time the killer struck, he would leave seven holes on the body of the deceased. No matter how powerful the other party was, even if he was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, without an exception, he would still be killed within seven blows. After more than a dozen of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts were killed consecutively, a huge panic broke out within the alliance. Thus, Alliance Head Zhao led a group of experts to subdue the culprit personally, only to have the other party escape. Left without a choice, he could only look to the Master Teacher Pavilion for assistance. Back then, Pavilion Master Kang hadnt taken up the mantle of power yet. The previous pavilion master dispatched Elder Wu and this elder to deal with the culprit. Thus, they gathered several dozens of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts to encircle him, and only then did they manage to kill the other party. That matter caused a huge ruckus back then, and many of the older generation were unwilling to speak of it. Why would this elder suddenly raise the matter? "The Seven Sword serial killer was extremely strong, he was at least on par with the current Pavilion Master Kang. It was Elder Wu who used the Ancient Zither Eight Trigram Steps to assault the other partys consciousness, allowing us to gain the upper hand and eventually achieve victory! Otherwise... given our strength, it would have been impossible for us to prevent him from escaping," the first elder said with a grim expression. He could still remember the events that transpired that day. If not for Elder Wu utilizing the ability of a demonic tunist to disturb the other partys consciousness at a crucial moment, not only would they have failed in their mission, they might have even all died under the other partys onught! After all, the other party wasnt named as the greatest cmity of the Myriad Kingdom City for the past century for nothing. Just by thinking about the elusive seven swords caused cold sweat to drench his back. "He used this movement technique against the Seven Swords serial killer? Then..." The second elders face paled. The Seven Swords serial killer was a beingparable to the pavilion master. Even such a person ended up sumbing to the Ancient Zither Eight Trigram Stepsplemented with the Demonic Tune of Psychosis... How could that young man possibly withstand this? If he couldnt withstand it, wouldnt he die on the spot? "Whats wrong with Elder Wu? Why is he using such a move on a junior?" Upon understanding the graveness of the matter, the second elders face turned crimson in fury. No matter how unconventional and disrespectful that Zhang Xuan was, he was still a junior of theirs. As an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, to attempt to kill your junior like that, arent you going too far? "Ive no idea, but... Why does it seem like he is in a disadvantageous position despite having used this technique?" the first elder said with a bizarre look on his face. "Disadvantageous position?" The second elder was taken aback. He hurriedly turned his attention back to the stage, and with a look, his eyes suddenly narrowed. At this moment, steam wasnt just puffing from Elder Wus head anymore, it was puffing from his entire body, as though he had been thrown into a pot to be cooked. Even though his footsteps didnt pause in the slightest, he was spurting blood with every step he made, as if someone was striking his chest with a giant hammer relentlessly. The heck! What was happening? Despiteunching a sonic attack that even the Seven Swords serial killer was unable to withstand, he was the one who was spewing blood non-stop... This sight was simply too bizarre! "Its that Zhang shi..." The first elder finally came to a realization, and he spoke with a slightly quivering voice. "Ah?" "That Zhang shi is using his spear to strike the formation te. Even though it sounds erratic, every strike is aimed at the moment of weakness of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, thus jolting Wu shis zhenqi, resulting in his injury," the first elder said. "Theres such a thing as well?" The second elder widened his eyes in shock. As a 4-star master teacher, he had broad knowledge spanning across innumerable subjects. Even so, he had never heard of such a thing before. "I also find it bizarre but other than this, I cant think of any other reason!" the first elder said with a deep voice as he analyzed the situation. Even though he was the one saying so, he also found the matterpletely inconceivable. For a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle fellow, with just a spear and a formation te, to jolt a 4-star demonic tunist to the point that he was spewing blood... This... cant be real, right? ... "Subduing music with music!" Seeing the sight, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly thought of something and his face paled. "Subduing music with music?" Su shi and Ling shi hurriedly turned to look at Pavilion Master Kang. "Un. This is an ability that higher ranked demonic tunist uses against lower ranked demonic tunist. By finding the w in the other partys melody and striking at that exact spot, one can send the other partys zhenqi into disarray, thus inducing severe injuries!" Pavilion Master Kang said slowly. "Then... Pavilion master, I beseech you to save Zhang shi! He might very possibly be the one to represent our Master Teacher Pavilion for the Master Teacher Tournament so he mustnt get injured now..." Su shi pleaded anxiously. "Save Zhang shi?" Pavilion Master Kangs face twitched. "The one who needs to be saved is Elder Wu! Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seems like hell be reaching his limit soon!" "Reaching his limit?" Only then did Su shi and Ling shi realize that Elder Wu was spurting blood with each step he took. "That... Pavilion master, its just a test. Theres no need for them to go to such an extent... I beseech you to stop the duel!" Ling shi said. "Stop the duel? Subduing music with music is actually equivalent to pitting ones zhenqi against ones opponents. It is impossible to stop it unless one side falls in defeat! If it could be stopped halfway through, Wu shi would have already done so... Do you think that he would go to the extent of executing the Ancient Zither Eight Trigram Steps, pushing on even when he is jolted to the point that he is on the brink of death?" Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. A demonic tune could be considered as an attack on ones soul, and that was an extremely profound andplicated subject. The worst case of scenario of forcefully interfering in a sh of zhenqi was physical injury. On the other hand, forcefully interfering in a sh of souls could cause permanent damage to ones head, thus turning one into an idiot! This was precisely the reason why such a sh couldnt be stopped unless one falls in defeat! "Isnt this a test of Soul Depth? Why did it suddenly turn into... a sh of tunes?" Su shi and Ling shis faces paled. Wasnt this a test on ones Soul Depth? Why did it suddenly turn into such a fight? Not to mention, it seemed as though neither side was willing to give in until one of them falls in defeat? They knew that this fellow was a troublemaker, but never in their dreams did they expect that he could cause such a huge ruckus in a test of Soul Depth... Su shi and Ling shi stared at one another in frenzy. "I... dont know either!" Pavilion Master Kang felt even more dismal. For the number one expert of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance to be helpless before such a situation, he couldnt help but feel frustrated. More importantly... He still had no idea how such a situation urred! He couldnt help but sigh deeply. ... "What happened?" "Can that be considered as inscribing on the formation te?" While the other master teachers were so astounded that they could faint from shock itself, Ruohuan gongzi, Fu Xiaochen, and the others widened their eyes at the sight before them. They felt as though their heart was threatening to leap out from their throats. They had tasted the prowess of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis for themselves earlier, and they knew how powerful it was. Even when Elder Wu was just sitting there calmly, they found themselves unable to withstand it already. Now that he was going to the extent of even executing the Ancient Zither Eight Trigrams Step, how could they possibly withstand this? But why... was the young man before thempletely fine? A long momentter, Fu Xiaochen thought of a possibility and said, "That fellow must have learned some bizarre music technique that allowed him to curb Elder Wus Demonic Tune of Psychosis via knocking on the formation te!" Other than this, he couldnt think of any other usible exnation. In his view, that Zhang Xuan fellow must have, by some incredible stroke of luck, learned a music technique that happened to curb Elder Wus music, thus putting Elder Wu in a disadvantageous situation. Ruohuan gongzi harrumphed. "So what if he can curb Elder Wus Demonic Tune of Psychosis? This test is on ones Soul Depth. What is important is the number and exquisiteness of the strokes! Its futile no matter how well he strikes the formation te with his spear!" The others also realized this and nodded their heads. Indeed, this test was on their Soul Depth, not their battle prowess. Even if one were to leave Elder Wu spurting blood with any step, if one couldnt leave behind sufficient strokes on the formation te, it would be meaningless! "Dont worry, Ive been paying attention and all he has been doing is to stab his spear onto the formation te randomly... In the end, for the sake of showing off, he forgot his primary goal. That makes him nothing more than a clown!" Waving his hands grandly, Ruohuan gongzi continued saying. So what if you are capable of curbing the Demonic Tune of Psychosis? If a question asks you what one plus one is, and you answer with aplex mathematical theory, no matter how advanced your theory is, you still arent answering the question. Its an erroneous response! "The Demonic Tune of Psychosis is about to end!" Suddenly, a voice amidst the crowd sounded. Everyone turned their gazes over. At this moment, Elder Wu was puking blood as he advanced forward. He was already no less than three meters away from Zhang Xuan, and the sound of the collision between the two grew louder and louder. By this point, both sounds were already intricately mixed together, making it impossible to differentiate the Demonic Tune of Psychosis from the knocking sounds. But judging from the flow of time, the three minutes duration for the test was about to be up. "Lets hope that... Elder Wu will be fine!" Looking at the massive pool of blood on the floor and the ghastly pale face of Elder Wu, everyone prayed solemnly. ... Just as everyone had guessed, the test was indeeding to an end soon. The Demonic Tune of Psychosis had already reached its conclusion. "Alright!" Noticing that, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had been busy shing with the demonic tune via striking at the moments of its ws, and as such, he hadnt noticed the peculiarity in his surroundings yet. Flicking his wrist, he was just about to finish thest note when he turned his head to the side and saw apletely pale face beside him. "AHH!" Shocked, Zhang Xuans instinctively whipped his spear at the other party. Chapter 536: First... From the Bottom? [3in1] Chapter 536: First... From the Bottom? [3in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This was his first time fighting against a demonic tunist. Even though the other partys Soul Depth was beneath his, it was equaled out by his low cultivation. Thus, he had no choice but to retaliate with all of his might. As such, he didnt have any spare energy to pay attention to his surroundings. As such, Zhang Xuan couldnt have expected that the ghastly pale face belonged to Elder Wu. He thought that someone was trying to assault him. Thus, executing the Heavens Path Spear Art with all his might, the spear in his hands turned into a bright ray of light and flew toward the other party. On the opposite side, Elder Wu had just heaved a sigh of relief, and before he could react, he saw a spear whipping straight toward him. His eyes narrowed but it was already toote to dodge. As such, he was struck in the chest and was sent flying out. Padah! He was smacked into the wall, forming a "" character on it. "What the heck?!" No one could have expected that there would be such a twist at the end of the test. Their eyes popped out from their sockets, and their faces grew so scarlet that it seemed as though blood would seep out of it if one were to pinch it. That was Elder Wu, the only demonic tunist in the whole of Myriad Kingdom City, a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert who was widely feared by others. Yet, he was struck by a spear and crashed into a wall... Did it need to be so exaggerated? "Elder Wu, why did you... suddenly run up to me? I didnt do this on purpose..." Hearing the shocked gasps from the crowd, Zhang Xuan finally recognized the other party. With a reddened face, he spoke sheepishly. Wasnt this a test of Soul Depth? Why did you suddenly run up to me then? I thought that you were up to no good... "Cough cough!" Coughing up tworge mouthfuls of blood, Elder Wu finally recovered from his condition and struggled down from the wall. What the heck was this? The pavilion master told him that he just had to serve as the examiner for this test. He thought that it would be easy, so he immediately agreed to it. Who knew that this would almost cause his death? The other partys strikes on the formation te were aimed at the weaknesses of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis. If he didnt retaliate, his soul would surely be severely damaged. Left with no other option, he could only slowly advance to heighten the might of his offense... In the end, the demonic tune that even the pavilion master feared seem to bepletely ineffective on the other party... The other party didnt even seem to notice the increasing intensity of the tune! The freaking hell! To be able to be impervious to a demonic tune... What kind of monster did Su Fan and Ling Yuheng bring here? The great frustration he was suffering from was making him doubt the purpose of life in itself. "Forget it, I dont me you..." Even so, he knew that a sh between music could easily spiral out of control. The other party didnt intend this either. Thus, after recuperating for a short moment, Elder Wu waved his hands nonchntly. Even though he felt indignant, as an elder, he couldnt possibly pick a bone with a 2-star master teacher! Besides... Given how he was reduced to such a state even when he wasnt picking a bone, if he were to really try to exact vengeance... It would be hard to tell whether he could return alive! Since that was the case... He might as well drop the matter. "Check the formation te!" Fetching the formation te from the wall, he passed it over to the invigting master teacher. "Yes!" Grabbing the formation te, he began counting the strokes on it and announced, "A total of 431 strokes. Every single stroke is of equal depth and width!" "431 strokes? Isnt that result the same as Ruohuan gongzi?" "That seems to be so... He managed to leave behind so many marks with a spear?" "I thought that he was just randomly knocking the spear on the formation te, to think that he managed to inscribe so many strokes. Thats impressive!" "Since the both of them have the same number of strokes... who will be the second ce? Or will it be shared between the two of them?" ... Hearing the results, the crowd flew into an uproar. Theyd thought that given how Zhang Xuan seemed to be randomly striking on the formation te without any clear order, the strokes on the formation te would surely be chaotic and messy, or perhaps, he might not have even left a single stroke behind at all. Yet, never could they have expected that thetter would share the same result as Ruohuan gongzi!" Since the both of them had the same result... How would the ranking be decided? Were they going to be ced second together? "He also... carved 431 strokes?" Not expecting Zhang Xuan to achieve such results, Ruohuan gongzisplexion darkened. With a carving knife in hand, he toiled through so much hardship before he could inscribe so many strokes. On the other hand, the other party was equipped with a spear and his movements werepletely erratic, not to mention, he was knocking on the te to retaliate against Elder Wu. Yet, the other party still achieved a result equivalent to his? Was this for real? "Looks like weve been underestimating him. That fellow isnt as simple as he looks!" Ruohuan gongzis eyebrows shot up. When he heard that the other party was only a 2-star master teacher, honestly speaking, he didnt even view the other party as an opponent. But from the looks of it now, it was the gravest mistake he could make. To use a spear to inscribe on a formation te from several meters away... He could never have imagined this to be possible. In fact, even with seeing it with his own eyes, he still found it incredulous. "However... Do you think that achieving a draw with me will be that easy?" Ruohuan gongzis lips curled up to form a cold sneer. So what if the other party managed to inscribe the same number of strokes as him? He still had a trump card in hand! A countryside bumpkin like the other party could never hope to match up to him! "Impressive!" Feng Mosheng was also awed. Despite using a carving knife, he only carved one more stroke than the other party. As expected of someone heavily rmended by the elders. Fearsome indeed! He thought that he was the dark horse for this selection round, butpared to the other party, he felt like he could only be considered as a dark donkey. ... Amidst the crowds discussion, six formation tes were ced side by side on a table. Each of them was filled with inscriptions, reflecting their prior work and aplishment. "Pavilion master, please evaluate the formation tes!" The invigting master teacher sped his fist and bowed to Pavilion Master Kang. "Un!" Nodding his head, Pavilion Master Kang, Elder Su, and a few other elders stepped forward and browsed through the formation tes. "The calction before is urate. Allow me to announce the results for the first round then." Scanning through the crowd, Pavilion Master Kang said, "Feng Mosheng, with 432 strokes, is in first ce. Jun Ruohuan and Zhang Xuan, with 431 strokes each, are tied in second ce. Fu Xiaochen, with 427 strokes, is in fourth ce. Luo Xi, with 411 strokes, is in fifth ce. Du Hu, with 407 strokes, is in sixth ce!" "I didnt expect Feng shi to really be in first ce!" "That Zhang shi is formidable as well. Probably no one thought that he could achieve a tie with Ruohuan gongzi!" "Indeed. I thought that his reputation supersedes his capability, but to think that it would be the opposite instead!" ... Innumerous discussions broke out below. Everyone thought that Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen would be standing at the top of the candidates. No one expected that two dark horses - Feng Mosheng and Zhang Xuan - would appear all of the sudden. "Alright, the first round is over. Lets proceed on to the second round..." After dering the results, Pavilion Master Kang was just about to proceed into the next round when a voice interrupted him. "Pavilion master, I think that theres a problem with my result!" Everyone turned to the stage, only to see Ruohuan gongzi stepped forward with a faint smile on his face. "Oh?" Pavilion Master Kang turned to look at him. "For the first round, Elder Wu said that well be judged on the progress in our inscription and the exquisiteness of our strokes!" Ruohuan gongzi said. "May I double check if thats true?" "I did say those words!" Elder Wu nodded his head. After resting for a moment, he had already recovered significantly. Just that, his face was still pale, and his spirit seemed to be a little withered. "Thats exactly what I mean. You all have checked the number of strokes... but you all forgot to check the exquisiteness of it!" Ruohuan gongzi chuckled lightly. "Exquisiteness of the strokes?" Everyone was taken aback. Even Pavilion Master Kang couldnt help but frown. How in the world do we check that? Are we supposed to judge by how thin the candidates strokes are? But thats a problem of the carving knife already, ones Soul Depth had nothing to do with it! "Simple, Ive carved more than just marks on the formation te... Please take a look!" Walking up to the formation te, Ruohuan gongzi whipped out his carving knife and added several dozen more strokes. These strokes were very simple-they were mainly just connecting some of the isted lines together. However, just by connecting these lines together, the messy strokes on the formation te changed into something very different. Weng! A crisp chirp sounded, and a giant peony suddenly appeared before everyones eyes. Shrouded in spiritual energy, it slowly bloomed beautifully. "It is... a painting!" "Under that kind of condition, Ruohuan gongzi actually managed to carve a fifth level painting on the formation te!" "That exins why hes so confident despite the number of his strokes being lower than that of Feng shi!" "A fifth level painting... Thats a work that only a 3-star painter could produce! Ive long heard that one of Ruohuan gongzis supporting upation is a painter... From the looks of it, thats indeed the case!" "Incredible..." ... Everyone was astonished. Even Pavilion Master Kang didnt expect this turn of events. To be able to grant the flower spirit and create a fifth level painting when ones mind was under the assault of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis... Ruohuan gongzis mental fortitude had reached an astonishing level! It was no wonder why he was so confident! Carving strokes on the formation te was extremely elementary. Creating a painting under that condition... that was true capability. Under normal circumstances, it would already be difficult to create a fifth level painting in three minutes. Not to mention, the other party had done it under the influence of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis... His talent, capability, and mental fortitude were truly frightening. "Good, good!" Pavilion Master Kangs eyes lit up as he nodded his head in satisfaction. As painter wasnt one of his supporting upations, he failed to see through the trick hidden in the formation te. Even so, he understood the difficulty in creating a fifth level painting under that condition. Ruohuan gongzi was his direct disciple. Seeing the other partys outstanding performance had filled him with pride and relief. "The reason why I have less strokes isnt because I was unable to inscribe anymore but that... to carve out a painting, I couldnt leave behind any more strokes than that. I hope that pavilion master can reconsider the judgement!" Ruohuan gongzi spoke confidently. "Un!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. His gaze swept across the elders. "What do you all think?" "Even though he has carved a single stroke less... he has managed to create a painting. Clearly, Ruohuan gongzis aplishment is much greater here!" "To be able to create a fifth level painting under the influence of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, his mental fortitude is indeed impressive!" "I also feel that Ruohuan gongzi should be in first ce!" ... Soon, most elders concurred that Jun Ruohuan should be in the first ce. No one questioned the decision, and even Feng Mosheng expressed his approval of the decision. Even though he had carved more strokes, it was clear that the other partys work was much more exquisite than his. Every single stroke the other party made had a purpose, whereas inparison, his strokes were made randomly just for the purpose of clearing the test. Seeing that no one had any objections, Pavilion Master Kang announced, "Good. Since no one has any objection, Ill announce the revised results. Ruohuan is in first ce, Feng Mosheng in second, Zhang shi third, Fu Xiaochen fourth, Luo Xi fifth, and Du Hu sixth!" "Ruohuan gongzi is indeed impressive. As expected of the most popr contender for the champion spot!" "He managed to get the first ce in the first round easily. However, well have to wait to see whether he can maintain his lead!" ... Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Seeing that he had received the first ce, Ruohuan gongzi chuckled delightfully. Turning to Zhang Xuan, his eyebrow shot up and he said, "Zhang shi, it seems like we arent tied in the second ce anymore!" You sure caused a huge ruckus just now, but so what? In the end, you still lost to me! "Ah..." Not expecting the other party to gloat even after getting the first ce, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He turned his gaze to Pavilion Master Kang and said, "That... as long as ones strokes are more exquisite, ones results will be better, right?" "Yes!" Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback for a moment, but he soon nodded his head. "That is good!" Following which, Zhang Xuan turned to his formation te on the table, and with a darkened expression, he bellowed, "What are you sleeping around for? Hurry up and get to work!" Weng! A crisp sound of Spirit Euphoria sounded in the air, and the formation te which he had just inscribed whirred into action. Spiritual energy was frenziedly drawn from the surroundings, creating a massive vortex. "Spirit euphoria... This is a... sentient grade-4 Spirit Gathering Formation te?" Elder Wu narrowed his eyes. As a 4-star formation master, he possessed a deep understanding of formations. As such, he knew how difficult it was to carve a formation te. Even with his current strength, carving a grade-4 Spirit Gathering Formation would require at least a week. Yet, the other party, just by stabbing for three minutes with a spear, managed to inscribe one sessfully... And what made it even shocking was that it was a Sentient Formation te! Th-this... was way too shocking! On top of that, it ismon understanding that a grade-3 nk formation te could only harness a grade-3 formation. Yet, the other party managed to inscribe a grade-4 formation... How deep could hisprehension of formation have reached? At the very least, Elder Wu knew that he was no match for the other party. What was even more fearsome was that... the other party did it while facing off with him. While blood was spurting out of his mouth, the other party was busy making a grade-4 Sentient Formation te... Elder Wu felt so stifled that he could explode at any moment now. "The inscribing of a formation te is an extremelyplex process. Every single stroke had to be carefully nned, and not a single mistake would be tolerated. To do so with a spear..." "Inparison, Ruohuan gongzis fifth level painting is nothing at all!" "Indeed, theres a huge disparity between the two..." ... Seeing the gathering of spiritual energy, everyone in the room fell silent. Their eyes widened as though they had seen a ghost. "You..." On the other hand, Ruohuan gongzi trembled so violently that he was about to go insane. He thought that he was already formidable to have created a painting. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect this fellow to inscribe a grade-4 formation! A grade-4 formation was already extremely difficult to inscribe even without the Demonic Tune of Psychosis. Yet, this young fellow did it while leaving Elder Wu spurting blood... That was too unbelievable! More importantly... the formation te was even sentient! Even though both his painting and the formation possessed spirit, the difference in the significance of the feats was like heaven and earth. Ruohuan gongzi thought that he would surely be ranked first this time. He didnt expect to be overthrown in the blink of an eye, and even stomped several times upon... Tears threatened to stream down his face. If only he knew earlier, he wouldnt have acted so smugly and say that he couldnt be tied with the other party in the second ce. In the end... he was the one who ended up being in the second ce instead... This face p...! Just as he was feeling stifled, the other partys voice sounded, "Can my formation be considered as exquisite?" "Cough cough, it does!" Pavilion Master Kangs face reddened. It was embarrassing how the other party had inscribed a formation and he didnt even notice it. More importantly... To have to change his judgement twice in a single round, what kind of monsters were involved in this selection round? "In the first test, Zhang shi, being in first ce, shall be awarded 6 points. Ruohuan, in second ce, will be awarded 5 points, so on and so forth..." Knowing that it would only be more embarrassing if he were to dy any longer, he hurriedly announced the results. Seeing that there was no one objecting to them, he heaved a sigh of relief and continued, "Alright, lets go on to the second test- the test of cultivation! "In order to be a master teacher, ones cultivation realm is of utmost importance. While a master teachers strength is mostly derived by their ability to discern and exploit the ws of their enemies, their own cultivation mustnt be neglected. "But of course, ones cultivation is closely rted to the resources they have ess to and the guidance of their teachers. As all of youe from different backgrounds, its natural that you all will have different cultivation realm. As such, a normal battle will be unfair!" Everyone nodded their heads. Taking Ruohuan gongzi for example, he came from the Jun n, the dominant n of the Four Great ns. On top of that, his teacher was Pavilion Master Kang. From the very start, he was already entitled to the best conditions possible. Not to mention, he was also older than most of the participants present, so it was only natural for him to be stronger than the others. On the other hand, people like Luo Xi and Du Hu came from backward kingdoms so the resources they had for cultivation couldntpare up to the rest. On top of that, they were also younger than the other candidates. It would be unfair to gauge them by having them battle one another. "Thus, Ive discussed with the other elders and we decided to have Elder Bai fight you with his cultivation suppressed to your respective levels. The more blows you can withstand in the fight against him, the stronger you will be deemed to be. Not only will this assess yourprehension of your current cultivation realm, it will also test your reflexes and decision-making skills in times of danger. This makes the test even moreprehensive," Pavilion Master Kang said. "Fight with Elder Bai, who has suppressed his cultivation?" "Those who have joined the selection round are of differing cultivation levels. The test would be biased if we have them fight against one another. Fu shi has already reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle whereas Zhang shi is only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle. Even without having the two face one another, the result of the battle is clear." "Indeed. Having Elder Bai suppress his cultivation, and gauging the respective candidates by the number of blows they canst against thetter will indeed make the test fairer..." "As a 4-star master teacher, Elder Baisprehension of battle techniques is far superior to them. Even if he were to suppress his cultivation to be of equal level to them, it would be impossible for them to emerge victorious. By gauging the results based on the number of blows the candidates can withstand from Elder Bai, the candidates can avoid getting injured while urately discerning their level of strength among their peers. Thats a good idea!" "Un! Other than Pavilion Master Kang, nearly no one is able to defeat Elder Bai. On top of that, hes impartial. I have no qualms with the rules!" Hearing the rules of the second round, everyone nodded their heads in agreement. The six participating master teachers of the selection round had differing cultivation levels, and thus, it would be impossible to have them spar with one another withoutpromising on fairness. Thus, having an elder suppress his cultivation to face off with them would be the ideal way to test the candidates. The suppression of cultivation would make the test more impartial as the duo would be of equal cultivation. On the other hand, the number of blows that the candidate could withstand was the best way to gauge the candidates strength. This could be considered as the most impartial method possible already. Seeing the crowd agree to it, Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head in agreement. Turning to the elder seated not too far away, he said, "Ill be troubling you then!" "Dont worry about it!" The elder stood up and walked up the stage. Elder Bai, Bai Heng! "Dont worry. After suppressing my cultivation, Ill fight with all my might. I wont go easy on anyone, so you need not worry about the fairness of the test. How many blows you can withstand will depend on your capability, and I, Bai Heng, swear on my dignity as a master teacher that I wont side with anyone!" Walking up, Elder Bai looked at the candidates seriously. Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen hurriedly said, "We have trust in Elder Bais impartiality!" Elder Bai was a reputable elder in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Possessing a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, his true fighting prowess was second only to Pavilion Master Kang. On top of that, he had an upright personality, and he had even used his dignity as a master teacher to guarantee his impartiality on this matter. Since that was the case, it was impossible for him to go easy on anyone. "Since there are no objections, you all should make preparations that you all deem fit. Youre permitted to use weapons, or if you prefer, bare fists are fine too. In any case, use the battle techniques you are the most adept in to fight with Elder Bai. However... for the sake of fairness and secrecy, the fight will be conducted in a sealed chamber. The number of blows will be reflected by a unique formation on the wall, so itll be impossible to falsify the results. Also, the details of the fight will be kept a secret as well, so you need not worry!" Pavilion Master Kang said. After hearing the arrangements, the other master teachers nodded their heads. Every master teacher had their own ultimate technique that they didnt want anyone to know of. If they were to disy it before a crowd, there was high possibility that the information might leak out. If so, their trump card would be known by their enemies and thus be rendered useless. Conducting the test in a sealed chamber could solve this issue. "Ill go in and wait for you all!" Waving his hands casually, Elder Bai walked into a small room by the side of the hall. "Alright, who wants to go first?" Seeing that Elder Bai was ready, Pavilion Master Kang turned to look at the six candidates before him. "Ill go first!" Fu Xiaochen stepped forward. He was a potential contender for the champion seat, but in the first round, he was only in the fourth ce. This made him extremely frustrated. In terms of Soul Depth, he might not be able topare up to Feng Mosheng and Ruohuan gongzi, but in terms of strength, he was confident that he was second to none! "Un, be careful!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded in satisfaction. "Pavilion master, thank you for your advice!" Fu Xiaochen walked into the room. Weng! The moment he stepped into the room, the white wall beside the door immediately glowed and a number appeared. 1! 2! 3! ... 10! The number changed continuously, and it didnt take long for it to reach 10. "It has begun!" "Even though Elder Bai has suppressed his cultivation, to be able to survive ten blows from him, Fu shi is quite incredible!" "Need that be said? Fu shi is Elder Hais student! He has already reached an incredible mastery in the Thousand Seas Punch. Even with Elder Bais astounding fighting prowess, itll take him at least fifteen blows to defeat Fu shi!" "Indeed. The Thousand Seas Punchunches blows relentlessly at ones enemies as though the ceaseless waves of the sea, it is truly a formidable battle technique..." "I wonder how many blows he can withstand." ... Seeing the numbers on the wall, everyone could tell that the fight had already begun, and both sides had already traded ten blows. They couldnt help but clench their fists out of anxiety. Elder Bais fighting prowess was formidable. Even if he had suppressed his cultivation, surviving ten blows from him was already something one could brag about! After all, even if an expert suppressed his cultivation to the same level as a rookie, hisprehension of fighting in itself was not something that a rookie couldpare up to. How could the rookie possibly achieve victory under such circumstances? Hu! Amidst the shock gazes of the crowd, the leaping numbers finally came to a halt. 31! Following which, the tightly shut doors opened and Fu Xiaochen walked out. Even though his clothes were slightly unkempt, his eyes glowed in excitement. Only when experiencing it oneself would one understand how powerful Elder Bai was. Even though thetter had already suppressed his cultivation, Fu shi still wasnt a match at all. If not for him dumping out all of his trump cards, it would have been difficult for him to evenst twenty blows. With 31 blows, Fu Xiaochen was confident that he could at least get the first two ces. "Impressive!" Ruohuan gongzi looked at the young man who had just left the chamber and his expression turned grim. He wasnt confident that he could survive so many blows from Elder Bai, and this put heavy pressure on him. "Ruohuan gongzi, let me see how well you fare!" Fu Xiaochen walked up to Ruohuan gongzi and said with curled up lips. "Sure!" Taking in a deep breath, Jun Ruohuan gritted his teeth and walked into the chamber. Huhuhuhu! Soon, numbers started to appear on the white wall. "How many blows do you think Ruohuan gongzi can withstand?" "I cant really tell. His fighting prowess is at the same level as Fu shi. Since thetter is able to survive 31 blows, his result should be around that level as well!" "Lets just hope so!" Seeing the number increasing continuously, everyones face slowly grew graver. Jun Ruohuan and Fu Xiaochen, as idols for many of the younger generation, were the two most popr contenders for the champion seat. Everyone was curious to know whose fighting prowess was greater. "I think Fu Xiaochen should fare better than Jun Ruohuan!" Pavilion Master Kang suddenly said. "Oh?" Elder Su turned his attention over. "Xiaochen has a calm disposition which makes him adept in defense. On the other hand, Ruohuan, due to his prideful nature, only bes more and more aggressive in the face of danger. Such attacks might work on others but against Elder Bai... it will prove to be a fatal w instead!" Pavilion Master Kang analyzed. "Youre right!" Su shi and Ling shi nodded their heads in agreement. It wasnt by chance that Jun Ruohuan was known as the head of the Four Gentlemen. It was through his fists that he slowly beat that reputation out for himself. And it was precisely because of his strength that built onto his pride. Prideful people tended to be weaker in their defense. Usually, this wouldnt make much of a difference when facing off with those of simr cultivation realm, but against the experienced Elder Bai, Jun Ruohuans ws would be exploited and amplified many folds. Hu! While the duo was speaking, the light on the wall slowly faded, revealing two digits to the crowd 30! Just as Pavilion Master Kang guessed, Ruohuan gongzis result was indeed beneath that of Fu Xiaochen. At thirty blows, he happened to lose to thetter by just a single blow. "Just a single blow?" "Do you think that Ruohuan gongzi might have some trump card just like in the first round? Even though he has lost out to Fu shi by a single blow, is it possible that he has won instead?" "How is that possible! This is a real spar; every blow has to be created by ones own strength. A blow less means a blow less, theres no making up for it!" "Thats true!" ... Seeing that it was thirty blows, there were some who felt that Ruohuan gongzi might be able to make a turnaround like he did previously. But giving it some thought, it was indeed impossible to do so. After all, sparring was different from carving a formation te. Every blow counted, there was no making up for it with anything. Jiya! During the discussions, the door to the chamber opened and Ruohuan gongzi walked out with a bitter smile. He also didnt expect to lose to Fu Xiaochen by a single blow. Even so, there was nothing he could do. Even though Elder Bai had suppressed his cultivation, his offense was relentless as though the ceaseless waves. He had given it his all, but thirty blows were already his limit. Even though he lost, he had no regrets. "Allow me to go next!" Upon seeing Ruohuan gongzi exit, Feng Mosheng took in a deep breath and walked into the chamber. A bright light shone, and numbers appeared on the white wall. Not too longter, Feng Mosheng walked out with a pale face. The number was fixed at 28. Seeing his result, Fu Xiaochen and Ruohuan gongzi heaved a long sigh of relief. Then, their gazes turned to Zhang Xuan. After the three of them were done with the examination, the only one most likely to turn the situation around was this fellow. Even though they didnt know how the other partys fighting prowess was, given how he was able to leave Elder Wu in a wretched state through music itself, he was unlikely to be weak. But what that left them disappointed was that Zhang Xuan didnt seem to be in a rush to enter the chamber at all. Luo Xi and Du Hu went ahead of him, and what was surprising was that Du Hu, who had fared the worst in the previous round, actually managed to withstand twenty-eight blows as well, thus achieving a result equaling Feng Mosheng. On the other hand, Luo Xi, due to her physical weakness as a female, only managed to withstand twenty-four blows. "Its Zhang shis turn..." "Indeed. I wonder if he can be the dark horse just like how he did in the first round!" "I find that very unlikely. After all, as a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle, his battle experience is likely to be verycking. Hell be at a huge disadvantage facing off with Elder Bai!" "Thats true..." ... Seeing Zhang Xuan walk into the chamber, the crowd whispered amongst themselves. In truth, the method of conducting the test wasnt as fair as it sounded. It was much easier for a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert to subdue a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator aspared to a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivator even if he were to suppress his cultivation to their respective level. This was due to the difference in their battle experience. Take for example, while a professor might be able to do a university students homework and a grade schoolers homework, it was clear that a grade schoolers homework would be much easier for him than a university students homework. Zhang shis cultivation was the lowest among all the candidates. It would surely be much easier for Elder Bai to deal with him than the other candidates. "How many blows do you think he can withstand?" Pavilion Master Kang turned to look at Su shi. Su shi hesitated for a moment before saying, "This... Im not too sure. However, given Elder Bais skills, even if he were to suppress his cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle, he would still be able to kill a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan intermediate stage cultivator easily. Im afraid Zhang shi probably wont be able tost for too long!" He carried deep trust in Zhang Xuan, but Elder Bai wasnt someone ordinary either. His grasp of cultivation and battle techniques had reached an incredibly profound level. Even Su shi would find it hard to match up to the other party, let alone Zhang shi! "Indeed. Even though Zhang shi had managed to progress three cultivation realms in the past twenty days, his cultivation should still be unstable and his grasp over his strength should becking. My guess is that hell lose within ten blows!" Pavilion Master Kang analyzed. Su shi had said previously that Zhang shi had progressed from Zongshi realm twenty days ago to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle. Achieving breakthroughs so quickly, even if he was a Celestial Master Teacher, it was inevitable for his cultivation to be slightly shaky. His estimate of ten blows was already a positive one. "I also think so, but... Zhang shi has never been a person who could be dictated bymon logic. Its hard to tell what will happen next..." Ling shi interjected. While he agreed with Pavilion Master Kangs analysis-under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for Zhang shi to withstand even ten blows... he also knew that Zhang shi was a person who often broke expectations. As long as the result wasnt out, it would be hard to fathom a guess. "Look, its starting!" They werent the only ones who were anxious. Everyone in the hall was looking intently at the white wall beside the door, and soon, a number appeared on it... 1! "Ah? Why isnt it increasing anymore?" After seeing the number 1, everyone thought that it would continue increasing to a point before stopping altogether. But to their astonishment, the number seemed to be printed firmly there, not moving at all. "Could it be that... the formation is malfunctioning?" "Thats impossible! The formation was set up my Elder Wu personally. Besides, it was fine when the other candidates were using it. How could it possibly spoil all of a sudden?" "Then... why is that number not moving at all?" "Could it be that..." At that moment, everyone thought of the same possibility and disbelief filled their faces. "He lost... in a single move?" Ruohuan gongzis eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists tightly together in agitation. Even the austere Fu Xiaochen showed a rare expression of delight. The duo had been worried that this ck horse would overthrow their records just like he did previously. No one expected him to lose in a single blow. But that was to be expected. How could a Transcendent Mortal 1-dand possibly be able to withstand Elder Bais ferocious assault? They had thought that this fellow might be their greatest obstacle to winning the selection round, but from the looks of it now, they were just overthinking things-the other party wasnt even a threat at all! "Isnt this result too poor... With such strength, he still hopes to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament?" "Even though strength isnt the determining criteria, it is still of significant importance. Even Beauty Luo Xi is able to withstand twenty-four blows. To lose in a single blow... Isnt that way too fast?!" "Indeed. So what if he has a powerful Soul Depth? Without sufficient strength, he would still be eliminated swiftly in the tournament!" Upon understanding the situation, everyone began gossiping. In the first round, this fellow had astonished everyone with his unparalleled talents. Even Elder Wu nearly lost his sanity because of him. So, they thought that even if his result in the second round couldntpare up to his first, he would still be able to fare decently. They never thought that... the other party would do so poorly! Losing in a single blow! Even a normal cultivator should have been able to withstand at least several blows! "This..." Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and Ling shi stared at one another nkly. They had deduced that Zhang shi wouldnt be able to even withstand ten blows, but... to lose in a single blow, what the heck was this? "Zhang shi sure likes to do the unexpected. I sure didnt expect this conclusion..." Su shi shed a bitter smile as he spoke. This Zhang Xuan was always doing things that surpassed the imaginations of others. Just taking this as example, they had thought of all kinds of possibility, but one thing they didnt expect to see was for thetter to lose in a single blow. "Alright, since the results are out, allow me to announce them!" Shaking his head, Pavilion Master Kang scanned the surroundings and said, "Fu Xiaochen, with a record of 31 blows, is in the first ce. Ruohuan gongzi, withstanding a total of 30 blows, is in the second ce. Feng Mosheng and Du Hu, with a total of 28 blows, are tied at third. Luo Xi, with a total of twenty-four blows, is in the fifth ce. Last but not least, Zhang shi... withstanding just a total of one blow, is in the..." In the midst of announcing the results for the second round, jiya!, the door suddenly opened. Turning his gaze over, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly saw something that left his eyes widened in shock, and he couldnt help but exim, "What the hell?!" Chapter 537: Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom Chapter 537: Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Going back to two minutes ago... Upon entering the room, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings. The room wasnt exceptionally big. Upon entering, Zhang Xuan immediately saw a weapon rack. There were swords, sabers, spears, and many different kinds of weapons that a person could imagine of on it. Elder Bai stood at the very center of the room with an impassive expression. "Take the weapon that youre the most adept at!" "Weapon?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Itll be hard not to hurt another using a weapon so theres no need for it!" The three weapons that he specialized in-sword, spear, and saber-had all reached the level of Weapon Intent. He didnt think that there was any need to go to such an extent just for a mere test. "You..." Elder Bais face darkened. Its indeed easy to hurt another using weapon, but do you think that you can hurt me? His eyebrows shot up coldly. The other party was an arrogant brat. "Alright. Since you chose this of your own ord, dont me me for not going easy on you!" Not bothered about arguing with the other party, Elder Bai suppressed his cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle to just 1-dan pinnacle. "Ive suppressed my cultivation to your level already. Make your move!" Elder Bai stretched his arm and beckoned with a cold gaze. As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, he found it humiliating to face a weaker, bare-handed cultivator with a weapon. Thus, he chose to fight with his bare hands as well. "You should go first..." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "You..." Elder Bai felt so infuriated that his eyelids started leaping. Is this fellow so confident or is he simply being narcissistic? Given my strength, if I were to make a move first, you wont even get a chance to retaliate! Im giving you a chance, you know? One must know that the previouspetitors hade at him with their strongest moves as soon as the battle started. It was only through their relentless barrage of attacks that they barely managed to survive twenty blows from him... Are you sure you can withstand it if you allow me to go first? "Alright then!" Seeing that the other party had no intention of making a move, Elder Bais eyebrows shot up. Stepping against the ground, he dashed forward. Hu! Afterimages appeared in his ce, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before the young man. "Fall!" Seeing that the other party didnt even try to dodge his offense, Elder Bai harrumphed coldly and sent a powerful palm at him. Hu! But to his shock, his palm struck empty air. At some point, Zhang Xuan had suddenly disappeared from his sight. "Shit..." Narrowing his eyes, Elder Bai hurriedly turned around, only to see a sole appearing right before his eyes. Pah! Before he could even react, he was already sent flying. Crashing heavily onto the wall, the injury he sustained seemed to be even more severe than the previous victim, Elder Wu. Elder Bai spewedrge mouthfuls a blood, and for a moment, he waspletely stunned. The battle technique he had just executed was known as Shadow Plunder and it had reached the level of Spirit intermediate-tier. It was an extremely formidable move which contained innumerable changes and twists that confused ones opponent, making it difficult for ones opponent to differentiate a true attack from a feint. Elder Bai thought that he would be able to toy with the other party once he executed this move... Yet, never in his wildest dreams did he expect for the other party to actually dodge his attack! What made him even more faint-headed was that... unlike other conventional battle techniques where the mingmen was located at the crotch, below ones armpit, or back, the mingmen of Shadow Plunder was at ones qingming acupoint! The qingming acupoint was located at ones be, thus making it exceptionally conspicuous and vulnerable. However, at the same time, it was precisely due to the vulnerability of the location that no one could have imagined that the weakness of the technique was right next to their eyes. This was a secret that even his closest direct disciple and Pavilion Master Kang didnt know about. Yet, this fellow immediately charged up and struck him on this mingmen... In an instant, with the strike on his mingmen, the zhenqi throughout his body immediately dissipated. If not for him releasing his suppressed cultivation at thest moment, thus warding off the impact of the blow with his full might as a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, he might have already died from that blow already! The heck! What the hell was going on? I am a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, and the person Im fighting with was just a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle fellow. Even though I suppressed my cultivation, how could I be sent flying with a single kick, and on top of that, almost losing my life from that impact... I am here to gauge his strength, but in the end... I failed to even withstand a single blow... The more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt. The immense frustration he was feeling left his face slightly livid. Struggling down from the wall, Elder Bai began to alleviate the rampant zhenqi within him from that blow. At that moment, the young man walked up to him and asked, "Elder Bai, are you fine?" "Humph!" Elder Bai harrumphed coldly out of embarrassment. However, before he could fully recover, the young man before himmented under his breath, "The reason why I let you go first is so that you can at least withstand a few more blows. In the end, you didnt evenst the first blow. Arent you a little too weak..." Pu! A mouthful of fresh blood spilt out. The heck! Shouldnt those be my words? I should be the one assessing your strength! How could I have ended up being subdued in a single kick... The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. As such, he bellowed furiously, "Shut up!" "Shut up? Does Elder Bai want to go another round?" the young man said. "I..." Elder Bai immediately went mute. There was a stifled sensation weighing down on his chest, leaving him suffocated. He found himself on the verge of crying. The other partys movements were as swift as lightning. He would surely have been able to dodge the kick at his full strength, but with his strength suppressed to the level of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan... What left Elder Bai even more frustrated was that, even though he was caught off guard in the previous attack, he knew that it waspletely impossible for him to avoid the kick with just the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan! Harmonized with the environment, this move was exceptionally powerful and swift. On top of that, the other party had found his weakness. Even without considering the other moves that the other party might have in store, just these two factors was more than sufficient to guarantee him a ten out of ten matches loss rate. Even more so, he was starting to think whether it might even be possible for him to defeat the other party when his cultivation is suppressed to that of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan! Didnt they all say that hes the easiest to deal with because of his weak cultivation? Like hell that is true... "Lets go out!" Afraid that he might die from anger at the words the other party might say, Elder Bai disregarded his injuries, stood up, and walked out of the door. Seeing that the other party was so anxious to leave, Zhang Xuan shrugged and followed behind him. ... Shocked by the sight, Pavilion Master Kang cursed. His voice immediately pulled everyones gazes to the door of the chamber, and the sight left their eyes widened and blood threatened to spew from their mouths. They saw Elder Bai walking out clutching his chest. A trail of blood flowed down the edge of his mouth, and a bright-red shoeprint was imprinted on his face. "What happened?" "Elder Bai... is wounded?" "Wasnt he in the midst of assessing Zhang Xuan?" ... Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment. Elder Bai had gone in to test Zhang Xuan, but why did he seem to be in an even worse state than Elder Wu previously was? Look at his face, that shoeprint, and his appearance... Aiyo, it would be better to avert ones gaze from him. Otherwise, one might really be tempted to puke. "Elder Bai, this..." Pavilion Master Kang looked at him with a bizarre expression. "I..." If only there was a hole in the ground now, Elder Bai would surely leap in immediately. "Im sorry, Pavilion Master Kang. Its all my fault. I should have gone easy, just that... I didnt expect Pavilion Master Bai with his cultivation suppressed would be that weak... As such, I failed to control my strength and identally injured him. I apologize for that!" Zhang Xuan said apologetically. "Weak?" "Failed to control his strength?" "identally injured?" ... The other candidates on the stage stared at one another with widened eyes, as though they had seen a ghost. Fu Xiaochen and Ruohuan gongzi, who were gleeful a moment ago, stared at each other with trembling bodies. They seemed as if they might faint at any moment now. They thought that this fellow had been knocked out in a single blow, but their conjecture was only half urate. Someone was indeed knocked out... but that person was Elder Bai! Are our eyes ying tricks on us? That was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle cultivator, an expert that was second only to Pavilion Master Kang in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. For him to be kicked in the face... When they fought with Elder Bai before, they had exerted everyst ounce of strength they had, but even so, they only managed to hold on for thirty blows. Yet, this fellow managed to defeat the other party so easily... They could only feel their vision going dark. They dared not believe this to be real. "This..." Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and Ling shi had their mouths agape. They hurriedly turned their gazes over the Elder Bai, wanting to know the exact happenings from him. However, after seeing his nod his head helplessly, in an instant, it was as though lightning was rumbling around them. The shock they suffered as so great that it would no longer be surprising if they were to fall dead now. They had just agreed on that due to Zhang shis rapid rise in cultivation, it was impossible for him to survive ten blows from Elder Bai... Only at this moment did they know that it was Elder Bai who was too weak for the other party... "Alright, now that Zhang shi haspleted his test... Allow me to reannounce the results!" Forced to change his words once more, Pavilion Master Kangs face flushed, "In first ce, Zhang shi. In second ce, Fu Xiaochen. In third ce, Ruohuan gongzi. In fourth ce, Feng Mosheng and Du Hu..." Once again, obtaining the first ce, Zhang Xuan proved to be the dark horse of the selection round once again. There was no choice but to give him first ce! The test was to withstand as many blows from Elder Bai as possible, but he went on ahead to knock the other party out... The difference between him and the other candidates was as great as the difference between heaven and earth. There was no choice but to concede to him! "Alright, lets move on to the third test!" Knowing that this would nevere to an end if they were to dawdle on this matter, Pavilion Master Kang nced at the surroundings and decisively announced. "Weve covered Soul Depth and cultivation in the first two tests. Even though these two factors are important, they are only the fundamentals to bing a master teacher! To be a truly outstanding master teacher, one has to be proficient in the art of knowledge impartation! "Thus, this shall be what will be assessed in the third round! "In a usual examination, the examinees would hide their identity, join an academy as a teacher, and take a ss for a period of several months to two years. After which, the students of the examinees will be put against one another, and this will serve as an evaluation of the teachers ability to impart knowledge... However, there are only two months left to the Master Teacher Tournament, so we dont have enough time to do so much. Thus... I thought of a much more efficient and effective way to test the candidates ability to impart knowledge. "That is... Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom." Pavilion Master Kang dered. "Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom? What is that?" "Im not too sure as well. Ive only heard of Spiritual Wisdom. If Im not mistaken, its an ability that painters would gain upon after reaching 5-star. Its an ability to infuse wisdom into the characters of the painting, granting them the ability to absorb spiritual energy from the air and sustain themselves for a very long time." "Now that you speak of it, I do remember it being so. Such a work is known as a painting of the sixth level!" "Indeed. Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, Spirit Creation, Spiritual Wisdom... Only 5-star painters are capable of creating a painting of this level, and unfortunately, theres no one possessing such ability in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" "Since Spiritual Wisdom is an ability belonging to that of a 5-star painter, what could Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom be? And how can it assess a persons ability to impart knowledge?" ... The crowd below discussed with perplexed expressions. None of them were able to understand the concept of Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom. Even Zhang Xuan frowned as well. However, there was one exception. Upon hearing the content of the test, Ruohuan gongzis face immediately glowed in delight, and he clenched his fists in agitation. As a 4-star painter, this test was advantageous to him. Chapter 538: First Up, Zhang Xuan Chapter 538: First Up, Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Seems like everyone isnt too sure on what it is about. Since thats the case, allow me to exin!" Seeing the doubt in everyones eyes, Pavilion Master Kang smiled. "I believe everyone here should be aware of the concept of Spiritual Wisdom. It is the sixth level of a painting, and at this level, the characters within the painting are able to absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings to materialize. "And the idea of Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom actually is to... conduct a lecture for these painted characters! "Conduct a lecture for the characters in the painting?" Hearing the exnation, everyone was stunned. The concept of Spiritual Wisdom was different from intelligence. Even though the characters in the painting had gained sentience, as beings forged of spiritual energy, they had no intelligence. Since they had no intelligence, what was the use of imparting them knowledge? Could they even understand the content of the lesson? "Since all of us here are master teachers, you all should know that a master teachers lecture usually utilizes Impartation of Heavens Will. The more ones theory is recognized by the heavens, the greater the concentration of spiritual energy gathered in the surroundings!" Pavilion Master Kang said. Everyone nodded their heads. Impartation of Heavens Will did have the ability to gather spiritual energy. It was said that whenever Kong shi conducted a lesson, the amount of spiritual energy that gathered was more than sufficient to create a spirit mountain. Putting aside Kong shi, even Hong shi Hong Qian, a 5-star primary master teacher of Hongfeng Empire Master Teacher Pavilion who had just conducted a lesson here, was capable of Spirit Gathering Diction. Nourished under the immense concentration of spiritual energy in the area, those participating in the lecture unwittingly experienced a rise in their cultivation. This was the ability that all master teachers possessed. However, its effectiveness depended on the proficiency of the person. Hongfeng Empire was a vassal state of Huanyu Empire. Just like kingdoms, empire could be ssified as Conferred, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Unranked. Huanyu was a Tier 2 Empire whereas Hongfeng was, just like how Tianxuan was an Unranked Kingdom, an Unranked Empire. It was on the same level as Mingxia Empire, Henghai Empire, and Myriad Kingdom Alliance However, a master teacher of this level would never remain in an Unranked Empire forever. It wouldnt be long before the regional headquarters summoned him over to an even higher tiered Master Teacher Pavilion to study. In fact, the reason why Hong Qian was dispatched here was because he was heading to Huanyu Empire. The top-ranking geniuses in the Master Teacher Tournament, on top of earning huge rewards, would be given a chance to study at Huanyu Empires Master Teacher Academy. "Even though painted characters that have gained Spiritual Wisdom cant live on like ordinary lifeforms, they are able to absorb spiritual energy and sustain themselves for a very long time. As such, they are exceptionally sensitive to the spiritual energy in their surroundings. If the theories one speaks of in their lecture are aligned with the essence of the world, spiritual energy will gather, thus allowing them to sustain for a longer period of time. On the other hand, failure to do so will make them dissipate swiftly! Through this, we can urately assess a master teachers ability to impart knowledge without worrying for any bias," Pavilion Master Kang exined. "I see!" "Such a method would indeed be the fairest..." Understanding the situation, the crowd nodded their heads in agreement. As those Spiritual Wisdom beings only recognized spiritual energy, the judgement for the test would be impartial. After all, human judgement was always unwittingly or wittingly tied with emotions. If a person finds himself liking a certain teachers lessons very much, he might be overestimate the effectiveness on the lesson. At the same time, he would tend to undery the effectiveness of the lessons of other teachers. Such bias was set into the personality of humans and it couldnt be changed. After all, other than Empyrean Kong shi, no matter how formidable a master teacher was, they couldnt possibly win the trust and admiration of everyone else. If they were to find students here to assess the teaching capability of the candidates, given that Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen, as famous geniuses of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, had many fans here, it would surely be easier for them to win the students over. This wouldve made the test unfair. On the other hand, the painting characters didnt possess such emotions. They wouldnt be awed by ones reputation or be charmed by a persons appearance. Instead, they would only react to the movement of the spiritual energy generated by the lecture. This would ensure the fairness of the test. "Un!" Coming to a realization, Zhang Xuan nodded his head as well. He had learned about Spiritual Wisdom from the painting books he had collected into the Library of Heavens Path. Spiritual Wisdom beings only reacted to spiritual energy. Even Impartation of Heavens Will couldnt influence them at all. The same went for painters as well. Unless one was the painter of the very painting, their ability to influence the actions of Spiritual Wisdom beings was severely limited. "Since everyone understands the rules, lets begin thepetition then. Elder Yun, Ill be troubling you this time around!" Seeing that everyone in the hall had no objections to the matter, Pavilion Master Kang invited Elder Yun up with a smile. "Dont worry!" An elder stood up from the crowd. "I knew that it would be Elder Yun!" "Elder Yun, as the only 4-star pinnacle painter of the Master Teacher Pavilion, is the most authoritative on the subject of paintings. Naturally, the test concerning Spiritual Wisdom should be invigted by him! More importantly... that Painting of Soaring Birds is a masterpiece left behind by a 5-star painter. It will be the most appropriate to use it for the examination!" "That painting is Elder Yuns most prized possession and he never takes it out. Ive long heard of it, but Ive never got the chance to see it before. Looks like my eyes will be in for a feast this time around!" "Indeed! Sixth level paintings are extremely rare. Most likely, one wont be able to find a second one throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" "That might not necessarily be so. I heard that the Appraiser Hall has a work that is on par with this. However, itll be difficult to ess the items there..." ... Upon seeing the elder, hushed discussions could be heard among the crowd. Just like Ruohuan gongzi, Elder Yuns main supporting upation was a painter. Furthermore, his rank was significantly higher than thetter, reaching 4-star pinnacle. At this level, even excluding his identity as a master teacher, he could be considered as a top-notch figure in Myriad Kingdom City. "At the pavilion masters request, I shall be conducting this test!" Ignoring the discussions below, Elder Yun walked up to the candidates, flicked his wrist, and a rolled-up painting appeared in his hands. "This Painting of Soaring Birds was a gift my painting teacher bestowed to me." Hu! As he spoke, the painting abruptly unrolled and a flock of birds soared into the air, chirping delightfully as they frolicked about. These birds werepletely lifelike, and unlike the beings created from a Spirit Creation painting, it was impossible to tell a real from fake if they were mingled with one another. After escaping from the painting, they flew in a space three chi around the painting. Only after two minutes had passed did they finally return to the painting. "The characters in a Spiritual Wisdom painting can absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings to materialize in an area around the painting. However, theres a time limit to it, and two minutes is the limit! Whoever who is able to keep them materialized for the longest time possible with their lecture will be the winner of this round!" Elder Yun borated on the rules of the test before turning his gaze to the candidates. "Alright, lets start the test! Who wants to go first?" "This..." The candidates stared at one another. Even though they had some understanding of painting, they had nevere into contact with Spiritual Wisdom paintings before. They had no experience in sustaining the materialization of a Spiritual Wisdom being and they had nothing to refer to as well. Ruohuan gongzi was about to take a step forward when he abruptly paused. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he smiled. "Zhang shi, why dont... you go first? Since you ced first in the earlier two rounds, your ability to impart knowledge must be extraordinary as well. Why dont you allow us to take a look so that we can learn from you?" Before the tournament, the opponent which he was the wariest about was Fu Xiaochen. However, this had changed after seeing Zhang Xuans outstanding performance in the previous two rounds. "Me? Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "It cant be that you wish to gost every time just so that you can make use of the experience of others to better your... What did you say? Alright? Youre willing to go up first?" Ruohuan gongzi thought that the other party would reject the invitation immediately just like in the first round and thus, he had even prepared a long speech to pressure the other party. However, halfway through his words, he heard the other partys reply and froze. It felt as though his punch had struck empty space, and this made him so stifled that he felt like spurting blood. Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom. Most master teachers had never heard of such a bizarre test before. Shouldnt the other party be thinking of learning from the experience of others before making a move? Why did he agree to it so readily? Wasnt he being too entric?! "Elder Yun, allow me!" Uninterested by the immense shock Ruohuan gongzi was suffering from, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. In truth, he had wanted to allow others to go first due to having never seen such a test before. However, given that he had gonest for the previous two tests, he felt embarrassed to continue acting like that. In any case, since he had made sense of the rules already, there probably wasnt too much of a difference between going first and goingst. "You?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan stepping forward, Elder Yuns mouth twitched. He had seen the proceedings of the previous tests. This ck horse that came from nowhere destroyed Elder Wu in the first round and nearly killed Elder Bai in the second... If there was one candidate he was the most fearful of, it would definitely be him. Who knew what kind of mess he would cause this time around. But even so, he wasnt in a ce to stop the other party from going first. Thus, he nodded his head and said, "As soon as I activate the painting and the birds soar out from it, you can begin your lecture. The content you are allowed to lecture on is not limited. Your ranking will be decided by how much spiritual energy you can gather and how long the birds stay materialized for!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. The rules were simple, there was nothing doubtful about it. Seeing that the other party had fullyprehended the rules, Elder Yun ced his palm on the painting. "Alright, lets begin then!" Weng! The birds from before soared out from the painting. As expected of a Spiritual Wisdom painting. Absorbing spiritual energy from the air, the birds that emerged from the painting were exceptionally eye-catching and there was a bizarre sense of aesthetics to them. "Since this is a painting, Ill talk about painting then!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan made up his decision. As long as the lecture he spoke of was able to pull in spiritual energy from the surroundings, there was no difference to the content he spoke of. "Painting isnt just a depiction of reality. More importantly, one has to harness their emotions into their work before an art piece can be granted as soul..." The reorganized Heavens Path Paint Art appeared before him, and he began deciphering it slowly based on hisprehension of it. In Tianxuan Kingdom, he had duplicated all of the painting books in Master Lu Chens study. After which, in the libraries at Tianwu Kingdom, Honghai Kingdom, and various other locations, there were a significant number of books on painting as well. After organizing and assimting the knowledge harnessed within those books, most probably, even Elder Yun, a 4-star pinnacle painter, would be far from a match for him in the subject. If not for that, how could he possibly have induced the Appraiser Halls Rousing from Drunken Dreams to reach the seventh level just by granting it a name? Even if he was able to see through the paintings ws via the Library of Heavens Path, without a strong foundation in painting, it would surely be impossible for him to aplish this feat. His voice was well-paced, and his exnations for the profound and abstract concepts were shockingly simple. More importantly, they were all directed to the true essence of painting itself. His lecture was well-nned, slowly delving from the surface into the depths, pulling everyone along with his line of thoughts. If there was one thing to criticize anything about his lecture, it would be that he was only lecturing on the bare fundamentals of painting. "I didnt expect for Zhang shisprehension of painting to reach such an astounding level!" After listening for a moment, Pavilion Master Kangs face was marked with shock. He thought that Zhang shi would use Impartation of Heavens Will to lecture on topics regarding cultivation. He didnt expect thettersprehension of painting to be so deep as well. It seemed like the other partys deep knowledge didnt just stop at cultivation techniques and cultivation itself. As expected of a master teacher who was able to even beguile him, formidable! "The consumption of spiritual energy by Spiritual Wisdom beings to sustain their materialization is exceedingly high. Even with the Spirit Gathering Diction of a 5-star master teacher, the materialization of Spiritual Wisdom beings still cant be sustained for too long." Just as Pavilion Master Kang was immersed in his awe for the young man on the stage, Su shi turned to look at him and asked, "Pavilion Master Kang, in your view, how long do you think Zhang shi can sustain the materialization for?" Chapter 539: Return My Bird! Chapter 539: Return My Bird! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Spiritual Wisdom painting had been granted sentience by the painter, allowing them to absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings to emerge from a painting. As their existences hinged on spiritual energy itself, their spiritual energy requirement was very high, and they were exceptionally sensitive to fluctuations of spiritual energy in the surroundings. Under normal conditions, it would be impossible to sustain their materialization for too long. In fact, even under the Spirit Gathering Diction of a 5-star master teacher, their materialization will only be extended by a slightly longer period of time. As such, the test wasnt as easy as it seemed. In Su shis view, even though Zhang Xuan was talented in painting as well, he was only a 3-star painter (as well as from Tianwu Kingdom), and not to mention, the content he spoke of was the bare fundamentals. It would be difficult for him to gather sufficient spiritual energy to sustain the Spiritual Wisdom for too long. "If he had lectured on cultivation, I think he would havested for fifteen minutes or so. After all, even Elder Yun only managed to sustain the materialization for thirteen minutes!" Pavilion Master Kang replied, after a moment of contemtion. After confirming the content of the test, Elder Yun had tried it out himself. However, despite being a 4-star master teacher, he was only able to sustain the materialization for thirteen minutes. Given that Zhang Xuansprehension of cultivation was even above his, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to surpass Elder Yuns record. But even so, fifteen minutes was probably the cap. After all, the more basic the content was, the harder it was to draw in spiritual energy. "Given that hes lecturing on painting... Not to mention, the bare fundamentals of it, I think even eight minutes will be a hurdle for him!" "Thats my evaluation as well!" Su shi nodded. Even though the two of them werent painters, they had still browsed through a fair number of books regarding the topic. It wasnt hard for them to tell that Zhang Xuan was only touching on the most basic concepts. On top of that, there was no clear movement in the spiritual energy in the surroundings. It would be nigh impossible for him to sustain the materialization for any longer than that. "With just eight minutes, itll be difficult for him to take first ce. Ruohuan gongzi, as a 4-star painter and 4-star master teacher, will definitely be able to surpass the ten minutes barrier!" Ling shi couldnt help but interject. The other two nodded their heads in agreement. Jun Ruohuan, as a painter, was extremely familiar with the concept of Spiritual Wisdom. With this advantage, it wouldnt be too difficult for him to maintain the materialization for more than ten minutes. With just eight minutes, it would be difficult for Zhang shi to secure even the second ce. "Look, the Spiritual Wisdom is already beginning to sway. Its already on the verge of dissipating!" Everyone turned their gazes over. At the current moment, the chirping of the birds above the painting was slowly getting less and less crisp, and their body was swaying ceaselessly, as though a candlelight on the verge of extinguishing. "But it has only been three minutes! How can his results be this poor?" "Indeed. Even without conducting a lecture, those Spiritual beings are able to sustain their materialization for two minutes. What is going on?" Everyone frowned. Given how Spiritual Wisdom beings can sustain their existence for two minutes even without any external assistance, for the birds to shake at the third minute... This showed that the spiritual energy drawn in by Zhang shi was minimal, perhaps even negligible! "Ill be taking first ce for sure!" Ruohuan gongzis eyes lit up. Given how that fellow was unable to sustain the materialization for even five minutes, he would surely finish in sixth ce. Even though Ruohuan gongzis results were inferior to Zhang Xuan in the first two rounds, with this opportunity, he was confident in making aeback and obtaining first ce overall! In the end, how could a person who came from a lower tiered kingdompare to a Conferred Kingdoms top-notch genius? Master Teacher Tournament was a test on ones capability in all aspects. One couldnt hope to achieve a good cing with just overwhelming strength or a powerful Soul Depth only. "Looks like inviting him to go up first was a good thing... Without any experience, how can he hope to achieve good results?" Ruohuan gongzis lips curled up. Given how even the master teachers of Myriad Kingdom Alliance had never heard of Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom, what could a countryside bumpkin like the other party know about it? Perhaps, if he were to get the other party to go up first for the subsequent rounds as well, the other party might fare poorly as well. The more Ruohuan gongzi thought about it, the more excited he felt. It was to the extent that he nearly burst outughing. Fu Xiaochen also heaved a sigh of relief. He was currently in the third ce, and if that fellow were to continue clinching the top spot, he would surely be eliminated. Thus, upon seeing this situation, he felt relieved instead. "Its a relief that he didnt cause anything this time around..." Elder Yun wiped the sweat off his forehead. Given the huge ruckus that fellow caused in the first two round, Elder Yun thought that the other party might do the same in this round, leaving him in an iparably awkward position... But from the looks of it now, he was worrying needlessly. Painting seemed to be a weakness of the other party... Just as the burden was lifted off his heart and he was waiting for the Spiritual Wisdom beings to disappear, he suddenly thought of something and froze. "Something is wrong... If the Spiritual Wisdom beings are about to dissipate, they should do so in less than a few breaths. Since that is a fact, how could they still be materialized at this very moment? On top of that, even though the Spiritual Wisdom beings were swaying violently, it doesnt seem like they are about to dissipate..." Under normal circumstances, as soon as the body of a Spiritual Wisdom being starts to sway, itll disappear within seconds. If so, how could these Spiritual Energy beings sway for a minute but still remain materialized? "Wait! Why does it seem like the body of the Spiritual Energy beings are getting more and more substantial instead?" "Now that you speak of it..." The others were also starting to realize that something was off. They had carefully assessed the dissipation of the Spiritual Wisdom beings when Elder Yun opened up the scroll and did a demonstration before the test. Once swaying urred, the gathered spiritual energy would dissipate swiftly. Yet, even though the Spiritual Energy beings were swaying so violently that normal birds would have be stark naked by now, the spiritual energy forming them didnt dissipate. Instead, as Zhang shi continued with his lesson, they seemed to be bing more and more corporeal... This waspletely defyingmon sense! Those Spiritual Energy beings should have dissipated by that swaying, and yet, why did it seem like they were being nourished instead... What was going on? "Wait, something is wrong..." A deep frown appeared on Elder Yuns forehead. Just like that, another few more minutes passed. But even as Zhang Xuan was about to pass the ten minutes mark, the Spiritual Energy beings still hadnt dissipated. On the contrary, their bodies were bing more and more corporeal. It was as though an image was slowlying to life. Suddenly, Elder Yun thought of something and his eyes narrowed. "Could this be... "But... impossible!" Elder Yun eximed as frenzy covered his entire face. "Whats wrong with Elder Yun?" "It cant be that all the elders who were tested by thatd will be reduced to such a state?" Seeing the usuallyposed Elder Yun acting in such a manner, Elder Wu and Elder Bais mouths twitched as well. The both of them had been severely injured while assessing thatd, and now, Elder Yun was acting in a simr manner as well... There seemed to be something really sinister about thatd. "Elder Yun!" Pavilion Master Kang walked up and patted his shoulder. "Whats wrong?" "Nothing... Just that, I thought of something unbelievable..." Elder Yun regained his senses from that pat and said. "Something unbelievable?" Pavilion Master Kang frowned. "Look..." Elder Yun pointed to the Spiritual Wisdom beings in front of Zhang Xuan. "These Spiritual Wisdom beings have been swaying for quite some time now, and it has been at least ten minutes since it started. However, not only have they not dissipated, they are even getting more and more corporeal..." Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head in agreement. Everyone had seen it happening and they thought it was weird as well. Was there really something wrong with it? "If Im not wrong, this isnt dissipation but..." Elder Yuns lips trembled in shock, "... tion of Unearthed Disposition, Enlightened Spirit!" "Enlightened Spirit? You mean... the seventh level of painting? In a painting of that level, all beings, be it animals or nts, will possess their own sentience as though true living beings. They are capable of soaring beyond the painting and maintain their form for a very long time..." Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback. "Thats right!" Elder Yun nodded. "But that cant be! To create an Enlightened Spirit painting requires one to be at least a 6-star painter to modify or redraw the painting! To do so via a lecture... How is that even possible?" Pavilion Master Kang widened his eyes in disbelief. Painters that hadprehended that level could easily draw birds that could soared through the skies. Rumor had it that a formidable 6-star painter had once drawn a divine crane on a wall and soared into the skies on its materialized form, leaving behind the legend of Immortal Departing on the Divine Crane. There was also another legend depicting a grandmaster painter being caught in a spirit beast stampede. As such, he drew a pinnacle spirit beast whose aura sent all of the spirit beasts fleeing in fright. All upations, upon reaching a certain level, would possess unimaginable strength and means. Just that, this miracle needed one to be at least a 6-star painter to work on a painting on the spot... For a Spiritual Wisdom to be an Enlightened Spirit via a lecture, that waspletely unprecedented and unheard of. "The content that Zhang shi spoke of is extremelypatible with the Spiritual Wisdom beings. Not only did it draw in spiritual energy, it even caused these Spiritual Wisdom beings to start cultivating... If Im not mistaken, the swaying is actually an attempt to rid themselves of the impure spiritual energy from before, thus turning their energy even more concrete... In other words, Ridding Phantasm to Materialize!" Elder Yun said. "Ridding Phantasm to Materialize? How... is that possible?" Pavilion Master Kang was so astonished that he nearly fainted on the spot. Are you serious? Just by conducting a lecture for the Spiritual Wisdom beings, they actually underwent Ridding Phantasm to Materialize and became Enlightened Spirits... Why did it sound like utter nonsense? "I also find it hard to believe, but there is no usible exnation other than this!" Elder Yun said. Even though he had guessed it, he still found it hard to believe. That was why he lost hisposure for a moment. Suddenly, Pavilion Master Kang thought of a question. "If thats true... Usually, the breakthrough is done by modifying the painting. As the Spiritual Wisdom beings are in the painting while undergoing the breakthrough, the painting serves as their home, and thus, they can be summoned back through it. But if the Spiritual Wisdom beings were to achieve a breakthrough via such a lecture... Would they still return to the painting?" If the Enlightened Spirits were to originate from the painting, even if they were to leave, they would still return to the painting when they needed to rest. However, these Spiritual Wisdom beings were making a breakthrough outside of the painting. Given that they didnt materialize from the painting, there would be nothing tying them to the painting. If so, would they still return? If they were to fly away and refuse to return to the painting, how would the results be tabted? More importantly, how could the test continue under such circumstances? "Ah? Crap, dont allow him to continue speaking..." Elder Yun froze for a moment before hurriedly shouting. However, before he could do any practical action, the birds in the painting suddenly stopped swaying and a harmonized chirp suddenly echoed in the hall. Jijijiji! Qiuqiuqiuqiu! Their pleasant call reverberated across the entire hall. It was as if a group of yful birds had visited them, and their presence in itself was an enjoyment. At the same time, the slightly incorporeal birds from before seemed to have achieved a qualitative evolution. Their feathers became more lifelike, and their ws and peak became more defined. It was as if they had trulye to life this time around. Hu! After the chirping, the birds pped their wings and darted out of the hall, headed for the distance. It didnt take long before they disappeared from everyones sight. Seeing the departing birds and the empty paper left on the table, Elder Yun froze for a moment before his body began trembling. That was an unparalleled work that his teacher had left for him. He cherished it so much that his heart ached just by showing it to another. Even his closest of friends had to plead with him for a very long time just for a nce. He thought that it should be fine taking it out for such an important test, but who knew that... the Spiritual Wisdom beings contained within it would actually all fly away! What the heck?! Now that all of the Spiritual Wisdom beings had flown away, what use was this nk piece of paper? He had just heaved a sigh of relief in having been spared when such a sight urred... Was this fellow here topete in the selection round or to wreak havoc? With a trembling body, he walked up to Zhang Xuan. At this moment, he felt so much rage that he hated the fact he couldnt tear that imbecile before him into pieces. "My bird! You, return my bird..." Chapter 540: Ill Just Draw Another One For You Chapter 540: Ill Just Draw Another One For You Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 My bird? Return my bird? At that moment, the master teachers in the room hadnt realized that those birds were leaving for good. As such, they immediately thought of the other meaning of Elder Yuns words. They immediately turned to gaze at thetters crotch and shivered in disgust. It seemed like... Zhang shi had only conducted a lecture. How in the world does your birde into y in this situation? Furthermore, wasnt it still attached? For a 4-star master teacher to ask another person about his bird in public, truly, this was... too shameful! Many female master teachers blushed in embarrassment upon hearing so... As a painter, Elder Yun possessed a refined disposition so many thought of him as an upright and dashing person. To think that he would be an old pervert instead! "Thats not right, maybe Elder Yun is referring to the birds that just escaped!" Slowly, some among the crowd realized it. "Ah?" The crowd was taken aback, and that person described his observation. "After listening to Zhang shis lesson, those birds seem to have suddenly be lively. They escaped from the restraints of the painting paper and... flew away!" "Flew away? This Painting of Soaring Birds is centered around the birds, and its greatest value lies in those Spiritual Wisdom birds. If they were to fly away... wouldnt the painting be totally worthless..." "Indeed! Thats precisely the reason why Elder Yun went into a frenzy. That is a Spiritual Wisdom painting, its worth a huge fortune, you know..." "For a treasure which he cherished so much to be reduced into a worthless piece of paper... There is no one who can retain their rationality before that!" ... Hearing the exnation, everyone finally understood what was going on. They stared at one another as their mouth twitched violently. On the other hand, Elder Wu and Elder Bai stared at one another in relief. At the very least, they were only injured. All they had to do was to condition themselves for a period of time to make aplete recovery. On the other hand, that painting was Elder Yuns most prized possession. For it to be worthless in the blink of an eye, it was already a huge fortune that he didnt lose sight of himself and tear that fellow apart on the spot... Ruohuan gongzi, who just a moment ago had still been gleeful at being able to take first ce this time around, cried tearfully. "Just by undergoing a lecture, a Spiritual Wisdom being actually advanced to be an Enlightened Spirit and flew away..." He had made some calctions before and he was confident that hed be able to get the Spiritual Wisdom being to maintain its materialization for over ten minutes. But this fellow... actually allowed the Spiritual Wisdom being to fly away for good... What the heck! Do you need to be so fierce? If you do it like that, how do you expect for the rest of us topete with you? If you always do that, youll find yourself without friends... "Cough cough. Elder Yun, calm down..." Seeing his usuallyposed old friend getting so agitated that he looked like he could murder someone, Elder Su hurried forward to calm him. "Calm down? The heck that can I calm down now! Thats a painting that my teacher left to me. I was still nning to study it every day so that I can achieve a breakthrough to be a 5-star painter... Given that this has happened, how in the world can I reach higher ranks now?" Lowering his head to nce at the white paper on the table, Elder Yun gritted his teeth. Who said that this was just a test, and it would be extremely simple? Come out! I promise I wont hit you... Just as he was frenzied, the young man opposite him spoke with a slightly doubtful voice, "I hadnt finished my lecture when you scared those birds away... How are you going to tabte the timing for me like that?" Elder Yun wasnt the only one who was angry. Zhang Xuan was also a little frustrated at the situation. Wasnt this old man a little too unreliable? He was in the midst of imparting the Heavens Path Paint Art to help these Spiritual Wisdom beings gather their strength. If he were to seed, they would be able to fly wherever they pleased and maintain their existence as long as they wanted to. Who knew that... before he was done, this fellow bellowed loudly, scaring all of the birds away. Now that all of the birds had left, how was his result supposed to be calcted? How wronged he would be if he were to lose because of this! After all, he put a lot of effort into this test... "Tabte the timing... The Painting of Soaring Birds is already gone, and youre still telling me about the timing?!" Elder Yun nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Tabte your head! You wrecked my treasure, but not only did you not feel the slightest guilt, you are still only thinking about your test... Are you really that gutsy or is there something wrong with your head? "Cough cough, Zhang shi. You should also tone it down. The value of the Painting of Soaring Birdsy in those birds. Their disappearance also means that the treasure has been rendered worthless. It is natural that Elder Yun... is in a bad mood because of it!" Stepping forward, Pavilion Master Kang attempted to calm the situation. "Rendered worthless?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Since the scroll is still here, one just has to draw the birds back. Is there a need to make such a fuss about it?" "Thats a painting of the sixth level! Only 5-star painters are capable of producing it... This is the only one that can be found in Myriad Kingdom City, and you speak of drawing them back? Thats easy for you to say!" Sensing an opportunity, Ruohuan gongzi sped his fist and stepped forward, "Teacher, since the Painting of Soaring Birds has been destroyed, the rest of us are unable to continue with the examination. Why dont we change the format of the test then..." The other partys lecture had made even the Spiritual Wisdom beings evolve to be Enlightened Spirits. He wouldnt be able to triumph over the other party for sure if they were to continue with this test. If so, he might as well make use of this opportunity to change the test. "Un, youre right... The Painting of Soaring Birds is the only Spiritual Wisdom painting in the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Since its ruined now, the rest of you are indeed unable to proceed with the test..." Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head in agreement. If only hed know that this would be the case, he would have never allowed this fellow to take the test first. Now, not only was the painting ruined, the other candidates also lost their chances at taking the test... The Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom was the best assessment for impartation of knowledge he could think of. This situation was too abrupt, and he couldnt think of a better idea on the spot. "If there are no better ideas, why dont we just find a few students, blindfold them, and vary our voices so that they wont be able to recognize us. The test should still be rtively fair this way as well..." Ruohuan gongzi suggested. "Theres no rush for that. Allow me to confer with the other elders first... Ah? Whats going on..." Nodding his head, Pavilion Master Kang rubbed his be, frustrated by the situation before him when he suddenly saw something in his peripheral vision that astounded him. "Teacher, whats wrong?" Seeing his teacher losing hisposure, Ruohuan gongzi was taken aback. He immediately traced his teachers nce and he failed to catch his breath and faint on the spot. Unknowingly, the young man whom he had just criticized was standing before the painting. In each of his hands was a brush, and currently, harmoniously chirping birds had reappeared on the previously nk Painting of Soaring Birds. "All of the birds have returned?" Pavilion Master Kang asked hoarsely. "Its not that they returned... but... Zhang shi just drew them on!" Fu Xiaochen replied with a quivering voice. "Just drawn them on..." Ruohuan gongzis body trembled. That was a Spiritual Wisdom painting! It was a masterpiece that only 5-star painters were capable of producing... To paint it out so casually, are you for real? More importantly... even 5-star painters had to contemte for many months to conceptualize and perfect such a painting. It was a grueling task created with an astounding level of effort... Yet, before he was done speaking, the other party was already done restoring the painting... Need you be that fast? Unable to maintain hisposure, Ruohuan gongzi asked, "What kind of painting method did he use?" To finish a painting in just ten breaths or so, what kind of painting method could be that fast? "Dual Traversing Dragons..." Fu Xiaochen replied in disbelief. "You mean the technique... that only street side craftsmen use?" Ruohuan gongzis vision went dark. If you had used some profound technique, I would have just conceded... But to use the Dual Traversing Dragon which street side craftsmen use to mass produce paintings, not to mention... for a sixth level painting... Brother, tell me the truth. You arent really a 3-star painter, right? You are actually a 6-star painter in disguise, arent you? It wasughable that he leaped in delight when he heard that the test was Continuity of Spiritual Wisdom. He thought that the other party would surely fail terribly when going first... If hed known that the other party was such a formidable painter, he would have never acted so arrogantly! Keeping the brush and ink back into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan said impassively, "Alright, Elder Yun. Ive restored your painting for you. It doesnt seem... too difficult to do so!" He thought that it was a big deal after hearing Elder Yun screaming and yelling. Wasnt it just a painting? If the birds were to fly away, he could just paint some more on for the other party. Was there any need to make such a huge fuss? "This..." Hurrying forward, Elder Yun lowered his head to examine the painting before him. After a quick nce, his lips quivered, and he stared at the young man before him as though he was a monster. This painting was identical to the one he saw before. If not for the fact that the ink wasnt dry yet, he would have really suspected that everything that had happened before was a hallucination on his part. With just a nce, the other party was able remember every single detail of the picture perfectly-the arrangement, amount of ink used for each stroke, positioning... and not to mention, even the artistic conception... How in the world did he do it? One must know that every painter had their individual experience and style. When copying anothers work, chances were that one would unwittingly incorporate their style into it as well. As such, it was hard for any painting to bepletely identical with another. Yet, not only was the painting before himpletely identical to its previous version, even the feeling it exuded was no different... This waspletely inconceivable. Even a 6-star painter would be incapable of such a feat! Actually, at Zhang Xuans current level, he could only produce a painting of such a level by copying from another. If he were to paint by himself, while he was still capable of producing a Spiritual Wisdom painting, it would be hard for him to reach the level of artistic conception contained within the Painting of Soaring Birds. After all, even though he had grasped Heavens Path Paint Art, it was only at the level around 4-star pinnacle and 5-star primary. The main reason why he could produce apletely identical painting was because of the Eye of Insight. The Eye of Insight was capable of peering into minuscule details that ones physical eyes were incapable of perceiving. Back when Elder Yun took out the painting, Zhang Xuan had examined it properly with the Eye of Insight. As such, restoring it to its ordinary form wasnt a challenge to him at all. If he had tried to do it with his own capability instead of copying the previous work, it would truly have been hard for him to reach a painting of such a level. However, Elder Yun was unaware of all these facts. As such, he was shocked by the other party. He felt so impressed that he could almost kowtow to the other party at this instant. Pavilion Master Kang walked forward and asked, "How is it?" Recovering from his shock, Elder Yun swallowed a mouthful and saliva and said, "Its exactly the same as before. We can continue on with the test..." "Since Elder Yun said that it was fine, lets continue on with the test then!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Pavilion Master Kang turned to look at the crowd. Given that the Painting of Soaring Birds had been restored, there was no longer any need for him to worry about varying the format of the test anymore. "..." Ruohuan gongzi was on the verge of tears. After such a huge ruckus, his efforts turned out to be futile. If only hed known so in advance, he wouldnt have wasted his breath... Frustrated, Ruohuan gongzi mustered his courage and challenged the examination. However, due to his unstable state of mind, he only managed to sustain for eleven minutes before the Spiritual Wisdom being dissipated. After him, Fu Xiaochen, Feng Mosheng, and the others also stepped forward to challenge the test. What was surprising was that Luo Xi had managed to sustain for twelve minutes, achieving a result even higher than Ruohuan gongzi. "Alright, I shall announce the results of the test. Zhang shi, through his lecture, managed to induce the evolution of the Spiritual Wisdom beings into Enlightened Spirits... and as of yet, they havent returned. No one should have any qualms about him being ranked first, right?" After everyone was done taking the test, Pavilion Master Kang began announcing the results and scanned the crowd for any objections. "Right..." Everyones lips twitched. Given how the other party managed to materialize all of the Spiritual Wisdom beings fully and produced a painting of the sixth level... if he wasnt in first ce, who would dare to proim themselves first? "Good. In second ce is Luo Xi, third ce Ruohuan, fourth ce Fu Xiaochen, fifth ce Feng Mosheng, and sixth ce Du Hu..." After announcing the results, Pavilion Master Kang continued, "Well be moving on to the fourth examination,prehension of cultivation!" Chapter 541: Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus Chapter 541: Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Only with a deep understanding of cultivation can a master teacher urately point out and correct the ws and errors in his student. Otherwise, if theory is all he knows, he wont be able to guide his student correctly! "Thus, the cultivation of a master teacher and his ability to see through a persons core is of utmost importance as well! As such, Ive discussed with the other elders and we have decided to not follow the usual conventions for thisprehension of cultivation test. Instead, a new battle technique was designed just for this test. Later on, you will be given an incenses time (15 minutes) to learn it, and your result will be judged based on how deep yourprehension of the battle technique is! "Dont worry. This battle technique ispletely new so theres no need to worry about the test being leaked to any of the candidates beforehand," Pavilion Master Kang exined. "Theres no way the topic could have been leaked beforehand! Master teachers value fairness and equality. If an investigation were to be conducted and one is found to be guilty, one will be stripped of his license! How could anyone possibly do it knowing of such consequences?" "Even if its unfair, given that Ruohuan gongzi is the pavilion masters student, the test should be biased to him... But it seems like he is on the verge of crumbling from the consecutive blows!" "Indeed! Despite being the head of the Four Gentlemen, look at his current state. He looks like a defeated rooster..." "Right, Pavilion Master Kang, what battle technique will it be? If its too easy, given the talents of the candidates, they will all surely be able to fullyprehend it within an incenses time. If that happens, how will we evaluate the results?" Hearing the rules, some of the audience expressed their doubts. Ones mastery of battle techniques could be divided into five main levels: Novice, Initiate, Minor Aplishment, Major Aplishment, and Consummation. Novice meant that one has barely understood the battle technique and was able to forcibly execute it. At Initiate level, one was able to harness some might in the technique, but one might still be a little restrained in its control. At Minor Aplishment, ones understanding of the battle technique had already reached a profound level. It could be utilized as an ace up ones sleeves. One must know that most fighters had only trained their battle techniques to this point. Beyond that were Major Aplishment and Consummation. However, without decades of effort, it was impossible to reach that. If this battle technique was easy, all of the candidates would definitely be able to reach Minor Aplishment within an incenses time. Since everyone would be on the same level, it would be hard to determine who had fared better. "Minor Aplishment?" Knowing everyones worry, Pavilion Master Kang chuckled, "If you were to know who designed this battle technique, you wouldnt be thinking the same anymore!" "Who designed the battle technique?" "Could it be... Elder Hong?" "Elder Hong is the person who has the deepest understanding of battle techniques in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. In the past fifty years, he has created at least thirty battle techniques!" "Indeed. The Ovepping Illusory Fist and Rippleless Consecutive Palms originated from him!" "Three of my battle techniques also came from him..." "Just that... Hasnt Elder Hong been in seclusion for thest ten years? When did he return?" "Ive no idea too. However, if the battle technique really originates from him, putting aside Minor Aplishment, even achieving Novice within that short period of time will be difficult!" ... Hearing the pavilion masters words, the crowd suddenly remembered a legendary figure. "Thats right. The one who created the battle technique was Elder Hong!" Pavilion Master Kang chuckled as he uncovered the mystery guing everyones mind. "For the past ten years, Elder Hong has been in seclusion to develop this technique, and a few days ago, he finally seeded in refining it! Given the length of time he spent on it, theplexity of it is imaginable. Based on thebined evaluation of me and the other elders, weve deemed it to have at least reached the top of Spirit intermediate-tier!" "A battle technique at the top of Spirit intermediate-tier?" "Impressive!" Everyone gasped in shock. Even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert would find it hard toprehend a battle technique of this level, let alone the candidates participating in the selection round. "Alright, Ive said all that has to be said. Now, allow me to invite Elder Hong up to exin the rules of the test. He will be assessing the candidates personally!" Pavilion Master Kang smiled. Looking around the crowd, he suddenly froze, "Ah? Elder Hong, hold it for a moment. You... where are you intending to go?" Tracing Pavilion Master Kangs gaze, everyone saw an elder who had unknowingly reached the entrance of the hall. He was just a step away from leaving thepound. "Cough cough. Im just... walking about!" Seeing that everyones attention was on him, the elder hurriedly stopped and his face turned scarlet. "The fourth test is about to begin..." Pavilion Master Kang hurried over and pulled him back. "I..." Elder Hong had a very stifled expression on his face. "Pavilion master, why dont you... conduct the test instead?" He had agreed to conducting the test confidently previously, but after seeing the awful state the previous three elders were in, he hesitated. Thatd was truly sinister. Who knew what kind of peculiarity would happen to him if he were to assess him. He didnt want the reputation he had rue to copse because of this single incident. "How can I? You were the one who developed the battle technique, not to mention, you have already achieved Major Aplishment in it. Other than you, who else is qualified to assess them?" Pavilion Master Kang said. This battle technique was developed from Elder Hong, and he had reached Major Aplishment in it as well. Other than him, no one else was qualified to conduct the test. At the very least, Pavilion Master Kang didnt think he was. "Ah..." Elder Hong hesitated. "Dont worry, its just an incenses time. Even the most talented genius will only be able to reach Novice in that period of time. There wont be any problem, so rest assure!" Knowing what Elder Hong was worried about, Pavilion Master Kang attempted to console him via telepathy. Zhang shi was indeed a disquieting. But battle techniques werent things that could be mastered in a single breath. He didnt believe that the other party could reach Major Aplishment in just an incenses time, thus surpassing the creator, Elder Hong. Thus, there was nothing for Elder Hong to worry about. "Alright then!" After a further moment of contemtion, Elder Hong felt that Pavilion Master Kangs words were logical and finally walked up the stage. "Pavilion Master Kang has briefly introduced the content of the test to you all. Ill now announce the rules for the test! "The battle technique that Ill be imparting is called Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus. The inspiration behind the technique came from observing the nature of red lotuses. The rules are simpleter on, Ill impart you the form for the sword art, and you will be given an incenses time to study andprehend it! "After which, Ill personally test you on your level ofprehension of the technique. Dont worry, your cultivation will not affect yourprehension of the technique-its determined solely by your talent. As long as you have reached Transcendent Mortal realm, you will be able to learn and execute it. "During the assessment, youll be crossing blows with me. If you wish, we canpete solely on swordsmanship itself. If you can trade three blows with me using the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus, Ill take it as you have reached Novice mastery. Six swords will be taken as Initiate mastery, and nine swords would mean that you have achieved Small Aplishment... And if you can trade ten blows with me, you will be considered to have reached Major Aplishment..." Elder Hong exined the rules. In truth, it was a bit simr to the cultivation test in the second round. However, in this test, one could only use the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus. If one of thepetitors used any other technique, they would be deemed to have failed. An incenses time was roughly fifteen minutes, and in this short period of time, it would be difficult to even finish browsing through the battle technique, let alone,prehend and utilize it in a real battle. Compared to the previous three, the difficulty of this test was truly immense. "To ensure fairness, the examination will be held in another chamber. Ill head in right now, and you each can enter one by one..." At which, Elder Hong paused for a moment before continuing, "How about I decide on a sequence for you all to avoid contention. Du Hu will enter first, followed by Luo Xi, Feng Mosheng, Fu Xiaochen, Jun Ruohuan, and finally, Zhang shi!" Given the peculiarity of Zhang Xuan, it was best to put himst. Otherwise, if the other party were to run in first, what if he were to lose control of the situation and the test was unable to be carried on like before? "Alright!" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Lets begin then!" After deciding on the order, Elder Hong took the lead by walking into the room. Du Hu hurriedly followed behind him. An incenses timeter, light flickered on the wall and a number appeared on it... 3! To think that Du Hu would be able toprehend to the level of a Novice in such a short period of time. As expected of a genius nominated by the other elders, he was indeed extraordinary. After him was Luo Xi. Along with Du Hu, she was one of the weaker among the six. Knowing that there was no chance for her to be selected, she didnt feel any pressure anymore. After an incenses time, she managed to trade three blows, reaching Novice as well. After her was Feng Mosheng. As expected of Elder Fengs student, hisprehension of battle techniques had reached an extremely profound level. Luo Xi and Du Hu, havinge from less privileged backgrounds, were no match for him. After an incenses time, he actually managed to trade five blows with Elder Hong. That was almost at the level of an Initiate! Fu Xiaochen did well too, trading five blows as well. After those four were done, everyones eyes gathered on Jun Ruohuan. He specialized in sword techniques, and not to mention, he was also the most popr contender for this selection round and Pavilion Master Kangs direct disciple. As such, there were high expectations for his result. Even though he had suffered consecutive blows in thest three rounds, he was still a full-fledged 4-star master teacher. He had already conditioned his state of mind by the time his turn came, and fortunately, he didnt let everyone down. An incenses timeter, a massive 6 appeared conspicuously on the screen. This showed that hisprehension of battle technique was top-notch among his fellow peers. "To be able to trade six blows with Elder Hong, this means that he has reached a mastery of Initiate within a mere fifteen minutes! If he were given some more time, reaching Minor Aplishment might not even be a problem for him!" "Hes indeed a genius!" "I wonder if Zhang shi can break that record!" "Zhang shi... In my view, the weapon he is the most proficient in is the spear. Given that the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus is a sword art, he might be in a disadvantageous position!" "Thats true..." ... Seeing Ruohuan gongzi step out from the room, everyones eyes gathered on the ck horse of the selection round. Initially, no one thought well of him. However, after triumphing indisputably over the rest in three consecutive tests, no one dared to look down on his capability. Even so, they couldnt help but feel a little doubtful. After all, from the first test, it could be seen that the other party was skilled in spear arts. Learning a sword art all of a sudden should be rather tough for him. Amidst the discussion, Zhang Xuan stepped into the room. Soon, an incenses time passed. "Hmm? Why is there no number at all?" "Indeed! Going by the situation with the others, a number should have appeared by now. Regardless of whether he has reached Novice or Initiate, a result should at least appear?" "Whats happening?" The time was up, but not only was the result not reflected, the room was also bizarrely quiet. The master teachers in the hall stared at one another in bewilderment. Going by the precedents of this fellow, even if he were to subdue Elder Hong in a single blow, the crowd wouldnt find it too shocking. But... for there to be no results at all, not to mention, no sign of movements in the chamber... What the heck? Could it be that Elder Hong... had killed that fellow? Or perhaps... that fellow had killed Elder Hong? Really, what is going on? Chapter 542: Elder Hongs Terror Chapter 542: Elder Hongs Terror Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the young man walk in, Elder Hongs mouth twitched. He had witnessed the tragic experiences of the other elders before him, and it had truly left him frightened. The Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus is a technique that I devoted ten years of my life to create. Even if Pavilion Master Kang were to cultivate it, he could only reach Initiate within an incenses time. No matter how talented this fellow is, reaching Minor Aplishment should be an impossibility. Theres nothing I should be worried about... Elder Hong calmed himself down by consoling him before pointing to the table in front. "The manual for the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus is there. You have an incenses time starting from now!" After which, he immediately lit the incense beside him and smoke slowly drifted within the room. Zhang Xuan walked up to the table, touched the manual, and an identical copy appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He flipped through the book with his hands, but his consciousness was inside the Library of Heavens Path "Nine Swords of Red Lotus, created by Elder Hong Qin. It consists of a total of nine movements. ws..." After reading through the content, a bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. "So many ws? And they still dare to call it a profound sword art?" The sword art before him had actually more than a hundred ws. With so much ws, how could they dare to call it a profound sword art... Even trying to get him to learn it... It was truly a wonder where this fellow got his confidence from. But thinking about it, Zhang Xuan soon realized that he might be underestimating the difficulty of creating a sword art. Most battle techniques had been passed down through innumerable generations and undergone the refinement of many predecessors, thus reducing the number of ws in it. Given that this sword art had just been created, it was natural for there to be so many ws. "Heavens Path Sword Art, fuse!" With a thought, Heavens Path Sword Art and the many sword art secret manuals that Zhang Xuan had obtained before flew out and fused together with this book. Hu! A new Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus appeared. Zhang Xuan hurriedly flipped through it. Soon, he shook his head. He had too few books on Spirit intermediate-tier sword arts. The sword arts he had gathered before were too basic toplement such a profound sword art. Making an analogy, no matter how good a lump of feces was, it could never match the value of gold. That was an innate difference in their nature. No matter how urate the concepts contained within these basic sword art manuals were, they were still unable to make up for the qualitative difference with the Spirit intermediate-tier sword art. "There are still more than thirty ws..." After fusing the book, Zhang Xuan was in tears. Ever since his transmigration, he had never cultivated a cultivation technique or battle technique that had ws. This had made him a perfectionist when it came to those. Even for the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps which had three ws, hed had to muster up his courage before cultivating it... Yet, this sword art before him had more than thirty ws! He really couldnt bring himself to cultivate it! It was just like how a person whose taste buds is ustomed to the delicacies of a five-star chef couldnt possibly get used to roadside stalls. But... if he didnt cultivate this technique, he would fail the test. In a moment, he fell into a dilemma. ... On the other hand, Elder Hongs face was gradually turning red, and it seemed as though left to be, he would explode soon! Even though he didnt wish to lose the reputation he had rue in the earlier part of his life to this fellow, he was still determined to remain professional in this test. Thus, he had been secretly assessing the other party ever since he picked up the book. And the other partys actions made him tempted to rush forward and tear the other party apart. He created this Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus by observing the life cycle of a red lotus, and it spent him an entire ten years to master the technique. He was proud to say that this was one of the strongest battle technique avable in Myriad Kingdom City, and he knew that it would definitely be passed on from generation to generation for innumerable years toe. Yet, the other party simply flipped through it swiftly as soon as he picked it up. It was clear that the other party didnt have the intention to study it properly at all. Not only so, his face alternated between a frown and a conflicted expression. What the heck was that? You look as though you had met with a huge pile of feces and you are about to puke at any moment... The heck! Was the technique that I created so repulsive that you would barf? Infuriated by the other partys reaction, Elder Hong was about to blow up. He had imagined many possibilities-the other party might perhaps reach Consummation within an incenses time, or perhaps, refuse to cultivate it altogether... But one thing he had never dreamed of was the other party being on the verge of vomiting upon browsing through the manual... This is a top-notch technique among Spirit intermediate-tier battle techniques, even Pavilion Master Kang and the other elders were filled with praises for it... What are you trying to say by those reaction? Just as he was seething with rage, the young man before him shut his eyes tightly and clenched his jaws. With an expression reminiscent of a soldier marching to his death, he said, "Forget it, if I have to die, so be it. At most, Ill just never use this technique after cultivating it!" "YOU!" Elder Hong couldnt hold himself back anymore. He dashed up to the other party and bellowed, "Zhang shi, what do you mean by that?" On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was just about to cultivate when the elder suddenly rushed up to him and yelled furiously in his face. Bewildered, Zhang Xuan stared at the other party doubtfully and asked, "Whats wrong?" "Does the sword art I created disgust you so much?" Elder Hong immediately questioned the other party. "Actually, its not entirely disgust but that... there was simply too many ws in them. I dont really want to cultivate it..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You..." Hearing those words, Elder Hong felt so enraged that he was about to go mad. If someone were to ask you such a question, no matter how much you hate the other party, in view of the other partys pride, you should at least deny it orpliment him a little... But this fellow actually just admitted to it straight! Not entirely disgust... In other words, my technique does disgust you! Too many ws... Too many your head! Do you know how much effort I put into creating this battle technique? For ten years, I skipped meals and barely rested, all in hopes of creating a mighty technique that would awe the world... Yet, you said that there are too many ws in my technique... "May I know what ws there are in my sword art?" Harrumphing coldly, Elder Hong suppressed his rage in fear that he might just kill the other party in a moment of rashness. "Youre seeking my guidance? Fine, Ill point them out to you then! Look carefully. I dont have much time, so Ill only say them once." cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan nodded and strolled around the room slowly, "Ill first talk about the first movement of your nine swords, Blooming of the Scarlet Lotus! This technique consists of a total of eighty-one transformations, and its might is indeed extraordinary. However... to stab ones sword out from ones waist while driving ones zhenqi through the Huangu and Wangchang acupoints is a move that will inhibit ones flow of zhenqi in itself, thus severely limiting ones strength! If, at that moment, I were to use a weapon, say an ordinary stick, to strike your Huihai acupoint, how would you deal with it?" "Strike my Huihai acupoint?" Upon hearing those words, the movements involved in the Blooming of the Scarlet Lotus appeared in his mind and he abruptly stiffened. The blooming of a scarlet lotus was a very beautiful phenomenon. As though reflecting that, this move was particrly eye-catching. Using this move, one would attack ones opponent through a violent surge of sword qi. Indubitably, it was a powerful move. However, it had a few fatal ws, and Huihai acupoint was one of them. Putting aside a wooden stick, if one were to just touch it with ones finger, the entire sword art would fall apart. One would find himself incapable of exerting any might at all. Even he had overlooked this w, and yet, the other party noticed it just by flipping through it? "But so what if you know that my Huihai acupoint is my weakness? A sword art prides itself on its speed. By the time you can react, I would have already released five strikes. How do you intend to cope with that?" Elder Hong argued. There was no cultivation technique or sword art that was without ws. While it is true that the Blooming of the Scarlet Lotus had a fatal w, it would be impossible to exploit it under the barrage of attacks. "Released five strikes? Youre wrong. What if, at the very start, I were to move forward three steps to strike your Honghai, turn around to strike your Luoqiao, and take three side steps to strike your Fujiang... After striking these three of your acupoints, do you think you could dodge my attack on your Huihai?" Zhang Xuan said nonchntly. "If you were to strike my Honghai, I would twist my sword to block it and retreat a step backward. Then, when you stuck my Luoqiao, I would have to quickly withdraw my offense to defend myself, thus causing a sudden stoppage in my flow of zhenqi, making it impossible for me tounch any sword qi. Then, when you stuck my Fujiang, if I were to attempt to dodge it, my Huihai would surely be unguarded... Y-you..." Elder Hong analyzed the scenario and initially, he didnt think much of it. However, the more he thought about, the paler his face became, and he started to tremble in shock. If it were a real battle, if his opponent were to strike at these three points consecutively, his Blooming of the Scarlet Rose would immediately fall apart. Not only would he be unable to hurt the other party, he would even suffer severe damage from the bacsh of his zhenqi. Just by stabbing at three perfectly ordinary locations, his zhenqi would be inhibited and he would suffer severe damage from his own sword art... This... "This is only the first move. Your second move, Radiance of the Scarlet Lotus, is filled with innumerable ws. Against this move, even without a weapon, I can charge straight toward your Zhonggong and strike your Ruohai. You would then be forced to retreat... and the rest would be easy," Zhang Xuan continued. After learning of the ws from the Library of Heavens Path, along with Zhang Xuans deep knowledge of sword arts, finding a counter for them was quite an easy task. "I..." Elder Hong unconsciously took a step back. The second step, Radiance of the Scarlet Lotus, was a long-ranged attack. It looked powerful, but in truth, it would leave one vulnerable to close-range attacks. As long as an enemy were to charge in at this moment to strike ones Zhonggong and Ruohai, ones zhenqi would definitely be jolted, thus countering the sword art! In the first move, the enemy would at least still have to stab four locations, but for this, two moves were sufficient to render himpletely powerless! How in the world... Was the sword art he created really that worthless? "Wait a moment... Under the assault of my sword qi, how could you have the time to possibly get close to me and make so many moves?" After contemting over it for a moment, Elder Hongs eyebrows shot up. What the other party said was all theory. In a real battle, given how fast his sword art was, how could the other party possibly have the time and opportunity to strike him consecutively? "No time?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Take a good look then!" Zhang Xuans body swayed, leaving behind an afterimage on the spot. In the blink of an eye, he had already traveled to the three locations and tapped on them with his fingers consecutively. The three fingers struck the acupoints that he had spoken of urately. "This..." Upon seeing this move, Elder Hongs body convulsed, and he nearly fell to the floor. The other partys speed and offense were wless. If he had really used the sword art previously and the other partyunched such a counter... he would surely be defeated utterly in the blink of an eye. Unless... he abandoned the technique and dealt with the other party through his absolute might. Otherwise, with just swordsmanship alone, he would be defeated thoroughly, perhaps even suffering grievous wounds in the process. Cold sweat dripped down his back. Having created so many battle techniques, this Nine Swords of the Scarlet Lotus was actually the one he prided himself the most on. He thought that this technique would have him unrivaled in the Myriad Kingdom City. He never expected his ten years of hard work... to be so worthless! "Zhang shi, may I know if... theres a way toplete this sword art of mine?" sping his fist, Elder Hong bowed deeply-a bow that only a student would make to his teacher. Chapter 543: Forfeit Chapter 543: Forfeit Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While the duo was discussing about sword art, everyone outside was panicking. "Pavilion Master Kang, Zhang shi has already been inside for two hours now. Do you think it is possible that... Elder Hong killed him due to a moment of rage?" Su shi asked anxiously. It had been two hours since Zhang Xuan entered the chamber, but not only was there no result, there didnt seem to be any movement within as well. No one knew what was going on inside, and a tense atmosphere seemed to fill the room. "Theres no need to worry. Even if they were to quarrel, as long as one side makes a move, the number of blows should appear on the screen... Given that no number has appeared yet, it could only mean that they havente to blows yet..." While consoling Su shi, Pavilion Master Kang also frowned in confusion. Even if Zhang Xuan were to fool about, Elder Hong should possess some self-restraint! After all, how could a person who has already lived for a century possiblyy his hands on a junior in front of so many master teachers? Besides, as long as one side made a move, a number would surely appear on the screen. Currently, there was no movement whatsoever, as though the duo had fallen into a deep sleep inside the chamber. What was going on? "Pavilion master, why dont you... go in to take a look?" Ling shi turned to look at him and asked. It wasnt a solution to be waiting out here for them. If the pavilion master were to take a look, they would at least know what was going on inside. "Alright!" After a moment of hesitation, Pavilion Master Kang thought that it was reasonable and nodded his head. "You all remain here, Ill go in alone. This way, itll be easier for me to deal with anything that urs!" Su shi and Ling shi nodded their heads. Pavilion Master Kang took in a deep breath, and just as he was about to push the door open and enter, jiya!, the door opened, and Zhang Xuan and Elder Hong walked out side by side. The attire of the both were still tidy and the both of them had a smile on their faces. There didnt seem to be the slightest hostility between them. Dumbfounded, everyone stared at one another nkly. In the end, after an entire two hours, the two of you didnt fight at all! If you two arent going to fight, why dont you all juste out? Arent you two just wasting our time? Elder Wu, Elder Bai, and Elder Yun also stared at one another in bewilderment. Given their experience, they felt that even if the both of them didnt fight, Elder Hong would still be left in an unseemly state. They had never expected for the both of them to leave from chamber together with a bright smile on their face. Did Zhang shi identally knock his head on something? After leaving them in such a tragic state, he actually spared Elder Hong... The trio felt a little doubtful at this situation. "Elder Hong, this..." Pavilion Master Kang started to ask with a doubtful expression. "Oh, its nothing!" Elder Hong shook his head. He turned to nce at the young man before him, and even until now, the shock and admiration he felt for thetter hadnt faded yet. He thought that deciphering the ws of two of his moves would be the limit of this fellow, but after aprehensive discussion did he realize that the other partysprehension of cultivation had already reached an unbelievable level. Just a casual pointer from him could induce a qualitative leap in ones strength. The Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus which he had prided himself on turned out to be full of ws! It was a decent technique against ordinary cultivators of his level, but against true experts, it would surely crumble swiftly! If he were to use this technique to challenge others, he would probably die from the bacsh of his own sword art before injuring his opponent. To die from the bacsh of a battle technique he created himself... If word were to spread out, he would be aughingstock for innumerable years toe. His reputation that he had built up for himself with great difficulty would fall apart immediately. Knowing this, Elder Hong humbly sought the other partys guidance for two hours, and under the other partys pointers, hisprehension of the sword art improved greatly. If he were given some more time, he was confident he could create an even more perfect and powerful ultimate technique. "Nothing? Then... what is the result of the selection round?" Seeing that the other party wasnt willing to speak any further, Pavilion Master Kang could only turn the topic back to the selection round. "Ill announce the results now!" Nodding his head, Elder Hong smiled, "These are the results of all of the candidates after my assessment. Luo Xi and Du Hu, having dealt three blows, are in fifth ce; Feng Mosheng and Fu Xiaochen, having dealt five blows, are in third ce; Jun Ruohuan, having dealt six blows, is in second ce. And in first ce is... Zhang shi!" "Zhang shi is in first ce?" "Hes in first ce again? I thought that they didnt even exchange blows." Hearing this conclusion, everyone was taken aback. The results of Jun Ruohuan and the other candidates were clear to the eye of everyone here. On the other hand, not a single number appeared in the midst of Zhang shis test. How did he ended up being ced first? "I cant ept this!" Ruohuan gongzi stepped forward. If the other party had shown a result far above his, he would have conceded. But there was clearly no result at all! To dere the other party to be in first ce without evenpeting at all, wasnt this a breach of fairness? It was just like he had scored 99 marks in an exam. If his rival had scored 100 marks, he would have conceded defeat. But... the other party didnt even take the test at all! On what rights should he be ced first? "You cannot ept it?" Elder Hong frowned. "Thats right! I managed toprehend the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus to Initiate mastery, trading six blows with Elder... I would like to ask that given that elder has assessed him as the first ce, how far has he reached in theprehension of Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus? Has he reached Minor Aplishment?" At this point, Ruohuan gongzi looked at the young man in the distance and gritted his teeth. "I dont believe that you can reach Minor Aplishment in that battle technique within an incenses time... Unless you fight with me now and defeat me with your sword art!" "Defeat you?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Forget it, I dont have the interest of bullying others!" "The heck!" "Isnt he being too arrogant?" Hearing those words, the crowd stared at one another. No matter what, Ruohuan gongzi was a 4-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert. Not to mention, he specialized in swordsmanship as well. Yet, the other party actually said that... he didnt want to bully him! As a fellow who specialized in wielding spears, arent you afraid that your teeth might fall off from all that bragging? "You..." Ruohuan gongzis face reddened in anger. "If you dont wish topete with me, so be it. As long as you dere that you haveprehended the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus to Minor Aplishment within an incenses time, Ill admit defeat immediately!" Master teachers valued trust and honor a lot. If the other party were to lie in front of such a huge crowd, his reputation would definitely drop to the gutters. "Minor Aplishment..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I didnt even learn a single move from the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus so how could I have possibly reached Minor Aplishment?" "You didnt learn a single move?" Not only was Ruohuan gongzi stunned, the crowd was also dumbfounded. Didnt even learn a single move? Then on what rights was he dered to be in first ce? Wasnt this bias a little too extreme and obvious?! Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others werepletely bewildered as well. They had known Elder Hong for so many years so they knew very well how upright of a person he was. It was impossible for him to take sides for such a matter. But... since Zhang shi didnt learn the technique at all, what right did he have to be in first ce? This was a test that affected ones candidacy for the Master Teacher Tournament! Wasnt this making the matter too lightly? "Could it be that.. Elder Hong has epted Zhang shi as his student? In order to allow the other party to join the tournament, he intentionally went easy on thetter?" "But Elder Hong isnt such a person!" "But if that isnt the case, why did the both of them remain in the room for more than two hours, and despite the fact that Zhang shi hasnt even learned a single movement, he was dered first ce?" The crowd fell into an uproar. Zhang shi and Elder Hong initially didnt know one another, but everyone saw the smile on their faces as they left the chamber side by side. No one would believe it if they were to im that there was nothing between them. Pavilion Master Kang turned to Elder Hong and asked, "Elder Hong, whats going on?" All gazes also gathered on Elder Hong, curious to see how he would reply. "ept him as my student?" Hearing everyones conjecture, Elder Hongs lips twitched. All of your imaginations sure are wild! Even if I want to ept him as my student... I need to have the capability to back that up first! Shaking his head, Elder Hong came clean with everyone. "Theres no need for you all to guess any further. Im the one who wants to acknowledge Zhang shi as my teacher, but he wont agree to it!" "Acknowledge Zhang shi... as your teacher? And he didnt agree to it?" "Elder Hong, are you pulling our legs?" Everyones mouth was widenedrge, and a bizarre silence loomed in the hall. Elder Hong was known to be the number one specialist in terms of battle techniques and cultivation techniques in Myriad Kingdom City. He had created innumerable ultimate techniques that many master teachers cultivate. In fact, it could be said that... at least half of the master teachers at the hall now could be considered as half a student of his. Yet, such an influential figure actually wished to acknowledge that fellow as his teacher? If that was the case, then wasnt a half of the people in this hall that fellows grandstudent? And... what that shocked them more was that... this fellow actually rejected it... Are you serious? "Zhang shi possesses outstanding talent, and hisprehension of cultivation has reached an astounding level that one can do nothing but simply look up to. Even though he didnt learn the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus that I created... his understanding of it is so deep that I cant even hope to match up to him. Ive sought his guidance for the past two hours and benefited greatly from his teachings!" Elder Hong replied gravely. "Sought Zhang shis guidance?" Everyone stared at one another, and for a moment, their brains were unable to process what was going on. Didnt you spend ten years creating the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus and even reached Major Aplishment in it? Yet, toward a fellow who only learned it for an incenses time, you sought the other partys guidance... and even benefited greatly from it, wanting to take him as your teacher... Why does it sound like a huge joke? Elder Wu, Elder Bai, and the others widened their eyes in shock. Initially, when they saw the twoing out with smiles, they thought that Zhang Xuan had changed his nature. But from the looks of it now, they were being too naive. It was not that he didnt do anything, but he had captured Elder Hongs heart! At least they were only injured. On the other hand, Elder Hong... If he were to really acknowledge Zhang shi as his teacher, his reputation and standing would vanish in an instant. "This test assesses yourprehension of cultivation. Within an incenses time, Ruohuan gongzi managed to trade six blows with me... On the other hand, in the same time period, Zhang shi was able to offer me valuable guidance... Even if he didnt learn the Nine Swords of Scarlet Lotus, my judgement of putting him in first ce shouldnt be a problem at all, right?" Elder Hong stared at Jun Ruohuan coldly. "This..." Ruohuan gongzis body twitched, and he felt like he would cry at any moment now. Given Elder Hongs standing, he wouldnt stoop down to the level of lying... In other words, there was a very good chance that what the other party was saying was the truth. He was gleeful at having reached Initiate mastery, thinking that he was a great genius. On the other hand, the other party had managed to understand the technique thoroughly and even became a teacher for the creator of the battle technique... The heck! Where did this monster pop out from? Could that monster still be considered as a human like that? It was no wonder the other party said that he didnt want to bully him... For him, who he could only withstand six blows from Elder Hong, to go up against someone who could be a teacher for Elder Hong... that would indeed be a terribly one-sided match! "Since the results are out, lets proceed on to the next test then!" Seeing that his student was on the verge of going insane from the mental blows he was suffering, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly interjected and changed the topic. "This is thest test for the selection round. Itll be on pointing out ws in others cultivation process and offering pointers for improvement..." But halfway through Pavilion Master Kangs words, a voice suddenly echoed. Turning around, he saw Zhang Xuan looking at him. "Ill forfeit this round!" Chapter 544: Insufficient Supporting Occupations? Chapter 544: Insufficient Supporting upations? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Forfeit?" Everyone turned to look at Zhang Xuan. As the person who had managed to take first ce in the first four rounds, he was truly the ck horse of the selection round. Why did he suddenly forfeit at thest moment? "Youve already participated in the first four tests, this is thest one..." Su shi hurriedly advised him anxiously. "The purpose of this selection round is to pick out two candidates with the best results to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament. Given my previous results, even if I dont participate in the fifth round, Ill still be in first ce. Since theres no reason for me to continue on, I might as well forfeit," Zhang Xuan said impassively. "Besides... theres not much point in me getting the first ce all the time." "Not much point in getting the first ce all the time?" "It must be exhrating to say those words!" "But what Zhang shi said makes sense. Having taken first ce in the previous four rounds, he has 24 points at present. On the other hand, the current second ce, Ruohuan gongzi, only has 18 points. After which is Fu Xiaochen with 15 points, Feng Mosheng with 13 points, Luo Xu with 10 and Du Hu with 7. Even if Zhang shi were to forfeit this round and end up in thest ce, he would still have 25 points. There is no one who can catch up to him already... So, it shouldnt be a problem for him to forfeit at this point!" "To be able to be the overall champion despite skipping the final round... Incredible!" ... Hearing the exnation, everyone understood his reasoning. Since his position was already stable, there was indeed no need for him to waste time on thest test. "This..." Coming to a realization, Pavilion Master Kang traded nces with Su shi and smiled bitterly. As expected of Zhang shi, he sure was imposing. Other people had to give their all for every single test whereas this fellows victory was already decided in the fourth round. Men are indeed not born equal. "Since thats the case, then so be it!" Sweeping past the other candidates with his gaze, Pavilion Master Kang saw that they were reluctant topete with such a monster as well. Thus, he shook his head and continued, "However, Zhang shi, you should remain in the hall for now. After thest test, well exin the details regarding the Master Teacher Tournament to you!" "Un!" Zhang Xaun nodded his head. It didnt take long for the results of the round to emerge. Ruohuan gongzi managed to clinch first ce in thest round, thus winning the other slot for the Master Teacher Tournament. "Alright. Now that the selection round is over, Ill officially dere that Zhang shi and Jun Ruohuan shall represent the Myriad Kingdom Alliance to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament..." Since the results were clear, Pavilion Master Kang began dering the final verdict. "Pavilion master, hold on for a moment!" But halfway through his words, Fu Xiaochen stepped forward, "I dont deny Zhang shis capability. However... If my memory doesnt fail me, the minimum requirement for participating in the Master Teacher Tournament is to be a 3-star master teacher. Given that Zhang shi is only a 2-star master teacher, I fear that he wont even pass the qualification check if he were to participate in the tournament. Pavilion Master Kang frowned. The other party was right. There was indeed a prerequisite for ones master teacher rank to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament. And 3-star was the minimum requirement. If one couldnt even reach such a level, how could he possibly triumph over the others in the tournament? Even though Zhang Xuan had disyed an outstanding performance in the selection round, in the end, he was only a 2-star master teacher. He was still a way off from meeting the minimum participation requirement. "Given how Zhang shi passed all of the tests so easily, it wouldnt be a problem even if he were to apply for the rank of a 4-star master teacher straight away!" Su shi interjected. Even Ruohuan gongzi, a 4-star master teacher, wasnt a match for Zhang shi at all. There should be no difficulty for thetter to apply for a 4-star master teacher rank at all. "Zhang shis capability is indeed on par with 4-star master teachers. Even without undergoing a 4-star master teacher examination, it wouldnt be a problem for his promotion application to pass straight. However... the requirements to bing a 4-star master teacher dictates that one has to have at least four 4-star supporting upations! Im afraid that... with such a requirement, he isnt qualified as a 4-star master teacher," Fu Xiaochen said. If Zhang shi hadnt appeared, he and Ruohuan gongzi would definitely have been the candidates for the tournament. Given that his slot was being snatched away from him, he had to at least do something to vie it back. And the other partys supporting upations was a huge w he could pick at! In his view, no matter how skilled Zhang shi was, given his age, there should be a limit to what he was capable of. After all, he couldnt possibly be skilled in everything! "Thats true..." "Supporting upations also require a long duration of studying to rue knowledge and advance..." Everyone fell silent. Even Su shi was unable to say a single word about it. That was true. Zhang shis talent and capability was clear to everyones eyes, there was nothing that could dispute it... But to be a 4-star master teacher was far more difficult than that. Supporting upations were of vital importance as well. Even a 3-star master teacher would require three 3-star supporting upation. Just like with Soul Depth, this was a fundamental requirement. "Zhang shis proficiency regarding painting has definitely reached a minimum of 4-star. It wont be a problem for me to apply the rank for him at the Painter Guild!" Elder Yun stepped forward. Given how the other party was able to easily produce a sixth level painting, his proficiency in painting was definitely higher than him. Applying for the position of a 4-star painter wasnt a problem at all. "But thats only one upation!" Fu Xiaochen said. Even if he were to be assessed as a 4-star painter, that would only make one upation. He was stillcking in two. By no means was it easy to pick up a supporting upation, not to mention, they had to reach 3-star for him to qualify for the 3-star master teacher rank. "Zhang shi, do you have any upations that have reached a minimum of 3-star?" Pavilion Master Kang asked. "I..." Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when an apprentice suddenly barged in. "Pavilion master! Hall Master Han from the Beast Hall requests to enter!" "Hall Master Han? What is here for?" Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback. The head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Beast Hall, Han Chong, wasnt really on close terms with him. Why would he suddenly visit the Master Teacher Pavilion? "Invite him in!" Even though he was doubtful, he chose to invite the other party in for the time being. Although the Master Teacher Pavilion wielded greater authority than the Beast Hall, the might of the Beast Hall wasnt to be underestimated. In any case, even if he didnt intend to maintain friendly rtions with the other party, it would still be wise to avoid making such an enemy. "Yes!" The apprentice departed, and a momentter, two elders entered the room. Turning his head around, Zhang Xuan saw two people entering. One of them was Hall Master Han whom he met at Coax Ridge while the other one was Hall Master Sai from the Appraiser Hall. "Greetings to Pavilion Master Kang and the elders of Master Teacher Pavilion!" They were surprised to see that there were so many people in the hall. However, as influential people themselves, they had braved through many storms, so they managed to maintain their grace as they sped their fists in greeting. After trading a few pleasantries, Hall Master Kang asked doubtfully, "May I know the reason behind Hall Master Han and Hall Master Sais visit?" "In truth, Ivee here to look for Zhang shi!" Hall Master Han chuckled. "I heard from Hall Master Sai that he was heading here so I rushed all the way here!" "Zhang shi?" Pavilion Master Kang blinked in surprise. The others also turned their gazes over. "Is there a reason why youre looking for me?" Zhang Xuan was also perplexed by the situation before him. He had only met the other party once and there wasnt too deep of a rtionship between them. Why would the other partye to find him? "Oh, its actually like that. Ive reported Zhang shis feat of taming the Demon Cinque Beast to the headquarters and they decided to make an exception to promote Zhang shi as a 4-star beast tamer. Thus, Ivee here to deliver your emblem to you!" Hall Master Han smiled. Judging by how Zhang shi was able to tame the Demon Cinque Beast with just a single word, his capability in beast taming had already far surpassed him. As such, he informed the headquarters of the matter as soon as he returned. After receiving the reply earlier today, he immediately rushed over to look for Zhang shi. Under normal circumstances, beast tamer, as an upation of the Upper Nine Paths, had strict requirements of ones cultivation. To reach 4-star, ones cultivation had to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan at minimum. This was truly a rare exception. "4-star beast tamer?" "Zhang shi is actually a 4-star beast tamer?" Hearing Hall Master Hans words, everyone broke into an uproar. It was right after someone remarked that Zhang shi wascking in supporting upations when the other party had a 4-star beast tamer emblem delivered to him. Along with the painter upation, he had two upations down already. "Thank you..." Not expecting the other party to request for a 4-star beast tamer emblem for him, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Right when he received the emblem, the same apprentice from before rushed in and reported, "Hall master, Guild Leader Zheng and Guild Leader Meng from Honghai Citys Formation Guild and Physician Guild... request to enter!" "Invite them in!" Pavilion Master Kang waved his hands. Soon, the duo appeared in the hall. Formation master and physician were another two of the most prestigious upations of the Upper Nine Paths that were inferior in no way to beast tamer. The simultaneous arrival of the two guild leaders had left all of the other master teachers staring at one another in bewilderment. "May I know why the two of you are here?" Pavilion Master Kang sped his fist and asked doubtfully. "Im here to look for Zhang shi!" Guild Leader Zheng said. "Youre here to look for Zhang shi as well?" Pavilion Master Kang widened his eyes in shock. "Thats right!" Guild Leader Zheng chuckled. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Zhang shi, Ive only given you a quasi 4-star formation master emblem previously. After you left, I reported this matter to the headquarters and they decided to make an exception to approve you as a 4-star formation master!" That day, Zhang Xuan had used a sword, saber, and spear to inscribe a grade-5 formation te. It was only due to hiscking cultivation that he didnt qualify as a true 4-star formation master. As such, he was given a quasi 4-star formation master emblem instead. After the matter, Guild Leader Zheng reported the matter to the headquarter and just a few days before, he received the reply from the headquarter-they had decided to make an exception to promote Zhang Xuan as an official 4-star formation master. "A 4-star formation master as well?" Everyone blinked their eyes in disbelief. Another upation now? But before they could recover from their shock, the elder standing beside Guild Leader Zheng sped his fist and smiled. "Zhang shi might not recognize me. I am Guild Leader Meng Qi from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild!" "My greetings to Guild Leader Meng!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Zhang shi challenged Tianwu Kingdoms Wall of Dilemma and solved the second princesss Innate Muscle Deficiency affliction. Hall Master Han was also treated by you a while ago... Your mastery in medicine is indeed miraculous. As such, I also made a request to the headquarters and received their approval. Here is your 4-star physician emblem!" Guild Master Meng chuckled. Back then, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had made Zhang Xuan an elder of their guild for having solved the Wall of Dilemma. But it was only today that they finally met the person in question. He was indeed young and valiant. There was an extraordinary aura shrouding him. "That makes four upations..." Hearing Guild Leader Mengs words, everyone swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This was especially so for Fu Xiaochen. He nearly knocked his head on a wall to kill himself. He had just said that the other party wascking in supporting upation when Hall Master Han, Guild Leader Zheng, and Guild Leader Meng walked in personally to deliver his 4-star emblems themselves. Did it need to be so exaggerated? Even if you wanted to p my face, surely you dont have to do it so quickly... Tears streamed down Fu Xiaochens face. If only hed known that the other party was so capable, he would have kept his mouth shut. Just as he was about to suffer a mental breakdown from all those blows, Hall Master Sais voice sounded, "Upper Nine Paths upations sure are troublesome. You all still need to go through so much trouble-request from the headquarter and waiting for a reply-before a ranking can be decided. Look at our Appraiser Hall, we gave Zhang shi his 5-star appraiser emblem immediately after he passed the examination, theres no need to go through so much fuss at all!" "Hes a 5-star appraiser on top of that?" Putong! Fu Xiaochen really copsed onto the floor this time around. Chapter 545: Yin-Yang Lake Chapter 545: Yin-Yang Lake Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "upations of the Upper Nine Paths are strict on their rankings, and those that they are willing to make an exception for are all, without a doubt, top-notch geniuses. I thought that Zhang shis capability as a master teacher was already impressive... but to think that he was equally amazing in other upations as well!" "Indeed! Three of the top Upper Nine Paths upation actually made an exception and promoted him to 4-star... His talent is no longer something that can be summarized with just genius anymore!" "Thats too formidable..." Everyone in the room was stunned. If one were to achieve proficiency far beyond ordinary men in an upation, one could already be considered as a genius. But the person before them, not only was he young, he actually managed to achieve such astounding proficiency in five upations... Truly, it was a wonder how he studied so much. The crowd couldnt help but feel despair whenparing their achievement to the young man before them. "Since the other upations have made an exception, why cant our Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang shis performance should make him more than qualified as a 4-star master teacher!" Su shi couldnt help but say. "Indeed!" Ling shi agreed. "Given that Zhang shi already had more than five 4-star upations, even though his cultivation iscking, I believe that he is still more than qualified as a 4-star master teacher!" Not only must a 4-star master teacher possess four 4-star supporting upation, more importantly, one had to possess the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. Even though Zhang shis cultivation wascking at the moment, given how the other Upper Nine Paths upations were willing to make an exception to grant him a 4-star emblem, how couldnt the respected Master Teacher Pavilion do so as well? "This..." Pavilion Master Kang hesitated. Indeed! Since the other upations were willing to go to such extents, why couldnt the Master Teacher Pavilion do so as well? After a momentary pause, Pavilion Master Kang said, "Alright, Ill send a request to the headquarters immediately..." Before Pavilion Master Kang could finish his words, Zhang Xuan abruptly asked, "Hold on a moment. The reason why you cant give me a 4-star master teacher emblem straight despite the supporting upations I have, is it due to my cultivation?" "Un!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded. "Theres no need to go through so much trouble for that. Ill just make a breakthrough on the spot!" Zhang Xuan said. "Make a breakthrough on the spot? Cough cough..." Su shi and Ling shi were dumbfounded. Even if you were at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle, it shouldnt be that easy for you to make a breakthrough. After all, to achieve a breakthrough, you have to convert the zhenqi in your body into Origin Energy to harmonize better with the environment. "Zhang shi, theres no need to rush. You must be careful when making a breakthrough into Origin Energy realm so as to not affect the quality of your Origin Energy. A higher quality Origin Energy will prove to be beneficial to your future cultivation. It would be best if you can umte some more experience first. Pavilion Master Kang advised. However, before he could finish his words, the young man before him suddenly frowned. Hong long! A sound reminiscent of an egg cracking sounded from his body. In an instant, the bottleneck which had restrained him suddenly gave way, and a majestic aura gradually emerged from within. "Origin Energy realm..." Pavilion Master Kangs body trembled as he swallowed his words. He could clearly feel that the other party had managed to achieve a breakthrough... Others would need to find a quiet and safe ce to condition their state before attempting a breakthrough... Yet, this fellow simply did it right after saying he would do so... Do you need to be so savage? After sessfully making a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said nonchntly, "Alright, theres no need to feel conflicted about it anymore. Since Im already an Origin Energy realm cultivator, Ive already met the conditions!" He was already ready to make a breakthrough to the next realm by the time he was at the soul oracle tomb. Back at Pavilion Master Kangs room, he had gathered sufficient Transcendent Mortal 2-dan cultivation technique manuals for him topile the correct Heavens Path Divine Art. Under such circumstances, achieving a breakthrough hinged on just a single thought. "Alright..." Seeing that the other party achieved a breakthrough so easily without any hups, the entire hall fell silent. Fu Xiaochen trembled violently, unable to utter a single word. Right after hed doubted the other partys supporting upation, heads of the Upper Nine Paths guilds rushed into the hall to present him his emblem. And after which, when he doubted the other partys cultivation... the other party immediately achieved a breakthrough for him... It was truly impossible to speak to someone like that. Otherwise, he would p your face once every few minutes, and not to mention, it was the type that would leave you tongue-tied and stifled. When everything else was done, the remaining portion was simple. Not too longter, an emblem representing Zhang Xuans identity was presented to him. The current him was an official 4-star master teacher recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion. "Zhang shi and Ruohuan, follow me. Ill tell you two the details of the Master Teacher Tournament!" When all was done, Pavilion Master Kang beckoned them over. Leaving the hall, the trio entered a room. "I believe you all should more or less know some details regarding the Master Teacher Tournament!" Pavilion Master Kang said. "Un!" The duo nodded their heads. "The Master Teacher Tournament is an event supported by the Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. The content of the tournament changes each time, and if one were to get into the top ten, not only would one earn middle-tier spirit stones as a reward, one will even be given an opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy," Pavilion Master Kang said. "Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?" Jun Ruohuans breathing hastened. "Un!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. Seeing the agitation on the expression of the other two, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Is that academy famous?" "Famous?" Pavilion Master Kang shook his head with a bitter smile. "Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is established in joint by Hongyuan Empire and the hundred or so Tier 2 Empire Master Teacher Pavilions under them. Its a cradle for 4-star master teachers, and its purpose is to ept and groom talented master teachers. 6-star master teachers conduct lessons personally there to answer their queries. If only I could study in there, I would have long be a 5-star master teacher already!" "A ce to groom talented master teachers?" Zhang Xuan was astounded. His alternate identity, Yang Xuan, was mistaken by others as a 6-star master teacher. In truth, he had never seen a master teacher of that tier before. But even so, he knew how fearsome a person who had reached such level would be. If one were to receive the guidance from such a person, ones cultivation and fighting prowess would surely rise by leaps and bounds. Putting everything aside, Mo Hunsheng who was trapped in the lotus was just a 6-star soul oracle, but he already possessed such incredible means, so one could only imagine the strength of a master teacher at that level. "Originally, I only hoped for our Master Teacher Pavilion to not rank in the bottom few. However, with Zhang shi on our side this time, I hope that... you can try to vie for the top ten!" Pavilion Master Kang said with a serious expression. Zhang Xuans performance today had awed him. His expectations couldnt help but rise, and a ray of hope emerged within him... It no longer seemed like a dream for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance to get into the top ten! If they were to really get into top ten, then as the pavilion master then, his name would go down into history. Perhaps, he might even get the opportunity to be dispatched to the Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, thus receiving even better cultivation resources to reach higher realms. "Top ten?" Ruohuan gongzi clenched his fists tightly together. "However, top ten wont be easy at all. Even though the other powers participating in the Master Teacher Tournament have already arrived in the city, they have done well concealing the identity of their participants. Thus, even I havent managed to gather too much information!" Even so, Pavilion Master Kang knew the immense difficulty in doing so. "Based on the records in the previous tournaments, ones cultivation will be tested in the tournament as well. It is nearly impossible to get into the top ten without reaching a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan intermediate-stage." "Transcendent Mortal 4-dan intermediate stage?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Indeed. This is why I hope that you can use the next two months to work hard on your cultivation!" Pavilion Master Kang looked at the duo with glowing eyes. "As such, Ive decided to bring you two to the Yin-Yang Lake to cultivate tomorrow!" "Yin-Yang Lake? Teacher, do you mean the Yin-Yang Lake of the Origin me cier in?" Ruohuan gongzi hurriedly turned to look at his teacher. "Thats right! Where else can one find the Yin-Yang Lake other than in the Origin me cier in?" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. "But... Isnt the Origin me cier in on bad terms with our Myriad Kingdom City? Would they really allow us to use your Yin-Yang Lake?" Ruohuan gongzi asked doubtfully. "Theres no need to worry about that. Ive already negotiated the matter with their old ancestor, and as long as you can pass their selection test, you will be allowed to cultivate in the Yin-Yang Lake! The Yin-Yang Lake harnesses the two attributes of yin and yang. On one end is bone-piercing chill whereas on the other end is searing heat. One will be able to control the energy in ones body by cultivating in it. This makes it easier for one toprehend higher realms, thus hastening ones rate of cultivation. This is exceptionally useful for those who possess unique constitutions like Pure Yin and Pure Yang Body," Pavilion Master Kang said. "Pure Yin and Pure Yang Body..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. The Yin-Yang Lake is divided into yin and yang. It has the effect of stimting and thus, awakening the constitution of those possessing a Pure Yin or Pure Yang Body, inducing a huge rise in their cultivation. However... it is a pity that those who possess these two constitutions are truly rare," Pavilion Master Kangmented. "This..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Pure Yin and Pure Yang Bodies are indeed rare, but... Zhao Yas happened to be the former! Despite only awakening her unique constitution by twenty percent, she already possessed such formidable might. Since this Yin-Yang Lake was useful to her, perhaps he could bring her along to vie for an opportunity for her? Otherwise, if it came down to it, Zhang Xuan was willing to give up his own slot for thetter as well... Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan didnt really think the Yin-Yang Lake would make much of a difference to him. After all, as long as he was able to form the Heavens Path Divine Art and had sufficient spirit stones in his possession, cultivation was as simple as eating and drinking to him. Putting aside Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, as long as he had sufficient quantities of the two, reaching Transcendent Mortal 9-dan in a day wasnt a problem at all! "However, the Yin-Yang Lake is located at the utmost south of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Its a long distance away, and even riding on a 4-dan pinnacle aerial spirit beast, just the journey there in itself would take almost a dozen days. If we were to factor in the time required for you to cultivate, the entire trip would take at least forty days. As such, if you dont have any issue, well set off tomorrow morning. After all, we have to make it back here before the Master Teacher Tournament," Pavilion Master Kang said with a grim expression. "No problem!" Zhang Xuan and Ruohuan gongzi nodded their heads. After hearing the mystical effects of the Yin-Yang Lake, Zhang Xuan was actually rather curious to see it for himself. Also, since it was extremely useful to awakening Zhao Yas unique constitution, as long as long as he could vie for an opportunity for her to enter the Yin-Yang Lake, her cultivation might soar by leaps and bounds. "Alright then. The two of you should return for now to make preparations. Well meet here tomorrow morning!" After Pavilion Master Kang was done with the briefing, he dismissed the two. "Alright!" The duo nodded their heads. Leaving the room, Zhang Xuan immediately returned back to his residence and called Zhao Ya over. "Tomorrow, Ill take you to a ce that would be useful in awakening your constitution so prepare yourself!" After which, Zhang Xuan returned to his room. Given that the trip would take more than a month, the urgent matter at hand for him was to raise his cultivation as soon as possible. For the time being, he should at least try to reach Origin Energy realm pinnacle first! Thus, activating the Spirit Gathering Formation, he sat down. Flicking his wrist, a middle-tier spirit stone appeared before him. Chapter 546: Elder Hu Chapter 546: Elder Hu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Gu gu gu gu! Pure zhenqi seeped through Zhang Xuans entire body along his meridians, through his acupoints, headed straight toward his dantian. Driving the Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan fell into a tranquil state, and his aura slowly hiked up. Origin Energy realm primary stage! Origin Energy realm intermediate stage! ... If someone else were to see his pace of cultivation, they would immediately fall into a frenzy. They had spent innumerable years of hard work just to raise their cultivation, but Zhang Xuan seemed to do the same as easily as eating and drinking. The concept of difficult and bottleneck didnt seem to apply to him at all. ... In a luxurious mansion in the Myriad Kingdom City, a young man stood at the entrance of the courtyard, loitering around anxiously. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would definitely be able to recognize the other party as the wealthy customer who often bought from him, Song Chao. After loitering to and fro for several times, Song Chao couldnt help but turn to the guard at the entrance and ask, "When will eldere out of his seclusion?" "Ive no idea as well! After meeting with Song shi the previous time, elder immediately went into seclusion. Since then, he hasnte out at all!" the guard replied. "Alright..." After obtaining the grade-7 Metal Coffin, Song Chao immediately rushed to this courtyard to look for the elder, only to learn that thetter was currently in seclusion. Thus, he could only wait for thetter to return. Who knew that this wait would have taken him several days. In any case, he did expect the elder to immerse himself in the research of the Soulless Metal Humanoid after obtaining it. "Forget it, Ill return for now first!" Since the other party was in seclusion, it wasnt good for him to simply barge in. Helpless, he decided to leave for now. However, before he barely took a few steps, jiya!, the door behind him opened. "Haha!" Turning around, Song Chao saw an old man walking out of the room with a bright smile. He hurried forward and bowed to thetter with sped fists. "Paying respects to Elder Hu!" Stroking his beard, Elder Hu said with a smile, "You came at the right time! The Soulless Metal Humanoid you gave me is indeed not bad. After studying for numerous days, Ive benefited greatly from it! If I can reach Consonant Spirit realm because of this, Ill make sure to reward you greatly!" Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm was a difficult hurdle of the Transcendent Mortal realm due to how intricately it was tied with the study of souls. He had been trapped in Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle for a very long time already. He had tried many ways to achieve a breakthrough, but all of them turned out to be futile. Thus, when Song Chao delivered a Soulless Metal Humanoid to him just a period ago, he immediately studied it intensely as though it was his only lifeline. Soulless Metal Humanoids were the personal bodyguards of the ancient soul oracles, and the secret behind souls could be uncovered from them. Even though he was still unable toprehend how these Soulless Metal Humanoids could be formed, he was able to gain a deeper insight into the concept of souls. This would prove to be greatly beneficial to his future breakthrough into the Consonant Spirit realm. "Elder, youre being too courteous. Im d that this artifact is useful to you..." Song Chao hurriedly nodded. "Un!" Hearing the other partys humble words, Elder Hu nodded his head in satisfaction. "For you to pay me so many visits in the past few days, did something happen?" Even though he was in seclusion, he still maintained some basic awareness of his surroundings. Song Chao hurriedly nodded his head. "I met that person who sold me the Soulless Metal Humanoid just a few days ago. This time, he offered me the grade-7 Metal Coffin which is used to store Soulless Metal Humanoids. Thinking that it might be beneficial for elders study... I bought it down!" "Grade-7 Metal Coffin? A coffin used to house Soulless Metal Humanoid? Where is it? Show me!" Elder Hus eyes lit up and his breathing hastened. As he was unable to achieve a breakthrough for such a long period of time, he chose to turn his attention to the study of souls. After years of research, he had learnt quite a bit about the subject. In his research, he had stumbled by the subject of soul oracles and thus, he understood the significance of this coffin. If he had obtained these items earlier, he would have enjoyed a much greater improvement in the past few days. Even if he was still unable to reach Consonant Spirit realm, his soul would at least be much stronger than before. "Yes!" Flicking his wrist, a massive coffin appeared before them. It was the coffin that Zhang Xuan sold to him for one middle-tier spirit stone back at the herb garden. "To think that its a grade-7 Metal Coffin in perfect condition..." Seeing the inscriptions on the coffin, Elder Hus eyes slowly grew brighter and brighter. The soul oracles had entrusted cksmiths to forge these coffins specially for their Soulless Metal Humanoid, and they had the effect of maintaining a Soulless Metal Humanoid in its peak condition for millenniums toe. "Based on the words of the seller, this coffin was the one used to house the Soulless Metal Humanoid in elders hands!" Song Chao continued. "Oh..." Elder Hu nodded his head. After assessing the coffin carefully, he raised his head and said, "The person who sold those things to you... Where is he? Did you ask him where he obtained those items from?" "That... I didnt!" Song Chao shook his head. Under the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will, he would lose all basic critical thinking ability. Every single meeting would only end with him forking out spirit stones. Under such circumstances, how was he supposed to ask anything at all? "You didnt ask?" Elder Hu frowned. Recalling the words that the young man said that day, Song Chao hurriedly replied, "Even though I didnt ask, I know that there are at least three more of such Soulless Metal Humanoids and grade-7 Metal Coffins in his possession. In fact... it seems like he even has the higher tier... Crimson Metal Coffin!" "Do you mean that shattered by none the lock of Crimson Metal, undisturbed a rest for ten millenniums... The coffin that even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts are unable break open, and is used to store a soul oracles physical body?" Elder Hus breathing hastened as his eyes lit up. A Grade-7 Metal Coffin was only a tool used to store Soulless Metal Humanoid. On the other hand, the Crimson Metal Coffin was something that was used to store the body of the soul oracle himself. Even though they were both coffins, the value of thetter was definitely much greater than the former! That fellow actually had such good stuff? "Yes!" Song Chao nodded his head. "Great! Where is he? Is he selling that Crimson Metal Coffin? What does he want for it?" Elder Hu hurriedly asked. "That... He intends to sell the Crimson Metal Coffin, just that... I didnt have sufficient money on me then, so I couldnt afford it. Putting everything aside, just this grade-7 Metal Coffin is already worth an entire middle-tier spirit stone..." Song Chao said. "The grade-7 Metal Coffin is the work of a 4-star craftsman, and it has the effect of maintaining the physical condition of a Soulless Metal Humanoid for millenniums toe. Not only is it not expensive, it is in fact rather cheap! Not bad!" Elder Hu nodded his head. Given that it was the work of a 4-star craftsman, and considering the precious materials involved and the secret of soul oracles hidden within it, a middle-tier spirit stone was indeed rtively cheap inparison. This was an extremely fair price. Hearing that he made a fair trade, Song Chao heaved a sigh of relief before asking, "So... does Elder Hu intend to buy it?" "This is a rare opportunity, we have to obtain it. However... you should also know that even though I am an elder, my stipends are limited. Since a grade-7 Metal Coffin is worth a middle-tier spirit stones, nothing needs to be said about the Crimson Metal Coffin. Even I... am unable to fork out such a price!" Even though Elder Hu was excited, he didnt allow it to get ahead of himself. The annual stipends of an elder wasnt unlimited. The number of middle-tier spirit stones he had at hand was extremely limited. The elder couldnt help but ask, "Right, have you tried buying it with Tutge Jade Tokens?" "Tutge Jade Token? The person selling it is a master teacher himself, and his rank... can only be higher than mine. He wont want the jade tokens..." Song Chao smiled bitterly. Back then, when he intended to buy the Rousing From the Drunken Dreams on the auction, the other party refused to sell the work for anything other than spirit stones. After learning that Zhang shi was the seller, he immediately understood the reason. The other party was a master teacher himself, and chances were that he had an even more formidable teacher above him. While Tutge Jade Tokens were iparably valuable to ordinary cultivators, to master teachers like them, their value was negligible. It was just like how an owner of a gold mine wouldnt want to trade his possessions just to earn back gold. "Master teacher?" Elder Hu was taken baack. If the other party wasnt a master teacher, there was a variety of means they could use-guiding the other party or epting the other party as his student. However, given that the other party was a master teacher like them, the things that they could do both on the surface and beneath the surface would be terribly limited. The Master Teacher Pavilion was an organization to govern and protect master teachers. If they were to be caught doing harm on the other party for greed, their entire sect would suffer the wrath of the headquarters. After a moment of hesitation, Elder Hu said, "Never mind, where is he now? Ill talk to him and ask him for the price of the Crimson Metal Coffin. This way, I can make preparations." The safest and only viable method avable was to buy it. It was fortunate that the other party had the intentions to sell it. "Hes currently in the guest residence of Myriad Kingdom Alliances Alliance Head Residence!" Song Chao said. While he had been visiting Elder Hu the past few days, he had been keeping a lookout for Zhang Xuans whereabouts. After leaving the herb garden, Zhang Xuan didnt hide his whereabouts. Given how even Su shi and the others were able to easily hear of the other partys whereabouts, it wasnt too difficult for him to do so as well. "Alright then. Prepare the mounts, well head over!" Elder Hu nodded his head. ... Hu! Zhang Xuan finally came to a stop. "There isnt sufficient spiritual energy..." Zhang Xuan thought that a middle-tier spirit stone should be more than sufficient for him to reach Origin Energy realm pinnacle. But from the looks of it now, he was still underestimating his spiritual energy consumption rate. Along with the rise in his cultivation, the spiritual energy he needed to make a breakthrough was increasing exponentially. A middle-tier spirit stone only could fuel him up to Origin Energy realm advanced stage. He was still quite a distance away from reaching pinnacle. "Ill need at least two more middle-tier spirit stone before reaching pinnacle!" Making a rough calction, Zhang Xuan shook his head. The spirit stone he had obtained from Hall Master Han was used up in the midst of cultivating his soul, and this spirit stone turned out to be insufficient to raise his zhenqi cultivation as well. Where was he supposed to find more middle-tier spirit stones? He thought that he could be considered wealthy already. In the end, as soon as he started cultivating, he ended up being gued by the issue ofck of spirit stones once again. On top of that, the Soulrouse Grass also requires huge amount of energy to bloom as well. Based on Zhang Xuans estimations, the energy required was much greater than the amount needed for him to reach Origin Energy realm pinnacle. "I really have to find some way to earn some money..." Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan stood up. Earning money... It was easier said than done. What was he supposed to do about it? There were only a few middle-tier spirit stones in the Myriad Kingdom Alliances Alliance Head Residence, needless to say, other powers with the Myriad Kingdom Alliance wouldnt have as much. Forget it, I should head to the Yin-Yang Lake first. Based on what Pavilion Master Kang said, the area is rich in spiritual energy, making it extremely apt for ones cultivation. Perhaps, I might be able to raise my cultivation even without using spirit stones... Zhang Xuan thought. Since it was a precious ground that enhanced ones rate of cultivation, perhaps he would be able to raise his cultivation even without using spirit stones. "But before that, I should try to obtain the Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivation manual of Heavens Path Divine Art first!" Only with a cultivation technique could he raise his cultivation to higher heights. It would be a tragedy if the conditions there turned to be really beneficial to his cultivation, but he didnt have the required cultivation technique to raise his cultivation. "There are many of such cultivation techniques in the Master Teacher Pavilion. As a 4-star master teacher, I have the qualifications to browse through them now!" In terms of quantity of cultivation technique manuals and battle technique manuals, there was nowhere that could surpass the Master Teacher Pavilions library. In any case, Zhang Xuan was already a 4-star master teacher, so he had the qualifications to browse through all of the books. Since he had time now, he decided to head over to take a look. Thinking so, he stood up and walked out. Chapter 547: Ruohuan on the Verge of Crying Chapter 547: Ruohuan on the Verge of Crying Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Right after Zhang Xuan left, Song Chao and Elder Hu arrived at the residence. After waiting for several hours, they could only leave regretfully. Right when the duo was waiting, Zhang Xuan arrived at the Master Teacher Pavilions library. As the center of the entire alliance, Myriad Kingdom City was both an economic powerhouse and a martial arts hub. Secret manuals were something that was never and would never be in short supply here. Upon entering the library, Zhang Xuan immediately saw rows and rows of bookshelves extending beyond the limit of his sight. In terms of quantity, even the humongous library he had visited in Honghai City was far from a match with this. With so many books, I wont be able to duplicate all of them without several days of effort even if I were to go full throttle... Zhang Xuan contemted. Given that he was heading to the Yin-Yang Lake with Pavilion Master Kang the next day, even if he were to give it his all, it was clearly impractical for him to duplicate everything in his Library of Heavens Path within the limited time he had. Forget it, I should just focus on cultivation techniques for now! Knowing the impossibility of the matter, he decided to focus on the bookshelves rting to cultivation techniques and battle techniques. As a 4-star master teacher, he had ess to all of the resources in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Soon, he found the area where Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivation techniques were ced. With just a nce, Zhang Xuan could tell there was more than a thousand books here. ws! Muttering beneath his breath, he ced his finger on the first book and started collecting the books. Compile! Soon, aplete Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Heavens Path Divine Art appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. Without sufficient spirit stones, he was still unable to cultivate it at the moment. Thus, he proceeded forward, hoping to find Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals. But after looking around, he couldnt help but shake his head. There were indeed Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals here, but there were only a hundred books or so. He was still a long way frompiling aplete Heavens Path Divine Art. But considering that the strongest expert in Myriad Kingdom Alliance was only at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, such books were likely to be carefully hoarded by the various powers in the alliance. As such, it was already rather impressive that the Master Teacher Pavilion had a hundred of such books. Now to see whether there are any books on soul here... Even so, Zhang Xuan didnt wallow in his disappointment. He quickly moved on to look for soul secret manuals. Having received Mo Hunshengs inheritance, Zhang Xuan had learned the cultivation technique of soul oracles. However, as there were ws in the manuals from Transcendent Mortal 3-dan and onward, he only cultivated his soul until Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. Since there were all kinds of books here, there just might be some manual on souls that might be useful to him here. If he were topile it along with his existing knowledge, he just might be able to form higher level Heavens Path Soul Art. The rise in the cultivation of a soul also boosted his strength as well. Zhang Xuan looked around as he walked between the shelves, and a long period of timeter, he finally stopped. "Ways of Strengthening Your Soul, What You Have to Know About Consonant Spirit Realm, How to Cultivate Your Soul in rifying Turbidity Realm... These are notes from master teachers of previous generations!" Zhang Xuans hands brushed across the books. The soul oracle inheritance had been terminated so it was impossible to find their cultivation techniques anywhere. However, many experts had left behind notes regarding the tempering of ones soul as it was a fundamental condition for reaching Consonant Spirit Realm. Even though the noted had little to do with soul oracles, they detailed the profound secret of souls. As such, they could be used to fill up the gaps in the soul oracles cultivation techniques. Thus, Zhang Xuan began collecting all of these books, and around eleven hourster, he finally managed to collect several thousand of books on the introduction and tempering of souls. Having overexerted himself in the process, Zhang Xuans body felt heavy and he was on the verge of sleeping already. Even so, his eyes were glowing in excitement. "Compile!" After conditioning his state for a moment, he immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path and fused the knowledge in the books along with the inheritance of the soul oracles. "Hmm? I have the Heavens Path Soul Art for both Transcendent Mortal 3-dan and 4-dan..." After double checking the results, Zhang Xuans eyes glowed in agitation. He was only giving it a try since there was no better method he could think of. In truth, he hadnt thought it was likely to seed. Yet, the effects exceeded his expectations. He had managed toplete the Transcendent Mortal 3-dan and 4-dan of Heavens Path Soul Art in a single go. In other words, as long as he had sufficient middle-tier spirit stones, his soul cultivation could easily reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan! "Not bad..." Zhang Xuans lips curled up into a smile. Even though it was a disappointment that he couldntpile the perfect Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, the results werent too bad since hed managed toplete Transcendent Mortal 3-dan and 4-dan of the Heavens Path Soul Art. "To think that a night has already passed..." Unknowingly, while looking for the cultivation technique manuals, a night had already passed. Walking out of the library, the sun was already high up in the sky, ring down at him. "Zhang shi, youre finally out. The pavilion master is waiting for you at the backyard..." An apprentice walked up to inform Zhang Xuan. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head before walking over to the backyard. It seemed like Pavilion Master Kang and Ruohuan gongzi had already been waiting for some for him already. "Alright, lets head off!" Seeing Zhang Xuan walking over, Pavilion Master Kang raised his hand and a massive beast slowlynded on the ground. It was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle aerial spirit beast. Most probably, it was the private of Pavilion Master Kang or the Master Teacher Pavilion. "Ah, hold on for a moment. I would like to bring a student along with me..." Zhang Xuan said. "A student?" Pavilion Master Kang frowned. "The Origin me cier in isnt under the jurisdiction of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Its an independent power, and I had to pay a heavy price before I could obtain these two slots for you two..." If he could bring people to the Origin me cier in freely, he would have surely brought Fu Xiaochen and the others over long ago. There would be no need for him to waste time on a selection beforehand, cutting it so close for the Master Teacher Tournament. It was due to the limit that hed had to go through so much trouble. "Only two slots? Its impossible to add another person in?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "That wont do. In fact, the two slots are not guaranteed-you all have to undergo the tests of the Origin me cier in first. If it was that easy to negotiate with the Origin me cier in, the master teachers of our Master Teacher Pavilion would be much stronger than they are now. At the very least, we wouldnt be ranking at the bottom in nearly every tournament!" Pavilion Master Kang smiled bitterly. "If thats the case... Ill pass on my opportunity to my student then," Zhang Xuan said. As long as he had sufficient middle-tier spirit stones, it didnt make a difference to him whether he entered the Yin-Yang Lake or not. Since there were only two slots, he would rather pass the chance on to Zhao Ya. After all, this was a rare opportunity for her to further awaken her unique constitution. "This wont do. Youre Myriad Kingdom Alliances greatest hope in the Master Teacher Tournament, how can you pass on such an opportunity!" Upon hearing the decision Zhang Xuan made, Pavilion Master Kang quickly refuted his words. Are you joking? Im still waiting for you to break the records in the Master Teacher Tournament. If you dont go to the Yin-Yang Lake, wouldnt the heavy price I paid for this opportunity go to waste? "My student has toe along!" Zhang Xuan said resolutely. "How about this? If the other party make things difficult for you, I can negotiate with him on your behalf." "This..." Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. "Youre underestimating the men of the Origin me cier in. If its that easy to negotiate with them, I would have surely tried to obtain more slots. But actually, they arent to be med for this. Theres a fundamental limit to the number of the people who can enter the Yin-Yang Lake every time it opens. It isnt even enough for their own use, let alone, outsiders like us." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Having read many books, he knew that many of such natural blessednds had a fundamental limit to them. If too many people were to cultivate on suchnds, it was very easy for the ce to dry up. As such, a limit was imposed in view of its long-term sustainability. "Forget it, you should bring your student along with you for now; Ill negotiate with themter. Well think of another solution if that fails!" Seeing the resolute attitude of the young man, Pavilion Master Kang rubbed his be and said. "Un, lets give it try first. Perhaps, we might really be able to get an additional slot!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. While walking there, Zhang Xuan had seen many different things. He had also realized many things that others deemed to be impossible. Even if the men of the Origin me cier ins were to be difficult, Zhang Xuan was confident that he could find a w in the other party and exploit that to resolve the situation. "Un!" Havinge to a decision, Zhang Xuan sent an apprentice to call Zhao Ya over. After which, the four of them got onto the back of a spirit beast and flew toward Myriad Kingdom City. Yesterday, when he returned to the residence, he had entrusted the Demon Cinque Beast with the responsibility of overlooking the safety of the others. Given its immense strength and Zhang Xuans identity as a 4-star master teacher, there shouldnt be anyone so blind as to harm his students. Not to mention, Zhao Feiwu, the princess of the alliance, was looking after them as well. Thus, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to worry for the safety of Zheng Yang and the others. As for the Soulrouse Grass, as it couldnt be ced in his storage ring, he didnt bring it along with him. Instead, he had Wang Ying and Sun Qiang take care of it. Given their meticulous personality, it should be in safe hands. This departure was, in truth, a secret of sorts. Even the other master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion didnt know about this. Otherwise, if news were to leak out and the other powers tried to hinder them, things might turn out to be disastrous. But of course, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had always fared badly in the tournament. The other powers probably had their hands busy with tripping over the potential top ten contenders instead. ... White clouds flitted past them as the spirit beast soared through the skies. The four of them were seated in the room on the back of the spirit beast. At this moment, Pavilion Master Kang was staring at Zhao Ya, and the perplexed expression on his face was gradually deepening. After a moment, Pavilion Master Kang couldnt help but exim, "Zhang shi, the physical constitution of your student... doesnt seem to be ordinary!" As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed outstanding eye of discernment. Even though Zhang Xuan had Zhao Ya conceal the true nature of her Pure Yin Body to avoid trouble, it still wasnt sufficient to escape from Pavilion Master Kangs sharp eyes. "Pavilion master sure has an incredible eye of discernment. Zhao Ya possesses the Pure Yin Body. Thats why I wish to bring her along so that she could cultivate at the Yin-Yang Lake," Zhang Xuan admitted. "Indeed..." Pavilion Master Kangs breathing hastened. As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he understood how fearsome such a unique constitution was. Cultivators possessing a Pure Yin Body became insanely strong once their unique constitution was unlocked, and from the looks of it, this youngdy seemed to have awakened a portion of it already. It was no wonder Zhang shi insisted on bringing thetter to the Yin-Yang Lake, even offering to give up this opportunity to her. For the future of such a talented student, the sacrifice was indeed worthy. "The Pure Yin Body is one of the rare Innate Unique Constitutions. Once it awakens entirely, ones body would bepletely wless. With such a constitution, ones rate of cultivation would reach an insane speed..." Pavilion Master Kang recited the unique properties of the Pure Yin Body, and the more he spoke, the brighter his eyes glowed. A momentter, he couldnt hold it back anymore. Turning around to look at Ruohuan gongzi, he said, "Alright, Ive decided. Ruohuan, you shall pass your slot on to her!" "Ah?" Ruohuan gongzis body swayed, and his eyes widened in shock. Talk all you want... but why did you have to involve me in this? It wasnt easy for me to get this slot; do you know how hard I worked? Upon hearing that I was going to the Yin-Yang Lake yesterday, I spent the entire day preparing everything I would need. And yet, due to him bringing along his student, youre going to deprive me of my slot? "Teacher..." Ruohuan gongzi immediately looked at his teacher with a panicked expression. "Say no more, this matter is decided. Dont worry, I will definitely make it up to you for this!" Pavilion Master Kang waved his hands to signify that this matter wasnt up for debate. Zhang shi was the Myriad Kingdom Alliances greatest hope in the Master Teacher Tournament so he had to raise his cultivation as fast as possible. Without sufficient strength, he would be at a disadvantage for many of the tests. On the other hand, his student possessed the Pure Yin Body, so the opportunity at Yin-Yang Lake was iparably important to her. After pondering over the matter, the only option was to abandon his own student. "..." Ruohuan gongzi burst into tears. Chapter 548: Origin Flame Glacier Plain Chapter 548: Origin me cier in Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ignoring the crying Ruohuan gongzi, Zhang Xuan asked, "Who are those Origin me cier in men you spoke of?" It wasnt that he was without sympathy but that he thought there was definitely a chance at turning the situation around here. Besides, even if they were to end up being stuck with only two slots, Zhang Xuan could simplypensate the other party by providing some pointers to his cultivation. In any case, Zhang Xuans guidance would definitely be much more effective than training in that Yin-Yang Lake. "Origin me cier in is the name of an extremely powerful influence. Just like the Apothecary Guild and cksmith Guild, they wield a sizeable number of spirit veins and blessednds. As such, even though I am the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, I dare not offend them easily. Thus, the most I could do was a propose a fair trade with them," Pavilion Master Kang exined. "Spirit veins and blessednds?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Just this in itself was sufficient to show that the power was anything but ordinary. After all, given the innumerable formidable powers in the world, how could they possibly allow a small fry hog onto such precious resources? "Indeed. Every branch of the Origin me cier in has a court chief, and I happen to be acquainted with the current generation of court chief. That was how I managed to obtain the two slots to undergo the trial... Honestly speaking, itll rely heavily on your abilities whether you can enter or notter on!" Pavilion Master Kang said. "Acquainted?" "Un, she was once injured, and I saved her!" Stroking his beard, Pavilion Master Kang said, "Do you remember the case study on the person who cultivated the Great Ancient Incursion Art, the one whose chest was wounded by searing sword qi?" "Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. When he first met Pavilion Master Kang, thetter had once posed a test to him. The test was based on a real-life case study of a severely-wounded cultivator attempting to achieve a breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal realm. That situation was extremelyplex, and given the difficulty in the level of treatment, it was natural that Pavilion Master Kang would win the other partys gratitude after the matter. After chatting a while longer, Zhang Xuan gained a deeper understanding of the Origin me cier in. This power controlled a significant portion of blessednds all over the world, and one thing that they didntck was resources. As such, wealth meant nothing much to them. Only a master teacher could possibly make them willingly fork out two slots. After chatting for a while longer, the group started on their cultivation. Due to ack of spirit stones, Zhang Xuan didnt focus on attempting breakthroughs in his cultivation. Instead, he spent his time reinforcing his cultivation and enhancing his maximum zhenqi capacity. After his cultivation reached Origin Energy realm advanced stage, his strength had increased tremendously once more. His strength of 200,000 ding had increased by twofold to 400,000 ding. A normal Origin Energy realm primary stage expert would only wield a might of 150,000 ding, intermediate stage 200,000 ding, advanced stage 250,000 ding, and pinnacle 300,000 ding. On the other hand, Yin-Yang realm was divided by a difference of 100,00 ding between each tier-primary stage 500,000 ding, intermediate stage 600,000 ding, advanced stage 700,000 ding, pinnacle 800,000 ding! Despite being only at Origin Energy realm advanced stage, Zhang Xuan already wielded power much greater than that of an Origin Energy realm pinnacle cultivator. If he were toplement it with his Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle soul cultivation, his total might would exceed 700,000 ding. With such strength, he would be able to stand toe-to-toe with even Yin-Yang realm advanced stage cultivators! But of course, this was all just theory. Strength wasnt the determining factor of ones fighting prowess. More important than that was ones battle instinct and abilities. If it was that easy to challenge those of higher cultivation realms, master teachers would truly be too overpowered. But even so, a Yin-Yang realm intermediate stage expert should still be a piece of cake. Along with Zhang Xuans rise in strength, his reaction speed and physical prowess had improved significantly. While the change wasnt as obvious as that when he first stepped into Transcendent Mortal realm, there was still a clear growth in his overall fighting prowess. "It just happens that I still have some time. I should study Heavens Path Sword Art, Heavens Path Spear Art, and Heavens Path Saber Art once more!" Reinforcing his cultivation had increased his zhenqi capacity significantly. Pleased with the results, Zhang Xuan decided to turn his attention to battle techniques instead. The current level of Heavens Path Sword Art and Heavens Path Movement Art was mainlypiled from the books in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even though he had augmented it several times with more books, the current Heavens Path Sword Art was already insufficient to meet his requirements. Thus, he had to reorganize everything andpile even stronger moves. Along his way here, Zhang Xuan had gathered quite a few battle techniques-not to mention, he even collected all of the battle technique books from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. As such, all he had to do was to reorganize the books forption. Thus, he first worked on Heavens Path Sword Art. Sword is the emperor of all weapons. There was nearly no cultivator who would be ignorant of swordsmanship. As such, there were innumerable secret manuals on swordsmanship, thus making it convenient to find them. Not too longter, Zhang Xuan managed to reorganize the entire set of Heavens Path Sword Art. Due to the narrow space on the back of the beast, Zhang Xuan was unable to execute it. Thus, he simply yed out the skill in his head. It didnt take him too long to master the technique. After that, he turned his attention to saber art, spear art, fist art, leg art, and movement art. With the enhanced Heavens Path battle techniques, Zhang Xuans fighting prowess rose tremendously. If Zhang Xuan could only match up to an Origin Energy realm pinnacle cultivator with just his zhenqi cultivation only previously, at this moment, he could easily match up to a Yin-Yang realm primary stage cultivator. Factoring in his soul cultivation as well, probably even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm advanced stage cultivator could be easily destroyed by him. But of course, his greatest trump card at the moment wasnt his battle techniques-it was the Eye of Insight and Impartation of Heavens Will. The former allowed him to see through ws whereas thetter allowed him to beguile the minds of others. With these two trump cards, he could beguile even Pavilion Master Kang easily. While Zhang Xuan was cultivating, Zhao Ya had been working hard too. After thest few days of hard work, she finally surpassed the bottleneck of Zhizun realm and advanced into the Half-Transcension realm. In just a short few months, shed advanced from a Fighter 1-dan to such a realm. This rate of progress was sufficient to leave innumerable people dumbfounded. Sometimeter, while Zhang Xuan was in the midst of cultivating, Pavilion Master Kang announced, "The Yin-Yang Lake is just right ahead!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan calmed his cultivation and stood up. Through the windows, he saw a towering mountain not too far away. Amidst the peak piled with a thickyer of white snow, a conspicuous dark-green court stood. "This is the cier in Court. The Yin-Yang Lake is inside the court!" Pavilion Master Kang pointed. Taking a closer look, one could see a que on the entrance of the court, and the three words cier in Court was exceptionally eye-catching. Silent but dignified. Standing by the window, Pavilion Master Kang stared at the snowing mountain peak not too far away as he said, "Just by looking at the thickyer of snow here, you probably cant imagine that this ce used to be a volcano before the cier in Court was built. Back then, the searing heat was so unbearable that even a Transcendent Mortal cultivator would suffer grievous burns if he attempted to cross the volcano." "Volcano?" Not only was Zhang Xuan stunned, even Ruohuan gongzi seemed to be bewildered by those words. This towering mountain waspletely cloaked in white snow. Just the sight was enough to leave one shuddering in coldness. How could such a ce have been a volcano before that? "Honestly speaking, when I first heard of this news, I shared your reactions as well!" Seeing through everyones bewilderment, Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. "This is strength of the Origin me cier in! Not only do they possess the strength to im blessednds, they are also capable of changing the geomancy of and to nurture the blessednd. Under their hands, many treacherous environments had turned into a spiritual energy haven that many looked forward to." Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "Could it be that... the men of Origin me cier in could be considered to be of a unique upation?" To be capable of turning the unusable into a treasure, converting a feared volcano into a snow mountain; unless it was a unique upation, Zhang Xuan found it hard to imagine that there was any power capable of such a formidable feat. "Your way of putting it cant be said to be wrong, but it isnt entirely correct either!" Seeing the confused looks on everyones faces, Pavilion Master Kang chuckled. "Whether a certain heritage is considered as a unique upation or not is decided by the Master Teacher Pavilion. One of the factors the Master Teacher Pavilion uses for making such decision is whether the heritage has aplete system of knowledge and a strict progressive ability ranking system. But there are simply some upations whose members are unable to be judged under a hierarchical structure, such as herbologists. "The capability of a herbologist depends heavily on their knowledge. Often, medicinal herbs required very specific knowledge to cultivate them, and it was possible for a highly skilled herbologist to be unable to cultivate a basic medicinal herb. Thus, a progressive ability ranking system couldnt really work in this case... "An upation without a strict progressive ranking system cannot be considered as a unique upation. While it is true that the men of Origin me cier in possess mysterious means to turn a volcano into a snow mountain, a marsh into a in, but... they had no true heritage or a specific way of doing so. Rather, their abilities seem to be more closely rted to their talent and ability! "Besides, there are very few members of the Origin me cier in alive in the world. Even in the area of jurisdiction of Myriad Kingdom Alliance or even the entire Huanyu Empire, there is only one of such branch... Given such, how could it possibly be proimed as an upation? But at the same time, they did indeed possess a unique ability, a characteristic that only upations have. Thus, even the Master Teacher Pavilion was a little troubled and was unable toe to a verdict over this matter." Zhang Xuan nodded his head. An upation must have a unique heritage that everyone could take on, and it must have a lot of branches across the world. But the Origin me cier in men were sorelycking in their number of members, and their heritage was slightly chaotic. Not to mention, their ability relied heavily on their innate talent as well. As such, they had yet to be proimed as an upation. "To turn a searing volcano into a frigid snow mountain, how did they do it?" Zhao Ya asked curiously. "Im not sure about the details, but it is certain that this ce was a volcano a thousand years ago. It was said that the men of Origin me cier in traveled here and reshaped this ce over the course of a century to turn it into its current state. On top of that, they even created the Yin-Yang Lake where the power of yin and yang amalgamate with one another, creating a paradoxicalbination of rity and turbidity. It is said that any cultivator that has yet to reach Transcendent Mortal 5-dan will benefit greatly from cultivating in it." Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. "However, the slots for the Yin-Yang Lake are very limited every year. It is insufficient for even their internal consumption, let alone, to offer it to outsiders. Throughout the years, there were many influential powers who approached them, only to leave in disappointment." The ability to reshape the environment was a secret of the Origin me cier in men. Even as a powerful 4-star master teacher, he had no ess to such secrets. "Perhaps, it might be a powerful formation created via the terrain such as the mountain pulse and such!" Ruohuan gongzi interjected. Onemon method used to change ones environment was via formations. Thus, Ruohuan gongzi immediately thought of the use of formation. "It isnt a formation. The mountain range extends for several hundred kilometers, how huge of a formation would be required to epass the area? Not to mention, the spiritual energy required to sustain its activation over so many years?" Pavilion Master Kang said. Even though formations had the power to alter an environment, its area of effect tended to be limited. While it was theoretically possible to create a formation that extended over several hundred kilometers and modify an entire mountain, it was nearlypletely unfeasible to implement it. Even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert would be unable to aplish such a task! Perhaps, only the legendary beings surpassing the 9-dans would be capable of doing so. "Indeed, its not a formation!" Zhang Xuan shook his head too. When Pavilion Master Kang raised the topic earlier, Zhang Xuan used the Eye of Insight to look into the matter as well. There wasnt the slightest trace of a formation across the entire mountain range, so that definitely wasnt the case. Otherwise, given his eye of discernment, it was impossible for him to see through something so basic. Chuckling, Pavilion Master Kang interjected the conversation and said, "Forget it, lets not bother about that anymore. Our motive here is to enter the Yin-Yang Lake, not to deduce its origin! "Later on, when were in, do not act on your own whim. Follow my lead. Ill try to vie for three slots, and even if that fails, we have to try to secure our two slots at the very least!" "Un!" Everyone nodded. "Good, lets descend then!" Hearing the voice, the aerial spirit beast pped its wings and began gliding toward the cier in Court. Chapter 549: Ill Give You One Chance Chapter 549: Ill Give You One Chance Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The group of four alighted from the aerial spirit beast as soon as itnded on the solid ground. Bits of snow were falling from the sky. It was cold, but given that even the weakest of them, Zhao Ya, was at the Half-Transcension realm, the frigid weather didnt affect them much. After tidying himself up, Zhang Xuan looked at the cier in Court before him. From a distance, he could already sense majesty and grandness from the court. But even so, the true extent of its scale didnt hit him until he was right before it. From the front, it extended for more than a thousand meters, and it was around fifty to sixty meters high. It seemed as though it was a residence made for giants. The entrance gate was nearly a dozen meter tall, and it looked extremely heavy. Walking up, Pavilion Master Kang took in a deep breath and announced, "Kang Gan of Myriad Kingdom City hase as per our agreement. I seek Court Chief Wus audience!" A momentter, jiyaaaa!, the huge gate opened, and several figures came out. They were alldies dressed in white robe. The one leading the group walked up and said, "Pavilion Master Kang, our court chief invites you in!" The white robe of thedies put against the snowingndscape created quite a beautiful yet deste sight. "Thank you!" Nodding his head, Pavilion Master Kang led the group in. Zhang Xuan observed the white-robed female disciples while walking into the court. They were young, probably only in their twenties, but their cultivation was astounding. They were all around Transcendent Mortal 3-dan at the minimum. They could be considered as geniuses to possess such cultivation levels at their age. Thedy who had weed Pavilion Master Kang in previously had even reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle. Walking into the cier in Court, the first thing Zhang Xuan noticed was that the spiritual energy in the air seemed to have gotten even more lively. It seemed as though it would dive through his pores at any moment, making it much easier to cultivate. "What lively spiritual energy!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though the concentration of spiritual energy was no different from how it was outside, the spiritual energy was exceptionally lively. Even if one didnt intentionally attempt to guide the spiritual energy into their body, it would still seep in on their own ord to temper ones body and nourish ones cultivation, thus enhancing ones rate of cultivation. It was just like a high-pressured hose against ake of stagnant water. It was clear which one would flow faster through a stream. The high cultivation of these youngdies proved testimony to that fact. This ce was definitely a blessednd for cultivating. The further they walked in, the greater the liveliness of spiritual energy. It created apelling urge that motivated one to sit down on the spot to cultivate. And this wasnt even the Yin-Yang Lake yet. It was no wonder why Pavilion Master Kang would go through so much effort to bring them here. It was indeed worth the effort. Other than white-robeddies, there were red-robeddies in the court as well. In contrast to the cold disposition of the former, thetter felt fiery as thoughpressed mes were threatening to burst out at any moment. Sensing Zhang Xuans doubts, Pavilion Master Kang said, "The cultivation technique of the cier in Court is the purest attribute cultivation technique, and they can be divided into yin and yang!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Actually, even without the others exnation, he could tell as much via the Eye of Insight. Harnessing the attribute of me, the yang cultivation technique granted a searing edge to the zhenqi of the red-robeddies, thus building a fiery disposition. On the other hand, the white-robeddies who guided them were austere, and it seemed as though they rejected all that tried to approach them. A difference in cultivation technique would also cause a difference in ones disposition. Pavilion Master Kang continued, "The Yin-Yang Lake is divided into the Yang Lake, Yin Lake, and the Amalgamation Lake. One would have to enter the segmentpatible with ones cultivation technique to benefit from the effects of Yin-Yang Lake." Zhang Xuan was surprised upon hearing those words. When he first heard of Yin-Yang Lake, he thought that it was just the name of a blessednd. But from the looks of it now, it wasnt as simple as he thought. After walking around for a bit longer, thedy guiding them around stopped. "The court chief is inside, please proceed in." Pavilion Master Kang and group walked in. It was an extremely vast hall. Unlike the extravagance that Zhang Xuan expected, the ornaments that filled the room were rtively simple. Ady was seated at the topmost center seat, and she was looking down at the group with an impassive expression. Zhang Xuan assessed thedy before him. She seemed to be in her thirties, but perhaps due to her beautiful features, time didnt seem to leave much of a mark on her face. Her ck hairplemented perfectly with her white clothes, and she looked as though she hade out from a painting. But of course, while she was pretty, she was still unable topare up to Zhao Ya. Thus, after taking a brief look, Zhang Xuan began assessing her cultivation. Her cultivation seemed to be deeply concealed, making it hard to detect. Even so, Zhang Xuan still felt danger from her. The other partys soul seemed to exert an immense pressure on his soul, as though the true nature of his soul would be easily seen through. Is this... Consonant Spirit realm? Zhang Xuan thought. Zhang Xuan felt even greater pressure from her than from Alliance Head Zhao, Xue Yiyao, and Pavilion Master Kang. Given that thetter three were all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts, most likely, this court chief had already surpassed that level. At Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm, ones soul would be significantly augmented, granting one greater control over the environment. Such an expert could wield immense might with the slightest of movements, and their fighting prowess was extraordinary. "Eye of Insight!" Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan took a look at the other party and frowned. In the midst of his observation, Pavilion Master Kang stepped forward and sped his fist. "Court Chief Wu, pleased to meet you once again!" Knowing that the other partys cultivation was above his, even Pavilion Master Kang, as a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, didnt dare to pull his weight. Thus, his attitude was extremely respectful. "Same here! Are these the ones taking on the Yin-Yang Lake trial?" Court Chief Wu asked as her gaze fell on the trio standing behind Pavilion Master Kang. Then, a frown appeared on her forehead, "Why are there three of them?" "Its like these, these three are the most outstanding youths of my generation. I truly find myself unable to choose among them, so I decided to bring them all along. I hope that court chief can make an exception and allow them all to challenge the trial for an opportunity to enter the Yin-Yang Lake," Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly exined. "Pavilion master, you should know the rules of our Yin-Yang Lake. Two slots means two slots, no exceptions can be made!" Court Chief Wu shook her hands grandly. She felt like a block of ice, as though nothing in the world could change her will. "This... Alright then!" Seeing the other partys determined expression, Pavilion Master Kang knew that it would be futile even if he were to push on. Thus, with a bitter smile, he shook his head and said, "May I know in what form the trial will be presented? I would like to allow my juniors to prepare themselves!" "The trial is simple, they just have to walk out from my Room of Fire and Ice!" Court Chief Wu said nonchntly. "Room of Fire and Ice?" Pavilion Master Kang frowned in confusion. "The Room of Fire and Ice is a tool our cier in Court uses to test ones capability. Simr to the Heart Inquisition Crystal, by dripping a drop of fresh blood on it, ones mind will be put under the agony of zing mes and frigid ice. If one can endure the torture and find the exit within two hours, one would be deemed to have passed the test! Otherwise, it would be deemed as a failure, and they will be unqualified to enter the Yin-Yang Lake," Court Chief Wu exined. Everyone nodded their head in understanding. In truth, they didnt expect for the trial to be a test on their mental fortitude. Such a test was more rted to ones will rather than ones cultivation. After exining, Court Chief Wu said, "You should hurry up and select the two who are taking the trial!" "Theres no need for that. Ruohuan, youll sit out of this one!" Pavilion Master Kang instructed. "Yes..." Ruohuan gongzis face couldnt be any more bitter. But even though he felt indignant, this was a decision made by his teacher. Thus, he could only nod his head in agreement. The fundamental principle of a master teacher was to respect ones teacher. Themands of a teacher mustnt be disobeyed. Just as he was depressed at having lost such a good opportunity, Zhang shis voice sounded, "Wait a moment!" After which, he lifted his head to look at thedy in the center and said, "Court Chief Wu, may I know under what conditions can the three of us take on the trial?" Hearing the interjection, Court Chief Wu frowned in displeasure, "Pavilion Master Kang, is this the junior that you brought here? How can a junior interrupt a conversation between seniors!" "Zhang shi..." Not expecting thetter to suddenly speak up, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly turned to thetter anxiously. Even though it was a pity that not everyone would gain the opportunity to take on the trial, it was better than nothing. If they were to enrage the other party, it was likely that the opportunity could be taken away from them. While Pavilion Master Kang held immense prestige in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there was only one cier in Court throughout the entire Huanyu Empire. Before the head of the only cier in Court, not to mention, a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan expert, his position had indeed be insignificant. Disregarding Pavilion Master Kangs anxious gaze, Zhang Xuan continued speaking nonchntly. "Age isnt what that determines ones position. Just because one is young, that doesnt mean he must be a junior. Simrly, an old person could have simply wasted his time away... How about this, Court Chief Wu, Ill grant you an opportunity... Ill provide you guidance personally in exchange of an additional slot for the trial. What do you think of it?" "What?" Pavilion Master Kang and Ruohuan gongzi staggered; they nearly spurted blood. It was clearly conveyed to them during the journey that they shouldnt utter anything unnecessary-Court Chief Wu wasnt an easy person to get along with... Cant you see that even the pavilion master himself is treading very carefully around the other party? To grant the other party an opportunity of your guidance... The heck! Lets put aside the fact that youve only just received your 4-star master teacher emblem, even Pavilion Master Kang, a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, is unqualified for such a matter! After all, the other party was a true-blue Transcendent Mortal 5-dan expert! Regardless of whether it was her knowledge or experience, she was far superior to the rest of them here. For a fellow like you who have just barely reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan to speak like that... Arent you afraid of being pummeled to death? "Guide me?" As expected, after hearing those words, Court Chief Wus eyebrows shot up and a powerful aura emanated from her, leaving all existences trembling before her presence, "You wish to guide me? And you call that giving me an opportunity?" Ignoring the other partys fiery aura, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Indeed. This opportunity will onlye once so I advise you to grasp it firmly!" Seeing how Zhang shi was getting more and more overboard, Ruohuan gongzis lips twitched. He hurriedly sent a telepathic message to Zhao Ya in hopes that she could stop her teacher. "Zhao Ya, you should mediate the situation..." He knew that Zhang shi valued this student of his a lot, and perhaps, her words might be effective against him. "Alright!" Nodding her head, Zhao Ya stepped forward, "Court Chief Wu, my teacher is right. This is a good opportunity that you shouldnt miss. Otherwise, youll surely regret for life!" "The heck..." Ruohuan gongzi nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Big sis, by mediation, I meant that you should stop your teacher... Why in the world are you persuading Court Chief Wu instead? Not to mention, to say that the other party would regret for life... Isnt your confidence in your teacher way off the charts?! For a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan master teacher to speak to a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan expert in such a manner, not to mention, thatpleteck of embarrassment when speaking those words... How in the world are you teacher and disciple be so confident? "You..." Court Chief Wu was also about to explode from hearing those words. "Pavilion Master Kang, take your people and leave. Our cier in Court doesnt wee such arrogant people! Chapter 550: Neither Male Nor Female Chapter 550: Neither Male Nor Female Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Court Chief Wu, Zhang shi isnt as reckless as you think he is..." Not expecting Zhang shi to drive the usuallyposed Court Chief Wu to the point that she was chasing them away, Pavilion Master Kangs lips twitched violently, and he was about to go insane. Only he himself knew how far he had worked for these two slots. Yet, this fellow actually offended the other party as soon as he arrived... Ignoring Pavilion Master Kangs exnation, Court Chief Wu bellowed loudly, "Send our guests off!" Hu! The few white-robeddies who had brought them in walked forward and with menacing gazes, they said, "This way please!" "Court Chief Wu..." Pavilion Master Kang was still trying to salvage the situation when Zhang Xuan interrupted him, "Alright, Pavilion Master Kang. Why should you waste your time with this fellow who god knows what her gender is? Lets just leave." Jiya! Ruohuan gongzis legs suddenly caved in, and he nearly copsed to the ground. Pavilion Master Kang also stood petrified on the spot. He had known this Court Chief Wu for many years. Beautiful and elegant, thetter could leave manydies embarrassed over their form... To actually say that god knows what her gender is to such a person... Even if the other party disagreed to giving them another slot, two was actually fine as well... And even if the other party chased them away, at the very least, they could still leave peacefully. Yet, Zhang shi just had to insult the other party. It would be a miracle if the other party didnt kill you on the spot... Pavilion Master Kang quickly drove his zhenqi and stepped in front of Zhang Xuan. If Court Chief Wu were to make a move, even if it meant that he would sustain grievous wounds, he would ensure that the others could leave safely. "What did you say?" Not beyond expectations, Court Chief Wus face turned livid as though steel, and rage seethed in her eyes. If looks could kill, Zhang Xuan would have been torn apart countless times. "Stop feigning ignorance, shouldnt you understand what I am saying the clearest? Do you really need me to point it out?" Even before this impending crisis, Zhang Xuan didnt panic at all. "If Im not mistaken, the hair on certain parts of your body grow at a very rapid pace!" Pu! Thatment dealt the final blow to Ruohuan gongzi. He nearly failed to catch his breath and died on the spot. The heck! Big brother, are you doing this intentionally? It was already shameless of you to scold the other party for being neither a man nor a woman. And now, you are even talking about the other partys hair... No matter how long the other partys hair is, it is hidden beneath her clothes. How the heck does that concern you? To speak such words in public, are you a hoodlum? Besides, even if her hair grows at a rapid pace... How in the world can you tell? What in the world are you using a master teachers discernment ability for... Pavilion Master Kang was currently undergoing the same shock as his student was going through. Thunder seemed to rumble ceaselessly in his head, and the zhenqi that he had just gathered nearly dissipated due to his shock. He was the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion, one of the most esteemed experts in the Myriad Kingdom City... Yet now, it seemed as though he had apanied this hoodlum here to provoke the head of the cier Field Court. Ah... his dignity and his honor... His face warped in conflict, and at this moment, even the thought of suicide shed across his mind. But regardless, he was the one who brought Zhang shi here. No matter how absurd the other partys behavior was, he was still a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion. He couldnt simply give up on the other party just like that. Gritting his teeth, Pavilion Master Kang was just preparing himself for the storm-like wrath of a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan expert when the raging Court Chief Wus face suddenly paled. "H-how did you know?" "Ah?" Pavilion Master Kangs zhenqi really dissipated this time, and his entire body ckened weakly. Zhang shi was actually spot on? He said that Court Chief Wu was neither male nor female, and that her hair was growing rapidly on certain ces... But not only did the other party didntsh out, she even admitted to it? Are my ears ying tricks on me or has Court Chief Wu gone mad? "Simple. Despite the overwhelming yin nature of your body, many of your acupoints are exuding yang energy. Your gestures are that of a demure maiden, but your words are full of might." As though knowing the other party would admit to it, there wasnt the slightest surprise in Zhang Xuans expression. "If Im not mistaken, you must be suffering from a conflict of yin and yang in your body, and you are unable to bnce the both of them! That is precisely the reason why you grew a moustache and beard, and your pores are getting thicker!" "This..." Court Chief Wus body jolted. The other partys words were spot-on! She was indeed suffering from a sh of yin and yang in her body. Over the past two years, shed even begun growing a beard! If not for her shaving it diligently every day to retain your honor, she would have long died from embarrassment from the mocking of others. She thought that as long as she mediated the yin and yang energy within her carefully, she would be able to solve the problem. But who couldve known that... as time passed, her condition only continued to worsen. In fact, her pores were even starting to be thicker. This matter involved adys pride. Embarrassed, she didnt dare to find anyone to take a look at it. Never in the world did she expect this fellow to see through her affliction in a single nce. How... in the world did he manage to see through it. "By hair growing rapidly on certain parts of the body... you mean the beard?" Seeing the trembling shocked Court Chief Wu, Pavilion Master Kang and Ruohuan gongzi widened their mouths in astonishment. At the same time, they wiped the sweat off their reddened faces. When they heard about hair growing in certain parts of the body, their minds immediately thought of indecent stuff. After all, how could they have possibly imagined that a female would grow a beard? "After being injured by searing sword qi, you thought that you are unable to bring out the fullest extent of the might of the Great Ancient Incursion Art. Thus, you decided to switch to a yin nature cultivation technique instead. In the end, you failed to control the energies in your body properly and ended up in such a state. Even though you are still able to suppress it with brute force at the moment, that will be unfeasible in the long run. Within three years, the situation will spiral beyond your control," Zhang Xuan said. If the other party didnt execute a battle technique, he would be unable to utilize the Library of Heavens Path and determine the exact specifics of the other partys condition. Even so, through the sharp discernment ability of the Eye of Insight, he was able to see that this Court Chief Wu shaved her beard on a daily basis. As such, he was able to deduce that the other party was suffering from a conflict of yin and yang. Factoring in the previous problem that Pavilion Master Kang spoke of, it wasnt too difficult for him to deduce the cause of the affliction. The Great Ancient Incursion Art centered around the concept of sharpness and burst power. It only allowed its user tounch three extremely powerful strikes before drying out. This was the reason why Zhang Xuan thought the patient was a male back then when he looked at the case study. Therefore, he was rather surprised upon hearing Pavilion Master Kang calling the patient a she then. Upon seeing Court Chief Wu at this moment, it wasnt too hard for him to tie things together. She must have switched from the Great Ancient Incursion Art to a yin attribute technique, thus resulting in a sh of energy that she was unable to mediate between. The best way to solve such a matter was to destroy ones foundation and start afresh... But as the strongest expert and the chief of the cier in Court, how could she bear to do so? Thus, she tried to suppress the energy in hopes that the problem would die down soon. However, as time passed, the situation only worsened, and she found herself slowly losing control. As for why Court Chief Wu, despite being a female, would choose to cultivate a yang attribute technique that was more suited for males, Zhang Xuan wasnt too sure either. However, he felt that it might be rted to the Yin-Yang Lake. After all, the red-robeddies that he had seen previously were all cultivating yang attribute cultivation techniques as well. After hearing those words, while Pavilion Master Kang and Ruohuan gongzi felt that it was a little far-fetched, Court Chief Wus face turned ghastly white. The other partys analysis was spot-on. Back then, even though she was treated by Pavilion Master Kang, there were some side effects to the treatment. For one, she found herself unable to fully unleash the might of the Great Ancient Incursion Art anymore. Thus, she changed to a yin nature cultivation technique instead in hopes of using it to achieve a breakthrough, as well as to neutralize the lingering searing sword qi in her body. And due to that, she improved swiftly. It didnt take her long to neutralize the sword qi and recover fully rom her wounds. But... that also left behind a trauma in her, thus resulting in the current situation. "May I know if there is any... treatment method for it?" Since the other party could see through it, perhaps he would be able to solve it. Thus, Court Chief Wu couldnt help but look at the other party expectantly. "Theres indeed some ways to treat your affliction. The most direct method is to dissipate your cultivation and start anew!" Zhang Xuan said. "Dissipate my cultivation... That wont work. My lifespan is already beyond a hundred now. If I were to dissipate my cultivation, Id surely die from old age instantly," Court Chief Wu hurriedly said. It was not that she had never thought of this method before. But given her current age, without her cultivation sustaining her bodily functions, she would immediately age swiftly and die in less than three days. What was the use of treating her affliction if she were to die because of it? If so, she might as well just persevere on with the current situation. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. The other partys words were indeed true. The extended lifespan of a Transcendent Mortal came from the augmentation of their cultivation. If their cultivation were to disappear, they would immediately revert back to ordinary lifespan of a human. "Is there any other solution?" Court Chief Wu asked. "That... How about this, you execute a punching routine for me so that I can analyze your condition... However, I cant guarantee you that Ill be able to find a solution." Zhang Xuan shook his hands. While he had a rough idea of what the other partys affliction was, without the Library of Heavens Path urately pointing out the specific causes resulting in the other partys current condition, he wasnt too sure how the problem could be treated. Naturally, he wouldnt be able to guarantee whether he could treat the other partys affliction either. After hesitating for a moment, Court Chief Wu nodded her head. "Alright. Regardless of whether Zhang shi is able to treat my affliction or not, I promise to grant you a third slot for the trial!" She was about to go insane being tortured by her current condition as she saw more and more characteristics of a male appearing on her every day. If the person before her could really treat her affliction, she would be willing to pay anything without hesitation, let alone, a single slot for the trial. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. In the end, the reason why he went through so much trouble was to obtain that additional slot. Since the other party had given him her word, naturally, he had to give his all in his treatment as well. "Just like that... he seeded?" It was just a moment ago that Court Chief Wu seemed as though she would tear all of them apart. Yet, at this very instant, not only did her rage fadepletely, she even promised to give them the slot. Pavilion Master Kang was dumbfounded. Wasnt he way too formidable! Even though he was seeing this for himself, he still found the situation hard to believe. On the other hand, Ruohuan gongzi was about to be driven insane from shock. All along, he felt that luck had been a huge factor in why he lost to the other party in the selection round. He thought that as long as he cultivated hard, it wouldnt be impossible for him to turn the situation around two monthster, thus reiming the title of the number one genius of Myriad Kingdom Alliance. It was only after this incident that he realized that... the other partys eye of discernment and meticulousness toward details werent things that he couldpete with! In fact... even his own teacher seemed to be unable to match up to Zhang shi! This fellow... Was he really a person who had just qualified as a 4-star master teacher? Unaware of the doubts in Ruohuan gongzis mind, Zhang Xuan turned to Court Chief Wu and waved his hands. "Lets begin then!" "Alright!" Nodding her head, Court Chief Wu whipped out her arm and executed a powerful punch. Zhang Xuans eyes were fixated on the other partys movements, but in truth, his consciousness was in the Library of Heavens Path. He was busy flipping through the book to look through the details of the other partys affliction. Hu! Soon, Court Chief Wu finished her disy and turned her gaze to Zhang Xuan. "Are there other ways... to treat my affliction?" As she spoke those words, her breathing couldnt help but hasten. If even the young man before her was unable to treat her affliction, she really couldnt imagine what kind of terrors awaited her in the future and how she could endure them. "This... Theres indeed a solution to your problem!" Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan looked at Court Chief Wu with a bizarre expression and asked, "What do you think of our Pavilion Master Kang?" "Ah?" Court Chief Wu was stunned. Chapter 551: Zhang Xuans Shady Dealing [2in1] Chapter 551: Zhang Xuans Shady Dealing [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I asked you for a solution to my problem, why are you suddenly asking me about Pavilion Master Kang? But even though Court Chief Wu was perplexed, knowing that this was probably rted to the treatment, she replied earnestly, "Ive known Pavilion Master Kang for many years, so I guess we can be considered to be familiar with one another." Standing by the side, Kang Gan was already bewildered. He had no idea what Zhang shi was thinking of. "Since the you are familiar with him, that should make things simple!" With a bright smile on his face, Zhang Xuan continued, "Our pavilion master is a righteous and honest person. On top of that, hes a master teacher, so he has a bright future ahead of him. More importantly... his looks are above average as well..." The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the more confused Court Chief Wu became. Bewildered, she asked, "Pavilion Master Kang is indeed a fine man. For the welfare of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he was willing to pay a heavy price just to obtain the slots to enter the Yin-Yang Lake for his juniors... Just that, what does this have to do with treating my conflict of yin and yang?" "This had everything to do with it!" Zhang Xuans eyes rotated between the two parties involved and said, "Why dont the both of you... get married?" Pu! Pavilion Master Kang choked on his own saliva and nearly fainted over. Ruohuan gongzi also widened his eyes in shock. Arent you trying to treat Court Chief Wu? Why does it seem like youre matchmaking instead? To dare to propose a matrimony between Pavilion Master Kang and Court Chief Wu... You sure are brave... "Marry?" Court Chief Wus body shook, and her vision went dark. She had only asked this fellow to treat her... how in the world did it turn into a talk about marriage instead? What the heck does the other party mean by trying to get me to marry Pavilion Master Kang? "Thats right. There is no problem with you cultivating a forceful yang cultivation technique. The main issue lies in you changing your cultivation technique halfway through, resulting in a collision between yin and yang. The best way topletely cure you of your affliction is to find a spouse whose cultivation is around your level and possesses outstanding control over zhenqi to mediate the yin and yang within your body!" Zhang Xuan continued, "As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, Pavilion Master Kang is just a step away from reaching Consonant Spirit realm. On top of that, he is a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and his knowledge and control over zhenqi is superior even whenpared to yours. Thus... he is the most ideal candidate in mind! If the two of you get together, in just three to six months, you will be able topletely neutralize the yin and yang energy in your body and make aplete recovery!" "This..." Court Chief Wu was stunned. She didnt expect for her situation to be able to be solved in such a manner. Ever since she started cultivating, she had been guarding her purity closely. She never tried to get close to any men, and she didnt allow any men to get close to her either. For her to marry someone so abruptly... Even if it was to treat her physical affliction, she still found it hard to ept. While she was still hesitating, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly said, "Are there no other solutions? This... wont work!" Even though he was still single... how could he ept marrying a bearded beauty? Just the thought of the other partys beard growing even more diligently than his made his goosebumps stand on ends. "Of course there are other solutions, but this is the simplest one!" Zhang Xuan said. "Lets use the other solutions then. As long as its within my means, Ill definitely give my all..." Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly said. However, before he could finish his words, a vicious re fell on him and a cold voice sounded. "Kang Gan, what do you mean? For you to turn down a marriage with me so hurriedly, are you hinting that I am unworthy of you?" Even if it was to treat her affliction, she didnt want to marry this old man either. But... even if the marriage didnt go through, she should be the one rejecting the other party! For this old man to quickly reject her as though he had stepped on something disgusting, what the heck did he mean by that? Am I that repulsive? In terms of cultivation, as a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, I am way superior to you. In terms of standing, as the only head of cier in Court throughout the entire Huanyu Empire, there are countless pavilion masters wanting to fawn over me. In terms of appearance, even though there are others that are more beautiful than me, I am at least a one in ten thousand beauty. Even though Im no longer in my youth, my beauty still lingers on... I havent even agreed to the marriage yet, what rights do you have to be rejecting me so anxiously? "Court Chief Wu, you must be jesting. How could I dare to harbor such thoughts? I just think that..." Not expecting the other party to fault him over this matter, Pavilion Master Kangs lips twitched, "... I am unworthy of you! I am the one who is unworthy of you!" "Its good that you have some self-awareness!" Hearing those words, Court Chief Wus expression finally softened. Turning to the young man before her once more, she said, "What other ways are there? As long as its within my means, Ill definitely give my all!" "..." Pavilion Master Kang was rendered speechless. Wasnt that exactly what I said? If not for you interrupting the conversation, we could have progressed much faster than that... "Theres another way to do so. Thats to find an expert with Pure Yin Body whose cultivation is on par with you. You can make use of her blood to neutralize the remaining yang energy within your body. You dont need too much of it, just one drop is sufficient," Zhang Xuan said. "Pure Yin Body?" Court Chief Wu smiled bitterly. Unique constitutions were like a grain of sand amidst a gigantic ocean. If it was that easy to possess a unique constitution, everyone would have been an expert by now. The reason why their Origin me cier in had been training their members in yang attribute and yin attribute cultivation techniques, even going to the extent of creating the Yin-Yang Lake, was just so to groom a cultivator with the Pure Yang Body or Pure Yin Body... But after so many years, there hadnt been a single sess yet. Besides, even if they were sessful, that person would surely have been taken away by the headquarters already. To find such a person to cure her affliction was nigh impossible. "This... Since it wont work, why dont... Pavilion Master Kang and I get married?" Court Chief Wu proposed hesitantly with an awfulplexion. Hearing the beardeddys intention to marry her, Pavilion Master Kang nearly fainted on the spot. He hurriedly shouted, "N-no need for that. Isnt there a person with Pure Yin Body here?" "There is?" Court Chief Wu was taken aback. "Where?" There might not even be the birth of a person with this unique constitution over the span of a millennia, so how could such an expert be found so easily? "Zhang shis student, Zhao Ya, is a person possessing the Pure Yin Body. On top of that, she has even awakened it by twenty percent already..." Afraid that the other party wouldy her thoughts on him, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly said, "You... possess the Pure Yin Body?" Narrowing her eyes, Court Chief Wu hurriedly assessed the girl before her. "Yes, she possesses the Pure Yin Body. Theres no mistake about it!" After saying so, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Since your student possesses the Pure Yin Body and a single droplet of her blood can solve the court chiefs affliction, why would you propose for the both of us to get married..." This Zhang shi was truly... Since the second method was that simple, why would he propose for the both of them to get married? "Zhao Ya is my student. I have the responsibility to protect her from any harm. Naturally, Ive no choice but to sacrifice you. Besides, Im doing you a huge favor by helping you find a wife. Tsk, for my goodwill to go unreciprocated..." Zhang Xuan replied. Pavilion Master Kang staggered. To protect your student, you actually decided to sacrifice me... And you still dare to say that you are doing me a favor... Goodwill your head! Why dont you try marrying a beardeddy yourself?! While the duo was arguing, Court Chief Wu was slowly walking to Zhao Ya with a body trembling in disbelief. "You... really possess the Pure Yin Body?" "Yes!" Zhao Yas eyebrows shot up. Driving the zhenqi in her body, the characteristics of her constitution immediately appeared. A surge of cold air blew into the hall, gushing toward the skies. As her cultivation reached Half-Transcension, the powers of her unique constitution were gradually drawn out. With her current strength, there was no one of equal cultivation realm as her that could defeat her, not even master teachers. Most probably, only a monster like Zhang Xuan could match her on equal grounds. "Indeed... She possesses the Pure Yin Body... Theres hope for our Origin me cier in..." Feeling the powerful aura exuded from Zhao Ya, Court Chief Wus eyes reddened. She rushed forward to grab Zhao Yas arm and asked, "Whats your name?" "Zhao Ya!" Seeing the normal Court Chief Wu suddenly behaving so frenziedly, Zhao Ya frowned and pushed her hand aside. "Zhao Ya xiaojie... do you want to go to the headquarters with me? As long as you agree to it, youll be granted the best cultivation resource immediately. Youll be able to awaken your Pure Yin Bodypletely in the shortest time possible, thus bing the strongest expert across the entire continent swiftly..." Court Chief Wu said in agitation. "Theres no need for it. I wish to follow behind my teacher," Zhao Ya replied nonchntly. It was due to Zhang shis guidance that she had been able toe so far. The other partys position in her heart was alreadyparable to that of her own father, and he was the person she respected the most in the world. It was impossible for her to leave him on her own ord. "Teacher? Who is your teacher?" Due to her agitation, Court Chief Wu was a little muddle-headed at the moment. "It is Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi!" Zhao Ya said proudly. "Zhang shi?" Only then did Court Chief Wu finallye to a realization. She hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Zhang shi, can you... lend your student to our Origin me cier in? We truly require a Pure Yin Body expert..." "Lend?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "My students are thinking humans. They can decide on their own. If they wish to follow you, Ill support them with all my heart. If they are unwilling to do so, no one will be able to force them into a decision!" Even though Zhang Xuans voice was calm, it carried immense confidence. As the owner of the Library of Heavens Path, he was destined to walk a path different from the others. Even though he might be weak at the moment, he had the confidence to grow stronger in the shortest time possible. As long as Zhao Ya was unwilling to ept the other partys request, Zhang Xuan would not allow anyone to force her into it. Hearing the other partys confident words, Court Chief Wu recovered from her agitation and hurriedly shook her head. "That... is not what I mean. Zhang shi, please dont misunderstand my intentions!" "Why dont you tell us what is going on?" Zhang Xuan asked. Through his eye of discernment, he could tell that Court Chief Wus agitation was for real. She didnt even react so intensely when she heard that there was a cure for her affliction. Most probably, there was something much deeper to the matter. On top of that, she even said something along the lines of there was hope for the Origin me cier in. "This... I apologize but it concerns the utmost secret of our Origin me cier Field, so Im unable to tell you anything further than this..." With a conflicted expression, Court Chief Wu hesitated for a moment before saying, "How about this, Ill consult with the headquarters about this matter while you enter the Yin-Yang Lake. Regardless of the reply of the headquarters, Ill give you an exnation for this matter." "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Every single upation had their secrets and privacy. It was normal for the other party to have some things she was unwilling to reveal. Changing the subject, Court Chief Wu asked, "Just to confirm, the three slots should refer to the three of you, right?" "Yes. Me, Ruohuan gongzi, and Zhao Ya." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Good. The Room of Ice and Fire is right ahead. Only after passing the trial can you enter the Yin-Yang Lake!" Court Chief Wu exined, "The reason why we have the trial is due to the bizarre nature of the Yin-Yang Lake. The amalgamation of yin and yang can create huge stress on ones body, putting them in immense pain. If one couldnt even endure the Room of Ice and Fire, one might end up being seared to ash by the flow of yang energy or frozen into an ice block by the flow of yin energy in the Yin-Yang Lake." "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded. He was wondering why they still had to undergo the trial despite everything that had happened. This seemed to be the true reason behind it all. It was just like how one had to be administered suspect penicillin before the real injection. Otherwise, one might die from the inability to adapt in the Yin-Yang Lake. As such, the trial was, in truth, a preventive measure to assess ones ability beforehand. Walking up to the entrance of the Room of Ice and Fire, Zhang Xuan assessed the interior of the room. It was somewhat simr to the House of Trust he had entered during the master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. "Who wants to give it a try first?" Court Chief Wu asked with a smile. "Me..." Hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi quickly rushed forward anxiously. After several rounds ofpeting with Zhang Xuan, he had finally understood a fact. If he were to allow thetter go first, putting aside how all of his glory would be stolen from him, he might even wreck the entire area... After all, his history with Elder Wu, Elder Yun, and Elder Bai spoke a lot... Regardless, one thing was for sure-Zhang Xuan shouldnt be allowed to go first. This was a safety precaution. Rather than dealing with the possible problems in his aftermath, he might as well be the first to clear the trial. At the very least, he could still retain a little bit of confidence. Seeing the other party volunteering so actively, Court Chief Wu nodded her head and instructed, "Drip of a droplet of blood on the crystal outside the door before entering!" "Yes!" Walking up to the crystal, Ruohuan gongzi bit his finger, dripped a drop of blood on it, before walking into the room. As soon as he walked in, rumbling sounds reminiscent of thunder began echoing ceaselessly. It was hard to imagine what kind of terrors were urring inside. Court Chief Wu seemed to have known this would happen, and she was standing quietly by the side with her hands behind her back. Jiya! After an unknown period of time, a charred figure walked out of the room. His hair was standing at ends, and ck smoke was rising from his body. Who else could this be other than Ruohuan gongzi? At the current moment, Jun Ruohuan bore no resemnce to the dashing gentleman he usually was. Instead, he seemed like a beggar who had just climbed out from a rubbish dump. With a bodypletely charred, he was in an extremely miserable state. "Even though his mental fortitude had been breached, given how he was able to clear the test within two hours, his foundations are still quite strong. Alright, you are qualified to enter the Yin-Yang Lake!" ncing at the bit of incense still burning outside the room, Court Chief Wu nodded her head. Even though Ruohuan gongzi had stayed inside for nearly two entire hours, he was still able to leave within the allotted time. On top of that, he still retained his consciousness. This showed that he possessed outstanding endurance and perseverance. With these, he was qualified to enter the Yin-Yang Lake. "Didnt Court Chief Wu say that the Room of Ice and Fire is a test of ones mental resilience? Why would..." Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "The Room of Ice and Fire is indeed a trial on ones mental resilience. However, if ones mental fortitude is breached, ones physical body will incur injuries as well. Even so, to be able to walk out under such conditions, that person must possess outstanding endurance." After exining, Court Chief Wu turned to look at Zhang Xuan. "Zhang shi, are you going in next, or is Zhao Ya going?" "Allow me!" Zhao Ya stepped forward. With the same procedures from before, Zhao Ya entered the room. However, in just an hourter, she was already done. Seeing this sight, Ruohuan gongzi fell into depression, and internally, he was shouting monster. One must know that Zhao Yas age and cultivation was way beneath his. Of course, this trial didnt mean that Zhao Yas capability was above that of Ruohuan gongzi. Rather, the Pure Yin Body granted Zhao Ya immunity to the cold and a form of defense against the heat... This trial might have been difficult for most cultivator, but for her, it wasnt anything much. As such, even though Zhao Yas condition was slightly unkempt when she walked out, she was in a much better state than Ruohuan gongzi. "Its my turn!" Since the other two had cleared, Zhang Xuan followed the same procedures as before and walked into the room. ... Seeing Zhang Xuan walk into the room, Ruohuan gongzi asked, "Teacher, how long do you think Zhang shi will take?" "Since you took around two hours and Zhao Ya around an hour, I think that Zhang shi... should be able to clear the challenge in less than fifteen minutes!" Pavilion Master Kang said. That fellow had created too many miracles. Since even his student was able to clear the trial in an hour, most probably, he wouldnt even take half of the time. "Fifteen minutes?" Ruohuan gongzi shook his head, "I think he would only take a maximum of five minutes!" Ruohuan gongzi had a very deep impression of thetters monstrous capability. Every time he thought it was impossible for the other party to seed, the other party would do so in a manner that exceeded their expectations. Taking this situation for example, in truth, he also shared his teachers thoughts that the other party would be able toplete the challenge within fifteen minutes. But... for some reason, his subconscious made him feel that the result would be even more frightening than his estimates. "Five minutes?" Hearing the conversation between the duo, Court Chief Wu shook her head. That was the Room of Ice and Fire, an extremely fearsome trial. Clearing it within five minutes? Surely you two must be dreaming! "Court Chief Wu, you simply dont understand how fearsome Zhang shi is... In truth, Im thinking that five minutes might be an underestimation..." Ruohuan gongzi exined. "Is he that incredible?" Hearing this talented master teacher dering the matter so confidently, Court Chief Wus opinion wavered. That Zhang shi did indeed see through a problem that escape Pavilion Master Kangs eyes, and honestly speaking, there was something bizarre about him. Perhaps, he really might be able to aplish the unthinkable. "Indeed. Lets wait and see then!" Ruohuan gongzi said so with a confidence even greater than that when he challenged the trial. "Five minutes have passed..." It didnt take long for five minutes to pass, but the room didnt seem to be opening any time soon. "Perhaps... ten minutes..." With an awkward expression, Ruohuan gongzi changed his words. But after ten minutes had passed, the room still remain sealed. "Could it be... fifteen minutes?" Having two of his guesses fail, Ruohuan gongzi uttered doubtfully. But... a pity it was, but after fifteen minutes had passed, not a figure emerged from the shut doors. Thirty minutes! Fifty minutes! Eighty minutes... ... Soon, two hours passed but the Room of Ice and Fire remained bizarrely quiet. "The time has ended but the other party isnt out yet... Seems like he failed to clear the trial!" Court Chief Wu shook her head inmentation. She thought that the young man would create a miracle just as the others had said. But from the situation, it seemed like they were overestimating him. Not only did thetter fail to create a miracle, he didnt even pass the trial. "He failed..." Ruohuan gongzi muttered with a face warped as though it was suffering from constipation. Every time he doubted that fellow, the other party would immediately make aeback and prove him wrong. This time, he announced his trust in the other partys ability to achieve an outstanding result... But in the end, he failed? Zhang shi, are you intentionally trying to oppose everything Ive said... Clutching his chest, Ruohuan gongzi felt a stifling sensation in his chest. Pavilion Master Kangs body also shuddered. He was on the verge of crying. Zhang shi had fared so well in the Master Teacher Hall, why would he suddenly fail here? What in the world... happened inside? ... Going back to two hours ago, when Zhang Xuan just entered the room... Beyond the room was a long passageway that seemingly stretched to the ends of the world. Hong long! As soon as the door closed, Zhang Xuan immediately felt stifling heat assaulting him from all directions. It was as if he had identally walked into an incinerator. Driving the Heavens Path zhenqi, he turned his gaze backward and frowned. The door which had just shut on its own ord actually disappeared from view, as though it had never existed from the start. "Do I have to walk through the entire passageway to leave?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Could this Room of Ice and Fire actually be a formidable formation? And the only way to leave it is to walk to the end of the passageway? Slightly doubtful, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward. Xiong xiong! But right after taking a few steps, the heat seemed to intensify. A sea of mes appeared in the surroundings, and there was no way to avoid it if Zhang Xuan wanted to proceed any further. "Forget it, I should continue heading forward!" Even after walking around the area, Zhang Xuan was still unable to find the exit. Thus, he decided to proceed forward. The Heavens Path zhenqi was extraordinarily powerful. Despite the searing heat scorching his skin, it was unable to hurt him at all. Just as Zhang Xuan was standing right before the mes, ready to step over it, his eyes suddenly blurred, and in an instant, it was as if he had stepped into a field of ice. Piercing chill prated his bones and spread across his body via his meridians, causing him to shudder involuntarily. He was on the verge of being reduced to an ice block. As a Transcendent Mortal expert, under normal circumstances, even if he were to sleep in an ice vault, as long as he had zhenqi to protect his body, he wouldnt feel cold in the least. But at the current moment, he was shivering involuntarily. This was an extremely eerie situation. Driving his zhenqi to ward off the cold, Zhang Xuan thought, Its no wonder Ruohuan gongzi was in such a terrible state when he exited. He probably suffered greatly under the torture of the alternating mes and ice... While Transcendent Mortal experts had the ability to ward off the effects of ones environment, but still... an abrupt steep change in temperature would still be hard to tolerate. It was just like how one could tolerate having ones hand being plunged into a bowl of cold water, but if one were to put ones hand in a bowl of warm water before that, the huge contrast in the temperature would be difficult to bear. Just as Zhang Xuan was able to proceed ahead, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. Fire and ice... No, it cant be a formation. Even a 4-star pinnacle formation is incapable of such might. Even a 4-star pinnacle formation would be incapable of the abrupt steep change in temperature that urred in this Room of Ice and Fire. But if that was the case, how in the world was this trial created? Besides, I didnt sense the movement in spiritual energy before entering. If theres a formation here, I would have surely sensed it... As a 4-star formation master, if there was a formation here, even though he hadnt tried using the Eye of Insight, he would have noticed it. Given the alternating fire and ice despite theck of formation... There must be something much deeper to the trial. At the very least, it wasnt as simple as simply walking through the corridor. Furthermore, Court Chief Wu had said previously that this was a test of ones mental fortitude, and that Ruohuan gongzis mental fortitude had been breached. This left him even more perplexed. "I should see whats going on... Eye of Insight!" With such doubts in mind, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight. Hu! A dazzling radiance glowed in the surroundings, and several lines of insight surfaced in his eyes. After taking a brief look, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Its indeed a test of ones mental fortitude... My soul and consciousness has been brought into an illusion!" Through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan finally made sense of the happenings. The fire and ice that appeared before him werent real; it was just an illusion. It was just like the crystals in the House of Trust-through ones blood, it created illusions that made one feel as though one was braving through and of mes and ice. Those who sumbed to it would be permanently trapped within it. No one could save them. The Eye of Insight had the ability to see through falsehood. Despite how realistic the illusion was, under Zhang Xuans sharp eyes, it still revealed its true nature. In truth, the exit from before was still at the same ce, and his physical body was standing motionlessly at the center of the room. The interchanging heat and chill that he was experiencing at the moment wouldnt hurt him at all. That was to say, the pain and torture he had just felt was an assault on his consciousness. "To possess such means without the use of a formation, the cier in Court is indeed impressive!" After taking another look, he confirmed that this wasnt a formation. But still, to be able to generate effects simr to a formation, the Room of Ice and Fire wasnt as simple as it looked. It was just like the traps from celestial designer that he had seen in the soul oracle tomb back then. There were some non-formation master upations that could create things that was in no way inferior to a formation. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to create their own heritage and pass it on for innumerable years without declining. "There must be something here that is affecting my consciousness, causing me to perceive the interchanging heat and chill!" Even though it wasnt a formation, a lifelike illusion of this level that made one unable to discern ones soul from ones body definitely had to be powered by some powerful artifact or unique energy. "ws!" After understanding the situation, Zhang Xuan brought his consciousness back into his physical body, and went around touching the wall and the ground in the Room of Ice and Fire. Not too longter, a book surfaced in his mind. "I see..." After reading through the content, Zhang Xuan smiled in understanding. "Origin me Ice in, a bizarre phenomenon created by the ovepping of an Origin Fire and an Ice in... Going by the directions, it should be somewhere here!" After measuring the room, Zhang Xuan walked to a certain location and tapped on several parts. Kacha! As the mechanical trap whirred into action, a huge hole appeared before Zhang Xuans view. It was like a pitch-ck abyss, and its depth was inestimable. "I should go down to take a look!" Facing this hole of unknown depth, others might be hesitant to proceed downward. However, possessing the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan had no such worries. Leaping downward into the abyss, Zhang Xuans body fell swiftly. After a moment of freefall, Zhang Xuan activated the Heaven Ascending Steps momentarily to slow his falling speed. Repeating the process several times, Zhang Xuan fell several thousand meters before stepping on solid ground once more. This underground cavern was extremely vast, and it was impossible to see its ends with just a single nce. A hugeke of a radius of two meters stood right before him. However, theke had an extremely bizarre appearance; half of it was flowing withva whereas the other half had ice floating on it. He thought that the liveliness of the spiritual energy was already amazing in the hall above, but here, under the effects of theke, the spiritual energy in the surrounding was several times that of the hall. Could this be the Yin-Yang Lake? Zhang Xuan thought. Chapter 552: Court Chief Wu Making a Move [2in1] Chapter 552: Court Chief Wu Making a Move [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It couldnt be that this was the Yin-Yang Lake, could it? If that wasnt the case, how could there be such a bizarre thing? But if that was the case... Why was it that small? With just a radius of two meters, it would already be extremely cramped for one to enter it. After all, cultivating wasnt bathing. There was no cultivator who would be willing to let their guards down before another at such proximity to cultivate. If the Yin-Yang Lake was only this big, there was no reason why the cier in Court would be so famous. Not to mention, it didnt match with how they had so many powerful disciples who were cultivating yin and yang cultivation techniques. "I should take a look to see whats happening first..." Walking forward, Zhang Xuan touched the surface of theke lightly. Hu! A book appeared in his mand. "Origin me cier in Seed Water. Created by members of Origin me icer in by fusing the Origin mes created by sealing the earth veins with unique material [cier in]. It is an extremely rare material. ws: 1, it requires specialists to sustain it or else itll be damaged very easily..." There were many things written in the book. Soon, Zhang Xuan finished reading through the book. "Turns out it isnt the Yin-Yang Lake... I thought that Id found it." Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. From the looks of it, the Yin-Yang Lake probably couldnt be found that easily. After all, it was the most important resource of the Frigid in Court so how could outsiders get ess to it so easily? Not to mention, this underground chamber wasnt guarded at all. Based on the description from the Library of Heavens Path, this [Origin me cier in Seed Water] was made by the members of the cier in Court fusing Origin me with Ice in. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that Ice in referred to and harnessing the power of ice. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed to be the name of a unique material, just like the Origin me. "Pavilion Master Kang said that thisnd used to be a volcano before it became and of ice... This should probably be the reason behind it." On the way here, Pavilion Master Kang had told them some details regarding the Origin me cier Field. This ce used to be a searing sea of mes, a ce uninhabitable even to the most resilient of weeds. The members of the cier in Court had changed the entirendscape into and of snow. And if Zhang Xuan wasnt mistaken, it was most probably the doing of this smallke. The smallke had sealed the heat energy in the earth vein through the Ice in, resulting in the inability for heat to disperse in the region. Given the height of the mountain, it was just a matter of time before snow filled its entire terrain. It was just like if someone were to seal the heat of the burningva through some means, as time passed, the temperature in the region would naturally fall. A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. Given how this item is capable of creating illusions, it must have a certain degree of effect on ones soul. What if... my soul were to enter theke? Even though this wasnt the Yin-Yang Lake, there was one thing he could confirm-thiske had an effect one a cultivators soul. Given the huge amount of energy harnessed within the pool... Was it possible for his soul to be tempered by the energy within? "Let me give it a try!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately got down to business. In any case, this was part of the trial, so he wasnt really causing any trouble anyway. Sitting down on the ground, Zhang Xuan immediately drew his soul out, and his soul headed for theke. Tzzzzz! As soon as he entered, the surge of cold and heat immediately assaulted him, making his soul feel as though it had been plunged into a pot of burning oil and a river of freezing water simultaneously, cing him under great agony. But at the same time, his soul became stronger and more tangible. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. The soul cultivation technique he was using was the Heavens Path Soul Art. This made his soul exceptionally resilient, fearing neither yin or yang, thus allowing him to devour such overwhelming power. If it was any other soul oracle, their soul would have already dissipated from the heat in the water. In fact... this didnt just apply to soul oracles. Even bodies of Consonant Spirit realm expert would easily crumble before this simultaneous assault of heat and chill. Unlike the body, the soul is intangible. It wouldnt expand or contract when in contact with heat or chill, which would make a material very fragile. As such, Zhang Xuan was the only one who could make use of this precious resource to train his soul. No one else in the world would be able to do the same. "Absorb..." Understanding this fact, Zhang Xuan chuckled as his soul swallowed both the yin and yang energy in the water. Driving the Heavens Path Soul Art to the maximum, Zhang Xuans cultivation soared furiously. Kacha! The sound of a wall breaking down sounded. In just a few breaths, Zhang Xuans soul cultivation had increased from Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage. But still, his cultivation showed no sign of stopping. On the contrary, he seemed to be absorbing the energy even faster. Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage! 3-dan intermediate stage! 3-dan advanced stage! ... Absorbing the yin and yang energy in theke, Zhang Xuans cultivation surged swiftly, a fold faster than the pace his zhenqi cultivation usually progressed. "Thiske is the amalgamation of yin and yang, the collision of heat and chill. This is sligned with the Heavens Path Soul Art, thus hastening the rate of my cultivation..." Zhang Xuan also understood the underlying principle behind this sight. The single origin conceives two, two conceives three, and three conceives all. The Heavens Path cultivation techniques were created by putting countless forms together, and it contained the utmost truth of the world. On the other hand, theke before him represented the amalgamation of yin and yang in the world... It was due to the two factors in harmony with one another that his cultivation speed had been boosted significantly. But in truth, this increase in rate of cultivation wasnt too useful to him. After all, the main problem he had at hand was theck of spirit stone. Even if he were to absorb spiritual energy from a spirit stone instead, he could easily achieve a breakthrough within two hours. Cutting it down by half into one hour didnt make much of a difference. So, it wasnt as effective as it sounded. But still, this was due to his cultivation technique being too overpowered. If anyone else could raise their rate of cultivation by twofold, they would probably be smiling in their sleep. Hong long! After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuans soul trembled before he stopped his cultivation. Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle... reached! In less than two hours, his soul cultivation had increased by Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. That was two whole realms! Upon making the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm, ones strength would raise from 800,000 ding to 1,000,000 ding. Every single tier would mean an increase of strength by 200,000 ding. In other words, having reached 4-dan pinnacle, the strength that Zhang Xuan could derive from his soul added up to more than 1,600,000 ding! Factoring the 400,000 ding from his zhenqi, that would mean Zhang Xuans strength was currently standing at 2,000,000 ding! Even Pavilion Master Kang wouldnt be a match for him! That was how powerful he was at the moment! Zhang Xuan never expected that his cultivation would increase by so much in less than two hours. But still, given that the soul oracles had already disappeared from the face of the world, it was best for Zhang Xuan to avoid using this power. Otherwise, all kinds of trouble might end uping his way. This could prove to be extremely troublesome. "Time to return!" Now that Zhang Xuans soul cultivation had reached its cap, he stopped his cultivation and his soul dived back into the body. Then, he stood up. Taking a look at theke before him, theke which showed a sight of the amalgamation of yin and yang before had disappeared altogether. At the current moment, it was no different from a normalke. The yin and yang energy it harnessed before had beenpletely sapped dry by him. Zhang Xuans soul was twofoldrger than that of an ordinary Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle soul oracle. As a soul, his height was more than a single zhang (3.33m) tall, and even two ordinary humans stacked together would be unable to match up to his size. "Two hours have already passed. I should leave the room now!" Making a rough calction, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. For the Room of Ice and Fire trial, Zhang Xuan had to leave the room within two hours to gain an opportunity to enter the Yin-Yang Lake. Given that the time had passed, it wasnt wrong to say that he had already failed the test. Pavilion Master Kang had worked so hard for him, going to the extent of even giving up on his student just so that he could get this opportunity... He wondered if the other party would faint in anger at his failure. "Forget it, Ill just deal with it when ites my way!" In any case, Zhang Xuan was content with his gains here. Executing the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan flew back to where he came from. Possessing a zhenqi cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan advanced stage now, Zhang Xuan could now sustain his flight for at least more than a dozen seconds. Covering a distance of several thousand meters in this time period wasnt too hard of a task for him. In just ten breaths, Zhang Xuan returned to the Room of Ice and Fire, and tapping on a few spots on the wall, the trapdoor closed. After ensuring that everything was in ce, Zhang Xuan tidied his clothes before walking out. The moment he walked out, he saw Court Chief Wu, Pavilion Master Kang, and Ruohuan gongzi standing anxiously in front of the door. From the looks of it, if he didnt appear soon, they would immediately barge into the room. "Zhang shi, are you okay?" Pavilion Master Kang asked worriedly. "Im fine!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Then you..." Ruohuan gongzi was perplexed. Since the other party was fine, why didnt hee out earlier? In the end, he exceeded the timing and lost the opportunity to enter the Yin-Yang Lake... Court Chief Wu was also bewildered by the situation before her. Even though Ruohuan gongzi and Zhao Ya had left the room within the allocated time, their states were rather unkempt when they walked out. On the other hand, not only was Zhang shipletely uninjured, his clothes were alsopletely intact as though they were new. He looked exactly the same as how he did when he first walked into the room... What was going on? This situation would normally only ur to geniuses who broke out of the illusion very quickly. Otherwise, under the effects of the illusion, one would suffer the assault of the power of yin and yang. Even if ones physical body was still fine, ones clothes would surely be tattered. "Oh... I felt that the yin and yang energy in the room wasnt too bad so I started cultivating. But due to my moment of excitement, I actually forgot about the time..." Zhang Xuan replied sheepishly. He couldnt reveal the matter about the soul oracle, so he replied with a half-truth instead. However, hearing those words, everyone staggered and nearly spurted blood. To cultivate... in a treacherous ce like the Room of Ice and Fire? Anyone else who entered the area would be thinking of how they could hold on, and yet, this fellow actually thought it was a good ce and lost track of the time while cultivating... Are you serious? Court Chief Wu frowned. "The Room of Ice and Fire has a special mechanism that plunged one into illusions as soon as they entered... How did you cultivate under such a situation?" "I just happened to do so by sheer luck..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Feeling that it might be dangerous for him to continue speaking of this matter, he changed the topic. "If thats the case, could I be considered to have passed the trial?" "The conditions for passing the trial states that one must pass the Room of Ice and Fire within two hours... Even though you missed the timing due to being immersed in your cultivation, rules are still rules. I cant make an exception and qualify you..." Court Chief Wu shook her head. Even though she would have loved to see the young man before her seed... the rules of the cier in Court were absolute. Regardless of the reason behind the young mans dy, he had failed the trial, and thus, he failed to earn the qualification to enter the Yin-Yang Lake. "Alright..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had already known this would be the result when he looked at the timing. In any case, he didnt bear much hope for the Yin-Yang Lake for the first ce. Besides, his soul cultivation had increased tremendously within thest two hours. Thus, he wasnt too disappointed. "Im willing to pass my slot on to my teacher..." Zhao Ya offered anxiously. "Theres no need for that!" Zhang Xuan was touched by Zhao Yas thoughtfulness, but he shook his hands. "The Yin-Yang Lake isnt of much use to me. Instead, you, as a cultivator possessing the Pure Yin Body, should make full use of this chance to cultivate properly and metamorphose." "But..." "Why? Are you disobeying my words now?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "No, just that..." "No just that! Follow Court Chief Wu to the Yin-Yang Lake and cultivate properly. Try to awaken your unique constitution further during this period of time!" Then, turning to Court Chief Wu, Zhang Xuan said, "Court chief, since Ive failed to earn the qualification to enter the Yin-Yang Lake, please bring Zhao Ya and Ruohuan gongzi over. Ill wait here with Pavilion Master Kang..." "Un!" Seeing that Zhang shi didnt insist on tagging along, Court Chief Wu heaved a sigh of relief. She beckoned to the duo and said, "The two of you, follow me." "Yes..." Seeing the displeasure on her teachers face, Zhao Ya didnt dare to say much. Thus, she followed Court Chief Wu to the Yin-Yang Lake. Ruohuan gongzi also followed closely behind. Before leaving, he turned around to look at Zhang shi with a look of awe. Despite losing such a precious opportunity, Zhang shi didnt cause a fuss or leverage on the other partys weakness for the other party to make an exception for him. As expected of the person whom even his teacher was impressed with. He was indeed a true master teacher. "Zhang shi, this opportunity is so hard toe by... Its truly a pity!" After the trio left, Pavilion Master Kang couldnt help butmented. The nature of the Yin-Yang Lake made it extremely beneficial to the cultivation or Origin Energy realm and Yin-Yang realm cultivators. Otherwise, Pavilion Master Kang wouldnt have paid such a heavy price to bring the master teachers who passed the selection over. He thought that given Zhang shis ability, thetter would surely be able to pass the trial easily. Who could have expected that... he would actually fail! If Zhang shi could have entered the Yin-Yang Lake, the chances of him getting into the top ten would be increased greatly. And now... With the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage cultivator, it would be nearly impossible for him to seed. Before leaving the Myriad Kingdom City, Zhang Xuan had already made a breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 2-dan advanced stage. However, this sudden leap in cultivation would raise doubts in the mind of others, Zhang Xuan chose to hide it. Thus, even Pavilion Master Kang was unaware that his cultivation had already increased by several tiers. "Actually, its nothing much..." Zhang Xuan shook his head, "The cier in Court has its own rules as well. A failure means a failure; theres nothing much I can do about it. Speaking of which, I require middle-tier spirit stones for my cultivation. If Pavilion Master Kang has any of them... I am willing to exchange them with something of equivalent value." What Yin-Yang Lake or blessednd... As the one who grasped the Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path Soul Art, nothing was more useful to him as middle-tier spirit stones. As long as he had sufficient spirit stones, achieving breakthroughs was a walk in the park. "Middle-tier spirit stones?" Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback by the request. "I do have a few of them. If you need them for your cultivation, I can give them to you straight..." As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had gathered quite a few middle-tier spirit stones over the years. However, as he required them for his own cultivation as well, he didnt have many of them left. Still... if Zhang shi could get a better cing in the Master Teacher Tournament, he would have no regrets even if he were to go bankrupt because of this. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion was where he had devoted his effort to. As the pavilion master, naturally, he wished the best for it as well. If Zhang shi could actually reach top ten, even if he were to die on the spot, he could at least face his predecessors proudly. "Give them to me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Knowing the other partys thoughts, he actually felt impressed by the other partys devotion. "Pavilion Master Kang, theres no need to stand on ceremonies. I wont take your spirit stones for free..." Even though the other party had his own motives as well, he was an upright person. Zhang Xuan wasnt willing to take the item from such a person without giving something equivalent in exchange. Just as Zhang Xuan was considering whether he should help thetter achieve a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm when they return back to Myriad Kingdom City, a savage aura suddenly burst in the air, gushing into the heavens. It seemed as though the rage of an incredible expert had erupted. Feeling the suddenly outburst of power, Pavilion Master Kang and Zhang Xuan narrowed their eyes simultaneously. "Its Court Chief Wu... Shit!" This aura couldnt be any more familiar to them-it belonged to Court Chief Wu. What did this fellow intend to do by releasing such a powerful aura all of the sudden? Could it be that... she means harm to Ruohuan gongzi and Zhao Ya? She was a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan expert! If she were to really harbor such thoughts, even if the two of them were to work together, they would still be unable to withstand a single blow from her! There was too huge of a difference between their cultivation! "Lets go over and take a look!" With a darkenedplexion, the duo rushed toward the ce where the aura was released from. Chapter 553: The Shy Zhang Xuan Chapter 553: The Shy Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Stepping against the ground, Pavilion Master Kang charged forward as though a leopard. He shook his arms, and zhenqi gushed frenziedly from his body, causing his speed to hasten once again. Spirit intermediate-tier battle technique--Proud Eagle Soaring the Skies! This was a movement technique, and even if it wasnt the strongest one in the Myriad Kingdom City, it wasnt too far off from that. Executing it, Pavilion Master Kangs speed surged. Even an expert of Alliance Head Zhaos caliber would find it hard to keep up. Worried over the safety of his student, he even went to the extent of executing his ultimate move. "Zhang shi, Ill be going on ahead to take a look... Hmm? Wheres he? The heck!" Continuing on forward, Pavilion Master Kang turned his head to speak to Zhang shi. However, halfway through his words, his body stiffened, and he nearly fell to the ground. There was no one behind him at all. Instead, there was a figure, who was now only the size of a ck dot, flitting swiftly in front of him, about to disappear at any moment. Who else could it be... other than Zhang shi? He had used his strongest technique to move as fast as possible, and they thought that it would be impossible for the Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage Zhang shi to catch up. Who couldve known that... before he could finish his words, the other party had already disappeared! The other partys speed was more than twofold faster than his! One had to know that he was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, and on top of that, he had executed his strongest movement technique... And yet, he still nearly failed to even catch the other partys silhouette. Even though he had seen the sight for himself, he couldnt help but think that maybe his eyes were ying tricks on him. Was that still a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan cultivator? Even a 5-dan wouldnt possess such speed... Wait a moment, he isnt 2-dan primary stage but... advanced stage? Pavilion Master Kang frowned. Rushing at full speed, Zhang shis true cultivation was fully revealed... That wasnt the level of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage but an... advanced stage. How was that possible? He had seen the other party making a breakthrough to Origin Energy realm right before him clearly-it couldnt possibly be faked... And yet, in just half a month, the other party actually advanced two small realms to reach 2-dan advanced stage? No matter what, that was Transcendent Mortal 2-dan... To progress from primary stage to advanced stage in such a short period of time, not to mention, his cultivation had been reinforced and he seemed to be on the verge of making a breakthrough at any time... How did he do it? Wasnt that way too formidable? Besides, even if the other party was at Origin Energy realm advanced stage, the other party was two huge cultivation realms weaker than a rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle expert like him. How could the other party be even faster than him given such? Not to mention, despite traveling at such speed, the other partys ability to make abrupt turns and leaps was absurd. At the very least, he knew that his Spirit intermediate-tier movement technique Proud Eagle Soaring the Skies was incapable of such a feat. Could it be that... he had cultivated a Spirit high-tier movement technique... or even a Spirit pinnacle battle technique? Pavilion Master Kang was shocked by his own thoughts. Only the more powerful empires had the qualification to ess such techniques. Even though he was the head of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, he was still unqualified to learn or even to ess them. Yet, Zhang shi, who hade from an Unranked Kingdom... actually had learned a battle technique of such level. His background must have been incredible... Su Fan and Ling Yuheng probably didnt tell me theplete truth... Zhang shis background isnt simple at all! Ill have to ask them about it when I return! Pavilion Master Kang thought. Strength wasnt something that came from nowhere. Given how formidable Zhang shi was, his teacher and background must be anything but ordinary! Given how Su shi and Ling shi vouched for him with all their might, they must know something about him. "Zhang shi... Wait for me!" Suppressing his shock, Pavilion Master Kang raised his gaze once more, only to see that Zhang shis figure had disappeared altogether. Thus, he quickly chased the other partys back. The cier in Court wasnt too big. The ce where the savage aura was released was only several hundred meters away from them. After making a few turns, Zhang Xuan arrived at a vast hall. Court Chief Wu, Ruohuan gongzi, Zhao Ya, as well as several red-robed and white-robed female disciples were present in the room. Every single one of them was shaking in fear before the immense might Court Chief Wu was releasing. Before the group was an immenseke of around twenty meters wide. Theke was divided into two portions. It seemed like innumerable spirit stones had been embedded to it, creating ake of pure spiritual energy. "Could this be the... Yin-Yang Lake?" Even though Zhang Xuan had heard of the name of Yin-Yang Lake, this was his first time seeing it. "Somethings wrong... Ive heard that the water of the Yin-Yang Lake is divided by their attribute; one end should be searing hot while the other end should be icy cold. Even though theke in front is filled with spiritual energy, it doesnt seem to carry such attributes..." Zhang Xuan frowned. The Yin-Yang Lake was famous across the world due to the yin and yang energy flowing within it. One end was bone-piercing cold while the other end was unendurable heat. The both of them met at the center, forming a mystical sight. Cultivating within theke, ones zhenqi would be tempered by the power of hot and cold, yin and yang, thus making ones zhenqi even more dense. This would increase the speed of ones cultivation as well. Even though theke before him was divided into two, all Zhang Xuan could sense from it was the flow of spiritual energy. There was no heat or coldness from it... Could this not be the Yin-Yang Lake?" During that period of time, Pavilion Master Kang also arrived on the scene. Upon seeing that his student wasnt injured, he turned to Court Chief Wu and asked with a doubtful expression, "Court Chief Wu, what happened?" What in the world could have happened to send Court Chief Wu, a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, into such rage? "Something has cropped up with the Yin-Yang Lake..." Court Chief Wu said. Then, turning to the female disciples by the side, she bellowed, "Repeat what you said just now!" "Yes!" A female disciple stepped forward and said with a trembling voice, "Just as always, we came over here to clear up the... seed water, but we realized that... the power of yin and yang within the seed water had disappearedpletely, just like... the Yin-Yang Lake..." "The seed water is buried deep within the ground, and the power of yin and yang within it originates from the earth vein and Ice in. How could it possibly disappear all of the sudden?" Court Chief Wu couldnt believe this matter. "Reporting to court chief... this is a sample that we brought up from below. Look..." The female disciple flicked her wrist and a pail appeared in her hands. It was a pail of clear water. Spiritual energy was dancing vigorously in it but... the water didnt carry the slightest chill or heat at all. "The yin and yang attribute has really disappeared from the seed water? Whats going on?" Court Chief Wus eyes reddened. The Yin-Yang Lake was the very basis of the cier in Court. If it was ruined, this branch would be as good as destroyed. While she wasshing out furiously, Zhang Xuans mouth was twitching vigorously. Initially, he wasnt too sure what the seed water the other party spoke of referred to, but after seeing the water in the pail the female disciple brought over, he immediately shuddered. Wasnt that what he absorbed just a moment ago? Could it be rted to the Yin-Yang Lake? "Court Chief Wu, can you tell me what the seed water is? If there is any trouble, you could tell me about it. Perhaps we might find a solution to the problem by discussing it..." Seeing the state of the court chief, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly got a bad premonition. "This concerns the deepest secret of the cier in Court, so I didnt want to reveal it to you. However, given the current situation, it seems like I cant hide it any longer!" Court Chief Wu hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. Even though the group before her were all outsiders, they were also master teachers. This was a huge crisis and she had no choice but to pin her hopes on them. "This is the Yin-Yang Lake!" Court Chief Wu gestured to the giantke before them. "Are you all curious why there is no collision between searing heat and frigid coldness in theke, as is said in the rumors?" Everyone nodded their heads. This was especially so for Pavilion Master Kang. He had noticed all of this as soon as he arrived, and this had left him perplexed. "The spiritual energy from the Yin-Yang Lake originates from spirit stones, I believe you all should be able to tell as much. However, the yin and yang energy within originates from the seed water! "The seed water is created by the cier in Court by fusing the searing heat of the earth vein and the frigid coldness of the Ice in through a unique method. It is usually buried deep in the mountain vein, and only when it is required will we take a pail of water from it and pour it in thiske..." Court Chief Wu exined. Even though it was just a brief introduction, it concerned the deepest secret and most fundamental secret behind the existence of the cier in Court. The supposed Yin-Yang Lake wasnt naturally-formed but man-made. Its very foundation was the seed water. Only by pouring a pail of seed water in the Yin-Yang Lake would yin and yang energy be granted to the water, turning it into a blessednd for cultivators. It was just like a bottle of syrup and the cordial made of it. The most important part of it wasnt the cordial but the bottle of syrup! And at this moment... the yin and yang attribute of the seed water... had actually disappeared altogether! Without the seed water, the Yin-Yang Lake would be reduced to nothing more than ake concentrated in spiritual energy. Even though it was still useful to ones cultivation, its effectiveness was significantly lower than before... "This..." Pavilion Master Kangs mouth twitched. He thought that it might be a simple problem, but from the looks of it, it was something way beyond his ability. The seed water was the most fundamental secret of the cier in Court. How could he possibly know how to fix something like that? Even Court Chief Wu, who had spent her entire life alongside it, was unable to solve it. What kind of solution could he possibly offer? Honestly speaking, he felt that his luck was truly bad. Hed gone through so much effort to get the slots in hope that the cultivation of their participants of the Master Teacher Tournament could increase significantly through this. Never in his dreams did he expect to stumble by such a problem... "Right, Zhang shi..." Shaking his head, Pavilion Master Kang was just about to tell the other party that he was helpless before this issue when he remembered the miracle-making Zhang Xuan. Thus, he turned his gaze to thetter, but the sight he saw made him frown. At this moment, Zhang shi had a bizarre look on his face. He looked as though he had done something wrong, and his face was red in guilt. "Zhang shi, whats wrong?" It was bizarre for the active Zhang Xuan to behave in such a manner instead of offering a solution. Court Chief Wu, also sensing that something was amiss, turned her gaze to thetter. Everyone else also followed suit, and soon, all eyes were gathered on him. "I..." Hearing the question, Zhang Xuans face reddened further. Scratching his head, he said, "That... Court Chief Wu, previously, at the Room of Ice and Fire, didnt I tell you that... I cultivated for a while?" Court Chief Wu and Pavilion Master Kang was surprised to hear Zhang Xuan raise up this issue all of the sudden, but they still nodded their heads. The other party did indeed say such words. It was due to this matter that he failed to pass the trial. Scratching his head in embarrassment, Zhang Xuan continued, "Cough cough... while I was cultivating, I identally exerted too much force and... sapped the yin and yang energy in your seed water dry..." Chapter 554: Compensation Chapter 554: Compensation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Ah?" "Exerted too much force?" Court Chief Wu, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others were stunned. Ruohuan gongzis mouth twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot. He had been wondering why Zhang shi would fail the trial despite the fact that even he could clear it. So, this was the main reason behind it... Thetter had already gone ahead and absorbed the seed water dry, rendering the Yin-Yang Lake obsolete... Under such circumstances, was there still a need for him to clear the trial? To think that he was even awed by the other partys openness in admitting his defeat... Looking at it now, the other party was truly shameless! What do we do now given that you have gone ahead to sap the seed water dry? Ruohuan gongzi truly felt like crying now. Ever since he met this fellow, regardless of what he did, be it the selection round or the current trial, there was nothing that went his way. He seemed to be either getting pped on the face or was on the way to be getting pped on the face. If not for his strong mental resilience, he would have long gone mad from this. "Y-you... actually sapped the power of yin and yang within the seed water dry?" Court Chief Wu finally recovered from her shock and stared at the young man before her with a frenzied look. "Un!" Zhang Xuan replied sheepishly. Even though he knew the name of that smallke below through the Library of Heavens Path, he had no idea that it would be so important to the Yin-Yang Lake... He had only wanted to temper his soul for a bit, he didnt think that something so important would turn out to be so fragile, breaking down when it had only boosted his soul cultivation from Transcendent Mortal 2-dan to 4-dan. But thinking deeper into it, that was to be expected. After all, the seed water was only responsible for the production of yin and yang energy. The spiritual energy contained within it for Zhang Xuans cultivation wascking. The bulk of the spiritual energy for the Yin-Yang Lake mainly came from the innumerable spirit stones embedded in the surroundings. As such, the yin and yang energy within the seed water was quickly sapped dry by him. Upon understanding all of this, Zhang Xuan felt extremely stifled. If only hed known how easily that thing broke down, as well as its importance, he would have never touched it! Just like his zhenqi cultivation, his soul cultivation could be raised as long as he had sufficient middle-tier spirit stones. He had no way topensating for the seed water and Yin-Yang Lake! But still... the seed water wasntpletely useless. After all, its effects were different from that of the spirit stones. A soul that had absorbed the yin and yang energy would be simr to have undergone a lightning tribtion, making it even more tangible and purer. This was something that a spirit stone could never hope to achieve. "The seed water is hidden deep underground, and the Room of Ice and Fire is only connected to it so that one would be exposed to the power of yin and yang... Theres a distance of several thousand meters between both ends. Even at such a distance, you were still able to absorb it?" Court Chief Wu found the matter too difficult to believe. Given the distance between the Room of Ice and Fire and the seed water, how did he manage to sap everything dry? "Cough cough... When I entered the Room of Ice and Fire, I found a mechanism that exposed a trapdoor..." Zhang Xuan said. Court Chief Wu trembled. That was a mechanism designed by a 5-star celestial designer! Even she could only open it with the token given to her as the court chief. Yet, this fellow was actually able to activate it... How in the world did he do it? More importantly... that was only a small venttion pipe. It only had two purposes-the Room of Ice and Fire trial, and to connect the seed water to the environment so as to nourish it. As such, the venttion pipe was just a straight vertical opening with a height of several thousand meters... There was nothing there to break ones fall... Jumping down just like that would surely result in death! Besides, if he had really gone down, how in the world did he get back up? "Its my fault for absorbing the yin and yang energy of your seed water dry. How about this... I wont take advantage of you. Ive taken a good look at your battle technique just now, and the cier in Courts Yin Form and Yang Form possess a fatal w. If Im not mistaken, all who cultivate those two forme will die early!" Zhang Xuan felt guilty at destroying the centerpiece of the other partys court. It just so happened that he had taken a good look at the yin and yang attribute disciple just now, and he realized that there were some problems with their cultivation techniques. He hoped to make it up to the other party through this way. "You..." Court Chief Wu was stunned. The yin and yang form disciples were usually groomed to take care of the seed water. As such, facing frequent immense pressure from the earth vein and the Ice in, their lifespans were severely limited. Even if they managed to make the breakthrough into Transcendent Mortal realm, sixty was still a huge hurdle for them. However, this was a secret of their cier in Court... This Zhang shi actually managed to see through this as well? "I can modify your cultivation technique so as to get rid of this trauma inpensation for your loss!" Zhang Xuan said. "Modify... the cultivation technique?" Court Chief Wu shuddered. This w had been existent in the heritage for the cier in Court for innumerable years. If it could really be resolved, that person would really be a benefactor to all of the members of the Origin me cier in. Putting aside destroying a branch, even if he were to destroy ten of them, the headquarters wouldnt even frown in the least. However... even if it could be modified, it was hard to believe that it coulde from the hands of a young man who wasnt even twenty yet. "The greatest w with those two cultivation techniques is that yang and yin energy will umte, causing ones meridians to be blocked. Even though yang and yin energy are the most original energy of the world, very few cultivators have a constitutionpatible with it. If it were to umte for an extended period of time, it was very easy for ones foundation to be destroyed. This is simr to ginseng; even though it brings many benefits to the human body, there are still some who are ipatible with it. As long as ones constitution is in conflict with it, even the best tonic could turn into lethal poison..." Knowing the other partys concerns, Zhang Xuan continued, "If it can be solved at its very root, thepatibility between ones constitution and the yin and yang energy will increase. It wont be difficult for them to regain their lost lifespan!" Court Chief Wu didnt cultivate the Yin Form or Yang Form, but the other disciples did. Furthermore, due to their lower cultivation, Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight was able to work perfectly on them. Through his observations, he realized that most of them were suffering from the same trauma, and if they werent treated soon, their lifespan could be severely limited. A Transcendent Mortal realm cultivators lifespan can usually reach two hundred to three hundred years. To live until only sixty was truly tragic inparison. Court Chief Wu was hesitant, but soon, gritting her teeth; she took out two manuals and passed them over. "Zhang shi, Ill be troubling you for the cultivation techniques..." Initially, she was still harboring some doubts, thinking that the other party was trying to make use of this opportunity to peek into their cultivation technique. Only after hearing the exnation did she realize that she was wrongly doubting the other party. The other party was even able to see through the essence and main ws of their cultivation technique-this meant that the Yin Form and Yang Form probably didnt mean much to the other party at all. So how could he possibly resort to such underhanded tricks to attain their cultivation technique? "Un!" Taking the cultivation technique manual, a corresponding book immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Lowering his head to browse through the manual, it was exactly as what he perceived using his Eye of Insight previously-those who cultivated these two manuals would suffer a serious trauma that would shorten their lifespans. But fortunately, the ws of the cultivation techniques were clearly shown through the Library of Heavens Path. Thus, modifying the cultivation technique wasnt too difficult. Soon, Zhang Xuan picked up his brush and started changing the incorrect portions of the cultivation techniques that resulted in the shortening of lifespan before passing it back. "This..." Grabbing hold of the cultivation technique, Court Chief Wu took a look and started trembling. As a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan expert who had governed over the cier in Court for many years, she could easily tell whether the modifications were effective or not. And based on her evaluation, she could foresee everyone in the cier in Court recovering from their trauma if they were to cultivate by this modified manual. To change a cultivation technique right after taking a look... How formidable was this young man? Even Pavilion Master Kang was ipatible of such a feat! "Thank you Zhang shi for saving countless members of our cier in Court!" She knew that this cultivation technique would surely cause a huge uproar if she were to report it back the headquarters. Who knows how many current and future members would be saved by cultivating this modified technique? Unable to hold back her agitation any longer, Court Chief Wu kneeled to the floor and kowtowed. "Ah... Court Chief Wu, what are you doing..." Not expecting the other party to kowtow to him, Zhang Xuan was rmed. He hurried forward to pull the other party up. Court Chief Wu shook her hands and replied gravely, "I am thanking you in the stead of our entire cier in Court. Please dont turn down our gratitude!" Due to the limitations of their cultivation technique, there were more than a hundred thousand disciples who were unable to live past sixty. Once this cultivation technique got out, they would be saved from the tragic fate of an early death... In other words, Zhang shi, with this action, had saved the lives of more than several hundred thousand people. Her bow represented the gratitude of all of these people. "Alright then..." Since the other party was adamant, Zhang Xuan could only concede. On the other hand, Pavilion Master Kang and Ruohuan gongzis vision turned dark, and they nearly spurted blood. When they learned that Zhang shi had devoured the yin and yang energy in the seed water clean, they thought that Court Chief Wu would surely kill him. Who knew that in a blink of an eye, thetter would actually be kneeling to him... Zhang shi, what other incredible feats are you capable of? To modify a cultivation technique and solve a problem that had gued the members of the Origin me cier ins for so long... That was no longer a feat that a master teacher was capable of. In fact, Pavilion Master Kang even thought that a 5-star master teacher couldnt possibly fare any better than him. After kowtowing grandly three times, Court Leader Wu finally stood up. Even though the other party had ruined the seed water, in exchange, he had saved countless lives of the Origin me cier in. His contributions had far exceeded his misdoings. "The reason why we traveled here is to cultivate at the Yin-Yang Lake in preparation of the Master Teacher Tournament. Since I inadvertently ruined the Yin-Yang Lake, resulting in you being unable to advance your cultivation... How about this, Ill offer you some pointer so that you can reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle within a month aspensation!" After dealing with Court Chief Wus matter, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Ruohuan gongzi. Initially, this fellow came excitedly in hopes of using the Yin-Yang Lake to boost his cultivation. Who could have known that the yin and yang energy contained within theke would be sapped dry by him, resulting in his ns being messed up. Naturally, Zhang Xuan should alsopensate him as well. "Reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle within a month?" Ruohuan gongzi was taken aback. He was a master teacher himself, and his teacher was even the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Throughout his life, he hade into contact with all kinds of ingenious solutions to boost ones rate of cultivation. But even so, he knew that it was impossible for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle without at least a decade of hard work. To do so in a month... You must be dreaming! "When you cultivate, do you feel your spirit sea is being blocked, as though you are trying to force through a narrow tunnel?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Ah... Yes!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded his head. The main reason why the progress in his cultivation had been slow wasnt due to theck of resources or hisck of knowledge on how to progress further. Rather, the zhenqi in his body seemed to have met with some kind of impetus, making it difficult for him to drive it around his body. "The solution is simple. Eat this pill, I guarantee you that you will be able to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle within a month!" Zhang Xuan nonchntly took out a fist-sized red pill. Ruohuan gongzis body swayed and his face distorted. "This is... the grade-2 Libido Pill that is fed to savage beasts?" Chapter 555: The Glacier Plain Chapter 555: The cier in Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 4-star master teacher, Ruohuan gongzi possessed outstanding eye of discernment. The pill in the other partys hand looked upright, but in truth, it was the Libido Pill that was fed to savage beasts. The more formidable a savage beast was, the lower the probability of survival of its offspring. Thus, in order to encourage reproduction, beast tamers would feed this pill to the other party. After consuming it, the savage beast would immediately be lively. It would go without rest for several days and nights, thus guaranteeing an offspring. This pill which was evenrger than a fist should have been meant for just savage beasts. Yet, the other party was asking him to consume it? Ruohuan gongzi swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and at this moment, he even felt like dying. "Thats right. This is indeed a medicine for the consumption of savage beasts. However, it happens to be effective for your condition, so hurry up and consume it... Oh, you have to swallow it whole. You mustnt chew it..." Zhang Xuan instructed. "Swallow it whole?" Ruohuan gongzi staggered. How in the world am I supposed to swallow a fist-sized pill whole? Even if I can stuff it into my mouth, it surely wont go down my throat! Big brother, what kind of grudge do I have with you? You arent trying to raise my cultivation but kill me, right? "You have to swallow it whole. Otherwise, its effects will be reduced!" Throwing the pill to Pavilion Master Kang, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Since you are his teacher, you should help him swallow it whole!" "Me?" Seeing the Libido Pill meant for savage beasts in his hand, Pavilion Master Kangs mouth twitched. Raising his head, he asked, Can this... really help Ruohuans cultivation?" "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright then..." Gritting his teeth, Pavilion Master Kang walked up to Ruohuan gongzi. "Ruohuan,e here and eat your medicine. Ah, dont run..." He rushed forward to grab Jun Ruohuan and pushed him down to the floor. Then, he forced this giant pill into the other partys mouth before using his zhenqi to force it down the other partys throat. "Cough cough..." Ruohuan gongzi kept coughing non-stop, and his saliva flew around the ce. At this moment, he no longer bore the slightest resemnce to a gentleman. A beggar would be a more apt description for him. What dashing and refined disposition? It had all disappeared along with the wind at this current moment. Seeing that thetter still had the effort to allow his snot to run, Zhang Xuan bellowed, "Dont get distracted! Guard your vitals and drive your cultivation technique!" "Yes!" Even though he was dismayed, he knew that if he didnt follow the other partys instructions, chances were that he might be forced to swallow yet another one. If he had to undergo that experience once more, he might really die. Thus, he hurriedly sat cross-legged and started cultivating. As soon as he sat down properly, he immediately felt an indescribable heat burning his body, causing his pores to widen. Hong long! Under the stimtion of medicine, his narrow meridians which had impeded his flow of zhenqi widened, and in an instant, his turbid zhenqi seemed have turned clear, allowing it to smoothly circte around his body. Kacha! Kacha! With a crisp sound, he broke through his Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage bottleneck and advanced to intermediate stage. "He... really seeded?" Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback. Even Court Chief Wu widened her eyes in shock. They thought that Zhang Xuans method was inconceivable and ridiculous. Thus, they were shocked to see that Ruohuan gongzi actually made a breakthrough. Only then did they understand that the other party possessed true capability and saw through the root of the problem... "There are two ways to solve the slow flow of zhenqi in his body. Firstly, expand his meridians, and secondly, purify his zhenqi..." Seeing the shocked gazes of the duo, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "The Libido Pill has the effect of boosting a savage beasts blood cirction and widening their meridians. Naturally, its useful for humans as well!" When he waspeting with Ruohuan gongzi in the selection rounds, thetter had once used the ability of a master teacher, and thus, he had the ws of thetter recorded in the Library of Heavens Path. Even though it had been half a month since then, the other partys cultivation hadnt undergone much change, and thus, the w still remained the same. That was why Zhang Xuan was able to easily find a solution to the other partys problem. Other than that, more importantly... Zhang Xuan had secretly infused a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into the pill. After the other party consumed it, not only did his meridians expand, his zhenqi also became purer. As such, it was much easier for him to achieve a breakthrough. Just that, the Heavens Path zhenqi was too important to allow others to learn of it. If Ruohuan gongzi were to chew on the pill slowly, there was a possibility that he might realize that something was amiss. That was why he had Pavilion Master Kang force it into the other partys mouth. This way, the medicine could dissolve in his stomach, and the Heavens Path zhenqi would immediately fuse with the other partys own zhenqi, making it undetectable and untraceable. "This..." Pavilion Master Kang was stunned. He could sense that there was something deeper to it, but... other than the exnation Zhang Xuan offered, there didnt seem to be any other usible reason to it. "Then... what about after this? Will he be afflicted by libido due to the pill?" Pavilion Master Kang asked. This method did allow his student to achieve a breakthrough, but what about after this? Given the size of the pill, the medicinal property must be exceptionally strong. How were they supposed to deal with it? "Oh, this... I didnt think that far!" Zhang Xuan shook his head nonchntly. "You didnt think that far?" Pavilion Master Kang staggered. On the other hand, Ruohuan gongzi felt a stifling sensation at his chest, and his cultivation nearly went berserk. What do you mean by you never thought about it? You made me consume such a huge Libido Pill, then... you want me to deal with it myself? "Dont worry, this is a Libido Pill aimed at savage beast. Given the inferior intelligence of savage beasts, it is natural for them to cave in to them. Surely Ruohuan gongzi isnt worse than a beast, right?" Zhang Xuan continued, "In fact, this is a precious opportunity to assess his self-control... If a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert cant even do that much, he would truly be too weak-minded!" "Un!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head in agreement. Transcendent Mortals have an extremely powerful control over their own body, and they could already control their own lust. Compared to achieving a breakthrough, this little bit of libido was indeed insignificant in contrast. "..." Tears streamed down Ruohuan gongzis eyes. He thought that there was a solution to ease his urge, but it turned out that... he indeed had to cope with it himself... For a moment he felt iparably depressed. It was hard to tell whether it was due to the stifled sensation in his heart or his bodys reaction. A momentter, after reinforcing his cultivation and suppressing the urge, Ruohuan gongzi walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" Even though the process was lengthy and cruel, he was still awed by the other partys capability. His resentment toward the other party for devouring the yin and yang energy of the seed water dry had also vanishedpletely. Honestly speaking, even if the Yin-Yang Lake was perfectly fine, in a months time, he could only progress from rifying Turbidity realm primary stage to intermediate stage. But now, in the blink of an eye, he had already made the breakthrough. This was already much better than his estimates. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Given your swift zhenqi flow, as long as you have sufficient middle-tier spirit stones, reaching Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle within a month shouldnt be a problem at all. Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. The Heavens Path zhenqi had been infused into the other partys body, turning the originally viscous zhenqi thinner. This should boost the other partys future speed of cultivation significantly. In a sense, it wasnt wrong to say that it was a blessing in disguise for the other party. "Zhang shi, I am grateful for you for helping my student. Please ept these five middle-tier spirit stones aspensation..." Checking his students physical condition, Pavilion Master Kang noticed the immense change in the other party. He knew that there was probably more than the Libido Pill, and grateful to Zhang Xuan, he took out a jade box and passed it over to Zhang Xuan respectfully. Conventions dictated that guidance from a master teacher warranted payment. The other partys means were profound even in his standards. In his view, it was alreadyparable to the ability of a 5-star master teacher. Five middle-tier spirit stones werent cheap, but it was probably insufficient to fully repay the Zhang shi for his help. But this was already the full extent of his wealth. He couldnt take out any more money than that even if he wanted to. "Pavilion Master Kang, youre being too courteous. Being unable to use the Yin-Yang Lake is a huge mistake on my part..." After trading some pleasantries, Zhang Xuan took the jade box, took out a middle-tier spirit stone, and passed it to Jun Ruohuan. "Cultivate diligently during this period of time with this middle-tier spirit stone. It should be sufficient for you to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle!" After which, he passed one to Zhao Ya, and turning to Court Chief Wu, he asked, "Court chief, since the seed water is already ruined, may I borrow the cier in of the cier in Court to use?" Even though Zhang Xuan had absorbed the yin and yang energy from it dry, the earth vein and cier in were still intact. "What do you intend to do?" Court Chief Wu was rmed. The cier in was one of the most important asset of their Origin me cier in. Outsiders were strictly forbidden froming into contact with it. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Given Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body, if she were to absorb the cier in, her cultivation should improve swiftly. Most likely, she should gain sufficient strength to solve your affliction within half a month. Otherwise, if she were to cultivate as per normal, it would be hard to reach the same level without half a year of effort." Initially, he intended to make use of the Yin-Yang Lake to boost Zhao Yas cultivation. Since the n was out of question now, he could only think of an alternative. It was fortunate that the cier in was still intact. If they were to make use of this, the effects should be much greater than the supposed Yin-Yang Lake. "This..." Court Chief Wu was stunned. She didnt expect the other party to still be thinking of her affliction. Suppressing her hastened breathing, Court Chief Wu replied, "Given that she possesses the Pure Yin Body, she is of utmost importance to us members of the Origin me cier in. Putting aside one cier in, even if we had to give her our all, it wouldnt mean much at all. Ill bring the cier in over..." Saying so, she turned around and left. Not too longter, she returned with a jade box in hand. Opening it slowly, an object simr to a spirit stone but exuding a dense aura of coldness diffused in the room. For an instant, it felt as though one would be turned into a block of ice. Others might only feel bone-piercing chill from it, but as soon as Zhao Ya saw the item, her eyes immediately glowed, and she could feel the blood in her body flowing quicker. Passing the jade box to her, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Zhao Ya, follow the cultivation technique I imparted to you a few days ago. If theres anything you are unsure of, feel free to ask me!" "Yes!" Zhao Ya nodded. After making all the arrangements, Zhang Xuan said, "Alright, I need to go into seclusion to cultivate now too!" Of the five middle-tier spirit stones that Pavilion Master Kang gave him, hed given one to Ruohuan and one to Zhao Ya, leaving him with three. It should be more than sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle already. Court Chief Wu had already sent a few people to tidy up the rooms for their lodging. Thus, in the next few days, Zhang Xuan, Ruohuan, and Zhao Ya devoted themselves to their cultivation. Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. With the help of the three middle-tier spirit stones, Zhang Xuan managed to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle on the very first day, and he spent the next few days reinforcing his cultivation. On the other hand, just two days ago, Ruohuan gongzi had managed to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan advanced stage. But the one who improved the swiftest during this period of time wasnt him but Zhao Ya. In half a months time, through the help of the cier in, Zhao Ya managed to awaken her unique constitution to thirty percent. At the same time, her cultivation leaped from Half-Transcension all the way to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan! At the current moment, her cultivation was even stronger than her own teachers! The further awakening of the Pure Yin Body had also made her disposition much more refined. From afar, she looked like a sacred goddess from the heavens, unsullied by the dirt of the mortal world. Ruohuan gongzi found feeling of admiration for thetter sprouting in his heart, but... recalling Zhang shis immense strength, he could only obediently retract such thoughts. He was already reduced to such a terrible state despite doing nothing out of hand. If he were to really set his sights on the other partys students, he probably wouldnt survive to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament. Chapter 556: Zhao Yas Departure (1) Chapter 556: Zhao Yas Departure (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After the huge improvement, there was no longer as big of a gap in the cultivation between Zhao Ya and Court Chief Wu. Within a day, Zhang Xuan sessfully utilized the blood of the former to resolve the affliction that had gued thetter for many years, thus winning him thetters gratitude. "Zhang shi, the envoy from the headquarters hopes to meet you!" By this time, it wouldnt be too much longer before the start of the Master Teacher Tournament. Just as Pavilion Master Kang and the others intended to leave, Court Chief Wu walked over. She had reported the improvements in the Yin Form and Yang Form to the headquarters, and due to this matter, the envoy rushed all the way here. "Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan followed Court Chief Wu to the hall of the cier in Court. This was where Court Chief Wu had hosted them when they first arrived in the cier in Court. As soon as they arrived, they saw a middle-ageddy sitting at the very center. Noticing their arrival, she turned her head to look at them. "Envoy, this is Zhang shi!" Court Chief Wu stepped forward and introduced. "Zhang shi, I am Liu Xuan from the Origin me cier in headquarters!" The envoy sped her fist respectfully. Her eyes were filled withmendation for the young man before her. She was still doubtful when she first received the news, but after looking at the modifications made to the cultivation technique, she was immediately stunned. She thought that a person capable of modifying their cultivation technique would surely be an old elder, but contrary to her expectations, it turned out to be a young man who had yet to reach his twenties. "Zhang Xuan, master teacher!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist and returned the greetings. At the same time, he began to assess thedy before him, and with just a single look, his eyes couldnt help but narrow in shock. The cultivation of thedy before him felt like the vast ocean-unfathomable. Even with his current eye of discernment, he realized he couldnt gauge the full extent of the other partys strength! In fact, the power she harnessed felt even more fearsome than what Zhang Xuan felt when facing Mo Hunsheng back in the soul oracle tomb! Mo Hunsheng had already achieved the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal realm 9-dan. To be even stronger than him, how powerful was she? It was no wonder why she could rush here from the headquarter within half a month... Truly fearsome! "Not bad!" On the other hand, the middle-ageddy, upon seeing the young mans nonchnce despite noticing her fearsome cultivation, nodded her head inmendation. Then, with a chuckle, she said, "There are two reasons why I made the journey here from the headquarters!" "Oh?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at her. "Firstly, the modifications Zhang shi made to the cultivation technique had saved innumerable members of our Origin me cier in. On behalf of the entire cier in Court, thank you. At the same time, we would like to extend our invitation to you to visit the headquarters as a guest. Our cier n Court is willing to honor you with the privileges equivalent to an elder!" "Elder?" Listening into the conversation by the side, Court Chief Wus body trembled. The cier in Court headquarters was one of the most famous and strongest powers across the entire Master Teacher Continent. As the court chief of a branch, she had a rough idea of the extent of its influence and strength. Even if she were to devote her entire life into it, it would still be impossible for her to be an elder of the headquarter. That was a position only granted to the strongest and most talented of their members. "What are the conditions?" Zhang Xuan asked. Since the other party had pushed such an attractive offer in front of him, naturally, she had to have her own demands as well. After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. "Zhang shi is indeed candid!" Seeing how the young man before her didnt get blinded with joy by the offer, Liu Xuan nodded her head inmendation. "Simple. We hope that Zhang shi can help us solve the problems regarding our cultivation technique and... be a permanent resident of our cier in Court!" "A permanent resident? In other words, Im not allowed to leave the premises?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The fundamental heritage to an upationy in its unique techniques. As such, they would never show it to an outsider easily. Since the other party had requested him to solve the other problems regarding their cultivation technique and be a permanent resident of the cier in Court, her intentions couldnt be any clearer... In order to prevent the cultivation technique from leaking out, Zhang Xuans movements would be tightly restricted. Without permission, he wouldnt be able to leave the premises! If that was the case, what difference was he from a prisoner? "Zhang shi, please dont misunderstand. Leaving isnt a problem, but youll have to pass the loyalty test of the cier in Court first so as to ensure that you wont betray us. After all, you should know how important the heritage of an upation is. We also have to make precautions against having our cultivation techniques leaked out..." Having her intentions pointed out directly, Envoy Liu Xuan felt slightly awkward. "I understand that you have your own considerations. However, I cant agree to your invitation!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Bing a prisoner? You must be joking! I dont have such masochistic tendencies! Despite being rejected outright, Envoy Liu Xuan had no intentions of giving up yet. "Actually, our cier in Court isnt a bad ce to be. All of our members aredies, and as long as Zhang shi desires for it, you can marry as many of them as you wish!" The cier in Court was filled with iparably beautifuldies, and there were quite a few powerful male guests who decided to reside there permanently out of lust. "Lets talk about the second matter instead!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Restricted by his physical condition, he had no choice but to be a 9-star master teacher before thirty to ensure his survival. Compared to that, prestige and lust seemed negligible inparison. This was also the reason why even though he knew that Princess Mo Yu, Shen Bi Ru, and a few otherdies were interested in him, he still remained unmoved. Given that his life was hanging by a thread, how could he possibly have the time and effort to be thinking about romance? Seeing the other party rejecting her offer, a hint of disappointment appeared on Envoy Liu Xuans face. However, she soon adjusted her mental state, turned to look at the young man before her, and spoke seriously. "The second matter is regarding your student... Zhao Ya!" Zhang Xuan frowned. "The Pure Yin Body is extremely important to our Origin me cier in. I believe that Court Chief Wu should have told you that before," Envoy Liu Xuan said. "Court Chief Wu did say something along that line, but she didnt borate on the reason behind it!" Previously, Court Chief Wu had only said that the fate of the cier in Court was reliant on the existence of a Pure Yin Body cultivator. "The heritage of the Origin me cier in originated from an old ancestor possessing the Pure Yin Body. As such, there is a rule stating that the highest court chief of the cier in Court must possess the Pure Yin Body... It has been a thousand years since the death of the previous court chief, but we have been unable to find a single person who possesses the Pure Yin Body! Left without a leader, many other powers began to exploit the weakness of the cier in Court, and to date, its already on the verge of copsing." Envoy Liu Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "If we could find a sessor possessing the Pure Yin Body to take on the mantle, our cier in Court might be able to avert the dissolution and rise again once more." "Highest court chief?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didnt expect this to be the reason why they wanted Zhao Ya. "Indeed!" Envoy Liu Xuan nodded. "Thus, I hope to bring Zhao Ya back to the headquarter and find a way to quickly awaken her unique constitution so that she could inherit the position of the court chief as soon as possible." "I can also awaken her unique constitution myself!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Even though both his strength and the resources he possessed werecking, he was still able to induce swift growth in Zhao Ya... He had the confidence in awakening thetters unique constitution eventually. "Ive heard of Zhang shis affairs and I know that youre a capable person. Its indeed likely that Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body will be fully awakened one day if she were to stay by you. However... Zhang shi, have you ever considered how long it would take for that to happen? Ten years? Twenty years? Fifty years? Or perhaps, even a century?" Envoy Liu Xuan stared deeply at Zhang Xuan. "The awakening of a unique constitution only bes harder the further one progresses. The resources required for it will grow exponentially. Even if Zhang shi is willing to give in without any expectation for returns, do you think that Zhao Ya... is willing to quietly ept so much from you?" "This..." Zhang Xuan found himself unable to refute the other partys words. Indeed. Simr to the cultivating, the awakening of a unique constitution would only grow harder and harder the further one progressed. Even if he was capable of obtaining the required resources to help Zhao Ya, could she really bear epting this much from him? Given Zhao Yas nature, this was something she wouldnt be able to ept. Furthermore, she couldnt spend her entire life living under Zhang Xuans protection. The purpose of a teacher was to guide one down the right path, not to give them everything that they required. Envoy Liu Xuan continued, "If she were toe to our cier in Court, we can offer her the most perfect inheritance and the most generous cultivation resources. She would be able awaken her unique constitution in the shortest time possible, thus bing a figure able to shake the entire continent. Given how deeply you care for your student, you should also hope that she would be independent and aplish something of her own as soon as possible." Zhang Xuan fell silent. As a teacher, he had to think of the long-term benefit of his students. He hade to the same thoughts. While he could guarantee that he would be able to awaken Zhao Yas unique constitution and groom her to be one of the strongest experts in the future, admittedly, he would be unable to do it as quickly as the cier in Court could. After all, just the resources in itself had created an irreconcble gap. Besides, given that the previous court chiefs all possessed Pure Yin Body, they probably possessed aplete inheritance on the method to awakening the unique constitution. In a way, this was much more efficient and effective than him fumbling around for a solution. "My opinions are of little importance. The ultimate decision is on her. Regardless of what her choice is, Ill support her!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was just a teacher. While he had the responsibility to guide his students down the right path, he didnt have the right to dictate their future. If Zhao Ya intends to follow the envoy of the cier Court in, he would support her decision. And if she refuses... He wouldnt allow anyone to force her into the decision, not even the mighty cier in Court! "Teacher, Im willing to leave with her!" After a moment of silence, Zhao Ya walked over with a determined expression. "Youre willing to leave with her?" "Thats right. Ive seen everything that teacher has done for us, and I hope that one day, Ill be able to do something for you too..." Walking forward, Zhao Ya clenched her trembling fists tightly. "And this... is an opportunity for that." She had clearly seen everything her teacher had done for her throughout this difficult journey, and it distressed her that she was unable to do anything in return. But now, as long as she agreed to follow the envoy, she would gain control over the immense power known as the cier in Court. With such backing, she would gain the strength to support her teacher, standing side by side with him instead of just dragging him down. More importantly... she had some private interest in this matter as well. Perhaps... with the rise in her position, she might be able to fulfill this wish of hers. Zhang Xuan sighed. "You need not rush to a decision. Ill give you three days to consider it properly. No matter what you decide, youll have my support!" "Theres no need for that, Ive already thought it through and this is my decision!" With reddened eyes, Zhao Ya kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed. "Teacher, thank you for your grooming and your support. Regardless of where I go in the future, Ill forever remain as your student!" "Get up!" Knowing that his student had already made up her mind, Zhang Xuan nodded his head as he pulled her up. Eagles had to undergo tribtions before they could soar freely in the skies. Students were the same as well. No matter how reluctant he was, he still had to allow the harsh storms to temper her, so that she could mature and be a true expert. "Yes!" Zhao Ya stood up. Since the decision was clear, there was nothing much for Zhang Xuan to hesitate over. Thus, he turned over to the envoy with menacing threat gleaming in his eyes. "Envoy Liu Xuan, I hope that all you said is true. If I find theres any falsehood in your words and you mean my student harm, not only will I kill you, Ill eradicate the entire cier in Court as well!" He might be weak now, but if the other party meant his student harm, he didnt mind barging into the cier in Court and wiping this power off the face of the world. Chapter 557: Zhao Yas Departure (2) Chapter 557: Zhao Yas Departure (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Eradicate the cier in Court?" Envoy Liu Xuan was stunned by those words. "Thats right. I mean what I say!" Zhang Xuans gaze was indifferent, but there seemed to be somepelling authority behind it. "This..." If anyone else were to say such words, Envoy Liu Xuan would have surely thought that the other party had a screw loose. After all, the overwhelming might of the cier in Court was known even throughout the entire continent. Even 9-star master teachers would dare not utter such words, let alone some 4-star master teacher. For an insignificant figure which she could kill with a single pinch to actually utter such arrogant words... If it was under any other circumstances, she would surely mock the other party for his arrogance. But for some reason... looking into the determined gaze of this young man, her heart couldnt help but beat with slight apprehension. It seemed as though a subconscious part of her was saying that the young man before her... might just really do as he said! "Dont worry, our cier in Court values its words. Reneging on promises is something we despise..." She instinctively gave her guarantee without much thought. "Un!" Hearing the words of the other party, Zhang Xuan felt a heavy burden weighing on his heart being released. Then, turning to Zhao Ya, he said, "If you find yourself unable to cope there, you cane to look for me at any Master Teacher Pavilion. Dont worry, even when following behind me, youll still be one of the strongest experts in the world!" "Yes!" Zhao Ya nodded her head. "Alright, Ill be leaving then!" Since everything was settled, there was no longer any reason for Zhang Xuan to remain here. Thus, he began walking toward the entrance. "Teacher..." Seeing the back of her teacher slowly disappearing in the distance, Zhao Ya kneeled down and kowtowed eight times. Her determined gaze was free of any hesitation. "Teacher, I wont let you down. Ill surely be one of the strongest experts in the world!" "Youre a good student!" Helping Zhao Ya up, Envoy Liu Xuan gazed at the silhouette in the distance and sighed. "Hes a good teacher as well." "Hes the good teacher, but Im not a good student." Zhao Ya shook her head. For her, he was willing to go through so much hardship. Yet, she had chosen to leave his side. "Dont worry. Once you awaken your Pure Yin Body fully and be the court chief, it wont be difficult for you to repay your debt to him. Rather, if you were to follow behind him, you would just impede his progress. Theres no banquet in this world that doesnt end. All students have to leave their teachers side eventually; this is the way of the world. After all, one cant possibly stay behind the protection of ones teacher forever." Envoy Liu Xuan continued, "If he had tried to forcefully keep you with him, he wouldnt have been a good teacher." Everyone had to grow up at some point. Even the strongest expert in the world couldnt possibly keep his student with him at all time, and even more so, the student shouldnt bepletely reliant of the teacher. Only after undergoing storms could one truly be independent. "I know that! Just that... I am reluctant to part with him!" Zhao Yas eyes turned red. Turning around, she walked away. Envoy Liu Xuan knew that she would be in low spirits for a short period of time, but as long as she could turn the pain of parting into her drive, she would grow swiftly in the time toe. Only through such experiences could she temper her mental resilience. ... While Zhao Yas departure wasnt nned, it wasnt beyond expectations. In truth, Zhang Xuan had already been harboring some thoughts of having his own students train independently to temper themselves. Just that, he wasnt able to bring himself to do it. Since such an opportunity came by, it would be a waste if he were to restrain his student instead. Seated cross-legged in the room on top of the aerial spirit beast, Zhang Xuan was motionless as if a statue. Ruohuan gongzi couldnt help but ask, "Teacher, it has been five days since Zhang shi has been in this state... Is he alright?" Ever since the trio left the cier in Court, Zhang shi had been seated on the same spot, not moving in the slightest. He couldnt help but feel perplexed as to what the other party was doing. "Ive no idea either..." Pavilion Master Kang shook his head in worry. Knowing how much Zhang shi cared for his students, could it be that he was in such a state due to his depression from Zhao Yas departure? "Wait, could this be..." He nced at Zhang Xuan doubtfully once more when his eyebrows suddenly shot up in disbelief. "Whats wrong, teacher?" Noticing the peculiarity in his teacher, Ruohuan gongzi hurriedly turned his gaze over. "This isnt due to excessive sadness but... Soul Enlightenment!" Pavilion Master Kang eximed. "Soul Enlightenment?" Ruohuan gongzi was baffled. He had never heard of such a phrase before. "Un. Even though Zhang shi is meditating, there isnt the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy around him. In other words, he isnt cultivating his zhenqi. But to remain seated for five days despite not cultivating, it could only mean that he managed to dive into a state of enlightenment!" Pavilion Master Kang exined. Even though cultivation was an extremely mundane task, it wasnt easy for one to remainpletely motionless for five days straight doing nothing at all. The more usible reason was that the other partys mind had managed to reach a unique state that propelled the maturing of his state of mind. And this was known as Soul Enlightenment. "Soul Enlightenment is a mental state that onlyes by chance. If a master teacher seeds in reaching such a state, his Soul Depth will increase significantly..." Pavilion Master Kang said in awe. Given how the young man before him was able to beguile him with his Impartation of Heavens Will, it could only mean that the other partys Soul Depth of at least the same level as his. It was difficult to imagine how powerful he would be once he broke out of this Soul Enlightenment. "The more powerful he is, the better itll be. Its about time for the rise of Myriad Kingdom Alliance..." Pavilion Master Kangs eyes glowed in anticipation. The stronger Zhang shi became, the more likely Myriad Kingdom Alliance would achieve outstanding results in the Master Teacher Tournament. As the head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, having a master teacher under him achieve such astounding results could be considered as a huge honor. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance had been suppressed for too long. It was about time... for them to cleanse away their previous shame and rise up above the other powers! Excited, Pavilion Master Kang turned to Ruohuan gongzi and instructed, "Dont disturb Zhang shi, you should focus on your cultivation as well. Before returning to Myriad Kingdom City, you must reach rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. Otherwise, dont bother calling me your teacher!" "What?" Ruohuan gongzi was dumbstruck. What did the other party undergoing Soul Enlightenment have to do with him? Why was his teacher suddenly urging him to cultivate? But knowing that his teacher was saying this for his own good, Ruohuan gongzi obediently sat down, took out the middle-tier spirit stone that Zhang shi gave him, and continued to cultivate. Unlike Zhang Xuan, the significance of a middle-tier spirit stone was great to his cultivation. Just one was sufficient to raise his cultivation from rifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle. As such, the spirit stone was still concentrated with spiritual energy. ... Pavilion Master Kangs guess was spot-on, Zhang Xuan was indeed in the midst of a Soul Enlightenment. While the separation with Zhao Ya had left him slightly down, this experience had also given him a greater insight into the true essence the responsibilities of a teacher. Memories of his past ever since his transmigration shed through his head as though a movie screen. Slowly, as though a jade that was being tempered, excessive thoughts flowed out from his mind, bringing him tranquility. Only after a heavy storm would a rainbow emerge. While Zhao Yas departure was a trial for her, the same could be said for Zhang Xuan as well. As his mind broadened, his Soul Depth began rising slowly from 14.1. Unlike the Book of Heavens Path and Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy which induced an instantaneous surge in his Soul Depth, Soul Enlightenment was a gradual process. 14.1! 14.2! 14.3! ... In just five days, Zhang Xuans Soul Depth had increased by 2.0, reaching a total of 16.1! Hu! He finally opened his eyes. His gaze wasposed and deep. It seemed topel others to trust him. A Soul Depth of 16.1 was alreadyparable to that of a 5-star master teacher. Previously, to beguile Pavilion Master Kang, he had to utilize words to shake the mental resilience of the other party before he could seed. But now... as long as he executed the Impartation of Heavens Will, the other party would be coaxed into doing anything instantaneously. On top of that, his Eye of Insight had also be more potent than before, allowing him to peer even deeper into all that his gaze fell upon. At the same time, he also managed to reinforce his cultivation in the past five days. As long as he willed it, he would be able to reach Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm immediately. "I should focus on my cultivation now..." The rise in Soul Depth had given him a deeper insight into cultivation as a whole, thus boosting his rate of cultivation. Even though he didnt have any more middle-tier spirit stones at hand, his cultivation still rose quickly. The Master Teacher Tournament was about to begin-he had no time to waste. ... While Zhang Xuan and the others were busy cultivating on top of an aerial savage beast, an elder wearing a bamboo hat approached the city gates of Myriad Kingdom City. Looking at the grand city walls, he clenched his fists tightly together. Myriad Kingdom City... Im finally here! I must grasp onto this opportunity to get back what I lost and... exact my vengeance! A look of savagery appeared on the face of the elder as a malevolent aura shrouded him. Staring deep into his eyes, one could nearly see the frenzy and hatred that clouded his mind. A gust of wind blew, and the left sleeve of the ck robe he was wearing fluttered freely in the wind, revealing his missing arm. If Zhang Xuan were here, he would surely have recognized the other party. That elder was the old ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom, Ding Hong! Back then, he had burned his essence blood to escape, and after three months of journey, he finally arrived at Myriad Kingdom City, the very core of the alliance! He desired for vengeance! The other party had actually killed his descendent and destroyed his kingdom, turning him into nothing more than a roaming vagrant now. How could he possibly simply let this grudge go? I mustnt go to the Alliance Head Residence. Given how even the envoy was sided toward him, it would be suicidal if I were to head there! Even though hatred had filled his mind, he didnt allow it to cloud his judgement. He knew very clearly what his current plight was, and to exact vengeance, recklessness was something he couldnt risk. The envoy back then turned a blind eye to the downfall of the royal family, even going to the extent of supporting a female emperor. If he were to head to the Alliance Head Residence in an attempt to redress his grievances, the odds were that he would only be silenced. Given that Zhang Xuan is a master teacher, heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion is out of question too! Within the past month, news about the young genius bing a 4-star master teacher and bing a representative of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for the Master Teacher Tournament had been spreading like wildfire. Naturally, Ding Hong had also caught wind of such news. As a 4-star master teacher who was going to represent the Master Teacher Pavilion in the Master Teacher Tournament... wasnt it clearly a futile attempt to report the other party to the Master Teacher Pavilion? There isnt anyone in Myriad Kingdom City that I can rely on... Seems like I can only depend on other powers! Viciousness shed across his eyes. Even though the Alliance Head Residence and the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt stand up for him... Wasnt the Master Teacher Tournament just around the corner? Since no one in the alliance would redress his grievances, he could seek the Master Teacher Pavilions from other powers! Given the monstrous capability of that Zhang Xuan, the other powers would surely be delighted to find a reason toy their hands on him. Ding Hong didnt just want Zhang Xuan to die, he wanted to rip the other partys reputation to shreds as well. There is a total of twenty-eight powers involved in the tournament. Mingxia Empire and Henghai Empire are of equal strength to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so it might be difficult to render their assistance. Thus, I should approach the stronger Cascading Sand Sect and Frigid Gale Sect, or perhaps, even the strongest Fleeting Cloud Sect! Ding Hong thought. As the previous emperor of a Conferred Kingdom, he had a clear picture on the various powers located in the vicinity of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Chapter 558: Ding Hongs Scheme Chapter 558: Ding Hongs Scheme Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though this Fleeting Cloud Sect was only a sect, it had a total of five half 5-star master teachers. Of the seventy-seven Master Teacher Tournaments held, it had been the champion thirty-six times. On the other hand, the best result the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had achieved so far was only twenty-third ce, fifth from the bottom. It was due to this that Ding Mu had wanted to be initiated into the Fleeting Cloud Sect back then. As long as I can render their assistance, it wouldnt be a problem for me to be the new alliance head, needless to say, exact vengeance! A menacing gleam flickered across Ding Hongs eyes. Given the strength of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, there would be no one who would dare to oppose him in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. However, to them, I am no better than an ant. Without paying a suitable price, itll be impossible to goad them into action. Naturally, it was impossible to render the help of those behemoths so easily. Without sufficient benefits on the table, it would be impossible to drive them into action. Not to mention, dealing with Zhang Xuan meant making an enemy out of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Ding Hong knew that he held insufficient weight to get them to go that far. If he was still a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator, they might still have spared him a nce. However, the burning of his blood essence had caused his cultivation to drop to the Zhizun realm. With his current level of cultivation, he was no better than an ant before those immense behemoths. He was an existence that they could easily crush to death. Unless... I use that news as leverage to strike a deal with them! Ding Hongs eyes turned cold as he recalled what Ding Mu had said to him previously. His grandson had once talked to him about the matter after he got into trouble. The reason why he got into a fight with that Zhang Xuan was due to a treasure thetter had in his possession-a treasure that would send any master teacher into a frenzy. Kong shis handwritten letter! Theres no master teacher who wouldnt be moved by this artifact. If I were to reveal this news to the Fleeting Cloud Sect, even if I dont say much about the matter, they would surely be driven into action! Ding Hong gritted his teeth tightly. Kong shis handwritten letter one of the greatest treasures a master teacher could obtain. Ding Hong didnt think that anyone could resist its allure, not even those half 5-star master teachers of Fleeting Cloud Sect. Zhang Xuan would surely be a target for all of these powers if he were to leak the news. Just as Ding Hong was in the midst of looking for the Fleeting Cloud Sects dwelling ce, a thought suddenly struck him. No, this wont do. Given the strength of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, once they learn of the news, they would surely try to silence me so as to prevent any news from getting out... If the Fleeting Cloud Sect decided to kill him so as to seal off the news, he wouldnt be able to retaliate at all. After all, given the importance of Kong shis handwritten letter, it would be best if fewer people knew of it. Not to mention, a 4-star master teacher was involved in the matter as well. "Actually, why dont I send a message each to Fleeting Cloud Sect, Mingxia Empire, Henghai Empire, Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect? If I were to send them letters simultaneously and invite all of their heads out at once, they could curb one another. If so, it would be difficult for them to kill me!" Regardless, Ding Hong used to be the emperor of a Conferred Kingdom. Politics was like a second nature to him, and it didnt take him long to find a solution to the problem. "After all, it doesnt matter to me who receives Kong shis handwritten letter eventually!" His main goal was to kill Zhang Xuan and take back his country. Even if he were to obtain Kong shis handwritten letter, it would bepletely useless to him. Since that was the case, he might as well use it as a trading term. "Alright, Ill do just that then..." After analyzing the matter carefully and confirming that there was no problem-he would be able to ensure his safety while getting his vengeance-Ding Hong nodded his head in satisfaction. Walking into the streets, he soon vanished amidst the huge crowd. ... It was an ordinary-looking mansion sitting in the middle of Myriad Kingdom City, but all of the participating powers in the Master Teacher Tournament knew that it was currently resided by the most popr contender for the champion cing, Fleeting Cloud Sect. The Fleeting Cloud Sect was created by a half 5-star master teacher, Mo Liuyun. While it was considered to be a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was also an independent entity that was no different from the other empires. Within the sect, only master teachers had the qualification to be the sect leader or take on high-standing roles. However, it was still densely popted by members of the other upations as well. In fact, there were quite a handful of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan experts within their members. This was the reason why the Fleeting Cloud Sect was considered to be the number one power among the twenty-eight in the region. Luo Xuan, as the greatest genius of Fleeting Cloud Sect, was the most popr contender for champion of this Master Teacher Tournament. He was only twenty-nine this year, but his cultivation had already reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. At the current moment, the person in question had justpleted his cultivation. Stretching his backzily, he walked out of the room. "Senior!" But before he could get far, a young man suddenly rushed up to him. "Whats wrong?" Luo Xuan frowned. "Reporting to senior, someone has just delivered a letter, saying to deliver it to the sect leader!" The young man said. "Is my teacher a person whom anyone could just send a letter to?" Luo Xuan flung his sleeves. The leader of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, Luo Huang, happened to be his teacher. As a half 5-star master teacher possessing a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle... It was beneath him to allow just anyone to send him a letter. "Wheres the letter?" After harrumphing, Luo Xuan stretched out his hand. "Here it is..." The young man passed it over. Luo Xuan was just about to tear it open when the young man hurriedly said, "The person who delivered the letter said that theres a special seal on the letter! If it isnt the sect leader who opens it, it will be destroyed immediately..." "You actually believe this kind of nonsense? If theres truly a seal, do you think that I, as a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, wouldnt notice it?" Luo Xuan harrumphed. As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed exceptionally sharp eyes. If the other party had truly left something of that sort on the letter, there was no reason why he wouldnt notice it. But it was clear that there was nothing at all-the other party was just trying to hoodwink the ignorant. Sss! Tearing the letter open, Luo Xuan saw a card in it. Lowering his head to take a nce, a frown crept onto Luo Xuans forehead. There was only a line of word written on the card: In three days time at Sea Gazing Gazebo. News regarding Kong shis relic. There was no signing off, and there was no name either. Even the handwriting looked messy. Clearly, the other party had found someone to write in his ce. Keeping the card, Luo Xuan asked with a frown, "Who is the one who delivered the letter?" "Its a man dressed in ck robe. I didnt catch a good look at his appearance," the young man quickly replied. "Where is he?" "He has already left..." the young man answered. "Alright. Dont speak of this matter to anyone else. Ill go look for teacher right now!" Luo Xuan instructed before heading to the centermost residence in the residence. It didnt take too long for him to arrive at his destination. In the courtyard, a middle-aged man was currently in the midst of executing a fist art. His movements were slow, but the powerful wind generated with every single punch of his created a huge pressure on those looking at it. The leader of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, Luo Huang! The strongest expert of the twenty-seven powers neighboring the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Upon seeing the other partys arrival, Sect Leader Luo Huang retracted his fist and smiled, "Youre here!" "Teacher!" Luo Xuan sped his fist and said, "Someone has just delivered a letter..." "A letter?" Wiping his sweat with a towel, Luo Huang turned to look at Luo Xuan. He knew this disciple of his very well; if it wasnt for something important, it was impossible for thetter to pay him such an abrupt visit. To interrupt his cultivation for a single letter, the letter had to be of the utmost importance. "Yes..." Luo Xuan passed the card over. "Kong shis relic?" Taking a look, Sect Leader Luo Huang frowned. "Whats your view on it?" "Given that this matter concerns Kong shi, I think that it is unlikely to be a lie. Besides... its better to be safe than sorry for such matters!" Luo Xuan replied. "Empyrean Kong shi didnt leave behind too many personal possessions when he departed. If what that is written on the note is true, then regardless of what the relic is, its value will be, in the truest sense, priceless! Bing a 5-star master teacher wouldnt be a problem at all if I can obtain it!" Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded his head. Kong shi was the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the very first master teacher in the world. No matter how insignificant the relic he left behind was, just the essence that it harnessed could bring unimaginable benefits to those in possession of it. Regardless of whether the content of the note was true or not, this was an opportunity they couldnt pass up. "This means that..." Luo Xuan gazed at his teacher to confirm his intention. "Of course, we have to take a look!" Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded his head. "Right, where is this Sea Gazing Gazebo?" "Its the most famous and bustling tavern in Myriad Kingdom City. Most probably, the other party is hoping to make use of the crowd to protect himself," Luo Xuan replied. As a 4-star master teacher, how could he possibly be unable to discern the little schemes the other party had in mind? "That probably isnt just it!" Sect Leader Luo Huang contemted for a moment before shaking his head. "Not just it? What does teacher mean?" Luo Xuan was in bewildered. "Simple. Since the other party delivered the letter to us, the chances are that they delivered it to others as well. Most probably, he intends to gather all of us at the Sea Gazing Gazebo in hopes of jacking up the price for his information!" Sect Leader Luo Huang said. "Jacking up the prices? Damn it, Ill send someone to capture that fellow immediately..." Narrowing his eyes, Luo Xuan came to a realization and immediately prepared to rush out of the room. As one of the strongest powers in the region, wealth was not something the Fleeting Cloud Sect wascking. The only fear they had was that... this news wasnt exclusive. If the other powers were to learn of the existence of Kong shis relic and vied with them over it, they would be forced into a very troublesome position. In fact, out of bitterness of failing to obtain the relic, some might even leak the news to the headquarters. If so, all of the efforts spent on vying for the relic would have ended in vain. "Theres no need for that. Its already toote!" Sect Leader Luo Huang shook his head. "Putting aside how the one who delivered the letter is unlikely to be the one spearheading the entire matter, even if he is, you cant guarantee that were the first one that he visited... Perhaps, the other powers might have already learnt of the matter!" "Then... What do we do?" Luo Xuan asked in a panic. Sect Leader Luo Huang waved his hands. "Suppress the news, dont let anyone learn of it. In three days, you will apany me to the Sea Gazing Gazebo. I would like to see who that person is personally, and which of Kong shis relics he possesses information of! If it turns out to be a farce, even if we remain idle, I believe the other powers would be more than willing to make the other party understand what living hell is like!" "Yes!" Luo Xuan nodded. The same sight was also urring in the dwelling of the other powers. Mingxia Empire, Henghai Empire, Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, White Helios Sect, Spiraling Cosmos Sect... The top few powers who hade to attend the Master Teacher Tournament had received the same letter, and the leaders of the respective groups had seen the content on the card. All of the powers immediately became restless. The experts of the various powers were waiting expectantly for what that was toe in three days. They wanted to see what kind of incredible person had delivered them the letter, and what news of Kong shis relic he had with him. While all of this was happening, Zhang Xuan was sitting by the side of the window in the room on top of the aerial spirit beast. He was looking at the fleeting white clouds and mountains with a depressed look. "Since they have taken away my student, I should have asked them for some spirit stones aspensation... Even if not that, if I had offered that Envoy Liu Xuan some pointers, I could have probably earned a hefty sum as well! How could I have been so dumb?" "Offer Envoy Liu Xuan some pointers?" Looking at the regretful expression on the other partys face and the mutterings that came out from his mouth, Pavilion Master Kangs body stiffened. Chapter 559: Ding Hongs Condition Chapter 559: Ding Hongs Condition Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan felt deep regret. To him, every single middle-tier spirit stone was an extraordinarily valuablemodity... However, to that Envoy Liu Xuan, given how powerful she was and that she came from the headquarters, it could very well be no different from spare change! It was a pity that when Zhao Ya left, Zhang Xuan was a little overwhelmed by self-reproach. On top of that, his pride also didnt allow him to lower his head-he didnt want others to think that he was selling his student off for spirit stones... But still, he couldnt help but feel that it was a great pity given his current plight. Even if not for his student... he could request for spirit stones just by offering the other party pointers! There was no w which was beyond the heavens. Through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to offer invaluable advice to the other party on her cultivation and receive somepensation in exchange. With thispensation, his cultivation from there onward would be smooth-sailing. He wouldnt have to worry about theck in resources anymore. His students would also be entitled to the best training resources as well... But to miss the opportunity by like that... "Forget it, theres no use crying over spilt milk..." Knowing that it would be difficult for him to meet another expert of Envoy Liu Xuans caliber once more, Zhang Xuan decided to let the matter go. He then turned to Pavilion Master Kang and asked, "Pavilion master, may I know who possesses the most middle-tier spirit stones in Myriad Kingdom City?" "Middle-tier spirit stones?" Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback. "These items are cultivation necessities. Every prestigious n would at least have one or two in their possession... But if youre talking about who possesses the most middle-tier spirit stones, it could only be those powers who have traveled here to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament!" "Powers?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Pavilion Master Kang contemted for a moment before saying, "Indeed. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is considered weak even among its own tier. As such, the quantity of middle-tier spirit stones it can obtain from Huanyu Empire is severely limited. On the other hand, the Fleeting Cloud Sect, White Helios Sect, and Spiraling Cosmos Sect, due to their overwhelming strength and the backing of half 5-star master teachers, obtained the most middle-tier spirit stones each time. While it would be difficult for me to even take out three of them, their pavilion masters or sect leaders would be able to easily take out a dozen or even more!" "So many?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If he could obtain a dozen or so, he would surely be able to reach Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm pinnacle easily. Complementing such strength with his soul cultivation, he would be a match for even Transcendent Mortal 5-dan experts. Cupping his lower jaw, Zhang Xuan thought, It seems like I must find an opportunity to plunder some from them... Looking at the other partys expression, the edges of Pavilion Master Kangs lips twitched. Those are powerful sects and empires! It is already a huge blessing that they arent plundering from us, and yet, you still hope to steal spirit stones from them? "Cough cough. Zhang shi, the minimum cultivation required for a half 5-star master teacher is the Consonant Spirit realm. Such experts possess astounding strength that we cant hope to match up to. Furthermore... our Myriad Kingdom Alliance cant be said to be in friendly rtions with them..." Afraid that this fellow might really do something insane, Pavilion Master Kang couldnt help but advise him from the side. In the Consonant Spirit realm, through the nurturing of ones soul and its harmonization with the flesh, ones fighting prowess would be multiplied. It is one thing for them to not cause trouble in Myriad Kingdom City, and yet, you still dare to set your gaze on their spirit stones... Arent you just looking for trouble? "Dont worry, I wont go overboard!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head before falling into deep thought. It would be clearly impossible for him to steal the spirit stones from them. While his cultivation did advance greatly recently, he was still a way off from being able to match a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator. If he were to utilize all of his means, he might still be able to match a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage cultivator. However, against an intermediate stage or even higher, the only course of action he could take was to escape as far as he could. From Pavilion Master Kangs words, it seemed like these sects had plenty of Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage and advanced stage cultivators. But while Zhang Xuan couldnt fight them squarely, hoodwinking them shouldnt be a problem. Back then, in Tianxuan Kingdom, when his pockets werepletely empty, and his cultivation was low, didnt he still manage to convince innumerable experts to bow down willingly to Yang shi? "Seems like I have to find a way to get to them and offer them guidance or cure their illnesses so as to earn some middle-tier spirit stones..." Zhao Yas departure had given him a drive like never before. If he was sufficiently strong, he would be able to easily obtain the cultivation resources his students needed-there would be no need for his own students to follow behind others! In the end, it all boiled down to him being weak. Without sufficient strength, everything else was just empty talk. Thus, his priority at hand was to gather as many middle-tier spirit stones as possible and raise his cultivation. ... While Zhang Xuan was nning to sweep away the spirit stones of those sects and empires, Sect Leader Luo Huang and Luo Xuan arrived at the Sea Gazing Gazebo. "Sect Leader Luo, why are you here too?" Before they could walk into the tavern, they heard a surprised exim. Turning around, they saw a middle-aged man standing not too far away. It was the leader of White Helios Sect, Bai Kaizhi. A Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage expert, half 5-star master teacher. "Sect Leader Bai, youre here too!" Having guessed this much, Sect Leader Luo Huang wasnt surprised in the least. On the contrary, he chuckled softly. "You were the one who sent the letter to me?" Seeing the other partys confident expression, Sect Leader Bai was perplexed. "I am not so bored as to waste my time with this. If I really managed to obtain news of Kong shis relic, I would have surely imed it for my own already. Do you think I would waste my words with you?" Sect Leader Luo Huang shook his head. "Most probably, we arent the only ones that he contacted. I wonder who is the mastermind behind this matter. In any case, lets head in first!" "Un!" Sect Leader Bai was stunned for a moment beforeprehending the situation. He nodded his head, and the duo walked into the tavern side-by-side. As soon as they walked in, they immediately saw several familiar silhouettes. Of the twenty-seven powers that came to Myriad Kingdom City, fourteen were gathered here! Furthermore, the mastermind clearly did his homework. These fourteen powers were ranked at the front among the twenty-eight powers in the region. Asking around, they realized that everyone that had gathered here had received the same letter that spoke of Kong shis relic. To Sect Leader Luo Huangs disappointment, no one seemed to know any more than that. The mastermind who sent the letters to the all of them and the relic mentioned within the card remained a mystery to everyone. "Could this be a hoax?" Someone expressed their doubt. "Unlikely. Even though we arent based in Myriad Kingdom City, given ourbined influence, it would just be a matter of time before we catch onto the traces of that person!" A sect leader harrumphed. "Thus, its impossible unless... hes tired of living!" Given how even the Lin n from the Tianwu Kingdom could easily bring out search tools such as the Seeking Mouse, it wouldnt be too hard for powerful influences like them to trace down a person. The only reason why they hadnt done so was because they didnt wish to take any risks-after all, Kong shi relic was at stake here. "Thats true. Lets continue waiting then!" Finding those words logical, the crowd decided to wait a while longer. Those that had gathered here were all master teachers, and even the weakest of them was at 4-star pinnacle. Patience was one thing that they didntck. "Greetings. I am the one who gathered all of you here today!" Soon, a deep voice echoed, and a one-armed elder walked into the tavern. Ding Hong didnt try to conceal anything at all; an appearance of an elder in his sixties, a cultivation of Zhizun realm, and a face that looked incredibly ragged. With a look, one could easily tell that he had suffered grievous injuries and had yet to recover from them. Everyone turned their eyes over. They thought that a person who dared to gather all of them here would have to be at least a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert or even higher... To think that it would only be an insignificant Zhizun realm cultivator. Everyone couldnt help but frown. "Pardon me for inviting all of you here so abruptly. Just as what was written in the card, Im here to offer you news on... Kong shis relic!" Ding Hong surveyed the crowd as he said those words. He knew that there was no disguise he could don nor lie he could spout that would fool a half 5-star master teacher. Since that was the case, he might as welle out clean. In any case, with the secret he held, he need not fear being silenced. "Kong shis relic? Before you go on any further, I would you to take note of who you are standing before. If theres any falsehood in your words, I believe little has to be said of your plight!" Flinging his sleeves, Sect Leader Luo Huang harrumphed. "I understand, and I can assure you that there are no lies in my words... The relic I am speaking of refers to Kong shis handwritten letter!" Ding Hong sped his fist and reported. "Kong shis handwritten letter?" Everyone jolted in shock. There were many incredible weapons among Kong shis relic, but to a master teacher, there was nothing that could be more valuable than his handwritten letter. Such letters usually harnessed the essence, spirit, and soul of the writer. By studying the characters in it often, ones Soul Depth could rise quickly. No treasure could possibly rival that. "Indeed. Back then, the ancestor of a small n once saved the life of Sage Min, and in gratitude to that small n, Kong shi personally wrote a letter to them. Ever since then, the letter had been passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom," Ding Hong said. "Sage Min?" "You mean one of the 72 Sages of Kong shis disciples?" "Hes one of the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and very few know not of his name! If what you said is true, the value of that handwritten letter is indeed priceless!" "Putting everything aside, if one were to seek Sage Mins descendants with that letter in hand, thetter would surely honor one as an esteemed guest..." "Indeed... Hearing those words, everyones breathing hastened. Of Kong shis three thousand known disciples, the most formidable of them were known as the 72 Sages. As one of the 72 Sages, Sage Min had participated in the founding of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he was honored by all master teachers for such. To have saved such a person and obtained Kong shis handwritten letter... Disregarding the value of the handwritten letter in itself, just the story behind it would make countless experts wrestle with one another over it. Suppressing his hastened breathing, Sect Leader Luo Huang lifted his head and asked, "Alright, what are your conditions?" Hearing those words, everyone in the room fell silent. Indeed. Since the other party went through so much effort to gather all of them here, surely, he must have his own motives. In fact, they would feel unnerved if he didnt. "Sect Leader Luo is indeed a candid person!" Ding Hong chuckled lightly. "My conditions are simple. Firstly, I wish to be the alliance head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Secondly, I want my cultivation to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle! Last but not least, I want you to kill a person for me. Dont worry, the strength of this person isnt too high-just a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage cultivator. Whoever promises me these three matters, Ill tell you the whereabouts of Kong shis relic." "The alliance head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance is supported by the Myriad Kingdom City Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though I cant interfere in the matters of Myriad Kingdom Alliance directly, Pavilion Master Kang should still defer to me on this matter. After all, changing an alliance head wouldnt harm the foundations of the empire. It shouldnt be too difficult to achieve this," Sect Leader Luo Huang said. "As for your cultivation, as long as you follow my guidance strictly, theres an eighty percent chance that you can reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle... As for the assassination, I can agree to it too." "Sect Leader Luo, theres no need to be so hasty. We possess the capability to do as much as well. I believe no one here intends to give up on Kong shis relic!" "Indeed. This friend here, on top of bing the alliance head of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, our Spiraling Cosmos Sect can make you an honorary elder. Youll be entitled to equivalent privileges as them!" "Our Frigid Gale Sect also agrees to your conditions. On top of that, we can offer you five middle-tier spirit stones and fifteen Transcendent Mortal 2-dan female disciples..." ... An uproar immediately burst within the Sea Gazing Gazebo. Chapter 560: Greed Drives a Humans Heart Chapter 560: Greed Drives a Humans Heart Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No one expected the other partys conditions to be so simple. The position of alliance head in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, raising the cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, and killing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage cultivator. There was no rational person who would turn down such terms. Compared to Kong shis handwritten letter, those were nothing at all. "Everyone, calm down!" Just as everyone was speaking excitedly, vying with one another for the slot, Ding Hong surveyed the crowd and said, "Allow me to finish my words first before making your decisions!" In an instant, the room fell silent. "Even though the person I want you to kill isnt too strong, his identity is a little unique. Hes a master teacher, and... hes representing the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for the Master Teacher Tournament as well!" Ding Hong said. "A master teacher representing Myriad Kingdom Alliance? You mean... Master Teacher Zhang Xuan whose name has been going around recently?" Everyone was taken aback. While they didnt pay much attention to the candidates of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they did happen to hear of Zhang Xuans name. Despite being under twenty, he triumphed in the selection round and became a 4-star master teacher on the spot. This had caused quite amotion in Myriad Kingdom City. To kill a public figure, not to mention, a 4-star master teacher at that? Those who were still smiling a moment ago immediately turned grim. Master teachers were forbidden from killing one another. If the headquarters were to learn of it, the consequences would be disastrous. Not to mention, this fellows name had been on the rise recently. If any harm were toe to him at this moment, the most likely suspects would be them. Frowning, Sect Leader Luo Huang asked, "What grudge do you have with Zhang shi?" While master teachers were forbidden from killing one another, there were exceptions to the rule. It had to meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) The grudge between both sides had reached an irreconcble stage. 2) The master teacher hadmitted a deed against the master teacher moral code. 3) The master teacher had shown severe disrespect toward a higher ranked master teacher through their words or actions. ... These were also the fundamental rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion... Devoid of camaraderie-kill! Devoid of morals-kill! Devoid of respect-kill! As role models, master teachers were expected to conduct themselves with the highest of values. It was also for this reason that the Master Teacher Pavilion was so respected throughout the continent. Gritting his teeth, Ding Hong roared furiously, "He killed my kin and destroyed my country. Unless he dies... my hatred will never be quelled!" For an esteemed elder of a country like him to end up wandering around as though a lost vagrant, not daring to return back to his homnd... It was all that fellows fault! "Your hatred will never be quelled unless he dies? Good!" Seeing theck of falsehood in the old mans expression, Sect Leader Luo Huang heaved a sigh of relief. "I can help you raise your cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan swiftly so that you could exact your vengeance personally. What do you think of it?" Since the other party had an irreconcble grudge against Zhang shi, under the first condition to killing a master teacher, he was allowed to raise the other partys cultivation so that the other party could exact his vengeance. After all, given the grudge between the two, as long as it was a fair duel, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt be able to object to it. "Indeed!" "Why didnt I think of that?" "Sect Leader Luo is indeed sharp..." Hearing those words, everyone pped their foreheads. As long as they didnt make a move themselves, they wouldnt have to take responsibility for this matter. Even if the headquarters wished to punish someone for the matter, the me wouldnt fall on them. "This is a good idea, however... there is something very bizarre about that fellow. I fear that I wont be a match for him!" Ding Hong shook his head. The other partys offer was extremely tempting, but having fought with the other party himself, he knew that the other party possessed incredible means. Despite possessing the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, he actually lost to a Half-Transcensiond. From that experience, he felt that he wouldnt be a match for the other party even if he were to reach Yin-Yang realm. And once that happened, he would be a goner. "You fear that you wont be a match? In other words, you want us to kill him in your stead?" Luo Huang frowned. "Thats right!" Ding Hong nodded in affirmation. "This..." The crowd fell silent. If the other party was just an insignificant figure, killing him wouldnt result in any repercussions. However, the other party just had to be a participant of the Master Teacher Tournament, not to mention, a famous one. If they were to make a move, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion would surely retaliate. Once this matter reaches the headquarter, even the strongest Fleeting Cloud Sect would be unable to bear the consequences. "Ill be honest, Kong shis handwritten letter isnt in my hands now. No matter who he is, as long as he promises me to aplish these two matters for me after obtaining the handwritten letter, Ill tell him where it is now." Seeing the hesitation in everyones eyes, Ding Hong pushed on. "It isnt difficult for us to make you the new alliance head and raise your cultivation. However, the matter regarding Zhang shi... has huge repercussions. Even our Fleeting Cloud Sect would have to give this matter some serious consideration!" Sect Leader Luo Huang contemted for a moment before replying, "Since thats the case, why dont you tell us where the handwritten letter is first? We will discuss our next course of action after that. If we deem it to be worth the risk, you can count on us for it. Even if it isnt, well still fulfill the other two conditions you asked for." Killing a 4-star master teacher was no joke. Such a matter couldnt be decided on a whim. Thus, they decided to put the matter aside for now and focus on the location of the handwritten letter first. "Indeed. Dont worry, there are so many of us here. We wont risk damaging our credibility over a small matter like this!" another sect leader said. "Besides, the handwritten letter isnt in your hands. That lowers the value of your information!" another added. If Kong shis handwritten were really in the old mans hands, then even if they had to face the wrath of the headquarters, it would still be worth the risk... But given that the letter was in the hands of another... Just a piece of information couldnt guarantee that they would be able to obtain the handwritten letter. Since that was the case, they had to give the matter some more thoughts. After all, it was one thing if they were the only ones to know of the information. However, given that so many people knew of the matter, if something were to happen to Zhang shi, there was a high chance that an information leak might ur. If so, not only would they be unable to keep Kong shis handwritten letter, it might even bring about a great disaster for their sect. "I believe the honor of all of the master teachers here. To speak of the truth, Kong shis handwritten letter is with Zhang Xuan at this very moment. He stole it away from me, cutting my arm off in the process even... As long as you kill him, youll be able to obtain the handwritten letter!" Ding Hong spoke of the words that he had prepared beforehand. "Zhang shi stole the handwritten letter from you?" "He was the one who cut off your arm?" Everyone was stunned for a moment before frenzied joy gushed into them. As master teachers, they could tell that Ding Hong wasnt beingpletely honest here... But all of that didnt matter to them at this moment. The important matter at hand was him admitting that the handwritten letter was stolen by Zhang Xuan. That, in itself, was a breach of the moral code of master teachers. This was sufficient to warrant his death. "Tell us more about the matter. If its indeed true, Zhang shi would have breached the master teacher moral code. As master teachers, we have the responsibility to purge ck sheep like him!" Sect Leader Luo Huang dered righteously. "Indeed! If you have any grievances, feel free to speak. All of those here today are the noblest of master teachers. If the other party had truly exploited his own identity to oppress you, we will definitely redress your grievances!" "Such a person mustnt be allowed to remain in the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Another two master teachers bellowed out. Most of those seated knew that the matter wasnt that simple. However, seeing the look of determination the eyes of the various sect leaders, they could only sigh and shake their heads. Even they themselves found it hard to resist the allure of Kong shis handwritten letter. "Since everyone is interested in the matter, allow me to speak of it then!" With reddened eyes, Ding Hong began recounting the matter. "The relic belongs to Qu n, and our Ding n has been close friends with the Qu n for many generations now. In fact, we even once co-governed Xuanyuan Kingdom. Unfortunately, the Qu n couldnt withstand the trial of time and slowly went into decline. Just three years ago, the final sessor of the Qu n came and entrusted the relic to us before passing away." At which, Ding Hongs eyes suddenly burned in fury. "But who could have known that Zhang Xuan would learn of it. He barged into my great grandsons inauguration ceremony, killed him, and stole the handwritten letter. He even tried to silence me. If not for an escaping art that I practiced, I might have died then!" Clenching his jaws tightly together, Ding Hong roared furiously in anger, "To conceal the vile deeds hemitted for Kong shis handwritten letter, he created all kinds of excuses to justify his actions! Its fortunate that the heavens took pity on me and I managed to survive the ordeal. Otherwise, the truth would have never seen the light of the day!" Given that the target he was hoping to have killed was a master teacher, he knew that he had toe up with a sufficient reason for the others to justify their actions. Thus, he crafted this story. It was their Ding n who tried to snatch the handwritten letter from Lu Chong, but he twisted the story to me Zhang Xuan for all that happened instead. Only this way would these master teachers be willing to kill Zhang Xuan in his stead. "Atrocious! How could there be such a person among us?" "How in the world did such an immoral person be a master teacher?" "He must be taught a lesson! We must instill in him the dignity a teacher should have..." "That exins why the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion had always ranked at the bottom. Its time to do some reorganizing to clear up such degenerating culture!" ... Hearing Ding Hongs words, the master teachers were infuriated. "Sect Leader Luo, I suggest that we confront Zhang Xuan at this instant to have him exin this matter!" "Thats right! We should have him hand over the handwritten letter as well. Its an insult to Kong shi to have such an immoral person to hold onto his relic!" "Indeed! I share your thoughts as well!" ... Everyone turned their eyes to Sect Leader Luo Huang. "All of your words make sense. A master teacher must be upright to guide others. But of course, we cant only listen to one side of the story. We should also hear Zhang shis defense. If it is true that he breached the master teacher moral code, we mustnt let him off the hook even if the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion sides with him!" Sect Leader Luo announced righteously as he flung his sleeves. "Alright, lets go over to confront him now!" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Seeing that he had everyones support, Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded his head in satisfaction. He then turned to Ding Hong and asked, "This friend over here, why dont you follow us there? Until the truth of this matter is revealed, you shall be the most esteemed guest of our Fleeting Cloud Sect. No one will dare to do you any harm!" "Alright!" A savage gleam shed across Ding Hongs eyes. "Zhang shi lives in a residence in the vicinity of the Alliance Head Residence. I know where it is, allow me to lead the way!" one of the master teachers shouted before walking at the front. Since they had alreadye to a decision, the crowd followed behind him and walked out of the Sea Gazing Gazebo, headed for Zhang Xuans residence. Seeing the grand line-up here, Luo Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. Given that everyone knew that Kong shis handwritten letter was with Zhang shi, how could this trial be fair? Regardless of whether Zhang shi admits to it or not, one thing was for sure-he would surely be unable to keep the handwritten letter. Chapter 561: Sun Qiang Evicts Chapter 561: Sun Qiang Evicts Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A beautiful figure walked over to Zhang Xuans current residence-the princess of the alliance, Zhao Feiwu. Upon seeing her, Sun Qiang hurried forward and said with a bitter smile, "Princess, the young master isnt back yet..." Ever since the young masters departure, Princess Zhao had been visiting once every few days. This residence was on the verge of bing her permanent dwelling already. "I know. Im just here to walk around..." Hearing those words, disappointment clearly flickered across Zhao Feiwus face for a moment, but she quickly hid it with a smile. Knowing that this princess harbored exceptional feelings for the young master, Sun Qiang hurriedly said, "Princess, theres no need for you to worry. Ill immediately send someone to inform you as soon as the young master is back..." "Alright!" Zhao Feiwu nodded her head, and just as she was about to speak, she suddenly caught someone walking toward the residence from the distance out of the corner of her eye. It was the garden owner of the Southern Herb Garden, Xue Yiyao. This garden owner was known for her entric personality and her headstrong personality, bending to none, even the Alliance Head Residence. Why would she suddenlye here? Perplexed, Zhao Feiwu asked, "May I know the reason for Garden Owner Xues sudden visit?" "Zhang shi has resuscitated my Earth Vein Spirit Vine, thus saving my entire field of medicinal herbs. Im here to thank him for the favor," Garden Owner Xue said. In the past few days, the spirit of the new Earth Vein Spirit Vine had sessfully fused with the original one, thus allowing it to recover. All of the withering medicinal herbs returned back to perfect health, and only then did Garden Owner Xue finally affirm that Zhang shis solution was truly effective. Thus, she decided to make this visit to thank him once more. Even though she had given him many spirit herbs inpensation, butpared to the entire field of medicinal herbs, that was truly not worth mentioning at all. "Zhang shi is out training for the Master Teacher Tournament, and he isnt back yet..." Sun Qiang exined. Instead of telling others that he was heading for the Yin-Yang Lake, Zhang Xuan told others that he was going to go out to train instead. This could ensure that the news wouldnt leak out and thus prevent sabotage from other participants. "Training?" Garden Owner Xue was taken aback. "Alright then. Ill pay a visit once more when Zhang shi returns!" Since Zhang shi wasnt around, there was no point to her staying here. Thus, she prepared to turn around to leave. But just then, she suddenly felt an overwhelmingly powerful aura behind her, exerting an immense pressure on her. "Is Zhang shi in? Sect Leader Luo Huang of Fleeting Cloud Sect, Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi of White Helios Sect, Sect Leader Huang Qi of Cascading Sand Sect... A total of fourteen sect leaders and nation elders are here. Ask him toe out to pay his respects!" A clear bellow reverberated in the area, tremoring even the clouds. Very few people knew that Zhang Xuan had left Myriad Kingdom City. On top of that, these powers didnt think of that rising master teacher as a potential opponent, so they didnt pay much attention to him. As such, they didnt know that the other party wasnt around. "Fourteen sect leaders and nation elders were here to visit?" "What are they up to?" "Zhang shi is a master teacher of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Why are they finding him for?" ... When that voice echoed in the air, many guards and soldiers who heard those words were stunned. Zhang shi was going to represent the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the Master Teacher Tournament. Why was this group of people looking for him? Sun Qiang, Zhao Feiwu, and Garden Owner Xue traded nces, and they immediately noted that something was amiss. Even if they wanted to pay Zhang shi a visit, it was impossible for fourteen heads of their respective powers to visit simultaneously. It was certain that they were up to something. After a moment of hesitation, Sun Qiang stepped forward and greeted the group, "Guests, the young master is not around at the moment!" An elder waved his hands majestically. "Not around? Hah, more like you are hiding him! Youd better bring him out, or else dont me us for conducting a search on our own ord." Kong shis handwritten letter was simply too precious to them. What if that fellow were to escape after hearing of the news? "Search?" Sun Qiang frowned. "The young master is an esteemed 4-star master teacher who will be representing the Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the Master Teacher Tournament. For all of you toe knocking and even threaten to search the residence, may I ask if the young master has turned his back against the responsibilities of a master teacher or sullied the name of the Master Teacher Pavilion? Besides, even if a search must ur, it should be conducted by the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion instead. What rights do you have to do so? Do you have a search warrant with you?" As a qualified butler, Sun Qiang had studied the various convention andws governing master teachers so as to act with propriety. Given the young masters esteemed standing as a 4-star master teacher, no one had the rights to search with residence without a search warrant from the Master Teacher Pavilion. "We might not have any search warrant, but given that so many senior master teachers are before him, dont you think it is a huge breach of etiquette for him to not pay his respects?" "Indeed, get him out to greet us! Does he intend to breach the master teacher moral code?" Two middle-aged man of the group threatened. They had made the journey here to ask about Kong shis handwritten letter. If that fellow were to remain hidden, they wouldnt be able to do anything at all. "Pay respects?" Hearing the other partys arrogant words, Sun Qiangs face immediately flushed in anger. "Audacious!" "What?" Zhao Feiwu and Garden Owner Xues body suddenly swayed weakly. The one who is acting audaciously... seems to be you instead! The visiting group included sect leaders and nation elders of the fourteen strongest empires in the region. They were all either powerful experts or half 5-star master teachers... And yet, an insignificant Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator like you actually dared to shout to them? Where did your gutse from? "The young master is the esteemed direct disciple of great Master Teacher Yang Xuan! How dare you bunch of goons who havent even reached 5-star yet cause a ruckus here?" Sun Qiang waved his hands arrogantly. "What are you all waiting for? Scram!" Old Master Yang Xuan was a master teacher with a ranking of at least 6-star. As his butler, he had to carry himself with pride and disposition which wouldnt bring shame to his name. How dare this bunch of goons demand for the young master to pay respects to them? Who gave you such guts? "..." Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others stared at one another, dumbstruck. They thought that their identity would surely scare Zhang Xuan out of his wits, and thetter would immediately give up and rush out. But never in their dreams did they expect to be blocked at the door by his butler... Not to mention, the other party even said that they were being audacious and chased them away... The heck! Am I hearing things? "What did you say? I dare you to repeat yourself!" Sect Leader Luo Huangs eyebrows shot up as a powerful aura burst forth from him. He was the sect leader of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle expert. To be chased away by this insignificant fellow, how could he possibly take it lying? "What did I say? Are you deaf? How can someone as dumb as you remain as a master teacher... I truly wonder how you became a sect leader like this!" Sun Qiang waved his hands and said, "Fine, since you didnt hear me clearly the first time, Ill repeat myself for your sake... I am asking you to scram, dont cause any trouble here!" "Youre courting death!" Seeing that his teacher had been humiliated, Luo Xuan couldnt hold back his rage any longer and charged forward. Hong long! A gigantic palm carrying an indescribably violent aura came charging toward Sun Qiang, eradicating everything in its path. Qiu! But before the palm could strike Sun Qiang, a sharp call echoed from the skies. Following which, a gigantic shadow fell straight down to the ground. Due to the incredible speed from its movements, a shrill sonic boom threatened to pierce everyones ears. "The heck..." Luo Xuan barely managed to release a shout of exmation before he was seated upon. His entire body was immediately bent in an unnatural anger, and a mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth. He nearly breathed hisst at that moment. Demon Cinque Beast! Back when Zhang Xuan left, he had entrusted the safety of everyone in the residence to him. Thus, upon seeing Luo Xuan make a move against Sun Qiang, it immediately swooped down to protect thetter. As a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert who was on the verge of achieving a breakthrough at any moment, the Demon Cinque Beast was significantly stronger than Luo Xuan. Not to mention, it possessed astounding speed and nearly invincible defensive capability. Thetter didnt even have a chance to react before he was mortally wounded. Luo Xuan felt as though he was on the verge of breaking down. He was the genius who was the strongest contender for the champion seat for the Master Teacher Tournament, an expert who was just a step away from reaching Consonant Spirit realm, and yet, he nearly died from being squashed by a spirit beast... Just the thought of it left him incredibly frenzied. "Beast, how dare you!" A crimson glow extended across Sect Leader Luo Huangs face all the way down to the neck as he bellowed furiously. He was the sect leader of the Fleeting Cloud Sect, the strongest power among the 28 kingdoms in the region... And yet, his student actually ended up being squashed by a spirit beast right before him. Infuriated, he prepared to charge up to teach the other party a lesson. "Why? Is a half 5-star master teacher like you going toy his hands on an ordinary civilian? What wrong have Imitted? What wrong has Zhang shimitted?" Sun Qiang stepped forward. In view of their standing, master teachers wouldnt make a move on ordinary civilians as long as they didnt sin. Sun Qiang was only preventing anyone from trespassing into their residence, so he couldnt be said to have sinned. Rather, Luo Xuan, who lost hisposure and charged at him, was clearly at fault here. If Luo Huang were to make a move instead, the only one who would be embarrassed would be him. But even though Sun Qiang was confident that the other party wouldnt stoop down to his level, he was still feeling a little worried. "You..." Having his intentions questioned, Sect Leader Luo Huang retracted his outstretched palm. The other party was just a subordinate. To kill the other party over such a small matter would only make him seem petty. "Ill repeat it once more. The young master isnt in the residence now. No matter what youre here for, be it to acknowledge him as your teacher or to seek his guidance, Ill have to ask of you to leave!" Seeing that the other party didnt make a move in the end, Sun Qiang harrumphed while heaving a sigh of relief on the inside. "Acknowledging him as our teacher?" Hearing those words, everyone felt faint-headed. Acknowledge your head! Have you seen anyoneing to acknowledge a teacher in such a manner? Besides, that Zhang Xuan is only a 4-star primary master teacher. What right does he have to be the teacher of us half 5-star master teachers? Seeing the awkward situation, an elder walked over and asked, "Sect Leader Luo, what do we do now?" They were all esteemed experts. They couldnt possibly juste over to overturn everything in the other partys house, going to the extent of evenying their hands on the other partys subordinate! If they were to do so, even if the headquarters didnt pursue this matter, they would probably die of shame. But... If they didnt do so, how could they ascertain whether Zhang shi was around or not? "Lets return for now!" With a darkened face, Sect Leader Luo Huang waved his hands. "Return?" Everyone was taken aback. Are we supposed to retreat just like that? Chased away by the other partys subordinate, arent we a little too useless? "What else can we do?" Sect Leader Luo Huang harrumphed. He was also getting a huge headache over this matter. But from the looks of it, Zhang Xuan really didnt seem to be around. Otherwise, given the hugemotion that had urred, it was impossible for him to still remain hidden. Quarreling with another persons subordinate while the person isnt around... He couldnt afford to lose his reputation over this! More importantly, this butler had way too much bravado. Anyone else would have surely trembled in fear before their presence, but this fellow... didnt think much of them at all... I wonder if this fellow really has some kind of backing or hes simply that brave! Sect Leader Luo Huang feared that if he were to continue fighting with the other party, he would die of anger first. After a moment of hesitation, Sect Leader Luo Huang ordered, "Well send someone to keep a lookout at this residence. As soon as Zhang Xuan returns, theyll report back to us, and it wont be toote for us to capture him then!" Instead of embarrassing himself here, he might as well leave for the moment first. Chapter 562: Returning to Myriad Kingdom City Chapter 562: Returning to Myriad Kingdom City Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Yes!" Even though everyone was reluctant, there was no better solution at hand. If they were to really blow things up and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion got involved, the headquarters might be rmed, and their envoy might arrive even before Zhang Xuan returned. If so, they would be put in a difficult position. Hu! Thus, as swiftly as they came, they retreated. And after seeing all of them leave, Sun Qiangs legs caved in and he fell to the ground. He was the butler of Master Teacher Yang Xuan, and he knew he couldnt lose out to others in terms of disposition, but... his cultivation was simply too low at the moment. With a strength of only Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, it had taken all of his courage to stand before so many experts. Recalling how close he came to danger just a moment ago, Zhao Feiwu stepped forward and asked, "Dont you... fear death?" To yell at so many Consonant Spirit realm experts to scram, even her father wouldnt be able to muster such courage. Where did the confidence of this plump butlere from? After a momentter, Sun Qiang finally recovered. Standing up, he shook his head in response. "Of course I do!" "But if youre scared, why would you still..." Even Garden Owner Xue was perplexed by the other partys actions. Since he felt fear, why did he still do it? If Sect Leader Luo Huang were to really make a move then, he would have surely died on the spot. If that were to happen, nothing could remedy it. It would mean nothing even if Zhang shi were to redress your grievances in the future! A dead life couldnt be brought back! "I am indebted to the old master. From a humble Zhenqi realm cultivator, he had brought me to a position where Im respected and trusted by so many... As long as he allows me to remain at his side as his butler, I have the obligation to ensure that the old masters dignity isnt being trampled on... even if it means my death!" Sun Qiang said with determination. If not for the old master, he would probably spend his entire life in the small shop he had in Tianxuan Royal City. He would have never met so many master teachers, needless to say, step into a position where no one dares to belittle him. The old master had given him a second life. If he, as a butler, was unable to uphold the old masters dignity, he would have failed in his duties. This was the faith he held, and he was determined to live his life by it. This was precisely the reason why he mustered his courage and stood before those experts despite the danger. His strength might becking, and his cultivation might be low, but... the dignity of a high-ranked master teacher mustnt be thrown away! "This..." Zhao Feiwu was in awe. This plump man may look like an unreliable figure, but yet, he had things which he was unwilling topromise on as well. It seemed that even though the people that gathered around Zhang shi were all entric, they seemed to be oddly and unreservedly united. Conflict and politics didnt seem to exist among them. Perhaps... this might be due to his charisma. A momentter, Zhao Feiwu suddenly thought of something and asked, "The old master that you spoke of refers to Yang shi? Where is Yang shi at the moment?" She had heard of Yang shi-Zhang shis teacher-but she had never met him before. "The old master likes to spend his time roaming freely across thends. Ive no idea where he is either!" As soon as he spoke of Yang Xuan, Sun Qiangs face immediately lit up in admiration. "You dont know where he is?" Zhao Feiwu was perplexed. "Then... Is he not going to spectate the Master Teacher Tournament?" His student was participating in such an important tournament for the first time, was Yang shi, despite being the other partys teacher, not going to support Zhang shi at such a crucial moment? Sun Qiang contemted for a moment before replying, "This... Im not too sure as well. However... I think he should being soon!" It was clear that those who hade together harbored malicious intentions toward Zhang shi. If the old master didnt appear soon, something bad might really happen. But... Old Master, where are you? ... Ah choo! Zhang Xuan rubbed his nose. Naturally, he wasnt aware that Ding Hong was already at Myriad Kingdom City and had already convinced the fourteen strongest powers currently in the city to move against him. He was still on the back of the aerial spirit beast, ncing down at the winding mountain range below as his eyes slowly lit up in excitement. After half a months journey, he was finally returning to Myriad Kingdom City! "Im finally back. Judging by the timing, the Soulrouse Grass should have matured already. I should be able to craft the Soulrouse Incense and wake Lu Chong now!" As the Soulrouse Grass could not be kept in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan chose not to bring it with him. It had been fifty days since his departure, and it should have already matured under Wang Yings care and be ready to be crafted into the Soulrouse Incense. With this, Lu Chong would be able toe back to life, and he would have resolved a boulder weighing down on his heart. Honglong! A distance away, a disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy could be felt, and a powerful aura suddenly burst out. "Ive achieved a breakthrough?" Ruohuan gongzi slowly opened his eyes. At this moment, his eyes were clear, and his body was seemingly filled with endlessly vitality and might. Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle! Under Zhang Xuans pointers and the nourishment of a middle-tier spirit stone, he had really managed to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle within half a month. "Zhang shi, thank you for your guidance!" Sensing overwhelming energy far superior to before flowing through his body, Ruohuan gongzi sped his fist in gratitude. If not for the other party, who knew how long it would have taken him to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. The surge of Heavens Path zhenqi he infused into the other party previously had made the other partys originally turbid zhenqi purer. Building on such a foundation, it wasnt too hard for the other party to advance several small realms consecutively within a short period of time. If the other party couldnt do as much under such conditions, the other party would truly be unworthy of his title as a genius. "Zhang shi, your cultivation..." Pavilion Master Kang raised his doubts. Seeing Ruohuan gongzis swift improvement in the past few days had delighted him, but at the same time, doubts started sprouting in his mind. If Zhang shi could induce such massive improvements in others, why couldnt he do the same for himself? Given that the other party hadnt even reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan yet, he would surely in a huge disadvantagepeting in the Master Teacher Tournament. "Dont worry. Ill try my best to advance to the Yin-Yang realm pinnacle before the tournament, and if possible, perhaps even rifying Turbidity realm!" Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. To advance his cultivation, he needed middle-tier spirit stones-to do so through absorbing spiritual energy in the air was simply too inefficient. However, this just happened to be the resource he was sorelycking at the moment. Since any advancement otherwise would be insignificant inparison, he decided to find some way to procure more middle-tier spirit stones in the capital first before raising his cultivation. "Un!" Hearing Zhang shis guarantee, Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. "Were about to arrive at your residence..." Walking up to the entrance of the room on top of the spirit beast, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned around and said, "Un. Ill be bidding you farewell here then. Ill be busy during this period of time so dont look for me. Rest assured, Ill surely appear at the Master Teacher Tournament when the timees!" To procure more middle-tier spirit stones, it was likely that he would have to appear in public as Yang shi. If Pavilion Master Kang were to visit during this period of time, given the abrupt disappearance of Zhang shi and thetters familiarity with him, there was a chance that thetter might tie the two together and realize that Yang shi was actually Zhang shi. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to take precautions against that. "Alright!" Thinking that Zhang Xuan might be intending on going into seclusion, Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. After saying all that had to be said, Zhang Xuan leaped off the back of the spirit beast, and not too longter, Pavilion Master Kang departed along with the spirit beast. As soon as Zhang Xuan returned to the residence, Sun Qiang suddenly rushed up to him. "Young master!" Noticing that something was amiss from Sun Qiangs anxious expression, Zhang Xuan asked, "Did something happen while I was away?" "The Fleeting Cloud Sect and thirteen other powers came to find you while you were away..." Sun Qiang swiftly recounted the entire matter. "Why are they looking for me?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never seen those people before. Why would they suddenly pay him a visit? "Inform me the next time theye over..." Zhang Xuan had been in a dilemma as to who he should procure spirit stones from when these people came knocking at his door. This worked out fine as well. At the very least, he didnt have to go out there to search for customers. "Yes!" Seeing theposure on the young masters face, Sun Qiang suddenly felt the burden on his shoulder being lifted, and he heaved a sigh of relief. "Young master, may I know where the old master is at the moment, and will he being over?" "Teacher?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment. However, he quickly recovered and replied, "Teacher told me that he will being over in the next few days... Alright, I have to speak with Wang Ying. Where is she?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Since he was going to appear as Yang shi, it was best for him to let the news out in advance so that it wouldnt be too abrupt and unnatural. "Shes currently in the midst of caring for the Soulrouse Grass. Young master... are you intending to cure Young Master Lu Chong now?" Upon recalling something, Sun Qiangs eyes suddenly lit up. As the butler of the residence, how could he be unaware of what Wang Ying was up? For the young master to look for her so anxiously as soon as he returned, most likely, this was something that had to do with Lu Chong. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Lu Chongs issue is intricately tied with the topic of souls, and I would require absolute silence for the treatment. Make sure that no one interrupts me!" Sun Qiang nodded. However, a momentter, he finally realized the reason behind the incongruity he had been feeling since the young masters arrival and asked, "Young master, didnt Zhao Ya xiaojie leave with you? Why isnt she here?" Since Zhao Ya left along with Zhang Xuan, it didnt make sense for thetter to return alone. "She has gone somewhere else; she wont be returning for the time being..." Zhang Xuan shook his hands before walking over to the room where the Soulrouse Grass was being cultivated. "Teacher!" As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the room, he immediately saw Wang Ying. Nodding his head to acknowledge the other partys greeting, he turned his gaze to the Soulrouse Grass ced in the middle of the room. By now, it was already around half the height of a human, and it emitted a unique scent that left with one feeling confusion. It seemed as though ones soul would be trapped in it the moment one put ones guard down. Harnessing soul energy, the Soulrouse Grass possessed the ability to interfere with ones psyche. "Youve worked hard over the past few days. You should take a rest!" Seeing how well the Soulrouse Grass grown, not to mention, thepleteck of scratches on it, one could easily imagine how much effort Wang Ying had put into its cultivation. "Un!" Having beenplimented, Wang Yings face reddened, and she hurriedly walked out. "Time to start!" Drawing his soul out from his body, Zhang Xuan grabbed the Soulrouse Grass lightly in his palm and began to infuse his zhenqi in to forge it. He would have required a lot of preparation beforehand to forge the Soulrouse Grass sessfully before, but after his soul had been tempered by both yin and yang energy, thus bing even stronger andpact, forging it wasnt a problem for him anymore. Under the inflow of zhenqi from Zhang Xuan, the medicinal herb melted, turning into a puddle of flowing green liquid. And with a flick of his fingers, the liquid began gathering together, forming an incense stick. Soulrouse Incense! It possessed the ability to awaken a dormant soul after being lit. "Based on what Mo Hunsheng said, to increase the chances of waking Lu Chong, itll be best for me to infuse a portion of my soul into it!" By infusing a portion of his soul into the Soulrouse Grass before lighting it, its effectiveness could be enhanced. "Soul split!" Zhang Xuan carefully split a portion of his soul, and in the process, his face gradually paled. Even though his soul had reached the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, dividing his soul would still cause significant damage to him. But as long as Lu Chong could be safe, there was no sacrifice too great. Fusing the divided portion of his soul with the incense, he was finally ready to awaken Lu Chong. "Great! I should begin now..." Havingpleted all preparations, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Retracting his soul back into his body, he walked forward toward Lu Chong. Chapter 563: Attack [2in1] Chapter 563: Attack [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan ced the Soulrouse Incense on the Soul Aperture on Lu Chongs be and lit it. Smoke slowly rose from the Soulrouse Incense, and along with it came a distant and vague song reminiscent of the melody of gods and demons, leaving one intoxicated. If one were to stare intently at the smoke, one would be able to see a faint silhouette dressed in loose robe dancing a unique dance which seemed to hold a certain allure for a soul. "Return, soul! Why roam in distantnds when your belonging lies here? Abandoning for paradise for sufferings in a foreignnd. Return, soul! There is nowhere else you can rest! Giants of astounding stature seek to reap you. In thends they bring you ten suns sear, metal flows in rivers and stones exist in mere dust..." The voice slowly seeped into Lu Chongs be, resonating with his sleeping soul. "Whether he will awake or not will count on this!" As the distant voice grew louder and louder, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and drew his soul out as well. After which, his soul dashed straight into Lu Chongs consciousness. And the next moment, an ocean stretching to the horizons appeared before his eyes. "How can his inner world be sorge?" Standing in the midst of the other partys consciousness, Zhang Xuan was stunned. Even with his soul cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to perceive the ends to the other partys inner world. The inner world of an ordinary cultivator was usually only the size of a pond-Lu Chongs case was indeed extraordinary. "Where is Lu Chongs soul?" Quickly recovering from his astonishment, Zhang Xuan remembered his purpose here and hurriedly scanned the surroundings. A dormant soul would usually be lying asleep in a corner of ones inner world. With the assistance from the Soulrouse Incense, it shouldnt be difficult to wake the soul up. Flying around the vast inner world, Zhang Xuan soon found a gigantic figure lying amidst dense mist. Despite lying horizontally in the ocean, it was still as tall as a mountain. The eyes of the figure were tightly shut. "This... Isnt this a little... way too big?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief. Not only was Lu Chongs inner world huge, even his soul was humongous as well. In fact, it seemed to wield even greater strength than Zhang Xuans Transcendent Mortal 4-dan soul... But how could that be possible? One must know that Lu Chong was only at Zongshi realm when he went into aa. How could a Zongshi realm cultivator possess such a powerful soul? "Could this be... Acquired Soul Physique?" Suddenly, a thought shed across Zhang Xuans mind. There were physical constitutions in the world which, when awoken, could induce a rapid rise in ones cultivation. Simrly, there were also physical constitutions that could enhance ones soul as well... and one of them was the Acquired Soul Physique. Just as stated in the name, this constitution didnte with one at birth. Thus, even master teachers would be unable to perceiving ones usible aptitude in this aspect before its appearance. Usually, such unique constitutions usually appeared after the host underwent a major event in his life. It was simr to how some people gained the ability to see ghosts after falling off the stairs, or how some recalled their past lives after suffering an injury to the head and began to chant ancient Sanskrit sutras. If Zhang Xuan wasnt mistaken, Lu Chong belonged to this category as well. He was originally just an ordinary person, but the massacre of his n had diverted the course of his life. After which, he met Zhang Xuan, and to save thetter, he sacrificed himself and fell into aa... These experiences had caused a qualitative evolvement of his soul. "If my conjecture is true, given the size of his soul, when he finally wakes up, his cultivation will probably be stronger than mine..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He thought that it would take a long time before Lu Chong fully recovered from the impact of that incident, but to his delight, this incident actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. But still, if Zhang Xuan didnt possess an in-depth knowledge of souls, this unique constitution would probably have gone to waste... But now, as long as thetter wakes up and is imparted the Heavens Path Soul Art, his cultivation would surely soar. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan walked up to the gigantic body and shouted, "Lu Chong, I am Zhang shi. Wake up!" ... While Zhang Xuan was attempting to wake Lu Chong, Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others received news of Zhang Xuans return. "Since hes back, its about time for us to pay him a visit and ask of the matter!" "Indeed. Given how he is barely qualified as a 4-star master teacher, how can he be qualified to hold onto Kong shis handwritten letter?" "If he hands it over obediently, we can still choose to let the matter go. But if he decides to make things difficult for himself... well conduct a trial on the spot to investigate the origin of the letter! If it is proven that he has breached the master teacher moral code by stealing the possession of an innocent party, he shall be punished!" ... Voices rang up in agreement. Kong shis handwritten letter was an unparalleled treasure for all master teachers. As leaders of their respective powers, no matter how kind-hearted they could have been before, for the welfare of the masses behind them who were relying on them for support, they had no choice but to harden their hearts. If sacrificing one Zhang Xuan could lead to the rise of their power, then this was a gamble that was worth taking on. Sect Leader Luo Huang interjected themotion and asked, "Everyone, calm down for a moment. Dont you think it is weird how the butler was able to stand before us without the slightest fear, even showing disdain?" "This..." Everyone suddenly stopped to think about the matter. Despite their huge line-up, they still ended up being chased away by an insignificant butler. Just by recalling the incident left their hearts boiling in anger. But still, there was indeed something doubtful about the matter. Was that butler truly fearless of death, or did he have some kind of backing to fall back on? "If Im not mistaken, that fellows backing must be the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion!" "He probably still doesnt know that the matter regarding Kong shis handwritten letter has been leaked. Otherwise, he definitely wouldnt dare to do so!" "I think that it might be the Demon Cinque Beast. That spirit beast is indeed powerful. Even a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage expert might have a tough time fighting with it!" "With such a powerful tamed beast and his young masters standing in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, he would be unworthy as a master teachers butler if he didnt have that much pride in himself." The group in the room discussed. Even though the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion wasnt as powerful as them, they still didnt dare to go overboard. After all, the Master Teacher Pavilion was strict in enforcing its rules, and they could get into trouble if the headquarter were to learn of the matter. That butler was probably able to keep his bravado having guessed as much. Hearing the responses from the crowd, Sect Leader Luo Huang shook his head. "Seems like everyone doesnt know much about that Zhang Xuan. To tell you all the truth, Ive had my subordinates look into his affairs for the past few days!" As the most powerful individuals in the region, they honestly didnt think much of Zhang Xuan. Rather, they were more guarded toward those of their own group, such as the Fleeting Cloud Sect, Cascading Sand Sect, and Frigid Gale Sect, fearing that they might backstab them. Thus, the information they had on Zhang Xuan was severely limited. After all, who would have the effort to worry about a mere ant when there were other threats looming in the area? They had never entertained the possibility that this rising star of Myriad Kingdom Alliance might not be as simple as he looked on the surface. "Oh?" Seeing Sect Leader Luo Huangs grim expression, everyone turned their gazes toward him. "Its said that this Zhang Xuan isnt even twenty this year, and it was only two months ago that he had passed his 2-star master teacher examination. His improvement is, in the truest sense, frightening..." Sect Leader Luo Huang spoke slowly. "But of course, we cant exclude the possibility that he had been hiding his true strength from the start to create such fanfare..." There were also quite a few master teachers who trained to a certain level before breezing through multiple examinations at once. As such, a 2-star master teacher rising straight to the level of a 4-star wasnt too shocking. "However, what is worrying is that... despite his young age, he has already attained the strength of a 4-star master teacher. In fact, in the selection round, he even triumphed over Pavilion Master Kangs direct disciple, Jun Ruohuan... Arent you all curious about his teacher?" Sect Leader Luo Huang finally revealed his worry. "This..." Everyone fell into deep thought. They didnt think much of Zhang Xuan before-after all, how could a mere 4-star primary master teacher stand against them all? A 4-star primary master teacher might be a prestigious figure in Myriad Kingdom City, but to huge sects and influential powers like them, it meant nothing at all. However, after hearing Sect Leader Luo Huangs words, they realized that they had been negligent. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance had beengging behind in terms of resources aspared to the other kingdoms. It had no half 5-star master teacher or Consonant Spirit realm experts... and thus, it had no long-range Tutge Jade Tokens as well. As such, cultivating a single 4-star master teacher was difficult on its own. Under such conditions, raising a 4-star master teacher who wasnt even in his twenties yet was indeed an extraordinary feat. "Based on the news I received, Zhang Xuans teacher is a half 5-star master teacher known as Yang Xuan." Sect Leader Luo Huang revealed the intelligence that he had gathered. ording to the intelligence, Yang Xuan rarely appeared in public, and on the asions he did, it was in lower tiered kingdoms. However, due to the weak eye of discernment of those living in those regions, they were unable to perceive the other partys cultivation clearly, thus resulting in ack of concrete evaluation of Yang Xuans strength. But based on the other partys feats, Sect Leader Luo Huang determined thetter to be a 3-star to 4-star master teacher. However, it was clear that a 4-star master teacher couldnt possibly raise a student as talented as Zhang Xuan... What that allowed him to make his final evaluation was... Su shi and Ling shi visiting him and leaving respectfully. To be worthy of being treated with such respect by a 4-star master teacher, it was highly likely that the other party was a half 5-star master teacher like them. After all, if the other party was any stronger, he would have surely gone to higher tiered empires already instead of staying in an insignificant ce like the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Besides, if a master teacher of that caliber were to visit a lower tiered kingdom, the regional Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be informed to make preparations to wee him. It was impossible for there to be no news on the matter at all. More importantly... Those who hade into contact with Yang Xuan didnt seem to note that thetter was capable of Spirit Gathering Diction! This was a fundamental ability to a 5-star master teacher. Those who hadnt grasped this ability couldnt qualify as a 5-star master teacher. "Half 5-star master teacher? Since the other party is of equal standing as us, what do we have to fear?" "Indeed! So what if hes a half 5-star master teacher? Kong shis handwritten letter is of vital importance to all master teachers... Even if hes a full-fledged 5-star master teacher, I say that we should still confront him for it!" "Despite being a master teacher, he kept Kong shis handwritten letter for himself instead of submitting it up to the headquarters. Even if hes a 5-star master teacher, he will surely be severely punished for his misdeed!" ... After hearing that the Zhang Xuans teacher possessed strength of their tier, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. An elder asked, "Sect Leader Luo Huang, whats your view on this matter?" "Based on my intelligence, that Yang Xuan doesnt seem to be in Myriad Kingdom City at the moment. However... to avoid unnecessary trouble, I think that we should unite as one for the moment, obtain the handwritten letter as soon as possible, and decide on its allocationter on. Otherwise... it is likely that none of us will obtain the relic," Sect Leader Luo Huang said grimly. Whether it would be boiled or fried, they would have to take down their prey first. It was too early to be talking about the allocation when their prey hasnt been caught yet. To date, it was still unconfirmed whether Kong shis handwritten letter was truly with Zhang Xuan, and, if it was, whether it was authentic or not. If they were to dy the matter and Yang Xuan were to arrive in the city, even though they had no fear for the other party, it would still be unwise for them to go overboard-after all, the other party was a fellow half 5-star master teacher as well. "Sect Leader Luo, rest assured. We are all mature adults, we know what we should do!" "A treasure such as Kong shis handwritten letter cant possibly belong to a single power. At the very least, we know this much!" "Lets talk about it after obtaining it from Zhang shis hands!" The crowd nodded their heads, indicating their approval toward this course of action. "Since everyone is agreeable to it, Ill start delegating the roles then!" Seeing that he had everyone onboard, Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded his head in satisfaction. "When were there, I hope that Sect Leader Hu and Sect Leader Bai can curb that Demon Cinque Beast!" "The rest shall move with me to capture that Zhang Xuan and secure Kong shis handwritten letter. Well have to move fast, or else itll be troublesome if he hides the object!" "Alright!" Everyone nodded in consent. Since they have decided to make a move, naturally, they should do it as soon as possible. Who knew what kinds of hups could ur if they were to dy the matter? "Lets set off then!" After confirming the details of the n, Sect Leader Luo Huang waved his hand, and the group marched off toward Zhang Xuans residence. ... Sun Qiang stood in an empty residence with a deep frown etched on his forehead. The young master didnt think much of the group that came knocking a few days ago, but Sun Qiang still couldnt help but worry about it. It was clear that the other party bore malicious intentions. He was able to chase them away by insisting that the young master wasnt around the previous time, but now that the young master had returned, it wouldnt be easy for him to stop them the next time. Garden Owner Xue walked up to Sun Qiang and asked, "Wheres Zhang shi?" Zhang shi had saved her herb garden from a huge cmity the previous time. Knowing that the group of people who came the other day would surelye knocking again to cause trouble, she volunteered to stay behind. "The young master is in the midst of treating Young Master Lu Chong, so youll have to wait for a while longer!" Sun Qiang replied. "Alright!" Garden Owner Xue replied. Then, with a slightly worried expression, she remarked, "Now that Zhang shi is back, I fear that the group of men would return once more to look for him!" "Indeed..." Sun Qiang sighed. "If only the old master were around... There would be no need to fear those creeps!" "Yang shi... If it isnt a sensitive question, may I ask what rank is he as a master teacher?" Seeing the immense confidence Sun Qiang had in his old master, Garden Owner Xue couldnt help but ask about it. "Ive no idea as well, but... it seems as though theres no problem he cant solve. Based on Su shi and Ling shis previous evaluation... it seems like he is at least a 6-star master teacher!" Sun Qiang replied. "At least a 6-star master teacher?" Garden Owner Xue narrowed her eyes. One had to possess a minimum cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan to be a 6-star master teacher. To be at least a 6-star master teacher, doesnt that mean that the other party had already reached such a level? "Thats right. Ive been with the old master for some time now, but I havent met a single problem that could stumble him yet. If the old master is willing to help you, the issue with your soul can surely be easily solved!" Sun Qiang said confidently. He had witnessed the old masters prowess, and there was no problem too great for him. In the past few days that Garden Owner Xue had been here, he had learned of her damaged soul, so he couldnt help but say that. "He can heal my soul?" Garden Owner Xues face reddened, and her breathing hastened. Her soul had been injured for some time now, and to cure it, she even went to the extent of consuming the spirit contained within medicinal herbs to make up for her deficiency... But it ended up being futile in the end. If Yang shi was truly able to solve her problem, she would be willing to do anything in exchange. Anything. "Un. However, I would advise you not to bear too much hope for it. Given the old masters standing, he wouldnt help anyone easily!" Sun Qiang shook his head. With a bitter smile, Garden Owner Xue shook her head. "Youre right..." If Yang shi was truly a 6-star master, it would surely be an exorbitant price to pay to engage his help. And she knew that she had no treasures that could possibly hold any allure to an expert of that caliber. "Theres no need to think so much into it for now. After all, we dont know where the old master is currently. If hes in the city, I can plead for you on his behalf. Despite the old masters incredible capability, hes an amiable person," Sun Qiang remarked. But halfway through his words, a powerful aura suddenly surged straight at him, shrouding the entire residence. "Zhang shi, Fleeting Cloud Sects Luo Huang, White Helios Sects Bai Kaizhi, Cascading Sand Sects Huang Qi... fourteen sect leaders and nation elders havee to visit you. Come out and pay your respects!" Hong long! And in the middle of those words, more than a dozen figure suddenly appeared in the courtyard. Every single one of them possessed immense might, and their presence felt like an unmovable mountain. Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others... had arrived! Hula! Hearing the voice, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others immediately rushed out of their rooms and stared at the group warily. Gritting his teeth, Sun Qiang stepped forward and replied, "The young master is currently in seclusion, so it isnt convenient for him to meet you. You shoulde back another day!" A middle-aged man stepped forward and harrumphed coldly. "In seclusion? Hahaha, more like he is too guilty to meet us after breaching the master teacher moral code!" The overwhelming pressure in the air instantaneously heightened. Sun Qiang felt as though a mountain was slowly making its way toward him. Given his strength, no matter how much effort he put in, it was impossible for him to stop its path. Consonant Spirit realm expert! At this level of cultivation, one could exert pressure directly on an opponents soul. Even Pavilion Master Kang wouldnt stand a chance against the middle-aged man. Seeing the other party attempting to pin me on Zhang Xuan, Garden Owner Xue frowned and stepped forward. "Zhang shi is an upright andpassionate man. How could he possibly breach the master teacher moral code? Ill have to ask you to not utter falsehood!" Frowning, the middle-aged man thrust his palm forward. "Who do you think you are? Do you think that you are qualified to be speaking here?" "This is bad!" Not expecting the other party to be much more forceful than before, resorting to violence without any hesitation, Garden Owner Xue narrowed her eyes and threw out a fist to meet the other partys attack. Hong! The palm collided with the fist, but in the next instant, an immense force traveled through Garden Owner Xues fist and struck her chest. Pu! Spewing a mouthful of blood, she was sent a dozen meters back. She could already be considered as one of the strongest experts in Myriad Kingdom City, but despite that, she was still unable to withstand a single blow from the other party. A rifying Turbidity realm cultivator couldnt possibly hope to match up to a Consonant Spirit realm expert. Roar! The Demon Cinque Beast responsible for protecting the courtyard yelled and leaped down. "You beast, who do you think you are baring your fangs at?" Sect Leader Bai harrumphed coldly, and along with the middle-aged man from before, he stepped forward and ced his palm on the ground. Hu! A zhenqi fell from the sky, locking the Demon Cinque Beast in ce. Roar! Trapped in the, the Demon Cinque Beast struggled vigorously, only to find its efforts futile. It was as if this zhenqi was made of the hardest material in the world. Despite its violent thrashing, the didnt even budge the slightest bit. The Demon Cinque beast was an invincible existence in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but its strength was stillckingpared to these sect leaders, not to mention, both of them had moved in unison to subdue it. "What are you doing?" Seeing the group injuring Garden Owner Xue and sealing the Demon Cinque Beast in ce in just a few seconds, Sun Qiangs face warped in astonishment. In that instant, he felt as though his heart was falling through an abyss. His worst premonition hade to be. Chapter 564: Descending From the Heavens Chapter 564: Descending From the Heavens Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The other party was at least slightly fearful of him the previous time, retreating at his bellowing. But from the looks of it, the other party seemed intent to aplish whatever they intended to do this time around. What in the world had happened for this group to even disregard the young masters identity as a 4-star master teacher? "What are we doing? Stop ying the fool!" Sect Leader Luo Huang sneered coldly. "Wheres Zhang shi? Get him toe out at this very instant, or else dont me us for getting nasty!" Sect Leader Bais eyebrows shot up in disdain. "The Master Teacher Pavilion does indeed have its rules. We might be unable toy our hands on a person of Zhang shis standing, but if it was just a mere butler and a few other students... Do you think that the headquarters would punish us for crippling insignificant ants?" Master teachers were governed by strict rules, but this didnt mean that they were saints. Just the bloodshed in the wars against the soul oracles and the Otherworldly Demons could easily fill an ocean. It was true that the Master Teacher Pavilion frowned on senseless murder, but as long as one didnt go overboard in ones actions, the headquarters would usually just overlook such actions. If these people refused to cooperate, they were willing to cripple or even kill them. The worst that could happen to them from this was just a dip in their reputation. "The young master is in the midst of his seclusion, and he mustnt be interrupted at the moment. If you wish to meet him... please return tomorrow!" Despite knowing that what the other party said was the truth, Sun Qiang knew that he couldnt back down at this point. The young master had entrusted him to keep anyone from interrupting him. Unless he dies, he would never allow anyone to barge in at this point! "Since youre seeking death, dont me us for getting nasty!" Not expecting this fellow to continue standing his ground, Sect Leader Bai flicked his finger. Peng! A sword qi flew through the air, and before Sun Qiang could react, he was already struck in his chest, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth. How could he possibly stand against an opponent whom even the Demon Cinque Beast and Garden Owner Xue were no match for? If not for the other partys reluctant to sacrifice his reputation by killing a mere underling, he would have already been killed by now. "Damn it!" Upon seeing the sight, the eyes of Zheng Yang and the others reddened in anger. Roaring furiously, they charged forward. But given that there havent even reached Half-Transcension yet, how could they possibly be a match for a group of Consonant Spirit realm experts? With just a few flicks of Sect Leader Bais finger, they were all already lying on the ground, injured. They had devoted all of their strength, and yet, they couldnt inflict the slightest injury to their enemies. They couldnt help but feel frustrated at their helplessness. All along, under the protection of their teacher, they had been able to cultivate peacefully without any worries. But at this moment, they finally realized that they were nothing without their teacher. In the face of danger, other than dragging him down, they were unable to do anything at all. With his hands behind his back, Sect Leader Luo Huang spoke impassively, "There is a limit to my tolerance. If he were toe out now, I might still consider sparing your lives!" "Ive already said that the young master is in seclusion. No one is to interrupt him now..." Sun Qiang struggled to his feet and stood before Sect Leader Luo Huang. Zheng Yang and the others also followed suit. They knew that they werent a match, but even the slightest time they could stall now would be invaluable for Zhang Xuan. No matter how weak they were, they couldnt back down now. Zhang Xuan was an important person to them. If the other party wished to cause him any trouble, they would have to step over their corpses to do so! "Since you are so intent on dying, Ill fulfill your wish! Lets see whether he can continue hiding after his butler and students are dead!" Seeing how even a group of ants dared to disregard his authority, Sect Leader Luo Huangs face darkened, and killing intent appeared on his face. You wish to hide behind your butler and students? Fine, continue doing so then! Lets see how long you can hold out for! cing his middle finger on his thumb, just as Sect Leader Luo was about to flick a surge of sword qi toward the group who dared to defy him, he suddenly saw two figures rushing over. The one in front was an elder who exuded a powerful aura. A hint of worry was etched on his be. "Sect Leader Luo, what are you doing?" Even before arriving at the residence, the elder roared, and his voice reverberated across the entire residence. "Zhang shi is a master teacher of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance. For you all to charge into his residence and injure his butler and students, is this a deration of war against the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" His voice was seething with fury. Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilions Pavilion Master Kang Gan! Following behind was a middle-aged man who bore a mark of authority between his brows. With a nce, it was clear that he was a person of great standing... Myriad Kingdom Alliances Alliance Head Zhao, Zhao Feiwus father. Given how huge of a ruckus this matter had caused, it was impossible for them to be unaware of it. Just that, they never expected for Sect Leader Luo and so many experts to actually seek trouble with a master teacher who had just passed the 4-star master teacher examination. Even though Zhang Xuan had shown outstanding results in the selection round, this was only in terms of the Myriad Kingdom Alliances standard. It didnt make any sense for so many experts to confront him together. "Deration of war?" Seeing that Pavilion Master Kang had arrived on the scene, Sect Leader Luo Huang chuckled lightly and dissipated the sword qi he had gathered on his fingertip. cing his hands behind his back, he said, "Pavilion Master Kang, youre exaggerating the matter. The only reason why were here is because weve received aint regarding Zhang shi, and we would like to weed out a ck sheep sullying the reputation of all master teachers. This has nothing to do with your Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion!" Narrowing his eyes, Pavilion Master Kang questioned, "Weed out a ck sheep? What do you mean by that?" Sun Qiang and the others were perplexed as well. These fellows had barged in here, demanding to meet Zhang shi without any reason at all. Yet, all of the sudden, they started talking about weeding out a ck sheep... "Simple. Someone told us that Zhang shi has killed his kin, stole his family heirloom, and eradicated his kingdom!" Sect Leader Luo Huang raised his eyebrows. "As a master teacher, without the permission of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he wreaked havoc in a kingdom and toppled its order... As half 5-star master teachers, are we unqualified to question him on this matter?" "This..." Pavilion Master Kang was stumped. He had been busy preparing for the Master Teacher Pavilion for the past few months, so he wasnt too sure about the events that transpired in Xuanyuan Kingdom. On top of that, Zhao Feiwu had pushed down the matter so very few people knew about it. Luo Qianhong, out of shame, also didnt report this matter to them as well. As such, Pavilion Master Kang was unaware of this matter. "Stole a family heirloom? The matter probably isnt as simple as that!" Alliance Head Zhao had heard the story from his daughter, but thinking nothing much of it, he didnt enquire about the details. "Isnt as simple as that? We have an eye-witness here!" Sect Leader Luo Huang waved his hand, and a single-armed elder walked out from the crowd. Ding Hong! Knowing that Zhang Xuan was living in this courtyard, his eyes were burning with fury. "My grandson, Ding Mu, was killed by Zhang Xuan, and he had one of his acquaintances take control of Xuanyuan Kingdom. In fact, even my arm was severed by him. It is due to him that I was forced to wander around aimlessly with nowhere to return to..." At which, Ding Hong roared furiously, "And the only reason for his deranged actions is due to a single relic... Kong shis handwritten letter!" "Kong shis handwritten letter?" Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Kangs eyebrows twitched. Even though he wasnt too sure what it was, nothing that was rted to Kong shi could be ordinary. "Indeed! Because of this relic, he destroyed my entire n! Is this an action befitting of a master teacher?" Ding Hong howled. His words were phrased in an extremely misleading manner. Knowing that master teachers had the ability to discern truth from falsehood, he chose to warp the truth in a manner that sounded as if Zhang Xuan had done all of this just for Kong shis handwritten letter. There was nothing wrong with the details-everything that had urred did originate from Kong shis handwritten letter, just that the story was presented in a manner biased against Zhang Xuan. "Youre lying! Its your grandson who tried to..." Seeing the other party twisting the facts around, Zheng Yang was so furious that if he could, he would have rushed forward to tear Ding Hong apart at this instant. "Audacious! Your seniors are talking, a junior like you have no ce to be interrupting in our conversation!" Before Zheng Yang could finish his words, Sect Leader Luo Huang waved his hands. Hu! A surge of energy gushed toward Zheng Yang, Sun Qiang, and the others, sealing their mouths. No matter how much they struggled, they were unable to get a single word out. "What are you trying to do?" Pavilion Master Kangs face darkened. "Nothing much. I just dont want others to be interrupting our conversation!" Sect Leader Luo Huang gazed at Pavilion Master Kang impassively and asked, "Youve heard what the other party had said. As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, you should be able to easily discern whether this Emperor Ding Hong has lied or not!" As long as ones cultivation didnt exceed that of a master teacher by too much, it would be impossible for one to get away with lying tantly to a master teacher. Given the huge disparity between Pavilion Master Kang and Ding Hong cultivation, it was impossible for Pavilion Master Kang to be unable to discern it if thetter was lying. It was precisely for this reason that the others believed Ding Hongs words regarding Kong shis handwritten letter and were willing to go to such extent for it. "This..." Pavilion Master Kang was stumped. While this single-armed Emperor Ding Hongs words were emotionally-charged, he could sense that the other partys resentment toward Zhang shi was true. Zhang shi had killed his grandson and eradicated his kingdom? All because... he wanted to obtain Kong shis handwritten letter? If it was anything else, Pavilion Master Kang would surely defend Zhang shi. After all, in the time that he had been with thetter, he had gained some understanding of thetters personality. If he was a greedy person, he wouldnt have given a middle-tier spirit stone to Ruohuan gongzi. But... Kong shis handwritten letter possessed an allure that no master teacher could resist. Could Zhang shi truly be guilty of this? Seeing the hesitation in Pavilion Master Kangs eyes, Sect Leader Luo Huang immediately stepped forward and announced, "Zhang Xuan has disregarded the master teacher moral code and willfully stole, killed, and usurped the authority from a kingdom. On top of that, as half 5-star master teachers, he failed to observe decorum to greet us, and instead, even allowed his subordinate to insult us. Just by this charge of insubordination in itself, we can report to the headquarters to have him stripped of his license and indicted by the Hall of Commandment!" His words were infused with a quality that befuddled ones soul-a unique ability of Consonant Spirit realm experts-that made one inclined to believe his words. "This matter surely isnt as simple as it sounds. We should first investigate the matter thoroughly beforeing to a conclusion..." Even so, Pavilion Master Kang still felt that it was unlikely for Zhang shi tomit such atrocities. "Investigate the matter? Do we even need to investigate it? The truth will be clear once we verify whether Kong shis handwritten letter is on him or not!" Sect Leader Luo Huang flung his sleeves. "This..." Pavilion Master Kang was stumped. If Kong shis handwritten letter was truly with Zhang Xuan, then no amount of exnation could cleanse him of this charge. "Alright, hurry up and get Zhang shi out. Are we going to wait all day for him?" Frowning, Sect Leader Luo Huang was in the middle of his words when he suddenly felt an indescribably powerful aura from the heaven. After which, an extremely cold voice that was devoid of the slightest emotion boomed in the area. "To justify your plundering so brazenly with tant lies, the master teachers of Huanyu Empire sure are shameless!" At which, a figure suddenly appeared in mid-air. His robes fluttered like an immortal descending from the heavens. "Flight? S-S-S-S-Saint?" Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others narrowed their eyes in astonishment. Chapter 565: I Pronounce All of You Guilty! [2in1] Chapter 565: I Pronounce All of You Guilty! [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Only upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm would one be able to step on thin air and ascend. But even so, this flight would be limited to vertical discement and was temporary. As such, it couldnt be considered as flight. True flight would require ones cultivation to be at Half-Saint at minimum! Beyond the nine dans of a Fighter was Transcendent Mortal. And beyond the nine dans of a Transcendent Mortal was Saint. But even a Half-Saint would only be capable of basic flight. The maneuvers would still be severely restricted. Yet, the person before them was able to walk on air as though there were transparent steps beneath his feet. As though a haughty deity, he stood in the air, inducing immense fear in those that set their eyes on him. More importantly, that persons aura was so powerful that they couldnt even begin to gauge the limits to his strength. A powerful pressure pressed down on their soul, forcing them to lower their heads in submission. The pressure the other party exerted wasnt just limited to their physical body. It prated all the way down into their souls, and as though a mountain crushing down on them, it robbed them of all intent to retaliate. Only one who had surpassed a Half-Saint, a Nascent Saint or even a true Saint, would possess such strength! Even in Huanyu Empire was one unable to find a single expert of this caliber... Why would one suddenly appear here? Not to mention... from the looks of it... the other party was speaking up for Zhang Xuan? Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others felt as though their hearts had been plunged into ake of frigid water, and their faces turned ghastly pale in fright. Their arrogance from before had fadedpletely without a trace. They thought that Zhang Xuan was an insignificant figure with humble origins. And yet, in the blink of an eye, he had turned into a primordial beast who could rip them apart at any moment. While everyones knees trembled in fear, Sun Qiangs eyes reddened as he uttered, "Old Master..." Who else could the powerful person stepping in midair be other than his old master, Yang Xuan? He had thought that he would truly die in this crisis, but in this crucial moment, the old master hade to their rescue! "This is... Yang shi?" The heavily injured Xue Yiyao nced at the middle-aged man standing in midair and her heart jolted, and her face reddened in agitation. It was no wonder why Sun Qiang was so confident. Yang shi was indeed worthy of his confidence! With a strength exceeding that of even 6-star master teachers, the other party might truly be able to heal her soul and make itplete once more! "Su Fan and Ling Yuheng pays respect to Yang shi!" At the moment that the entire courtyard waspletely silent, two figures suddenly appeared-Su shi and Ling shi. Even though they had received the news at the same moment as Pavilion Master Kang, due to their weaker cultivation, they had arrivedte. As soon as they arrived, they immediately saw the majestic sight of Yang shi appearing from the heavens, and their hearts immediately jolted. They hurriedly sped their fists and paid their greetings. They had already realized that the other party was at least a 6-star master teacher when they first saw the other partys Eye of Insight, but even so, it was the first time they were seeing the might of a 6-star master teacher and it was indeed frightening. It was impossible to even gather the will to resist the other party. "Elder, youre mistaken. That is not what I meant..." Calming himself down, Sect Leader Luo Huang sped his fist. However, halfway through his words, he suddenly felt a surge of soul energy gushing straight toward him, threatening to tear him apart. Pu! Spewing a mouthful of blood, he was knocked eight steps backward. While he didnt suffer significant physical injuries, his soul was already grievously wounded. The soul was different from the body. A wound on the body could be healed by consuming pills and nourishing with ones zhenqi. However, a soul could only recuperate slowly with time. This injury would require him at least a century to recoverpletely! And... he knew that he didnt have a century ahead of him. With just his soul, the other party was already able to inflict such severe injuries on him, terminating any chance of future progress in his cultivation. Was this... the might of a Saint? With a pale face, Sect Leader Luo Huang trembled in fear. After wounding Sect Leader Luo Huang, the middle-aged man in the sky scanned the area with his cold gaze. "I, Yang Xuan, prefer to lead a carefree life, so I rarely involve myself in the matters of the world. I have no interest in the affairs of my juniors, and I cant be bothered with what you do either... But you seem to be taking my nonchnce as a sign of weakness and seek to climb over my head. To attempt to challenge me... Who gave you the guts to do so?" The voice was devoid of any emotions, but it carried irrefutable authority that threatened to crush one if one were to show the slightest defiance. "We dare not to..." Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others immediately sped their trembling fists and bowed their heads. Their eyebrows twitched vigorously, and tears were threatening to spill from their eyes. Was this... Zhang Xuans teacher? Who was the one said that he was only a half 5-star master teacher? Even a 6-star master teacher wouldnt be as powerful as he was... "Dare not to? Then why am I seeing a different picture here..." Yang Xuan flung his sleeves. "You have already barged into my residence. If I were to remain hidden, were you going to have my butler and my grandstudents killed?" "This..." Everyone shuddered. Truthfully, they did harbor such thoughts. But... if they had known that Zhang Xuans teacher was such a fearsome figure, they would have never made the trip here. "We... didnt know that they are rted to elder. We beg of you to pardon us for our blindness..." Sect Leader Luo Huang said through gritted teeth. "Didnt know? After all you have said and done, you wish to justify your actions with ignorance?" Yang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Panicking, Sect Leader Luo Huang quickly exined, "Its... its this Ding Hong who looked for us! He said that his family heirloom was stolen by Zhang shi..." At this instant, he was cursing Ding Hong countless times in his heart. If not for this fellow for talking about Kong shis handwritten letter and provoking their greed, they would have never been here. If they had never attempted to seek trouble with Zhang shi, they would have never met with the other party. "You are speaking of Kong shis handwritten letter? Youre right, its with me. Do you want it?" Yang Xuan nced at Sect Leader Luo Huang coldly. "I dare not to..." Sect Leader Luo Huang replied with a quivering voice. He did want Kong shis handwritten letter, but to take it from this fellow? You must be joking! "Kong shis handwritten letter is a family heirloom of my grandstudent, Qu Chong. This Ding Hongs grandson, Ding Mu, injured him, leaving him in aa. Out of anger, my student, Zhang Xuan, killed him and eradicated the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom Royal Family... Toply with the rules, he conducted a Pavilion Crashing of the local Master Teacher Pavilion and cleared all of the required tests." At which, Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes, "How... did it be a willful breach of the master teacher moral code from your mouth?" Under normal circumstances, a master teacher was to uphold a high level of morality at all times, and destroying a kingdom was a definite taboo. But Zhang Xuan did have apelling reason for his actions, and on top of that, he had obeyed the procedures demanded by the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if the headquarters were to investigate it, there would be nothing they could hold against him for it. "I..." Sect Leader Luo Huang went silent. Given that even Pavilion Master Kang was unaware of the incident, how could he, as a foreigner, possibly know about the ins and outs of it? But still, given that the other party was a Saint and a high-rank master teacher, it was unlikely that he would lie, even on behalf of his student. "As a master teacher, not only did you fail to distinguish right from wrong, you were even willing to shamelessly nder and attack your fellow peer just to fulfill your own greed..." With his hands before his back, Yang Xuan nced coldly at Sect Leader Luo Huang and uttered, "I pronounce you guilty!" Sect Leader Luo Huangs body immediately stiffened. "As for Sect Leader Bai, forying your hands on my butler and spirit beast and disregarding the honor of a higher ranked master teacher, I pronounce you guilty!" Yang Xuan continued. Sect Leader Bais body swayed weakly as well. He was the one who wounded Sun Qiang and the others. At this point, there was nothing he could say in his defense. As the saying goes, assess the owner before beating up his dog. No matter how weak Sun Qiang was or how infuriating his words were, he was still the subordinate of a Saint. Beating him up was equivalent to humiliating the Saint, disregarding a high-rank master teachers honor! Scanning through the crowd, Yang Xuan dered once again, "And all of you, for allowing yourselves to be blinded by falsehood and abusing your authority to fulfill your own greed... I pronounce all of you guilty!" "We..." Everyones lips went pale. To be pronounced guilty by a Saint meant that there was no way they could make aeback anymore. After pronouncing everyone guilty, Yang Xuan turned around to look at Garden Owner Xue, who was lying on the ground. "Not bad. At such a crucial moment, you were still willing to stand up for your benefactor... I noticed that your soul is injured, and it is capping your cultivation. If you acknowledge me as your teacher, I will solve your problem!" "I can... acknowledge you as my teacher?" Garden Owner Xues face flushed in agitation. This was a hard-toe-by opportunity, how could she possibly hesitate at such a moment? She immediately fell to the ground and kowtowed. "I, Xue Yiyao, am willing toe under Yang shis tutge andmand. I vow to never go against your words..." "Un!" Yang Xuan nodded his head, and raising his finger, he lightly pointed it toward Xue Yiyao. Hu! Garden Owner Xue suddenly felt a will diving straight into her head. It was a cultivation technique to heal ones soul. Throughout the years, she had been studying the topic of souls so as to fix her own problem. Even though she wasnt a match for soul oracles, her understanding of souls far surpassed the typical rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle experts by a significant amount. As such, despite having only nced at the cultivation technique once, she was able to gauge that not only would this technique heal her soul perfectly, it would even help to forge her path forward and allow her to sessfully advance to Consonant Spirit realm. "Thank you, Yang shi!" Agitated, she fell to the ground and kowtowed. "Could this be... Soul Impartation?" Seeing how Yang Xuan imparted a cultivation technique to Garden Owner Xue from midair, Sect Leader Luo Huang trembled even more vigorously. Soul Impartation was a technique that required profound control over ones soul to achieve. Other than the soul oracles of the legends, only 7-star master teachers were capable of such a feat. The person before them was capable of flight, and his aura felt overwhelming powerful... Given that soul oracles had already gone extinct, that would mean that... it was likely that he was a 7-star master teacher! A master teacher of that level could be considered as an expert even among fellow Saints! If the other party was just a 6-star master teacher, they could still try to talk their way out of it. But 7-star... this was already a level far surpassing their expectations. Zhang Xuans teacher... was actually that powerful? "Demon Cinque Beast, for protecting your owner loyally in the face of danger, you have mymendation!" Ignoring the shock in everyones eyes, Yang Xuan turned to the Demon Cinque Beast, raised his hand, and flicked his finger lightly, sending a surge of zhenqi into thetters body. Honglong! In the next instant, the Demon Cinque Beast, as if having consumed a divine pill, released a piercing howl, and its strength surged. At the same time, its soul underwent an evolution as well. A momentter, its growth in its cultivation slowly came to a halt, and an incredibly powerful aura exuded from it. It didnt pale inparison to Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others. Transcendent Mortal 5-dan... Consonant Spirit realm! After obtaining a surge of zhenqi from Yang shi, the Demon Cinque Beast, who had been trapped at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle for many years, immediately achieved a breakthrough and sessfully reached Consonant Spirit realm. Possessing the Dragon Bloodline, the Demon Cinque Beast wielded incredible strength and outstanding defensive capability far above its cultivation realm. Even with the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, it was able to match a Consonant Spirit realm primary realm cultivator. At its current strength, even a Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator would find it hard to subdue it. "To achieve a breakthrough just by receiving a surge of zhenqi, how pure must that zhenqi be? Could he actually be... an 8-star master teacher?" Sect Leader Luo Huangs vision went dark, and his despair intensified. Legend has it that 8-star master teachers would be summoned to the headquarters for an opportunity to further purify their own zhenqi. As such, master teachers of that tier tended to possess extraordinarily pure zhenqi, reaching the level of superior zhenqi. A zhenqi of that tier, when infused into the body of a spirit beast, could easily induce a Bloodline Evolution, thus allowing it to achieve a breakthrough. With just a surge of zhenqi, this Yang shi was able to allow the Demon Cinque Beast to achieve a breakthrough, not to mention, Consonant Spirit realm was an extraordinary difficult hurdle to ovee... Indubitably, no 7-star master teacher was capable of such a feat! Most probably, the other party was a bona fide 8-star master teacher! A master teacher of that tier was a behemoth-like existence that could cause the entire Huanyu Empire to copse with just a stomp of his feet... Realizing this, the faces of all that hade here for Kong shis handwritten letter here today twitched, and tears streamed down their face. What the heck was this? They thought that Zhang Xuan was just a rookie whom they could bully easily. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect his teacher to be an 8-star master teacher! Before such an expert, even a 6-star master teacher would kneel in deference, needless to say, them! ... While everyone was about to faint from shock, a distance away from the residence, an elders footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and his lips trembled ceaselessly. It was Hong shi, Hong Qian, the 5-star master teacher from Hongfeng Empire who was invited to conduct the Master Teacher Tournament this time around. He was resting in his residence when he heard of this matter. Thus, he immediately rushed over, hoping to mediate this matter when he saw this sight. An 8-star master teacher... The number of them could be counted on ones hands, even across the entire Master Teacher Continent, and every single one of them was an incredible existence that no one could utter their name without deference. Why would such a figuree to such a remote location? "I must report this matter to the headquarters..." Harboring this thought, Hong shi took out a palm-sized jade token and wrote the news down. A radiance shone from the jade token, and the words disappeared. Lower tiered kingdoms depend on the massive Communication Wall whereas 5-star master teachers were already granted ess to the Communication Jade Token. Through this, they could send messages to the headquarters instantaneously even from the other side of the world. It wasnt that he was tattling on Yang shi, but that... the appearance of an 8-star master teacher was simply too startling. He didnt dare to hide such news from the headquarter. ... At that moment, in Hongyuan Tier 1 Empires Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, was in the midst of conducting his lesson. Along with his words, spiritual energy seemed to naturally gather in the surroundings-Spirit Gathering Dictum. Suddenly, he frowned and flicked his wrist. A jade token appeared in his palm. "A master teacher whose ranking seemed to exceed 6-star... Yang Xuan?" Pavilion Master Mo frowned. While Hong Qian felt that it was likely for Yang Xuan to be a 7-star or even 8-star master teacher, he couldnt verify the matter due to hiscking eye of discernment, and he didnt dare to make ims about things he was unsure of. Thus, he chose to write what he had observed instead. "Flight, Soul Impartation, and inducing a breakthrough in a spirit beast with just a surge of zhenqi?" After reading the information, Pavilion Master Mos face turned grim. Based the news that the other party had sent to him, there was a good chance that the other party was an 8-star master teacher. But... why would such a high-rank master teacher appear in an Unranked Empire such as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? "Mo Chen, bring the Master Teacher Registry here!" Pavilion Master Mo turned to look at a middle-aged man behind him. His student, 5-star pinnacle master teacher, Mo Chen. "Yes!" Mo Chen turned around and left. Not too longter, he brought back a book with a texture that greatly resembled jade. Detailed in the Master Teacher Registry was countless names of master teachers all over the continent, and it could be considered as one of the most confidential documents of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Only pavilion masters of higher branches had the qualifications to browse through it. Furthermore, the book had been enchanted with a unique formation that disallowed anyone from remembering its contents. Even if one had a photographic memory, he would find himself forgetting everything within the book moments after browsing through it. This was a mechanism created to prevent master teachers from falling into a vulnerable state. Casually opening the book, Pavilion Master Mo began browsing through the pages one line at a time, and it didnt take him too long to finish the book. "All master teachers above 6-star have been recorded in the book, but theres no one who goes by the name of Yang Xuan..." Pavilion Master Mo frowned. If it was just as the other party said, this Yang Xuan was definitely a higher ranked master teacher than him. Even at the minimum, he had to be a 7-star master teacher... But if that was the case, how could his name not be recorded in the Master Teacher Registry? "Unless... Yang Xuan is a pseudo identity, or else... he has never taken any higher rank examinations in the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Recorded in the Master Teacher Registry were the names of those who had taken the master teacher examinations. If the other party had used a false identity, naturally, Pavilion Master Mo wouldnt be able to identify the other party. Otherwise... it would mean that the other party had never taken higher rank examinations! There were also plenty of master teachers preferred to wander around freely and chose not to bother themselves with examinations. Even though they had managed to reach an astounding level of aplishment as a master teacher, they didnt bother taking the corresponding examinations. Thus, it was possible for some who carried 5-star emblems to actually possess the strength of a 7-star or 8-star master teacher. Perhaps Yang Xuan belonged under this category as well. "But regardless of which case it is, there is a need for me to check it out!" Thinking so, Pavilion Master Mo stood up. Given the might the other party had shown up, he had to pay respects to the other party and check out the matter himself. "Mo Chen, bring the Langya Saint Beast here. Im going to head out!" Flinging his sleeves, Pavilion Master Mo kept the Master Teacher Registry properly before turning around to instruct. Langya Saint Beast was his tamed beast, and its speed was as swift as lightning. In just a single day, it could travel more than a million kilometers! The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was simply too far away. Even though Pavilion Master Mo was capable of flight, his speed wasnt any faster than a saint beast. After bringing the saint beast as well, Master Teacher Mo Chen asked, "Where is teacher going? Do you need me to apany you as well?" After a moment of hesitation, Pavilion Master Mo replied, "Im heading to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. You should follow me too!" His student was just a step off from reaching 6-star. Since the other party had asked this question, it might be good to bring him along. This way, he could offer some pointers to the other party so that he could reach 6-star faster. The duo both had spatial rings, so there wasnt much for them to pack. Leaping on the back of the saint beast, they confirmed the direction of Myriad Kingdom City and set forth. ... While a 6-star pinnacle master teacher from Hongyuan Empire was making his way to Myriad Kingdom City, on the other hand, Sect Leader Luo Huang was trembling in fear. Knowing that it was unlikely for him to be spared, he gritted his teeth and turned to look at Yang shi. "Senior, I acknowledge my sins, and Im willing to ept any punishment..." Since the other party had already pronounced him guilty, there was nothing else he could do other than seek the other partys verdict. "Its good that youve acknowledged your sins. Everyone here can leave after forking out twenty middle-tier spirit stones. As for Sect Leader Luo and Sect Leader Bai, for audaciously insulting my butler and harming my juniors... I dont wish to dirty my hands so... just kill yourselves!" Yang Xuan spoke nonchntly. "Kill ourselves?" Sect Leader Luo Huang and Sect Leader Bai Kaizhis eyebrows twitched violently. They thought that the punishment would just be being stripped out their position or suffering grievous torture... They would have epted as they did deserve it for daring to offend such a high-rank master teacher. But... death would mean the very end. Once they died, there would be nothing left of them. "You want me tomit suicide? Dream on! Even though I, Bai Kaizhi, might be weak, I will never do something as foolish as killing myself. Since you are unwilling to do it yourself in consideration of your standing, Ill just pardon myself and... farewell!" Howling furiously, Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi stood up and charged out of the residence. In truth, his thought was simple. As a high-rank master teacher, it was unlikely for the other party to do something beneath him such as killing him... Since that was the case, there should be no qualms about leaving. As long as I manage to leave this area sessfully, given howrge the world is, there would be nothing for me to worry about. Sneering coldly in his heart, Bai Kaizhi swiftly rushed out. Using the most formidable movement technique in White Helios Sect in apaniment with his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm, he immediately turned into a sh of shadow, and in the blink of an eye, he was already out of the residence. "This..." Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others clearly didnt expect Sect Leader Bai to refuse to admit his sins and even ran away. In an instant, they were all dumbfounded. To dare to escape beneath the eyelids of an 8-star master teacher... He sure was audacious! But this was indeed a wise decision. If he didnt do so, he would have definitely died here. Since he was already doomed, he might as well grasp onto the final straw of hope and make a gamble! After all, it was indeed unlikely for an 8-star master teacher to actually make a move on his junior personally! Just as the crowd was feeling impressed by Sect Leader Bais decisiveness, the space before them suddenly blurred. Hong long! An iparably powerful might suddenly came crashing down from the sky. Before the escaping Sect Leader Bai coulde to a realization, he was already crushed into a lump of meat. A huge depression of ten meters radius appeared in his ce. And soon, a nonchnt voice sounded. "Ive only said that I dont wish to dirty my hands... When did I say that I wouldnt do it myself in consideration of my standing?" Chapter 566: Invincible Chapter 566: Invincible Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This..." "Strong..." Hearing that voice and looking at that huge depression before their eyes, all color was flushed out from the faces of those present in the area. At that moment, the entire residence fell deathly silent. Sect Leader Bai wasnt the strongest among them, but he was far from being the weakest. Not to mention, he was known for his speed. Even Sect Leader Luo Huang would trail far behind him in a race. But... despite his overwhelming speed, he was still killed in less than half a breath... Not to mention, Yang shi didnt even move in the least. Even though it happened right before them, no one was able to determine how Sect Leader Bai was killed, and how such a huge depression was created. Judging from the might of the move, putting aside Sect Leader Bai, even if all of them were to team up together, they still wouldnt be able to withstand that attack! Strong! Ridiculously strong! Terrifying! Everyone trembled uncontrobly as fear seeped out from their hearts and grasped their entirety. As Yang shi had spoken casually to them, they subconsciously rxed. Only at this very instant did they realize that... despite being half 5-star master teachers, they were no different from an ant before the eyes of the other party! Given the other partys strength, even if he were to destroy the entire Huanyu Empire, it was unlikely for the Master Teacher Pavilion to utter a single word ofint, let alone, half 5-star master teachers like them. Rules only applied to weaklings! True experts reasoned with their might. With true strength, even the Master Teacher Pavilion would have to take a step back and give in! What had happened before them served as the perfect example. Given that an 8-star master teacher was willing to speak nicely to them, they shouldve just listened obediently. Since Sect Leader Bai decided to defy him, there was no one he could me for his own foolishness. To maintain its strength, the Master Teacher Pavilion was also very realistic. It couldnt possibly punish an 8-star master teacher just to redress the grievances of a mere half 5-star ant. Not to mention... this ant even dared to defy the words of a high-rank master teacher. This, in itself, was flouting the rules already! The hierarchy among master teachers wasnt just for show. The words of an 8-star master teacher were no different from an imperial edict. Whenmanded to die, one had no choice but to die. To actually dare to defy orders and attempt to run away, arent you afraid of implicating your family and your sect? If word were to spread, no one would spare him the slightest sympathy. If master teachers couldnt even instill discipline and respect among their own ranks, how were they supposed to do the same to the rest of the world? "Is that... a battle technique or a divine treasure?" Pavilion Master Kang and Alliance Head Zhao trembled in fear as they stared at the giant depression just outside the residence. Yang shi had moved way too fast for their eyes to perceive clearly what he had done. Vaguely, they seemed to have seen a golden book suddenly appearing in midair and smashing down on the other party... But everything happened too quickly for them to verify it. After all, they had seen cultivators wielding a sword, spear, saber-and the more remote ones-meteor hammer, chain whip, and jagged scissors... But they have never heard of someone wielding a book as a weapon! A book... No matter how thick it was, it was no different from a brick! Not to mention, its texture was also soft, thus making it incapable of harming the physical body of a Transcendent Mortal. Since that was the case, how could it be used to kill? If the other party had really used a mere book to smash a Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage expert into minced meat, leaving no grounds for him to react at all, not to mention, creating such a huge depression at that... How strong must he be? In any case, the techniques of a higher existence like the other party were something unfathomable to them! "This..." Everyone was astounded by how Yang shis killed Sect Leader Bai in a single move, all except for Wang Ying. She was surprised by the formidable might that Yang shi had shown as well, but what that had truly stunned her was something else that she had noticed. With a weak personality, she didnt stand out against Zhang Xuans other students. However, she had a meticulous personality thatpelled her to pay attention to every slightest detail. This was also the reason why she could keep up with the others despite her lower talent. As such, she had grasped the cultivation and battle techniques which Zhang shi imparted her very thoroughly. Wang Ying, Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, and the others had seen Zhang shi using this technique before, and given that Yang shi was Zhang shis teacher, it wasnt too surprising for him to be capable of the same technique as well. But Wang Ying clearly noticed that... when Yang shi executed the technique, his movements were exactly the same as Zhang shis, just that the former was significantly faster in his movements. That day, upon seeing Lu Chong being stabbed by the other party, Zhang shi, out of rage, threw out a golden book and smashed the enemies who tried to them harm into minced meat... And his movements were precise the same as Yang shis at this moment. Even when executing the same battle technique, everyone had their own quirks that couldnt be copied by another. It was simr to how an apprentice cook couldnt possibly cook a dish with the exact same appearance and vor as his teacher. For both of their actions to be identical, there was only one exnation... that was that the both of them were the same person! Wang Ying began examining Yang shi thoroughly, and upon catching sight of something, she sped her mouth in shock. No doubt, the person standing in the air had many differences from Zhang shi, be it his appearance and his clothing. Logically speaking, Wang Ying should have been unable to determine anything at all. However... she saw a faint grayish mark around Yang shis neck. Back then, in the soul oracle tomb, Zhang shi had his neck grabbed by Mo Hunsheng, and even though he managed to reverse the situation then, the encounter had left a grayish mark on his neck. Two months had passed since then, and the grayish mark had fainted to the point that it was nearly imperceptible. Even so, if one were to pay careful attention, one could still see the rough outline of it. And just a moment ago, when she met Zhang shi, she saw the very same mark on him... And the location waspletely identical! For Yang shi to share Zhang shis mark, and for the both of them to share the exact same techniques... Furthermore... It seemed like Yang shi and Zhang shi had never appeared together before! Could it be that... Yang shi was Zhang shi? While it was inconceivable, it wasnt entirely impossible. After all, Zhang shi had disguised himself as Liu shi before, and it took her a long while before she managed to notice anything at all. Shocked, Wang Yings body began to sway weakly. ... Of course, no one noticed what was going through the mind of Wang Ying. Even if they noticed the shock on her face, they would have attributed it to the astounding means Yang shi had disyed. At this moment, everyones faces were inhumanly pale, and they dared not utter a single word for fear to bringing Yang shis wrath upon them. "I was foolish to allow the greed for Kong shis handwritten letter to blind my morals. I deserve to die!" Seeing how not even the corpse of Sect Leader Bai remained, Sect Leader Luo Huang resigned himself to his fate. Since Yang shi was willing to make a move against Sect Leader Bai, he didnt think that he would be an exception. Rather than defying the other party and potentially bringing wrath upon his family and sect, he might as well give it up. Gritting his teeth, Sect Leader Luo Huang raised his head, and with determination gleaming in his eyes, he said, "I hope that Yang shi can spare our Fleeting Cloud Sect and my student after my death. This entire operation was an initiative of my own, and they yed no part in this..." It was nothing much for him to die. What was more important was for the Fleeting Cloud Sect to not be implicated by this matter. If he were to anger the other party, and the other party directed his wrath toward the Fleeting Cloud Sect, it would be toote for regrets. "Teacher..." Hearing his teacher resigning himself to his fate and pleading on his behalf, Luo Xuan panicked. He had already recovered from the injury he had sustained from being crushed by the Demon Cinque Beast, and thus, he followed the group along for this operation. But he never expected to see an 8-star master teacher in action. "Theres no need to speak any further. Have Elder Wang inherit my position after my death..." Knowing that it was impossible for him to escape from this, Sect Leader Luo Huang calmed down instead and started to delegate his will. "Teacher..." Unwilling to see his teacher die, Luo Huang gritted his teeth. Mustering his courage, he walked forward and sped his fist. "Yang shi, since the rest of us can redeem for our sins by paying spirit stones, can our Fleeting Cloud Sect exchange for my teachers life by paying a hundred middle-tier spirit stones?" "What rubbish are you spouting..." Hearing his disciple speaking such words, Sect Leader Luo Huang immediately rushed forward to stop him. The other party was an 8-star master teacher. The only reason why he gave such an alternative instead of killing all of them was probably only because he was unwilling to see so many fellow master teachers dying at once... Do you really think that an expert of the other partys caliber would actually care about that little bit of middle-tier spirit stones? Putting aside middle-tier spirit stones, even high-tier spirit stones and top-tier spirit stones might not even move him! To buy my life with just mere spirit stones... How could the other party possiblypromise with such an offering? The words of an 8-star master teacher were as good asw. Not even a 7-star master teacher could possibly hope to sway the decisions an 8-star master teacher made. To expect to do so with mere middle-tier spirit stones... If it could be resolved that easily, Sect Leader Bai wouldnt have taken such a huge gamble, only to end up as meat paste. Just as he thought that his student was being immature at such a crucial timing and was about to knock the idea off his head, the figure in the air suddenly spoke nonchntly, "Make it 150 middle-tier spirit stones, and I can spare his life!" "What?" For an instant, Sect Leader Luo Huang thought that he was hearing things. My life... is only worth 150 middle-tier spirit stones. Middle-tier spirit stones were indeed precious, but given the huge wealth the Fleeting Cloud Sect had umted over the years, it wasnt too difficult for them to fork out such a sum. After all, they had won the championship of the Master Teacher Tournament on many asions. Just the prize they had earned was already extremely fearsome. Not to mention, the sales of half 5-star master teacher long-range Tutge Jade Tokens was also a good source of ie... Middle-tier spirit stones were indeed precious, but how could it bepared to his life as the sect leader? But... the other party actually agreed to such a trade? While he was overwhelmed with disbelief, Yang shis dissatisfied voice sounded from the air. "Why? Are you reluctant to pay? If thats the case, just kill yourself!" "Were willing to pay, were willing to pay!" Only at this moment could he confirm that it was all true. How could he possibly hesitate at such a crucial juncture? Flinging his wrist, he took out a pile of middle-tier spirit stones, and in an instant, the spiritual energy in the air intensified. 150 middle-tier spirit stones, not one more, not one less. "Un!" In the air, Yang shi nodded his head in satisfied. Closing his palm, the middle-tier spirit stones flew into his storage ring. "Alright, youre spared. As for the others, pay the spirit stones and scram!" "Yes..." After paying twenty middle-tier spirit stones each, everyone rushed out of the residence as though frightened animals in a stampede. Only when they were out of the residence did they heave a sigh of relief. They subconsciously nced at the huge depression at the entrance, and a bizarre expression crept onto their faces. Cough cough, Sect Leader Bai sure died a wrongful death... If he had known earlier that he could buy his life with spirit stones, he would have surely never done something as foolish as that! To be reduced to meat paste over mere spirit stones, if his soul was looking at this sight, rivers would surely be spilling from his eyes at this very instant... But still, who could have thought that a life of a sect leader would only be worth 150 middle-tier spirit stones. That was a value even lower than a Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast! What in the world was this? Even so, from this, they could tell that Yang shi truly didnt care about their lives! Indeed, how could the life and death of a bunch of ants possibly interest him? Simrly, they wouldnt have been particrly concerned about the life and death of a mere 1-star master teacher as well. After walking a safe distance away, Sect Leader Luo Huang heaved a sigh of relief and instructed his disciple, Luo Xuan, "After returning, strictly warn all disciples against offending Zhang shi, his students, and even themon popce of Myriad Kingdom City regardless of the situation! "Yang shi isnt a person we can offend. Not even Huanyu Empire and Hongyuan Empire can afford to get on his bad side as well... Putting aside his rank as a master teacher, just his cultivation itself would make him, even in the territory of a Conferred Empire... "Invincible!" Chapter 567: Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Pinnacle [2in1] Chapter 567: Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Pinnacle [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "In the territory of a Conferred Empire... Invincible?" Luo Xuans body stiffened, and his face went pale in fright. Simr to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the Fleeting Cloud Sect, as a whole, was an Unranked Empire as well. Above them was Huanyu Tier-2 Empire, followed by Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, and finally, Conferred Empire... In other words, this Yang shi was an invincible existence even in an empire three levels higher than theirs! It was no wonder why he didnt for their lives at all. An expert of that level did possess the qualification to look down on them. After recovering from the shock, Luo Xuan asked, "Teacher. What about Kong shis handwritten letter..." Their main purpose here was to secure Kong shis handwritten letter. But given the other partys immense might, it would surely be impossible for them to steal it from him, so what else could they do next? "Youd better forget about the matter regarding Kong shis handwritten letter. It is best not to get involved in matters concerning high-tier master teacher or else it could bring a huge catastrophe to our sect!" Sect Leader Luo Huang instructed gravely. To live in this world, one had to know their ce. If Yang Xuan was only a half 5-star master teacher or even a 5-star master teacher, even if they couldnt obtain the letter, they would surely spread the news around so that he wouldnt be granted peace. But given that the other party was an 8-star master teacher, if they were to get on his bad side, that would really spell a disaster. It was an unspoken rule to never speak of the affairs of high-ranked master teacher. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion would step forward to silence them if they dared to say anything unseemly about Yang shi. A master teacher of that level was a precious asset to the Master Teacher Pavilion. It would be wise to feign ignorance of the matter unless one was tired of living. "Yes!" Luo Xuan hurriedly nodded his head. Just as the saying goes, a retainer should never gossip about their emperor. To gossip about ones superior was insubordination in itself, and in the strict hierarchy of master teachers, that could possibly warrant death. "Also, from today onward, try to avoid contact with those from White Helios Sect... They are already done for," Sect Leader Luo Huang said. White Helios Sect was another gigantic sect of a simr scale to their Fleeting Cloud Sect. In fact, there was a chance that the other party might overtake them in the near future to be the strongest power among the twenty-eight regional powers. But... it was a pity that they offended Yang shi, and their sect leader was killed. Even if Yang shi was magnanimous enough to spare the White Helios Sect, the other sects would still try to avoid them for fear of getting on Yang shis bad side. In fact, there might even be some, especially their enemies, who would make use of this opportunity to get even with them. It probably wouldnt take long for them to be split among the other powers and disappear in the annals of history. This was the influence that a high-tier master teacher possessed. Every single action of theirs could easily cause a chain effect. In fact... even if Yang shi didnt make a move, just a word of his could make the other sects charge forward and tear him and Sect Leader Bai apart. It was precisely the reason why he was willing to sacrifice himself just to have Yang shis word to spare his sect. As long as Yang shi expressed his agreement to the matter, the other sects, in deference to Yang shi, wouldnt dare go that far. After all, if Yang shi had agreed to sparing the Fleeting Cloud Sect, an attack on them would mean defying Yang shi, and that was no different from courting death! The same scene was also urring in the other sects. The pressure from Yang shis appearance was simply too great. Even if they wanted to spread rumors about Kong shis handwritten letter, Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would surely stop and silence them. ... In the courtyard, everything regained calmness once more. The fourteen powers who hade haughtily all ended up leaving with their heads lowered after paying twenty middle-tier spirit stones each. "Yang shi..." Looking at the expert in the air, Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others bowed respectfully. "Un, youve done well. Ill go to your branch to conduct a lesson when Im free!" Yang shi nodded his head in satisfaction. "Thank you, Yang shi!" Hearing the promise, Pavilion Master Kang and the others were delighted. That was possibly an 8-star master teacher! A single lesson of his could possibly save years of needless effort from their part. "Alright, you all should leave for now!" After making the promise, Yang shi casually waved them away. "Yes!" Hurriedly nodding their heads, Pavilion Master Kang, Alliance Head Zhao, and the others were about to leave when Yang shi suddenly instructed, "Wait a moment. Free their bindings first before leaving!" Zheng Yang, Sun Qiang, and the others mouths had been bound by Sect Leader Luo Huangs zhenqi for trying to exin Zhang shis actions. Not expecting the formidable Yang shi to ask them to solve something so simple, Pavilion Master Kang and the others were stunned for a moment. Even so, they stepped forward and freed the few people of their restraints and fed them pills to heal their injuries. After all was done, they sped their fists and bowed. "Well be taking our leave then!" "Un!" Yang shi nodded with his head tilted upward, seemingly thinking of something deep and profound. Then, with an unfathomable expression, he ced his hands behind his back and started walking toward the distance. "Expert! This is a true expert!" Seeing the other partys disposition and means, Pavilion Master Kang and Alliance Head Zhao found themselves filled with awe for him. If this didnt constitute as an expert, nothing in the world could! Despite being a high-rank master teacher, Yang shi didnt abuse his authority and strength and, instead, remained humble and magnanimous. Even though the other party had already barged into his residence, he allowed them to leave after paying some middle-tier spirit stones. And after all was done, he flung his sleeves and left freely, caring not for the matters of the secr world... At this moment, all they felt for the other party was endless respect and awe. They bowed to see the other party off when they suddenly heard the sound of something falling from the sky. Sounds reminiscent of putong! and aiya! could be heard. It seemed like someone had fallen from the sky. They quickly raised their gazes to look around, but Yang shi had already disappeared. All that was left was an endless blue sky. "Did... Yang shi just fall down?" The few of them nced at one another in disbelief. The person who had just fallen from the sky... couldnt possibly be Yang shi, right? But as soon as this idea popped into their mind, they immediately shook their heads. You must be joking! Yang shi was very possibly an 8-star master teacher, at that level of cultivation even an entire day of flight wouldnt result in his exhaustion. How could he possibly suddenly fall from the sky? He must have moved too fast such that he had disappeared from their eyes. After reasoning it out within themselves, they hurriedly left the area. "To think that the old master would be so formidable!" "Grandteacher is indeed incredible!" After the departure of the few people, the courtyard fell silent. Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, and the others were still relishing in the excitement from watching Yang shis incredible show of strength. Only Wang Ying rushed straight into the courtyard anxiously. While everyone had been busy recuperating from their injuries, her eyes were fixated on Yang shi, and she saw how his face paled and fell from the sky. If the other party was truly an 8-star master teacher, how could he possibly get exhausted by that short moment of flight and fall from the sky? Zhang shi must have used some sort of unique method to push himself so as to resolve the crisis. Upon rushing into the inner courtyard, she nced at the area where Yang shi fell toward and saw a slight depression on the ground around the size of a head. Most likely, the other party must have crashed into the ground head first. But... why wasnt there anyone around? "Where is he?" After overexerting himself and falling from a high altitude, the other party must be injured. But why wasnt he around? Wang Ying was worried. "Wang Ying, what are you doing here instead of channeling the medicinal energy from the pill to heal your wounds?" Just as Wang Ying was about to continue searching, a nonchnt voice sounded. Turning around, she saw Zhang shi standing not too far away with a frown on his face. With a flushed face, Wang Ying hurriedly exined, "Teacher, I... I seemed to have seen Yang shi falling from the sky, and in fear that he might be injured, I came over to take a look!" "Injured? You must be jesting. How could a person of my teachers caliber get injured?" Frowning, Zhang shi waved his hands casually. "Alright, you should leave and focus on your recuperation. Im currently discussing Lu Chongs issue with teacher, and I dont wish to be interrupted!" "Yes, teacher!" Seeing that Zhang shis clothes werepletely intact, devoid of any signs that he had just fallen from the sky, Wang Ying could only sp her fist and leave. She was truly perplexed by this bizarreness. Was she really... mistaken? Were Yang shi and Zhang shi two different people? Otherwise, how could Zhang shi possibly bepletely fine after falling from the sky, to the extent that there wasnt the slightest disturbance in his zhenqi? Gritting her teeth, Wang Ying thought confidently, Even if Im mistaken about this matter, Im certain about the mark Mo Hunsheng left on teachers neck! She had made sure to verify the mark multiple times previously, and she was certain of it! Even if she failed to prove anything this time, she was confident of her conjecture! I should try to look for teacher the next time Yang shi appears... Wang Ying thought. Since Zhang shi refused to admit the matter, it would be inappropriate for her to ask about it. The only way she could verify her theory was to confirm that Zhang shi was absent whenever Yang shi was around. If she could prove that, then there was high chance that they were the same person! By then, Zhang shi wouldnt be able to refute her argument anymore. With such a thought, Wang Ying left. As soon as she left, Zhang Xuan immediately smiled bitterly and returned to his room. If Wang Ying was still present at this moment, she would surely be able to verify that Yang shi and Zhang shi were the same person from his back view. Thats because... the back of Zhang shis head was cloaked with dust. In fact, even his pants werepletely soiled. If not for the stone pirs hiding his figure, he would have surely been exposed. ... Returning to the room, Zhang Xuan quickly changed his clothes, and only then did he heave a sigh of relief. Wang Yings conjecture was spot-on-Yang shi was indeed him. If he had appeared as Zhang Xuan just now, it was likely that a fight would have broken out. Given his current cultivation realm, he wouldnt be a match for all of those experts. Left without a choice, he could disguise himself and appear as Yang shi. As for the powerful aura he exuded, that mainly came from Mo Hunsheng. After being trapped in the Nine Hearts Lotus for so many years, the other partys grasp over his cultivation became weak, and the only thing impressive about him at the moment was his disposition. But in this situation, it happened to be what Zhang Xuan needed the most. Due to the other partys umtion over the years, the powerful aura the other partys soul exuded wasparable to even a Half-Saint. On top of that, in order to further convince the crowd of his cultivation, Zhang Xuan appeared from the skies. From the very start, everyone was already convinced that he was a Saint, and that was the main reason why he wasnt exposed. As for Sect Leader Luo Huangs injuries, it was caused by Zhang Xuans ability as a soul oracle. His current soul cultivation was at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. While it would be hard for him to match the other party in a straightforward fight... in a battle of souls, Zhang Xuan would never lose to the other party. After all, a Consonant Spirit realm expert would have barely started the cultivation of his soul. There was no way a novice soul could match up to a powerful soul which had even been tempered by the Yin-Yang Lake. But still, if Sect Leader Luo Huang had retaliated, Zhang Xuans attack might have copsed, and he would be exposed. It was fortunate the impression of Yang shis invincibility as a Saint had been deeply imprinted into Sect Leader Luo Huangs mind, thus making him dare not retaliate at all for fear of inducing the other partys wrath. As for the Soul Impartation afterward, while it did look formidable, it was actually rather simple. Back then, Mo Hunsheng had also transferred the soul cultivation techniques to him via the same method, and after grasping it, it wasnt too difficult for him to do the same to Xue Yiyao as well. And regarding the Demon Cinque Beasts breakthrough, it was something he had done on many asions before. Everything was perfect, and the only w was the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. Even with his higher cultivation and zhenqi capacity, he could still only sustain flight for ten minutes or so. Naturally, the reason why he fell vertically down was due to his zhenqi being sapped dry. It was fortunate that no one noticed it. Otherwise, all of his effort from before would have gone to waste. "Sigh, what is this..." It was just a moment ago that he inspired everyones awe and fear. Yet, the next instant, he ended up crashing into the ground and nearly spewing blood. The huge contrast between the two left Zhang Xuan dismal. The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step was indeed formidable, and being able to fly was something to rejoice about... However, during its course of activation, one was unable to sense the amount of zhenqi one had left, thus creating a high tendency for one to abruptly fall from the sky. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan was able to sustain all the way to the end. Otherwise, if he were to fall in the midst of threatening the others, it would have been hard to exin himself "Looks like... Wang Ying managed to see through my disguise!" Recalling how Wang Ying rushed into the inner courtyard and the doubt on her face, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Given that Wang Ying noticed something as well, there was a good chance that the others might have noticed something as well. If others were to learn that the unparalleled Yang shi was just a made-up character, the group from before would surely return to cripple him. "Looks like I should forge my clone soon... With a clone, I would be able to appear simultaneously in both identities, and no one will doubt me anymore!" Zhang Xuan sped his fists tightly. He had learnt the Soul Severing Technique from Mo Hunsheng, and using the Nine Hearts Lotus as the foundation, it wouldnt be too difficult for him to forge a clone. However, it would require vast amount of spiritual energy for him to do so, and thus, he had been putting off the matter. However, with at least 600 middle-tier spirit stones in his possession at the moment, he could afford such expenditure already. "I should raise my cultivation first!" The Nine Hearts Lotus hadnt matured yet, and the best way to induce its maturity was through vast quantity of Heavens Path zhenqi... With so many middle-tier spirit stones in his hand now, that wasnt a problem. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the Spirit Gathering Formation te, activated it, and sat in the middle of the formation. Following which, he casually threw out a dozen of middle-tier spirit stones and began driving the Heavens Path Divine Art. The dense spiritual energy in the surroundings began rushing into his body. The overwhelming spiritual energy flowing through his body left Zhang Xuan with an indescribably soothing sensation, and warm tears gathered in his eyes. In the past two months, he had been suffering from a huge shortage of spirit stones, resulting in a huge need for him to be thrifty. This was the first time he could afford to cultivate so extravagantly! It seemed like there was a need for him to extort from those fellows a few more times in the future. After all, he would surely need even more spirit stones in the future. Hong long long! Under the surge of spiritual energy, his consumed zhenqi was swiftly replenished, and soon, with a slight buzzing sound, he reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle! But Zhang Xuan didnt just stop there. Origin Energy realm pinnacle! Yin-Yang realm primary stage! ... Yin-Yang realm pinnacle! Two hourster, Zhang Xuan sessfully reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle! His zhenqi strength totaled up to 1,000,000 ding, which was 200,000 ding greater than other Yin-Yang realm pinnacle cultivators. That was alreadyparable to a rifying Turbidity realm primary stage cultivator! (Ordinary Yin-Yang realm primary stage cultivators possess a strength of 500,000 ding, intermediate stage 600,000 ding, advanced stage 700,000 ding, and pinnacle 800,000 ding! rifying Turbidity realm primary stage cultivator start with 1,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 1,200,000 ding, advanced stage 1,400,000 ding, and pinnacle 1,600,000 ding.) Adding the strength of 1,600,000 ding derived from his soul cultivation, the maximum strength he could wield at the moment was a hulking 2,600,000 ding! With this strength, he could even match a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage expert. (Consonant Spirit realm primary stage 2,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 2,400,000 ding, advanced stage 2,800,000 ding, and pinnacle 3,200,000 ding,) That was somethingpletely unheard of! "Now, I should nurture the Nine Hearts Lotus..." As Zhang Xuan didnt have sufficient Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation techniques to form the correspondingplete Heavens Path Divine Art, he could only stop here. Thus, flicking his wrist, he took out the Nine Hearts Lotus, grabbed it, and began infusing huge amount of zhenqi in. "AH... DONT KILL ME..." But as soon as zhenqi seeped into the lotus, a sound reminiscent of a pig being butchered echoed in the air-Mo Hunsheng. "Ah, pardon me. I forgot your existence..." Too anxious to nurture the lotus to maturity, Zhang Xuan forgot that the fellow hiding in the lotus was particrly fearful of Heavens Path zhenqi. "..." Mo Hunsheng was in tears. I had just expended myself to save you and you actually forgot about me so quickly? How heartless can you be? "Dont worry. Ill pull you out now," Zhang Xuan said sheepishly. As long as Mo Hunsheng remained in the lotus, he wouldnt be able to drive the lotuss maturity with his zhenqi. As a 6-star soul oracle, Mo Hunsheng would be able survive for a very long time out of the lotus. Otherwise, Zhang Xuan could also loan him the Soulless Metal Humanoid to house his soul. As for how he should get Mo Hunsheng out, Zhang Xuan had already thought of an idea. Since the other party needed a soul to take his ce so that he could escape, he would just have to make one for him. "Soul Severing Technique!" Seated cross-legged, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out. Then, following the method which Mo Hunsheng taught him beforehand, he began splitting his soul in two. Since there was no other soul he could use, he would just have to use his own. Furthermore, it just so happened that Zhang Xuan wanted to use the Nine Hearts Lotus to forge a clone. A portion of his soul would have to enter the Nine Hearts Lotus eventually, so this wasnt a problem at all. Absorbing the dense spiritual energy from the surroundings, Zhang Xuan slowly tore his soul into two. The severing of a soul was, in essence, no different from tearing ones body into two. The pain that one had to suffer during the process was unimaginable. Furthermore, it was an extremely risky technique. The slightest mistake could possibly result in the dissipation of ones soul. If not for having brought the technique up to the level of Heavens Path, he would have surely dared not cultivate this technique. The sess rate was simply too low. Back then, it had taken astounding luck on Mo Hunshengs part to sessfully split his soul in two. Soon, the three-metersrge soul was severed into two human-sized ones. "Done..." After severing his soul, Zhang Xuan had one portion return back to his physical body before exhaling deeply. At his moment, his face was iparably white. "Most probably, I wont be able to utilize my soul energy for a period of time!" This was unlike what he did in the case of Lu Chong, where he only needed to sever a small portion of it. This time, his soul was divided in two. It would take at least two months for him to recover to his original condition. He had to avoid using his soul energy during this period of time or else he would risk aggravating his injuries. Chapter 568: Forging the Clone Chapter 568: Forging the Clone Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 But still, it was all worth it. His soul was divided into two, but he could sense the consciousness of the two, as though his existence had been split in two. Even though his fighting prowess had gone down for the time being, once he recovers, his strength would increase greatly. Furthermore, given that both minds were linked, and they couldmunicate via mere thoughts, once they coborate together, the strength wouldnt be as simple as one plus one equals to two. With perfect teamwork, it could easily be three, four, or even higher. On top of that, the severed soul was capable of cultivating as well. As time passed, it would only grow stronger and stronger. "Time to begin!" The soul nced at the original body and smiled faintly before dashing into the Nine Hearts Lotus. Hu! As soon as it approached the lotus, it immediately felt an overwhelmingly powerful suction force pulling it in into a dark space. "Master..." After the soul steadied itself, Zhang Xuan saw middle-aged man standing not too far away. The middle-aged man sped his fist and greeted the soul respectfully. Mo Hunsheng! Considering how that fellow was a 6-star soul oracle and how long he had lived, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would be an elderly with white hair and beard. Yet, to his surprise, the other party looked like a fragile schr instead. Having signed the Soul Contract, even though Mo Hunsheng had sessfully escaped from the Nine Hearts Lotus, he was still Zhang shis subordinate. If he were to harbor the slightest thought of defiance, Zhang shi could easily crush him with a thought. "Is this your original appearance?" Zhang Xuans divided soul asked. As an intangible existence, souls could be morphed to take on any shape. "Yes. The soul of a soul oracle retains the appearance it had when it was first drawn from the body. This appearance of mine will still remain the same even if I live for another ten thousand years," Mo Hunsheng replied. While souls could be morphed into countless shapes, they would still have a default appearance, which was the form of the body when the soul was first drawn from the body. "Un. Im here to rece you. You can leave now!" The severed soul waved his hand. "However, I cant find a suitable body for you at the moment. You can possess the Soulless Metal Humanoid for the time being. Once I find a physical body suitable for you, Ill allow you to possess it!" While Mo Hunsheng was powerful enough to exist outside in his soul form, as time passed, he would still suffer from the Five Declines and grow weaker. The only way to prevent that was for him to possess a suitable body. As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly allow his subordinate to possess any innocent bystander. Thus, he could only have the other party possess the Soulless Metal Humanoid for the time being. As the Soulless Metal Humanoid was a body forged specially for the use of soul oracles, diving in and out of it wouldnt incur the Possession Decline. "Its no problem. As long as I can leave this darned ce, Im willing to stay anywhere..." Mo Hunsheng nodded his head excitedly. He was about to be driven mad from being trapped here for several ten thousand years. As long as he could escape this ce, he didnt mind possessing the Soulless Metal Humanoid for the time being. Besides, Zhang shi had also promised to find a fitting body for him to possess too. There was nothing for him to hesitate for. "Ill be heading out first then!" With a bright glow from his soul, Mo Hunsheng dashed out of the Nine Hearts Lotus. Seemingly realized that Mo Hunsheng was about to leave, a powerful energy lurking in the dark space crept toward him in an attempt to keep him here. However, Zhang Xuans severed soul harrumphed and blocked its path. Hu! The energy was halted for a split moment, and making use of this opportunity, Mo Hunsheng leaped out of the Nine Hearts Lotus and appeared in the outside world. "Youre out!" Zhang Xuan nced at him. "Yes!" Having regained his freedom, Mo Hunsheng nced at his surroundings in agitation. "You should enter the Soulless Metal Humanoid for the time being!" With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a coffin housing a Soulless Metal Humanoid. Nodding his head, Mo Hunsheng opened the coffin and dived into the Soulless Metal Humanoid. The next moment, the eyes of the Soulless Metal Humanoid opened, and it stood up. "Master!" A human-height puppet walked toward Zhang Xuan and bowed grandly, as though a valiantmander greeting his superior. "You should call me young master like the others!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Yes, young master!" The humanoid sped his fist. ncing at the humanoid, Zhang Xuan asked, "How strong are you at the moment, and how much of your strength can you exert at the moment?" Given Mo Hunshengs powerful cultivation, there was a good chance that the other party was more powerful than him now that he was freed from the Nine Hearts Lotus, even when he was within the Soulless Metal Humanoid. "I was the one who crafted these Soulless Metal Humanoids, so I can bring out almost hundred percent of my strength in them!" Mo Hunsheng replied. "Hundred percent? Meaning, you can bring out the full strength of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The other party was only inches away from achieving the breakthrough to Half-Saint before he was trapped in the Nine Hearts Lotus. Even though he had expended much of his soul energy throughout the years, he was still able to retain his cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan. Didnt this mean that he had a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan subordinate beside him now? With such an expert, even without Yang shis presence, no one would dare to cause him any trouble! "Un!" Mo Hunsheng nodded. "Not bad. For the time being, guard the entrance and dont allow anyone to enter. Im going to forge my clone and I dont want anyone to interrupt me!" Zhang Xuan instructed. Mo Hunsheng nodded and left the room. After which, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the Nine Hearts Lotus, and a serious expression appeared on his face. "Time to start!" With a flick of his finger, a surge of zhenqi gushed into the Nine Hearts Lotus. The Heavens Path zhenqi was deadly to Mo Hunsheng due to the imperfections of his Soul Guiding Method, but Zhang Xuans severed soul didnt possess such weakness. As Zhang Xuan pumped his zhenqi into the Nine Hearts Lotus, its ck surface gradually turned white. This showed that it was gradually maturing. The lotus required a vast quantity of Heavens Path zhenqi to mature, but fortunately, Zhang Xuan had sufficient middle-tier spirit stones on hand. After a period of time, with a light jolt, thest shred of darkness disappeared from the surface of the lotus, resulting in a perfectly milky-white appearance. "As expected of a God artifact!" With just a nce, Zhang Xuan felt a jolt run through his body, and he couldnt help but feel allured by the Nine Hearts Lotus. Previously, the lotus was as ck as ink, simr to a demonic tool. However, at this instant, it felt like a treasure that hade from the highest heavens, an invible item. Every single aspect of it spelled extraordinary! He could foresee that if its existence were to be made known to the public, a huge fight for it would ur. Even 7-star or 8-star master teachers would find themselves unable to hold back their greed. After all, master teachers were still mortals as well. Unlike true saints, they possessed worldly desires and experienced negative emotions too. Even the wise Kong shi had once destroyed an entire kingdom out of rage when his student was killed, needless to say, others. "Forge!" Knowing how precious this item was, Zhang Xuan decided to get it done as soon as possible. Thus, without any hesitation, he grabbed the lotus and infused a surge of zhenqi into it. Mo Hunsheng had imparted the way of forging a physical body to him, and it wasnt a veryplicated process. He enveloped the entire lotus with his zhenqi to facilitate the fusing of his severed soul along with the lotus. At the same time, the zhenqi also tempered the lotus, and slowly, a wless body was being formed. After some time, the severed soul had fused perfectly with the body, and the formation of the body wasplete. Slowly, the pair of eyes on the body opened. "Done!" Seeing his clone getting to his feet, Zhang Xuan smiled in delight. Two pair of eyes in the room stared at one another, and Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a very peculiar sensation. It was as if he was looking into a mirror. At a moment, it felt as though he was the other party, and in the next, it felt as though the other party was him. As the clone was forged from his soul, it shared the same consciousness as the original body. In fact, even the knowledge and battle techniques they cultivated were shared as well. In other words, if the clone were to read through a book, the original body would learn the same knowledge as well. But of course, this was all there was to it. The cultivation of the two of them was still separate. "Currently, the clone is still in its nascent form. The bulk of is cultivation consists from my severed soul. I should first raise its cultivation first!" The newborn clone possessed no strength whatsoever-even if it did, it mainly originated from the soul fused into the body. It had to start its cultivating its zhenqi from scratch. After wearing clothes, the clone sat at the center of the Spirit Gathering Formation formed by the formation te. Geji! Geji! The clone began cultivating ording to the Heavens Path Divine Art. "Hmm?" A momentter, Zhang Xuan frowned. He had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art before, and he was very familiar with it. Yet, why was his clone unable to do the same? The moment his clone tried to do so, an immense pressure would push down on it, threatening to reduce the body into dust if he were to push on. A conjecture appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. "Could it be that... other than my original body, no one else can cultivate Heavens Path Divine Art, not even my clone?" He did try to impart theplete Heavens Path Divine Art to his students before, but none of them had been able to cultivate it for some reason. Left with no choice, he could only modify it or introduce a few minor ws into the technique. He thought that it might just be a matter of level ofprehension, but from the looks of it now, given that his clone shared the same consciousness as him, that wasnt the case. This might have something to do with the Library of Heavens Path! Zhang Xuan thought. The Library of Heavens Path had been apanying him since his rebirth. Perhaps it was only because of its existence that he was able to cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art. On the other hand, his clone, even though it was sharing his soul, due to the non-existence of the Library of Heavens Path to it, was unable to cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art. Most likely, the Library of Heavens Path was a loophole in the world in itself. The heavens would never allow anyone to peer into its essence, and the very concept of perfection is non-existent in the world. This is aw of the world, and those who attempted to break it would find themselves hindered. "Since its impossible, I just have to modify it then!" Since Heavens Path Divine Art was out of question, Zhang Xuan would have to introduce some minor ws into it. He had done the same for Zhao Ya and the others as well, so it wasnt too difficult for him to do so. Gugugugu! Cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art with some minor ws introduced, the clone could finally circte his zhenqi smoothly without any hups, and his aura began growing more and more powerful as his cultivation surged. As expected of a physical body forged by a God artifact. The cultivation speed of Zhao Ya and the others couldnt begin topare with it. In just three short days, it progressed all the way from Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm pinnacle! In other words, the clone possessed strength equivalent to him now. While part of the reason was due to there being sufficient spirit stones to fuel his cultivation, it was still a shocking feat. "This would suffice. Theres no need for it to cultivate battle techniques since we can just share them via our souls!" Given that the clone and the main body shared amon consciousness, they could easily share knowledge. Even without any practice, the clone was able to execute Heavens Path battle techniques at the same level of the original. But of course, these had to have some minor ws introduced into them as well. "Lets see how powerful it is... Come, give me a punch!" Zhang Xuan looked at his clone with a smile. Since there was no Strength Measuring Rock Pir in the room, there was no way to ascertain the current strength of the clone precisely. However, Zhang Xuan could still fathom a rough gauge through trying it out with his own body. Hu! The clone sent a punch over, and with a casual smile, Zhang Xuan faced it with one of his own too. The two punches collided. Peng! Before Zhang Xuan could react, he felt a sharp pain on his arm, as though he had been struck by a humongous mountain. He was immediately sent flying, and his head crashed through severalyers of walls before being nted in the rock-filled courtyard. "The heck... What is this..." Zhang Xuan cried. Chapter 569: Mo Gaoyuan Seeks an Audience Chapter 569: Mo Gaoyuan Seeks an Audience Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Sorry but our young master is currently in seclusion; he isnt meeting any guests!" In the residence, Sun Qiang looked at two individuals apologetically. The two individuals were Elder Hu and Master Teacher Song Chao. Upon knowing that Zhang shi was back, they visited the residence everyday no matter how many times the sharp-tongued Sun Qiang tried to chase them away. "I know, but the tournament is going to begin tomorrow. No matter what, Zhang shi has toe out of his seclusion today..." Elder Hu smiled awkwardly. Even though the fourteen powers had hushed all news regarding that incident back then, as one of the powers involved in the tournament, Elder Hu did know a thing or two about it. To be able to chase away so many powerful experts and keep thempletely silenced about the matter afterward, Zhang shis background must be astounding. Thus, even though his original intention was only to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he eventually ended up visiting every day in hopes of forging a close rtionship with this Zhang shi. "Even though thats true, I cant guarantee you that the young master wille out of his seclusion today..." Sun Qiang nodded his head. Ever since young master returned, he had locked himself in his room, and it had been half a month since then. Also, the old master also appeared that once. After that incident, he disappeared without a trace. Even Sun Qiang himself couldnt verify whether these two individuals were truly still in the residence. "That... After Zhang shi is out of his seclusion, can Butler Sun send someone to inform me of the matter? Im sure you can tell that Im really interested in buying the Soulless Metal Humanoid," Elder Hu said. "This..." Sun Qiang frowned, and the disposition of a high-rank master teachers butler naturally flowed out of him. "I dont have the rights to make such a decision. Itll depend on the will of the young master. If he is unwilling to meet you, I cant force a meeting either!" Ever since that day, Sun Qiangs standing had been on a nearly vertical rise, and even Alliance Head Zhao and Pavilion Master Kang had to visit him personally. As time went by, the authority and prestige he enjoyed gradually built on his disposition. "Indeed! A person of Zhang shis caliber cant possibly entertain everyone whoes knocking at his door..." Elder Hu yed along with Sun Qiang. "Of course. The young master is a man of great stature. Even Sect Leader Luo Huang of the Fleeting Cloud Sect has been chased away by me in the past few days!" Sun Qiang spoke proudly. Sect Leader Luo Huang had paid his visit the past few days, but before he could even reach the entrance, he was already chased away by the guards with sticks in their hands. You must be joking! Surely you should have thought of this possibility when you came to attack us! To apologize only after learning of our old masters might... Do you think that there is really such a good deal in the world? "Indeed. A person like Zhang shi is destined for great things. How could it be possibly to meet him that easily? All I hope is that Butler Sun could help to speak up on my behalf before the other party..." Elder Hus mouth twitched, but he hurriedly continued with his fawning. But before he could finish his words, a loud explosion sounded, and following which, they saw a figure being nted onto the ground before them. "Audacious! Do you think that Zhang shis residence is a ce where you can wreak havoc?" Seeing how the other party actually dared to make a move here, even going to the extent of tearing down the walls, Elder Hu was just about to disy his goodwill toward Zhang shi when Butler Sun rushed forward and asked worriedly, "Young master, whats wrong?" "Young master? Zhang shi?" Elder Hus vision darkened, and his body swayed weakly. For an instant, he felt as though blood was regurgitating in his mouth, threatening to spew out at any moment. That dirty and unkempt beggar who was head nted into the ground... was Zhang shi? A man of great stature... How was that fellow whose head was nted into the ground and was chewing on soil in his mouth... had anything to do with great stature? He had just gone along with Butler Sun to praise Zhang shi to the point that thetter seemed no different from a deity from the heavens when thetter sudden appeared in such a manner... Elder Hu felt as though he was about to cry. And he wasnt the only one who felt that way. Standing beside him, Song Chaos mouth was also twitching violently. Having met Zhang shi a few times before, he was able to recognize the other party at first sight. There was no doubt-that unseemly person on that floor was indeed Zhang shi. The previous few times, the other party carried such a refined and authoritative disposition that he couldnt help but feel awed toward, but now... This... was simply too much of an image changer. "Cough cough cough!" Plucking his head out of the ground, Zhang Xuan felt dismayed. Despite being at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle as well, not to mention, he cultivated theplete Heavens Path Divine Art... and yet, he was nearly beaten to death by his clone! What the heck was this? For the main body to be unable to match up to the clone... Wasnt he really too useless? But while he was dismayed, he soon understood the underlying reason behind this matter. Regardless, the body of his clone was forged out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, a God artifact. Even though the cultivation technique his clone was cultivating was weaker than his, just the might of the physical body itself was easy to make up for its deficiency and even exceed the original body. It would be no joke to say that the clone was an invincible existence in his ss. Unless... Zhang Xuan continued to cultivate the Heavens Path Golden Body and reached the very limits of it. Otherwise, for a long time, he would remain outssed by his clone. "Forget it, since the one stronger than myself is myself, theres no need for me to feel so frustrated over it..." Zhang Xuan consoled himself. In any case, both bodies could be considered as a part of him, so there was nothing for him to get depressed over. Seeing Butler Suns worried look, Zhang Xuan patted the dust off his robe and replied, "Im fine, theres nothing to worry about. Its just that I met some minor problems with my cultivation a moment ago!" "Alright!" Even though Sun Qiang was perplexed to hear that the other party had met with some problems in his cultivation, he suppressed his doubt and sped his fist, "Young master, Elder Hu and Master Teacher Song Chao from the Blue Frost Sect is here. They are interested in buying your Soulless Metal Humanoid, and theyve been visiting for the past few days..." After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the matter. "Song Chao? Soulless Metal Humanoid?" Back then, in the Southern Herb Garden, Zhang Xuan convinced Song Chao to purchase a metal coffin for one middle-tier spirit stone, and he promised thetter that as long as he brought sufficient money, he would sell the remaining three Soulless Metal Humanoid to him. But currently, Mo Hunsheng needed the Soulless Metal Humanoid to house his soul. On top of that, there was a need to keep spare in case one of them wore out in the midst of battle... If Zhang Xuan were to sell all of them, it would be impossible for him to find a second one in the world. After all, the upation of soul oracles had already gone extinct in the world, and the number of Soulless Metal Humanoid was extremely limited in the world. It would be no exaggeration to say that the odds were that he would never find a fifth one in the world. Besides, Zhang Xuan didntck middle-tier spirit stones at the moment, so he wasnt as keen to sell them at the moment. "Zhang shi, I am Elder Hu from Blue Frost Sect. I believe you have met Master Teacher Song Chao before..." After a moment of hesitation, Elder Hu and Song Chao stepped forward. "Un, pleased to meet you, Elder Hu!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted the other party. After which, he scratched his head sheepishly and replied, "Pardon me. I did have three Soulless Metal Humanoid in my hands before but... you came toote. Ive already sold them already. Im afraid that you have made a wasted trip!" It wasnt convenient for him to talk about Mo Hunsheng, so he decided to just im that he had already sold the Soulless Metal Humanoids. "Youve sold all of them?" Not expecting for such a hup to ur, Elder Hu was taken aback. "Indeed. You should also know that hidden in the Soulless Metal Humanoids are the secrets of the soul oracles. There are simply too many people interested in buying them, and I only had a few of them in my hands..." Zhang Xuan waved his hands apologetically when the ground suddenly rumbled, and a towering figure rushed into the hall. "Young master, what happened? Are you alright?" Mo Hunsheng asked worriedly. He had been standing guard outside the room so as to ensure the young masters safety. Yet, somehow, the young master still ended up being sent flying. rmed, he hurriedly rushed over to check on the young masters condition. "This is... a living Soulless Metal Humanoid..." Elder Hus vision went dark. Big brother, didnt you just say that youve already sold all of the Soulless Metal Humanoid? For a living one to walk out the next moment... What the heck was this? "Cough cough!" Zhang Xuan also didnt expect to be exposed right after he uttered the lie, so his face went red in embarrassment. "Th-this... is not a metal humanoid. It is a guard of mine which cultivated a unique battle technique that resulted in his current appearance!" "A unique battle technique?" Elder Hu and Song Chaos bodies swayed weakly. Do you really think we are blind? This is obviously a Soulless Metal Humanoid, right? We are all fellow master teachers. No matter how bad our eyes of discernment are, we can at least distinguish between a normal guard and a puppet. "Alright!" But even so, since the other was clearly unwilling to broach the topic, they werent in a good position to ask either. After all, while the Soulless Metal Humanoid was important, it wasnt worth getting on Zhang shis bad side for it. After chatting a while longer, they confirmed that Zhang shi had no intentions whatsoever to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and thus, Elder Hu and Song Chao could only leave in disappointment. Before the both of them left, Zhang Xuan instructed them sternly not to spread any news regarding the sentient Soulless Metal Humanoid. Right after the duo left, Zhang Xuan immediately turned to the tall, golden figure beside him and berated furiously, "For you to run out in such a form, are you that afraid that no one would recognize you?" The topic of Soulless Metal Humanoids was intricately linked with the soul oracles. If one were to be found running about freely, there would surely bring a huge uproar, and the Master Teacher Pavilion might even choose to conduct an investigation. If so, things would get troublesome. "I..." Mo Hunsheng also knew that he was too reckless, so he was feeling a little sheepish. But still, considering that the other party had been trapped for innumerable years in the Nine Hearts Lotus prior to this, he couldnt really be med for hisck of consideration. Thus, Zhang Xuan put the matter aside and asked instead, "Is there any way for you to conceal your appearance and aura?" Mo Hunsheng contemted for a moment before replying. "There is a way, but it might take a few days..." "Thats good. Then, for the next few days, you should try to stay out of public view..." Seeing that there was indeed a way for Mo Hunsheng to conceal his aura and his appearance, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, turning to Sun Qiang, he asked, "Butler Sun, in the past few days that Ive been in seclusion, did anything happen?" For the past half a month since he had returned, he had been in seclusion. Thus, there was a need for him to catch up with thetest happenings. "Reporting to young master, ever since the old masters previous appearance, the other sects and empires have toned it down and the city has be much more peaceful. In the past few days, Pavilion Master Kang, Alliance Head Zhao, and Princess Feiwu have beening by every day, but after confirming that you were still in seclusion each time, they would leave in disappointment," Sun Qiang said. The old masters presence had humbled all of the powers in the city. The arrogant geniuses of powerful sects and empires had be as obedient as domesticated kittens, not daring to cause any trouble at all in fear of getting on Yang shis bad side. After all, the wrath of an 8-star master teacher was something that neither they nor their sects could bear. After thinking for a moment, Sun Qiang continued, "Also... the perpetrator of the entire incident, Ding Hong, has been killed by Sect Leader Luo Huang of Fleeting Cloud Sect!" In truth, Zhang Xuan had wanted to get rid of that ticking time bomb that night, but as he was disguised as Yang Xuan, he would surely have exposed his true cultivation if he were to make a move personally. Besides, it was beneath Yang shi to make a move on such an insignificant ant. As such, hed had no choice but to hold himself back. However, it seemed like the sect leader of Fleeting Cloud Sect was indeed a smart man. He probably knew of Yang shis dilemma andpleted the job on the other partys behalf. "Is there anything else?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Young Master Lu Chong should be waking up in the next few days. Other than that, the only important matter left would be the Master Teacher Tournament..." Sun Qiang was just about to continue speaking when an impassive voice suddenly rang from the outside. "Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire Master Teacher Pavilions Pavilion Master, 6-star pinnacle Master Teacher Mo Gaoyuan, seeks an audience with Yang shi!" Chapter 570: Yang shis Disappointment Chapter 570: Yang shis Disappointment Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "6-star master teacher?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched, shocked by the sudden appearance of Pavilion Master Mo. Wasnt the most formidable master teacher in Myriad Kingdom Alliance only at 4-star pinnacle? Where in the world did this 6-star pinnacle master teachere from? The fundamental requirement of bing a 6-star master teacher was a cultivation realm of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, and a 6-star pinnacle master teacher... was probably a true Saint! For a Saint to actually seek his audience... Just the thought of it left Zhang Xuans hair standing on ends. Even acting before a half 5-star master teacher was stressful enough for him. There wasnt a single moment throughout the incident which he didnt fear that the other party would see through his disguise. And yet, to do so before a true Saint... For pretending to a high-rank master teacher and scaring others with a false identity, that was a breach of the master teacher moral code. The other party would reserve all rights to kill him on the spot! In other words, the moment he was exposed as a fake... that would be the moment he would breathe hisst breath! "The news of Yang shis appearance must have leaked out..." Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in dismay. Given that such a formidable master teacher had run over to seek an audience with Yang shi, that could only mean one possibility... the matter that had happened that day had reached the ears of Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire. If Zhang Xuan was a little stronger, he would at least be more confident in his disguise. But the choice wasnt up to him now. The other party was already at his doorstep, he couldnt possibly turn the other party away at this point. What to do? "No, I should tell the other party that my teacher isnt around..." Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan was just about to instruct Sun Qiang to ry those words, when the person beside him bellowed, "What are you making such a fuss about? Are you trying to show off your loud voice? Dont you know the basic manners to visiting another? Wait at the doorstep first, Ill report this matter to the old master!" Zhang Xuan turned his face stiffly around, only to see Sun Qiang with a disdainful expression on his face. Sun Qiang, noticing that the young masters gaze was on him, said contemptuously, "Who does he think he is? So what if hes a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, does he think that hes the only one who can transmit his voice telepathically? Even a 7-star pinnacle master teacher would have to wait obediently at the entrance for the old master to summon him in! To cause such a huge fuss, is he trying to start a revolt?" Putong! Zhang Xuans body suddenly felt weak. In that instant, he even forgot to breathe and nearly died of suffocation. He was still worried over how he should deal with the 6-star master teacher outside when the fellow beside him uttered such words... It was toote for him to make excuses now! No matter what, the other party was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a person standing at the very tip of the pyramid known as a Tier-1 Empire. To actually bellow at such a figure like that, sparing him no pride at all... Brother Qiang, you are about to break through the atmosphere! While tears were streaming down Zhang Xuans face, Sun Qiang looked at him expectantly and asked, "Young master, wasnt the old master discussing the issue regarding Young Master Lu Chong with you?" Lu Chongs soul was simply too strong. Even though Zhang Xuan had sessfully awakened him back then, the other party still needed some time for his soul to fuse properly with his body before he would be able to regain consciousness. However, after half a month of conditioning, it should be about time for him to regain consciousness. "I..." Hearing the question, Zhang Xuan was stumped. He had once told Wang Ying that he was discussing with Yang shi on how they could save Lu Chong... Given that Lu Chong was about to wake up already, it was indeed weird how not a trace of Yang shi could be seen. "Is he in the room? Ill go and ask him whether he wants to meet this 6-star master teacher or not!" Seeing that there was no response from the young master, Sun Qiang continued. Knowing that it would be impossible for him to reply Sun Qiangs questions, Zhang Xuan hurriedly interjected, "Cough cough, theres no need for it. Ill go ask him myself. For the time being, you should bring Pavilion Master Mo into the main hall..." "Alright!" Nodding his head, Sun Qiang headed to the entrance to invite the other party in. Seeing the other party leave, Zhang Xuan walked toward one of the room in the residence while rubbing his be. After that fellows intervention, there was no choice but for Yang shi to appear already. But after giving it some thoughts, this matter would be inevitable even if Sun Qiang hadnt said anything. After all, given that the other party had made the journey here from afar, it was indeed dubious if Yang shi didnt appear. Besides, it was likely that Pavilion Master Mo would return again after failing to meet him this once. In the end, he was just meeting the other party earlier. But... How should be disguise himself before a 6-star pinnacle master teacher to convince him? An expert of that level was likely to have already forged the Eye of Insight, allowing him to see through all falsehood. He might have been able to pass off as a Saint by utilizing Mo Hunshengs aura, but if he were to do the same for Pavilion Master Mo as well, he would surely be exposed instantaneously! The same goes for flight as well. Given that 4-star and 5-star master teachers hadnte into contact with the ability of flight yet, Zhang Xuan was still able to hoodwink them. To do the same with a Saint was...pletely impossible! There was a fundamental difference between flight induced by a battle technique and the ability of flight that Saints possessed. "Since nothing works at all... why dont I just abandon all disguise?" After walking around the room in dilemma, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt. Since neither his aura nor flight would work... he might as well not disguise himself. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly changed into Yang shis clothes and walked into the main hall. ... Mo Gaoyuan was seated on the guest seat in the main hall, and Mo Chen and Hong Qian stood obediently behind him. Upon arriving at Myriad Kingdom City, Mo Gaoyuan immediately rushed to look for Hong Qian to better understand the affairs that happened that day. When he heard that Yang shi came from the skies, induced a breakthrough in the Demon Cinque Beast with just a surge of zhenqi, and conducted a Soul Impartation, he was filled with shock. Wishing to ascertain this matter personally, he brought the both of them along with him to pay Yang shi a visit. Mo Gaoyuan scanned the surroundings and a frown slowly etched on his forehead. Theyout of the residence was ordinary, resembling not the residence of a high-rank master teacher in the least. More importantly, the spiritual energy in the room was sparse just like anywhere else. The living quarters of an 8-star master teacher, even without setting up any formation, due to his overwhelming cultivation in itself, could turn a barren in into a lush field. Powerful master teachers were aligned with nature, and they would naturally generate a spiritual energy force-field that would nourish their environment wherever they went. It was precisely due to that reason that the top headquarters of the Master Teacher Pavilion was so concentrated in spiritual energy that even the most ordinary of cultivators would gain the speed of cultivationparable to the greatest of talents there. And yet, the residence before him showed no such signs. It was nothing more than an ordinary residence. What was going on? Just when he was perplexed, a middle-aged man walked into the room. That middle-aged man had light footsteps, and not the slightest zhenqi disturbance could be felt from him. No matter how one looked at him, he was nothing more than an ordinary human. In fact, one couldnt be med if one were to assume that he was a cleaner of the residence. Just as Mo Gaoyuan was about to ask who was that fellow, Butler Sun hurriedly walked forward and greeted, "Old master!" Beside him, Hong shis body also jolted slightly, and thetter hurriedly sent him a telepathic message, "Pavilion Master Gao, this is Yang shi..." "Him?" Mo Gaoyuan was stunned. He had never seen an 8-star master teacher before, but he had seen a 7-star master teacher in the past. Every single movement from a 7-star master teacher seemed to be harmonized with nature, and it exerted an immense pressure on one... But the person before him truly felt no different from an ordinary man... 8-star master teacher? Are you mistaken? Frowning, he nced at Hong shi, only to see thetter nod his heads to confirm his suspicions. Only then did Mo Gaoyuan stand up and sp his fists. "Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire Master Teacher Pavilions Pavilion Master, 6-star pinnacle Master Teacher Mo Gaoyuan pays respect to Yang shi!" After which, he silently observed the other party carefully. "Un!" Yang shi remained nonchntly after hearing the other partys title. Instead, he simply turned around and walked on the main seat before turning to look at Mo Gaoyuan nonchntly. "What is the reason for your visit?" "I..." Not expecting the other party to ask him such a direct question, Mo Gaoyuan was tongue-tied. After all, he couldnt possibly say that he was unable to find the other partys name on the Master Teacher Registry, so he came to verify whether the other party was a fake. "I heard that Yang shi hase to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and fearing that our reception might becking, I decided toe over to take a look..." Mo Gaoyuan replied awkwardly. But before he could finish his words, the middle-aged mans impassive voice sounded, "Are you done looking?" "Ah... Yes!" "Then you may leave now!" After which, Yang shi stood up, ced his hands behind his back, and started walking out of the room. "..." Mo Gaoyuans lips twitched. This... What is going on? Cant we at least converse properly? Even if youre an 8-star master teacher, surely theres no need for you to act so high and mighty? No matter what, Im still a pavilion master of Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, and I came down specially to pay my respects. Yet, to throw me out like that... arent you being too impolite? "To tell Yang shi the truth, Ive been facing some problems in my cultivation recently and I would like to consult Yang shi on them..." Gritting his teeth, Mo Gaoyuan stood up. He came all the way here from afar, and he couldnt possibly leave just like that! Since that was the case, he might as well pose a question to the other party. If the other party could easily solve a question that was even beyond him, then there was no doubt about the other partys rank. On the other hand, if the other party was unable to answer the question, then his position as an 8-star master teacher would indeed be doubtful. Without turning his head, Yang shi spoke impassively, "Speak!" "Yes... Its a problem regarding the cultivation of Saint 1-dan..." Mo Gaoyuan hurriedly said. "Saint 1-dan?" Zhang Xuan, disguised a Yang shi, nearly keeled over. I can exin the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, 2-dan, and 3-dan to you perfectly... but Saint? He had only heard of the name of this cultivation realm just recently, so how could he possibly know the slightest thing about the cultivation of an expert of this level? Putting aside offering pointer, he hadnt even read books of such a level... He would surely expose his ignorance the moment he starts to speak on the matter! Not knowing of the dilemma in Yang shis mind, Mo Gaoyuan revealed his dilemma. "... How can one open the Zhukong acupoint without causing ones zhenqi to leak out while maintaining a consistent rise in ones cultivation?" This question had confused him for a very long time. Hed had to browse through innumerable books before he was able to find the answer. If the other party was able to provide the same answer as him, that would prove that the other party was a high-rank master teacher. Or else... the other partys background would be worth looking into. "May I know if... Yang shi has any solution to the matter?" After posing his question, Mo Gaoyuan looked at Yang shi expectantly. "Zhukong acupoint? Zhenqi leaking out? Maintaining a consistent rise in ones cultivation?" A mini explosion urred into Zhang Xuans head, and he nearly spurted blood. He had never even heard of this acupoint before, so how could he possibly know anything about zhenqi leaking out and what consistent rise in cultivation? Offering a solution to the problem was even beyond his means. He was doomed! "Yang shi..." A moment had passed, but Yang shi still remained silent. Perplexed, Mo Gaoyuan called him questioningly when a cold harrumph suddenly sounded in the room. "Are you really a 6-star pinnacle master teacher?" Yang shi turned to look at Mo Gaoyuan with a cold gaze filled with displeasure. "I... Thats right!" Mo Gaoyuan was taken aback. He was the number one expert in Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, and everyone knew of his name. How could he possibly be a fake? "Thats right? Then why cant you even solve such a simple problem by yourself?" With his hands behind his back, Yang shi shook his head in disappointment. "Seems like the standards for qualifying as a 6-star master teacher have dropped by a lot during the time that Ive been away!" Chapter 571: Yang shi, I Was Wrong! Chapter 571: Yang shi, I Was Wrong! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Standards for qualifying as 6-star master teacher have dropped? Youre saying that Mo shi isnt qualified as a 6-star master teacher? Hong Qian and Mo Chens body trembled violently. That was the strongest master teacher of Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire. To utter such words means to question the other partys professionalism. That was a huge insult in itself! As expected, upon hearing those words, Mo Gaoyuan frowned in displeasure. "I passed the 6-star master teacher examination in Tianhong Conferred Empire, and it has been thirty-seven years since then. In the time, Ive groomed two 6-star master teachers, twelve 5-star master teachers, and countless 4-star and 3-star master teachers. On top of that, the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has achieved the top ten cing in the Master Teacher Tournament three times under me... "How am I unqualified as a 6-star master teacher? I beseech Yang shi to correct my errors!" This was a matter concerning his professionalism and pride as a 6-star master teacher. Even if Yang shi was a true 8-star master teacher, he couldnt and wouldnt back down. "Those who seek to enlighten must be enlightened; those who seek to correct must be correct. Such is the way of a teacher!" Challenged by the other party, Yang shi retained his usualposure and said, "If a teacher wishes to guide his student down the correct road, he must first ensure that he is on the right path. If he is treading on the wrong path himself, then the higher his achievements, the greater damage he will cause!" The slightest mistake in a teaching could lead to the greatest of difference. If even the teachers understanding is wrong, then the more students he had, the further the wrong teachings would spread, and the greater the harm dealt. "The question you have just raised can be considered to be one of the simpler ones already. If you cant even solve such a simple question yourself, it only goes to show that your understanding of cultivation is wed. Under such circumstances, how can you possibly guide your students correctly?" Yang shi shook his head. "Alright, show me your punching routine so that I can take a look. If Im not mistaken, given how you are unable to solve such a simple question, you are already going down the wrong path already!" "Going down the wrong path?" Mo Gaoyuans face darkened. There was no one who could be happy to have such words spoke straight to him. Not to mention, Mo Gaoyuan knew the answer to that question, and he only wanted to test the other party. "It doesnt matter to me if youre uninterested!" Seeing Mo Gaoyuans silence, the disappointment on Yang shis first deepened, and he shook his hands helplessly. "Sun Qiang, send the guests off!" "Sure!" Nodding his head, Sun Qiang walked up and said, "This unqualified Mo shi over here, Ill have to ask you to leave. We dont wee you here!" "You..." Mo Gaoyuan was already displeased from the very start. Yet, such an insignificant butler still dared to utter such sarcastic words to him. Infuriated, he nearly coughed out blood. As a suspected 8-star master teacher, I could still tolerate it when Yang shi said something about me... But who do you think you are? "Who knows how many lives it must have taken you to umte sufficient good fortune for the old master to offer you his pointers. All you have to do is to execute your punching routine, and yet, you are still hesitating... Its the first time Im seeing such a foolish master teacher. And you im to be a 6-star pinnacle master teacher?" The disdain on Sun Qiangs face couldnt be any clearer, "Pui!" Huang dang! Hong Qian and Mo Chen only felt their vision turning dark, and they nearly fainted on the spot. Big brother, do you know how respected the person before you is? To dare to speak to him like that... He is a person who is the closest to bing a 7-star master teacher, the number one expert of Hongyuan Empire. Even the emperor had to greet him in the capacity of a student upon seeing him... Yet, a mere Transcendent Mortal 1-dan fatty like you actually dared to utter such disdainful words at him... Pui your head! Do you think you are qualified to do so? "You..." While the duo was frenzied, Mo Gaoyuan nearly fainted on the spot. In the past thirty-seven years of his life as a 6-star master teacher, there hadnt been a single person who dared to utter such arrogant words before him. Yet, today, his professionalism was first brought into question and now, he was being looked down upon... On top of that... the one who looked down on him was a mere subordinate! His face was as ck as the bottom of a pot. Mo Gaoyuan suppressed his rage and said, "Yang shi, it just happens that theres one battle technique that Ive been unable to decipher, so I hope that you can enlighten me on my faults!" Even though he was infuriated by the actions of the fatty, he was still Yang shis subordinate, so it wasnt appropriate for him tosh out at him. Thus, he decided to first test the depths of Yang shis capability before deciding on his next course of action. And thus, before the other party could reply, he began executing his battle technique. As expected of a Saint. As soon as he made a move, an overwhelming might immediately shrouded the entire room. It felt as though everyone was locked in a cage in the other partys grasp, and there was nowhere to escape to. Escaping from a Saint... was impossible for them! To seal even space with a single fist... Fearsome! After taking a nce at the other partys battle technique, a book immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path, and Yang shi immediately immersed his consciousness in to take a look. After affirming that the book was on Mo Gaoyuan, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He couldnt help but send Sun Qiang a look ofmendation. To be able to even agitate a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, this fellow was indeed extraordinary. Hu! Mo Gaoyuan soon came to a halt. sping his fist, he said, "Yang shi, I seek for your guidance!" "Un!" Raising his eyelids, Yang shi walked over and said, "You have practiced your Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch well in the past twenty years, having reached Minor Aplishment in the battle technique!" Mo Gaoyuan was taken aback. While there werent many people who cultivated the Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch, it wasnt really an umon technique, so it wasnt surprising that Yang shi would recognize it. But... how did the other party manage to urately guess how long he had practiced the technique for? After all, there were some talented people who were able to reach Minor Aplishment within three days of practice while there were some who could never get past Novice despite devoting their entire lives to the technique. Given that Mo Gaoyuan was still a long way away from achieving Major Aplishment, most people would have guessed that he hadnt practiced this technique for too long... Yet, the other party was able to guess that he had immersed himself in it for twenty years already. The other partys eye of discernment... was simply way too formidable! Shocked, Mo Gaoyuans attitude gradually became respectful, "Yang shi is right. It has been twenty years and one month since I first practiced this technique..." Knowing that the other party would reply in such a manner, Yang shi wasnt surprised at all. He gazed at the other party impassively and asked, "Do you know the reason why youve only reached Minor Aplishment in this technique despite practicing it more twenty years?" "I dont know..." Mo Gaoyuan shook his head. He was able to easily reach Major Aplishment for all other techniques-this was the only battle technique that he had a problem with. He had looked through many books, but he was still unable to understand the reason why. That was why he intentionally chose to execute this battle technique so as to pose this question to the other party. "The essence of the Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch lies not in Dragon Helios but Dual Nascent!" Seeing the iprehension in Mo Gaoyuans eyes, Yang shi continued, "As the saying goes, fist for the young, stick for the veteran. For a fist technique to be strong, strength is just one factor. More importantly, one must possess vitality as well. The idea of Dual Nascent behind the Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch refers to ones body and ones heart! "If you were only a hundred or so when you first cultivated this fist technique, it wouldnt have taken you too long to reach Major Aplishment. However, its a pity that you only started when you were 120. Given that you have already aged, and the vitality in your aura iscking... its difficult for you to execute a fist technique meant for youths! "But of course, you can still make up for the deficiency with a young spirit. Through your deep understanding of battle techniques, it wouldnt be too difficult for you to reach Major Aplishment within twenty years... But its a pity that a fault urred while you were striving for Void Pursuit realm, causing a trauma in your mind, resulting in your inability toprehend the true essence of battle techniques!" "Trauma when striving for Void Pursuit realm... h-how did you know about it?" Shocked, Mo Gaoyuan was unable to retain hisposure. Saint 1-dan Void Pursuit realm... It represented the will of one to pursuing the essence of space. At this realm, one would gain the ability to soar freely in the sky. "How did you know?" Yang shi chuckled lightly. "The Dual Nascent Dragon Helical Punch, despite being known as a fist technique, is actually a technique that, through a firm footing on the ground, channels the strength throughout ones body into ones fist!" Formidable fist technique tapped into the strength of ones entire body instead of just ones arms. Upon hearing this, Mo Gaoyuan, as well as Hong Qian and Mo Chen, nodded their heads in agreement. Yang shi continued, "But... when youunched your fist, your aura was a little unstable. Even though it looked as though you used utilized the strength of your entire body, in truth, you only channeled the strength from your ankles upward, excluding your feet! The feet are where the Zhukong acupoint is located, and considering the problem you just asked, it isnt too hard to deduce that youve met with some problem in your breakthrough to Void Pursuit realm!" It was just a moment ago that Mo Gaoyuan asked how can one open the Zhukong acupoint without causing ones zhenqi to leak out while maintaining a consistent rise in ones cultivation... For the zhenqi to bypass the feet, where the Zhukong acupoint is located, and taking into ount the previous question Mo Gaoyuan asked, it wasnt too difficult to deduce the situation. "The problem in your cultivation caused your zhenqi to leak from your Zhukong acupoint, thus making it difficult for you to raise your cultivation... As such, you intentionally had your zhenqi bypass your feet when practicing the Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch... Even though you managed to solve your problem eventually, thus allowing your cultivation to improve once more, its a pity that the habit of avoiding your Zhukong acupoint for your battle techniques has already be deeply ingrained into you over the years, causing your progress in the Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch to stagnate!" Yang shi said. "Th-this..." Mo Gaoyuans body stiffened, and he fell silent. The other partys words were spot-on. Back then, when he was attempting a breakthrough to Void Pursuit realm, he identally made a mistake, resulting in a fault in his acupoint which caused his zhenqi to leak out. It was only after many years of studying that he managed to find a solution to his problem, and this Dual Nascent Dragon Helios Punch happened to be a battle technique he cultivated before then. Mo Gaoyuan was certain that this was his first time meeting Yang shi, and yet, the other party was able to deduce his condition just by looking at his battle technique... How formidable must his eye of discernment be? At the very least, he knew that he wasnt capable of such a feat! In fact, even the 7-star master teacher he met back then wouldnt be able to do the same too! Could the other party really be an... 8-star master teacher? He hade harboring doubts about the identity of the middle-aged man, but now, he was already seventy to eighty percent convinced. While Mo Gaoyuan was still in shock, Yang shis voice continued, "Also, if my eyes dont fail me, you must have met with some kind of danger or were in the midst of a fight when you were attempting a breakthrough to the Void Pursuit realm!" "Yes..." Mo Gaoyuan nodded. Back then, he was chased by his enemies, and at that crucial moment, he had no choice but to attempt a breakthrough to Void Pursuit realm to resolve the situation. Even though his breakthrough seeded, and he managed to y his enemies with his heightened strength, the forceful breakthrough had resulted in his Zhukong acupoint being damaged... thus resulting in a whole series of problems. "As 6-star master teacher, you should have known that achieving a breakthrough to Void Pursuit realm requires absolute tranquility, and one has to slowly nourish the Zhukong realm with ones zhenqi... And yet, you allowed yourself to be put into such a dangerous situation, leaving yourself no choice but to attempt such a dangerous breakthrough! "You failed to assess your enemies urately, and you failed to assess yourself urately as well... Is this a mistake that a high-rank master teacher should make? Saying that you are unqualified is already downying the matter! Why? Do you have any objections to what I said? Or rather..." With a slight frown, a majestic aura suddenly burst forth from Yang shi. "... do you still think that I am a fake?" "I..." With a reddened face, Mo Gaoyuan panicked. "Im sorry, Yang shi! I was wrong!" Chapter 572: Lu Chong Awakens Chapter 572: Lu Chong Awakens Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was true that he visited with the intention of testing the other party! Having his intentions pointed out so directly left him in an incredibly awkward position. For him to actually doubt the identity of such a formidable master teacher... It was fortunate that the other party had a good temper. Otherwise, if the other party were to offended by this matter, even the destruction of the entire Hongyuan Empire wouldnt be sufficient to cate his wrath. Mountains of corpses and rivers of blood would be left in his wake. "Pavilion Master Mo admitted his mistake?" "Does this mean that... what Yang shi said was true?" Hong Qian and Mo Chen nced at one another in shock. To be able to deduce this far through a mere punching routine, Yang shis eye of discernment was nothing short of terrifying... In other words, there was little doubt that he was a bona fide 8-star master teacher! The moment such a thought surfaced in their minds, a jolt ran through their bodies. Putting aside the other partys esteemed ranking, just his cultivation as an 8-star master teacher made him a fearsome adversary that few would dare to cross the line with. The might he possessed was so powerful that it would leave any opponent in despair. "When Yang shi first appeared, I was baffled by theck of a powerful disposition that any experts should harness. It was as if he was an ordinary human. But thinking about it now, only a master teacher of Yang shis level would be capable of concealing his cultivation so thoroughly that not even Pavilion Master Mo is capable of peering through his facade!" "Most choose to use their strength as a tool to win the deference of others. Only a person standing at the very top, having seen through the illusion of glory and prestige, would be willing to humble himself as an ordinary person!" Harboring such thoughts in mind, their respect for Yang shi deepened. There were no experts they knew of that couldpare to the middle-aged man standing before them! To view prestige and glory as nothing more than dirt, to remain humble despite being one of the strongest experts on the continent, and that charming confidence and astoundingposure... These were qualities that too few possessed. From the start to the end, the other party never tried to leverage his superior cultivation against themamon move used to instill respect and fear. Throughout the entire encounter, he remained nothing more than an ordinary person... Thinking about how they had acted aspared to the other party, they felt deeply ashamed of themselves. It was no wonder why the butler would act so arrogantly. To the butler of an 8-star master teacher, a 6-star master teacher was indeed not any different from an ordinary person. In fact... the cultivation they perceived in him might even be fake. There was a good chance that he wasnt just a mere Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator. After all, how could an 8-star master teacher, a Saint expert, possibly regard a weakling so highly as to allow the other party to serve by his side? As this thought came to mind, cold sweat drenched their backs. It was lucky that they had maintained their etiquette before this Butler Sun. If they had really attempted to make a move against him, who knew what would remain of them now? "Theres no need to apologize. It is only right for master teachers to question everything around them. There are those who pass off as high-rank master teachers to deceive others for their own profits, and it is imperative for us to investigate such matters to prevent such frauds from sullying the name of the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Yang shi didnt seem to have any intention of pursuing Mo Gaoyuans faults. Instead, with a deep tone, he lectured the other with in the capacity as an elder. "Ive benefited from Yang shis guidance!" Mo Gaoyuan quickly stood up and sped his fist. "Alright, you may leave now. I dont want anyone to learn of my presence here. You should know what to do." Yang shi waved his hands. "Yes!" Mo Gaoyuan nodded before retreating from the room with a bent back. Hong Qian and Mo Chen hurriedly followed suit. Only after leaving the residence did the tenseness finally leave their bodies. ncing at one another, they subconsciously wiped the cold sweat off their foreheads. Yang shi didnt fly into a tantrum or suppress them with his cultivation in the encounter. However, his clear eyes made them feel extremely ufortable. Those deep eyes seemed to peer right at their souls, and it felt like no disguise or facade could possibly fool those eyes. Before the other party, they felt stark naked. It took a moment before they finally regained theirposure. Mo Chen turned to Mo Gaoyuan and asked, "Teacher, what should we do now?" "Lets return!" Mo Gaoyuan waved his hands. "Return?" Mo Chen was taken aback. They had taken nearly half a month to get here, and yet, just after trading some words with Yang shi, they were leaving already? Wasnt this a little too fast! "Since weve already achieved our aim here, what other reasons do we have to remain here?" Mo Gaoyuan shook his head. "Be a nuisance?" "This..." Mo Chen was tongue-tied. Indeed, their aim here was to confirm Yang shis identity, and since they had already achieved what they were here for, remaining here would only incur his displeasure. Since that was the case, they might as well leave immediately. Hearing that they were about to leave, Hong Qian sped his fist and asked, "The Master Teacher Tournament is going tomence tomorrow. Since Pavilion Master Mo and Mo shi are here, wont you remain here to host the event?" If the both of them could host the event, the prestige of the tournament would immediately shoot up several levels. This could also boost the reputation of Huanyu Empire as a whole. "Well decline on the offer. Since that is a matter of Huanyu Empire, we shall not get involved in it!" Mo Gaoyuan shook his head. Huanyu Empire was a Tier-2 Empire under Hongyuan Empire. There might be several troublesome implications if he were to disregard his identity and host the event. "To tell the truth... Yang shis direct disciple, Zhang shi, will be participating in the tournament as well," Hong Qian added in hopes of persuading the other party. "Yang shis direct disciple?" Mo Gaoyuan frowned. But soon, he shook his head once more and replied, "Ill still have to pass!" It wouldnt be good for him to get involved in the affairs of a branch. His prestigious identity as the pavilion master of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion meant that even the slightest action and gesture of his could have political implications, so it was imperative for him to act with caution. "But still, since Zhang shi is participating, allow me to up the stakes!" Mo Gaoyuan flicked his wrist, and a jade box appeared in his hands. With a light chuckle, he said, "This is a high-tier spirit stone. I shall leave this with you as the prize for the champion of the tournament." "A high-tier spirit stone?" Hong Qians breathing hastened. One high-tier spirit stone was worth ten thousand middle-tier spirit stone. High-tier spirit stones were an important cultivation resource even to a Saint. Hong Qian had never even seen one before, and yet, Pavilion Master Mo was actually offering it as the prize for the tournament. He couldnt help but feel agitated by the matter. "Un. Clearly, Yang shi is trying to temper his student through having him participate in this tournament. Since thats the case, I should help to fan the mes through stimting the motivation of the otherpetitors. Lets see how this Zhang shi will fare in the tournament this way!" Mo Gaoyuan chuckled. Since Yang shi wanted to put his student to the test, Mo Gaoyuan decided to lend him a hand. High-tier spirit stones may mean nothing much to a high-rank master teacher like Yang shi, but to the master teachers from the regions surrounding Huanyu Empire, it was truly a priceless treasure! Offering this as the reward for the champion would surely motivate the geniuses participating in the tournament to give it their all, and this would in turn serve as a trial to temper Zhang shi. "Yes!" Understanding the intentions behind Pavilion Master Mos actions, Hong Qian carefully kept the jade box. "Host the tournament well. Inform me of the results of the tournament as soon as possible!" Chuckling lightly, Mo Gaoyuan leaped onto the back of the saint beast with Mo Chen. Just as he was about to set off, he suddenly recalled something and turned around, "You would do well to bury the matter regarding Yang shis deep in your mind and never speak of it! Warn the various sects and empires participating in the Master Teacher Tournament of this matter as well. If any of them dares to b on this matter, Ill investigate the matter personally and crush them!" His voice carried a sharp edge that induced goosebumps on ones skin. Since Yang shi didnt want anyone to learn of his presence, there was a need to halt the flow of news sternly. Otherwise, if a mishap were to ur and the other party were to go on a rampage, no one would be able to stop him. "Yes!" Hong Qian nodded. Hu! After warning Hong Qian, the saint beast pped its wings, and before long, the trio disappeared amidst the boundless sky. ... Mo Gaoyuan and the others left in trepidation, not knowing that Yang shi had also heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead upon their departure. It was truly too tiring to put on an act before a 6-star master teacher. It was fortunate that the other party didnt utilize or hadntprehended the Eye of Insight yet. Otherwise, there was no doubt that Zhang Xuan would have been exposed. "I should be safe now!" At the very least, the present crisis was over. By the time the other party realized that something was amiss, Zhang Xuan should already be powerful enough to deal with the situation then. After this matter, there should be no one who would dare to trifle with him within this period of time. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan was in the midst of contemting his next course of action when an anxious voice sounded behind him. Lifting his gaze, he saw Wang Ying rushing into the main hall. "Grandteacher, may I know where Zhangoshi is? I have something urgent I need to speak to him about..." "What happened?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Err... Only Zhangoshi will be able to help me with this matter..." Wang Ying replied. Even though there was a troubled look on her face, her eyes were still fixated on the grandteacher before her. She was eighty percent certain that Yang shi and Zhang shi were the same person. Thus, she intentionally came over at this timing and asked such a question. If Zhangoshi remained absent during this entire period of time, she would be able to affirm her conjecture! "Only Ill be able to help you with the matter? Wang Ying, what matter is it for you to act so secretively?" Just as she was staring fixatedly at Yang shi to gauge his reactions, an impassive voice suddenly sounded. Turning around, she saw Zhangoshi walking in from outside. Thetter sped his fist and greeted, "Teacher!" "Un!" Yang shi nodded. "This..." Wang Ying widened her eyes, dumbstruck. What was going on? Yang shi and Zhangoshi actually appeared together? But... arent they the same person? Otherwise, how could they possibly have identical marks on their lower jaws? Wang Ying waspletely stunned. She was extremely confident in her conjecture, and the abrupt situation caught her off-guard. For a moment, she was at aplete loss. "Wang Ying!" Zhangoshi called. "Ah..." Returning to her senses, Wang Yings face reddened in embarrassment. It seemed like she was indeed overthinking the matter. Zhangoshi was Yang shis student, so how could the both of them possibly be the same person? Her eyes must have been ying tricks on her that day. "Reporting to teacher and grandteacher, Lu Chong has awoken..." Wang Ying awkwardly sped her fist. It had been half a month since Zhangoshi had used the Soulrouse Grass to save Lu Chong, "Hes awake?" Zhang shis eyes lit up. "Yes!" Wang Ying nodded her head. "You should go over first, Ill hurry over after Im done!" Zhang shi waved her hands. "Yes!" Wang Ying said before leaving the room. Her departure left Zhang shi and Yang shi staring at one another, and after a momentter, the both of them heaved a sigh of relief. He could tell that Wang Ying was still doubtful of his identity, and thus, he immediately summoned his clone over. With both Yang shi and Zhang shi appearing at the same ce simultaneously, no matter how confident Wang Ying was of her conjecture previously, she would have no choice but to ept it. "Alright, you should return back to the room to rest first. Ill go take a look on Lu Chong!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands, gesturing for the clone return to the room. After ensuring that he was gone, he reverted back to his original appearance before walking over to Lu Chongs room. "Teacher..." As soon as he entered the room, a young man immediately rushed forward and kneeled before him. Who else could it be other than Lu Chong! "Everything is fine as long as youre awake!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. The other party had nearly died in order to save him... It was fortunate that the other party was fine now. Otherwise, Zhang Xuan would surely me himself for life. All of the efforts he had put into saving Lu Chong hadnt gone to vain. "Hmm? Your cultivation..." Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when he suddenly noticed Lu Chongs cultivation and froze. Chapter 573: Lu Chongs Peculiarity Chapter 573: Lu Chongs Peculiarity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The cultivation of the young man before him was exactly the same as before-Zongshi realm. At the same time, there wasnt the slightest soul energy to be felt within him. It was as if what Zhang Xuan saw before in the other partys consciousness was just a dream. "Something is wrong..." Zhang Xuan frowned. He had once dived into the other partys consciousness, and putting aside how the other partys consciousness extended far beyond where his eye could reach, the other partys soul was also as humongous as a mountain. A thought popped into Zhang Xuans mind. Is it because he hasnt drawn his soul out yet? The strength of ones soul couldnt be perceived that easily. Only when ones soul was drawn out could it be assessed. Harboring such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Ill impart you a soul cultivation technique. From now on, you should just focus on cultivating your soul; theres no need for you to cultivate your zhenqi anymore!" Raising his hand, he ced a finger on the other partys be. Weng! A simplified version of Heavens Path Soul Guiding Form appeared in Lu Chongs mind. Lu Chongs Zongshi realm cultivation wasnt built on zhenqi cultivation but the Poison Body he had cultivated through poison tempering. Physical body cultivationplemented soul cultivation more than zhenqi cultivation, and thus, Lu Chong would benefit more from this. "Thank you, teacher!" After swiftly browsing through the cultivation technique in his mind, Lu Chong turned to look at his teacher and sped his fist in gratitude. Even though his soul had gone into dormancy, he was still able to perceive the happenings around him subconsciously through his senses. In other words, he was well aware of what his teacher had done for him ever since hed gone into aa. Fighting against a Transcendent Mortal realm expert in Xuanyuan Kingdom despite being only at Zhizun realm; buying down the Soulless Metal Humanoid and venturing into the dangerous soul oracle tomb; severing his soul to nurture the Soulrouse Grass... The favor that the other party had shown to him was so great that it would be impossible for him to repay it within this lifetime. Not only so, the other party even gave him such a valuable cultivation technique without any hesitation... Clenching his fists tightly in determination, Lu Chong thought, Teacher, dont worry. Ill cultivate diligently so as to not disappoint you! He used to be a willful and lively person, but after the tragedy that befell his n, reticence overshadowed all of his traits. Rather than expressing his gratitude verbally, he would rather show it through his diligence and perseverance. After browsing through the cultivation technique manual twice and memorizing it entirely, Lu Chong exhaled deeply and sat down on the floor. Zhang Xuan also sat by the side to guard him. A soul drawn out for the first time was extremely vulnerable. The slightest mistake could possibly cause ones soul to dissipate along with the wind. Back then, Zhang Xuan had drawn his soul out in an underground tomb, and on top of that, he was also cultivating theplete version of the Soul Guiding Form. As such, he wasnt exposed to such vulnerability. However, the same couldnt be said for Lu Chong. Zhang Xuan drew his soul and began observing Lu Chongs condition intently. Sometimeter, Lu Chongs body swayed, and his eyes gleamed brightly. A silhouette sharing the same appearance as him struggled out of his body. He had seeded in drawing his soul out! "Hmm? His soul seems to be weak..." Zhang Xuan frowned deeply. Despite having drawn out his soul, Lu Chong still wasnt as powerful as Zhang Xuan thought he would be. Rather, just like any other cultivator drawing his soul out for the first time, his soul was extremely weak, and even the weakest gust of wind could easily dissipate it. What was going on? Given the size of thetters consciousness and soul back then, how could his soul be so weak? "Teacher!" The world a soul perceives is very different from what ones eyes can see. Seeing a different world before him, Lu Chong was visibly excited. "Your soul is still very weak so try to suppress such intense emotions. Take this spirit stone and quickly cultivate to stabilize your soul!" After throwing a middle-tier spirit stone to Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan tapped his be once again, imparting him the Heavens Path Soul Art. Not just wind, even intense emotions could induce instability in a nascent soul. Thus, it was best for Lu Chong to cultivate as quickly as possible to stabilize his condition. But in any case, given that Zhang Xuan was guarding by the side, and there was sufficient cultivation techniques and middle-tier spirit stones to drive Lu Chongs condition, there shouldnt be any trouble at all. After all, these were much better than the conditions Zhang Xuan had back then. "Yes!" Suppressing his emotions, Lu Chongs soul sat before the middle-tier spirit stone and began absorbing the spiritual energy contained within to cultivate. "His cultivation speed isnt too fast either. Was I really mistaken?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. The rate of Lu Chongs cultivation contradicted what Zhang Xuan had seen in the other partys consciousness. If Lu Chong really possessed Acquired Soul Physique, given his strong fundamentals, his cultivation would surely improve at an unimaginable speed-even Zhang Xuan might be left in the dust. But contrary to Zhang Xuans conjecture, there was nothing extraordinary about thetters performance. Could it be that... he was mistaken? Did Lu Chong not possess Acquired Soul Physique? But if Zhang Xuan was mistaken, why would Lu Chongs consciousness and soul be that huge? While thinking about these doubts, Zhang Xuan noticed that Lu Chongs soul had already stabilized. Since the other party had already ovee the vulnerable period, there was no need for him to stand guard anymore. Thus, Zhang Xuan left the room, looked for Mo Hunsheng, and raised his doubts with him. Even though Mo Hunsheng had already imparted his techniques to him, the other partys knowledge of souls still far surpassed his. After all, thetter was a 6-star soul oracle who had lived several ten thousand years. "That... Im not too sure as well. Why dont I take a look after Young Master Lu Chong is done with his cultivation?" Mo Hunsheng wasnt too clear what was going on as well, so he could only shake his head uncertainly. It would be better if he could take a look personally so as to better understand the situation. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head before returning to his room. He had spent the entire night guarding Lu Chong for his cultivation, and the Master Teacher Tournament wouldmence that day. No matter what, Zhang Xuan should make some preparations for it. While the prize of middle-tier spirit stones was no longer as attractive to him as before, it was still a good opportunity for him to strike out his reputation. Otherwise, it would be hard for him to advance further as a master teacher. Walking into the room, Zhang Xuan saw the clone cultivating by the side and said, "From today onward, youre called Clone, and you shall address me as the Main!" The clone nodded his head. "Ill be participating in the Master Teacher Tournament soon, so you cant stay here anymore. Otherwise, if someone were to see you while cleaning up the room, it would be difficult for me to exin the matter..." The residence they were currently staying at was offered by Zhao Feiwu, and there were attendants from the Alliance Head Residence here to tidy up the ce. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan was still at the residence, but if he was off participating in the Master Teacher Tournament and one of the attendants were to see another Zhang Xuan here, wouldnt that person be scared to death? As for disguising himself as Yang Xuan... While the clone was capable of executing Heavens Path Disguise Art, he didnt possess the Library of Heavens Path. That made it likely for him to give himself away if he were to meet high-rank master teachers. The clone had also considered this problem, and he replied, "Ill go into your storage ring then!" "You can go into my storage ring?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before a bitter smile appeared on his face. The space in the storage ring was a vacuum. If any being were to enter the premises, they would die swiftly. Putting aside Transcendent Mortals, even Saints would be unable to survive under such conditions! However, his clone was different. The physical body of the clone was crafted from a God artifact, the Nine Hearts Lotus. Breathing wasnt required for its existence, me and water couldnt impair it, swords and sabers couldnt wound it. It wasnt a problem for it to be ced in the storage ring. However, as Zhang Xuan was too used to the concept of lifeforms cannot exist in the storage ring, he instinctively asked the question. "Store!" Knowing that the clone could enter his storage ring, Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand and drew the clone into his storage ring. Hu! The clone immediately entered the storage ring, disappearing from sight. Bringing his clone along with him would help him avoid many unnecessary problems. As for Yang shi being absent from the residence... It would only be weird if a high-rank master teacher of the other partys caliber appeared frequently around the residence! Leaving his room, Zhang Xuan headed for the main hall, where he saw Pavilion Master Kang, Ruohuan gongzi, and a few other people waiting. At this moment, Ruohuan gongzi had already reinforced his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle sturdily. His eyes were filled with a brilliant energetic glow. On top of his cultivation, it seemed like hisprehension of master teachers as an upation had deepened significantly. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Kang chuckled and gestured. "The Master Teacher Tournament is a public event, and it will be conducted on the field outside the Alliance Head Residence. Zhang shi, lets proceed over!" "Alright!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan was just about to leave when a figure suddenly stood in front of him. "Senior, Ill apany you!" "Se-senior?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Turning around, he saw that Garden Owner Xue was in the room as well. At this very moment, Garden Owner Xue exuded a steady aura which reflected perfect harmony between her soul and her physical body. Clearly, she had broken through her bottleneck and reached Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, Consonant Spirit realm! It was only due to the impairment of her soul previously that she had been unable to progress any further from rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. But half a month ago, Yang shi imparted her a technique that could heal her impaired soul. Along with the strong foundation she had built up through the years, she sessfully advanced to be a Consonant Spirit realm expert. On top of that, one could vaguely sense that her cultivation had already reached Consonant Spirit realm primary stage pinnacle. All she wascking now was an impetus to advance to intermediate stage. Zhang Xuan was initially surprised by the rapid growth of thetter, but after thinking about it, he soon came to a realization. In order to treat her impaired soul, Garden Owner Xue had been spending the past few decades absorbing the spirit of the medicinal herbs in her herb field. Even though it wasnt able to heal her impaired soul, it didnt go to waste either. If Zhang Xuans conjecture wasnt off, there was a good chance that her cultivation would surge all the way to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle within a short period of time. "Indeed. Yang shi has epted me as his student, and given that youre his direct disciple... Isnt it only right for me to address you as senior?" Garden Owner Xue sped her fist. "Ah... Thats true!" Only then did it hit Zhang Xuan. That day, due to the urgent circumstances, he knew that there was a chance that his scare might not work. Thus, he epted Xue Yiyao as his student and imparted her with a technique to resolve the issue of her impaired soul. Through doing so, he would be able to earn her gratitude. And fortunately, everything went ording to n. A golden page was formed out of her gratitude, and it was through this that Zhang Xuan was able to smash Sect Leader Bai, thus sessfully instilling fear into the others. It was on a whim that he decided to do so-after all, there was no better solution then-and hed forgotten about the matter after that. He didnt really expect the other party to take it seriously. Given that Garden Owner Xue was Yang shis student and Zhang Xuan was the direct disciple, given the higher ranking of direct disciples in the lineage, it was indeed right for her to address him as such. "There wont be any danger in the Master Teacher Tournament, so you need not worry about it. It would be better if you stood guard here!" Even though he knew that the other party was doing this out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan waved his hands to turn her down. Given that the Master Teacher Tournament was an activity organized by the Master Teacher Pavilion, anyone who dares to cause trouble in it would be deemed as an enemy of the Master Teacher Tournament. There was no one who would dare to take such a risk. Thus, it was unlikely there would be any threat to Zhang Xuans safety. "This..." Garden Owner Xue hesitated. "Dont worry, Ill be fine!" Waving his hands, Zhang Xuan followed behind Pavilion Master Kang and walked out of the main hall. Master Teacher Tournament, here Ie! Chapter 574: Prize of the Tournament Chapter 574: Prize of the Tournament Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The reason why Zhang Xuan had traveled all the way to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was for this tournament. While the final prize was only a hundred middle-tier spirit stonesit no longer possessed as much of an allure to him anymore with his newfound wealthas long as he emerged as the champion, he would be highly-regarded by the Master Teacher Pavilion. With such, it would be easier for him to gain ess to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation techniques. Besides, his cultivation and capability had already reached a bottleneck in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. If he wanted to progress any further, he would need to venture into higher tiered empires. The top ten of this tournament will gain the chance to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and this was a good opportunity as well. Thus, Zhang Xuan still bore some expectations for the Master Teacher Tournament. "Zhang shi, Ive spent thest few dayspiling a list of potential contenders for the top ten ces. You should take a look..." Pavilion Master Kang handed a book over. He hadnt been idling about the past half a month either. Hed had his men investigate the other powers, and eventually, he managed topile this list. With this list, the participants of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance would be able to prepare themselves. After all, like the saying goes, If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. "Thank you!" Knowing that the other party had put in a lot of effort into the list, Zhang Xuan nodded his head and casually flipped it open. "The number one contender to look out for is Luo Xuan, the direct disciple of Sect Leader Luo Huang of Fleeting Cloud Sect. 4-star pinnacle master teacher. Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. Supporting upations: 4-star physician, 4-star formation master..." "This fellow is actually the number one contender to look out for?" A bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuans face. Zhang Xuan remembered this fellow. Half a month ago, he used 150 middle-tier spirit stones to bargain with Yang shi for Sect Leader Luo Huangs life. Based on what Sun Qiang had said regarding the other party, it seemed like the other party had also nearly died from being crushed under the Demon Cinque Beast. This kind of fool was actually the number one contender for the champion seat of the Master Teacher Tournament? "Cough cough!" Seeing Zhang Xuans bizarre gaze, Pavilion Master Kang immediately deduced what he was thinking about and coughed. "Actually, Luo Xuan isnt as bad as you think. Hes extremely strong, and even if I were to go against him, it would be hard to tell who would emerge triumphant..." After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in agreement. The Demon Cinque Beast possessed the Dragon Bloodline; it was normal for cultivators of the same cultivation level to be unable to match up to it. By no means should one judge Luo Xuans strength through that encounter! And of course, when Zhang Xuan met thetter in the capacity as Yang shi, given how even half 5-star master teachers dared not utter a single word of dissonance, naturally, a 4-star pinnacle master teacher like him wouldnt dare to get ahead of himself. So, in truth, Luo Xuan was still quite a fearsome adversary to face. At the very least, there were very few cultivators at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle who would be a match for him. "But of course, even though he is ced number one in the contenders to look out for in the tournament, the truth is that the capabilities of the top ten on the list are around the same level. Itll be hard to say for sure who would be in the first ce!" Pavilion Master Kang continued. Noting that, Zhang Xuan continued looking through the list. And just as Pavilion Master Kang said, there really wasnt much disparity in the capabilities of the top ten. They were all 4-star master teacher, rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle experts. Given that they possessed simr cultivation realms and master teacher ranking, it would be impossible to tell who was above whom. It didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to finish browsing through the book. Of the twenty-eight powers, a total of fifty-six participants had been elected, and even the weakest of them was a 4-star primary master teacher... in other words, Zhang Xuan was the weakest of the lot. And considering how Ruohuan gongzi was the only 4-star master teacher back in the selection rounds, it was no wonder why the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was always ced in the lower rankings each tournament... Furthermore, only powers with talents who ced amongst the top in the tournament would be granted better resources, and it was through such resources that they would be able to groom even more formidable master teachers... And vice-versa. Thus, this formed both a virtuous cycle and a vicious cycle. It wouldnt be a mistake to say that if the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were to continue with its cing in the Master Teacher Tournament, it would be a matter of time before it was annexed by other powers, turning it into a mere name in history books. This was precisely the reason why every single power viewed the Master Teacher Tournament with utmost importance, not daring to let their guard down at all. "Song Chao?" As he browsed through the book once more, in the twenty-fifth rank, he saw a familiar name-Song Chao. He didnt expect the fellow whom he had beguiled for so many times to be ced so highly in the list of contenders. Digesting the information, Zhang Xuan gained a good grasp of the various contenders in the tournament. "Zhang shi, your knowledge as a master teacher and in your supporting upation is unmatched by any of the participants in the Master Teacher Tournament. Even though your cultivation is slightlycking, as long as your luck is good, getting into the top ten... shouldnt be a problem at all!" Pavilion Master consoled. Zhang shi had aplished extraordinary feats in the selection rounds, but before so many geniuses, his radiance became dim. Putting others aside, just his cultivation alone would pose a fatal weakness to him. It was just like the wooden nks making up a pail; only when all of them were long could one fill the pail with more water. As long as one of the wooden nks was short, it would be all for naught. Simrly, Master Teacher Tournament assessed ones overall strength. Even if one was proficient in everything except for one aspect, that single aspect would be exploited by onespetitors. Under such circumstances, it would be impossible for Zhang Xuan to achieve an even higher cing than that. Knowing what Pavilion Master Kang was worried about, Zhang Xuan asked, "Are the tests for the tournament decided yet?" Pavilion Master Kang pondered for a moment before replying. "It has already been decided... but we arent privy to such information. The tests are decided solely by Hong shi, and to uphold fairness, it was decided that he will announce the tests on the spot!" Even Pavilion Master Kang wasnt entitled to the contents of the examination. Otherwise, there was a possibility that he could conduct special training for the Myriad Kingdom Alliances participants to have them adapt to the conditions they would be subjected to in the tournament. If so, that wouldpromise the integrity of the tournament. In any case, given that it was Hong shi hosting the event, as a 5-star master teacher and a master teacher of Hongfeng Empire, there was no need for anyone to worry about him siding with powers. Hongfeng Empire was a vassal empire directly under Huanyu Empire, and it was significantly stronger than Fleeting Cloud Sect, White Helios Sect, Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and powers of that level. Even among Unranked Empires, it was ranked at the forefront. "Even though Im not too sure what the tests will be, there has been some news on the prize recently!" Pavilion Master Kangs eyes glowed in agitation. "Prize? Isnt it a hundred middle-tier spirit stones and the opportunity to study in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?" Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. Zhang Xuan had heard of it from Su shi back then, and there was nothing to be awed about. "That was indeed the case back then, but the prize has been raised recently. The new prize is so high that even I cant help but feel moved!" Pavilion Master Kang said excitedly. Last night, the heads of the various powers in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance received news from Hong shi regarding the increase in the prize of the tournament. When he first set eyes on the information regarding the prize, despite being a top expert and the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion, his breathing couldnt help but hasten, and his eyes widened uncontrobly in disbelief. He thought that the prize offered previously was already sufficiently generous, butpared to the new one... It was nothing at all! It was as though an ant meeting an elephant! "Oh? What is the new prize offered?" Zhang Xuan asked in interest. "The one who is ced first in the tournament will receive a high-tier spirit stone!" Pavilion Master Kang said. "High-tier spirit stone?" Wasnt it a hundred middle-tier spirit stone? How did it turn into a high-tier spirit stone? As though fearing that Zhang Xuan couldnt understand the value of a high-tier spirit stone, Pavilion Master Kang exined, "A high-tier spirit stone has the value equivalent to ten thousand middle-tier spirit stone, and thats assuming that theres a person willing to sell it! Its value is unimaginable!" "Ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuans breathing hastened as well. He had worked so hard, putting himself at grievous risk, only to extort 600 middle-tier spirit stones from the Fleeting Cloud Sect and thirteen other powers. Yet, to think that being ced first in the tournament would earn him a high-tier spirit stone straight... This was way too exaggerated! "Indeed! And on top of the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he will also be allowed to cultivate in Cleansing Lake for three days..." Pavilion Master Kang continued. "Cleansing Lake? Whats that?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. "Its one of the greatest treasures of Huanyu Empires royalty, as well as the greatest foundation behind its establishment!" Unconceble envy shone in Pavilion Master Kangs eyes as he said, "Cultivators who have managed to reach rifying Turbidity realm understand that turbid and clear also refers to ones physical body and soul respectively. The Cleansing Lake is a blessednd that nourishes ones soul. Cultivating there, ones soul would undergo a metamorphosis, thus increasing ones chance of achieving a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm significantly! "If I were to get a chance to cultivate there for three days, the chances of me being able to reach Consonant Spirit realm would surely be more than fifty percent! However... the Cleansing Lake is one of the most precious resources of Huanyu Empire, and there are limited slots to its use. Only for the Master Teacher Tournament, which happens once every decade, are they willing to spare a few slots!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head calmly in response, but on the inside, he was astonished. To increase the chances of Pavilion Master Kang advancing to Consonant Spirit realm to more than fifty percent, that Cleansing Lake was indeed formidable! A high-tier sprit stone, the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and three days of cultivation in the Cleansing Lake... Honestly, just any single one of them was enough to send countless experts into frenzy. And yet, for the three of them to be the prize of the champion of the Master Teacher Pavilion, fearsome! "What about the second ce?" Since the reward for the first ce was so generous, what about the second ce? "The second pales a lot inparison. Its three hundred middle-tier spirit stones, the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and two days in the Cleansing Lake!" Pavilion Master Kang replied. Even though it was just a single cing, the rewards had decreased by manifolds. Putting aside the reduction of a single day in Cleansing Lake, there was a difference of thirty times in value between a high-tier spirit stone and three hundred middle-tier spirit stones. "And the third ce is one hundred middle-tier spirit stone and one day in the Cleansing Lake. As for the fourth to tenth ce, they wont be allowed to enter the Cleansing Lake, and they will only be given ten middle-tier spirit stones each. But fortunately, all of them will be given the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy." Pavilion Master Kang recounted the rewards of the top ten of the Master Teacher Tournament. "Seems like... I really must take the first ce!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. He was still thinking that it would suffice as long as he got into the top ten in the tournament, but with the increased rewards... his determination to obtain the first position was sparked. Putting aside everything else, just the high-tier spirit stone in itself was invaluable to him. With this, he could probably cultivate all the way to the pinnacle of the Transcendent Mortal without worrying about spirit stones. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Pavilion Master Kang smiled bitterly. "Indeed, it would be good to take the first ce. However... how could it be so easy?" There wasnt anyone who wasnt interested in the first ce, especially with the increased reward. But considering the talented geniuses who would be participating in the tournament, it would be no easy feat. Yang shi was a formidable master teacher; there were probably none who would dare to cross his path. However, Yang shis existence was only known amongst the top echelons of the fourteen powers, the participants of the tournament were unaware of it. Thus, there would be no one who would go easy on Zhang shi just because he was Yang shis student. Zhang shi might be formidable in other aspects... but when ites to a battle of cultivation, he stood little hope. Even though Pavilion Master Kang had entrusted his hopes to Zhang shi, he didnt bear much expectation for thetter to take down the champion position. "Were here!" Upon hearing Pavilion Master Kangs sigh, Zhang Xuan was just about to speak but Ruohuan gongzis voice sounded. Lifting his gaze, he realized that they had already arrived in the square in front of the Alliance Head Residence. At the current moment, the square was bustling with huge crowds. After so many days, the Master Teacher Tournament... was finally going to begin! Chapter 575: Rules of the Tournament Chapter 575: Rules of the Tournament Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Walking along the packed crowd, Zhang Xuan saw a huge round stage ced at the center of the square. The top of the stage was veiled beneath ayer of fog, making it impossible to perceive what was hidden inside. Most likely, this should be a formation preventing anyone from peering into the contents inside. Countless master teachers, dressed in robes, were seated around the stage. Zhang Xuan briefly scanned the surroundings with his gaze. As expected of the Master Teacher Tournament. There was a total of several thousand people from all 28 powers, including the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Every single one had an emblem reflecting their respective ranks pinned on their chests, and reflected light red from them. How many times in ones life could one see such a grand festival where several thousand master teachers were gathered together? It was no wonder why the citizens of Myriad Kingdom Alliance were so excited, camping at the square from such early hours. In order to prevent any idents from urring, the Alliance Head Residence had been making preparations from half a month ago. All of their elites were stationed around the area, ready to take any countermeasures should any unexpected situation ur. "So, this is the Master Teacher Tournament... So many master teachers are gathered here!" "Its so difficult to meet even a single one of those lofty master teachers under normal circumstances, and yet, a few thousand of them were gathered here today..." "To be able to see so many formidable master teacherspeting against one another, I would have no regrets even if I were to drop dead now!" ... Such discussions were urring throughout the crowd. Their excitement over the Master Teacher Tournament was apparent through their words and expressions. The Master Teacher Tournament only happened once every decade, and on top of that, the location where it would be hosted was randomly selected each time... Given that it was conducted in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance this time, there was no way they could miss the festival. In truth, the Master Teacher Tournament also had the intention of utilizing the fanfare behind the tournament to disy the might of the master teachers as well as boost the poprity of this upation and bring new blood into the organization. "Look, its Ruohuan gongzi!" "Hes so handsome! The person beside him must be Zhang shi, right?" "I think so! I became his loyal fan after hearing of his affairs..." "Me too! Despite forfeiting the final test in the selection round, he was still able to take the top position. There is no one else in Myriad Kingdom Alliance who is capable of such a feat..." ... Upon the arrival of the trio, someone eximed and a wave of cheering sounded from the crowd. Even though the selection round was conducted within the Master Teacher Hall, perhaps due to how astonishing those feats were, everyone in Myriad Kingdom City swiftly learned of the matter. A 4-star master teacher who wasnt even in his twenties yet; a person who, through his astounding capabilities, convinced the Physician Guild, Formation Master Guild, Beast Hall, and other supporting upations to make an exception and allow for the promotion in his ranking; the candidate stood above Ruohuan gongzi and the other geniuses in the selection rounds despite participating in only four of the tests... All three of these were legendary feats in themselves, and any one of them could easily win one the admiration of the younger generation. "Zhang shi is so dashing!" "Dashing? Why does he look like a pervert to me instead?" "Pervert? Even if hes really a pervert, Im still willing to marry him and bear his children..." ... A few youngdies bucked up their courage and shouted loudly. Zhang Xuans astounding feats previously had captured their hearts. "Pervert? Bear my children?" Dark streaks filled Zhang Xuans face. What the heck was that? "Seems like Zhang shis reputation has exceeded even that of mine!" Pavilion Master Kang chuckled as he stroked his beard. Just two months ago, there was no one in Myriad Kingdom City, not even him, who had heard of Zhang Xuan. And yet, at this very moment, his name was known in every single household throughout the capital. The Master Teacher Tournament was indeed capable of inducing a rapid surge in ones reputation. Right after Zhang Xuan and the rest squeezed through the crowd and gathered together with the group from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, a beautiful figure suddenly rushed up to him in agitation. "Youre finally out of seclusion..." It was the second princess of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhao Feiwu. Ever since his return from Yin-Yang Lake, Zhang Xuan had been in seclusion. For the past two months, he had hardly met anyone. At this moment, Zhao Feiwu was no longer disguised as a male. Instead, she wore a simple dress that brought out her lithe figure. She carried a majestic but warm disposition unique to princesses like her, and from afar, she looked no different from a fairy. "Un!" Looking at the youngdy before her, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. It seemed that Zhao Feiwu had been cultivating in the past two months. Vaguely, he could sense that she had reached Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm. To be able to improve so swiftly in such a short period of time, even though the immense pool of resources from the Alliance Head Residence yed a part, she must possess superior talent as well. "Zhang shi!" Jin Conghai, who was in charge of guarding her, stepped forward and greeted Zhang Xuan. "Take a seat!" After trading some pleasantries, the few of them sat down, and soon, from the top of the round stage in the center, an elder could be seen walking over. "This is 5-star Master Teacher Hong shi; hes in charge of hosting this Master Teacher Tournament!" Pavilion Master Kang whispered to Zhang Xuan telepathically. Zhang Xuan shot a nce over to the elder on the stage. Hong shi had a tall stature, and his hands and legs were extremely long. The aura he exuded seemed to be perfectly aligned with the surroundings, as though there was a giant bridge within his body connecting him to the environment, nourishing his body and soul with spiritual energy. Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, Cosmos Bridge realm! One of the basic requirements to bing a 5-star master teacher was to achieve this level of cultivation. Cosmos Bridge realm was signified by the presence of an intangible bridge within ones body that aligned one with the world. Even without cultivating consciously, spiritual energy would flow along the bridge to nourish ones body, resulting in a constant rise in ones cultivation. At such a realm, ones zhenqi and soul would grow at a fearsome pace, and one would truly wield the strength to move mountains and fill oceans. "To think that hes a formidable figure as well!" Zhang Xuan had met Hong shi just yesterday, and standing behind Mo Hongyuan, the other party looked no different from a timid quail. Thus, he didnt expect the other party to possess such an impressive cultivation level. In fact, given his current cultivation realm... even ten of him wouldnt be a match for the other party. His zhenqi was at Transcendent Mortal realm 3-dan pinnacle whereas his soul was at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan realm pinnacle. In total, his strength added up to 2,600,000 ding, and it wouldnt be a problem even if his opponent was a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivator. But against a Cosmos Bridge realm expert, he wouldnt even be able to retaliate. Even at primary stage, an expert of that caliber would possess a strength of 4,000,000 ding. Putting aside their deepprehension and control over the environment, just their immense strength posed a huge threat in itself. "Everyone!" Just as Zhang Xuan was harboring such thoughts, Hong shi suddenly stopped in his footsteps and spoke. His voice seemed to harness the roar of the thunders, and it resounded clearly in the surroundings. The entire square consisting of several ten thousand people immediately fell silent upon hearing his words. His words were spoken through Impartation of Heavens Will, thus inducing deference amongst the crowd. No one in the square dared to defy his words. "I am honored to be invited as the host of the once-in-a-decade Master Teacher Tournament!" Waving his hands, Hong shi nced through the crowd. "I believe everyone should know the rewards for the tournament. In the interest of time, Ill skip the pleasantries and move on straight to the structure of the tournament and the rules behind it!" Hearing those words, the crowd subconsciously held in the breath, fearing that they might miss a single word. There were at least several thousand ways to conduct the tests of the Master Teacher Tournament that they knew of, and thus, it was impossible to predict. Interested, Zhang Xuans eyes also fell on Hong shi. He had always been curious how the Master Teacher Tournament could ensure fairness while avoiding harming the camaraderie among fellow master teachers. "As 4-star master teachers, you have stepped into the ranks of an intermediate master teacher, and there has been a significant rise in your standing. Naturally, this also means a greater responsibility towards enlightening the world, and your capability must be up to par to fulfill that responsibility... Soul Depth, cultivation realm, knowledge impartation, understanding of cultivation, identification of ws... I believe you have already undergone tests assessing you on those aspects in the selection rounds in your respective empires and sects. As such, it would be meaningless if I were to test you on those aspects as well, and it would be hard to assess your capabilities fully through such too." Hong shi smiled as he looked at the participants of the tournament. "But if the participants are not assessed on these, what would they be assessed on?" Everyone was stunned. Those were the utmost fundamentals to master teachers, and as such, they were used as criteria to determine the capability of a master teacher. If they werentpeting on those aspects in the Master Teacher Tournament, then what would they bepeting on? "Calm down, allow me to finish my words first!" Seeing the doubt in everyones eyes, Hong shi continued, "The tournament will consist of two main stages-preliminary selection and dueling round. Therell be four tests in the preliminary selection, and only the participants who clear all four tests will be qualified for the dueling round. Those who fail in any one of the tests... will be eliminated from the tournament!" "Preliminary selection?" "Dueling round?" A grim expression appeared on the faces of the crowd. They thought that the tournament would be simr to the selection round, where they were assessed on their Soul Depth, cultivation, and such. They didnt expect it to take on such aplicated structure. "Im sure everyone should understand what dueling is, so I wont borate on it. So, Ill just touch on the preliminary selection." Hong shi continued, "Since you have been chosen as the representative of your power, you must be amongst the top of the younger generation, and there is a good chance that you might advance to be a 5-star master teacher or even higher one day. However... the higher ranked you are, the harder it is for you to advance. Talent isnt all there is to a master teacher, and strength is just one of the many factors you will need. Temperament, courage, wisdom, and intelligence... These are of utmost importance as well. Only with these can you surpass your peers and reach incredible heights in the future. "Thus, Ive designed four tests rting to each of these for the preliminary selection!" "Tests to assess temperament, courage, wisdom, and intelligence?" "How can such qualities be assessed?" "Ive no idea too. But since Hong shi is the one conducting the examination, theres no need to worry about the fairness of the tests!" "Indeed. With so many master teachers present here, its impossible for him to be biased. Im just curious as to how these intangible qualities can be assessed!" ... After understanding the content for the examination, everyone was shocked. As master teachers, they had heard of tests on ones ability to impart knowledge andprehension of a cultivation technique. Never in their lives had they heard of tests on ones temperament, courage, wisdom, and intelligence. After all, as intangible qualities, they couldnt be quantified and measured directly. Ignoring themotion amidst the crowd, Hong shi waved his hands and said, "Alright, participants, proceed up the stage!" "Lets go up!" Zhang Xuan and Ruohuan gongzi nced at one another before standing up and walking up to the stage. The master teachers from other powers also advanced forward. They were all geniuses below their thirties, and the four stars on the emblems pinned before their chests reflected their talents and capabilities. Zhang Xuan scanned the faces of the crowd proceeding up the stage, and with the exception of Luo Xuan and Song Chao, he didnt recognize anyone else. "The primary requirement for the Master Teacher Tournament is that participants mustnt exceed the age of thirty. At the entrance to the stage, there is a crystal ball. Beforeing in, touch the crystal ball, and based on the aura of your soul, itll reflect your actual age!" Hong shi added. Zhang Xuan nced at the entrance of the round stage and saw a crystal ball exuding a warm glow being ced on top of a pedestal by the entrance. To uphold the integrity behind the Master Teacher Tournament, there were strict checks to prevent any unqualified personnel from participating in the tournament. This crystal ball could peer deep within ones soul. Just by touching it, it was able to urately determine ones actual age. Chapter 576: Ghost Domain Illusory City Chapter 576: Ghost Domain Illusory City Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Through pills or unique techniques, cultivators could warp their appearances to make them look young. Sometimes, even high-rank master teacher would be unable to see through some of these disguises. On the other hand, a humans soul was forged at birth, and it would mature with the passing of time. There was no cultivation technique or means that could conceal ones soul age. Thus, using ones soul to assess ones age was viewed to be the fairest method, and no one voiced anyints. Soon, all fifty-six participants had passed the crystal ball test. Most of them were between twenty-eight and twenty-nine, and the oldest of them all was twenty-nine-year-old and eleven months. Naturally, the youngest of the lot was Zhang Xuan. He was still two months away from reaching twenty, and everyone couldnt help but be shocked upon seeing such a young participant-after all, the others were around a decade older than him. Considering his age, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that he was the most talented of all those gathered there. "Why does the Myriad Kingdom Alliance seem to be regressing as time passes?" "Indeed. To have this childpete with us, it seems like they have given up all hope!" "Theyve cedst consecutively so many times. Its no wonder that they have already lost their confidence at this point..." ... Many people expressed their disdain for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Despite Yang shi driving away fourteen of the strongest powers in the region singlehandedly that day, the entire incident had been hushed, and all news regarding it had been suppressed. As such, most of the spectators and even the participating master teachers were unaware of the matter. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance had never achieved good results in the past, and upon seeing that they had sent in ad who was a decade younger than the other participants, naturally, they thought that they had given up on the tournament. "Since everyone fulfills the requirements, allow me to delve deeper into the details regarding the preliminary selection." Seeing that everyone had cleared the verification, Hong shi chuckled, "The first round, Temperament!" At this point, Hong shi waved his hands. "This is the Ghost Domain Illusory City that was left behind by 5-star Master Teacher Fei Yuzi. This artifact harnesses the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia, and it is an extremely valuable treasure!" Hu! The vision before everyone blurred for an instant as the fog cleared for a corner of the stage, revealing a towering fortress. Red bricks, emerald roof, white walls, and green corridors, from afar, it exuded a sinister aura, sending a cold chill down ones spine. "Ghost Domain Illusory City?" "What is that?" "I seem to remember seeing this in some book before. If I recall correctly, it is a unique treasure harnessing the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia... As for what exactly it is or how the test will be carried out, Ive no idea as well!" "Qi Men Dun Jia? Whats that?" "Its an extremely rare, unique upation. I heard that there isnt a single branch even in Huanyu Empire. ... Seeing a fortress appear amidst the fog, a hugemotion broke out. Even Pavilion Master Kang and the others couldnt help but frown in doubt. Despite their vast knowledge, they had never heard of it before. "There is only one entrance and exit to the Ghost Domain Illusory City. In the Temperament test, you will pass the test as long as long as you leave via the exit within an incenses time of passing through the entrance!" Hong shi chuckled as he revealed the rules. "So simple?" "But we can only see the entrance. Where is the exit?" "Ive no idea either. However, we should be able to find it after we go in..." ... Upon hearing the simple rules behind the challenge, everyone was taken aback. Even Zhang Xuan felt a little bewildered. All of them were 4-star master teachers who possessed superior eyes of discernment. Even if the Ghost Domain Illusory City possessed some kind of Beguilement Formation, it shouldnt be too difficult for them to ovee it. Since this was the preliminary selection for the Master Teacher Tournament, how could it be that easy? "Do you think that the test is easy? Let me just tell you in advance, dont bank on luck. It isnt as easy as it seems!" Noticing everyones doubtful gazes, Hong shi chuckled. "The Ghost Domain Illusory City only allows one person to be on its premises at any time. Since there are a total of fifty-six people here, an order must be established. Since weve just verified everyones ages, lets go by age, starting from the youngest... And so, the first to enter shall be Zhang shi!" Since Zhang Xuan was the youngest, he would have to be the first one to enter under such an order. In truth, the reason why Hong shi made such an arrangement was to see how capable Yang shis direct disciple was as well. "Me?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in bewilderment. "Un!" Hong shi nodded his heads. "Allow Zhang shi to go up first? Isnt that a little too reckless?" Beneath the stage, Pavilion Master Kang, Elder Su, and the other elders of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion nced at one another as their mouths twitched. "I dont think that its a good idea..." Elder Wu nodded his head in agreement. During the selection round back then, he had suffered greatly under Zhang shis hands. Thetters means were simply way too peculiar! To allow him to go up first, Hong shi... You are being incautious. "This... Hong shi, why dont I go first? Zhang shi can go after everyone is done!" Ruohuan gongzi also swiftly came to a realization and stepped forward. "What are you up to? Hong shi has already said that well go by age, are you trying to flout the rules?" "I advise you to just back out of the tournament. To cower right before a challenge, even if your Myriad Kingdom Alliance cares not for its reputation, please dont demean master teachers as an upation!" "Isnt it a little toote to feel fear at this point..." ... Hearing Ruohuan gongzis words, the other master teachers in the surroundings sneered coldly. The first one to enter tended to be at a disadvantage given that he wouldnt have any idea about what he could expect from the test. In their view, Zhang Xuan had cowered at thest moment and thus, Ruohuan gongzi tried to step forward in his ce. Furthermore, upon thinking of thetters age and cultivation, their disdain only served to further deepen. "Dont worry, the test will be fair. It doesnt matter whether you are the first one to enter or the final one to enter. The Qi Men Dun Jia in the Ghost Domain Illusory City is constantly changing, and it wont repeat itself. The encounter of the first challenger will be of no analytical value to the rest!" Thinking that Zhang shi was worried about this issue, Hong shi chuckled. "Also, the offensive mechanisms in the artifact will automaticallye to a halt within an incenses time. Thus, regardless of your cultivation realm, therell be no threat to your life!" "Dont worry, I can deal with it..." Zhang Xuan turned to Ruohuan gongzi and reassured him. The Ghost Domain Illusory City sounded fearsome, but it did little to faze him. "You should enter now!" Hearing theck of fear in Zhang Xuans voice, a hint ofmendation shed across Hong shis face as he beckoned thetter in. "Un!" Lifting his feet, Zhang Xuan walked into the entrance of the castle. As Zhang Xuan disappeared into the entrance, a bitter smile slowly formed on Ruohuan gongzis face. "I dont doubt that you will be able to deal with it, what I fear is that... the Ghost Domain Illusory City wont be able to deal with you..." After the days he had spent with Zhang Xuan, he had gained a deep understanding of that fellow. Even though he often looked confused, his incredible means could easily scare a person to death once he made a move. Putting aside Elder Wu, Elder Bai, and the others who nearly went insane after being tortured physically and mentally from him, just the experience in the cier in Court spoke tons about him... They were supposed to cultivate in the Yin-Yang Lake, but before they could even see the Yin-Yang Lake, he had already sapped the seed water dry... Common sense simply didnt seem to apply to him. This Ghost Domain Illusory City looked formidable, but Ruohuan gongzi had little doubt that something could go awry given that Zhang Xuan was involved. "Lets just hope that my thoughts are wrong..." Grabbing his heart, Ruohuan gongzi thought. "Theres no need to worry. Given Zhang shis extraordinary strength, he wont be in danger!" Seeing the awful look on Ruohuan gongzis face, Song Chao walked over to console. Failing to meet Zhang Xuan the past few days, he often spent his time at the Master Teacher Pavilion, and at where, he became acquainted with Ruohuan gongzi. Coming from simr backgrounds and having amon topic from their experiences in being wrecked by Zhang shi, even though they were rivals, they couldnt help but feel a sense of connection to one another. "Cough cough, Im not worried that Zhang shi would be in danger but..." Halfway through his words, Ruohuan gongzi abruptly came to a halt. "I hope that Im just overthinking it!" "Youre not worried that he will be in danger? What do you mean by that? It cant be that youre worried that the Ghost Domain Illusory City will be in danger?" Before Song Chao could respond, a young man not too far away flung his sleeves and sneered, "What a joke!" The duo turned around, only to see a young man with thick eyebrows and high nose bridge. Ruohuan gongzi recognized the other party. "Frigid Gale Sects Liao Wuzhi. He is the second in ranking on the list of contenders to watch out for!" Even though this young mans words were unpleasant to the ear, his capability wasnt to be underestimated. He was the number one genius of Frigid Gale Sect, the second most popr contender for the champion seat in the Master Teacher Tournament. Not knowing how to reply, Ruohuan gongzi replied awkwardly, "That... You shouldnt underestimate Zhang shi, hes quite formidable..." "Formidable?" Liao Wuzhi harrumphed. "Its only because you dont know how fearsome the Ghost Domain Illusory City is!" "Fearsome?" The duo was taken aback. "Could it be that Brother Liao knows something about it?" "Of course! I once read an introduction about it in a book!" Tilting up his chin, a hint of pride gleamed in Liao Wuzhis eyes. Given how most pavilion masters were unaware of it, he could be considered to be knowledgeable for knowing it. "The Ghost Domain Illusory City harnesses the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia, which could be ssified into Three Mystics, Eight Gates, and Six Jias. It contains the spirits of Zhifu, Tengshe, Taiyin, Liuhe, Baihu, Xuanhu, Jiudi, and Jiutian. Those who enter its premises would fall into an endless spiral of fear! Those whock the appropriate temperament will find their mental fortitude breached and lose their confidence!" With both his hands behind his back, Liao Wuzhi spoke with theposure and confidence reminiscent of a great strategist. "Ive heard of Zhang shis affairs, and Im indeed impressed by how he was able to be a 4-star master teacher at such a young age. Just the fact that he was able to defeat you, Ruohuan gongzi, means that he is indeed capable... But in the end, hes still too young. Furthermore, given his smooth-sailing life thatcks experiences of defeat, his mental fortitude must becking! This test... will likely be where he will be halted!" As one of the strongest contender for the champion spot, his analytical ability was beyond ordinary. Zhang shi might be young but being chosen as the candidate of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance meant that there was indeed something extraordinary about him. As such, Liao Wuzhi didnt look down on him just because of his age. But while Zhang shi was indeed a genius, he was still way too young and had yet to mature yet. His weak mental fortitude would be his greatest opening. This test would be the greatest difficulty he had ever faced. "If my conjecture proves to be urate, his mental fortitude will definitely be breached within five to ten minutes!" Liao Wuzhi predicted. "Five to ten minutes?" "Un! The Ghost Domain Illusory City is simply too formidable. Based on my calction, even for me, Ill only be able to hold on for around an incenses time. In terms of that, the timing which Hong shi decided on for the test was indeed precise. It is unlikely that therell be any participants who can persevere any longer than that! Given Zhang shis young age, it would already be incredible if he could hold on for five minutes..." Liao Wuzhi waved his hands proudly, and just as he was about to continue, he suddenly froze. As though he had seen a ghost, his body stiffened, eyes widened, and lips trembled uncontrobly. "Wh-what... is going on?" Chapter 577: Can It Be Fixed? Chapter 577: Can It Be Fixed? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan pushed open the doors to enter the Illusory City. Its interior was pitch-ck, such that he couldnt even see his outstretched hand. Taking two steps along the corridor, a sinister wind blew past, bringing an eerie voice to his ear. Wuwuwuwu! The voice was drenched with resentment and adoration, sorrow and happiness. It struck right into ones soul, rendering the action of covering ones ears meaningless. "Is this Soul Beguilement?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Mo Hunsheng had once used a simr technique against him back in the soul oracle tomb. Such techniques allowed the voice to resound within ones soul-it would be useless even if one were to inhibit all six senses. Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw countless savage eyes staring at him, threatening to leap out at him at any moment to tear him into shreds. To face hair-standing sorrowful cries and the threat of impending attacks under such a dark environment... This was indeed a test on ones temperament. If ones mental fortitude wasnt strong enough, one might just faint on the spot. Boom! Just as Zhang Xuan was scanning the surroundings curiously, he suddenly felt a powerful surge of energy gushing out from a corner of the room. It flowed along with the whistling of the wind, heading straight for him. His eyes immediately narrowed, and he leaped forward. But right after he dodged the attack, he felt another powerful surge of energy heading right for him. Dodging it with a leap, before Zhang Xuan couldnd on the floor, he felt yet another attacking from a different direction. After dodging seven to eight of such attacks, a droplet of cold sweat dripped from Zhang Xuans chin. He was starting to panic. The attacks were bing more and more frequent. If this went on, it would reach a point where Zhang Xuan would be unable to cope at all, and this might potentially end in severe injuries for him. Could this test really be that difficult? "No, somethings wrong! I could feel the energy and disturbance in the air from the previous attacks, but I didnt hear any sound of collision between the wall and the surge of energy..." After avoiding a few more attacks, a thought suddenly struck Zhang Xuan, leaving him stunned for a moment. He could hear the sharp whistling of the wind due to the barrage of attacks raining down on him, but somehow, the sound of collision when the force struck the wall or ground was absent. Even if Zhang Xuan dodged the attack, the force should have struck the wall or the ground, leaving behind a deep imprint or at least a mark of some kind... But there wasnt anything like that at all. Could the attacks be an illusion too? "Eye of Insight!" Thinking such, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight. In an instant, the darkness veiling his vision lightened, allowing him to see the rough outline of the entire room. The Eye of Insight allows one to peer into the essence of everything. While it was impossible for Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight to peer through the entire Ghost Domain Illusory City given the powerful might of the artifact, it wasnt too much of a problem for him to just see through the facades contained within the interior of a single room. And in an instant, he saw that the origin of the piercing wind sound that he heard previously was actually countless spirit beings lingering in the surroundings. It was impossible to tell whether these spirit beings were originally human, spirit beasts, or simply artificial beings. While they were able to stir up an intense wind through their motion, it waspletely harmless to ones physical body. That was also the reason why the wall and floor remained undamaged. But still, if Zhang Xuan didnt have the Eye of Insight, he would have never dared to face that powerful, frenzied surge of energy even if someone were to inte his guts. "Otherpetitors might have been helpless before these spirit beings, and it would just be a matter of time before they crumbled before the immense pressure on them. But this wont work on me!" Upon understanding the origin behind the attacks, Zhang Xuans lips curled up into a smile. Unable to see or perceive these spirit beings, the otherpetitors would indeed be unable to deal with these spirit beings. It would just be a matter of time before the mounting pressure crushed their mental fortitude, snapping their thread of sanity. But... as a soul oracle, if he were to allow mere spirit beings to get the better of him, it would indeed be embarrassing. "Draw soul!" Zhang Xuans be glowed, and a soul bearing semnce to his physical appearance emerged from his body. Weng! Zhang Xuan sped his hands together, and a glow of light shed across the room. The spirit beings, as though having met their nemesis, quickly fled in fear. The soul of soul oracles possessed extraordinary soul energy, and not to mention, the cultivation technique which Zhang Xuan practiced was the Heavens Path Soul Art, granting his soul a mighty aura that ghosts dared not stand up against. It was already a huge benevolence, as well as a gesture of respect to Hong shi, that he didnt consume these spirit beings to nourish his soul. After chasing away those trouble-making spirit beings, the room fell silent. Returning back to his body, Zhang Xuan stood up to start looking for the exit when a thought suddenly struck him, and a smile slowly surfaced on his face. "Why do I even need to search around? As long as I determine the ws behind this artifact, wouldnt I be able to find the exit easily?" Given that Zhang Xuan was attacked by so many soul beings right after he entered the Ghost Domain Illusory City, who knew what else he might faceter on? It would be too much trouble to go through everything. Since he had the Library of Heavens Path, he could simply find the ws behind the Ghost Domain Illusory City and, just like with formations, pause its functioning. In any case, pausing a formation wouldnt damage it. Its functions could be easily restored after he left, and it wouldnt affect the challengers after him. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan ced his hand on the floor, and a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. "Ghost Domain Illusory City, forged by 5-star Master teacher Fei Yuzi. It harnesses the concepts of Mystic Gates Hidden Jia and contains innumerable spirit beings. It can be used as a test to train ones temperament. ws: No.1, the stone pedestal at the center serving as the control center is easily noticeable..." A detailed exnation on the Ghost Domain Illusory City could be seen on the book. "The stone pedestal at the center is the control center?" With the Eye of Insight active, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward and saw a stone pedestal with a height simr to his. "Isnt this way too conspicuous?" Seeing that something this important was actually ced so openly in the artifact, Zhang Xuan shook his head. But soon, he came to a realization. Often, the most dangerous of location tended to be the safest, and sometimes, cing it at the most conspicuous spot may make one overlook it due to their subconscious mind instinctively acknowledging the impossibility of it. Besides, the cultivators that enter the Illusory City would have their hands full with dealing with the spirit beings. Even if they were to see the stone pedestal, they wouldnt have the spare energy to think of such things. "Since this is the control center, will the Ghost Domain Illusory Citye to a halt if I were to knock this pedestal aside?" Toozy to read on, Zhang Xuan closed the book, and with his Eye of Insight still active, he began assessing the stone pedestal. He couldnt tell what the stone pedestal was made of, but it was exceptionally hard. Looking around it, Zhang Xuan wasnt able to find any mechanism around it. He tried pushing the pedestal with his hands, but as though connected with the fortress, it didnt budge in the least. "I dont believe that I cant move it. Heavens Path Fist Art!" Frowning, Zhang Xuan gathered all of his strength in his fists, and as though a released arrow, his fists shot toward the stone pedestal. Peng! His fist struck the stone pedestal, but there was nothing except for a slight tremor. On the contrary, he felt a stinging pain on his fist. "What a hard stone..." Zhang Xuan was astonished. His strength totaled up to 2,600,000 ding, andplemented with the Heavens Path Fist Art, even a primary-tier Spirit weapon would be crushed instantly. And yet, not only did this ordinary-looking stone pedestal not budge in the least, his fist even grew red from the impact! "The stone pedestal must be at least a Spirit intermediate-tier artifact, or perhaps... even higher than that!" To be able to withstand his attack, this stone pedestal had to be an incredible artifact simr to the Illusory City! "What should I do now?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. He had finally found a way to stop the Ghost Domain Illusory City, but due to hiscking cultivation, he wasnt able to do it. This felt extremely stifling to him. "Wait. I might not be able to move it, but I can always draw on the help of others!" After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up. He was incapable of moving it with his current strength, but he could always draw on the strength of others, such as... his clone! Back then, when he exchanged blows with that fellow, he was crushedpletely. The physical body of his clone was truly powerful beyond words. "Come out!" Willing so, Zhang Xuans clone appeared before him. He had ced this fellow into his storage ring before heading over here, so summoning him hinged only on a single thought. Given the shared consciousness between the duo, the clone instantaneously understood the plight Zhang Xuan was in. Thus, Zhang Xuan ordered directly, "Break this stone pedestal to stop the formation." "Alright!" The clone tightened his fists and released a punch. Heavens Path Fist Art! Kacha! Kacha! With a crisp sound, a crack appeared in the stone pedestal before him. The crack swiftly crept across the entire pedestal, and hu!, it crumbled into rubble. "You... Cant you hold back a little?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in rage. Wasnt this stone pedestal so tough such that even his fist suffered great pain from the bacsh of his attack? Why did it... suddenly break just like that? Didnt it seem like his clone had used too much strength? "Could it be that... clones physical body is simply too powerful, such that it induced a suppression effect on the stone pedestal?" After a moment of bewilderment, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a realization, and he felt tears threatening to spill from his face. Due to the Nine Hearts Lotus being a God artifact, even if his clone didnt use too much strength, he could still destroy the stone pedestal easily. To make an analogy, it was just like putting a diamond against a dagger. While the dagger might be more efficient in a battle, in terms of ability to scratch ss, the diamond would be much more effective. He was just like the dagger whereas his clone was the diamond. While thetter didnt use too much strength behind his attack, the stone pedestal still crumbled easily. Zhang Xuan only intended to move the stone pedestal, but in the end... he ended up destroying it instead. Hong long! Conflicted, Zhang Xuan was just considering what he should do next when the entire Ghost Domain Illusory City rumbled and started shaking violently. With its core destroyed, the formation supporting the Illusory City waspletely crippled. Thus, the gigantic infrastructure immediately started crumbling. "Keep!" Returning his clone to his storage ring, he nced upward, only to see huge lumps of rock raining down on him. Knowing that it was toote for him to escape, he could only raise his arms to protect his head from the falling rocks. ... "Given how formidable Yang shi is, his student should have no trouble clearing the Ghost Domain Illusory City!" Outside, on the round stage, Hong shi had been pacing back and forth worriedly ever since Zhang Xuan walked in. Yang shi had sent his student here to temper him, not to have him eliminated in the first round. But thinking deeper into the matter, given how powerful Yang shi was, how could his student be anything simple? "The Ghost Domain Illusory City might be powerful, but Ive already adjusted the difficulty such that at least 85% of the fifty-six challengers would be able to clear it... Zhang shi shouldnt be eliminated here! Now, the only problem is how long it will take for him to clear the challenge!" There was another benefit to the Ghost Domain Illusory City-it could determine how powerful ones mental fortitude was. The faster one could escape from it, the stronger ones mental fortitude was. Since there was no need to worry about Zhang shis elimination, the main problem at hand would be how long he would take to clear the test. "I would require seven minutes to clear the Illusory City. No matter how strong the mental fortitude of the participants is, they will need at least ten minutes to clear the challenge. Considering Zhang shis age, it would be an incredible feat if he could clear the challenge in around thirteen minutes!" Hong shi calcted internally. Seeing that there was still time, Hong shi was just about to find a ce to sit down and wait when the ground beneath him suddenly shook violently. He anxiously lifted his head to take a look, only to see the humongous Ghost Domain Illusory City rumbling loudly before copsing inward. After which, a figure with both arms raised above his head, a silhouette reminiscent of a valiant warrior, appeared amidst the cloud of dust. On the warriors face was a sheepish smile. The warrior scratched his head apologetically and said, "Hong shi... It seems like I identally broke your Ghost Domain Illusory City... Can it be fixed?" Chapter 578: The Fearsome Otherwordly Demonic Tribe Chapter 578: The Fearsome Otherwordly Demonic Tribe Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Fixed?" Looking at the remaining rubble of the majestic castle from before, Hong shis body stiffened, and he nearly fainted on the spot. If you only broke a face of a wall or a corridor, I might still be able to fix it. But this... How in the world do you expect me to fix this? Fix your head! Its just a test. If you can clear it, so be it. If you cant, its nothing much as well... May I ask how in the world did my Ghost Domain Illusory City offend you for you to hold such a heavy grudge against it? Besides, how long has it been? Two minutes? Three minutes? In such a short period of time, even I would be unable to reach the center. How... in the world did you manage to tear it down? Hong shis heart nearly stopped then, and he was about to go insane. "Indeed..." Contrary to Hong shis frenzied response, Pavilion Master Kang and the other elders from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion pped their faces, as if theyd known that this would ur. They knew that something would go awry... but even so, they underestimated the extent to which things could go awry at. This was the Master Teacher Tournament! Under such circumstances, how was the test supposed to proceed? The Ghost Domain Illusory City was the key to testing the candidates temperament. Given that it had copsed, how are the other participants going to be assessed? To cut off other peoples path while walking your own... Zhang shi, arent you being a little toopetitive! While they were all speechless, Liao Wuzhis body also swayed weakly from side to side in shock. It was just a moment ago that Ruohuan gongzi said that he was worried about the safety of the Ghost Domain Illusory City, and he mocked the other party for being ignorant. But from the looks of it now... it seemed like he was the one being ignorant! To tear down an entire fortress three minutes after walking in... You arent a master teacher but a demolisher, right? While silence loomed in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan patted the dust off his body and stepped away from the rubble with a helpless expression. All he wanted to do was to silently halt the formation and walk out normally. Why was such a simple wish so hard to realize? "Fix... Its impossible to fix it!" Even though Hong shis heart was hurting so much that it was dripping blood, and he was about to faint from anger. But he quickly forced himself to calm down and recover. No matter what, the other party was Yang shis student. Furthermore, it wasnt an intentional action on the other partys part, so it was best for him to just overlook this matter. While he still felt it was a huge loss to lose a treasure of the Ghost Domain Illusory Citys caliber, given that it was already destroyed, there was no use pondering over it. Thus, he could only swallow his pain and ept his loss. Just that... Given that the Illusory City waspletely wrecked, how were the others supposed to take the test? The other master teachers also shot nces over. After a moment of hesitation, Hong shi gritted his teeth and said, "Since the Ghost Domain Illusory City has been damaged... well put aside the Temperament test for the time being and move on to the Courage test!" Even though having a single test voided in the preliminary round would affect the results, it was still at a level where he could overlook. "Courage test?" "How is it going to be carried out?" Upon hearing the next test, everyone swiftly recovered from their shock, and discussions sounded amidst the crowd. "I believe everyone should know the reason behind why Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Hong shi said. A master teacher replied, "To strengthen the human race so as to better fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and other cmities!" The primary reason as to why Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion was to raise the might of the human race as a whole so as to further its prosperity. "Indeed. Several ten thousand years ago, the powerful Otherworldly Demonic Tribemitted innumerable atrocities, resulting in grievous sufferings to all lifeforms. In order to save the world, Kong shi established the system of master teachers, and after several ten thousand years of development, weve achieved an unprecedented level of prosperity!" Hong shi nodded his head as his gaze fell on the crowd. "The Courage test is actually very simple. You just have to fulfill the responsibility of a master teacher and... face an Otherworldly Demon!" "Otherworldly Demon?" "Hasnt that race gone extinct already? Could it be that there are still survivors?" Everyone was taken aback. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been expelled by Kong shi several ten thousand years ago, and not a single trace of them remained on the continent. To face an Otherworldly Demon... What did Hong shi mean? "The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was indeed expelled several ten thousand years ago. However... there are still a few remnants living on the continent. They disguise themselves as humans and hide amongst ourmunities!" Hong shis eyebrows shot up as he waved his hand. H! The fog veiling another corner of the round stage cleared, revealing a gigantic stone house. Even though the stone house was tightly sealed, and its interiors couldnt be seen at all, an intense killing intent emanated from within. It felt as though one would be torn apart just by approaching the stone house. "What a savage aura. Could it be that... an Otherworldly Demon is currently inside the stone house?" "Ive heard that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has an extremely brutal nature. They regard humans as nothing more than mere ants, and they ughter them without any guilt whatsoever... As such, an exceptionally dense killing intent lingers around them. This killing intent made it impossible for an ordinary human to approach them-they would simply faint from fright during the encounter-let alone, kill them!" "Even across a stone house, the killing intent emanated is already so astounding. How powerful must the Otherworldly Demons really be?" ... Feeling the auraing from within the stone house, everyones faces warped in shock. Fearsome! All those who were on the round stage were all 4-star master teacher... Even so, the killing intent emanated from within the stone house was sufficient to render their legs wobbly. How powerful must the Otherworldly Demons be then? "The Otherworldly Demons are callous and cunning. For their growth, they are willing to even devour their own kind! In their eyes, humans are just lower-tier lifeforms, mere prey for them!" Hong shi harrumphed. "This fellow here has been hiding in Hongfeng Empire, and he had killed at least several thousand humans there. It took me three years before I managed to capture him. "Even though Ive used the Golden Soul Lock to seal his root bone, making it impossible for him to exert much strength, the killing intent that he had tempered over countless years still remains. He could easily exert immense pressure on ones soul and draw out the deepest fear in one. Putting aside 4-star pinnacle master teachers like you all, even half 5-star master teachers would hesitate to face him directly." It is simr to a human meeting a tiger; even thetter didnt make a move, the former would still instinctively feel fear, and strength would drain from their body. This was a matter of courage. "If one doesnt even have the courage to approach a tiger, how could he possibly ever kill one? If a master teacher doesnt dare to approach an Otherworldly Demon, then no matter how far he advances as a master teacher, it would be for naught! "The Courage test is simple. You just have approach him, and your courage will be judged by how far you close you get to him. The requirement for clearing this test is 5 meters; those who fail to meet this requirement will be eliminated." Waving his hands, Hong shi flicked his finger. Hu! The walls of the stone house immediately burst apart, and a three-meter tall savage-looking beast appeared before everyone. Honglong! As soon as the beast came into view, a violent aura abruptly diffused into the surroundings. Some of the audience seated closer to the round stage suddenly felt an intense vertigo striking their mind, and their vision went dark-they had instinctively fainted out of fright. The master teachers on the stage werent doing much better either. Song Chao and the other master teachers faces turned pale, and their lips took on a shade of purple. In the past, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had enved humans, and if not for Kong shi creating the Master Teacher Pavilion and eventually expelling them from the Master Teacher Continent, the entire continent would still be subjected to their tyranny. Perhaps such primal fear had been deeply imprinted into human instincts, but very few were able to withstand the blow to their soul from the sight of an Otherworldly Demon. "This is an Otherworldly Demon?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched. The fellow before him looked like a gigantic savage beast. Bloodthirst seemed to exude from every single inch of its body, inducing the feeling that one would be torn to shreds if one were to try to approach it. Putting aside the other master teachers, even Zhang Xuan found it difficult to approach the Otherworldly Demon within a 5-meter radius. "Fearsome!" It was no wonder the Master Teacher Pavilion dared not let down their guard despite several ten thousand years having passed since the disappearance of the Otherworldly Demons. They were indeed worthy of such wariness from the Master Teacher Pavilion. "He is bound and unable to move, so you need not worry of being harmed. The time limit is half an incenses time, and those who are unable to get within 5 meters of him will be eliminated!" After which, Hong shi lit an incense and waved his hands. "The time starts now!" Hearing that the test had started, the crowd on top of the round stage began advancing toward the beast with a grave look on their faces. Zhang Xuan followed behind them as well, but with just a single step, his face abruptly lost all color. Just this single step had subjected him to twofold the pressure from before. The savage killing intent lingering in the air stripped his legs of its strength, rendering him unable to proceed further. He nced at the others around him, and they didnt seem to be in a much better condition than him. Sweat covered their foreheads, and their faces were as pale as a sheet of paper. Forcefully taking another step forward, the pressure intensified yet again. It was as if he was a lone boat standing before a huge storm; powerful waves rushed at him, threatening to sink him at any moment. At the same time, it was as if he was standing right at the edge of a cliff; a single step forward would mean plummeting into Avci and subjected to an eternity of suffering. Under such circumstances... even ten meters would be difficult, not to mention, five meters! Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that this test would be a walk in the park, but it turned out to be tougher than he had expected. It seemed that with his willpower itself, it would be impossible for him to pass this step. Advancing another step forward, only tenpetitors remained alongside him. Let me try driving my zhenqi! Taking yet another step forward, Zhang Xuan felt as though he wasing to the limit of his endurance. Thus, he decided to drive his zhenqi. He didnt use his zhenqi to ward off the killing intent beforehand so as to test his own limits. But regrettably, four steps seemed to be it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldnt take a single inch forward. Hu! As the Heavens Path zhenqi flowed through his body, the pressure weighing down on him immediately disappeared, and the tenseness he felt faded. That energy that threatened to rip him apart a moment ago felt nothing more than a gentle breeze on him at this moment. As I expected, the Heavens Path zhenqi is indeed capable of neutralizing killing intent! The Heavens Path zhenqi possessed no attribute whatsoever, but this allowed it to neutralize all types of attributes of all types. Zhang Xuan had previously guessed that driving the Heavens Path zhenqi would neutralize the killing intent from the Otherworldly Demons, and fortunately, it seemed like he was spot-on. He secretly peeked at the others Different from him, the others had been driving their zhenqi right from their start, but that did little to alleviate their paleplexion. But even so, with their sheer determination, those at the front were already approaching the 10-meter mark. Incredible! Seeing how they were able to proceed so far despite being unable to neutralize the killing intent effectively with their zhenqi, a hint of respect appeared on Zhang Xuans face. It was no wonder they were known as geniuses, and why Pavilion Master Kang didnt think well of them. They did possess the qualities worthy of their evaluation. If not for Zhang Xuan cheating through his Heavens Path zhenqi, it was hard to tell whether he could have traveled further than them. Relieved on the immense pressure on him, Zhang Xuans thoughts gradually grew lively. Could the immense pressure exerted by the Otherworldly Demon... be considered as a battle technique as well? Given how everyone was so frightened such that it was difficult for them to approach the Otherworldly Demon, thetter was clearly utilizing some kind of ability to exert pressure on ones soul. Even if this ability couldnt be considered as a battle technique, it should be close to one. Given so, is it possible for the Library of Heavens Path to peer into the ws of the Otherworldly Demon? ws! Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Chapter 579: Zhang Xuan in a Daze Chapter 579: Zhang Xuan in a Daze Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He was only trying his luck, but to his delight, it actually worked. Excited, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he hurriedly flipped through its contents. "The offspring of an otherworldly lifeform and spirit beast. Born in Wangyuan Mountain of Hongfeng Empire. Cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm... ws: ..." He isnt a purebred Otherworldly Demon but... a progeny with a spirit beast? Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes. To think that this fellow, who was powerful enough to halt the advancement of a 4-star master teacher with its disposition in itself... was just a hybrid! If that was the case... how powerful must a purebred be? Not to mention, to actually breed with a spirit beast... The tastes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sure was heavy! The thought of satisfying ones physical needs with that gigantic and swollen body of a spirit beast... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shiver in disgust. But even so, this fellow is indeed strong! Based on the information in the book, the other partys physical body and soul were extremely powerful, such that it would be able to easily rival master teachers of the simr cultivation realm-or rather, master teachers who hadnt been through special training to cope with its overwhelming killing intent wouldnt be able to even get close to it. It was no wonder the Master Teacher Pavilion was so fearful of the Otherworldly Demon Tribe. There was a clear and huge difference in the innate talent between humans and the Otherworldly Demon Tribe. "My Heavens Path zhenqi doesnt fear the pressure he exerts. Ill just approach a 5-meter radius around him and remain there for a moment!" Zhang Xuan had just destroyed Hong shis Ghost Domain Illusory City, thus putting him at the tip of others tongues. Even though he could clear this test easily, he felt that he shouldnt cause too much of a fuss this time round. In any case, it was just the preliminary selections and there was no ranking for this. It would suffice as long as he passed the test, there was no need for him to show off. Thinking so, Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze to look at the others in the surroundings. In the time that he spent browsing through the book, the others had already gotten ahead of him. There were quite a few who were in proximity to the huge beast already, just a few steps away to reaching the 5-meter mark. Even though their movements looked very strained, their ability to get to such proximity reflected their courage and determination. It was no wonder why they were the representatives of their respective powers, they did possess extraordinary mental fortitude and talent. "That Luo Xuan is leading the group..." Walking at the forefront was Luo Xuan from Fleeting Cloud Sect. He was listed to be the number one contender for the champion cing in the book Pavilion Master Kang showed him, and it did seem to be very usible at this moment. As long as one were to get into a 5-meter radius of the Otherworldly Demon, one would be considered to have passed the test. As for Song Chao, he was in the middle of the entire group. On the other hand, Ruohuan gongzi exceeded Zhang Xuans expectations. Surprisingly, he was amongst the group at the front. "Should I go over now, or should I wait a little longer? Forget it, Im in no hurry anyway. I should first look through that fellows ws first!" Seeing that no one had reached the 5-meter mark yet, Zhang Xuan decided to continue reading the book first. There were many ws detailed on the hybrid Otherworldly Demon in the book in the Library of Heavens Path, so it was taking Zhang Xuan a little longer to finish reading through it. In any case, he didnt want to catch too much attention by being the first to clear the test anyway. Thus, he decided to wait a little longer. ... Beneath the stage. "Ruohuan seems to be faring well. To think that he would achieve such outstanding results right from the start!" Elder Su stroked his beard as he said. "Indeed. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sure is fearsome, I dont think that I could achieve his current results even if I were to head up!" Ling shi sighed. It was their first time meeting an Otherworldly Demon as well. They were already feeling stifled from the intense killing intent even though they were beneath the stage. It was difficult for them to imagine the pressure that was weighing down on thepetitors at the moment. "It seems like the advice I told him worked after all!" Hearing thepliments of his two friends, Pavilion Master Kang smiled. "Oh? What did you tell him to motivate him so much as to rush straight into the top few cing?" Su shi and Ling shi asked curiously. They couldnt imagine any advice that could induce such a huge change in one. Even though Ruohuan gongzi did improve greatly in the past two months, he was still a distance away from matching up to the top geniuses from the other sects and empires. "I told him that theres nothing he has to be worried about, and he should just give it his all. After all, is there anything in this world that is more fearsome than Zhang shi? Since he doesnt even fear Zhang shi, why should he hesitate over anything?" Pavilion Master Kang stroked his beard. "Cough cough..." Su shi and Ling shi staggered. They were rendered speechless by the words of their old friend. But giving it some thoughts, while these words were indeed a little peculiar, it was indeed good advice. A fellow who could copse even the Ghost Domain Illusory City in two to three minutes-if Ruohuan gongzi didnt even fear such a monster, what did he have to fear from the other geniuses out there? Just that... To use Zhang shi to suppress the fear toward Otherworldly Demons... Why does it feel as though something is wrong? After a moment of speechlessness, Su shi suddenly frowned and said, "Right, why isnt Zhang shi moving? Could he be at his limit?" Zhang shi proceeded rather swiftly initially, but after advancing four steps, he abruptly came to a stop and hadnt moved since. It had been several minutes since then. Could it be that he was unable to withstand the pressure from the Otherworldly Demon? "Even though he possesses astounding capability, hes still much too young. Its his first time meeting an Otherworldly Demon, and its unavoidable that he would freeze in fear..." Ling shi shook his head. "I dont know whats going on either. Actually, I thought of the same thing too, but what Im more worried about is that..." Pavilion Master Kang shook his head, "... he might cause something huge once more!" "Cause something huge? I think its unlikely for that to happen. Given the strength of the Otherworldly Demon, even you and I wouldnt be a match for it, and hes currently only at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle... Besides, the goal of the test is just to approach the Otherworldly Demon. How could any problem ur from this?" Su shi shook his head. "Theres no need for you to worry about this!" "I hope so..." Pavilion Master Kang nodded, and just as he was about to speak, he suddenly froze. Then, lifting a finger up to the stage, he eximed, "How can that be?" Hearing the anxiousness in thetters voice, Su shi and Ling shi hurriedly turned their gazes over, and their eyes narrowed uncontrobly. As Luo Xuan and the others stepped into a 5-meter mark, the Otherworldly Demon, who had his eyes shut all along, opened abruptly, and a sinister light gleamed in his blood-red eyes. "To dare use me as a test of courage, you are courting death!" A voice boomed as though thunder, rattling everyones soul. The immense body of the Otherworldly Demon shook, and in an instant, everyone abruptly felt as though they were plunged into a storm. "Ah..." The few master teachers standing at the very front cried out in agony simultaneously. Their bodies lost all strength and they fell helplessly to the ground from fright. Luo Xuan wasnt spared either. His body stiffened, and he looked as though his soul had escaped from his body. "You lowly creatures, how dare you capture and use me! Ill devour every single one of you..." Roaring furiously, the Otherworldly Demons ring red lips parted, revealing rows after rows of sharp teeth. The sight of it left goosebumps rising through ones body, inducing a sensation as though one would be torn to shreds just by approaching him. "AHH... IM NOT GOING TO COMPETE ANYMORE..." Before the Otherworldly Demon could finish his words, a pale-faced master teacher abruptly screamed as he scrambled off the stage. A pool of pungent fluid was left in his wake. With a precedent, the second and the third soon emerged. For 4-star master teacher geniuses to actually be reduced to such a state! The crowd below fellpletely silent. But even so, no one thought that they were cowardly. After all... none of them could say that they would do better when put in such a position as well. The Otherworldly Demon was already fearsome when it was idle; now that it was roaring and baring its fangs, it would be wonder if the others could hold on. "To think that even trash lifeforms like you all would be able to rule over the continent, the world sure has regressed!" Seeing some of the participating master teachers escape and the rest copsed on the floor, the Otherworldly Demon sneered. Just as he was going to drive all of them away in a single breath, he saw a young man standing quietly at a distance away, seemingly... ... in a daze! In a daze? Arent all of you here to test your courage? What the heck are you dazing off for? Besides, Ive been roaring here and there, and I even intensified the killing aura to the maximum. Even a half 5-star master teacher would find it hard to withstand the pressure. And yet, a little fellow like you is actually unfazed? With a livid expression, the Otherworldly Demon focused all of its killing intent on the young man and roared. "Little fellow, do you think you are courageous? Lets see how courageous you can be after youre dead..." Hula! The voice, tinged with overpowering killing intent, swept across the entire stage as though a hurricane. It was so strong that a 4-star master teacher beneath the stage even fell off his seat and fainted. All of the 4-star master teachers copsed on the ground huddled their bodies together in fear, not daring to even breathe loudly. But... The young man whom he focused all of his killing intent on was still standing silently on the spot with all of his attention devoted to... dazing off! It seemed as though the other party didnt even notice his attack! "Ill kill you!" Not expecting that he, despite being a proud Otherworldly Demon, would actually be disregarded by such a young master teacher, his rage was unleashed. Back then, Hong shi had to deploy more than seventy master teachers before he was able to capture him. And in that battle, he had managed to y at least twenty of them and severely injured another thirty. Even Hong shi, a 5-star master teacher, was afraid of him. And yet, a 4-star primary master teacher actually dared to disregard him? This was too much! Boom! An even more powerful aura gushed into the surroundings, and upon feeling the killing intent infused into the aura, even Hong shis face paled. Yet, the young man before him continued on in his daze. It was as if nothing mattered before him. Neither the pressure nor the killing intent he exerted was able to faze the young man at all. "This... I knew that Zhang shi would surely stir something up, but still... to think that it really happened!" The faces of Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the other elders paled as they trembled uncontrobly. Naturally, the young man was Zhang Xuan. Despite the odds, they thought that something would happen since Zhang shi was involved. And as though not to let down their expectations, something did indeed happen. The other party was an Otherworldly Demon, even they themselves found it hard to cope with that overpowering killing intent. Yet, even though the bulk of the other partys killing intent was focused on you, you are actually dazing off... Could you at least give a reaction, even if its only out of respect for your opponent? To be dazing away on a battlefield like this, what in the world are you up to? "It cant be that... Zhang shi has fainted from fear?" "Fainted? If he has fainted, how can he still be standing? Furthermore, he was still looking around a moment ago..." "But if he is still conscious, what can he be doing? The Otherworldly Demon is exerting so much pressure that he is about to spew blood, how can there be no reaction on Zhang shis part at all?" "This... I have no idea as well!" They werent the only ones who noticed that something was amiss. The other master teachers and the crowd beneath also noticed the peculiarity, and they were staring at one another in bewilderment, confused over the situation unfolding before them. The Otherworldly Demon, with its innate ability to instill fear into a soul, left all of thepetitors paralyzed on the floor, not daring to even utter a word. And yet, despite focusing its attention on Zhang shi, roaring relentlessly and baring its fangs... thetter remainedpletely impassive... Big Brother, do you really not fear the Otherworldly Demon, or are you dead already? Chapter 580: Kill Yourself! Chapter 580: Kill Yourself! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Just as everyone had seen, the Otherworldly Demon was truly on the verge of falling into a frenzy. Even if you dont fear, you need not make it so obvious, do you? Im already putting in all my effort into it. Even if just to acknowledge my effort, you should at least give a reaction! Look at how everyone above and beneath the stage has copsed on the ground, you are the only one standing there, unfazed, at this point... Arent you being a little too disrespectful to me, your opponent? "Ill kill you..." The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Roaring once more, the tall Otherworldly Demon gritted his teeth and a mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth. His eyes grew even redder, and the callous aura shrouding him intensified. "This is bad! The Otherworldly Demon is activating Blood Berserk!" "Blood Berserk?" "Indeed. On top of their powerful physical bodies and souls, the Otherworldly Demon are also capable of burning their blood essence in exchange for raising their fighting prowess temporarily. Ive read the History of the War Against the Otherworldly Demons written by Master Teacher Zheng Xiao, and it states that many master teachers have died under such attacks." "Then what should we do?" "I dont know either. However... since Hong shi has sealed his root bone with the Golden Soul Lock, he shouldnt be able to exert any strength!" ... Seeing the huge fellow going into a rampage, a look of worry appeared on the faces of the knowing master teachers below the stage. An Otherworldly Demon in his normal state was already sufficiently frightening, how fearsome would he be once he went into a berserk state? Hong shi grasped a weapon tightly in his hands. As soon as that fellow made a move, he would ughter the other party without any hesitation. But even so... at the current moment, he was still confident in the ability of the Golden Soul Lock in sealing the Otherworldly Demons movements. As long as the Otherworldly Demon was unable to break out of his restraints, it shouldnt be a problem at all. After all, the main point of this test was to assess the courage of the participants. As such, there was no need for him to make a move as long as there was no threat to the participants life. Besides, it took him a lot of effort to capture this Otherworldly Demon alive. He was hoping to take him to the headquarters to im his reward. If he were to kill him, he wouldnt be able to im any reward at all. Hong long! Amidst everyones frightened gaze, the Otherworldly Demon finally activated Blood Berserk fully and roared at Zhang Xuan. "Die..." The killing intent and the pressure harnessed within the roar seemed as though thunder booming from the highest heaven. Jiya, the round stage creaked, seemingly unable to withstand the pressure. All of the master teachers and cultivators around the young man trembled uncontrobly in fear, not daring to move in the slightest. And yet... Zhang Xuan still remained in his daze,pletely indifferent to the other partys offense. "You..." The Otherworldly Demon was about to explode in rage. After struggling for a moment, fresh blood spurted from his mouth once more. Stepping forcefully against the ground, he advanced forward. Even though he was incapable of fighting due to his root bone being sealed by the Golden Soul Lock, he was still able to move around. The only reason why hed remained stationary previously was in fear that Hong shi would kill him. But panicked and enraged, he couldnt care as much anymore. "Ill kill you..." Hu! With his gigantic head at a distance less than fifty meters before Zhang Xuan, it roared furiously. Even at such a far distance away, the immense pressure the Otherworldly Demon exerted could leave countless trembling helplessly in fear. At such a close proximity, it would surely feel as though one was already in deaths embrace, leaving onepletely terror-stricken and hysterical. And yet... Zhang Xuan remainedpletely motionless, still in his daze. "Zhang shi..." Hong shi couldnt stand looking at it anymore. What the heck are you doing? Even if you are dazing off, isnt this going a bit too far? "Ah?" Hearing someone shout his name, Zhang Xuan finally returned to his senses. The introduction and the ws concerning the Otherworldly Demon was simply too long and too shocking. Despite the vast knowledge Zhang Xuan had gathered through the books he had read before, he still found himself astonished by its contents, thus resulting in his attention beingpletely absorbed in the book. As for the other partys roaring... Zhang Xuan thought that the fellow was simply trying to scare some other participant, and as such, he didnt pay it much heed. As soon as he drew his consciousness out from the book, he suddenly saw a hideous face right before him. rmed, he sent a p right at the other party. Pah! A crisp sound echoed across the round stage. Everyone was dumbfounded. The Otherworldly Demons eyes also widened in frenzy. In order to exert further pressure on the other partys soul, he burned his blood essence to intensify his killing intent. He even went to the extent ofboriously making his way here just so to teach this arrogant brat a lesson... And yet, not only did the other party remainpletely unfazed, the other party even pped him! "You lowly human, die!" With his mind clouded with wrath, the Otherworldly Demon couldnt care less about the Golden Soul Lock any longer. He raised his immense fist and sent it right toward the young man before him. Hu hu! A piercing wind screamed in the surroundings. With his root bone sealed, the Otherworldly Demon could only tap into the strength of his physical body. But even so, blessed with strong innate physique, his physical strength wasnt one that a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivator could withstand. "You beast, youre seeking death..." Seeing how the Otherworldly Demon actually dared to make a move, Hong shis eyebrows shot up. Raising his sword, he prepared to make a move. But before he could do anything, Zhang Xuan leaped to the side, dodging the attack. Then, with a displeased look on his face, he red at the Otherworldly Demon. "Audacious! Who are you calling lowly?" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan stood upright. His master teacher robe danced along with the slight tug of the wind, creating an impression of an incredible expert. "As an offspring of an Otherworldly Demon and a Dustshell Beast, your blood is impure and your energy is adulterated. Not to mention, the technique you used to exert pressure on others soul is filled with ws. Given how you cant even deal with an ordinary human like me, what rights do you have to say that humans are lowly?" "You..." Not expecting the person before him to identify his origins, the Otherworldly Demon was stunned. For a moment, he forgot his rage against the other party. "What? Is there anything wrong about what I said?" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan slowly walked up to the Otherworldly Demon. "Its one thing for your blood to be adulterated, but you didnt even receive the heritage that an Otherworldly Demon should possess at birth. To grow stronger, you had to study the humannguage and practice human cultivation techniques. And yet, you dare to say that humans are lowly? What gave you the confidence to utter such words?" "I..." The Otherworldly Demon subconsciously took a step back in fear. "Wh-what... is going on?" Seeing how Zhang shi, who was still dazing off a moment ago, lecturing the Otherworldly Demon as soon as he came to again, the crowd stared at one another as though they had seen a ghost. Even Hong shi was bewildered by the situation as well... This fellow actually wasnt a pure-blooded Otherworldly Demon? Given how he, despite being the one who captured the Otherworldly Demon, didnt notice it, how did Zhang shi know about it? And how could he have known that the other half of the other partys blood came from the Dustshell Beast? More importantly... Despite being a 5-star master teacher, he was unaware of the heritage of Otherworldly Demons. And yet, this fellow actually knew about it... Could Yang shi have taught him that? It wouldnt be surprising for an 8-star master teacher like Yang shi to know of such deep secrets of the Otherworldly Demons. Despite reaching 5-star, Hong shi had yet to advance to even higher Master Teacher Pavilions, and as such, he didnt know much about such matters. "You were born in a vige on Wangyuan Mountain of Hongfeng Empire, and you were adopted and raised by humans. Before twenty, other than yourrge head, you were no different from a human, and you didnt know about your unique heritage either. Yet, in a minor dispute with a viger, you killed thetter. And when the parents who raised you questioned you about the matter, out of rage, you awakened your bloodline as an Otherworldly Demon and killed them as well!" Zhang Xuan nced at the Otherworldly Demon. "Am I right?" "..." The Otherworldly Demon trembled in fear. He was indeed raised by humans. It was a poor vige, and the vigers there led a simple life. Perhaps it was due to this that they possessed an innocence contrary to the depravity existent in cities. Even though he had a huge appetite from young due to hisrger stature, his parents treated him kindly. No matter how poor they were, they never allowed him to starve. There was once when it snowed five days consecutively, and the house ran out of food. Bearing the risk of a snowstorm, his parents went out to hunt, only toe back grievously injured with an ordinary hare in hand and several wild vegetables. The rabbit wasntrge, and it wasnt sufficient to go around the family. In order to not let him starve, the entire rabbit went to him while his parents ate only the plucked wild vegetable. Just the thought of it evoked sympathy for his parents. "Even though they were your foster parents, they still doted on you as though you were their real child. But how did you repay them? After awakening your bloodline, you slew the entire vige, including your buddies, parents, and kin... and you devoured them all!" With a livid expression and sharp eyes, Zhang Xuan pushed on. "Not only so, you even torched the entire vige into ashes... Let me ask you, have you ever felt the slightest regret for your actions?" The Otherworldly Demon trembled once more. Even though he had inherited the brutal nature of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he still grew up amongst humans, and he was taught etiquette and shame. These past memories poked at him as though a thorn in his heart, agitating him constantly, leaving him ashamed. "Regret? I did regret my actions, but so what? Th-they were the ones who humiliated me! They said that I looked inhumane and that I was a beast. Thats why I killed them all! Was I wrong in exacting my vengeance?" The Otherworldly Demon roared through gritted teeth. "You dont think you have done wrong? Alright then. After killing your foster parents and torching the vige, to fill your stomach, you headed to the closest Yang City. Due to your tall stature and sturdy build, you were recruited to be a bodyguard for a wealthy family. Your employers provided you with decent food, lodging, and even imparted a cultivation technique to you. And yet, how did you repay them?" With an icy-cold voice, Zhang Xuan continued, "Out of lust for the young mistress of the family, you raped and killed her. And out of fear that your employer would exact vengeance on you upon learning of the matter, you killed his entire n of seventy-eight people. Its a pity that that old man still believed in you even when your sword was ced right on his throat! Regarding this... theres no mistake in my words, right?" There were many ws in the soul attacks from the Otherworldly Demon, and it originated from these doubts he harbored in his mind. It was due to the conflict and regret he felt that his temperament slowly declined, resulting in his inability to unleash his full strength. Otherwise, given how fearsome the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was, it wouldnt be possible for Hong shi and the other master teachers to capture a mature Otherworldly Demon so easily. "I..." The Otherworldly Demon trembled yet again. "When the Master Teacher Pavilion sent men after you, you slew more than twenty master teacher, and even when you were captured by Hong shi, you still refused to repent. You attempted to escape and recuperate by killing others to absorb their strength... A bastard like you who is neither a human, a beast, nor an Otherworldly Demon actually dares to im that humans are lowly. Let me direct the same question to you once more, what right do you have to say that humans are lowly?" Before the other party could speak, Zhang Xuan pushed further on. His voice carried immense authority that weighed down the Otherworldly Demons soul. "Despite being an Otherworldly Demon, you failed to be acknowledged by your tribe; living in the human world, you ended up killing your kin and friends, thus bing a scorn of humanity. What right do you have to continue existing on the face of this world?" Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan spoke with apelling strength in his voice, "Kill yourself!" The Otherworldly Demons body trembled, and his eyes turned into nk voids. "Indeed, what right do I have to continue existing on the face of this world?" Pah! Lifting his palm, he struck his forehead. His gigantic body swayed and copsed lifelessly to the floor. Chapter 581: The Test Is on Reading Books? Chapter 581: The Test Is on Reading Books? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Hemitted suicide?" "Zhang shi actually convinced... the Otherworldly Demon tomit suicide?" ... The crowd wentpletely silent. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was known for being terrifying! And the one before them was a Consonant Spirit realm expert! Except for Hong shi, there was no one else present who was a match for him. And yet, the other party... was actually convinced by Zhang shi tomit suicide... Did it have to be so fantastical? Could it be that were dreaming? "Its... Impartation of Heavens Will!" "Isnt it an ability that only could be executed in the midst of a lesson?" "As long the content of ones words are logical and without ws, one can infuse ones Soul Depth into ones words to beguile another to do things they might have never done! It seemed like what Zhang shi said previously was correct, and through such, he managed to agitate the Otherworldly Demon to a corner and force him tomit suicide!" "Impartation of Heavens Will can actually convince a person tomit suicide? Doesnt that mean that... master teachers can easily kill one as long as they can find something true to speak about?" "Its not that easy. Not only must the matter be true, it must also be aligned with the internal thoughts of the person in question for it to be effective. Take cultivation for example, the main reason why Impartation of Heavens Will is effective on the cultivation of most cultivators is due to their subconscious minds acknowledging the need to cultivate, and thus, they would instinctively ept the effects of Impartation of Heavens Will! Even though this Otherworldly Demon possessed a savage nature, he was still raised by humans, and inculcated within him are our values. The guilt he felt over his actions was the main reason why Zhang shi was able to persuade him tomit suicide!" "I see..." "However, to be able to beguile a Consonant Spirit realm Otherworldly Demon, even the Soul Depth of a 4-star pinnacle master teacher would be insufficient... Exactly how high is Zhang shis Soul Depth? 15.0? 16.0?" ... A momentter, the crowd below also learnt of the ins and outs of the matter, and amotion broke out. It was clear that the reason why the Otherworldly Demonmitted suicide was due to the effects of Impartation of Heavens Will. But... the Soul Depth of a 4-star master teacher would only allow one to beguile a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert. A 5-dan expert would require an even higher Soul Depth. Not to mention, the Otherworldly Demon before them possessed an extraordinarily powerful soul. Even so, he was still beguiled. Since that was the case... exactly how high was Zhang shis Soul Depth then? This was way too fearsome! "He was actually killed... by words?" The sight before them sent tears flowing down Pavilion Master Kang and the other master teachers faces. They thought that Zhang shis daze was stirring up trouble in itself, but it seemed like they were underestimating thetter. Of the two tests that had been conducted, he wrecked the both of them entirely... If they didnt know better, they would have thought his primary motive here was to stir trouble... ... Beneath the stage, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others were rendered speechless. They had witnessed how fearsome that huge fellow was for themselves, and they knew that they would have never been able to stand their ground against such frightening killing intent. And yet, not only was Zhang shi fine, he even convinced thetter tomit suicide... Are you sure that this fellow is truly ten years younger than us? Could he be a 6-star or 7-star master teacher in disguise? The mouth of Liao Wuzhi, who was looking down on Zhang Xuan just a moment ago, twitched in fright, and he didnt dare to utter a single more word. ... Disregarding the thoughts of the crowd. Zhang Xuan nced at the massive carcass on the ground and heaved a sigh of relief. The reason why he had been dazing off previously was due to the immense shock he felt from reading the vile deeds this fellow hadmitted. He was already enraged from reading those events, and upon seeing how that fellow knew no repent, even going to the extent of insulting humanity as a whole, he couldnt hold back his rage any longer and utilized the Impartation of Heavens Will to kill the other party! His current Soul Depth had reached 16.1, which was at the level of most 5-star master teacher. Even so, it still wasnt easy for him to beguile an Otherworldly Demon tomit suicide, and it had exhausted him greatly. If not for a strong will driving him on, he might have copsed then. (Zhang Xuan possessed 0.1 Soul Depth at the very start. The usage of two golden pages increased by Soul Depth by 10.0, the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy 1.0, two asions of acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher 3.0, Soul Enlightenment 2.0, thus adding up to a total of 16.1) But it was fortunate that he seeded. Taking a deep breath, he conditioned the internal state of his body. After which, he turned around to look at Hong shi, only to see thetters mouth twitching uncontrobly. The current Hong shi was indeed on the verge of a mental breakdown. That Ghost Domain Illusory City was already his entire fortune. After it was destroyed, he was banking on bringing this Otherworldly Demon to the headquarters and submit it to recoup his losses. And yet... In the blink of an eye, the Otherworldly Demon was convinced tomit suicide! Big Brother, are you trying to drive me into a corner as well? Are you here to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament or are you here to cause trouble? Besides... Were only halfway through the Courage test, how am I supposed to continue on with the test under such circumstances? It was one thing for the first test to end like this, but for the second test to be like that as well... Are you actually trying to annul the Master Teacher Tournament? Just as Hong shi was considering whether he should kick that fellow out of the Master Teacher Tournament, thetters voice sounded. "Hong shi, what do I do with the carcass?" "Otherworldly Demons are callous in nature, killing one of them can be considered to be a meritorious contribution to society. You dont have to worry about the carcass, someone will clear itter on!" Even though Hong shis heart was bleeding, he could only force a smile on and reply in such a manner. Anyway, there was nothing he could do anymore. The Otherworldly Demon was already dead, and there was no point pursuing the matter. On the contrary, it would only make the master teachers think that he was siding with the Otherworldly Demons. "With the death of the Otherworldly Demon, the Courage test is unable to proceed on as nned. So, with the exception of the trio who escaped earlier, all remaining fifty-three master teachers on the stage shall proceed on to the next test!" Knowing that there was no point feeling conflicted over this, Hong shi forced a smile on his face and proceeded on with the tournament. "Yes!" Hearing those words, the unkempt master teachers who were lying on the floor stood up and heaved a sigh of relief. They shot a nce of gratitude toward Zhang shi. If not for this Zhang shi, most of them would have been unable to clear the test. It was fortunate for them that Zhang shi had caused such a huge uproar. Ignoring everyones reactions, Hong shi announced, "Moving on to the third test, this shall be a test of wisdom!" "Wisdom forms the basis for a cultivator to learning new knowledge. The higher ones wisdom is, the stronger ones capability to learn, and thus, the greater potential a master teacher wields! Dont worry, this test wont be as dangerous as the one before. It only involves... reading!" "Reading?" Everyone was taken aback. "Un. Theres a total of fifty-six bookshelves here, and there are five thousand books on each shelf. These are from my individual collection, and I can assure you that the books on each shelf are identical and it is impossible for anypetitor here to have read them before. The subjects the books span from cultivation techniques, battle techniques, rearing spirit beasts, all the way to my personalprehension toward cultivation. Ill give you two hours to browse and memorize the contents of these books!" With a wave of his hands, the fog covering the center of the stage vanished, and row after row of bookshelves appeared before everyones sight. Each shelf waspletely filled with books, or to be exact, five thousand each. "The rules behind this test is simple, you just have to read the books on the bookshelf. In two hours, Ill use a unique method to test your understanding of the content, and through this, determine your wisdom," Hong shi said. "This is the test?" Hearing the rules, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. He might not be confident in anything else, but in terms of reading... To put it in terms of a marathon, he was innumerable streets ahead of all otherpetitors. Even an 8-star master teacher would have to kneel in defeat before him! For this to be the test... He felt as though he was bullying the otherpetitors. "Forget it. Ill just intentionally make a few mistakes when answering the questionster on... Anyway, my goal is just to pass the test... And this time, Ive to make sure that I dont break anything else of Hong shis!" Zhang Xuan made up his mind. He did feel guilty for messing up the test, thus causing the otherpetitors to be unable to take the test. But he really didnt do it intentionally... In the first test, he only nned to stop the formation. How could he have known that his clone would identally exert too much strength and destroy the stone pedestal? As for the second test, there was no one in the world who would able to hold themselves back after hearing of the atrocities the Otherworldly Demon hadmitted. Honestly, Zhang Xuan felt that he had let the other party off the hook too easily by allowing him tomit suicide. If this wasnt the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan would have surely punished that Otherworldly Demon personally... But of course, it was likely that Zhang Xuan wasnt a match for the other party, so it was fortunate that that wasnt the case. Regardless of whether he had done so intentionally or not, it was the truth that he had caused immense damage in his wake for the previous two tests. Thus, he was determined not to allow the same mistake to ur in this test. At most, he would just read fewer books, or perhaps... intentionally make some mistakes in the answering of the question. It would suffice as long as he passes the test. Low profile! Zhang Xuan thought that it would be best to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention! If the others were to learn of his thoughts, they would surely burst into tears. You call this keeping a low profile? Look at Hong shi, hes already on the verge of going insane. If you call this low profile, all of the celebrities in the world would have been fired from their jobs already! Gesturing grandly, Hong shi dered, "Alright, choose a bookshelf each. The time starts... now!" "Quick!" "Memorize five thousand books within two hours? How can that possibly be done?" "Are you a fool? Hong shi didnt say that we must take in the content of all five thousand books! We just have to remember as many as we could..." "Indeed. Even though, as 4-star master teachers, we possess photographic memory, it would still be difficult for us to memorize the content of a few hundred books within this span of time. Five thousand books... even a 6-star master teacher would be incapable of such a feat!" ... Hearing that the test had started, all of the participants quickly rushed forward to one of the bookshelves. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan leisurely walked up to thest bookshelf remaining after everyone was done picking their own. The books on the bookshelves were clearly new. Most likely, they were freshly copied over. Thebels were a little bizarre, and to Zhang Xuans surprise, he truly hadnt seen any of them before. He had collected innumerable books from several libraries, and while it might be an exaggeration to say that evenbining the knowledge of everyone present here wouldnt match up to his, it wasnt too far away from the truth! Given the huge collection of books he had read, Zhang Xuan actually hadnt seen any one of these five thousand books before. It seemed like Hong shi had truly put a lot of effort into this tournament. Gently sliding his finger across the books, Zhang Xuan collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. "Hmm? There are loads of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals here." Taking a closer look into the books that he had collected, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. There were actually several hundred Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals on the bookshelf! He had been struggling to find cultivation technique manuals of this tier, and it was a huge stroke of luck that he managed to find them here. With so many books here, he might be able topile aplete rifying Turbidity Realm Heavens Path Divine Art, thus inducing a leap in his cultivation. Compile! On the outside, Zhang Xuan causally picked out a book and began flipping through it. However, his consciousness was actually immersed in the Library of Heavens Path. The Library of Heavens Path shook, and all of the Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals which he had collected before gathered together. Before long, a brand-new book appeared before his eyes. Chapter 582: Daze Book Reading Technique Chapter 582: Daze Book Reading Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Beneath the stage... "Given that the test is on reading books this time round, Zhang shi... shouldnt cause any trouble, right?" "I... think so..." Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others wiped the cold sweat off their forehead. This Zhang shi seemed to be bent on causing a huge ruckus for every single test he took. It was as if he would feel ufortable if he didnt scare them to death. They were initially worried that Zhang shi would cause something in the third round as well, but from the looks of it now, the chances should be near null. After all, unlike the first two tests, this test consisted of simply reading. There didnt seem to be any room for Zhang shi to cause any trouble. "Hmm? What is Zhang shi doing?" Just as they heaved a sigh of relief, Ling shi voice cried out. rmed, Pavilion Master Kang and Su shi leaped from their seats. "Whats wrong? Did he destroy the bookshelves? Or did he burn the books?" The duo quickly turned their sights to Zhang shi, only to see thetter reading peacefully. The shocks that Zhang Xuan had caused them had left a deep trauma in their hearts. As such, whenever they hear of anything rting to him, they would immediately think that thetter had done something catastrophic. Seeing the tense looks on the duo, Ling shi was speechless. Pointing forward, he said, "Thats not it. Rather... Everyone seems to be in a rush to cram as many books in as possible, but why is he standingpletely still after grabbing that book?" "Hmm?" Pavilion Master Kang and Su shi finally understood what was wrong about the scene. They saw Zhang shi walking up to the bookshelf and tracing the books with his fingers, seemingly trying to look a book that interests him. After choosing his book, he flipped it open and entered into a daze again! It was exactly how hed reacted before the Otherworldly Demon. Could there be some special significance behind his dazing off? Zhao Feiwus eyebrows shot up as she eximed, "Could this be the Daze Book Reading Technique?" "Daze Book Reading Technique?" Pavilion Master Kang and the others were bewildered by Zhao Feiwus words. "Actually, back when Zhang shi was taking the examination for other upations, he utilized the Beast Pummeling Taming Method, the Knockout Treatment Method, and the Formation-Crushing Kick Technique. So, Im wondering if this is another technique of his!" Zhao Feiwu had been with Zhang Xuan for a significant period of time, and she had witnessed many inconceivable means from thetter. "Beast Pummeling Taming Method? Knockout Treatment Method? Formation-Crushing Kick Technique?" The three 4-star master teachers nced at one another in confusion. What the heck are these? I dont seem to understand what you are talking about... "Oh, its actually like that..." Zhao Feiwu began exining the various incidents she had encountered in detail. "Theres such a thing?" Upon hearing of the matters, the three master teachers widened their eyes in shock. It felt as though what they had just heard came from a dream. To tame a savage beast just by beating it up; to heal anyone just by knocking them out; to break any formation with just a single kick... Why did it sound like something that hade out of a fantasy novel? It seemed like this fellow truly couldnt be assessed throughmon sense... anyone who tried to do so would probably go mad. Since there were so many precedents... perhaps, he might truly have such a unique way of reading books. "But even so, if all hes staring going to stare at is a single page, surely there would be nothing for him to read and learn?" After recovering from the primary shock, more doubts emerged in their minds. No matter how formidable your Daze Book Reading Technique is, even if it allows you toprehend the content within in an instant... if all you are just going to stare at one page the whole time, how are you supposed to read anything else? At the very least, shouldnt you flip the pages of the book? "Is Zhang shi... giving up on this stage?" They werent the only bewildered ones. There were some among the crowd that noticed this peculiarity, and they were confused by Zhang Xuans actions too. In the previous two rounds, he had caused so much trouble that even Hong shi was left on the verge of a frenzy. The crowd below must be blind if they couldnt notice his uniqueness. Naturally, such a unique person would have the spotlight on him. The crowd thought that he, just like the other participants, would quickly flip through the books to memorize as many of them as he could. And yet, after picking up a single one... he stopped moving altogether. Wasnt his efficiency a little... way too low? There was no way he could match up to the others with this kind of speed? Did he use up all of his talent in the past two rounds? ... Oblivious to the reactions of the crowd, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was staring at the nearlypiled rifying Turbidity realm Heavens Path Divine Art with gleaming eyes. He thought that he would only be able topile it after reaching Huanyu Empire. Never in his dreams did he expect to be able to perfect it through this preliminary selection test. With the cultivation technique perfected and sufficient number of spirit stones in his storage ring, it wasnt a problem for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle right now. It was a pity that he was in the midst of the preliminary selection test. If he were to cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art right here, who knows how many eyeballs would pop out from their sockets... Thus, all Zhang Xuan could do was reread the manual and understand the essence of the cultivation technique entirely. After he was done, he turned his attention to the other books. To think that there would be books on souls here as well... Sweeping through the rest of the five thousand books, he found quite a few books about soul as well. Most of them were Hong shis notes on hisprehension of the topic. As a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm expert, Hong shis possessed a unique interpretation of the topic of souls. Compile! Zhang Xuanpiled the notes on soul with the techniques Mo Hunsheng gave him. Soon, a book was formed. Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Heavens Path Soul Art! To think that I would get twoplete Heavens Path cultivation technique through this preliminary selection, Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. He hade with the thought of just getting the Master Teacher Tournament over and done with. He didnt expect to be given enough valuable books to perfect a cultivation realm of Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path Soul Art. This meant that his fighting prowess could be raised significantly once he found some free time to cultivate. The rest of the books werent of much use to Zhang Xuan. He swept across them with his mind, but he couldnt find anything that interest him. Thus, he drew his consciousness out of the Library of Heavens Path. "Only ten minutes have passed?" When his consciousness returned, he realized that only ten minutes had passed. In total, they were given two hours. In less than a tenth of the time, Zhang Xuan had already finished browsing through all of the books. If he were to say that he was done with the test, Hong shi could very possibly faint from shock. But still, he couldnt possibly stand idly here and wait for others to be done! "Forget it, since I still have some time, why dont I try memorizing the content in those books as well!" Since Zhang Xuan had nothing better to do now, he decided to try memorizing and deciphering the content of the books as well. But of course, he would be doing so through the Library of Heavens Path. After all, it was much more efficient that way. Upon making this decision, Zhang Xuan immediately dived straight into action. Immersing his consciousness back to the Library of Heavens Path, he picked up a book and began reading through it. Hul! Back then, when he was only at Tongxuan realm, he was already able to read at a speed dozens of times faster in the Library of Heavens Path. With his strengthened soul, this ability of his had been further enhanced. In the time when the master teachers outside read through a handful of books, he was already done memorizing the content of all five thousand books. As such, Zhang Xuan turned to the other books in the Library of Heavens Path. In the past few months, Zhang Xuan had gathered more than ten million books in the Library of Heavens Path, and he hadnt had the time to browse through them yet. Since he was free now, he decided to take a look at them. Time passed swiftly as his mind waspletely immersed in those books. Suddenly, Hong shi dered, "Alright, times up. Everyone, put down the books in your hands!" Hearing that time was up, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Withdrawing from the Library of Heavens Path, he put down the book and took a nce at the otherpetitors. At this moment, everyone looked a little fatigued, and their faces were considerably pale. Two hours of operating ones mind at full throttle to memorize the content of those books had taken a huge toll on them. "How many books have you memorized?" "820 books. What about you?" "I did slightly better than you, I managed to memorize 917 books!" ... Putting down the books in their hands, everyone walked to Hong shi. There were some hushed conversations between some of the participants. Given that their Soul Depths were all beyond 10.0, they possessed photographic memory. Still, it was no easy feat to browse through and memorize all those books. Honestly, eight to nine hundred books in two hours was the limit for most 4-star master teachers. Ruohuan gongzi walked over and asked, "Zhang shi, how many books did you memorize?" "Me?" Fearing that he would scare the other party to death if he were to utter the truth, Zhang Xuan scratched his head and replied, "It should the same as yours!" "Same as mine? I read 1240 books, did you reach around 1200 books too?" Ruohuan gongzi asked doubtfully. Given how formidable Zhang shis performance was all along, how could the other party have the same result as him? Ruohuan gongzi found the other partys words hard to believe. "Err... I think it should be around that amount. Right, how will Hong shi assess the number of books we have read?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Since this was a test on Wisdom, clearly, they couldnt be assessed just by the number of books they managed to read. More importantly, the participants must be able to memorize andprehend the content... But how was this going to be tested? After all, they couldnt possibly recite the content of the books they have read line after line given the sheer number of books they have read! "I dont know either. Hong shi should be revealing it soon!" Ruohuan gongzi was perplexed too. To be fair, reciting or writing down the content would be the best way. But... this is just the preliminary selection. They couldnt possibly drag it out over several days just for this single test, it would be too inefficient! Besides, how many books do they have to memorize to pass the test? Furthermore, the word count in each book was different. If they were to count purely by books, that might introduce so biasedness in the results. And in truth, all of the other participants also shared the same confusion. "Hehe, is everyone worried about how the test will be carried out?" Seemingly noticing everyones doubts, Hong shi chuckled. "Dont worry. Since Ive proposed this test, naturally, I have my own way of assessing you!" Stroking his beard, Hong shis eyebrows shot up. "Based on my experiments, an average 4-star primary stage master teacher can memorize around five hundred books in two hours. But of course, as geniuses of your respective power, the expectations of you are much higher!" "Thus, after much deliberation, Ive decided to set the bars at... 800 books. Those who fail to memorize 800 books will be eliminated from the tournament!" "800 books?" Amongst the crowd, around a dozen young mens faces paled. Clearly, the number of books they had read didnt reach that number. "But of course, each book is unique, and thus, we have to consider the varying length and the difficulty of the content of each book as well. Thus, while the standard Ive set is 800, if you specifically choose to only memorize the thinner and easier books, your score might end up below 600!" Hong shi continued, "To ensure fairness in this aspect, Ive applied for a treasure from the headquarters... the Book of Emptied River!" Chapter 583: Book of Emptied River Chapter 583: Book of Emptied River Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Book of Emptied River? What is that?" "Ive never heard of it!" "Given that its an artifact that Hong shi applied to the headquarters for, it must be extraordinary!" "Indeed!" ... Hearing of the Book of Emptied River, confusion surfaced on the faces of the master teachers on the stage. No one here had heard of it, and even Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others were perplexed over this matter. Seeing the confusion on everyones faces, Hong shi exined with a smile, "As master teachers, everyone should have heard of the saying that knowledge isnt just words or information, it has its own weight as well!" "Ive heard of that saying!" "Knowledge will reinforce ones mental fortitude and refine ones disposition!" "The more knowledge rued, the denser ones soul will be. Its said that back then, Kong shi was able to sink the earth and tilt the oceans with just a single stomp, and thats because the knowledge he harnessed within him epassed the entire world!" "Indeed! After Kong shi departed, even though his 72 direct disciple possessed cultivationparable to him, they werent capable of exerting the same might as he did!" ... Discussions broke out amidst the crowd. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but nod his head as well. He didnt know too much about the affairs of Kong shi, but from the books, he learnt that knowledge carried weight as well. Even though knowledge was intangible, it could make a person more cultured and collected. "Since knowledge has weight, naturally, it can be measured. And the artifact to do so is the Book of Emptied River!" Hong shi continued, "Empty the river sediment to reveal true gold, part the veiling fog to uncover clear moon. The Book of Emptied River is able to peer through all of ones facades to weigh ones knowledge. "This artifact was created by an 8-star master teacher ten thousand years ago, and it harnesses a function to search ones soul. As long as you ce your hand on it, itll determine the weight of the knowledge you have rued within a certain period of time! "Of course, it can only weigh into the knowledge one has rued; it cant analyze ones thoughts, so theres no need for you to worry! The one Ive borrowed from the headquarters is an inferior good, but it is more than enough to check the number of books you have read." "Weigh ones knowledge?" "This... How incredible!" "Indeed, this is amazing. As expected of an artifact from the headquarter!" ... Upon hearing that this artifact was capable of assessing the amount of knowledge one had rued, everyone was amazed. "Usually, if a teacher instructs his student to study, even if the studentzes off, the teacher isnt able to check. But with this artifact, he could simply weigh his students knowledge and determine whether his student has been diligent or not!" "This is also the main reason why the Book of Emptied River was created." With a flick of his finger, a book appeared before everyones eyes. The book was snowy-white in color and average in size. However, its very presence seemed to induce an intense spiritual energy disturbance in the surroundings, indicating that it was no ordinary artifact. cing the book on the table before him, Hong shi turned to the crowd and exined, "The Book of Emptied River will emanate seven different colors depending on the amount of knowledge one has rued within a specific period of time. The colors are namely red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet! Every rise in color equates to 800 books. Meaning... if the Book of Emptied River glows red, it means that youve passed the examination; if it glows orange, it means that youve managed to memorize the content of 1600 books, so on and so forth. Thus, you wille up one by one to touch the book!" "To think that it would be so simple!" "Given that the artifact was made by an 8-star master teacher, we have no qualms about the fairness of the test!" Hearing Hong shis exnation, everyone came to a realization and nodded their heads. Since it was a treasure from the headquarter, there was definitely no trouble at all. "Im done for..." But contrary to everyones delight, Zhang Xuans vision went dark, and he nearly fainted on the spot. If hed known that he was going to be assessed by such an artifact, he would never have read so many books! In that two hours, the otherpetitors might have only read a few hundred to more than a thousand books, but he, by browsing through the books using his soul, had managed to read around 200,000 books... He thought that the test would involve a few questions testing him on the content of the books, and he could easily keep a low profile... Who knew that everything would spiral out of his control so quickly? How was he supposed to keep a low profile like that? There was no way he could make an artifact created by an 8-star master teacher lie for him! What was he supposed to do now? While Zhang Xuan was conflicted, Hong shi stroked his beard and asked the crowd, "Alright, lets begin the test. Who wants to go first?" "This..." Everyone nced at one another, and after a moment of hesitation, everyones eyes suddenly turned to look at Zhang Xuan in unison. "Why dont we allow Zhang shi to go first again?" "Indeed! Zhang shi, feel free to go first. Were in no hurry at all!" ... A few of them urged Zhang Xuan forward. But before Zhang Xuan could reply, Hong shi, upon seeing the sight, staggered and nearly spewed blood. Of course none of you will be in a hurry! All of you are just hoping that Zhang shi will cause some kind of trouble once more so that you can pass the test easily! This might be good news to you... But how am I to ount this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion if such a farce were to ur once more! With a reddened face, Hong shi immediately raised his hands and instructed, "Alright, since no one has stepped forward, lets go by age once more. But this time, well start from the oldest!" It wasnt that Hong shi wanted to discriminate against Zhang shi, but this fellow... was simply too fearsome. If he were to allow him to go up first, who knew what would happen to this Book of Emptied River. At the very least, the Ghost Domain Illusory City and Otherworldly Demon belonged to him, so he could still bear the burden of them breaking. However, the Book of Emptied River was borrowed from the headquarter, and it had to be returned after the test! "Im goingst?" Not expecting even a 5-star master teacher to be so scared of him, Zhang Xuan shook his head, not knowing whether he shouldugh or cry. In any case, going first orst made no difference to him. All that mattered at the moment was for him to pass the test, so he didnt pay too much heed to the matter. Besides, he didnt have the effort to be thinking about it either! The most urgent matter at hand was to figure out how he could hide the knowledge which he had just learned... ... Hearing the decision made by Hong shi, Pavilion Master Kang and the others were also dumbstruck. Zhang shi, to be able to instill such fear into the host of the Master Teacher Tournament, sure is talented! Now that the rules had been established, the rest was simple. The first participant to head up was the oldest master teacher of the group-a master teacher from Mingxia Empire. This master teacher was also among the top ten of the list of contenders to look out for, and his cultivation had reached rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. Upon hearing that he was to be up first, he started walking toward the Book of Emptied River. Everyones eyes gathered on him. Taking a deep breath, the master teacher ced his hand on the book momentarily before withdrawing it. The snowy-white book shook for an instant before a clear crisp sounded, and a red light shone. "Red light, he has passed the test!" "Wonderful!" "To be able to weigh ones knowledge, this artifact really is amazing!" Seeing the Book of Emptied River in operation left everyone excited. In their view, artifacts were mainly used in battle or to raise one cultivation. This was their first time seeing an artifact capable of testing ones knowledge. Hong shi nodded his head inmendation as he asked, "How many books did you read?" "Reporting to Hong shi, Ive read a total of 1238 books!" the master teacher replied. "Un, not bad!" Hong shiplimented before announcing the result. "Mingxia Empires Liu Quan has passed the test. Next, Hengsha Empires Zhang Mingzhi." Hearing his name being called, a young man stepped forward-Zhang Mingzhi. Even though he was the second oldest among all of the master teachers gathered here, his cultivation was only at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage, and he was ranked at the lower end of the group. Walking to the Book of Emptied River, he ced his river on it. But different from before, the Book of Emptied River didnt react at all. It was as if his hands had never touched it. "It seems like he failed to read 800 books!" After waiting a momentter and confirming that there was no reaction from the Book of Emptied River, everyone shook their heads. "I have only read 771 books," Zhang Mingzhi exined with a bitter smile. He thought that since he was just a little off from reaching 800, he might be able to smoke his way through. But from the looks of it now, it was impossible to fool the Book of Emptied River. "Un!" Hong shi nodded. "Zhang Mingzhi has failed the test and hell be eliminated from the tournament. Next..." After the first two participants, everyone got a better understanding of the mystical effects of the Book of Emptied River. Following which, based on their age, the master teachers tested the number of books they have read one by one. Two hourster, all 53 participants, with the exception of Zhang Xuan, had been tested. This Wisdom test wasnt as simple as it seemed. In total, seventeen people were eliminated, and after some questioning, all of them had failed to memorize 800 books. In fact, there was one who memorized 799 books, but the Book of Emptied River still deemed him to have failed, and he could only leave in disappointment. "The results of the Book of Emptied River sure are urate!" Seeing how the Book of Emptied River could gauge the difference of even a single book, the crowd couldnt help but be impressed by its uracy. As expected of a treasure from the headquarters, it was indeed fearsome! Of the 35 people who had passed the test, the one with the best result at the moment wasnt Luo Xuan nor Liao Wuzhi. Surprisingly, it was one of Zhang Xuans acquaintance... Song Chao! During his test, the Book of Emptied River actually emanated an orange glow... this meant that he had memorized a total of 1600 books! To be able to memorize so many books in just two hours, his memorization ability was nothing short of monstrous. Even Zhang Xuan was surprised by his results. Even though that fellow looked a little slow on the surface, he didnt expect him to have such a good memory. Ruohuan gongzis result of 1200 or so books was also amongst the forefront. "Last but not least, Zhang shi!" Following Hong shis deration, everyone turned their eyes to the troublemaking young man. "Zhang shi is about to be assessed. Im really curious to see what his results will be!" "I dont think hell fare too well in this test. I took a look at him during the test just now, and all he did over the course of the test was take out a book and go into a daze... Under such circumstances, it will be difficult for him to achieve good results!" "I think so too, but... No matter what, this is Zhang shi! Given his astounding results in the previous two tests, I find it hard to believe that he will be eliminated in this round!" "Lets wait and see then..." ... After the previous two tests, Zhang Xuan had already be the center of attention. Everyone was curious to see how the fellow who smashed the previous two tests would fare in this one. Seeing that he couldnt hide any further, Zhang Xuan walked forward with a depressed look. He had been wracking his brain over this problem throughout the entire duration, but he still couldnt find a feasible solution to it. "Forget it, Ill just have to get it done with..." Knowing that it was impossible for him to avoid it, Zhang Xuan could only muster his courage and step forward. He ced his hand on the Book of Emptied River and retracted it quickly. Then, he stared at the book, curious to see what color it would glow. Chapter 584: Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique Chapter 584: Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Under Zhang Xuans stare, the Book of Emptied River remained motionless, as though nothing had been done at all. "Why isnt it moving at all? Could it be that... he failed the test?" "It cant be... That would truly be disastrous..." "But given how formidable Zhang shi is, how could he possibly be unable to memorize 800 books?" After waiting a moment longer, seeing the Book of Emptied River remaining motionless, everyone was taken aback. There was no reaction on the part of the Book of Emptied River, it could only mean that the number of books Zhang Xuan read was less than 800! And if he didnt meet this mark, it means that he would be... eliminated! No matter how astounding his results were for the previous rounds, he would be disqualified from this tournament. How could this be? "This is such a huge pity! I thought that given how formidable Zhang shi is, he would surely be able to get into the top ten. To think that... he would fall here!" "Its indeed surprising how he failed to memorize 800 books!" "He should have known he would have ended up like that when he went into a daze..." Amotion broke out amidst the crowd. There were some who expressed their pity while there were some who gloated over the matter as well. The outstanding performance of this Zhang shi in the previous two rounds had convinced others of his capability, and many saw him as the dark horse of the tournament. Never in their dreams did they expect him to be eliminated in such a manner. "This..." Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others felt as though their heads were bursting apart. They were on the verge of tears at this point. They were still worried that Zhang shi would cause some kind of trouble, but in the end, it turned out that... he didnt pass the test at all! This meant that all of the hopes they had pinned on him had been crushed! Pavilion Master Kang had an awful expression on his face for a long moment before he managed to recover. Sighing, he shook his head and said, "In the end, it seems like Zhang shi is still... much too young!" Even though he was talented and had a formidable teacher, he was still unable to stand his ground on such formal asions! Sighing, a dejected look surfaced on Pavilion Master Kangs face. He seemed as though he had aged by a decade in an instant. He had devoted significant effort into this tournament, and he thought that with Zhang Xuans appearance, the long trend behind Myriad Kingdom Alliances poor performance in the Master Teacher Tournament could be broken... but in the end, his hopes had fallen empty, just like many times before! On the other hand, Hong shi trembled, and a frenzied look appeared on his face. Who was the young man before him? Yang shis student! Even though thetter had put him in a very awkward position in the previous two rounds, he still thought that this was to be expected. After all, how could a direct disciple of an 8-star master teacher be someone ordinary? And yet, the other party ended up being eliminated... The main goal of Pavilion Master Mo in leaving behind a high-tier spirit stone was to motivate Zhang shi as well as to win a favor from him... And yet, thetter actually failed in the preliminary selection. How was he going to survive as a master teacher now that he had gotten on the bad side of the pavilion master of the headquarters? Not to mention, there was an 8-star master teacher standing behind Zhang shi... He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. Zhang shi passing the test was awful enough, but him not passing the test was even worse! He must be the first host of the Master Teacher Tournament tond in such a state. But even so, since the result was out, he couldnt change his words. Otherwise, the preliminary selection would lose its meaning, and his integrity as the host would be questioned. Thus, he could only muster his courage and announce, "Since the Book of Emptied River didnt glow, it means that Zhang shi didnt pass the test. Alright, lets move on to thest test..." Halfway through his announcement, he suddenly noticed the shocked widened eyes of the crowd below, as if they had seen a ghost. "Whats wrong?" Perplexed, Hong shi turned around and looked, and in an instant, he was dumbfounded as well. Unknowingly, the Book of Emptied River was already floating in the air, and its entire body was glowing a bright shade of red. Just when Hong shi was contemting the reason behind the difference in the shade of red, the color of the glow changed-orange. And after which, orange, green, blue, indigo, and violet... In an instant, it was as if someone had opened up a rainbow kaleidoscope, or the most brilliant and beautiful firework had exploded. Bright colors filled the entire surroundings. "Seven... colors?" Hong shi was stunned. He had seen before someone inducing a red glow, an orange glow, a yellow glow, a green glow, but... seven interchanging colors, what the heck? Could it be that the Book of Emptied River had suddenly got high on something, so it decided to show a few colors to celebrate? Or did it suffer a stroke and malfunction? But... such a matter had never happened before! Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd eximed, "Could it be that the Book of Emptied River had just finished analyzing Zhang shis knowledge... and its reflecting his results now?" "To take so long to analyze? Is that even possible?" "For it to take so long, how many books must he have read?" Hearing those words, a hugemotion broke out. If this matter had happened to someone else, they would have surely just attributed it to the book malfunctioning. But since the person in question was Zhang shi... they couldnt exclude any possibility. Given how this fellow was able to tear down the Ghost Domain Illusory City and convince an Otherworldly Demon tomit suicide, it wouldnt be unimaginable for him to turn the Book of Emptied River into a firework simtor... Kacha! While the crowd was in the midst of their discussion, a crisp sound suddenly echoed. The Book of Emptied River, after flickering for innumerable times, suddenly swayed. A crack slowly crept across it, and it fell from the sky, torn into two halves. "Ah..." Seeing the precious Book of Emptied River being torn apart, everyone was shocked for a moment before realization struck them. "Theres no doubt about it now, it is true!" "Yes, Zhang shi must be the culprit behind it. Otherwise, how could it possibly have broken all of the sudden?" If they were still hesitant as to the reason why the Book of Emptied River was going bonkers all of the sudden, upon seeing it torn into two, they were confident that it was Zhang shis doing! Given the many precedents that fellow had set, who else could it be? Hong shi sure was pitiful... Breaking an object borrowed from the headquarters, he would surely be punished severely. Thinking so, everyone turned to look at the elder on the stage with a sympathetic look. They were just about to utter words of constion when what they saw made their eyes widen further. Upon seeing the torn Book of Emptied River, not only did Hong shi seem in the least panicked or sorrowful, excitement was even gleaming in his eyes. His face flushed a deep shade of red out of excitement, and if not for the etiquette he had cultivated over the years, he might have leaped up in exhration. What was going on? Didnt you borrow this artifact from the headquarters? Since it has been destroyed, shouldnt you be distressed? Then why are you trembling uncontrobly in agitation as though you have eaten an aphrodisiac? "... What happened to Hong shi? In the previous two stages, when Zhang shi destroyed his possessions, he had a clear look of displeasure on his face. Why would he look so excited this time round?" Zhao Feiwu was perplexed. "Most probably..." Pavilion Master Kang contemted for a long period of time before continuing, "... he has just gotten used to it!" "Gotten used to it?" The excited Hong shi staggered upon hearing those words. How open of a heart must he have to get used to having his prized possessions being shattered? Naturally, the reason why he was happy wasnt because he had gotten used to having his items being destroyed but that... Zhang shi wasnt eliminated! The Book of Emptied River might be precious, butpared to getting on the bad side of Pavilion Master Mo and Yang shi, it was nothing at all. It was clear which was the lesser of the two evils. Given that Zhang shi had passed the test, naturally, this was something for him to celebrate. But still... He was probably the only host in the history of Master Teacher Tournaments to be delighted over having his own possession destroyed. "Red light means one has memorized 800 books, orange light means on has memorized 1600 books, so on and so forth... Given that all of the lights have flickered continuously... Zhang shi, exactly how many books have you memorized in the past two hours?" Recovering from his negative emotions, Hong shi turned to look at the youngster with doubt in his eyes. Given that memorizing 5600 books would induce a violet light, and that fellow had induced the violet light to appear as though a firework, even causing the inferior-tier Book of Emptied River to break into two from being overloaded... How many books must he have read for such a situation to ur? Thinking of the same thing, curious, the others also turned their gazes to him. "How many books?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. The matter which he had been troubled over really came to be. He had been worried about this matter for the entire period of time, but what had to happen would eventually still have to happen. If he were to tell the truth and say that he had memorized more than two hundred thousand books while the others were struggling to memorize a thousand... would Hong shi die of fright on the spot? "Cough cough, I wasnt counting. I think it should be around ten to twenty thousand books..." Awkward, Zhang Xuan decided to divide the figure by ten. "Ten to twenty thousand books?" But still, the astonishing amount was still sufficient to shock everyone present here. While others were still reading seven to eight hundred books, you had read more than ten times of what they did. Are you sure you are still a human? A master teacher among the crowd eximed, "That cant be. There is only a total of five thousand books on the shelves, and Ive been looking at you throughout the examination. You have been dazing off, and you didnt flip through those books either. How could you have memorized the contents of so many books?" This fellow had been dazing off like a fool right from the start. He had been holding the same book from the start to the end, so how could he possibly memorize the contents of all of the books on the shelf? Not to mention, there was only a total of five thousand books up there. How in the world did you read ten to twenty thousand books? "This..." Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan was at a loss. But still, this was not the first time he had stumbled by such a situation, so he was able to recover quickly. Coughing lightly, he exined, "This concerns a unique book reading technique that my teacher imparted me... Even without flipping through the books, I can still read through them! As for the additional books... After I was done with the books on the shelf, I realized that I still had some additional time, so I went on to read the books I keep in my storage ring as well..." Knowing that it was impossible for him to exin this matter, he decided to push this matter to the mysterious teacher of his. In any case, given that he had such a huge backing, there was no need for him to worry at all. "To read through books without flipping through it?" Everyone was confused. The words were contained within the book, how could one read a book without flipping through it? Does he have the ability to peer through material objects? Does such a technique really exist in the world? But why havent I heard of it then? While everyone was skeptical of Zhang Xuans words, Hong shis body suddenly trembled, his face paled, and he muttered with a slightly hoarse voice, "Could... Could it be... But how is that possible? "Hong shi, could it be that youve heard of such a technique before?" A master teacher couldnt help but ask upon seeing the other partys reaction. Everyone also turned their gazes over. As a 5-star master teacher and a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, Hong shi was indubitably the most knowledgeable of them here, be it cultivation or worldly experience. "Indeed, I happen to have heard of such a matter before..." Hearing the question, Hong shi recovered from his shock. He nced at Zhang Xuan and thought of a certain person, and a look of respect gradually surfaced. "I had the privilege of listening to Hongyuan Empires Pavilion Master Mos lesson once, and he mentioned such a matter before. If my conjecture is right, it should be... "A technique that only a Saint 2-dan expert is capable of... Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique!" Chapter 585: Celestial Chess Chapter 585: Celestial Chess Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique?" "Saint 2-dan?" All of the master teachers below stared at one another in confusion. They had never heard of such a term before. Instead of answering the question straight away, Hong shi said, "Beyond Fighter is Transcendent Mortal, followed by Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and finally, Saint. I believe you all should be aware of these cultivation realms!" "Un!" The crowd nodded their heads. Most of those present were all master teachers. Even though Saint was still very far off from them, perhaps even out of reach, they had at least heard of it. "Half-Saint and Nascent Saint are just intermediary stages while Saint, just like Transcendent Mortal and Fighter, consists of 9 dans!" Hong shi continued. Half-Saint and Nascent Saint are just two normal realms, just like Origin Energy realm and Yin-Yang realm. On the other hand, Saint was the name for the entire set of cultivation realms. Just like Fighter and Transcendent Mortal, it could be divided to nine tiers. "The first dan is known as Void Pursuit realm. At this realm, one will be capable of flight. As for the second dan, it is known as... Spiritual Perception realm!" With a grave look on his face, Hong shi said, "Only at this level can one open their Incipient Eye and awaken their Spiritual Perception." Someone couldnt help but ask, "Spiritual Perception... Whats that?" He had heard of the concept of souls, but he had never heard of Spiritual Perception before. Hong shi exined, "Spiritual Perception is a unique capability that only Saints possess. As we know, upon reaching Consonant Spirit realm, ones soul bes aligned with ones body, thus allowing one to temper ones soul and strengthen it!" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm opened up a whole new world to cultivators. At this level, not only would a cultivator be able to train their physical body and zhenqi... they would be able to train their souls too. "A strong soul can achieve unimaginable feats; you will understand this upon reaching that realm. Once ones soul reaches a certain level... one bes able to extend the reach of their soul and perceive everything that it touches. In fact, ones sight would even be clearer than what our eyes are capable of... This is what Spiritual Perception is!" Hong shi said. "Extending... the reach of ones soul?" "For a soul to be able to extend beyond ones body to conduct observation... how powerful must one be?" "It cant be... Is Hong shi saying... Zhang shi already possesses the strength of a Saint 2-dan?" Everyone leapt in shock. Saint 2-dan? How was that possible? Zhang Xuan was also perplexed by the situation unfolding around him. All he had spouted was nonsense, how did Hong shi draw the line to the Saint realm? Hong shi shook his head. "Naturally, Zhang shi cant possibly be a Saint. Theres no need to worry, allow me to finish my exnation first. Youll understand it after Im done! "Reading via Spiritual Perception is much more convenient and efficient than reading manually. This is also the reason why Saints rue knowledge swiftly, and they grow at an astounding pace. "While Zhang shi isnt a Saint, he seems to possess an ability equivalent to this as well. If Im not mistaken... an expert must have dug out the Incipient Eye of a Saint 2-dan and transnted it to him using some unique method, thus allowing him to read and memorize content swiftly!" Even though Hong shi was the one raising the conjecture, he still couldnt help but feel shocked by the matter. Only a Saint who had opened his Incipient Eye could awaken his Spiritual Perception. Theoretically speaking, if an Incipient Eye was dug out and transnted onto another person, as long as it was done properly, that person should be able to awaken his Spiritual Perception as well. But of course, due to thecking cultivation, that person wouldnt be able to utilize the Spiritual Perception properly. At most, he would only be able to use it on reading books. But even so, for a low-tier master teacher, its significance was immense. To be able to read ten books in the time it took for others to finish reading one, it was just a matter of time before one surpassed all of ones peers. It was no wonder Zhang shi was able to be adept in so many upations despite his young age. It had to be the working of this ability of his! Most probably... Yang shi had prepared this specially for him just for this. To dig out a Saint 2-dans Incipient Eye and transnt it on another perfectly... How powerful must Yang shi be? Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine. It was no wonder Pavilion Master Mo feared the other party so much, going to the extent of even using a high-tier spirit stone to please the other party. An expert of such caliber was indeed qualified to be fawned upon by him. "To transnt the Incipient Eye of a Saint 2-dan on someone else?" "To be able to read swiftly even without flipping pages?" "Not to mention, to be able to read books in the storage ring as well?" "It is no wonder you could read so many books within two hours. But still... to be able to memorize all of these, isnt your memory a little way too good?" "Indeed. Just browsing through a book doesnt mean that one has necessarily memorized it. What is truly fearsome is for one to read swiftly while assimting its contents!" ... Hearing Hong shis exnation, everyone came to a realization. They turned to look at the young man before them with a look of fright. To be able to dig out the Incipient Eye of a Saint 2-dan, what kind of terrifying background does this fellow have? Amidst everyones shock, Ruohuan gongzis eyelids were twitching violently. Depression loomed over his head. It was just a moment ago that he asked Zhang shi how many books he had read, and thetter replied that he had read the same number of books as him. This had left Ruohuan gongzi happy for quite a while. He thought that he had finally found something that he was on par on with that monster, but in the end... How in the world can your twenty thousand books be around the same as my one thousand books? Even if you wish to console me, please do it with some sincerity! Interrupting into the noise, Hong shi said, "Alright, regardless of how it is, given that Zhang shi has memorized the contents of more than twenty thousand books, as can be proven by the shattering of the Book of Emptied River, I hereby announce that he has cleared the test. Is there anyone with any objections?" "None at all..." The crowd hurriedly shook their heads. You must be jesting! The other party read twenty thousand books and even crippled the Book of Emptied River. Even if we were to have objections, would you listen to them? "Un, since thats the case, lets move on to thest test of our preliminary selection-intelligence!" Hong shi turned to look at the remaining participants. "Even with the support of a teacher, the path of cultivation is ultimately individual. Other than hard work and talent, more importantly, one has to possess superior intelligence. Even when studying the same cultivation technique or battle technique, different students will interpret it differently and thus, the extent of benefit they could derive from it would differ as well. One can easily be a master teacher with talent, but to wish to be a capable master teacher relying solely on that, I can tell you its nigh impossible! "As such, intelligence is crucial to walking further as a master teacher. "Intelligence is indeed important to a master teacher... But how can one test their intelligence? Will they be given a cultivation technique to analyze? "But analyzing a cultivation technique would make the test biased toward some. Everyone would have differing levels ofpatibility with a specific cultivation technique, and besides, talent and wisdom also counts in it as well. It doesnt seem possible to iste intelligence and test it as itself!" The crowd was puzzled. Intelligence is of utmost importance to a master teacher, everyone present here could make the association. However, such a quality couldnt be quantified easily, and given such, how couldparisons be made? Even if you can measure wisdom through weighing knowledge, how can you measure intelligence? Even when attempting toprehend a cultivation technique, a person with lower intelligence would surely find it easier toprehend a technique aligned with his constitution aspared to a person whose constitution is ipatible with the technique. "Hehe, I understand your concerns, and Ive thought a lot about this issue as well." Noticing everyones worry, Hong shi chuckled, and with a wave of his hand, the fog veiling another corner of the round stage scattered, revealing a seemingly ordinary gazebo. Seated in the gazebo was a white-robed old man, and a gray chessboard was ced on a stone table in front of him. ck and white stones intersected one another atop the chessboard, as though yin and yang assailing one another-a chess formation. The old man had an impassive face, and there wasnt the slightest vitality that could be felt from him. With a look, it was clear that he was a puppet. "This is Celestial Chess. Its rules arepletely different from all other chess games existent in the world, thus forming its own school. Back then, when I was touring around the world, I chanced upon it in some ruins. I dont know who created it, and there werent any exnations regarding the rules either. Intrigued, I spent many years attempting to decipher it, but even so, I only managed toprehend around forty to fifty percent of it." Waving his hand once more, a wall not too far away from the gazebo shimmered, and an image of theyout of the chess in the gazebo was projected on it. It was entirely foreign to everyone present here. Even those who had immersed themselves in chess in the past were unable to draw on their experiences to decipher this. "A chess formation?" "It seems so. But given that no one knows the rules... how will the participants be assessed?" "Ive no idea as well!" There were many among the crowd who were learned in the Way of Chess, but seeing the profound formation projected on the wall, they realized it was entirely different from what they had learned before, and this left them dumbfounded. "In Celestial Chess, the heavens and earth are the chessboard, and the stars are the stones. It is intricately aligned with the essence of the world. One wont be able toprehend anything by seeing the formation on the wall, but on the pirs in the gazebo, there are some words left behind by the previous owner of the chessboard. "Through these words, one is able to decipher the rules of the game. "After deciphering the rules, one can challenge the puppet in the gazebo. If one were to make an invalid or a losing move, one will find himself incapable of cing the stone down on the board. This test has nothing to do with talent, cultivation, or anything at all, it is purely a match of intelligence. Those with higher intelligence will be able to decipher more of the rules and make more moves whereas those with lower intelligence will have limitedprehension of the rules and find the number of moves they can make limited as well. To pass this test, youll have to make at least six valid moves," Hong shi exined. "This... To actually use chess to gauge ones intelligence, amazing!" "The heaven and earth as the chessboard, and the stars as the stones, how domineering!" "Through this chess, one would indeed be able to iste intelligence from other external factors. It is truly a fair test!" ... Hearing the rules, everyone nodded their heads in agreement. The Way of Chess was highly demanding on ones intelligence. Some who devoted decades to the game might find themselves outmatched by a child who had barely learned it for a few days, albeit rarely. This didnt necessarily mean that the child was more knowledgeable than the adult, just more intelligent. As such, there was a saying among top chess yers: Chances are null if one fails to reach the top by twenty! Without sufficient intelligence and talent, it would be nigh impossible for one to reach the top. Its cruel, but such is the world. Given that this Celestial Chess operated by entirely different rulespared to all other games in the Master Teacher Continent, and one was topete with the puppet through deciphering the limited words written on the pirs, it was indeed the best way to quantify ones intelligence. As expected of a 5-star master teacher, his means were indeed exceptional. "All master teachers who enter the gazebo will only be given an incenses time to read and decipher the words on the pirs before starting the match with the puppet. If one exceeds the timing or is unable to put down his piece, that would be the end of the test." Hong shi waved his hands and said, "Alright, now that Ive finished exining the rules, lets begin the test!" "Yes!" The participants nodded their heads. "Since there is only one chess board, we can only go one by one. Thus, lets decide the sequence..." Hong shi nced at the crowd. In the first test, Zhang Xuan was the first to take the test, and he destroyed the Ghost Domain Illusory City, thus no one was eliminated. In the second test, due to the Otherworldly Demonmitting suicide halfway through the test, only the three men who fled in the midst were eliminated. And in the third test, seventeen people were eliminated. After the three tests, of the fifty-six initial participants, only twenty were eliminated, leaving behind a hulking thirty-six. "Why dont... I go first?" Zhang Xuan stepped forward. Given that there were thirty-six people in total and given that just the preparation time in itself was one incenses time, by the time everyone was done, the sun would have already set. Since that was the case, he might as well quickly get it over and done with so that he could rest. "Cough cough..." Seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, Hong shi nearly choked on his saliva. "You? Dont even try!" I am not so courageous as to let you go first after you wrecked the previous three tests! Chapter 586: Failure? Chapter 586: Failure? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan said, "Its just a chess game, I dont think its possible for me to destroy the chessboard..." Everything before... was just carelessness. Now that he knew the rules, he would surely make sure to take precautions and make only six moves... As long as he were to show some restraint, it would be impossible for anything awry like in the previous few tests to happen. Ignoring Zhang Xuan, Hong shi waved his hands and spoke affirmatively. "Why dont we go by age once more? Well start from the oldest!" I also thought that nothing would go awry in the previous test! After all, it was just a test on reading books. Who could have imagined that the Book of Emptied River which I borrowed from the headquarter would be destroyed? Just think about how much damage you have caused since the tournament started! And you still want to go first? Dream on! "Alright then." Seeing how even a 5-star master teacher was scared to such a point, not even giving him a chance to exin himself, Zhang Xuan shrugged helplessly. It seemed like he could only bide his time here and wait for the others to be done. "It is fortunate that Hong shi stood his ground! Otherwise, who knows what would happen this time round..." Pavilion Master Kang and the others also wiped the cold sweat off their foreheads upon seeing the scene. When Zhang Xuan offered to go first, all of them also leaped in shock. While it seemed imusible for anything to happen in a chess game, the person in question was Zhang Xuan! Given his unconventional way of doing things, there was no way they could be certain! In any case, the safest bet was to put him at the veryst. While they were deciding on the rules, among the participants, Liu Quan of Mingxia Empires eyelids were twitching uncontrobly. He just happened to be the oldest among the group... Who in the world did he offend for him to have to go first each time? It was not like he did anything wrong, he was just the oldest among all of the participants here. Was there really a need for him to go first consecutively? But in any case, being the first or thest was unlikely to make any difference in this test anyway. It was just a difference in the mental state. Taking a deep breath, he drove his Soul Depth and activated the Heart of Tranquil Water. After which, sping his fist toward Hong shi, he proceeded over to the gazebo. The others also quickly turned their sights over. Liu Quan walked to the four pirs propping from the gazebo one by one, and after which, he fell into deep contemtion. It didnt take too long for an incenses time to be up. With a frown, he walked to the opposite end of the chessboard form the puppet, picked up a stone, and lightly ced it down on an empty spot. Hu! The stone floated in the air for a moment before slowly falling down onto the chessboard. "He managed to ce it..." "It seems like he has made a right move!" Seeing that the stone had been sessfully ced down, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Hong shi had said previously, the stone couldnt be ced if the move was an invalid or losing move. Hu! The old man opposite of him also put down a stone. Seeing the move the old man made, seemingly put in a difficult position, a deep frown appeared on Liu Quans forehead. But his dilemma didnt continue for too long. Soon, he ced down another stone as well. Just like that, they quickly exceeded the minimum requirement of six stones to pass the test, and soon, they reached their ninth stone. But on the tenth, Liu Quan found himself unable to push his stone down anymore. "Mingxia Empires Liu Quan passes with nine stones! Next! Fenglie Empires Han Zhaoji..." Hong shi announced. Han Zhaoji walked up onto the stage. Not too longter, he left the gazebo with an excited expression on his face. He had passed the test with a score of seven stones. Following which, the next candidate went up. After five consecutive sessful challenges, the remaining participants felt much more confident. But at this point, the streak was broken. The sixth challenger found himself unable to put down the fourth stone, and the next four challengers that went after him failed the test as well. Eventually, it was Luo Xuan who broke that losing streak. At this point, everyone realized that the formation on the chessboard would change for each participant, and thus, everyone would be unable to emte the moves of those who had gone before them. This ensured the equality of the test. Time passed, and the sky soon darkened. Just like what Zhang Xuan guessed, by the time the thirty-five master teachers were done, a full moon was already hanging in the sky. Even though those who came for the tournament were all geniuses, many still fell in this test. While the number of eliminated participants wasnt as exaggerated as in the previous test, a total of nine people still failed. However, most of Zhang Xuans acquaintances, such as Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao, still managed to pass the test. Surprisingly, the one holding the current record wasnt a participant from the strongest Fleeting Cloud Sect or the second strongest White Helios Sect; rather, he came from an empire that was of simr standing to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The cultivation of this master teacher could be considered to be near the lowest among the participants, but his intelligence seemed to be exceptional. Against the puppet, he managed to hold on for sixteen steps, and the impressed old man puppet even said, "Good." "Zhang shi, its your turn!" After everyone was done, Hong shi turned his gaze to the bored Zhang Xuan with a slightly apologetic look. Thetter wished to go first, but due to his own fear, he forced thetter to the back instead. "Un!" Zhang Xuan stretched his back before walking over to the gazebo. The gazebo wasnt too big-around an average persons height. The first thing he saw upon entering was that the closest pir to him had the four words East, South, West, and North on them. These four words didnt possess any artistic conception belonging to a painter behind it, they were just ordinary words. Turning his sight to the second pir, there were words on them as well... Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter As for the next pir, there were only two words... To and Fro. And for the fourth pir, there was only a single word... Reason! "North South East West, Spring Summer Autumn Winter, To Fro, and Reason? This... What the heck are these?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He thought that there would be more detailed hints, but they were just normal words. Four pirs of eleven words, but there were no links among them whatsoever, and none of them had anything to do with chess either. What was he supposed to decipher? After looking at each of the pirs, he turned his attention to the chessboard. The chessboard looked much more chaotic than before. With just a single nce, Zhang Xuan was plunged into confusion. "Celestial Chess, heaven and earth as the chessboard, and stars as the stones..." Frowning, Zhang Xuan recalled what Hong shi said and a thought struck him. "North South East West refers to space, Spring Summer Autumn Winter refers to time, To Fro... refers to position, and Reason... refers to the heart!" "Space, time, position, and heart..." All the knowledge that Zhang Xuan learned previously flowed through his head, and the light in Zhang Xuans eyes slowly intensified. It was no wonder why Hong shi was intrigued by it. The name of the Celestial Chess wasnt just show. It was indeed emting the heavens and earth as the chessboard! It built on a persons heart to construct a vast world and used it as the chessboard. It was indeed a formidable game. "I wonder how far I can go based solely on myprehension and intelligence." Upon understanding the rules behind the Celestial Chess, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. He had depended heavily on the Library of Heavens Path and Eye of Insight on his previous stages. Given how simple the current stage was, he was curious to see how far he could go on his capabilities. Turning around, Zhang Xuan walked over to the opposite of the stone table and sat down. Studying it for a moment, he decided on a position, grabbed a stone, and decisively ced it down. ... "Do you think that Zhang shi will break the Celestial Chess?" "That should be impossible; its just a chess game. Besides, one will be unable to put his stone down if one makes a wrong move." "It is indeed unlikely for anything to happen to the Celestial Chess... But I still think that it wont end that simply. Why dont we bet on it then?" "What do you want to bet on?" "I bet that Zhang shi will destroy the Celestial Chess. If I win, you will hand over your Silk Fan to me. Otherwise, Ill give you the Emerald Pearl which you have been eyeing!" "Deal..." ... As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the gazebo, discussions immediately broke out among the crowd. There were even a few who betted on it. "Cough cough!" Hearing the excited bets in the surrounding, Zhao Feiwu, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others pped their foreheads in embarrassment, fearing that others would know that they were acquainted with Zhang shi... To think that a participant of the Master Teacher Tournament would actually be regarded as the God of Destruction... "It will be the dueling round right after this test. Even though we still dont know the rules behind it, if Zhang shi and Ruohuan gongzi were to both proceed on to the next round, this would be the best results that our Myriad Kingdom Alliance has ever achieved over the years!" Ling shi analyzed and said. "Indeed!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. There were only twenty-seven people left in the tournament. There were seven powers whose two participants were already eliminated. In other words, even if Zhang shi and Ruohuan gongzi were to fail terribly in the dueling round, the results would still be much better than what the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had ever achieved in the previous tournaments. It was fortunate that Ruohuan gongzi had managed to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle under Zhang shis help, and his experience with Zhang shi had helped temper his soft qualities such as courage. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to pass those tests. In other words... Zhang shi had yed a pivotal role in the current outstanding results of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Just as they were thinking about this matter, Su shi suddenly eximed, "Look! Zhang shi is making a move!" Everyone quickly lifted their gazes and saw Zhang Xuan seated right before a puppet. He ced a stone down onto the board. In that moment, everyone waited with bated breaths. Fortunately, the stone went down. After which, the old man opposite to him picked up a stone as well, but at that moment, he suddenly froze, as though he had no intentions of ying the stone at all. "Whats going on?" "It cant be that... Zhang shi is intending to destroy the puppet instead of the Celestial Chess?" Upon seeing the old mans frozen body, everyone stared at one another in bewilderment. They were just contemting whether the Celestial Chess would be destroyed by Zhang shi, and thetter, with a single step, caused the movements of the puppet to freeze... It couldnt be that it was really broken? Wasnt that a little... way too exaggerated? Everyone turned to look at Hong shi, and thetter had a deep frown on his forehead as well. After a short momentter, Hong shi couldnt stand the tension anymore. He walked over to the gazebo and looked at the puppet. And a momentter, he heaved a sigh of relief. Just like the others, he thought that the puppet might have malfunctioned. But after taking a closer look, the puppet was still operating perfectly. "Please make your move!" Standing beside the puppet, Hong shi bowed. Even though the old man was a puppet, it possessed spirit and it was capable of interpreting human speech. The both of them had often yed against one another, and Hong shi possessed deep respect for him. "Un!" After a moment of hesitation, the puppet nodded and ced his stone down. Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant, but he soon picked up a second stone and ced it down. Weng! But the chess simply floated in midair, refusing to go down no matter how much force Zhang Xuan put into pushing it down. "He cant ce the stone? Does this mean that... his move is invalid?" "So... he failed?" Everyone was taken aback. Even Hong shi was in disbelief. Based on the rules, one would only be considered to have passed the test after making six moves, and currently, Zhang shi had only made a single move. Did this mean that... he had failed the test? "Shit... Does this mean that theres a mistake in myprehension?" Gedeng! Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. He used neither the Library of Heavens Path nor the Eye of Insight this time... Was he really going to fail just like that? Chapter 587: Dueling Round Begins Chapter 587: Dueling Round Begins Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 All along, regardless of what it was, he had always used the Library of Heavens Path and Eye of Insight to interpret and understand profound topics. But this time, he had decided to test out his own intelligence by ying with the rules he interpreted from the words inscribed on the pirs. He thought that he would at least be able to get six pieces down, yet... he found himself stuck on the second stone. Could he have really screwed up this time? Was his intelligence really that poor? Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. He had proceeded smoothly in the past three tests, he didnt expect to fail here. Hong shis face was also twitching violently. To be unable to put down the second stone... How was he supposed to clear up the mess this time? He couldnt possibly say that considerably Zhang shis talent, he was an exception and could clear the test just by putting down a single stone? If only hed known this would happen, he would have surely allowed Zhang shi to go first! In the end, such a matter happened. If Zhang shi were to bear a grudge against him over this matter, he would surely be screwed... What the heck was this! For a 5-star master teacher, the host of the Master Teacher Tournament, to have his heart hanging over a mere preliminary selection, he couldnt help but feel intense indignation. Gritting his teeth, Hong shi mustered his courage and announced, "Since Zhang shi was unable to put down the second stone, this means that... he has failed the test! Alright, since the preliminary selection is over, lets move on to the dueling round..." But at that moment, the puppet opposite to Zhang Xuan suddenly pushed the chess board aside and stood up. A clear voice reverberated in the air. "I have lost!" "Lost?" "What does that mean?" "Zhang shi... won against the puppet in a match of Celestial Chess? Not to mention, he even had the other party willingly admit his defeat?" "Arent the rules of the Celestial Chess difficult toprehend? To actually understand the rules within an incenses time to defeat the puppet..." Everyone was taken aback. The impossibility of the situation was driving them insane. They thought the reason why Zhang shi was unable to put down his second stone was due to hisck of understanding of the rules. Never could they have imagined that the puppet would admit his defeat in the next moment... This wasnt just at the level of understanding the rules or not... Rather, Zhang shi had be an expert in the game, an existence that others could only look up to! "Are you for real?" Luo Xuan, Song Chao, and the others widened their eyes in disbelief. They had undergone the test personally, and they knew how profound Celestial Chess was. Those who could put down more than six stones could be considered geniuses among geniuses. And yet, the person before them actually defeated the puppet utterly in his second move... Was he still a human? Contrary to everyones shock, Hong shi felt immense relief instead. It seemed like every time he was going to announce Zhang shis loss, the other party would make a huge turnaround... In that instant, he felt as though he was being toyed with. If this were to go on, on top of going bankrupt, he would have to worry about his heart malfunctioning due to the excessive shock... While everyone was dumbfounded, shocked, gritting their teeth, convulsing, kicking, rolling... The person in question, Zhang Xuan, was also bewildered. He used neither the Library of Heavens Path nor the Eye of Insight this time, and he was relying solely on his own intelligence to clear this test. As such, he wascking in confidence. This was precisely the reason why his heart stopped when he found himself unable to put down the second stone and panicked. But... Never in his dreams could he have imagined that not only would he clear the test, the puppet would even admit defeat on his own ord... Just as he was about to say something, the old man before him bowed, and a voice echoed in his mind. "Even though you only made a single move, you sealed all possible paths of advancement and retreat. Im unable to counter your move at all. Finally, Celestial Chess... has a sessor!" After which, a surge of information suddenly dived into his head. Hong long! With this surge of information, countless usible chess formations and set ups became assimted as part of his knowledge. "Soul Impartation?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. To be able to allow a puppet to conduct Soul Impartation, how powerful must the person who created the puppet be? Zhang Xuan thought with a grim expression. But before he could take a look at his newfound knowledge, the puppet before him suddenly fell motionless, as though it had lost all strength. Following which, countless cracks starting creeping across its body. "This is bad!" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in rm. He quickly rushed forward to stop the impending destruction. In the information that was transferred to him, he learned of the meaning behind the existence of the puppet-to pass down the heritage of Celestial Chess. Now that it had aplished its raison dtre, the lingering will left within the puppet vanished, resulting in its inability to continue functioning. Naturally, the puppet started to fall apart. Just that... Even if you are going to fall apart, at least do it after Im done with my test, when no one is around! To fall apart at such a time... How am I supposed to face Hong shi? cing his arm on the old man, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into him in hopes of forcefully keeping in intact. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the zhenqi he infused collided with the other partys zhenqi. Boom! The puppet immediately exploded into dust. And the chessboard and gazebo also seemed to have lost its source of power, and they copsed, turning into ruins. "The heck..." Zhang Xuan was frenzied. I only did that out of goodwill so as to sustain the puppet for a moment longer... How could Ive known that such a thing would ur? But actually, thinking deeper into it, Zhang Xuan also realized his error. The puppet was sustained by a lingering will, and most likely, this lingering will was infused into it through the means of a soul oracle. Otherwise, it shouldnt be possible for a lifeless puppet to be capable of Soul Impartation... And his Heavens Path zhenqi happened to be the nemesis of soul oracles. What should have been a simple copse turned into an explosion instead with the interference of his zhenqi... Turning his gaze to the crowd, Zhang Xuan saw everyone staring at him with widened eyes, as though looking at a monster. "Did you see that? Even the Celestial Chess wasnt spared!" "I told you that it would be destroyed right? And to think that you didnt believe me..." "How could Zhang shi explode the puppet even after it has admitted defeat? This is too much!" "Youre right. But if he didnt do so, how could he maintain his reputation as the God of Destruction?" ... Everyone whispered with hushed voices. They thought that perhaps Celestial Chess would be an exception, but in the end, just like the artifacts in the previous three tests, it was destroyed as well! It seemed as though regardless of how valuable an artifact, it only had one fate upon meeting Zhang shi... Utter destruction! It doesnt matter how sturdy or resilient you are... "..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan spurted blood. I really didnt do it intentionally, I was really trying to save him... I didnt do any of these voluntarily, it was all just coincidence! "He destroyed something yet again?" Pavilion Master Kang and the others stared at one another. At this point, there was only one thought in their mind-relief. They couldnt help but feel relieved that they didnt use any valuable artifact in the selection round back then... Otherwise, their Master Teacher Pavilion would probably be bankrupt by now. "My Celestial Chess..." Hong shis lips trembled in agitation. Only he knew how long it took for him to rue sufficient wealth to obtain the Ghost Domain Illusory City and the Celestial Chess... and yet, in a single tournament, they were all destroyed by Zhang shi. In just a single day, he was reduced to a poor bloke. He felt as though a knife was lodged deeply into his chest, leaving his heart bleeding profusely. Even so, he did see what happened to the puppet clearly. The puppet was crumbling even before Zhang shi approached it, and Zhang shi was indeed moving to secure it... It was just that his help only made things worse, and an explosion was induced. But while he knew of this, there was no doubt that the reason behind the crumbling of the puppet was still due to Zhang shi... If only hed known this would happen, he wouldnt have bothered with a preliminary round. He would have just gone ahead with duels in an elimination format instead! It took a while before Hong shi was able to calm down. Exhaling deeply, he forcefully suppressed his indignation. All he could do now was ask for somepensation from Pavilion Master Mo, and hope that thetter would offer something in exchange for the loss he had incurred... He didnt know how else he could console himself at this point. Hong shi nced at the crowd and asked, "Given that the puppet has admitted defeat, it means that Zhang shi has fullyprehended the rules behind the Celestial Chess. Does anyone have any objections against this ruling?" "No!" Everyone shook their heads. While the fellow standing before the ruins of the Celestial Chess was indeed a God of Destruction, they had to admit that the other party did possess capability that an average person could hardly imagine. "Since Zhang shi haspleted his challenge, this signifies the end of the preliminary selection. Since its no longer early, lets waste no time and proceed straight onto the dueling round!" Hong shi announced. Since the four tests of the preliminary selection was over, it was time to move on to the dueling round. "The rules for the dueling round are simple. The duels will be in pairs, and the sequence and matching will be decided by picking lots. The duel need not be a fight, it can also be based on the various core aspects of a master teacher, such as Soul Depth, knowledge impartation, understanding of cultivation, ws identification, so on and so forth! "The winner moves on to the next round whereas the loser is eliminated. This will go on until the top ten is out!" Hong shi nced at the participants and said, "Is there anything you wish to rify?" "No!" The participants hurriedly shook their heads. This was the usual format of the dueling round in the Master Teacher Tournament, and the rules were simple as well. "Alright, well start with picking lots. There are 27 people currently, and 16 people will move on to the next round. In other words... there will be five people who will move on to the next round straight withoutpeting," Hong shi said. There is a fixed rule to dueling rounds stating that no matter how many participants there are initially, after the first round, it should be in a power of two, meaning 2, 4, 8, 16, 32... so on and so forth. This was to ensure greater fairness in the subsequent rounds, especially as the fights became more intenseter on. Only through this sequencing could it be guaranteed that only two people would bepeting for the champion spot eventually. "Alright, lets begin picking lots!" After introducing the rules, Hong shi waved his hand, and a master teacher walked up with a box prepared beforehand. The remaining twenty-seven participants came up one by one to pick a number. Zhang Xuan was the same as well. After a quick look, he shook his head. It seemed his luck wasnt too good; he hadnt managed to draw the five empty slots that allowed for automatic advancement to the next round. "I managed to draw the empty slot!" Just as Zhang Xuan wasmenting his misfortune, he saw Ruohuan gongzi looking at him excitedly. Taking a look at the other partys lot, he saw A1, empty written on it. On the other hand, written on Zhang Xuans lot was D2. Seeing that everyone was done drawing the lots, Hong shi said, "The dueling round will be divided into four main sectors, namely A, B, C, and D, and each sector will be further divided into 1, 2, 3, and 4. Those who draw the same lots will be matched against one another, and those who have the word empty written on their lot will progress straight on to the top sixteen! "Based on the ranking of the respective powers in the previous tournament, the participant with the higher ranking will have the privilege to choose the content of the duel. Of course, his opponent will have the right to object to the chosen dueling format as well, but the right to object will be limited to once per duel! After that right has been used once, he would have no choice but to ept the next proposed dueling format." This was simr to the rules employed in previous rules, so there was no need to borate on it. "Alright, the first round will start now. Since A1 is empty, may the two participants who drew A2 proceed on to the stage in the A sector!" Hong shi waved his hand, and the final area of fog veiling the stage dissipated, revealing four stages. They werebeled A, B, C, and D respectively. Two young men holding onto the lot which they had just picked walked toward the stagebeled A. Chapter 588: Challenging Fist Art Chapter 588: Challenging Fist Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As they proceeded onto the stage, Hong shi urged the participants of the other three stages to proceed there as well. The master teachers who drew B1, C1, and D1 got into their position. Following which, they began to discuss the content of their duel. Regarding this, Hong shi wouldnt interfere at all. And soon, they finished making their choices. Of the four stages, two chose knowledge impartation, one chose Soul Depth, and the remaining one chose a physical duel. Apetition among master teachers extended way further than mere brute strength; their capability included their supporting upations, Soul Depth, Impartation of Heavens Will, knowledge impartation, and many other aspects. If it was just a simple battle, there would be no need to make it so grand. As such, there were actually very few master teachers who chose physical duel as a means to determine the victor. "So, this is the real Master Teacher Tournament!" Zhang Xuan remarked in awe. The previous round was just to weed out the less capable participants; what that was unfolding before him at this very instant was the truepetition among master teachers. As well as the true Master Teacher Tournament. Gazing at the four stages, Zhang Xuan found a familiar face. Song Chao! Even though the preliminary selection wasnt easy, he seemed to have achieved fairly decent results, thus advancing honorably to the dueling round. The person he was matched with was a disciple of a sect. While that disciple was of simr cultivation realm to Song Chao, he had fared rtively poor in the preliminary round. Knowing that it was unlikely for him to emerge triumphant in other aspects, he, making full use of the advantage derived from the rules, proposed for a straightforward fight instead. "Begin!" The gong signaling the start of the match sounded, and the disciple immediately dashed straight toward Song Chao. Trading blows, a huge wind gushed into their surroundings. Possessing simr cultivation realms, both of them stood their ground and it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Even though the stage wasnt too big, there was formation around it. It was impossible for the duo to break the formation with their current cultivation realm, so they could fight as they pleased without any worries. "It seems like... Song Chao will be able to advance to the next round!" After looking at the duel for a moment, Zhang Xuan soon deduced that it was likely for Song Chao to triumph over this opponent. While the duo was nearly equally-matched, Song Chaos movements were much more flexible and careful, biding his time for an ideal opportunity to strike. As long as his opponent showed the slightest opening out of anxiety, Song Chao would capitalize on the opportunity to defeat him swiftly. Knowing the likely conclusion, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to one of the stages conducting the knowledge impartation duel instead. Compared to Song Chaos stage, where thepetitors were driving their zhenqi to hurl fists at one another, this side seemed much more refined. Twenty cultivators of differing cultivation realms were randomly picked from the square, and thepetitors chose ten of them each to form a group. After dividing the cultivators among the twopetitors, they began to conduct their lesson via zhenqi telepathy so as to not interrupt one another. The time limit was an incenses time; whoevers group experienced a greater degree of growth during this period of time would be deemed the winner. This kind ofpetition was much more refined, and it seemed to be more aligned with the disposition of a teacher. Seeing that it would take some time for the victor to be decided, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the stage where thepetitors werepeting on Soul Depth. The two of them held onto a Stone of Insight each, and soon, numbers appeared on them-14.7 and 14.9. Naturally, thetter was deemed as the victor. This was the simplest and most efficient dueling format. But still, Soul Depth was the foundation of a master teacher, and most people were unwilling to have it publicly known. As such, it was very rare for participants to choose such a dueling format. And soon, the first round was over. Just like what Zhang Xuan guessed, Song Chao won. The two stages dueling via knowledge impartation also came to a conclusion. The one who fared the best induced a breakthrough in a cultivator among his group within the time limit and achieved victory. On the other stage, the master teacher won through a high overall evaluation score and advanced on to the next round. At the end of the first round, there were some who celebrated, and simrly, there were those who looked gloomy as well. But indifferent to the results, Hong shi announced the lots for the next round. "For the second round, will thepetitors who drew A3, B3, C3, and D2 proceed on to the stage..." B2 and C2 were empty slots. Upon hearing that it was his turn, Zhang Xuan walked toward the D stage. "Zhang shi... drew D2? Why am I so unlucky?" Seeing Zhang Xuan walk out from the crowd, a young mans face suddenly warped, and he nearly cried on the spot. He had also drawn D2, which meant that he was matched up against this God of Destruction. "It is indeed unfortunate that you were paired with him for the very first match..." The mouth of the friend beside him also twitched. This Zhang shi had been showing outstanding results since the start of the tournament, even destroying all of the artifacts through inconceivable means. If there was a list ofpetitors whom one didnt want to be matched with, that fellow would surely be at the top. At the current stage, his reputation was even greater than Luo Xuans. To be matched with such a person in the first round, his luck was indeed terrible. "What do I do now? Should I just forfeit? If I dont forfeit, will he... destroy me too?" The young man asked his friend with a tearful face. Given how that fellow tore apart everything before him, the young man was seriously frightened that he might be ripped into pieces if he were to stand against that God of Destruction. It was only a tournament, he had no desire to die so tragically... "Cough cough, I dont think he would go so far as to do it to a human too!" consoled his friend. "But I also thought the same for the Celestial Chess as well..." the young man retorted. "This..." His friend was tongue-tied. That fellow was simply too frightening. If he had a choice, he would rather face the Otherworldly Demon once more than stand against that fellow. In other words, the pressure he felt from facing Zhang Xuan even exceeded that from the Otherworldly Demon! "It wasnt easy for you toe to reach this stage, it would be unwise to forfeit at this point. Dont worry, even though that Zhang shi is incredible, he cant possibly be infallible!" His friend patted his shoulder and said, "In any case, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance fared worse than our sect in the previous tournament. As long as you propose a dueling format that benefits you, there might still be a chance of victory. Once you seed, with this momentum, you will surely be able to strive for the top eight at least!" After a moment of contemtion, the young man nodded his head. "That... youre right!" Everyone would surely be watching his duel with Zhang Xuan. If he could achieve victory, not only would his confidence be inted, he might also instill fear in the otherpetitors as the person who defeated the God of Destruction. With this advantage over hispetitors, he just might be able to get into the top ten. After all, psychological warfare was an essential aspect of a duel as well. "Fine, for glory!" Understanding that only with risk could one achieve something great, the young man gritted his teeth and stepped forward. While he was still frightened, as a 4-star master teacher, he was still able to get himself back into condition swiftly. "Then lets quickly analyze Zhang shis weakness then..." Seeing the young man regain his fighting spirit, his friend nodded his head inmendation. "In the first test, Zhang shi broke the Ghost Domain Illusory City. This means that the Mystic Gate Hidden Jia contained within the artifact is ineffective toward him, hinting that he has excellent mental fortitude and eye of discernment!" "Un!" Finding the words rational, the young man nodded his head. The pitch-ck Ghost Domain Illusory City was filled with spirit beings, and without outstanding eyesight, it would be impossible for one to even navigate within it. Under such circumstances, it would be impossible for one to destroy it so easily even if they intended to do so! "You are unlikely to defeat him in that aspect, so... avoid any duels that concerns ones vision or discernment ability." The young man added, "Right! So that means that ws identification and cultivation guidance are out of question!" His friend continued his analysis. "Ok. Moving on to the second test, he managed to persuade the Otherworldly Demon via his Impartation of Heavens Will. This means that his Soul Depth is extraordinary... Therefore, you shouldntpete with him in Soul Depth or knowledge impartation!" To be able to persuade an Otherworldly Demon tomit suicide with just mere words, this meant that the other partys Soul Depth and mastery of Impartation of Heavens Will had reached an astounding level. If the young man were topete with Zhang shi over this, it was likely that the scene with the Otherworldly Demon might rey. His friend summarized his analysis and gave his final evaluation. "As for the third test and fourth test... Even though very little can be said about those tests, it shows that he possesses outstanding wisdom and intelligence. As such, it is likely that his understanding of cultivation is superior. Thus... in conclusion, I think that you should justpete with him in a physical duel!" "Indeed. If I were to challenge him in a physical duel, considering that hes only at Yin-Yang realm pinnacle while Im at rifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage, it shouldnt be a problem for me to triumph over him!" The young mans eyes lit up upon seeing a ray of hope. Since there was no way to win via the other dueling format, that leaves him with only one option... Physical duel! Considering that his cultivation was higher than the other party, he was at an advantageous position. "But... he has a chance to reject the dueling format that I propose once. What if he were to do so?" After celebrating for a short moment, the young man suddenly thought of a possibility and his smile copsed. Even though the Myriad Kingdom Alliance didnt have any say in the selection of the dueling format, especially since they were in thest ce the previous Master Teacher Tournament, their participants were still entitled the right to reject a proposed dueling format once. If he were to propose a physical duel and the other party disagrees to it, wouldnt he be limited to those few other dueling formats once again? His friend smiled. "Are you a fool? There are many types of physical duel! You can simply propose a fist duel, and after he rejects it, you can go on and propose a sword duel. There is no way hell be able to reject you then. Given that youre ranked first in terms of swordsmanship in our sect, there is no way that you will lose to him in a sword duel!" "Thats right!" Regaining his confidence, the young mans eyes lit up once more. "Thank you for your suggestions. When I defeat him and proceed on to the top ten, Ill surely pay back this favor. Wait for the news of my victory!" Saying which, he walked over to the D stage with a confident smile on his face. ... "I am Wu Tianhao from Soaring Cloud Sect. May Zhang shi guide me well!" Stepping onto the stage, the young man sped his fist. "Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response. "May I know what kind of dueling format Wu shi has chosen?" "I wish to challenge you in a fist duel!" Following by his friends advice, the corners of Wu Tianhaos lips crept up. "Fist duel?" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Sure!" "You dont agree to it? Fine, well have a... Ah?" Wu Tianhao was excitedly prattling on when he suddenly came to realization and froze. "Did you just... agree to my proposed dueling format?" "I did, you proposed a fist duel, right? Lets start then!" Zhang Xuan nodded. In truth, Zhang Xuan could tell what the other party was up to-it was simply too obvious! But in any case, it didnt make a difference to him at all. "..." Wu Tianhaos body swayed weakly. Why cant you followmon sense? Thats cheating, too, you know! Youre supposed to reject my initial proposal so that we can conduct a sword duel... How can you agree to it so readily! I was thinking that I could defeat you with my ethereal swordsmanship, but you just had to wreck my ns... But its fine this way as well! Even though my fist art iscking aspared to my sword art, it isnt too weak either. At the very most, Ill just have to use my full strength from the very start. Lets see how youre going to withstand that! The other party was two small cultivation realms weaker than him, and further, there was a qualitative difference between Yin-Yang realm and rifying Turbidity realm as well. As such, Wu Tianhao didnt believe that Zhang Xuan could possibly win the fist duel. "Since youve agreed to it, lets start then!" Having made up his mind, Wu Tianhao drove his cultivation, and in an instant, the aura surrounding him surged. For an instant, an image of a majestic tiger stepping out of the woods came into the minds of the onlooker. Clenching his fists tightly, he charged forward. Chapter 589: Accidentally Used Too Much Force Chapter 589: identally Used Too Much Force Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What? Why did Zhang shi agree to a duel of fist art?" Seeing the situation on the stage clearly, Pavilion Master Kang panicked. The main reason why he didnt think that Zhang shi would be able to win the champion spot was because he knew that such a thing would happen. In the end, thetters cultivation was simply too weak. This weakness of his would surely be exploited by his opponents. The foundation to fighting was ones cultivation, and no matter how formidable Zhang shis Soul Depth or other qualities were, it would be of minimal help to him in a straightforward duel! "Indeed, he was definitely rash to have epted the duel..." Su shi and Ling shi remarked with an awfulplexion. While the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, given its ranking in the previous tournament, didnt have any say in the dueling format, Zhang shi still had an opportunity to reject the dueling format. Even though the other party proposed a physical duel, he could have rejected it! On the other hand, Zhao Feiwu had already seen through the ploy of the master teachers and smiled bitterly in response. "Actually... it doesnt make a difference at all!" "Hmm?" Frowning, the group turned around to look at Zhao Feiwu. As long as it wasnt a physical duel, given Zhang shis astounding talents in all other aspects, there was no way he would lose! So why wouldnt it make a difference? "Knowing that the greatest weakness of Zhang shi is his cultivation realm, how could the other party possibly give up on such an ideal opportunity? If Zhang shi had rejected the duel of fist art, theres a high chance that the other party wouldve proposed a duel of spear, a duel of saber, or something along those lines... He might be able to avoid it once, but he wouldnt be able to do it the second time!" Zhao Feiwu said. Even though she had never been to a Master Teacher Tournament before, she had read many books on it, and she had a good grasp on its rules. "This..." The faces of Su shi, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others froze. They had overlooked this due to their anxiety. Besides, as honorable master teachers, they didnt expect Zhang shis opponent to actually exploit the loopholes in the rules in such a manner. Upon realizing this fact from Zhao Feiwus words, their faces immediately puffed crimson in rage. "Despicable!" Ling shi bellowed, "How can they be so despicable!" "But they are still ying within the rules. In the end, this is still a tournament after all. It is natural that they would use whatever means they could to achieve victory." Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. "We can only hope for a miracle to happen now..." "Miracle? How can a miracle happen so easily? Putting aside how Zhang shi has barely reached Yin-Yang realm pinnacle and it is unlikely that he has fully reinforced his cultivation yet, just the fact that there is a huge gap of two small cultivation realms between them already makes it nigh impossible for him to achieve victory..." Su shi shook his head. There was a huge difference even in every small cultivation realm of the Transcendent Mortal realm, not to mention, a full cultivation realm. A Yin-Yang pinnacle cultivator only possesses 800,000 ding of strength whereas a rifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage expert harnesses an immense might of 1,200,000 ding. That was a difference of 400,000 ding! This was a gap that mere luck couldnt hope to cover. "Indeed, the gap between the two of them is simply too great. I dont think it is possible for Zhang shi to reverse the situation as well... Ah?" Pavilion Master Kang shook his head in dismay as the thought of Zhang shi falling in defeat dominated his mind. However, in the next instant, his body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes slowly widened in shock. "Whats wrong?" Su shi was baffled by Pavilion Master Kangs sudden reaction. "Look at the stage..." said Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly. "At the stage?" Su shi quickly raised his gaze, only to see Zhang Xuan standing alone on the D stage. His opponent, Wu Tianhao, was nowhere to be seen. "Where is the opponent he is fighting against?" Su shi asked bewilderedly. How in the world did that fellow disappear in the blink of an eye? One must know that leaving the stage after the start of the duel meant instant disqualification! "He... He..." With trembling lips, Pavilion Master Kang pointed in the sky and said, "Hes flying up there..." "Flying?" Guangdang! Su shi and the others nearly fell to the ground. Flying? Are you saying that that fellow is a Saint? The group traced Pavilion Master Kangs finger and looked up, and in an instant, a bizarre expression appeared on their faces. There was indeed a ck human silhouette soaring freely in the sky. At this point, he was already around a hundred meters above ground level, but his ascension didnt seem to be stopping anytime soon. If that fellow in the sky was nning an attack, there was no reason for him to soar so high up. On top of that, he was shrieking non-stop as though he had seen a ghost. Furthermore, he was ascending backward instead of forward, as though a ball which was sent flying with a kick. "Whats going on?" Su shi could no longer hold back his intrigue any longer. "Zhang shi... lightly pushed him up, and he just suddenly... started flying!" Pavilion Master Kangs lips were twitching uncontrobly. Even though he had seen it happen personally, he still found it hard to believe his eyes. That rifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage cultivator had driven his cultivation to its maximum capacity and shot a punch straight at Zhang shi. The might of the fist art was so great that even an expert of Pavilion Master Kangs caliber would have to go on the defensive. But... Zhang shi didnt even attempt to avoid the punch at all. Instead, he faced it with a casual rising trajectory palm strike, and in the next moment... That fellow was already soaring into the sky... "Lightly pushed him up?" Su shi, Ling shi, Jin Conghai, and the others stared at one another in confusion. They felt as though they were listening to a foreignnguage, and in an instant, they were all left dumbfounded. Transcendent Mortal 4-dan intermediate stage, that was roughly their cultivation realm as well. Furthermore, the other party was a master teacher like them, meaning his eye of discernment and capability wouldnt pale inparison to them at all. And yet, with a light push from Zhang shi, he was actually sent flying? Why did it sound as though it hade out from a fantasy novel? No matter how they tried to process this information, it simply sounded too ridiculous to them! ... They werent the only ones who were left dumbstruck. At this very instant, the entire square waspletely silent. In truth, everyone also felt angered by Wu Tianhaos shameless action of proposing a duel of fist art, but upon seeing this sight, their eyeballs nearly popped out. What just happened? They had considered the possibility of Zhang shi achieving a victory, but that should have been a difficult one after trading innumerable blows. Yet, to send Wu Tianhao flying with a light push, as though he was simply throwing a pebble, could this all be a dream? When did a rifying Turbidity realm expert be such a pushover? "No, its because of Zhang shis formidable eye of discernment!" "He used Wu shis strength against him to send him flying!" "Thats right. He saw through the other partys technique in an instant and used the momentum of the other partys movements against him to send him flying... This technique is the ideal example of curbing force with skill!" "But everything happened in an instant, how did he manage to react so quickly?" Soon, there were quite a few people who managed to put the pieces together, but this did little to alleviate their shock. Everything was over in a sh, but there were a fair number of 4-star master teachers present in the square, and every single one of them possessed outstanding eye of discernment. Wu Tianhao had put all of his strength into that single fist, but... As the saying goes, the branch that does not bend is the first to break. While thoughtless flexibility cannd one in a disadvantageous position, ack of flexibility can leave one vulnerable. Zhang shi had seen through the ws of his battle technique instantaneously and exploited them. Thus, even before his fist could even connect, he was already sent flying. And so... the sight of the flying man urred. Seeing this sight, the eyelids of Wu Tianhaos friend twitched violently, and he nearly spewed blood. If only hed known that this fellow was so formidable, he would have never proposed a physical duel. Even if Wu Tianhao wasnt injured by that palm strike, judging from how high he was flying... even if he wasnt crushed into minced meat, he would surely be crippled. Could it be that... he was the legendary pig-like teammate? Just as he was filled with self-reproach, Wu Tianhao finally came to the peak of his ascension, and began falling instead. He fell headfirst into the roof of the Alliance Head Residence, and amidst a cloak of dust and screams of agony reminiscent of butchered pigs, he disappeared from view. "Junior Tianhao..." Leaping in fright, Wu shis friend hurriedly dashed toward the direction where Wu shi disappeared. But before he could get far, a voice tinged with embarrassment was suddenly heard from the D stage. "Um, pardon me... I identally used too much force..." Pu! identally used too much force? Hearing those words, everyone nearly copsed to the ground. You are the weaker one here, the one with the lower cultivation realm. You knocked a person with higher cultivation realm flying, and you still said that you identally used too much force... The more Wu shis friend thought about it, the more frenzied he felt. It was as if that fellow wasnt content with just smashing through every single test in the preliminary selection. At the start of the dueling round, he even had to knock a cultivator two small cultivation realms higher than him up into the air... What kind of monster was this fellow? Where did the fairness in the world go to? While he was feeling so stifled that he could go insane, Zhang Xuan was gued with frustration as well. That fellow simply charged straight at him with all of his might as soon as the duel began. If it was anyone else, they might have really been forced into a disadvantageous position instantly. But in truth, that attack posed no threat to him at all. With a might of 1,000,000 ding from his zhenqi cultivation and 1,600,000 ding from his soul cultivation, he was able to harness an immense might of 2,600,000 ding in total. This was on par with a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage expert, it would be a miracle if that fellow could withstand it. But at the same time, he knew that if he were to send the other party flying in a frontal confrontation, it might incur some doubts. As such, he chose to utilize the Eye of Insight to search for an opening in the other partys technique so as to throw him off the stage... However, he still underestimated that fellows strength. On top of that, he hadnt had many opportunities to test out his strength ever since the advancement in his cultivation, and thus, he didnt have a clear grasp of his strength yet. As such, he identally put in a little more force... Falling from such a high altitude, even if the other party was a rifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage cultivator, he would still suffer grievous wounds. While it was unlikely that he would die from this ordeal, he would probably be bound to his bed for the next two months. Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan really didnt do it intentionally. His face-off with clone, which ended in a tragic defeat for him, had given him a skewed impression of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts. How could he have known that that fellow would actually fly so far... "Forget it. Hong shi, does this count as my victory?" Since what was done was done, there was no use being conflicted over it. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Hong shi and asked. "Y-yes, youve won!" Hong shis lips twitched. It seemed the other partys destructive capability didnt differentiate between artifacts and humans... He wasnt the only one harboring such thoughts. The eyebrows of the other participating master teachers on the stage were also twitching uncontrobly. "By no means should we ever fight with this fellow!" "Youre right, but... if we dont challenge him to a physical duel, what else can we challenge him in?" "Ive no idea as well. But in any case, a physical duel is out of question. Otherwise, who knows what kind of tragic fate could befall us..." ... While everyone was astounded by Zhang shis amazing feats in the preliminary selection, they didnt think that he was much of a threat. After all, the other party was a mere Yin-Yang realm pinnacle cultivator. As long as they unleashed their full strength, defeating him shouldnt be a problem at all... But reality couldnt be any further than that... Wu Tianhao was a clear example. Just thinking about Wu Tianhaos plight was already sufficient to send shivers down their spines. Since Zhang Xuan finished his duel early, he turned his attention to the other stages. In this round, his pair was the only one who resorted to a physical duel. The other pairs chose to battle it out through other means. In fact, there was even a pair who chose the unconventional discourse duel. On top of a deep understanding toward cultivation, master teachers must also possess broad knowledge. The format of discourse duel is simr to Pill Discourse. Both parties would pose questions to one another, and the side that failed to answer correctly first would be deemed the loser. To ensure greater equity, the duel consisted of a total of three rounds, and the side that won two rounds was the overall winner. In the discourse duel, the other master teacher from Fleeting Cloud Sect achieved victory. After realizing that there were actually minimal differences among the different dueling formats, Zhang Xuan quickly lost his interest. Sometimeter, Hong shis voice sounded. "Alright, since weve decided on the top sixteen, well take an hour of rest before proceeding on to the next round to determine the top eight!" "The results of the top sixteen are out?" Just as Zhang Xuan was curious to see who was in the top sixteen, he suddenly noticed Ruohuan gongzi walking over with a worried expression. Chapter 590: Zhao Feiwus Analysis Chapter 590: Zhao Feiwus Analysis Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang shi..." Walking up to Zhang Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "I have something to request of you!" "Feel free to speak!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. While he did have some misunderstandings with this proud genius of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they had resolved most of their grudges back in the cier in Court. Furthermore, as fellow participants representing Myriad Kingdom Alliance, if he could be of help, he wouldnt reject it. "Initially, I dont bear much hope in reaching the top ten. However... now that Im already in the top sixteen, if I dont at least give it a try, I will regret it for life..." Ruohuan gongzis face reddened. Having picked A1, he was able to advance to the next round unconditionally. Humans are born with desire. If he had been defeated in the previous round, he wouldnt have been so conflicted. Now that he was already in the top sixteen-a victory away from getting into the top ten-he couldnt help but harbor some hope. "... But the one Im fighting against in the next match is Qin Lei of White Helios Sect!" With a distressed expression, Ruohuan gongzi uttered gloomily, "I dont have the confidence to defeat him!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at Ruohuan gongzi and asked, "Qin Lei? The person who is ranked third on the list?" He had seen this name on the list that Pavilion Master Kang gave him previously. Qin Lei was a genius of White Helios Sect. As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher and a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, he was only below Fleeting Cloud Sects Luo Xuan and the Frigid Gale Sects Liao Wuzhi on the list, and he was a popr contender for the champion spot as well. "Yes!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded his head. "If thats the case, it would indeed be difficult for you to defeat him!" Zhang Xuan frowned. While Ruohuan gongzi improved immensely in the past two months, reaching Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle as well, it would still be difficult for him topete against disciples of huge sects like his current opponent. After all, there was a huge gap in the resources they were entitled to over many years, and two months ofst-minute training was far from sufficient to cover the gap. "Thus, I wish to seek Zhang shis guidance... Regardless of whether Im able to defeat him or not, youll have my gratitude!" Ruohuan gongzi quickly said. Zhang shi had truly fared impressively in this tournament. Even the most popr contenders such as Luo Xuan and Liao Wuzhi found themselves being outshone. If there was someone who could bring him the closest to sess, it wasnt his teacher Pavilion Master Kang but the young man standing before him at this instant. "I can offer you pointers, just that..." At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head before continuing, "... given that we dont even know the content of the duel, how can I offer you any effective pointers?" There were many different dueling formats to the Master Teacher Tournament, and given that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was ranked in thest ce in the previous tournament, Ruohuan gongzi didnt have the right to choose. Under such circumstances, he could only go along with the proposed dueling format from the other party, so how could Zhang Xuan offer any effective guidance? After all, the bare minimum to preparing a winning hand was to know what cards the other party had up his sleeves. Otherwise, even if a 6-star or 7-star master teacher were to be present here, he would surely bepletely helpless in the face of this situation. Even if Zhang Xuan wished to be of help, there was nothing he could do! Ruohuan gongzi hesitated for a moment before saying, "In the previous round, the person he faced was Wu Qing from True Breath Sect. The both of them were nearly equals, so he proposed knowledge impartation and won through it. Against me... I think theres a good chance he might choose a physical duel so as to be spared the effort!" Wu Qing was also another master teacher whose name was listed in the top ten of the list, but due to his bad luck, he met with Qin Lei in the very first round and ended up being eliminated. As the both of them were nearly equally-matched, Qin Lei proposed knowledge impartation. But against Ruohuan gongzi, it was unlikely that Qin Lei would go through that much trouble; the chances were that he would outright propose a physical duel. Even though the both of them were Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, the other party had more years of experience behind him. Not to mention, the resources that White Helios Sect provided the other party was far greater than Ruohuan gongzis. Thus, it was likely for Ruohuan gongzi to be the weaker one in all aspects, be it battle technique or power control. As such, his guess was actually rather logical. There was indeed a high possibility that the other party would propose a physical duel against him. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. If it was really a physical duel, then things could be solved easily. It was a walk in the park for him to raise the other partys fighting prowess up a notch within the next hour. However... what if it wasnt a physical duel? Wouldnt all preparation be done in vain? Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to say something, Pavilion Master Kang called over to them. "Zhang shi, Ruohuan, have some food first!" Turning around, they realized that most of the master teachers had already departed from the stage to rest their wearied bodies and regain their energy. "Lets head down first!" There was no use discussing this matter when nothing was confirmed at all. Thus, the duo walked down the stage. The Alliance Head Residence had prepared quite a luxurious spread. There was even spirit beast meat, an extremely effective nourishment in recovering ones expended zhenqi. Upon seeing the feast, Zhang Xuan felt his stomach grumble. "What were you two talking about?" Zhao Feiwu asked the duo with a light smile. "Oh, Ruohuan gongzi is facing Qin Lei from the White Helios Sect in the next match, and he hopes that I can offer him some pointer for it. However, we dont know what dueling format the other party is likely to choose," Zhang Xuan replied as he filled his mouth with the delicacies before him. "What kind of dueling format?" Zhao Feiwu cupped her chin, and after a moment of contemtion, she replied, "I think that... it is likely to beprehension of cultivation!" "Comprehension of cultivation?" Zhang Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others in the surroundings turned to look at her. In truth, most of them had agreed with Ruohuan gongzis view that the other party would choose physical duel. As such, they were intrigued to see that someone had a different viewpoint from theirs. "Comprehension of cultivation? But that is a very troublesome duel to hold, and the evaluation is extremely tricky as well. Very few people would choose that kind of dueling format!" Su shi replied. There were many ways aprehension of cultivation duel could be held, such as interpreting a battle technique, interpreting a cultivation technique, and so on... But regardless of which one it was, it was extremely time-consuming and effort-consuming. More importantly, there were many differing viewpoints regarding the topic, and they could all be correct at the same time. In other words, as long as ones interpretation wasnt too off the mark, it would be hard to decide on a winner. On top of that, as 4-star pinnacle master teachers, it was impossible for their understanding of cultivation to be too far off the mark. As such, there were very few who would opt for such a troublesome dueling format. "Tell us more about it!" But still, while the princess before him wascking in cultivation, Zhang Xuan knew that she was an avid reader, and she had shown that she was particrly astute in guessing the thoughts of others on multiple asions as well. "The basis behind my deduction is simple-it depends on what he hopes to achieve in this tournament!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled mysteriously. "What he hopes to achieve?" Ruohuan gongzi was taken aback. "Wouldnt it be winning the champion seat?" The greatest glory one could derive from the Master Teacher Tournament would be to win the champion seat. As one of the most popr contenders for the position, it would be natural for Qin Lei to be eyeing that seat! "Youre right, but what do you know is his greatest obstruction to his goal at the moment?" Zhao Feiwus eyes narrowed into crescents as she turned her beautiful face toward the young man before her. "You mean... Zhang shi?" There was no one present in this square who would offer a different answer than that at this point. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to use the word rampage to summarize Zhang Xuans performance in the preliminary selection. And after the first dueling round, there was no one else who thought that they could exploit his low cultivation. With this, he had be the strongest contender for the champion seat, standing above even Luo Xuan. Thus, the greatest obstruction Qin Lei would face in bing the champion was indubitably him. "Indeed. Since his goal is Zhang shi, naturally, he doesnt view you as a threat. Thus, in the first ce... he has never really thought of you as an equal before!" Zhao Feiwu said. Ruohuan gongzis face reddened. Even though those words were indeed hurtful, he knew that it was true. Given the disparity between both of their capabilities, the other party indeed had nothing to fear of him. "However, given that you came from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and his goal is to defeat Zhang shi... there is a good chance he will use Zhang shis greatest strength to defeat you so as to taunt him!" Zhao Feiwu continued. "My greatest strength?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words. "Un. Even though you have shown outstanding aptitude in multiple aspects such as your temperament and wisdom, without a doubt, your greatest strength is your intelligence and Impartation of Heavens Will!" "Thats right!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. Zhang shi had performed impressively throughout the tournament, but these two factors were what that left the deepest mark on the onlookers. Using Impartation of Heavens Will to persuade an Otherworldly Demon to kill himself; defeating the puppet of the Celestial Chest with a single move. On the other hand, destroying the Ghost Domain Illusory City didnt really reflect much about Zhang shis capability, especially given that the other participants hadnt had the chance to undergo it themselves, whereas memorizing twenty thousand books was due to his strong background. These two feats paled inparison to the former two. "Impartation of Heavens Will is highly tied to ones Soul Depth, so even if he thought that he could defeat you in that aspect, it would unlikely to be spectacr... but intelligence is different! A master teachers intelligence is usually reflected through the depth of his understanding of cultivation, and if he could perform outstandingly in that aspect, he might be able to steal the spotlight from Zhang shi. This is a good opportunity for him, so I believe that theres a good chance that he will grasp it!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled as she revealed her analysis. "Rather, I think that a physical duel would be one of the less likely options for him. After all, it is unseemly for a refined master teacher to be engaged in physical brawls. It wouldnt reflect well on him even if he were to win!" "Youre right!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Zhao Feiwu seemed to have grasped the other partys thoughts urately, and her words seemed to fit perfectly as though a jigsaw puzzle. "Your analysis is right, but how would a duel involvingprehension of cultivation be carried out? After all, we cant possibly find a manual on the spot and decipher it..." Ruohuan gongzi asked in bafflement. The most direct way for to determine whoseprehension of cultivation is deeper would be for the duo to decipher the same book, but... which book would they choose? After all, wouldnt the result be biased no matter which book is chosen? "There are other ways to measure onesprehension of cultivation. If I recall correctly, theres a dueling format known as... w Identification, right?" Zhao Feiwu replied with a smile. "w identification? You mean... the dueling format where both sides each execute a battle technique, and the respective opponents point out the ws in the executed technique, and whoever manages to point out more ws is the winner?" Ruohuan gongzi was stunned. "But... that requires one to have an exceptional eye of discernment and profoundprehension of cultivation. Usually, only higher rank master teachers would do it for lower rank master teachers. For him to point out my ws..." He didnt finish his words, but what he wanted to express couldnt be any clearer. They were both 4-star pinnacle master teacher. For the other party to actually boast of correcting Ruohuan gongzis mistake, wasnt he being a little too arrogant? "Indeed. Dont worry, since this Qin Lei wishes to win the spotlight and outshine Zhang shi, there is a very good chance he will choose this dueling format!" Zhao Feiwu smiled. Since the other party was aiming for the champion seat, he had to shatter the heavy pressure Zhang Xuan was exerting on him first. And for this, Ruohuan gongzi, who was a fellow representative of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, served as the perfect stepping stone. Only by using the most arrogant way to step down on Ruohuan gongzi would his own strength be emphasized. Only through this way could he finally get on equal footing with Zhang shi. "..." Ruohuan gongzi had a bitter look on his face. What was this? He thought that he would at least be respected as a fellowpetitor in the Master Teacher Tournament given the massive rise in his cultivation, but in the end, the other party only regarded as a mere stepping stone. "The heck, Ill screw him over!" The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. Gritting his teeth, Ruohuan gongzi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "If this is the dueling format, does Zhang shi have any ideas as to how I can achieve victory?" To actually challenge a master teacher of equivalent rank to a match of w identification... the other party was indeed hubristic. But while Ruohuan gongzi hated to admit it, he had no confidence to face the other party in such a match-off. Thus, he entrusted his hopes to the young man before him who had created miracles time and time again. "Ideas?" Zhang Xuan frowned. After a moment of thought, his eyes lit up, and a peculiar smile appeared on his face. "I do have an idea, but it wont be easy to carry out!" "Oh? As long as I can defeat it, Id do anything no matter how difficult it is!" Hearing that the other party had an idea in mind, Ruohuan gongzis eyes lit up. He quickly stood up and bowed sincerely. "Zhang shi, I humbly seek your guidance..." "Er... Alright then!" Zhang Xuan casually picked up the bowl of meat soup which he was half-done with and passed it over. "Take this and pour it over your opponent!" "Ah? Pour it... over Qin shi?" Ruohuan gongzis eyes widened in shock. Chapter 591: A Supernatural Occurrence? Chapter 591: A Supernatural urrence? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I asked you to teach me how to defeat Qin Lei in the duel, why are you telling me to pour meat soup over him instead? Big Brother, Im a master teacher, not a thug! To conduct such shameless actions... Besides, if I were to do that, I would only enrage the other party. What use would it be to the duel? Ruohuan gongzi thought that Zhang Xuan would at least offer a decent solution given his astounding means, but never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be so... unreliable! If he were to really do so, his reputation would immediately plummet to rock-bottom! He wasnt the only one feeling light-headed, Pavilion Master Kang and the others also widened their eyes in shock. Pouring soup over the other party? What kind of move is that? Perplexed, they instinctively turned their eyes over to Zhao Feiwu, in hopes for an exnation. Given how thetter was able to analyze Qin Leis thoughts logically a moment ago, she might be able to do the same this time round too! But with a single nce, they staggered. Zhao Feiwus eyes were so widened in shock that they could simply snap out of their sockets anytime now. She was as dumbfounded by Zhang shis words as they were. While her cultivation wascking, she possessed incredible wisdom that allowed her to make sense out of most situations... but what in the world does this pour it over your opponent mean? This... The gap in logic was simply too huge for me to follow! The dueling format is likely to be w identification, and Ruohuan gongzi hopes to win the match... And so, you instructed thetter to pour meat soup over his opponent. Something just doesnt sound right here! How the heck am I supposed to analyze such a ridiculous situation? "You arent willing? Then I cant help you either..." Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. He had already offered a solution; if the other party was unwilling to carry it out, there was nothing he could do. While White Helios Sects Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi had onceid his hands on Zheng Yang and the others, he had already been punished on the spot, and Zhang Xuan didnt think there was any need to implicate the juniors in this matter. The reason why he was helping Ruohuan gongzi was solely out of their rtionship. If the other party wasnt willing to reciprocate, he didnt wish to push his ground either. Ruohuan gongzi knew that the only hope he had at victory at this point was to follow Zhang shis instructions. Clenching his fists, he asked, "If I do as you said... can Zhang shi really guarantee my victory?" "Guarantee? No one can guarantee anything. If you believe in me, do as I say. Otherwise, we can just drop the matter!" Zhang Xuan continued eating. If Zhao Feiwus analysis turned out to be urate, and the other party really intended to p his face, then he was confident that his n would bring Ruohuan gongzi to victory. Otherwise... it would prove to be futile. "This..." Ruohuan gongzi fell into contemtion, but it didnt take too long for him to make up his mind. Gritting his teeth, he dered, "Alright, Ill go!" The top ten would get a chance to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. If he could grasp this opportunity, he would surely achieve incredible aplishments in the future. If he let it slip through his fingers... Bing a 5-star master teacher could possibly remain an obstacle that he would never ovee in his lifetime. Weighing that against Qin Lei... his wrath did seem insignificant inparison. The world is like a race to get to the top of a pyramid; the further you advance, the morepetition you will face. If Ruohuan gongzi didnt make a move, the other party would simply take him as a stepping stone. Fairness doesnt exist in this world. If one were to keep thinking of the welfare of others, one could never hope to climb to the top. "Cough cough. Ruohuan, you should reconsider this..." Hearing that his student was really going to pour meat soup over Qin Lei, Pavilion Master Kangs eyebrows twitched. "I fear that if you were to do that, Qin shi would beat you to death... and our rtionship with White Helios Sect would be a goner!" Ruohuan gongzis lips twitched. Indeed. If he were to do so, the other party might just smash him into a lump of meat paste. "Would you simply remain still as he tries to beat you? You have legs, run! Besides, there are so many master teachers watching, he wont dare do anything overboard... Besides, you should have confidence in your physical resilience, you wont die that easily!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "In any case, Im here so you dont have anything to worry about. I can guarantee you that as long as you run away after that, hell allow you to leave without beating you up!" "..." Ruohuan gongzi. Without beating me up? Hahaha... "Alright then!" Knowing that he had no other choice but to listen to Zhang shi to win, Ruohuan gongzi tossed aside his hesitation. Gritting his teeth, he took the bowl of meat soup and walked over to Qin Lei. Somehow, it seemed to reflect the deste sight of a soldier marching to his own doom. Seeing him walk toward Qin Lei, the lips of Pavilion Master Kang and the others couldnt help but twitch. While they had faith in Zhang shi, this was... a little too much! "Zhang shi... will he really be fine?" Zhao Feiwu couldnt help but ask. "How can he be fine?" Grabbing a piece of meat and stuffing it into his mouth, Zhang Xuan replied with a slightly muffled voice. "How can he be fine?" The crowds eyelids twitched violently. If it wasnt fine, why did you instruct Ruohuan gongzi over? Are you that intent on seeing his sorry plight? The expression on everyones faces clearly said that they would never let him go if he didnt exin this matter clearly to them. Thus, Zhang Xuan began speaking. "Your analysis is logical. Theres an eighty percent chance that Qin shi will choose w identification as the dueling format... however, theres still a twenty percent room of error!" "Un!" Zhao Feiwu nodded in agreement. No matter how logical her deduction was, she wasnt Qin Lei and she couldnt read his thoughts precisely. It was possible for the other party to have other thoughts in mind regarding this matter. "If I were to pour a bowl of meat soup on you to provoke you, what would you do?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I would... beat you up!" Zhao Feiwu replied. "Indeed, that is likely to be Qin Leis reaction too. However, looking at it from another perspective, such an action could be considered as a direct signal from Ruohuan gongzi that he wants a physical duel. As a 4-star master teacher, Qin Lei will surely deduce this much... Under such circumstances, how do you think hell react?" "This..." Everyone was stunned. Pouring a bowl of meat soup on someone-that is a clear act of provocation. To be provoked before the duel, it was clear that his opponent wanted him to propose a physical duel... It would be hard to believe that Ruohuan gongzi didnt have anything up his sleeves given such circumstances. While Qin Lei might be confident in his fighting prowess as well, Ruohuan gongzis actions would surely sprout a seed of doubt in his mind. Given how much he wanted the champion seat, he would surely choose to opt for another dueling format so as to avoid any possible mishaps. At the same time, this would also reflect his magnanimity and create a positive impression of himself. "At the same time, if Qin shi were to attempt to hit Ruohuan gongzi after being poured with meat soup, well be able to analyze his movements. If so, we can make some preparations for the duelter on!" Zhang Xuan said. If the other party didnt execute a battle technique, he would be unable to peer into the other partys ws. And in a normal and fair duel, it was nigh impossible for Ruohuan gongzi to win Qin Lei. On the other hand, if Qin Lei were to execute his battle technique out of rage, a book on him would be formed in the Library of Heavens Path, and Zhang Xuan would be able to exploit his ws. As for whether Ruohuan gongzi would be beaten up or not, that wouldnt be any of his business. Ruohuan gongzi would just have to treat it as the price of victory. "I see..." Hearing the exnation, everyone came to a realization, and they widened their eyes in admiration. They thought that Zhao Feiwus analysis was already impressive, but Zhang shis thoughts were clearly deeper and more thorough. Within a short period of time, not only did he realize the possible errors in Zhao Feiwus analysis, he even found a way to cover it up while executing his n... Incredible! It was fortunate that he was on the same line as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance; the group shuddered at the thought of facing an opponent like that. "Look, its starting!" At that moment, Su shi suddenly pointed forward. Everyone turned their gazes over, and at this moment, Ruohuan gongzi was already standing before Qin Lei. At this moment, Qin Lei was also in the midst of his meal. Perplexed to see his opponent carrying a bowl toward him, he was a little stunned. "Qin shi, nice to meet you!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded. "Y-you too!" Qin Lei frowned. "Before we start on our duel, Id like to discuss something with you..." Ruohuan gongzi said politely. "Discuss something with me? What is it? If you wish to admit defeat now, theres no need for it!" Qin Lei harrumphed coldly. But before he could finish speaking, a steaming hot liquid came flying toward him, drenching his robe. "The heck!" In that instant, it was as if something within Qin Lei had snapped, and frenzy overtook his rationality. He thought that that fellow was here to admit defeat in hopes that his pride could be spared on the stageter on. Never in his dreams did he expect a bowl of steaming meat soup toe flying toward him instead... "Ill kill you..." Roaring furiously, he immediately drove his zhenqi and a powerful aura came gushing out. He raised his palm and directed it toward Ruohuan gongzi forcefully. Hu! But Ruohuan gongzi was already prepared for this. He immediately leaped to the side and ran away. "Pardon me, Qin shi. I didnt do it on purpose, I simply lost my grip on the bowl..." "..." ck lines streaked across everyones face. To carry a bowl of meat soup over for no reason, and you say it wasnt intentional? Not to mention, you were around two to three meters away from the other party. For the meat soup to travel that distance despite it being a slip of your hands... youre incredible! Touch your conscience and ask yourself if you can believe that excuse! "Damn it..." After hearing those words, Qin Leis rage flurried. Just as he was about to rush over to kill that fellow, an elder suddenly stopped him. "Elder Zhou..." Seeing that the one stopping him was an elder of his sect, Qin Lei hurriedly stopped. "Dont fall for the other partys ploy..." Elder Zhou spoke to him through zhenqi telepathy. "Fall for the other partys ploy?" Qin Lei was taken aback. "Indeed. The other party is clearlying over intentionally to provoke you. If you were to strike him now, there is a good chance that you might be stripped of your qualification as a participant in the tournament!" Elder Zhou said. As a prestigious event held every decade, the Master Teacher Tournament had strict rules. If participants were to fight out of their match, there was a chance that they might be stripped of their qualification. "But..." Qin Leis body froze. He understood the logic behind it, but he still found it hard to suppress his anger. As a proud 4-star pinnacle master teacher to be sttered with meat soup, it would be a wonder if he wasnt angry! "With the death of our sect leader, our White Helios Sect is currently facing its greatest crisis. You must get into the top ten in this tournament, or else... itll only be a matter of time before our sect is annexed by the other powers!" Elder Zhou spoke gravely. He was present in the confrontation against Zhang shi that day, and the sight of Yang shi killing their sect leader was still fresh in his mind. Having offended a usible 8-star master teacher, their White Helios Sect was facing the greatest cmity in its existence. Their only hope at this point was for Qin Lei to sessfully get into the top ten! Once he got into Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other powers would have to reconsider their options beforeying their hands on them. "Since that fellow is here to provoke you, he must have some kind of ace up his sleeves. Or else, he might have already given up on the tournament and he wishes to pull you down with him!" Elder Zhou continued. "You mustnt fall for his ploy!" "Then what should I do?" Qin Leis heart jolted, and he immediately forced himself to calm down. "Theres no need to get even with him immediately. We should first continue on with the idea we decided upon and confirm the spot in the top ten. After the tournament, you can always challenge him to a [Master Teacher Confrontation], or even a... [Life-and-Death Battle]!" Elder Zhou harrumphed. "By then, he will be in your palms, and you will be able to do whatever you want with him. Even if you were to tear him into pieces, there would be no one to stop you!" "This..." Qin Lei hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth in savagery. "Alright, Ill challenge him to a Life-and-Death Duel after the tournament. If I dont kill him, I wont be called Qin Lei!" ... "Hmm? He actually didnt chase me?" After a moment, Ruohuan gongzi turned around and saw that no one was behind him. At this moment, he suddenly recalled what Zhang shi said. "Is this a... supernatural urrence?" Chapter 592: Beguiling (1) Chapter 592: Beguiling (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though he didnt know whether it was a supernatural urrence or not, one thing was for sure-Zhang shis judgement was spot-on. For this, he was extremely awed with the other partys foresight. In the past, he had been reveling in his position as the number one genius of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and he thought that there was no one in the world who could best him. But after seeing this young man, he realized that he was still far from matching up to true geniuses. Returning back to the group, Ruohuan gongzi respectfully sped his fist and asked, "Zhang shi, what do I do now?" "Sit down and eat!" Zhang Xuan gestured. Ruohuan gongzi was dumbstruck. You got me to pour meat soup over the other party to provoke him; going to such an extent, I thought that you would have some incredible n in mind, and yet... youre asking me to eat now? "Your match is about to start, and youll only have the strength to fight once youre full. Without energy, how do you expect to emerge victorious against your opponent?" Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes. There was only an hour of resting time, and it was about toe to an end. If he didnt hurry, the tournament was going to resume. "Alright!" With no other better idea in mind, Ruohuan gongzi could only follow the other partys instruction. He sat down and began to eat ravenously. The dinner prepared by the Alliance Head Residence was indeed sumptuous. Soon, they were full, and by then, the tournament was already about to start. "Memorize the contents on it. You just have to recite itter on!" Just as Ruohuan gongzi was still perplexed as to how he should deal with Qin Lei, Zhang shi passed a piece of white paper to him. It was filled with scribblings that were written by the other party during the meal just a moment ago. Surprised, he quickly swept through the contents of the paper, and his eyes immediately widened. "Zhang shi, do I really have to say... this?" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. Ruohuan gongzi vision immediately darkened, and he nearly broke down in tears. Big Brother, you are pushing me off a cliff here! Are you that unhappy that I wasnt beaten up just now? If I were to say what is on the paper, that fellow would probably forfeit his candidature just so that he could strangle me to death. "Stop wasting time idling and quickly memorize it. Remember, you must recite it word-for-word. Otherwise, I cant guarantee your victory!" Seeing Ruohuan gongzi wallowing in his sorrow, Zhang shi urged him with a frown. Tears glittered in Ruohuan gongzis eyes. If only hed known earlier, he would have never asked Zhang Xuan for help. At this moment, it felt as though he was onboard the ship of a pirate, and there was no backing out now. "Alright!" Gritting his teeth, Ruohuan gongzi quickly started memorizing the contents on the paper. Soon after he was done, a gong sounded, and Hong shis deep voice reverberated through the entire square. "The tournament resumes. Would the participating master teacherse onto the stage?" Everyone replied and hurried up. On the round stage, Ruohuan gongzi took a deep breath before walking over to the dueling stagebeled A. For a moment, his silhouette looked slightly valiant. Knowing that it was toote for second thoughts, he had decided to simply follow Zhang shis instructions. If death was what that awaited him, so be it! "Humph!" Qin Lei also walked toward dueling stage A as well. Recalling how the other party provoked him previously, his rage immediately surged. Seeing that all participants were on their respective stages, Hong shi announced, "The match begins. Start discussing the format of the duel!" "Since White Helios Sect was first ce in the previous tournament, the right of choice is in my hands!" Harrumphing coldly, Qin Lei turned at the detestable young man before him and said, "I choose...prehension of cultivation!" "Ah?" Hearing that everything had gone as predicted, Ruohuan gongzi was momentarily stumped. "Why? You dare not ept my challenge?" A light flickered across Qin Leis eyes. "What do I have to fear? Comprehension of cultivation, is it? So be it then! What are the rules?" Ruohuan gongzi replied. "Good!" He thought that the other party would reject his proposal, but the other party epted it candidly instead. Heaving a sigh of relief, Qin Lei exined, "Simple. Well both execute a battle technique, and each of us will point out the ws in it. Whoever points out more ws will be the winner!" "Un!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded. ... "It went exactly as your analysis predicted!" Seeing the sight, Pavilion Master Kang and the others turned to look at Zhao Feiwu. Even though thisdy wasnt a master teacher, her wisdom was indeed impressive. "Un. All that is left is to see whether the note Zhang shi gave him is effective or not!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled lightly. The most she could do was to deduce the content of thepetition. Whether Ruohuan gongzi would be able to emerge victorious or not would depend on the content of the note that Zhang shi passed to him. "Un!" The group nodded their heads. While they were speaking, the duo on the stage were already done executing their battle techniques. After having seen the entire set of movements from Qin Lei, Ruohuan gongzi waspletely stumped. He had never heard of the other partys fist art before, needless to say, seen it... How in the world was he supposed to point out any ws? "Going by the rules, Ill go first!" Seeing the confusion on the other partys face, Qin Lei sneered coldly. "If Im not mistaken, the fist art that Ruohuan gongzi executed is a Spirit intermediate-tier battle technique known as Seven Forsaken Fists. Its indeed a formidable technique, but its a pity that your mastery is stillcking... I could see a total of four ws! "First, having barely reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, your zhenqi isnt sufficiently pure yet. Even though your movements seem to be in ce, yourecking the essence of the technique... "Second, the core of the Seven Forsaken Fist is forsaken heart, forsaken emotions, forsaken intent, forsaken benevolence, forsaken fate, forsaken thoughts, and forsaken desires. However, you arent able to meet even a single one of these notions. Given that your movements and your intent are at odds, no matter how much you practice the technique, it will be nothing more than an empty shell! "Third... "Fourth..." Soon, Qin Lei finished listing out the ws in Ruohuan gongzis technique. Every single point of his stabbed straight into the vitals. There was no one who wouldnt lose his confidence upon hearing too much of such words. "Incredible!" "With just a single look, he was able to point out the four main ws behind the technique. As expected of one of the strongest contenders for the champion seat, hes indeed fearsome!" "I was looking intently at Ruohuan gongzis movements too, but I wasnt able to see a single problem about it..." ... Upon hearing Qin Leis words, a hugemotion raked up among the crowd below. Nearly everyone present here was a master teacher or an expert, and they possessed a sharp eye of such things as well. The technique Ruohuan gongzi executed felt wholesome, and with just a single look, it was clear that he had devoted many years of his time into it... But even so, Qin Lei was still able to easily list out four major problems. His eye of discernment wasnt inferior to even some half 5-star master teachers. "Seems like itll be hard for Ruohuan gongzi to win in this round!" "Un. I had been paying close attention to Qin Leis execution, but I wasnt even able to tell what battle technique he was executing!" "I am also unable to make sense out of it..." Everyone discussed with hushed voices as they looked toward the stage, curious as to how Ruohuan gongzi would deal with this situation. With a cold smirk on his face, Qin Lei was also staring at Ruohuan gongzi intently. The battle technique he had just executed hade from some ancient ruins. Even Hong shi might not be able to recognize it, needless to say this fellow. Thus, he was confident that he would win this match. "Its your turn. If you cant say anything constructive, you should just admit defeat!" Seeing the conflicted expression on Ruohuan gongzi, Qin Lei harrumphed. "This..." At this moment, Ruohuan gongzi seemed to havee to a major decision and gritted his teeth. "If Im not mistaken, theres something wrong... with your brain!" "What?" The square fell deathly silent instantaneously. Wasnt it a duel in pointing out ws in battle techniques? When did it be an insultingpetition instead? "What did you say?" Hearing those words, Qin Lei immediately exploded in rage. "Despite not havingpleted nourishing your soul, you forcefully tried to achieve a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm and drove your zhenqi into your head. And in that attempt, both your soul and your brain are wounded. Am I mistaken about that?" Ruohuan gongzi said. "This..." Qin Lei frowned. After Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi, who was also his teacher, was killed, he understood the bad state the sect was in and panicked. Thus, he forcefully tried to advance to Consonant Spirit realm. In that process, ones zhenqi had to be driven into ones head to open up the Heling acupoint. Only with the opening with this acupoint can one make the leap to be a Consonant Spirit realm expert... But Qin Lei wasnt ready yet then. The head was a vulnerable region, and yet, he willfully drove his zhenqi into his, thus causing significant damage to his soul and brain. As a result, he was suffering from splitting headache whenever night falls. But he had never told this matter to anyone, even the elders of the sect for fear of worrying them. How did the other party manage to see through this? "Not only so, there are innumerable traumas from cultivating incorrectly all over your body. For the sake of impressing others in this tournament, you even cultivated a battle technique of unknown origin... If Im not mistaken, to master it, you would need thirty-two acupoints all over your body to resonate in harmony, right? "This requirement in itself isnt a problem; most battle techniques have such demands from the cultivator. However, this battle technique sought to connect the Baihe and the Yongquan acupoints. The former pulls in the clear aura of the sky whereas thetter absorbs the turbid aura of the earth. As the two of them collide, an intangible cage is formed, locking your soul firmly into your body! "In other words, without any fortuitous encounter, its impossible for you to reach Consonant Spirit realm! If you dont believe my words, you can try driving your zhenqi into your Bihai acupoint. If you feel a numbing sensation there, it means that your soul has already started declining. Alternatively, you can also try your Qinzhen acupoint. If you feel an itch, it means that the internal of your body has grown oddly stiff, and it is nothing more than a cage at this point... "Other people cultivate in hopes of advancing to higher realms, and yet, you do so only to seal your path of progress... Isnt there something really wrong with your head?" Since Ruohuan gongzi had already made up his mind, he tossed aside his hesitation and recited everything that Zhang shi had him say. In any case, he couldnt understand the other partys battle technique. At this rate, he would lose anyway. Thus, he decided to take the gamble; at the very least, there was a ray of hope down this path. After he was done, he thought the other party would immediately rush forward to pummel him up or insult him. But shockingly, the other party remained bizarrely motionless. It was as if he had met with something incredulous, leaving his face pale with shock. Could it be that... I was spot-on? Gedeng! Ruohuan gongzis heart skipped a beat. When he saw the content of the note, he thought that it was just nonsense Zhang shi made up on the spot. If he were to recite it, the other party would surely rush up to kill him... Never had he entertained the thought that it would actually be true. The other party had barely raised his hands back then, and Zhang shi was able to tell all of this? "Of course, if you dont believe me... you can continue trying for Consonant Spirit realm. Youll feel a surge of powerlessness, or perhaps, your zhenqi, suppressed by some sort of power, might even be unable to enter your head." Ruohuan gongzis eyes lit up, and endless confidence seemed to surge into him at this instant. Ignoring the other partys shocked expression, he continued, "Despite being a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, you cultivated a battle technique blindly without analyzing its true nature, and yet, you still dare to challenge me to aprehension of cultivation duel... How much more arrogant can you get?" Qin Leis body swayed weakly as though it had lost its backbone. He had just tried out everything that the other party had said, and it turned out that the other party waspletely spot-on... Could it be that he had really cultivated incorrectly? To err so greatly despite being a master teacher, how was he supposed to guide others then? This wasnt only a loss in this duel, this was a loss for him as a master teacher as well. "Alright, Ill stop here... As a fellow master teacher, I can tell you this. Theres still a way to resolve your problem at this point, but the longer you dy it, the harder itll be for you to make a full recovery..." Ruohuan gongzi waved his hands. "Im a magnanimous person, so as long as you admit your defeat, Ill impart you the solution to your problem." Chapter 593: Beguiling (2) Chapter 593: Beguiling (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Beneath the stage... "Zhang shi, this is what that was on your note... You managed to discern this much?" Pavilion Master Kang and the others stared at the young man before them with widened eyes. He was well aware of his own students capability. He couldnt even tell what battle technique Qin Lei executed previously, and yet, his disciple was able to utter logically deduced facts that left the entire crowd stumped. Unless Zhang shi was involved, there was his disciple could be capable of this. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan admitted. "But... Qin shi had only driven his zhenqi and lifted his palm, how in the world were you able to discern so much?" Even after hearing the words of affirmation from the person in question, the crowd still found the matter too difficult to believe. Ruohuan gongzi did manage to provoke Qin Lei by pouring meat soup on him, but in the end, a fight didnt break out, and both sides hardly made any moves... Yet, to make such an in-depth analysis under such circumstances, are you for real? What kind of eye of discernment is this? "But... what kind of battle technique did Qin Lei cultivate? To think that there would actually be a battle technique in the world that would lock ones soul and prevent one from achieving a breakthrough!" Su shi couldnt help but express his shock. A 4-star pinnacle master teacher possessed astute senses surpassing that of ordinary cultivators. How could Qin Lei possibly cultivate a battle technique that would seal his soul without realizing it himself? "Ive no idea as well..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You dont know? Then..." Everyone frowned. If you dont know what battle technique it is, how do you know what kind of sensation would be induced by stimting the respective acupoints? The Bihai acupoint corresponds to the soul whereas the Qinzhen acupoint is the point connecting the body to the soul. These weremon facts that all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts know of. Under normal circumstances, the triggering of these acupoints with zhenqi should nourish ones souls... Given that such anomalies happened, it would be hard to believe that there was nothing wrong with the other party. But... if you dont even know what battle technique the other party cultivated, how in the world do you know that his Qinzhen acupoint is closed and his soul is wounded? "Its a lie!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "A lie?" Everyone froze. "The cultivators of the White Helios Sect cultivates the White Helios zhenqi, which is a type of zhenqi possessing yang attribute. Back then, when Bai Kaizhi came to attack my residence, my teacher told me about it!" Zhang Xuan said. "Un..." Pavilion Master Kang and the others nodded their heads. The White Helios Form that most members in the White Helios Sect cultivated was indeed a yang attribute cultivation technique. Upon mastering it, ones attacks would be augmented with immense destructive force. Having suffered a tragic defeat against them, they went to investigate the other party, so they were well aware of the basic information surrounding them. "The food provided by the Alliance Head Residence consists mainly of food that seeks to revitalize, such as spirit beast meat and medicinal herbs. Am I right about that?" Zhang Xuan asked. In truth, the Alliance Head Residence also provided the same food to the members of the other sects and empires as well. Spirit beast meat, savage beast meat, and even precious medicinal herbs rich in spiritual energy were used in the cooking so as to nourish and energize the exhausted participants. "Thats right!" Zhao Feiwu nodded her head. She was involved in the choosing of the ingredients for the food, so she was well aware of this matter. "What would happen if a cultivator practicing a yang attribute cultivation technique consumes extremely nourishing food?" Zhang Xuan asked. "His cells will be lively, and his flow of zhenqi would hasten..." Pavilion Master Kang replied. It had a simr effect to consuming stimnt. After all, if a person rich in hot energy were to consume nourishing food, his body would surely be overflowing with energy, resulting in physical restlessness. Just that... wouldnt that simply put him in a better condition for battle? "Under normal circumstances, it would only induce positive effects to the cultivator. However, youve neglected an ingredient used in the brewing of the soup. If Im not mistaken, there is Jade Yin Grass," Zhang Xuan said. "Theres indeed Jade Yin Grass. Even though that grass is known for its cold yin properties, it has the effect of cooling one down and boosting ones cognitive capacity. On top of that, it is a famous delicacy as well..." Halfway through her words, Zhao Feiwu suddenly realized something, and her eyes widened. "Its indeed a famous medicinal herb, but the problem lies exactly with its cold yin properties. Given that we are still in the midst of the tournament, Qin Lei is likely to be filled with excitement. On top of that, his yang zhenqi and the nourishing food he had consumed left him practically brimming with energy... And at such a moment, a soup containing yin energy was poured over him. I believe even if I dont exin this, you should understand the consequences of the matter!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "The abrupt collision of yin and yang; to protect itself, the body would automatically shut its acupoint... If all of his acupoints are closed, that exins why his soul is locked in his body... Y-you actually designed this senario?" Coming to a realization, the faces of Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others paled in frenzy. They thought that Zhang shi had incredible capability to be able to analyze so much regarding Qin Lei; they didnt expect that it was all a huge ploy set up to trap Qin Lei from the initial pouring of the soup. Not only was each chain of the n linked tightly to the next, leaving little room for failure, there was also very little evidence to trace back the matter. If Zhang shi hadnt exined the matter, they would have probably never realized it. As the person standing in the center of everything, Qin Lei was unlikely to be any wiser than them... His loss was already fixed from the moment Zhang shis help was engaged! This was... way too formidable! "I just happened to think of it!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response. In truth, the entire ny upon a single fact-Qin Lei had attempted to achieve a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm and failed, causing his soul to be damaged. Without thisying the foundation for all thetter theories, it would be impossible to convince the other party of this hoax. This was how humans worked, as well as amon ploy used by fortune tellers. With a single fact to set the foundation, the parts that came afterward would seem much more believable. Not to mention, it was based on solid theories known by all 4-star pinnacle master teachers. On the contrary, it would be hard for him not to believe those words instead. "Since its a lie, then... Ruohuan said that he has a solution..." Suddenly, Pavilion Master Kang recalled what Ruohuan gongzi had just said, and a premonition suddenly struck him. If this was all a lie, what kind of solution could Ruohuan gongzi offer? "Just watch on..." Zhang Xuan gestured to the stage. The group hurriedly turned their sights over. At this moment, Qin Lei, after a long internal struggle, sighed deeply and said, "I admit my defeat. I beseech you to impart me the solution to my problem!" He was already in the top sixteen. Even if he were to fail now, he could still vie for thest two cing of the top ten. But if his problem wasnt resolved, his cultivation would be unable to advance any further. Just the thought of it waspletely uneptable to him. Weighing the pros and cons, he decided to admit defeat and ept the other partys guidance. In any case, it was just a matter of time before he killed this fellow. What harm was there to give a little glee to a dying man? "Admit defeat? Qin shi actually admitted defeat?" "It seems like Ruohuan gongzis words were spot-on!" "Impressive! We werent even able to recognize the battle technique and yet he had managed to see through even the ws in Qin shis cultivation. When did Ruohuan gongzi be so impressive?" "I think I saw him consulting Zhang shi just a moment ago. Do you think that its possible that this is all Zhang shis doing?" ... Qin Lei admitting defeat was huge news that generated an enormous uproar amongst the crowd. One must know that there was a huge disparity in the capability between Ruohuan gongzi and Qin Lei. This huge reversal had sparked thoughts in the minds of many. Many of them had seen Ruohuan gongzi seeking Zhang shis pointers during the break previously. "Since youve admitted defeat, Ill help you then!" Hearing the other party admit his defeat, Ruohuan gongzi began trembling in agitation, knowing that he had gotten into the top eight. "Actually, the solution is simple. Your Qinzhen acupoint is only sealed temporarily due to some external stimulus. As long as you rest well tonight, youll be fine tomorrow..." "Rest well tonight?" Qin Lei widened his eyes in shock. His vision went dark, and a mini explosion urred in his head. If he still couldnt tell that he had been yed a fool, he would be unbefitting as a 4-star pinnacle master teacher. "Ill kill you..." Howling furiously, he prepared to charge over angrily. "Alright, a loss is a loss. On top of knowledge and physical strength, the Master Teacher Tournament also seeks to assess ones adaptability. Its due to your own ignorance that you were deceived, you shouldnt pin the me on anyone else!" Hong shi flicked his sleeves, and Qin Lei immediately stopped with a stagger. Given that Qin Lei had willingly admitted defeat after being duped, there was no one he could me for it. "I..." Since even Hong shi was speaking up, Qin Lei knew that there was nothing else he could do at this point. His teeth bit tightly on his lips out of rage, and fresh blood regurgitated at the back of his throat, threatening to spill at any moment. What the heck was this. He had marched onto the stage so confidently, only to be fooled by someone else... and not to mention, he actually willingly admitted defeat! Damn it... Jun Ruohuan, if I cant kill you, Ill abandon my name! Qin Lei howled furiously inside. ... The results were out, Ruohuan gongzi had sessfully advanced to the next round. As soon as he got off the stage, he immediately turned to look at Zhang shi in agitation. In truth, when he first read the content on the paper, he thought that he would surely be beaten to death. He never thought that he would actually seed! Top eight of the Master Teacher Tournament... This was a result he never thought would be possible! "Thank you, Zhang shi!" He sped his fist respectfully. It was still a while ago that he still tried topete with this young man over everything. But at this point, such a notion vanishedpletely from his mind. This fellow may seem a little dense on the surface, but if one were to try topete with him, one would only end up utterly defeated. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Given how badly Qin shi was scammed, he will surely apply for a Life-and-Death Duel against you. For now, you should think of how you would face him first!" Zhang Xuan said. "Un!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded in response. If two master teachers had an irreconcble grudge, they could apply for a Life-and-Death Duel to resolve the matter once and for all. Given how badly Qin Lei was humiliated before such a huge crowd, there was a good chance that he would apply for one right after the tournament. If the headquarters were to give their consent, Ruohuan gongzi would have to face him. But still, the headquarters rarely consented to Life-and-Death Duels unless in extreme situations. And even if it did, Ruohuan gongzi wouldnt necessarily lose to the other party. In truth, the paper that Zhang shi gave him contained major ws on the other partys cultivation and battle techniques, and he had already memorized them all. As such, it was impossible to tell who would be the one destroyed in a Life-and-Death Duel. Putting aside the matter, Ruohuan gongzi warned with a grave expression, "Zhang shi, your opponent for this round is Wei Changqing of the Zijin Sect. Ive heard that this fellow is extremely formidable, so you must be carefulter on!" The lots were only drawn at the initial phase, and the matching would follow by a certain fixed format afterward. The person Zhang shi would face was Wei Changqing, a formidable genius of the Zijin Sect. "Youve heard of him?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. "Even though hes not in the top ten of the list of contenders, it doesnt mean that hes incapable... His greatest w is only hiscking cultivation; just like you, hes a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle cultivator! To be able to get into the top sixteen despite hiscking cultivation, Im sure you can imagine how talented he is in other aspects!" Ruohuan gongzis eyebrows shot up. "I spectated his previous match, and he used his supporting upation as a cksmith to force his opponent to admit his defeat!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had seen the match too, and honestly speaking, that fellow was indeed impressive. Without true capability, it was nigh impossible for a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle to triumph over a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan in smithing. As smithing wasnt one of Zhang Xuans supporting upations, it would be impossible for the other party to challenge him in this field... But if the other party were to challenge him in a duel of pill forging... that may prove to be a little troublesome. Chapter 594: Duel of Beast Taming Chapter 594: Duel of Beast Taming Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While he was a 4-star apothecary, he had only gotten his emblem through Pill Discourse. Pill forging was still impossible for him! In a match of pill forging, Zhang shi, being unable to forge anything at all, would surely lose tragically. But still, given that pill forging required significant preparation, it was unlikely to appear in the Master Teacher Tournament. "In any case, you just have to know that he is impressive in his supporting upations, and you shouldnt ept any duel of that sort!" Ruohuan gongzi advised. Wei Changqings cultivation wascking, but he excelled in his supporting upations. Knowing this, Zhang Xuan could use his right to reject a proposed dueling format once to vie for better conditions for himself. While the Myriad Kingdom Alliance group was discussing this issue, an air of destion seemed to be floating around the group from Zijin Sect. "That Zhang shi has been barging his way through every single obstacle with astounding means. I fear that theres very little hope for you!" an elder from Zijin Sectmented with a deep frown etched on his forehead. "That monster seems to possess no weakness at all, how are we supposed topete with him?" No one here thought well of their own participant. If it was anyone else, even if the person was Luo Xuan, they would surely give it their all. But against that freak, they simply couldnt see any hope at all, and a wave of helplessness overwhelmed them. "I cant help but admit that hes nearly wless as a master teacher too, but I find it hard to believe that his astounding capabilities... could extend to his supporting upations too!" Wei Changqing narrowed his eyes. He specialized in his supporting upations, and he had absolute confidence in that field. "Ive had someone look into it, and his four main supporting upations are namely 5-star appraiser, 4-star formation master, 4-star physician, and 4-star beast tamer!" Wei Changqing lifted up his fingers and counted, "My four supporting upations are 4-star cksmith, 4-star tea master, 4-star painter, and 4-star beast tamer! The onlymon supporting upation we have is beast taming, but this is more than sufficient!" "More than sufficient? It cant be that you intend to challenge him in beast taming?" The elders of the sect nced at one another. "Beast taming is an extremely troublesome process..." If one wished topete in the field of supporting upation, bothpetitors must share the same supporting upation. Otherwise, if only one side was learned in the field, there would be no point to the duel at all. While Zhang Xuan did have other supporting upations such as apothecary and painter, they hadnt reached 4-star yet. As such, the only viable option was beast taming. Unaware of the rules, Zhang Xuan was still worrying over thetter challenging him to a duel of pill forging. However, beast taming required one to be close to a spirit beast, and sometimes, this process could take several years... On the other hand, the duel for the Master Teacher Tournament had to bepleted within an incenses time. There was a clearck of time for this! "Dont worry, Ive an idea in mind. In the field of beast taming, Ill never lose out to him!" A gleam shed across Wei Changqings eyes. "Its good that youre confident, but make sure not to force yourself..." "Indeed. Even if you were to lose, do be polite to the other party. Well make sure to reward you greatly when we return back to our sect!" "Otherwise, you might as well admit defeat now. Our sect will at least be able to retain its pride..." None of the elders had much faith in him. "..." Wei Changqings eyes twitched uncontrobly. Are you on my side or Zhang Xuans side? Its one thing for you not to support me, but to actually advise me to admit defeat... Just the thought of it left him speechless! Humph, Zhang Xuan. Ill defeat you so as to shut these old fogeys up! Gritting his teeth, Wei Changqing howled frenziedly within. Clenching his fists tightly, he proceeded to the stage. This match was no longer about the top ten cing anymore, what was at stake was... his dignity. If he wished to retain his dignity, he would have to defeat Zhang shi and prove his capability! ... On the stagebeled D, looking at the young man opposite to him, Wei Changqing gritted his teeth tightly. Seeing the other partys hostile gesture, Zhang Xuan was stumped. It should be his first time meeting the other party, why did the other party look as though he had killed his father and imed his wife? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan tried asking, "Have we met before?" "We have never met before! But Im determined to defeat you!" Wei Changqing dered furiously. "I decide to challenge you to a duel in our supporting upation, that is... beast taming! Do you dare to ept the duel?" "Beast taming?" Not expecting the other party to propose such a dueling format, Zhang Xuan frowned. "How would this match go?" "Simple. Since youre a 4-star beast tamer, you would surely have your own tamed beast. Why dont we call our tamed beasts over, and well give one another an incenses time to interact with each others tamed beast. Whoevermands the greater degree of loyalty from the other partys tamed beast will be deemed the winner!" Wei Changqing said. "Exchange tamed beasts to tame for an incenses time... Are you certain about it?" Zhang Xuan looked at the other party with a bizarre expression. The other partys intent was clear-Ill tame your tamed beast while you tame mine; whoever manages to induce more loyalty from the other partys tamed beast will be the victor. This was amonpetition format between beast tamers. Just that... this fellow really wanted topete with him in beast taming? "Of course!" Wei Changqing sneered coldly. "Why? To think that the most popr contender for the champion seat would actually fear my beast taming ability? Are you that fearful of me?" "Alright then!" Seeing that the other party was serious in his proposed duel format, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. ... "Compete with Zhang shi in beast taming? Is that fellow... mad?" Hearing the content of the duel, Zhao Feiwu stared at the fool with a gaze brimming with sympathy. You must be unaware that Zhang shi only took two breaths to tame the Demon Cinque Beast. To actually challenge him to this... Are you that desperate to find some excitement in your dull life? Ive seen people with suicidal tendencies, but you seem to top the list... The mouths of Pavilion Master Kang and the others twitched. Even though they had never witnessed Zhang shi taming a beast, they had heard of it from Hall Master Han Chong of the Beast Hall personally on the day of the selection round. A spirit beast which even he was unable to tame despite years of effort, Zhang shi actually managed to turn it into a loyal guard for his residence. Are you certain that you can win? ... "Seems like this will be an interesting match to watch. Wei Changqing is a famous genius beast tamer, and Ive heard that he has once participated in a beast tamingpetition and became the champion!" "Ive heard of the same as well. Zhang shi really shouldnt have epted this challenge. Unlike the other duels, a duel of beast taming wont be just about ones own capability. One would have to possess sufficient resources in ones possession as well!" "It might be hard for him to advance to the top eight..." ... Contrary to Zhao Feiwu and the groups sympathetic expression, the other master teachers, ignorant of Zhang Xuans astounding feats, had a grave expression on their faces. Beast taming is an expensive upation which demands one to have sufficient treasures in ones possession. Otherwise, if one couldnt even attract the spirit beasts attention, how could one possibly induce loyalty in thetter? The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was clearly much poorer than the Zijin Sect; in terms of beast taming, thetter was in an advantageous position. "Look, the both of them have summoned their tamed beasts over!" Amidst discussions from the crowd, a huge gust of wind suddenly blew in the air above them. Two gigantic spirit beasts flew over andnded on the stage. They were Demon Cinque Beast and Wei Changqings tamed beast. Zhang Xuan nced over. The other partys tamed beast was a gigantic Beryline Spirit Beast. It was at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage-far weaker than Demon Cinque Beast. "This is your tamed beast?" Wei Changqing had thought that the other partys tamed beast would be around the same cultivation realm as his, and he was confident in winning significant loyalty from it. Who knew that the other partys tamed beast would turn out to be so powerful? Wei Changqings face immediately copsed, and tears brimmed in his eyes. It would be amazing if a normal Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle expert could tame a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan spirit beast... and yet, you actually tamed a Consonant Spirit realm fellow? How in the world did you do it? "Feel free to go first. Im in no hurry!" Zhang Xuan gestured. After which, he turned to Demon Cinque Beast and said, "Wei shi over here hopes to tame you, so do cooperate with him!" "Roar?" Demon Cinque Beast was stunned for a moment. It twisted its gigantic head to the young man not too far away, and in an instant, the young man felt a huge pressure on his soul. It was as if his soul was ced into a furnace which would burn him into cinders. "I..." Feeling the immense pressure on him, Wei Changqings mouth twitched. His body couldnt help but shudder, and he nearly spurted blood. This... If I cant even get near to it, how in the world can I tame it? Flicking his wrist, Wei Changqing took out a jade bottle and said, "Brother Demon Cinque, this is the blood essence of a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast that I prepared for you. May I know if you would be interested in it?" Prying the jade bottle open, a dense concentration of spiritual energy immediately surged into the surrounding. Blood essence of a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast! "What a generous offer!" "Indeed! This single bottle is probably worth a minimum of a dozen middle-tier spirit stones!" "Youre giving a very conservative estimate; chances are it would be much higher than that. Theres no spirit beast who wouldnt be tempted by that. Zhang shi is really in trouble this time round!" "Seems like Wei Changqing came prepared..." Seeing the generous offer, a hugemotion broke out below. The blood essence of a stronger spirit beast posed irresistible attraction to a weaker spirit beast. There were countless spirit beasts who would submit before such a treasure. It was no wonder Wei Changqing dared to challenge Zhang shi to such a duel. It seemed like he came prepared. If Zhang shi couldnt offer anything more valuable than that, he would surely lose this match. "Roar!" Seeing the Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast blood essence, Demon Cinque Beasts eyes lit up. It immediately lifted its thick ws and snatched the jade bottle over. "Ah?" Not expecting the other party to simply snatch the blood essence over, Wei Changqing panicked, "Theres no need to hurry. As long as you promise to be my friend, Ill give it to you... Y-you... What are you doing? The heck!" He thought that he would surely win the other partys goodwill with the spirit beast blood essence in hand. Who knew that before a shadow woulde crashing down on him before he was done speaking. Before he realized it, he was already beneath the other partys ws. "You... return my spirit beast blood essence..." Wei Changqing roared furiously, but before he was done with his words, he felt the force of the w pressing down on him intensifying. Putong! An indentation appeared on the stage, and Wei Changqing was pushed into the ground. "I..." Wei Changqing was on the verge of tears. No matter what, he was a 4-star master teacher, as well as a respected beast tamer. To be smashed into the ground by a spirit beast... The stifled feeling in his heart left him extremely frustrated and frenzied. "Listen to me... As long as you let me go, I have better things to offer you... Pu!" But just like before, the pressure pushing down on him was hiked up yet another notch before he was done speaking. Snap! His ribcage creaked, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth. In the next instant, he suddenly felt an ache on his finger-his storage ring had been taken away by the gigantic spirit beast on top of him. "You..." Wei Changqing was about to go insane. No matter what, youre a Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast, and you already possess some degree of intelligence. Shouldnt you try to uphold your dignity rather than snatch whatever you want as though a willful child? While he was spewing blood, he heard the Demon Cinque Beast above him howl. Following which, with a tinge of peculiarity, Zhang shis voice sounded, "My Demon Cinque Beast says that... as long as you submit to it and be its tamed human, it will return your storage ring to you..." "Submit? Tamed human? Pu!" Wei Changqings vision went dark. Big Brother, Im here to tame your spirit beast, not to have your spirit beast tame me... Chapter 595: What Are You Feigning Death For? Chapter 595: What Are You Feigning Death For? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back on Coax Ridge, the Demon Cinque Beast had been a bandit of the region. Even the Alliance Head Residence and the Beast Hall were unable to do anything about it. Those who dared challenge it were either killed or pummeled and thrown to some remote corner of the world. Yet, this fellow actually dared to try and tame it. He could be considered lucky to have survived until now! Roar! Waving the spirit beast blood essence and storage ring with its ws, Demon Cinque Beast roared once more. "Cough cough!" Zhang Xuan coughed before tranting sheepishly, "It wants you to drink the spirit beast blood essence..." As Demon Cinque Beast was his tamed beast, he couldmunicate with it directly through his soul even if he didntprehend beastnguage. It wasnt too difficult for him to understand such simple expressions of the other party. "Drinking the blood essence of a spirit beast..." Wei Changqing burst into tears. Spirit beast blood essence was only effective against spirit beasts! If a human were to drink it, not only would it be ineffective, he might even find scales or hair growing all over him, as though a monster... or in the worst-case scenario, it might even spell death! After all, not everyone possessed Heavens Path zhenqi to neutralize the violent energy contained within the blood essence. Roar! Seeing no movements from the person under it, Demon Cinque Beast roared once more as it opened the jade bottle and tried to stuff it in the other partys mouth. "Zhang shi, save me! I-I wont try to tame it anymore..." Wei Changqings face immediately paled in fright, and his soul nearly drifted out of his body. Judging from the other partys vigorous actions, it seemed as though the Demon Cinque Beast wanted him to eat the jade bottle on top of the spirit beast blood essence. If he didnt beg for mercy now, he would be dead soon. What the heck is this? He confidently dered that he would tame the other partys spirit beast, but... this huge fellow simply refused to follow conventions. There was no spirit beast, even tamed ones, who could resist the allure of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast blood essence. Upon sight, they would immediately fawn on him in hopes of obtaining it. Yet, this huge fellow thought of it as trash, and even tried to feed it to him... Will you be d only after Im dead? To think that a 4-star beast tamer would end up crushed under a spirit beast and be tamed by thetter instead, what in the world was this... Seeing that Wei Changqing would really die if this were to go on, Zhang Xuan reprimanded, "Alright Demon Cinque, thats enough!" "Roar!" With a disappointed look, Demon Cinque lifted its ws and walked over to the side of the stage. As for the storage ring and the jade bottle of spirit beast blood essence, it didnt seem like it had any intentions of returning them. You must be jesting, these are my spoils of war. You want me to return them? Dream on! "Cough cough!" Spewing another two mouthfuls of blood, Wei Changqing struggled to his feet with a ghastly white face. He hadnt even begun his taming when he was already left on the verge of death by a spirit beast. If word were to get out, he would be too ashamed to call himself a beast tamer... He would simply be mocked! He hesitantly turned around to look at Demon Cinque Beast, hoping to get back his storage ring and spirit beast blood essence, only to meet thetters re instead. A shiver went down his spine. How could he possibly get back his stuff like that? The other partys re seemed to be saying, "It is already out of utmost benevolence on my part that youre still breathing now." Tears streamed down Wei Changqings face. I am here to find prestige... Why does it seem like Im only embarrassing myself here? "It seems like you didnt obtain the slightest loyalty from my tamed beast... Is there any point pushing on with the duel?" Zhang Xuan asked. The winner of the duel would be the one who managed to induce a higher Loyalty Level from the other partys tamed beast. Since Wei Changqing didnt obtain the slightest shred of loyalty from Demon Cinque Beast, he was already fated to lose. There wasnt any point in continuing with it. "Of course we should go on. Beast taming hinges on luck; you might not fare any better than me. If you were to fail as well, it could end in a draw..." Wei Changqing gritted his teeth as he spoke. There wasnt much time left. Even though he wasnt able to tame Demon Cinque Beast, the other party might not be able to win the loyalty of the Beryline Spirit Beast. It might just end in a draw! At the very least, he would be able to retain some of his dignity this way. "Are you certain?" Zhang Xuan asked the other party with a peculiar expression. "Of course!" Seeing the Zhang Xuans expression, Wei Changqing thought that the other party was unconfident. Regaining his confidence, he sneered coldly, ced his hands behind his back, and turned to his tamed beast, "Beryline Spirit Beast, Zhang shi over here will be trying to tame you. As long as you stand your ground and get back at him for me, Ill give you whatever you want when we return home. I can even find a suitable Ancient Bloodline to induce a Bloodline Evolution for you..." "Roar!" Hearing its owners promise, Beryline Spirit Beastsrge eyes gleamed in determination as it hurriedly nodded its head. "Shameless! How can one be so shameless!" "Indeed. Zhang shi told Demon Cinque Beast to cooperate with him, and yet he actually told his tamed beast to not give in no matter what happens! How is Zhang shi supposed to tame the Beryline Spirit Beast like that?" "That is cheating!" "This is supposed to be a fair duel, and yet, he gave his tamed beast such orders. Does he have no dignity?" ... Hearing Wei Changqings words, a huge uproar broke out amidst the crowd below. Zhang shi had told Demon Cinque Beast to cooperate with you. You were the one whocked the capability to do so and ended up being beaten up instead! And now that it is the other partys turn, you actually gave such orders to your tamed beast, even offering a huge incentive for it... Do you have any pride? Since this is a duel of beast taming, the conditions should at least be fair. What happened to the magnanimity a master teacher should possess? "Embarrassing, how embarrassing!" The various elders of the Zijin Sect sped their faces. They didnt expect a genius of their sect to resort to such underhanded tricks. What is this... With this, even if they were to win the Master Teacher Tournament, they would be too ashamed to face anyone. ... "Ill be starting then!" Seeing that the other party hadnt given up yet, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile before turning to look at Beryline Spirit Beast. "Roar!" Roaring furiously, Beryline Spirit Beast, like Demon Cinque Beast, tried to crush Zhang Xuan under its ws. It had seen how its master had suffered under Demon Cinque Beast, and it intended to get back at Zhang shi for this. However, it only possessed a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage. It couldnt pose any threat to Zhang Xuan at all. With a sidestep, Zhang Xuan dodged the attack and retaliated with a p. Pah! A resounding p struck Beryline Spirit Beasts giant face. Before that giant fellow could react, it was already twirling in the air before being face-nted into the ground, leaving behind two gigantic, twitching feet exposed. Zhang Xuan possessed the strength that rivalled even a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage expert, a might exceeding two million ding. Even a Spirit realm low-tier weapon would shatter before such immense might! If not for him holding back, Beryline Spirit Beast would already be crippled at this point. Not to mention, the other partys movement was too fast for it to even perceive, let alone retaliate. Beryline Spirit Beast stood no chance against Zhang Xuan from the very start. "What?" "With a single p, he actually face-nted a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan spirit beast?" "How much strength does it take to achieve such a feat?" Everyone was bbergasted. Spirit beasts were blessed with superior physiques. With their powerful might and formidable defense, human cultivators of the same cultivation realm were hardly a match for them. In other words, this Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage Beryline Spirit Beast would be match for even a Transcendent Mortal advanced stage cultivator. Yet, it was actually face-nted helplessly into the ground with a single p... What kind of monstrous strength did Zhang shi possess? Isnt that a little... way too fearsome? Below the stage, the lips of Wu Tianhao, who had been recovered from the building and was currently spectating the duel, twitched in fright. He thought that it was only a stroke of fortune that the other party managed to throw him off the stage. If he had been a bit more careful, he would not have lost. But at this moment, he realized that... it was a stroke of fortune that he was only thrown into the sky! If the other party had directed that p at him then... ... his head might not have been attached to his neck right now... "You said that hes weak in physical duels?" Wu Tianhao nced at his friend. "Ill sever my friendship with you!" "..." Wu Tianhaos friend. ... "Wait a moment. While Zhang shi does have the upper hand in a physical duel, if he continues to beat Beryline Spirit Beast up like that... how can he win the other partys loyalty?" "Thats right!" "If Zhang shi fails to induce the slightest bit of loyalty in Beryline Spirit beast, wont the duel end in a draw?" "Damn it, Zhang shi should have been the winner. Once a draw urs, things will get troublesome!" After recovering from the shock, everyone came to a realization. In a conventional beast taming process, one would take out alluring treasures that a spirit beast couldnt reject to win its goodwill. On the contrary, beating up a spirit beast would only result in an irreconcble grudge with it. As a 4-star beast tamer, Zhang shi should of aware of this! Why did hey his hands on Beryline Spirit Beast then? Not to mention... his blow was exceptionally heavy! Such actions would only incur the resentment of Beryline Spirit Beast. Not only would he not win the Loyalty Level of it, he would even be hated. "Haha, lets see what are you going to do now..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to be so reckless as toy his hands on Beryline Spirit Beast, Wei Changqing nearly burst intoughter. He had spent two entire years offering all kinds of treasures for the other party to choose, even hunting and sleeping with it before he managed to tame it. Yet, this fellow actually sent such a heavy p to it! Given Beryline Spirit Beasts proud nature, it would be a huge blessing if it didnt charge up to tear him apart. To achieve a positive Loyalty Level under such a situation? Impossible! Even though he failed to obtain the loyalty of Demon Cinque Beast, the other party also failed with Beryline Spirit Beast. If so, it would be a draw! In fact... in terms of good will, he might even be said to be the winner! Dang! Just as Wei Changqing was trembling with delight, a tong sounded-an incenses time was up. An incenses time was only a rough gauge for the duration of a match, but even so, it meant that thepetitors should start wrapping up to determine the winner. Zhang Xuan didnt have any time to resort to any tricks anymore. It could be said that Wei Changqing was in a safe position already. Humph! Didnt you all say that I should admit my defeat, and that I would surely lose? Look, Ive managed to achieve a draw with even the strongest contender of the tournament. Lets see what else can you say... The more he thought about it, the more excited he felt. Turning to the young man before him, he spoke proudly, "Zhang shi, since you failed to tame Beryline Spirit Beast and I failed to tame Demon Cinque Beast, why dont we call it a draw?" "A draw?" "Indeed. In fact, given how youid your hands on Beryline Spirit Beast and incurred its resentment, it can be said that youve already lost in terms of good will..." Wei Changqing said. You all spoke of magnanimity? Here it is! It should have been clearly Zhang shis loss, but I allowed him to go off with a draw... "Resentment?" Just as Wei Changqing was still immersed in his delight, the young man before him shook his head and kicked the gigantic legs twitching above the ground. "What are you feigning death for? Hurry up and acknowledge your new master!" Hu! Roar! Following which, Beryline Spirit Beast hurriedly plucked itself out of the ground, rushed to Zhang shi excitedly, and knelt down. It cuddled up to Zhang shi with its head, as though a cute pug fawning over its master. "What?" Wei Changqings body stiffened, and his eyes nearly fell to the ground. How could this be? Didnt the other party just beat it up? Why was it acknowledging the other party as its master now? Can anyone tell me what in the world is going on?! Chapter 596: Sword Duel Chapter 596: Sword Duel Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wei Changqing found himself standing on the brink of insanity. It was just a moment ago that he offered such a huge incentive to Beryline Spirit Beast for it to resist the other partys taming. And yet... in the blink of an eye, it had already betrayed him. Isnt there a mistake somewhere? If the other party had offered something beyond him, such as a higher-tier spirit beast blood essence, Wei Changqing would have conceded. But what the other party offered was a resounding p instead... Where did the pride you had when I tamed you go? Do you have any dignity? "Beryline Spirit Beast, what are you doing? Have you already forgotten that youre my spirit beast?" Blood rushed to Wei Changqings head as his face reddened in rage. Roaring loudly, he stomped forward. As my spirit beast, how can you kneel and fawn over another? If even this could be tolerated, there would be nothing in the world that couldnt be tolerated! Hu! But before he could get close, a gigantic w suddenly appeared before his eyes. Peng! Kicked squarely in his chest, Wei Changqing was sent flying backward, and blood spurted wildly from his mouth. "You..." Wei Changqing was frenzied. The one who struck him wasnt anyone else but his own tamed beast! To think that he would be kicked by his own tamed beast while giving it a piece of his mind. It seemed like thetter had really betrayed him... I spent two years to tame you, and the money I spent on you is sufficient to build even a castle. And yet... Just the thought of it caused another mouthful of blood to spurt from Wei Changqings mouth. Big Brother, isnt this going a little too far... "Zhang shi... managed to tame Beryline Spirit Beast?" "Furthermore, with just a single p?" ... While Wei Changqing was busy spewing blood, the crowd spectating themotion also felt as though their heads were bursting apart. The sight before them was simply too inconceivable for them to ept. Was this a supernatural encounter, a paranormal sight, or an ult urrence? With just a single p, Zhang shi actually managed to tame Beryline Spirit Beast to the point that it didnt even recognize its own master anymore, even kicking thetter away... Why did it sound so fantastical? "So this is... Zhang shis Beast Pummeling Taming Method?" Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others found their lips twitching uncontrobly. When they heard of it from Zhao Ya, they took it with a tinge of skepticism; after all, the very notion of it was simply too ridiculous. But upon seeing it, they realized that it was even more ridiculous and fearsome than what they had imagined. To make a spirit beast betray its master and be subservient to one with a single p, how in the world does this work? "How humiliating!" The various elders from Zijin Sect grasped their faces once more. "Cough cough, you dont need to kowtow anymore. Ill take you in as my tamed beast!" After Beryline Spirit Beast kicked Wei Changqing away, it started kowtowing profusely, in fear of being rejected. Roar! Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Beryline Spirit Beast stood up, walked over to the edge of the stage, and stood beside Demon Cinque Beast as though an underling. Indescribable excitement glowed in its eyes. With a proud gaze, it nced at Wei Changqing, whose face was trickling with blood. "..." Wei Changqing clutched at his own chest, stifled. It was only at this moment that it suddenly struck him-the reason why Zhang shi kept asking him if he was certain. It wasnt that the other party was unconfident... the other party was just afraid that he would be humiliated too badly. If only hed known, he wouldnt have clutched on to his pride and defied the words of his sect elders. He would have just admitted defeat obediently. Not only did he lose his storage ring and spirit beast blood essence, his sole tamed beast even betrayed him. In just a single duel, he had lost all of his wealth... Just as he was thinking this, Zhang shis voice suddenly sounded. "Does this count as my victory? "If you still have any disagreements, we can go another round..." "Theres no need for it! I admit defeat." Wei Changqing face paled in fright, and he hurriedly shook his head. Go another round? Just a single round could put me in such a tragic state. If I were to go another round, who knows whether I would be alive by the end of it or not. Seeing the other party admit his defeat, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. Then, he turned to Demon Cinque Beast and gestured. "Demon Cinque, return his possessions to him!" "Roar?" Demon Cinque Beasts face was filled with indignation, but eventually, it still returned the jade bottle and the storage ring. "This..." Wei Changqing was taken aback. Demon Cinque Beast had stolen these from him in the midst of his beast taming, and after his shameful actions, there would be no one who would protest even if Zhang shi were to take these things for his own. But to his surprise, Zhang shi actually chose to have it returned to him. "Demon Cinque iscking in propriety so do pardon him for his actions. It isnt easy for you to rue such wealth, so it is only right for me to return these to you!" Zhang Xuan said impassively. "Zhang shi..." Wei Changqings eyes reddened. This is what a true master teacher should be like! To win, Wei Changqing had shown an unsporting attitude and resorted to many underhanded tricks. Despite this, the other party overlooked it and defeated him honestly. On top of that, the other party didnt fault him on his behavior either, going to the extent of even returning the confiscated goods... This magnanimity... He felt as though he was nothing more than a clown. Compared to the other party, his actions were trulyughable. From now onward, I shall be Zhang shis loyal follower. Ill make anyone who dares to talk bad about him apologize! Clenching his fists tightly, Wei Changqing made a vow in his heart. Formidable master teachers had their own followers as well. These followers would help to build the master teachers reputation and bring glory to his name. To be a great master teacher respected throughout this vast continent, followers were a necessity. Zhang Xuan couldnt have expected that this casual whim of his would actually make this 4-star master teacher a follower of his. Wei Changqings loss meant that Zhang Xuan had sessfully progressed to the next round. Soon, the other stages also came to a conclusion, and the top eight candidates were out. Luo Xuan and Liao Wuzhi, the two most popr contenders for the champion seat, were among the group. What that surprised Zhang Xuan was that Song Chao was also among the group. It seemed like even though thetter seemed a little dull-witted before him, he still possessed incredible capabilities. With his help, Ruohuan gongzi was also within the group. However, thepetition was extremely intense at this stage, and it would be difficult for him to progress any further than this. Hong shi soon announced the pairings of the next match. "Alright, lets begin the round to determine the top four. Ill announce the matches now. On stage A, Jun Ruohuan of Myriad Kingdom Alliance will face Luo Xuan of Fleeting Cloud Sect. On stage B, Bi Jianghai of Gazing River Sect will be facing Song Chao of Blue Frost Sect... On stage D, Zhang Xuan of Myriad Kingdom Alliance will be facing Liao Wuzhi of Frigid Gale Sect!" "Liao Wuzhi?" Hearing the name of his opponent, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had heard of this name before. It was the genius second to only Luo Xuan on the list of contenders for the champion seat. He didnt expect to meet him in the round to determine the top four. "Zhang shi, you must be careful of Liao Wuzhi. Ive watched his previous matches, and all of them were physical duels. Furthermore, he won every single one of them with astounding might each time!" Su shi stepped forward and said. "Take thest match where he fought against a candidate of White Helios Sect for example, with just three shes of his sword, his opponent was no longer able to raise his arm anymore and was forced to surrender!" "Three shes?" "Un. In the entire tournament, the maximum number of moves he made with his sword was only three shes. In fact, in the first round, he didnt even draw his sword. He was able to knock out his opponent with just the sheath itself," Su shi said with a grim expression. Zhang Xuans previous matches coincided with Liao Wuzhis, and as such, he hadnt really seen much of the other partys duels. "Even though hes only at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, if my eyes fail me not... his true strength isparable to even a Half-Consonant Spirit realm master teacher!" Su shi said. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. If what Su shi said was true, Liao Wuzhi was indeed formidable. One must know that master teachers, with their keen eye of discernment and vast knowledge of cultivation in itself, are considered to be invincible within their power ss. To be able to defeat a master teacher of higher cultivation realm is an incredible feat in itself. "Its about to start!" After discussing a moment longer, Zhang Xuan saw the other party walking over to the stage, and thus, he began walking over without any hesitation as well. At this moment, the aura shrouding Liao Wuzhi seemed to have reached the peak. His very presence was reminiscent of the sharp edge of a sword. As soon as Zhang Xuan stepped onto the stage, Liao Wuzhi immediately said, "Zhang shi, I challenge you to a sword duel!" "Sure. It just so happens that Ive learnt a new sword art recently, and Ive yet to try it out." Zhang Xuan smiled lightly. He didnt say those words out of humility; those words were the absolute fact. Not only had he never used the sword art before, he had never even practiced it before. In other words, he had only emted the sword art in his mind ever since learning it. As such, he wasnt sure about exactly how strong it would be. And this sword art was the enhanced version of Heavens Path Sword Art that he tidied up on his way to the cier in Court. The Heavens Path Sword Art, Heavens Path Spear Art, and other Heavens Path battle techniques started out as movements, but beyond that point, it was hinged mainly on conception. A difference in conception could result in vastly different results for the same set of movements. As such, master swordsmen were able to train through their thoughts; they didnt need to go through the physical motions with a sword in hand. To have not executed a sword art that one has learned and not know how powerful it is... Zhang Xuan was probably the only one in the entire history of the world. Seeing the other party agree to it, Liao Wuzhi smiled. Then, he turned to Hong shi and said, "Hong shi, Ive a request that Id like to make!" "Speak!" Hong shi nodded. "I wish for a private duel with Zhang shi. I hope that you can ede to my request!" Liao Wuzhi said. "You want a private duel? Alright, I can agree to that!" Hong shi nodded. Given that Zhang shi was a powerful adversary, the chances were that Liao Wuzhi would have to resort to his trump cards, and it was understandable why he wouldnt want his trump cards to be exposed in public. As such, his request was reasonable. In any case, everyone here was a master teacher, and there was no one who would be so shameless as to deny their own loss. Hu! Hong shi snapped his fingers, and a mist immediately rose in stage D, hiding it from the sight of others. Even a Consonant Spirit realm expert would be unable to peer through it. "Its a pity that well miss out on such an exciting duel!" "Indeed. Liao Wuzhi possesses incredible aptitude in swordsmanship while the depth to Zhang shis ability has yet to be uncovered. I thought that I could learn some things from their duel, but it turns out they will be conducting it in private... How frustrating!" "Then, who of the two do you think would win?" "My bet is on Zhang shi. There hasnt been an opponent in the tournament who could match him so far. Liao shi might be powerful, but it is unlikely that he would be a match for him." "I disagree with your view. Liao shis aptitude in swordsmanship could be said to be unmatched by any of his peers. Its like you didnt see the previous duels he had; there was no one who could withstand the immense might of his swordsmanship. Given how skilled Zhang shi is in fist art, he must have devoted most of his time to it. There is a good chance that he might becking in his swordsmanship!" ... The most anticipated duel ended up being a private one. Everyone couldnt help but find it a huge pity. "Shh, I think their duel... has already begun!" Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd shouted. Following which, the guards and soldiers in the surroundings suddenly felt their swords in their hands shake, and an agitated metallic call sounded from their resonance. "This is... Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons! But which of the two of them... has achieved Sword Heart realm?" Chapter 597: Imparting Sword Art Chapter 597: Imparting Sword Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons; this phenomenon was a manifestation of Sword Heart realm. Upon reaching such a level of mastery in swordsmanship, ones sword would be granted spirit, allowing one to wield it as though it was ones own limbs. To a master swordsman, this enhanced level of control could easily trante into a twofold increase in fighting prowess. Those who had achieved this realm were already qualified to establish their own sects and start their own lineage of swordsmanship. In fact, most of the current sect leaders and emperors in the world hadnt even reached such a level yet. Just which of the duo in the mist was the one who had reached this astounding level of mastery, causing the innumerable swords out here to bow down to him? And who was the one filling the entire stage with sword qi, leaving the crowd below with goosebumps? "It must be Liao Wuzhi. Our two sects are stationed at the foot of the mountain beyond Myriad Kingdom City, and he has been practicing his swordsmanship by the waterfall every morning. The metallic echo of his sword reverberates through the entire valley, gushing up into the heavens. Back then, I realized that even if he hadnt reached Sword Heart realm, he must at least be at Sword Intent realm pinnacle!" "Now that you spoke of it, I suddenly remember seeing the marks he left behind in his training once. Through the manifestation of sword qi, his swings could easily reach a distance of several zhang (10 - 30 meters). That day, when I coincidentally walked by his training location, I realized that all of the marks on the ground are of equal depth! Most probably, only a person who has achieved Sword Heart realm would be capable of such precise control!" "Well, Liao Wuzhi isnt called the Unparalleled Sword Genius of the Frigid Gale Sect for nothing, after all." "Indeed. One who has achieved Sword Heart Realm is practically undefeatable among those of the same cultivation realm. Not to mention, Zhang shis cultivation is lower than the other party from the very start. Im afraid thetters chance at victory is extremely slim!" "I dont share your viewpoint. On the contrary, I think that Zhang shi is the one who has reached Sword Heart realm! Its not like you didnt see the miracles he has created in past few rounds..." ... Sensing the manifestation of seemingly endless sword qi within the mist, grave looks appeared on the faces of the master teachers below the stage. "Sword Heart realm?" Wu Tianhaos body trembled. His initial thought back then was to challenge Zhang shi to a sword duel instead of a fist duel. He thought that given his mastery in swordsmanship, the duel would be a walk in the park for him. How could he have known that Zhang shi would ept the fist duel? Thus, he thought that if he had another chance to challenge the other party, he would surely propose a sword duel straight away. But after sensing the sh of sword qi before him, he lost all of his confidence. Even if Zhang shi wasnt the one who hadprehended Sword Heart realm, given how he could rival such an expert, his swordsmanship couldnt possibly be poor. At the very least, he knew he wouldnt stand a chance against a Sword Heart realm expert. "Can Zhang shi... win?" Pavilion Master Kang and the others were worried. "Dont worry, hell surely win. Just that..." Zhao Feiwus eyebrows knitted together. "Just that?" Knowing that the Second Princess was close with Zhang shi, the others immediately turned their attention to her. "Without a doubt, Zhang shis swordsmanship has already reached Sword Heart realm!" Zhao Feiwu revealed. Back then, on Xuanyuan Kingdoms Heavens Altar, Zhang shi has disyed the might of a Sword Heart realm expert. Standing atop the back of an aerial spirit beast then, Jin Conghai and her had seen everything clearly. Along with the rise in his cultivation, his level ofprehension in swordsmanship must have been deepened as well. She had no doubt that the person who had gotten into the Sword Heart realm within the mist was him. Even if that wasnt the case, she was confident that Zhang shis swordsmanship mastery was in no way lower than this. "Just that... he doesnt have any suitable weapons..." Zhao Feiwu continued. Zhang shi had risen too quickly. Even though he managed to rue sufficient spirit stones to fuel his cultivation, he hadnt been able to find a suitable weapon for himself. Back at Honghai City Formation Master Guild, he even had to borrow the weapons of others to inscribe a formation te. While ones swordsmanship mastery was important in a sword duel, ones weapon also yed a pivotal role. If one didnt have a decent weapon to rival the weapon of ones opponent, one would be immediately ced in a disadvantageous position. "H-how... can this be?" Pavilion Master Kang and the others were stunned. With a teacher as formidable as Yang shi, they thought the one thing Zhang shi wouldntck was cultivation resources. Who could have known that he wouldnt even have a Spirit middle-tier sword? To fight against a formidable sword genius in a sword duel without a decent sword... how could he win? If only they had known in advance, they would have surely gotten one for him. Now that the duel had already begun, they couldnt interfere anymore. "Its toote to do anything, we can only have faith in Zhang shi!" Zhao Feiwu shook her head. While the group was still worried for Zhang shi, a voice suddenly sounded from the mist, "Hong shi, please release the formation!" "The battle has ended?" Everyone was stunned. If the formation was going to be released, did it mean that there was already a conclusion to the duel? But how much time had passed? Making a rough estimate, it seemed like it hadnt been even two minutes since the start... A victor was already decided in this short period of time? This was way too fast! Hu! Amidst perplexed gazes, the mist slowly scattered, revealing two silhouettes. Zhang shi and Liao Wuzhi were still standing at their original position before the duel, as though nothing had happened before. There wasnt the slightest wound or cut on their bodies either. It should have been a perilous sword duel, but on the surface, it seemed as though the fight hadnt even started. "This... So who won?" "Ive no idea either... but where is Zhang shis sword?" "Youre right. Isnt this a sword duel? Why isnt Zhang shi wielding a sword?" "It cant be that Zhang shi has admitted defeat?" ... The crowd quickly realized that, while there was a sharp sword in Liao Wuzhis hand, Zhang shis hands werepletely empty. It was impossible to tell whether he had put the sword back into his storage ring or he didnt take anything out in the first ce. It was impossible to discern who won or loss from this alone. Just as the crowd was specting the situation... "I lost!" Liao Wuzhi dered suddenly. He shook his head and put his sword back into his storage ring. "Liao shi lost?" "What happened?" A hugemotion immediately broke out after the shocking admit of defeat. What in the world did Zhang shi do in that two minutes to make the Sword Genius Liao Wuzhi admit defeat so willingly? "Zhang shis swordsmanship has reached a profound level that is far beyond me!" Ignoring the shocked gazes from the crowd below, Liao Wuzhi stepped forward and sped his fist, "Ive reached Sword Heart realm primary stage, but I find myself unable to progress any further than that. May I ask Zhang shi to enlighten me as to how I should proceed from here onward?" He was the only one of the entire Frigid Gale Sect to have reached Sword Heart realm, and thus, he could only slowly progress through trial and error. But at this stage, he found himselfpletely clueless as to how he could further progress. Even though the person before him was even younger than him, hisprehension of swordsmanship was far beyond his own. If the other party could offer him some pointers, he would surely be able to climb to even higher heights. "You want my pointers?" Even though Zhang Xuan didnt expect Liao Wuzhi to ask for his guidance so directly, he nodded his head impassively and raised his hand. "Pass me your sword!" "Yes!" Liao Wuzhis eyes lit up upon hearing those words. He immediately took out his sword and passed it to the other party. With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan drew the sword, and a stifling cold gleam immediately reflected into the surroundings. "Zhang shi... is going to offer some pointers to Liao Wuzhi?" "That seems to be the case. But... if its just offering pointers, why cant he use his own sword? After all, the sword has already acknowledged Liao Wuzhi to be his master. If the sword spirit were to resist Zhang shis control, he would be unable to fully disy the might of his swordsmanship!" "Indeed, how bizarre..." ... A deep frown appeared on everyones forehead after seeing Zhang Xuan asking for Liao Wuzhis sword. A Spirit-tier sword possessed spirit, and as long as the master it had recognized was still alive, it would be hard for anyone else to wield it. Since Zhang shi was going to disy his impart some pointers to the other party, why couldnt he use his own sword? Just as the crowd was perplexed as to what Zhang shi was doing, the sword in thetters hand suddenly released a crisp call. "Spirit Euphoria, the sword wants to acknowledge him as its master?" "He made Liao shis sword acknowledge him just by touching it?" Everyone was stunned. One must know that making a Spirit-tier weapon acknowledge one as its master was an extremely troublesome process. There were many people who would spend years wiping their sword daily, treating it with utmost care and concern, and had yet to seed. On the other hand, Zhang shi, with a single touch, actually induced Spirit Euphoria from Liao shis sword... Wasnt this way too unbelievable? Liao Wuzhi clearly didnt expect this either, and his eyes widened in shock. Back then, he had spent half a year of effort, during which, he even nourished it for an entire month with his own blood, before sessfully making the sword submit to him. Yet, the other party, with a single touch, won the loyalty of the sword... Was the gap between the both of them really this big? While he was overwhelmed with shock, Zhang shis impassive voice sounded. "Look carefully, Ill only show it to you once!" Thus, he quickly calmed himself down and focused his attention on the other party. The crowd below also fell silent. Everyones eyes were widened, and they dared not blink in fear of missing out even the slightest detail. To defeat Liao shi who hadprehended the Sword Heart realm, they wanted to see how far Zhang shi had progressed in the path of swordsmanship. Hu! Amidst everyones intense gazes, the sword in Zhang Xuans hand moved. The sword which was emitting a stifling cold gleam a moment ago seemed to have lost its glow and strength in Zhang shis hand. The blow seemed to carry no weight behind it at all; at the same time, it felt like a movement from the extension of his hand-there was no dissonance in that simple movement at all. Hu! The cut was made toward Liao Wuzhi. After shooting past him, it quickly retracted. Even though there was minimal force behind the movement, it was extremely fast, so there were many who failed to catch its full motion. Danng! Zhang Xuan sheathed the sword, threw it back to the other party, and walked off the stage. "What a fast sword art!" "Is this Zhang shisprehension of swordsmanship?" Everyone stared at one another in iprehension. Even Liao Wuzhi himself was confused. While Zhang shis sword was fast, he could easily emte that speed with his strength. In fact, he could go even faster than that... If this was all there was to it, there was nothing he could learn from this! Hu! Amidst his confusion, a wind suddenly blew, and a hair from his forehead was lifted into the air before slowly floating down. "With his previous movement... he severed a strand of my hair?" Seeing the floating strand of hair, Liao Wuzhis eyes narrowed. Given his lush hair, to sever a single hair precisely without cutting any other, the other partys control over his sword had reached an absurd level! As expected of Zhang shi, fearsome! "Zhang shi severed a hair with his sword without Liao shi noticing?" "What kind of swordsmanship is that? How powerful must ones control of the sword be to achieve such a feat?" "I have no idea... But this is probably the very pinnacle of Lower Sword Heart... Perhaps, it might even be at the level of Middle Sword Heart!" "Middle Sword Heart?" Everyone fell silent in shock. If they hadnt witnessed such a sight for themselves, they would have never believed that anyone in the world would be able to control their weapon so precisely. "Zhang shi, I thank you for your pointer..." Liao Wuzhi sped his fist respectfully. Zhang Xuan departing figure suddenly stopped and asked, "Did you understand it?" "I understand. The reason why Zhang shi severed a single hair is to tell me to refine my control over my sword..." Liao Wuzhi quickly stated his own understanding of the situation. But before he was done speaking, Zhang shi shook his head. His back beneath the moonlight seemed to slump slightly in disappointment. "It seems like... you didnt understand it!" After which, he flicked his wrist lightly. Hu! Another wind blew, and the hair instantaneously split into dozens of segments which danced in their surroundings. "It... wasnt a single sh?" Liao Wuzhis face immediately paled. Chapter 598: Duel of Knowledge Impartation Chapter 598: Duel of Knowledge Impartation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was impossible for the wind generated from the movement of the other partys sleeve to sever the air. There was only one possibility to the current situation-Zhang shis previous movement wasnt just a single cut... it was dozens of cuts! However, these cuts didnt sever the strand of hair entirely, making it seem as though it was still whole. It was only under the tug of the light breeze that they came to the limit of their durability and broke into dozens of segments. ncing downward to look at the floating segments of the strand of hair, he realized that each segment was of equal length, and the point of severance was smooth. Even slicing a strand of hair with a sword was extremely difficult even for a Sword Heart realm expert, to consecutively cut a strand of hair dozens of time without severing it... How insane must ones level of control be? Liao Wuzhis body trembled uncontrobly. No words could express his emotions at this moment. Hed thought that he had understood the other partys pointer, but from the start to the end... he was merely scratching at the surface! This wasnt just mere control anymore. Rather, his sword had be a part of his body and gained sensitivity. That was the only usible reason as to why he could urately gauge the depth of each cut so it could be split apart with a slight breeze instantaneously... Coming to a realization, he quickly lifted his head, only to realize that Zhang shi had already left the stage. Ill work hard so as to not let you down! Reying the motion of Zhang Xuans sword in his head, Liao shi realized that this was a huge opportunity for him. Clenching his fists tightly, he walked down the stage and returned back to his group. In an instant, numerous elders of the Frigid Gale Sect immediately surrounded him. "How did you lose just now? He didnt seem to be holding a sword just now, what did he use to defeat you?" The group was still bewildered by the happenings before. Zhang shi didnt seem to have even taken out his sword at all. But if that was the case, why did Liao Wuzhi admit defeat? "What did he use to defeat me?" Remembering the sight from before, Liao Wuzhi smiled bitterly before saying, "A finger..." "A finger?" Everyone was dumbstruck. ... Luck no longer yed as heavy a role in the battle for the top four. Song Chao and Ruohuan gongzi were forced to stop at this point. Other than Zhang Xuan, the other three who managed to qualify for the next round were all 4-star pinnacle master teacher, Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts. As if trying to not let the expectations of the crowd down, they were all the most popr contenders for the champion seat as well. This was especially so for Luo Xuan. In the fight against Ruohuan gongzi, he had achieved a near perfect victory. While it was regrettable that Ruohuan gongzi had to stop here, he was already content. If not for Zhang shi, he might have been eliminated in the selection round. How else could he have possibly gotten into the top eight and gain the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? "For the next round, Luo Xuan of Fleeting Cloud Sect will be fighting against Bi Jianghai of Gazing River Sect, and Huang Zheng of Cascading Sand Sect will be fighting against Zhang Xuan of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!" Hong shi revealed the matching for the round. "Huang Zheng of Cascading Sand Sect? The fellow who is ced fourth on the list of potential contenders for champion?" Zhang Xuan nced at the young man on the stage. ced in the fourth rank, this fellow was in no way inferior to Liao Wuzhi, be it his strength or his cultivation. "Un. Zhang shi, be careful. Even though the dueling format Huang Zheng proposed in each match has been different, he still won every one of them with ease. His true capability is fearsome! In fact, Im even thinking that he might have hidden his true strength!" Pavilion Master Kang said with a grim expression. He had been paying attention to Huang Zhengs duels, and even though thetter had chosen different dueling formats for each round, he was still able to triumph over his opponent easily. Thetters capability seemed to be greater than what he had predicted. In fact, thetter didnt seem to lose out to Luo Xuan at all. "It matters not who he is; having to face Zhang shi, he should be the one whos worried!" Zhao Feiwu smiled. "Youre right..." Pavilion Master Kangughed awkwardly. He had been worried that Zhang shi would be unable to survive the full tournament due to hiscking cultivation, but after the duels with Wu Tianhao and Liao Wuzhi, such a thought had vanishedpletely from his mind. Zhang shi was just like an invincible God of War. Those who faced him in battle would meet tragic ends that would totally shatter their confidence. While Huang Zheng had shown spectacr results in his previous matches, that was only because his opponents were someone else. Against Zhang shi... it was unlikely he would fare any better than the others. Seeing the groups confidence in him, Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly before walking up to the stage. Huang Zheng was already on the stage at this point. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, he sped his fist and greeted, "Zhang shi!" "Huang shi!" Zhang Xuan also returned the gesture. "I wish to challenge Zhang shi to a match of knowledge impartation!" Huang Zheng said impassively. "Knowledge impartation?" "Un. The rules are simple. A hundred people will be randomly chosen from the square, and well conduct our lectures simultaneously. Impartation of Heavens Will is banned in the duel. At the end of the lecture, whoever manages to awe more people to acknowledge him as their teacher will be the victor!" Huang Zheng revealed the rules. Even the same dueling format could have different types of rules. But of course, if one were to find it unfair, they were allowed to reject it. "Ill ept your challenge!" Zhang Xuan nodded. ... "Knowledge impartation? And Impartation of Heavens Will is banned? Isnt this a little too much!" "Indeed. Impartation of Heavens Will is a symbol of master teachers power, as well as their greatest strength. How could a match of knowledge impartation do without it?" "Huang shi surely has it nned out well. Based on the previous experiences, it would be difficult to win against Zhang shi in any type of dueling format. However, knowledge impartation is different. Sometimes, no matter how good a teachers lecture is, if a student doesnt simply doesnt like it, he wouldnt benefit much from it. As such... luck ys a significant role in this challenge as well. On top of that, Impartation of Heavens Will is banned in the challenge as well... Its hard to tell who will win!" "Indeed..." Hearing the content of thepetition, discussions broke out amidst the crowd. Knowledge impartation didnt hinge solely on the reputation and capability of the teacher only, there were many other factors in y as well. It was just like how even the most perfect of beings couldnt possibly win the amity of everyone. Human emotions are fickle, and this would be the greatest variable of them all. Zhang shi might be able to win with absolute certainty in other types of duel, but this... it would be hard to say for sure. As expected of one of the most popr contender for the champion seat, Huang Zheng was able toe up with a countermeasure swiftly and propose a dueling format that was the most advantageous to him. Otherwise, he probably wouldnt stand a chance at all. ... The rules were simple, and since both sides had no objections, they started making preparations for the duel. Soon, a hundred people were seated on the stage. Some were the guards from Myriad Kingdom Alliance while some were just ordinary spectators. Having been chosen to listen to the lectures of two great master teachers, the eyes of the hundred people glowed in excitement. This was a godsend for them. It was not every day that one got to listen to the lecture of two genius 4-star master teachers. "The cultivation realm of the group ranges over a wide spectrum, so why dont we just talk about some of the more fundamental knowledge behind cultivation instead? Otherwise, if we were to decipher a specific cultivation realm instead, those with lower cultivation realm would not understand, and those with higher cultivation realm would find it pointless!" Huang Zheng said. The cultivation realms of the hundred people chosen ranged from Fighter 1-dan to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. If they were to lecture on the cultivation of Transcendent Mortals, those still in the Fighter realm wouldnt understand. On the other hand, if they were to decipher the cultivation of Fighters, the ones who had transcended that realm would simply yawn in boredom. Only fundamental knowledge applicable to cultivation in general could pique all of their interest simultaneously. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He was fine with this decision. He might becking in other topics, but in terms of fundamentals in cultivation... even Kong shi might not necessarily be able to speak better than him if he were here. The fundamentalspiled by the Library of Heavens Path waspletely devoid of ws, and this was one feat that no master teacher could possibly achieve. "Alright. The both of us will use telepathy to ry our lecture to the group, and theyll be allowed to listen to the lecture of whoever they prefer. The time limit is an incenses time, and whoever wins the acknowledgement of members of the group after the time is up will be the winner!" Huang Zheng exined the content of the duel before waving his hands. "Lets begin then!" "Un. You go first!" Zhang Xuan gestured patiently with a smile. "I wont stand on ceremony then!" A glint shed across Huang Zhengs eyes, and he began on his lecture. As he used telepathy to ry the content of his lecture, there was no one beneath the stage who could hear anything. After listening to the other partys lecture for a while, Zhang Xuan felt that the other partys deciphering of the fundamentals wasnt too bad and nodded his head inmendation. Only then did he step forward and begin as well. ... "The duel has begun!" "But given that the both of them are lecturing simultaneously, how does the listening group decide on whom they should listen to?" "Simple, theyll just listen to the lecture which content attracts and benefits them!" "Youre right. Although most cultivators are incapable of multi-tasking, it isnt too difficult for them to filter off the words of one side!" Seeing that the duel had begun, discussions immediately sounded from the crowd. "Who do you think will win this match?" "Its hard to say, but my bet is on Zhang shi again!" "If Impartation of Heavens Will was allowed, Zhang shi surely wouldnt have any problem. But given the rules, itll have to depend on whose fundamental knowledge of fundamental is stronger..." "Considering therger collection of profound books in the Cascading Sand Sect, Huang Zheng seems to be in a far better position!" ... There was no one below who wasnt curious about how this would turn out. Since they were unable to listen to the content of the lecture, they focused their attention on the group on the stage in hopes of being able to discern something. But it was a pity that their hopes fell t. The group listening to the lecture seemed to have been hypnotized. They were indeed listening attentively with a look drunk in pleasure, but it was impossible to tell whether the cause of it was Zhang shis lecture or Huang shis lecture. Just as everyone was curious to see the results of the duel, someone amidst the crowd suddenly shouted, "Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghais duel has ended..." The crowd immediately turned their sights to the other stage and saw that the duel hade to an end. Bi Jianghais eyebrows were arched upward. He was carrying a disposition reminiscent of a majestic dragon, unassable by any. On the other hand, Luo Xuan, the most popr contender for the champion seat, was standing opposite to him. He was shaking his head with slightly disappointed expression. "What happened?" "Who won?" Seeing this sight, everyone was taken aback. Bi Jianghai came from humble origins, and he wasnt even among the top ten contenders for the champion seat. As such, everyone thought that he would surely end in defeat against Luo Xuan. But why does the scene tell a different story instead? "Luo shi lost!" a master teacher who was spectating the duel said. His voice was tinged in disbelief, as though he found his own words hard to believe as well. "Luo shi is the strongest contender for the champion seat, how could he possibly lose?" There were many among the crowd who found this conclusion inconceivable. "The both of thempeted in a duel of cultivation. The both of them are equals, or rather, Luo shi was in a slightly more advantageous position. Logically speaking, he should have been able to win. Who could have thought that... with a stroke of good luck, Bi shi managed to achieve a breakthrough in the midst of the duel, reaching Consonant Spirit realm!" That master teacher smiled bitterly. "Achieve a breakthrough?" "Consonant Spirit realm?" Everyone was stunned. Chapter 599: Give Me a Moment, Ill Go Make Some Breakthroughs First! Chapter 599: Give Me a Moment, Ill Go Make Some Breakthroughs First! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Consonant Spirit realm was the first difficult hurdle of the nine dans of Transcendent Mortal. There were innumerable cultivators who found their footsteps stopping altogether at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. This hurdle required ones soul to be perfectly harmonized with ones physical body. This bnce was difficult to achieve even if one were to focus all of ones effort into it. To do so in the midst of a battle... Wasnt this Bi shi a little, no, way too lucky? That was a realm that innumerable cultivators dream of! To actually seed in such an unlikely situation... "It isnt surprising that Luo shi would lose under such circumstances. After all, that is Consonant Spirit realm!" "While luck did y a role in Bi shi sudden breakthrough, the previous hard work he put into his cultivation and his guts were also crucial to creating this miracle. It seems like Bi shi is the true dark horse of this tournament!" "He has remained humble all along, but at a crucial moment, he still managed to turn the tables around. Impressive!" ... After finding out what happened during the duel, everyone was impressed. Facing an equal in a duel was already a difficult feat in itself. To actually attempt a breakthrough at this moment, how much guts must it take for this? Putting aside how powerful Bi shi was before, just his mental fortitude in itself was already extraordinary. Even though Luo Xuan lost, considering his opponent, there was nothing for him to regret. "Now the result of this match is out, lets see whether Zhang shi or Bi shi will win in that duel..." Since one match of the semi-finals was over, everyone turned their attention back to the other stage. They were curious to see which of the two geniuses would sh over the champion throne. "They have stopped the lecture!" "Un. The time is up, so its about time for them to wrap things up!" Amidst mutters from the crowd, the hundred people seated cross-legged on the stage slowly opened their eyes, and an excited gleam shed across each and every one of their eyes. It seemed like this incenses time lecture session had brought them immense benefits, resolving many problems they had faced in their cultivation. "Who won?" "I still cant tell. Well have to see who the hundred people on stage will choose to acknowledge!" "Un!" Knowing that the conclusion to the match was near, everyones hearts beat anxiously. They quickly turned their nces over, curious to see who would emerge victorious. With the end of the lecture, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as well. Even though he was confident in his lecture, he had no way of telling how the hundred people would choose. After all, without Impartation of Heavens Will, the credibility of his words would be significantly lower. On top of that, they would also find it harder toprehend some of the more profound and abstract concepts. Ive already tried my best, I can only wait for the results now! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much into it. Thus, he turned his sight to the crowd and said, "Everyone..." Zhang Xuan was just about to ask who was willing to acknowledge him as their teacher when a silhouette suddenly shed across his eyes. A person had kneeled before him. "Zhang shi, please take me in as your student. Ill surely study hard so as to not let you down..." "Huang shi, what are you doing?" Taking a closer look at the face of the kneeling person, Zhang Xuan leaped in fright. It was no other than his opponent, Huang Zheng! Even though the both of them were conducting their own lectures, they could still listen to the content of the other partys lecture. The content of Zhang Xuans lecture was incredibly profound, but he had managed to express it in a simplified form that anyone could easilyprehend. "What?" "Right after the lecture, before the others could make their decision, Huang shi has already tried to acknowledge Zhang shi as his teacher?" "Can anyone tell me what is going on?" "To make a 4-star pinnacle master teacher kneel with just fundamental knowledge... Just what in the world was spoken in the lecture?" "Indeed! Furthermore, Impartation of Heavens Will wasnt used at all throughout the lecture!" ... The crowd below flew into a frenzy. Based on Zhang shis previous feats, it was entirely possible for him to beguile Huang shi into kneeling before him. But... Impartation of Heavens Will was banned in the duel, and the content of the lecture was only fundamental knowledge of cultivation... For Huang shi to kneel down just like that... What in the world happened? It was such an intense duel, but before the results were out, the other party had already kneeled down to acknowledge the other party as his teacher... No matter howposed the crowd was, they still felt as though their heads were about to be blown away from shock. Must everything be so exaggerated? "Zhang shi, we would also like toe under your tutge..." But that wasnt the end of it. Every single one of the hundred cultivators on stage quickly rushed forward and kneeled before Zhang Xuan as well. Their eyes gleamed in earnest respect for thetter. "All one hundred of them chose Zhang shi?" In an instant, the entire square fellpletely silent. If two master teachers of the equivalent ranks were to conduct a lecture simultaneously, the result would usually be around half on both sides. After all, knowledge impartation in itself was subjective, and ones choice could be easily influenced by ones own emotions... And yet, all hundred cultivators actually chose to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as their teacher. What in the world did he talk about to impress everyst one of them? On top of that, he even captured the heart of a 4-star pinnacle master teacher in the midst of doing so! This... Even a 5-star master teacher wouldnt be capable of such a feat! "Alright, you all should get up. Regardless of the final result, Ill conduct a lecture for everyone at the end of the tournament!" Zhang Xuan also didnt expect so many to acknowledge him at once, and he couldnt help but feel a headache. "Yes!" Hearing Zhang shi agreeing to conduct a lecture, the group nodded their heads and took a step back. "In this round... Zhang shi is the victor!" Seeing that everyone had finally calmed down, Hong shi nodded his head and announced the result. "Dont pull me, I must acknowledge Zhang shi as my teacher..." Just as Hong shi was about to announce the final round, a scream of agony sounded. Shooting a nce over, his lips twitched uncontrobly. Huang shi, who had walked onto the stage haughtily a moment ago, was kneeling earnestly before Zhang shi, unwilling to back down at all. In the end, he had to be dragged away by his fellow peers in the sect, but even so, he still continued shouting as though a lunatic. "Sigh, this fellow is a goner..." Seeing this scene of madness, Hong shi shook his head. As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, it struck him even more vividly how profound Zhang Xuansprehension of cultivation was, and as such, he also suffered the greatest side effect. Looking at the other partys state, it seemed like he would neverpromise until Zhang shi took him in as his student. There was not a single round that Zhang shi didnt pass without breaking anything. He didnt even spare his fellow humans as well-those who faced him were either severely injured or went insane... What the heck was this?! It was as if shattering artifacts wasnt sufficient to satisfy him. He had to destroy everyst shred of the confidence of his opponent as well. "Alright, well rest for ten minutes before the champion round. Zhang shi will be facing... Bi shi!" Ignoring thepletely bbergasted faces of the crowd below and the convulsing Huang Zheng, Hong shi announced the results. Thus, Zhang Xuan walked down from the stage. "Zhang shi, Bi shi has managed to reach Consonant Spirit realm in the midst of the round and defeated Luo shi..." As soon as Zhang Xuan walked over, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly pulled him to the side and exined the situation of the previous round to him. "He managed to achieve a breakthrough in the midst of the duel and defeated Luo shi?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. This matter sounded bizarre even to him. "Indeed. Even though theres only a thin wall between Consonant Spirit realm primary stage and rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, it is a whole new world on the other side. I fear that... he will challenge you to a duel of cultivation!" "Theres no doubt about it, he will surely do that!" Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others couldnt help but feel worried for Zhang Xuan. Even though Zhang shi was able to win against Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle Liao Wuzhi with his swordsmanship, it would still be difficult for him to face a true Consonant Spirit realm expert. Consonant Spirit realm represented a perfect harmony between a tempered soul and a body; not only would ones strength increase by leaps and bounds, ones reaction speed and flexibility would be significantly enhanced as well. At this point, one could be said to have stepped into the gateway of bing a true expert. It would be difficult to win against Zhang shi in any other challenge, so Bi shi would surely opt for a challenge that could utilize the advantage in his cultivation. After all, no matter how spectacr Zhang shis results were, he was only at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle. Regardless of how talented or astute his senses were, it was impossible for him to make up for the gap between two huge cultivation realms to defeat a Consonant Spirit realm expert. No one had never done so, not even the geniuses in the long history of the Master Teacher Pavilion. "He will surely propose a cultivation duel to Zhang shi, what should we do... We can reject the proposal, right?" "Reject? He can just pick another dueling format that is heavily dependent on ones cultivation realm!" Everyone was anxious. Zhao Feiwu couldnt help butment, "Considering Zhang shis ability to challenge even those stronger than him... if he could make a breakthrough to rifying Turbidity realm right now, he might still stand a chance..." Despite being at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle, Zhang shi was able to defeat Liao Wuzhi, who was at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. If he could make the leap to rifying Turbidity realm right now, he might still stand a chance. "Make a breakthrough to rifying Turbidity realm... That is easier said than done! Already half of the ten minutes resting time is over, do you really think Zhang shi can make a breakthrough within five minutes?" Hearing her word, a bitter smile surfaced on Pavilion Master Kangs face as he shook his head. Cultivating was simr to ascending a mountain. It was impossible to jump to the peak instantly, one could only progress slowly a step at a time. Zhang shi had already made humongous progress in the past few months. How could he possibly just achieve a breakthrough within this five minutes? Thats impossible! Arent you pulling our legs? "Youre right..." Zhao Feiwu shook her head as well. Just as she was about to rummage through her head for another solution, the young man beside her turned around and asked, "Youre saying that as long as I can reach rifying Turbidity realm, Ill stand a chance against him?" "Thats right..." Zhao Feiwu nodded her head. "Alright then. Give me a moment, Ill go make some breakthroughs..." Zhang shi nodded. Flicking his wrist, a middle-tier spirit stone appeared in his palm, and he gripped onto it tightly with both of his hands. In an instant, it was as though someone had set his aura aze, and his cultivation began raising at a rapid pace. "Give you a moment?" "It cant be that Zhang shi intends to achieve a breakthrough right now?" "Whats so surprising about that? Its not like he has never achieved a breakthrough during crucial moments before..." Hearing Zhang shis words, everyone was stunned. Did you need to be so over the top? Making a breakthrough as and when you like, do you really think that cultivating is that easy? But before everyone could recover from their shock, they heard a buzz. Zhang shi seemed to have broken through some kind of barrier, and his aura rose swiftly. "Transcendent Mortal 4-dan... rifying Turbidity realm?" The mouths of Pavilion Master Kang and the others twitched. We thought that you were just saying it on a whim, but you were actually serious about it? Feeling the disruption in the spiritual energy in the air, from a distance not too far away, Bi Jianghai turned his gaze over to look at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance group. He thought that he would be able to deal with Zhang shi easily now that he had reached Consonant Spirit realm. Who knew that the other party would actually make a breakthrough as well... Zhang shi, is there anything in the world that you cant do? "No, I mustnt allow him to continue on like that. Otherwise, Ill surely lose the tournament..." Gritting his teeth, Bi Jianghai dashed up to the stage, flung his sleeves, and dered, "Zhang shi, surely we should have already rested enough already. Since everyone is waiting, why dont we just start now?" "Start now?" "He must feel threatened by Zhang shis breakthrough!" "Indeed! Zhang shi has just barely made a breakthrough and he hasnt had any time to reinforce his cultivation yet. Under such circumstances, he wont be able to utilize his full strength, and it seems like Bi shi intends to exploit this opening. After all, once Zhang shi seeds in reinforcing his cultivation, things might get shaky for Bi shi." Seeing Bi Jianghai proposing to resume the duel halfway through the break, the crowd frowned. Chapter 600: Finals (1) Chapter 600: Finals (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm. rify refers to the soul whereas turbid refers to the body. Usually, right after the breakthrough, the clear and the turbid would still be intermixed together as though a puddle of murky water. If Zhang shi was given an hours time for the turbid to settle, his fighting prowess would surely soar greatly. To fight right now... His fighting prowess would still be no different from a Yin-Yang realm pinnacle cultivator!" "Before the distinction between clear and turbid is drawn, ones body and soul would remain stuck together. In the worst-case scenario, Zhang shis fighting prowess might even dip due to this." "But Bi shi cant be med for this either. In the end, this is a tournament, and if I were in his shoes, I would have done the same as well!" "The champion seat of the Master Teacher Tournament has always been highly regarded. He couldnt possibly give up now that the crown is right before him..." ... There was a significant proportion of the crowd who shook their heads upon seeing Bi shis actions. Master teachers are humans as well, and there is no human in this world that is free of desires. This final duel concerned both prestige and an invaluable high-tier spirit stone. There is no one who could possibly allow this to slip past their fingers. As such, they were able to empathize with Bi Jianghai as well. Yin-Yang realm-the harmony of both yin and yang wouldplement and drive the growth of the other. Upon breaking through to rifying Turbidity realm, both yin and yang would amalgamate to form a puddle of murky water. With an hour of conditioning, as the clear rose and the turbid sank, the distinction between the two would gradually be clearer, thus inducing a surge in ones fighting prowess. However, as Zhang shis opponent, how could Bi shi possibly watch idly and allow him to do as he pleased? Unwilling to spare the slightest chance to his opponent, Bi shi immediately called for the resumption of the duel. With this, Zhang shis breakthrough became the very factor dragging him down. "Damn it, that cowardlyd!" "He ispletely devoid of the magnanimity a master teacher should have..." Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others were leaping in anger. "Dont worry!" Seeing everyone worrying for him, Zhang shi smiled, stood up, and proceeded to the stage. "Zhang shi possesses overwhelming talent that allows you to rival stronger opponents. Even Wu shi and Liao shi were defeated by you. I respect your strength, and I wish to challenge you in a cultivation duel. I hope that you wont turn me down!" Bi Jianghai raised his hands grandly as he spoke. "Come!" Just as the others guessed, this fellow challenged him to a cultivation duel. Zhang Xuan smiled lightly in response to those words. Hong long! Hearing Zhang Xuans affirmation, Bi Jianghais eyebrows shot up, and he immediately dashed forward with a fist. He feared that something awry might happen if he were to drag the duel out, and thus, he went at Zhang shi with his full strength right from the start. The might of a Consonant Spirit realm diffused from the immense might of his fist, as though the ripples from a rock falling into the surface of a body of water. Before the fist could even strike, one could already feel an immense pressure weighing down on ones soul. An ordinary rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle expert possessed 1,600,000 ding of strength while a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage expert harnessed a might of 2,000,000 ding. The fist felt as though a humongous mountain charging towards one. A huge gust of wind burst into the surroundings. Even though Zhang Xuans cultivation had risen immensely recently, he had never faced an expert of this caliber before. He felt his blood pumping rapidly through his body, and his meridians seemingly erged in anticipation of the battle that was about toe. "Good!" Laughing heartily, Zhang Xuan dashed forward and faced that fist with one of his own. Heavens Path Divine Fist! Peng! With the collision of both fists, Zhang Xuan was forced seven to eight steps back. In order to examine the might of his physical body, Zhang Xuan opted not to utilize the strength derived from his soul cultivation. As such, he suffered a setback in the very first blow. Nevertheless, with a slight smile on his face, he charged forward once more. "Humph!" Seeing the other party charging up to him despite his cultivation still being unstable from the previous breakthrough, Bi Jianghais eyebrows shot up. Even though he didnt hurt the other party in the previous encounter, he got a clear glimpse of the other partys current strength-around 1,200,000 ding. That was the level of a rifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage expert, but it was still a long way from rivaling his current might. "Zhang shi, youre indeed a formidable opponent. Your understanding of cultivation is indeed astounding. But... if this is all youve got, Ill be taking the champion seat then!" With a huge gust of wind, Bi shi opened his fist into a palm and thrust it forcefully in a downward trajectory at Zhang Xuan. Hong long! A huge palm print appeared on the stage instantaneously. As though the ws of a ferocious tiger, it fell down onto Zhang Xuan. "Its... Bi shis [Great Reversal Adamantine Palm]!" "This is a Spirit middle-tier pinnacle battle technique! With this move, he is invincible even among those of the same cultivation realm. This is bad!" "To use his ultimate move at this start of the battle, he sure is vicious!" ... Seeing the action on the stage, some eximed and some gasped in shock. Great Reversal Adamantine Palm was an extremely powerful fist art, and it was one of the battle techniques that Bi Jianghai specialized in. To use it so early into the battle, it seemed like he intended to end things swiftly. "Oh? Lets see how powerful this move of yours is!" Instead of dodging, Zhang Xuan charged up and faced it with yet another fist of his own. Peng! As the fist and the palm collided, Zhang Xuans face reddened, and he was sent flying several meters away like a flying rubber ball beforeing to a stop. It was a little forced for him to catch an attack of a Consonant Spirit realm without tapping into his soul cultivation. "Thats not it, this doesnt seem to be Zhang shis true strength!" While watching the duel on stage, amidst the crowd, Wu Tianhao frowned. In his previous duel with Zhang shi, he was sent flying at the first encounter. While he knew that the other party did use his own momentum against him, the strength the other party disyed definitely didnt just number up to 1,200,000 ding. How could his strength plummet by so much after a breakthrough? "Indeed. Even if Zhang shis strength is inferior to the other party, as long as he uses his sword art like he did in my duel, Bi Jianghai will surely be in for a hard time. Why... is he not leveraging his strengths but facing his opponent with brute strength instead?" Liao Wuzhi also frowned in confusion. Having exchanged blows with Zhang shi, they understood how fearsome that young mans means and might were. Considering the unbelievable capability he had shown in the previous duel, why was he foolishly crossing fists with Bi Jianghai head-on at this moment? Peng peng peng peng! While they were perplexed over the matter, the duo on stage crossed blows several more times. Every single time, Zhang shi would use his full might to face the other party, only to end up knocked back pathetically each time. At this time, Zhang shi seemed no different from a brute who knew nothing but pure violence. Someone amidst the crowd suddenly shouted, "Wait... Is it just me or is Zhang shi... only using a single hand? I dont think he has used his other hand throughout the battle?" Hearing the shout, the crowd suddenly realized that Zhang shi had indeed only been using his right hand throughout the battle. His left hand had been hanging idly by his body, as though it was injured. "A rifying Turbidity realm cultivator facing a Consonant Spirit realm expert with a single hand, whats wrong with him?" "Could he be injured? No, that cant be it. He used that hand when he was demonstrating a sword art to Liao shi just a moment ago..." "Could it be that he is handicapping himself? But hes already in a disadvantageous position, why would he do so?" Everyone also realized that something was wrong, and bewilderment filled their faces. Only an expert would handicap himself when facing a weaker opponent. Zhang shi was clearly the disadvantageous side, and yet, he was adamantly using only a single hand? "Wait... It looks like a spirit stone... I think Zhang shi is holding a spirit stone in his left hand!" a sharp-eyed master teacher eximed. "Holding a spirit stone? It cant be... He is trying to absorb spiritual energy while battling to achieve a breakthrough?" "Now that you say it, it does seem to be the case. But to cultivate in the midst of a battle... Am I dreaming?" "I think thats really the case. Taking a closer look now, Zhang shis aura does feel significantly stronger than before!" ... Noticing the abnormality, the master teachers in the square stared at one another with sheer disbelief reflected in their eyes. Zhang shi was actually grabbing a spirit stone in his motionless hand. This means that... he had been absorbing spiritual energy non-stop over the course of the battle to reinforce and advance his cultivation! But how was that possible? "Incredible! Incredible!" Naturally, Pavilion Master Kang also noticed this abnormality. A thought surfaced in his mind, and in an instant, his heart suddenly quickened in agitation. "In rifying Turbidity realm, the clearer the distinction between the clear and the turbid, the stronger ones cultivation bes. But to do so would require significant amount of time... Zhang shi knows that hes short on time... The reason why he faced his Bi shis attack with brute force instead of skill is not because hes arrogant, but that he intends to use the might from the other partys blows to quicken the separation process and raise his cultivation!" "Forcefully quicken the separation process of clear and turbid?" "This... How in the world does he intend to do it?" Su shi and Ling shi had been trapped in the rifying Turbidity realm for a long time now, but they were still unable to advance to pinnacle-tier. Upon hearing that such a method actually existed, they widened their eyes as though they had seen a ghost. "Bi Jianghai has also barely reached Consonant Spirit realm. Thus, his control over his soul and physical body is still iplete. As a result, his attacks are tinged with both soul energy and zhenqi. Zhang shi is exploiting this by facing the other partys zhenqi and soul with his own zhenqi and soul respectively. Through this, he can forcefully jolt his body and soul apart..." Abination of shock and admiration shrouded Pavilion Master Kangs face. "If Zhang shi was a puddle of murky water before, through tapping into the might of the other partys cultivation, he has already jolted the turbid and clear apart, reinforcing his cultivation. In fact, his cultivation is even rising swiftly at the moment!" "Making use of his opponents attacks to jolt the turbid and clear apart to raise his cultivation?" "This... This is too exaggerated!" Su shi and the others widened their eyes in shock. The other master teachers who came to the same conclusion also had looks of disbelief on their faces. To exploit the opponents ws to raise ones cultivation in the midst of a battle... If Bi Jianghai were to realize it, he would surely be spurting blood at this moment. He had put his full might into his blows, only to be used by the other party as a whetstone. "When I was watched Bi shi achieve a breakthrough in his previous duel, I was impressed by his guts and mental fortitude. But after seeing Zhang shis performance... I realized that his achievement is really nothing much to brag about!" "Indeed. In the end, achievements are rtive. Achieving a breakthrough on the spot against cultivating constantly in the midst of crossing blows, theres really noparing the two!" "To use the might of ones opponent to temper oneself... The slightest mistake could possibly lead to tragic oues, probably only Zhang shi has the guts to do so!" ... Since they were able to see through Zhang shis intentions, naturally, they also understood the dangers in his actions. When facing a stronger opponent, even if one were to face them with ones full strength, it would still be hard to stand ones ground. On the other hand, Zhang shi was actually multi-tasking in the battle, cultivating constantly as he crossed blows with the other party. How brave and confident of his abilities must he be to actually employ such a tactic? Even though they were witnessing the sight personally, they still couldnt help but feel frenzied. "Its fortunate that I lost in a single move. Otherwise, I would only have embarrassed myself more..." Wu Tianhao smiled bitterly. Liao Wuzhi also nodded in agreement. The both of them did feel indignant losing to Zhang shi, but after seeing this sight, they realized that their swift defeat was actually a blessing instead... To be cooperating as though a fool while your opponent uses you as a cultivation tool, could that be the pinnacle of humiliation? Soon, Bi Jianghai also came to a realization, and he roared furiously, "Damn it, how dare you take me for a whetstone? Dont even dream about it!" He thought that if he were to fight the other party before he reinforced his cultivation, the other party would surely panic, resulting in an easy victory for him. Who could have thought that he would end up being used as a whetstone instead? The immensely stifling frustration in his heart left him on the verge of going insane. "Damn you!" Bellowing angrily, his aura surged instantaneously, breaking through the bottleneck of Consonant Spirit realm primary stage. "Supreme Demented Demon Fist? This is bad..." The face of an elder of Gazing River Sect darkened. Chapter 601: Finals (2) Chapter 601: Finals (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Supreme Demented Demon Fist was a secret art passed down within the lineage of the Gazing River Sect. It was never made known to outsiders, and once executed, ones strength would instantaneously rise by a small cultivation realm for a short period of time. However, ones original cultivation would suffer a sharp fall afterward. It wasnt easy for Bi Jianghai to reach Consonant Spirit realm. If his cultivation were to regress due to this duel, not only it be a pity for Bi Jianghai, it would be a huge loss to the Gazing River Sect as well. One must know that of the twenty-eight powers in the surroundings, the number of Consonant Spirit realm experts was truly limited. At the very least, it numbered below one hundred. Not to mention, there was only a total of five of them in Gazing River Sect. An additional one to the lineup could bolster their forces significantly, deterring their enemies while elevating their position. Besides, the other party was a top-notch genius who had broken innumerable records. If anything were to happen to him, how would their Gazing River Sect face the Master Teacher Pavilion? "Insane! That fellow has gone insane!" a pale-faced elder uttered hoarsely. "Can we stop him?" another elder asked, but the only response he received was the shaking of heads from his peers. The rules of the Master Teacher Tournament prohibited anyone from interfering with an ongoing duel in view of fairness. "Zhang shi will have to deal with this himself. Lets hope that he can produce a miracle once more!" "Indeed. But still, I fear that its impossible for a rifying Turbidity realm primary stage to match a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage! Those are twopletely different levels. Theres little hope, unless..." "Unless what?" "Unless... Zhang shi summons his tamed beast, Demon Cinque Beast!" "Demon Cinque Beast? Youre right, why didnt I think of that? As a beast tamer, Zhang shi has the right to bring his tamed beast to battle. With Demon Cinque Beasts Consonant Spirit realm cultivation, defeating Bi shi would be a walk in the park!" "Your words make sense, but will Zhang shi do so?" "This..." The person who offered the suggestion fell silent. Even though Zhang shi might seem like a casual person, he had shown that he would neverpromise on the fairness of a duel. Since he had agreed to the duel, he would only use his own strength to triumph over his opponent. It was impossible for him to summon his tamed beast to assist him! "Dont think too much, lets just watch on. Perhaps a miracle might really happen..." Everyone continued watching the duel nervously. Master Teacher Tournament emphasizes heavily on fairness. Many people already felt contempt for Bi Jianghai due to him exploiting the other partys weakness and employing a mutually-assured destruction technique now only fanned the crowds displeasure. On the contrary, Zhang shi, who fought on valiantly despite being in such a dangerous position, won everyones admiration instead. While the crowd was worrying for Zhang shi, the duel on the stage had also reached its climax. With the execution of the Supreme Demented Demon Fist, Bi Jianghais cultivation surged, and his maximum strength rose to 2,400,000 ding. His attacks wielded such immense might behind them that it created a feeling of helplessness in those facing it. "You came just on time!" Without the slightest hint of panic or fear, Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in excitement as he charged forward with a howl. Peng peng peng peng! The air in the surroundings billowed. The duo crossed blows, and to the crowds astonishment, they were actually equally-matched. "This..." "Zhang shis cultivation is indeed increasing continuously!" "rifying Turbidity realm primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage... How much time has passed since the start of the battle?" "Pinnacle! Hes already at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle! Has it been ten breaths? Or is it twenty? He actually advanced from rifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle in this period of time? How can this be possible?" ... Everyone thought that with the activation of the Supreme Demented Demon Fist, Zhang shi was doomed. Who could have known that not only did he manage to stand his ground, he was even getting stronger every moment. In just a short twenty breaths, he actually advanced all the way from rifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle! It felt just like a dream even though they were witnessing the sight with their own eyes. This was way too fearsome! There were many who spent decades to progress from rifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle, and yet, in less than a single minute, Zhang shi had managed to achieve the very same feat while reinforcing his cultivation on top of that! His rate of progress would leave those who dared to proim themselves as geniuses ashamed. Hong shis face also paled upon seeing the sight, and he couldnt help but mutter to himself, "To use the pressure from the soul and zhenqi of a Consonant Spirit realm to temper ones body and quicken the separation of turbid and clear so as to raise ones cultivation, even I am miles apart from him in terms of guts and confidence!" With his eye of discernment, he was able to see through Zhang Xuans intentions as well. For a rifying Turbidity realm cultivator to face a Consonant Spirit realm expert without fear and even use thetter to temper oneself and break through ones bottleneck, it was hard to tell whether even Pavilion Master Mo would be capable of such a feat. Hong shi knew that Zhang shi would surely excel in all aspects as a master teacher. After all, with guidance of a potential 8-star master teacher, it would be hard to believe that he was ordinary... But it seemed like he was still underestimating thetter. Even thetters seeming weakness-his cultivation-was also unmatched by others as well. It was as if they were people from two different worlds. "It seems like he is the champion of this tournament." Only at this moment did Hong shis floating heart finally find ground. Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan had taken out one high-tier spirit stone to get on good terms with Zhang shi and Yang shi. Fortunately, Hong shi had managed to aplish the implied mission the he had for him. As expected of the student of an 8-star master teacher, Zhang shi was truly superior in all aspects, even his fighting prowess and mental fortitude. Hong! While anxiety and nervousness overwhelmed the crowd below, on the stage, Zhang Xuan had reached a very profound state of mind. In truth, the n to make use of the other partys might to advance his cultivation was just a thought he had all of a sudden. He thought that it would be extremely difficult to seed, but the results turned out to be much better than he thought. As concentrated zhenqi flowed through his meridians like a torrent, Zhang Xuans aura and strength increased qualitatively. Under normal circumstances, even when using a middle-tier spirit stone, it would take at least two hours before he could reach rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. But this time, not only did he reach rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle within an extremely short period of time, on top of that, his zhenqi capacity had increased significantly, and his ability to drive zhenqi was also enhanced. All of these would be equivalent to several months of effort, thus saving him a lot of time on cultivation. At Yin-Yang realm pinnacle, he possessed 1,000,000 ding of strength. At this moment, it had increased by twofold to 2,000,000 ding! Factoring in the strength of 1,600,000 ding derived from his soul cultivation, it totaled up to 3,600,000 ding. With such might, he could kill even a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle expert with a single punch. After all, a normal Consonant Spirit realm cultivator would only possess 2,000,000 ding of might in primary stage, 2,400,000 ding in intermediate stage, 2,800,000 ding in advanced stage, and 3,200,000 ding in pinnacle! Power! While he was enjoying the changes his body was undergoing, Bi Jianghai was about to go insane. Under normal circumstances, his opponent should have been subdued after executing his ultimate technique. Who knew that... the more he fought, the colder his heart became. He had tried all means and tricks, but it seemed as though the other party could deal with his attacks leisurely as though they were nothing. This made him feel extremely embarrassed, and he found his tolerance hitting its limit. "Ill destroy you!" Roaring furiously, he utilized every ounce of energy contained within his body without any reservations. The rampaging zhenqi gushed out as though a torrent, swallowing Zhang Xuan whole in an instant. "This is bad!" Hong shi, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others narrowed their eyes. This was no longer just a duel anymore. With such frenzied offense, this was already at the level of a life-and-deathbat. The slightest mistake could lead to the death of one party. "This is madness! He has gone mad!" The faces of the elders of Gazing River Sect turned ghastly pale. Even though they werent present in the encounter with Yang shi, they had heard some secret intelligence from their sources and knew that Zhang shis background was extraordinary. Otherwise, given how many artifacts and humans he had broken, he would have already been stripped of his rights as a participant of this tournament. It wasnt just once that they had seen the frenzied expression of the usuallyposed Hong shi in the course of this tournament, and the fact that he still allowed Zhang shi to continue despite all of the trouble he had caused affirmed their doubts. To actually try to kill a figure with such powerful backing with all your might, what else can you be if not insane? Just as everyone was panicking, Zhang Xuan, whose consciousness had finally returned from feeling his internal changes, noticed the rampaging energy before him. Thus, he casually waved his palm. Boom! A cloud of dust flew up. But even amidst the cloud of dust... Sou! Bi Jianghai, who had channeled all of his strength against Zhang Xuan, was sent flying as though a mosquito struck by a fly swat. In an instant, just like Wu Tianhao from before, he flew into the sky. "Ah?" "What happened?" "Ive no idea too. I saw Zhang shi casually waving his palm and Bi shi was suddenly sent flying..." Everyone was dumbstruck. After so many matches, they had a clear gauge of Zhang shis strength already. Going by rational deduction, he should have been pummeled to the point that his head would have swollen to the size reminiscent to that of a pigs head already. Yet, not only was hepletely fine, the Consonant Spirit realm Bi shi was sent flying instead... What in the world happened? When did Zhang shi be so mighty? "This..." Seeing Bi shi sent flying into the distance, Zhang Xuan finally awakened fully from his trance, and his eyes widened in shock. Scratching his head helplessly, he was extremely tempted to cry. He quickly tried to exin himself, "I didnt do it intentionally..." His concentration hadpsed for a moment due to his breakthrough, thus resulting in him overexerting his strength. On top of that, he also didnt expect that seemingly formidable fellow a moment ago would be so weak... What in the world was this? It was one thing for him to injure those participants before, but now, he even sent his opponent of the finals flying with a single p. At this point, all he could see of the other party was a ck dot... If he were to say that he didnt do it intentionally, would anyone believe him? "Bi shi..." Seeing the genius of their sect disappearing further and further from sight, the few elders whose heart was hanging a moment ago heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Hong shi and everyone else, its due to theck of discipline in our Gazing River Sect that we nearly caused a huge cmity. Well bring Bi Jianghai back now and teach him a lesson immediately. Were too embarrassed to ept second ce..." One of the elders-in-charge of Gazing River Sect stood up and apologized in embarrassment. In the Master Teacher Tournament, everyone knew the epted limits and stopped appropriately. On the other hand, the genius of their sect actually tried to kill his opponent. If not for Zhang shi achieving a breakthrough at the veryst moment, he might have actually died. With suchck in decorum, it could be said that they had infringed on the rules of the tournament. Even if no one spoke a word, they would still be too embarrassed to remain here. "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. What in the world are you talking about? If thats the case, shouldnt my right as a participant have been revoked for many times already? "Elder, you are being too harsh on yourself. Bi shi only lost his calmness and struck a little harshly due to my provocative actions. In truth, he hasnt caused any damage at all. Why dont we just call it quits..." "Youre willing to let the matter go? Thank you, Zhang shi!" Hearing Zhang shi plead on behalf of their sect, the faces of the elders of Gazing River Sect reddened in agitation, and the entire group knelt to the floor. Did you see that? This is the magnanimity a master teacher should have! Bi Jianghai watched tearfully in the air. Magnanimity? I would love to have it as well. But to do so... I would have to defeat this monster first... Chapter 602: Combat Soul Constitution Chapter 602: Combat Soul Constitution Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Alright. Since the champion of our tournament is already decided, lets move on to determine the other cings..." After calming down the agitated crowd, Hong shi continued on with the tournament. At the current moment, only the first and second ces were decided. The tournament still had to go on to determine the third to the tenth ce. After all the excitement, the crowd wascking in interest for the duels that followed. Two hourster, the top ten ces for the Master Teacher Tournament were finally out. Wei Yuqing, who suffered a tragic defeat against Zhang Xuan, performed extraordinarily well in the remaining duels and sessfully advanced into the top ten. Qin Lei, who was eliminated by Ruohuan gongzi back then, also disyed spectacr abilities and clinched ninth ce. Actually, if not for Zhang Xuans interference, he would be at least in the top five cing. Nevertheless, being in the ninth ce, he was at least granted the opportunity to be a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well, thus making this trip worthwhile. "Zhang shi, here is your prize!" Once the cings were confirmed, the prizes were given out. The first ce was given a high-tier spirit stone, an opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and three days to cultivate in the Cleansing Lake. While presenting the prize to Zhang Xuan, Hong shi sent a telepathic message over. "Zhang shi, the high-tier spirit stone is a private gift from Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan to the participant in the first ce..." Since Pavilion Master Mo intended to express his goodwill to Zhang shi and Yang shi, naturally, his name should be made known to the other party. Otherwise, wouldnt everything be done in vain? Only then did Zhang Xuane to a realization. This exined why the prize this year was much more generous than previous years! In truth, it wasnt too difficult to guess this. Given Yang shis astounding means, it was natural that Pavilion Master Mo would want to get on his good side. In any case, this matter was beneficial to Zhang Xuan. After all, that was a high-tier spirit stone! Its value was equivalent to ten thousand middle-tier spirit stone. If not to embarrass himself, Zhang Xuan would have surely opened the jade box then and started examining the spirit stone already. cing the prize carefully in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan was filled with agitation and excitement. With a high-tier spirit stone in his possession, his future cultivation would be much easier. At least in the short run, he wouldnt have to worry about spiritual energy anymore. After distributing the prizes, Hong shi announced, "Alright. The Master Teacher Tournament hase to a conclusion. The top three of the tournament shall follow me to Huanyu Empire tomorrow to im their prize of cultivating in the Cleansing Lake!" "Tomorrow?" "So soon?" "Theres no choice. Huanyu Empire is more than a million kilometers away, and if we dont rush there, we might miss the opening of the Cleansing Lake. If so, we might miss this opportunity!" "Thats true. The Cleansing Lake opens at the start of the year for each opening, and theres barely a month until then. If we dont rush now, we might fail to make it in time..." Upon hearing from Hong shi that they were leaving tomorrow, the participants were astonished. However, they soon understood his intentions. The Cleansing Lake was the most valuable treasure of the Huanyu Empires royalty, as well as the foundation of its establishment. The grounds would be opened once every decade, and it wasnt too long to it now. If they didnt hurry now, they might just miss this opportunity by. "Alright, you should return to make preparations. Well set off tomorrow noon!" Hong shi waved his hands to dismiss the group. By now, it was alreadyte at night, and the time left for them to prepare was less than a day. "I should also make some preparations!" Zhang Xuan stood up. There were many things he had to deal with, and time was tight. "Pavilion Master Kang, thank you for your care during this period of time. This is a cultivation technique my teacher prepared for you, and if you were to cultivate it ordingly, it should assist you in reaching Consonant Spirit realm!" Flicking his wrist, a book appeared in Zhang Xuans palm as he passed it over. Pavilion Master Kang had really helped him a lot during this period of time, especially the trip to the cier in Court. Without his help, it would be impossible for him to nurture his soul sufficiently so as to divide into two and sessfully forge his clone. At the same time, Zhao Ya wouldnt have met with such a rare opportunity either. As such, Zhang Xuan speciallypiled a cultivation technique manual to deal with the various ws the other party suffered from. As long as the other party cultivated along with it, it would just be a matter of time before he reached Consonant Spirit realm. "Reach Consonant Spirit realm? This cultivation technique was prepared by Yang shi?" Pavilion Master Kangs breathing immediately hastened, and his eyes reddened in agitation. Yang shi, an existence likely to be an 8-star master teacher. Just receiving a single pointer from such a person was a huge blessing in itself. To think that he would even have a cultivation technique created just for him, he truly had no idea how he could ever repay this favor. Putong! Pavilion Master Kang kneeled onto the floor, and with a grim expression, he kowtowed eight times toward Zhang Xuans residence before standing up. "Su shi and Ling shi, these are yours..." Of course, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly forget about these two. Without them, he wouldnt have been able to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament. After receiving the cultivation technique, Su shi and Ling shi also thanked him profusely. Zhang Xuan had always remembered grudges and favors clearly. "Zhang shi, can I follow you to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?" Knowing that Zhang Xuan was about to leave, Zhao Feiwus eyes reddened. This young man had solved her ailment, granting her a whole new life. Gratitude, along with the experiences at Xuanyuan Kingdom, soul oracle tomb, and such, had left her with an indescribable emotion toward thetter. Just that, she was too embarrassed to face her own emotions. But now that separation was right before them, she couldnt hold herself back anymore. After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan said, "Your cultivation is still too low, you might stumble into a lot of trouble if you were to head there now. It would be safer if you study under Pavilion Master Kang here!" After which, he turned to the elder beside him and said grimly, "Pavilion Master Kang, Ill be entrusting Princess Feiwu to you!" "Hehe, Zhang shi, you need not worry. Ill take her in as my direct disciple and teach her well. I wont let you or Yang shi down!" Pavilion Master Kang gave his word. "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Actually, this was also another reason why he gave Pavilion Master Kang the cultivation technique manual. Along the way, Zhao Feiwu had helped him a lot. As the daughter of the alliance head, she was unlikely to care much about fortune, resources, or so. Rather than that, it would be more practical to help her find a good teacher. This way, she would be able to live the life she wanted. And Pavilion Master Kang was clearly the most suitable choice. "Thank you, Zhang shi..." Hearing the arrangements, Zhao Feiwu shed a bitter smile and thanked Zhang shi. She found the entire matter hard to ept, but knowing that Zhang shi was doing this with her welfare at heart, she eventually nodded her head. Zhang shi was destined to achieve great things in the future. A small, little princess of the alliance like her couldnt possiblypare to him. No matter how reluctant she was, she knew she had to let go. After bidding Pavilion Master Kang and the others farewell, Zhang Xuan returned to his residence. The moment he entered, he saw Mo Hunsheng walking over with widened strides. "Zhang shi!" Mo Hunsheng sped his fist. "How is it?" Zhang Xuan asked. He had asked thetter regarding Lu Chongs condition even before joining the Master Teacher Tournament. After a day of effort, thetter should have some results by now. "Reporting to young master, Young Master Lu Chong has just finished his cultivation, and Ive taken a look at his condition. If Im not mistaken, its a unique constitution among soul oracles... [Combat Soul Constitution]!" Mo Hunsheng said. "Unique constitution?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. If thetter really had a unique constitution, the Library of Heavens Path should have already long detected it. How could it elude him? "Combat Soul Constitution is not something one is born with. Usually, it is developed after a life-and-death experience or a wave of immense emotions. Such a constitution is extremely rare and cannot be emted by any means. If Im not mistaken, Young Master Lu Chong has only just awakened it..." Mo Hunsheng exined. "Lets go over to take a look!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked into the courtyard. Not too far from the corridor, Lu Chong was cultivating while standing. His soul was dancing in the air, and it seemed to carry a majestic aura to it. "Transcendent Mortal 2-dan soul?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in shock. When he left earlier this morning, thetter was still at Zongshi realm only. How could he be so powerful over a single day? Soul cultivation was simr to zhenqi cultivation in the sense that it was slow and umtive. To actually break through four cultivation realms-Zhizun, Half-Transcension, Prolonged Longevity, and Origin Energy realm-in a single day... that was really way too fast! "ws!" Perplexed, Zhang Xuan willed. Weng! With a soft buzz, a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Quickly flipping it open, Zhang Xuan swiftly browsed through the content and froze. Lu Chong was indeed different from before. Just as Mo Hunsheng said, he had awoken the Combat Soul Constitution. But from the looks of it, this awakening seemed to be iplete. Recalling what he encountered in the other partys consciousness, a thought emerged in Zhang Xuans head. This is probably what I saw back then... Back then, when he used the Soulrouse Incense to wake up the other partys soul, he had seen a gigantic figure lying in the other partys consciousness. Thinking about it now, that should be the result of the Combat Soul Constitution. "Regarding this constitution... How can it be awakened?" Zhang Xuan nced at the Soulless Metal Humanoid before him. After a moment of contemtion, Mo Hunsheng replied, "Reporting to young master, its extremely troublesome to awaken such a constitution totally. It might require a visit to the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles!" "Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. Mo Hunsheng hesitated for a moment before he said, "Yes, that is the ce where soul oracles originate from. In the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles, one can find the energy of ancient souls, that is a crucial catalyst to awakening the Combat Soul Constitutionpletely. Theres no other way around it!" "Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles? Where is that?" "It is... at the utmost east of the continent. I also dont know exactly how far it is from here..." Mo Hunsheng scratched his head. "You dont know how far it is from here?" Zhang Xuans face darkened. If it was too far, how was he supposed to head there? The Master Teacher Continent was iparably vast, and even several hundred thousand kilometers would require many days of flight. Yet, from Mo Hunshengs tone, it was apparent that he meant a distance of dozens or even a hundred million kilometers... Without several years of traveling, it was impossible to cover such distance. "Actually... if young master trusts me, I can take Young Master Lu Chong there. This way, it wont interrupt your cultivation while allowing Young Master Lu Chong to grow swiftly," Mo Hunsheng said. "Youll take him there?" Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. If he wanted to climb up as a master teacher, he would have to remain in public view. Furthermore, with the threat known as the Innate Fetal Poison looming above him, spending several years searching for the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles was clearly too much of a luxury for him to afford. However, if he were to dy Lu Chongs growth by forcing the other party to follow him, it would indeed be unfair for the other party. The ideal situation was indeed to split up. "Well see what he thinks!" After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan felt that Lu Chong should have the right to decide. Thus, he interrupted Lu Chongs cultivation and exined the matter to him. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the young man nodded his head earnestly. "Teacher, I wish to go to the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles!" He shared the same thoughts as Zhao Ya when she made her decision back then. He knew that he would only be a burden if he were to remain by his teachers side. If he were to grasp this opportunity, he might be able to be of true use to his teacher in the future. He didnt wish to remain as a burden to his teacher. "Since youve made up your mind, Ill respect your decision. Mo Hunsheng, Ill be leaving Lu Chong to your care!" Seeing that Lu Chong had made his decision, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before nodding his head. Chapter 603: Lecture (1) Chapter 603: Lecture (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There would eventuallye a day when a student would have to leave their teacher. Zhang Xuan understood this fact, and he knew he would have to part with his students one day. Ever since the incident with Zhao Ya, he had been preparing himself mentally. But even so, he still found himself gripped with reluctance when faced with the situation. "This is a surge of zhenqi from me. It should help you if you face danger!" Pulling Lu Chong to a room, Zhang Xuan began delegating some matters to him. His plight was very different from that of Zhao Ya. Zhao Ya would be taken care of by the cier in Court, and it was unlikely that she would be in any danger. On the other hand, Lu Chong and Mo Hunsheng would be traversing across the continent to search for a ce which might not even exist. The journey would be fraught with danger, and this surge of zhenqi may help to protect them, even if just once. "Demon Cinque, you shall follow Lu Chong..." After instructing some matters, Zhang Xuan called Demon Cinque Beast over. While safety shouldnt be a problem given that a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert, Mo Hunsheng, was escorting him, they would still require an aerial spirit beast for their travel. As a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast, Demon Cinque Beast should prove to be useful for them. After settling all of the issues he could foresee, he brought Lu Chong to Wang Ying and the others for them to bid their farewell. Two of the original six students have left, and everyone couldnt help but feel slightly depressed. After settling the arrangements regarding Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan went to look for his junior, Garden Owner Xue. For the time being, thetter didnt have any intention of heading to a higher-tier empire, so she wasnt going to tag along with Zhang Xuan. By the time everything was done, the sun was already up in the sky, and it was soon going to be the meeting time with Hong shi and the others. "Lets go!" With everything settled, Zhang Xuan proceeded to the square near the Alliance Head Residence with Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the other students beside him. Since he had promised to conduct a lecture, he decided to settle this too before leaving. However, before he could even reach the square, he could already see an uncountable number of people in the square, stretching all the way to the limits of his eyes. "Sect Leader Hu, youre here to listen to Zhang shis lecture as well?" "Well, this is the first champion of the Master Teacher Tournament who won with such a hugendslide. Since he is going to conduct a lecture, theres no way I can miss this!" "Indeed. There are several centuries of history behind the Master Teacher Tournament already, and Zhang Xuan is the first person to achieve such astounding records. Look, even Sect Leader Zhi and Sect Leader Liu are here..." "Youre right! Even Hong shis lectures wouldnt be met with such poprity..." "I dont know about how popr Hong shis lectures are, but at the very least, we half 5-star master teachers wouldnt be able to match up to this..." "There are so many people here that I cant help but feel envious. Speaking of which, I tried putting myself into Zhang shis position in the tournament, but I realized that I wouldnt be able to emte his achievements at all! To think that a person who has just passed the 4-star master teacher examination would be able to achieve feats beyond that of a half 5-star master teacher... It is no wonder why he enjoys such exploding poprity!" ... The entire square was full of life. "All of them are here to listen to my lecture?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in shock. In his view, it would already be a huge achievement if several thousand people were to attend his lecture on the basics of cultivation. Never could he have expected that he would be able to rally so many people here. For a moment, he even suspected that there was a second, hidden stage to the Master Teacher Tournament that he was unaware of. How many people are there here? Hundred thousand? A million? Not to mention... There were many who were hanging on walls and standing on trees as though ninjas as well. And what is with those aerial savage beasts in the sky? "I heard that those who were unable to get a seat in your lecture went to rent savage beasts from the Beast Hall..." Pavilion Master Kang exined awkwardly. "I understand the part about aerial savage beast, but what about those grounded ones?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask about them. He could understand the reason behind the mass of aerial savage beasts in the sky, but by the side of the square, there was also a bunch ofnd savage beasts lying down. There was the Sabretooth Tiger, Half-limbed Gale Wolf, Sable Ape... What were they doing here? "After hearing that you were going to conduct a lecture, Hall Master Han Chong of the Beast Hall sent all of the savage beasts and spirit beasts in the Beast Hall over to support you," Pavilion Master Kang said. "..." Zhang Xuan. This could be called support as well? Just the beast tamers would suffice; what kind of support are you giving me through sending this bunch of savage beasts over? "Actually, Zhang shis reputation is simply too great. Knowing that you are going to conduct a lecture, there is no one who is willing to be left out!" Pavilion Master Kang said. In truth, Hall Master Han had no choice either... After the Master Teacher Tournament, Zhang shis reputation exploded. Everyone wanted to listen to the lecture that was to be conducted by this top-notch genius... Even the intelligent savage beasts and spirit beasts couldnt hold themselves back... And thus, such a sight urred. The square outside the Alliance Head Residence was extremely vast, and it could contain even a million people at once. And yet, at this very moment, it was so cramped that there was hardly room for one to fidget. Even Pavilion Master Kang himself found such a sight unbelievable. He had conducted simr public lectures before, and with fifty thousand people participating, that event was proimed to have changed the history of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. Never in his dreams did he expect the poprity of Zhang shis lecture to be so over the top... There were indeed vast differences even among fellow humans... "Forget it. It doesnt matter how many people are here, I just have to conduct my lecture properly!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much into it. Thus, he raised his foot and began heading toward the stage at the very center of the square. ... Li Hanbing was sixteen this year, and he was a beggar. He had been an orphan as far as he could remember, and he had always been a subject of mockery and a target for humiliation. His greatest dream was to be an expert, but what a pity it was... His humble background disallowed him from obtaining any cultivation technique or cultivation resources. As the saying goes, the poor study and the rich train. Without sufficient resources to back up ones cultivation and the guidance of teachers, it was difficult for him to make any progress. As such, despite being sixteen this year, he was still trapped in Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, unable to make any progress. Most probably, he would remain this way for his entire life. He thought that it would be impossible for him to ever listen to the lecture of a master teacher. But one day, he suddenly heard that an incredibly talented master teacher known as Zhang shi was going to conduct a public lecture on the basics of cultivation... Upon hearing this news, he rushed to the square the night before to secure a spot for himself before waiting patiently. "Its starting..." After a long wait, he saw a figure walking majestically up the stage. "This Zhang shi doesnt seem much older than me..." He thought that the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament would at least be in histe thirties, but thetter didnt even seem to have reached his twenties yet. He couldnt help but feel a tinge of disappointment. He had waited for an entire day, but at this moment, he feared that he might have only wasted his time. Would his hopes fall t once again, just as they had many times before? In truth, the Master Teacher Pavilion would organize public lectures every month, but the content tended to be rather profound. An orphan like him who had never gone through proper education wouldnt understand a single word of it, and thus, wouldnt benefit from it as well. He had tried attending those several times, but he quickly realized that it was futile. On the contrary, he lost confidence instead. There were some master teachers, who like proud academics, wished to be recognized and wanted to be respected for their work. There was no problem with this, but they treated these public lectures as a tform to showcase their knowledge... and if the content of their lecture was too simple, it would seem as though they were incapable. As such thoughts proliferated among the master teachers, the culture behind the public lectures seemed to change as well. Earnest cultivators attending the lecture soon realized that those lectures were impractical for them. Considering the young age and astounding aplishments of the person on the stage, it was likely he would just be yet another proud master teacher fishing for glory through this public lecture. It seemed that... he would only be disappointed once again. "Seeking the Heavens Path can be viewed as an arrow ced against a bowstring. Too high, it has to be lowered; too low, it has to be raised; too taut, it has to be loosened; too loose, it has to be tightened. Heavens Path is about supplementing ones deficiencies with ones strengths..." Hu! A voice sounded in his ear. Even though he was a thousand meters away from the stage, every single word of Zhang shi reached his ears with resounding rity. "As expected, I dont understand it at all..." Listening attentively, he realized that this public lecture was no different from those he had attended before. He couldnt understand a word at all. In the end, all master teachers were cut from the same cloth. Public lectures were just tforms for them to boast about their knowledge; it mattered not to them whether it was meaningful to their audience or not. And those audiences were also equally hypocritical... For fear of exposing their ignorance, instead of questioning the lecturer, they feigned understanding and even showered the lecturer with praises. After all, if one turned out to be the only unknowledgeable one in the room, how embarrassing would that be? This is simply human nature... Shaking his head in disappointment, Li Hanbing stood up and prepared to leave. But right after he took his first step, he suddenly felt a jolt in his acupoint. Following which, he felt a numbing sensation in his Baihai acupoint, and a huge wave of spiritual energy was drawn in from the surroundings and circted continuously throughout his body. Kacha! Kacha! With a crisp sound, he noticed something simr to smallke appearing within his lower abdomen. "This is... dantian?" Li Hanbings eyes widened in shock, and his body trembled. After breaking through Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, one would form a dantian in ones lower abdomen, allowing one to store spiritual energy... Li Hanbing had been trapped in Juxi realm for a very long time, and he thought that this would remain so... Who could have known that a few words from Zhang shi would actually induce a breakthrough within him? "But I dont understand the content of the lecture at all? Why am I still able to achieve a breakthrough?" Li Hanbing was stunned. He didnt understand a single word of what Zhang shi said, so... how could he have suddenly achieved a breakthrough? Shouldnt the lecture be ineffective to his cultivation if he couldnt understand a word of it? Raising his head to look around, he saw several beggars, who hade here along with him, sitting on the floor with smiles overflowing with happiness on their faces. Their auras had also grown significantly stronger. "Heavens Path is about supplementing ones deficiencies with ones strengths... So, this is thew of nature. It means that only if we cultivate alongside the flow of nature can we improve quickly..." Suddenly, a thought emerged in his head. Even though the other partys words were extremely profound,pletely iprehensible to him, but for some reason, he could understand the intent behind the other partys words as though they were conceptualizing right before him. Heavens Path, thew of nature! Quickly sitting down, he felt his spiritual energy flowing slowly through his dantian. Kacha! Kacha! A crisp echo sounded from his body again and yet again as his cultivation soared non-stop. Dantian realm primary stage! Dantian realm intermediate stage! Dantian realm advanced stage! His cultivation rose quickly as though he were a balloon and someone was blowing into him. He still couldnt understand the other partys words, but for some reason, he was still able to gain a much deeper understanding of what cultivation was... and it aligned with his ownprehension of it as well. "This is the lecture of a true master teacher..." As though having drunk a heavenly brew, a smile slowly crept onto Li Hanbings face. His happiness wasnt derived from his rise in cultivation, but the knowledge that was slowly building up within him. He could actually understand the intent behind the other partys words clearly! It was as if the lecturer, Zhang shi, was conducting a one-to-one lesson for him! As he listened on, the spiritual energy in his body continued circting, and all of a sudden, his body jolted lightly-Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm, reached! Zhenqi realm could be considered as ones official inauguration as a cultivator. To think that a beggar like him could actually reach such a level as well... Zhang shi, from today onward, you will be the only teacher I will ever recognize! Li Hanbing kneeled onto the floor as he made a solemn vow. Chapter 604: Lecture (2) Chapter 604: Lecture (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the vast main hall of the Fleeting Cloud Sects base in Myriad Kingdom City, Sect Leader Luo Huang nced at the young man before him. "Others might not have realized anything in the previous duel, but dont think you can hide it from me. Ive been your teacher for more than decade now!" "I knew that I wouldnt be able to hide it from you..." Smiling bitterly, Luo Xuan admitted to it frankly. "I did hold myself back in the duel with Bi Jianghai!" "For what reason?" Sect Leader Luo Huang asked. "Given Zhang shis ability, theres no doubt that he would be able to progress on to the finals. If I were to defeat Bi shi, I would have to face him. As teacher knows, our rtionship with Zhang shi is rather poor at the moment. Rather than worsen the conflict with him... I might as well forfeit and allow the Gazing River Sect to deal with this trouble!" Luo Xuan sped his fist, and with an apologetic look, he continued, "Teacher, please pardon me for making such a decision of my own ord!" "Good. The fact that you were able to think that far means that youve already grown up!" Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded his head in satisfaction. "Dont worry. Not only am I not ming you for that, I even want tomend you for your decision! To be able to weigh the pros and cons in the midst of a tournament and make such a decision is indeed no easy feat. Regardless of whether it is Zhang shi or Yang shi, they arent people we can afford to cross. Its best that we stay out of their path for the moment and slowly mend our rtionship with them in the future!" "Yes. I was also thinking the same!" Luo Xuan nodded. Seeing his student bing so sensible, putting the welfare of the sect before his own pride, Sect Leader Luo Huang felt gratified. Stroking his beard, he asked, "So, youve seen Zhang shis capabilities with your eyes. What do you think about it?" "Zhang shi?" A sharp gleam shed across Luo Xuan eyes, "I cant deny that hes a difficult opponent. There are even several aspects which I am inferior to him in... But if I had proceeded to the finals and challenged him in a duel, I dont think that I would have lost!" "Oh?" Sect Leader Luo Huang nced at Luo Xuan in interest. "Taking the round on knowledge impartation for example, even though he seemed to have fared impressively, if Im not mistaken, he probably resorted to hypnotism. Otherwise, how could all of the hundred people possibly acknowledge him?" Luo Xuan dered confidently. Smiling lightly, Sect Leader Luo Huang replied, "You said that he resorted to hypnotism, but what about Huang shi? He also acknowledged Zhang shi as well!" In that duel, Zhang Xuan even made Huang Zheng desperately attempt to acknowledge him as his teacher, and the incident had made him a hugeughingstock. While the hundred people on the stage could have been hypnotized, how could a 4-star pinnacle master teacher be hypnotized that easily? Hearing his teachers words, Luo Xuan sneered coldly, "Actually, if it wasnt for how ridiculous he was behaving, Id not have seen through Zhang shis ploy. How could a 4-star pinnacle master teacher possessing a Soul Depth beyond 14.0 possibly willingly acknowledge Zhang shi, who wasnt even using Impartation of Heavens Will then, as his teacher? This in itself is a huge joke!" As a fellow 4-star pinnacle master teacher, Luo Xuan knew how formidable and proud experts of his ss were. If Zhang shi had used Impartation of Heavens Will, there might still be a possibility of it happening; after all, one would be forced to move contrary to ones will. However, to win over Huang shi with just basic knowledge of cultivation in itself... Are you trying to fool a three-year-old kid? "He must have feigned it to please Zhang shi. But in the end, his acting turned out to be too poor, and his n backfired on him!" Luo Xuan harrumphed. Even a 5-star master teacher couldnt possibly win over a 4-star master teacher by lecturing on basic knowledge. If Zhang shi was truly capable of such as feat, it would mean that his capability already surpasses that of a 5-star master teacher! "Its a rational argument. Is that the reason why you refused to attend his public lecture?" Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded in agreement. They had heard of Zhang shis public lecture, but they didnt think there was any need for them to attend it. "Its just a lecture on basic knowledge, what is there to listen to? In the end, it all boils down to the same old things. Im sure I could conduct one as well as his, so theres no point wasting my time there," Luo Xuan replied. After which, he sped his fist confidently and said, "Teacher, I wish to attempt a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm right now. Can you guard me for a moment?" "Hehe, dont worry about it!" Sect Leader Luo Huang smiled. "Thank you, teacher!" Replying gratefully, Luo Xuan sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and began cultivating. In truth, he could have made a breakthrough during the fight with Bi Jianghai as well, but he intentionally suppressed his cultivation. Once he achieved that breakthrough, his strength would soar. By then, he wouldnt have a legitimate reason to lose to the other party anymore. Gugugugu! Energy flowed through his body, creating a sound reminiscent to the croaking of frogs. Luo Xuan drove his cultivation swiftly in an attempt to break through the final wall blocking his path. "Hmm? Why cant I absorb any spiritual energy?" But a momentter, he opened his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to draw in spiritual energy, it waspletely ineffective. It was as if the spiritual energy in the air was dried out, rendering him incapable of cultivating. "Sect leader! Sect leader! Bad news..." Just as he was perplexed by the bizarre situation, an anxious voice suddenly sounded, and Luo Xuans junior suddenly dashed into the room. "For you to get so anxious, whats wrong?" Sect Leader Luo Huangs face darkened. "Its Zhang shis lecture..." the junior hurriedly said. "Whats wrong with the lecture? Did he create a miracle with the basic knowledge of cultivation?" Luo Xuan shook his head. Following which, a frown appeared on his forehead, and he questioned, "Didnt teacher ban everyone from attending the lecture? Did you all sneak out?" "We... didnt go to listen to the lecture. We only went to take a look!" The juniors face turned crimson. The sect leader did order that no one was to listen to the lecture, but out of curiosity, they sneaked out and saw something that they should have never seen there. "Take a look? What did you see then?" Luo Xuan asked. "We saw... in Zhang shis lecture, spiritual energy was pouring into the square, and many who had been trapped in their bottleneck achieved a breakthrough during the lecture..." the junior said. "Spiritual energy was pouring into the square? How could that be possible!" Luo Xuan shook his head. Spirit Gathering Diction, this is an ability that only 5-star master teachers possess! How could a 4-star master teacher possibly influence the spiritual energy in the surroundings to such an extent, not to mention, while lecturing on basic knowledge? "Its true! If you doubt my words, you can try sensing the spiritual energy in the surroundings..." the junior quickly said. "Spiritual energy?" Gedeng! Luo Xuan suddenly recalled his inability to draw in spiritual energy a moment ago. Just as astonishment struck him, his teacher narrowed his eyes and began trembling uncontrobly. "This is... Spirit Gathering Diction, Ten Li of Vacuum!" (Li = 0.5km, 10li = 5km) "Ten Li of Vacuum?" The two were taken aback. They had heard of Spirit Gathering Diction-it was an ability that only 5-star master teachers possessed. What does Ten Li of Vacuum means?" "I-its... an ability that only 6-star master teachers possess..." Sect Leader Luo Huangs lips trembled as his eyes widened. It seemed like even he dared not believe this to be true. "6-star master teacher?" Luo Xuan and the junior trembled in astonishment. "Rumor has it that 6-star master teachers are able to gather spiritual energy within a ten li radius through their diction for those cultivating under their tutge, forming a huge vacuum..." Sect Leader Luo Huangs teeth ttered together. "Under such a situation, a cultivator would grow at a swift pace that is not any inferior to Cultivation Impartation..." "Zhang shi is only a 4-star master teacher, and the topic he is lecturing on is only basic knowledge of cultivation. How could the ability that only 6-star master teachers possess be triggered?" Luo Xuan was in disbelief. It was just a moment ago that he dered confidently that the other party had cheated in a knowledge impartation match. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the other party had drawn in spiritual energy from a ten li radius for his lecture... Are you serious? "No matter how he did it, hurry up and gather the members of our sect and have them attend the lecture! Otherwise, our Fleeting Cloud Sect willg behind the other sects, and it wont be long before we lose our title as the strongest power..." Sect Leader Luo Huang immediately stood up in a panic. A lecture that could create Ten Li of Vacuum would definitely be highly beneficial to ones future cultivation... And yet, their entire sect actually missed it! The loss they suffered from this oversight in decision was incalcble! It could be foreseen that the sects who went to listen to the lecture would surely find their overall fighting prowess soaring, and it would just be a matter of time before they surpassed their Fleeting Cloud Sect. This was especially so for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Most of the people who attended the lecture were from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The deeper understanding of cultivation they gained from the lecture had created a bright future for all of them. With this group of potential experts, in less than twenty years, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance could possibly soar to the peak of the twenty-eight regional powers. It was for the ability to nurture many experts that high-tier master teachers were feared and respected. "Attend the lecture? Its toote. Zhang shi is only lecturing for two hours and... its about to end already. Besides, even if we were to head there now, theres already no space for us..." the junior said. "No space..." Sect Leader Luo Huangs face paled, and he nearly fell to the ground. Indeed. Upon sensing spiritual energy disappearing from the surroundings, which cultivator wouldnt rush over to listen to the lecture? It was already toote for them. "Our Fleeting Cloud Sect... We lost a chance to climb to greater heights... just like that..." Sect Leader Luo Huangs body trembled in regret. If only they had attended the lecture, with the huge amount of resources their sect possessed, they would surely have risen the quickest. Surpassing Hongfeng Empire, where Hong shi came from, wouldnt be a dream. But now... they could only sigh inmentation. The opportunity had already slipped past their fingers, and no matter how they wed at it, they couldnt possibly take it back. "You said that... you would be able to conduct a lecture as well as him?" The more he thought about, the more stifled he felt. Thus, he turned his gaze over to Luo Xuan. "I..." Luo Xuans body trembled, and he nearly burst into tears. He thought that the gap between him and Zhang shi wasnt too wide, and he could catch up with some diligence. Only at this instant did he realize that they were ofpletely different standing, and there was no basis ofparison at all! It wasughable that he even got ahead of himself and lost intentionally in the fight against Bi Jianghai so as to not offend Zhang shi in case he won the finals. Even if he had got into the finals... the only possible fate was to be crushed! "It seems it wasnt hypnotism that all one-hundred people acknowledged him... he indeed possesses such capability!" How could a person capable of employing Ten Li of Vacuum possibly lower his pride to hypnotize others just to win? Not to mention, a person with such capability could possibly win easily even without it... Huang shi and the other cultivators were earnestly acknowledging Zhang shi as their teacher... And they noticed this fact way toote! ... The same sight was also urring in the other sects who skipped the lecture. Upon learning that Zhang shi had managed to induce Ten Li of Vacuum through a lecture, everyone flew into a frenzy. Those who attended such a lecture would surely walk out of it with an iparably solid foundation. Very few bottlenecks could stifle their cultivation in the future, and they would grow stronger swiftly. It could be said that this two-hour lecture would determine their fate. No amount of gold or spirit stones could make up for this loss of opportunity. ... "It seems like... the rise of Myriad Kingdom Alliance is inevitable. Its time to redraw the map of the twenty-eight regional powers!" In the Alliance Head Residence, Alliance Head Zhao stood up with his fists tightly clenched. He nced at the young man lecturing on the stage with eyes reddened in agitation. Chapter 605: Capital of Huanyu Empire Chapter 605: Capital of Huanyu Empire Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ever since inheriting the seat of the alliance head, he had been working hard to strengthen the alliance to protect and extend the borders of the empire. But the foundation of Myriad Kingdom Alliance was simply too weak. The probability of sess of the task that he was undertaking was nearly zero. And yet, this impossibility was shattered with a single lecture from Zhang shi! The million Myriad Kingdom Alliance citizens listening to the lecture would be sturdy pirs propping up the rise of the empire; it would be impossible to stop the rise of Myriad Kingdom Alliance anymore! "Zhang shi, thank you..." Alliance Head Zhao bowed respectfully. This young man had brought new hope to the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance! ... "Using diction to draw in spiritual energy from the world for others to cultivate, is he really... lecturing on fundamental knowledge of cultivation?" "I once thought that it was a waste of time to uncover the basics thoroughly. But from the looks of it now, Im mistaken. Sorely mistaken." "This basic knowledge forms the very foundation of cultivating. Its just like the foundation of a building; only with a strong foundation can it rise to greater heights..." "Ive truly benefitted immensely from this lesson. From today onward, Zhang shi is our half teacher. If anyone intends to harm Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang shis homnd, in the future, we cant stand idly and watch anymore..." ... The innumerable experts amidst the crowd thought and discussed simr things. After listening to Zhang shis lecture, they were considered as half a student of his. Thus, they felt obliged to stand up for him in the future. "... protecting ones core and going along with nature, these are the basics of cultivation! Alright, Ill stop my lecture here." With the lectureing to an end, the young man on the stage flicked his wrist, and a brush appeared. Painting on midair, a massive phoenix soon appeared before everyones sight. Leaping off the ground, the young man stepped onto the back of the phoenix and flew into the distance. This event would eventually go down in the annals of history. Myriad Kingdom Alliance Year 3372, winter. A million cultivators gathered to listen to Zhang shis lecture, and Ten Li of Vacuum was induced in the course of the lecture. At the end of which, he soared into the skies on the back of a phoenix. The million cultivators kneeled down and addressed him as their teacher. ... White clouds floated over the backdrop of a blue sky. Several massive aerial spirit beasts whizzed across the sky, sending innumerable savage beasts and birds escaping chaotically in fear. On the back of a spirit beast, Zhang Xuan, who was in the midst of his meditation, slowly opened his eyes. It had been nearly a month since the public lecture in Myriad Kingdom City. In this period of time, they had spent nearly every day on the back of the aerial spirit beast, and mental exhaustion was starting to pile up. As they would be leaving their homnd for a long period of time, the traveling master teachers brought along their family and servants, and Hong shi had to prepared ten whole spirit beasts to house everyone. None of these spirit beasts possessed cultivation lower than Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, and they caused a huge ruckus no matter where they went, sending countless creatures darting away in fright. Throughout his journey, Zhang Xuan had been spending his time studying and cultivating. Not only did he reinforce his zhenqi cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle firmly, his soul cultivation even broke through the barrier to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and he advanced all the way to pinnacle-tier. A soul cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan amounted to a strength of 3,200,000 ding. Stacking his zhenqi cultivation of 2,000,000 ding on top of that, he was able to wield a maximum might of 5,200,000 ding! That wasparable to Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage experts! Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm; 4,000,000 ding at primary stage, 4,800,000 ding at intermediate stage, 5,600,000 ding at advanced stage, and 6,200,000 ding at pinnacle. With a might of 5,200,000 ding, Zhang Xuans strength was near to that of an advanced stage cultivator. At his current strength, it would be difficult for even Hong shi to defeat him. The cultivation of 4-star master teacher usually ranged from Transcendent Mortal 2-dan to 4-dan. Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm usually equated to half 5-star master teacher. Only upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm would one be qualified as a 5-star master teacher. It hadnt been long since Hong shi had been promoted to a 5-star master teacher, and his cultivation realm was around Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage. If Hong shi didnt exploit the unique ability of his current cultivation realm, he would be unlikely to be able to withstand even a single punch from Zhang Xuan. To gain the strength equivalent to a 5-star primary master teacher within two months of being promoted to a 4-star master teacher; only a monster like Zhang Xuan would be capable of such a feat. Zhang Xuan wasnt the only one whose cultivation increased by leaps and bounds. His students, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others, also witnessed significant growth in their cultivation as well. Zhao Ya and Lu Chongs departures made them treasure their time with Zhang shi even more. They had been cultivating diligently every single day, and with the huge pool of spirit stones Zhang shi gathered, their cultivation was increasing at an rming rate on a daily basis. One by one, the four students managed to reach Transcendent Mortal realm, and at this very moment, their cultivation levels had already stabilized at Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm. Not only so, Zhang Xuan also reorganized the Heavens Path battle techniques and imparted them to his students, thus inducing a massive rise in their fighting prowess. The one who had improved the slowest was probably Butler Sun Qiang. This fellow didnt possess the slightest interest in cultivation, and as such, he would ck off the moment no eyes were on him. If not for Wang Ying supervising him, he would probably remain in the same cultivation realm for his entire life. Nevertheless, trapped on the back of a spirit beast, he had nothing better to do either. As such, he had also managed to advance from Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm to 2-dan Origin Energy realm pinnacle. At the current point, his cultivation was still higher than Wang Ying, who was the strongest among the remaining students. The reason for his rapid improvement despite his indolence wasnt due to his talent. Rather, he had consumed a part of Mo Hunshengs soul, which allowed him to inherit the other partysprehension of cultivation. With this serving as his foundation, and factoring in Zhang Xuans guidance and the seemingly endless supply of spirit stones for his use, his progress could be said to be slow already. It should have been a joyous asion that everyone was making progress in their training, but the current Zhang Xuan couldnt find the mood to celebrate. This was because... the six hundred or so spirit stones which he had taken from the Fleeting Cloud Sect and other powers had justpletely run dry. Zheng Yang, Sun Qiang, and the others didnt consume many of them, the culprit behind this incident was mainly Zhang Xuan himself. Back then, in order to hasten the maturing of the Nine Hearts Lotus, Zhang Xuan expended around two to three hundred middle-tier spirit stones. After which, he gave a portion to the departing Lu Chong and spent another huge bunch to advance his soul cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm... It could be considered a blessing that the six hundred middle-tier spirit stonessted them until now... Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan thought, Looks like Ill have to use the high-tier spirit stone for my future cultivation... So far, he hadnt used the high-tier spirit stone that hed received from the Master Teacher Tournament yet as he couldnt bear to use it. But now that his supply of middle-tier spirit stone had run dry, he had no other choice. "Zhang shi, were about to reach Huanyu Capital!" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to take the high-tier spirit stone to take a look, Hong shi suddenly walked over. For this journey, Hong shi chose to share a ride with him, and along the journey, Zhang Xuan helped solve some of the problems he was facing in his cultivation. In a sense, this was his way ofpensating the other party for destroying his artifacts. Naturally, this was all done in the name of Yang shi. In any case, the other party seemed to possess absolute to trust to this teacher of his, so there was no harm using thetters name. After receiving Zhang Xuans pointers, Hong shi enjoyed significant improvement in his cultivation. At the same time, his respect for this young master teacher also deepened. "The capital?" Zhang Xuan stood up and walked over to the window. A massive city came into his sight. Pitch-ck city walls were embedded into the earth as though a thick iron mail. Countless elegant buildings rose all the way into the distant sky, and from afar, it resembled an undting mountain range. They bore testimony to the long history of the city. "Huanyu Capital has more than ten thousand years of history behind it. The founding emperor, Ye Huanyu, led four of his brothers to conquer thends, thus eventually forming this immense empire!" Hong shi nced downward, and both graveness and awe were reflected in his eyes. "The eastern end of the capital is connected to the Verdant Mountain whereas the western end is connected to the Dragon-scaled River. From afar, it looks no different from a sprawling giant." "Un!" Zhang Xuan lowered his nce to examine the city. Just as Hong shi had said, the capital was indeed majestic. It extended for hundreds of kilometers. As though a gigantic fortress, just the sight of it created an indestructible image in the minds of onlookers. Even though there was noplicated formation set up around the capital, it seemed to blend in with nature, creating an unblemished and soothing atmosphere. "Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilions Pavilion Master Wei Jiang is my teacher, a 5-star pinnacle master teacher and Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert. The emperor, Ye Wentian, has also reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan as well," Hong shi exined. "5-star pinnacle master teacher? Transcendent Mortal 8-dan?" Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. Upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm, ones soul and body would be harmonized together as one, and ones strength would be brought to whole new heights. Ones enhanced soul would also significantly increase onesprehension of cultivation as well. Beyond this realm is Cosmos Bridge realm. Cosmos Bridge realm, a bridge that connects one with the world, creating a unique synergy between man and nature. Even without cultivating consciously, spiritual energy would flow along the bridge into ones body and nourish it, thus inducing a constant rise in ones cultivation. At this realm, ones zhenqi or soul would grow at a rapid pace. Eventually, one would gain the power to move mountains and disce oceans. After this realm is Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm. Perfect Harmonization realm, the unification of everything into one entity. Ones energy would be even purer and aligned with nature. At the same time, ones soul would also grow stronger as well. Following which is Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm. At this level, ones zhenqi and soul would enjoy a massive growth spurt. More importantly, one would gain some control over thews of nature, allowing one to step on thin air. In other words... one would be able to rise up into the skies. However, horizontal motion is still too difficult at this realm, so it couldnt be considered flight yet. To think that Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilions pavilion master would actually be an expert of this caliber, just the thought of this in itself was frightening. Even though Zhang Xuan had improved greatly during this period of time, he was still far from matching up to such experts. But of course, having grasped the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, even if he found himself on the losing end of a fight, he could still escape into the skies safely. "Ive already had someone report our arrival to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and someone should be fetching us soon..." After introducing Huanyu Empires emperor and the Master Teacher Pavilions pavilion master, Hong shi chuckled. While the twenty-eight regional powers were significantly weaker than Huanyu Empire, the Master Teacher Tournament still held some weight in the empire. Otherwise, Hong shi, a 5-star master teacher, wouldnt have been dispatched to host the event Qiu qiu qiu! Roar roar roar! But as soon as he was done saying those words, a series of beast calls sounded, and around a dozen gigantic aerial spirit beasts flew over toward the group. These aerial spirit beasts werent toorge in size, and a single figure could be seen standing on top every single one of them. Chuckling lightly, Hong shi said, "Alright, the escorting party is here. Later on, theyll lead us straight to the royal pce..." But halfway through his words, an impassive voice suddenly sounded in the air. "Hong Qian, it has been long since west met... It is unfortunate, but it seems like you came at a bad time. I advise you to turn around and leave immediately!" Chapter 606: Obstruction Chapter 606: Obstruction Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Came at a bad time? Leave? Zhang Xuan frowned. Rather than weing, this group seemed to be provoking them instead! If they were here to escort them in, why on Earth would they ask them to leave as soon as they met? The other master teachers on the back of other spirit beasts also came out of their rooms, curious to see what was going on. They wanted to see who was so audacious as to speak to Hong shi in such a manner. "Feng Yu?" Hearing those words, Hong shi frowned. "Youre right!" The man on the spirit beast that was leading the entire group chuckled lightly in response. At this moment, both sides were only several hundred meters apart, and they could already clearly see the appearance of the other. The other party was a fifty-year-old elder dressed in a long, golden robe. His gray beard drifted along with a slight breeze. From his appearance, the other party resembled an enlightened sage. "I came under the invitation of Huanyu Empire and the Master Teacher Pavilion, and naturally, Ive no reason to leave. If Brother Feng wishes to leave, I dont mind sending you off!" Hong shi said. During which, he sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan to exin the situation. "This Feng Yu is the pavilion master of Fengyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, and the both of us have never been on good terms before. While the twenty-eight powers under Hongfeng Empire were conducting the Master Teacher Tournament, they were doing the same as well..." "Fengyuan Empire? One of the Four Great Vassal States, Hongfeng Empire?" Zhang Xuan asked. In the one-month journey, while Zhang Xuan had devoted most of his time to cultivating, he would have asional chats with this 5-star master teacher, and from thetter, he gained a rough understanding of Huanyu Empire. Huanyu Empire was a Tier-2 Empire, and under it were four Vassal States: Hongfeng Empire, Fengyuan Empire, Qianfeng Empire, and Zhuyue Empire. These four states were conferred to the four brothers who fought alongside Founding Emperor Ye Huanyu, and while they were said to be of equal standing to Huanyu Empire, their standing was slightly lower than the former. The Four Great Vassal States had many smaller empires under them. Take for example Hongfeng Empire where Hong shi came from, it governed the twenty-eight regional powers, namely Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Fleeting Cloud Sect, and so on. The other three Vassal States were also in the same position. If Zhang Xuan were to use the knowledge from his previous life to ssify this structure, Huanyu Empire would be the entire country while Hongfeng, Fengyuan, and the other Vassal States were provinces. The twenty-eight regional powers would be cities, Conferred Kingdoms like Xuanyuan Kingdom would be towns, and Tier-1 and Tier-2 Kingdoms would be viges. Just like Hongfeng Empire, the other Vassal States were also conducting the Master Teacher Tournament to pick out the individuals who were qualified to enter the Cleansing Lake. "Un. I thought that the members of Huanyu Empires royalty would be here to pick us up, but it seems like they managed to catch hold of the news of our arrival and intercepted the news. As Master Teacher Pavilions of equal standing, a certain degree of rivalry is unavoidable. I fear that they bear hostile intentions." Hong shi frowned. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Considering how rude the other party was, they were unlikely to be here to have a friendly chat. And as expected, while the duo was speaking, Master Teacher Feng Yu, who was standing opposite to them, bellowed loudly, "I tried speaking kindly to you, but you just choose not to listen! Hongfeng Empire is the furthest away from Huanyu Empire, and you camete as well, so there may be some things you are unaware of. Since thats the case, allow me to fill you in. While the slots for the Cleansing Lake havent changed, Crown Prince Ye Qian of the royal family suddenly requires three more slots, and thus, weve had to cut our numbers. In other words... your group has already lost its opportunity to enter the Cleansing Lake! Ill advise you to return now rather than embarrass yourself inside!" "Requires three more slots?" Hong shi frowned. Just like the Yin-Yang Lake, the Cleansing Lake also had a strict restriction on the number of people who could enter it. However, the slots were decided on beforehand, so how could Hongfeng Empire lose its slots just because it camete? How could a respected crown prince steal the slots of a Vassal State? "Thats right. Why dont you all report to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy first, theres no point in staying here for you anyway!" Feng Yu smiled. "Well decide for ourselves whether theres any point in staying here or not, so Feng shi need not worry for us!" Knowing that the other party was surely up to no good for obstructing them here, Hong shi couldnt be bothered to waste his breath. Thus, waving his hands, he turned around and instructed, "Control your spirit beasts well, well be heading straight for the Master Teacher Pavilion first." These aerial spirit beasts were rented from the Beast Hall and driven by its personnel. Hula! Under the beast tamers control, the spirit beasts immediately formed a line, ready to advance at any moment. "Hong Qian, arent you being a little too rude here? I came here to inform you of the matter kindly, and not only did you not reciprocate my favor, you even chose to snub me and leave. What do you mean by this?" Feng Yus eyebrows shot up. "Ill ask teacher and His Majesty personally regarding the issue concerning the slots!" Hong shi waved his hands. Hu! The aerial spirit beasts immediately spread their wings and attempted to bypass the other party by soaring to a greater altitude. "You just want to do things the hard way. Chen Mo!" Seeing the other party refusing to heed his advice, Feng Yu narrowed his eyes. He turned around and issued amand. "Yes!" replied the young man behind him. With a flick of his wrist, an ancient zither appeared in his palm, and pulling on it lightly, a melodious tune floated in the air. Triiiing, triiiing! The melody was constantly alternating between a high note and a low note. The tune was refined, and the melody sounded pleasant to the ear. "What is he doing with the zither?" "Ive no idea..." Not only did the zitherck the slightest hostile intentions, it was even gentle. It was extremelyfortable to the ears, and this left the Hongfeng Empire group perplexed. Since the other party traveled all the way here to obstruct them, there was no reason for the other party to let them pass so easily. Yet, when they tried to leave, all the other party did was to have one of their members y a perfectly ordinary melody on his zither. What were they up to? Demonic tunists did possess the ability tounch an offense on ones soul via sound, but for them to be injured by such gentle music... Impossible! More importantly... while their group wasnt exceptionally powerful, every single of them was a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and Hong shi, a 5-star master teacher, was present here as well. To influence everyones psyche with music here felt like an impractical move. "Wait, this offense isnt directed toward us, its directed toward the spirit beasts!" At this moment, Hong shi finally came to a realization, and his face darkened. "Spirit beasts?" Taken aback, everyone quickly turned their sights to the beast tamers driving the aerial spirit beasts, only to see a livid expression on each of their faces. "Not bad, you sure realized it swiftly. Indeed, Chen Mos [Void Tune of Heavens] possesses the ability to hypnotize spirit beasts and prevent them from advancing any further. In other words, as long as the music continues ying, youll be unable to advance even the slightest inch..." Feng Yu chuckled softly. "Void Tune of Heavens?" Hong shi tried to drive the spirit beast beneath him, but it seemed as though the connection between him and the spirit beast was severed. All it was capable of at the moment was to remain afloat in midair. It was as if someone had put a cage around the spirit beasts, preventing them from going any further. And unable to move any further, they wouldnt be able to enter the capital or the royal pce. "Feng Yu, what are you up to?" Enraged, Hong shi nced at Feng Yu coldly. "Nothing much. I just want you to apany me here for a single day!" Feng Yu smiled lightly before turning around to issue another instruction. "Chen Mo, continue ying the zither here. Dont allow them to advance a single inch forward!" "Yes!" the young man known as Chen Mo replied as his fingers danced around the zither, producing a beautiful melody. "Humph, do you think that you can stop me with this?" Not expecting the other party to resort to such forceful measures, Hong shis eyebrows shot up in displeasure. Emting a sword through his finger, he flicked his forefinger lightly. Wuuuuuu! A piercing shrill echoed. A surge of sword qi was shot from the tip of Hong shis finger, headed straight for Chen Mos zither. With the destruction of the zither, the melody would stop, and the bindings on the spirit beast would be dispelled. But before the sword qi could even reach, weng!, a reverberation sounded. A huge protective barrier had appeared before Chen Mo, rendering Hong shis offensive ineffective. "Its a formation! The people on the dozen spirit beasts have coordinated with one another to set up a defensive barrier to protect Chen Mo. Given the long distance, itll be difficult for us to break the barrier!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had been perplexed as to why Feng Yu would bring so many people over. After all, as fellow master teachers, it was unlikely that a battle would break out. It seemed like this was where his true intentionsy. All of these people were likely to be formation masters, and they must be carrying some object on them. Using the spirit beasts as the formation gs, they seeded in setting up a defensive formation around Chen Mo. If not for the distance, putting aside Hong shi, even Zhang Xuan would be able to break the barrier easily with a single punch. The distance of several hundred meters was a difficult problem to solve. From such a distance, even the long-range sword qi would be unable to deal much damage. Not to mention, the other party seemed to be well-prepared, so it was unlikely that they would get a chance at stopping Chen Mos zither. This was also what made demonic tunists fearsome. Physical barriers meant nothing to them as long as their melody could get through. This was probably also the basis of the other partys confidence. "Damn it... Hong shi gritted his teeth tightly. He was also able to deduce this much. They were in a bad plight. Under the effects of the melody, they were trapped at an altitude of several thousand meters away from ground, unable to descend or leave. "The part regarding the slots should be true, and the results are likely to be out by today. He probably intends to keep us here to stop us from vying for those slots," Hong shi said. "Thats very likely!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Actually, this matter wasnt too difficult to guess, and master teachers specialized in noticing even the most minor of details. If they couldnt deduce this much, they might as well knock their heads onto a wall and fall dead. "The capital might look near from here, but if we were to go proceed ahead by foot, it would take at least half a day. Besides... were in midair right now. Given that our spirit beasts are unable to move at all, werepletely trapped here... What should we do?" Hong shi began to panic. Once he lost those slots, he wouldnt be able to get it back even if he were to wreak havoc with the Feng Yu. But... they were stuck in midair, and they couldnt reach the other partys zither either. Were they really doomed to watch as the slots for the Cleansing Lake slipped by their fingers? "Actually, theres a very simple way to resolve this issue!" Zhang Xuan smiled mysteriously. "Simple? How can this matter be resolved simply?" The other partys words left Hong shi stunned. "Our spirit beasts are immobile, and were too far to reach them as well. You cant expect us to fly over to destroy the zither..." "Fly over? That would be way too troublesome..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Turning around, he instructed, "Everyone, block the ears of your spirit beasts." "Alright!" Even though everyone had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, they still nodded their heads and carried out his instructions. They had a deep trust toward this champion of the Master Teacher Tournament. Soon, they managed to plug the ears of the spirit beasts on their side. Now that all preparations were done, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he turned to face the enemy. "You said that theres a simple way to resolve this matter? Despite your young age, you sure speak arrogantly. Hong shi, is this your student? Why do you seem to be regressing as time passes? Your juniors dont seem to know the meaning of etiquette at all. Its basic manners to remain silent while your seniors are talking..." Hearing the words between the duo, Feng Yu sneered coldly. He was just about to reprimand the other party when the young man opposite to him opened his mouth, and a sound echoed into the surroundings. "Moo!" Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu! Before they could even react, the spirit beasts beneath Feng Yu and the others began a free fall journey all the way to the ground. "The heck, what is going on? AHHH..." Chapter 607: And They All Fell Down! Chapter 607: And They All Fell Down! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Surrounded by screams of agony and fear, Feng Yu felt frenzied. Falling from a distance of a thousand meters, even if he was a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, he would be severely injured. These spirit beasts had been properly tamed, and their flight should be extremely stable. Why would all of them fall simultaneously out of the blue? "It must be thatds call!" After a moment of thought, he quickly came to a realization. Thest thing that happened before their plummet was that fellows call. That call was reminiscent of the voice of a dragon. While humans might not feel anything from it, the spirit beasts facing it immediately felt an immense pressure pressing against them. Unable to withstand the pressure, they spurted blood profusely in midair. It was only out of sheer willpower that they were able to retain their consciousness at this point. But knowing that this wasnt the time to be thinking about all of this, he anxiouslymunicated with the spirit beasts beneath him. "Hurry up and fly up..." But to his agony, he realized that the spirit beast seemed to have gone into a state of shock. Not only did it not reply to his words, it was even trembling non-stop. Given its current state, it was clearly incapable of flight. "Damn it!" Seeing the ground approaching him swiftly, Feng Yu nearly spewed a mouthful of blood out of frustration. What the heck was this?! He hade over here prepared-the formation and Chen Mo-and he was confident that he would surely be able to obstruct the other partys passage for sure. Never in his dreams could he have expected that the other party would possess a type of sound offense as well, and furthermore, from the looks of it... it was much more effective than his sides! Chen Mos melody was beautiful, and he could easily earn a fortune by performing concerts with this piece. On the other hand, the other partys sound was like the call of the grim reaper, threatening to take their lives mercilessly... "Hong Qian, Ill be back!" Feng Yu roared furiously, but before he could finish his words, his body came to an abrupt halt, and an immense force rippled through his body. Padah! The sheer force of his crash created a colossal hole in the ground. A violent aftershock traveled through Feng Yus body, breaking nearly all of the bones throughout his body. Mouthful after mouthful of blood spewed freely from his mouth. He hade to intercept Hong Qian and his group to prevent them from entering the capital, but in the end, not only did he fail in his mission, he even sustained such heavy injuries instead... Just the thought of it made his blood boil. He struggled to his feet and scanned the surroundings, only to see Chen Mo and the others in a worse state than him. Lying on the ground, they were inhaling much more than they were exhaling. If emergency treatment wasnt applied, they would all probably die here. While they were all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts, falling from such a high altitude was still lethal to them. If not for the spirit beasts cushioning their fall, they would have probably died on the spot. "Damn it..." The more he thought about it, the angrier Feng Yu felt. He quickly took out a recovery pill and fed it to everyone. They hade over here confidently, thinking that they would be able to aplish their goal easily. But in the end, they ended up being done in instead. Several spirit beasts had died from the impact, and even Feng Yu himself had sustained grievous wounds... "Hong Qian and that fellow, I wont let you go..." Feng Yu roared loudly in rage. ... "All of them fell down?" Watching as Feng Yu bellowed furiously below, Hong shi and the others stared at one another, dumbfounded. They knew that Zhang shi was a formidable person, and they thought that he might be able toe up with some unique solution to their desperate situation. Who knew that his solution would actually be so unique... To make more than a dozen spirit beasts fall from the sky with a roar, to the point that even their masters were unable to do anything about it... This was way too overpowered! If that was the case, wouldnt it mean that anyone who faced him on an aerial savage beast would face the threat of falling off his flight? Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Hong shi asked, "Are they... dead?" No matter what, Feng Yu was a master teacher of equivalent standing as him. If he were to die from falling from a high altitude, he would probably be aughingstock for the next few centuries. "Unlikely, but even so... they will be in for a round of great suffering. Anyway, lets put that aside for now. We should rush to the royal pce first. Considering how far the other party went to obstruct our advancement, something must have happened!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. In truth, he had no choice but to resort to such a trick. While he was capable of flight, he couldnt possibly expect to match a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert! After some deliberation, this was the only feasible solution he had at hand. As for whether the other party had crashed to their deaths, that was none of Zhang Xuans business. Since they came over to pick a fight, they should have known the potential consequences that could befall them... And honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan thought that he had gone light on them. "Youre right, lets go!" As a 5-star master teacher, Hong shi was not an indecisive or overly kind person either. Nodding his head, he instructed for his spirit beast to advance to Huanyu Capital. Without Chen Mos zither influencing the spirit beasts, they swiftly recovered and advanced forward at a rapid pace. A few minutester, a majestic building appeared before them. Grand and refined, it exuded an incredibly noble atmosphere. "This is the royal pce of Huanyu Empire. No aerial spirit beast is allowed to approach it, so lets stop at the square in front!" Hong shi pointed forward, and the spirit beast beneath him began descending slowly to the square outside the royal pce. As soon as the group stepped away from the back of the spirit beasts, several master teachers dressed in robes quickly rushed forward to wee them. "Hong shi, youre here..." The one speaking had an emblem of 4 stars pinned on his chest-a 4-star master teacher. "Zhuang Qin, didnt I tell you to inform teacher of our arrival? Why did no onee to pick us up, and Feng shi and his group came over instead?" Hong shi frowned. Zhuang Qin wasnt from Huanyu Empire but from Hongfeng Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He was dispatched here earlier so as to take care of various arrangements. The person who was supposed to liaise with Huanyu Empire in their stead was him. "You met Feng shi?" Zhuang Qins face darkened. He immediately looked over worriedly. "He... didnt do anything to you all, right?" "Fortunately, he didnt!" Hong shi shook his head. Then, with a perplexed expression, he asked, "What happened?" "I reported to Wei shi the news of your arrival, and he dispatched aerial spirit beasts to us to pick you up. But who knew that... before we could even fly on those aerial spirit beasts, we were stopped by Feng shi... Hes a 5-star master teacher, so theres nothing I could do about it," Zhuang Qin exined with a look of difficulty. He should have been the one to pick everyone up, but in the end... his aerial spirit beast ended up being snatched away, and he could only wait here nervously. To his relief, it seemed like Hong shi and the others were fine. "I heard from Feng shi that the total number of slots has been reduced by three. Is that true?" Knowing that there was nothing that Zhuang Qin could have done in the situation, and there was no loss incurred from that encounter as well, Hong shi decided to let the matter go. Thus, he began asking about the slots. "Thats true!" Zhuang Qin nodded. "Each of the Four Great Vassal States should receive three slots to train at the Cleansing Lake, and taking into ount the three from Huanyu Empires royalty as well, that totals up to 15." Hong shi nodded. It was no secret that the Cleansing Lake only had fifteen slots when the grounds were opened each decade, and thus, he knew of it as well. "The distribution of the fifteen slots was decided by the founding emperor, and it has never been changed before. However... something happened this time round!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhuang Qin began exining, "Upon learning of that the Cleansing Lake is going to be opened, Princess Fei-er of Hongyuan Empire specially made the trip here, and she needs a total of four slots! The royal family has given up one slot, and they have decreed that the remaining three slots will be contributed by the Four Great Vassal States..." "Princess Fei-er?" Hong shi was taken aback. If the other party was a princess of Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, she should have nock of cultivation resources. Why would she head to a Tier-2 Empire and vie for resources with the locals? Not to mention, she even demanded four instantly! Besides... Who in the world was this Princess Fei-er? I dont seem to have ever heard of her! "Princess Fei-er... is a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and from what Ive heard... it seems like shes a senior of Crown Prince Ye Qian..." Zhuang Qin replied awkwardly. Even though his words were a little unclear, it didnt take long for the crowd to understand the situation. Crown Prince Ye Qian was a talented master teacher. Three years ago, he was rmended by Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion for further studies in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. And this Princess Fei-er, a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well, was his senior and an extremely famous figure there. Due to either Crown Prince Ye Qian being infatuated with her or some other purpose, he intentionally revealed to her the secret of the Cleansing Lake and invited her over in hopes of getting on her good side... As a result, such a situation urred. Considering her fame in the Master Teacher Academy, it was likely that she was at least a half 5-star master teacher. Considering her position as the princess of a Tier-1 Empire on top of that, she was indeed a person that the crown prince should get along with. That was the reason why Feng shi said that the crown prince needed three more slots. "To give out the slots of the Cleansing Lake to please the royalty of a Tier-1 Kingdom is fine by me, just that... how does His Majesty intend to divide the slots?" Hong shi asked. To give out some slots to get acquainted with higher-ranked master teachers and higher-ranked empires was something understandable, and he could ept this part. However... how were the three slots going to be divided among the Four Great Vassal States? Surely no Vassal State would be willing to give up their slots, so how would this matter be decided? "His Majesty has instructed us to settle among ourselves, and there will be a banquet conducted by the crown prince in the Eastern Pce so as to determine the rules to solve this matter," Zhuang Qin replied. On the day that he reported that Hong shi was going to arrive today, Crown Prince Ye Qian fixed the date of the banquet for that night. This was the reason why Feng Yu went so far as to obstruct Hong shis passage. If they were unable to attend the banquet, without a doubt, the other three powers would surely have Hongfeng Empire fork out all three of their slots. After all, each Vassal State was only given three slots once every decade, and thus, they were reluctant to fork out any slots. Since there was someone they could push everything onto, they were delighted to do so... Besides, who asked them to bete? "This probably isnt just Feng Yus intent. Those old fogeys of Qianfeng and Zhuyue probably contributed to this as well!" Upon understanding what was going on, Hong shi harrumphed in anger. Obstructing their passage was beneficial to the other two powers as well, and Fengyuan Empire was unlikely to go so far if they didnt have any allies on their side. Most likely, the other representatives of the other three Vassal States had decided on this n, and Feng Yu was only the one to execute it. It was fortunate that Zhang shi was able to foil their ns. Otherwise, Hongfeng Empire would have had to give up all three slots! If so, they would have made the journey here in vain. "Since theres some time before the banquet, you all should head to your allocated rooms to rest first. Ill go and pay a visit to those old fogeys!" Hong shi flung his sleeves. He had his pride and dignity as a 5-star master teacher, so how could he possibly overlook it when someone schemed so tantly against him? Naturally, he had to get back at them! "Ive already prepared your living quarters, its not too far away from here. Ill show you the way!" Knowing that he couldnt interfere in a conflict among 5-star master teachers, Zhuang Qin could only change the topic and lead the group to their rooms. But all of a sudden, he thought of something and turned around to ask Hong shi with a doubtful expression, "Hong shi, from what I saw... Feng shi probably made a lot of preparations to intercept you. How... did you manage to get past them?" "This..." Hong shi hesitated for a moment before replying, "We were on our aerial spirit beasts when we met, and then... they fell down." "Fell down?" Zhuang Qin was dumbstruck. Chapter 608: Master Teacher Confrontation! Chapter 608: Master Teacher Confrontation! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What the heck does that mean? Did they fall from the back of their aerial spirit beast? Or did the spirit beasts fall along with them? These spirit beasts were tamed by experts engaged by the Huanyu Empire royalty such that even non-beast tamers were able to drive them. The main purpose of this was to create a powerful army for aerialbat. Even the weakest of Feng Yus group was a 4-star master teacher, how could a 4-star master teacher possibly allow himself to fall off the back of a spirit beast? Zhuang Qin was bewildered by Hong shis words. "Theres no need to bother about this, lets head to our living quarters first!" It was unlikely the other party would believe him even if he were to exin it to them. Thus, Hong shi decided to save his breath. "Alright!" Since Hong shi was unwilling to speak, Zhuang Qin didnt push on. He led the group forward. The living quarters werent too far away from thending point. It was a mansion so vast that despite the huge size of their group, there would be no problem housing all of them in it. Zhang Xuan took an individual courtyard for himself, Sun Qiang, and his students. It would be quieter this way, and he wouldnt be interrupted when he was teaching his students too. After settling everyone in, Hong shi and Zhang shi discussed for a moment to refine their ns before the former stomped out of the mansion. Those fellows actually dared to scheme against him! No matter what, he had to return the favor! ... Not too far away from the mansion Zhang Xuan and group were living in, in a rtively vast room, two old men were looking at a young man who just walked in to report a matter to them with a deep frown on their foreheads. "What did you say? Hong Qian and his group have entered the city and are now in their living quarters?" "Yes!" The young man nodded. "Impossible. Didnt Feng Yu go to stop them?" one of the old men eximed. "Could it be that the both of them didnt meet? No, that cant be... Theres only one route from Hongfeng Empire to here. If Hong Qian wanted to enter the city, he would surely meet with Feng Yu. Whats going on?" The other old man was also clearly a little skeptical of the news. "This... Im not too sure either. Ive sent someone to check on it, and they should be reporting back soon!" the young man replied. When Feng shi and these two elders were discussing, he was by their side, and judging from their n, he felt that Feng shi would surely be able to intercept Hong shis group for a day. But before they could receive any news from Feng shis side, Hong shi had already appeared in the city... Even he, despite being the person reporting the news, found it inconceivable. "Un, quickly look into it. What in the world is that Feng Yu up to?" The first old man shook his hands to dismiss the young man. Not too longter, the young man returned anxiously. It seemed like the news he had received was so shocking that he couldnt even keep hisposure. "You managed to dig up something? What happened?" asked the first old man. The young man reported the news that he had just gathered. "Feng shi and Hong shi did meet one another outside the city, but for some reason... Feng shi and his group lost control of their spirit beasts and fell from the sky..." In truth, even he himself found this matter hard to believe. "Fell down? Lost control of their spirit beasts? Does that even make sense?" The two old men stared at one another in bewilderment. Are you jesting? Those were the elite spirit beasts of Huanyu Empire, and they had been trained for a very long time. Even if something happened, they would surely bring their rider safely to the ground. To fall from the sky on such well-trained spirit beasts, surely you must be pulling our legs! "Theres no mistake on the news... Speaking of which, someone was coincidentally walking by when that happened, and he used a Record Crystal to take down the situation then!" The young man flicked his wrist and took out a crystal ball. "Our men managed to buy it with spirit stones!" A merchant party happened to pass by the area during the confrontation between Hong shi and Feng shi, and out of fascination, they recorded the scene. After which, when the young man sent his men to investigate the matter, they managed to track down the merchant party and procure this Record Crystal. In that aspect, they were truly lucky. "Hurry up and y it!" said the first old man anxiously. Nodding his head, the young man infused his zhenqi into the Record Crystal. Weng! Amidst a buzz, dozens of aerial spirit beasts suddenly came into sight. The recording was taken a significant distance away from the confrontation, so there was no voice to be heard. Even so, it was clear that the both sides were clearly shing with one another. "Its Feng shi and Hong shi!" With a nce, the first old man immediately recognized the men standing on the spirit beasts. They had known one another for several decades now, and they could identify one another even from afar. "Chen Mo has made his move..." The image swayed, and they saw a young man standing on top of a spirit beast taking out a zither and started ying. Following which, Hong shi attempted to destroy the zither with his sword qi, only to fail. "Everything went ording to n. How did Hong shi get past them..." The first old man was perplexed. He was in the midst of figuring what went wrong when Feng shi and the others abruptly plummeted from the sky. And then... a mushroom cloud of dust rose into the sky. "This..." The group stared at one another nkly. What... just happened? After recovering from the shock, the two old men quickly asked the young man, "What happened to Feng shi? How is he now?" That was a distance of more than a thousand meters! To fall from such an altitude... he couldnt possibly be dead, right... "Ive sent someone to bring him back... they should be returning soon!" replied the young man. At that moment, the door opened, and Feng shi was carried in by a few other men. The current Feng shi was bandaged tightly with a white cloth, as though a mummy. His face was stained with mud and fresh blood, and a huge bunch of his prided beard had fallen off. It was a huge contrast from his enlightened sage image. If he were to sit by the streets, a passer-by might even throw him a gold coin out of pity for him. "Feng shi, this..." The first old man was bbergasted by the sight. "I... Im going to kill Hong Qian and that bastard..." Feng Yu roared furiously, but before he could finish his words, a cold voice sounded outside the main hall, "Kill me? Sure! Im waiting for you right here,e!" The few men quickly turned their heads around, only to see an old man walking into the room with a face livid with wrath. Who else could it be other than Hong shi? "Hong shi..." Seeing the man they teamed up to deal with standing before them, the two old mens lips twitched. "Hong Qian, you..." Feng Yu gritted his teeth in anger. "Humph!" Ignoring the other partys shock and anger, Hong shi flicked his wrist and took out a 5-star master teacher emblem. He flicked his forefinger with his thumbnail and a droplet of fresh blood fell onto the emblem. "I, 5-star Master Teacher Hong Qian, apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation against Master Teacher Feng Yu. I beseech for your approval!" Hu! The emblem shimmered brilliantly, and two giant words floated into appearance, "Permission granted!" If irreconcble conflicts ur between master teachers, they could apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation with the headquarters through the emblem, and based on the rtive strength of ones opponent, the headquarters would determine whether to approve it or not. Usually speaking, if both master teachers were of equal cultivation realm, the permission would be granted. Rivalry is important for the growth of master teachers, especially with ones peers. As such, the headquarters promoted such duels. This was the reason why Hong shis duel application was granted nearly instantly. "Master Teacher Confrontation? Permission granted?" Seeing the two words on Hong shis emblem, Feng Yus vision went dark, and he nearly burst into tears. Im wrapped up like a dumpling, and there are broken bones throughout my body. Not to mention, Ive suffered grievous external and internal damage. To fight against me at this moment... Doesnt your conscience pang in guilt? "The headquarters have already agreed to the Master Teacher Confrontation. Feng shi, stop putting on an act. Let our fists do the talking instead!" Hong shi flung his sleeves majestically. "I..." Exerting pressure on the walking stick in his hand, Feng Yu stood up from the stretcher and eximed, "Im severely injured, how do you expect me to fight with you..." "Severely injured? Feng shi, your joke isnt funny. Ive heard that you were still in perfect condition when you left the royal pce two hours ago. In fact, you even offered some pointers to a guard. Since you didnt do anything, how in the world did you get injured? To think that a proud 5-star master teacher would stoop down to even feigning injury just so to not face me in a fight. And you call yourself a master teacher?" Hong shi replied righteously. "You..." Feng Yus lips twitched violently, and his eyes were about to pour. He had secretly sneaked out to intercept Hong Qian and group. After all, this was an underhanded action, and if others were to learn of it, his reputation would be sullied. Who knew that the other party would actually use this fact against him to im that he was feigning injury... How could someone be so shameless? You should be the more than aware whether Im truly injured or not! I might not have fought with anyone, but falling from such a high altitude, its already by a huge stroke of fortune that Im still alive at this point. How do you expect me to fight with you? "Feng shi, I hope that you wont make any more excuses!" Harrumphing coldly, Hong shi replied, "If you refuse, Ill report to the headquarters that you, who fears even a challenge from your fellow peer, arent worthy of your 5-star master teacher emblem." "Fine, fine! Ill ept your challenge... Are you happy now?" Feng Yu gritted his teeth indignantly. If only he knew this would happen, he would have never done this. If one didnt have any special reason to justify himself, one wouldnt be allowed to turn down a Master Teacher Confrontation... If Feng shi were to im that he was severely injured, considering how this matter concerned a 5-star master teacher, the headquarters would surely look into it, and the issue of him obstructing Hong shis passage would be exposed. If so, he might be subjected to an even harsher punishment. In other words, the other party had nned all of this to corner him! What the heck was this... "Since thats the case, lets start then!" Bellowing furiously, Hong shi dashed forward and sent a kick over. Sou! How could the severely injured Feng Yu possibly protect himself? He was immediately sent flying into the sky. Padah! After flying several dozen meters high, he crashed back down into the ground and spewed mouthful after mouthful of blood. He had just barely recovered slightly after consuming a recovery pill, but this kick had sent him back to square one. His face paled, and his vision was slowly darkening. "I..." Struggling to his feet, Feng shi was just about to speak when a humongous fist came flying toward him. Peng! Feng Yu was sent flying once more. Pi pa! Hu! The sound of fists and kicks digging into flesh sounded, and soon, all traces of humanity were beaten out of Feng Yu. Hong shi had controlled his attacks well so as to maximize the other partys suffering without worsening his current injuries too much. For a proud 5-star master teacher to be schemed against, if he didnt repay this favor, wouldnt others think that he was an easy person? Master teachers were humans, not saints! They couldnt possibly ept and forgive when someone struck them in their faces! In this case, tolerance is not a sign of magnanimity but weakness. If they couldnt uphold their own dignity, how could they possibly protect Master Teacher Continent from the Otherworldly Demons? It isnt a crime to be good-tempered, but if one wishes to protect something, one needs to be strong. Peng peng peng peng! After a long round of beating, Hong shi finally finished venting his anger. pping his hands, he sped his fist and bowed. "Feng shi, thank you for going easy on me!" At this moment, Feng Yu was no different from Chen Mo and the others when they fell to the ground back then. He was breathing heavily but exhaling lightly, and it looked as though he might just breathe hisst at any moment. "You... Very well! Hong Qian! I, 5-star Master Teacher Luo Zhao, challenge you to a Master Teacher Confrontation right now. I beseech for your approval!" Hong shi had beaten up Feng shi in the name of the Master Teacher Confrontation. His actions were within the rules, so there was nothing they couldin about. But after the duel was over, the first old man immediately took out his emblem and challenged Hong shi. He wanted to get back at Hong shi for Feng Yu! Hong shi ced his hands behind his back and dered proudly, "My apologies, but Ive just finished my battle with Feng shi and suffered grievous injuries in the process. I wont be able to fight for the next ten years, so Ill reject your challenge!" "You..." The trio staggered, and they nearly burst into tears. Big Brother, can you get any more shameless than that... Chapter 609: Hong shis Conditions Chapter 609: Hong shis Conditions Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Severely injured... Severely your head! Could that battle between you and Feng shi even be called a battle? More like a one-sided pummeling! Not a single droplet of sweat was produced in that fight, and yet you said that you were severely injured and cant fight for the next ten years? The one who is severely injured is Feng shi, alright? Look at him... His eyes are even rolling up now... On the other hand, you look perfectly energized after the duel, and the bright smile on your face is about to extend to your ears... The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. Master Teacher Luo Zhao bellowed furiously, "The both of us know very well whether you are injured or not. Why dont you just say that you dare not ept my duel?" "If you can really forsake your morals and dignity as a master teacher and take advantage of my weakness, then yes, I can ept your duel. But if thats the case, Ill decide the rules of the duel!" Hong shi nced at the other party calmly and continued, "Well both ride on an aerial spirit beast each and fight a thousand meters high in the air. Do you... dare ept my proposal?" "You..." Luo Zhao felt his head spin. An aerial battle? The sight that he had seen from the Record Crystal a moment ago was still engraved into his eyes. If he were to really fight with that fellow in midair, he would probably fall out of the sky just like Feng shi... and perhaps even suffer yet another round of beating afterward... Putting aside teaching the other party a lesson, he might not even be able to survive the ordeal. "You dont dare?" Hong shi nced at the other party with clear contempt in his eyes. "If you are that cowardly, dont waste my time. You challenged an injured person, and yet, you dare not ept my proposal. How embarrassing!" "..." Luo Zhaos face immediately turned crimson, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. The Hong shi he remembered should have been an honest and upright person, when did he be so shameless? Harrumphing coldly, Hong shi continued, "Alright. Since you dare not challenge me, lets get to the main topic at hand. You obstructed my passage in midair, foiling the fairness of ourpetition. I demand an exnation for this matter!" The purpose of his visit was to demand an exnation. Now that he was done beating up Feng Yu, his anger had already subsided mostly... But he was still reluctant to let things end here. Initially, he was going to stomp here right after settling everyone in, but Zhang shi stopped him and offered him some advice. And it seemed like the advice did work out as well. Otherwise, if Hong shi had acted as he originally nned to-barging in here and criticizing the group-not only would the other party simply forget it after a nights rest, his own anger wouldnt be quenched either. In fact, if the three of them were to gang up on him, he might even be put in a disadvantageous position. But now, having gotten back at Feng shi through the Master Teacher Confrontation and silencing the others by proposing an aerial duel, the momentum was with him. "Exnation? You still want an exnation?" Luo Zhao and the other master teacher stared at one another, and they nearly exploded from anger. You came here and pummeled Feng shi to the point that he is teetering on the brink of death already, and yet you still demand an exnation? "Simple. Since you used an underhanded method to stop us, I want apensation! How about this, I wont go too far-500 middle-tier spirit stones and well call it quits. I wont report this matter to teacher or His Majesty. Otherwise, Ill cause a huge fuss and see whos at fault here!" Hong shi waved his hands. In truth, he had little fear even when facing another three master teachers of equivalent standing as him. No matter what, Zhang shi was a person whom even Pavilion Master Mo of Hongyuan Master Teacher Pavilion was willing to offer a high-tier spirit stone to get acquainted with. If this matter were to blow up, these three fellows would surely be the ones suffering in the end. "500... middle-tier spirit stones?" The bodies of the duo shuddered. They might be 5-star master teachers, but they didnt have too many middle-tier spirit stones in their hands either. One to two hundred middle-tier spirit stones were already a huge amount of wealth to them. To demand 500 in a single breath... this was no different from daylight robbery! But it was true that they were at fault in this matter. Going by their original n, after this fellow lost his three slots, he would surely be too ashamed to face anyone, and thus, he would leave silently. On top of that, even if he were to protest, it would only reflect his own weakness... Yet, not only did this fellow end up fine, he even came here, and standing on the moral high ground, they couldnt even rebut at all. The stifled feeling squeezing them made them feel extremely ufortable. "I admit that we did act inappropriately in this incident, but Hong Qian, I advise you not to go too far. In any case, arent you perfectly fine in the end? Theres no need for you to go so far and create an irreconcble grudge among us!" Luo Zhao flung his sleeves. "Were all proud 5-star master teachers here. Youve already got your revenge, what else do you want? Do you really want to make an enemy out of all of us?" the second old man replied with a flushed face. "Why? Are you unwilling to pay? Or do you not have the money to do so?" Hong shi said with his hands behind his back. "Humph, middle-tier spirit stones are precious even to 5-star master teachers like us. Can you even take five hundred middle-tier spirit stones out at once?" Luo Zhao harrumphed. "Fine. I heard that the crown prince is going to hold a banquet tonight to discuss the matter regarding the three slots. Since you all arrived early, surely you must have heard something! As long as you tell me how this matter is going to be resolved, I can drop this!" Hong shi replied. Even a 5-star master teacher would find it hard to fork out 500 middle-tier spirit stones! The urgent matter at hand was actually to figure out how the matter regarding the three slots was going to be resolved so that he could make some preparations beforehand. "This..." Luo Zhao and the other old man stared at one another for a moment before eventually shaking their heads. "The crown prince didnt reveal how he intends to resolve this matter, so we have no idea as well..." "If we knew how it was going to be resolved beforehand, we wouldnt have to resort to such a risky n." While the crown prince was their junior, he was also a talented student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. They didnt dare to pull their weight before him. "You dont know?" Hong shi frowned. "Thats right!" Luo Zhao answered Hearing their answer, Hong shi could only shake his head helplessly. The other partys words sounded logical. If they had known what was going to happen, they would have simply prepared beforehand instead of risking themselves and going to such lengths to stop him. Luo Zhao hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "How about this? Even though we dont know what the crown prince is going to doter on, I can tell you about the matter regarding Princess Fei-er and the other three slots. This is a matter that took us a lot of investigation before sessfully uncovering." "Alright then. As long as you tell me all that you know, well strike off everything that has happened!" Hong shi nodded in agreement. It was just a matter of time before Zhang shi and the others would head to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Since Princess Fei-er was a student of the academy as well, knowing her background could potentially help them in the future. "Un. Princess Fei-er is the sixth princess of Hongyuan Empire. Even though shes still young, she has shown outstanding talent as a master teacher. Despite being only twenty-four this year, she has already received her 5-star master teacher emblem!" Luo Zhao revealed. "A twenty-four-year-old... 5-star master teacher?" Hong shi narrowed his eyes. As a 5-star master teacher himself, he knew how hard it was to reach this rank. On top of outstanding talent, one had to reach astounding proficiency in five different supporting upations as well, reaching the rank of 5-star in each of them. He had spent a hundred and sixty years before seeding, and yet, the other party actually aplished it by twenty-four... It was hard for him to believe it. "Even Zhang shi would find it hard to rival such genius!" Hong shi smiled bitterly. True geniuses are indeed fearsome. "Yes. Its precisely due to this that Crown Prince Ye Qian wishes to get on good terms with her and asked His Majesty for four slots!" Luo Zhao nodded. When he learnt of this news, he was also astounded. If not for his strong mental fortitude, he might have copsed from shock then. A twenty-four-year-old 5-star master teacher... He would have never been able to imagine this to be true in the past. "But why would Princess Fei-er require four slots?" Hong shi asked in bewilderment. He had posed this question to Zhuang Qin as well, but perhaps due to his lower standing, he was unable to obtain certain ssified information. Since Luo Zhao knew what was going on, it would be best to rify the situation with him. "Tagging along with the princess are her friend and two other fellow peers of the academy. It seems like they are carrying out some kind of mission at Verdant Mountain, so the crown prince invited them over here as well. Otherwise, theres no reason for the princess of Hongyuan Empire to make her way here just for the Cleansing Lake," Luo Zhao replied. Hong shi nodded in realization. Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire could be considered as a sizeable power even throughout the Master Teacher Continent. There were at least hundreds of Tier-2 Empires like Huanyu under itsmand, and if not for somepelling situation, there was no reason for her to specially make the trip here. While the Cleansing Lake had mystical effects, this was mainly limited to only Consonant Spirit and Cosmos Bridge realm experts. On top of that, even though it was considered as a treasure in Huanyu Empire, there were many artifacts in a Tier-1 Empire that could easily rece it. There was no need for them to make such a long journey here just for this purpose. "Do you know the identity and names of the others?" Hong shi asked. "Princess Fei-ers friend is known as Luo Qiqi. ording to what I heard, it seems like shes a princess of a certain Tier-1 Empire as well. As for the details, given how the royal family seems to be keeping it confidential, we also dare not look into it. However, it seems like her ranking as a master teacher doesnt pale to Princess Fei-er at all, and her cultivation even surpasses thetter. Based on my estimates, even the four of usbined might not even be a match for her!" Luo Zhao said grimly. He had only met Luo Qiqi once, but he could tell that thetters cultivation had reached an astounding level. At the very least, he knew that he wouldnt stand a chance against her. "As for the remaining two, they are both fellow ssmates of the princess. Theyre both males, and their cultivation realm isparable to the princess as well. More importantly, they carry a noble disposition, so I guess that they have a powerful background as well. As for their names..." Luo Zhao pondered for a moment before continuing, "One seems to be called Xing Yuan while the other one is called Wu Zhen... Just as with Luo Qiqi, the specific details on them elude me as well!" "Luo Qiqi, Xing Yuan, and Wu Zhen?" Hong shi nodded. Since all of them came from the Master Teacher Academy, they had to be master teachers. Also, considering they were ssmates of Princess Fei-er, they must be 5-star master teachers as well. Considering their capability despite their young age, they would surely achieve great things in the future. Naturally, Huanyu Empire wouldnt miss out on an opportunity to get acquainted with them. It was no wonder why Crown Prince Ye Qian went to the extent of offering the slots for the Cleansing Lake. Recalling another matter, Luo Zhao anxiously informed him, "Right, I also heard that Princess Fei-er has a bad temper, and Luo Qiqi has an extremely cold disposition. If you meet them, it would be advisable for you to not to offend them. Otherwise, Huanyu Empire wouldnt survive their wrath!" "Offend them? Dont worry, even if we were to meet, its impossible for us to offend them!" Hong shi chuckled earnestly, "After all, were all honest men!" Chapter 610: Mystical Treasure Hall Chapter 610: Mystical Treasure Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Stretching his back, Zhang Xuan walked out of his room. Cultivating an entire month on the journey here had left him rather exhausted. "Teacher!" Upon walking out of his room, Yuan Tao immediately rushed forward with a bitter face. "Teacher, somehow, I feel that... my cultivation seems to have slowed. For some reason, I find myself unable to concentrate..." Zhao Ya and Lu Chongs departure had left an immense pressure of the four remaining students. For fear ofgging behind, Yuan Tao had been working extra hard, but for the past half a month, it was as if he had been shackled, preventing him from advancing no matter how hard he pushed. Afraid that his teacher might reprimand him, he also dared not ask Zhang Xuan about it. But eventually, he came to the limit of his tolerance. The final trigger was Wang Yings recent breakthrough. If he didnt solve his issue soon, the gap between him and the others would widen significantly. "Theres no need to worry. I know of your condition, and its not due to yourck of concentration or talent. Rather... your cultivation has reached a point where if you dont further awaken your Emperors Bloodline, it will hinder your future progress!" Zhang Xuan replied. He had noticed Yuan Taos condition a few days ago on the back of the spirit beast. It wasnt that he wasnt working hard enough, but that the bloodline running through his body was shackling him. If one possessing a unique constitution were to fully awaken their potential, they would be able to achieve breakthroughs as easily as eating and drinking. But if they were to be unable to do so, it would bind them instead, rendering their cultivation useless. Due to the very low number of people possessing unique constitutions, it was extremely difficult to find a clear heritage to awakening them. As such, many talented individuals had found their hopes being snapped due to being unable to find a way to awaken their unique constitution further orcking the required resource for it. This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan eventually agreed to allow Zhao Ya to go to the cier in Court. The cier in Court had aplete heritage for the Pure Yin Body and plentiful resources to groom her. This was much better than Zhang Xuan fumbling around for a solution. The current Yuan Tao was also facing such a problem. He had awakened his physical constitution by twenty percent and reaching Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage was already his limit. If he wanted to grow any further, he would have continue awakening his unique constitution. Otherwise, his Emperors Bloodline would shackle his acupoints and meridians, preventing him from making any progress. If he could cultivate theplete version of Heavens Path Divine Art, he wouldnt face such problems at all. It was a pity that he could only learn the simplified version. Zhang Xuan had been thinking over the matter for the past few days, and he found a few viable solutions. "Alright. Ry my instructions to Sun Qiang, tell him to find out if theres any ce that sells artifacts around here. Ill look for some artifacts that can resolve your problem!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Yes!" Seeing that his teacher already knew about the matter, Yuan Tao felt a little embarrassed. He quickly left, and a whileter, he returned with Sun Qiang beside him. "Young Master, Ive had someone look into the surroundings, and theres a Mystical Treasure Hall in the vicinity, and you might find what you want there!" Sun Qiang replied. Knowing his job as a butler, he had been gathering information ever since the group arrived here, and he learned quite a few things as well. "Mystical Treasure Hall?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Thats right. The Mystical Treasure Hall sells all kinds of unique and valuable artifacts. There are even a few whose worth isparable to a Spirit high-tier artifact. However, what is bizarre is that... the owner never sells the goods. Rather, he gives it to those fated with him!" replied Sun Qiang. "Gives away?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. No matter how many valuable, unique collectibles, artifacts, and wealth one had, wouldnt one go bankrupt if one were to give away everything? "Thats right. But while I use the word gives, theres actually a price to pay." Seeing the look of disbelief on the young masters face, Sun Qiang chuckled. "Its said that there are two rows of stone pirs within the Mystical Treasure Hall. Through some unknown technology, there is an artifact hidden within each stone pir, and those who intend to obtain any goods from the store would have to identify the artifacts inside the stone pir. The store works by a progressive point system. The first artifact identified from the stone pir will award one point, the second artifact identified will award two points, the third artifact identified will award three points, so on and so forth. In other words, once one identifies ones fiftieth stone pir, one will be awarded fifty points straight! "One can trade the points obtained from the identification of the artifacts for any treasure ced on the shelves of the Mystical Treasure Hall. With sufficient points, one can obtain anything one wants! However... one has to pay ten middle-tier spirit stones before attempting the identification, and if one is able to identify even one of the artifacts hidden in the stone pirs, the spirit stones will be refunded. On the other hand, failure to do so means that the spirit stones go to the shop!" "Oh!" Zhang Xuan came to a realization. In other words, the shop was leveraging on the curiosity of others to create something simr to a gambling den. The artifacts were hidden in the stone pirs, making it nearly impossible to identify them through guesswork. Earning points would surely be difficult. Even though ten middle-tier spirit stones werent much, the shop should be rather profitable if it could attract a crowd. In a sense, it was somewhat simr to the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet in Honghai City Appraiser Hall. It hinged mainly on ones eye of discernment. It might be difficult for anyone else to identify those artifacts, but to Zhang Xuan... those were as good as giveaways! With a touch, a book would be formed in the Library of Heavens Path, and he would be able to identify even the eighteen generations of ones ancestors. To him, identifying an artifact in a stone pir was a walk in the park. "Lets go and take a look. If theres anything useful to Yuan Tao, we can try to obtain it! If not, well just continue looking around." Zhang Xuan showed a slight smile. To awaken Yuan Taos physical constitution, certain unique items were required. If the Mystical Treasure Hall possessed these items, Zhang Xuan would identify the artifacts in some stone pirs to obtain them. While it was likely that Zhang Xuan would be able to easily identify everything in the shop, he didnt think that it was appropriate for him to do so. After all, a master teacher should behave in a way befitting of one. It would be inappropriate for him to grab all of the treasures of another when the other party was simply conducting his business. Besides, in a foreign ce such as Huanyu Empire, it was best for him to maintain a low profile. "Yes!" Nodding his head, Sun Qiang walked forward and led the way. Since they were looking for a treasure rting to Yuan Taos constitution, naturally, he tagged along as well. The Mystical Treasure Hall wasnt too far away from the royal pce. After a short twenty-minute walk, they found themselves standing before a majestic, towering building. Three grandly written words, Mystical Treasure Hall, were written on a board hung above the entrance. These words absorbed spiritual energy from the surroundings, and it felt as though they would leap out from the surface at any moment. "A sixth level calligraphy?" Upon seeing it, Zhang Xuan was stunned. A sixth level calligraphy has already reached the level of Spiritual Wisdom. Even a 5-star painter would find it hard to produce a work of this tier. Seeing such a work before entering the Mystical Treasure Hall, Zhang Xuans interest in it intensified. Walking through the door, they arrived at an exceptionally vast main hall. There were shelves ced by the walls, and all kinds of artifacts filled its surface. The three men walked over to take a closer look. Sword, painting, chess, ore, spirit beast fur... There were indeed all kinds of treasures here. "The golden talon of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Foxeagle Beast?" Walking along the shelf, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a stop. ced on the shelf before him was a meter-long, giant, golden talon, and it felt both cold and sharp. The Foxeagle Beast was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan spirit beast. Not only were there very few of them, they were also extremely cunning. Even the Beast Hall would be troubled to find one of them, needless to say, capture or kill one. And the talons of this rare beast were exceptionally valuable treasures. This was especially so for those that were golden in color-it was the ideal material to forging a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle weapon. Many people would die to obtain even just a small piece of its talons, and yet, there was aplete one here. Its price was inestimable. Lowering his head to take a closer look, he saw a goatskinbel ced beneath the w, and written on it was, Golden Talon of the Foxeagle Beast, 1! Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask Sun Qiang, "What does this 1 mean?" Sun Qiang pondered for a moment quickly before replying. "The one refers to the number of points required to trade for it!" "One can trade for this with just a single point?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. The Golden Talon of a Foxeagle Beast was iparably rare and valuable. If one were to put it in an auction, it would be worth dozens of spirit stones. And yet, one could trade for it with just a single point. Wasnt the worth of the points here a little... way too high? "The items on the first floor can be traded with just one point. The higher one ascends, the more valuable the items be." Sun Qiang smiled. "I can trade for any one of these items with just one point?" Shocked, Zhang Xuan breathed in arge mouthful of cold air. He suddenly could see why anyone woulde and try their luck despite the seeming impossibility of the task. The items on disy were simply too valuable! Moving along, Zhang Xuan saw a few more valuable items whose worth werent beneath that of the Foxeagle Beasts talon andbeled on the goatskins beneath them were 1 as well. Impressed, Zhang Xuan eximed, "Impressive. This ce indeed lives up to the words Mystical Treasure!" Soon, he finished looking around the first floor. Even though the items on the first floor were indeed valuable, none of them were truly effective in awakening Yuan Taos unique constitution. The Emperors Bloodline was special even among unique constitutions. While Zhang Xuan wasnt too sure what items would work, he had a rough idea in mind. "Lets move on to the second floor!" Knowing that there was nothing he needed on the first floor, Zhang Xuan lost his interest. To Zhang Xuan, no matter how good an artifact or item was, its worth couldnt possibly exceed that of spirit stones or cultivation technique manuals. As such, he didnt bear much interest in such stuff. Otherwise, he wouldnt have returned the artifacts he imed from the Harmonious Streaming of Flowing Goblets back to the Appraiser Hall back then. The three men moved on to the second floor. There were significantly fewer people on the second floor, and the number and variety of items were also more limited as well. But with just a nce, it was clear that the items here were much more valuable. There were many one-of-a-kind artifacts and items that, despite Zhang Xuans extensive knowledge, he couldnt name. "This is... a painting of the seventh level?" Soon, Zhang Xuan saw a painting of the seventh level. Judging from its quality, the painter who created it must be at least 6-star in rank. The animals and nts inside were so lifelike that it felt as though they were truly living beings that would leap out of the painting at any moment. A painting at the level of Enlightened Spirit already possessed spirit and sentience, and the creatures within were capable of leaving the painting on their own ord. Taking a closer look, he saw a line of words written on the goatskin below, "Proud Conception of Spring and Autumn, 2!" "Its worth only two points?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. This painting was much better than Rousing From the Drunken Dreams that was auctioned in Honghai City back then. After all, the creation of that painting was a mistake in itself. Even though it barely managed to reach the seventh level under Zhang Xuans hands, it was ranked amidst the lowest within that tier, and it was eventually sold for only twenty thousand low-tier spirit stones, which was equivalent to two middle-tier spirit stones. On the other hand, this was a masterpiece left behind by a 6-star painter. If ced in an auction, its price would surely soar above fifty middle-tier spirit stones. To think that its value would only be 2 here... This Mystical Treasure Hall was indeed fearsome. The range and value of the treasures disyed here had far exceeded his expectations. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to continue browsing around, a faint voice echoed from the stairway, and soon, two figures could be seen walking over. "How can one find anything good in this remote ce? If theres anything you want, I can get it for you after we return!" Chapter 611: Inner Core of Great River Snake Chapter 611: Inner Core of Great River Snake Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was man and ady. The both of them carried a dignified air around them. Thedy walking in front was dressed in light-yellow, tight-fitting clothes that outlined her beautiful figure. Her long, ck hair that fell on her shoulder contrasted with her fair skin, and she had a slender waist where one could easily hold. Her outer appearance was in no way beneath that of Mo Yu or Zhao Feiwu. The man beside her seemed to be in his thirties. He had a broad figure with a well-defined face. There was a hint of authoritativeness etched between his brows, indicating that he was likely to be a person of high standing. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan wasnt interested in the other partys appearance. In terms of beauty, there was no one who couldpare up to Zhao Ya, and Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu were top-notch beauties as well. Yet, he didnt pay much heed to the three of them, so of course he wouldnt gawk at ady whom he didnt recognize. But taking a look at the other partys cultivation, he was shocked. Even though the two of them were young, their cultivation was exceptional. They gave a feeling reminiscent of the deep ocean or endless abyss; they were definitely stronger than Hong shi. "Transcendent Mortal 6-dan?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Of the twenty-eight regional powers, even the strongest expert hadnt reached Transcendent Mortal 6-dan. Yet, just by walking around town, he had already met with two of them. Not to mention, the both of them were extremely young as well. As expected of Huanyu Capital, it was indeed filled with experts. As expected, the might of the capital far exceeded that of the Vassal States. "Theres no need for it. If youre bored, you can return first!" the beautifuldy replied impassively, snubbing the other partys goodwill. From the look of it, the duo didnt seem to be close. "Hehe, how could I possibly be bored? If you wish to look around, Ill apany you!" The manughed awkwardly. The duo continued walking around the shelves to take a look. Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with the duo anymore, and he continued browsing through the items. To awaken the Emperors Bloodline, he would require the blood essence or inner core of spirit beasts with simr attributes, or some unique medicinal herb, ore, and such. But these items were extremely rare and finding them was no easy task. "Purpledawn Pearl? This artifact can cleanse the dirt from the person carrying it, thus making them immacte!" Zhang Xuans eyes fell on a round pearl. He had read a record of it before. It was a peculiar artifact that specialized neither in offense nor defense, but even so, it was an essory that cultivators liked to carry around. After all, the one wearing it could keep their clothes in pristine condition, thus maintaining a glowing appearance even without bathing. "To think that this item would actually be a 2 as well..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. To think that a seventh level painting would be of the same price at this item. It seemed like the Mystical Treasure Hall didnt arrange artifacts by value but by rarity. While a Purpledawn Pearl couldnt be said to be a necessity for cultivators, it was an extremely rare artifact, and it was deeply fancied by mostdies. After all, given the broad continent, a single flight could easily take days, and during which, one would be unable to bathe. The feeling of being dirty would feel incredibly ufortable to some. However, with this artifact, one could remain clean at all moments; needless to say a month or two, even if one were to walk around in the same clothes for an entire year, ones appearance would still be immacte. It was highly-valued precisely because of its rarity. Even so, part of the reason why it was priced equally with the painting was also because paintings were impractical in battle. As such, its value was beneath that of weapons and other practical mystical artifacts. However, this restriction was only limited for paintings up to the seventh level. Once a painting reached the eighth level or even higher, it would gain the ability to realize illusions. For example, some of the more formidable paintings could even form a massive city that could trap a cultivator within it for an eternity toe. As such, the value of eighth level paintings was immeasurable. Every single upation that had been officially recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion wields immense might upon reaching its pinnacle. Ordinary men cant hope to stand against such mystical abilities. Taking the Celestial Chess for example, it was said that those who had reached the highest level in it would be able to manipte the world as though it were their chessboard. Taking the stars as the stones, they could maneuver the essence of the world and reverse yin and yang. However... it was a pity that what Hong shi received was an iplete manual. Even the inheritance from the puppet was iplete, thus making it impossible to unleash such might. Looking on, Zhang Xuan soon browsed through all artifacts in the second floor, but he was still unable to find anything suitable. Thus, along with the other two, they proceeded up to the third floor. The artifacts on the third floor were much more valuable. Thebeling of each artifact was no longer uniform; some werebeled with a 3, some a 4, and some a 5. Walking along the shelves, Zhang Xuan saw a sixth level paintingbeled 4. It was even more expensive than the seventh level painting from before! Perplexed, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment beforeing to a realization. Even though this painting might be a tier lower than the previous one seen, it was a masterpiece left behind by a very famous painter in Huanyu Empire. This piece was said to be a magnum opus that he put his final breath into drawing after suffering fatal injuries in a duel. Contained within it was the lingering will and resentment of a 5-star painter, thus making it exceptionally valuable. Naturally, its price would also be marked up to reflect that. "Hmm? This is a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle sword?" Soon, Zhang Xuan saw a weapon on the shelf. His swordsmanship was impressive, but he had never been able to find a suitable weapon. If he could wield one fitting of his current cultivation, his fighting prowess would surely soar significantly. This sword was even higher ranked than the ones he had seen at Honghai City. Its sharp, cold gleam could induce a freezing sensation in those that set its eyes upon it. "cier Rain Sword, 6!" Such was written on the goatskinbel beneath it. "It is actually worth six points?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had seen many Spirit intermediate-tier weapons in the shop, but those were onlybeled 1. Yet, this sword was actually priced at 6, wasnt this a little way too exaggerated? Sensing Zhang Xuans doubt, an attendant walked over to him and exined, "Gongzi, this sword was personally forged by Master cksmith Hu Qingzi, and it is an Upgradable Artifact. It can undergo another round of tempering, thus making it iparably valuable. It is nothing like those ordinary weapons disyed below!" "Upgradable Artifact?" Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before nodding his head. While he had never officially learned smithing before, he had collected quite a few books on the topic, and he knew of the various jargons in it. Typically, a weapon was considered to beplete once its form became fixed. If one were to put it through another round of tempering, there was a good chance it might lose its sharpness and be rendered useless. But Upgradable Artifacts were different. If one were to find better ores in the future, one could meld it into the artifact during the tempering process, thus raising the weapons quality and possibly its tier. In other words, while this artifact might be a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon at the moment, it was impossible to predict how strong it could be in the future. In that sense, it was indeed worthy of its pricing of 6. "Hmm? The inner core of a Great River Snake?" While Zhang Xuan was interested in the sword, he wasnt in a rush to obtain it. Instead, he continued looking on, but right after he barely took two steps, his eyes suddenly lit up. ced on a shelf not too far away was a round inner core of a spirit beast. It was crimson in color, and it exuded a searing aura. The inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, Great River Snake. The Great River Snake was a spirit beast that lives in marsnds in mountain valleys. It had thick scales that granted it incredible defensive capability. But while its body was cold as though metal, its inner core was fiery like coal, leaving one with a sensation as though one would be incinerated. "The Great River Snake possesses the Dragon Bloodline, so it should be able to awaken Yuan Taos Emperors Bloodline!" Zhang Xuan smiled. While the Great River Snake was considered to be a type of snake, it possessed the bloodline of a flood dragon. On top of that, it was also a spirit beast possessing superior defensive ability, which was aligned with the Emperors Bloodline. Lowering his nce to take a look, he saw thebel on the goatskin: Inner Core of a Great River Snake, 10! "Ten points... But its indeed worth this much!" Only a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert could hunt and procure the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast. As such, it was no surprise that it would bebeled ten. Ill be taking this! Zhang Xuan made an internal decision. However, the searing aura of the inner core is too strong, and Ill need some medicinal herbs to mediate its properties. I wonder if I can find anything suitable here! Having found something suitable for Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He continued to browse through the shop in hopes of finding a medicinal herb with mediating properties when a faint voice suddenly sounded. "I want this Sorrow Severing Grass. How much is it?" It was the voice of a female. ncing over, it was the dashing man and beautifuldy he had met back on the second floor. Unbeknownst to Zhang Xuan, the both of them hade up to the third floor as well. "Sorrow Severing Grass?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Sorrow Severing Grass was a medicinal herb possessing cold attribute. It had a gentle nature, and it was exceptionally potent in neutralizing fiery properties. On top of that, it nourished and formed ayer of protection around ones inner organs and meridians, thus making it the best possible medicinal herb to go along with the inner core of Great River Snake. "Replying thisdy over here, our Mystical Treasure Hall doesnt sell our treasure through normal means. If you wish to purchase anything, you will have to earn points and trade for it." The attendant managing the third floor quickly hurried over and exined. "Points? What do you mean by points?" The young man beside her frowned. "Our Mystical Treasure Hall has two rows of stone pirs on the fourth floor, and sealed within them are artifacts of all kinds. If one sessfully identifies them within the time limit, one will be given points. The more artifacts one recognizes, the more points one earns..." The attendant quickly went through the rules. It was exactly the same as how Sun Qiang described it, but it was even more detailed. "How troublesome! But since its just identifying artifacts, there should be no problem at all!" Hearing that theres such aplex procedure in work here, the young man frowned. But following which, his face beamed with confidence, and he turned to thedy before him and said, "Sixth... Young Mistress, wait here for a moment. Ill bring some points to you right now!" A look of displeasure shed across the face of thedy known as the Sixth Young Mistress upon hearing herpanions words. "I dont need your help. Ill earn the points myself!" Waving her hands, she turned to the attendant and said, "Lead the way. I wish to take a look!" "Yes!" Seeing that someone was interested in challenging the stone pirs, the attendant quickly led the duo up to the next floor. "Lets follow them!" Zhang Xuan beckoned for the other two. The aim of his visit here was to find something to awaken Yuan Taos unique constitution, and to procure those items, he would need to earn points as well. Following behind the attendants group on to the fourth floor, a vast room appeared before him. Dozens of stone pirs were ced neatly in two rows in the middle. They had a smooth exterior, and it was impossible to tell how it was carved. There were a few people shaking their heads before the stone pirs, depressed. "Theres no need to be depressed, its fine to not identify anything!" The chuckle of an old man sounded in front. It seemed like these fellows who were shaking their heads had challenged the stone pirs only to end in failure. Zhang Xuan nced over and realized that they were wearing the robe of their upation-appraiser. In fact, two of them were even 4-star appraisers! Considering how even a 4-star appraiser failed in this challenge, it seemed like this test wasnt as easy as it looked. "Hall Master, these two wish to challenge the stone pirs as well!" The attendant walked over to the old man and gestured to the young man and youngdy. This old man was the hall master of the Mystical Treasure Hall, Gan Yiping. "Alright..." Gan Yiping nodded. Turning his head over, he smiled. "Ill have to trouble you to pay the deposit first!" Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before a sheepish expression covered his face. Deposit? Right, I forgot that I dont have any money to pay the deposit... Chapter 612: Challenging the Stone Pillars Chapter 612: Challenging the Stone Pirs Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Too intent on winning some points, Zhang Xuan forgot that he only had a high-tier spirit stone on him. Even though he had procured 600 middle-tier spirit stones from Fleeting Cloud Sect and the other powers previously, he had already used up all of them before reaching Huanyu Empire. The current him was as good as bankrupt. The young man, unaware of the rules, asked, "How much is the deposit?" "Ten middle-tier spirit stones!" Gan Yiping replied. "Here you are! The both of us want to give it a try!" Without asking any questions, the young man flicked his wrist and passed twenty middle-tier spirit stones over. Others would have to sell all of their property just to gather twenty middle-tier spirit stones, and yet, it seemed to be nothing to this young man at all. Grabbing the spirit stones, Gan Yiping chuckled. Gesturing to the stone pirs, he went through the rules. "Contained within these stone pirs is an artifact each. Theres a hint inscribed on each of the stone pirs, and based on that, one has to deduce what kind of artifact is hidden in it." "Every challenger is only given an incenses time, and as long as one sessfully names the artifact, the stone pir will break apart. The more stone pirs that break apart, the more points one will earn!" "Alright!" Nodding his head, the young man turned to the youngdy beside him and said, "Sixth Young Mistress, wait here for me. Ill return quickly!" After which, he walked over to the stone pir. Zhang Xuan and group also looked at him curiously. They knew of the rules, but it might still prove to be useful to see how the challenge would go and how difficult it would be. Standing before the first stone pir, the young man read the hint inscribed on it before circling around the pir. Slowly, a crack appeared on his confident face, and confusion started to seep through. There wasnt any unique mark on the smooth stone pir, making it impossible to see, feel, or even determine the shape of the artifact at all. To guess the identity of an artifact through ayer of stone was more difficult than he had expected. Walking another two rounds around the stone pirs, his face turned livid. He had just boasted in front of the sixth young mistress that he would be back soon. He thought that he could return with some points to win the favor of the beauty, and yet, he ended up being unable to recognize anything at all. He would be extremely embarrassed if he were to return like that! Scratching his head, the young man began to panic. He ced his palm on the stone pir and tried to infuse his zhenqi in. However, the stone pir seemed to possess the ability to ward off zhenqi, rendering his actions futile. "This..." Soon, he tried everything he could think of and he indignantly turned to look at Gan Yiping. "Hall Master, theres nothing distinctive about your stone pirs at all. How are we supposed to guess?" Isnt this a scam? How in the world do you expect me to guess what is within the stone pir without any conclusive clue? Even a 6-star appraiser would be helpless before these stone pirs! "Gongzi, you need not panic. Theres a clue on the stone pirs, you can make a deduction based on it!" As though having guessed that the other party would say these words, Gan Yiping smiled faintly. "Make a deduction?" Turning to look at the words on the stone pirs, the young mans confusion only seemed to deepen. Seeing that an incenses time was about to pass, he could only grit his teeth and make some guesses. "Sword... saber, medicinal herb, wooden bat..." He listed several things at the top of his mind consecutively, but there was no response at all. "Times up!" Gan Yiping shook his head with a bitter smile. He could tell that this young man was extraordinary, and he thought that the other partys presence could finally bring some progress to the uncovering of the stone pir. But from the looks of it now, he was thinking too much into it. "Alright..." With a scarlet, stifled face, the young man walked back with an awkward expression. What was this? He thought that it would just be like normal treasure spection, and with his capability, he would surely be able to easily determine the type and name of the artifact. After winning some points, he would be able to buy whatever the sixth young mistress wanted and win her heart. Who knew that his attempt would end in such tragic failure? His attempt to show off only ended in humiliation. Sensing the other partys poor mood, Gan Yiping consoled him. "Gongzi, you need not be disheartened. I found these stone pirs in some ruins a long time ago. I dont know who left them behind, but they seem to possess some mysterious ability. Despite observing them daily over the course of fifty years, I was only able to decipher three of them!" "Fifty years? Three?" The young man was taken aback. "Indeed. Only after knowing what the artifact inside is, along with its precise effects, can one open the stone pirs. Ive tried all kinds of ways to open them throughout the years but to no avail. That is the reason why I opened this Mystical Treasure Hall to borrow the wisdom of others." Gan Yiping shook his head. "Actually, theres no need for you to worry. The rule of an incenses time is only to allow the others behind to take a look as well. Since youve already paid the deposit of ten middle-tier spirit stones, you can copy the text imprinted on the stone pir to take back with you. If you were to decipher it, you can return anytime, and I wont charge you the deposit again." "Return anytime?" The young man shook his head. "Were only passing by Huanyu Empire, and we wont be staying for too long. Besides, Im only interested in that single medicinal herb!" If not for the sixth young mistress insisting oning here, given his identity and pride, he would have nevere to such a remote location. While this Mystical Treasure Hall possessed plentiful of valuable items, given his family background, it wouldnt be too difficult for him to find and obtain something simr to them as well. "Alright!" Seeing theck of interest in thetter, a hint of disappointment shed across Gan Yipings eyes. Shaking his head, he said with a slightly downcast voice, "Ive devoted half of my life to these stone pirs... it seems like Ill have to carry my regrets with me to my coffin!" "His lifespan..." Hearing the other partysmentation, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. While this old man possessed extraordinary strength, there was a declining air shrouding his body. Clearly, his lifespan was reaching its limit. Upon stepping into Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, ones level of existence would undergo a qualitative breakthrough, thus increasing ones lifespan significantly. Living to two hundred wouldnt be a problem at all. After which, with a rise in cultivation, ones lifespan would also increase correspondingly, but the increase would be minimal. As such, unless one advanced to Saint realm, one would only be able to live to two hundred or so, three hundred if one maintained ones physical condition well. This old mans lifespan was beyond two hundred and fifty, and it was clear he was nearing his end already. Having dug out so many mysterious stone pirs, he was determined to uncover the secrets behind them. Yet, his own capability proved to be limited, so he could only establish with Mystical Treasure Hall and put out all of the treasures he had collected throughout his lifetime to attract others. As for the deposit of ten middle-tier spirit stones, it was actually just a benchmark. Otherwise, if everyone were toe and try their luck every day, the truly capable appraisers might find themselves being squeezed out. Unable to obtain even a single point, the young man nced at the youngdy apologetically. "Sixth Young Mistress, Im truly sorry..." "Ill take a look!" The difficulty of the challenge had piqued thepetitive spirit of the sixth young mistress. She immediately proceeded over to the first stone pir, and upon seeing the words, a deep frown appeared on her forehead as well. It didnt take long for an incenses time to pass, and she couldnt help but shake her head in disappointment. Clearly, she was helpless before the stone pirs as well. "A pity it is!" Seeing how the both of them failed to decipher the stone pir, Gan Yiping sighed. The duos cultivation and disposition were extraordinary, and without a doubt, they were clearly rare geniuses. He thought that they would be able to bring some kind of breakthrough to this research, but who knew that they wouldnt be able to solve even a single one of these pirs. "Hall Master, pleased to meet you. Im a master teacher!" Seeing that the sixth young mistress failed as well, the young man stepped forward, flicked his wrist, and an emblem appeared in his hands. "5 stars..." Gan Yipings eyes narrowed. He was able to tell that there was something extraordinary about the duo with a single nce, but he thought that they were just esteemed nobles from a prestigious n. Never in his dreams did he expect that they would be 5-star master teachers! If a master teacher of this caliber were to enter the capital, even His Majesty would have to wee them with the most borate of ceremonies. "Thats right. Weve came to Huanyu Empire to deal with some matters. Your Sorrow Severing Grass is of utmost importance to me, so may I humbly request you to sell it to me. Im willing to offer double, triple, or even quintuple the price!" Seeing that the other party seemed to be stunned by his identity, the young man nodded his head in satisfaction. No matter where a 5-star master teacher went, he would be well-respected. "You wish to buy my Sorrow Severing Grass?" Gan Yiping asked. "Thats right!" The young man nodded. "I truly have an important need for that herb, so I hope that you can grant my request!" A momentter, Gan Yiping said, "How about this? I wont ept your money, but as long as you conduct a lesson for me, I dont mind giving the Sorrow Severing Grass to you!" His lifespan was already nearing its limits, and if he could achieve a breakthrough, he might still be able to live for a couple more years. Since the person before him was a 5-star master teacher, there was a chance that the other party might be able to help him. Besides, it had been twenty years since the Mystical Treasure Hall opened, but no one had yet to decipher the stone pirs. Waiting on like that might be futile. Instead of obstinately sticking to his rules, he might as well give it away generously in exchange for getting acquainted with a 5-star master teacher. "Alright!" Initially, the young man didnt bear much hope. Thus, upon hearing those words, his face flushed with delight, and he hurriedly nodded his head. A lesson didnt mean anything much to him. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Gan Yiping waved his hands casually. Turning to the attendant, he instructed, "Go down to the third floor, wrap up the Sorrow Severing Grass carefully, and pass it to this gongzi..." "Yes..." Nodding his head, the attendant was just about to leave when a voice sounded. "Wait a moment!" Following which, a fatty stepped forward. Sun Qiang! The young master was here to look for certain items to help Young Master Yuan Tao awaken his unique constitution. While the young master didnt say anything, he noticed that thetters eyes had stopped at the Sorrow Severing Grass for a slightly longer period of time. Clearly, it had caught his interest. If the other party were to take this one away, it would be difficult to procure another one. Naturally, Sun Qiang had to stop him. "Whats wrong?" Seeing a fatty step forward to interfere in his business, the young man frowned. "Nothing much, I just think that this is a little unfair!" Sun Qiang turned to the elder and said, "As the owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall, since you established the rule that one can only trade for artifacts with points, you shouldnt make an exception for someone. Otherwise, that wouldpromise the integrity of your business!" Since he had established rules, naturally he had to follow them. If he were to change his rules every now and then, how could he possibly expect others to follow them? "Rules do need to be followed, but my lifespan is alreadying to an end. Since theres little hope of deciphering the stone pirs... so Ill give up then. From today onward, the Mystical Treasure Hall will be closed. Since Im shutting down my business, the rules shouldnt matter anymore, right?" Sighing, Gan Yiping shook his head. His lifespan was reaching its end, and nowadays, he felt his spirit drained. After decades of effort ending in futility, he knew that his chances were slim. Reluctant as he may be, he knew that it would be wiser for him to give up now. "Little hope of deciphering the stone pirs? Thats because our young master hasnt made a move yet! As long as he steps forth, everything you have here will be deciphered!" Sun Qiang harrumphed. The sixth young mistresss face darkened upon hearing those words, and she harrumphed coldly. "Everything deciphered? You sure speak arrogantly!" Chapter 613: A Bet With Sixth Young Mistress Chapter 613: A Bet With Sixth Young Mistress Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This Sixth Young Mistress had just returned from the stone pirs, so she was unaware of the discussion the young man had with Gan Yiping. Having taken a look, she realized that she was helpless before these stone pirs as well. Even a knowledgeable genius like her was helpless before these stone pirs, and yet, this fellow actually bragged that he would be able to easily decipher everything... Intense displeasure immediately struck her, and she retorted angrily. "Who do you think you are? Am I talking to you?" Sun Qiang nced at the Sixth Young Mistress with a proud stature. "You..." The sixth mistress was taken aback. "What you?" Sun Qiang flung his sleeves and tilted his head upward proudly. "Cant you see Im in the midst of talking to the hall master? This is no ce for a fellow like you who couldnt even decipher a single stone pir to interrupt!" "What did you say?" The Sixth Young Mistress nearly fainted from anger. To think that a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, would actually be looked down on by a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan butler. Her chest puffed up in anger, and she nearly exploded on the spot. "Audacious!" Hearing thedy he was courting being insulted, the young man eximed in anger. "Audacious? You still dare to speak? Just because I didnt talk about you, you think that youre any better than her? You also failed to solve any stone pirs and earn any points, and on top of that, you even tried to bend the rules after your failure... Do you think you are impressive just because you have that bit of money?" Sun Qiang harrumphed in disdain. What the heck do they think they are? Despite looking so decent, they actually tried to bribe the owner after their failure, even using their position to threaten him... How embarrassing! You are just a 5-star master teacher. Before our old master, even Hongyuan Empires Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, dare not utter anything! "You..." Seeing the other partys contemptuous nce, both the young man and the Sixth Young Mistress were about to go insane. They were both incredible geniuses, people who would be respected no matter where they went. And yet, at this very moment, they were actually looked down by a mere butler. If not for their etiquette as a master teacher and nobles holding them back, they would have surely flown into a temper. "Since you said that your young master is able to decipher the stone pirs, where is he? Why dont you invite him over to give it a try?" Flinging his sleeves, the young man harrumphed. "I sure would like to see whether hes as incredible as you make him out to be!" Even he himself couldnt decipher a single stone pir, and yet this fellow dared to boast that his young master could solve everything cleanly. Are you jesting? "This..." At this moment, a helpless voice sounded by the side. "The young master hes speaking of... seems to be referring to me!" Following which, a young man with an awkward expression stepped forward. After hearing the hall master promising to sell the item, Zhang Xuan wanted to step forward to say a thing or two. However, Sun Qiang managed to beat him to it, thus resulting in such a situation. This fellow had been rather reliable recently, so Zhang Xuan thought it should be fine for him to do the talking. Who knew that the other party would actually have him pinned on a stake with just a few words... What the heck was this? If you speak like that, how am I going to keep a low profile? "So, you are the one... who can decipher all of the stone pirs?" The Sixth Young Mistress harrumphed coldly. "Arrogant!" She thought that the young master the other party talked about was some incredible figure, but it turned out to be a young man who wasnt even twenty yet. She couldnt help but feel repulsed by the other party. As a princess, not to mention one blessed with good looks, she had faced pursuers of all kinds. The mostmon type was those who thought that they were superior to others, such as this young man standing right before her at this moment! They liked to pretend they were something beyond their ability despite their ignorance. In her view, such actions were nothing more than foolishness! "This... its just words of ttery from my subordinate, please dont take it seriously!" Seeing how he was detested before he could even say anything, Zhang Xuan waved his hands sheepishly. Upon having his words refuted by his young master, Sun Qiang panicked, "What words of ttery? Young master, those are just mere stone pirs, you should be able to decipher them easily! You should show these greenhorns what true capability is!" "Alright, stop spouting nonsense!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. "Didnt you hear that? The hall master has said that these stone pirs are hard to decipher. Despite fifty years of effort, only three of them have been solved to date. How could I possibly solve them easily?" "Young Master..." "Enough!" Interrupting the other partys words, Zhang Xuan turned to the trio and apologized, "Pardon me, its due to my negligence that my butler got ahead of himself!" "Humph!" Seeing the other party admit his mistake, the young man and the Sixth Young Mistresssplexion improved slightly, and they tilted their heads up proudly. "Its normal for a subordinate to speak up for his master, you dont have to worry about it!" Gan Yiping replied. It was normal for a subordinate to be in awe of their master and believe that their master was capable of anything. "Thank you, Hall Master, for your understanding!" Seeing that the awkward situation had been resolved, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, facing Gan Yiping, he asked, "So, Hall Master... I would like the Great River Snakes inner core, Sorrow Severing Grass, and Frost Rain Sword. How many stone pirs will I need to decipher?" "..." The young man and the Sixth Young Mistress staggered. Right after reprimanding his subordinate for spouting nonsense, he actually went ahead and asked which stone pirs he had to decipher... as though he could decipher as many stone pirs as he wanted... Do you have somepulsive disorder for boasting? Do you really think that you can decipher as many stone pirs as you want? "How many stone pirs... do you need to decipher?" Gan Yipings eyebrows twitched. While he was displeased by the other partys arrogant words, he replied to the query, "The Great River Snakes inner core is worth ten points, Sorrow Severing Grass seven points, and Frost Rain Sword six points. All in all, you would need 23 points. The point awarding system is such that the first artifact identified grants you one point, the second artifact two points, the third artifact three points... so on and so forth. Youll have to decipher at least seven stone pirs before youll have enough points!" "Seven stone pirs?" Hearing that it was exactly as Sun Qiang said, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Scratching his head, he asked, "So... Can I give it a try?" "Sure!" Gan Yiping nodded. "Also, theres another matter which I hope you can excuse me for..." Seeing the other party answering his question so candidly, Zhang Xuan felt even more embarrassed. "I heard that as long as I decipher a single stone pir, the deposit of ten middle-tier spirit stones will be returned. In other words, the challenge will be free as long as I can decipher a single pir... Would it be fine if I go ahead without paying the deposit? At the very most, Ill decipher more so as to make it up to you..." "..." Gan Yiping, the Sixth Young Mistress, and the young man stared at one another and nearly spurted blood. When they heard this fellow reprimand his fat subordinate, they thought that this young fellow was at least rather humble and polite. Who knew that he would spout such arrogant words in the very next moment... Decipher more so as to make it up to him... Your head! Do you think that deciphering these stone pirs is a childs y? They thought that the fatty from a moment ago was arrogant, but his young master topped that... "How conceited!" A hint of wrath appeared on the Sixth Young Mistresss face. "It sounds like youre saying that you can decipher as many stone pirs as you want?" "Ill just try my best..." Not expecting a request on his part would make the other party so angry, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Fine. Since youre so confident, why dont we have a bet?" Seeing how the other party still refused to take back his word despite having it so clearly pointed out to him, the Sixth Young Mistress clenched her jaws in anger. "A bet?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in surprise. What does he challenging the stone pirs have to do with her? Why is she proposing a bet? "Thats right. Ill pay the ten middle-tier spirit stone for you, and for every stone pir you decipher, Ill pay you a hundred middle-tier spirit stones... On the other hand, if you fail, Ill still be magnanimous and bear the cost for you. However, youll have to kneel down and reflect on your arrogance! How is it, do you dare take on the bet?" The Sixth Young Mistress harrumphed. Despite knowing nothing at all, how dare he speak of the challenge so lightly? Arent you being too arrogant! If I dont teach you a lesson now, your head might be so big that you wont even remember yourself! "Youll pay me hundred middle-tier spirit stones for every stone pir I decipher?" Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw two rows consisting of a total of nearly a hundred stone pirs, and his breathing hastened. "Are you certain?" If every single pir was worth a hundred middle-tier spirit stone and he deciphered all hundred pirs, wouldnt that add up to ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones? If he could earn that many spirit stones, he would have no worries for his future cultivation... "Of course! Why? Are you intending to chicken out? If you dare not ept my bet, I advise you to act humble the next time around!" The Sixth Young Mistress waved her hands. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan replied, "Its not that, I just fear that you might default on your debt..." That was ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones! Zhang Xuan found it hard to believe that the other party would be able to produce so many spirit stones. "You..." The Sixth Young Mistresss eyes reddened in anger. She was a proud 5-star master teacher, not to mention, she had an iparably noble identity as well. How could she possibly default on her debt? Gritting her teeth, she replied, "You need not worry. I, Yu Fei-er, never go back on my words! Since I dared to propose this bet, naturally, I wont default on my payments. Rather, I hope that you will hold on to the end of your promise and kneel downter on!" "Its good that you wont default..." Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan nced at the stone pir with shining eyes before turning to Gan Yiping and sping his fist. "As long as I identify the artifact inside the stone pir, itll automatically burst apart, am I right?" "Thats right!" Gan Yiping nodded. "Thats good!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked over to the first pir. The moment he approached the pir, he immediately understood why the young man and the Sixth Young Mistresss faces would turn awry here. The words inscribed on the stone pir were, by no means, a hint. Rather, it was written in an unknownnguage that simply baffled those looking at it. If one couldnt even understand the words inscribed, naturally, it would be impossible for one to guess the meaning behind them... Under such circumstances, it would be a wonder if one could still identify what was within the stone pir. Seeing how that fellow dared to ept the Sixth Young Mistresss bet, the young man sneered coldly. "He sure is an arrogant fellow!" He had undergone the challenge personally, and he knew how difficult it was to identify the stone pir. He believed that even if a 6-star appraiser were toe here, he would only end up staring nkly at the stone pirs, confused. How could ad who wasnt even twenty yet possibly decipher them? Without a doubt, thatd would surely end up kneeling before the sixth young mistress! "Just because he managed to achieve something minor at his young age, he becamecent and began boasting around. This will teach him that theres always a mountain higher than the other!" The Sixth Young Mistress also harrumphed coldly. She stared at the young man intently with her eyes, and just as she was about to say something, thetter turned around with a smile. "Can I start now?" "Feel free!" Lighting an incense, Gan Yiping nodded his head. "Alright then..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan tapped the first stone pir with his finger and said, "This is the Golden Heptahearts Shuttle!" Kacha! In an instant, the stone pir before him was reduced into dust. Following which, a golden-colored shuttle-shaped weapon appeared before everyones eyes. "This is the Purple Sunset Meteor Hammer..." "This is the Steel Bone Fist Imprint..." "This is the Connected Hearts Bowl..." Proceeding forward, Zhang Xuan would tap on each stone pir, and those that came into contact with him shattered immediately. Rock fragments flew as if a grand parade weing him. Chapter 614: Taking You In As My Maid Chapter 614: Taking You In As My Maid Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "H-how is this possible?" The Sixth Young Mistress and the young man stared at one another as their bodies trembled uncontrobly. They had just checked the stone pirs themselves and tried all kinds of appraising methods, but to no avail. Eventually, they even resorted to random guessing, not not even that worked. They assumed that this fellow would be the same as well, but who could have thought that... without even examining the stone pirs, just by tapping on them and calling out names... ... the stone pirs would explode! Are you serious? Are you sure you arent hacking? "Th-this..." Gan Yipings eyes nearly popped out from his sockets. While he didnt say anything previously, the truth was that he shared the same thoughts as the Sixth Young Mistress and the young man. Who knew that this fellow... would actually be so formidable! With just a tap, he could identify whatever that was within the stone pirs. His speed was so fast that it was astounding. How in the world... did he manage to do it? Fifty years of effort, and he only had three pirs deciphered... And yet, just within twenty breaths, the other party had already deciphered thirty... no, forty, fifty pirs! He was doing it even faster than they could see the artifacts! When the butler said that his young master would be able to decipher everything, he thought that thetter was just boasting. Only at this moment did he realize that not only was the butler not boasting, he could even be said to be humble... This isnt deciphering anymore, he is sweeping through everything here! Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Gan Yiping said, "This... Youngdy, it seems like you have lost the bet..." "..." It was only with Gan Yipings reminder did the Sixth Young Mistress recall the bet she had made just a moment ago. Realizing the implications, her body swayed, and her vision went dark. Considering her standing, she did possess a sizeable wealth. However, she only had a few hundred of them on hand. As such, anything above a thousand would already be beyond her at the moment. Given a single stone pir was worth a hundred middle-tier spirit stones, fifty of them would spell a debt of five thousand... If she knew that he was that formidable, she would have never made the bet! Wasnt she just finding trouble for herself? With a face as bitter as a bitter gourd, the Sixth Young Mistress was on the verge of tears. Clenching her teeth, she spoke up. "Pause for a moment, Ive something to tell you..." "Something to tell me?" Zhang Xuan came to a stop. With a scarlet face, the Sixth Young Mistress said, "Yes. Youve already made your point, and I understand that youre a capable person. Theres no need for you to continue on!" It was a moment ago that she was gleefully making this bet with the other party. To renege on her promise now made her so embarrassed that she would dive deep into the ground in this very instant if she could. "You understand that Im a capable person? I doubt that. Dont worry, Ill be done soon!" With a bright smile, Zhang Xuan lifted up both of his hands and touched the stone pirs on both ends simultaneously and started running. "Rain Assembling Thorn, Knocking Wood, Hundred Stem Scarlet, Three-leafed Golden Thorn Immortal..." Peng peng peng peng! The stone pirs on both ends exploded relentlessly, revealing an artifact one after another. Five breathster, Zhang Xuan finally came to a stop. pping his hands, Zhang Xuan smiled. "Alright, Im done..." Hula! Before him stood a hundred or so copsed stone pirs, and the artifacts hidden within them were shining with a brilliant glow. While these artifacts were not exceptionally powerful, they were still at a decent level. They could fetch a sizeable sum when sold. "It has only been... less than a minute!" Looking at the incense not too far away, only a small portion on top was burnt. Yet, within this short period of time, that fellow actually managed to decipher everyst one of the stone pirs. The surroundings turnedpletely silent with the exception of the ttering of teeth. They had seen plenty of formidable people throughout their life, but this... "That... Hall master, after deciphering so many stone pirs, I should be able to take those three items, right?" Zhang Xuan walked up to the old man and asked. "Er..." With a twitching mouth, Gan Yiping quickly turned to look at the attendant beside him and clenched his jaws. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and wrap everything in the shop up for this young master over here! From today onward, he is the new owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall..." "Yes!" The attendant quickly rushed down the stairs. "Hall Master?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Yes. Going by the cumtive score system, the points youve rued through breaking all 110 stone pirs adds up to more than six thousand..." Gan Yiping nodded. Honestly, with six thousand points, even if he were to put all of the treasures in his Mystical Treasure Hall together, it wouldnt be sufficient topensate the other party... It would be a huge stroke of fortune if someone could decipher even one of these pirs, and this fellow actually managed to decipher 110 of them in a single breath. He felt as though everything he had known was being flipped upside down, and this left him terribly frenzied. But after his frenzy came excitement. While he did lose his entire wealth in a breath, the doubt that had been lingering in his heart for several decades had finally been resolved. He felt as though he would be content even if he were to die at this very instant. "Thank you..." sping his fist, he bowed deeply. Fifty years! It had been an entire fifty years! Ever since he obtained these stone pirs, he had been devoting his entire life to breaking them. He thought that he would end up carrying these doubts and regrets into his grave, but who knew that... this young man would actually resolve what would have been his greatest regret in less than a minute. With the secrets of these stone pirs unraveled, he would have no regret even if he were to die at this very instant. "Young Master... is the new owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall?" "Despite having all of his wealth taken away, the hall master still thanked teacher?" The dumbfounded Sun Qiang and Yuan Tao stared at one another nkly. They came here to buy a couple of items, and yet, they ended up swiping everything within the Mystical Treasure Hall clean... Not only so, the hall master even thanks them for that. As expected of their young master and teacher, he truly couldnt beprehended throughmon logic. "Didnt you say that you would pay me a hundred middle-tier spirit stones for each stone pir I decipher? Ive deciphered more than a hundred of them, but Ill give you a discount... ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones!" After trading some pleasantries with Hall Master Gan, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Sixth Young Mistress. Rather than the artifacts in the Mystical Treasure Hall, he was more interested in the spirit stones. "I..." With a face flushed red, the Sixth Young Mistresss body trembled. She had thought that the other party would have been unable to even resolve a single one of the pirs, and she could have the other party kneeling before her to teach him a lesson. How could she have ever known that... Not only did the other party decipher everyst one of the stone pirs in the store, he even became the new owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall... What in the world was this? If only shed known the other party was so formidable, she would have never gotten ahead of herself! Ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones... Even if she were to take out everything in her possession, she still wouldnt have that much! "Why? Do you intend to go back on your words?" Noticing the other partys silence and pale face, Zhang Xuan frowned. If not for the other party insistently interfering in his affairs, going to the extent of even making this bet, he wouldnt have bothered with her. Since she had tried to make him kneel through the bet, she should suffer the consequences of her own actions as well. "Ill help the Sixth Young Mistress pay for her debt..." Seeing that the woman he was courting being forced to a corner, the young man stepped forward with gritted teeth. Honestly speaking, he couldnt afford ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones either. But at this point, it mattered not anymore. If he could win the other partys heart by standing up during her times of crisis, it would be worth it no matter how heavy a price he had to pay. Of course, he had thought of refuting the bet. But the conditions were stated clearly, and if it was known that respected 5-star master teachers like them actually went back on their words, how could they face others in the future? If the headquarters were to learn of this matter, they might even face punishment. Only one who holds oneself with dignity would be qualified to teach others. If one couldnt even uphold the end of ones promise, who would dare to allow one to be a teacher? "I dont need your help!" Before the young man could finish his words, the Sixth Young Mistress gritted her teeth and said, "Ill repay it myself!" After which, she lifted her gaze and looked at Zhang Xuan. "Ill repay all ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones to you. However... I dont have that much money on me at the moment, so youll have to give me a few months time!" She couldnt even take out a thousand spirit stones at the moment, needless to say ten thousand. However, while ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones was a huge sum, her family was more than capable of repaying it. "A few months?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If its in a few months time, Id surely be able to take out ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones easily. By then, your debt would mean nothing to me!" Huanyu Empire was just a small stop for him before heading to Hongyuan Empire. He wouldnt even remain here for half a month, let alone a few months. Besides, it had only been half a year since he started cultivating, and who knows how far he would reach in a few months time. By then, chances were that he wouldnt even need middle-tier spirit stones anymore. Along with the raise of his cultivation, his Heavens Path zhenqi was bing purer and purer, the requirement demanded of the spiritual energy he absorbed was increasing swiftly as well. Even though he was only at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle at the moment, he had already realized that the middle-tier spirit stones were gradually losing their effectiveness. It wouldnt be long before it would bepletely ineffective, just like how low-tier spirit stones were to him. If its going to be useless to me in a few months time, what is the point of you returning me the debt then? "You... Then how do you intend to resolve this matter?" The Sixth Young Mistress gritted her teeth. "This..." Zhang Xuan frowned. The other party had made this bet confidently a moment ago, saying that she would definitely be able to repay the debt. Who could have known she would be so poor? If he had known beforehand, he would have never made this bet with her and bring himself so much trouble. "Didnt you say that you would make me kneel if I lost just now?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan replied, "Alright, I wont make you kneel but Imcking a maid to serve me tea at the moment. Ill put you under Sun Qiangsmand, and as long as you do well, we can forget about the ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones!" Even if the other party couldnt fork out the money, he couldnt let this matter go just like that! The other party had spoken so arrogantly a moment ago, trying to teach him a lesson. Since that was the case, he would return it to her. Besides, considering how the other party had achieved a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 6-dan despite her young age, she must be of considerable standing. With such a subordinate, he would be able to solve many of his problems. Before the youngdy could speak, the young man beside her leaped in shock and eximed, "Maid? You want to take Sixth Young Mistress in as your servant? Do you know who she is..." Sun Qiang interrupted the other partys word. "Who she is? No matter how incredible she is, can she be more incredible than our young master? Its your fortune that our young master is epting you in as his maid. If you are unwilling to ept, why dont you try repaying your debt first?" Young Master is Old Masters direct disciple, and his standing could be said to be even above Pavilion Master Mo. You should feel honored that hes epting you as his maid, to think that you still dare to talk about identity... Know your ce! "I shall have you know that the Sixth Young Mistress is the pri..." Hearing the fattys words, the young man harrumphed, but before he could finish his words, the Sixth Young Mistress interrupted him. "Enough!" Gritting her teeth, the Sixth Young Mistress turned to look at Zhang Xuan proudly and said, "Its impossible for me to be your maid, and ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones arent enough for that either. Change your terms!" "You arent willing? Kowtow then!" Zhang Xuan replied impassively. Chapter 615: Princess Fei-er Chapter 615: Princess Fei-er Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You..." The Sixth Young Mistress clenched her fists so tightly that her nails sunk deep into her flesh. Her face was dark, and her eyes were clouded with intense resentment. If she could, she would have dashed forward to slice this man into countless pieces. She would never ept being a maid, and kneeling was a humiliation so great that she would rather die. Clenching her jaws so tightly that her teeth might chip from the sheer force, the Sixth Young Mistress held back her wrath and spoke once more. "Choose something else..." Hearing the other partysints, Sun Qiang interjected with a look of displeasure. "Our young master has given you a lot of options already. To turn down everything, are you trying to be difficult? Since you refuse to kneel and wont be a maid, our young master still needs someone to warm his bed for him. Do you want to take on that job? As long as you please our young master, ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones are nothing!" What the heck is this? You should be thankful that Young Masters temper is good! If it were me, I would have never given you any other alternative! "What did you say?" The Sixth Young Mistresss eyes immediately turned red, and her hands trembled in rage. "Which part of what I said do you not understand?" Sun Qiang shook his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Young Master, since this fellow is being difficult, can you allow me to deal with her?" "Shes your underling, feel free!" Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. Even though Sun Qiang might get reckless at times, he did possess wits when it came to dealing with others. He must have an idea in mind. "His... underling?" Hearing those words, the Sixth Young Mistress nearly puked blood. She thought that the reason why this young man wanted to ept her as his maid was because he felt lust for her, considering her beautiful appearance. Who could have thought that she couldnt be any more wrong? He actually wanted her toe under this shady-looking person of a butler... Besides, what is with your nonchnce? Do you know who I am... Even the emperor of Huanyu Empire would have to wee me with the grandest of ceremonies! If I were to tell you, you would surely faint from shock! To actually be subjected to such conditions... What a tremendous humiliation! "Thank you, Young Master!" Turning to the Sixth Young Mistress, Sun Qiang measured her from head to toe and frowned. "Your appearance is sub-par, so I doubt our young master would want you to warm his bed. You should just serve him as an ordinary maid!" "Sub-par? Would not want me?" Blood gushed into the head of the Sixth Young Mistress, and she nearly exploded. You actually dare to evaluate an appearance such as mine sub-par? Are you saying that intentionally to anger me? Little did she know that Sun Qiang actually meant what he said. The young masters students, Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, had appearances that didnt pale to her at all. Even Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu possessed superior grace as well. But even so, Young Master still remained unmoved. Considering that, how could he possibly be interested in such an obstinate and domineeringss? "Considering that youre doing this to repay your loan, we should talk about the duration too... Lets make it five months! Since you owe Young Master ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones, over a course of five months, that would be equivalent to a wage of around sixty-six middle-tier spirit stones each day. Ill round that up to a seventy!" Counting with his fingers, Sun Qiang said, "But of course, if you feel indignant having to serve as a maid, you can purchase days off by repaying your debt. On those days, youll be able to do whatever you want to do." "Seventy middle-tier spirit stones a day? Purchase days off?" The Sixth Young Mistress was taken aback. "Thats right. On the days that youre off, you wont be considered a maid. In other words, you are paying the ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones over a course of five months. Anytime within the five months, if you find sufficient money to repay your debt, you can back out of your responsibilities. As for why its seventy spirit stones a day instead of sixty-six, considering that were going by a daily basis, naturally, it should be more expensive. If you wish to go by month, I could lower the charge!" Sun Qiang replied. "Daily basis, pu..." Initially, the Sixth Young Mistress still found the idea eptable, but upon hearing this part, she nearly fainted. What does it sound as though shes some kind ofmercial good for sales? Paying by daily and monthly basis... The more she thought about it, the more frenzied she felt. She was on the verge of explosion. However, after her anger subsided, she gave it some thought, and honestly speaking, she did find this solution eptable to her. She would never be willing to lower herself to serving as a maid for five months, but if they were going by a daily basis, as long as she could get past the first few days, her family should be able to send some spirit stones over to free her from her suffering! "Alright, Ill agree to it!" Having thought things through, the Sixth Young Mistress nodded her head, giving her consent. "Good!" Zhang Xuans eyes couldnt help but light up upon hearing Sun Qiangs arrangements. As expected of a merchant, his means were indeed extraordinary. It would be difficult for anyone to take out ten thousand spirit stones in a breath, but if they were to split it over a longer duration, the repayment would seem much more reasonable. The concept of interest payment wasnt widely used in this world, but as an astute businessman, he knew how to use his words to shape the conditions into something the other party could ept. Not to mention, he even managed to hike up the price at that. "Sixth Young Mistress!" Not expecting that she would agree to such terms, the young man apanying her panicked. Others might be unaware of the Sixth Young Mistresss identity, but he knew it very well. For a person of her standing to serve as a maid... You must be jesting! If news were to spread, the royalty of Huanyu Empire would probably go insane. The Sixth Young Mistress harrumphed. "Ill deal with my own affairs!" "But..." Veins were popping from the young mans temples. Interrupting the conversation between the duo, Sun Qiang said, "Enough. If the both of you have anything to say, put it off for now. From this moment onward, youre our young masters maid. If you dont have money to repay your loan, prepare whatever you need and follow us back to the residence!" "Theres no need for that. Ill pay for ten days first!" Harrumphing coldly, the Sixth Young Mistress flicked her hands, and a pile of middle-tier spirit stones appeared before the eyes of the crowd. Counting it quickly, there were exactly seven hundred of them there. "Un!" Sun Qiangs eyes lit up. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan, and thetter said, "You should take them for now!" "Yes!" Sun Qiang quickly put the spirit stones into his storage ring before turning to look at the youngdy once more. "You seem to be from a prestigious family, so I doubt that you will do anything as foolish as running away. But even so, we still need a guarantee. Thus, youll need to leave something valuable with us, and after the five months are up or when youve repaid your entire debt, well return the item to you!" "You..." The Sixth Young Mistresss eyebrows twitched violently. It was already sufficiently humiliating for her to have to agree to serve as a maid, and yet, the other party was even worried that she would escape... How infuriating! But she knew that these two were fearless thugs, and arguing with them would only shorten her own lifespan. Thus, she flicked her wrist and took out an emblem. Five bright stars shone brightly on them. Her 5-star master teacher emblem! "This emblem represents my identity. Surely it should suffice as a pawn for my debt!" "It will do!" Sun Qiang took it and ced it in his storage ring. He was surprised to learn that this youngdy was a 5-star master teacher as well, just like the young man. But in his view, 5-star master teachers were nothing to fear as well. As the butler of an 8-star master teacher, if he couldnt even face a 5-star master teacher with nonchnce, he should have quit his job ages ago. "Humph!" Seeing how that fellow took her emblem without the slightest fear or astonishment, the Sixth Young Mistress froze for a moment. An awfulplexion slowly spread across her face before she turned around and stomped out of the store. She couldnt stay here even a moment longer. It was no longer about her loss in the bet but that... she couldnt stand facing these two anymore! What the heck was with them? She thought that a young 5-star master teacher like her would be respected and feared no matter where she went, but... the other party looked as though they didnt even give a damn. It was as if her identity was nothing more than a wisp of wind to them. An intense feeling of indignation left her so frustrated that she could spew a bucket of blood. "Sixth Young Mistress..." Seeing hispanion leave, the young man froze for a moment. Then, turning to Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang, he threatened menacingly, "The both of you... just you wait!" Leaving behind those words, he hurried down to catch up with Sixth Young Mistress. "Sixth Princess, those two fellows sure don know their ce. Why dont I get Ye Qian to have them beheaded?" A glint shed across the young mans eyes as he harrumphed. This time, he addressed the youngdy before him not as Sixth Young Mistress but as Sixth Princess. If Crown Prince Ye Qian of Huanyu Empire was here, he would have surely recognized the Sixth Young Mistress as Hongyuan Empires Princess Fei-er! And the young man beside her would be her fellow ssmate, 5-star Master Teacher Xing Yuan! The both of them were strolling around when they caught sight of Mystical Treasure Hall. Curious, the both of them walked in. Little did they know that they were just moments away from suffering both financially and mentally! Noble from birth, she was a great princess whom even the emperor of Huanyu Empire would have to regard with utmost respect. To think that she would actually end up as a maid. This was a huge humiliation! "As an esteemed princess, a 5-star master teacher, should I kill someone just because I lost a bet?" Princess Fei-er abruptly came to a halt, and her eyebrows shot up. "This..." Xing Yuans face reddened. Losing was embarrassing in itself. If she were to kill someone due to that, even if no one would ever learn of it, she would never be able toe to terms with it. "But even so... we cant let this thing go. That person is simply too arrogant and infuriating!" Xing Yuan gritted his teeth. "Hes indeed infuriating, but admittedly, he does possess incredible capability. Against the stone pirs which even you and I are unable to decipher, he actually deciphered 110 of them in less than a minute... Furthermore, did you see the nonchnce on his butlers face when he saw my 5-star master teacher emblem? The both of them are unlikely to be ordinary. Tell Ye Qian to look into their identity!" Princess Fei-er gestured. She didnt agree to the arrangement out of recklessness. Having reached 5-star, her Soul Depth had already exceeded 15.0, allowing her to separate her emotions from rational thinking. The master-and-butler pair might not anything special in terms of their cultivation, but their calm disposition that couldnt be fazed by anything wasnt normal. Most likely, there was something deeper to them. Besides, she was also curious to know how the other party deciphered those stone pirs so easily. "Alright!" Xing Yuan nodded. ... "Gongzi, may I know how to address you?" After watching the Sixth Princess and Xing Yuan leave, Gan Yiping swiftly regained hisposure, and walking up to Zhang Xuan, he sped his fist and bowed. "You can call me Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "So, its Zhang gongzi. Here are all of the artifacts our Mystical Treasure Hall possesses. Youve rued more than sufficient points from deciphering the stone pirs, so these are all yours..." The attendant had already packed everything neatly into a storage ring and passed it over. "Un!" Grabbing the storage ring, Zhang Xuan took a look into it and saw several shelves of precious artifacts inside. "But if you were to give all of these to me, what will happen to your Mystical Treasure Hall?" Zhang Xuan asked with a slightly embarrassed look. To tell the truth, he had little interest in these artifacts. However, rules were rules, and it would be impolite for him to refuse it. Thus, he was put in a difficult position. If he were to ept it all, wouldnt the business of the Mystical Treasure Hall copse instantly? Chapter 616: Can This Even Be Called Pill Forging? [2in1] Chapter 616: Can This Even Be Called Pill Forging? [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The reason why I built the Mystical Treasure Hall was to have these stone pirs deciphered. Since Ive received the answers I sought, I can die without any regrets now. Its time for me to return to my hometown and live my final years in peace." Gan Yiping chuckled. His face had a serenity like never before. Attracted to the mystery of the unknown, he had spent fifty years on these stone pir, attempting to decipher them. When everything was done, he felt as though a burden weighing heavily on his shoulders had disappeared, and he suddenly felt much lighter. "This..." A look of admiration reflected in Zhang Xuans eyes as he nodded. It seemed like this person had thought everything through now that his limit was approaching. Indeed. Since his greatest wish had been fulfilled, there was indeed nothing left for him to regret. These artifacts might be valuable, but none of them could be taken to the afterlife. Just as empty-handed as one came, empty-handed will be how one departs! Knowing that the other party sincerely wished to give these artifacts to him, Zhang Xuan epted them politely. In exchange, he offered the other party several pointers on his cultivation. After hearing Zhang Xuans pointers, Gan Yiping thanked him profusely in excitement. After chatting for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan left with Yuan Tao and Sun Qiang. After leaving the Mystical Treasure Hall, Sun Qiang asked, "Young Master, where are we going now?" "On top of the inner core of a Great River Snake and the Sorrow Severing Grass, we still need more medicinal herbs to mediate the properties before brewing a medicinal solution..." Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before adding, "Well head to the Apothecary Guild. Over there, well be able to engage the help of an apothecary too!" Even though he was an official 3-star apothecary, he only received his rank through the means of Pill Debate. It would be best for him to do leave the job of pill forging to another. "Yes!" The duo nodded. The Apothecary Guild was quite a far distance away. The trio searched for a carriage, and after around an hour-long journey, they finally arrived at their destination. The building of the Huanyu Empire Apothecary Guild was tall and vast. In front of the main entrance was a stone sculpture of a cauldron a dozen meters tall, granting a solemn and grand atmosphere to the Apothecary Guild. Stepping in, a whiff of fragrant medicinal herbs and spiritual energy gushing through the pores of their bodies left them revitalized. Taking a slight sniff, Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile, "This is Pill Fragrance. It seems like someone has forged grade-5 pills here, and on a frequent basis at that!" Upon the sessful forging of a grade-5 pill, a deep Pill Fragrance could be produced by chance. Those who smelled it would immediately find themselves re-energized. Only a ce where pills of such grade had been frequently sessfully forged could such a deep scent be produced. "Since there are 5-star apothecaries here, it isnt too surprising for there to be grade-5 pills as well!" Sun Qiang nodded. The most capable apothecary of Huanyu Empire had reached the level of 5-star pinnacle. "Un. Lets enquire at the front reception to see if we can get a 5-star apothecary!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The inner core of a Great River Snake and Sorrow Severing Grass were extremely valuable, and he only had a set of them. No mistakes could be tolerated. Also, even though it was just a medicinal fluid, its concoction consisted ofplex processes that demanded the hands of a 5-star apothecary. Otherwise, there was a high chance it would end in failure. "Gongzi, may I know what you need?" At the front reception desk stood an eighteen or neen-year-olddy. She greeted Zhang Xuan with a bright smile. "I need to concoct a unique medicinal solution. May I ask if theres any 5-star apothecaries here that I can engage the help of and what price it would be?" Zhang Xuan asked. Since one could buy Tutge Jade Tokens at the Master Teacher Pavilion, naturally, one could also engage the services of an apothecary at an Apothecary Guild too. The price of engaging the service of an apothecary tended to be much lower than purchasing thepleted product, but one would have to gather the ingredients himself. "The services of a 5-star apothecary?" Thedy receptionist was taken aback. "Why? It cant be done?" Seeing the other partys reaction, Zhang Xuan frowned. It would be troublesome if he couldnt do so. Given that the Great River Snake had reached a cultivation realm of Transcendent Mortal 7-dan before its death, its inner core was likely to possess immense power, and a 4-star apothecary couldnt hope to suppress is rampaging energies during the concoction. On the other hand, the minimum requirement to bing a 5-star apothecary was to achieve a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm, so it shouldnt pose much of a problem. After a moment of hesitation, the receptionist replied, "We do provide such services, just that... a formidable 5-star apothecary from the headquarters hase by today to conduct a lecture, and all of the 5-star apothecaries in the guild have gone over to listen to it... In fact, even 4-star and 3-star apothecaries are all there as well. So, for the time being, we dont have anyone avable. If its possible, may I ask you to return tomorrow?" "Tomorrow?" Zhang Xuan frowned. They would be deciding on the final distribution of slots for the Cleansing Lake tonight, and it shouldnt be long before they go in. It was unlikely that Zhang Xuan would have much time left. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "I cant wait that long. When does the lecture end? Can you help me ask around to see if any 5-star apothecary is willing to take on my job?" "Ask around?" The receptionists face darkened. "I am just a receptionist. 5-star apothecaries are too noble for me to approach." As a receptionist in charge of the front desk, she was only an apprentice. Putting aside 5-star apothecaries, it would be difficult for her to evene into contact with 3-star apothecaries. There was simply too huge a disparity in their ranks. "Besides, there will surely be a bout of discussion after the lecture to exchange experiences and learn from one another. Everyone will likely be busy for the entire day, so I doubt that youll be able to engage their service no matter how much you pay!" This was a precious opportunity to learn. They would never miss this chance just for a small sum of money. While the apothecary from the headquarters was of equivalent rank to them, he was likely to possess more advanced techniques to pill forging and controlling the cauldron. This, in itself, was more than worthy of their attention and research. "This..." Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. This was indeed a good learning opportunity for the apothecaries, so it was unlikely that anyone would pass on it for his job. But on the other hand, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to do it himself. Putting aside whether it was toote for him to learn pill forging now, even if he could master it swiftly, his cultivation was only at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, so it would be impossible for him to suppress a rebound from the Great River Snakes inner core. So... what should he do now? After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan asked, "Since thats the case, can you bring me over to where the lecture is held?" It would be impossible to get the concoction of the medicinal solution done if he were to wait for the entire session to end. Since that was the case, he decided to enter the lecture hall and ask them personally. After all, as fellow apothecaries, it should be easier for him to ask for their favor. "Bring you over?" Thedy frowned. "Thats a ce where only apothecaries can enter..." "Oh, Im an apothecary too. Its just that I havent taken a promotion exam in recent time!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out his apothecary emblem. His current rank was still 3-star, obtained back when he was in Tianwu Kingdom. But even so, it was sufficient for him to attend the lecture as well. Upon seeing the emblem, the receptionist immediately bowed deeply and said, "Master apothecary, this way please!" While a 3-star apothecary might not rank at the top of the pyramid in Huanyu Empire, he was still not a person that a little receptionist like her could offend. "Un!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan proceeded along with Sun Qiang and Yuan Tao. The Apothecary Guild was ratherrge. They had to walk a long distance before arriving at a huge hall. Coming to a stop before the door, thedy apologized. "I apologize but only official apothecaries can enter, so I can only bring you this far..." "Its fine!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Pinning his emblem on his chest, Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and Yuan Tao, and instructed, "The both of you should wait here. Ill go in and take a look!" After which, he pushed open the door and walked in. As the both of them werent apothecaries either, they couldnt enter too. There was a guard standing on the other side, but seeing Zhang Xuans emblem, they didnt stop him. This hall was several hundred square meters huge, and a huge crowd was seated in here. Every single one of them was dressed in an apothecarys robe. In a sense, it was simr to the selection round with Ruohuan gongzi and the others back at the Myriad Kingdom City. Lifting his gaze to the stage, he saw a person standing before a cauldron, forging a pill while deciphering the process step-by-step. mes zed as a pair of fair hands steadily added herb after herb into the cauldron. Its a youngdy? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He thought that a lecturer from the headquarters would be an elder in his seventies or eighties. To think that it would be a youngdy in her twenties instead. Female apothecaries were rare, and considering how she was qualified to conduct a lesson to even 5-star apothecaries, she was likely to a rather capable one at that. Thus, his interest was piqued. The other party was dressed in a loose purple robe, and her long, ck hair was coiled on top of her head. Her eyes sparkled like the stars, reflecting wisdom. However, her face was as cold as the middle of winter, and not the slightest emotion could be seen on it. Surprisingly, her appearance was on par with the Sixth Young Mistress from before. In fact, the slight curvature that could be seen under her loose robe entuated to her beauty. An emblem with 5 stars was pinned on her chest, indicating her identity as a 5-star apothecary! Pill forging requires one to be apanied with mes for a long period of time, and it can be considered to be one of the tougher upations. To think that she would actually reach 5-star at such a young age, incredible! Zhang Xuan was impressed. Most of the high ranked apothecaries were all males. It wasnt that females couldnt make it, but the intense heat from the cauldron was usually a huge deterrent factor. On top of that, there were plenty of rare medicinal herbs required for pill forging that grew on top of treacherous terrains, making the upation a dangerous one as well. As such, mostdies choose not to take on this upation. On the other hand, thedy before him actually reached a rank of 5-star at such a young age. Her forging technique was profound, and her movements were fluid... It showed that she had devoted a lot of effort into her pill forging usually. Otherwise, regardless of her talent, she couldnt possibly possess such level of skill! Regardless of what upation one was in, talent was only one of the many factors to ones sess. Inparison, hard work yed a much greater role. Standing not too far away from the youngdy was an elder, who was stroking his long, white beard inmendation. He must be the guild leader here! Zhang Xuan deduced. This elder carried an authoritative demeanor, and his cultivation felt deep like an abyss, revealing that he was likely in a position of power. On top of that, he seemed to be standing behind the youngdy to take care of her, interjecting now and then to add on to the youngdys points. Even if he wasnt the guild leader, he was probably an influential figure here. After looking around, Zhang Xuan found an empty seat and sat down. At that moment, the youngdys voice sounded. Her voice was crisp-simr to a jade and a stone knocking on one another-and listening to it, in itself, was a pleasure. However, her tone carried a cold edge that distanced her from others. "Emerald Jade Grass has a cold attribute, and if you were to put it into the cauldron directly, it might cause a conflict with the Wooden Cypress Flower ced in previously. Thus, it has to be soaked in Hamachi Extract for two hours before it can be used. This can entuate its medicinal properties while lowering the temperature in the cauldron, thus enhancing the quality of the pills forged! "As for the Wood Incense Flower, it has to be soaked in Violet Flora Water and basked under the hot sun for five days to maximize its medicinal properties. Otherwise, considering how it is added at the very middle of the forging process when the cauldron is at its warmest, it is highly likely that it would be burned to crisp..." ... Thedy exined the forging process and the preparation of the ingredients one-by-one. Her words were backed by logical exnations, leaving the listening crowd nodding their heads ceaselessly as though drunk. "Impartation of Heavens Will? Could she be... a master teacher as well?" Seeing the expressions on everyones face, and noting the unique intonation to the voice, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a slight smile. Even though the youngdy on the stage was lecturing on the Art of Pill Forging, she had infused Impartation of Heavens Will into her lecture to facilitate the learning process. Only master teachers were capable of doing so. From the looks of it, on top of being an apothecary, the youngdy before him was also a master teacher. It was just moments ago that he met two 5-star master teacher in his twenties, and right now, he was meeting yet another one. As expected of Huanyu Empire, it was indeed overflowing with talents. If they had been within the twenty-eight regional powers as well, Zhang Xuan would surely have been in fourth ce in the Master Teacher Tournament. It was not that he was less knowledgeable than a 5-star master teacher, but his cultivation was simply toocking. He stood no chance against them in a direct battle. "Since shes a master teacher, it should be easier for me tomunicate with her. I should try to engage her helpter on..." Since the other party was a master teacher on top of being a 5-star apothecary, it should be easier for Zhang Xuan to engage her help. The core ingredient of the medicinal solution was the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Great River Snake. To maximize its effectiveness, Zhang Xuans guidance would y a crucial part. However, an ordinary 5-star apothecary wouldnt possibly listen to the words of a 3-star apothecary. On the other hand, since the youngdy was a master teacher as well, it should be easier to Zhang Xuan to win her trust. "I thank everyone here for your cooperation. This is myprehension of the grade-5 Spirit Revitalization Pill!" Just as Zhang Xuan was pondering over how he should negotiate with the other party to have her concoct the medicinal solution for him, jiya, the cauldron on the stage was opened, and a dense aroma immediately gushed into the room. Raising his gaze, he saw round, smooth pills emerging from the cauldron. "A grade-5 pill at Perfection?" "As a grade-5 pinnacle pill, the Spirit Revitalization Pill has always been one of the hardest pills to forge for a 5-star apothecary. Even if the guild leader were to forge it personally, probably only two in ten cauldrons of pills would reach the level of Perfection. Yet, she actually managed to achieve such a rank on her first try. Incredible, as expected of an apothecary from the headquarters!" "On top of that, you might be unaware, but on top of being an apothecary, shes also a master teacher! This is the reason why her exnations are so clear. If I were to study based on the content of this lecture, I would surely make huge progress in my research!" "Indeed. Ive also benefited greatly from this lecture. As expected of an apothecary from Hongyuan Empire. Regardless of whether its the pill forging or the preparation of ingredients, her understanding of those is far deeper and more urate than ours!" "Of course. The Apothecary School of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has a much moreplete heritage of pill forging than our branch." ... Upon seeing the pill emerging from the cauldron, a hugemotion broke out amongst the crowd. The skill of an apothecary is determined by the quality of the pill he could forge. Even a pill forged through the same pill form can have differing quality, ranked by: Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill. Reaching Formation in a higher grade would qualify one for a promotion. On the other hand, if one could reach Satiation in the forging of a pill with a grade corresponding to ones current rank, one could be considered to be above most of ones peers already. Achieving Perfection wasnt easy at all. Even a skilled apothecary might not produce a single cauldron of Perfection pills amidst ten. And yet, this youngdy in her twenties, despite exining the process to everyone while forging the pills, was actually still able to reach this tier. Her mastery in pill forging had reached an astounding level. "Lets begin the discussion now. If youve any suggestions, feel free to raise them so that I can learn from it too!" Putting the pill down, thedy on the stage nced at the crowd. "Apothecary Luo, I have a question. The Spirit Revitalization Pill has the effect of nourishing ones soul as well, but to achieve this end, one has to fuse a part of his soul energy into the pill in the midst of the forging process. Ive tried to do so, but I always end up being burnt by the mes. May I know if theres any solution to that problem?" asked a 5-star apothecary on the front row. Since it was a discussion, naturally, they could raise any questions they had. "Considering the searing heat in the cauldron and the cold nature of ones soul, its natural that ones soul would be burned if one carelessly attempts to infuse ones soul into the pill in the midst of the forging process. But in the first ce, theres no need for us to do so. Amidst the ingredients for the Spirit Revitalization Pill, theres a c Heart Grass which, being a spirit herb, possesses spirit." The youngdy on the stage, Apothecary Luo, exined, "As long as one harnesses the spirit contained within the medicinal herb properly before the forging process, it can grant the equivalent effect as well!" "I see!" The 5-star apothecary came to a realization and nodded his head in gratitude. "I have a problem too..." Following which, another 5-star apothecary stood up. Before long, seven 5-star apothecaries had already posed their question, but the young Apothecary Luo didnt show the slightest hint of panic at all. She answered their questions calmly with rational arguments backed by logic, impressing the entire crowd. "Does anyone have any other questions? The reason why I came here was to trade some feedback with everyone. If youve any opinions or advice, feel free to raise them!" After answering several questions, Apothecary Luo nced at the crowd. Her study of pill forging had met a wall recently, and her apothecary teacher had told her that she had to interact more with other apothecaries to share ideas to further her own path. That was the main reason why she came to the Apothecary Guild. And honestly speaking, this was working out well as well. Before she started forging the Spirit Revitalization Pill, some of her concepts were still not clearly fleshed out, and there were some parts she was unsure of. However, as she exined it, she found her own understanding of pill forging deepening as well. However, this wasnt sufficient. She wanted to hear an alternative opinion to her own to improve. "Apothecary Luo must be jesting. Your understanding of the subject is deep, and your skills are exquisite. Theres no advice we can possibly offer you!" "Indeed! Your movements are perfect, and not to mention, you even achieved Perfection in your forging of the Spirit Revitalization Pill. Even if we wanted to criticize your work, theres nothing we can raise!" "Your understanding of pill forging is far deeper than ours. If not for yourcking cultivation, you could have been promoted to a 6-star apothecary by now. We really dare not offer any advice to you..." ... Everyone shook their heads. The person before them hade from Hongyuan Empire, and on top of being a 5-star apothecary, she was a master teacher as well. She was even qualified to be their teacher, so how could they possibly raise any objections against her? Even if they had any, they wouldnt dare to speak up! "Sigh!" Seeing everyone shake their heads, Apothecary Luo sighed deeply. In Hongyuan Empire, no one dared to criticize her in fear of her identity. She thought that since no one knew of her here, she would be able to garner some feedback. Yet, her hopes fell t in the end. "Do you really wish to hear my opinion?" Just as she was feeling disappointed within, an indifferent voice sounded from the crowd. "Yes!" Apothecary Luo quickly nodded her head. "Alright then... Here is my opinion... After wasting so much time and effort, can this even be called pill forging?" Chapter 617: First Flaw Chapter 617: First w Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" "He said that Apothecary Luos actions cannot be considered pill forging?" "This is way too much! Apothecary Luo is a 5-star apothecary from the headquarters. Everyone here can see that her forging technique and movements were wless, and yet, someone actually dares to insult her pill forging? Who is that insolent fellow?" "Audacious!" It was as if someone had set gasoline on fire. Wrathful eyes immediately turned in the direction from where the voice came from. And following which, they saw a young man in his twenties wearing a 3-star apothecary emblem on his chest. "A mere 3-star apothecary actually dares to utter such nonsense?" "Ignorant brat!" Upon seeing the other partys appearance, many among the crowd sneered, and some even bellowed angrily. Apothecary Luo might be young, but her understanding of pills and pill forging technique were above most of them here. Her sinct and precise movements in her pill forging were a pleasure to the eyes. If a pill forging of such level couldnt even be considered as pill forging, what else could? Besides, even if someone wanted to criticize her, one should at least be a 5-star apothecary. Can a 3-star apothecary like you even understand what has just happened? How dare you speak such arrogant words? Apothecary Luo also frowned. What she wanted to hear was a feedback, not an insult. "The apothecary over there, may I know what mistakes there are in my pill forging for you to utter such words?" "You want to know?" The young man raised his eyelids. "Of course!" Apothecary Luo replied. "There were a total of 127 mistakes in your pill forging just now. I fear that if I were to say them all... your confidence might be shattered, and you would find yourself unable to forge any pill from now on!" the young man said impassively. "127 mistakes?" Harrumphing coldly, Apothecary Luo flung her sleeves and said, "If you can really list out that many, even if I were to have my confidence shattered, it will be only due to myck of expertise!" Initially, she thought that the other party might have noticed some major ws in her pill forging. But upon hearing such words, she immediately denied that possibility. Her pill forging technique had been refined by the countless predecessors of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, forming a nearly perfect art. If there was a mistake or two, she would still be able to acknowledge it. But more than a hundred... You must be pulling my leg! With so many mistakes, putting aside whether it is possible to form a pill, it is more likely that the cauldron would explode even before the fire is lit! Even if one wanted to boast, there should be a limit! Beyond that, one would just be a shameless fool! "Are you certain that you want to listen to them?" A slight smile crept onto the young mans face. "Thats right!" Apothecary Luo replied. "Sigh! Since you wish to know, if I were to continue remaining silent, you all would only think that Im doing this intentionally to cause trouble!" Shaking his head, the young man stood up and walked onto the stage. He first ced his hand on the cauldron beside the youngdy before walking around it. After which, he turned to her and said, "Before that, I would like to ask you if you know of the background of this cauldron." "Knowing the background of ones cauldron is the very basics of an apothecary. Of course, I at least know of the background of my own cauldron!" Apothecary Luo knitted her eyebrows slightly in displeasure. "This cauldron was crafted by 5-star cksmith Wu Feng, and it took him a total of twelve years to finish its crafting. Its made by an alloy of the Frigid Metal found at the bottom of an ocean and Blue Coppersilver, thus making it resistant to high heat and extreme cold. It is a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle artifact..." Hearing the youngdys wless exnation, the young man continued, "Correct! But do you know that this cauldron has once suffered an explosion?" Naturally, that young man was Zhang Xuan. To convince the other party to willingly obey his instructions in the forging of the medicinal solution, he would have to impress her first to establish his credibility. He was contemting how he could do so when the other party expressed that she was seeking the opinions or advice of others. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him not to grasp this opportunity. While Zhang Xuans understanding of pill forging hadnt reached 5-star yet, he was still able to see through the other partys ws through the Library of Heavens Path. Apothecary Luo froze for a moment before replying. "I do. It has suffered an explosion before, but the ingredients only ended up being charred ck. The cauldron suffered no damage from the incident, and there are no cracks either. As such, it shouldnt affect any subsequent pill forging!" This cauldron was given to her by an elder of her family, and she had used it for three whole years. It did suffer from an explosion once, but... she should be the only one aware of it. How did the other party learn of it? "Youre right that the cauldron didnt suffer any damage!" Zhang Xuan touched the surface of the cauldron with his finger. "There are indeed no cracks. But based on the slightly gray tint on the opening of the cauldron and the slight scent of metallic rust, if Im not mistaken, you were forging [Searing me Pill], a grade-5 pill!" "Indeed!" Apothecary Luos frown deepened as she nodded her head. The previous explosion indeed happened in the midst of the forging of a Searing me Pill. Even though she wasnt the one forging it, she was present then and knew of the condition. But to be able to know what was being forged during the explosion just by looking at the color of the cauldron and the scent of it, this young mans eye of discernment was way too formidable! If she had thought that this fellow was making up lies to attract the attention of others a moment ago, at this moment, she was already thinking that he might possess true capability. "An explosion really urred before?" "To be able to tell this much just by taking a look, even 6-star apothecaries arent capable of such!" "Indeed. This fellow might actually not be lying..." The crowd below was astounded to hear Apothecary Luo acknowledge the young mans words. Checking a cauldrons background and condition was something all apothecaries had to do... But still, to be able to infer so much just by taking a brief look, wasnt this young mans eye of discernment a little, no, way too incredible? Even a typical 6-star apothecary would find it hard to deduce this much. Previously, everyone, just like Apothecary Luo, thought that this fellow was just trying to stir some trouble. But after hearing his analysis, they realized that they might be sorely mistaken. "But so what if the Searing me Pill was being forged during the explosion? Does that make any difference?" Apothecary Luo asked. As a pill rich in yang energy, it was normal for an explosion to ur. There shouldnt be any problem with it. "Of course, there is a difference!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If you were to continue forging Searing me Pill with this cauldron, then yes, it wouldnt have made a difference. However, you chose to forge the Spirit Revitalization Pill instead! The Spirit Revitalization Pill can calm ones nerves and nourish ones soul energy, thus making it a particrly valuable pill. The greatest taboo of this pill is to introduce any possible violent attributes into it. And yet, you used a cauldron that a Searing me Pill once exploded in to forge it. Did you think that it wouldnt have any influence on the Spirit Revitalization Pill?" "This..." Apothecary Luo fell silent. Pills forged for the soul required the forging to be done under more stringent conditions, just that... even if a past explosion could have any influence on a pill, it should be minimal. "Are you thinking that the effects it would have on the Spirit Revitalization Pill, if any in the first ce, would be minimal?" Seemingly having seen through the other partys thoughts, Zhang Xuans lips curled up. "You would be right if it was an ordinary forging process. However, theres a mistake in your forging process that exacerbates this effect. I remember hearing you say that if the Emerald Jade Grass is ced directly in the cauldron, it would cause a conflict with the Wooden Cypress Flower. As such, it has to be soaked in Hamachi Extract beforehand. Am I right?" "Yes!" Apothecary Luo nodded her head. She had indeed said such words, and this was part of her forging process as well. "The Emerald Jade Grass has a violent nature whereas the Wooden Cypress Flower has a gentle nature. Indeed, there would be a collision between the both of them, and using Hamachi Extract is a viable way to mediate between the both of the medicinal herbs. However... have you thought about what would happen if Hamachi Extractes into contact with the main ingredient of the Searing me Pill, Blue-stemmed Wood?" Zhang Xuan asked. "It would cause a violent reaction. However, it has been years since the Searing me Pill was forged, and in the interval since then, the cauldron has been used to forge many different pills as well. Even if remnants of the Searing me Pill still remain, it should be minimal, right?" Apothecary Luo replied. Blue-stemmed Wood would indeed react violently with Hamachi Extract; they are just like fire and water, incapable of coexisting simultaneously in the same location. However... it had been years since the explosion, so even if a reaction urred, it shouldnt amount to much. "Minimal?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He turned to the old man on the stage whom he suspected before to be the guild leader and asked, "This apothecary over here, may I trouble you with something?" "Feel free to speak!" the elder replied. "May I trouble you to scrape ayer of this gray tint on the cover of the cauldron?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Alright!" Even though the old man had no idea what he was up to, he still took out a dagger, scraped off ayer of the gray tint, and ced it in a jade bowl. "Do you have any Hamachi Extract with you? May I ask of you to pour some onto the gray scrapings?" Without touching the jade bowl, Zhang Xuan asked. "Un!" Nodding his head, the old man issued some instructions to an apothecary beside him, and thetter immediately rushed out. Soon, he returned with a cbash and poured a light-blue solution into the jade bowl. Tzzzzzzzz! As the solution came into contact with the gray scrapings, intense effervescence reminiscent to that of boiling water immediately urred. "This..." Everyone was astonished. No matter how dull-witted one could be, it was clear that this was a violent reaction. Should this be subjected under the intense conditions within the cauldron, there was a high chance that an explosion would ur, thus reducing the medicinal herbs inside into mere dredges. "How could this be?" Shocked, Apothecary Luos face paled. Clearly, she couldnt believe what she was seeing to be true. "An explosion in the midst of the forging of a Searing me Pill is indeed nothing, but you forgot about the strong adhesive property of its main ingredient, Blue-stemmed Wood. After the explosion, the Blue-stemmed Wood stuck onto the walls of the cauldron, and it is difficult to cleanse it using ordinary methods. While it wouldnt pose any problem in the forging of other pills, it might result in serious problems when Hamachi Extract is involved in the forging process," Zhang Xuan said. "Is there any way to solve this issue?" Apothecary Luo asked. "Of course, there is! Corrosive Lotus is capable of neutralizing Blue-stemmed Wood. If you add two liang of Corrosive Lotus before the forging of the Spirit Revitalization Pill, you will be able to clear away the remaining Blue-stemmed Wood easily. At the same time, it will also lower the temperature of the cauldron... (1 liang is about ~37.8g) "As such, you wont have to soak the Wood Incense Flower with Violet Flora Water and bask it under the sun for five days, thus sparing you of this troublesome preparation process," Zhang Xuan said. "This..." Apothecary Luo was rendered speechless. As a 5-star apothecary, she was familiar with medicinal properties and could easily deduce the authenticity of the other partys words. After careful analysis, she realized that the suggestions the other party offered were feasible and wless, and it even boosted the efficiency of the forging process. "While there are standard steps in pill forging, one mustnt follow them blindly. Its simr to driving a carriage; while there are rules and a standard set of skills involved, ones driving method must still alter ording to the condition of the road! "On top of noting the steps, one must also assess the condition of ones own cauldron and environment and make suitable changes. Otherwise, even if one were to follow the pill form perfectly down to the minute details, one might still find oneself stuck in a deadlock!" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Apothecary Luo with an aloof expression. At this moment, he seemed as though a highly-esteemed, high-rank apothecary. "This is... the first w I am pointing out to you!" Chapter 618: I Wish to Acknowledge You as My Teacher! Chapter 618: I Wish to Acknowledge You as My Teacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This..." Apothecary Luo was rendered speechless. She had no idea how she should respond to that. The other partys words were backed by concrete evidence, and this left her no grounds for rebuttal. And she wasnt the only with such an expression on her face. At this instant, the entire hall was silent. This... Is this even possible? How deep of an understanding must one have of the pill form and cauldron to deduce this? Everyone turned to look at the young man once more, but this time, their gazes seemed to suggest that they were looking at a monster instead. "In the discussion phase, you said that instead of infusing ones soul energy into the cauldronwhich would cause one to be seared by the heatone could harness the spirit of a c Heart Grass instead... But have you considered the fact that the spirit infused into the c Heart Grass could react with the Jeqi Wood added in previously, thus reducing its effectiveness?" "This..." Apothecary Luo was stumped once again. Jeqi Wood possessed the effect of absorbing spirit; there was a high chance that the spirit infused into the c Heart Grass could be devoured by it, thus reducing the effectiveness of the pill. "This is the second w." Zhang Xuan continued, "If Im not mistaken, you used Hands of the Twilight Drizzle to forge the pill. While this forging technique does help to protect the spirit contained in the medicinal herb, it increases the number of steps required for the forging process of the Spirit Revitalization Pill. There are seven medicinal herbs that should have been added in simultaneously, but this technique forcefully added an interval of thirty-two breaths between the first herb and thest herb. This results in significant loss in their medicinal properties... The ipatibility between your forging technique and the pill, this is the third w! "In the forging process, you used Lucid Frost Art to ward off the ze from the cauldron to protect yourself. However, in the midst of doing so, you inadvertently sapped heat away from the cauldron, resulting in an iplete fusion of the spirit beast blood essence and the pill... This is the fourth w!" "... This is the fifth w!" "... This is the sixth w!" ... "... And this is the twenty-seventh w! "A mere grade-5 pill, but you disyed ack understanding of your cauldron,ck of knowledge of medicinal herbs,ck of expertise in your forging technique,ck of control in your movements,ck of rity in your exnation,ck of depth in your analysis, and ack of concentration in your actions, resulting in a disappointing performance..." A sharp gleam shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. "Do you think something riddled with so many mistakes is worthy of being called pill forging?" "I..." Apothecary Luo staggered feebly backward. Paleness swept across her face, and her slim body trembled uncontrobly. The other partys words were like a machine gun, each shot striking her in her vitals, rendering her incapable of catching her breath. She thought that she possessed skill above most 5-star apothecaries, and never in her dreams could she imagine that what she had taken so much pride in would be nothing more than a joke in the eyes of a true expert! "Do you need me to continue on with the remaining hundred ws?" Zhang Xuan continued. Apothecary Luos body jolted in shock, and she lowered her head fearfully. The twenty-seven ws the other party brought up were all true and existent, she had no way of denying them. Just this much was more than sufficient to nt a seed of doubt that would make her question herself whenever she forged a pill. She feared that if the other party continued on, her confidence would bepletely shattered. "N-no, theres no need..." sping her fist and bowing deeply, she looked at the young man before her once more, this time in admiration and awe. To be capable of seeing through so many ws in her pill forging, how deep must his understanding of pills be? Even her teacher wouldnt be a match for him! "Alright, theres no need for you to feel disheartened. Unlike painting, where one can create a Reality Depiction work just by strictly following rules, pill forging requires hard work over a long period of time to build a deep understanding of the properties of medicinal herbs before one can achieve mastery." Seeing the pale face and trembling body of the youngdy before him, Zhang Xuan realized that he might have gone a little too far. Thus, he quickly consoled her. "Its an incredible feat for one of your age to forge a pill of such quality, so you should take pride in your skills... Alright, why dont you alter your pill forging method based on what Ive just said and try forging the Spirit Revitalization Pill once more. I promise you the results will be different this time!" His words were infused with Impartation of Heavens Will, thus allowing him to win the trust of the youngdy easily. As a 5-star primary master teacher, the youngdys Soul Depth had barely reached 15.0. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans Soul Depth was currently at 16.1, allowing him to win the other partys trust via Impartation of Heavens Will easily. As expected, upon hearing those words, Apothecary Luos fragile confidence began to heal. Closing her eyes, she went through the words the young man had just spoken, and gritting her teeth, she replied, "Alright!" She stepped up to the cauldron. Typically speaking, apothecaries would prepare three sets of medicinal herbs in case of failure. She had only used one set in her previous forging, so there were still another two sets left on the table. Driving her zhenqi, she lit the mes to heat up the cauldron. After which, she extracted the medicinal essence from the herbs swiftly, and one after another, medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron. Spiritual energy rippled in the air, and a slight fragrance permeated the hall. Twenty minutester, with a deep exhtion, Apothecary Luos movements finally came to a halt. The Spirit Revitalization Pill that should have taken her an hour to forge had taken less than half of her previous timing this time! She stretched out her hands and pushed open the cauldron lid. Jiya! A dense and refreshing aroma gushed out from within, forming a beautiful white cloud. Above the cloud was a smooth, round pill, and what could be clearly seen on the pill was a spectacr, golden stripe. "This is... an Inscribed Pill?" "How can this be?" "Even though theres only a level of difference between Perfection and Inscribed Pill, a nigh unbreachable gapy between the two tiers. Even 6-star apothecaries would be incapable of forging a Spirit Revitalization Pill at the tier of an Inscribed Pill!" "Indeed! An Inscribed Pill surpasses the notion of an ordinary pill. It possesses spirit, which makes it an existence worthy of being considered as a lifeform!" "With a short lecture, this young apothecary allowed Apothecary Luo, who was still forging Perfection tier pills a moment ago, to sessfully forge an Inscribed Pill... This is inconceivable!" ... Upon seeing the pill rising from the cauldron, innumerable faces paled in shock. Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill. While four tiers were established to grade the tier of a pill, Perfection wasmonly known to be the limit. Only those who had managed toprehend the Art of Pill Forging to an unthinkable level would be able to forge an Inscribed Pill. Putting everything aside, despite the long history behind the Huanyu Empire Apothecary Guild and the many talented apothecaries who rose from this ground, there had never had been an Inscribed Pill emerging from here before. It was said that only in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy did a handful of pills of such superior quality appeared before. Every single one of such pills had caused a huge uproar, and the apothecaries who forged them became respected figures in their circles. As such, the apothecaries of Huanyu Empire had always viewed this tier to be one that only existed in the legends, something far away from them. Never could they have imagined that... Apothecary Luo would actually seed in forging one! Fearsome! Apothecary Luo was formidable to have forged the pill... but wouldnt the young man who guided her be even more so? In an instant, everyones eyes fell on the young man once more with deep admiration reflecting in their gazes. This was the admiration one would only disy to true experts. The young mans cultivation might becking, but in terms ofprehension of pill forging, not even their guild leader would be able to rival him! While everyone was still immersed in shock, Apothecary Luo finally recovered from the unique state she had been in. Staring at the golden stripe on the pill in her hands, her body trembled in agitation, and she abruptly kneeled down. "Id like to acknowledge you as my teacher. I beseech you to ept me and enlighten me in the Way of Pill Forging!" She could clearly feel the bottleneck which had limited her progress before shattering entirely. In this short period of time, she had gained a lot of insights into pill forging. As long as her cultivation reached the required level, there was a good chance she could clear the 6-star apothecary examination. And this all... was thanks to the young apothecary standing before her. It was only due to the other partys guidance that she was able to surpass her limits. In a way, the other party could already be considered as half a teacher to her. If she could be the other partys student and listen to his teachings constantly, her skills as an apothecary would surely improve by leaps and bounds! "You wish for me to be your teacher?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. His purpose behind this act was to win the other partys trust so that he could have the other party concoct the medicinal solution for him. Who could have thought that the youngdy would end up askinh him to be her teacher? This made him feel slightly embarrassed. "I beseech you to ept me!" Apothecary Luo pleaded earnestly. "Alright. Ill be your apothecary teacher, but Ill have to tell you beforehand that I wont have much time to teach you..." At which, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before adding, "How about this? I have a unique forging method for concocting a medicinal solution which could test your fundamentals, mental fortitude, and sincerity. Just a heads up, youll have to follow my instructions strictly for the concoction of this medicinal solution to seed... If you seed, Ill take you in as my student. Otherwise, I can only say that we arent fated to be!" "I wont let you down!" Apothecary Luos face flushed in agitation, and she anxiously nodded, seemingly fearful that the young man before her would change his mind. "Un!" Seeing that he had seeded in hoodwinking the other party, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Flicking his wrist, he took out the Great River Snakes inner core and Sorrow Severing Grass. "These are the main ingredients. On top of that, Ill need one liang of Dragon Beard Flower, one liang of Stardust, three qian of Woodyer Skin..." (One qian = ~ 3.75g. One liang = 37.5g) Zhang Xuan quickly listed a dozen of medicinal herbs; these were the core ingredients required to forge the medicinal solution. Noting down the medicinal herbs and the quantity required, Apothecary Luo turned to the elder beside her and asked, "Guild Leader, may I trouble you to bring a set of these herbs over?" "No problem, Ill have someone prepare it now!" the old man chuckled. These medicinal herbs werent exceptionally valuable, and they could all be found in the guild. In just a few momentster, an apothecary returned with the listed herbs in hand. Zhang Xuan swiftly looked through the medicinal herbs to check if everything required was present. While doing so, he noted that the prepared herbs were of the highest maturity, and he nodded in satisfaction. Indeed, he had made the right choiceing over here to hoodwink a 5-star apothecary. Otherwise, he would surely be unable to gather so many high maturity medicinal herbs. After all, these medicinal herbs were useful to the apothecaries as well, so it would have been difficult to buy these herbs from them with money. Apothecary Luo swiftly looked through the herbs as well before turning to the young man before her. "Teacher, I am ready." "Follow my instructions strictly, there mustnt be the slightest deviation!" Zhang Xuan reminded gravely once more. "Warm the cauldron for forty-five breaths before adding in one Stardust. Seven breathster, add in Dragon Dawn Flower and raise the mes for three breaths..." The forging process for the medicinal solution required to awaken Yuan Taos unique constitution had undergone many refinements in Zhang Xuans hands, and the Library of Heavens Path had verified it as well. Zhang Xuans instructions were extremely detailed, allowing Apothecary Luo to focus her attention on the forging. The cauldron mes zed intensely, and heatwaves rippled in the room. As more medicinal herbs were thrown in the cauldron, the spiritual energy in the air gradually grew more and more concentrated, and the energy contained within the cauldron became more and more violent. It seemed as though it would reach a breaking point any moment soon and trigger a massive explosion. "That is a Great River Snakes inner core..." "This object contains the essence of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, and the energy contained within it is extremely violent. Even Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts would find it difficult to suppress the inner cores energy if it were to be ced under extreme conditions within the cauldron. To have Apothecary Luo deal with it... isnt that going beyond her limits?" The 5-star apothecaries and the guild leader frowned upon seeing this scene. Chapter 619: Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique Chapter 619: Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The inner core of a Great River Snake was the most energy-concentrated part of the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, and it could be said to carry almost the full cultivation of a Perfect Harmonization realm expert. Even the guild leader would find it difficult to suppress the violent energy contained within this thing, and yet the young man actually wanted the Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Apothecary Luo to deal with it? Was sess really possible? Dong dong dong! Amidst everyones doubtful gazes, a sound reminiscent of the rumbling of lightning and the knocking of a drum sounded from the interiors of the cauldron. The cauldrons lid danced about its opening, and it seemed as though the violent energy would burst out at any moment. From the looks of it, if the energy wasnt suppressed soon, an explosion would be inevitable. "Shit, looks like an explosion is going to ur..." Everyone clenched their fists tightly in trepidation. As apothecaries, it wasnt too hard for them to deduce the current situation of the forging. Under normal circumstances, in order to prevent an explosion, one would use ones zhenqi to suppress the rampaging energy contained within the cauldron. But... Apothecary Luo clearly didnt possess sufficient strength to deal with such powerful energy! "Guild Leader..." A 5-star apothecary couldnt help but turn to look at the guild leader anxiously. "Since the apothecary up there didnt ask for our help, its best that we dont interfere..." Knowing that this was a test for Apothecary Luo, the guild leader waved his hands. While he did possess sufficient strength to suppress the explosion, it would be highly disrespectful for him to dash in and interfere with the forging process. Dont worry. While the situation may seem dangerous, an explosion could be easily stopped by removing the mes... the guild leader thought, consoling himself. The situation before him might look dangerous, but as long as the intensity of the mes was lowered instantly, it shouldnt pose any threat. Controlling mes was one of the basic lessons an apothecary had to undergo. It shouldnt be a problem for Apothecary Luo to do so. Just as he was thinking so, the young man before him said, "Pump in more zhenqi, intensify the mes!" "Intensify the mes?" The guild leader was taken aback. His face paled, and he couldnt help but exim, "But an explosion would ur..." Hong long long! Before he could finish his words, the cauldron suddenly shook violently, and a destructive aura gushed into the surroundings. Cracks appeared on the shaking ground, and heat waves came crashing down like waves. Under the powerful heat gale, Apothecary Luos hair danced in the air, and her robe fluttered. "Run, its about to explode!" "Thats a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Great River Snake inner core! If it explodes, the whole hall will be utterly destroyed!" "Lunatic, he really is a lunatic! How can one forge a pill like that..." ... The legs of all apothecaries in the room trembled in fright, and there were even a few who immediately turned around to escape. The might of the explosion of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle inner core was equivalent to an attack of full might from a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle expert. While the hall might be sturdily built, it couldnt possibly survive such immense might. It would be reduced to dust in an instant. The powerful 5-star apothecaries might still be able to stand their ground before such destructive force, but the 1-star to 4-star apothecaries would surely be crushed. They would have to be mad to not escape now. Geji! Geji! Amidst pandemonium, the cauldron reached its limit and would explode at any moment now. Cold sweat also dripped down Apothecary Luos forehead. While she knew that the young man possessed incredible mastery of pill forging and he was likely to be in control of the situation, she still couldnt help but feel a shiver going down her spine. "Dont panic!" Just as anxiety was tackling her mind, a calm voice behind her brought her back. Turning around, she saw a young man looking at her with apletelyposed face, as though he cared not if the cauldron would explode or not. The other partys calm demeanor and soothing voice washed away her worries, and her trembling body found its stability. "Use the Descending Flower Technique to put the Harmony Grass in!" Apothecary Luo heard the other party say so. Without any hesitation, she immediately added the Harmony Grass into the cauldron. Hong long long! It was as if fuel had been added to the fire, and the shaking of the cauldron further intensified. "Add in the Cottoneye Flower and Greenthorn Leaf..." The voice continued instructing he calmly. Knowing that there was no backing out now, Apothecary Luo continued throwing in medicinal herb after medicinal herb. As more medicinal herbs were thrown in, the cauldron shook even more intensely. But what left her perplexed was that, no matter how violent the shakings became, an explosion didnt happen. Even though the cauldron was clearly at the limits of its durability, it seemed to be treading along the lines of the breaking point, refusing to surpass that boundary. Noticing the bizarreness of the situation, everyone stared at one another in confusion. At this moment, a thought shed across the mind of the guild leader. His face flushed red, and his body trembled in agitation. "Could this be... B-but how can that be possible?" "What is it, Guild Leader? Have you thought of something?" a 5-star apothecary asked, and many other apothecaries turned their gazes over as well, curious to hear his view on the matter. "If my eyes are not ying tricks on me... this is the long-lost... Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique!" Perhaps due to his agitation, the guild leaders voice sounded slightly hoarse. "Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique?" Everyone was perplexed by those words. They had never heard of this name before, needless to say, they knew nothing about it. "It was said that this pill forging technique was created by a fanatic apothecary. However, due to the excessive danger one would be exposed to when utilizing this technique and the long list of death toll in its history, no one dared to try it anymore, and thus, it eventually disappeared in the annals of history... I only happened to chance upon it while reading through ancient texts. I thought that it was just a legend, yet... to think that it is actually real!" The guild leaders teeth were ttering with excitement. "This..." Noticing the excitement in the guild leaders tone, the crowd felt even more curious about this legendary technique. The guild leader also didnt beat around the bush. "You all should have seen it for yourself. The cauldron has been on the verge of explosion for a while now, but yet... it hasnt exploded yet!" "Un!" Everyone nodded. If it were them up there, the cauldron would have exploded long ago. But for some reason, despite the cauldron continuing to leap around furiously, it simply refused to explode. This was something inexplicable to them. "All things, including cauldrons, have a breaking point. I believe everyone should be aware of this," the guild leader said. The crowd replied, "Indeed!" A cauldron would only explode if the stress it was put under exceeded its limits. Taking water as an analogy, only below zero degrees Celsius will it turn into ice, and simrly, only at a hundred degrees Celsius will it turn into steam. Anything within the limits, not even one degrees Celsius nor ny-nine degrees Celsius, could induce such change to water. The same went for cauldrons as well. Anything within its limit would not cause an explosion. An apothecary suddenly thought of something, and his eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What you mean is that... that young apothecary knows what the breaking point of the cauldron is, and hes intentionally controlling it at this point such that it is impossible for an explosion to ur?" The others also found their jaws falling to the ground. "The limit of every cauldron is different, and it can vary from situation to situation based on the medicinal herbs one is dealing with. How can he be so sure what the breaking point is?" Sure, it did work theoretically... but the problemy in whether one could urately determine the breaking point or not. The cauldron, the environment, the mes, the purity of the apothecarys zhenqi, and his forging technique... A difference in any of these would spell a difference in the cauldrons breaking point. How could this fellow be so sure that his perception of the breaking point was urate? It was simr to walking along a cliff blindfolded. The slightest mistake in ones perception could potentially lead to a disastrous oue... But based on the other partys speech and demeanor, it seemed like he was extremely confident. Where in the world did his confidencee from? "Ive no idea how he can urately determine the breaking point either, but in any case, its clear that he has seeded. Whenever the cauldron is about to exceed the breaking point, he adds a medicinal herb containing spiritual energy to dampen the rampaging violent energy within... In other words, hes continuously dying the explosion by using the ingredients of the pill to dampen the energy level... the push and pull in this scenario is simr to revolving in a circle, thus the name of the forging technique!" the guild leader said slowly. "Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique... I see. But what is the advantage of this forging technique?" An apothecary asked. Since such a technique was invented, surely it should have some kind of overwhelming advantage to it. Otherwise, who would risk their lives for it? "Advantage? Its advantage is immense!" The guild leader swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, "Everyone should know that the most difficult part regarding processing the inner pill is to melt it. Without several hours of intense me, its impossible to achieve. What makes it worse is that one must keep watch over it during this period of time or else there is a high chance an explosion may ur!" "Un!" Everyone nodded in agreement. The inner core was one of the most valuable parts of a spirit beast, as well as the most dangerous and destructive part of it. It is just like steel, and melting it was no easy task. As such, most apothecaries were unwilling to process it. "On the other hand, if one were to subject the cauldron to extreme conditions reminiscent of those prior to an explosion, it means that the inner core is also on the verge of explosion, and its emission of energy is also at the maximum tolerable limit!" the guild leader continued. This wasnt too difficult to understand. If not for the immense energy leaking from the inner core, it would be impossible to push this incrediblyrge and sturdy cauldron to its breaking point. The guild leader said, "With a maximum emission of energy from the inner core, it would mean that the fusing process would be significantly faster, thus reducing the required several hours of effort into just ten minutes!" "This..." Everyone was stunned. Using such a dangerous pill forging technique just to minimize the time required to fuse the inner core? Wasnt he treating his life a little too casually? Cultivators had long lives, and often, they would spend a month or two at a time in seclusion. To them, time wasnt of much worry. To use such a dangerous pill forging technique just for the sake of saving several hours... What in the world was he thinking? "Thats not the only advantage!" Seeing everyones expression, the guild leader shook his head. "Under such intense conditions, the inner core can fuse better with other medicinal herbs, and the medicinal properties after the fusing would be maximized as well... As such, the quality of the pill would be brought up a notch as well!" Only then did everyonee to a realization. "Look, the medicinal herbs are all in! The forging is about to beplete..." Amidst discussions, the guild leaders face turned grim, and everyone quickly turned their gazes over. Apothecary Luo flicked her wrist, and the final medicinal herb was thrown into the cauldron. The cauldron shook violently for a moment before the lid burst open. Following which, a light golden medicinal solution shot out as though a fountain. In an instant, a deep aroma wafted in the air, and spiritual energy gushed in from the heavens. "Deep Aroma Drawing Spiritual Energy... This is... a grade-6 medicine?" The guild leader narrowed his eyes. Chapter 620: Your Teacher, Zhang Xuan! Chapter 620: Your Teacher, Zhang Xuan! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Legend had it that a grade-6 pills aroma, simr to a master teachers Impartation of Heavens Will, could draw in spiritual energy that would further raise the quality of the pill. The guild leader was already a 5-star pinnacle apothecary, and all along, he had been trying to forge higher grade medicine. But due to hisck of cultivation and the guidance of a formidable teacher, he had never seeded. He thought that the ultimate limiting factor was his cultivation, but upon seeing this sight, he realized that he was mistaken. Even though Apothecary Luo came from Hongyuan Empire and was probably more knowledgeable than him, her cultivation was still two whole realms lower than his. After all, she was still much too young. Thus, in terms of who would be able to forge a grade-6 pill first, he thought that he was in the lead... But reality clubbed him in his face! Considering how the other partys medicinal solution had drawn in spiritual energy with its deep aroma, it had clearly reached grade-6. "Its him..." The guild leader narrowed his eyes, and his body trembled in agitation. He had been paying close attention throughout the forging process, and Apothecary Luo followed the other partys instructions strictly. The reason why this forging of a grade-6 medicine seeded was clearly the credit of this young man. To be able to allow a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan 5-star apothecary forge a grade-6 pill with his guidance... Wasnt this just too formidable? How did he do it? "Grade-6?" Hearing the guild leaders exmations, everyones lips trembled in shock. The higher grade a pill was, the harder it was to forge it. It wasnt unheard of for a talented 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pill... but a 5-star apothecary forge a grade-6 pill, never before! "Having forged a grade-6 pill once before, both Apothecary Luos confidence and grasp over the medicinal herbs would surely achieve a great advancement. No doubt about it... she will surely be an incredible apothecary in the future!" "Indeed. How could I have been so foolish? If I had rushed up to acknowledge him as my teacher, the chance would have been mine!" "Such a pity! Say, do you think that its toote to acknowledge him as my teacher now?" "I doubt that he would be willing to ept any more students..." ... Many of the onlookers expressed their regret toward this matter. As a 5-star apothecary, sessfully forging a grade-6 pill was an exceptionally precious experience. Just this in itself would induce a huge improvement in ones understanding and eye of discernment, thus making it highly likely that one would advance to be a 6-star apothecary in the future. If they had rushed forward to acknowledge that young man as their teacher before Apothecary Luo, the chance would surely have been theirs... and they wouldnt be sighing helplessly in regret now. Hu! While some of the crowd were wallowing in their disappointment and others were still stunned with shock, the person in question, Apothecary Luo, heaved a huge sigh of relief. She stared quietly at the medicinal solution floating silently before her, and her face slowly flushed in excitement as her body began trembling intensely. Just as others had guessed, her grasp of pill forging had been brought up a notch, and in the foreseeable future, pill forging would be her greatest expertise among all of her supporting upations. She would surely leave many sighing in awe when she returned to Hongyuan Empire. "Impressive!" She nced at the young man before her once more, her eyes gleaming in admiration. Through just the other partys guidance, she was actually able to forge such a high-grade medicine. Even the number one apothecary of Hongyuan Empire, the head of the Apothecary School, would find it hard to match up to his eye of discernment and extensive knowledge. "Teacher!" Filling the medicinal solution in a jade bottle, she passed the bottle respectfully over to the young man. "Un!" Grabbing hold of the jade bottle, a hint of agitation appeared in Zhang Xuans eyes as well. He thought that a grade-5 medicinal solution would be a great oue already, but due to the unexpectedly high maturity of the mediating medicinal herbs and theck of errors in the forging process, it actually managed to hit grade-6. If Yuan Tao were to consume it, his Emperors Bloodline would surely be awakened by a huge portion, and his cultivation would rise by leaps and bounds. "The fact that you were able to forge the medicinal solution sessfully shows that you possess incredible talent, and I can also see the sincerity behind your acknowledgement. Alright. From today onward, you shall be my apothecary student!" Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Xuan assumed an indifferent front, as though forging a grade-6 pill was no different from eating or drinking to him. Despite the threat of an imminent explosion from the cauldron, the other party was actually able to put her trust in him and followed his instructions precisely withposure. Just this in itself reflected the sincerity of her intention to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher. "Teacher, thank you for epting me!" Upon hearing that she had been epted by the expert before her, Apothecary Luo sped her fists in excitement and hurriedly kowtowed toplete the acknowledge ceremony. Knowing the other partys sincere intentions, Zhang Xuan was satisfied as well. He turned to look at the other party and asked, "Un. Whats your name?" "I am Luo Qiqi, teacher can call me Qiqi!" Apothecary Luo said. "Qiqi? Un. Then from today onward, I shall call you Little Qi..." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Yes!" Luo Qiqi replied in delight. "Alright, I still have things to attend to, so Ill be leaving for now!" The stone pir challenge at the Mystical Treasure Hall and concocting the medicinal solution in the Apothecary Guild-all in all, around ten hours had passed. It was about time for the crown princes banquet to begin, and given that the slots for the Cleansing Lake were at stake, he had to be present. "Yes..." Seeing that the other party was going to leave, Luo Qiqi felt a little disappointed. "Pill forging is an umtion of experience, not something one can achieve mastery in all of a sudden. Try toprehend what I taught you today, and you will surely improve greatly!" Having seen through Luo Qiqis thoughts, Zhang Xuan said. Luo Qiqi nodded her head. Following which, Zhang Xuan took out ten middle-tier spirit stones and passed it over to the guild leader, "Here is the money for the medicinal herbs!" If not for the guild leader bringing out so many valuable medicinal herbs, it would be impossible for the medicinal solution to have reached grade-6. Unwilling to take advantage of the other party, Zhang Xuan decided to pay a reasonable sum to the other party. On the way here, Sun Qiang had passed the 700 middle-tier spirit stones which he took from the Sixth Young Mistress to him. "This... Its my honor to be able to see a medicine of such quality to be forged within my lifetime, how can I ept your money..." The guild leader hurriedly turned down Zhang Xuans gesture. "Take it!" Zhang Xuan threw the spirit stones over. If the other party didnt ept it, it could be seen as that he owed the other party a favor, and Zhang Xuan detested incurring such a rtionship. Instead of causing possible problems in the future, he would rather repay his debts on the spot. "Alright!" The guild leader also could tell Zhang Xuans intentions from his insistence. He shook his head in disappointment, knowing that he had lost a chance to get acquainted with a talented apothecary. "Farewell!" After throwing the spirit stones over, Zhang Xuan walked out of the hall. Watching as he slowly disappeared into the distance, Luo Qiqi hurriedly shouted, "Teacher... Where can I find you?" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stopped, and an impassive voice sounded. "Remember this, my name is Zhang Xuan!" ... "It has been some time already, why isnt Young Master out yet? The crown princes banquet is about to start already!" Outside the hall, Sun Qiang was pacing around the corridor anxiously. "Indeed!" Yuan Tao tried to peek into the hall, but the doors were tightly shut, preventing him from seeing anything at all. Before entering, Zhang Xuan had told them to wait outside. However, four hours had already passed, and there was no sign of him. It was inevitable that they would be worried. Besides, the crown princes banquet was about to start. The motive of the banquet was to vie for the slots of the Cleansing Lake. If the champion of Hongfeng Empire were to not appear in such an important banquet, wouldnt Hong shi be in tears? Just the Master Teacher Tournament back then was enough to reduce that 5-star master teacher to tears. If Zhang Xuan were to miss out on this banquet as well, who knew if that old man would be able to take the blow? "Youngdy, may I trouble you to enter and call our young master out?" After waiting another moment longer in futility, Sun Qiang turned to the youngdy beside him. It was the front receptionist who had brought them over. "This... Im sorry, but I cant. Only official apothecaries can enter, and if I were to enter without permission, I would surely be punished. In the worst-case scenario, I might even face expulsion..." The youngdy quickly shook her head. How could a mere receptionist like her be qualified to attend such a grand apothecary conference? "This... but youre all members of the Apothecary Guild, not to mention, you are only entering to find someone. Surely they wont go that far?" Sun Qiang frowned. "They will!" Deference surfaced on the eyes of the youngdy. "Apothecary, as an Upper Nine Paths upation, possesses exceptional standing in society. Due to that, it also has strict rules governing its members, especially when ites to etiquette. Its not like youve never seen how official apothecaries, dressed in their upation robes, hold themselves with grace and majesty..." Just as she was in the midst of exining the rules governing apothecaries, jiya!, the gate was suddenly knocked open. Following which, arge group of 3-star and 4-star apothecaries dashed out of the room fearfully. Some of them dropped their hats while others had their robes torn. In fact, there was even one who, due to sheer panic, bumped into the pir, and at this moment, was lying on the ground as though a dead pig... At this moment, instead of proud apothecaries, they looked like a group of refugees instead. "This... is the grace and majesty you were talking about?" Yuan Tao and Sun Qiang widened their eyes in shock. "..." The youngdy found her vision darkening at the sight as well. As the front receptionist, she often came into contact with these apothecaries. Usually, all of them would hold themselves proudly, exuding an air that distanced others from them. But now... they resembled defeated mercenaries, stripping of their armor and tossing apart their weapons to flee as fast as they could. Their appearances couldnt possibly look any worse than this. Werent they listening to a lecture inside? Why were they fleeing like frightenedmbs then? Just what in the world was being lectured inside? Apothecaries streamed out of the hall ceaselessly, and every single one of them had a panicked look on their faces. At the moment, Yuan Tao thought of something and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "It cant be that teacher... has done something inside again?" "This..." Sun Qiang stroked his lower jaws and nodded his head. "Now that you say it, there does seem to be such a possibility!" The young master was the type of person who had to cause a pandemonium no matter where he went. Just in the Master Teacher Tournament itself, he left all of thepetitors on the verge of insanity. While he only said that he was going to find a 5-star apothecary to forge the medicinal solution for him, could he have caused some kind of trouble? The possibility would be so low that they wouldnt entertain such thoughts if it was someone else, but their young master... The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed to be true! "Your young master? How is that possible? Dont worry, given that hes only a 3-star apothecary, its impossible for him to stir something of such scale!" Recovering from her shock, the youngdy shook her head upon hearing the duos conversation. She had met the person in question, and she knew that the other party was only a 3-star apothecary. There was a huge bunch of apothecaries of such rank in the guild. Even if the other party did try to start something, how big of a mess could he cause? "Thats hard to say..." Sun Qiang shook his head. "Youre thinking too much. Our guild has a lot of 5-star apothecaries. While a 3-star apothecary might be a formidable existence in other branches, before them, he doesnt mean much at all..." replied the youngdy. She was just about to continue speaking when, jiya, the entrance opened once more and the young master from before walked out casually. "Farewell, Apothecary Zhang!" "Apothecary Zhang, if you find yourself with some spare time, our guild would be honored to have you here! If you could conduct a lecture, wed be most grateful!" Following which, the guild leader and the numerous elders of the guild walked out and bowed humbly as they saw him off. Within their eyes, one could see respect and admiration. "..." The youngdy burst into tears. Shouldnt that guy be unable to stir anything of sizeable scale? Shouldnt that guy mean nothing to you? What in the world is going on? Chapter 621: Crown Princes Residence Chapter 621: Crown Princes Residence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Lets go!" Ignoring the guild leader and the elders who were respectfully seeing him off, as well as the youngdy who was crying pitifully by the corner, Zhang Xuan gestured to Yuan Tao and Sun Qiang before walking out with wide strides. If he had more time, he would surely return here to clear all of the books in the guild. Otherwise, he could only drop the matter. Walking out of the Apothecary Guild and getting into a carriage, Zhang Xuan passed the jade bottle over to Yuan Tao. "Apply a portion to your skin each time, and only after youve fully absorbed everything can you apply it once more... Train properly, and your cultivation will surely soar swiftly!" "Thank you, Teacher!" Yuan Tao took the jade bottle from Zhang Xuans hands in agitation. Having followed his teacher for the entire day, he knew how valuable the medicinal solution was, and how much effort his teacher put into preparing it for him. The favor his teacher had shown him was so great that he didnt think he could ever repay it. "Take these spirit stones. Youll need them when you cultivate!" After which, he passed a few dozen middle-tier spirit stones over. The medicinal solution could only awaken Yuan Taos unique constitution. He would still require a huge amount of spiritual energy to fuel his cultivation. In any case, after the incident with the Sixth Young Mistress, he didntck spirit stones at the moment. Understanding his teachers intentions, Yuan Tao took the stones. "Sun Qiang, take these spirit stones with you. I might be gone for a few days when the Cleansing Lake opens, so Ill be counting on you to distribute them to Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang when they require any. Make sure that everyone, including you, has sufficient spirit stones so as to not dy your cultivation!" Saying so, Zhang Xuan passed around two hundred spirit stones over to Sun Qiang. Once the Cleansing Lake opened, he would have to spend several days inside to cultivate. Thus, it was best for him to make preparations in advance so as to not dy his students and butlers training. "Dont worry, Young Master. Well surely train hard!" Sun Qiang hurriedly nodded his head. Hearing Sun Qiangs confident deration, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Im not worried about others, you are the one whom Im the most worried about..." Zheng Yang and the others, perhaps spurred by Zhao Ya and Lu Chong, were extremely motivated, and he need not worry about them. The main problem was Sun Qiang. He simply cked off way too much, and the moment no ones eyes were not on him, he would immediately trail off. He was indeed a huge headache to deal with. "Ah..." Understanding the young masters intentions, Sun Qiang scratched his head awkwardly. "Alright, these are the items obtained from the Mystical Treasure Hall. Split them among the others, and sell everything else that you dont need for spirit stones!" Zhang Xuan took out the storage ring Gan Yiping gave him and passed it over. Of everything in the Mystical Treasure Hall, Zhang Xuan only kept the cier Rain Sword, the Upgradable Artifact. Everything else was useless to him, so it would be best to trade them for spirit stones instead. "Yes!" Grabbing the storage ring, Sun Qiang acknowledged Zhang Xuans instructions. Knowing that there was nothing for him to worry about leaving everything to Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan said no more. In a rush for time, Zhang Xuan had the carriage travel at its full speed, and around an hourter, they finally returned to their living quarters. As soon as he arrived, he saw Hong shi waiting at the entrance anxiously. Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan were standing behind him. There was a total of three Cleansing Lake slots for each Vassal State. For Hongfeng Empire, these slots were given to the top three rankers in the Master Teacher Tournament. Since the banquet tonight was to determine the distribution of slots, naturally, the both of them were qualified to attend the banquet as well to witness how their fates would be decided. "Zhang shi, youre finally here! Did anything bad happen? If something really happened... you must tell me in advance so that I can have my teacher resolve it for you..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuans return, Hong shi became so agitated that he nearly burst into tears. Ever since returning from the confrontation with Luo Zhao and the others, he immediately returned to look for Zhang shi, but... despite waiting for eight whole hours, the other party still remained out of sight. The fear that the other party might have caused some kind of trouble started to overwhelm him. After all, this wasnt the twenty-eight regional powers nor the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, where Hong shi could easily resolve any problem with his influence... It would be best for them to maintain a low profile over here, at Huanyu Empires capital. Otherwise, if something were to happen, they would have to ask his teacher, Pavilion Master Jiang Wei, for help. "Dont worry, I only went to the Apothecary Guild to have a medicinal solution concocted!" Seeing how Hong shi was fearing that he had caused some kind of trouble, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. What the heck was this... What kind of person do you take me for? Am I someone who causes trouble wherever he goes? No matter what, Im still a master teacher, and I have a reputation to uphold. Under the situation that no one steps on my toes, why would I go around causing trouble? Why are you speaking as though Im the God of Destruction, as if I cause a pandemonium no matter where I go... If Hong shi knew of Zhang shis thoughts, he might have rushed forward to strangle the other party. You said you arent the God of Destruction? Then what about my Ghost Domain Illusory City? What about my Celestial Chess? What about my Book of Emptied River? What about my Otherworldly Demon... Forget it, I should stop thinking about it. Otherwise, even my heart would be a goner... "Its good that nothing happened. Alright, the banquet is about to start, so lets hurry there!" Knowing that this wasnt the time to speak, Hong shi gestured to the others, and the four of them started walking to the Crown Princes residence. Crown Prince Ye Qians Eastern Pce was only several hundred meters away from the living quarters. Before long, they were already at the entrance, and they passed their invitation letter to the guards. "This way please!" Upon seeing the invitation letter, a guard on duty stepped forward and led the way. Following behind the guard, Hong shi asked, "This brother here, I would like to ask if Feng shi from Fengyuan Empire, Luo shi from Qianfeng Empire, and Chen shi from Zhuyue Empire are here yet?" Naturally, Luo shi from Qianfeng Empire referred to Luo Zhao, whom he just extorted a moment ago, whereas Chen shi from Zhuyue Empire referred to the old man who was with Luo Zhao back then. The both of them, along with Feng Yu and Hong shi, were the people in charge of the Master Teacher Pavilions of the Four Great Vassal States, as well as the hosts of the Master Teacher Tournament in their own regions. "They already arrived an hour ago..." the guard replied. "An hour ago?" Hong shis mouth twitched. He thought that he could take advantage of the fact that he had arrived early, but contrary to his expectations, the others had arrived an hour earlier than him. An hour... It cant be that the distribution of the slots had already been decided in that time! After a moment of hesitation, Hong shi asked, slightly embarrassed, "Has the banquet... started yet? Am Ite? If Imte, it would be bad to bother the crown prince..." "The banquet hasnt started yet. The crown prince has gone off to invite the Sixth Princess and the others and hasnt returned yet!" The guard shook his head. "The banquet hasnt started yet? Thats a relief!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Hong shi flicked his wrist and passed a spirit stone over. "Little brother, thank you for bringing us over!" "Youre wee!" Seeing the other party giving him a generous tip of a middle-tier spirit stone, the guards eyes lit up. His attitude immediately became much better, and he leaned over and began speaking in a hushed voice. "I heard that the banquet is to confirm the distribution of slots for the Cleansing Lake..." "We dont even know how the crown prince is going to determine the distribution the slots, needless to say, prepare ourselves for it..." Hong shi smiled bitterly as he shook his head. "Im not too sure about the rules as well, but... I heard that the primary aim of this banquet is to wee the geniuses from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, as well as to allow the talented master teacher from the various Vassal States to meet their seniors." "Wee? You mean... all four guests from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy will be present for the banquet?" Hong shi was taken aback. He had heard from Luo Zhao previously that the crown prince was going to take away four slots for these geniuses from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. He thought that this banquet was hosted only to solve the issue regarding the distribution of slots, he didnt think that the four guests would be invited over as well. A thought suddenly surfaced in Hong shis mind. "Could it be that... they are rted to the distribution of slots as well?" The soldier scanned his surroundings before telling Hong shi what he knew in a lowered voice. "Im not too sure either. But in any case, if they were to speak up, its unlikely that the crown prince would refute their words... As such, Luo shi and the others prepared many gifts to get on their good side. I think that you should also prepare some gifts. Anyway, theres no harm going the extra mile..." "Gifts?" Hong shis face paled. His entire wealth had been destroyed by that fellow behind him in the Master Teacher Tournament! Even if he had wanted to present any gifts, there was nothing of value that he could offer! After all, considering that the four of them hade from Hongyuan Empire, it was unlikely that one could win their goodwill with an ordinary present. Oblivious to Hong shis expression, the guard nodded his head and continued, "Indeed. After all, theres no one who would turn down a present. As long as one can get on good terms with them, it shouldnt be a problem to obtain a slot at all... Alright, the banquet hall is just ahead. Ill see you off here!" "Thank you!" Having been told so much information after the gift, Hong shi sped his fist and thanked the guard. Regardless of the time and ce, money always works wonders. At the very least, with this information, they would be prepared for what that was about toe. Just that... with this new information came a new headache. "A gift? What kind of gift should I prepare to win their favor? If only I still had the Book of Emptied River with me... or the Otherworldly Demon could work too..." Rubbing his be, Hong shis face turned bitter. If those artifacts of his hadnt been destroyed, he was certain he could have surely made the eyes of the guests from Hongyuan Empire lit up with those. But now... Noticing the other partys awfulplexion, Zhang Xuan walked over and asked, "Hong shi, whats wrong?" "I-its nothing!" Hong shi quickly shook his head. Since what was done was done, it was futile for him to me Zhang shi for it. The important thing at hand was to find a way to get on good terms with those four guests. "Are you worried over the present?" Luo Xuan asked. "Thats right!" Hong shi nodded. "Present? If only I knew, I wouldnt have passed the storage ring to Sun Qiang..." Seeing that Hong shi was worried about this problem, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had just swept away everything in the Mystical Treasure Hall, and valuable artifacts worthy as a gift was truly one thing he didntck right now. Just that... he had given everything to Sun Qiang already, and who knew if he could make it in time if he were to fetch the stuff now. "Actually, theres no need for us to worry about it now. There is an extremely high chance that the slots will be distributed based on our capability as master teachers. If gifts really work, what will be of the upation?" All those who were going into the Cleansing Lake were headed for the Master Teacher Academy, so the distribution of slots were likely to involve tests on ones capability as a master teacher. In truth, the gifts could be considered as nothing more than an additional topping, so it shouldnt be of much concern. "I hope so!" Hong shi understood this fact as well, butgging behind at the starting line still left him worried. Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the discussions they had and asked, "Right, Hong shi. When you went over to wreak havoc, did you receive any news from them?" "Oh, I did receive some news regarding the four geniuses from the Master Teacher Academy..." Nodding his head, Hong shi was just about to inform Zhang Xuan about the matter concerning the Sixth Princess and herpanions when a pair of footsteps approached, and a voice sounded. "Hong Qian, are these the talents youve chosen? They dont look impressive at all!" Following which, a figure walked over from the hall ahead of them. It was Master Teacher Luo Zhao from Qianfeng Empire. Chapter 622: Late Chapter 622: Late Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At this moment, Luo Zhao was dressed in arge crimson master teacher robe which looked magnificently beneath the lighting. He held a ss of fine wine in his hands as he nced at the approaching group with a smile. From his appearance, it seemed as though he wasnt in the least bothered by Hong shis actions earlier in the afternoon. "Luo Zhao, what do you mean by that?" "Nothing much, I just feel that Hongfeng Empire has regressed too much. To think that even Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle cultivators could make it into the top three... Tsk tsk, youre truly getting worse with each passing generation!" Luo Zhao shook his head as he spoke. Both Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan had already reached Consonant Spirit realm; only Zhang Xuan was still stuck in Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. Zhang Xuan also didnt intentionally hide his cultivation either, so Luo Zhao was able to notice it with a nce. While the Four Great Vassal States might not be as powerful as Huanyu Empire, they had vast territories beneath it and countless geniuses. Often, those who managed to get into the top three would have already reached Consonant Spirit realm. Only a monster like Zhang Xuan would be able to leave thepetitors on the verge of breakdown despite possessing a lower cultivation. Seeing how the fellow was mocking Zhang Xuans low cultivation, Hong shi retorted, "Whats wrong with Transcendent Mortal 4-dan? Its not like the Master Teacher Tournament revolves around strength!" Youre only saying this because you dont know how fearsome he is... Looks like Feng shi didnt tell you who the cause of his fall was. If you knew, you wouldnt have uttered so much nonsense. As old acquaintances, Hong shi had a clear gauge of Luo Zhaos fighting prowess. But even so, he had a hunch that if the other party and Zhang shi were to be locked in the cage, Zhang shi would surely be the one walking out alive! "Oh? You look very confident." Luo Zhaos lips curled up. "Just that, I wonder if you can maintain the same confidence you have after seeing my top three rankers!" After which, he turned around and three young men came walking over. The aura of the trio was intensified and dampened as though a flickering light, but if one thing was for sure, none of them were weak. "Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage?" Hong shi frowned. "You gave them... Consonant Spirit Pills?" Consonant Spirit Pill was a grade-5 pill that allowed any Consonant Spirit realm cultivator to increase their cultivation by one small realm without any conditions or side effects! Only 5-star apothecaries are capable of forging this pill, and the quantity avable was extremely limited. Of the entire region, only Huanyu Empire sold it. The bodies of the trio harnessed the violent energy reminiscent of a medicine-clearly, they had achieved a breakthrough via consuming medicine. Furthermore, considering how they didnt possess full grasp of their strength, it shouldnt have been long since they made the breakthrough. "Indeed. The Cleansing Lake nourishes ones soul, and as such, Consonant Spirit realm cultivators benefit the most from it... To think that there would be a person who hasnt even reached Consonant Spirit realm within you group... Given such, do you think that the crown prince would still give the slot to you?" Luo Zhao chuckled lightly. The other three Vassal States hade to the empire early and spent an exorbitant price to purchase Consonant Spirit Pills. It was fortunate that they managed to obtain the pills before today, thus allowing their top three rankers to achieve a breakthrough. Even though there was only a step of difference between Consonant Spirit realm and rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, there was a qualitative difference in the physical body and soul of both realms. As long as one hadnt reached Consonant Spirit realm yet, one would be unable to cultivate ones soul separately. Even if one were to enter the Cleansing Lake, the effects one could derive from it would be severely limited. "This..." Hong shi frowned. He had held the Master Teacher Tournament at the same time as the other three Vassal States, but unfortunately, the tournament was held in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance this year, and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was simply too far away from Huanyu Capital. The others had already arrived in Huanyu Capital earlier and made preparations in advance. Inparison, his group looked unready. "The crown prince hasnt announced the rules for determining the distribution of the slots yet. Besides, so what if your men have reached Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage? Its still too early to see who will have thestugh!" Even though Hong shi was worried, he couldnt possibly lose out in a fight of guts. "Seeing how youre so confident, Ill look forward to your performanceter!" Luo Zhao chuckled before bringing the three men of his group back to the hall with a wine ss in hand. "Humph!" Hong shi flung his sleeves angrily. He knew the other party was intentionallying over to show off, but he still couldnt hold back his anger. Taking a deep breath, Hong shi turned to the young man beside him and said, "Zhang shi, dont think too much into it..." "Me? Im fine!" Not expecting to be looked down upon and consoled due to his low cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Right, did you fight him in a Master Teacher Confrontation earlier this afternoon?" "He did challenge me... but didnt you tell me not to ept it?" Hong shi looked at Zhang Xuan in confusion. Zhang shi had analyzed the situation he would encounter if he were to confront the trio. The suffered grievous injuries, wont be able to fight for the next ten years was actually a work of the young man before him. Otherwise, how could an upright person like him possibly think of such downright shameless words? "Both he and you are Transcendent Mortal 6-dan primary stage cultivators, so there isnt a huge gap between your strength. Its hard to tell who would win, so it was indeed unwise for you to ept his challenge back then. But now... the situation is different!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Different?" Hong shi was taken aback. What was different about the situation? It had only been a few hours since then; his cultivation hadnt advanced, and Luo Zhao didnt grow weak either... "Im here, so you dont have to worry about facing him. I can guarantee your win!" Zhang Xuan said calmly with pride and confidence. "What you mean is that... youll guide me in my battle against him?" Hong shi was taken aback for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Un!" Zhang Xuans lips crept up. You actually dare to mock my cultivation? Fine, lets have Hong shi beat you to the point that even your own father wont recognize you. Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage huh? When your teacher is reduced to a pig head, lets see whether you can get gleeful! "Alright!" Hong shi nodded his head. While this young mans master teacher rank was lower than his, the other party had an 8-star master teacher as his teacher. Not to mention, he had witnessed the other partys capability in giving pointers, and he could tell that he wasnt a match for the other party. With the other partys help, his chances at defeating Luo Zhao would be increased by exponentially. "Lets go in!" After a moment of discussion, the group of four entered the banquet hall. As expected of the crown princes pce. The decorations were borate, and countless Night Illumination Pearls lit up the room as though it was day. Resplendent carpets wereid on the floor, beautiful wallpapers brought elegance to the room, and many lush potted nts breathed life into the area... On the whole, the entire hall was extravagant and majestic, and its unique aesthetics were pleasant to the eyes. "The crown prince possesses incredible talent. He managed to be a 4-star master teacher in his twenties, thus bing the number one genius of the younger generation of Huanyu Empire. Thus, my teacher took him in as his student and sent him to the Master Teacher Academy!" Hong shi sent a message over telepathically. "As such, hes highly favored by the emperor. As if to reflect that, the scale of the Eastern Pce is on par with the royal pce, and its design is even more borate than thetter..." "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Of all of the pces he had been to, there was none that couldpare to this Eastern Pce. On top of murals, there were also many works from famous painters hung on the wall, causing spiritual energy to linger in the air. Not only so, upon entering the hall, they immediately felt the temperature change to a soothing level. There should be a temperature-regting formation set up here. It seemed like the talented master teacher of a crown prince was highly favored by the emperor. Walking along the soft carpet, they saw two sets of table and chairs were ced at the two sides of the vast hall, probably reserved for the members of the Four Great Vassal States. Luo Zhao and his group were seated on one of them. Feng shi, who was nearly shattered to smithereens from falling from a high altitude, was present too. However, his injuries seemed to be much more severe than before. His cheeks were swollen red, and he looks extremely fragile at the moment. This was probably Hong shis work. The only reason why he could continue remain seated without any problems was probably due to the consumption of some kind of incredible recovery pill. But even so, he looked drained, aplete contrast from his gleeful self earlier this morning. "This is... Feng shi?" Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai stared at one another in astonishment. Just earlier this morning, this man was stood majestically on the back of a spirit beast as he blocked Hong shis passageway. While he was an enemy, they had to admit that there was an air of grandness around him. However, with a word from Zhang shi, he plummeted from the skies, reduced to... such a state. Recalling what had been said just earlier on, they solemnly swore that even if they had to offend everyone in the world, they would never offend Zhang shi... Ignoring Feng shi, Zhang Xuan turned his sight toward the other master teachers in the room. Just as Luo Zhao said, the top three rankers from Fengyuan Empire, Qianfeng Empire, and Zhuyue Empire had all reached Consonant Spirit realm. In fact, there was even one who had reached Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage. In terms of cultivation, Zhang Xuan indeed ranked at the bare bottom. Other than the members from the Four Great Vassal States, there was a young man seated at the main table ced in the center. He was drinking alone, forming a stark contrast to the others in the room. That man was wearing a robe, and five bright stars shone from the master teacher emblem pinned on his chest. "5-star master teacher?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. Turning to Hong shi, he asked, "Is this the crown prince?" "Hes not the crown prince. The crown prince is only a half 5-star master teacher. That person is probably his senior from the Master Teacher Academy... Based on what I know, he must either be Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen!" Hong shi replied. He had learned the names of the four guests from the Master Teacher Academy. Given that the person seated there was a man, it was impossible for him to be the Sixth Princess or Luo Qiqi. Thus, he had to be either Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to be seated so casually on the same table as the crown prince. "Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Un, there are a total of four guests from the Master Teacher Academy, and two of the 5-star master teachers go by those names!" Hong shi exined. After which, he gestured the group to a table and said, "Since the crown prince isnt here yet, lets take a seat!" From the information they received from the guard, they learned that the crown prince had gone over to invite the Sixth Princess and the rest of the group. "Hong shi, considering the distance between Huanyu Empire and Myriad Kingdom Alliance, we wont say anything about your prior tardiness. However, you should have arrived in the capital this morning already! To keep Wu shi waiting and only arrive at thiste hour... dont you think youre being a little too disrespectful?" Right after the group got seated, an impassive voice suddenly sounded in the air. It was an elder seated opposite to them. The 5-star master teacher leading Zhuyue Empires group, Chen Yue! Hearing his words, Hong shi frowned in displeasure. His voice wasnt exceptionally loud, but it was sufficient so for everyone in the room to hear. This, of course, included Wu shi, who was drinking at the main table. If he were to admit his tardiness, considering how he arrivedter than the esteemed guest from the Master Teacher Academy, that would be no different from admitting to a breach of etiquette. Given so, he would surely leave a bad impression with the other party. On the other hand, given that he had indeed arrivedter than Wu shi, if he were to attempt to dispute the fact, the results wouldnt be any better either. It could be said that those words had put Hong shi into a deadlock. What should he do? Hong shis face darkened as he struggled to search for a reply. However, at that moment, he suddenly heard something, and his body stiffened. Following which, his eyes lit up, and he turned to look Chen Yue in the eye. "Chen Yue, please mind your words. This is just a banquet, a ce that fosters camaraderie and harmony. To be talking about tardiness here... Are you going to me the crown prince for arrivingteter on as well?" Chapter 623: Two Different Evaluations Chapter 623: Two Different Evaluations Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Hmm?" Hearing those words, everyone was awed. Master Teacher Chen Yues question was clearly an attempt at soiling Hong shis reputation. And yet, Hong shi actually managed to counterattack against such a difficult question. You said that I waste? Fine! But even the crown prince isnt here yet, are you going to me him for the same as well? This is just a casual banquet, and yet here you are pointing fingers around. Let me ask you, what are you trying to do? Not only did those words seamlessly respond to Chen Yues usation, it even left the him in a difficult position. He could neither agree nor disagree with Hong shis words, and his face gradually reddened in frustration. He felt so stifled that he could spew blood at any moment. "Oh? It has only been awhile since west met, and Hong shi has be much more eloquent than before!" Seeing his alliance mate Chen Yue being ced in a difficult position, Luo Zhao stepped forward and intervened. "Not just so, my cultivation also advanced significantly in the past few days. Luo shi, would you like to give it a try?" Hong shi filled his cup with fine wine as he nced to the side. "Dont you agree, Feng shi?" "You... Pu!" Feng Yus body staggered. In an instant, his injuries were triggered, and a mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth. Didnt we agree not to talk about this matter? Why are you bringing it up now? Besides, they are the ones who are causing you trouble, not me! To think that I would still be shot despite sitting quietly in my corner over here... "Feng shi was wounded by spirit beasts when he was out hunting a few days ago... he had been spending his time recuperating at his residence, so how could he possibly know how strong you are?" Luo Zhao harrumphed. Luo Zhaos words were indeed quite scathing. By saying that Feng shi was hurt by a spirit beast, he was hinting that Hong shi was no different from a vicious beast. "So, he was hurt by a spirit beast? My condolences!" Naturally, Hong shi could tell the insult hidden within the other partys words, but he paid it no heed. He nced at Luo Zhao calmly and said, "There are no clear cuts on his face, mostly swellings from region to region. The swellings on his face carry a tinge of redness amidst gray-this is a sign that zhenqi was harnessed behind the attack. The bridge of his nose is slightly caved in, forming a straight line with his forehead-this is clearly the result of a kick. The slightly redder print that stretched from his ears down to his lips-that is obviously caused by a p... "These wounds are obviously caused by a human, and yet you im that he was done in by a spirit beast..." At this moment, a glint shed across Hong shis eyes as he continued, "Luo shi, may I ask if youre blind? Or have you learnt how to spout barefaced lies?" "You..." Luo Zhaos face reddened, and he nearly fainted then and there. Master teachers possessed exceptional eyesight. There were distinctive differences between the wounds caused by a spirit beast and those caused by a human. The only reason why he said the words that he did was to change the subject and alleviate the awkwardness in the air... Who knew that Hong shi would point them out explicitly and im that he was lying through his teeth... Luo Zhaos entire body trembled in rage, but he couldnt find a single word to say. If he were to im that it was Hong shi who beat him up, the matter regarding them blocking the other partys passageway would be revealed as well... Damn it, hadnt words always been his weakness? When did he be so sharp-tongued? Everyone stared at one another in shock. Hong shi was way too formidable! Chen shi and Luo shi had worked together to corner Hong shi with their words, but they ended up being rendered speechless instead! "What about me? Is there anything wrong with my words? Or could it be that... the spirit beast that caused Feng shis injuries refers to you, and youre feeling angry at having that pointed out by me?" Hong shi replied impassively. "Humph!" Luo Zhao clenched his fists tightly. He was bubbling with rage, but he simply couldnt find the words to refute the other partys usation. "Alright, enough. This is just a casual banquet, theres no need to make things so tense here!" Seeing that Luo Zhao was about to explode from frustration, Chen Yue could only step in to mediate. "Indeed, this is just a banquet. Theres no need to go so far!" Hong shi sipped on his wine. "Damn it..." Seeing Hong shis attitude, Luo shi and Chen shis face darkened. They intended to get back at Hong shi for wreaking havoc at their ce so as to vent their frustrations before the start of the banquet. Who knew that before they could even lift up their legs, they were already kicked in the face? Furthermore, it was the type where their faces were stomped on viciously. The more they thought about it, the more frustrated they became. They quickly turned to the main table to check if they had inadvertently left a bad impression with that genius, but thetter simply continued drinking his wine nonchntly, as though he hadnt heard the quarrel just a moment ago. "Thats good..." Seeing that Wu shi was no paying no heed to their affairs, they heaved a sigh of relief. "For some reason, this fellows tongue is much sharper than before. Theres no benefits to arguing with him. We should wait for the crown prince to arrive first!" Knowing that they would only get more frustrated the more they argued with Hong shi, Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu came to an agreement. And thus, the hall fell silent once more. ... While the group over here were harboring their own thoughts, in one of the courtyards within the Eastern Pce, a well-dressed young man stood patiently as he waited for someone. He seemed to have been standing there for quite some time now, but there wasnt the slightest impatience in his expression. On the contrary, he was smiling instead. If Hong shi were here, he would surely recognize the young man to be the crown prince of Huanyu Empire, Ye Qian! "Damn it, its all that fellows fault! If not for him taking away my Sorrow Severing Grass, I wouldnt be in such a dilemma now... Xing Yuan, have you found out who that guy is?" A furiousint sounded. Following which, a beautiful figure walked into the courtyard. A slightly apologetic voice the sounded. It came from the young man following behind the beautiful figure. It was the Sixth Princess and Xing Yuan whom Zhang Xuan met at the Mystical Treasure Hall earlier. After leaving the Mystical Treasure Hall, the Sixth Princess continued looking around to search for a Sorrow Severing Grass, but despite searching until now, her efforts were in vain. The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. "Six Princess and Senior Xing Yuan!" The crown prince walked forward and bowed. "Oh? Its great that youre here. I have something I need your help on!" Xing Yuan said. "Senior, feel free to instruct me!" Ye Qian hurriedly said. "In the day, Sixth Princess and I met a young man in Mystical Treasure Hall. That young man is in his twenties, and he was walking around with a plump butler. Help me look into his identity and report back to me as soon as theres any result," Xing Yuan instructed. "Yes!" Ye Qian nodded. Even though the other partys description was very vague, considering that they were within Huanyu Capital, it wasnt too difficult for Ye Qian, with his influence as the crown prince, to search for a single person. "Sixth Princess and Senior Xing Yuan, Ill have this done immediately. Also, Ive prepared a banquet for you tonight, and I would like to invite you over. At the same time, you can also meet the freshmen Huanyu Empire will be sending over to the Master Teacher Academy this year..." "Im not interested!" The Sixth Princess waved her hands in annoyance. She was still a proud princess when she left the residence earlier this morning, but by the time she returned, she had be the maid of another man instead. Angry and humiliated, how could she possibly be in the mood to attend a banquet? "This..." Not expecting the Sixth Princess to reject his offer so directly, Ye Qian turned to look at Xing Yuan awkward. "Senior, you..." "Oh, Ill return to my residence first. Ill be there in a moment!" Xing Yuan waved his hands. "Alright!" Seeing that the Sixth Princess was at the peak of her anger, Ye Qian bowed and left the courtyard. He might be the crown prince of Huanyu Empire, but his standing still paled far too much inparison to the princess of Hongyuan Empire. The both of them werent of the same standing at all. It would be a delight if the other party epted his invitation, but even if that wasnt the case, he dared not push his case. Right before he was about to walk out of the courtyard, he heard Xing Yuans voice echoing by his ear, "Sixth Princess is currently at the peak of her rage. Ill talk to her for a bit ande over with herter on!" "Thank you, Senior!" Hearing the other partys promise, Ye Qians eyes lit up. The purpose of this banquet was to wee the Sixth Princess and the others. If they were to skip out on this banquet, it would indeed be embarrassing on his part. "Sixth Princess, calm down. If we still arent able to find a Sorrow Severing Grass, we can always purchase it from the young man back then after Ye Qian uncovers his identity..." After Ye Qian left, Xing Yuan immediately hurried forward to console the Sixth Princess. "This is none of your business!" The Sixth Princess sat down angrily. Standing at the spot, Xing Yuan was at a loss. It didnt feel right for him to stay there, but leaving also felt wrong either. The Sixth Princess had an extremely entric temper that made it difficult for him to court her. She would be fine one moment and throwing a tantrum the next. As fickle as the weather, she often left him feeling puzzled. Honestly speaking, you were the one who agreed to be thatds maid. I tried to persuade you against it, but you simply didnt listen... I even proposed to have him killed, but you turned that down too... And yet, here you are, throwing a tantrum before me and Ye Qian over that matter. What the heck is this? The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. "Yu Fei-er, whats wrong?" Just as Xing Yuan was at aplete loss, footsteps sounded from the outside, and ady excitedly entered the room. There was a bright smile on her face, and she looked as though she was about to skip in joy. "Lady Qiqi, you..." Looking at the other partys expression, Xing Yuan was dumbstruck. Thedy before him, Luo Qiqi, was known for her coldness. She would always keep a distant aura no matter whom she was speaking to. Why would there be such a bright smile on her face today? If those from the academy were to learn that this ice beauty was capable of smiling, would they go insane? "Its nothing!" Only upon hearing Xing Yuans words did Luo Qiqi notice the smile on her face. She swiftly reverted back to her usual cold expression before walking up to the Sixth Princess and asked, "Whats wrong? Who made you so angry?" "I..." Princess Fei-er was just about to speak but she suddenly lifted her gaze to look at Luo Qiqi with a frown. "Actually, Im more interested in what happened to you for you to be so happy." She shared the same thoughts as Xing Yuan. Luo Qiqi had always maintained a nonchnt expression in public. If she recalled correctly, thetter said that she was going to the Apothecary Hall to conduct a lecture. But if that was the case, there should be no reason for her to be so happy. This was contrary to her personality! "What happened to me? Its nothing much..." Recalling Zhang shis dashing figure, a hint of respect gleamed in Luo Qiqis eyes, and her lips subconsciously crept up once more. "Its fine, you should speak first. Im curious to see who can send our Sixth Princess to such a huge rage!" "Its all because of that shameless..." But halfway through her words, Princess Fei-er shook her head and smiled. "Wait, why should I speak first? You should tell me who made our ice beauty Lady Qiqi so happy first!" "I..." Luo Qiqi hesitated for a moment. "Alright, why dont we speak together then!" "Fine!" Princess Fei-er nodded. "Now!" "Its a despicable, shameless, ignorant, and infuriating young rascal!" Princess Fei-er gritted her teeth in resentment. "Its a refined, magnanimous, intelligent, and awe-inspiring young talent!" Luo Qiqi spoke in admiration. Chapter 624: Greeting Gift Chapter 624: Greeting Gift Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing the words of the duo, Xing Yuan felt a little light-headed. The person whom Princess Fei-er met was indeed despicable and shameless, so there was nothing toment about that. However, who in the world did Luo Qiqi met for her to admire the other party so much? In fact... this didnt seem like in admiration but adoration already! "Despicable and shameless? What did he do to make you so angry?" Luo Qiqi asked. "He... Hespletely shameless..." The more Princess Fei-er thought about it, the angrier she became. She quickly recounted the entire matter. "He actually made you his maid?" Hearing Princess Fei-er words, Luo Qiqis mouth widened in disbelief. Who was thedy before her? Hongyuan Empires Sixth Princess, the dear daughter that the emperor doted a lot on. Even Xing Yuan dared not overstep his boundaries before her... and yet someone actually tried to make her his maid... Wasnt that person a little bit too daring? Even if she became your maid, would you daremand her around? Smiling lightly, Luo Qiqi shook her head and said, "Actually, I think that that person is rather formidable. To be able to make our obstinate Princess Fei-er so angry without you retaliating, he must be a person of great capability. "You..." Princess Fei-er pouted. "Fine, continue gloating at my plight. Right, what about that person you spoke of?" "Ah. Today, I went to the Apothecary Hall..." Luo Qiqi came out clean with everything that happened today without any reservations. "Just by looking at your pill forging, he was able to point out more than a hundred ws? Furthermore, he even instructed you to sessfully forge a grade-6 medicine... Th-this... More importantly, hes only in his early twenties? Isnt that way too dashing!" Hearing her bosom friends words, Princess Fei-er widened her eyes in shock. Luo Qiqi was a famous master apothecary across the entire Master Teacher Academy. She would get into the top few cings in every tournament conducted by the Apothecary School. And yet, such a genius had actually pointed out more than a hundred ws in her pill forging? How formidable must that young man be? Putting aside Luo Qiqi, if Princess Fei-er could, she would definitely take the other party to be her teacher as well. "Indeed. I, Luo Qiqi, have never admired anyone ever since I started cultivating. Zhangoshi is the only exception!" Recalling the confident and suave demeanor of that young man, Luo Qiqis lips began creeping up uncontrobly once more. "Hmm, Im also starting to feel a little bit of admiration for the Zhangoshi you spoke of. When can you bring me to meet him? I also want to learn pill forging from him as well!" Princess Fei-er said. "Sure! You should also bring me to meet that fellow you spoke of. Im really interested to see the face of the man who dares have our Princess Fei-er serve as his maid. If he proves to be a mere weakling, Ill help you pummel him until he forgets his own name!" "Un!" The duo chuckled intimately. Seeing that the twodies were chatting happily on and on, Xing Yuan suddenly interjected. "Cough cough. Ladies, Crown Prince Ye Qian has prepared a banquet to wee us, and hes invited some of the geniuses from Huanyu Empire over who will be our juniors very soon. Shall we go over to take a look now?" "Right, theres still the banquet!" Only then did Luo Qiqi recall the matter. "Of course, we should go! However, well need to prepare ourselves first!" "Alright. Since youre going, Ill go as well!" Seeing that her best friend was going, Princess Fei-er also nodded in agreement. After chatting with Luo Qiqi, the anger from before had mostly dissipated. "..." Hearing that thedies needed to prepare themselves, Xing Yuan pped his forehead speechlessly. Without a doubt, thedies preparation would surely be lengthy. It would be hard to tell whether they would be able to make it for the banquet in time now... ... "The crown prince arrives!" While Xing Yuan was staring speechlessly into the sky, Crown Prince Ye Qian arrived at the banquet hall. "Your Highness!" Hong shi and the others immediately stood up and sped their fists. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Ye Qian waved his hands casually as he walked up to the main table. Looking at the young man seated on the table, he greeted with a smile, "Senior Wu Zhen!" "Un!" Wu Zhen nodded. "Where are Xing Yuan and the others?" "The other seniors will be here very soon!" Ye Qian replied. "Alright!" Wu Zhen noted before turning his gaze back to the wine on the table. Thus, Ye Qian turned around to look at the crowd and said, "I believe everyone here should know the purpose why I invited you here!" "Yes!" "We understand!" Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and the others nodded. "Good. First, allow me to introduce Senior Wu Zhen from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to everyone here. Hes a Grade 2 student, a 5-star low-tier master teacher!" Ye Qian introduced. Wu Zhen nodded as a gesture to everyone from his seat. As one of the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, it was normal for him to have such pride. "5-star low-tier?" Hearing the other partys introduction, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Hong shi in bewilderment. Shouldnt master teacher rankings be divided into primary, intermediate, advanced, and pinnacle? What does low-tier mean? "Upon reaching 5-star as a master teacher, progressing through the ranks starts to be extremely difficult!" Hong shi replied telepathically. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Upon bing a 5-star master teacher, one could be considered to have taken the first step to the upper society of the continent. However, at this point, not only would it be difficult for ones cultivation to progress by even a small realm, it would also be difficult to raise ones upation rank as well. "As such, in order to better divide the ranks, from 5-star onward, the sub-ranks of a master teacher are divided into low-tier, middle-tier, and high-tier instead!" Hong shi continued, "This way, the sub-ranks can be corresponded to the cultivation of a master teacher. At Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, Im a 5-star low-tier master teacher. At 7-dan, Ill be a high-tier, and at 8-dan, pinnacle! But of course, the rise in ones cultivation must be apanied with an enhancement in ones eye of discernment or else one wouldnt be qualified for the next tier!" Zhang Xuan came to a realization. From 3-star master teacher onward, the cultivation of a master teacher in a certain rank could range over three different cultivation realms. For example, the minimum requirement to bing a 4-star master teacher was that one had to possess the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. However, one would have to reach Transcendent Mortal 5-dan to be a half 5-star master teacher. In other words, at 2-dan, 3-dan, and 4-dan, one would be considered as a 4-star master teacher. On the other hand, only upon reaching 6-dan would one be considered a full-fledged 5-star master teacher. But of course, cultivation was only one of the criteria. There were a lot of other requirements in y as well. "The grades of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy are divided based on ones master teacher ranking. 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star master teacher freshman will be ced in Grade 1. If they advance to be a full-fledged 5-star master teacher, they will be promoted to Grade 2, and if they be a 5-star middle-tier master teacher, they will be a Grade 3 student... so on and so forth! "There a total of 6 grades in Hongyuan Academy. In other words, even 6-star master teachers could be considered as students!" "6-star master teachers are still students?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. As expected of the Master Teacher Academy, it was indeed formidable. He could already foresee the countless number of geniuses that would be in the academy. He wasnt too interested in the academy at the start, but after hearing this introduction, he started to bear some expectations toward it. Given that it was a ce where so many master teachers were gathered... perhaps, he might just find a solution to the Innate Fetal Poison there! Even if he failed, studying among so many master teachers should also allow his master teacher rank to soar quickly. At the very least, this was much better than him fumbling along alone. "Weve long heard of Wu shis name. A Grade 2 student, you are one of the top geniuses in the academy. Its a privilege for me, Luo Zhao from Qianfeng Empire, to meet you!" Hearing the crown princes introduction, Luo Zhao stood up and greeted with a bright smile. "As the locals here, surely we cant wee you empty-handed... A while ago, when I was out training in the Western Mulberry Fields, I happened to find a few Mulberry Sparrow Seeds. Thus, I thought that I should give them to Wu shi and the other esteemed guests from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to express our goodwill!" Saying so, Luo Zhao flicked his wrist, and a few crimson lotus seed-like objects slowly flew toward Wu Zhen via his zhenqi. "Mulberry Sparrow Seeds? Is this the legendary medicinal herb that only grows by the nest of the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast Heaven Sparrow? Its said that this item can revitalize one upon consumption, and it could augment ones Soul Depth... To give out so many of them at once, what a valuable gift!" "Incredible, these are truly good stuff..." "As expected of the pavilion master of the Qianfeng Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, his generosity is indeed exceptional..." ... Seeing the gift that Luo Zhao gave, everyone was awed. Even Hong shi and Zhang Xuan stared at one another with a deep frown on their foreheads. Mulberry Sparrow Seed was an invaluable treasure. Its worth wasnt beneath that of the Great River Snakes inner core. It seemed like Luo Zhao hade prepared this time around. "That fellow wasntpletely honest..." Hong shis face darkened as he clenched his fists tightly in rage. Earlier today, when he went to wreak havoc at the other partys ce, while the other party did tell him whom the four guests were, they didnt reveal any other details. Thus, he thought that they really didnt know anything. Who could have known that... they would have actually prepared presents beforehand!" Lag a step behind, and one willg every step behind. It was already toote for them to find a gift anymore. "Mulberry Sparrow Seeds? These are indeed valuable. Ill ept it in the stead of the Sixth Princess and the others then!" Being offered such a valuable gift, Wu Zhens eyes lit up. He walked forward and took the seeds. His eyes lit in satisfaction. These Mulberry Sparrow Seeds were extremely rare, and it was troublesome to procure them even in the wealthier Hongyuan Empire. "Since Luo shi has prepared gifts, how could our Zhuyue Empire possiblye empty-handed? Here is the Moonstar Bodhi that I spent ten days in Moundless River to find! I hope that Wu shi can ept this!" With a flick of Chen Yues fingers, four pearl-like objects carrying a warm glow flew toward Wu Zhen. "Moonstar Bodhi? The Moonstar Tree only gathers sufficient essence of the stars and moon to produce one of these seeds once a millennium! The energy it harnessed isparable to the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle spirit beast. If one were to hold in while cultivating constantly, it could allow one to feel the stars, thus expanding the horizons ones mind!" "The value of this object can be said to be equivalent to the Mulberry Sparrow Seeds!" "What do you mean by equivalent? Id say that it exceeds it! Seems like Chen shi came prepared!" "Given how they gave out so many valuable gifts, what about Hong shi?" Seeing how even Chen shi had offered such a valuable gift, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai stared at one another with a deep frown. It seemed like the previous provocation was nothing more than an appetizer, this was the main course. Given that the other party had taken out such valuable gifts, what should Hong shi do? Just as the duo was in the midst of worrying, the swollen-faced Feng Yu also took out a treasure, the value of which wasnt beneath that of the previous two gifts. "Hong shi, this is our first meeting with Wu shi. We have all shown a token of our appreciation, where is yours?" Luo Zhao turned to Hong shi and smiled. Hu! Everyones gaze immediately fell on Hong shi. Chapter 625: Zhang Xuans Indignation Chapter 625: Zhang Xuans Indignation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I..." Hong shis face darkened. He didnt expect that the other party would be so vicious, intentionally bringing out all their treasures first before cornering him. The other three had taken out gifts of extremely high quality, yet he hadnt prepared anything at all. He couldnt take out anything even if he wanted to! While not giving a gift might not have a decisive impact on the slot allocation, granted that everyone had given a gift and he didnt, this might incur Wu shis displeasure and thus the crown princes in turn! Besides, the other party was already clearly mocking him. He couldnt possibly just sit still and allow the other party to ridicule him, right? "Whats wrong? It cant be that you didnt prepare anything at all?" "Are you serious? I told you this afternoon that Wu shi and the others would be attending the banquet, and I thought the reason why you arrivedte was so you could prepare something. Was I mistaken?" "You knew that were meeting esteemed guests and yet you came empty-handed, where are your manners?" Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu gloated upon seeing Hong shis face slowly darkening. They had indeed told Hong shi about the four esteemed guests, but of course, they left out the part regarding the gifts. "Hmm?" As expected, upon hearing the words of the trio, Crown Prince Ye Qian frowned in displeasure. While he didnt think too much of the gifts, he did feel that it was improper for Hongfeng Empire toe empty-handed when the others had brought such valuable gifts. "Ive just arrived today, so the item is still..." Feeling the gazes on him growing more and more intense, and the questioning tone bing sharper and sharper, Hong shis face flushed, stifled. He was just about to say that the gift wasnt ready yet when a nonchnt voice sounded beside him. "Of course, our Hongfeng Empire has prepared our own gift as well..." Hearing those words, Hong shi panicked and hurriedly turned to look at the origin of the voice. It came from the young man sitting beside him, Zhang Xuan. "Zhang shi, I didnt prepare anything at all..." Hong shis face immediately twitched, and he hurriedly sent a telepathic message to stop Zhang Xuan. It was one thing to be mocked for not having prepared anything, but to im that they had prepared something and yet be unable to produce it, that would only be even more embarrassing! One must know that the gifts of the previous three had already set the stage. If they were to take out something that paled in value right now, they would still only be embarrassing themselves. "Oh? Since youve prepared something, why dont you take it out so that we can take a look?" Hearing the one with the lowest cultivation interjecting in their conversation, Luo Zhao harrumphed coldly. "Take it out?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Im afraid that itll be a little difficult now." Hearing that Hongfeng Empire couldnt take out their gift at the moment, Luo Zhao sneered coldly, "Difficult? What do you mean by that? Are you trying to make a fool of His Highness and Wu shi?" Hong shis body also swayed weakly, and he suddenly felt his head spinning. To im that they had prepared a gift and yet be unable to take it out. Big Brother, how do you intend to wrap this up? If they were really unable to produce anything at this point, not only would Wu shi be offended, the crown prince would surely be displeased with them as well. With this, even a fool could tell how the slots for the Cleansing Lake would be distributedter on. The crown prince and Wu shi nced at one another with a deep frown etched on their foreheads. Just the fact that a fellow in his early twenties could get into the top three cing had already left them slightly bewildered. Yet, at this very moment, the very same fellow imed that they had something prepared but couldnt take it out at the moment. This had left them dumbfounded. They had no idea what the other party was up to. The same went for Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan as well. They had been with Hong shi the entire afternoon, and they knew better than anyone whether there was a gift prepared or not. If they couldnt take anything out at this moment, wouldnt that put them in a difficult position? "Im just a humble 4-star master teacher from Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even if someone were to inte my guts, I would dare not to make a fool of Your Highness and Wu shi!" Ignoring the puzzled gazes from the crowd, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly and turned to Luo Zhao. "Luo shi, youve already taken a good look at the gift which Hong shi prepared with great difficulty. Isnt it about time for you to return it?" "Ah?" Stunned, Luo Zhaosplexion immediately darkened. "What did you say? What do you mean by taken a good look? When did I take Hong shis gift?" "I knew that you wouldnt admit to it..." Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He stood up and sped his fist toward the crown prince and Wu shi. "I hope that Your Highness and Wu shi can redress Hong shis grievance!" "Redress Hong shis grievance? As long as you can prove your case, well be more than willing to bring justice to Hong shi!" Instead of the crown prince, Wu shi was the one who chuckled and replied to Zhang Xuans words. "You have my deepest gratitude..." Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Luo Zhao once more. "Since Wu shi has already agreed to redress our grievance... Luo shi, do you dare to match statements with me?" "Match statements? Why would I dare not to?" Seeing how confident the young man before him was, Luo Zhao was stupefied. While he was acquainted with Hong shi, the both of them governed different territories and rarely came into contact. So, how could he have taken the other partys item? Yet, this fellow confidently ran up to the crown prince and Wu shi for them to judge this case. What was he up to? Honestly speaking, even Hong shi himself was feeling a little frenzied at the moment. When did Luo Zhao take my stuff? Why am I not aware of it? "Good!" Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan smiled. "May I confirm if Hong shi went over to your living quarters to look for you earlier today?" "Thats right!" Luo Zhao nodded. Hong shi had walked into his living quarters openly, so it wouldnt be too hard to check on this matter. He wouldnt be able to hide it even if he wanted to. Besides, the other party had onlye to look for him. This couldnt serve as any conclusive evidence that he had taken the other partys gift! "Did you challenge Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation?" Just as Luo Zhao was perplexed as to where this was going, the other partys voice sounded once more. "This... Thats right!" After a moment of hesitation, Luo Zhao nodded. After seeing Hong shi pummeling Feng shi, he felt angry and indignant for Feng shi, so he challenged Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation. Given that a Master Teacher Confrontation required one to activate their emblem through their blood and send a request to the headquarters beforehand, it wouldnt be too difficult to look into the matter. Thus, there was no need to hide it. "Its good that youve admitted to it. I dont have to borate any further then!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan turned to the crown prince and Wu Zhen, and sped his fist. "Luo shi has already admitted to the matter, so I believe I need not continue on!" "What are you talking about? Youd better rify things right now..." Luo Zhao clutched his hair in frenzy. What the heck is this fellow up to? Halfway through the questioning, he simply stops and says that Ive already admitted to the crime, so he needs not speak any further? What in the world have I admitted to... Hong shi was even more lost. Zhang shis jump in logic was simply too big that even he couldntprehend what was going on. "I think itll be best that you rify your words!" Ye Qian and Wu Zhen nced at one another and coughed. "Alright. Since Ive been asked to rify my words, I hope that I wont be punished on the ounts of from insubordination for speaking up against a higher rank master teacher!" At this point, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly brimmed with indignation and wrath, as though he had suffered an indescribable grievance. "Actually, Hong shi told me not to speak of it, but I simply cant watch quietly as he is getting wronged..." "Ah?" Hong shi widened his eyes in shock. I told you not to speak of it? Speak of what? "Hong shi is a kind and honest person who is weak with words. For the sake of Huanyu Empires reputation, he intended to keep the matter a secret. However, as his junior, I cant watch quietly as he gets wronged like this..." Zhang Xuan continued. Hearing those words, Wu Zhens face twitched. Kind and honest, I cant really say anything about that... but weak with words? You are clearly lying through your teeth! Its not like I didnt see how Luo Zhao and the others nearly fainted from anger just now. On the other hand, Luo Zhao was trembling in fury. The more he listened the young mans words, the more furious he became. Eventually, his rage hit the point of eruption. "Stop pulling out all of this nonsense and get straight to the point!" "Fine, if you say so..." As if mustering his determination and courage, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth in indignation and said, "Earlier this afternoon, Hong shi went over to discuss some things with the other three pavilion masters. However, not only did the three of them coborate with one another to beat Hong shi up... they even stole the gift he prepared beforehand!" "Th-the heck! What did you say? We beat Hong shi up?" Luo Zhao staggered and nearly spewed blood. Beat your head! Hong shi rejected my Master Teacher Confrontation, remember? Besides, when did we coborate to beat him up? Not to mention, steal his gift? Steal your head! Even if you want to lie, at least choose something more believable than this! Three master teachers beating up another in the courtyard... Do you think that we are some kind of ruffians? Not giving Luo Zhao a chance to exin himself, Zhang Xuan pushed on. "Since you wont admit to it, let me ask you. Earlier this afternoon, not only did you challenge Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation, Feng shi also did the same as well, am I right?" "This..." Luo Zhao was taken aback. "The both of them did fight one another in a Master Teacher Confrontation, but..." Feng shi did fight one another in a Master Teacher Confrontation... but it was a one-sided pummeling from Hong shis side, alright? "But what? Just the fact that the battle happened proves everything!" Zhang Xuan uttered furiously, "Hong shi and Feng shi are both 5-star low-tier master teachers, Transcendent Mortal 6-dan primary stage cultivators... I believe no one here has any qualms in agreeing that theyre equally matched, right?" The crowd nodded. As fellow master teachers of the same cultivation realm, there was indeed not much of a disparity in their fighting prowess. "Given that they are of equal cultivation and had undergone a Master Teacher Confrontation, and looking at how badly Feng shi was beaten up, how well do you think Hong shi would fare?" Zhang Xuan questioned on. The crown prince and Wu Zhen suddenly froze. "Luo shi, let me ask you again. After Hong shi and Feng shi fought with one another, did you immediately apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation? And did Hong shi say that he had suffered grievous wounds, and he wont be capable of fighting for the next ten years or words simr to that?" Zhang Xuan pressured on. "He did say such words but..." Luo Zhao froze once more. He tried to exin himself, but he found himself interrupted by the young man once again. "How gravely injured must a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan cultivator, be to be unable to fight with anyone for the next ten years?" The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the more agitated he became. "But even so, Luo shi still insisted on challenging Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation... How could Hong shi possibly be a match for him under such a state? Naturally, the gift that he prepared in his storage ring ended up being taken away as well..." At this point, Zhang Xuan looked so angry that if he were to continue speaking, indignant tears might just start flowing from his eyes. "Screw you... When did I beat him up and take his gift? You better stop lying..." Luo Zhaos body swayed weakly, and he nearly burst into tears. It was obvious that Hong shi was the one who went over to beat Feng shi up! How did it suddenly turn into Feng shi and Hong shi being equally injured in a duel, and I became a despicable person who struck in his time of weakness? Not to mention, I even took his stuff on top of that... Is your mouth capable of uttering even the slightest truth? To be lying tantly like that, are you certain you are a master teacher? Wheres your pride? R Chapter 626: Luo Zhao on the Verge of Insanity Chapter 626: Luo Zhao on the Verge of Insanity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Chen Yue and Feng Yus lips were also twitching uncontrobly. Only the four of them were present and knew what had happened. Even before the duel between Feng shi and Hong shi, Feng shi was already incapacitated to the point that he was on the verge of death. How could he possibly be capable of fighting? How in the world did it turn into a match between equals? As for Luo shi beating Hong shi up, after Hong shi said that he was grievously injured, Luo shi didnt make a move at all... On the other hand, seeing how indignant Zhang Xuan was as he depicted the situation back then, he suddenly fell into a daze... Was I really beaten up by Luo shi? Could I have suffered a concussion and forgotten about it? "Stop spouting nonsense! The rest of us can testify that was not what happened then. Feng shi was already injured then..." Unable hold himself back any longer, Chen Yue intervened. As though knowing that the other party would retaliate through such words, Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves and refuted, "Feng shi was already injured then? Since you im that to be the case, I would like to ask about how Feng shi was injured, who was the one who beat him up? After all, its a major affair for a 5-star master teacher to be so severely injured. Surely there must be a report on the matter?" "This..." Cold sweat began dripping down Chen Yues head. "Perhaps I might have remembered wrongly..." Feng shis action in stopping Hong shis passageway was contrary to the master teacher moral code in the first ce, not to mention, he failed shamefully and crashed to the ground, nearly dying in the process... No matter what, this matter mustnt be made known. Otherwise, Feng shi would be a goner. But if they didnt reveal this matter, what else could they say? After all, earlier this morning, when they met with the crown prince, Feng shi was still perfectly fine. Yet, a few hourster, he was turned into a mummy... There was no other exnation they could offer that would be more logical than Zhang Xuans! "Are you trying to back on your words now that you cant find any other excuse?" Zhang Xuan ranted furiously, as though he would only be content if he burned the surroundings down. "Nevertheless, Wu shi can testify that the three of you banded together to work against Hong shi. As such, surely it wont be too shocking for you to be speaking up for your ally now? This really brings the authenticity of your words into question!" "This..." Chen Yues cheeks trembled in anger. Even though Wu shi was drinking then, there was no doubt that he had seen how the three of them banded against Hong shi earlier. It was toote for them to refute it now... "Since thats the case, Ill have to ask Feng shi and Chen shi to remain silent on this matter!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Furious, Chen Yue was just about to speak up to refute Zhang Xuans words when the crown prince suddenly interjected, "Enough, the two of you should back down for now. Allow this young man to finish his piece first!" Even from the gift presentation just a moment ago, the trio was clearly working together to corner Hong shi. A person of the crown princes caliber couldnt possibly have neglected this. Since it was established that the three of them were working together, their words had lost credibility. "Thank you, Your Highness!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Hong shi arrived in the banquet hall slightlyter because he was in the midst of recuperating from his injuries from the previous fight. Yet, the other three pavilion masters ganged up against him and used him for a breach of etiquette. Wu shi can testify to my words!" "He isnt lying!" Wu shi nodded. "Wu shi, I thank you for speaking up for us." After which, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the crown prince and sped his fist. "After beating Hong shi up and stealing his gift, they intentionally caused a scene here so as to make Hongfeng Empire lose their slots. Now that the facts are in ce, I ask of Your Highness to bring justice to the matter!" The crown prince looked at Zhang Xuan and said, "Your argument is rational, and I am more than willing to redress your grievances... However, Ill need to verify the matter first. For this, I would like to confirm what kind of gift you have brought." As the crown prince of an empire and a half 5-star master teacher, he was no fool. While there was no logical w in the argument of the young man before him, and Luo Zhao had admitted to many of the affairs personally, he still found it hard to believe that three 5-star master teachers would actually resort to stealing the gift of a peer of theirs. "Indeed! You said that I took Hong Qians gift, but what exactly did I take? If you cant say it, that would be equivalent to falsely using a higher ranked master teacher. If proven guilty, you would be stripped of your master teacher license or even sentenced to death..." Hearing those words, Luo Zhaos eyes immediately lit up. As the saying goes, catch an adultery in a pair, catch a thief by his loot. Since you imed that I took Hong shis item, why dont you tell me what I took? Once your words are proven false... lets see how youll deal with that! Just the sentence of a 4-star master teacher ndering a 5-star master teacher is sufficient to seal your doom! "Ive seen plenty of shameless people before, but Ive never seen one as shameless as you! Its one thing for you to not admit to taking the item of another, but to spout such righteous words on top of that... Since thats the case, Ill make sure you concede willingly!" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan turned to Hong shi and said, "Hong shi, Ill have to trouble you on this matter!" "Trouble me?" Hong shi suddenly jolted upon hearing Zhang Xuan calling him. "Zhang shi, feel free to speak..." At this moment, he waspletely awed by the fellow before him. The mouth of this fellow could probably turn even a corpse into a living being, a living being into a deity... They camete due to waiting for this fellow, but through the other partys words, it somehow turned into him recuperating from his injuries... The fellow even managed to incorporate it into the nonsense he rambled earlier on. What was even more amazing was that he even managed to form aplete story without the slightest disharmony! Even he, the person in question, couldnt help but admit that there were no ws to the story. To be able to craft such a thorough story, could this fellow have already thought so far when he advised him on the matter regarding how he should deal with Luo shi and the others? If that was really the case... then the other party would be an extremely fearsome figure! "What you have to do is simple, you just have to..." This time, Zhang Xuan was speaking to Hong shi telepathically. "You want me to..." Hearing the other partys words, Hong shi widened his eyes in shock. "Un, go on. Whether well be able to tear off their masks or not will depend on Hong shi!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. "Go? Go your head..." Recalling the words, the other party sent to him telepathically, Hong shis body staggered, and he nearly burst into tears. Are you sure you arent trying to have me killed instead... Seeing the dilemma on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan consoled him. "Dont worry. Try recalling the duel between Ruohuan gongzi and Qin Lei, and youll understand what Im up to!" "Ruohuan gongzi and Qin Lei?" Hong shi suddenly froze. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for Ruohuan gongzi to advance to the top eight. Given that his opponent was Qin Lei, even Hong shi thought that he had no chance at victory. Yet... After Ruohuan gongzi threw a bowl of meat soup on Qin Lei, he suddenly made aplete turnaround... He couldnt help but be mystified whenever he recalled the matter. But from the looks of it, there was no doubt that this fellow was involved in it. But nevertheless, what he was going to do now was indeed simr to what Ruohuan gongzi did back then. "Alright!" Knowing that this was for their group, after a moment of hesitation, Hong shi gritted his teeth, stood up, and started walking over to Luo shi. "What are you up to now?" Luo Zhao was perplexed. Instead of revealing what he took from Hong shi, why was he sending Hong shi up to him instead? "There is something I need to trouble Luo shi on, so I seek for your cooperation!" Hong shi sped his fist earnestly and replied. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan lifted up a wine ss and sipped on it nonchntly, paying no heed to the happenings around him. "Cooperate? Why should I cooperate with you?" Luo Zhao gritted his teeth. You used me of doing something I havent done, and now you want me to cooperate with you? Why should I? Should I just allow you to hurl more mud at me? "If you dont cooperate, it can only mean that you have a guilty conscience. Rest assured, if youre truly innocent, we cant possibly frame you for something you havent done!" Hong shi replied. Hearing the other partys words, Luo shi knew that he would only look even more doubtful if he refused to cooperate. Thus, gritting his teeth, he conceded. "Fine, Ill cooperate then. What do you want me to do?" You want me to cooperate? Fine! Lets see what you can do then. In any case, as long as you cant reveal what item Ive taken from you, youre doomed. My victory is already assured. "Stand up and ce your hands behind your back!" Hong shi said. "Humph!" Even though Luo Zhao was on the verge of exploding with anger, he still stood up and ced his hands behind his back. "Right, this is the correct position. Maintain it and dont move..." Hong shi adjusted the other partys position for a little bit before walking up to the other partys face. Then, he suddenly raised his palm and pped the other party. Pah! A crisp sound echoed loudly in across the banquet hall. "What?" The crown prince was stunned. Wu shi was stupefied. Everyone was dumbfounded. This... is the cooperation you spoke of? Maintaining his position just so you can p his face? "Screw you! Hong Qian, Ill kill you..." Luo Zhao was stunned momentarily before immense rage gushed through his entire body. This p had left him light-headed and knocked out three of his teeth. He would really be a pushover if he didnt retaliate now. I was thinking why you wanted me to stand in position, but in the end, it turned out that it was just so that you could better p me... Hong Qian, I, Luo Zhao, swear that Ill kill you... Luo Zhao waspletely clouded with rage. Ignoring the crown prince and Wu shi, he immediately raised his palm and struck it down toward Hong Qian. Hu! Furious wind gushed into the surroundings, and the sheer force of the palm distorted even space itself. As a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan master teacher, his eye of discernment and fighting prowess had already reached an astounding level. If he were to move with his full might, even a mountain could be crushed to smithereens easily, needless to say, a man. Hu! However, his attacknded on thin air. Looking around, he realized that unknowingly, Hong shi, who had just pped him, had already returned to his seat and was currently holding onto a ss of wine with a leisurely expression, as if nothing had happened at all. "Youre dead..." Luo Zhao bellowed with crimson eyes. When had he suffered such immense humiliation ever since he became a master teacher? To actually be positioned well before being pped... Could there be anything more darned than this? He was about to charge forward to destroy the man who had just insulted him when the young man from before suddenly roared righteously, "Enough, Luo shi! This is the pce of the crown prince, not your own home. What do you mean by disying your aggression here?" Luo Zhao nearly burst into tears. You are only recalling that this is the crown princes pce now? And yet you still allowed Hong Qian that rascal to knock out my teeth? The one who had suffered injustice was me, what rights do you have to be uttering such self-righteous words... you arent the one who got hit... In the midst of exploding with anger, Luo Zhao turned to Wu shi and the crown prince and bowed. "I cannot tolerate the insult from Hong Qian any longer. I beseech you to allow me to challenge him to a Life-and-Death Duel..." But once again, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted. "Your Highness and Wu shi, didnt you ask me what item he had stolen from Hong shi? Ill write it down now so that no one can use me of lying!" Following which, Zhang Xuan immediately took out a brush, ink b, and paper, and began writing on it. Chapter 627: What Else Do You Have to Say? Chapter 627: What Else Do You Have to Say? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Write it down now?" The crown prince nodded. It was indeed best for it to be written on paper. This way, there would be concrete evidence regardless of the oue. Through this, he would be able to confirm whether the three 5-star master teachers really did steal Hong shis item or not. "Alright, Id like to see what youll write. Once its proven that youre nothing more than a liar, not only will I have a Life-and-Death Duel with Hong Qian, Ill also kill you afterward..." Luo Zhao bellowed furiously. At this point, there was no longer any aspect of him that resembled a master teacher. Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai nced at one another with twitching lips. Honestly speaking, if they were in Luo Zhaos shoes, their string of rationality would have long snapped. To be toyed by another like this, they would already be impressed with themselves if they could curb their urge to murder the other party. "Kill me?" Ignoring the other partys bellows, Zhang Xuan continued writing on the paper. A momentter, he kept his writing tools and passed the paper over to the crown prince and Wu shi. The duo took a look at it and froze for a moment. After which, the crown prince put away the paper before turning to Luo Zhao. "Luo shi, can we take a look at your storage ring?" "Of course, Ive nothing to hide!" Luo Zhao had no idea what was written on the paper, but since he didnt take anything, he had absolute confidence in this matter. Thus, he didnt fear others checking his storage ring. He took off his storage ring, dispelled the ownership status on the ring, and passed it over. Grabbing the ring, the crown prince scanned the contents, and not too longter, he flicked his wrist and took out a gourd. "Luo shi, what is this?" Looking at the item the other party took out, Luo Zhao sped his fist and said, "Your Highness, Im very fond of wine, and this is a bottle of top-notch wine that Ive collected!" "Wine?" The crown prince looked at him questioningly. "Are you certain?" "Reporting to Your Highness, its indeed wine! Im certain." Luo Zhao nodded. "Alright!" The crown prince pried open the lid, and a dense aroma of wine immediately wafted in the room. "What a strong wine aroma!" "Its indeed wine... Could it be that Luo shi took a bottle of wine?" "But is there any point to it? Even if the wine possesses exceptional taste, its still just a mere beverage. How much could it possibly cost?" "Youre right. Lets just watch on for now!" ... Smelling the deep wine aroma in the air, everyone was perplexed. It couldnt be that they had gone through so much trouble tonight just because Luo shi took a bottle of wine from Hong shi? What a cultivator valued primarily were naturally their cultivation, and to that end, pills, mystical artifacts, spirit stones, and the sort... On the contrary, their appetite for fine food gradually dampened over time. A refined wine it may be, but it wouldnt be worthy of a 5-star master teacher going so far for it. "Is this it?" The crown prince turned to the young man standing not too far away. "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Hearing thetter confirm the matter, both the crown prince and Wu shi nced at one another in confusion. "But this is merely wine, right?" When they opened the bottle, they took a look and confirmed that it was wine. This was something very much different from what the young man wrote. "Theres no need to panic. Itll be easy to confirm whether its what Ive written or not!" Standing up, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings and eventually, his gaze fell on Feng Yu. "Feng shi, may I trouble you for something?" "No..." rmed, Feng Yu quickly shook his head and cowered backward. Trouble me? You must be kidding! You still arent content with causing me such grievous injury? The first time I met you, I fell from the skies. Afterward, I was beaten up by Hong shi... Even if I were to put all that aside, just a moment ago Hong shi approached Luo shi for help and pped him... If I were to fall for your ploy after all of these, I must really be dumb! "Dont worry, this will be something beneficial to you..." Seeing how Feng shi was on the verge of fainting after hearing that he needed his help, Zhang Xuan was speechless. I am really doing this out of goodwill, is there a need for you to be so scared... Im a master teacher, not a demon! Why do you make my request seem as though making a contract with the devil? "It matters not whether it is beneficial or not!" Feng shi shook his head profusely. "Alright, fine then..." Seeing how the other party refused to ept his goodwill out of suspicion, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings once more and eventually, his gaze fell on Bi Jianghai. "Bi shi,e over..." "I..." Bi Jianghais mouth twitched, and he nearly burst into tears. How in the world have I offended you? All I did was boast a little before you during the finals, right? Surely you need not hold a grudge for so long! Seeing the other partys expression, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. "Dont worry, I just want you to prove that this isnt just wine!" "Fine!" Clenching his jaws, Bi Jianghai stepped forward. Seeing that the other party was in position, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Following which, he flicked his wrist and whipped out a dagger. "Come, stretch out your arm!" Bi Jianghai swallowed a mouthful of saliva before slowly raising his arm up. "Good!" With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the dagger stabbed right into Bi Jianghais arm. "AHHH!" A scream of agony echoed through the hall, and Bi Jianghais body began to tremble. He nearly went insane on the spot. He knew that it couldnt be anything good, but he never expected to have a dagger stabbed into him... Watching as crimson blood flowed freely out of his arm, tears streamed down his face. He was already regretting dearly for listening to the words of the God of Destruction. If he had known earlier, he would have surely yed dead. "I knew that it would be something bad..." Seeing this sight, Feng Yu heaved a sigh of relief. His history with this young man had deeply ingrained in him the idea that nothing good woulde out from the association with thetter. Watching as blood flowed profusely out of the stabbed arm, he suddenly felt this was the wisest decision he had made in his life. "Dont panic!" Seeing Bi Jianghai twitching uncontrobly due to anxiety, Zhang Xuan quickly calmed him down before turning to the crown prince. "Ill be troubling Your Highness and Wu shi!" "Un!" The crown prince nodded his head and passed the wine gourd over. Grabbing the gourd, Zhang Xuan swirled it slightly as he turned to Luo Zhao and asked, "Luo shi, Ill ask you onest time. Are you certain that what is inside here is wine?" "Yes, its definitely wine!" Luo Zhao nodded confidently. "Alright then!" Not bothering to exin, with his left hand holding the wine gourd and right hand on the dagger stabbed into Bi Jianghais arm, Zhang Xuan slowly pulled the dagger out. Tzzzzzz! As the dagger was drawn out, blood immediately spurted wildly from the wound, reminiscent of a fountain. Bi Jianghais face immediately paled, and he could feel the sight before him blurring. Even though he was only stabbed in the arm, the intense pain was still difficult for him to bear. "Hold on!" Seeing the other partys pained expression, Zhang Xuan quickly poured the content of the gourd onto the wound. Tzzzzzzz! As soon as the wine came into contact with the wound, an intense reaction immediately urred. The muscle that was torn by the dagger healed at a pace visible to the eye, and in just a short moment, the wound had disappeared altogether, as though the injury had never happened. "This..." "Could this not be wine but a Saint recovery medicine?" "Indeed! Only a Saint medicine could possibly heal a wound so quickly..." Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment, but soon, it was reced with envy. There was no cultivator who would never be injured, and thus, recovery medicine was an essential that everyone had to carry along with them. However, despite how expensive the typical recovery medicine was, it would still require days for a wound to heal back to its original condition. Otherwise, Feng shi wouldnt havee to the banquet with a swollen face. On the other hand, this recovery medicine actually immediately healed such a ring wound upon contact. Furthermore, not even the slightest scar was left behind... This was way too fearsome! Probably only the legendary Saint medicine could harness such effectiveness! "My wound..." Bi Jianghai thought that the gaping injury would take at least half a month of recuperation to recover from. He had never thought that just a few drops of the wine would bring his arm back to its original condition. Thus, the scene before him had left his eyes widened in disbelief. Wasnt this a little bit too formidable? While Bi Jianghai was stunned in shock, the previously gleeful Feng shi clutched his chest as he found himself unable to catch his breath. He felt so regretful that even his intestines were turning green. It turned out that the fellow was inviting him up to test this Saint medicine. If only he had known, he would have surely rushed up in an instant, and the injuries he had sustained would have disappeared in an instant... "Alright, Im done proving my point. Ill leave it to Your Highness and Wu shi to judge the matter!" Ignoring everyones shock, Zhang Xuan ced the gourd back on the table and sped his fists toward the crown prince and Wu shi before walking back to the Hongfeng Empire party. "Luo shi, the wine that you spoke of turned out to be a Saint recovery medicine instead... Why dont you exin yourself?" The crown prince turned to look at Luo Zhao impassively. "I..." Luo Zhao staggered, and his mouth twitched uncontrobly. "If I say that... that gourd is really filled with wine, will you believe me?" He was really on the verge of going insane already. He loved wine nearly as much as his own life, many people knew of this. As such, he filled this wine gourd with the wine he loved the most and carried it around with him... When in the world did it be a Saint recovery medicine? "You still want to deny it at this point?" The crown prince smacked the table in rage. Everyone had seen the effects of the wine for themselves, and you still wish to deny the matter? Do you take me for a fool? "Chen shi, Ill trouble you to read what is on this paper!" Turning his gaze away from Luo shi, he threw the paper that Zhang Xuan had just written on to Chen Yue. "Yes!" Taking the paper, Chen Yue unfolded it and began reading aloud. "Luo shi took the recovery medicinal wine that Hong shi went to great lengths to obtain. This medicinal wine is particrly effective on physical wounds. With just a few drops, ordinary wounds are healed instantly..." The further Chen Yue read, the paler his face became. The crown prince turned his gaze back to Luo Zhao and questioned, "What words do you have to say?" "I..." Luo Zhao vision turned dark. It was already a checkmate, what else could he say? "If you didnt steal it, how could Zhang shi know that its a medicinal wine and even know of its properties?" The crown prince pushed on. Luo Zhao felt frenzied. He had no idea what was going on anymore. A thought suddenly shed across Luo Zhaos mind, and he red at Zhang Xuan in savagery. "Its all your doing!" It must be this fellows doing that his wine turned into a Saint recovery medicine... There was no one else but him! Toward the other partys furious howl, Zhang Xuan replied withposure, "This gourd of medicinal wine is the gift that Hong shi prepared for Wu shi and the others, but you ended up stealing it instead... Its fortunate that Hong shi left a portion of it with me in case of emergency. That was why he was able to recover so quickly and arrive at the banquet hall unscathed..." "I see!" Only then did everyonee to a realization. They had been wondering how Hong shi could bepletely fine after the Master Teacher Confrontation when Feng shi was so heavily injured. It turned out that the other party had prepared a spare portion in case of emergency. With this, all of the puzzles pieces fitted snugly together. "Luo Zhao, what else do you have to say?" The crown prince looked at Luo Zhao with deep disappointment reflected in his eyes. Chapter 628: Rules for the Distribution of Slots Chapter 628: Rules for the Distribution of Slots Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I... have nothing to say about this matter!" After a long moment of thought, all of Luo Zhaos words were eventually reduced to a long sigh. He really couldnt make sense of what had happened. Stored within the gourd was the Thousand Cups Drunk he had his apprentice buy from the Fragrant Sedge Brewery. Who could have known that it would suddenly turn into a Saint recovery medicine! There was nothing he could say that could salvage the situation anymore. If he were to im that he didnt take the other partys item, he couldnt exin how the other partys medicinal wine was in his storage ring. But if he were to admit to it... the deep indignation he felt simply wouldnt allow it. One must know that master teachers do care about their reputation. While he did attempt to corner Hong shi verbally, he had never gotten physical with thetter... so how could he have ever taken thetters item? Not to mention, such a valuable medicinal wine! Knowing what the other party was thinking about, Zhang Xuan spoke casually. "You need not feel wronged. If you think that were framing you, we still have a spare cup of medicinal wine left after treating Hong shis wounds. I can show it to you once more!" With a flick of his wrist, he took out a wine cup. The deep aroma of the wine cup gradually wafted across the banquet hall. "Is there anyone who is willing to try the effects of this cup of wine?" Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings. "Allow me..." Feng Yu stood up excitedly. Zhang Xuan turned to the young man beside him and said, "Ah, Bi shi, I think itll be best for you to go again!" "..." Feng Yu. "Cough cough!" Bi Jianghai, who was in the midst of drinking his wine, nearly choked to death. With a helpless expression, he stood up and said, "Ill do it myself!" After which, using his finger as a sword, he hurled a surge of zhenqi at his arm, producing a deep cut. Blood immediately started flowing down the wound. With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan poured the wine in the cup onto the wound. Tzzzzz! A few breathster, the wound healed, leaving no scars behind. The effects were exactly the same as before. "Your Highness and Wu shi, this can prove our case, right?" After all was done, Zhang Xuan turned to the duo and sped his fist. "Of course!" Ye Qian nodded. Considering how the young man was able to identify the item within the other partys storage ring and take out another with the exact same effects, the evidence was conclusive. "Despite being a 5-star master teacher, you actually snatched the possession of another. This is unpardonable!" Ye Qian flung his sleeves and stared at Luo Zhao in anger and disgust. He had always felt deep respect for the pavilion masters from the Vassal States, but who could have known that they would actually do this kind of underhanded stuff? He felt repulsed. "Hong shi and Zhang shi, I apologize for the behavior of a master teacher under us. May I know... how do you intend to deal with this?" He had heard Hong shi addressing the young man earlier as Zhang shi. Hong shi sped his fist and said, "Today is a joyous asion, and I dont wish to cause any trouble or disharmony. As long as he hands over the gourd of medicinal wine, I hope to let the matter rest just like that!" "I share the same thoughts as Hong shi!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Let the matter rest?" Everyone was stunned. Given how Luo Zhao tried to corner them verbally earlier, they thought that the Hongfeng party would surely make things difficult for him through the hands of the crown prince. If this case were to be reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion, there was a good chance that Luo Zhao could even lose his master teacher license. Who knew that they would actually be willing to let the matter rest with just Luo Zhao handing over the medicinal wine... What kind of magnanimity was this? Youre both 5-star master teachers, and yet you keep trying to put down the other party at every opportunity. On the other hand, the other party is on the moral high ground and yet he remains humble and magnanimous! Even the crown prince and Wu shi couldnt help but be impressed by Hong shi and Zhang Xuans attitude. "Luo shi, did you hear that? Are you going to return the medicinal wine, or are you going to continue keeping it for yourself?" The crown prince nced at Luo Zhao. "I-Ill return it!" Luo Zhao was slightly stunned. He thought that given how the other party sessfully framed him, they would make use of this opportunity to corner him and have him fall from grace. Who could have known that he would suddenly be let off the hook? "Alright. Wu shi, this will be Hongfeng Empires gift to you!" Hong shi sped his fist and presented the medicinal wine to Wu Zhen. "This..." Agitation rippled within Wu Zhens eyes as he nodded his head. "Ill thank Hong shi in Sixth Princesss stead!" This was a Saint recovery medicine! Regardless of the size of the wound, with just a few drops, one would be as good as new. This could potentially save their lives one day! "Its just a humble gesture on our part!" Hong Qian sped his fist and returned to his seat. He turned his gaze to the young man beside him, and the intrigue in his eyes deepened. Under Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yus cornering, he was already prepared to make a fool out of himself. Who could have known that Zhang shi would suddenly appear and turn the tables around? Not only so, Luo Zhao even nearly broke down in the process. He knew better than anyone whether Luo Zhao had taken his item or not... but somehow, everything just somehow fell into ce, and Luo Zhao ended up being deemed guilty. "Zhang shi, the matter just now..." Unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he sent a telepathic message to thetter. "Oh, its just a little trick. Teacher taught me, its nothing much!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The previous matter was clearly a ploy that Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu prepared to trap and embarrass Hong shi. If they were to seed, the chances were that they would have lost the slots for the Cleansing Lake. Thus, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to step forward. As for the medicinal wine, he had Hong shi provoke Luo Zhao into making a move, and the Library of Heavens Path reflected that thetter was a habitual drinker. Through this, it wasnt too hard to deduce that thetter had wine in his storage ring. Actually, what was in the gourd was indeed ordinary wine. The only reason why it could heal wounds was due to him infusing a few surges of zhenqi into the wine while swirling it. The Heavens Path zhenqi had no color or odor. Even a 6-star master teacher would hardly notice it amidst the overpowering alcoholic aroma, needless to say, the crowd here. Naturally, Hong shi sparing the other party was also his intention as well. Expelling a 5-star master teacher was a major affair. The headquarters would surely send someone down to look into the matter. Zhang Xuan might be able to fool the crowd here, but if a thorough investigation was conducted, there was a good chance that something might go awry. This was especially so if the origin of the medicinal wine were to be questioned. He couldnt possibly make Yang shi appear for every single matter, right? Besides, Luo Zhaos actions didnt warrant for such extreme punishment as well. Since that was the case, he might as well drop the matter and win a good impression from the crown prince and the others instead. Since he had already achieved his goal, there was no need to drive a cornered man up the wall. Knowing that Yang shi was behind the matter, Hong shi scratched his head and dropped the matter. Given that an advanced master teacher like Yang shi was involved in the matter, it was unadvisable for him to pry any deeper. Since that was the case, he might as well drop the matter. ... "I thank everyone for their gifts. Other than to wee Wu shi and the others to Huanyu Empire, theres also another matter we need to settle at the banquet tonight. I believe I need not point out what it is." Knowing that he would only sully the name of Huanyu Empire if he were to continue pursuing this matter, Crown Prince Ye Qian decided to change the topic. "Yes!" Hearing that the main show wasing up next, everyone straightened their figure, and a graveness surfaced on their face. There were two purposes to the banquet tonight. One was to allow the freshmen of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to be acquainted with their seniors while the second was to determine the distribution of slots. For the weing... in the end, only Wu shi was present, and after such a matter had happened, it would be awkward to have them interact now. Since that was the case, the crown prince decided to move on the matter regarding the distribution of slots. Perhaps, he could reverse the negative image that Wu shi had of Huanyu Empire through this. "The Cleansing Lake is the foundation of our Huanyu Empire, and it possesses exceptional effects on Consonant Spirit realm experts. The reason why everyone here went through so many tests and traveled all the way here is naturally to enter the Cleansing Lake to cultivate!" Ye Qian smiled. "However, due to somepelling circumstances, Huanyu Empire will have to take three slots from the rest of you!" "I know that these slots are extremely important, so I invited you over to discuss this matter. I hope that you cane to an agreement on a feasible method to distribute the slots without sullying the harmony among us before the Cleansing Lake opens." "Well follow Your Highnesss judgment!" The crowd sped their fists. "Since this matter concerns the slots for the Cleansing Lake, I dare not make a decision for you all on my own. Thus, I suggest we discuss this matter together!" Ye Qian said. After a moment of silence, Chen Yue stood up and spoke. "Your Highness, if the contribution of three slots were to be divided among the four Vassal States, three of the Vassal States would have to lose a slot. I fear that this might lead to discontent and disagreement amongst us. Thus, I have a suggestion to propose, but Im not too sure whether itll be appropriate!" "Feel free to speak!" Ye Qian gestured. "Since each Vassal State happens to have three slots as well, why dont we arrange it such that the representatives of each empire form a team each, and the team in thest ce for thepetition well be having... will lose all of its slots!" Chen Yue spoke his thoughts. "As for the format of thepetition, I propose that since the top three rankers of the respective Master Teacher Tournaments held in each of the Vassal States are here, why dont we have them fight against one another? Naturally, the victor will be determined by two out of three wins! In other words, each Vassal State will send out one representative to fight at a time, and the side to win two matches will be the victor... whereas the losing side will be eliminated!" "I agree with Chen shis proposal! Since the slots are closely linked to their own benefits, they would have to do their best in the duels. If they were to lose, they only have themselves to me for theirck of proficiency." Feng Yu spoke up. "I agree with it as well!" Luo Zhao nodded in agreement. "To fight for ones own rights, this is aligned with the master teachers value of tenacity!" Wu Zhen nodded. After a moment of thought, Ye Qian also nodded in approval. "Good!" Honestly speaking, Chen Yues suggestion was not bad. With each empire forming a team together, they could spark the camaraderie among fellow cultivators and forge the spirit of working alongside one another against enemies. "But if apetition is to be held, what will be the content?" Ye Qian asked. "I have also given this matter some thought as well!" Chen Yue smiled as he continued. "Since itll be a battle among master teachers, taking on a format simr to that of the Master Teacher Tournament would be appropriate. However, that would be tooplex and troublesome to arrange. Since thats the case, why dont we limit it to just cultivation duels? Since the Cleansing Lake is beneficial to ones cultivation, one should prove that one is worthy of it through ones own strength. I believe that this is the most efficient and direct way to determine the distribution of the slots!" "Indeed, a duel would be the best!" "This saves a lot of trouble as well." Feng Yu and Luo Zhao chirped in agreement. "Humph!" Hearing those words, Hong shi and Zhang Xuan nced at one another. They would be a fool if they still couldnt understand the intentions of the trio at this point. The top three rankers of the other three Vassal States had already consumed a Consonant Spirit Pill each, inducing a huge rise in their cultivation. Even the weakest of them was a small cultivation realm stronger than Luo Xuan. How could their team possibly be a match for them in a cultivation duel? Even if the monster, Zhang Xuan, could face them, everyone could only fight in a match each. Considering how the victor was determined by the best out of three duels... if Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan lost, they would still lose their slots. It seemed like the other party had a backup n in case their interception failed. Shameless! Chapter 629: One-Sided Pummeling Chapter 629: One-Sided Pummeling Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The Cleansing Lake nourishes ones soul, thus making it highly beneficial toward ones cultivation. Its indeed apt to determine the slots based on a cultivation duel!" After a moment of contemtion, Ye Qian nodded and said, "Alright, cultivation duel itll be then. Each Vassal State will form a team each, and the victor will be decided based on the best out of three! However, this will be a friendly duel, so show some restraint. If one side admits defeat, the fight is to be stopped immediately. Theres no need to go so far for a simple duel..." "Your Highness, I disagree with this proposal!" Hong shi stood up. The other three were clearly trying to take advantage of Hongfeng Empire. If they were to ept to those terms, wouldnt their loss be certain? Despite all that had happened, in the face of significant material benefits, the trio still continued to maintain their alliance. After all, if they were to lose the slots, they would have to bear the me from their own countrymen. Besides, Luo Zhao was no fool. He knew he was framed, and even though Hong shi and Zhang Xuan had spared him, he would surely try to find ways to get even... and this was clearly a good opportunity to do so. As for Feng Yu... To be pummeled to the point that he couldnt even recognize himself when looking into the mirror, how could he possibly be content without exacting vengeance on Hong shi? Chen Yue also had his own benefits at stake in the matter. As the only one who was still fine from the previous confrontations, he became the spokesperson of their alliance. "Hmm?" Ye Qian turned to look at Hong shi. "As Your Highness can see, the members of the other teams have already consumed a Consonant Spirit Pill each and enjoyed a significant rise in their cultivation. On the other hand, we have only just arrived at the capital and havent gotten a chance to purchase it yet. Naturally, our cultivation is far lower than theirs, and we stand little chance at victory!" Hong shi spoke directly. There was nothing embarrassing about his team being weaker. After all, they were indeed at a disadvantageous position given that they hadnt consumed Consonant Spirit Pills yet. Chen Yue harrumphed. "While cultivation might not be everything to a master teacher, it is still an important aspect. Without sufficient strength, everything else is just illusory. You cant possibly me us just because you arrivedte and couldnt find any Consonant Spirit Pill!" "Possessing lower cultivation isnt an excuse!" Feng Yu interjected. Luo Zhao red at Hong shi coldly. "Hong shi, the both of us know what happened this afternoon. I wont talk about it now, but Ill surely get even with you in the future. However... a cultivation duel is clearly the fairest and most apt way to determine the distribution of the slots. If you arent confident of winning, why dont you just admit defeat now?" The three of them banded together, forcing Hong shi into a corner instantly. "Admit defeat?" Just as Hong shi was stumped, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up once more. "Impossible. Even if one of us were to admit defeat, it should be you!" "Indeed!" Knowing that this young man possessed superior wits and was skilled at dealing with such situation, Hong shi gave him his backing. "We admit defeat? Why should we? We have already stated the rules, and youre the only one backing away from the challenge. What else do you want?" Chen Yue sneered coldly. "What rights do you have to dictate the rules?" Zhang Xuan refuted calmly. "Indeed! Why should you be the one to decide the rules?" Only then did Hong shie to a realization, and he quickly chirped in as well. "Indeed, we cant dictate the rules. If you find it unsuitable, you can propose an alternative... but naturally, you have to win the majority vote first!" Chen Yues lips crept up. His intentions were clear. The three of us are an alliance, and no matter how fair your rules may be, as long as we arent agreeable to it, what can you do? Frowning, Hong shi turned to the young man beside him to see how he would reply to this. "Oh? Im d to hear that this matter is open to discussion. I happen to have an alternative proposal in mind which I would like to raise!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Feel free to speak!" Chen Yue said. "However, do note that your proposal will have to undergo our approval first..." "I believe that youll approve of it!" At which, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the crowd and said, "Since its a team fight between the various Vassal States, why must the ones involved in the fighting be the top three rankers? If they were to be wounded in their duel, how would they enter the Cleansing Lake tomorrow?" "Youre right!" Hong shi eyes lit up. "Then what do you propose then?" Chen Yue frowned. "Hehe!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "My proposal is simple... I think that the 5-star master teachers leading the teams should fight instead!" "Thats right, the 5-star master teachers... huh?" Halfway through Hong shis words, he suddenly realized what was being said and his remaining words jammed in his mouth. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes and asked, "We... will fight?" "Indeed. Not only so, Hong shi will be facing the three of you at once!" Zhang Xuan added. "Ill face the three of them..." Hong shi staggered, and he nearly fainted on the spot. Big Brother, I thought that you had a good idea in mind? After so much trouble, this is all that you have? Are you so intent on sending me on my way? Putting everything aside, just Luo Zhao himself is a difficult enemy for me already. To fight the three of them at once... "You want him to face the three of us?" Not only was Hong shi light-headed, Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu were stunned as well. They turned to look at Zhang Xuan as though he was a fool. Are you serious? That is the fellow that we have been dying to pummel, and you just had to send him to us... Can such a good deal really exist in the world? "Why? You dare not ept my deal?" Zhang Xuan taunted with a smirk. "You are asking us if we dare to ept your challenge or not?" Luo Zhao turned to Hong shi and asked, "Are you certain about this?" With a constipated expression on his face, Hong shi nodded with tears streaming from his eyes. He didnt know what Zhang shi was up to, but given his previous experience, he knew that thetter wouldnt do anything he was uncertain of. Since he said such words, he must have an idea in mind. "If you are scared, just say so. Lets not waste our time on useless chatter." Zhang Xuan waved his hands in disdain. "Scared? I only fear that he will end up kneeling, begging for his life in a moment!" Confirming that the other party was serious on this matter, Chen Yue, Luo Zhao, and Feng Yu burst intoughter. Fearing that Hong shi might take back his words, Chen Yue quickly turned to the crown prince and said, "Your Highness, youve seen what happened. Its not that we want to take advantage of Hong shi, hes is the one who challenged the three of us voluntarily to determine the distribution of the slots. Since Hongfeng Empire insists on the matter, I hope that Your Highness can approve of this matter!" "This..." Not expecting the situation to turn into this, Ye Qian turned to look at Hong shi with a frown and asked, "You are all 5-star low-tier master teachers, Transcendent 6-dan primary stage cultivators. Your fighting prowess is approximately equal to one another, are you certain you want to face the three of them at once?" Given that their fighting prowess were approximate to one another, Hong shi facing the three of them simultaneously was as good as an act of suicide. Of this, the crown prince had no doubt. "Im certain!" Before Hong shi could respond, Zhang Xuan had already replied in his stead. "Alright then..." Since the parties involved hade to an agreement, Ye Qian decided not to say anything about it. "Alright then, Ill be announcing the rules of the duel now. Hong shi will be facing Feng shi, Luo shi, and Chen shi, and the distribution of the slots will be decided through the battle." After which, he waved his hands. A group of guards outside the door immediately came in to clear up the hall to create sufficient space for a duel. "Make sure to not to go too far so not harm the camaraderie among fellow states!" Ye Qian instructed as the four stepped onto the dueling ring. "Dont worry, well make sure to hold ourselves back..." Feng shi sneered coldly. He especially emphasized on the words hold ourselves back. "Indeed, weve been buddies for many years, so how could we possibly do anything overboard?" Luo Zhao smiled. The both of them had suffered greatly under Hong shis hands. Given that the other party was seeking death, they found no reason to let him off. "Zhang shi, is there even a possibility that Hong shi can defeat the three of them..." Seeing that the fight was about to start, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai wiped the sweat off their foreheads nervously. Zhang shi usually looked rather smart, so why would he suddenly make such a foolish decision? One against three... Wasnt this courting death? "If Hong shi doesnt go up, do you think that you can win against them?" Zhang Xuan gestured to their counterparts from the other Vassal States. "This..." The duos mouths twitched, and they hurriedly shook their heads. While they might have emerged victorious among the other talented master teachers in Hongfeng Empire, the same could be said about the rest of them as well. If they were to face them in a duel, given that the other partys cultivation was higher than theirs, their chances at victory was nearly null! In other words, had they proceeded on with the original duel proposal, their defeat would have been certain. "But Hong shi..." While they knew that they were unable to win, the same went go Hong shi as well. "Just watch on!" Instead of answering the other partys query, Zhang Xuan simply smiled. "Alright then..." The duo had no idea where Zhang Xuans confidence came from, but it was already toote for them to do anything as well. Thus, they could only turn their worried gazes onto the dueling ring. Standing at the very end of the hall, the crown prince watched the dueling ring with a deep frown on his forehead. He had no idea why Hong shi would propose such a suicidal duel. Unable to hold back his intrigue, he turned to Wu Zhen beside him and asked, "Senior, who do you think will win?" Wu Zhen was a 5-star master teacher, and his eye of discernment and experience in such matters were far above his. Perhaps, he might have noticed something that he didnt. "Under normal circumstances, it should be impossible for Hong shi to win. However, the very fact that he proposed such a duel means that he must have some kind of trump card..." But the truth was that even Wu Zhen couldnt make sense of this matter. With his eye of discernment, he could urately gauge the respective strength of the four. Hong shi couldnt be considered to be exceptional among the four, even facing one of them would be difficult for him. Yet, to face three of them singlehandedly, that was a recipe for disaster... To insist on fighting such a duel, just what could be going through his head? "Lets just watch on. Perhaps... there might be a turnaround!" Wu Zhen racked his brain but couldnt find an answer. Shaking his head, he decided to simply watch on with an open mind. "Un!" The crown prince nodded. Turning his gaze to the dueling ring, he said, "Hong shi has always been a dependable person. Perhaps he might really have a good idea in mind... Look, its starting!" While the duo was speaking, the duel started. Hu hu hu! The three Transcendent Mortal 6-dan experts, Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu, moved simultaneously and sealed space with the overwhelming pressure from their cultivation. Fearing that Hong shi might have a trump card up his sleeves, the trio didnt use their full might instantly. Instead, they surrounded him and traded some blows with him to test him out first. But after trading a few blows, a bizarre expression slowly crept onto their faces. At this moment, Feng Yu suddenlyunched a fist. Peng! It struck Hong shis face squarely, and blood immediately flowed out from his nose. "Ah?" Not expecting his sneak attack to seed, Feng Yus eyes widened, and his body trembled in agitation. Due to his overexcitement, he identally tore open one of his wound, and a wave of intense pain immediately struck him. "Dependable? Must have some kind of trump card?" Seeing that even Feng Yu, a fellow so severely injured that it looked like he might just fall dead at any moment, actually managed to strike Hong shis face so easily, Wu shi was dumbfounded. "Why... does it seem like a one-sided pummeling instead?" Trantors Thoughts StarveCleric StarveCleric Just to re-emphasize since most people have been asking me recently, Library of Heavens Path has always been going by a release rate of 11 chapters a week (2 on Monday to Thursday and 1 on Friday to Sunday). The recent more frequent updates are bonus chapters rather than official ones. Also, please dont refer to the update rate outside. Thats by no means official and it only reflects the average update rate I have been at in recent times. Chapter 630: Guiding Hong shi Chapter 630: Guiding Hong shi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed!" Crown Prince Ye Qian also widened his eyes in astonishment. Given how you arrogantly dered that you were going to challenge the three of them at once, I thought that you must have some kind of trump card that would allow you to defeat them. Or at the very least, you should have been able to fight on par with them. And yet... in just a moment, you were already bleeding from your nose. What are you up to? How was this a duel? This was clearly a one-sided pummeling! "Perhaps he hasnt caught the flow of the battle yet and identally got careless..." Ye Qian tried to rationalize the situation before him, but before he could finish his words, Luo Zhaos fist struck Hong shis nose as well. Blood immediately spurted out from thetters nose. "Cough cough... Fine, I was mistaken. He isnt a match for the three of them at all..." Ye Qian nearly choked on his saliva, and eventually, he shook his head in disappointment. Hong shi wasnt weak at all, but fighting against three people with simr fighting prowess simultaneously was no easy feat. As the saying goes, hardly can two fists rival four hands. But at this moment, Hong shi was facing six! In the blink of an eye, he was already struck several times, and his face started swelling up. Watching the sight from the banquet table, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai were on the verge of going insane. They thought that, given how confident Zhang Xuan was, Hong shi would wipe the floor with the three of them and sessfully win the slots for them. Who knew that he would be beaten up right from the start... "Zhang shi, whats going on..." They quickly turned their sights to Zhang Xuan, only to see the fellow with his eyes closed as if dozing off... The duo immediately staggered on the spot. It was just a moment that you convinced Hong shi to go up confidently, but now that the battle had begun, you actually started sleeping... What are you up to? Even if you want to y a prank, you do know that now isnt the time, right? If not for the fact that they hade together from Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they would have really thought that the other party was a spy... "Zhang shi, what do I do?" Under the furious assault of the three 5-star master teachers, Hong shi was about toe to the limit of his endurance. He quickly sent a telepathic message to Zhang shi. Before the battle, Zhang shi told him that he would offer him some pointers to win after analyzing the movements of the other three. At this moment, his face had already swell to the size of a pigs head already, but the other party hadnt said a word at all. Panicking, he quickly turned his gaze over, but with a single look, tears immediately flowed down his eyes. Arent you going to look at their movements and analyze their ws so as to offer me pointers? Can you even see their movements with your eyes closed? "Im done for..." In an instant, destion struck Hong shi. If he had known earlier, he would have never believed the nonsense of this fellow. Not only were they going to lose the three slots, he was even going to get beaten up badly at that... What the heck was this... Just as Hong shi was giving all hope, he suddenly heard a faint voice by his ear. "Advance half a chi forward and inch slightly to the left. Use the Seventh Form of Origin Palm. Afterward, bend forward and use the Third Stroke of Dragon Capturing Palm..." "Zhang shi..." Hearing the voice, Hong shi suddenly jolted. He nced to the side and saw that, at some point, the young man had already opened his eyes, and a bright gleam glowed in them. "Alright!" Seeing theposed and confident posture of the other party, Hong shi couldnt help but feel inclined to trust him. Gritting his teeth, he immediately moved as the other party said. ... "I thought that you might have grown formidable given how you dared to challenge the three of us at once. To think that you would be such a disappointment..." After striking Hong shis face squarely twice, confidence glowed brightly from Feng shis face. At this moment, his wounds didnt seem to hurt as much anymore. "Stop spouting nonsense. Beat him into surrendering first!" Luo Zhao was also equally excited. He was still burning with rage from being pped in public. With such an ideal opportunity for vengeance lying right before him, how could he possibly allow it to slip by? Roaring furiously, his hands thrusted forward so quickly that it looked as though he had eight hands. Spirit intermediate-tier battle technique, Hexad Arm Divine Fist! "Indeed. Since hes courting death, lets grant his wish!" Bellowing loudly, Chen Yue sent a kick over. Even though his kick wasnt a battle technique, it was well-positioned to strike at Hong shis blind spot. Feng shi assaulting from behind, Luo Zhao from above, and Chen Yue from below. In an instant, the trio had sealed all routes of escape, putting Hong shi in a desperate position. Just when it was almost certain that Hong shi would surely be severely wounded in this encounter, as though having predicted his opponents attacks, he suddenly moved forward and stepped into a spot out of range for all three attacks. While he had already stepped out of range, the attacks from the trio didnt stopor rather, they couldnt stop. Feng Yu was punched in the head by Luo Zhao, Luo Zhao was kicked in the crotch by Chen Yue, and Chen Yue was struck in the chest by Feng Yu. Peng! Crack! Hu! Three loud sounds echoed simultaneously in the air. The trio found their vision darkening, and they nearly fainted on the spot. In order to teach Hong shi a lesson he would never forget, they had harnessed their full strength behind the previous attack. How could they have known that they would hurt their own teammate instead? "Damn it..." With a roar, Feng Yu got back up and thrusted his fist at Hong shi furiously. But before his palm could reach, he saw a leg erging swiftly in his sight. Peng! His vision momentarily turned dark, and in the next instant, he was already flying in the air. His head crashed through one of the table of the banquet hall, leaving the lower half of his body twitching violently. "Youre seeking death..." The overwhelming embarrassment that Luo Zhao felt from having struck one another earlier on sent blood gushing to his head. Furious, he charged forward and sent a fist straight toward Luo Zhao. But Hong shi seemed to have predicted his move as well. The other party adeptly positioned himself at the blind spot of the fist and sent a kick over. Peng! He was struck in the crotch yet again. "Wuuuuuuu..." A cry of agony, reminiscent of a roosters call, reverberated loudly in the hall. Luo Zhao immediately fell to the ground, curled up in a fashion simr to a prawn. Even a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert like him couldnt possibly tolerate being struck twice consecutively in his weakest region. His heart jolted wildly as he suddenly realized that... he couldnt feel anything below... "Its your turn!" Seeing that he had sessfully sent two experts of the same tier flying, Hong shis confidence burst through the roof. He took two steps forward before suddenly turning around swiftly with an outstretched palm. Pah! The sound of a palm striking a cheek echoed. Chen Yue staggered backward weakly, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. If one were to take a closer look, one could see three to four teeth amidst the bloodied mess. Previously, when he struck Luo Zhao, he had held back. But now that they were in a battle, there was no longer any reason to do so. If not for the other partys enhanced physical resilience, the full might p of a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan might very well have knocked his head off his neck. Seeing this sight, the entire hall fell silent. Everyones eyes were popping from their sockets, and they found themselves pushed to the brink of insanity. Wasnt Hong shi still getting beaten up just a moment ago? Everyone thought that he was moments away from an utter defeat, and yet... in the blink of an eye, he actually made such an astoundingeback! To think that even thebined might of three Transcendent Mortal 6-dan experts couldnt even stop him. But if he was this formidable... how did he get beaten up in the first ce? "He saw through the enemys movements and took countermeasures in advance. That is why Feng shi and the others arepletely helpless before him!" The hand that Wu Zhen was using to hold the wine ss turned visibly paler, and a grim expression appeared on his face. Honestly, he didnt have much interest in the duels in such a remote ce. Who could have thought that Hong shi would be such a fearsome person? In just a few moments, he had already finished analyzing the other partys movements and made countermeasures for it. This was no longer about cultivation but eye of discernment! But how formidable must ones eye of discernment and deduction ability be to make these kind of judgements ten breaths into a battle? Even Wu Zhen knew that he was incapable of such a feat! "Probably only those monsters in the academy can achieve such a feat..." A few figures surfaced in Wu Zhens mind. He was a formidable genius as well, and in a remote ce like Huanyu Empire, his talent and cultivation were indeed envied by many. However, in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, where all of the talented master teachers gathered, his skills could only be said to be average. In fact, one of hispanions in this trip, Luo Qiqi, possessed such astounding talent in fighting that he couldnt even start topare with her. Considering how Hong shi only managed to reach 5-star at such an advanced age, he honestly didnt think too highly of the other party. Thus, he never expected to see a battle adaptability that was on par with Luo Qiqi and the other monsters of the academy in him! Are you for real? "No, something is wrong. If Hong shi really possesses such capability, his name would surely be known throughout the entire Huanyu Empire. It also doesnt make sense how Luo Zhao and the others managed to strike him earlier on either if that was the case." Wu Zhen frowned. Earlier, when Hong shi was attacked by the three simultaneously, he panicked, causing his movements to be riddled with ws and poor judgement. If he had such talent in battle, he should have shown it right from the start. It didnt make sense for him to suddenly be boosted in the midst of the battle. "Could it be..." A slight frown appeared on Wu Zhens forehead, and he quickly turned his gaze over to the young man who took the initiative to volunteer Hong shi for the battle. The young mans lips were quivering slightly. Clearly, he was sending instructions telepathically to Hong shi. "Telepathicmunication? As I expected!" It was obvious that Hong shi was reluctant to face the three in battle, and he had only agreed to it under the insistence of this fellow. Since this fellow had put Hong shi up to it, he must be confident of victory. Thus, Wu Zhen turned his suspicions to this person, and it seemed like his doubts were proven right. "But still, a 4-star master teacher actually managed to influence the oue of a battle among 5-star master teachers through his pointers? How can that be?" The more Wu Zhen thought about it, the more shocked he felt. There were two realms between Transcendent Mortal 4-dan and Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, but more importantly, there was a fundamental difference in their fighting style as well due to the utilization of soul. Rationally speaking, it should have been impossible for the other party to understand the fighting patterns of Feng shi and others given his current cultivation realm... But reality had proved that not only did he understand their fighting patterns, he was even able to decipher them, granting Hong shi an opportunity to make apleteeback. This eye of discernment... was so impressive that it was fearsome. "I can verify my hypothesis just by trying it out!" After a moment of shock, Wu Zhen suddenly thought of something and his lips crept up. "Zhang shi!" With a loud shout, Wu Zhens voice reverberated throughout the entire hall. "Hmm?" Stunned, Zhang Xuan turned his head over. He didnt expect Senior Wu, whom even the crown prince had to treat with utmost respect, would suddenly call for him. Peng peng! "AHH!" In Zhang Xuans momentarypse of concentration, the sound of fists and legs sinking into flesh sounded, and a cry of agony apanied it. With the abrupt termination of Zhang Xuans guidance, Hong shi fell into a disadvantageous position and was currently in the midst of being lynched once again. "An inch diagonally to your forward right. Then, turn around and execute the Eighth Stroke of Dragon Capturing Palm..." Zhang Xuan began sending instructions telepathically once more. Hu hu hu! Under his instructions, Hong shi regained the upper hand once more, suppressing the trio to the point that they could hardly catch their breath. "Zhang shi!" But at that moment, Wu shis shout boomed across the room once more. "Yes?" Zhang Xuan turned around. Peng peng! "AHH!" Hong shi screamed in agony once more. "The hell!" Seeing how Hong shi was struck the instant his instructions stopped, Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his attention back and instructed, "Leap up slightly and once yound on the ground, retreat seven steps immediately..." "Zhang shi!" But before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Wu Zhens voice boomed across the room once more. "What do you want?" Zhang Xuan was on the verge of breakdown. "I... am just shouting casually, you dont need to bother about me!" Wu Zhen waved his hands casually. "..." Zhang Xuan. The hell, was this fellow really a talented student from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Why was he so childish? While Zhang Xuan was sighing helplessly, in the dueling ring, Hong shi was crying. "Zhang shi, can you keep your attention here... You cant toy with me like that. If this goes on, I really might just die..." Chapter 631: Lake Eye Chapter 631: Lake Eye Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing that Hong shi was on the verge of a breakdown, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with Wu Zhen anymore. He focused all of his attention into instructing Hong shi to victory. On the other hand, Wu Zhen, having affirmed his hypothesis, no longer called Zhang Xuan anymore as well. A few minutester, Feng Yu, Luo Zhao, and Chen Yue were lying on the floor, their bodies filled with wounds. They had surrendered. They had no choice but to do so. No matter what they did, Hong shi seemed to always be a step ahead of them, leaving thempletely helpless. If it had gone on like that, they might even have died. Since that was the case, they admitted defeat. The trio suffered such grievous injuries that even their own parents would probably find it hard to recognize them. If there was any constion to them, it was that Hong shi wasnt in a good shape either. His cheeks and eyes were swollen red; his entire body was shaking unsteadily; there was blood all over him... If not for some kind of tenacity driving him, he would have also copsed to the ground as well. "Alright. Since Feng shi, Luo shi, and Chen shi have admitted defeat, the three slots shall be contributed by their teams!" Ye Qian was also surprised to see Hong shi emerge victorious in the battle. He didnt possess Wu Zhens sharp intuition, so he failed to see through the little trick involved here. As such, he thought that Hong shi had defeated the trio with his own strength, and this had left him impressed. Seeing the severe injuries Hong shi had sustained, Zhang Xuan felt a little guilt-ridden. Thus, he stood up and walked over to Wu shi. "Wu shi, may I request for a cup of medicinal wine for Hong shis injuries?" If not for this damned fellow calling him time and time again, even though Hong shi would still have suffered injuries, they wouldnt be as severe as they were now. "Un!" Wu shi did also feel a little embarrassed by his previous actions, so he took out the medicinal wine and poured out a cup. Zhang Xuan infused a surge of zhenqi into the medicinal wine before passing it over to Hong shi for him to drink it. It was only in the body that zhenqi could be stored for extended periods of time. In other words, while the gourd of medicinal wine in Wu shis possession might still be effective now, it would slowly turn back into ordinary wine. As the Heavens Path zhenqi contained in the wine flowed through Hong shis bloodstream, his injuries began to heal. "Thank you, Wu shi and Zhang shi!" With his injuries recovered, Hong shi felt refreshed. He quickly sped his fist in gratitude. He really thought that he would die just now. Honestly speaking, he didnt expect Zhang shi to be so formidable as to be able to issue instructions that would lead him to an easy victory. After all, those were master teachers of the same rank as him... Even in a one-to-one, he dared not say he would win. While he had suffered grievous injuries in this battle, he felt that it was worth it given that he was able to defeat the three of them. With this, he had brought glory to Hongfeng Empire! "Theres no need to stand on ceremony..." Wu shi waved his hands. After which, he turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan in interest. However, knowing that this wasnt the asion to be asking anything, he eventually turned away without asking anything. As soon as Zhang Xuan and Hong shi returned to their seats, Feng shi, Luo shi, and Chen shi walked up to Wu shi and asked, "Wu shi, can we get a cup of medicinal wine as well?" They had seen Hong shi making aplete recovery after drinking the medicinal wine, and this had left them green in envy. Feeling the aches throughout their bodies, they toughened up their courage and walked over to ask. "Fine!" Wu shi eyelids twitched. He was unwilling to offer the medicinal wine to them, but eventually, he still took it out and poured a cup for each of them. "Our gratitude to Wu shi!" They quickly drank it down, and a spicy taste rushed up their throat. After waiting for a moment, they realized that their injuries were still as severe as before. Perplexed, they asked, "Wu shi, could you have taken the wrong gourd..." "Impossible, this is surely the one that I received earlier..." Wu shi frowned. "It might not be working as well due to your severe injuries. Why dont you try applying it externally?" Saying so, he poured another cup for them. "Youre right!" Previously, Zhang Xuan also poured the wine on Bi shis arm to heal it. Perhaps due to their injuries being much more severe, its effectiveness might be limited through consumption. With such thoughts in mind, they poured the wine carefully on their injuries. Tzzzzz! The burning sensation of the alcohol left them gritting their teeth in pain. They waited for a long moment, but there was no sign of their injuries recovering. On the contrary, there were signs that pus was forming instead. Feng Yu, Luo Zhao, and Chen Yue were stumped. Isnt this a Saint recovery medicine that will fully heal our injuries just by applying it? Then why are our wounds not healing that? On top of that, what is with that sharp pain apanied with a slight itch on them? Hong shi obviously recovered after drinking the wine given though! Could Wu shi have offered them a smaller portion out of his bias? "Wu shi, I think we might need more medicine. Can you give us a few more cups?" Luo Zhao asked timidly. "Scram!" Wu shi howled. You must be joking! There is only a gourd of the recovery wine Hong shi gave, and yet you ask for a cup after another. Thats enough of you! But still, he did feel a little perplexed over the matter. Was the effectiveness weakened due to their serious injuries? That must be the case! After all, the few of them did look slightly better than they did before. In truth, while most of the zhenqi that Zhang Xuan had infused into the wine had dissipated, some of it still lingered. Thus, even though Luo Zhao and the others didnt make a full recovery like Hong shi, they still recovered significantly. Their wounds had stopped bleeding, and walking wasnt a problem for them anymore. "..." Seeing Wu shi flying into a rage, Luo Zhao and the others didnt dare to push their case any further. Thus, they hurriedly returned. ... "Since the slots have been decided, lets allocate the zones now!" Since the distribution of the slots had been confirmed, Ye Qian turned to look at the crowd and said, "The Cleansing Lake is infused with the spiritual energy from the Verdant Mountain and Dragon-scaled River, granting it the ability to nourish ones soul. As such, this spiritke is known as the divinend of Huanyu Empire. Even members of the royal family are not allowed to enter the premises as they pleasethey have to obey the rules of entering only every decade, at the time of the opening of the Cleansing Lake. "Since you all should know this, I wont borate on it!" Hong shi and the others nodded. This wasmon knowledge for them. "As a blessednd for cultivators, the Cleansing Lake possesses mystical effects to the soul. However, one thing you might be unaware of is that its also an extremely dangerous ce. The slightest carelessness could possibly result in death!" Ye Qian spoke grimly. "An extremely dangerous ce? Death?" "Isnt it a spiritke rich in spiritual energy?" "Indeed, why would it be dangerous?" ... Everyone was taken aback. Even Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and the others also frowned questioningly. They had heard of the Cleansing Lakes unique property in nourishing ones soul and advancing ones cultivation, but they had never known it to be fraught with danger. What kind of danger could ake rich in spiritual energy possibly have? "Its no lie that the Cleansing Lake is a spiritke. However, the current flowing within theke is extremely violent, and even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivator could be killed easily in it! Back then, when our founding ancestor found this blessednd, he sent in his men to investigate the region, only to have none of them return," Ye Qian exined gravely. "Even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivators could be killed easily?" Everyone was stunned. "Then..." If even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivator couldnt survive the currents of theke, werent they seeking death by entering it? What kind of blessednd for cultivation was this? "Theres no need to panic, allow me to finish my words first!" Seeing the shocked expression on everyones faces, Ye Qian chuckled. "The dangers regarding the Cleansing Lake are very real; Im not exaggerating them in any way. However, theres a solution to the matter. After many years of scouting and innumerable lives paving the way forward, we finally uncovered some of the secrets of theke. Theres a safe zone in the Cleansing Lake where cultivators can enjoy the benefits of theke without being crushed to a pulp! "We call this location the Lake Eye. The Lake Eye is where the spiritual energy from the various sources intersect and form a fragile bnce, thus creating a safe zone. However, the Lake Eye only appear once every ten years." "Lake Eye?" "Once every ten years? Is this the reason why the Cleansing Lake only opens once every ten years?" "That must be the case..." Upon hearing the exnation, everyone suddenly came to a realization. They had always been puzzled as to why the Cleansing Lake only opened once every ten years. Initially, they thought that the royal family was just maintaining a monopoly over theke, but from the looks of it now, they were sorely mistaken. The true reason was to protect them from danger. "Lake Eyes arent too bigeach of them only has a radius of around two meters. Furthermore, the amount of spiritual energy harnessed in each of them is limited as well. Once all of the energy inside is fully absorbed, the Lake Eye will copse inward! In other words, the person cultivating inside a Lake Eye must escape immediately upon realizing the spiritual energy inside is dying out. Otherwise, one might just lose his life in theke," said Ye Qian. "Radius of two meters? The amount of spiritual energy harnessed is limited? Then..." Everyone was perplexed. Considering that fifteen people were entering the Cleansing Lake, how could a Lake Eye with a radius of two meters possibly be enough? If they were to take turns, considering how the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye was limited, they would have to decide on the order of entry as well! "As everyone should know, when a soul is trapped within a body, it is equivalent to having a cage around it. Under such circumstances, its growth will be severely limited!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The body of an ordinary cultivator was no different from a shackle to a soul, locking it tightly in ce. Even if one were to obtain manuals to cultivate ones soul, ones soul would still be limited to the boundaries of ones body. To make an analogy, it was just like a potted nt. No matter how far the roots of a nt could reach, it would be confined to the limits of the pot. "After making many calctions, we have found that the time limit for both Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm cultivators is three days. Any longer than that and the Cleansing Lake will be rendered ineffective. Besides, three days is also the duration that a Lake Eye can maintain itself for. As such, the empire has determined a time limit of three days for this." Continuing, Ye Qian said, "The champions for the Master Teacher Tournament will be given three days, first runner-up two days, and second runner-up one day!" The crowd nodded. This was also the prize promised in the Master Teacher Tournament. The first ce will be given three days to cultivate at Cleansing Lake, the second ce two days, and the third ce one day. "Everyone must be perplexed as to how a Lake Eye with a radius of two meters can have fifteen people cultivating in it at the same time... In truth, ten Lake Eyes will appear each time the Cleansing Lake opens!" "Ten?" "Thats right, ten! Based on previous rules, the five champions of the Master Teacher Tournament will be granted a Lake Eye of their own to cultivate for three days whereas the second and third ce will share a Lake Eye, and they will cultivate for two days and one day respectively." The five champions would take up five Lake Eyes on their own, whereas the ten second ces and third ces, due to their differing cultivation duration as per their prize, would share the other five. In this way, the ten Lake Eyes were fairly distributed. "However... this year is an exception!" At which, Ye Qian paused for a moment before continuing. "Sixth Princess, Senior Wu, and the others would require a Lake Eye each, and I also need an individual one as well. Thus... you will have to share the remaining five amongst yourselves!" Chapter 632: Ill Challenge All of You Chapter 632: Ill Challenge All of You Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "We have to share the remaining five?" Everyone frowned. This was especially so for the champions in Feng shi, Luo shi, and Chen shis groups. Under normal circumstances, they would be entitled to an entire Lake Eye themselves. However, now that they had to share their resources, there would surely be insufficient spiritual energy in theke for them to cultivate for three days. But while they felt indignant, there was nothing they could do. The Sixth Princess, Wu Zhen, and the others were Grade 2 students from the Master Teacher Academy, as well as their future seniors. It would be improper to have them share the Lake Eye while they each took one up for themselves. Putting everything aside, even if the Sixth Princess volunteered to share her Lake Eye... who would dare to take up the offer? To dishonor the princess of Hongyuan Empire, a 5-star master teacher... only if one was tired of living. "Un. I feel apologetic toward you regarding this matter as well. Ill leave the distribution of the Lake Eyes to you all!" Ye Qian said apologetically. "Im fine with any allocation you all decide upon!" "We get to choose? Alright then!" Luo Zhao hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I have a proposal. Other than the crown prince, theres still another master teacher from Huanyu Empire. He, along with Hongfeng Empire, will share two Lake Eye, whereas Hongfeng, Qianfeng, and Zhuyue will take the remaining three!" "Indeed, well concede since Hongfeng Empire won the duel. Im willing to give them the two Lake Eyes!" Chen Yue and Feng Yus eyes lit up. If they could take down one Lake Eye each, they could have their top three cultivate a day each in the Lake Eye. This would be the best deal they could take. "No way!" Hong shi frowned. In the previous duel, the other party had already lost three slots, and they only had six people who could enter the Cleansing Lake. Six people sharing three Lake Eye against four people sharing two Lake Eye, wouldnt their position be equal then? What would be the point of the previous duel then? You must be joking! "Then what do you want?" Luo Zhao frowned. "We want the two Lake Eyes independently! The remaining three shall be shared among you and the master teacher from Huanyu Empire!" Hong shi said. "You want to take two Lake Eyes independently? Youre dreaming!" Feng Yu and Chen Yue harrumphed. Even taking into ount the three slots they had just lost, if they were to allow Hongfeng Empire to take two Lake Eyes independently, that would be equivalent to seven people sharing three Lake Eyes. That would be a huge disadvantage to them, how could they agree to it? "I disagree to it as well!" Luo Zhao shook his head. "You disagree to the matter? Then why dont we fight once more to decide this? Since we have all taken the medicinal wine and our injuries are mostly healed!" Hong shi flung his sleeves and stood up. After winning a match against the three of them, he was overflowing with confidence. "Fight?" The mouths of Luo Zhao and the others twitched. Fight your head! Besides, which of your eyes saw that our injuries are mostly recovered? Youre able to walk perfectly fine, but everyone can clearly see that were limping around. We werent able to defeat you earlier on when we were in a better condition, how could we possibly defeat you now? "Why? You dare not ept my challenge? Stop finding excuses! Each of you had two cups of medicinal wine earlier whereas I only took one. Even though I look fine on the surface, my injuries are as severe as yours!" Hong shi raised his eyebrows. "The heck with your as severe as yours!" Luo Zhao and the others were rendered speechless. You are able to walk around perfectly normally whereas we cant even sit steadily, and you say that your injuries are as severe as ours? You sure are thick-skinned, you know... "Fine, lets fight then. However, it wont be us since we just had a match, and there would be little point in repeating the same thing. Why dont we have the other members of our group sh it out!" Gritting his teeth, Chen Yue gestured to the members of his group behind him. "Indeed, instead of fighting once more, why dont we leave it to them to determine the distribution of the Lake Eye? In any case, they are the ones who will be impacted by the ultimate oue!" Luo Zhaos eyes shone with excitement as he quickly nodded in agreement. "The winning team will get to choose which of the two proposals well go by!" "No! Like I said just now, the members of your teams have consumed Consonant Spirit Pills, and this is unfair to my team!" Seeing the other party insist on dueling with Zhang shi and the others, Hong shi hurriedly rejected the idea. Even the member with the weakest cultivation amongst them was a small realm higher than the member with the highest cultivation in his group. How could his group possibly win the duel? If he were to agree to the duel, there would be no doubt that they would lose. "The Consonant Spirit Pill can only be found in the capital, and in this sense, were all on equal standing. You only have yourself to me for ack of preparation for the matter!" Feng Yu harrumphed. "So, do you dare or not? Let me just remind you that we have the majority here. If you insist on having it your way, we can just bypass your objection when ites down to it!" "Indeed. We need not waste our time arguing with you. If you refuse to agree to the duel, I suggest you just admit defeat!" Luo Zhao added. The three of them had already made up their minds to never fight with Hong shi ever again, so it was impossible for them to ept thetters challenge. On the other hand, the men that they brought here had already consumed a Consonant Spirit Pill each. With their superior cultivation, wouldnt it be a walk in the park for them to suppress those from Hongfeng Empire? "You..." Seeing the three of them gang up against him, Hong shis breathing hastened in anger. He was just about to say something when Zhang Xuan suddenly interjected. "Alright then, we can ept your challenge... however, dont you think a three versus three is a too troublesome?" "Troublesome?" Seeing the same fellow from before speaking up again, Feng Yu and Luo Zhao narrowed their eyes. "Then what do you suggest?" "Simple, Ill face all nine of your men alone. I dont mind whether youe one by one or all at the same time. As long as you defeat me, our Hongfeng Empire will give all of our Lake Eyes to you... but if you lose, you will give all of your Lake Eyes to us. What do you think of it?" Zhang Xuan nced at them with a faint smile. "You want to fight nine people singlehandedly?" "This fellow must be joking!" "Indeed! A mere Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivator actually thinks he can defeat nine Consonant Spirit realm cultivators in a duel? He must be dreaming!" ... In an instant, an uproar broke out in the room. Having emerged triumphant from the Master Teacher Tournaments in their respective regions, they were all proud geniuses. How could they possibly allow a fellow who was far weaker than them to mock them? This was intolerable! "Luo shi, allow us to teach that arrogant brat a lesson! He has been grating on my nerves right from the start!" A young man standing behind Luo Zhao stood up, and his aura suddenly burst forthConsonant Spirit realm advanced stage! He possessed the strongest fighting prowess even among the other eight who had consumed Consonant Spirit Pills as well. "Feng shi, Ill go. That fellow caused you so much pain. If I dont get him apologizing on his knees, I will be unworthy to be called a master teacher of Fengyuan Empire!" A young man behind Feng shi also stood up. Following the duo, the other seven people behind Feng shi, Luo shi, and Chen shi also couldnt remain seated any longer, and they red at Zhang Xuan furiously. If looks could kill, he would have been torn to shreds then. Seeing the agitation and anger in everyones eyes, Luo shi asked once more, "Are you certain you want to duel with him?" "Thats right!" "That fellow has no respect for his elders at all; he deserves to be taught a lesson!" The group of nine hollered angrily. Very few people knew that Feng shi had plummeted from the sky due to this fellow, but they had seen how he made things difficult for Luo shi earlier. In fact, the duel between Hong shi and the three pavilion masters was his idea as well. Not to mention, he was uttering such arrogant words at the moment. Unforgivable! "This..." Luo shi turned to Feng shi and Chen shi. This matter was important; he dared not represent the entire group. After all, no one thought that Hong shi would be able to defeat the three of them earlier as well... but reality shoved the contrary to their faces. This fellow may seem to be the weakest of the group, but what if he had some trump cards up his sleeves? "To think that you would hesitate so long at my challenge! If you dare not ept it, we can drop the idea... I knew that you were all spineless cowards! Master teachers? Geniuses? Pui!" Before Feng shi and Chen shi could make their stand, the young man before them shook his head in disappointment. "You..." Luo shi and the others exploded into rage. This fellow was really too much! This was especially with the expression on his face at this moment, he was clearly making a mockery out of them! Gritting his teeth savagely, Luo Zhao said, "Fine, well ept the challenge! However, I want to confirm if you can represent your entire team." "If I lose, all of Hongfengs Lake Eyes will be given to you. If you lose, all of your Lake Eyes will be given to us. Rest assured, my words can represent my team!" Zhang Xuan said nonchntly. "Alright then!" Luo Zhao gestured to the person behind him. "Li Xiulian!" "Luo shi!" The Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage expert who was the first to confront Zhang Xuan earlier stepped forward. He was the champion of Qianfeng Empires Master Teacher Tournament, Xiulian gongzi. Clenching his fists tightly, Luo Zhao angrily instructed, "Go up and teach him a lesson. Make him know that theres always a higher mountain!" In a normal duel between master teachers, no matter how angry either side was at the other, they would be instructed to stop once the victor was clear. Yet, Luo shi was now telling Xiulian gongzi to beat Zhang Xuan up thoroughly. This reflected how angry he was at this moment. "Dont worry, Luo shi! Ill have him know the difference between rifying Turbidity realm and Consonant Spirit realm!" Harrumphing coldly, Xiulian gongzi stepped forward and gestured to Zhang Xuan. "Arent you arrogant? Come, let me see if your skills are as formidable as your mouth!" "Zhang shi... be careful!" Hong shi said worriedly. He had great confidence in Zhang shis skill... but the opponent he was facing was a Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator. There was simply too huge a gap between the both of them! If he were to lose, Hongfeng Empire would lose all of their Lake Eyes, and everything they had done before would be in vain. Behind him, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai were frowning deeply. Zhang shi had indeed performed spectacrly back in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but still, they found it hard to believe that he could match a Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator. "Dont worry!" Noticing the worry in everyones eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. He walked to the center of the room and nced at the young man before saying, "I dont think youll suffice. You should have the eight of theme up as well. Otherwise, I would feel like Im bullying you all!" "You..." Seeing how the other party was still spouting such arrogant words now, Xiulian gongzi clenched his fists tightly. "Theres no need for it! Im more than enough to handle you!" Hu! Roaring angrily, he charged forward and smashed a fist at Zhang Xuans face. At Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage, ones soul was one with ones body. Amidst the furious gust of wind, there was a soul pressure that rendered one incapable of sprouting any thoughts of retaliation. If it was any other rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle cultivator, he would have lost instantly to this blow without making a single move at all. But Zhang Xuan was no ordinary rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle cultivator. Upon seeing the fist, he simply chuckled lightly. Bending his middle finger and thumb together... he flicked lightly. Peng! The tip of Zhang Xuans finger collided with Xiulian gongzis fist. Before thetter could even process what was going on, he was flying in the air. After a flight of roughly a dozen meters, he crashed into one of the vats of wine ced in the distance, soaking his entire body in wine. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stared down on Xiulian gongzi, who was lying weakly on the floor, and chuckled "It seems like... "... you arent enough at all!" Chapter 633: Fighting with His Eyes Closed Chapter 633: Fighting with His Eyes Closed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Silence. Everyone rubbed their eyes forcefully, thinking that their eyes might be ying tricks on them. That was a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage expert! Despite executing an attack utilizing his full might, he was actually sent flying back with a light flick of the other partys finger... How much strength did that flick harness? "How could a Consonant Spirit realm expert be sent flying with a single flick..." Hong shi widened his eyes, and he subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. To achieve that feat with a flick, one must have perfect understanding of the force and trajectory of the attack. Even Hong shi himself would find it hard to aplish such a feat in a real battle! Yet, the other party managed to do it so easily... Could the other partys rifying Turbidity realm be feigned? Could the other party actually be at the Cosmos Bridge realm just like him? But that couldnt be! He was around when the other party achieved a breakthrough to rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. To reach Cosmos Bridge realm within a short month? Impossible! Bi Jianghai widened his eyes in shock at the scene as tears threatened to flow down his eyes. "It seems like... he didnt use his full strength when he fought with me back then. To think that I thought that I would be able to surpass him as long as I put in some hard work..." He had thought that luck had yed a huge factor in the other partys victory over him, and as long as he cultivated diligently, he would be able to catch up very quickly. But at this moment, he realized that... he couldnt be any more mistaken than that. The other party probably didnt even use a tenth of his true strength when fighting with him! Putting everything aside, even ten of him wouldnt survive that flick! Luo Xuan also felt his throat turning dry. He had bragged before his teacher, Luo Huang, that Zhang shi was nothing when the other party induced Ten Li of Vacuum with his Spirit Gathering Dictum at the next moment. Now, the other party even defeated a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage expert with a single flick of his finger... How could he ever match up to him? It felt like they existed inpletely different dimensions! "How in the world did that fellow do it?" Crown Prince Ye Qian uttered in disbelief. Narrowing his eyes, Wu Zhen analyzed the move. "That single flick from Zhang shi... probably harnesses a might of at least 5,000,000 ding!" "5,000,000 ding? This... Isnt he just a rifying Turbidity realm cultivator?" Ye Qian swayed feebly from astonishment. A typical rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle cultivator should only possess 1,600,000 ding of strength. In fact, even a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator would only possess 3,200,000 ding of strength. 5,000,000 ding, that was a mightparable to a Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage cultivator! How could a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan harness such force? "Ive no idea either. However, the Master Teacher Continent is extremely big, and there are many unique constitutions out there. Based on what I know, there are indeed some people who possess the talent of Herculean strength. While their cultivation may not be particrly high, they are able to exert strength far beyond their cultivation realm!" Wu Zhen said. Ye Qian suddenly recalled something and asked, "Senior is saying that he might have a unique constitution that augments his strength? Then... could he be just like that person?" "Indeed, hes probably just like that senior!" Wu Zhen nodded. Turning back to look at Zhang Xuan, he said, "Seems like a formidable figure is about to rise from your Huanyu Empire!" "If he really does possess that kind of talent, then indeed!" Recalling that persons extraordinary and fearsome abilities, Ye Qian couldnt conceal his agitation. Given that Zhang shi originated from Huanyu Empire, if he were to make it big, the standing of the empire would also rise proportionately. Ignoring the other partys agitation, Wu Zhen said, "Its still a little too early toe to a conclusion now. Lets watch on first!" "Un!" Ye Qian replied as he turned his sight back to the dueling ring anxiously. ... Zhang Xuans feat of defeating Xiulian gongzi in a single blow had left everyone bbergasted. Luo shi and the others had their mouths widened, unable to utter a single word. It took a while before Luo shi recovered, and he immediately instructed anxiously, "There is something unusual about this fellow. The rest of you should attack together!" All of their slots for the Cleansing Lake, which came only once every decade, were at stake here. It might seem a little underhanded, but there was no other choice now! Hu! Hearing those words, the remaining eight members immediately stepped forth and surrounded Zhang Xuan. "Youre alling at me together? Good!" Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily. Previously, when he offered instructions to Hong shi in his battle, he suddenly thought of something. This group of people came at a perfect moment; he could use them to verify his doubts. Hu! With a quick dash, Zhang Xuan immediately appeared before one of the eight. Without any intricate movements, he raised his palm and thrust it toward the man. "Damn it!" Seeing that he was the first one to be attacked, the young mans face darkened. Howling furiously, he gathered his strength from every muscle in his body and struck back. Just as the fist and palm were about to collide with one another, Zhang shis figure suddenly swayed before him. Before he knew it, a leg suddenly flew toward his abdomen. "The heck!" The young mans eyes nearly popped out from his sockets upon seeing the leg. Before he could even exim in shock, he was sent flying. Huge mouthfuls of blood spewed from his mouth. He was on the verge of tears. Wasnt this way too underhanded! Given how the other party looked as though he had put all of his strength into that palm, he could have never guessed that it was only a feint, and that the real threat was lying beneath! After sending one flying, Zhang Xuan immediately stepped backward. His movement had allowed him to dodge the fist of another master teacher who was attempting to backstab him while his attention was preupied. Following which, he jerked his arm and struck the other partys lower jaw. Hu! That master teacher immediately saw his vision darken before he flew into the air. Peng peng peng peng! After dealing with the two, Zhang Xuan treaded around the remaining six as though a phantom. It was as if he could foresee how his opponents would coborate with one another and how they would attack. Every single time heunched an attack, someone would surely be sent flying. "As I expected!" As the group was being cleared one by one, the gleam in Zhang Xuans eyes gradually brightened. When he instructed Hong shi on how he should deal with Luo shi and the others, he attempted to use the Library of Heavens Path to see their ws. He thought there would be a total of three bookspiled on Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and Chen Yue respectively, but to his surprise, only one was formed. Written in it was the ws of the coboration among the trio. In other words, the Library of Heavens Path had viewed their coboration as an entirety and evaluated the three of them as a whole. Through exploiting the ws written on the book, not only would one be able to interrupt ones opponents momentum, one would also be able to predict ones opponents movements and defeat them easily. In other words, with this ability, it mattered not to Zhang Xuan how many opponents he had to face. This was precisely the reason why he wanted to challenge all nine of them at once to test it out. And the effects really didnt let him down. Despite fighting eight opponents whose cultivation bases were significantly higher than his, he didnt feel the slightest pressure at all. "Un. Ill exploit this w this time. Move left by three chi andunch a back kick..." While Zhang Xuans consciousness was immersed in the Library of Heavens Path, his body was moving ordingly to exploit the ws written on the books, thus dodging every single attack of his opponents and counterattacking at every possible opportunity. After kicking another one flying, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be stressfully. "These fellows coboration is really poor. There are ws here and there. Sigh, Im finding hard to decide which w I should exploit from this huge list... How frustrating!" The other party had only formed a team on the spot, so there were a lot of ws in their coboration. There were several hundred listed throughout the entire book. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan didnt suffer from decidophobia or else he would surely faint from stress! But even so, the huge range of possible ws to exploit and counterattacks he could make still made him feel a little troubled. Instead of getting tired from fighting, he was suffering due to the astounding number of ways to defeat his opponents. If his opponents were to learn of this, they would surely cry themselves to death. "Forget it, Ill just point randomly at the ws. Whichever I point on would be the one Ill exploit!" Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan randomly pointed at a part of the book, and the w he was pointing at immediately surfaced in his mind. "Alright, this will be it!" Having decided on the w to exploit, Zhang Xuan swiftly analyzed the way to best exploit it before diving into the crowd once more. Peng peng peng peng! Yet another scream of agony echoed in the hall. ... In the royal pce located not too far away from the crown princes Eastern Pce. Emperor Ye Wentian was seated on his high throne. Standing before him was a green-robed elder with snowy-white beard. He carried an exceptional aura that reflected both erudition andposure. If Hong shi were here, he would surely be able to recognize the other party as his teacher, the pavilion master of the Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, 5-star high-tier Master Teacher Wei Jiang! "The Cleansing Lake will be opening tomorrow, I wonder how the matter regarding the distribution of the slots is going on!" Ye Wentian muttered with a frown. It was Ye Qians initiative to befriend the Sixth Princess and the others. As such, he decided to leave this entire matter for Ye Qian to handle. It had been awhile since the banquet had begun, so he began to wonder if the matter had been decided already or not. "Your Majesty, theres no need to worry. His Highness has always been aposed and reliable person, not to mention, hes also a genius master teacher as well. A matter as small as this cant possibly trip him up!" Wei Jiang smiled. "Besides, didnt you send someone to look into that matter? He should being back to report on the matter very soon." "Youre right!" Ye Wentian smiled. "It might be my age catching up with me, Im finding myself worrying over the smallest matters nowadays..." Ye Wentian sighed deeply. At that moment, a guard suddenly walked into the room with a dumbstruck face. "How is it? Is the matter regarding the distribution of slots confirmed yet?" Ye Wentian asked with a frown. The guard hurriedly sped his fist. "Reporting to Your Majesty, the matter has been settled..." "Oh? How was it settled? Tell me about it!" Ye Wentian asked in curiosity. "The matter regarding the slots to enter the Cleansing Lake was decided by a duel among the Four Great Vassal States," the guard said. "A duel? That is a wise decision. It would indeed be good to have the young geniuses from each Vassal State interact with one another..." Ye Wentian chuckled. "Thats not it... it was not the young geniuses from the Vassal States who fought with one another but... Hong shi from Hongfeng Empire singlehandedly facing Luo shi, Feng shi, and Chen shi! Furthermore..." At which, the guard suddenly paused for a short moment. It seemed as though he was still trying to convince himself that he wasnt dreaming. "Hong shi managed to defeat all three of the pavilion masters... And thus, the three slots are to be contributed by Hongfeng, Qianfeng, and Zhuyue Empire!" "You mean that... Hong Qian singlehandedly defeated Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and Chen Yue?" Jiang Wei widened his eyes in disbelief. "Describe the duel to me in detail!" "Yes!" The guard hurriedly recounted what he had seen previously. "H-how can this be?" Hearing the other partys recount of the story, Jiang Wei and Ye Wentian trembled in shock. They were well aware of how strong Hong Qian was. To singlehandedly defeat three opponents of the same fighting prowess... How could that be possible? After a moment of shock, Ye Wentian suddenly thought of something and asked, "Putting that aside, so the matter regarding the slots have been decided... Then what about the five Lake Eyes?" As the emperor, he also knew that the allocation of the Lake Eyes was the crux of this matter. "The young master teacher from Hongfeng Empire that I just spoke of, Zhang shi, fought against all nine young master teachers from Fengyuan, Qianfeng, and Zhuyue simultaneously... and he emerged victorious. As such, Hongfeng Empire is now in possession of all of the Lake Eyes..." the guard said. "He fought against nine master teachers simultaneously? Didnt you just say that this Zhang shi only possesses a cultivation of rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, and is the weakest among all of the master teachers there?" Ye Wentian couldnt help but exim. "Given that all nine opponents are stronger than him, how in the world did he fight? Did he use some kind of special means?" A rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle fighting against nine Consonant Spirit realm experts? How could he possibly have won? How in the world did he fight against them? Did he use some kind of special trick? "He... he..." The guard swallowed his saliva, and a bizarre expression appeared on his face. "He fought with his eyes closed..." Chapter 634: Combat Master Chapter 634: Combat Master Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Fought with his eyes closed? Ye Wentian and Wei Jiang were stunned. What kind of trickery was this? Could this be... some kind of secret art? "Thats right! His eyes were closed, and he had a difficult expression on his face. It was as if his opponents were too weak, to such an extent that he was reluctant toy his hands on them... and in a moment, all nine of his opponents were already lying on the floor..." The guard recounted the sight that he had just seen a moment ago. Ye Wentian and Wei Jiang stared at one another... This was possible as well? A rifying Turbidity realm fellow actually defeated nine Consonant Spirit realm with his eyes closed, and even felt troubled at his opponents being too weak for him... The heck, are you sure you arent telling us a joke? "Its true..." The guards face flushed in agitation. He knew that no one would believe his story, but it was the absolute truth. "To fight against a stronger opponent without any difficulty, could it be..." Jiang Wei narrowed his eyes. "Has Wei shi thought of something?" Ye Wentian asked. After a moment of hesitation, Wei Jiang slowly said, "Has Your Majesty ever heard of Combat Master?" "Do you mean the sub-upation of master teachers which specializes in fighting,bat master?" Ye Wentian asked. "Thats right!" Wei Jiang nodded his head. "While master teachers are known to be unrivaled among those of the same cultivation realm, their primary purpose is still to educate and nurture experts, thus strengthening the might of the human race. However... to fight against Otherworldly Demons and other forces that threaten the human race, we need a fighting force of the highest tier. As such, the sub-upationbat master was born! "Combat master is a branch of master teachers that specializes inbat. While they could be considered as master teachers as well, theres a huge difference between them and a typical master teacher. For example, master teachers would require a fixed number of supporting upations to be promoted to the next rank whilebat masters have no such requirementas long as they can pass abat examination, they will be promoted to the next rank... Of course, the difficulty of thebat examination is staggering as well! Among ten thousand master teachers, it would be hard to tell if even a single one could pass such an examination. As such, mostbat masters possess a unique constitution or special bloodlines that grant them innately superior fighting prowess... "And given how this Zhang shi was able to fight nine Consonant Spirit realm experts despite being at rifying Turbidity realm, could it be possible that... he possesses the talent to be abat master?" Wei Jiangs eyes gleamed in excitement. If the statistics of bing a master teacher were one in ten thousand, the statistics of bing abat master would be one in ten thousand master teachers. Every single one of them could be said to be truly invincible in their tier, and they possessed the strength to challenge even those stronger than them. Despite the millenniums of history behind Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the number of master teachers who had been promoted tobat masters could be counted with ones fingers. If... abat master could emerge from Huanyu Empire, the entire empire would prosper because of the individual. "Now that you speak of it... it might really be possible!" Ye Wentian froze for a moment before his eyes slowly widened. "Lets hurry over to take a look. If its true, this is great news for our Huanyu Empire!" Wei Jiang stood up and hurriedly walked over to the crown princes Eastern Pce. Ye Wentian also quickly got up and hurried over. ... Exhaling a deep breath, Zhang Xuan pped his hands and shook his head. At this moment, the nine master teachers from Fengyuan, Qianfeng, and Zhuyue were lying on the floor, moaning in pain. Actually, without the Library of Heavens Path, given Zhang Xuans superior soul cultivation, the nine of them still wouldnt be a match for him nevertheless. However, since the other party had ws he could exploit, there was no reason for him not to do so. "You all lost..." Ignoring the injured group, Zhang Xuan turned his sights to Luo Zhao and the other pavilion masters and said, "Now, all five of the Lake Eyes belong to our Hongfeng Empire!" "..." Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and Chen Yue staggered. At this moment, they felt as though they were going mad. Those were the top three in their respective Master Teacher Tournaments! In order to raise their strength, they even bought a Consonant Spirit Pill for each of them... And yet, the nine of them couldnt even rival a rifying Turbidity realm cultivator? This should have been an easy win for them, and yet, they didnt even manage to nick the other partys clothes... They thought that their alliance could allow them to push all of the bad things to Hongfeng Empire, but in the end, it simply left them without any Lake Eyes at all... What the hell was this? The more they thought about it, the more stifled they felt. If only they had known earlier, they would have never created such a farce. If they had just gone down the conventional route, they would have at least gotten a Lake Eye! Putting aside how their n had failed utterly, every member of their team, be it the elderly or the young, were also thoroughly wounded on top of that. Their faces had swollen to almost double the size. How were they supposed to face the others like that? After a long moment of silence, Ye Qian coughed and spoke up. "Cough cough. Zhang shi, Luo shi and the others meant no harm. They only did these in hopes of obtaining the best for their juniors. No matter what, Hongfeng Empire is an ally of Huanyu Empire and the other Vassal States. Since there are five Lake Eyes and only three people in your group, why dont you give the remaining two to them? This way, they can at least be ountable to their countrymen when they return." If three Vassal States that traveled all the way here were to return empty-handed without getting any of the slots, it would surely cause great discontent. He wouldnt be able to exin this farce to his father and Pavilion Master Wei either. But... Hongfeng Empire did win all of the slots through fair means. All parties had agreed to it, so it was inappropriate for him for advise Zhang shi otherwise. As such, he felt extremely embarrassed. "Give two Lake Eyes to them? Thats fine by us. However, the master teachers from the other empires are to share the Lake Eyes with each other as well so that our members can enjoy a Lake Eye each!" Knowing that he would be putting the crown prince in a spot if he were to im all of the Lake Eyes, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in agreement. Since there were only three of them, three Lake Eyes were sufficient. Rather than letting the other two go to waste and potentially incurring the hostility of everyone else here, he might as well generously give them away. "Thank you!" Not expecting the other party to be so agreeable to the matter, Ye Qian nodded his head in approval. He gestured for a guard toe over and instructed, "Bring me that Gold-scaled Armor!" "Yes!" The guard turned around and left, and not too longter, he brought a resplendent armor back. "This is a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle armor crafted by the skin of a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Avnche Gold-scaled Beast. In awe of Zhang shis magnanimity, I would like to give this to you!" Ye Qian waved his hand, and the guard immediately passed the armor over. "This... How can I ept this?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Ye Qian waved his hands. "I will be embarrassed if you do not ept it!" "Thank you, Your Highness!" Knowing that this was thepensation the other party was giving him for the two Lake Eyes, Zhang Xuan knew it would be inappropriate for him to turn it down. Thus, he nodded and ced the armor in his storage ring. "Zhang shi, you have my gratitude for giving the two Lake Eyes to us. Here are two Consonant Spirit Pills. I hope you can ept them as a token of goodwill!" Luo Zhao also stepped forward and passed a jade bottle over. Since even the crown prince had offered a gift aspensation, they couldnt possibly just sit still and ept the two Lake Eyes without any reciprocation. The three Vassal States had bought a total of eleven Consonant Spirit Pills. After giving one each to their men, there were two remaining. "Un!" Grabbing the pills, Zhang Xuan casually put them in his storage ring. Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and Chen Yue had epted the bet and lost fair and square. If the other party were to refuse to give them the Lake Eyes, there was nothing they could do. Under such circumstances, it was indeed a great favor for them to be given two Lake Eyes. Taking two Consonant Spirit Pills from them in return was nothing much inparison. Besides, epting the Consonant Spirit Pills also meant that the other party had already repaid their debt, so it was beneficial from the other threes point of view as well. As for Zhang Xuan, he had no interest in having them indebted to him either. "Since the distribution of the slots and Lake Eyes have been determined, I hereby dere the start of the banquet. I hope that everyone can enjoy themselves tonight!" Ye Qian gestured grandly, and beautiful courtdies immediately came in with many delicacies in hand. This crown prince was indeed a man who knew how to enjoy himself. Every single dish in the banquet was worth a huge sum, and this entire feast could probably leave even the wealthy bankrupt. "Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai, you should take these Consonant Spirit Pills. Consume them after we return from the banquet!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan passed the two Consonant Spirit Pills that he had just received from Luo shi and the others to them. While this pill could raise a Consonant Spirit realm experts cultivation by a small realm unconditionally, this effect could be said to be negligible to him As long as he could gather sufficient Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique, achieving a breakthrough was not much different from eating and drinking to him. It would be a waste for him to consume it, so he might as well put it to better use. "Youre giving them to us?" Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai were taken aback. It was not like they didnt know how valuable the pill was. To think that the other party would be giving the two pills received to them, this... "Un. Quickly raise your cultivation before entering the Cleansing Lake. Dont waste the slot that Ive obtained for you all with great difficulty!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" The duos eyes turned red, and they quickly bowed in gratitude. While the others were scheming against one another to obtain the best resources for their cultivation, Zhang shi was generously offering such a valuable gift to them... and this gesture left them touched from the bottom of their hearts. Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai was still thinking of pitting it out with the other party to see who was better in the Master Teacher Academy. Only now did they realize that they didnt just lose out to the other party in terms of cultivation, even their magnanimity was paling far inparison to the other party. If the thoughts of the duo were to be known by Luo shi and the others, they would surely burst into tears. This fellowmagnanimous? Magnanimous your head! Cant you see how badly we were done in? Those slots and Lake Eyes should have been ours, and yet we still had to thank the other party humbly for them... You actually call such a despicable and shameless man magnanimous? ... Outside the crown princes Eastern Pce... "Your Majesty, Wei shi!" The two figures who walked over from the distance left the guards on duty leaping in shock. "Ill inform His Highness right now to have him wee Your Majesty and Wei shi..." The two most authoritative men in Huanyu Empire hade to visitte at night abruptly, there was no one who wouldnt be scared out of their wits. "Theres no need for that, you should just continue remaining on duty. Wei shi and I are just going in to take a casual look!" Ye Wentian waved his hands casually before walking in with Wei Jiang. As the duo navigated through the Eastern Pce, Ye Wentian asked, "If... Zhang shi really possesses the talent to be abat master, what should we do?" "What else can we do? Of course, we should immediately report it to the Master Teacher Academy and have them groom him specially! This kind of talent is extremely important to the Master Teacher Pavilion. You should be aware of it as well!" Wei Jiang said with a grim expression. "Un!" Ye Wentian nodded. While he wasnt a master teacher, he did know a thing or two aboutbat masters. Dubbed as the Emperors of Combat among the master teachers, if Zhang shi were to be an officialbat master, his standing might immediately soar above that of the principal of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! "Just that... the conditions to bing abat master are extremely stringent, one has to go through many difficult tests to be qualified as one. How can we ensure that hes really capable of bing abat master?" Ye Wentian frowned. There were many specific tests that a master teacher had to undergo before he could be officially epted as abat master. It was an extremely troublesome process. "This... Lets take a look first before deciding on anything..." Wei Jiang hesitated for a moment before speaking. Halfway through his words, he suddenly heard footsteps ahead of him. Taking a closer look, he saw three figures just ahead of him. Getting a clear glimpse at their appearance, Ye Wentian quickly rushed forward. "Ye Wentian pays respect to Sixth Princess! I see that Luo shi and Xing shi are here as well!" They were no other than Sixth Princess Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, and Xing Yuan, who were here for the banquet. "So, its Emperor Wentian. I just happen to have something I need to talk to you about." Upon seeing that it was Ye Wentian, Princess Fei-ers eyebrows shot up. "How in the world do you govern your Huanyu Empire? If youre sick of your job, just give the word..." Chapter 635: Paying Respect to Zhang laoshi Chapter 635: Paying Respect to Zhangoshi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I..." Ye Wentian leaped in shock at those words, and cold sweat immediately started trickling down his back. He might be the emperor of Huanyu Empire, but before the other party, he dared not pull his weight. Huanyu Empire was only one of the many Tier 2 Empires beneath Hongyuan Tier 1 Empire. If the other party really wanted to rece him with someone else, not even Wei Jiang would be able to help him. "Pardon me, but may I know the reason behind Your Highnesss anger? I might not be talented, but I have worked hard in governing this country... If Your Highness thinks that I might have failed in certain aspects, Ill definitely do my best to correct my ws so as to not let down Hongyuan Empires trust in me..." Ye Wentian quickly said. This Sixth Princess was still fine earlier this morning, why would she be chastising him all of the sudden? "Humph, to think that there would be hooligans even within the capital..." Recalling that shameless young man, Princess Fei-er gritted her teeth in anger. To think that a princess like her would actually lose a bet and be the maid of another, this was truly the greatest humiliation she had ever suffered! "Hooligan?" Ye Wentian was taken aback. He thought that the other party was dissatisfied with his governance, but hooligan... what was with that? What kind of hooligan could possibly provoke this princess like that? "Indeed. Its a young man in his twenties. Just from that shameless look on his face, one can tell that hes no good person. I met him in the Mystical Treasure Hall!" Princess Fei-er said. "Mystical Treasure Hall? Alright, Ill send my men to look into the matter right now..." Knowing that the other partys dissatisfaction didnt originate from a problem in his governance, Ye Wentian heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly sped his fist and bowed. "When I find him, Ill capture him and send him over to Sixth Princess so that you can deal with him as you deem fit!" "Who wants to deal with him?" Princess Fei-er stomped her feet in frustration. "Did I tell you to capture him?" "I..." Ye Wentian suddenly felt his head blowing up. He had no idea how to respond to the other partys words. He had long heard that Princess Fei-er had an entric personality, but to think that there woulde a day that he would be subjected to it! He was the emperor of Huanyu Empire, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert! To be chastised to his face as though a child, just the thought of him left him light-headed. But even if someone were to inte his guts, he would never dare to talk back to the other party. Putting aside the other partys identity as the Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire, just the fact that she was epted as the direct disciple by the principal already made her a figure that few would dare to offend. "What I? How can an emperor like you not know his own men?" Flinging her hands, Princess Fei-er harrumphed coldly. "..." Ye Wentian looked as though he had eaten a bitter gourd. Huanyu Capital extends for several hundred kilometers, and the poption exceeds a hundred million... No matter how formidable I am, I cant possibly know everyst one of my citizens! "Alright!" Seeing the situation turn awkward, Luo Qiqi stepped forward and smiled. "Emperor Wentian, Fei-er just has an entric personality, so you need not take this to heart! Its truly nothing much, so you need to worry about it!" After which, she turned to thedy beside her and sent a telepathic message over. "Didnt you get Ye Qian to look into the matter already? When he finally uncovers that fellow, Ill help you get back at him for you and win you back..." Princess Fei-er was already an adult, but she still retained some of her childishness. Sometimes, her behavior could really leave one at a loss as to cry or to be mad. Losing a bet and bing anothers maid wasnt an honorable affair, so you shouldnt be going around telling others about it. Besides, its your own personal matter, why are you venting your anger on Emperor Wentian instead? "Alright!" Hearing the promise from her best friend, Princess Fei-er felt her rage subsiding a little. Ignoring the emperor, she puffed up her chest and said, "Lets go to the banquet!" "Un!" Luo Qiqi and Xing Yuan hurried forward. Ye Wentian and Wei Jiang nced at one another and shook their heads together. Afterward, they followed behind the trio to the banquet hall as well. The Sixth Princess was famous for her entric personality. It was fortunate that his son, Ye Qian, didnt have any intention of courting her. Otherwise, he would probably suffer a great deal. Putting everything aside, Xing Yuan had pursued her for many years already, but he was still subjected to the rapid emotional changes of thetter. ... As the group over here headed for the banquet hall, the guard at the entrance took a detour, rushed to the banquet hall, and informed Ye Qian of this matter privately. "Father and Wei shi are here? Sixth Princess, too? Why are they together?" Taken aback, Ye Qian quickly stood up and announced, "Everyone, Sixth Princess, my father, and Wei shi will be arriving very soon, so lets stand up to wee them!" "Sixth Princess ising? "I didnt expect Wei shi and His Majesty to being here too!" Upon hearing that the Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire and the others wereing, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and stood up. Just like the others, Zhang Xuan also got to his feet and turned his gaze to the doors. At that moment, a few figures walked into the hall. The one leading the way was ady dressed in a purple dress which entuated her beautiful figure. Paired with pale, smooth skin, her beauty was indescribable. "She is the Sixth Princess?" "How beautiful!" "I think Im falling in love with her, what should I do..." "Falling in love with her? Why dont you take a good look at yourself? With a face swollen like a pigs head, I think you should pray that your appearance wont disgust her instead!" "Talk about yourself! Your nose is entirely crooked, you arent anywhere better than me..." Upon seeing the beautifuldy, the eyes of the master teachers in the room suddenly glowed in excitement. The Sixth Princess resembled a goddess who had stepped out of a painting, and her presence sent the blood of young men running. Just that, with the exception of the crown prince and a few others, all of the young men in the banquet hall had been beaten up badly by Zhang Xuan, and the sight of a group of disfigured men staring at one in agitation seemed more like a scene of horror instead. "Sixth Young Mistress? Sixth Princess?" Zhang Xuan was also taken aback. He never thought that the Sixth Princess would actually be the Sixth Young Mistress whom he met at Mystical Treasure Hall. It was no wonder why she could afford to take out several hundred middle-tier spirit stones in a single go... On the other hand, as soon as the Sixth Princess and the others entered the banquet hall, they were immediately met with bruised and swollen faces, and this left them confounded. Shouldnt a banquet involving master teachers be refined and dignified? Why did all of them look as though they hade from a butchery instead then? The swelling on their faces were so severe that their eyes could hardly open, and some of them even had an arm sling hanging before their chest... What was going on? In fact, why were the 5-star master teachers in the room severely wounded as well? "Sixth Princess, its him..." Just as Princess Fei-er waspletely baffled by the scene before her, a voice suddenly sounded by her ear. Frowning, she traced the other partys finger, and the sight she saw immediately caused her to stagger. It was the fellow who nearly angered her to death back at the Mystical Treasure Hall! He was actually here! The other party was holding a wine ss in his hand casually, creating a leisurely atmosphere around him. "Qiqi, its that fellow..." Gritting her teeth tightly, Princess Fei-er turned to point out her mortal enemy to her close friend, only to be stunned by the sight before her once more. The eyes of her cold andposed close friend were actually shining in agitation, as though they had caught sight of a treasure chest. Princess Fei-er was stunned. Could her close friend be fond of men who were beaten up? "Its him..." Amidst her confusion, Luo Qiqi suddenly pointed her finger toward a young man. "That... Qiqi, I know that hes my enemy, but surely you need not... get so agitated!" Upon realizing that it wasnt due to some bizarre taste in men, Princess Fei-er became even more speechless. I was the one who was forced to be the other partys maid. The one who should be getting angry and agitated should be me, right? Then why are you getting so excited all of the sudden? Perplexed, Princess Fei-er was just about to ask about the matter when her close friend suddenly started charging up to that hateful fellow. "Qiqi, even if you want to teach him a lesson for my stead, you need to take note of the asion..." Princess Fei-er nearly fainted on the spot. Qiqi has always been a reliable and dependable figure, why would she suddenly get agitated and act so recklessly? There are so many master teachers in the room. If she were to teach the other party a lesson here, wont the matter of me being the maid of the other party be exposed as well? Just as Princess Fei-er was about to rush up to stop her, her close friend was already standing right before the hateful fellow. Following which, her close friend sped her fist and bowed respectfully. "Student Qiqi pays respect to Zhangoshi!" "What?" All of the words Princess Fei-er wanted to say suddenly jammed in her mouth, and her eyes widened in shock. What is this situation? Arent you going to teach him a lesson in my stead? Student... Zhangoshi? Could it be that... this hateful fellow is that... refined, magnanimous, intelligent, and awe-inspiring young talent you spoke of? But he is a shameless hooligan, right? Why would he suddenly turn into such an impressive figure in your mouth? What is with this situation? Princess Fei-ers face twitched intensely, and she nearly burst into tears. She was still thinking of having her close friend teach that fellow a lesson, but who knew that thetter would betray her as soon as the both of them met... Wheres your loyalty to your friend? Shouldnt you at least show some hesitation in your betrayal? On the other hand, the others in the hall petrified instantly. "Thedy whos with Sixth Princess... should be Luo Qiqi Luo shi!" "The famed ice beauty of the Master Teacher Academy is actually... Zhang shis student?" "Whats going on?" ... Luo Zhao and the others were aware of Luo Qiqis nickname. While thetter might be beautiful, she was known for being cold and distant... And yet, she was currently bowing excitedly before a person who was even younger than her, addressing him as teacher... Did reality really need to be so exaggerated? "..." Wu Zhen and Xing Yuans mouths twitched at that sight. In terms of familiarity, they were rtively closer to Luo Qiqi than the others in the room, and they knew much more than about her as well. Hongyuan Academy Apothecary Schools most talented genius, as well as a cultivator possessing a fighting prowess far above them, she was ranked in the top few amongst Grade 2 students, and her fame far exceeded the Sixth Princess in the academy. For a proud phoenix like her to actually acknowledge Zhang shi as her teacher... Are my eyes ying tricks on me, or are the both of them pulling our legs? "Oh, Little Qi, its you! Why are you here?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback to see Little Qi here. Wasnt thisss at the Apothecary Guild earlier? But after giving it some thought, he suddenly came to a realization. The fact she came from the headquarters of the local Apothecary Guild meant that she came from Hongyuan Tier 1 Empire... On top of that, given that she was a master teacher as well, it was highly likely that she was a group with the Sixth Princess and Wu Zhen. It was precisely due to these people that he had to fight over the Cleansing Lake slots that should have belonged to him in the first ce. "Little Qi?" Dangng! The wine ss in Wu Zhens hand fell to the ground. The Sixth Princess and Xing Yuan suddenly felt their legs turn weak, and they nearly fell to the ground. Luo Qiqi nodded before hurriedly introducing her close friend to her teacher. "I came here with my friends. Teacher, this is Hongyuan Empires Sixth Princess, Yu Fei-er!" "Un, Ive met her before!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I see, so your name is Yu Fei-er... What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pour me a cup of wine!" "Zhang shi, you do know that shes the Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire..." Hearing Zhang shis words, Ye Qian nearly fainted on the spot. Ye Wentian also found his vision turning dark. Even he dared not breathe loudly before the Sixth Princess. What is a 4-star master teacher like you acting so arrogantly for... Chapter 636: Silence Restraint Chapter 636: Silence Restraint Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You..." Princess Fei-er nearly spurted a mouthful of fresh blood. Pour you a cup of wine? Pour your head! Didnt I redeem myself for ten days already? Im not your maid now, alright? "I know!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Weve met previously, and we can be considered friends, right, Sixth princess?" ring at Zhang Xuan with a look that eximed that she would strangle the other party if she could, Yu Fei-er clenched her teeth tightly and replied, "Of course!" She had no other choice. By saying that she was his friend, the other party was already sparing her dignity. If the other party were to say that she was his maid, she would really die of shame. "Ill pour it for you!" Yu Fei-er stomped her way to the closest bottle and poured Zhang Xuan a bottle of wine while insulting thetter in her mind. If she could, she would really want to skin this hateful man alive. But of course, she would never do that. She did lose the bet fair and square, and her master teacher emblem was the other partys hostage as well. She couldnt do anything even if she wanted to! "Alright!" Seeing the reluctance on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Back then, when we were having the bet, you tried to make me kneel before you! So what if youre a princess? This is just returning a little bit of the favor to you. "Teacher... Fei-er is my good friend, so is it possible..." Seeing that her good friend had turned so red that she might explode at any moment, Luo Qiqi didnt know whether she shouldugh or cry at this situation. She could never have expected that the rotten fellow her close friend wanted to strangle so badly would actually be her apothecary teacher. She regarded the both of them highly, so she wished to resolve the conflict between them. "Shes your friend? Alright then, Ill give her ten days off..." Zhang Xuan nodded. On the other hand, Princess Fei-er thought that with her good friend intervening in her stead, the other party would drop the matter entirely. Who knew that it would only be ten days? Her face immediately flushed in anger, and she raged, "Qiqi, theres no need no need to plead with him. Isnt it just spirit stones? Its not like I dont have any..." Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed as he said, "Its good that you have spirit stones to repay me. Since thats the case, I believe theres no need for me to offer you any discount. The ten days off shall be voided!" Ten days was equivalent to around 700 middle-tier spirit stones! If he could save it, he should definitely do it. "You..." Princess Fei-er nearly spurted blood on the spot. "Teacher is just jesting with you, calm down..." Seeing that her good friend was on the verge of copsing from anger, Luo Qiqi shook her head and said, "Right, didnt you say that you want to learn pill forging from Zhangoshi? Hes right here..." "Humph! Id rather learn from a pig than from him!" Princess Fei-er gritted her teeth. "Alright then!" Knowing that it was impossible to resolve the conflict between her good friend and Zhangoshi at the moment, she could only try to pacify both of them in the future. With the arrival of the guests, the banquet resumed. However, with Emperor Ye Wentian and Wei shi in the room, as well as the Sixth Princess who could just erupt at any moment, the atmosphere grew visibly tenser, and the merry atmosphere from before dampened. A whileter, Luo Zhao and the others couldnt stand it any longer and bade their farewell. Considering how their entire group was beaten up so badly, they had to return quickly and recuperate. Otherwise, considering how the Cleansing Lake was opening tomorrow, the two slots that they had might just go to waste! "Your Highness, well be taking our leave as well!" Seeing the others leave, Hong shi also stood up and sped his fist. "Wait a moment!" Just as the group was about to leave, Wei Jiang stepped forward and approached them. "Wei shi!" When the group entered, Crown Prince Ye Qian had introduced the other party to be the pavilion master of the Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a 5-star high-tier master teacher. Not daring to pull his weight before such a figure, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted him. "Zhang shi, may I speak to you for a moment?" Wei Jiang smiled. "Its my pleasure to do so!" Seeing that the other party wanted to talk to him privately, Zhang Xuan smiled in response. Gesturing for Hong shi and the others to return to their living quarters first, Zhang Xuan followed behind Wei shi, and the pair walked into a room. "May I ask if... Zhang shi is abat master?" There was a formation set up in the room that prevented anyone from eavesdropping on the conversation inside. "Combat master? What is that?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Combat master was a higher order secret of the Master Teacher Pavilion. As such, the books that Zhang Xuan had ess to didnt have any details on them, so he wasnt too clear on what it was. "Err... its a sub-upation of master teacher that specializes inbat..." While exining the matter regardingbat masters to the other party, Wei Jiang carefully examined the other partys expression. Noting that the other party didnt seem to be putting on a front, he felt a little perplexed. He did harbor some doubts that the other party was abat master beforeafter all, how else could he possibly defeat nine cultivators with a cultivation higher than his? He had seen the pitiful state of the master teachers the other party had beaten up. But while their faces were swollen, and it looked rather appalling on the surface, he could tell that the person who pummeled them went easy on them. As long as they were to apply some medicine to their wounds, they would be as good as new in a day or two. To be able to go easy while fighting nine master teachers with higher cultivation levels than him... how powerful must he be? "Theres such a branch of master teacher?" Hearing that there was actually a sub-upation known asbat master, Zhang Xuan was astonished. He thought that all master teachers were responsible for imparting knowledge to the masses. To think that there would actually be a branch specializing inbat as well! It did intrigue him how master teachers could drive away Otherworldly Demons when most of them were immobilized just by the killing intent of thetter. What Wei shi said had addressed his doubts... the ones in charge of defending mankind werent the average master teachers but a specialized group that possessed superior fighting prowess! "Why would Pavilion Master Wei think that Im abat master?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. "I heard that you were able to easily defeat nine other people who possess higher cultivation than you..." Wei Jiang replied. "I see!" Coming to a realization, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Ive only heard of this sub-upation, so I cant possibly be one of their members!" "Then... do you have a unique constitution?" Wei Jiang asked. "The reason why I am able to defeat the nine of them is because I was able to see through the ws in their battle techniques and exploit it against them," Zhang Xuan replied. "It wasnt because of a unique constitution!" Speaking of unique constitutions, he had three students who possessed them. Honestly speaking, he was a little envious of them. "Alright then!" Seeing the other party admitting that he wasnt abat master and didnt possess a unique constitution, Wei Jiang was slightly disappointed. If abat master were toe from Huanyu Empire, it would surely strike its name across the entire world. Unless awakened, a unique constitution was nearly undetectable. Not even a 5-star high-tier master teacher like him would be able to detect it. The duo chatted a little longer, but the questions that Wei Jiang had were all adeptly sidestepped by Zhang Xuan. The reason why Zhang Xuan was able to defeat multiple opponents far above his current cultivation was due to two reasons, the Library of Heavens Path and Heavens Path Divine Art, and his ability as a soul oracle. But these two were secrets that mustnt be made known. As such, despite Wei Jiangs questions, Zhang Xuan admitted to nothing at all. A momentter, after realizing that it was impossible for him to gather any useful clues from Zhang Xuan, Wei Jiang could only sp his fist and bid farewell. "Ive bothered Zhang shi!" "Dont worry about it!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly in response before walking away. Not too long after Zhang Xuan left, the door to the room was opened, and Emperor Ye Wentian rushed in with an anxious look. "How is it?" "Its unlikely that he has a unique constitution, but... Im not sure whether hes abat master or not!" Wei Jiang shook his head. "Not sure?" Ye Wentian was perplexed. After a moment of contemtion, Wei Jiang said, "Un. To qualify as abat master, one has to pass through multiple exams. Zhang shi might be able to defeat those with cultivations above him, but I feel that hes still rathercking inparison to a realbat master... Forget it, lets not think about it. Ill report this matter to Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and leave it to Pavilion Master Mo to make a judgement on this matter!" With his current standing, he was indeed unqualified to make such judgement. As such, he decided to simply report this matter and allow the headquarters to make a decision on it. Ye Wentian pondered for a moment before nodding his head. "Indeed, it would be best for this matter to be reported to the headquarters!" Wei Jiang flicked his wrist, and an object that covered his entire palm appeared on his hand. He wrote his report on the object. Then, with a sh of light, the words written disappeared. The effects of a Communication Token were simr to a Communication Wall, just smaller in scale, thus allowing one to carry it around easily. Back then, Hong shi also made use of this object to send a message to Mo Gaoyuan. Weng! A few moments after the information was sent over to the other side, the Communication Token glowed once more. "This..." Seeing the words on the token, Wei Jiangs eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What did Pavilion Master Mo say?" Seeing the bewildered expression of his old friend, Ye Wentian frowned. "Look..." Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Wei Jiang passed the Communication Token over. Ye Wentian lowered his head to look at the message written on the Communication Token, and he immediately froze in ce as well. There was only a single line of words written on the Communication Token. For the matter regarding Zhang Xuan, do not discuss, ask, or speak of it! Hu! Right after he looked at the words, the words on the Communication Token faded. "A silence restraint... Could it be that Pavilion Master Mo is acquainted with Zhang shi?" Ye Wentian narrowed his eyes in shock. A silence restraint was usually a form of respect a lower ranked master teacher would show to a higher ranked master teacher. Given that Zhang shi was only at 4-star, why would Pavilion Master Mo issue such an order? Could it be that... Pavilion Master Mo knew Zhang shi beforehand? Otherwise, why would such a situation ur? "He must have known the other party in advance. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to give such a response so quickly..." Wei Jiang nodded in agreement. While Mo Gaoyuan did pay Myriad Kingdom Alliance a visit, he left right after paying Yang shi a visit. Other than Zhang Xuan, Hong shi, and a few other people, no one was aware of the matter. Wei Jiang might be Hong shis teacher, but he wasnt informed of this matter either. "Then... What should we do?" Ye Wentian asked. "Since Pavilion Master Mo has made such a decision, lets not speak about it. In any case, Zhang shi is going to enter Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. If my memory serves me well, the academy has a Combat Master Selection once every five years. It should be starting very soon... If he does possess potential in that aspect, he will surely do well then!" Wei Jiang said. Ye Wentian nodded his head and sighed. "Combat Master Selection? Now that you speak of it, there is indeed such a matter... However, for an outsider to join the ranks of thebat masters, he must be a half 5-star master teacher at minimum. Considering how Zhang Xuan is only at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle currently, who knows how long it would take for him to reach Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle!" Wei Jiang nodded. "Regardless of when he can qualify as abat master, since Pavilion Master Mo has already sent a silence restraint, lets just remain silent and watch on!" "Youre right!" Ye Wentian replied. ... While the duo was having their discussion behind closed doors, Zhang Xuan found himself intercepted as soon as he left the crown princes Eastern Pce. "Zhang shi, I would like to talk to you privately!" A slender figure blocked his path. "Sixth Princess?" Upon realizing the other partys identity, Zhang Xuan frowned. It was the Sixth Princess whom he had taken as his maid. Why was she looking for him at such an ungodly hour? "Un! This isnt a convenient ce, follow me!" Princess Fei-er harrumphed before dashing off in one direction. But a momentter, she realized that there was no movement behind her. Perplexed, she turned her head around and her body immediately shook in rage. The young man didnt follow behind her at all! The other party simply ced his hands into the pockets before walking in apletely different direction. "You... Why didnt you follow me?!" She hurriedly turned around and harrumphed angrily. "Im not interested in whatever you have to say!" Zhang Xuan shrugged. "You..." Princess Fei-ers breathing grew agitated, and yet again, she found herself on the verge of erupting. Chapter 637: Library of Yellows Path Chapter 637: Library of Yellows Path Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To think that despite her standing as a princess and her beautiful appearance, the other party would actually ignore her entirely and walk away. Could a person like him even be called a man? "Fine, well talk here then!" Fearing that the other party would walk away once more, Princess Fei-er gritted her teeth and began talking telepathically. "I didnt know of your aptitude in deciphering stone pirs and lost to you. On that, Ive nothing much to say. I did lose the bet fair and square, and Im willing to acknowledge them... However, I wish to propose another wager. Do you dare ept it?" Given this fellows shameless face, how could she have ever expected for him to be a master teacher of such astounding capability? She was willing to acknowledge her loss in the bet, but what angered her was the other partys demand afterward. If she didnt rid herself of this master-servant rtionship soon, who knew when would this fellow suddenly go insane andmand her to serve him wine or massage his legs? Her pride as her princess would never allow her to do such things. If that was going to be the case, she might as wellmit suicide this very instant. "You still want to wager with me?" Seeing how thisdy refused to give up, even going to the extent of proposing another bet, Zhang Xuan stopped and turned to look at her with a peculiar expression. "As a maid, what rights do you have to propose a wager against me? Also, are you sure you have the capital to do so?" "You..." Princess Fei-er red at Zhang Xuan with eyes burning with rage. If not for this fellow being a master teacher and winning a wager against her, she would have just smacked him to death. "Alright, if you dont have anything else, Ill be taking my leave. Its alreadyte at night, and Im exhausted. I dont have the strength to be ying with you!" Waving his hands casually, Zhang Xuan continued walking toward the living quarters of Hongfeng Empire. However, barely after taking two steps, a gust of air carrying a slight aroma suddenly blew behind him. The Sixth Princess had rushed forward and blocked his path yet again. Due to her rage, her chest was expanding and contracting rapidly, seemingly intent on squeezing their way through her dress. "Stop it right there!" She waved her hands and zhenqi immediately gushed into the air, forming a wall. "Just because I refused your bet, you decide to force me into it? Despite being a maid, you tried toy your hands on your master. Dont you have any basic etiquette?" Seeing thess getting anxious, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. "Ive paid you 700 spirit stones to redeem myself for ten days. At the moment, Im not considered as your... maid!" Harrumphing coldly, Princess Fei-er waved her hands. "If you provoke me any further, as your senior, surely it is within my rights to teach a junior a lesson!" The top ten of the respective Master Teacher Tournaments were all given the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. As a Grade 2 student, Princess Fei-er could be considered as Zhang Xuans senior. Going by this logic, it was indeed eptable for her to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson. After which, Princess Fei-er closed her hands, grabbing at the surrounding air. She was simply too enraged at the fellow before her. No matter what, she was determined to teach this fellow a lesson today so that he would know some manners! Hu! Through the might of a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to be drawn in by a bridge, forming a tight barrier that isted the duo from the world. She was clearly embarrassed atying her hands on the other party after losing a bet. Thus, she sealed the space so that no one saw it. "Its indeed nothing much to teach ones junior a lesson, but... are you sure you want to do this?" Seeing the other party seal the space, Zhang Xuan nced at her with a bizarre gaze. It was just a moment ago that he pummeled a bunch of Consonant Spirit realm cultivators into shouting for their parents. Thisdy should be well aware that his true fighting prowess was far beyond rifying Turbidity realm. To intend toy her hands on him before such uncertainty, she must be very confident in her strength! "Stop spouting useless stuff! Ill make sure you obediently have this bet with me!" Harrumphing coldly, Princess Fei-er rushed up to Zhang Xuan and thrust a palm at him. Hu! Zhenqi gushed forth furiously from her palm and formed an intangible horizontal umbre-like barrier, sealing all possible path of escape for Zhang Xuan. No matter where he tried to escape to, he would only crash into a wall of zhenqi. Spirit high-tier battle technique, Seal of the Golden Umbre! Not only did this technique seal space, it also sealed a persons zhenqi as well, thus limiting ones mobility. On top of that, it was also tinged with the might of ones soul, causing ones opponent to feel immense lethargy. It seemed she knew that even though her junior may seem weak on the surface, his fighting prowess was astonishing. As such, she immediately executed her strongest attack at the very start of the battle. "Hehe!" Zhang Xuans soul had been tempered by his cultivation of the Heavens Path Soul Art. Even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert couldnt faze his soul, so how could he possibly be afraid of the other partys attack? Swiftly flipping through the bookpiled on the other partys w in the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan shook his head and stomped his feet on the ground. Hu! Under the might of the stomp, a crack swiftly crept across the ground, causing Princess Fei-ers to lose her bnce. This caused the trajectory of her palm to shift slightly, thus creating an opening for Zhang Xuan to avoid her attack. With a slight tilt of his body, Zhang Xuan dodged the other partys palm. Following which, he clenched his fist tightly and immediately counterattacked with a punch. While the other party was a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, she was still at primary stage. Given that thebined might of Zhang Xuans soul cultivation and zhenqi cultivation far surpassed the other partys strength, it was hard to tell who would win at this point. Not expecting the other party to deal with her Seal of the Golden Umbre with just a simple stomp, Princess Fei-er was taken aback. But even so, she recovered quickly and swiftly returned the other partys fist with another palm strike. A head-to-head collision! In her view, no matter how powerful the fellow before her was, he was only a rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle cultivator. As a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, she couldnt possibly lose to the other party. Peng! The collision of the two fists jolted Zhang Xuans body, and he was forced to retreat several steps to nullify the force. On the other hand, while Princess Fei-er managed to stand her ground, her face was filled with horror as though she had seen a ghost. She had put her full might behind her battle technique, and she thought that the sheer force would inflict grievous injuries and send the other party flying several dozen meters. Who knew that he would bepletely unscathed after taking several steps back... Was he really at rifying Turbidity realm? Why did he seem no weaker than her, a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator? While she was overwhelmed with shock, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Seems like its time to upgrade my Heavens Path Fist Art..." His Heavens Path Fist Art was wless and invincible among those of the same tier... but its might was severely limited by the tier of fist art manuals that he collected. While he could easily destroy a Spirit low-tier battle technique with his current tier of Heavens Path First Art, it was hard for him to match up to a Spirit high-tier battle technique. It was just like how even though a genius in a first grade could achieve full marks even in the hardest exams each time, he might not even pass an average seventh grade exam. Heavens Path battle techniques were indeed formidable, but they still had its limitations, especially against battle techniques of a far higher tier than it. As such, despite his strength being superior to the other party, he was still forced back. But even so, with this collision, he also got a good grasp on the other partys strength... and he could confidently say that it would be extremely difficult for the other party to defeat him as well. "Humph!" Seeing how her younger junior was actually able to stand on equal grounds as her, Princess Fei-er harrumphed coldly and charged forward once more. "Thisss..." The other partys attacks gradually became faster and more forceful, but at the same time, more reckless as well, as though she had be desperate. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Aiming right at a w, Zhang Xuan raised his foot and kicked straight at the other partys chest. "You... Shameless!" Seeing that the other party was going to attack her chest, Princess Fei-er cried in anger. She subconsciously cowered backward, causing the divergence in the attack she had justunched. Naturally, yet another w appeared with this mistake. Hu! Her palm which should have struck Zhang Xuan ended up striking thin air. Panicked, she quickly looked around, but the young man had already vanished from her sight. "What? Where did he go? In the blink of an eye, the other party simply vanished from her sight. Taken aback, she quickly tried to look around when her eyes suddenly narrowed. She hurriedly turned around. However, it was already toote. As the other partys feet connected with her bottom, she felt a dull ache there. Hu! With a cry of pain, she flew twenty meters into the air before falling back to the ground. The impact from the fall had created some tears in her elegant clothes, and her face was covered in mud. At this moment, rather than a princess, she seemed more like a beggar instead. "You hooligan..." Princess Fei-er cried. Carrying the royal bloodline, the others wouldnt even dare to defy her words, needless to say, disrespect her. And yet, this fellow kicked her chest to push her away, and making use of the chance in the opening of her zhenqi barrier, he maneuvered to her back and kicked her bottom... The heck! Dont you know that adys chest and bottom are not to be hit? And yet, you actually struck the both of them consecutively... How much more shameless can you get? The stinging pain on her bottom left her both embarrassed and enraged. Pressing against the ground, she immediately got to her feet and charged forward in a rampage. At this moment, her anger had already turned into frenzy. But before she could reach the other party, the other party had sent yet another kick toward her. Upon seeing where the kick was headed for, Princess Fei-ers lips twitched violently. The trajectory and timing of the kick were precisely timed to seal off her attack. If she were to continue charging on, she would definitely crash into the other partys kick. Furthermore... as well as most importantly of all, the region where the kick was headed for was once again... her chest! "You thug!" Gritting her teeth tightly, Princess Fei-er thrust her palm against the ground instead, and making use of the momentum, she leaped into the air. Just as she was considering how she shouldunch her next attack, she felt yet another stinging pain on her bottom. "You..." Hu! Once again, she was sent flying and fed another mouthful of soil. This time, she crashed much more heavily, and her clothes were torn even more badly. Her face and hair werepletely covered with mud. "Cant you... fight fairly?" Princess Fei-er was on the verge of tears. As a man, you shouldnt bully ady like that! To kick two times consecutively on the bottom, how am I supposed to face others in the future? Dont you have the slightest morals or etiquette as a master teacher? "If I were to say that I didnt do it intentionally... would you believe me?" While she was on the verge of tears, cold sweat was also flowing down Zhang Xuans back. While he did possess strength superior to the other party, he was still at a significantly disadvantageous position due to his lower cultivation. Both his speed and reflexes were far beneath those of the other party. Thus, he had no choice but to move ording to the ws listed on the Library of Heavens Path... But the attacking regions that the Library of Heavens Path reflected just had to be the other partys chest and bottom... Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly... Did he use the wrong library this time around? Could he have identally essed the Library of Yellows Path instead? "Fine... Ill have a wager with you, alright?" Frustrated, Zhang Xuan could only resign himself. He was better off epting the wager than continuing with the fight. Otherwise, it wouldnt be long before the other partys clothes werepletely ripped and the stinging pain on her bottom prevented her from walking. And if this were to be made known to others, he would die of embarrassment. "Wager..." Princess Fei-ers lips twitched as tears flowed down her cheek. This is no longer a matter about having a wager or not, alright... Chapter 638: Unlucky Wu Zhen (1) Chapter 638: Unlucky Wu Zhen (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the two clear footprints on thedys bottom, Zhang Xuan said awkwardly, "If we were to continue fighting, I fear that... you might sustain more severe injuries. Lets just forget about it! Ill wager with you whatever you have in your mind..." He wouldnt be a match for the other party in a normal battle, but if he were to continue resorting to the Library of Heavens Path, who knew what kind of awkwardness would evolve from it? He already felt embarrassed kicking the other party twice on the bottom. Even if his skin was thick, he couldnt bring himself to do it anymore. "Alright!" While Princess Fei-er was so angry that she could tear out her hair at this very instant, she knew that she would be the one in a disadvantageous position should the fight continue. Thus, she took a deep breath and nodded. But even so, the mes in her pitch-ck eyes continued to ze, seemingly searing the hateful man with her gaze. "Since were both heading to the Cleansing Lake tomorrow, lets have a wager on it!" Princess Fei-er said. "Thats fine by me. How do you want to do it?" Zhang Xuan asked. "You should be aware that the Lake Eyes of the Cleansing Lake have a limited pool of spiritual energy. In truth, the three days limit given is only a rough estimation. Due to the differing cultivation speed of different cultivators, those entering the Cleansing Lake will be given a Spirit Cleansing Incense!" Princess Fei-er continued, saying, "The Spirit Cleansing Incense can detect the concentration of the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye, and it will burn down at differing rates depending on the rate of depletion of spiritual energy. An average rate is one incense a day, so the three days estimate approximates to three incense sticks. Regardless of which Lake Eye one was in, once the three incense sticks burn out, one must leave its premises immediately." Given that theres a fixed amount of spiritual energy in each Lake Eye and that every cultivator had a different rate of cultivation, the approximation of three days wouldnt hold for everyone. As such, a more urate way of detecting the depletion of spiritual energy in the Lake Eye was required so that the cultivators inside wouldnt be exposed to dangerthe Spirit Cleansing Incense. These incenses would start burning immediately once they are put inside the Cleansing Lake, and based on the rate of depletion of spiritual energy in the Lake Eye, they could burn down at differing paces. Once three incense sticks had burned out, one had to leave immediately. This was a rule that had been set long ago, and no one was allowed to break it. This had been exined back at the banquet, so Zhang Xuan knew about it too. "So... our wager is very simple. Tomorrow afternoon, well enter the Cleansing Lake at the same time, and whoevers Spirit Cleansing Incense burns out first will be the winner!" Princess Fei-er said. "Whoevers Spirit Cleansing Incense burns out first will be the winner?" Not expecting this to be the wager, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The rate at which the Spirit Cleansing Incense burned down was proportionate to the rate of ones absorption of the spiritual energy the Lake Eye. And to absorb the spiritual energy from the Lake Eye swiftly, a strong soul was required. To put it simply... the stronger ones soul was, the faster ones Spirit Cleansing Incense would burn. As a Cosmos Bridge realm expert, the other partys soul had undergone the nourishment in the Consonant Spirit realm. Clearly, the other party was taking advantage of Zhang Xuan for possessing a cultivation of only rifying Turbidity realm and thus having a weaker soul than her... Just that... She would have never imagined that she was gravely mistaken. Not only was his soul not weak, it was far stronger than hers! Having cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, his soul could already operate independently from his body. In a battle of absorption of spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake, not even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert would be a match for him. "Are you certain you want to wager on this?" Zhang Xuan looked at her with pity. With such a wager, she was destined to lose. "Indeed! Why? You were still so gleeful a moment ago, are you chickening out now?" Princess Fei-er spoke confidently. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. "Fine, lets talk about the bets then!" "Simple. If I win, Ill no longer be your maid anymore, and I wont owe you any spirit stones either! On the other hand, if you win... Ill pay you another ten thousand spirit stones... or remain your maid for another five months. How about it?" Princess Fei-er said. "Remain my maid for another five months? Theres no need for that..." Zhang Xuan shook his head without any hesitation. Honestly, he didnt need a maid at all, needless to say, he definitely didnt need a proud princess like the other party. Back then, he had only raised the matter to get even with the other party. In terms of practicality, spirit stones were definitely far superior. Hearing the other party shooting down her offer, Princess Fei-er gritted her teeth in anger. "What else do you want? Do you expect me to marry you?" "Marry me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "You wish!" "You..." Princess Fei-er grabbed her hair in a frenzy. There were countless master teachers in the Master Teacher Academy who were dying to win her fancy, and yet this fellow actually scorned at the thought of being married to her... Who do you think you are? "I dont need you to be my maid for another five months, just give me ten thousand spirit stones if you lose!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Fine, thats a deal..." With clenched jaws, Princess Fei-er stomped away. She really couldnt stand talking to this fellow for a second longer. She feared that she might just suffer a heart attack on the spot and die. Sneaking through the premises, she managed to reach her living quarters without being seen when Luo Qiqi suddenly walked up to her. Upon seeing her unkempt state, the other party was dumbfounded. "What happened?" At the current moment, Princess Fei-ers clothes were ripped at several parts, revealing her snowy skin. Her hair and face had clumps of mud sticking onto it, as though she had been rolling on the ground. She looked extremely scruffy at this current moment. "Its nothing much... I suffered some injuries, so I might need you to apply some recovery medicine to meter on!" Princess Fei-er said. She lost a bet fair and square, and yet she went to confront the other party and even attacked him... It would still be fine if she seeded, but she ended up being beaten up instead. Even her bottom had swollen up due to being kicked... She would rather die than tell anyone of this shameful affair! "Youre injured?" Luo Qiqi frowned. "Who did it?" "I said that Im fine! Just apply the medicine for me..." Princess Fei-ers face flushed. "Alright." Seeing that the other party was unwilling to talk about it, Luo Qiqi didnt push on either. "If its superficial wounds, I happen to have a bottle of Bloodwillow Balm forged by Dean Lu of the Apothecary School. It is exceptionally effective on external wounds, so it should get you healed up for tomorrows Cleansing Lake!" "Theres no need for that, Wu Zhen just gave up a bottle of Saint recovery medicine. He said that it can heal any external wound, no matter how severe, within moments... Help me apply some!" Princess Fei-er flicked her wrist and took out a wine gourd. While she was a little embarrassed to have the other party apply the medicinal wine on her, especially on her bottom, it was much better than suffering and limping around. "Saint recovery medicine?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. "Un. Its said to be a gift from one of the Vassal States. They tested it out on the spot and it was shown to be extremely effective. Even a bleeding wound can be healed instantly with it!" Princess Fei-er said. "He insisted that I should ept it. Lets see whether it lives up to the rumors then!" "Theres actually such a formidable medicine?" Luo Qiqimented in awe as she entered the room with Princess Fei-er. But not too longerter, a shout of agony reminiscent of a pig being butchered echoed out of their room. Following which, Princess Fei-ers furious howl echoed across the entire mansion. "AHHH... WU ZHEN, TO HELL WITH YOU!" With a doubtful expression, Wu Zhen looked out from his door. "Who called for me?" ... After parting with Princess Fei-er, Zhang Xuan returned to his own room. He took out the cier Rain Sword and had it acknowledge him as its master. Giving the sword a try, he found it to be very handy. After which, he put the sword away, sat down, and began conditioning his body to recuperate from the immense exertion from the previous two battles a moment ago. But soon, perhaps it was the exhaustion from flying for more than a month catching up with him, he soon fell into a deep sleep. When he finally opened his eyes once more, it was already daylight. As soon as he walked out from his room, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai immediately walked up to him with an agitated expression which reflected both excitement and gratitude. After returning back to their roomsst night, they immediately consumed the Consonant Spirit Pill given to them and sessfully achieved a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage. While it was only one small cultivation realm, their souls had be much stronger, and their zhenqi had grown denser as well. And all of this was thanks to the young man before them. After eating breakfast, Hong shi walked over and said, "Lets go to the royal pce. The Cleansing Lake is opening today, so well have to hurry!" Hongfeng Empire had performed exceptionally in deciding the distribution of slots this time around, crushing the other three Vassal States. This had left him excited and motivated. The royal pce was much grander andrger than the crown princes Eastern Pce. Its resplendent design carried a strong hint of authority which brought out a solemn atmosphere in the area. Those who entered would find a pressure pressing down against them, inducing deference in them. Under the lead of two eunuchs, they walked into the main hall of the royal pce. Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and the others had already arrived at this point. After a night of recuperation, everyone seemed to look much better. However, if one were to take a closer look, the swelling and wounds were still visible. While ones physical body would grow stronger along with the rise in ones cultivation, ones recovery ability would slow in contrast. While they did possess precious recovery medicine, its effectiveness pale far inparison to Zhang Xuans zhenqi, which could heal any wounds instantaneously. "Hmm? Whats with that fellow?" It wasnt surprising to see injuries on them, but there was one who did leave Zhang Xuan a little taken aback. For some reason, Wu Zhen, who had sat beside the crown princest night and epted everyones gifts, had a ck eye on his face. There were distinct hints of swelling which indicated that he had suffered a vicious beating by someonest night. Given that he was a talented student of the Master Teacher Academy, a figure whom even Emperor Ye Wentian and Crown Prince Ye Qian had to regard with the utmost respect, who would dare toy their hands on him, not to mention, reduce him to such a tragic state? Zhang Xuan wasnt the only one who was surprised by the turn of events. Perplexed gazes from the others in the main hall would fall on him from time to time as well. At that moment, Wu Zhen noticed Zhang Xuan and stomped over angrily. "Zhang shi... I have something I would like to ask you!" "Paying respect to Wu shi!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "Dont give me this nonsense. Tell me, whats wrong with this medicinal wine?" Flicking his wrist, Wu shi took out the wine gourd angrily. While this fellow imed that this was a gift from Hong shi, he could tell that Zhang shi was surely involved in this matter. "This medicinal wine?" Zhang Xuan froze for a moment beforeing to a realization. "You used it?" This medicinal wine was in fact just in white wine. The only reason why it could heal injuries previously was due to him infusing his zhenqi in. But as time passed, the zhenqi would slowly dissipate, and thus, the healing property would gradually fade. It seemed like this fellow had used it and it was ineffective. "I wasnt the one who used it... but itspletely ineffective!" The more Wu Zhen thought about it, the angrier he felt. When he heard the Sixth Princess calling for him yesterday, he excitedly ran over, thinking that the other party wanted to reward him for giving her the medicinal wine. Who knew that he would only be viciously beaten up instead? Only then did he realize that the medicinal wine waspletely ineffective. The more he thought about this matter, the more furious he felt. Thus, he stomped straight up to Zhang Xuan as soon as he saw him. "How could it be ineffective? Let me take a look. Alright, since your face is injured, why dont you give it a try?" How could Zhang Xuan possibly admit to it, especially given how angry the other party was? Thus, grabbing hold of the medicinal wine, he shook it and infused a surge of zhenqi into it. "Give it a try?" Wu Zhen thought that the other party would surely tremble in fear upon being confronted, but seeing the calmness on the other partys face, he frowned. "Un, here..." Passing the medicinal gourd over, Zhang Xuan said. "Since you doubt its effectiveness, you should try drinking it!" Chapter 639: Unlucky Wu Zhen (2) Chapter 639: Unlucky Wu Zhen (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Drink it?" Wu Zhen was taken aback. "Shouldnt this medicinal wine of yours be applied externally?" Last night, when Bi shis arm was stabbed by a dagger, his injuries healed just by applying the medicinal wine externally. Since that was the case, why was he so special that he needed to consume the medicinal wine then? "Depending on the type of injury, one needs to either apply it externally or consume it. If one chooses the wrong method, not only will it be ineffective, it might even worsen the injury!" Zhang Xuan casually exined. Since there wasnt much medicinal wine left in the gourd, Zhang Xuan decided to push on with the story. In any case, by the time the other party realized that something was wrong, the medicinal wine would have already finished, so any investigation done was bound to end inconclusive. "Theres such a matter?" Wu Zhen was in disbelief. "You did see me use the medicinal winest night, and it was extremely effective... The only usible exnation to its ineffectiveness is that you must have used it wrongly!" Zhang Xuan said without the slightest hint of embarrassment on his face. "Like you said, you werent the one using it. Most probably, the person who used the medicinal wine must have been confused between the two, resulting in the ineffectiveness of the medicinal wine!" "Is that the case?" Wu Zhen was still slightly doubtful. "Please, take a sip!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Alright then. If it proves to be ineffective, just wait and see how I take care of you!" Harrumphing coldly, Wu Zhen picked up the wine gourd and took a sip. As soon as the wine flowed down his throat, he immediately felt a warm surge of energy flowing through his bloodstream across his entire body. A momentter, the aching and swelling disappeared without a trace. "This..." Wu Zhens eyes widened in disbelief. Only upon trying it personally did he realize how incredible this Saint recovery medicine was. He was beaten up to a pathetic statest night, and he had tried applying the medicinal wine to his injuries, but it waspletely ineffective. In the end, he had to use his own recovery medicine, but due to its limited effectiveness, he wasnt able to make a full recovery. As such, here he was in the royal pce with a swollen eye. Thus, he thought that Zhang shis Saint recovery medicine was a fake, but who knew that it would possess such astounding healing ability? Within moments of consuming the Saint recovery medicine, his injuries disappeared instantly... This was too incredible! "I wasnt lying, see?" Seeing that the other partys injuries had healed, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Without a doubt, the other party must have used the medicinal wine incorrectly. Why dont you ask them where they are injured, Ill help you analyze whether they should apply the medicinal wine externally or consume it." "Alright!" After a moment of hesitation, Wu Zhen nodded. His credibility was at stake here. No matter what, he had to rify the matter, or else he might just end up beingbeled as a fraudster for his entire life. With the medicinal wine in hand, Wu Zhen immediately walked over to the Sixth Princess and sped his fist. "Sixth Princess, youve med me wrongly. Its not that this medicinal wine was ineffective but that youve used it in the wrong manner!" After receiving Zhang shis reassurance, Wu Zhen was filled with confidence. "Used it wrong?" The Sixth Princess had seen this fellow talking with Zhang shi privately, and she frowned upon hearing those words. "Indeed. You just have to show me where youre injured, and Ill immediately tell you whether you should apply it externally or consume it. I guarantee that youll heal in an instant!" Wu Zhen tilted his head up proudly, d that he would be winning back his credibility. "Where I am injured? And I have to show you at that?" The Sixth Princesss face immediately turned scarlet in embarrassment. The heck, are you doing it on purpose? My injuries were caused by Zhang shi, and after chatting with him, you came over here and asked me to give you a look at my injuries... In other words, youre saying that you want to look at my... bottom? "Thats right. As long as I know the region and severity of your injury, Ill be able to confirm for you whether you should apply the medicinal wine externally or consume it. You must have used it the wrong way yesterday for it to be ineffective..." Wu Zhen chuckled as he exined the matter to let the other party know that she had med him wrongly for the matter yesterday. However, halfway through his words, his sight suddenly turned dark. A p was flying straight toward him. Pah! The p caused a crisp echo in the main hall. Wu Zhen spun twice on the spot before regaining his bnce. He waspletely dumbfounded by the situation before him. "You want to take a look? Why dont I send you to meet your maker..." With a livid face, Sixth Princess sent a kick straight toward the fellow before her. Peng! Before Wu Zhen could process what was going on, he was already struck in the abdomen and was sent crashing onto the ground. "Sixth Princess, why did you hit me? What did I do..." Wu Zhen cried. He had given the valuable medicinal wine, which he couldnt even bear to use, to the other party out of goodwill, thinking that he could win the other partys fancy with this. In the end, he only ended up being beaten up. After rifying the reason and testing it out himself, he came over to redeem himself, only to be pummeled once more... Can anyone tell me what is going on? How in the world did my kind gesture end up like that? Wu Zhen crawled up to his feet, only to see the Sixth Princess rushing forward angrily to continue beating him up. Frightened, Wu Zhen hurriedly plead for help. "Qiqi, please help me talk to Sixth Princess..." "To dare to tease even Sixth Princess, you deserve it!" Luo Qiqi harrumphed. She had heard the previous conversation as well. The fellow before her actually asked to look at the Sixth Princesss bottom! Even if he were to be executed on the spot, he would still be getting off lightly. "Wu Zhen, how dare you tease Sixth Princess! Youre courting death!" At this moment, Xing Yuan also finally realized what Wu Zhen was up to, and he immediately rubbed his palms, preparing to give thetter the beating of his life. He was the most loyal fan of the Sixth Princess, and he had followed her everywhere... To dare to tease the Sixth Princess before my eyes, you must be thinking that Im invisible! "..." Wu Zhen burst into tears. I... really intended nothing more than goodwill... "This..." Seeing that Wu Zhen was pummeled viciously, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in bewilderment. As expected of the geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, their thoughts truly couldnt be interpreted usingmon sense. ... "Cough cough! Since everyone is here, lets head to the Cleansing Lake!" Eventually, Emperor Ye Wentian couldnt watch on any longer so he interjected in the fight among the few geniuses. "Lets go!" Knowing that it was no longer early, everyone hurriedly followed him to the Cleansing Lake. The Cleansing Lake wasnt in the royal pce nor within the boundaries of Huanyu Capital. Instead, it was located in the intersection between Verdant Mountain and Dragon-scaled River a distance away from the capital. The location was heavily guarded by the personal guards of the royal family. The group rode on the aerial beasts prepared for them, and after half an hour of flight, and filled with spiritual energy appeared before their sight. The Verdant Mountain resembled an immense dragon lying on the ground whereas the Dragon-scaled River was reminiscent of a river of stars embedded on the ground. Poets had once described this scenery as a dragon sipping from the winding river of stars. It was apparent that thisnd was a natural Spirit Gathering Formation with just a single look. Furthermore, under the suppression of the majestic aura of a dragon, the spiritual energy in the surroundings was gentle and nourishing to the soul. "Incredible!" With just a nce, Zhang Xuans eyes immediately lit up. It was no wonder why this could be the foundation of a Tier 2 Empire. The Cleansing Lake was indeed formidable. It was far superior to the Spirit Gather Formation that he made. The spirit beast gradually descended to the ground. "The Cleansing Lake is up ahead. Before entering, Ill give everyone a Spirit Cleansing Incense as per the slots and duration agreed on previously!" Ye Wentian instructed. As he said so, a guard walked over with thirty Spirit Cleansing Incense in hand. The Spirit Cleansing Incense was made of a material very different from ordinary incense. From afar, it looked like it was made of some kind of metal. It could float on water, and it would begin burning uponing into contact with the Cleansing Lake. As the Hongfeng Empire had three Lake Eyes to themselves, they were given nine Spirit Cleansing Incense, and of which, Zhang Xuan took three. Since one could only remain in a Lake Eye for three days, three incense sticks were sufficient for him. By the time the Spirit Cleansing Incense was distributed, it was almost afternoon. Seeing that the Cleansing Lake was just about to be opened, Zhang Xuan followed behind Ye Qian to the Lake Eyes when someone suddenly called out to him from behind. "Zhang shi, I need to talk to you!" Turning around, he saw Xing Yuan right behind him. It was Wu Zhen a moment ago, and now it was this fellow. What were they up to? But even so, seeing the anxious look on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan decided to listen to what he had to say. Thus, the duo moved to a corner beyond the sight of the others. After which, Xing Yuan jumped straight to the point. "I know that youve made a wager with Sixth Princess!" "Yes!" Zhang Xuan didnt deny the matter. The first time they made a bet at the Mystical Treasure Hall, this fellow was right there, and the other party personally saw his beloved Sixth Princess turning into his maid. "I want you to lose, and make sure that Sixth Princess doesnt notice it!" Xing Yuan said. "Admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He was wondering what favor the other party was going to ask of him, but to think that it would be for him to admit defeat. "Indeed. As long as you admit defeat, Ill ede to any request you have!" Xing Yuan harrumphed. "Any request I have?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Xing Yuan nodded. "Thats right!" "Alright. Im sure you know that ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones are at stake in my wager with Sixth Princess. Since thats the wager... if you can give me two high-tier spirit stones topensate my loss, I dont mind admitting my defeat!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. The Sixth Princess owed him ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones from the very start, and the bet at stake also involved another ten thousand. As such, that added up to twenty thousand, which was equivalent to two high-tier spirit stones. He could easily control the speed at which he could absorb the spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake. If he could earn two high-tier spirit stones from this matter, it would be a huge profit. While a high-tier spirit stone was theoretically worth ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones, there were very few who would be willing to trade a high-tier spirit stone. As such, even if Zhang Xuan were to obtain twenty thousand middle-tier spirit stones, chances were that he wouldnt be able to get two high-tier spirit stones in exchange for it. "Two high-tier spirit stone?" Xing Yuans lips twitched. Even with his background, it wouldnt be easy for him to produce two high-tier spirit stones for a bet. "Since youre unwilling to ept my offer, forget it then... In any case, if Sixth Princess loses, she will have topensate me a total of twenty thousand middle-tier spirit stones anyway..." Zhang Xuan said. Even though twenty thousand middle-tier spirit stones couldntpare to two high-tier spirit stone, at the very least, he wouldnt be making a loss. "Fine, Ill agree to your request!" Xing Yuan gritted his teeth. "As long as you do youve as promised, Ill give you two high-tier spirit stones when we return to the academy. However... as promised, you mustnt reveal this matter to anyone!" "Deal!" Zhang Xuan nodded. To earn two high-tier spirit stones with less than three days of effort, this deal was highly beneficial to Zhang Xuan. On top of that, he could also avoid offending Xing Yuan while cating the Sixth Princess. Just as the duo was done negotiating, a violent rumbling sounded, and dense spiritual energy suddenly gushed into the surroundings. It was as if a massive Spirit Gathering Formation had juste to life. "Look!" someone amidst the crowd suddenly eximed. Everyone turned their gazes over and saw a pir of concentrated spiritual energy bursting into the heavens. A refreshing gust of wind infused densely with spiritual energy blew at the crowd. With just a slight inhtion, one could feel ones soul trembling with excitement, as though the road to achieving a breakthrough was within their reach. At the empty grounds in the distance, a massiveke slowly surfaced. Spiritual energy currents reminiscent of massive dragons roared furiously in it, as though they were going to soar into the heavens at any moment. Ten depressions of simr sizes could be seen around theke. They were all of a radius of two meters, and they sat silently as though massive gemstones embedded on top of a tiara. "The Cleansing Lake... is open!" Upon seeing this sight, everyone clenched their fists tightly. Chapter 640: Cheating? Chapter 640: Cheating? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The main purpose of visiting Huanyu Empire was for the Cleansing Lake. After such a long wait, under everyones expectant gazes, the Cleansing Lake finally opened. "Lets go over!" Without wasting any time, Zhang Xuan and Xing Yuan hurried over to the crowd. Seeing the raging currents within the Cleansing Lake, everyone immediately realized that Ye Qian wasnt over-exaggerating at all. The massive waves within theke did emanate concentrated spiritual energy, but the energy flowing within it was also frightening in itself. Anyone who dares to enter it recklessly would surely be crushed into bits. "Look!" Amidst everyones astonished gaze, Ye Wentian flicked his wrist, took out a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, and threw it into theke. Kacha! In the blink of an eye, the weapon which even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert would find difficult to destroy melted into a mass of liquid, which then sank to the bottom of theke. "This..." Everyones faces twitched in fear. Even though their physical resilience was far above ordinary humans, how could they possiblypare to a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon? If even such a tough weapon was reduced to a puddle in theke instantaneously, they could already see themselves turning to dust should they enter it. It was no wonder Crown Prince Ye Qian said that even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert wouldnt survive in the Cleansing Lake. Those words indeed rang true. Ye Wentian wrapped it up with a warning. "Given how violent theke water is, I suggest everyone to cultivate calmly within the Lake Eye and not to venture beyond it. Otherwise, even a deity wouldnt be able to save you!" "Dont worry, we wont get reckless!" "We cultivate to grow stronger, not to die. Your Majesty need not worry about this matter!" "Thats too scary! Theres no way well take such a risk..." ... Everyone hurriedly shook their heads. Given even a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon was reduced into a puddle in an instant, who would possibly dare to venture into that fearsomeke? "Alright. Everyone, pick a Lake Eye. The ten Lake Eyes possess equivalent effectiveness, so theres no need to worry. If its preferable, those from the same Vassal State can choose to remain together in order to look after one another..." Ye Wentian waved his hands and said no more. Since the ten Lake Eyes had the same effectiveness, there was no difference between picking one over the other. Zhang Xuan scanned the Lake Eyes for a moment before walking over to a cluster of Lake Eyes closest to theke with Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai. The furthest Lake Eyes in the Cleansing Lake were shrouded with thick mist produced by the concentrated spiritual energy in the region. Even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert would find it hard to see through the mist. Zhang Xuan had specifically picked this region so that no one would be able to see him as he cultivated, especially since he intended to keep the Heavens Path cultivation techniques a secret. "Lets cultivate here!" After finding the region where the spiritual energy and mist were the thickest, Zhang Xuan stopped and turned around to instruct Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai. "You two should cultivate at these two Lake Eyes. This way, if anything happens, we can help one another!" "Alright!" The duo nodded, and just as they were about to enter with the Spirit Cleansing Incense in their hands, they heard a shout. "The two of you, pick another Lake Eye!" Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw Princess Fei-er and Luo Qiqi walking over. "We..." Seeing that a princess was actually vying for their spot, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai were stumped. "The two of you should take the Lake Eyes over there. We hope to get a position closer to teacher!" Luo Qiqi said. "That... Yes!" Given that this was an order from Princess Fei-er and Luo Qiqi, they dared not talk back. Thus, they quickly rushed over to the other Lake Eyes. In any case, since the Lake Eyes were all equal, it didnt matter where they were cultivating. Noticing Zhang Xuans gaze on her, Princess Fei-er harrumphed. "Humph, you need not think too highly of yourself. Since we have a wager on, I want to check if you are cheating!" "Think too highly of myself? I say youre thinking too much." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Im just trying to see which nerves of yours have turned psychotic..." "You..." Princess Fei-er clenched her jaws angrily. "You wont stay gleeful for long. Your sharp words wont help you in the Cleansing Lake!" Flinging her sleeves, Princess Fei-er leaped into the Lake Eye without any hesitation. The Spirit Cleansing Incense that she was holding immediately floated to the water surface and lit up. A wisp of smoke began drifting into the air. Hu hu hu! Closing her eyes, Princess Fei-er began to cultivate. The spiritual energy in the Lake Eye seemed to flow faster and faster into her with each breath. At the same time, the smoke drifting from the Spirit Cleansing Incense thickened as it started to burn down even more swiftly. Seeing how thisss dived straight into cultivating just to defeat him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and jumped into a Lake Eye himself. Luo Qiqi also jumped into a Lake Eye, picking one that would nk Zhang Xuan between her and Princess Fei-er. While Zhangoshi was her apothecary teacher, it hadnt been long since the both of them met, so they were naturally not close enough for her to being over to cultivate with him. The only reason why she came here was to prevent a fight between her good friend and her teacher. Princess Fei-er was obstinate, proud, and hated losing. If the two of them were to be left alone, who knew what would happen? As such, Luo Qiqi decided to tag along so that she could intervene if a fight were to ur. Otherwise, the situation yesterday might just happen once more. While the Sixth Princess didnt reveal the culprit behind the two footprints on her bottom, it wasnt too difficult to deduce from her words that it had something to do with this apothecary teacher of hers. Usually, one would first strip their clothes before entering the Cleaning Lake. However, due to being in a public location, the twodies decided against it. Even so, their drenched clothes that stuck to their skin still shaped out the beautiful curvature of their bodies. Zhang Xuan nced around for a moment before calming his mind. After which, he ced a Spirit Cleansing Incense into theke and began to cultivate. Closing his eyes, he immediately felt a surge of concentrated spiritual energy flowing through his entire body via his meridians and eventually nourishing his soul. A feeling of rxation slowly spread across his entire body. "This rate of absorption is too slow..." After a momentter, Zhang Xuan realized that even though the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye was highly beneficial to his soul, it had to go through his body first, and this significantly weakened the effectiveness of the spiritual energy, as well as lowering the rate of absorption. Furthermore, the body acted like a shackle whereas the soul was like a cotton inside the steel cage. Even the slightest growth had to take a painful amount of time. A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. "Cant I just draw my soul out and absorb the spiritual energy directly?" With his soul in his body, the body would be a natural barrier limiting the absorption of spiritual energy by it. However... what if he could draw his soul out and absorb the spiritual energy directly? Would his rate of cultivation improve? "I should give it a try." With this in mind, he took a look around and confirmed that the twodies around him were currently deep in their cultivation and that there was no one who could see what he was doing. After which, he activated the Soul Guiding Method and drew a soul that was perfectly identical to him in appearance from his be. As soon as his soul entered the Lake Eye, dense spiritual energy immediately gushed into his soul, leaving him revitalized. "Indeed, this is much more efficient!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He hadnt even started cultivating yet and the rate at which the spiritual energy was nourishing his soul was already faster than before. Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan immediately drove the Heavens Path Soul Art and began pulling in the spiritual energy from the air frenziedly. Hong long long! The entire Lake Eye began to shake. Concentrated spiritual energy rushed toward his soul, causing the size of his soul to grow gradually. As his Heavens Path Soul Art was only up to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, he was unable to advance on to 6-dan. As such, the spiritual energy began to build on his soul instead, causing the size of his soul to grow bigger and bigger. To make an analogy, it was just like water and mercury. A difference in cultivation realm was qualitative, such as the difference between the two liquids. However, even among fellow water, a tub of water and ake of water were differenta difference in quantity. While Zhang Xuan wasnt able to advance his soul cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 6-dan yet, he could make his Transcendent Mortal 5-dan soul grow stronger by piling up more soul energy. "Hmm?" As Zhang Xuan started to absorb spiritual energy frenziedly, Princess Fei-er suddenly felt an irregrity in the surrounding spiritual energy. She immediately turned her gaze to the side, and the scene she saw left her on the verge of fainting. Two of the Spirit Cleansing Incense by Zhang Xuans side had already burned out, and the third one seemed to be on the verge of burning out as well. Are you for real? How long... has it been? Five minutes? Or was it ten minutes? The Spirit Cleansing Incense was meant to be depleted within three days, and yet you are going to finish in within five minutes? Is there a ck hole within you? Princess Fei-ers body trembled, and the urge to spew blood welled up in her. She thought that as a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert with a far stronger soul than the other party, the other party stood no chance at all... Who could have known that right after she started, when she had yet to burn off the tip of the first Spirit Cleansing Incense, the other party was already about to finish all three incenses... Did you need to be so exaggerated? How am I supposed topete with that? Am I going to lose? "Whats going on?" Luo Qiqi was also rmed by the agitation in the spiritual energy in the air. Upon seeing Zhang Xuans Spirit Cleansing Incense, she nearly died from shock. "His incense..." "Hes already about to finish absorbing all of the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye. How am I supposed topete against that?" Princess Fei-er was on the verge of tears. "This..." Luo Qiqi scratched her head. Neither of them was a soul oracle, and they did not possess the Eye of Insight either. With his soul hidden beneath the water and shrouded by the spiritual energy in the surroundings, it was impossible for them to notice it. From afar, it looked as though he was cultivating normally. "Hmm?" Hearing the discussion between the duo, Zhang Xuan stopped his cultivation, and his soul returned back to his physical body. Lifting his gaze to look at his Spirit Cleansing Incense, he nearly leaped in shock. Frowning, Zhang Xuan bellowed, "Who stole my Spirit Cleansing Incense?" He was certain he had three incense a moment ago, how could there only be one left in the blink of an eye? Someone must have stolen his incense! "Stole?" The twodies were rendered speechless. "You were the one who burned them out..." "Me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "That cant be. If there is so little spiritual energy in here, how could it possibly be sufficient for three days?" Zhang Xuan had barely started absorbing when the spiritual energy was already about to run out. Was this for real? He was still intending to make use of this Cleansing Lake to boost his cultivation significantly. Yet, his training session was already nearing its end, almost before hed even started... Must the situation be so damned? "So little?" Hearing the other partys words, both Princess Fei-er and Luo Qiqis eyebrows twitched violently. They had also tried cultivating as well, and while the Lake Eye might be small, it was extremely rich in spiritual energy. It felt as though no matter how hard they cultivated, it would never run out. Only a monster like you would think that it wascking in spiritual energy! "Teacher, it is probably due to you absorbing the spiritual energy a little too fast... How did you do it?" Luo Qiqi couldnt help but question him. When Zhangoshi began to cultivate previously, the Lake Eye began bubbling and the spiritual energy in the surroundings grew agitatedthese were signs of spiritual energy being rapidly absorbed. To think that not only would a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle cultivator be capable of absorbing spiritual energy to nourish his soul, he would also be able to cultivate so swiftly... How did he do it? "Indeed. Are you cheating?" Princess Fei-ers eyebrows shot up. Even a Grade 2 top student like Luo Qiqi couldntprehend what had just happened. Could this fellow be cheating? Chapter 641: Frenzied Absorption Chapter 641: Frenzied Absorption Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Cheating?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. In a sense, what he did could really be considered as cheating. While the others were using their physical bodies as a bridge to nourish their soul, he was plunging his soul straight into the Lake Eye and absorbing the spiritual energy directly. This was just like how a retailers profit margin would be cut should there be an intermediary between them and the manufacturer. But to be fair, he didnt make use of any artifact or weapon; it was all done through his own ability. Thus, it couldnt really be called cheating in the strictest sense. "Indeed, cheating. If thats not the case, how could you absorb spiritual energy so quickly?" Princess Fei-er widened her eyes. "This..." Zhang Xuan had no idea how he should reply to that. The matter regarding soul oracles mustnt be made known or things could prove to be troublesome. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan replied, "If I had cheated, surely you should know how I did it. If even a princess from Hongyuan Empire couldnt find a way to cheat, how could I have possibly done so? If you dont believe me, why dont we swap Lake Eyes?" "Your Lake Eye is nearly empty already, who would want to switch with you?" Princess Fei-er rolled her eyes. Dream on! You have nearly finished absorbing your Lake Eye already. If I were to swap with you, what am I supposed to absorb? "Teacher, Ill swap with you..." On the other hand, Luo Qiqi offered her own Lake Eye to Zhang Xuan. She was the strongest among the group who came from the Master Teacher Academy, having reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Given her cultivation, the effects of the Cleansing Lake on her were already terribly limited. As such, she was willing to trade it for a chance to see how the other party managed to absorb the spiritual energy from the Lake Eye so quickly. "This..." After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded. His soul cultivation had only advanced by a small bit before his Lake Eye started to run low on spiritual energy. He couldnt possibly just wait idly for everyone to be done! Leaving his Lake Eye, Zhang Xuan stepped Luo Qiqis, and Luo Qiqi stepped into his. "Alright, you can start cultivating now. If you can cultivate as fast as before, Ill believe that you didnt cheat!" Princess Fei-er harrumphed. This time, she stared at Zhang Xuans Lake Eye without even blinking. She wanted to make sure the other party didnt put anything into theke to cheat. "Un!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuans body jolted slightly as his soul was drawn out from his physical body. Even a 6-star soul oracle was unable to see his soul, needless to say, they couldnt see it either. Hong long long! As he started to cultivate, the Spirit Cleansing Incense floating on the Lake Eye began burning down swiftly. In less than five minutes, the three incense sticks were on the verge of burning out once more. Zhang Xuan returned his soul back to his body helplessly. He had thought that things would improve if he changed to another Lake Eye, but he didnt expect the results to be the same. Theke dried out once more before his soul managed to get much spiritual energy in... The spiritual energy inside was simply too little, how was he supposed to cultivate like that? One should remember that for his soul to improve, he had sucked the entire seed water of the Yin-Yang Lake dry back then. Frustrated, Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at thedy before him. "You saw everything just now, did I cheat?" "This..." Princess Fei-er fidgeted awkwardly, and her face reddened. "No!" She had cast doubt on the other partys integrity, and yet the other party used his impressive capability to prove her wrong... What do you expect me to say? She felt so stifled inside that she could spew blood at any moment. If only she knew that this fellow absorbed spiritual energy so swiftly, she would have neverpeted with him. Wasnt this just looking for a face p? It seemed like there was no point continuing this wager, she was already destined to lose... "Alright, you should hurry up and cultivate." Seeing that thedy was on the verge of tears, Zhang Xuan felt awkward. He waved his hands and said, "Theres no need to get anxious now, theres a chance that you might still win..." He did promise Xing Yuan to allow the other party to win. He couldnt possibly allow the other party to give up as soon as the bet began! "A chance..." Luo Qiqi rolled her eyes. Who do you think you are fooling? You finished nearly three Spirit Cleansing Incense in five minutes whereas both of our incense have barely burned through the tip. How could Fei-er win like that? Surely you could put more sincerity into your constion! "Teacher is right, we should hurry up and cultivate! Lets not waste this opportunity..." Even though Luo Qiqi felt frenzied by Zhang Xuans words, she still spoke up to advise her good friend. "Un!" Princess Fei-er nodded before closing her eyes to cultivate. While she knew that her odds of victory were nearly zero, cultivating here was highly beneficial to the soul, and this was an opportunity not to be wasted. Seeing that her good friend was still in the mood to cultivate, Luo Qiqi heaved a sigh of relief. She shot Zhangoshi a nce before shutting her eyes. While the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye was nearly depleted, given her rate of cultivation, it was still sufficient tost her half a day. Watching as the duo continued cultivating, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. If he were to continue using his soul to absorb, this Spirit Cleansing Incense would surely burn out in less than one minute. It was a hard-toe-by opportunity to enter the Cleansing Lake; was he going to walk out of here without gaining anything? After all he had done, he felt like he had made a huge loss! But there was nothing else he could do at the moment. There was no point intentionally slowing his cultivation by absorbing it via his body. "What should I do?" Frustrated, Zhang Xuan was just considering if he should finish absorbing the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye and leave when a thought suddenly struck him, and his eyes lit up. "Right! How did I forget about the Library of Heavens Path?" He had been too busy cultivating that he forgot about it. cing his finger into theke, he willed. "ws!" Following which, his head jolted, and a book appeared before him. "Master Teacher Continent, Huanyu Empire Cleansing Lakes Lake Eye. It possesses spiritual energy capable of nourishing ones soul and raising ones soul cultivation. ws: No.1, there is too little spiritual energy inside aspared to the water in theke. If one were to absorb it directly via ones soul, itll dry up very swiftly. No.2..." Various ws were listed in the book. "Too little spiritual energy aspared to the water in theke? Thats right! The spiritual energy from the Lake Eye originates from theke, so if I can absorb the spiritual energy straight from theke, I wont need to worry about it the spiritual energy drying up anymore!" Upon seeing the first w, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he turned his gaze to theke beside him. The furious surges of energy intersecting one another within the Cleansing Lake induced fear in those that set their eyes on it, leaving them daring not to approach. Inparison, the Lake Eye was visibly much calmer. The spiritual energy here seemed much more inviting aspared to the raging ones on the other side. Simr to how a pit dug on a beach would be filled in soon by the waves of the sea, the Lake Eyes were formed by the spiritual energy from theke permeating into these depressions. Naturally, the concentration of spiritual energy it contained was as good as a drop within an ocean. If Zhang Xuan wanted to absorb more spiritual energy, the massive Cleansing Lake was his best bet. "Just that... given how the Cleansing Lake was able to even melt a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon in an instant, its impossible for me to withstand it as well!" While Zhang Xuan knew there was plenty of spiritual energy inside theke, he didnt dare move recklessly, especially with the previous sight still fresh in his mind. Thatke actually melted even a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon! Even though Zhang Xuan was confident in the resilience of his body, he knew he couldntpare up to a weapon of that tier. After a long moment of contemtion, just as Zhang Xuan was about to give up, he suddenly pped his forehead, and his eyes gleamed in excitement. "Hmm? Why am I so foolish? "My physical body might not be able to enter theke, but my soul can!" If others were to separate their souls from their bodies, death would be inevitable. However, Zhang Xuan was an exception. Having inherited the several dozen millennia heritage of the soul oracles, he could easily separate his soul from his body and have it enter the Cleansing Lake independently. The searing energy contained within the Cleansing Lake which melted the Spirit intermediate-tier weapon previously would prove to be fatal to the souls of other soul oraclesthey would be reduced to nothing in an instant. But having cultivated Heavens Path Soul Art, the concept of the Five Soul Declines didnt apply to Zhang Xuan. Thus, his soul would bepletely unfazed by the searing energy! Furthermore, given the intangible nature of a soul, the violent energies rampaging in the Cleansing Lake that would have torn apart nearly anything easily wouldnt pose a threat to his soul. "I should give it a try!" Having thought things true, Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged to maintain a meditation position. Then, he drew his soul out of his body. His soul flew through the air all the way to the boundary betweennd and theke. After a moment of hesitation, he finally stuck his hand in. Hu! His hand plunged into the water. "Impletely fine..." After confirming that his soul didnt suffer the slightest damage or difort, Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in excitement. He immediately plunged his entire soul into theke. Tzzzzzzzzzzz! The raging currents of the Cleansing Lake that could melt even a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon waspletely ineffective against him. "Absorb!" Moving to the center of theke, Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged and began to drive the Heavens Path Soul Art. Hong long long! Spiritual energy immediately gushed into his soul through various acupoints, raising his cultivation swiftly. Zhang Xuan moaned in pleasure. "What concentrated spiritual energy..." Indeed, when one door closes, another opens. He initially thought that the Cleansing Lake would be ineffective on him considering how swiftly the Spirit Cleansing Incense burned down, but to his delight, his soul was actually able to absorb spiritual energy straight from the Cleansing Lake. The quantity of spiritual energy in the Lake Eye couldnt even startparing to this. There was no need for Zhang Xuan to hold back at all! Right, I should have clone out to absorb some as well! Zhang Xuan thought. His clone also had to raise its soul cultivation. Since this was a valuable opportunity, it would be best to have him cultivate here as well. With a thought, Zhang Xuans consciousness connected with the ring, and in the next instant, his clone appeared in the Lake Eye. To prevent anyone from realizing that there were two Zhang Xuans, he swiftly instructed his clone to sneak here. Fortunately, under the cover of the veil of spiritual energy, the twodies didnt notice anything at all. "Given that clone is crafted of Nine Hearts Lotus, it shouldnt fear the water of thiske." Considering that the material used to craft his clone was a God artifact, it was impossible that the water of the Cleansing Lake could possibly faze it. But to be safe, he had his clone put his hand in first, and as expected, nothing happened. "Come over here!" Zhang Xuan had his clone move over to where his soul was, and the two sat side by side one another. "Lets start cultivating!" The clone drew out his soul, and the two souls began to absorb the spiritual energy from theke. Hong long long! Hula! It was as though two gigantic vortices had appeared in the center of the Cleansing Lake. Spiritual energy flooded in at an insane rate. Geji! Geji! Geji! As though consuming an immensely nutritious pill, the two souls grew non-stop. From a size equivalent to their physical body, they grewrger and taller. Two meters, three meters, four meters... Back then, after consuming the spiritual energy from the seed water of the Yin-Yang Lake, Zhang Xuans soul grew to three metersrge. However, this was even more exaggerated. Under the huge influx of spiritual energy, after four hours, the two souls had grown to a size of five to six meters. It could be said that they were no different from giants at this point. Chapter 642: Zhang Xuan Is Dead? Chapter 642: Zhang Xuan Is Dead? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "But Im still far from Lu Chongs size..." Recalling Lu Chongs mountain-sized soul body, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Five meters was already an astounding size for an ordinary soul oracle, but it was still far from matching up to Lu Chong. "I should continue absorbing!" Thus, Zhang Xuan continued to take in spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake. As he picked up his pace, his clone did the same as well. Just like that, another four more hours passed. In this period of time, the spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake visibly declined as the furious currents and rampaging energies dampened. "The spiritual energy in the area has thinned, but Im just a little way off to reaching ten meters..." The spiritual energy in the air had thinned to the point that it seemed as though it would dry up at any moment. However, seeing that he was nearing his goal, Zhang Xuan decided to quicken his pace. He was just a little off from reaching ten meters. Once he broke this limit, his soul cultivation would reach newer heights. With this breakthrough, he wouldnt be too far off from matching the Lu Chong back then. While Lu Chongs soul was indeed huge, Zhang Xuans soul had been tempered with the Heavens Path Soul Art. While Heavens Path Soul Art required extremely pure spiritual energy, it also made his soul far stronger than other soul oracles. Hong long! At that moment, his clones soul suddenly jolted lightly. The other party had managed to surpass the ten meters mark. To think that his clone would actually absorb spiritual energy at a rate faster than him! Perplexed as to why one soul could absorb spiritual energy faster than the other despite being the same entity in essence, Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a nce, and the sight he saw immediately rendered him speechless. His clone had his body to absorb spiritual energy from theke as well. Forged out of a God artifact, the Nine Hearts Lotus, his clones body wasnt fazed by the violent energies raging throughout theke. Even though its rate of absorption was significantly slower than its soul, the additional boost from it allowed his clones soul to cultivate much faster than the main soul. After reaching ten meters, the soul of his clone grew visibly stronger. At the same time, its rate of absorption was also hiked up a notch. "I should speed up as well!" Feeling threatened by his clone, Zhang Xuan absorbed the spiritual energy from his surroundings with greater tenacity. But no matter how much effort he put into absorbing spiritual energy, he seemed to be gradually slowing down. Lifting his gaze, he realized that a giant vortex had formed around his clone, taking in the spiritual energy around him. It was no wonder his growth was slowing. A qualitative change would be induced in ones soul upon reaching ten meters. The other partys rate of absorption was at least three times faster than him now. Seeing the other party frenziedly absorbing spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake as though he wouldnt be content until theke ran dry, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a surge of rage. He pped the other partys head and hollered, "What are you doing? Leave some for me!" What the heck was this! Get this clear, youre my clone! Stop being so ungrateful. Its one thing for you to send me flying with a punch, now youre even snatching spiritual energy from me? Where did your sense of shame go? As an upright master teacher, how could I possibly have a shameless clone like you? "I..." pped, the clone stopped his cultivation indignantly. Zhang Xuan had the other party return to his physical body, and then back into the storage ring. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. "Hehehe. With nopetition, I should be able to break the ten meters mark easily!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan opened up all of the acupoints inside his soul. With his clone no longer vying with him for spiritual energy, he could finally hasten his rate of cultivation. "Start." Muttering softly, he began to draw in spiritual energy furiously through his acupoints. Hong long! The spiritual energy flowing into his soul was swiftly converted into soul energy. At this moment, a violent rumbling suddenly sounded, and the Cleansing Lake beneath him began to shake violently before eventually bursting apart. Hula! Theke water flooded into the surroundings as though a leaking dam. "What happened?" Stopping his cultivation, Zhang Xuan immediately looked around him to see what was going on, only to see that all of the cultivators had opened their eyes, rmed by this sudden turn of events. All of them had confused looks on their faces. This is bad. If other people notice my motionless body, it will be hard to exin the matter! His body was currently lying by itself in the Lake Eye. At this moment, there was still some spiritual energy mist shielding his body from the eyes of others. However, once the water from theke ran dry and the mist scattered, he would be exposed before others. Given that everyone had already opened their eyes and that he was the only one cultivating, everyone would surely notice that something was amiss. ... Outside the Cleansing Lake, Emperor Ye Wentian and Pavilion Master Wei Jiang were looking over the entireke from a distance not too far away. "Lying in the east of the Cleansing Lake is the Verdant Mountain whereas connecting from the west is the Dragon-scaled River. With the breath of the mountain and river, as well as the umtion of energy from the earth vein, those that cultivate here will surely find their souls being enhanced, bing even more resilient." Stroking his beard, Ye Wentian smiled. As the foundation of Huanyu Empire, the effects of the Cleansing Lake couldnt possibly be just to nourish ones soul. Absorbing the spiritual energy tempered by the earth vein could make ones soul more resilient, and this would be highly beneficial for future cultivation. This was especially beneficial for ones breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 8-dan, Ethereal Treading realm. The term Ethereal Treading originated from the idea of stepping on the intangible, treating the void as stairs. Using ones soul as an intermediary, one could borrow the strength from the surroundings to allow ones physical body to float in the air for a short period of time. Without a strong soul, not only would one be unable to float in midair, one might even find ones cultivation being capped. Perhaps even reaching Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm would be a huge struggle. While the spiritual energy in the Lake Eyes was much tamer, it had also been tempered by the furious energies flowing through the river. Absorbing such spiritual energy was much more beneficial than absorbing the in spiritual energy contained in spirit stones. This was precisely the reason why the Cleansing Lake was so famous. "Indeed!" Wei shi nodded. "A huge volcano lies under the Cleansing Lake, thus drawing in spiritual energy from the world. This spiritual energy would then be tempered by the volcano, thus raising its purity! On top of that, it also imbues a yang attribute to the spiritual energy, granting one the ability to ward off yin energy." "Un!" Ye Wentian chuckled. "Look at the spiritual energy bubbling from theke, its as though a pot of boiling water. Only through endless tempering will a gem finally show its glow... Hmm? Th-this... What is going on?" Just as Ye Wentian wasmenting on how incredible the Cleansing Lake was, he suddenly froze, and his voice quivered in shock. Noticing the peculiarity in hispanion, Wei shi quickly turned his head, and what he saw stumped him. It was as though someone had poured a huge bucket of ice water into the bubblingke water, thus returning it calmness. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Wei shi suggested, "Perhaps... it might have been bubbling for too long, and it wants a rest?" Having lived for more than a hundred years, he had witnessed the opening of the Cleansing Lake many times. In fact, he had even once cultivated in it as well... Logically speaking, under the ceaseless sh between the various energies harnessed within theke water, its bubbling should have never stopped... so why did it suddenly turn stagnant all of the sudden? "Impossible!" Ye Wentians face paled. "Our ancestors set up a formation around theke water, and it is powered by the spiritual energy in theke. If theke were to turn stagnant, it could only mean that the spiritual energy has been sapped dry. If thats the case, the formation could break down anytime now..." Hong long! Before he could finish, the ground suddenly shook, and a huge crack slowly spread across the Cleansing Lake. Following which, theke water immediately gushed out frenziedly. "It really broke down..." Wei shi felt the sight before him turning dark. The Cleansing Lake was the greatest treasure of Huanyu Empire. If it were to fall apart, the number of future experts the empire would have would surely sharply decrease, and the entire empire would fall into panic! How did this happen? Everything went as it should... There was no reason why cultivators cultivating in the Lake Eye would cause a sharp decrease in spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake, thus resulting in instability in the formation! Watching as the water gushed out from theke rapidly, Emperor Ye Wentian anxiously said, "Ill get Sixth Princess and the others to evacuate now. Once all of theke water runs dry... the pressure suppressing the volcano will be released, and this could result in a catastrophe! Wei shi, you should hurry up and get Guild Leader Wu and the others from the Formation Master Guild over here to fix the formation!" The Cleansing Lake had been regted by a massive formation to create a bnce among the energies from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein. However, with the formation breaking apart, the bnce that had been suppressing the earth vein had been shattered, and as the earth vein grew more and more active, there was a good chance that an eruption may ur. Given the massive size of this volcano, no one incapable of flight would be able to escape should an eruption ur, not even a Half-Saint. Everyone here would surely be reduced to dust. The might of nature is unrivaled. Only a true Saint could still stand their ground before it. Anything else would be nothing other than mere ants. It was one thing for him to meet with danger, but if some kind of mishap were toe unto the Sixth Princess and the others... the entire Huanyu Empire could possibly be destroyed under the wrath of Hongyuan Empire! He thought that by inviting the Sixth Princess here to train, he could make use of this chance to please the other party and raise Huanyu Empires status. Who knew that the usually stable Cleansing Lake would suddenly explode! What the hell was this? Why did Cleansing Lake simply explode without any warning at all? If he were to know that Zhang shi was the culprit behind it, he would surely feel extremely stifled inside. "Alright! Ill go invite them over now!" Understanding the severity of this matter, Wei shi whistled sharply, and an aerial beast immediately flew over. Jumping onto its back, the duo headed straight for the capital. They had to repair the formation as soon as possible to keep the situation in check. Otherwise, with the earth vein bing more and more active, it was just a matter of time before the volcano erupts. Thend in a radius of several hundred kilometers would be ttened, and countless lives would be lost. "Un!" On the other hand, Emperor Ye Wentian immediately rushed toward where the Sixth Princesss Lake Eye was. ... At this moment, Princess Fei-er had already awoken from her cultivation. Along with Luo Qiqi, she was staring at a young man in bewilderment. Despite the hugemotion, and the entire Cleansing Lake being on the verge of exploding, this Zhang shi was actually still in the midst of his cultivation? How could he possibly keep hisposure under such circumstances? If he really was cultivating, they would have admitted it... But the Spirit Cleansing Incense floating before them was still as long as before... In other words, in the previous eight hours, this fellow didnt absorb the slightest spiritual energy! But if he wasnt cultivating, what else could he be doing? "Zhangoshi..." Luo Qiqi shouted, unable to hold herself back any longer. No response. "Since something happened to the Cleansing Lake, and Im unable to beat your record, well take this as your victory... Princess Fei-er harrumphed. The other party had already expended five Spirit Cleansing Incense whereas she wasnt even done with her first one yet. Without a doubt, this bet was her loss. Since Ive already admitted defeat, stop putting on an act ande out! But the young man before her remainedpletely motionless. There was no response whatsoever. "Whats wrong with him?" No matter how foolish they could be, it was certain that something was amiss. "Ill take a look!" Anxious, Luo Qiqi rushed forward and jumped into Zhang Xuans Lake Eye. She nudged the other party, but the other party remainedpletely motionless. Stumped, she instinctively raised her forefinger to the other partys nostril, only to leap in shock. The young man wasnt breathing at all. With trembling lips, Luo Qiqi uttered in horror, "He... he... hes dead!" Chapter 643: Zhang Xuan Losing His First Kiss? Chapter 643: Zhang Xuan Losing His First Kiss? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shouldnt the spiritual energy in the Lake Eye be gentle and safe? How could someone die in here? A person couldnt actually cultivate to death here, could they? "Hes dead? How is that possible?" Princess Fei-er was also shocked. She had been thinking about how she could win a bet against this unreliable fellow, but never in her dreams did she expect the other party to simply drop dead like that... "Let me take a look!" She immediately leaped into the Lake Eye and touched the other partys body. In an instant, her face paled as well. The fellow who was still smug over burning down five Spirit Cleansing Incense eight hours ago was now as hard as a rock, devoid of his breath and heartbeat. To think that... he was actually dead! Even though she didnt bear the slightest goodwill toward this fellow, she was still the other partys maid... how could this fellow die before she could even redeem herself? Was this status going to remain with her for her entire life, unable to be dispelled? "It cant be that he fell into this state because... he absorbed too much too quickly while trying to win the bet against me?" Princess Fei-ers body trembled, and her face paled at this realization. The fellow had never left the Lake Eye, and this leaves only one single possibilityin an overly tenacious attempt to emerge victorious in this bet, he absorbed the spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake too vigorously, resulting in a fault which eventually killed him. "Thats a possibility." Luo Qiqi nodded grimly. "But if thats the case, theres a high chance it might be a pseudo-death!" As a talented apothecary, she knew a fair bit about various medicinal conditions as well. "Pseudo death?" Princess Fei-er was taken aback. "Yes. If one were to absorb too much spiritual energy within a period of time, it might result in ones meridians being clogged up, thus obstructing ones blood flow. As a result, one might suffer from asphyxiation, resulting in a state of pseudo-death. However, this kind of death isnt true deathas long as one is treated promptly, one can be saved... Ive once read of such a condition on a book. Given that Zhang shi was still perfectly fine a moment ago, this is very likely to be the situation!" Luo Qiqi said. "Then... do you how to save him?" Princess Fei-er asked worriedly. Frowning, Luo Qiqi contemted for a moment before replying, "If I recall correctly... we need to remove the spiritual energy from his body in one swift stroke!" "In one swift stroke?" Princess Fei-er couldnt understand the intent behind these words. "His meridians are currently bloated with spiritual energy, thus putting them under high strain. If we were to remove the spiritual energy from his body using traditional palm-to-palm method, it might cause a pressure difference in the spiritual energy in his body, and this could potentially result in his meridians rupturing. If this were to happen, it couldplicate matters and make it even harder to save him. Even if we were to save him from such a condition by chance, he would be crippled for life. Thus, we have to remove the spiritual energy from his body in one swift stroke..." At this point, Luo Qiqis face suddenly reddened. "In other words... we need to remove spiritual energy from his body mouth-to-mouth!" "Mouth-to-mouth?" Princess Fei-ers face twitched. Removing the spiritual energy from the other partys body palm-to-palm would indeed be inefficient, and a failure to maintain an apt pressure difference in the body could easily cause his meridians to rupture, given the feeble state it was in. Should his meridians rupture entirely, his life as a cultivator would be over. But they were of different gender! To remove spiritual energy mouth-to-mouth... With a face scarlet in embarrassment, Princess Fei-er urged, "Since hes your teacher, you should hurry up and save him!" "Me?" Luo Qiqi shook her head swiftly. "The rtionship between a teacher and student is sacred. This... is a little too intimate, I cannot sully this rtionship with this... Rather, arent you intent on beating him in a bet? If he were to die, youd have to carry the name of being his maid for your entire life..." "This..." Princess Fei-ers face paled. The other party had struck right at her vitals. This was exactly what she felt the most conflicted about. Given that she had lost the bet, she would remain as the other partys maid. If this fellow were to die here, this shame would follow her for life! Others might even think that she had killed him out of rage from losing. She could never cleanse her reputation were that to happen. What the heck was this! Just a mere bet, and she suddenly became responsible for the other partys life. The thought of it left her incredibly stifled. Seeing that her good friend was still hesitating at this point, Luo Qiqi urged her again. "You should hurry up if you want to save him. The longer you dy, the lower the possibility of him being resuscitated!" Conflicted, Princess Fei-er contemted for a short moment before gritting her teeth. "Fine, Ill save him!" She had always been doted upon ever since she could remember, and never had she suffered such a huge humiliation. Not only did this fellow beat her in a bet, he even made her his maid and left her bottom swollen with a kick, leaving her nearly unable to walk. She was furious, but what she wanted to do was to beat him fair and square. If he were to die, how could she get even with him? This regret would follow her for life! Before this, the gender difference seemed less significant inparison. Gritting her teeth tightly, she drove her zhenqi and slowly approached the other partys mouth. "What are you doing?" Zhang Xuan, who had just rushed over from the Cleansing Lake, happened to arrive on the scene at this moment, and he nearly fainted from the sight. Due to the rapid growth of his soul, his control over it wascking. Thus, to prevent anyone from noticing his soul, he had travel underwater, and as such, he wasnt aware of what was happening above. Just as he was about to re-enter his physical body, he saw the Sixth Princess holding his body, ready to kiss him, and he nearly died of shock. The Sixth Princess looked normal on the surface, and yet as soon as he was gone, she actually tried to kiss him! Indeed, you cant judge a book by its cover. Stifled, he was just about to push the other party apart when an anxious voice sounded. "Sixth Princess!" At that crucial moment, Xing Yuan arrived on the scene. While he feigned calmness on the surface, his heart was crumbling within. He had spent so many years wooing the Sixth Princess, only to be ignored and snubbed. Yet, the other party was now taking the initiative to kiss a fellow who nearly angered her to death a few days ago. What was with this crazy twist? "Ah? Xing Yuan, you came at the perfect timing!" Upon seeing that fellow, Princess Fei-er blushed in embarrassment. At the same time, she also heaved a sigh of relief. She quickly beckoned the other party over. "Hurry,e and save him!" "Save him?" Xing Yuan was taken aback. "Thats right. There isnt much time to exin the matter in detail, but to save him... it would require one to draw the spiritual energy in his body out in a single breath through mouth-to-mouth contact. Hurry up, or else hell die..." Princess Fei-er rushed the other party. "Mouth-to-mouth contact?" Xing Yuans body swayed weakly. "Me and him?" On the other hand, Zhang Xuans sight also darkened. While I might not show too much interest indies... this doesnt mean that Im interested in guys! If I were to really be kissed by him, wouldnt I die of disgust... "Indeed, hurry up. Otherwise, we wont make it in time!" Princess Fei-er nodded. "I..." Zhang Xuan was about to puke blood. On the other hand, Xing Yuan was also on the verge of a mental breakdown. Seeing the conflicted expression on the other partys face, Princess Fei-er said, "If you wont, Ill do it!" Xing Yuan clenched his jaws and replied, "Never mind, Ill do it..." He would rather sacrifice himself than see his goddesss lips stolen by another man! Thus, he leaped into the Lake Eye, held Zhang Xuans body in his grasp, and his lips began to approach thetters. "The heck!" Zhang Xuan was on the verge of crying. "No, I must return to my physical body now. Otherwise, Ill lose my first kiss to a man..." At this moment, he couldnt care any longer. His soul immediately rushed straight toward his physical body. As long as his soul entered his physical body, his body would regain its consciousness, and he would be able to salvage the situation before him. "Hmm?" But Zhang Xuans soul came into contact with his be, he suddenly stiffened. Due to his soul growing far too much in this round of cultivation, reaching a level beyond the tolerable limit for his physical body, he actually found himself unable to re-enter his body! To put it simply, his soul was too big for his physical body, causing him to be unable to squeeze back into his body. But... that fellows lips were on the verge of touching his already! "I cant care anymore..." Seeing that the two lips were about to meet, Zhang Xuan couldnt hold it back anymore. Gathering his soul energy, he sent a kick at the other party. While a soul may be intangible, it could materialize soul energy to fight with another. Peng! Not expecting that someone would attack him, Xing Yuan didnt even have the time to react before he was kicked in the face. With an anguished shout, he was sent flying into the Cleansing Lake! "AH, SAVE ME..." Xing Yuan screamed in desperation. He thought that, just like the Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, he would melt into goo upon falling into the water. But after shouting for a little longer, he realized that he was perfectly fine, and his face began to slowly flush. As the spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake had been sapped dry, it had lost its violent nature and its corrosive ability as well. Let alone him, even an ordinary human would be fine in there now. It could be said that the Cleansing Lake was no different from an ordinary pool of water at this moment. "What are you trying to do?" Princess Fei-ers face was as dark and cold as the middle of winter. She had thought that this fellow would be able to save Zhang shi swiftly, but who knew that before he would end up jumping here and there, screaming and shouting? What was he up to? Did he suffer a stroke? While an attackprising soul energy might be intangible, they, as 5-star master teachers, should be able to notice that something was amiss if they were to pay closer attention. However, with everyones attention on saving Zhang shi, no one noticed anything at all. "If you dont wish to save him, just say so! Theres no need to put on such an borate act." Not even waiting for the other party to exin himself, Princess Fei-er stomped forward angrily. There was clearly nothing there at all, and yet this fellow leaped backward all of the sudden. It was clear that he didnt wish to save the other party. If he didnt want to do so, he should have said so earlier. This dy had robbed them of precious time. "I..." Xing Yuan nearly burst into tears. Cant you see this huge footprint on my face... However, Princess Fei-er couldnt be bothered with him anymore. Puckering her lips, she began moving her face closer to Zhang Xuans. "Sixth Princess, Xing Yuan gongzi, Luo Qiqi xiaojie, this is..." Before her lips coulde into contact, a shocked voice sounded. Lifting their gaze, they saw Emperor Ye Wentian standing before them. Ye Wentian was alsopletely stumped by the situation before him. He was going to evacuate the Sixth Princess and the others out of the Lake Eyes as soon as possible when he stumbled upon such a scene. While he was feeling extremely awkward, he couldnt help but sigh... Youngsters nowadays are getting more and more liberal! Even in the middle of a day, in a public pool, they would do such stuff... Upon seeing Ye Wentian, Princess Fei-er heaved a sigh of relief and said, "You came at the perfect time. Something has gone wrong with Zhang shis cultivation, so take a look quickly and see if you have any ideas on how he can be saved!" The other party was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert, as well as the emperor of a country. In terms of eye of discernment and scope of knowledge, he was surely far above Luo Qiqi. Perhaps, he might have a better idea than mouth-to-mouth "Something has gone wrong with Zhang shis cultivation?" Ye Wentian was taken aback for a moment before redness slowly crept across his face. He thought that the duo was giving in to their carnal needs, but it turned out that something bad had happened. Following which, his eyebrows slowly came together to form a tight frown. This young man was an existence that could potentially be abat master in the future. More importantly, he was also a person protected by Pavilion Master Mo of Hongyuan Empire. If something were to happen to him, he could probably retire from his position as the emperor... Leaping into the Lake Eye, he walked up to Zhang Xuan, took a look, and frowned. Seeing the grim expression on the other partys face, Princess Fei-er asked nervously, "Whats wrong?" "It seems like..." Ye Wentians eyes were widened, as though he could hardly believe what he was seeing. "... his soul has left his body!" Chapter 644: Crawling Back In Chapter 644: Crawling Back In Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "His soul has left his body?" Princess Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, and the others were stunned. Such an issue was also known as missing soul, and it was one of the most feared things of a cultivator. If ones soul fails to return back to its body, the body would turn into an empty shell and die. However, for ones soul to leave its body, it must be sufficiently strong first. One must be at least Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle or even Cosmos Bridge realm to achieve that. How could such a situation ur on a rifying Turbidity realm cultivator? Ye Wentian spoke grimly. "There are many causes for a soul leaving the body. For example, ones soul could be attracted by some kind of unique formation or fail to suppress ones inner demons... Zhang shi might have used a secret art beyond his means to cultivate his soul, resulting in such a situation... If we dont quickly return his soul to his body, he might really die soon!" While soul oracles were the most adept at it, they werent the only ones capable of drawing their souls out of their bodies. There were some formidable formations or secret arts that could achieve the same effect as well. "Is there a cure for it?" Luo Qiqi asked anxiously. This young man was her apothecary teacher, and she couldnt watch as the other party died because of this. "Theres indeed a cure. However, its extremely troublesome, and there isnt any time for it now..." Turning to look at the Cleansing Lake, which was being drained at an astounding rate, Ye Wentian frowned. The steps to summoning ones soul were extremelyplex and troublesome. Without several hours or even days of effort, it would be difficult for him to seed. However, given that they were just moments away from the water in the Cleansing Lake running dry, and a volcano eruption was imminent, time simply wasnt on their side. "Then what should we do?" "Pull him up first!" Knowing that this wasnt the ce to speak, Ye Wentian picked Zhang Xuans body up and leaped to shore. "..." Watching as his physical body was being carried away, Zhang Xuans massive soul was on the verge of tears. Are you all trying to save me or kill me? After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan decided against following his body. While it would have been difficult for my soul to enter like that, with sufficient time, I could still have seeded. However, you actually allowed Ye Wentian to take my body away... If my soul were to try to enter my body now, Ye Wentian might just try to dissipate my soul, thinking that Im just a specter... I can only wait for a chance to snatch my body back... While a soul formed via Heavens Path Soul Art didnt carry a heavy yin aura, thus making it hard for one to sense it, there was still a good chance that he would be noticed if he were to run right up to the other partys face. This was especially so given that Ye Wentian was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert. If he tried to creep up on the other party, he might just be killed before he could even identify himself. Besides, even if he were to report his identity to thetter, he had to win thetters trust first. A rifying Turbidity realm cultivator possessing a ten-meterrge soul that could leave its body and cultivate individually... How was he supposed to exin all of that? Thus, the best course of action he could do now was to remain hidden. As long as he could find a suitable opportunity to dive back into his physical body, everything would be solved. At the very most, he could just me it on his anxiety to aplish greater heights that resulted in his erring. ... While Zhang Xuans soul was still camping in the water, waiting for a suitable moment to strike, Ye Wentian had already carried his body over to the courtyard where they were previously. Seeing that the other party waspletely motionless, Hong shi, Luo shi, and the others immediately rushed up anxiously and asked, "How is Zhang shi?" "Most probably, his soul has left his body!" Ye Wentian said with a grim voice. "His soul has left his body?" Hong shis face paled as his body shook in agitation. "How could that be?" Zhang shis teacher was an incredibly powerful existence that could possibly be an 8-star master teacher. To actually cause his student to lose his soul... If he were to learn of it, not only Huanyu Empire, perhaps even the entire Hongyuan Empire would be a goner! "If Im not mistaken, it could be due to the sudden agitation of the Cleansing Lake in the midst of his cultivation that caused his soul to be jolted away, thus leaving behind this empty shell," Ye Wentian said. This was the only exnation he could think of. Otherwise, how could others be fine while he was in such a state? It must be due to the abrupt change in theke that jolted his soul out of his body! If his soul was still intact after the impact, it would still be possible to find him. However, if his soul were to have dissipated, it would be extremely difficult to save him. "This..." With a pale face, Hong shi was just about to ask if Zhang shi could be healed when the ground suddenly shook. A searing aura suddenly burst forth from the center of theke. "This is bad; the volcano is about to erupt!" Ye Wentian face immediately warped in shock. He quickly ced Zhang Xuans corpse down on a stone table and turned his sight over. The situation at the Cleansing Lake also caught the attention of others. At this moment, theke water was bubbling violently. Searing heatwaves flowed into the surroundings, and the ground shook non-stop. It was as if a massive savage beast was rampaging beneath the ground, threatening to leap out at any moment to ughter them all. "Whats going on?" Feeling the shaking intensify, everyone frowned. "I think its about to reach its limit..." Clenching his fists tightly, Ye Wentians face was turning paler by the moment. He thought that even though the formation was breached, given how many years that the Cleansing Lake had been maintained for, it should be able to suppress the volcano for another few more hours. Who knew that everything would unfold so quickly! If everything were to go down at this rate, in less than ten minutes, the rampaging energy contained in the volcano and the earth vein woulde gushing out! "Ye Qian, quickly take Sixth Princess and the others away!" Ye Wentian turned around and quickly instructed. As the emperor, he couldnt leave the scene. However, nothing bad must happen onto the Sixth Princess and the others. "Alright!" Ye Qian also understood the severity of the incident, and he rushed forward to Princess Fei-er. "Sixth Princess and Senior Xing Yuan, the Cleansing Lake isnt going to hold on for much longer, and an eruption is imminent. This area is dangerous, so allow me to bring you to a safer location..." "Alright!" Xing Yuan nodded, and he quickly turned around to beckon Princess Fei-er to leave as well. However, thetter simply looked at Ye Qian with a frown and said, "Since this fellows soul isnt in his body, does that mean that his soul is currently in the Cleansing Lake?" "This..." Ye Qian was taken aback. "That should be the case." "Then what should we do? If we dont find his soul and deliver it back to his body, he really will die..." Princess Fei-er said anxiously. "Dont worry, Ill have my men look for it. Senior, you should hurry up and make use of the little time we have left to leave..." Ye Qian reassured. "Un!" Nodding her head, Princess Fei-er turned to her good friend and said, "Lets go first!" The reason why she wanted to save Zhang Xuan was because she couldnt bear the shame of being the other partys maid for her entire life. Since the other partys soul had escaped from his body, there was nothing else she could do. Even if she were to remain here, she would bepletely useless. Thus, she decided to simply leave. Luo Qiqi shook her head. "You go first. Im indebted to Zhangoshi, and given that his life and death is uncertain at the moment, I really cannot leave at this moment!" Zhang shi had once taught her pill forging, thus inducing huge growth in her pill forging skills... and above all, she had already acknowledged the other party as her teacher! How could she leave on her own now that the other party was in aa? She couldnt bring herself to do so! "Since you arent leaving, Ill stay here too. Im also interested to see what is happening to the Cleansing Lake..." Seeing her good friend refusing to leave, Princess Fei-er decided to remain here as well. "Ah?" Hearing that the duo had decided to remain here, Ye Qian nearly went insane on the spot. Just as he was wracking his brains to find a way to persuade the two obstinatedies, a gust of wind suddenly howled above them, and a massive aerial spirit beast appeared before the crowd. Hu hu hu! A few figures leaped down from the sky. Taking a closer look at the men falling from the sky, Ye Qians eyes lit up. "Its Wei shi, and Guild Leader Wu from the Formation Master Guild!" He knew about the secret of the Cleansing Lake as well, and this situation was clearly due to the energies in theke being in imbnced, resulting in the copse of the formation. As a 5-star pinnacle formation master, Guild Leader Wu might be able to find a way to reverse the situation. "How did this happen?" Reaching the ground, Guild Leader Wu looked around him and saw theke water flowing into the surroundings, and the ground trembling violently, as though it would copse under them at any moment. He frowned. The Huanyu Empire royal family would invite him over each year to reinforce the formation, so he knew a great deal about the formation as well. If it was just cultivating in the Lake Eye, it should be impossible for such a situation to ur... then why was everything crumbling now? "I dont know the exact reason, but now isnt the time to be talking about this. Guild Leader Wu, hurry up and see if theres a way to salvage the formation so as to stop the volcano below from erupting!" Ye Wentian instructed anxiously. Nothing would change even if they were to point fingers now. The urgent matter at hand was to see if there was a way to salvage the situation. Otherwise, none of them here would survive this ordeal. "Un!" Knowing the severity of the matter, Guild Leader Wu nodded. He turned his sight over to theke. "Elder Lu, you will take the kan position. Elder Han, you will take the gen position..." After assessing the situation, he quickly issued orders to the other elders who came with him. The few elders nodded and quickly got into their respective positions. Then, they each took out a formation g and stabbed it deeply into the ground. Hong long! As soon as all of the formation gs got in ce, the spillingke water was suddenly held in ce, as though it was being sealed by something. However, it was as if sealing a rampaging dragon. The ground tremored more and more violently, like it would tear past whatever that was restraining it to burst forth. "This isnt right..." Guild Leader Wu frowned. Emperor Ye Wentian walked up to the group and asked, "Whats wrong?" "Located precisely at the intersection of the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and the earth vein, the Cleansing Lake should be rich in spiritual energy. The formation set up here tapped into the concentrated pool of spiritual energy here to suppress the violent energies from the three sides at this intersection... Howe theres no spiritual energy here now?" Guild Leader Wu was astonished. "No spiritual energy here?" Ye Wentian froze. He closed his eyes and tried perceiving the surroundings carefully, and he realized that something was indeed amiss. Just a few hours ago, the spiritual energy here was so powerful that even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert would be ughtered easily if he were to enter theke. How could it disappear so abruptly? "Indeed..." Guild Leader Wu nodded. He was just about to speak when someone behind him shrieked. Hearing the voice, Ye Wentian quickly turned around to see what was going on. He immediately saw Luo Qiqi and the Sixth Princess staring doubtfully at the master teacher known as Luo Xuan. "Wheres Zhangoshi?" On the stone table right before them, Zhang shis corpse had disappeared without a trace. "H-he..." Hearing the other partys questions, Luo Xians mouth quivered uncontrobly. His eyes were widened, and he looked as though he was about to cry at any moment. He pointed at theke not too far away and said, "He was still lying there a moment back, and in the moment that my attention was somewhere else, he... crawled back into theke..." Chapter 645: Physical Body Too Weak Chapter 645: Physical Body Too Weak Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He crawled back in himself?" Everyone stared at one another in bewilderment, as though someone had struck the back of their heads with a wooden bat. "Do you take me a for a fool? His soul has left his body, and hes no different from a corpse now. How could he possibly crawl back into the Cleansing Lake himself?" Princess Fei-er red at Luo Xuan angrily. Even if you wish to scare us, you should find a more believable story! I took a look at Zhang shi myself, and his heartbeat and breathing had halted, and his body was stiff and cold. He was no different from a corpse. Under such circumstances, how could his body possibly crawl back into theke by itself? Ye Wentian, Hong shi, and the others shared the same thoughts as well. They turned to look at Luo Xuan, wanting to hear his exnation. "Im not lying!" Seeing how everyone was staring at him as though he was a lunatic, Luo Xuan found himself on the verge of really going insane. Themotion caused by the Cleansing Lake previously was toorge, and everyones attention was captured by it. He was no exception as well. However, at that moment, he saw a ck shadow in his peripheral vision. It was from the corpse-like Zhang Xuan! Somehow, the fellow seemed to have found a surge of strength within him. Through pushing his hands against the ground, that fellow swiftly crawled toward theke. Everything happened so quickly that Luo Xuan barely saw a gray blur. Seeing the incredibly stifled expression on the other partys face, Luo Qiqi asked, "Calm down, how did he crawl into the Cleansing Lake? Did he wake up, or was he still in his previous state?" "H-his eyes were still closed, and his body was still stiff and lifeless. It didnt seem like he had woken up at all..." Even though it was just a momentary nce, as a half 5-star master teacher, Luo Xuan was still able to notice some details regarding the incident. While that fellow did move, his movements looked like a puppet on a string that was being drawn forward instead. But of course, that was also the limit of his eye of discernment. "His body was stiff, and his eyes were closed... and he crawled to the Cleansing Lake by himself?" Princess Fei-er frowned. "You mean that... he has been possessed?" "Cough cough!" Ye Wentian choked on his own saliva. "Zhang shis soul has only escaped his body, he isnt truly dead yet... so it is impossible for him to be possessed!" "Then... what was with him crawling away by himself?" Hong shi asked. Among those present at that moment, only he and Luo Xuan knew that Zhang Xuan was the direct disciple of an 8-star master teacher. Even though Bi Jianghai had participated in the Hongfeng Empire Master Teacher Tournament as well, he wasnt present for the affairs that night, so he wasnt too sure about the details. If Yang shi were to learn that on top of having his soul missing, his disciple had his body possessed as well... Hong shi trembled. "Im not too sure either." Ye Wentian shook his head. He had never stumbled before such a bizarre incident in his life before. Hong long! Just as everyone waspletely perplexed by how a fellow who had his soul missing could possibly crawl away, the ground suddenly shook violent once more. Everyone immediately staggered, nearly falling to the ground. "Were in a dire state now! The strength of the earth vein is growing by the moment, and the formation is on the brink of copse. Everyone, we need you to infuse your zhenqi into theke to maintain its stability!" Guild Leader Wu yelled anxiously. Hearing the shout, no one could spare a single thought for Zhang Xuan anymore. They quickly turned their attention to the formation before them. Theke water which had been sealed by the formation g bubbled once more. As though it was set on fire, it threatened to knock down the barrier. In order to stabilize the barrier, Elder Lu, Elder Han, and the others had infused all of their zhenqi in, and their faces paled in frailty. They seemed as though they would copse at any moment. "Alright, quickly infuse your zhenqi into theke!" Hearing his words, Ye Wentian understood that they were at an extremely crucial and dangerous moment. Thus, without any hesitation, he stepped forward and pumped his zhenqi into theke. Hong long! With the infusion of fresh zhenqi into theke, the shaking formation gs stabilized slightly. Following which, Wei shi, Hong shi, Luo Qiqi, Princess Fei-er, and the others who were cultivating at the Lake Eye stepped forward and did the same as well. Under the massive influx of zhenqi, the shaking formation g began to show signs of stabilization. The rampagingke water below also gradually regained its calmness. Even so, the furious rumbling of the volcano could still be heard below. It was as if even though the massive beast had been suppressed for the time being, it would still break free with sufficient time. "Guild Leader Wu, such a forceful measure isnt feasible in the long-run!" Wei shimented. For the time being, they were still able to maintain the formation and suppress the earth vein and the volcano with brute force... but once everyones zhenqi ran dry, the situation could possibly rebound on them! Besides, as time passed, the earth vein would gather more and more strength. In a way, it was simr to a spring. The further one tried to suppress it, the greater it would rebound back at one. By then, they would be ced in an even more dangerous situation. "Indeed. You all continue suppressing the formation first, Ill study the formation and see how I can re-establish the bnce between the earth vein, Verdant Mountain, and Dragon-scaled River to control the volcano below!" Guild Leader Wu said. The might of a formation was dependent on many factors, such as the geographical terrain or even the position of celestial bodies. While the formation had been reactivated through the use of the formation g, the intense trembling from a moment ago had changed the geographical terrain. Thus, some adjustments had to be made to the formation to bring out its greatest might. If he could get the formation working properly once more, it would be able to draw in spiritual energy once more and possibly resolve the crisis they were in. "Alright!" Understanding the intent of Guild Leader Wu, Ye Wentian, Wei shi, and the others nodded their heads silently. Spreading their palms wide, they continued to infuse their zhenqi into theke frenziedly so as to suppress any movement from the volcano. On the other hand, with apass in hand, Guild Leader Wu slowly walked around the formation in order to find theyout to best bring out the might of the formation. ... While a tense atmosphere weighed on the shore, within theke, Zhang Xuans soul heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that an abrupt movement in theke had caught everyones attention. Otherwise, it would never have been so easy for him to take back his body. As his soul was simply too big, he wasnt able to slip in instantly. Thus, he could only forcefully control parts of his body to have it walk over by itself. His original thought was to move his legs, but due to the extreme stiffness in the region and the immenseplexity of making his body walk, he had to give up on the idea. Thus, he had no choice but to move his arms and have his body... crawl into theke. However, Luo Xuan coincidentally caught sight of him, thus resulting in the possession issue. "Regardless, I should first have my soul enter my body first!" Zhang Xuan could easily imagine the uproar that was happening outside, but he didnt have the luxury to be thinking about it now. His soul immediately rushed straight to his be in an attempt to enter his body. No matter how difficult it may be, he had to do so. Otherwise, his body might just really die on him. Tzzzzzz! His massive soul trying to squeeze into his physical body was simr to an elephant trying to squeeze into a human-sized door. "I cant get in..." Zhang Xuan gave it all his might, but it was simply an impossible feat. He couldnt help but shake his head. A ten-meter-tall soul forcefully entering a body of 1.8 meters... If not for his soul being intangible, his bones would probably have shattered into countless fragments by now. His soul was squeezed to the extent that it was distorted scarily, but he still couldnt even get half of it in. "Right, how did clone manage to get into his body so easily then?" Zhang Xuan suddenly froze. His clones soul was muchrger than him, but the other party didnt have any problems entering his body at all. Why was he having so much trouble then? Hu! Doubtful, Zhang Xuan brought out his clone andmunicated with him. Soon, he found himself being rendered speechless. His clones body was forged using the Nine Hearts Lotus, granting it extraordinary flexibility. Putting aside a ten-meter-tall soul, even a hundred-meter-tall soul would be able to slip in easily without any trouble. On the other hand, his main body was still mortal... Staring at the clone, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel frustrated at how his main body ended up being inferior to his clones. But this couldnt be helped. Anything forged from a God artifact was bound to be extraordinary at birth. "It seems like I have to focus my attention on cultivating my physical body when I finally get back into my body. Otherwise, it wont be able to withstand the further cultivation of my soul!" Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. Aftermunicating with his clone, Zhang Xuan finally understood that the main reason why he couldnt get into his body was because his body was still too weak! If his body possessed abilities equivalent to the Nine Hearts Lotus, he would never have ended up facing such a difficult time now. He had cultivated his physical body twice, but those were both when he hadnt reached Transcendent Mortal realm yet. While his physical body was superior to ordinary cultivators, it was still insufficient to house such arge soul. "What the hell is this..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. To absorb too much spiritual energy and be unable to re-enter his body... he was probably the only one in the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent to meet with such a ridiculous situation. "The only way I can resolve this problem is to find some way to cultivate my physical body..." Only a strong body could harness such a huge soul. However, given that his body had no soul, how could he possibly cultivate? This paradoxical rtionship sure made ones head hurt. Boom! Just as Zhang Xuan was troubled over the matter, theke water around him suddenly shook intensely. Lowering his head, he saw a searing heat wave suddenly rising from the bottom of the Cleansing Lake. "This is... geothermal heat? Could there be a volcano underneath?" Zhang Xuan frowned. With his soul energy protecting his physical body, he was in no danger at all. However, to be able to cause the entireke to boil in the blink of an eye, there must be a massive volcano beneath theke. Only the earth me could possess such searing heat! Back then, when retrieving the Crimson me Lotus Seed, Zhang Xuan happened to see it, and he understood how fearsome it could be. At that moment, a thought struck Zhang Xuan, and his eyes lit up. "Right! If I can draw the earth me over and create an amalgamation of yin and yang through fusing it with theke water... perhaps, I might be able to temper my physical body without controlling it!" In his long journey, he had collected innumerable books, and a huge portion of them were regarding tempering ones physical body. Some involve the usage of poison, some involve pushing oneself to the limit... and some require earth me and a spiritual energyke. Earth me was a me created naturally formed by the movements of the earth veins, and it harnessed the weight of the earth. On the other hand, spiritual energyke was formed in a region where spirit veins intersected, and it carried the majesty of nature. If these two were to be fused together, they would create the perfect mix for tempering ones physical body. "However... My clone and I have nearly sapped the spiritual energy in theke dry..." With an idea in mind, Zhang Xuan felt a little more rxed. However, a new problem soon emerged. It took innumerable years for so much spiritual energy to gather in the Cleansing Lake, but in just eight mere hours, he and his clone had nearly sapped it dry... Without spiritual energy, the entireke would only be engulfed by the earth me. If he didnt resolve this problem before drawing the earth me up, instead of tempering his physical body, he would only be barbecuing himself! Give a few minutes and add a pinch of salt and cumin, and he would be ready to be tucked into. Chapter 646: A Shoe Chapter 646: A Shoe Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Forget it, this is a dire situation. Ill use that!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the spirit stone that he obtained as the prize for the Master Teacher Tournament. The spiritual energy harnessed within a high-tier spirit stone was immense. Since there was no better choice, Zhang Xuan could only make use of it to temper his physical body first. Hong long long! While he was still hesitating over the issue, the ground trembled once more. Then, he heard some muffled voices above the water surface. Following which, many surges of zhenqi began gushing into theke, and the dying spiritualke came to life once more. "This..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He was just troubled about how he should return spiritual energy back into theke when someone suddenly sent zhenqi over. It was as if a pillow was delivered when one was about to nap, or a feast was spread out just as one was hungry! "Furthermore, this is zhenqi, refined spiritual energy. Itll be easier for me to absorb it..." If Zhang Xuan were to use spirit stones, given that the spiritual energy contained inside wasnt refined yet, it would be inconvenient for him to absorb it. However, zhenqi was different. Zhenqi was simr to a concentrated extract of spiritual energy, thus making it much easier to absorb. "Could someone above know that Im in dire need of tempering my physical body and intentionally delivered zhenqi over?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. He had been too busy trying to return his soul back into his body to care about what was happening above. Could the others have realized that he needed spiritual energy, and decided to expend their own zhenqi to help him? They were all too kind! Touched, Zhang Xuan turned to his clone. "You should draw the earth me up. Ill find the most suitable ce to temper my physical body!" "Alright!" His clone nodded before rushing to the center of theke, where the source of the heat wasing from. As a God artifact, the Nine Hearts Lotus was fazed by neither heat nor cold. While the earth me might be a formidable force, it wasnt sufficient to damage it. After the clone left, Zhang Xuan carried his physical body to look for the location most suited to temper his physical body. Soon, Zhang Xuan came to a stop. He maneuvered his body such that it was sitting cross-legged on the ground. After a lot of trouble, he managed to open the pores throughout his body, and only then did the zhenqi floating in the river begin to gush into his body. The single origin conceives two, two conceives three, and three conceives all. Heavens Path zhenqi was refined from the most fundamental and most urate cultivation technique. It possessed no attribute, and it could fuse together with zhenqi of any attribute. Thus, even though there were many different types of zhenqi around him, it made no difference to him at all. Just by drawing it into his body and driving it toward his dantian, it would be automatically refined to remove all impurities and form the purest Heavens Path zhenqi. And under the tempering of these aura, Zhang Xuans body was gradually getting stronger and stronger. ... With apass in hand, Guild Leader Wu walked a few rounds around the entireke silently. Seeing the sight, Wei shi couldnt help but ask, "Guild Leader Wu, have you found a solution yet?" "Calm down, this is a grade-6 formation. With my capability, I can only reinforce it. It would be extremely difficult to modify it." Guild Leader Wu frowned deeply. He was only a 5-star pinnacle formation master, and even if he were to give it his all, he still wouldnt be able to set up a grade-6 formation. The most he could do at the moment was just to sustain the formation. Even though he did say he intended to modify the formation based on the change in geographical terrain, it would be rather unlikely for him to seed. "Then what should we do? We cant possibly go on infusing our zhenqi in like this!" Wei shi eximed. Infusing zhenqi into the Cleansing Lake could postpone the danger, but it wouldnt resolve the problem they had at hand. "Give me some time!" Guild Leader Wu waved his hands. "Even though its out of desperation that were infusing zhenqi in, the consumption in maintaining the barrier through such isnt too high. With so many people, we should be able tost for two hours!" As ake that was concentrated in spiritual energy previously, it carried the ability to store spiritual energy and zhenqi. While this method might be troublesome, it should still buy them a decent length of time. Within this time period, perhaps he could find a solution to repair the formation! "Alright then..." Knowing that there was no better solution, Wei shi nodded. Just as he was about to speak, Ye Wentians face suddenly warped in shock. "Wei shi and Guild Leader Wu, look..." Turning their gazes over, they saw the center of theke shaking violently, and a huge vortex gradually appeared. Tzzzzz! The vortex gradually grewrger. The zhenqi which the crowd had just pumped into the water seemed to have been swallowed whole, disappearing entirely. "It seems like its consuming our zhenqi..." "That seems to be the case. My zhenqi has disappeared..." "Its our zhenqi that is preventing the formation from copsing. Once it is consumed dry..." ... Everyone stared at one another with widened eyes. What was going on? Wasnt thiske a ce that could be used to store zhenqi? If that was the case, how was all of their zhenqi consumed in the blink of an eye? Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Wei shi turned around and eximed, "Guild Leader Wu... theke is consuming our zhenqi. I fear that... we wont be able tost two hours!" "Then... How long can you all hold on for?" Guild Leader Wu frowned. Wei shi did a rough calction based on everyones cultivation and said, "At most... ten minutes." "Ten minutes?" Guild Leader Wus face warped in shock, and he clenched his jaw. "Ten minutes is fine too. As long as the earth me doesnt surge up, we will be safe. Ill try to find a solution within this period of time. Or else..." As he spoke, he stared at hispass intently to study the formation. However, at the moment, the ground shook once more. "What happened this time?" Turning his gaze back to the Cleansing Lake, he saw Wei shi and Ye Wentian looking at him with tearful faces. "It seems that the earth me has surged up!" "..." Guild Leader Wu felt as though he was about to faint. What the heck was this! When he thought that the Cleansing Lake could store spiritual energy, and by infusing zhenqi into it, the formation couldst for a significant period of time, all of the zhenqi ended up being consumed instead. Just as he said that they would be safe as long as the earth me doesnt surge up from the volcano, it immediately happened... Dear heavens, are you toying with us? Hong long long! As the earth me threatened to leap out from theke, the Cleansing Lake raged once more, and unable to take the impact, an elder was sent flying as mouthfuls of fresh blood spurted from his mouth. Kacha!, the formation g before him also broke into two halves. "Were done for..." With a pale face, Guild Leader Wu couldnt help but stagger backward feebly. The formation was already on the verge of breakdown when there was no spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake to maintain it. Now that even the earth me was gushing up to the earth... the eruption of the volcano was inevitable now. "We should hurry up and leave..." Guild Leader Wu waved his hands in destion. With the eruption of this volcano, the entire Huanyu Capital would be plunged into a massive catastrophe. Countless lives would die due to this disaster. "Is there really no solution at all?" Ye Wentian clenched his jaws tightly. "None at all, unless..." Upon recalling something, Guild Leader Wu shook his head and said, "No, its impossible to pull off!" "Unless what?" Ye Wentian and Wei shi turned their sights over to Guild Leader Wu. "Theres no point. Its something that cant possibly be achieved!" Guild Leader Wu sighed. "Why dont you tell us? Maybe we can find a solution together," Ye Wentian said anxiously. With the earth me gushing up, the group probably didnt even have three minutes left. If Guild Leader Wu had a solution in mind, they could at least give it a try. After all, they couldnt possibly watch idly as millions of lives were extinguished before them. "The main purpose of the formation is to maintain bnce among the energies from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and the earth vein, thus suppressing the volcano underneath. This was the reason why Huanyu Capital was able to enjoy so many years of peace. However, in the end, a formation can only be considered as an external regtor... If we could find the exact point where the energies of the trio intersect and direct them to cancel one another out, we would be able to return stability to the region even without the formation!" "But... we dont have the luxury of time to do so at this point. Besides, this matter involves the energies from the entire Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein. If we were to make a mistake here, we might just make things much worse..." Guild Leader Wu said. Wei shi and Ye Wentian fell into deep contemtion. The both of them understood the meaning behind Guild Leader Wus words. In truth, the main purpose of the formation was to regte the energies from the three sides to create a bnce. If they could find the bncing point where the three energies intersected and direct their flow such that they canceled one another out, they could create an equivalent effect as well. But... how were they supposed to find this point? Putting aside how the Verdant Mountain and Dragon-scaled River stretched for thousands of kilometers, just the fact that the earth vein was located underground already made it impossible for one to determine the intensity of its energy at specific locations. If they were to make an error and have the energies superimpose on one another instead of canceling one another out, they could possibly worsen the disaster! This was simr to bncing a gold coin. The slightest deviation would lead to the coin falling... it was no easy feat to bnce the three energies! Not to mention, they had no time now! The earth me was surging up, the zhenqi everyone pumped into the Cleansing Lake had been devoured, and one of the formation gs was destroyed... In less than three minutes, this entire area would be turned into ruins. Nothing would be left behind at all. "Lets evacuate everyone now..." Guild Leader Wu waved his hands. "Yes!" Knowing that there was nothing they could do, Ye Wentian hurriedly issued instructions to everyone. Hula! The beast tamers on duty were immediately beckoned, and eight aerial spirit beasts came flying over. Knowing how dangerous the situation was, Ye Wentian had already made preparations should the worst ur. "Everyone, hurry up and get on the aerial beast..." Ye Wentian beckoned the group over. But at that moment, the ground trembled once more. Hong long long! The shaking was much more intense this time round. In that instant, it was as if the Cleansing Lake had been overturned. A searing heat wave gushed forth as though a majestic dragon from the bottom of theke. Seeing that an explosion was imminent, Hong shi asked, "What will happen to Zhang shi if we were to leave like that?" "Its toote to save him, lets go..." Ye Wentian shouted. Hong long! Before he could finish his words, a huge pir of fire gushed into the air. Everyone felt a searing gust of wind rushing at them, burning their skin. "Its toote... We cant get away anymore..." Ye Wentian thought that they would at least have three minutes, but before they could even get onto the aerial beasts, the volcano was already erupting. A tight squeeze gripped his heart, and subconsciously, he closed his eyes, awaiting his imminent death. But after waiting for a moment, he realized he wasnt engulfed by the mes. Just as he was perplexed by what was happening, someone amidst the crowd suddenly shouted, "Wait a moment, look! Why is there a person on the mes?" Ye Wentian quickly raised his head and looked over, only to see a man standing above the fire dragon. The other party had a sharp gaze reminiscent of a bolt of lightning. Amidst curious gazes, the other party took off his shoe and threw it casually. Jiya! The fire dragon immediately withered. The sh among the energies from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein immediately calmed down, as though a bnce had been achieved. Chapter 647: Yang shi Reappears Chapter 647: Yang shi Reappears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This?" Wei shi and Ye Wentian stared at one another in astonishment, as though they had seen a ghost. Guild Leader Wus entire body was trembling non-stop, as if someone was grabbing his neck. His eyes were widened so much that they were about to pop out. "I-its the bnce point! By throwing his shoe, he directed the energies to cancel one another out at the bncing point..." The main difficulty with bncing the energies from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein was finding the bnce point. Once it was found, it wasnt too difficult to re-establish a bnce. Just that... Of all the things he had thought of that could resolve the situation, be it a formation te, a formation g, or some kind of formidable artifact, to think that it was a mere shoe that saved them from their impending doom... This was nearly inconceivable! How formidable must that person be to achieve such a feat? Who in the world was that person? Just as Guild Leader Wu waspletely dumbfounded, unable to utter a single word, Hong shi and Luo Xuans lips trembled, and they hurriedly kneeled to the ground. "Junior Hong Qian pays respect to Yang shi!" "Junior Luo Xuan pays respect to Yang shi!" The duo immediately recognized the figure as soon as he appeared in the airit was no other than the man who subdued the alliance of the fourteen strongest regional powers in Hongfeng Empire singlehandedly, the supreme expert... Yang Xuan! They thought that they would surely die this time, but who knew that Yang shi would actually appear at this crucial moment and resolve their crisis. At this current moment, Yang Xuan was standing silently in the air, exuding a calm but unfathomable disposition. Ye Wentian, Wei shi, and the others turned to look at Hong shi and Luo Xuan questioningly. "He is..." They were all in the midst of dire trouble when the other party suddenly appeared and resolved the entire crisis with the toss of a shoe. Upon seeing Hong Qian and Luo Xuan greeting the other party with utmost respect, they immediately turned to them for answers. Given how the other party was able to easily resolve a situation that was beyond them, it couldnt be clearer that the other party was a formidable figure. Hong shi swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he said, "This elder is... Zhang Xuans teacher, Yang shi! Even Pavilion Master Mo from the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has to respectfully address him as senior!" Even though this wasnt his first time meeting Yang shi, the pressure which the other party exerted on him was still as powerful as always. This was especially so on his soul. He felt as though he was facing an immovable mountain, rendering him incapable of even conjuring the slightest thought of aggression. "Even Pavilion Master Mo has to respectfully address him as senior?" "Zhang shis teacher?" Wei shi, Ye Wentian, Guild Leader Wu, and the others narrowed their eyes, and their lips twitched violently. One must know that Pavilion Master Mo was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, an expert who had reached Sainthood! And yet, even a person like him had to address this person as senior... How strong must this Yang shi be? Furthermore, they had lost Zhang shis body, and after the previous burst of mes, it was unlikely that even cinders were left of him. For his teacher to appear at this instant... how could they possibly exin this matter to the other party? If only they had known that the other party had such a fearsome teacher, they would have surely braved through danger to look after Zhang shi! The more they thought about it, the more nervous they became. Thus, the trio hurriedly bowed down. "Huanyu Empires Ye Wentian, Wu Zun, and Wei Jiang pay respect to Yang shi!" With his hands behind his back, Yang shi stared down at the group coldly. "If my student Zhang Xuan has erred, you can reprimand and correct him. To leave him to fend for himself in the river... do you think that theres no one behind him?" "We dare not think so..." Seeing that the other party hade due to this matter, everyone froze in fear. At the same time, they felt indignant as well. We really tried to save your student, but in just a moment that our attention was away from him, he leaped into theke himself. The situation back then was simply tooplicated, there was nothing we could have done... "Youd better not." Harrumphing coldly, Yang shi turned his gaze away from the crowd. He turned his hand to the Cleansing Lake and grabbed. An unconscious figure slowly rose from the water. It was Zhang Xuan! Just by stretching his hand forward, this Yang shi actually managed to find Zhang Xuan and fish him up. "Despite grabbing through space, there isnt the slightest sign of energy ripple in his movement at all?" "Even a Saint 1-dan wouldnt be capable of doing so!" Ye Wentian and Wei shi nced at one another, and their bodies trembled in fear. That movement might not seem like anything special, but as Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle experts, they had a clear grasp of how difficult the feat was. They were also capable of grabbing something remotely through space as well, but to find a grab a person over a distance of several dozens of meters from the huge Cleansing Lake without the slightest energy ripple... This was a feat that no ordinary man was capable of! Even Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan from Hongyuan Empire was probably incapable of such a feat! Expert! He was a true expert! Ye Wentian, Wei shi, and Guild Leader Wu nced at one another, and their bodies stiffened. There were some master teachers who were very protective of their students, and they would take it personally if one dared to bully their students. If Yang shi were to really settle this score with them... while they might be esteemed figures in Huanyu Empire, they knew that they were nothing to him. Gritting his teeth, Ye Wentian stepped forward. "I apologize for failing to take good care for Zhang shi. I ask of Yang shi to... punish me!" The Cleansing Lake was a possession of Huanyu Empires royalty, and he was the one who invited the others over as well. In a sense, the entire matter was intricately rted to him, and he wouldnt be able to shirk his responsibility. Yang shi harrumphed. "Punish you? If I wished to punish you, do you think that you would be talking to me at this very moment?" Flicking his wrist, the unconscious Zhang Xuan came to a halt in midair, floating calmly just beside him. Upon seeing this movement, everyones faces were drained of all color. Even withouting into contact with the other party, just by the energy he leaked, Yang shi was actually able to allow someone to float by his side... This was a featpletely inconceivable to them! "The Cleansing Lake is formed by the energies from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein. If this power is not controlled well, it could result in mass destruction. As a master teacher, this isnt a sight that I wish to see, so Ive resolved this problem for you!" ncing at Zhang Xuan and noticing that there was nothing wrong with the other party, Yang shisplexion alleviated slightly. Flinging his sleeves, he said, "However, this incident has caused massive damage to the Cleansing Lake. It will take around fifty years before it can recover back to its original state... however, with the three energies in perfect bnce, your cultivators can now enter the Cleansing Lake directly to cultivate. Since theres no longer any dependence on the Lake Eyes, the ten-year limit can be abolished!" "Can enter the Cleansing Lake directly to cultivate? Ten-year limit can be abolished?" Initially, when Ye Wentian heard that it would take fifty years for the Cleansing Lake to recover, he was slightly disappointed. However, when he heard that there was no longer any need to be dependent on the Lake Eye and that the ten-year limit was no longer applicable, he nearly leaped in joy. Even though the Cleansing Lake was highly beneficial to ones cultivation, the spiritual energy contained within was simply too violent. One could only cultivate in a Lake Eye, thus creating a natural restraint of three days every ten years. Once this restraint was gone, given the size of the Cleansing Lake, a few hundred people would be able to cultivate simultaneously. Furthermore, there was no need for any interval in between... He could already foresee the exponential increase in experts in Huanyu Empire fifty years from now. With this, they would surely be able to rise to the top among Tier 2 Empires. While it was impossible for them to be a Tier 1 Empire with just this, this would surely bring their entire nation to greater heights. "Thank you, Yang shi!" Kneeling on the floor, Ye Wentian bowed in earnest gratitude. When something happened to the Cleansing Lake, hed thought that Huanyu Empire woulde to an end under his rule. Who could have known that this would actually be a blessing in disguise? Not only did Zhang shis teacher resolve the issue, he even removed the previous limits on the Cleansing Lake! With this, the other party saved Huanyu Empire and granted it the potential to stand among the top of other Tier 2 Empires! This favor was so great that there was nothing equivalent Huanyu Empire could offer! Seeing Ye Wentian kneeling before him, Yang shi waved his hands casually before walking on thin air into the distance. Zhang shis body floated closely behind him. Soon, the duo disappeared from everyones sight. "To be able to bring another person along with him in a flight..." Everyone swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Due to their limited cultivation, most people present here werent aware of exactly how fearsome Yang shi was. Even so, the fact that he could settle the Cleansing Lake, even though it was on the verge of explosion, just by tossing a shoe and bring another person on a flight with him had left them indescribably shocked. No matter how dull-witted they may be, it was clear that Yang shi was someone they should never trifle with. Even though Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm cultivators could step on empty space as well, they were only capable of vertical trantion. In a sense, there wasnt much difference from leaping upward. Only upon officially bing a Saint and reaching 1-dan Void Pursuit realm would one be capable of true flight. But even so, this ability would only be confined to the individual. To actually bring another person with him so casually... the other partys cultivation was beyond their imaginations! "Zhang shi... actually has such a powerful teacher?" Xing Yuan gulped down his saliva. In truth, he had been thinking of finding an opportunity to teach this brat a lesson so that he would never cause Princess Fei-er any trouble in the future. But at this moment, he realized how foolish his thoughts were. It was fortunate that he didnt make a move. Otherwise, even his entire nbined wouldnt be able to withstand a single p from the other partys teacher! The gap between the both of them was this huge! Even though the strongest man in his n, the old ancestor, was capable of flight as well, he knew very well that the old ancestor wouldnt be able to bring another person along with him so casually. It seems like Ill have to get on good terms with Zhang shi in the future! Xing Yuan thought. Zhang shis teacher... Yu Fei-er also widened her eyes in shock. It was no wonder Zhang Xuan was able to defeat her time and time again. It turned out that he had such a formidable teacher! With such a formidable figure grooming him, even if she was an incredible talent, it was inevitable that she wouldnt be a match for the other party... Humph! Even if you have a strong teacher, I refuse to be your maid. Lets see who will have thestugh... She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. So what if the other party has a powerful teacher? I, Yu Fei-er, am not one to trifle with either. Do you think Ill serve as your maid obediently? Dream on! If an opportunityes, Ill surely defeat you in a bet and redeem myself... But at this moment, she suddenly recalled that she had just lost another ten thousand spirit stones... how frustrating! "Thats a relief..." Seeing Yang shi arriving on time to save Zhang shi, Hong shi and Luo Xuan each heaved a sigh of relief. Luo Qiqi also came to a realization at this moment. She had been wondering why Zhang shi possessed such astounding knowledge in pill forging. However, Yang shis presence exined everything. With such a formidable teacher, it was impossible for the student to be ordinary. "The crisis in the Cleansing Lake might have been resolved, but given the current circumstances, we cant continue cultivating any longer!" After seeing off the incredible Yang shi, Ye Wentian turned to Luo Qiqi, Princess Fei-er, and the others and apologized. He had invited them over to cultivate so as to get on their good side, but it turned out to be fraught with dangers, and they even almost died here. This was indeed a tragic failure. "Thats right!" Everyone nodded as they turned to look at the ruined Cleansing Lake with twitching lips. At the same time, a doubt sprouted within their minds. Wasnt thiske supposed to be safe? Why would it suddenly... act up? Chapter 648: Verdant Mountain Chapter 648: Verdant Mountain Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While everyone was staring at the Cleansing Lake with doubts in their mind, Yang shi, who had impressed all of them with his previous incredible feats, suddenly plummeted from the sky as soon as he got out of everyones sight. Peng! Following which, pained moaning echoed. Slowly, the face of the majestic Yang shi slowly turned into Zhang Xuans face. "Cant you give me a hand instead of watching as I fall from the sky?" Grabbing his spinning head, Zhang Xuan turned to re at his clone in anger. Naturally, he was the one feigning Yang shi whereas that Zhang Xuan was his clone. Back then, at the bottom of the Cleansing Lake, after absorbing everyones zhenqi and the earth me, he managed to strengthen his physical body considerably, thus allowing his ten-meterrge soul to enter his body. Only after this all was done did he realize that the Cleansing Lake was on the verge of explosion. In order to preserve his life, he immediately checked on the situation with the Library of Heavens Path, and only then did he realize that he and his clones action of absorbing all of the spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake had disturbed the bnce among the three energies, thus causing such a hugemotion. In an instant, he felt embarrassed. The other party had kindly brought him over to cultivate, but he actually caused theirke to explode instead... It was indeed wrong of him to do so. But honestly speaking, he didnt do it intentionally either! All of this had to be med on... his clone! If not for that fellow absorbing the spiritual energy with all of his might, how could the bnce have been disturbed? But it was useless to be pointing fingers now. If he were to run out and exin the situation to Ye Wentian now, the other party would probably kill him with a single p out of rage. Left with no choice, he could only summon Yang shi once more. With this expert appearing, he would be able to openly resolve this issue, as well aspensate the other party for the damage. In order to make the entire matter more believable, he even instructed his clone to pass off as the unconscious him. This way, he would be able to brush off everything when he returned. He could simply say that he didnt know anything other than the fact that his teacher saved him. Given that the others had witnessed the previous sight, they probably wouldnt pursue the matter either. And of course, the method of flight that Zhang Xuan used was the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step. On the other hand, his clone was slightly different. As a God artifact, the Nine Hearts Lotus possessed the innate ability of flight, and this ability was transferred to his clone. With these two working with one another to put on the act, even Wei shi, a 5-star high-tier master teacher, failed to see through it. Right after reaching this area, Zhang Xuan suddenly found his zhenqi being depleted. Due to the breakthrough his soul and physical body had just undergone, he wasnt able to gauge his zhenqi urately. As such, his vision just darkened all of the sudden, and he plummeted from the sky! He thought that his clone would at least lend him a hand to help himnd safely on the ground. Who knew that this fellow would simply watch idly as he crashed all the way down... Zhang Xuan felt so angry that he could explode at any moment. While he wasnt severely injured due to his physical resilience and the low altitude of his flight, he thought that his clone should at least share some of his burdens. What the heck was this? Remember, as a clone, you should rush forward when you see that Im in difficulty... Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to give this fellow an ideology lesson so that he would learn his priorities, the other party slowly closed his eyes... It looked as though he was saying that its not my fault that youre so dumb. "..." Zhang Xuan spurted blood. Just because I said you shouldnt just watch as I fall from the sky, you closed your eyes... How in the world did I create a fool like you? The clones of others were fierce and loyal. When they saw their main body in trouble, they would immediately rush forward to save him. And yet, this fellow actually simply watched as the main body fell to the ground... Just the thought of it left Zhang Xuan light-headed! What a darned clone he had! "Forget it, let me see how much stronger I have grown first!" Since he couldnt be bothered tosh out at this fellow, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to his growth instead. Under the nourishment of the earth me and spiritualke, his physical body had grown by leaps and bounds. At this moment, every single cell of his felt strong and flexible, as though they had just gone through a metamorphosis. Raising his arm, he sent a fist forward. Hong long! The might of his punch shot through the tree as though a fist-sized bullet, rattling the entire tree with its force. "My physical body has grown this strong?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. In the previous attack, he used neither his soul cultivation nor his zhenqi, just solely the strength of his physical body. He wanted to see how much power he could tap into. He didnt expect the force of his punch to be able to create a gaping hole in a gigantic tree a dozen meters away. Even a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm cultivator would find it hard to execute this kind of attack. "Just my physical body itself wields a strength of 2,000,000 ding!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. With this, he had confirmed the might his physical body wielded. It was actually on par with his zhenqi, reaching 2,000,000 ding. In other words, without zhenqi or soul energy, just by the might of his flesh itself, he could destroy a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage cultivator. Fearsome! "What about my soul cultivation?" After testing his physical body, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and drove his soul energy. Hong long! A small hill dozens of meters away was immediately reduced to dust. "Even though the might is still capped at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle C 3,200,000 ding C my stamina has improved. Ill be able to sustain my soul energy longer in a fight..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though Zhang Xuans soul had grown to a height of ten meters, the might he could tap into didnt increase. It was still at 3,200,000 ding. What improved instead was his stamina. Making an analogy, if an ordinary human were to harness all of their might, they might be able to lift an object of 100kg. However, that would be their limit, and they would need to rest for quite a while before they could do so once more. 3,200,000 ding referred to the maximum might one could harness in an attack. In other words, it was impossible for one tounch such an attack continuously without rest. However, as Zhang Xuans soul reached a height of ten meters, the limits of his stamina were released. He was now able tounch attacks of 3,200,000 ding without tiring himself out. This was an extremely fearsome ability. If he could sustain a might of 3,200,000 ding in every single attack, he could even kill a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator. "With 2,000,000 ding from my physical body, 2,000,000 ding from my zhenqi, and 3,200,000 ding from my soul cultivation, I can rival even a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator in a fight!" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan could feel overwhelming power flowing through his body, as though an undefeatable titan. Despite being at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, he already harnessed a might superior to Cosmos Bridge pinnacle experts, who wielded a might of 6,400,000 ding. There was probably no one who wouldnt feel excited at that thought. "Come, lets cross fists!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan turned to his clone. Due to the limits of his physical body, he was sent flying by the other partys fist the previous time. However, with a breakthrough in all aspects, it would be difficult for the other party to do the same now! Perhaps, he might even be able to teach the other party a lesson and let him know the difference between the main body and a clone! "Un!" His clone nodded his head. Gathering might in his fist, he punched forward. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan gathered the might from his body, soul, and zhenqi, and in an instant, his strength was brought to its peak. With the current might he possessed, he felt that even a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan primary stage expert could be killed with a single punch. Boom! The two fists collided. "You..." A scream in agony echoed in the air. While his clone stoodpletely motionless on the spot, Zhang Xuan was sent flying backward. His body tore through a dozen huge trees over a distance of several hundred meters before finallying to a stop. Blood spewed profusely from his mouth. The heck! Did you need to be so vicious? He thought that with such a massive improvement, he would be able to easily teach the other party a lesson. Who knew that the gap between them only seemed to have widened... He had used his full strength, but not only was the other partypletely fine, he also nearly died from the encounter himself... How could reality be so darned? Are you the clone or am I? Struggling to his feet, Zhang Xuan red at the other party. "Your physical body is still too weak, so you arent able to bring out the full might of your soul!" Just as Zhang Xuan was feeling displeased, his clone walked over with his hands behind his back, carrying an authoritative disposition. "If you wish to defeat me, you still need much more practice. But of course, if you acknowledge me as your teacher, I can teach you..." "Scram!" With a darkened face, Zhang Xuan put that fellow straight into his storage ring. His clone actually tried to take him as a student? What was the world turning into? If youre that capable, why dont you try ascending to the heavens? "That fellows words might be infuriating, but he does make sense." After putting away the other party, Zhang Xuan frowned. It was indeed true that his physical body wasnt unable to bring out the full might of his soul cultivation. While his physical body had made massive progress under the tempering of the earth me and spiritualke, the duration was too short. It was only sufficient for his massive soul to slip into his body. It still wasnt enough for his soul to fuse perfectly with his body and bring out the full extent of his strength. "With a certain degree of ipatibility between my soul and physical body, I wont have precise control over my strength..." A powerful soul needs a powerful body to house it. Otherwise, it would be like an adult taking control over an infants body. No matter how powerful the adult was, it was impossible for him to bring out his full might through an infants body. In fact, the difference between the strength of the two might even cause the adult to be unable to control his own strength precisely as well. This was exactly the situation that was happening with Zhang Xuan. Even though his soul had finally grown to be capable of housing his massive soul, it was stillparatively much weaker than it. As such, his control over his soul cultivation and physical body wasnt as thorough as it used to be. In a sense, it was simr to the situation when he first cultivated Heavens Path Golden Body in Master Lu Chens house. Although he didnt feel that he had used too much strength, he ended up sending Master Lu Chen flying with a touch. Just that this time, theck of control worked both ways. His strength could be either much stronger or weaker than the what he perceived himself. "It seems like... Ill have to train my physical body!" Zhang Xuan massaged his be. The momentary tempering just now was clearly insufficient. It seemed that he had to hurry up and raise the strength of his physical body. Otherwise, if he were to suddenly have a burst of strength and a moment of frailty now and then, others might just think that he was a lunatic. "Or else, I could ask Emperor Ye Wentian for some cultivation techniques for training ones physical body. As long as I canpile Heavens Path Golden Body 3-dan, my physical body should grow significantly stronger!" As long as he had sufficient physical body cultivation techniques, his Library of Heavens Path would be able to form a Heavens Path Golden Body, and he would be able to improve swiftly. "Where am I?" Only after deciding on his next course of action was Zhang Xuans attention brought back to his surroundings. Taking a nce, he was stunned. "This is... the Verdant Mountain?" Back then, he was in a hurry to escape as soon as possible so he didnt take note of it, but it seemed like he had traveled a long distance away from Huanyu Capital, reaching the depths of Verdant Mountain. Chapter 649: Heartthrob Chapter 649: Heartthrob Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A towering, winding mountain range filled with a light fragrance from primitive and foreign flora and fauna. Even though it was already deep into winter, the spiritual energy in the region was still filled with the vitality of spring. After taking a look, Zhang Xuanplimented his surroundings. "This Verdant Mountain is indeed a blessednd for cultivation!" To rise above innumerable kingdoms to be a Tier 2 Empire, while having a strong Master Teacher Pavilion was important, so was attracting capable talents and possessing a good geographical terrain. Be it the Verdant Mountain or the Dragon-scaled River, theirnds carried a soothing atmosphere and gentle spiritual energy that boosted ones cultivation. "Lets return first!" After resting for a moment to recuperate from the injuries incurred from the previous fall, Zhang Xuan prepared to return to the capital when the leaves not too far away rustled. Shh shhh. Following which, a massive Armored Beartiger came into view. It was trudging forward warily in a certain direction. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The Armored Beartiger was an incredibly ferocious Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast. Known as the Autarch of the Forest, even a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan primary stage cultivator would find it hard to defeat it. This fellow usually hunted openly since nothing could possibly stand in its way. Why was it moving around carefully as though it was some kind of wolf? More importantly, since Zhang Xuan was able to see the other party, the other party should have noticed him as well, given its cultivation. Yet, it actually continued moving along its path, ignoring him entirely. This left some doubts in his mind. Lets see what that fellow is up to... Zhang Xuans curiosity was immediately piqued. He leaped onto a tree branch and followed behind the Armored Beartiger. Soon, therge fellow bent low, looking around his surroundings in rm as it advanced slowly. Hu hu! At a distance not too far away, Zhang Xuan could see a massive Grandlion Spirit Beast. Just like the Armored Beartiger, the Grandlion Spirit Beast was a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast as well. Given that they were equally matched in strength and shared the same prey, they were usually in a hostile rtionship. It seems like its nemesis has appeared. Perhaps these two are intending on assaulting one another. Zhang Xuan chuckled. He was still wondering what was happening, but it turned out that two nemeses had just met one another, and they were prowling around for an opportunity to strike at the other. I should pay careful attention to their battle. Perhaps, I might be able to learn some new techniques to infuse into my battle techniques! Zhang Xuan thought. Since everyone knew that he was taken away by his teacher, he was in no hurry to return. Such a ferocious battle could broaden his horizons, so it would be a pity to miss it. In fact, there were many incredible techniques that were created after watching spirit beasts fight one another. Squatting on a tree branch, Zhang Xuan watched as the Armored Beartiger and Grandlion Spirit Beast slowly approached one another. Before long, they had already circled around the shrubs and saw one another. Hu! Zhang Xuan thought that a magnificent battle would break out instantly, but contrary to his expectations, the duo simply nodded their heads, seeminglying to an agreement, before heading forward side by side. This... Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in surprise. When did these two nemeses be good friends? Furthermore, from the looks of it, they seemed to be working in unison. Curious, Zhang Xuan followed behind them. A little distance away, the loud roaring of the wind echoed from above. A massive aerial spirit beast swooped down from the air. Transcendent Mortal 5-dan aerial spirit beast... Dracoeagle Beast? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. This fellow was extremely famous as well. With steel talons that could even rip apart Spirit intermediate-tier weapons, it was given the majestic name of Sky Overlord. Even three of his Demon Cinque Beast wouldnt be a match for the Dracoeagle Beast! Were these two spirit beasts working together to deal with it? But that shouldnt be possible. The spirit beasts onnd and in the sky usually didnt cross one another. Besides, the other party was capable of flight, so how could the duo possibly attack it? This was simr to how a lion would usually prey on rabbits and deer instead of sparrows and crows. Since they were from twopletely different worlds, there was no need for them to cross one another! Hu! By the time Zhang Xuan had recovered from his astonishment, the Dracoeagle Beast had alreadynded before the other spirit beasts. Just like before, it nodded its head toward the duo, and as thoughing to an understanding, the trio advanced forward together. The Dracoeagle Beast... is coborating with them as well? Zhang Xuans shock was gradually deepening. It was already baffling that two nemeses of the forest were working with one another. Now that even the Sky Overlord was cooperating with them, what in the world could they be up to? What could have happened for them to put aside their differences and ally with one another? Ssssssss! Walking on, the group stumbled by a massive python, a ferocious ape, a swift sparrow... Before long, more than thirty spirit beasts were gathered together. All of them possessed a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and given their natural advantages as spirit beasts, Zhang Xuan would have a difficult time defeating even a single one of them. Yet, so many of them were gathered together at this instant. Even a person as brave as Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel his goosebumps rising in fear. It will be difficult for me to escape if they notice me! Zhang Xuan moved carefully in fear, afraid that he would identally make a noise that would catch their attention. His palm was drenched with cold sweat. If they were to manage to surround him, there was a chance that he would even be done in. Flying, crawling, running, slithering... There were truly spirit beasts of all sorts. Every single one of them possessed might that an ordinary Transcendent Mortal 5-dan pinnacle cultivator would find hard to stand against. Together, not even a 7-dan expert would escape from their clutches. What is it that brought so many spirit beasts together? Are they going to fight an enemy? Despite the danger involved in this matter, Zhang Xuan couldnt hold back his curiosity. So many different species of spirit beasts were present here, and a huge bunch of them were even nemeses of one another. And yet, here they were, working together with one another. What could have happened? Could it be that... they have found some kind of treasure? A thought popped into Zhang Xuans mind, and excitement begin to tingle within him. It was rumored that true treasures would attract the presence of countless spirit beast or even incur a stampede. Could these fellows be gathered for some kind of incredible treasure? Thats not it. If its a treasure, they would probably be fighting with one another over it at this instant... However, Zhang Xuan soon rejected the idea. There would be no one who wouldnt wish to im a treasure for themselves. If that was truly the case, it would be impossible for them to work togetherit would be a scene of bloodshed instead. No matter what, I should just watch on. The answer should unfold itself soon! Since he was already up to this point, he had to get to the bottom of the matter. Thus, he followed behind the group discreetly. Hula! While he was following behind the group, a slight rustling sounded from the trees ahead, and a group of silhouettes appeared. This... Upon seeing those silhouettes, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. All that came before were all spirit beasts, but this group were all humans! There were seven to eight of them, and just like the spirit beasts, they had all reached Transcendent Mortal 5-dan as well. There was a slight but distinct scent of blooding from them. They are... beast hunters! A name appeared in Zhang Xuans mind, and excitement immediately overwhelmed him. A spirit beasts skin, bones, blood, and inner core were extremely valuable treasures to cultivators. In fact, there was even a market specializing in such sales. Given how lucrative the market was, there was naturally a group of people who specialized in hunting down spirit beasts and procuring the useful body parts, thus giving rise to a unique upation... beast hunters! However, just like herbologists, the beast hunter upation wasnt acknowledged by the Master Teacher Pavilion. It wasnt due to how cruel the upation was but that it had noplete heritage. Most people chose this life due topelling situations, and as such, there were no organizations nor guilds regting them and passing down knowledge. Furthermore, the death toll of this upation was simply too huge. The hunters would often be hunted themselves, thus making it difficult to pass down their heritage. As such, it couldnt really be called a unique upation. But even so, there was quite a number of them over the entire continent, and they were recorded in books too. Just that... this group of beast hunters had actuallye together with the spirit beasts! The beast hunters simply walked up to the pack of spirit beasts, nodded, and then they began advancing together. Beast hunters and spirit beasts were mortal enemies, and yet they were walking side by side at this moment... What the heck was going on? What should have been a great battle between the spirit beasts and the beast hunters ended up as though an amicable meeting among old friends. This was contradictory and bewildering! As the group slowly grewrger, in order to prevent himself from being noticed, Zhang Xuan could only fly amidst the lush leaves using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. After advancing a little further, they arrived at the bottom of a waterfall. The water cascaded from a height of three thousand chi, creating a deafening roar. A slight vapor rose from the bottom of the waterfall, nourishing the brilliant greenery in the area. Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Its the middle of winter... howe the greenery is so verdant? While the greenery in Verdant Mountain wouldnt wither due to the rich spiritual energy in the area, the color of the greenery would still darken in the middle of winter. But the greenery in this region had a bright shade of green, as though it was the onset of spring. This very sight was baffling. Could there be something special about this waterfall? Hula! Beneath the waterfall was a massiveke. A white, furry spirit beast was swimming freely in it. That fellow was around the size of a watermelon, and its bright eyes only made it more adorable. This is a Snow Fox! Furthermore, it seems that it is a newborn! Zhang Xuan immediately recognized the spirit beast. Snow Fox was an extremely rare spirit beast. It possessed nearly no offensive ability, but its inner core was exceptionally valuable. Rumor had it that it contained a unique energy that could allow both cultivators and spirit beasts to unconditionally raise their cultivation by a big realm! This wasnt just primary stage to intermediate stage, or intermediate stage to advanced stage, it was a big realm... In other words, it could allow a rifying Turbidity realm cultivator to reach Consonant Spirit realm directly! It was among one of the most sought after treasures in the world! But... a mere Snow Fox shouldnt require all of these fellows to work together though? The Snow Fox might be valuable, but considering itsck of offensive power, the Armored Beartiger, Grandlion Spirit Beast, or any of the other spirit beast could easily tear it apart. Why would they march here in such arge group then? Furthermore, considering that this was a newborn Snow Fox, surely these fellows need not proceed so warily? No, it seems like the one they intend to deal with is... Baffled, Zhang Xuan took a closer look and realized that the spirit beasts and beast hunters were looking at a specific direction. Tracing their gazes, he was taken aback. By the side of theke stood a white-robeddy. She stood silently amidst flowers and grass, as if a peaceful painting. It was simply too tranquil that even with a soul as strong as Zhang Xuans, he didnt notice her presence at all! As Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over, the white-robeddy also turned her face over. Her beautiful features seemed to meld together with the peaceful scenery. With just a momentary nce, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. For the first time since he arrived in this world, Zhang Xuansposed state of mind was sent into disarray. Chapter 650: Saving Her Chapter 650: Saving Her Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan had seen many beauties. Shen Bi Ru, Mo Yu, Zhao Feiwu, Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi... Even his students, Wang Ying and Zhao Ya, were beauties in their own rights. Among them, there were a few who bore feelings for him, and some even voiced their willingness to be with him... But Zhang Xuans heart remained unmoved. He wasnt devoid of feelings, nor was he uninterested in beautifuldies; he was simply unmoved. Since he possessed no particr feelings for them, he wasnt willing to get involved with them. He thought that it might be due to the Library of Heavens Path in his head. Perhaps the library hade together with the unfeelingness of the heavens. Never had he imagined a day woulde where his heart would actually beat helplessly at the sight of ady. It was as if the other party possessed some kind of quality that drew him in, leaving him with no choice but to leap forward. She was extremely beautiful, such that even Zhao Ya would pale before her. Even so, Zhang Xuans mind wasnt so weak as to be assailed by mere physical appearance. But for some reason, thisdy had an extraordinarily intimate presence to him. As if he had seen her somewhere before. "I mustnt allow anything happen to her..." Such a thought simply appeared out of nowhere. Prowling in the area were more than thirty Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beasts and eight beast hunters. If they were to attack the white-robeddy, she would surely be unable to withstand their assault. Save her! This thought sprouted in Zhang Xuans mind, and it was growing stronger by the second,pelling him into action. He didnt want to see this white-robeddy being torn apart by all of these spirit beasts. If I were to rush forward to save her, I would be surrounded by them before I could even reach her. If so, I would be dead before I could even achieve anything! While the thought had gripped Zhang Xuans entirety, he knew that it would be foolishness to dive in without a n. There were plenty of formidable aerial spirit beasts amidst the group as well. Even with Zhang Xuan flight capability, it would still be difficult for him to outrun them. Should I disguise myself as Yang shi to scare this group off? After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan realized that he couldnt find any better idea. Thus, he decided to resort to his specialty... hoodwinking! If he could frighten this group off, that would be for the best. Otherwise... he would have no choice but to face them. At the most, he would just have to call his clone out at that time to fight alongside him. While victory was unlikely, he was confident that he could at least get away. Its settled then! Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan refined the details of his n before standing up. His muscles slowly shifted, turning his appearance into that of Yang shi. Hula! Right when he was done with his preparations, the spirit beasts finished circling the entire area. There was a bizarre glint in their eyes, and it seemed as though they would leap forward at any moment. "I have to go in now or else I wont make it in time..." Frowning, Zhang Xuan immediately flew straight toward the side of theke, where the white-robeddy was. "Humph!" While he was in the air, a cold harrumph resounded in the area. It sounded like the roar of a dragon, causing the entire forest to tremor. His soul energy and zhenqi were devoted to this harrumph, and it carried a grandness that made one feel small inparison. ustomed to ying as an expert, Zhang Xuan naturallymanded an aura befitting of one. With his majestic demeanor, he resembled a deity descending from the heavens. The spirit beasts and beast hunters who were just about to pounce on the white-robeddy all halted their movements before his presence. While the intelligence of spirit beasts hadnt reached the level of humans yet, they were still no fools. Considering how the figure was able to fly in the sky, it was unlikely that they would be able to stand against him. Hu! Seeing that his presence had made everyone stop for the moment, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a few steps, he walked to the aerial space right above the white-robeddy. From the current location where he was standing, he would be able to grab her and escape swiftly should the unexpected happen. Now that he was closer to the white-robeddy, he was able to catch a clearer look at thetters features. She was a youngdy of a simr age to him. She had aposed look on her face, seemingly unaware that she was alreadypletely surrounded by many spirit beasts and beast hunters. With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuans gaze fell upon the spirit beasts and beast hunters. "I am fond of this scenery, and I dont wish for blood to besmirch thisnd. Back down!" After saying these words, he secretly sent a telepathic message to the youngdy below him. "Try to find a way to escapeter on. Spirit beasts have already surrounded this area, and I fear that they... mean you harm!" However, after waiting for a while, Zhang Xuan still didnt receive the other partys reply. ncing downward, he saw the white-robeddy looking at him nonchntly. Could it be that... she doesnt believe me? Zhang Xuan frowned. Those spirit beasts and beast hunters had approached silently, and they were currently hiding amidst the greenery. It was possible that the other party did not believe his words. Thinking about it, it wasnt too surprising. Given that a man had suddenly appeared and sent a telepathic message to her saying that the area was filled with spirit beasts, she would probably think that he was a lunatic. "Do my words mean nothing to you?" Knowing that he would only make himself seem less credible the more he exined the matter, Zhang Xuan decided to turn his gaze back to the forest, flung his sleeves, and roared, "I told you to back down!" Roar! Zhang Xuans bellow had seeded in inducing fear in the spirit beasts in the region. One of them unintentionally let loose a fearful whimper, revealing its presence. Knowing that the other party was already aware of their presence, the spirit beasts and beast hunters decided to step out of their hiding spots. Hula! The might of more than thirty Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beasts and eight beast hunters exerted an immense pressure on Zhang Xuan. "Now you should believe me, right? They are intending to deal with you and your Snow Fox..." Cold sweat dripped off Zhang Xuans forehead as he sent a telepathic message to the white-robeddy. The white-robeddy seemed to be slightly astonished by the arrival of the spirit beasts as well. "You dont need to fear. Since Im here, I wont allow them to do as they please. Dont worry, Ill chase them off for you!" Zhang Xuan reassured her before turning to the crowd. "Are you certain you want to challenge me?" Hong long! A powerful surge of soul energy swept through the entire area. Zhang Xuans cultivation might be ordinary, but his soul energy was superior to even the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ye Wentians. With the release of his soul energy, the spirit beasts and beast hunters immediately felt immense threat. Padah! One of the aerial spirit beasts even lost control of its body and plummeted from the sky. A few spirit beasts also copsed to the ground, unable to withstand the pressure. Seeing this situation, the tense Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed these spirit beasts were no fools. They knew better than to challenge an opponent beyond them. Roar! But just as Zhang Xuan thought that the group would back down from fear, a ferocious howling sounded. It came from the Armored Beartiger that he first met. Hula! Hearing the howling, the frightened spirit beasts immediately regained their nerves. They turned their gazes over once morethis time, it was filled with savagery. Whats going on? It was just a moment ago that all of them were trembling in fear. Yet, after this fellows howling, all of them seemed to have regained their fighting spirit. Zhang Xuans face immediately warped in fear. Could it be that... this Armored Beartiger recognized him as the person from before? In the previous meeting with this fellow, his true cultivation was probably exposed. But even so, the person whom he saw previously was Zhang Xuan while the current him was Yang shi. How could the other party possibly recognize him? Roar! While Zhang Xuan was still bewildered by the situation before him, the Armored Beartiger yelled furiously once more. Pushing itsrge paws against the ground, it leaped forward. This is bad! Zhang Xuans face darkened. It was extremely clear that he had given himself away somehow. It seemed that his disguise still needed a little more work for it to be effective under the scrutiny of spirit beasts astute senses! Even though they didnt possess intelligence on par with humans, they had sharp eyes and sensitive noses in exchange. Perhaps he had neglected an important aspect of his disguise that allowed the Armored Beartiger to see through it. Or perhaps, it might be due to theck of harmony between his soul and his body, resulting in his inability to hide his aura perfectly. With his aura leaking out, it wasnt too difficult for them to deduce that this expert was a fake. I have no choice but to fight them now... Seeing therge fellow rush over, Zhang Xuan knew that a fight was inevitable. Thus, he rushed in front of the white-robeddy and grabbed her hand. "Run!" Hu! But before they could escape, the Armored Beartiger was already right before Zhang Xuan. It swung its massive ws, and a sharp wave of might tore through space, heading straight for Zhang Xuans arm. "Damn it!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. The Armored Beartiger was much stronger and faster than he had expected. The strongest aspects of an Armored Beartiger was its ws and strength. Even though Zhang Xuans physical body had been tempered by the Cleansing Lake, it would still be hard for him to sh with the other party face-on. Letting go of thedy, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and the cier Rain Sword appeared in his palm. He immediately shed it toward the other partys w. Hu! The sword qi immediately covered a distance of several dozen meters and collided with the other partys attack. Boom! A loud explosion created two huge depressions of seven to eight meters deep. Zhang Xuan remained unmoving on the spot whereas the Armored Beartiger was forced back. A shallow, white cut appeared on its body. Even though the Armored Beartiger was one of the strongest even among Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beasts, Zhang Xuans soul, physical body, and zhenqi were simply extraordinary. Even so, the other party was indeed formidable. If it had been any other ordinary Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast, Zhang Xuans sword would have surely split it in two. To leave behind just a single shallow white cut said a lot about the other partys fearsome defensive capability. Roar roar roar! However, the very survival of the Armored Beartiger against Zhang Xuan showed that he wasnt sufficiently powerful to stand against all of them. The spirit beasts and beast hunters in the surroundings immediately realized that Zhang Xuan was just acting before. Thus, with a loud roar, they charged forward furiously. Sou sou sou! Numerous arrows also came flying straight toward Zhang Xuanthe beast hunters! They specialized in long-range attacks, and their arrows were infused with dense zhenqi. Even from afar, astounding killing intent could be felt from them. Narrowing his eyes, Zhang Xuan felt his goosebumps rising up. There were aerial spirit beasts to guard the sky,nd spirit beast to charge onnd, and even long-range support fire from the beast hunters... If they managed to surround him, it would be difficult for him to break out from their encirclement even with the help of his clone. "Flee!" Flicking his wrists swiftly, multiple sts of sword qi shot out to deflect the arrows. Following which, Zhang Xuan pulled the white-robeddy forward and leaped into theke. Amidst this perilous situation, this was the only possible escape route! Chapter 651: Consonance of Soul and Body Chapter 651: Consonance of Soul and Body Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The white-robeddy seemed to be unwilling to leave, but Zhang Xuan knew that there wasnt time to persuade her. Thus, he pulled her along forcefully. Putong! The duo fell into theke. Seeing the two of them enter theke, the Snow Fox also came swimming over. "Lets leave quickly. Otherwise, well surely die!" Grabbing the Snow Fox with one hand and pulling the white-robeddy with the other, Zhang Xuan yelled anxiously as he swam to the depths of theke. He had examined the spirit beasts carefully and there were none that specialized in aquabat. They would be much safer down here. Furthermore, thiske was connected to a river. It was possible for them to escape from their pursuers through here. H! Not too long after they swam down into the depths of theke, a violent disturbance rippled from the top of theke. There were a couple of spirit beasts who jumped into theke to pursue them. Knowing that there was no time to be lost, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi, and they picked up speed. Based on his memory, he swam in the direction where the river was at. As Zhang Xuan expected, they were indeed much safer in the water. While there were some spirit beasts who chased them, he managed to ward them off with rtive ease. Slowly, the number of spirit beasts decreased. After around two hours, they managed to shake off all of the spirit beasts. Only then did Zhang Xuan heave a sigh of relief and start swimming to the surface. Holding his breath for two hours wasnt too hard for him given his current cultivation. Turning to look at the white-robeddy beside him, it seemed that the other party was fine as well. Considering how the spirit beasts had to approach her so carefully, it was likely that her cultivation was on par with his. Hu! As the beast and two humans emerged from the water, Zhang Xuan immediately scanned his surroundings. Only after confirming that there was no danger did he heave a sigh of relief. "Its safe now..." Zhang Xuan pulled thedy to the shore. After swimming for two hours, they were now a considerable distance away from the waterfall. Given the various splits in the meandering river along the way, it would be hard for the spirit beasts to track them down. However, it was best for them to be careful anyway. The other party did have aerial spirit beasts who specialized in scouting on their side. "Lets find a safe spot, get some food, and dry our clothes!" The three of them were looking rather unkempt after the long swim. Their clothes were sticking firmly to their skin. Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. Knowing that Zhang Xuan had gone through so much to save her, the white-robeddy seemed much friendlier from before. Smiling, she nodded in agreement at his words. There were severalrge caves dug out by the spirit beasts in Verdant Mountain. It didnt take too long for the duo to find an empty one. Following which, they gathered a few dry branches and started a campfire. Only then did they feel their bodies warming up. Even with cultivation levels such as theirs, swimming for two hours in the middle of winter was still no joke. The chill felt like a sharp dagger stabbing at their insides. "I am Zhang Xuan! You are..." After drying his clothes, Zhang Xuan took out a few pieces of dried jerky from his storage ring and offered them to the other party. Following which, he reverted his appearance and sped his fist. For some reason, thisdy simply felt extremely familiar to him, as though he had known her all his life. Otherwise, he wouldnt have gone through so much trouble to save her. With a faint smile, thedy shook her head. She took the jerky from Zhang Xuans hands, tore off a small portion, and ate it. Her movements were extremely graceful and refined. "You... cant speak?" Realizing that the other party hadnt spoken a word since they met, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Until now, it seemed like the other party had been replying to his words with a smile. Thedy shook her head. "Is it due to some kind of persisting illness or... do you need me to treat you? I am actually quite a capable physician!" Zhang Xuan said. There were some who would lose their voice due to injury or cultivating incorrectly. However, it was still treatable as long as one had the correct treatment method. Considering how he had read many books on medicine, and also had the Library of Heavens Path to fall back on, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to treat the other party. The white-robeddy shook her hands. "Are you afraid that I cant cure you... or are you unwilling to be treated?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Thedy continued to shake her hands nonchntly. It seemed as though she was already used to being in such a situation, and she didnt want to be treated. "Since thats the case... I wont talk about it anymore then!" Since the other party wasnt willing to be treated, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly force his treatment on her. For some reason, sitting beside thisdy made him feel extremely calm, drawing him away from the material aspect of life. "Hmm?" Sitting silently, Zhang Xuan was searching for something, anything, to say when his face suddenly warped in pain. His entire body began shaking uncontrobly. "Shit..." Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Even though his physical body had grown much stronger after the tempering from the earth me and Cleansing Lake, it wasnt sufficient for him to fully adapt to his massive soul. Thus, he should have avoided overexerting himself while training his physical body for it to adapt to his soul. Who knew that he would have met with this white-robeddy and end up overexerting himself? He didnt feel anything in the face of danger back then, but now that they were safe, he immediately felt a sharp pain in his soul as though someone had stabbed needles deep into it, and dizziness suddenly overwhelmed him. Using the shoe measurements in his previous life, his current soul was size 45 while his physical body was size 42. While he could still slip in with some force, he would still be injured should he walk too much. The current situation was as such. Even though his body and soul were ipatible with one another, he might still have been fine if he hadnt overexerted himself. But he did, and now he had to tolerate an insufferable pain in his soul. Honestly, Zhang Xuan wanted to leave a good impression on the other party by saving her, but such a situation happened instead. He couldnt help but feel a little stifled. "Suppress!" Zhang Xuan forcefully suppressed his soul to force it to adapt to his physical body. Who knew that the more he tried to do so, the more violent the bacsh became? It was as if the side effect of forcefully stuffing his soul back into his body wasing back to bite him all at once. "AHHH..." With a roar, Zhang Xuan couldnt hold on any longer, and his soul began gushing out of his be. It was the previous problem ying up againan overly powerful soul for a rtively weak physical body. Unless he could raise the strength of his physical body, the two wouldnt be able to fuse together perfectly. "Its over..." Feeling that his soul was about to leave his body, Zhang Xuan heart turned cold. Actually, if his soul were to leave his body, he would be able to avoid such pain... but if he were to allow it to ur now, it would be as good as telling the other party that he was a soul oracle, and this would be difficult to exin. Even though the soul oracle upation was aplete one, its heritage had already gone missing for many years, and it had officially been eradicated by the Master Teacher Pavilion a long time ago. In the view of most cultivators, they were a callous and mysterious existence. If the other party were to learn that he had such a sinister upation, the goodwill that he had built up with much difficulty would definitely disappear instantaneously. What in the world was this? Of all the times for his condition to work up, it just had to be now... How would the other party view him after this? Would she think that he was up to no good? Just as Zhang Xuan was at aplete loss, the white-robeddy stood up and pressed on his be lightly. Hu! The soul that was about to slip out of his body was suppressed in an instant, and it returned obediently back into his body. At the same time, a unique energy flowed through his entire body, relieving it of the extreme pain it felt instantaneously. "This..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. This was a problem which had troubled him greatly, and yet the other party resolved it with a single pat. What was this? Could it be that... the white-robeddy possessed a cultivation far higher than the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ye Wentian? One must know that not even Ye Wentian could resolve the problem of his soul going missing. Otherwise, he wouldnt have just ced Zhang Xuan on the stone table helplessly. Doubtful, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask about the issue when a pang of exhaustion suddenly struck him. His vision darkened, and he gradually lost consciousness. Amidst his sleep, he felt as though his soul and physical body were harmonizing once more, and the difort he felt previously gradually vanished... Sometimeter, he woke up. "Hmm?" Rubbing his eyes, Zhang Xuan sat up. Indeed, the ipatibility between his soul and physical body had vanished, and he felt much more rxed than before. "My physical body hasnt gotten any stronger, but my soul seemed to have undergone some kind of refinement. It has be much purer, making it easier to slip it into my body!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though his soul was still ten meters tall, it had be much more flexible, making it easier to enter his body and control it. I should give it a try! Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuans soul swept through his body, and he could feel that every single muscle and cell was within his control. He could now perfectly move his entire body. Even before the affair at the Cleansing Lake, he had never felt such precise control over his body before. This is... Perfect Consonance of Body and Soul? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly, and his body trembled in excitement. At Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, a cultivator would be able to harmonize his body and soul as one. This consonance would refine his control over his strength and body, allowing for more precise movements. Rumor had it that if this consonance were to reach the level of perfection, one would be able to look inwardly into ones physical body and repair the damaged regions. Ones body would be able to be as wless as a piece of white jade. However, even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts would be unable to reach such a realm. Only Saints would have a chance of aplishing this... and yet, Zhang Xuan actually seeded! In the midst of Zhang Xuans excitement, a thought suddenly shed through his mind, and he froze. But... if my soul and body are perfectly consonant, wont my soul be unable to leave my body? Typically, bing a soul oracle meant abandoning ones natural body. As far as Zhang Xuan knew, no soul oracle had achieved a Perfect Consonance of Body and Soul before... If his soul and body were to be perfectly consonant while he was unconscious, would it mean that he had lost his ability as a soul oracle? If that was the case, then there was nothing for him to be happy about! Even taking the upations from ancient times into ount, the abilities of a soul oracle were one of the more practical and useful ones. For example, there would be no other upation that would have allowed Zhang Xuan to absorb the spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake earlier on. Thus, Zhang Xuan quickly drove the Soul Guiding Form. Fortunately, he realized that his soul could still part from his body and move freely. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. Sending his soul back into his physical body, Zhang Xuan stood up and looked around the cave. However, the cave was oddly silent. The campfire was already extinguished, and there was not a person to be seen. The white-robeddy whom he had saved previously had already disappeared without a trace. "Lady?" Zhang Xuan yelled. He was just about to go out to look for thetter when he caught sight of a line of neatly written words on the stone wall not too far away. You have saved me once, and I have returned the favor. Thus, we are even now. There is still a long time ahead of us, so may we meet again in the future! "Meet again in the future?" Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck. "She left?" Chapter 652: Consonant Spirit Realm Pinnacle Chapter 652: Consonant Spirit Realm Pinnacle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the words left on the wall, Zhang Xuan felt disappointed. This was the firstdy that had sent his heart beating, but they ended up parting so quickly. He didnt even manage to get the other partys name. Zhang Xuan raised his hand and wiped away the words on the wall before walking out of the cave. The vast sky appeared before him, but there wasnt a single person in sight. It seemed like the other party had already left long ago. After searching around the perimeter and realizing that the other party was gone, he began calcting the time based on his surroundings, and the result left his head shaking. "I was actually out for three days?" He didnt expect to have been out for three whole days. "The Perfect Consonance of Soul and Body has raised my zhenqi cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle..." Previously, Zhang Xuans breakthroughs were dependent onpleting the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art. But this time, just by fainting once, not only did his soul and body merge together wlessly, his zhenqi cultivation even made a huge leap. From rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, he advanced all the way to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle! That was an entire cultivation realm! However, considering that the main goal of Consonant Spirit realm was to harmonize ones soul and body together, as well as to nourish ones soul, that was to be expected. The very concept of his soul being wlessly consonant with his body was aligned with that of the Heavens Path Divine Art. As such, he naturally achieved a breakthrough with this. Zhenqi gushed through his body at rapid speed, nourishing his entire body and revitalizing his spirit. "A normal Consonant Spirit realm cultivator would wield a might of 3,200,000 ding, but my strength has reached... 4,000,000 ding!" Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into his dantian. With the Perfect Consonance of Soul and Body, he could look inwardly to clearly see how much might he wielded at the moment even without testing it out. With a might of 4,000,000 ding in Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, he could rival a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator with just his zhenqi strength. If the 2,000,000 ding from his physical body and 3,200,000 ding from his soul cultivation were to be added into the equation, that would total up to a staggering 9,200,000 ding. Even a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage cultivator might be killed with a single punch from him. (Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage 8,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 9,000,000 ding; advanced stage 10,000,000 ding; pinnacle 11,000,000 ding!) But of course, Perfect Harmonization realm involves harmonizing everything into a singrity. Ones zhenqi, soul, and physical body would be enhanced significantly. At the same time, one would also achieve astounding mastery over ones control over the environment, thus granting one sharp instincts against danger. It wouldnt be easy at all to injure an expert of this caliber. Take for example Zhang Xuans fight with Princess Fei-er, even though he wielded the advantage in terms of strength, he still had to make use of the Library of Heavens Path to defeat her. A difference in cultivation realm meant a significant difference in speed, reflexes, and preciseness in movements as well. All of these advantages couldnt be made up for with mere strength. While Zhang Xuans strength might be superior to even Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage cultivator, his actual fighting prowess would allow him to draw with a Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage cultivator only. But beneath that, none would be a match for the current Zhang Xuan. Even if a bunch of Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivators were toe charging at him, he would still be able to eradicate them easily. "After reaching Consonant Spirit realm, my master teacher rank can be considered to have reached half 5-star..." Zhang Xuans cultivation had always been the greatest impediment to his progress as a master teacher. Now that he had raised his cultivation, he could be considered as a half 5-star master teacher just like Luo Xuan and the others. "Three days have already passed, I wonder if theyre still here..." Given that their schedule was tight, it was hard to tell whether Hong shi and the others were still in Huanyu Capital. Under normal circumstances, as soon as the cultivation at the Cleansing Lake was over, they would have to head to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. However, given that the Cleansing Lake had broken down, there was no point remaining here. Thus, it was possible that they might have headed off first. It was a long distance to Hongyuan Empire, if they didnt make haste, they might fail to make it in time for the start of the opening ceremony, and this could spell the disqualification of their candidature. The Master Teacher Academy would ept a bunch of freshmen in the second month and eighth month of each year. Their group was rushing in order to join the second months batch, and it was already the first month now. They didnt have much time left. "I should return..." Knowing that he didnt have much time left, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and prepared to fly back to Huanyu Capital to check if Hong shi and the others had left already or not. However, flurried footsteps sounded at that moment, and a few human silhouettes came into sight. "Xing Yuan, Princess Fei-er, and the others? Why are they here?" Zhang Xuan immediately leaped silently onto a huge tree, and gazing downward, he was taken aback. The people he saw were none other than Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, Luo Qiqi, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian. Luo Qiqi stood at the very forefront, and she had a map in her hands. She seemed to be looking for something while others were following behind her with grim expressions. The group of five was in a rather unkempt state. All of them had clear injuries over them which indicated that they had just undergone a bitter fight. "Qiqi, how much further?" Anxiety could be seen on Yu Fei-ers face. Luo Qiqi confirmed the terrain in the surroundings and replied, "Based on the map, it should be somewhere here..." "Good. We should quicken our pace. Even though Ive stopped those fellows with my formation te for the time being, given their strength, they could ovee it anytime ande rushing in..." Yu Fei-er said. "Indeed!" Xing Yuan nodded as he subconsciously nced behind warily. It seemed that the matter which had happened previously had left him fearful. "Its truly weird. Spirit beasts usually operate alone, so why are the spirit beasts here cooperating with one another? They were all prowling the area frenziedly in groups, as though trying to find something." Wu Zhen found the situation they were in unbelievable. "I also find it weird as well. The two greatnd spirit beasts, Grandlion Spirit Beast and Armored Beartiger, are usually the nemeses of one another. Yet, they actually coborated with one another and attacked in unison as though they were old buddies. And that Dracoeagle Beast as well... When did an aerial spirit beast be so intimate withnd spirit beasts?" Xing Yuan added in bewilderment. Since the Cleansing Lake couldnt be used anymore, they recuperated in the capital for nearly three days before entering the Verdant Mountain toplete the mission the academy had assigned to them. However, before they could even reach their destination, they stumbled upon a group of frenzied spirit beasts. Possessing a might of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, every single one of those beasts were incredibly powerful. To make things worse, they were even working with one another, hunting down every human that they saw. Under their frenzied onught, Luo Qiqi and the rest of the group nearly lost their lives. If not for the many defensive artifacts that Yu Fei-er possessed, they surely wouldnt have been able to get away! "Ye Qian, didnt you say that the Verdant Mountain is very safe? You call this safe?" Recalling that huge bunch of spirit beasts pursuing them and the desperate situation they were in, Yu Fei-er found herself bubbling with rage. Other than that darned Zhang Xuan, when had she suffered such injustice? "I..." Cold sweat appeared on Ye Qians forehead. With a tearful face, he replied, "The spirit beasts are usually tame and dont attack humans... I have no idea whats going on either!" He also found himself incapable ofprehending the situation before him. This wasnt the first time he had been in Verdant Mountain, and he knew a fair bit of the spirit beasts here. Under normal circumstances, these fellows rarely attacked humans. Yet, today, they were all coborating with one another to strike down all of the humans they saw. One must know that beforeing here, he had reassured them confidently that the Verdant Mountain waspletely safe! Yet, forst few hours, they had been chased by the many spirit beasts around the entire mountain, and they felt so exhausted that they could spew blood. Just the thought of them left him stifled. "Alright, you need not exin anymore. If those fellowse once more, you will block them by yourself..." Yu Fei-er waved her hands. Ye Qians lips twitched. If he, a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator, were to stand against that rampaging horde singlehandedly, he would probably die in the very first wave of attacks. After a moment of hesitation, Ye Qian said, "Why dont I have my father dispatch some troops over to drive away the spirit beasts?" Huanyu Capital wasnt too far away, and as long as they wanted to, they could have the army up here to save them. Dozens of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beasts might be fearsome, but they couldnt possibly stand against an entire army of cultivators. "Dont you know that this is a mission from the academy? To dispatch troops here, are you that intent to see us fail and return in disgrace?" Yu Fei-er harrumphed coldly. "This..." Ye Qian scratched his head. The other party was right. The mission they were on was confidential and couldnt be made known to anyone. If others were to learn of it, failure to aplish the mission would be the least of their worriesthey might even be expelled for failing to maintain confidentiality. "Alright, lets stop talking about such useless stuff. Lets hurry up and find the entrance to the underground chamber. As long as we enter the underground chamber, we should be safe. Otherwise, Ill throw you to the horde of spirit beasts to let them have a taste for themselves what a crown prince tastes like!" Frowning, Yu Fei-er waved her hands. "Yes!" Ye Qians lips twitched, but he didnt dare to argue back. Thus, he hurried over to Luo Qiqis side to help her with the navigation. He might be the crown prince of Huanyu Empire, but there was nothing he could do before this obstinate princess. After looking around, he pointed forward and said, "It seems like our destination isnt too far away. The entrance should be behind that hill..." "Good, lets hurry then!" The group immediately rushed forward to the coordinates denoted on the map. Right after they left, Zhang Xuans figure appeared from his hiding spot. "They must be trying to finish some kind of mission..." He had heard that Yu Fei-ers group hade to Huanyu Empire to aplish some kind of mission for the Master Teacher Academy, but to think that their destination would be Verdant Mountain. "Judging from their words, they must have met with those spirit beasts!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. To save that white-robeddy, he offended more than thirty spirit beasts at once. Perhaps out of anger, those spirit beasts attacked all of the humans that came into their territories, and Luo Qiqi and the others just became a victim of their wrath. "If they are still in the surroundings, it would be best for me not to leave via flight. Otherwise, they might notice me..." Perhaps it was due to the difficulty of finding the exact position of their destination through the lush crown of the trees, but it was fortunate that Luo Qiqi and the others didnt ride an aerial spirit beast over as well. Of the thirty spirit beasts, there were some that specialized in aerial battle. Had they chosen to ride on an aerial spirit beast, they would have been noticed and surrounded immediately, thus putting them in a very vulnerable position. If they were surrounded on the ground, they would at least be able to retaliate and possibly escape. But in the air, the only fate awaiting them would be descending to their graves. "This will be troublesome..." Simrly, Zhang Xuan wouldnt want to be surrounded by those spirit beasts in midair as well. Even though his cultivation had soared by a fair bit and he no longer feared those spirit beasts, he would still like to avoid a fight if possible. Chapter 653: Attracting Spirit Beasts Chapter 653: Attracting Spirit Beasts Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I guess Ill walk to the capital! Jumping down from the branch, Zhang Xuan confirmed his direction before walking over. The other party might be on a mission, but this had nothing to do with him. The most important matter for him at the moment was to liaise with Hong shi and the others and return to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy rather than waste his time here. Hula! After taking a few steps, Zhang Xuan heard some heavy footsteps. He immediately leaped up and hid in the tree. Following which, he saw a fewrge spirit beasts sniffing off the ground before rushing in the direction where Luo Qiqi and the others disappeared to. They found them... Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though these spirit beasts were only at Transcendent Mortal 5-danother than Ye Qian, Luo Qiqi and the others were all 6-dan expertsit would still be a difficult battle to fight against them. I guess I should still offer them some help. Thinking so, Zhang Xuan followed behind the spirit beasts. No matter what, he was acquainted with Princess Fei-er and the others, and Luo Qiqi was his apothecary student as well. He couldnt just stand idly by the side knowing that they were in danger. Roar! Roar! "Damn it, theyre here again. Ye Qian, youre up..." A ruckus sounded ahead of him, and following which, a violent ripple of energy spread from the forest. Theyve started fighting! Knowing that there was no time to lose, Zhang Xuan immediately rushed forward, only to hear a sharp gust of wind blowing above him. Raising his head, he saw a massive Dracoeagle beast swooping down to grab him. It was the same one that had been amongst the beasts surrounding the white-robeddy back then. As Zhang Xuan had been hiding within the lush crown of the trees while concealing his aura, he hadnt been noticed by the spirit beasts yet. However, as soon as he drove his zhenqi and charged forward, they immediately noticed his presence. Having met its mortal enemy, the Dracoeagle Beasts eyes reddened in wrath. Its steel talons sliced through the air, producing a sharp screeching sound that seemed as though it would tear through even metal. "If I get entangled with it, itll be hard for me to escapeter on..." Knowing that, if he were to waste time on this fellow, the other spirit beasts would soon gather around him and it would be hard for him to leave then, Zhang Xuan clenched his jaws. "Moo!" The Dracoeagle Beast possessed the Dragon Bloodline as well so the mysterious beastnguage that he learned previously should be effective on it as well. Through practice, he had realized that its effects were less significant on those that didnt possess the Dragon Bloodline. As this was the only spirit beast that possessed the Dragon Bloodline back then, he knew that he would be ughtered by the other spirit beasts once he expends all of his zhenqi on the beastnguageit had insane zhenqi consumption after all. Thus, the only viable course of action back then was to escape. And as expected, after the shout, the Dracoeagle Beast suddenly froze in fear, and it began plummeting from the sky. Putong! The spirit beast with a wingspan of ten meters fell heavily to the ground, creating a cloud of dust in the air as it twitched uncontrobly. Roar! After dealing with this huge fellow, Zhang Xuan was just about to leave when he heard a roaring sound. The Armored Beartiger from before leaped up, and swinging its ws, a sharp force came falling onto him. Themotion from before had attracted the attention of the spirit beasts. As the fastest spirit beast in the area, this fellow immediately rushed over to help. "This will be troublesome." The other party had its eyes fixed on him as though he had killed the other partys parents. Knowing that a battle wasnt avoidable anymore, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Since you want a battle, a battle you will get! It just happened that my cultivation has raised by a fair bit, so I guess Ill just try it out on you. Zhang Xuan thrust his palm forward with astounding might, creating a powerful shock wave that immediately covered a distance of dozens of meters to strike the Armored Beartiger. Hu! He hadnt used his soul energy in this attack, but even so, with the strength of his physical body and zhenqi harnessed behind it, the might of the attack exceeded 6,000,000 ding. This was far beyond the tolerable limit for the Armored Beartiger. The force from its ws was immediately dissipated, and its body was pressed down firmly against the ground. "Roar?" The Armored Beartiger widened its eyes in shock, as though it had seen a ghost. Just three days ago, it fought with this fellow, and while the other partys swordsmanship was exquisite, he was still farcking in strength to stand against it... How could it possibly gain the strength to overwhelm himpletely with just a single palm in just a few days? This was... a little, no, way too exaggerated! If it had known that the other party was so formidable, it wouldnt have dared to prowl around in search of him. Instead, it would have certainly made sure to hide well so as to stay out of the other partys way... "Dont you dare pursue me anymore. Otherwise, Ill start spilling blood!" A roar, and the Dracoeagle Beast plummeted to the ground. A palm, and the Armored Beartiger lost its fighting will. Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves and turned around to assist Luo Qiqi and the others. However, at this moment, the group of spirit beasts consisting of the Grandlion Spirit Beasts and a few others who were further in front turned around and encircled Zhang Xuan. Most probably, the Dracoeagle Beast had called for them before engaging Zhang Xuan in a fight. "Since you came knocking on your own ord, dont me me if you were to get injured!" Initially, Zhang Xuan had no ns of going after these spirit beasts. But since they hade over to challenge him, there was no reason for him to hold back at all. Leaping lightly off the tree, Zhang Xuan dashed forward. Heavens Path Movement Art! Along with the growth of his physical body and cultivation, Zhang Xuans control over Heavens Path Movement Art was getting more and more adept, and his maximum speed had increased as well. In an instant, it was as if he had torn a hole through space and leaped through it, appearing right before the Grandlion Spirit Beast in an instant and knocking it down with his body. You specialize in defense? Fine, Ill use brute strength to crush the defensive ability you are so proud of! Peng! As the two came into collision, the Grandlion Spirit Beast suddenly found its massive body flying backward swiftly, crashing through dozens of trees in the course of his movement, leaving him light-headed from the impact. After sending this huge fellow flying, Zhang Xuan twisted his body and charged toward a wolf-like spirit beast. Pi pa!, the sheer might of Zhang Xuans fistpressed even air itself. Unable to dodge the attack, the wolf-like spirit beast could only take it forcefully. However, its defense didnt evenst for an instant before it was crushed into the ground, subdued. ... While an intense battle was going on here, Luo Qiqi and the others were dumbfounded. It was just a moment ago that the group of spirit beasts had caught up to them and was readying tounch an attack. Furious, Yu Fei-er pushed Ye Qian forward to take the brunt of the attack. Given Ye Qians Consonant Spirit realm cultivation, even if he were to survive this ordeal, he would surely end up lying on the bed for months afterward. Who could have known that, before anything could happen, those furious spirit beasts would suddenly back down? "Could it be that they are aware of my identity as the crown prince, so they dared noty their hands on me?" Ye Qian scratched his head in embarrassment. But that was impossible! When had the savage spirit beasts ever considered a persons social standing before ripping him apart? Even an emperor would be no exception to this rule! "Someone has attracted the attention of the spirit beasts in our ce. Look, theres a battle going on there!" With a frown on her face, Yu Fei-er was the first one to figure out the situation. All of the retreating spirit beasts had headed in the same direction, and a violent disturbance in the spiritual energy could be felt from that direction as well. Adding the frenzied roars in that direction, it was clear that a battle was ongoing. "Ye Qian, could it be one of your men?" Xing Yuan frowned. Their mission had to be carried out in absolute secrecy. As such, they had strictly told Ye Qian that he was not to allow anyone to follow them. In order to ensure that, they even chose to walk on foot instead of riding on an aerial spirit beast... Given that someone had lured the spirit beasts away as soon as they had met with danger, they found it hard to believe that it wasnt the doing of Ye Qians men. "It isnt me, I didnt allow anyone to follow me..." Ye Qian quickly waved his hands to exin himself. He knew how important the mission was, so how could he make such a serious mistake? "Well know once we get there..." Luo Qiqi waved her hands. "Un!" Xing Yuan nodded. "Nothing can be allowed to go wrong with our mission. If we really were followed, we will be in deep trouble..." With this, the group silently advanced toward the direction where the battle was ongoing. A momentter, they arrived at the scene, and with just a single nce, they all froze. "Its... Zhang shi!" "Why would teacher be here?" "Wasnt this fellow taken away by his teacher? How could he appear here?" ... Seeing that it was a familiar face, different expressions surfaced on their own faces. The one who was delighted was naturally Luo Qiqi, whereas the one who despaired was Princess Yu Fei-er. She had lost a wager with Zhang Xuan, so meeting him and having the bet enforced was thest thing she would want to see happening. "I know! Teacher must have seen that we were getting attacked, so he intentionally attracted that bunch of spirit beasts over to him..." Luo Qiqi suddenly said. "Youre overthinking the matter, when has he ever been so kind?" Yu Fei-er harrumphed. "If that wasnt the case, why would the aggression of these spirit beasts suddenly turn from us to him? Given how frenzied they were, it was unlikely that they would have changed target if not for Zhangoshi intentionally drawing their attention!" Luo Qiqi said. "This..." Everyone was stunned. Luo Qiqis words made perfect sense. It was just a moment ago that all of the spirit beasts looked as though they would devour them whole. As such, they thought that a bitter fight awaited them. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they abandoned them and turned their hostility toward Zhang shi instead. It was a little hard to believe that Zhang shi hadnt done anything to draw their aggression given such circumstances. "Regardless of whether he intentionally drew their attention or not, look at their battle..." Wu Zhen interrupted the thoughts of the crowd, and pointed to the battle with a shaking finger. Hearing those words, everyone immediately turned their gazes over; almost instantly, their pupils dted in shock, and their mouths went dry. "Wasnt he still at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle a few days ago?" Xing Yuan gulped down his saliva. Just three days ago, when they were entering the Cleansing Lake, the other party was still at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. How could he possibly be at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle at this very instant? They had seen geniuses who improved swiftly... but this waspletely inconceivable! More importantly... even though he had reached Consonant Spirit realm, their cultivation was still higher than him. Yet, despite fighting with so many spirit beasts that even they would feel threatened before, he was able to subdue them with ease as though an adult ying with a child... Wasnt his fighting prowess a little way too strong? Princess Yu Fei-er widened her eyes in shock, and her face twitched violently. She never thought that this shameless figure would actually possess such astounding strength! If the other party had disyed such astounding prowess in their previous battle as well, she would probably have been defeated in a single move. If that was the case... did he do it intentionally? That must be it! Recalling how the other party kicked her bottom, her face flushed from rage. If it wasnt intentional, how could his attacks so coincidentallynd on her bottom each time? He could have subdued her easily, but he chose to kick her bottom instead. A ruffian he was indeed! Shameless! Unaware of everyones thoughts, Ye Qian asked, "Senior, since Zhang shi is so formidable, and he could already be considered as a member of the academy as well, is it possible for us to bring him on the mission with us? With him, I feel that well be in a much safer position." "Bring teacher along with us?" Luo Qiqis eyes gleamed in excitement. "Indeed! With him, the sess rate of our mission would be boosted significantly!" "Un, your words do make sense. I approve of this matter!" After a moment of contemtion, Xing Yuan nodded in agreement. "No, he cant go with us!" Yu Fei-ers eyes widened at that suggestion, and she quickly shot it down. Chapter 654: Wu Yangzi Chapter 654: Wu Yangzi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He cant go with us?" Luo Qiqi frowned as she turned to look at her close friend. "Why?" This mission was fraught with danger. Given teachers wisdom and superior cultivation, he would be able to aid them out of difficult situations. Why would her good friend turn down such a good idea? "H-he... is lecherous!" Yu Fei-er eximed with gritted teeth. "Lecherous? Youre overthinking it, he has no interest in you at all..." Luo Qiqi shook her head at her good friends words. She had confidence in this aspect. Putting everything aside, Luo Qiqis appearance was top-notch as well,parable to Princess Yu Fei-er. Yet, despite her beauty and her respect for Zhang shi, the other party never even spared her a nce. Given how obstinate you are... thats even more impossible! "..." Yu Fei-er staggered backward as her vision darkened. What do you mean by this? No interest in me? Im not that bad, alright? Why does it sound as though I was turned down by the other party? As an esteemed princess, I should be the one turning others down... "Qiqi is right. Zhang shi has high standards. He has a student known as Wang Ying who is much prettier than youIve seen her myselfbut he has no interest in her whatsoever. Given that, its unlikely for him to be interested in you either..." Xing Yuan nodded in agreement. Given his fondness for Yu Fei-er, he felt threatened by Zhang Xuans capability and the intricate rtionship between the duo. Thus, he had his men investigate thetters background. Not only did Zhang shi have a student who was even more beautiful than Yu Fei-er, he had also had many pursuers in the past, but he still remained unmoved by any of them. Yu Fei-er might be beautiful, but her temper was simply horrendous. Even Xing Yuan could only barely tolerate it himself. For others... it was probablypletely out of question. "What did you say?" Luo luo!, the sound of teeth gritting against one another sounded as Yu Fei-er red at Xing Yuan with widened eyes while emanating tant killing intent. "Xing Yuan, why dont you try repeating what you have just said..." "I..." A cold shiver ran through Xing Yuan. Seeing that Xing Yuan was frightened into such a state, Wu Zhen chuckled lightly beneath his hand. However, a cold re from Yu Fei-er immediately removed any hrity he saw in this matter. "What are youughing for? Are you dying for another beating..." "..." Wu Zhen trembled. Im just watching themotion, theres no need to involve me in your affairs, right... "Alright, enough! Ill invite teacherter on, and Fei-er, youd better dont talk at all. I fear that teacher might try to enforce the bet ormand you to serve him if you get on his bad side." Seeing the group falling into an argument before the entrance to the underground chamber had even been found, Luo Qiqi shook her head. "..." Upon hearing the words enforce the bet, Princess Fei-er suddenly recalled the matter of her being a maid, and this immediately silenced her. By the time the argument among them halted, Zhang Xuan was already done cleaning up the spirit beasts. The thirty or so spirit beasts were lying on the floor, moaning in agony. This time, the beast hunters didnte along. However, even if they did, the same fate probably would have awaited them. Seeing Zhang Xuan p his hands and preparing to leave after clearing up the spirit beasts, Luo Qiqi yelled and walked over. "Teacher!" "Little Qi!" Zhang Xuan smiled. In truth, he had noticed the group as soon as they arrived. Since he hade to save them, there was nothing for him to hide. Walking up to Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqi bowed deeply and said, "Teacher, I have an insolent request that I need to ask of you." "Hmm?" "I wish to invite teacher to participate in a mission from the academy..." Luo Qiqi began exining the matter. "Mission?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Ill pass on the matter. I still need to meet up with Hong shi and the others, and head for Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy..." Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Luo Qiqi was taken aback for a moment before replying. "Hong shi? They have already left!" "Left?" Zhang Xuan frowned. How could they leave without the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament? "Indeed. In order to make it in time for the opening ceremony, they took a flying ship of the Huanyu Empire royalty along with the others. Before leaving, Hong shi consulted Pavilion Master Mo on your matter, and it was only with his agreement that they decided to leave..." Luo Qiqi replied. "Flying ship?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Un. Its a military transportation device found only within empires. It is driven by dozens of spirit beasts, and the ship can house up to a thousand people!" Seeing that her apothecary teacher hadnt even heard of such a thing before, Luo Qiqi looked at him in bewilderment. There was no master teacher in the empire who didnt know about flying ships. Given how knowledgeable he was and how formidable his teacher was, how could he have never heard of flying ships before? Zhang Xuan nodded. Truthfully, he had been thinking that given how far an empires territory stretched, if a war were to happen, wouldnt it take years just to deploy troops, needless to say, send reinforcements in? It turned out that there was a transportation device for this very purpose! To use dozens of aerial spirit beasts to ferry a thousand people at once... probably only the royalty of an empire would possess the wealth and resources to do so. "Right, Hong shi took teachers students along with him as well. He said that theres no need to worry about you since you were with Yang shi, and it would be best for them to wait for you at Hongyuan Empire..." Luo Qiqi continued filling Zhang Xuan in on the details. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. He didnt expect so many things to happen in the three days that he was out. Everyone thought that given how formidable Yang shi was, he would bepletely safe together with him. They probably never could have imagined that... the seemingly omnipotent Yang shi in their mind was actually just a hoax, a fictional character! "Forget it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was still worried about his students and Sun Qiang since Hong shi had left, but since Hong shi had taken them along with him, they should be fine. All he had to do was to appear at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy when the timees. Since there was nothing tying him down now, Zhang Xuan became curious about the mission Luo Qiqi spoke of. "So, what kind of mission are you all on?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Its..." Luo Qiqi hesitated for a moment before switching to telepathic message. "Its the underground chamber of 6-star cksmith Wu Yangzi!" "6-star cksmith?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Un. Wu Yangzi is an extremely famous grandmaster cksmith from three thousand years ago, and he possesses cksmithing skills unmatched by any. He is known as Hongyuan Empires number one cksmith in the past ten thousand years. In fact, even the royal seal currently used was crafted by his hands!" Luo Qiqi exined. "If he is a grandmaster cksmith of Hongyuan Empire... why would his underground chamber be located here?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Hongyuan Empire was at least several million kilometers away from here. Why would a grandmaster cksmith travel so far out here? "This..." Luo Qiqi scratched her head awkwardly and said, "He was... kidnapped!" "Kidnapped?" For a 6-star master teacher, whose cultivation had reached Saint rank, to be kidnapped... are you for real? Besides, standing behind every single cksmith was the entire cksmith Guild. It was one of the strongest upation alliance even when considering the entire continent. To dare toy their hands on one of their esteemed members... who could be so arrogant? "Un. Given how formidable his cksmithing skills are... it is believed that someone captured him to have him forge weapons for them! Due to this matter, the Master Teacher Pavilion and cksmith Guild sent many experts out to search through the entire Hongyuan Empire, but they were still unable to find him," Luo Qiqi said. "However, in thest few months, while I was reading through some ancient texts, I found some clues about the incident back then!" "You?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Given how so many experts in the Master Teacher Pavilion and cksmith Guild failed to find anything at all, how could she, a mere 5-star primary master teacher and Grade 2 student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, possibly find any clues? More importantly, there was an interval of several thousand years in between! "Actually... its all just a deduction on my part. On top of forging pills, I have an interest in smithing as well, and Grandmaster Wu Yangzi has always been a person I deeply respected. I even once tried to learn his Zither Forging Technique... but due to his iplete heritage, I was only able to learn a small portion of it." Luo Qiqi exined. "I did some research on the matter, and I realized that there were actually some weapons in Huanyu Empire that were created using such a forging technique. Perplexed, I did some investigation, and in the midst of doing so, I chanced upon a map to an underground chamber. That was why I applied for this mission with the academy. But of course, its still too early to tell whether it leads to Grandmaster Wu Yangzis underground chamber or not." Zhang Xuan nodded. To actually notice some clues based on how a weapon was forged, it seemed like Luo Qiqi was a truly tenacious person. But thinking about it, if not for her tenacity, how could she, a talented Grade 2 genius and a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan pinnacle cultivator, possibly acknowledge him as her teacher without any hesitation? "Even though teacher hasnt reported to the Master Teacher Academy yet, you can already be considered as a member of the academy already. Thus, youre qualified to participate in this mission as well... Furthermore, the purpose of this mission is just to find whether the underground chamber exists and whether it is rted to Wu Yangzi. There is not much danger involved in it. As long as we seed, well obtain two academic credits, and this will surely prove to be useful to teacher in the future!" Luo Qiqi smiled. "Academic credits?" Zhang Xuan was baffled by those words. As the librarian of a high school in his previous life, he had heard of this term before. Was there something like that in the Master Teacher Academy as well? "Academic credits are something unique to Master Teacher Academies. Its said to be a system enforced by Kong shi personally. It serves as a judging criterion, and students can use it to purchase better cultivation resources, lessons for higher ranked master teachers... or even a currency for purchasing anything at all! Without these, students will find themselves unable to make any progress within the academy. In fact, one could say that the most valuable items in the Master Teacher Academy arent spirit stones or Tutge Jade Tokens but academic credits!" Luo Qiqi exined. As master teachers, those in the Master Teacher Academy had nock of Tutge Jade Tokens and spirit stones, and thus, such resources had lower value there. "Is there an academic credit criterion to graduation?" Zhang Xuan asked with a bizarre expression. "Of course not! Academic credits are just a currency used among students, they arent a fundamental criterion for graduation... how can one possibly be barred from graduation just because they dont have sufficient academic credits?" Luo Qiqi replied in exmation. Only then did Zhang Xuan heave a sigh of relief. Taking the model from high schools in his previous life, he thought that academic credits would be a necessary requirement for graduation... but it seemed like the only thing alike was its name. In essence, they were twopletely different items. "Teacher... do you want toe with us? If this is the underground chamber where Grandmaster Wu Yangzi was locked in, theres a high chance that his heritage will be inside!" Luo Qiqi said. "Heritage?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before his eyes lit up. "I heard that cksmiths specialize in training their bodies. Suppose that he really left his heritage there, is it possible that there will be a physical body cultivation technique within it?" Even though Zhang Xuans body and soul were in perfect consonance already, his body was still slightly weaker than his soul. If his soul were to growrger than ten meters once again, the same ipatibility issue would crop up once more. Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly abandon his soul cultivation, so it would be best if he could find some physical body cultivation technique to train his body. Given that cksmiths spent their days with mes, ores, and metals, their body had to be exceptionally resilient. Thus, they usually possessed a unique physical body cultivation technique. Chapter 655: Formation Destroying Silver Needle Chapter 655: Formation Destroying Silver Needle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not expecting to hear such a question, a bizarre expression appeared on Luo Qiqis face as she replied, "There should be! Not only is Grandmaster Wu Yangzi a cksmith, hes also an expert at tempering his physical body!" "Alright, Ill go then!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. A high requirement for ones physical resilience and might stood in the way of those who sought the path of a cksmith. Without sufficient strength, one would be unable to forge the best of weapons. Thus, every master cksmith that had ever existed was an expert at tempering their physical body. It would be much better for Zhang Xuan to obtain the cultivation technique of a 6-star cksmith than to search through the entire Huanyu Empire for other physical body cultivation techniques. "Great!" Hearing her teacher agree to join them on this exploration, Luo Qiqi was filled with excitement. Even though it hadnt been long since she had met this apothecary teacher of hers, the other party gave her the feeling of an unfathomable person. Somehow, she felt that they would be much safer were he to apany them. Havinge to an agreement, Luo Qiqi beckoned the others over, and Princess Fei-er and the others walked up to the duo. "I did lose the bet at the Cleansing Lake, but dont you dare use it to ckmail me!" As soon as Princess Fei-er walked up to Zhang Xuan, she immediately gritted her teeth and said, "Ill prepare the spirit stones, but Ill only be able to repay you when we arrive at Hongyuan Empire!" "Given that something abrupt urred in the Cleansing Lake, and neither of uspleted the conditions of the bet... why dont we just call it a draw?" Seeing how the other party epted the results of the bet candidly, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. He was the one who copsed the entire Cleansing Lake. While he did make somepensation to Huanyu Empire, he still felt a little embarrassed by the matter. After all, the farce did ur due to his carelessness. Since something abrupt urred before any of them could finish the bet, naturally, there wasnt a winner or a loser. "A draw?" Princess Fei-er was taken aback. Shed thought that the other party would grasp onto this to force her to serve as his maid or taunt her, leaving her in a difficult and embarrassed position. Who knew that he would offer a truce instead? Could he... really be that generous? "Thats right. But of course, if youre not content with the results, we could always have another bet!" Zhang Xuan continued. Princess Fei-ers mouth twitched, and she hurriedly shook her head. "Theres no need for it..." It was just a moment ago that she thought the other party was generous when he uttered such kind words. But now it seemed like everything he said was a mere facade. Have another bet? You must be taking me for a fool! After losing so tragically twice, if I were to continue betting with you, it would just be a matter of time before Impletely broke. "What about you all? Are any of you interested in betting against me for Princess Fei-ers sake?" Seeing how thedy paled upon hearing his words, Zhang Xuan shook his head and turned his gaze to Xing Yuan and the others. Honestly, these bets were truly too good a source of ie to miss. After all, even though he might have quite a few spirit stones at hand for the moment, considering the immense spiritual energy consumption for the Heavens Path Divine Art, it probably wouldnt be too long before his wealth dried up. "Well pass..." Xing Yuan and the others flinched upon seeing Zhang Xuans sight on them. Betting against you is like betting on a rigged game. No matter how foolish I am, I cant possibly bet on something that I cant win in. "Sigh, I dont even get a chance to lose at all." Seeing that no one dared to bet against him, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Are these truly geniuses from the Master Teacher Academy? To dare not engage in a bet against him, werent they a little too cowardly? If the others were to learn of his thoughts, tears would definitely start streaming down their faces. We arent the ones who are weak, its you who is monstrously strong, alright? The previous head of the Mystical Treasure Hall devoted decades to the deciphering of the stone pirs only to meet with little sess, and youpleted what he couldnt within seconds. The other master teachers took days to absorb the spiritual energy from the Lake Eye, but you actually took in almost everything within minutes... Who would possibly be so bored as to challenge you in an impossible bet? ... "Lets hurry to the underground chamber!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan had a formidable teacher whom even Pavilion Master Mo was deferential to, not to mention, he himself possessed exceptional strength as well, Xing Yuan and the others didnt dare to view him as an ordinary freshman. Instead, they thought of him as a fellow peer. The next matter they had at hand was to find the entrance to the underground chamber. They swiftly introduced themselves before scaling across the mountain before them and walking into a vast valley. Luo Qiqi came to a stop. "Based on the descriptions in the map, the underground chamber should be located here!" "Here?" Xing Yuan and the others nced at one another in confusion. This valley wasnt too huge, and it looked perfectly ordinary on the outside. Surrounding them were trees and nts, and the chirps from birds echoed harmoniously in the area, creating an exceptionally lively scenery. However, after searching around, they couldnt find any entrance that could possibly lead to an underground chamber. Could the news have been false, or did they get the wrong location? "This is the very valley where the weapon forged using the [Zither Forging Technique] was found by a beast hunter three thousand years ago. Through my investigation, it seems that six other weapons forged using the same technique originated from this location as well. Corroborating these with my other intelligence, Im certain that theres an underground chamber here!" Luo Qiqi said confidently. "However... the spiritual energy in the air is exceptionally stable, and there isnt the slightest disturbance to be felt. It doesnt seem like theres a formation here though?" Xing Yuan and the others frowned. If the entrance to the underground chamber wasnt in to their eyes, it could only mean that it was hidden beneath a formation... However, given theck of disturbance in the spiritual energy in the surroundings, it was impossible for there to be a formation here. "Let me take a look. Im a 5-star formation master, so I should be able to find the formation and decipher it if theres one!" Princess Fei-er stepped forward. Their group didnte together just based on their degree of intimacy. Their expertise alsoplemented the ws of one another. One would require five 5-star supporting upations to qualify as a 5-star master teacher, and Princess Yu Fei-er happened to be a 5-star formation master as well. Un!" Everyone nodded. Princess Fei-er flicked her wrist and took out apass. Following which, she circled around the valley, searching around with every step she took. A momentter, she abruptly came to a halt. Flicking her wrist, she took out a sharp needle reminiscent of a spear. It was hard to tell what it was forged on by its outer appearance, but there was a unique inscription on it which emanated a cold gleam. Noticing the doubtful gazes from Ye Qian and the others, Luo Qiqi exined what it was. "This is a Formation Destroying Silver Needle!" "Formation Destroying Silver Needle?" "Un. There are some high-grade formations that absorb spiritual energy from the environment and hide themselves within their environment, thus making them extremely difficult to detect. Thus, such a tool is required to make their true forms appear. There are special formation inscriptions on it that can send the spiritual energy harnessed within a formation into disarray, forcing it to reveal itself," Luo Qiqi exined. Only then did everyone understand the situation and nod their heads. Zhang Xuan also nodded too as he examined the needle with a peculiar gaze. He had read about Formation Destroying Silver Needles in the books from the Formation Master Guild before, and it was written inside that they had the ability to dispel formations. Zhang Xuan thought that such a tool would only be seen in higher tier Formation Master Guilds, but to think that Princess Fei-er would have one with her as well. It seemed like they dide prepared. After drawing the Formation Destroying Silver Needle, Princess Fei-er didnt rush into action. Instead, she walked around with thepass in hand and even bent down to pinch the soil before and pluck a few des of wild grass. High-grade formations could change their weak point depending on the geography of the location. If one couldnt find the crux of the formation, nothing one did would be able to sway the formation. It was just like how if one wanted to sink the boat, one had to open up a hole in the crucial regions. Otherwise, even if one were to crack open a gaping hole in the deck, it wouldnt do anything at all. "Step back!" After taking a look, Yu Fei-er seemed to have found something, and she turned around and waved her hands to gesture for the others to step back. Knowing how dangerous the formation could be, Luo Qiqi and the others retreated to outside the valley without saying anything. After the group stepped out of the valley, a deep frown appeared on Princess Fei-ers face. All of the sudden, her disposition changed into that of a valiant warrior on the battlefield. Hu! With a flick of her wrist, she threw the Formation Destroying Silver Needle out, and it fell onto a region not too far away from her. Following which, she formed a few seals with her hands before tapping on the needle forcefully. Weng! The silver needle began to spin. As it spun, the formation inscriptions on the surface of the silver needle seemed to have turned into a vortex of spiritual energy, drawing in the spiritual energy in the surroundings into its center. Eventually, it formed a massive pir of spiritual energy that extended to the heavens. "The Formation Destroying Silver Needle can draw spiritual energy from the surroundings and cause a huge spiritual energy disturbance, thus forcing even the greatest of formation to show its marks," Luo Qiqi exined. Zhang Xuan nodded. Formations were sustained by spiritual energy, and if the spiritual energy in the surroundings was sapped dry, it would lose its bnce, thus revealing its form. It was the same logic as how the rocks at the bottom of the river would be revealed as the current ran dry. The copsing of the formation at the Cleansing Lake was also due to its bnce being destroyed. Hu hu hu! As the rotation of the silver needle hastened, more and more spiritual energy was drawn from the surrounding. At the same time, a thickyer of sweat cloaked Princess Fei-ers forehead. "Open!" With a slight buzz, the surroundings of the silver needle abruptly distorted. A slight mist came into appearance. "Indeed, theres a formation here!" Upon seeing the mist, everyones eyes lit up. The mist was the sign of the presence of a formation... This meant that Luo Qiqis deduction was urate, and it was highly likely there was an underground chamber here! Wuwuwuwu! The rotation of the silver needle quickened even more, but Princess Fei-er was already wearied. Given how this formation was able to remain hidden so many years without being noticed, there was no doubt that it was a high-grade formation. Even a 5-star formation master like her was finding it difficult to break open the formation. Hu! Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Princess Fei-er halted the Formation Destroying Silver Needle before falling to the floor weakly. Exhausted, she couldnt even care about her own appearance at this moment. "How is it?" Seeing her state, Luo Qiqi immediately rushed up and fed her a pill to recover her vitality. Only then did her paleplexion finally recover slightly. After resting for a moment, Princess Fei-er stood up and shook her head. "Theres a grade-6 formation here. Due to my limited cultivation, Im unable to force it to show itself." She had put her entire strength into the previous attempt, but she was only able to force out hints of the formation. Her current strength was still a little too low to force it out entirely. "If even you are unable to force out the formation, how can we enter the underground chamber?" Luo Qiqi frowned. If they couldnt even force the formation to appear, naturally, they wouldnt be able to decipher it either, let alone, enter the underground chamber. They hade here proudly to aplish a mission, but who knew that they would be stopped right at the doorstep? If they were to return like that, they would surely be aughingstock. "I dont know either..." Princess Fei-er shook her head. She thought that with her capability as a 5-star formation master, even if she couldnt decipher the formation, it shouldnt be too hard for her to force the formation to show its form. Who knew that she would end in failure? She couldnt help but feel disappointed. Gritting her teeth, Princess Fei-er said, "Allow me to rest for a moment first, Ill give it a try after Ive recuperated fully..." However, at that moment, a nonchnt voice suddenly sounded. "This wont work!" Turning around, she saw Zhang Xuan walking up to her. "You know formation deciphering too?" Seeing that he was the one who spoke, Princess Fei-er harrumphed. "Since you said that this wont work, why dont you share your wisdom with us and tell us what incredible n you have in mind?" "I dare not say my n is incredible, but since theres a formation here, all we have to do is to decipher it, right? Why must we go through an additional step to force it to show itself?" Zhang Xuan replied. Since the purpose was to find the entrance of the formation, they could just decipher the formation straight. Why go through the additional step of forcing it out? Princess Fei-er flung her sleeves and harrumphed coldly. "Youre proposing for us to decipher the formation directly? Humph, do you even know the slightest thing about formations?" Chapter 656: Underground Chamber Chapter 656: Underground Chamber Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If a formation didnt show its form, could one tell whether its a Confinement Formation, ughter Formation, Illusory Formation, or Beguilement Formation? It was just like fighting an unidentifiable spirit beast. If one couldnt even see its form and identify its ws, how did one intend to kill it? You must be kidding! Those who knew the slightest thing about formations wouldnt utter such amateurish words! "The Way of Formation is deep and profound, and it has a long heritage behind of it. Its one of the top upations throughout the entire continent, paling little inparison to even master teacher. Such profound knowledge, and all you can say is to decipher it? You sure know how to speak rubbish!" Princess Fei-er harrumphed coldly. This was her chance to get back at the other party for the previous two humiliations. Her eyebrows shot up, and she spoke majestically. "This valley might not be too big, but it is more than a hundred mu (6 hectare). Furthermore, there are a few thousand different flora and fauna in here. As for the geography, it is located within a mountain range and is connected to a forest and ake. Its east is faced with yang whereas its west is faced with yin. "In other words, its a blessednd suited for setting up all kinds of formations. Just speaking of grade-6 formations, there are 14,372 types that could be set up here. Each of them also has innumerable different variations. Unless the formation is dragged into sight and analyzed, its impossible to tell which it is! "If one doesnt know the formations type, variation, area, and strength... Let me ask you, how could one decipher the formation?" Flinging her sleeves, Princess Fei-er harrumphed coldly. Xing Yuan and the others nodded in agreement. While Yu Fei-er could be obstinate at times, and she was extremely emotionally-charged in her actions, she did possess incredible talent in formations. She was a famous formation master genius even within the Master Teacher Academy. This was also the main reason why Luo Qiqi invited the other party along after receiving the mission. Not expecting her good friend to put down her teacher, Luo Qiqi frowned. "Enough, Fei-er... even if teacher doesnt know much about formation, you can still exin the situation to him calmly. Theres no need to use such a tone with him..." Her teacher might be a rare genius in pill forgingeven a 6-star apothecary would pale before himbut in the field of formations... he did seem to be a littlecking. However, this was to be expected. After all, it was impossible for one to be proficient in everything. Unfazed by the other partys rant, Zhang Xuan continued making his point. "Youre just making things pointlesslyplicated. Formations are created by cing formation gs in alignment with the environment. As long as we find the formation gs, it should be easy to stop the formation." "Formations are indeed created by formation gs, but do you know how manybination of formation gs there are? Even if one were to know where the gs are located, one must remove it in a strict sequential order. Or else, it could possibly bring about a bacsh from the formation, causing everyone here to die." Hearing the nonsensical words that the other party was spouting, Yu Fei-ers face reddened in anger. What the heck was this! If she knew how ignorant this fellow was in the Way of Formations, she would have challenged him to a duel on that back then. "Cough cough. Teacher, formations cannot be broken that easily, not to mention, this kind of hidden formation. It is impossible to find the formation g under such circumstances..." Luo Qiqis face also reddened as she quickly exined the situation to the other party. However, before she could finish her words, the young man before her scratched his head and stomped on the ground. Sou! A formation g popped up and fell into his hands. Holding onto it, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the group with a sheepish expression. "This should be the formation g, right? It doesnt seem to be as troublesome as you all make it out to be." "Ah?" Everyone was stunned. In that instant, they looked as though they had seen a ghost. It was just a moment ago that they thought the other party was just an ignorant oaf who was trying to show off. However, upon seeing this sight, their eyes were about to pop out from their sockets. This was especially so for Yu Fei-er. Was this for real? She had spent so much effort on trying to force out the formation that she waspletely drained at this very moment. Yet, she could just barely see a slight hint of the formation. Yet, that fellow, with just a casual step... actually took out a formation g! What was with this huge disparity? "This... does seem to be the formation g..." Luo Qiqi gulped down her saliva. This formation g looked ancient, and it had suffered significant wear and tear from the trial of time. With just a nce, anyone could tell that it had been buried underground for a very long time. The chances were that it had originated from the formation that appeared earlier. "Fei-er, look..." Luo Qiqi eximed. Suppressing her shock, Princess Fei-er said, "Look at what? Even if he coincidentally found one formation g, it would be futile if he cant remove the remaining ones sequentially. If a grade-6 formation could be torn down that easily, 6-star formation masters wouldnt have such a prestigious standing..." So what if you found one formation g by coincidence? Formations like this have at least a hundred formation gs scattered all around. You might have altered the structure of the formation by extracting one of them, but you are a long way off from destroying it! In fact, a careless mistake might even cause the entire formation to explode. The umtion of spiritual energy of a formation that had been operated for several millenniums was frightening. If it were to explode, the consequences would be as dire as what happened in the Cleansing Lake. Even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert could be blown to bits in an instant. Formations werent a joke. If it could be dispelled so easily, why would 6-star formation masters waste so much effort learning the art? The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. Princess Fei-er was just about to lecture the other party when she felt someone pulling on her arm. Shifting her gaze, she realized that it was her close friend, Luo Qiqi. Perplexed, she frowned. "Whats wrong?" "Dont say anything else, just look over there..." Luo Qiqis face was pale in shock. "Look over there?" Princess Fei-er turned her gaze over, and the sight that stood before her left her face twitching uncontrobly. She nearly fainted on the spot. Unknowingly, the young man who shed thought was still standing beside her was already twenty meters away. While walking, he would bend down from time to time to pluck out a formation g, just like a farmer pulling out onions from his field. As though to further exaggerate things, he was even whistling leisurely. Hwee, hwee, hwoo... "..." Her eyes rolled up. Princess Fei-er was on the verge of tears. Do you really need to be so exaggerated? Thats a formation that I failed to force out despite using the entirety of my strength, and yet there you are, plucking out its gs one after another casually... When dealing with hidden formations, even the greatest formation masters would use the Formation Destroying Silver Needle to force it out first before analyzing its type based on the spiritual energy it exuded before deducing the location of its Life Gate... Yet, this ignorant fellow simply jumped past all those steps and began plucking out the gs... Have we gone crazy? Of course, if it was just plucking out formation gs, most people could do it. But... you dont know the slightest thing about formations, and the gs were also hidden as well, so how could you do it so confidently and leisurely? To even begin whistling on top of that... Are you that confident that there would be no bacsh? It was truly fortunate that she didnt bet with him earlier, otherwise she would be deeper in debt at this very moment... "It seems like... teacher does know the location of every single formation g, as well as the sequence so as to prevent any bacsh..." Luo Qiqi felt her throat turning dry. Based on her teachers words previously, she thought that he didnt know anything about formations at all. Only now did she realize that she was gravely mistaken... the other party was in truth a master at formations! Even Princess Fei-er, a 5-star formation master, was far from a match for him! In fact... she didnt think that even the formation masters who expertise in deciphering formation could do it the way he did! I mean, look at that... precise footsteps, leisurely posture, bored gaze, and rxed whistling... The hell! Tell us the truth, are you the one who set up this formation? Otherwise, how could you be so familiar with it? "This..." "He actually... broke the formation just like that?" Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian also rubbed their eyes in disbelief as they nced at one another in astonishment. Hidden formations were one of the hardest types of formation to decipher. If one couldnt force it out, it would be impossible to decipher it. Yet, to be plucking out the formation gs while whistling so leisurely... They had never seen such an unbelievable sight in their life before! Why did it feel as though they were dreaming? "Im done!" Amidst everyones dumbstruck gazes, the young man flicked his wrist and put the pile of formation gs into his storage ring. After which, he pped away the dust from his hands before turning to look at the group. Even though the formation gs were already worn out, he could still set up a grade-6 formation with it. Not to mention, it was also an antique, so it would probably fetch a hefty price in an auction. The group hurriedly scanned the surrounding, and they noticed a clear change in the previously empty valley. A massive gatesix meters tallappeared right before their eyes. It was hard to tell what metal it was forged with, but it was full of aged marks that indicated more than a millennium of history behind it. Beyond the gate was a flight of stairs that headed deep into the underground. From the spot they were standing at, it seemed to lead into an abyss. "Its indeed that underground chamber!" Upon seeing the gate, everyones eyes lit up in excitement. This proved that Luo Qiqis deduction was urate! While the evidence that Luo Qiqi provided was credible, and the odds were in their favorif not, the academy wouldnt have offered them this mission for academic credits after cross-checking the evidencethey still couldnt hold back their agitation at having found a concrete lead on Grandmaster Wu Yangzi. "Lets enter!" Xing Yuans eyes were gleaming with excitement. "Wait a moment first. Its hard to tell how long its been since the underground chamber wasst opened, so there might be all kinds of poisonous fumes inside!" Luo Qiqi stepped forward to stopped him. Flicking her wrist, she took out a jade bottle. "This is an antidote that I forged specially for this asion. It can neutralize up to a thousand types of poisonous fumes found in underground chambers." After which, she opened the jade bottle, and round pills rolled out. Given theck of venttion within a typical underground chamber, rotting corpses, insects, and natural-produced gases were among many factors that could lead to poisonous fumes in it. Thus, Luo Qiqi specially prepared pills to deal with this. Otherwise, even a Cosmos Bridge realm expert might fall under the venomous onught. "Un!" Knowing that this was a matter involving their safety, everyone took a pill and swallowed it without protesting. Zhang Xuan was no exception either. He took a pill and swallowed it too. After swallowing the medicine, Luo Qiqi turned to Wu Zhen and said, "Wu Zhen, since you specialize in mechanisms, well be depending on youter on!" Among the group, Wu Zhen was a proficient celestial designer, and he possessed extensive knowledge over the various kinds of mechanisms and traps. Given that they were stepping into uncharted territory, there was no guarantee that there would be no defensive mechanisms to fend off intruders. "Leave it to me!" Flicking his wrist, Wu Zhen took out an artifact reminiscent of an umbre. It was a tool that celestial designers use specially for deciphering mechanisms, a Thousand Utility Umbre. "Lets go!" Opening the Thousand Utility Umbre, Wu Zhen led the way in. Without any hesitation, the rest of the group followed along as well. Seeing that they were prepared, Zhang Xuan also followed behind Luo Qiqi. Hu! Darkness immediately overwhelmed them as soon as they stepped through the gate, rendering them blind. Xing Yuan stepped forward, flicked his wrist, and a few Night Illumination Pearls immediately rolled down the stairs, providing illumination for the group. For the time being, the sound of pearls rolling down was still echoing ceaselessly throughout the chamber, indicating the deep depth of the underground chamber. Scanning the surroundings and confirming that everyone was safe, Wu Zhen said "Lets proceed then!" before leading the way forward. Chapter 657: Two Stone Tablets Chapter 657: Two Stone Tablets Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The further down they proceeded, the colder they felt. A sinister sensation gripped them as though they had stepped into a graveyard. It was fortunate that they were only surrounded by ordinary cavern walls. There were no mechanisms, formations, or any other traps, and this left them sighing in relief. After descending for several hundred meters, they arrived at a vast underground chamber. Xing Yuan took out another handful of Night Illumination Pearls and threw them forward. Hu! The Night Illumination Pearls rolled across the entire chamber, bringing dim light to the room. Due to the high cultivation of the group, they were still able to see the sight before them clearly despite the dim illumination. Not too far from the stone stairs was a small bridge with a small stream flowing through it. Oddly, despite being sealed for innumerable years, the air in the underground chamber wasnt stale at all. The group had expected to encounter pungent and poisonous gas that had umted over the years, but never had they thought that the air down here would the same as the air at the surface. "Everyone, be careful. This underground chamber was probably built to house many people. Otherwise, its impossible for it to be so well-ventted," said Wu Zhen. "To house many people?" The others frowned. "Thats right. If thats not the case, theres no need to go through the effort of drawing a stream from the river over here or ventte it so thoroughly!" Wu Zhen exined. Specializing in mechanisms, he knew how difficult it was to ventte and draw a stream into an underground chamber. If it was just a temporary lodging for a small group of people, given how vast the space was, they wouldnt run the risk of suffocating. There would be no need for them to go through so much effort to ventte the ce so thoroughly. Hearing his exnation, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He had visited the soul oracle tomb previously, and it did feel much more stifling than here. The airflow was clearly worse than here. "Could it be that there was more than one culprit who kidnapped Grandmaster Wu Yangzi?" Luo Qiqi blinked her eyes in shock. Based on her investigation, this underground chamber was closely rted to Wu Yangzi, and chances were that he was kidnapped and brought here back then... Given that the environment was built to house many people at once, could it be that Wu Yangzi was held hostage by a group of people? "That I cant confirm..." Wu Zhen shook his head. "Theres a stone tablet over there, lets go and take a look." Right in front of the bridge stood an average-sized stone tablet. Under the dim illumination, they could still vaguely see the inscriptions on it. Upon walking up, three huge words came into sight. "Yearning Abode Lodge?" Luo Qiqi frowned. Underground chambers were usually either tombs or a secret gathering location of a power. What did these out-of-ce three words mean then? "These words are a little weird." Ye Qian frowned. "Oh?" Hearing his interjection, everyone turned to look at him. Even though this crown prince was only a half 5-star master teacher, he had already reached the level of 5-star in the Way of Painting. Thus, he possessed an exceptional sensitivity toward matters that were in the field of painting. "Words can bring out ones true thoughts and mental state. These three words have reached the third level Infused Intentions, thus allowing one to clearly feel the emotions of the writer then. The feeling Im getting is that the writer feels out-of-ce and wishes to stay away from the temporal world," Ye Qian said. Zhang Xuan nodded. He felt the same feelings from the words as well. Yearning Abode Lodge, both the face meaning of those words and the emotions behind them reflected the writers intent to return to his hometown. As a skilled painter himself, he could see this much even without the Library of Heavens Path. "Longing for ones home? It seems like this really is the underground chamber where Grandmaster Wu Yangzi was brought!" Luo Qiqis eyes lit up. "Most probably, he was kidnapped by someone, and his yearning for Hongyuan Empirepelled him to leave behind these words. But regretfully, until the day of his death, he wasnt able to return there." "Your exnation does sound usible." Xing Yuan and the others nodded. The very fact that an underground chamber was called Yearning Abode Lodge was very bizarre in itself. However, if the person who wrote this was here against their will, that did exin it. It was very possible, and these few words were left behind by Wu Yangzi to express his longing for his home. "I disagree with your view. On top of ones longing for his home, there is a strong killing intent reminiscent to that in a battlefield infused into these words as well..." Ye Qian frowned. "Grandmaster Wu Yangzi was known to be an amiable person, so its unlikely for such savage killing intent to originate from him!" Grandmaster Wu Yangzi had spent his entire life apanying metal and weapons. Even though his craft was centered around weapons of ughter, he himself didnt carry such a disposition. However, these three words had ring killing intent infused into them, and that in itself was intriguing. "In truth, I think that its precisely due to the presence of the killing intent that makes it even more likely that it was Grandmaster Wu Yangzi who left it behind!" Xing Yuan chuckled. "For a proud 6-star cksmith to be kidnapped and locked in this kind of unholy location, it would instead be bizarre if he carried no killing intent at all!" "This..." Ye Qian was taken aback. Indeed. For a person of such standing to be captured and locked in this kind of gloomy underground chamber, it was only natural that he would feel indignant and motivated to ughter those who put him into his current state. Luo Qiqi spoke grimly. "As a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, Elder Wu Yangzis cultivation had long reached Saint realm. Given that even a person of his strength was trapped here... Everyone, be careful. I fear that this underground chamber might not be as simple as it seems!" "Un!" Everyone nodded as tension built within them. How could an underground chamber that could even lock a Saint realm cultivator possibly be anything simple? Even though three thousand years had passed, such means still werent something that a bunch of Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm fellows could withstand. "Lets go!" After looking around the stone tablet and confirming that there was nothing useful around it, the group advanced forward. At the back of the group, Zhang Xuan spared another nce to the words on the stone tablet and frowned. He walked up to it, touched it lightly with his finger, and seemingly realizing something, a deep frown surfaced on his face. Passing the stone tablet, he proceeded onto the bridge. The bridge wasnt too long, but the current of the stream below was surprisingly swift. The swishing sound of the water felt exceptionally pleasant amidst this ghastly quiet atmosphere. Wu Zhen turned around to nod at the group before cing the Thousand Utility Umbre in front to scout the way. The others followed tightly behind him. At the opposite side of the bridge was a vast hall, and within it was yet another stone tablet. Holding onto a Night Illumination Pearl, Xing Yuan walked forward, and under a dim yellow light, he saw threerge words inscribed on it: Burying Sorrow Lodge. "This..." Seeing the words on it, the group blinked in astonishment. Was this the name of the underground chamber as well? Does this ce have two names? Yearning Abode Lodge previously, and Burying Sorrow Lodge now, what exactly was the true name of this ce? "These three words are calm and upright. Only by finding joy again can one abandon sorrow; this means that theres something inside that he seeks which can help him to ovee his sadness..." Ye Qian took a look and analyzed the words. "If Im not mistaken, these must be the words left behind by those who imprisoned Grandmaster Wu Yangzi!" "Youre right. Since they had imprisoned Grandmaster Wu Yangzi to forge weapons or artifacts for them, naturally, they would be overjoyed enough to forget even their sorrows..." Xing Yuan nodded. Luo Qiqi and Princess Fei-er hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement as well. This was the most usible exnation for the entire matter. Just that, they still couldnt understand why there was a stone tablet with different inscribing on each end of the bridge? After looking at the stone tablet, they took a look around the hall. However, it was entirely empty, and there was nothing to be seen at all. "Let me take a look!" Wu Zhen walked around the walls, knocking on them as he passed them by, but he soon shook his head and said, "There isnt any mechanism here." "Could there be a hidden formation then?" With a formationpass in hand, Princess Fei-er also explored the area, but her face slowly darkened. "There isnt any formation here either." "It cant be that this is it to the underground chamber?" Everyone frowned. Given the effort made to set up such a formidable hidden formation outside, dig out this deep underground chamber, setting up the venttion, and drawing a river in here, all there was here was this big hall? If that was the case, wouldnt this be way too pointless? "With just this empty hall, we wont be able to determine whether Wu Yangzi once lived here or not. If thats the case, it means that our mission is a failure..." Luo Qiqi frowned. She had confidence in Wu Zhen and Princess Fei-ers capabilities. Since the both of them said that there was nothing here, that was likely to be the case. However... given that this area waspletely empty, there was nothing they could use to gauge whether Wu Yangzi had been here or not. How were they supposed to report this matter when they return? What was even more bizarre was that if there was nothing here, where in the world did those weapons that were forged using Grandmaster Wu Yangzis unique forging techniquee from? "Indeed. To think that all we would see was a mere empty hall after all the effort we tooking here." Xing Yuan also shook his head in disappointment. He thought that they would be able to find some clues bying here, but there was nothing more than two stone tablets and a small bridge here. Was their mission destined to end in failure? Just as everyone was shaking their heads in disappointment, Luo Qiqi suddenly said, "Teacher, did you... manage to discern anything at all?" Everyone quickly shifted their gazes, only to see that Zhang Xuan was standing before the second stone tablet once more. Thetter stretched out his hand and touched the tablet. Zhang Xuan turned around and said, "I find that theres something very bizarre with these two stone tablets." "Bizarre?" Everyone walked forward and gathered around the stone tablets once more. Zhang Xuan revealed his deduction. "Un. Yearning Abode Lodge and Burying Sorrow Lodge... If Im not mistaken, it should represent two different roads. The words left on the stone tablets are probably a choice offered to those who stumble upon this area." "Now that you say it, that does seem possible!" Everyone was taken aback. Of the entire underground chamber, the most conspicuous objects were the stone tablets. Perhaps, there was some kind of mechanism hidden within it. "Let me take a look!" Wu Zhen hesitated for a moment before walking up. He took out a Night Illumination Pearl and carefully studied the stone tablet. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "There does seem to be... a mechanism hidden in here." "A mechanism?" "Perhaps this mechanism will open up a passageway that lead us to another location. In other words, we are only at the entrance of the underground chamber!" Everyones interest was immediately piqued, and they hurried forward to the tablet to take a look as well. Chapter 658: Indecipherable Chapter 658: Indecipherable Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Since there was a mechanism on the stone tablet, there was a good chance that the ce they were in wasnt the real underground chamber. Perhaps, there might be a passageway leading to it, just that they hadnt found it yet. "Teachers eye of discernment is indeed formidable!" Luo Qiqi turned to look at Zhang Xuan with eyes shining in admiration. Indeed, she did well pulling her teacher along with them. His eye of discernment was proving to be iparably valuable at this timing. Otherwise, they would surely still be wasting their time, looking around futilely. Seeing her good friend admiring Zhang shi, Yu Fei-er pouted in displeasure and harrumphed. "Hes just lucky!" Even though she knew that Zhang shi possessed extraordinary capability, she still couldnt help but feel a little displeased when she saw the other party doing well. Zhang Xuan turned to look at her and asked, "Lucky? Do you want to bet with me then?" "You..." Nearly choking on her saliva, Yu Fei-er gritted her teeth and turned her head away. Knowing that it was best not to interfere in the conflict between the twothe previous time, he was pummeled due to itWu Zhen turned a blind eye to it. He hurried over to the stone tablet and said, "Let me see if I can decipher the mechanism!" Closing his eyes tightly, he began feeling the tablet lightly with his fingers. Since it was a mechanism, there must be a core controlling it. With his deep understanding of mechanisms as a celestial designer, he should be able to analyze its inner workings through the minor differences on its surface and find its weakness. "Everyone, be silent. He needs to concentrate hard to find the core. As long as he finds it, he should able to break open this mechanism without any trouble!" Xing Yuan said. While the mechanisms created by celestial designers were formidable, they had their ws as well. There was no mechanism that couldnt work without a core to power it, and once one finds it, even the most difficult of mechanisms could be undone easily. "Un!" Understanding this, everyone nodded and fell silent. In an instant, the only sound that could be heard in the area was the torrent beneath the bridge. Controlling his breathing and heartbeat, Wu Zhen drove his zhenqi to make his touch even more sensitive. He quickly felt his way around the entire stone tablet, and after contemting for a moment, he abruptly opened his eyes. "Alright, Ive found the core. I should be able to open the underground chamber now!" Wu Zhen chuckled with deep confidence. His cultivation might not be on par with Xing Yuan, Luo Qiqi, and Princess Fei-er, but he had the absolute confidence in dealing with mechanisms. It was finally his turn to shine. Taking a deep breath, he shook the Thousand Utility Umbre in his hand. Hu! A sharp needle suddenly appeared at the top of the umbre. The needle was around three centimeters long, and under the warm glow of the Night Illumination Pearl it emanated a fearsome cold gleam. With just a look, one could tell that it was extremely sharp. "This is the Thousand Utility Thorn of the Thousand Utility Umbre. Its used to decipher all kinds of mechanisms. Just for this thorn, five 5-star cksmiths would have to work tirelessly for ten days to sessfully forge it!" Luo Qiqi exined. "Five 5-star cksmiths would have to work tirelessly for ten days?" Zhang Xuan was shocked. This sharp needle that was as thin as a strand of hair actually required so much effort behind it? But thinking about it, crafting such a sharp and narrow needle couldnt possibly be an easy task. After all, the narrower it was, the more prone it would be to breaking. Luo Qiqi continued exining. "Un. It is only because hes a master teacher that he could mobilize so many cksmiths at once. If it had been anybody else, it would have been impossible to hire them for such aborious job!" Zhang Xuan nodded. As the number one upation in the world, being a master teacher did have lots of benefits. There was only benefits that stood to be gained from getting acquainted with a young and talented 5-star master teacher. Thus, it wasnt too hard for Wu Zhen to get five 5-star cksmiths to spend ten whole days to craft a weapon for him. If it had been any other upation, that would have been impossible. Weng! While they were speaking, the aura around Wu Zhen suddenly surged, and his eyes widened. The Thousand Utility Umbre abruptly stabbed the side of the tablet diagonally. Ding! As soon as the Thousand Needle Utility came into contact with the stone tablet, it seemed to sink into a small crack that was so small that one couldnt even see it with ones eyes. Ji ji ji! Some heavy creaking noises sounded from the stone tablet, as though it was grinding against the floor. Upon hearing this noise, Wu Zhens confident face suddenly darkened, and he hurriedly shouted, "Darn it, be careful!" However, before he could finish his words, a storm-like noise suddenly came from the stone tablet, and countless sharp needles shot out from it. Each of the needles moved at an exceptionally fast speed, and while it wouldnt be fatal were it to hit, it could cause one a fair bit of suffering. Hu! Wu Zhen immediately pressed a point on the Thousand Utility Umbre, and it opened up. The cloth of the Thousand Utility Umbre was forged using a unique material, making it as resilient as a shield. Putting aside these needles, even a sharp weapon couldnt hope to tear through it. If not for such incredible functionalities, the Thousand Utility Umbre wouldnt be an artifact so well-loved by celestial designers such that they would go to the extent of bankruptcy just to have one forged. Ding ding dang dang! The resilient umbre managed to deflect most of the needles, but there were still some which slipped through its defense. "Retreat!" Stepping forward, Xing Yuan flicked his wrist and took out a shield. Knowing that underground chambers were usually filled with mechanisms and traps, he had brought many things in preparations for the various circumstances they could face. This shield was both two meters in height and width, and it could easily cover everyone behind. Hu! With a sound reminiscent of rain pattering on banana leaves, the thin needles were stopped in their tracks. Quite a few of them ended up lodging themselves into the ground and the shield. "That was close!" Seeing the dense congregation of needles on the ground and the shield, everyone felt cold sweat trickling down their backs. If not for Xing Yuan preparing this in advance, they would have been turned into pincushions. They would probably be wishing that they would be dead even though the attack wasnt fatal. Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Xing Yuan turned to Wu Zhen and bellowed furiously. "Are you trying to open the underground chamber or are you trying to murder us?" You were supposed to decipher the mechanism, not to murder us. If we had reacted any slower than that, we would have been done in just now. In fact, despite his swift reaction, he was still pierced by five small needles. He couldnt control the overwhelming rage bubbling within him. It was just a moment ago that the other party confidently dered that he had solved it when such a matter urred. Cant you look properly before piercing your umbre into that mechanism? "I..." Knowing that he was at fault, Wu Zhens lips twitched. "Every single mechanism will have some intentional ws installed to serve as traps to prevent others from deciphering it sessfully. I picked the wrong one just now. Dont worry, I wont make any mistake this time..." Closing the Thousand Utility Umbre, he closed his eyes and began feeling the stone tablet once more. Finally, he confirmed another point, and he dered with a look of confidence, "This is definitely right this time around..." "Are you certain?" The face of a doubtful Xing Yuan appeared from the back of the shield. "Im certain. If Im mistaken this time again, Ill cut my head off!" Wu Zhen gritted his teeth, and without any hesitation, he pierced the Thousand Utility Thorn into it once more. He was determined to seed this time to cleanse off the humiliation from his failure, as well as to prove himself! Hong long! Ji ya! The Thousand Utility Thorn struck the stone tablet, and the heavy creaking sound echoed once more. This time, before Wu Zhen could say anything, countless thin needles shot out once more. Wu Zhens face paled. At this point, he was already on the verge of crying. I clearly checked it multiple times, how could I possibly be wrong... While Wu Zhen was in disbelief, Xing Yuan was on the verge of explosion. Tearing away needles from his face, he howled. "Youre courting death!" Are you sure you are sufficiently capable? Cant you have at least given us a warning before you pierced the stone tablet? My head is still outside, you know... If not for me using my zhenqi to ward off the might of the needles, who knows what could have happened to me now? But even so, having an entire face full of needles as though a porcupine had made him frenzied. Cant you be a little careful and aim for the correct point? Two consecutive failures; are you really trying to pull everyone down to their graves along with you? "Dont worry! Ill surely get it right the next time..." Plucking away a few silver needles from his head, Wu Zhens lips twitched in frenzy. He closed the Thousand Utility Umbre once more and began feeling the stone tablet. After a long time, he paused, and gritting his teeth, he said, "Im sure that its this one, no mistake about it..." "Are you... very certain?" Xing Yuan asked questioningly. "Im very certain!" Xing Yuan nodded. "Alright... Do it then!" Xing Yuan swiftly hid behind the shield, concealing his entire body behind it. Even though this fellow had spoken confidently, he had also done the same the two previous times. After triggering the trap consecutively, he would be a fool to not seek cover. "Un!" Gritting his teeth, Wu Zhen held up his Thousand Utility Thorn and pierced the stone. Ji ya ya! This time, it wasnt the sound of heavy creaking but the melodic tune of gears turning. "Haha, I seeded! Theres surely no problem this time..." Hearing this sound, Wu Zhens eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around to share his joy. "Thats more like it..." Heaving a sigh of relief, Xing Yuans head peeked out from the umbre. Given the difference in noise, the other party should have gotten it right this time... Hu! As soon as his head peeked out, a storm-like noise resounded in the air once more, and innumerable flying thin needles appeared in his sight. "The heck!" Xing Yuan was on the verge of crying. Big Brother, will you only be content after you get rid of me? Didnt you say that you had seeded? If you really had seeded, whats with these thin needles? In truth, Wu Zhen felt even more frenzied than him at this very moment. He clearly heard the cogs of the mechanism turning, why would it still shoot out thin needles? Even though he had opened the Thousand Utility Umbre in time to ward off the majority of them, due to his slower reaction from having his guard down, he was still pierced by dozens of needles. The ces stabbed by the needles swelled red, creating quite a ring sight. Xing Yuan, its not that I want to kill you, but that this mechanism wants to kill the both of us... "I got it..." After a long moment, after Wu Zhen finally plucked out the thin needles from his body, he suddenly thought of something and his mouth twitched. "This seems to be... a grade-6 mechanism set up by a 6-star celestial designer..." "Grade-6 mechanism?" Everyone staggered. If it was a grade-6 mechanism, what the hell were you doing up there? As a 5-star celestial designer, you should know better than to make such an elementary mistake! Knowing what everyone was thinking, Wu Zhen hurriedly exined himself. "It is because theres a booby trap contained within the grade-6 mechanism!" "A booby trap?" "Un. Using some special means, this grade-6 mechanism is disguised as a grade-5, and fake ws were installed on them to lure others to trigger them. Furthermore, there are different sounds to triggering these ws to beguile those attempting to decipher it, thus putting their guards down momentarily... Ive only seen this kind of mechanism in some books once, and I thought its heritage had already died out. Who knew that... I would actually find one here!" Wu Zhens face paled. This booby-trapped mechanism was designed so exquisitely that even a 6-star celestial designer could possibly fall into the trap, not to mention, him. As an upation specializing in the crafting of mechanisms, celestial designers had a unique heritage, and it was an upation recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was a significant difference between the knowledge or capability of those in between every single rank. As a 5-star primary celestial designer, it was perfectly normal that he would be unable to see through the booby-trapped mechanism of a grade-6 mechanism. It was fortunate that limited by the disguise, it was impossible to fill the stone tablets with anything stronger than the needles. Otherwise, they would have been dead by now. Chapter 659: Be Careful Chapter 659: Be Careful Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the other partys depressed expression, Luo Qiqi asked, "In other words, you cant decipher it, right?" "If I said that I could decipher it... would you allow me to continue?" Wu Zhen asked. Everyone swiftly shook their heads. Xing Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "If you dare to continue deciphering it, do you believe that I wont kill you right now?" You must be joking! Even though I am really interested in opening the pathway to the true underground chamber, I still dont want to die yet. Putting everything aside, after only three attempts at deciphering the stone tablet, his face was already swollen due to those needles. If this were to continue, he would probably die before the tablet was deciphered. "Then what should we do?" Since they werent able to decipher the mechanism, they couldnt possibly just wait here for their entire lives! "Let me give it a try!" Seeing the look of frustration on everyones faces, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. When he touched the stone tablet previously, a book had already beenpiled in the Library of Heavens Path on it. It wasnt that he was interested in seeing Wu Zhen make a fool of himself, but that theplex mechanisms contained within the stone tablet were simply too fascinating that he found himself absorbed into it. By the time he hade to, Xing Yuans face was already filled with silver needles. "You?" Seeing him step forth, Wu Zhen frowned and asked, "Are you... well-versed in the ways of a celestial designer as well?" Given how formidable this fellow was in pill forging and formations, he couldnt possibly be an expert in mechanisms as well! While celestial designers werent as prestigious as formation masters and apothecaries, it didnt impede the ingenuity of their craft. Their work was extremelyplex and difficult to master. Even the slightest deviation in the details could cause a vast difference in the results And in this upation, he could be considered as a rare genius already. Even so, despite his years of study, he had only reached 5-star. Considering how even he was unable to solve it, a fellow who was younger than him... It couldnt be that the other party was more capable than him? But that was impossible! Zhang Xuan chuckled. "I dabble." "Dabble?" Wu Zhen shook his head. "If you only dabble, it will surely be impossible for you to decipher it. You witnessed the situation just now; even the slightest mistake will trigger the silver needle mechanism. There was no poison on the needles previously, so we were still able to get by, but what if the needles from now on are coated with lethal poison? If that happens, none of us will get out of here!" "So, if you dont have absolute confidence in your ability to decipher it, itll be best not to give it a try. I fear that we might all die here..." Seeing Wu Zhen obstructing his path, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Absolute confidence? Arent you the same too?" Despite not beingpletely sure, didnt you try three times? Still able to get by... Why dont you ask Xing Yuan whether he agrees with your words! Lets see, he would surely pummel you to the ground if you were to utter such words before him. "Humph, how could I be the same? Im from a family of celestial designers, and I created my own automated mechanism when I was three. By seventeen, I was already a 4-star celestial designer, and after I entered Hongyuan Academy, I became the student of the only 6-star pinnacle celestial designer within the empire..." Flinging his sleeves, Wu Zhen raised his head proudly. "Even though Ive failed three times, that doesnt mean that Im unconfident. Even though this is a booby-trapped mechanism from a 6-star celestial designer, as long as I attempt it a few more times, Im certain that I can decipher it... "But if you really insist on going ahead, theres little I can do to stop you either. How about this, why dont I ask you two basic questions, and if you can answer them, it will mean that you do possess some basic knowledge regarding celestial designers, and that you arent just fooling about!" Wu Zhen turned to look at him. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan came to a halt. "Who is the most famous celestial designer in the past ten thousand years of Hongyuan Empire?" Wu Zhen asked. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. He had barely read any books on celestial designers, so how could he possibly know who the most famous celestial designer in Hongyuan Empire was? Besides, he didnt even know the name of the incumbent emperor of Hongyuan Empire was nor the name of the Master Teacher Academys principal, so how could he know anything about that? "You dont even know this?" Seeing the embarrassed look on the other party, Wu Zhen frowned. "Since thats the case, I dont think you know who is the one who created the concept of a booby-trapped mechanism then?" "I dont." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Im just going to decipher the stone tablets, what do the questions you asked have to do with it?" "Of course, it has everything to do with it!" Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Wu Zhens eyes shed in disappointment. "This is the most basic knowledge that every celestial designer knows, and the fact that you dont know it means that you dont know a thing about the upation. How are you supposed to find the core and decipher the mechanism like that? I dont deny that you do possess a unique interpretation of pill forging and formation, but mechanism is something very much different from that. One cannot solve it with confidence alone... "Why dont I tell you about the origin and fundamental theories regarding mechanisms so that you can understand theplexity of the subject? By then, you can consider once more if you really intend to continue on..." The more Wu Zhen spoke, the more Zhang Xuan felt that calluses would start growing on his ears. Bored of the other party, he stepped toward to the stone tablet, flicked his wrist, and took out the cier Rain Sword. "What are you doing? This is a mechanism! Using a sword against it will only draw more aggression onto ourselves..." Just as Wu Zhen was rambling on, he saw the other party draw a sword, and he nearly fainted from anger. Are you kidding me? Due to the small parts of the mechanism, there was very little room for any error. That was the reason why I had to search the stone tablet so thoroughly for the core before using the Thousand Umbre Thorn to pierce it precisely. And yet, you actually took out a sword? Are you for real? Just as he was thinking that the other party was just causing needless trouble, the young man before him seemed to have heard his words of advice and put his sword away. "Thats more like it..." Just as Wu Zhen was thinking that fellow was still eptable given how receptive he was to advise, the other party flicked his wrist and whipped out a huge hammer. The hammer was evenrger than the ones used by cksmiths to forge weapons; it was on par with those used by workers on construction sites. On top of that, its material was also sub-par. It was hard to understand why a master teacher like Zhang Xuan would have such a weapon on him. "What are you going to do..." Wu Zhen was so shocked that he was even starting to stutter, but seemingly paying him no heed, the young man before him raised his metal hammer and smashed it against the stone tablet. "The heck!" Wu Zhens sight darkened, and a stifled sensation welled up in his chest. In that instant, he felt an urge to spew blood. Even when using the Thousand Utility Thorn, he nearly ended up being killed by the onught of needles. Yet, you actually used a metal hammer to strike it... Even if youre seeking death, thats not the way to do it! Wu Zhen opened his Thousand Utility Umbre in a panic and hid behind it as though a quail, not daring to move at all. Following which, a sound reminiscent to a grandfather clock reverberated in the room, sending goosebumps up the skin of others. Kacha! Kacha! A series of crisp clicks sounded, as though an egg being peeled of its shell... and everything fell silent. Just as Wu Zhen was doubtful why there were no needles shooting over this time, he suddenly heard the nonchnt voice of the young man from the stone tablet. "Alright, the passageway has opened!" He carefully emerged from the back of his Thousand Utility Umbre, and upon taking a nce, he suddenly froze. "This... this..." His eyes widened as though he had seen a ghost. The stone tablet before him had disappeared entirely from view, and in its ce was a huge stone door and a series of stone steps, leading downward, toward the bottom of the stream not too far away. "Its open?" Not just him, Luo Qiqi and Xing Yuan were stunned as well. A famed 5-star celestial designer of the academy had gone through so much trouble and triggered the trap multiple times, only to fail miserably... and yet, this fellow simply smacked it hard with a metal hammer and it was immediately deciphered. Wasnt there something very wrong about this? Was Wu Zhen the 5-star celestial designer, or was Zhang shi? After a moment of shock, Luo Qiqi said, "The true underground chamber lies beneath the stream. Its no wonder we cant find the source of the venttion despite the smooth air currents here!" When she first discovered that the air in this room was fresh, she tried looking for the source of venttion, but to her surprise, she couldnt find it at all. However, with the revtion of the underground passageway, she finally came to a realizationthe secrety beneath the stream. The fresh air in the underground chamber originated from the stream! Princess Yu Fei-er nodded. "Since we managed to find the underground chamber, lets hurry down and check if this ce is rted to Grandmaster Wu Yangzi!" Even though she detested Zhang Xuan, she had to admit that the other party did possess extraordinary capability. There were simply too many things that had happened for her to deny it. "The underground chamber may have opened, but I think we shouldnt go in yet," Zhang Xuan said. "Why?" Princess Yu Fei-er turned her sight to him. Given that there was such an borate mechanism hiding an underground chamber, the answers they sought were probably inside. Since what they were looking for were right before them, why shouldnt they enter?" "All in all, we have seen a total of two stone tablets on both sides of the bridge; one is marked with Yearning Abode Lodge while the other Burying Sorrow Lodge. I think that theres another pathway hidden in the other stone tablet, so we should make a decision before entering," Zhang Xuan exined. Since an underground passageway was found in one of the two stone tablets, perhaps the same could be said for the other as well. "Thats right!" The group nodded. Blinded by their excitement in uncovering the stone tablet, they neglected this point. Thinking of it, it was indeed highly possible that another passageway hid behind the other stone tablet. If that was really the case, then Zhang Xuans conjecture would be spot-ontwo names, two choices. "Un. What we should do now is decipher the other stone tablet before making a decision..." Seeing that everyone had realized what he was talking about, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt his hand being relieved of the weight in itsomeone had taken the metal hammer from his hand. Following which, an impassive voice spoke. "Ill decipher the stone tablet over there..." By the time Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze, Wu Zhen was already at the other side of the bridge. Lifting the metal hammer up, he smashed it powerfully on the stone tablet. That fellow was too desperate to prove himself. Despite being a 5-star celestial designer, he failed to decipher the mechanism behind the stone tablet despite three attempts. Yet, an amateur actually opened it with a smash of a metal hammer. The embarrassment and frustration he felt was understandable. However, there stood another stone tablet for him to redeem himself and prove his own capability. How could he possibly just give up this opportunity to showcase his ability to the other party? Thus, he snatched the hammer and rushed over immediately. Recalling the direction, trajectory, and might of the other partys hammer strike, he bellowed loudly and smashed the hammer down onto the stone tablet. "Be..." Not expecting the other party to move so quickly, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Before he could finish his words, the sound of heavy grinding sounded from the stone tablet at the opposite side of the river. Following which, a whole rain of thin needles came flying forth. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Unprepared, Wu Zhen didnt even manage to open the Thousand Utility Umbre before the rain of needles blurred his vision. In an instant, he turned into a cactus. "... careful," Zhang Xuan uttered, as he stared at the sight before him. Chapter 660: Another Bet Chapter 660: Another Bet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "..." Wu Zhen cried silently. I really only wanted to prove myself... Who in the world did I offend for this to be of me? Even though he had exerted his zhenqi at the final moment to protect his vitals, he was still pierced by several hundred needles. Furthermore, each of them had pierced at least an inch deep, leaving him in deep pain. What is the use of saying be careful now? Didnt you use the metal hammer to smash the stone tablet just now as well? Why didnt it work for me? The same location, the same strength, and the same technique... and yet, you opened up a passageway whereas I transformed into a human cactus... Tears streamed down Wu Zhens face as he trembled in indignation. Driving his zhenqi through his body, he flexed his muscles, and the needles lodged into his flesh were immediately jolted out. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the wine gourd he received from Zhang Xuan. As Princess Fei-er didnt use it all back then, he still had a portion of the Saint recovery medicine. Since he was wounded all over at the moment, this was the perfect time to use it. "Since this is an external wound..." Wu Zhen deduced the logic behind Zhang shis words before uncorking the cap and pouring the wine all over his body. On the opposite side of the river, Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon seeing the sight. "Cough cough..." Of course, he remembered this wine! He had no choice but to feign it as a gift due to Luo Zhao, Feng Yu, and Chen Yue cornering Hong shi back then... The basis behind its healing property was Heavens Path zhenqi, but considering how a few days had passed, the zhenqi contained within the wine had already long dried out. In other words, what was within the gourd was just ordinary wine... and to pour alcohol on such gaping wound would surely be excruciating... "AHH..." While Zhang Xuan was still in his thoughts, the sound of a pig being butchered echoed in the air. Wu Zhens entire body convulsed as though it had been shocked. In terms of pain, rubbing alcohol on ones wounds was really not much different from rubbing salt on them. The immense suffering that he felt threatened to steal his consciousness away from him. Watching as white foam started pouring out from the edges of the other partys mouth, Zhang Xuan immediately instructed, "Little Qi, quickly feed him a recovery pill. Otherwise... I fear that he might just die!" "Yes!" Luo Qiqi quickly rushed over, pinched open the other partys mouth, and fed him a recovery pill. Only with the consumption of the recovery pill did the other partysplexion finally recover slightly. While the needles werent fatal, there were simply too many of them. Not to mention, the alcohol also had other ingredients in it that would only aggravate ones wounds. Thus, even though Wu Zhen had managed to survive the ordeal with the help of the recovery pill, he was in terrible shape. His vision was a little unclear, his face was entirely swollen, and he felt listless. Standing up, he shot a re at Zhang shi and began weeping silently. You liar! Be it the metal hammer striking the stone tablet or the Saint recovery medicine... I must have been a fool to trust you! "Allow me." Not expecting Wu Zhen to be so rash as to rush to the other stone tablet without allowing him to finish his words, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Along with Xing Yuan and the others, he walked over to the other side. He took the Thousand Utility Umbre from Wu Zhens hands, and with a flick of his wrist, the Thousand Utility Thorn appeared. Then, he aimed it at the stone tablet before him and stabbed it in. Ding ding ding! Three crisp mechanical clicks sounded. Jiya! Jiya! The stone tablet slowly split apart, revealing a towering door. "Arent you supposed to use the metal hammer..." Wu Zhen staggered at that sight. "Ah. Adaptability is a very important in deciphering mechanisms. The Thousand Utility Thorn works perfectly fine on this stone tablet!" Zhang Xuan said. "..." Wu Zhen. Ignoring Wu Zhen, who was on the verge of a breakdown, the group walked over to the entrance. Within it was a flight of stone stairs leading to the bottom of the stream as well, but the direction was theplete opposite to the other passageways. Most likely, the two passageways led to different ces. "There are indeed two underground chambers..." A grim expression appeared on everyones face. At that moment, the surface of the bridge not too far away from them shook, and the sound of cogs whirring into action echoed through the chamber. A cold voice abruptly boomed. "Congrattions for opening the two entrances. However, each one of you can only choose one door to enter. Youll have an incenses time to choose, and once you make your choice, retreat is no longer an option!" Knowing the importance of this matter, Wu Zhen put aside his grudges and began exining. "Its Mechanical Recorder!" "Mechanical Recorder?" Everyone was confused. "Un. On top of creating traps reminiscent of formations, there are some formidable mechanisms that are capable of recording human speech as well. Upon triggering it, the voice recorded within will y," Wu Zhen exined. "I see!" Zhang Xuan was surprised, but his astonishment didntst for too long. There were plenty of simr gadgets in his previous life as well. For example, the music box consisted of various mechanisms to y a specific melody. Given the incredible technology celestial designers wielded, it shouldnt be too difficult for them to create a machine that could emte human speech. Interrupting Wu Zhen, Princess Yu Fei-er said, "Now isnt the time to be bothering about that, lets discuss which passageway we should choose instead!" "Un!" The group nodded. The trigger to the recorded voice was probably the opening of both entrances. ording to the words from the voice in the Mechanical Recorder, they had to choose between the two entrances within an incenses time. They hardly had the luxury to be thinking about anything else at the moment. After a moment of hesitation, Luo Qiqi revealed her own conjecture. "From the words left behind on the stone tablets, it should be clear how we should choose. On this side is Yearning Abode Lodge, which is highly likely to reflect Grandmaster Wu Yangzis nostalgia for his own homnd. Since thats the case, its likely to be the underground chamber where Grandmaster Wu Yangzi lived in. On the other hand, Burying Sorrow Lodge is likely to refer to the ce where those who confined Grandmaster Wu Yangzi here lived!" "I agree with Qiqis point of view!" Princess Yu Fei-er nodded. Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian also expressed their approval of that view. They had agreed on this conclusion as soon as they saw the stone tablets, so it wasnt too hard for them to agree with Luo Qiqis point of view. Frowning, Zhang Xuan said, "I have an alternative point of view." "May I know what teacher thinks of this matter?" Luo Qiqi turned her eyes over. The others also gathered their gazes on Zhang Xuan. This young man had disyed outstanding performance ever since their arrival, so no one dared to take his words lightly anymore. "Contrary to your perspective, I feel that Burying Sorrow Lodge is where Grandmaster Wu Yangzi lived instead. As for the reason, I cant really put it out in words for you all!" Zhang Xuan said. Touching the stone tablet only showed Zhang Xuan the mechanisms hidden within it. It didnt exin the interior of the underground chamber within and whether it had anything to do with Wu Yangzi or not. As such, this conclusion actually came from his own hypothesis, and there was no concrete evidence behind it. "How can that be?" Princess Fei-ers lips curled up into a sneer, and she harrumphed coldly. "Captured by others to be a weapon-forging machine, Grandmaster Wu Yangzi is surely filled with indignation and wrath. How could he possibly bury his sorrows under such circumstances?" "Indeed. Captured, Grandmaster Wu Yangzi would surely be missing his own homnd. I agree with Sixth Princesss view!" Xing Yuan nodded. Knowing that her teacher wouldnt raise ims without any basis behind them, Luo Qiqi asked, "Teacher, for you to say so... could it be that you have noticed something peculiar?" "I didnt notice anything out of ordinary, just that I am a little perplexed by the killing intent contained within the words Yearning Abode Lodge. I have some understanding of painting, and I find it hard to believe that those words were left behind by a grandmaster cksmith. On the other hand, the words Burying Sorrow Lodge seemed to emanate calmness and contained a far deeper intent into it. It felt more like the work of a grandmaster. That is the reason why I think so!" Zhang Xuan said. "I got the same feeling as well..." Ye Qian interjected. As a 5-star painter, he also felt simr intents from the two inscriptions on the stone tablets. "Like we said before, its normal for there to be killing intent infused into his words. Captured and imprisoned, it would only be bizarre if he didnt have such emotions. Burying Sorrow Lodge... Hehe, probably only those who captured him could live their days happily without any sorrow!" Princess Fei-er shook her head. "Ill still choose this passageway!" From the very start, she harbored a great dislike for Zhang Xuan. Seeing that there was no strong basis behind the other partys words, her confidence began to increase. "I also choose this passageway!" Xing Yuan nodded. He would follow Princess Fei-er no matter where she went... Besides, he also thought that her words were more reasonable at the moment. Princess Fei-er turned to Wu Zhen. "What about you?" "I..." After a moment of hesitation, Wu Zhen nodded and replied, "Ill choose here as well!" He also felt that Princess Fei-ers words were correct. Seeing another person standing on her side, Princess Fei-er felt as though she was finally going to achieve victory over the other party. Delighted, she turned to the crown prince and asked, "Ye Qian, what about you?" "I... agree more with Zhang shis words..." Ye Qian replied, but halfway through, he suddenly noticed the eyebrows of the princess in front of him shooting up all of the sudden, and his courage immediately faded. "However, Ill still choose this passageway!" "Thats more like it!" Seeing her junior supporting her as well, Princess Fei-er nodded her head in satisfaction. She turned to Zhang Xuan with a triumphant look and said, "Alright, four of the six have made their decisions. What about you?" Arent you good at betting? Lets see how youll win this time! "Ill still choose the passageway on the opposite end!" Before the other partys provocation, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head. Turning to Luo Qiqi, he asked, "What about you?" "I..." Luo Qiqi hesitated for a while before eventually replying, "Ill follow teacher!" "Qiqi!" Not expecting her close friend to actually betray her at such a moment, Yu Fei-er hurried forward and tried to persuade her otherwise. "Dont you agree with our deduction as well? That passageway definitely has nothing to do with Grandmaster Wu Yangzi at all..." Hearing the other party spouting such words, Zhang Xuan interjected with a smile. "Definitely? You sure sound certain. Do you dare to bet on it?" "Of course!" Yu Fei-er flung her sleeves majestically. She possessed absolute confidence regarding this. "Good. With so many people witnessing this, I doubt that you would refuse to pay up. This time, instead of ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones, the bet will be one high-tier spirit stone instead..." Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. "The victory will be decided by which passageway leads to Grandmaster Wu Yangzis living quarters. If the path I chose is correct, youll have to pay me one high-tier spirit stone. On the other hand... Ill relieve you of your duties as my maid, and well owe each another nothing!" "Fine! But if you lose, not only must you relieve me as your maid, you must also repay the 700 middle-tier spirit stones back to me. Also... also..." Princess Yu Fei-er gritted her teeth. "You must also serve me wine!" "Sure, Ill serve you wine if you win!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Its a deal then!" Princess Yu Fei-er sneered coldly, "Just you wait! Lets go!" After which, she began walking into the stone passageway. Xing Yuan, Ye Qian, and Wu Zhen followed closely behind her. "Lets go as well!" Seeing them walking down the stone stairs, Zhang Xuan beckoned Luo Qiqi, and the duo crossed the bridge and descended down into the other passageway. Chapter 661: An Arm Chapter 661: An Arm Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A dark worldy behind the stone door. Luo Qiqi stepped forward and hurled a few Night Illumination Pearls down to light up the interior. The further the duo walked down the stairs, the louder the flow of the stream above them sounded. Even though they were beneath a stream, it didnt feel humid at all. On the contrary, it felt extremely dry. On top of that, the air seemed to be getting fresher and richer in spiritual energy. "The spiritual energy is drawn in from the stream above. Most probably, a unique Spirit Gathering Formation was inscribed on top," Luo Qiqi uttered with a hushed voice as she studied the surroundings. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. By building a huge Spirit Gathering Formation in the river, they would be able to draw in spiritual energy from the surface discreetly. With this influx of spiritual energy, this underground chamber would be an excellent location to cultivate in. Jiya! However, a moment after they walked in, they heard the sound of something crashing down above them. Looking upward, they realized that the opening from the entrance where they came from had disappeared. "This is bad..." Their faces darkened, and they hurriedly rushed back to the entrance. However, some kind of mechanism had already sealed the entrance tightly. "This is a Dragon Severing Lock which only 6-star celestial designers can forge!" Luo Qiqis face paled. A grave expression surfaced on Zhang Xuan. "Un. It seems like the other party meant it when he said that we would only get a single chance at choosing the passageway. Once the Dragon Severing Lock is in ce, even a 6-star celestial designer would be troubled to ovee it. No one amongst us would be able to get in or out!" They didnt take the voice on the stone bridge seriously, thinking that it was just a figure of speech. Who knew that he would actually be serious about it! He had encountered the Dragon Severing Lock back at the soul oracle tomb as well. Once this artifact was in ce, unless one possessed the might rivaling a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivator, one would never be able to ovee it. On top of that, for some reason, the Dragon Severing Lock installed here seemed to be much stronger than the one in the soul oracle tomb, making it even more impossible for them to bypass it. In other words, they were both trapped in this underground chamber. Luo Qiqi turned to look at Zhang Xuan anxiously. "Teacher, what should we do now?" Even though she was a feared genius among her fellow peers, before Zhang shi, she felt as ignorant as a child. For some reason, she found herself developing a dependency on the other party, and it felt as though the ideas that came out from the other partys mind would always be the best. If not for this deep trust in the other party, she wouldnt have chosen to follow Zhang shi despite feeling that Yu Fei-ers words were more logical. Frowning, Zhang Xuan replied, "Since we can only pick one passageway, it means that the other passageway where Xing Yuan and the others are at must be locked as well. Lets just advance for now. Perhaps there might be another exit here..." "Un!" Luo Qiqi nodded in agreement. Thus, the duo continued downward. Soon, they arrived at an average-sized room. Under the illumination of the Night Illumination Pearls, they could see that there was a stone table and two stone chairs in herea very simpleyout. There were no windows or doors here. They hade to the end of the path. "So small?" Luo Qiqi frowned. The hall they were in previously spanned over a few hundred square meters, so they thought that the underground chamber below here should at least berger. Who knew that it would only be around twenty square meters, not to mention, empty? Rather than an underground chamber, it felt like a cage instead. "Were at the end? Could it be that... Ive really picked the wrong passageway?" Zhang Xuansplexion also turned rather awful. He didnt pick this road on a whim... but judging from the narrow room and theck of any further passage for them to walk down on, could his instincts have truly failed him? Were they doomed to die here? Looking around, Zhang Xuan suppressed his anxiety and said, "Regardless of whether I am mistaken or not, judging from how deep the underground chamber is, and the effort put into installing the Dragon Severing Lock, its not logical for the passageway to end with this small room. There must be some kind of trick to this room!" Dragon Severing Lock was an extremely valuable artifact, even for a 6-star celestial designer. Putting aside the technology required to install it, just the resilient material that made it difficult for even a normal Saint to break it was iparably expensive in itself. It truly didnt make sense to use such a valuable object to seal a passageway just to have such a small room at the very end of it. "Ill try looking around." Luo Qiqi nodded. She walked to the stone table and touched it, but she instantly withdrew her fingers with a shocked expression. "Theres no dust at all!" Astonished, Zhang Xuan rushed up and touched the table as well. His face immediately turned grim. The stone table and stone chairs had been here for innumerable years, and yet, there wasnt the slightest dust to be found on them. It was as if someone had dusted them regrly... "Could it be that... someone actually lives here?" Luo Qiqi narrowed her eyes. It was one thing for a voice to be recorded on a Mechanical Recorder, but if someone was alive... that would change the essence of things! First and foremost, they would be in even graver danger than before. This was a power that could even kidnap the 6-star pinnacle cksmith Wu Yangzi alive... Their true strength was unimaginable. If someone were to be alive, given the current cultivation realms of the duo, it would be hard for them to escape with their lives! "I took the formation gs outside one by one, and based on my observations, it should have been at least two thousand years since anyone has touched them... To remain in this underground chamber for two thousand years? No one has that long of a lifespan!" Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression. Even after reaching Transcendent Mortal realm, and ones physical constitution improves by leaps and bounds, ones lifespan would still be limited to a maximum of around three hundred years. It was impossible to go beyond them! In fact, even upon reaching Saint realm, where ones level of existence evolved once more, a thousand years would still be the limit. It waspletely unheard of for any Saints to live for more than two thousand years. Even Empyrean Kong shi also couldnt withstand the test of time, and eventually vanished in the annals of history. Given that the formation gs hadnt been touched for two thousand years, it would mean that no one hade out and entered the underground chamber in this period of time. To still be living after such a long period of time... how could that be possible? Even soul oracles had a limit to their lifespan as well. Back then, if not for the protection from the Nine Hearts Lotus, under the corrosion of the Five Soul Declines, it would have been impossible for Mo Hunsheng to live so long. "But... if there are no living beings here, why is there no dust in here?" Luo Qiqi also understood the logic behind this. However, it was extremely clear that this table had been cleaned on a frequent basis. One must know that they were in an underground chamber which was filled with rocks and dust. It was perfectly normal for dust to umte on furniture... If no one was living here, how could the cleanliness of the furniture be exined? Zhang Xuan interrupted her thoughts. "That... Im not too sure either. Lets not think about it now. The urgent matter at hand is to find if there any mechanism that can get us out of here. Otherwise, it will just be a matter of time before we run out of food and water!" The urgent matter at hand wasnt whether there was anyone here or noteven if there was, given the size of this underground passageway, there was nowhere they could hide anyway. The thing they had to do now was to find an escape route. The longer they remained here, the more likely it was that something bad would happen to them. He didnt want to die here just for a mere mission. "Un!" Luo Qiqi nodded as she started cing her hands on the walls to feel them. Zhang Xuan also ced his fingers against the wall while shouting ws in his mind. Hu! A book immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan swiftly opened it up. "Virescental Stone, a strong mineral found in the ground, created by the collision of earth veins..." Taking a look, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. The Library of Heavens Path only analyzed whatever it came into contact with. As what Zhang Xuan touched was the wall and not a mechanism, the Library of Heavens Path only reflected the properties of the rock. He slowly slid his fingers along the wall. He was certain that there was some mechanism along the wall, but due to the other partys ingenious camouging of the mechanism with the surrounding Virescental Stone, he was unable to see it at the moment. Kacha! While Zhang Xuan was moving along the wall, he suddenly heard the crisp click of a gear. Following which, Luo Qiqi excitedly called out. "I found the mechanism!" Turning around, he saw the portion of the wall where Luo Qiqis hand was pressing against sinking several inches in, as though she was pressing on some kind of button. Geji! Geji! The mechanism released deep creaking sound, and an average-sized stone door slowly appeared in front of Luo Qiqi. "Teacher, look..." Eximing in excitement, she fetched a Night Illumination Pearl with her other hand to throw it in so as to see what was inside when hu!, an arm suddenly stretched out and grabbed her up by her neck. That arm was iparably thick, simr to the thigh of a human. The muscles, tendons, and junctions looked swollen. The skin was a dark shade of gray, unseemly of the tone a human should have. "Damn it!" Everything happened so quickly that Zhang Xuan didnt even have time to react. He narrowed his eyes and hurriedly rushed forward by executing his Heavens Path Movement Art. In his path of motion, he whipped out his cier Rain Sword and shed down on that arm. Before the sharp gleam of the sword, the palm released Luo Qiqi and flicked its finger toward the sword instead. Ding! As the ck fingernails came into contact with the tip of the sword, a mighty force suddenly came gushing toward Zhang Xuan as though he was struck by a meteorite. With a stifled feeling in his chest, he was sent flying in an instant. Peng! His back crashed heavily against the wall, forming a human-shaped depression in it. A sweet sensation welled up in his throat, and fresh blood seeped from the edge of his mouth. With his recent breakthrough, his fighting prowess had improved tremendously. In terms of strength, he could even rival a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage cultivator. Yet, he couldnt even withstand a single finger flick from the other party! The opponent must be at least Transcendent Mortal 8-dan... or even higher! Zhang Xuans face turned livid, and his grip on his sword tightened to the point that the edges of his fingers were turning white. Back then, he instantaneously realized the danger of the situation and executed the Heavens Path Sword Art with all the might he could harness. Yet, he was still sent flying with a single flick. The huge disparity between him and his opponent left despair creeping up on him. Hu! While Zhang Xuan was sent flying, the massive palm came grabbing at Luo Qiqi once more. "Damn it!" At that moment, Luo Qiqi also recovered from the shock from the sudden attack. No matter what, she was one of the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan pinnacle expert. It was only due to her carelessness that the other party managed to grab her neck so easily. Having recovered her senses, she immediately bellowed loudly and stabbed her sword forward. Her swordsmanship was forceful and elegant. Just from her movements itself, it could be seen that her understanding and mastery of swordsmanship wasnt beneath Zhang Xuan by too much! She had reached the Sword Heart realm as well! Hu! Seeing Luo Qiqi retaliate, the giant palm swiftly changed the trajectory of its motion and pped her sword instead. Ding! Luo Qiqis sword immediately flew out of her hands and stabbed deep into the ceiling of the room. The immense force from the motion left the sword impaled into the ceiling, shaking non-stop. "Run!" Knowing that it would be impossible for them to stand against that huge hand with their cultivation, Zhang Xuan immediately executed the Heavens Path Movement Art and appeared before Luo Qiqi. Covering her with his zhenqi, he picked her up and immediately retreated to the corner. Chapter 662: Miscalculated Chapter 662: Miscalcted Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Teacher, whats that?" Until now, Luo Qiqis face was still pale in shock. She had used her full might for that attack, and yet her sword was sent flying so casually without even harming the other party in the slightest. A sense of helplessness was rising within her. "I dont know either, but that thing isnt something that we can deal with given our current capability!" Zhang Xuan said as he drove the Heavens Path zhenqi within him to recuperate from his previous injuries. "Most probably, you might have triggered the wrong mechanism and released it..." "I released it?" Luo Qiqis figure jolted in shock, and regret surfaced on her face. Indeed. It was only after she pressed a certain mechanism did that massive hand appear. "Un. Even though I cant tell exactly what the other party is, the appearance of the arm did remind me of something..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "What is it?" Luo Qiqi asked grimly. "Otherworldly Demons!" Upon exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Zhang Xuan hadpletely healed from his previous injuries. "You mean the tribe which Kong shi expelled from the Master Teacher Continent long ago... the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Luo Qiqis entire body stiffened, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "Indeed. Ive seen an Otherworldly Demon before, and while the skin tone seemed a little different, there doesnt seem to be much difference in terms of the skeletal structure!" Zhang Xuan said. There was a specific reason why he chose this passageway instead of the other one where Yu Fei-er and the others went to. Yearning Abode Lodge, the killing intent infused within those three words wasnt something that a human could possess... but an Otherworldly Demon! Back during the Master Teacher Tournament, in order to test their courage, Hong shi had brought out an Otherworldly Demon. There was no way Zhang Xuan could forget the feeling from the killing intent back then. And it was identical to the killing intent he felt from the three words. As such, he didnt think that it belonged to Grandmaster Wu Yangzi. But even so, Zhang Xuan wasnt too sure at the start. After all, it had been a long time since the Otherworldly Demons had disappeared... but to think that there would really be some here! Furthermore, it appeared in the underground chamber he had specifically chosen to avoid them! Could he have really made the wrong choice? Could it be that the Yearning Abode Lodge was truly the living quarters of Wu Yangzi whereas residing in this Burying Sorrow Lodge was a huge monster? Geji! Geji! While the duo was speaking, a creaking sound continued to echo from the mechanism, and the stone door kept opening. The initial crack was only sufficient for a hand to pass through, but at this rate, it would only be a matter of time before the entire stone door opened and the monster trapped within charged out. Hearing of the Otherworldly Demon and recalling the killing intent from a moment ago, cold sweat trickled down Luo Qiqis head, and her face paled. "Teacher, lets go up..." Even though she was a 5-star master teacher, she was still young, and she had nevere into contract with the Otherworldly Demons before. In a sense, she wasnt faring any better than Ruohuan gongzi and the others back then. Having dealt with an Otherworldly Demon once, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. Instead, he activated the Eye of Insight and began to analyze the situation rationally. "Theres a Dragon Severing Lock up top, not to mention, the stairway is also narrow. We would be cornered over there, and that would spell our death!" Escaping this narrow stone room was indeed his first thought as well, but it was far from the most correct move. There was only one road in this passageway, and the duo could barely stand side by side with its width. If they were to escape up there, it would just be a matter of time before they were cornered. "What should we do then?" Hearing the other partys words, Luo Qiqi also realized that the idea wasnt feasible, and her face paled in anxiety and fear. "Theres no other option before us now. We have to find another mechanism to escape this room. Otherwise, well die here!" Zhang Xuan said. Under the effects of the Heavens Path zhenqi and his Soul Depth of 16.0, the astounding killing intent from the Otherworldly Demon had little effect on him. As such, he was still capable of rationally analyzing the situation. "I understand!" Luo Qiqi clenched her jaws in determination. Naturally, her reputation as the top genius of Grade 2 students didnte from nowhere. Panicked as she may be, she knew that there was no mistake in her teachers words, so she nodded and hurriedly moved to the wall. Zhang Xuan also moved to the wall and yelled ws in his mind as he touched every single part of it. The stone room wasnt toorge, spanning only several dozen square meters. It didnt take long for the duo to go around the entire room. Zhang Xuan swiftly flipped through the books in the Library of Heavens Path, but a huge frown appeared on his forehead. All of these books were on the type of mineral the walls were made ofthere wasnt the slightest part detailing about a mechanism or that sort. Could he have been mistaken? Was there really no other mechanism in the room? "How is it?" He turned to look at Luo Qiqi. Even though she may not specialize in mechanisms like Wu Zhen, as a 5-star master teacher, she still possessed an astounding eye of discernment. Otherwise, she wouldnt have triggered the previous mechanism and identally let that huge fellow out. "Nothing at all!" Luo Qiqi shook her head. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she immediately paled. With a nervous look, she turned to look at Zhang Xuan and asked, "Teacher... is it possible that the mechanism to the exit is actually..." Unable to continue speaking, she lifted her shaking finger and pointed. Seeing where she was pointing at, Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched. It was the stone door that the Otherworldly Demon was in. In truth, when he found no other mechanism in the room, he also stumbled upon this thought. However, unwilling to ept it, he shoved the thought to the side of the mind. However, as Luo Qiqi pointed it out at this moment, he had no choice but to face it now. "This will be a gamble. If the exit is down there, we might still stand a chance at survival... otherwise, the only path remaining for us is death!" Looking at the stone door slowly creaking open, Zhang Xuan knew that it was just a matter of time before that fellow leaped out to ughter them. They had to make up their minds now Should their suspicions prove to be false, and it was actually a dead end beyond the stone door, they would be doomed! However, if there was a passageway in there, they would get a shot at getting through this ordeal. "Yes!" Understanding this, Luo Qiqi nodded in consent to the operation. "You should hide behind the stone door first. Once that fellow leaps out, Ill draw him away from the front. Meanwhile, you should enter the stone door, and if theres a passageway, run away immediately. Theres no need for you to wait for me," instructed Zhang Xuan telepathically with a grim frown on his forehead. "I cant!" Hearing the other partys arrangement, Luo Qiqis face flushed in agitation, and she yelled out. She had experienced the strength of that fellow inside, so she knew that Zhang shi was putting himself at terrible risk just to create a chance to escape for her! In times of danger, most would be thinking of how they could preserve their own life. On the other hand, Zhang shi was actually volunteering to sacrifice himself for her... There was no way she could repay this favor. "Teacher..." Her eyes reddened in agitation. Only in times of trouble would ones true colors shine through. This is what a real teacher is! To be able to sacrifice everything for the welfare of their student! Even though she was a 5-star master teacher, she realized that she would be unable to do the same if she were to be ced in the same position. "Quick, stop hesitating! Otherwise, neither one of us will get away!" Zhang Xuan bellowed to her. "I... Alright!" Gritting her teeth, Luo Qiqi nodded before rushing to the side of the stone door. Jiya! Jiya! Just as she seeded in concealing her figure, the stone door finally opened entirely, and a towering figure emerged from beyond it. It was a three-meter tall fellow. Its entire body was dyed a shade of gray, and it carried an aura of death. "This is... a puppet made from the corpse of Otherworldly Demons?" Narrowing her eyes, Luo Qiqi covered her mouth in shock, her slender body trembling uncontrobly. Otherworldly Demons were an existence blessed with superior strength at birth. Be it their physical body, soul, or cultivation, their innate abilities were far higher than an average human. In a sense, a puppet forged out of a corpse would be simr to the Soulless Metal Humanoid, but due to the superior physical body, it would be far stronger. In fact, due to the nature of its body, it would be able to exert the full might the Otherworldly Demon possessed before its demise. This exined the mystery of the cleaned furniture from before... They were wondering how there could be any survivors after apse of two thousand years, but to think that it would be a puppet instead! This kind of artifact was driven by spiritual energy, and as long it wasnt damaged, it could be said that there was no definite limit to its lifespan. Even though they were underground, the region was rich in spiritual energy, sufficient to fuel the puppet no matter how high its consumption of spiritual energy was. Most likely, the furniture was cleaned by him. Even though it possessed no sentience, it would still aplish the mission its mastermanded of it. Just as Luo Qiqi was immersed in shock, Zhang shi abruptly bellowed and shed his sword. "Die!" Tzz! The immense might of Zhang Xuans sh, along with the emanation of sword qi, creating a sharp buzzing noise in the air as the sword qi flew toward the puppet. The puppet stepped forward from the stone door and pped down Zhang Xuans sword qi with its thick hands. Hu! The collision between Zhang Xuans rampaging might and the puppets p was reminiscent of a lone boat before a tsunami, it dissipated entirely under the immense force of the p without stopping the puppet for too long. Just as Luo Qiqi was hesitating, unable to decide whether to assist Zhang shi or flee, the other partys anxious shout suddenly echoed in the room. "Hurry up and leave!" "Un!" Knowing that the other party was doing this so as to offer her a chance at survival, Luo Qiqi clenched her jaws and rushed toward the stone door. Teacher, thank you... If we can get out of here alive, Ill obey every single instruction you have of me. Ill be your student and your guardian for life... Hong long! While she was dashing through the stone door, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt an immense force crushing down on him. With a sharp exhtion of breath, he was sent crashing into the wall once again. This shouldnt be! Struggling off the wall, Zhang Xuan looked at the rampaging Otherworldly Demon puppet in bewilderment. It wasnt out of his kindness that he drew this huge fellow to himself and allowed Luo Qiqi to escape first... Rather, he wanted to make use of the other partys gratitude to form a golden page! With that, he was confident of destroying even a Saint! Since the other party had acknowledged him as her teacher, and she did possess deep gratitude toward him, he thought that a golden page would surely be formed. Who could have thought that... there would be nothing at all! Could it be that he failed to induce the other partys gratitude? But that shouldnt be! From her eyes, he could tell that she was earnestly grateful to him for his sacrifice. However, if that was the case, why didnt the golden page form? Suddenly, an idea popped into Zhang Xuans head. Could it be that... theres a difference between the gratitude I receive from guiding someone and from saving someone? All along, the golden pages formed in the Book of Heavens Path were due to him imparting a battle technique, cultivation technique, or rifying the doubts of another. But this situation was clearly much different from the others. This time, the gratitude the other party had for him was for saving her life. While it was indeed a huge favor, it wasnt the kind of gratitude between a teacher and a student. Rather, it was directed toward his magnanimity and his noble character. I miscalcted... Zhang Xuans lips twitched, and cold sweat started dripping down his forehead. He thought that the criteria for forming a golden page would be the rtionship between of a teacher and a student, and gratitude between them. As long as a golden page was formed, he would be able to get out of this desperate situation. Who knew that he would actually fail... This time, he would really have to fight against this huge fellow head on! And clearly, he was no match for the other party at all. Hu! Just as he was stifled by the darned situation before him, the Otherworldly Demon was already right before him. Its massive fist smashed right toward his head. From this moment on, every action Zhang Xuan took could spell his death. This was the greatest crisis Zhang Xuan was in ever since his transcension! Chapter 663: Crimson Blaze Cauldron Chapter 663: Crimson ze Cauldron Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Clone!" Knowing that he would be a goner if this fist were tond on him, Zhang Xuan immediately brought out his clone while his main body dodged to the side. "Main body, did you find some good stuff again? Ah?!" The clone had been in the storage ring all along, so he wasnt aware of what was going on outside. When he was summoned, he thought that there would be something for him, simr to how it was with the Cleansing Lake back then... but just as he was getting excited, a massive fist was already right before his eyes. Peng! Before he could even process what was going on, he was already punched in his head, and his head ttened as though a squashed pancake. His rage immediately flew off the charts. "To dare to strike me, youre courting death!" Not expecting to meet with something like this as soon as he appeared, the clone was frenzied. In a moment, the clones ttened head immediately puffed up back to normal, and he raised his fist to punch the Otherworldly Demon puppet! As the clones body was molded out of Nine Hearts Lotus, it had no specific form, thus allowing it to recover even if it were to be reduced to a pile of mud. In a sense, it could be said to be indestructible. This was also the reason why Zhang Xuan used thetter as a shield at this crucial moment. Hu hu! shing fists with the Otherworldly Demon puppet, peng!, the clone was immediately sent crashing into a wall. Despite its unparalleled physical resilience, the clones cultivation and true strength were still way too low. As such, it wasnt a match for this monster either. It was just like how a diamond might be tougher than steel, but a steel hammer could still shatter it into bits. Hong long! But while the clone couldnt stand on equal footing with the Otherworldly Demon puppet, it did manage to provoke it with its fist. The furious Otherworldly Demon puppet immediately rushed forward and kicked at the clone. "This is bad..." Just the fist itself nearly caused his entire body to fall apart, the clone instinctively knew that he wouldnt be able to withstand the might of this kick. Frightened, he swiftly dodged to the side. "Die!" At the same moment, Zhang Xuan, who was wielding a sword, immediately raised his sword and cut down on the Otherworldly Demon puppets neck. The main body and the clone shared their consciousness, allowing them to work together with exceptional synergy. While the clone drew attention away from the Otherworldly Demon puppet, Zhang Xuan made use of this opportunity when the other partys attention wasnt on him tounch an attack. Ding! However, as the sword struck the neck of the puppet, a crisp metallic sound echoed with a burst of sparks. Zhang Xuan felt a dull pain in his arm. It was as if he had struck a metal pole with a wooden stick; his sword nearly fell out of his hands. "Isnt he simply way too tough?" Taking a look, Zhang Xuan realized that he had only managed to leave nothing but a white scar on the other partys neck. His face immediately darkened. The sword he was wielding was a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle sword, and yet, an attack with his full might actually failed to even cut through the other partys skin. How formidable must this fellows defense be? "Could it be that... on top of the corpse of an Otherworldly Demon, some other materials were used to forge this puppet into a weapon?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. With an immense strength exceeding 9,000,000 ding and the might of a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, even the head of a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert would be easily lopped off. And yet, he barely scraped the other partys skin. That could only mean one thing... This fellow wasnt just an ordinary puppet forged out of a mere corpse. It was highly likely that its body was coated with ayer of some extraordinary alloy, turning it into a weapon exceeding Spirit intermediate-tier. That was the only usible exnation as to why Zhang Xuans attack was rendered ineffective! "How do I fight against something like this?" Zhang Xuans face turned exceptionally awful. Even his strongest weapon wasnt sufficient to break through the other partys defense. In other words, he was incapable of hurting the other party, needless to say, kill it! Hu! While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of despairing, the Otherworldly Demon puppet, infuriated by his backstab, turned around and smashed its massive fist at him. Its fist seemed to wield strengthparable to a mountain,pressing the air in space with a loud sonic boom. Even before it could reach Zhang Xuan, he could already feel a searing heat in his surroundings, as though he had been ced in a massive cauldron. Might of a Searing Cauldron! Legend has it that when ones fist reached a certain strength, the shock wave of ones punch would be reminiscent of a searing cauldron, capable of even melting steel. Zhang Xuan had always thought that it was just an exaggeration of old legends, but to think that he would experience it himself! "Retreat..." Knowing that it was impossible to stand against such a powerful punch, Zhang Xuan immediately rushed backward. Peng! However, the room was simply too small. Barely after retreating two steps, he felt the cold wall pressing tightly against his back. "Dragon Scale Amulet!" Knowing that it would be impossible for him to dodge this attack, Zhang Xuan was left with no choice but to activate the amulet from before. There were only three uses to this object. He had used it once in the soul oracle tomb, and this was his second use. A light barrier appeared and shrouded him. Boom! As the fist came into contact with the light barrier, an ear-splitting sonic boom sounded, and thetter immediately burst. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt an immense force transferring from the barrier and on to him. The stone wall directly behind him was reduced to dust while he spurted a mouthful of fresh blood. If not for the physical body tempering he had undergone in the Cleansing Lake, his bones would have been shattered by that blow. "To be able to destroy a barrier that could even withstand an attack from a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan pinnacle, this fellows strength must have reached Saint realm..." Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan swiftly moved aside to create room for himself while driving the Heavens Path zhenqi within him to heal his injuries. He thought that as long as he coborated with his clone, even if they couldnt defeat it, he would at least be able to escape. Who could have known that, on top of being strong, the other partys defensive capabilities would be extraordinary as well? Only a Saint could possibly possess such capabilities. At Zhang Xuans current cultivation, it was impossible for him to defeat the other party. Unless... "... theres a Spirit pinnacle weapon for me to wield!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Due to the other partys overwhelming defense, even though he knew its ws, with his current strength, it was impossible for him to exploit them against the other party. However, it was possible for him to make up for his weakness through a stronger weapon... If there was a Spirit pinnacle weapon here, he might still stand a chance against the puppet... otherwise, the only fate that awaited him would be death! What should he do? Ever since his transcension, everything had been smooth-sailing. He never thought that a day woulde where he would meet with such a dangerous situation. If the other party was a living being, he might still be able to hoodwink it through his Impartation of Heavens Will, just as he had done with the Otherworldly Demon back then... But a puppet possessed no sentience at all! No number of words could possibly sway a being whose only purpose of existence was to aplish the instructions asked of it. While Zhang Xuan was at a loss, he suddenly heard Luo Qiqis telepathic voice in his head. "Teacher, theres a passageway in here,e in..." Many things had happened, but it had only been ten breaths since she entered the stone door. It seemed as though she found something within it. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and exerted another wave of sword qi. At the same moment, he had his clone attack from behind. After all was done, he immediately turned around and fled for the stone door. His clone was indestructible, so he had nothing to fear, but Zhang Xuan was different. Should his head be caved in by that fearsome fist, he would really die on the spot. Geji! Geji! Seemingly sensing Zhang Xuans intention, the Otherworldly Demon puppet flew into a greater rage. Paying no heed to his sword qi, it charged forward right at Zhang Xuan. It wanted to use the fearsome might of its charge to smash Zhang Xuans body! "Damn it!" Zhang Xuan gritted with his teeth in frustration. If it was just a single punch, he could still avoid it with his movement art. However, if it was an entire body... this narrow room had no space for him to dodge at all! Once that massive body crashed into him, even if he were to survive, he would be as good as dead. "Scram!" At that moment, his clone suddenly charged forward and struck the Otherworldly Demon puppets side. Peng! Even though his clone wasnt sufficiently strong to knock down the puppet, he still managed to cause a slight deviation in the direction of its charge. What should have struck Zhang Xuans body squarely ended up sweeping by his shoulder. Weng! At that crucial moment, Zhang Xuan activated thest Dragon Scale Amulet, and with a loud kacha!, the light barrier broke. Under the immense force of that charge, Zhang Xuan fell through the stone door. "Clone,e back!" While Zhang Xuan was flying through the air, he returned the clone into his storage ring before crashing into the wall once more. A worried voice called out from in front of him. "Teacher..." Turning around, he saw a passageway behind the stone door. It seemed like there was some kind of mechanism in here which Luo Qiqi had triggered in the time she was in here. The passageway was narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time. The ce where he had crashed into was the wall of this exact passageway. Knowing that the huge fellow coulde rushing in at any moment, Zhang Xuan immediately stood up and dashed inward, not daring to hesitate in the slightest. The passageway wasnt too long, only around ten meters or so. Zhang Xuan came to the end within half a breath, and a vast stone chamber appeared before him. It was muchrger than the room from before, spanning over several thousand square meters. "This..." Not expecting that there would be such a huge space behind that narrow passageway, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. While Zhang Xuan was examining the area curiously, Luo Qiqi said excitedly, "Teacher, youre right! These are indeed Grandmaster Wu Yangzis living quarters. Here are the books and cauldron that he left behind..." Lifting his gaze, he saw the youngdy looking at her excitedly. She was, of course, delighted to see that her teacher was fine, but it was something else that was causing her excitement. "Books? Cauldron?" Lifting his gaze, under the illumination of numerous Night Illumination Pearls, there was a row of giant bookshelves behind the youngdy. Not too far away from the bookshelves stood a massive cauldron. Unlike the cauldrons used for pill forging, this one looked like a huge furnace instead. Even though it wasnt lit, one could still feel a violent energy rampaging within it. With just a nce, it was clear that it was an extraordinary artifact! "Un. Ive examined it, and its the forging cauldron that Grandmaster Wu Yangzi used back then, the Crimson ze Cauldron!" Luo Qiqi said. A cksmiths cauldron was equivalent to his pride and his life. The fact that his cauldron was here meant that he had definitely lived here before. In other words... they were at the right ce! The Burying Sorrow Lodge was indeed where Grandmaster Wu Yangzi had lived after he had been kidnapped. As long as they brought this Crimson ze Cauldron back to the academy, it would mean that they had seeded in clearing their mission! "Great! Have you found the exit yet?" Zhang Xuan asked. In truth, he wasnt too interested in the mission. His current priority was to find an exit to leave this damned ce! The narrow passageway could hold back the massive fellow for a moment, but it would only be a matter of time before it charged in there and kills them. Before they could enjoy whatever treasures were in there, they had to ensure their survival first. "Exit? I... I havent found it yet..." Luo Qiqis face paled. In truth, the sight of the Crimson ze Cauldron and the books had left her so excited that she had forgotten her current goal. Furthermore, given the size of the room and poor lighting, it would be hard for them to find it in an instant either. Boom! Before she could finish her words, the duo suddenly felt a powerful killing intent assaulting them. The puppet from before walked into the hall. "This is really bad..." Zhang Xuans face paled. Chapter 664: Zhang Xuan Sets Up a Formation Chapter 664: Zhang Xuan Sets Up a Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before they could find the exit, the other party had already rushed into the chamber. They were now cornered like rats. Not giving Zhang Xuan any time to think, the Otherworldly Demon puppet rushed straight toward Zhang Xuan as soon as it entered the room. Clearly, it was currently blinded by rage such that it couldnt care less about Luo Qiqi. "Damn it!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to withstand the fearsome might of this fellow, Zhang Xuan immediately flew into the sky. It was fortunate that the ceiling of the chamber was also much higher than the stone room, being over several dozen meters high. Even though Zhang Xuan was unable to fight against the Otherworldly Demon puppet, he could escape to the sky temporarily to think of a n. Sou! As soon as he flew up, he immediately felt a powerful force rushing up to him. The puppet had leaped up in pursuit of him. Limited by the nature of its existence as a puppet, this fellow wasnt capable of flight. But even so, a height of several dozen meters wasnt difficult for a puppet possessing might equivalent to a Saint to cover. "Teacher, Ill help you!" Seeing how that fellow was pursuing her teacher relentlessly, Luo Qiqi was anxious. She immediately whipped out a bow, drew an arrow, and shot it right toward the puppet in the sky. Wu! Harnessing the full might of a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan pinnacle expert, it appeared right before the puppet in an instant. However, with a single flick of its arm, it patted away the arrow easily. However, this briefpse in its concentration granted Zhang Xuan an opportunity to alter the direction of his flight to Luo Qiqi. On the other hand, as the puppet was flying through the force of its leap, it could only continue on with the trajectory of its motion. "Teacher..." At that crucial moment, there was no time for Luo Qiqi to question why Zhang Xuan was flying. She worriedly looked over and asked, "Are you fine..." "Im fine now, but if we dont find the exit anytime soon, we will be goners soon..." Zhang Xuan said grimly. Although he was able to maneuver around the ceiling to dodge the other partys attacks, once his zhenqi ran dry, they would still be done for. Knowing that there was no time to talk any further, Zhang Xuan quickly instructed, "Take the Crimson ze Cauldron and quickly look for the exit..." "Yes..." Luo Qiqi hurriedly nodded before rushing over to the cauldron. She ced her palm on it, intending to ce it within her storage ring. But before she could move it, the gears of a mechanism suddenly clicked, and a voice sounded. "I am Wu Yangzi! Guests, if you can forge a Spirit high-tier weapon, youll be entitled to my heritage. Otherwise, if you were to forcefully im my Crimson ze Cauldron, the entire underground chamber will copse. Only through earning my heritage will I reveal the exit to this chamber. Otherwise, be prepared to be buried with me!" "Copse?" "Buried with him?" Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi were stunned for a moment before frenzy overwhelmed them. Who in the world wants your heritage! With such a damned puppet chasing after their lives, who has the time to forge your freaking weapons? You must be trying to kill us! Besides, forging a Spirit high-tier weapon... Only 5-star pinnacle cksmiths can do so! Even though Luo Qiqi had dabbled in weapon forging before, she was only a 5-star primary cksmith. How could she forge a weapon which only a 5-star pinnacle could forge? On the other hand, Zhang Xuan... could be said to know nothing about weapon forging at all. He wasnt even qualified as a 1-star cksmith, so that was even more impossible for him... Boom! While the duo was still depressed about their current predicament, a shock wave suddenly burst in the chamber. The Otherworldly Demon puppet had alreadynded on the ground, and after determining its next path of motion, it dashed forward. Given thetters speed, it would be just a few breaths before it reaches them. "Teacher, what do we do?" Luo Qiqi asked, panicking. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also felt goosebumps rising up on his skin. He had just crossed hands with this huge fellow, and despite working together with his clone, they could hardly even fend off a single move... To face it in a direct battle, they would probably be destroyed in just a few blows! And ording to Wu Yangzis words, only those who had obtained his heritage could leave... To obtain his heritage, they would have to forge a weapon... but under such circumstances, even if they wanted to give it a try, this huge fellow couldnt possibly give them any! "Unless... there was some kind of formation that could trap this huge fellow temporarily. Otherwise, we wont be able to forge anything at all..." Luo Qiqi said anxiously. "Indeed. Furthermore, the formation must be at least grade-6, or else he would break out in an instant..." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He was just about to continue speaking when an epiphany suddenly struck him. "Grade-6 formation?" "Little Qi, help me by distracting this fellow for a few breaths!" Suddenly recalling something, Zhang Xuan leaped up and flew into the sky. "Alright!" Judging from her teachers expression, he must have noticed something. Luo Qiqi immediately took out another handful of arrows and shot at the puppet. Sou sou sou sou! Every single arrow of hers harnessed immense might, leaving the puppet no choice but to deflect them properly. Knowing that it was impossible for Luo Qiqi to sustain this, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked his wrist, and a bunch of formation gs appeared in his hands. These were the ones which he had procured at the mountain valley outside earlier on. Zhang Xuan knew a lot of the grade-3 formations, but his knowledge for anything beyond grade-4 was terribly limited. The only grade-5 formation he knew was a Spirit Gathering Formation. As such, it should be impossible for him to set up a grade-6 formation. Without the formation blueprint and formation gs, how could he possibly seed? But due to sheer coincidence, he did have the formation blueprint and formation gs for a grade-6 formation. Yu Fei-er had used a Formation Destroying Silver Needle to trigger the formation, thus creating a detailed book on its ws to bepiled in the Library of Heavens Path. This had given Zhang Xuan perfect knowledge regarding the formation. And this Hidden Formation happened to be grade-6... and he also had those gs in his storage ring as well! Back then, he was only thinking that it would be a huge waste to leave behind such valuable objects. Who would have thought that it might actually save his life now? Zhang Xuan examined the hall from his position in the sky. The chamber is sufficiently huge for me toy out the formation... He intended to use this formation to hide the region where the cauldron and books were gathered. As long as he could keep the puppet out for a period of time, they would be able to try to obtain Wu Yangzis heritage through forging a weapon! However, this Hidden Formation required substantial space toy it out, and it was fortunate that this chamber wasrge enough. Otherwise, there would be nothing Zhang Xuan could do. "Alright!" Confirming the positions, Zhang Xuan flicked his fingers. Weng! A couple of the formation gs in his palm scattered across the entire room. "Formation gs? Is teacher going to set up a formation?" Luo Qiqi, who was busy stopping the puppet with her arrows, couldnt help but be slightly bewildered by Zhang Xuans actions. Even though she hadnt studied formations before, her close friend was a 5-star formation master, so she had many opportunities to see how formations wereid out. Even the most formidable formation master in the Master Teacher Academy had to use apass to assess the surroundings first, searching inch by inch and cing g after g into the ground... Yet, this fellow actually simply threw a bunch of formation gs down from the sky at once... Was this for real? Would a formation set up so casually really work? Wasnt this taking formations too lightly? While she was overwhelmed by astonishment, one of the arrows was identally shot with insufficient strength. As such, with a furious roar, the puppet on the receiving end stretched out its hand and grabbed it, before throwing it back at her. Wu wu! Even though the arrow was hurled with the puppets bare hands, its strength was simply too great. It whizzed through the air, heading straight back at Luo Qiqi. rmed, Luo Qiqis eyes narrowed, and she quickly stepped aside. But even so, the sheer wind pressure from the trajectory of the arrow ripped the cloth by her shoulder and deeply cut her snow-white skin. Roar! At the same time, the Otherworldly Demon puppet, freed from the previous barrage of arrows, roared furiously and leaped at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan swiftly twisted his body and changed his trajectory. At the same time, he continued to hurl gs downward to specific locations below. "Your enemy is me, dont even think of going after teacher!" Seeing that the fellow was pursuing Zhang Xuan once more, Luo Qiqi clenched her jaws and drew her arrows once more. Weng! This arrow pulled out of rage harnessed nearly her entire might. With a speed as swift as a shooting star, it appeared before the Otherworldly Demon puppet in an instant. Ding! Before the puppet could even react, it was already shot in its be. However, this fellows defense was simply too strong. Not to mention, as a puppet, concepts such as acupoint and the like didnt apply to it. As such, striking what that should have been a vital didnt damage it in the least; on the contrary, it only infuriated it further. Roaring furiously, it changed its target from Zhang Xuan to her. With that previous attack, its aggression had been pulled from Zhang Xuan to her. Its massive arms threatened to smash the woman before it into a lump of meat. Hu! Astonished, Luo Qiqi could hardly react when the Otherworldly Demon puppet was already standing right before her. With opened fingers, its hand stretched forward to grab her. Even though its attack wasnt reinforced with zhenqi, the sheer brute force behind it still made the youngdys breathing hasten. "Get lost!" There was no time for her to shoot an arrow anymore. Thus, with an enraged roar, she smashed her bow at the huge fellow before her. Even though it was unlikely to help her much, she had no other choice before herher sword was still deeply lodged in the ceiling of the stone room. Besides, even if she wanted to draw another weapon at this moment, she wouldnt make it in time. Hu! Before the bow could strike the puppet, thetter had already grabbed it firmly and twisted it forcefully. Feeling an immense force threatening to rip her hands, Luo Qiqi swiftly released her grip. Even Zhang Xuan couldnt stand toe-to-toe against this monstrous puppet, so how could she possibly do so? Kacha! With the bow in its hands, the Otherworldly Demon puppet ripped the Spirit intermediate-tier weapon into two before casually tossing it aside. Then, it reached out with its hand to grab Luo Qiqi once more. Pi li pa! An incredible sonic boom exploded in the air. Luo Qiqi hurriedly backed away, but she was still toote. She managed to avoid the grip, but she was struck in her chest by a fearsome shock wave, causing her to flip several rounds in midair before crashing forcefully into a wall not too away. Pssst! A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out, and Luo Qiqis face turned incredibly pale. To think that a Grade 2 genius of the Master Teacher Academy would be incapable of even withstanding a single attack from the other party. This left her feeling incredibly frustrated and helpless. No, I must stall for some time for my teacher! Seeing as the puppet turned its eyes back to Zhang Xuan once more, Luo Qiqi clenched her jaws, climbed to her feet, and dashed forward. With a furious roar, she threw her fist forward. "Your opponent is me!" Luo Feng Fist! This was a Spirit high-tier fist art that her ancestors left behind. It was the most powerful technique she had at hand. With this battle technique, she could even stand toe-to-toe with a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage expert. A pity it was, but this monster was neither a human nor a Perfect Harmonization realm expert. The Otherworldly Demon puppet lifted its finger and tapped lightly on Luo Qiqis fist. Pu! Spewing blood frenziedly, Luo Qiqi was sent flying back into the wall once more. Severely injured, if she were to crash into the wall one more time, she might just end up crippled. However, at that moment, a surge of zhenqi embraced her, cushioning the impact. Following which, she heard a nonchnt voice by her ears. "Leave the rest... to me!" Chapter 665: Heavens Path Smith Art Chapter 665: Heavens Path Smith Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing those words, Luo Qiqis eyes immediately reddened. Unknowingly, Zhang Xuan was already standing before her. Looking around, she saw more than a hundred formation gs erected in the surroundings. While they were ced in a unique formation, there wasnt the slightest disturbance from them. "Teacher, are you doneying out your formation?" "Almost!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a formation te flew out. Weng! The formation te was activated in midair, and spiritual energy was immediately drawn to it, forming a huge vortex. "This is... Spirit Gathering Formation?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. Wasnt he setting up a formation in the surrounding? Why was he activating a Spirit Gathering Formation now? Besides, a Spirit Gathering Formation should be used for cultivating. She had never heard of anyone using it in a battle, especially against one that possesses the strength of a Saint. Roar! The puppet seemed to be taken aback by the formation te as well, but after realizing that nothing had happened at all, it immediately charged forward like a rampaging beast. As the other party swiftly closed the distance between them, Luo Qiqi grew tenser and tenser. But at that moment, the young man before her harrumphed coldly. Following which, he stomped on the ground, and the area before him suddenly distorted. The puppet had disappeared, and silence returned to the chamber. It was as if the earlier sight was only a figment of her imagination. "What is going on?" Luo Qiqi examined her surroundings anxiously, but she realized that the Crimson ze Cauldron and the books were still present. However, the area where the puppet was earlier had disappearedpletely from view and from touch, reced by deep darkness. It seemed as though the young mans stomp had torn this space away to an entirely different dimension. "This is... a Hidden Formation?" A thought suddenly emerged in her mind. There was only one type of formation which could produce this type of effectHidden Formations! On top of hiding the formation itself, it would also hide a specific space. That was also the reason why they couldnt find the entrance to the underground chamber no matter how thoroughly they searched. If not for deciphering the formation, even if they were given three more years and dug up the entire ground in that valley, they would not find the entrance leading down here. She was curious as to what Zhang shi was setting up earlier, but after seeing this bizarre sight, she suddenly recalled the formation gs and such a thought came to mind. However... Hidden Formations require an immense amount of spiritual energy to trigger. One has to be at least a 6-star formation master to activate it. How did teacher manage to do so... Even though there was no doubt about the matter, she still found it hard to believe. Grade-6 formations, not to mention such a profound Hidden Formation, required one to possess a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 6-dan to activate. Given that Zhang shi was only at the Consonant Spirit realm... this was inconceivable! Could it be... the Spirit Gathering Formation from earlier? Luo Qiqi narrowed her eyes. Just a moment ago, Zhang shi threw out a Spirit Gathering Formation. She didnt think much of it earlier, but putting everything together, she immediately came to a realization. That grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation must have served as the engine to activating this Hidden Formation. Using a formation to activate another... this was the legendary Augmented Formation! Even 6-star pinnacle formation masters would find it hard to install something asplex as this! Yet, not only had Zhang shi managed to do so, he even did it with incredible ease... Luo Qiqis eyes were about to pop out from their sockets. Formations were formed by harnessing spiritual energy to influence the maic field in the environment to create specific phenomena. The concept of one plus one equals two didnt apply here. The interference between two formations could easily prove to be destructive, thus rendering both formations ineffective simultaneously. To use a Spirit Gathering Formation to activate a Hidden Formation... even though she had just seen it with her own eyes, she still found it hard to believe. How formidable must ones understanding and control over formations be to achieve such a feat? Oblivious to Luo Qiqis shock, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and said, "Alright. Now that were hidden, lets hurry up and forge the weapon to obtain Grandmaster Wu Yangzis heritage!" Given his current capability, it was impossible for him to activate a grade-6 Hidden Formation. In fact, even if he were able to activate it, he didnt have sufficient zhenqi to maintain it for too long. In a sense, it was simr to a snail pulling a carriage. Even though he did possess strong zhenqi, it was insufficient to maintain the operation of a grade-6 formation. Left with no other choice, he could only resort to the grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation in his storage ring. With this and a few hundred middle-tier spirit stones in his possession, he could activate and maintain the grade-6 Hidden Formation for a fair amount of time. As forplementing the Spirit Gathering Formation with the Hidden Formation perfectly with one another, with the Library of Heavens Path in hand, it truly wasnt a difficult problem for him at all. And as expected, he seeded eventually. "Indeed. The urgent matter at hand is to forge a Spirit high-tier weapon, meet the requirements of Grandmaster Wu Yangzis heritage, and uncover the way to leave this underground chamber..." Recovering from her shock, Luo Qiqi nodded. Then, with a doubtful voice, she asked, "Is teacher going to forge the weapon personally?" Even though her teacher was younger than her, he had shown capability that astounded her far too often. At this point, she wouldnt be astonished even if the other party were to forge a Spirit high-tier weapon. "Me?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He couldnt do so even if he wanted to! cksmith was one of the upations of the Upper Nine Paths as well. Simr to pill forging, smithing emphasized heavily on ones basics. As such, it required many years of practice to refine ones movements. Given that Zhang Xuan had never forged a weapon before, how was he supposed to forge a Spirit high-tier weapon all of the sudden? After all, despite his extensive knowledge of pill forging, he still wasnt able to forge a single pill at all. This was even more so for smithing. "Teacher wont be doing it?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. "I wont. You should do the forging instead!" Zhang Xuan said. "Me?" Luo Qiqi was astonished. "Un. It wont be appropriate for me to acknowledge another person as my teacher. If the other party insists on taking me in as his student after I win his recognition, I would be put in a tight spot!" Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. "This... Your teacher is Yang shi, right? He... imparts the Way of Smithing to you as well?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. That day, at the Cleansing Lake, Yang shi rose from a zing dragon and resolved the cmity with a single shoe. This astounding feat had left her incredibly impressed. Shed thought that Yang shi was only Zhang shis cultivation teacher, but to think that he would be teaching thetter smithing as well... "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "But..." Luo Qiqi was filled with envy upon hearing those words. But soon, a bitter smile surfaced on her lips, and a deep frown appeared on her forehead. "... Im only a 5-star primary cksmith. I dont think that I can forge anything that could satisfy Grandmaster Wu Yangzi..." "Dont worry, Ill guide you along," Zhang Xuan said. "Thank you!" Hearing that the other party would guide her along, Luo Qiqis face flushed in agitation. One must know that Zhang shi was the person who guided her to forging a grade-6 pill! "Un. You should quickly recuperate from your injuries first. Otherwise, you might copse while youre smithing..." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Yes!" Knowing that her severe injuries would impede her from forging a satisfactory weapon, Luo Qiqi immediately sat down and swallowed a recovery pill. Gugugu! Warm medicinal energy flowed through her body, healing her wounds slowly. Hu! While the other party was in the midst of recuperating, Zhang Xuan hurried over to the bookshelves. Honestly speaking, while he did possess some knowledge of smithing, it was terribly limited. While he had read some books on smithing in Tianxuan Kingdom and Tianwu Kingdom, they were limited in quantity, and as such, he was unable to form aplete system of the art. In other words, his Heavens Path Smith Art was iplete. Under such circumstances, while it was possible for him to guide another to forge an ordinary weapon, a Spirit high-tier weapon was far out of his league. Thus, the only course of action he could take at the moment was to quickly brush up on his knowledge. Unlike the Hidden Formation set up outside previously, where the formation was harmonized with nature and gathered spiritual energy from the entire mountain range spanning over several thousand kilometers, this formation was only powered by his middle-tier spirit stones... Once his hundreds of middle-tier spirit stones were sapped dry, the Hidden Formation would immediately fall apart. By then, the puppet would be able to get in, and they would be doomed! Fortunately, the books on the shelves were all regarding smithing. It was either Grandmaster Wu Yangzis own collection or it was given to him by the group who kidnapped him so that he could refer to it. But nevertheless, the presence of these books was good news. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan ced his finger on the first book and began running. In a teas time, he finished gathering the hundred thousand books on the shelves into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! With a thought, the hundred thousand books fused together to form six books. They were the [Heavens Path Smith Art] books from 1-star to 6-star. As long as he studied all of them, his understanding of smithing would be on par with a real 6-star cksmith. He began flipping through it. Smithing is the art of creating tools suitable for human use. The best tool is a humans body, and the essence to Heavens Path Smith Art is to forge a weapon through a humans body... The profound logic contained within the book left him refreshed, and countless doubts that had baffled him before immediately resolved themselves. There might be countless variations to pill forging and smithing, but standing at the center of each of them was a set of fundamentalws. And those were exactly what the Heavens Path books recorded. Mastering the knowledge within the Heavens Path Smith Art books meant to master the fundamentalws of smithing. With this, it wouldnt be difficult for him to smith any weapons. Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan began studying them book by book. One hour, two hours, three hours, four hours... Soon, twelve hours passed. Zhang Xuan had finished mastering the knowledge within the six Heavens Path Smith Art books. At the same time, he had also turned from an ignorant amateur into a true grandmaster cksmith. Even if Wu Yangzi were toe to life now, it was unlikely he couldpete with Zhang Xuan in the field of smithing. But of course, this only applied to knowledge, not skill. Despite his extensive and profound knowledge of the art, it was likely that he would fail terribly if he were to try to smith a weapon. Smithing is was a profound art that required many years of practice. Just forging the Metal Ingot in itself required much practice. It would be impossible to master the art within an instant. If Zhang Xuan wanted to pursue this path, he would have to devote substantial time into practicing. Looks like theres no physical body cultivation technique here! After studying the Heavens Path Smith Art, Zhang Xuan went through the remaining books and shook his head in disappointment. His main purpose here was to obtain Wu Yangzis physical body cultivation technique, but there wasnt one on the bookshelves. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan stood up and looked at Luo Qiqi. However, a frown immediately appeared on his face. "You havent... recovered from your injury yet?" Luo Qiqi was still meditating on the spot, recuperating from her injury. Even though her aura felt significantly stronger than before, she hadntpletely recovered from her internal injury yet. Judging from her ragged breathing, she was still in pain. Chapter 666: Weapon Smithing (1) Chapter 666: Weapon Smithing (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It had been twelve hours already, and despite consuming a recovery pill, the other party hadnt fully healed from her injuries. This was a little... way too slow! Halting her meditation, Luo Qiqi lifted her head and replied, "My injuries are too severe... Even though Ive consumed medicine, Ill still require around three days to make substantial recovery, and half a month to recover to my peak state." She had incurred serious injuries from the previous battle, and to be able to heal within three days was already an incredible feat. After all, recovering from ones injuries wasnt like eating, where one could speed up just because one wanted to. Hearing that she would still require such a long period of time, Zhang Xuan frowned. "The longer we wait, the more danger we are in." While they were currently hidden by the formation, no one could guarantee that there wouldnt be any abrupt changes, especially not in a foreign ce like this. Time was a luxury for them at the moment. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan asked, "Do you have a Qi Regeneration Pill?" "Qi Regeneration Pill? I do," Luo Qiqi replied. Qi Regeneration Pill was one of the mostmon medicaments that cultivators used to recover their zhenqi. Naturally, there were different tiers to cater to those of different cultivation realms. Simr to Spirit Gathering Formations, a single leap in the tier of the pill would spell a world of difference in its effectiveness. The Qi Regeneration Pill in her possession was at grade-5 primary. Even if her zhenqi were to be sapped dry, by consuming one, she would be able to recover around fifty percent of her zhenqi for a short moment to cope with any danger before her. Flicking her wrist, she took out one. "Un." Grabbing the pill, Zhang Xuan circled it around his fingers before passing it back. "Eat it." "Yes!" Even though Luo Qiqi was perplexed, she still swallowed the pill. Qi Regeneration Pills were only used to recover ones zhenqi. Given that her zhenqi was currently full at the moment, what was the use consuming it? Just as she was bewildered by Zhang Xuans actions, the Qi Regeneration Pill she swallowed slowly melted, and a warm surge of energy flowed through her entire body. Wherever the energy flowed, her injuries, be they internal or external, healed at a noticeable pace. A few breathster, she feltpletely re-energized, as though a phoenix rising from the ashes. "This..." Luo Qiqi stood up and moved her body around, and her eyes immediately widened in disbelief. The injuries that should have taken at least half a month of recuperation actually healed right after consuming a single Qi Regeneration Pill! "Teacher, this Qi Regeneration Pill..." No matter how slow she might be, it was clear that her teacher had done something to the Qi Regeneration Pill to turn it into such an incredible recovery medicine. Without even using a cauldron or adding in any medicinal herbs, just by touching it, he was able to change the property of a pill... How in the world did he do it? Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually and instructed, "Alright, prepare yourself. We will start smithing soon!" If they were to depend on Luo Qiqis means of recovery, it would have been a long while before they could have started smithing anything. The only way to have healed her injuries so swiftly via his Heavens Path zhenqi. However, this type of zhenqi was too peculiar, and the other party was a 5-star master teacher as well. If he had infused it into the other partys body directly, there was a high chance that the other party would have noticed the peculiarity in his zhenqi. Thus, he decided to make use of an intermediary. The Qi Regeneration Pill, which contained rampaging spiritual energy, was the best intermediary for him to store his zhenqi in. It helped to conceal the presence of his zhenqi at the initial phase, and by the time the other party realized that something was odd, his zhenqi would have already melded with the other partys zhenqi, thus making it impossible for her to investigate the matter. In essence, it worked the same way as his Saint recovery medicinal wine as well. Due to the spiciness of the wine, it drew ones attention away from the already nearly indiscernible Heavens Path zhenqi. "Un!" Knowing that her teacher was unwilling to speak about the topic, Luo Qiqi also knew better than to probe the other partys secrets. Thus, she stepped up to the Crimson ze Cauldron. There were all kinds of materials around the cauldron, be it coal or ores, allowing her to start smithing any time she was ready. "Lets begin!" Taking in a deep breath, Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist and ced the coal into the cauldron before lighting it up using a unique zhenqi infusion method. Under the infusion of her zhenqi, it didnt take long for the cauldron to grow fiery hot. The temperature required for forging a weapon was much higher than that required to forge a pill. The surroundings were scorching, and it felt as though any sword would melt as soon as it was thrown in. "What is the highest tier of weapons you have forged?" Judging from the fluid movements Luo Qiqi made as she lit up the me within the cauldron, Zhang Xuan could tell that she had a good foundation and nodded inmendation. "Teacher, the best weapon Ive ever forged is a Spirit low-tier weapon... Ive never seeded in forging a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon before..." Luo Qiqi said with a reddened face. The basic requirement to bing a 5-star cksmith was to be able to forge a Spirit low-tier weapon. It seemed like she barely reached the mark. "5-star primary cksmith... Itll indeed be difficult for you to forge a Spirit high-tier weapon." Zhang Xuan frowned. Unlike pill forging, the cultivation requirement for smithing was far stricter. For the former, as long as one refined and fused the medicinal herbs in the most urate manner, there would be a high chance of forming a pill. On the other hand, in smithing, if ones cultivation wasnt sufficiently high, one would be unable to bring out sufficient heat from the coal, thus making it difficult to even melt the ores. Under such circumstances, it would be difficult to forge a good weapon. Given that Luo Qiqi had never seeded in forging a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, chances were that there was a huge w in her control over the mes. Her current cultivation realm didnt help either. If she couldnt even generate sufficient heat to melt the ores properly, how could she seed? With a dark expression, Zhang Xuan began scanning through the various materials which Wu Yangzi had left behind. "Crimson Flower ore, Gild Violet ore, Cold Emerald Stone..." Every single ore that Zhang Xuan saw only made hisplexion darken further. All of them were hard to process, and even the easiest Cold Emerald Stone demanded a minimum cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 7-dan to melt. As for Crimson Flower ore and Gild Violet ore... these would require one to be Transcendent Mortal 8-dan or even 9-dan to process! In other words... putting aside smithing, just melting these ores would be nigh impossible for them! After a long moment of thought, Zhang Xuan finally said, "Given your current capability and cultivation realm, forging a Spirit high-tier weapon is impossible... However, if its just upgrading an existent weapon, it might still be possible!" If they were unable to melt the ore, they would be unable to form metal ingots to smith weapons. However, if it was just raising the tier of an existing weapon, the job should prove to be significantly easier. As it was already apleted piece, they wouldnt need to melt the ores entirely to upgrade it. Since upgrading an existing weapon could be considered as forging as well, there was unlikely to be any fuss on this aspect. "Upgrade?" Luo Qiqi questioned a little awkwardly. "Upgrading an existing weapon would indeed be easier, just that... I lost my only Spirit intermediate-tier sword in the previous battle... not to mention, none of my weapons are upgradable!" Upgrading a weapon may be easier, but there were specific prerequisites for a weapon to be upgradable. She did have a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, but it was smashed into the ceiling in the battle at the stone room earlier, and she hadnt gotten a chance to retrieve yet. More importantly, these weapons werepleted products. If they were to be tempered any further, they might exceed their limits, resulting in a fall in quality instead. Only specific upgradable weapons could be further forged and refined. But these types of weapons were incredibly rare, even she had hardly seen any of those. How could they find any all of a sudden, especially given that they were trapped here? "Lets use mine then." Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out his cier Rain Sword. He had obtained this sword from the Mystical Treasure Hall back then, and it was an upgradable Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle weapon. "This... Alright then!" Seeing how her teacher offered to use his own personal weapon despite the risk of having its quality lowered, Luo Qiqi felt a surge of warmth flowing through her heart. Noticing the other partysck of confidence, Zhang Xuan encouraged her. "Theres no need to be nervous. Just do as I say, and it wont be too difficult to raise the cier Rain Sword to Spirit high-tier." Having learned from the six books of Heavens Path Smith Art, his understanding of smithing had reached a level surpassing that of even Wu Yangzi. Even though he was unable to melt most ores due to the limitation of his cultivation, it wouldnt be too hard to raise the cier Rain Sword, which was already a step away from a breakthrough, to Spirit high-tier. "However... our current goal isnt Spirit high-tier but... pinnacle!" Zhang Xuan said grimly "Pinnacle?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. Reaching high-tier would meet Wu Yangzis requirement, and they would be able to obtain the heritage already. Was there really a need to reach pinnacle? Even ordinary 6-star cksmiths would find it hard to craft a Spirit pinnacle weapon. For her to do so... even if it was just upgrading, she didnt think that it was possible at all. "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I dont know what kind of ores that puppet was coated with, but ordinary weapons can hardly scratch its skin. The only way to kill it is to wield a weapon of that tier... "Even if we obtain Wu Yangzis heritage and find the exit, we will still be in danger as long as we are unable to get rid of this fellow. Instead of risking it, we should just forge a Spirit pinnacle weapon and y it!" A sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he clenched his fists tightly. After fighting against the puppet, he realized that the only way to injure the puppet was to wield a Spirit pinnacle weapon. Since there was a chance to upgrade his weapon now, it was best that he made full use of this opportunity and get rid of the threat looming before them. "This..." Luo Qiqis face twitched. She didnt even have the confidence to upgrade the weapon to Spirit high-tier, but now she had to upgrade it to Spirit pinnacle? How was that possible? Unconfident, Luo Qiqi said, "Teacher. Given my current capability, I can only soften the Cold Emerald Stone and refine it slightly. I wont be able to melt it entirely... As such, I dont think Ill be able to forge a Spirit pinnacle weapon!" "Dont worry, thats enough!" Understanding her worries, Zhang Xuan smiled and reassured her. "Enough?" Luo Qiqi blinked her eyes in confusion. Cold Emerald Stone was indeed a rare and valuable ore, but it was significantly inferior to the Crimson Flower ore and Gild Violet ore. Not to mention, her inability to fully melt the ore would make it harder to fuse it with the cier Rain Sword. Given that, it would be already difficult to raise it to Spirit high-tier, needless to say, pinnacle. How could she possibly seed? "Of the entire smithing process, what is the most important step to making a weapon sharper and harder?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Its... quenching!" Luo Qiqi replied. Quenching could induce a qualitative change in a weapon through fusing the various materials within it better. Performing the quenching process well could cause a significant quality difference in two weapons forged using the same materials and smithing techniques. Using pill forging as an analogy, the more thoroughly the various medicinal herbs were fused together, the higher the quality of the formed pills. As such, quenching was an extremely important process that would determine the ultimate tier of the weapon. It was a technique that countless cksmith dreamt of mastering, but very few seeded. Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Indeed, its quenching! Under normal circumstances, the greater the difference in temperature, the better the effects of the quenching. However, given the limitations of your cultivation, itll be impossible for us to raise the temperature to a satisfactory level. Since thats the case... we can always lower the temperature required for quenching!" Chapter 667: Weapon Smithing (2) Chapter 667: Weapon Smithing (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Lower the temperature required for quenching?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. Werent weapons quenched with water? There was a limit to how cold a water could be before it would turn into ice, so how could the temperature required for quenching be reduced? Besides, Zhang Xuan was viewing the matter too lightly. The difference in the temperature wasnt all that mattered. More importantly, quenching had to be done within the durability limit of the weapon. Otherwise, the weapon might be unable to endure the abrupt change in temperature and shatter! There were many cksmiths who had tried to change the substance used for quenching so as to further raise the tier of their crafted weapon, but more often than not, the quenching fluid ended up reacting with their weapon instead. As a result, the weapon they had forged with great difficulty shattered, resulting in a waste of their effort and precious ores. Smithing was a veryplex artthe proportion of ores, temperature, type of quenching fluid, timing... All of these factors yed a crucial role in determining the quality of the ultimate product, and a shoring in any of them could easily lead to a subpar product or even failure. As such, the difficulty of smithing could be considered to be on par with pill forging. It was also due to the profoundness behind the art that cksmith was ssified as an Upper Nine Paths upation. "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Did you bring your pill cauldron here?" "Pill... cauldron?" Luo Qiqi repeated in astonishment, thinking that she had heard it wrong. Arent we going to forge a weapon? Why will we need a pill cauldron?" Zhang Xuan looked at her calmly and said, "I want you to forge Ice Soul Pills!" "Ice Soul Pills?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. Then,ing to a realization, her eyes widened. "Teacher intends to... use the frigidity from Ice Soul Pill to quench the weapon?" Ice Soul Pill was a unique medicine that was used to awaken the Ice Soul Constitution. Should an ordinary human consume it, the special frost aura harnessed within it would freeze him to death instantly "But no matter how cold the Ice Soul Pill is, how could it be used to quench the sword, especially considering its size..." Luo Qiqi was bewildered. An average Ice Soul Pill was around the size of a grape whereas the cier Rain Sword was nearly a meter long. How could a small pill possibly be used to quench an entire sword? One must know it was imperative for the entire de to be plunged into the quenching fluid simultaneously so that it would undergo the quenching process simultaneously. Otherwise, the de could end up with differing degrees of hardness across it, and the imbnce would end up introducing vulnerabilities to it instead. Using a pill to quench an entire sword... Why did it soundpletely inconceivable to her? Interrupting the other partys queries, Zhang Xuan asked, "Put that aside for now. You just have to tell me whether you have a pill cauldron and medicinal herbs to forge an Ice Soul Pill now." After a moment of hesitation, Luo Qiqi said, "Ice Soul Pill is an umon pill, and it is rarely forged by apothecaries as well. As such, I dont have theplete set of medicinal herbs to forge it. However, a while ago, I promised someone to forge a Frigid Yin Pill for her, and I prepared three portions of the medicinal herbs for it..." Ice Soul Constitution was an extremely rare unique constitution that only handful of people of the entire Master Teacher Continent possessed. As such, Ice Soul Pills were rarely forged. Even if one were to search through the entire Apothecary School of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, one would probably be unable to find even a single Ice Soul Pill. "Frigid Yin Pill?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "The effects of Frigid Yin Pill is inferior to Ice Soul Pill. However, if we were to use the three portions together, we might be able to make up for the qualitative difference through quantity..." Frigid Yin Pill was a medicament used to treat injuries incurred from fire attribute cultivation techniques. Even though there was the difference of a grade between it and the Ice Soul Pill, if they were to use the three portions of medicinal herbs properly, they should be able to bridge the difference. "Alright, well forge the pill and the weapon simultaneously!" Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment to further analyze his n and refine the details, and after which, he waved his hands, gesturing for Luo Qiqi to start. "Yes!" Knowing that her teacher must have already worked out the details, Luo Qiqi decided to just go along with him. With a flick of her wrist, she took out her pill cauldron and lit it up. At the same time, she also lit up the Crimson ze Cauldron As an apothecary, she carried the materials she needed to forge a pill everywhere she went, be it the medicinal herbs, cauldron, or coal. As such, it didnt take too long for her to get ready. Not too longter, the mes surged, and searing heat emanated from the cauldrons. "Teacher..." Afterying out the medicinal herbs required for the forging of Frigid Yin Pill neatly on the table not too far away, Luo Qiqi turned her gaze to her teacher. While she didnt know what Zhang shi was up to, after witnessing the various miraculous feats he had aplished, she possessed a near equivalent of blind faith in thetter. Perhaps... with the other partys guidance, she might just be able to upgrade a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon to Spirit pinnacle! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan took a nce at the cauldrons and instructed, "The cauldrons still arent hot enough, continue raising the temperature!" "Frigid Yin Pill is a cold attribute medicine. If the pill cauldron is too hot, I fear that we might deprive it of its cold properties..." Upon hearing the instruction to continue raising the temperature, Luo Qiqis lips twitched. Even the current temperature was already too hot for the forging of Frigid Yin Pill. Any further than that and the Frigid Yin Pill would melt before its formation, thus evaporating any frigid aura it should harness. But instead of exining, Zhang Xuan simply reiterated his instruction, "Continue raising the temperature!" "Yes!" Gritting her teeth, Luo Qiqi drove her zhenqi and infused it into the coals. Xiong xiong xiong xiong! Huge mes burst forth from the cauldrons, threatening to melt down the pill cauldron. "ce the cier Rain Sword and Cold Emerald Stone into the Crimson ze Cauldron!" "Un!" Perplexed as she was, Luo Qiqi decided to just follow Zhang Xuans instructions. She picked up the sword and Cold Emerald Stone and ced it in the smithing cauldron. Upon contact with the searing cauldron, the cier Rain Sword immediately glowed crimson as the intense heat whittled down its flexibility and durability. If it were to be retrieved from the cauldron right now, it would surely suffer a sharp fall in tier. At the same time, the Cold Emerald Stone also started to soften. However, the temperature of the cauldron seemed to be too low to melt it entirely. "In the pill cauldron, add three stalks of Crimsontail Grass. Three breathster, add a stalk of Frigid Yin Grass. After which, use the Seven Leaves Forging Technique to add in half a stalk of Void Severing Grass and three qian of Purplestar Smoke..." Zhang Xuan instructed swiftly. Frowning, Luo Qiqis hands flew around the ce as she added the medicinal herbs precisely ording to Zhang Xuans instructions. As a famous genius of the Apothecary School, her talent in pill forging far surpassed that of her smithing. Zhang Xuans instructions may have been swift, but she could still follow them with ease. But as she continued to add medicinal herbs into the pill cauldron, amazement swiftly built up within her. She found that she actually knew every single forging technique that the other party instructed her to utilize! There were even some of them that she learned coincidentally or secretly, and very few in the academy knew that she was aware of them. Yet, the other party included those in his instructions as well. She didnt think that it was a mere coincidence or that she was knowledgeable. Most likely, Zhang shi had grasped the full extent of her capabilities and designed a forging method tailored for her! How profound must ones understanding of pill forging be in order to achieve this? This feat far exceeded the boundaries of incredible; it was terrifying! Even her teacher, School Head Lu of the Apothecary School, would be incapable of such a feat! To think that the Purplestar Smoke and the Void Severing Grass could be added into the cauldron simultaneously. Based on my previous conjecture, the two medicinal herbs would react violently with one another, inducing an explosion. Yet, there isnt the slightest instability in the cauldron due to it now. If Im not wrong, this has something to do with the intensity of the mes... While Luo Qiqi was astonished, she was also ruminating on the various steps of the forging process. The sequence at which Zhang shi instructed her to add the medicinal herbs in waspletely contrary to the Frigid Yin Pill form that she learned in the past... On top of that, the speed of the forging this time round was so swift that it was mind-boggling. Typically, it would take at least three to four hours for her to finish forging the Frigid Yin Pill. However, in less than half a minute, she had already added in half of the three portions of medicinal herbs. A thought suddenly came to her, and her eyes narrowed in shock. Wait a minute... Does Zhang shi intend to forge the three portions of medicinal herbs simultaneously? B-but this is impossible! The reason why three portions of medicinal herbs were usually prepared was to serve as a backup should the pill forging fail. In other words, the medicinal herbs were intended to be used in three separate forging process... And yet, Zhang shi actually instructed her to throw all of them into the pill cauldron... Putting three portions of medicinal herbs into a single cauldron... To make an analogy, it was simr to a person driving three horses at once. Was that even possible? Worried, she quickly turned to her teacher for reassurance, only to see thetter continuing to issue instructions nonchntly. "Use the Cascading Silk Forging Technique to add in three stalks of Tricoin Grass and two petals of Red-leafed Flower..." Never mind, there is definitely no mistake in listening to teachers instructions! Clenching her jaws in resolution, Luo Qiqi continued adding more medicinal herbs into the cauldron ording to Zhang Xuans instructions. Back then, in the Apothecary Guild, she was also worried that the cauldron would explode at any moment. However, following the other partys instructions, not only did she seed, she even managed to forge a grade-6 medicinal solution, gaining precious experience in the midst of doing so. After witnessing the many eye-widening, tongue-tying means of Zhang shi, surely this should be nothing for her to worry about as well. The further she progressed into the forging process, the faster the pace at which medicinal herbs were thrown in. As such, it didnt take long before the cauldron was teetering before its breaking point. She wasnt able to ovee her anxiety the previous time, but after having experienced it once, she learned to let go of her fears. Just as she was busy adding more medicinal herbs into the pill cauldron, Zhang shis instructions suddenly sounded again. "Intensify the mes for the Crimson ze Cauldron!" "Yes!" The rapid pace at which the forging was going at currently had left her a little flustered. Upon hearing that the mes of the Crimson ze Cauldron had to be intensified, Luo Qiqi hurriedly drove her zhenqi and infused it over frenziedly through her left hand. Hu! The mes immediately intensified with zeal. Using zhenqi to control the temperature of the mes was the most fundamental skill that every apothecary and cksmith would learn as soon as theye into contact with the art. As a talented apothecary, Luo Qiqi had no problem doing so. What she was truly struggling with at the moment was multitasking. With a hand busy with the medicinal herbs while the other infusing zhenqi into the Crimson ze Cauldron, it didnt take long for her entire face to be drenched with sweat. The cauldrons before her also kept rocking non-stop, threatening to explode on her at any moment. "Teacher..." Flustered, Luo Qiqi quickly turned to look at Zhang Xuan. While the explosion of the Frigid Yin Pill would be much weaker than the explosion of the grade-6 medicinal solution they concocted before, given the current cultivation of the duo, it still wasnt a force that they could withstand. Not to mention, the Crimson ze Cauldron was also in an unstable position at the moment. The explosion of the pill cauldron would surely agitate the Crimson ze Cauldron as well, and thebined might of the two cauldron explosions would kill them even before the puppet could. It could be said that they were in far greater danger than they were back in the Apothecary Hall! When they forged the grade-6 medicinal solution back then, the head of the Apothecary Guild was around, and the forging was done within the Apothecary Guild as well. Even if an explosion were to ur, the guild leader and the formation within the guild would surely suppress the explosion as soon as possible, thus minimizing the damage. However... there was no such insurance here! "Dont panic. Add a stalk of Mintaroma Flower into the pill cauldron!" Zhang Xuan continued instructing calmly. In truth, he was also anxious at the sight of the rocking cauldrons, but he knew that this was the only way they could survive the dire situation they were in. If the cier Rain Sword didnt reach Spirit pinnacle, they would be unable to kill the puppet. Even if they were to find the exit, they would surely be unable to escape! Having experienced the fearsome might of that puppet firsthand, he knew that they would never be able to outrun it given their current cultivation. Thus, this was their best and possibly only shot at survival. Seeing her teachers nonchnt attitude to the matter; Luo Qiqi felt reassured. Nodding, she continued intensifying the mes in the Crimson me Cauldron with her left hand while grabbing the Mintaroma Flower with her right. Hu! As soon as the Mintaroma Flower was thrown into the pill cauldron, the energies within it seemed to abruptly calm down. Luo Qiqi heaved a sigh of relief. However, at that moment, she suddenly felt a bizarre sensation in her left hand, so she hurriedly turned her head to take a look. With a nce, her eyes immediately narrowed. "Teacher, bad news! The cier Rain Sword... is melting!" Unknowingly, the fiery-red Crimson Rain Sword had softened, and it was just a matter of time before it would be reduced to mere metallic fluid. Chapter 668: Third Acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher Chapter 668: Third Acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though the cier Rain Sword was a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, due to its cold attribute, its melting point was significantly lower than other weapons of the same tier. The crux behind upgrading a weapon was to fuse one or a few rare metals into the original weapon. One of the greatest taboos in this process was to melt the original weapon. If the original weapon were to lose its original shape, it would lose its original attributes, and the weapon would have to be reforged from scratch. That would mean an increase in the difficulty by severalfold! As Luo Qiqi had been multitasking, she hadnt been paying attention to the cier Rain Sword. Who knew that while she was preupied with cing a few medicinal herbs into the pill cauldron, the cier Rain Sword would actually reach its melting point! Upgrading a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon to high-tier was simple, but forging a Spirit high-tier weapon from scratch... At the very least, given Luo Qiqis current capability, she didnt think that she was capable of it! Just as she waspletely flustered by the sudden situation, Zhang shi confident voice sounded, "Add a droplet of Purplestar Grasss medicinal extract onto the cier Rain Sword." "Purplestar Grasss medicinal extract? Alright... Hmm?" As soon as she took out the medicinal extract, she suddenly froze as she came to a realization. "Onto the cier Rain Sword?" What kind of insanity was this? cier Rain Sword was a weapon whereas the Purplestar Grasss medicinal extract should be used for pill forging! Adding the medicinal extract to the weapon? That was no different to adding some minced meat and tomato ketchup on a metal ingot while trying to cast a metal pot! Are you sure you are forging a weapon and not barbecuing it to eat? Are you certain you didnt issue the wrong instruction? "Thats right, hurry up!" Zhang Xuan urged. "Alright!" With twitching eyelids, Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist, and the medicinal extract immediately fell on the melting cier Rain Sword. Tzz! The sizzling sound reminiscent of barbecued meat echoed in the air. The medicinal extract flowed down the sword as it gradually turned into a white mist, emanating a deep aroma. "How fragrant..." The aroma wafting in the air made Luo Qiqi subconsciously draw in a deep breath. The Purplestar Grass did leave a pleasant smell upon contact with mes. Perhaps she could make something to eat with it in the future... Just as she was harboring such thoughts, intense vertigo suddenly assaulted her, and her legs began wobbling weakly. "This is bad!" Luo Qiqis eyes narrowed as it suddenly dawned on her what she had just done, and her heart froze. The Purplestar Grass was an extremely rare medicinal herb. Its name originated from the purple spots reminiscent of little stars on its surface. The medicinal herb usually served as a mediating factor to facilitate the forging process of other pills, but if used individually, it carried a slight poison that could induce hallucination and dizziness! Mesmerized by the pleasant scent, she actually neglected this! They were currently at a crucial moment in the pill forging and smithing. If she were to faint, there was little doubt that a cauldron explosion would ur! To be killed by a simultaneous explosion of a pill cauldron and a smithing cauldron... Should their bodies be found, they would probably go down as the first to do so in the long history of Hongyuan Empire! Luo Qiqi attempted to gather her concentration, but her eyelid kept drooping down persistently. As hard as she struggled, drowsiness clung to her tightly, unwilling to relinquish its grasp over her. Zhang Xuans face darkened. "This is bad!" He had refined his ns in anticipation of the many different things that could possibly go wrong in the forging process, but how could he have expected Luo Qiqi to be so careless as to inhale the poisonous fume of the Purplestar Grass! It was unbing of a 5-star apothecary to be so careless! But still, Luo Qiqi couldnt be entirely med for the matter. The Purplestar Grass was a rare medicinal herb that was hardly used by apothecaries, and even on asions that it was required, it would usually serve as a mediating factor. As such, it wasnt too surprising for her to neglect its other properties. Furthermore, with her attention devoted to multitasking between the smithing and the pill forging, she had little capacity to process other thoughts either. It was the unfortunatebination of such factors that made her fall prey to the poisonous fumes. If Luo Qiqi were to lose consciousness, they would be doomed. Even though Zhang Xuan had vast knowledge of pill forging and smithing, he was unable to trante them into practical skills for his own use... Under current circumstances, a double cauldron explosion would be inevitable! Or perhaps... could the formation be retracted so that they could draw the puppet over to kill it through the explosion? But Zhang Xuan couldnt control the timing and might of the explosion urately either. If the explosion proved to be too strong, even if they were to survive the primary impact, there was a chance that the ceiling might copse inward, burying them alive. More importantly, the puppet possessed extraordinary defensive ability. The might of the explosion might be fearsome to them, but there was no guarantee that it would be fatal to that fellow. Gu gu gu gu! Anxious, Zhang Xuan was just about to rush forward to wake Luo Qiqi wake up when the cauldron before him shook intensely once more. Violent energies rampaged within it, and an explosion was imminent. The essence of the Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique was to keep the cauldron teetering just before the breaking limit. As a result, even the slightestpse in concentration could easily result in an explosion. With the sudden onught of the drowsiness spell, the forging sequence was already dyed by nearly two breaths. If the medicinal herb wasnt added in at this very instant, an explosion would really ur! But given Zhang Xuans current proximity to the medicinal herbs, even if he were to dash forward at this very instant, he still wouldnt make it in time! "Add the Red-leafed Beard into the cauldron..." Overwhelmed by anxiety, Zhang Xuan shouted. But this time, perhaps due to his sheer determination willing it to happen, his voice was subconsciously imbued with Impartation of Heavens Path. Hu! Despite herck of consciousness, Luo Qiqis movements remained as fluid as ever. She stretched her hand forward to grab the Red-leafed Beard and threw it into the cauldron. Hu! As the medicinal herb fell into the cauldron, the signs of explosion finally calmed down. "This..." Surprised by the turn of events, Zhang Xuan blinked in a daze for a short moment before excitement gushed through his body. Why didnt he think of this from the very start? As long as ones words were aligned with the quintessence of nature, one could induce another to follow ones instructions, willingly or not. Luo Qiqi might have fallen into a semi-conscious state, but this didnt hinder the effects of Impartation of Heavens Will on her! In fact, with her emotions out of the equation, the pill forging was progressing smoother than before! "ce the Cold Emerald Stone beside the cier Rain Sword. Following which, use the Bamboo Drawing Forging Technique to add a de of Frozen Yin Grass into the pill cauldron..." Having seeded once, Zhang Xuan continued using his Impartation of Heavens Will. Before this, Luo Qiqi still had to process the differing sets of instructions for the two cauldrons and work simultaneously, and this had caused her to fall into a fluster. However, under the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will, her hands could operate freely from one anotherone focused on smithing while the other focused on pill forging. In an instant, her efficiency doubled. Tzzzzz! As the Cold Emerald Stone was ced with the cier Rain Sword, tz!, the two began fusing with one another. Frowning, Zhang Xuan said, "Take out the sword and use the Layered Tempering Technique to hammer it 779 times!" Hearing the instructions, Luo Qiqi shook her left hand, and the sword immediately fell onto a stone tform. She grabbed the hammer that Wu Yangzi had left behind and started hammering the sword. Zhang Xuan continued instructing her. "Add the Leisure Flower Stem and Baoxing Extract into the pill cauldron and raise the intensity of the mes by 30%. After that, use the Lucid Pitching Hands to shake the cauldron seven times!" Hua hua! Luo Qiqi followed his instructions calmly, without the slightest error. Humans are subordinate to their emotions. Never having forged a pill and smithed simultaneously before, it was natural that Luo Qiqi had felt trepidation upon seeing the pill cauldron being brought to the verge of explosion. With this kind of fear guing her, her movements had be restricted, thus making it hard for her to seed. Who could have known that her losing consciousness would turn out to be a blessing in disguise, raising the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire forging process altogether? Zhang Xuans instructions grew more and more rapid, and Luo Qiqis movements became faster and faster as well. The both of them were working together with such harmony that it seemed as though Zhang Xuan was forging the weapon and the pill himself. Even though the cauldron seemed as though it would explode at any moment, under Zhang Xuans astute instructions, it was actually extremely safe. After hammering the cier Rain Sword, which was fused with Cold Emerald Stone and Purplestar Grass, it regained its form as a sword, and it looked much sharper than before. After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up. Driving his Soul Depth to its maximum, he instructed, "Alright, open the pill cauldron!" Hu! Luo Qiqis right hand reached forward and opened the lid of the pill cauldron. The concentrated bulk of medicinal energies immediately gathered, and a pill was about to form at any moment now. "ce the cier Rain Sword into the cauldron!" Upon hearing the instructions, the youngdy subconsciously threw the long sword into the pill cauldron. Weng! A sharp buzzing sound reminiscent of a melody hummed by the dragons echoed in the stone chamber. It sounded so melodious that one could get drunk on it. Hu! Following which, the cier Rain Sword flew out from the pill cauldron and danced in the air, as though a bird which had just fled from its cage, releasing an excited call. A cold gleam shed from the body of the sword, and it felt as though it could easily tear apart any metal or jade. Just by looking at its sharp edge, one would feel as though ones eyes might be pierced through by it. "Come here!" Beckoning with his hands, the sword immediately flew over andnded in Zhang Xuans outstretched hand. Lowering his head to examine it, the cier Rain Sword was still of the same length. However, it looked much lighter, and its previously clear surface was now twinkling with stars. It felt as though the power of a celestial was infused into this de, bringing an extraordinarily majestic disposition to the de. Flicking his finger on the de lightly, the sword immediately released a loud metallic call. It seemed as though it would transform into a mighty dragon and rule the heavens. "This is... Half-Saint?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. Having mastered the knowledge contained within the six Heavens Path Smith Art manuals, his eye of discernment for weapon had reached a new height. Even without the Library of Heavens Path, he could easily tell that the cier Rain Sword had exceeded the boundaries of Spirit pinnacle to reach Half-Saint! Weapons could be divided into God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal. Even though a Half-Saint weapon hadnt truly reached Sainthood yet, it had already broken free from the shackles of Spirit, reaching an entirely different level of existence. Even a 6-star pinnacle cksmith like Wu Yangzi couldnt hope to sessfully forge a sword of this quality! Only a 7-star cksmith could possibly forge such a masterpiece! In other words, using the Impartation of Heavens Will, Zhang Xuan actually forged a Half-Saint weapon through Luo Qiqis hands. If word were to spread, innumerable people would surely die of shock! Weapons of such a tier were rare even within Hongyuan Empire! Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan put away the sword before turning to Luo Qiqi. At this moment, she was meditating on the floor with her eyes closed, seemingly in a state of enlightenment. Even though she was unconscious during the forging process, the experience she gained from forging the Frigid Yin Pills and upgrading the weapon through the Impartation of Heavens Will remained with her as her muscle memory. With this, both her pill forging and smithing techniques would advance to greater heights. Seeing the other partys state, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Even though she was unconscious throughout the forging process, her movements and her zhenqi cirction will stay with her as her muscle memory, forming a much stronger impression. The benefits she obtained from this were even greater than the guidance back in the Apothecary Guild! It seems like Impartation of Heavens Will doesnt only impart the way of cultivation to others. It also encourages them to cultivate and tempers their mental resilience, thus paving their way for improvement in the future! Indolence and fear are a part of human nature, and inevitably, it is such. Should words fail to persuade them, enforcement will be necessary. Through forming muscle memory, this will pave the way for their future growth..." Coming to an enlightenment, the underground chamber suddenly shook. A unique aura descended from the sky and shrouded Zhang Xuan entirely. The third acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher! Chapter 669: Mind of Void Chapter 669: Mind of Void Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back in Huanyu Empire... At this moment, the copsed infrastructure and cracked ground around the Cleansing Lake had already been fixed, and while the spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake still wasnt as concentrated as before, it was showing signs of recovery. By the side of the Cleansing Lake, a huge stone tablet was erected, and five words were inscribed on itYang shi Throws His Shoe! These words carried a majesty that seemed to draw ones eyes to them. With just a nce, one could tell that it was the work of a 5-star painter. Not too far from the stone tablet was where Zhang Xuan rose from the top of a fire dragon and threw his shoe. By throwing the shoe, Zhang Xuan was just seeking the point where the three energies intersectedit need not necessarily be a shoe. Nevertheless, the shoe was still taken by the Huanyu Empire as its national treasure, and a stabilizing formation g was put in its ce. As long as the g remained in ce, the colliding spiritual energy would reach a state of equilibrium, thus providing energy to the Cleansing Lake, allowing Huanyu Empire to groom even more talents. It was truly a blessing in disguise for Huanyu Empire. Standing before the stone tablet, a historian recorded, "Huanyu Empire, 67th Year of Wentians Reign, Winter. The spiritual energy from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein collided, destroying the Cleansing Lake and threatened toy ruin to the capital. However, Yang shi descended from the sky and broke out of the perilous situation with a single shoe..." While the historian was in the midst of writing, the water in theke suddenly grew agitated, and bells chimed in the distance. Countless birds soared into the sky, shrouding the heavens. "What is happening?" "I have no idea..." ... Upon seeing this situation, the guards in the region stared at one another in confusion. "Pavilion Master Wei, what is going on?" Emperor Ye Wentian, who hadnt left the region, noticed themotion as well and immediately rushed out from his room. Standing beside him was Pavilion Master Wei Jiang. Pavilion Master Wei suddenly recalled a certain ancient record he had read in the past and froze. "Blessings of the Hundred Birds... Someone is being acknowledged for a Celestial upation!" Ye Wentian froze as well. "Celestial upation? You mean someone has reached a proficiency in an upation which even the heavens recognize?" A Celestial upation represented the acknowledgement of the heavens for ones contribution and proficiency in a certain upation. Those who could bring forth such a phenomenon were all top-notch geniuses who would surely achieve incredible feats in the future. For such a situation to ur here, doesnt that mean that theres a top-notch genius emerging in Huanyu Empire? "Thats right!" Pavilion Master Wei nodded. "Celestial upation means that ones blessed by the heavens... Dont worry, Ill go and investigate it right now to see what upation it is and who the one who triggered it is!" "Un, you should. Tell me after you uncovered that persons identity; I must pay that genius a visit personally..." Ye Wentian replied. "Alright!" Pavilion Master Wei leaped onto the back of the savage beast and flew off to the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, before he could even enter the pavilion, an elder suddenly rushed over with a fearful expression on his face and reported, "Pavilion master, something bad has happened... The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall has copsed, and all of the ancestral tablets... have fallen!" "The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall has copsed?" Pavilion Master Wei was stunned. At that moment, he suddenly recalled another matter, and his body trembled in disbelief. "Trembling of the Myriad Tokens, Harmony of the Chimes... Could the Celestial upation be... Celestial Master Teacher?" Celestial Master Teacher was an honor which only Empyrean Kong shi had undergone in the past. Even his direct disciples and the innumerable geniuses who rose after him had never been entitled to such honor before. For such an incredible phenomenon to ur in the Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion... Who in the world was it? A figure suddenly surfaced in Pavilion Master Weis mind. "Could it be... Yang shi?" The only usible candidate in his mind was that unfathomable master teacher whom Pavilion Master Mo ordered a silence restraint for, Yang Xuan! The image of how that elder descended by the sky and sealed the impending cmity with just a single shoe was still deeply-rooted in his mind. Recalling the order from Pavilion Master Mo, Pavilion Master Wei swiftly issued an order. "Inform all of the master teachers to remain silent on this matter! Those who defy this order shall be stripped of their master teacher qualification!" Regardless of whether it was Yang Xuan or a Celestial Master Teacher, both of these were matters beyond them. It was best for them to remain silent on this matter, or else... they might just end up being wiped clean from the map. Besides, there had only been a single Celestial Master Teacher in the entire history of the human race, Kong shi. While his affairs were recorded by historians afterward, no one could say for sure whether the records were urate, and if this phenomenon really represented the acknowledgement from the heavens. "Yes!" Even though the elder was bewildered by the situation, he still quickly nodded in response before returning to carry out Pavilion Master Weis orders. ... In Myriad Kingdom City... Stretching her backzily, Zhao Feiwu walked out from her room. After cultivating in seclusion for a full month, she was feeling a little stiff all over. But even so, she knew that this was the only way she could catch a glimpse of that mans back, albeit the distance between them would only continue to increase. "Youre done with your cultivation? Not bad, you have improved immensely!" Pavilion Master Kang walked over, and after taking a look at Zhao Feiwu, he nodded inmendation. Zhang shi had entrusted Zhao Feiwu to him before departing, so Pavilion Master Kang had been focusing his attention on her throughout the past month, and thetter had benefited greatly from his guidance. Hong long! At that moment, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly felt the ground beneath him tremble, and bells chimed furiously from the direction of the Master Teacher Pavilion. "This is... Celestial Master Teacher? Again?" Pavilion Master Kang widened his eyes in shock. It had just happened just a while ago, why would it happen once again all of a sudden? When did the anticipated Celestial Master Teacher be so recurrent, as if it were an annual festival? Zhao Feiwu was taken aback. She suddenly recalled the bits and pieces of the young man whom she spent several months with, and she couldnt help but ask, "Could it be Zhang shi?" "Zhang shi? Impossible! He has already gone ahead to Huanyu Empire, and that is almost a million kilometers away from here. How could it be him?" Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. Even the phenomenon of a Celestial Master Teachers acknowledgement had a fixed range to it. Considering how Zhang shi wasnt in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, how could he possibly trigger the phenomenon in here? "I once read an ancient text, and it was said that when Kong shi became a Celestial 9-star Master Teacher, the entire continent celebrated his achievement. Phoenixes and true dragons arrived to offer their blessings, and rays of brilliant light fell from the heavens... Could the range of the phenomenon increase along with the rank of the Celestial Master Teacher?" Zhao Feiwu analyzed. Even though she wasnt a master teacher, due to her disability, shed spent her entire youth reading books. Not to mention, as an empire, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance did contain many confidential texts depicting the history and numerous secrets of the continent. In terms of general knowledge, she wasparable to Pavilion Master Kang. "This..." Pavilion Master Kang was stunned. It was reasonable to assume that the phenomenon behind a Celestial 1-star Master Teacher would be different from a Celestial 9-star Master Teacher. Could this hugemotion really have been caused by that fellow? ... Xuanyuan Kingdom. Dressed in resplendent robes, Mo Yu sat majestically on a throne. After several months of reorganizing, she had managed to bring the entire kingdom under her control. After the news that Zhang shi had be a 4-star master teacher reached this region, no one dared to utter the slightestint against Mo Yus sovereignty anymore. There was no one in this kingdom who didnt know of the intimate rtionship between Empress Mo Yu and Zhang shi. If anyone were to be so blind as to incite a rebellion, putting aside the impressive fighting force that Mo Yu had under hermand, even the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely step in and teach that person a lesson! Dang dang dang dang! The officials were currently in the midst of reporting on the various affairs across the kingdom when the loud chiming of bells sounded from the direction of the Master Teacher Pavilion. "This..." Astonished, Mo Yu subconsciously stood up. The other officials also turned their gazes over. Every single master teacher across Xuanyuan Kingdom immediately rushed over to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Everyone was bewildered by the suddenmotion, unable toprehend what was going on. ... The same situation also unfolded in Tianwu Kingdom and other regions as well. It could be said that the phenomenon urred in every single Master Teacher Pavilion under Huanyu Empire. Most people had no idea what was going on, but even those who did had no idea who was the one who had incited it. At the current moment, the culprit behind the uproar finally got to his feet. After the Third Celestial Master Teacher came to an end, even though his cultivation was still capped at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, hisprehension of battle techniques and cultivation had grown even deeper. At the same time, the consonance between his soul and his physical body had be even more perfect as well. Naturally, his fighting prowess had been brought to new heights too. Even though I am still no match for Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage cultivators, there isnt anyone in the primary stage who can rival me anymore! Sensing the difference in him, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. Even though Celestial Master Teacher didnt affect ones cultivation, it broadened ones mind and analytical capability, allowing one to see past the superficial. In a way, it was due to the previous two Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements that Zhang Xuan was much calmer than Luo Qiqi when facing the puppet earlier. My Soul Depth actually increased by 3.0! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. His Soul Depth had actually increased by 3.0, more than it had done the previous two times. In other words, his current Soul Depth was 19.1, which wasparable to even a 6-star master teacher! To possess the Soul Depth of a 6-star master teacher despite being in ones twenties... Just the thought of it was frightening! A Soul Depth increase of 3.0 was equivalent to the leap of an entire master teacher rank. If it had been anyone else, it would have taken dozens of years of cultivation to achieve the same breakthrough. Along with the rise in Soul Depth, Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will and Eye of Insight had grown even more powerful as well. In the past, Zhang Xuan could only view things that were two small cultivation realms above of him. After the rise in his Soul Depth, it had increased to three small cultivation realms. In other words, given his current zhenqi cultivation of Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, if a Cosmos Bridge realm advanced stage cultivator were to appear before him, he would be able to see through the ws in the other partys moves through the Eye of Insight even without tapping into the Library of Heavens Path. The improvement in Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will was even more fearsome. Even if it was a 6-star middle-tier master teacher, he was confident hed be able to beguile the other party with his words. The greatest gain from this acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher is not the increase in my Soul Depth or the enhancement of my Impartation of Heavens Will and Eye of Insight... It is Mind of Void! After checking his physical condition, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together in agitation. The acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher had furthered his various abilities as a master teacher, but what left him the most delighted was that his physical body had gained the ability of Mind of Void. Mind of Void, this was a state where ones physical body could move solely on habit, even without a soul or intent driving it. Back when Zhang Xuan was in the Cleansing Lake, his soulless body was reduced to a state reminiscent of a corpse, unable to be controlled or moved. However, with the Mind of Void, his physical body was now able to cultivate or even fight without a soul! In fact, without having to go through his mind, the reflexes of his body would be faster than ever! If he were to face that puppet from before once more, he would be able to divide his body and soul to fight separately, thus exerting a far greater prowess than before! This is incredible! With this ability, Ill be able to multitask easily! Zhang Xuan smiled in delight at his immense gains. At that moment, he suddenly heard a moaning sound beside him. Luo Qiqi had recovered from her state of enlightenment. Chapter 670: Genocide Chapter 670: Genocide Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Teacher!" As soon as she recovered, Luo Qiqi immediately got up and sped her fist. Immersed in her previous state of enlightenment, she was unaware that Zhang Xuan had gone through a Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgement. However, her understanding toward pill forging and smithing had improved significantly. Her previous talent in smithing could only be considered as slightly above average, but with her current understanding, she was confident that she would be able to best those famous geniuses from the cksmith School as well! "Not bad!" Seeing the other partys spirited gaze, Zhang Xuan knew that the other party must have benefited greatly from her state of enlightenment, so he nodded in satisfaction. No matter what, the other party was his student. As her teacher, he would feel pride at her improvement. "Teacher, thank you for your guidance!" Luo Qiqi knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude. Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to help the other party up, the Library of Heavens Path jolted, and the Book of Heavens Path appeared. A golden page was within in. Zhang Xuan had tried to create it previously when he was attacked by the puppet but to no avail. To think that it would appear now! This is great... With this golden page, he would surely be able to turn that puppet into minced meat and escape without worry. It seems like my conjecture was right. Only gratitude derived from the impartation of knowledge can induce the golden page! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had won Luo Qiqis gratitude previously by stalling the puppet and allowing her to get away, but the golden page hadnt been produced. All of this was pointing to one factonly gratitude earned from aplishing his duty as a teacher would trigger the golden page. Anything other than that was ineffective. "Stand up. Since you have managed to smith a weapon with quality exceeding Spirit high-tier, lets see if you can receive Wu Yangzis heritage and find the escape route!" Seeing the golden page, Zhang Xuans mood lifted. He hurriedly helped thedy up, before flicking his wrist and cing the cier Rain Sword on the tform before the Crimson ze Cauldron. Jiyaya! Having seemingly assessed that the quality of the sword had met the standard, the stone tform shook, and the voice from the Mechanical Recorder sounded once more. "Congrattions, you have forged a weapon exceeding Spirit high-tier. As such, youre qualified to be my student, and Ill impart my lifes work to you!" Hu! As he spoke those words, the ground before him trembled, and a stone pedestal slowly surfaced. To think that there was a mechanism below the stone chamber as well! "On the stone pedestal, theres a total of three objects. First, there is a manual on the forging technique that I created through consolidating the essence of my understanding of smithing, Zither Forging Technique. Second, there is my physical body cultivation technique, Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. Last but not least, my experience here and the exit route! "Even though I was trapped here, I didnt feel the slightest anger or hatred at all. Instead, by devoting all of my attention to smithing, I was able to forget my sorrows instead... However, it was a pity that there is a limit to a mans lifespan. My ultimate goal of forging a Saint weapon remains out of my reach even as I approach the end of my life, and it will forever remain my greatest regret. "I hope that after receiving my heritage, you can aplish my wish and smith a Saint weapon using my Zither Forging Technique so as to appease my soul in the heavens above. This way... Ill be able to rest in peace. "If you are willing, make a vow and Ill reveal an important piece of information to you. This information concerns a treasure left behind from ancient ruins, and if you manage to obtain it, there will be no problem reaching Sainthood!" "Reaching Sainthood?" ncing at one another, Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqis breathing hastened. Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm was also known as the Embryonic realm, Nascent Heart realm, or Golden Core realm. The main purpose of that realm was to gather the entirety of ones cultivation to form an Origin Embryo. Once the formation of the Origin Embryo wasplete, one would be able to surpass ones limitation and achieve Sainthood. The formation of the Origin Embryo was the final, as well as the greatest, hurdle that Transcendent Mortals would face, and many found themselves unable to ovee this challenge. Considering how this object provided a ticket to reaching Sainthood, its value was indeed immeasurable. "I agree!" After ncing at Zhang shi and receiving his approval, Luo Qiqi stepped forward and bowed deeply to the pedestal to signify that her acknowledgement as of Grandmaster Wu Yangzi as her teacher. Zhang Xuan was Luo Qiqis apothecary teacher. While he did impart the art of smithing to thetter as well, he didnt ept thetter as his disciple, so there were no qualms with her acknowledging another as her teacher. Not to mention, a precious treasure and a heritage were at stake here. After making her vows, the voice in the Mechanical Recorder finally continued speaking. "Since you have made a vow, I will reveal the secret to you now. I have left most of my treasures and the information beneath my old mansion. At the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon, you just have to put down three formation gs ording to the Three Stars, and the items will surface automatically!" The voice came to a halt. "Three Stars of the Earth Dragon? Old mansion?" Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi stared at one another, and they nearly fainted from anger. Are you taking us for a fool? It has been two thousand years since you died, who in the world would know where your old mansion was? Also, what the heck is the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon? Given that this cryptic message was left behind on a Mechanical Recorder, there was no way they could ask about it, and this only left them even more frustrated. To reveal the existence of a treasure to them but not identify the location clearly, just the thought of it left the duo light-headed. "Considering how Wu Yangzi was captured and brought here, theres no way of telling who would challenge his trial and obtain his heritage. As such, its understandable that he would speak in riddles!" Even though Zhang Xuan was frustrated, he could understand the rationale behind the other partys actions. Given that Wu Yangzi was brought here against his will, any precious treasures that were on him must have been already taken away by his captors. Considering how his captors had the easiest ess to this stone chamber, there was a high chance that they would have uncovered this information and imed the treasure for themselves should the clue be too direct. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "But... where is his old mansion?" "I have no idea either. However, if I recall correctly, Grandmaster Wu Yangzi used to live in Hongyuan Capital, the city where Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is located." Luo Qiqi thought for a moment before continuing. "Ill check the records after I return to the academy. It has only been two thousand years, so I should be able to uncover some traces of it!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Two thousand years might be a long time to a small kingdom like Tianxuan Kingdom, and immense changes could happen to it in that timeframe, but to a massive behemoth like Hongyuan Empire, the effects of the passing of two thousand years wasnt as obvious. Tier 1 Empires had Saint realm experts, and considering how they possessed a lifespan of around a thousand years, a span of two thousand years could only be considered as the passing of two to three generations. Thus, it shouldnt be too difficult to find Wu Yangzis old mansion. "Lets take a look at his heritage." Since they couldnt ess the treasure stuck in this underground chamber, there was no use thinking about it for now. Thus, Zhang Xuan gestured for Luo Qiqi to look at the items on the stone pedestal. Luo Qiqi nodded and walked toward the stone pedestal. Of the three items that Wu Yangzi left behind, she reached out for the third one immediatelythe way to escape from here. Naturally, their survival took precedence over everything else. "Teacher!" Luo Qiqi passed the book over. "Un!" Taking the book, Zhang Xuan flipped through it casually before a bizarre expression appeared on his face. Seeing Zhang Xuans expression, Luo Qiqis face tensed. "Whats wrong, teacher? Is there no way to leave here?" It would truly be a disaster if they couldnt get out, but Zhang Xuan smiled reassuringly. "Dont worry, theres a way out. Its just that I saw something interesting. It seems like Grandmaster Wu Yangzi is a very different person from how we thought he was..." "Different?" Luo Qiqi was perplexed. "You should take a look yourself." Zhang Xuan passed the book over to Luo Qiqi. Confused, Luo Qiqi took the book and browsed through it. After she was done, a bizarre expression appeared on her face as well. Having expected this, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Wu Yangzi was captured and brought to this underground chamber by the Otherworldly Demons. In other words, this underground chamber was air for the Otherworldly Demons! The Otherworldly Demons had once enjoyed great prestige ruling over the other races, including the humans. Yet, they had been forced to hide within remote ces where the sun didnt reach just to survive. Naturally, they would seek to return to where they had once stood. As such, the first stone tablet inscribed with Yearning Abode Lodge actually reflected their wish instead of Wu Yangzis. This was the reason why the three words carried the unique killing intent of Otherworldly Demons. This underground chamber was constructed by the Otherworldly Demons to avoid the pursuit of human cultivators, and it housed dozens of their brethren. Due to the skillful construction of the underground chamber, it didnt feel stifling despite the size of their group. As for why they had chosen to capture Wu Yangzi, the reason was simple. This bunch of Otherworldly Demons had hidden from the Master Teacher Pavilion for many millenniums, but due to their limited popce, they could only cross-marry, and this resulted in a degeneration in their genes, thus limiting their ability to reproduce. As such, their popce declined steadily, and they slowly approached extinction. To resolve this problem, they decided to capture Wu Yangzi, who was renowned for his proficiency in smithing and mechanisms then, to temper their bodies and prolong their lifespan. The idea was good, but... how could tempering ones body and prolonging ones lifespan be easy? Putting aside how Wu Yangzi was only a 6-star cksmith, even an 8-star or 9-star cksmith wouldnt be able to achieve this feat! Otherwise, that person would surely be renowned across the entire Master Teacher Continent, and countless people would flock to him in hopes of prolonging their lifespan. Who would willingly ept death when there was an opportunity to live on? As such, Wu Yangzi was captured and locked within this stone chamber. While it was vast, it did little to reduce the fact that it was a prison. The only way to escape this stone chamber was through the narrow stone door, but so long as someone was guarding it, it was impossible to escape. Losing his freedom, even if he had smithing to apany him, frustration and loneliness would surely slowly gnaw at him. As such, Burying Sorrow was iprehensible. But through this book, Zhang Xuan learned why Wu Yangzi granted this stone chamber such a name. The Otherworldly Demons who captured him wanted Wu Yangzi to temper their bodies and prolong their longevity... and that fellow was indeed tenacious. He went through all of the trouble and used every means at his disposal to temper their bodies to make them nigh indestructible... But at the same time... while tempering their bodies, Wu Yangzi also robbed them of their consciousness, turning them into puppets who could only obey orders. In other words... the puppet outside was actually one of the Otherworldly Demons who kidnapped Grandmaster Wu Yangzi, and it ended up being forged into nothing more than a puppet! Wu Yangzi knew that the Otherworldly Demons would never allow him to escape, so he designed a mechanism to secretly release the weapons he forged out into the world. He intended for them to trace his location through those weapons and organize a party to save him... but who knew that this wait would take him more than two thousand years! In these two thousand years, all of the Otherworldly Demons, except for those who had been tempered into mere puppets, had all died. This was the reason why the underground chamber seemed to bepletely empty when their group entered. Eventually, as Wu Yangzis lifespan approached its limit, he began to ept the fact that he might not be able to escape, so he decided to leave his heritage here. As for the puppet outside, it was probably the guard in charge of looking after Wu Yangzis chamber and preventing him from leaving. Considering how all of the Otherworldly Demons had died out, it was probably still in the midst of fulfilling thestmand issued to it. "This..." Luo Qiqi was in disbelief. Wu Yangzi was known to be an upright and honorable man. Who would have thought that he could be so scheming? To actually turn the Otherworldly Demons that had captured him into puppets... he sure was vicious! In a sense, this was as good asmitting genocide! Chapter 671: Slaying the Puppet Chapter 671: ying the Puppet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "To forge the Otherworldly Demons into puppets and imntmands into them such that they would function as ordinary living beings... it would indeed be difficult to tell the difference in the short run. Grandmaster Wu Yangzi probably derived joy from seeing how the Otherworldly Demons slowly fell into his trap, and gradually, this source of entertainment allowed him to forget his sorrows!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. The human race and the Otherworldly Demons were mortal enemies. As a renowned cksmith, Wu Yangzi understood this logic. When he was first captured, he would have surely been filled with indignation and rage. However, as he killed all of them slowly by converting them into puppets, he was surely filled with exhration. After all, none of these ancient Otherworldly Demons were weaker than him... and yet, singlehandedly, he turned them into puppets, thus eradicating everyst one of them. Just the thought of it could send ones heart pumping in excitement... With such a mission in life, it was no wonder he could forget his sorrows! Judging from the joyful tone in his handwriting, it could be seen that the other party was so ted that it was almost as if he would float into the sky. As for how he managed to convince so many Otherworldly Demon to be willingly tempered under his hands, thinking that they would be immortal... nothing was written in the book about it, so it was impossible to tell for sure. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan deduced that it was probably a gradual change. For example, Wu Yangzi would temper the other partys arms first. Tempering the arms had little impact on ones ability to think, and the primary sess would convince everyone else to do it too. Following which, he would move on to the legs, spine, and body... And finally, when everyone had let down their guard, he would temper their heads, thus sessfully converting them into puppets... But of course, this was only Zhang Xuans conjecture. Without seeing it for himself, there was no way of confirming it. Under the perseverance of Wu Yangzi, the Otherworldly Demon who sought to lengthen their lifespans... ended up being eradicated instead. "ording to Grandmaster Wu Yangzis records, there are at least twenty Otherworldly Demon in this underground chamber that fell for his ploy, thus ending up as puppets. If this merit were to be reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion, the reward obtained would be so great that it could ensure the prosperity of a n for several generations toe," Luo Qiqi said. Killing Otherworldly Demons was a huge merit to the human race, and the Master Teacher Pavilion offered rewards for it. The higher the cultivation realm and quantity of Otherworldly Demons killed, the greater the reward. Considering how Wu Yangzi had managed to y over twenty Otherworldly Demons of nearly equal cultivation as himself, that was sufficient for his name to go down in history, and the Master Teacher Pavilion would help look after his descendants for generations toe in reciprocation for his contribution! In fact, so long as he said the word, they could allow one of his descendants to be the emperor of Hongyuan Empire. "Un. Well report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion honestly. As for how they will reward his descendants, that is none of our business!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Lets leave first before talking about other matters!" Luo Qiqi nodded. "Based on Grandmaster Wu Yangzis description, we have to return to the path we came from. Even though we cant break the Dragon Severing Lock, there is a mechanism installed on it that we can make use of... In other words, if we wish to break out of this underground chamber, well have to get rid of that fellow outside first!" Zhang Xuan said. The method of leaving this ce was recorded in the book. This was a prison, a ce to incarcerate Wu Yangzi. Naturally, there wouldnt be side exits installed in this ce. Thus, the only way to leave was through the Dragon Severing Lock. As a grandmaster cksmith, Wu Yangzi seemed to have left some kind of mechanism on the lock such that it would be easy for him to get away in the future. However, its a pity that he never seeded. "Get rid of that fellow?" Recalling the fearsome Otherworldly Demon puppet, Luo Qiqis face paled. Even just thinking about it now was enough to send shivers down her spine! It was swift, strong, and possessed imprable skin; there was no w that they could exploit against it! Seeing through Luo Qiqis thoughts, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Dont worry. We might not have been able to deal with it before, but now... we do have a weapon in our hands!" Previously, even though the Library of Heavens Path reflected the location of the ws of the puppet, Zhang Xuan had still been unable to exploit them due to his low cultivation realm. It was simr to an ant attempting to kill a divine dragon. Even if the ant knew the ws of the dragon, how could it possiblynd a fatal blow when it couldnt even bite through the other partys skin? While Zhang Xuan knew that the puppet would fall once its head was lopped off, its astounding defense covered for its ws. Even an attack with Zhang Xuans full might and using his strongest weapon could only leave a shallow cut on the other partys neck. So, how could he possibly defeat the other party? While the Library of Heavens Path allowed Zhang Xuan to rival opponents stronger than him, there was a limit to how wide a gap it could bridge... Sometimes, even the opponents w could be way beyond his current cultivation. However, that was then. Now that the cier Rain Sword had advanced to be a Half-Saint weapon, everything was simple. Seeing Zhang Xuan pick up the cier Rain Sword, Luo Qiqi was stunned. "Teacher means to... fight against it?" She knew that the cier Rain Sword had exceeded Spirit high-tier, but how far beyond that still eluded her. Her ability in appraising weapons was still far beneath that of Zhang Xuan. Not to mention, given her current cultivation realm, it was perfectly normal for her to have never encountered Half-Saint artifacts before. "Un. Ill tear away the formationter on. Youll have to attract its attention from the front while I sneak to its back to attempt killing it with a single blow!" Zhang Xuan began going into details regarding the n of how they would deal with the puppet. "This is what you have to do..." "Alright!" Hearing her teachers instructions, Luo Qiqi nodded without any hesitation. To guide her to forge a pill and smith simultaneously, and for it to be a sess at that, what else could her teacher possibly be incapable of? She walked up to the Crimson ze Cauldron and put it in her storage ring. Following which, with a flick of her wrist, she took out a bow and drew an arrow. As the bow she used previously was destroyed by the puppet, she was currently wielding a lower tier one. There was no other choice. This was the only long-range Spirit weapon she had in her possession. Seeing that Luo Qiqi was ready, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and pushed himself up to the sky. After looking around for a moment, he finally stopped at a certain position before driving his zhenqi and grabbing downward. Wuwuwuwu! The formation gs were pulled out of the ground, and the originally pitch-ck portion of the stone chamber gradually lost its darkness under the radiance of the Night Illumination Pearls. Slowly, the Otherworldly Demon puppets huge silhouette came into appearance. ROAR! As they saw the figure of the Otherworldly Demon puppet, the other party also caught side of Luo Qiqi. With a furious roar, it dashed forward frenziedly. "Die!" Luo Qiqi cried out, and arrows immediately rained down upon therge puppet. Ding ding ding ding! However, due to thecking might behind her arrows, it did little to impede the other partys advance. In fact, none of the arrows pierced through the other partys skin. Not expecting her arrows to be shrugged off so easily, Luo Qiqi clenched her jaws and threw her bow at it. Kacha! The Otherworldly Puppet flung its arm, and the bow shattered. By this moment, it was already standing right before Luo Qiqi. With a booming shock wave, its steel fist crushed toward her. If Luo Qiqi were to be struck by this outrageously powerful fist, she would surely die on the spot. Seeing that the fist was about to strike her, Luo Qiqis eyebrows shot up, and she immediately flicked her wrist. Dang! With a metallic reverberation, the Crimson ze Cauldron which she had just ced in her storage ring appeared before her. There was a small venttion gap on the cauldron that was used to insert coal into it. The puppets punch struck precisely into the venttion gap, and its fist was immediately trapped inside the cauldron. The Crimson ze cauldron was an artifact that Wu Yangzi used to forge his weapon, and even he himself was unable to destroy it. Naturally, the puppet was unable to do so as well. With its fist trapped, the puppet thrashed around furiously, but there was nothing it could do. "I seeded!" Seeing that the n was working, Luo Qiqis eyes lit up. When her teacher shared his n with her previously, she thought that it would be very hard to put it into action. However, just by following the other partys instructions strictly, she actually managed to do it easily. It was a wonder to her how the other party managed to n this far ahead. That kind of analytical ability and battle sense was nothing short of monstrous! Hu! Just as Luo Qiqi was filled with awe, a cold gleam suddenly shed across her eyes, and the puppet abruptly staggered. Following which, its head slowly slid to the ground. Unknowingly, her teacher had appeared behind the puppet and lopped off its head with a single sh. "How sharp..." Seeing how the cier Rain Sword easily cut through the other partys neck with a simple cut, Luo Qiqis eyes widened in shock. Even though her appraisal ability wasnt up to par with Zhang Xuan, she could tell that the might of the cier Rain Sword exceeded that of Spirit pinnacle weapons. There was no Spirit pinnacle weapon that could achieve this feat so easily! Luo Qiqi couldnt help but ask, "Teacher, what is the current tier of the cier Rain Sword?" "Half-Saint!" There was no reason for Zhang Xuan to hide it from her either. "Half-Saint?" Luo Qiqis body trembled in astonishment. Even 6-star cksmiths would be unable to smith out such a weapon! And yet... in that groggy state, she actually seeded in creating such a weapon? "Alright. Gather everything thats of any value, and lets quickly leave this area!" Seeing Luo Qiqis eyes widening in disbelief, Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. At the same time, he also felt a little perplexed... Considering the prestige of the Master Teacher Academyafter all, most master teachers view it as their aimwhy did these few talented students that he met seem so ignorant? After going through so much effort to quench the cier Rain Sword, while it was a surprise that the cier Rain Sword was able to reach Half-Saint, it wasnt entirely unexpected. Was there a reason for her to make such a huge fuss out of it? "Yes!" Unaware of Zhang shis doubts, Luo Qiqi suppressed the astonishment deep within her and put everything that seemed to be valuable into her storage ring. At that moment, she suddenly recalled something. Turning around, she passed a book over to Zhang Xuan. "Teacher, this is the physical body cultivation technique of Grandmaster Wu Yangzi, the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, a Spirit pinnacle secret manual..." The main reason why Zhang Xuan came with them was because he was seeking Grandmaster Wu Yangzis physical body cultivation technique. Since they had obtained it now, it was only right for her to present it to him. "Un!" Zhang Xuans finger fell on the book for a moment before retracting it. "This isnt right. Since this is Grandmaster Wu Yangzis personal cultivation technique, I dont think Ill take it after all. You should study hard so as to not let him down." Considering that the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body was a personal cultivation technique of Wu Yangzis and that he intended to pass it down only to his student, it would indeed be inappropriate for an outsider to learn it. This was the basic respect among cultivators. "This..." Not expecting the other party to reject it, Luo Qiqis face reddened. She opened her mouth, but she couldnt find any words to say. Before such a precious physical body cultivation technique, others would surely toss aside their etiquette and take it for themselves. Yet, her teacher actually turned it down... This professionalism and character were indeed worthy of respect! Zhangoshi, from now onward, you shall be my role model! I shall strive to emte your behavior! Luo Qiqi vowed in her heart. While she waspletely impressed with Zhang Xuan, at this moment, thetter was currently staring at the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body manual in the Library of Heavens Path with a bitter face. "78 ws? The heck! Can this still be called a Spirit pinnacle physical body cultivation technique? You must be joking with me! To regard this kind of rotten book as your treasure and pass it down as an inheritance, screw this..." Chapter 672: Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body Chapter 672: Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 When Zhang Xuans finger came into contact with the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body earlier, he had already duplicated another one in the Library of Heavens Path. Thus, it mattered not to him whether he had the physical copy or not. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that given how high-tiered the physical body cultivation technique was, it must be extremely profound and powerful. Who would have known that it would be riddled with ws... If only he knew how trashy this cultivation technique was, he wouldnt have wasted his timeing here. He would have just gathered the books at Huanyu Empire instead. He was confident he couldpile a far stronger physical body cultivation technique with the manuals in Huanyu Empire! In other words, he had gone through so much trouble for nothing! Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. However, it was toote for regrets. All he could do was to recoup his losses as much as possible. Thus, he stepped forward to the puppet and ced it in his storage ring. Although the puppet had been incapacitated, considering how tough its defense was, it was likely to have been made out of some kind of valuable ore. Thus, Zhang Xuan intended to take it back and examine it properly. Perhaps, he might be able to extract some precious ores from it. Walking out of the stone chamber, Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi walked back through the passageway and into the stone room, where Luo Qiqi retrieved her sword. After which, they went back up the stairs, and soon, they were standing before the Dragon Severing Lock. Zhang Xuans finger fell on the location written on the Dragon Severing Lock, and he pressed down lightly. Kacha! The creaking of a mechanism sounded, and following which, the Dragon Severing Lock shook. "Is it done?" Luo Qiqis eyes lit up as she walked forward to push the lock. However, despite exerting so much force that her face was turning red, the Dragon Severing Lock showed no sign of moving at all. Zhang Xuan frowned. As a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan pinnacle expert, Luo Qiqi wielded strength exceeding 6,200,000 ding. It was one thing for her to be unable to open the Dragon Severing Lock when it was sealed, but given that the mechanism had been activated, why was she still unable to move it? "Let me give it a try!" Frowning, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and pushed with all his might. Boom! Harnessing the strength of his physical body, soul, and zhenqi together, a force exceeding 9,000,000 ding was exerted against the Dragon Severing Lock. Hu! But even so, the huge boulder still remainedpletely motionless, as though it was perfectly stuck to the ground. "This..." Retracting his arms, Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. "It cant be that... the mechanism has stopped working after two thousand years?" ording to the book left behind by Wu Yangzi, as long as the mechanism was activated, the Dragon Severing Lock should have been able to be knocked open. But if that was the case, why wasnt it budging even though they had put so much strength into it? This shouldnt be the case! If the mechanism was really broken, the both of them would be doomed. Even a Saint realm cultivator would find it hard to break the Dragon Severing Lock, let alone them. Was their only way out gone... just like that? "It is recorded in the book that even after triggering the mechanism, the Dragon Severing Lock still cant be opened normally. One will have to exert pure physical strength to push it open. Once the mechanism senses the presence of zhenqi, itll automatically deactivate..." Taking Wu Yangzis book out once more, Luo Qiqi read with a grim expression. "Pure physical strength?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. The mechanism against the Dragon Severing Lock is made out of a unique material which is exceptionally sensitive to zhenqi... Grandmaster Wu Yangzi probably did it this way so as to prevent the Otherworldly Demon from noticing and exploiting the mechanism. The killing intent that the Otherworldly Demon emanates possesses properties simr to zhenqi, so even if they were to notice the mechanism, they would still be unable to open it," Luo Qiqi said. "I see!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Given Wu Yangzis meticulous personality, it was indeed possible for him to design such a mechanism. Even if an Otherworldly Demon were to obtain his heritage, it would still be unable to leave this underground chamber alive, thus frustrating it to death. "Ill give it another try!" With this conjecture in mind, Zhang Xuan retracted his soul and zhenqi cultivation, and using just the might of his muscles, he pushed the Dragon Severing Lock with all his might. Geji! Geji! The Dragon Severing Lock groaned, but Zhang Xuan was still unable to open it. "I dont have sufficient strength to open it." "Ill help you!" Luo Qiqi walked over, and the duo pushed the Dragon Severing Lock together. However, it still didnt budge. This meant that theirbined strength was still insufficient. However, the groaning sound did indicate that their line of thought was right, it was just that they werecking sufficient strength to push open the Dragon Severing Lock. "Even though we failed to open it, the mechanism seems to be working... the only option for us now is to quickly raise our physical strength!" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though he could summon his clone, and with thebined might between him and his clone, it should be possible to open the Dragon Severing Lock. However... his clone was made of a God artifact, and he didnt want anyone to learn of its existence yet. Once his clones existence was made known, it was possible that others might doubt Yang shis existence, and the matter of him practicing the arts of a soul oracle would likely be exposed as well. "Raise our physical strength? Teacher means that... we should cultivate the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. "Un. It is very likely that this is another test from Grandmaster Wu Yangziif we cant even cultivate the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, it is likely that we will be unable to fulfill his wish of forging a Saint weapon. And since our words are an empty promise... he would rather that we remain here to apany him!" Zhang Xuan analyzed. Wu Yangzi was indeed an extremely thorough person, having taken into ount every single possibility. But considering how he was the man who managed to dupe so many Otherworldly Demons into offering their heads to him, it didnt reallye as a surprise. Otherwise, he would probably have been killed by the Otherworldly Demons. "Cultivate right now?" Luo Qiqis face was gued with dilemma. "A physical body cultivation technique cannot be mastered within a single day. It requires many years of hard work. Are we going to be trapped here for that long?" Just like normal zhenqi cultivation techniques, physical body cultivation techniques also required many years of diligence for one to achieve mastery. If they had to learn the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body before they could leave... how long would that take? What if they never seeded in it? Would this underground chamber really be their final resting ce? Seeing Luo Qiqi frown, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before he asked, "Other than the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, do you have any other physical body cultivation technique manuals on you?" Not knowing why her teacher would ask such a question, Luo Qiqi was dazed for a moment before replying. "Other physical body cultivation technique manuals? I do have quite a few, but none of them can bepared to the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!" Possessing a strong physical body was one of the requirements for bing a 5-star apothecary and 5-star cksmith. As such, she did possess quite a few physical body cultivation technique manuals on her. However, none of their grades could match the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. "Allow me to take a look." Zhang Xuan had only asked that question casually, not expecting to receive a positive answer. His eyes immediately lit up in delight. "Alright." Knowing that her teacher must have an idea in mind for asking for them, Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist and ced a few piles of books on the stairs without any hesitation. There were probably around a few hundred books within the pile. "There are so many of them..." Not expecting the other party to be carrying so many books on her, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He hurriedly brushed his fingertip across all of them. "Actually... it was a friend who helped me collect all of these. Back then, when I was striving to be a 5-star cksmith, my physical body was still too weak. So, a friend gave all of these to me..." Luo Qiqi said awkwardly. Despite Princess Yu Fei-ers difficult personality, she still had many pursuers. Given Luo Qiqis appearance, it was natural that she would have nock of pursuers either. Back then, when she failed the 5-star cksmith examination, a senior in the cksmith School who was pursuing her gathered all of these physical body cultivation techniques and gave them to her. She had been wanting to return them to the other party since then, but she hadnt found an opportunity yet. Since her teacher needed them now, she brought all of them out. "Good..." After collecting all of the books into the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan stood up and muttered pile. Hu! A brand-new Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open, and amidst its content, there were only four errors. "Great!" Zhang Xuan chuckled in delight. He was still troubled over the excessive ws in the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body manual previously, but after assimting the content from the other physical body cultivation technique manuals from Luo Qiqi, he was able to make up for most of the ws. Even though there were still four ws remaining, they were negligible. With this, he would surely be able to strengthen his physical body to the required level within two hours! "Lets return to the stone chamber first." The stone chamber was narrow, dark, and damp, which werent conditions suited for cultivating. Thus, the duo returned to the stone chamber, and sitting down, they began cultivating. Understanding her teachers intentions, Luo Qiqi flipped open the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. An introduction to the technique was written on the first page. "The Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body wasnt created by me; I found it when I was roaming through ancient ruins. There is a total of five levels to the technique, and they are otherwise known as the Five Incandescence. Upon mastering the technique, ones physical body will be imbued with a five-colored light, granting one immense might... However, this technique is extremely difficult to cultivate, and even I have only been able to reach the Third Incandescence." After taking a look, Luo Qiqi couldnt help but feel impressed. Honestly speaking, the person who created the cultivation technique was indeed a genius. She had seen many geniuses and formidable master teachers in the Master Teacher Academy, and she had heard of many different physical body cultivation techniques as well. However, none of them seemed to be able topete with this one. But while the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body was indeed strong, it was difficult to cultivate as well. Putting everything aside, to reach the Second Incandescence and beyond, one would require some supporting materials to temper their body with. Even though Luo Qiqi had plenty of pills and medicinal herbs on her, none of them fulfilled the requirements. Forget it. I shall cultivate the First Incandescence and leave this ce first... Putting all other misceneous thoughts aside, she began to browse through the content of the First Incandescence. "To master the First Incandescence, one has to be able to gather the full might of ones body. It will take at least two years for a genius to achieve Major Aplishment, while those who are less talented can easily take more than ten years!" Such a sentence was written in the very first paragraph depicting the First Incandescence. Two years? Luo Qiqis mouth twitched. If she were to be trapped here for two years, the entire school would probably think that she was dead! Furthermore, this was still assuming that she possessed an affinity for the cultivation technique. If shecked talent in it, wouldnt they be trapped here for ten years? What am I thinking all of this for? I should focus my attention on cultivating. The faster I master the technique, the earlier Ill be able to leave this underground chamber. Luo Qiqi shook away other misceneous thoughts from her head. Clenching her jaws, she began to memorize the form for the First Incandescence. Soon, just after she managed to memorize the content and was just about to decipher and cultivate it, Zhang shi suddenly stood up. "Lets go!" "Where?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. She hadnt even started cultivating yet, where were they heading to? "To leave! Do you not want to leave?" Zhang Xuan shot her a perplexed expression. "I..." Luo Qiqi waspletely confused by the situation before her. "Of course, I want to leave... but we arent able to open the Dragon Severing Lock with our currentbined strength! I have barely memorized the First Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and I havent started cultivating yet..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Its alright, I have already mastered it!" "Mastered it?" Luo Qiqi was taken aback. "What does that mean?" At that moment, the duo was already standing right before the Dragon Severing Lock. Zhang shi raised his arm and abruptly exerted an immense force on the Dragon Severing Lock. Weng! A bright light emanated from his body, and with a jiya!, the Dragon Severing Lock opened. "Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body... First Incandescence? What is going on?" Luo Qiqis body trembled; she felt like she was about to go insane. I thought you didnt read that cultivation technique manual? What in the world was going on? Chapter 673: As Good as Dead Chapter 673: As Good as Dead Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was just a moment ago that she offered this secret manual to Zhang shi, but the other party turned it down, saying that it would be inappropriate for him to take a look at it. But right after, as she waspletely impressed by such noble behavior, the other party actually exerted the might of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body... So, did you look at the book or not? Wasnt it written that even geniuses would require at least two years to master? But how long has it been since we started cultivating? To have remembered the content and finished cultivating within such a short period of time... Teacher, are you Zhang shi or a reincarnation of Wu Yangzi? Luo Qiqi waspletely dumbfounded by the sight before her. It felt as though her understanding of the world was being overturned entirely. Leaping by the Dragon Severing Lock, Zhang Xuan realized that the youngdy was still dazing off within the passageway, so he turned around and beckoned her. "What are you waiting for? Lets go!" Walking out of the passageway, Luo Qiqi couldnt hold back her curiosity anymore, so she asked, "Teacher... did you just use the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body?" "I guess it could be considered that way too." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan exined with a displeased expression, "I didnt intend to learn it, but due to the urgency of the matter, I had no choice but to do so. This physical body cultivation technique is rather troublesome to cultivate so I modified it a little. Even so, significant ws still remain in it, so Ive only cultivated to the First Incandescence!" Zhang Xuan was truly frustrated. Initially, he was still delighted that there were only four ws... but it turned out that he was sorely mistaken. The four ws just happened to be that he would require various rare materials in order to cultivate the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Incandescence. For example, he would require the Earth me Heart to reach the Second Incandescence, and for the Third Incandescence, he would require Origin Heavy Water... When cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body, he only required Heavens Path zhenqi. When had he needed the support of external materials before? To still require so many items even afterpiling a few hundred physical body cultivation techniques with it, this was truly damned. It was fortunate that he could master the First Incandescence through just using his Heavens Path zhenqi, or else he would surely have died of frustration. While he was displeased by his situation, Luo Qiqi was about to go insane. Modified it slightly? Significant ws still remain in it? This is a Spirit pinnacle cultivation technique... or perhaps, it might even be beyond it! I have just barely finished reading through the First Incandescence, and you are already done understanding, modifying, and cultivating it... To even pick on the ws in the technique on top of that! Are you teasing me? I have seen many incredible geniuses and experts, but never have I seen one as absurd as you! Luo Qiqis mouth twitched violently as vertigo struck her. She felt that there was nothing that Zhang shi was incapable of. It seemed as though doing the impossible was the norm for him. "Hmm? They arent out yet? Have they left already?" Just as Luo Qiqi was shocked speechless, she heard the voice of the young man. Shifting her gaze, she saw that Zhang shi had already walked ahead and was currently standing before the other stone door. A deep frown was etched on his forehead. Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others had passed through this stone door to enter another passageway. Considering how they spent almost sixteen hours inside their passageway, they thought that the others would be out by now. But contrary to their expectations, there was not a single face to be seen amidst the dim radiance from the Night Illumination Pearl in the vast underground chamber. Had they left already, or were they still stuck inside? Luo Qiqis heart skipped a beat. Tossing away all other thoughts, she hurriedly rushed up to Zhang Xuan. After examining the area, her expression turned grim. "It seems like they arent out yet. Otherwise, they would have surelye to look for us. Furthermore, the locations where the Night Illumination Pearls are scattered are still the same... This means that it is highly likely they are still inside there!" Given her understanding of Yu Fei-er, the other party would have surely havee to look for them as soon as she left the passageway, or at the very least, she would have notified them through the Night Illumination Pearls. However, given that there was no trace of them in this vast underground chamber, it could only mean that the four of them were still trapped beyond the stone door, unable to leave. "Un!" Since she was able to deduce this much, Zhang Xuan, who possessed the Eye of Insight, was naturally able to do the same as well. At this moment, he was staring at the stone door with a perplexed expression. "But this door isnt locked with the Dragon Severing Lock. Why arent they out yet?" "Its not?" Luo Qiqi walked forward to push open the door, and it opened up easily, revealing a flight of stone steps downward. Unlike their passageway, this one wasnt sealed with a Severing Dragon Lock. In other words... Luo Qiqi and the others could have left whenever they wanted! But if that was the case, why werent they out yet? A thought suddenly struck Luo Qiqi, and her eyes widened in fear. "Grandmaster Wu Yangzi said that the stone chamber, where we were previously, was a cell used to incarcerate him, and this side was the living quarters of the Otherworldly Demon... Considering how a group of Otherworldly Demons were forged into puppets under his hands, could it be..." Wu Yangzi had converted more than twenty Otherworldly Demons into puppets, but there was only a single one in the stone chamber previously. Assuming that all of them were still functional... Zhang Xuans face twisted in shock as well. "Lets go and take a look!" Even though he didnt possess much goodwill toward Yu Fei-er and the others, he didnt bear them any hostility either. He couldnt just stand idly when they were at risk of being ripped into pieces by the Otherworldly Demon puppets. "Un." Knowing that her close friend was in danger, Luo Qiqi dared not hesitate. She quickly followed behind Zhang Xuan and headed down the steps. Just like in the other, this passageway was cold and damp as well. The recording from the stone bridge earlier on said that one could only enter one door. While this door wasnt sealed by the Dragon Severing Lock, if one were to venture this path, one would be lynched by many Otherworldly Demon puppets simultaneously, making it impossible for them to return. On the other hand, if one were to go through the other door and fail to obtain the heritage, one would be doomed as well. And if one managed to obtain the heritage, one would learn that the other passageway led to the Otherworldly Demons nest, and no sane man would possibly venture down this path after learning that. In retrospect, the previous decision was actually a choice between life and death! "I can only hope that they are fine." Grasping his cier Rain Sword tightly, Zhang Xuan slowly proceeded down the passageway. Had he known that it was so dangerous, he would have surely stopped them no matter the means. If the four of them were to really die here, he would feel guilty his entire life. After advancing a moment longer, they finally approached the end of the steps, and another huge underground chamber unfolded before them. Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Qiqi and said, "Itll be too conspicuous if we were to enter together. You should wait for me up there, I will enter alone." "Teacher..." Luo Qiqi was taken aback. "Youre currently still too weak, and you dont have any escape means either. If something really has happened to them, we will only be leaping to our doom pointlessly if the both of us enter together. But if they are fine... Trust me, Ill surely bring them out!" Zhang Xuan said. If someone were to follow him, he would be unable to utilize a lot of his secret means. Thus, it would be better if Luo Qiqi were to head up first. After a moment of hesitation, Luo Qiqi clenched her jaws and nodded. "This... Alright!" She was indeed too weak to be of help at the moment. Considering how she couldnt even wound the Otherworldly Demon puppet, all she could do was run for her life if she were to encounter one. Not to mention, it was likely that they were going to face more than one this time around. If they were to get entangled with them, they might very well lose their lives here. Even though Zhang shi managed to kill the previous Otherworldly Demon puppet, a huge part of the reason was due to the other party being immobilized by the Crimson me Cauldron. Otherwise, in a direct battle, there was no way that it would expose its neck to him! "Teacher, you must be careful... No matter how the others are, you must first ensure your own safety!" Luo Qiqi said worriedly. "Dont worry, I can fly. Even if I cant defeat them, fleeing isnt a problem at all," Zhang Xuan replied. "Un. Ill wait for you outside then." Hearing those words, Luo Qiqi suddenly recalled the various astonishing feats that Zhang Xuan had achieved, and her worry alleviated slightly. She nodded before turning around to leave. A momentter, she disappeared amidst the darkness. After Luo Qiqi left, Zhang Xuan didnt enter the underground chamber straight away. Instead, he sat down and took in a deep breath. Hu! His soul tore away from his body. If there were really twenty or so of the Otherworldly Demons he met previously, it would be difficult for him to escape even if he was capable of flying. After all, his flying altitude was severely limited by the ceiling. If all of them were to rush for him simultaneously, it would be nigh impossible for him to avoid them. Thus, he decided to utilize his soul to scout the area instead. Due to the intangible and invisible nature of a soul, it would be hard for even the Otherworldly Demons to notice it. Hu! As soon as Zhang Xuans soul left his body, he immediately rushed into the underground chamber. There were a few Night Illumination Pearls in the underground chamber that Xing Yuan and the others had scattered. Despite the dimness, Zhang Xuan could still clearly see the situation around him. Looking around, this underground chamber was muchrger than the stone chamber Wu Yangzi had been locked in. Even when gazing across the horizon, the end couldnt be seen. As it was meant to serve as the living quarters of the Otherworldly Demon, infrastructures were positioned neatly alongside one another. If not for the gloomy darkness, one might have even thought that one had stepped into a city. No wonder the Otherworldly Demons were able to survive for more than ten thousand years here... Zhang Xuan nodded. In the end, the Otherworldly Demons did spend dozens of millenniums here. It would be hard to believe that it would be designed shabbily. Thinking so, Zhang Xuan followed along the trail of light. There was no doubt the Night Illumination Pearls were left behind by Yu Fei-er and her group. As long as he followed the source of light, it would surely lead him to them. There are signs of battle... Proceeding a little further, Zhang Xuans face darkened. Under the light of the Night Illumination Pearls, he could see many copsed buildings and a slight trace of blood on the ground. Clearly, a fight had just urred here recently. Eye of Insight! Lines of insight flowed in Zhang Xuans eyes as he studied the battle traces. Fourteen hours ago... It must have been left behind by them! The Eye of Insight was a technique triggered by driving his Soul Depth, so he was able to activate it even as a soul. Through studying the traces left behind here, he was able to deduce when it was left behind. Most likely, Yu Fei-er and the others encountered something not too long after entering the underground chamber and fought against it. But if that is the case, why is it so silent here? Are they already... dead? Zhang Xuan thought. Since a battle had urred, Yu Fei-er and the others should have encountered the Otherworldly Demons. If they were still alive, they should still be in the midst of a battle. Yet, the underground chamber waspletely silent. Zhang Xuans face darkened. He immediately examined the surroundings and saw a few sets of flurried footprints on the ground. These footprints werent too big, revealing that they were left behind by a human. These are their footprints! Having gone through the Third Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgement, Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight was stronger than ever, allowing him to easily notice the slight footsteps above theyer of dust on the ground. Zhang Xuan quickly traced the footsteps, but not too longter, he abruptly halted. Geji! Geji! The sound of someones footsteps sounded not too far away. Under the light of the Night Illumination Pearls, Zhang Xuan saw a massive Otherworldly Demon puppet walking over withrge strides. This fellow was around the same size as the puppet whom he slew not too long ago. Its skin was also gray, as if it was coated with ayer of metal alloy. Zhang Xuans soul cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, so unlike other souls, his body didnt emanate yin energy. As such, the Otherworldly Demon puppet didnt notice him. It simply rushed by him. Following which, a few other Otherworldly Demon puppets also soon followed behind it. There are so many Otherworldly Demon puppets here... To actually meet with eight Otherworldly Demon puppets before he could find Yu Fei-er and the others, Zhang Xuans heart pounded nervously. Given how many Otherworldly Demon puppets were here, Yu Fei-er and the others were... as good as dead! Chapter 674: Finding Yu Fei-er Chapter 674: Finding Yu Fei-er Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 These puppets were pulsating with immense energy that was equivalent to the one he had met in the stone room. Judging from the looks of it, even a Saint realm expert would be killed even if he came here. Luo Qiqi and Zhang Xuan had nearly died dealing with just one. It took them careful nning and much effort just to get rid of it. To encounter eight at once... With an awfulplexion, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward. Boom boom boom boom! A whileter, the ground suddenly started shaking relentlessly with a peculiar rhythm. Hmm? Zhang Xuan frowned. The shaking was forceful, reminiscent of shock waves emanated in a sh between experts. However, what was bizarre was the constant short interval between each tremor. Nevertheless, this trace of battle raised Zhang Xuans hopes. Could it be that they are still holding on? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though the Otherworldly Demons had been forged into puppets under Wu Yangzis hands, they possessed no emotions or irrationality that would make them fight one another... The only possibility was that Yu Fei-er and the others were still alive, and they were still fending them off! But... those were Saint realm puppets. How did Yu Fei-er and the others manage to survive for so long? Speeding up, Zhang Xuan flew to where the tremors were originating from. In the midst of his journey, he saw yet another three puppets walking in a straight line, simr to the ones he had seen previously. This is already the seventeenth one... Making a quick count of the puppets he had encountered, Zhang Xuans face darkened. It was fortunate that he hadnte here in his physical body, or else it would have been no joke if he had been surrounded by these guys! While his cultivation had advanced greatly in recent times, and he had the Library of Heavens Path behind him, he knew his own limits. He might have gotten past a Saint realm expert by hoodwinking the other party with his words before, but against lifeless puppets who only followed instructions... he knew that death would be the only oue from an encounter with them. Something is wrong! If Yu Fei-er and the others are still alive, why are these puppets walking away instead of encircling them? As Zhang Xuan encountered more and more puppets, a seed of doubt slowly sprouted in his mind. After noticing that Yu Fei-er was still alive, those puppets should have been rallying one another to deal with them. Why would they be walking away instead in such an orderly fashion? Even though Zhang Xuan was confused by the situation before him, he continued to advance at top speed. Zhang Xuan didnt dare to fly too fast for fear of inducing any significant reverberations in the air from his movement. After advancing for around another eight minutes, he finally arrived at the source of the tremors. Along the way, he had seen many scars of battle as well, but they were of a rtively smaller scalepared to the first ones he encountered. Most likely, they were trying to fend off the Otherworldly Demon puppets as they retreated. The fact that he had yet to see their corpses yet meant that there was a good chance that they were still breathing. To be able to survive so long against so many Saint realm Otherworldly Demon puppets... they were indeed formidable. Hmm? They are over there! After taking a detour around a high-rise building, Zhang Xuan noticed that the source of the tremors was right before him. Quickly raising his gaze to take a look, a vast square appeared before his eyes. It covered an area of several dozen mu, and stationed at the very center was an altar. Most probably, it was a tool they used to pay respect to their ancestors or the heavens back when they were still alive. (15 mu a hectare) Bizarre symbols were inscribed on the altar, leaving one with overwhelming dizziness just by looking at it. There were various peculiar statues erected around the altar. They resembled a fusion of various beasts, forming an extremely sinister sight. A powerful killing intent emanated from the statues, inducing a cold shiver down ones spine. They are still alive... As Zhang Xuans gaze fell on the center of the altar, his eyes lit up. Over there, a barrier of light was erected, and two Otherworldly Demon puppets were striking it ceaselessly. This was where the tremors wereing from. In the barrier of light, Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others were seated cross-legged at the very center. Their faces were pale, and their bodies were drenched in fresh blood. It seemed like they had suffered grievous wounds while attempting to escape from the Otherworldly Demon puppets. What an incredible trump card! Looking at the barrier of light, Zhang Xuan was impressed. To be able to fend off the relentless attacks from two Saint realm puppets, the resilience of the barrier was indeed incredible! It probably belongs to Yu Fei-er or Xing Yuan... Considering the standing of those two, it wouldnt be surprising for them to possess such means up their sleeves. Realizing what was going on, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As the princess of Hongyuan Empire, it was natural that she would carry a lot of defensive artifacts so that she could protect herself in face of danger. Otherwise, due to her exceptional identity, it was unlikely that her family would be willing to let her venture out alone. On the other hand, given how Xing Yuan could pursue the princess so openly, his family background was likely to be exceptional as well. While their artifacts might not be sufficient for them to fight against the Otherworldly Demon puppets, it was sufficient for them to stand their ground temporarily. But this barrier of light seems to be on the verge of crumbling... Zhang Xuan frowned. No matter how powerful an artifact may be, it was limited by the amount of energy stored within it. Taking his Dragon Scale Protective Amulet for example, while it was able to withstand an attack with the full might of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, it was only limited to three uses. While the barrier of light that the four were in was able to withstand the relentless attacks from the two puppets, its light was dim, and it seemed like it was going to break apart soon. And once it did, it would spell the moment of their doom. I must find a way to save them... The current situation ced him in a dilemma. If he were to instruct them to dispel the barrier of light, the two Otherworldly Demon puppets would surely rush straight at them, and Zhang Xuan had no confidence in bringing all of them out alive with them on their trail. But if the barrier of light wasnt dispelled, they would be trapped here... What could be done at this moment? Furthermore, what puzzled Zhang Xuan the most was that, judging from where the other Otherworldly Demon puppets which hed encountered on the way here were heading from, they were probably at this altar before. Why did the rest march away, leaving only two of them here? If all of them were to strike the barrier of the light together, it would have surely shattered by now! Assessing the situation a while longer, Zhang Xuan was still unable to make sense out of the situation. Thus, he decided to drift a little closer to the barrier of light to get a better look. Why is there a corpse in there? Moving forward, he saw Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian were seated shoulder to shoulder in a circle at the center of the barrier of light, and seated at the center of the four of them was an old man. Even though there was no visible damage to the body of the old man, his withered and emaciated body revealed that he was long dead. A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. Could this be... Grandmaster Wu Yangzi? For a human corpse to appear here... Putting the clues together, the old man should be Wu Yangzi. When Zhang Xuan couldnt find Wu Yangzis corpse in the stone chamber previously, he had already been a little perplexed as to where it could be. From the looks of it now, the corpse had been here all along, and somehow, Yu Fei-er and the others had managed to find it, and they were currently guarding it. Of course, it was also possible that the corpse was guarding them. It was impossible for Zhang Xuan to determine whether the barrier of light came from Yu Fei-ers group or Wu Yangzi. While Zhang Xuan was assessing the situation carefully, cold sweat was dripping down the faces of Yu Fei-er and the others. Panting deeply, Xing Yuan said with a pale face, "Sixth Princess, it seems like we wont be able to get out this time." There was a ring wound on his chest. Even though he had already applied some recovery medicine, fresh blood still kept oozing from it, forming a rather frightening scene. "Well probably die here..." Wu Zhens face also darkened. They had all thought that it would be a simple missionall they needed to do was to confirm the existence of the underground chamber where Wu Yangzi once stayed in. Who knew that this seemingly simple mission would actually lead them to so many formidable puppets! Chased all the way here, if not for Yu Fei-ers ample supply of defensive artifacts, they would have already died a few hours ago. "At the very least, we chose the correct passageway. This is indeed where Grandmaster Wu Yangzi lived previously, and we even found his corpse!" Yu Fei-er harrumphed. Amidst this despair, this was the only constion she received. At the very least, she managed to best that smug Zhang Xuan once! Since Grandmaster Wu Yangzis corpse was here, it could only mean that they had found the right ce. Her greatest regret now was that she wasnt able to see the smugness wiped out of that fellows face. "Youre right." Xing Yuan nodded weakly. Then, turning around to Yu Fei-er, he asked, "Sixth Princess, since were already on deaths door, can you tell if... you have ever liked me?" Seeing as the barrier of light continued to grow thinner and thinner, Xing Yuan knew that it was a matter of time before it shattered. Thus, he was unable to suppress the greatest question in his mind anymore. He had been pursuing thisdy for a very long time already, but the other party had never reciprocated his feelings. Now that they were on the verge of death, he wanted to at least know the truth so that he could rest in peace. Hearing those words, Ye Qian and Wu Zhen immediately turned their heads away awkwardly. Not expecting Xing Yuan to ask such a question, Yu Fei-er opened her mouth, but she soon bit her lips. After a long moment of hesitation, she shook her head. "I have already told you that before I be a 6-star master teacher, Im not interested in engaging in any romantic rtionship..." She had an extremelypetitive nature, and she had always wanted to prove herself to others. As such, romantic rtionships were something at the back of her mind. Even though Xing Yuan had been pursuing her for some time now, her heart had never skipped a beat for him. "I knew it. I didnt stand a chance from the start..." Hearing such direct words from the other party, Xing Yuan shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Then, are you interested in Zhang Xuan?" Recalling that shameless face on that detestable young man, Yu Fei-er clenched her jaws in anger. "Zhang Xuan? How could I possibly be interested in that despicable and shameless fellow? I must be mad before I can possibly fall in love with such a guy!" She was a princess, a member of nobility, and yet the other party dared to force her to be his maid and serve him tea... If only that was all... When she went to reason it out with him, he even kicked her bottom twice! She had never seen someone as ungentlemanly as him! If not for the fact that she wasnt able to defeat him, she would have long rushed over to crush that man with her hands. I... Zhang Xuan, who was loitering around the barrier of light to find an opportunity to save the group, heard Yu Fei-ers evaluation of him, and he staggered... I am such an upright, kind, and magnanimous person. How in the world did I be a despicable and shameless man? Just like the wise sages of the past once said, woman and hypocrite are the two most difficult species to please! Such is indeed the case! Hearing her furious howls, Xing Yuan wasnt delighted in the least. Instead, he shook his head in disappointment. "The more ferociously you berate him, the greater the ce he has in your heart. I have known you since we were little, and it has been more than twenty years since then, but have I ever upied a space as big as him in your heart? When I said we werent able to leave earlier, the first thing that came to your mind wasnt fear but that you have won a bet against him..." Even in this desperate situation, all she could think of was Zhang Xuan... From this fact, he knew that despite his years of pursuing her, his standing in the other partys heart couldnt evenpare to that fellow she had just met. "I..." Yu Fei-er froze upon hearing those words. Was she really in love with that fellow? But how could it be possible! All she wanted was to rid herself of her identity as a maid and teach that shameless fellow a lesson! Affirming her intentions inside once more, just as she was about to verbalize them to Xing Yuan, a voice suddenly drifted into their ears. "Cough cough. This isnt the time to be flirting with one another. You should be discussing how you can get away instead!" Hearing that voice, Yu Fei-er eyes widened. "Zhang Xuan?" Chapter 675: Beating Heart Chapter 675: Beating Heart Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Right after calling out that mans name, Yu Fei-ers face turned crimson, and she quickly shook her head in denial. How can he possibly be here... Considering the duration they had been fleeing for, they were at least several kilometers into the depths of the underground chamber. On top of that, there were many Otherworldly Demon puppets patrolling the area, ready to take out any intruder. Most important of all, that fellow had clearly entered the other passageway, so how could he possibly appear here? There was no doubt about it, she must be hallucinating! Right after she reaffirming that she would never fall in love with that despicable fellow, she actually hallucinated his voice and thought that he woulde to her rescue... How embarrassing! "It was just a passing remark, none of you heard a thing at all... Got it?" Yu Fei-er harrumphed furiously with a threatening edge in her tone. "Cough cough..." Wu Zhen and the others nced at one another before replying, "Princess... it seems like we heard those words as well." "You all heard those words too?" Taken aback, Yu Fei-er quickly scanned her surroundings anxiously. But other than the two puppets which were still striking the barrier of light relentlessly, there wasnt anyone aside from them. "Since all of us distinctly heard his voice, it is unlikely to be an imagination on our part..." Xing Yuan nodded. While he did detest Zhang Xuan, it was still consoling to hear the other partys voice at this crucial moment. Seeing that the other party actually doubted his existence after he had spoken, he shook his head helplessly and continued transmitting his voice to them. "Alright, none of you are hallucinating. Im indeed Zhang Xuan, and I am here to save you all. My physical body is still outside, and I am currently using a secret art to transmit my voice over..." As he couldnt reveal that he was a floating soul at this momentthis would expose his identity as a soul oraclehe could only exin it by this. "If youre outside, could this be... Transmission Over a Thousand Li?" Xing Yuan and the others widened their eyes in shock. One must know that not even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan could possibly transmit his voice so clearly over several kilometers. Could it be that... Zhang Xuan already possessed such immense strength? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was aware of their situation and intended to save them, Yu Fei-er heaved a sigh of relied and asked, "How do you intend to save us? Do you have an idea in mind?" This fellow might be hateful, but he did possess incredible capabilities. Otherwise, how could she possibly have been bullied so many times and yet still be helpless against him? "Its precisely because I dont have any ideas that Im here to discuss this matter with you..." Zhang Xuan said. He really had no idea in mind. His soul might have been able to sneak in without catching anyones notice, but if he were to attempt to bring the others out, they would surely be surrounded and killed before they could get far. "Discuss? If we had an idea in mind, we would have already escaped from this darned ce long ago..." Xing Yuan said with a darkened face. His spirits had lifted after hearing Zhang Xuans voice, but who would have thought that the other party was as lost as them? "Alright, why dont you all tell me the situation here in-depth? This will help me find a viable solution to your current plight. For one, I saw quite a few puppets walking away from your direction when I was scouting around just now. Under normal circumstances, they should have all gathered here to get rid of you together. Why did they walk away, leaving only these two here?" Zhang Xuan raised the doubt that had been guing him all along. If all of them were to attack at once, the barrier of light would have shattered long ago, and this group would be cold corpses by now. While the puppets didnt possess intelligence, it was reasonable to think that they were programmed to encircle and defeat any intruders into the underground chamber. After all, the puppet he had met in the stone room before had pursued him frenziedly, threatening to grind him into meat paste. As such, how could they possibly let such a huge group off? Perhaps, there might be some fundamental logic to it. If he were to exploit this, he might be able to find a way to save the group. "Not too long after we entered this underground chamber, we encountered those Otherworldly Demon puppets. We were immediately overpowered by them, and they deliberately blocked the way back to the passageway. Thus, we could only retreat deeper into the underground chamber while fending them off..." Ye Qian swiftly exined everything that happened. Right after walking down the flight of stairs, they immediately saw this underground town, so they quickly rushed to it excitedly, thinking that they had found a vital clue. Who could have thought that they would meet with the Otherworldly Demon puppets not too longter? That was also the region where Zhang Xuan first found the traces of battle. Surrounded by a group of Saint realm puppets, they were naturally not a match at all. It was fortunate that Xing Yuan and Princess Fei-er possessed many valuable artifacts on them. Hurling them out while retreating, they managed to fend the enemies off. Even so, they were still severely injured through the many encounters. Fleeing all the way to the altar, they happened to find Wu Yangzis corpse and triggered the mechanism he had left behind. It was then that the barrier of light emerged, and they got a moment of breather. Meaning, this barrier of light was indeed an artifact left behind by Wu Yangzi. It was probably a means to prevent his corpse from being defaced by the Otherworldly Demons after his death, but who could have known that it would unintentionally save the juniors who came searching for him two thousand yearster? However, judging from the current state of the barrier, it was unlikely tost too much longer. After hearing Ye Qians works, Yu Fei-er harrumphed. "Who said that those fellows didnt gather here in an attempt to get rid of us? All twenty of them were here a moment ago, or else the barrier of light couldnt possibly wane so quickly. Just that... for some reason unknown to us, they left abruptly!" It wasnt that those fellows didnte to encircle them, but that they were unable to break the barrier and left. Who knows when they will return? All of the defensive artifacts they possessed were depleted. Once the barrier of light shattered, they would lose their only protection. Even if Zhang Xuan was here to support them, it was still highly unlikely that they would be able to escape. "You said that they left after attacking the barrier for a moment?" Zhang Xuan frowned. That didnt make sense at all. If those fellows had continued, the barrier of light would have shattered by now. Why would those puppets march off during such a crucial moment, leaving only two of them to continue? The group nodded. "When did they leave?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Around ten minutes ago or so!" Ye Qian said. "Ten minutes ago? Thats around the time that Little Qi and I left the underground chamber..." Frowning, a thought suddenly surfaced, and Zhang Xuans face darkened. "Could it be..." Could it be that... these fellows found out that he had breached the other passageway, and were heading over to support their ally? If that was the case, he would be in great danger! His physical body was still hidden in the passageway near the entrance of the underground chamber. If he were to be noticed by them, wouldnt his body be smashed into pieces? "Give me a moment, Ill look around and figure something out..." His physical body was of the greatest importance to him now, he couldnt allow anything to go wrong with it. Not to mention, if his physical body were to be ruined, there was no way he could help Yu Fei-er and the others out of their current plight. Thus, leaving behind these words, he immediately rushed off. "Hey! ...Hey!" As his voice slowly faded, the surroundings grew silent once more. Yu Fei-er shouted in panic a few times, but she didnt receive any response. Infuriated, she smacked the ground with her fist. What the heck was that? He was here to save them, and yet he disappeared without doing anything at all. What was he up to? ... Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with the resentment that was piling up on him at the moment. His soul rushed all the back to the passageway at the quickest speed possible. It was due to his fear of being noticed that he moved slowly previously, but given that it was likely that his physical danger was in danger now, he couldnt bother about that anymore. Soon, he arrived back at the flight of stairs. There are no puppets here... On the stone steps, his physical body was still meditating quietly by the corner, untouched by anyone. Was I wrong? He thought that the other puppets were rushing to aid their ally in the other underground chamber after learning that it had been breached by intruders, but that didnt seem to be the case. Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. "Clone!" Hu! Releasing his clone, Zhang Xuan ced his physical body into his storage ring. While his physical body couldnt survive for too long in the storage ring, this should be the safer course of action for the moment. Naturally, the ring was left with his clone. Even though his clone had proven to be unreliable on many asions, the might of the Nine Hearts Lotus wasnt for show. Those Otherworldly Demon puppets might be formidable, but it would still be extremely difficult for them to kill his clone. At the very least, his clone should be able to ensure the safety of his main body. "Wait here for me, Ill take a look to see what the puppets are up to. At the very least, Ill be able to prepare for whatever they are up to..." After instructing his clone, Zhang Xuans soul flew into the depths of the underground chamber once more. Given that those puppets werent going to the other underground chamber, they must be up to something. Otherwise, they couldnt possibly let Yu Fei-er and the others go. Thus, Zhang Xuan felt that there was an imperative need for him to uncover what those fellows were up to! After flying for a moment, Zhang Xuan saw the first wave of puppets once more. They were currently moving to the corner of the city. What are they doing there? The corner of the city wasnt lit up by Night Illumination Pearls, so it was pitch-ck. Nevertheless, the puppets marched on tirelessly, disappearing into the darkness swiftly. Eye of Insight! With the Eye of Insight activated, the pitch-ck area suddenly became visible to his sight. The Eye of Insight wasnt just capable of seeing through facade, even darkness couldnt conceal its vision. Examining the surroundings closely, Zhang Xuan continued following the puppets forward. Very soon, the puppets left the city and arrived before a stream. Its probably connected to the stream I saw above... Zhang Xuans eyes shot up. To think that the stream above would actually flow through this area as well! However, what were they nning to do here instead of attacking Yu Fei-er and the others? Hu! In the midst of Zhang Xuans confusion, one of the puppets stepped into the river. Geji! Geji! As soon as the puppet stepped in, a series of gears clicked, and a round pedestal appeared in the middle of the stream. As soon as the round pedestal surfaced, an overwhelming killing intent immediately filled the surroundings. The st of overpowering killing intent induced an immense pressure weighing down on Zhang Xuans soul. To think that the killing intent even affects souls? Zhang Xuan quickly drove the Heavens Path Soul Art, and only then did he finally recover from the impact. He couldnt help but narrow his eyes. He was currently a soul, possessing no shape and no form. Who knew that the killing intent emanated from the surfaced round pedestal would be so powerful that it nearly caused his soul to plummet to the ground? The scale waspletely iparable to the living Otherworldly Demon that Hong shi caught. What in the world is that? Gathering more lines of insights in his energy, Zhang Xuan focused his gaze on the round pedestal. Even without thinking, it was clear that there was something wrong with the current situation. On the round pedestal, there was an object around the size of the watermelon. It contracted and expanded at a constant frequency, creating a loud rumbling noise reminiscent of thunder along with its movements. A heart? Zhang Xuans body froze. He was doubtful at first, but the more he looked at it, the more apparent it became to him that the object ced at the center pedestal was a crimson heart! Why was there a heart here? And more importantly... how was it still beating? Just as Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the situation before him, he saw the puppet which leaped into the water kneeling before the round pedestal. Hu hu hu hu! Along with the beating of the heart, spiritual energy was drawn from the stream by the heart and infused into the puppet. The worn-out puppet immediately became energized once more. The puppets are... recharging their energy? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists in agitation. Chapter 676: Reduced to a Lump of Meat Chapter 676: Reduced to a Lump of Meat Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even a cultivator would eventually find himself drained and exhausted after fighting for a long period of time, needless to say, a puppet! These puppets were installed with a Spirit Gathering Formation in their bodies, and they relied on absorbing the spiritual energy from the surroundings or from spirit stones to move. Thus, if they were to overexert themselves, it was possible for them to stop functioning due tock of power. This exined why the twenty or so puppets left shortly after attacking the barrier of light. It seemed that they had overexerted themselves by striking the barrier of light with their full might relentlessly, and thus needed to recharge themselves. "This underground stream is actually a spirit vein, and it gathers the spiritual energy from the meandering mountain range that spans a thousand kilometers. There is indeed sufficient spiritual energy contained in the stream to replenish the energy in those puppets... but even so, it shouldnt be easy for the puppet to absorb the spiritual energy in the stream so easily and quickly! Theres something very weird about the heart!" Just as a cultivator couldnt possibly restore their zhenqi to their full capacity in an instant, a puppet also needed some time to recharge itself. To recoverpletely within a few breaths was downright absurd. Most probably, this ridiculous situation must have something to do with the heart. In the first ce, it was already bizarre that a heart overflowing with killing intent would actually be ced within a stream of spiritual energy. Furthermore, there was something very sinister about this heart that seemed to send endless chills down Zhang Xuans spine as he looked at it. This eerie sight was triggering all of his rms! Gugugugu! While Zhang Xuan was still examining the beating heart in bewilderment, another Otherworldly Demon puppet stepped forward. Along with the beating of the heart, it recovered its strength. "Itll be disastrous if this goes on..." Seeing the Otherworldly Demon puppets regaining their strength one by one, Zhang Xuans heart beat in anxiety. If he didnt do anything, it wouldnt be long before all of the puppets recovered and returned to attack Yu Fei-er and the others. Should that happen, thetter would definitely die here! "I must bring Yu Fei-er and the others out of here before all of these puppets regain their strength!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists together grimly. In truth, this could be considered as an opportunity as well. Most of the puppets were currently busy recharging here, and it would take some time before they would return. This was probably the only chance he was going to get to save them. Once the other puppets returned, there would be nothing more Zhang Xuan could do. "But even if that is the case... I am still unable to defeat the two remaining puppets to save Yu Fei-er..." While Zhang Xuan knew that he had to firmly grasp this opportunity, the might of the two remaining Otherworldly Demon puppets was simply beyond him. Not to mention, if a fight were to ur, it was likely that the disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air, as well as the shock wave from the trading of blows, would catch the attention of the other puppets as well. Chances were the puppets would encircle them before they could get away from this underground chamber. The main reason why Zhang Xuan was able to kill the previous Otherworldly Demon puppet in the stone chamber was due to assistance from Luo Qiqis side, and the apt usage of a valuable artifact, the Crimson ze Cauldron. Given that neither Luo Qiqi nor that artifact were here... it was nigh impossible for Zhang Xuan to y two Otherworldly Demon puppets! In the end, his options were restricted due to his low cultivation realm. "Right, I could do that..." Just as Zhang Xuan was rubbing his be in frustration, an idea suddenly streaked across his mind. Carefully analyzing and fixing the various aspects of his n, his eyes slowly grew brighter and brighter. After confirming that it was feasible, his soul immediately flew off. He didnt head off to the altar where Yu Fei-er and the others were waiting. Instead, he quickly returned to the passageway to return his clone to his storage ring before wrapping his soul energy around the ring and carrying it to a remote, narrow alley within the city. Then, he summoned his clone and a humongous corpse out from his storage ring. The humongous corpse consisted of two partsa head and a body. It was the Otherworldly Demon which he had decapitated back in the stone chamber. "Possession!" Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath before his soul dived into the puppets body. Hu! Simr to the Soulless Metal Humanoid, these puppets were forged out of real bodies as well. Thus, it wasnt too difficult for his soul to enter the body. Just that, due to the overwhelming killing intent infused within the body, only a person who cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art like Zhang Xuan would be able to enter such a body. Any other soul oracle would have had their soul dissipated before they could evene into contact with it. Geji! As soon as Zhang Xuans soul seeped into the body, the puppet on the ground twitched, and it began to struggle to its feet. "Its indeed possible..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as Zhang Xuan was considering how he should save Yu Fei-er and the others, hed suddenly recalled the existence of this corpse in his storage ring. Even though the puppets head was lopped off, that wouldnt hinder its ability to house a soul. As long as Zhang Xuan could possess it, he should be able to move it. Perhaps, he might be able to fool the other Otherworldly Demon puppets through this and save Yu Fei-er and the others. The possessed puppet bent down to grab his head and ce it on his neck. Then, it began to shake its limbs to adapt to the new body before running off to the altar excitedly. But barely after taking a few steps, peng!, the puppet crashed into a pir, and its head rolled far into the distance. The puppet immediately fumbled its way to its head, picked it up, and installed it on its neck once more. Typically speaking, it would be impossible for anyone to tell that the puppet was currently possessed. However, due to the puppets head having been severed before, it could fall off very easily, and that would be a dead giveaway. "Ill have to support it then..." If the puppets head were to shake on top of its neck while moving around, Zhang Xuan would surely be exposed. Thus, he could only helplessly raise his palm to support his head while making his way to the altar. The ce he was hiding at previously wasnt too far from the altar, so it didnt take him too long to arrive there. "Were doomed..." Yu Fei-er and the others were waiting expectantly for Zhang Xuan to arrive and save them, but who knew that an Otherworldly Demon puppet would appear instead. Their faces immediately sunk. The barrier of light was already on the verge of shattering under thebined offense of the two puppets. With one more here, their fates were sealed. Just that, there was something very peculiar about this puppet. Its head was tilting unnaturally to one side, and it seemed as though it would fall if not for a hand ced by its head to support it. It was an extremely eerie sight. The unnaturally bent-head puppet soon arrived before the barrier of light, and it tapped on the shoulders of the two puppets who were still striking the barrier. The two puppets ceased their attacks and turned to look at the two. Roar! The bent-head puppet pointed to his back, and tracing his finger, Yu Fei-er and the others saw a human figure sneaking toward them under the dim light granted by the Night Illumination Pearls. "Zhang shi!" After taking a close look at the other partys appearance, Yu Fei-er and the others began to panic. What the heck is that foolish man trying to do! If you want to save us, you should at least try learning how to hide your presence first! To actually stand right before a Night Illumination Pearl like that, arent you just waiting to be discovered? More importantly, after being noticed by the puppet with the bent head, not only did you not flee immediately, you even continued to advance forward. Does hell really interest you so much that you are bent on charging right into it? You arent trying to save us, you are trying to court death! Roar! Naturally, the other two puppets also noticed Zhang Xuan. Roaring furiously, one stepped forcefully against the ground and charged toward him. Against that fearsome charge, Zhang Xuans face immediately paled in shock. He immediately tried to escape, but there was no way he could possibly outrun a Saint realm puppet. Thus, he was struck squarely in his head. Peng! His face caved in as if a donut, and his body went flying through numerous buildings. "Zhang shi..." "Zhang Xuan..." Not expecting that their savior would have his head crushed before he could even reach them, the bodies of Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and the others trembled, and they nearly fainted from shock. It wasnt too long ago that the other party proudly dered that he would save them, and yet, he was killed as soon as he made an appearance... This was probably the most anticlimactic rescue operation of all time! Yu Fei-ers eyes turned red upon that sight, and with quivering lips, she bellowed anxiously, "Arent you... supposed to be formidable? I havent won against you in a bet yet, you cant die like that..." What the heck is this! Werent you quite formidable when you were bullying me? Why did you be so weak before these puppets? How could you allow your head to be smashed in just like that? Shouldnt you have at least learned your lesson after identally reducing your body to a mere corpse while cultivating in the Cleansing Lake? The others also shook their heads in disappointment. They werent in the position to grieve over Zhang Xuanafter all, they were next. On the other hand, the puppet who smashed Zhang Xuans head in turned around and returned to the barrier of light after eliminating the intruder. However, before it could get far, the bent-head puppet pointed to its back once more. Frowning, the puppet turned around, only to see the fellow from before standing before it in an upright position. While his face was caved in and his legs were shaking, he was standing firmly on the spot. "Ah?" "This..." Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and the others who had just given up all hope widened their mouths in shock. To be able to stand up after his head was caved in to such an extent... Are you serious? The dumbfounded Yu Fei-er mumbled in a daze, "He... isnt dead?" Recalling something, through her quivering red lips, she muttered, "Did he... get possessed by some spirit again?" A simr situation had urred back at the Cleansing Lake. Back when their attention had been captured by something else, his lifeless body had secretly crept back into theke. Could it be that history was repeating itself? After all, how could a person whose face was caved in like that possibly stand up once more? Being possessed in itself waspletely inconceivable already, and yet for it to happen twice to the same person within such a short period of time... Just how many vengeful spirits have you offended? Roar! The ridiculous scene left even the emotionless puppet stunned for a moment. But after which, it immediately dashed forward and kicked Zhang Xuan. Peng! Under the might of the powerful kick, Zhang Xuans ribcage broke, and his chest sunk inward. Once again, he crashed through many buildings, disappearing amidst a cloud of dust. Confident that it had managed to y Zhang Xuan this time around, the puppet nodded in satisfaction. However, right after turning around, it saw the puppet with the crooked head pointing behind it with a look of fright yet again. Turning its head around anxiously, the puppet saw an upright silhouette with a sunk-in chest amidst the cloud of dust. Its hands were ced against its waist, as if nothing had happened at all. "AHHHHHHH..." Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others were alreadypletely stupefied by the sight before them. All of them pped their cheeks tightly to confirm whether they were in a dream or not. What the heck was going on? His face was caved in, and his chest was sunk in, and yet he was still standing... What kind of sorcery was this! Hu! Not expecting the fellow to still be alive after two consecutive strikes, the puppet roared furiously and dashed forward, striking Zhang Xuan relentlessly with its fists and kicks. After a short moment, Zhang Xuan waspletely disfigured. Half of his head was sted off, his body was crushed and had be almost as thin as a slice of a paper, and his bones had been reduced to dust. Only after that fellow was reduced to just a lump of meat did the puppet finally end its attacks. Satisfied, it turned around and walked back. But yet once again, the puppet with the bent head pointed behind it. Roaring furiously, it turned its head around and saw that figure which had been crushed into something without the slightest resemnce of a human standing up once more. His crushed arms were ced weakly against his waist, and his eyes were filled with mockery. "The heck..." "Is that really Zhang shi?" "How in the freaking world can he still be alive after all that?" "I must be dreaming!" Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian werepletely overwhelmed by this madness. Considering how a part of his head had been sted away and the tragic state his body was in, it should be physically impossible for Zhang Xuan to stand up at all. This was probably not as simple as a mere possession. Not even a spirit could possibly make this lump of meat stand up once more! Chapter 677: Thank You, Zhang Xuan Chapter 677: Thank You, Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Sixth Princess, you are the most knowledgeable of us here. Do you know what is going on?" Gulping down a mouthful of saliva, Xing Yuan asked. "I-I..." At this point, Yu Fei-er was on the verge of tears. As a princess, she had ess to many secret manuals exclusive to the royal family, and she was also exposed to many unique techniques in the world. But even so, she couldnt imagine a single technique in the world that could allow a person to stand up after being reduced to a lump of meat. "What about you?" Xing Yuan turned to Wu Zhen and asked. Given how thetter specialized in mechanisms, he might be able to see the secret behind this peculiarity. "I..." Wu Zhens lips quivered as his face twitched violently. He specialized in mechanisms, not cryptozoology! How could he possibly know what was going on? While the few of them were renderedpletely insane by the turn of events, the two puppets were also frenzied by the scene before them. To still be able to stand up after all of that, are you still a human? Huhuhu! The bent-head puppet seemed to be frightened by the sight before it. He immediately patted the shoulder of the second puppet by the barrier of light and pointed to that monstrous fellow, gesturing it to head over there to support the first puppet. The puppet hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Following which, it immediately dashed for Zhang Xuan. The overpowering killing intent of the two puppets ovepped with one another, thus exerting a formidable pressure on those before their presence. However, as soon as the second puppet came heading for him, Zhang Xuan immediately turned around to flee. Hu! With a swift leap, he disappeared into the darkness. Roar! Roar! Not expecting the other party to still be able to flee so quickly despite being reduced to such a state, the two puppets were astonished. They immediately rushed forward to pursue him, and before long, they disappeared into the depths of the darkness as well. On the other hand, staring at the escaping Zhang Xuan, Yu Fei-er and the others were dumbstruck. Since you are able to flee, what the hell were you doing just now? To leave only after you are reduced to such a state, what is going through your mind? "Hurry up! Lift the barrier of light and leave!" Just as the few of them were bewildered by the situation, Zhang Xuan voice sounded. Stunned, they immediately looked in the direction where the voice came from. To their shock, it actually came from the bent-head puppet. "Zhang shi?" The group stared at the puppet before them with perfectly widened eyes. "Yes, its me. I managed to lure the both of them away with a special art. Hurry up and leave with me. Otherwise, itll be toote once the other puppets return!" The bent-head puppet urged anxiously. "Are you... really Zhang shi?" Even though the voice was definitely Zhang shis, the savage expression on the puppet made it hard to put the both of them together. Not to mention, they had just seen him getting smashed into a lump of meat... how did he be a puppet in the blink of an eye? Even the most proficient disguiser wouldnt be that exaggerated! "I really am him. You lost a bet to me, and you are currently still serving as my maid..." There was no time for them to waste. Knowing that it was normal for the other party to suspect him given his current appearance, Zhang Xuan immediately tried to validate his credibility. He turned Xing Yuan and said, "Back at the Cleansing Lake, you came to look for me, asking me to admit my defeat..." "Fine, I believe you..." "You are Zhang Xuan!" Yu Fei-ers face reddened whereas ck lines streaked Xing Yuans face. There werent many people who knew of Yu Fei-er bing a maid, and the matter regarding Xing Yuan asking Zhang Xuan to admit defeat on the bet was known only by the two of them. Thus, these served as sufficient evidence to prove that the puppet was indeed Zhang shi. Hu! After affirming the other partys identity, Yu Fei-er raised her hand and grabbed onto something, and the barrier of light vanished. "Lets go!" Knowing that there was a limit to how long his clone could distract the two puppets, Zhang Xuan immediately led the way while holding onto his head. But after taking two steps, he realized that no one was following him, Thus, he turned around, only to see the four of them still seated on the ground with pale faces. "Whats wrong?" He asked with a frown. "Our wounds are more severe than we thought... We arent able to move at all..." Xing Yuan said awkwardly. The other party had spent so much effort nning this operation to save them, and yet they were unable to run away due to their severe injuries. The entire group felt that they had let Zhang Xuan down. "I dont think well be able to get away, so please bring Grandmaster Wu Yangzis body back with you. Tell the academy that we have aplished our mission, and that we didnt let the academy down..." Xing Yuan said with clenched jaws. It was at least seven to eight kilometers to the passageway. Given their severe injuries, they would surely be caught before they could reach it. Since it was impossible for them to get away, they would rather Zhang Xuan bring back the corpse. At least, this would bring some value to their deaths. "What is the use bringing a corpse back?" Not expecting that fellow to utter such words at such a timing, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Of course, this action caused his head to fall down yet again. Hurriedly picking it up and imnting it on his neck, he turned to look at Wu Zhen and asked, "Do you have any wine?" "Wine?" Wu Zhen was taken aback for a moment before nodding. Flicking his wrist, he took out a gourd. He enjoyed wine, so he often carried such wine gourds along with him. Zhang Xuan caught the wine and kept it in his storage ring. Following which, he established a connection with his main body he was currently storing inside the storage ring. His Heavens Path zhenqi was contained only within his main body, so he couldnt infuse it in through just his soul. If it was before, he would have to bring his main body out and have his soul enter it first before he would be able to infuse Heavens Path zhenqi into the wine. However, having achieved Mind of Void, his physical body was able to move even without a soul in it. Gugugugu! After infusing seven to eight surges of zhenqi into the wine gourd, Zhang Xuan took it out from the storage ring and passed it to Yu Fei-er. "Drink a few sips." "Un!" Even though she didnt know what he was up to, she knew that this wasnt the time for questions. Thus, she immediately uncorked the gourd and drank it without any hesitation. As the rich wine went down her throat, she felt a warm flow surging through her body. In less than two breaths, the excruciating pain she was suffering from turned into a mere numbing sensation, and the gaping wounds from before had healedpletely. "This..." Looking at her recovered body, Yu Fei-er was stunned. Could this be the... Saint recovery medicine that Wu Zhen talked about? It was actually so formidable? She quickly passed the wine gourd for the other three to drink, and soon, they were all fully-recovered. "Xing Yuan, keep Grandmaster Wu Yangzis corpse. Lets go!" Seeing that everyone had recovered, Yu Fei-er quickly instructed before the group hurriedly followed behind Zhang Xuan. Having recovered their strength, they moved at a swift pace. The only problem they met was that Zhang Xuan would have to support his head carefully so that it wouldnt identally fall off his neck. "We need to speed up..." Left with no choice, Zhang Xuan decided to just grab his head in front of his chest and charge forward. Even though his soul wasnt perfectlypatible with the puppet, he was still able to bring out a significant degree of the puppets Saint realm strength. With just a single leap, he would be able to cover a long distance. Yu Fei-er and the others had to push themselves to the limit just to be able to catch up. In a short moment, the four of them had already covered three kilometers. The passageway was slowly getting closer and closer to them. "Everyone, hurry up! Well be safe once we escape from the passageway..." Zhang Xuan urged. The narrow entrance of the passageway would be perfect for Zhang Xuan to set up his 6-star formation and block the Otherworldly Demon puppets, thus allowing everyone to escape safely. Roar! Just as they were fleeing with all their might, they suddenly heard a furious roar in the air. It seemed like the puppets had finally noticed that they were missing. Along with that roar, shadows suddenly shed across their surroundings, and the puppets who were recharging at the stream earlier appeared before them, blocking their path of advance. "Damn it..." Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had been rushing all along in fear that these fellows would return after they were done replenishing their energy. Who knew that despite his efforts, he would still be dozens of breathste. "What do we do now?" Not expecting that they would be surrounded by so many puppets after escaping this far, Yu Fei-er and the others turned ghastly pale. They were only able to escape previously due to their numerous defensive artifacts hindering the attacks of the puppets. Now that they were all consumed, how could they escape from this encirclement? Roar! Zhang Xuan stepped forward to exin, but a puppet rushed forward to kick him instead. Peng! His head and body immediately separated, both crashing heavily onto the ground. "These puppets... are actually able to discern friend from foe even among themselves?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Zhang Xuan was currently in the body of an Otherworldly Demon puppet. Even though his head could fall off anytime, his outer appearance was no different from the others. Under normal circumstances, the other puppets shouldnt be able to recognize Zhang Xuan, and he would be able to blend in as their peer. Who knew that he would be struck without any hesitation... Without a doubt, the puppets were able to determine their enemy! Werent puppets a type of mechanism which didnt possess self-intelligence? How could it differentiate between an enemy and an ally? "Damn it!" Pushing itself up from the ground, the headless puppet charged toward the one which attacked it. A strong gust of wind whooshed, and immense might poured forth from his fist. Peng! The opposing puppet met the fist of the headless puppet with a fist of his own, and the headless puppet was immediately knocked flying once more. Even though the puppet was strong, Zhang Xuans current soul cultivation realm was only at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, thus preventing him from drawing upon the full strength of a Saint realm. Naturally, he wasnt a match for the other party. Geji geji! While Zhang Xuan was shing with one of the Otherworldly Demon puppets, the others were slowly closing in on Yu Fei-er and the others. It seemed as if they would charge forward to kill thetter at any moment now. "If this continues, they will surely die..." With his current form as a soul, it was still possible for Zhang Xuan to escape. However, if he were to do so, Yu Fei-er and the others would be killed the next moment. What should he do? Was he supposed to give up after going through all that effort? "Forget it, Ill gamble everything on this then!" Just as Zhang Xuan was at aplete loss, he suddenly recalled thatrge beating heart he saw previously, as well as the respect the puppets showed it. An idea suddenly popped into his head. "Since you all want to kill us, lets go down together then! Ill crush the heart right now..." Bellowing furiously, the puppet which Zhang Xuan was controlling immediately leaped up and dashed straight for the stream. Roar? Roar! Roar! Roar! Hearing Zhang Xuans bellow and his direction of movement, the puppets were stunned for a brief instant before a streak of insanity infected everyst one of them. Their attention were immediately torn away from Yu Fei-er and the others, and they hurriedly pursued Zhang Xuan. "You all should leave right now, theres no need to worry about me..." Seeing those fellows pursue him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Yu Fei-er and the others and howled. "Zhang shi..." "Zhang Xuan..." Not expecting Zhang shi to draw away all of the puppets singlehandedly just so that they could get away, Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others felt their hearts tightened, and their eyes reddened in agitation. If they were harboring some grudges or even envy toward him previously, all that was left now was gratitude! In order to save them, the other party willingly put himself in a position of grave danger... It was no wonder why Zhang shi was so deeply respected by his students and deeply trusted by the group from Hongfeng Empire... His character was indeed worthy of respect. Zhang shi, thank you! "We mustnt waste this opportunity Zhang shi created by putting his life on the line. Lets go!" Gritting his teeth, Xing Yuan and the others quickly fled to the passageway. Chapter 678: Zhang Xuan Is Dead Again? Chapter 678: Zhang Xuan Is Dead Again? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 For them, Zhang shi willingly lured away the puppets away into the depths of the underground chamber, using himself as bait. If they were to remain here and allow themselves to be killed, they would truly be letting everyone down. With eyes filled with indescribable, intense emotions, they exerted strength beyond their limits, and in just a few dozen breaths, they arrived at the passageway once more. Looking into the distance, the underground city seemed to have been nketed by a cloak of darkness. The dim light from the Night Illumination Pearls could no longer be clearly seen from their current location. Roar! Roar! Roar! Boom! Boom! Boom! Vaguely, the shouts of the Otherworldly Demon puppets and the sound of objects shattering could be heard. Knowing that the passageway wasnt safe eitherjust a single puppet here would be able to clear away all of themXing Yuan said, "This ce isnt safe, lets go up first. Zhang shi... should have an escape n in mind." "Un." Knowing that they would be of no help even if they were to wait here, the crowd headed up, and before long, they were standing at the entrance of the passageway. Luo Qiqi, who was waiting on top, immediately rushed up to wee the group excitedly upon seeing them. "Youve all finally returned! Are you all fine?" "Were fine!" There wasnt the slightest bit of relief or joy one should have after escaping from danger on Yu Fei-er and the others faces. Instead, they kept subconsciously sending worried gazes into the passageway. "Whats wrong?" Noticing their peculiarity, Luo Qiqi frowned. Then, she suddenly realized something, and her body froze. "Where is teacher?" "He..." Xing Yuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation, and with a lump in his throat, he said hoarsely, "In order to save us, he used himself as bait to lure all of the Otherworldly Demon puppets away..." "Bait?" Luo Qiqis face immediately drained of all color. "How many puppets are there? If there is only one or two, teacher... should still be able to escape...." Her teacher possessed incredible means. If it was only one or two puppets, he shouldnt be in too much danger. With an ashen face, Xing Yuan said, "There are... more than twenty of them in there." "More than twenty?" Luo Qiqi felt as if her heart had been plunged into an ice chamber. She trusted her teachers capability, but it was still impossible for him to stand against so many puppets singlehandedly! It took the both of them a great deal of effort to deal with a single puppet from the previous stone chamber. In the process of doing so, the two of them nearly died as well. To face more than twenty simultaneously... this was no different from suicide! "No! I must go and save teacher..." Gritting her teeth in determination, Luo Qiqi rushed into the passageway. However, before she could get far, Yu Fei-er stopped her. "Qiqi, calm down! Zhang shi had put himself into such a predicament just to save us. If you were to go in now, wont all his effort have been for nothing?" Even though Yu Fei-er was panicking inside as well, she understood Zhang shis intentions, and that was why she was holding herself back. They were simply too weak at the moment. Even if they were to rush in, they would be of no help at all. "I..." Luo Qiqi trembled in agitation, and beady teardrops slowly flowed down her white cheeks. Even back at the stone room, in order to let her get away first, her teacher chose to fight against the puppet singlehandedly, despite the risk of death! And now, to save Yu Fei-er and the others, despite knowing that it was air of Otherworldly Demon puppets below, he still rushed in without any hesitation! And now, he even allowed himself to serve as bait so that the others could get away... Teacher, how can we ever repay this debt to you? "Luo Qiqi, we understand your feelings, but do you think that you are the only one who wants to rush in and save him? But if we were to do so, we would only be letting down the expectations and feelings Zhang shi has entrusted to us!" Xing Yuan stepped forward and said, "Theres only one thing we can do now, that is to wait here patiently for his return! Lets pray that... he can create a miracle once more!" As a talented student of the Master Teacher Academy, he was able to see the crux of the matter easily. As 5-star master teachers, they were by no means weak. But against those puppets, their strength would be no different to throwing an egg against a rock. With their current cultivation realms, there was only one oue that would arise from rushing indeath! "Indeed. Zhang shi will have a higher chance of survival alone. If we rush in, not only will we not be of any help, we might even be a burden to him..." Ye Qian added. A trail of tears flowed down Luo Qiqis cheeks as she replied with quivering lips, "I understand..." She did understand all of this in the depths of her heart. After all the time she had spent with her teacher, she was well-aware of what of person her teacher was! Her teacher was a person who would choose his morals over his life! It was exactly this quality that made him respected and admired by so many people! She knew deep down that the others were right. If she were to barge in now, she would only be a burden to the other party. "The best we can do for Zhang shi now is to wait here..." Seeing that Luo Qiqi had finally given up the thought, Xing Yuan nodded. But at that moment, his body suddenly shook. Hong long long! Cracks started appearing on the bridge, and the river beneath abruptly raged. "What is happening?" The group was taken aback. Why would there be such an intense tremor all of the sudden? Hu! Just as they were perplexed, fragments of rock suddenly began falling from the ceiling. The bridge and the passageway leading down into the underground chambers copsed instantaneously. "This is bad, the entire underground chamber is going to copse..." Xing Yuan narrowed his eyes as he yelled, "Quick, go out!" If the underground chamber were to copse on them, they would be buried alive. No one would be able to save them. Thus, without any hesitation, they immediately dashed for the passageway out of the underground chamber. Moving at their top speed, they were able to return to the mountain valley within seven to eight breaths. As soon as they were out, they suddenly felt another huge tremor, and a huge part of the valleys ground suddenly caved in, forming arge depression. It was as if everything that had happened was a dream. The underground chamber had disappeared entirely without a trace. "Teacher..." Luo Qiqis legs finally caved in, and she fell weakly to the ground. If there had still been a chance that her teacher would be able to get out previously... how could there still be any hope now? Yu Fei-ers face also paled, and she sat down feebly beside her close friend. She had beenpeting with Zhang Xuan all along, wanting to beat him in a bet. But never had she wanted him to die! Not to mention, all of this only happened because the other party was trying to save them. Recalling bits and pieces about that fellow, she suddenly felt that she was very immature. In the end, all the prejudice she had against the other party was due to her indignation at being ignored. In truth, after witnessing the other partys formidable strength and vast knowledge, even the haughty her couldnt help but admire him as well. After a short moment of silence, Ye Qian clenched his fists tightly and dered, "Ill return to the royal pce and get my father to send troops over here... Even if we have to overturn the entire area, we must save Zhang shi..." After hearing those words, Yu Fei-er also stood up resolutely, prepared to leave with Ye Qian. "Thats right! Ill apany you. If Ye Wentian doesnt dispatch any troops, Ill report this matter to my father!" At this moment, her mind was only filled with a single thought... He mustnt die! "The both of you cant go!" Just as the two were about to leave, Xing Yuan dashed forward to blocked them. "What are you doing?" Narrowing her eyes, an aura of hostility began rising from Yu Fei-er. The full might of a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator burst forth instantaneously, carrying fearsome power that caused even the air to moan in fear. The reason she lost to Zhang Xuan previously was due to thetters attacks being aimed at her vitals, thus preventing her from utilizing her full strength. But against Xing Yuan, she wouldnt face such a problem. "I dont intend to stop you, but... have you thought the matter through?" Not expecting the Sixth Princess to actually intend to fight him, Xing Yuans face turned ghastly white. Gritting his teeth, he said, "This underground chamber involves both Wu Yangzi and the Otherworldly Demons. Do you know what consequences will arise if this news were to spread?" "Screw the consequences! Get out of my way!" Yu Fei-er roared. "Xing Yuan is right." At this moment, a soft but affirmative voice sounded. Luo Qiqi stood up and walked over, her body still trembling slightly. "If even a single one of the Otherworldly Demon puppets in the underground chamber were to be unearthed, it could potentially eradicate the entire Huanyu Empire... Many lives would be lost... I believe that this isnt what teacher would hope to see either!" "I..." Yu Fei-er tightened her fists in frustration. "Teacher is apassionate person. Since he is willing to give up his life for you all, how could he possibly bear to see millions of lives being lost like that?" Luo Qiqi said with reddened eyes. A Saint realm puppet was already a formidable existence, and an army of twenty of them was nothing short of destructive! No Tier-2 Empire could possibly stand against such a force. Even if Emperor Ye Wentian were to send everyst soldier in Huanyu Empire over, they would still be unable to save her teacher. Only a real Saint could do so. If they were to let the puppets loose while attempting to save her teacher, he would never forgive them, not even in death. This was because... He was simply such a noble person. "Then... what should we do?" Yu Fei-er asked anxiously. "What we must do now is to quickly return to the Master Teacher Academy and report this matter to the elders so that they wille here to handle the matter!" Luo Qiqi said. Xing Yuan nodded in agreement. "Thats right! If we wish to save Zhang shi, itll be best for us to quickly return to the academy and report this matter to the superiors and have them send men here. This is the best we can do at the moment." Yu Fei-er also nodded before issuing some instructions. "Alright then. Xing Yuan, since Grandmaster Wu Yangzis corpse is in your storage ring, you and Ye Qian shall return to the academy right now. On the other hand, Luo Qiqi and I will wait here... for him toe out." "This..." Xing Yuan was stunned. He didnt think that Yu Fei-er would insist on remaining here. "Fei-er is right, well wait for him here. The both of you should hurry on. This matter is of grave importance, so you must report it to the elders face-to-face. Otherwise, there is no way the academy will dispatch Saint realm experts!" Luo Qiqi nodded. Even though she did have a Communication Token that allowed her tomunicate with the academy, every single Saint realm expert was a valuable asset to the academy. Without sufficient evidence to back their story up, it was impossible for a Saint to be dispatched here. To do so, they would have to present Wu Yangzis corpse in person. "Alright!" Understanding the rationale behind it, Xing Yuan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "But if we take the aerial spirit beast away, how do you intend to return?" The four of them came on a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan aerial spirit beast. If the both of them were to take it to the Master Teacher Academy, how would the other two leave the Verdant Mountain? "Theres no need to worry about us. If it reallyes to it, well just head to the nearby Huanyu Beast Hall. With our identities as master teachers, itll surely be easy for us to loan an aerial spirit beast!" Luo Qiqi shook her hand before turning her gaze back to the depression. Even at this moment, she was still praying for the dirt to overturn, and for her young teacher to climb out from the depression. If that were to happen, no matter how dirty the other party was, she would definitely rush forward to hug him without any hesitation... "Alright then. Well get going!" Knowing that there was no time to waste, Xing Yuan immediately beckoned to the sky, and a loud screech sounded. Following which, an aerial spirit beast descended to the ground. "Lets go!" Along with Ye Qian, he leaped onto the back of the spirit beast. The spirit beast took off, and before long, they had already disappeared amidst clouds. After their departure, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er stared at the depression before them, unblinking, waiting intently for Zhang Xuan to return. With his formidable means... he couldnt possibly be dead! Even though they kept repeating this within their minds, they had no confidence whatsoever. With the ticking of time, their hope was slowly diminishing. In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, but there wasnt the slightest movement at all. The me of hope they had held dearly onto had already withered into despair. Could it be that... Zhang shi had really died this time? Even if he was really dead, if he could be possessed just once more and appear before them, it would still be a huge constion to them... Chapter 679: My Name Is Vicious Chapter 679: My Name Is Vicious Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Rewinding time back to when Zhang Xuan parted with Xing Yuan. In the underground chamber, a bizarre Otherworldly Demon puppet holding its head in its hand ran frenziedly as more than twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets pursued it relentlessly. They were howling furiously, threatening to rip the other party to shreds should theyy their hands on it. Seeing how the idea hed thought of on a whim had sent all of these puppets into such a frenzy, Zhang Xuans curiosity intensified. In truth, this puppet body was disposable to him. As souls were intangible, it would be difficult for these puppets to stop him if he were to make a serious attempt at escaping. Not to mention, he had a golden page in the Library of Heavens Path as well. Even if he were to be cornered, he still had a trump card up his sleeves, so there was nothing for him to fear. This was also the reason why he had the others flee first while he drew the puppets away. He thought that it would be great if he could draw some of the puppets away through his taunting. Who knew that he would actually sessfully draw the aggression from all of the puppets, making them chase him rabidly as if he had murdered their parents? To actually make these unintelligent puppets get so agitated, what in the world was that heart? No matter what, as long as I touch it, I should know the answer... The only way to let everyone escape sessfully was for him to continue drawing the attention of the puppets. Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan continued dashing forward with his head in his hand. Seven breathster, he was standing before the stream. The small stone pedestal and the heart were still there. Lets see what it is! With the puppets right behind his tail, there was no room for other thoughts in Zhang Xuans mind. He immediately leaped forward and stepped into the stream. Roar! Roar! Roar! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan leap into the stream, all of the puppets were worried, but none of them dared rush forward. They red at him angrily, seemingly wanting to grind him to dust. "This..." Seeing that the puppets didnt even rush over as he had expected, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. In truth, back when he saw the puppets stepping into the stream one by one to ept a transfusion of energy from the heart, he was a little perplexed by the sight. And now, it seemed like his conjecture was right. There was some kind of rule binding the puppets that only allowed one of them to step into the stream at any given time. "Lets see what this heart is..." Zhang Xuan began walking to the stone pedestal that the heart was ced on. Hu! As soon his gaze fell upon the heart, he immediately felt an overwhelming killing intent piercing his mind just like a dagger. Knowing that this would happen, Zhang Xuan immediately activated his Heavens Path Soul Art and drove his soul energy. In an instant, that sharp pain weakened significantly, but even so, Zhang Xuan still felt as if his head was splitting apart. Zhang Xuan stopped in his tracks. Its hard for me to stand against the killing intent without Heavens Path zhenqi... The killing intent emanated from the heart was far stronger than the Otherworldly Demon which Hong shi took out back at the Master Teacher Tournament. Even though his soul had been tempered by the Heavens Path Soul Art, it was still difficult for him to withstand that overwhelming killing intent without the protection of his Heavens Path zhenqi. Even standing at this point was sufficiently difficult for him. If he were to proceed forward any further, it was highly possible that his mind would be corroded by the killing intent, thus suffering immense damage. Zhang Xuan turned around to take a look at the other puppets behind him. While they were infuriated by his actions, they dared not get too close. In fact, they didnt dare tounch any attack at all. For the time being, there was no need for him to worry about his safety. Hu! He took out the body which he had ced inside his storage ring previously. Then, he withdrew his soul from the puppet and returned back into his main body. After entering his main body, he finally felt morefortable, and he heaved a long sigh of relief. Even though the Otherworldly Demon puppets body was much stronger than his current body, he wasnt able to control it adeptly, and there was a strong feeling of incongruity when he was moving it. Heavens Path zhenqi! As his soul fused perfectly with his physical body, he immediately drove his zhenqi. In an instant, the killing intent which had still been assaulting him a moment ago was immediately warded off entirely, as if it didnt exist at all. Heavens Path zhenqi seemed to possess the ability to curb the mysterious aura that Otherworldly Demons emanated; he had verified this back then during the Master Teacher Tournament. Roar! Seeing a human appear in the stream all of the sudden, the puppets anger crescendoed. They bellowed angrily at him, but in fear of something, they dared not step forward. As long as the puppets didnt dare to step into the stream, there was nothing for Zhang Xuan to worry about. Thus, he continued advancing to the heart slowly. In order to trigger the Library of Heavens Path, he would have toe into contact with it. With a few steps, he was already standing before the stone pedestal. His hand slowly reached forward to touch the heart. "HAHAHAHAHA!" Upon contact, Zhang Xuan barely had the time to mutter ws when a derangedughter suddenly echoed in the surroundings. Following which, a huge shadow suddenly appeared before his eyes. "This body... Great! Great! Even the heavens are on my side!" That massive shadow before Zhang Xuan roared in delight. The heart also began to beat faster and faster, as if it had encountered some precious, nourishing medicinal herb. "With this body, I can finally revive myself after many millenniums of hibernation!" The massive figure was shaking with agitation. With a loud bellow, its eyes suddenly opened, and a sharp glint shed in its eyes. "Kong shi, its too bad you failed to kill me entirely! When I return, Ill crush your heritage and reduce your Master Teacher Pavilion to ruins..." While roaring furiously, that massive figure stretched its hand forward to grab Zhang Xuan up. That heart on the pedestal also suddenly rose up and flew to the left side of his chest. With immense force, it rammed itself against him, seemingly trying to prate his body to rece his heart. If it were to seed, Zhang Xuans consciousness would be consumed, and he would lose his sense of identity. What?! Zhang Xuans expression immediately froze. Before that massive figure, he felt like an ant standing before a mountain. Helplessness clutched his heart. Its too powerful... The strongest person he had encountered in his journey was Pavilion Master Mo from Hongyuan Empire. But somehow, Zhang Xuans instincts told him that even a person as strong as Pavilion Master Mo would be no different from a worm before this fearsome heart. The sensation he was feeling at this moment was simr to back when he first met Kong shi. His mind and body were no longer under his own control, and his life and death were held in the hands of the other party. Zhang Xuan panicked. Am I going to be possessed by this fellow? He was only interested in seeing what the heart was. Never had he dreamed that the heart would actually be alive, and he would even be possessed at that! If the other party were to seed in its possession, Zhang Xuans consciousness would be wiped clean. By then, he would be no different from a puppet. Heavens Path zhenqi! Zhang Xuan immediately willed for his body to drive his Heavens Path zhenqi, but he realized that the mental connection between his mind and body had been snapped, preventing him from making any movements. He felt as if he was trapped in a dream. He could perceive what was going on around him, but no matter how much he struggled, his body just wouldnt move at all. "Dont even bother struggling!" The massive figure before the heart seemed to have noticed what Zhang Xuan was trying to do, and it sneered coldly, "Even Kong shi had suffered a great deal before my prowess. You might be a Celestial Master Teacher, but youre still too weak to stand against me! I suggest you obediently allow me to take over your body. In your body, Ill dominate the world and make the entire world tremor beneath my might!" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "Even Kong shi has suffered before your prowess? Who are you?" Kong shi was the most powerful figure in the world several dozen millenniums ago. He singlehandedly created the Master Teacher Pavilion to fend off the Otherworldly Demons and expel them from the Master Teacher Continent. His contribution to humanity was so great that none couldpare to him, and his cultivation was so high that he had no peers. And yet, this fellow actually said he was able to injure Kong shi? Who in the world was he? "It has been too long for me to remember my name." The heartbeat and an ancient aura slowly exuded from the massive figure. "But back then, everyone seemed to address me as Vicious!" "Vicious?" "Thats right! Are you afraid now?" Vicious asked. "I never heard of you before," Zhang Xuan replied. "..." The heart. Most of the details regarding the ancient history with the Otherworldly Demons were stored in the higher tier Master Teacher Pavilions. As a 4-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan wasnt qualified to browse through those documents. And thus, he had truly never heard of what Vicious or Victim, whatever the other party was called. "Humph, it matters not. Today, you shall witness my greatness!" Not expecting for a Celestial Master Teacher to not recognize him, the heart began beating intensely in anger, and with a loud roar, the huge hands of the shadowy figure grabbed Zhang Xuans neck. Ji ya! The crushing pressure on Zhang Xuans neck made him gasp desperately for air, and his sight began to darken. In the other partys hands, he was no different from an infant. He was unable to retaliate at all. Under this desperate situation, Zhang Xuan forcefully uttered, "You intend to... possess... me?" "Indeed. A Celestial Master Teacher is a person whose body has been recognized by even the heavens themselves. Even though I am a member of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, I am still able to possess their body without incurring any side effects. In fact, I am even able to disguise as you humans without anyone noticing anything..." The heart harrumphed. "You are able to... tell that I am... a Celestial... Master Teacher?" Zhang Xuan stuttered with difficulty. So far, there had been not a single master teacher who had been able to discern that he was a Celestial Master Teacher. Thus, he didnt expect this heart would be able to recognize this identity of his. Could this heart really be an incredible expert on par with Kong shi? To be able to stand against Kong shi... how powerful must one be? And not to mention, if the other party had lived in the same era as Kong shi, how could he still be alive now? The heart harrumphed coldly. "That fellow Kong shi is one as well. Having fought with him my entire life, how could I possibly not recognize a Celestial Master Teacher?" Back in that ancient era, he was Kong shis greatest nemesis, and he had fought with thetter his entire life. Naturally, this had allowed him to grow ustomed to the various abilities and distinctive traits of a Celestial Master Teacher. "Since you are from... the same generation... as Kong shi... I must be... nothing more than an ant... before you. Why dont you... let me down first... I wont be able to... retaliate against you... anyway..." Zhang Xuan said anxiously. "Do you think that your tricks will work on me?" the heart sneered. "Given how powerful... you are... I wont be... able to do... anything, even... if I wanted to!" Due to the immense pressure crushing down on his throat, Zhang Xuan was finding it harder and harder to speak. "I am about to be... possessed by you soon. Before my death... I wish to know some things... so that I can... rest in peace!" "Humph, theres no use ying such tricks before me!" the heart replied. "Why? You dont... believe me? You spoke as if... you were a... formidable figure... and yet you are worried... about someone... as weak as me?" Zhang Xuan replied. "Audacious! When I was roaming the world, even Kong shi was fearful of me. Even 9-star master teachers would be crushed easily under my hands. Why would I fear someone as weak as you?" Hearing Zhang Xuan doubt his strength, the heart flew into a rage. "If thats the case... why dont you... let me go? Anyway... someone like me... cant possibly hurt you..." Zhang Xuan continued. The heart pondered for a moment, and seemingly agreeing with Zhang Xuans words, he finally let go of his grasp. Even though Vicious had been one of the strongest existences in the world in the past, his fight with Kong shi had left him severely injured. Even the many millennia of hibernation were insufficient for him to recover fully. With his current strength, possessing a Celestial Master Teacher would be no easy feat. If he could convince the other party to willingly give up his body, he could be spared a lot of unnecessary trouble. Feeling the strength restraining him disappearing, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Ask whatever you want to, Ill grant your dying wish at the very least!" the heart said. "Alright..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Feeling the connection between his mind and his body returning, he suddenly smiled. "I would like to ask if you recognize this object." After which, a golden book suddenly appeared before him. "This? What is this?" The heart was taken aback. While he was still pondering over this bizarre question, that book suddenly crushed down on him. Following which, a frenzied howling reverberated across the entire underground chamber. "Shit! What the hell! Who in the world are you?!" Chapter 680: Please Trust Me! Chapter 680: Please Trust Me! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan intention was to examine what the heart was, but right aftering into contact with it, his body immediately came under the control of the other party. Left with no choice, he could only try to convince the other party to let go of him. It was a desperate attempt, but who knew that it would really work? As soon as he was released, he rushed right into the Library of Heavens Path to check the book that was justpiled on the heart, and after taking a look, he immediately realized what was going on. Even though Vicious had described himself to be a powerful figure, he was nothing more than a fragment of his previous self. He had barely awoken from his long hibernation not too long ago, and he was still in a severely weakened state. Even if he could possess Zhang Xuan, he would have to pay a heavy price for it. However, if Zhang Xuan were to relinquish control over his body, Vicious would be spared a lot of trouble. In any case, this was the only opportunity Zhang Xuan was going to get to deal with Vicious. He immediately whipped out the Book of Heavens Path and activated the golden page. This was the strongest weapon he currently had in his arsenal. Even if Vicious had reallye from the same era as Kong shi, it was impossible for him to withstand the wrath of heaven! As expected, with the materialization of the book, the energy from the heart that was wrapped around Zhang Xuan to prevent him from escaping vanished, and he regained control over his body. "Who am I? I am your grandfather!" Zhang Xuan roared furiously as the book smashed down on the heart. However, before the book could crush the heart, the pedestal beneath the heart shattered instead. Hong long! With the destruction of the pedestal, the formation sustaining the entire underground chamber began copsing. Spiritual energy from the stream began diffusing into the surroundings, and the underground chamber started to shake violently. "This is bad, I forgot that this is the core of the formation..." Zhang Xuans face darkened. He was too intent on dealing with Vicious and freeing himself from danger that he forgot that he was standing before the core of the formation sustaining the underground chamber. This underground chamber was relying on a huge formation to regte the spiritual energy and reinforce the structures here, and the center of the formation just happened to be the location where the heart was cedthe pedestal. With the copse of the pedestal, the reinforcement from the formation to prevent the underground chamber from copsing vanished, and the ceiling began caving in on them. From his current location, it would take at least two to three minutes for him to escape from the underground chamber. Given the rate at which the underground chamber was copsing at, it was impossible for him to escape. He would be buried alive! But at this moment, the anxious yelling of the heart crushed under the golden book sounded, "Dont kill me! I can bring you to safety..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan stared at the heart hesitantly for a moment before replying, "Fine, Ill trust you this once!" Vicious was by no means a trustworthy person, but the dire situation Zhang Xuan was in didnt grant him the luxury of choice. The underground chamber was going to copse on him at any moment now, and it was already toote for him to escape. His only hopey with Vicious. Given the millenniums that the other party had lived for, he might be aware of certain secrets hidden in the underground chamber. Perhaps, the other party might just know of something that could save him. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan was about to withdraw the book when a thought suddenly struck him. I might be unable to kill him now, but I wonder if its possible for me to seal him with the golden page... Once Zhang Xuan withdraws the golden page, it would vanish. Without this weapon to keep Vicious in check, there was no saying that thetter might just renege on his promise. Since the golden page could assimte the content of the books in the Library of Heavens Path for his own, raise his Soul Depth, and y enemies, then perhaps... it might be able to turn into something that could seal this heart too? If he could seal Vicious into the golden page somehow, he would not need to worry about the other partys retaliation. Hu! As soon as the thought emerged in his mind, the book suddenly opened up, and a brilliant pir of light rose from the book. Wham! In an instant, the book mped down on the heart, and the pir of light vanished as well. It floated in the air for a few seconds before abruptly falling to the ground. "Hmm?" Rushing forward to grab the book, Zhang Xuan opened it up and saw a heart beating ceaselessly inside. Realizing that it was trapped within the book, it struggled with all its might, but it wasnt able to escape from the confine of the page. It was a mystical sight to see a beating heart within a book. "Let me go!" the heart roared savagely. Delighted to see that the Book of Heavens Path possessed the ability to seal as well, Zhang Xuan chuckled and said, "Bring me to a safe location first!" "I am Vicious, a person whom even Kong shi fears. How dare an impertinent ant like you treat me like that..." The heart bellowed ferociously, but before he could finish his words, he was suddenly flicked by a finger. Peng! As if struck by a bolt of lightning, the heart was sent tumbling into the depths of the page. "Your name is Vicious, isnt it? Why dont you give me a bright smile? Let me see how vicious you can get!" Zhang Xuan smirked. "..." The heart twitched violently, as tears of blood threatened to flow from its atriums. To think that a day woulde which he would find himself in such a position... Back then, he was the infamous Vicious who domineered the world. Even though he was still in a weakened state, having yet to recover his strength after his demise back then, the strength that he wielded was still more than sufficient for him to toy with Saint realm experts easily... And yet, here he was, sealed by a twenty-year-old brat in a book, flicked around as if he was a mere toy... To hell with this! Where did my dignity as the Immortals Envoy go? Even though he had no idea what kind of artifact he was trapped in, the imposing authority of heaven harnessed by the artifact induced a deep and instinctive fear within him, rendering him helpless before it. Honestly speaking, in face of such overwhelming power, he knew that it was a blessing that he was still alive at this point. "Why? You arent going to smile?" Just as he was bubbling with rage, he saw the other party bending his forefinger, ready to send another flick at him... The heart immediately cowered in fear. "Ill smile, Ill smile..." The heart formed a human face and smiled. What choice did he have but to submit? He was already sealed in this book, and his fate was firmly held in the other partys hands. He might have been a formidable figure in the past, but that was all history. It couldnt possibly help him now. As bright as the smile on his face was, his heart was bleeding profusely. Back then, I stood toe-to-toe with Kong shi and crushed many 9-star master teachers. And yet, here I am, forced to smile under themands of a mere brat... "This is more like it. Now, lead me to somewhere safe!" Having affirmed that the other party was under his control, Zhang Xuan heaved a long sigh of relief. However, this wasnt the time for him to rest yet. At this point, the ground was shaking more vehemently than ever, and the ceiling was still moments from caving in on them. "Yes!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan withdraw his finger, the heart heaved a sigh of relief before turning to the Otherworldly Demons and yelled, "Hurry up and lead the way!" Roar! Upon receiving those orders, the Otherworldly Demon puppets standing by the edge of the stream immediately rushed forward. Grabbing the book with Vicious in it in his hand, Zhang Xuan followed closely behind those puppets. At the same time, he also establishedmunication with his clone and urged him over. Not too long after, his clone came rushing over, and Zhang Xuan hid him in his storage ring. Forged using the Nine Hearts Lotus, his clone could be said to be nearing the point of being indestructible. Even thebined might of two Saint realm puppets couldnt threaten its existence. Just that, due to the severe injuries it had incurred, it would require a long rest to recuperate from its wounds. With the heart held hostage in Zhang Xuans hands, those puppets didnt dare to show the slightest disrespect to Zhang Xuan. In fact, two of the puppets even stepped forward to carry Zhang Xuan. When Saint realm puppets sprinted as fast as they could, the speed was truly nothing to scoff at. In less than two breaths, they were already standing in a vast room. At this point, the underground chamber finally gave into the massive pressure and caved in. With its copse, the room was abruptly plunged into darkness. Thus, Zhang Xuan whipped out a Night Illumination Pearl to light up the surroundings. Following which, he opened the book, and the heart immediately began exining, "This is a sanctuary we built to escape from the humans were they to enter this underground chamber. It is specially reinforced such that it will remain standing even if the underground chamber copses... Just that, theres no exit from here..." Back then, after the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe lost the war, their army was expelled from the Master Teacher Continent while the remnants were hunted down. As one of the top leaders of the Otherworldly Demons, Vicious had prepared a sanctuary in advance for such a situation. Even if humans were to find his hiding location, he would be able to kill them all by copsing the underground chamber while he hid in this sanctuary. However, to prevent anyone from finding this underground chamber, there was only one entrance and exit. While they were still safe for now, it was hard to say whether they would be able to get out of here or not. "Theres no exit?" Zhang Xuan frowned. If there was no exit here, wouldnt it be a matter of time before he suffocated to death? "Thats right..." the heart replied. "Is that the case... Since I cant get out, I might as well absorb you to raise my cultivation!" Zhang Xuan raised his palm and pressed it down against the page. The Book of Heavens Path had sealed Vicious abilities, thus rendering himpletely helpless before Zhang Xuan. "Wait a moment, wait a moment..." The heart was on the verge of tears. Back then, there was no one who didnt fear him, not even the most ferocious demon in hell nor Kong shi. And yet, this fellow actually threatened to beat him up and absorb him. The sudden reversal in his position left him so frustrated that he found himself losing his mind. But throwing a tantrum would be useless now. Judging from the other partys attitude, he might really just end up being absorbed by the other party! What the hell was this... It wasnt easy for him to wake up from his hibernation, and he thought that he could finally slowly recover his strength and rule the world. And yet, before he could even leave the underground chamber, he just had to meet with this kind of pervert possessing such a monstrous artifact... Even the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn that Kong shi went to great lengths to craft, which was said to harness the ability to reverse yin-yang and alter the flow of time, didnt seem to be this powerful! Just who was this fellow? Where in the world did he pop up from? "Theres indeed no exit, but its possible to dig a way out. However, it might take a few days!" The heart quickly cated Zhang Xuans worries for fear of being absorbed. "Dig a way out? True. You should hurry up and get those puppets of yours to work then!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Considering how they were able to excavate such a huge underground chamber in the first ce, it shouldnte as a surprise that they would be able to dig a passageway out either. And since there were so many puppets here, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to work personally, either. "Alright," the heart replied. He used an unknown means tomunicate with the puppets, and they started to dig upward. These puppets weremanded might equivalent to a Saint realm expert, so digging a tunnel for a human to pass through wasnt too difficult. However, the tricky part was that the underground chamber had just copsed, so the surrounding ground was a little unstable at the moment. If they werent careful, the sanctuary could copse as well. While the puppets were busy digging a path out, Zhang Xuan waited patiently below. He turned his attention to the book once more. "Alright, I have some questions I would like to ask you. Answer me honestly." "Yes..." the heart replied. "Since you came from the same era as Kong shi and even exchanged blows with him, have you ever heard of his Innate Fetal Poison?" Zhang Xuan asked. Through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could tell that Vicious was telling the truth. He did belong to the same era as Kong shi, so there was a chance that he might know about the Innate Fetal Poison. "Innate Fetal Poison? Im not too sure either... Kong shi and I were enemies, and he was already considerably strong in the first time we met..." the heart replied. In that era, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe dominated the humans and all other races. It was during that period of time that Kong shi suddenly rose to power. Even from a very young age, he wielded exceptional strength surpassing that of most Otherworldly Demons. Under his leadership, the armies of humanity were rallied in a campaign against the Otherworldly Demons, and eventually, humanity emerged victorious in that war. "Are you certain that you dont know anything about that? Are you lying to me?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. "I dare not..." the heart hurriedly exined, but before he could finish his words, he was flicked by the other partys finger once more. "AHH!" Peng peng peng peng! As if struck by a bolt of lightning, he was sent spinning in the Book of Heavens Path, and his body convulsed violently from the impact. White foam began leaking out from the heart. "This is nothing. If I ever find out that you are hiding something from me, Ill kill you!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes..." Red tears streamed down the heart as it trembled in agitation. I really am Vicious, the Vicious who dominated the ancient era, the Vicious whom even Kong shi feared... Please trust me! Chapter 681: Qin Zhong Chapter 681: Qin Zhong Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan finally closed the book. The fellow was indeed unaware of the matters surrounding Kong shis Innate Fetal Poison, so it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to get anything out of him. Being poisoned was a sign of weakness. One would hide it even from ones allies, not to mention ones enemies. This was simr to how Zhang Xuan had never told anyone that he was poisoned. Most likely, Kong shi back then was the same as well. But in any case, through the questioning session, Zhang Xuan did manage to understand the true reason for that fellow being reduced to a mere heart, and the real purpose behind this underground chamber. The previous host of the heart did wield destructive power, and he did dominate the world at one time. Countless humans had died by his hand. Kong shi had fought him several times, but the other party always managed to sessfully get away. It was only at the veryst battle that after several days ofbat, Kong shi finally managed to tear apart his flesh and bones and dissipate his soul. He had indeed died, but as one of the strongest experts of that era, one of the leaders of the Otherworldly Demon, how could he possibly have no aces up his sleeves? Before fighting with Kong shi, he had already left behind a drop of blood in this underground chamber in case anything happened. And to protect that drop of blood, he dispatched an entire army of Otherworldly Demons to guard it. After the passing of many millenniums, the drop of blood finally developed and metamorphosed into a heart. Slowly, he roused from his sleep, regaining consciousness. Hed thought that he would very soon be able to rule the world, but before he could even get out from his hiding spot, he just had to meet with Zhang Xuan and end up being sealed in that book, bing an existence that was little more than a picture. As for those puppets, even though they had lost sentience, they were still his descendants. Their Otherworldly Demon instincts allowed him to easily control them and have them work for his resurrection. At this point, a thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. Wu Yangzi thought that he had seeded in his ploy by turning these Otherworldly Demons into puppets... but could it be possible that the Otherworldly Demons had already noticed what he was up to, but still chose to go along with it anyway? There were only twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets here, and they were all male. Clearly, it was impossible for them to reproduce anymore. Could they have intentionally allowed Wu Yangzi to turn them into puppets so that they could guard Vicious? If so, they would be able to retain their cultivation while further tempering their defenses. More importantly, they would be able to continue carrying out Vicious order and protect him. Perhaps, they might even be revived once Vicious regained his strength... After all, as a race who had once dominated the entire Master Teacher Continent, how could none of them have noticed something at all? But, of course, this was just a theory on Zhang Xuans part, and it was impossible to verify his conjecture anymore. Wu Yangzi died before the heart regained consciousness, and the Otherworldly Demons involved in the incident back then were either dead or turned into puppets. From his answers, Zhang Xuan realized that even though Vicious had regained consciousness, his memory hadntpletely returned yet. Many of his memories were fragmented, making it impossible for him to go into detail regarding certain matters. This was especially so for cultivation techniques. After having sealed Vicious in the book, this was one of the first few thoughts that came to mind. However, it was a pity, but the other party only knew cultivation techniques that were exclusive to Otherworldly Demons. This made Zhang Xuan extremely frustrated. He thought that he would be able to obtain quite a few cultivation techniques after capturing an ancient monster and level up swiftly. Who knew that the other party would turn out to be so useless? Zhang Xuan had to punch the other party a few more times before he was able to quell his frustration. After asking all of the relevant questions, Zhang Xuan noted that it would still take some time before the puppets would finish digging a passageway. Thus, he sat down on the floor and began to cultivate. Even though he had only cultivated the First Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, the might of his physical body had increased from 2,000,000 ding to 4,000,000 ding! Adding in the 4,000,000 ding from his zhenqi and 3,200,000 ding from his soul cultivation, his overall strength added up to 11,200,000 ding. That wasparable to a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle expert! (Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage 8,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 9,000,000 ding, advanced stage 10,000,000 ding, and pinnacle 11,000,000 ding.) Despite being only at Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, Zhang Xuan actually wielded strength two realms beyond him. Even the most talented geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy were incapable of such a feat. As the remaining Four Incandescence were wed and required some kind of artifact to cultivate, Zhang Xuan could only put the thought of cultivating his physical body away from the moment. He continued to refine his zhenqi and umte more zhenqi in his dantian. ... "It has been five days!" Looking at the huge depression below her, Luo Qiqi shook her head with irrepressible gloom. Five days had passed, and she had yet to sleep at all. She had been waiting here intently, hoping that Zhang shi would produce another miracle and emerge from the ground, but... it seemed like miracles wouldnt be miracles if they happened as and when one willed it. "Even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan wouldnt be able to survive so long being buried underground." Yu Fei-er also looked a little dazed. When the other party was right by her side, she dearly wanted to charge forward to bite off the other partys flesh. And yet, at this moment, the very thought of the other party being dead felt like a sharp knife pressed against her heart. Even though the body of a Transcendent Mortal was far stronger than ordinary humans, buried several hundred meters underground, crushed by rocks and suffocated, three to four hours was likely the limit. To remain alive after several days... waspletely impossible! In other words... Zhang shi was really dead this time! There was no doubt about it. Gritting her teeth, Yu Fei-er stood up slowly and said quietly, "Ill go to the Beast Hall to borrow an aerial spirit beast and return to Hongyuan City as soon as possible. Ill report this matter to my father and have him send some men over! Even though Xing Yuan and the others might be able to mobilize the experts of the academy, I fear that they wont put their all in to finding Zhang shi." It wasnt a solution for them to continue waiting here. The only course of action they could take now was to find a Saint realm expert to help them dig up the underground chamber. Regardless of whether Zhang shi was dead or alive, they were determined to find him. The experts from the academy mighte for the Otherworldly Demons and Wu Yangzi, but it would be nigh impossible to convince them to help look around for Zhang Xuan. While Zhang Xuan was a member of the academy in name, he hadnt passed the entrance examination nor reported to the academy yet. Thus, there was no reason for a busy Saint realm expert to waste his time finding a nobody. Not to mention, the other party was very likely dead already. "Alright." Luo Qiqi nodded slowly. After waiting for five days, she also understood that it was unlikely for Zhang shi to emerge alive anymore. As his student, the least she could do was unearth his body and bury him properly so that he could rest in peace. Yu Fei-er did a rough calction before saying, "The Huanyu Empire Beast Hall is located not too far away from here. As long as we sprint with all our might, we should be able to reach it in around half a day..." "Half a day? Theres no need for it. We are standing at a point where those traveling between the Beast Hall and Huanyu Capital have to pass through. We can try to hitch a ride here," Luo Qiqi said as she nced at the sky. Even though they werent too far away from the Beast Hall, they had to traverse across treacherous terrain, and it was highly likely they would meet spirit beasts lurking in the area as well. If they were to identally catch the attention of the spirit beasts while passing through the area, the half a day journey could easily drag on for three days. Since that was the case, it would be wiser for them to pay a passer-by and hitch a convenient ride to the Beast Hall. Since they were standing at a point between the Beast Hall and Huanyu Capital, there were often many aerial spirit beasts flying through the area. Perhaps very soon, they might be able to find one to ride. If so, they would be able to reach their destination within half an hour, thus sparing them a lot of trouble. "Un." Yu Fei-er nodded. Very coincidentally, the sound of something whizzing through the sky and the pping of wings suddenly echoed in the sky. Raising her gaze, she saw a massive Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast flying toward them. "Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast? This is a Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast that possesses the Dragon Bloodline. It is one of the better spirit beasts even whenparing the entire Beast Hall. Lets take this then..." After taking a closer look at the appearance of the spirit beast, Luo Qiqi immediately gathered her zhenqi in a dantian before shouting. "I am Master Teacher Luo Qiqi. My friend and I wish to hitch a ride on your spirit beast!" The identity of a master teacher was prestigious, and it was more likely that the other party would be willing to help after she reported it. As expected, after hearing her words, the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast circled the sky for a moment before descending to the ground, right before the duo. Instead of a usual lodging room on the back of the spirit beast, there was only a shabby rope. As soon as the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beastnded on the ground, a young man immediately leaped off its back. The young man looked to be in his thirties, and he was dressed extravagantly. His eyes had a sharpness within them that felt a little ufortable to look at. Just like Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er, he was a Cosmos Bridge realm expert as well! "Beast Halls Qin Zhong pays respect to Luo shi!" Not expecting that the ones who wished to hitch a ride would be such beautifuldies, Qin Zhongs eyes immediately lit up in agitation. Despite his identity, he had never metdies as beautiful as this. "The both of us wish to hitch a ride on your spirit beast to visit the Beast Hall. May I know if youre willing to do us this favor?" Luo Qiqi asked. "Its my pleasure to take the both of you with me!" Qin Zhong said excitedly. "Just that... there is no lodging room on my spirit beast, so this ride might be a little ufortable for you two..." "That isnt a problem." Luo Qiqi shook her head. Their current aim was to reach return to Hongyuan Empire as soon as possible so as to rally help to find Zhang Xuan. Comfort was the least of their worries now. "May I know what an eptable price for you is?" Yu Fei-er asked. It was customary for one to pay after hitching a ride. Usually, the price would be agreed on by both sides beforehand so as to avoidplications after the ride. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Its my pleasure to have such beautifuldies onboard my spirit beast, how can I ept your money?" Qin Zhong ced his hands behind his back and put on his most dashing face in hopes of attracting the other partys attention. However, the other party didnt seem to have noticed it at all. "Well feel more at ease if you ept our payment." Seeing the flirtatious looks from the other party, Luo Qiqi could tell that he had other thoughts in mind, and she frowned in displeasure. If not for the urgent situation at hand, she would never have bothered herself with such an arrogant fellow. "This..." Upon Luo Qiqis insistence, Qin Zhong hesitated for a moment before replying, "How about this? You two seem to have spent quite some time in the mountains already. If you two apany me for a meal at the Beast Hall, thatll suffice as the payment!" "Apany you for a meal?" How could Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er possibly not know what the other party was thinking about? It was already as clear as day! Their faces immediately darkened. How dare this fellow from the Huanyu Empire Beast Hall attempt to phnder with two 5-star master teachers? How brazen! "Thats right. Dont worry, I dont have any other thoughts in mind. Besides, considering how the both of you are in such a hurry to the Beast Hall, you must be trying to find a formidable aerial spirit beast to ride on. As a 4-star beast tamer and the son of the incumbent hall master, Im sure I will be able to help the both of you!" Qin Zhong smiled proudly. As long as he made his identity as the young master of the Beast Hall known, most people would immediately show some respect to him. Even if the youngdies were master teachers, judging from their age, they couldnt possibly be ranked above 3-star. After learning his identity, he was confident that the duo would surely think differently of him. And before long, there would be twodies in his embrace. Chapter 682: Zhang Xuan Appears Chapter 682: Zhang Xuan Appears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Pick another condition!" Seeing that the other party was actually interested in them, Luo Qiqi frowned and waved her hands in disapproval. If not for the other party being the young master of the Beast Hall, she would surely have pped that thought out of him by now. They were both 5-star master teachers, not to mention Yu Fei-er was the princess of Hongyuan Empire, so how dare a mere 4-star beast tamer try to take advantage of them? But regardless, the two of them didnt know much about beast taming, and the other party seemed to be the vindictive type who would get back at them if they were to offend him. Thus, Luo Qiqi chose to hold herself back. "Pick another condition?" Not expecting the twodies to reject even a meal, Qin Zhong frowned. He took pride in his looks and identity, and very few had ever rejected his invitation before. They were the ones who had requested something of him, and yet, not only did they reject his invitation, they even had such displeased looks on their faces. What did they mean by this? They were thinking too highly of themselves! Qin Zhong harrumphed coldly. "Its just a casual meal, surely theres no need for you to turn me down like this, right? If you were to continue acting so coldly and distant, I fear that itll be difficult for you to get a good aerial spirit beast when you arrive at the Beast Hall..." Luo Qiqi narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that? Are you trying to threaten us? Do you know the consequences of threatening a master teacher?" "Threaten? How could I possibly dare to threaten a master teacher! Im just giving you a word of advice out of goodwill on my part. Besides, you are the ones who asked to hitch a ride. Is this the kind of attitude one should put on when asking for a favor?" Qin Zhong chuckled yfully as he gazed at the duo. "I have already stated my price, its your choice to ept it or not. In any case, I am in no hurry. As long as I am here, I doubt anyone in the entire Beast Hall will be willing to offer you a ride!" Seeing the other party acting so despicably, how could a person with an explosive temper like Yu Fei-er possibly hold herself back? Sneering coldly, she stepped forward so as to teach that shameless man a lesson and pummel into him the fact that there were some people in the world he should never offend. But at that moment, the sound of dirt being overturned sounded from the huge depression below. Gugugugugu! Dirt was hurled continuously into the air, as if a gigantic bubble was trying to break out from the earth. "Could it be..." Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqis bodies immediately stiffened. At this moment, they couldnt be bothered with that arrogant fellow anymore. Their eyes stared intently at the depression, willing for the person they were hoping for to appear. Could he really be alive? Was he going to create another miracle as he always did and climb out from the ground alive? The duos eyes turned crimson at that thought. They had spent five entire days here, and in this duration, the spark of hope they once held onto slowly withered into despair... And right when they were about to let go of the final sliver of hope, such an incident urred. Gulong! Just as their hearts were hanging with anxiety, the dirt on the surface of the ground finally broke open, and a massive head emerged. "Puppet!" The bodies of the twodies became tense, and their faces immediately flushed ghastly pale. Theyd thought that it would be Zhang shi, but who knew that it would be this puppet instead! Hu! The puppet climbed out from the hole and stood up. Then, it scanned the surroundings warily, as though waiting for someone. Seeing that there wasnt the slightest injury on this puppet, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er felt as if a knife had torn through their hearts. Zhang shi had sacrificed his own life so that the puppets would remain buried for all eternity toe, but it seemed like his sacrifice had ended in futility. On the other hand, Qin Zhong, who was waiting for the two beauties before him to submit, saw that the duo had ignored him and turned their attention to the depression instead. Frowning, he turned his gaze over as well, and his eyebrows shot up. What the heck was that fellow? Why would he suddenly appear from the ground? Even though Qin Zhong was a 4-star beast tamer, the matter regarding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was one of the greatest secrets of the continent, so he didnt know too much about them. Not to mention, the Otherworldly Demon puppets did resemble humans in some respects, albeit being slightlyrger. A normal Otherworldly Demon was only two meters tall. The only reason the Otherworldly Demon which Zhang Xuan met in Myriad Kingdom City reached three meters and was less humanly was because it was a hybrid between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and a spirit beast. Even though it was rare to meet someone two meters tall, it wasnt something to make a fuss over. Isnt he just a little taller than average? He looks rather weak. Do these twodies prefer this type of man? Seeing how the two beautifuldies before him had ignored him and were getting excited before that tall man, Qin Zhongs face reddened, and a glint shed across his eyes. That fellow is just a little taller than average! Let me show you that height is nothing at all! With such thoughts in mind, Qin Zhong stepped forward, and with a proud gaze, he said, "I am Qin Zhong, a 4-star beast tamer from the Beast Hall. My friend over there, may I know how to address you? Is it convenient for you toe up to have a chat?" "Hmm?" Just as Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er were overwhelmed by grief and shock, they suddenly heard those words and froze. Was there something wrong with this fellows head? Chat with an Otherworldly Demon? How could Qin Zhong be sure that he knew how to speak humannguage? Seeing the dumbfounded expression on the duo, Qin Zhong thought that he was on the right track, and his eyes lit up. Turning his gaze back to the tall fellow below, he realized that thetter wasnt even looking at him. Furious, he howled, "What? Are you looking down on me? Fine, Im interested to see what you are capable of anyway!" After saying this, the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast roared and flew into the sky. Qin Zhong leaped onto the back of his tamed beast, and the duo swooped downward to the tall fellow below. You chose that tall fellow over me? Fine, Ill beat him up right now and let you know how bad your eyes are! Halfway through the arc, Qin Zhong leaped off from the spirit beast. His robe fluttered along with the tug of the wind as he charged toward that tall fellow. He had used his strongest movement technique in this leap. At this moment, he looked like he was gliding through the air, creating a dashing scene. Through this movement technique, he had incited the excited screams of innumerable beautifuldies. Halfway through his movement, he raised his gaze to peek at the two beautifuldies, hoping to see eyes gleaming with excitement and admiration. But who knew that those twodies would actually shake their heads in pity and close their eyes? Closing your eyes? Is my performance insufficient to awe you? Just as Qin Zhong was perplexed by the bizarre situation, he had already arrived before the puppet. Before he could do anything, he suddenly saw a huge fist rapidly expanding before his eyes. Peng! A powerful force struck his body, and he suddenly felt a stifling sensation in his chest. Blood spurted profusely from his mouth, and his figure rapidly retreated through the air. Strength that exceeds Transcendent Mortal 8-dan... Qin Zhongs vision turned dark, and he nearly went insane. The strength of the Otherworldly Demon puppets was derived from their physical bodies, making it nearly impossible for Qin Zhong to urately gauge the other partys true strength and capability. Nevertheless, taking pride in his ability, hed thought that it would be a piece of cake for him to take down the other party. Never had he expected for the other party to be so powerful. It felt like he was standing against the raging storms of a boundless ocean. Even his father, the hall master of the Beast Hall, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert, didnt wield such prowess! But if that was the case, wouldnt that mean that the other partys strength had already exceeded Transcendent Mortal 8-dan? How could that be? He had met all of the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts of Huanyu Empire, but he didnt recall one of them being of such tall stature... Only after spurting severalrge mouthfuls of blood did he finally feel the stifling sensation in his chest alleviate slightly. His back crashed heavily against the edge of the depression, and the bones throughout his entire body rattled. Just a single fist and he was already severely injured. If not for the several life preservation artifacts that he had activated in the midst of his trajectory, he just might have died from that single fist. But even so, the injuries he had sustained would take at least a month or two to heal. Struggling to open his eyes, Qin Zhong was just about to summon his Winged Dragon Beast to take him away when he saw yet another tall fellow climbing out from the hole, and the both of them stood respectfully beside the hole. Are they... trying to wee someone? Seeing the attitude of the two tall fellows, Qin Zhong was taken aback. However, the bizarreness didnt stop here. After which, more tall fellows emerged from the hole, and they stood on the both sides of the hole. With their heads lowered, it seemed like they were waiting patiently for the arrival of some important person. Finally, after the appearance of the eighteenth tall man, a sedan chair slowly emerged from the hole. Seated on top of the sedan chair was a young man, and upon seeing the sunlight outside, he stretched his backzily. It seemed like he had been deprived of sunlight for many days and was delighted to see it once more. To be carried by four Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts while another eighteen stood at attention to wee him... Who in the world was this fellow? And why did he appear from the ground? Qin Zhong widened his eyes in bewilderment. For an instant, he forgot about the overwhelming pain he was suffering. At that moment, an excited call suddenly came from above, and two figures immediately leaped into the depression. "Zhang shi..." Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er had thought that they would never meet this young man ever again. Who could have thought that he would actually appear before them in such a fashion? Unable to hold back their agitation, they rushed forward without any hesitation. The depression was around forty meters deep, but this height was nothing to a Cosmos Bridge realm expert. "Little Qi and Princess Fei-er, what are you two doing here?" Naturally, the man seated on the sedan was Zhang Xuan. After five days of effort, the puppets had finally unearthed a passageway for him to leave the underground chamber. In any case, since their leader was in his hands, these fellows had no choice but to obey his words. Thus, he had them prepare a sedan chair to carry him up. Zhang Xuan thought that after so many days, the twodies would have already left. As such, he was surprised to see them here. "You are fine..." After confirming that the other party was indeed Zhang shi, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er were finally able to release the huge burden that had been weighing down on their hearts over the past few days. But after recovering from their agitation, many doubts started to emerge in their minds. Wasnt he chased by the puppets when they left? Why would the puppets be carrying him out now? More importantly, with the copse of the underground chamber, the supply of oxygen inside was cut off entirely. How did he manage to survive for so long? "Im fine. Its a long story." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "I thought that I would surely die back then, but I happened to activate an artifact that my teacher left for me then. Through the effects of the artifact, not only did I survive the copse, these puppets were also put under my control. Honestly speaking, I was truly lucky to have survived this!" There was no way he could talk about the heart. Otherwise, he would have to exin how he managed to seal the heart in his Book of Heavens Path too. Thus, he chose to push everything onto that imaginary teacher of his. In any case, the duo had seen his teachers astounding performance back at the Cleansing Lake too, so it wouldnt be too difficult for them to believe this either. "Yang shi?" Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er nced at one another before heaving a sigh of relief simultaneously. The image of Yang shi descending for the sky and resolving the huge catastrophe with the single throw of a shoe was still inscribed deeply in their minds. Not even Mo shi would have been capable of doing the same. It wasnt entirely inconceivable for that legendary figure to tame all of the puppets given his means. "Its enough that you are fine..." Since a high ranked master teacher was involved in this matter, they knew that it wouldnt be appropriate for them to pry into this matter. Thus, they decided to put this topic away. "Un." Seeing the duo putting aside the matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At that moment, he suddenly noticed Qin Zhong, whose face was swollen red from the punch earlier, and he frowned in confusion. "Who is this fellow?" Chapter 683: Can You Fly? Chapter 683: Can You Fly? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He is..." After a moment of hesitation, Luo Qiqi began recounting the matters earlier. "You wish to get an aerial spirit beast to travel back to Hongyuan Empire?" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Indeed, five days have passed. I really should hurry to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" After leaving the Cleansing Lake, Zhang Xuan had spent three days in aa, one day in the underground chamber, and five days digging a path out of it. All in all, it had been nine days since then. If he didnt hurry now, he might miss the entrance examination to the academy. While he didnt think that it was truly necessary for him to enroll at the Master Teacher Academy, considering the history behind it, thetter must have a huge collection of books. If he could gain ess to them, he could potentially raise his cultivation quickly. Luo Qiqi nodded. "Since teacher is fine, lets return together." The reason why they wanted to rush back earlier was to save Zhang shi. But while thetter was fine now, it was indeed about time for them to return too. "Alright!" Getting up from the sedan chair, Zhang Xuan had the puppets march back down the hole before burying it entirely. On the surface, it seemed like Zhang Xuan was ordering them to return to the underground chamber, but in truth, Zhang Xuans soul was waiting below to ce them into his storage ring. As these fellows were lifeless puppets, he could carry them along with him in his storage ring. Since he could control these fellows through the heart, it would be waste for him not to keep them around. With this huge army of Saint realm puppets, he could easily destroy even a real Saint realm cultivator. With this, his safety in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy would be assured, and he wouldnt have to keep relying on Yang shi either. But of course, any matter regarding Otherworldly Demons was of grave importance, and it was best to keep Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er in the dark regarding this matter as well. Not to mention, there was an outsider lying not too far away. This was the reason why he decided to go through so much trouble to keep his action of storing them in his storage ring a secret. This way, he could avoid unnecessary trouble in the future. As for whether the experts of the academy would be able to find the puppets after they arrived, that was none of his business. After all, the puppets were capable of moving. The experts couldnt possibly expect for the puppets to wait patiently at the same spot. Having made up his mind to leave, Zhang Xuan immediately turned to the battered Qin Zhong and said, "Your name is Qin Zhong, right? We wish to hitch a ride on your spirit beast, so I ask of your cooperation." "Alright." Struggling to his feet, Qin Zhong looked at Zhang Xuan as a hint of envy and rage shed across his eyes. The reason why he was beaten up like that was due to this fellow. He had no idea who those tall fellows were, but considering the respect they had shown to this young man, it was likely that he was the mastermind behind his current pathetic plight! Humph, I may be no match for you here, but lets see how well youll fare when we are in the air! Qin Zhong swallowed his pill and drove his cultivation. A momentter, he felt that his injuries had alleviated slightly. Looking at the trio before him now, even though they hadnt utilized their zhenqi, so he was unable to determine their exact cultivation, considering their age, it was impossible for them to have reached Sainthood. And as long as one hadnt reached Sainthood, one would be incapable of flight! "There is no lodging room on top of my spirit beast, and the wind has been strongtely!" Qin Zhong stood up and leaped onto the back of his tamed beast while he kindheartedly warned them to be careful. On the inside, he was snickering gleefully. "Thats no problem!" Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. Hu! The Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast pped its wings and rose up into the air. Even though there was no lodging room on top of the aerial spirit beast, its back was rather spacious. It wasnt cramped even with all four of them standing on top. The spirit beast flew higher and higher, and soon, they were soaring through the clouds. Due to the incredible speed of their flight, a cold gale pressed tightly against their skin. The group had to gather their zhenqi to form a protectiveyer to ward off the strong wind. Seeing the look of nonchnce on the young man, Yu Fei-er couldnt help but ask worriedly, "Zhang Xuan, that fellow obviously harbors malicious intentions. Why did you still ask to hitch a ride?" Even she could tell that the beast tamer was up to no good! If it was her, she would have ignored the other party and left immediately! Besides, they had nothing urgent on at the moment. At the very most, they could just walk to the Beast Hall. There was no need for them to take this risk in the first ce. After all, they would be helpless if the other party were to try something in midair. Arent you normally extremely intelligent? So, why did you make such an elementary mistake? Luo Qiqi chuckled. "Fei-er, just watch on. Teacher knows what he is doing!" Yu Fei-er was unaware of it, but Luo Qiqi had once witnessed Zhang Xuan flying in the sky. Since Zhang Xuan chose to hitch a ride, he must have a n in mind. Zhang shi getting done in by someone else? You must be kidding! In the times apanying him, Luo Qiqi had only seen him doing others in. Not once had she witnessed him being done in before! "Damn it!" Seeing the two cold-faceddies who were unwilling to even spout a single word to him getting friendly with that average-looking fellow, Qin Zhongs face twisted in anger. As the young master of the Beast Hall, he grew up with a golden spoon in his mouth. Not to mention, he was also blessed with good looks and considerable talent, so he had always been admired and respected by others. When had he ever allowed another to hitch a ride even after he was pummeled? This was a huge humiliation! "Little Brother, were those tall fellows from before your subordinates?" But even so, Qin Zhong knew that making a move without knowing the background of his enemy was nothing short of recklessness. The tall fellow whom he faced possessed might exceeding that of a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert. While he understood that the wiser decision was to stay out of the other partys way, he was reluctant to simply let this matter go, especially after the humiliation he had suffered. Thus, he decided to first attempt to understand the other partys background before deciding on what he should do. "No, hes just a friend who was sending me out," Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. "A friend?" Qin Zhong frowned. "Then may I know how to address you, and where do youe from?" This question was a little more direct. "Im not anything much, so I dont think Qin gongzi will have heard of me..." Zhang Xuan replied. "Not anything much?" Qin Zhong sneered coldly. That was true as well. He had met nearly all of the renowned young geniuses of Huanyu Empire, but he had never met the young man before him. Thus, it was unlikely for him to be a formidable figure. Nevertheless, he should still tread carefully. "Then... may I know if you have studied the Way of Master Teachers?" he continued asking. "Yes, I have. It has been around half a year since I started learning the Way of Master Teachers..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. He was speaking the truth. Less than a half a year had passed since he first took the master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. "Half a year? Considering how vast and profound the Way of Master Teachers is, it is indeed difficult for you to learn anything substantial in half a year. Even so, you need not feel bad about yourself!" Considering how the two beautifuldies were master teachers, he thought that this young man would be a master teacher as well. However, after hearing that thetter had only been in the upation for half a year, he couldnt help but sneer in derision inside. Every single upation of the Nine Paths had a whole heritage of knowledge that one had to devote ones entire life to studying before they could master it. This was especially so for master teachers, as the number one upation in the world. Half a year... Even at best, he could only be an apprentice now! Since the other party wasnt a master teacher, there would be no need for Qin Zhong to hold himself back then. "Judging from how valiant Little Brother looks, could the reason you studied the Way of Master Teachers sote is because you went to study other upations? What about pill forging? Are you well-versed in it?" Qin Zhong continued asking. "I have studied it for a few days," Zhang Xuan replied. "A few days? Thats such a pity! Learning pill forging can to temper ones mind, allowing one to focus their concentration and cultivate better. You lost an opportunity to cultivate a good habit..." Qin Zhong sighed before continuing. "What about... beast taming?" "I have dabbled in it a bit," Zhang Xuan answered. "Beast taming can allow one toe into contact with nature. Dabbling in it a bit wont be sufficient for you to learn anything significant. You lost an opportunity to be closer to nature..." Qin Zhong shook his head. "What about medicine, smithing, and formation?" Soon, Qin Zhong went through all of the Upper Nine Paths, but it seemed like the other party wasnt well-versed in any of them. Eventually, after confirming that the other party hadnt achieved anything substantial in any upation, his confidence immediately burst through the roof. Most formidable experts would choose to take on several upations and persevere in them. Yet, this fellow only learned each of them for a few days. Considering hisck of patience, it was certain that he wouldnt be able to achieve anything great. Since that was the case, what did he have to worry about? Chuckling lightly, Qin Zhong instructed, "Hahaha. Everyone, make sure you have a stable footing. Im going to speed up now!" Following which, the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast pped its powerful wings and surged across the sky. Hu! The abrupt increase in speed along with the intense movements of the spirit beast caused Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi immediately lose their bnce, and they nearly fell from the back of the spirit beast. To a beast tamer, dealing with the passengers riding on his aerial spirit beast was a walk in the park. "You..." Realizing what the other party was up to, Yu Fei-ers face turned scarlet, and she nearly exploded in rage. Just as she was about to bellow angrily, she suddenly felt a surge of zhenqi behind her that stabilized her footing. Turning around, she saw Zhang Xuans outstretched hand supporting her back. It seemed like the sudden vigorous movements of the Winged Dragon Beast didnt have much of an effect on this young man. "Hmm?" Qin Zhong thought that he could make that wastrel beg for forgiveness through shaking up the ride, but the other party maintained a nonchnt expression, seemingly not afraid at all. Qin Zhongs face immediately darkened once more. If he couldnt even make the other party scared, how could he exact his vengeance? Just as he was about to order the Winged Dragon Beast to perform two 360 degree turns, he suddenly heard the young man asking calmly, "Brother Qin, there is a question I have been wanting to ask you all along. Do you know how to fly?" "Fly?" Not expecting the other party to ask such a question, Qin Zhong was taken aback. "Flight is an ability that only Saints are capable of. How can I possibly be able to fly?" Following which, the apologetic voice of the young man was heard once more. "I see. I have neglected to tell you this, but I am able to fly." "You are?" Qin Zhong had no idea where the other party was going with this. However, at this very moment, a thunder-like boom sounded. "Moo!" Hu! As soon as the sound reverberated in the air, Qin Zhong immediately felt the Winged Dragon Beast beneath him stiffening, and it began to fall to the ground. "AHHHH..." Scared out of his wits, Qin Zhong screamed in fear. The aerial spirit beast beneath him was suddenly paralyzed, and he was incapable of flight. If he were to descend from an altitude of a thousand meters, he would be immediately brought to deaths door! Amidst his screams, he suddenly heard the young mans calm voice speaking by his ear. "I dont know what kind of opportunities I have lost, but I do know that being incapable of flight has cost you your opportunity to live!" Lifting his gaze, he saw the young man looking at him impassively. The other party was floating in the air with the twodies from before standing quietly by his side, supported by his zhenqi. "... Flight?" Never could he have expected for the young man who had only studied a few days in every single upation to actually be capable of flight! What the heck was this? If he knew that the other party was capable of flight, he wouldnt have gone through all of that! Qin Zhong cried. Chapter 684: Reunion with Hall Master Han Chapter 684: Reunion with Hall Master Han Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You... can fly?" Seeing as the man and the beast fell through the sky, creatingrge mushroom-shaped clouds upon impact, Yu Fei-er turned to look at the young man beside her with widened eyes as if she had seen a ghost. Wasnt flight an ability exclusive to Saints? As a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator, how was he doing this? Recalling Luo Qiqis fearless demeanor previously, Yu Fei-er suddenly realized something and asked, "Qiqi, you knew of this in advance?" "Back in the underground chamber, Zhangoshi used this technique to save me once," Luo Qiqi said. With a curious gaze, she turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Speaking of which, teacher, why are you able to fly?" Actually, she had been wanting to ask this question all along, but there wasnt a suitable opportunity before. If it were to be known that someone beneath Sainthood was capable of flight, it would surely leave the blood of many running wild in agitation. But at the same time, it could possibly spell trouble for Zhang Xuan. "It is an artifact that my teacher gave me. Actually, rather than flight, calling it a temporary tool for gliding would be more exact. Furthermore, it has its ws as well. For one, it has a high zhenqi consumption, so I cant sustain it for too long!" Since there was no way Zhang Xuan could exin this well either, he decided to dump everything on to Yang Xuan, as per usual. "Artifact? Yang shi is indeed amazing!" Hearing that it was another one of Yang shis doing, the duos eyes immediately lit up in excitement. Considering how many valuable artifacts Yang shi had given Zhang Xuan, it seemed like he truly valued thetter a lot. Seeing that he had managed to get the duo off his hook after bringing his teacher into the picture, Zhang Xuan smiled in relief. "This artifact is rather rare, so I ask you two not to tell others about it so as to avoid unnecessary trouble!" Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er nodded in response. "Dont worry!" It was an unspoken rule for one to not speak of the affairs of a high ranked master teacher unless apelling situation warranted it. Besides, they also didnt wish to bring trouble to Zhang shi either. As the trio spoke, they graduallynded on the ground. Zhang Xuan exhaled arge mouthful of turbid air. With his current cultivation, he could easily maintain flight for over an hour. However, holding onto two people with his zhenqi in the midst of his flight was still rather tough on him. It was fortunate that he only had to bring them down and not proceed forward, or else he might just end up plummeting to the ground just like Qin Zhong. "Is that fellow... dead?" Luo Qiqi asked. Not too far away from the trio, there was a huge pit with a man and a spirit beast lying inside. The beast was still able to retain its consciousness, but the man, as he was already inflicted with grievous wounds even before the fall, was unable to endure the impact and fainted immediately. "No matter what, Qin Zhong is a Cosmos Bridge realm expert. Its just a distance of a thousand meters; he wont die that easily!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Back then, Feng shi and his team also fell from an altitude of a thousand meters but they still survived the fall. Even if this fellow was severely injured by one of the puppets earlier on, considering the defensive artifacts he had in his possession as the young master of the Beast Hall, it was impossible for him to die from this. At worst, he would only be bed bound for a few months. After exining the matter to the others, Zhang Xuan turned to the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast andmanded, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and bring us to the Beast Hall!" Even though this huge fellow was wounded as well, it was still conscious. Upon meeting Zhang Xuans gaze, it began to tremble in fear. Roar! Hearing those words, it immediately struggled to its feet and stepped forward. Possessing the Dragon Bloodline, it possessed an innate fear toward those capable of uttering the Dragon Language. Naturally, it could only obey Zhang Xuansmands obediently. Hu hu hu! The trio leaped onto the back of the aerial spirit beast, and leaving the unconscious Qin Zhong behind, they advanced toward the Beast Hall. This lesson should serve well to teach that arrogant Qin Zhong to remain humble for the rest of his life. After flying for some time, the group finally arrived at the Beast Hall. The Huanyu Beast Hall wasrger and more majestic than the Beast Halls Zhang Xuan had seen in the past. Countless spirit beasts filled both the sky and thend, creating an extremely boisterous atmosphere that could be felt even from a distance away. Several hundred meters away from Beast Hall, Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi alighted from the back of the spirit beast. This fellow was the tamed beast of the young master of the Beast Hall. If they were to arrive there on it, it could potentially cause a lot of trouble, and it would be troublesome to exin the matter. As for why they chose to ride the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast to the Beast Hall instead of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy directly, the answer was simple. Hongyuan Empire was more than a million kilometers away from Huanyu Empire, and while the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast was at the Consonant Spirit realm, it would take at least one and a half months for it to cover that distance. It was less than a month until the start of the school term, so Zhang Xuan would bete for the entrance examination if he were to ride on its back. On the other hand, there should be higher ranked spirit beasts in the Huanyu Empire Beast Hall for them to ride on. Thus, they decided to stop by here first. Upon stepping into the lounge of the Beast Hall, the trio was immediately stunned by the huge crowd. The territory of Huanyu Empire stretched across the horizon, and there were countless who visited the Beast Hall every day to travel around on the spirit beasts. There were around a dozen queues, and every queue had several hundred people lining up. Judging from the sight, some of them might have even been lining up since a month or two ago! "The number of aerial spirit beasts, savage beasts, and beast tamers in the Beast Hall is limited. As such, it is normal to have to queue for days before getting a ride." Looking at the huge queue before her, Luo Qiqi smiled bitterly. Due to the limited number of beast tamers, aerial spirit beasts, and savage beasts, it was impossible to fulfill everyones demands. As such, the Beast Hall would allocate queue numbers each day, and those whose numbers werent called would have to wait till the second day, the third day, or even beyond that. "In the Hongyuan Beast Hall, there are even a few who fail to get a ride after queuing for two months straight. Even though there are fewer people here, I fear that it will still take around ten days or so before we can get a ride." Yu Fei-er nodded. The number of experts and esteemed personnel far exceeded the number of spirit beasts and beast tamers avable in the Beast Halls. Traveling had always been and was likely to remain a huge problem on the Master Teacher Continent. "If only Ye Qian were here. He is well-acquainted with the people here, so he may have been able to allow us to bypass the queue," Luo Qiqi said bitterly. "If he were here, there would be no need for us toe all the way here. The royal family should have some spirit beasts as well, so we could have just asked him to bring some over," replied Yu Fei-er. While most of the aerial spirit beasts were centered in the Beast Hall, the royal family of most empires and kingdoms would rear a few themselves. Back then, the flying ship that Hong shi and the others left on was powered by the aerial spirit beasts of the empire. If Ye Qian was here, given his identity as a crown prince, he could easily have brought a few aerial spirit beasts out for them. They wouldnt have had toe all the way here to the Beast Hall just to find a ride. Given the huge number of people here, it would be difficult for them to find a suitable aerial spirit beast. "Forget it, borrowing a spirit beast from the empire is an extremely troublesome procedure, and one will also incur a debt to the empire. It will be much better to use the spirit beasts from the Beast Hall instead!" Luo Qiqi said. Logically speaking, given Yu Fei-ers identity, even if Ye Qian wasnt around, it wouldnt be too difficult for her to borrow a few spirit beasts from Ye Wentian. But her unique identityplicated the matter. As the princess of Hongyuan Empire and a master teacher, if she were to ask for a favor, she would incur a debt which she would have to repay in the future. Since that was the case, it would be better for them to rent a ride from the Beast Hall instead. Not to mention, master teachers possessed a privilege on this aspectthey had a priority queue just for them! On top of that, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er were 5-star master teachers. They were qualified to find the hall master or the elders of the Beast Hall straight to request for a better spirit beast and beast tamer. "Lets go!" Thus, the group proceeded forward. At that moment, Luo Qiqi suddenly thought of something, and she turned to the young man beside her and asked, "Zhang shi, since you are a beast tamer, do you have any acquaintances here?" "This is my first time here, so how could I possibly have any acquaintances here?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was his first time in Huanyu Capital, so how could he know anyone here? "Thats true..." Recalling how Zhang shi had arrivedter them, it was indeed unlikely for him to have any acquaintances here. "Alright then." Nodding, Luo Qiqi surveyed the surroundings to find a member of the Beast Hall whom she could ask to show them to an elder or the hall master when a delighted voice suddenly called out. "Zhang shi... why are you here?" Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw an elder walking to him with an excited smile on his face. "Hall Master Han?" Upon seeing the elder, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The person was none other than the hall master whom he met at Coax Ridge when he tamed the Demon Cinque Beast back then, Han Chong! Why was he here? "Thanks to Zhang shis help, I managed to triumph over Luo Ming in thepetition and gained the opportunity to study at Huanyu Empire... Han Chong smiled. He had once suffered a trauma which resulted in a sharp fall in his fighting prowess. Thus, he turned his attention to the Demon Cinque in the hope of taming it to defeat Luo Ming. However, while he was doing so, he met Zhang Xuan. Not only did Zhang Xuan save him when Demon Cinque Beast went on a rampage, thetter even treated his trauma, allowing him to regain his former strength. Due to that, he gained the opportunity to enter a higher ranked Beast Hall to further his knowledge of beast taming. It could be said that Zhang Xuan was his benefactor! If not for Zhang shi, he would already be dead by now! Hed thought that it would be hard for him to meet this incredible genius again, but who knew that he would actually reunite with him here? Hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan immediately understood what was going on. "It is through your own capability that you obtained this opportunity; I only did what I should." He recalled how much Han Chong valued this opportunity. For it, he spent three entire years trying to tame Demon Cinque Beast. "Zhang shi is too polite!" After trading a few pleasantries, Han Chong asked, "Is Zhang shi here to take the 5-star beast tamer examination or..." "Actually, we are intending to head to Hongyuan Empire, so we would like to rent a fast spirit beast with good stamina." Zhang Xuan chuckled. "May I ask for Hall Master Hans help with this matter?" "This isnt a problem at all. Ill show you to the Beast Lodge!" Hearing that it was just a small matter, Han Chong hurriedly nodded. Even though he came from the branch in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, as an ex-hall master, his standing was still higher than ordinary beast tamers. It wasnt a problem for him to find a spirit beast for Zhang Xuan. "Ill be thanking you then, Hall Master Han!" Zhang Xuan smiled in delight. Han Chong shook his head. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Also, theres no need to call me Hall Master Han. I am only an ordinary 4-star beast tamer here, so you can just address me as Beast Tamer Han." While he was a hall master in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance branch, he was nothing more than an ordinary beast tamer here except for his slightly higher standing. It would be inappropriate for him to be addressed as hall master here, and it could even be taken as insubordination. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded. Following behind Han Chong, the group headed for the Beast Lodge. On the other hand, seeing how Zhang Xuan walked away with a 4-star beast tamer right after iming that he knew no one in the Beast Hall, Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi nced at one another, and their eyelids twitched frenziedly. You call this knowing no one here? Who are you trying to fool? Why did this Zhang shi feel so upright and dependable at times, and yet so unreliable and entric at others? Chapter 685: You Know the Beast Language? Chapter 685: You Know the Beast Language? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Huanyu Empire Beast Halls Beast Lodge was established in the midst of the mountain forest. Countless spirit beasts lived leisurely in the area. Even though many of them were natural enemies of one another, they were still able to live harmoniously with one another after being tamed. While walking to their destination, Han Chong asked, "Hongyuan Empire is more than a million kilometers away from here. How much time do you have for your journey?" Zhang Xuan calcted for a moment before replying. "Of course, the faster the better. It would be best if we can arrive within twenty days." It had been nine days since Hong shi and the others had departed. If they wanted to catch up, they would have to shorten the months journey to about twenty days. "Twenty days?" Han Chong suddenly stopped and frowned. "If you wish to arrive at Hongyuan Empire within twenty days, you will require a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast at the very least!" Long journeys were very different from short journeys. Even if a spirit beast could cover a hundred thousand kilometers in a day at maximum, the journey could still easily stretch on for a month. After all, it would be impossible for the spirit beast to maintain its full speed throughout the entire journey, and it would also need to rest and recuperate as well. Also, cultivation realm didnt necessary trante to speed either. Different aerial spirit beasts had different strengths, and there were plenty of powerful spirit beasts who had a slow flight speed. Nevertheless, the minimum requirement for any aerial spirit beast to reach Hongyuan Empire in twenty days was for it to be a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast. Zhang Xuan nodded. He was a beast tamer as well, and he had a deep understanding of spirit beasts. He could also roughly gauge the traveling times of different aerial spirit beasts. "Only 5-star pinnacle beast tamers are able to tame such a spirit beast. Alright, Ill bring you to the Elder Hall to take a look then..." Han Chong frowned. If it was just a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast, Han Chong would surely be able to rent it for Zhang Xuan easily. However, as Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beasts were extremely hard to tame, even for a 5-star beast tamer, their quantity was severely limited. As such, this matter would necessitate the approval of the Elder Hall. "The Elder Hall? Will this be too troublesome?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Its fine. My teacher happens to be a 5-star pinnacle beast tamer... If he learns that you are a 4-star beast tamer and a grandmaster physician at such a young age, he will surely be delighted to help you!" Han Chong smiled. While they were speaking, they circled around the mountain forest and arrived at a log house. The entire residence was extremely simplistic in design, constructed using only wood and mud. It contrasted starkly to the extravagant infrastructures around the Beast Hall. Pushing open the door of the log house, they saw cages of all sizes ced all around the vast living room. Savages beast and spirit beasts were housed in those cages, and they varied in terms of size and species. Making a quick estimation, there were around eighty cages in here. "These are..." Upon seeing all of these cages, Zhang Xuan was bewildered. This should be the living quarters of the teacher whom Han Chong spoke of. However, most of the beasts in the cages possessed low cultivation, and there were even a few beneath Zongshi realm. A 5-star pinnacle beast tamer, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, could easily flick a savage beast of that tier to death, so there should be no reason for him to rear them. "Oh, my teacher is..." Realizing the doubts Zhang Xuan was harboring, Han Chong was just about to exin when jiya!, a spirited old man suddenly walked into the room. The old mans hair and beard were both white, and he carried a book in his hands. Seemingly oblivious to the crowd in his log house, he continued walking forward while muttering something under his breath. His face slowly lit up with excitement along with his mutterings, as if he had deciphered a mystery. "Teacher..." Han Chong stepped forward and addressed him. "Dont interrupt me. Well talk after Im done!" Not even sparing a nce to Han Chong, the old man waved his hands and walked up to a cage. Inside the cage were eight Zhizun realm Scarlet Coated Hamsters. These hamsters were small in size, but their ability to burrow was astonishing. There were even some who specially groomed them to have them dig out some space underground to construct an underground chamber. But of course, considering how the old man had them locked in a cage, that probably wasnt his motive. Seeing his teacher pay little regard to him, Han Chong turned to the trio in embarrassment. "Teacher has always been like this. As long as he is in the midst of his research, he will ignore everything in his surroundings..." "No worries!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Even though he had to get to Hongyuan Empire as soon as possible, he had this bit of time to spare. On top of that, he was also curious about what the old man was up to. Ignoring the crowd, the old man flipped a few pages on the book, and on a certain page, he suddenly stopped. As though he had finally found what he was looking for, his eyes lit up in agitation. He immediately turned his sight to the Scarlet Coated Hamsters, took in a deep breath, and shouted, "Boreohu lomesen..." Along with the chanting of the old man, the Scarlet Coated Hamsters widened their eyes and began to puke, as if they had heard something extremely disgusting. "They are vomiting? This isnt right!" The old man scratched his head as he flipped the pages of the book once more. "My pronunciation must be off. I should try again! "Boreohu lomesen..." Hu hu hu! The eyes of the Scarlet Coated Hamsters suddenly rolled upward, and their legs began to spasm. Two of them tried to get away, but they ended up knocking against the bars of the cage and fainted. "This..." Everyone widened their eyes in shock. Even Zhang Xuan was astonished by the sight. What did the old man say to disgust the Scarlet Coated Hamsters so much that they would rather knock themselves out than to listen to it for a moment longer? Suddenly realizing something, Luo Qiqi turned to Han Chong and asked, "Is this... Beast Language?" Even though she wasnt a beast tamer, her upation as a master teacher required her to have a degree of understanding of all upations, and she did once read about the Ancient Beast Language before. It was said to have beenpiled by Kong shi himself, but with the passing of time, it gradually disappeared from the world. Even though the heritage was still existent, it was grasped in the hands of a small minority, and it was never passed down to outsiders. Could it be that Han Chongs teacher had already learned thenguage, and was currently experimenting with it? Just that, why would his words cause such an extreme reaction in the Scarlet Coated Hamsters to make them vomit like that? "My teacher is in the midst of studying the Beast Language, and there has been some sess in his research already..." Han Chong nodded. "Sess?" Zhang Xuan and the others were speechless. Making a savage beast puke, and you call that sess? One punch can easily do the same! "Cough cough!" Hearing the conversation and seeing the reaction of the crowd, the old man was a little embarrassed. Closing his book and tidying his appearance, he turned around and said, "Han Chong, didnt I instruct you to study yourself? Do you have something for me?" "Reporting to teacher, Zhang shi over here is my benefactor, and he wishes to rent a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast to travel to Hongyuan Empire!" Han Chong quickly replied. "Transcendent Mortal 8-dan?" The old man frowned. "There are only three aerial spirit beasts of this caliber in the entire Beast Hall. Two of them were rented by the Huanyu royal family while thest one has just returned from a long journey and is exhausted. Im afraid that there arent any avable at the moment! Besides, even though I am an elder, I dont have the absolute say in such matters. Dispatching a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan aerial spirit beast requires the approval of the Elder Conference and the hall master!" "This..." Han Chongs face reddened in embarrassment. The management of the Huanyu Empire Beast Hall was much stricter than the Myriad Kingdom Alliance branch. Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beasts were the strongest beings throughout the entire empire, so they wouldnt be given any work unless truly required. Furthermore, the approval of the Elder Conference was required to dispatch them. Back then, when Han Chong was the hall master of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Beast Hall, he could move any spirit beasts with just a single word. He thought that his teacher, as one of the top leaders of the Beast Hall, would possess such authority here, but from the looks of it, the matter wasnt as simple as it seemed. "Then... are there any Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beasts avable?" Even though Transcendent Mortal 7-dan aerial spirit beasts were slightly slower, it was still within an eptable range for Zhang Xuan. "There is a total of fourteen Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beasts in our guild, but they are all the tamed beasts of elders, and only five of them are capable of flight. If you wish to rent one, you will need an elder to drive it personally, so it wont be easy either." The old man shook his head. "Furthermore, most of the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan aerial spirit beasts arent suited for traveling long distances, so I fear that they wont be much faster than most of the Transcendent Mortal 6-dan spirit beasts!" Most of the spirit beasts in the Beast Hall were tamed by the beast tamers collectively or groomed by an apprentice of a low ranked beast tamer. These spirit beasts were often up for rent to the public. On the other hand, there were also private spirit beasts, which were the tamed beasts that apanied their tamers side. Most of them were more suited than battle, so while they could cover short distances swiftly, it was difficult for them to persevere for long distances. On top of that, most of the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beasts in the Beast Hall werend-bound, and those capable of flight could only do it in short spurts. There were simply too few aerial spirit beasts who were capable of covering long distances such as that between Huanyu Empire and Hongyuan Empire. "Is there no other solution?" Han Chong asked anxiously. Zhang shi had helped him a lot, and it wasnt easy for him to obtain a chance to repay the debt. He felt embarrassed that he had boasted earlier that it wouldnt be a problem only to let the other party down a few momentster. "There is no other way around it..." The old man shook his head firmly. At that moment, he suddenly recalled something and said, "Unless... you manage to convince that spirit beast to help! If you can do it, you can probably reach Hongyuan Empire in less than ten days!" "That spirit beast?" Han Chong seemed to understand which spirit beast the old man was referring to, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. But at this moment, he suddenly recalled the various miraculous feats the young man had achieved with the Demon Cinque Beast, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Thats right! Teacher, even though we might have been unable to persuade it, perhaps Zhang shi... might be able to seed!" Seeing his student getting so agitated, the old man frowned. He nced at Zhang Xuan doubtfully and asked, "Him?" He didnt mean to look down on Zhang Xuan, but thetter seemed to only be in his early twenties. At this age, even if he was talented, he could only be a 2-star beast tamer at best. With such limited capability, what could he possibly achieve? After all, not even the hall master had been able to deal with that fellow. "Even though Zhang shi is young, he is a true 4-star beast tamer. He was the one who tamed the Demon Cinque Beast, which I failed to do even after three years of effort!" Han Chong quickly exined. "Furthermore... it seems that Zhang shi knows a bit of Beast Language as well, and... it seems to be more effective than teachers..." "Beast Language? You are well-versed in the Ancient Beast Language?" The old man was taken aback, and the doubt in his eyes deepened. The heritage of the Ancient Beast Language had disappeared many millenniums before, and those who managed toy their hands on it were all the top beast tamers on the continent. However, all of them viewed what they knew as their greatest treasure and were unwilling to share it with the public, so how could such a young fellow possibly know the Ancient Beast Language?" "I... studied it for a while." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Studied it for a while? I have been researching it for more than fifty years, and I barely managed to scratch the surface. What is the use in studying it for a while?" Hearing the other partys words, disappointment shed across the old mans face. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he suddenly saw the young man before him inhale deeply before opening his mouth. "Moo!" Hu! All of the spirit beasts and savage beasts in the room immediately crouched on the floor, trembling in fear. On the other hand, the old man also felt his entire body jolt upon hearing that sound. His vision went dark, and he fell onto the floor, convulsing ceaselessly. Chapter 686: Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons Chapter 686: Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Zhang Xuans Dragon Language was the most effective on those possessing the Dragon Bloodline, due to the low cultivation realm of the savage beasts and spirit beasts in the room, it was able to instill fear into them as well. Against the abrupt roar, it was already amazing that some of them were still able to retain their consciousness. Zhang Xuan could understand why the spirit beasts and savage beasts would react like that to his roar, but... Turning to the old man, he asked with a perplexed expression, "Elder, are you... fine?" The reason why the spirit beasts and savage beastsy down was due to their inborn instincts which instilled the fear of dragons into them. Why is a human like you behaving the same way as them? Not to mention, to be convulsing as if you have lost your soul, and that white foam flowing out from your mouth... Did my Dragon Language somehow disgust you? "Teacher..." Han Chong was also astonished. He hurriedly rushed forward to grab the other partys renzhong acupoint and infused zhenqi into his body. Only then did the old man finally regain his consciousness. "Thenguage you just spoke... Could it be the True Voice of Dragons?" As soon as the old man came to, he hurriedly stood up and turned to look at Zhang Xuan in agitation and disbelief. "Im not too sure either. Those are just a few notes that I learned on a whim," Zhang Xuan replied. In truth, he was not too sure what thisnguage was, and all along, hed thought that it was a part of the Ancient Beast Language as well. Of the three notes he had learned back at the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, this one was the most useful. Thus, he always utilized this note whenever he needed to deal with spirit beasts. Somehow, it seemed to have a restraining effect on all those that possessed traces of the Dragon Bloodline. "Learned on a whim? A human... actually learned the True Voice of Dragons as well?" The old man stared at Zhang Xuan in disbelief. At that moment, he suddenly eximed, "Wait here for a moment!" Following which, he ran out of the room. A momentter, he returned with an ancient book in his hands, and he flipped it open. "Take a look!" Lowering his head, Zhang Xuan realized that the note which he had just vocalized was written in the book as well. Grabbing the book, Zhang Xuan casually flipped through a few pages and took a look at the cover as well. Noticing some simrities in the content of the ancient book he found in the Library of Heavens Path back then, he couldnt help but ask, "This is called the True Voice of Dragons?" "Un. An ancient beast tamerpiled the knowledge known of the subject and wrote this book. ording to it, thenguage you have just spoken is known as the True Voice of Dragons!" "True Voice of Dragons?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The old man nodded. "Legend has it that due to the overwhelming strength of the Dragon Tribe, they were bound by the naturalws of heaven, preventing them from vocalizing most tones. As such, they were limited to utilizing only eight tones to express their joy, anger, sorrow, reminiscence, and frustration. Nevertheless, you mustnt underestimate these eight tones! Even with just eight tones, the content of the Dragon Language is still far richer than human speech." Zhang Xuan nodded. As a beast tamer, he had read innumerable records regarding beasts, and it was theorized that the heavens would take something away from beings that were too strong to maintain equity. Voice was one of them. Nevertheless, even with just eight tones, the Dragon Tribe could easily express many different terms through a uniquebination of tones. Under the long heritage of the dragons, theirnguage had grown to be far richer than even the humans. The simplest things can sometimes prove to be the most powerful tools. "There are simply too manybinations to the Dragon Language, so without interacting with a real dragon, its impossible for anyone to fully understand thenguage! More importantly..." At which, the old mans eyes widened in disbelief and he uttered, "The Eight Tones of Heavenly Dragons require one to possess a Pureblooded Dragon Bloodline to vocalize. The body of a human cant possibly endure the pressure of such notes. So... h-how did you do it? Do you... possess the Pureblooded Dragon Body?" "Pureblooded Dragon Body?" Zhang Xuan questioned in bewilderment. "Yes. The Pureblooded Dragon Body is a unique constitution that is even more powerful than the Pure Yang Body and Pure Yin Body. Once the constitution is awakened, the Dragon Bloodline in ones body will be iparably close to a Pureblooded Dragon, and ones cultivation and fighting prowess will be boosted significantly... and the concept of cultivation bottlenecks will be non-existent..." The more the old man spoke, the more his face flushed in agitation. Pureblooded Dragon Body, this was one of the strongest unique constitution in the world. Given that the man before him was able to vocalize the Dragon Language that all humans should be incapable of, could he really possess such a constitution? If that was true, then it would truly be fearsome! "Teacher, do you really possess the Pureblooded Dragon Body?" Hearing the words of the old man, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er nced at one another momentarily before turning their curious gazes to Zhang Xuan. Based on Zhang shis legendary record, his cultivation did improve at a monstrous pace. All along, they had attributed it to Yang shi, but could the Pureblooded Dragon Body have yed an important part as well? If that was the case, many things that had bewildered them previously could be exined. "I..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. How could he possibly possess the Pureblooded Dragon Body? The only reason he was able to vocalize the Dragon Language was due to the Heavens Path zhenqi and Heavens Path Golden Body. But of course, he couldnt exin any of this either, so he could only change the subject. "Does this book record all eight of the tones?" "Record all eight tones? Of course not!" Seeing that the other party was unwilling to divulge much, the old man also chose to put the matter aside. Shaking his head, he continued, "The Eight Tones of Heavenly Dragons is thenguage of the Dragon Tribe, humans arent qualified to learn and utilize it. In truth, this book only records the deductions on how those sounds came to be. The meaning of those words and the method to vocalizing them are unclear in it!" "I see." Zhang Xuan casually flipped through the book while he immersed his consciousness in into the Library of Heavens Path. He could read much faster in the Library of Heavens Path, and its innate function also allowed him to discern the truth from the false. Hu! Soon, Zhang Xuan swept through the entire book, and came to a realization. Just as the other party had said, the book mainly recorded the origin of the Eight Tones of Heavenly Dragons and its rtionship to the Dragon Tribe. As for the rest, it was extremely unclear. Of the eight tones, the Moo which he often used was also recorded in it. However, even though there were more than thirty pages depicting its vocalization, none of them were correct. As for the other two tones that he had learned previously, they werent among the eight tones, so they were probably not a part of the Dragon Language. This exined why those two notes were ineffective against the spirit beasts when he tried them out. It was also stated in the book that due to physiological differences, even if humans were to learn the proper way of vocalizing the sound, they would still be unable to imitate the dragons. As such, the thirty-page depiction of its vocalization were just deductions on the authors part, and there was no evidence to back up his findings. "Hmm? One of the tones seems to be correct?" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to finish reading the book, his eyes suddenly lit up. Nearing the end, there was actually a correct depiction of one of the eight tones. The second tone of the Eight Tones of Heavenly Dragons, Mou! Memorizing the way to vocalize it, Zhang Xuan made a mental note to try it when he got the chance. At this moment, he suddenly recalled the peculiarity that happened just a while ago, and his eyes fell upon the old man before him. "Its written in the book that the Eight Tones of Heavenly Dragons only has the effect of restraining lifeforms possessing the Dragon Bloodline, and this is known as the Majesty of the Pureblooded Dragon... But if that is the case, why did you fall to the ground previously as well?" Zhang Xuan wasnt the only one curious about this matter. Luo Qiqi, Han Chong, and Yu Fei-er also turned their gazes over as well. Even though Zhang shis voice was loud, that was all it was to them. They werent influenced by the Eight Tones of Heavenly Dragons, and they didnt feel any pressure from it either. So why would a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle elder fall to the ground? Not to mention, thetter even convulsed ceaselessly and leak white foam... "This..." The old man didnt seem to be surprised by the question at all. After a long moment of silence, he finally sighed and said, "Follow me." After which, he walked to the backyard of the log house. "Teacher..." Seeing his teacher beckoning them to the backyard, Han Chong was bewildered. It had been some time since he hade under his teachers tutge, but thetter had strictly warned him never to go to the backyard. There was one time that he sneaked in out of curiosity, but before he could get a good look, he was caught. He ended up being reprimanded and was given a stern warning against it. However, all of that only heightened his curiosity. Nevertheless, for fear of angering his teacher, he didnt dare to sneak in anymore. He didnt expect his teacher to actually bring them in of his own ord. Not knowing the history behind the backyard, Zhang Xuan and the others followed the old man casually around the log house and to the backyard. There was a small mound in the backyard, and a tombstone was erected in front of the mound. ncing at the tombstone, six words were written on it: The Grave of Draconic Granite Beast! "The Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast that rules over allnd-bound lifeforms... Draconic Granite Beast?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Thats right!" The old man nodded. Gazing at the tombstone withplex emotions, he said, "He... is my tamed beast!" "Teachers tamed beast?" Han Chong was stunned. His eyes slowly widened as he asked, "Teachers tamed beast... is dead?" In truth, in the days he had been in the Huanyu Empire Beast Hall, he had never seen his teachers tamed beast before. He thought that it might have been dispatched on a mission or something, but never had he imagined that it would actually be dead. Beast tamers could have more than one tamed beast, but they would have to do a lot to win their trust. Most beast tamers would choose to view their tamed beast as their closest friend or even their kin. As such, the death of a tamed beast could be a heavy blow to a beast tamer. There were quite a few who never recovered from the emotional trauma. Was the death of his tamed beast the reason why his teacher chose to live in such a remote location? "Un. My tamed beast is dead. Because of me." The old man shook his head. "Because of you?" "I tamed this Draconic Granite Beast when I was in the midst of my 5-star beast tamer examination..." The old man sighed as he recounted the story. After taming the Draconic Granite Beast and sessfully advancing to be a 5-star beast tamer, he grewcent and fearless. Eventually, when he was fighting against an enemy one day, he sustained a fatal injury. Back then, his severe injuries were threatening to im his life at any moment. It was the Draconic Granite Beast who infused its blood essence into him to save him. Not too longter, it died. He had always felt guilty about this matter, so he buried the other party here, erected a tombstone, and swore to apany the other party until his death. "Due to the presence of the blood essence of the Draconic Granite Beast in me, I am also subjected to the pressure from the Voice of True Dragons," the elder said. Zhang Xuan nodded. It was no wonder. Even though the Draconic Granite Beast had a huge stature, its blood essence was limited. Furthermore, in order to save him, the blood essence had to be of a certain purity. As such, even though the old man didnt exactly possess the Dragon Bloodline, it was still affected by it. "Is this rted to the reason why you studied the Ancient Beast Language and the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons?" Zhang Xuan asked. Considering how the other party had put everything aside to immerse himself in the research of the Ancient Beast Language, it was likely rted to the experiences he had. "Yes... Back then, when I was severely injured, it was Draconic Granite Beast who saved me. However, there was another spirit beast present there then... It was the spirit beast which I said that could reach Hongyuan Empire within just ten daysGreat Violetwing Beast!" The old man clenched his fists tightly together. "Before the Draconic Granite Beast passed away, it said many words to me. However, as it was extremely weak then, it was unable tomunicate telepathically to me, so I was unable to understand what it had said. All these years, I have been trying my best to study the Ancient Beast Language so as to learn what it said with its dying breath... and what kind of regrets it had that it wanted me to fulfill..." At this point, the old mans eyes turned red. Chapter 687: I Am Done Studying It Chapter 687: I Am Done Studying It Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A typical beast tamer would have to spend several years of selfless giving and intimate conversations to win the trust and loyalty of a savage beast. Not everyone was like Zhang Xuan, where a single beating would suffice. As such, the rtionships between beast tamers and their tamed beasts tended to be extremely strong. Furthermore, this tie was further strengthened when they engaged in coborative cultivation and fused their bloodlines together. This Draconic Granite Beast had spent many years apanying this elder, and in thetters heart, it had already be his closest kin. On top of that, it had even given up its life for him. Thus, no matter how much trouble it would take, he wanted to fulfill thetters dying will. "Has the Beast Hall tried taming the Great Violetwing Beast yet?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even if a beast tamer couldntprehend the Ancient Beast Language, they were still able tomunicate with one another telepathically. The only reason the elder wasnt able to interpret the Draconic Granite Beastsst words and ended up immersing himself in the research of the Ancient Beast Language was because thetter was too weak tomunicate telepathically then. However, considering how the Great Violentwing Beast was present at that moment, it should have heard the words of the Draconic Granite Beast. If someone tamed it, they would be able to learn of the Draconic Granite Beasts dying message, and the elder wouldnt have to go through so much trouble. The elder shook his head. "Even though a mature Great Violetwing Beast tends to be at Transcendent Mortal 8-dan, this one has reached the level of half 9-dan. Theres no one in the Beast Hall who is sufficiently capable to tame it..." "Half 9-dan?" "Yes. Even though it hasnt exactly reached 9-dan yet, the advantages it derives from its superior physique and bloodline allows it to defeat most 9-dan cultivators. Furthermore, the death of the Draconic Granite Beast has made it hostile to humans, thus making it impossible to tame it..." the elder said. "The Great Violetwing Beast was a good friend of the Draconic Granite Beast?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The elder hesitated for a moment before replying. "They were... lovers!" "Lovers?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. There were plenty of powerful spirit beast species that were extremely limited in terms of their numbers. As such, it would be difficult for them to find apanion from the same species. Under such circumstances, they would choose to find another powerful spirit beast to mate with. But of course, it was uncertain whether they would be able to procreate together or not. More often than not, they would regard thetter as their spiritual partner, apanion to fight and spend their days with. In fact, there were some human couples who had such tonic rtionships as well. Upon reaching a certain level of cultivation, cultivators would begin to crave for spiritual intimacy rather than physical rtionships. Procreation and physical pleasure would take the backseat instead. Since the Great Violetwing Beast and Draconic Granite Beast were a couple, it was natural that they shared an intimate rtionship. As such, it viewed the elder, who took the Draconic Granite Beast away from it, in hostility. As such, how could it possibly be willing to inform thetter of the Draconic Granite Beasts dying will? Thus, the elder was determined to study the Ancient Beast Language so as tomunicate and make peace with it. Upon hearing his teachers words, Han Chong couldnt help but ask, "But teacher, since the Great Violetwing Beast was thepanion of teachers tamed beast, why does it still wreak havoc in the Beast Hall once every few days?" "Wreak havoc?" Luo Qiqi turned her gaze over curiously. "Indeed. That fellowes over several times a month to attack the Beast Hall and devour a few spirit beasts, resulting in immense fury among the beast tamers. The Beast Hall has gone to great lengths to capture it, but it was simply too strong and too fast, thus resulting in a failure each time..." Han Chong exined. Even though he hadnt been in Huanyu Empire for too long, he was still able to learn of quite a few things. In the past month, the Great Violetwing Beast had already attacked the Beast Hall several times and devoured several spirit beasts. This had left many people furious, but due to the Great Violetwing Beasts overwhelming strength, there was nothing that they could do. All along, he had thought that the Great Violetwing Beast was just provoked by the spirit beasts bing subservient to humansthere were plenty of spirit beasts who felt that humans werent qualified to tame thembut from the looks of it now, it seemed like it was exacting vengeance for itspanion. "It is intentionally wreaking havoc in the Beast Hall because it is furious at the Draconic Granite Beasts death. The other reason I have been studying the Ancient Beast Language over the past few decades is to ask it exactly it wants!" The elder shook his head in disappointment. After which, it turned its eyes to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Since you are able to vocalize even the True Voice of Dragons, are you by any chance knowledgeable in the Ancient Beast Language as well?" Even if he possessed the Pureblooded Dragon Body, there was no way he could learn the True Voice of Dragons by himself. Thus, someone must have tutored him. Given that the certain someone was able to impart even the True Voice of Dragons, there was a chance that the person might just have imparted the Ancient Beast Language along with it. While the other party said that he had only learned it for a while, he could just be saying so out of humility. Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan said, "I am not too knowledgeable about the Ancient Beast Language." He did learn a few words back then, but it had only managed to enrage the spirit beasts he had attempted to speak with. Given how he didnt even know the meaning of those words, it was no different from not knowing thenguage at all. "Not too knowledgeable?" Hearing those words, the elders expectant eyes sank. "Then... what about the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons?" Even though the Great Violetwing Beast didnt possess the Dragon Bloodline, if the other party could talk to it via the Dragon Language, he might just be able to convince it to reveal the truth regarding the matter back then. While verbalmunication would be impossible, there were still various other ways for a human tomunicate with a spirit beast. "I... only know a single note!" Zhang Xuan felt even more embarrassed. The other party thought that he was well-versed in the Dragon Language, but in truth, Zhang Xuan only knew a single note. He could still scare a few spirit beasts possessing Dragon Bloodline with it, butmunicating with just that single note was clearly impossible. "A single note?" The elder staggered speechlessly. When the young man used the Dragon Language, he thought that he had found a solution to this problem. But in the end, nothing had changed at all! "Forget it then..." The elder shook his head helplessly. He had gather many books on the Ancient Beast Language in the past few hopes in the hope that he could piece it together slowly. However, thisnguage was simply far too difficult. Without anyone to guide him along, he couldnt even differentiate the true words from the false, so he wasnt able to make much progress in his research. Considering how highly Han Chong thought of the young man, he thought that he could learn a thing or two from thetter. Who knew that thetter would be as ignorant as him? Zhang Xuan gazed at the elder and asked, "Its still too early to give up. Given that you have been studying the Ancient Beast Language for decades, you must have gathered quite a number of books. May I borrow them to read? Perhaps I might be able to make a breakthrough in your research." "Borrow? Breakthrough?" The elder smiled bitterly. "You mean that you want to start studying now?" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Do you know how difficult the Ancient Beast Language is?" Seeing that the other party had such an intention, the elder couldnt help but shake his head. "The Ancient Beast Language has lost most of its heritage, and the records that remain are all unclear and mixed with falsehood. Putting aside whether the vocalization method for the words in them are true or not, even if they are, are the meanings listed in the book even urate? I have already spent fifty years studying the topic, but I havent been able to make any advancement at all, so..." The elder didnt finish his words, but his meaning couldnt have been clearer. He thought that Zhang Xuan was treating the entire matter too lightly. He had spent his entire life studying the topic, only to find himself as ignorant as he was at the very start. If the Ancient Beast Language could be grasped that easily, it wouldnt have lost most of its heritage in the first ce, and innumerable beast tamers wouldnt have failed in their attempts to restore it either. "I am just very interested in the Ancient Beast Language, so I wish to take a look at those books. If I canprehend something from them, that would of course be for the best. But if I cant, theres no harm in it either..." said Zhang Xuan, knowing the thoughts going through the other partys mind. "Alright then. All of the books I have on the Ancient Beast Language are in my log house. Over the years, I have collected everything rted to the Ancient Beast Language that has appeared in Huanyu Empire..." The elder waved his hands in disinterest. Even though it did take him a lot of trouble to gather his collection of books, it wasnt of particr importance to him. It mattered not to him whether the other party read them or not. "You have my gratitude." Zhang Xuan sped his fist before walking out. As his figure disappeared into the log house, the elder couldnt help but shake his head in disappointment. "Even with someone imparting the Ancient Beast Language, its impossible to learn it without several years of practice. If it could be learned that easily, wouldnt I have wasted the past fifty years of my life for nothing?" He thought that the other party should possess incredibleposure given that he was able to utter the True Voice of Dragons. In the end, the other party was still so impetuous. The Ancient Beast Language was tied to a huge secret of the Beast Hall. If it could be learned that easily, beast tamers like them wouldnt face so much difficulty trying to tame beasts. Hearing the doubt in the elders voice, Luo Qiqi couldnt help but speak up for Zhang Xuan. "Teacher... has always been a reliable person. Since hes going to read the books, he must have an idea in mind. Perhaps, he really might just seed." Hearing the youngdys address for the young man, the elder was stunned. He immediately turned his gaze over to her. "Teacher? You are his student?" The youngdys cultivation and disposition were both exceptional among her peers. Why would she acknowledge a person who was even younger than her as her teacher? "Thats right." Luo Qiqi nodded. "If I recall correctly, you addressed him as Zhang shi previously. Could the young man be a master teacher?" Hearing Luo Qiqis reply, the elder suddenly recalled how Han Chong addressed the young man as well. Han Chong pondered for a moment before replying. "Zhang shi is a 4-star master teacher, as well as the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament. The reason hes heading for Hongyuan Empire is probably to study at the Master Teacher Academy!" Han Chong had left the Myriad Kingdom Alliance even before the Master Teacher Tournament had begun, so there were many things that he was oblivious of. Nevertheless, he did hear some news regarding the matter. "The champion of the Master Teacher Tournament?" The elder was taken aback. "Not only so, Zhang shi is also a 4-star beast tamer and 4-star physician!" Han Chong quickly mentioned. "4-star beast tamer?" The elder frowned. "Since hes a 4-star beast tamer, he should understand how difficult it is to learn the Ancient Beast Language. It is unlikely for him to act so impulsively on the matter..." If the young man was only a master teacher and was ignorant of beast taming, the elder could still understand the other partys actions. But a 4-star beast tamer should have already rued considerable knowledge of the field, so how could he possibly not understand the difficulty involved in learning the Ancient Beast Language? On the other hand, if he knew, how could he possibly utter such amateurish words? Shaking his head, the elder decided to put this matter behind him for now. "Inform me when hes done reading the books. Ill take you to meet the hall master!" "Meet the hall master? Is teacher going to help them find an aerial spirit beast?" Han Chongs eyes lit up. "Un. Since hes a 4-star master teacher and a beast tamer, theres no reason for us not to help him. I recall that the hall master has a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast. Even though he never lends it anyone, he might be willing topromise if I request it of him personally," the elder said. "Thank you, teacher..." Hearing that his teacher was willing to help, Han Chong hurriedly bowed in gratitude. At that moment, jiya!, the door opened, and the young man walked out. "Ah?" Everyone was taken aback. Even the elder couldnt help but frown at the sight before him. I thought you were going in to read the books in order to learn the Ancient Beast Language? Why are you out when it has barely been ten minutes? The elder couldnt help but ask, "Is the Ancient Beast Language too hard toprehend so you lost your interest?" There was no doubt about it, this fellow must have faltered at the sight of the immense collection before him. Otherwise, how could he possibly finish in such a short period of time? "Its indeed very difficult, but the reason I am out is not because I have lost my interest. Its because..." At this point, Zhang Xuan looked a little hesitant, but eventually, he still spoke decisively. "... I am done studying it!" Chapter 688: Hall Master Qin Chapter 688: Hall Master Qin Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Youre done studying?" Everyone was dumbfounded. This was especially so for the elder. His face turned livid in rage. He had gone to great lengths to collect the books inside the log house, and he knew how huge his collection was. Over the past fifty years, through tapping into the connections of the guild, he had gathered as many ancient texts and scrolls regarding the Ancient Beast Language as he could, and they numbered at least in the hundred thousand. Even he had to spend an entire ten years to go through the whole collection. Yet, in just ten minutes, the other party actually imed that... he was done! Even if you want to lie, you shoulde up with something better than that! "What do you mean by you are done?" The elder couldnt hold himself back anymore and harrumphed. "Oh, it means that... I have roughly grasped thenguage, and basicmunication shouldnt be a problem..." Zhang Xuan said. He had immediately started sprinting around to collect the books as soon as hed entered the room. In just a few minutes, the massive collection of a hundred thousand works was duplicated in the Library of Heavens Path. Then, through the Library of Heavens Path, hed sieved out the truth from the falsehood. Astonishingly, hed managed to find quite a few correct words. Even though many of these records were just spection, and some of them were even utter rubbish that the authors had made up, there were simply too many of them in terms of numbers. As the saying goes, pile up a bed of sand and you will build a castle. Bypiling all of them together, Zhang Xuan was still able to derive quite a few correct words. The book which he hadpiled contained themon phrases of the Ancient Beast Language, as well as their vocalization methods. While it would still be difficult to hold a proper conversation, basicmunication shouldnt be a problem. "Basicmunication... shouldnt be a problem?" Hearing the other partys words, the elders face darkened. "What arrogance!" Even after fifty years of diligence, he hadnt even managed to grasp the tail of thenguage. Just take the experiment he did just a moment for example, his words had caused the Scarlet Coated Hamsters to puke in disgust. And yet, the young man before him actually imed that he had mastered the basics of thenguage just moments after beginning to study? If that is the case, I must be worse than a pig for achieving nothing at all after so many years of research! Even if you wish to lie, at least say something more credible than this! "I..." Knowing that he would be doubted if he spoke the truth, Zhang Xuan was just about to find another logical exnation for this matter when a young man suddenly barged into the room. "Elder, something bad has happened! The Great Violetwing Beast is back again!" "Its back again?" The elders face darkened. "Take me there!" "Yes!" The young man hurriedly rushed in the direction where the destruction was ongoing, and the elder followed him closely. "Lets go take a look as well." Seeing the elder leave hurriedly, Zhang Xuan nced at Luo Qiqi and the others and followed behind. Their primary intention here was to find an aerial spirit beast. Given that the Great Violetwing Beast was at half 9-dan, if Zhang Xuan were to tame it, it would save them a lot of trouble. "Okay." Knowing the severity of the matter, Han Chong nodded and followed the group. Along the way, Zhang Xuan learned from Han Chong that thetters teacher went by the surname of Qian, and he was one of the more qualified and respected elders in the Beast Hall. As the harassment of the Great Violetwing Beast was linked to Elder Qian, he would rush over to deal with the matter each time. While it hadnt been long since Han Chong arrived at the Beast Hall, he had already encountered this situation numerous times already. As such, he had a deep impression of that huge fellow. "Every time that fellow arrives, it will either cause devastating destruction or kill the other spirit beasts, causing manyints from the customers!" Speaking of the Great Violetwing Beast, even Han Chong couldnt help but feel a little frustrated. It was one thing for it to hurt the beast tamers in anger, but the main problem was that it also bared it fangs against the spirit beasts as well. There were a few customers who, after queuing for numerous days, finally got to the end of the line, but due to the spirit beasts getting injured, their ride was dyed significantly. This had caused the credibility of the Beast Hall to plummet. The Beast Hall did attempt to set several traps for the Great Violetwing Beast, but thetter seemed to always know of them in advance. Furthermore, its overwhelming strength also allowed it to break out of any encirclement easily and exact its wrathful vengeance once it returned. The Beast Hall even reported this matter to the headquarters, and the Hongyuan Empire Beast Hall specially sent a 6-star beast tamer over to deal with it. However, seemingly having realized the lurking danger, it kept clear of the Beast Hall for several months straight. And as soon as the 6-star beast tamer left, it immediately rushed back to wreak havoc once more. After so many tries, the personnel of the Beast Hall found themselves incapable of dealing with it at all. Helpless, they could only invite Elder Qian over each time to deal with it. However, there was indeed something very bizarre about the matter. Every time Elder Qian arrived on the scene, no matter how ferocious the Great Violetwing Beast had been a moment before, it would immediately turn away and leave, unwilling to harm him at all. All along, Han Chong had been perplexed about this matter. He thought that it was due to his teachers formidable beast taming capability that made the Great Violetwing Beast hesitant to face thetter. But from the looks of it now, it was probably rted to the Draconic Granite Beast. Chances were that the Great Violetwing Beast had made a promise to the Draconic Granite Beast. Thus, no matter how displeased the Great Violetwing Beast was with Elder Qian, it was unwilling to do anything that would hurt him. "Its right in front!" At that moment, Han Chongs eyebrow suddenly shot up, and he abruptly rushed forward. Zhang Xuan and the others also swiftly followed suit. Soon, a massive, violet spirit beast appeared before their eyes. With a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan spirit beast in its talons, it circled the sky majestically. On the other hand, Elder Qian was standing beneath it with an anxious look. Not too far away from Elder Qian stood eight white-bearded elders. Of them, the one standing in the middle bore striking resemnce with Qin Zhong. Most likely, he was the famed Hall Master Qin. "To think that fellow would be back so soon..." Behind those white-bearded elders, Zhang Xuan saw a familiar face. It was that fellow incapable of flight, Qin Zhong. Zhang Xuan thought that he would take some time to return to the Beast Hall considering how his spirit beast had left him. "It seems the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast returned to fetch him..." Luo Qiqi whispered to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan nodded. They had let the Greenleaf Winged Dragon Beast go right after they had arrived at the Beast Hall. Knowing that its master was still lying unconscious in a ditch, it immediately rushed off to save him as soon as it was released. The Beast Hall wasnt too far away from where they fell earlier, so it didnt take too long for it to return with Qin Zhong. At this moment, Qin Zhongs body waspletely wrapped up like a mummy. Even though he was severely injured, he wasnt in a critical condition. His eyes were fixated on the Great Violetwing Beast above, unaware that his nemesis was nearby... ... Gazing at the Great Violetwing Beast above, Elder Qian clenched his fists tightly and said, "Let the spirit beast go! I hope you wont involve the Beast Hall in our grudge. Otherwise, our Draconic Granite Beast would surely be unable to rest in peace if he were to see this sight..." Roar! Upon hearing Elder Qian mention the Draconic Granite Beast, the fellow above gritted its teeth in anger. Not only did it not release the spirit beast, it even tightened its grip. Under the humongous pressure, the spirit beast in its ws seemed to be on the verge of being crushed to death. "Elder Qian and Hall Master Qin, please save my spirit beast..." Looking at the sight in the sky, a 4-star beast tamer pleaded anxiously. Clearly, the spirit beast held hostage in the Great Violetwing Beasts ws was his tamed beast. It had taken him a lot of effort to tame the spirit beast, and throughout the long taming process, he had alsoe to bear feelings for thetter. "Beast Tamer Li, dont worry. Ill surely save your tamed beast..." Elder Qian assured. He understood very well the pain of having ones tamed beast killed. He didnt want anyone to go through the same pain he did. After consoling Beast Tamer Li, Elder Qian turned to the sky and bellowed, "Great Violetwing Beast! As long as you free it, Ill give you anything as long as it is within my means, be it blood essence or spirit stones!" Hearing those words, Hall Master Qin frowned. "Elder Qian, you mustnt promise it that. Throughout the years, you have already given away nearly your entire wealth. Your cultivation will really stagnate if you continue giving in to the Great Violetwing Beast like that..." Considering Elder Qians talent, he should have already long reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan. However, as he gave away nearly the entirety of his savings to the Great Violetwing Beast, he was deprived of his cultivation resources, resulting in a significant reduction in his cultivation speed. On the contrary, through frequent ckmailing, the Great Violetwing Beast had managed to use those resources to reach half 9-dan first. If this were to continue on, the Great Violetwing Beast would only grow stronger and stronger, thus making it a greater threat to the Beast Hall. "This is what I owe to Draconic Granite Beast..." Elder Qian shook his head. "But..." Hall Master Qins face turned livid. "There are no buts. If not for the Draconic Granite Beast, I would have long been dead. It is already a huge mercy from the heavens that Ive been able to live for so long. Putting aside my savings, if my death can bring Great Violetwing Beast sce, Im willing to give my life up!" With a resolute gaze, Elder Qian flicked his wrist and whipped out an entire bunch of beast essence, middle-tier spirit stones, and a few precious medicinal herbs. However, the amount wasntrge. It seemed like Elder Qians wealth had really been swiped clean over the years. Just as Elder Qian was about to throw his remaining wealth over to the huge fellow in the sky, a nonchnt voice suddenly echoed through the surroundings. "You owe a debt to your Draconic Granite Beast, not to Great Violetwing Beast. Elder Qian, you really dont have to do so!" Upon hearing the voice, everyone immediately turned their attention to the source, and they saw a young man walking over toward him. "Father, hes the one who left me in such a tragic state! You mustnt let him off easily!" Not expecting the fellow to actually stride up to them without fear, Qin Zhongs eyes immediately reddened in wrath. "Him?" Hall Master Qins face darkened. Turning to Elder Qian, he asked, "Elder Qian, do you recognize this young man?" "Hes Han Chongs benefactor, a 4-star master teacher and beast tamer..." Following which, he turned to the young man with a frown and waved his hands. "This is none of your business, dont get involved in it. If you wish to borrow a spirit beast from the Beast Hall, Ill have to ask you to step aside!" Of course, the young man who was walking over was none other than Zhang Xuan. Unable to tolerate how Elder Qian kept giving in to the Great Violetwing Beast, he decided to step forward and intervene. However, the other party didnt seem to wee his interference at all. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to reply to the other partys words, a youngdy behind him abruptly spoke up. "What if we refuse?" "Refuse? Then dont even dream about renting a spirit beast from the Beast Hall..." Elder Qian flung his sleeves angrily and harrumphed. However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed Hall Master Qins face turning pale, and his lips were quivering uncontrobly as well. At the same time, thetter also kept shooting him some looks, seemingly trying to hint something to him, "Cough cough, Elder Qian. Calm down, thats not how we should treat our guests..." "Whats wrong?" Seeing the bizarre attitude from the hall master, Elder Qian was perplexed. However, before he received a respond, the youngdy standing behind Zhang shi suddenly stepped forward. She nced at Hall Master Qin and smiled with a face devoid of any warmth. "If my memory doesnt fail me, youre Qin Zhao, right? Youre the hall master here?" With a pale face, Hall Master Qin hurriedly sped his fist. "Qin Zhao pays respect to Princess Fei-er!" "So, you recognize me?" With her hands behind her back, Yu Fei-er exuded a powerful, authoritative aura befitting that of a princess from a Tier-1 Empire. "I once apanied my teacher to the royal pce, and I had the pleasure of meeting Your Highness..." Qin Zhao quickly bowed deeply. However, before he could finish his words, his severely wounded son suddenly howled furiously. "Father, that woman is an aplice as well! Together with that fellow over there, those scum manipted my spirit beast and made it plummet from the sky. You must redress my grievances..." With his vision blocked by the crowd, Qin Zhong didnt notice his fathers peculiar attitude. Thinking that his father was going to get even for him, his eyes reddened with excitement. On the other hand, upon hearing those words, Hall Master Qin staggered weakly, and he nearly fainted on the spot. Dont you call me... Ill let you be my father, but please dont call me Father... Other peoples sons practice filial piety, but why does mine seem so intent on dragging me down to the depths of hell? Chapter 689: Still Alive? Chapter 689: Still Alive? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Princess?" Seeing the hall masters face twisting in frustration, Elder Qian couldnt help but assess the youngdy before him. Ye Wentian did have a few daughters, but none of their appearances or ages seemed to coincide with this youngdy here. Besides, so what if the other party was a princess? As the esteemed hall master of the Beast Hall, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert, not even Ye Wentian would dare to do anything to him. Was there really a need for him to be so fearful of a mere princess? "Shes not Ye Wentians daughter; shes the Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire, Princess Yu Fei-er!" Noticing Elder Qians confusion, Hall Master Qin immediately sent a telepathic message over for fear that he might say something rude. "Hongyuan Empire?" Hearing those words, Elder Qians body suddenly trembled intensely, and he nearly fainted on the spot. The reticentdy who followed behind Zhang shi like a maid was actually the princess of Hongyuan Empire? Hongyuan Empire was a Tier-1 Empire, and it had many experts in its ranks. Furthermore, the great Master Teacher Academy was located there as well. As a result, the royal family which ruled over the region wielded great prestige and authority. Not even Ye Wentian would dare to utter a word ofint when berated by a princess from such an empire... Are you sure you are not mistaken? If this youngdy over here is really a princess, then considering how she was following behind Zhang shi subserviently, what in the world is Zhang shis background? Seeing Yu Fei-er bringing out her identity as a princess, Luo Qiqi stepped forward and asked, "Fei-er, you know him?" "On my birthday a few years ago, Elder Bai from the Beast School gave me a White-tailed Green Wolf, and this Hall Master Qin happened to be behind him then," Yu Fei-er replied nonchntly. "Oh." Luo Qiqi nodded. "Now that you mention it, I seem to recall it as well... I thought that the person then was just an ordinary disciple under Elder Bai. To think that he would be the hall master of the Huanyu Empire Beast Hall!" As a close friend of Yu Fei-er, there was no way Luo Qiqi would miss Yu Fei-ers birthday. She could still remember how envious she was when she saw Elder Bai gifting Yu Fei-er a White-tailed Green Wolf as a present back then. Taking a closer look now, she also realized that Hall Master Qin looked extremely familiar. "You are... Luo shi?" Recognizing the close friend of Yu Fei-er, Hall Master Qins lips twitched. "Yes, you are indeed sharp. I am 5-star Master Teacher Luo Qiqi!" Luo Qiqi nodded. "5-star master teacher?" Elder Qians body shook. If you are a 5-star master teacher, you should have said so earlier! If I knew earlier, I wouldnt have put on such airs and immediately rushed off to find the best spirit beast in the Beast Hall for you... Thus, Elder Qian turned to stare at Han Chong in anger... Didnt you say that Zhang shi is a 4-star master teacher from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? If that is really true, how can a 5-star master teacher possibly be his student... Han Chong also stared at Zhang Xuan indignantly. Didnt you just pass your 4-star master teacher examination a few months ago? When in the world did you turn the princess of the Hongyuan Empire royal family and a 5-star master teacher into your follower and your student? They werent the only ones who were feeling frenzied by the turn of events. At this moment, Qin Zhong also realized what was wrong, and he nearly burst into tears. He actually... teased the princess from Hongyuan Empire and a 5-star master teacher... In fact, he even tried to get his father to teach the other party a lesson! It was fortunate that the other party didnt follow up on the matter. Otherwise, not even his father would be able to save him if the other party were to behead him on the spot out of anger... Seeing how they were getting sidetracked, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "Alright, now is not the time to be talking about such unimportant matters. We should deal with the Great Violetwing Beast first." The Transcendent Mortal 3-dan spirit beast was already on the verge of being crushed to death, and yet they were still chatting at this moment. "Deal? How do we deal with it? Does Zhang shi have any idea in mind?" Judging by how Princess Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi seemed to hold the young man as the de facto leader of their group, Hall Master Qin could tell that the young man was not as simple as he seemed. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown, "Ill negotiate with it to see what it wants!" If the other party possessed the Dragon Bloodline, he could easily stop it with a Moo or the newly-learned Mou. However, that didnt seem to be the case, and it was likely that he was just going to waste his efforts. Since that was the case, he might as well ask the other party what its goal was. "Negotiate?" Hall Master Qin and Elder Qian frowned. It was precisely due to themunication barrier before them that made it difficult to negotiate with the vengeful Great Violetwing Beast. Otherwise, they wouldnt be so helpless before it either. Just as they were wondering what the young man was up to, the young man stepped forward and spoke. "$*%@#3..." The Great Violetwing Beast in the sky was visibly stunned for a moment, but a momentter, it began roaring. "Roaroaroaroar!" The young man, "#%...%" The Great Violetwing Beast, "Roaroaroaroar!" ... "This is... the Ancient Beast Language?" Seeing the man and the beast conversing with one another, Hall Master Qins eyes nearly popped out from their sockets. Any beast tamer, regardless of their capability, would be able to qualify as a 6-star beast tamer at the very least just by knowing how to speak the Ancient Beast Language once their cultivation reached the required level... Thus, it was unimaginable for him that this young man was actually able to speak the Ancient Beast Language. "Elder Qian, arent you trying to learn the Ancient Beast Language? You can study under Zhang shi..." The excited Hall Master Qin turned to look at Elder Qian, only to freeze in astonishment at the very next moment. Theposed Elder Qian was currently wing at his hair frenziedly, as though he was going insane. But it was no wonder he was reacting like that! It was just a moment ago that the young man waspletely ignorant of the Ancient Beast Language. Yet, ten minutes after entering his log house to browse through his collection of records, Zhang shi returned and imed that he had learned the basics of thenguage... All this while, Elder Qian thought that thetter was just boasting, but to think that it was actually true! When did the Ancient Beast Language... be so easy to learn? Could he have really wasted thest fifty years of his life for nothing? Otherwise, how could the results from his fifty years be unable to match up to ten minutes of the other partys efforts? Just as he was on the verge of a breakdown, he saw the young man and the Great Violetwing Beast in the sky wrapping up their negotiation. Following which, the young man returned with a peculiar expression on his face. "How did it go?" Putting everything aside, Elder Qian quickly turned to look at Zhang Xuan and asked anxiously, "What did it say to you?" Throughout these years, he had been dying to know what the Draconic Granite Beast had said before his death, as well as to understand why the Great Violetwing Beast had kept pestering the Beast Hall over the years. This was the reason why he was able to persevere in his study of the Ancient Beast Language for fifty years. "The Great Violetwing Beast says that..." At which, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. "... it wants you to die!" "I knew it. After all, I was the one who caused the death of our Draconic Granite Beast. As the culprit who resulted in the death of its lover, it is natural that it would harbor such deep hatred for me..." Elder Qian suddenly looked as though he had aged ten years. If not for his obstinacy andcency back then, he wouldnt have been severely injured, and the Draconic Granite Beast wouldnt have sacrificed itself for him either. As the Draconic Granite Beastspanion, it was no wonder the Great Violetwing Beast wanted him dead! "Cough cough! Thats not it..." Seeing Elder Qian falling into an endless spiral of self-reproach, Zhang Xuan hurriedly pulled him back. "Thats not it? Then what is the reason?" Elder Qian was taken aback. "Its because of what the Draconic Granite Beast said before his death!" Zhang Xuan replied. "What the Draconic Granite Beast said before his death? The Great Violetwing Beast... told you his dying message?" Elder Qian was so agitated that his entire body began trembling. Over the past few decades, he had been dying to know the dying will of the Draconic Granite Beast, but it was a pity that the Great Violetwing Beast refused to say anything at all. Or perhaps, he was simply unable toprehend thetters words, and that only amplified his guilt. Seeing how Zhang shi uttered these words after conversing with the Great Violetwing Beast... could it be that the Great Violetwing Beast had revealed the Draconic Granite Beasts dying message? "Thats right..." The peculiar expression on Zhang Xuans face intensified. "What did he say? Did he tell me to live well in his stead?" Recalling the bits and pieces that he and his loyal tamed beast had gone through together, Elder Qians eyes turned red. Tears began flowing uncontrobly from his eyes. "The Draconic Granite Beast said..." Conflicted, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a long moment before finally spitting it out. "He said that... I am not dead!" "Not dead?" Elder Qians body swayed weakly, and he spurted a mouthful of fresh blood. "B-b-but I buried him!" Elder Qian had always thought thest words of the Draconic Granite Beast were entrusting its hopes and wishes to him. Who would have thought that its words would be... I am not dead? The heck! I have even felt his body! Stiff and frigid, how could he possibly still be alive? Furthermore, even if he wasnt dead then, having been buried underground for fifty years, he couldnt still be alive now! Not only was Elder Qian frenzied, even Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er also widened their eyes, and they nearly fainted from shock. They had shed a tear earlier on after hearing the touching story of how the loyal Draconic Granite Beast died for its master. Who could have known that... it would actually be a horror story instead! To be buried alive... After fifty years, it should have long suffocated to death! Hall Master Qin and the elders also found their bodies trembling in shock at the revtion. For you, your tamed beast went to the extent of even offering its own blood essence, and yet you buried it alive... Given your doings, it would be a wonder if itspanion was willing to let you off! Honestly speaking, it was already being very magnanimous by only wreaking havoc in the Beast Hall all these years! Zhang Xuan and the others also shared the same thoughts as well. But in the end, Elder Qian was also an innocent party too. How could he have known that the Draconic Granite Beast was still alive then? Furthermore, he had also been tortured with guilt throughout these years as well. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned to him and asked, "Did you... cremate the Draconic Granite Beast?" "That... I didnt!" Elder Qian shook his head. In truth, he did intend to cremate it back then, but the Great Violetwing Beast came to wreak havoc. Thinking that the Great Violetwing Beast was unwilling to see itspanion being reduced to ash, he decided to simply bury it in the mountain forest and apany it for life. "Its good that you didnt. Based on what the Great Violetwing Beast said, the Draconic Granite Beast is just in a state of pseudo-death. After a period of rest and nourishment, he should be able to be revived. Even though youve buried him, its fortunate that you didnt cremate him... There might still be a chance!" Zhang Xuan said. The Great Violetwing Beast had exined the matter thoroughly to him just now. The Draconic Granite Beast possessed the Dragon Bloodline and a tough exterior reminiscent of granite, thus the origin of the name. After losing its blood essence, its body would be cold and rigid like a rock, simr to a corpse. Its breathing and heartbeat would alsoe to a temporary halt. However, this wasnt death in the truest sense. As long as it was well-nourished in the time toe, it should be possible to awaken it very quickly. As the Draconic Granite Beasts had always been a rare species, and there had never been a case where one voluntarily gave away a huge amount of its blood essence, such a phenomenon wasnt recorded in the books. As such, not even a 5-star beast tamer like Elder Qian was aware of this ability of the Draconic Granite Beast. Considering how the Draconic Granite Beast had stopped its breathing and heartbeat, even if it was buried... as long as it wasnt cremated and hadnt dposed yet, there should still be a chance of survival. No matter what, that was a powerful Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast harnessing the Dragon Bloodline within it! There was no way it could die that easily. "There is still a chance?" Elder Qians eyes lit up for a moment before dimming again in sorrow. "But... he has been buried for fifty years already..." If it had just been a few months or even a year, there might still be a chance. But fifty years had passed, and there wasnt the slightest sign of recovery for the Draconic Granite Beast. This period of time was more than sufficient for a pseudo-death to be real! "Calm down, lets go over and take a look first. Itll be best if we can save him, but otherwise... it is still worth a shot." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Who asked you to bury your tamed beast alive? The only thing we can do now is to quickly bring him out and diagnose his condition. Even if it were to end up futile in the end, at least this matter can be put to an end. "Un!" Elder Qian quickly nodded and led the group to the backyard of the log house. At that moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled something and turned to the Great Violetwing Beast with a frown on his face. "What are you waiting for? Put that spirit beast down!" Roar! The Great Violetwing Beast released its ws indignantly. Boom! Falling onto the ground, the spirit beast fainted. Chapter 690: Saving the Draconic Granite Beast Chapter 690: Saving the Draconic Granite Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After saving that innocent spirit beast, everyone rushed over to the log house. Soon, they saw a tombstone with a mound behind it. Knowing that this matter was extremely urgent, Zhang Xuan firmly instructed, "Open it!" Nodding, Elder Qian gathered his strength and grabbed at the soil. Hong long long! A denseyer of zhenqi surged from his hands, and a powerful might swept through the mound, pushing away the soil. Soon, a massive tomb came into appearance. "You built a tomb? It seems like theres still hope..." Seeing that Elder Qian didnt simply bury the Draconic Granite Beast in the ground, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even in a state of pseudo-death, the organs of the Draconic Granite Beast were still functioning, albeit very slowly, to keep it away from deaths door. As such, it would still require oxygen to survive. At the very least, with this massive tomb, the Draconic Granite Beast could be spared from the fate of asphyxiation. In a sense, this was a blessing amidst a field of misfortune. Opening the gates to the tomb, the crowd immediately rushed in. Soon, they arrived at a vast hall where the massive Draconic Granite Beastid. That huge fellow seemed to be made entirely of stones. Despite the passing of fifty years, there was no signs of dposition on it. "As expected of the Draconic Granite Beast..." After taking a nce, Zhang Xuan nodded in awe. Fifty years was more than enough time to dpose the entirety of an average spirit beasts body. And yet, perhaps it was due to the possession the Dragon Bloodline and a tough granite exterior, the Draconic Granite Beasts physical body still seemed to be in a good condition. Seeing that the corpse was stillpletely intact, Elder Qians hands immediately started trembling in agitation. He hurriedly turned to Han Chong and instructed, "Hurry up and call a physician..." "Teacher, Zhang shi is a very formidable physician himself!" Han Chong quickly replied. Hearing Han Chongs words, Elder Qian immediately kneeled down before Zhang Xuan and pleaded. "Zhang shi, I beg you, save my Draconic Granite Beast..." The Draconic Granite Beast was his closestpanion, and ever since its passing, he had spent every single day living in self-reproach. He thought that he would never get a chance to see it again, but to think that the other party was still alive! Even if he had to give up his life to resuscitate the Draconic Granite Beast, he would definitely offer it without any hesitation. On top of that, he also felt deep guilt. The other party had put himself in a state of pseudo-death to save him, and yet due to his inability toprehend the other partys words, he actually buried his tamed beast alive for fifty long years... If the Draconic Granite Beast couldnt be saved, then he would have no face to continue living in this world. Most likely, he wouldmit suicide out of guilt. "Elder Qian, theres no need to stand on ceremony. If theres still a chance, Ill surely try my best to save your Draconic Granite Beast." Understanding Elder Qians sentiments, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and touched the Draconic Granite Beast. After which, he circled around thetter and fell into deep thought. A few momentster, he walked back with a stern face. Seeing the look on Zhang Xuans face, Elder Qians body stiffened in anxiety. "Can he... still be saved?" "He is indeed still alive, but..." At which, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before continuing. "After being buried for fifty years, the vitality in his body has beenpletely depleted. To resuscitate him, I will require pills that can stimte ones vitality, as well as spirit stones!" "Pills to stimte vitality? I have three Void Treading Creation Pills over here. Its highly effective even on Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Void Treading realm experts!" Hall Master Qin stepped forward and passed jade bottle over. "I also have two Spirit Nurturing Pills here. Its the ideal medicine to stimte ones vitality!" another elder offered. "I dont have any pills, but I do have quite a few spirit stones. Here are 500 middle-tier spirit stones..." They were all old friends with Elder Qian, and they knew that the revival of the Draconic Granite Beast would surely be a huge relief to him. On top of that, this was also beneficial to the Beast Hall as a whole. "Good!" Seeing the huge collection of items before him, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "I still need a Five Elements Formation g, Purpleink Bamboo, three big buckets of beast bloodfor that, the Great Violetwing Beast outside will sufficeas well as Faint Verdant Incense, Purplecrystal Smoke..." After seeing the pills and spirit stones that Hall Master Qin and the other elders had contributed, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be impressed by the wealth of the Beast Hall. Following which, Zhang Xuan also named a few dozen more items. "These..." Hearing the names of the items Zhang Xuan listed, everyone frowned in confusion. They could understand why the treatment of the Draconic Granite Beast would require vitality pills and spirit stones. After all, those could help nourish ones body. But what use would the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke be to the treatment? An elder suddenly recalled something and spoke. "Ive heard of Faint Verdant Incense, it has the ability of stabilizing ones soul. It is said that it was often used by the soul oracles in the past..." Everyone was taken aback. "Soul oracles?" The upation had already disappeared in the river of history several dozen millenniums ago... but could the young man before them be a soul oracle? "It is just some unique method I know of, it doesnt have much of a rtion to the soul oracles." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Right, prepare 108 three chi long silver needles and a cup of the Emerald-tailed Vipers saliva!" Despite their extinction, soul oracles were still viewed in revile by the popce due to their betrayal back then. Thus, there was no way Zhang Xuan could reveal that he was adept in the arts of the soul oracles. "The saliva of the Emerald-tailed Viper? But thats lethal venom..." Hall Master Qin eximed. He might not have known the uses of the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke, but he knew of the properties of the Emerald-tailed Viper well. Just a single drop was sufficient to kill a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert. Why would Zhang Xuan want such a dangerous thing? "Poison doesnt just kill, it can heal as well," replied Zhang Xuan. "Healing another through poison? But... thats an ability only poison masters are capable of..." Everyones lips twitched in frenzy. Even though poison was indeed capable of healing, poison was still poison in the end. Use it incorrectly and it could cost someones life. Thus, only poison masters would dare to use poison to concoct remedies to heal someone. Wasnt the young man before them a physician? Why was he able to utilize the means of a soul oracle? Why was he able to concoct poison like a poison master? Not to mention, he was also a master teacher and a beast tamer capable of speaking the Ancient Beast Language... Was he incapable of anything? "Alright, Ill need this stuff. Hurry up and prepare it all!" After listing down the items he required, Zhang Xuan gestured for them to hurry. "Alright, Ill have my men prepare it now!" Elder Qian nodded and hurriedly left. The Beast Halls financial power and connections were truly astonishing. Not only were the items which Zhang Xuan listed extremely rare, they were also diverse in terms of type and properties. If it had been an average upational guild, it would have surely taken a long time for them to gather those items together. However, in less than six hours, the Beast Hall actually managed to obtain all of the required items. In fact, they even prepared spares in case of emergencies. "Now that all of the items are here, Ill have to ask everyone to leave. I need absolute silence during my treatment, so I hope that you can help me by standing guard outside so as to prevent anyone from interrupting the treatment!" Zhang Xuan had thought that even with the Beast Halls connections, it would still take three to four days to gather all of the items. Yet, within a mere six hours, they had already seeded. He couldnt help but be impressed by the Beast Halls logistical ability. The reason he asked them to leave was due to the nature of his treatment. He would need to utilize various means that could possibly sully his name as a master teacher, and on top of that, he would also have to continuously employ the Library of Heavens Path. If outsiders were to be around, that could probably spell trouble. "Alright!" Hall Master Qian, Elder Qin, and the others nodded before backing out of the tomb. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er exchanged momentary nces before leaving as well. Soon, Zhang Xuan was the only one remaining inside the tomb. Looking at the pile of valuable items before him, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and ced them all inside his storage ring. Then, with another flick of his wrist, he threw the formation te of the Spirit Gathering Formation out. He didnt ask for these items for his own usehe truly needed them to treat the Draconic Granite Beast. Back then, when the Draconic Granite Beast depleted his blood essence to save Elder Qian, as long as Elder Qian had replenished the other partys blood essence, fed it nourishing herbs to stimte its recovery, or nurtured it using spiritual energy, it would have been able to make a full recovery within a few years. However, not only did Elder Qian fail to do any of the three above, he even buried it... On top of that, the spiritual energy contained within the tomb was extremely limited, making it difficult for the Draconic Granite Beast to sustain its life. ced in such conditions for fifty years, even though it still managed to hold on to itsst breath, its life was hanging by a thread as though a candle me before a raging wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. Even if an 8-star or even 9-star physician were here, there would surely be nothing they could have done under such circumstances. However, Zhang Xuan was different. He possessed the absolutely pure Heavens Path zhenqi. As long as there was still a breath left in his patient, he would be able to sustain thetters life. However, just Heavens Path zhenqi wouldnt suffice. The Draconic Granite Beast had suffered a severe loss of blood essence, and it was buried for several decades in such a weak state. It desperately needed an overwhelming amount of spiritual energy to nourish its feeble body, as well as medicinal herbs to boost its vitality. And more importantly... its soul had to be summoned back to its body! Just like what the elder before had said, the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke were mainly items that only soul oracles would use. Given that the Draconic Granite Beast had been unconscious for more than fifty years, it wasnt too far off from Lu Chongs situation back then. Thus, such items were required to summon back its soul before it could be resuscitated. As for the saliva of the Emerald-tailed Viper, Hall Master Qin was right in the sense that it was indeed a lethal venom. However, Zhang Xuan intended on using it to stimte the other partys acupoint so as to trigger the other partys awakening. It could be said that this treatment involved the means of a beast tamer, soul oracle, physician, poison master, and master teacher. It would truly be difficult for anyone else to aplish this feat. Only a monster like Zhang Xuan could possibly do so. As soon as the formation tended, Zhang Xuan immediately threw in the spirit stones which the elders had just contributed, and a thickyer of spiritual energy immediately filled the area, shrouding the corpse of the Draconic Granite Beast. With a snap of his fingers, the silver needles which he had prepared beforehand appeared in his hands, and he dabbed them in the cup of Emerald-tailed Vipers saliva. With movements as swift as lightning, the 108 needles flew out and sealed the 108 acupoints throughout the Draconic Granite Beasts body in the blink of an eye. The Draconic Granite Beast was an extremely rare spirit beast. For the past several dozen millenniums, the beast tamers who had managed to tame it didnt even number more than ten. As such, no one knew about the matter of its pseudo-death, and the knowledge concerning it wasnt passed down either. Since even its abilities were unrecorded, naturally, the same applied to its physical structure as well. It was only through the book formed by the Library of Heavens Path that Zhang Xuan knew where its various acupoints were. After sealing the acupoints, Zhang Xuan took out the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke and positioned them in a unique formation before lighting them. Following which, he sat down on the floor and closed his eyes. Hong long! His soul was drawn out from his body. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings before beckoning in a specific direction. His movements were light and gentle, as though a gesture to call upon ones lover. Weng! Seemingly sensing his beckoning, the silver needle at the specific location began ringing like a wind chime. The unique ability of a soul oracleSoul Beckoning! Zhang Xuan had inherited theplete heritage of the soul oracles from Mo Hunsheng, and Soul Beckoning was one of the techniques included in it. Once executed, it could draw even the most deeply hidden souls out. In fact, it could even draw out the souls of living beings. Considering how the Draconic Granite Beast had been in aa for fifty years, it would be exceedingly difficult to wake it using normal means. Thus, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to resort to such extreme methods. He had to move very carefully or else this could end in a catastrophe! Gugugugu! The silver needle shook for an instant, and the Draconic Granite Beast suddenly began shaking. It slowly lifted its body up, seeminglying to life. "No, this shouldnt be..." But upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuans face darkened. Chapter 691: Great Violetwing Beast Submits! Chapter 691: Great Violetwing Beast Submits! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Under normal circumstances, Soul Beckoning should only draw out ones soul. The movement of the corpse could only mean one thingthe soul was glued to the physical body. Under such circumstances, it would be even more difficult to wake the Draconic Granite Beast up! "Humph!" With a light harrumph, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and the Five Elements Formation gs which hed had the others prepare beforehand were immediately lodged into the ground. The gathering of the Five Elements toplement Yin-Yang! This was yet another technique of the soul oracles, Soul Cleave! A human soulprises three hun and seven po, and the same applies to beasts as well. Due to the long dormant state of the Draconic Granite Beast, a portion of his hun and po had been fully integrated into his body over time, making it difficult to extract his soul. Zhang Xuan was intending to use Soul Cleave to tear off the integrated hun and po from the entire soul so as to augment the extraction process. But of course, altering the course of nature was no easy feat. Thus, he required assistance from the might of the Five Elements. As the Five Elements amalgamate into one, Yin-Yang would be formed, creating a clear demarcation between rity and turbidity. Hong long long! As the Five Element Formation gs began to whir into action, the flora and fauna around the tomb started to turn yellow as the Energy of Wood was been sapped from them; the soil gradually turned white as the Energy of Earth was been drained from it; metallic objects began to rust as the Energy of Metal was robbed from them... The same applied to the Energy of Water and Energy of me as well. The retrieved energy was gathered and fused into the be of the Draconic Granite Beast. Along with the infusion of the Five Element energies, the yin and yang aura within the other party grew significantly stronger, and a tinge of redness began surfacing on the cold and rigid rock-like corpse. Hu! Knowing that his primary preparations were effective, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Zi! The soul of the massive Draconic Granite Beast was drawn from the massive Draconic Granite Beast, and it floated silently in the air. However, its eyes were tightly shut, a sign that it was still deeply asleep. Usually, when a soul was torn off from its body, it would swiftly weaken and eventually dissipate in the surroundings. However, the lit Faint Verdant Incense stabilized the Draconic Granite Beasts soul, allowing it to remain impervious before the chaotic energies lingering in the tomb. "Go!" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and the vitality pills which the other elders had given him were converted into a thickyer of mist that gathered within the concentrated spiritual energy in the region. The overwhelming vitality in the air made Zhang Xuan feel revitalized andfortable. Since these pills were highly useful even for Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts, naturally, it would be effective on him as well. Just that, as his body had been nourished by the Heavens Path zhenqi, vitality wasnt something that he wouldck. Thus, using these valuable pills on him would be a huge waste. "Now, the final step!" Holding his breath, Zhang Xuan stepped against the ground and soared into the air. "Withdraw!" 108 faint surges of zhenqi shot out from Zhang Xuans hands, each grabbing hold of the end of a silver needle and pulling on them simultaneously! Tzz! The silver needles immediately flew out. The acupoints, which had been sealed by the venom a moment ago, immediately opened up as though a humongous flood gate. With a rumbling reminiscent of thunder, the spiritual energy and the mist were swiftly pulled into the Draconic Granite Beasts body as though a whirlpool had been formed on the spot. Due to the overwhelming strength of the absorption, even the soul which had stabilized itself in the air was dragged in as well. Hu! As the vitality medicine, spiritual energy, and soul were dragged into the Draconic Granite Beasts body, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand, and three pails of beast blood immediately appeared above the Draconic Granite Beast. It flowed down in a steady stream, seeping into thetters body. Slowly, the rock-like body of the Draconic Granite Beast began to turn crimson, and several mystical inscriptions abruptly appeared on it. Eventually, the sounds of breathing and a heart beating gradually returned; it seemed the unconscious fellow would wake up at any moment. "I have seeded..." Zhang Xuans body suddenly staggered, and he fell from the sky, crashing onto the ground. Fortunately, the altitude wasnt too high, so he was unharmed. But even so, his face was pale with exhaustion. Even though the duration of the treatment wasnt too long, Zhang Xuan had utilized nearly all of the ability at his disposal during it. This had resulted in significant depletion in his zhenqi, psyche, soul energy, and stamina. Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a spirit stone. It was only after absorbing around twenty middle-tier spirit stones did Zhang Xuan finally recover fully from his depletion. "I have made a loss..." Looking at the powdery fragments of the middle-tier spirit stones before him, Zhang Xuan frowned in frustration. He thought that it wouldnt be too difficult to save the Draconic Granite Beast, and he might even have some leftovers remaining that he could im for his own use. But contrary to his expectations, not only were there no leftovers, he even had to use more than twenty of his own middle-tier spirit stones to recuperate from his exhaustion. But at the very least, he didnt let down the expectations of those standing outside and soil his own name. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan pushed open the gates of the tomb and stepped out. As soon as he walked out, the anxious gazes of Elder Qian and the others immediately gathered on him. "How is the Draconic Granite Beast?" Perhaps due to excessive worry and anxiety, Elder Qians face was extremely pale. "The operation was a sess. However, due to the prolonged period of itsa, he has yet to wake up yet. It might take a few days before he can regain consciousness," Zhang Xuan said calmly. The other partys soul had been dormant for more than fifty years. Even with Zhang Xuans means, it would still take a while for thetter to regain its strength and awaken. "Great... Ill go in and take a look!" Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Elder Qians eyes immediately lit up, and he immediately rushed toward the tomb. However, before he could enter it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his body. A huge talon had grabbed him and threw him to the side. The Great Violetwing Beast! This fellow had just lost three huge pails of blood, and its body was still a little weak at the moment. Nevertheless, its eyes were brimming with spirit, and the aggressive aura it emanated earlier on had disappeared without a trace. Scrunching its body together, it entered the tomb. Seeing how the Great Violetwing Beast seemed to be even more excited than him, a bitter smile shed across Elder Qians face before hurriedly following behind it. When he finally came out a momentter, he immediately walked up to Zhang Xuan and kneeled down in agitation. "Elder Qian, this..." Not expecting that Han Chongs teacher, an esteemed 5-star pinnacle beast tamer, would actually kneel before him so abruptly, Zhang Xuan was astonished. He hurriedly stepped forward to help the other party up. Kowtowing heavily several times, Elder Qian raised his palm and made a vow. "Zhang shi, please do not stop me. You have saved his life, and I am extremely grateful to you. I owe you a debt of life. Regardless of whatever request you have of me in the future, feel free to speak, and Ill surely aplish it for you no matter the cost!" Ever since the death of the Draconic Granite Beast, he had be nothing more than a living corpse. For the past fifty years, the only faith that was keeping him alive was his determination to learn the Ancient Beast Language so as to learn of the dying will of his closestpanion. Who could have known that not only would the young man be able to decipher the words of the Great Violetwing Beast, he would even undo the mistake he had made and bring his tamed beast back? The gratitude he was feeling at the moment was indescribable through words. Even if Zhang Xuan were to order him to march off to his death now, he would do so without any hesitation. "This..." Seeing the determination in the Elder Qians eyes, Zhang Xuan knew that there was nothing he could do that could sway his decision. Thus, he shook his head and said, "Alright, I dont need your life. Itll suffice as long as you find me a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan aerial spirit beast so that I can get to Hongyuan Empire..." The main reason he came to the Beast Hall was so that he could find an aerial spirit beast to ride on. With Elder Qians help, he should have no trouble finding one. "Leave this to me..." Elder Qian nodded. But halfway through his words, jiya!, the gates to the tomb opened once more, and the Great Violetwing Beast walked out. Just like Elder Qian, it immediately walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed down, and it began nudging Zhang Xuan with its head. "This is... a gesture of submission?" Seeing the Great Violetwing Beasts response, everyone was astonished. Even Hall Master Qin was dumbfounded. The Beast Hall had suffered greatly under the tyranny of the Great Violetwing Beast. Nothing they did and no one they sought help from could stop it, and they werepletely helpless before it. They thought that considering its obstinate and domineering personality, it would be impossible for anyone to tame it. But who could have guessed that it would actually voluntarily submit to Zhang shi, whom it had only met eight hours ago? "This fellow is even more sentimental than humans. It is out of gratitude to Zhang shi saving Draconic Granite Beast that it chose to voluntarily submit to him!" Luo Qiqi eximed. Yu Fei-er nodded. "Indeed. Sometimes, beasts can turn out to be even more sentimental than humans." Despite the fact that it had been fifty years since the Draconic Granite Beast had been buried, the Great Violetwing Beast had still been unable to let the matter go. The only way it could alleviate its raging emotions was to exact vengeance for itspanion. Through this, it could be shown how deep its feelings for thetter were. Upon seeing its lovere to life, an overwhelming feeling of indebtednesspelled it to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as its master and serve as his tamed beast. Such deep sentiments werent necessarily seen in all humans. Zhang Xuan also came to realize what was going on. He turned to face the Great Violetwing Beast and asked thetter seriously, "Do you wish to be my tamed beast?" It just happened that he needed a spirit beast to travel to Hongyuan Empire, and it would be for the best if the Great Violetwing Beast was willing to be his tamed beast. "Roar!" The Great Violetwing Beast nodded its massive head. "Good!" With a flick of Zhang Xuans finger, a droplet of his blood flew to the Great Violetwing Beast, thus sealing the contract. "Alright. You should get some rest and recover. Once the Draconic Granite Beastes to, well immediately set off for Hongyuan Empire!" Zhang Xuan said. To save the Draconic Granite Beast, the Great Violetwing Beast had lost three huge pails of fresh blood, and it was currently in an extremely weak state. Even if it was still capable of flight in its current condition, it would surely be unable to maintain it for too long. Since that was the case, it would be much better for it to get a good rest and recover from its frailty first. Furthermore, there were many nourishing medicines in the Beast Hall that could hasten the Great Violetwing Beasts recovery. With Elder Qian taking care of it, it wouldnt take too long for it to recover. And most importantly of all, the Great Violetwing Beast had been waiting for the Draconic Granite Beast for an entire fifty years now. It would be cruel to separate them before the Draconic Granite Beast awakened. In any case, the Great Violetwing Beast was a half 9-dan spirit beast, so Zhang Xuan had a few days to spare. Learning that Zhang Xuan and the others would be staying there for some time, Elder Qian immediately had someone prepare some rooms for them. In the first three days of his stay, Zhang Xuan traveled all around the Beast Hall and collected all of the books contained within it. After which, he spent another day thoroughly mastering the Heavens Path Beast Taming Artpiled from those books. In just four days, Zhang Xuans understanding of beast taming had already surpassed Elder Qian and even Hall Master Qin, reaching 5-star pinnacle or even beyond that. Even though Zhang Xuan had sessfully tamed the Great Violetwing Beast, due to his limited cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, he only received a half 5-star beast tamer emblem. Nevertheless, as long as he could achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation, he would be able to immediately apply for a 5-star beast tamer emblem. On the eighth day, the Draconic Granite Beast woke up, and the Great Violetwing Beast and Elder Qian were delighted. At the same time, their awe for Zhang Xuans capability also deepened. Even Hall Master Qin and the others were also impressed by Zhang Xuans skill. To save a spirit beast who had been in a state of pseudo-death for fifty years... this was already on the level of a miracle! On the tenth day, the Great Violetwing Beast finally made a full recovery. Thus, Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er bade the Beast Hall goodbye and set off toward Hongyuan Empire. "Zhang shi will surely be the brightest star of the Master Teacher Academy!" Watching the trio leave, Elder Qian recalled the various incredible feats the young man had achieved and sighed. Han Chongs lips couldnt help but twitch upon hearing those words. "Brightest star? I only fear that... the Master Teacher Academy will find itself in the abyss of misfortune..." Chapter 692: Rules of the Master Teacher Academy Chapter 692: Rules of the Master Teacher Academy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Han Chong had heard a little of the various trouble Zhang Xuan had stirred up in Myriad Kingdom City and Huanyu Empire. Like a tornado, he left nothing but ruination in his wake... It was hard to tell whether it would be a fortune or misfortune for the Master Teacher Academy to have a student like him! Han Chong couldnt help but solemnly pray for the long-established institution in his mind... ... High above the clouds, Great Violetwing Beast glided across the sky. It was dragging something that resembled a seven to eight meters ship behind it. The ship consisted of three rooms, and Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er took one each. A flying ship! The Beast Hall had crafted this for Zhang Xuan in gratitude to him for freeing them from the tyranny of Great Violetwing Beast. This magnificent flying ship had an elegant design, and all kinds of amenities were present on it. It was said that this flying ship had cost the Beast Hall several thousand middle-tier spirit stones, and only after hearing this piece of news did Zhang Xuan feel a little more bnced inside. After all, in order to save Draconic Granite Beast, he even had to use his own middle-tier spirit stones. At the very least, he should obtain something in return... If those from the Beast Hall were to learn of his thoughts, they would surely spurt blood. Zhang Xuan had tamed the strongest spirit beast in their region and was gifted such a valuable flying ship, and yet he only felt that it was a fair exchange at this point... Wasnt he being a little too greedy! Would he only be happy after he robbed the Beast Hall of its entire wealth? While Zhang Xuan didnt have any intention of cleaning out the Beast Hall, he did secretly wish to receive one or two high-tier spirit stones in exchange for his effort. However, it was a pity that all of Elder Qians wealth had gone to the Great Violetwing Beast throughout the years, so even producing a hundred middle-tier spirit stones was impossible for him. On the deck of the flying ship, Luo Qiqi walked up to Zhang Xuan. "Teacher!" Zhang Xuan turned to her and asked, "You came at a good time. I recall you saying that there is the Apothecary School and cksmith School in the Master Teacher Academy. Can you tell me more about it?" Since he was about to enroll in the Master Teacher Academy, he should at least gather some basic knowledge regarding it. "It is a fundamental prerequisite for a master teacher to have sufficient supporting upations before they can be promoted to a higher rank. As such, on top of imparting the various ways of a master teacher, the Master Teacher Academy also provides supporting upation sses for its students to take on," Luo Qiqi exined. "After many years of development, the Master Teacher Academy has grown to consist of ten schools! They are namely the Apothecary School, cksmith School, Celestial Designer School, Formation Master School, Painter School, Martial Arts School, Beast Tamer School, Physician School, Demonic Tunist School, and Terpsichorean School. "The Apothecary School is a ce where one studies the art of pill forging, and it is from there that I learned my pill forging skills. On the other hand, the cksmith School is a ce where one learns how to smith weapons. Given my previous mastery of smithing, I wasnt able to rank amidst the top hundred there. However, after receiving teachers guidance, Ill surely be able to make a name for myself there! "The same applies for the Celestial Designer School, Formation Master School, Painter School, and Physician School as well, so I wont exin them. Ill talk about the Martial Arts School, Demonic Tunist School, and Terpsichorean School instead!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The Celestial Designer School was definitely a ce where celestial designers learned about theplex engineering designs and mechanisms, he could tell so much from Wu Zhen. It was probably the same for the Formation Master School, Physician School, and Painter School as well. Zhang Xuan had once studied these upations, so he had a considerable understanding of them. It was only the remaining three which he had an iplete knowledge of. "The Martial Arts School isnt a support upation school. Rather, it is a ce to temper the fighting prowess of the master teachers. It conducts tournaments every now and then, and those who perform well will be allowed to study the top-notch battle techniques of the academy, thus further enhancing their fighting prowess. As for the Demonic Tunist School, it is a ce where demonic tunists are groomed. Has teacher heard of demonic tunists before?" Luo Qiqi asked. "Un. I have heard bits and pieces of it before. It is a Lower Nine Paths upation, but its members are able to beguile hearts and crush souls through the utilization of melody. Even true experts find it hard to guard against such attacks!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Not only had Zhang Xuan heard of demonic tunists, he had even met two of them before. However, neither one of them seemed to have fared well from the encounter with him. One was nearly driven mad by him while the other party plummeted straight from the sky. "Yes, youre right. As for the Terpsichorean School, it is a ce where terpsichores are groomed!" Luo Qiqi smiled. "Terpsichores? You mean dancers?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Thats right, dancers!" Luo Qiqi nodded. "Dancers are actually simr to demonic tunists in many ways. Through aligning their dance with nature, they can enthrall their target with their elegant movements, drawing in spellbound birds and bewitching even experts." Zhang Xuan nodded. Since there were dancers in the world, it was only natural that there would be an upation regarding it. The founder of the upation went by the surname of Gongsun, and legend has it that her dances could even rivet Saints. It was said that when Gongsun was younger, her entire n was purged by the hands of its enemies. Having survived the cmity, this huge grudge was heaped onto her shoulders. One day, while she was in the midst of studying the freely flying birds in the air, enlightenment suddenly struck her, and she created the terpsichore upation. After training for thirty years, she emerged from her seclusion and awed the world with her enthralling dances. Before long, she caught the attention of a certain Conferred Empire, and she was invited over to perform for the royal family. The emperor of this Conferred Empire happened to be Gongsuns enemy, and he was a Saint expert at that time. However, as soon as Gongsun began dancing, it was as if the entire world was revolving around her. No eyes could tear away from her, and no mind could remain rational before her. In his riveted state, even the Saint realm emperor was killed easily. Just as she was escaping from the capital, she was surrounded by a million guards. However, through her dance, she persuaded all of them to put down their weapons and allow her to leave, and eventually, the entire matter became a legend that spread far and wide across the entire Master Teacher Continent. After learning of this matter, Kong shi once visited Gongsun to witness her dance. After the performance, he was filled withpliments for thetter and left behind the following words: Sighing at the fleeting moment, pursuing the terpsichore for one more gaze. It was then that the upation was put amidst the ranks of the Nine Paths, and the name Terpsichore became known throughout the world. This upation was also among the Lower Nine Paths, and it was mainly pursued by women. As those who studied this art were even rarer than demonic tunists, not many knew of this upation. By some stroke of luck, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy managed to receive the heritage for this upation and established the Terpsichorean School. However, due to its limited members, it was considered as the weakest of the ten schools. Luo Qiqi chuckled. "Yu Fei-er has been studying the art ever since she was young, and just recently, she passed the 5-star terpsichore examination." Zhang Xuan nodded. The Master Teacher Academy was very simr to the universities in his previous life, where the academy was divided into many faculties as well. The master teachers studying in the Master Teacher Academy could choose to undertake any supporting upation that interested them and advance in that path. Honestly speaking, it was indeed an excellent ce to groom master teachers. It was no wonder why it was an esteemed organization even within a Tier-1 Empire. "Even though many master teachers view the Master Teacher Academy as their goal, it is no paradise inside there. The Master Teacher Academy is extremelypetitive, and regardless of what one intends to do, be it to study or to listen in a lecture, one must have sufficient academic credits. Otherwise, itll be hard for one to make any progress in there! And to earn academic credits, one will have to aplish all kinds of missions or clear the difficult tests set by the academy... There are some master teachers who choose to withdraw from the academy due to their inability to withstand the stressful environment, and there are also a few who are expelled due to their poor results!" At which, Luo Qiqis face turned grim. "Withdraw? Expelled?" All along, Zhang Xuan had thought that entering the academy in itself was a gateway to sess. However, that didnt seem to be the case. "Thats right. Back then, when Kong shi first established the Master Teacher Academy, he once said that the master teachers are the crux to the advancement of mankind. Only with strong teachers can humanity be strong! As such, the Master Teacher Academy didnt need any unmotivated students. The only choices before them are to push forward or to leave, its that simple." Saying those words, Luo Qiqi smiled bitterly. "Only with strong teachers can humanity be strong?" Zhang Xuans body trembled at those words. Luo Qiqi was right. If mankind wished to advance further, the role of teachers was of utmost importance. If students didnt have the right values in life, their aplishments would be severely limited. If even the teachers had stagnated in their studies, how could they possibly groom motivated, driven students and bring humanity to greater heights? Zhang Xuan found himself rting deeply to these words. The strong emerges victorious whereas the weak are eliminated. Such was the way of the world. Not even the number one upation of the world could be spared from thispetition. "Actually teacher, you need not worry too much. Given your abilities, it will be extremely difficult for you to be expelled from the academy..." Recalling the monstrous proficiency her teacher had shown in numerous upations, Luo Qiqi smiled bitterly. Then, she suddenly recalled something and added, "However, there is an esteemed Master Teacher Elite Board that teacher can strive for. Itll be difficult, but I think teacher should be able to get a ce on it with a few years of effort!" "Master Teacher Elite Board?" "Un. It is a ranking board in the Master Teacher Academy that automatically reflects the top hundred most outstanding students in the academy. Those who are listed in the ranks of the board are all formidable geniuses who are highly respected in the academy!" Luo Qiqi said. Zhang Xuan asked, "The top hundred students of the academy? How many people are there in the academy?" "The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy doesnt only ept students within Hongyuan Empire. It also recruits students from other Tier-1 Empire, so there are at least several hundred thousand people throughout the entire academy, and all of them are top-notch geniuses!" exined Luo Qiqi. Those who were able to enroll in the academy were all top geniuses in their own region. To be able to rank amidst the top of such a group was as difficult as ascending the heavens. Zhang shi might be formidable, but Luo Qiqi still thought that it would be difficult for him to get on the board without several years of hard work. "You arent on the board?" Zhang Xuan asked. Over the time Zhang Xuan had spent with Luo Qiqi, he could tell that thetter was an extraordinary genius. Just by her cultivation, pill forging, and smithing skills, there would be very few of her peers who could match up to her. But even so... she still wasnt on the board? "Me? How could I possibly be on the board? That board is tied to ones academic credits, cultivation, and eye of discernment. As such, it is mainly dominated by the upper grade students, so how could a Grade 2 student like me possibly get on it..." Luo Qiqi shook her head. Naturally, the upper grade students had a higher chance of getting on the Master Teacher Elite Board aspared to the lower grade students. They had been in the academy for many years now, and they had aplished innumerable missions, thus granting them a huge wealth of academic credits. On top of that, the grades in the academy were determined by the students master teacher ranking, which was inadvertently rted to ones cultivation. Naturally, a Grade 2 student who had just joined the academy not too long ago wouldnt be able to surpass them so easily. "I see." Hearing the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan gained a substantial understanding of the Master Teacher Academy. Hed thought that it was just a ce for one to learn and study, but things were far moreplex than he had expected. It was no wonder even a princess like Yu Fei-er would have to participate in missions and face dangers for academic credits. It seemed like the academy doesntpromise its policies for nobility. Such apetitivendscape was just to Zhang Xuans liking. At the very least, he wouldnt be so bored. In an instant, endless fighting spirit suddenly sprouted within Zhang Xuan, and he began looking forward to entering the renowned Master Teacher Academy. In the next few days, whenever the both of them were free, Luo Qiqi would exin the various rules of the Master Teacher Academy to Zhang Xuan, and in exchange, Zhang Xuan would guide her on her pill forging and smithing. Thus, in just ten days, Luo Qiqis pill forging and smithing proficiency had risen significantly. "Teacher, we have arrived at Hongyuan City!" On a certain day, just as Zhang Xuan was exining the essence of pill forging to Luo Qiqi, he suddenly heard thetters exmation and lowered his gaze to take a look. He saw a massive city that was farrger than Huanyu Empire below him. Chapter 693: Salvage the Situation? Chapter 693: Salvage the Situation? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even with the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could hardly see the outskirts of the city. "A capital of a Tier-1 Empire is indeed... grand!" Zhang Xuan gazed across thends. As expected of a Tier-1 capital, it was grand and domineering. Inparison to this, Tianxuan Kingdom felt like a countryside vige whose buildings were made of mud. In fact, just this city itself could match up to the entire area of Tianxuan Kingdom. It seemed there was a massive formation that was controlling the weather and various other conditions of the city, thus bringing convenience andfort to the poption in the city. On top of that, the formation also seemed to draw in spiritual energy, thus making it easier for cultivators in the city to advance their cultivation. "The ability to go against nature and alter the conditions of thend is an ability that only Saints possess!" Yu Fei-er walked over proudly. In this period of time, before the other partys formidable prowess, she felt nothing more like a countryside bumpkin. Thus, seeing the other partys astonishment upon seeing Hongyuan City, she immediately grasped this opportunity to boast. "Un." Even though Zhang Xuan was able to set up formations as well, and his capability was on par with most 5-star formation masters, it would still be difficult for him to create a massive environment-manipting formation spanning over several thousand li. To set up such a formation, precise control was of absolute importance. Otherwise, a slight inuracy in the formation could easily result in devastating destruction. Recovering from the astonishment, Zhang Xuan said, "It is still a few days before the start of the school term. Hong shi and the others should have just arrived as well, lets meet up with them first." Three days were spent on the fusion of his body and his soul, and another four days was spent in the Otherworldly Demons underground chamber. Following which, the time in the Beast Hall and the flight to Hongyuan City took up a total of twenty days, so there was still around three days before the start of the school term. Making a rough estimation, Hong shi and the others should have arrived here already as well. "The freshmen from Huanyu Empire usually reside in the Academic Sea. Ill take you over there first to settle in. After which, well have to return to the academy to report on our mission," Yu Fei-er said. They had uncovered such a huge secret in the midst of their mission, so it was necessary for them to make a formal report on the matter. Even though Xing Yuan and Wu Zhen had returned in advance, Wu Yangzis handwritten book and the Crimson ze Cauldron were still in Luo Qiqis hand. On top of that, Zhang Xuans return was also an important matter as well. Thus, they would have to exin everything face-to-face. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Teacher, there are many other freshmen who reside in the Academic Sea as well. Most of them are geniuses in Tier-2 Empires, and there is a possibility that some of them might even be from Hongyuan Empire. Thus, you must be careful not to get into a conflict with them!" Luo Qiqi advised grimly. Those who were termed as geniuses tended to be proud individuals. As the residence that the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy used to receive its freshmen, there were many geniuses amongst them. Some of them might even be from the royal family such as Ye Qian. Thus, if a conflict were to ur, not even a princess like Yu Fei-er would be in a good position to interfere. "Dont worry, how could I possibly get into trouble that easily?" Zhang Xuan chuckled. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er nced at one another and shook their heads. With that natural disposition for trouble of yours, how can you say those words without blinking? On the very day of your arrival at Huanyu Empire, you sent Feng shi and his group plummeting to the ground from a high altitude. Afterward, you pummeled up the top three rankers of the other Vessel States. Following which, you turned into a corpse in the Cleansing Lake... In any case, cmity seemed to follow your footsteps, and you actually said that you wont get into trouble easily? The Academic Sea named as such due to therge number of freshmening from all directions. It was alsomonly known as Academic Manor and Freshmen Lodge. From the direction Zhang Xuan and the others wereing from, they werent too far from the Master Teacher Academy. On top of that, the speed at which the Great Violetwing Beast traveled was also incredible. Thus, they arrived at their destination very quickly. Stepping out of the flying ship, Zhang Xuan stowed it within this storage ring before bidding Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er farewell. After which, he stepped through the gates of the Academic Sea, and numerous towering infrastructures immediately appeared before his eyes. Many young master teachers walked to and fro thepound with grace. Most of them looked like they were in their twenties, but the four stars pinned on their chest reflected their 4-star master teacher rank. Most of their cultivation levels had reached Consonant Spirit realm. As expected of the geniuses of the various sects, kingdoms, and empires. They were indeed exceptional. Walking in the direction Luo Qiqi and the others had mentioned previously, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at a courtyard. "Hmm? Why is there no one guarding the door?" After ascertaining that this was the location where the freshmen of Huanyu Empire lived, Zhang Xuan was perplexed by theck of security. The other residences of the freshmen of other empires were either locked or heavily guarded. However, the door to Huanyu Empires residence was wide open, but there wasnt a single figure in sight. Could it be that Hong shi and the others hadnt arrived yet? Bewildered, Zhang Xuan stepped into the residence. The courtyard was clean, signifying that the residence was often cleaned. Along the empty corridors and gazebo, there were signs that there had been people living here recently. "It seems they have arrived. But why arent they here then?" Possessing the Eye of Insight, it wasnt difficult for Zhang Xuan to determine whether someone had been living in the residence or not. Just as he was perplexed by theck of people in the area, he suddenly heard a loud crashing sound reminiscent of something knocking heavily onto the wall. "There is a fight ahead!" Zhang Xuans face darkened, and he hurried forward. Turning around a corridor, he soon arrived at a vast main hall. Not too far away from the entrance was an average-sized dueling stage, and on it, two people were facing off with one another. Arge group of people were gathered beneath the stage, and Hong shi and Feng shi were amongst the crowd. Ruohuan gongzi, Bi Jianghai, Luo Xuan, and the others were seated below as well. However, their faces were swollen and bruised, as if someone had beaten them up just a moment ago. Zhang Xuan also recognized one of the fighters on the stage. It was one of the geniuses under Feng shis lead, and his name was Han Ling. His cultivation was at the Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage thest time Zhang Xuan saw him, but in less than a month, he had already broken through to Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage. Facing him was a gray-robed young man. The other partys cultivation was at the Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage as well, but his fighting prowess seemed to be far above Han Ling. In just a few blows, Han Ling was already forced to the corner of the stage. "Go, Han shi!" "We mustnt lose anymore..." "Thats right! If we were to lose, well be at their disposal..." ... Luo Xuan and the others clenched their fists tightly in indignation. "What are they up to?" As everyone was too engrossed in the battle, no one noticed Zhang Xuans presence. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Why would there be a duel going on here? "Haha, stop struggling pointlessly and just admit defeat. Considering how none of you are able to defeat me, how can you possibly rival Senior Feng, whom I can barely withstand three blows from? Given such, you still wish to win? Dream on!" As the gray-robed young man slowly forced Han Ling to a corner, a gleeful smile surfaced on his lips, and heughed heartily. "Dont worry, well surely take care of you well if you follow us. If you continue to act so obstinately, dont me me for getting nasty!" As the gray-robed young man spoke those words, his powerful blows continued raining down on Han Ling. Han Ling was using all of his might to withstand those attacks, but his face turned a shade paler with each strike. With just a momentary nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that Han Ling would fall in just a few more blows. Thus, he walked over to Hong shi and asked, "Hong shi, what is going on?" "Ah... Zhang shi, youre fine? This is wonderful!" Upon seeing Zhang shi, Hong shi nearly leaped from his seat in excitement. The others beneath the stage, including Luo Xuan and the others, also noticed Zhang Xuans presence, and their faces immediately flushed red in excitement. Even Xiulian gongzi, who had been beaten to pulp by him at Huanyu Empire earlier, gazed at him with eyes reddened in agitation, as though Zhang Xuan was his long-lost kin. "Whats wrong?" Seeing everyones responses, Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Theyd only been apart for a month, was there any need for them to react so intensely to his presence? "Its the Freshman Examination!" Seeing the confused look on Zhang Xuans face, Hong shi hurriedly exined, "The examination topic has been decidedit will be hunting in the Hongyuan Mountain Range..." Soon, Hong shi exined the entire matter to Zhang Xuan. After hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan finally got a grasp of the situation. In truth, getting into the top ten of the Master Teacher Tournament didnt signify a straight pass into the Master Teacher Academy. Rather, it would be more apt to consider it as an opportunity to take on the entrance examinations, and if they were to clear it, they would be allowed to enter the academy. The topic of the entrance examination would change each year; it had been an obstacle course in some years, formation deciphering in others, and even an academic examination was within the list of possibilities as well... And for this year, it was hunting. The location of the hunt would be at the Leiyuan Peak of Hongyuan Mountain Range. The Leiyuan Peak was a huge mountain in proximity to the Master Teacher Academy. Its exceptionally steep terrain made it extremely difficult to scale it. Even Consonant Spirit realm experts would find itborious to travel to the top, let alone, hunt. The duration was one day, and depending on the number of spirit beasts hunted, one would be allocated a set number of points, and this would be reflected as ones result at the end of the examination. To pass, one would have to hunt at least one rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit beast. Even though the powerful physique of spirit beasts allowed them to challenge cultivators possessing higher cultivation realms, the examination shouldnt be too difficult considering the formidable might that the master teacher elites from the various region possess. Not to mention, most of the examinees were at the Consonant Spirit realm as well, so defeating a rifying Turbidity realm advanced stage spirit beast shouldnt be a problem at all. However, the problem was that... the number of spirit beasts across the entire mountain was limited! Furthermore, once the spirit beasts realized that they were being hunted, they would surely flee and hide. On top of that, there was no limit to the number of spirit beasts one could hunt, and if one were to exceed the passing criteria, they could exchange the excess points for academic credits... Thus, thepetition among examinees would be extremely intense! To make things worse, rifying Turbidity realm spirit beasts werent the only ones roaming the mountain. There were also Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts, Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts, and even some beyond that! Thus, on top of hunting, they had to prevent themselves from being hunted as well. Casualties were anticipated in this examination, and this was the norm for the entrance examination for the Master Teacher Academy. This examination served to test the examinees resilience, strength, adaptability, eye of discernment, and various other aspects. Only the strongest of experts would be able to emerge victorious amidst the group. Those who were weaker physically or mentally would surely find themselves breaking down in the midst of the examination and eventually return in tragic defeat. This examination would eliminate the weak and frail from the group. Those who failed to meet the mark would be disqualified and forced to leave! So as to increase the sess rate and avoid danger, some of the examinees from various regions had decided to form an alliance. With more people in their alliance, they would be able to vie for spirit beasts from other students and stand their ground against stronger spirit beasts. However, an alliance also had its downfall as well. While it was definitely safer to remain in a group, more people operating together also meant that the group would be easily detected by the spirit beasts. As such, spirit beasts would choose to stay out of their way, making their hunting highly inefficient. On top of that, distribution was a problem as well. After all, it was questionable whether the alliance would be able to hunt sufficient spirit beasts to go around the group. Thus, it was very possible that there would be some who would be tragically disqualified in the alliance. As such, the priority in the distribution of spirit beasts became an extremely important problem in the formation of alliance. All factions in an alliance would be hoping to gain this priority in distribution. The group from Huanyu Empire was the same as well. In order to stand their ground against otherpetitors, they decided to ally themselves with the master teachers from a Tier-2 empire, Jinhai Empire, and both sides had agreed on determining the priority of distribution based on the results of their strength. After hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan immediately understood the situation, and he hurriedly asked, "How many more duels are there?" If they were only halfway through the battle, he might still be able to salvage the situation. Chapter 694: A Single Finger Chapter 694: A Single Finger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The number of duels we have decided on is ten, and the victor of six rounds will be given the priority of distribution," Hong shi said. "Han Ling is currently fighting the tenth round..." "Since it has reached the tenth round, it means that the wins and losses are equal on both sides..." Hearing that it was the tenth round, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After all, there would be no point continuing thepetition after the sixth round as the victor had already been decided. Given that they had reached the tenth round, it could only mean that both sides were equal. "That isnt the case..." Hong shis face reddened in embarrassment. "We have fought ten rounds, but we have lost in every single one of them... and to the same person at that!" "Lost to the same person? You mean that the person on stage has already fought ten rounds, but he hasnt been defeated yet?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in shock. "Thats right..." Hong shi covered his face in embarrassment, and the others were too ashamed to raise their heads. They had gone up one by one to challenge the man on the stage, and yet all of them suffered tragic defeats. And more importantly... the man on the stage wasnt their strongest fighter! Speechless, Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when a dull thud sounded from the stage. Peng! Han Ling was sent flying out of the ring and crashed into the courtyard. All ten matches have concluded... How in the world do I salvage this situation? Looking at the fellow moaning in pain on the ground, Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched. He thought that he might still be able to reverse the situation, but with all ten matches finished, what else could he do at this point? Was he supposed to challenge the master teachers from Jinhai Empire once more? But the other party had no reason to ept! "Alright, the ten matches have already concluded, and you didnt win a single match at all. What else do you have to say?" After sending Han Ling flying, the man on the stage gazed down at the group below with a smirk on his face. "We..." The faces of Hong shi and the others turned red. If they had at least won two to three matches, they wouldnt be so ashamed. They could have exined it as due to their strongest fighter being absent. But all of them actually lost to the same person! How were they supposed to exin this? Furthermore, if Zhang shi wasnt an opponent for the other party as well, wouldnt they be embarrassed further? Zhang shi might possess incredible talent, but in the end, his cultivation realm was only at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. Winning against this fellow who was able to singlehandedly win against ten of them without the slightest loss of breath seemed unlikely to them. Not to mention, this fellow wasnt their strongest fighter. (Zhang Xuans breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm only urred after the corpse incident, so none of them are aware of it.) "You dont have anything else to say, right? Since thats the case, then as per our agreement, we will be going by Senior Fengs arrangements!" The gray-robed young man chuckled before turning around and sping his fist. "Senior Feng!" A white-robed young man then walked forward. His aura felt significantly stronger than the gray-robed young man. At closer examination, Zhang Xuan realized that the white-robed man had already reached Half-Cosmos Bridge realm, and he could possibly make the full breakthrough at any moment. The gray-robed young man who defeated ten of them was already extremely powerful in the eyes of Ruohuan gongzi and the others, but even so, he was still far from matching up to this white-robed young man. In a sense, Huanyu Empires loss was inevitable. Even if they had been able to defeat the gray-robed young man, they would have never been able to win against the white-robed young man. "Since we are allies, lets rify the terms of our agreement first!" Standing on the stage, Senior Feng gazed at the Huanyu Empire group and dered forcefully, "Three days from now, at the start of the hunt, all of you will listen to my arrangements, and priority will be given to our Jinhai Empire regarding the hunted beasts! However, you need not worry. As long as we stand united as one, it is not a problem for all of us to pass the entrance examination!" "They will be given priority over all if the hunted beasts?" "What if we dont hunt sufficient spirit beasts? Wouldnt all of us be disqualified then?" ... Even though they understood that the leader of the alliance would be given additional privileges, they still couldnt help but feel frustrated upon hearing those words. The benefit of an alliance was that they would be able to steer clear of danger before formidable spirit beasts, as well as vie for prey against other alliances. However, there was also a clear disadvantage to it as well. Take this case for example, the group from Huanyu Empire had no say in the distribution of the hunted beasts at all. Should the number of beasts hunted within the duration prove to be insufficient, they would all stand to be eliminated. "Why? Are you reluctant to ept this arrangement? Given the strength of our Senior Feng, its your blessing to be able to ally with us!" Seeing the indignant looks of the group below, the gray-robed young man harrumphed coldly. In truth, given their strength, they could easily pass the examination even without allying with Huanyu Empire. However, what they were aiming for was beyond that. The teachers and elders of the academy would be paying attention to this entrance examination, and if they were to show an outstanding performance in this examination, they could win their favor and possibly be their disciples. This would make their lives in the academy smooth-sailing. "You..." Hearing the other partys words, everyones faces flushed in anger. They wanted to retort, but there wasnt a single word they could say. After all, it was the truth that they were weaker than the other party! "I am indeed reluctant to ept this agreement..." Just as everyone was ced in a difficult position, Zhang Xuans nonchnt voice suddenly resonated through the air. "Huh? What do you mean by that? Does Huanyu Empire intend to renege on its promise?" Seeing someone speaking up at this moment, the gray-robed young man frowned. They were all master teachers, respectable figures of society. Given that they had agreed on everything beforehand, it would be shameful for the group from Huanyu Empire to back out just because it had lost. If that were to really happen, they would be a hugeughingstock. "We wont renege on our promise, but I do have a suggestion..." Zhang Xuan said. "A suggestion?" Zhang Xuan replied, "Thats right. I am also a master teacher from Huanyu Empire, and I am unaware of your previous duel. However, since the results are already out, theres nothing much that I can say. However, I would like an equal distribution of spirit beasts!" "Equal distribution? We have won the position of the alliance leader fair and square, why should we agree to an equal distribution!" the gray-robed young man sneered. "I understand. Since we have lost the duel, it is indeed difficult for you to ept an equal distribution. How about this then?" Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and smiled. "If your Senior Feng can withstand three strikes from me, I wont speak about the matter regarding fair distribution anymore. You will have free reign over the distribution. In fact, we wont even ask for you to give a single spirit beast to us!" "What did you say?" The gray-robed young man narrowed his eyes. This fellow actually challenged Senior Feng to a fight? He had seen plenty of arrogant people, but never had he seen such blind arrogance before! Do you know how strong our Senior Feng is? Do you think that you are qualified to challenge him? Three moves? I doubt you could defeat him in a million moves! "Why? You dont have the confidence to ept the challenge? I understand. Since thats the case, what about one move? If your Senior Feng can withstand a single blow from me, our group will not take a single hunted spirit beast from you!" Noticing the other partys hesitation, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party found his terms unfair, so he changed his offer. "The heck!" Upon seeing the fellows earnest expression, the gray-robed young man nearly exploded in rage! Senior Fengs vision also darkened, and he nearly fainted on the spot. His cultivation had already reached Half-Cosmos Bridge, allowing him to fight on par with even some of the Grade 2 students. And yet, this fellow from Huanyu Empire was actually iming that he could defeat him in a single blow? What kind of a joke was this? Just as the duo was about to die from anger, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others nearly spurted blood. They knew that Zhang shi would surely stir some trouble here, but who could have known that he would actually utter such words? They couldnt even defeat the gray-robed young man, and Zhang shi was actually betting that he would defeat Senior Feng in a single strike... How could that be possible? If they were to lose, wouldnt they be working for nothing for Jinhai Empire in the entrance examination? All of them would be disqualified then... "Is a single blow still too much for you all? Sigh, since thats the case, Ill just use a single finger then... Surely that should be fine with you! I dont think I can go any further than that. If you still dont dare to ept the challenge with this, theres nothing more I can do..." After all, I couldnt possibly defeat you without moving, right? Alright, actually thats not impossible, but itll reveal my means as a soul oracle or poison master. Un, I should maintain a low profile. Since it was his first time being in Hongyuan Empire, Zhang Xuan thought that it would be best for him to proceed warily and not reveal too many trump cards. Thus, if the other party were to reject this offer as well, he would be really put at a spot. Pu! The gray-robed young man and Senior Feng nearly puked blood. Too much your head! Besides, what is with that troubled expression on your face? Am I that weak in your eyes that you will feel troubled over it? "Fine! I would like to see how you can defeat me with a single finger..." Senior Feng roared in anger, unable to hold back his rage anymore. "Senior... Allow me to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson..." Seeing his senior flying into a rage, the gray-robed man hurriedly stepped forward. "Theres no need for that. I want to see how strong the person who dares to utter such arrogant words is!" Senior Feng spoke coldly as his sharp gaze fell on the arrogant young man before him. Perhaps, the arrogant young man might have something up his sleeves that allowed him to speak such arrogant words. Thus, Senior Feng was interested to see whether the other party was simply uttering rubbish or really possessed the capability to do so. With narrowed eyes, Senior Feng flung his sleeves furiously and said, "This friend over here,e up onto the stage! If you can win against me, well drop the matter regarding the alliance. However, if you lose, youd better remember your words. Every single hunted beast in the entrance examination shall go to us!" "Fine!" Hearing the other party agree to his challenge, Zhang Xuan walked up onto the stage. "This..." "Can Zhang shi win?" "I dont know either..." Seeing Zhang shi settling on such a disadvantageous bet with the other party, everyone nced at one another doubtfully. Defeating Senior Feng with a single finger? Was Zhang shi serious? Their loss might have sent him into a panic, but even so... this bet was way too extreme! "Senior Feng, allow me to teach this fellow a lesson in your stead..." Seeing Senior Feng flying into such a huge rage, the gray-robed young man quickly stepped forward and said, "It wont be toote for senior to face him after my loss!" Given the arrogant words that the other party had uttered, there was a possibility that he might really possess the strength to back up his words. To be safe, the gray-robed young man thought that he should test the waters first. If the other party turned out to be weak, he would simply pummel the other party to get even for his provocations. On the other hand, if the other party turned out to be strong, Senior Feng could at least prepare himself. "This..." Senior Feng hesitated upon hearing those words. However, at that moment, the young man impatiently dered, "If you are still scared, why dont the both of you face me together? Ill just use two fingers!" Hearing those words, Senior Feng and the gray-robed young man nearly fainted. "Theres no need for that. Let me see how strong you are!" With a cold harrumph, Senior Feng charged forward. The other partys words were simply too infuriating. He was afraid that he might just die from fury if he were to allow the other party to talk any more. Stepping forcefully against the ground, he dashed forward as though a charging ferocious beast. Releasing his full might as a Half-Cosmos Bridge realm expert, the wind raged furiously, and in that instant, his charge felt reminiscent of a massive stampede, inducing helplessness in those facing it. "How powerful!" The eyebrows of Hong shi and the others twitched. Even they would find it hard to withstand such a powerful attack with their cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage. They hurriedly turned their gazes to the young man, curious to see how he would deal with it. Before their astonished gazes, the young man shook his head before raising a single finger and pointing it forward leisurely. Chapter 695: Defeated with a Single Finger Chapter 695: Defeated with a Single Finger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Hes really going to fight with a single finger?" Feng shi, Luo shi, and Hong shi pulled their hair in frenzy. Given the other partys strength, even Cosmos Bridge primary realm experts like us will find it hard to withstand that attack. It has been only a month since you reached rifying Turbidity realm, and yet you intend to face such an attack with just a single finger? You must be mad! Furthermore, even if you are just using a single finger, surely you can move faster than that! Your leisurely and unsteady movements are reminiscent of a dying granny, are you sure you are fighting? This Senior Fengs movements are as swift as a leopards. Even if your cultivation has advanced significantly in the past month, and you could defeat the other party with a single finger, surely you need to gather some force and move way faster than that! It is one thing for your finger to bepletely devoid of skill, but to move so slowly on top of that... Even the weakest cultivator could dodge it easily! Not only were Hong shi and the others on the verge of fainting, the mouths of Luo Xuan and the others were also twitching violently. They had heard the content of bet clearly just now. Given the stakes on the line, shouldnt Zhang shi act more seriously? With such speed, one couldnt even kill a fly! Seeing Zhang Xuans slow movement, the gray-robed young man harrumphed coldly. "To think that I thought that you might be a formidable foe. In the end, you are just a braggart!" It was just a moment ago that the other party arrogantly boasted about defeating Senior Feng with a single finger. Who knew that he would turn out to be so weak? Do you think that you can stop Senior Fengs charge with such a weak finger? Senior Feng could probably smash you to your grave with a single p... Just as he was sneering within, he suddenly heard amotion in the surroundings. "Something is wrong, look!" Hearing everyones anxious exmations, the gray-robed man frowned. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the stage, and his eyes immediately widened in shock. He thought that the other partys slow finger would be easily crushed by Senior Fengs charge. But who knew that Senior Feng would actually slow his charge instead. There was a grim expression on his face at this moment, as if he was facing some formidable foe. He tried swerving to the side, seemingly trying to avoid the finger. However, right after taking half a step, the trembling finger turned toward him, and his eyebrows immediately shot up in rm. Thus, he tried leaping to the left. But before he could make the movement, the finger pointed straight toward the direction of his intended movement. Upon seeing the direction of the finger, Senior Fengs face paled as if he had seen a ghost. Cold sweat flowed from his forehead, and he hurriedly tried to dodge to another direction. However, the same sight only happened again. It felt like Senior Feng was leaping to themands of the finger, as though he was being controlled remotely. The sight of the scene was extraordinarily bizarre. "D-did that Senior Feng suffer a stroke?" "That seems to be the case..." Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Zhao, and the others werepletely bewildered by the sight before them. Zhang shis finger seemed to bepletely devoid of strength whatsoever. Why would Senior Feng leap around the spot just because that finger was pointing toward him? Not to mention, to be even sweating profusely before it... Did he take the wrong medicine today, or did he see a ghost somewhere? Even couples who had danced for many years didnt share such harmony! Coming to a realization, Hong shis body stiffened. "No, he isnt suffering from a stroke. Rather... it seems like Zhang shi has found the other partys ws. His movements might be slow, but it urately points toward the ws of the other party. Zhang shi has not struck yet, but if he were to shoot a surge of zhenqi from the tip of his finger, that Senior Feng would surely be defeated immediately... or perhaps, he might even die from the attack!" "Thats right!" Feng shi and Luo shi nodded in agreement as well. As 5-star master teachers, their eyes of discernment were far above Luo Xuan and the others, thus allowing them to see through the situation. Clearly, Zhang shi seemed to have seen through the other partys ws and was pointing straight at them. Fearful that he might be struck, his opponent could only leap around to dodge. In a battle among experts, the most feared situation was for ones weakness or mingmen to be discovered by ones opponents. Senior Feng might be strong, but he still had to think twice before rushing in under such circumstances. "Senior..." Realizing something was amiss in this situation as well, the gray-robed young man clenched his fists tightly in worry. He knew how powerful Senior Feng was. Even the average Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage experts might not necessarily be a match for him. Yet, at this moment, he was actually leaping around under the control of the other partys finger. This clearly reflected the other partys strength! To be able to see through his seniors ws in an instant and force him into defense, how powerful must ones eye of discernment be? "Damn it!" While everyone was astonished by this situation, Senior Feng was grinding his teeth together in anger. Just as Hong shi had guessed, even though Zhang Xuans finger moved extremely slowly, it pointed straight toward Senior Fengs mingmen. As long as Senior Feng dared to advance forward, the other party could easily curb him just by shooting out a surge of zhenqi. Senior Feng had a strong foundation, and in the course of the battle, he had already changed his movement technique five times and battle technique eight times. But even so, the other partys finger was still urately aimed at the mingmen of his techniques. Even his teacher, a 5-star pinnacle master teacher, was incapable of such a feat! When did such a formidable figure appear in Huanyu Empire? "Forget it, Ill go all out!" After leaping several more times, Senior Feng knew that going on like this wasnt a solutionit was just a matter of time before he lost at this rate. Thus, clenching his jaws, he gathered his strength and leaped forward. This movement of his was reminiscent of a tiger pouncing on its prey. An elder of his sect had once examined the movements of a hunting tiger and leopard, and using that as a reference, he created this killing technique. In close-rangebat, it was a nigh-invincible skill that could easily catch ones opponent off-guard. Through this technique, that elder was able to defeat all of his peers easily. Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle battle technique, Howling Tiger! Roar! The roar of a tiger resounded in the air along with his movements. "Good!" Seeing his senior bringing out his ultimate technique, the gray-robed young man heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he thought that they would win this round, the young man whom Senior Feng was facing suddenly sighed, and heined, "What are you roaring for? You nearly gave me a heart attack..." Padah! With a dull thud, Senior Feng was abruptly struck in his mingmen, and he immediately fell to the ground. His face swiftly turned pale, and white foam leaked from the corner of his mouth. "Senior..." The gray-robed young mans eyes narrowed in shock, and he hurriedly rushed forward to help his senior up. Howling Tiger could already be considered one of the strongest techniques in their sect, and only a genius of Senior Fengs caliber could bring out its full might. This was a howl sounded through suppressing ones zhenqi and circting it to build up power before an abrupt release. Before it, even a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator would find their spirit and fighting will shattered. He thought that this technique would surely defeat the opponent, but who could have known that the one who fell would actually be his senior instead? With just a light blow from his finger, the other party actually broke through his seniors defense and struck the region where his zhenqi was circting. How in the world did he do it? This move might have looked simple, but the gray-robed young man could tell how fearsome it was. Putting aside how it was difficult to find and strike at a w before such a swift movement, more importantly, Senior Feng had specially trained himself to neutralize the w. Even swords and sabers wouldnt even be able to get past his defense, and yet a shaking finger actually pierced through it... How powerful must the other partys strength be? "His strength probably exceeds 5,000,000 ding. With such might, if he were to really harbor killing intent toward Senior Feng, he could easily send senior flying with just his brute might!" Making a swift estimation, the gray-robed young mans body stiffened in disbelief. He had once done the calctioneven if a Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage expert were tounch a frontal strike on his mingmen, his senior would still be able to withstand the blow and stand his ground. Yet, with just a single finger, not only did the young man manage to break through his seniors defense, he even managed to severely wound his senior. Just by this itself, it could be deduced that the young mans strength was beyond a Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage cultivator! At Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage, one could harness a might of 4,800,000 ding. Beyond that, one would wield a might of 5,000,000 ding at the minimum. With such strength, there was no need for the young man to search for ws at all. There was no one here who could withstand a single p from him! It seemed the other party was going easy on them when he said that he would only use a single finger! Otherwise, if the other party were to utilize his fist, Senior Feng could very possibly have died on the spot. "Thank you for your magnanimity..." Just as the gray-robed young man was overwhelmed with astonishment, a feeble voice suddenly sounded. Lowering his head, he saw Senior Feng opening his eyes painfully. Even though the other party had struck Senior Fengs mingmen, it seemed that he had held back. As such, Senior Fengs injuries werent as severe as expected. "It is just a spar, so theres no need to go all out!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. As fellow master teachers, there was no need for them to fight each other to the death. It would suffice to just defeat the other party. Actually, just as the gray-robed young man was thinking, if Zhang Xuan truly had intended to deal with Senior Feng, given his immense might of 10,000,000 ding, he could easily y the other party with just a flick of his finger. There was no need for him to go through so much trouble at all. "Since I have lost, well call off the alliance!" Gritting his teeth, Senior Feng struggled to his feet and walked out of the main hall. To think that he, the number one genius of Jinhai Empire, would be unable to match a single finger of the other party! He would only embarrass himself by staying here. Since that was the case, he decided to leave that instant. "We won?" "That formidable-looking Senior Feng was actually unable to match a single finger from Zhang shi?" Seeing the group from Jinhai Empire depart, a hugemotion broke out amidst the group from Huanyu Empire. Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai nced at one another, and bitter smiles surfaced on their lips. It seemed like... their gap with the other party had grown muchrger than before. Back in Myriad Kingdom City, while they might not be a match for Zhang shi, they were still able to cross some blows with him. But now, if they were to rush at Zhang Xuan with all their might, they would probably meet the same fate as Senior Fengdefeated by a mere finger. "Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle? Zhang shi... you have reached Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle?" Hong shis eyes lit up in agitation. Even though Zhang shis attack ended in an instant, he still received a clear glimpse of the other partys strengthConsonant Spirit realm pinnacle! Back in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang shi had made a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm. It had only been around two months since then, and not only had Zhang Xuan sessfully made the breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm, he had even reached the pinnacle of the realm. His rate of improvement was too astonishing! The hurdle to Consonant Spirit realm had trapped innumerable cultivators, but not only did Zhang shi manage to cross the hurdle in just two months, he even raised his cultivation by one entire realm... How in the world did he cultivate to achieve such an astounding growth rate? "Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle?" In truth, most of them had intended to get even with Zhang Xuan once he returned to the party. After all, back at Huanyu Empire, many of them had suffered greatly under Zhang Xuans hands. However, upon hearing those words, a strong feeling of helplessness loomed over them. How could they possibly rival this monster? Even if they were to guzzle down pills, they still couldnt keep up with the other partys pace. Most likely, the gap between them would only grow greater and greater in the future, and one day, the other partys back would disappearpletely from their sight. "Its just a stroke of good luck!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Hong shi, didnt my studentse here along with you? Where are they?" Since the group from Huanyu Empire have arrived here, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others were meant to be there as well. "They..." Hearing those words, Hong shi subconsciously nced at Feng shi and the others and hesitated. Seeing Hong shis response, Zhang Xuan frowned, and his face darkened. "What happened to them?" Chapter 696: King Huai Manor Chapter 696: King Huai Manor Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zheng Yang and the others were his direct disciples, and they had apanied him all the way here from Tianxuan Kingdom. They had braved many life-threatening situations together, and Zhang Xuan already viewed them as his closest kin. If anything were to happen to them, he didnt mind wiping the entire Hongyuan Empire off the face of the world! If he needed to, he would even punch a gaping hole through the heavens! Anyone who meant them harm would have to suffer his wrath. "Zhang shi, dont worry. They are safe!" Seeing thetters awful expression, Hong shi immediately realized that his hesitation had caused a huge misunderstanding. Thus, he hurriedly exined, "However, they were taken away by the men of the King Huai Manor yesterday, and we dare not stop them..." Zhang shi had entrusted his direct disciples to his care, only to find them missing upon his return. Anyone would be angry when faced with such a situation. It was already incredible that Zhang shi could still retain his rationality in this situation. "King Huai Manor?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never heard of this name before. Why would the other party take his direct disciples away? "I am not too sure about whats going on either!" Hong shi said and then hesitated for a brief moment before further exining. "King Huai, Yu Longxuan, is the blood-rted uncle of the incumbent emperor of Hongyuan Empire, thus making him the Imperial Uncle of the current era. Given his esteemed position, theres only a single man throughout the entire Hongyuan Empire who stands above himthe emperor himself. Even Princess Yu Fei-er whom we met before would have to address him as Grandpa Xuan! "The men from the King Huai Manor came over yesterday, and they insisted on taking them over to their manor to stay for a few days. Considering their respectful attitude and their esteemed standing in Hongyuan Empire, it didnt seem like they were harboring any malicious intentions, so I didnt stop them..." "Stay for a few days?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. He was certain that he had no ties with King Huai Yu Longxuan. As for his students, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and Liu Yang, only Wang Ying came from a distinguished background. However, it could only be considered as a distinguished n in Tianxuan Kingdom. Yuan Tao was an orphan, and he had been roaming the streets ever since he was young. Unable to find a proper cultivation technique manual, he could only fumble his way through his cultivation. As a result, even though he managed to pass the Hongyuan Academys entrance examination back then, his examination results were the very lowest of the entire cohort. The same went for Zheng Yang and Liu Yang as well. Since none of them could possibly be rted to a king of a Tier-1 Empire, why would thetter take them to his manor? This was way too bizarre! A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and he immediately asked worriedly, "When did you all arrive? Did they cause any trouble?" His students and his butler were true troublemakers, and this was especially so for thetter. With Yang shi serving as his backing, he put on a brazen attitude regardless of whom he was standing before. Could they have offended the King Huai Manor somehow, thus resulting in thetter finding an excuse to take them to the manor? "We only arrived yesterday afternoon. As soon as we arrived, we immediately headed toward this residence, so there is no way they couldve caused any trouble..." Hong shi frowned as he went through his memory to see if he might have missed out something. "But they did! Did you forget what the plump student of Zhang shi did before arriving at this residence?" Feng shi suddenly interjected. Under Feng shis prompt, Hong shi also recalled the matter and quickly exined it. "Plump student? Oh! Yuan Tao did fight with someone yesterday, but that was a small matter. Besides, the other party was an ordinary person who had no ties with the King Huai Manor!" Hearing that Yuan Tao had caused some kind of trouble, Zhang Xuan immediately asked with a livid expression, "What happened?" "Actually, Yuan Tao is not to be med for this matter. Right after we arrived, an itinerant cultivator came to provoke us into dueling with him. Thus, Yuan Tao stood forward to teach that person a lesson. Due to this matter, Yuan Tao sustained some injuries and shed some blood. However, after Yuan Tao defeated the itinerant cultivator, thetter gave him some recovery pills inpensation for the matter. Judging from that persons dress-up, it seemed like he is a merchant. Could the both matters be rted?" Hong shi frowned as he recalled the happenings yesterday. The person who fought against Yuan Tao was an ordinary merchant, and his cultivation was also so-so. It was unlikely for him to be rted to King Huai Manor, so Hong shi didnt think too much into the matter. However, the frown on Zhang Xuans forehead deepened after hearing of the matter. "Duel? And Yuan Tao was injured at that?" Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, and the others might be brazen, but they still knew better than to get into conflict with someone in a foreignnd, especially when their teacher was not around. Furthermore, with the awakening of Yuan Taos unique constitution, his defense had reached an absurd level. Making him bleed was no easy task at all. Could this matter really be rted to King Huai Manor? Otherwise, there was no other usible exnation as to why the other party would take his students away. Unable toe to a conclusion, the frown on Zhang Xuans forehead tightened. Eventually, he turned to Hong shi and asked, "Where is King Huai Manor?" "Zhang shi intends to head to King Huai Manor to find your students?" Hong shi was taken aback. Given that King Huai was the Imperial Uncle of Hongyuan Empire, his manor would surely be well-protected by top-notch formations and Saint realm experts. It would be extremely dangerous for Zhang Xuan to head there alone without any preparation. "Just tell me where it is!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed. While his cultivation realm was lower than Hong shis, the legendary feats he had aplished, his extraordinary disposition, as well as the powerful aura he carried made it difficult for anyone to stand against him. "Yes..." Knowing that Zhang Xuans mind was made up and that nothing he said could change the other partys mind, Hong shi could only relent. "King Huai Manor is not too far away from here. After leaving the Academic Sea, turn left and walk several dozen kilometers down the streets. You should see it then..." Saying so, Hong shi pointed in a direction. But before he could finish his words, a shrill call suddenly resounded in the air, and the massive Great Violetwing Beastnded on the courtyard. Zhang Xuan leaped onto its back, and the duo immediately flew in the direction in which Hong shi was pointing toward. "Zhang shi...: Not expecting Zhang shi to actually dive straight into action, Hong shis face paled in fright. Who was King Huai? The uncle of the incumbent emperor, the highest standing official in the Hongyuan royal court. Even the emperor would have to show him some respect. And yet, Zhang shi actually rode an aerial spirit beast over to his manor. It wouldnt be a joke if he were to offend a person of such standing... "Ruohuan, apany me to find Princess Yu Fei-er now. She is probably the only one who can salvage the situation now..." Gritting his teeth, Hong shi beckoned for Ruohuan gongzi to go along with him. The only royalty they were acquainted with at the moment was Yu Fei-er. The most they could hope for at this moment was for thetter to help Zhang shi on ount of the time they had spent together in Huanyu Empire... ... The Great Violetwing Beast was extremely swift. From the back of the beast, Zhang Xuan scanned the buildings below, and before long, a massive manor came into sight. The manor was resplendently designed, and many of the guards on thepound were all dressed in golden armor. Even before getting into proximity, Zhang Xuan could already feel an aura of invulnerability from it. "This should be it..." After circling around the area to further assess the situation, Zhang Xuan instructed the Great Violetwing Beast tond on the ground. He didnt dash right into the other partys manorafter all, the other party was an Imperial Uncle of the state. Without ascertaining the situation of Wang Ying and the others, it was best not to offend the other party first. Landing on an empty street several hundred meters away, Zhang Xuan changed into a brand-new master teacher robe before walking to the gates of the manor. At the entrance, he saw a huge que with three grand words, King Huai Manor, written in gold. The words seemed to be dancing around, as though they would break free of the surface of the que and soar into the greater world any moment now. "This is probably the work of a 6-star painter!" Zhang Xuan assessed. Considering the incredible skill and astounding disposition behind those words, the painter of it had to be at least at 6-star. There were four guards standing at the entrance. Each of them was dressed in steel armor, and their presence exuded a strong pressure on ones soul. "Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm experts?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He didnt expect even the guards to be Cosmos Bridge realm experts as well. That would mean that their cultivation realms were even higher than his! An expert of this caliber would at least be an esteemed official or amander of an army of several thousand in Huanyu Empire. Yet, in Hongyuan Empire, they were only an ordinary entrance guard. Huaiwang Manor was indeed powerful! It was no wonder Hong shi was worried. Entering this ce was no different from venturing into a lions den. But so what if that was the case? If the other party had malicious intentions toward Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, and the others, even if he was a member of the royal family, Zhang Xuan was determined to cause a huge uproar. If it came down to it, he could also bring out his Otherworldly Demon puppets to wreak havoc. With twenty Saint realm experts with nigh-invincible defense and nock of stamina along with the unfathomable Vicious, he was confident that he could easily destroy the entire King Huai Manor! Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan walked up to the gate. Seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, a guard raised his spear and harrumphed. "Our King Huai Manor forbids the approach of any unrted personnel!" "I am Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and I am here to pay respect to King Huai. I hope that you can ry the message." Zhang Xuan took out an identity scroll and passed it over. Before confirming the other partys intentions, it was best not to offend them first. "Master teacher?" The guard assessed Zhang Xuan doubtfully before grabbing the identity scroll. There were only four words written on the identity scrollMaster Teacher Zhang Xuan. There was nothing on his rank at all. 4-star master teacher might be the strongest existence in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but in a Tier-1 Empire, it would be insufficient for him to meet someone of King Huais caliber. If Zhang Xuan were to write it down, it was highly likely that he would be denied entry immediately. The guards wouldnt even bother showing his identity scroll to their boss. "This..." The guard passed the identity scroll to the other guards to see as well, and they were all perplexed when they saw the content as well. One of them spoke up hesitantly. "May I know what Zhang shis master teacher rank is? Are you an acquaintance of our old master? Have you made an appointment with him?" Since there was nothing written on it, they could only ask the person in question. Naturally, a person of their masters standing wouldnt meet a person just because the other party had provided an identity scroll. "I have never met King Huai before, but I am a close buddy of Princess Yu Fei-er. Oh, Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan is also an old friend of mine!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. If he were to say that he was a 4-star master teacher, he would immediately be chased away. Thus, he could respond to the other partys questions in a roundabout manner, hoping that the other party wouldnt pursue the matter. But in any case, what he was saying was the truth as well. He had gone through a life-and-death situation with Yu Fei-er, so it wouldnt be going too far to address her as a close buddy. On the other hand, he had met Mo Gaoyuan, and thetter had expressed goodwill toward him. Thus, it wasnt exactly wrong to call them old friends as well. "Mo shis friend?" As expected, upon hearing those words, the faces of the guards immediately turned grim. Mo Gaoyuan was the pavilion master of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher. Only another 6-star master teacher would dare to address him as a friend! Just that... was it even possible for a 6-star master teacher to be so young? "Zhang shi, this way please. We will report your arrival to our old master!" Even though the guards were doubtful, they didnt dare take any chances. Thus, they quickly invited Zhang Xuan into the residence. The means of a master teacher should never be underestimated. While the fellow before them might look young, it might not necessarily an urate indicator of his age. Furthermore, regardless of whether the other party was truly a 6-star master teacher or not, just the fact that he was a master teacher would have to make them think twice before offending him. "Thank you." Seeing that the guards were going to report his presence to their old master, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a nod, he followed the guards into the manor. Chapter 697: Scram! Chapter 697: Scram! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 King Huai Manor was so huge that it was impossible to see the end of it with a single nce. Many powerful guards dressed in golden armor patrolled the soundings of the majestic buildings rising throughout the entire estate. It felt like even an army wouldnt be able to take down this manor easily. It was no wonder Hong shi was so worried when Zhang Xuan said that he woulde here. This was indeed the den of a ferocious tiger. The movements of these guards seem to be aligned with some kind of formation. They will be difficult opponents! As a formation master, Zhang Xuan could easily tell that despite the seemingly random movement of the guards, their movements were actually aligned with something to form a powerful offensive formation. If anyone were to attempt to intrude into the manor, they would be able to immediately bring forth a destructive assault upon him. Wang Ying and the others should be fine. If the men from King Huai Manor really intended to mean them harm, no one from the Huanyu Empire party would be able to stop them. There is no reason for them to go through so much trouble... Upon seeing the astounding might of the manor, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief instead. Considering how the other party could easily ovee the entire group from Huanyu Empire just by dispatching a few guards, there was absolutely no need to go through the trouble of inviting Wang Ying and the others to the manor. Possessing absolute power, there was no need for the other party to hide his actions at all. "Zhang shi, please wait here. Well report your arrival to our old master!" Soon, they arrived at an elegant gazebo. The guard invited Zhang Xuan to take a seat before taking his leave. Understanding the rules around here, Zhang Xuan sipped on the fragrant tea that a maid served while waiting patiently. It must be said that the etiquette of King Huai Manor toward guests was truly impable. Even the tea leaves used were freshly picked, and the fragrance drifting from it left one feeling deeply revitalized. While sipping on the tea, Zhang Xuan took this opportunity to activate his Eye of Insight to examine the area. After taking a brief look, he couldnt help but shake his head in disappointment. Even though the security in the manor seemed tight, he could still see many openings under the scrutiny of the Eye of Insight. Zhang Xuan was confident that with his current cultivation, he could easily enter and leave the residence without being discovered. "Zhang shi!" Just as Zhang Xuan was scanning his surroundings, the guard from before suddenly rushed back and announced, "The old master invites you to the main hall!" "Un." Retracting his curious gaze, impassiveness returned to Zhang Xuans face. Standing up, he followed the lead of the guard. After strolling through a maze of corridors, they soon arrived at a vast main hall with a high ceiling. "Old master, Zhang shi has arrived!" Upon reaching the main hall, the guard immediately rushed forward and reported their arrival with sped fists before backing out of the room. Following which, Zhang Xuan stepped into the main hall. At the center of the massive room sat an austere middle-aged man who exuded a strong authoritative disposition. On the guest seat by the side was a white-haired elder, and a young man was standing behind him. These were the three people in the room. The middle-aged man carried a demeanor which reflected the many years in which hed held his position of power. The chances were that he was King Huai. As for the white hair elder, his very presence felt unfathomable, making it extremely difficult to assess him. On the other hand, the young man behind him unreservedly exerted his aura, revealing his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage expert! A Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert in his twenties! Even among the geniuses in Hongyuan Empire, he could be considered as the cream of the crop! Walking to the center of the room, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted, "Master Teacher Zhang Xuan pays respect to Your Highness!" "You are Zhang Xuan?" Before the middle-aged man could even speak, the young man turned his sharp gaze on Zhang Xuan and questioned him coldly. Seeing how that young man was devoid of the slightest respect, Zhang Xuan ignored him and walked to the guest seat on the opposite side. "Didnt you hear my words?" Realizing he had just been snubbed, the young mans face darkened. While he was standing subserviently behind the elder, his cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan at his age made him a respected figure no matter where he went. How dare the other party act so arrogantly as to ignore his words? Zhang Xuan nced at the young man and replied, "I heard them." "Then why arent you answering me?" The young man harrumphed furiously. Ignoring the young man once more, Zhang Xuan turned to the middle-aged man and sped his fist. "Your Highness, I believe you should know the reason for my visit!" "You..." Seeing how the other party disregarded him yet again, the young man staggered. Stop ignoring me, I am talking to you! Gritting his teeth, the young man bellowed furiously, "If you want His Highness to answer your question, youd better answer mine first!" "Fine." Zhang Xuan finally turned his gaze back to the young man, "Speak." "Answer me, are you Zhang Xuan?" the young man asked rudely. Zhang Xuan turned his face back to King Huai once more and said, "I heard that my students have been invited to your manor as guests. I hope that you will allow me to take them away with me." "..." Fury gushed to the head of the young man, and his body swayed weakly from side to side. At this point, how could he possibly not tell that the other party was making a fool of him? The other party had no intention of answering his question in the first ce! "How dare you make a fool out of me! Do you know who I am?" With a furious roar, a powerful aura reminiscent of the expansive ocean burst forth from the young man. Even though his cultivation wasnt on par with Ye Wentian, the strength he wielded seemed to be far mightier. Especially now that he was enraged, his muscles began bulged out furiously, creating a formidable sight. With just a nce, one could easily tell that he possessed an exceptionally strong body. "You?" Despite the other partys rage, Zhang Xuan remainedpletely impassive. "Do you think it matters to me who you are? I am a noble master teacher who stood against the Otherworldly Demons for humanity, a respected figure of all mankind. How dare a mere cultivator like you act so haughtily before me? Who gave you the guts to act this way?" Driving his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuans words were imbued with the Impartation of Heavens Will. Paired with the invible aura he possessed as a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Xuans presence suddenly towered before the young man as though a giant before an ant. It was as if desecrating him was an act of sphemy. "I..." The young man froze in fear. As the number one upation in the world, the prestige of the master teachers wasnt just for show. All cultivators had to respect them. Dishonoring them was equivalent to provoking the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as the entire human race! This was simply the prestige that master teachersmanded! If anyone could shout and order a master teacher around, how was the Master Teacher Pavilion supposed to establish order on this continent? The young man tried to take advantage of Zhang Xuans weakness to instill fear into him, but he forgot about this unspoken rule. Thus, upon being questioned under the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will, he was immediately rendered speechless. His face swiftly paled. Seeing that the young man was suppressed entirely by him, Zhang Xuan continued, "No matter what, I am a guest in King Huai Manor. His Highness hasnt even spoken yet, and a subordinate like you actually dares to overstep your bounds and cause such a fuss. Do you have no respect for His Highness and the elder before you?" "I..." The young mans body trembled weakly. The ferocious aura he had exuded on earlier vanishedpletely at this moment. He had been too engrossed with forcing some humble pie onto Zhang Xuan that he forgot that he was in the presence of King Huai and the elder before him. He had gotten ahead of himself, and his actions could be easily interpreted as insubordination. "To forget your own ce and act so conceitedly before your elders... You arent weed here. Scram!" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves. "I-I..." The young man couldnt find a single word to say. Hisplexion swiftly turned awful, and after a moment of hesitation, he turned around and walked out. Zhang Xuans current Soul Depth was 19.1, making himparable to even a 6-star master teacher. Even though the young man was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, he was far too weak to withstand Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will. With just a few words, Zhang Xuan had made him lose himself. "This..." The middle-aged man and the elder were stunned. They didnt expect Zhang Xuan to be able to beguile the young man into leaving just like that, and they nced at one another in astonishment. Wasnt Zhang shi supposed to be a 4-star master teacher? How could his words be effective even on a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert? In the end, the elder shook his head and uttered, "Enough." Boom! That voice wasnt loud, but it resounded clearly in ones ears as though a p of thunder. The departing young man suddenly froze. The elders words had shaken him out of the effects of Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will, and he immediately turned around to re at Zhang Xuan in animosity. He was on the verge of going insane. To think that he, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, would actually be beguiled into leaving the room while trying to teach the other party a lesson. The immense humiliation induced a furious ze within him. "I will kill you!" Howling angrily, the young man stepped against the ground and charged forward. However, at that very moment, the elders voice rang in his ears. "Enough! Dont you think you have embarrassed yourself enough today?" "Yes!" Hearing the displeasure in the elders tone, the young man shuddered and hurriedly retracted his aura. He swiftly returned back to his ce behind the elder and fell quiet. Even so, his vengeful eyes were still fixated on Zhang Xuan, seemingly trying to tear him apart. However, Zhang Xuan couldnt care less. While he wasnt a match for the other party, there was no need for him to fear the other party either. After all, the Saint realm puppets he had on him werent just for show. Ignoring the young man, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the elder instead. Zhang Xuan knew how strong his Impartation of Heavens Will was. Those whom he had beguiled couldnt be awakened that easily by external force. Yet, with just a single word, the elder actually managed to return the young mans rationality. Without a doubt, the elder was a formidable expert! In fact, even Mo Gaoyuan didnt seem to wield such capability either. "Zhang shis students are indeed guests in my manor. Ill have my men invite them over." Noticing the peculiar atmosphere drifting in the air, the middle-aged man chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly issued some instructions to a servant. The servant swiftly left the room. "Ill be thanking His Highness in advance then!" Hearing that his students were indeed just guests of the manor, the heavy stone weighing down Zhang Xuans heart was finally released. But even so, he still had some doubts in mind and said, "My students are mischievous, so I beg Your Highnesss pardon if they have troubled you in any way!" "Troubled me? How can that be? Zhang shis students possess astonishing talent. If anything, I am impressed by them..." Knowing that it would be impossible for him to hide the truth from the master teacher before him, King Huai shook his head and exined, "To tell you the truth, it was by Elder Yuans request that I invited Zhang shis students to the manor!" "Elder Yuan?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Elder Yuan? He didnt recall ever meeting such a figure. Why would the other party invite his students to King Huais manor? The elder before the young man stroked his beard and said, "I am Yuan Cheng, the elder of Boundless Empires Yuan n!" "Boundless Empire? Yuan n?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. On the way here, Yu Fei-er had told him about the various Tier-1 Empires and Tier-2 Empires around Hongyuan Empire, but he didnt recall any of them going by the name of Boundless Empire. Could it be... a Conferred Empire? Chapter 698: Yuan Taos Heritage Chapter 698: Yuan Taos Heritage Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Conferred Empires were a rank higher than Tier-1 Empires. 7-star master teachers stood at the core of the empire, ensuring the prosperity of the nation. Considering how King Huai didnt fly into a rage despite the rudeness of the young man, intervening to mediate the situation even, it was likely that the elder and the young man possessed extraordinary standing. If they were truly from a Conferred Empire, everything would make sense. After all, when Yu Fei-er and Xing Yuan visited Huanyu Empire, Ye Wentian had to act prudently around them, not daring to offend them at all. "Thats right!" The elder chuckled. "Zhang shi sure is incredible. To think that you would possess a Soul Depth superior to most 6-star master teachers at such a young age. Your talent is incredible even among the multitude of geniuses I have seen. You will surely achieve great things in the future!" "Soul Depth superior to most 6-star master teachers?" King Huai was astonished to hear that. He had sent his men to investigate the background of Zhang Xuan, and the other party was only a 4-star master teacher of Huanyu Empire. Hed thought that it would still take many years before the other party could achieve anything sizeable, but who could have known that his Soul Depth would actually be so high? It was extremely difficult to raise ones Soul Depth. There were many master teachers whose cultivation had reached the mark but were unable to be promoted due to their Soul Depth not reaching the prerequisite. And yet, the fellow before him, despite his low cultivation, possessed an extraordinarily high Soul Depth. This meant that it was just a matter of time before the other party became a 6-star master teacher! If he were to be given some time to grow, he would surely make a name for himself... It seemed like there was a need to establish close ties with the other party. Hearing the other partys evaluation, Zhang Xuan frowned. Without using a Stone of Insight, not even a 6-star master teacher was able to gauge his Soul Depth urately. And yet, the other party was actually able to evaluate it urately. Clearly, the other partys eye of discernment and cultivation had truly reached a fearsome level. With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and said, "Elder Yuan is being too generous!" "Given your cultivation and talent, theres nothing generous about my praise. Since Zhang shis surname is Zhang, may I know if you are rted to the Sage Ancestry Zhang n?" Elder Yuan asked doubtfully. "Sage Ancestry? Zhang n?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I have never heard of them before, and I am unrted to them." He was an orphan as well as a transcender, so how could he have known of this Zhang n and Sage Ancestry? "Unrted?" Elder Yuan was taken back for an instant before saying, "It doesnt matter whether you are rted to them or not. It is admirable in itself that you were able to advance so far in your Soul Depth cultivation given your age, as well as yourposure and steadiness in dealing with matters, and yourck ofcency and impatience. It is no wonder Young Master Tao views you so highly, refusing to acknowledge anyone else as his teacher except for you!" "Young Master Tao?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Do you mean... Yuan Tao?" Zhang Xuan only had a few students, and the elder also went by the surname of Yuan. It wasnt too difficult to figure out who the other party was referring to. Just that... wasnt Yuan Tao an orphan? On top of that, he grew up in Tianxuan Royal City as well. How could he be the young master of the Boundless Empires Yuan n? "Thats right. We found Young Master Tao through the resonance in our bloodline. I have heard stories about his travels with you, and I would like to thank you for the care you have shown him!" Elder Yuan nodded. "This..." Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Bloodline resonance... Could Yuan Tao really be a missing young master from the Yuan n? But... this was way too inconceivable! If this was really true, considering how the Yuan n was likely to be a powerful n in a Conferred Empire, how could their young master possibly be left behind in a ce as remote as Tianxuan Kingdom? Seemingly noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, Elder Yuan asked with a smile, "As Young Master Taos teacher, are you aware of his ancient bloodline?" "He possesses the Emperors Bloodline!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Zhang Xuan had noticed Yuan Taos Emperors Bloodline from the very start through the Library of Heavens Path. It was due to his bloodline that he epted Yuan Tao as his student. Just like unique constitutions, there were many differing types of bloodlines too. Ancient Bloodlines, New Bloodlines, inheritances, and mutations... The Emperors Bloodline was an extremely powerful bloodline from the ancient era which boasted invincible defense. Zhang Xuan had met so many talented people, but not even a 6-star master teacher like Mo Gaoyuan was able to discern Yuan Taos Ancient Bloodline. As such, it was unlikely that the elder was lying. "Zhang shi indeed has keen eyes!" Elder Yuan nodded. "Thats right, Young Master Yuan possesses the purest Emperors Bloodline of our n, and to our surprise, Zhang shi has managed to awaken it." "... n?" "Our Yuan n is built on the Ancient Emperors Bloodline, and every single one of our members possesses it. However, with each passing generation, our bloodline grows thinner and thinner." Elder Yuan sighed. "However, the heavens have taken pity on us! They have given us Young Master Tao, who possesses the perfect Ancient Emperors Bloodline. With his return, itll only be a matter of time before our n rises to power once more!" "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He suddenly recalled the young man who tried to act arrogantly before him earlier. Judging from the other partys bulging muscles, it was clear that he specialized in physical body cultivation. Thinking about it, the Emperors Bloodline probably ran through his blood as well. The Emperors Bloodline boasted invincible defense, and if one were to fully awaken it, the might of ones physical body would reach unimaginable levels. In truth, Zhang Xuan had been wondering how the rare Emperors Bloodline could possibly appear in Yuan Taoit turned out that he had such a huge n behind him after all! "But if he is from your n, how did he end up in Tianxuan Kingdom?" Zhang Xuan voiced his doubts. Considering how Yuan Tao was born with theplete Emperors Bloodline, how could the Yuan n possibly leave him alone in a remote kingdom? "It was out of helplessness that we chose this course of action. As time passes, the bloodline running through our veins only continues to grow thinner. In order to revive the Ancient Bloodline, we could only send our offspring to ancient ruins via Teleportation Formations and allow them to grow by themselves! Only in ces like that could the recovery of the bloodline be triggered," Elder Yuan exined. An Ancient Bloodline could only retain itsplete form in ancient ruins. If they were to stay cooped up in their n, the bloodline would only grow thinner and thinner, and eventually disappear entirely. "Ancient ruins? You mean... Tianxuan Kingdom is considered as ancient ruins as well?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Tianxuan was an Unranked Kingdom located in the most remote part of the continent, but there was actually more to it? "Thats right. The war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race was spread across the entire continent, and we term the regions unaffected by the conflict as ancient ruins! Such ces tend to be more backward, and there are no Teleportation Formations in the vicinity. Even the Master Teacher Pavilions wouldnt dispatch any personnel to such a region, thus isting it from the entire world," Elder Yuan exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. It seemed like... Tianxuan Kingdom fit that description aptly! Devoid of a Master Teacher Pavilion or Teleportation Formation... Remote and thin in spiritual energy... "Suchnds tend to be located by the borders of the continent, and they spread across a wide area. We send our offspring to these ancient ruins via Teleportation Formations shortly after their birth, but we are unable to clearly locate their specific coordinates, so we could only slowly look for them... and throughout the years, many have failed to survive there as well!" Elder Yuan shook his head. They couldnt choose where their offspring were teleported to nor whether they would be able to survive there or not. If they had another choice, they wouldnt have sent their offspring to such ces either. Many of their offspring ended up dead, and those who lived on to restore the Ancient Bloodline numbered even more in the minority. It was truly fortunate that they had managed to find Yuan Tao, who had recovered the Ancient Bloodline. How could they not be agitated? After conversing for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan finally gained a good grasp on the situation. Back then, the war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race had spread far and wide across the entire Master Teacher Continent. The regions that were unaffected by the conflict were known as ancient ruins. But while such ces were closer to the ancient era, they were extremely backward, especially in terms of cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Without anyone to care for the Yuan n offspring who were sent there, there was a lot of doubt about whether they could survive or not, let alone, restore the Ancient Bloodline. But this was the only course of action they could take. Otherwise, if they were to allow their bloodline to continue thinning, it would only be a matter of time before they were consumed by other powers and disappeared in the annals of history. But still, to possess Teleportation Formations, the Yuan n is far stronger than I had thought! After hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Rumor had it that an 8-star formation master possessed the ability to construct a formation capable of teleporting lifeforms. Considering how the Yuan n sent their offspring to the ancient ruins through such formations, how could they be an ordinary n? Elder Yuan then revealed his true intentions. "Since we have found the young master, we intend to bring him back to our n to inherit our heritage... However, Young Master Tao insists on meeting you, and he wants to receive your approval before deciding anything. I hope that Zhang shi can express your support for this matter." It wasnt easy for the Yuan n to find an offspring that possessed theplete Emperors Bloodline, so Elder Yuan was determined to bring Yuan Tao back to inherit the heritage regardless of the situation. However, Yuan Tao insisted on meeting his teacher before making a decision, thus resulting in the present situation. On the other hand, the young man behind Elder Yuan felt that it was humiliating that the actions of the Yuan n had to be dictated by a mere 4-star master teacher. On top of that, he didnt think that Zhang Xuan was qualified to serve as Yuan Taos teacher either, and that was the reason he provoked Zhang Xuan earlier. "This..." Zhang Xuan was hesitant to respond. First Zhao Ya, and now Yuan Tao was standing before a crossroad as well. Considering how the Yuan n had aplete heritage of the Ancient Emperors Bloodline, the best course of action was clearly for Yuan Tao to return with them... But after the days they had spent together, Zhang Xuan was reluctant to part with the other party, especially since Zhao Ya had left. Who knew when they would be able to meet, or whether they would even meet again at all? "I have heard of the methods Zhang shi used to awaken Young Master Taos bloodline, and they are indeed novel... However, our Yuan n possesses theplete heritage regarding the Emperors Bloodline, so Young Master Tao will surely be able to awaken his bloodline much faster, allowing his cultivation to soar. Thus, I hope that Zhang shi can agree to this matter. After all, this is for Young Master Taos welfare!" Elder Yuan urged. He had already discussed the matter with Young Master Tao, and he could see the deep rtionship they had for one another. If Zhang Xuan were to say no, Young Master Tao would surely refuse to leave with them. However... the fate of their ny on their shoulders. A prospective sessor was standing before them, so how could they possibly allow him to continue roaming instead of bringing him back? "I understand." Zhang Xuan sighed gloomily. Life is a cycle of reunion and separation. There is no teacher who can stay by his students side for life. Sometimes, letting go is the best way to unleash a students potential. Take Zhao Ya for example, after heading to the cier in Court and receiving the best heritage and resources, her cultivation was probably on par or even beyond Zhang Xuans right now. The same applied for Lu Chong as well. He and Mo Hunsheng had gone on a journey to search for the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles. They might not have reached their destination yet, but once they did, Lu Chongs cultivation would surely soar. Seeing the look of hesitation on Zhang Xuans face, the young man by the side said coldly, "Our elder has already said so much, and yet you are still reluctant? Young Master Tao possesses theplete Emperors Bloodline, and it is a matter of time before he grows to be a mighty dragon. "You might be a master teacher, and your talent is not bad, but in terms of physical body cultivation... you are far from a match for us. You arent qualified to be the young masters teacher at all. Youd better learn your ce, it is only out of politeness that we are discussing this matter with you!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. "Did you just say that I am unqualified to be Yuan Taos teacher?" Chapter 699: Zhang Xuans Physical Body Chapter 699: Zhang Xuans Physical Body Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Thats right!" the young man sneered in disdain. "If you think that I am speaking nonsense, why dont we verify it through a physical fight? If you lose, youd better hand Young Master Tao obediently to us and admit that you are unqualified to be his teacher! On the other hand, if you win, I can even acknowledge you as my teacher..." The young man roared, "How is it? Do you dare to take on the challenge?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The other party was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert. Even without the use of the Library of Heavens Path or Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could still easily tell that the other party possessed tremendous physical strength and resilience. Even if Zhang Xuan were to gather the entirety of his 10,000,000-ding strength, he couldnt be sure whether he could break the other partys defenses or not! Not to mention, his physical strength only amounted to 4,000,000 ding! But if Zhang Xuan couldnt defeat the other party, what right did he have to be Young Master Taos teacher? While it might look as if the other party was acting recklessly by challenging Zhang Xuan to a battle all of the sudden, the truth was that he had grasped Zhang Xuans weakness urately and ced him in check. Furthermore, if it was just a battle involving only their physical strength, the other party would be able to avoid Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will too... His move was indeed ingenious. cing his hands behind his back, the young man taunted derisively, "Thats right! Do you dare to ept the challenge?" "Humph!" Seeing how the other party arrogantly attempted to push him to a corner, Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves and harrumphed. But at that moment, an excited voice suddenly sounded, "Teacher..." Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others walking over with eyes brimming with agitation. Over the past month, his students seemed to have made significant advancements in their cultivation. From this, it could be seen that they had been working diligently over this period of time. "Young Master!" Sun Qiang was also amidst the group. At this moment, he had already reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm intermediate stage. Even though his cultivation was slightly beneath Wang Ying and the others, considering Sun Qiangs usual indolent nature, it could be considered rather impressive. Seeing that each and every one of them was spirited, Zhang Xuan felt heartened, and a slight smile crept onto his face. All of the sudden, a majestic aura flowed out of Zhang Xuan as he turned around toward the young man and replied nonchntly, "Fine, well have a duel using just our physical bodies!" "Duel? Teacher..." Hearing those words, Yuan Tao and the others immediately panicked. Even though their teachers cultivation had improved swiftly, it was still much too difficult for him to defeat a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert who specialized in physical body cultivation in a physical duel. "Dont worry, hes nothing more than a little pebble in the way. Just watch how I crush him!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back grandly. Since the other party had already gone this far, how could Zhang Xuan possibly back down now, especially before his students? "Its good that you agreed to the duel. Come!" Hearing the other party agreeing to the duel, the young man immediately burst intoughter. He proceeded to the center of the room, and just by flexing his muscles, he seemed to have grown a few inches taller. His bulky and powerful frame gave him a sharp appearance reminiscent of a ferocious tiger. "Theres no need to rush into it." Even though the young man was already preparing himself for the duel, Zhang Xuan still remained on his seat. With a smile, he turned to King Huai and asked, "Your Highness, theres a matter I need to trouble you with. Is there a secret chamber here that I can use here? There are some matters that I need to attend to!" "Secret chamber? Of course there is!" King Huai was still busy finding a way to form a close rtionship with Zhang Xuan when thetter delivered an opportunity for him to express his goodwill. Thus, he immediately waved his hand, and jiya!, the wall by the side of the room suddenly split apart, revealing a hidden chamber. As a member of the royal family of a Tier-1 Empire, it wasnt too surprising for him to install have several secret chambers in his main hall so as to discuss confidential matters. A special formation was set up here in order to prevent anyone, regardless of strength, from peering into the room or eavesdropping into the conversation. "Thank you." With a smile, Zhang Xuan entered the chamber and closed the doors. After which, he flicked his wrist, and his clone appeared before him. With the measly 4,000,000 ding of strength that Zhang Xuan could harness in his physical body, it was surely impossible for him to teach the other party a lesson. However... his clone was different. His clone had been forged of the Nine Hearts Lotus, thus making its physical body far stronger than his. Zhang Xuan had little doubt that the young man wouldnt be an opponent for his clone as well. Zhang Xuan swiftly filled his clone up on the details through their mental connection. "Thats how it is. So, go there and smash his teeth out!" "Dont worry!" His clone nodded, put on Zhang Xuans previous clothes, and walked out of the secret chamber. Considering how the clone had the same form as the main body, and the main body was hidden within the secret chamber, there was no need to worry about the trick being exposed. "Youre finally out!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuaning out from the chamber, the young man sneered coldly. Geji! Geji! Cracking sounds echoed from his body, and the aura shrouding him rapidly grew stronger. He flicked his wrist, and a deafening sound boomed in the air, seemingly threatening to shatter everything in the area to pieces. When ones physical body reached a certain realm, the prowess it could exert would be on par with zhenqi. No matter how thin it was, the young man still possessed the powerful Emperors Bloodline. On top of that, the long heritage of his n meant that he had ess to the best physical body cultivation techniques, thus resulting in the might of his physical body to exceed even his zhenqi cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan. Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he walked to the center of the room as well. "Humph!" Seeing how a Consonant Spirit realm brat actually dared to pit his physical body against him, the young mans face twisted in savageness. Kicking against the ground, he dashed forward. Boom! Due to the absurd speed he was traveling at, a deep rumbling reminiscent of thunder boomed along with his movements. Even before he reached Zhang Xuan, the air in the surroundings had already been torn apart, forming a huge vacuum around Zhang Xuan. "Teacher..." Seeing how the young man executed his strongest technique from the very start, Yuan Tao clenched his fists tightly. Even though the young man could be considered his fellow n member, the rtionship between him and his teacher ran far deeper than that. Wang Ying and the others were anxious as well. They were well aware of the strength their teacher wielded. Just a month ago, their teacher was only at the rifying Turbidity realm, so even if he had made a breakthrough in the past month, he would only be at Consonant Spirit realm at the moment. A Consonant Spirit realm against a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan... The gap was simply too huge! It could be said that both parties werent even on the same level, how could Zhang Xuan triumph against him? "Dont worry, since the young master agreed to the duel, he wont lose!" Sun Qiang said by the side. Before his students, the young master always put on an austere face to uphold his prestige. It was not that Wang Ying and the others didnt believe in Zhang Xuan, but the gap between the two was simply too huge. At the same time, considering the upright personality of their teacher, he wouldnt do anything despicable just to achieve victory. However... Sun Qiang had a differing opinion. After living with the young master for a period of time, he had gained a good grasp of thetters personality. Had the young master ever done anything he was unconfident at? Since the young master agreed to the other partys challenge, there was no doubt that he must have found a way to pummel the other party. Besides, it was suspicious how the young master asked to use the secret chamber before the duel. "Wont lose?" Wang Ying and the others were a little doubtful upon hearing Sun Qiangs words. Hu! Before the young mans ferocious attack, their teacher didnt bother to dodge. Instead, he raised his right arm and sent a fist over. "A frontal attack?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuans reaction, everyones eyebrows shot up. Even Elder Yuan also frowned in confusion. Elder Yuan knew very well how strong the young man was. Even Transcendent Mortal 8-dan intermediate stage experts would find it hard to breach his defenses. A Consonant Spirit realm small fry like you actually dares to face him head on... Arent you courting death? Peng! In just the blink of an eye, the two fists shed with one another, and a frenzied wind burst into the surroundings. The ground beneath the duos feet immediately cracked from the tremendous impact of the sh. Upon the collision of fists, the young mans excited face slowly turned in astonishment. He felt as if he had struck a steel te, and an intense pain assaulted his knuckle. Kacha! Kacha! In just a brief moment, the bones in his fist were shattered. Following which, an immense force traveled through his arm, seemingly trying to suppress him altogether. Hu! The young man was sent flying backward. Due to the limitations of his cultivation, it was impossible for the clones strength to match up to the other party. However, a unique property of a physical body crafted by the Nine Hearts Lotus was its incredible toughness that was on par with any other God artifact... To make an analogy, it was equivalent to an ordinary man striking a wall with his full strength, not to mention that the young mans strength was beyond ordinary. When the immense force of his attack rebounded back on him, how could he possibly withstand the impact? On top of that, the qualitative difference in the bodies of the duo was also way too great. If the young mans body was iron, the clones body would be diamond. No matter howpact the iron was, it could still be easily torn apart by diamond. "How can you have such a powerful physical body..." The young man widened his eyes in astonishment. At this moment, he felt as if he was going crazy. He possessed the Emperors Bloodline, and he cultivated one of the strongest physical body cultivation technique in the n. It was no joke to say that he was almost invincible in his power ss. Even Spirit high-tier weapons might not necessarily be able to pierce his skin... And yet, the other partys fist actually crushed his bones... Are you sure that I am the one possessing the Emperors Bloodline, not you? How could such a powerful physical body possibly exist in the world? Howling furiously, the young man tried to steady his flying figure. But at that moment, a blur abruptly shed across his eyes, and unknowingly, his opponent had appeared behind him. Peng! Once again, the two bodies shed with one another. Kacha! Kacha! Two cracks resounded clearly in the air. The prided bones that the young man had devoted a very long period of time to cultivating had broken yet again. "I..." The intense pain he was experiencing left him frenzied. He immediately twisted his body and elbowed the other party with his intact left arm. It must be said that the young man was indeed a skilled fighter. His reaction was swift and deadly. With this blow, the other party would surely have to dodge, thus giving him time to take a breather and regain his momentum in the battle. But Zhang Xuan didnt move at all. He simply stood idly, allowing the young mans elbow to strike him. Peng! The elbow struck Zhang Xuans head. "Great..." The head was the weakest spot of a human body. Upon striking it squarely, the young mans eyes immediately lit up in excitement. However, before he could celebrate, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm once again. His bones had been shattered to pieces. "What is going on?" The young man finally cried. The Emperors Bloodline was known for its invincible defense, thus making him far stronger than any cultivator of his power tier. He thought that he would be able to crush Zhang Xuan as easily as tearing a cabbage into pieces, but the other party remainedpletely unfazed by his attacks. On the contrary, it was his bones that had been shattered in the collisions... It was as if he was fighting against a Saint artifact. What the heck was with this? "This..." By the side, Elder Yuans eyes were widened as much as humanly possible. Zhang shi was the one being beaten up, and yet he was able to rebound the might back onto his opponent and crush the other partys bones... And this was taking into ount that his opponent specialized in physical body cultivation! How powerful must Zhang shis physical body be? Even Elder Yuan, despite the long years of cultivating his body, had to admit that he was incapable of such a feat! Could it be that... he had identified the wrong young master? Was Zhang shi the true possessor of the Emperors Bloodline instead of Young Master Tao? "Teacher... is actually so strong?" Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and the others stared at one another in astonishment. Theyd thought that their growth rate in the past month was already incredible, but it seemed their teacher had improved far more than them! To actually crush the other partys bones by being pummeled, who else in the world was capable of such a feat? Kacha! Kacha! The same astonishment also surfaced on King Huais face. Amidst gazes of disbelief, Zhang Xuan went on to shatter the bones in the legs of the young man before standing quietly at the main hall. With a nonchnt gaze, he gazed down at the young man lying on the ground and asked calmly, "So, with the strength of my physical body... "... am I qualified to be Yuan Taos teacher?" Chapter 700: Repaying Malice with Benevolence Chapter 700: Repaying Malice with Benevolence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The entire room was silent. Everyone stared at one another, unable to utter a single word. You said that the other partys physical body was too weak for him to be qualified to teach a person possessing the Emperors Bloodline. Yet, you ended up shattering nearly all of your bones while trying to pummel the other party. What else do you have to say? Many gazes turned toward the young man, only to see him lying on the ground in a mess. His body was contorted in awkward angles. With his bones shattered to such a degree, he was unable to stand up. "You... are qualified to be Young Master Taos teacher..." Tears were threatening to spill from the young mans eyes. Never had such an incident urred to him ever since hed started cultivating his physical body. He used his full might to pummel the other party, and yet, the other party remainedpletely unharmed whereas his bones were shattered instead. Not even the elders of the Yuan n possessed such astounding defensive ability! Was the other party still mortal? If I knew that your physical body was this strong, I would have never provoked you! If this was going to be the case, I should have just left obediently just now when you asked me to. At the very least, I would still be unharmed. And now... With my bones shattered to such a degree, how am I going to fare in the future? "Cultivation is an endless journey. We might possess the Emperors Bloodline, but that doesnt mean that we are invincible. Zhang shi has only taught you that theres always a mountain higher than the other." Sighing, Elder Yuan flicked his finger, and a pill was shot into the young mans mouth. The reason he didnt stop the young man from challenging Zhang shi earlier was because he intended to see the depths of thetters prowess as well. Who would have thought that he would be so powerful? The pill immediately dissolved as soon as it entered the young mans mouth. A momentter, the young man finally recovered slightly, and he struggled to his feet strenuously. Seeing the young mans state, Elder Yuan sighed inmentation. "Given the degree of damage to your bones, itll be hard for you to recover to how you were. You wont be able to cultivate your physical body anymore in the future." The greatest taboo for physical body cultivators was the breaking of their bones. If it was just a bone or two, it could still be healed via consuming pills. However, considering how the young mans bones were shattered into near smithereens, there was no way he could get back to how he was before. In other words, the young mans cultivation had been crippled through this fight, and his future achievements had been capped. While there were Saint recovery pills within the n which was capable of healing even such grievous injuries... given that the young man didnt belong to the main family and that his bloodline wasnt pure either, he wasnt qualified to use such precious resources. "Yes!" The young man nodded with a deste expression. His cultivation wasnt outstanding in the n in the first ce, and he had been despised due to that. Now that he had lost his cultivation, it wasnt hard to imagine how his tragic his plight would be in the future. "Alright, only with setbacks will one grow wiser, so dont be too harsh on yourself." After which, Elder Yuan turned to Zhang Xuan, and awe gleamed in his eyes. "To be able to cultivate your physical body to such an astounding degree despite your young age, Zhang shi is indeed worthy of awe. May I know... if youre interested ining to our Yuan n? Given your age and your physical body prowess, as long as you persevere, it is just a matter of time before you be an honorary elder there!" "An invitation to the Yuan n?" On the main seat, King Huai widened his eyes upon hearing those words, and his breathing hastened. Zhang shi might not have heard of the Boundless Empires Yuan n, but he knew very well what that power represented. Even if it was just an offer to be a guard of the Yuan n, he would surely grasp the opportunity without any hesitation. But just as he thought that Zhang shi would immediately agree to the request in delight, thetter shook his head in disdain and said, "I dont have any interest in that." Hearing those words, King Huais body jolted in astonishment. "Zhang shi, do you understand the significance of bing an honorary elder in the Boundless Empires Yuan n?" "Who cares what kind of significance it has, I dont have any interest in it!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. No matter how impressive bing an honorary elder might be, in the end, he would be nothing more than a subordinate. He was a person who would be a 9-star master teacher one day. Before that, all powers were nothing more than fleeting clouds. Besides, how could he possibly lower himself to serve as an honorary elder for his students n? "Thats a huge pity..." Seeing Zhang Xuan rejecting the offer without any hesitation, Elder Yuan shook his head in disappointment. Sighing, he raised his head once more and asked, "Zhang shi, about our young master..." Zhang shi hadnt given his opinion regarding Yuan Taos matter yet. Even though Elder Yuan possessed incredible power, he dared not offend a person who could possibly be the next head of his n. "Sigh!" With a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan turned to the young man not too far away and said, "Yuan Tao,e over here!" "Teacher!" Yuan Tao responded and hurriedly rushed forward. Zhang Xuan rubbed the plump boys head with his hand asplex emotions surfaced in his eyes. Memories shed across his head as reminisced about the time they had spent together. The sorrow of parting jabbed at his heart, but as a teacher, he knew that he couldnt limit his own students. "Cultivate well after you return to your n. Dont let me down!" "Teacher..." With reddened eyes, Yuan Tao kneeled on the floor. "I wont go! I want to stay by your side..." Zhang Xuan shook his head slowly. "Since the Yuan n possesses theplete heritage of the Emperors Bloodline, you should leave with Elder Yuan. This is the route you should take if you aspire to reach for greater heights! Following behind me will only limit your aplishments." Yuan Taos body stiffened upon hearing those words. "Alright, as my student, you should decisively grasp any opportunity thates your way. Work hard, awaken your bloodline, and make me proud!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. No matter how reluctant he was, he knew that he had to let go. Students are just like birdlings. No matter how well one taught them, if they dont try to venture beyond their nest, they will never learn to fly. A greater world lies out there for them! That is the ce where they belong! Only by experiencing the various elements of the world will they fly higher and higher, and eventually reach the peak. "Alright!" Seeing that his teacher had made up his mind, Yuan Tao clenched his jaws and nodded. After convincing Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Yuan and said, "Elder Yuan, my student is a troublemaker, so Ill be depending on you to take care of him in the future!" "Of course, you can count on me for that..." Elder Yuan froze for a moment upon seeing that sight, and admiration slowly gleamed through his face. He could tell the deep concern Zhang Xuan harbored for Yuan Tao, and it would surely be difficult for him to part with thetter. Nevertheless, upon realizing that his student had a much better path before him, he still decisively chose to send thetter there. There were very few master teachers who could do the same! As long as he could survive amidst the harsh world, Zhang shi would surely achieve great things in the future! "Yuan Tao is my direct disciple. If I hear that he has been subjected to some grievances or unfair treatment, have no doubt that I wille knocking on the gates of the Yuan n!" Zhang Xuan warned with a grim expression. He might be weak at the moment, but he was growing stronger rapidly. If the Yuan n dared to torment Yuan Tao, he wouldnt mind trampling them into the ground! "Dont worry. Young Master Tao possesses theplete Emperors Bloodline, making him the future hope of our n. How could he possibly subject him to grievances or unfair treatment?" Elder Yuan hurriedly reassured. It had been more than a dozen millenniums since aplete Emperors Bloodline had appeared in the Yuan n. Yuan Tao yed a pivotal role to the revival of the Yuan n, so how could the Yuan n possibly treat him unfairly? "That would be for the best!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Following which, he grabbed a wine cup from a table a distance away and smiled. "Allow me to propose a toast to Elder Yuan!" "This..." Zhang Xuans action of grabbing the wine cup may seem normal, but Elder Yuans eyes narrowed upon seeing that sight. Zhang Xuan was around one and a half meter away from the table, and yet, he was still able to grab the wine cup without the utilization of zhenqi... In other words, Zhang Xuans arm had instantaneously extended by a length of half a meter! To extend ones arm abruptly without the use of zhenqi... Elder Yuans body stiffened as the thought shed across his mind. Could he have cultivated his bones and muscles to the Undying realm? Legend had it that upon reaching a certain level of cultivation in ones physical body, not only would ones physical body be extremely tough, their body would also be incredibly flexible. Upon reaching that realm, their bones and muscles would be able to extend in a way that defiedmon sense. At the same time, the enhanced sticity also allowed their bodies to revert back to its original form even when squashed like a pancake! As such, this was known as the Undying realm. Even though it wasnt invulnerability in the strictest sense, the ability to extend ones limbs freely and recover from lethal force were already exceptionally valuable capabilities, especially in battle. Even in their n, only the legendary old ancestor had achieved such a feat! Considering how the young man before him was able to extend his arm half a mater without tapping into his zhenqi, even if he hadnt truly reached the Undying realm, he was surely not too far from it! To actually train ones physical body to the limits and reach Undying realm at twenty... Was this even possible? Was the fellow before him some kind of monster in human skin? It was no wonder his junior lost so tragically. Even he himself hadnt advanced this far in his physical body cultivation! If it was before, he would have taken the other partys threat to be a joke. However, such thoughts had vanishedpletely from his mind. No matter how weak the other partys cultivation was at the moment, given how his physical body had already reached or was extremely near to the Undying realm, his future achievements would surely be immeasurable. Even despite the dozens of millenniums of history behind the Yuan n, a day mighte when the entire Yuan n would have to bow before him. Caught up in his astonishment, when Elder Yuan finally recovered, he realized that the young man had already gulped down the wine in his cup and returned back to the secret chamber. A momentter, he returned with an impassive expression. "Lets leave!" Zhang Xuan beckoned for his students before striding out of the main hall. "Well be leaving now!" Zheng Yang and the others bade Yuan Tao farewell before hurriedly leaving behind Zhang Xuan. Having apanied one another on this long journey, a strong rtionship had already been forged among them. Thus, they couldnt help but feel dejected by this parting. "Zhang shi..." Seeing Zhang Xuan leaving decisively, Elder Yuan was just about to say something when the other party suddenly flicked his hand and tossed a wine gourd over. Catching it instinctively, he heard the other partys voice sounding in the air. "Connect the fractured bones carefully before drinking this medicinal wine. He will be able to make a full recovery." "This..." Elder Yuan was stunned for a moment after hearing those words. Following which, he swiftly passed the medicinal wine to his junior to drink. The young man had already reconnected his bones using his zhenqi earlier on. Upon learning that the medicinal wine could possibly heal his injuries, he gulped it down without any hesitation. Gugugugu! As the medicinal wine rushed down his throat, a warm surge of energy abruptly burst from his stomach and gushed through his entire body. He felt a numbing sensation in the broken bones throughout his body as the warm surge washed over them. In just a few breaths, he could already stand up even without relying on zhenqi to bnce himself. All of the injuries he had sustained vanished into thin air, as if he hadnt been injured in the first ce. "This..." The young man narrowed his eyes, and his body began trembling in agitation. He thought that he was doomed for life, but this turnaround came so abruptly. Elder Yuans body stiffened as well. "Saint... recovery medicine?" This kind of medicine was invaluable even in their n. Yet, the other party actually tossed it to them as though it were nothing at all. This was truly a huge favor to them! "Zhang shi... thank you!" Understanding the value of the medicine, the young man immediately dropped to the floor and kowtowed in gratitude. He had provoked the other party intentionally with a sharp tone earlier on, intending to harm him even. Yet, not only did the other party not harbor a grudge against him for that, he even gave him such a valuable medicine... How magnanimous he must be to repay malice with such great benevolence! So this is a master teacher! It was no wonder Young Master Tao would be willing to turn down even the heritage from the Yuan n to pursue him. The other partys character was indeed worthy of respect. While the young man was kowtowing in gratitude, Yuan Taos clenched fists were trembling with overwhelming emotions. Looking at his teachers departing back, tears streamed freely down his face. It was Zhangoshi who didnt scorn him for being thest ce in Hongtian Academy and epted him as his student! It was Zhangoshi who turned him from an ignorant and reckless weakling into a Transcendent Mortal ream expert! It was Zhangoshi who went to great lengths to search for medicinal herbs to awaken his unique constitution! It was Zhangoshi who stayed up at night to modify his cultivation technique for him... Teacher... rest assured. I will surely work hard after returning to my n so as to not let down your expectations! Yuan Tao vowed with great determination. Chapter 701: Bazaar Chapter 701: Bazaar Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After leaving King Huai Manor, Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and instructed, "Sun Qiang, find suitable living quarters with a good atmosphere in proximity to the academy within the next two days!" As a student of the Master Teacher Academy, he was allowed to stay at the Academic Sea. However, going by the rules, Zheng Yang and the others werent qualified to live there. This was also part of the reason Hong shi and the others allowed them to leave with King Huai without much protest. While it wasnt a problem for them to stay in the Academic Sea for a few days,ints from the other students would arise soon enough if their stay stretched on. Rather than having to deal with the mess then, they might as well find suitable lodgings now. This way, it would be more convenient for Zhang Xuan to conduct lessons for them, and Zheng Yang and the others need not be so restrained as well. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded. As the butler, he was in charge of the misceneous affairs of the group. The others only needed to focus on their cultivation. "Teacher, I think I am on the verge of a breakthrough!" After rying some instructions, Zhang Xuan was just about to return to the Academic Sea when he heard Wang Yings voice. Turning around, he saw a powerful aura flowing around thetters body. Her zhenqi was trembling in her acupoints, and it seemed that she would make a breakthrough at any moment! She was currently at Yin-Yang realm pinnacle, so with this breakthrough, she would reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm. She had been working hard over the past month, and she had long reached the peak of Yin-Yang realm, but the impetus for a breakthrough just didnt seem toe somehow. However, the intense emotion from the parting with Yuan Tao had resonated with her cultivation, thus allowing her to take this final step forward. "Great Violetwing Beast!" Knowing that opportunities for achieving a breakthrough didnte easily, Zhang Xuan immediately beckoned his tamed beast telepathically. Then, with a sweep of his zhenqi, the group soared into the air andnded on the back of the Great Violetwing Beast. Several dozen breathster, they finally returned back to the Academic Sea. After arranging for Zheng Yang and the others to stay at his room for the time being, Zhang Xuan took Wang Ying to a silent chamber and stood guard for her as she attempted the breakthrough. In rifying Turbidity realm, ones soul and physical body would be clearly divided into two. Even though Wang Ying possessed a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art so making the breakthrough shouldnt be a problem at all, it would still be difficult for her to maintain the consonance between her body and soul while preventing their merging. Nevertheless, she would only benefit the greatest from this breakthrough if she were to achieve a breakthrough while enduring this pressure. Thus, Zhang Xuan didnt intend to interfere at all. Gugugugu! Her acupoints furiously devoured spiritual energy from the surroundings as zhenqi rushed through her body. With a harrumph, a surge of zhenqi rushed up her Baihui acupoint and gushed out. Boom! The division of rity and turbidityTranscendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realm reached! At this moment, Wang Ying exuded an overwhelmingly powerful aura reminiscent of a sword. This is... a breakthrough in her Will of Mind? Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched furiously. Just like master teachers, cultivators could also achieve breakthroughs in their Will of Mind as well. The only difference was that the former was more sided toward the analytical aspect whereas thetter was more sided toward practicality inbat. Even though a breakthrough to rifying Turbidity realm would boost ones cultivation significantly, it still wasnt possible for one to exude such a sharp aura. Clearly, Wang Ying had reached a higher realm in her Will of Mind! Scarlet Heart realm! This is truly a fortuitous encounter! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. In the Fighter realm, the cultivation of ones physical body and zhenqi took priority, but beyond rifying Turbidity realm, the importance of Will of Mind would start to shine through. After all, this was intricately tied to the purity of ones soul. If one could temper their Will of Mind, their cultivation would be much smoother and faster in the future. Humans are beings possessing sentience, and thus they are vulnerable to the disturbances around them. This made it nigh impossible for them to focus all of their attention to the task they had at hand. However, the Crimson Heart realm allowed one to toss aside their misceneous thoughts to focus their efforts on cultivating. In such a state, ones cultivation would be several times more effective than usual! It could be said that upon reaching the realm, Wang Yings cultivation would only grow faster and faster, and she would eventually far surpass Zheng Yang and the others. Even though thisss is reticent, it seems like she possesses great determination... Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. Wang Yings talent was not on par with Zhao Ya, her resilience was not on par with Lu Chong, her flexibility was not on par with Zheng Yang, her cunningness was not on par with Yuan Tao, and her worldliness was not on par with Liu Yang... But even so, she still managed to stand her own ground and shine among them. And now, she had evenprehended the Crimson Heart realm! It seemed like meticulousness andposure were the strongest factors influencing the advancement of ones cultivation! "Given her rate of cultivation, it wont be long before she requires a Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique. However, I dont have one at the moment..." Since Wang Ying was already past the crucial period, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to stand guard anymore. While he was heartened by Wang Yings breakthrough, another new problem cropped up, and he pinched his be. While Zhang Xuan had reached Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, he had only managed to do so due to the assistance of the white-robeddy and the means of a soul oracle. He still didnt have a Consonant Spirit realm Heavens Path Divine Art manual in the Library of Heavens Path yet. He had to quickly search for it, or else Wang Ying might find her cultivation stagnating very soon. Thus, after leaving the secret chamber, he immediately headed toward Hong shis room. Upon finding the other party, Zhang Xuan asked, "Hong shi, do you know where I can find Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals?" "Cultivation technique manuals? I can find a few for you, but... how many do you need?" Hong shi was slightly startled by Hong shis request. "The more the better," Zhang Xuan replied. "Give me a moment, Ill take a look..." Saying so, Hong shi walked out of the room. Not too longter, he returned with several dozen books. "I was able to find forty Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique manuals, but I could only find three for Cosmos Bridge realm!" Not knowing what the other party intended to use the secret manuals for, Hong shi tried to gather as many books as he could. The fifty geniuses from Huanyu Empire were all Consonant Spirit realm cultivators. Thus, it wasnt too difficult to gather some cultivation technique manuals from them. However, gathering Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals would be tricky. Only Feng shi and Luo shi had some in their possession. "Forty..." Zhang Xuan brushed his fingers through them and shook his head. Forty books might already be an impressive collection to others, but to Zhang Xuan, it was far from sufficient from meeting his goal. Passing the books back to Hong shi, Zhang Xuan asked, "Where can I find more cultivation technique manuals? The quality doesnt matter, I am only interested in the quantity." "Then... how many books do you need?" Hong shi was stunned to hear that even forty books were less than sufficient. Even he would have to take several months before he could finish reading andprehending those books. Yet, Zhang shi actually said that it wasnt enough. How many did he need then? "At least a thousand!" Zhang Xuan replied. "A thousand?" Hong shi staggered and nearly fell to the ground. Even though all kinds of cultivation techniques appeared in the world after the establishment of the Master Teacher Pavilion as though flowers blooming with the onset of summer, finding a thousand different cultivation technique manuals was still an extremely difficult feat! After all, there wasnt a single cultivation technique that came to the world just because one willed it to. Each of these cultivation techniques contained the crystallization of an expertsprehension of the cultivation realm and their relentless effort to refine it. "Thats right. Do you know where I can find them?" asked Zhang Xuan, oblivious to the shock going through the other partys mind. "This..." Seeing that the other party didnt seem to be joking, Hong shi rubbed his be and said, "The Master Teacher Academy will surely have plenty of books there. I think you will be able to easily find tens of thousands of the books you want there..." The Master Teacher Academy was a ce which gathered the talented master teachers all over the world. Over many millennia of heritage, many cultivation techniques and secret arts had been left behind by generations of geniuses, thus forming an impressive collection. However, as Zhang Xuan had yet to be an official student of the academy, not to mention that he didnt have any academic credits either, he would be unable to ess the books there. "Right!" Suddenly, a thought came to Hong shi, and his eyes lit up. "There will be a bazaar for the freshmen over the next few days, and there will surely be some who are selling cultivation technique manuals too. You can go over to take a look. Given how many freshmen there are in the Academic Sea, it shouldnt be a problem for you to find a thousand books!" "Bazaar?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Un! The freshmen from the various empires have brought along the local specialties from their own empires, as well as their own unique cultivation techniques. By conducting this bazaar, the freshmen will be able to get acquainted with another, trade resources, and share their own views and experiences on cultivation. This way, everyone will be able to raise their fighting prowess to some extent, thus increasing the overall chances of clearing the entrance examination!" Hong shi said. "Alright. Where is this bazaar conducted? Ill go and take a look!" Upon hearing that there was such a gathering, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "It is conducted on the center ship in the middle of the Academic Sea!" Hong shi pointed. At the center of the Academic Sea was a giganticke. Zhang Xuan had thought that it was just for scenery purposes, but who knew that the bazaar would actually be conducted there? Zhang Xuan left the residence and walked toward theke. It didnt take him too long to arrive at his destination. Even though spring had already set in, the frigidity of winter had yet to dispel entirely. The slight breeze sweeping across the surface of theke carried bone-chilling intent with it. Gazing toward the center of theke, Zhang Xuan saw a gigantic vessel floating at a distance of several thousand meters away. A bustling crowd was gathered on it. "There are small boats over there to row participants of the bazaar over..." The vessel floated in the middle of theke, and there was no path leading to it. After scanning the surroundings, Hong shi noticed a small rowing boat not too far away, and the duo immediately walked over. Hong shi walked up and asked, "How much does it cost to get to the Great Bazaar?" The elderly rower raised his droopy eyes and replied, "A middle-tier spirit stone!" "A middle-tier spirit stone? This is daylight robbery!" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. Even a low-tier spirit stone felt extravagant for a journey this short, and yet, this old man wanted a middle-tier spirit stone. Wasnt he taking advantage of their situation! "Daylight robbery? If you find it expensive, you can traverse across theke yourself! But let me warn you, there are plenty of Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and 8-dan spirit beasts in the Academic Lake, so do try not to get eaten!" Seemingly used to this scene, the old man shrugged off Zhang Xuans words with a smirk. Since there werend-bound and aerial spirit beasts, naturally there were aquatic spirit beasts as well. In fact, they were even more numerous thannd-bound spirit beasts. Considering the size of theke, it shouldnte as a surprise that there were plenty of powerful spirit beasts in it. Having reached Consonant Spirit realm, even though one was still unable of flight, stepping across a body of water wouldnt pose a problem. Just that... if there were spirit beasts in the water, one would have to think twice before doing so. Who knew if an aquatic spirit beast would be waiting with widened jaws under the next step one took? On the other hand, the boat seemed to be imbued with some kind of formation that deterred the aquatic spirit beasts. "This..." Hong shi hesitated. Just as he was still considering whether to take the ride or not, a middle-tier spirit stone was thrown into the hands of the old man, and with a blur, two silhouettesnded on the boat. "Set off!" Taking a closer look at the two figures who had just appeared on the boat, they were the young man and Senior Feng, whom Zhang Xuan defeated with just a single finger before. Upon receiving the middle-tier spirit stone, the elder grabbed his oars and dipped them into theke. Slowly, the boat began to advance toward the vessel at the center of theke. The young man nced at Zhang Xuan derisively and said, "Why bother going to the bazaar when you cant even fork out a single middle-tier spirit stone..." Even though Senior Feng didnt say anything, contempt could be seen in his eyes as well. Zhang shi had defeated him with a single finger before a huge crowd. While the other party had gone easy on him, it was still inevitable that he felt humiliated by the matter. As such, he still felt some degree of hostility to the other party. Therefore, he couldnt help but feel a little gleeful when he saw that the great Zhang shi was unable to fork out even a single middle-tier spirit stone. But at that moment, the two men standing by the shore abruptly leaped into the sky. Hu! Theynded on the back of a giant Great Violetwing Beast. The massive spirit beast pped its violet wings, creating a powerful gale that created huge waves on the surface of the water. Even the boat also began to rock violently before the powerful gale. In the blink of an eye, the Great Violetwing Beast was already halfway through the journey to the vessel in the middle of theke. Chapter 702: Exchange! Chapter 702: Exchange! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "A Half Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast?" Senior Feng and the young man were stunned, and their eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. As Transcendent Mortal 5-dan cultivators, even if they were to own an aerial spirit beast, it would only be at Cosmos Bridge realm at most. Considering the limited height they could fly at due to the ceiling above them, chances were that they could be struck down by a sudden assault from the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan or 8-dan spirit beasts in theke. On the other hand, the Great Violetwing Beast was different. Standing at Half 9-dan, any spirit beasts which dared to challenge it would be ughtered in an instant. And as expected, just as this thought was lingering in their mind, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan fish abruptly leaped from the surface of the water with a gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth, wanting to swallow Zhang Xuan and Hong shi whole. But before it could even reach them, a swift strike from a talon crushed it to death. The Great Violetwing Beast dug out its inner core adeptly before throwing the carcass back into theke. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Senior Fengs voice uttered with a hoarse voice, "How can he have such a powerful tamed beast?" Wasnt he a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator just like them? To actually have tamed a half 9-dan spirit beast to be his tamed beast... How in the world did he manage to do it? He thought that the other party was just a miser who wasnt even willing to spend a single middle-tier spirit stone on a boat ride, and he had felt gleeful and a sense of superiority at having sessfully stole the other partys ride. However, upon seeing this sight, he suddenly realized... howughable his actions were! With such a formidable spirit beast, one wouldnt even spare a second nce at this shabby boat... Putting aside paying for the ride, they wouldnt be willing even if they were to be paid for the ride! "Senior Feng... why did they suddenly stop in the middle of theke?" Amidst his shock, the perplexed voice from the young man beside him suddenly sounded. Lifting his gaze, he saw the Great Violetwing Beast pausing in midair, not in a hurry to head to the bazaar at all. Didnt he ride on his aerial spirit beast so that he could arrive at the bazaar faster? Why would he be stopping in the middle of theke then? While he was still bewildered by the issue, the Great Violetwing Beast suddenly pped its wings once more and glided down to the surface of the water. Its talons reached deep into the water and mped down on something. Hu! Another Transcendent Mortal 8-dan aquatic spirit beast resembling a prawn was crushed to death by its talons, and its inner core was swiftly retrieved from its body. After this, the Great Violetwing Beast returned to the air. A momentter, it swooped down to another part of theke once more... "They are... hunting?" The duo along with the rower nced at one another in astonishment. To others, thiske was no different from a dangerousndmine. They would never traverse through it without sufficient preparation. Yet, that fellow actually regarded this ce as a treasure trove and began fishing for prey... "How can the Great Violetwing Beast capture the spirit beasts in the water?" What came along with their astonishment was disbelief. The Great Violetwing Beast was indeed formidable, there was little to argue about that, but no matter how strong it was, its field of expertisey in the air. The aquatic spirit beasts should have been able to avoid it easily in their own home ground even if they were no match for it... so how could the Great Violetwing Beast hunt them down so urately? It was as if it could predict where the aquatic spirit beasts would swim to. Every strike it made was bound to end in a kill... But how was this possible? "Indeed... More importantly, no matter how powerful the Great Violetwing Beast is, it shouldnt be that easy for it to kill a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast either..." Even if a half 9-dan was stronger than an 8-dan, the gap wasnt so huge as for the Great Violetwing Beast to kill them in a single strike. This was particrly so for spirit beasts, which possessed superior defense to human cultivators. But... the Great Violetwing Beast seemed to be able to discern the weaknesses of the spirit beasts in the water urately and strike them down precisely... This was way too formidable... While those on the boat werepletely dumbstruck by the sight before them, Zhang Xuan was currently staring at the inner cores with his hand with a satisfied smile. To trade at the bazaar, he would require some capital, but he didnt have a penny to his name at the moment. Since there were so many spirit beasts that were rushing forward to fill his pockets, it was only right for him to ept their offerings gratuitously. The inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast could serve as a medicinal herb, the foundation of a formation, or even beplemented with ones cultivation technique to enhance ones cultivation. As such, it was an invaluable cultivation resource that could easily fetch a hefty price. As for how the Great Violetwing Beast managed to grasp the aquatic spirit beast urately, as long as the aquatic spirit beasts attempted tounch an attack, it wasnt too difficult to discern their ws and track down their locations through the Library of Heavens Path. Just like that, in less than an hour, they had managed to kill 19 Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beasts and 25 Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beasts, and a bucket of inner cores was gleaming in Zhang Xuans storage ring. "There dont seem to be too many Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beasts left in theke. Lets head to the bazaar." Eventually, the group circled theke for a few rounds but were unable to find any prey. Thus, they could only end the hunt regretfully. While there were many aquatic spirit beasts in theke, those that had reached Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and 8-dan were still in the minority. Besides, considering the huge massacre that had just happened, those remaining would surely beying low so as to avoid the Great Violetwing Beast now. Knowing that there was little point continuing on with the hunt, Zhang Xuan issued some instructions to the Great Violetwing Beast, and thetter pped its massive wings and flew toward the vessel in theke. Not too longter, Zhang Xuan and Hong shinded on the vessel. The vessel was extremely big, possessing a diameter of several hundred meters. A huge, bustling crowd traversed to and fro the innumerable stallsid out throughout the vessel. There were all kinds of resources avable here, and customers could be seen haggling with the vendors everywhere. "Those two are the ones who were hunting in theke using the Great Violetwing Beast!" "To regard the fearedke as his personal hunting ground... is that fellow really a freshman?" "If he isnt a freshman, how could he possibly get in here?" "Considering their wless coordination, the Great Violetwing Beast is definitely his tamed beast. But that is exactly what that is confounding! Even though ones elders could assist with the taming process as well, it would still require both the beast tamer and tamed beast to interact with one another from young to achieve this level of intimacy... However, the Great Violetwing Beast is already beyond two hundred whereas that fellow has barely reached his twenties. This means that it is highly likely that he tamed the Great Violetwing Beast personally..." "For a person who has yet to reach Transcendent Mortal 6-dan to actually tame a half 9-dan spirit beast... When did beast taming be so easy?" ... News of the Great Violetwing Beast hunting in theke had spread like wildfire across the bazaar. Thus, upon seeing Zhang Xuan and Hong shi, the crowd couldnt help but assess them in bewilderment. Those who came to the bazaar were the most talented of master teachers from the various regions, and they possessed keen eyes. As such, they could tell that the Great Violetwing Beast was Zhang Xuans tamed beast. But... for a Consonant Spiritd to tame a half 9-dan spirit beast, this was contrary tomon sense in itself! They were unable to make sense of the situation despite wracking their brains frenziedly. There was simply too huge of a gap between them, and they found it too difficult to ept it. This was as if an ant had tamed a divine dragon. It was simply inconceivable! After a moment of chatter, an exnation suddenly emerged. "Most probably, the Great Violetwing Beast might have gotten injured, and he managed to win the other partys goodwill by saving it..." "Thats possible!" It wasnt entirely impossible for a weaker beast tamer to tame a stronger spirit beast, but luck yed a vital role in such situations. "Humph! So he has just lucked out!" Upon realizing this, their astonishment slowly vanished. In the end, luck was nothing more than an external and uncontroble factor. The winds of fortune couldnt possibly blow ones way all the time. In the end, one would still have to rely on ones own capability in the academy. "Zhang shi, what should we do..." Not expecting to stir up such a hugemotion, Hong shi couldnt help but feel a little nervous with so many eyes centered on them. "Dont worry!" With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out an inner core. Sweeping his gaze through the crowd, he shouted, "I am trading this Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast inner core for a suitable Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique. As long as it is suitable, Ill exchange it for the book!" "A book for an inner core? Zhang shi..." Hong shis body swayed weakly from side to side, and he nearly fainted. Wasnt this way too cheap? They had only obtained a few dozen inner cores from the hunting earlier on, and if they were to exchange a single inner core for one book... putting aside how they would make a huge loss, they would only be able to gather a few of books like that! "Are you serious?" "As long as it is a Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique manual, you are willing to exchange the inner core for it?" Hearing those words, the eyes of the crowd immediately lit up even though they were still a little skeptical about the situation. Ever since the establishment of the Master Teacher Pavilion, many cultivation techniques had surfaced in the world. Throughout the years, there had been many noble experts and master teachers who had contributed their own cultivation techniques to the public for the advancement of humanity. While these manuals werent essible to everyone, it wasnt too difficult for them, as master teachers, to ess these books In fact, many of the master teachers had studied these cultivation techniques and extracted their strengths to create their own unique skills. Thus, even though these cultivation techniques might be valuable to the popce, they didnt mean much to master teachers. It was definitely in their favor if they could trade a single cultivation technique manual for a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan inner core. "I vow on my honor as a master teacher that I mean my words. As for Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals, I am willing to trade for them with a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner core!" Zhang Xuan replied. "However, the prerequisite is that it has to be suitable for me. If it is not suitable, I wont make the trade. However, you need not worry. I can tell whether the manual suitable for me just by touching it, and I definitely will not open the book if it is not suited for me. Thus, you need not worry about exposing your cultivation techniques for free. In fact, even if it is suitable, I will return the manual right after flipping through it. I wont need the original copy, and I wont make any copies either!" "If it is unsuitable, you will not open the book to look at it?" "Even if it is suitable, you wont take the manual? You will give away a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan or 8-dan inner core just to flip through it?" "This is truly a wonderful deal!" ... Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, everyones eyes immediately gleamed in agitation. Initially, there were many who were hesitant because they were fearful of exposing their cultivation techniques to the world. However, the promises that Zhang Xuan made had alleviated their fears. "I have a total of 22 Consonant Spirit realm cultivation techniques over here. You can take a look to see if theres anything suited in there!" At that moment, a master teacher suddenly walked up, flicked his wrist, and passed a pile of books over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan brushed his finger over the books before eventually shaking his head. "My apologies, but none of your books are suited for me..." "None of them are suited?" Hearing those words, the master teacher couldnt help but feel a little disappointed. Shaking his head, he retreated back into the crowd. After that person retreated, the crowd became even more agitated. The other party wasnt lying! He had only touched the books, he didnt attempt to flip them open at all. Surely there was no one so formidable as to determine the content of a book just by touching its exterior, right? Since their cultivation techniques wouldnt be exposed to the public... what else was there for them to worry about? "Allow me..." The allure of the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and 8-dan inner cores was simply irresistible. The crowd hurriedly whipped out their secret manuals and rushed forward. Soon, a mountain of cultivation technique manuals was stacked before Zhang Xuan. However, after brushing his finger across them... it turned out that only two of the entire stack were suitable... Of course, Zhang Xuan had picked these two books out randomly to pass. Otherwise, if he were to refuse all trades, it wouldnt take too long for the crowd to lose their interest, and he wouldnt be able to continue his business. Two hourster, Zhang Xuan stopped his business and dered, "My apologies, but Ill be stopping here today. Why dont you all return to search for whatever cultivation technique manuals you have? From tomorrow onward, Ill trade any Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique for two Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner cores!" He had gathered quite a few Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique manuals in the Library of Heavens Path, but the number of Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals was still terribly limited. Thus, he could only up his stakes to see if he could attract more people. Chapter 703: The Complete Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps Chapter 703: The Complete Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Trading a cultivation technique manual for two Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner cores?" "If we really make that trade, we will be rich!" "Indeed! Furthermore, he is only taking a look. Ill copy some of my sects Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals tonight and bring them over tomorrow!" "Ill go as well!" ... After hearing Zhang Xuans promise, everyones eyes immediately lit up with zeal. Some of the more excited ones even approached the two fortunate winners to study the type of cultivation techniques that Zhang shi had chosen. "Lets go!" Ignoring the excited crowd, Zhang Xuan nced at Hong shi, and the both of them leaped up onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast once more and flew back to their residence. Seeing how Zhang Xuan departed on a mighty beast whereas they could only humbly return on a boat, they couldnt help but feel a little envious inside. There was indeed a huge difference between people! On the other hand, Senior Feng and the young man were on the verge of tears. They hade to the bazaar in hopes of selling some of their possession. However, everyones attention ended up being attracted by Zhang shi, resulting in no one sparing even a nce at the items they hadid out. They felt so frustrated that they could spurt blood. But there was nothing they could do. After Zhang Xuan and Hong shi left, they gloomily returned back to their residence as well and shut themselves in, not daring to head out anymore. The heck! They had suffered so many traumas in just the past few hours... If this were to continue, they might just end up banging their heads on a pir to end it once and for all... ... Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuanpiled the Consonant Spirit realms Heavens Path Divine Art and cultivated it. With this, his zhenqi became even purer and more stable. After which, he organized the cultivation techniques so as to prepare a suitable simplified version to impart to his students. Just as Zhang Xuan was done, Wang Ying also finally woke up from her breakthrough. With a clear demarcation between the rity and the turbidity in her body now, she was overflowing with strength. Seeing that Wang Ying was taking the lead yet again, Zheng Yang and Liu Yang immediately dove back into their cultivation, anxious to catch up with her. Their teacher had a total of six direct disciples. Of the six, Zhao Ya had gone to the cier in Court whereas Lu Chong was currently seeking out the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles. Now, even Yuan Tao was heading to the powerful Yuan n to inherit its heritage. If they didnt work hard now, they would end upgging far behind the others! Understanding the emotions they felt, Zhang Xuan patiently pointed out their ws and how they could further improve. By the time he was done, it was alreadyte at night. After a good nights rest, Zhang Xuan headed back to the bazaar the next day. There was already a huge crowd by the time he arrived, and they had collected an ample amount of Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation techniques to trade with him. Just like yesterday, Zhang Xuan randomly picked out a book and gave away two Transcendent Mortal 8-dan inner cores while rejecting the rest. Of course, he didnt forget to collect all of those books in his Library of Heavens Path either. In less than two days, he had already collected around seven hundred books. Even though it was still insufficient to form aplete Heavens Path Divine Art, he wasnt too far from it. After busying himself for the entire day, he left behind another promise to exchange the cultivation technique manual for three Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner cores before departing, thus hyping up the crowd once more. But even though the reward Zhang Xuan had offered was alluring, the amount of Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals offered to him was decreasing swiftly. As most of the freshmen were still at the Consonant Spirit realm, they didnt have too many Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals on them. Not to mention, most of those at the bazaar hade from Tier-2 Empires, where Cosmos Bridge realm experts and cultivation technique manuals were rtively rare. Thus, in the third day, Zhang Xuan only managed to gather two hundred books. Nevertheless, with around nine hundred books at the moment, he wasnt too far away from his goal of one thousand. In truth, one thousand was a just rough estimation. If the cultivation technique manuals he gathered were sufficiently advanced to cover all of the ws present, he could stillpile the Heavens Path Divine Art regardless of whether he had a thousand books or not. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to give it a try, he suddenly heard an expectant voice. "I dont have any cultivation technique manual, but I do have a battle technique manual... Can you take a look to see if itll do or not?" Raising his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw a young man looking at him expectantly. "I am truly in need of a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner core, so I would be grateful to you if you can make this exception..." "Battle technique?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "What kind of battle technique is it? Allow me take a look!" "Alright!" The young man flicked his wrist, and an ancient bamboo scroll appeared in his hands. "This is a movement technique, but it is... iplete..." the young man said embarrassedly. He had received this ancient bamboo scroll coincidentally while he was undergoing a training session in the past. Initially, hed thought that he had stumbled upon an invaluable treasure, but he swiftly realized that a huge chunk of the movement technique recorded in the scroll had been torn away or was illegible due to substantial damage, thus making it impossible to cultivate the technique. Since he urgently required a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner core to concoct a medicine at the moment, he decided to take it out in hopes that he might be able to interest the other party in the trade. "A movement technique?" Hearing that it was an iplete battle technique, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before reaching his fingers out toward it. Weng! An equivalent ancient bamboo scroll immediately appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. After looking through the contents swiftly, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. This battle technique recorded was extremely high tiered, making it an invaluable battle technique. However, just as the other party had said, the battle technique was terribly iplete. Not even the Library of Heavens Path was able to fill up the holes to restore it, thus making it impossible to learn. In other words... it was a useless scroll! You want to trade a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner core with this? Surely you must be dreaming! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was just about to turn down the other partys offer when a thought came to mind. It seems that this Cloud Treading Movement Technique bears quite some resemnce to the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. I wonder if I canpile the both of them together... The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps was a secret manual that he had obtained coincidentally from an elder in the Appraiser Hall back then. Afterpiling it with numerous movement technique manuals, he had gained the ability of flight despite not having reached Saint realm yet. However, there was a huge w in the techniqueit consumed way too much zhenqi. If not for Zhang Xuans incredibly pure Heavens Path zhenqi, he might not have been able to evenst for a short moment in the sky. All along, Zhang Xuan had been trying to find a suitable battle technique toplement the final three ws of the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, but the manuals he had ess to were simply far too low tiered. Maybe... this iplete manual just might be the key to it! The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more convinced he became. Thus, he summoned the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps manual over as well. Compile! With a silent mutter, light burst into the surroundings, and a new book appearedthe enhanced version of Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. "There are no more ws?" After checking the content, Zhang Xuans eyes glowed in agitation. Afterpiling the iplete Cloud Treading Movement Technique along with the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, the three remaining ws of thetter technique had finally vanished! With the enhanced Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, he would be able to remain afloat for several hours without worrying about falling down! In other words, his flight ability was alreadyparable to a Saints. At the very least, he would be able to avoid the awkward situation of abruptly plummeting from the sky like many times before. This is wonderful! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists in tion. This was a huge trump card. It would allow him to easily escape from anyone who hadnt reached Saint realm. It seems that even the iplete manuals that others dont need can be useful to me as well. I can use them toplement the ws of mypiled techniques. I should try to collect such items in the future too, Zhang Xuan thought excitedly. These ancient manuals were iplete, making it unfeasible to cultivate them. However, through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could extract the correct verses from these manuals toplement the missing gaps in his techniques, thus perfecting them. "As fellow master teachers, it is only right for us to help one another. Your book might be useless to me, but since you urgently require a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner core, I will give one to you!" In a good mood, Zhang Xuan ced the ancient bamboo scroll in his storage ring and passed a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner core over in exchange. Just the fact that this ancient bamboo scroll could make up the ws of the Parallel Heaven Scroll of the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps meant that it was well worth an inner core! "Thank you..." In truth, the young man didnt harbor great expectation in this matter, and he was just trying his luck. After all, he knew that the ancient bamboo scroll was iplete and useless. Thus, upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, his face immediately flushed agitatedly. "Iplete manuals work as well? I have two of them here..." "I have an iplete cultivation technique manual here..." ... Seeing that Zhang shi was epting even iplete scrolls at a hefty price, a wave of enthusiasm washed through the crowd once more. With many years of heritage, every single power possessed numerous iplete cultivation technique and battle technique manuals. As these items were of no use to normal cultivators, they were often left untouched. To think that this fellow would actually trade inner cores for them... wasnt he a little too dumb? In an instant, a mountain of iplete manuals was stacked up before Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan swiftly brushed his fingers through them, and a momentter, he shook his head. While iplete scrolls could indeedplement the missing gaps in the Heavens Path Divine Art, it had to have some substance to it first. If the manual only contained superficial content, then it would be useless no matter how many of such manuals he collected. A momentter, after gathering a few more cultivation technique manuals, Zhang Xuan realized that he wasnt much progress, so he decided to call it a day. Heading toward a private chamber prepared in the residence, he instructed for others not to interrupt him before going into seclusion. I wonder if I can form the Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art... Zhang Xuan thought as he sat down in the chamber. He had gathered nearly a thousand Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals already, and he had obtained quite a few iplete manuals on top of that. Perhaps, he might be able to form aplete Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. Thus, diving into the Library of Heavens Path, he muttered "Compile!", and a momentter, a book was floating in front of him. "The Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art... is wless!" Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan burst outughing from joy. Hed thought that he would have to spend some time earning academic credits in the academy before he couldpile aplete version of the Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art, but the bazaar allowed him to aplish this in advance. With this, he would be able to sessfully cultivate to Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator and boost his fighting prowess significantly! I should cultivate the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps first! Putting the Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art aside for the moment, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the wless Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. Having cultivated this technique once, it wasnt too difficult for him to master theplete version. As Zhang Xuan circted his zhenqi through his meridians, he felt his body grow significantly lighter and freer. Boom! After a period of time, as if a shackle tying down his body previously had been sted open, Zhang Xuan felt his body bing as light as a feather. Hu! The cross-legged Zhang Xuan slowly floated in the air, and he began drifting all around the room. "As expected of the wless Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. The zhenqi consumption is indeed much lower than before..." Sensing the zhenqi consumption from the utilization of the technique, Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in excitement. In the past, zhenqi would gush out of Zhang Xuans body as if a burst dam as soon as he utilized this technique. Despite possessing the incredibly pure Heavens Path zhenqi, the zhenqi consumption from the execution of this technique was still extremely frightening to him. But at this moment, Zhang Xuans zhenqi was flowing slowly as though a small stream by a vige. At the current rate of consumption, he could easily maintain his flight for several hours. Not only so, the speed of his flight had increased considerably as well. Even though he was still far from a match for the Great Violetwing Beast, he had the confidence to catch up to Transcendent Mortal 6-dan aerial spirit beasts. And more importantly, the flight speed would continue to increase along with the rise in his cultivation! Just as Zhang Xuan was slowly returning to the ground to rest, an idea abruptly surfaced in his mind. I wonder if I can fuse the Heavens Path Movement Art together with the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps... Since both the Heavens Path Movement Art and Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps were both movement techniques, could they be fused together? And if they could, what would be the result of it? Curious, Zhang Xuan decided to give it a try! Immersing his concentration in the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan ced the two books side by side. "Compile!" A new book appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. "This..." Taking a look at the contents, Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. Chapter 704: The Start of the Entrance Examination Chapter 704: The Start of the Entrance Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 However, the content of the book waspletely nonsensical. Each line didnt follow from the previous line, making it impossible toprehend at all. Just the sight of it left Zhang Xuans eyes spinning. "It seems like... I am underestimating the difficulty of this matter..." Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and tossed it to the ground. These two books were perfect on their own, and while it was possible tobine the books together, it only ended up introducing many ws into the technique, making it impossible to cultivate at all. To make an analogy, it was like mashing abalone, durian, loquat, watermelon, milk, chicken, salmon, and many other ingredients together... They were delicacies on their own, but when mixed together, the only logical decision one could make was to toss the entire pot away. It seems that while the Library of Heavens Path canpile battle techniques to form a perfected manual, it is incapable of fusing perfected manuals together... Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. A momentter, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind, and determination surfaced in his gaze. But while the Library of Heavens Path isnt able to fuse the two manuals together, it should be possible for me to attempt it manually. The Library of Heavens Path could sieve out the correct portion of a manual andbine them with many others to form a perfect manual, simr to how a cook sieves a bucket of flour to whip up the best noodles. Putting two perfected manuals together would be no different from mixing two different types of flour together. Given the differing nature of the flours, if one didnt have anything to bridge the differences, it was inevitable that the quality of the noodles would drop. It was the same in the case of Heavens Path Movement Art and Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. One was a flight movement technique whereas the other one was and movement technique. With a fundamental difference between them, the result of theption of the two was bound to be gued with problems. But... while the Library of Heavens Path was incapable of bridging the difference, it didnt mean that Zhang Xuan was unable to do so! Despite the differences, they were still movement techniques. If Zhang Xuan were to seed inpiling the two together, he would be able to enhance his flight speed significantly. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. I should give try executing the Heavens Path Movement Art in midair... A surge of hot blood gushed to Zhang Xuans head, and without any hesitation, he took in a deep breath and leaped to the sky. While floating in the sky, he attempted to execute the Heavens Path Movement Art to advance forward. Putong! But before he could execute the Heavens Path Movement Art, the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step which was holding him up in midair suddenly stopped operating, and his body suddenly plummeted down. With a dull thud, he crashed back onto to earth, creating a huge depression in the ground upon impact. This isnt right... With a face cloaked with dust, Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. Hed thought that this should be a simple feat, but reality couldnt be any further from his expectations. Given the might of his soul, multitasking wasnt a problem for him anymore. However, both techniques required ones zhenqi to pass through the same meridians, and attempting to execute both simultaneously would result in a sh of zhenqi, thus canceling one another out. And the result? A tragic fall from the sky. It seemed like fusing battle techniques together was not as easy as hed thought. But thinking about it, if it was that easy to fuse battle techniques together, there wouldnt be a need for such thorough ssifications within every ss of battle technique. Or maybe I should try executing the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps in the midst of Heavens Path Movement Art instead... Zhang Xuan didnt give up right after that failure. Instead, he contemted for a moment before trying it once more. Previously, he had executed the Heavens Path Movement Art in the midst of his Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. Perhaps, if he were to swap the order... he might be able to seed. While Zhang Xuan was busy trying to put both his battle techniques together, outside the room, Sun Qiang walked up to Zheng Yang, who was in the midst of practicing his spear art, and asked, "Where is the young master?" "Teacher is currently in the midst of cultivating in seclusion, and he doesnt want anyone to interrupt him!" Retracting spear, Zheng Yang exhaled deeply, and a breath of white air drifted from his mouth. In this period of time, while he had been trying to advance his cultivation, he hadnt cked off on his battle technique training either. Under Zhang shis guidance, hisprehension of spearmanship had deepened significantly, and the might of his spear art had also be much more formidable. In terms of cultivation, he might not be a match for Wang Ying. However, in a true fight, he would surely be able to stand his ground against thetter. "Seclusion?" Sun Qiang scratched his head. "Alright. If Young Masteres out of seclusion, tell him that I have already found appropriate living quarters, and we can move in anytime!" "You have already found new living quarters?" Retracting his spear, Zheng Yangs eyes lit up. The Academic Sea was filled with master teachers, and even though Hong shi and the others hadnt said anything, they didnt feelfortable living here. "Yes, but its not easy to find avable residences in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Academy. I have found one with a small courtyard and a few rooms for the time being... Im afraid that itll be hard to find anything bigger than that. Even if we manage to find one, it is likely to cost an astronomical sum!" Sun Qiang said. Countless young experts had gathered here to enroll in the Master Teacher Academy, and a significant proportion of them came from a wealthy background. Naturally, they would also attempt to find a lodging in the vicinity of the academy as well. As a result, most of the residences in the area had been bought by them. As such, it was impossible to buy any even if they had the money. And even if that one happened to be free by chance, the prices would be driven to an astronomical sum by the great demand, thus making it impossible for them to acquire it. After all... they were indeed rather poor at the moment. "Its sufficient that we find a living quarter for the time being..." Zheng Yang nodded. "However, this isnt feasible in the long-term. We might be fine with living in such humble quarters, but what if the old master were toe and visit? How can we allow a noble 8-star master teacher live in such a small residence?" Sun Qiang shook his head. "I think it will be better if I discuss with the young master to decide on what we should do about this matter..." Sighing, Sun Qiang was just about to speak when a loud crashing sound echoed from the room ahead of them. It seemed like something had fallen heavily to the ground. "Didnt you say that the young master is currently cultivating in seclusion? What is that sound then?" Taken aback, Sun Qiang was just about to push the door open to find out what was going on when another dull thud sounded. The wall before them shook, and a head popped out from the wall. "Teacher!" "Young Master..." Upon recognizing the face on said head, the duo was taken aback. However, before they couldprehend what was going on, sou!, the figure disappeared from their sight. Their respected young master and teacher suddenly flew backward abruptly and crashed into the opposite wall, creating a huge hole. Peng peng peng peng! Zhang Xuan went crashing all around like a rubber ball. Under the massive impact of his rapid movements, the fortified room suddenly copsed inward. Upon seeing this sight, Sun Qiang and Zheng Yang nced at one another, and their lips twitched violently. Didnt you say that you were cultivating? Then what are you doing crashing into those walls? What kind of cultivation requires you to knock yourself into a wall? Look at your face, it is already immensely swollen... Hu! Just as they were staring at the sight before them with their mouths agape, Zhang Xuan suddenly shot out from the room and crashed into a huge tree in the courtyard head first, leaving his legs twitching uncontrobly outside. "Teacher..." Finally recovering from the shock, Zheng Yang hurried over to pull Zhang Xuan out from the tree, only to see thetters face livid with frustration. "Teacher..." "Young Master, we are just poor! Theres no need to lose hope in life over a money issue..." Sun Qiang also ran up to talk some sense into Zhang Xuan out of goodwill. "Cough cough!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face darkened further. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Ill be going out for a moment! Sun Qiang, go and look for Hong shi to pay for the damaged properties..." Ignoring the bewildered duo, Zhang Xuan leaped into the sky, and the Great Violetwing Beast immediately flew over. Soaring through the night sky, they headed to the city walls. Given the size of his room in the Academic Sea, if he were to continue training there, the entire ce could possibly be destroyed before he could sessfully put the two techniques together. Thus, he decided to venture out to find arger area where he could train. Not too longter, they arrived at a hill some distance away from Hongyuan City. A bright moon hung in the sky, and a night breeze blew lightly. Birds and insects warbled harmoniously in the surroundings, creating a tranquil atmosphere. This is it! Crossing his legs, Zhang Xuan first recovered the zhenqi he had expended before turning his attention back topiling his movement techniques. Peng peng peng peng! Very quickly, a loud thud, reminiscent of someones head crashing into trees or boulders, apanied with pained moans, echoed throughout the entire hill. The incident would eventually grow to be a horror legend among the popce, as well as a tool for parents to warn children against venturing in the wilderness at night. ... The next day... "Is Zhang shi back yet?" Hong shi paced around the room nervously. When hed heard the room copse the previous night, hed immediately rushed over. However, hed only appeared in time to see Zhang shi disappearing in the horizon. Hed thought that thetter was only going out to cultivate for a moment, and he would be back very soon. Who could have known that he would be gone until now? Today was the day of the Master Teacher Academys entrance examination. If he were to miss it, he wouldnt be able to get into the academy! "The young master left yesterday, and he isnt back yet..." Sun Qiang shook his head in confusion as well. The young master had always been normal, so why did he suddenly go knocking his head on concrete yesterday as if suffering from a stroke? Not only that, to actually stay outte after that... it couldnt be that he had given up on living! Unable to stand it any longer, he turned to Zheng Yang and the others and asked, "Did any of you agitate Young Masterst night?" "We didnt..." Zheng Yang and the others shook their heads, baffled by the situation before them as well. "Teacher only told us that he was going to cultivate in seclusion. We know nothing else other than that!" Theyd also been astonished when theyd heard that their teacher had gone around bashing his head into walls and treesst night, and this had left them deeply worried as well. "What is going on..." If he hadnt been provoked by anyone, why would the young master suddenly disy such abnormal behavior? Sun Qiang fell into deep thought. Just as he was wondering where he should go looking for the young master, the person-in-question suddenly returned cloaked in dust. Judging from his appearance, it seemed like he had been rolling on the ground all night long instead of cultivating. If they didnt know better, they would probably have thrown him a few gold coins if they met him on the streets. "Young master, you..." Sun Qiang hurriedly rushed up in a ditz. "I am fine!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Turning to the elder standing behind him, he said, "Hong shi, lets go..." "You are going to participate in the examination... in such a state?" Seeing Zhang Xuans state, Hong shis lips twitched in shock. Other examinees would wash themselves thoroughly and don fresh clothes so as to leave a good impression with the invigting teachers and elders. Yet, with an appearance that seems to suggest that you went out begging for almsst night, and your crimson eyes, a result of extreme fatigue... Are you sure you are ready for the examination? "It matters not!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. He had spent the entire night experimenting, and his zhenqi had been fully depleted five times. He had also crashed so much that hed ended up a state of near deathst night, and the result... was still a failure. Putting two battle techniques together simply involved too many intricate details that made it impossible to refine swiftly. Nevertheless, even though Zhang Xuan had yet to seed, his control over the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps had grown significantly, allowing him to move at faster speeds. At the same time, hisprehension of battle techniques had also deepened from his trial and error, and this would serve him well in true battles. However, it was a pity that his obstinacy in figuring out how to put the two battle techniques togetherst night had deprived him of the opportunity to cultivate the newlypiled Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art. As a result, he was still at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. "Alright then, lets go..." Hearing Zhang Xuan say that he was fine, and understanding how important the examination was, Hong shi immediately brought Zhang Xuan onto the aerial spirit beast prepared by the academy, and the duo quickly flew for Hongyuan Mountain Ranges Leiyuan Peak. Leiyuan Peak was only around two hundred kilometers away from the Academic Sea, so it didnt take them too long to arrive at their destination. Nearly all of the freshmen had already arrived. From afar, the moving crowd resembled the waves of an ocean. It was truly an incredible sight. "There is a higher number of freshmen taking the entrance examination this year, with the number at around thirty thousand. However, the academy is only epting twenty thousand this year, so a third of the examinees will be eliminated!" Hong shi said with a suppressed voice. "Eliminating a third of the freshmen?" Zhang Xuans lips twitched. Considering that each of those present were the top elites of their respective regions, eliminating a third of them was truly fearsome. As expected of the Master Teacher Academy of a Tier 1 Empire! Chapter 705: Betting! Chapter 705: Betting! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The first time Zhang Xuan had seen so many master teachers was back when he was in Myriad Kingdom City. But even so, the number was only around a thousand or so. Yet, just the entrance examination of the Master Teacher Academy itself already involved thirty thousand 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star master teachers... Just the thought of it was scary in itself. But nevertheless, considering the circumstances surrounding Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, this was understandable. This was the only Master Teacher Academy in this region. It epted students that were not only from Hongyuan Empire but from other Tier 1 Empires as well. Taking into ount the dozen or so Tier 1 Empires and the countless sects and Master Teacher Pavilions they had in their region, it was natural that there were this many talented master teachers. It was no wonder Tianxuan Kingdom was known as ancient ruins. To not even have a single master teacher, it was indeed a backward location. Feng shi, Luo shi, and the others walked up to Zhang Xuan and said, "We dont have any alliances with anyone in the entrance examination, so our team will be depending on you, Zhang shi..." Even though theyd had several conflicts with Zhang Xuan in the past, considering they were from the same geographical region and the powerfulpetitors they would be facing in the entrance examination, they had decisively chosen to put aside their differences and unite together as one. This was the greatest hope they had in passing the entrance examination. "Dont worry!" Looking at the Huanyu Empire freshmen around him, Zhang Xuan nodded in assurance. There was a total of fifty master teachers from Huanyu Empire that would be taking the entrance examination. Putting aside the top three from each Vassal State, the others were mainly 4-star pinnacle master teachers possessing a cultivation of rifying Turbidity realm. With such cultivation, they were indeed considered mediocre within the group. Thus, for them to triumph over thepetitors and pass the examination as a whole was, honestly speaking, very difficult! This was precisely the reason they chose to ally with Tier 2 Jinhai Empire. Considering they were from a Tier 2 Empire as well, theyd thought that the strength of both teams would be roughly equal, so they should at least have been able to vie for an equal distribution at the very worst. Who knew that they would bepletely defeated by the other party, and nearly turned into meat shields? It was fortunate that Zhang shi arrived at that crucial period and saved them from that tragic fate. But while they did manage to prevent the worst from happening, the crux of the problem still existedtheirck of strength. It was already toote to do anything else, so they could only put all of their hope in Zhang shi, and pray that he would be able to lead the group sessfully through the entrance examination. "You have our gratitude!" Feng shi, Luo shi, and the others sped their fists gratefully. Thinking back on what theyd done to the other party, they felt extremely ashamed of themselves. Putting themselves into Zhang shis shoes, if someone had treated him the way they did back at Huanyu Capital, they would surely have exacted vengeance during the entrance examination and made things difficult for the examinees from the other Vassal States. However, Zhang shi harbored no such vindictive thoughts at all. In terms of magnanimity, they were truly nowhere near the other party. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Seeing the expressions on their faces, Zhang Xuan chuckled light-heartedly, indicating that the past was the past. At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from not too far away. "Is this the man who defeated you?" Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw a dark-skinned young man walking over with the defeated Senior Feng from Jinhai Empire following behind him. The one who spoke was the dark-skinned young man in front. He had a tall stature, and his arms and legs were unusually long. His gaze was sharp and cold, as if a dagger was hidden in the depths of his eyes. "Cosmos Bridge realm?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The other party didnt conceal his aura at all. The might of a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator lingered around him as if the searing heat of a sun, exerting an immense pressure on the group. At the Cosmos Bridge realm, a connection would be forged between ones consciousness and the world, granting one enhanced intimacy with nature. Even though a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator wasnt weak, it could hardlypare up to a Cosmos Bridge realm expert. But while the young man had reached the Cosmos Bridge realm, the emblem pinned on his chest only had 4 stars. Reaching the Cosmos Bridge realm was just one of several prerequisites to bing a 5-star master teacher. One had to have five 5-star supporting upations as well as a Soul Depth of 15.0. Often there were a couple of Grade 1 students who already possessed a cultivation realm beyond their current master teacher ranking, but due to their various other aspects being unable to catch up, they werent qualified to be promoted to the next rank. Clearly, the young man before him was such a case. Nevertheless, he would still be a fearsome adversary. To acquire such strength before thirty when he had yet to enter the Master Teacher Academy, he could be said to be ranked amongst the top even within the thirty thousand freshmen this year. "Yes!" Senior Feng nodded. "This..." Hearing the other partys confirmation, the young man frowned. He had been acquainted with Senior Feng for some time already, and knowing thetters strength, he thought that a person who could defeat thetter should be at least a formidable Cosmos Bridge realm expert, but... this? What the heck? Dirty as if he hadnt bathed for many days, exhausted to the point that his eyes were bloodshot, countless swelling marks on his face... The other party had clearly suffered a tragic beating not too long ago... More importantly, even though the other party was at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, he didnt feel exceptionally powerful either... With the other partys disposition and appearance, he wouldnt have spared the other party a second nce anywhere else. Was this really the man who smacked the confidence out of his good friend, leaving him in a slump? Fearing that the other party wouldnt believe his words, Senior Feng hurriedly exined, "Brother Yu, dont underestimate Zhang shi. He... possesses extraordinary capabilities. He was able to defeat me with just a single finger!" However, the more he spoke, the more uncertain he became. Looking at Zhang Xuans current state, he couldnt help but wonder if this was really the man who wounded him. Why did it seem as if he had lost to a poor beggar? "A single finger?" Brother Yu shook his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he asked, "You are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi? Since you defeated Feng Wu, may I challenge you to a match?" "A match?" Zhang Xuan was just about to turn the other party away by iming that he was busy when an idea suddenly struck him. With glowing eyes, he measured the other party from head to toe and asked, "What are you going to bet on the match?" It just so happened that he was a little short on cash at the moment. Even renting a residence was difficult for him with his current finances. If he could earn some pocket change from a duel to tide him over this period, that would be for the best. Sun Qiang hadnt had the time to clear away the artifacts he had obtained from the Mystical Treasure Hall beforeing here, and there werent any familiar faces in Hongyuan City that they could approach to fetch good prices for their items. As such, their funds were running extremely low at the moment. "Bet?" Brother Yu was surprised by Zhang Xuans words. "Thats right. What is the point of having a match if there is nothing on the line?" Zhang Xuan shrugged. He wasnt interested in wasting his effort for nothing. If there were no material gains to be earned from having a match, why should he waste his time? Brother Yus face darkened, and his eyebrows shot up in displeasure. "You... Do you know what I wantpete against you in?" No matter what, they were all master teachers, respectable members of the society. To ce a bet on a respectable contest between fellow peers was really a little too cheap! You are just a mere Consonant Spirit realm cultivator. It is one thing that you arent afraid of me, but you dont even know what we are contesting in, and yet there you are talking about bets... Are you just that certain that you will be able to win? How far can your arrogance go! Presumptious! His initial impression of this fellow already wasnt good, but at this moment, it had dropped to rock bottom. Ignoring the other partys disdain, Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. "As long as you can offer something that interests me, Im fine with anything you propose!" "Since youre that confident, Ill fulfill your wish then!" Harrumphing coldly, Brother Yu flicked his wrist, and a bunch of spirit stones appeared before him, "I have 1000 middle-tier spirit stones here. As long as you can defeat me, feel free to take them away!" "1000 middle-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan nced at the pile of gleaming spirit stones. "Thats right! You have never seen so many spirit stones in your life, right? But you need not worry, I dont expect you to repay me should you lose... All of you have to do is to apologize to me before all of the freshmen here for your disrespect," Brother Yu said with an air of superiority with his hands behind his back, emting the disposition of a transcendental expert. Considering how Huanyu Empire was below averagepared to the other Tier 2 Empires, as well as the other partys shabby looks and attitude, it was clear that the other party was a poor bloke. To people like this, a thousand middle-tier spirit stones was probably a huge fortune, the like of which they had never seen in their lives before. "Wait a moment..." Seeing how the other party droned on and on, Zhang Xuan raised a hand to stop him. "Dont you think a thousand middle-tier spirit stones is too troublesome? Why dont we just go with one?" "One? You call one middle-tier spirit stone a bet? Even the sry that I pay my subordinates is much more than that..." Hearing the other partys suggestion, Brother Yu sneered coldly. But at that moment, he suddenly felt Senior Feng nudging him and pointing to Zhang shis hand. Perplexed, he turned his gaze over, and his eyeballs nearly popped out from his eyes. There was a spirit stone in the other partys hand that was emanating a blinding radiance. "H-h-high-tier spirit stone?" Brother Yus lips trembled, and his body shook weakly. "Indeed, one high-tier spirit stone," Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "..." Brother Yus vision darkened, and he nearly keeled over. Even for someone as rich as him, he only possessed middle-tier spirit stones. High-tier spirit stones were objects that only Saints were qualified to trade. To actually use a high-tier spirit stone as a bet... Are you sure that you are a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator from Huanyu Empire? Given how shabby the other party looked, he thought that the other party would surely be a poor bloke. Who knew that he would suddenly whip out a high-tier spirit stone... What was with this huge contrast? "Why? You dont have any high-tier spirit stone? If you dont even have the capital to make a bet, why are you bothering me? Go and y by the side, I dont have the time to be ying with you..." Seeing the other partys frenzied expression, Zhang Xuan tutted in disdain. Why are you pretending to be wealthy when you dont even have a single high-tier spirit stone? Seeing the contempt on Zhang Xuans face, Brother Yu and Senior Fengs faces darkened. What the heck was this? They were here to humiliate the other party; how did they end up being the ones humiliated instead? This was especially so with the other partys expression. It was as if he was snubbing them for being poor... "Fine, lets bet on a high-tier spirit stone then!" Brother Yu flung his sleeves furiously and harrumphed. "Sure, where is your high-tier spirit stone then? Show me. Otherwise, what am I supposed to do when you dont have the money to pay up? There are simply too many scammers nowadays!" Zhang Xuan said. "You..." Brother Yu clenched his fists tightly in anger. Thus, he turned to Senior Feng and said, "Take out your Aerial Strike Amulet!" "Brother Yu, that item..." Hearing the other partys request, Senior Fengs eyebrows immediately twitched. He quickly tried to turn the other party down. "Dont worry, do you think he can defeat me?" Brother Yu ced his hands behind his back confidently. "... Alright then!" Recalling Brother Yus identity, as well as the content of the examination, Senior Feng hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding in agreement. He flicked his wrist, and a jade token immediately appeared in his hands. Brother Yu took the jade token and showed it to Zhang Xuan. "This Aerial Strike Amulet is an artifact forged by a Saint. It allows one to withstand a single attack from a Saint without sustaining any damage. Its value is definitely equivalent to a single high-tier spirit stone!" "Aerial Strike Amulet?" Zhang Xuans finger reached out to touch the amulet before nodding in satisfaction. "This object is indeed worth a single high-tier spirit stone. Fine, Ill ept your bet!" Seeing the other party agree to the bet, the edges of Brother Yus lips crept up. "Good. The winner of the bet shall be determined by... the results of the entrance examination!" Chapter 706: Elder Mo Chapter 706: Elder Mo Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Results of the entrance examination?" Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. Werent the only two results of the entrance examination pass and fail? What did the other party mean byparing their results? Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to ask the other party to borate, a powerful voice reverberated throughout the entire field. "Quiet down!" Everyone immediately stopped their chatter and raised their heads to look over. Following which, they saw an elder floating in midair. "Saint..." Zhang Xuans body stiffened. He could clearly feel the fundamental difference between his flight ability and the others. The other partys flight ability was based on the worlds recognition instead of a forceful levitation through the skillful utilization of zhenqi. It was just like the difference between a flying bird and a balloon. Thetter levitated due to the fundamentalws of physics whereas the former was dependent on the pping of its wings. The moment it grows tired and stops its movements, it would immediately plummet to the ground. Just like the flying bird, the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps required its user to continuously pump zhenqi into the technique in order to maintain flight. The elder before him clearly didnt belong to the same ss, so the only exnation left was that he had reached Saint realm. With a warm gaze from above, the elder said, "I am Mo Zhu, an elder of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. I will be the chief invigtor for this entrance examination!" "He is Elder Mo?" a freshman in front of Zhang Xuan eximed agitatedly, upon hearing the elders introduction. "Is Elder Mo very famous?" another freshman asked in confusion. "Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is famed for its Ten Great Master Teachers. The Ten Great Master Teachers are all 6-star pinnacle master teachers, as well as the ten most authoritative elders in the academy. They oversee everything that happens in the academy... and Elder Mo is one of them. Do you think that he is famous or not?" the first freshman said with a hushed voice. "Ten Great Master Teachers?" The second freshman widened his eyes in shock. Those who had heard of the Master Teacher Academy would surely have heard of the Ten Great Master Teachers as well. This title was determined via a selection process among the master teachers in Hongyuan Empire and the surrounding Tier 1 Empires once every fifty years. As the title was conferred directly by the superior Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, the title was official and possessed true authority. As such, the Ten Great Master Teachers possessed exceptional standing, and even the emperor of Hongyuan Empire would have to pay respect to them in the capacity of a student. They were also entitled to the most valuable of resources of the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was no student who didnt take pride in bing the student of any of the Ten Great Master Teachers... Hed thought that such a formidable master teacher would surely be far away from him, but who knew that he would meet one before he had even officially enrolled into the academy? The first freshman eximed agitatedly, "Indeed. Of the Ten Great Master Teachers, Elder Mo specializes in beast taming. But still, to think that he would invigte the entrance examination personally..." The Ten Great Master Teachers were legendary figures that most master teachers grew up admiring. Seeing the real person in the flesh, they could hardly curb the agitation they were feeling. Even Brother Yus eyes were glowing with excitement upon seeing Elder Mo. "I believe everyone should already know the topic of the examination. I have ced many spirit beasts in Leiyuan Peak ahead of us!" Interjecting into everyones moment of excitement, Elder Mo continued with a warm smile, "All of those spirit beasts are aggressive beasts who have a track record of harming the innocent on numerous counts. I have confined them to the peak, and you are free to hunt them down as you like. As long as you ughter a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast and procure its inner core, I will consider you to have passed the examination!" "Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast?" "Aggressive beasts who have a track record of harming the innocent?" "This examination sounds extremely hard..." Elder Mos description was brief, but as master teachers, they were able to understand the crux of the matter in an instant. Within an instant, their excitement was reced with unease. Due to the superior physique that spirit beasts were born with, their fighting prowess was extraordinary. A Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast could fight a Consonant Spirit realm master teacher on equal grounds, and even if things turned out to be disadvantageous, it was likely that it would be able to escape safely. Given that most of the freshmen involved in the examination were at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, it would be difficult for them to clear the examination! Not to mention, considering the aggressive nature of the spirit beasts, they were bound to be difficult opponents to deal with. There was a vast difference between a spirit beast with vast fighting experience and a spirit beast with no fighting experience whatsoever. It is no wonder why most parties have chosen to form an alliance... Zhang Xuan thought in realization. He had been thinking that it was bizarre how the various parties chose to ally themselves with others for a mere hunt. After all, coordinating with another party was an extremely troublesome task. However, from the looks of it now, if they didnt do so, there was a good chance they could end up being surrounded and killed by the spirit beasts. To think that even an entrance examination would be so dangerous... At this instant, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled what Luo Qiqi had previously said about the Master Teacher Academy. It was indeed apetitive ce where only those who could adapt would survive. "The time limit is a single day. In other words, before sunset, you must return with the inner core in your hand. Only by fulfilling this criterion will you be considered to have cleared the examination! Otherwise... this will spell the end of your fate with the academy." Elder Mo continued, "Also, I would like to warn everyone that the cultivation of the spirit beasts on the peak isnt just limited to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan. There are 5-dan, 6-dan, and even 7-dan spirit beasts there. Thus, you should be careful not to be ughtered by the spirit beasts while hunting them down!" The examinees had been informed of this in advance, so they werent too surprised by Elder Mos words. Fighting prowess wasnt all there was to a master teacher. Master teachers were expected to be all-rounders who were capable in all fields, and this test sought to assess this. After a moment of silence, a freshman suddenly asked, "Elder Mo, if we manage to y a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan or 6-dan spirit beast, how will the results be tallied?" "Good question!" Elder Mo stroked his beard. "We will be using a points system to gauge your result in the examination, and those who score higher will get toe under the tutge of better teachers in the academy. In fact, if you perform outstandingly, there is a chance that you might win the favor of the elders!" "Win the favor of the elders?" Everyones breathing hastened. To be an elder in the Master Teacher Academy, one had to be a 6-star master teacher at minimum. Under the guidance of such a teacher, ones capability would surely soar. At the same time, one would also be entitled to the best resources and highest standing. "As for how points will be allocated, thats simple as well. Its a cumtive scoring system," Elder Mo said. "Cumtive scoring system?" Everyone was slightly confused. "Thats right. You will be scored based on the tier of the spirit beasts you kill. A rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit beast will award you with 1 point. A Consonant Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast will award you with 10 points, intermediate stage 20 points, advanced stage 30 points, and pinnacle 40 points! As for Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts, a primary stage spirit beast will award you 100 points, intermediate stage 200 points... so on and so forth!" Elder Mo paused then said, "The more points one scores, the better ones results will be. Alternatively, one can also choose to share ones points with another to help them clear the examination. "For example, if ten people work together to kill a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast, these ten points can be equally distributed among them to allow the ten people to clear the examination together!" "We can also clear the examination by killing a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast in groups of ten?" "Thats great..." Upon hearing the news, the eyes of the weaker freshmen immediately lit up, and they clenched their fists in agitation. With their current strength, killing a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast was extremely difficult for them. However, if they could coordinate with other master teachers and share the points earned, that would be a different story. "It is for the purpose of driving away the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that master teachers were born. To fulfill the responsibility we bear, not only must we be strong, we must also stand united and trust one another, working together to ovee all odds. This is crucial for the prosperity of mankind!" Elder Mo exined, knowing everyones thoughts. Hearing those words, the crowd couldnt help but nod in agreement. Master Teacher didnt refer to an individual but an entirety. Only through teamwork and mutual trust would master teachers be able to bring out greater might. "Alright, I shall move on to the rules of the examination now." With a stern expression that seemed to be warning the freshmen against trying their luck, he said, "In this examination, you are not to attack other examinees and steal their inner cores. In other words, you cannoty your hands on other master teachers for the purpose of obtaining even more points. Once caught, you will be stripped of your enrollment qualification, and you will never be epted into the academy for life!" As Elder Mo spoke of his punishment, his voice suddenly grew so heavy that it felt as if the sky itself was pressing down on them, and the air felt so viscous that even breathing was a difficulty. A Saint raged; the world shattered. Just the slightest expression of his displeasure was sufficient to deprive all Transcendent Mortal realm cultivators of their will to defy him. "We arent able to attack other examinees and steal their inner cores?" "Wasnt that allowed in the past?" "It seems they removed that section from the examination due to the potential acrimony it could induce among peers!" "Sigh, I was still thinking of stealing other peoples inner cores to obtain a better result, but from the looks of it now... that is out of question!" ... Spirit beasts were intelligent creatures. With so many people marching up the mountain to eliminate them, they would surely have hidden themselves well. As such, how could they be found easily? Thus, quite a few of the stronger examinees had intended to prey on the weaker examinees to steal the fruits of theirbor. Upon hearing that such behavior was not allowed, disappointment immediately surfaced on their faces. However, an evenrger proportion of the examinees heaved a sigh of relief. Defeating a spirit beast was no easy feat; there was a good chance they might be severely injured in the midst of doing so. If the product of their hard work was stolen by others, they would surely burst into tears. "Elder Mo, I would like to ask if master teachers can use their tamed beasts to hunt down the spirit beasts?" This time, it was Senior Feng who asked the question. Upon hearing Senior Fengs words, everyones eyes immediately fell upon Zhang Xuan. After numerous days of trading cultivation techniques for spirit beast inner cores in the bazaar, he had be known by arge portion of the freshmen. Most of them were aware that he had tamed a half 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast. If that fellow were to use the Great Violetwing Beast to hunt, who would be a match for him? Overwhelming strength paired with the capability of flight, there would be no one who couldpete with him! "A tamed beast can be considered as part of the strength of a master teacher as well. However, examinees will only be allowed to use their tamed beast once throughout thepetition. Other than the first inner core hunted by a tamed beast, any subsequent inner cores procured through such a method will not contribute to the examinees score." Being able to tame a spirit beast could be considered as a persons own strength as well. Nevertheless, if one were to relypletely on their tamed beast, that would be contrary to the purpose of the examination. "Only once? Thats good!" Hearing those words, Senior Feng heaved a sigh of relief. If Zhang Xuan could only use his tamed beast once, it would be impossible for him to win against Brother Yu. After exining the issue regarding the tamed beast, Elder Mo surveyed the surroundings and said, "Alright, are there any other questions? Do raise them so as to avoid infringing on the rules and losing your qualification!" "Elder, what about grade-5 formation tes?" another freshman asked. "The same rule applies for anything that is beyond ones cultivation realm. Just like tamed beasts, it can only be used once!" Elder Mo said. Several more questions were asked, and Elder Mo answered each of them patiently. Hearing the various rules and regtions of the examination, it was clear that the academy had put a lot of effort into nning the examination in order to urately assess the strength of each examinee. Seeing that there were no more questions, Elder Mo gestured to Leiyuan Peak and said, "Alright. If there arent any more questions, the examination starts now. You can proceed up the mountain now!" "Yes!" Hearing the instructions, the thirty thousand participating freshmen immediately charged up to Leiyuan Peak. The earlier they arrived, the higher the chance they would be able to sessfully find and hunt a spirit beast. Thus, none of the examinees were willingg behind the others. Chapter 707: Start of the Hunt Chapter 707: Start of the Hunt Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang shi, dont forget our bet. Whoever who obtains the most points will be the victor!" Seeing the crowd rush up the mountain, Brother Yu turned to Zhang Xuan and sneered before rushing up the mountain alongside Senior Feng. Seeing the crowd rush along, Zhang Xuan nced at Luo Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others and said, "Lets head on up as well!" Only the examinees were allowed to be on the examination field, so the escorting members such as Hong shi werent allowed to enter. They had to watch from outside the area. Thus, the examinees could only depend on themselves. "Un!" Luo Xuan and the others nodded. "Lets head in that direction!" Knowing that he was the leader of the group, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings, and his gaze eventually fell on a narrow valley. Pointing in that direction, he took the lead. The other master teachers form Huanyu Empire followed closely behind. Leiyuan Peak was actually rtivelyrge in size. Putting aside the sharp cliffs, there was actually a lot of space to maneuver around. It was filled with innumerable gorges, boulders, and trees... Even an army of thirty thousand seemed insignificant against the entire peak. The route which Zhang Xuan had chosen was one with very few people. Even the weakest of the group was at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, so the group traveled at an extremely fast speed. In just ten mere minutes, they were already deep within the mountain forest. Perhaps it was due to the lush greenery filtering out the rays of the sun, but cold air seemed to permeate the entire mountain. In the tranquil forest, there wasnt the slightest sound to be heard. Perhaps it was due to the earlier group driving away the beasts and birds, or perhaps the spirit beasts had gone into hiding knowing that master teachers were marching up the mountain to eliminate them, but the entire ce seemed to be devoid of life. "Zhang shi, where do we go now?" By now, the group had been traveling for quite some time already. However, putting aside seeing a whole spirit beast, they hadnt even seen a single strand of spirit beast hair yet. As such, Luo Xuan and the others couldnt help but panic. "Given the vast size of Leiyuan Peak, if the spirit beasts are intentionally hiding from us, it wont be easy to find them. However, theres no need to worry. I have been looking out for the tracks of the spirit beasts, and I have already noticed something..." Zhang Xuan smiled. Putting aside his identity as a master teacher, he was also a capable beast tamer who was proficient in the Ancient Beast Language. Not to mention, his Eye of Insight also allowed him to easily spot the slightest trails left behind by spirit beasts. If Zhang Xuan were to seek them out seriously, it would be impossible for the spirit beasts to hide from him. After advancing for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to an abrupt halt. He indicated for the group to remain silent, and with a flick of his wrist, he took out a sword. Hu! With a swift movement, a sharp, cold gleam shed across the steep cliff before him. Just as the group was bewildered as to what Zhang Xuan was attempting to do, a deafening explosion suddenly sounded, and the boulder before them shattered. Following which, a gray figure suddenly dashed out. Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast... Gale Wolf! To think that this fellow would actually be hiding inside a boulder. "Ill hand it over to you all. Ill check out the situation in front!" Knowing that Luo Xuan and the others shouldnt have any problems with a spirit beast of this tier, Zhang Xuan chose to proceed ahead to scout around first. The route ahead was tilted upward. Even though the route rather steep, it was fortunate that there were many nts around to serve as a stepping stone. Soon, Zhang Xuan had already covered a distance of seven to eight kilometers. Hu! Suddenly, Zhang Xuan came to a halt, and a deep frown appeared on his forehead. "These marks indicate that a group of spirit beasts have passed through this area..." Even though there were no clear marks on the field before him, Zhang Xuan was still able to easily tell that a group of beasts had just passed the area not too long ago through his Eye of Insight. "Bluebacked Ferocious Bear, Steelfang Panther, Southern Yellow Tiger, Metal-arm Ape... Those are spirit beasts that specialize in speed! Furthermore, all of them have reached Consonant Spirit realm!" Zhang Xuan deduced, after a moment of observation. Different spirit beasts would leave behind different trails. Of the beast horde that had passed through this area, he was able to identify at least a dozen of them. These spirit beasts were usually the nemeses of one another, and yet they were actually traveling together. Most probably, just as Elder Mo had said, they had begun working together to stand against the humans. "Zhang shi..." Just as Zhang Xuan was trying to figure out the direction in which the spirit beasts were heading, Luo Xuan and the others finally caught up with him. To them, a rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit beast didnt pose as a challenge at all. They were able to kill it swiftly. However, their group was simply too big. Killing a rifying Turbidity realm spirit beast didnt do much to help them as a group. "Everyone, lower your voices. Lets go for a big one!" Zhang Xuan smiled mysteriously. More than a dozen Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast had passed through this area. This was an opportunity as much as a threat. If they could get rid of all of them, they would gain sufficient points to pass the examination. If it was any other team or alliance, they would surely avoid shing with such arge group. However, Zhang Xuan was different. His cultivation had reached Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, and his fighting prowess far exceeded his peers. If he wished to, he could easily destroy the entire group of spirit beasts. "Go for a big one?" Having only just arrived, everyone in the group was unable toprehend what Zhang Xuan was getting at. "Un. Based on my observation, a group of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts have just passed through the area. As long as we can ughter them, we should be able to gain sufficient points for all of us to clear..." Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast?" Everyones eyes immediately beamed with excitement. A single Consonant Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast was worth ten points, so they only had to clear away five of those to earn sufficient points for all of them to clear the examination. As for the danger involved, didnt Zhang shi have a half 9-dan tamed beast? If put in a critical situation, he could simply summon the Great Violetwing Beast to save them... "Follow me!" Havinge to a decision, Zhang Xuan immediately led the group down the trail the spirit beast horde had gone through. A momentter, he suddenly stopped. "Something is wrong..." Ruohuan gongzi walked up and asked, "Whats wrong?" "There are signs of a formation being set up just ahead, but there are no signs of battle at all..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "What does that mean?" The group seemed unable to follow what Zhang Xuan was saying. "If there are signs of a formation being set up, it can only mean that... someone has prepared an ambush ahead! However, if there are no signs of battle, it can only mean that the spirit beasts noticed the trap and avoided it," Zhang Xuan exined. "Spirit beasts possess an innate sensitivity to the disturbances in the spiritual energy in their environment. They might have sensed the presence of the formation in advance and avoided it," Luo Xuan interjected. Spirit beasts possessed far sharper senses than humans. It shouldnt be anything much for them to notice and avoid a formation! Zhang Xuan shook his head. It wasnt as simple as Luo Xuan had said. "This is a grade-5 Greencloud Illusion Formation. This formation is known for its inconspicuousness when inactive. Even a Consonant Spirit realm master teacher would find it hard to notice this formation even when passing through this area..." Even though the other party had already removed the formation, with his eye of discernment, he was still able to tell what kind of formation it was. The Greenmist Formation was known for its ability to conceal itself, and without the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan wouldve found it hard to notice it as well, needless to say a group of spirit beasts! He didnt believe that a group of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts would possess a sharper eye of discernment than him. "What is going on?" Hearing that it was the Greenmist Formation, everyone immediately realized the bizarreness of the matter, and a deep frown appeared on their foreheads. "I dont know either... But in any case, lets proceed forward to see what they are up to." Zhang Xuan wasnt able to understand what was going on, but considering that the spirit beasts hadnt left too long ago as judged from the fresh trails, he was certain hed be able to figure out what was going on by following them. "Alright!" The others nodded and followed behind. Just like that, the group proceeded on for another ten minutes before Zhang Xuan stopped once again. Seeing the perplexed expression on Zhang Xuans face, Ruohuan gongzi walked up and asked, "What is it?" Taking in the faint scent lingering in the air, Zhang Xuan said, "Someone tried to use a Crimson Blood Pill as a bait for the spirit beasts earlier on, but... the spirit beasts ignored the baitpletely..." "Crimson Blood Pill?" "Yes, its a grade-5 pill. Logically speaking, it should be irresistible to the Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts..." The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more bewildered he became. Zhang Xuan wouldnt have been surprised if the spirit beasts could hold themselves back from any other bait, but this was the Crimson Blood Pill! Once consumed, it could induce a Bloodline Evolution in them. This was a rare opportunity for them to further raise their cultivation, and yet they still managed to hold themselves back. This was extremely unlikely. Spirit beasts possessed intellect, but they were still primarily governed by their primal instincts. If they were capable of urately discerning and avoiding traps, the number of tamed beasts in the world would surely be several times lower than it currently was. It might be a coincidence that the spirit beasts managed to avoid the formation, but it would be going too far to call this a coincidence as well. There was something truly suspicious about this situation. "What is even more doubtful is that the master teachers who set up the formation and prepared the Crimson Blood Pill bait are missing too!" Zhang Xuan continued. Luo Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. "Missing? Could it be that... they have been killed?" If the spirit beasts were strong enough to ughter groups who were in possession of a grade-5 pinnacle formation and pill, the Huanyu Empire group would likely be unable to do any better against them either. "Thats not it. If a battle had urred, traces would surely have been left behind. Putting aside a group of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts, even if there were Transcendent Mortal 9-dan spirit beasts here, it would still be difficult for them to ughter an entire team of master teachers without leaving behind any traces!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. All of the examinees taking the examination were elites among the master teachers. Given their talents, their homnds would surely have been more than willing to provide them with the best of resources to groom them. Naturally, they would definitely have some life preservation means on them too. With their life preservation means, even if the group of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts had ambushed them, they should still have been able to escape without any trouble. "This..." Everyone was starting to feel unsettled by the bizarre situation before them. "If I am not mistaken, they must have noticed the spirit beasts and are tracking them at the moment..." Zhang Xuan revealed his deductions. "Tracking them?" "Un, this is the only logical exnation. Otherwise, there is no reason why the formation we saw earlier would be dismantled so cleanly, and there are no marks of battle around," Zhang Xuan rationalized. Ruohuan gongzi suddenly realized the incongruity in the entire story. "That doesnt make any sense. If the spirit beasts did notice the traps in advance and steered clear of them, they definitely would have left quietly so as to avoid rming the master teachers. Furthermore, given that they were aware of the presence of master teachers in the area, how could they remain unaware if a group were to follow them?" "That is precisely what that left me baffled!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Once the spirit beasts noticed the formations, for their own safety, they would surely leave silently so as to avoid rming the master teachers. It was already surprising that one group would actually notice them, but now there were two... It was as if the spirit beasts were intentionally revealing their tracks so that the master teachers could find them. The entire situation reeked of a scheme. "We should continue following them to take a look..." Knowing that they wouldnt find an answer by standing around, Zhang Xuan looked around and continued following the trail of the spirit beasts. The others also followed behind. In the next hour, the group circled arge round along the peak, and they noticed quite a few ambushes as well. From time to time, there were traces of battle too. However, judging from the marks, it seemed that the spirit beasts had retreated immediately after encountering the master teachers. With their superior agility, they were able to get away easily as well. Chapter 708: To Rescue or Not to Rescue? Chapter 708: To Rescue or Not to Rescue? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Perhaps they feared trouble, so they left immediately after noticing that they were followed?" Luo Xuan suggested. "Thats possible." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. At that a moment, a member of their group suddenly eximed, "There are a few people in front!" The group immediately turned their gazes forward and saw three freshmen sitting feebly on the ground. They had sustained significant injuries, and blood was flowing from their wounds. The trio were all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle cultivators. Upon seeing such a huge crowd, their faces immediately paled in fear. "We havent caught any spirit beasts yet..." But soon afterward, they recalled that fellow examinees were not allowed to steal from one another, and they heaved a sigh of relief. "Ive met these people before. They are from the Luoyuan Empires party!" Luo Xuan informed Zhang Xuan telepathically. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Just like Huanyu Empire, Luoyuan Empire was a Tier 2 Empire as well, and both parties lived in proximity to one another in the Academic Sea. As such, Luo Xuan was able to recognize the trio easily. "Did your injuriese from the spirit beasts?" Zhang Xuan asked the trio. Knowing that he meant no hostility, the trio answered truthfully, "Yes!" "It shouldnt be difficult for the dozen Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts to kill you. How did you manage to escape from them?" Zhang Xuan asked. If the dozen Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast were to charge at the trio simultaneously, they would probably be dead in a breath. There should be no reason for the spirit beasts to leave those who hade to ughter them alive. "H-how did you know that we were attacked by a dozen Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts?" one of the three master teachers asked in astonishment. "We are tracking that pack," Zhang Xuan replied. "I see. I am not really sure what happened either. We were just walking around when we suddenly encountered the pack. To be honest, we thought that we would be goners, but for some reason, those spirit beasts suddenly left in a panic after a brief encounter, as if they were scared of something..." "Perhaps they were afraid of you catching up to them?" another one of the trio added. Zhang Xuan and the others had arrived not too long after the spirit beast pack left, so they might just be apprehensive about staying for too long. "But nevertheless, all they require is a brief instant to get rid of three Transcendent Mortal 4-dan master teachers. Furthermore, if they really noticed that we were tracking them, they would surely be filled with hostility toward humans. Theres no reason for them to show mercy to them..." The more Luo Xuan thought about it, the more doubts surfaced in his mind. Assuming that the spirit beast pack was indeed escaping from them, if they were to meet other humans in the midst of their escape, there was no reason for them to spare them, especially since a brief instant was all it would take. How could the trio possibly be able to get away alive? Frowning, Zhang Xuan continued questioning them. "Where does the path ahead lead to?" "It leads to Heavens Thread, one of the most dangerous gorges of Leiyuan Peak," replied one of the master teachers. "A canyon? This is bad..." Seeming to have thought of something, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up. He hurriedly rushed forward to the canyon, and the baffled crowd quickly followed behind. Not too longter, they arrived at a massive gorge surrounded by steep cliffs. Looking up from below, the sky looked just like a thin thread. Somehow, an ominous feeling slowly spread across the group. Ding ding ding ding! Before they even walked into the gorge, they could already feel a massive disturbance in the spiritual energy ahead, and the sound of weapons shing reverberated in the air. "There is a battle going on over there..." With these signs, how could the group still remain oblivious to what was going on ahead of them? Zhang Xuan pointed forward. "The answer to the mystery lies ahead..." There were numerousrge floating rock tforms around the gorge. Climbing to a high altitude, the group caught a clear glimpse of the battle ahead, and their faces were immediately drained of color. Two hundred master teachers were tightly encircled by several hundred spirit beasts. The cultivation of these spirit beasts ranged from the Consonant Spirit realm to the Cosmos Bridge realm, and every single one of them was iparably powerful. Even though the surrounded master teachers werent weak, their opponents were simply too powerful, and they were outnumbered at that. As time went by, more and more master teachers were being incapacitated by grievous wounds. "Could it be that the dozen spirit beasts were intentionally luring the master teachers over... so as to eradicate them all in a single sweep?" Upon realizing this fact, the mouths of the group twitched in astonishment. Even if the entire Huanyu Empire party were to head down to offer their support, they wouldnt be able to turn the tides of the battle. They would only end up contributing to the casualty toll. Furthermore, as the name Heavens String suggested, the gorge was extremely narrow, not to mention that it was filled with numerous floating rock tforms of various sizes, thus making it difficult for the Great Violetwing Beast to maneuver around. It would be dangerous for the Great Violetwing Beast if it were to be attacked by the army of spirit beasts under such circumstances. Zhang Xuans face was extremely grave. His high Soul Depth granted him a far greater analytical abilitypared to the other members of the group. When he first noticed the presence of the spirit beast pack and the situation surrounding them, a seed of doubt had already been nted in his mind. From the looks of it now, it was indeed a huge set-up! Bluebacked Ferocious Bear, Steelfang Panther, Southern Yellow Tiger, Armmetal Ape... These spirit beasts were known for their speed onnd. If they were to go at full speed, even a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage master teacher would find it hard to keep up with them. And yet, they went through the trouble of circling around the peak and drawing in group after group of master teachers. It was clear that they were up to something. Yet, Zhang Xuan hadnt expected that the spirit beasts were luring the humans into a trap to eliminate them! "The spirit beasts are in an alliance as well..." The master teachers had been thinking of allying with one another to hunt the spirit beasts, but little did they know that the spirit beasts were doing the same as well. They had organized themselves orderly with a clear role for each spirit beast in the team. Some would serve as bait while others would lie in ambush to receive the prey. With this, they intended to wipe out arge group of master teachers in a single move! Fearsome! If they were put in the same circumstances, would they have fallen for the scheme as well andnded themselves in grave danger? One of the master teachers turned to Zhang Xuan and asked worriedly, "Zhang shi... What should we do?" As master teachers, they couldnt simply watch idly as theirrades were being killed in battle... but even if their entire group were to offer their support, it would still be insufficient to defeat the spirit beasts! "The main purpose of a master teacher is to protect humanity. Even in the face of danger, we must fight to ensure the survival of mankind... If we were to leave ourrades in such a situation, even if we sessfully escape with our lives, we wont be able to live with the guilt, and our faith will be shaken. This will surely weigh us down in the future, limiting our aplishments!" "But... given the current circumstances, even if we doy down our lives to save them, nothing will change at all!" "Thats right. This is truly a dilemma..." Everyone fell silent. With their current fighting prowess, it would surely be impossible to rescue the master teachers from the clutches of the spirit beasts. But if they chose to leave them in a deadly situation, the guilt would shatter the morals they had stood by and believed in for their entire lives. "There is no doubt that we have to save them, but charging straight in will not work," Zhang Xuan said with a deep frown. Tapping on his thigh with his finger, he fumbled through his head to search for a solution to the crisis. "What do we do?" The helpless crowd turned to Zhang Xuan to lead them. They had pinned all of their hopes on this young man, hoping that he could produce a miracle as he always did. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and asked, "Does anyone here have the formation gs and blueprint of a 5-star Beguilement Formation?" "I do!" One of the Luoyuan Empire master teacher raised his hand. The only reason the trio dared to operate in such a small team was due to his ability as a formation master. Otherwise, given their rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle cultivation, how could they possibly dare to leave the group on their own ord? "Pass it to me." Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand. "Alright!" Knowing that this was a critical situation, the master teacher flicked his hand, and a stack of formation gs and a jade token appeared in his hands. "This is a grade-5 primary Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation. It was created by a great Formation Master Tao Ran from our empire when a stroke of inspiration struck him while he was studying the waves. However... this formation is extremely troublesome to set up, and even after studying it for three years, it still takes me two hours at minimum to set up a workable formation. Furthermore... considering how narrow the gorge it, Im afraid that it is nigh impossible to set it up," the Luoyuan Empire master teacher said. Even if he were to set up this formation personally, it would be difficult for him to seed without spending two hours on it. More importantly, setting up a formation required one to study the geographical terrain and measure the flow of spiritual energy in the air using a geomanticpass. All in all, it was an extremelyplicated process. Considering the intense battle below, putting aside whether it was possible to set up the formation or not, it was a huge question in itself whether the master teachers couldst that long against the ferocious assault by the spirit beasts! More importantly, how was the formation supposed to be set up? To set up the formation, Zhang shi would have to head down to nt the gs. However, if he were to do so, he would be putting himself in the midst of the spirit beast encirclement as well! There were surely plenty of formation masters among the two hundred master teachers below as well, but even they were helpless against this situation. What could he possibly do? "Let me take a look first." Ignoring the other partys doubts, Zhang Xuan touched the jade token with the tip of his finger, and the blueprint of the Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation immediately came into sight. ws! Muttering silently, Zhang Xuans eyes remained fixated on the jade token while his consciousness had already dived into the Library of Heavens Path. The Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation was created by Formation Master Tao Ran from Luoyuan Empire. Through utilizing the geographical terrain of the surroundings, it was able to trap all lifeforms in the area of the formation and confuse them. Once activated, even a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator would find it difficult to escape from the formation. It only took Zhang Xuan a few breaths to grasp the important details regarding the formation through the Library of Heavens Path. When he finally opened his eyes once more, he turned to the crowd and asked, "Do any of you have spirit stones on you now?" Everyone nodded in response to the query. "Spirit stones? We do have some with us now!" Even though middle-tier spirit stones were valuable, most 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star master teachers would still keep some with them at all times. "Take them out, I need each of you to be holding ten spirit stones. If you dont have enough, borrow from someone else," Zhang Xuan instructed. "Alright!" Ten middle-tier spirit stones were still within their means, so they had no problem taking this sum out. "Other than me, we have a total of 52 people. Split yourself into four teams, namely North, South, East, and West!" Zhang Xuan continued instructing. Even though they had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, there was nothing else they could do at the moment other than follow his instructions. As master teachers, they were extremely efficient. In just a few breaths, they were already done dividing themselves. With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan instructed seriously, "Alright, prepare yourselves. Make sure to follow my orders strictlyter on. The slightest mistake can spell the failure of our operation. If that is the case, we wont be able to save the master teachers below..." "Zhang shi, dont worry!" "We will listen to your arrangements!" Even though the crowd still had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, thetters previous deeds, as well as his confident and firm gaze inspired trust in them. The three master teachers from Luoyuan Empire harbored some doubts about Zhang Xuans credibility, but after seeing the reaction from Huanyu Empires party, they could only swallow their words. They couldnt help but reassess the young man before them. This young man was the youngest among the group, but why did everyone possess such deep trust in him? In their eyes, unless an expert of Elder Mos caliber were to arrive on the scene, there was no way they could break out of this dire situation! Did this fellow... really have a feasible idea in mind? Chapter 709: Hundred Flags of Void Sealing Chapter 709: Hundred gs of Void Sealing Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before the doubtful gazes of the three master teachers, the young man stared intently at thend below with the formation gs in his hand, seemingly calcting the positioning of the gs. "Zhang shi intends to set up the Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation?" Seeing his actions, the eyebrows of the three master teachers shot up in astonishment. Putting aside how narrow the gorge was, just the battle below was sufficient to cause immense chaos in the spiritual energy in the air. Even with apass in hand, it would be impossible for one to urately read the flow of spiritual energy. As such, how could one possibly set up a formation? Even if a 7-star formation master were to arrive on the scene, he would surely be unable to sessfully set up a formation as well! More importantly, the moment the first formation g was nted on the ground, the spirit beasts would surely notice them. Considering the number of spirit beasts in the gorge, even if just a small proportion were toe after them, they would still be goners! Was this really the idea he had in mind? Sensing the nervousness in the trio, Ruohuan gongzi said with a consoling smile, "Theres no need to panic. Since Zhang shi says that it is possible to rescue them, he must have a feasible idea in mind!" Of the entire group, he had known Zhang shi the longest, and he also boasted the greatest understanding of thetter. This young man seemed to possess some kind of incredible power. So many times, what he viewed to be impossible had been easily aplished by the other party. Taking the Otherworldly Demon in the Master Teacher Tournament as an example, he actually managed to talk it intomitting suicide... This was a feat that many could not even imagine, but he actually achieved it! In fact, the very reason he could be here despite hiscking capability was due to the young mans help. Thus, even though the situation before them might look hopeless, it didnt hinder him from believing in the young mans ability to turn the tables. "Lets just hope so..." The trio could only reply with bitter smiles. While they were talking, Zhang Xuan had already finished examining the geographical terrain. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly sent a telepathic message to everyone. "Prepare yourselves!" Hearing those words, everyone immediately gathered their attention as they waited for Zhang shis further instructions with the middle-tier spirit stones in their hands. Hu! Just as they were wondering what the young man would do, they suddenly saw the other party leaping down from the tform, headed toward the battlefield between the spirit beasts and the master teachers. "This..." rmed by Zhang Xuans actions, everyone narrowed their eyes in shock. Hundreds of powerful spirit beasts were prowling ferociously below! To charge in like that, are you sure you arent attempting tomit suicide instead? Roar! Roar! Roar! As expected, upon noticing Zhang Xuans presence, the spirit beasts immediately howled furiously. Following which, a ferocious string of attacks rained down on him like a frenzied storm. These attacks harnessed an immense force which could threaten even a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan expert. Hu! Just as the crowd thought that Zhang Xuan was done for, the young mans path of trajectory suddenly mysteriously shifted three chi (10cm) to the right. A mere three chi, but it caused all of the attacks to fly past him. Roar! The unsessful primary assault seemed to have provoked even more spirit beasts. With another wave of deafening battle cries, dozens of attacks suddenly came from all directions. It was slightly different this time around. In the first assault, the spirit beasts had harnessed their full might to crush the defenses of their opponent. On the other hand, this wave of attacks was scattered in all directions to seal their opponents escape route. "These attacks arent sufficient to deal any grievous injuries to Zhang shi, but their force is sufficient to push him to the ground. Once Zhang shi falls to the ground, he will immediately fall into the encirclement of the spirit beasts. By then, it will be difficult for him to escape with his life, let alone, rescue the others..." Many master teachers clenched their fists tightly in agitation. The attacks from the spirit beasts werent sufficiently powerful to kill a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator, but the force of the attacks could send Zhang Xuan plummeting to the ground. Once he fell to the ground... just the weight of the spirit beasts itself could squash him to death. "Look!" Just as everyone was worried, someone suddenly shouted, and the crowd turned their gazes over. With a single look, they were all dumbfounded. Through stepping on the floating rock tforms, Zhang Xuan was able to alter his movements in air. For some reason, it was as if he could predict where the attacks woulde from. At each crucial moment, he would move ever so slightly, and the attacks would pass him by. It was an iparably dangerous situation each time, but he would always escapepletely unharmed. "This fearsome calction ability, and this frightening eye of discernment!" The crowd above narrowed their eyes. As master teachers, they clearly understood how difficult this feat was. One had to be familiar with each of the spirit beasts habits, attacking patterns, movement speeds, strengths... Only with a thorough and urate understanding of each and every aspect of the spirit beasts could one make such precise predictions! In other words, in that brief moment that Zhang Xuan was examining the situation, not only did he calcte the locations of the formation g, he even thoroughly predicted the various possible attacking trajectories of the spirit beasts and nned his path of descent! Otherwise, how could he possibly maneuver around so smoothly and adeptly in the midst of that huge torrent of attacks? How formidable must his eye of discernment be? How powerful must his mental calction capacity be? Was this still humanly possible? Hu hu hu! Oblivious to everyones shock and frenzy, Zhang Xuan adeptly maneuvered around the spirit beasts, and around ten breathster, he finally arrived at the space in the direct center of the gorge, right above the fighting master teachers and spirit beasts. "Go!" Weng weng weng! The hundreds of formation gs which he held in his hands suddenly buzzed sharply, and sou!, they flew into the surroundings. "T-this... Isnt this the ability that only 7-star formation masters are capable of utilizing... Hundred gs of Void Sealing?" The master teacher who passed the formation gs and jade token to Zhang Xuan earlier on turned pale, and he nearly fell from the floating tform from fright. "Hundred gs of Void Sealing? What is that?" However, most of the master teachers present were unaware of what it represented. After all, this was technical jargon used only by formation masters, so most of those who hadnt learned this upation were unaware of it. "Rumor has it that the psyche of a 7-star master teacher is so powerful that even without apass, they can urately determine the spiritual energy intersection points where each g should be ced. Thus, by throwing the gs to their respective position simultaneously, they can set up a formation instantaneously... B-but how can he possibly do it as well?" The lips of the master teacher were trembling uncontrobly. To set up a formation, a formation master would have to do all kinds of calctions to align their formation with the geographical terrain so as to better bring out its might. Even for 7-star formation masters, executing the Hundred gs of Void Sealing was no easy feat. They would usually only use this technique to set up lower grade formations, such as grade-4 or grade-5... However, the young man before him was only at the Consonant Spirit realm, so setting up a grade-5 formation should already be an extremely difficult task for him. And yet, he was still able to use such a profound skill... Is this for real? Are my eyes ying tricks on me? Boom! Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, the formation gs flew to their respective positions with the sharp whistle of the wind. Some of them fell in between the fighting master teachers and spirit beasts while some lodged themselves into the cliffs of the forge. It should have been possible to activate the formation as soon as the formation gs fell in ce, but after seeing that there was no response after some time, a master teacher suddenly thought of something, and his face distorted in horror. "This is bad... The spiritual energy in thisnd is far too chaotic for the formation to tap into. Without external spiritual energy to support the formation, the formation cannot be activated..." The reason he was able to set up a grade-5 primary formation despite having yet to reach Cosmos Bridge realm wasnt due to his superior talent but because those gs had been imbued with the zhenqi of his teacher. The imbued zhenqi would help the formation gs gather sufficient spiritual energy to bring out the might of the grade-5 formation. However, this could only be done in an environment where the flow of spiritual energy was stable. But... the huge battle in the gorge had resulted in a massive turbulence in the spiritual energy in the surroundings. Even if the formation gs were put in position, Zhang shi would still be unable to tap into the zhenqi imbued in the formation gs to activate the formation! Just as the group was at aplete loss before the dire situation, the anxious voice of the young man before boomed in their ears. "Prepare yourselves! East, throw your spirit stones two steps to your left! West, throw your spirit stones four steps to the right..." "Yes!" They had no idea what the other party was up to, but they didnt have time to think so much about it anymore. The master teachers in the four teams, North, South, East, and West, gathered their zhenqi and tossed the spirit stones in their hands out. Wu wu wu! 52 people threw out a total of 520 middle-tier spirit stones simultaneously into the battlefield. Roar! Upon seeing the huge rain of spirit stones, the spirit beasts were taken aback. Sensing danger, they pounced into the air and attacked the spirit stones. Hu! As if a storm, the powerful torrent of attacks swept the spirit stones away from their original trajectory. "Its over..." The group stared at the sight in trepidation. Zhang shi had most probably calcted the trajectory of the spirit stones descent urately before issuing precise instructions. However, with the trajectories messed up by the attacks of the spirit stones, their n was going to fail. Wneg weng weng weng! Just when they thought that this operation was a failure, the spirit stones which had their trajectories altered struck the ground beneath Zhang Xuan at the very same instant. Boom! As soon as they came contact with the ground, a powerful surge of spiritual energy suddenly burst into the surroundings, sweeping across the formation gs. "This..." "Zhang shi... actually predicted the attacks from the spirit beasts as well?" Innumerable pupils dted upon that sight. The sight before them was within Zhang shis calctions as well? In other words, he knew that the spirit beasts would attack the spirit stones upon seeing them. Taking that into ount, he made the precise calctions for the spirit stones to sh with one another beneath his feet before issuing specific instructions to each group as to how they should toss their spirit stones! This... The situation was so inconceivable that it felt like some supernatural power was at work. Just as everyones face was pale with shock, Zhang Xuan coldly bellowed, "Activate!", and with a furious stomp, a surge of zhenqi shot out. Weng! Taking in the concentrated spiritual energy in the air, the formation gs began to buzz, and a thickyer of mist cloaked the master teachers and spirit beasts in the gorge instantly. Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation, activated! "Through the burst of spiritual energy caused by the collision of spirit stones, order was re-established in the flow of spiritual energy in the surroundings for a brief instant, allowing the formation to be activated... How deep must ones understanding of formations be to do this? Even Grandmaster Tao Ran who created this Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation would surely be incapable of such a feat!" The three master teachers from Luoyuan Empire werepletely dumbstruck by the sight before them. It had only been a few short breaths since Zhang shi had leaped down from the floating rock tform, but the heck had it been frightening! One after another, the impossible had been realized easily by that young mans hand! "With the activation of the formation, all of the spirit beasts and master teachers are trapped. As long as we move carefully now, we should be able to save all of the master teachers!" Seeing the activation of the formation, Luo Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others heaved a sigh of relief. With the Beguilement Formation veiling their sight and confounding their senses, it was impossible for the spirit beasts and master teachers to continue battling. At least, until the formation was inactivated, the master teachers were safe. "Indeed! As expected of Zhang shi, to be able to think of and carry out such a n..." The crowd nodded. Hong long! Just as everyone had just heaved a sigh of relief, a deafening reverberation suddenly sounded in the formation, and the mist billowed furiously. "Sh*t... the spirit beasts are intending to... break the formation using brute force!" a Luoyuan Empire master teacher eximed. Chapter 710: Barging into the Beguilement Formation Chapter 710: Barging into the Beguilement Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was no easy feat for an amateur to break a formation, but with sufficient strength, it was still possible to do so through brute force! If someone were to attempt to trap Zhang Xuan with a grade-3 formation now, even without using the Eye of Insight of Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to crush the formation with just his fists. No matter how powerful a formation might be, there would surely be a limit to its durability. If it were to suffer damage beyond its durability limit, it would instantaneously copse. Before supreme power, everything else was fleeting. The Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation that the Luoyuan Empire master teacher had provided was a grade-5 primary formation. While it could trap Cosmos Bridge realm cultivators, it would be hard for it to do the same to stronger opponents. The strongest of these spirit beasts were only at the Cosmos Bridge realm, but there were too many of them. Put their prowess together, and even a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm expert would have to retreat in fear. With this force directed toward the formation, it was unlikely that the formation would be able to hold on for too long. "Break the formation using brute force?" Hearing those words, the faces of the crowd turned pale. It was just a moment ago that theyd thought that they would be able to save everyone in the gorge, but in the next moment, the formation was already on the verge of breaking. What should they do now? Were they to watch by from the sidelines as the formation was torn apart, and the master teachers were plunged into danger once more? After everything they had done? Luo Xuan turned to the master teacher from Luoyuan Empire and asked, "You possess the deepest understanding of this formation. Is there any way to salvage the situation?" The gazes of the others also hurriedly shot over. The formation gs and blueprint were provided by him, so perhaps he might have a way to sustain the formation. "Salvage the situation?" With a bitter smile, the Luoyuan Empire master teacher shook his head and said, "There is indeed a way, but its impossible to seed!" "Impossible to seed? What is it? With so many of us here, we might just be able to find a way to aplish it," Luo Xuan urged. They had 52 master teachers here, and a handful of them were formation masters as well. As long as the other party could point out a direction for them, they just might be able to aplish it somehow. "At this moment, our numbers dont mean anything!" The Luoyuan Empire master teacher sighed. "The Illusory Steps Beguilement Formation is a grade-5 primary formation, but if reinforced by a 5-star formation master, it could disy the strength of a grade-5 intermediate or even advanced formation! By then, it would be impossible for these spirit beasts to break out of the formation using brute force." "5-star formation master? Zhang shis understanding of formations should be on par with a 5-star formation master, wouldnt that work?" Ruohuan gongzi couldnt help but ask. Since Zhang shi was able to set up even a grade-5 formation so easily, surely reinforcing a formation wouldnt pose any trouble at all. "You dont understand what I am saying. By 5-star formation master, I am saying that the persons cultivation must reach Cosmos Bridge realm as well! Zhang shisprehension of formations is indeed formidable, but his cultivation is still limited at the Consonant Spirit realm. Without sufficient strength, he wont be able to bring out the true might of the power my teacher has imbued into the formation!" the Luoyuan Empire master teacher exined. "This..." Everyone clenched their fists tightly in frustration. With their collective strength, they would have been able to help with anything else, but the Cosmos Bridge realm... With the formation on the verge of copsing, it was impossible for anyone to achieve a breakthrough within this short period of time. In other words, it was impossible for them to reinforce the formation! "That Brother Yu from before has reached the Cosmos Bridge realm, but its toote to look for him now..." Luo Xuan clenched his jaws in frustration. Among the freshmen, the only one he knew to have reached Cosmos Bridge realm was the Brother Yu whom he had met just before the entrance examination. However, the other party was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Besides, considering the conflict between Zhang shi and him, it would be nigh impossible to gain his assistance! After a moment of hesitation, one master teacher suggested, "Since it hase down to this, why dont we leave the gorge to try and get the help of other examinees in the area? Otherwise, once the formation copses and the spirit beasts break loose, we will all be doomed..." However, halfway through his words, he suddenly noticed the bizarre silence amidst the group. Looking up, he saw each and every one of them staring at the battlefield below with a frenzied look on their faces. "What happened?" Frowning, he shifted his gaze downward, and his mouth slowly widened. In the midst of the wavering formation, Zhang shi stood on a floating rock tform, and his aura was rising steadily. Hong long long! He furiously absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy through his acupoints, and the absurd speed of his absorption induced a deep rumbling reminiscent of thunder in the gorge. A magnificent bridge connecting him to the world could vaguely be seen behind him. At this moment, he looked exceptionally tall and powerful, as if an undefeatable god of war. "This... He is trying to achieve a breakthrough to the Cosmos Bridge realm?" The master teachers lip quivered uncontrobly, and he nearly burst into tears. To advance to the Cosmos Bridge realm, other Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivators would have their teacher stand guard for them in case of any problems, and all kinds of resources would be prepared by their sides so as to prevent exhaustion whenever required. Even so, it would still take several days of hard work before they could achieve the breakthrough... And yet, this fellow actually made the breakthrough on the spot just because he required his cultivation to be at the Cosmos Bridge realm in order to reinforce the formation... What the heck was this! Boom! Amidst his shocked trembling, Zhang Xuan widened his mouth and swallowed the faint bridge in the air. His body rumbled, and his aura began to surge furiously. Hu! Exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, the young man opened his eyes, and a bright gleam shone from his eyes. His movements were extremely graceful, seemingly aligned with nature itself. "Cosmos Bridge realm... He really made the breakthrough just like that?" "Isnt this a little... way too easy..." Everyone swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Never had they ever seen someone achieve a breakthrough so quickly in their life. After two or three breaths, a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator had be a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator... Brother, are you sure you arent an expert who came here just to toy with us? Oblivious to the frenzied crowd, Zhang Xuan nced at the shaking formation beneath him and muttered, "Theres no time for me to continue..." Under normal circumstances, possessing the entire Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art, he would strive for Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle in a single breath. However, with the formation teetering on the brink of copse, he couldnt afford to wait any longer. "Stabilize!" With a flick of his finger, a surge of zhenqi shot out from his hand. The surge of zhenqi further divided into several hundred streams, permeating throughout the entire formation. Geji! Geji! Under the nourishment of the Heavens Path zhenqi, the thinning mist abruptly thickened once more. The Illusory Steps Beguilement Formation, which had been shaking violently under the rampage of the spirit beasts, gradually stabilized as well. "He seeded..." "The formation has been reinforced..." The excitement and agitation of the crowd were palpable. Admiration seeped into their gazes as they looked at the young man below. To reach Cosmos Bridge realm on a whim... Was that young man still human? This was especially so for Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, they were on the verge of fainting from shock. They had seen the other party making the breakthrough for Yin-Yang realm to rifying Turbidity realm during the Master Teacher Tournament in Myriad Kingdom City with their own eyes. Barely a month had passed, and he was already a Cosmos Bridge realm expert... They were still thinking ofpeting with him after reaching the Master Teacher Academy, but they could no longer muster the confidence to do so. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan climbed back up and instructed, "Alright. Since the Beguilement Formation has stabilized, lets hurry up and save the master teachers inside!" "Youre right. However, given that spirit beasts are roaming inside the formation as well... how can we ensure that we will be able to stay out of their path?" a master teacher within the crowd asked. The activation of the Beguilement Formation had halted the battle momentarily and trapped the spirit beasts, thus providing an opportunity to save the master teachers. However... things werent as simple as they seemed. The spirit beasts werent dead yet. It was still possible to encounter them in the Beguilement Formation, and the chances of that were indeed rtively high considering the number of spirit beasts trapped inside the formation. Furthermore, the Beguilement Formation didnt discriminate against friend and foe. In other words, the master teachers inside were also affected by it. Of course, the master teachers could try leaping up onto the floating tforms and attempt to escape from the Beguilement Formation. However, under the circumstances where even their sense of direction was confounded, it would be difficult for them to differentiate between up and down. On top of that, to truly escape from the formation, they would have to find the Life Gate first. The Illusory Steps Beguilement Formation wouldnt be called a grade-5 formation if it were so easy to escape from. In the end, the Beguilement Formation was just a means to buy some time for those inside. Zhang Xuan nced at the Beguilement Formation and replied, "I see. Wait here then, Ill head in to save them." "Zhang shi, you mustnt! Even though you are a formation master, your senses will still be confounded in the Beguilement Formation. Itll be a disaster if you were to be trapped with the spirit beasts inside..." Everyone was horrified by Zhang Xuans words. Even though Zhang Xuan had reached Cosmos Bridge realm, there were plenty of Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts inside the formation as well. There was no way he could stand against so many powerful spirit beasts! "Trapped?" Zhang Xuan shook his head before instructing, "There will be some injured among the master teachers inside, so prepare to receive and treat them!" After which, leaving no time for the crowd to react, he leaped straight into the Beguilement Formation. "Zhang shi..." The crowds vision darkened, and they nearly fainted on the spot. To leap right into the Beguilement Formation, what if he leaped right into a swarm of spirit beasts? Even if he was tired of living, this wasnt the way to seek death! A master teacher amid the crowd asked, "What do we do?" "Theres no need to panic. Zhang shi would never do anything reckless. Since he dared to leap into the formation, he must have his own n!" Ruohuan gongzi assured. Others might not know Zhang shi well, but he knew that the other party would never do anything he was unconfident of. Considering how the other party jumped in without any hesitation, he must have a n in mind. "Indeed. Didnt Zhang shi tell us to prepare to receive the casualties? Since he said those words, he must have found a way to save the master teachers inside!" Luo Xuan added. "A n in mind? What n could hee up with? Even if he has a thorough understanding of formations, he still cant possibly stand against so many spirit beasts alone..." "That is unless he finds a way to circumvent the spirit beasts to save the others!" "Since Zhang shi was able to set up a grade-5 formation and achieve a breakthrough to the Cosmos Bridge realm so easily, he might just really aplish this impossible feat..." After a momentary discussion, the crowd turned their gazes back to the battlefield. Zhang Xuan had already disappeared amidst the thickyer of mist. It was impossible for him to fight against so many spirit beasts single-handedly. The only possible solution was for him to circumvent the spirit beasts and guide the master teachers out. However... there were several hundred spirit beasts in the Beguilement Formation. Even if Zhang shi knew how to navigate around the formation, was it really possible to circumvent all of them? Roar! Roar! Roar! While everyone was tense, ferocious roars abruptly sounded from the midst. It seemed like Zhang Xuan had encountered with some of the spirit beasts. "Did Zhang shi encounter the spirit beasts?" If that was really it, he would be in grave danger! "What do we do?" Anxious, everyone was tempted to rush in to help him. However, before they could even move, another wave of roars sounded. However, it wasnt a ferocious roar this time. Rather, it seemed like the spirit beasts had encountered something sinister and terrifying. It was tinged with fear and apprehension. Roar? Roar? Roar? Following which, screams of agony reverberated throughout the gorge, threatening to burst ones eardrum. Rather than Zhang shi, it seemed like it was the spirit beasts who were in danger... "What is going on?" Everyone stared at one another bewilderedly. Chapter 711: Tamed! Chapter 711: Tamed! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Within the mist, Zhang Xuan slowly advanced. Before his Eye of Insight, a grade-5 Beguilement Formation meant nothing to him at all. The spirit beasts and master teachers in the formation might be unable to see him, but he could see every single movement they were making as clear as day. With a swift motion, he silently snuck up to a spirit beast and struck it with his palm! Putong! The spirit beast immediately copsed to the ground. Having reached the Cosmos Bridge realm, his zhenqi strength had reached 5,500,000 ding, a mightparable to a Cosmos Bridge realm advanced stage expert. Even though the spirit beasts werent weak, how could they stand against such powerful might? (Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage 4,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 4,800,000 ding, advanced stage 5,600,000 ding, pinnacle 6,200,000 ding!) The spirit beast tried to struggle to its feet in order to fight its assant, but at that moment, a voice sounded by its ear. "Submit or die!" These words were spoken in the Ancient Beast Language. Roar! Given that the master teachers hade to the mountain to hunt them, it thought that the only option it had was to fight to its death. Thus, when Zhang Xuan presented an offer to the spirit beast, it hesitated. It could choose to fight its assant to the death, but having experienced the immense might of the other party, it knew that its chances of victory were extremely slim. After a short moment of contemtion, it gritted its teeth and kneeled down. As soon as it submitted, it felt a warm surge of energy flowing into its body. In an instant, not only did it recover from its injuries, its bloodline also became purer under the nourishment of the energy. "Roar?" The spirit beasts eyes reddened in agitation. It knew that this was a hard-toe-by opportunity for it to raise its cultivation, so it immediately bowed earnestly to express its submission. "Un." Following which, Zhang Xuan instructed the spirit beast to stay put before advancing ahead. Even though Elder Mo had said that these spirit beasts had hurt many innocent civilians, a life was still a life. If there was an option, he would rather tame them than kill them. Of course, if the spirit beasts refused to submit, he wouldnt hesitate to kill them either. On a battlefield, showing mercy to ones enemy was foolish. As he proceeded deeper into the mist, the screams of agony from the spirit beasts continued to echo ceaselessly in the gorge. As time passed, the number of tamed spirit beasts increased, and the casualties from the obstinate faction piled up as well. As Zhang Xuan headed from spirit beast to spirit beast in the formation, he also made use of this opportunity to absorb the spiritual energy in the air to advance and reinforce his cultivation. A whirlpool of spiritual energy had formed in the Beguilement Formation due to the burst of spiritual energy from the 520 middle-tier spirit stones. Since he could save some spirit stones, it would be a waste if he didnt make full use of this opportunity. Two hourster, he sessfully reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. At the same time, he had also finished dealing with the several hundred spirit beasts in the area. The only ones remaining in the area were those who chose to submit to him. Having reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, his strength had increased to 8,000,000 ding, a mightparable to Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage cultivators. Taking into ount the 4,000,000 ding from his physical body and 3,200,000 ding from his soul cultivation, he could match up to even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage expert. If he were to encounter that young man from the Yuan n once more, he would be able to defeat thetter easily even without using his clone. "I am done dealing with the spirit beasts. It should be fine to deactivate the formation now!" After scanning the area once more with his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan verified that he had finished dealing with all of the spirit beasts. With a chuckle, he stomped his feet. Hu! The formation came to a halt, the thick mist in the gorge abruptly vanished, and the battlefield came into sight once more. ... At the very center of the gorge, two hundred master teachers were sitting on the floor. Some were treating their own injuries while others were attempting to recover their zhenqi. They had followed the spirit beasts in hope of hunting them down, but who knew that it was actually a scheme, and they would end up being the prey instead. Nearly every single one of them had sustained significant injuries. If not for the Beguilement Formation the young man had set up, they might have all died by now. A pale-faced master teacher who was still recuperating from his injuries eximed, "I know that man, he is Zhang Xuan Zhang shi from Huanyu Empire! He possesses a half 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast. I had the honor of meeting him at the bazaar previously!" Even though he had only caught a glimpse of Zhang Xuan amidst the crowd back in the bazaar, he was still able to recognize thetter. This fellow had offered Transcendent Mortal 8-dan inner cores in exchange for Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals, and this matter had caused a huge storm in the bazaar. There were none who were present in the bazaar then who would be unfamiliar with his name. Just that, as only a small proportion of the thirty thousand freshmen had visited the bazaar, there were also many freshmen who were unaware of Zhang Xuans identity. "Half 9-dan tamed beast? Does that mean that theres hope for us?" A master teacher clenched his fists expectantly. "Its not that simple!" Another slightly older master teacher shook his head. "There are around four hundred spirit beasts here, and nearly half of them have reached Cosmos Bridge realm. On top of that, due to the narrow space in the gorge, this ce is highly disadvantageous to the Great Violetwing Beast, who specializes in speedy maneuvers. Even though the other party has set up a Beguilement Formation to rescue us, considering how it is unlikely that he will be able to maneuver through the formation himself, all it does is to dy the inevitable." A single spirit beast might not pose much of a threat, but surely several hundreds of them together would. If an army of soldiers were to strike simultaneously, even a top-notch expert could be destroyed. This was precisely how each royal family was able to maintain firm control over their nation. Such was the sight before them as well. The fact that four hundred spirit beasts were lying in wait to ambush them here meant that they had already formed an alliance. In this narrow gorge, an aerial spirit beast would find it hard to avoid all of the attacks from the spirit beast alliance. It would just be a matter of time before it was worn down and defeated. "Then... are we to just wait for death?" The master teachersplexion looked extremely awful. "Theres no point thinking about it. Lets just recuperate for the time being and face whateveres our way. Our only hope is for Elder Mo to notice the dire situation we are in ande over to save us. Theres nothing else we can do." The older master teacher sighed deeply. He was partially at fault for putting everyone into this crisis. It was his greed that had led them into this trap. "Wait, something is amiss. Ding shi, why do I hear screams of agony from the spirit beasts? Is it possible that Zhang shi is maneuvering around the formation to deal with them one by one?" another master teacher asked. Quite a few deste screams from the spirit beasts had sounded since the activation of the Beguilement Formation. Could someone be dealing with the spirit beasts? "You are too naive!" Ding shi shook his head. "The spirit beasts are clearly exploiting theck of visibility to lure us in. Even if that isnt the case, the sound is likely just an effect of the Beguilement Formation!" "Lure us in?" "Un. As a 4-star beast tamer, I can discern the emotions behind the voices of spirit beasts. Even though their voices sound anguished, there is an excited undertone to it... Clearly, they think of us as fish in a. They know that we are cornered, and they are waiting excitedly for the moment when the Beguilement Formation runs out of energy and copses!" Ding shi said. Even though he couldntprehend the Ancient Beast Language and couldntprehend the meaning behind the spirit beasts words, that didnt hinder him from perceiving their emotions. Their voices were intermixed with anguish and excitement. Perhaps, they might have found an idea to clear them in a single sweep. "Alright, lets focus on recuperating so that we can pull as many of those bastards down to the grave with us..." At this point, Ding shi was just about to advise the master teachers not to pin their hopes on the uncertain when the formation before them suddenly shook violently. Grim expressions surfaced on the master teachers faces in the area. Ding shi got to his feet and yelled furiously, "The formation is going to copse soon! Grab your weapons and prepare for battle..." Weng! But before he could finish his words, the thick mist concealing their sight vanishedpletely. Following which, they saw a young man slowly walking up to them. Everyone was dumbfounded. "Alright, you are saved!" the young man said calmly. "Saved?" Astounded by those words, everyone hurriedly turned to look at the surroundings, only to see the spirit beasts which had bared their fangs at them just a few hours ago kneeling on the floor respectfully. And walking through the kneeling spirit beasts, the young man resembled an indomitable conqueror. "This..." "They are all... tamed?" "Taming four hundred spirit beasts in just two hours?" Soon, everyone realized what was going on. However,ing to understand the reality of the situation only deepened their shock. Other beast tamers had to offer all kinds of artifacts and fawn on a spirit beast in order to persuade it to submit to them. Yet, just by setting up a Beguilement Formation, this young man had actually managed to tame so many spirit beasts within two hours... Was this for real? They werent the only shocked ones. Upon seeing the formation disappear, Ruohuan gongzi and the others also thought that they would be in for a difficult battle. However, upon seeing this sight, they nearly fainted from astonishment. How powerful must one be to tame four hundred spirit beasts in two hours... Brother, is there anything that can contain you in this universe? Amidst the shock, someone suddenly shouted, "Wait, something isnt quite right... Take a look at Zhang shis cultivation!" Hearing those words, everyones gazes fell on Zhang Xuan. That single nce made their bodies tremor uncontrobly, and they nearly fell from the stone tform. It was just a moment ago that Zhang shi had just reached the Cosmos Bridge realm. But currently, his strength felt perpetual, reminiscent of an unrelenting river. Somehow, it reminded them of the sight of myriad tributaries converging into an ocean. "Convergence of Myriad Tributaries, this is a sign of one being on the verge of reaching Perfect Harmonization realm. He has reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle!" "Didnt he just reach Cosmos Bridge realm a moment ago?" Rubbing their eyes forcefully, everyone felt as though they were going mad. They had all met top-notch geniuses who advanced swiftly in their cultivation, but never had they witnessed anything as stupefying as this. Right after a breakthrough, he actually shot from primary stage to pinnacle in a single breath... How the heck did he cultivate? Even bamboo shoots didnt grow as quickly as him! "Zhang shi must have used some kind of secret art to raise his cultivation so as to save them... Otherwise, how could he possibly tame so many spirit beasts within such a short period of time?" "Indeed! There are four hundred spirit beasts here. Unless one wields overwhelming strength, how could one win the loyalty of all of them?" The crowd clenched their fists tightly. As master teachers, they knew how difficult cultivating was, so they immediately discounted the possibility that Zhang Xuan had achieved a breakthrough. Instead, they thought that he had paid a heavy price using some secret art to temporarily raise his cultivation. Given that half of the spirit beasts present here possessed the strength of Cosmos Bridge realm, the only way to tame them quickly was to overpower them. His self-sacrificial spirit to save his fellow peers was indeed worthy of respect! Amidst everyones astonishment and admiration, Zhang Xuan suddenly announced, "The spirit beasts I have killed and tamed should provide sufficient points for all of you to clear the examination. Theres no need for you to hunt spirit beasts anymore; you should report back to the starting line." Following which, the young man leaped up the floating rock tforms. "Sufficient points for us to clear the examination?" "Zhang shi means that... he wants us to take these spirit beasts and inner cores back to clear the examination?" "But these are the spirit beasts he tamed and killed personally! Is he giving them to us? This..." Staring at the figure disappearing from the gorge, the crowd clenched their fists tightly, and their eyes reddened. To selflessly act with the welfare of humanity in mind... This was a true master teacher! Chapter 712: Myriad Anthive Queen Chapter 712: Myriad Anthive Queen Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After a moment of silence, Ding shi nced at the master teachers in the surroundings and asked, "Even though Zhang shi cares not for these spirit beasts, can we really... shamelessly im these spirit beasts for ourselves?" As master teachers, they had their pride and moralpass. "If not for Zhang shi, we might have died by now. If we were to im his hard work for ourselves after all that, we would be worse than beasts!" They already owed a debt of gratitude to Zhang shi for saving them. If they were to take the other partys items for themselves after all of that, how could they possibly face the other party in the future? How could they face their own consciences? Scanning the surroundings, Ding shi said, "Since everyone here shares the same thoughts, I have a suggestion!" At this moment, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and others from Huanyu Empires party had also scaled down the floating rock tforms and into the gorge. "Ding shi, please speak!" The crowds gaze fell on him. "Since Zhang shi told us to return, lets listen to his words. Well take these spirit beasts to report back at the starting line. However..." Ding shi suddenly paused. "Each of us shall only im a single point to clear the examination. We will ce whatever is left under Zhang shis name!" "It is only right that we do that!" "Indeed. These spirit beasts were tamed and killed by Zhang shi, of course we should put the points under his name!" ... Hearing those words, the crowd immediately nodded in agreement. Elder Mo had already said that the points were cumtive and transferable. Since these spirit beasts were tamed and killed by Zhang shi, they could just im a single point to pass the examination while passing the remaining sum to Zhang shi. Such respectable conduct should be made known to the teachers and elders of the academy! This was what they should do, and this was what they believed in as well. Having decided on the matter, the group quickly brought the spirit beasts and inner cores down the mountain. ... Oblivious of their decision, Zhang Xuan leaped out of the gorge and flitted alongside the cliff, headed to the top of the mountain. A conjecture of his had been confirmed while he was in the midst of taming the spirit beasts earlier on. Previously, when he realized that the spirit beasts were luring master teachers into an ambush they prepared orderly, a doubt had emerged in his mind... How did these fellows uncover the tracks of the master teachers and avoid the traps they hadid for them? After all, the spirit beasts that were in charge of luring the spirit beasts were only at Consonant Spirit realm. It was impossible for them to notice traps that even most master teachers had difficulty perceiving. Unless... someone had been guiding them from behind! With this deduction in mind, Zhang shi interrogated the spirit beasts he had tamed to gather news from them. Under his questioning, he managed to uncover some significant information. The reason they were able to precisely locate the master teachers and avoid their traps was indeed due to a spirit beast guiding them from the rear! Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage spirit beast... Myriad Anthive Queen! Through interrogating the spirit beasts, he had managed to uncover the mastermind behind the entire operation! The Myriad Ant was an extremely rare savage beast. It was around the size of an ant, and it was able to fly freely in the mountains without being noticed. These little things might mean nothing much to expertsthey could easily crush one with their fingersbut what was truly fearsome was the being that stood behind them... Anthive Queen! The Myriad Anthive Queen had a physiqueparable to a human. While it was incapable of flight, it could control several ten thousand Myriad Ants simultaneously to scout an area. The reason why those spirit beasts were able to notice the master teachers ambushes in advance was due to the Anthive Queen scouting via the Myriad Ants and rying the news. As Zhang Xuan advanced in the direction pointed out to him by the spirit beasts, with a deep frown on his forehead, he muttered, "Why would the Myriad Anthive Queen help those spirit beasts?" The Myriad Anthive Queen was a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast. On top of that, with so many Myriad Ants scouting in its stead, it could easily predict the movements of those that could pose a threat to it and take precautions in advance. As such, it was extremely difficult for the examinees to harm it! There was no reason for it to organize the other spirit beasts to deal with the humans! After all, if Elder Mo were to find out that it was doing so, it would be difficult for it to preserve its life. After some thought, Zhang Xuan was still unable to figure out the aims of the Myriad Anthive Queen. Thus, he shook this question out of his head. Its motive doesnt matter at all. What I am interested in is the Myriad Anthive Nest! Naturally, Zhang Xuan wasnt so magnanimous as to give the spirit beasts he had tamed and killed away to others. The only reason he did so was because he heard mention of the Myriad Anthive Queen, and there was an artifact that thetter possessed that he dearly wanted. Myriad Anthive Nest! It was through the Myriad Anthive Nest that the Myriad Anthive Queen was able to bring and summon Myriad Ants wherever it went! The Myriad Anthive Nest was simr to a storage ring, but its interior was imbued with spiritual energy, allowing lifeforms to survive in it. In other words, as long as there was sufficient space in the Myriad Anthive Nest, one could even put a human in it! As a storage ring wasnt suited for storing living beings, it was extremely troublesome for Zhang Xuan to switch ce with his clone. However, if he could obtain the Myriad Anthive Nest, he would be able to hide within it whenever he needed his clone to appear in public. In fact, he could even store the Great Violetwing Beast inside. He would be able to catch his opponent off-guard by summoning it in the midst of a battle. This was especially so given his identity as a beast tamer. He could store all of his tamed beasts inside the nest, and he would have a mobile army with him at all times! As such, he immediately rushed over as soon as the situation at the gorge cleared up. There was nothing more important than this at the moment. He was even willing to give the spirit beasts and tamed beasts to the master teachers just so that he could get to the Myriad Anthive Queen as soon as possible. After all, the Anthive Queen should have known by now that he had saved the master teachers. If it were to escape or hide, it would be difficult to find it once more. Through the Eye of Insight, he was able to see the usually indiscernible Myriad Ants clearly in the air. pping their wings furiously, they were all heading in a certain direction. Concealing his aura, Zhang Xuan silently followed behind them. Since these Myriad Ants had to report back to the Anthive Queen, he would surely be able to find thetter by following them. Given his current cultivation, there was no difficulty in hiding his presence from the Myriad Ants, who were mere savage beasts. Advancing ahead, he saw a few more groups of spirit beasts attempting to lure the examinees into a trap. However, seeing that the situation wasnt as dangerous as the previous encirclement, he chose not to interfere. An hourter, he reached the middle mark of Leiyuan Peak. At the current point, he was already several thousand meters above ground level, and the air was even colder than before. White clouds drifted in the surroundings, creating an illusion as if one were treading on clouds. The further Zhang Xuan proceeded up the mountain, the fewer examinees he saw. At this point, he barely saw anyone else anymore. Could the Anthive Queen be in the valley ahead? Watching as the Myriad Ants dive into a lush valley, Zhang Xuan chose to hide behind an enormous tree to assess the area inside before making a move. The valley was huge, extending far into the horizon. Around three hundred meters away, there was arge cavern hidden beneath the shadows. To think that there would be some familiar faces here... Zhang Xuan chuckled. There were two men standing at the entrance of the cavern, and surprisingly, Zhang Xuan was actually able to recognize them. They were Senior Feng and Brother Yu, the man who made the bet with him earlier before the examination! At this moment, the duo was standing outside the cavern with a burning incense stick in their hands. The smoke of the incense slowly drifted into the interior of the cavern. Beastscale Incense? Its no wonder that fellow dared to make the bet with me. It seems like he does have a trump card to fall back on... Upon seeing the incense, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Unlike normal incense sticks, the surface of the Beastscale Incense was marked with grayish inscriptions, reminiscent of scales. After lighting it with ones zhenqi, the smoke produced by the incense would drift in the direction determined by the will of the person who lit it. This item was crafted using the scales of high-tier spirit beasts, and it carried a unique scent that possessed a deadly charm to weaker spirit beasts. If they were to inhale too much of it, it could even lull them to sleep. Rumor had it that the method of producing Beastscale Incense had already been lost, so they were extremely rare and invaluable. It was probably due to this artifact that Brother Yu dared to make the bet with him. With this artifact in hand, he would be able to attract countless spirit beasts over to him easily. It seemed like that fellow had in quite a few spirit beasts and procured their inner cores already. As for the reason why they were here, could it be that they had noticed the Myriad Anthive Queen and intended to kill it? Standing in front of the cavern, Feng Wu asked in disbelief, "Brother Yu, is there really a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inside?" "Dont worry! I have made many preparations for this examination. Not only did I procure a Beastscale Incense, I even brought a few Seeking Mice here!" Brother Yu chuckled as a snow-white mouse jumped from his bosom. The Seeking Mouse was a unique savage beast that possessed an exceptionally sensitive nose. Once it locked onto a scent, it would be able to find the source even when worlds apart. Back then, when Lu Chong had been attacked by Lin Lang and hid in the royal pces Book Collection Vault, this creature had been the one that betrayed his location. "This... isnt an ordinary Seeking Mouse?" Taking a nce, Senior Feng realized that there was a ck streak trailing down from the Seeking Mouses head to its tail, and this had left him perplexed. He had seen a Seeking Mouse in the past as well, but he recalled its fur to bepletely white like snow. Why would it have a ck streak trailing down from its head? "Of course not. Considering how ordinary Seeking Mice are only savage beasts, how could they possibly urately pinpoint the location of spirit beasts? This is a mutated breed, Golden Seeking Mouse, and it has long reached the level of a spirit beast. What is unique about it is that it has been fed with the feces of high-tier spirit beast from young. Once let loose, it is able to track down all spirit beasts in a radius of several dozen kilometers!" Brother Yu stroked the Golden Seeking Mouse in his hand gleefully. He had spent a hefty price to purchase this Golden Seeking Mouse just so as to achieve results so astounding that he could attract the eyes of the elders to him. And from the looks of it... it seemed to be working as nned. "This Golden Seeking Mouse is the one that told me that there is a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inside..." Brother Yu chuckled. "Considering that it is a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast, what should we do if the Beastscale Incense fails to work on it?" Hearing the confirmation form the other party, Senior Feng still felt a little unnerved. His cultivation realm was only at Half-Cosmos Bridge whereas Brother Yus was at Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage. If the Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast managed to maintain its consciousness before the Beastscale Incense, their lives would be in danger. "It is not like you are unaware of the properties of the Beastscale Incense. Theres no spirit beast beneath Transcendent Mortal 8-dan that can withstand its potency. Furthermore... even if it fails, I still have other aces up my sleeves. You need not worry!" Brother Yu dered confidently. How could he possibly rush to this cavern knowing that there was a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inside if he hadnt prepared anything else! Other than the Beastscale Incense, he also had a grade-5 formation te in his possession. If that fellow really dared toe charging at them, that would be thest thing it ever did! Chapter 713: Taming the Anthive Queen Chapter 713: Taming the Anthive Queen Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though the Beastscale Incense has the effect of inducing drowsiness in spirit beasts, it is unlikely to work on the Myriad Anthive Queen! Taking the scene before him into sight, Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Beastscale Incense had a powerful trancing effect that would put even Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle spirit beasts to sleep with just a single whiff. However, it just so happened that the Myriad Anthive Queen was an exception. A lifeform that could control thousands of Myriad Antshow powerful must its soul be? How could it be easy to make it faint? If they were to continue down this path, they would be in trouble once the Myriad Anthive Queen emerged. I must get the Myriad Anthive Nest by all costs. It wont be easy for me to get the Anthive Nest once they realize that the spirit beast inside the cavern is the Anthive Queen... Zhang Xuan didnt worry about the safety of the duo. After all, how could one who could acquire even the invaluable Beastscale Incense not possibly have even more formidable life preservation means? What he was more concerned with at the moment was how he should keep the others from realizing what was inside! The Anthive Queen was an iparably rare spirit beast. Even if one were tob through the entire Hongyuan Empire, they might not be able to find a second one. To actually stumble upon one here already took a huge stroke of luck. If it were tond in the other partys hands, it would be impossible for him to get it back anymore. After all, who would be willing to give up an artifact capable of storing an army? Should I knock them out? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw as he contemted what he should do. The easiest way to obtain the Myriad Anthive Nest was for him to rush in. However, the duo was blocking the entrance to the cavern. To get past them, he would have to knock them out. But if Elder Mo found out and judged it as a vition of the rules, I might be deemed to have failed the examination. That would be a huge loss... As soon as such the thought came into his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly shook his head. He had little understanding of the capability of a Saint, so he couldnt tell whether Elder Mo had some way of enforcing the rules. Since thetter had spoken against harming other candidates topete for their prey, if he were to be caught knocking the other party out and taking the Myriad Anthive Queen, he couldnd himself in serious trouble. "Clone!" Thus, Zhang Xuan chose to summon his clone. Communicating telepathically with the other party, Zhang Xuan executed the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps while hiding himself amidst the lush tree crowns as he moved closer to the cavern. If he had used some movement technique instead, it was unavoidable that he would produce some noise. Such a problem wouldnt ur when he was in flight. As long as he didnt wish to be found, the other party wouldnt be able to notice him easily even if they had reached Perfect Harmonization realm. Soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at a location just several dozen meters away from the cavern, and he hid himself within the shrubs. ... "It has been some time since we lit the Beastscale Incense; the spirit beast inside should be asleep by now. Should we go in to take a look?" After multiple reassurances from Brother Yu, Senior Feng was finally able to put aside his worries. With nothing weighing on his mind, he couldnt help but flush in agitation at the thought of procuring a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inner core. Elder Mo had said earlier that rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit beast inner core was worth 1 point, a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast was worth 10 points with an increment of 10 points for each small cultivation realm higher, and a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast was worth 100 points with an increment of 100 points for each small cultivation realm higher... so on and so forth. Going by this calction, a Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage spirit beast inner core was worth 1000 points! This was equivalent to killing ten Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beasts! With such a score, he would be able to earn a good cing despite the strongpetition from the other examinees. "Theres no rush. A Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast possesses an exceptionally powerful soul. We should wait a little longer. It would be foolish to get careless now!" Brother Yu said. He was also excited by the situation before him, but he wasnt about to allow his anxiousness to get in the way of his sess. As confident as he was in the Beastscale Incense, he still felt that he should be careful considering that it was a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast he was dealing with. "Alright!" Senior Feng nodded with glowing eyes. "If we can hunt down this one, Brother Yus points will near 2000. By then, Zhang Xuan will surely be unable to catch up with you even with the help from his half 9-dan spirit beast!" Recalling the matters that had happened between him and Zhang Xuan, he couldnt help but feel slightly stifled. Defeated by a single finger of the other party, he was utterly humiliated to the point that his confidence was shattered. If Brother Yu could defeat the other party in his stead, he might just be able to reassemble the vestiges of his confidence. "No matter how powerful his tamed beast may be, he has to be able to find spirit beasts to hunt first. If he cant even find the spirit beasts, how can he obtain any points?" Brother Yu sneered coldly as confidence beamed on his face. So what if Zhang Xuan had a half 9-dan spirit beast? Given the other partys capability, he would only be able to find and hunt down a single Cosmos Bridge spirit beast. On the other hand, he was going to hunt down a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast! The other partys defeat was already inevitable! "Indeed..." Senior Feng nodded in agreement. But at that moment, a strong wind suddenly sounded beyond the valley. "Someone is here!" Brother Yus face darkened. Senior Feng also hurriedly turned his sights over. It wasnt easy for them to find such a formidable spirit beast. Sharing it with another was thest thing on their mind. Just as Brother Yu and Senior Feng tensed up warily, the sound of the wind suddenly stopped. Following which, a deep voice echoed. "Those are the marks of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast!" "Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast?" Hearing those words, Brother Yu and Senior Fengs eyebrows leaped in shock. To be found with such convenient timing, it couldnt be that the other party had followed them here to steal their prey from them, could it? Hu hu! However, it seemed like they were overthinking it. A strong gust of wind suddenly blew in the surroundings once more, but it gradually grew softer and softer. It seemed like the master teacher had gone off in another direction to pursue the Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast he had just spoken of. "Take care of the Beastscale Incense, Ill go take a look!" instructed Brother Yu before heading out of the valley, unable to hold back his curiosity. Could there really be another Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast here? Surely things couldnt be so coincidental? Thus, he dashed out of the forest, only to see a figure rushing up the mountain. However, the figure was already extremely far away, making it hard to identify him clearly. As for the marks of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast, hebed through the area several times but there was nothing at all. Now! At this moment, Senior Fengs curious gaze was also directed in the direction where Brother Yu left. The hidden Zhang Xuan chuckled softly, and hu!, he dived discreetly into the cavern without rming anyone. The one who eximed and fled earlier was Zhang Xuans clone. Naturally, his goal was to serve as a distraction so that Zhang Xuan could find an opportunity to slip in. Of course, he had his clone mask his voice and warp his appearance so that it was impossible for the matter to be traced back to him. Hu! After slipping into the cavern safely, Zhang Xuan immediately activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the surroundings. The interiors of the cavern were dark, cold, and damp. Ayer of Myriad Antsy unconscious on the ground, passed out under the potent effects of the Beastscale Incense. Since the Beastscale Incense could knock out even a normal Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, how could mere savage beasts possibly remain conscious before it? Zhang Xuan slowly ventured deeper into the cavern. A momentter, his eyes lit up. Not too far away, there was a hive around the size of a football hanging from the ceiling. However, it felt warm and smooth as if it was forged out of jade. With just a single nce, it was apparent that it was an extraordinary artifact. Beside the hive was a spirit beast with snow-white fur. With a plump physique, it was around the size of a human. From afar, it resembled a snowman. This is the Myriad Anthive Queen? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Hed only learnt about the Myriad Anthive Queen from a brief introduction in a book. There wasnt much of a description on its appearance, so Zhang Xuan had assumed that it would look as hideous as the Myriad Ants. Who knew that it would have such an adorable appearance instead? Hu hu hu! Deep in thought, Zhang Xuan failed to control his zhenqi for an instant. The next instant, the snowy white Myriad Anthive Queens eyes suddenly locked onto him. Sou! It abruptly pounced over, and its ws tore down upon Zhang Xuan. As expected of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast, it possessed astonishing offensive power. Before the w had even reached him, Zhang Xuan could already feel an immense pressure pushing down on him, threatening to tear him and the space around him to shreds. Perfect Harmonization reflected the eventual convergence of all paths of a cultivator. With this convergence, ones zhenqi would be denser, purer, and more aligned with nature, allowing one to harness greater strength. At the same time, such a convergence also nourished ones soul. A simple w it might be, but it was derived from a harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. Unimaginable might was harnessed behind that simple w. "Humph!" Knowing that it was toote to hide, Zhang Xuan gathered his might and countered with a fist. His zhenqi raged furiously in his body. The might of his Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation, along with the enhancement from his physical body and soul, granted him strengthparable to a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan. Kacha! The fist and w collided, and before the Myriad Anthive Queen could even process what was going on, its snowy body was suddenly sent spinning through midair. It crashed into a wall, leaving a huge dent in it. It was simply too weak to stand against Zhang Xuan in a sh of strength. If not for the resilient constitution that spirit beasts possessed, it might have died from that fist. Weng! After being sent flying in the first encounter, the Myriad Anthive Queen was forced to acknowledge the prowess of the man before it. Realizing the danger it was in, it hurriedly got onto its feet and dashed forward, intending to grab its hive before escaping. "You want to escape?" Knowing that it would be difficult for him to capture it once it escaped, Zhang Xuan stepped against the ground and executed the Heavens Path Movement Art. Hu! In the blink of an eye, he suddenly appeared in between the Myriad Anthive Nest and the Myriad Anthive Queen. With a surge of zhenqi, he sealed the air around the Myriad Anthive Queen, locking its movements. Given Zhang Xuans current strength, it would be difficult for a Perfect Harmonization realm expert to break through his seal. "Weng! Weng!" Seeing the human before it preventing it from getting its nest, the Myriad Anthive Queen panicked. Anxious, it bared its fangs, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. I must deal with it quickly... Zhang Xuan knew that he couldnt waste too much time on the Myriad Anthive Queen, especially since he had no way of telling when Senior Feng and Brother Yu woulde into the cavern. Furthermore, there were countless Myriad Ants sprawled all over the area. With their numbers, they would be a difficult foe to deal with once the effect of the Beastscale Incense wore off. Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan gathered his strength and stepped forward. His palm whipped forward swiftly, striking the furry head of the Myriad Anthive Queen. Peng! Under that powerful palm strike, the Myriad Anthive Queen was sent crashing back into the wall once more. Large mouthfuls of blood spilled from its mouth. This time, Zhang Xuan had utilized a significant portion of his strength. Even despite the resilient defenses of a spirit beast, the Myriad Anthive Queen still suffered severe injuries. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan gazed down on the grievously wounded Myriad Anthive Queen impassively. His throat vibrated slightly as he spoke in the Ancient Beast Language. "Submit to me and be my tamed beast, and I can heal you and raise your cultivation. Otherwise... be prepared to die!" After which, he flicked a surge of the incredibly pure Heavens Path zhenqi into the other partys body. As if a refreshing stream of water was cleansing its body, the Myriad Anthive Queen felt its pores opening up in rxation. Weng! Weng! Weng! After witnessing the incredible purity of the surge of zhenqi and its rapid recovery, the Myriad Anthive Queen realized that its life was no longer in its control, and hesitance would only lead to its demise. Thus, it lowered its head in submission. "Yes. Lets form the contract!" Knowing that the other party had chosen to submit after realizing that it was in a position of weakness, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. With the prowess of the Heavens Path zhenqi and Ancient Beast Language, taming spirit beasts had be easier than ever for him. There was no need for excessive words. "This..." Soon, after the contract waspleted, Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid breath. Following which, he nced at the hive before him with a peculiar expression. Chapter 714: Byzantium Helios Beast Chapter 714: Byzantium Helios Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After forming a contract with the Myriad Anthive Queen, a mental connection was forged between both of their souls. Through this connection, Zhang Xuan gained a level of understanding toward the Anthive Nest. Immersing his consciousness into the Anthive Nest to take a look, Zhang Xuans eyes began twitching uncontrobly. This football-size hive was indeed capable of housing lifeforms, however... the diameter of the area inside was only around two meters. At the very most, it could only store his body and the Anthive Queen simultaneously, nothing more than that. Zhang Xuans initial thought had been to store the Great Violetwing Beast inside as well and form a huge spirit beast army who would follow him wherever he went. However, from the way things currently looked... it seemed like this was destined to remain as nothing more than a dream! There are varying tiers to the Myriad Anthive Queens. The one which I have tamed is the weakest of the lot, so the hive it built is slightly on the weaker end as well. Unless I induce a Bloodline Evolution in it and raise its cultivation, its hive will only remain the same size forever... Soon, Zhang Xuan understood the reason behind this matter. The Myriad Anthive Queen hed tamed was the weakest among its peers. Due to the limit of its strength, the hive that it had built could only house itself. If Zhang Xuan wanted arger nest, he would have to find a way to raise the Myriad Anthive Queens cultivation. It was no wonder the Myriad Anthive Queen was able to remain safe on this mountain! In the eyes of a true expert, the functionality of such a hive was severely limited, and thus was not worth the effort! What the heck is this... Zhang Xuan had thought that hed stumbled on a gold mountain, but to think it would be rocks that were lying beneath the golden exterior. He could only smile bitterly to himself. "There are disturbances in the spiritual energy inside. Lets hurry in to take a look..." At that moment, a voice sounded outside the cavern. Following which, anxious footsteps could be heard. It seemed like Brother Yu and Senior Feng had noticed that something was amiss, and they were on their way in! Battling against the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Myriad Anthive Queen, there was no way that Zhang Xuan could conceal his aura. Considering the disturbance of spiritual energy in the surroundings and the loud crashing noise from the spirit beast crashing into the wall, how could they not have realized that something was amiss? "Lets take a look first!" A deep frown emerged on Zhang Xuans face. He immediately had the Myriad Anthive Queen enter the Anthive Nest before cing the Anthive Nest into the storage ring. Even though the Anthive Nest was a spatial artifact, it possessed certain unique properties that allowed it to be stored within a storage ring. Otherwise, if Zhang Xuan were to be carrying a football-sized object everywhere he went, even the most foolish of people would know that there was something wrong with it. Hu! After all was done, just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave, the footsteps seemed to have arrived at the entrance of the cavern. Following which, a Night Illumination Pearl was suddenly tossed in, lighting up the surroundings. This is bad! Not expecting the other party to have reached him so quickly, Zhang Xuan swiftly flicked his fingers. Peng! The Night Illumination Pearl which had just been tossed in immediately exploded, and the light was swiftly swallowed by darkness. Knowing that there was no time to be lost, Zhang Xuan stepped forcefully against the ground. Peng! Executing the Heavens Path Movement Art, Zhang Xuans figure suddenly vanished. Before Brother Yu and Senior Feng could process what was going on, a swift blur shed across their eyes. "Someone is here..." Astonished, the duo hurriedly put up their guards. However, the other party didnt seem to have any intention of fighting them. In the blink of an eye, the other party had already disappeared from view. "Who was it..." Brother Yu hurriedly gave chase. However, when he dashed out of the forest in the valley, there was no one in sight at all. "The spirit beast... is missing?" After which, he returned to the cavern tob the area. However, there was no spirit beast in sight either. Brother Yu and Senior Feng traded nces with one another. They would have to be a fool if they still couldnt understand what was going on! "Damn it... To think that the spirit beast which I knocked out with great difficulty was stolen! Who in the world is that b*stard?" Brother Yu bellowed furiously. From his point of view, he had already crippled the spirit beast through his Beastscale Incense, but a b*stard had sneaked in to kill and loot his prey. Otherwise, how could there be signs of battle but not a single Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast in sight? To think that the spirit beast hed spent so much Beastscale Incense on would end up as a gift for another. It was fortunate that he didnt explode on the spot. ... Outside the valley, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. That was a close call... It was fortunate that he had slipped out in time, or else his reputation could have been tarnished if the other party had insisted that hed stolen his possession. It was fortunate hed moved swiftly to destroy the Night Illumination Pearl, thus turning the cavernpletely dark. Otherwise, given the eye of discernment of the duo, they would have surely been able to recognize him. After ensuring that he was a safe distance away and that there was no one around, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and released the Anthive Queen. There were still some doubts that he had to rify with it. "Why did you offer your services to the spirit beasts to deal with the master teachers?" Based on Zhang Xuans understanding, the Myriad Anthive Queen was a callous being. Furthermore, it had no ties with the spirit beasts here, so why would it help them deal with the freshmen? Wasnt this just bringing itself unnecessary trouble? "Its... the Byzantium Helios Beast who forced me to do so!" the Anthive Queen replied. "Byzantium Helios Beast?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Having collected and assimted in countless books from the Beast Halls that he had visited, he had gained knowledge of most savage beasts and spirit beasts in the world. However, never had he heard of the Byzantium Helios Beast. What in the world was that? "Thats right! The Byzantium Helios Beast came by a few days ago, and hemanded me to offer help to the spirit beasts. On top of that, he even gathered all of the spirit beasts together and rallied them to unite against the humans..." The Anthive Queen revealed the truth of the incident. "You are saying that a Byzantium Helios Beast organized all of the spirit beasts across the entire Leiyuan Peak a few days ago so as to deal with the freshmen during the entrance examination?" Zhang Xuan asked with a grim expression. If the Byzantium Helios Beast truly intended to protect these spirit beasts, it could havemanded them to leave instead, especially considering that the warning came several days ago. The time interval was more than sufficient for them escape to a safe distance away! Yet, it chose to rally the spirit beasts against the humans... Could it be that the Byzantium Helios Beast... intended to deal with the budding stars of the Master Teacher Pavilion here? With a grave expression on his face, Zhang Xuan asked, "How strong is the Byzantium Helios Beast?" "I have no idea; I am unable to gauge the depths of its strength. The only thing I know is that I am no match for him at all..." The Anthive Queen shook its head. "Right, the Byzantium Helios Beast is currently at the very top of Leiyuan Peak. It is still personally overlooking the entire situation and issuingmands!" "At the top of Leiyuan Peak?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. What was the background of the Byzantium Helios Beast? Why would he rally the spirit beasts to fight against humans? "Yes!" The Anthive Queen nodded. After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan managed to get a clearer glimpse of the picture. However, this only served to deepen his doubts. The spirit beasts across Leiyuan Peak were indeed captured and released here by Elder Mo. However, a few days ago, the Byzantium Helios Beast appeared from nowhere and rallied the spirit beasts to cooperate with one another to deal with the humans. So as to not be the sacrificial tool for the humans, those spirit beasts immediately agreed to cooperate with it. Due to the unique capabilities of the Myriad Anthive Queen, it was given the role of gathering intelligence. On the other hand, the Byzantium Helios Beast was serving as themander of the entire operation, issuing instructions to the spirit beasts to gather and encircle the master teachers so as to destroy them. Returning the Anthive Queen to the hive, Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw and fell into deep thought. If we allow the Byzantium Helios Beast to continue issuing instructions to the spirit beasts, many examinees will surely be killed... Everyone participated in this entrance examination understanding that there was a clear risk of death, but there was a huge difference if someone was pulling the strings from behind the scenes to deal with the master teachers. While it was a huge pity to see so many genius master teachers fall here, what Zhang Xuan was even more furious about was being yed for a fool by a spirit beast. "Allow me to see what kind of incredible being the Byzantium Helios Beast is!" For a mere spirit beast to disregard Elder Mo and the Master Teacher Academy and tamper with the entrance examinations, intending to do the examinees harm, Zhang Xuan was interested to see what kind of incredible existence the other party would be. Thus, turning his gaze toward the peak, Zhang Xuan began making his way up. Leiyuan Peak was over 10,000 meters tall. The area beyond the halfway mark was cloaked with a deepyer of snow, and the terrain was treacherously steep. Without half a day of arduous effort, it should have been impossible for anyone to reach the peak. However, through the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, it took Zhang Xuan a mere ten minutes of flight to reach his destination. The area at the top of the peak was rather vast, spanning several li. A whiteyer of snow cloaked the bare peak, creating a natural mirror which threatened to sear ones eyes through the reflected sun rays. With Zhang Xuans cultivation, he couldnt possibly be harmed by mere sun rays. Nevertheless, the endless white snow in sight was extremely taxing on the eyes. Thus, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning the area. Without understanding the true strength of the Byzantium Helios Beast, Zhang Xuan knew better than to act recklessly. Thus, he switched to a set of white clothes to blend in with his surroundings before slowly advancing while keeping his body close to the ground. There are spirit beast footprints ahead! After a moment of flight, Zhang Xuan soon noticed a set of massive footprints heading in a specific direction. These footprints were roughly half a meterrge, and they were deeply depressed in the thickyer of snow. This indicated that the owner of the footprints possessed an exceptionallyrge and heavy body. What spirit beast is this? Zhang Xuan frowned, perplexed. These footprints were somewhat simr to a human, but there were some differing features, the main one being the size. Having read many books regarding beast taming, Zhang Xuan was confident in his knowledge regarding savage beasts and spirit beasts. Even rare beings like the Myriad Anthive Queen werent beyond him. Yet, the footprints before him felt extremely foreign. Nevertheless, through the footprints, I will be able to track it down. My answer will lie at the end of this trail... Knowing that the mystery would be resolved at the end of the trail of footprints, Zhang Xuan hurried forward. After a moment of flight, a massive straw cottage came into view. The footsteps disappeared at the doorstep of the straw cottage. A straw cottage? Could it be that... someone is living here? Spirit beasts usually resided in caves and such. Since there was a straw cottage here, did it mean that this was the residence of a human? And for the massive footprints which led to the straw cottage, did it mean that the spirit beast was actually a tamed beast of this human? If that was the case, what motives did that human have? Or perhaps... could it be an Otherworldly Demon? This would exin the motive behind rallying the spirit beasts against the master teachers, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. If one had to name a race which bore deep hostility toward the master teachers, the Otherworldly Demons were surely the first toe to mind. Considering how the Byzantium Helios Beast hadmanded the spirit beasts to deal with the master teachers, there was indeed a real possibility that Otherworldly Demons were pulling the strings! Otherwise, why would anyone build a straw cottage on the top of this deste snow mountain and live here? At this moment, all of the pieces of the puzzle seemed to snap together. I should take a look first... With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan slowly approached while holding his breath so as to prevent his aura from leaking out. As expected, he soon noticed a massive spirit beast lying within the straw cottage through the opened doors. Its massive eyes were lightly shut, making it difficult to tell whether it was awake or asleep. Is this the Byzantium Helios Beast that the Myriad Anthive Queen spoke about? Theres no spirit beast in mind that matches its description... The massive spirit beast in front of him was covered in a slightly grayish fur, reminiscent of a massive ape. It was a species which Zhang Xuan had never heard of, and this made him frown in frustration. If it was a species unknown to him, there would be no record of the other partys strength, personality, and ability either. A foreign spirit beast whose cultivation exceeded Transcendent Mortal 7-dan. Even for Zhang Xuan, this was a fearsome power to reckon with. Hu hu hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to approach to scout the situation, the sound of wind suddenly echoed from afar. An aerial spirit beast slowly flew over from the distance. This fellow carried an astonishing aura that exerted an immense pressure even from a distance away. A Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast. "It must be in cahoots with the Byzantium Helios Beast!" Seeing how that huge fellow rushed in without concealing its aura, and how the Byzantium Helios Beat didnt seem to pay the matter any heed either, Zhang Xuan could tell that the two were well-acquainted with one another. Thus, he slowly lowered himself to the ground and hid amidst the snow. His movements were extremely light, and his clothes camouged with the surroundings as well. Even with the aerial view of that flying Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, it still failed to notice him. Chapter 715: Poor Brother Yu Chapter 715: Poor Brother Yu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! The Transcendent Mortal 7-dan aerial spirit beastnded right before the straw cottage. As it withdrew its wings, the massive gale from its movements lifted a cloud of snow from the ground. Roar! After descending to the ground, the aerial spirit beast howled. Had any other beast tamer been here in Zhang Xuans ce, he would surely have been at a loss as to what was happening. However, fluent in the Ancient Beast Language, Zhang Xuan was able toprehend the intent he was conveying through the roar. "Lord, I have carried out your instructions and trapped those master teachers! There are at least three hundred to a thousand of them encircled at the moment, and most of them are injured!" the aerial spirit beast said. Upon reaching the Transcendent Mortal realm, spirit beasts would acquire intelligence that was on par with humans. Even though they were still incapable ofplex arts such as the setting up of formations and forging of weapons, they were already capable of analyzing the situation as a whole and carrying out orders. Take Zhang Xuans tamed beast for example, the Great Violetwing Beast. To exact vengeance for the Draconic Granite Beast, it had wreaked havoc upon the Huanyu Empire Beast Hall multiple times. However, while it was doing so, it would assess the situation before striking. For example, there was a period of time when a 6-star beast tamer was brought in to deal with it, but it wisely chose to steer clear during that period of time, leaving the Beast Hallpletely helpless before it. As expected, they are intending to deal with the master teachers on the mountain! Hearing the words from the aerial spirit beast, Zhang Xuans expression turned livid. Considering how this spirit beast had reached Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and was capable of flight, there were nearly no master teachers on the mountain who possessed the means to rival it on the peak! Eight out of ten of the examinees were still at the rifying Turbidity realm while the rest were mainly at the Consonant Spirit realm. Even though a very small handful such as Brother Yu had reached Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage, they were still far from matching up to this Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast! Not to mention, it was ruling over countless savage spirit beasts at that! Judging from the aerial spirit beasts report, it seemed the master teachers Zhang Xuan had saved were only a portion of the victims in this scheme. Considering how these two fellows had actually dared toy their hands on the freshmen of the Master Teacher Academy, there was an extremely good chance that they had a close rtionship with the Otherworldly Demons. Even if that wasnt the case, it was clear that they were hostile toward humans. "Well done!" The Byzantium Helios Beast climbed to its feet, and it slowly walked out of the straw cottage. Its movements were slow and casual, but it was brimming with power. Zhang Xuan felt as if he were staring into an abyss, leaving him incapable of determining the depths of the other partys cultivation. Eye of Insight! Several lines rippled in Zhang Xuans eyes as he tried to peer into the other partys cultivation. But to his shock, he realized that even the Eye of Insight was incapable of seeing through the other party. Could this mean that... the Byzantium Helios Beast has reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan... or even beyond that? While Zhang Xuans current cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, his fighting prowess was already on par with a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage cultivator. As such, his Eye of Insight was capable of seeing through the might of a weaker Transcendent Mortal 9-dan spirit beast. Yet, he was unable to see through the mountain-like fellow before him. Did this mean that the other party had reached a deep mastery in Transcendent Mortal 9-dan? Or perhaps... had the other party surpassed the limits of a Transcendent Mortal already? Beyond the 9-dans of Transcendent Mortaly Half-Saint! A spirit beast of this level was known as a saint beast. If that was the case, this would exin why Zhang Xuan had never heard of the Byzantium Helios Beast. Given the Huanyu Empire Beast Halls tier, there was no one who was sufficiently powerful to record books regarding saint beasts. Overwhelmed with astonishment, Zhang Xuan identally caused a slight disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy. This action immediately attracted the Byzantium Helios Beasts attention, and it turned its head over. Startled, Zhang Xuan hurriedly retracted his gaze and focused his efforts on concealing his presence. With Zhang Xuans current ability, even dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast would pose a huge threat, needless to say a Half-Saint beast! With the incredible pure Heavens Path zhenqi and his refined control over his physical body, Zhang Xuan was able to conceal his presence thoroughly. Even a Saint would find it hard to notice him. After ncing over momentarily, the Byzantium Helios Beast didnt seem to notice anything of interest, so it chose to turn its attention back to the aerial spirit beast. "Has any master teachers noticed yet?" the Byzantium Helios Beast asked. "Not yet. However, the two hundred master teachers trapped at Heavens Thread have been saved by someone, and..." At this point, the aerial spirit beast suddenly stopped. Its face was marked with hesitance, and it seemed as if he could hardly believe what he was about to say as well. "And what?" The Byzantium Helios Beast gazed deeply at the aerial spirit beast, and in that instant, it felt as if the sky was pressing down on them. Saint beast! Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped in shock. Even though his gaze was no longer on the duo for fear of being noticed, he was familiar with this immense pressure. It was something he had felt from Elder Mo before themencement of the entrance examination! In other words, the other party wasnt a Half-Saint or a Nascent Saint but a true Saint! To think that it was a Saint who had plotted the scheme against the examinees... Cold sweat immediately trickled down Zhang Xuans back! Even if all of the examinees were to gather at this spot, they would still be no match for the other party! This was the immense might that a true Saint possessed! "Furthermore, all of the spirit beasts assigned to Heavens Thread have terminatedmunications with me. It seems that... they have betrayed us!" the aerial spirit beast reported. "They have terminatedmunications? To dare betray me, they sure are brazen..." The Byzantium Helios Beast narrowed its eyes. "Who are they? Ill teach them a lesson after this matteres to an end!" "Its the Bluebacked Ferocious Bear, Steelfang Panther, Southern Yellow Tiger, Metal-arm Ape... These, and the Anthive Myriad Queen as well!" the aerial spirit beast said. After hearing that even the Myriad Anthive Queen had terminatedmunications as well, the Byzantium Helios Beast asked seriously, "The Myriad Anthive Queen as well? Have you looked into the matter yet?" The Myriad Anthive Queen was the source of its information. Even with the prowess of a Saint, the Byzantium Helios Beast was still unable to extend its radar across the entire Leiyuan Peak to keep track of the movements of the master teachers. "I suspect that it has been killed!" the aerial spirit beast replied. "After losingmunications with the Anthive Queen, I flew to its nest and saw two master teachers snooping suspiciously around the area with a Beastscale Incense in hand..." "Beastscale Incense? That artifact has the effect of inducing drowsiness in one. Are they intending toy their hands on the Anthive Queen?" The Byzantium Helios Beast roared furiously, and the pressure pushing down on the mountain peak suddenly intensified, as if reflecting its rage. "Im afraid that seems to be the case. After knocking the two fellows out, Ibed through the cavern, and while I saw marks of battle, I wasnt able to find the Anthive Queen itself. Thus, I took their storage rings thinking that I might find traces of the Anthive Queen inside." Under the rage of the Byzantium Helios Beast, the aerial spirit beast hurriedly exined with a trembling body, "As a spirit beast, I dont possess zhenqi, so I am unable to ess the storage ring to ascertain whether the Anthive Queen has been captured or killed by them." Following which, the aerial spirit beast raised its giant ws, and two storage rings came flying toward the Byzantium Helios Beast. There were two conditions to opening a storage ring. First, one had to be the owner of the storage ring, or the storage ring had to be ownerless. Second, one had to possess zhenqi. For some reason, the Byzantium Helios Beast had ordered them strictly against killing any of the master teachers in this operation, so Senior Feng and Brother Yu were still alive. On top of that, he didnt possess zhenqi, so he was unable to ess the interiors of the storage ring. "Allow me to take a look!" While the rules above applied for most cases, with its immense might as a saint beast, the Byzantium Helios Beast could still ess the storage ring through brute force. After grabbing hold of the rings, it ced its massive ws on it. Following which, an overwhelmingly powerful soul seeped into the storage ring. A momentter, the Byzantium Helios Beast shook its head and said, "The Myriad Anthive Queen isnt inside, and there is no inner core either. Most likely, it managed to escape from them. You should try looking for it once more." "Yes!" Hearing that itspanion was fine, the aerial spirit beast heaved a sigh of relief. While the Soul Imprints were forcefully wiped off the storage rings, two unconscious figures lying halfway up the mountain suddenly spurted blood simultaneously before waking up. They were Brother Yu and Senior Feng, who had been knocked out by the aerial spirit beast just a moment ago. The forceful erasure of their Soul Imprints had inflicted internal injuries on them, leaving them with splitting headaches. "My clothes and storage ring..." Lowering their heads, the duo suddenly froze for an instant before their bodies started trembling. Fearing that they might have hidden some other storage rings on them, the aerial spirit beasts had taken away their clothes as well. As a result, not only were the possessions of the duo taken away, they were also stark naked at the moment. "What the heck is this?" They were there to hunt spirit beasts, but to think that they would end up being stripped clean by the other party instead... They would have understood it if it had just been their storage rings, but for their clothes to have been taken away as well... What the heck was going on? Could it be that... the spirit beasts werent just interested their possessions but their bodies as well? With such a thought in mind, the duo hurriedly turned their gazes downward to look at their own bodies. Seeing that there were no signs of being taken advantage of, the duo heaved a slight sigh of relief. This was perhaps their only blessing amidst this misfortune. It was only a while earlier that Brother Yu had dered confidently that he wouldpete with Zhang Xuan to see who was the superior one when such a situation urred. How was he supposed to emerge victorious in such a state? Putting asidepeting with Zhang Xuan, he didnt even have a single inner core, putting him at risk of failing the examination! What the heck was this! While the other master teachers were gathering the skin, bones, and even inner cores of the spirit beasts, they were losing their storage rings and clothes... It was fortunate that no one had seen them in their current state. Otherwise, they would have been too ashamed to face the world. Standing up, Brother Yu hurriedly searched for a sufficientlyrge tree leaf to conceal his private parts. After which, with an indignant expression on his face, he said, "Lets quickly hunt down a few spirit beasts to make some clothes first... We can decide what to do afterward!" "Yes!" Senior Feng nodded in agreement. The urgent matter at hand was to find something to wear. It was embarrassing to run around with ones bottom bare in public, even if there was no one around! "It is fortunate that the Beastscale Incense is still here. With this, we can hunt even Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts easily..." After wrapping ayer of tree leaves around his waist, Brother Yu looked around the area and saw a half-burnt Beastscale Incense lying in the vicinity. It seemed that the spirit beast who had attacked them hadnt taken it away from them. Seeing that he still had this artifact with him, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. As long as he still had the Beastscale Incense, there was still a chance that he could make aeback. After all, while Zhang shi might not be weak, defeating a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast would likely be his limit. On the other hand, with the Beastscale Incense, they could easily hunt down any Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beast and procure their inner cores. "Lets hurry!" After covering whatever that needed to carry with leaves and vines, the duo hurriedly headed to the top of the mountain. The higher up the mountain, the more likely it was that they would encounter stronger spirit beasts. With half of the time gone, their only hope of making aeback was to go for quality instead of quantity. As they flitted swiftly through the forest, the leaves on their waists swayed, revealing a sight consisting of both fairness and darkness... ... "As long as the Myriad Anthive Queen is still alive, it will surely send its Myriad Ants to liaise with us soon. But until that happens, youll have to fill in for it and ensure that everything goes ording to n!" At the pinnacle of Leiyuan Peak, the Byzantium Helios Beast gave the aerial spirit beast its orders. The aerial spirit beast nodded its massive head and confidently replied, "Dont worry!" Without the Myriad Anthive Queen to ry messages here and there, they could only depend on this aerial spirit beast to scout the area and ry messages around. "You can leave now!" The Byzantium Helios Beast waved its massive ws. "Yes!" The aerial spirit beast nodded before spreading its wings and soaring into the sky. After a short moment, it had already disappeared from view. After the departure of the aerial spirit beast, the Byzantium Helios Beasts body tightened, and its massive body floated up slightly. It turned its head to the side to nce at a certain direction with a sharp gleam in its eyes. "That fellow hiding over there, you cane out now!" This wasnt spoken in the Ancient Beast Language but in the human tongue. "So, I have been noticed..." The Byzantium Helios Beast was looking directly at where Zhang Xuan was hiding. Realizing that he had been spotted, Zhang Xuans body stiffened, and the blood running through his veins froze. He thought that he had done a good job hiding his presence, but to think that... he was still discovered! Chapter 716: Rip Him a New One Chapter 716: Rip Him a New One Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 But this was to be expected! Perhaps a Half-Saint or Nascent Saint might find it difficult to notice him when his aura waspletely concealed, but the same tricks would not work on a Saint. Upon reaching Sainthood, ones entirety would bepletely aligned with nature. The authority of nature would be imbued into every single gesture and movement of one. Even if Zhang Xuan had been buried deep inside the snow, it was likely that the Byzantium Helios Beast would still have been able to notice him. Just like how Transcendent Mortals were higher existences to Fighters, Saints were superior existences to Transcendent Mortals. I was still noticed in the end. Knowing that there was little point to continue hiding, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath before standing up. It should have been that slight spiritual energy disturbance which hed caused by a slight mistake earlier that had betrayed his presence. Most likely, the only reason the Byzantium Helios Beast allowed Zhang Xuan to continue listening to their conversation was because it was certain that he was unable toprehend the Ancient Beast Language. Thus, there was no worry about information leaking out. As such, it decided to first finish the discussion with the aerial spirit beast before dragging Zhang Xuan out from his hiding ce. The Byzantium Helios Beast assessed Zhang Xuan and asked, "You are a new student in the Master Teacher Academy?" Upon reaching Sainthood, spirit beasts would undergo an evolution which allowed them to speak human speech. "Yes!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to y any tricks before the other party, Zhang Xuan nodded obediently. "To be able to reach Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle and find this location despite having yet to officially enroll at the academy, you are truly not bad at all. Even if you arent the top of this batch, you wont be too far from that." After taking a look at Zhang Xuans cultivation, the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded in agreement. "Its nothing much!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly in response. At the same time, his hands were fiddling behind his back, seemingly trying to do something. "Dont try those little tricks with me... I cant guarantee you that Ill be able to control my temper!" Noticing the little actions Zhang Xuan was up to, the Byzantium Helios Beast harrumphed. "Temper?" Zhang Xuan shook his head as he assessed the Byzantium Helios Beast impassively. "Those are my words. Im afraid that I might just lose control myself and identally pummel you to death!" "What did you say?" The Byzantium Helios Beast was visibly stunned by the arrogant words spouted by the young man before it. As the shock gradually retreated, fury swiftly took its ce. It was a saint beast whereas the other party was nothing more than a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator. Even without moving a single inch, it could kill that young man with just its soul itself. Yet, the other party still dared to threaten it, saying that he couldnt control his temper and might pummel it to death? Do you know what kind of existence you are speaking to? Conceited fool! "You seem to be very confident in yourself." With a livid face, the Byzantium Helios Beast harrumphed coldly. A zing fury ignited in its eyes, threatening to burn down everything in sight. "This is not confidence; I am merely stating a fact. Alright, Ill give you a chance. As long as you acknowledge me as your master, I can spare you from death," Zhang Xuan said casually with his hands behind his back, seemingly thinking nothing of the situation before him at all. "It is always the ignorant who are fearless, it seems you have no idea who you are speaking to. Since thats the case, allow me to hammer humility into your bones!" Not expecting that an existence which was little more than an ant to it would arrogantlymand it to acknowledge him as its master, even boasting to kill it should it refuse the offer, the face of the Byzantium Helios Beast turned livid. The fur across its entire body suddenly rose in fury, and with a wrathful roar, it abruptly raised its palm. Hu! A dense congregation of spiritual energy gathered instantaneously to form a massive palm that seemed to cover the entire sky. It felt as if the entire mountain could be ttened should the Byzantium Helios Beast will for it to happen. Saint beasts might still be unable to cultivate zhenqi, but in exchange, they possessed earth-shattering physical might that could move mountains and split oceans. Putting aside a mere mountain, even wiping away an entire nation such as Tianxuan Kingdom was as easy as breathing to it. Before the palm could evennd, the immense pressure from the palm had already melted the thickyer of snow in the area. It felt as if aet was hurtling toward this area. "Hammer humility into my bones? I wonder who the one being arrogant here is..." Zhang Xuan stoodposed even before the devastating might of the palm. Instead, he chuckled lightly and pped. "Vicious, rip him a new one!" Even against a Saint, Zhang Xuan had his own trump cards as well. The twenty or so puppets he had obtained from the underground chamber all possessed the might of a Saint. Beating a Saint 1-dan saint beast should be no trouble at all! After all, the supreme existence which had boasted to rival Kong shi in a fight in the past was lying right in his hands... Vicious! This fellow might be trapped in the Book of Heavens Path at the moment, leaving him immobilized and vulnerable, but his strength was still no joke. Even if ten Byzantium Helios Beasts were to turn up, it would be far from sufficient to ughter him! Boom! As Zhang Xuan raised his hand, an opened book suddenly appeared above his palm. A beating heart could be seen on a page in the book. "Break!"manded an authoritative voice. Hu! It was as if the word carried some mystical might. The palm which the Byzantium Helios Beast struck out suddenly shattered like ss, turning into spiritual energy that dissipated swiftly into the surroundings. "What..." Seeing how the young mans artifact overcame his attack just by uttering a single word, the eyes of the Byzantium Helios Beast narrowed in astonishment. With a cultivation realm of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, its true strength ranked among the top experts of Hongyuan Empire! It thought that dealing with a Cosmos Bridge realm brat would be a walk in the park, but who knew that the other party would possess an artifact which could ovee its attack with just a single word? Run! An ominous foreboding gripped the Byzantium Helios Beast. True to its instincts, it leaped into the sky without any hesitation. Even though it didnt possess wings, as a saint beast, it was still capable of flight. It didnt fear the young man; what it feared was the enigmatic artifact the other party wielded. Unsure of the capabilities of the artifact, the Byzantium Helios Beast chose to run away and rally additional help to deal with the young man instead of taking the risk. "You wish to escape before my presence? Dream on!" Barely after flying to a height of several dozen meters, a frigid voice suddenly sounded below. Following which, an overwhelming killing intent suddenly assaulted the Byzantium Helios Beasts mind, leaving its consciousness nk. Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... That momentarypse in its consciousness dispelled the force which was levitating the Byzantium Helios Beast, resulting in its plummet from the sky. Putong! It fell head first into the snow. "Little Vicious, not bad at all. It seems you arent all talk!" Not expecting Vicious to be so formidable, crushing the Byzantium Helios Beasts attack with a single utterance and felling it with a single thought, Zhang Xuan stroked the heart in the book inmendation. "..." Vicious twitched violently in response to the praise, unable to utter a single word in response. The Byzantium Helios Beast also happened to see this sight just as it raised its head off the surface of the ground, and it nearly spurted blood. Even though it had no idea what was sealed in the book, there was no doubt that the being inside was an existence that used to stand at the very top of this continent. The Byzantium Helios Beast had suspected that it might be the young mans teacher or guardian, but who could have thought... The young man would actually stroke the supreme expert as if he were a pug! Wasnt there something very wrong with this picture here! Who in the world was the young man? That killing intent... That heart is most probably an expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, could this young man be an Otherworldly Demon who is hoping to infiltrate the Master Teacher Academy? Upon realizing this possibility, the Byzantium Helios Beast suddenly felt its blood turn cold. Legend has it that the royal family of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed the ability to disguise themselves as humans and even master teachers, and no one would be able to tell the difference. Back then, there was one such Otherworldly Demon that had sessfully infiltrated the core group of the master teachers. With the secrets it had obtained, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had nearly crushed the Master Teacher Pavilion. If not for Kong shis astuteness which led him to notice that something was amiss, the ones who would be ruling the Master Teacher Continent now would be the Otherworldly Demons and not the human race! No matter how it looked at the young man, he was no different from an ordinary human. Could he really be Otherworldly Demon royalty? Otherwise, how could he possibly get off unscathed after treating such a powerful expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe like a dog? "I will kill you..." Realizing the potential threat that the young man posed to the Master Teacher Pavilion, the eyes of the Byzantium Helios Beast immediately turned crimson in rage. If its conjecture was right, it would have to stop this young man from getting into the Master Teacher Academy at all costs. Otherwise, who knew what kind of danger he would bring upon the academy or even the entire human race in the future? Hu! Pushing against the ground, the Byzantium Helios Beast suddenly lunged toward Zhang Xuan like a bolt of lightning. With the astounding might it possessed in its body and the frightening speed it was moving at, there was little doubt that Zhang Xuan would be reduced to dust if its body were to crash into him. Vicious was still contemting how he should negotiate with Zhang Xuan regarding his release considering the merits he had just achieved when he noticed the Byzantium Helios Beast charging over once more. Angry that the other party was getting in his way, it bellowed furiously, "Kneel down!" Just because I am sealed in a book now doesnt mean that you can climb over my head! To dare to kill a Celestial Master Teacher recognized by the heavens itself, as well as the man who governs my fate, how brazen you are! Boom! With his bellow, the unique killing intent which Otherworldly Demons possessed assaulted the Byzantium Helios Beasts mind once more. As if a fly swatted down, thetter immediately crashed into the ground and slid uncontrobly. While Vicious strength was severely impaired at the moment, dealing with a mere Saint 1-dan beast was not much different from smacking a mosquito. Suppressed on the ground by an incredible force, the Byzantium Helios Beast red at Zhang Xuan with crimson eyes. It bellowed frenziedly in indignation, "Damn you, I will rip you into pieces..." "You are so eager to kill me?" Seeing the other partys attitude, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Thispdog of the Otherworldly Demons sure was arrogant! It must have realized the threat he posed to the Otherworldly Demons due to his superior talent, so it had decided to end him while his abilities hadnt matured yet. "Thats right! Even if it costs my life, Ill drag you down to hell with me!" the Byzantium Helios Beast roared. "I see..." Those words had helped Zhang Xuan make up his mind. Snapping his finger, he pointed to the Byzantium Helios Beast and ordered, "Put your feet in that beast!" Hu! All of a sudden, twenty puppets suddenly materialized amidst the white snow. Since that fellow was bent on killing him, there was no need to stand on ceremony with it. Roar! The puppets roared simultaneously as they stormed forward furiously. Hu! The first puppet to arrive nted its feet right into the Byzantium Helios Beasts face, sending it flying into the air. Before thetter could even respond, another puppet that had been lying in wait behind shot a fist onto its back, pushing it back to the ground. Peng peng peng peng! The Byzantium Helios Beast was thrown around the ce, and bright, red swellings swiftly emerged all over its body. Large mouthfuls of blood spilled from its mouth. Otherworldly Demon puppets? As expected, he is a member of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes royal family... Damn it, damn it! The appearance of so many Otherworldly Demon puppets at once only served to reinforce the Byzantium Helios Beasts conjecture. After all, other than the royal family of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, who else couldmand such a powerful expert and so many Otherworldly Demon puppets? Rage and indignation permeated its soul. If only it had noticed earlier and killed the young man swiftly, he could have avoided a cmity. But s, it was toote now... Under the assault of twenty Saint 1-dan puppets, it waspletely helpless! Not to mention, it was currently immobilized by the killing intent from the heart! After countless fists and kicks hadnded on its body, the Byzantium Helios Beast found its sight slowly darkening, and its consciousness was slowly drifting away. Just as the Byzantium Helios Beast thought that it would be killed, the impassive voice of the young man suddenly sounded once more. "How about now? Have you changed your mind yet? If you acknowledge me as your master, I can spare you from death!" Chapter 717: The Miserable Byzantium Helios Beast Chapter 717: The Miserable Byzantium Helios Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At the foot of Leiyuan Peak, with the swift sh of a shadow, a human and a saint beastnded on the ground. "Elder Mo!" The human stepped forward and sped his fist with a smile. "Pavilion Master Mo!" Elder Mo hurriedly returned the greetings. The person who had just arrived was none other than the pavilion master of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Mo Gaoyuan! Even though he wasnt a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers, his standing and capability was on par with them. "Langya Saint Beast!" Elder Mo turned to the saint beast by the side and sped his fist in greeting as well. Mo Gaoyuans tamed beast, Saint 1-dan primary stage Langya Saint Beast! As fellow Saints, there was a need to maintain basic ceremonial respect. "Greetings to Elder Mo!" The Langya Saint Beast replied in human tongue. After the formalities, Elder Mo turned to Mo Gaoyuan and asked doubtfully, "May I know the reason behind Pavilion Master Mo and Langya Saint Beasts arrival?" The Master Teacher Pavilion and Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy could be considered as equal existences under the directmand of the same Conferred Empire headquarter. As such, the Master Teacher Pavilion had no authority to interfere with the recruitment of the Master Teacher Academy. "I heard that there are many talented students in this batch, so I dropped by to take a look..." Mo Gaoyuan chuckled. Since this was the entrance examination, Zhang shi had to be there as well. Mo Gaoyuan was intending to improve his rtionship with him, as well as to make use of this opportunity to ask about Yang shi. Hearing that the other party was only here to spectate, Elder Mo secretly heaved a sigh of relief and replied while stroking his beard, "There are indeed quite a few talented students this year, but its hard to tell whether they will be able to pass the examination or not!" "Oh? Is there something deeper to the examination?" Mo Gaoyuan asked in bewilderment. The purpose of the examination should be to sieve out the talented students from the mediocre ones. Otherwise, what would be the point of conducting an entrance examination? "Isnt the test this year regarding hunting Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beasts? To those talented students, it shouldnt be hard to clear this mission!" The entrance examination of the Master Teacher Academy was a huge affair in Hongyuan Empire. As the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, how could he remain unaware of the matter? While it might be difficult for a 4-star master teacher to defeat a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast in a straightforward battle, it shouldnt be too difficult for them to clear the mission if they were to prepare themselves beforehand. "The admission criteria of the Master Teacher Academy isnt based on whose fist is the strongest. If it were just mere hunting, dont you think this entrance examination would be a little too easy for them?" Elder Mo chuckled. "Thus, I prepared a little surprise for them!" "Oh?" Elder Mo was taken aback. He traded astonished nces with Langya Saint Beast. When the both of them had heard the rules of the entrance examination earlier, they also found certain aspects of it slightly unusual. After listening to Elder Mos words, they realized that there might be another side to the examination. "On the surface, the examination is a hunting contest where the one who gathers the most inner cores wins. However, I have designed it in a manner such that it will test the examinees adaptability and reactions in times of danger!" Elder Mo said with a smile. There was no need for him to hide this matter from Mo Gaoyuan. "In truth, the spirit beasts on the mountain have been organized to coordinate with one another to deal with the examinees. They have prepared bait and traps to lure the examinees into their encirclement!" "Encirclement?" Mo Gaoyuans eyebrows shot up anxiously. "But those examinees are the Master Teacher Pavilions future..." "Dont worry, the spirit beasts have been strictly warned against iming their lives!" Knowing what Mo Gaoyuan was thinking, Elder Mo hurriedly reassured him. Those were the fresh blood of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the pirs who would prop up the organization as well as humanity in the future. Even as one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, he dared not put them in such grave danger at his own whim. Thus, he had made precautions to ensure that the spirit beasts would only trap and wound the examinees. Otherwise, how could Ding shi and the others hold on for so long until Zhang Xuans intervention came without suffering even a single casualty? One must know that they were encircled by several hundred spirit beasts, and a significant proportion of them was even at the Cosmos Bridge realm! However, due to the tense situation then, no one noticed this oddity. Even Zhang Xuan had overlooked this fact. "I see!" Mo Gaoyuan heaved a sigh of relief. With the safety of the students off his mind, he began thinking about the examination, and his eyes slowly gleamed in excitement. "So, this is actually an emtion of a war between the spirit beasts and the master teachers. Regardless of whether the examinees are able to see through the crux of this test or not, this will be a good learning experience for them. This will teach them not to underestimate their opponents and keep their guards up at all times, as well as to cultivate their teamwork and make them realize that the strength of an individual is insignificant in the face of a horde... As expected of Elder Mo, this is an incredible work!" After their failure, the examinees would understand that master teachers werent almighty. They might be a member of the most prestigious upation in the world, but they would be sorely mistaken if they thought that none could threaten them. In a sense, this examination served to correct their attitudes before their enrollment. Elder Mo received thepliment graciously with a nod. "The idea is good, but restraining so many spirit beasts at once is no easy feat. I guess only a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer like Elder Mo is capable of doing this on such a scale!" Mo Gaoyuanmented in awe. Since there were thirty thousand examinees on the mountain, the number of spirit beasts on the mountain couldnt be any lower than twenty thousand. To force so many haughty beasts to obeymands and hold themselves back after cornering their preys, how capable must one be to achieve this feat? Elder Mo shook his head with a bitter smile. "Me? How could I possibly have the capability to do so? I have merely borrowed the strength of a saint beast!" He might be a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer, but taming over twenty thousand spirit beasts and forcing them to obey hismands was still beyond him. "Saint beast? Your Inferno Dragon Saint Beast?" Mo Gaoyuan asked. Everyone knew that Elder Mo had a Saint 1-dan intermediate stage tamed beast, Inferno Dragon Saint Beast. It was a powerful saint beast capable of breathing mes. "Inferno Dragon? That fellow is violent and impatient; I already thank the heavens if it manages to stay out of trouble, so how could I possibly delegate such an important matter to it? The one which I invited over to help me with this examination is the Byzantium Helios Beast!" Elder Mo replied. "Byzantium Helios? You mean the old principals tamed beast?" Mo Gaoyuan realized. Elder Mo nodded. "I see, theres indeed nothing to worry about if Byzantium Helios is on the job. Given its capability, no spirit beast will dare to disobey itsmands." Mo Gaoyuan nodded as well. "On top of that, Byzantium Helios Saint Beast is well-versed in the Ancient Beast Language, so it is unlikely that anything will go wrong in this examination," Elder Mo replied. As the tamed beast of the old principal, the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast shared equal standing with him, and no one dared to defy it. Even though the academy was currently headed by the Ten Great Elders, it still retained its esteemed standing. But ever since the disappearance of the old principal in the midst of a mission, the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast had spent its days in destion, never interfering in the matters of the academy anymore. Elder Mo had to pay a hefty price to convince it to help him with this matter. Even now, he could still feel his heart aching whenever he thought about it. Nevertheless, it was well worth the price. With the assistance from the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast who was well-versed in the Ancient Beast Language, there would be no need for Elder Mo to worry about any trouble cropping up in this examination. Logically speaking, since most saint beasts were well-versed in the Ancient Beast Language and the human tongue, they could impart the knowledge to the beast tamers and fill in the missing gap in the heritage... However, there was a vast difference in the vocal organs of a saint beast and those of a human, thus resulting in a significant difference in the way each syble could be voiced. The Ancient Beast Language was the speech natural to the constitution of most beasts. On the other hand, the human body was ipatible with the Ancient Beast Language. Thus, a unique zhenqi cirction method was required for humans to emte the various sounds in the Ancient Beast Language. Thus, it was nigh impossible for humans to learn how to speak the Ancient Beast Language from saint beasts. Besides, given that saint beasts were capable of speaking the humannguage, thenguage barrier that had impeded beast tamers frommunicating with beasts had already copsed. This removed the fundamental need for beast tamers of 6-star and above to learn the Ancient Beast Language. Even if, under some circumstances, they really had tomunicate with a savage beast or spirit beast, they could always get their saint beast to trante for them. "With the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast overlooking the examination, there is no need to worry about the examinees safety. I only fear that it might be too harsh on the examinees. It would be a cmity if none of the examinees were to pass the examination," Mo Gaoyuan said. Perhaps due to the influence of the old principal, the Byzantium Helios Beast also had an austere personality. If it were to heighten the difficulty of the examination by too much, it mighte to the point where not even a single examinee could pass the examination. "Dont worry, I have already talked to the Byzantium Helios Beast regarding this matter. The examinees will only be trapped for a period of time. They will be released a few hours before the end of the examination..." Elder Mo replied. At which, he suddenly pointed to the mountain before of him and smiled. "Look, there are already a few examinees who have cleared the examination!" Turning to the direction in which Elder Mo was pointing, Mo Gaoyuan saw a group of people climbing down the mountain, walking toward where they were standing. It was noon at the moment. Considering how there was still some time before the reporting time in the evening, they must have cleared the examination in advance and were returning to report. "T-that... what is happening?" Upon seeing those figures, Elder Mo was just about to walk over to them to check their points when his eyes suddenly widened. Trailing behind that group of people were a few hundred spirit beasts. Their heads were hung low, reminiscent of defeated roosters. "It looks like... someone has tamed them?" Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Mo Gaoyuans lower jaw nearly hit the ground. Beast taming was one of his supporting upations, so he could instantly tell that those spirit beasts had been tamed by someone. Otherwise, the heads of those haughty spirit beasts wouldnt have been lowered subserviently. A group of two hundred examinees had actually tamed around five hundred spirit beasts? Didnt the Byzantium Helios Beast organize the spirit beasts to have them encircle the students and teach them a lesson? Then.... what was going on here? ... On the other hand, at the top of Leiyuan Peak, the Byzantium Helios Beast clenched its jaws and roared furiously, "You want me to acknowledge you as my master? Dream on..." As the tamed beast of the old principal of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, how could it possibly submit to an Otherworldly Demon? Even beasts had their own sense of morality! While it was likely that the old principal was already dead, it couldnt simply overlook the kindness that the old principal had shown it and submit to the enemy just to live on! "Dream on?" Not expecting the saint beast which had submitted to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to have such backbone, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Continue pummeling it! Beat it until it submits!" Upon thosemands, the puppets began another round of brutal beating. Five minutester... The most powerful spirit beast of the academy which possessed equivalent standing to the principal saw its life shing before its eyes, and it could nearly see a ray of light in the distance beckoning it. "Forget it, its fine if you are unwilling to submit. Ill ask you some questions now, and if you dont answer them honestly, Ill extract your soul after your death and bring eternal anguish upon you!" Seeing how the Byzantium Helios Beast was still hanging on obstinately despite being on the verge of death, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Did youe here to harm the freshmen of the Master Teacher Academy under the orders of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? As long as you spill out the location of those Otherworldly Demons, I can reward you with a painless death!" "Under the orders... of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Gazing at Zhang Xuan with eyes so swollen that they could barely open, the Byzantium Helios Beast nearly fainted on the spot. Orders your head! I only came here under Elder Mos relentless persuasion and generous promises. The reason I am here is to temper more powerful master teachers to bring humanity to greater heights... What the heck does this have to do with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? On the other hand, you are the suspicious one! To deal with me using the heart of an Otherworldly Demon expert before pummeling me with those Otherworldly Demon puppets... And yet... You still asked me if I am under the orders of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Can you get even more shameless than that? Chapter 718: Storing in the Storage Ring Chapter 718: Storing in the Storage Ring Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Why? You are still refusing to admit it?" Seeing the other partys twitching lipsa sign of obstinacyZhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. If this fellow continued like that, he wouldnt mind resorting to even more extreme methodsSoul Torment! Soul Torment was a soul oracle technique where an extracted soul would be put through unimaginable anguish so as to force it to speak. It was usually used for interrogation purposes, and rarely had it ever failed. However, this would cause the soul of the interrogated to be wiped cleanly off the face of this world, never to be reincarnated again. Due to the callousness of this technique, Zhang Xuan had always been unwilling to utilize it. Who could have known that this fellow would be such a tough nut to crack! He had heard the conversation between the Byzantium Helios Beast and the aerial spirit beast clearly. You arranged for the aerial spirit beast to encircle the master teachers, and you still dare to deny the matter before me. Do you really take me for a fool? Do you think that I dare not kill you? "Kill me then! Do I look like the type to fear death? I would rather die than to betray my master!" the Byzantium Helios Beast spat through clenched jaws. The other party was clearly trying to sully its reputation. If it were to give in, the honor it had built using the entirety of its life would copse in an instant. It would rather die than to live dishonorably! The old principal had dedicated his life to protecting humanity. As his tamed beast, how could it ever face its master if it were to submit to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? "Continue beating him up!" Not expecting this fellow to be so loyal to its Otherworldly Demon master, to the extent that it would rather die than to betray thetter, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. "Cough cough..." Just as the puppets were about tounch another wave of punches and kicks on the Byzantium Helios Beast, Vicious suddenly spoke up. "Master, I fear that it might really die here if we continue beating it." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly realized that that the Byzantium Helios Beast was already teetering on the edge of life and death. If it were pummeled any further, it might just die on the spot. "What should I do?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. It was so much easier to deal with other spirit beastswith a stick and a carrot, they would submit readily. Yet, this fellow just refused to budge! Even though Zhang Xuan had put the words harshly, he had no intentions of killing the Byzantium Helios Beast at all. Soul Torment was not entirely reliable, especially against particrly stubborn individuals. If the Byzantium Helios Beast were to die and the Soul Torment were to fail, the only lead would be lost. As long as the Otherworldly Demons behind this incident remained scot free, the Master Teacher Academy would remain in danger! Such incidents could easily happen again and again. Furthermore, if Zhang Xuan were to be enrolled in the Master Teacher Academy, his safety would be affected as well. He didnt want to be schemed against once more. "I see... Ill treat it first before you continue pummeling it. I dont believe that it can keep up its obstinacy for long!" After a moment of contemtion, an idea suddenly came into mind. Zhang Xuan took out a wine gourd and infused his zhenqi into it. After that previous incident, Zhang Xuan realized that it was exceptionally convenient to conceal the Heavens Path zhenqi through the overpowering scent of wine. Thus, he decisively bought several gourds of wine and kept them in his storage ring. He poured the gourds wine on the Byzantium Helios Beasts injuries, but it took two hours for thetter to heal from its external wounds. Pondering over the matter for a moment, Zhang Xuan realized that this could be due to the disparity in their cultivation realms. With his current cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm, it would only take a few moments for his zhenqi to heal those of equivalent cultivation. However, against the significantly stronger body of a Saint, his zhenqi was clearly still far too weak. After healing thetters external wounds, Zhang Xuan had four puppets to hold the Byzantium Helios Beast while another two pried open its mouth. Just like that, he forced the wine into its mouth. After using up four to five gourds and an entire hour, the Byzantium Helios Beast finally recovered from its internal injury as well. "Alright... Continue pummeling it!" After seeing that the other party had recovered from its injuries, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As long as the Byzantium Helios Beast didnt die, he had all the time in the world. Death? With my Heavens Path zhenqi, lets see how you can die! With an unending session of pummeling, there will surelye a day when you give in! Roar! After hearing the instruction, the puppets immediately charged forward excitedly and began another round of pummeling. Soon, hideous crimson swellings returned onto the body of the Byzantium Helios Beast, and its breathing grew ragged. After treating it with the Heavens Path zhenqi again, yet another pummeling session rained down on the Byzantium Helios Beast. After three consecutive cycles, light had vanished from the Byzantium Helios Beasts eyes, and it seemed to be nearing the limits of its tolerance. But even so, it still refused to spout the slightest word regarding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. In a sense, Zhang Xuan was also impressed by the other partys loyalty to its master. "Lets stop here for today..." Looking above him, Zhang Xuan realized that the sun was gradually descending in the west. If he didnt hurry back, he just might fail the examination. Thus, he could only halt the pummeling session for now. It was frustrating how he had spent half a day of effort but still couldnt make a saint beast submit to him. The Byzantium Helios Beasts loyalty toward its master was simply so strong that the usual tricks Zhang Xuan used were renderedpletely ineffective. Zhang Xuan knew that the only way was to slowly wear the Byzantium Helios Beast down mentally. In any case, time was on his side. "But this fellow is so big, am I to lug him around?" To continue the questioning, Zhang Xuan would have to take the fellow away with him. However, considering the size of the Byzantium Helios Beast... how was he supposed to take it with him? Of course, it was possible for Zhang Xuan to carry it around, but... No matter what, the Byzantium Helios Beast was a true saint beast. If others were to learn that he had managed to reduce it to such a pitiful state, their first doubt would be how he had managed to do so. The subsequent investigation might lead to the revtion of the existence of Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon puppets. Since this concerned the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it was best to proceed cautiously. Besides, he had only arrived at the Master Teacher Academy recently, so he thought that it would be best for him to lie low. There was no need for him cause such a huge storm and have everyone know that even saint beasts were nothing before him. "The Myriad Anthive Nest might be small, but it might still work if I were to force this fellow in..." Zhang Xuan analyzed as he stroked his lower jaw. The physique of the Byzantium Helios Beast bore some resemnce to an ape. If its head were to be nted into its pants before rolling its body together and fastening it with some rope, it might just be possible to stuff it into the small Anthive Nest. In his previous life, there were some yoga experts whose bodies were so flexible that they could even fit into a tiny fish tank. "I should give it a try!" With this idea in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately dived into action. He took out strip of skin from a spirit beast he had hunted earlier and sliced it into a long rope using the cier Rain Sword before passing it to the puppets. The puppets first pummeled the Byzantium Helios Beast into a state of near death before rolling it up and binding it with the rope. After which, they sent another few more kicks and punches at its body to furtherpress it. In any case, the other party was a saint beast with incredible vitality, and it was being nourished by Zhang Xuans zhenqi as well. It would be extremely difficult for it to die. After some arduous effort, the Byzantium Helios Beast was finallypressed to a size that could be fitted into the Anthive Nest. Thus, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand and took out the nest. With another wave of his hand, he stored the Byzantium Helios Beast in the hive. Peng! In the hive, the Myriad Anthive Queen suddenly found itself being forcefully pushed to the sides of the hive. Its face was pressed tightly against the ceiling, and its body had distorted into a giant "" word. It seemed as though its body would burst at any moment now. The hive of two meters radius should have been afortable fit for it, but with the entry of the Byzantium Helios Beast, free space became something that was direlycking in there. The Anthive Queen found itself on the verge of being suffocated to death. It was fortunate that its physical constitution was still rtively strong. Otherwise, it might really burst from the immense pressure pushing against it. Knowing that it was a squeeze inside, Zhang Xuan sheepishly instructed the Myriad Anthive Queen, "Just tolerate it for now. Ill free you after I find a suitable location!" Both the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Myriad Anthive Queen were secrets that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to reveal. Thus, the only solution was to keep them hidden inside the hive for the time being until he returned to his own dwelling. After returning the Anthive Nest into the storage ring, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings onest time, and he suddenly spotted two storage rings on the ground. They were the storage rings the aerial spirit beast had stolen from Brother Yu and Senior Feng. The storage rings seemed to have fallen from the Byzantium Helios Beast during the vicious beating by the Otherworldly Demon puppets. Zhang Xuan picked the rings up and fused a droplet of his blood into each of the rings. The Soul Imprint on the rings had already been wiped away by the Byzantium Helios Beasts forceful entry earlier, allowing Zhang Xuan to im ownership of the rings directly. "There are so many inner cores inside... This should be enough for me to clear the examination and win the bet. Looks like I need not hunt any further!" Scanning through the content of the storage ring, Zhang Xuan found plenty of spirit beast inner cores inside. Through the Beastscale Incense and Seeking Mouse, Brother Yu and Senior Feng had managed to track down and kill many spirit beasts. While there shouldnt be a problem for Brother Yu and Senior Feng to clear the examination, it would be difficult for them to hunt down this many inner cores with the time that was left. Thus, it could be said that they had already lost the bet. Aside from that, there were also several thousand middle-tier spirit stones along with all kinds of artifacts and formations inside the two storage rings. "Those two fellows sure are wealthy. But this works fine as well, I happen to becking resources at the moment." It just so happened that Zhang Xuan was a little poor at the moment, so the acquiring of these two storage rings could spare him quite a lot of trouble. As for returning the storage rings... That was a good joke! It wasnt like he was the one who stole these storage rings. He had spent so much effort to defeat the Byzantium Helios Beast, and these two storage rings were his spoils of war! Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to put those two storage rings in his pocket, he suddenly thought of something, and he immersed his consciousness back into the storage rings. A momentter, a jade token appeared in his palm. A beautiful light flowed within the transparent jade token. This was the Aerial Strike Amulet which Brother Yu had staked on the bet! He had checked this object with the Library of Heavens Path earlier, and it was indeed a valuable artifact. To think that he would end up obtaining it in such a manner. With this item in hand, I will be able to survive an attack from a Saint 1-dan! Zhang Xuan thought as he ced the amulet into his bosom. The Dragon Scale Protective Amulet he had acquired previously had saved him on multiple asions, and this item was even more valuable than that. With this, even if a Saint 1-dan were to creep up on him andunch a fatal blow, he would be able to get away unscathed. As long as he overcame the initial assault, he would be able to release Vicious and his Otherworldly Demon puppets and reverse the situation. It is a pity that the Seeking Mouse isnt here... After putting away the storage rings, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the Seeking Mouse, and he shook his head in disappointment. Considering the Seeking Mouses ability to hunt down spirit beasts, it was indeed a valuable asset. That aerial spirit beast had only been interested in uncovering the whereabouts of the Myriad Anthive Queen then, so it had probably only grabbed whatever possible clues there may be. Once the Seeking Mouse had escaped, given its sharp nose, it would be hard to capture it once more. "Lets return!" After scanning through the straw cottage and finding no treasure at all, Zhang Xuan finally left the top of Leiyuan Peak in disappointment. Right after pummeling the Byzantium Helios Beast, Zhang Xuan had the Anthive Myriad Queen instruct the aerial spirit beast to release all of the master teachers from the encirclement. After being released from the encirclement, the master teachers would have to depend on their own capabilities to pass the examination. After all, Zhang Xuan was no saint. All of the examinees should havee with the realization that they would be put in danger. If they were to be killed by the spirit beasts, they only had their own shorings to me. Executing the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan swiftly bypassed several valleys. He noticed several battles here and there, and it seemed like there were casualties on both sides as well. However, it was still within an eptable range. On the way down the mountain, there were also several spirit beasts who attempted to provoke him, but they ended up being crushed with a single fist. Naturally, Zhang Xuan didnt forget to take their inner cores. By the time he was approaching the foot of the mountain, there was already a huge crowd in the area. He looked around for a remote area tond before quietly following behind the crowd. Chapter 719: Brother Yus Harvest Chapter 719: Brother Yus Harvest Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Several long queues of master teachers extending all the way to the horizon could be seen on the in at the foot of the mountain. At the forefront of every single queue were upper-grade students from the academy. They were in charge of checking the quantity and grade of the inner cores procured by the examinees and tabting the scores. From time to time, there were those who tried their chances by bringing out inner cores procured before the examination, but how could the eyes of a master teacher be fooled that easily? Zhang Xuan had joined one of those queues. He curiously nced at the spectacle ahead of him. There seemed to be a couple of examinees who passed the examination, but those who failed seemed to be in the majority. "The examination this year is too hard! From the looks of it, out of the thirty thousand examinees, perhaps only ten thousand will pass!" "This is way too difficult! We have allied ourselves with the master teachers from two other empires, and we thought that we could clear the examination easily. Who could have known that we would end up falling for the spirit beasts encirclement and suffer heavy losses?" "We also fell into their trap as well! Our group of three hundred ended up being scattered by their onught, and eventually, fifty of us were grievously wounded in the encounter. After two hours of battle, right after noon, the spirit beasts suddenly retreated. Only then did we manage to hunt down a few spirit beasts, but it was still insufficient for most of us to clear the examination!" "The spirit beasts who encircled us also retreated after noon. However, we werent as lucky. There were simply too many casualties among us, so we could only rest on the spot. In the end, we only managed to gather a handful of inner cores." ... Proceeding forward, Zhang Xuan heard some discussions among the examinees. It is fortunate that we managed to avoid the worst situation... Hearing the discussions, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief instead. It was fortunate that he had noticed and intervened in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes scheme early on. Otherwise, it would be hard to tell how many of the thirty thousand master teachers would still be breathing now. Such loss would be severe even for the Master Teacher Pavilion! This credit... I guess I shant im it from the Master Teacher Pavilion! After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan chose to hide this matter. Unravelling the sinister ploy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and saving several ten thousand master teachers was a huge achievement. If reported, Zhang Xuan would be handsomely rewarded. At the very least, it shouldnt be difficult for him to obtain dozens of high-tier spirit stones from this. But if so, it would be hard for him to exin about Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon puppets. These two were currently his most valuable asset, his life preservation means. They were more valuable than any spirit stones. Thus, there was no choice but to forgo this credit. Such a pity... Having this opportunity slip right by his fingers, Zhang Xuan felt his heart ache. If he could obtain several dozen high-tier spirit stones, that would be sufficient for him to cultivate up to Saint realm! If there was any constion, at least he managed to obtain the valuable Aerial Strike Amulet, and more importantly, the Myriad Anthive Nest and the Byzantium Helios Beast. If ites down to it, I can always kill the Byzantium Helios Beast. Its meat can be broiled as soup, its bones and ws can be forged as weapons, its fur can be weaved as clothes, and its inner core is a valuable cultivation resource... Considering that these are parts of a saint beast, they should fetch quite a number of spirit stones! Zhang Xuan thought as he stroked chin. While it was a pity that he couldnt receive the rewards from the Master Teacher Pavilion, he should still be able to earn some wealth from dissecting the Byzantium Helios Beast and selling its parts. Yes. I should look into this matter after the examination. If that fellow still remains as obstinate as before... Thinking that it was a feasible solution, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. But when I sell it, I should make sure to do it discreetly so as to not reveal my identity. Otherwise, it may be hard to exin where the saint beast came from and how it was killed! The Byzantium Helios Beast was a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert. In Hongyuan Empire, it could be considered as one of the strongest existence already. If it became known that a freshman of the Master Teacher Academy had managed to hunt such a beast and dissected it to sell, it would surely cause a huge stir. If the Ten Great Master Teachers were toe begging to take him in as their disciple, he would be put in a spot. Just the thought of it left him with a splitting headache. Why was remaining humble such a difficult task? He had already made up his mind to study silently in the Master Teacher Academy and leave right after his strength had be satisfactorily... He didnt want to cause a huge stir as he did in the other empires and kingdoms. To be seen as the God of Destruction despite being a master teacher was truly shameful. Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of contemtion, he suddenly heard an interesting piece of news. "You know, I heard that a batch of people returned at noon. Despite returning early, not only did they clear the examination, they even received a frightening number of points!" A master teacher who had managed toy his hands on some intelligence revealed that in a hushed voice. "Returned at noon? Frightening number of points? Who?" the second master teacher asked skeptically. "I am not too sure. I only heard of the matter from the seniors in front. It seems like the current first ce for the examination has a massive lead over the others!" "Massive lead over the others? Do you mean that the person surpasses even Senior Hu from Wanyu Empire? I saw Senior Hu taking out 27 inner cores personally, and a couple of them were from Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts. All in all, he was awarded more than 700 points! Yet, someone actually achieved a score higher than him? Are you for real?" The second master teacher widened his eyes in shock. Most of those in their group didnt even manage to acquire a single point, but Senior Hu from Wanyu Empire actually managed to take out 27 inner cores. As such, this matter caused a huge stir amongst the examinees. Yet, there was actually someone who arrived at noon who did better than Senior Hu? "I am unaware of the details as well. I only heard bits and pieces of the seniors conversation..." "Higher than 700 points? That man who returned at noon sure is incredible! It seems like there are indeed quite a few geniuses amongst the freshmen!" Hearing the content of the conversation, Zhang Xuan nodded inmendation. Considering how the inner core of a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast was worth 100 points, it would mean that one would have to y at least six to seven of them to achieve a score of 700 points! Most of the examinees were still at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. One could already be considered to be the elite of the group if ones cultivation was at Consonant Spirit realm. So far, the only Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator Zhang Xuan had seen was Brother Yu. But even with Brother Yus capability, ying a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast was still an extremely difficult task. Yet, a formidable genius had actually returned at noon and achieved a score far higher than 700 points. That persons capability was indeed frightening! Based on Zhang Xuans estimations, that person might even be on par with him. I really should find a chance to meet that incredible person. I wonder what kind of formidable figure could nurture such a talented genius! The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more impressed he felt. "Massive lead over the others? Did he score a thousand points? But so what if he scored a thousand points, that is nothing at all!" At that moment, a cold harrumph suddenly sounded. Hearing such arrogant words, the conversing master teachers frowned and turned around. However, upon seeing the person who spoke those words, they subconsciously took a step back. What appeared before their eyes were two young men dressed in beastskin. Despite their shabby appearance, the powerful aura they exuded revealed their incredible prowess. One of them was at the Half-Cosmos Bridge realm whereas the other was a true Cosmos Bridge realm expert! It was no wonder they were so confident. With theirbined strength, even a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast wouldnt post a threat to them! Just that... Why were they both dressed in beastskin, as if they were from some kind of tribal vige? More importantly, the beastskin they wore was extremely crude. There was probably no adjective in the world that could describe how ugly it looked. The weaker of the duo was even carrying a bag created out of beastskin... To think that a half 5-star master teacher would actually be carrying a bag... Were they so poor that they couldnt even afford a storage ring? While master teachers prided themselves on their humility, werent the two of them being a little too humble? Zhang Xuan also nced over, and he realized that the both of them were familiar faces. They were the duo who had made the bet with him... Brother Yu and Senior Feng! Shouldnt the both of them be elegant and dashing gentlemen? This newfound style of theirs... They seem to be challenging their fashion sense a little too far... "Zhang shi, its good that you have returned. Do you dare to verify your score together with me?" Ignoring the astonished crowd, Brother Yus lips crept up as he nced at Zhang Xuan. Even though his possessions had been stripped clean by a ferocious spirit beast earlier at noon, it was fortunate that he still had his Beastscale Incense. Through it, not only had he managed to hunt a fair number of spirit beasts, he had obtained even more inner cores than before! With this, he was confident that he would be able to triumph over Zhang shi! Perhaps, he might even overtake the current first ce and make a name for himself in the Master Teacher Academy! "Sure." Zhang Xuan nodded. While he had spent most of his time on the mountain questioning the Byzantium Helios Beast, he still managed to obtain a fair number of inner cores. It shouldnt be too difficult for him to win against these two. Sensing the strong rivalry between the beastskin master teachers and Zhang shi, the crowd hurriedly opened up a path for them to pass through. In just a short moment, the trio arrived at the forefront of the queue. "I have a bet with this Zhang shi, I hope you can tabte our points for us!" Looking at the few invigting seniors ahead of them, Brother Yu bowed politely. "Bet?" The invigting seniors frowned upon hearing those words. "Indeed! Zhang shi and I have bet a high-tier spirit stone on who would obtain a higher score in this examination. I fear that he will renege on his promise, so I hope that you can help us judge this matter!" Brother Yu said. "A high-tier spirit stone?" "The stakes sure are high..." Hearing the content of the bet, the examinees in the surroundings gasped in shock. Even the seniors were taken aback as well. They were Grade 2 students of the Master Teacher Academy, but they didnt dare to make such a huge bet either. "To stake a high-tier spirit stone on a bet... The freshmen sure are getting gutsier with each passing year! Fine, Ill judge your bet!" The senior remarked before nodding in agreement. "Pass your inner cores over." "Alright!" Brother Yu beckoned to Senior Feng, and thetter immediately took off his bag and opened it. Hu! A bunch of inner cores rolled onto the table. "So many inner cores..." "Consonant Spirit and Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beast inner cores... What is that?" "Crimson in color, t-that is... a Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage spirit beast inner core! How is that possible?" "The sharp aura reminiscent of a de and the searing sensation when gazing upon it, there is no doubt that this is the inner core of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast!" "To actually hunt and procure the inner core of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast... It looks like the champion seat is going to change hands!" "Indeed..." ... Looking at the inner cores on the table, the crowd was stunned for an instant before a huge uproar broke out. Putting aside the other inner cores, just the Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage spirit beast inner core was already worth a hulking 1000 points! Even the genius who arrived at noon whom the seniors were speaking about was unlikely topare to this! It was no wonder the two of them were so arrogant. They had something to back up their words! Chapter 720: Zhang Xuans Loss? Chapter 720: Zhang Xuans Loss? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He was able to kill even a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast?" Zhang Xuan was startled for an instant before it suddenly hit him. He didnt recall seeing any Beastscale Incense in the duos storage ring when searching through them, and this meant that there was a high chance that the artifact was still on them. If that was the case, they would indeed stand a good chance at ying a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast. Despite the rarity, there were still a couple of Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast roaming the mountain. If one were tob the area thoroughly, one would surely be able to find a handful. After Zhang Xuan took down the Byzantium Helios Beast, the spirit beasts lost theirmander, and their coordination immediately broke down. Without anyone to rally and organize them, they ended scattering around the area individually. Under such circumstances, if one had an artifact like the Beastscale Incense in hand, one would surely be able to hunt down plenty of spirit beasts. Just that, there was still one more matter that baffled Zhang Xuan... why were the two of them dressed in beastskin? Did the aerial spirit beast strip them of their clothes as well? Could it be that it had such inclinations? Zhang Xuan shuddered at that thought. Considering how the duo had their storage rings and weapons taken from them, it would be difficult for them to craft proper clothes. Most probably, they had barely put together their current wear by tearing the hide of the spirit beasts they had hunted. How pitiful! Upon this thought, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but sympathize with the duo. To think that two talented master teachers would end up getting stripped clean by a spirit beast and tossed into a mountain valley! Just the thought of it would leave anyone feeling sorry for them. While Zhang Xuan was staring at the duo in sympathy, Brother Yu was currently enjoying the loud cheers from the crowd. cing his hands behind his back, he turned to Zhang Xuan and gazed down on him with a look of superiority. "Zhang shi, I have already taken out my inner cores. Where are yours?" "Mine?" Knowing what was at stake, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly and flicked his wrist. Another pile of inner cores immediately appeared on the table. The inner cores which he had obtained from the duo and the inner cores he had procured from ying the spirit beasts on the way back down added up to a substantial sum. It was quite an astonishing sight to see them appear all in one ce. However, there werent any Perfect Harmonization realm inner cores within the pile. "Luoyang Beast, Viridsmoke Beast, Seven Feeler Beast... Why do those inner cores look so familiar?" Upon seeing the inner cores that Zhang Xuan had taken out, Brother Yu and Senior Feng nced at one another in astonishment. Somehow, the inner cores that Zhang shi took out seemed extremely simr to those they had procured in the morning. "Perhaps there might be many of the same spirit beasts on the mountain!" Eventually, they convinced themselves as such. After all, their storage rings were stolen by an aerial spirit beast, so how could they possibly fall into Zhang shis hands? The only usible reason was that they had simply managed to kill the same spirit beasts. Considering that they were hunting spirit beasts on the same mountain, as slim as the chances may seem to be, there was indeed such a possibility. "Even though that fellow has quite a few inner cores, he seems to be a littleckingpared to us. That fellow... is bound to lose!" After the initial shock, Brother Yus eyes lit up in agitation. Honestly speaking, after knowing that the other party had defeated Senior Feng with a single finger and seeing how he had dared to put a high-tier spirit stone on the stake, doubts had begun sprouting in his mind, leaving him uneasy. However, upon seeing the quantity and quality of inner cores that the other party had taken out, Brother Yu immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Chuckling confidently, Brother Yu turned to the invigtors and sped his fist. "I hope that you can judge our scores!" "Alright." Seeing how the both parties of the bet had managed to procure so many inner cores, the seniors before the table were astonished. They hurriedly lowered their heads to tabte the score of each pile. A few momentster, a senior stood up, and gesturing to Brother Yu, he said, "This junior over here has a Perfect Harmonization realm inner core, 3 Cosmos Bridge realm inner cores, 26 Consonant Spirit realm inner cores, and 18 rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle inner cores. All in all, he has received a score of... 2658 points!" "2658 points?" "Th-this is too amazing!" "I thought that it was already impressive that Senior Hu from Wanyu Empire achieved a score of 700 points, but to think that this fellow would be even more formidable! With 2000 points, he has probably already broken the record! It is no wonder he is so arrogant. With such strength and capability, it would be difficult for one not to be so!" "I wonder how many points that master teacher who arrived at noon earned. Nevertheless, against a score of 2658, I doubt that he will be able to retain his throne..." ... Amotion broke out in the surroundings. There was quite a handful that wasnt able to obtain even a single point, and yet this fellow actually received a hulking score of 2658. Just the thought of it was inconceivable in itself! "What score do you think Zhang shi will get?" After the wave of shock calmed down, the curious eyes of the crowd instinctively gathered on Zhang Xuan. Considering how the master teachers dressed in beastskin were able to obtain such a high score, the person whom they were going against should be a formidable figure as well! Another senior who had been tabting Zhang Xuans score spoke up. "Zhang shi has obtained 5 Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle inner cores, 3 Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage inner cores, 13 Consonant Bridge realm... All in all, he has received a score of 2580!" "2580? To lose by only 70 points, that is truly a pity!" Upon hearing the score, a moment of silence drifted in the surroundings before a hugemotion exploded. It was one thing for the gap between both parties to be huge, but given that they were both in the two thousand range, and the gap between them was less than a hundred, it was indeed a huge pity for the losing party. "I lost?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Hed thought that it would be difficult for the duo to win against him after the aerial spirit beast had stolen the storage rings from them, but who could have known that in just a few hours they were actually able to make aeback? Incredible! As expected of the top geniuses of a region, they were truly not to be underestimated! But do I really have to hand over a high-tier spirit stone to them... Due to hiscency, Zhang Xuan had never thought that he would actually lose. He was fine with losing to the other party, but giving a high-tier spirit stone away? His heart might just bleed dry! Should I... take out the Myriad Anthive Queen? The troubled Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before shaking his head. As the personnel in charge of intelligence in the operation against the master teachers on Leiyuan Peak, the Myriad Anthive Queen yed a pivotal role in the operation, working as a direct assistant to the Byzantium Helios Beast. If he were to bring it out, he might risk rming the Otherworldly Demons, which might trigger them to conduct even more extreme actions once they realized that their identity might have already been exposed. If so, he would risk putting many in danger, especially since he couldnt warn the Master Teacher Pavilion of the matter due to his personal reasons. But if not, was he really to hand over the high-tier spirit stone to the other party? "Alright, the results are clear. Zhang shi, what else do you have to say?" Upon achieving victory, Brother Yu clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes gleamed in excitement. "What else do I have to say?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "This is yourbined score; it doesnt necessarily mean that you have won the bet against me." "Indeed! Howe their score is tabted together as one?" "Considering how the both of them hunted together, if the points were to be divided equally among them, Zhang shi would still be the winner..." Upon realizing this fact, the crowd nodded in agreement. The both of them had hunted together whereas Zhang shi had moved as an individual, but both sides still ended up achieving simr scores. No matter how one looked at it, it was clear that thetter was the winner! As if expecting Zhang Xuan to speak those words, Senior Feng replied with a smile, "Elder Mo stated clearly in the rules that the allocation of points is up to the individual. Since thats the case, Ill just take 77 points and leave the rest to Brother Yu!" "Shameless!" "If that fellow only takes 77 points, that Yu fellow will have a total score of 2581 points, thus winning against Zhang shi by a margin of one point!" "He is definitely doing it on purpose!" "But this is indeed the rule Elder Mo has set. In that respect, theres nothing wrong with what he is doing..." ... Hearing Senior Fengs words, everyone fell speechless. Elder Mo did say that examinees were allowed to freely allocate the points obtained from a hunt. If that fellow really took only 77 points from the hunt, Brother Yu would be left with 2581 points, thus putting him a single point higher than Zhang shi... What a shameless action this was! Ignoring the furious criticism from the crowd, Senior Feng sped his fist politely and asked, "Seniors, may I know if this is allowed?" "This..." After a moment of hesitation, one of the seniors nodded. "Yes, this is permitted." Since this was a rule set by Elder Mo, there was no way they could go against it. "Thank you... Zhang shi, what else do you have to say now? Even after taking away 77 points, Brother Yu is still one point above you. In the end, you still lost!" The edges of Senior Fengs lips crept up. After the numerous traumas he had suffered from this fellow, he finally managed to return the favor. Exhration surged in his heart with every thump, and he felt as if he could float into the skies in euphoria. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan kneaded his be in frustration. The other party was right. Under the current state of affairs, he would still lose to Brother Yu. Shaking his head, he turned to the seniors before him and asked, "Seniors, may I ask if the examination is over yet?" "The examination?" Hearing the question, the seniors turned their heads and nced backward. Not too far away, an incense was ced on top of a stone pedestal. Beneath the coiling smoke trails, one could see that the incense was nearing its end. The duration of the trial was a day. While most examinees used the movement of the sun to gauge the timing, an incense was still prepared to keep track of time precisely. At this moment, the sun had already set in the west, indicating the end of the day. But as long as the incense hadnt burned out yet, the examination couldnt be said to have ended. The senior did a rough estimation and replied, "There are roughly ten minutes left..." "Ten minutes?" "Thats right." The senior nodded. "Why? Are you still intending to dive back into the forest to hunt? Do you think that you can make it back within ten minutes?" Realizing what Zhang Xuan was up to, Brother Yu burst intoughter. The spirit beasts nearing the reporting venue had already been cleanly cleared away by the examinees descending from the mountains. It would be difficult to travel to the depths of the mountain in just ten minutes, but to find a spirit beast and return in that time period as well... How naive could one get? His eyes were open, but he was clearly dreaming! "There is indeed not much time left..." Gazing at the incense above the stone pedestal, the other master teachers also nodded in agreement. To find and hunt down a spirit beast from the mountain within ten minutes... Unless one could fly, that would be impossible. "Just admit defeat. Even if there are ten minutes left, you know that its impossible for you to seed. Besides, even though I chose to take 77 points, I can always give more points to Brother Yu if required. In other words, the only way for you to win against us is to kill one Cosmos Bridge realm or two Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beasts. Do you think that you can do it within ten minutes?" Senior Feng sneered coldly. There was a disparity of 78 points between the both parties at the moment. If Senior Feng were to im only a single point, Zhang Xuan would require 78 points to defeat Brother Yu. The inner core of a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beast was worth 40 points, so Zhang Xuan would have to kill two of them. Alternatively, he could also choose to hunt down a Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beast. However, despite roaming the forest for an entire day, theyd barely found a handful of Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts. To find and hunt one down and bring back its inner core within ten minutes, the other party was clearly deluding himself. "Youre right... If it were just me, it would be difficult." Ignoring the doubts from the crowd and Senior Fengs sneer, Zhang Xuan pinched his be and said, "But I dont want to lose, so I can only give it a try." With those words, he raised his head and whistled sharply. Wuuuuuu! The next moment, a massive Great Violetwing Beast suddenly swooped across the air, swiftly disappearing into the depths of the mountains. "That is... your half 9-dan tamed beast? But it can only be used once throughout the examination... You havent used it yet?" Senior Feng and Brother Yus faces suddenly turned ghastly pale. Chapter 721: You Are Zhang shi? Chapter 721: You Are Zhang shi? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I havent!" Zhang Xuan replied. With his current strength, he didnt need to use the Great Violetwing Beast to deal with mere Cosmos Bridge realm and Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beasts. As for an opponent of the Byzantium Helios Beasts level, it would be futile even if he were to send the Great Violetwing Beast at it. As such, throughout the examination, Zhang Xuan hadnt tapped into the strength of the Great Violetwing Beast yet. "He actually hasnt used it yet..." Brother Yu and Senior Fengs lips twitched, and they nearly burst into tears. They had specially asked Elder Mo regarding the issue of high-tier spirit beasts before the examination, and the response they had received was that they could only be used once. Theyd thought that given how Zhang Xuan had managed to procure so many inner cores, he must have used the ability of his tamed beast. Who could have possibly known that his tamed beast would prove to be the decisive factor in their bet... It might be difficult for them to hunt down a spirit beast within ten minutes, but for the half 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast, it was no issue at all. Could they really fail due to this? If that were to really happen, they might just cry their eyes out. "Nevertheless, theres a chance that the Great Violetwing Beast might be unable to find a spirit beast, or that it wont be able to aplish the feat within ten minutes. We still have hope!" At this point, Brother Yu could only hold on dearly to this slither of hope. So what if the other party used his Great Violetwing Beast? They hadnt lost yet! Perhaps Lady Luck might just favor them! I can only hope for the best now... Ignoring the others, Zhang Xuan gazed into the sky. When he was descending from the mountain, he noticed some trails which indicated the rough directions where spirit beasts might be hiding. In his whistle, hed informed the Great Violetwing Beast of those locations, so capturing one shouldnt be a problem. The issue was with the tier of the spirit beast. He could only win against Brother Yu if the spirit beast was at Cosmos Bridge realm. Just as he was deep in thought, a huge gust of wind suddenly blew from the sky. The Great Violetwing Beast had finally returned, and gripped in itsrge ws was an aerial spirit beast. Not bad, you returned quite fast. But why does this spirit beast... look so familiar? Seeing how the other party had returned within two minutes, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. However, upon catching sight of the spirit beast it had captured, he couldnt help but freeze for an instant. Why did this fellow look so familiar? It was then when it suddenly struck him. Wasnt this the fellow he had seen reporting to the Byzantium Helios Beast, as well as the one who had stolen Brother Yu and Senior Fengs storage rings? It seemed like that fellow was in the midst of his flight when he bumped into the Great Violetwing Beast, so thetter chose to capture it. But this fellow... Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon the realization. He hurriedly turned his sights to Brother Yu and Senior Feng, and as expected, the eyes of the duo had reddened in fury. If looks could kill, that aerial spirit beast would have withered there and then. "It is that fellow! Karma always strikes at the most unexpected situations..." "This is great..." Incapable of flight, it was nigh impossible for them to capture the aerial spirit beast and get even with it. Nevertheless, they had already solemnly sworn to themselves tob through the entire Leiyuan Peak to hunt that fellow down no matter how long it took. But by some stroke of luck, Zhang shis tamed beast had actually managed to capture that darned fellow! The heavens are impartial! With this, not only would they be able to get their vengeance, they would also be able to retrieve their storage rings and boost their score further! "Zhang shi, have your tamed beast throw that fellow down. I have some personal grudges to clear with it..." Brother Yu roared furiously in anger. "Throw it down?" Seeing that fellows attitude, Zhang Xuan shook his head before gesturing to the Great Violetwing Beast. Receiving the instructions, the Great Violetwing Beast hesitated for a moment before releasing its ws, leaving the aerial spirit beast to plummet to the ground. Hu! The Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast whizzed through the sky. "Wait till Iy my hands on you..." Recalling the humiliation of being stripped clean, Brother Yu pushed against the ground and leaped into the sky. Gathering his might, he wrapped his zhenqi around his fist as if zing mes. "What is that fellow up to?" "That spirit beast was captured by Zhang shis tamed beast, why is he trying to kill it?" The master teachers in the surroundings nced at one another in confusion as they watched Brother Yu rushing frenziedly toward the spirit beast Zhang shi had captured. Boom! But at that moment, the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan aerial spirit beast suddenly opened its eyes, and with a forceful p of its wings, it stabilized its posture before retaliating with its ws. While it only managed to recover at that very instant, with its superior cultivation and positional advantage, it still managed to gain the upper hand. Peng! As the fist and the w collided, Brother Yu felt as if a huge mountain had crushed down on him. An iparably dense might struck him squarely, leaving his apertures bleeding from the impact. Sou! Under the immense force, the rising Brother Yu was suddenly smacked back down like a cannonball, leaving behind a huge depression in the ground. Pu! Fresh blood spurted from his mouth. The sh had left him severely wounded. As talented as he was, he was only a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator at the moment. Against a 7-dan Perfect Harmonization spirit beast, he was still far toocking. "Brother Yu..." Not expecting such an oue, Senior Feng hurriedly rushed forward to help hispanion up. By the time he turned his sight back to the 7-dan aerial spirit beast, thetter was already heading off into the distance. Panicked, Senior Feng eximed, "Zhang shi, that fellow is escaping..." If that fellow were to get away, how were they supposed to get their storage rings back and exact vengeance? "Youre right," Zhang Xuan remarked nonchntly, as if he was uninvolved in this matter. Stunned by Zhang Xuans nonchnce, Senior Fengs rage flurried. "Then what are you waiting for? Capture it!" "Capture it? I would love to do so, but I am only allowed to use my tamed beast once. I have already used up my chance when my tamed beast brought it over here. If I were to use it once more, wont I be reported for flouting the rules?" Zhang Xuan said with a trouble expression on his face. Of course he couldnt capture that fellow back! Otherwise, if the existence of the Byzantium Helios Beast were to be made known somehow, he could potentiallynd himself in trouble! It was still better to keep out of troubles way than to risk it. Pu... Hearing those words, Brother Yu, who had barely just recovered slightly from his injuries, couldnt help but spew another mouthful of blood out of frustration. He was certain that the Great Violetwing Beast had sealed the aerial spirit beasts meridians beforehand, thus binding thetters movement. How did thetter recover from that so quickly? Furthermore, even if the aerial spirit beast did recover, the force of its attack was a little too strong... It was as if the Great Violetwing Beast had sided with the aerial spirit beast against him! "This..." While he was busy spurting blood, Senior Fengs body was trembling in frustration. Why did he have to be so nosey and raise the concern regarding Zhang shis tamed beast? Hed thought that this rule would help him to subdue that fellow, but who knew that he would be the one suffering from it in the end! Spewing yet a mouthful of fresh blood, Brother Yu howled furiously, "As long as you capture the aerial spirit beast back, Im willing to admit defeat..." As long as he could retrieve his storage rings, what did losing an Aerial Strike Amulet count as? "You will admit defeat? Then... where is the Aerial Strike Amulet you promised me?" Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand, demanding for his possession. "This..." Brother Yus body stiffened. It has been stolen by that aerial spirit beast. Only after capturing it can I hand it over to you... "Dont worry. As long as you capture that fellow, Ill hand it over to you..." Brother Yu replied, gritting his teeth. "That wont do. You will have to hand the Aerial Strike Amulet over first before I will instruct my spirit beast to capture that fellow. I am taking a huge risk here by doing this; you know that my actions might be taken as flouting the rules, thus putting me at risk of disqualification, right? The least you can do is to show your sincerity," Zhang Xuan replied. "You..." Brother Yu was on the verge of exploding from frustration. "Dont worry! I, Yu Cheng, vow that even if I dont have the Aerial Strike Amulet, I willpensate you with a high-tier spirit stone. You need not worry about me reneging on my promise!" Unable to produce the item, Brother Yu could only offer a promise. "In other words... the Aerial Strike Amulet isnt in your possession?" Yet, instead of focusing on the promise, Zhang Xuan chose to bite firmly at the underlying meaning behind Brother Yus statement. "..." This time, Brother Yu really burst into tears. Can you stop mentioning the Aerial Strike Amulet? All I need you to do is to capture that fellow, Ill give you whatever you want afterward as long as you do it, so can you just stop talking about the Aerial Strike Amulet... "Brother Yu... That fellow is already gone..." Just as Brother Yu was about to continue arguing, he suddenly heard Senior Fengs despairing words. Hurriedly lifting his gaze, he realized that the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast had already vanished in the dark sky. If not for this incident, they might still have been able to find that aerial spirit beast in Leiyuan Peak. However, after this matter, why would that aerial spirit beast dare to remain here knowing that someone was after its life? It would definitely fly as far as it could! "Damn it..." The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Brother Yu struggled to his feet and red at Zhang Xuan in animosity. At that moment, one of the seniors suddenly eximed, "Alright, times up!" Everyone subconsciously nced at the incense on the stone pedestal, only to see the final whiff of smoke dissipating from the incense. Ten minutes had passed. Brother Yu clenched his jaws and said, "Seniors, hes failed to capture a spirit beast, so his score is still lower than mine. This should mean that he has lost the bet..." Since youre going to be difficult, dont me me for returning the favor! "Lost?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "My tamed beast captured a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast and brought it here, and if not for this fellows intervention, I would have surely procured its inner core and earned another thousand points. It is clear that he intentionally let my spirit beast loose, even trying to convince me to flout the rules so as to have me disqualified from the examination! Most important of all, he made a bet with me despite not possessing the required capital. All of this suggests that he is trying to scam me of my high-tier spirit stone..." Zhang Xuan stepped forward, and with an indignant expression, he said, "I beseech the seniors to redress my grievances!" "This..." Hearing the both sides of the story, the seniors gazed at one another and fell into a dilemma. It was true that Zhang shi would have surely won if Yu Cheng hadnt interfered. In this respect, Zhang shi had the moral high ground. However... whatever the cause was, it was a fact that Zhang shis score was lower than the other party. If they were to just look at the oue, without a doubt, Zhang shi had lost the bet. A momentter, one of the seniors spoke up. "Both of you are talented students of our Master Teacher Academy, there is no need to for the two of you to be enemies over such a minor matter. Why dont we just call the bet off..." Yu Cheng harrumphed. "No way! Since he dared to ept the challenge, he should have been prepared to face the consequences. It is clear that he has lost the bet, so he should pay me a high-tier spirit stone!" Since he was unable to exact vengeance on the aerial spirit beast, he would just have to vent his frustrations on Zhang Xuan. Otherwise, the matter that had happened would just turn him into aughingstock, creating a dark stain in his history. "This..." Hearing those words from Brother Yu, the seniors contemted for a moment longer before one eventually stood out and said, "Alright. Since thats the case, why dont we leave this matter to Elder Mo to resolve..." Considering the astounding strength the both of them had disyed even before their enrollment, they would surely be new stars of the academy. Even as their seniors, they dared not offend them. "Alright!" Yu Cheng replied smugly. It was a fact that his score was higher than Zhang Xuans, not even Elder Mo could twist this fact. "Tell me your names, and Ill record your results first," the senior said. "I am Yu Cheng, and he is Zhang Xuan..." Yu Cheng said. However, before he could finish his words, the seniors who were still calm a moment ago suddenly widened their eyes in shock. Staring at the young man before them, their lips quivered in agitation, as if excited to see their favorite idol. "Zhang Xuan? You are... Zhang shi from Huanyu Empire?" Chapter 722: Forty Thousand Points? Chapter 722: Forty Thousand Points? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed, I am Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head bewilderedly, uprehending of the reactions of the seniors. I am already being very low profile, choosing not to take out the Byzantium Helios Beast. Why are you all still acting like that? Besides, my points are lower than Yu Chengs as well. Surely your agitation should be directed toward him instead of me? Not only was Zhang Xuan stunned, the other master teachers in the area were also surprised to see such reactions from theposed seniors. Did all of them suffer a stroke simultaneously? Suddenly, one of the older seniors eximed, "Everyone, he is Zhang shi!", catching the attention of all of the other seniors. "What? He is Zhang shi?" "So its you, you are as dashing as I thought..." "Zhang shi, I am Liu Chuang from Grade 2, pleased to meet you. If you find yourself facing any trouble in the academy, feel free to look for me..." "I am Zhi Zhijun from Grade 2, a member of the Enforcement Squad in the academy. Are you free tonight? Our team would like to host a wee party to celebrate your enrollment..." "Hah, is a wee party all you can offer? Zhang shi, I know that you are a beast tamer, so I have prepared 2000 Beast Crystals for you. You need not feel any pressure epting these, just regard it as a gift from a brother..." "Beast Crystals? What a shabby gift to offer to another. Zhang shi, I have prepared a Beast Blood Pill for you..." ... Hearing the exmation, the invigting seniors immediately tossed aside their jobs and rushed up to Zhang Xuan. They gazed at Zhang Xuan intimately as if he were their kin, and their eyes were shining so brightly in excitement that they could nearly light up the night. "This..." Not expecting the other seniors to treat him in such an amiable fashion right after hearing his name, Zhang Xuan rubbed his nose awkwardly. He couldntprehend the sight before him... Could it be that the news of him beating up the Byzantium Helios Beast had be known? But that shouldnt be! He had instructed Vicious to ensure that no one was around when he pummeled the Byzantium Helios Beast, so it should be impossible for anyone to have noticed that matter. Not even Elder Mo would be able to get past Vicious radar! But if the news hadnt been leaked, what kind of insanity were these people up to? Zhang Xuan hadnt killed a single high-tier spirit beast or disy outstanding prowess throughout the examination... Could he be so brilliant that not even his humble performance could conceal his radiance any longer? Upon thinking of this, Zhang Xuan subconsciously nced down at his appearancea normal master teacher robe... Un, it didnt seem that there was anything unique about him. His aura... had also been suppressed to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. As for his Heavens Path zhenqi, they shouldnt be able to sense it either... While Zhang Xuan was baffled by the situation before him, Yu Cheng was on the verge of going insane. I am clearly the winner, alright? I won the bet, umting a score of more than two thousand points, disying an extraordinary performance in contrast to my peers... Yet, instead of speaking to me, you actually chose to show care and concern to a loser instead, inviting him to a meal and even gifting him valuable items... Do you need to be so obvious that you are fawning on someone? Where is your pride as seniors! Yu Chengs lips twitched violently, and his eyes reddened in frenzy... The heck! I am the freaking winner here, I really am! It isnt this Zhang shi over here! On the other hand, Senior Feng also swallowed his saliva upon seeing the situation before him. The insanity that was unfolding before him had left him on the verge of madness. He thought that he would be able to wash away his previous humiliations with this triumph, but who knew that the other party would still up him one in the end! In the end, it seemed like nothing had changed at all. "What is going on? What are you doing gathering here instead of invigting the test properly?" Just as everyone was feeling faint from the madness before them, a sharp bellow suddenly echoed in the air. Following which, a stern-looking middle-aged man walked over. "It is Bai shi from the academys Enforcement Hall! He is known throughout the academy to be an austere person..." "I heard that Bai shi is Elder Mos direct disciple. Even though he is a 6-star low-tier master teacher, he possesses a great deal of influence in the academy!" "Direct disciple? You must be mistaken. Up until now, Elder Mo has been known to have never epted a single direct disciple. Bai shi is simply an ordinary student under him..." "Regardless of whether he is a direct disciple or not, he is still a figure that we can only look up to...." ... Such soft whispers could be heard amidst the crowd. Bai shis cultivation and master teacher rank couldnt be considered to be exceptional, but he was extremely famous in the academy. As he had always followed behind Elder Mo, most had thought of him to be thetters direct disciple. "Bai shi!" As expected, as soon as the seniors noticed Bai shis arrival, they immediately dashed back to their positions at the speed of light. "The reason teacher has made you the invigtors of this examination is due to his high opinion of your diligence and honesty. Who allowed you to approach the examinees on your own whim to strike up private connections with them here?" Bai shi red at the seniors coldly. The powerful aura of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan weighed down heavily on them. 5-star master teacher corresponded to cultivation realms of Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, 7-dan, and 8-dan. To be a 6-star master teacher, one had to at least possess the cultivation of a 9-dan! As a 6-star low-tier master teacher, Bai shi was a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan pinnacle expert. There were none that stood here who could match him. "Yes..." Those words left the faces of the seniors turning red in embarrassment. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and continue with the invigtion!" Bai shi waved his hand majestically. The frightened seniors hurriedly turned their attention back to tabting the scores of the examinees. "Humph!" Bai shi harrumphed coldly. After ensuring that everything was back in order, he turned to Zhang Xuan. Unlike the previous austerity he had shown to the seniors, he had a slight smile on his face at the moment. sping his fist, he bowed. "Senior Zhang, teacher has invited you to meet him!" "Senior?" "Bai shi has addressed Zhang shi as... senior? Could it be that Elder Mo intends to take Zhang shi in as his direct disciple?" "That would exin why all of the seniors are eager to fawn over him. After all, Elder Mo is one of the Ten Great Elders of the academy! The standing of his students is above that of most teachers. Just look at Bai shi, there is barely anyone who would dare stand in his way!" "Indeed. To be epted as the direct disciple despite having yet to officially enroll in the academy... How enviable!" ... Seeing the politeness Bai shi was showing to Zhang shi, everyone suddenly froze. For one to be addressed in such a manner by a 6-star master teacher, there was only one possibilityElder Mo was intending to take in Zhang Xuan as his direct disciple! But... hadnt Zhang shi just arrived at the academy, just like them? All they had done to date was take the entrance examination. What in the world did the other party do to actually catch the eye of Elder Mo, who had never epted a single direct disciple before? Wasnt he way too lucky! "Elder Mo? Alright." Noticing all of the gazes on him, Zhang Xuan realized that his n to maintain a low profile had fallen through. With a deep sigh, he nodded and followed Bai shi down the mountain. A momentter, they disappeared from the crowds sight. "Why?! I am obviously the victor! I am the one who won! But why..." Seeing Zhang Xuan leave under the escort of Bai shi, Yu Chengs eyes reddened in frenzy. The reason he intentionally challenged Zhang Xuan was so as to force himself to perform spectacrly. Even with his inner cores stolen, he still managed to obtain an amazing score exceeding two thousand points. Given his outstanding result, why did Elder Mo choose to take in a person who had lost to him instead? Seeing how Yu shi was raging over the matter, a senior finally couldnt stand watching the situation any longer. With a look of pity, the senior asked, "You won? Yu shi, do you know what Zhang shis score is?" Stunned by the abrupt question, Yu Cheng replied, "His score? Wasnt it tabted at 2580 just now?" It was just a moment ago that the score had been revealed, and the other party had lost to him and Senior Feng by 78 points. Did the senior forget about it? "2580?" The senior burst intoughter. Shaking his head, he said, "Do you think that it is possible to catch Elder Mos eye with such a score?" "This..." Yu Cheng blinked in shock. Zhang Xuan hade together with him to have their scores checked. Could there be some mistake with his score? But how could that be possible? "Let me tell you honestly, his total score adds up to... 43724 points!" The senior spoke affirmatively, but a hint of astonishment still shed across his eyes while reciting the figure. "43000 points? B-but how is this possible?" The astonished Yu Cheng nearly fainted on the spot. His lips twitched intensely in disbelief. "Didnt he only obtain the inner cores from Luoyang Beast, Viridsmoke Beast, Seven Feeler Beast... How did he obtain such a high score?" Yu Cheng wasnt the only one astounded by this revtion. The master teachers in the surroundings also turned their doubtful gazes over. They had all witnessed the sight of Zhang shi handing over his inner cores, as well as the tabtion of the results. How in the world did two thousand points turn into forty thousand points? Wasnt this gap a little too big? Forty thousand points... Given the score of a hundred points for each Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast, one would have to hunt at least 400 of them to achieve that score! But with the time limit of a single day, was that even possible? "How is that possible? Zhang shi singlehandedly saved more than two hundred trapped master teachers at Heavens Thread. In the midst of doing so, he tamed more than four hundred Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts. How is that not worth forty thousand points?" Seeing Yu Chengs disbelief, the senior flung his sleeves and said, "Furthermore, you should also be aware that taming a spirit beast is far more difficult than killing one!" "He tamed... four hundred spirit beasts?" Hearing those words, someone suddenly put two and two together and eximed, "This... Could it be that Zhang shi is the unparalleled genius that returned at noon whom the seniors were talking about?" They had previous heard from the seniors that a top scorer had already emerged at noon. Initially, most thought that it would only be two to three thousand points at the maximum, but who could have imagined that it would actually be forty thousand points! Furthermore, it came actually from this humble-looking Zhang shi! "Indeed, that person is Zhang shi... After learning of his incredible performance, even Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan are eager to meet him. Do you really think that you have won against him with those measly two thousand points of yours?" the senior said. How conceited! Initially, even though Brother Yu and Senior Feng had addressed Zhang Xuan as Zhang shi, they still werent able to put the two together. After all, there were at least hundreds of master teachers amongst the examinees that went by the surname of Zhang as well. But for a person to be known as Zhang Xuan and to havee from Huanyu Empire at that, there seemed to only be a single person who fit this description! The incredible genius whom even Elder Mo was full of praise for! Honestly speaking, he still found it hard to believe the incident that had happened at noon to be true. If Zhang shi was only strong and formidable in beast taming, they wouldnt have been so impressed. More importantly, he was humble and nonchnt to fame and wealth. That was what had truly left them awed. Most likely, it was this charisma of his that won him the respect of all of the examinees who returned at noon. Two hundred master teachers bringing more than four hundred spirit beasts back, but every single one of them only asked for a single point. They insisted on transferring the remaining to Zhang shi to thank him for saving their lives. Just by recalling the sight of it now, he would still shake in agitation at the grandness of the sight. After which, when he heard of the entire story from the master teachers, his respect for Zhang Xuan only further deepened. Despite taming so many spirit beasts and saving everyone, he didnt boast and demandpensation and credit for his efforts. After the deed was done, he simply flung his sleeves and left nonchntly, not even bothering to leave his name behind. Such was his nobility! Simply too few master teachers had managed to achieve such a transcendental attitude in their lifetimes. Chapter 723: Elder Mo Accepting a Disciple Chapter 723: Elder Mo epting a Disciple Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Most important of all... ording to what he heard from the other master teachers, in order to save them, Zhang shi had utilized a secret art to forcefully raise his cultivation from Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle! If it had been anyone else in his ce, that person would have surely gone around showing off his prowess. On the other hand, Zhang shi had chosen to remain humble about the matter... If not for Yu Cheng exposing his name, no one would have recognized him! It was truly a pity that most master teachers get too caught up with cultivating their strength that they neglected to cultivate their spirituality. Look at yourself... Are you certain that you are qualified topete with him? What do you have that can possiblypete with him? Your boastful mouth? With such a thought in mind, the seniors nced at Yu Cheng derisively. If it had been in the past, they would surely have been awed by Yu Chengs astounding result of two thousand points. But when put against Zhang shi, the disparity was simply too big that it was almost disappointing. And this wasnt just an issue concerning strength, but moral values as well. Zhang shi was willing to sacrifice himself for the other master teachers while expecting nothing in return, what about you? In fear of loss, you intentionally chased away the spirit beast that the other partys tamed beast had captured over. After such a shameless act, you even dared to show off your points and force the other party to fulfill the end of the bet... The both of you are geniuses, but why is there simply such a huge gap between you two? "..." Under the derisive gazes of the seniors, Yu Cheng felt his legs losing his strength. He quickly turned around to look at the others, only to find countless more derisive gazes before him. Unable to take the blow, Yu Chengs vision darkened, and a spurt of fresh blood gushed from his mouth. The heck... Isnt this just a bet? In this examination, I was stripped bare by a spirit beast and lost all of my artifacts. Despite my hard work and outstanding performance, I still ended up being the object of mockery of everyone else... What the hell is this! Brother Yu and Senior Feng nced at one another, and they burst into tears. ... "That... Bai shi, may I know the reason why Elder Mo is looking for me?" Until this point, Zhang shi was still stunned by the sudden twist of events before him. He simply couldnt figure out what was going on. He had been too caught up with pursuing the Myriad Anthive Queen that he neglected the spirit beasts that he had tamed. As such, he was also unaware that the master teachers he had saved had put the points obtained from those spirit beasts under his name. As a result, he still thought that his score was lower than Yu Chengs. "You dont know?" Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Bai shi was taken aback. He turned around to look at Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing the earnest confusion in the other partys face, his respect for the other party deepened further. Did you see that? This is the magnanimity of a true master! Under normal circumstances, it would be a blessing if one didnt solicit for a reward after doing a kind deed. On the other hand, Zhang shi threw itpletely to the back of his mind, treating it as if it was the natural thing to do. Such nobility was truly worthy of respect! Of everyone that he had seen, the only one who could possiblypare with the other party was the old principal. "Am I supposed to know?" Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. He had only met Elder Mo once, and that was during the briefing of the examination. On top of that, he also didnt think that he had done anything worthy of the other partys attention. So what could the other party be seeking him for? "Dont worry, you arent in any trouble. You will know once we get there!" With a slight smile, Bai shi replied. After walking for some distance, a straw hut came into sight. While it was termed as a straw hut, it actually resembled more of a gazebo. It seemed to be freshly built, and beneath its roof sat two elders. "Pavilion Master Mo?" With a nce, Zhang Xuan swiftly recognized the two men in the gazebo. One of them was Elder Mo while the other party was Pavilion Master Mo, the person who left a high-tier spirit stone as a reward for the Master Teacher Tournament, Mo Gaoyuan. "Teacher, Zhang shi is here!" Unaware of the doubts flying through Zhang Xuans mind, Bai shi stepped forward and reported. "Oh? You are Zhang Xuan?" Elder Mo stood up and assessed Zhang Xuan from head to toe. He slowly nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he was seeing. Aposed young man with no signs of anxiety or arrogance. It was clear that he was a highly cultured man. "Zhang Xuan pays respect to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "Oh? Zhang shi, this seems to be the first time we are meeting." Mo Gaoyuan gazed at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Ah... Indeed!" Only then did Zhang Xuan suddenly recall that he had only met Pavilion Master Mo in his identity as Yang shi. In strict terms, this should be the first time Zhang shi was meeting with him. "I have heard of Pavilion Master Mos valiance from Hong shi." Zhang Xuan replied calmly without the slightest hint of panic. "Not bad. To be able to recognize me from just descriptions, as expected of a genius!" Mo Gaoyuan nodded. He did possess a fair share of fame as the pavilion master of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Pavilion, so it wasnt too surprising for Zhang Xuan to recognize him. "Oh? What does this mean? Pavilion Master Mo, you are acquainted with him?" Hearing the conversation between the two, Elder Mo asked doubtfully. Wasnt Zhang shi a freshman who had just enrolled this year? Why did it seem as if he had some ties with Pavilion Master Mo? "We arent acquaintances, but I have heard of Zhang shis name. As you can see, this is the first time we are meeting." Mo Gaoyuan replied. Without the other partys permission, he didnt dare to speak of Yang shis name in public. Thus, he chose to speak of the matter vaguely. "You heard of Zhang shis name?" Elder Mos bewilderment further deepened. Who was the man before him? A 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a person who ruled over the Master Teacher Pavilion of a Tier 1 Empire, one of the most influential men in Hongyuan Empire. On the other hand, no matter how talented Zhang shi was, he was still nothing more than a humble figure from Huanyu Empire. How could there be ties between two people from vastly different worlds, not to mention, Pavilion Master Mo had actually heard of Zhang shi? "Pavilion Master Mo has probably heard of me due to his ties with my teacher." Seeing that Pavilion Master Mo was put at a spot, Zhang Xuan stood forward to exin. "Ties with your teacher?" Elder Mo was taken aback. "May I know whom your esteemed teacher is? Perhaps I might be acquainted with him." In truth, Zhang Xuans feat of taming more than four hundred spirit beasts in just two hours had stoked his desire to take him in as his direct disciple. In his view, since Zhang Xuan had originated from the humble Huanyu Empire, his teacher was unlikely to be an incredible figure. As such, it shouldnt be a problem for him to take the other party in as his direct disciple. However, when he heard that Mo Gaoyuan knew of the other partys teacher, and there seemed to be some deep rtionship between them at that, he began to feel a little uneasy. If Zhang Xuans teacher was a 6-star master teacher as well, it would be inappropriate for him to take the other partys student. While it was typically considered as an honor for ones student to catch the eye of a higher ranked master teacher, the same didnt apply for peers. This was especially so if Zhang Xuan was a direct disciple. This would then be an extremely sensitive matter that concerned ones heritage and reputation. Taking how Cao Xiong had tried to take Wang Ying away from Zhang Xuan back then as an example, such incidents could be viewed as an attempt to humiliate the teacher as the teachers professionalism would be questioned, thus potentially resulting in an irreconcble animosity between both parties. "My teacher is Yang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Yang Xuan?" Elder Mo frowned. After a moment of contemtion, he realized that he had never heard of this name so he turned to Mo Gaoyuan and asked, "May I know if Yang shi is..." "This..." Having promised to keep Yang shis identity a secret, Mo Gaoyuan was put at a spot. "My teacher enjoys spending his time roaming thends, so he doesnt have much of a fame. It is normal for Elder Mo to have not heard of him." Zhang Xuan hurriedly replied. "Doesnt have much of a fame?" Elder Mo was perplexed. As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Mo Gaoyuan possessed exceptional standing. If Zhang Xuans teacher was just an ordinary master teacher, why would he hesitate to talk about him? "Ill just tell you the truth then. I am indebted to Yang shi for his impartation..." Judging from Elder Mos expression that he was unlikely to give up, Mo Gaoyuan was fearful that his old friend might identally say something inappropriate before Yang shis student, so he hurriedly said. "Impartation? Could it be..." Upon realizing the meaning behind Mo Gaoyuans words, Elder Mo hurriedly turned his gaze to the young man before him. Among master teachers of equal rank, one would usually use terms like trading insights and interacting. Only toward higher ranked master teachers would the term impartation be used. For Mo Gaoyuan to act so cautiously and use such a respectful term, could it be that... Zhang Xuans teacher was a master teacher of higher rank than him? But both Mo Gaoyuan and he were already 6-star pinnacle master teachers... If Zhang Xuans teacher was beyond Mo Gaoyuan, didnt that mean that he was a 7-star master teacher or beyond? "Thats right!" Knowing what Elder Mo was thinking, Mo Gaoyuan hurriedly nodded. "This..." Elder Mos face paled in shock. He was only a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, how could he possibly dare to take in the student of a 7-star master teacher? That would be getting ahead of himself! "May I know if Zhang shis beast taming skill was imparted by Yang shi?" But nevertheless, Elder Mo still felt a little reluctant to give up on such a good bud. After all, a student could have multiple teachers for differing fields. There could be a teacher to guide him on his cultivation, another on beast taming, painting, Way of Medicine... If Zhang Xuans beast taming skills didnte from Yang shi, it wouldnt be considered a breach of etiquette for Elder Mo to take him as his beast taming student. In a sense, this was simr to how Zhang Xuan took Luo Qiqi in as his apothecary student. As the saying goes, "learn from the skilled, not the aged". Even if Yang Xuan was a 7-star master teacher, as long as he didnt teach Zhang Xuan beast taming, there would be no sh of interest. "My beast taming skill was indeed learned from my teacher." Zhang Xuan could also tell Elder Mos intention, so he quickly admitted to it. Elder Mo would be a strong backing for him in the Master Teacher Academy, especially considering the fact that he was one of the Ten Great Elders, but Zhang Xuan was still reluctant to acknowledge the other party as his teacher. First, it would be difficult for him to exin the matter of Yang shi. All along, Yang shi had put on too invincible of a front before others. It might bring some doubt to the credibility of Yang shis identity if he were to acknowledge Elder Mo as his teacher, regardless of whether there was a sh of conflict or not. Second, he didnt even ept Kong shis offer to be his student. If he were to be Elder Mos student now, wouldnt Kong shi explode from rage? Even though it was known throughout the continent that Kong shi had already passed away, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but think that there was something deeper to the matter after the disciple epting incident back then. Besides, he was a Celestial Master Teacher, a being recognized by even the heavens itself. Even if he wanted to acknowledge the other party as his teacher, would the other party be able to bear such the heavy burden of being the teacher of a Celestial Master Teacher on his shoulder? "Then... what about smithing? I am skilled at smithing too!" Elder Mo was still reluctant to give up. After all, it wasnt every day that one would see such a talented student. Everyone knew of Elder Mos astounding beast taming capability, but little knew that he was also a top-notch cksmith as well. "My smithing art is also imparted by my teacher." Zhang Xuan replied. "T-then... what about Way of Medicine?" Elder Mo pushed on obstinately "Cough cough, alright, thats enough. Yang shi is a great man, his capability isnt one that we can fathom..." Seeing how his old friend was still trying his luck, pushing from beast taming to smithing and finally to Way of Medicine, Mo Gaoyuan couldnt help but interject. "Sigh, you also know that the reason why I am still without a direct disciple isnt because I am unwilling to ept one but that I am simply unable to find a suitable candidate..." Knowing that Pavilion Master Mo was stopping him out of goodwill, Elder Mo shook his head with a bitter smile. In truth, he had seen many geniuses in his years, but none of them had reached his expectations. His prerequisite in epting a disciple wasnt the talent of the other partys talent but his personality. He deeply believed that a master teacher had to be willing to bear the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. Given that Zhang Xuan was willing to sacrifice himself to trigger a secret art to forcefully raise his cultivation to save others and yet not solicit anypensation, his personality definitely reached Elder Mos expectations. The reason why he spent such a heavy price on recruiting the services of the Byzantium Helios Beast to invigte the examination was just so that he could find a suitable student to inherit his heritage. With a perfect jade right before him, how could he be willing to let go? "I understand your intentions, but..." At this point, Mo Gaoyuan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Yang shis prowess..." Just as he was conflicted as to whether he should reveal the true strength of Yang shi to make his good buddy give up on the impossible idea, one of the invigting seniors suddenly rushed to the gazebo from the distance. "Reporting to Elder Mo, we have finished tabting the score of the examinees!" "Good!" Elder Mos eyes lit up. "How many people have passed the examination?" "Reporting to Elder Mo, a total of 6487!" "O-only six thousand?" Elder Mo was startled. Chapter 724: The Selfless Zhang Xuan Chapter 724: The Selfless Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The typical practice was to have at least twenty thousand of the thirty thousand students to pass the examination. Yet, only six thousand or so people had passed the examination. Did this mean that they were going to eliminate a total of twenty-four thousand freshmen? For the result of the examination to actually turn out like this, how was to ount for this matter to the academy? "Thats right." The senior nodded, affirming Elder Mos doubts. Elder Mosplexion turned incredibly awful. Didnt the Byzantium Helios Beast promise him to ensure that at least twenty thousand freshmen would clear the examination? Why did the standards suddenly turned out so strict that only six thousand passed the examination? That fellow had always been a dependable and reliable person. What in the world happened this time around? Hearing the figures, Zhang Xuan was also taken aback. He thought that the pass ratio would at least still be fifty percent, but from the looks of it now, he was being too optimistic. "That darned Byzantium Helios Beast is to me for this. I shall teach him a severe lesson when I return!" A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. If not for that spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe interfering with the examination, how could the pass ratio be so low? The Master Teacher Academy might not mean anything much to him, but to the other master teachers, it spelled their future. As long as they could get in and persevere on, they would be destined for greatness. However, after the mess that the Byzantium Helios Beast had cooked up, they could only end up departing in disappointment. Just as Zhang Xuan was contemting how he should deal with that darned saint beast, Elder Mo anxiously sped his fist and said, "I need to deal with some matters now, Ill be right back!" Leaving behind those words, he turned around and soared into the air, headed in the direction of the pinnacle of Leiyuan Peak. No matter what, he had to ask what the Byzantium Helios Beast was up to, failing so many examinees. Pushing his Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivation to the limits, he swiftly reached the top of the peak. "Senior Byzantium Helios..." Elder Mo shouted as he approached the gigantic straw cottage in the distance. The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of the old principal, thus making its standing higher than even the Ten Great Master Teachers. As such, he had to respectfully address the other party as senior. Hearing that there was no response, Elder Mo flew closer to the straw cottage, and just as he was about to call for the other party again, his eyes suddenly narrowed. He suddenly noticed multiple depressions on the originally t snownd. Furthermore, the spiritual energy in the surroundings seemed to be a little chaotic, as if a battle had just urred here. "This level of disturbance in the spiritual energy can only be caused by a Saint realm expert!" As a 6-star master teacher, Elder Mo possessed an incredible eye of discernment. He could tell in a single look that the mess before him was a result of a battle between Saint realm experts. "Could it be that..." Elder Mos eyes narrowed, and clencing his fists, he rushed into the straw cottage. The Byzantium Helios Beast had always beenzy, and under normal circumstances, it would be resting inside the cottage. Yet, all that appeared before Elder Mo was emptiness. Could this mean that the Byzantium Helios Beast... was in danger? "How in the world could it be? Who would dare to attack Senior Byzantium Helios of the Master Teacher Academy?" A hint killing intent boiled in Elder Mos eyes. The Byzantium Helios Beast was the old principals tamed beast, and he represented the dignity and reputation of the Master Teacher Academy. To dare toy ones hands on it was no different from openly provoking the entire Master Teacher Academy, taunting the entire Master Teacher Pavilion! Elder Mo swiftly headed out to study the marks left outside the cottage. "Judging from the size and outline of these depressions, it should be left by Senior Byzantium Helios. As for these footsteps, they seem to be slightlyrger than an ordinary human..." Elder Mo swiftly walked up to one of the footprints and pinched the snow in the region. All of the sudden, his eyes narrowed. "Killing intent? This... Otherworldly Demons!" As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed an in-depth knowledge of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. From the footprints before him, he could sense a slight killing intent which was distinctive of an Otherworldly Demonic Tribe expert! "One, two, three..." More than twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons actually coordinated with one another to deal with Senior Byzantium Helios?" After counting the footprints in the area and making a rough estimation, Elder Mos eyes widened in shock. It was no wonder why the Byzantium Helios Beast was missing! To think that twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons would actually appear here! This was and belonging to the Master Teacher Academy! How did the Otherworldly Demons sneak into here and capture the Byzantium Helios Beast away without their notice? "This is truly a disaster. I must quickly report this to the academy and the Master Teacher Pavilion!" The appearance of twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons was no joke. This concerned the stability of the entire Hongyuan Empire! They must investigate and deal with this matter swiftly, or else catastrophe could befall the Hongyuan City! With this thought in mind, Elder Mo swiftly rushed down the mountain, and a short momentter, he returned back to the gazebo. "Whats wrong?" Seeing his old buddy rushing back anxiously with an awful look on his face, Mo Gaoyuan asked worriedly. "This..." ncing at Zhang Xuan, Elder Mo hesitated. The emergence of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was a huge affair. If news were to leak out, it would cause a huge panic. Even though Elder Mo was one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, he didnt dare to take such a risk. "Since the both of you have important matters to attend to, I wont impose myself then..." Noticing the other partys hesitance, Zhang Xuan knew that his presence was unwanted, so he stood up and sped his fist. "Actually... its fine!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to leave, Elder Mo felt a little embarrassed instead. It was just a moment ago which he was trying to persuade the other party to be his disciple, to regard him as an outsider and leave him out of important issues now would be truly inappropriate. "This matter is of grave importance, but I have trust in Zhang shis credibility, so its fine for you to listen as well." After a moment of hesitation, Elder Mo spoke up, "I noticed the traces of Otherworldly Demons on Leiyuan Peak!" "What? How strong are they?" Mo Gaoyuan widened his eyes in shock. "Even at the very least, they are stronger at me. Furthermore, it seems like there are quite a few of them!" Elder Mo revealed his analysis on the matter. Even under the encirclement of more than twenty Saint realm experts, given Senior Byzantium Helioss prowess, he should at least be able to send a message to them. But when Elder Mo arrived earlier, hebed through the entire area but found nothing of that sort. This hinted at the presence of an expert exceeding Saint 1-dan among the enemy. "Stronger than you?" Mo Gaoyuansplexion darkened. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also narrowed his eyes. All along, he had been suspecting that the Byzantium Helios Beast was a spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and those words from Elder Mo only confirmed his doubts. That fellow must be the tamed beast of a powerful Otherworldly Demon! Otherwise, why would it obstinately refuse to reveal whom its master was? "Indeed, I have saved a lot of master teachers!" Having confirmed this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Had the scheme of the Byzantium Helios Beast and Otherworldly Demonic Tribe seeded, this wouldnt be a matter of how many people failed the examination but how many people died in the examination. This would be a huge blow to the Master Teacher Academy! As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan carried the responsibility and mission belonging to one. If he were to encounter the scheme of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he mustnt back down! "I hope that the two of you wont spread this matter around. Ill assemble the Ten Great Elders and conduct a meeting to deal with this matter." Elder Mo said. Pavilion Master Mo and Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Any matter involving the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had to be kept in secrecy or else it could cause a pandemonium among the popce. "Un, we will keep the matter to ourselves. Right, what about the matter regarding the intake this year?" Pavilion Master Mo asked. "This..." Elder Mo rubbed his be in distress. This matter was truly a tricky issue. He thought that with the Byzantium Helios Beast overlooking the examination, there shouldnt be any problem in this matter. Who would have thought that the other party would end up being attacked by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and go missing altogether, resulting in such a huge problem in the examination? The internally agreed intake number was twenty thousand, but now only six thousand had managed to pass the examination. How was he to exin this matter to the Master Teacher Academy? If he were to simply bring the other students in or conduct any examination, that would undermine the authority of the entrance examination, and this entire matter would be nothing more than a farce. But epting only six thousand out of thirty thousand geniuses was a huge loss to the Master Teacher Academy! "Elder Mo, I have an idea in mind!" Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before speaking up. "Feel free to speak." Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo turned their sights to Zhang Xuan, curious to see what he had to say. "Didnt you say that it is possible to share the points one obtained?" At which, Zhang Xuan smiled and proposed, "Since I have forty thousand points, there is more than enough to go around even if I were to give one to everyone. This way, everyone would be able to clear the examination!" "This..." Elder Mo was stunned, "But these are the points you obtained with great difficulty, how can I take them from you and allocate it to the other examinees..." "Its nothing much. With the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe is looming above us, we master teachers should buff up our forces as far as we could. By giving those geniuses from the various regions a chance, we are giving a hope to humanity as well." Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly. The points he had umted were useless to him anyway. Since that was the case, he might as well give them out to win the favor of others and build his reputation. This would be helpful for his advancement as a master teacher as well. Even though most tended to overlook it, reputation was also a factor that master teachers required. Without a strong reputation, how could master teachers rally the forces of humanity and lead the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? As such, it was also taken into ount when determining the Master Teacher Pavilion determined the qualification of a master teacher in advancing to the higher rank. "This... Alright. Since you have made up your mind, I will thank you on behalf of the Master Teacher Academy. Ill inform all of the examinees of this matter now!" Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Elder Mo sped his fist with a grave expression. While others were still thinking about their own individual interest, the other party was already contemting over the future of humanity and the Master Teacher Pavilion! "If all master teachers could be as selfless as Zhang shi, what would there to fear of the Otherworldly Demons..." Elder Mo thought, impressed with the young man before him. If he had only regarded Zhang Xuan as a junior before, he was viewing the other party as a fellow peer at this instant. How big-hearted must one be to willingly forgo his achievements for others! As expected of Yang shis direct disciple, his capability and mindset were vastly different from the others! "Ill be troubling Elder Mo then." Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "No, its no trouble at all. If anything, I am the one troubling you. If not for your generosity, I would have no idea how I could resolve this matter... I owe you one!" Elder Mo replied. Should this examination only have an intake of six thousand, he would be a huge joke of the Master Teacher Academy. His prestige and dignity as one of the Ten Great Elders would also be shattered. While the other party had offered a ray of hope to salvage the future of the other twenty-four thousand master teachers outside, the other party had also salvaged his reputation. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Actually... Rather than having you owe me a favor, I would very much rather receive a few high-tier spirit stones from you... "You need not feel troubled over this, you have indeed helped Elder Mo a lot this time. Besides, Elder Mos favor doesnte easily. Even I havent received it from him in the past two hundred years of our rtionship!" Seeing the reluctance on Zhang Xuans face, Mo Gaoyuan urged him to ept it. As one of the Ten Great Elders, Elder Mo was an upright and austere man. He had high expectations of himself and others, which resulted in him being the only elder without a direct disciple to date. It wasnt easy to receive a favor from a man like that. "Thank you, Elder Mo!" After such words from Pavilion Master Mo, Zhang Xuan could only nod in agreement. If others were to learn that he wasnt interested in epting Elder Mos favor, preferring high-tier spirit stones over that, they would definitely send him flying to the stars with a kick. Which of the Ten Great Elders wasnt an influential figure in Hongyuan Empire? The favor of a person as powerful as them was worth much more than gold. If one could trade this favor with the Hongyuan Empires royal family for high-tier spirit stone, one would receive at least several dozens of them! This was how great the value of a favor from one of the Ten Great Elders was worth! Such a valuable thing, and yet you are still reluctant to ept it... Why dont you just kick the bucket! Chapter 725: Giving Out Points Chapter 725: Giving Out Points Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Pavilion Master Mo, please wait here for a moment. Allow me to organize the freshmen first before assembling the Ten Great Elders for a conference," Elder Mo said before turning around to exit, leaving Mo Gaoyuan and Zhang Xuan in the gazebo. After a moment of silence, Mo Gaoyuan suddenly asked, "Zhang shi, may I ask if... Yang shi is here as well?" The reason he had put a high-tier spirit stone up as a reward for the tournament and hade over here to meet Zhang Xuan was to strike up a rtionship with Yang shi. "My teacher has always been a carefree person who hates to be restrained, so I am unsure of his whereabouts as well," Zhang Xuan replied casually. "I heard from my teacher that you met with some trouble trying to open the Zhukong acupoint. May I know if the problem has been resolved already?" "Speaking of this, I really have to thank Yang shi for his guidance!" At this point, Mo Gaoyuan sped his fist politely. If not for Yang shis guidance, he might have ended up straying further and further from the right path, and perhaps, it might even have be impossible for him to ever reach Saint 2-dan in his life. Now that he had healed his internal wounds, a breakthrough was already within sights. This incident served to further emphasize how fearsome Yang shi was. With just a casual nce, the other party had been able to determine the cause of his problem ande up with a solution which would not only resolve the problem but further his cultivation as well. Even if he could clone himself ten times over, he would still be no match for the other party. In his eyes, the Ten Great Master Teachers of Hongyuan Academy were probably not much different from children ying house. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Teacher has always been a person who follows his whims. Since he has offered to help you, it only goes to show that the both of you are fated. Thus, theres no need for you to think too much about it!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "I see!" Mo Gaoyuan nodded in response. There were indeed some high-ranked master teachers who based their decisions off fate after havingprehended the essence of the world. If fate didnt allow for it, they would never offer their guidance to another. It was also because of fate that Yang shi offered his guidance to Mo Gaoyuan, and he had never expected anything in return. Besides, even if Mo Gaoyuan intended to return the favor, he had to have something that could interest the other party in the first ce... At that moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled another matter and asked, "Right, since Elder Mo is a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer, why dont I see his tamed beast anywhere? May I ask, what saint beast is he contracted to?" Even though he was certain that the Byzantium Helios Beast was a spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there were still several doubts he had in his mind. Firstly, considering the proximity between Leiyuan Peak and the Master Teacher Academy, it was doubtful that such a powerful saint beast could reside on the mountain without catching the attention of the master teachers in the academy. "Its Inferno Dragon Saint Beast!" Even though Mo Gaoyuan was unsure of the purpose behind Zhang Xuans words, he still chose to answer his query without any hesitation. "Inferno Dragon Saint Beast?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had never heard of such a saint beast before, but it should be fine as long as it wasnt the Byzantium Helios Beast. "Indeed. That tamed beast of his... Sigh, its truly an unfortunate event!" Upon speaking of the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast, Mo Gaoyuan hesitated for a moment before shaking his head in pity. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered by Mo Gaoyuans reaction. "Based on what I know, it seems that the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast... doesnt have long to live." Mo Gaoyuan sighed. "Doesnt have long to live?" Zhang Xuan was left even more puzzled by the other partys words. Typically speaking, saint beasts possessed a far greater longevity than humans. As such, it was extremely rare for a beast tamer to outlive their tamed beasts. "Yes. It appears that the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast has met with some trouble in its cultivation... Forget it, lets not talk about such a depressing topic!" Halfway through his words, Mo Gaoyuan shook his head, deciding to speak no further. Even though the Inferno Dragon Saint Beasts fiery temperament made it unsuited to serve as the invigtor for the examination, the least it could do was show its support by attending, especially considering how important the entrance examination was. Thinking that the situation was peculiar, he had asked Elder Mo regarding the matter just a moment ago, and only then did he learn about the problem guing the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast. "Alright." Seeing how Mo Gaoyuan was unwilling to speak any further on the matter, Zhang Xuan chose not to ask as well. ... Hu Qing was a 4-star pinnacle master teacher from Qingyuan Tier-2 Empire. His cultivation had only reached rifying Turbidity realm advanced stage, still a way off from reaching pinnacle. He hade from a remote location, and he had to give up on a lot of things before he could pass the examination toe here. In the final round of the Master Teacher Tournament, in order to get into the top ten, he had to fight frenziedly without care of his life, sustaining seventeen grievous wounds before he could defeat his opponent. The reason he was so desperate was because he was different from the others. The other master teachers could still return to their local Master Teacher Pavilion to enjoy the highest of privileges if they were unable to qualify for the Master Teacher Academy, but such an option didnt exist for him! Born with a deadly affliction, there was only a single medicinal herb which could save his life. However, this herb was incredibly valuable and the only way he could obtain it was through enrolling into the Master Teacher Academy and purchasing it with academic credits. Hed thought that as long as he was willing to put his life on the line, he would be able to pass the entrance examination no matter how difficult it was... Who knew that in the end, despite how hard he tried, he still failed the examination! Hed attempted to hunt down spirit beasts to procure their inner core, but he had ended up being surrounded by them instead, and hed nearly lost his life in that encounter. It had taken him tremendous effort to escape from the encirclement, but even so, hed ended up suffering grievous wounds for it. Eventually, the examination finished without him obtaining a single inner core. Without a single point to his name, he would be unable to be a member of the academy. Unable to obtain the medicinal herb required to cure his affliction, it would just be a matter of time before his illness was triggered, resulting in his death. "No, I must enroll in the Master Teacher Academy by hook or by crook..." Withstanding the immense pain from his wounds, he struggled to his feet and walked over to one of the celebrated geniuses in this examinationYu Cheng. He had watched the bet earlier, and he knew that the other party possessed more than two thousand points. As long as the other party was willing to give even a single point to him, he would be able to enroll in the academy, and there would still be hope for his affliction. sping his fists and bowing deeply, Yu Qing pleaded earnestly, "Brother Yu... I am Yu Qing, a master teacher from Qingyuan Empire. As long as Brother Yu can give me a single point so that I can pass the examination, I am willing to spend the rest of my life serving you to repay your magnanimity..." Even though it was a huge blow to his dignity as a master teacher, with his life at stake, he had no choice but to endure it! "Give you a single point? Who do you think you are?" Yu Cheng was already frustrated about losing to Zhang Xuan when this fellow suddenly came over to beg him for points. Displeased by the other partys actions, his face darkened. All in all, he only had two thousand points. Even though he was unable to win Elder Mos favor, he was still hoping that he could catch the attention of other elders through this achievement. If he were to give this fellow a point, was he supposed to give one to everyone who came begging him for it? The moment he created this precedent, it would only cause a whole string of trouble. Furthermore, none of these points hade easily. Hed had to work extremely hard for everyst one of them, so he was reluctant to give them away as well. "I..." Humiliated, Hu Qings face turned crimson. His head hung lowly by his chest, and he clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Taking a deep breath, he gritted his jaws in determination and kneeled onto the ground. "I beg Brother Yu to give me a single point to clear this examination. As long as you grant my request, Ill obey every singlemand you ask of me without the slightest hesitation in the future!" "You are just a measly Transcendent Mortal 4-dan advanced stage weakling. Even if you were to be my servant, you would be no use to me at all. Scram! Otherwise, Ill kick you away myself!" Yu Cheng harrumphed furiously with a frown. What the heck was this supposed to be? If a Consonant Spirit realm expert hade to him with these words, he could still consider the matter. But a fellow who hadnt even reached rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle actually wanted to negotiate with him? How insolent! Hed had to spend invaluable artifacts in order to earn his points, and he was even humiliated by a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast for it. Given how much he had gone through for them, how could he be willing to give his points away so easily? Senior Feng stepped forward and said, "The fact that you werent able to obtain any point only goes to show that you arecking in ability and are unworthy of bing a member of the academy! I suggest you stop embarrassing yourself here." They might not be able to match up to Zhang Xuan, but without a doubt, they possessed capability superior to most of their peers, and they had the rights to be proud. "Indeed, stop your shameful actions here. If everyone were to beg for points just because they couldnt earn any, the academy wouldnt be called the Master Teacher Academy but the Beggar Academy!" "You only have yourself to me for not working hard enough!" "You are not fated with the Master Teacher Academy, so just leave... Dont soil the dignity of master teachers here!" ... The master teachers in the region also waved their hands disdainfully in response to Hu Qings actions. It was undignified for a master teacher to beg for points like that. If they were to condone such actions amongst them, how could they hold their heads up high and preach to the world? A failure meant a failure. Since Elder Mo had set this a rule, they were meant to follow it. "Alright..." Knowing that it was hopeless, Hu Qings body trembled uncontrobly as he stood up. At this instant, he felt as if the wind had blew away every bit of dignity he carried. While master teachers were expected to behave nobly, they were still mortal. There was no mortal who could truly be selfless, and even master teachers had their own desires and goals. "Forget it..." Hu Qing shook his head. He knew that even if he were to abandon his pride, there was not a single person here who would give him a single point. Since that was the case, he might as well clutch onto the final shred of pride he had and leave with his head held high. Hu! But just as he was about to walk away, Elder Mo suddenly appeared in the air, and with a resounding voice, he said, "In this examination, there are a total of 6817 people who passed the examination. Those who failed to obtain a single point have failed the examination, and they are not fated with the Master Teacher Academy!" "Not fated..." The faces of the twenty thousand people who had failed the examination turned pale. While they knew what the oue of the examination would be, it was still difficult for them to ept it. Their hopes and dreamsy within the Master Teacher Academy, and after all they had been through, they couldnt ept failure so easily. "However, theres no need to worry. Upon learning of this news, Zhang shi of Huanyu Empire approached me, and he offered to give his points to the others so that everyone can pass the examination. He hopes that our Master Teacher Pavilion can grow stronger through this! "After careful consideration, I decided to agree to his request. "In other words, from today onwards, everyone here will be a student of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" Elder Mo announced grandly. "Give points... to us?" "Zhang shi was willing to fork out his points so that we could pass the examination?" "This..." Everyone was stunned by the sudden news. At the same moment, Hu Qings body began trembling in agitation, and tears began streaming down his cheeks. Just for a single point, he abandoned his pride, fell to his knees, and pleaded desperately with another man. But he was rejected mercilessly, and he thought that this was where his journey would end! Yet, at the lowest point in his life, Zhang shi stepped forward and offered to give his points to everyone so that they could clear the examination... This was the magnanimity that a master teacher should possess, selflessly putting the human race above his own needs! "Zhang shi... thank you!" Hu Qing fell to his knees once more and vowed solemnly, "From this day forward, you shall be my benefactor. Regardless of what you ask of me, Ill do it without any hesitation!" But different from the previous time, he had kneeled willingly this time around! "This..." Seeing those who had failed the examination mutter words of gratitude for Zhang shi, Yu Cheng and Senior Fengs bodies trembled. It was just a moment ago that they had rejected giving out a single point, and in the next, it was announced that Zhang shi was going to give out his points so that everyone could pass the examination... Did your face p have toe so quick and exaggerated? The duo quickly scanned the surroundings, only to see disdainful gazes from the freshmen on them. It was as if their eyes were saying, "How could the both of them be master teachers but behave so differently?" Pu! Unable to stand it any longer, Yu Cheng felt his old injuries acting up, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. At the same time, Senior Feng also found the sight before him turning dark. He had been traumatized so many times that he had lost his confidence. What in the world was this? Why was it that nothing good ever happened from anything associated with that Zhang Xuan? Chapter 726: Luo Ruoxin Chapter 726: Luo Ruoxin Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Tomorrow, you will be choosing your teachers. Senior students, organize the freshmen and bring them to their living quarters..." After dealing with the misceneous issues, Elder Mo issued some instructions to the senior students before returning back to the gazebo. "Zhang shi, you need not go with the rest. Itll be hard for you to cultivate in those shared dormitories. Follow me back to the academyter on, and Ill arrange individual living quarters for you!" Elder Mo said. As one of the Ten Great Elders of the Master Teacher Academy, he possessed the rights to determine a students living quarters. A top-notch genius like Zhang shi shouldnt be staying in the shared dormitories like others. "Thank you, Elder Mo." Understanding the other partys intentions, Zhang Xuan sped his fist in gratitude. He had too many secrets on him, so it would be best for him to get individual lodging for himself. After which, Mo Gaoyuan offered a ride to Elder Mo and Zhang Xuan, and soon, the three of them were headed for the Master Teacher Academy on the back of the Langya Saint Beast. With the senior students dealing with the matters here, and Bai shi holding the fort, there was nothing for them to worry about. With the swiftness of Langya Saint Beast, it wasnt long before a massive academy came into sight. Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was built to house a hundred thousand master teachers. There werekes and mountains within thepounds of the academy, and gazing down from the sky, it looked like a castle. Even the entire Myriad Kingdom City seemed to pale inparison to the academy. It was no wonder this was the ce where the top-notch geniuses of different empires converged. Just the size of the academy itself already far surpassed the capitals of the smaller empires. "This is the Elite Sector, where the most outstanding master teachers of each grade stay. Take my token and find the student-in-charge to organize lodging for you. Pavilion Master Mo and I will have to meet the other elders to discuss that problem!" Soon, the Langya Saint Beastnded near a cluster of the academys residences. At this point, Elder Mo flicked his wrist and threw his token to Zhang Xuan. After grabbing the token, Zhang Xuan began to survey the surroundings. It was a beautiful ce with lush greenery and a clear stream flowing through the area. The exquisite-looking residences were lined side by side in a row. A Spirit Gathering Formation was set up in each of these residences, creating a dense concentration of spiritual energy in the area. Even without entering the residences, one would already feel refreshed and revitalized under the nourishment of the spiritual energy. As expected of the Elite Sector, its indeed extravagant! After taking a look, Zhang Xuan nodded in awe. These Spirit Gathering Formations were of a higher grade than the one he had inscribed back in Honghai City, each having reached grade-6. If one were to cultivate here, one would definitely make much greater progress thanpared to elsewhere. The Master Teacher Academy couldnt afford to offer such luxury to all of its students, so only the most outstanding of geniuses were allowed to reside in these residences. "Thank you, Ill be heading down now!" Zhang Xuan said as he leaped off the back of Langya Saint Beast. Elder Mo and Mo Gaoyuan nced at one another before gesturing for the Langya Saint Beast to take off into the distance. The matter regarding the appearance of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was a grave issue. They had no time to lose. A few minutester, they arrived at a sealed chamber. There was a total of thirteen seats in the room, each of them reserved for the most esteemed figures in the academy, namely the principal and the Ten Great Elders. A powerful formation was installed within the room, ensuring that nothing discussed in there would leak out. "What has happened for you to summon us so urgently?" Just as the duo took their seats, a few elders suddenly pushed open the door and walked in with deep frowns. Thest time an emergency meeting had been held was when the old principal had gone missing. What could have happened this time for Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo to summon all of them so urgently? "Take a seat please. Well start when everyone arrives!" Elder Mo gestured to the seats around him. The elders nodded and sat at their respective positions. Soon, the door opened once more, and a few more elders entered. Before long, eleven seats were filled. "Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo, you can speak now!" The white-bearded elder who seemed to be the oldest amongst the group gestured for them to begin. "Alright!" Elder Mo nodded. Flicking his wrist, he took out a Record Crystal and said, "Before I begin, I would like you all to watch this first..." With a tap of his finger, the battle scars on the top of Leiyuan Peak which he had recorded earlier appeared before everyones eyes. The elders were initially perplexed to see the rubble in the crystal, but after taking a closer look, their faces slowly turned livid. "These are... the marks of battle from an Otherworldly Demon? How is Senior Byzantium Helios then?" the white-bearded elder asked worriedly. The others also swiftly turned their gazes to Elder Mo. As a member of the Ten Great Elders, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, just by looking at the scene recorded by the Record Crystal, he was still able to deduce the parties involved in the battle. "Senior Byzantium Helios... has gone missing!" Elder Mo said grimly. "Missing?" The other master teachers were stunned by the revtion, and even Mo Gaoyuans expression was colored with disbelief. Back then, Elder Mo had only said that he had found traces left behind by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but he hadnt gone into much detail. As a result, he didnt think that the Byzantium Helios Beast would actually end up being attacked by Otherworldly Demons and go missing. "This is what happened..." Not daring to hide anything, Elder Mo swiftly revealed his agreement with Byzantium Helios Beast, as well as what hed found on the peak. The white-bearded elder mmed his palm on the table and dered grandly, "How dare those Otherworldly Demons infiltrate our Hongyuan City and kidnap Byzantium Helios Saint Beast! For the reputation of our Master Teacher Academy, we must apprehend them!" The Ten Great Elders were responsible for governing the Master Teacher Academy, and they were each in charge of a school in the academy. For one, Elder Mo wasnt just an elder in this academy, he was also the head of the Beast Tamer School. On the other hand, the white-bearded elder was the head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing. A female elder harrumphed coldly. "This is no longer an issue of our schools reputation, but the safety of Senior Byzantium Helios!" She was the head of the Terpsichore School, Wei Ranxue. "Senior Byzantium Helios is the tamed beast of the old principal. He has braved through life-and-death situations with us, and he had ughtered innumerable Otherworldly Demons to bring peace to mankind. With all that he had done, how could we face the old principal if anything were to happen to him? And what rights would we have to call ourselves the Ten Great Master Teachers if we couldnt even save him?" "Indeed, we must not allow anything to happen to Senior Byzantium Helios! However, we dont have any clues as to his whereabouts at the moment, so we shouldnt act recklessly," said Elder Mo. "At this moment, our primary focus should be on finding Senior Byzantium Helios whereabouts. If hes still alive, well find some way to save him. If he has been killed, we should avenge him even at the cost of our lives!" Another two of the elders added the discussion. "I agree. However, I think that we should carry out our actions discreetly first, or else we might risk rming the Otherworldly Demons. If they were to learn that were on their trail, they might potentially resort to extreme actions!" "I concur. Since the Otherworldly Demons dared toy their hands on Senior Byzantium Helios, it is unlikely that they would hesitate in attacking the academy too. We cant discount the possibility that this might be a scheme to lure us away from the academy. Thus, we should proceed warily with the investigation." "That is exactly what I am worried about. I fear that they might have left behind those marks intentionally to lure us into a trap..." Elder Mo frowned. There didnt seem to be any attempt by the Otherworldly Demons to conceal the marks of battle on Leiyuan Peak, as if the other party was intentionally showing it to them. It was due to his worry that this was a trap by the Otherworldly Demons that Elder Mo was hesitant to take action on his own, choosing to hold a conference with the other elders first instead ofbing through the mountain range to search for Senior Byzantium Helios. After a moment of discussion, the group was still unable to decide on anything. It was at that moment that the head of the Apothecary School, Lu Feng, interjected in the discussion. "Senior Byzantium Helios possesses a fighting prowess far above us. If even he wasnt a match for the enemy, its unlikely that we will be able to save him even if we do uncover his whereabouts!" The others nodded in agreement as well. Just like them, the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast was at Saint 1-dan pinnacle as well. However, as a saint beast, he wielded strength far beyond the others. Yet, the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast had been captured before he could even get an opportunity to send out a help signal to the rest of them. Through this, it could be seen how formidable the adversary they were facing was. If they couldnt defeat the Otherworldly Demons, even if they managed to find the whereabouts of the Byzantium Helios Beast, they wouldnt be able to save him. "In a few days, Mu shi from Qingyuan Conferred Empire will be making a trip here to select the new principal and investigate the death of the old principal. When the timees, we can report this matter to him and have him help us look into the matter as well!" School Head Lu said. "This..." At this point, everyone hesitated. If they were to rely on the headquarters for everything, wouldnt that be as good as saying that they, as the Ten Great Master Teachers, were inept and powerless to deal with issues? "I know what you are thinking of, but the enemy we are facing is an existence who was able to bypass our security and abduct Senior Byzantium Helios without rming anyone. This issue is already beyond our ability, so this matter must be reported to the headquarters!" School Head Lu said affirmatively. The Apothecary School was the number one school in the Master Teacher Academy, and this gave more weight to his words. "Alright..." After a moment of contemtion, the other master teachers eventually conceded. Just as they were about to discuss their next course of action, School Head Lu suddenly flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token appeared in his hands. He took a nce at it, and his eyebrows shot up. "Everyone, follow me. Mu shi has arrived!" "Mu shi is already here? So early?" "Didnt he say that it would take a few more days?" "Its impossible for us to fathom the thoughts of experts like him. Dont forget, he did say that he would be able to arrive a month ago, but he ended up postponing his arrival all the way until now..." "Thats true..." Initially, Mu shi had sent a message to them, saying that he would arrive at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy a month ago, but after a long wait, he never came. But just a day ago, he had sent another message over saying that he had been held up by some issues, and he would arrive a few dayster. However, he ended up showing up that day instead. As such, his arrival had caught everyone off-guard. Amidst discussions, the group walked over to the lounge where the academy weed esteemed guests. Soon, they saw an old man with a snowy beard seated on one of the chairs with a dignified posture. Seated beside the old man was a youngdy who seemed to be in her early twenties. "Mu shi!" Upon walking into the room, the elders immediately sped their fists and bowed respectfully. As a 7-star master teacher, Mu shi was one of the top figures in the Master Teacher Academy. Even as the Ten Great Master Teachers, they dared not to show the slightest disrespect to the other party. "Un. Allow me to introduce to you all; this is Luo shi. Shes... a junior of mine. She is a 6-star master teacher, and as a part of her training, she will be serving as a teacher here for the time being. Thus, Ill have to trouble you to make the necessary arrangements." Standing up, Mu shi gestured to the youngdy beside him and introduced her. "Junior?" Taken aback, everyone quickly turned their gazes to the youngdy. At this point, the youngdy stood up, sped her fist, and bowed. "Ruoxin pays respect to the elders of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" "6-star master teacher? She is already a 6-star master teacher despite her young age?" Everyone was taken aback. Luo Ruoxin looked as if she was barely in her twenties. Talent wasnt a sufficient reason to exin how one could qualify as a 6-star master teacher at such an age. The chances were that she hade from an incredible family or possessed an astounding background! It was likely that her being a junior of Mu shis was a lie. As a 7-star master teacher, it would be difficult for him to groom a twenty-year-old 6-star master teacher. Most likely, she was the offspring of a Sage n, heading to a lower empire so as to experience the taste of life and temper her spirit. Only such ns could groom such incredible geniuses! "It is incredible that Luo shi has reached such heights at your young age; you have my admiration. Regarding the issue of taking up a teaching role in our academy, Ill make arrangements for it right now. May I know... what do you specialize in? Is there any school you are interested in?" School Head Lu asked with a smile. Chapter 727: Elite Sector Chapter 727: Elite Sector Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Didnt the academy just ept a new batch of freshmen recently? Why dont you allow her to conduct a public lecture and take in any students who are willing to acknowledge her as their teacher?" Mu shi proposed. "This..." School Head Lu hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding, "Alright then!" Going by conventions, new teachers werent qualified to conduct public lectures, but since it was a request from Mu shi, they were willing to bend the rules. Besides, Mu shis attitude also seemed to verify the guesses in everyones heart. If Luo Ruoxin wasnt a descendent of a Sage n, why would Mu shi make such a request on her behalf? If she was just an ordinary junior, he could have just left her to fend for herself in the academy. There was no need for him to go through so much trouble. More importantly, Luo Ruoxin had a nonchnt expression on her face, as if it was only right for such a thing to happen. Only the descendant of a powerful n would dare to put on such an attitude. "Mu shi..." After making arrangements for Luo Ruoxin, the elders gathered around Mu shi and told him about the issue regarding the Otherworldly Demons. "I was still troubled as to who I should nominate as the new principal. After all, regardless of whom I choose, there will bound to be disagreements, and this could pose significant inefficiencies in the management of the academy. But since such a matter happened..." Mu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing, "How about this? Of the ten of you, whoever who finds Byzantium Helios Beast, saves him, and wins his acknowledgement shall be the next principal! You all should have no objections with this, right?" While the Ten Great Elders managed separate schools each, it was inevitable that there would be some degree of rivalry among them. Otherwise, the principals seat wouldnt have remained empty despite it being years since the disappearance of the old principal. Mu shi had been troubled over this issue when he was dispatched to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to nominate the next principal, but this incident came at a timely moment. Through making this the selection criterion, everyone would stand an equal chance at bing the next principal. Furthermore, through saving the old principals tamed beast, the new principal would be able to build up his fame and authority, making it hard for anyone to undermine him. "This... Alright!" The elders nced at one another, and after a moment of hesitation, they eventually nodded in agreement. While this matter would be extremely tricky to deal with, it could also be viewed as an opportunity to disy their capability. If they were able to do what others werent able to, that could in a way show that they had to qualification to head the Master Teacher Academy. Otherwise, should the current situation where no one was content with allowing another head them, the Master Teacher Academy would continue to remain divided. ... While the elders were weing Mu shi, Zhang Xuan had finally reached the very center of the Elite Sector. Due to Elder Mos anxiety to meet the other elders to discuss the issue regarding the Otherworldly Demons, he could only figure out the way himself. "If Im not mistaken, there must be a massive spirit vein beneath the ground. The deeper I head in, the closer I reach the center of the spirit vein, the richer the spiritual energy in the surroundings is!" Zhang Xuan muttered as he felt the changes in the spiritual energy concentration around him. Most likely, a senior of the academy had set up a massive Spirit Gathering Formation in the area, and over the years, it had grown to be an immense spirit vein. Even though the residences were built side by side, there was a significant difference between among them. The further in the residences were, the closer they were to the core of the spirit vein. If one could get a lodging at the core of the spirit vein, their cultivation would surely soar swiftly. But regardless of how concentrated the spiritual energy in the region was, it didnt have much significance to Zhang Xuan. After all, he cultivated mainly through absorbing spirit stones. No matter how concentrated the spiritual energy in the surroundings was, could it possibly possess spiritual energy more concentrated than within a spirit stone? After looting Yu Cheng and Senior Fengs storage rings, he wasntcking any spirit stones at the moment. However, as he had yet topile the Heavens Path Divine Art for the next tier, he could only put aside his cultivation for the moment. In any case, the positioning of his residence didnt matter to him. All he needed now was a quiet residence where he could cultivate. After walking for a moment longer, a massive building came into sight. This was where Elder Mo had told him to report to in order to im a residence in the Elite Sector. Zhang Xuan slowly walked up the stone stairs and entered the building. There was only a handful of senior students seated on the chairs in the lounge, and they seemed to be discussing the difficulties they had met in their cultivation. "For the Northern Harmony Palm, the zhenqi should start flowing from the left and terminate at the right. Through this way, the zhenqi could make a full cirction around ones body, thus maximizing the might of the technique!" "I dont think that its as simple as you have said. If thats all to the technique, we would have long mastered it. There must be a problem somewhere with our understanding..." "I recall my teacher once telling me that this palm technique should rise from the south and end in the north. I think that the direction is significant in this technique as well..." The group discussed with a deep frown on their foreheads. To qualify for the Master Teacher Academy, one had to be a 4-star pinnacle master teacher at the minimum. Even though it was hard to determine what grade the seniors before him were in, they carried a rtively powerful aura. As the other party hadnt driven their zhenqi, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to gauge their strength without using the Eye of Insight. Nevertheless, their cultivation was unlikely to be beyond Cosmos Bridge realm. "Seniors!" Seeing that the group were engrossed in their chat, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted them with a smile. "You are..." Hearing those words, the group immediately turned their gazes over. However, upon realizing that it was an unfamiliar face, they frowned. They were the few worst scoring students in the academy this year, so the academy had punished them by assigning them to various ces to do menialbor. The ce they were currently in was the Elite Sector, and students who were qualified to stay here were the top geniuses of their grade. As the academy wanted them to focus their attention on furthering their cultivation, their daily chores ended up falling in their hands. Waiting upon those geniuses would temper their mental fortitude, and at the same time, it provides a tform for them to build connections with those geniuses. These connections may prove to be useful to their future. As such, the group here was familiar with everyone in the Elite Sector, and the young man before them was clearly a foreign face. "I am a freshman of the academy. Elder Mo directed me to you for a residence in this sector, so Ill be troubling you for that." With a light chuckle, Wang Chong whipped out the token Elder Mo had passed to him. "Elder Mo?" Taken aback, the group hurriedly got to their feet. Elder Mo was the head of the Beast School, as well as one of the Ten Great Master Teachers. Even as seniors, they dared not to disrespect a student whom Elder Mo had directed here. After checking his token and verifying it to be the real thing, one of the older students sped his fist and said, "Give us a moment, junior. Well bring you to your residence right after some discussion!" With those words, he gathered the group to a side of the room. Due to the spiritual energy concentration gradient down the spirit vein, there was a significant difference between each residence. If they were to settle him into the wrong room, they might bring trouble upon themselves. As such, it was imperative that they discussed this matter thoroughly. "Since Elder Mo directed him here personally, that junior probably possesses incredible talent. It just happens that the junior living in the first residence in the D Sector has just moved away after being promoted to Grade 2, so we could settle him there." "The first residence in the D Sector? That sounds like a good n!" Another senior nodded in agreement. The Elite Sector could be divided into the A Sector, B Sector, C Sector, and D Sector, corresponding to Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, and Grade 1 respectively. Naturally, those in the higher grade would be prioritized in terms of proximity to the core of the spirit vein. Even though the junior before them was only a freshman, just the fact that he was directed here by Elder Mo hinted at his capability, making him qualified to stay in the first residence. "But is it really good to assign a freshman the first residence?" While there were some who agreed with that course of action, some voiced their objections as well. "Shes right. The other students have been eyeing the first residence ever since news broke that Cheng Yue would be promoted to Grade 2. Those fellows would surely be outraged if they were to hear that a freshman had taken their ce!" Another senior added. The grades in the Master Teacher Academy were determined by ones ranking as a master teacher, not how many years one had been in the academy. One would enroll into the academy as a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and the requirement to be promoted to Grade 2 was to be a 5-star master teacher. In order to advance to 5-star, not only must ones cultivation reach Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm, ones Soul Depth and knowledge must also reach a certain mark. On top of that, one must have five 5-star supporting upations. As such, it would take around a decade for an average master teacher to advance a grade! It was in view of this that the Master Teacher Tournament was only held once every ten years. Outside of it, the Master Teacher Academy would only ept a handful of students each year. On that note, that was how Huanyu Empires Ye Qian joined the academy. But getting back to the matter at hand, as long as one hadnt made the breakthrough to 5-star yet, one would be ineligible to be promoted to Grade 2. The first residence in the D Sector had always been upied by a Grade 1 student known as Cheng Yue, and he had just sessfully passed his 5-star master teacher examination this year. As such, he had left his previous residence for one in the C Sector. However, there were many other Grade 1 master teachers who were eyeing the same residence as well. If they were to assign it to a freshman, they might turn hostile against that freshman. "But what can we do about it? It was Elder Mo who pointed him here, they will have to ept it somehow. In any case, we arent the ones who should be troubled by this matter. This will be an opportunity for us to see how capable the freshman is for Elder Mo to give him his token!" One of the seniors said with a chuckle. "Thats true..." The others nodded in agreement as well. After discussing the matter, they walked up to Zhang Xuan and said, "We have found a residence for you. This way please!" With those words, the group began walking to the D Sector, and Zhang Xuan followed closely behind them. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of a residence. After taking a quick nce of it, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. This residence was located very close to the core of the spirit vein, so it was rich in spiritual energy. On top of that, its surroundings were very quiet. In other words, as long as he were to set up a formation around the residence, no one would be aware of it even if he were to pummel the Byzantium Helios Beast in it. "Zhang shi, this will be your residence. Here is the key!" The senior opened the door before passing it over to him. They had learned of the young mans name on the way here, so they changed their method of address from junior to Zhang shi. "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan nodded. But just as he was about to step into the residence, a young man suddenly appeared with an awfulplexion on his face and said, "Huang Xing and Zhou Tong, what do you mean by this? Ive told you many times to hand the key over to me, but you rejected my request again and again. Who is this fellow? Why are you giving the key to him instead?" "Are you in Grade 1? Why havent I seen you around before?" "To attempt to move into the residence right after enrolling in the academy, do you think that you are Cheng Yue?" A man and ady dressed in the master teacher robe with four stars pinned on their chest entered right after the young man. Upon seeing the key in Zhang Xuans hands, they red at him in displeasure. They were the upants of the second, third, and fourth residence in the D Sector, and they had been eyeing this residence for a very long time. If they could take down the first residence, not only would they get to enjoy the concentrated spiritual energy there, it would also signify that they were the top of the Grade 1 students, a position of immense prestige. The trio had thought that with Cheng Yues departure, the residence would be passed down to one of them. Who knew that Huang Xing and the others would bring aplete stranger in! Who the hell was this? Even if they had offered the residence to you, to move in without any hesitation... Do you even know what this signifies? Chapter 728: Three Great Geniuses Looking For Trouble Chapter 728: Three Great Geniuses Looking For Trouble Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Please calm down. It was not me but Elder Mo who decided Zhang shis lodging..." The student known as Huang Xing hurriedly exined the situation. "Elder Mo?" The trio was taken aback by the revtion. Why would the esteemed Elder Mo, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, direct a mere Grade 1 student here? They nced at one another hesitantly for a moment before a gleam of determination shed across the eyes of the first young man, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Regardless of whether its an instruction from Elder Mo or not, to stay in the first residence, you must first possess strength surpassing us. This is a rule established by the Master Teacher Academy. Flout it, and it wont be just us but the entire Grade 1 cohort who will object to this! This young man over here, do you dare topete with me?" In order to further motivate the students, the residence cings in the Elite Sector were determined by ones strength and capability. This was a long-established tradition of the Master Teacher Academy, so even an esteemed elder like Elder Mo would have to think twice before flouting it. "Zhang shi, this young man here is Wu Chan. He possesses a cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, and with his superior strength, he managed to clinch the second ce in the Annual Tournament among the Grade 1 students. It is only due to hiscking Soul Depth that he hasnt been promoted to a 5-star master teacher yet..." One of the seniors who had led Zhang Xuan here sent him a telepathic message discreetly, exining the background of the three students before him. "Annual Tournament?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom as a teacher, there was something of this sort in Hongtian Academy as well. To this date, he could still recall how much trouble he had gone through for his students for it. Was he going to have to undergo it as a student now that he was in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Furthermore, this Annual Tournament was likely going to be very different from the one he had in Hongtian Academy. After all, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was built not for cultivators but master teachers. "Yes. Every year, there would be an inter-grade tournament where students would sh with one another with their capabilities as master teachers. Only the one who emerges as the champion of the tournament is qualified to stay in this residence..." Seeing the confusion on Zhang Xuans face, the senior exined. ording to the other partys words, it seemed like the Annual Tournament should be somewhat alike to the Master Teacher Tournament. Every year, the students would be put against one another, and they would be ranked ording to how they perform. Rewards would be offered to those who had performed spectacrly to further motivate them the students to work harder. Judging from the attitude of these three students before him, it seemed like they had qualms regarding him taking the first residence. However, that was to be expected. How embarrassing it would be if it were to be made known that the first residence which they had fought over for so long had been taken by a freshman! They wouldnt be able to face other students in the academy! Realizing this fact, Zhang Xuan turned to Wu Chan and smiled, "Sure. What do you want topete with me on?" As much as Zhang Xuan wanted to keep a low profile, that didnt mean that he was afraid of trouble. If he couldnt establish a clear dominance over the other students, he would soon find a steady stream of challengers queuing up before his residence, wanting to defeat him and im the residence for themselves. If that was going to be the case, he would rather settle it once and for all. "By right, as students of the Master Teacher Academy, we should bepeting on our capabilities as master teachers. However, that will be both lengthy and troublesome. Thus, I propose that we settle it through a physical duel!" Wu Chan said with a confident smile. There were simply too many aspects of a master teacher that one could be evaluated on, sopeting on them one by one would be inconvenient and time-consuming. As such, settling it with their fists was a more viable option in this case. "A physical duel?" "Thats right. We might be master teachers, but there should be little doubt that our cultivation forms the very foundation of our capabilities. As long as you are able to defeat me in a physical duel, I wont utter a word ofint regarding your stay here!" Wu Chan replied. "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, he turned to the other two and asked, "What about you two? What do you want topete on?" "Me? I want topete with you on the execution of Impartation of Heavens Will!" the female student replied. Perhaps the female student had tailored her master teacher robe, but it was extremely fitting on her. It shaped out her slim and elegant figure beautifully. Even though her charm could hardly match up to Luo Qiqis and Yu Fei-erthose two were existences who were touched by the Goddess of Beauty after allshe stillmanded an elegance that would easily put her in the center of gazes. "Shes the second runner up of the Annual Tournament, Ran Xiaoxiao," the senior informed Zhang Xuan telepathically. "As for thest guy, hes the third runner up, Xiao Nan!" Noting down what the senior said, Zhang Xuan turned to Xiao Nan and asked, "What about you?" "Illpete with you in a physical duel as well!" Xiao Nan replied. "Alright!" Seeing that the two men wanted a physical duel while thedy wanted topete of Impartation of Heavens Will, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. Turning to the female master teacher, Ran Xiaoxiao, he said, "I wont take advantage of you. Youre Ran Xiaoxiao, right? You shall fight in my stead and teach the both of them a lesson!" "Ah? I shall fight in your stead?" Ran Xiaoxiao froze upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. Is this fellow a lunatic? The three of them hade here to teach him a lesson, and yet he wanted her to fight the others on his behalf? Isnt it a little too early to be dreaming? Wu Chan and Xiao Nan were startled by Zhang Xuans words, and they turned to look at him as if he was a fool. They thought a man who was directed here by Elder Mo would possess some kind of extraordinary talents, but to think that that talent would be boasting! Ran Xiaoxiao hade together with them to challenge him, so how could she possibly make a move against them. "Thats right. If Im not mistaken, it seems like it has been three months since your Ziwei and Yingtai acupoints are sealed, causing the zhenqi in your body started flowing in the opposite direction. Do you feel an intense itch across your entire body?" Zhang Xuan asked with a light chuckle. Even though Ran Xiaoxiao hadnt executed any battle technique, her current cultivation realm was only at Cosmos Bridge realm, so the Eye of Insight was effective against her. "Y-you..." Ran Xiaoxiaos eyes widened in astonishment. It was true that it had been three months since her Ziwei and Yingtai acupoints had been sealed, resulting in a stalemate in her cultivation. As zhenqi began to umte, an intense itch gradually consumed her, leaving her in great agony. "If you were to do as I say, you will be able to resolve that issue easily!" Ignoring her astonishment, Zhang Xuan spoke nonchntly. "The reason why your two acupoints were sealed is due to your incorrect zhenqi cirction technique. Direct your zhenqi to your Huihai acupoint and..." Just like this, Zhang Xuan swiftly listed a dozen more acupoints. Ran Xiaoxiao was still hesitant whether she should give it a try after hearing those acupoints when she suddenly felt her zhenqi surging uncontrobly through her body. "This is... Impartation of Heavens Will? Crap..." Upon realizing what was going on, Ran Xiaoxiaos face paled, and she nearly burst into tears. She had just said that she wouldpete with the other party on Impartation of Heavens Will when the other party started even before she was ready. Wasnt this cheating! She immediately tried to forcefully terminate her zhenqis cirction so as to dispel the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will when she suddenly felt the seal on her Ziwei and Yingtai acupoints loosening. It seemed as if they would open up at any moment now. "This..." Ran Xiaoxiao blinked her eyes nkly, dumbstruck. Could it be that... the other partys method was right? Circting her zhenqi in such a pathway would resolve the bottleneck which had trapped her for three months? With such thoughts in mind, she abandoned the notion of terminating her zhenqis cirction, allowing her zhenqi to flow freely under the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will. Hong long! In just a short instant, she felt her bottleneck dissipating under the flow of zhenqi, and a feeling of lightness abruptly embraced her body. Her aura also became much more refined and sharper. "Alright, you should go and duel with them now!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Yes!" Under the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will, Zhang Xuans words were absolute, leaving her no room for objections. With a faint smile, she turned around and charged at Wu Chan and Xiao Nan. "What the freaking hell!" "Screw this bullshit!" Seeing Ran Xiaoxiao charging at them with furious momentum, how could the duo remain oblivious to what was going on? They had been waiting for Zhang shi to duel with them, but therade whom they marched here with ended up turning against them instead. The abrupt twist in the situation left them feeling light-headed, and curses spilled out of their mouths. In a normal duel between master teachers, one would typically test the capability of ones opponent before making any move. Yet, the first thing the fellow did was to beguile one of their own to side with him. Nevertheless, one thing was for sure. Given that Ran Xiaoxiao had chosen to challenge him to an Impartation of Heavens Will duel, it could only mean that she had reached incredible heights in her Soul Depth. But even so, she ended up falling prey to the other partys words. This goes to say that he did possess exceptional means despite being a freshman. It would be unwise to underestimate the young man before them. "Hmph! If you think that you can win against us just by beguiling Ran Xiaoxiao, you are being way too naive! As rivals, we have shed dozens of times over the years. We are well aware of her cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and the maneuvers she usually utilizes in battle..." Wu Chan harrumphed coldly as he easily dodged Ran Xiaoxiaos consecutive punches with movements as swift as lightning. As the second, third, and fourth rankers in the Annual Tournament, it was inevitable that they would view one another as rivals. They had shed with one another frequently, granting them a thorough understanding of each others moves. If that fellow thought that he could defeat the both of them through beguiling one of them through Impartation of Heavens Will, he was dreaming! "Wu Chan, Ill deal with Ran Xiaoxiao. You should go and teach that fellow a lesson..." Xiao Nan harrumphed. "Alright!" Wu Chan nodded. However, just as he was about to advance for the young man, thetters nonchnt voice suddenly sounded in the air, "Coalescence of the Night Rain, Drifting Snow of the cier Mountain, Frosted Leaves Crimson Blossoms..." The words were neither fast nor slow, paced pleasantly to the ear. Those phrases were the maneuvers of the battle techniques they specialized in. However, under normal circumstances, these maneuvers couldnt be executed back-to-back with one another. However, for some reason, he suddenly felt a nearly uncontroble urge to execute them. "No! I mustnt fall for his tricks!" Knowing that if he were to really do so, he would fall under the other partys control like Ran Xiaoxiao, bing a tool under his Impartation of Heavens Will, Wu Chan bit his tongue in determination. Under the excruciating pain, he felt his head clearing up. Following which, he heard a series of pah pah pah pah, and by the time he turned his head, Xiao Nans face was already swollen as if a pigs head. "This..." Astonished by the sight before him, Wu Chans eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets. Even if Xiao Nan possessed strength beneath Ran Xiaoxiao, it should be impossible for him to be defeated in just a few moves! For this to happen, Wu Chan could only think of one possibility... that was if those maneuvers the other party were put together, not only was it possible to execute it, it would even disy an astounding prowess! Otherwise, considering how Ran Xiaoxiao and Xiao Nan were nearly equally matched, it didnt make sense how thetter could be bashed so badly in just a few breaths! "I dont believe it..." The more he thought about it, the more Wu Chan felt doubtful and apprehensive about the matter. Gritting his teeth, he charged right at Ran Xiaoxiao. As a practitioner of the same battle technique, he was very familiar with these maneuvers as well. Upon seeing the other party execute them, he immediately knew how he should move to evade those attacks. But for some reason, the other partys moves seemed to be much more difficult to deal with than usual. After barely avoiding a few blows by a hairs breadth, he was already sweating profusely. Clearly, Ran Xiaoxiaos cultivation had advanced significantly under that fellows guidance, to the point where even he could hardly match up to her! Could an Impartation of Heavens Will advance Ran Xiaoxiaos cultivation by so much? Or was thebination of those few maneuvers that powerful? "Screw it! I should just give it a try myself..." Wu Chan took a step back to leap out of the battle before executing the moves in the order which the young man had said earlier. Puuu!! But by the time he reached the third blow, he suddenly felt his zhenqi running amok as it abruptly ran in the opposite direction. His face paled, and crimson blood spewed from his mouth. Pah pah pah! At the same moment, Ran Xiaoxiao had already rushed up to him and mmed him onto the ground with a p. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head in bewilderment, uprehending of the situation before him. "Ran Xiaoxiao has just opened her Ziwei and Yingtai acupoints, and she has the constitution of a female as well, so its fine for her to use these moves in session. But what is this fellow doing? Does he know that using moves so haphazardly can make his cultivation go berserk easily..." Chapter 729: Blacksmith School Chapter 729: cksmith School Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Every single battle technique has its own unique zhenqi cirction method and execution style, so its important for a cultivator to pair them together wisely. Using an analogy, while its possible for one to punch his left fist to the right while punching the right fist to the left, the sh in the momentum from both actions made in unison would potentially result in muscle tear and disturbances in ones zhenqi. This was the problem Wu Chan was suffering from at this instant. The maneuvers which Zhang Xuan advised Ran Xiaoxiao on was in consideration of her unique circumstances having just opened her Ziwei and Yingtai acupoint and her incredible physical flexibility as a woman. On the other hand, Wu Chan had yet to open those who acupoints, and his body was slightly more rigid as a male as well, making it highly dangerous for him to execute those moves in session. I am guiding Ran Xiaoxiao, why in the world are you trying to learn it as well? Look at what this brings you, you ended up crippling yourself before you can achieve anything... With this incident, there was no way Wu Chan could be a match for Ran Xiaoxiao anymore! If Wu Chan were to know Zhang Xuans thoughts, he would surely burst into tears. Your Impartation of Heavens Will is so powerful, and my Soul Depth has been my main weakness all along. After seeing the massive improvement Ran Xiaoxiao has made under your guidance, how could I possibly hold myself back from giving it a try... In the end, of the three geniuses who came to challenge Zhang shi, two of them were lying on the ground, frothing at the lips, while thest one waspletely obedient to him. Huang Xing and the others couldnt help but gape at that sight. This was way too exaggerated! The second, third, and fourth rankers of the Annual Tournament hade to challenge him. Yet, with just a few words from their opponents, they ended up turning against one another, eventuallynding them in utter defeat... They couldnt help but doubt the authenticity of the sight before them. Was this a show they had cooked up to toy with them, or were they just dreaming? It was fortunate that they hadnt offended Zhang shi earlier! Otherwise, the ones who would be lying on the ground at this moment might be them! It was no wonder by Elder Mo would direct him to the Elite Sector personally, he did possess the talent worthy of that! At the same time, Ran Xiaoxiao was staring at the sight before her in a daze. It seemed as if she could hardly believe that the rivals whom she wasnt able to ovee in the past few years could be defeated so easily. "Alright, Ill be leaving the rest to you all then..." With Zhang Xuans current Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivation, it would be almost bullying if he were to make a move on these Grade 1 students. It would be damaging to his reputation if word were to spread out, so he had opted to have Ran Xiaoxiao fight in his ce instead. With this, there should be no one else in the Grade 1 who would oppose his upation of the first residence. With nothing else tying him here, he waved his hand casually and walked toward the residence. Pushing open the door to the residence, he immediately felt a surge of spiritual energy blew past him. The residence was extremelyrge. On top of the usual amenities, there was even a personal training ground in the courtyard and a sealed chamber for discussing important matters. Honestly speaking, it seemed more like a manor than a residence. It was no wonder the trio had wanted this residence. The privileges granted to the top of the grade was indeed incredible. After taking a casual look around the residence, Zhang Xuan didnt dive straight into cultivating. Instead, he took a seat in one of the rooms to contemte on his next course of action. There were a total of ten schools representing an upation each in this academy, and each of them had a humongous library containing a precious trove of knowledge. It wasnt easy for Zhang Xuan to enroll into the academy, so he should make use of the opportunity to tour the academy and learn everything he could. By the time he was done, he should be ready to take on the 6-star master teacher examination. Only upon bing a 6-star master teacher would one be considered to have taken ones first step into the world of the top experts in the Master Teacher Continent. This was an essential step for Zhang Xuan to gain the power to protect himself and those around him. "But before then, I have to find higher tier cultivation technique manuals first!" Zhang Xuans Heavens Path Divine Art was only up to Cosmos Bridge realm at the moment. To advance to Perfect Harmonization realm, he would have to gather even more cultivation technique manuals topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art for that cultivation realm. "The cultivation techniques are gathered in the Cultivation Hall!" Zhang Xuan recalled the words Luo Qiqi had told him on the journey here. Gathered in the Cultivation Hall was the reflection andprehension notes and cultivation technique manuals that countless geniuses had left behind over the years. As long as he could gain entry into the Cultivation Hall, he would surely be able topile aplete Perfect Harmonization realm Heavens Path Divine Art! Or if luck would permit it, perhaps even beyond that! "However, the prerequisite to viewing the Perfect Harmonization realm cultivation technique manuals in the Cultivation Hall is for one to be a 5-star master teacher, and an adequate amount of Academic Credits! For the time being... I should first try to be a 5-star master teacher first!" Despite the sea of knowledge hidden within the Cultivation Hall, there was a price for its entry. As a 4-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan was only qualified to view the Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals at the moment. The Perfect Harmonization realm cultivation technique manuals were currently beyond his reach. And more importantly, in the first ce, he would need some Academic Credits to enter the Cultivation Hall. Naturally, he had no Academic Credits having just enrolled in the academy. He would only be turned away at the entrance even if he were to head for the Cultivation Hall. "To qualify for the 5-star master teacher examination, I would need five 5-star supporting upation, and at the moment, the only upation that I have at that rank is appraiser. It seems like Ill need to prepare a bit before taking the examination... How troublesome!" Zhang Xuan rubbed in be in frustration. For each advancement in ones master teacher rank, one would have to take on another supporting upation while raising the ranks of all supporting upation to the corresponding master teacher rank. Too often were there master teachers who were hindered not by their cultivation, but their inability to bring up the required number of supporting upations to the required rank to be promoted. So far, the only 5-star supporting upation Zhang Xuan had was appraiser. As for the remaining supporting upations, formation master, physician, painter, and beast tamer were at 4-star, while apothecary was at 3-star. While Zhang Xuan had other supporting upations such as poison master and soul oracle, those upations were often frowned upon due to their history and their nature, and he might be shunned for learning their skills. Thus he wouldnt be able to consider them for his promotion prerequisites. "I should pay a visit to the other schools while I have the time to take the examinations for my supporting upations!" After some contemtion on the matter, Zhang Xuan thought that it would be better for him to take things a step at a time. He wasnt in a rush for time anyway, and the academy provided a convenient tform for him to take the examinations as well. If he could clear as many examinations as he could here, he could be spared the trouble from trying to find the upation guilds in the future. "I have managed topile the Heavens Path Smith Art recently but I havent gotten a chance to take the examination yet. Perhaps I should take the examination for it first..." Eventually, Zhang Xuan decided to visit the cksmith School first. Throughpiling the books Wu Yangzi had left behind, his current smithing proficiency could be said to be on par, or even superior to a 6-star pinnacle cksmith. Thus, he could take the 6-star cksmith examination straight without a problem. At the same time, this was a good opportunity for him to get a view on the capability of the cksmith School. With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan stood up without hesitation and walked out of his residence. By the time he stood out, Wu Chan and the others had already left. After all, as seniors in the school, it was indeed embarrassing for them to remain here after losing to a freshman. Zhang Xuan went back to the massive building and swiftly found Huang Xing and the others. From them, he got the location of the cksmith School, and swiftly made his way over. Of the ten schools, the cksmith School was second only to the Apothecary School. There were many students who took it as their supporting upation, and even when he was a distance away, he could already see a huge crowd moving to and fro the area. "Perfect Harmonization realm, Ethereal Treading realm..." Zhang Xuan gauged the cultivation of the crowd by sweeping through them with his Eye of Insight. There were plenty of students who had reached Perfect Harmonization realm and Ethereal Treading realm among the crowd, and there was even a handful who had reached Chrysalis realm. With such strength, they would stand unchallenged in Huanyu Empire. Even in Hongyuan Empire, they stood amongst the top. As expected of the cksmith School, it was indeed incredible. After asking around, Zhang Xuan soon found the area where cksmith examinations were held. The schools in the Master Teacher Academy were associated with the respective upation guilds, so the results of the examinations held here were officially recognized. In other words, by clearing the cksmith examination here, he could receive an official emblem from the cksmith Guild. Considering how there were nearly a hundred thousand master teachers in the academy, if they had to head out to their respective guilds to take the examination, not only would it be a huge inconvenience to the master teachers, it would also be a great burden on the guilds in the vicinity as well. Thus, the upations had decided to set up a branch within the respective schools to oversee the examination so as to make things convenient. "cksmith GuildHongyuan Academy Branch..." Zhang Xuan nced at the que hung in front of a towering building before walking in. The vast lounge was filled bustling with a huge crowd. Zhang Xuan estimated that there was probably at least a few hundred people in here. "Tailor-made Spirit intermediate-tier weapon from a 5-star cksmith, priced at only half an Academic Credit!" "I have a Spirit intermediate-tier saber fresh from the forge, going at just one Academic Credit! Dont miss this opportunity, you wont see another weapon as cheap as this..." "Imcking a Goldenforest Ore, and I am willing to trade two Academic Credits for it!" "Three Searing ze Stones, going at one Academic Credit each..." ... It was as if Zhang Xuan had leaped into a market. Some were offering weapon forging services, some were selling their forged weapons, some were buying all kinds ores, and some were selling all kind of smithing resources. Since most of them were dressed in a master teacher robe, they should be students of the academy. "The purchasing power of Academic Credits sure is amazing..." After taking a look around the stores, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but notice that most trades were conducted using Academic Credits. When Zhang Xuan first heard about the importance of Academic Credits from Luo Qiqi, he had thought that its price would, at best, be equivalent to middle-tier spirit stones. However, perhaps due to the fact that Academic Credits were essential in essing most facilities in the Master Teacher Academy, its value seemed to beparable to even high-tier spirit stones. It was no wonder why Luo Qiqi and the others had gone all the way to Huanyu Empire to search for Wu Yangzis underground chamber for just a handful of Academic Credits. It seemed like it wasnt easy to earn Academic Credits at all. Otherwise, 5-star cksmiths wouldnt have to go to the extent of setting up stores as if roadside vendors. The items they were offering would be invaluable treasures back in Huanyu Empire, but they werent even worth half an Academic Credit in here. "Is there anything you need?" After squeezing through the crowd to reach the reception desk with much difficulty, Zhang Xuan found a youngdy smiling at him. Through asking around, Zhang Xuan learned that the receptionists were also the students of the academy as well. They had epted this mission from the academy to earn Academic Credits. While such missions were humble, they were neither dangerous nor skill-based, so it was more suited for the less-skilled students. "I wish to take the cksmith examination!" Zhang Xuan said. "May I know what rank are you going for? Ill make arrangements for you right now!" Upon hearing that the young man before her was going to take the cksmith examination, the youngdys eyes immediately lit up. "Ill... take the 5-star examination!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan replied. If the examination was knowledge-based, it wouldnt be a trouble for him to pass the 6-star examination. However, that was very unlikely to be the case. Considering hiscking proficiency in smithing, as well as hiscking cultivation, the products he could smith would likely be unttering. Thus, he decided to y it safe and take the 5-star examination first. In any case, his current goal was to advance to be a 5-star master teacher for the time being anyway. "5-star?" Thedy nodded with a smile and said, "May I have your 4-star emblem and your student token? Ill help you register for the examination..." "Emblem? Student token?" Zhang Xuans face reddened in embarrassment. "I dont have any of those yet..." Zhang Xuan had never taken the cksmith examination before, so he didnt even have a 1-star emblem, On the other hand, as a freshman who had just entered the academy a few hours ago, his name wasnt even listed in the academys records yet. How could he possibly have a student token on hand? "You dont have those?" The youngdy froze for an instant before her smile vanished into a frown, "Who are you then? What are you doing at our Master Teacher Academy?" Chapter 730: The Importance of Academic Credits Chapter 730: The Importance of Academic Credits Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Anyone without a student token couldnt be considered as a student of their academy... If that was the case, who in the world was the young man before her? As one of the very few major academies under Qingyuan Conferred Empire that served as a cradle for aspiring master teachers, only those who possessed superior talent or capabilities were allowed to step onto its premises. "I am a freshman from this years batch... I just entered the academy, so I havent received by student token yet!" Realizing that the other party had misunderstood that he was an outsider, Zhang Xuan hurriedly exined. "A freshman?" The youngdy was stunned for an instant before it dawned on her that the entrance examination was just held earlier today. She couldnt help but shake her head. To think that a freshman would visit the cksmith School on his very first day in the middle of the night instead of resting... "Ill be honest with you. To take the cksmith examination, youll require a student token, the corresponding emblem, and academic credits. Without academic credits, no one will bother going through the trouble of preparing the examination for you!" Upon realizing that Zhang Xuan was a freshman, the youngdy exined. "Ill require academic credit for this as well?" A bitter smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips. "Of course. Even if you were to take the examination in the guilds outside the academy, you will still need to ce spirit stones with the guild as a deposit. If theres nothing on the line, there would surely be a few who woulde to try their luck every day, wasting the efforts of those preparing the examinations and the resources of the Master Teacher Academy!" the youngdy harrumphed. For a freshman to attempt to take the examination without even getting a clear idea of how the academys system works, was he just that brazen or simply negligent? "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. She was right. Under normal circumstances, if one wanted to take an examination in a guild, one would have to ce a fixed deposit with the guild first, and it would only be returned if one clears the examination. This served as a barrier to deter the arrogant and those trying their luck. The Master Teacher Academy seemed to follow the same policy as well, just that instead of a deposit of spirit stones, it was Academic Credits now. "How many Academic Credits will I require to take the 5-star cksmith examination?" Zhang Xuan asked. "To take a 5-star supporting upation examination will typically take two Academic Points whereas a 6-star examination will require four Academic Points." thedy replied. "Two points?" Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck. "May I also rify another issue? In other guilds, the deposit will be returned if one were to clear the examination. Does this apply here as well?" Having walked around the cksmith School, he had roughly grasped how difficult it was to earn Academic Credits. Considering how even smithing a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon for another might not even be worth half an Academic Credit, two points was indeed an astronomical sum! It would be great if he could im a refund if he were to clear the examination. Otherwise, he would surely have a spend a huge amount of Academic Credits to clear the necessary examinations required for him to be a 5-star master teacher. "Refund? How could the Academic Credits possibly be refunded?" the youngdy shook her head upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. "Just remember this; in order to live in the academy, possessing Academic Credits is a must. In here, no other currency is more useful than Academic Credits. To earn Academic Credits, you will have to clear missions,plete tasks, or break existing records! Alright, you should return for now. I might still be able to give you some leeway regarding yourck of a student token since you are a student of our Master Teacher Academy, but without Academic Credits, you wont be able to even activate the [Ocean of Weapons] to take the examination." "Activate the Ocean of Weapons?" "The Ocean of Weapons is an artifact crafted in a coboration between the cksmith School and Celestial Designer School to automate examinations. Once activated, the examinee will be brought into a simtion, where he would craft a weapon through a puppet. As long as his crafted weapons meet the requirements, he would be considered to have cleared the examination." Even though the youngdy was starting to get impatient at this point, she still answered Zhang Xuans query politely. "Simtion? Puppet? Wouldnt a practical examination where one undergoes the entire smithing process be a more urate indicator of skill?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Most guilds that he had been would demand the examinees to disy their true prowess. Thus, he couldnt help but be a little bewildered when the other party mentioned simtion and puppets. Could it be that one didnt need to smith a weapon for real to clear the examination? "It would indeed be a better indicator of skill if one could undergo the entire smithing process, but do you know how expensive are the materials required for smithing are? Of the hundred thousand master teachers in the academy, there are at least fifty thousand of them who have smithing as their supporting upation. If we were to have each of them smith a real weapon, how much valuable ores and metals would be wasted?" the youngdy harrumphed. "However, you need not worry, While it is an illusion, you will be ranked based on the data we gathered from several hundred 6-star pinnacle cksmiths ever since the inception of the academy. As long as the core of your smithing aligns with theirs, you will surely clear the examination! The disparity in results would only be at most one in a billion!" While it was true that the Ocean of Weapons was a smithing simtion, it had been refined by innumerable 6-star cksmiths over the years, making extremely life-like. As long as one could sessfully smith a weapon inside the simtion, they would surely be able to seed in real life as well, and vice-versa. "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Indeed. Considering how there were fifty thousand cksmiths in the academy, there would at least be a thousand who would take the examinations each year. If the academy were to conduct a real practical examination for each of them, how much precious ores and metals would they waste each year? It was one thing if they had passed and forged a decent weapon, but considering the sess ratio over the years, it was likely that most of the ores and metals would be ruined. No matter how wealthy the Master Teacher Academy was, this was an expense they couldnt afford to bear. Furthermore, unlike medicinal herbs, ores and metals were depletable resources. As such, no cksmith would be willing to see so much precious resources going to waste as well each year. As such, the Master Teacher Academy decided to develop a simtion to conduct the examinations instead. "Alright, you should return now. Even if you do possess the capability to pass the 5-star cksmith examination, you will still need two Academic Credits. Without that, I wont be able to give you any leeway even if I wanted to!" the youngdy waved Zhang Xuan away. "If I recall correctly, you said that to earn Academic Credits, we can either clear missions,plete tasks, or... break existing records? May I know how does breaking the existing records work?" Knowing that he would be unable to do anything without sufficient Academic Credits, Zhang Xuan continued asking. "Break existing records?" The youngdys eyes began flying around the ce, and blood nearly gushed from her mouth. Probably only a freshman like the other party would dare to spout such arrogant words! Those achievements were termed as "records" for a reasonthere was no master teacher in the academy who could surpass it. As a freshman, it is understandable for you tock knowledge about the functioning of the academy, so I exined them to you patiently. But now, you are telling me that you intend to break existing records to earn Academic Credits? You must be dreaming! If Academic Credits could be earned that easily, why would the others go through so much trouble of setting up their own store? Seriously, shouldnt there be a limit to your naivety? "Indeed. May I know what records are there? I would like to try challenging them..." Zhang Xuan replied. Missions would likely be more troublesome to deal with, or else a request wouldnt be made for it... As for tasks, Zhang Xuan hadnt been acquainted with any teacher yet, so that would be out of question. Thus, the only remaining option for him to earn Academic Credits quickly was to break records. Of course, he would try to pick out the easier ones to earn some points first. For the harder ones, he could attempt themter, after he browses through the library. As the saying goes, money makes the downfall of a hero. Without Academic Credits, even if he possesses superior capability, he would still find his activities severely restricted in the Master Teacher Academy. "You..." Seeing the fellow before her going on and on about breaking records, the youngdy shook her head in displeasure. Do you know even understand why they are called records? Do you honestly think that you can surpass them just because you want to? Initially, the youngdy was still thinking that this freshman was diligent, rushing to the cksmith School right after clearing the entrance examination, and she respected him for it. That was the reason why she chose to answer his queries patiently. However, as the fellow before her got more and more arrogant, she found her patience swiftly wearing thin, and hostility was beginning to take its ce. Nevertheless, she tried her best to rein in her fury as she gestured casually, "If you wish to give it a try, so be it. The Passageway of Records is over there, feel free to take a look. However, allow me to give you a word of advice. Dont enter any of them easily, or else you might be thrown out of the cksmith School..." These records represented the achievements of the talented predecessors of the cksmith School, and they were a symbol of honor. Challenging these records without the capability to back it up could be considered as a sign of disrespect to these predecessors, and one would be severely punished for it. Furthermore, being humiliated was just one matter, but one could potentially be severely injured while challenging those records if one wasnt sufficiently strong. "Over there?" Zhang Xuan nced at the direction where the youngdy was gesturing toward, but his view was obstructed by a huge crowd moving to and fro the area. "I am free now, so allow me to lead you over..." With a proud harrumph, the youngdy raised her head and led the way. Since you spoke so arrogantly about breaking the records, lets see how you will make a fool out of yourself then! As a freshman, it was one thing for you to be ambitious. However, to dere so proudly that you would break the existing records of the cksmith School, who do you think you are? If it was that easy to do so, why do you think there would be people here offering their services to smith weapons or selling their work? Why do you think students would go through all the trouble, braving through life-and-death situations to clear difficult missions? Of all of the conceited men I have seen, you top the list! The fellow before her was most likely a high-flyer from some rural area who had never ventured into the greater world. ustomed to being the top, he naturally thought of himself as superior to others, not knowing that his outlook was merely like a frog in a well. Oblivious to the fact that he had already left a terrible impression on thedy before him, Zhang Xuan followed behind her closely through the crowd. Before long, he found himself standing before a ck door. This door somewhat resembled those he saw during his 2-star master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. There were words written on the white wall beside the door: "Melting three ck Crystal Ore in ten minutes. Aplished by 6-star cksmith Zheng Rong in the 3784th year of the establishment of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy..." "Diverting the earth mes topletely melt a lump of cier Silver within two hours. Aplished by 6-star cksmith..." "Withstanding the heat within the Chamber of Earth me for 17 minutes. Aplished by 6-star cksmith Liu Han..." ... These were the records set by the predecessors of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and the details of whom and when it was achieved was written on it as well. After taking a casual nce, Zhang Xuans face gradually turned grim. To be honest, these records were indeed incredible even from his point of view. Taking just the ck Crystal Ore for example, this object was known to be one of the hardest ores to process. Even a typical 7-star cksmith would require at least an hour to melt it down, but the record holder Zheng Rong actually managed to do it within ten minutes! That was an astounding feat! Even Zhang Xuan, with his current cultivation realm, would be unable to do the same! This was even more so for cier Silver. This material known to be impossible to be melted through normal mes. The only way to forge a weapon out of it was to soften it by exposing it to earth mes for a prolonged period of time and slowly mold it into a weapon. Generally speaking, such a process would take several months, and yet, the record holder had managed to melt it down into liquid metal within two hours! "So, do you think you can rival their achievements?" ncing at the arrogant young fellow beside her, the youngdy scoffed. "Its not impossible... but itll be troublesome!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. If he were to really set his mind to it, he was confident of surpassing those records. However, he would have to pay a hefty price for it as well. The price he had to pay wasnt worth that bit of Academic Credits. Taking cier Silver for example, as long as he were to infuse his Heavens Path zhenqi into the earth me to intensify the heat, it should be possible for him to melt it fully within an hour... However, the zhenqi he would have to expend to do so would reach a fearsome level. Furthermore, there was a risk that he might expose the secret regarding his Heavens Path zhenqi as well. If that were to happen, there would be no doubt that others would attempt to acquire his secret, even at the expense of his life. That was how great the allure of Heavens Path zhenqi was. While he had "Yang shi" to keep such people in check, it was still best for him to steer clear of trouble if possible. "Youre saying that you can do break these records? How conceited!" Hearing the conversation the duo had, a cksmith stepped forward and sneered. "Li Xuan, where on earth did you find such an arrogant fellow?" Chapter 731: Chamber of Earth Flame Chapter 731: Chamber of Earth me Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuan turned around to take a look. The other party was a young man who seemed to be in his thirties. The brilliant five stars pinned on his chest indicated that he was a 5-star master teacher! "Senior Luo Yan!" Upon seeing the young man, the youngdy whom the other party had identified as Li Xuan leaped in fright, and she hurriedly bowed her head politely. "Isnt Senior Luo Yan one of the top ten master teachers in Grade 4? If I recall correctly, hes also one of the top 5-star pinnacle cksmiths in the cksmith School. To utter such haughty words in his presence, that fellow must be asking for a beating!" "Indeed, that fellow is acting far too frivolously here. This is the cksmith School, not a braggingpetition. How did such a person even pass the entrance examination in the first ce?" "I have seen most of the famous Grade 1 and Grade 2 students, but his face looks unfamiliar to me." "Hes probably just saying those words to attract attention..." ... The Passageway of Records represented the pride and achievements of the cksmith School. Only the top cksmiths in the school would dare to gather here and challenge the records. But even so, most of them woulde with the intention of challenging themselves, not to surpass the existing records. After all, the records signified the very pinnacle of the cksmith School over its millenniums of existence. Yet, this fellow came here and dered that "Its not impossible, but itll be troublesome". Naturally, these words would incur the displeasure and hostility of the geniuses here. Even the top cksmiths of the Academy School dared not to utter such words! It took those geniuses here all they had to not rush up and pummel that arrogant fellow. "Reporting to senior, he... he is..." Under the re of a renowned Grade 4 student, Li Xuans body trembled uncontrobly in fear, "Hes a newly enrolled student, and hes here to take a look around..." "A freshman?" Upon hearing that the other party was just a freshman, Luo Yan shook his head in disappointment and fury, "The quality of the students are getting worse and worse with each passing generation! The Passageway of Records symbolizes the blood and sweat of countless predecessors of our cksmith School, how can you allow just anyone to enter here and besmirch this ce?" At this point, Luo Yans eyebrows shot up, and his voice grew sharper, "What are you still waiting for? Scram!" "Yes..." Li Xuan swiftly nodded as she tugged Zhang Xuan out with her. However, to her shock, thetter refused to budge. Instead, he turned to Luo Yan with an annoyed expression and questioned, "Are you the head of the cksmith School?" "Im not..." Taken aback, Luo Yan replied in confusion. The other students watching themotion were stumped by Zhang Xuans abrupt question as well. "One of the Ten Great Master Teachers?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. "Thats not it either..." "So, an elder of the cksmith School?" "Of course not... What are you driving at?" Annoyed by Zhang Xuans persistent questioning, Luo Yan finally snapped. "If you are neither the head of the cksmith School nor one of the Ten Great master Teachers nor an elder of the cksmith School, why the heck are you ranting here for?" Zhang Xuan shook his head with a sigh. Why the heck are you interfering with us if you have no ce here? What a meddlesome fellow you are! "Ah..." Li Xuan was still wondering what Zhang Xuan was going to say when she heard those words. Her body began shaking violently, and she nearly fainted from sheer fear. Do you know who you standing before? How can you speak to him like that? Hes a Grade 4 student, a 5-star high-tier teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert! For a freshman like you to talk back to him like that, arent you afraid of being pummeled to death? Everyone else in the Passageway of Records also nced at one another, their eyes bulging from astonishment. Arrogant! They had never seen someone as arrogant as this! Furious, Luo Yans face turned so red that it looked as if he would erupt at any moment, "What did you say?" "Nothing much. Just that you should do whatever you have to do, and dont hinder me from earning Academic Credits!" Couldnt be bothered with the other party, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the records around him. Having read so many books on smithing, hisprehension of the subject had already reached an extremely profound level. It was possible that the head of the cksmith School might not even be a match for him in terms of their understanding of smithing. The only thing that wascking was his cultivation. If only he has reached Saint realm, he would be able to sweep through all of the records easily. But with his current cultivation... it would be a little troublesome. "Alright, Ill take this!" After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly chose the record he wanted to challenge. He felt that there was a good chance that he could surpass the existing record, so he turned to Li Xuan and asked, "If you dont mind, help me apply for this. I want to challenge this record!" "Challenge?" Li Xuan froze. You still want to challenge the records after seeing the existing ones? Do you really think that you can surpass any of these? The crowd who was watching themotion also nced at one another and shook their heads. After offending a higher grade student, you still want to challenge a record? Did someone knock the sense out of you? With such a cocky attitude, how did you even pass the master teacher examination and get into this academy on top of that? "Un, I want to challenge this Chamber of Earth me. Ill be depending on you to make the application for me." Zhang Xuan replied calmly. The Chamber of Earth mes was a scorching chamber heated by tapping into earth mes. The longer that one can remain in there, the stronger ones physical body is likely to be. As cksmiths, it is inevitable that one will be exposed to intense heat. If one doesnt possess a sufficiently strong body, one will easily lose concentration in the midst of smithing, resulting in misjudgement and mistakes. As such, a strong physical body that is resistant to heat is imperative for cksmiths. The reason why Zhang Xuan chose this over the other challenges was because he had cultivated the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body and tempered his body using earth me. The underground chamber might be hot, but he was confident of holding on for more than 17 minutes. As such, it should be easier for him to clear this challenge as supposed to the others. "Chamber of Earth me?" "Is that fellow a fool? To choose that of everything else... Is he tired of living?" "I have no idea. Perhaps being a freshman, he doesnt know how fearsome it is!" "And here I thought he might at least stand a chance. To think that he would be an idiot instead..." Upon hearing the record which Zhang Xuan wanted to challenge, everyone turned their eyes to him with gazes seeming to suggest that they were staring at a fool. Even Luo Yan who was so furious that he could kill Zhang Xuan with a single p widened his eyes in astonishment. The Chamber of Earth me was also known as the Chamber of Obliteration or the Death Record. Over the years, most of those who attempted to challenge this record ended up either dead or crippled. Putting everything aside, the current record holder, 6-star cksmith Liu Han, had managed to survive inside for seventeen minutes, but he ended up searing every single inch of his flesh, damaging his foundation. Eventually, he died before he even reached 150. For a Saint, dying at 150 was definitely considered as a premature death. Luo Yan had also attempted this record himself, but he fled just three minutes after entering. As for the others, even though they had never experienced it personally, they had also heard of how terrifying it was from the others. If there was a record on the record which most would want to avoid challenging, this would definitely be ranked at the top of the list! And yet, that fellow chose that single record which everyone was dying to avoid... Not to mention, he even proudly dered that he could clear the existing record. Has living be that tiresome for you that you have to rush to your death? "In the Chamber of Earth me, mes would sprout from every crook and nanny, making it impossible for you to avoid them at all. Your skin will be seared by zing heat... Do you want to reconsider your option?" Shocked, Li Xuan hurriedly tried to persuade the young man beside her. As infuriated she was by that young man, she was still the one who brought him here, and she couldnt possibly watch as he leaps to his death. "Dont worry, you can go ahead and make arrangements! If I find myself at the limit of my tolerance, Ill immediately leave the chamber." Knowing that the other party was worried about him, Zhang Xuan replied. "This..." Seeing Zhang Xuans insistence, Li Xuan realized that she would be unable to change his mind, so she could only give in, "Alright then. Actually, theres no need to apply for anything beforehand. All you have to do is to ce your palm against the door, and after stepping in, dere which is the record you wish to challenge, and the mechanism will send you to your destination!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "Thank you!" Leaving these words behind, he walked up to the door leading to the Chamber of Earth me. "Freshman, what is your name?" Seeing that the fellow was insistent on entering the chamber, Luo Yan harrumphed. "If you can survive three minutes in there, I can overlook your prior disrespectful behavior!" Even though Zhang Xuan had acted extremely arrogantly, he did feel a slight bit of respect for him for being willing to challenge the Chamber of Earth mes even after knowing how terrifying it was. "My name is Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan replied with a slight smile as he ced his palm on the door. Jiya! The door to the chamber opened, and he walked in. Upon entering the chamber, the doors behind him immediately closed, plunging the surroundings into darkness. "I will challenge the Chamber of Earth me!" Zhang Xuan dered. Jiya! As soon as he spoke those words, the ground beneath him rumbled as a mechanism came to life. There were various oveps between in the skills of a cksmith and a celestial engineer. As such, the two schools were particrly close to one another. This pasasgewayor perhaps it might be more appropriate to call it a liftseemed to be installed with an extremely profound mechanism, allowing it to process human speech and transport the challenger to his destination. A momentter, the rumbling came to a halt. Darkness veiled the entire area, leaving it impossible for Zhang Xuan to determine where he was. Nevertheless, based on the echoes in the area, it seemed like he had arrived in a massive chamber. Just as he was about to activate his Eye of Insight to perceive his surroundings, a bundle of mes abruptly lit up before him. It swiftly grew into a zing me that spread across the entire chamber. A furious surge of heat wave gushed at him, threatening to burn his skin to crisp. "Hot!" Zhang Xuan eximed with a grim expression. He thought that the Chamber of Earth me would at most be as warm as the mes in the Cleansing Lake. If there was anyva, he could even dive in and attempt to absorb the spiritual energy within it while tempering his body. But it seemed like he had underestimated the difficulty of this task! His surroundings were raging with a roaring ze. It was already taking his entirety to maintain ayer of zhenqi to ward off the mes, so how could he possibly cultivate under such circumstances? At this moment, he felt as if he had been stuffed into an oven. If he were to stop the cirction of his zhenqi, he might find himself well done. It was no wonder why the others had shot him looks of sympathy when he chose to challenge this record, it was indeed worthy of the fearsome reputation it held! "If this were to continue, I might not be able to even sustain for two minutes!" Zhang Xuan frowned as he drove his zhenqi to fend off the searing heat. He thought that this would be a walk in the park for him, especially since he had mastered the First Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, but it wasnt as easy as he thought it out to be. Even with his Heavens Path zhenqi, he couldnt sustain himself too long in here. "Something is weird here. Normal earth mes shouldnt be this hot!" Such a thought gued Zhang Xuans mind. Normal earth mes, even those buried deep within theva, should be tolerable for him, given his Transcendent Mortal 6-dan pinnacle cultivation and Heavens Path zhenqi. He should be able to swim in there freely without being burnt. There was something particrly unnatural about the earth me before him. At this temperature, his physical body wasnt the only thing that was being seared. Even his soul was being damaged by the unbelievable heat. "If ites down to it, Ill just have my clone take my ce while I hide inside the Anthive Nest..." Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his be. While the heat was a little beyond him, he didnt have any worry about breaking the record. As terrifying as the earth me may be, it wouldnt be able to faze his clone in the least. However, that would, in some sense, be considered as cheating. "I should first try to see whats going on in here first." After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan suppressed his urge to swap with his clone, and thin strings began surfacing in his eyes, "Eye of Insight!" Weng! Soon, Zhang Xuan realized what was amiss. "This isnt a natural chamber. The heat seems to be drawn in by a man-made formation, and the formation core is... four Searing ze Stone... No, this isnt Searing ze Stone but..." After gazing at the depths of the mes for a moment, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and his body began to tremble in agitation. "Earth me Heart!" Chapter 732: Second Incandescence Chapter 732: Second Incandescence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Earth me Heart is an ore formed at the very core of the earth mes after several thousand years of refinement and tempering. It contains an iparable quantity of fire energy, and if an ordinary cultivator were to just touch it, they would be scalded. Usually, 6-star cksmiths would use it as a coal to process ores which are exceptionally resistant to heat. Who could have thought that it would be used as a core to the formation of this Chamber of Earth me? Under his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could see the incredible profoundness of the formation before him. It was crafted in a manner that allowed it to take in spiritual energy from the surroundings to sustain the emanation of heat from the Earth me Heart. As such, despite the passing of many years, the Earth me Heart was still brimming with power. "It would be cheating if I were to stop the formation... I should try to break the record openly instead!" Zhang Xuan thought after studying the formation for a moment. Even though the formation was extremelyplex, he could still stop it very easily. Once he were to do so, the heat in the chamber would recede, allowing him to remain here as long as he could. Just that, if he were to do so, he might be ced under the suspicion of cheating, and the cksmith School might not recognize his aplishment if they were to notice it. After all, the main motive behind this challenge was to gauge the resilience of ones physical body, not to test ones ability to stop a formation. Besides, did he really have to go that far as to cheat for a mere record? Was he such a person? "This will be useful to my Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!" Zhang Xuan muttered with a smile on his lips. The reason why he was delighted upon seeing the Earth me Heart wasnt due to him finding the core of the formation but that it was one of the materials required for the cultivation of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Bodys Second Incandescence! Back then, when he was in the underground chamber, he had merged the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body with many other physical body cultivation techniques he had obtained from Luo Qiqi. While he did manage topile aplete Heavens Path cultivation technique, it still had four ws with it, each corresponding from the Second Incandescence to the Fifth Incandescence! The w for the Second Incandescence was that he would require Earth me Heart to sessfully cultivate it. However, Earth me Heart was an extremely rare material that could hardly be found anywhere. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only stop right after the First Incandescence. However, since he had encountered it here, how could he possibly allow this opportunity to slip past his fingers? Since the First Incandescence had boosted his physical body strength to 4,000,000 ding, would it be the same for the Second Incandescence as well? "Let me give it a try!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately dived into action. Dissipating theyer of zhenqi he had been using to protect his body, he opened up all of the pores in his body and began to absorb the spiritual energy from the surroundings furiously. If it had been anyone else, even they had cultivated the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body as well, they wouldnt dare to behave so rashly, especially when they didnt know where the Earth me Heart was. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing both the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, the ws of the chamber would literally appear before him. He could easily tell which regions were suitable for cultivating, allowing him to absorb the spiritual energy from the mes without hurting his own body. Activating the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan positioned himself in a sitting position above the center of the room with the four Earth me Hearts directed urately at four acupoints in his body. With a massive inhtion, the mes in the surroundings began gushing into his body as though fire dragons ascending to the skies. Pilip! Under the intense heat of the fire dragons, his muscles and bones began emitting loud cracking noises. At the same time, his face swiftly flushed crimson, and he clenched his fists tightly in agony. wed cultivation techniques were indeed far more difficult to cultivate. Putting everything aside, just for this Second Incandescence, not only did he require the Earth me Heart, his body would also undergo immense pain as it was tempered by the mes. If not for his strong mental resilience and soul, he might have fainted at this very instant. Gugugu! Nevertheless, despite the intense pain, the effects of the tempering was apparent. His physical body which had already reached an extremely stable state and was difficult to further strengthen was changing at a visible pace. Its stamina, durability, defense... every aspect of his body was being reinforced. 4,000,000 ding! 4,500,000 ding! 5,000,000 ding! 6,000,000 ding! ... Time swiftly passed, and before long, he had already reached 8,000,000 ding! At 8,000,000 ding, his physical strength was alreadyparable to a Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage expert! In other words, just in terms of physical strength he could draw from his body, he could fight on equal grounds with a Perfect Harmonization realm expert. If he were to utilize his zhenqi and soul cultivation on top of that, he could match even an Ethereal Treading expert! The enhancement he had received was indeed frightening! Hu! Breathing out a mouthful of turbid air, Zhang Xuan slowly descended to the ground. With this, he had sessfully cultivated the Second Incandescence of his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body! For the Third Incandescence, he would require Origin Heavy Water as a catalyst. Thus, he could only stop at this point. "After cultivating the Second Incandescence, the heat here is no longer able to faze me..." Zhang Xuan thought as he nced at his surroundings quietly. With the advancement of his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, not only was his physical strength enhanced, his body had also be immune to the heat emitted by the Earth me Heart. While this ce could easily burn anyone else to cinders, he could easily lie down in this area and sleep for as long as he could without suffering a burn. "It seems to be a little too early to leave yet... I need to break the record in order to receive Academic Credits..." Zhang Xuan frowned. As the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body was a Heavens Path cultivation technique as well, and he was only cultivating a fifth of it, it was unlikely that too much time had passed during his cultivation. Even though he didnt keep track of the timing, the chances were that he would fail the challenge if he were to leave now. "Perhaps I can cultivate my soul in here while waiting!" Since he had no choice but to wait anyway, Zhang Xuan decided to draw his soul out to cultivate. The reason why the spiritual energy within the Cleansing Lake could be absorbed by his soul was because it had been refined and cleaned by the earth me beneath it. On the other hand, a formation augmented by Earth me Heart had been set up within this chamber. Under the intense heat, the spiritual energy here had also been refined, making it suitable for a soul to absorb. Thus, disregarding his physical body, Zhang Xuans soul floated in the midst of the chamber. Due to the ws in the Soul Guiding Form, soul oracles feared sunlight, mes, and everything that was yang in nature. However, having cultivated the perfected Soul Guiding Form, Zhang Xuans soul possessed no such ws. As a result, despite the overwhelming heat in the surroundings, his soul was still able to fly around freely without suffering any damage. Even though he only had the Consonant Spirit realm Heavens Path Soul Art, making it impossible for him to make a breakthrough, he could still absorb spiritual energy to enhance his soul, just like what he did in the Cleansing Lake. Back then, due to his clone frenziedly wrestling spiritual energy from him, his soul wasnt able to reach ten meters. However, with the spiritual energy within this chamber, he could try to surpass that bottleneck. Tzzzzzz! The refined spiritual energy in the area began flowing swiftly towards Zhang Xuans soul, nourishing it. "As I expected, it works..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up with excitement. As expected of one of the treasures required in the cultivation of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. After many years of refinement under the intense heat of the Earth me Heart, the spiritual energy in the surroundings had be far purer than that in the Cleansing Lake, making it the best tonic for his soul! "This time, I should finish absorbing my share before bringing clone out!" With the prior experience at the Cleansing Lake, Zhang Xuan knew that his absorbing speed would surely be unable topete with his clone, so he decided to take in whatever he could first before bringing that fellow out. ... While Zhang Xuan was busy absorbing the spiritual energy in the chamber, there was a huge mess outside the chamber. At this point, it had already been two hours since Zhang Xuan had entered the Chamber of Earth me. Everyone thought that the fellow would leap out after a minute or two, but time continued to tick on, and before they knew it, it was already two hours... For there to be no signs of him after so long, had he already died in there? "The mechanism in the Chamber of Earth me has the ability to detect the presence of life. If the challenger of the record were to pass away, he would immediately be sent back out..." Luo Yan frowned in confusion. He had once challenged the Chamber of Earth me, so he had studied up on it and knew a fair bit about its inner working. As soon as the mechanism detects theck of presence of any life in the chamber, it would immediately deport the challenger back to the Passageway of Records. Considering how that fellow hadnt been deported after such a long period of time, it could only mean that... he was still alive and kicking! Did that fellow really enter the Chamber of Earth me? Could he have run off to some other challenge to ck about? Otherwise, tost for two whole hours... was this even possible? And the truth was that he wasnt the only one who was getting frenzied over this matter. The others who had gathered around after hearing Zhang Xuans arrogant deration were also clutching their hair in madness. Most record challengers would just aim to beat the record for a few seconds, or even at most, just a minute or two. After all, these records were made by the predecessors by pushing their bodies to the very limit. Yet, to surpass it by severalfold and still remain within... Was he nning to remain in there for days? "The heat from the Chamber of Earth me is capable of melting even steel, and to stay there for two hours..." Luo Yan subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he turned to Li Xuan. "Are you certain that hes a freshman?" "Thats what he told me... I dont think hes lying. If hes a senior, we should have heard of him before..." Li Xuan hurriedly replied. Her lips were also twitching in astonishment from what was going on. Even though she was serving as the receptionist of the cksmith School, she was also a master teacher herself, and she possessed an eye of discernment worthy of one. Based on her judgement, she could tell that Zhang Xuan wasnt feigning his ignorance in their interactions. For someone who didnt know the slightest thing about the records to challenge it, it was inevitable that she would regard him as arrogant. Who would have known that not only would he actually do it, he would even sessfully surpass the existing record? After all, this was a record which had remained unbroken for countless years! "To think that I thought that he was being conceited..." Recalling how she had looked at the other party disdainfully, her face couldnt help but turn red in embarrassment. That fellow did have the capability to back up his words! Yet, her eyes failed to see through it... "Freshman..." On the other hand, having received the confirmation from Li Xuan, Luo Yans eyelids began twitching. All along, he had been proud of his record of remaining in the Chamber of Earth me for three minutes, and he had been bragging about it over the years. Due to it, he had won the admiration of respect of many. Yet, he actually mocked the person who had been inside for two hours and longer... It would be difficult for even the Ten Great Master Teachers to break the seventeen minutes mark, needless to say, two hours! Upon thinking of this, he couldnt help but feel a stinging sensation on his face. "Senior, the Chamber of Earth me is incredibly dangerous. No matter how resilient Zhang shis physical body is, it should be impossible for him to remain in there for so long. Could something have happened to him?" After waiting for a momentter, a master teacher suddenly spoke up. Records were records for a reason. To surpass them was already an incredible feat in itself, but to do so with a gap of severalfold was unthinkable! "Un, I also find the situation inconceivable... Wait for me here, Ill go and look for my teacher to ask him about this matter. Given how knowledgeable he is, he should be able to figure out what is going on." Luo Yan replied after a moment of hesitation. With those words, he walked out of the Passageway of Records and soon, he arrived before a room. "Teacher!" Luo Yan called out as he knocked on the door. "Luo Yan? Whats wrong?" The elder in the room raised his gaze and asked. The vice-head of the cksmith School, Yuan Hong! A 6-star pinnacle master teacher and cksmith, his standing within the cksmith School was second only to the school head. "Reporting to teacher, someone is currently challenging the Chamber of Earth me!" Luo Yan reported anxiously. "Chamber of Earth me? The existing record of seventeen minutes has left many helpless in its face. It wont be easy for anyone to surpass that!" Yuan Hong remarked with a smile as he stroked his beard. "Who is it? Lu Wu? Chen Hai? Or is it Du Jiu? The quality of the students in the cksmith School has been going down with each passing generation. In the current generation, they are the only ones who stand a chance for that record!" Chapter 733: You Still Have the Cheek to Ask for Academic Credits? Chapter 733: You Still Have the Cheek to Ask for Academic Credits? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The students whom Yuan Hong listed were the top geniuses of the cksmith School, possessing capability surpassing Luo Yan. Smithing required one to temper their bodies, but only a handful was willing to tolerate the painful process. As a result, there were very few capable cksmiths in the cksmith School. This had always been a thorn at Yuan Hongs heart, so upon hearing that someone was challenging the Chamber of Earth me, he couldnt help butment. "It isnt them, its a freshman named Zhang Xuan!" Luo Yan hurriedly replied. "A freshman?" Yuan Hong was stunned by the news. "Yes, he has just passed the examination and joined the academy today, and he doesnt even have his student token yet... It seems like he hopes to earn some Academic Credits from beating the records so that he could activate the Ocean of Weapons to take the 5-star cksmith examination..." Luo Yan exined. "Preposterous!" Yuan Hong bellowed in fury upon hearing that a freshman who hadnt even received his student token actually went to challenge one of the records. As the vice-head of the cksmith School, he was in charge of upholding discipline amongst the students. How could a freshman who had just barely joined the academy be allowed to challenge the Chamber of Earth me? Wasnt that practically suicide? Does he even know what does the Chamber of Earth me represents? "Even if others dontprehend it, surely you should understand the significance of this matter! The Chamber of Earth me takes a huge toll on ones physical body. As a freshman who has never gone through the systematic training of our cksmith School, how could he possibly survive in there?" The more Yuan Hong spoke, the more livid his face became. "Teacher..." Luo Yan tried to speak up, but he was interrupted before he could start exining himself. "Alright, you are just a student, so you cant be med for this. If someone were to insist on challenging the records, you dont have the authority to stop them anyway. I dont mean to me you by saying all of this, but I am enraged but how arrogant the students are bing. Honestly, the recent few batches of students are the worst I have ever taught in my entire career..." Yuan Hong sighed. He knew that it wasnt right for him to vent his anger on his student, so he shook his head and said, "Alright. How long has that fellow been in there? Has he suffered severe burns? Here is a bottle of Clear Spirit Water, it should be able to treat his burns..." "No. That freshman is still... in the chamber!" Luo Yan finally found a chance to speak up amidst his teachers words. Yuan Hong was an excellent teacher, but he had a fatal whe was too naggy. Due to that, there was not a single student who wouldnt get a headache from his lectures. "You just have to apply the Clear Spirit Water on his external burns to..." Just as Yuan Hong was starting to exin how the Clear Spirit Water should be used, he suddenly froze, and his eyes began bulging from their sockets. "What did you say? What do you mean by he isnt out yet? When did he enter the chamber?" "He... entered around two hours ago!" Luo Yan replied. "Two hours ago?" Yuan Hongs body shook in astonishment, and he nearly cked out. "Indeed. I have no idea whats going on, so I came over to report this matter to you..." Luo Yan replied. "Report? What is the point of reporting it now! How could he possiblyst for two hours? Most likely, he was burned to cinders within two seconds after he entered the chamber!" Yuan Hong mmed the table before him furiously and stood up. What the heck was this? You should know how severe this matter is, and you choose to report it to me only two hourster? The Chamber of Earth me would deport any corpses back, but if one were to reduced to cinders as soon as they arrive there, the mechanism wouldnt be activated. Given that there were no movements whatsoever after two hours, it could only mean that the other party was dead. "Theres such a thing as well? I... didnt know..." Luo Yan was taken aback by the revtion. He only knew that corpses would be deported back immediately, but he didnt know about the matter regarding being burned to ashes. If that was the case, didnt that mean that the fellow inside was already dead... "You are still too inexperienced. I have been in this Master Teacher Academy for more than 800 years, so the things I have seen is far more than the books you have read!" Yuan Hong harrumphed. "Ill follow you over to check out the situation in the Chamber of Earth me. Even though its regretful that a life is lost just like that, he brought it upon himself, acting so arrogantly despite his ignorance..." However, halfway through Yuan Hongs words, the ground beneath him suddenly shook, and the sound of something copsing abruptly rumbled deafeningly. Boom! Judging from the sound, it seemed to being from the Passageway of Records. "Whats going on?" Astonished, the duo rushed out of the room. A freshman had just died, and this mess suddenly sprung up on them. What the heck was going on today? "Bad news, Yuan shi! The Chamber of Earth me has copsed!" A master teacher rushed into the room and reported. "Copsed? What do you mean... What copsed?" Yuan Hong was taken aback. "Its the Chamber of Earth me in the Passageway of Records..." the master teacher hurriedly replied. Yuan Hong nearly went insane, "How could that be? It is a masterpiece created in a coboration between the cksmith School and the Celestial Designer School, so how in the world did it copse?" As a part of the Passageway of Records, the Chamber of Earth me was reinforced to the very limits by thebined effort of the cksmith School and the Celestial Designer School. Furthermore, it was forged using top-quality materials, so how could it copse that easily? Just what was going on? Standing by the side, Luo Yans figure also staggered upon hearing that news. It was just a moment ago that he had reported the issue regarding the Chamber of Earth me when such an issue urred. What was happening inside there? The master teacher who had charged into the room to report also seemed to be in disbelief, "Im not too sure myself as well. I only saw the entire ce being reduced to ruins..." "Lets go over to take a look..." With twitching lips, Hong Yuan immediately rushed out of the room anxiously, and before long, he was standing right before the Passageway of Records, or at least what it used to be. At this moment, half of the Passageway of Records had already copsed, and the entire room was cloaked with dust. "What happened?" Luo Yan turned to Li Xuan and asked in bewilderment. "I have no idea either... We were waiting for Zhang shi when a loud rumbling noise suddenly sounded from the Passageway of Records... Before we knew it, it was already like that..." Li Xuan cried tearfully. She wasnt the only one who was dumbfounded by the situation, the remaining crowd in the area were also frozen in shock. No one couldprehend why the Passageway of Records, which had always been known for its durability, would abruptly cave in. But if one thing was for sure, considering that the Chamber of Earth me was at the very center of it... "Zhang shi... is probably dead." Luo Yan muttered as he recalled what his teacher said. However, at that moment, resounding footsteps echoed amidst the dust, and following closely was a series of violent coughing. "Cough cough..." Upon hearing the sound, a jolt ran through everyones body. They swiftly turned their sight to the source of the sound, and an approaching young man came into their vision. Who else could it be other than Zhang shi! "Y-y-y-y-youre fine?" Luo Yans eyes bulged in shock at that sight, and his body began trembling uncontrobly in agitation. His teacher had just told him confidently that this fellow would have been burned to cinders by now, and yet here he was,pletely unharmed without the slightest burn on his skin... Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? If you are alive, why the hell did you stay in there for two hours? Not to mention, how in the world did you copse the fortified Chamber of Earth me... Are you a spy who is here to wreak havoc in our cksmith School? "Im fine!" At which, Zhang Xuan shot a nce at the ruins remaining of the passageway, and he continued awkwardly, "But it seems like this Passageway of Records... is damaged!" "Seems?" Everyone staggered upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. Look at the mess behind you, is there even any doubt about this matter? Even a blind man could tell that its utterly ruined! "You are the freshman who went in just now?" Forcing himself to calm down, Yuan Hong turned to Zhang Xuan and asked. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though he didnt recognize the man before him, the other party harnessed incredible power within him that wouldnt lose out by too far to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo. Most likely, he was an important figure of the cksmith School. "Werent you trying to challenge the record? What happened?" Yuan Hong questioned. How in the name of Kong shi did you copse the Chamber of Earth me while challenging the record? "This... Im not too sure either. After entering, I realized that the heat from the Chamber of Earth me is still tolerable for me, so I started to cultivate while biding my time. Before I knew it... the entire chamber was already copsing on me!" Zhang Xuan replied with a crimson face. As a soul oracle, Zhang Xuan was able to draw his soul out to absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings directly. This allowed him to absorb spiritual energy at a far swifter pace than ordinary cultivators, and before long, with a jolt running through his body, his soul had already broken through the ten-meters bottleneck. However, this was where the cmity started. With the breakthrough, Zhang Xuans rate of absorption abruptly rose significantly, and the previous absorption had already caused depleted a considerable amount of spiritual energy in the chamber. As a result, the Earth me Heart ran out of spiritual energy far quicker than he had imagined. The Earth me Heart was the core of the formation sustaining the Chamber of Earth me. Without any spiritual energy to sustain it, how could the formation continue to function normally? Just like what happened in the Cleansing Lake, the energy in the area which was being regted by the formation immediately went berserk, and it was only by a great stroke of fortune that an explosion didnt ur. Nevertheless, the Chamber of Earth me began to cave in, and the Passageway of Record which was closely linked to it was affected as well... It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had his soul return immediately to his body as soon as he realized something was amiss and used his zhenqi to ward off the copsing rubble. Otherwise, he might just make history by bing the first student to die not of heat but of copsing rubble in the Chamber of Earth me. Looking at the mess around him, an indescribable feeling of frustration and helplessness gripped Zhang Xuan. This... All he wanted to do was to break a record and earn some Academic Credits so that he could take the 5-star cksmith examination. Who could have thought that this innocent desire of his would result in such a tragic ident? In any case, while he was the culprit behind this incident, he was determined to deny all allegations. Putting everything aside, just that four Earth me Hearts were already way beyond his means topensate. As such, the only option he had left was to feign ignorance of the matter. "It copsed on you... before you knew it?" Hearing such shameless words, everyone felt faint-headed, and Yuan Hong even staggered weakly. This Chamber of Earth me has been in the cksmith School for at least four thousand years by now, and you are the only one of all challengers who encountered such a problem... Did you think that you can wiggle your way out of this just by feigning ignorance? Even if you were to say these words to a three-year-old child, he wouldnt believe you! Can you at least show more sincerity ande up with a more believable lie? "Ill give you one more chance. What happened?" With a livid face, Yuan Hong asked once more. "After entering the Chamber of Earth me, I realized that the searing spiritual energy there happens to be ideal for tempering ones physical body, so I identally absorbed too much of it... I also didnt know that it would copse just like that..." With a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan could only confess honestly. "Happens to be ideal for tempering ones physical body? identally absorbed too much of it?" Yuan Hong was speechless. The others might not know too much about the Chamber of Earth me, but as a person who had participated in its reparation works, he knew very well about its inner working. There were four Earth me Heart at the center of the formation in the chamber, and each of them harnessed incredibly fiery spiritual energy. If an ordinary human were to touch it, he would be reduced to ashes in a moment. Even a 6-star cksmith could be roasted to death from the inside if he were to attempt to absorb the searing spiritual energy inside it... And yet, you actually found it ideal for tempering your physical body, and absorbed too much of it? How much spiritual energy did you absorb to cause the Chamber of Earth me to copse!? Just as Yuan Hong was about to interrogate the young man before him further on the issue, the young man suddenly turned to look at him with a hopeful gaze and asked, "I managed to two hours in the Chamber of Earth me, so I should have already broken the existing record... So, may I get my Academic Credits now?" "Academic Credits? You still have the cheek to ask for Academic Credits?" Yuan Hong nearly exploded from rage. You destroyed the entire Chamber of Earth me and copsed half of the Passageway of Records, and you still have the audacity to speak about Academic Credits? Where is your sense of shame? Chapter 734: My Teacher, Yang Xuan Chapter 734: My Teacher, Yang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Are you saying that I wont be getting any Academic Credits?" Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Of course not!" Yuan Hong flung his sleeves in displeasure. "In order to uphold the integrity of the challenge, the Passageway of Records have a system in ce to check if there was any cheating involved. Now that the entire ce has copsed, how can we ensure that you didnt use any artifact inside?" Naturally, the records must be achieved using ones own capability, and the Passageway of Records had several systems in ce to allow others to check on how the challenge went. Otherwise, if one was allowed to use artifacts as they pleased during the challenge, it would be apetition of wealth instead of capability, and the concept of challenging records would be meaningless. However, given that the entire passageway had been reduced to ruins, it would be impossible to ensure the integrity of the challenge. As such, how could they deem whether one had truly broken the record or not? Furthermore, you caused such devastating damage to the cksmith School right after you arrived. I havent even talked about the reparation costs yet, and here you are asking me for Academic Credits... You must be kidding me! "This..." Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck. He thought that he would be able to obtain Academic Credits since he had already broken the record, but based on the other partys tone, it seemed like it was a hopeless cause. He had wasted his time this time around. But at the very least, he did receive something good from the challenge. Not only did he achieved Second Incandescence in the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, his soul had also sessfully surpassed the ten-meters bottleneck. "Since I wont be getting any Academic Credits from this, Ill challenge the other records then..." After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said. Since he was already at the cksmith School, he should at least return with a 5-star cksmith emblem. Otherwise, wouldnt this be a wasted trip? "Challenge what? Look at the state of the Passageway of Records! Do you think that you can still challenge any records?" Luo Yan stood up and roared furiously. How are you going to challenge the other records when the Passageway of Records is already wrecked! "Then... How can I earn more Academic Credits then?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. "The Passageway of Records represents the honor and glory of the cksmith School, and yet, you broke it as soon as you arrived. Let me give you a word of advice, dont bother thinking about Academic Credits anymore. Think about how you canpensate for the damages!" Luo Yan gazed at Zhang Xuan in pity. It took the Celestial Designer School and the cksmith School much effort before they managed to craft the Passageway of Records. It had survived the challenge of innumerable students over several millennia, and you destroyed it as soon as you came... Instead of thinking about how you canpensate for what you have done, you are still dreaming of obtaining Academic Credits? You sure are brazen-faced! "Compensate?" Zhang Xuans face twitched. After a moment of hesitation, he asked meekly, "How much?" Hearing those words, Luo Yan turned to his teacher. As a student, he didnt have the right to dictate thepensation amount. "The Chamber of Earth me is forged more than four thousand years ago by the head of the cksmith School and the head of the Celestial Designer School then. Four Earth me Hearts and several other valuable materials were used in its construction. Even if we were to take in the depreciation cost due to damages over time, it would still cost at least twenty high-tier spirit stones!" After a moment of mental calction, Yuan Hong replied. In most guilds, there were usually policies that spared geniuses the liability ofpensating for the damage they have caused. More often than not, the guild could just report the issue to the headquarter, and thetter would send someone down to repair the relevant facilities. However, this rule didnt hold in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. After all, this ce was literally a gathering of geniuses. If everyone were to act negligently and destroy as they pleased, how would the academy continue to function? Even if they were to sell the principal of the academy away, they still wouldnt be able to bear the cost! "H-how much did you say? T-twenty high-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuans body swayed weakly, and he nearly spewed blood. Are you joking with me? If I have that much spirit stones, why would I even bother going through the trouble earning Academic Credits? I could have just easily bought them off others! While Academic Credits were indeed valuable, there should be plenty of students who would be willing to sell it to him for high-tier spirit stones. "Considering that you are a freshman and the matter is an unintentional doing on your part, I can reduce thepensation by half for you. You just have to pay ten high-tier spirit stones!" Hong Yuan said. "Ten... I dont have that much either." Zhang Xuan shook his head. All in all, he only had one high-tier spirit stone, and he had obtained it from emerging as the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament. Even if he were to sell all of his possessions, he couldnt possibly fork out ten high-tier spirit stones! "I know that you dont have that much, so Ill offer you an alternative then. As long as you work for the cksmith School for ten years, Ill consider it as you have repaid the debt!" Hong Yuan waved his hands. High-tier spirit stones were used by Saint realm experts or those attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm, there was no way that a freshman like Zhang Xuan could possibly have any of that. From the very start, Yuan Hong had intended to have Zhang Xuan work to pay off his debt! It wasnt umon for students to work in the schools of the academy. Take the receptionist Li Xuan for example, she was also a student working at the cksmith Academy to earn additional Academic Credits. However, in Zhang Xuans case, since he had to repay his debt, he wouldnt be receiving any Academic Credits for his effort. "Ten years of work to repay a debt of ten high-tier spirit stones? That is an extremely good deal!" "Indeed! High-tier spirit stones are iparably valuable. Just a single one of them is worth 10,000 middle-tier spirit stones. It sure is kind of Vice School Head Yuan to offer such generous terms!" "Well, the intention of the punishment is to deter future students who engaging in simr actions. Otherwise, even if he were to work for his entire life, its questionable whether he can repay the debt of ten high-tier spirit stones!" ... Hearing Yuan Hongs words, the crowd nodded in approval. To cultivators who possess significantly longer lifespan than an average human, ten year wasnt a long period of time. For an average 4-star master teacher, ten years might not even be enough for them to advance to 5-star. To wipe off a debt of ten high-tier spirit stones with just ten years of work could already be considered as an extremely lenient term. "Ten years?" However, contrary to the response of the crowd, Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon hearing those words. It was questionable whether he would even need to stay in this academy for half a year, let alone ten years! If he were to really spend ten years here, he would have already died from the Innate Fetal Poison before he was freed. "I cant ept those terms. I dont have the time to do so!" Zhang Xuan shook his head and rejected the offer. "You cant?" Yuan Hongs face turned livid, and his eyes narrowed menacingly. As the vice head of the cksmith School, this was the first time a student was so arrogant as to bargain with him even after erring. Even afterying ruins to the Passageway of Records, do you not feel the slightest guilt? Its out of utmost kindness that I granted you the option of repaying your debt through work, did you think that you are in a position to bargain with me? "How about this? Allow me to take a look at the damage to see if it can be fixed. If I can fix it, I wont have topensate the cksmith School, right?" After a long moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan suddenly asked. "Fix? You?" Yuan Hong stared at Zhang Xuan as if he was looking at a monster. Are you sure you brought your brain out with you today? The Chamber of Earth me and Passageway of Corridor were constructed in a coboration between 6-star pinnacle cksmiths and celestial designers. Even Yuan Hong himself wasnt confident if he was sufficiently skilled to repair them, but this fellow said that he wanted to give it a try? Who do you think you are? cksmith Grandmaster Wu Yangzi? How conceited can you get? "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "If I fail to fix it... I can offer you guidance on your smithing capability or your cultivation aspensation too." "Offer me guidance? Audacious!" Yuan Hong flew into a rage. He was an elder of the Master Teacher Academy, the vice-head of the cksmith School, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher! He was an esteemed figure throughout the Master Teacher Academy, and he had always been the one to offer guidance to others, taking others in as his disciple. Yet, a freshman actually dared to say that he could offer him guidance on his smithing or cultivation? Do you know what the heck are you saying? "Was this fellows brain fried inside the Chamber of Earth me?" "To speak of offering guidance to Vice School Head Yuan... Just what is going through his mind?" Luo Yan and the others widened their eyes in disbelief at those words. Brother, remember your identity! You are just a freshman! To speak of offering guidance to Vice School Head Yuan, did you think that you are the head of the cksmith Academy or something? Know your ce! "Ahh... What I mean is to have my teacher offer you some pointers on your cultivation!" Hearing the other partys furious bellow, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before he realized the implications of what he had said, so he quickly changed his words in embarrassment. This was the side effect of disguising as Yang shi too often. There were times which he would just find himself saying such words unwittingly. As a mere freshman, it was no wonder why the others would be annoyed to hear him speak of offering guidance to a 6-star pinnacle master teacher. "Teacher?" Suppressing his rage, Yuan Hong asked. "My teacher Yang Xuan has once offered his pointers to Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan, and Elder Mo is also in awe of him." Zhang Xuan chuckled as he flicked his wrist and took out a token. "Here is the token Elder Mo gave me!" "Elder Mo... You mean the head of the Beast Tamer School, Elder Mo?" Taking a nce at the token, Yuan Hongs eyebrows shot up. As the vice head of the cksmith School, it was natural that he would recognize that token. That token served as a symbol of Elder Mos authority, and standing before it was as good as standing in the presence of Elder Mo himself. Due to theplications that came with it, Elder Mo would never give out his token easily. Even though Yuan Hong and Elder Mo were both 6-star pinnacle master teachers, there was still a significant gap in their standing and their capability. The fact that thetter was one of the Ten Great Master Teachers spoke loudly about his capability. And furthermore... what did this fellow just say? His teacher, Yang Xuan, had once offered his pointers to Mo Gaoyuan? As the head of Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Mo Gaoyuan possessed a standing on par with the Ten Great Master Teachers. To be able to offer guidance to such a person, didnt that mean that... Yang Xuan was at least a 7-star master teacher? In an instant, Yuan Hongs face turned grave. If he had been thinking of strangling this ignorant fellow to death just a moment ago, at this instant, he was starting to feel a little apprehensive. "Head of the Beast Tamer School? Hes a school head too?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "You didnt know?" Judging how the other party didnt know Elder Mos position in the academy, it didnt seem like they have a close rtionship. Nevertheless, Elder Mo still chose to give him his personal token. This seemed to hint that the other party had a truly incredible teacher. Otherwise, why would one of the Ten Great Master Teachers go to the extent of giving a freshman his token? After all, there were many ways that he could show his goodwill towards a student. It wouldnt make sense for him to give out his personal token to a person he had barely met. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan shook his head in response to Yuan Hongs query. He had never heard anyone speaking about it before him, so naturally, he was unaware of it. "Elder Mo is a close acquaintance of mine, but even so, I cant excuse you from the repayment. However, I can consider other alternative solutions you propose." After a moment of contemtion, Yuan Hong said. Regardless of whether what the other party said was true or not, the fact that he had Elder Mos token in hand goes to say that how highly thetter valued him. But even with the immense authority the Ten Great Master Teachers wielded, they couldnt override the rules of the academy. "Its my mistake that I damaged the Passageway of Records and Chamber of Earth me. Can you allow me to attempt to repair it? If it still doesnt work out after that... Ill try to find a way to repay the cksmith School." Zhang Xuan asked. "Since you have Elder Mos token in hand, you should be a trustworthy person. Alright, Ill give you this opportunity then!" Yuan Hong nodded. It would be best if the other party could fix the damage, but even if he were to fail, that should make him give up on any other ideas he had in mind. "Elder Mos token?" "Who in the world is that fellow?" "His teacher even offered pointers to Pavilion Master Mo? When did such an incredible figure appear amidst the freshmen..." Hearing the conversation between the duo, amotion broke out amidst the crowd. Li Xuan and Luo Yan nced at one another in astonishment. It was just a moment ago that they had shown their displeasure towards Zhang Xuan. They thought that it would be fine since he was just a freshman, but who could have known that he would have such a powerful backing! To be honest, if he had taken out Elder Mos token earlier on, they would have even willingly lent him their Academic Credits Chapter 735: Repairing The Passageway Chapter 735: Repairing The Passageway Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "With such a formidable teacher... Could he have really broken the record?" Before this revtion, everyone was still doubtful as to whether he had truly broken the record. However, after hearing that the other party had a formidable teacher whom even Pavilion Master Mo and Elder Mo were in awe of, their mind couldnt help but wonder if he might be speaking the truth. Master teachers who had progressed beyond 6-star possessed incredible means which they could hardly fathom. This was also the reason why the offsprings of Sage ns possessed formidable capabilities far beyond their peers. Entitled from birth, the offsprings of Sage ns were exposed to things that were far beyond their wildest imagination, thus paving the way to greatness. "You have my gratitude!" Upon hearing Yuan Hong agree to his terms, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Since it was crafted by a 6-star cksmith and a 6-star celestial designer, he might just be able to fix it. If he were to seed, he could spare himself from paying that heavypensation! In a sense, not having to pay that heftypensation could be considered as earning that sum of money as well! It couldnt be helped, he was simply too poor at the moment. He had yet to reach the point where he could spend money as he pleased. Walking over to the ruins, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and ced his hand on the ruins. Back then, when he was still in the Chamber of Earth me, he had only used his Eye of Insight. As such, he hadntpiled a book on the chamber and the passageway yet. As the mechanisms and the formation of the two were connected to form an immense structure, he should be able topile a book on them by cing his hand against the wall. "ws!" Zhang Xuan muttered in his head, and with a jolt, a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He quickly turned his gaze to it. After flipping through a few pages, his eyes narrowed. The reason why the infrastructure copsed was due to the depletion of the spiritual energy gathered in the Earth me Hearts, resulting in an imbnce in the formation. As the formation served as the energy supply for the mechanisms for the Passageway of Records, it ended up breaking down as well. If Zhang Xuan wanted to fix the problem, he would have to first find four more Earth me Hearts to substitute the depleted ores. From there on, he would be able to repair and re-establish bnce in the formation, and that should allow the mechanisms of the passageway to function once more as well. Repairing the formation and re-establishing bnce, those were within his means. However... where was he supposed to find Earth me Hearts? Even if he were to put aside the fact that Earth me Hearts were extremely raremodities that one could hardly find in the market, given his current wealth, he wouldnt be able to afford one even if he were to stumble on one by some coincidence! "There is no way I can repair it like that unless... I can solve the w regarding the usage of Earth me Hearts as catalysts for the formation!" Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts. The Earth me Hearts were listed as a w in the Library of Heavens Path due to severalpatibility issues with the formation. If Zhang Xuan could find a cheaper and more effective alternative, he would be able to spare himself a lot of trouble. But this had its own problems too. What he should swap it with and how he would swap it were questions he would have to answer if so. However, Zhang Xuans understanding of the entire system was still far toocking for him toe up with a feasible solution. In the end, Zhang Xuan turned to Yuan Hong and asked, "Elder, I have one request to ask of you..." Even though he didnt know what was the position of the old man before him, there should be no mistake addressing him as "elder". "What is it?" Yuan Hong frowned. "Its like that... Ive examined the passageway and gained some understanding of its workings and sustained damage. However... there are some things which I am not too sure of, so may I borrow some rted books on this subject in the cksmith School to browse through?" Since Zhang Xuan wascking information, there was only one thing to dogather sufficient books to form a corresponding Heavens Path secret manual. This might be extremely abrupt andst-minute, but there was nothing more effective than that at the moment. "You wish to browse through some books?" Yuan Hong was stunned. To only start reading up right now, dont you think its a little toote? "What kind of books do you need?" Even though Yuan Hong was a little iffy about Zhang Xuans intentions, he still decided to ask anyway. "Any books regarding the Chamber of Earth me will do. The more there is, the better itll be..." Zhang Xuan replied. The Chamber of Earth me was an extremelyplex system which intricacies could easily take months toprehend, and yet Zhang Xuan didnt seem to have the slightest clue on where he should start. A dark line streaked across Yuan Hongs face, but eventually, after a deep breath, he turned to the side and instructed, "Luo Yan, bring all of the books regarding the Chamber of Earth me from our library here." If it was anyone else, he would have never granted him this privilege. However, that fellow before him had Elder Mos token in hand, and he seemed to have the backing of a formidable teacher as well. Frustrated as he may be, he still decided to hold himself back. And more importantly, he was also curious to see how the other party intended to fixing the Chamber of Earth me when it was already left in such ruins. "He wants to read up? But considering howplex the formation and mechanism is, can he even understand those books?" "Indeed, I also have no idea whats going on. Perhaps he wants to analyze its internal structure?" "In any case, the blueprints of the Chamber of Earth me arent secrets. The only thing valuable about it is the four Earth me Hearts used as the core of the center formation. I heard that the cksmith School had to pay a hefty price to obtain it back then. As long as those Earth me Hearts remain intact, it shouldnt be too difficult to fix it." ... After hearing the young mans intentions of reading through books regarding the Chamber of Earth me, doubt flickered across everyones faces. While books were useful sources of knowledge, it was impossible to fully grasp such aplex subject without the guidance of a teacher. So far, there had never been a person who had be a great expert of the continent by secluding himself and studying by his own. That fellow had dered confidently that he would attempt to fix the damage, so everyone thought that he would have some level of proficiency in smithing and mechanism design. Who knew that he would end up engaging inst-minute studying instead... If that could really work, everyone would have been 6-star master teachers by now! It was no wonder why Vice School Head Yuan Hong was so angry. Ignoring the bizarre gazes around him, Zhang Xuan waited patiently, and before long, Luo Yan returned back into the room. The books on the Chamber of Earth me were ced together, so it wasnt too difficult to gather all of them together. After allowing his teacher to double check the titles, Luo Yan flicked his wrist, and a pile of several hundred books appeared before him. Some of these books depict the structure of the Chamber of Earth Falme, some of them exined the functions of it, and there were even some with several suggestions for improvement on them... However, many of these suggestions were just opinions from the authors, making it difficult to discern right from wrong. Walking up to the book, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and touched every single one of them, as if he was trying to find a certain a book. Soon, after his finger brushed through everyst one of them, he casually picked up a book and flipped it open. His eyes were fixated on the content of the book, but his consciousness was deep within the Library of Heavens Path,piling the content of the books he had just gathered together. Hu! A momentter, a brand-new book appeared before him, and Zhang Xuan swiftly flipped it open. "There are still so many ws?" After taking a look, his eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. It seemed like several hundred books were still far from enough! He was still unable to iron out all of the ws to form a perfect manual. Taking a swift nce, there was actually 52 of them! Nevertheless, his goal wasnt to perfect the manual. More importantly, he just had to find a suitable substitution for the Earth me Hearts. Flipping through the book swiftly, he soon found a portion regarding the Earth me Heart w. "Earth me Hearts are ipatible with the formation in the Chamber of mes, resulting in high energy inefficiency. If they could be ced with Earth me, the efficiency could be enhanced severalfold, and there will be no worry of the depletion of the catalyst as it could be easily retrieved from the ground. However, Earth me is extremely difficult to control, and its heat intensity iscking aspared to Earth me Hearts..." The content extended over an entire page. While Earth me was stated as a usible substitute, it had its own ws as well, and it wouldnt be easy to make the swap as well. First and foremost, Earth me wascking in heat intensity, so its effects wouldnt be as pronounced as with Earth me Hearts. Considering how the Chamber of Earth me was intended as a trial to ones physical resilience to heat, it wouldnt do for the temperature to be lowered. If Zhang Xuan wanted to use it as a catalyst, he would have to find a way to raise its heat intensity somehow. One method came into his mindauxiliary formation. One of the books did propose the usage of a 5-star auxiliary formation to further intensify the heat in the Chamber of Earth me. Given Zhang Xuans current ability, he was more than capable of setting up a 5-star formation. However, there was another potential problem. To set up a 5-star auxiliary formation in the Chamber of Earth me, he would have to project it over the original formation. When formationspound with one another, it was extremely easy for them toe into conflict with one another, thus making an explosion extremely likely! As a result, the usage of Earth me as a catalyst for the Chamber of Earth me was only practical in theory. In order to ensure stability in both formations, one would have to identify the bnce point and establish power equilibrium from that point. However, even the most capable of formation masters in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy didnt possess the means to do so, needless to say, others. This was precisely the reason why the original builders of the Chamber of Earth me decided to go to great lengths to obtain Earth me Hearts to construct it. But while finding the bnce point might be a nigh impossible for others, it was no problem for Zhang Xuan at all! Wasnt it just a mere bnce point? Of his formation master capabilities, this seemed to be his greatest specialization... Breaking formations, challenging the Sea of Formations, calming the Cleansing Lake... It was through finding the respective bnce points that he was able to achieve those feats and make a name for himself! "However... I still dont have aplete understanding of the Chamber of Earth me yet. It wont be easy for me to find the bnce point like that. Nevertheless, 10 high-tier spirit stones are at stake, I should give it a try regardless!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Other than the stability issue, there were still many other problems that Zhang Xuan had to resolve. For one, Earth me was far more deconcentrated than Earth me Hearts, and this could potentially result in an unstable intensity of heat throughout the Chamber of Earth me. It was problematic that Zhang Xuan didnt have sufficient information to work with in order to construct a perfect formation to resolve all of the problems. However, the main issue at hand should be swapping the Earth me Hearts with Earth me and ensuring the stability of thepounding formation. As long as he could achieve that, he should be able to deal with the other problems slowly after that. "Alright, the Earth me it shall be then!" After running some simtion scenarios in his head, Zhang Xuan verified that there shouldnt be too much of an issue with it before standing up once more. "This elder over here, may I know if there is any way to connect the Chamber of Earth me directly to the Earth me beneath the ground?" "Earth me? It should be possible to do so." Yuan Hong nodded. "Often, our cksmiths require the immense heat from the earth to refine and mold metal. Thus, we have procured a direct source to it in our cksmith School." It wasnt umon for students of the cksmith School to have to handle difficult ores, and ordinary coals often produce insufficient heat process them. As such, a huge formation was crafted within the cksmith School in order to allow students to tap into the Earth me below directly. "Thats great!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "I would like to borrow that for a use. May I ask elder to help connect the source of the Earth me to the formation in the Chamber of Earth me?" "You intend to use Earth me to substitute the Earth me Hearts?" Yuan Hong frowned. "Yes, I have found a feasible solution to do so. Dont worry, Im certain about its feasibility!" Zhang Xuan said with a confident smile. "Alright then!" Seeing Zhang Xuans confident face, Yuan Hong hesitated for a moment before eventually relenting. While Earth me was indeed dangerous, he had handled it many times in the past while smithing weapons, so controlling it wasnt too much of an issue for him. Given such, he should be able to handle the situation even if things were to go awry, so it shouldnt be dangerous. In any case, since that fellow had dered his confidence, he was also curious to see what he was up to. If this were to seed, that fellow would be doing what countless predecessors had failed at. This would be, in the truest sense, the breaking of a record! Yuan Hong left the room, returning with a metal formation te in hand a momentter. After checking the positioning, he ced the formation te on the ground and injected a surge of zhenqi into it. Weng! The engravings on the formation te began to shine, and a searing heat permeated the surroundings. Suddenly, a pir of fire rose from the ground like a me dragon, seemingly intent on melting down the surroundings. However, the me dragon was swiftly suppressed and kept under control under Yuan Hongs proficient maneuvers. "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan smiled. The temperature of the Earth me was indeed subparpared to the Earth me Heart. It seemed like the book was right. He would have to use an auxiliary formation to intensify the heat if he wished to restore the Chamber of Earth me back to its previous state. Chapter 736: Goner! Chapter 736: Goner! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Time to begin!" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a handful of formation gs appeared in his grasp. There were quite a few 5-star formation gs in Yu Chengs storage ring that he could use. These formation gs were attributeless, making them ideal to craft the auxiliary formation. Hu hu hu! With a flick of his wrist, several hundred formation gs shot out and fell in the vicinity of the formation te. Following which, Zhang Xuan took a step forward and stomped his foot on the ground. Weng! With a buzz, the formation gs were immediately triggered with a slight tremor. A denseyer of mist emerged in the surroundings, shrouding the formation te entirely. Hong long! The me dragon prowling at the center of the formation te abruptly grew from a meter tall to dozens of meters, and it seemed as if it would surge beyond the tall ceiling, burning the roof down to cinders! "This is a grade-5 formation? How can he set it up so quickly?" Yuan Hongs eyebrows leaped up in astonishment. Formation master was one of his supporting upations as well, but even as a 6-star master teacher, he knew it was impossible for him to set up a formation so swiftly. Yet, the other party was able to do it so easily. Furthermore, he noticed that the method used in setting up the formation was very foreign to him. For even a 6-star master teacher like him to be unaware of it, chances were that the other party had truly received the teachings of a high-ranked master teacher. Legend has it that top-notch formation masters had their unique techniques to swiftly set up formations and enhance the might of it. Most likely, that fellow was using something like that. "To intensify the Earth me so swiftly... the formation he is setting up should be an auxiliary formation to increase the pace at which the Earth me is being drawn at!" Yuan Hong nodded. Despite Zhang Xuans swift movement, he was still able to roughly tell the gist of the formation through its effects and the positioning of the gs. However... what was the point of setting up this formation? Was that fellow intending on using Earth me to rece the Earth me Hearts? "But surely that should be unfeasible? Even if the pace at which Earth me is being drawn at were to be enhanced, it will only make the me dragon growrger. It has minimal effect on the heat intensity..." Yuan Hong frowned. As the vice head of the cksmith School, he could at least tell that much. While the auxiliary formation would increase in the pace at which Earth me was being drawn out at, that would only lead to a quantitative increase in the me dragon. To make an analogy, it would be like the difference between burning a kilogram of coal and a ton of coal. Despite the difference in quantity, the difference in the temperature between the two would only be minimal at best. "Rest assured, I have a n in mind." With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out another set of formation gs. Hula! With another flick of his hand, the gs were nted at the perimeter of the first formation. Weng! Zhang Xuan stomped his foot, and the formation was activated as well. Hu hu hu! As soon as the formation whirred into action, the towering me dragon instantaneously withered, returning back to its original size of one meter. However, despite the reduction in size, the heat it emanated was visibly far more hot than before, and even from a distance, the crowd could still feel a searing heat wave gushing at them. "This... Youpressed the me dragon to forcefully raise the temperature? Not bad!" Astonishment flickered across Yuan Hongs face. The first formation increased the rate at which Earth me was drawn at whereas the second formation aimed topress the Earth me as far as possible. After undergoingpression, the Earth me might have reduced in size, but it was far more frightening than ever. In an instant, its temperature rose by more than tenfold! Even Yuan Hong didnt have the confidence of withstanding such intense heat. "This... Is he really intending on using the Earth me to substitute the Earth me Hearts?" Yuan Hongs face twitched. Even though he had a rough idea of what Zhang Xuan was intending to do earlier, he subconsciously denied the possibility, thinking that it was impossible. However, as Zhang Xuan continued on, the doubt he harbored earlier intensified. As the two formations continued to operate, the temperature of the Earth me rose higher and higher, and before long, it was already nearing an Earth me Heart. Perhaps, this fellow might just be able to fix the Chamber of Earth me... However, Earth me was already an unstable material in itself. To extractrge amounts of it andpress them together tightly... Was he really able to keep it under control? The moment that he loses control over the Earth me, the entire cksmith School might potentially be destroyed. Yuan Hong wasnt the only one worried about that. Unsettled frowns were appearing on the many master teachers watching the spectacle as well. How could those who dared to venture to the Passageway of Records and challenge the achievements of their predecessors be ordinary master teachers? While they were unable to name the two formations Zhang Xuan had set up, they were still able toprehend their function and purpose. Watching as more and more Earth me waspacted within the me dragon, as well as sensing the astounding heat being emanated from it, they couldnt help but feel their goosebumps rising in fear despite their formidable cultivation. If they were to be caught up in an explosion involving it, there was no doubt that they would be burned into cinders. "This should be enough!" On the other hand, oblivious to the shock rippling through the crowd, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief after sessfully setting up the formation. While it may seem like two formations from the outside, it was actually just one formation consisting of an internalyer and an externalyer. The internalyer was responsible for drawing more Earth me into the formation, and the externalyer wouldpress the energy to enhance its concentration. When used in unison, it could force Earth me to emte the effects of the Earth me Heart. This was designed by a 6-star pinnacle formation master many years ago for the Chamber of Earth me. However, he was unable to resolve the issue regarding the instability ofpound formations, so his n never came to be. "Time to start!" Knowing that the difficulty would only rise the further he progresses, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and activated his Eye of Insight. With the third acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher, his Eye of Insight had been enhanced once again. As long as he was unwilling to reveal it, not even a 6-star master teacher would notice his Eye of Insight. Considering how his cultivation was still limited, it would be best for him to conceal his Eye of Insight for the time being until he possesses sufficient strength to protect himself. Despite being concealed from the view of others, the Eye of Insight was still as powerful as ever. With its activation, the ruined formation swiftly appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. The hidden formation gs flickered into existence around the me dragon. "All thats left to do is to activate this formation..." The original formation in the Chamber of Earth me had only broken down due to theck of energy to power it. As long as he could activate it through the me dragon, the Chamber of Earth me should function once more. Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan walked up to the crux of the formation. "Activate!" Stomping on the ground, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the center of the formation, and the formation was activated with a slight trembling of the gs. A mist began to form around the me dragon. Hula! However, as soon as the me dragon came into contact with the mist, a sound of disharmony, reminiscent of something copsing, abruptly sounded. It was as if the two formations were ipatible with one another, and an explosion would be imminent if they werent separated immediately. "This is bad..." Yuan Hongs face paled upon seeing that sight. Formations couldnt bepounded with one another. He had once witnessed a 6-star formation master being sted to death in an attempt topound formations. If an explosion were to ur here, the cksmith School might just be wiped out from the surface of the world. Thus, he immediately stepped forward in preparation to suppress the formation. However, just as he was about to make a move, the young man abruptly shook his hand, and a spirit beast inner core was thrown into the center of the mist. Hu! As soon as the inner core came into contact with the mist, the sound of disharmony immediately dispelled. All of a sudden, the formation was stabilized as if it had found its cornerstone. "That... he found the bnce point between the two formations?" Yuan Hong widened his eyes in shock. To make the rampaging formation calm down so swiftly, there could only be one possibility. That fellow must have found the bnce point between the two formations and reinforced it. "If I recall correctly... A Transcendent Mortal 8-dan ciersnow Fishs inner core. Considering its cold attribute, it is indeed an ideal mediator for a fire attribute formation like this..." Recalling the details of the spirit beast inner core thrown out earlier, Yuan Hong couldnt help but nod in approval. Not only had the other party found the bnce point of the two formations, he even wisely utilized aplementary factorthe cold attribute ciersnow Fish inner coreto mediate the me energy. As the saying goes, "no shadow creeps in the absence of light, and no light exists without the presence of shadow". Through a contrasting mediating factor, he sessfully stabilized the formation entirely! "Compounding a formation to another through a set of well-defined sequence, incredible!" To be able to go that far with Earth me, this fellow was indeed a true genius! It was no wonder why he dered confidently that he would be able to fix the formation. It seemed like he did possess the capability to back up his words. As long as a bnce was established with the formations, the rest could be easily fixed through employing some workers. Seeing the formation being stabilized, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. When he first read about the Chamber of mes in his book, it was filled with so many ws that he thought that it would be difficult for him to sessfully set it up. To his surprise, everything went smoothly. "Im done." With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan turned around and reported. "This is... the Chamber of Earth me?" "How beautiful! With so many mes flying around the room, can a human really step into it?" "What an incredible heat! Senior Luo Yan, did you really survive three minutes inside? I dont think that I can evenst ten seconds in there before I am reduced to ashes..." ... Looking at the exposed Chamber of Earth me, the crowd flew into amotion. Due to the rumors surroundings the Chamber of Earth me, there were very few who had opted to challenge. Thus, many were ignorant about the conditions inside. As the Passageway of Records hadnt been restored yet, there were no walls to conceal it. As a result, the situation within was in for everyone to see, and the fearsome heat within left many astounded. Leaping mes and blistering heat... How did the previous record holder evenst seventeen minutes under such extreme conditions? And did the fellow before them reallyst two hours within? "Elder, I have sessfully fixed the Chamber of Earth me. I should be spared frompensation now, right?" Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to Yuan Hong and asked. "It does seem to be repaired on the surface. However, Ill have to test the effects of the Chamber of Earth me personally to verify it!" Yuan Hong waved his hands. Even though the Chamber of Earth me seemed no different from before, there was still a need to examine its effectiveness, especially given the difference in the catalyst. "Please do." Zhang Xuan smiled as he gestured the other party forward. "Un. I was once in charge of maintaining the Passageway of Records, so I have a good idea of how the conditions should be like inside. Ill go in to take a look!" Yuan Hong nodded. In his years in the cksmith School, there was a period of time where he was ced in charge of the amenities of the school. He understood the structure of the Chamber of Earth me well, and the best way to verify if it had been restored was to test it out personally. As such, Yuan Hong began making his way into the Chamber of Earth me. Weng! As soon as he stepped in, the mes scattered in the area began gathering around him, and the temperature started to rise swiftly. "Hm?" Noticing that the functioning in the Chamber of Earth me was slightly different from what he saw earlier, Zhang Xuan frowned. At that instant, a thought suddenly struck him, and he swiftly turned to Luo Yan and asked, "What material did the cksmith School use to craft the formation te used to grab earth me from beneath the ground?" "Oh, its an alloy made of Verdantrise Rock and Furnace Crystal!" Luo Yan replied after a moment of contemtion. "Verdantrise Rock and Furnace Crystal?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in shock. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the ground abruptly shook. Hong long! With loud rumblings, a massive surge of heat wave abruptly rose from the ground, resulting in a pandemonium. Following which, the Passageway of Records copsed, followed by the cksmith Guilds main hall... Chapter 737: Consulting the School Head Chapter 737: Consulting the School Head Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hula! Dust rose rapidly from the ground. The master teachers who had been spectating the sight abruptly backed away in fear. Peng peng peng peng! Consecutive collisions sounded as dozens of master teachers were mmed violently against a wall. Quickly stabilizing his posture, Zhang Xuan gazed at the sight before him, and his lips began to twitch. Not only had the Passageway of Records copsed entirely, half of the cksmith Guilds main hall had also copsed, leaving behind a cloak of dust in the wake of its former glory. The entire area screamed of a disaster, as if it had been bombarded. If Zhang Xuans action of copsing the Chamber of Earth me had sent everyone into a frenzy a moment ago, this was at least ten times worse! The Passageway of Records and its mechanisms and formations along with half of the main hall had beenpletely wrecked. Even if it is fixed eventually, the cksmith School would still be aughingstock for the entire Master Teacher Academy. There was probably no one who would have thought that a mere record challenger would end up reducing the entire branch into such a state! It was fortunate that most of the master teachers in the cksmith Guild possessed incredible cultivation. Protected by their zhenqi, they sustained minimal injuries, but... considering how a Chamber of Earth me was worth 20 high-tier spirit stones, how much will all of this cost? Zhang Xuans lips twitched as he saw the sight before him slowly turning dark. At this point, he was already on the verge of tears. There was nothing wrong with the Earth me which he had tempered to rece the Earth me Heart, and the formation had been reinforced to be extremely stable as well. It should be impossible for anything to go wrong, but something still did. The mistakey in the formation te used to draw earth me from the ground. The Verdantrise Rock and Furnace Crystal were valuable ores, but they were susceptible to heat under extreme conditions. Typically speaking, those ores should be able to endure the heat from Earth me, but there was one thing Zhang Xuan had neglected. The formation in the Chamber of Earth me was crafted in the manner such that it would emit varying degrees of heat depending on the cultivation of the person who stepped in. When Yuan Hong stepped into the formation, the temperature began rising swiftly, eventually exceeding the melting points of those ores. Naturally, it began to lose its shape. This was simr to delivery trucks from his previous life. If one were to follow the weight limit, it couldst for a very long time. However, if one were to overload it, it could be damaged very easily. If that formation te to retrieve Earth me from the ground was crafted of better materials, this wouldnt be a problem. However, that wasnt the case. As the formation te began to melt, the stability which Zhang Xuan had created with great difficulty was shaken, resulting in the violent Earth me running amok... As a result, a cmity urred. In other words... If it wasnt Yuan Hong who entered, such a problem would have never urred! It was due to the formation te being too weak and Yuan Hong being too strong that such an ident happened. This was something Zhang Xuan hadnt expected to happen. Even the elder who hade up with this solution probably couldnt have imagined that theplexpound formation he came up with would fall apart due to inferior quality material. "This isnt my fault..." With a tearful face, Zhang Xuans lips twitched uncontrobly. While that was what Zhang Xuan believed, the others didnt share his thoughts. As the shaking ground calmed, Luo Yan and the others stood up and nced at the ruins around them before turning to him. Their eyes were filled with so much fury that it seemed as if they would devour him alive. This was the core of their cksmith School! How were they supposed to smith weapons now that it had been reduced to ruins? How could they raise their heads proudly before the other schools? "What did you do..." Luo Yan spat through clenched teeth. At this moment, he felt so angry that his hands were dying to rip the fellow before him apart. In the end, he still chose to suppress his anger, and turning to the side, he instructed, "You two, keep a close eye on him, dont let him escape. As for the rest, follow me. Well go and save my teacher!" This wasnt the time to deal with that fellow yet. His teachers safety was the current priority. "Yes!" Two master teachers stepped forward and stood by Zhang Xuans nks, sealing his path of escape. On the other hand, the others swiftly rushed to the ruins of where the Chamber of Earth me once stood. The explosion had caused the entire Passageway of Records and the branch to copse. Considering how Vice School Head Yuan had been standing at the center of the explosion, he was probably in a worse state than everyone else. But just as they were about to start digging through the ruins, "hu!", a figure suddenly emerged amidst the dustYuan Hong. At this very moment, a huge portion of his hair had been burnt away. His face was livid, and mes of rage were burning in his eyes, and it seemed as if he was on the verge of going on a rampage. "Cough cough!" As soon as Yuan Hong rose from the dust, he began coughing violently, and fresh blood spewed from his mouth. His body wobbled feebly. "Teacher..." "Vice School Head Yuan..." Everyone immediately rushed up to him in worry. The person before them was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a Saint realm expert. How wounded must he be to be in such a state? "Im fine!" Yuan Hong waved his hands as a sharp glint shed across his eyes. "Wheres that fellow?" Had he not used his full strength to suppress the explosion, perhaps half of the entire cksmith School might have been reduced to ashes by now. Didnt you dere confidently that there wouldnt be any problems? Didnt you reassure me time and time again that it would be fine? Tell me what is this then! Why was I so foolish as to listen to your lies... The more he thought about it, the more furious Yuan Hong felt. "Hes over there..." Luo Yan pointed to the side, only to see the young man walking over under the "escort" of the other two master teachers. "Who in the world are you? What do you intend to do here?" Yuan Hong roared furiously. He was beginning to suspect that the fellow might have been sent by the other schools to wreak havoc here. Otherwise, how could a simple record challenge cause such a huge stir? Wasnt the very notion of it inconceivable? "All I wanted was to take the 5-star cksmith examination..." Zhang Xuan sighed. His goal was that simple, but who could have thought that he would require Academic Credits for even that. Left with no choice, he could only seek a way to earn some... He thought that it should be a walk in a park, but in the end, not only did he fail to earn his Academic Credits, he even got himself in such a huge mess! "Take the 5-star cksmith examination? You call this taking the 5-star cksmith examination? Admit it, youre here to tear down our school!" Yuan Hong said as he gritted his teeth furiously. When other students take the examination, we earn Academic Credits and money, but when ites to you... Are you sure you arent trying to ughter us all! If not for my swift reaction and high cultivation, I would have died in there! Have you ever seen anyone who tore down a guild while trying to take an examination? "I... really didnt do it intentionally. How about this, Im willing topensate for this..." Zhang Xuans face reddened. While everything that had happened felt like a cruel prank from the heavens, the issue still ultimately originated from him, so he had to carry the responsibility for everything that had happened. The only thing he could do now was to offerpensation. "Compensate? What are you going topensate us with? Can you even afford topensate us?" Yuan Hong was so angry that his body began shaking in fury. Gathered in the Passageway of Records is the achievements of countless predecessors before them, how are you going topensate for that? Besides, you cant even fork out ten high-tier spirit stones, what can you offer us? Even if we were to sell you, we wont be able to earn that much! "Why dont you tell me... how much spirit stones do I need topensate? Ill try my best to earn that sum and repay it to you..." Zhang Xuan said through clenched jaws. At the very most, he would just have to do more part-time work and have Yang shi appear to treat patients and offer guidance. In any case, he would repay this debt. While he couldnt be entirely med for this incident, it wouldnt be fair to the other party if he were to try to shrug off responsibility. Thus, he could only clench his jaws and shoulder it. "Repay?" Yuan Hong sneered. You sure know how to talk! As a mere 4-star master teacher, even if you were to work your life away, you wont be able to repay this! "Do you know how much damage have you caused?" With a sharp glint in his eyes, Yuan Hong bellowed. "There are a total of 37 challenges in the Passageway of Records, each of them containing the blood, sweat, and tears of countless predecessors, as well as innumerable precious artifacts and ores that couldnt be bought with money! Furthermore, adding in half of the guild branch into the mix, even three thousand high-tier spirit stones wouldnt be enough. Given so, you still dare to talk aboutpensation? Tell me! How do you intend topensate?" cksmith was an extremely money-consuming upation. Amenities required for smithing wasnt cheap, especially for advanced facilities to process high-grade ores. It wouldnt be a joke to say that every inch of the cksmith Guild was worth gold. To cause such immense damage to the cksmith Guild... Even a 7-star low-tier master teacher would find it hard topensate all of this, needless to say, you! "Three thousand high-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuans body wobbled weakly. He only had a high-tier spirit stone in possession at the moment. Even if he were to sell all of his possessions, he would only have at most ten. Three thousand... how could he possibly afford such a sum! Even if he were to disguise as Yang shi, he wouldnt be able to earn so much within a short period of time. "What are the other record challenges here? Why dont I... try fixing them?" Zhang Xuan asked. Since he couldnt possibly fork the bill, he could only offer to help fix as much as he could to lower his debt. "You..." Yuan Hong nearly died of anger after hearing those words. That fellow arrogantly promised that he would be able to fix the Chamber of Earth me, but what happened afterward? From the copse of a single chamber, the destruction extended to half of the entire branch! Furthermore, the damages increased by ten high-tier spirit stones to three thousand. That was an increase of three hundred folds! He thought that the other party should at leastprehend what kind of situation he was in and take a humbler attitude, but to think that he was so brazen as to continue shooting his mouth here... Repair your head! If I were to allow you to continue acting as you please, the cksmith School or perhaps even the entire Master Teacher Academy would be destroyed by you! Furthermore, the Passageway of Records wasnt something that a cksmith could fix by his own. There were also many mechanisms involved, so the expertise of a celestial designer was required as well. No matter how skilled you are at smithing, you wont be able to fix them on your own as long as you are ignorant of mechanical engineering! "If it requires expertise on mechanical engineering as well, I can go and take the celestial designer examination first..." Perhaps realizing what Yuan Hong was thinking of, Zhang Xuan quickly added. "..." Yuan Hong body shook feebly once more. Arent you getting more and more arrogant? Take the celestial designer examination first? Do you think that the examination will be so easy that you can pass it as and when you like? "Keep a close eye on thisd..." With his cheeks crimson with rage, Yuan Hong felt that he might die from anger if he were to continue speaking with the other party. Thus, he waved his hands and turned his head away. "Yes!" Luo Yan and the others hurriedly nodded. "Ill go and consult the school head on this matter. In the meantime, make sure that he doesnt get away..." Yuan Hong instructed. The current situation was already beyond his control. He had to report it to the school head. The school head would then decide on what to do with this fellow! "Yes!" the crowd answered. "Vice School Head Yuan, the school head asks for you to go to his office as soon as possible!" At that moment, a master teacher suddenly rushed into the room anxiously and reported. "He wants me to go to his office?" Yuan Hong was taken aback. "Could he be aware of what is going on here?" While there was a hugemotion here, considering the immense size of the cksmith School, and the far distance between the school heads office and here, the school head shouldnt have received the news yet. But if that wasnt the case, why would thetter be asking for him? Chapter 738: Golden Armored Cloak Chapter 738: Golden Armored Cloak Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric But regardless, since the school head was looking for him, he mustnt keep him waiting. After instructing Luo Yan and the others once more to not allow Zhang Xuan to get away at any cost, he followed the master teacher to the school heads office. The cksmith School was extremelyrge, taking up more than several ten thousand mu ofnd. It was divided into the Smithery, Staff Office, Learning Hall, and various examination facilities. (10,000 mu = 6,666,666m^2) Yuan Hong was in charge of the examination facilities, which was at the opposite end of the Staff Office. Even so, with his incredible speed as a Saint realm expert, it didnt take him long to arrive before the school heads office. Stepping into the office, he saw the school head and the other three vice school heads seated within, seemingly discussing something vital. Head of the cksmith School, Zhao Bingxu, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers! Of the entire Master Teacher Academy, his standing was second to only the head of the Apothecary School. Seated upright at the end of the room, he carried a dignified and authoritative aura. At this moment, the school heads eyebrows were knitted together, and the other three vice school heads had austere expressions on their faces as well. "School head, you were looking for me?" Yuan Hong asked doubtfully as he headed towards an empty seat amidst the group. "You arrived at a timely moment. Theres something which I need your input on!" the school head nodded as he flicked his palm. Hu! A formation in the room was activated, creating a barrier between those in the room and the rest of the world. With the activation of this barrier, it would be impossible for anyone outside to listen to the conversation within the room. Of course, this also meant that news outside wouldnt be able to reach this room either as long as the formation was active. Seeing the school head going to the extent of even activating a formation to ensure perfect confidentiality, Yuan Hong was bewildered. "Since everyone has arrived, Ill start then." School Head Zhao Bingxu nodded with a grim expression. "Just a moment ago, Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo have gathered the Ten Great Master Teachers together and announced something vital!" Yuan Hongs face twisted in astonishment. It must be a grave matter for Pavilion Master Mo and Elder Mo to have to gather the Ten Great Master Teachers together to confer about it. "Could it be... news about the old principal?" One of the vice school heads couldnt help but ask. The most crucial issue the Master Teacher Academy was facing at the moment was the old principal going missing, resulting in theck of a leader to unite the academy together. It would be great if there was news on him! "Thats not it." Zhao Bingxu shook his head gravely. "The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has been appeared in the vicinity of Hongyuan City!" "Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Yuan Hongs body instantaneously tensed up. As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he understood the significance of an appearance of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. But for the school head to activate a formation of confidentiality, the matter probably wasnt as simple as a mere appearance of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. "Thats right. Senior Byzantium Helios hase under their assault on Leiyuan Peak, and we are still unable to verify whether hes dead or alive at the moment." Zhao Bingxu said slowly. The four men gathered here were the vice heads of the cksmith School, important pirs supporting humanity. They were trustworthy men whom he could entrust such crucial intelligence to. "Senior Byzantium Helios has gone missing?" Yuan Hong and the others widened their eyes in astonishment. They could hardly believe what they were hearing. If that was truly the case, the situation must be truly dire! Byzantium Helios Beast was the old principals tamed beast, and his cultivation had long reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle. On top of that, as a saint beast, hemanded strength far beyond any of them here. If even he had fallen prey to the Otherworldly Demons... how powerful must their enemies be? "Un. Senior Byzantium Helios went missing even before he could even send a message to us... Furthermore, based on the marks of battle left on Leiyuan Peak, there must be at least ten Saints among the Otherworldly Demons, and one of them was at least Saint 2-dan at minimum!" Zhao Bingxu said grimly. The reason why he rushed here to inform the other vice school heads on this matter right after the conference was to have the cksmith School act immediately. If they were to dy on this matter, they might just miss the ideal window to save Byzantium Helios Beast. "At least ten Saint realm Otherworldly Demons?" "One of them is at least Saint 2-dan?" Everyone trembled upon learning that news. If that was really the case, this matter would be far beyond their ability. "Should we... report this matter to the headquarter?" Yuan Hong asked. With the appearance of so many Otherworldly Demons simultaneously, the Master Teacher Academy might just find itself overpowered. Given such, it might be preferable to have the headquarter send down stronger master teachers to deal with this issue. "Mu shi from the headquarter has already arrived at the academy, and we have reported this matter to him as well. His view was to have us deal with this matter as far as we can, and if anyone seeds in saving Senior Byzantium Helios, he would be the next principal of the academy!" Zhao Bingxu replied. "The next principal?" Everyones eyes immediately lit up. If Zhao Bingxu could be the academys new principal, the standing of the cksmith School in the academy would surely soar as well. It would only be a matter of time before it overtakes the Apothecary School as the first school in the academy. "Un. The reason why I have all of you gathered here is to have you investigate the whereabouts of Senior Byzantium Helios. Our cksmith School must find him before the others..." Zhao Bingxu nodded, revealing his intentions. "Thats no problem at all!" "School head, rest assured. Well do our best!" Hong Yuan and the others nodded. This wasnt just a matter regarding Zhao Bingxus promotion. The appearance of the Otherworldly Demons would be a threat to the entire Master Teacher Academy and even humanity as a whole. Even without the incentive of the principals seat, they were still obligated to do so. "Good, thats all for now. Return and make whatever necessary arrangements!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. "School head, theres a matter I need to report!" Seeing the school head dismissing them, one of the vice school heads immediately stood up and said. "I also have a matter to report..." Yuan Hong also hurriedly said. "Vice School Head Xiong, youll go first!" Seeing that the two vice school heads had matters to report, Zhao Bingxu nodded. Vice School Head Xiong Bing was in charge of the Learning Hall, and he had the closest rtionship with the students as well. "Alright!" Xiong Bing nodded. "Its like that. A while back, a student reported finding traces left behind by Elder Wu Yangzi, and she requested to initiate a mission on it... Such matters often ur, so I didnt think too much of it either. So, I offered them a few Academic Credits as the reward and sent them on their way." Wu Yangzi was the most talented cksmith in the past ten thousand years of history of Hongyuan Empire, and many students viewed him as their idol. As a result, there were many students who would approach him with news they had gathered on Wu Yangzi and apply for a mission each year, but most of them would turn out to just be mere rumors. "Could it be... they seeded?" Hearing Xiong Bing abruptly raising this matter, a thought shed across Yuan Hongs head, and his breathing began to hasten in agitation. If this was true, it would cause a huge uproar in the cksmith School! Even though it had been long since Wu Yangzi had passed away, he stillmanded great prestige amongst the cksmiths in Hongyuan City. "Its still a little too early for me to verify whether its true or not, but the one who reported thepletion of the mission is... the Sixth Princess!" Xiong Bing said. "Sixth Princess? You mean Princess Yu Fei-er?" Zhao Bingxu asked. Yu Fei-er was a member of royalty, so even as one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, he had also heard about her. "Thats right. Not only so, there is Grade 2s Luo Qiqi and Xing Yuan from the Xing n!" Xiong Bing continued. "I have heard of Luo Qiqi, shes a famous cksmith genius in Grade 2. If we could groom her well, she would surely achieve great things in the future. As for Xing Yuan, is he that old fellows offspring?" Zhao Bingxu asked. "He is!" Xiong Bing nodded. "Why would they suddenly go searching for Elder Wu Yangzis whereabouts?" Yuan Hong asked in bewilderment. Each year, there were many students who would attempt to search for Wu Yangzis whereabouts to uncover the truth behind his disappearance, but often, the news they gathered turned out to just be rumors amongst the popce. As the top students of their grade, surely they should know better than to pursue groundless rumors? "I am not too sure on that, but just today, they came to me and reported thepletion of their mission. On top of that, they brought Elder Wu Yangzis remains back... Due to the immense significance of this issue, I dare not pass judgement by myself. Thus, I hope that the rest of you can help me verify the authenticity of this issue as well!" Xiong Bing said gravely. "Sure, well be more than willing to. Where are those students?" Zhao Bingxu said. Everyone was taken aback to hear that the group had brought back Wu Yangzis remains. Missions rting to searching for Wu Yangzis whereabouts had always ended in a failure, but this group imed to have found his body... If that was true, this would truly be a huge matter! While Zhao Bingxu was a 6-star pinnacle cksmith as well, his skill was still terriblycking aspared to Wu Yangzi. If the group had brought back any secret manuals left behind by Wu Yangzi along with them, the cksmith School could be revolutionized! "They are currently waiting outside the room. Ill call them in now!" Xiong Bing hurriedly said. "Alright!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. Xiong Bing stepped out of the room, and a momentter, he returned with three students following behind him. They were Xing Yuan, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er. While Xing Yuan and Ye Qian had left Huanyu Empire earlier than Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er, the speed of the aerial spirit beast they took was far beneath that of the Great Violetwing Beast. As a result, Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi ended up arriving earlier than them. As a result, it took them so long to gather together to report on the matter. "Xing Yuan (Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er) pays respect to School Head Zhao and the other vice school heads!" The group sped their fists and greeted. "Spare with the ceremony!" Zhao Bingxu stroked his beard as his gaze fell on the group of three. "I heard that you found Elder Wu Yangzis remains. Is that true?" "Thats true. This is the reason why were here!" Xing Yuan nodded affirmatively. "I beseech School Head Zhao to verify the authenticity of the remains!" With those words, he flicked his wrist, and a corpse appeared before the crowd. It was the body which they had found in the underground chamber. "This..." Upon seeing the corpse, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others traded gazes, and their eyes narrowed. As one of the top cksmiths in Hongyuan City back in his time, there were many paintings on him, and they were passed down through the generations. The few of them had seen those paintings as well, and while the corpse before them was slightly withered, they were astonished to see that the distinctive features were identical to the painting depictions! In other words... there was a good chance that the corpse before them belonged to Elder Wu Yangzi! Could they have really aplished what countless before them had failed to do? "Elder Wu Yangzi has once smithed a [Golden Armored Cloak] which, unlike ordinary armor, could be concealed beneath ones skin. If this corpse has the Golden Armored Cloak beneath his skin, there will be no doubt that hes indeed Elder Wu Yangzi!" Zhao Bingxu stood up and observed the corpse carefully. "Golden Armored Cloak?" Yuan Hong and the others were taken aback. They had never heard of this before. "Thats right. Zhao Bingxu nodded as he gathered a surge of sword qi on his fingertip and lightly sliced the corpses skin. Si! A small incision was made on the corpses skin, revealing a gleaming golden armor within. "This is indeed the Golden Armored Cloak! Theres no doubt about it, this is the remains of Elder Wu Yangzi!" Upon seeing the yellow shine beneath the corpses skin, Zhao Bingxu clenched his fists tightly in agitation, and his breathing hastened. A corpse could be faked, but it was impossible for the Golden Armored Cloak to be faked. This was because its forging method had already long disappeared from the face of the earth! There was only one possibility given that the corpse before him was wearing ithe must be Wu Yangzi! Chapter 739: His Name is Zhang Xuan Chapter 739: His Name is Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Its true?" "Thats great..." Upon hearing School Head Zhaos confirmation on the matter, the faces of Yuan Hong and the others flushed crimson in agitation. As 6-star pinnacle cksmiths, they understood the significance of the words "Wu Yangzi" to Hongyuan Empire. Back then, when this esteemed elder disappeared without a trace, a huge turmoil broke out in the cksmith Guild. Countless men stepped forth to lead the search for his whereabouts, but their efforts ended in futility. Who could have thought that the ones who would eventually uncover his traces would be the students of the Master Teacher Academy? They could already foresee the hugemotion that would ur with the announcement regarding the discovery of this corpse. This would boost the cksmith Schools prestige amongst the students and cksmiths. "You have done well. Ill have the school reward you handsomely for your aplishments!" Zhao Bingxu nodded inmendation as he gazed at the students before him, proud of them. To be honest, he had also attempted to uncover Elder Wu Yangzis trails when he was younger, but he eventually found himself stumbling upon a dead end, leaving him no choice but to give up. "Thank you, School Head Zhao!" Xing Yuan and the others sped their fists. Vice School Head Xiong Bing had thought that it would be difficult for them to seed when they first applied for the mission, so he didnt bother offering much of a reward. However, with such great achievement, locating Wu Yangzis whereabouts and finding his remains, it was natural that the reward should be increased significantly. "Since you have found Elder Wu Yangzis body, regarding his heritage..." One of the vice school heads couldnt help but ask anxiously. Back then, when the esteemed Wu Yangzi disappeared from the world, he didnt leave behind his heritage. This was also part of the reason why after his disappearance, many had searched far and wide for his whereabouts, in hopes of uncovering his heritage. Since these students were able to find his remains, could they have obtained his heritage as well? Given their current capability, Wu Yangzis heritage was no longer crucial to them. They also wouldnt stoop so low as to steal the heritage from the students either, especially given their standing. However, if the cksmith School could obtain Wu Yangzis heritage, it would definitely allow many of their cksmiths to advance their smithing proficiency. This was beneficial to the entire cksmith School. "We managed to find his heritage... At the same time, I was also epted as Elder Wu Yangzis direct disciple. However, I wont be able to make the call to contribute the heritage to the school by myself!" The one who spoke this time around was Luo Qiqi. "You found Elder Wu Yangzis heritage?" "You cant make the call yourself? True, your group did go through a lot of effort to obtain the heritage. You should indeed discuss among yourselves beforeing to a decision." "Dont worry, if you dont wish to make it public, I promise that no one will be able to make things difficult for you..." "The Master Teacher Pavilion has its own rules. There will be no one who would risk bringing the ire of the Master Teacher Pavilion upon themselves for a heritage!" Upon hearing that the group had obtained the heritage, everyone was astonished. But soon, they nodded in agreement. The responsibility of master teachers was to impart knowledge and enlighten the masses. But as noble as their mission was, they were still mortal, and they had their own desires and interests. It would be unreasonable to expect them to impart everything they knew selflessly to others. It was precisely for this reason that there was a ssification between direct disciple, normal students, and listening in. Those who were listening in would only be imparted the bare fundamentals whereas the direct disciples would be taught the most profound of techniques. This was also the reason why the standing of direct disciples was higher than those listening in, with thetter having to address the former as "senior". Since Luo Qiqi had be Wu Yangzis direct disciple and inherited his heritage, it should belong to her. If she was willing to pass it on, that would be goodwill on her part. However, if she was unwilling to do so, they werent in a position to say anything either. This was the magnanimity that master teachers should have. Otherwise, how could they be qualified to enlighten the masses? "Rather than saying our group went through a lot of effort, it would be more urate to say that that person went through a lot of effort... As long as he agrees, I believe that Qiqi will be more than willing to contribute the heritage to the cksmith School!" Realizing that there was some misunderstanding between them, Yu Fei-er quickly stepped forward to exin. "That person?" Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others nced at one another doubtfully. "Indeed. Not only was that person the one who helped us obtain the heritage, he even saved all of us. If not for him, we might have died within the underground chamber!" Gratitude gleamed in Luo Qiqis eyes as she spoke. "We can forgo the rewards that School Head Zhao has promised us as long as he is amply rewarded!" Xing Yuan added. Even though he was frustrated by theplicated rtionship between Princess Yu Fei-er and that fellow, he still felt obliged to repay the other party for saving their lives. Sensing the earnest tone behind the duos words, Zhao Bingxu frowned, "What happened? Did you encounter some kind of danger while seeking Elder Wu Yangzi?" Wu Yangzis disappearance back then was extremely abrupt, there was no signs or marks left behind, as if he had vanished into thin air. Even Zhao Bingxu, despite his immense authority, could only fathom a guess on the happenings, deducing that the Otherworldly Demons might have been involved in this matter. But as for the truth, there was no one who could say for sure. Furthermore, after such a long time had passed, whatever existing danger back then should have already dissipated. "Dangerous cant possibly summarize what we went through. Elder Wu Yangzi was captured by the Otherworldly Demons back then, and here is a personal note he left behind..." Luo Qiqi nodded as she passed a book over. This was the notebook which they obtained from Wu Yangzi back in the underground chamber. Written on it was the happenings in his capture and his experiences with the Otherworldly Demons in the underground chamber. "This..." After reading through the note, Zhao Bingxus eyes narrowed, "Otherworldly Demon puppet? Could it be that... you have met those in the underground chamber?" "Indeed. Due to a moment of carelessness, we ended up being surrounded, and we were almost killed. Despite the danger, that person stepped forward and saved us. Furthermore, in order to destroy those puppets, he even destroyed the underground chamber, burying himself with them..." Luo Qiqi recounted the affairs that happened that day. Upon hearing about how that person stood bravely against an Otherworldly Demon puppet to save Luo Qiqi, everyone fell silent. They tried putting themselves in the other partys shoes, but they realized that it would be difficult for them to put themselves in danger in order to save a mere acquaintance. Furthermore, that person even handed the heritage over to Luo Qiqi without even taking a nce at it. Very few would be willing to do so if put in his position. There was no cksmith who could remain unmoved before Wu Yangzis heritage, and yet, that person willingly gave the opportunity to Luo Qiqi. It would be hard to find anyone as noble as he was. As the five school head and vice school heads listened to how that person braved through many Saint realm Otherworldly Demon puppets without regard for his life in order to save Yu Fei-er and the others, their mouths opened wide in astonishment. "If those Otherworldly Demon puppets were to escape from the underground chamber, they would pose a fatal threat to Huanyu Empire and perhaps even Hongyuan Empire. Many will suffer under their tyranny. His actions have saved all of us. Hes... truly a noble person!" "Indeed. Putting his life on the line, he attracted all of the Otherworldly Demon puppets away and copsed the underground chamber so as to stop them... Putting the lives of others above his, hes indeed a true master teacher!" A long momentter, Zhao Bingxu and the others finally spoke up, nodding in admiration and awe for the other party. To charge into a despairing situation for humanity, there was nothing greater than that! Unwittingly, they thought of Kong shi. Back then, Kong shi had established the master teacher upation for the advancement of mankind. After tens of thousand years, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had long disappeared. While the Master Teacher Pavilion had managed to remain true to its aims, the number hot-blooded master teachers who were willing to truly put their life on the line for humanity had been decreasing over the years, perhaps even disappearing entirely. Who would have known that they would find one right in their Master Teacher Academy! "Hes really a respectable master teacher." Xing Yuan nodded. "He was the one who helped me obtain this heritage. As long as he gives his consent, Ill contribute it to the cksmith School without any hesitation!" Luo Qiqi said. It was through Zhang shis blood and sweat that they obtained Wu Yangzis heritage. If he agrees to it, she would hand it over straight away. Otherwise, even at the risk of her life, she wouldnt divulge a single word about it. "Judging from how noble that person you spoke of is, Im sure hell be more than willing to contribute this valuable knowledge to the masses." Yuan Hong remarked. "Im sure he will. Hes such a person after all..." After a moment of thought, Luo Qiqi nodded. Her apothecary teacher might be young, but he wasnt one who was obsessed with gains and losses. Even if she were to seek his permission for this matter, he would surely give his consent without any hesitation. "Ill contribute Wu Yangzis heritage to the cksmith School then. However, I hope that the school can reward him for his efforts!" With those words, Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist and took out a book. It was the secret manual which many would go into a frenzy in order to obtain it, Wu Yangzis personal smithing technique, [Zither Forging Technique]. "This..." Flipping through the book casually, Zhao Bingxu could tell that it was authentic instantly, and his eyes reddened in agitation. The various interpretations andprehension of smithing in the manual were refreshing and novel. If this could be imparted to the students of the cksmith School, their smithing proficiency would definitely be raised by leaps and bounds. Even Zhao Bingxu himself might be able to surpass his bottleneck and reach higher realms in his smithing with this! "That person is indeed a great man. He has contributed greatly to humanity. Where is that person now? Is he... still alive?" Zhao Bingxu asked hesitantly. Luo Qiqi had only said that that person chose to willingly remain in the underground chamber in order to save them, not mentioning whether he had survived that ordeal or not. If that person was still alive, the cksmith School would have to reward him handsomely for his immense contributions. If he had already passed away... they would ensure that his family members are well taken of so as to honor his deeds. "Hes alive, of course hes alive!" Not expecting for there to be such a misunderstanding, Luo Qiqi hurriedly rified. "Not only is he alive, he has also participated in the entrance examination, and he should be a freshman in the academy now!" They hadnt heard from Zhang Xuan whether he had passed the entrance examination or not, but given his capability, it shouldnt pose a problem to him at all. "Freshman? You mean to say that that person who saved you... is a freshman of our academy?" Zhao Bingxu was stunned. The other vice school heads were also dumbstruck by that revtion. When they heard that that person had selflessly put his life at stake to save them, they had thought that he would be a 5-star master teacher a minimum, or perhaps even beyond that. Who could have thought that it would be a humble freshman in their academy? "Thats right!" Luo Qiqi nodded. "I see... What is his name then? Ill send someone to find him and convince him to join our cksmith School!" Yuan Hong said. Putting everything aside, just by the fact that he had contributed the Zither Forging Technique to the cksmith School would earn him the respect of countless students here. "Hes my apothecary teacher. His name is... Zhang Xuan!" Luo Qiqi announced proudly. "Zhang Xuan?" Yuan Hong froze for an instant as his body trembled to that familiar his name. With a shaky voice, he asked, "Is that Zhang Xuan you spoke a young man in his twenties, around this tall, and has a fairplexion?" Chapter 740: Meritorious Chapter 740: Meritorious Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Upon hearing Vice School Head Yuans words, Luo Qiqi pondered for a moment before nodding, "Teacher is indeed in his twenties, and he does have fairplexion..." After cultivating the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, his body became as smooth and wless as an infant. It wouldnt be inurate to describe him as possessing "fairplexion". "Zhang Xuan, a freshman, and in his twenties..." Yuan Hong felt frenzied. The person who had just caused immense destruction in the cksmith Guild also went by the same name, and the description fits to a T as well... "Whats wrong, Vice School Head Yuan?" Seeing Yuan Hong going into a daze after asking that question, Zhao Bingxu couldnt help but ask doubtfully. "Could it be that you know Zhang shi?" "I..." Yuan Hong had no idea how he should answer that question. Still in disbelief, he turned to Luo Qiqi and asked once again, "Does Zhang shi has a formidable teacher who is a master teacher beyond 6-star?" "Are you referring to Yang shi? Im not too sure about the details, but it does seem like he possesses means beyond a normal 6-star master teacher!" Luo Qiqi nodded. "Yang shi... Yang Xuan..." Yuan Hongs body shook intensely. There was no need to ask any further, there was overwhelming evidence to say that the two people described were the same person. That fellow had reported himself as Yang Xuans student. He was also a freshman in his twenties, and the names were simr too... No matter how you look at it, they were definitely the same person! What the heck was this! As soon as he arrived at the academy, the first thing he did was to destroy the Chamber of Earth me before reducing the entire Passageway of Records to ruins, leaving the cksmith Guild in tatters. He thought that he might be a student sent from the other schools to wreak havoc in the cksmith School, but who could have thought that he had such a background? Putting his life on the line to face the Otherworldly Demons alone, giving away Wu Yangzis heritage without any hesitation... Every single one of these deeds was incredibly noble, leaving those who have heard of them with nothing but awe for him. A conceited God of Destruction and a selfless master teacher... How could they possibly be the same person! This... Was he suffering from dissociative identity disorder? "Whats wrong?" Seeing Yuan Hongs face slowly being reduced to tears, Zhao Bingxu asked once more. As a 6-star master teacher, Yuan Hong should have at least reached a level where he could conceal his emotions. Why would he still show such a depressed expression? "Its like this. Didnt I just said that I had something I needed to report to you?" Hearing School Head Zhaos question, Yuan Hong swiftly recovered and sped his fist. "Un." Zhao Bingxu nodded. "What is it?" Previously, right after Vice School Head Xiong spoke, Yuan Hong did say that he had something to report as well. "That is... the Passageway of Records has copsed, and half of the cksmith Guild has been destroyed..." Yuan Hongs face reddened in embarrassment. Despite being the person-in-charge of the examination facilities in the cksmith School, the area under his jurisdiction ended up being destroyed by a record challenger. He would probably be aughingstock for the other vice school heads. "The Passageway of Records and half of the cksmith Guild has been destroyed? Is there an attack by the Otherworldly Demons?" Zhao Bingxus eyebrows shot up in rm. As they had been busy discussing inside the office, andmunication with the external world had been terminated, they hadnt received news about the matter yet. However, the Passageway of Records was constructed and reinforced with incredibly resilient materials, allowing it to withstand the trial of time over several millenniums. Unless there was an invasion by the Otherworldly Demons, how could it copse all of the sudden? "Thats not it!" Not expecting School Head Zhao to actually make such a connection, Yuan Hong hurriedly rified it awkwardly. "Someone came to challenge the Chamber of Earth me..." Yuan Hong swiftly went through the happenings of the incident. "You are saying that... someone survived in the Chamber of Earth me for over two hours? And when he finally came out, the chamber copsed, and the Earth me Hearts werepletely depleted? "On top of that, he used Earth me to substitute as a catalyst for the Earth me Hearts and sessfully repaired the chamber. However, as soon as you stepped in... it exploded?" ... After hearing Yuan Hongs recount, the other vice school heads stared at him as if they had seen a ghost. To survive the blistering heat in the Chamber of Earth me for two hours straight, and even recreating it with Earth me... Are you for real? Was that even something a 4-star master teacher was capable of? One must know that even they, as 6-star master teachers, were incapable of doing the same! "Yes..." Yuan Hong nodded. "The person who caused themotion also goes by the name of... Zhang Xuan, and hes a freshman as well." "His name is Zhang Xuan? Could they be the same person?" "To be able to save his peers from the Otherworldly Demon puppets and destroy the underground chamber to trap them down there, Zhang shi possessed both courage and wits. Only a someone like him could possess such great capability!" ... The other vice school heads remarked. If someone had told them that a person had endured two hours in the Chamber of Earth me and destroyed half of the cksmith Guild, they would have never believed it. However, after hearing about the incredible exploits of Zhang shi, these feats seemed to be nothing much inparison. "The Chamber of Earth me serves to test the resilience of ones physical body. The longer one can remain in there, the stronger ones physical body is deemed to be. If the both Zhang shi are the same person, considering that he had inherited Elder Wu Yangzis heritage and cultivated the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, it wouldnt be too difficult for him tost two hours inside!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. His first thought upon hearing that someone hadsted two hours in the Chamber of Earth me was disbelief as well, but as he recalled the matter regarding Wu Yangzis heritage, he couldnt help but consider the possibility. Even though he had never seen the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body before, it was famed to be the best physical body cultivation technique in Hongyuan Empire, paving the way for Wu Yangzi to be the best cksmith here. "I... I didnt know. I thought that he was intentionally causing trouble, so I demanded him topensate for the damages..." Hong Yuan said anxiously. If he had known that Zhang Xuan had really endured the heat in the Chamber of Earth me with his own strength, he wouldnt have caused such a fuss. Ultimately, the Chamber of Earth me was a record challenge. If Zhang shi had truly endured the heat in the Chamber of Earth me with his own capability, it could only be said that the Chamber of Earth me was not sufficiently well-built to match up to his capability... To demand the challenger to pay for the reparation under such circumstances was a massive humiliation for the cksmith School. And if Yuan Hong hadnt asked forpensation, the mess that came afterward wouldnt have urred either. "We cant me him for this issue. There is indeed a huge w with the design of the Chamber of Earth me, resulting in its inability to hold up in the face of a true expert..." Zhao Bingxu sighed. "Youre right." Yuan Hong nodded. "But now, the damage is no longer limited to just the Chamber of Earth me. The entire Passageway of Records and half of the guild has been destroyed. What should we do about that?" If it had just been the Chamber of Earth me, they could easily forgo it. After all, ten high-tier spirit stones wasnt a huge sum for the cksmith School. However, the damage had gone way farther than that. "Regarding that... lets just call off the debt!" After a long contemtion, Zhao Bingxu waved his hand and sighed. "Call it off? How can we..." Yuan Hong eximed in shock. If they were to simply call it off, the cksmith School would be incurring a debt of several thousand high-tier spirit stones! As rich as they were, that was still an immense burden on them! "Are you thinking about the loss? His contribution of the Zither Forging Technique to our cksmith School goes way farther than a few thousand high-tier spirit stones!" Zhao Bingxu shook his head. Wu Yangzis heritage would boost the skills of the members of the cksmith School by leaps and bounds. Zhang Xuans contribution would benefit generations of students toe, and that was worth far more than a few thousand high-tier spirit stones. If needed, the cksmith School was willing to fork out even several ten thousand high-tier spirit stones for Wu Yangzis heritage if it had to. The Zither Forging Technique was not only elegant, it made smithing into an art form. This encouraged immersion in their work, allowing them to raise their understanding of smithing subconsciously as they worked. With this secret manual in hand, the cksmith School could very well overtake the Apothecary School within a decade, bing the number school in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! Even Zhao Bingxu, the head of the cksmith School, was incapable of such a feat, so how could such contribution be valued only at a few thousand high-tier spirit stones? They were on two totally different levels! Given the immense contributions that Zhang Xuan had made to the school, if they were to continue demandingpensation from the other party over such a minor matter, wouldnt they make the other students disillusioned about the school? "Indeed! Not only should we cancel thepensation, we should reward him even!" "Its only right for us to reward such talents to retain them in our cksmith School!" The other vice school heads expressed their support on the matter as well. There were many schools in the master teacher, so thepetition over talents was extremely rife. No matter what, they had to retain a talent like Zhang shi in the cksmith School and have it be his main supporting upation. This way, if he were to make his name in the world, the schools reputation would also rise along with his! On the other hand, Yuan Hongs mouth twitched. That fellow had nearly destroyed the entire branch, and not only were they not going to penalize him, they were going to reward him even... If that was the case, wouldnt he lose his authority among the students? Nevertheless, he had no choice but to acknowledge School Head Zhaos words. Contributing the Zither Forging Technique to the cksmith School was indeed a huge merit. Even if Zhang Xuan were to wreak havoc upon the entire cksmith School, as long as no students were hurt in the process, his merit could easily wipe off his wrongdoings. In the end, the core of the Master Teacher Academyy in its people. As long as they had sufficient talents, the academy could always be rebuilt. The Master Teacher Pavilion in the higher ranked empires had been assaulted by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe many times, and its facilities and libraries had been destroyed again and again. However, the heritage of master teachers still lived on, guiding humanity to greater heights. "Alright, the matter is decided then. Right, didnt you say that he intends to take the 5-star cksmith examination? Bring him to the Ocean of Weapons then. As long as he clears the examination, Ill take him in as my student..." Zhao Bingxu chuckled. It would be ideal if he could ept such a genius as his student! "Yes!" Yuan Hong nodded. "As for the rest of you, you have done well in the mission as well. Ill obtain a few pills from the Apothecary School for you and conduct a Meridian and Bone Cleansing for you personally!" Zhao Bingxu turned to Luo Qiqi and the others and said. "Meridian and Bone Cleansing? Thank you, School Head Zhao!" Upon hearing those words, the faces of Luo Qiqi and the others flushed in agitation. Considering that it was a Meridian and Bone Cleansing by one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, were it to seed, they would be able to progress from straight to Half-Saint without facing any bottlenecks in their cultivation! Meridian and Bone Cleansing was an extremely exhausting process. Even a Saint realm expert wouldnt do so easily. In that aspect, this was the best reward they could receive. It was far better than earning Academic Credits! "Yuan Hong, you should bring Zhang shi to the examination hall now. Make sure to treat him amiably, dont give him the idea that our cksmith School mistreats meritorious students!" Zhao Bingxu instructed sternly. "Yes!" With a lowered head, Yuan Hong walked out from the office, and a bitter smile emerged on his lips. When he first arrived at the office, he was still thinking about having the school head to issue a severe punishment to Zhang Xuan... Who could have thought that there would be such a huge turnaround? How did things turn to this? Just the thought of it left him extremely stifled within. Chapter 741: I Am Not a Blacksmith Yet Chapter 741: I Am Not a cksmith Yet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Whats going on?" "Did you see that? This fellow cheated in the Chamber of Earth me challenge and destroyed the entire area. On top of that, he even intentionally directed the Earth me to tear down the Passageway of Records!" "Is that fellow insane, or is he simply sick of living?" "I have no clue either, but since it isnt a matter involving us, lets just watch quietly..." A portion of the guild copsing was no trifling matter. Before long, a huge crowd had already gathered around the area, each busy asking one another to satisfy their curiosity. When they learned that it was a freshman who had caused such a huge uproar, pity immediately surfaced in their eyes. Even if he was tired of living, this wasnt how he should seek the end! They were in the Master Teacher Academy, not some countryside school. To cause such a mess and be caught personally by Vice School Head Yuan Hong at that... It would be perfectly urate to say that he was a goner! Even if he were to spend his life working here, he would never be able to pay off the debt! "Stand obediently!" Luo Yan red at the young man coldly. Knowing that his teacher was truly infuriated by this matter, he dispatched eight experts to guard this fellow. If not for fear that it might reflect badly on them, he would have already had him pummeled! For a freshman to go about wreaking havoc instead of staying put in the freshman area, he deserved it even if he was expelled from the academy! "I dont mean to do anything, I just want to check on the other mechanisms in the Passageway of Records and see if they can be fixed!" Seeing how the other students were so guarded against him as if he was a burr out to steal their valuables, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He was also very apologetic that such a situation had urred. All hed wanted to do was take the 5-star cksmith examination quietly. Never had he thought that he would end up in such a state. In the end, he allowed greed to get the better of him. Earth me Hearts were extremely valuablemodities, and who knows how long it would be before he could encounter another one? Furthermore, he also hadnt thought that the renowned Earth me Hearts reputation would precede its capability. He had already tried to limit himself, thinking that he would stop once his soul reached ten meters, but it coincidentally broke down right when he reached that mark. And as for the repairs, how could he have known that the esteemed cksmith School would end up skimming on a formation te used to draw Earth me... But it was all toote now. The only thing he could do now was try to salvage the situation as best he could. Otherwise, if he were to really incur a debt of three thousand high-tier spirit stones, he would end up wasting many years here! "You are thinking of repairing the other mechanisms? Let me tell you, if you dare toy even a finger on them, dont me me for getting nasty!" Seeing that the other partycked the slightest remorse for his actions, attempting to put his demonic ws on the other mechanisms as well, Luo Yans rage immediately flurried. What the hell is this! If it wasnt for your "fixing", would the cksmith Guild have been reduced to ruins? If you dont have the ability to fix it, dont even try it in the first ce! "I can really fix them! What happened a moment ago... was just an ident!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly exined. "I can prove it to you. Bring me a higher quality formation te, and Ill fix the Chamber of Earth me before your eyes..." "You... Youre seeking death!" Seeing how that fellow was still prattling on despite all he had done, Luo Yans rage finally reached its breaking point. A powerful aura gushed forth as he thrusted his palm toward the conceited fellow before him. Hu! As a 5-star pinnacle cksmith, his cultivation had already reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm. His palm thrust was bursting with might, threatening to tear apart the fabric of space. "Stop!" Just as the palm was about to reach Zhang Xuan, a loud bellow suddenly sounded from afar. A silhouette rushed forward, and with a light flick of his hand, he dispelled the zhenqi that Luo Yan had gathered behind his strike. Deng deng deng deng! Luo Yans face reddened, and he was pushed several steps back. A dull pain resonated throughout his body as his zhenqi fell into disarray with his offense abruptly dispelled. Upon catching a clear sight of the figure who had stopped his offense, Luo Yan froze. "Teacher..." It was no other than his teacher, who was dying to strangle Zhang Xuan a moment ago! Wasnt his teacher extremely furious with this fellow? Why would he stop him from teaching this fellow a lesson? Bewildered, he was just about to ask his teacher about the matter when thetter suddenly turned around to look at the young man behind him with a bright smile on his face. "Are you alright? Are you injured? How dare that unfilial student of miney his hands on you! Shall I teach him a lesson in your stead?" "Ah?" Hearing those words, Luo Yans body staggered from shock. What was this madness unfolding before him? Was the person he was seeing really his teacher, the vice head of the cksmith School? Wasnt he dying to strangle that fellow to death a moment ago? Why did his attitude suddenly make a 180-degree change... "Didnt you say that Vice School Head Yuan is extremely angry?" "Given that the branch has suffered such severe damage, who wouldnt be angry in his position? But that response of his... It doesnt seem like hes angry at all?" "That is a gross understatement. Look carefully, dont you feel that hes fawning over that freshman?" "Fawning? You are exaggerating! Vice School Head Yuan is a 6-star pinnacle master teacher and cksmith! With such esteemed standing, is there anyone in the school he needs to fawn over?" ... All of the students who had gathered for themotion were also dumbfounded. With the branch suffering such catastrophic damage, theyd thought that the freshman behind it would be heavily punished to send out a stern warning to the others. But if that was the case, what was with that deration to teach Luo Yan a lesson? That bright smile and that attitude... No matter how one looked at it, surely the vice school head was trying to fawn over that fellow! "Teach him a lesson? Theres no need for that; Im fine!" They werent the only ones who were baffled by the situation, even Zhang Xuan, the perpetrator of this entire incident, was confused by the abrupt twist in the plot. Didnt this elder march off furiously to the school heads office to bring forth a heavy penalty upon him? Why would he suddenly treat him so kindly? "Its good that youre fine!" Yuan Hong heaved a sigh of relief. Following which, he turned his gaze to Luo Yan and bellowed, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize to Zhang shi!" Ever since leaving the school heads office, Yuan Hong had rushed all the way back here, fearing that the students might haveid their hands on Zhang Xuan. And it was fortunate that he did. If that palm were tond on Zhang Xuan, it would strike out whatever goodwill he had for the cksmith School along with it. If that were to happen, how were they going to keep him in the cksmith School? One must know that the school head had already expressed his interest in epting him as his direct disciple! If he were to reject the cksmith School due to Luo Yans p, how was he going to exin this matter to the school head? This unfilial student of his had nearly gotten him into deep trouble! "Apologize? I..." Luo Yan couldnt help but feel that the world had gone bonkers. "Teacher, why should I apologize to him? He destroyed the Passageway of Records and half of the cksmith Guild..." "Enough!" But before Luo Yan could finish his words, Yuan Hong interrupted furiously. Waving his hands in annoyance, he roared sharply, "Return back to your quarters and reflect on what you have done! Without my orders, you are not to leave your room!" Just apologize when I tell you to, do you need to spout so much nonsense? Are you only going to be content when yound me into deep trouble? "Teacher..." Hearing that his teacher was going to ground him for no good reason, Luo Yan seethed with indignation, unable to ept what was happening before him. At the same time, the others in the area also nced at one another, uprehending of what Yuan Hong was up to. "What are you all standing around for? The group over there, take Luo Yan back to his quarters!" Yuan Hong instructed sternly. After issuing those orders, Yuan Hong turned his gaze back to Zhang Xuan and said politely, "Zhang shi, arent you intending to take the 5-star cksmith examination? Allow me to bring you to the Ocean of Weapons!" "Ocean of Weapons? But... I dont have any Academic Credits..." Zhang Xuan uttered in bewilderment. What is wrong with this fellow? Did he bump his head somewhere? It is one thing to teach Luo Yan a lesson, but to bring me to the Ocean of Weapons as well? I thought that the Ocean of Weapons is only open to those with ample Academic Credits! "You dont have any Academic Credits? Dont worry, thats not a problem at all! The group over there, wait there for a moment. Luo Yan, take out your Academic Credit Token and give Zhang shi two..." ordered Yuan Hong as he turned to the departing group. "I..." Hearing those words, Luo Yan nearly copsed burst into tears from sheer indignation. Why should I? That fellow caused a huge mess over here, but not only are you sparing him from punishment, you are even asking me to give him Academic Credits? Isnt this favoritism too much! "Stop wasting time, hurry up!" Yuan Hong frowned. "Alright." Nevertheless, Luo Yan dared not disobey themands of his teachers, so he obediently passed his Academic Credit Card over. Students were allowed to transfer Academic Credits amongst themselves as well. Given that Zhang Xuan hadnt received his identity token yet, it went without saying that he hadnt received an Academic Credit Card as well. However, such a small issue couldnt possibly stumble a vice school head. With a flick of his wrist, Yuan Hong took out an empty card and transferred two points into it from Luo Yans card. "Alright, Zhang shi. We have the Academic Credits now, so lets go!" After doing what had to be done, Yuan Hong turned to Zhang Xuan with a smile and gestured for him to head forward. Zhang Xuan blinked in a daze, overwhelmed by the happenings before him. He pointed to the rubble in the area nkly and asked, "This... Dont I have topensate for this?" "You dont have to worry about it. This isnt your fault, so you wont have topensate for this. Ill have someone fix it upter," Yuan Hong replied. "This... Alright then." Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what was going on, he was still relieved to hear that he was excused from payment. Three thousand high-tier spirit stones was way beyond his means. It would be best if he could be spared frompensation. "This..." "Is this really the austere Vice School Head Yuan that I know?" "What kind of y is this?" "It was just a moment ago that Vice School Head Yuan looked as if he was going to tear that fellow apart. Yet, in just a few short moments, he suddenly became like that..." ... Taking that scene into sight, the master teachers gathered in the area were trembling in frenzy. This was a branch of the cksmith Guild! That fellow had caused the copse of half of the entire building, and yet, not only was he not criticized for it, he was even granted so many privileges. This was way too abnormal! Such a feeling resonated particrly strongly with Li Xuan amidst the crowd. Her body was trembling uncontrobly, and she nearly fainted from the sight. She had been the one to show that fellow around ever since hed arrived at the cksmith Guild, and all this time, she had thought of him as a conceited and naive freshman... For such a person to actually win Vice School Head Yuans favor, what was this world turning into... ... Despite wracking his brain, Zhang Xuan was unable to find any logical reason as to why the attitude of the elder before him would change so abruptly. In the end, he could only attribute it to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mos halo. Sighing deeply, he followed Yuan Hong to the other half of the cksmith Guild, which had, fortunately, remained intact despite the previous explosion. Before long, he was standing before a towering door. "Zhang shi, this is the entrance to the Ocean of Weapons. To take the 5-star cksmith examination, you just have to ce your Academic Credit Card and 4-star emblem on the stone pedestal over there and step through the door, and you will be brought to the corresponding examination area." With a gentle smile, Yuan Hong gestured. Just like the Passageway of Records, the Ocean of Weapons was also aplex mechanism created using many unique materials. In order to activate it, one would require sufficient Academic Credits in their card, as well as an emblem a rank lower than the examination one was going to take. With these two objects, one would be able to activate the mechanism and take the corresponding examination. This was an extremely efficient system which spared the cksmith Guild from having to devote too much manpower into manning its examination facilities. "I need a 4-star emblem for the examination?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. Since Zhang shi is here to take the 5-star examination, I believe you should already have the 4-star emblem in your possession. Dont worry, any emblem distributed by the cksmith Guild is usable here!" Yuan Hong exined, thinking that Zhang Xuan was worried that the cksmith emblem which hed obtained elsewhere might not be usable here. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. "Is an emblem really required? What do I have to do if I dont have one?" "Dont have one?" Yuan Hong froze. "What do you mean by that?" Zhang Xuan blushed in embarrassment. "That is... I have yet to take a cksmith examination. The truth is that I am actually not a cksmith yet..." Chapter 742: Taking the Blacksmith Examination Chapter 742: Taking the cksmith Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You arent a cksmith yet?" Yuan Hongs body swayed weakly from sheer shock, and he nearly spewed a mouthful of blood onto the other partys face. The other master teachers who had gathered in the area out of curiosity also had their eyes bulging in astonishment. You arent a cksmith, and yet you are here to take the 5-star examination? And you still dare to say that you arent here to cause trouble? cksmithing was a part of the Upper Nine Paths, one of the most prestigious upations in the continent. Countless had devoted innumerable years of their lives to refining their skills, forsaking sleep and meals just to be epted into this esteemed organization. Even the most talented of cksmiths would require a decade of training before they could challenge the 5-star organization. Those who were less talented might even take fifty years just to prepare for it! And yet, a twenty-year-old fellow who wasnt even a 1-star cksmith actually wanted to challenge the 5-star examination? Did you think that cksmith is an upation which you could master on a whim? You are taking it way too lightly! "I have learnt smithing on my private time, I just havent had the time to take the examination yet..." Noticing everyones dumbfounded gaze, realization struck Zhang Xuan, and he hurriedly came up with an exnation. "Since thats the case, why dont I start from the 1-star examination? Is it possible to take the 1-star examination here? Or do I have to take the apprentice examination first?" Even though Zhang Xuans smithing capability was above even that of Wu Yangzi, he had never taken any cksmith examination before. In terms of ranking, he was currently even beneath that of an apprentice, let alone a cksmith. "Apprentice..." Hearing those words, Yuan Hongs lips twitched, and he grabbed his face in frustration. If he hadnt witnessed this sight for himself, he would never have believed it to be true. To think that a person who wasnt even an apprentice yet woulde to the cksmith School and dere that he was going to take the 5-star examination. On top of that, he even created a huge fuss in the school, copsing the Passageway of Records along with half of the entire branch... More importantly... despite all of this, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, Zhao Bingxu, was still interested in taking him as his direct disciple! All of this, he had seen with his own eyes. But even so, he couldnt help but feel as though he was in a dream. "Theres no need for you to take the apprentice examination, you can take the 1-star examination straight... For the time being, just try to pass the 1-star examination first. As for 5-star... well talk about it in the future!" Suppressing the frustration he was feeling, Yuan Hong turned to the master teacher crowd behind and asked, "Does any of you have an apprentice emblem?" As a 6-star pinnacle cksmith in the cksmith School, even his weakest student was a 5-star cksmith at the minimum. As a result, he didnt have any spare apprentice emblems with him. "Apprentice emblem?" "Is there likely to be anyone with an apprentice emblem in the cksmith School?" ... The crowd in the area shook their heads. Most of those gathered around were 5-star cksmiths, and even the weakest of the crowd was a 4-star at the minimum. As such, it would be difficult for them to find an apprentice emblem all of the sudden. "This..." Yuan Hong looked around awkwardly. What the heck was this! To think that a day woulde where a 6-star pinnacle cksmith like him would end up having to look for an apprentice emblem, and fail to find one at that... "Vice School Head Yuan, I have one here!" At that moment, a timid voice suddenly sounded. Zhang Xuan turned around and saw Li Xuan, the female receptionist who had been bringing him around previously, stepping forward and offering her emblem. While she was working at the cksmith School, she wasnt too involved in the upation. As a result, she was still an apprentice cksmith at the moment. "Good..." Yuan Hong heaved a sigh of relief. Taking the emblem, he imprinted Zhang Xuans name on it before passing it to thetter. "Zhang Xuan, this shall be your apprentice emblem. With this, you should be able to activate the Ocean of Weapons and take the 1-star cksmith examination." "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan took the emblem and nodded. He walked up to the stone pedestal, and just as he was about to ce his emblem and Academic Credit Card on it, he suddenly recalled something and turned around. "If I were to pass the 1-star examination, would I have to expend more Academic Credits if I wanted to continue taking the 2-star examination?" "If you remain in the Ocean of Weapons, you wont have to expend any more Academic Credits. However, once you step out of the doors, you will have to pay more Academic Credits if you want to enter once more and take the examination again," Yuan Hong replied. With two Academic Credits, one could activate the Ocean of Weapons once. As long as the Ocean of Weapons remained activated, there would be no need for one to expend any more Academic Credits to re-activate it for the subsequent examinations. In a sense, it was like paying for a ticket to the museum. As long as the entrance fee was paid, one could remain within until closing time. It was only after leaving the museum that one would have to repurchase another ticket to enter its premises once more. Upon hearing that he would have to expend more Academic Credits to enter the Ocean of Weapons once more if he were to leave the area, Zhang Xuan immediately asked worriedly, "I wont have to expend any more Academic Credits as long as I remain within? Then... once I clear the 1-star cksmith examination, can I proceed on with the 2-star examination?" The two Academic Credits he currently had didnte easily. He would have to spend a great deal of effort in earning more Academic Credits if he had to spend two for each rank promotion. Even if the elder before him was willing to finance him, he would still feel guilty taking the Academic Credits of others for his own use, especially considering how valuable they were! On top of that, if he were to ept the favor of others without giving an equivalent return, he would owe a karmic debt to the other party. The reason Zhang Xuan had been reluctant to ept the favor of others for free all along was due to the messy implications that came along with it. If possible, he would like to avoid it for as long as he could. "Of course you can. However, the Ocean of Weapons will only remain activated for four hours regardless of which examination you are taking. Regardless of whether you are able to sessfully forge a weapon or not, you will be evicted from the premises once time is up... I dont think that you will have sufficient time to challenge the other examinations after clearing the 1-star examination!" Yuan Hong exined. The underlying motive behind the creation of the Ocean of Weapons was to amodate for a greater number of students in taking the cksmith examination. Given that, if they were to allow students to camp inside the facility after paying two Academic Credits, wouldnt that be contrary to its primary purpose? As such, a time limit of four hours was imposed on the system. Regardless of how ones progress in the examination was, one would be evicted without fail once the time was up, even if their weapon was already on the verge ofpletion. If a student were to deem that four hours was insufficient for them to clear the examination, the student could always pay more Academic Credits to extend their time. In this case, an Academic Credit would correspond to an additional two hours. If the student sessfully cleared the examination, the Ocean of Weapons would distribute a new corresponding emblem. Otherwise, they would leave empty-handed. Since Zhang Xuan had two Academic Credits, he would be allowed to stay within the Ocean of Weapons for four hours. However, weapon smithing was an extremely lengthy process. Four hours might be sufficient for him to smith a weapon to clear the 1-star examination, but to be able to smith another one for the 2-star examination in that limited time... It didnt seem too usible. Besides, smithing was an extremelyborious process that consumed an immense amount of zhenqi. Considering Zhang Xuans current cultivation, just smithing a single weapon could easily consume up more than half of his zhenqi capacity, so even if there was sufficient time, it would be nigh impossible for him to smith two weapons consecutively. As such, while Vice School Head Yuan thought that it was good that Zhang Xuan was driven, he didnt think that it was a feasible idea. Even he, as a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, could only smith two to three weapons within four hours. Anything more than that was impossible. Unlike pills, weapons, regardless of their grade, require ceaseless hammering and refinement in order to shape and refine it. "Four hours? Alright then." Hearing that he only had this amount of time, Zhang Xuan nodded. After rifying everything, he ced his cksmith apprentice emblem and Academic Credit Card on the stone pedestal, and with a bright surge of light, the doors to the Ocean of Weapons opened. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked in. The Ocean of Weapons seemed to operate via a mechanism somewhat simr to the Passageway of Records. The room Zhang Xuan stepped into waspletely dark, and with an abrupt rumbling beneath his feet, he was transported to a hall. ced within the hall were all kinds of ores and metals. There was also arge cauldron and furnace by the side. "This is supposed to be... an illusion?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but mutter in awe. Taking a swift nce around him, he realized that everything in this room was extremely vivid and detailed, making it hard to discern it from reality. Previously, the female receptionist, Li Xuan, had told him that the Ocean of Weapons utilized an Illusion Formation in order to simte a lifelike smithing experience. This was indeed what was happening to Zhang Xuan right now. Everything around him was fake, regardless of how real it all looked. Taking a look around him, Zhang Xuan saw a pile of books on the table before him. He walked up to it and flipped through them casually. Written in them were the smithing methods of various weapons. Examinees could pick any one of these smithing methods for the examination if they wanted to, but this wasnt apulsory criterion for the examination. As long as the weapon they smithed reached a certain grade, they would be deemed to have cleared the examination. "I only have four hours. I must hurry so that I can take the 5-star examination..." Knowing that Academic Credits didnte easily, Zhang Xuan wasnt content with just clearing the 1-star examination. It would be best if he could clear the 5-star examination in a single go so that he wouldnt have to return here again. Thus... it would be best for the weapon I smith to be as simple as possible so as to minimize the time spent on them! There was a clear difference in the difficulty between forging a metal ingot into a sword and hammer, and the time required for the both of them would be different as well. Unlike pill forging where each ingredient must be carefully prepared in order to forge a satisfactory pill, theres no need for me to be too thorough in the forging of the weapon. Since only the grade of the weapon is being assessed here, theres no need for me to pursue perfection... A weapons grade was determined by factors such as its resilience, flexibility, sharpness, medium for zhenqi, and such. Aesthetics took a secondary role in determining the grade of the weapon. While going through the additional effort of hammering the weapon into the perfect shape and size would boost the utility of the weapon as well, this wasnt a vital aspect of the cksmith examination. Since that was the case... there would be no need for Zhang Xuan to spend additional effort on shaping the metal ingot. As long as he were to take careful note of the proportion of metal used in creating the alloy, as well as the refinement and quenching process, he should be able to create a decent weapon. After browsing through the books, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Itll take too long to hammer the metal ingot into the shapes depicted in these books..." Not only would it be hard to do so given hisck of practice in hammering, more importantly, he also didnt have the time to waste on it either. If he were to follow the smithing process listed in any of the books, it would be impossible for him to sessfully smith any weapons without at least two hours of effort. If that was going to be it, he wouldnt even have enough time to clear the 2-star examination! "Forget it, I should just start first!" Tossing the book aside, Zhang Xuan swiftly examined the eight ores and metals on the table as he swiftly simted the variousbinations of alloys he could make with them. Having learned the Heavens Path Smith Art, his understanding of smithing was already beyond most 6-star pinnacle cksmiths. While the ores and metals before him were inferior materials that were suited only for smithing low-tier weapons, as long as he were toplement their strengths well, he would still be able to create a decent weapon. "Alright, this should do!" Zhang Xuan muttered as a confident smile crept onto his lips. With a light flick of his wrist, the eight metals and ores immediately rose from the table and flew into the searing furnace. Tzzzzzz! As Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the furnace, it began to glow crimson. The ores and metals swiftly melted and flowed out of the furnace from a groove by the side. "Synthesize!" With another flick of his wrist, the metallic fluid separated into eight distinct fluids, and they began synthesizing with one another through a series of sequences. Chapter 743: Is It Too Late to Practice? Chapter 743: Is It Too Late to Practice? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With nimble movements from his fingers, Zhang Xuan precisely manipted the metallic fluids with his zhenqi. Those metallic fluids shed with one another in midair, producing resounding melodic metallic ngs reminiscent of the music from a keyboard. If a cksmith were to be present here, he would surely be left with his mouth agape upon seeing this sight. This was no longer smithing but a performance! It was a melody perfectly aligned with nature! The reason Wu Yangzis Zither Forging Technique was so sought after was due to its alignment with nature, making the arduous smithing a pleasurable activity. However, the smithing technique that Zhang Xuan was utilizing here was clearly far more profound than the Zither Forging Technique! Not only was it an enjoyment to the eyes and the ears, one might even find ones soul resonating in pleasure to it. Heavens Path Smith Art! Hu hu hu! Before long, the eight metallic fluids werepletely synthesized with one another, forming a solid alloy. Following which, Zhang Xuan threw the alloy into the water trough by the side. Tz! As soon as the searing metal alloy came into contact with the water, steam immediately rose from the water surface. This was the final step of smithing, quenching! Typically, smithing consisted of three stepssynthesizing the metals and ores into an alloy, forging the alloy into its intended form, and quenching the weapon to strengthen the material. Zhang Xuan had jumped from the first phase right into the third phase, skipping the second phase. In smithing, the forging phase was extremely important. If a weapon was forged properly, it could enhance its grade as well. Skipping the second phase meant that his work couldnt be considered as a true weapon, and thus, its grade would take a steep fall. However, it also spared him from the most arduous and lengthy process of hammering his weapon into its intended form, thus significantly speeding up his smithing process. Hu! The searing alloy caused the calm water in the trough to bubble furiously. After some time, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, retrieving the alloy from the water. Timing was essential for quenching. The duration for which a weapon was immersed into a quenching fluid would affect the quality of the end product. Zhang Xuan had used eight different types of ores and metals to create his alloy, each with vastly different properties. While they could serve toplement each others strengths, if he couldnt grasp the perfect timing for the quenching, it could introduce an imbnce within the weapon, causing the various metals and ores to hinder the functions of one another. If that were to happen, the resulting alloy would be severely weakened, turning it into a failed product. "Alright, this... should be it..." Havingpleted the quenching process, Zhang Xuan nced at the metal lump in his palm and scratched his head awkwardly. If he were to take this metal lump out and call it a weapon, he would surely be mocked by the other cksmiths, and his reputation would plummet. Fortunately, he was only in a simtion. Sighing deeply, he walked up to the grading pedestal and ced the metal lump on it. The grading pedestal served to gauge the quality of the weapon smithed, and as long as the weapon achieved the required grade, the examinee would be deemed to have cleared the examination. Weng! A light buzz sounded, and a red light glowed. Following which, a mechanic voice announced, "Using the most basic Lava Stone, White Steel, ck Pebble... the examinee has managed to smith a Phantom low-tier weapon. Congrattions, you have passed the 1-star cksmith examination!" "This metal lump has reached Phantom low-tier? Not bad..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. In truth, this was his first time smithing, so he didnt have a precise gauge of how he had fared. To think that this lump of metal would be considered as a Phantom low-tier weapon! Weapons could be divided into five tiersGod, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal. The criterion for clearing the 1-star cksmith examination was to smith a Mortal pinnacle weapon. Even though the weapon Zhang Xuan had smithed using the Heavens Path Smith Art was crude, bearing no semnce to a weapon whatsoever, it was still graded as a Phantom low-tier weapon due to the quality of its alloy. If it were to be properly forged into a weapon, it could easily reach Phantom intermediate-tier or even high-tier. After clearing the 1-star examination, Zhang Xuan spoke up without any hesitation. "I request to challenge the 2-star cksmith examination!" Ji ya ya! The entire area abruptly darkened, and the rumbling of mechanisms whirring into action sounded. By the time the area lit up once more, he was already in another hall. The entireyout was simr to the 1-star examination hall, but the area was visiblyrger. There was arger variety of ores and metals ced on the table in the room, and most of them were higher grade and rarer than the ones offered in the 1-star examination. "Time to start work again!" After swiftly examining the selection of ores and metals, Zhang Xuan picked 17 of them and threw them into the furnace. Working as he had previously, another metal lump was soon standing in front of him before long. This metal lump looked even more horrendous than the previous one smithed. It waspletely ck, and no one would ever be able to make a corrtion between it and a weapon. This was the result of skipping the forging phase of the smithing process. The forging process was essential to giving shape to the alloy. If one wanted a sword, one would have to hammer it into a sword. If one wanted a dagger, one would have to hammer it into a dagger. However, putting aside the fact that this phase was extremely time-consuming, hammering was also a skill that one could only master through hands-on experience. With no prior experience whatsoever, it would be nigh impossible for Zhang Xuan to shape the weapons properly even if he were to attempt it in earnest. Since that was the case, he decided to skip it altogether. Once again, he ced the metal lump on the grading pedestal. Weng! With a brilliant sh of red light, a mechanical voice announced, "... the examinee has managed to smith a Phantom intermediate-tier weapon. Congrattions, you have passed the 2-star cksmith examination!" After clearing the 2-star cksmith examination, Zhang Xuan immediately moved on to the 3-star. An hourter, taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan said, "I request to challenge the 5-star cksmith examination!" After challenging four examinations consecutively, he was starting to feel a little drained despite his pure zhenqi. Hu! The mechanisms rumbled into action once more, and an evenrger room came into sight. "They are all actually the same hall, its just my perception of it that has changed..." After undergoing the venue switching procedure several times, Zhang Xuan soon realized that despite the various differences among the examination halls, the location where he was hadnt changed at all. In the first ce, the examination halls were only a simtion created by the Ocean of Weapons, not a real location. As such, changing the venue wasnt a difficult job, "Ashenstar Rock, Purpletopaz Metal, Greendust Stone... The materials offered in this examination sure are far better than the ones in the previous examinations..." Zhang Xuan remarked in awe as he examined the selection of ores and metals in the room. There were plenty of rare materials in the previous four examinations as well, but they paled inparison to the current spread before him. Both the Ashenstar Rock and the Purpletopaz Metal were materials which Transcendent Mortal experts would kill to get their hands on. With them, they could forge top-notch weapons. However, these superior materials did little to alleviate the grimness on Zhang Xuans face. While better materials did allow for the forging of better weapons, the criterion to clearing the examination was rising at an even faster pace. To clear the 5-star cksmith examination, he would have to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. It was impossible to smith a weapon of that tier with just good materials in hand! More importantly, one had to wield incredible control over the metals and ores andmand an extremely high understanding of the quenching process. Otherwise, the slightest mistake made could result in the wastage of these precious materials. Hu hu hu! Zhang Xuans hands went through the various metals and ores nimbly, synthesizing them together one by one. Unlike previous times, he was working with the metals and ores in the furnace this time around. As such, he had to regte the temperature in the furnace through his zhenqi simultaneously. Each metal and ore had its own melting point. In order to create a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, each material had to be processed carefully to bring out the finest properties within it in the resulting alloy, so the temperature had to be carefully regted in the synthesis phase. Soon, just as Zhang Xuans zhenqi was just about to bepletely depleted, he finally finished synthesizing thest ore into the alloy. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan threw the metal lump into the water trough by the side. "Quench!" Tzzzzz! A denseyer of mist formed around the water trough, concealing it from sight. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to keep a close eye on even the most trivial of changes in the metal lump, and as its quality finally reached its peak, he quickly took it out. Based on his experience in the previous examinations, he learned that it was easier for him to grasp the condition of the quenching process through his Eye of Insight, thus further enhancing the quality of the final product. "Test!" Once again, Zhang Xuan ced the metal lump on the grading pedestal. Weng! A mechanical voice announced, "... the examinee has managed to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. Congrattions, you have passed the 5-star cksmith examination!" "Ive passed the examination!" Seeing that it was a sess, Zhang Xuans body finally gave into exhaustion, and he fell weakly onto the ground. Even though he had skipped the hammering stage, it was still tough work controlling the mes in the furnace with his zhenqi. At this point, his zhenqi was nearlypletely depleted. It was fortunately that he had still seeded eventually. "I should heal up first." Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a jade box appeared in his hands. Opening the jade box, he immediately felt a gush of incredibly pure spiritual energy blowing at him; it felt as if small needles were pricking his skin, creating a tingling sensation. A translucent stone sat inside the box. This was Zhang Xuans first time using a high-tier spirit stone. Those whose cultivation was too low would be unable to assimte the pure spiritual energy within a high-tier spirt stones into their body. Even if they could absorb it, the spiritual energy would still leak from the minuscule pores in their meridians. The meridians within the human body was simr to a sandpit in some ways. There were many fine pores in them such that while thick and viscous mud could flow through it, pure water would usually seep right through those pores, resulting in immense wastage. In this analogy, the pure water would be referring to the concentrated spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone. Spiritual energy, in its purest form, was extremely fine, to the point that it could easily seep through the smallest openings. Even if an ordinary human were to try to absorb the spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone, they wouldnt be able to retain the slightest bit of it in their body. Only upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm would the openings in ones body be sealed like a cocoon, forming a Seamless Body. Only then would one be able to absorb the spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone to strive for greater heights. Zhang Xuan was currently only at Cosmos Bridge realm, three realms away from reaching Chrysalis realm. Typically speaking, even if he had a high-tier spirit stone in his possession, he shouldnt be able to use it. However, having cultivated Heavens Path zhenqi, his body had already been reformed by it, granting him a physical body far stronger than other cultivators. On top of that, he had also reached the Second Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. This granted him enhanced control over his body, allowing him to seal his pores to retain the fine spiritual energy from the high-tier spirit stone within his body. Gu gu gu gu! As the pure spiritual energy circted in Zhang Xuans body as per the Heavens Path Divine Art, it was swiftly converted into zhenqi before being deposited in his dantian. His depleted dantian swiftly filled up, reaching full capacity within thirty minutes. "As expected of a high-tier spirit stone, I was able to recover swiftly!" Zhang Xuan stood up and did some stretches. If it had been a middle-tier spirit stone or a Spirit Gathering Formation, it would have taken at least several hours for his zhenqi to fully recover. However, through absorbing the spiritual energy in a high-tier spirit stone via the Heavens Path Divine Art, he was able to recover within just thirty minutes. This was a paceparable to most pills forged specially for recovering ones zhenqi! I still have another hour to go! Zhang Xuan thought in delight as he returned the high-tier spirit stone to his storage ring. With an hour left, perhaps he might have enough time to challenge the 6-star cksmith examination! While his current cultivation was still a little too low, the depth of hisprehension in smithing was superior to most 6-star pinnacle cksmiths. If he could pass the 6-star cksmith examination as well, he would be spared from spending even more Academic Credits here. Based on what he had seen and heard so far, he could tell that Academic Credits were extremely difficult to earn. There would surely be many ces where he would require them in the future, so it was best for him to save as much as possible for the time being. "Challenging the 6-star cksmith examination is a little beyond my current cultivation at the moment. If I want to clear the examination, I wont be able to skip the forging phase anymore..." The reason Zhang Xuan had been able to clear all of the previous examinations was because of the superior quality of the alloy he had created. As such, even though the weapons he had smithed so far were just mere lumps of steel, they were still able to reach the required grade. However, in the 6-star examination, he would have to handle ores and metals which were beyond his current cultivation, and this meant that he wouldnt be able to process them as freely as he had all along. Due to that, it was unlikely that he would be able to clear the examination based on the quality of the alloy in itself. In other words, if he wanted to clear the examination, he would have to forge the weapon... However, he had no experience with hammering whatsoever. If he were to start practicing now... would he still be able to make it in time? Chapter 744: Attempting the 6-star Blacksmith Examination Chapter 744: Attempting the 6-star cksmith Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I wont be able to make it in time..." Hammering, just like pill forging, was a hands-on skill which could only be mastered through countless years of practice. Even with the Library of Heavens Path guiding him along, it would still be impossible for him to master the skill in time with only an hour left on the clock. Just as Zhang Xuan was distressed as to what he should do next, a thought suddenly shed across his mind, and his eyes lit up in excitement. "Wait... Even though I cant forge a sword or those of that sort, I can turn the iron lump into a hammer! That should be much easier than other weapons..." There were many intricacies behind swords and sabers which made them extremely difficult to forge them, but that shouldnt be the case for hammers! With just a few hits on the metal lump, he should be able to create a hammer easily! "Alright, its decided then!" With a smile on his lips, Zhang Xuan shouted, "I request to challenge the 6-star cksmith examination!" Weng! The sight before Zhang Xuan changed once more, turning into an evenrger hall. Many ores and metals that would have been difficult to find in real life appeared before him. After some contemtion, Zhang Xuan picked out a few dozen of them and brought them to the furnace. Xiong xiong! Tossing the ores and metals into the furnace, Zhang Xuan began with his smithing. ... Meanwhile, Yuan Hong and a group of master teachers were standing outside the Ocean of Weapons, waiting for the results of the examination. After all that had happened, it was already nearing midnight. However, it didnt seem like anyone had the intention to leave. That Zhang Xuan fellow had caused such a huge mess in the cksmith School, but not only did Vice School Head Yuan not punish him, he even escorted him to the Ocean of Weapons for him to take the cksmith examination. Everyone was curious to see what kind of legendary figure Zhang Xuan was for a 6-star pinnacle cksmith to treat him with such respect. "How far do you think he can advance in the Ocean of Weapons?" "Do you even need to ask? With just four hours on the clock, he will only be able to clear the 1-star examination!" "Even if he is a talented cksmith who is capable of producing weapons at an unprecedented speed, hell only be able to clear the 2-star examination at the maximum. Anything beyond that is physically impossible!" "Indeed. Just take the forging process for example, in order to hammer the alloy into the perfect shape, one would have to spend at least an hour or two on it. Even seasoned cksmiths wouldnt be able to go any faster than that!" ... Everyone muttered with hushed voices. Since that fellow dered that he would be challenging the 5-star cksmith examination, he should possess the ability to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon at the minimum. However, due to the time limit within the Ocean of Weapons, it would be difficult for him to reach 2-star. Anything further than that would be in impossible! As such, there was no one here who really thought that he would be able to clear the 5-star cksmith examination today. Nevertheless, for a person who had never challenged the cksmith examination before, clearing two stars simultaneously was still an incredible feat. Just as everyone was waiting patiently for the results from the Ocean of Weapons, footsteps suddenly sounded. Turning their heads over, everyone saw a few elders walking over. "Look, the school head is here!" "No, it isnt just the school head. The other vice school heads as well... Why are they all here?" "They probably heard about the matter here and came over to take a look!" The one who was leading the group was the head of the cksmith School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, Zhao Bingxu. There were three elders walking behind him, and they were the remaining three vice school heads. After conducting a Meridian and Bone Cleansing for Luo Qiqi and the others, they decided to head over here to see if the legendary student would be able to clear the 5-star cksmith examination. "School head!" As if having guessed that the school head woulde, Yuan Hong didnt seem surprised in the least. He sped his fist and greeted the other party. "How is it? Has he begun the 5-star cksmith examination yet? Judging from the current time, he should be done soon!" Zhao Bingxu asked with a smile. "5-star cksmith examination... This..." Yuan Hong muttered awkwardly. Bewildered by Yuan Hongs reaction to his words, Zhao Bingxu asked doubtfully, "Whats wrong? Isnt it Zhang shi who is undergoing the examination inside at the moment?" "Its indeed him who is inside, but... it appears that Zhang shi has never taken a cksmith examination before, so he is currently challenging the 1-star examination," Yuan Hong replied. "He has never taken any cksmith examination before?" Zhao Bingxu eximed. The other three vice school heads behind him were also stunned by the revtion. Since that fellow had never taken the 1-star examination before, why in the name of Kong shi was he attempting to challenge the 5-star examination? "Yes." Yuan Hong nodded. "His intention before entering the Ocean of Weapons seemed to be to challenge the 2-star examination after clearing the 1-star examination. I wonder if he will be able to seed." Before entering the Ocean of Weapons, that fellow had asked if he could challenge the subsequent examinations as well, so he was probably preparing to do so. It would be difficult, but that fellow might just be able to pull it off. "Are you curious? Actually, we can just take a peek at it!" Zhang Bingxu chuckled. "Take a peek? But the Ocean of Weapons is still in operation, how do we take a look?" Yuan Hong was bewildered. By right, as long as the Ocean of Weapons was still in operation, it was impossible to know the results of the test inside. Otherwise, he wouldnt be waiting here. "While its indeed impossible to see the results within the Ocean of Weapons, we can always try to apply for the emblem for him! If the emblem appears, it will mean that he has cleared the 1-star examination!" Zhao Bingxu said as he stroked his beard. "That... Indeed! Why didnt I think of that?" Yuan Hong pped his thigh and chuckled. The emblem would be dispatched outside after one cleared the examination in the Ocean of Weapons. As long as one had cleared the examination inside, the system would distribute an emblem when an application was sent in. It was impossible to know the results of the cksmith examination directly since Zhang Xuan wasnt out yet, but they could use this method to know how far he was into the examination! If they were to seed in applying for the 1-star emblem, it would mean that he had already cleared the 1-star examination and was in the midst of challenging the 2-star examination... Such a simple matter, but to think that it had slipped his mind! "Alright, I shall give it a try!" Yuan Hong stepped forward, ced his hand on a button on the gigantic doors of the Ocean of Weapons, and pressed it lightly. There was a momentary burst of light before an emblem fell from an aperture below the button. "Oh? He cleared the 1-star examination?" Yuan Hong muttered as he grabbed the falling emblem. It was Zhang Xuans 1-star cksmith emblem. Since it was dispatched, it could only mean that Zhang Xuan had cleared the 1-star examination. "Since he has cleared the 1-star examination, he should probably be in the midst of the 2-star examination at the moment..." Zhao Bingxu nodded. "Hmm, it is about to be four hours soon. Let me give it a try to see if he has passed the 2-star examination yet..." Yuan Hong pondered for a moment before cing his palm back on the button. Weng! Another burst of light, and an emblem fell from the aperture once more. "Th-this is the 2-star emblem? He has cleared the 2-star examination as well?" Yuan Hong froze for an instant before hurriedly reaching out to grab the falling emblem. In his view, clearing an examination within four hours was already extremely difficult in itself. Even if there was some spare time after clearing the 1-star examination, the chances were that the examinee would already be exhausted by then, making it nearly impossible to clear the next one. Yet, this fellow actually cleared two examinations consecutively... Was this for real? "Hes cleared the 2-star examination?" Zhao Bingxu was taken aback as well. He walked up to Yuan Hong, took the emblem from him, and examined it carefully. Inscribed on it was Zhang Xuans name. There was no doubt about it... he had cleared the 2-star examination within the four-hour limit! "But if he has cleared the 2-star examination, why isnt he out yet? Could it be that... he is trying for the 3-star examination?" Yuan Hong widened his eyes at that thought. If Zhang Xuan wasnt out after clearing the 2-star examination, did that mean that he was attempting the subsequent 3-star examination? To still have the strength to attempt subsequent examinations after clearing the 2-star examination... What was that fellow made of? "That should be the case. However, given the limited amount of time, it is impossible for him to clear the 3-star examination..." Yuan Hong shook his head. As a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, he knew how difficult smithing was. Even with his current skills, he would only be able to smith Phantom low-tier weapons within four hours at best. Anything more than that was impossible! To clear the 1-star and 2-star examination, Zhang Xuan would have to smith at least two weapons. However, no matter how proficient he was in smithing, he couldnt possibly be faster than a 6-star pinnacle cksmith. As such, how could he possibly be able to smith the third weapon? "Lets just try giving it a press..." Zhao Bingxu interjected as he walked up to the door and pressed on the button. Weng! Yet another sh of light and emblem. "This... a 3-star emblem?" Not only did Yuan Hong leap in shock, even Zhao Bingxu was stunned. To smith three weapons within four hours, advancing from an apprentice to a 3-star cksmith... This speed was insane! "Could it be possible that..." The duo nced at one another, only to see the shock in each others eyes. Unable to stand the curiosity any longer, Yuan Hong pressed the button once more. Hu! Again, another sh of light and another emblem. Yuan Hong swallowed his saliva and uttered hoarsely, "4-star... He is actually trying to clear up to the 5-star cksmith examination within four hours..." When that fellow said that he would challenge the 5-star cksmith examination, Yuan Hong had regarded it as nothing more than a joke. After all, how could anyone advance from an apprentice to a 5-star cksmith within a single day? But who could have thought that he would actually seed! Since the 4-star emblem had appeared, it could only mean that he was currently attempting for the 5-star cksmith examination. To smith four weapons within four hours, and not to mention, all four of them had to reach the required quality in order to clear the examination... How in the world was that fellow doing it? Xiong Bing, who had been watching the scene, couldnt help but ask, "Do you think that its possible that... he might have cleared the 5-star examination?" "Thats impossible!" Hearing those words, Yuan Hong immediately shook his head in denial. "If he had cleared the 5-star examination, he would have been out by now. Why would he still be inside?" But despite the words Yuan Hong was speaking, his hand still stretched out to press that button once again. Hu! And yet again, another emblem fell from the aperture. Grabbing it hurriedly, Yuan Hong rubbed his eyes and stared at the name and rank inscribed on the emblem, and his body began shaking intensely. "A 5-star emblem... H-h-h-h-he has even cleared the 5-star cksmith examination as well? T-t-t-then... what examination is he taking at the moment?" Yuan Hong felt as if everything he had known about the world was crumbling before his eyes, and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. If they could apply for the 5-star emblem but that fellow wasnt out yet, didnt that mean that the fellow was attempting the 6-star cksmith examination? But how could that be possible?! Even if he had sufficient time to attempt it... his cultivation was too low to clear the examination! In order to be a 6-star cksmith, one must be able to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon at the minimum, and in order to do so, the minimum cultivation one must possess was Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm! This was a well-known fact amongst cksmiths. Until one had achieved a Seamless Body at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm, the inadvertent leakage of zhenqi would result in imperfections in the smithing process, making it impossible to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon. For a weapon to reach Spirit pinnacle, it had to be rich in spirit and nearly impable. If one couldnt even control ones body perfectly, how could one possibly forge such a weapon? Weng! In the midst of his shock, Yuan Hong subconsciously reached out to press the button once more, and with a sh of light, another emblem fell from the aperture again. "6-star..." As if statues, everyone froze in ce, and silence loomed before the Ocean of Weapons. Chapter 745: Accepting You As My Teachers Disciple Chapter 745: epting You As My Teachers Disciple Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Usually in the four-hour timeframe in the Ocean of Weapons, one would only be able to raise ones rank up by a single star. Yet, in a single seating, six emblems had been distributed by the Ocean of Weapons! This meant that... in a single breath, he cleared the examination from 1-star all the way to 6-star, and it was all a sess! For a freshman with a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation to actually clear the 6-star cksmith examination... Everyone couldnt help but tremble out of sheer agitation and shock. This was especially so for the female receptionist, Li Xuan. Her eyes rolled up, and she nearly fainted on the spot. Through her conversation with him, she could tell that he possessed minimal knowledge of the cksmith School at best. And yet, such a person actually cleared the 6-star cksmith examination... She actually got impatient with a person who possessed the capability of a 6-star cksmith! As such a thought shed through her mind, she began shaking in fear. If there was a hole in the ground at this moment, she would dive in without any hesitation. On the other hand, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the other vice school heads also nearly cked out. To forge six weapons within four hours to progress from a mere apprentice to a 6-star cksmith... Was he still a human? "School head, do you think that... you would be able to do it as well?" Yuan Hong couldnt help but ask with his quivering lips. School Head Zhao boasted the greatest capability in smithing among them, and it was by a wide margin at that. If there was any one of them who could match that achievement, it would only be School Head Zhao. "I..." After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu eventually shook his head, "I couldnt do it either!" Despite his superior smithing speed, it was impossible for him toplete six weapons within six hours. In truth, the smithing of lower grade weapons didnt necessarily take less time than higher quality weapons. It was true that lower quality materials were easier to process, making the synthesis phase much easier. However, the forging phase was still likely to be extremely time-consuming. While the material would be easier to shape, special care had to be taken in order to ensure that the weapon didnt snap or deform. As such, the forging of the weapon still had to be done step by step. In such a case, his incredible strength as a Saint didnt provide him much of an advantage. If he were to start from 1-star, 3-star would probably be his limit. Yet, that fellow actually reached 6-star in a single breath... Was this feat still humanly possible? Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Yuan Hong asked hesitantly, "Then... the matter regarding epting him as your disciple..." "That..." A crimson tinge swiftly enveloped Zhao Bingxus face as he found himself at a loss for words. He was still thinking a moment ago that he would ept the other party as his student and impart the essence of hisprehension of smithing to him, thus creating a beautiful legend for the cksmith School. But... if that fellow was able to aplish what he wasnt able to, he would only be humiliating himself if he were to ask the other party to be his student! Ji ya! While the both of them were stuck in a dilemma and the others were frozen in shock, the Ocean of Weapons doors abruptly opened, and the silhouette of a young man came into sight. At this moment, fatigue was written all over Zhang Xuans face, and his movements were sluggish. Even though he had recovered some of his strength inside through absorbing the spiritual energy in the high-tier spirit stone, he had still overexerted himself in the 6-star cksmith examination. Ultimately, his current cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Even with the enhancement from Heavens Path zhenqi and Heavens Path Golden Body, he was still pushed to his very limits. Thus, after clearing the examination, he had to rest for a moment before he could muster the strength to stand up and leave. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that he had cleared the examination! At the current moment, he was already a quasi 6-star cksmith! (In the Upper Nine Paths upations, unless special exceptions are given from the headquarters, as long as ones cultivation has yet to reach the required level, it could only be considered as a quasi-rank.) "Zhang shi..." Yuan Hong walked over with admiration evident on his face. If he was still a little conflicted a moment ago due to the destruction of the various amenities, at this moment, he finally realized how wise the school heads decision was. To be able to pass the 6-star cksmith examination with just a cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm, such talent had never been seen in the cksmith Schools thousands of years of history! Given sufficient time, he would surely be yet another Wu Yangzi of Hongyuan Empire! With such a figure in the cksmith School, the reputation of the school would soar, and more talents would opt to join their ranks as well. "Here is your emblem!" Yuan Hong stepped forward and passed Zhang Xuan his quasi 6-star emblem. "Thank you!" Taking the emblem, Zhang Xuan nodded. At this moment, another elder with a bright smile on his face stepped forward. "Zhang shi, I am Zhao Bingxu!" "Zhao Bingxu?" Zhang Xuan nced at Yuan Hong doubtfully. This name sounded extremely foreign to him. He didnt know anyone who went by such a name. Looking at the puzzled expression on Zhang Xuans face, the master teachers in the area staggered. You came to the cksmith School to challenge its examinations, but you dont know who the school head is? Thats really enough of you! Li Xuan could also feel tears pouring down her face. Shed thought that Zhang Xuan was only ignorant of the rules of the academy, but it turned out that... he was ignorant of everything! Yet, it was such an ignorant person who cleared the 6-star cksmith examination, bringing the school head and vice school heads here just to meet him personally. On the other hand, she could only serve as a humble receptionist in the cksmith School... Truly, how could the difference between two humans be so great? Knowing that the young man before him truly didnt know of the Zhao Bingxus identity, Yuan Hong hurriedly exined, "Zhao shi is the head of the cksmith School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted him. "Zhang Xuan pays respect to School Head Zhao!" While he had sessfully cleared the 6-star cksmith examination, there was still a huge gap between him and the head of the cksmith School and a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers. "Its okay, theres no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang shi. It is heartening to see a man as young as you clear the 6-star cksmith examination!" Seeing the young man retaining his humility despite his astounding achievement, Zhao Bingxu nodded inmendation. "Thank you for your polite words, I was just lucky..." Zhang Xuan quickly replied. With his current cultivation, it was extremely difficult for him to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon. If not for a fair bit of luck here and there, he would still be a 5-star cksmith at this moment. "Luck favors the diligent and capable. It is rare to see a person who can still remain level-headed in the face of sess. I can see why Luo Qiqi and the others are in awe of you," Zhao Bingxu said as he stroked his beard. He was getting more and more fond of the young man before him. Too many times he had seen young geniuses with their heads in the skies due to just a few aplishments here and there. On the other hand, the young man didnt allow his sess to go to his head. It seemed like his smithing ability wasnt just the only aspect of him that was admirable; his mental fortitude was incredible as well. If he could ept such a genius as his disciple, his reputation would surely soar! However... considering that the other partys skills were not beneath his, it would be unlikely for the other party to ept it. After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu smiled and said, "Zhang shi, your talent in smithing is unmatched by any in the younger generation! However, if you wish to reach greater heights, you must have someone to guide and correct you... With my shallow grasp of smithing, I dare not ask you to be my student. However, if you wish, in the stead of my teacher, I hope to ept you as his student!" "ept me as your teachers student?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Thats right. My teacher is a 7-star master teacher in Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and he possesses great prestige there. Im sure he would be more than d to have a talented cksmith like you as his student!" Zhao Bingxu replied. "School Head Zhao will ept that fellow as his teachers student in ce of his teacher?" "If that were to happen, does that mean that Zhang shi would be School Head Zhaos junior?" "This..." "To be the junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, the student of a 7-star cksmith... Regardless of which title it is, there will be no one who will dare to stand in his way in the academy!" "This is amazing..." ... Hearing the conversation between the duo, an uproar broke out amidst the master teachers in the area. Even Yuan Hong had nearly fell to the ground from shock. He already found it shocking to hear of School Head Zhaos intentions to take Zhang shi in as his student, but for him to be his junior instead... This was madness! If Zhang shi were to ept that offer, wouldnt that mean that he would be a peer to them? For a Grade 1 student who hadnt even received his student token yet to be the school heads junior... Yuan Hong, Xiong Bing, and the others nced at one another with bulging eyes. But as insane as this matter sounded, Zhang shi had already shown that he was qualified for that. To advance from an apprentice to 6-star in a single breath... This had never ever been done before, and this record would likely remain unbroken for ages toe! Perhaps the unfathomable Sage ns in the Conferred Empires might be capable of such a feat, but one thing was for sure, this feat was beyond everyone in the Master Teacher Academy. "This..." Not expecting that there would be another person who would attempt to take him in as his student once more in the same day, this time in the stead of his teacher, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply for a moment before shaking his head. "I am truly apologetic, but I already have a teacher named Yang Xuan. For the time being, I dont intend to acknowledge any teachers." If Zhang Xuan were to ept the other partys offer, he might find several restrictions imposed on him. At the same time, he could easily umte any required knowledge by reading through books. There was no need for him to learn from another. "He rejected the offer?" "That was an opportunity to be School Head Zhaos junior!" "The world has gone mad, truly mad! An opportunity to be the student of the school head is something that countless have dreamed of, and yet he rejected an offer to be his junior... p me, I want to see if I am dreaming!" "Rejecting an offer to be a student of a 7-star master teacher, what else does he want?" ... Everyone became petrified upon hearing that rejection. Countless here hadughed heartily when granted the opportunity of bing School Head Zhaos student, only to wake up and realize in dejection that it was just a dream. Yet, that fellow wasnt even willing to be School Head Zhaos junior... Why dont you just ascend to the heavens?! At this moment, Luo Yans body was trembling in agitation, and he nearly fell to the ground weakly. He had sneaked out from his quarters, and it was only after seeing this scene that he realized why his teachers attitude would change so abruptly. A junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers... Just this title itself was deserving of Yuan Hongs respect. But what that left him tugging his hair in frenzy was that... that fellow rejected that offer! Screw that! Big brother, lets negotiate about this matter. Why dont we switch ces... or rather, its fine if I can be your disciple too! "You... arent willing?" Zhao Bingxu was stupefied as well. He had already gone this far, epting that fellow as his teachers disciple out of fear that he wouldnt be willing to be his student, but who could have known that he would be disagreeable to that as well! Dont you know that a formidable teacher means strong backing as well? Do you understand the kind of privileges and authority you will gain the academy due to that? "School Head Zhao, thank you for your high appraisal of me!" Zhang Xuan bowed. He had an indifferent expression on his face, but the truth was that his heart was bleeding at this moment. He had already crafted Yang shi as an unparalleled expert of the world. After all that had been said and done, he had little choice but to go on with his lie. If he were to take another as his teacher so easily, what would that say about Yang shi? How could he convince others that Yang shi was at least an 8-star master teacher when his direct disciple would take even a 7-star master teacher as his teacher? Argh, he would have no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit he had sowed! "I guess I was being a little too hasty..." Seeing the other partys determined attitude, Zhao Bingxu sighed deeply. "Pardon me for my ignorance, but may I know who Yang shi is?" Since Zhang shi could even reject the opportunity to be a student of a 7-star master teacher, it could only mean to say that Yang shi was a formidable master teacher himself... But if that was the case, why hadnt he heard of the other party before? "My teacher seeks a carefree life wandering thends, not wanting to be tied down by fame. As such, there are very few who know of his name!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. After a moment of pondering, Zhao Bingxu sped his fist. "I am interested in paying respect to the master teacher who is capable of grooming such an outstanding student. May I trouble Zhang shi to extend my regards to him?" "You wish to meet my teacher?" Zhang Xuan froze. "Indeed. You are an incredible genius, and I think that its a pity if we simply leave your talent for smithing be. Its normal for a master teacher to have several teachers in his lifetime, and even Kong shi himself acknowledged quite a few people as his teacherTan shi, Li shi... Thus, I wish to meet Yang shi and discuss this matter with him. If we just impart the art of smithing to you, there shouldnt be a conflict of interest!" Zhao Bingxu said. Chapter 746: Zhang Xuans Flaw Chapter 746: Zhang Xuans w Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Ah..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. It seemed like the other party was truly determined to have him be his junior. However, despite the various benefits that coulde from the opportunity, he still thought that it was better for him to turn down the deal. The privileges woulde with a set of responsibilities, and he wasnt willing to bear them. "Since Yang shi is also one of our own, surely it should be fine for us to just meet?" Zhao Bingxu stroked his beard. He was indeed interested in meeting the teacher behind such an outstanding student. "This... The truth is that my teacher has no fixed lodging, so I dont know where he is at the moment either. However, Ill make sure to ry your intentions to him the next time I meet him," said Zhang Xuan with a conflicted expression. What the heck is this? All I wanted to do was to read my books patiently, take all of the required examinations, and leave dashingly. Who could have known that... everyone I met would be so intent on taking me as their student or their junior... Do I look like an easy man?! Seems like its about time to have Yang shi make an appearance. Otherwise, if the Ten Great Master Teachers visit me one after another, how can I read my books in peace? I want to keep a low profile, you know! "Alright, thats a promise then!" Zhao Bingxu chuckled. "School Head Zhao and the other vice school heads, I have overexerted myself in the 6-star cksmith examination, so I would like to return to my residence to rest. Ill be taking my leave now!" Fearing that Zhao Bingxu would continue asking him about Yang shis affairs and put him on the spot, Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "Right, you must be drained by now. You should quickly return and have a good rest!" "It must be exhausting to forge six weapons in four hours. Lets talk tomorrow then!" ... It was only after hearing those words that it struck Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others that the young man before them had just finished forging six weapons. In a moment of agitation, it had slipped their minds. It was indeed rude of them to keep the other party with them when he was already on the verge of copsing. "Thank you!" Hearing their agreement, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. However, just as he was about to leave, Zhao Bingxus voice sounded once more. "Since you have just joined the academy, you must be staying at the shared dormitory at the moment. Here is my personal token. Get yourself a residence in the Elite Sector with this. This will make it more convenient for us to meet and talk." As he said those words, School Head Zhao took out a token simr to the one Elder Mo had given him previously and proffered it to Zhang Xuan. Back at the School Heads Office, Yuan Hong had only spoken about how Zhang Xuan had destroyed the Passageway of Records. He didnt mention that thetter had Elder Mos token in hand. Besides, Zhao Bingxu clearly intended this as a gesture of goodwill to get on the good side of this rising talent. Were it not for Yuan Hongs own personal tokenmanding less authority than the Ten Great Master Teachers, he would have wanted to give his own to Zhang shi as well. "This..." Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise. "Take it. My token should bring you some convenience in the academy." Zhao Bingxu nodded, indicating that it was fine for him to ept the gift. "Thank you, School Head Zhao!" At the other partys insistence, Zhang Xuan epted the token. He had already rejected the other partys offer once, so it would be disrespectful of him to turn down this gift as well. However, as the crowd saw the look of reluctance on Zhang Xuans face as he epted Zhao Bingxus token, their mouths twitched violently, and they nearly burst into tears. One must know that it was be difficult for an average student to even meet School Head Zhao. School Head Zhao hade personally to meet that fellow, and not only did he reject the offer to be his junior, he was even unwilling to ept the token... Where did this freake from? Did he know how many of them wanted to pummel him to death right then because of that reluctance on his face? "Ill be taking my leave then!" Taking the token, Zhang Xuan immediately turned around and left. Before long, he had already disappeared over the horizon. "It sure is a huge pity..." Watching as Zhang Xuans silhouette disappear, Zhao Bingxu shook his head. "A pity?" Yuan Hong asked, uprehending of Zhao Bingxus words. "Zhang shi is an incredible genius. Despite his politeness, I can still see the pride in his eyes. It will be hard to win him over with material gains. It will be nigh impossible to retain him in the cksmith School!" Zhao Bingxu sighed. "Youre right." After a moment of contemtion, Yuan Hong nodded as well. That was an opportunity to be School Head Zhaos junior, but he still rejected it without much hesitation... As such, what else could the cksmith School offer him? Surely there wasnt anything as attractive as that? "Lets just take a step at a time and see what we can do. In any case, make sure to treat him with respect and dont offend him," Zhao Bingxu said. After which, he turned his eyes to the Ocean of Weapons and said, "Yuan Hong and Xiong Bing, follow me in. I am really interested to see how he managed to forge six weapons in four hours!" Even Zhao Bingxu himself had to concede that it was impossible for him to forge six weapons and advance from an apprentice to a 6-star master teacher within four hours. How did a Cosmos Bridge realm cksmith aplish a feat that was even beyond him? "Yes!" Yuan Hong and Xiong Bing nodded. In truth, they harbored the same doubts as well. Thus, the group pushed open the towering doors of the Ocean of Weapons and walked in. As the head of the cksmith School, Zhao Bingxu wielded special privileges that allowed him to enter the Ocean of Weapons even without using Academic Credits. "Lets look at the recordings of the examination!" Zhao Bingxu said as he flicked his finger. Weng! The Ocean of Weapons whirred into action, and Zhang Xuans figure from a moment ago, when he was still taking the examination, appeared before the groups eyes. There was a special instation in the Ocean of Weapons that allowed it to record the happenings in the examinations and rey it, so that others could study and learn from outstanding examinees. Hu! Under the gazes of the group, Zhang Xuan casually grabbed a couple of ores and metals and threw it into the furnace. After which, he retrieved them and synthesized them together before tossing it into the quenching fluid straight. "This..." "He went straight into quenching without forging the weapon?" Everyone froze in shock. "However, forging is indeed the most time-consuming phase in the smithing of a weapon. He could indeed save himself a lot of time through skipping it. This is a brilliant idea! Why didnt I think of it?" Zhao Bingxus eyes glowed in excitement as he pped his thigh. Of the three phases of smithing, the most arduous andplicated procedure was, without doubt, hammering the ingot into its intended shape. If one could skip this step, one could indeed save a fair bit of time. However... could the product of this smithing still be considered a weapon? Soon, they saw Zhang Xuan retrieving a metal lump from the quenching fluid before cing it on the grading pedestal. After which... he cleared the examination. "To think that a mere alloy which hasnt undergone hammering yet could reach Phantom low-tier. Incredible!" Xiong Bing nodded inmendation. It was not without reason that weapons were called "creations under a thousand hammerings". The purpose of the forging phase wasnt just to shape the weapon but to strike out the impurities in the weapon and bnce out the alloy as well, thus enhancing its quality. Yet, without a single hammering, that fellow was able to make a mere metal lump achieve the quality worthy of being deemed as a weapon. Even as 6-star pinnacle cksmiths, none of them were capable of doing the same! "To craft such a perfect alloy would require a thorough understanding of every single property of the ores and metal, so as to determine the temperature of the furnace, the timing of the synthesis, and deduce the reaction from the synthesis..." "On top of that, he has to work on the metals and ores simultaneously in the synthesis process while controlling the heat in the furnace through his zhenqi... To be able to multitask that well, it could only mean that he has a powerful soul as well! "Furthermore, to be able to remain unfazed at such proximity to the furnace, and even grab the searing alloy barehanded... How powerful must his physical body be?" "His movements are fluid, devoid of the slightest hesitation. This goes to say that he possesses mental fortitude, allowing him to move confidently without allowing doubt to hinder him!" ... The longer they watched, the more astonished the group became. Synthesizing the metals and ores into an alloy and quenching it straight after, they could easily do the same as well. However, it was a different question whether they would be able to clear the examination with what they created. In fact, even the legendary grandmaster cksmith, Wu Yangzi, didnt seem to be capable of this feat! Was that fellow really an inheritor of Wu Yangzis heritage and not his teacher? Soon, they reached the 6-star cksmith examination simtion. With each flick of a finger, a melodious metallic ring sounded. Before long, a massive metal hammer appeared before Zhang Xuan. "This..." "Is this really a weapon forged by a cksmith?" Judging by how skillful that young man was in his hammering, theyd thought that the end product would astound them, just as he had done many times before. Who would have thought that... his work would turn out to be so hideous! Are you sure that it is a metal hammer and not a steel tower? Everyone nced at one another speechlessly. After watching the entire examination, Zhao Bingxu couldnt help but remark, "It seems like... Zhang shi does possess great talent, but... his forging skills are still a littlecking!" "Lacking is an understatement... It is as if he has never learnt hammering before!" Yuan Hong shook his head. Honestly speaking, not even an apprentice cksmith would create a hammer as terrible as his. me control, synthesis, quenching... All of these, Zhang shi had perfect grasp over. Yet, why would he simply fail so utterly in the hammering phase? One must know that this was actually the simplest phase of the entire smithing process. It could easily be mastered through repetition... "But this works to our advantage as well. We can use this opportunity to teach him and rally him to our cksmith School!" Zhao Bingxu smiled. He was still thinking about how he could win Zhang Xuan over and tie him down to the cksmith School when this opportunity appeared before him. With this, he could step forward and guide the other party along, thus making him indebted to the cksmith School! "Yes, thats a good idea!" The other vice school heads also nodded in agreement as well. Their only fear was that Zhang Xuan would have no ws at all. As long as he had a w, they could use it as an impetus to approach him and build a close rtionship with him. Once he started learning from one of them, it would just be a matter of time before he was tied down to their ship! ... On the other hand, after returning to his residence in the Elite Sector, fatigue finally set into Zhang Xuans body, leaving him feeling weak throughout. While he did cut some corners in his work, it still hadnt been an easy feat for him to smith six weapons within four hours. His zhenqi was depleted, and his spirit and soul were worn out. If not for his soul having broken the ten meters bottleneck, he might have just copsed in the midst of the examination. "I didnt have a chance to examine it before, but it seems my soul has undergone a qualitative change after breaking the ten meters bottleneck." After absorbing some spiritual energy from his high-tier spirit stone to recharge, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a matter. Back in the Chamber of Earth me, when his soul had sessfully ovee the ten meters bottleneck, he vividly felt some changes in his soul. However, with the chamber copsing on him right afterward and the various troubles afterward, he hadnt had the opportunity to check on it yet. Since he had some time now, it would be good for him to see what was going on. His soul, physical body, and zhenqi: these were the three factors that stood at the foundation of his strength. Through past experience, hed learned that it was essential for him to maintain a perfect grasp of his condition so as to avoid any unfortunate mishaps. Activating the formation around him to block out any prying eyes, Zhang Xuan sat on the ground and closed his eyes. Hu! His soul left his body. At this moment, his soul was as enormous as a giant. Even with his feet on the ground, his head could still easily reach the roof of the residence. "Introspection!" Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight to view the situation in his soul. "What is this? H-how is this possible..." Upon first nce, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze, and shocked exmations escaped from his mouth. Chapter 747: Return of the Innate Fetal Poison Chapter 747: Return of the Innate Fetal Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Under the discerning gaze of the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could see a thin gray line floating amidst his massive soul. It resembled a parasite, leaving him with an ominous feeling within. "This is... the Innate Fetal Poison?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Even back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom, he had already noticed the Innate Fetal Poison in him. However, as he began to cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art, the poison was suppressed by the Heavens Path zhenqi, thus crippling it for the time being. As time passed, he began to pay less and less heed to it. Based on his previous investigation, he should be able to resolve the problem by bing a 9-star master teacher before the age of thirty. Who could have known that... the Innate Fetal Poison would actually slip into his soul? He could suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his physical body through his Heavens Path zhenqi, but how was he supposed to deal with it in his soul? Zhang Xuans face turned livid. A soul was the foundation of a humans consciousness. Its destruction would spell irreversible death for one. Zhang Xuan was still previously harboring the thought of focusing on the cultivation of his soul such that even if he was unable to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison, he could at least still live on as a soul. But from the looks of it, this idea was impossible now. Unknowingly, the treacherous poison had managed to seep into his soul. As his soul was too weak before, he wasnt able to perceive it. However, as his soul broke the ten meters bottleneck and grew even stronger and more sensitive, he finally noticed that something was amiss. "Or perhaps... has the Innate Fetal Poison been in my soul from the very start?" The Innate Fetal Poison was nted in him back when he was nothing more than a fetus in his mothers womb. Given how vulnerable he was then, it shouldnt have been too difficult for it to spread from his body to his soul, or vice-versa. However, considering how it had been some time since hed be a soul oracle, it didnt seem quite possible for him to have never noticed the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul all along. It was as if that congregation of Innate Fetal Poison had been invisible to him all along! Or could it be that it was simply too weak for him to perceive then? If that was the case, could it mean that the Innate Fetal Poison was leeching off his soul, growing along with it? What should I do? Will the Innate Fetal Poison work up earlier if I continue cultivating my soul? Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Without the Heavens Path zhenqi, it would be difficult for him to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison. If the poison in his soul were to trigger, he would be helpless before it. What the heck was this! The other protagonists that transcend to another world were either top-notch geniuses or given overpowered artifacts that allowed them to dominate the world. It was one thing for him to have been born with average talent, but he was even given such a gift from the world. What crime did hemit in his previous life to deserve this? While the Soul of Heavens Path was indeed powerful, it shared onemon trait with the other soulsit was incapable of harnessing zhenqi, and this included the Heavens Path zhenqi as well. Without the Heavens Path zhenqi to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison, it would be able to do as it pleased in his soul. In other words, his life and death hinged on the whim of that monstrosity! "Unless... I can find something to suppress it!" If his Heavens Path zhenqi couldnt help him suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul, he would just have to find something else that could! Otherwise, if that monstrosity were to get into a bad mood and wreak havoc, he might just die a premature death. It wouldnt do to simply bank his fate on luck. "Soul oracle is the upation that specializes in the topic of souls. I have received Mo Hunshengs heritage, but there isnt any method for me to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in there. Furthermore, the heritage of soul oracles has been wiped out by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so its unlikely that Ill be able to find a solution from there..." Zhang Xuan contemted. If he wanted to find something to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul, he would have to first find somethingpatible with his soul. To do so, he would first have to deepen his understanding regarding souls. However, with the heritage of the number one upation specializing in the study of souls extinct, he could only try to find another substitute for it. "Of the ten schools in the Master Teacher Academy, the supporting upations that can influence ones soul are painter, demonic tunist, and terpsichore. Painting can calm hearts and build conception, but it possesses no offensive capability whatsoever. On the other hand, demonic tunist and terpsichore can beguile hearts and destroy souls. Thus, I should focus on thetter two instead." The other supporting upations such as beast tamer, cksmith, celestial designer, and physicians had little regarding the study of souls. At this point, the only two upations which could possibly help Zhang Xuan were demonic tunist and terpsichore. Those two upations specialized in the beguilement of souls, so they should have a sizeable collection regarding the study of souls. "Un, I will pay those two schools a visit when dawnes!" Time waited for no one. Every day he waited meant an additional day where he could be killed by the Innate Fetal Poison. However, it was already nearing midnight, so it was unlikely that their facilities would still be open. Thus, it would better for him to head there after daybreak. Even though there was an event in the academy tomorrow, in which the teachers of the academy would ept students under their tutge, it didnt make a difference to him whether he went there or not. After all, if he intended to seek a teacher, he would have already epted Zhao Bingxus offer to be his junior. It would be pointless for him to reject that offer and seek a normal teacher instead. Even if a student was left without a teacher at the end of the event, it wasnt the end of the world for him. For one, he could still attend public lessons. Besides, Zhang Xuans main goal foring to the Master Teacher Academy was to ess the collection of books in here. In view of that, it didnt matter whether he had the guidance of a teacher or not. "I dont think I can sleep tonight. I guess I shall take a look at how Wang Ying and the others are doing!" With the issue regarding the Innate Fetal Poison weighing down his mind, it was unlikely that he would be able to rest. Since that was the case, he might as well take a look at how his students and butler were doing and provide them some guidance on their cultivation. Otherwise, they might find themselvesgging too far behind Yuan Tao, Zhao Ya, and Lu Chong. Thus, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out of his room. Turbid clouds shrouded the night sky, and not a single star or the moon was to be seen. Even on such a dark night, it would be too conspicuous for him to travel using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, especially since there were sentries keeping a lookout for the aerial space in the academy given the presence of Saint realm experts in the city. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to summon the Great Violetwing Beast. There were quite a few students in the academy who bore the beast tamer upation, so aerial spirit beasts were allowed to travel to and fro unrestricted grounds in the academy. Leaping onto the back of the aerial spirit beast, Zhang Xuan flew out of the academy. Before heading to Leiyuan Peak, Sun Qiang had already found a residence, and he had informed Zhang Xuan of the address as well. After a couple minutes of flight, a small residence soon came into sight. This residence was only a few hundred meters squarerge, significantly smaller than the previous one theyd stayed in. Nevertheless, in Hongyuan City where every inch of ground was worth a fortune, it must have taken a huge deal of effort to find a residence of this size. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leap down from the Great Violetwing Beasts back, he suddenly frowned. "Eye of Insight!" With a sharp gaze, he surveyed his surroundings. Soon, he saw a few shadows hidden inconspicuously in the shadows around the residence, seemingly up to no good. "They are all Ethereal Treading realm experts!" While they had done a good job concealing their trail, they were still unable to fool the Eye of Insight. Zhang Xuan could feel immense power lying dormant in their bodies, as if a crouching mighty dragon. Astonishingly, they were all Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts! Why would such experts be lurking around his residence? Could it be that they meant Sun Qiang and the others harm? "We have just arrived here, and Sun Qiang and the others have nothing much of fortune on them either. How did they catch the eye of such experts?" While Ethereal Treading realm cultivators werent the top tier power in Hongyuan City, they were definitely considered experts here. For so many experts to surround a small residence, what could they be up to? Surely Sun Qiang and the others didnt have any possession on them that could attract their attention? "Forget it, this is a good opportunity to try out my new strength!" A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. At Leiyuan Peak, he had managed to advance his cultivation to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, resulting in his zhenqi strength rising to 8,000,000 ding. In the Chamber of Earth me, he had managed to achieve Second Incandescence in the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, thus enhancing his overall physical strength to 8,000,000 ding as well. Factoring in the 3,200,000 ding of strength from his soul cultivation, the overall might he could harness added up to almost 20,000,000 ding. This granted him the strength to fight with Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage experts on equal grounds! Since those fellows seemed to be up to no good, there shouldnt be any trouble using them as punching bags. Hu! With a leap, Zhang Xuan descended from the back of the Great Violetwing Beast. Since the Great Violetwing Beast was maintaining a high altitude in the sky, the several men hidden in the shadows didnt seem to notice Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and activated the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step. As if a light feather, he slowly drifted down amidst the cloak of the night sky. "I should start from the weakest!" There was a total of four men hidden in the area, and the weakest of them was at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage. Silently, as if an apparition, Zhang Xuans figure floated stealthily toward the masked man hidden behind an ancient tree. By cloaking his vitals with his Heavens Path zhenqi, he was able to erase his presence such that not even a Chrysalis realm expert would be able to notice him. He silently gathered his strength on his palm and pressed it against the masked man. The masked man behind the ancient tree felt an abrupt jolt on his back before immense might began gushing through his body, sealing every single one of his meridians. Putong! The next moment, he was already lying on the ground, unconscious. "Oh? This isnt as difficult as I thought it would be!" Zhang Xuan muttered. It was just a day ago that he was stillpletely powerless before an Ethereal Treading realm expert, but at this moment, he could already incapacitate them without much effort. After knocking the first one out, he turned his gaze toward his second target and slowly made his way over. The target this time around was an Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage expert. He was slightly warier, and Zhang Xuan was discovered before he could make his way to him. Just as he was able to exim to warn his otherrades, he suddenly felt an extremely heavy pressure pushing on his soul, rendering him incapable of speech. It was an assault on his soul! While he was an Ethereal Treading realm expert, he was far weaker than Zhang Xuan when it came to the prowess of their souls. As a result, he was paralyzed for half a second. It was a short moment, but a moment was all it took to overwhelm an opponent in a battle. Hu! Executing the same palm strike, the second target was also knocked unconscious. Even at the point when his consciousness faded, he wasnt able to see the face of his assant. "It was easier for these two because they are weaker, but it probably wont so as smoothly for the remaining two..." After knocking out two of the four targets, Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. In terms of absolute strength, the two he had knocked out were weaker than him. However, the remaining two were at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage and pinnacle respectively, and this meant that both their cultivation and absolute strength were higher than his. As such, it wouldnt be easy for him to assault them and knock them out as easily as the other two. "Itll be troublesome if they band together upon noticing my presence. I should clear one of them as fast as I can first!" While it would be difficult to strike out the remaining targets with a single strike, he should be able to overwhelm his opponent swiftly using the element of surprise as long as he attacked decisively. Thus, he pushed his foot powerfully against the ground. Hu! With movements as swift as lightning, he rushed straight for the Ethereal treading realm advanced stage masked man. Heavens Path Movement Art! Zhang Xuans movements were so fast that one could only barely see a shadow flitting across the darkness. "What?" The huge gale raked up by the Heavens Path Movement Art rmed the remaining two targets. The Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage masked man whom Zhang Xuan was aiming for narrowed his eyes, and cold sweat suddenly began trickling down his back. However, it was already toote for him to do anything. Just as he was about to flee, a fist was already heading straight for his sr plexus. Peng! This punch harnessed the great momentum of the Heavens Path Movement Art and the immense strength of the Heavens Path Fist Art, creating an overwhelming might that couldnt be opposed. Pu! Before the masked man could react, he was already struck squarely by the fist. Fresh blood spewed from his mouth as he flew a dozen meters away, striking head first into a massive boulder before passing out. Chapter 748: Spirit Emporium Chapter 748: Spirit Emporium Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You are seeking death!" the final masked man howled. He didnt expect to be assaulted here, and his face turned livid. Clenching his jaw, he drove his zhenqi, and the powerful aura of an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert gushed from his body. Hu! The masked man raised his hands, and his zhenqi suddenly flooded the area. In an instant, the air around Zhang Xuan grew viscous. There was an immense resistance against every single movement he made, resulting in a huge dip in his movement speed. His strength didnt pale too far inparison to the other party, but due to the difference in their cultivation, and thus theprehension of nature, his ability in utilizing zhenqi was far beneath the other partys. In a battle, this would pose as a significant disadvantage. In other words, while he could stand toe-to-toe with an Ethereal Treading realm expert in a direct sh of strength, he was still severely handicapped in a proper battle. "Break!" But even so, Zhang Xuan wouldnt allow himself to be defeated without any resistance. Gathering his strength, he abruptly kicked forward. Hu! Under the immense force nearing 20,000,000 ding, the zhenqi spatial lockdown shattered like a broken mirror. Hu! Activating the Heavens Path Movement Art once more, Zhang Xuan charged right up to the masked man. Hua! A fist as tough as adamantium shot forth for the masked man. "Humph!" After the first sh, the masked man could already see that his opponents cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. While the other party might have raised his strength significantly through some unknown means, it was still a far way from reaching up to him, an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert! There was no way he could lose to a Cosmos Bridge realm opponent! Gathering his zhenqi in his arms, he struck back with a palm strike. Hua! His hand carried great might that seemed to be more than capable of copsing mountains. Spirit high-tier battle technique, Mountain Copsing Palm! In a moment of daze, it felt as if the heaven and earth had dimmed in the face of this palm. Even if his opponent was another Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert, he was confident he could overpower the other party easily! This was the strongest battle technique he had up his sleeves. The bizarre means of the fellow before him had sent warning bells ringing in his head, so he decided to use his strongest technique right from the get go. He thought that he would be able to send that fellow flying in an instant with this strike, incapacitating him. But who knew that before his palm could even reach, he would hear the other partys excited voice. "A head-on confrontation? Great!" Following which, the young man before him agilely dodged to his left. "This..." Upon seeing this maneuver, the masked mans soul nearly fled his body from fright. The other partys hand was headed right for where the mingmen of his Mountain Copsing Palm was located! Every technique had its own ws, this was something inevitable. However, as long as one were to move with sufficient speed, one could prevent ones opponent from exploiting ones weaknesses. As such, in a battle among experts, it was rare to see the striking of mingmen. However, it was as if that fellow had known the ws of his Mountain Copsing Palm from the very start, moving right into his blind spot to strike his mingmen as soon as he began executing the technique. Putting aside how he knew the mingmen of his technique, to be able to recognize it and react instantaneously, how deep of an understanding of the Mountain Copsing Palm must he possess? However, at this crucial moment, he had no time to process his shock at all. His rapidly twitching eyes saw the young mans finger leisurely reaching for the weakness in his technique, but due to the immense momentum from his offense, he couldnt move away at all. Pu! It was just a light jab, but his body was immediately sent flying into his distance. His zhenqi was sent into disarray, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth like a fountain. Eventually, he struck a tree and fell to the ground. That jab had precisely struck the center of his flow of zhenqi, sending the zhenqi in his body into a devastating rampage instantaneously, tearing apart his meridians and acupoints. Even if he were to recover from his injury, his cultivation was pretty much crippled at this point. Sensing the changes in his body, tears flowed down the masked mans face. He had practiced the Mountain Copsing Palm to a very high level, making it difficult for his opponent to notice the ws in his technique. How in the world did that fellow find it and even strike it precisely without the slightest deviation? If only hed known that such a situation would ur, he would have never used the Mountain Copsing Palm against that young fellow... After knocking out all four of them, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and instructed, "Alright, bring those fellows to me!" Roar! Hearing the orders, the Great Violetwing Beast immediately got into action. "Young Master, youre here!" "Teacher!" Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others rushed out upon hearing the ruckus outside, and they immediately saw Zhang Xuans silhouette beneath the night sky. The group walked into the residence, and after taking a seat, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, "Right, did you offend anyone in the capital or cause any trouble somewhere?" "Offend anyone? Cause trouble? We didnt!" Sun Qiang replied. "If you didnt do anything, why would four Ethereal Treading realm experts be lurking around the residence?" Zhang Xuan questioned sternly. "Four Ethereal Treading realm experts?" Upon hearing those words, Sun Qiang immediately leaped in shock. At that moment, "putong!", a stack of bodies was suddenly tossed at the doorway of the main hall by the Great Violetwing Beast. "Take a look yourself!" Zhang Xuan pointed to the doorway. Sun Qiang walked to the doorway and examined the faces of those masked men before shaking his head in confusion. "I dont recognize any of these men..." "If you dont know them, why would they be loitering around our residence?" However, what Zhang Xuan faced was only the bewildered gazes of his students and butler. Thus, he sighed deeply and waved his hands. "Bring them in!" Roar! The four men were lifted and dumped into the main hall. As they had been fighting in the dark previously, Zhang Xuan didnt have an opportunity to examine the profile of his opponents. Under the illumination from the Night Illumination Pearls in the room, he saw four middle-aged men, seemingly in their forties. They had a dark skin-tone and arge physique. "Who are you? Why are you lurking around this residence?" Zhang Xuan turned to the Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle cultivator, the only one conscious of the four, and harrumphed. "We were just passing by this area; we didnt mean to rm you," the other party replied. "Passing by?" Seeing how the other party was still trying to deny the matter, a sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he waved his hands and instructed, "Kill them and toss their bodies outside the city!" He was already in a bad mood, and that fellow still dared to y games with him. Courting death! Zhang Xuan wasnt fond of bloodshed, but he didnt mind staining his hands with the blood of those who dared to threaten the lives of his students and butler. Roar! Hearing themand, the Great Violetwing Beast immediately nodded in excitement. With a deafening roar, its talon swiped right for the four men. If it were tond on them, their heads would surely explode on the spot. "D-d-dont kill me! Ill speak! Ill speak!" Theck of hesitation from the young man before him in ordering for their deaths sent a cold chill down the mans spine. "I was only obeying orders from my master, I beg of you to spare my life..." The man knew that he would never get an opportunity to speak again if he didnt speak now, so he immediately gave in. "Orders? Whose?" Zhang Xuan asked. "The Spirit Emporium..." the man replied. "Spirit Emporium?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never heard of that ce before, so why would the other party go after him? "You are from the Spirit Emporium?" Sun Qiang froze for an instant before sping his fist toward Zhang Xuan. "Young Master, the Spirit Emporium is a shop in Hongyuan City which deals with artifacts... Just today, I visited its storefront!" "You visited the Spirit Emporium?" Zhang Xuan asked questioningly. "Yes. After all, we are a little short on money at the moment... Thus, I thought of selling the treasures you have gathered from Huanyu Empire to tide us through this period, and after asking around, I eventually found the Spirit Emporium," Sun Qiang exined. Back in Huanyu Empires Mystical Treasure Hall, he had acquired quite a few artifacts, but he hadnt found an opportunity to sell them so far. However, with their finances running low, Sun Qiang had no choice but to sell those artifacts. Who would have thought that he would end up drawing eyes to their group? "I see." After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan soon got a clear grasp of the situation. Even though the Spirit Emporium appeared to be a proper business on the surface, it was in fact a ck market headed by a dangerous organization. Through their official business, they were able to find potential targets which their members could rob from to earn easy bucks. Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, and the others possessed weak cultivation, but they carried immense wealth with them. How could the Spirit Emporium possibly let such an easy target go? Thus, the Spirit Emporium dispatched these four men for them. The main role of these four men was to scout their targets to ensure that there were no experts in their midst. If the targets were within their capability, they would then conduct an attack and plunder their wealth. "How dare they try to rob my students and butler? They must be tired of living!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. They should already be thanking the gods that he hadnt brought destruction upon their organization yet, but to think that they would be so brazen as toy their eyes on his students and butler instead! Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and asked, "Where is the Spirit Emporium?" "It isnt too far from here. It should be a ten-minute journey on foot!" Sun Qiang replied. "Alright then. Make preparations, well pay them a visit at dawn!" Zhang Xuanmanded with narrowed eyes. If he hadnte back on a whim, what would be awaiting him might very well be a river of blood and lifeless corpses. Zheng Yang and the others had apanied him throughout his journey, and he had already regarded them as his kin. Those who dare to inflict harm on his kin must be prepared to face his devastating fury! If he couldnt even protect his students and butler, what was the use of him pursuing even greater power? "Yes!" Hearing the veiled fury behind the young masters words, Sun Qiang nodded. Having apanied the young master from Tianxuan Kingdom to here, he had gotten a clear grasp of thetters personality. The young master was an easy-going person who was usually fine with anything. However, if anyone dared to threaten the safety of those around him, he would transform into a demon, destroying every single enemy in his way. Back then, when Lu Chong was mortally wounded by Ding Chong, Zhang Xuan charged singlehandedly into Xuanyuan Kingdom to destroy its royal family, exacting vengeance for his student. Since the Spirit Emporium had dared toy its hands on them, the same fate would likely befall them. Sun Qiang pointed to the four men in the center of the main hall and asked, "What do we do with these men?" Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "Cripple their cultivation and tie them up. Well send them back as gifts at daylight!" "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded before carrying the four men down with the Great Violetwing Beast. With their departure, only Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang, and his other students were left in the room. Zhang Xuan had them execute a battle technique each and offered them some pointers on their techniques. Following which, he imparted them a simplified version of the Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art before dismissing them so that they could spend the night slowly deciphering its essence. After which, he returned back to his room. Hu! With a flick of his wrist, a massive ape appeared before him. Byzantium Helios Beast! He had stuffed this fellow into the Myriad Anthive Nest earlier this afternoon, and since there was some time now, he decided to take it out. "You... What do you want to do?" The Byzantium Helios Beast had severe wounds inflicted all over its body, and its body was tightly bound, sealing his movements. Upon seeing the face of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes royalty, it immediately gritted its teeth and roared in hostility, "Kill me if you want to, but dont even dream of making me betray my master!" ... At the same moment, in a magnificent courtyard within the Master Teacher Academy, an elder abruptly stood up. "Mu shi, whats wrong?" a calm voice asked by the side. If the head of the Apothecary School was here, he would surely recognize the owner of the voice was the junior whom Mu shi rmended hereLuo Ruoxin. "Lady Ruoxin... I think I sense the aura of Byzantium Helios Beast!" Mu shi replied. Strangely, his attitude was extremely respectful, unlike how one would usually treat a junior. Most likely, Luo Ruoxin might really be ady from one of the Sage ns, just as everyone had guessed. Chapter 749: Fatal Danger Chapter 749: Fatal Danger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Byzantium Helios Beast?" The youngdy frowned. "Do you mean the tamed beast of the old principal?" "Thats the case." Mu shi nodded. "I am an old friend of the old principal, so I am familiar with his tamed beast as well. Even though the aura is extremely weak, I am certain that it is him!" As a close friend of the missing old principal, he was acquainted with Byzantium Helios Beast as well. It was just this afternoon that he heard that the other party had been kidnapped by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so how could he remain calm when he sensed his aura at this very moment? Knowing what Mu shi was thinking, the youngdy said, "Go and take a look then." "Yes!" Mu shi nodded in gratitude before rushing in the direction of where the aura wasing from. Watching Mu shis departing back, Luo Ruoxin sighed deeply. "Since its so easy for him to find what he seeks, why cant it be the same for me? If only Id known earlier, Id have brought that with me. Now that I can only sense the rough region where it is, who knows how long itll take before I can find it..." Rubbing her be, she shook her head before turning her gaze back to the night sky. Just like that, the youngdy stared deeply into the depths of the night sky, creating a transient painting of tranquility. ... "Hah, you sure are loyal to your master!" Seeing the Byzantium Helios Beast dering his fealty to his master, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Who knew what kind of magic potion the Otherworldly Demons fed this fellow for it to obstinately hold onto their secrets despite the beatings it had taken? "Are you really not afraid of death?" Zhang Xuan asked coldly. "What is there to fear from death? If I can be with my master after death, why should I be afraid?" the Byzantium Helios Beast roared. "This fellow..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. The other party was extremely adamant on his view, unwilling to budge in the least. What in the world was this? The spirit beasts whom he had met before would usually be settled with just a kick or two, but not only did this fellow refuse to submit after all that beating, it still remained obstinately loyal to its previous master. Honestly speaking, even Zhang Xuan was feeling a little impressed by now. Its willpower was indeedmendable. "This ce isnt wide enough..." Seeing that the other party was unwilling to submit, Zhang Xuan was just about to give it another beating when he looked at the cramped room he was in and frowned. The residence which Sun Qiang had gotten them was simply too small. If he were to summon the puppets here to pummel the Byzantium Helios Beast, the entire residence might just be torn down by them. If even this residence were to be destroyed, where else would his students stay? He had already used up his money on this residence, so it was impossible to purchase another one at this point. "Forget it, Ill head outside the city then!" Zhang Xuan muttered. As long as he traveled a fitting distance away from the city walls, he should be able to do as he pleased without rming anyone. With such a thought in mind, he flicked his wrist and ced that fellow back into the Myriad Anthive Nest. After which, he walked out of his room, activated the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, and headed to the skies. As the residence was located in a rural part of the city, there were almost no guards or sentries stationed nearby, so there was no need for him to restrict himself. Furthermore, as unlikely as it was, it would still be better to have the Great Violetwing Beast guard the residence in case the Spirit Emporium sent another wave of assassins for them. When it came to the safety of his students and butler, it was better to be safe than sorry. Right after Zhang Xuan left the residence, another figure soaring through the night sky came to an abrupt halt. "Hmm? His aura disappeared?" A white-bearded elder looked around him in confusion and frownedMu shi. As soon as he sensed the Byzantium Helios Beasts aura, he immediately rushed over. But just as he was about to zero in on the source of the aura, it abruptly vanished, as if it had never been there in the first ce. "Was he captured once more?" Mu shi frowned. Even though he had dered that anyone who found the Byzantium Helios Beast would be dered as the next principal, this didnt mean that he should remain idle when an opportunity to save thetter appeared before him. The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of his old pal, and he had in many Otherworldly Demons in his time, saving countless humans from harm. "There is someone there!" Scanning the area, Mu shi suddenly spotted a silhouette on the horizon. Even though he couldnt determine the extent of the other partys cultivation, he should still be a Saint at the very minimum, considering that he was capable of flight. "To be traveling in the middle of the night, theres something amiss here..." Mu shi frowned. "I should go over and take a look!" With such a thought in mind, he rushed toward the silhouette. Every single Saint realm expert in Hongyuan City wielded immense prestige, and very few of them would choose to travel in the night. On top of that, the other party appeared as soon as the Byzantium Helios Beasts aura vanished. This made the situation even more suspicious. Hmm? Someone is following me? In the midst of his flight, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed something, and his eyelids started twitching. His current n was simple: find a quiet ce, teach the Byzantium Helios Beast a lesson, and force it to spew out the whereabouts of the Otherworldly Demons it was serving. Who would have thought that he would be followed as soon as he left his residence? "To be able to mobilize even Saint realm experts, it seems like the water in the Spirit Emporium runs deeper than I thought!" Considering how his pursuer was flying in midair as well, there was no doubt about ithe was a Saint realm expert! This fellow appeared right after he had subdued the four masked men, so the chances were that the Spirit Emporium had sent him here as well! To have such an expert make a move over just that bit of wealth, the Spirit Emporium sure was persistent! Could it be that... there are some precious artifacts amongst the items received from the Mystical Treasure Hall that I dont know of? As he had obtained simply far too many objects from the Mystical Treasure Hall, he hadnt bothered checking them properly. However, considering that it was from Huanyu Empire, it should be unlikely for it to be worth much in Hongyuan Empire. Yet, the Spirit Emporium actually mobilized a Saint realm expert for his possession! This was no different from making a mountain out of a molehill! I should lure him out of the city and get rid of him! The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more furious he felt. To send one wave after another, was the Spirit Emporium not tired of such games yet? Dispatching four Ethereal Treading experts is already bad enough, but to even mobilize a Saint realm expert for us... Are you really that intent on seeing me rip apart your organization? So what if your men have reached Saint realm? Not even the Byzantium Helios Beast could subdue me, let more your men! If a war is what you want, I dont mind allowing Vicious and the other Otherworldly Demon puppets to make another appearance! Did you think that you could climb over my head just because I am a neer in Hongyuan City? No, I should still hold myself back. The Byzantium Helios Beast has pledged allegiance to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so there is no harm in killing him. However, the enemy this time around is a human, and the Spirit Emporium is aware of this operation as well. If the other party were to be killed and an investigation were to be conducted, I might risk exposing the existence of the Otherworldly Demon puppets! While Zhang Xuan wanted to eliminate the conceited fellow pursuing him, he knew that he mustnt act recklessly. Saints were the top powers in the city. The death of any single one of them would cause a huge uproar, so it would be best to avoid that altogether. On top of that, given that the Saint realm expert was dispatched to deal with Sun Qiang, the Spirit Emporium would surely know that their group was the culprit. If the Spirit Emporium were to pull some strings and make a case against them, Zhang Xuan might eventuallye under scrutiny as well. And if the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious were revealed to be in his possession in the midst of the investigation, it would be difficult for him to ount for that. After all, how could a mere 4-star master teacher possess the ability to tame the head of the Otherworldly Demons and make those puppets obey his orders obediently? There was no way he could absolve himself of me once this was exposed, so he had to ensure that he wasnt put into such a situation in the first ce. But if I dont get rid of him, that will be a potential threat looming above me... What can I do? Considering the vicious deeds that the Spirit Emporium hadmitted over the years, what if the Saint realm expert were toy their hands on him, or even worse, his students? He couldnt possibly just sit idly and watch it all happen! Seems like its about time to let Yang shi make an appearance! After a long moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan made up his mind. With his current capability, without tapping into the strength of Vicious or the Otherworldly Demon puppets, it was impossible for him to stand against a Saint realm expert. The only way he could get out of this situation was to... hoodwink the other party! This wasnt his first time doing something like this anyway. As long as the other party acknowledged him as his teacher, the Spirit Emporium would be unable to send the other party after him. With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began reshaping his appearance to take on Yang Xuans form. As his mastery of Heavens Path Golden Body deepened, he became more and more proficient in warping his muscles to alter his physical appearance, making it difficult for even a 6-star pinnacle master teacher to see through the disguise. Not even Mo Gaoyuan had suspected that he and Yang shi were the same person back then. Considering that his back was against the other party, it waste at night, and the other party hadnt seen his appearance yet, he should be able to discreetly alter his appearance without the other party noticing. After warping his appearance, he drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to alter the aura around him to create a fleeting and unfathomable impression. When all was done, he heaved a sigh of relief before discreetly sending a nce behind. ws! Zhang Xuan muttered internally. In a sense, the flight of a Saint could be considered as the execution of a battle technique as well as it required one to drive their zhenqi, so he was able topile a book on the other party via the Library of Heavens Path. Weng! The Library of Heavens Path jolted as a book materialized. As Zhang Xuans body continued soaring ahead, his consciousness was already immersed in the Library of Heavens Path, reading the book which had just beenpiled. "Mu Yuan, 7-star master teacher from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Saint realm 3-dan cultivator. ws: ..." 7-star master teacher? Saint realm 3-dan cultivator? Zhang Xuans lips twitched as he nearly fell from the sky. What was with the backing of the Spirit Emporium?! How could they possibly be able to mobilize a 7-star master teacher as well? Why would someone of the other partys standing travel all the way from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion just to grab his possessions? Was this for real? Its fortunate that I didnt bring out the puppets, or else the one who would have been destroyed is me... While Zhang Xuan felt frustrated inside, he also felt relieved as well. He could easily deal with Saint 1-dan and 2-dan spirit beasts with his bunch of puppets, but it would be a little iffy when it came to 3-dan. At Saint 1-dan Void Pursuit realm, Saints would open the Zhukong acupoint, thus gaining the ability of free flight. At Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm, Saints would open their Incipient Eye, allowing them to extend their psyche over a distance, perceiving everything within their range spiritually. Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm was, in some ways, simr to Chrysalis realm. In thetter, one would gather the zhenqi stored within the dantian to forge an Embryonic Core, otherwise termed as Golden Core. As for the former, an Embryonic Soul reminiscent of an infant would break out of the Embryonic Core. As a result, this realm was also termed as Origin Soul realm. Once ones soul had been tempered into an Origin Soul, it would be able to tap into the power of the world. At this realm, one could be considered to have taken ones first step into Sainthood, gaining the ability to overturn oceans and move mountains at a thought. Furthermore, this would be done not through brute force but via zhenqi itself. Against a Saint 2-dan, Zhang Xuans twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets could still overwhelm them with numbers. However, if the enemy was an Embryonic Soul realm expert, such a strategy wouldnt work. Even if he were to call upon Vicious prowess as well, it was impossible to tell if that fellow had any other trump cards up his sleeves. If he wanted to call upon the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious, he would have to bepletely certain that he would be able to kill the other party. Otherwise, it would bring endless trouble upon him. Forget it, I should see what kind of ws he has and use it against him! Since neither fight nor flight was an option, he could only rely on his glib tongue to hoodwink the other party into obeying hismands. Sess, he would be spared from danger, but failure... he would be squashed on the spot. Swiftly browsing through the other partys ws, Zhang Xuan suddenly saw something that left his mouth widened and eyes bulging. This... Chapter 750: Who Are You? Chapter 750: Who Are You? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The content of the book was simply too shocking. Even with Zhang Xuans worldliness, he still found it hard to believe his eyes. Forget it... However, this wasnt the time to touch on that, so he swiftly closed the book and went through the contents once more in his head. After ensuring that everything was correct, he drove his zhenqi and abruptly stopped in midair. Flinging his sleeves, he ced his hands behind his back and stood silently, not even bothering to turn his head around. For an instant, his dashing profile resembled an immortal departing on the clouds. "The friend behind, surely you should be contented with following me this far?" His cold voice echoed in the night sky. "Oh, I sensed the aura of a close friend, so I came over to take a look. On my way, I happened to catch sight of you, and my curiosity got the better of me... However, I must say that you do look rather unfamiliar. Are you from Hongyuan City?" Mu shi replied with a smile. Even though he suspected that the man standing before him was rted to the disappearance of Byzantium Helios Beast, he had no concrete evidence to prove it, so there was no way he could use the other party of the matter. Thus, he decided that he would engage the other party in a conversation in hopes of uncovering some clues from his words. Standing with his back facing the other party, Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "As a master teacher from Qingyuan Conferred Empire, how many of Hongyuan Citys experts could you possibly know?" "You know that Im from Qingyuan Conferred Empire?" Mu shi was taken aback. All along, the other party hadnt even turned around, and he didnt reveal his true cultivation either. How did the other party know that he was from Qingyuan Conferred Empire? "The convergence of zhenqi at the Yehai acupoint before flowing through the Three Mystic Acupoints, Nihai, Wuwei, and Durang. Gathering the wood attribute spiritual energy from the world to nourish your body, but skipping out on the Huaihai and Longzhen acupoints... Such a bizarre cultivation technique doesnt exist in Hongyuan City, or even in Qingyuan Conferred Empire at that. If Im not mistaken, you must be a member of the Mu n, one of the Sage ns!" an impassive voice exined from the front. "Who are you?" rmed, Mu shi narrowed his eyes. There was nearly no one who knew that he was from the Mu n, and this included his closest friends in Qingyuan Conferred Empire as well. Yet, the other party spoke of it casually as if it couldnt be any more obvious... What was the identity of the man standing before him? On top of that, the zhenqi cirction method that the other party had just mentioned was a secret art of the Mu n, exclusive to their own nsmen. How could the other party know about it? Could he be... a member of the Mu n as well? Astonished, Mu shi immediately extended his Spiritual Perception over and examine the man in front of him, only to realize that he was peering into an abyss. The other partys aura was so profound and deep that all he could manage was to scratch at the surface. Considering that the other party could see through his identity and cultivation with a nce, but he wasnt able to do the same... Could it mean that the man before him was even stronger than he was? Since when had there been such an expert in Hongyuan City? "Who am I?" Upon hearing Mu shis question, the man seemed to have been thrown into an ocean of nostalgia. Eventually, he shook his head and replied, "It seems it has been far too long since myst appearance that those of the younger generation cant even recognize me!" There was a short moment of silence before the man continued asking impassively, "Who is the current head of the Mu n?" Mu shi was reluctant to respond to that question, but after a moment of hesitation, he still decided to speak up. "The current n head is my uncle, Mu Yan. May I ask if the senior in front knows of my uncle?" The current head of the Mu n, Mu Yan, wielded immense reputation within the Master Teacher Pavilion of Conferred Empires, so there was nothing much for him to hide. He phrased his words carefully to indicate his identity as well, in hopes that he could exert some pressure on the other party and gain dominance over this exchange. "Mu Yan?" The figure in front shook his head. "Never seen him before. However, I did meet with his father on one asion!" "Father? You mean... Old Ancestor Mu Tian?" Mu shi froze for an instant before shock embraced every inch of him. Mu Yans father, as well as Mu shis grandfather, Mu Tian, was an ancient relic whose age exceeded 1300. While Sainthood did alter the fundamental nature of ones existence, allowing one to live a lifespan exceeding that of ordinary humans, 1000 years was usually the limit for most. Never had there been a Saint who had gone beyond 2000 years in age before. Thus, those who had lived beyond a thousand could be considered an old ancestor of the n, and they would hardly leave the confines of the main residence. To have met with Old Ancestor Mu Tian... Could the man be another old monster from the same era as him? But that was impossible! Even if those from that era was still living at this point in time, they wouldnt dare to travel beyond the confines of their residence so easily. In order to clutch onto the final sparks of life, they had to utilize all kinds of means... Otherwise, the heavens would mercilessly fall upon them and reap their lives. While he was unable to see through the cultivation of the man, he could clearly feel the overwhelming vitality within his body. This was unlike the wither that those old monsters suffered from. "Yes, thatd Mu Tian..." The man spoke deeply, his voice carrying the vicissitudes of life. "Lad..." Mu shis eyebrows shot up. Old Ancestor Mu Tian was a 1300-year-old ancient relic, and yet the other party called him ad? Just as Mu shi was overwhelmed with shock, the person in front of him spoke up once again. "The zhenqi of your Mu n is centered around bnce and harmony, allowing them to conceal their aura at will. However, your aura feels unstable, and it seems like your meridians have grown rigid. It seems like it has been many years since you havest returned to your n." "This..." The other party was right, it had indeed been many years since hest returned to the Mu n. It was to the point where most of those in the Mu n had already forgotten about his existence. "Your aura feels heavy. Wood attribute zhenqi should be ethereal, but I can feel the heaviness of the metal attribute within it. If Im not mistaken, it isnt that you are unwilling to return to your n, but that you were expelled from it," that voice continued. "H-h-how did you know?" Shocked, Mu shi nearly lost control of himself and plummeted to the ground. The other partys deductions were spot-on. The reason why he hadnt returned to his n after so many years was not because he was unwilling to, but that he had been expelled and he was too ashamed to return. However... this was a secret he had hidden in the depths of his heart, and he had never spoken about it to another soul before. On the other hand, the Mu n regarded it as a huge humiliation, so it was impossible for them to have leaked the news either. How did the man before him learn of this matter? Did he really guess this much just by peering into his zhenqi cirction? If that was the case, wasnt the man before him a little too overpowered! How could there be a person in the world with such discerning eyes? "As a person who cultivates wood attribute zhenqi, your Yingtai and Tianmen acupoints should have a slight tinge of green, but it is taking on a dark shade of red instead. With just a nce, one can tell that its the result of conflicting energies within your body. Of the five elements, wood curbs earth, earth curbs water, water curbs fire, fire curbs metal, and metal curbs wood. The only element that could cause such immense damage to your body is metal. If Im not mistaken, someone must have nted some form of metal attribute energy within your body, thus suppressing your cultivation and talent!" the man in front replied. "This..." Mu shis body stiffened. Every single word that the other party spoke dredged up the secrets which he had sealed in the bottom of his heart, leaving him terrified and apprehensive. The other party was right, he was indeed expelled from his n. However, it wasnt that he was framed, but that he hadmitted an unforgivable act. The story had to be traced back to five hundred years ago. Back then, the young and talented him had be a 6-star master teacher before even reaching his forties, making him a celebrated genius within the n. Hed thought that with such talent, even at the very worst, he would be one of the core elders of the n and leave his mark in history. Who could have known that... in one of the experiential training sessions, he would meet with a fair maiden whom, after going through a life-and-death situation with, he would deeply fall in love with. Hed thought that even if nothing else in this world was constant, their love would be perpetual. He devoted his entire life to her, even going to the extent of imparting his ns exclusive cultivation technique to her. But eventually, he found out that the other party was making use of him to exact vengeance on his n. His n soon learned of this issue, and with the crime of leaking out the ns confidential secrets and bringing an enemy into their midst, he was expelled from the n! After leaving the n, he learned that the woman had nted a metal attribute energy deep inside his body at some point, suppressing his cultivation. As a result, despite five hundred years of effort, he had only managed to progress from 6-star to 7-star high-tier, unable to advance any further than that. Ashamed, he had always hidden this wound in the depths of his heart, unwilling to reveal it to anyone else. But the other party was able to see through it just by looking at his acupoints and zhenqi... Even 7-star master teachers didnt possess such an eye of discernment! Could he be... an 8-star master teacher? But how could that be? Beyond 6-star, every single rank progression would be exponentially more difficult, as if trying to surmount a mountain that became increasingly steeper with every step taken. Take him for example, it had been three hundred years since he had be a 7-star high-tier master teacher, but he was still unable to take the next step forward. As such, 8-star master teachers were extremely rare, and each and every one of them was a well-known figure whose reputation resounded throughout the Master Teacher Continent. If the other party was an 8-star master teacher, he should have at least heard of him... But the other party didnt seem to fit any of the profiles of the 8-star master teachers he knew. Furthermore, why would an 8-star master teacher appear in Hongyuan Empire? "With your cultivation suppressed by the metal attribute energy within you, you know that it is impossible for you to progress any further in your cultivation. Thus, you decided to stop cultivating altogether and spend your time with nature instead... So many years have already passed, dont you want to return back to your Mu n and visit your family?" the man in front asked. "I... Even if I wish to return, how can I?" Mu shis face flushed in agitation. His n was where his family and friends were, how could he possibly not want to return? But... How could he return? Putting aside how his cultivation was beginning to decline under the bacsh of the metal attribute energy within his body, just the deed he had done five hundred years ago left him too ashamed to return. "It was fate that I met thatd Mu Tian many years ago, and its also fate that we met one another. Since thats the case, allow me to offer a pointer then. Perhaps, you might be able to break out of the chains you are trapped in." The man in front waved his hands. "Pointer?" Mu shi was surprised by those words. "Thats right. While its hard for you to expel the metal attribute energy in your body due to your cultivation being suppressed by it, it isnt entirely impossible to do it. Ill impart a zhenqi cirction method to you, and as long as you practice it diligently, recovery wont be an issue!" the man in front said. "You will... impart a zhenqi cirction method to me? Who are you?" Mu shi narrowed his eyes. In fear of crossing thews of the world, high-ranked master teachers wouldnt offer their guidance to anyone easily, unless there was a karmic debt involved. Take Empyrean Kong shi for example, even though he was known to have more than three thousand students, only 72 of them had received his true heritage. It was the first time that the both of them had met, so why should the other party offer him a pointer? He might have been a genius when he was younger, but with his bodily function deteriorating and his cultivation declining, the potential he once wielded had already been sapped dry. What was the other partys goal for helping him? The ploy he had fallen into when he was younger had already cost him dearly; he wouldnt allow himself to fall into another scheme easily. "Who am I?" The figure in front burst intoughter. "Are you doubting my identity?" Hong long! As soon as those words were spoken, an overwhelming aura abruptly burst from that mans body. Upon feeling the oppressive aura that the other party was exerting, Mu shis body tensed up, and his blood ran cold. Before thepelling might of the other party, the strength which he had always taken pride in seemed as weak as a measly ants. It was as though, if the other party willed it so, he could be torn to shreds the very next moment. Hong long long! Just as he was being suffocated by the immense power crushing down on him, the other partys aura abruptly changed. This time, it felt as if it harnessed the might of the world around him, creating an invible authority to his presence. It was as if the man before him was acknowledged by the heavens, his presence carrying the weight of the world itself. There was no being that was worthy of standing as an equal with him. "Celestial Master Teacher? You are... a Celestial Master Teacher?" A thought shed across Mu shis mind, and his body began shaking uncontrobly. Chapter 751: Grandteacher? Chapter 751: Grandteacher? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Celestial Master Teachers possessed the recognition of the heavens. Their aura carried the might of the world, forcing all beings to submit to them. In the long history of the Master Teacher Continent, the only man who was known to have be a Celestial Master Teacher was only Kong shi himself. Even his direct disciples, the 72 Sages, hadnt reached such a level, and yet the man before him was actually a Celestial Master Teacher... A freezing chill ran through Mu shis body, and the immense fear he felt left him incapable of speaking. A Celestial Master Teacher was an existence whom even the heavens recognized, and yet he actually doubted such a person... At this moment, he was really dying to give himself two sharp ps for the foolishness he had spouted! Hu! Amidst his trembling, the figure ahead of him casually waved his hands, and that terrifying aura vanished instantaneously, returning an unnerving calm to the night. At the same time, the figure turned around as well. He was a middle-aged man somewhere between his thirties and forties. He had a pair of sharp eyes that were gleaming with wisdom, and vaguely, one could see several thin strings floating within. "Eye of Insight..." Mu shis body trembled in shock yet again. Even though it was said that a master teacher couldprehend Eye of Insight upon reaching 6-star, the truth was that only the greatest of geniuses were able to do so. Even within the Sage ns, it was extremely rare to see anyoneprehending the Eye of Insight. Putting everything aside, even him, a famed genius of the Mu n back in his days, didnt seed inprehending the Eye of Insight. If only he hadprehended it, he wouldnt have been toyed with by another back then, resulting in his current plight. Of the Ten Great Master Teachers in Hongyuan Empire, not a single one of them hadprehended the Eye of Insight... Through this, it could be seen how difficult the feat was. This exined why the other party was able to see through his problems with just a nce and deduce that he was expelled from the Mu n... Probably only someone who possessed the Eye of Insight would be able to do so! At this instant, the final sliver of doubt that Mu shi harbored finally vanished, leaving nothing but respect for the man before him. Not daring to pull his weight before the other party, he bowed deeply and said, "I apologize for my insolence. I beseech elder to enlighten me..." "Alright." The middle-aged man nodded. "Thats more like it. You should be d that I dont have the interest of squabbling with a junior. Stand still and dont resist it!" The middle-aged man raised his hand and flicked his finger. Suddenly, Mu shi felt a jolt run through his body as a zhenqi cirction method suddenly came into his mind. Every single word was extremely vivid, as though they were imprinted right onto his consciousness. "Soul Impartation?" Mu shis face paled. As a 7-star master teacher, his soul was already sufficiently powerful to conduct Soul Impartation as well. However, to do it from such a far distance away, and for the content to be so clearly imprinted into his mind at that... Not even an 8-star low-tier master teacher could do that! Fearsome! As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher! "The Huaihai and Longzhen acupoints represent water and dragon respectively; those are the acupoints where water attribute spiritual energy usually gathers in the human body. Due to the unique cultivation technique of the Mu n, its inevitable that you avoided channeling spiritual energy into those two acupoints. "However, with your wood attribute zhenqi suppressed by the metal attribute energy, you could use these two acupoints to your advantage and resolve your problem. In the elemental cycle, water gives rise to wood. It can empower your wood attribute zhenqi, giving you the strength to overwhelm the metal attribute energy rampaging within your body!" After imparting the relevant knowledge, the middle-aged man exined it impassively with his hands behind his back. At this point, Mu shi had also just finished looking through the zhenqi cirction method which the other party had imparted him. Even though the middle-aged man only touched on the very foundation of cultivation, it was directed toward the root of Mu shis problem. It was as if the clouds which had veiled his eyes had parted all of the sudden, and before himy a brand-new world. If he were to practice the zhenqi cirction method, he was confident that he would be able to suppress the metal attribute energy in his body easily. Perhaps... after a three-hundred-year stagnation, he might finally be able to take another step forward once more! To be able to see through the problems in his cultivation and offer a solution to it... The man before him was truly fearsome! Bowing politely, Mu shi asked, "Teacher, I am deeply grateful to you for your enlightenment. If its not beyond me, may I ask for your esteemed name?" As simple as the other partys teachings might have been, it had resolved the issues which had gued him for several centuries. Considering what the other party had done for him, it wouldnt be too much to address him as teacher. Besides, if he could acknowledge such a formidable man as his teacher and receive his guidance, he might just be able to return to his n one day. "Teacher?" the middle-aged man opposite to him frowned. It seemed as if he was displeased with that address. "I apologize, I seem to have been getting ahead of myself. Given that you are a peer of my old ancestor, I should be calling you grandteacher..." Mu shi suddenly realized the other partys ties with his old ancestor, so he swiftly changed his words with a fearful shudder. "Ah?" Hearing Mu shis words, the middle-aged man seemed to be even more astonished. Naturally, the middle-aged man was Zhang Xuan. The reason hed assumed Yang Xuans identity was in hopes that he could strike fear into the heart of the other party and resolve the current crisis he was in. Hed thought that with the zhenqi cirction method he had imparted, the other party would consider him as a half-teacher, and that would make him abandon all malicious thoughts against him and his students. Who would have thought that under his hoodwinking, the other party would actually end up acknowledging him as his teacher! No matter what, the other party was a 7-star master teacher! With such prowess, he could be considered a top-tier power in Conferred Empires! For such a figure to acknowledge him as his teacher, it was no wonder that he would be shocked, so he ended up hesitating for an instant. Who could have thought that the moment of hesitation would cause a misunderstanding that resulted in the other party addressing him as grandteacher instead... The heck! This change was a way too fast! But since the other party had already addressed him as grandteacher, it would be awkward to get him to address him as teacher instead. Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded and said, "I am Yang Xuan!" "Yang Xuan..." Mu shi nodded as he jotted down the name in his head. "May I know where I can find grandteacher if I have any questions for you in the future?" "It is the work of fate that we met, and it hase to an end with my impartation. If fate wills it, we will meet once more. Otherwise, it can only mean that our paths arent meant to intersect." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. It was too tiring for him to put on an act before a 7-star master teacher. He was already exhausted with just a few minutes of disguise, how could he possibly do it in the long run? Thus, it would be best if they never meet again anymore... "This..." Seeing that the other party was unwilling to get too involved with him, Mu shi could only sp his fist and bow to bid the other party farewell in disappointment. By the time he raised his head once more, the elder before him had already vanished amidst the night sky. "Yang Xuan, Yang shi..." Reciting the other partys name in his heart, Mu shi sighed deeply. With this matter dealt with, he returned to searching the area for the Byzantium Helios Beast, but with no results whatsoever, he could only return to the academy helplessly. ... That was close! After getting out of Mu shis range, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Hed never thought that Mu shi would actually be a member of a Sage n, as well as a 7-star master teacher. Why would a person of such strength and standing work for the Spirit Emporium? It seems like he was indeed looking for someone when he met me... Zhang Xuan thought woefully. Just what kind of luck did he have? To think that even just a casual trip out of the city would end with him meeting such a formidable expert! It was fortunate that he had reacted swiftly to hoodwink the other party, otherwise who knew that would remain of him now. "Forget it. Since my luck isnt too good today, I should return to my residence and rest for the day. Ill think about it after I tear down the Spirit Emporium tomorrow!" Zhang Xuan was still considering whether he should vent his anger on the Byzantium Helios Beast, but considering the string of misfortunes hed experienced today, he decided to drop the idea. Reverting back to his original appearance, Zhang Xuan returned to his residence. When he walked in, he saw that the Great Violetwing Beast had already managed to make the four men bow to it in submission. Paying it no heed, Zhang Xuan returned straight to his room and cultivated for a short moment. By the time he opened his eyes once more, the sun had already risen. Even though he hadnt slept the entire night, he still felt refreshed and energized. Stretching his backzily, he walked out of his room. After eating breakfast, he called Zheng Yang and the others over to decipher some of the intricacies in their cultivation technique before finally heading to the Spirit Emporium with the Great Violetwing Beast, Sun Qiang, and the four masked men. The Spirit Emporium was the ce where most valuable artifacts in Hongyuan City were traded. Even before reaching it, there was already a huge crowd in the area. "This is a ck market, so there is no prohibition on the sales of stolen items as well. On top of that, due to the shady background of these items, their price tends to be lower than the average market price, so its quite popr among cultivators," Sun Qiang exined. There werews in Hongyuan Empire prohibiting robbery and rted crimes, so it was impossible to sell stolen artifacts openly. As such, they could only be sold at a lower price in ck markets, and the Spirit Emporium was thergest one in Hongyuan Empire. However, the low prices of its goods did attract a fair number of cultivators. After all, cultivating was an extremely money-burning activity. Just like Zhang Xuan, most cultivators had no financial backing, so they had to find some way to earn their own spirit stones and resources to advance their cultivation. As such, they were more than d to scrimp wherever they could. Soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at a majestic building several dozen meters high. "To think that the building is aplete system in itself. If Im not mistaken, it seems to be a massive, engineered product by celestial designers!" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Despite the immense size of the Spirit Emporium, it felt like a single entity rather parts ced together. If his deduction wasnt off, there should be many mechanisms installed within the building to turn it into a massive system of mechanisms. As expected of the center of Hongyuan Citys artifact market, even the venue was an incredible artifact in itself. If this building were to be put on sale, there was little doubt that it would fetch an astronomical price. Putting everything aside, it would probably take dozens of 5-star celestial engineers at least a year of hard work even if they were to work day and night without rest. Zhang Xuan walked up to the wall and ced his hand against it. After looking through the details in the Library of Heavens Path, he nodded inmendation before following the crowd into the building. The interior of the building was nothing short of magnificent. All kinds of artifacts wereid around the main hall, and each of them was of decent grade. Even though there was no pricebeled on them, considering how so many people were rushing to obtain them, they should be at an affordable range. "Young Master, look!" At that moment, Sun Qiangs tense voice sounded as he pointed at a certain direction. Zhang Xuan traced his finger and saw a patrol team walking around the area. There were six members in the team, and each of them possessed a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan at minimum. The one standing at the very front, presumably the leader of the group, was a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm expert. "The patrol team is in charge of maintaining order within the Spirit Emporium. If anyone were to cause trouble in the area, they would be kicked out in an instant," Sun Qiang exined. Zhang Xuan nodded slightly in response. With so many artifacts lying around the room, and not to mention the vile deeds the Spirit Emporium did in the shadows, if they didnt possess some backing and power, their business would have long been overturned by rivals and enemies. "This..." Doubtful, Sun Qiang opened his mouth to say something, but he eventually closed it hesitantly. Wasnt the young master here to wreak havoc in their ce? But considering how even the patrol team possessed such astounding strength, how were they supposed to cause any trouble? Most likely, they would be thrown out as soon as they tried to start something. Knowing what Sun Qiang was thinking about, a chilling smile surfaced on Zhang Xuans lips. "Violence is not the only way to wreak havoc..." Since the Spirit Emporium dared toy its hands on his students and his butler, it must be taught a lesson. But was violence the only way to teach someone a lesson? They were in Hongyuan City, the capital of a Tier-1 Empire, not some shady underworld city. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was a master teacher himself, the role model of the popce. How could someone as noble as him possibly go around using his fists to beat others up? On the other hand, Sun Qiang blinked in confusion, uprehending of what Zhang Xuan was driving at. "Just follow me!" Zhang Xuan chuckled as his eyes scanned through the various artifacts ced on the shelves. There was a wide assortment of itemsores, pills, armor, weapon, formation tes... Anything that a cultivator needed, it seemed as if one would surely be able to find it here. The cultivators in the area were also busy roaming the area, looking around for items suitable for their use. After a casual walk around the main hall, Zhang Xuan abruptly came to a halt. With a faint smile, he instructed, "Get an attendant over!" "Yes!" Sun Qiang had no idea what the young master was up to, but since thetter had issued an instruction, he dared not hesitate. Thus, he immediately made his way to the front reception. Chapter 752: Zhang Xuan Buys an Artifact Chapter 752: Zhang Xuan Buys an Artifact Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not too longter, Sun Qiang returned with an attendant. As soon as he caught sight of the young master, he couldnt help but freeze in shock. At this moment, the young master was wearing an extravagant robe that screamed exorbitance. In his hand was a foldable fan, which he was using to fan himself leisurely. An arrogant smirk sat on his lips. From afar, it looked as if he was a profligate scion. What is the young master up to? Sun Qiang thought in bewilderment. However, not wanting to foil the young masters ploy, he suppressed his astonishment and walked up to thetter, sped his fist, and greeted obediently, "Young master!" Back in Tianxuan Kingdom, the old master had also brought him to Tianyu Trading Firm once and behaved bizarrely. In the end, Ling Tianyu made a personal visit to their residence and even willingly gave uprge sums of money to them. Could it be that the young master was trying the same tactic as well? "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded before shooting a sideward nce at the attendant behind Sun Qiang. "You are the manager here?" The attendant smiled. "I am not a manager, but I should be able to answer most of your queries..." The attendant was a young man who seemed to be in his early thirties, possessing the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan. As an attendant here, he was in charge of introducing and selling the products on disy, so he did possess some authority here. "Thats good. I wish to buy a few items, rmend me some of the more expensive artifacts here!" Zhang Xuan said proudly as he waved his fan leisurely. Expensive artifacts? Sun Qiangs eyelids twitched. He had conducted business at one point in his life, so he understood the various conventions in the market. For fear of being taken advantage of, most buyers would choose to maintain a low profile, feigning ack of money just to push down the prices. Yet, the young master had actually asked for the attendant to rmend the expensive artifacts... Wasnt this practically screaming I have too much money on hand, please take advantage of me!? Such a customer was a dreame true for any store attendant; they would be mistreating themselves if they didnt attempt to make a killing out of him! Wasnt the young master here to exact vengeance? Why did it seem as if he was trying to give money to the Spirit Emporium instead? As expected, upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, the eyes of the attendant immediately lit up. He immediately walked up to a nearby shelf and gestured toward an item. "Young Master, this Bronze Gong is an excellent artifact smithed by a 6-star cksmith. It has reached Spirit intermediate-tier..." On the shelf was a bronze gong with several inscriptions on it. A cold gleam reflected off its surface. "Let me take a look!" Zhang Xuan gestured for the attendant to bring the Bronze Gong to him. "Sure!" A gleam flickered across the attendants eyes as he hurriedly took down the gong and passed it over respectfully with both hands. Zhang Xuan casually took it and pped it lightly with his palm. Weng! A resounding metallic call echoed from the gong, and a powerful gale swept into the surroundings, creating an immense pressure on the crowd in the area. "This is good stuff..." Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan casually tossed the gong to Sun Qiang before ncing leisurely at the attendant. "How much does it cost?" After a moment of hesitation, the attendant said, "Young Master, this Bronze Gong was smithed personally by 6-star cksmith Zhu Quan more than a hundred years ago. Not only is it a powerful weapon, it can also be considered as a valuable antique with significant history behind it. To be honest, its one of the top treasures of our Spirit Emporium, so the price... might be a little steep!" "Here ites..." Sun Qiang shook his head as he heard the words and the tone of the attendant. This fellow was indeed scheming. Seeing that the young master was a public gold mine, he intentionally phrased his words in a provocative manner, suggesting that the Bronze Gong was beyond the financial ability of the young master. It was a clich trick, but somehow, it was peculiarly effective on those prideful profligate scions... Just as Sun Qiang was thinking that the attendant would be sorely disappointed, the calm young master of his suddenly harrumphed coldly. "A little steep? Are you trying to say that I wont be able to afford it?" Sun Qiang clutched his forehead and nearly burst into tears. Young Master... Are you sure that you are here for vengeance? Why does it seem like you are a new rich scion in town asking for others to scam you of your wealth? "Of course not, there is no doubt that a man as noble as you will be able to afford it..." As if embarrassed by his previous doubts, the attendant smiled awkwardly. After which, he gritted his teeth in hesitation, as if he was going to make a huge loss from this deal, before mustering up his determination and said, "This Bronze Gong is worth five thousand middle-tier spirit stones, but your straightforward and candid personality has won my respect. Thus, if you really wish to buy it, I will negotiate with my manager to sell it to you at three thousand spirit stones!" Three thousand? Sun Qiang spewed a mouthful of blood. What else could this be if not daylight robbery?! An attendant was marketing this Bronze Gong to another customer when he came yesterday, and the offered price was only one thousand middle-tier spirit stone. But in the end, the customer turned down the deal. Yet, this attendant actually dared to say that it was worth five thousand, and even acted as if he was making a huge loss by selling it at three thousand... Did he take them to be fools? Just as Sun Qiang was about to offer a word of advice to the young master, thetter nodded in satisfaction and said, "The work of a 6-star cksmith is indeed worth such a price. Sun Qiang, wrap it up. I will be taking it!" "You will be taking it?" Unable to believe his ears, Sun Qiangs body swayed weakly. Did the young master eat something wrong this morning? Putting aside the fact that they didnt even have three thousand middle-tier spirit stones with them at the moment, even if they did, they shouldnt waste it on something as useless as this! What 6-star cksmith or Zhu Quan whatsoever, it was clear that was all bullshit! With that much money, one could easily afford a Spirit high-tier weapon! Why would one spend it on this? But since the young master had said that he would be taking him, it would be inappropriate for him, as a servant, to refute his decision. Thus, he could only go along with it. The attendant also widened his eyes in surprise at the sight. He didnt think that Zhang Xuan would take down the gong so swiftly. That useless object had already been sitting on their shelves for several months, and despite their best efforts, they hadnt been able to sell it out. Yet, the other party actually bought it without hesitation. It seemed like he had really happened upon an easy gold mine this time around! With a hand behind his back and the other fanning him leisurely, Zhang Xuan said impatiently, "Is there anything more expensive and better in the store? Dont tell me that the best product your Spirit Emporium has is only this Spirit intermediate-tier Bronze Gong?" It was as if the item he had bought was too cheap, unworthy of someone of his standing. "We do! Of course, we have far better products than the Bronze Gong!" The attendants eyes lit up. Just as he was about to lead the way to the other shelves, he suddenly paused for an instant before asking, "Young master, regarding the money for the Bronze Gong..." It wasnt that he didnt trust the young man before him, but it was difficult to tell what could happen in the next moment. To be safe, it would be better for him to collect the money first. "Are you suggesting that Ill renege on my payment? How dare you!" As if his dignity had been sullied, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Just as he was about to fly to a temper, he suddenly fell into a momentary contemtion before saying, "Fine, take this. With this, you should work harder on finding items for me!" With those words, he flicked his wrist and threw a spirit stone over casually. The attendant caught it and subconsciously nced at the item in his hand. The next moment, he froze. "High-tier spirit stone..." The item that the other party had thrown over casually contained spiritual energy so pure that he could feel a tingling sensation in his skin. It was actually a high-tier spirit stone! High-tier spirit stones were only useful to Chrysalis realm experts and above. However, due to its rarity, often, only Saint realm experts would have it in their possession. Yet, the other party threw it to him so easily just to purchase the Bronze Gong... He couldnt help but feel his throat run dry. "Thats right. A high-tier spirit stone is worth ten thousand middle-tier spirit stone, so that should be enough to cover the Bronze Gong, right?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. "Enough, its more than enough..." The attendant hurriedly nodded. All the doubts he harbored regarding the customer before him vanished in an instant. How could a person who would fork out a high-tier spirit stone easily possibly renege on his payment? Most likely, the other party was a young master from some wealthy n, and having lived in luxury from young, he was ustomed to spending suchrge sums of money. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and lead the way!" Zhang Xuan snapped. "Yes!" After seeing the high-tier spirit stone, the attitude of the attendant became even more respectful than before. He hurriedly led them through the crowd, and soon, they arrived in the depths of the Spirit Emporium. There were significantly fewer people here, but those who were present here were notable personages in the capital. The items that were ced on the shelves in the room were also clearly much more valuable than those in the main hall. Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned through the items. "Spirit high-tier weapon, rare ores, a spirit fruit which can extend ones longevity..." Under the discerning gaze of his Eye of Insight, he swiftly identified the various items in the room. As expected of the Spirit Emporium! Even to someone as picky as Zhang Xuan, he couldnt help but feel a little moved by some of the items in the room. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a certain artifact, and the edges of his lips crept up. Following which, he began walking toward a jade box on the shelf. Gesturing to the jade box, Zhang Xuan asked, "What is this?" "This is a grade-6 Bottleneck Surmounting Pill! A Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert can advance ones cultivation stage by consuming it, and there are no prerequisites to it. On top of that, it was forged by Vice School Head Luo of the Apothecary School personally, making it extremely valuable!" the attendant said. "Grade-6 Bottleneck Surmounting Pill?" The higher ones cultivation, the more difficult it would be to advance it. It was truly incredible for a pill to be able to raise a Chrysalis realm experts cultivation by a single stage without any prerequisites to it. It was difficult to imagine the value of the pill. "Let me take a look," Zhang Xuan said. "Ordinarily, we wouldnt allow anyone to touch it, but since you are the one who wishes to look at it, Ill bring it to you..." Knowing that the man standing before him was a big fish, the attendant agreed with a smile. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. The attendant stepped forward, opened the protective casing, took the jade box from the shelves, and opened it gently. Hong long! A surge of pure spiritual energy gushed from the box, leaving one feeling refreshed throughout. It felt like, if one consumed the pill, one would surely make immense progress in ones cultivation. Green mist drifted above the pill, and it felt as if it would morph into a dragon at any moment and escape. Despite only being Formation-grade, perhaps due to the valuable medicinal herbs involved in the forging process, it was still pulsating with energy. Most likely, its price would be exorbitant as well. "Its a good pill..." "A grade-6 pill! Even if I wanted to buy it, I couldnt afford it at all!" "Indeed, its too expensive..." The surge of spiritual energy from the opening of the jade box had caught the eyes of many in the area. The guests who were browsing through the other artifacts shifted their attention to the source. Seeing that the pill was catching many gazes, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "Close the lid. This pill is not bad. How much does it cost? Ill take it!" Hearing that the other party would take it, the attendant closed the lid swiftly and replied excitedly, "As this is a grade-6 pill forged by the vice head of the Apothecary School, using 81 different valuable herbs, its inevitable that its price is higher than other pills. If you want it, you can have it at a discounted price of two high-tier spirit stone!" "Two high-tier spirit stone?" "What kind of lousy price is that?" "Wasnt it five thousand middle-tier spirit stones just a few days ago? When did the price inte to two high-tier spirit stones?" ... A hugemotion broke out in the area. Most of those gathered were frequent guests of the Spirit Emporium, so they had a rough gauge of the prices of the items disyed here. Even though the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill had reached grade-6, it was only at a low-tier. On top of that, the pill had barely achieved Formation. As such, it was only worth five thousand middle-tier spirit stones at most. To actually attempt to sell it for two high-tier spirit stones... That attendant must be out of his mind! Just as everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would turn it down due to its exorbitant price, the other party nced at the pill and said, "A grade-6 pill for two high-tier spirit stones, that isnt too expensive. Ill take it!" "Hes going buy it?" Everyone was stunned. They had seen plenty of foolish men in their time, but never had they seen such a dimwit before! Did price not matter to him when it came to buying items? "Thats great. Ill have it wrapped up for you right now..." Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan would buy it, the attendant leaped in joy. He hurriedly passed the jade box into Sun Qiangs hands. However, at that moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly frowned in worry and asked, "Could the items you sell possibly be fakes?" "Fakes? You sure are good at jesting!" the attendant swiftly replied. "The items sold in our Spirit Emporium have undergone the appraisal of master appraisers, so its impossible for there to be any fakes in here. If you were to find any fakes amidst our goods, our Spirit Emporium will refund you tenfold of the selling price!" Chapter 753: These Are All Fakes! Chapter 753: These Are All Fakes! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Tenfold the selling price? Is that for real?" Zhang Xuan asked worriedly, seemingly unconvinced by the attendants words. "Of course! Our Spirit Emporium prides itself on its credibility!" the attendant replied. "I see... Since you are willing to go so far to guarantee your credibility, Ill trust you for now. Ill pick out a few more items first before paying for them togetherter on!" Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Credibility? Sun Qiangs mouth twitched. An organization that murders others to steal their possessions, what kind of credibility can it possibly have? Youve got to be kidding me! The young master actually believes this kind of nonsense? More importantly, regardless of whether the young master believes that or not, we dont have the money to pay for the items! The high-tier spirit stone given to the attendant previously was the prize which the young master obtained back in the Master Teacher Tournament. With even that gone, they werepletely broke. How could they possibly afford the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill now? Hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to pick a few more items, the attendant nodded in excitement. "Thats fine, feel free to!" Since the other party was willing to toss a high-tier spirit stone out so casually, it could only mean that he had nock of money. Besides, even if he couldnt afford it then, with the security around the Spirit Emporium, he couldnt possibly take the items away with him as well. The attendants in the Spirit Emporium were paid onmission depending on the amount of spirit stones they earned for the store. As long as he could seal this deal, he could easily earn a sum greater than the salesmissions he had received over thest few years. "Un." Nodding, Zhang Xuan walked around the shelves before him, and raising his fan, he pointed to one item after another. "This, this, this..." Soon, he had already pointed out eight of the items. Seeing Zhang Xuan pointing out so many items at once, the attendants face slowly grew redder and redder. The items ced on disy here were the more valuable artifacts in the store, and every single one of them was worth a fortune. Perhaps, he might just be able to earn enough money for his entire life through this deal! The attendant wasnt the only one who was reacting so intensely to Zhang Xuans actions, the crowd in the surroundings had frozen in shock as well. Buying a grade-6 low-tier pill with two high-tier spirit stones had already blown their minds, and yet that fellow was still going on a shopping spree. When did such an extravagant, rich mane to Hongyuan City? "Ill immediately take those items down for you!" The attendant hurriedly took down the items pointed in agitation and began calcting the price. "Leave those eight items aside, wrap the remaining items up for me!" Zhang Xuan waved his fan casually. Putong! The attendants knees suddenly caved in at those words, and he nearly copsed to the ground in astonishment. The lower jaws of the crowd fell to the ground. Even Sun Qiang nearly keeled over from those words. He knew that he had often behaved brazenly due to the old master backing, but from the looks of it now, he couldnt even hold a candle to the young master! To put aside the eight of the items and take everything else... There were at least a hundred items on disy here, and arge portion of them were weapons and armor, which were valued at several high-tier spirit stones at the very least! To take all of them at once... That would at least cost a hundred high-tier spirit stones! Could he definitely afford such a sum? He did know that hed be pummeled to death if he failed to fork out the moneyter on, right? After a long moment, the attendant finally recovered sufficiently to ask hoarsely, "You want... everything else?" He was still thinking a while ago that, with themission from those eight items, he could easily live extravagantly for the rest of his life, but the other party was actually intending to take everything else except for those eight! He had truly stumbled upon the God of Fortune this time around! As long as he sealed this deal, he would have sufficient money to feed ten generations of his descendants! "Thats right. Wrap them up for me!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands arrogantly. "Yes!" The attendant pinched himself hard, and it was only upon feeling the sharp pain that he finally believed he wasnt dreaming. He hurriedly gathered all of the items together and began calcting the price. "All in all, there are 93 items, and the total sum is... 237 high-tier spirit stones!" the attendant said with a quivering voice. "237 high-tier spirit stones? That isnt too expensive!" Zhang Xuan nodded before gesturing to Sun Qiang, "Butler, pay him!" Pay him? Sun Qiang froze. You are asking me to pay him? But I dont even have a single high-tier spirit stone on me, what am I supposed to pay him with? Just as Sun Qiang was at a loss for what to do, Zhang Xuan abruptly raised his hand, seemingly stopping Sun Qiang from making a move, before gazing at the pile of items warily. "Wait a moment! Are you certain that every single item here is authentic, and if I find any fakes, you will refund me tenfold?" "Of course! All of the items here were personally verified by a 6-star appraiser, Master Mo Fei! There is definitely no problem with their quality!" The attendant swiftly reassured Zhang Xuan. "I trust you, but I want to be absolutely sure that they are all authentic. How about you invite Master Mo Fei here to appraise them right before me? Only then can I dispel my doubts and buy these items!" Zhang Xuan said. "This..." The attendant hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright then. Please wait here for a moment, I will invite Master Mo Fei over this instant!" After which, he swiftly rushed off. "Well, given the sheer volume of items he is buying, its natural that he would want them reappraised to ensure that they are authentic!" "Thats true. However, I do know of that Master Mo Fei, and while hes a 6-star appraiser, he is living off the Spirit Emporiums payroll. Are his words really trustworthy?" "Even if he were to spout nonsense, outsiders like us would be none the wiser!" "In any case, it seems like that fellow has nock of money. He is just probably asking for a reappraisal to calm his mind..." ... Taking the scene in sight, the crowd muttered among themselves. Typically speaking, most artifact dealers would seek a third party to appraise their works so as to ensure reliability. However, Appraiser Mo Fei was an employee of the Spirit Emporium, and that cast doubt on his reliability. As such, that young man was probably going to be hoodwinked. Amidst the muttering, the attendant finally returned with a potbellied old man behind him. The old man harrumphed with his chin tilted up proudly. "Who wants their item appraised?" Appraisers were the most sought-after upation in the market. Even the head of the Spirit Emporium had to treat him with respect. "Me!" Zhang Xuan folded his fan and pointed it at the stack of items on the table. "I want to buy these items, so I need you to appraise them for me!" Mo Fei nced at the items on the table, and his eyebrows shot up. "I have already appraised every single one of these items, and there is no doubt about their authenticity. Why? Are you doubting my judgement as a 6-star appraiser?" "You have appraised everything here?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right. What are you waiting for? Bring the appraisal certificates over!" Mo Fei waved his hands impatiently. The attendant hurried off to the counter, and after some fumbling, he returned with a pile of papers on hand. These were the appraisal certificates of every single item on the table, and they were all signed off by Mo Fei. "I see that there are appraisal certificates for them, good..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he took the appraisal certificates from the attendant and began browsing through them carefully. With a peculiar smile, he asked, "I heard that the Spirit Emporium refunds tenfold of the selling price should any items be proven to be a fake, may I confirm if thats true?" "Of course!" Mo Fei nodded proudly. As a 6-star appraiser, he was confident in his appraisals. "Alright then, I would like to turn your attention to this pill first then..." With a light wave of his hand, the jade box containing the grade-6 pill flew into his hand. "Why? Are you saying that theres a problem with the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill?" Mo Fei frowned. "It is written on the appraisal certificate that the vice head of the Apothecary School used 81 different types of medicinal herbs to create this pill which can allow any Chrysalis realm expert to raise their cultivation by a stage. Is that true?" "Of course!" Mo Fei flung his sleeves proudly. "While this is indeed a grade-6 pill, it wasnt forged by the vice head of the Apothecary School. Furthermore, it was forged using on 72 different types of medicinal herbs. Judging by the slight yellow hue of the pill, it seems like the blood essence of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Golden Grasnd Antelope. The slightly incongruous fragrance it exudes hints at the addition of a Sicklepod Flower..." Opening the box, Zhang Xuan slowly analyzed it bit by bit. In a single breath, he pointed out the various key anomalies regarding the pill. With every single point that he mentioned, Mo Feis face turned a shade paler. As a 6-star appraiser, he could tell that the other partys judgement was spot-on. It was as if the other party was present at the forging process! To be able to deduce all of this in just a short moment, it could only mean to say that the other partys appraising ability was above his! "So what if you can list all of the ingredients used in its forging? There are many variations to the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill in the market. As long as it can advance ones cultivation, it cant be considered a fake!" Seeing the young man before him go on and on, Mo Fei finally snapped. "Advance ones cultivation?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "After all I have said, you still dont understand? The blood essence of the Golden Grasnd Antelope is indeed extremely beneficial to a cultivator, but that is only if it hasnt been mixed with Sicklepod Flower! "Sicklepod Flower, otherwise known as the Flower of Eternal Rest, has to be mediated using the Heptad Verdant Grass. However, the apothecary who forged this pill has failed to do so... In other words, not only will this pill not advance ones cultivation, the one who consumes it will even die of poisoning!" Zhang Xuan said. "Die of poisoning?" "Is that true?" "If thats the case, that would mean that not only is this pill a fake, it is even a weapon of murder..." Hearing those words, everyone leaped in shock. The reason a cultivator would spend their fortune on purchasing a pill was so they could achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation. Yet, not only would they not be able to achieve a breakthrough with this pill, it would even poison them to death! To part with their life savings just to be poisoned, that would be a true tragedy! "Nonsense! This pill is rich in spiritual energy, how could it be poisonous?" Mo Feis eyebrows shot up. "You dont believe me? Since thats case... bring a Pill Sample Beast over then! We will know the answer with a quick test!" Zhang Xuan replied impassively. "Fine!" Mo Fei harrumphed. Soon, a Pill Sample Beast was brought over. Pill Sample Beasts possessed a constitution simr to humans, making them an ideal subject to test for the effect a pill would have on humans. "You should do it yourself lest you say that I tampered with the Pill Sample Beast or the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill!" Zhang Xuan passed the jade box over. "Humph!" With a cold harrumph, Mo Fei rubbed a bit of medicinal powder off the pill and fed it to the Pill Sample Beast. Pill Sample Beasts were extremely sensitive to poison; thus, a small portion was more than enough for the test. Besides, if he were to take too much, the Pill Sample Beast might end up dying from the excessive influx of spiritual energy from the pill. Gugugugu! As soon as the Pill Sample Beast ate the powder, its aura suddenly intensified, growing stronger swiftly. "Its cultivation is rising; this is clearly the effect of a normal Bottleneck Surmounting Pill. What else do you have to say for yourself?" Mo Fei turned around and sneered at Zhang Xuan for his ignorance. However, at that moment, the Pill Sample Beasts surging aura abruptly came to a halt, and its body began to convulse. Pu! A mouthful of pitch-ck blood spurted from its mouth, and the small white beast abruptly froze before copsing to the ground. Chapter 754: These Are All Fakes! (2) Chapter 754: These Are All Fakes! (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" "Its dead?" "Could it be that... the pill isnt a Bottleneck Surmounting Pill but poison?" "That is way too scary! Imagine spending two high-tier spirit stones just to buy lethal poison home!" "The Spirit Emporium has truly gone too far this time around! Is this how it conducts business?" ... Seeing the Pill Sample Beast breathing itsst, a huge uproar broke out amidst the crowd. They couldnt help but imagine what would have happened if theyd purchased the pill. They would have been filled with expectations for the future when they purchased the pill, only to end up dead due to it. The huge contrast between their expectations and reality was something that made the situation even more uneptable. That Mo Fei had just confidently dered that the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill was authentic a moment ago, but a minuteter, a Pill Sample Beast was poisoned to death by it... With such a precedent, how could they possibly ever dare to buy any pills from the Spirit Emporium in the future? "This..." Mo Fei also froze on the spot. In truth, he had carefully calcted the amount of powder to feed the Pill Sample Beast. He was certain that it shouldnt have been sufficient to kill it with the dose he had rubbed off. Yet, it still ended up copsing in the end... Could the other party be speaking the truth? This pill was not a Bottleneck Surmounting Pill but a failed product turned into poison? "So, is this considered to be a fake?" Zhang Xuan asked with a cold smile. "This... Fine! I admit that my judgement was off for this pill!" With the Pill Sample Beast poisoned to death, there was no way he could deny this anymore. "Hah, you are saying that your judgement was off for only this pill? Let me tell you, this pill isnt the only thing you are wrong about!" Zhang Xuan casually waved his hand, and the Bronze Gong which he had picked out first flew into his hand. "ording to what you have written in the appraisal certificate, this item was forged by a 6-star cksmith, and it possesses the ability to wipe out a soul. Even a soul oracle would be utterly destroyed by a single knock on the gong!" "Indeed. Even though the Bronze Gong is only a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, it has a long history behind it. The lightning energy that has gathered within it over time grants it sufficient power to destroy even a soul oracle!" Mo Fei dered proudly. He had studied the Bronze Gong carefully over a long period of time, so he was confident that there wasnt any mistake in its appraisal. "Since you are so confident, why dont we give it a try?" Zhang Xuan turned to the attendant standing by the side and said, "You are a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator, so you should have already started cultivating your soul as well. If this weapon has the ability to destroy a soul, you should feel a sharp pain in your soul when used against you." At which, he turned to Mo Fei and asked, "Do you have any disagreements with this test?" While the effects of the Bronze Gong were discounted against most cultivators as their souls would be protected by their physical body, they would still be more or less affected by it. Furthermore, Consonant Spirit realm experts had barely started cultivating their soul, making them even more prone to any attacks on their soul. "I have no objections to it!" Mo Fei replied. The crowd who were watching themotion also nodded in agreement. Soul oracles had already disappeared in the annals of history, so it was impossible to test the Bronze Gong on them anymore. However, it should work fine against a Consonant Spirit realm expert as well. "I will let you do it..." With the edges of his lips curled up, Zhang Xuan passed the Bronze Gong to Mo Fei. Mo Fei took the Bronze Gong over impatiently, and gathering his zhenqi, he struck it powerfully toward the attendant. However, the attendant remainedpletely unfazed by the attack. In other words, the Bronze Gong didnt have any effect on the soul! "H-how is this possible?" Mo Feis face turned ghastly pale. Back then, he had even experimented with the Bronze Gong. The lightning energy it harnessed was extremely effective on souls, capable of even annihting a soul oracle! Why did its effects vanish all of a sudden? Without that, this would only be an ordinary Bronze Gong, worth nothing at all! "The Bronze Gongs effect of dealing with souls can only be dispelled by a soul oracle, but the heritage of the soul oracles has already vanished countless years ago. Thus, it is impossible for anyone to have tampered with it... Have I really appraised it wrongly?" Mo Fei muttered as cold sweat trickled down his back. Souls were an extremelyplex subject, and the only upation to have truly uncovered their secrets were the soul oracles. They were the only ones who could dispel the effects on the Bronze Gong. No one else, not even a Saint realm cultivator, could do the same. However, the soul oracles had already been eradicated by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it was impossible for anyone to dispel the effects of the Bronze Gong. Since the effect clearly wasnt there, could his appraisal have been wrong from the very start? It was one thing for him to have made a mistake, but to make two of them consecutively... He was already beginning to doubt his life. Appraisers could only make three errors throughout their entire career, and beyond that, they would be stripped of their license. Was his career going to end here? Ignoring Mo Feis slump, Zhang Xuan waved his hands, and a pill cauldron flew in front of him. "Moving on, lets talk about this copper cauldron. You have identified it to be a Nine Symphony Cauldron created by a 6-star cksmith on the appraisal certificate. It is capable of producing Nine Symphony mes which allows the heat to be distributed more equally throughout the cauldron, thus making it easier to fuse the medicinal herbs together. However, you also stated that it is extremely difficult to tame its spirit and make it acknowledge one as its master... May I confirm that what I have just said is true?" This was also another artifact in the Spirit Emporium, and it had an appraisal certificate as well. "Yes..." Mo Fei nodded. This time, however, his tone wasnt as confident as before. "Even though the Nine Symphony Cauldron increases the chances of sessfully forging a pill, it is extremely difficult to make its spirit submit. This is a fact that all appraisers know, so there cant be any mistake on that." Mo Fei gritted his teeth. "This isnt the Nine Symphony Cauldron, and it doesnt have such a troublesome spirit as well. It wont even take me a minute to make it submit to me!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "You will make it submit in less than a minute? How can that be? If you can do so, I will admit that I am mistaken, and that it is a fake!" Mo Fei sneered coldly. You must be joking! It is a well-known fact that it is difficult to make the spirit of a Nine Symphony Cauldron submit to one. To make it submit to you in less than a minute? Youre dreaming! Not even a Saint realm expert could do that! "You are the one who said those words!" With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan walked up to the cauldron and pped it casually. "Acknowledge me as your master!" Weng! The next moment, a resounding buzz sounded from the cauldron, as if it was shaking in excitement from meeting its master. "What?" Mo Feis body trembled uncontrobly, and he nearly spurted blood. That was clearly the sound of the cauldron acknowledging its master, of that there was no mistake! Due to the unique method in forging a Nine Symphony Cauldron, its spirit was disjointed, making it extremely difficult to win its loyalty. There were many who had spent decades on it, only to fail eventually. Yet, this cauldron actually acknowledged that young man in less than half a minute... Was he truly mistaken once more? The cauldron was a fake as well? Just what was going on? "These Lc Sandalwood Beads can indeed keep ones mindposed when worn, but unfortunately, it is cursed. As a result, not only will it not keep one calm, it might even cause one to go berserk!" "In your analysis, you said that this bottle of medicinal solution is made using dozens of different poisons, and it is extremely useful for tempering ones body. However, I have just taken a look, and the poison within hasnt been neutralized yet. Anyone who consumes it will die without fail!" "You imed that this ore can raise the grade of a weapon up a notch by fusing it in. However, it is impossible to melt this ore in the first ce, so how could one possiblybine it within a weapon?" "This..." "..." After proving the issues in the appraisal of the first three items, Zhang Xuan moved on to point out the problems of the other items the attendant had taken out. He would pick up every single item and pat off the dust on them before exining what was wrong with them. With every problem he exined, Mo Feis face would turn a shade darker. By the time Zhang Xuan was done pointing out the errors in everything, Mo Fei seemed as if he was already standing on the threshold of insanity. He had the attendants test the other items as well, and some of them he even did it himself, but the conclusions were still the same. He was certain that the items here werent like that when he was appraising them, why did all of them change all of a sudden? This was exceptionally so for the weapons he had checked. Not only were the spirits within them difficult to tame, they were aggressive even! If a cultivator were to buy one of them, there was no guarantee that he wouldnt be killed by his sword in his sleep! "There are actually so many fakes here?" "I have always trusted the products of the Spirit Emporium, but to think that they were actually such a dishonest business!" "How can I still trust them not to lie to me in the future?" "It seems like I cant buy anything from here anymore. The items may be cheap, but if saving that bit of money could cost my life, I would rather not take that risk..." ... Watching the events unfold, the crowd in the area felt their hearts turning cold. The two main reasons they frequented the Spirit Emporium despite the uwful means they use to obtain their items were due to the rtively lower prices of their goods and the guarantee on its quality. But even with the rtively lower price, if all they were going to receive was a fake, what was the point? Putting everything aside, if they had bought that Bottleneck Surmounting Pill, not only would they be cheated of their money, they might even lose their life... Who in their right minds would pay just to have themselves killed? "... So, this is a fake as well. All in all, everything here is a fake!" Zhang Xuan nced at the attendants and Mo Fei calmly and said, "All in all, you charged me 237 high-tier spirit stones for these items. Given your refund policy... I believe that you owe me 2370 high-tier spirit stones!" "2370 high-tier spirit stones?" "They said earlier that they would pay tenfold the selling price should an item be deemed to be a fake. Now that everything has been proven to be fakes, it is only right for the Spirit Emporium topensate him!" "This is insane... Even if the Spirit Emporium were to sell of its assets, it couldnt possibly afford that!" "Well, who asked them to brag about their refund policy? Not to mention, they even dared to put up so many fake goods on top of that. They had iting..." ... Hearing the young mans words, everyone leaped in shock. Putting aside the Spirit Emporium, it was questionable whether even the royal family had 2370 high-tier spirit stones in its treasury! But considering how it was exposed before so many people, if it were to default on its payment, its reputation would bepletely ruined. If so, they need not dream of operating in Hongyuan City anymore. "Amazing..." Sun Qiangs eyes were glowing in respect. He had been wondering how the young master would exact his vengeance, but upon seeing this sight, he finally realized how fearsome the young master was! If they had walked into the store and threatened the Spirit Emporium with violence, the Spirit Emporium would have held the moral high ground, and no one could have said anything no matter how the Spirit Emporium dealt with them. However, the young master challenged them through legitimate means, cornering them with the rules they had set for themselves... Lets see how you will deal with that! Even if you go to the Master Teacher Pavilion to mediate in this matter, it is clear that you are in the wrong! It was impossible for the Spirit Emporium to pay the 2370 high-tier spirit stonespensation. Even if it could, it would be severely crippled financially. With its reputation in shambles, it would never recover from this blow. With so many fakes in the store, who would dare to buy from them in the future? "W-who in the world are you? What do you intend to do?" It wasnt too difficult to see through all of this. At this point, the attendant was already on the verge of tears. Hed thought that he had finally met his God of Fortune, and he was looking forward to a life of extravagance. Who could have known that it was a God of Misfortune instead? He might very well lose his job due to this! "Who am I? I am just a customer in your store. Dont you think that its only right for you to pay after trying to sell me so many fakes?" Zhang Xuan smiled. Chapter 755: Where Are My Artifacts? Chapter 755: Where Are My Artifacts? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I..." The attendants body trembled. In the many years the Spirit Emporium had existed, there had never been a single person who had reported it for selling fake goods. In just a single day, this man actually dug up so many fake goods from their shelves... Hed thought that the other party was just a profligate scion who had too much money to spare, but he would be a fool if he still couldnt tell that it was an act at this point. That fellow was clearly here to cause trouble! "Call the boss here, fast! Hes the only one who can resolve this matter at this point..." Mo Fei urged. It seemed as if he had aged decades over thest few minutes. As an appraiser, he could tell that there was no mistake in the other partys appraisals. At this point, it was already an established fact at this point that they did attempt to defraud their buyers. In other words, as long as the other party demandedpensation, there was nothing they could do about it. The problem was already beyond their scope! "Yes!" The attendant nodded and quickly rushed off. Soon, a cold-faced middle-aged man strode into the room. He was extremely tall with a slightly plump stature. The sharp glint in his eyes seemed to suggest that he was a person who would resort to unscrupulous means to get what he wanted. His aura was obscure, but it felt transcendent. Most likely, he was at least a Nascent Saint! Indeed, if not for the backing of such an expert, considering the vile deeds that the Spirit Emporiummitted in the shadows, it would have long been rooted from Hongyuan City. The middle-aged man walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked with narrowed eyes, "Are you the one who said that these items are fakes?" On the way here, he had already heard the full story from the attendant. Ignoring the other partys words, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "Hurry up and decide on how you willpensate me. Otherwise, trust me when I say that it wont take long for the entire Hongyuan City to learn about this!" "You!" Clenching his fists tightly, the hint of killing intent shed across the dark eyes of the Spirit Emporiums boss. All along, they had been the ones preying on others. To think that a day woulde when someone would be so arrogant as to try to prey on them! The boss of the Spirit Emporium harrumphed. "This friend over here, I dont know who you are or where youe from, but allow me give you a word of advice: dont burn your bridges. Otherwise, who knows when it mighte back to bite you!" "Are you threatening me?" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly in response. "A refund tenfold of the selling price, that is the policy your Spirit Emporium came up by yourself. Are you going to silence me now that a fake has really appeared in your store?" "This isnt a threat, just a friendly reminder to you. The path of a cultivator isnt an easy one; I fear for your safety!" Seeing the other partys fearless attitude, the boss of the Spirit Emporium was on the verge of exploding, but there was nothing he could do. If he were to make a move on the other party here, the reputation of their Spirit Emporium which he had built painstakingly over the years would be truly ruined. The boss nced at Mo Fei and sent a telepathic message to him. "Are those items really fakes?" "I am not too sure either, but... when I reappraised the items he picked out, they werepletely different from before... Even if I say that they arent fakes, no one will believe me..." Mo Fei said. Even if they werent fakes, the other party had already pointed out the various ws in them clearly. As such, who would still want to buy them? Take for example the valuable Spirit high-tier armor which allowed its wearer to withstand attacks from a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert amidst the stack of items the other party had picked out. Its effects were incredible, but that fellow had already revealed its ws and how one could ovee it... If so, what was the point of purchasing the armor? In other words, even if the items were authentic, they were already useless at this point. That would make them as good as fakes. "Damn it!" Hearing Mo Fei admit to the matter, the face of the boss turned scarily livid. "Are you done with the negotiations yet? If you are, pay up. These items are worth 237 high-tier spirit stones, and with your tenfold refund policy, you owe me a total of 2370 high-tier spirit stones. Alright, I will give you a little bit of a discount out of the kindness of my heart. 2000 high-tier spirit stones, and I will drop this matter. Otherwise... for defrauding your customers and attempting to scam a master teacher, I will report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion to have them to judge this case!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "You are a master teacher?" The boss narrowed his eyes. Typically speaking, as long one didntmit any atrocities against humanity, the Master Teacher Pavilion would not interfere in most matters. However, if a master teacher was involved in the case, there was a good chance that it would intervene. This was a privilege the Master Teacher Pavilion granted its members. Once the Master Teacher Pavilion intervened in the matter, the various shady things they had done might be pulled to the surface as well, and the entire Spirit Emporium could very well be destroyed due to that. Even though there were quite a few people who knew of the Spirit Emporiums doings in the shadows, they had no evidence, and the Spirit Emporium had made sure to deal with them ordingly, be it bribery or silencing them. However, considering the means of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it wouldnt be too difficult for them to get to the bottom of the matter. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan replied. After recovering from the shock, a thought shed across the bosss mind, and he harrumphed. "Even if you are a master teacher, considering your young age, you should be a student of the Master Teacher Academy, right? "Considering how many students there are in the Master Teacher Academy, I doubt that anyone will know if one or two of them go missing!" The Master Teacher Academy was a ce to nurture budding master teachers, and it was impossible to do so while keeping the students in a safe environment. Thus, it wasnt rare for the academy to dispatch its students on dangerous missions, and deaths werent infrequent. "Its indeed nothing much for a student or two of the academy to disappear, but Im afraid that School Head Mo of the Beast Tamer School and School Head Zhao of the cksmith School will disagree with your words!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the two tokens given to him. Since they were already in his possession, it should be fine for him to make use of their authority. Mo Feis body shuddered upon seeing the tokens, and he hurriedly sent a telepathic message to the boss. "Those are indeed the personal tokens of School Head Mo and School Head Zhao... They are real!" School Head Zhao and School Head Mo were part of the Ten Great Master Teachers, and they were famous figures even amongst the many Tier-1 Empires. Considering that they had given their personal tokens to the young man standing before them... their rtionship was anything but ordinary. "They are real?" The boss had thought that he was only dealing with an ordinary student, so the matter shouldnt have been too difficult to resolve. But who could have thought that the fellow would carry two of the school heads personal tokens on him? "Alright, I will give you a teas time to think over your options. If you refuse to pay, I will head to the Master Teacher Pavilion. It just happens that I have quite a close rtionship with Pavilion Master Mo, so I believe that he will happily seek justice for me!" Zhang Xuan said as he stretched his backzily. Since the Spirit Emporium dared to threaten those around him, it should be prepared to face his wrath. You want to be domineering? Sure, let me crush you with my identity as a master teacher then! Lets see which of us is more domineering! The face of the boss reddened in rage, but he dared not to vent his anger. A teas time... On the other hand, the attendant rushed forward and reported something to him via telepathy. Hearing the attendants words, the boss heaved a sigh of relief before turning to Zhang Xuan. "Theres no need to wait a teas time, we will pay!" "For real?" "The Spirit Emporium is going to pay?" "But that is 2000 high-tier spirit stones! Putting aside the Spirit Emporium, is there even so much money in Hongyuan Empire?" ... Seeing the boss of the Spirit Emporium abruptly changing his mind, choosing to pay the sum, everyone was taken aback. Even Zhang Xuan himself was a little taken aback by the turn of events. He had prepared a hand in case the other party refused to pay, but never had he imagined that the other party would agree to it instead. "You paid a high-tier spirit stone to purchase the Bronze Gong earlier. Even though you did say that you intended to buy the other items, you havent paid for them yet... In other words, we have only sold you a single item so far. With our refund policy, we will repay you ten high-tier spirit stones!" The boss waved his hands and instructed, "Hurry up and bring ten high-tier spirit stones over!" "Yes!" The attendant hurriedly nodded before leaving the room. Soon, he returned with ten gleaming high-tier spirit stones in hand and passed them over to Sun Qiang. "This..." Sun Qiang was a little dazed, unable to catch up with the happenings. He wasnt certain whether he should ept it or not. While the young master had pointed out many items that he wanted to buy, he hadnt paid for them. All along, he had only passed a high-tier spirit stone to the attendant. Using this loophole, the Spirit Emporium regarded that as the only transaction conducted and refunded him ten high-tier spirit stones. While that was a substantial sum as well, it was at least a cost the Spirit Emporium could afford to bear. Regardless from which angle one looked at this matter from, the other partys response was also in line with the rules. "Young Master..." Unsure of what to do, Sun Qiang turned to Zhang Xuan, only to seetter smiling calmly. "Are you sure thats how you want to y the game?" "This master teacher over here, I am not sure what you are trying to say. Our Spirit Emporium prides itself on its honor. Since you paid us a high-tier spirit stone, going by our refund policy, we have alreadypensated you with ten. Even if you were to bring this up in the Master Teacher Pavilion, I believe that there is nothing Pavilion Master Mo could say about this." The boss of the Spirit Emporium smiled, but his eyes remained as cold as ever. "On the other hand, you, as a master teacher, despite not buying anything at all, attempted to hoodwink us out of 2000 high-tier spirit stones. Surely this would be bad for your reputation if word were to spread?" After hearing from the attendant that the fellow had only paid a single high-tier spirit stone, he immediately thought of a countermeasure. A transaction can only be considered to have urred when the goods and money have been exchanged. Even if the items we have here are fakes, you havent paid yet, so they still belong to the Spirit Emporium. Naturally, we dont have to refund you for them. "I see. Since that is the case..." Zhang Xuan nced at the boss of the Spirit Emporium impassively and said, "You have taken my artifacts and ced them on sale for so long, but you still havent sold them yet. It shouldnt be too much for me to take them away with me now, right?" "Artifacts? When did we take your artifacts and ce them on sale?" The boss of the Spirit Emporium was momentarily stunned by the ridiculous words spouted by the young man before him. This is the first time Ive met you, when did I take your artifacts? Even if you want to frame me, surely you can do better than that? "You are denying it?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "All artifacts have their own spirit, and it is impossible to win the loyalty of the spirit without spending substantial time with them. This ismon knowledge amongst all cultivators, so I believe that you, the boss of the Spirit Emporium, shouldnt be unfamiliar with it either." The boss couldnt understand what the young man was driving at, but he nodded in response. It wasnt easy to make the spirit of an artifact submit to one. There were even a few who were unable to get the spirit of their artifact to acknowledge them as its master even after years of effort. "That makes things simple then... Alright, I think I dont have to exin that only my own artifacts will listen to mymand, that should be more than obvious to all of us here." With an upright posture reminiscent of a taut spear piercing through the heavens, Zhang Xuan abruptly bellowed with a resounding voice, "What are you all waiting for? Pay respect to your master!" Hu! As soon as those words were uttered, all of the artifacts in the room flew into the sky and gathered around Zhang Xuan. Chapter 756: All Mine! Chapter 756: All Mine! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This is the response of artifacts who have acknowledged a cultivator as their master!" "In the end, all of these artifacts actually belong to him? No wonder he knows them so well..." "Is he the true owner of the Spirit Emporium? These are the most valuable artifacts here! If all of these are his, this would mean that the Spirit Emporium is pretty much emptied out!" ... Seeing the artifacts flying from their ces, everyone was stunned. All of the artifacts which the young man had appraised before, be they swords, chains, armors, cauldrons... each and every one of them was floating around him, humming in excitement. It was as if they had finally met with their master after great difficulty, and they were unwilling to part with him! All of the most valuable artifacts in the Spirit Emporium were in there. If all of those artifacts belonged to the young man before them... this renowned treasure vault of Hongyuan City would be emptied out! Those artifacts made up seventy to eighty percent of the total asset of the Spirit Emporium. Surely the young man, and not the middle-aged man over there, was the true boss of the Spirit Emporium... Sun Qiangs lips twitched. The young master... sure is vicious! He knew of the young masters ability to make artifacts acknowledge him swiftly. Back when he was appraising the artifacts, hed touched every single one of them while exining their properties. It was probably then that hed made them submit to him. From the very start, there were only two options for the Spirit Emporium. They could either obediently pay up or have their assets emptied out! With all the weapons acknowledging the young master, even if he were to im that everything was stolen from him, there would be no one who would doubt his words! "Y-you..." As expected, upon seeing all of the weapons obeying the words of the young man, the boss of the Spirit Emporium nearly fainted. Hed paid a hefty price in order to procure those weapons, and he was certain that they were unowned when he obtained them. Why did all of them acknowledge that fellow as their master? Gaining the acknowledgement of an artifact was an extremely troublesome matter. Without sufficient time, it was impossible to seed. For all of them to acknowledge him as their master, it could only mean one thing... In the very first ce, all of these weapons belonged to him! He felt fresh blood welling up in his throat, threatening to spill forth at any moment. In order to buy these weapons, the Spirit Emporium had even incurred a heavy debt. If everything were to be taken away by the other party, the business empire which he had built painstakingly over the course of many years would copse in an instant. Not only so, he would even fall into heavy debt as well. "As everyone can see, these artifacts belong to me. However, the Spirit Emporium stole them from me, and left with no choice, I could only resort to such a course of action. All I want now is to bring my artifacts away with me," Zhang Xuan said righteously. "Those artifacts belong to you, and you want to take them away? Pu!" Reaching the limit of his tolerance, the head of the Spirit Emporium spurted a mouthful of blood. Like heck they are yours, I bought them with a huge sum of money... They are mine! You are clearly a troublemaker wreaking havoc in my territory. I have already given you ten high-tier spirit stones, what else do you want? Do you really intend to take my entire fortune away with you? How the hell have I offended you that you must push me over the cliff? "Since these artifacts are mine, I will be taking them back now. Sun Qiang, lets go!" Just as the boss of the Spirit Emporium was overwhelmed with indignation, the young man before him swiftly stored all of the flying artifacts in his storage ring and turned around to leave. "You... Hold it right there!" Knowing that everything would be over if he allowed the young man to leave, the head of the Spirit Emporium roared furiously. The aura of a Saint surged from his body, ready to unleash a fatal strike on the young man before him at any moment. Zhang Xuan turned around and faced the boss fearlessly. "Why? Are you going to resort to violence now? You should know the consequences of snatching a master teachers possession!" If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to learn that the boss of the Spirit Emporium had stolen a master teachers possession before so many people, he would be severely dealt with. Even if he was a Saint, he could potentially stand to have his cultivation crippled or even face death! "I..." A savage expression surfaced on the boss of the Spirit Emporium. "I wont snatch the artifacts through violence, but unless you hand them over, dont even dream about stepping out of this building! Men!" Hu! The patrol squads swiftly rushed forward and block all of the exits. Wielding a weapon each in their hands, they red at Zhang Xuan ferociously, as if they would tear him apart if he dared approach them. On the other hand, the crowd in the area who were dragged into this matter turned pale in fright, and their bodies trembled uncontrobly. If they had known this would happen, they would never have stayed on to watch themotion. Now, they were doomed... "To think that the boss of the Spirit Emporium would be so underhanded as to bully a junior..." Despite the impending battle that was about to fall upon him, Zhang Xuan didnt seem panicked in the least. Instead, he sighed deeply. "To tell you the truth, I was still contemting whether I should give you a chance and leave some of the artifacts behind. However, since you are so shameless, dont me me for getting nasty then!" Disappointment was reflected in Zhang Xuans eyes. Shaking his head, he walked calmly over to the shelves, opened the casing, and tapped on the metal hammer within it twice. "This is mine!" Following which, he walked over to another artifact and tapped on it as well. "This is mine too!" "Mine as well..." "Still mine..." "All mine..." Soon, he tapped the eight remaining items in the room. The boss of the Spirit Emporium was still wondering what that fellow was up to when all of the artifacts suddenly hummed excitedly, acknowledging Zhang Xuan as their master. Every single one of them flew into the air and floated right by the young mans side. "The heck..." The boss was on the verge of insanity. That fellow was not nning to take away most of the Spirit Emporiums asset; he was nning on taking away all of its assets! If the other party was allowed to do as he pleased, everything in the Spirit Emporium would be his in less than five minutes! Screw him! "Stop him!" the boss bellowed. Hong long! Hearing the bosssmand, the guards rushed at Zhang Xuan to stop him, but the next instant, countless artifacts abruptly appeared and struck them. The artifacts were protecting their master! If those guards wanted to get to Zhang Xuan, they would have to get past the artifacts first. Even though the offensive capabilities of the artifacts werent too strong as there was no one driving them, they still managed to stall the guards. These artifacts were the possessions of the Spirit Emporium, so they didnt dare to strike too hard for fear of damaging any of them. "Boss..." the head of the guards called out. "All of you, scram!" Reaching the limits of his tolerance, the boss roared. The power of a Saint burst from his body, and under the suppression of the violent aura, the floating artifacts fell to the ground powerless with a jolt. ng ng ng ng ng! "What are you doing? You know that you have to pay for damaging my artifacts, right?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Pay? Pay your head!" Bursting with fury, the boss could maintain hisposure no longer and began hurling curses. All of those items were my precious artifacts, but you used some kind of sorcery to make them submit to you... You were the one who stole my treasures, and you still want me to pay you? How can there be such a shameless person in the world? "Today, you need not try to leave!" The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Thus, he stomped his feet. Hong long! The Spirit Emporium began to tremor, and all of the doors mmed shut. Two towering walls rose from the ground, covering all of the shelves where the artifacts were supposed to be ced. "Its a mechanism!" "I have long heard that the boss of the Spirit Emporium paid a heavy price in order to build this building, inviting forty students of the Celestial Designer School to work day and night for half a year to rush this out... I thought that those were just rumors, but it was actually true!" "Now that the Spirit Emporium has been locked down, how are we supposed to leave?" "I have no idea either... Lets just hope that we wont be implicated in this matter!" "I doubt so... That young man is a master teacher, so if the boss were to kill him, we would be eyewitnesses to the deed..." ... Seeing the boss fly into a rage and activate the mechanism of the Spirit Emporium to shut all of the exits, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, the crowd that was trapped inside stared at one another with faces pale with fright. If the boss were to really kill that master teacher, they, as eyewitnesses, surely wouldnt fare any better either! After all, if the matter were to be leaked to the Master Teacher Pavilion, the boss would be pursued by them to the ends of the world. Standing beside Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiangs face paled as well. The young masters cultivation was only at the Cosmos Bridge realm, but the enemy he was facing was a Saint... This time, they were really in deep trouble... Zhang Xuan had never told anyone about the Otherworldly Demon puppets or Vicious, so Sun Qiang was unaware of their existence as well. "So, are you intending on killing a master teacher?" Seeing the other party activating the lockdown function of the Spirit Emporium, Zhang Xuan turned to the boss and frowned. Gritting his teeth in rage, the boss sneered. "Kill a master teacher? How could I dare to do so? However, if you dont hand over my possessions this instant, I fear that I might not be able to hold myself back!" "Your possessions? These artifacts addressed me as their master and protected me, are your eyes too blind to see that? On the contrary, my possessions have brought your store prestige and ss, so the least you can do is pay me the rental fee, right?" Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. The boss staggered upon hearing those words. He felt as if he might just die of anger if he were to continue speaking if that fellow. Pay you the rental fee? You stole my possessions, and you still want me to pay you? Do you take me for a fool? Hong long long! An immense umtion of zhenqi gathered in the bosss palm, as if of the materialization of his rage. "I will give you onest warning. Return those items to me, and I can consider sparing you. I wont say this again," he threatened menacingly. Were it not for his fear of School Head Mo and School Head Zhao, he would have long made a move. Even so, his overwhelming rage was threatening to remove all reason from him,pelling him to make a move. Seeing the mass of zhenqi in the other partys hands threatening to rip him to pieces any moment now, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Warning? I have seen plenty of bandits in my life, but I have never seen one who steals as brazenly as you do. You are truly incredible! Since that is the case, allow me to let you in on a secret then!" He abruptly leaped several dozen meters forward and stepped heavily on the ground before leaping in another direction. He continued another seven times before returning back to his original position. "A secret? What are you up to?" Seeing that the fellow was up to something once more, the boss red at him warily. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan smiled brightly and said, "The fact is... this Spirit Emporium is mine as well!" Kacha! Kacha! A series of mechanisms abruptly spun into action, and the entire Spirit Emporium began to shake in euphoria. "What? The Spirit Emporium... has acknowledged him as its master as well?" The boss felt as if the entire world had gone mad. Chapter 757: Taming the Boss Chapter 757: Taming the Boss Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Spirit Euphoria? The Spirit Emporium has acknowledged him as its master?" "What in the world happened?" "How did that fellow do it?" ... The crowd trapped in the room were shocked speechless. At this moment, they finally realized the queerness of the young man before them. With just a few pats here and there, all of the artifacts acknowledged him as their master. With just a few steps, even the Spirit Emporium submitted to him... Was there anything in the world he couldnt tame? It was no wonder the boss of the Spirit Emporium was so furious! If they were to see their own possessions being imed by others in such a manner, they would have gone on a rampage as well! "Young Master..." Sun Qiangs eyelids twitched uncontrobly. Hed thought that when the young master said that he would cause trouble, he would only force the other party topensate for the assault. But from the looks of it, that wasnt just it. He was nning to overturn the other partys entirety! This was too vicious! Even though the old master was also rather extreme as well, he would at least hold back considering his position as a master teacher. On the other hand, it was as if the young master waspletely out of control! However... no matter what, the other party was a Saint! He might be able to hold back for a moment in consideration of the young masters standing as a master teacher, but under such relentless provocation, his tolerance would swiftly wear thin... By then, there would be no one but the old master who could save them. "I want you dead!" As if Sun Qiangs worst fears hade to be, the boss of the Spirit Emporium roared furiously, and raising his palm, the formidable might of a Saint realm expert came crashing toward his young master. "Young Master..." rmed, Sun Qiang was just about to rush up to take the blow for the young master when thetter abruptly raised his palm. "Barrier!" With those words, dozens of artifacts flew up and stood in front of Zhang Xuan, protecting him from the blow. At the same time, the ground rumbled as the whirring of mechanisms echoed in the air. Several towering walls rose from the ground, sealing both Zhang Xuan and the boss within it. "Young Master..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was locked together with a rampaging Saint realm expert in a narrow space, Sun Qiang immediately rushed forward anxiously. To his shock, however, he realized that the walls blocking him were made of an incredibly resilient material which he couldnt break with his current strength. "How could I have allowed this happen? If a mishap befalls the young master, how can I ever face the old master?" Sun Qiang cried as he punched the walls desperately. Before meeting the old master, he had been nothing more than a humble merchant, destined to spend his entire life in a daze in Tianxuan Kingdom, never venturing out to see the wider world beyond. It was the old master who brought him out from the well he was in, granting his great responsibility despite his humble birth, and helped to raise his cultivation... The old master had entrusted the young master to his care. If something were to happen to the young master, he would be a sinner! "Young Master, nothing can happen to you..." With a trembling body, Sun Qiang fumbled around the wall, attempting to find any point of weaknesses on the wall which he could exploit. However, the wall was built of materials far beyond his current strength. No matter how hard he tried, he was powerless before it. Peng peng peng peng! At that moment, the sound of fists and legs sinking into flesh echoed from within the walls. "The young master is getting beaten up..." Those sounds sent Sun Qiang into utter panic. His eyes reddened in anxiety, and his heart pounded in apprehension. "No, I must save the young master, even at the cost of my life..." He didnt know what else he could at the moment, so he could only try ramming at the wall with his body. However, at that moment, a scream of agony sounded. "AHHHH! Stop hitting me! "I admit that Im at fault; I beg you to let me off!" Hearing that voice, the fidgety Sun Qiang suddenly froze on the spot. That voice didnte from the young master but... the boss of the Spirit Emporium! The boss was begging for mercy? Could it be that... the young master was pummeling the Saint realm boss within the walls? bbergasted, Sun Qiang stared at the walls before him with his mouth agape. ... Returning back to the time when the boss of the Spirit Emporium made a move on Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan knew that even with the artifacts protecting him, he wouldntst long against the boss. Thus, he immediately activated the mechanism of the Spirit Emporium and summoned the walls beneath the ground to seclude themselves from the world outside. This way, he would be able to do anything he wished without worrying about prying eyes. Hu hu hu! As soon as those walls were in ce, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and whipped out a book and twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets. "Get him!" Zhang Xuan ordered. With the experience from pummeling the Byzantium Helios Beast, those puppets rushed at the boss and began beating him viciously from head to toe. All along, the boss had thought that he was only dealing with a Cosmos Bridge realmd, so there was nothing for him to worry about. Who would have thought the other party would suddenly summon so many Saint realm experts? Before he could even process what was going on, heavy blows were raining down him, leaving him with heavy bruises and swelling everywhere. After enduring the heavy beatings for a few moments, he finally found an opening for him to escape. But just as he was about to move, an overwhelming killing intent crushed down on him, rendering him immobile. As such, he could only continue to suffer the beating. His current cultivation was only at Saint realm primary stage, a far way off from matching up to the Byzantium Helios Beast. Given how even thetter was done in, how could he possibly withstand the onught of the Otherworldly Demon puppets? In just a few moments, he was already utterly subdued. While the Spirit Emporium was important, how could itpare to his life? Considering that the other party could retain hisposure before his wrath, it was likely that he wasnt some kind soul either. If he didnt beg for mercy, chances were that the other party might just watch nonchntly as he was beaten to death. Left with no choice, he could only plead for his life. "You want me to spare you? Offer your soul to me and acknowledge me as your master!" Zhang Xuan replied indifferently to his pleading. Zhang Xuan did consider whether he should just kill the boss of the Spirit Emporium, but the death of a Saint would likely result in a huge storm in the city. That could mean a great deal of trouble for him. However, he couldnt simply let the other party off either, especially after all that had happened. Thus, after some contemtion, hed decided to force the other party into submission instead. As long as he could hold the other partys soul captive, he wouldnt need to worry about the other party divulging his secret. At the same time, he would gain a Saint realmckey as well, which would give him more room to deal with matters without resorting to the Otherworldly Demon puppets. The Otherworldly Demon puppets were his trump card, but they were a double-edged sword as well. Anything rted to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was sensitive, and he might be branded as a traitor of humanity if he were to be spotted with the puppets. Thus, it would be best for him to limit his usage of them. "You want me to offer my soul to you?" The boss was taken aback. In a sense, this was simr to the contract between a beast tamer and their tamed beast. However, establishing a contract between humans wasnt as simple a procedure. One had to have a profound understanding of souls in order to do so. Of all the upations, the only one known to be capable of such a feat was the soul oracle. If that fellow was asking this of him, did it mean that he was a soul oracle? But hadnt that upation gone extinct yet? Seeing the hesitation in the bosss eyes, Zhang Xuan impatientlymanded, "Continue beating him, do not stop until hes dead..." "Wait a moment!" The boss of the Spirit Emporium waved his hands in a fluster as the puppets in the area marched ferociously toward him once more. As long as he could continue living, he wouldnt hesitate to acknowledge another man as his master. He had oncemitted banditry, and ironically, the experience ended up teaching him how valuable life was. Before it, dignity and pride were mere transient qualities. "Ill... acknowledge you as my master!" the boss said, knowing that it was either this or death. He severed a portion of his soul, and a powerful force abruptly pulled it into the be of the young man before him. As a Saint realm expert, he had already gained a certain degree of control over his soul, allowing him to sever a portion of it easily. "Formidable..." As soon as that fragment of his soul seeped into the other partys be, he saw an immense soul reminiscent of a giant towering before it. The bosss face paled in fright. He was a Saint realm expert, but the other partys soul was innumerable timesrger and stronger than his. In terms of the strength of their souls, he was no match for the young man before him at all. It was as if pitting an undeveloped child against a behemoth! Could it be that... he is really a soul oracle? But even soul oracles wouldnt have such a powerful soul... The bosss body trembled in astonishment. Even though he had never met a soul oracle before, he had once read a few records on them. While soul oracles did specialize in soul cultivation, it wasnt to such an exaggerated extent. The soul he was seeing before him shattered what he had thought to be possible for a soul... Just how in the world did the other party cultivate his soul? And where did this freake from? Hu! While the boss was immersed in his shock, the fragment of his soul was fused into the other partys soul. With this, as long as the young man before him willed it, he would die instantaneously. Not daring to show the slightest disrespect for the young man, he hurriedly sped his fist and bowed respectfully. "Master!" "Good, call me Young Master!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After the affair with Mo Hunsheng, Zhang Xuan had some experience with establishing a contract with other humans, so it went much smoother this time. "Yes, Young Master!" the boss replied politely. Knowing that the other party was no longer able to stand against him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He returned Vicious and the other Otherworldly Demon puppets into his ring before turning to the boss and asking, "What is your name?" Since the other party was his subordinate now, he should at least know the other partys name. After all, he couldnt possibly keep addressing the other party as boss! "I am Wei Changfeng 1 !" the boss replied. "Braving through the wind and waves... You have a good name. Alright, Ill call you Little Feng 2 then!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Yes!" Wei Changfeng nodded hurriedly. "Keep everything that has happened in here a secret. Not a soul is to learn of it!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Dont worry, Young Master. I wont speak a word of it to anyone!" Wei Changfeng replied. For a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator tomand twenty Saint realm puppets... No one would believe his words even if he were to divulge it! After ensuring that the other party wouldnt divulge the matter, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Following which, he asked, "Do you know why I came to your Spirit Emporium to cause trouble?" "Forgive me for my ignorance, but I am unaware of the reason!" Wei Changfeng replied with a sliver of doubt in his tone. "The reason is simple, your Spirit Emporium, out of greed, attempted toy its hands on my students and butler. These men are your subordinates, right?" With a casual grasp, the roof of the Spirit Emporium opened up, and the Great Violetwing Beast flew in and tossed four semi-dead fellows in. Upon seeing the faces of the four men, Wei Changfengs face twitched as he replied, "Yes!" "Ill leave it to you to deal with them!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Also, I want you to clear whatever work you have the Spirit Emporium as soon as possible ande work for me. Dont worry, as long as you do well, I will guide you in your cultivation and bring you to greater heights!" "Yes!" Wei Changfeng nodded in response. As a servant, he could only take whatever his master said at face value. He didnt have the right to refuse the other party. In truth, he didnt really believe that Zhang Xuan would be able to raise his cultivation. After all, as a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, how could the other party have the knowledge and experience to guide him, a Saint realm cultivator, in his cultivation? That was a huge joke! "You dont believe me?" Seeing through Wei Changfengs thoughts, Zhang Xuan smiled. "I dare not to!" Wei Changfeng swiftly replied. "If I am not mistaken, the reason you started the Spirit Emporium and stole the artifacts of others is all to save a person, right?" Zhang Xuan asked impassively. "H-how did you know?" Wei Changfengs eyes widened in astonishment. Chapter 758: Returning to the Academy Chapter 758: Returning to the Academy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 When Wei Changfeng had executed a battle technique against him, Zhang Xuan had alreadypiled a book on him via the Library of Heavens Path. Initially, he harbored great disdain for the other party for the vile deeds he had done, but after learning of the reason behind his actions, he couldnt help but feel a little pity for him. It wasnt that Wei Changfeng was a person with insatiable greed, but that he needed those to save a life. "Regardless of how I know, I can tell you this. As long as you serve me well, I will help you save her. Even if it is beyond my means, I will do my best to find someone who possesses the ability to do so!" Zhang Xuan said. "Y-you..." Wei Changfengs body trembled. The other party was right. The reason he had opened the Spirit Emporium and gathered all kinds of artifacts in it despite risking making a lot of enemies was all so to treat his severely ill daughter. His daughters vitals had been wounded when she was still a fetus, resulting in her innate frailty from birth. He had sought many famous physicians, but there were none who could offer him a solution. In the end, it was a 6-star pinnacle physician who had given him a prescription and told him that he could lengthen the lifespan of his daughter by feeding her the spirit contained within artifacts. It was through this matter that his daughter hadsted the past few years. However, this only alleviated her condition temporary, and its effectiveness was wearing thin. If a cure couldnt be found soon, she wouldnt have long to live. However, this issue was only known amongst the Saints in Hongyuan City. How did he learn of it? "If the young master can really save my daughter, I will do anything to repay the favor, even if it means braving through hell!" Recalling the various incredible means of the young man before him, Wei Changfeng couldnt help but have his hopes lifted. He immediately kneeled to the floor and bowed. "I dont need you to brave through hell for me. As long as you serve me well, you will be well rewarded!" Zhang Xuan said as he took out a wine gourd and passed it over. "Drink it!" "Yes!" Even though Wei Changfeng was surprised by the abrupt gesture, he didnt dare to disobey the other partys words. Thus, he pried open the lid and gulped down the wine. Gugugugu! As the fine wine entered his body, he immediately felt a warm surge of energy flowing through his veins. At a pace visible to the eye, the injuries he had sustained from the puppets healed, and before long, he had already made a full recovery. "This is... Saint recovery medicine?" Wei Changfeng narrowed his eyes. Despite being a Saint realm expert and the head of the Spirit Emporium, he had never seen a Saint recovery medicine with effects as pronounced as this. For his wounds to heal immediately after drinking it... Perhaps, the young master might just be able to save his daughters life! "Lets clear up this mess first!" Zhang Xuan said. If he wanted to win the absolute loyalty of his subordinates, he would have to strike a bnce between the carrot and stick. After forcing the other party in submission, it was only right to give him some benefits so as to give him some expectations for the future. Otherwise, even if Zhang Xuan held his soul hostage, if the other partys heart wasnt with him, that would be no different from carrying a ticking time bomb around with him. "Yes!" Knowing that it was impossible for the young master to save his daughter considering that he had yet to achieve anything for the other party, Wei Changfeng didnt pursue the matter. Jiya! The mechanisms rumbled, the wall isting the duo slowly vanished, and Sun Qiang and the others came into sight. "Boss!" The guards rushed forward anxiously, but upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was still alive and kicking, the guards encircled him and drew their weapons. "Insolent!" Wei Changfeng leaped in fright upon seeing that sight. "From today onward, he shall be my young master, so you must address him as young master as well. You must treat him with even more respect with me, and anyone who defies this order will be killed. There will be no chances given!" "Young master?" The guards were taken aback. Did the boss hit his head somewhere? The other party had just wreaked havoc in his territory, and he was ordering them to address the culprit as young master? But despite their bewilderment, they knew that the boss wasnt kidding given the grim expression on his face. Thus, they lowered their heads and sped their fists. "Paying respect to the young master!" "This..." The cultivators watching the spectacle from the side were stunned speechless. Theyd thought that it was incredible of that young man to make all of those artifacts and even the Spirit Emporium acknowledge him as their master... But to think that he would even tame the Saint realm boss of the Spirit Emporium! Could there be anything more exaggerated than this? "Young Master..." Sun Qiangs lips twitched. He was still worried that some mishap would befall on the young master... But from the looks of it now, his worries were unfounded. To tame a Saint realm cultivator despite being at Cosmos Bridge realm, the young master was just a step away from shattering the atmosphere! "As expected of the old masters student, he does have the old masters ir in him!" Sun Qiang remarked in awe. After organizing the guards, Wei Changfeng turned to the crowd and sped his fist. "Everyone, I ask of you not to speak a word of what happened here today outside. You will have my gratitude for that." Even though these men hadnt seen the battle for themselves, it did seem that the young master intended to keep a low profile, so it would be ideal for him to limit any rumors as far as he could. In any case, the young master hadnt revealed his name at any point, so these men would be unlikely to point him out anyway. "Dont worry, Boss. Our lips are sealed!" "Confidentiality has always been my strong suit..." The cultivators hurriedly nodded. Considering that a master teacher and the boss of the Spirit Emporium were involved in this conflict, they would not dare gossip about it for fear of losing their heads. And more importantly... even if they were to talk about the affairs that had happened today, others would simply take them as lunatics! After all, they wouldnt have believed such a thing to be possible either if they hadnt witnessed it themselves. Hearing the voices of agreement, Wei Changfeng turned to the attendants and instructed, "Men, give these guests a gift package each aspensation for the trauma they have suffered from this incident!" To be able to build a business empire from scratch and sustain it for so many years in Hongyuan Empire wasnt an easy feat. Wei Changfeng was also quite a capable person himself. With a suitable use of threat and reward, those men should understand that it wouldnt be to their advantage to talk. "Good!" Seeing how Xiao Feng dealt with the incident promptly, Zhang Xuan nodded inmendation. In truth, the Spirit Emporium didnt have as many fakes as hed imed. Most of it was due to his framing. Even though the appraiser did exaggerate about the grade-6 pill, it wasnt so extreme that it could be considered poison. In truth, the so-called poison was a surge of zhenqi which he slipped into the pill while holding the jade box. After learning the Heavens Path Poison Art, he could turn his Heavens Path zhenqi into lethal poison on a whim. With that, poisoning a Sample Pill Beast to death was not a difficult feat at all. If someone had realized what was going on and waited for a moment longer with the pill, the zhenqi he had hidden inside would have dissipated and lost its effect. As for the Bronze Gong, as a soul oracle, it was exceedingly easy for him to nullify its soul attack. Most of the subsequent fakes that he had pointed out were also tampered by him one way in another. He had identified their ws via the Library of Heavens Path and framed his cases ordingly. As easy as that, everything in the room had soon turned into a fake. As for the acknowledgement by the artifacts, just as Sun Qiang had thought, Zhang Xuan had already made them submit to him while introducing the various fakes to the crowd. If the other party had chosen topensate him, he would have left without doing anything. Otherwise, hed nned to tear apart the other partys nest with their own artifacts. "Lets return!" Since Wei Changfeng had sent his men after Sun Qiang, it was natural that he would know where their residence was. With his soul shackled, he would surelye to them after finishing up whatever he had to do at the Spirit Emporium. With his goal achieved, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to remain in the Spirit Emporium any longer. Thus, he and Sun Qiang leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and soared into the sky, disappearing from everyones sight. Back at the residence... "Young master, these are the high-tier spirit stones that the boss of the Spirit Emporium gave us earlier on!" Sun Qiang passed over the ten high-tier spirit stones which he had taken from Wei Changfeng earlier on. "Alright!" Grabbing hold of them, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. After which, he instructed, "You need not worry about money any longer. Go ahead and find arger residence for us." With the boss of the Spirit Emporium as his subordinate, money was no longer an issue to them. Naturally, it was about time for them to find a more fitting residence. Honestly speaking, this ce was a little too small for his liking. There wasnt even enough space for him to interrogate the Byzantium Helios Beast. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded. "For the time being, you all wont require high-tier spirit stones for your cultivation. Here are some artifacts and pills, deal with them as you deem fit. If it is of any use to your cultivation, go ahead and use it!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the various items which he had taken from the Spirit Emporium earlier. Sun Qiang stored the items in his storage ring and nodded. With these items, Zheng Yang and the others would be able to advance their cultivation by leaps and bounds. Sun Qiang suddenly recalled a matter and reported, "Young Master, when I was out earlier today, I saw a residence that fits our criteria. Not only is it in close proximity to the Master Teacher Academy, it also has all of the amenities we require. However... it seemed like someone has just purchased it!" "It cant be helped if someone has already taken it. Hongyuan City is very big; it shouldnt be too difficult for us to find anotherrger residence, Zhang Xuan replied. Since the residence was only purchased recently, it was unlikely that the owner would be willing to sell it for the time being. Since that was the case, they might have better luck searching for another residence in the city. Besides, they werent in a rush either. "Alright. I will be in the Master Teacher Academy the next few days. If there is anything urgent, contact me through the Great Violetwing Beast. If that fails, go ahead and liaise with Xiao Feng!" Zhang Xuan instructed. After Zhang Xuan was done with the arrangements, he leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and flew for the academy. With this matter resolved, it was about time for him to head to the Terpsichore School and Demonic Tunist School to browse through their books. He had to deal with the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul as soon as possible so as to avoid any unexpected circumstances. Zhang Xuan had the Great Violetwing Beastnd at the Elite Sector before sending it back to Sun Qiangs side. Just as he was about to ask around where the Demonic Tunist School and Terpsichore School were, he suddenly heard knocking on his door. Opening his door, he saw Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, Song Chao, and a few others standing at the doorway. After the entrance examination, they had been settled into their dormitories by Bai shi and the other seniors. Upon hearing that Zhang shi had taken up a residence in the Elite Sector, they came over to pay their greetings. After trading a few pleasantries, Ruohuan gongzi dived into the main topic at hand and asked, "Brother Zhang, there is an event for students to find their teachers today. Are you going to participate in it?" "I will pass." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had no intentions of finding a teacher. With the Library of Heavens Path, all he needed was an ample number of books. "Actually, the reason we came to look for you today is to seek Brother Zhang opinion on which teacher we should acknowledge in the academy!" Ruohuan gongzi said sheepishly. In terms of age, he and Luo Xuan could be considered as Zhang Xuans senior. However, in the Master Teacher Continent, seniority was determined by ones capability. In a sense, addressing Zhang Xuan as a fellow peer could be considered as a sign of respect to him. "This... I am not too familiar with the teachers of the academy." Zhang Xuan shook his head. How could he know which teacher would be the best in the academy? He wasnt going to seek a teacher in the first ce! "You arent familiar with the teachers of the academy? How can that be! We have already heard the rumors, and it seemed like you even rejected School Head Mos offer to be his direct disciple..." Luo Xuan eximed in disbelief. Zhang shi had performed outstandingly in the entrance examination, winning over School Head Mos admiration. As such, thetter had offered to take the other in as his direct disciple, only to be tly rejected. This matter had already spread like wildfire across the entire academy. Since you rejected even School Head Mos offer, doesnt that mean that you have a better candidate in mind? "I havent thought that far yet. Speaking of which, since you are here, does it mean that you already have a person in mind? Why dont you tell me? I will help you ask around!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Since they were asking for his opinion, they must have already taken a look around and had a candidate in mind, just that they were still feeling a little uncertain about their choices. Most freshmencked connections with the seniors to enquire about the various teachers in the academy. However, Zhang Xuan was acquainted with Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er, as well as several school heads in the academy. If those didnt work, he could also ask the students in the Elite Sector; surely at least one of them would be willing to share some insights. Even though it had only been two days since Zhang Xuan had cleared the entrance examination, he had already forged several connections which allowed him to maneuver around the academy easily. Chapter 759: Ashen Moon Faction Chapter 759: Ashen Moon Faction Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The teachers of the ten schools will be conducting a public lecture each on the Impartation Podiumter today. We hope that Brother Zhang can attend it with us. Your eyes are far more discerning than ours, so we trust your judgement more," Ruohuan gongzi said awkwardly. After suffering multiple blows whilepeting with the man before him, he knew better than anyone else that the other party was a man of incredible capability. If the other party could help him find a teacher, it would definitely be far better than him fumbling around and trying his luck. There were only three days for students to find a teacher. Their future was at stake here. They could soar to great heights with a good teacher, but if they were to make a mistake with this, they could potentially end up capping their future aplishments instead. Eventually, theyd decided that it would be best for them to consult Zhang Xuan on this matter. They had alle from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so they were familiar with one another. Even whenpared to Hong shi and the others, Zhang shis judgement was still far more precise and urate. "Impartation Podium? Public lecture?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Too overwhelmed by challenging the cksmith examination, he hadnt had the time to learn what was going on in the academy yet. The Impartation Podium stood at the very center of the academy, and it was usually the venue for most major events. At the same time, it also served as a dueling tform for students to resolve their differences. As for public lectures, he had heard of them back when he was still a teacher in Hongtian Academy. To put it simply, it was a lesson which anyone could attend if they wanted. The public lectures served as a tform for students to assess a teachers capability so that they could better choose their teachers. At the same time, it also introduced a fair degree of rivalry among the teaching staff, encouraging them to work harder and strive for excellence in their teaching. "Yes, does Zhang shi want to head over as well?" Everyone turned to look at Zhang Xuan. Seeing the determined expressions on their faces, it was clear that they wouldnt give up easily on this matter. After all, it was extremely easy for one to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of master teachers conducting public lectures there. This choice could potentially determine how far they would rise as a master teacher, so they werent willing to take it lightly. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright, I will go with you all then. This will be a good opportunity to see the standard of the teachers in the academy..." Since most of the teachers were participating in this event, it was unlikely that there would be any people at the Terpsichore School or Demonic Tunist School, making it difficult for him to find the books he sought. Thus, he might as well make use of the time to take a peek at the quality of lessons in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy so that he could have a rough gauge of where he stood. With Zhang Xuan having made up his mind, the group headed left for the Impartation Podium. It was some distance away from the Elite Sector, but with their current cultivation, it didnt take too long for them to arrive at their destination. There was only one word that could be used to describe the venuecongested. All thirty thousand freshmen were currently standing atop the Impartation Podium, in search of a suitable teacher for them. There were also a couple of seniors who had decided to join in the bustle as well. Despite the immense size of the podium, it waspletely packed with men. One would have easily gotten lost if it had been their first time here. Ruohuan gongzi had looked into the event beforehand, so he began introducing the various technicalities regarding it. "In order to better facilitate the freshmen around the various public lectures held by the teachers, they have divided the Impartation Podium in a manner such that theres a narrow passageway for movement, and as long as one walks along the passageway, they will be able to listen to the lectures held by all of the teachers." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nced at the crowd ahead of him, and indeed, he could see that most people were heading in the same direction, which was likely where the passageway Ruohuan gongzi mentioned was. Standing on elevated tforms on both sides of the passageway were teachers who were busy lecturing the crowd gathered around them. Being too far away, the group wasnt able to hear the content of the lectures. Nevertheless, they could see the intoxicated looks of the students listening to the lectures, seemingly fully-immersed in the lecturers words. Nearly all of the teachers in the Master Teacher Academy were 6-star master teachers, and at such a level, how could their ability to impart knowledge possibly becking? No matter how boring their lessons might be, their deep understanding of cultivation easily made up for it. Their words carried a kind of strength that drew people in, leaving the listeners deeply entranced by the brand-new world opened to them. "Juniors, may I interest you in the Teacher Information Documentation?" Just as the group was about to follow the crowd into the passageway, a smiling young man suddenly walked up to them and blocked their way. The young man seemed to be in his thirties, possessing anky figure reminiscent of a bamboo. A 5-star emblem stood on his chest, which showed that he was at least a Grade-2 student in the academy. "Teacher Information Documentation?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The young man nced in the surroundings, and after ensuring that no one was looking, he whipped out a book and passed it over while whispering in a hushed voice, "Yes. Our Ashen Moon Faction has speciallypiled all of the information regarding the teachers in the academy, as well as their various unique characteristics, interests, and the results of their students. Using this as a reference as you listen to the various public lectures, you will be able to make a better choice..." "There is such a thing?" Bewildered, Zhang Xuan took the book, and just as he was about to flip it open, the young man before abruptly stopped him. "Every single one of us in the Master Teacher Academy possesses a photographic memory. If I allow you to browse through the book, how am I supposed to sell it? If you wish to look at it, you will have to buy it..." Anyone with a Soul Depth beyond 10 would possess a photographic memory. Considering that the minimum requirement to enter the academy was for one to be a 4-star master teacher, it meant that every single student had a photographic memory. The Teacher Information Documentation contained extremely precious information, and the other party was clearly intending on using it to earn some additional money. If he were to allow his customers to browse through it and memorize its contents, who would bother buying the book? "How much does it cost?" Ruohuan gongzi asked. Since this document had been prepared by the seniors, it should be urate. If they could buy a copy, it would help facilitate them in choosing which teacher to acknowledge. "Our Ashen Moon Faction spent great effort to gather andpile the information, so we have to charge a higher price in order to recoup our losses. Each copy costs a hundred middle-tier spirit stones, and the price isnt up for negotiation!" the young man said. "A hundred middle-tier spirit stones?" Everyone was shocked. Coming from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Ruohuan gongzi had barely seen any middle-tier spirit stones in his life. Luo Xuan, who hade from the strongest sect in the region, fared slightly better in his financial position, but forking out a hundred middle-tier spirit stones was still far beyond his means. As for Song Chao, he could hardly take out a middle-tier spirit stone under Zhang Xuans beguilement back then, so asking him to take out a hundred at once was clearly asking too much. In other words, of all of them, Zhang Xuan was the only one who could afford the document! The price sure was steep! Taking the distressed expressions before him into sight, the young man hurriedly said, "You all find the documentation expensive? You do know that there is detailed information on each and every teacher in here, right? Once you find a suitable teacher, its just a matter of time before you make the breakthrough to be a 5-star master teacher. By then, you wont need to worry about having insufficient middle-tier spirit stones anymore!" There was a huge gap between each rank of a master teacher. While there were limited opportunities for a 4-star master teacher to earn middle-tier spirit stones, 5-star master teachers didnt have such a worry. "Thank you for your concern, but we dont need it!" Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head. A hundred middle-tier spirit stones for a document... That was daylight robbery! Besides, Zhang Xuan didnt need such a thing either. For one, he had just touched the book earlier, and a replica had appeared in his mind... On top of that, his version was more detailed with indications to mark which information was inurate. "You dont need it? How could you not need it? Finding a suitable teacher in the academy is of utmost importance! If you take this lightly, you might just find yourself unable to progress a single step forward as a master teacher, and eventually, you might even end up being expelled by the academy..." Not expecting the freshmen to turn down his offer, the young man froze for a moment before hurriedly trying to persuade them. Rejecting a teacher that one had acknowledged was an extremely troublesome process that could result in dire consequences, so it was extremely important for the freshmen to choose their teacher wisely. If they were to make the wrong decision, their future would be bleak. "We really dont need it. We bought a copy earlier, so we dont need another one!" Zhang Xuan said. "You have already bought one?" The young man froze for a moment before a thought struck him, and he said, "Did you buy from the True Helios Faction instead? I can tell you safely that the documentation they have is iplete and inurate, so you will be far safer buying from me..." "If I may ask, what are the True Helios Faction and Ashen Moon Faction that you speak of?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. "You dont know?" The young man was shocked for an instant before nodding in realization. "I forgot, you have just arrived in the academy, so its natural for you to be unaware of it. Our academy has many student organizations, and every single one of them was established by the strongest students in the academy. Our Ashen Moon Faction is led by Senior Long Cangyue while the True Helios Faction is headed by Senior Xue Zhenyang!" "Long Cangyue? Xue Zhenyang?" "Un, both of them are esteemed Grade-5 seniors, and they possess formidable strength. As long as you join any organization, you will be given the opportunity to receive pointers from the seniors!" the young man said proudly. "Receive pointers?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before he understood what was going on. To be a Grade-5 student, one had to be a 6-star low-tier master teacher. (Grade-1 students are at 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star; Grade-2 students are at 5-star low-tier, Grade-3 students are at 5-star high-tier; Grade-4 students are at 5-star pinnacle; Grade-5 students are at 6-star low-tier.) Often, a teacher would be paired with many students, and this left them little time to care for all of them. Thus, it would be highly beneficial if they could receive the pointers of a 6-star low-tier master teacher outside of lessons as well. "Indeed. The academy is filled with many geniuses, and if you cant keep up, you will onlyg behind. This means that you might lose the opportunity to go on experiential training and obtain valuable cultivation resources... If you wish to keep up, the only way before you is to join one of these factions!" the young man said. Hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others couldnt help but nod in agreement. Unlike Zhang shi, they didnt possess extraordinary talent or capability. Unless they received all of the resources they could get, it was impossible for them to stand out amidst all of the geniuses in the Master Teacher Academy. If they couldnt stand out, they might lose out on many valuable opportunities offered by the academy, thus limiting their future achievements. Thus, it was inevitable that they would have to join one of these student factions. "Alright, you will get to know more of it in the future, so there is no need to worry about it at this point. For now, what is important is for you to find a teacher who fits your criteria, and the documentation offered by the True Helios Faction wont be enough for it. I am only saying this out of worry, but you really should buy the one from our Ashen Moon Faction. Not to brag, but our Senior Long Cangyue received a much higher cing than Senior Xue Zhenyang in the Annual Tournament..." The young man continued to advertise the book in his hand. "I appreciate your gesture, but we really dont need it..." If the book only cost one or two middle-tier spirit stone, Zhang Xuan could still consider buying it. But a hundred? That was clearly exploitation! How could he agree to it? Thus, he decided to turn down the offer. Seeing that the few freshmen before him were still unwilling to buy the document after all he had said, the young mans face darkened. "You refuse? That wont do! Since you bought the documentation from True Helios Faction, you must buy the one from our Ashen Moon Faction as well. Otherwise, I can tell you that you will face a lot of trouble in the future for offending us!" The smile had disappeared from his face, and his tone was menacing. "Face a lot of trouble? Are you threatening us?" Zhang Xuan asked impassively. The young man harrumphed. "Threatening? Of course not, this is just a warning from me in my capacity as your senior. Even though all of the students in the Master Teacher Academy are master teachers, the water here isnt as calm as it seems!" Chapter 760: Meeting the White-robed Lady Once More Chapter 760: Meeting the White-robed Lady Once More Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Oh? Why is that so?" Zhang Xuan asked with a smile, unfazed by the other partys threat. "There is a limit to the cultivation resources, training fields, and opportunities that the academy can offer to the students each year. Even slots for working as the receptionists or attendants of the various schools donte easily! If you offend our Ashen Moon Faction, I can guarantee you that we possess more than sufficient power to ensure that you wont be able tond yourself any missions or tasks year after year, making it impossible for you to earn even a single Academic Credit!" the young man said. As a powerful student faction in the academy, it wasnt too difficult for them to make the life of a freshman a living hell. "Unless..." The young man paused. "Unless you join our Ashen Moon Faction! Only if you join us will we extend our umbre of protection to you. No other faction will dare to seek trouble with you, and there are also many faction-based missions and tasks that you will be able to participate in to earn Academic Credits. More importantly... if you join now, we can give you a copy of our Teacher Information Documentation for free, sparing you from the additional expense!" "There are so many benefits from joining the Ashen Moon Faction? But there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world... What will we have to give in return?" Ruohuan gongzi asked. Since the faction was willing to offer its members so many benefits, surely it had to receive something in return. Otherwise, who would be so kind-hearted as to open a charity in thepetitive academy? "Simple. Once you be a member, you must obey the leadership of the Ashen Moon Sect. On top of that, you must pay an Academic Credit to the faction each year and help manage the businesses of the faction," the young man replied. "Pay an Academic Credit to the faction? Help manage the businesses of the faction?" Everyone fell into deep thought. As they had expected, such a sweet deal couldnt possibly be without its shorings. Putting aside how they didnt have a single Academic Credit with them at the moment, even if they did, there was no Academic Credit that came easily. One Academic Credit each year was definitely a huge sum for them as Grade-1 students. At the same time, they couldnt help but be shocked by how lucrative factions were. If the faction were to have a hundred men, wouldnt that mean that they would receive a hundred Academic Credits annually? It was no wonder the Grade-5 seniors would devote their time to establishing student factions and offering pointers to the members of their factions! With such benefits, they would do it if they were in the other partys position as well! As for the businesses, their primary function was probably to finance the expenses of the faction. After all, be it to build connections, conduct activities, or to reward the contributions of its members, they would surely need a source of ie for its operations. As master teachers, the students all had supporting upations, so they could contribute to the finances of the faction through offering pills they had forged or weapons they had smithed. For one, the young man before them who was marketing the Teacher Information Documentation to them would probably have to hand the profits earned over to the faction eventually. The young man harrumphed. "Thats right. You only have two options now. You can either buy the document or join our faction, or else you can look forward to endless trouble in the academy!" "Zhang shi..." Ruohuan gongzi, Song Chao, and the others quickly turned their sights over to Zhang Xuan. Thetter had already be their pir of support, so in times of difficulty, they couldnt help but subconsciously look toward him for help. "My apologies, but we will be taking neither of the options!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He wasnt interested in the book nor the benefits the faction had to offer. No matter how powerful the student factions were, could they be any greater than bing the junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers? Since hed already turned down thetter, how could he possibly be, in the least, interested in the former? "You have guts! Youd better pray that you manage to find a strong backer in this event, or else be prepared to be put through living hell in the academy!" Seeing that the group before him rejecting his offer, the young man red at them ferociously before flinging his sleeves and leaving. "Zhang shi, what should we do if they reallye knocking on our doors?" Song Chao and the others asked worriedly. They didnt have Zhang Xuans capability or backing, so unlike him, they couldnt afford to offend a powerful organization in the academy. Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "We are in the Master Teacher Academy, so they dare not go too far. If they really try to pull something, I will look for School Head Mo and School Head Zhao to intervene in the matter, so you dont have to worry. For the time being, let us focus on finding a teacher for you first." Since they were master teachers, even if they wished to provoke another student, they would have to y within the rules... And in a game of rules, Zhang Xuan was confident that he could leave them on the verge of a breakdown. Putting aside a mere student faction, even all of the Ten Great Master Teachers might not be a match for him in that regard! Hearing Zhang Xuans promise, the others felt a little reassured. "Alright, we will be depending on you then..." As the group made their way to the passageway, they encountered a few other factions such as the Descending Lunar Faction and Demon Assembly Faction. They attempted to persuade them to either join their faction or purchase their intelligence as well. Zhang Xuan casually took hold of their documents, and after noting that they were all around the same as the one offered by the Ashen Moon Faction, he turned them down politely. Seeing the freshmen refusing all of their offers and rushing straight to the public lecture, the seniors in charge of selling the documents and promoting their factions shot them looks of sympathy. If one wanted to soar in the academy, there were two conventions they would have to go through. One, they had to find themselves a suitable teacher. Two, they had to join a faction. Otherwise, if they were to go independent, they would be vulnerable to any trouble, and every single step they took would be fraught with difficulties. Academic Credits would fall beyond their reach, causing their progress to stagnate. Not bothered by those arrogant seniors, Zhang Xuan led the group straight toward the passageway. A long queue had formed at the entrance of the passageway. On the very first stage, a forty-year-old teacher was currently in the midst of his lecture. Despite the loud bustle in the surroundings, the crowd beneath could still hear his voice resounding by their ears clearly, as if he was speaking to them personally. "The core of cultivation lies in the heart. In the Consonant Spirit realm, one seeks to achieve a harmony between the body and soul, and in order to temper ones soul, one has to temper ones heart first..." ording to a que hanging on the stage, he was a 6-star high-tier master teacher from the Apothecary School named Li Yuan, and the content of his lecture was regarding cultivation in the Consonant Spirit realm. After listening to it for a short moment, Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though the middle-aged teachers lecture was still miles away from matching up to him and there were several mistakes in his understanding, Zhang Xuan still had to admit that the content he delivered was novel. If it was anyone else who was listening to this lecture, he might just receive a stroke of inspiration and advance even further in the Consonant Spirit realm. However, it was useless to Zhang Xuan. "This Li shi from the Apothecary School is very detailed in his exnations, and he is very generous as well. If you were to be his student, you should be able to get a huge discount off his pills, sparing you a lot of money..." With a hushed voice, Zhang Xuan swiftly introduced the profile of the middle-aged teacher on the stage. They had participated in the Master Teacher Tournament alongside Zhang Xuan, and they knew that he possessed the ability to view the content of a book without even flipping its pages. Thus, they werent too surprised by his revtion, and they took a mental note of his words. Students were given three days to select their teacher after this event, so there was no hurry. Most students would use this time to sort out their choices before making their decision. "Lets continue on!" After gaining a clear assessment of the unique traits and capability of the middle-aged teacher, Zhang Xuan gestured for the group to proceed on. The next teacher in the line was from the Physician School. His lecture was regarding the fusion of the Way of Medicine into cultivation, allowing one to remain resilient in the face of severe illnesses. "If you were to learn from this teacher, you might not improve as fast as you would under the teacher from the Apothecary School, but he will help you build a strong foundation which will beneficial to you in the future!" Zhang Xuan introduced. In the Master Teacher Academy, students could choose to join one of the ten schools, and once they did so, they would have to put the corresponding supporting upation as their second priority after master teacher. Naturally, joining a school would grant the students certain privileges as well. For example, if one were to join the Apothecary School, they would be able to purchase pills at a discounted price. If one were to join the Physician School, they would gain ess to documents regarding the study of the human body, allowing them to build up a strong foundation in their cultivation. The cksmith School had valuable physical body cultivation technique manuals; the Beast Tamer School had private mountains filled with rare beasts; the Painter School had high-tier paintings that allowed one to calm their mind, enhancing their rate of cultivation... All in all, each school had their own strengths. Most students would usually choose based on their interest and proficiency in the upation. After walking around for a while longer, Zhang Xuan slowly lost interest. Thus, he eventually searched for a less crowded area to stop at and took out an empty book. Taking out a brush and an ink b, he swiftly copied down the urate details which he had gathered from the documentspiled by the various factions, as well as what he had observed through the public lectures. "I have written down the details regarding the teachers in this book, feel free to browse through it. It should be enough for you to find a suitable teacher!" This book, which had been verified using the Library of Heavens Path, had no errors whatsoever. With it, Ruohuan gongzi and the others should have no trouble finding a suitable teacher for themselves. "Un!" Ruohuan gongzi and the others nodded. By corroborating the content of the book Zhang Xuanpiled with the public lectures they had just listened to, they would have more than enough information to make a judgement themselves. There was no need for them to bother Zhang shi over the issue anymore. "While you all are looking at the book, I will go take a walk around." Passing the book to them, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily. Just as he was contemting whether he should make his way to the Terpsichore School or Demonic Tunist School, he suddenly caught sight of a silhouette which sent a jolt through his body. Is that... her? It was an elegant white-robed figure walking amidst the bustling crowd. Despite the mor around her, her presence seemed to bring about a soothing aura to the surroundings, as if a calm painting. This was the exact same sensation that he had felt from the white-robeddy whom he had met at the Verdant Mountain back in Huanyu Empire. The world was big, so Zhang Xuan had thought that he would never see the other party ever again after their abrupt parting. But that familiar disposition and silhouette... Could it be her? Fearing that it was just an illusion and he might lose sight of her the next moment, he dared not turn his eyes away from her. Despite the congestion ahead, the crowd seemed to open up before the white-robed figure through some mysterious force, creating ample space for her to walk through. Yet, despite this bizarre phenomenon, there didnt seem to be a single person amidst the crowd who had realized it yet, as if it was a perfectly ordinary urrence. What an incredible ability! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. This phenomenon could only be produced by theprehension of spatialws. Those students had clearly moved from their original positions, but it seemed to them as if they were still standing on the same spot. Even Zhang Xuan didnt possess the means to do the same. "Is it really her?" Zhang Xuan muttered in a daze. Back when hed first met the white-robeddy in the Verdant Mountain, he had sensed that the other partys cultivation wasnt too high. That was why hed rushed forward to save her upon seeing that she had been encircled. Yet, when he was suffering a bacsh due to the ipatibility between his soul and body, she was the one whod intervened and facilitated an impable fusion between his soul and body. Such an ability was far beyond Zhang Xuans current means. From this, it could be seen that she had concealed her true strength. Even at this time, he was still unable to gain a clear grasp of her strength. "ws!" Zhang Xuan muttered, but the next moment, he froze. She isnt using a battle technique? Hed thought that such maniption of space could be considered as the usage of a battle technique, so hed tried to check it through the Library of Heavens Path. However, the Library of Heavens Path remainedpletely silent. In other words, the youngdy before him wasnt using a battle technique. Otherwise, the Library of Heavens Path would surely have been able topile a book on her! So far, he had yet to encounter anything which the Library of Heavens Path was unable to discern. Hu! Bewildered, Zhang Xuan was just about to walk forward to take a closer look when the white-robed figure, as if sensing his gaze, stopped and turned around. A beautiful face came into sight. It was indeed the white-robeddy he had met back then! Even though there were certain differences to her facial features due to some kind of disguise she was donning, those were incapable of fooling his Eye of Insight. With just a nce, he could tell that it was the youngdy whom he had met back in the mountains. Unable to suppress his agitation, he rushed up to her and said nervously, "Y-you are here as well?" The youngdy was scanning her surroundings, as if trying to determine the source of the gaze when she suddenly caught sight of him. Her eyes lit up, and a light smile surfaced on her lips. For an instant, it was as if a hundred flowers had bloomed. Chapter 761: You Are a Teacher? Chapter 761: You Are a Teacher? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thatdy carried a unique poise which emanated an explicable beauty when she smiled. Even Zhao Ya''s disposition and beauty seemed to pale before her. Forcing himself to remain calm so as to not lose his bearings before the other party, Zhang Xuan asked, "Are you a student of this academy?" For some reason, he couldn''t help but feel anxious and even a little lost before thisdy. This was a feeling he had never felt from anyone before. He was in the Master Teacher Academy due to clearing the entrance examination and bing a student here. Since the other party was here as well, could it mean that she was a student too? It would be great if that was the case. The thought of being able to spend many of the future days with the other party left him with a tinge of anticipation inside. However, the youngdy shook her head. "No?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Then are you the kin of one of the elders here?" There were strict rules in the Master Teacher Academy, and other than the students and the staff, no one else was allowed to step onto its premises. If she wasn''t a student of the academy, could it mean that she was the daughter or rtive of one of the elders here? Otherwise, how could she possibly appear within the academy? However, the youngdy shook her head once more. "Then" Zhang Xuan scratched his head, and just as he was about to continue guessing, a faint but graceful voice sounded by his ears. "Follow me." After which, the youngdy before him began walking in a certain direction. "You can speak" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He hadn''t heard a word from the other party back when they were on the Verdant Mountain, so he''d thought that she was incapable of speech. Who would have thought that not only could she speak, her voice would be so moving as well? "Of course I can!" The youngdy rolled her eyes with a smile. This fellow was truly a fool. Back on Verdant Mountain, she had killed a ferocious spirit beast who had tyrannized the region, thus winning her the gratitude of countless other spirit beasts who resided in the area. Therefore, those spirit beasts paid her a visit to express their gratitude, but in fear of disturbing her rest, they ended up gathering and lingering in her surroundings instead. Yet, that fellow had thought that she was under attack and forcefully pulled her down into theke. They ended up swimming underwater for a long period of time in an attempt to escape from the pursuit of the other spirit beasts. Even at the very end, he thought that he had saved her life. He was truly a funny person. But despite the misunderstanding, she knew that he had done it out of the goodwill of his heart. Considering his bravery in charging into an army of spirit beasts to ''save'' her, she eventually chose not to point out the misunderstanding. He had saved her once, and she had returned the favor by resolving the issue regarding his soul. With that, she''d thought that their fate hade to an end, and they would never meet again. Who could have known that a day woulde when they would meet once more? "Are you a student here?" the youngdy asked as they walked side by side. "Yes, I am a freshman who have just arrived a few days ago. Thest time we met at Huanyu Empire, I was actually just about to head here," Zhang Xuan replied. "I see." The youngdy nodded in realization. So, he was a student here, no wonder she would see him here. After a moment of silence as they walked amidst the crowd, the youngdy suddenly asked, "Have you chosen your teacher yet?" "Not yet Actually, I have no intention of finding one at all." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You don''t intend to find a teacher?" The youngdy was surprised. "Why?" Master teachers who had enrolled here sought to further their capabilities and reach greater heights. The insights of a high-ranked master teacher were highly beneficial to one''s progress as a master teacher, so why wouldn''t one find a teacher? "It''s nothing much I just haven''t found a suitable teacher yet," Zhang Xuan replied with an awkward smile. It was not that he intended to lie to the other party, but he dared not speak the truth. How could he say that the standard of teachers here was too low, such that their lessons werepletely useless to him If he were to really utter those words, he would be pummeled to death by both teachers and students alike in the next instant. "What kind of teacher are you looking for? I might be able to help you on this matter," the youngdy said. Even though she didn''t have much of an understanding of the teachers in the academy, given her eye of discernment, she should be able to easily find a suitable teacher for him. "This" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in distress. He had no intentions of acknowledging a teacher at all, so he wasn''t too sure how he should respond to the other party''s kind gesture. After all, he had rejected even School Head Zhao and School Head Mo How could any of the other teacherspare to them? "I think that this teacher is not bad. His exnation of cultivation techniques is quite detailed, and he analyzes them in a systematic manner, starting from the basics before diving into the intricacies, making it easier for the students toprehend the knowledge he is trying to impart." There was yet another moment of silence between the duo before the youngdy suddenly stopped before one of the tforms and gestured to an old man who was in the midst of lecturing a crowd. Zhang Xuan nced at the que hanging beside the old man and noted that he was from the Celestial Designer School. Having to deal withplicated mechanisms every day, celestial designers tended to have logical and systematic minds. Such a trait seemed to be particrly useful in the impartation of knowledge too, as such lecturers would slowly build up their reasoning based on sound logic, as if cogs slowly ced into position to form a whole system. This made their lectures far easier to understand and much more memorable. There were many freshmen gathered around him with agitated looks on their faces, seemingly intent on acknowledging him as their teacher. However, while students had the right to choose their teacher, teachers were allowed to choose their students as well. The more capable a teacher was, the more popr they would be amongst the students. Considering the old man''s outstanding ability in imparting knowledge, there should be a significant number of freshmen who would apply to his tutge. However, it remained to be seen how many he would ept. "He is indeed a good teacher, but he isn''t suitable for me" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Actually, you don''t have to find a teacher for me. I don''t intend to acknowledge a teacher for the time being. Let''s talk about you instead. What''s your name?" "My name?" The youngdy was just about to reply when agitated exmations suddenly sounded from the students around. "I heard that a beautiful teacher has arrived in the academy, and she is going to hold her public lecture soon. Let''s go and take a look!" "What is there to look at? We are searching for a teacher, not a partner!" "I heard that she is a master teacher dispatched here from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to engage in experiential learning. Despite not even reaching twenty yet, she is already a 6-star master teacher, and even the Ten Great Master Teachers have to regard her with respect!" "Is that true?" "My uncle is a teacher here, and I heard this news straight from him! If we can acknowledge her as our teacher, we will surely be able to rise to great heights in the future!" "If she truly is a teacher from the headquarters, her view must be much broader than ours. Right, what is her name? I don''t think there is anyone who fits her profile from the Teacher Information Documentation I purchased earlier" "She is a new teacher in the academy, and not even the Ashen Moon Faction or the True Helios Faction has seen her yet, so naturally, they don''t have any information on her. However, I did manage to get her name from my uncle. If I recall correctly, I think it is Luo Ruoxin!" "That is a beautiful name! Alright, I have decided! I shall go and listen to her public lecture" Amidst the bustle, many freshmen and seniors rushed forward excitedly, seemingly fearing that they wouldn''t get a good spot if they were to bete. "Beautiful teacher?" Seeing the excited crowd, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Just because a person was pretty didn''t mean that they would be good at teaching. "Let''s head over as well!" Hearing the mutters from his surroundings, the youngdy shook her head and made her way over as well. "You wish to see the beautiful teacher as well?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. She was ady herself, why would she be interested in the beautiful teacher too? The youngdy simply shed Zhang Xuan a mysterious smile before proceeding ahead. Zhang Xuan was bewildered, but he could only continue following behind the other party''s back. Soon, they arrived before a stage. By this point, a huge crowd had already gathered in the area. An old man was currently standing on the stage, tidying it up. This stage seemed to have been erected just a moment ago, and unlike the other stages, it waspletely empty except for a que that read "Luo Ruoxin". "Where is the beautiful teacher? Why isn''t she here? Are you sure there is no mistake in your information?" "Mistake in my information? You must be joking! Do you see that elder on the stage? He is Elder Zhou from the Apothecary School!" "Elder Zhou? Which Elder Zhou?" "Which other elder has the surname of Zhou in the Apothecary School? Of course, it is Vice School Head Zhou!" "Vice School Zhou is actually tidying up the stage personally for the new teacher?" "It seems like the academy has a really high view of that Luo shi" Such discussions could be heard amidst the students. "Vice School Head Zhou?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Of the ten schools, the Apothecary School ranked at the top. Due to the standing of the Apothecary School, the various leaders of the school also held incredible prestige as well. For a vice school head of the Apothecary School to clean up the stage personally, it seemed that Luo shi was no ordinary master teacher. Seeing Zhang Xuan''s expression, the youngdy beside him asked, "How is it? Are you interested in taking Luo shi as your teacher?" "Not really." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Why? There are so many people here who seem to be interested in her, why aren''t you?" the youngdy asked. Even among two master teachers of the same rank, most would choose to acknowledge the one who hade from the headquarters instead of the branch. This was due to the difference in terms of worldly view. Master teachers from the headquarters were likely to havee into contact with higher ranked master teachers themselves, and their understanding of cultivation tended to be much deeper than master teachers from the branches. Take Luo Qiqi for example, even though she was only a 5-star apothecary as well, she was able to conduct a lesson for the other 5-star apothecaries in Huanyu Empire. "Even if she is a good teacher, she can''t possibly be better than me. Why should I acknowledge a person who can''t even match up to me as my teacher?" Zhang Xuan said confidently. So what if the other party hade from the headquarters? Could the cultivation techniques she had learned be more detailed and aligned with nature than the Heaven''s Path cultivation techniques? That was impossible! "Besides, even though the other students are calling her a beauty, I highly doubt that is the case. If she is truly as beautiful as the others im her to be, why is she not here yet? Perhaps, she might even be hideous!" Zhang Xuan continued with a smile. Even though he had never dated before, he knew better than topliment another woman before thedy he fancied. Otherwise, he could very well incur her ire. Besides, he thought that beauty was just a marketing means for that Luo shi. To master teachers, one''s appearance was nothing more than a facade. What was truly important was their capability. Most likely, the issue regarding Luo shi''s beauty might just be an attempt by the academy to draw more students to her public lecture so as to win her goodwill. It wasn''t like such a matter hadn''t happened before. "Hideous?" The eyes of the youngdy narrowed into slits. "That''s right. Don''t worry, you will see once she appears" Zhang Xuan nodded confidently. Just as he was about to continue, Elder Zhou on the stage suddenly caught sight of something and his eyes lit up. He hurriedly flew over and sped his fist toward the youngdy standing beside Zhang Xuan. "Luo shi, you are here! We have already prepared the stage for you" "Alright." The youngdy nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan with an unreadable smile. "You said that I am hideous, right?" "Y-you are Luo Ruoxin, Luo shi?" Zhang Xuan''s body stiffened as his eyes bulged from their sockets. "You aren''t a student but a teacher?" This is the final chapter of the arc You Are A Teacher?~ This first half of the year really has been a difficult one for me. As some might know, I am working on another novel known as The Records of the Human Emperor on RNF, and along with Library of Heaven''s Path, I had to post three chapters on a daily basis, which is quite tough for me while having to juggle my other work. I ended up burning through everyst one of my stockpile, and even after leaving the other novel on hiatus, I am still barely scraping through the days. Hopefully I will be able to build a sizeable stockpile for me tost the next semester. Anyway, back to the story, I saw many saying that there isn''t much story progression recently. I have to admit that the earlier parts of the story are more of like the Daily Life of Zhang Xuan, which I honestly believe is pretty interesting in itself too, but there will be more progressionter on, especially as he gradually approaches the top of the Master Teacher Continent. It kind of feels like the crux of this arc is Zhang Xuan found his first love, which is kind of sad (he did live two lives) and happy at the same time. He is pretty much invincible in everything else, so I wonder if he will be invincible in love too hmmm. Anyway, I think this is the first time Zhang Xuan has been face-pped Anyway, the next arc will be Zhangoshi''s Students, or Teacher Zhang''s Students. Chapter 762: Library of Heavens Path Upgraded (1) Chapter 762: Library of Heavens Path Upgraded (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan was bbergasted. Hed thought that the youngdy who seemed to be of the same age as him would be a student of this academy, but who would have thought that she was a teacher dispatched from the headquarter! It was just a moment ago that hed said that the teacher dispatched from the headquarters would be hideous when it turned out to be the youngdy he was interested in... He couldnt help but fidget awkwardly. If the youngdy before him could be considered hideous, there would be no one in the world who was deserving of the word "pretty". Even though her disguise had dulled her ravishing features, her ethereal disposition and elegant bearing still shone through, making it impossible from anyone to avert his gaze from her. Looking at the silly fellow before her panicking, Luo Ruoxin chuckled before turning around and leaping onto the stage. "How beautiful!" "With such appearance, she must be the top beauty of our academy!" "Top beauty? That student over there, you must be joking. I am from the Bewitching Devil Faction, and I can tell you that Sister Yaoyao is the most beautiful of them all!" "Thats just your own opinion. In my view, Senior Dongxin is the prettiest!" "I still think that Princess Fei-er is the best. The other seniors are way out of our league, at least I might still stand a chance with Princess Fei-er..." "You wish to woo Princess Fei-er? Dream on! Havent you heard how long Xing Yuan has courted her for? Honestly speaking, I am still the most entranced by Luo Qiqis charms, but its a pity that she isnt interested in me at all..." ... Upon seeing Luo Ruoxin, a hugemotion broke out beneath. The rumors regarding the appearance of a new beautiful teacher had drawn many seniors here as well. In an instant, excited discussions sounded amidst the huge crowd. There were plenty of beauties in the academy as well, and there was even an unofficial ranking list made on them. However, every individual had their own fancy, so the seat regarding the top still remained contentious. "I am Luo Ruoxin, a new teacher of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" Paying no heed to the discussions below, Luo Ruoxin began introducing herself. Her voice carried some kind of entrancing property that immediately silenced the bustle below. "The topic of my lecture will be how a cultivator can establish harmony between his body and soul in the Consonant Spirit realm. "It is at the Consonant Spirit realm that a cultivator will start cultivating their soul, and any mistake made in ones cultivation at this point can potentially create a rift between ones soul and ones body, limiting ones strength..." After listening for a moment, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be impressed. As expected of a master teacher from the headquarters! The content was simple, but urate and concise. Even he could not find any problem with it. No wonder the other party could easily resolve the issue regarding the ipatibility between his body and soul. Her understanding regarding the soul and body could be said to be on par with his. And that was an incredible feat. Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path, and he had gathered innumerable books so as topile the perfected Heavens Path Divine Art. Yet, the other partys level of understanding was actually equal to his... It seemed that Luo Ruoxin wasnt just an ordinary 6-star master teacher. Most probably, she was under the guidance of a high-rank master teacher as well. Otherwise, it was impossible for her to have analyzed the Consonant Spirit realm so thoroughly. Soon, the lecture came to an end. "Ill be stopping the lecture here. Last but not least, if you wish to be my student, you just have to clear my test. If you fail it, I wont ept you!" Luo Ruoxin waved her hand. "Test? What kind of test?" "We beseech Luo shi to borate more on the matter..." It was only at this point that everyone finally awoke from the entranced stupor they were in. They understood that if they could take the other party as their teacher, they would be able to advance their cultivation, and their eyes were gleaming with anticipation. "Simple, its memorizing books! If anyone can memorize 10,000 books within two hours, I will ept them as my student!" Luo Ruoxin replied. "10,000 books?" Hearing those words, everyone nearly fainted on the spot. Even with their photographic memory, memorizing two thousand books or so was already the limit. Ten thousand books... They wouldnt even have the time to flip through all of the books, so how could they memorize all of them? They might still be able to give it a try if the test had been on something else, but this... it was clearly impossible! "With such a test... will she be able to get even a single student?" Zhang Xuan also fell into a daze. He could easily memorize ten thousand books through the Library of Heavens Path, but it would be a difficult feat even for him if he had to do it manually. For one, he could be spared the additional time spent on flipping through the books in the Library of Heavens Path, allowing him to go through the content swiftly. On top of that, his mind could process information far faster in the Library of Heavens Path as well, allowing him to memorize ten thousand books within two hours easily. But without it... it was doubtful if even the Ten Great Master Teachers were capable of such a feat. Thus, to bring up such conditions... that could only mean that Luo Ruoxin had no interest in epting any students whatsoever. "Elder Zhou, I will be troubling you to deal with this matter..." Leaving behind those words, Luo Ruoxin leaped off the stage with a light smile and headed toward Zhang Xuan. "Lets go." "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded, and the duo walked away. "Who is that fellow?" "It seems like he is a freshman!" "A freshman? How did that freshmen get to know Luo shi? Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seems like they have quite a close rtionship?" "What is going on..." "Why cant it be me in his ce? In what way am I inferior to him?" "That person is... Zhang shi? As expected of the most outstanding man amongst us freshman, he is able to even seduce that beautiful teacher..." "What do you mean by seduce? You are speaking as if Zhang shi has gotten together with her through unscrupulous means! Thats called flirting, alright!" ... Seeing Luo shi leaving with a freshman, there were many seniors who clenched their fists in anger, furious that they werent in that freshmans ce. On the other hand, the remaining freshmen looked upon the sight with eyes gleaming in excitement, as if someone had done them proud. But regardless of their reactions, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin walked straight out of the crowd without paying them any heed. Soon, they were strolling along thekeside of the academy. The scent of spring filled the air. A slight breeze blew, and the verdant greenery along theke danced lightly to it. The brilliant rays of the sun struck the surface of theke, evoking a beautiful gleam on it. Zhang Xuan slowly walked alongside Luo Ruoxin. Even though there was nothing but silence between them, he felt the utmost tranquility in his heart. The various happenings over the past half a year reyed in his head... The time he had spent as a teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom, when he epted his first few students and imparted knowledge to them... The time when he challenged the master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom and met Lu Chong in the midst of it... The time when he stomped into Xuanyuan Kingdom and challenged the entire kingdom by himself... The time when he resided in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and clinched the champion seat in the Master Teacher Tournament... The time when he identally caused some trouble at the Cleansing Lake in Huanyu Empire, venturing into the underground chamber where they believed Wu Yangzi resided in, and meeting the youngdy beside him... In his long journey, his cultivation had advanced from Zhenqi realm all the way to Cosmos Bridge realm. His Soul Depth had also been raised from the initial 0.1 to the current 19.1, putting him on par with even 6-star master teachers. The various figures he had met in his journey shed across his mind as well. Liu shi, Zhuang shi, Kang shi, Mo shi... Zhao Ya, Lu Xun, Lu Chong, Shen Bi Ru, Mo Yu... Be they acquaintances, students, or friends, they were all a part of his life, and they had all yed a role in making him who he was. The various knowledge he had acquired in his time also shed through his mind... Apothecary, painter, beast tamer, poison master... Hong long! Just as these memories were floating in his head, he suddenly felt an intense rumbling in the Library of Heavens Path in his mind, and it was growing more and more intense as time passed. What is happening? Zhang Xuans eyes widened in fluster. The Library of Heavens Path was his greatest weapon that he could fall back on in dire times. Did something go wrong with it? However, there wasnt even time for him to think the matter through. With his mind on the verge of exploding, the sight before him grew blurrier and blurrier. Eventually, his body swayed weakly and putong!, he copsed to the ground. Before losing consciousness altogether, he seemed to see Luo Ruoxin rushing over toward him and remarking, "Why is he fainting again? Is his body that weak..." Weak? Zhang Xuan felt like crying at this very moment. The previous time hed fainted was primarily due to the ipatibility between his soul and body, and this time, his Library of Heavens Path was suddenly acting up for no apparent reason... I am really not weak, it is just a coincidence! Not only am I not weak, I am very fit as well. Trust me! However, before Zhang Xuan could utter those words, his consciousness had already faded to an endless abyss of darkness... ... An unknown period of timeter, Zhang Xuan finally roused from his temporarya. Opening his eyes abruptly, he realized that he was lying on the bed in his Elite Sector residence. Following which, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard an excited voice, and a beautifuldy with a wlessplexion came into sight. "Teacher, you are finally awake..." "Little Qi, why are you here?" Zhang Xuan asked in surprise. The person before him was no other than the student whom he had epted back at Huanyu Empire, Luo Qiqi! After leaving the underground chamber, they had left for Hongyuan City together. However, after reaching the city, they had separated as Zhang Xuan headed for the Academic Sea to liaise with Hong shi and the others while Luo Qiqi returned back to the academy to report on the progress of their mission. "I heard from School Head Zhao that you are currently residing in the Elite Sector, so I came over to look for you. However, on my way there, I saw you fainted by theke, so I carried you here," Luo Qiqi answered. "I fainted by theke? Then..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "You wish to ask about Luo shi, is that right? She was beside you when I arrived, and she took a look at your condition and said that you were fine before entrusting you to me," Luo Qiqi replied. "Entrusted me to you? So, she has already left?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a little disappointed within upon hearing that news. But giving it some thought, they were nothing more than acquaintances who had a prior encounter before enrolling in the academy. The other party had no obligation to send him back to his residence. Besides, she was currently a teacher, and he was currently a student. Regardless of the reason, it wouldnt be appropriate for them to get too intimate with one another. Otherwise, it would reflect badly on both him and her if malicious rumors regarding them were to start spreading. "Thats right. I heard that Luo shi only arrived in the academy yesterday, how does teacher know her?" Luo Qiqi asked out of curiosity. Based on what she had heard thus far, Luo shi was a master teacher dispatched here from the headquarters. It was only yesterday that Mu shi arrived in the Master Teacher Academy together with her, and before that, Zhang shi had been together with them at Huanyu Empire. Thus, it seemed unlikely for them to know one another! "How do I know her? Its just a coincidence... Right, the both of you share the same surname. Is there any chance that you knew one another before this?" Zhang Xuan asked. Luo Ruoxin and Luo Qiqi shared the same character in their surnameLuo. At the same time, they were also extraordinarily beautifuldies as well. Could they be rted with one another? "There are many people out there who possess the Luo surname; you are thinking too much into it!" Luo Qiqi couldnt help but chuckle at that deduction as she shook her head. Her teacher had always been a rather intelligent person, why would he suddenly ask such a silly question? Considering the immense size of the Master Teacher Continent, there should at least be a few hundred million people in the world who possessed the surname Luo. What were the odds of two people possessing the Luo surname being rted? "Thats true." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. It was only in the spur of the moment that hed asked the question, and he hadnt thought too much into it. "How long have I been out for?" Zhang Xuan asked as he sat up from his bed. "Around three days!" Luo Qiqi replied. "Three days?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. He was also out for three days the previous time. Why did it seem as if he was fainting more and more regrly recently, and for three whole days at that? "Thats right. The three-day period for students to acknowledge their teacher is already over." Luo Qiqi shook her head with a bitter smile on her face. Her teacher had truly fainted at an untimely moment. These three days should have been crucial to the future of the freshmen, but he ended up sleeping through it. Chapter 763: Library of Heavens Path Upgraded (2) Chapter 763: Library of Heavens Path Upgraded (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 However, based on what she knew about her teacher, it shouldnt be a huge issue. Since he had rejected even Elder Mo and Elder Zhao, there should be no other person in the academy who would worthy of bing his teacher. "I see." As expected, after hearing her words, the young man before her shook his head, but it didnt seem like he was too affected by the issue. Instead, he seemed to be more worried about his acquaintance instead. "So... how many students did Luo shi eventually take in?" "If I recall correctly, Luo shi didnt take in a single student at all. The requirement she set was simply too strict. Memorizing ten thousand books within two hours is an impossible feat!" Luo Qiqi shook her head. "She didnt take in a single student?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Since she was a teacher of the academy, why didnt she take in a single student? "Yes. I am not too sure what is going on, but this matter had everyone baffled," Luo Qiqi replied. ording to the rumors, Luo Ruoxin had been dispatched to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy by the headquarters for experiential training, so she should have epted a few students in order toplete her training. But if that was the case, why did she set such strict requirements? It was as if she was uninterested in epting any students at all! After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan eventually shook his head and said, "I will ask her about it when I get the chance to." Putting Luo Ruoxins issue aside, Zhang Xuans attention finally fell on Qiqi, and with just a single nce, he was startled. "You have made a breakthrough?" The previous time he met her, Luo Qiqi was at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, the cream of the crop of the Grade-2 students. Yet, in just a few days, she had made the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm! "Yes, it is all teachers credit. As a reward for the mission, I received School Head Zhaos Meridian and Bone Cleansing, allowing me to ovee my previous bottleneck!" Luo Qiqi smiled. If not for the Meridian and Bone Cleansing from School Head Zhao, even though she was already at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, it would have still taken her several months or even an entire year in order to take the next step forward. Beyond Consonant Spirit realm, one had to not only umte sufficient zhenqi but nourish ones soul as well in order to make a breakthrough. It was often thetter that was more troublesome, requiring long periods of time just to increase it the tiniest bit. As a result, there were many Grade-2 students who were stuck at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, unable to make the final step forward. However, in the Meridian and Bone Cleansing, not only had School Head Zhao purified her zhenqi, he had also tempered her soul, thus allowing her to make the breakthrough instantaneously. Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian had also benefitted greatly from the Meridian and Bone Cleansing as well. "My credit?" Zhang Xuan blinked. Why was this his credit? And what did this have to do with School Head Zhao? "Did Teacher forget about the mission at the underground chamber? You saved us and helped us retrieve Elder Wu Yangzis body. Thats a huge contribution to the cksmith School!" Luo Qiqi exined. "Ahh..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood why Yuan Hongs attitude toward him abruptly changed after paying a visit to the school heads office. At this point, Luo Qiqi suddenly bowed deeply and said, "Teacher, I apologize for handing the Zither Forging Technique to the cksmith School without your approval, I ask of you to punish me..." She had only managed to obtain the Zither Forging Technique manual with her teachers assistance, but without thetters approval, she had handed it over to the school. "You are the one who inherited Wu Yangzis heritage; you can do whatever you want with it. Besides, the best way for the Zither Forging Technique to shine is through handing it over to School Head Zhao, so I believe that your decision was the right one as well," Zhang Xuan said. Luo Qiqi was the one who had be Wu Yangzis student, so it was only right for the technique to belong to her. In this respect, it wouldnt be right for Zhang Xuan to dictate what she could do with it. "Thank you, Teacher!" Even though Luo Qiqi knew that her teacher would agree to it, she didnt expect him to approve of her actions immediately. After all, the Zither Forging Technique was an incredibly valuable smithing technique which many were dying toy their hands on. His magnanimity was indeed worthy of respect. After chatting for a moment longer, Luo Qiqi suddenly recalled something and said, "Teacher, regarding the matter of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence, I tried looking into it and there was someone who imed that she knew where it was. I made an appointment with her tonight, and it is going to be time soon. I will have to head over to meet her." "Tonight?" Zhang Xuan nced at the window outside, and only then did he realize that the sun was beginning to set beyond the western horizon, and the sky was beginning to dim. "I see. Let me grab some food first, and I will apany you to the meeting," Zhang Xuan said after some contemtion. The three days of sleeping had already emptied out whatever that was in his stomach. "I knew that Teacher would be hungry, so I prepared some food!" Luo Qiqi chuckled as she flicked her wrist, and a huge spread materialized before her. "Thank you!" Looking at the delicacies before him, Zhang Xuans appetite was whetted, and he immediately dived into action. While stuffing his mouth, he made use of this opportunity to immerse his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path. The reason hed fainted three days ago was due to the rumbling in the Library of Heavens Path. Since he had woken up, it was imperative that he should check what had happened to it. As soon as his consciousness entered the Library of Heavens Path, he froze. This... Something is different about it... Previously, the Library of Heavens Path had been arge hall with towering shelves filled with books, expanding all the way to the horizon. The basicyout was still the same, but somehow, it feltrger, as if the ceiling and shelves were taller than before, and the area had be more spacious. It seemed like the rumbling had caused several changes in the Library of Heavens Path. Not only had it grownrger, it had also be much more majestic and grander. Looking at it from afar, one couldnt help but feel intense pressure on ones soul. The Library of Heavens Path felt like a moon reflected in the water before, ethereal and transient. At this very moment, however, it felt palpable, as if it was a real library standing before him. "The Library of Heavens Path seems to have materialized further, but... what is the use of it?" Zhang Xuan muttered doubtfully. He stepped forward and attempted to grab one of the books on the shelves, but just like before, his hand simply slipped through it. In other words, even though the books seemed much more tangible than before, they were still illusory. They could be seen but not touched. "Where are the books I have gathered before?" Zhang Xuan mumbled as he walked around the library. Fortunately, he soon arrived at a section where the books he had gathered previously were. It seemed like they hadnt disappeared due to the changes in the Library of Heavens Path. Walking up to them, he casually grabbed one and began flipping through it. Hu! With the flipping of the books, the sight before Zhang Xuan blurred as the content of the book dove straight into his mind, etching itself onto it. This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Even when reading in the Library of Heavens Path previously, hed needed to read the words one by one in order to memorize them. But at this instant, he was able to memorize the content of the book just by flipping through the pages! After several tries, he had verified the matter. As long as he picked up a book with the intention to read it, the content would automatically imprint itself onto his mind, sparing him from the additional effort of reading it. This is great... I will be able to pick up my reading pace in the future! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. It seemed like along with the renovation in the Library of Heavens Path, he had also gained an additional ability! With his newfound ability, he could easily cover several hundred thousand books in the Library of Heavens Path within two hours! In the future, he wouldnt need to waste the hard-earned golden pages on assimting the knowledge within the books anymore. My pace of reading has quickened... Is it possible that my other abilities might have been enhanced as well? Zhang Xuan thought. He swiftly extracted his consciousness from his mind and nced at the chicken drumstick he was currently tearing the flesh out of. "ws!" he muttered. A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path, and he swiftly rushed to flip through it. The thigh of Spirit Beast Boneless Chicken. Cooked by Master Gourmet Wu Bushui of Drunken Heart Tavern using 47 different spices and herbs... It took him just an instant to read through the entire book. Nothing has changed at all! Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Just like before, the ws regarding the dish werepiled in the book. There didnt seem to be any additional ability regarding this. Hmm, I should try it on some other objects to verify the matter. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to the bookshelf before him. The residences in the Elite Sector were filled with all kinds of amenities that one might require. There were bookshelves filled with books in the residence as well. However, they werent cultivation technique manuals but books on the geography and culture of Hongyuan City. Zhang Xuan was just about to stand up and make his way to the bookshelf when a thought suddenly came to his mind. Thus, he sat down back down and muttered, "ws!" Hu! A book appeared in his mind. This... He was only giving it a try out of curiosity, not holding much hope that it would work, but it actually did! A book had really appeared! He swiftly dived into the Library of Heavens Path to flip through the book. It was a replica of the book which he had intended to take in earlier. He experimented a few more times, and the excited gleam in his eyes intensified. It seems like I can gather books in the Library of Heavens Path without touching them... Previously, the only way for him to gather a book was to touch it with his hands. However, with his newfound ability, he couldpile books just byying his eyes on them and willing it. In other words, gone were the days where he had to run frenziedly in libraries to gather books! Recalling those embarrassing days where he had been caught running about in the various libraries, he couldnt help but feel a little moved within. And more importantly, his efficiency to gather books had also been boosted immensely! Does this ability apply to other objects as well? Zhang Xuan wondered. He had only experimented with books so far, and he was curious to see if this ability was extended to other items as well. To his disappointment, however, it didnt work on other items. It seemed like his newfound ability only worked on books at the moment. He could gather books just byying his eyes on them, but as for artifacts and other items, he still had toy his hands on them in order to find their ws. Frustrated, he shook his head. He had gotten excited over nothing. If he could discover the ws of other objects without touching them, he would be spared a lot of trouble, and his ability would be far more versatile as well. Perhaps it was due to the Library of Heavens Path having yet to reach the required level or an innate w in the heavens itself, but he simply couldnt realize the ability at the moment. Or maybe I am justcking practice, I should give it a few more tries just to be sure... The indignation Zhang Xuan felt made him unwilling to give up, and he began experimenting once again. And while he was busy experimenting with his abilities, Luo Qiqi, who was sitting beside him, was stunned. She had bought a table full of delicacies for her teacher to enjoy, but thetter... One moment, he would pick up a chicken thigh, stare deeply into it, and shake his head in disappointment. The next moment, he would look around the room, stare intensely at another object hedid his eyes upon, and clench his fists in excitement. It was as if those items were his friends. Countless different expressions flickered across his face as hey their eyes on them, be it mncholy, graveness, rxed, excitement, delight, frustration... Could he have gone bonkers due to thea? Or did he lose a part of his soul somewhere? Surely a normal person would express so many emotions not toward a chicken thigh but her, right? No matter what, she was one of the most beautifuldies in the academy. Yet, she couldnt even hold a candle to the charm of a chicken thigh? Just as she was sighing deeply, she saw her teacher stretching his other hand forward to tear another chicken thigh before staring at both thighs even more intently. It was as if he was responding to her doubts. If one chicken thigh wasnt enough, how about two? "..." Luo Qiqi. Chapter 764: Hu Yaoyao Chapter 764: Hu Yaoyao Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It took a while before Zhang Xuan was finally done inspecting the chicken thighs and put them down. It seemed like, for objects other than a book,ying his sight on them wasnt enough. He still had toe into physical contact with them in order to collect their information in the Library of Heavens Path. Nevertheless, it is good enough that I am able to gather and read books faster than before! Zhang Xuan thought in satisfaction. It was embarrassing that a noble master teacher like him had been forced to run around in the library in order to collect books in the past. With the newly upgraded Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to remain graceful while taking in new knowledge. Soon, hepleted his meal and stood up. "Im done. Lets go!" Back at the underground chamber where Wu Yangzi had been imprisoned before his demise, he had said that he had left his most important heritage and treasure at the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon. However, it had been two thousand years since his passing, and putting aside whatever the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon was, even finding his old residence was a huge trouble in itself. Luo Qiqi had been looking into the matter ever since her return, and in the past two days, while she was taking care of the unconscious Zhang Xuan, shed happened to receive some clues to the matter. "Alright." Luo Qiqi nodded. As they were walking out of the residence, they suddenly saw a youngdy standing before the door, seemingly intending to knock on it. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, she quickly sped her fist and bowed. "Zhang shi!" "Ran Xiaoxiao?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. It was the person who had challenged him back when hed first received the keys to the residence, as well as the second runner-up in the Grade-1 Annual Tournament. She had challenged him to a duel of Impartation of Heavens Will, only to end up falling under his control and defeating the first runner-up Wu Chan and third runner-up Xiao Nan in his stead. "Yes, I came here to thank Zhang shi for your guidance..." Ran Xiaoxiao smiled. Initially, she was extremely displeased to hear that a freshman was going to take up the first residence avable to Grade-1, which was also the reason why shed marched up to his residence upon hearing the news and challenged him to a duel. Yet, the other party had been able to point out the various ws in her cultivation directly, and it was then that shed realized the gap between her and the other party. Under the other partys guidance, shed been able to ovee her bottleneck, achieving a long-awaited breakthrough in her cultivation. Out of excitement, shed rushed to his residence in order to express her gratitude. At the same time, she had also heard some worrying news, so she came over to enquire about it as well. "There is no need to stand on ceremony. We are fellow students, so its only right for us to help one another." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "If not for Zhang shis guidance, I would still be stuck at my previous bottleneck, unable to take a step forward in my cultivation..." Ran Xiaoxiao was just about to bow deeply to express her gratitude once more when she suddenly caught sight of the figure beside Zhang Xuan and widened her eyes. "Senior Qiqi?" She had been too excited to see Zhang Xuan earlier on that shed neglected the person who was standing behind him. To her astonishment, it was the most famous Grade-2 senior of the academy, Luo Qiqi! Luo Qiqi nodded in response to her. Ran Xiaoxiao was one of the top five geniuses of the Grade-1 students, so it was natural that Luo Qiqi had heard of her as well. "You two..." Ran Xiaoxiao blinked rapidly in shock. Luo Qiqi was extremely famous in the Master Teacher Academy, not just because of her incredible talent or her beautiful features, but more importantly, it was said that she had an extraordinary background as well. She was known to be very diligent, spending most of her time studying and cultivating. Thus, she rarely had any interactions with the opposite sex. Why would she be in Zhang shis residence? On top of that, the sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon, and darkness had set into the sky. For two people of the opposite gender to meet under the same roof in the middle of the night... What could they be up to? "I am learning pill forging from Zhang shi. He is my teacher!" Luo Qiqi replied. "Teacher?" Ran Xiaoxiao widened her eyes in disbelief upon hearing those words. Zhang shi is just a Grade-1 student in the academy, and on top of that, he only arrived a few days ago. For a Grade-2 genius like you to acknowledge him as your teacher... Not to mention, you are also one of the school belles! If word spreads, wont a riot ur amongst the men of the academy? "If you are here to thank me, there is really no need for it. As fellow master teachers, we should help each other wherever we can." Not wanting to be dyed here, Zhang Xuan waved his hand as he prepared to leave with Luo Qiqi. "AH!" Hearing those words, Ran Xiaoxiao suddenly recalled the other reason she was there, and she quickly spoke up. "Actually, there is another matter I need to talk to Zhang shi about." "Oh?" "Over thest few days, as I was walking around the academy, I heard some news... The student popce is saying that you have offended quite a few student factions, and it seems they are going to coordinate with one another to deal with you!" Ran Xiaoxiao said worriedly. "I offended the student factions? When did I?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He did refuse to purchase the Teacher Information Documentation from the factions back then... but surely, they wouldnt be that offended over such a small matter? Besides, it should be his freedom to decide whether he would buy something or not. For student factions consisting of master teachers to band together against him over such a small matter, that was in ridiculous. "You didnt offend them?" Seeing the confusion on the other partys face, Ran Xiaoxiao shook her head. "These student factions spend the entire year gathering information on each teacher in order topile them into a book so as to sell them to the freshmen... However, their business ended up being foiled by Zhang shi, and their morals were even questioned for their doings. How could they possibly not be angry?" "I foiled their business?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. "But I didnt do anything at all!" What the heck did I foil? I have been unconscious the past three days, so what could I have possibly done? Or are you saying that I actually sleepwalked and did something that even I am unaware of? "You didnt do anything?" Ran Xiaoxiao sighed deeply in frustration. "Does Zhang shi know the freshmen Jun Ruohuan, Song Chao, and Luo Xuan?" "I do," Zhang Xuan replied. "The three of them have distributed their own version of the Teacher Information Documentation in your name for free, and the content of the book has been shown to be even more detailed and urate than those sold by the other student factions... This has caused a huge uproar amongst both the freshmen and seniors alike," Ran Xiaoxiao said. "They distributed the Teacher Information Documentation for free?" Zhang Xuans eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. That exined everything! It was out of goodwill for the trio that hedpiled a version of the Teacher Information Documentation based on the information he had gathered from the others so that they could better choose their teacher, but those fellows actually distributed them freely to the other freshmen! Not to mention, they even used his name! While the other factions were selling theirs at a hundred middle-tier spirit stones each, they were giving them away for free, and their version was even more urate at that... That was practically spoiling the market. Of course they would incur the ire of others! However, it was unlikely that Jun Ruohuan and the others were intentionally trying to screw him over. Most likely, they were just intending to build up a good reputation for him amidst the student popce, just that they failed to think the matter through. As a result, they ended up offending most of the student factions. "Once a freshman offends the student factions, he will find himself hindered throughout the academy. Zhang shi, you must be careful... If things reallye down to it, it might be necessary for you to consider joining a powerful student faction so as toe under their protection," Ran Xiaoxiao advised. She was a member of a student faction as well, so she was conflicted for a moment after hearing the news. But eventually, she still decided to inform Zhang Xuan of this issue. Zhang Xuan might be powerless against the student factions as an individual, but if he coulde under the umbre of one of the more formidable factions, it would be harder for the other factions to do anything to him. "Thank you!" Knowing that the other party had chosen to inform him of this matter at the risk of falling out with her faction, Zhang Xuan thanked her earnestly. To be honest, while it might be troublesome, he didnt really fear the student factions. After all, from the start of his journey from Tianxuan Kingdom until now, there was nock of people he had offended. If they knew what was good for them, they would learn to stay out of his way. Otherwise, he didnt mind showing them his true prowess. Even the boss of the Spirit Emporium was nearly driven insane by him, let alone a couple of students. "I will be taking my leave then." After saying all that needed to be said, Ran Xiaoxiao sped her fist and left. "Those student factions are troublesome to deal with. Teacher, you must be careful!" Luo Qiqi said with a frown as she watched Ran Xiaoxiaos departing back. Having spent several years in the Master Teacher Academy, she had seen plenty of the filthy doings of those student factions. If they were to really put their mind to it, they could even force a student to retire voluntarily in just a single day. This was the reason those without backing or power had to join a student faction. Otherwise, they would be too vulnerable to survive in the academy. "I understand." Knowing that the other party was saying those words for his sake, Zhang Xuan nodded. Luo Qiqi was worried, but considering how Zhang Xuan had School Head Mo and School Head Zhaos protection, those student factions shouldnt dare to act too brazenly. Thus, she decided not to think too much into it. The duo walked along the streets, and soon, they arrived at a gazebo beside theke. "This is the location I have agreed on with the other party," Luo Qiqi said as she came to a halt. "Who is it? Are they a student of the academy?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I am not too sure either. I sent the request at the Sor Tower, and someone responded to me. We made an appointment to meet here. Unfortunately, there are no additional details regarding the other partys profile," Luo Qiqi replied. "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded. The academys Sor Tower was a ce where the students or even teachers could post requests such as to seek assistance on certain subjects they were unsure of or to help them with a certain problem in exchange of certain rewards. Often, the reward tended to be Academic Credits. In a sense, it worked in a simr fashion to the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guilds. It had been two thousand years since Wu Yangzi had disappeared, and the map of Hongyuan City had also changed significantly over the years. Without any additional assistance, it would take forever for them to track down the location of his old residence. Thus, Luo Qiqi decided to post a request at the Sor Tower, promising Academic Credits in exchange. Shed thought that it would take quite a long period of time before she could receive an answer, but who would have thought that she would receive a response on the third day? However, as the identities of respondents and responders were kept anonymous by the Sor Tower, it was impossible for her to know who the other party was. Nevertheless, considering that they were in the academy, the other party should either be a student or a teacher. "Lets wait a little longer then," Zhang Xuan said. At that moment, a breeze suddenly blew, and a figure abruptly emerged from the darkness of the night. Under the dim illumination of the stars, one could barely make out the silhouette of ady. She was tall, but what particrly stood out was her slender waist, which one could easily wrap around with a single hand. But despite her slender waist, she had a curvaceous figure which would send the hearts of males running in agitation. Hu! Soon, the figurended in the gazebo. Finally, Luo Qiqi managed to catch sight of the other partys appearance. She was a youngdy in herte twenties. Just like Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi, she had a beautiful face with distinctive features, but unlike the duo, shemanded a bewitching air around her. "Senior Yaoyao?" Taken aback, Luo Qiqi quickly sped her fist and greeted her. "Oh, so its you!" Recognizing Luo Qiqi and well, Hu Yaoyao asked curiously, "Are you the one who is seeking out Wu Yangzis old residence?" "Thats right." Luo Qiqi nodded. "Do you have any news regarding that?" "I do know something about it!" Hu Yaoyao nodded. Hearing the other partys confirmation, Luo Qiqi clenched her fists tightly in agitation. However, at that moment, she suddenly caught sight of the look of confusion on her teachers face, so she quickly filled him in. "Teacher, she is a Grade-5 student from our academy, Senior Hu Yaoyao!" "Hu Yaoyao?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Hu Yaoyao, Luo Qiqi, Ran Xiaoxiao... Was this a trend in the academy? Why did all of thedies he had met had such names? "You dont know me?" Seeing the confused look of the young man before her, Hu Yaoyao was perplexed. She walked up to him, and with an entrancing smile, she asked, "Whats your name?" "Me?" For some reason, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying earnestly, "I am Xuanxuan!" Chapter 765: Negotiations Chapter 765: Negotiations Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Pu!" Luo Qiqi nearly fainted on the spot. However, with her sharp wits, she swiftly understood what kind of bizarre thoughts were in her teachers mind, and a helpless smile appeared on her face. Her teacher was a person of great capability, but sometimes, his thoughts tended to be entric. "Xuanxuan?" Hu Yaoyao asked, bewildered by the bizarre name she was hearing. Fearing that the other party might misunderstand his intentions, Luo Qiqi quickly replied, "He is my apothecary teacher, Zhang Xuan!" "Zhang Xuan? So, you are the freshman who wrecked the business of our student factions?" Hearing that familiar name, Hu Yaoyao suddenly recalled something, and a glint shed across her eyes. A chilling smile emerged on her wless face as she examined the young man before her, determined to see what it was about him that dealt such a heavy blow to the finances of so many student factions at once. Ever since the establishment of the Master Teacher Academy, there had never been a freshman who had caused such a huge uproar in the academy before, resulting in nearly all of the student factions incurring huge losses. However, no matter how she looked at the young man before him, he had an honest face and an earnest gaze,pletely unlike how the rumors made him out to be. She couldnt help but feel a little surprised. Hu Yaoyao turned to Luo Qiqi and asked, "You just said that... he is your apothecary teacher? What is going on?" Just like her, Luo Qiqi was a reputable figure in the academy, famed for both her talent and beauty. In terms of prestige, the other party might be beneath her at the moment, but that was only due to her young age. She had no doubt that with sufficient time, Luo Qiqi would be able to surpass her. Thus, she had been keeping tabs on this youngdy since shortly after she enrolled at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Yet, such an outstanding person actually said that Zhang Xuan was her apothecary teacher. This was particrly astonishing. "Just like I have said, Zhang shi has been guiding me on pill forging," Luo Qiqi replied shortly, choosing not to go into detail. "Since you know where the old residence of Elder Wu Yangzi is, can you tell us where it is? Once we confirm the location, I willpensate you with two Academic Credits." "I dont want the two Academic Credits!" Since Luo Qiqi was unwilling to exin, Hu Yaoyao also chose not to probe into the rtionship between her and Zhang Xuan. "You dont want them?" Luo Qiqi frowned. The Sor Tower was basically like a market, a tform for students to liaise with one another and conduct trades. Since the other party had epted the request, it could only mean that she had acknowledged the reward as well. If so, what did the other party mean by rejecting the reward? Fiddling with her hair, Hu Yaoyao replied with a smile, "I can tell you where Elder Wu Yangzis old residence is, but... you have to tell me the reason why you are willing to spend such a heavy price for the information." It had been two thousand years since Wu Yangzi had disappeared from the face of the world. There had been many people who had inherited his old residence in this period of time, so any treasure left there should have already been swiped clean by others. Yet, Luo Qiqi was offering two Academic Credits to purchase information about his old residence. It was clear that she was up to something. "Pardon me, but I cant tell you that!" Luo Qiqi shook her head. Wu Yangzi was the most famous cksmith in the history of Hongyuan Empire, so there was no doubt that the treasures he had in his possession would surely be of exceptional value as well. There might be a few who would attempt to do them harm out of greed if news regarding Wu Yangzis treasure was to be made known. "Oh?" Seeing that Luo Qiqi was unwilling to talk about it, Hu Yaoyao said, "If you refuse to say it... it only means to say that our deal is through, and I wont be able to tell you where Elder Wu Yangzis old residence is located. Let me just tell you this, I am the only one who knows where it is. Even if you were to search through all of the books in the academy, you wont be able to find his old residence without my help!" Luo Qiqi turned to Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing him shake his head, she said, "I see, but we will still have to turn down your offer if that is the case. We will manage it one way or another." Following which, she sped her fist and bowed. "I apologize for wasting your time. We will be taking our leave now!" After which, she left the gazebo together with Zhang Xuan. They were determined to find Wu Yangzis treasure, but even so, they knew that they mustnt let anyone else learn of it. Otherwise, not only would they be unable to obtain the treasure, their lives might even be threatened as well. "Wait a moment..." Seeing that the other party would rather abandon the deal than speak of their goal, Hu Yaoyaos lips curled up as she said, "Since you are unwilling to speak of it, allow me to change the conditions then!" Luo Qiqi halted in her footsteps and turned around. "You should have heard the news by now, right? Zhang Xuan has offended nearly all of the student factions in the academy, including mine. As long as you hand him over to me, I will show you to Wu Yangzis old residence!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Hand him over to you?" Luo Qiqi frowned as her face darkened. "Hu Yaoyao, I respect you as a senior, but this is a grave humiliation. You want me to hand my teacher over to you?" She had already introduced Zhang Xuan as her teacher, but the other party still demanded that she hand him over. This was no different from a direct p to her face! As the saying goes, A day as ones teacher, a life as ones father! 1 If she couldnt even protect her own teachers dignity, what remaining pride would she have? Realizing the problem in her words, Hu Yaoyao swiftly apologized. "Ah... I apologize for my inappropriate remark. Even though Zhang Xuan is your teacher, he is a Grade-1 student of the academy as well... I ask of you to pardon my discourtesy." Teachers were highly respected in the Master Teacher Continent. Heaven, Earth, Kin, Teacher, Sovereign. 2 Beneath the heaven and earth, the position of ones teacher was even above that of ones country. It had been ingrained so deeply into her that Zhang Xuan was a Grade-1 student that shed identally neglected the fact that he was Luo Qiqis teacher as well. To insult ones teacher before ones face was grossly disrespectful. To disy such tant discourtesy for anothers teacher despite being a master teacher, her reputation would be sullied if this were to be made known to others. After apologizing, she turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Zhang shi, since you havee here with Luo Qiqi, you must be interested in locating where Elder Wu Yangzis old residence is as well... As long as you agree to my conditions, I will tell you where it is. What do you think of it?" Seeing that the other party had decided to turn her efforts to him instead, Zhang Xuan asked with an earnest smile, "What are your conditions?" "Its simple. You ruined our Bewitching Devil Factions opportunity to earn money, so its only right that you make up for it. As long as you join us and help us earn a hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones within a year, I will tell you what you want," Hu Yaoyao said with a smile. "Bewitching Devil Faction?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Is that your faction?" There were many benefits to having a faction, so most of the top Grade-5 students would choose to create and manage their own factions. Zhang Xuan seemed to recall hearing something about the Bewitching Devil Faction before, and from the looks of it, it seemed to be rted to the youngdy before him. Seeing the look of confusion on her teachers face, Luo Qiqi sent a telepathic message over to fill him in. "Hu Yaoyao, her name carries the character Yao. At the same time, she possesses bewitching charm... As a result, her faction is also known as the Bewitching Devil Faction 3 !" "Thats right, I am the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction." Seeing that the other party was ignorant of this, Hu Yaoyao was a little speechless. To offend so many student factions despite not knowing who their leaders were, this fellow sure was impudent. "I see." Coming a realization, Zhang Xuan nodded. Gazing at the seductive youngdy whose voluptuous figure could easily hasten a mans breathing, he said calmly, "I am not interested in joining any faction... As for earning a hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones, I dont even have that sum myself, so how could I possibly earn that for you? Choose another condition!" He was the type of person who would never allow himself to be ced in a disadvantageous position, and yet the other party wanted him to pay? That was a good joke! "Change another condition? Sure!" Hu Yaoyao stretched her backzily, entuating the beautiful curves on her body. "Serve as my servant for a year, and I will forgive you for crossing my Bewitching Devil Faction. At the same time, I can tell you where Wu Yangzis old residence is as well." "Servant?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. Thatdy was truly going further and further. Shaking his head, he replied, "I wouldnt even ept you as my maid, and you want me to be your servant? You sure have a vivid imagination..." Zhang Xuan meant those words. In his opinion, the only thing that wasmendable about the other party was her beauty, but even that paled far in the face of Luo Ruoxin. He wouldnt even be interested to have her serve as his servant, and yet she wanted him as her servant? Dream on! Hearing the arrogant words from the young man before her, Hu Yaoyaos face reddened in fury, and she snapped, "Then theres no way our negotiation can go on... I wish you luck in your endeavor then!" Born with both talent and beauty, she was a prideful person. She had always been respected and admired by others, and shed thought that she was already doing the other party a favor by offering to take him in as her servant. Yet, that fellow turned her down so haughtily. He would regret his decision. After saying that piece, she turned around, and with a step, she soared into the distance. Exerting her strength as a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm expert, she swiftly disappeared from the view of the duo. In truth, the Bewitching Devil Faction was one of therger student factions in the Master Teacher Academy. As its leader, she had nock of Academic Credits or spirit stones. The reason she wanted Zhang Xuan to join them or to serve as her servant was because he had embarrassed all of the seniors with his previous deed. If she could make him submit to her, her reputation would surely soar amidst the student popce. However, that fellow didnt know what was good for him. Since the other party had already rejected her so bluntly, there was no room for negotiation. After Hu Yaoyao left, Luo Qiqi turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "She is the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, and I heard that she spent a great deal of effortpiling the information in the Teacher Information Documentation. Yet, her effort ended up in vain, so its inevitable that she carries some hostility toward you... She was intentionally trying to humiliate you, so there is no need to take it to heart..." "Dont worry, I wont." Zhang Xuan smiled. "But with this, we have reached an impasse. Alright, leave this to me. I will find a way to make her spit out the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence obediently!" "Leave it to you?" Luo Qiqi frowned. "Hu Yaoyao is an extremely prideful and cunning person. It wont be easy to make her speak..." In the past, there had been a handful of people who had attempted to do in Hu Yaoyao, and all of them had ended up paying a heavy price for their actions. Even with her teachers capability, it wouldnt be easy for him to make Hu Yaoyao reveal the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence. "Dont worry, wait for me at my residence in the Elite Sector. I will be back very soon!" Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile before he activated the Eye of Insight and followed Hu Yaoyaos trail. In any case, he was already in a hostile rtionship with the Bewitching Devil Faction. There was no way he could mend the rtionship anymore, so perhaps he could attempt another method instead. "Teacher..." Seeing Zhang Xuan pursue Hu Yaoyao, Luo Qiqi froze for a moment before yelling, "Senior Yaoyao is a student of the Terpsichore School... She specializes in soul attacks, so you must be careful!" However, Zhang Xuans figure had already disappeared amidst the night sky. Perhaps, he hadnt heard her words at all. Chapter 766: The Price of the Origin Heavy Water Chapter 766: The Price of the Origin Heavy Water Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan didnt hear Luo Qiqis voice. Executing the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step, he flew silently at an altitude close to the ground. His Eye of Insight had grown extremely sharp after undergoing the third acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher. Even though Hu Yaoyaos trail was extremely faint, he could still see it as clear as day. Hmm? Where is she heading to? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The trail first lingered around theke before abruptly heading for a hill. The hill looked extremely remote, and it seemed unlikely that there would be anyone staying on it. Why would the other party visit this hill at this ungodly hour? Under the concealment of the night, Zhang Xuan advanced ahead. The hill was filled with many short shrubs, and at its very peak was an octagonal gazebo. There were many of such gazebos throughout the academy. The purpose of it was so that the students could stop by them any time they wished in case they suddenly stumbled upon an enlightenment in their cultivation. Often, inspiration came suddenly and left as abruptly. If one were to miss that moment, one might miss it forever. Sticking close to the greenery, Zhang Xuan slowly advanced toward the gazebo. Before long, he saw a bewitching figure standing within. Starlight fell upon her blurred silhouette, creating a beautiful painting. From afar, that entrancing profile was reminiscent of a beautiful goddess of the night, rendering it impossible for one to pull his gaze off her. Other than Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan had never felt anything toward any women before. Nevertheless, he still had to admit that Hu Yaoyao did possess fatal charm. "Isnt it about time for you toe out?" At that instant, the entrancing figure abruptly spoke up, breaking the silence of the night. Did she notice me? Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment, but soon, he shook his head. In order to not leave a trail behind him, he had executed the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step to remain floating in the air. On top of that, he had been keeping a safe distance from Hu Yaoyao, following her only by her faint trails through the Eye of Insight. With all of the safety precautions he had taken, it would be difficult for even a Saint realm expert to notice his presence! The next moment, resoundingughter suddenly erupted. "Haha, Yaoyao sure is sharp. I only arrived just a moment ago, but you have already noticed me..." With the sound of the wind, a tall figure suddenly emerged from the other end of the hill and leaped into the gazebo. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be in his early thirties. His aura felt powerful, reminiscent of a torrential river. Just like Hu Yaoyao, he was a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert as well. Upon reaching such a realm, it was already impossible to discern the other partys age through their outer appearance. He might look like he was in his thirties on the outside, but chances were that he was already in his fifties or sixties. Even so, given the lifespan of two hundred years for a Transcendent Mortal, he could be considered to be young. Before Hu Yaoyao could speak, another faint voice sounded by the side, and yet another figure walked into the gazebo. "As a cultivator of the True Helios Art, your presence feels like the searing sun in the sky. How can anyone possibly miss that?" It was ady as well. She seemed to be of the same age as Hu Yaoyao, and she possessed a beauty not paling to thetter. However, the dispositions theymanded were theplete opposite of one another. As if a subus, every single movement and gesture from Hu Yaoyao would tug at ones heartstrings, leaving one tempted to make her their own. On the other hand, the otherdy had an aura of poise and indifference. Despite her beauty, the coldness she exuded left others standing a distance away, not daring to get close. True Helios Art... Could that man be the leader of the True Helios Faction, Xue Zhenyang? Zhang Xuan thought as he looked at the two new figures in the gazebo. He had heard by chance that the leader of the True Helios Faction was a Grade-5 student named Xue Zhenyang, so he immediately thought of the other party. Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, another figure stepped into the gazebo. "Indeed, that fellow sure doesnt know how to conceal himself. Otherwise, Yaoyao wouldnt have noticed him so easily." It was as if that figure was a specter of the darkness. If he hadnt talked, not even Zhang Xuan would have noticed him. It seemed as if he had just materialized out of nowhere. "Long Cangyue, you might be able to tread silently in the night due to your Frigid Moon Art, but you ended up making yourself neither a man nor a woman. Dont evenpare yourself with me!" Xue Zhenyang harrumphed. "You are the one who is neither a man nor a woman! Are you asking for a beating?" The young man named Long Cangyue flew into a rage. "Do you think I will be afraid of you? Come! It has been too long since I have been able to work those joints of mine!" Xue Zhenyang drove the zhenqi in his body, and the next moment, an aura reminiscent of mes gathered around him as he prepared to make an attack. "Hah, a defeated loser dares to speak so haughtily to me? Since a fight is what you want, a fight is what youll get!" Long Cangyue sneered coldly. In an instant, a tense atmosphere weighed down between the duo. "Enough! To fight right after meeting one another, cant the both of you tone down a little? Dont you know we have some important matters to discuss tonight?" Hu Yaoyao harrumphed in displeasure. Along with her words, the tense atmosphere gradually dissipated. The duo harrumphed coldly and said, "Humph, I guess we can fight on another asion. For now, we should discuss about the matter we have at hand." "Since everyone is gathered... Dong Xin, you can start now." With the duo toning it down, Hu Yaoyao turned her gaze to the otherdy of the group and gestured for her to begin. The cold-faceddy, Dong Xin, paused for a brief moment before reporting, "Okay. I went to that ce and observed it for two days. Just as Zhenyang has said, I am certain that the item exists... However, the difficulty in obtaining it seems to be greater than our initial estimates. I fear that it will be hard to seed with just the four of us." "Indeed, it wont be easy for us to seed. Putting aside the difficult geographical terrain where the ce is located, those two fellows guarding it are also beyond our capability," Xue Zhenyang said with a frown. "We will have to ensure that our n is foolproof, or else we might potentially end up losing our lives there," Long Cangyue added. "Ensure that our n is foolproof? Do we have the time to do so? If I recall correctly, that item is going to be ripe in just a months time, and the moment it happens, those two fellows will surely consume it to refine their bones and meridians. By then, we will have lost our opportunity to get it!" Xue Zhenyang flung his sleeves and harrumphed. "Zhenyang is right, we wont have a chance if we dont act decisively. We have to get to it before it ripens and obtain it as soon as it happens. Otherwise, if we lose this opportunity, it will take us at least several dozen years of hard work in order to reach Half-Saint!" Hu Yaoyao nodded with a frown. "We all understand that logic, but the problem lies with how we can breach the defense of those two huge fellows!" Xue Zhenyang shook his head before turning the cold-faced youngdy. "Dong Xin, you are famed genius of the Beast Tamer School. Do you have any idea how we can deal with those two fellows?" "Those two fellows possess the Ancient Bloodline, so it will be hard to distract them with ordinary items. Didnt I tell you all to purchase some Origin Heavy Water before I went to scout? That item has the effect of purifying the Ancient Bloodline, so it might work as a bait against them. As long as we can distract them momentarily, we might be able to get to the fruit!" Dong Xin said before turning the group to ask, "So, have you bought it yet?" "How can we possibly have the money to buy it? A single bottle of it costs more than a hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones! It is not like you dont know how much money we have at hand." Xue Zhenyang replied with a bitter smile. Even as Grade-5 students, it was still hard for them to fork out a hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones at once. Origin Heavy Water? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans heart suddenly leaped in agitation. In total, there were five dans to the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. Even though hed fused many physical body cultivation techniques with it, he still needed four items to serve as a catalyst to cultivate thest four dans. The Third Incandescence happened to require the Origin Heavy Water. However, Zhang Xuan had known its name before. Regarding its appearance or where he could find it, he had no idea whatsoever. Hed never thought that he would receive news about it from the mouths of these people. It seemed like they were intending to purchase the Origin Heavy Water! A hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones... That is equivalent to ten high-tier spirit stones! My, how expensive it is! Zhang Xuan eximed in frustration within. Based on his understanding of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, if he wanted to fully cultivate the Third Incandescence, he would at least require ten bottles of the Origin Heavy Water. However, he only had ten high-tier spirit stones at the moment, which was far from sufficient for him to obtain enough of it! Hearing Xue Zhenyangsint, Dong Xin asked, "Didnt a new batch of freshmen arrive just a few days ago? I thought you all would have made a killing there?" The student factions of the academy would usually be able to earn substantial wealth for themselves whenever new students arrived in the academy. On top of that, this was the once-in-a-decade massive intake of the academy, and ording to the rumors she had heard, there should be thirty thousand freshmen this year. With so many of them, even if they were to earn just three middle-tier spirit stones from each of them, they would still easily scrape together a hundred thousand! "Make a killing? We even made a loss, you know! Havent you heard of that matter two days ago?" Long Cangyue shook his head in frustration. "Heard of what? I came here as soon as I could to deliver this news to you all, so I havent heard anything yet. What happened? Did the academy interfere in the matter?" Dong Xin asked bewilderedly. She had spent the past few days in that area in order to gather intelligence for their operation. As a result, she had only returned earlier that night, so she wasnt too sure about the happenings in the academy. However, it was a convention for the senior to exploit the freshmen, and the academy had never interfered with it in previous years. There shouldnt have been any reason for them to do it that year. Besides, the practice had its merits as well. Firstly, it could dampen the conceit that most freshmen came in with, teaching them that there was always a mountain higher than the other. Secondly, participating in a faction also served as a social tform for master teachers to interact and coordinate with one another, which helped them to build camaraderie to deal with the Otherworldly Demons if the time ever came. Since the academy didnt interfere in this matter and the freshmen had no choice but to step right into their scam, the various factions should have been able to earn a substantial sum. But if that was the case, why did the others look as if they had made a loss instead? "A freak amidst the freshmen wrecked our entire business. The entrance examination this year was conducted by your Beast Tamer School, so you should know some details regarding it, right?" Long Cangyue said. "Yes." Dong Xin nodded. "It was conducted by Elder Mo, and he started preparing for it since several months ago." As a genius of the Beast Tamer School, she had a close rtionship with most of the teachers and elders there. As such, she had been let in on the matter regarding the entrance examination even before it had been announced. In preparation for the examination, Elder Mo had been going around capturing malicious spirit beasts, and Dong Xin had helped capture a few of them herself as well. "The rules of the entrance examination this time around are rather simple. Obtain the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast, and you will obtain one point... Do you know how many points that freak of a freshman earned?" Long Cangyue asked. It had been several days since the freshman examination had finished. As the leader of the Ashen Moon Faction, it wasnt too difficult for him to gather some intelligence regarding the happenings there. Chapter 767: I Saw Zhang Xuan Chapter 767: I Saw Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "How many?" Looking at the look of disbelief on the other partys face, Dong Xin couldnt help but feel a little curious at how well the freshmen did. "Since he is a freshman, his cultivation should probably be at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. Even if he were to make the breakthrough to Cosmos Bridge realm, it would already be an incredible feat for him to kill three Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beasts within a single day. Three of them would give him 120 points... Could his score have exceeded a thousand?" A Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beast was worth 40 points. It was already rather formidable for one to y three spirit beasts of the same cultivation realm as one in a single day. Even if one were to multiply that by ten, that would only be 1200 points. Scoring 1200 points was indeed an incredible feat for a freshman, but surely it wouldnt produce such a look of disbelief on the face of the leader of the Ashen Moon Faction? Hearing those words, Long Cangyue scoffed. "A thousand points? If it was only that much, would I need to be so shocked?" "Let me tell you this straight, he obtained a grand total of 43,724 points..." "H-how many did you say? 43,000 points?" Hearing those words, Dong Xin nearly fainted on the spot. She had participated in the capture of those spirit beasts, so she knew how difficult it was to locate and hunt them down. On top of that, they had targeted the aggressive spirit beasts who had a record of hurting others, and they were far more difficult to deal with than the spirit beasts enclosed in a cage. Every single of them was incredibly cunning, and apse in ones concentration could easily lead to ones death. Yet, a freshman had actually obtained more than 40,000 points in such an examination... Wasnt this joke a little too much? How many spirit beasts must he have killed to obtain such a result? Could he have single-handedly ughtered everyst spirit beast in the mountain? "Thats not all. The points he obtained werent from killing the spirit beasts, but by... taming them!" Long Cangyue added. "Taming them?" Dong Xin eximed sharply. Taming a spirit beast was far more difficult than killing one. Even her, a renowned genius of the Beast Tamer School, would have to spend several months or even years in order to achieve the required intimacy to tame one. Yet, to tame multiple spirit beasts in a day... Not to mention, enough of them to obtain 40,000 points... Just how many spirit beasts in the world did he tame! Seeing Dong Xins expression, Long Cangyue could tell what she was thinking, so he said, "He tamed more than four hundred spirit beasts... Furthermore, ording to the ounts from the dozens of eye-witnesses in the area, he did it within just two hours!" "Two hours..." Dong Xin couldnt help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Even she didnt have the ability to do the same. "Its this incredible feat that won him School Head Mos favor, and School Head Mo offered to take him in as his disciple!" Long Cangyue said. "Take him in as his disciple? School Head Mo?" Dong Xin was stunned. All along, she had been working hard in the hope that her effort could catch School Head Mos eye. However, School Head Mo never seemed to notice her. As a result, shed thought that School Head Mo had no intention of epting any disciple at all. Who knew that he would end up favoring a freshman over her? "Thats right. However, what is the most unbelievable thing about this matter is that... the fellow actually rejected the offer!" Long Cangyues eyes flew around the ce. The first time he heard of that news, he had also been rendered dumbfounded. To actually reject School Head Mo, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers... He sure was gutsy! At this moment, Dong Xin felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Countless students in the academy were vying to be School Head Mos student, and yet that fellow actually rejected the offer? Did he have a screw loose somewhere? "Thats not all, there is still more toe. After that fellow heard many people had failed the examination, he gave away his points away to them so that they could all clear the examination!" Long Cangyue said. "Gave away his points?" Dong Xin widened her eyes in astonishment as her body swayed weakly from side to side. "The points one obtains in the entrance examination can be used to trade for Academic Credits... Given his aplishment in the examination, he could easily have received ten Academic Credits! Even if he has no interest in Academic Credits, he could easily apply for twenty high-tier spirit stones from the academy with his score... And yet, he gave them away?" The points could be traded for Academic Credits and high-tier spirit stone? Upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nearly spewed blood from his mouth. If hed known that those points could be traded for Academic Credits and high-tier spirit stones, he would have never idled around in the entrance examination! He would have surely rushed around the mountain, taming, and killing as many spirit beasts as he could! At the very least, he would have strived for a million points! Or if it came down to it, he could even have handed the Byzantium Helios Beast over... Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts were worth 10 points, Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts were worth 100 points, Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beasts were worth 1,000 points, Ethereal Treading realm spirit beasts were worth 10,000 points, Chrysalis realm spirit beasts were worth 100,000 points, Half-Saint beasts were worth 1,000,000 points, Nascent Saint beasts were worth 10,000,000 points... Then a Saint beast should be worth at least 100,000,000 points, right? Furthermore, that fellow was at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, which meant... 400,000,000 points! Calcting by proportion, wouldnt that mean that he could receive 100,000 Academic Credits or 200,000 high-tier spirit stones from the academy? Regret dyed Zhang Xuans guts green. 1 If he had that many Academic Credits and high-tier spirit stones, would there be anywhere that he couldnt go? He would be able to make his round through all of the libraries in the academy, and perhaps, he might already be on his way to a Conferred Empire now! I will look for Elder Moter... Perhaps, I might still be able to exchange the Byzantium Helios Beast for some Academic Credits... Zhang Xuan thought about the matter for an instant before eventually shaking his head. But putting aside the fact that the entrance examination is already over, which means that the academy has the right to refuse to give me the corresponding Academic Credits and high-tier spirit stones, even if I am able to do so, I wont be able to exin to them how I managed to capture the Byzantium Helios Beast. On top of that, it would reveal my possession of the Otherworldly Demon puppets... It would be impossible for him to exin the presence of the Otherworldly Demon puppets at the moment, and even if he could, they were currently his greatest trump card, so it would be unwise for him to reveal their existence as well. Thus, even though it was a huge shame, Zhang Xuan still decided to drop the matter in the end. "To be honest, even I cant help but be in awe of how generous that fellow is!" Long Cangyue continued. "But that still isnt all. When you hear what he did afterward, you will surely go mad!" "Oh?" Suppressing her shock, Dong Xin turned to look at Long Cangyue. On the other hand, Hu Yaoyao and Xue Zhenyang were listening to the conversation between the duo silently. Judging from the looks of helplessness on their faces, it was likely that they had long heard of it. "Shortly after clearing the entrance examination, that fellow headed to the cksmith School, and god knows what he did, but he destroyed the entire Passageway of Records along with half of the cksmith Guild..." Long Cangyue revealed. "Passageway of Records?" cksmith Guild?" Dong Xin gasped in shock. "Vice School Head Yuan didnt kill him for that?" As one of the senior students of the academy, she was aware of Vice School Heads austere and fiery temper. He expected students to abide by the rules strictly, and he tolerated zero nonsense from others. To destroy the Passageway of Records along with half of the entire cksmith Guild... He should be d that Vice School Head Yuan didnt strangle him to death on the spot! "Kill him? I also thought that would be the case as well when I heard about it... But not only did Vice School Head spare Zhang Xuan, he even treated him with the utmost politeness and led him to the Ocean of Weapons personally to take the cksmith examination! And that fellow, within four hours within the Ocean of Weapons, progressed from a mere apprentice to be... a 6-star cksmith!" Long Cangyue said. "W-what did you say? Within four hours... he took the 1-star examination all the way to the 6-star examination?" Dong Xins mouth slowly widened in shock. No words could exin what she was feeling at the moment. That fellows previous deeds were incredible, but it was at least remotely possible. The world was huge, and there were all kinds of incredible geniuses out there. They werent so arrogant as to think that they would be the top of the world. But what the heck was with clearing the 1-star to 6-star examination within 4 hours? More importantly, the prerequisite to taking the 6-star examination was for ones cultivation to reach Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm. This wasnt just a condition imposed by the cksmith Guild, but that it was fundamentally impossible for a cultivator beneath that cultivation realm to clear the examination. For one, the purity and quantity of their zhenqi would be insufficient to evoke the heat in the mes, making it impossible for them to melt most ores that 6-star cksmiths were expected to process. Are you sure you arent messing with me? "That matter rmed School Head Zhao, and he insisted on taking that fellow in as his teachers student, or in other words, his junior... But that fellow rejected it yet again!" Long Cangyue could clearly perceive the disbelief in Dong Xins eyes, but it was all the truth. Many had witnessed Zhang Xuans deeds in the cksmith School, and as the leaders of thergest student factions in the academy, it wouldnt be too difficult for them to verify the authenticity of the news. "School Head Mo offered to take him in as his disciple, and School Head Zhao offered to acknowledge him as his junior... but they were rejected?" Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Dong Xin fell into deep thought for a few moments before lifting her gaze to ask, "That freshman is indeed a formidable figure, but... what does he have to do with the issue regarding the finances of the student factions?" Thinking about it now, they had been talking about theck of money in their student factions just a moment ago when the topic had suddenly shifted to that fellow. Could that freshman be responsible for the student factions business failure? "As you know, the main source of ie of student factions during the start of the term is from the sales of the Teacher Information Documentation to the iing freshmen, but somehow, that fellow managed to obtain an even more urate and detailed version of it and gave it away for free... With that, who else would buy ours? Not only so, our reputations were even dragged down into the gutters. Quite a few freshmen who were intending to join our factions ended up backing out due to that scandal!" Long Cangyue exined with a hint of fury in his voice. That matter had caused significant losses to his Ashen Moon Faction, so hed ordered an investigation into the culprit of the affair, Zhang Xuan. Who could have known that the results of the investigation would be so baffling? If it had been any other freshmen, he would have stomped right up to them and given them a good pummeling so as to beat the rules into their bones. But this fellow... how could he dare to touch a person whom School Head Mo and School Head Zhao favored? "..." Not expecting such a situation, Dong Xin was at a loss for words. But indeed, if there was a free and better version, who would want to waste a hundred middle-tier spirit stones on their document? "Then... dont any of you have a way to deal with him?" "What can we possibly do against that fellow? His cultivation might not be too high, but he has the backing of two of the Ten Great Master Teachers. Unless you wish to offend those two, there is hardly anything we can do about him... Since all of us are gathered here today, lets discuss that matter as well." Long Cangyue sighed deeply as he turned his gaze to the group. "Not only did he spoil our market, his actions also sullied our reputations as well. We have to punish him or else we might risk losing our authority amongst the student popce!" "Indeed, we cant let him go that easily!" Xue Zhenyang narrowed his eyes and harrumphed. "So, do you two have any ideas yet?" Dong Xin asked. "This..." Long Cangyue and Xue Zhenyang nced at one another and smiled bitterly. School Head Mo and School Head Zhao were two gigantic barriers standing in the way of their vengeance, and there was hardly any way they could circumvent them. If they really had an idea in mind, they would have long carried it out. Would they still allow Zhang Xuan to get off scot-free even to this day? At this moment, Hu Yaoyao suddenly spoke up with a soft chuckle. "Speaking of that fellow, I met him today!" "You met him?" The others immediately turned their sights to Hu Yaoyao. Even though they had nearly died from shock due to the many rumors they had heard regarding Zhang Xuan, none of them had been fortunate enough to meet him yet. The other party had caused a huge storm right from the moment hed enrolled at the academy, so they hadnt had the chance to see his appearance for themselves yet. "Yes. I believe you all should know the genius of the Grade-2 students, Luo Qiqi, right?" asked Hu Yaoyao as she nced at them. "Of course!" Dong Xin replied. Luo Qiqi had been enrolled at the academy for barely a year, but she had already advanced from 4-star pinnacle to 5-star low-tier. Such speed was astounding even when taking into consideration the innumerable geniuses that hade before her in the academy. Possessing both looks and talent, it was inevitable that they would be aware of her. "I saw her together with Zhang Xuan earlier, and she had addressed him as her teacher!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Teacher?" "Luo Qiqi addressed him as her teacher? You... Are you sure you arent pulling our legs?" "Luo Qiqi has a mysterious background, and it is rumored that she is the princess from some empire. I have tried looking into her background myself, but I wasnt able to uncover anything substantial about her either... A person like that actually acknowledged a freshman as her teacher?" Long Cangyue, Xue Zhenyang, and the others could hardly believe their ears. Chapter 768: Terpsichore School Chapter 768: Terpsichore School Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "It is not the aged but the skilled who bes the teacher, this has always been how we master teachers work. Considering how Luo Qiqi was willing to address him as her teacher without the slightest indignation in her voice, it can only mean that he possesses ability surpassing her significantly in certain aspects," Hu Yaoyao said. There was no human who could possibly be skilled in all aspects. Even the most formidable of cultivators had their own weaknesses. As a result, there were cases where a higher ranked master teacher acknowledged a lower ranked master teacher as their teacher. Even Empyrean Kong shi had sought guidance from Tan shi, an inconspicuous 5-star master teacher from the remote Tan Kingdom. Understanding this fact, the others nodded in agreement. After which, Dong Xin asked, "Since you have met him, what is your evaluation of him? Are there any ws he has that we can exploit against him?" "We barely traded a few words, so I am unable to make aplete evaluation of his character. Nevertheless, based on what I have seen so far, he seems to be an honest and upright person. It doesnt seem like he will do anything against his principles. However, if there is one w I have to name about him... it will be that his words are infuriating!" Hu Yaoyao said. Even though she was a 6-star low-tier master teacher, she was still unable to discern anything significant about Zhang Xuan. The only thing that she came out of the encounter with was her raging fury from the other partys words. "His words are infuriating?" The others blinked in surprise. To make a person like Hu Yaoyao, who could take most things in her stride, angry, that fellow was indeed a genius in some ways. After a moment of contemtion, Hu Yaoyao added, "Oh, right! That fellow seems to be interested in the old residence of Wu Yangzi. I feel that we can use this as a leverage against him to teach him a lesson!" Even though thepetition among the four of their factions was rather rife, perhaps due to mutual respect for one another, the four of them were surprisingly on rtively good terms. "Wu Yangzis old residence? Its good that he has something that he desires; we should be able to use it against him. Why dont we give him a false location and set up a trap there so as to teach him a lesson? This way, we might be able pull him out of School Head Mo and School Head Zhaos notice to teach him a lesson!" Xue Zhenyangs eyes glowed in excitement. The years of cultivating the True Helios Art had slowly shaped his personality to be more forceful and decisive. If it was something he could resolve easily with brute force, he wouldnt hesitate to do so. "That isnt safe. If he were to report the matter to School Head Mo and the others afterward, we will surely be punished for it! We have to find a way to make him suffer without having him speaking about it. In order to do so, it will be best if we can find something to threaten him with so that he wont dare speak of it," Long Cangyue said. Unlike Xue Zhenyangs straightforward personality, Long Cangyue tended to be more thorough and scheming in his actions. Since Zhang Xuan was favored by School Head Mo and School Head Zhao, it would be safe to assume that they would be inclined to protect him if something happened. Thus, they had to be careful when dealing with him, or else they would suffer two of the Ten Great Master Teachers wrath, and that wasnt a joking matter at all. Thus... the only way it would be safe for them to strike was to obtain some kind of material they could ckmail him with, so that even if they were to make him to suffer, he wouldnt dare speak up about it. A thought came to Dong Xins mind, and her eyes lit up. "Something to threaten him with... That is indeed a good idea! Yaoyao, you are better than us with such matters. I recall there are quite a few students who have crossed the Bewitching Devil Faction over the past few years, and while they ended up suffering immensely for their actions, none of them dared to speak up about it." Hu Yaoyaos reputation in the academy was resounding. This wasnt just due to her incredible talent in cultivation and her beauty, but for her unconventional means in dealing with problems as well. There were many master teachers who had challenged her authority in the past, but she had managed to resolve them beautifully while giving the other party the humiliation of their life. "Now that you speak of it, I do have an idea in mind. Doesnt that fellow like to sell others his favor? Since thats the case, why dont I drag his reputation down to his gutters and let him understand the price of offending me, Hu Yaoyao!" A sharp glint shed across Hu Yaoyaos dark eyes as a chilling smile crept onto her face. "And that Luo Qiqi as well. It seems like she cares for her teacher quite a fair bit... If she were to learn how shameless and immoral her teacher is... Lets see if she will still be able to respect him as before!" Knowing that Hu Yaoyao would never say anything she was unconfident of, the eyes of the others lit up in excitement. "Leave this matter to me. However, I want an additional share of that item for dealing with that fellow. This request of mine isnt too much, isnt it?" Hu Yaoyao said. "An additional share?" "... Fine. As long as you can deal with that fellow, we will give you an additional share!" The others nodded in agreement. "Thats good. For the time being, you should focus your efforts on acquiring the Origin Heavy Water. Well set off once the preparations are ready. As for Zhang Xuan, just wait for the good news! As long as he wants to know the location of Wu Yangzis old residence, he will have no choice but to obey mymands obediently," Hu Yaoyao said as her lips curled up. Obey hermands obediently? It seems like she has some n up her sleeves... Zhang Xuan thought. Considering how confident Hu Yaoyao sounded, it seemed she had already found a sure-kill way to deal with him. Zhang Xuan mused over the various possibilities for a moment, but without anything else for him to work with, it was impossible for him to determine the other partys next course of action. Thus, he could only give up in the end. If the other party was going to go after him, he would just have to deal with it ordingly when the time came. At the very least, he did know of the other partys intentions, so he wouldnt be caughtpletely off-guard when something happened. After Hu Yaoyao and the others were done negotiating, they swiftly left the gazebo and flitted down the hill. Only after ensuring that everyone was gone did Zhang Xuan finally stand up. Even though I know that she means me harm, I still have to get the location of Wu Yangzis old residence out of her... After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan eventually decided to follow Hu Yaoyao. He activated the Eye of Insight and hurried off in the direction thetter had departed in. As for the treasure which Hu Yaoyao and the others seemed to be targeting, that had nothing to do with him, so he had no intentions in getting involved either. As for the Heavy Origin Water, since he knew that it was possible to procure it with high-tier spirit stones in Hongyuan City, he would just have to earn sufficient money to purchase it in the future. Thus, the only thing left for him to do was to find Wu Yangzis old residence. Considering Wu Yangzis prestige and standing in Hongyuan City back then, it was likely that his treasure would hold great wealth. Thus, as long as Zhang Xuan couldy his hands on it, he would not need to worry about having insufficient funds for his cultivation anymore. Following Hu Yaoyaos trail, he soon arrived at a vast courtyard. There are so manydies here... As Zhang Xuan slowly crept within manor, he soon realized that something was amiss. For some reason, the number of female students in this manor was disproportionately higher than the male students. Furthermore, each and everyone one of them had an elegant figure and beautiful face. While they were unable topete with top beauties in the academy such as Hu Yaoyao and Luo Qiqi, the charm that they exuded would still be irresistible for most men. The number of male master teachers had always been higher than the number of female master teachers, yet the number of female master teachers here far exceeded the male master teachers. Zhang Xuan found the situation before himpletely bizarre. The density of people increased the further Zhang Xuan progressed, so he had no choice but to slow down in order to avoid detection. It was fortunate that he possessed the Eye of Insight, allowing him to clearly discern the actions of others and take precautions in advance. On top of that, he possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi and Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step, allowing him to move discreetly without rming others. An hourter... Following the trail, Zhang Xuan soon found himself prating into the depths of the manor. "Xinru, keep watch for me outside. I will be preparing some things, and I dont want to be interrupted." After advancing a moment longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly a crisp voice ahead of him. It was Hu Yaoyaos voice. He swiftly rushed to hide behind a huge tree in the vicinity. Following the source of the voice, he saw Hu Yaoyao standing right before a room. "Yes!" thedy named Xinru replied with a nod. Xinru was a youngdy in her twenties, and she possessed an exceptional figure and beauty as well. Is Hu Yaoyao intending to prepare her hand to deal with me? Having eavesdropped on the conversation among Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin, he knew that Hu Yaoyao was intending to deal with him. This might be a good opportunity to see what the other party was up to so that he coulde up with a suitable countermeasure for it. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan slowly flew to the top of the room which Hu Yaoyao was standing before. His movements were as light as a feather, leaving no sound whatsoever. Hu! Afternding on the roof, he gently pried open one of the brick tiles above and peeked down. Just as his gaze fell into the room, Hu Yaoyao stepped into the room as well. Under the warm glow of the many Night Illumination Pearls embedded in the room, Hu Yaoyao could be seen dressed in a crimson silk robe, which further entuated her perfect figure. Her smooth white skin, long and slender neck, exquisitely-shaped earlobes, silky pitch-ck hair... No matter how one looked at her, Hu Yaoyao was like a bewitching devil that one couldnt avert ones gaze from. Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was staring intently to see what Hu Yaoyao was up to, the other party abruptly walked up to her bedframe and gently pulled at the knot by her waist. The crimson robe she was wearing immediately slipped down her body, revealing her pristine skin. From top to bottom, there was not a single piece of cloth on her. Her beautiful figurey bare in the room. "..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. Hed thought that the other party would prepare some kind of artifact or trap to deal with him, so hed climbed onto the roof to peek on the other party, hoping that he could perhaps use this to ckmail her into revealing Wu Yangzis old residence. Who knew that the other party would strip off her clothes as soon as she returned to the room... This was way too weird! The sky had darkened just a moment ago, so she couldnt possibly be intending to go to sleep. But if that was the case, why was she taking off her clothes? He truly couldnt understand what was going on in that womans head. Never mind, I shouldnt look any further! Knowing that his actions would be nothing but despicable if he were to continue peeking, he decisively ced the roof tile back. If he were to be branded as a perverted peeping Tom because of this matter, that would be truly unfortunate... Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine. Hu Yaoyaos room was situated at the highest point in the area, and it was thergest one as well. Sitting on its roof, he could easily see everything in the other courtyards. In a few of them, he saw a fewdies dressed in resplendent outfits moving about. Their elegant garments and their bewitching movements left him in an entranced state with just a single nce. It was only after driving his zhenqi that Zhang Xuan finally recovered, and he immediately fell into deep contemtion. Could this be... the Terpsichore School? The fact that they were able to make him momentarily lose his senses through their dancing meant that their gestures carried the ability to beguile souls, and the only upation in the academy that was capable of such a feat was terpsichore. This also exined why this manor consisted mainly of women as well. It will be awkward for me to remain here considering that Hu Yaoyao is naked inside... But since I am already at the Terpsichore School, I might as well pay their library a visit so that I dont make this trip a waste! Knowing that it would be suspicious for him to remain here, Zhang Xuan decided to postpone the matter for the moment and visit the library so as to deal with his Innate Fetal Poison. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning his surroundings. Soon, his gaze fell on a towering building in the distance. Three elegantly calligraphed words, carrying both elegance and an historic aura, came into sightTerpsichore Compendium Pavilion. I should go over to take a look! With eyes gleaming with excitement, Zhang Xuan flitted off into the darkness. Chapter 769: Night at the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion Chapter 769: Night at the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion wasrge and majestic, standing tall and conspicuous even amidst the deep darkness of the night. In several breaths, Zhang Xuannded on the branch of arge tree just outside the building. The libraries of the academy require a student token and Academic Credits to enter... Zhang Xuan scratched his head in distress. Hed thought that he would be able to ess the library freely as a student of the academy, but based on what he saw at the entrance of the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, that didnt seem to be the case. Just like the Ocean of Weapons in the cksmith School, the doors to the libraries could only open by scanning ones student token and paying the required amount of Academic Credits. Unfortunately, Zhang Xuan had neither of the two, so it was impossible for him to enter. If he were to attempt to barge in and trigger some kind of protective formation due to it, he might even attract the attention of the schools elders, bringing himself trouble. But I am already here... Am I to return empty-handed? Zhang Xuan muttered in frustration. The matter regarding his Innate Fetal Poison could not wait. His goal was just standing before him, and if he were to return just like that, he might possibly regret it for life. Wait... The mechanisms and formations protecting the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion are indeed useful against cultivators, but can it block off souls? After all, souls are intangible existences, rendering most mechanisms and formations ineffective against them. Perhaps, I might be able to enter the premises this way... Zhang Xuan thought. Based on Zhang Xuans analysis, it seemed like the formations and mechanisms around the library could only sense tangible beings. As such, it might be possible for him to sneak in as a soul. Furthermore, while he could only duplicate books in the Library of Heavens Path by touching them in the past, with the new upgrades it had just undergone, he could replicate them just byying his eyes on them... In other words, even with just his soul, he could gather every single book in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion into the Library of Heavens Path easily! Let me give it a try! The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more excited he became by the idea. Thus, he hid his body well amidst dense shrubs before drawing his soul out. As if an apparition of the night, his soul gradually approached the tightly shut doors of the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion silently. At its entrance, he saw several students standing guard to keep away intruders. Despite the intangible nature of souls, they were still bound by thews of the world. One of the manifestations of such a phenomenon was their inability to pass through concrete walls, and unfortunately for Zhang Xuan, the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion was made of an airtight material which prevented even souls from slipping through. Just as he was contemting about how he could enter, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him as a figure approached the doors of the library. The figure walked up to the doors and bowed deeply to the several students at the entrance. "Seniors, I would like to ess the library to check some information." She was ady in her thirties, and the master teacher emblem pinned on her chest had five stars on it. 5-star low-tier master teacher, she was a Grade-2 student. One of the seniors nced at her and said, "Your student token and Academic Credits token!" Most likely, the seniors standing guard at the entrance were taking this job as a way to earn additional Academic Credits to finance their expenditure. "Yes!" The student quickly passed her student token and Academic Credits Token over. A momentter, the senior nodded and said, "You are a Grade-2 student, so you can only browse through the books of Grade-3 and below. If you attempt to look at any book beyond that tier, you will be expelled from the library immediately. On top of that, you are only given twenty hours of reading time for each Academic Credit you spend, and you are not allowed to take out any books from the library." "Yes!" The student nodded in response. As a Grade-2 student of the Master Teacher Academy, she was ustomed to the rules of the library. "Ok, you may enter now!" After emphasizing on the rules, the senior waved her hand to gesture that the student may pass. Carrying her student token and Academic Credits token, the student walked up to a stone pedestal in front of the doors and ced them on it. Jiya! The doors to the library opened. This is a good opportunity for me to enter as well! Upon seeing a chance to slip into the building, Zhang Xuan immediately got to action and dived in behind the student as well. After entering the doors, a vast hall immediately appeared before his eyes. The walls were embedded with Night Illumination Pearls of all sizes, making its interiors as bright as day. Shelves of books were positioned orderly in the hall, and the books on them were innumerable. As expected of the Master Teacher Academy! Their collection of books is indeed astounding... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Terpsichore was one of the more remote upations, so the number of books on them was severely limited. However, the members of the Master Teacher Academy were all master teachers who had unique insights and had their own understanding of the upation. Over time, more and more books had been added to the collection, resulting in the impressivependium thaty before him at this very instant. "I should collect them all first and look at themter..." Considering the number of books that were in the library, it would take a considerable amount of time if he had to go through them one by one. Zhang Xuans soul moved to the very first bookshelf at the corner and began scanning through them. ws! Muttering in his head, he could feel that book after book was being replicated in the Library of Heavens Path. It was as if his eyes were scanners, allowing him to replicate the content within books entirely just byying his eyes on them. This allowed him to copy books at a rate far quicker than he did by running. This is really great! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly. Hula! Books were filling up the shelves in the Library of Heavens Path at an unprecedented rate. Four hourster, Zhang Xuan was finally done taking in all of the books in the hall, and hepiled them into a Heavens Path manual. On to the second floor... After Zhang Xuan was done with the first floor, he proceeded on to the second floor. There were significantly fewer books here than on the first floor, but the content covered within them was more profound. Just like apothecaries and cksmiths, terpsichores were also ranked from 1-star to 9-star. Contained on the first floor was the basic knowledge regarding dancing from apprentice to 4-star pinnacle whereas the second floor contained the dancing art and cultivation technique manuals corresponding to 5-star primary terpsichores. Zhang Xuan took all of the books on the shelves into the Library of Heavens Path without any hesitation. Two hourster, he was done collecting the books on the second level. Continuing on... It wasnt easy for him toe to get into the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, so it would be a huge shame if he didnt make use of this opportunity to take in as many books as he could. Thus, he hurried off to the third floor. Technically speaking, a Grade-1 student was only allowed to browse through the books on the first and second floor. This rule was set by the academy in order to discourage ambitious students from attempting what was far beyond their capability, and various measures were implemented to enforce it. However, while these measures could stop students, they couldnt do the same to souls. With a thought, Zhang Xuans soul turned into a stream that flowed right through the formation blockading the stairs and arrived at the next floor. There were even fewer books on the third floor, and Zhang Xuan finished them in just an hour. After which, he did the same for the fourth, fifth, and sixth floor. It only took him another two hours to collect the books on the remaining three floors. In other words, in less than ten hours, he had made duplicates of the innumerable books in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion in his head! With a slight smile on his face, Zhang Xuan thought in satisfaction, I will examine them carefully when I return to my residence! He had been thinking that he would have to pay a visit to the Terpsichore School someday to browse through the books, but who could have known that he would aplish this while following behind Hu Yaoyao? Furthermore, now that he had learned that he could easily ess the libraries in the Master Teacher Academy through his soul, wouldnt he be able to do so for the other schools as well? If that is the case, I should be able to cover all of the books in the ten schools within ten days. By then, I would have sufficient books to push my cultivation to higher realms as well, perhaps even reaching Saint realm. With that, my work at the Master Teacher Academy will be done! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. As long as he had sufficient books topile the Heavens Path Divine Art, advancing his cultivation would be as easy as eating and drinking. The main reason he had chosen to enroll in the Master Teacher Academy was so that he could ess their trove of books. The upgrade of his Library of Heavens Path had trulye at an ideal time. With this, he would be able to ess the knowledge from the various schools as he pleased, and hisck of Academic Credits wouldnt be an issue anymore. Ten days should be enough for him to cover everything in the Master Teacher Academy. Afterpiling them into the respective Heavens Path manuals, he would be able to make a breakthrough both in his cultivation and master teacher ranking. Just the thought of advancing six realms the Perfect Harmonization realm, Void Treading realm, Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realmand bringing the ten supporting upations to 6-star pinnacle left his heart trembling in excitement... I should go through the terpsichore books first... However, Zhang Xuan knew that it wouldnt be as simple as that. Thus, shrugging the thought off with a smile, he turned his consciousness back to the Library of Heavens Path. Hu! New Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art manuals appeared before his eyes. There was a total of six of them, consisting of books from 1-star to 6-star. Let me see if the portions regarding souls... Zhang Xuan turned his gaze outside swiftly and noticed that the sun was already setting. It didnt seem like there would be sufficient time for him to learn the entire Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art, so he chose to focus his attention on those regarding souls instead. Hu! On Zhang Xuans will, the books regarding soul cultivation flew from the shelves and gathered in front of him. Compile! hemanded silently, and yet another book appeared before him. This was the book that could potentially suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul. Unable to suppress his agitation, Zhang Xuan immediately started browsing through it. It didnt take long for him to finish reading it all. By then, his face was already looking incredibly awful. These are only methods to strengthen ones soul, and they arent evenplete. They wont be much help in dealing with the Innate Fetal Poison... The books he had collected were sufficient to form a Heavens Path manual, but it was only effective in strengthening ones soul. Against the Innate Fetal Poison, it was nearlypletely useless. In other words, after all the effort he had put in that night, he didnt have a way counter the Innate Fetal Poison to alleviate the threat he was under yet. What do I do now... Zhang Xuan thought frustratedly. To him, the most urgent matter at hand was to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul. Otherwise, if the Innate Fetal Poison was triggered on a whim, that might very well be the day he would breathe hisst breath. Hed thought that, given the nature of the terpsichore upation, the terpsichores would possess a deep understanding of souls, and he might be able to find a solution to his problems here. But it seemed like he was being too naive. If the Innate Fetal Poison could be dealt with that easily, Empyrean Kong shi wouldnt have to rush all the way to be a 9-star master teacher to resolve it properly. He would have long found a solution before then. Nevertheless, these methods are still effective in building up the resilience of ones soul. I should try topile them with the soul oracle techniques and see if I can perfect them! The soul cultivation techniques he had obtained from Mo Hunsheng ranged from Transcendent Mortal 1-dan to 9-dan, but he didnt have enough books toplete them then. Perhaps, if he were to fuse these books together with them, he might be able topile new Heavens Path Soul Art manuals. Currently, the strongest Heavens Path Soul Art manual he had was still at Consonant Spirit realm, so his soul cultivation was still capped there as well. With the new books he had gathered, it was worth giving it a shot. Compile! Zhang Xuan tried putting the books together with his soul cultivation technique manuals. H! Two new books appeared before Zhang Xuans gaze. He swiftly grabbed them and flipped them open. "These are the Cosmos Bridge realm and Perfect Harmonization realm soul cultivation techniques. There are... no ws at all! They have reached the level of Heavens Path!" Looking at the content of the books, Zhang Xuan nearly burst outughing out of sheer delight. Hed thought that his trip had been a wasted one, but who would have thought that hed be able topile the 6-dan and 7-dan Heavens Path Soul Art manuals using the books he had gathered from the library? With these two books, he would be able to advance his soul cultivation to Perfect Harmonization realm, thus enhancing his fighting prowess significantly. Even though the advancement of his soul cultivation wouldnt be able to resolve the threat concerning the Innate Fetal Poison, it would at least help to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison a bit. It seems like its already morning. Time for me to return... By the time Zhang Xuan was done, the brilliant radiance of the sun rays was already spilling in from the eastern horizon of the skyline. It was dawn. Chapter 770: 6-star Terpsichore Chapter 770: 6-star Terpsichore Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 One of the reasons Zhang Xuan was able to slip into the Terpsichore School in the first ce was due to the concealment of the night. Even with his aura hidden by utilizing the unique nature of his Heavens Path zhenqi, there was a huge chance that someone might spot him if he were to attempt to sneak off in the day. If he didnt leave right now, he would be stuck in the library once the crowd start spilling into the school. Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuans soul rushed to the first floor of the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, heading for the doors. The student whom he entered with was still busily looking through the shelves. However, judging from the deep frown on her forehead, it seemed she hadnt found the book she was seeking yet. Zhang Xuan didnt know what she needed, so he couldnt help her even if he wanted to. Thus, he headed straight for the main door. Hmm? Zhang Xuan walked up to the door and tried to open it, but to his rm, it wouldnt budge. In order to prevent any unauthorized personnel from entering the premises, a special mechanism was installed to ensure that the doors wouldnt open to without the presence of a student token and Academic Credit token. Unless one possessed strength beyond the level of a Half-Saint, it would be impossible to open! Zhang Xuan was only able to get in earlier by following the student in front of him. As long as no one tried to enter or leave the library, he would be trapped within! What do I do now? Zhang Xuan thought frustratedly. It was still dawn, so there were still very few people in the Terpsichore School at the moment. If he were to dy it any longer, he might very well be found! For an unaffiliated individual to be snooping around the Terpsichore School in the early morning, there was no way he could exin that! But if it wasnt opened, the formations and mechanisms constructed around the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion were more than sufficient to prevent a soul like him from leaving even if they werent able to perceive him. Zhang Xuan turned to look at the student in the library worriedly, but thetter didnt seem like she was about to leave anytime soon. Sighing deeply, he could only continue to wait patiently. Forget it, theres no use worrying over this. I should just make use of this time to study the Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art... Since there was nothing he could do in this situation, he decided to find a quiet spot in the library and immerse his consciousness in the Library of Heavens Path to read through the terpsichorean books he had justpiled. He had a fullption of Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art from 1-star to 6-star, and detailed within them were the cultivation techniques for the various terpsichorean arts. Since he couldnt do anything else at the moment, he flipped open the 1-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art and began browsing through it seriously. With the new upgrade of his Library of Heavens Path, he could take in the content of a book just by flipping open the book, thus allowing him to understand and assimte the essence of it even faster than before. To be a terpsichore, one must have a powerful soul and a dance that is nearly aligned with nature in order to draw it out... The purpose of dancing is to enhance the strength of the soul to the utmost limit, thus drawing out its full might... The knowledge regarding terpsichores flowed through his head. Before long, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had fully assimted the knowledge regarding the 1-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art. In other words, even if he were to take the examination at this very instant, he would be able to clear the 1-star terpsichore examination easily. The prowess of a terpsichore was highly dependent on their soul, and Zhang Xuan had cultivated his soul to be beyond ten metersrge. The level that others could hardly reach in their life, he could achieve it as easily as merely eating or drinking. Drawing his consciousness out of the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan noted that the student was still busy looking for her book and had no intentions of leaving yet. Thus, he moved on to study the 2-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art. While martial artists wield their battle techniques, and terpsichores wield their terpsichorean arts. Terpsichores essentially aim to utilize their art form as a weapon for murder. The world trembles beneath a dance, and in the next moment, a soul perishes. The dance serves as a medium for terpsichores to engage in soul attacks... Reading the content in the book, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but nod in agreement. Terpsichorean arts, just like the soul techniques of soul oracles and the Impartation of Heavens Will, were offensive techniques for dealing with souls. But different from the others, terpsichores utilized their dance as a medium to amplify the effectiveness of their offense. ... Since it serves as a medium, does it mean that, once one reaches the very peak, one will be able to engage in powerful soul attacks even without using the dance as a medium? As Zhang Xuan continued to read on, a certain line appeared before him. Engage in powerful soul attacks even without using the dance as a medium? Does that mean... the Swordless Realm? Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. He might not know much about terpsichorean arts yet, but he did have some mastery in the field of swordsmanship. Based on what he knew, if one were to cultivate their swordsmanship to the peak, they would be able to utilize even a de of grass or a pebble by the roadside as a sword. Going further, they might even be able to execute the full prowess of a sword art without a weapon in hand. That was to say, the sword only served as a medium in order to execute the techniques. Even without a sword in hand, one could still execute a sword art, perhaps even more fluidly,pletely, and agilely. What Zhang Xuan was reading was very unlike the knowledge imparted in the conventional books that terpsichores read. His road of cultivation was directed toward the ultimate endpointfor the swordless to surpass any sword, for the formless to surpass any form. Reading on... "...Terpsichorean arts aim to utilize movements as a medium to engage in soul attacks. In essence, even walking and the slightest gestures could be considered as movements, so they could, as well, be considered as terpsichorean arts..." "A true terpsichore dances not with a routine set of movements but with even the most casual of gestures..." ... Before long, Zhang Xuan was done browsing through the book. He closed eyes to slowly savor andprehend the knowledge he had just taken in. Geji! Geji! Crisp echoes sounded from his soul as a new world unfolded around him. 2-star terpsichore, reached! Continue! The more Zhang Xuan studied, the more excited he became. Thus, he went on to finish the remaining books as well. Four hourster, he was done browsing through all of the books and assimting their knowledge. As if his massive soul had been tempered, it looked much more transparent and purer. Terpsichores utilize their dance as a means to beguile, enchant, attack, or even kill the soul of another... Even though Zhang Xuan had never learnt terpsichorean arts before, he hadprehended the most profound and innate essence of the upation. Currently, his knowledge regarding the upation was unmatched by anyone beneath 7-star. If he were to take the examination at this very moment, he would definitely qualify for 6-star pinnacle. I finished the books much faster than I would have before! Zhang Xuan thought. In the past, it would have taken him at least twelve hours in order to learn another upation from scratched to 6-star pinnacle. However, he did it with terpsichore using only six hours. Where is that student? Standing up, Zhang Xuan nced around the room to search for the female student who was in the library with him, and he suddenly froze. The vast Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion was empty, and not a single person was in sight. The heck! When did she leave? Widening his eyes in shock, Zhang Xuan nearly fainted. He had been too immersed in his cultivation that he hadnt noticed that the student whom he had followed in had already left! As the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion required Academic Credits to enter, there was rarely anyone in it. From his arrivalst night until now, this student was the only one who had entered the premises. Now that she was gone, how was he supposed to leave the area? Was he going to be locked in there for several days straight? Zhang Xuan felt a tinge of helplessness. What the heck was this! If only hed known, he wouldnt have immersed himself so deeply into his cultivation. Its nothing much for me to be confined here, but my body is still in the vicinity. If someone were to find it, I will be in deep trouble... As a soul, he was highly indiscernible and was unaffected by the mechanisms and formations governing the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, so being trapped here wasnt too much of an issue for him. The problem was his body. Even though he had hidden it in the best spot he could find, it would be a stretch to say that it would be able to hide from the discerning eyes of the many master teachers of the Terpsichore School for extended periods of time, especially in the day. It would be a cmity if he were to be found by anyone. Seeing that it was already nearing noon, Zhang Xuan could no longer hold himself back any longer. He rushed up to the door, hoping to find a gap or any other openings which he could escape through. However, after circling around the entire Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, he could only sigh deeply in frustration. Looks like there really is no way for me to escape... The mechanisms and formations set up in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion were extremely powerful, and it was impossible for anyone to force them open. If Zhang Xuans physical body was there, he couldvepiled a book on them just by touching them, and exploiting its ws, he would have been able to escape easily. Incapable of touch, however, his soul was unable to do so. His Eye of Insight was currently too weak to see through the formation and mechanisms as well... Was he doomed to continue waiting helplessly here until someone arrived? Zhang Xuans eyes twitched as helplessness washed over him. Forget it, I will just continue to wait. Surely there will be someone who will visit the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion by the end of the day... Since Zhang Xuan was unable to find a better solution to his dilemma, he could only resign himself to fate. Just as he was about to find a ce to bide his time, jiya!, the doors suddenly creaked open. Hmm? Someone is here? Not expecting that someone would arrive that quickly, Zhang Xuan leaped up in excitement. He hurriedly rushed behind the doors to hide as he waited for an opportunity to rush out of the library. Hu! A resplendently dresseddy carrying a graceful disposition walked into the room. After stepping across the threshold, she was just about to walk toward the shelves when her eyebrows suddenly knitted together. She nced at the direction where Zhang Xuan was hidden and howled, "Who is it? Come out!" Sensing her gaze on him, Zhang Xuans body stiffened in tension. It should have been hard for anyone to notice him in his soul form, especially since he was lying dormant in the corner. Yet, the other party had actually noticed him instantly. How could that be? A Saint realm expert? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed warily. There was only one possibility for thisthe other party was a Saint realm expert! With the breakthrough to Saint realm, one would gain a certain level ofprehension regarding the nature of space. Even though Zhang Xuan had concealed his presence well, his disguise was not perfect due to the limitations of his cultivation. For one, the flow of spiritual energy where he was standing would be slightly disturbed due to the presence of his soul, thus betraying his presence. "What? You arent going toe out?" Frowning deeply, thedy harrumphed coldly as she raised her palm and grabbed toward the space where Zhang Xuan was situated. Hong long! A sudden burst of zhenqi abruptly froze everything in ce. Zhang Xuan felt an immense pressure strangling him, threatening to dissipate his soul. As big as his soul was, it only possessed the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan pinnacle. That was far from matching up to a Saint realm expert! They were twopletely different levels! Escape! Knowing that he would die if he were to allow the other party to do as he pleased, he immediately drove his cultivation, and with a powerful burst of strength, he managed to barely break free of the other partys restraint. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he rushed right for the doors. Hong long! The movement of his immense soul disturbed the spiritual energy in the surroundings, stirring up a burst of wind in the surroundings "This is... a soul?" Thedys face turned grim. While she did sense a presence in the room, shed only thought that it was someone who had used some kind of technique or ability to conceal their presence. Shed never even considered the possibility that it would be a soul. Soul oracles had already vanished several dozen millenniums ago. For one to suddenly appear in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion... where could he havee from? And what was he up to? "Where do you think you are going..." With a sharp shout, thedy darted forward to grab the escaping soul. Hong long! With a Saint realm expert exerting her full might, the space within several thousand meters was immediately sealed in ce. This is truly bad... After barely darting out of the library, Zhang Xuan was just about to escape into the air when the area around him suddenly turned incredibly viscous. It was as if he had fallen in a marsh. As much as he tried, he just wouldnt move. Is this the ability of Saint realm experts, Zhenqi Spatial Lock? Zhang Xuan stiffened tensely. Chapter 771: The Foolish Deeds of the Body Chapter 771: The Foolish Deeds of the Body Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Saint realm experts possessed the ability to seal space, leaving those who were within the area of its effect feeling as if they had fallen into an ocean of mud. Limited by the spatial lockdown, they would only be able to utilize a tenth of their original movement speed and strength. This ability was known as Zhenqi Spatial Lock, and only Saint realm experts were able to ovee it. With an awful look on his face, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and continued trudging forth. However, with his speed being reduced to a tenth under the effects of the Zhenqi Spatial Lock, his speed was barely any different from that of a snail. "Trying to escape me? Dream on!" With a light harrumph, thedy flicked her fingers thrice toward Zhang Xuan. Peng peng peng! A powerful shockwave engulfed the area around Zhang Xuan, and he immediately felt a stifling sensation in his chest. His massive soul trembled uncontrobly as a splitting headache assaulted his consciousness. It felt as if he was going to lose control of his body at any moment. A soul attack... Zhang Xuan thought with a grave expression. With three simple flicks, thedy was able to inflict grievous injuries upon Zhang Xuans soul. Considering her skillful use of the soul attack, she must be one of the upper echelons governing the Terpsichore School, perhaps an elder or even higher. I must return to my body this very instant or else I might really end up being killed by her... A chilling sensation swept over Zhang Xuan as he realized the dire situation he was in. If it had been any other Saint realm expert he was dealing with, and this was inclusive of the Ten Great Master Teachers such as School Head Mo and School Head Zhao, it would have been difficult for the other party to wound his soul. Due to the souls intangibility, it couldnt be hurt by physical means. Only those who wielded soul offense techniques could possibly inflict damage upon a soul. To Zhang Xuans misfortune, the person he was facing was an upper echelon of the Terpsichore School, which meant that she had a thorough understanding of souls. To such a person, erasing his soul from existence was no difficult feat. If his soul were to dissipate, that would beplete and utter death. There would be zero possibility that he coulde back to life. There was no way he could survive the attacks of a Saint realm terpsichore as a soul, so the only chance he had at surviving this ordeal was to return back to his physical body. This would reveal the location of his body, but he had no other option at the moment. After all, this was a much better alternative than having his soul dissipated on the spot. Bearing the excruciating pain his soul was in, he rushed right for the tree at the courtyard, where his body was located. However, before he could get far, he heard yet another harrumph beneath him. "You still wish to continue on?" Hu! Thedy raised her palm and thrusted it at the air several times. An overwhelming force tore through space and struck Zhang Xuan. For an instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if he had been struck by aet, and his soul flipped several times in the air, nearly ripped apart by the sheer force of the attack. It was fortunate that hisrge soul had allowed him to distribute the immense force across his soul body, thus reducing the severity of the damage he sustained. At the same time, as a cultivator of the Heavens Path Soul Art, his soul energy was particrly pure, granting exceptional resilience to his soul. Otherwise, he would surely have been killed under the blow. But even though he had managed to survive the attack, he still felt as if someone had attempted to tear his soul into two, and the wounds on his soul had worsened as well. Knowing that he would surely die without fail if the other party were to continue attacking, Zhang Xuan intended to make another charge for his body behind the tree when an idea popped into his mind, and he held himself still. The might of the other partys attack was more than sufficient to kill any ordinary soul oracle. It was only due to the immense size and exceptional resilience of his soul that he was able to remain intact. If he were to attempt another charge for his body, the other party would surely sense his presence and be astounded by the durability of his soul. In response to that, she would execute an even stronger attack against him. If this were to happen, regardless of how big or resilient his soul was, the only fate awaiting him was death. But... if he could make the other party think that she had managed to kill him, he just might be able to escape with his life... As expected, when he paused in the air and manipted his soul to emte a dissipated soul, thedy looked visibly relieved. Sensing theck of movement in the air, thedy suddenly recalled something, and her face darkened. "Soul oracles betrayed humanity back then, opting to be a weapon for the Otherworldly Demons. For one of them to appear here at this moment... could it be rted to that incident? If thats the case, I shouldnt have killed it immediately..." Countless years ago, the soul oracles and their heritage were wiped clean from the face of the earth by the Master Teacher Pavilion. If anything rted to them was still existent in the world, the chances were that the Otherworldly Demons were involved in the matter as well. For a soul oracle to appear right after the incident at Leiyuan Peak, no matter how she looked at the matter, it was impossible for the two incidents to be unrted! Realizing that she had allowed a potential clue leading her to Byzantium Helios Beast slip through her fingers, she couldnt help but regret her impulsive actions. At this instant, thedy suddenly recalled something. "Wait... if that person is a soul oracle, why would he try to escape from the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion at this time? But if he isnt a soul oracle, what else can he be?" Soul oracles were of the yin attribute, which made them highly vulnerable to yang energy. As a result, they dared not appear in broad daylight, or else they would be putting themselves at risk of being seared by the sun rays. Even if they managed to survive the exposure to the sun rays, they would be in for a round of excruciating pain and a sharp decline in their cultivation afterwards due to the Searing Yang Decline. Considering how that the other party had rushed out as soon as he found an opportunity to do so, he clearly did not fear the sun... Could that mean that he wasnt a soul oracle? But if that was the case, what else could he be? As a Saint realm expert, she knew that the world was farrger than she could ever imagine. There were many unique upations with mystical means that ordinary cultivators could hardly fathom. Even with her broad knowledge base, she dared not outright refute the possibility of anything. For example, she had heard of a species of saint beast known as the Weakscaled Beast. It was a massive beast with an exterior as dark as ink, making it a conspicuous existence no matter where it went. However, as soon as it stepped into water, its body would immediately turnpletely transparent, as if it was invisible. Could the fellow she had just encountered be such a lifeform as well? This was a usible hypothesis as well. Otherwise, no matter how powerful a soul oracle was, a humans soul couldnt possibly expand to be beyond ten metersrge, right? That would be sheer insanity! Upon that realization, thedys eyes suddenly widened in astonishment. "Damn it, that would mean that fellow is feigning death!" If her enemy was truly a soul oracle, there was little doubt that her soul attack would have ripped the other party apart. However, if her enemy was a saint beast instead, it would be likely that it would possess thick and tough skin that granted it superior defenses. If so, it was unlikely that her soul attack would have been able to kill the other party. In other words... there was a good chance that the other party was feigning death! "Trying to fool me? Dont even think about it!" With a livid expression, thedy raised her leg and stomped forcefully on the ground. Hong long! The earth immediately shook intensely as waves of zhenqi surged into the surroundings as if searing heat waves. She noticed it? For a moment, Zhang Xuan had thought that hed managed to fool the other party. However, upon hearing those words, he realized that his deception had failed. Left with no choice, he was just about to attempt another dash for his physical body when one of the branches of a certain tree abruptly shook... Putong! A corpse-like figure suddenly fell face-down from the tree, creating a huge depression on the ground. Upon seeing the sight, Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from utter horror. Who else could that figure be if not his body! Hed thought it would be safe to hide his body amidst the trees, but thatdys attack had caused the trees to sway, resulting in his body falling from its hiding spot. It was just a few moments ago that he was still thinking that even though his soul had been discovered, as long as his body remained hidden, he would still be safe. After all, considering the fact that souls were intangible, it was impossible to see their true form without the Eye of Insight. Thus, as long as his soul could flee for the time being, returning only after the storm had cleared to fetch his body, he would be able to get away scot-free. However, with his body facented in the ground right before the other party, his identity was alreadypromised. There was no way he would be able to remain in the Master Teacher Academy anymore! "Who are you?" While Zhang Xuan was feeling so frustrated that he could spew blood, thedy howled in astonishment and immediately raised her palm to strike the fallen body. Hong long! A violent torrent of zhenqi that harnessing destructive might fell upon Zhang Xuan. Now that her attention is away from me, I should make use of this opportunity to return back to my body... Knowing that this was the only chance he was going to get, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and immediately rushed for his body. But at that moment, his facented body abruptly ced its palms against the ground to push itself up before flitting away swiftly. Its speed was so fast that its movements were a blur. Heavens Path Movement Art! This is... Mind of Void... Upon seeing the sight before him, Zhang Xuans soul swayed weakly. If souls could faint, he would probably have fainted there and then. Havingprehended Mind of Void, his body could move instinctively in times of danger even if its soul was not in it. Realizing the immense might behind the other partys palm, his body gauged that it wasnt the other partys match, so it immediately fled so as to avert the danger. Looking at the distant back of his body, Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears. The heck! If you had just waited a split second longer, I would have already freaking returned back to my body! Think of what an awkward situation you have left me in... Furthermore, with the speed you are fleeing at via the Heavens Path Movement Art, how am I to catch up with you? Zhang Xuans soul was only at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle whereas his body possessed the cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Pair that with the Heavens Path Movement Art and Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps... If his body were to flee with all its might, the distance between them would only grow further and further! Screw this! "You scoundrel, where do you think you are running off to?" Seeing the young man who had fallen from the tree running away, thedy nearly exploded from fury. Pushing against the ground, she soared into the sky and pursued the fleeing figure. With the incredible speed Zhang Xuans body was traveling at via the Heavens Path Movement Art, even thedy had to dash with all her might in order to keep up with him. Hurry up and catch him! Seeing thedy rushing for his body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The next moment, however, a bizarre expression appeared on its face as what he had just asked for dawned on him. The hell! To be cheering when another was attempting to capture his body... There was just some kind of inexplicable peculiarity to the situation. This was all that foolish bodys fault! If not for it, why would he be in such a dilemma now? Wait a moment... If my body is caught, it will be even more difficult for me to slip back into it... After a moment of depression, Zhang Xuan suddenly realized that even if his body were to be caught, thedy would never allow his soul to slip into his body. Thus, he immediately rushed off to chase his body as well. However, the next sight he saw left him dumbfounded. His body was crashing through wall after wall as it fled with all its might. Calm down, stop doing that! Zhang Xuan bellowed within as he watched the sight before him with an aching heart. All actions conducted under the effects of Mind of Void was instinctive, so it was impossible for it to conduct precise movements like a living human. Even so, to be crashing straight through walls, that was a little over the top! You are supposed to save me from danger, not to leave my body bruised all over! Even if you get out of this situation alive, if you leave my body mortally wounded in exchange, what good will you have done? "You better stop right there!" Just as Zhang Xuan was wallowing in self-pity at his unfortunate plight, thedy ahead of him caught up to his body. With a flick of her hand, several surges of zhenqi gathered and sealed the space around his body, forming an invisible cage around it. Peng! Peng! Peng! Sensing the immense threat looming over it, his body executed the Heavens Path Fist Art in an attempt to break open the cage. However, with just a total might of 16,000,000 ding from his zhenqi cultivation and physical body, it was impossible for him to break the zhenqi cage constructed by a Saint realm expert. Knowing that the other party wouldnt be able to break free of her Zhenqi Spatial Lock, thedy turned to the figure before her and asked with a sharp glint in her eyes, "Who are you? Why were you snooping around the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion?" Peng peng peng peng! Naturally, Zhang Xuans body, driven only by its instincts, was unable to answer the question. It continued striking the cage frenziedly, creating loud sonic booms. "You are courting death!" Seeing that the other party actually dared to snub her, thedys face flushed crimson in rage. She raised her hand, and a destructive force swiftly gathered on her palm. From the looks of it, if the figure before her continued to remain silent, she would simply kill him. Mind of Void was an ability that only the most powerful soul oracles possessed. However, with the disappearance of the soul oracles and their heritage, the knowledge regarding Mind of Void had vanished as well. This was the reasondespite being a Saint and a 6-star pinnacle master teacherthedy was unable to tell that the figure standing before her was just a soulless body incapable of speech. If my body is smashed into minced meat, it will be of no use even if I do get it back... At this moment, Zhang Xuan finally arrived at the scene. Seeing that thedy preparing her hand to smash his body into pieces, his soul nearly dissipated from fright. Not daring to waste a single second, he immediately dived straight through the cage and into the be of his body. Unlike the Zhenqi Spatial Lock, the zhenqi cage didnt harness the spatialws of the world and could only block physical beings. It couldnt interfere in the passageway of a soul at all. As soon as his soul entered his body, he immediately saw immense energy gathered on thedys palm that was on the verge ofnding on him, so he hurriedly had his body stop whatever he was doing. sping his fist, he spoke resoundingly, "Elder, thank you for helping me suppress my inner demons, sparing me from the fate of going berserk..." Chapter 772: Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe Chapter 772: Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The reactions his body made was simply too unnatural that he could only attempt to pass it off as his inner demons acting up. Otherwise, there was no other way he could exin his unnatural actions. Naturally, he couldnt talk about Mind of Void either as it was intricately linked with the soul oracles. As for the soul the other party noticed earlier, as long as he adamantly denied it, there was no way the other party could investigate the matter and trace it back to him. "Inner demons?" As expected, upon hearing those words, thedy in the sky dissipated the violent energy in her hand. However, given that she didnt dispel the zhenqi cage, it seemed that she still carried some doubts towards Zhang Xuans words. From the looks of it, it seemed that she was intending to hear Zhang Xuans story out, but if she were to detect any falsehood in his words, she wouldnt hesitate to kill him. "Indeed. I am a freshman of this academy, and I was intending to enter the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion to read up on some books so as to prepare myself for the terpsichore examination. However, on my way here, an inspiration suddenly struck me, and in order to prevent others from interrupting me, I can only hide on a tree for the time being..." Zhang Xuan exined. "Sudden inspiration?" Thedy frowned. Cultivators did have moments of sudden enlightenment from time to time, and they disappeared as abruptly as they appeared. Thus, it was important for one to muse over it as soon as possible so as to not allow it to slip their minds. For this purpose, the academy had built innumerable gazebos all over the academy so as to allow students to rush in and focus their attention on developing their sudden inspiration. If that fellow really had a sudden stroke of inspiration, it wouldnt be too far-fetched for him to hide in the midst of the trees for fear of being interrupted. "What is the rtionship between you and the thing hiding in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion then?" But of course, just because it was logical didnt mean that it was necessarily true. Ultimately, this was just a one-sided story from the other party. She wasnt ready to believe it so easily. It was just a moment ago that she spotted an uninvited guest within the library, and the next moment, this fellow fell from the tree. It was difficult to believe that the both of them werent rted! "Pardon me, but I am not very sure what elder is asking me. I was in the midst of pondering about the details regarding the [Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe] 1 when a stroke of inspiration hit me, but due to a slight mistake I made, my cultivation almost went berserk. I have only recovered from my berserk state just a moment ago, so Im not too sure what has happened in between..." Zhang Xuan replied sheepishly. It was best for him to feign ignorance and deny his involvement vehemently right from the start. Once it was established that he was involved in the incident, the matter could potentially spiral out of his control. "Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe? That is a grade-6 terpsichorean art that only 6-star terpsichores are able toprehend. What is a freshman like you pondering over it for? Are you taking me for a fool?" Thedy harrumphed in displeasure. The fellow before her was seemed to be only in his early twenties, and he had also just said for himself that he was a freshman of the academy. Yet, he also said that he was musing over a grade-6 terpsichorean art. It was obvious that there was a clear contradiction in his words, so it was inevitable that she would get even more suspicious of him. Thus, she began gathering power in her palm once again, ready to make a move should the other party fail toe up with a good exnation for his words. But on the other hand, seeing that he had managed to divert the other partys attention away from the appearance of his soul in the library, he heaved a sigh of relief within. After which, he flicked his wrist and took out an emblem, "Even though I am a freshman, I am a 6-star cksmith as well. Thus, it shouldnt be too bizarre for me to be musing over a grade-6 terpsichorean art, right?" "6-star cksmith?" Seeing the six shining stars on the emblem, thedy frowned. The emblems were made out of a special material, making it impossible to falsify them. In other words, the other party was truly a 6-star cksmith. cksmith was one of the Upper Nine Paths upations. Considering that he was even able to achieve such heights as a cksmith, it shouldnte as too much of a surprise for him to be musing over a grade-6 terpsichorean art. "Yes. The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe is one of the stronger grade-6 terpsichorean arts, and if executed well, it can even beguile a Saint realm expert, leaving him deep in a trance. However, after analyzing it for some time, I realized that despite the impressive prowess of the technique, it has several conspicuous ws that need to be corrected." Seeing that he had managed to capture the other partys attention, a faint smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips as he continued, "Firstly, just as the name Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe suggests, the technique requires resplendent clothes and essories in order to maximize its effectiveness. However, if you were to find yourself ced in a dangerous position abruptly and a battle was imminent, would your opponent give you time to change your clothes and essories to prepare for battle? This is the greatest w in the technique I have found so far. Next, even though the terpsichorean art is indeed enchanting, it hasnt reached the level where one is unable to guard against it. On top of that, the soul energy consumption for the dance is enormous, making it extremely exhausting for the terpsichore executing the technique as well. In other words, if the technique were to fail to work on your enemy, there is a good chance that you might already be too drained to fight any longer, thus making it a double-edged sword. This is the second w..." "... This is the third w!" "... This is the fourth w!" ... "... This is the seventeenth w!" Word shot out from Zhang Xuans mouth like a machine gun, leaving the other party no chance to interject at all. In a mouthful, he pointed out seventeen ws in the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe. There was a detailed introduction to this terpsichorean art in many of the books in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion. He had nced through them momentarily, so he had a clear idea regarding their content. Thus, it wasnt too difficult for him to dig up those ws. If he wanted to pull the other partys attention away from the matter regarding the soul entirely, he would have to dominate the conversation so as to dictate the flow of the conversation. The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe was one of the moremon terpsichorean arts used by 6-star terpsichores, so Zhang Xuan knew that he would be able to shock the other party by pointing out their ws. Judging from the shocked look on the other partys face, he knew that he had seeded. "You managed to analyze... so many ws in the terpsichorean art?" Thedy could hardly believe her ears. She had often used this terpsichorean art herself, but even she hadnt noticed these ws at all. Yet, the young man before her actually pointed all of them in a single breath, so it was inevitable that she would be shocked. As a 6-star terpsichore, she was sufficiently proficient in the upation to conclude swiftly that there was no mistake with the other partys analysis regarding the ws of the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe at all! To be able to see what even she had neglected... Just what kind of eyes did the fellow before her possess? Could he really be here to take the terpsichore examination? "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Do you have any proposed solutions for the ws you have listed?" Hearing the confidence in Zhang Xuans voice, thedy couldnt help but ask. "I wasnt too sure before, but my sudden inspiration has given me some insight into the problems. I might be able to solve some of them now." Zhang Xuan nodded. "The first problem I have raised is that the clothes worn must be resplendent. However, I believe that it is a misinterpretation of the technique. The main focus of the terpsichorean art lies in the Rippling and not the Cloud Robe. What that truly draws people in is not the beautiful clothes but the ripples flowing through them with each movement. Take me for example, even if I were to execute the technique in my in clothes, its offensive ability is still not one to sneeze at..." As Zhang Xuan spoke, he raised his arm and lightly shook it. Weng! Zhenqi flowed across his sleeves, creatingyer afteryer of ripples on it. In an instant, it was as if a stone was thrown into ake, bringing life and harmony to the once stagnant water. Despite the young mans ordinary wear, under the effects of the harmonious ripples, she was still put under the illusion as if he was dressed like a majestic deity of the heavens. In an instant, the beautiful aesthetics permeated deep into her soul, bringing her inexplicable pleasure. His disposition and exterior changed in just a split instant, as if the dirty beggar from a moment ago had turned into the charming prince in a night banquet. Unwittingly, she found herself delving deeper and deeper into a trance. She quickly shook her head to regain her senses, and it was only then that she realized that the other partys motion had already stopped. The other party was still wearing the same old clothes, as if nothing had happened at all. "Impressive!" Thedys heart jolted in astonishment. As a 6-star terpsichore, she had always been the one to charm others. Yet, the other party managed to make her lose herself momentarily despite his humble clothes. Most likely, his understanding of terpsichorean arts had already far surpassed her, reaching a level she had always dreamed of. Seeing the shock on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan knew that he had already seeded in convincing the other party about his identity, and he heaved a breath of relief. With a light chuckle, he continued, "As for the second w regarding the high soul energy consumption of the technique, as long as one were to drive his soul energy in such a manner, one will be able to avoid..." Given his current proficiency as a terpsichore, it wasnt too difficult for him to resolve the ws in the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe. That terpsichorean art was highly demanding on the soul energy consumption, making it extremely damaging to the terpsichore executing the technique as well. However, if the terpsichore were to drive her soul energy using his cirction method, she would be able to lower the soul cultivation expended to less than a third while enhancing the might of the technique by a significant amount as well. "Th-this..." Hearing the form, thedy swiftly did some calctions, and her eyes slowly widened in disbelief. She had just given the soul energy cirction form a brief try just a moment ago, and she realized that the other party was right! Not only did the fellow before her revolutionize their understanding of the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, he even enhanced the efficiency of the technique immensely as well! "As for the third w..." Amidst her shock, the other party continued on proposing the solutions to the problems he had listed. The fourth w, the fifth w, the sixth w... In a few moments, he had proposed unique solutions to resolving all seventeen ws he had listed! "If we were to implement the changes you have proposed to the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, its prowess will be boosted by more than twofold. If I were to execute it, I would be able to even beguile a Saint 2-dan expert, rendering him helpless in battle..." Thedy felt her throat dry up, and her body stiffened from the sheer agitation she was feeling. How could someone with her eye of discernment possibly not notice how valuable and fearsome the revised Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe was? To be able to list out seventeen ws and resolve them impably... Despite his young age, the fellow before her possessed an understanding of terpsichorean art that was far beyond her imagination! "This is all I have just gotten from my inspiration regarding the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe. I hope that this will be useful in perfecting the technique. If there is anything else that you are unsure of, feel free to ask me. I will try to answer everything within my means!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Forced to a corner, he had to apply the knowledge he had just learned on the spot. Otherwise, considering how even ten of him wouldnt be a match for a Saint realm expert, it wasnt too difficult to imagine how tragic his oue would be. Fortunately, everything seemed to have turned out well. "It just happens that I do have some problems I wish to consult you on. It is regarding the Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art. Every time I attempt to cultivate it, I will feel a heavy and stifling sensation in my heart. May I know if there is any way I can resolve the issue?" Thedy hesitated for a short moment before asking. There were indeed some issues regarding the cultivation of her terpsichorean art that had confounded her for some time. Considering how the fellow before her was able to further refine the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, perhaps he might be able to resolve the problems she was facing? "Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art... Are you referring to the technique created by 6-star Terpsichore Zui Linglong three thousand years ago?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Indeed!" Thedy nodded. "The Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art can stir ones soul and produce a fragrance that reaches up to ten li away, inviting birds and bees to dance in joy to it. It is one of the most advanced grade-6 terpsichorean art, possessing immense power. If you feel a heavy and stifling sensation in your heart upon its execution, if my deduction fails me not..." Frowning deeply, Zhang Xuan paused for a brief instant as he assessed thedy before him before asking, "You havent been in love before, have you?" "I... Thats right." Thedy shook her head. She had dedicated her life to the terpsichore, spending her time doing nothing but cultivate. Never had she met a man who had caught her eyes, so naturally, she hadnt had the opportunity to fall in love as well. "Thats indeed the problem! Zui Linglong created the Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art in the days when she first came to know love. Innocent and pure, she and her lover and vowed to spend their days together until their hair loses its color and their livese to an end. This terpsichorean art consisted only of a few simple movements, but it reflected her expectations for the blissful life ahead of her. You have never been in love before, so it will be hard for you grasp this kind of emotions. As a result, your intent is not aligned with your dance, and forcefully executing it will only cause you to suffer injuries instead!" Zhang Xuan exined. "Alright, why dont I modify this terpsichorean art for you to remove this w. If you wish to learn it..." With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan turned to the other party and said: "I can teach you!" Chapter 773: Poor Chapter 773: Poor Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Teach me?" Thedys eyes lit up. The Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art was currently the strongest technique she possessed, but she had never been able to sessfully cultivate it. If she could master the technique after its modification, it would surely augment her fighting prowess significantly. Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before saying, "Thats right. The core of this terpsichorean art lies in its intent. Even though you have never experienced the deep anticipation in wanting to spend your life together with a person you deeply love, you have experienced the loneliness and determination in striving for excellence in your cultivation. Even though that is a different emotion from the former, it doesnt pale in its intensity. If you can tap on it, you will still be able to draw out immense power from the terpsichorean art." "I ask of you to enlighten me!" Thedy sped her fist and bowed. From their previous conversation, she could already tell that the other partys understanding of terpsichorean arts far surpassed hers. Master teachers believed in taking the proficient as their teacher. Even though she was a Saint realm expert, it wouldnt be a humiliation for her to humbly seek guidance for the doubts she was facing from someone weaker than her. "Okay!" Seeing the other partys polite attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded inmendation. A true master teacher should always remain humble and prepared to learn from the strengths of others, regardless of how young or weak they might be. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan reshaped the Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art to fit the intent the other party was capable of drawing out. He reconfirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of the technique before imparting it to the other party. Hearing the details of the revised Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art, thedy slowly went through every part of it so as to betterprehend the technique, and the astonishment on her face gradually increased. Realizing that the technique imparted to her was tailored to her needs, she turned to the other party with eyes filled with awe. Thedy hurriedly dispelled the zhenqi cage around Zhang Xuan, sped her fist, and earnestly apologized, "Pardon me, I was reckless..." If she had been thinking that the other party intended to steal something from the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion earlier, such a thought had already vanished from her mind by this moment. While the collection of books in the library was beneficial to most students and teachers, it was already no longer useful in advancing her proficiency as a terpsichore. Since it was useless to her, considering the fact that the other partysprehension of the terpsichorean art was even deeper than hers, what could possibly interest him in there? It seemed like the young man before her really had nothing to do with that fellow she had found hiding in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion earlier. The entire matter was just a coincidence. "May I know how I can address you?" Having thought this matter through, thedys attitude became much politer than before. "Elder, you are too polite. I am Zhang Xuan, a freshman who has just enrolled at the academy!" Zhang Xuan quickly replied. "Zhang Xuan? You are Zhang Xuan?" Taken aback, thedys eyes slowly widened into huge circles. "You know me?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Of course, you are the student whom School Head Mo proactively wanted to take under his wing and School Head Zhao wanted to acknowledge as his junior... These two matters have spread like wildfire amongst the teachers in the academy! I would have to be living under a rock to not have heard of it..." thedy said with a bitter smile. This freshman had broken far too many records right after his arrival. While he might still be little known amongst the student popce, he had already caused a massive stir amongst the teachers. Never in the history of the Master Teacher Academy had there been a student who had earned the favor of two school heads, only to reject the both of them tly. "I thought that Zhang shi only possesses outstanding talent in beast taming and smithing, to think that your understanding of terpsichorean arts has reached such astounding depths as well..." thedy said with eyes gleaming in admiration. She had tried looking into Zhang Xuans background at one time, and ording to the rumors, he had a teacher who was sufficiently capable to even offer pointers to Pavilion Master Mo. How could such an outstanding figure possibly intend the Terpsichore School harm? There was no benefit that the Terpsichore School could offer him. Thus, it could only mean that she had wronged him. "Elder, you are too courteous. The study of terpsichorean arts is deep and expansive, I have barely scraped the surface!" Zhang Xuan quickly replied. Each upation that had withstood the test of time was powerful and profound in its own right. Even though Zhang Xuan had gained a deep understanding of terpsichores over the past few hours, it was just the tip of the iceberg of the entire upation. As such, his words were not just humility. Thedy nodded. "To be able to remain humble despite your achievements, it is no wonder School Head Mo and School Head Zhao have such a high opinion of you! "My name is Wei Ranxue, and I am an elder of the Terpsichore School. Honestly speaking, your mastery as a terpsichore is far above mine, so you need not address me as elder; just Little Wei will do. I might have more problems regarding terpsichorean arts that I will require your advice on in the future, so I will be in your care." Since the other party had offered her valuable guidance, he could be considered as half a teacher to her. As such, despite her older age and higher cultivation, she couldnt ept Zhang Xuan addressing her as elder. "Alright then." Seeing the other partys earnest expression, Zhang Xuan could only nod in agreement. In truth, such a situation was nothing much. This was somewhat simr to the rtionship between him and Luo Qiqi. Despite thetters higher cultivation and older age, she still addressed him as teacher nheless. This was one of the master teacher traditions, taking the proficient as ones teacher, as well as an acknowledgement of a master teachers desire for knowledge. Recalling the matter beforehand, Wei Ranxue turned to look at Zhang Xuan thoughtfully. "Zhang shi, I seem to recall you saying that you are here to take the terpsichore examination... Does that mean that you dont have an emblem yet?" "I have been learning my terpsichorean arts from my teacher all along, so I havent had a chance to take the terpsichore examination yet," Zhang Xuan said. "You have never taken the terpsichore examination? This is no problem at all. Unlike those Upper Nine Paths upations, where one has to go through all kinds of examinations in order to obtain their emblem, with my testimony that yourprehension of terpsichorean arts is beyond mine, I will apply for a 6-star terpsichore emblem for you right now and deliver it to youter!" Wei Ranxue chuckled. The ranking system amongst the Upper Nine Paths was much stricter, and one had to go through all kinds of examinations in order to advance a rank. At the same time, there was a rigid prerequisite on ones cultivation realm as well. Even though terpsichores were one of the ten supporting upations taught in the Master Teacher Academy, it was a Lower Nine Paths upation. As such, it didnt have requirements as strict as the others. As long as Wei Ranxue served as a guarantor of his abilities, she would be able to apply for a 6-star pinnacle terpsichore emblem for him straightaway, thus sparing him the trouble. "Thank you for this..." Not expecting the other party to volunteer to help him apply for the 6-star terpsichore emblem, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he immediately sped his fist in gratitude. Once the application passed, he would have two 6-star supporting upations. Four more and he would be able to take the 6-star master teacher examination. "Youre too polite!" Wei Ranxue replied. With a smile on her lips, she invited, "If Zhang shi doesnt mind, do you want to take a seat in the Terpsichore Hall? I wish to learn more about your insights regarding terpsichorean art!" "That... With my current state, I think I shall not impose on you. Furthermore, I have only just recovered from my berserk state, so I will need to rest for a moment..." Zhang Xuan said as he nced at his muddied clothes. His body was first face-nted into the ground before bashing through innumerable walls in an attempt to escape. He had also been injured by the other partys soul attack, thus leaving him with both internal and external injuries. Therefore, he needed to return to his residence to recuperate from his wounds. "Ah, pardon me for my discourtesy..." It was only at this moment that Wei Ranxue recalled that the other party had just gone berserk a moment ago, so she immediately apologized in embarrassment. "Ill be bidding farewell now then!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan turned around and walked away. The Terpsichore School was severelycking in male students, and considering that it was already noon, it was inevitable that Zhang Xuan would catch the gazes of many as he walked amidst the crowd. However, he couldnt care less at the moment. Rushing forward, he soon returned back to his residence in the Elite Sector. "Teacher, you are injured?" As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the room, Luo Qiqi immediately walked up to wee him. However, upon seeing his unkempt look, she froze in shock. "Dont worry about it, its not a problem at all. Ill go take a rest first." Too exhausted to exin, Zhang Xuan pushed open the doors to his room and walked in. His physical wounds werent a problem. By circting his Heavens Path zhenqi, he would be able to recover from the swiftly. The main problemy with his soul. He had taken several heavy blows from a Saint realm expert, leaving his soul with a feeling as if it had been ripped apart. If not for the extraordinary resilience of his soul, it might have already dissipated by now. Hu! Zhang Xuan took out a high-tier spirit stone from his storage ring. Without any hesitation, he began driving his cultivation technique, and pure spiritual energy began flowing from the high-tier spirit stone into his body, mending his injuries. The wounds on his soul were more difficult to treat than his physical injuries. Even with the Heavens Path Soul Art and a high-tier spirit stone, it still took him some time. Only after relentless effort over four hours did his soul finally regain the glow and power it had before. Recalling the various matters that had happened today, a feeling of helplessness couldnt help but wash over Zhang Xuan. I really should be more careful the next time I wish to browse through books! He had been thinking of taking all of the books in the Master Teacher Academy into his Library of Heavens Path and leave the empire, but it seemed like this thought was far too naive. For one, there were many restrictions imposed on the libraries throughout the academy. Even as a soul, it wouldnt be easy for him to enter or leave those areas. It was fortunate that he had read the Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art up to 6-star beforehand, allowing him to convince the other party that he wasnt there to cause any harm. But there was no guarantee that he wouldnt be caught before he was done reading through the books the next time, or that the person he encountered would be as patient and rational as Wei Ranxue. "Forget it, I should focus on cultivating my soul first!" In the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, Zhang Xuan had managed topile two Heavens Path Soul Arts. Now that his soul energy had recovered, it was about time for him to start cultivating. The higher his soul cultivation was, the faster he could browse through the books, and the better he would be able to conceal himself from others. Hu! Zhang Xuan took his clone out and imparted the simplified versions of the Heavens Path Soul Art to him as well. Constructed out of a God artifact, his clone possessed an incredibly resilient body. His core weaknesses came mainly from his low zhenqi and soul cultivation realm. Due to theck of a suitable soul cultivation technique, his soul cultivation realm had been stuck at Consonant Spirit realm for quite a long time. Since Zhang Xuan had managed to obtain the next two dans of the Heavens Path Soul Art, it was best for them to cultivate together. After all, his clone was also a part of his fighting prowess as well. Zhang Xuan and his clone drew their souls out of their bodies simultaneously, and holding a high-tier spirit stone each, they began to drive their zhenqi ording to the cultivation technique they had. Pure spiritual energy flowed into their souls, and the aura they exuded swiftly grew stronger and stronger. After an unknown period of time... Hong long! With a sudden jolt, both of their souls achieved a breakthrough, reaching Cosmos Bridge realm. However, they didnt stop cultivating there. Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage! Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage! Cosmos Bridge realm advanced stage... An hourter, both Zhang Xuan and his clones souls reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle simultaneously. Even though his clone was cultivating the simplified version of Heavens Path Soul Art, his rate of cultivation was able to remain on par with the main body due to it being nourished by the Nine Hearts Lotus over an extended period of time. Kacha! Just as they were about to strive for a higher realm, with a kacha, the high-tier spirit stones in their hands abruptly shattered into dust. Both the souls of the main body and the clone were ten-meters tall, so the spiritual energy required for them to achieve a breakthrough was significantly higher than normal souls as well. As a result, one high-tier spirit stone was only barely enough for them to advance from Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. "Continue!" Zhang Xuan said through gritted teeth. If advancing to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle would take him a high-tier spirit stone, it was hard to imagine how many more he would require in order to reach Perfect Harmonization realm or even higher. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan took out the remaining eight high-tier spirit stones he had and split them equally between him and his clone. "Lets start!" Drawing his soul out once more, Zhang Xuan resumed his cultivation. Spending one high-tier spirit stone, he managed to make the breakthrough to Perfect Harmonization realm. Spending yet another one, he reached Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage. Before long, he was done consuming all four high-tier spirit stones, and his cultivation stopped at Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage. To think that even four high-tier spirit stones wouldnt be sufficient for him to reach pinnacle! Isnt this rate of consumption a little... way too high? Looking at the powdery remains of the ten high-tier spirit stones which he had gathered with great difficulty, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel incredibly frustrated. He was only at Perfect Harmonization realm, but the rate of consumption of spirit stones was already astounding. Without a doubt, the number of spirit stones he would require would only increase exponentially. Where in the world was he supposed to gather that much money? Hed thought that he had already be a little tycoon with ten high-tier spirit stones in his possession, but in the blink of an eye... he was poor once again! Chapter 774: Hu Yaoyaos Invitation Chapter 774: Hu Yaoyaos Invitation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Origin Heavy Water costs ten high-tier spirit stones per bottle. I need ten bottles to cultivate the Third Incandescence of Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, so in other words, I require a hundred high-tier spirit stones! Considering that I have expended four spirit stones cultivating from Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle to Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage, in order to reach pinnacle, I will need two high-tier spirit stones or perhaps even more. Beyond that, Ethereal Treading realm, Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint... The number of high-tier spirit stones will only increase exponentially. Without at least a hundred high-tier spirit stones, I wont be able to go far... Zhang Xuans head began aching. It seemed like his wish of reaching Saint realm within ten days was nothing more than a pipe dream at this point. Putting everything aside, just theck of spirit stones was already a huge problem in itself. I really should start finding a way to earn more money... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. It was clear that he would need to find a stable source of ie, but several hundred high-tier spirit stones was no small sum. It would be hard to find a viable solution at a whim. I should take a look at how much I have progressed for the time being... He could slowly contemte the issue regarding earning money in the future. For the time being, he looked inward in order to assess his current strength as a result of the recent breakthroughs. With his soul reaching Perfect Harmonization realm, his strength had soared once more, leaping from 3,200,000 ding to 10,000,000 ding! Factoring in the 8,000,000 ding he could harness from both his physical body and zhenqi cultivation, he had a maximum of 26,000,000 ding at his disposal, putting him on par with a Chrysalis realm primary stage expert! (Chrysalis realm primary stage 25,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 28,000,000 ding, advanced stage 31,000,000 ding, pinnacle 34,000,000 ding!) It must be said that the rate at which he was growing was truly frightening. Zhang Xuan turned to his clone and noted that thetter had also stopped at Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage. Noticing Zhang Xuans gaze on him, his clones eyes gleamed in excitement. "Shall we have a duel?" Zhang Xuan shook his head awkwardly. "Ah... Ill pass..." Even though his clones cultivation was mainly derived from his soul, his physical body was simply too powerful; it would be a grave mistake to gauge his strength just by his soul cultivation alone. Furthermore, it seemed his physical body was gradually growing stronger as he advanced his soul cultivation. With Zhang Xuans current strength, he could easily defeat opponents with higher cultivation realm than him. But even so, he was still a far way off from matching with that fellow. If he were to challenge the other party to a duel, there was not a shadow of a doubt that he would be utterly crushed. It was already extremely embarrassing that he, as the main body, was unable to defeat his clone. Why would he intentionally ask for a beating one top of that? Returning his clone to his storage ring, Zhang Xuan pushed open his door and walked out. As he made his way to the main hall, Luo Qiqi suddenly walked up to him and greeted him. Zhang Xuan had already changed into a fresh set of clothes. With the advancement of his soul cultivation, his eyes seemed to have grown a little profounder, and his aura had be more indiscernible, creating an unfathomable aura around him. "Teacher, Senior Hu Yaoyao has just sent a letter over inviting you to a night banquet," Luo Qiqi said as she assessed Zhang Xuan with doubtful eyes. Yesterday, when her teacher had returned injured in the afternoon, shed thought that it was a result of a confrontation with Hu Yaoyao while trying to get the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence out of her... But considering the fact that Hu Yaoyao had sent an invitation letter to them just a moment ago, that possibility could be eliminated. The chances were that her teacher hadnt met Hu Yaoyao outside of the first meeting. But if that was the case... where did he go the previous night? And who was it that injured him? "Night banquet? What night banquet?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words. Was Hu Yaoyao already going to make her move against him? "Here, take a look at this!" Luo Qiqi raised her hands to pass an envelope over. Zhang Xuan took the envelope from her hands and opened it. Contained within the envelope was an invitation letter, and putting aside the pleasantries written, the content was mainly speaking about how shed felt a strong affinity with them when theyd met the previous night. Therefore, shed decided to extend an invitation to them for her night banquet, and she hoped that they wouldnt turn down her goodwill. The address was the Terpsichore School, Cloud Sparrow Lodge. "Cloud Sparrow Lodge?" Zhang Xuan asked questioningly. "That is Senior Hu Yaoyaos private residence. It is located within the Terpsichore School!" Luo Qiqi exined. Fearing that her teacher wouldnt understand, she further borated, "The Elite Sector is divided into four subsectors, namely D, C, B, and A, which correspond to Grade-1, Grade-2, Grade-3, and Grade-4 students respectively. Grade-5 students dont reside in the Elite Sector. Instead, outstanding Grade-5 students can have private residences constructed for them in the school of their main supporting upation. Naturally, the location and facilities of those private residences are far better than those in the Elite Sector!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had heard it from Huang Xing and the others when he first arrived at the Elite Sector. Of the four subsectors, he was currently living in Sector D. Sensing the scent of a scheme from this matter, Luo Qiqi said with a frown, "Teacher, the other party refused our request yesterday, but she still chose to send us this abrupt invitation letter today. I fear that she is up to no good..." "There is no doubt that she is up to no good. However, if we dont go, it will be impossible for us to locate Elder Wu Yangzis old residence," Zhang Xuan analyzed calmly. Hearing those words, Luo Qiqi could only nod in agreement with a bitter smile on her face. If there was another way around this matter, they would have already made a move. However, with the other party holding the vital information they required, they could only y along with her games. "Since thats the case, what is there for us to hesitate about? Since she has invited us to a night banquet, we will just have to head over to take a look!" Zhang Xuan said. He had headed over to the Hu Yaoyaos residence in the hope of sounding her out, but in the end, due to the other party abruptly stripping, he could only abandon his original intention. It was just a matter of time before they would have to confront one another. This night banquet might be a trap prepared for him, but it was also an opportunity to get the location of Wu Yangzis old residence out of her. Naturally, Zhang Xuan wouldnt give this chance up so easily. He was severelycking money at the moment. If he could find Wu Yangzis treasure, he might be able to free himself from the troubles he was facing. Hearing her teachers decision, Luo Qiqi made up her mind as well and asked, "Then... should we head off now?" "Now?" Zhang Xuan nced at the sky, and only then did he realize that the sun had already set. It was already afternoon by the time he returned from the Terpsichore School, and his recuperation and cultivation had taken him around five hours or so. As a result, by the time he was done, the sky was already pitch ck. "Lets head off then!" It was already about time for the night banquet to start, so they had to make haste. Leaving the residence, the duo headed straight for the Terpsichore School. While the Terpsichore School wasnt asrge as the cksmith School, its size was still nevertheless impressive. It took some time before the duo arrived at the courtyard where Zhang Xuan had seen Hu Yaoyao strippingst night. "So, this is the Cloud Sparrow Lodge..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Based on what he had seen yesterday while following Hu Yaoyao, the residence was much more majestic andrger than the surrounding residences and those in the Elite Sector as well. "This residence wasnt called the Cloud Sparrow Lodge initially. ording to the rumors, back when Senior Yaoyao was taking the 6-star terpsichore examination, she wore a magnificent dress and performed the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe. Her dance was so alluring that it attracted the excited chirping of the visiting Cloud Sparrows, and their calls resounded for a very long time even after the dance had ended... Inmemoration of that event, this residence was renamed the Cloud Sparrow Lodge," exined Luo Qiqi via zhenqi telepathy, knowing the story behind the name. Zhang Xuan nodded in respond. The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe did possess such astonishing capability when paired with resplendent clothes. It could easily beguile humans and beasts alike, sending them into a feverish state. Cloud Sparrow was a small savage beast that possessed minimal fighting prowess. However, it was a connoisseur of art, and its excited chirping could be considered the greatest apuse and recognition to a dancer. "That matter solidified Senior Hu Yaoyaos standing in the Terpsichore School, and even the head of the Terpsichore School epted her as her direct disciple!" Luo Qiqi continued. The head of the Terpsichore School was naturally one of the Ten Great Master Teachers as well. Being the direct disciple of such an incredible figure, little had to be said about Hu Yaoyaos standing in the Master Teacher Academy. This was also one of the reasons the Bewitching Devil Faction had grown to be one of thergest factions in the academy with innumerable followers. At that moment, jiya!, the doors to the Cloud Sparrow Lodge creaked open, and thedy whom Hu Yaoyao had addressed as Xinru yesterday night walked out and sped her fist respectfully. "The two of you must be Zhang shi and Luo shi, right?" As Zhang Xuan had been too focused on Hu Yaoyao the previous night, hed neglected thedy before him. However, standing at such proximity to one another, he realized that her cultivation had reached a fair level as well. Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert. With this, she could probably be considered as one of the top experts amongst the Grade-4 students. Yet, she was still ordered around as a subordinate in Hu Yaoyaos residence. It seemed Hu Yaoyaos influence was greater than he had initially thought. "We are!" Luo Qiqi replied. "Faction Leader Yaoyao has instructed me to escort you in, please follow me!" With a graceful smile, Xinru turned around and led the way. Following behind her, Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi stepped into the Cloud Sparrow Lodge. As Zhang Xuan had been too engrossed in following Hu Yaoyaos trail and avoiding the eyes of othersst night, he hadnt thought much about the residence. Strolling through it leisurely now, however, he realized that the residence was enormous! It was at least seven timesrger than his residence in the Elite Sector. In the courtyard, there was a pond in which many koi fishes were swimming to and fro. Beautiful flowers were cultivated in the area, and they exuded a light but refreshing fragrance. Furthermore, there seemed to be a Spirit Gathering Formation constructed beneath the residence. The spiritual energy in the area was even more concentrated than that in the Elite Sector. Even if an ordinary human incapable of cultivating were to live in this residence, their body would be nourished by the concentrated spiritual energy, leaving them energized and invulnerable to mostmon illnesses. "This way!" Xinru gestured with her hands. After walking through a long corridor, walking across two small bridges in between, they finally arrived at the main hall. The interior of the main hall was brightly lit, as if it were daytime. "There is no one inside?" Stepping into the main hall, Zhang Xuan scanned the room, and he was surprised to see that it was devoid of people. There were small wooden tablesid out for both the host and the guests in the vast room, and they were filled with fine wine and food. However, the person who had invited them, Hu Yaoyao, was nowhere in sight. "Faction Leader Yaoyao has some urgent matters to deal with, so she had to leave for a moment. She will be back very soon, so she instructed me to lead you to the main hall to take a seat first," Xinru exined with a smile. "I see!" Based on the conversation he had overheard yesterday, Zhang Xuan knew that Hu Yaoyao intended to deal with him. Most probably, her absence was also a part of her n as well. Knowing that it would be futile for him to probe deeper, he shrugged the matter off with a smile. After which, he and Luo Qiqi walked over to the two empty guest seats and sat down. Zhang Xuan had to admit that the other party did make ample preparations for this night banquet. The dishes on the table were all top-grade delicacies made of the meat of valuable spirit beasts. With just a sniff, one would immediately start salivating. Just this table in itself is probably already worth several hundred middle-tier spirit stones. As expected of the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, she sure is rich... If I really find myself in need of money, perhaps I could find some way to shake some out of her... Zhang Xuan thought as he stroked his lower jaw. It was just a moment ago that he had gone bankrupt, so such extravagance felt exceptionally stinging on his eyes. Since that fellow could spend several hundred middle-tier spirit stones just on a meal itself, she should surely have some money to spare for a poor man like him? "Enjoy your meal, I will take a look at how our faction leader is doing..." Xinru walked up to their table and poured them a cup of wine before backing out of the main hall with a courteous smile. "Teacher, what do you think shes trying to do?" Looking at thevish spread before her, Luo Qiqi was bewildered. "Regardless of what she is up to, I will make her reveal the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence today. Dont worry!" Zhang Xuan replied confidently. If it had been a day ago, he would have been hesitant to speak such words. However, after a night of studying at the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, he was now a 6-star terpsichore whom even Wei Ranxue was in awe for. No matter what Hu Yaoyao was up to, he was confident that he would be able to deal with whatever she was going to throw at him. If it came down to it, he could even utilize his terpsichorean art and beguile her to resolve the situation. "Alright." Luo Qiqi was still a little apprehensive inside, but she still nodded in response. She had no idea where her teachers confidence came from, but since he dared to utter such words, he must have an idea in mind! Chapter 775: Luo Qiqi Faints Chapter 775: Luo Qiqi Faints Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After chatting casually for a moment, silence gradually returned to the room. As Zhang Xuan raised his wine cup, he activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the room discreetly. A momentter, a slightly perplexed expression flickered momentarily across his face. Other than the Spirit Gathering Formation, there was no other formation or mechanism that he could see through his Eye of Insight. Didnt Hu Yaoyao intend to deal with him? Why hadnt she prepared anything then? Did she really think that she could subdue him without any preparation? Just as Zhang Xuan was in deep thought, Luo Qiqi suddenly called out. "Teacher, look over there!" Turning his sights to the direction her finger was pointing toward, Zhang Xuan saw a two-meter tall weapon rack with a slightly yellowish shield hanging on it. There were slight traces of patina 1 , which hinted at the long history behind it. "It is probably just a decorative artifact," Zhang Xuan replied Judging from the design of the weapon, it was probably smithed as an ornament. It wasnt umon forrge ns to hang such items in their main hall in a disy of power. "I have read many books regarding Elder Wu Yangzi, and ording to the records, he smithed a total of 124 weapons in his life, and 17 of them are shields. One of them, the zing Moon Copper Shield, has a bizarre fiery moon design, and it resembles that of this shield," Luo Qiqi said with a frown. "zing Moon Copper Shield?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan began examining the shield more carefully. Even though it was quite a distance away from them, with their keen eyes, they could still easily see the fiery moon reminiscent of the sun inscribed onto it. Unlike ordinary shields, it also had an irregr hexagonal shape. On the whole, the shield seemed exceedingly queer. Realizing the significance of Luo Qiqis words, Zhang Xuan asked agitatedly, "You mean that... this is a shield smithed by Elder Wu Yangzi?" "Yes!" Luo Qiqi stood up and walked toward the corner of the main hall and began examining the shield carefully. The more she studied the shield, the grimmer her expression became. Still in his seat, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the shield as well. While the shield was ancient, it had an extremelyplex workmanship that, based on Zhang Xuansprehension of smithing, bore a striking resemnce to that of the Zither Forging Technique. Eye of Insight! Lines of insight rippled in Zhang Xuans eyes as the information regarding the shield appeared before him. This was indeed left behind by Elder Wu Yangzi... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Hed thought that it was only an imitation, but the evidence was pointing to it being authentic. "It is said that Elder Wu Yangzi smithed the zing Sun Copper Shield in remembrance of histe wife, so he never put this artifact up on sale before. Many thought that it had disappeared along with him, but to think that it would actually be here," Luo Qiqi eximed in shock. Clenching her fists tightly, she continued, "It seems Senior Yaoyao really does know where the old residence is. There is a high chance that she might have unearthed it from there!" Zhang Xuan also shared the same thoughts as Luo Qiqi. Since this shield had never been put on sale before, there was a high chance that it had been hidden in Wu Yangzis old residence, and Hu Yaoyao had managed to find it by some stroke of luck. After examining the shield, Luo Qiqi was just about to return to her seat when she abruptly froze again. "Theres also a sword here!" On the wall not too far away from them hung a sword in its scabbard. A weapon rack had hindered her view of it from her seat, so Luo Qiqi hadnt noticed it previously. It was only after walking up to the shield that she managed to get a clear view of the sword. Just like the shield, the sword hilt and scabbard also carried traces of age on it. With just a single nce, one could tell that it was an ancient artifact. Walking up to the sword to assess it, Luo Qiqis frown deepened. Eventually, she took it down from the wall. Luo Qiqi wasnt the type to take the possession of another easily. For her to take the initiative to step forward to take down the sword, it could only mean that she had noticed something peculiar about it. Knowing this, Zhang Xuan asked, "What? Was this sword smithed by Wu Yangzi as well?" "Yes. If Im not mistaken, this should be the zing Moon de that Elder Wu Yangzi left for his daughter. This sword has also never been sold on the market before. If there is a fiery sun inscription on the de, that would mean that my deduction is correct," Luo Qiqi exined as she ced her hands on the scabbard and the hilt each and pulled. Hu! A chilling glint shed from the body of the sword, sending a shiver down the spines of those in its vicinity. "A good sword that is!" Zhang Xuan eximed. Even though this sword wasnt on par with his cier Rain Sword, it was still an incredible creation that had managed to reach Spirit pinnacle. "Theres indeed a fiery sun!" With her eyes fixated on the sword, delight surfaced on Luo Qiqis face. But before her delight could bloom into a smile, a light buzz sounded from the sword. Weng! The sword trembled violently, as if the spirit within it was protesting in fury. "This is bad!" Hearing that sound, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He hurriedly stood up and rushed up to her, but despite his swift reaction, he was still a step toote. As if sapped of her strength, Luo Qiqis figure abruptly staggered and fell weakly to the side. Zhang Xuan immediately caught Luo Qiqis falling figure and ced his forefinger and middle finger on her wrist to feel her pulse. A momentter, he heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness there isnt anything wrong with her. It seems she has only lost her consciousness... Fearing that Hu Yaoyao would suddenly spring something on them, Zhang Xuan had chosen to remain in his seat and wait patiently for whatever was toe and deal with them. Hed thought that the other party would resort to using formations and mechanisms against him, but who could have known that she would spike the sword instead? Knowing that Luo Qiqi was fine, Zhang Xuan tapped on a few points of the sword first before grabbing the zing Moon Sword to examine it. There is no poison on it. It seems Luo Qiqi was indeed attacked by the spirit within the sword instead. Still, to think that this sword would have the ability to jolt ones soul! Most formidable artifacts would possess some kind of unique ability. Take the Bronze Gong that Zhang Xuan had seen in the Spirit Emporium previously for example, it had the ability to destroy ones soul. With a strike of the gong, ones physical body and soul would suffer immense damage. From the looks of it, the zing Moon de did possess the ability to jolt ones soul. It was out of a moment of carelessness while touching it that Luo Qiqi was attacked by the spirit within, resulting in her loss of consciousness. Realizing what was going on, Zhang Xuan gently ced Luo Qiqi down on the table by the side before harrumphing coldly. "Come out!" While artifacts did possess offensive capability of their own, their fighting prowess was severely limited without someone driving them. It was just like how hed managed tame almost all of the treasures of the Spirit Emporium, but he was still unable to rival Wei Changfeng. Even though the zing Moon de had reached Spirit pinnacle, making it difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert to tame the spirit within, it was still impossible for it to render Luo Qiqi unconscious so easily. Without a doubt, Hu Yaoyao had tampered with the weapon. The other party knew that they were anxious to seek out Wu Yangzis old residence, so she intentionally ced the shield there in order to draw their attention to it first. After confirming that the shield was safe, and due to the shock from the discovery of another product of Wu Yangzis hands, their guards would be down when they approached the sword, thus allowing it to sessfully knock them out. Hu Yaoyaos intended target was probably Zhang Xuan, but Luo Qiqi had ended up falling for it instead. Given that such a trap had been prepared for them, the other party must have been hiding in the surroundings, observing them quietly from the shadows. There was a brief moment of silence before a soft chuckle echoed in the room. "No wonder you were able to deal a heavy blow to nearly all of the student factions, you are indeed a smart person!" The door opened, and Hu Yaoyaos slender figure stepped into the room. She was dressed in a burgundy dress which emphasized her curvaceous figure beautifully. It seemed she had devoted more effort to dressing up for this asion. She looked much more charming and seductive than the previous day. "For a Grade-5 student to pick on a freshman, dont you think that this will reflect badly on your reputation?" Zhang Xuan nced at her figure impassively. "My reputation? I invited you to my night banquet out of goodwill, but in my moment of absence, you took my sword without permission. Dont you think that the one whose reputation will be reflected badly is you?" Hu Yaoyao stepped forward leisurely and chuckled. A slight and refreshing fragrance drifted from her body, tingling ones senses. It was no wonder her faction was known as the Bewitching Devil Faction. As if a mischievous fox spirit, her gestures and movements carried a kind of seductive charm and pulled at ones heartstrings. It wasnt too difficult to imagine that there would be an army of master teachers in the academy who would be willing to throw themselves into mes without batting an eyelid for her. But while this kind of deadly charm might be effective on others, Zhang Xuan remainedpletely unfazed by it. Shaking his head, he gazed at Hu Yaoyao nonchntly, as if merely looking at yet another human being. "It is out of curiosity that we stepped forward to admire the artifacts you have put on public disy; why should that reflect badly on us? On the other hand, despite inviting us over, you chose to hide and observe us from the shadows. I dont think that it can be any more apparent who is the one who is up to no good. "But since we wont be able toe to a consensus on the matter, lets not waste our breath and get straight to the business at hand. Where is Elder Wu Yangzis old residence?" "Hmm?" Hu Yaoyao was slightly taken aback. On top of being a 6-star terpsichore, Hu Yaoyao was a 6-star demonic tunist as well. At her current level of expertise, she was already capable of utilizing her voice as a medium to unleash her prowess as a demonic tunist. Right from the start, she had been using a terpsichorean art and a demonic tunist art simultaneously to bewitch Zhang Xuan. Under such an assault, even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert would find it difficult to retain their rationality! Given that the other party was only a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, even if he wasnt bewitched by her, his soul should have at least been rendered feeble by the attack. How could he possibly remainpletely unfazed and even rationally question her back? "Regarding the matter of the old residence, I will speak as long as you agree to my conditions!" Despite Hu Yaoyaos doubt, she didnt allow it to appear on her face. With a seductive smile that scratched at ones soul, she said, "Join my Bewitching Devil Faction and obey mymands obediently, and not only will I tell you the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence, I will even lead you there myself!" "Obey yourmands obediently?" Zhang Xuan nced at her somewhat mockingly. "Arent you already trying?" "To be able to tame several hundred spirit beasts in a breath and win School Head Mo and School Head Zhaos favor, there is no doubt that Zhang shi possesses an exceptionally powerful soul. Even if I were to use all of my means, it is questionable they will be effective on you... It wont be feasible for me to make you submit through my terpsichorean arts, I admit at least this much." At this point, Hu Yaoyaos crimson lips curled up yfully. "But... what about Luo Qiqi?" "Qiqi? What do you mean?" Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing those words. "Luo Qiqi has been attacked by the spirit of the zing Moon de. If you dont treat her soon, its very possible that the damage to her foundation might be permanent, making it nigh impossible for her to make any progress in the future," Hu Yaoyao replied with a taunting smile. Damage to her foundation? Permanent? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A jolt on ones soul could only render one unconscious at most. Damaging ones foundation and rendering it nigh impossible for one to make any progress... Where in the world did she find the confidence to spout such bullshit? Zhang Xuan was perplexed for a moment before it suddenly dawned on him. The other party must have thought that he wascking in the study of souls, and on top of that, his worry for Luo Qiqi could have sent his mind into disarray, making it impossible for him to think rationally. She thought that, by exaggerating things, she could force Zhang Xuan to submit to her terms. On the off chance that Zhang Xuan refused, she could have prepared a Record Crystal somewhere in advance to take down this scene. When Luo Qiqi finally roused from her sleep, she would show it to her and sow discord between them. With such a precedent between them, there would be a permanent rift between their rtionship as a teacher and a student. This was indeed checkmate. Zhang Xuan would have been trapped no matter what he chose. To save Luo Qiqi, he would have to agree to her conditions. Disagree, and he would potentially lose Luo Qiqis trust forever. Regardless of the choice, she would be the final victor! As expected of the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, she was indeed a fearsome adversary! Chapter 776: Bewitching Devil! Chapter 776: Bewitching Devil! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats a good n, but its a pity that she found the wrong opponent! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan shook his head. It must be said that Hu Yaoyao had indeed nned this well. Anyone who was ignorant of souls would be in a state of panic at this moment, forced to choose one of the two options. However... this problem was nothing for Zhang Xuan at all. As a soul oracle, the true master in the study of souls, he could think of at least a dozen ways off the top of his head to wake Luo Qiqi from her sleep instantaneously. The only reason he hadnt done so yet was to see what Hu Yaoyao had prepared for him. It would be truly disappointing if this was all shed got. With this much, how could she possibly dere that she would take him down so confidentlyst night? Zhang Xuan shook his head and said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice, "Save petty ploys like that for others. Are you actually so naive to think that you can ruin our teacher-student rtionship through this?" He and Luo Qiqi wererades who had survived a life-and-death situation together. How could such a cheap ploy possibly foil their rtionship? "You are smarter than I thought. However..." Realizing that Zhang Xuan had seen through her thoughts, a hint of astonishment shed across Hu Yaoyaos eyes. However, the smile on her face only deepened. In the next moment, she abruptly reached out her hand and flicked lightly. Si! A surge of sword qi shot forth from her fingertips, and severed the cloth concealing the unconscious Luo Qiqis shoulder, revealing her smooth shoulder and neck bone. "If Luo Qiqi were to wake up to this and realize that her teacher actually harbors some lustful thoughts toward her, do you think that she will still be able to remain as trusting of you as before?" Hu Yaoyao chuckled. "Even if she doesnt doubt your character, I can just take the recording of this scene and spread it amongst the students of the academy, saying that you intend to make sexual advances toward Luo Qiqi... I wonder if the students will be more inclined to believe my words or yours. Honestly speaking, I am curious to see how many fans of Luo Qiqi will stand up in her stead!" Zhang Xuan frowned. If Hu Yaoyao were to really take a snippet of the recording and frame it in a suggestive manner, considering the Bewitching Devil Factions influence in the academy, it wouldnt be too difficult for her to turn the student popce against him. While Zhang Xuan had no qualms about being misunderstood, such rumors could ruin Luo Qiqis reputation as well. Naturally, this was a situation Zhang Xuan wanted to avoid. "I intended to give you a chance, but you just had to keep pushing your luck..." Zhang Xuan shook his head and sigh. The next moment, he raised his hand, lifting it to his forehead. It was a simple action, reminiscent of the gesture one would make when adjusting ones fringe. But for some reason, the movement felt extremely natural and graceful, as if a dance performance. Hu Yaoyao thought that the young man before her would start to panic helplessly before her, but upon seeing this gesture, she froze. Hong long! The next moment, an overwhelming pressure gathered and rushed for her soul, inducing tremendous dizziness in her head. Damn it, this is a terpsichorean art! How can he possibly know any terpsichorean arts? Hu Yaoyaos face paled under the pressure, and she nearly lost consciousness. As one of the top students of the Terpsichore School, she had intended to make use of her terpsichorean art to pressure the other party into submitting to her. However, before she could seed, she was already struck squarely by the other party using the same method she was going to use against him! The immense frustration she felt from being outdone in her field of specialty left her on the verge of spewing blood. However, considering the limitations of the other partys cultivation, no matter how strong his soul might be, it would be impossible for him to leave her dizzy for too long. As soon as she recovered, she would make him regret his actions! Vowing angrily, Hu Yaoyao was just about to focus her soul energy to dispel the dizziness in her mind when she suddenly felt a searing energy gushing right for her. "To dare assault me, you are courting death!" Realizing that the other party was attempting tounch an attack on her in her weakened state, Hu Yaoyao strenuously lifted her palm to retaliate. Based on the intelligence she had received, Zhang Xuan was only a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator. Even in her moment of weakness, it was impossible for him to subdue a Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert like her! At Chrysalis realm, ones power would have crystallized into the form of a golden core, granting them strength almost reaching up to that of a Saint. How could she possibly be defeated by a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator in a fight? Hu! Just as her palm was about to sh with Zhang Xuans attack, she suddenly felt the assault before her vanish with a slight gust of wind. The next moment, she suddenly felt yet another immense might gathering behind her. How did he withdraw his attack so quickly? Narrowing her eyes, Hu Yaoyaos heart leaped in shock. In her moment of weakness, it had already taken all she had to focus all of her might to protect her front. She could clearly feel a violent strength reminiscent of the raging torrents of a river rushing for her, but with her reaction dulled by vertigo, it was impossible for her to retaliate on time. Peng! Struck squarely on her back, Hu Yaoyaos face paled as her entire figure catapulted forward before crashing heavily onto the ground. Pu! Blood spewed from her mouth. In this short encounter, she had already sustained grievous wounds. Feeling her internal organs being jolted from their original position, Hu Yaoyao was overwhelmed with shock. "The strength hemands is on par with a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator? How is that possible?!" There was no doubt that the other partys palm carried a might exceeding 25,000,000 ding. Otherwise, given the resilience of her body as a Chrysalis realm expert, even if she was caught off guard, it was impossible for her to be wounded so heavily. Wasnt the other party a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator? Yet, not only did he manage to sessfully assail her soul, he was even able tomand a might of 25,000,000 ding... Just how in the world did he do it? Another mouthful of fresh blood spurted by Hu Yaoyaos mouth. The next moment, she felt someone lifting her body up, and her body immediately tensed in rm. Soon, as the dizziness she felt began to dispel, she got a clear sight of the situation before her. At this moment, she was being held up by Zhang Xuan, who was looking at her with a frustrated expression. His expression seemed to be saying that he didnt intend to make a move at all, and she was the one who forced him into resorting to physical violence. Seeing this, Hu Yaoyaos slender figure trembled once more, and yet another mouthful of fresh blood spewed from her mouth. She was a Grade-5 student, a Chrysalis realm expert... She should have been the one teaching the other party a lesson... Yet, at this very moment, it seemed as if she was a mischievous student who was taught a lesson after being caught pranking someone instead... Can anyone tell me how in the world everything suddenly came down to this? To think that she, one of the top Grade-5 students in the academy, would end up being utterly subdued by a freshman in the academy. The immense frustration she was feeling at this moment from the stark contrast between expectations and reality left her on the verge of going insane. "Spew out the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence, and I can drop everything that has happened today!" Zhang Xuan said impassively. With Zhang Xuans mastery of terpsichorean arts, which was on par or even higher than most 6-star pinnacle terpsichores, and his extraordinarily powerful soul, it wasnt impossible for him to assail Hu Yaoyaos soul while she was unguarded. After which, by exerting the incredible might of 26,000,000 ding hemanded from his body, soul, and zhenqi, it wasnt too difficult for him to overpower the weakened Grade-5 genius. If Zhang Xuan wanted to, he could even have killed the other party easily! "Humph!" Hearing the threat in the young mans words, Hu Yaoyao sneered coldly. At this point, she had already recovered from her shock, and she taunted with a provocative smile, "So what if I dont spew out the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence? What can you do about it? Are you going to kill me for it?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. Despite all that Hu Yaoyao had done, her actions didnt warrant death. On top of that, putting aside the fact that she was a master teacher and that they were in the Master Teacher Academy which prohibited killing amongst fellow students, just the fact that it might be possible that what Hu Yaoyao had imed was truethat she was the only one who knew where Wu Yangzis old residence wasmade it an unwise decision to kill her. If they were to really kill her, it was possible that they might never be able to find Wu Yangzis treasure anymore. "Of course, I wont kill you for something as trivial as this. However... I can seal your acupoints and hang you on a gpole so that everyone passing by can admire the embarrassing state of the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction!" Throwing Hu Yaoyao on the ground, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and nced down at her coldly. Are you trying topete with me who can be more shameless? Hah, you must be joking with me! When I was at the peak of my shamelessness, you were still ying in the mud! "You dare..." As expected, upon hearing those words, Hu Yaoyaos smile vanished, and her face turned livid. To be honest, shed thought that she was already quite a brazen person herself, but to think that this fellow would be even more brazen than her! One must know that she was one of the top beauties in the academy, and a slight smile or a small gesture could send butterflies fluttering in the stomach of another. There were many men who would be more than willing to do anything to please her, but not only did this fellow beat her up mercilessly, he even wanted to hang her on a gpole... Screw you! "You can try me if you want to," Zhang Xuan replied coldly. "You..." Hu Yaoyao red at Zhang Xuan furiously with gritted teeth. Considering how the fellow before her had caused such a huge uproar in the academy as soon as he had arriveddestroying the Passageway of Records in the cksmith Guild and provoking the four biggest school factions in the academy... She might still harbor some doubts if it was anyone else, but this fellow... she could totally see him doing it! Putting everything else aside, she could still feel a stabbing pain in her organs from the heavy blow on her back. Considering how he was able to strike her so heavily without any hesitation, it shouldnte as a surprise that he would hang her on a gpole. But to submit to a freshman... Impossible! Ever since entering the academy, she, Hu Yaoyao, had always been the one to get the better of others. When had she been bullied like that before? If she were to give in, what pride would she have to remain in the academy? Not to mention, what would the members of her Bewitching Devil Faction think of her as well? But if she adamantly refused to submit... what if that lunatic were to really do it? Frustrated, Hu Yaoyao clenched her teeth so tightly together that it felt as if they would chip soon. In that moment of dilemma, her gaze suddenly fell on Luo Qiqi, and a thought shed through her mind. Si! She extended her right hand to her left shoulder and tore off the cloth of her dress, revealing her smooth shoulder. "If you wish to hang me on a gpole, so be it! However... be prepared to face the consequences then. If I were to say that you tried to take advantage of me, I wonder what will happen to you. For a master teacher to engage in such despicable acts... will you even be able to retain your master teacher license?" Hu Yaoyao chuckled cunningly. Challenge me? Try again a centuryter! "..." Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by the other partys antics. He finally understood why the other party was called the Bewitching Devil. If it had been Luo Qiqi whod met with such a situation, she would have been overwhelmed with embarrassment and humiliation. Yet, Hu Yaoyao actually went to the extent of ripping her clothes apart! If she were to run out in such a state and scream that Zhang Xuan had taken advantage of her, there would really be quite a few people who would believe her. Ultimately,dies were often viewed as the weaker gender, making it easier for them to win the sympathy of others, especially for those as beautiful as Hu Yaoyao. Even though Zhang Xuan had nothing to fear as he hadnt done anything at allthe Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt act without concrete evidence on hand, and it was illogical to think that a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan cultivator could actually take advantage of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivatorbut considering therge fan-base that Hu Yaoyao had, he would definitely face a fair bit of trouble following such rumors. That would truly be annoying for him. All Zhang Xuan wanted to do was to spend his time in the Master Teacher Pavilion peacefully, reading his books and making some breakthroughs in his cultivation before leaving quietly. Why was this simple wish of his so difficult to achieve? Seeing the young man before her fall speechless, Hu Yaoyaos eyes curled into crescents, and she chuckled softly. Enduring the severe pain her body was suffering from, she stood up and walked up to Zhang Xuan. Standing half a chi 1 away from him, she taunted, "What? Are you scared now?" With their bodies nearly pressed against one another, Zhang Xuan could clearly smell the unique fragrance that she exuded. Troubled by her actions, however, Zhang Xuan frowned and subconsciously took a step backward. Just as he was considering whether he should send another fist at the other party to make her behave, an astonished voice abruptly sounded. "Teacher... and Senior Yaoyao... What are you two doing?" Unknowingly, Luo Qiqi had woken up amidst their confrontation, and looking at the two who were just slightly more than a chi away from one another, eximed in rm. Chapter 777: She Was the One Taking Advantage of Me! Chapter 777: She Was the One Taking Advantage of Me! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The zing Moon de had only jolted Luo Qiqis soul. While she had fainted from the impact, there was actually no significant damage done, and she would awaken once her soul calmed down. The moment she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was her teacher and Hu Yaoyaos bodies pressed closely together, as if lovers rendezvousing in the night. This was especially so with the clothes of thetter ripped by the shoulder, revealing her silky skin. If one were to look from the side, one could even see hints of her voluptuous figure... Bewildered by the scene before her, she couldnt help but exim in shock. "Wuuuu! Qiqi, you are finally awake..." Hearing that voice, Hu Yaoyao anxiously covered her body as she backed away from Zhang Xuan with fear and anguish reflected in her eyes. Pointing at Zhang Xuan with a trembling finger, she cried, "It is out of kindness that I invited the both of you for dinner, but... your teacher actually tried to take advantage of me! With this, how can I possibly face others in the future?" The more Hu Yaoyao spoke, the more miserable she looked. With her face still pale from the injury she had incurred previously, she seemed like a damsel in distress, bullied by a hoodlum but had no way to redress her grievance. "Stop fooling around!" Unexpectedly, Luo Qiqi shook her head in response to Hu Yaoyaos words. "Teacher tried to take advantage of you? Senior, you must be mistaken somewhere!" "..." Hearing those words, Hu Yaoyaos body staggered weakly, and she nearly fainted on the spot. Big sister, cant you take a look at the situation before you? Look at the wretched state I am in, as well as the fear in my eyes. Surely any rational person could tell that I have been taken advantage of? Fool around? Which eye of yours saw that I am fooling around? I have been taken advantage of, alright! "Putting aside the fact that my teacher isnt your opponent, even if he was, theres no way he would be interested in you. So, you can rest assured that he would noty a single hand on you!" Luo Qiqi replied earnestly. Back then, after surviving the ordeal in the underground chamber in which Wu Yangzi had been imprisoned, she, Yu Fei-er, and Zhang Xuan had been together for more than half a month. Both she and Yu Fei-er possessed beauty on par with Hu Yaoyao, but Zhang Xuan didnt even spare them an additional nce throughout their journey. Given such, why would he take advantage of Hu Yaoyao whom he had only met twice? Even if you wish to put on an act, at least show some professionalism in crafting your story! Pu! With Luo Qiqis merciless words adding salt to her injury, the severe wound she had incurred before aggravated, and fresh blood spewed from her mouth once more. What the heck is this! Who am I? A famed beauty of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, an existence whom no man can remain unmoved before, Hu Yaoyao! Yet, when I said that I have been taken advantage of, not only did you toss aside my words as if they were nothing, you even said that... he waspletely uninterested in me! "What right does he have to be uninterested in me? Why wont hey a hand on me?" Hu Yaoyao spat through gritted teeth. The more she thought about the matter, the angrier she felt. At this moment, she could almost explode from sheer fury. "Calm down. My teacher is an unparalleled talent, so his standards are extremely high. Its only natural that hes not interested in you!" Luo Qiqi consoled. "..." Hu Yaoyaos body trembled in frenzy, unable to believe what she was hearing. Are you sure you are consoling me? Why does it feel like you are pricking my heart with a needle instead? I am Hu Yaoyao! To think that a day woulde where I would actually be snubbed by a man... The oue of this matter had Hu Yaoyao nearly going insane from the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. However, she didnt remain frenzied for too long. No matter what, she was still a Grade-5 student, the leader of one of thergest student factions in the academy. Despite her raging fury, she still managed to forcefully calm herself down. Harrumphing coldly, she said, "Fine! Even if he is uninterested in me, its a fact that he bears lustful intentions toward you! If you dont believe me, look at your clothes!" Luo Qiqi might have been able to remain confident of her teachers morals when looking at the matter as a third party, but when she was involved in it as well, surely her confidence would waver! "Me?" It was only then that Luo Qiqi realized that her clothes had been ripped apart by a surge of sword qi as well, baring her smooth shoulder. "Really?" Luo Qiqis eyes lit up as she hurriedly turned her gaze to her teacher, only to meet with his clear and pure eyes. Thus, she could only shake her head with a bitter smile and say, "Teacher isnt interested in me either..." "..." Hu Yaoyaos body trembled uncontrobly yet again. What in the world was this! She had made meticulous preparations to drag Zhang Xuans reputation into the gutter, leaving him incapable of raising his head before others. But who could have known that... Luo Qiqi would actually be so trusting of him! If he is uninterested in both you and me, who in the freaking world can catch his eye then? Hu Yaoyao had always used her appearance and figure to deal with men, and never once had she failed before. Yet, on this day, shed suffered a crushing setback. Not only so, even at this point, she could still feel her organs churning within, leaving her face paler and paler. When had she, Hu Yaoyao, suffered such a crushing blow before? If others were to learn of this, how could she continue to keep her head high before them? It was just the previous day that shed dered confidently to Dong Xin, Xue Zhenyang, and the others that she would definitely subdue Zhang Xuan, and she had even invited them over to watch the show she had prepared... But if there was still any show to be seen at this point, it would only be her humiliating herself! As fury swiftly grew and clouded her mind, she furiously roared, "I will kill you..." She could no longer care less about anything else at this moment. Gathering immense might in her hand, she thrust her palm forward to strike Zhang Xuan. Dong dong dong! But before her palm could reach Zhang Xuan, a series of knocking suddenly sounded from the door. Following which, the calm voice of ady called out, "Yaoyao, are you in there?" "Teacher..." Hearing the voice, Hu Yaoyao immediately leaped in shock. "Teacher? Could that person be... School Head Wei?" Luo Qiqi eximed in astonishment. It wasmon knowledge in the academy that Hu Yaoyaos teacher was the head of the Terpsichore School. Since Hu Yaoyao was addressing the person at the door as her teacher, it could only mean thetter was School Head Wei. "School Head Wei? Teacher?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback for an instant as well. However, in the next moment, his eyes lit up. He hurriedly rushed up to Hu Yaoyao, grabbed her hands, and ced it on his chest. "What are you doing?" Not expecting Zhang Xuan to suddenly rush forward to grab her hands, Hu Yaoyao was bbergasted for a moment before hurriedly retracting her hands. Si! But unbeknownst to her, her finger had been hooked onto Zhang Xuans clothes. As a result, when she retracted her hands, she ended up tearing a portion of his clothes as well. In the next moment, the zhenqi of the young man before her abruptly flew into disarray, and his face reddened. With a spurt of fresh blood, he suddenly flew backward. Peng! His back crashed into the doors of the main hall, and even though he managed tond on his feet eventually, his ghastly pale face and trembling limbs seemed to indicate that he could copse at any moment. "What are you doing?" Seeing the other party grab her hands at one moment and spurting blood and flying backward in the next, Hu Yaoyao waspletely bewildered. She couldnt understand what he was up to, but an ominous premonition grasped her heart, telling her that she was going to be in for a round of misfortune. "Yaoyao?" However, the situation left her no time to think the matter through. After hearing themotion in the room, School Head Wei immediately rushed forward to strike open the door with her palm. Pah! In the next moment, ady who seemed to be in her thirties flitted into the room with a gust of wind. "Teacher!" "School Head Wei!" Upon seeing the figure who entered, Hu Yaoyao and Luo Qiqi immediately bowed deeply without any hesitation. Thedy was none other than the head of the Terpsichore School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers! "What happened?" School Head Wei asked with a frown. She had barged in after hearing the fighting sounds in the room. After entering, she saw Hu Yaoyao standing unharmed at the center of the room. On the other hand, however, a severely injured young man was lying feebly against the wall not too far away. "Zhang shi?" Taking a closer look at the severely injured young man, School Head Wei couldnt help but exim in astonishment. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was also stunned by what he saw. Thedy was none other than the Saint realm expert whom he had met earlier this afternoon, Wei Ranxue! When did she be the head of the Terpsichore School? Wasnt she just an elder? But considering that the Ten Great Master Teachers were also known as the Ten Great Elders, it wasnt really a mistake to say that she was an elder of the academy either... Seeing Zhang shi, who was half a teacher to her, lying by the side of the room severely injured, Wei Ranxue immediately asked anxiously, "Zhang shi, whats wrong?" With a pale face, Zhang Xuan said weakly, "Thank goodness you came at a timely moment. Otherwise, Hu Yaoyao might have really vited me!" Vite you? Upon hearing those words, Hu Yaoyao nearly fainted from anger. Brother, thats my line! You are the one who is going to be cursed at by others for years toe for attempting to take advantage of me... How did I be the one who attempted to vite you? If things had gone ording to her n, she would have made everyone think that he had malicious intentions at heart, and through exerting pressure on him via the student popce afterward, she would force him into submission! But how did the tables end up turning on her? At this moment, she finally understood why the other party had grabbed her hands previously. After all that had happened just now, Zhang Xuans clothes were ripped, and his body was severely wounded. No matter which angle one looked at him from, he seemed like a pitiful person who had been humiliated and was powerless to retaliate. "Teacher..." On the other hand, Luo Qiqi clutched her forehead with her hand. She knew that her teacher wasnt a person who would allow himself to be bullied, and as she had expected, the tides ended up turning on Hu Yaoyao instead. Trying to frame my teacher? Youd better prepare to have the favor returned to you! "Vite you?" Wei Ranxue was taken aback as well. With grave indignation on his face, Zhang Xuan spoke through gritted teeth. "Thats right. She invited me over, hoping to learn terpsichorean arts from me, but I rejected her. Who could have known that sword over there would assault Luo Qiqi and me? If not for the fact that I havent recovered from my internal injuries yet, how could I possibly be humiliated like that?" "Y-you! How dare you nder me!" Hu Yaoyao was on the verge of going insane. Learning terpsichorean arts from you? I did invite you over, but how in the world was I to know that you are capable of terpsichorean arts as well! Furthermore, internal injuries? What internal injuries do you have? I am the one who has internal injuries, not you! Hu Yaoyao had thought that she was already scheming enough, but who could have known that she would actually be outwitted by an even more shameless fellow! "I ndered you? Since you are still denying it, do you dare to swear that you didnt attempt to assault Luo Qiqi using that sword?" Zhang Xuan said aggrievedly as he stared at Hu Yaoyao in indignation. "I..." Hu Yaoyao wanted to refute Zhang Xuans im, but she had no idea how she could exin the situation. She did prepare something in the sword which ended up knocking Luo Qiqi out. "Cant do it, right? Since thats the case, do you dare vow that you didnt dere that you were going to kill me and attempt an attack on me?" Zhang Xuan pressed on. "Thats because you... Shameless!" Agitated, Hu Yaoyaos breathing hastened, and her chest leaped up and down along with her breathing. At this point, she was on the verge of exploding from rage. She did dere that she was going to kill Zhang Xuan, but that was just a figure of speech in a moment of anger after being provoked by him... Interjecting the other partys words, Zhang Xuan dered in a feeble voice, "I am only a weak Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator whereas you are a Chrysalis Bridge realm pinnacle expert. With three whole cultivation realms between us, I am powerless before you. But even if I were to be killed, I wont allow myself to be humiliated!" Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Hu Yaoyao seemed to have suffered yet another heavy blow, and her body trembled uncontrobly. You call that powerless? Doesnt that mean that if you were to possess power, I would die with even just at a nce from you? You were the one who nearly killed me, and yet you still dare to say such words... How can your skin be so thick? However, the urgent matter at hand was to cate her teacher first. Hu Yaoyao immediately turned to her teacher in order to exin the matter, only to see that the extreme lividness on the other partys face. "Hu Yaoyao, how dare you!" "Teacher..." Hu Yaoyao had never seen her teacher flying into such a rage before, and her face immediately paled in fright. "Dont you even think that I am oblivious to the trouble you usually cause! I only choose to turn a blind eye to it all as long as it doesnt affect your studies. Yet, you took my kindness for granted and attempted to make a move on Zhang shi. Tell me, who gave you the guts to do something like that?" Wei Ranxue roared furiously. Zhang shi was half a teacher to her; she was indebted to him for his guidance. It was one thing for Hu Yaoyao to trouble others, but to darey her hands on her benefactor... This was going over the top! "I..." Hu Yaoyaos body froze. "Kneel down!" Wei Ranxue ordered sternly with a tight frown on her forehead. Chapter 778: Apprentice Hu Yaoyao Chapter 778: Apprentice Hu Yaoyao Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Teacher..." Hu Yaoyaos eyes reddened in indignation as she bit on her scarlet lips. After a moment of hesitation, her knees fell to the ground. She was filled with hatred for Zhang Xuan, but she dared not to defy her teachers orders. "Little Wei, its fine... I believe that she only did it out of a moment of folly." At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. "Little Wei?" Hu Yaoyao almost failed to resist the urge to w at her hair. Her teacher, Wei Ranxue, was one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, as well as the head of the Terpsichore School. Yet, a twenty-year-old freshman actually dared to address her as Little Wei... "This student of mine has always been mischievous. I usually leave her to do as she pleases as long as she doesnt go overboard, but I didnt expect her to go for you as well. If I dont punish her strictly today, she will never learn her lesson!" Wei Ranxue replied. With her eye of discernment, she could tell that something was amiss with the situation. It was unlikely that things were as what Zhang shi had put it out to be. However, considering Hu Yaoyaos character and her past deeds, she could roughly fathom the happenings. Her student had always been mischievous, but too busy with her work as a school head, she never really had a chance to discipline her student over such matters. Thus, she decided to make full use of this opportunity to teach her student a harsh lesson so that she wouldnt cause even greater trouble in the future. Putting everything aside, given the deep understanding of terpsichorean arts that Zhang shi possessed, she had been thinking about how she could convince thetter to conduct a lecture in the Terpsichore School for the students, but by the time she knew it, Hu Yaoyao had already provoked him. Are you intentionally working against me? How do you expect me to convince him to conduct a lecture in our school after such a matter? "Teacher..." Not expecting her teacher to trust Zhang Xuans words over hers, Hu Yaoyao panicked. "Enough! I am speaking to Zhang shi, theres no ce for a junior like you to butt in. Reflect on your actions silently!" Wei Ranxue flung her sleeves and harrumphed. "Junior..." Hu Yaoyaos body trembled. Those words... Did that mean that the other party was her senior too? But wasnt he just a freshman in the academy? "Zhang shi, allow me to apologize to you in the stead of my troublemaking disciple. Here is a Miniature Restorative Pill, it should be of some help in the recovery of your wounds!" Flicking her wrist, Wei Ranxue took out a jade bottle and passed it over. "Miniature Restorative Pill? The grade-6 pill?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Miniature Restorative Pill was a well-known grade-6 pill that was effective even on injured Saint realm experts. Just a single one of them was easily worth several high-tier spirit stones in the market! To give it away so casually... The other party was so generous that he was already starting to feel a little embarrassed. "How do you want me to deal with this troublemaking disciple of mine? Zhang shi, feel free to speak your mind, Ill surely do as you request!" Seeing Zhang Xuan take the pill, Wei Ranxue heaved a sigh of relief before continuing. Since the other party had taken her Miniature Restorative Pill, it was unlikely that he would ask for something extreme in exchange. "How to deal with her?" Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of contemtion. In truth, had Hu Yaoyao not tried to sow discord in the rtionship between him and Luo Qiqi, he wouldnt have flown into a rage either. It was due to herck of respect for the sacred rtionship between a teacher and a student that he was determined to teach her a stern lesson so as to let her know that there were some boundaries that one simply shouldnt exceed. Step beyond the boundary, and an action would be nothing but despicable. "I amcking an apprentice recently, so why dont you have her follow me for three months, and we will call this matter off?" Afer a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan proposed. Hu Yaoyao had yet to reveal the location of Wu Yangzis old residence, so it was best to keep her around for the time being so that he would have plenty of opportunities to try to get it out of her. "Apprentice?" Hearing the request, Hu Yaoyao nearly fainted on the spot. She, a 6-star terpsichore, was going to serve as an apprentice to this fellow? What kind of joke is this? There is no way my teacher will agree to this! Otherwise, what will be of my teachers dignity? Just as Hu Yaoyao was certain that School Head Wei would reject the other partys request, she saw thetters eyes lit up in agitation, "That will be for the best! Allow me to thank you in ce of Yaoyao then!" Zhang shisprehension of terpsichorean arts had reached an astounding level. If Hu Yaoyao could be his apprentice and learn from him, she would definitely progress leaps and bounds as a terpsichore! Honestly speaking, even Wei Ranxue was feeling a little envious of the opportunity presented to Hu Yaoyao, so how could she possibly turn it down? "Teacher!" Hearing those words, Hu Yaoyao eximed in a panic. "Enough! Its only due to the good karma you have rued over the past few lifetimes that you are given the opportunity to be Zhang shis apprentice. From today on, you shall leave this residence and follow Zhang shi. Study well and return aplished!" Interrupting the other partys words, Wei Ranxue said. As the other partys teacher, she did have the right to make such a decision in the stead of her student. "Apprentice..." Hu Yaoyao muttered sorrowfully through gritted teeth. At this point, she felt as if tears would spill from her eyes at any moment now. Her teacher actually agreed to that fellows request? Why? She had invited that fellow over to teach him a lesson and take him in as her subordinate. Yet... in a bizarre twist of events, she became the other partys apprentice instead! What the heck was this! "Thank you, Little Wei!" Seeing the other party agreeing to it, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Zhang shi, here is your terpsichore emblem. Also, do take my personal token with you as well. There are many rules in the academy, so you might find yourself inconvenienced on many aspects. However, with this in hand, you should be spared lots of trouble!" Wei Ranxue had made the application with the Terpsichore Guild headquarter right after she returned earlier in the afternoon, and it didnt take too long for her to receive the approval from them. After obtaining the 6-star emblem for Zhang Xuan, she immediately went to look for Hu Yaoyao to have her pass it on to thetter, but who knew that she would see such a sight as soon as she arrived? "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan said as he took the emblem and token from Wei Ranxues hands. Honestly speaking, he hadnt expected the other party to be so efficient. "I wont impose on you any longer then, farewell!" After chatting for a moment longer and deciding that Hu Yaoyao would report to his residence tomorrow, Zhang Xuan left the Cloud Sparrow Lodge with Luo Qiqi. After the duo left, Hu Yaoyao turned to her teacher and asked anxiously, "Teacher... why?" She couldnt understand why her teacher, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, would actually make her serve as an apprentice to that fellow. "Zhang Xuans understanding of terpsichorean arts has reached an extremely profound level such that he could even be my teacher! The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe which you have danced for your 6-star terpsichorean examination previously, he has identified seventeen ws in them and corrected them impably! Here is the manual which I have edited based on his guidance. Just take a look at it, and you will know how incredible a figure he is!" Flicking her wrist, Wei Ranxue whipped out a book. After hearing Zhang shis exnation regarding the ws and the solutions to them, she immediately returned back to her residence topile them into a book, and in the midst of doing so, she had gained a deeper insight of terpsichorean arts as well. At the same time, she couldnt help but be awed time and time again by the ingenious modifications the other party made to the Dance of the Fleeting Cloud Robe. If Hu Yaoyao had danced the version modified by Zhang Xuan in her 6-star terpsichorean examination, perhaps what she would have attracted wouldnt just be a few Cloud Sparrows but a mighty dragon of the heavens. Realizing this, she immediately rushed to the Cloud Sparrow Lodge to instruct Hu Yaoyao deliver Zhang Xuans emblem in her stead. The purpose of this was to allow the duo to interact with one another and foster a close rtionship, as well as to teach her student to remain humble as there was always a mountain taller than the other. But who could have known that she would end up seeing the both of them crossing blows instead as soon as she arrived at the Cloud Sparrow Lodge? Since it was impossible to reverse what that had happened, she decided to just go along with Zhang Xuans wish and send Hu Yaoyao over to serve as his apprentice. While Hu Yaoyao might suffer a little under the other party, as long as she were to work hard and learn well from him, she could possibly surpass her very soon and be a 7-star terpsichore, or perhaps even go beyond that. "He corrected the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe? There is a w in it?" Hu Yaoyao replied subconsciously in disbelief. This dance had been passed down for innumerable years, and despite having cultivated it for a very long time, she had never found anything amiss with it. Yet, her teacher said that that fellow had identified seventeen ws in it? Perplexed, Hu Yaoyao flipped open the book and began browsing through it. Just a split momentter, she was already drawn in by the content of the book. Her leisurely gaze slowly turned grim, and her face turned a shade paler with each page she flipped. As a talented 6-star terpsichore, even though her understanding of terpsichorean art still wasnt able to match School Head Wei Ranxues, it was still something she could take pride in. In the book, her teacher had marked the ws out clearly along with their implications, and the modification to resolve the respective issues were written beneath them. As a veteran practitioner of the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, she could swiftly tell that there wasnt any mistake with the analysis. "Teacher... Are these modifications really made by him?" After a long moment of silence, Hu Yaoyao gulped down a mouthful of saliva before slowly turning her gaze to her teacher. "Un." Wei Ranxue nodded affirmatively. If she hadnt witnessed it personally, she would have also found this hard to believe. It was only due to the exchange she had with Zhang Xuan that had her convinced of thetters deep understanding of terpsichorean arts. "This..." Hearing the confirmation by her teacher, Hu Yaoyao suddenly recalled how her soul was assaulted by Zhang Xuan previously, leaving her in a state of dizziness. Back then, the other party didnt even dance at all... In other words, he had turned a casual gesture into a terpsichorean art! Even her teacher was incapable of such a feat! "Alright, study hard and serve Zhang shi well. This is a precious opportunity, dont waste it!" Knowing that it would take some time for her student to ept this, Wei Ranxue left her with a piece of advice before leaving the residence to give her some space to think things through. Hu Yaoyao was a rare genius with an astounding talent for terpsichorean arts, but it was exactly due to that which gave rise to her excessive pride. Perhaps this setback might help her to mature both as a terpsichore and a master teacher! After her teacher left, Hu Yaoyao turned her gaze to the modified manual once more, and a short momentter, she started to dance. She wanted to try for herself to see if the modified manual was feasible in practice or not. As her beautiful figure moved gracefully around the room, it was as if flowers had instantaneously bloomed in the area. A bewitching scent gradually drifted from the main hall. As the koi fishes in the courtyard caught the scent, they fell into a trance and, putong! putong!, they sunk to the bottom of the pond. The flowers in the residence, captivated by the scent, began swaying along in harmony, and their petals fluttered in a calm breeze. If there had been a human in the residence, he would have been fallen into a stupor as well. Not even a Half-Saint expert would have been able to remain unfazed before it. A momentter, the dance finally stopped. As Hu Yaoyaos body came to a halt, everything settled down and returned back to normal. However, she continued standing in a daze, as if she had been overwhelmed by her own dance as well. At this moment, a single thought dominated her mindthis was what a true terpsichorean art should be! Everything she had learned before couldnt evene close to this! Hu! Unknowingly, tears began streaming down her cheeks in her moment of agitation. "I am... crying?" Hu Yaoyao muttered nkly as she ced her hands on her cheeks and felt the moisture on it. Even though she was able to draw out significant prowess from her Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe in the past as well, she had been missing the very quintessence of the terpsichorean art, leaving her far from truly mastering it. However, at this very moment, she felt as if the terpsichorean art had fused with her soul, bing a part of her. What she had done before could only be considered as an emtion of the terpsichorean arts form, missing out on its intentions entirely. It was only in this instant that she was finally able to grasp the true essence of the dance! "Just... how deep of an understanding does he have of terpsichorean arts to refine the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe to this extent?" Exhaling deeply, Hu Yaoyao couldnt help but mutter beneath her breath. "Faction leader, Dong Xin, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue seeks an audience!" Just as Hu Yaoyao was immersed in her thoughts, Xinru suddenly walked into the room and reported. "Bring them in!" Hu Yaoyao said. She thought that she would definitely be able to take down Zhang Xuan tonight, so she had gone ahead to invite the others over to show off her work. Who could have thought that someone was indeed taken down... but the person ended up being her instead. "How did it go? Where is Zhang Xuan? How did you deal with him?" As soon as the group walked into the main hall, Xue Zhenyang immediately asked. "Indeed, tell us how you taught him a lesson! Did you force him to listen to you through brute force, or did you convince him by bewitching him?" Long Cangyue added. In their perspective, since Hu Yaoyao had dered that she would be able to do it, she would surely seed. After all, her ability in this field was truly no joke. To be honest, even they would be a little apprehensive at the notion of going up against her, especially after hearing about the vicious methods she had used to deal with her opponents. "How I taught him a lesson?" Hu Yaoyao turned around and bowed slightly towards the group, "Zhang Xuans private apprentice, Hu Yaoyao, greets you all!" Chapter 779: Establishing a Faction Chapter 779: Establishing a Faction Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "A-a-apprentice?" "Zhang Xuans apprentice? For a short moment, Xue Zhenyang and the others were stupefied by what they had heard. What is going on? Didnt you say that you would teach Zhang Xuan a lesson? How did you end up bing his apprentice instead? There were two types of apprentices. One type was those who were new to the upation, having yet to receive even their 1-star emblem. They would follow an official member of the upation and learn under them. The other would be a lower ranked member of the upation serving as a private apprentice to a higher ranked member. To distinguish between the two types of apprenticeships, thetter was often known as a private apprentice. While the goal for a private apprentice was to learn from their master, the truth was that their standing was beneath that of even a student, and they were expected to deal with all sorts of misceneous issues for their master. As the top students of the academy, each of the four of them had private apprentices under them. For example, Xinru was Hu Yaoyaos private apprentice. But werent you going to make Zhang shi submit to you? Why did you be his private apprentice instead? "I failed. I wasnt Zhang shis match... You all can leave now." After reintroducing herself, Hu Yaoyao waved her hand to gesture for the rest of them to leave, unwilling to speak any more. "This..." They hade to celebrate the victory, but after hearing those words, Dong Xin, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue could only leave with bewildered looks. "What is going on?" After leaving the residence, the trio stared at one another in confusion. "From the looks of it... it seems her n has failed, and she even ended up being taught a lesson by Zhang Xuan instead!" Dong Xin said. Based on her understanding of Hu Yaoyao, this was the only possibility she could think of. "That seems to be the case..." Xue Zhenyang scratched his head. "But thats Hu Yaoyao! I have exchanged blows with her several times, and I have suffered quite a bit due to her unconventional means. To think that she would actually suffer such a crushing defeat to a freshman..." "There seems to be something uncanny about that freshman... but the more uncanny he is, the more interested I be in him!" Long Cangyue said as a sharp glint shed through his eyes. They were all the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, so when had they feared a challenge from another before? For a freshman to foil their businesses so brazenly as soon as he arrived, they had to retaliate in order to uphold their authority. "Honestly, I am also rather interested in him as a person as well." Dong Xin chuckled. At this point, she remembered something and turned to Xue Zhenyang. "Didnt you dispatch some men to deal with those freshmen who assisted him?" "I thought that Hu Yaoyao would be able to seed, so I dispatched my men to put those troublemaking freshmen in order beforeing here... Judging by the time, it should already be done by now!" Xue Zhenyang replied. Dong Xin pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "Given the strength of your subordinates, they shouldnt face any problems dealing with those freshmen. However... those freshmen have Zhang Xuan backing them, and we have yet to take thetter down. You were too rash; you should have waited for news of Hu Yaoyaos sess first. As the saying goes, a cornered dog bites. If we push him too far, we might end up getting burnt ourselves too." "So what? From the moment he foiled our business, we were already destined to be enemies. Even if you are willing to bepassionate to your enemy, do you think that your enemy will do the same for you? You must be joking! Besides, my men challenged them in a manner which is in ordance to the school rules. Even if Zhang Xuan wishes to get even with me over that, what can he do? As long as my men didnt breach the rules, not even School Head Mo or School Head Zhao will be able to say a thing about the matter!" Xue Zhenyang spoke confidently with a light chuckle. "Unless... he is able to surpass my subordinates in terms of battle techniques, he will just have to ept it as it is!" "Your men challenged him in the field of battle techniques?" Long Cangyue burst intoughter. "Indeed, you are the big senior of the Martial Arts School, the pride of the school head. Your understanding of the spear has already reached an unfathomable level. Having received your impartations, your subordinatesprehension of martial arts should also be top-notch. Battle techniques require years of training in order to refine ones form and intention to perfection and achieve a harmony between them. No matter how talented Zhang shi is, hes still far too inexperienced. It is unlikely for him to have achieved great aplishment in the field of martial arts as well." Unlike most supporting upations where it was possible for one to make swift progress, one could only take a step at a time for battle techniques. Only through persistent effort over a long period of time could one aplish anything. Xue Zhenyang had a fiery and reckless personality, but his understanding of battle techniques, especially in the field of spearmanship, was unmatched amongst the students of the Master Teacher Academy. Rumor had it that he had alreadyprehended the Heart of Weapons, achieving perfect harmony with his spear. "Indeed. Even though we are master teachers, we are cultivators as well. If we dont show them what we seniors are capable of, they might just think that we have spent our years in the Master Teacher Academy achieving nothing!" With his back as straight as a spear, Xue Zhenyang spoke with absolute confidence. He was no match for Hu Yaoyao in terms of schemingin fact, he had been outwitted each and every timebut in terms of fighting prowess, thetter wasnt a match for him. His spear possessed might reminiscent of a mighty dragon. Even amongst all of the Grade-5 students in the academy, there was only a handful who could match him in a battle. "Youre right. Supporting upations are important, but the most important aspect of a cultivator is ultimately still strength. Lets head over and see your subordinates teach those freshmen a lesson!" Long Cangyue chuckled softly. "Alright!" Xue Zhenyang nodded. With this, the trio began walking toward the freshmen living quarters. ... Shortly after leaving Hu Yaoyaos old residence with Luo Qiqi, as Zhang Xuan reached his residence in the Elite Sector, he saw Ruohuan gongzi standing anxiously outside his door. "Zhang shi, Senior Qiqi!" Upon seeing the both of them, Ruohuan gongzis eyes immediately lit up, and he rushed up to them. "I was just about to find you!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "Find me?" Ruohuan gongzi was taken aback. "You were the one who distributed the Teacher Information Document to the other freshmen for free, right?" Zhang Xuan questioned coldly. That fellow had distributed the book that he hadpiled for them to the other freshmen without his knowledge, and he had even used his name in doing so. Due to that incident, he had be an eyesore for all of the student factions. He had done nothing at all, but this grudge just suddenly fell on him, bringing him so much trouble... He hadnt even confronted Ruohuan gongzi to settle this score with him, but thetter had alreadye knocking on his door. He sure was brazen! "That was the least I could do; Zhang shi need not thank me for it!" Upon hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi waved his hands magnanimously, as if saying that he only did what he had to. The least that you could do? No need to thank me for it? Zhang Xuan nearly choked on his saliva. The other party had screwed him over so badly, but why did he act as if he had done an anonymous good deed instead? As frustrated as Zhang Xuan was feeling at this very instant, seeing the grim expression on Ruohuan gongzis face, it seemed that thetter had something urgent that required his help. Thus, he decided to put the matter aside for the moment and asked, "Did something happen?" "Due to the matter with the Teacher Information Documentation, there were quite a few seniors who havee to challenged us over the past few days. Today, three experts arrived at the freshmen living quarters, and the words they spoke were truly infuriating. Out of fury, we epted their challenge to a duel, but in the end... we were defeated tragically, and quite a few of us were severely injured," Ruohuan gongzi said. Most of the freshmen were at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, and only a small handful had reached Transcendent Mortal 5-dan and 6-dan. On the other hand, even the weakest of the seniors were at the Cosmos Bridge realm. How could they possibly be a match for them? Seemingly noticing the doubts running through Zhang Xuans mind, Ruohuan gongzi replied, "They suppressed their cultivation realm to our level and challenged us to a battle of pure martial arts..." "Martial arts?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before nodding in realization. If the seniors had suppressed their cultivation realm to be of the same level as the freshmen, the battle would be decided mainly by the expertise and skillful utilization of their martial arts. In that case, it would at least be a fairer match between the two. "Indeed. They have been standing outside the living quarters, saying that they will only back down if someone is able to defeat them. Otherwise, they will make sure to beat us until we dare not take a single step out of our rooms!" After saying those words, Ruohuan gongzi lifted his gaze, and with a conflicted expression, he continued, "On top of that... they said that if no one is able to defeat them by today, they want Zhang shi to make a public apology to them, and all of the freshmen will have to purchase a copy of the Teacher Information Documentation!" "Public apology? Me? What does this matter have to do with me?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. So what if the seniors challenged the freshmen? What did this have to do with him? For him to make a public apology... just how in the world did he cross them this time? "This..." Ruohuan gongzi scratched his head in embarrassment as he said, "You also know that joining the factions established by the seniors will require quite a substantial membership fee each year. However, as freshmen, how could we possibly have the money to pay for the membership fee? Thus... all of us decided to join the student faction you established..." "The student faction I established? When did I establish a student faction?" The more Zhang Xuan listened to the other partys words, the more bewildered he became. Was it really still him they were talking about? Just when in the world did he establish a student faction? "Well... I thought that Zhang shis act of giving away your points in the entrance examination for free to the other students was an attempt to rally them together under you, so I assumed that you were going to establish a faction yourself. On top of that, the only person who all of us freshmen are awed by is you, and all of us are willing to listen to yourmands as well. Thus, after some discussion, we decided to start a student faction with you as the leader," Ruohuan gongzi said. "I am the leader?" Zhang Xuan felt as if the world had gone mad. Unknowingly, he actually became the leader of a faction... It was as if they were pushing him into a sea of mes! "Indeed. Zhang shi, we hope that you wont turn this position down. Without an affiliation to any student faction, it is too difficult for a freshman to thrive in the academy. In fact, one might even be hindered at every step taken. Of the thirty thousand freshmen, you are the only one whomands the respect and admiration of everyone. If you dont step up to the position as the leader, who else can?" Ruohuan gongzi said anxiously. "Besides, the seniors have been doing whatever pleases them, oppressing the freshmen as and when they like just because they have been in the academy for a longer period of time than we have. If we dont unite together to fight back against them, we will never be able to stop their tyranny." "This..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan hesitated. He was displeased at being pushed to the forefront of the conflict despite having done nothing at all, but Ruohuan gongzis words did carry some truth in them. Without being affiliated with any student faction, it would be hard for a freshman to survive in the academy. Due to the matter with the free Teacher Information Documentation, there were already a fair number of seniors who carried hostility toward the current batch of freshmen. If they didnt unite together to fight back, their life could be made extremely difficult. "Didnt you guess that such a situation would happen when you gave the Teacher Information Documentation out for free?" Zhang Xuan nced at Ruohuan gongzi coldly. As knowledgeable master teachers, how could Song Chao, Luo Xuan, and the others be unaware that their actions would offend the seniors? "Back then, we only did that out of indignation. The seniors had intentionally raised the price of the Teacher Information Documentation, knowing that we would have no choice but to purchase it. On top of that, they conducted forceful deals, pummeling the students who refused to purchase it to serve as a warning to the others against rejecting them... "Furthermore, even if we were to buy from one of the student factions, we might end up offending another student faction instead, thus resulting in us getting bullied regardless of the choices we make... "Therefore, after some discussion with the others, we agreed that instead of living pathetically under their oppression, we might as well stand up and return the favor. As a result, we decided to distribute the book which youd given us to the other freshmen." Ruohuan gongzis face reddened as he added, "For this matter, I ask of Zhang shis forgiveness. We only did it because we were forced into a corner as well!" "Jeez..." Zhang Xuan sighed. Having attended the public lecture event, he had a rough idea of the situation there as well. He had stopped by a member of the True Helios Faction, and thetter took a particrly arrogant attitude with them, threatening that If you dont buy my Teacher Information Documentation, you will be making an enemy out of the entire True Helios Faction. Considering that the freshmen who had just enrolled into the academy were the weakest amongst the student popce and that they had no connections to tap into either, they couldnt afford to offend any of the student factions. Zhang Xuan was fortunate in the sense that he had won Elder Mos favor during the entrance examination. As a result, most seniors wouldnt dare to provoke Zhang Xuan in fear of bringing Elder Mos ire upon themselves. Realizing this, Zhang Xuan sighed in resignation and asked, "Fine. Since you have initiated a student faction in my stead, what is it called? I should at least know this much, right?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had epted the matter, Ruohuan gongzi heaved a sigh of relief and replied, "The student factions are often named after their leader. For example, the True Helios Factions name is derived from Xue Zhenyang 1 , and the Ashen Moon Factions name is derived from Long Cangyue 2 ... Thus, we also took your name into consideration in naming our faction so as to make it apparent who our leader is!" "My name? So, our faction is called the Zhang Xuan Faction?" Zhang Xuan asked. "No, its called..." At this point, a look of excitement appeared on Ruohuan gongzis face as he said, "Xuanxuan Faction!" Chapter 780: Why Dont You Stay as Our Gatekeeper? Chapter 780: Why Dont You Stay as Our Gatekeeper? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Xuanxuan Faction..." Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. I understand that the names of most student factions have two sybles, so you wanted to do the same as well. I know that unlike Xue Zhenyang and Long Cangyue, my name only has one syble, but surely you can just add my surname in as well! Xuanxuan Faction... Xuan your head! Look at the names of the other student factions! True Helios Faction, Ashen Moon Faction... Each of them sounds majestic and impressive, but as for mine... Dont you think it sounds a little too cute for the name of a faction? "Yes. Our initial intention was to go with Xuan Faction, but there were quite a few people who opposed to it, saying that it is an inauspicious name, as if casting doubt on the future of our faction. They proposed for it to be named Xuanxuan Faction instead. This way, it gives an unfathomable and profound feeling to those hearing its name!" Ruohuan gongzi exined 1 . "..." Zhang Xuans body swayed weakly. To think that even his name would be scorned... "Those seniors havee to challenge our faction, and as you are the leader of our faction... its only natural that theyve demand an apology from you. However, none of us are a match for them, so I can only ask for Zhang shis help with this issue..." After exining the matter, Ruohuan gongzi revealed the purpose behind his visit. His initial thought was to first build up Xuanxuan Faction and only bring Zhang Xuan in once everything was in ce. But who could have known that the other party would go to the extent of blockading their entrance? Left with no choice, he could only head here to ask Zhang Xuan for help. "Alright, since its my student faction, it wont do for me to just watch by the side while someone is hindering and beating up my members. Lets head over to take a look," Zhang Xuan said as he rubbed his be in frustration. At this moment, Zhang Xuan felt like he was Zhao Kuangyin 2 , being forced to don the yellow robe 3 after the coup at Chen Bridge. Even when idle, disaster would still somehow find its way to him as if he was a ma attracting trouble. Without any prior warning, he suddenly found himself as the leader of a faction. Just what in the world was this?! It would be toote even if he were to turn down the position now. The seniors and the other student factions had already decided that he was the ringleader behind the mess, and they would do everything they could to bring him down. Rather than standing against them alone, he might stand up as the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction and organize its members to stand against the seniors together. Honestly, his only goal here was to read books and live his life in peace, but somehow... he found himself bing the nemesis of the seniors and the messiah of the freshmen... Just the thought of it left him feeling a little stifled. Unlike Zhang Xuan, who had been given the highest of privileges right after his enrollment in the academy, freshmen usually lived in shared dormitories in a corner of the academy. With Ruohuan gongzi leading the way, it didnt take long for the trio to arrive at the dormitories. The area was filled with many high-rise buildings, and a vast square stood at the very center of the buildings. There were several dueling tforms on the square with chairs and tables scattered around them. Looking at the sides of the square, there were quite a few cleaning tools lying in the corner. It seemed this was the area where duels were often conducted, and it was frequently cleaned to maintain the area. At this moment, the square was packed with countless freshmen. Even though it was already in the middle of the night, there were several torches lit around the square, and quite a number of Night Illumination Pearls were floating above as well, bringing light to the area. On the dueling tform at the very center of the square, three men stood proudly as they gazed down at the crowd beneath them with an air of superiority. "Those three are the seniors who came to challenge us," Ruohuan gongzi said. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the trio. Instead of the usual master teacher robe that students wear, they were dressed in tight training clothes. The first one seemed to be in histe twenties, and he was slightly taller in stature than the other two. There was a well-groomed beard on his face, and what was particrly striking about him was the aggressive glint in his ck eyes. Held in his hand was a majestic Nine-ringed Saber which was nearly half of his height in length. Bulky and heavy, it was a weapon that demanded immense strength from its wielder. The second one had long arms and legs, but his figure was slightly slimmer than the others. He held no weapon in his hands, but his figure was reminiscent of an agile ape. The third wielded a long spear that extended over two meters long. His very presence felt sharp like a sword, as if he would slice apart even the air itself. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan offered a rarepliment to the trio. As expected of veteran martial artists, he could already feel the aura they were exuding even from a distance away. It was no wonder they dared to challenge all of the freshmen; they did possess the strength to act so arrogantly. Recognizing the trio, Luo Qiqi sent him a telepathic message. "They are from the True Helios Faction!" "True Helios Faction?" "Yes. I recognize the three of them, they are Grade-4 students. Their cultivation levels have already reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle. "The one who is wielding the Nine-ringed Saber is called Bai Shuang 4 . Due to the stark contrast with his darkplexion, he was mockingly addressed as White Face in the beginning. However, as heprehended the Saber Heart and began making his name as a skilled saber user, others began calling him the White-faced Frenzied Saber. As time went by, this name stuck with him, so he decisively chose to change his name to Bai Mian 5 . Even within the Martial Arts School, he can be considered as a famed genius!" Luo Qiqi exined. "The second is known as Yuan Gang. Due to his long arms and his exceptional proficiency in close-quartersbat, he was given the nickname Supreme Ape. After hearing that name, instead of flying into a rage, he even took delight in it, thinking that it was particrly suited to him. As a result, others also began addressing him as such. "As for thest one, he is called Ying Qin, and he is the strongest of the group. He learned his spearmanship straight from Xue Zhenyang, and he once severed a river several dozen meters wide. This feat bore testimony to his immense strength and aptitude with the spear, so came his reputation as the River Severing Steel Spear! "The three of them are experts of the Martial Arts School, possessing exceptional talent for battle techniques. Considering that they are the ones challenging the freshmen... it will indeed be difficult for the freshmen to defeat them!" Luo Qiqi shook her head. Of the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the students of the Martial Arts School possessed the greatest fighting prowess. Skilled in battle techniques, they were capable of utilizing profound maneuvers in battle to turn the tables on their opponents. Even among the powerful students of the Martial Arts School, these three men stood amidst the top. For a bunch of freshmen who had never undergone the advanced training of the academy, it was nigh impossible for them to defeat such opponents. Even with their cultivation suppressed, their sharp insight into the flow of battle and reaction speed werent things that rifying Turbidity realm or Consonant Spirit realm cultivators could match. "They are from the Martial Arts School? I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Back then, when he was traveling to Hongyuan City, Luo Qiqi had touched on the Martial Arts School while introducing the basic system of the Master Teacher Academy to him. Unlike the other schools, the Martial Arts School wasnt affiliated with any supporting upation. It was constructed for the sole purpose of raising the fighting prowess of the master teachers. Most of the students of this school had achieved a profound understanding in the study of martial arts, making them unmatched in a duel against their peers. Taking the trio on the dueling tform for example, even amongst Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle experts, they could be considered as the cream of the crop. Considering the skills that they possessed, it was no wonder they dared to provoke all of the freshmen at once. They indeed had nothing to fear. "Is there anyone else?" While they were speaking, another freshman was defeated by Supreme Ape Yuan Gang. Thetter sneered coldly as his gaze swept across the crowd. "Is this all this batchs freshmen has? I thought that you were still alright, but it seems like I overestimated all of you. With capability like yours, you all still dared to create a faction? Howughable!" "You... Ill fight you!" Hearing the other party mocking them, a freshman couldnt suppress his rage and stepped forward. This freshman was at Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage, so Yuan Gang suppressed his cultivation to equal his. As soon as the battle started, Yuan Gangs figure immediately disappeared. Before the freshman could even process what was happening, he was already struck in his chest, and the impact sent him flying from the dueling tform. "They arent a match for them at all..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. The freshmen consisted of the top geniuses from the various areas, but there was simply too huge a gap between them and the top students of the Martial Arts School. It was no wonder Ruohuan gongzi had rushed to his residence to bring him over. It was indeed impossible for the freshmen to defeat them on their own. They were simply on twopletely different levels. With several millenniums of history behind it, the Martial Art Schools possessed the most valuable of insights from countless preceding master teachers. On top of that, there were formidable master teachers who were experts inbat themselves guiding the students personally. Perhaps if the freshmen were given a few more years to refine their skills in the academy, they might still be a match for the trio. But at this very moment... it was impossible for them to stand against the trio. "Lets head over!" Knowing that none of the freshmen would be a match for the trio, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before making his way forward. "Zhang shi is here!" "Our faction leader hase!" "This is great, we are saved..." "Faction leader, these old students are too much. You must teach them a lesson in our stead!" "Indeed! We cant simply let them step over us like that..." Before Zhang Xuan could reach the dueling tform, there were already several freshmen who had recognized him, and they shouted in agitation. Following which, the other freshmen in the surroundings immediately turned their gazes over, their eyes glowing with relief and hope. This young man before their eyes had done a lot for them. He had given out his points in the entrance examination, allowing more than twenty thousand students to sessfully enroll into the academy as well. After which, he had given out the Teacher Information Documentation for free, sparing them from the extortion ploy of the seniors. Furthermore, at this very moment, he was the head of Xuanxuan Faction, their leader. His arrival was like an injection of confidence to them, as if they had finally found their pir of support. The crowd swiftly opened up a pathway for them, allowing Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqi, and Ruohuan gongzi to walk right up to the dueling tform. Beneath the dueling tformy several dozen injured students. Even though their injuries werent too severe, they were left in quite an unsightly manner. "Zhang shi..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Song Chao, Luo Xuan, and the others rushed up to him agitatedly. Ever since they had known Zhang Xuan, there had not been a single asion they could recall in which thetter had been incapable of something. The trio on the dueling tform might be impressive, but they had absolute confidence in Zhang Xuan. In their view, it was already a certain victory for them from the moment Zhang Xuan arrived on the scene. While a wave of excitement washed across the crowd beneath, the trio on the dueling tform also nced down to look at Zhang Xuan. "So, he is the legendary Zhang Xuan? He looks so-so!" the dark-faced Bai Mian sneered. "Regardless of whether he is so-so or not, we must make him learn the price of offending our True Helios Faction!" Supreme Ape Yuan Gang harrumphed. "Be careful when you striketer on. Our faction leader has already warned us about his incredible background. Itll suffice for him to learn of our prowess; theres no need to go too far. It wont be in our favor if this matter reaches the elders," Ying Qin instructed. "Dont worry. We know what to do. Hes just a freshman; Ill leave him on his knees, begging for mercy, within three blows!" Bai Mian dered confidently with a sneer. With a flick of his wrist, his immense saber flew in an arc, creating a deep resounding whir in the air. Stabbing his saber into the tform, he nced at Zhang Xuan coldly and asked, "You are Zhang Xuan?" His voice was overflowing with aggression toward Zhang Xuan. Looking at the hostility the other party was exuding, as if he had wronged the other party grievously somehow, Zhang Xuan could only nod helplessly. "Others do address me as such." "Good. Do you dare duel against me?" With a provocative smile on his lips, Bai Mian issued his challenge. "Dont worry, Ill suppress my cultivation to your level. I wont take advantage of you." "A duel?" Seeing the other party challenging him to a duel right away, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before replying, "Thats fine by me, but if I am not mistaken, you seem to have said that you want me to apologize to the True Helios Faction and have all of the freshmen purchase the Teacher Information Documentation if the freshmen lose this confrontation. Is there such a matter?" "Thats indeed the case!" Bai Mian nodded smugly. "Since you have imposed a bet on the duel, what do you have to offer if you lose then?" Zhang Xuan questioned. "Us?" Bai Mian was slightly thrown off his momentum by the question. However, he recovered swiftly and answered, "Theres no way we will lose!" A higher-grade student challenging a lower-grade studentwhile it was a challenge in name, it couldnt be clearer to everyone that this was just a means to teach the other party a lesson and impose hierarchical order upon them! Given such, how could they possibly lose? Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Theres no way you will lose? Dont be so certain about it. Theres no such thing as a sure victory in a duel. "If you arent willing to put anything on the line, why should I waste my time fighting with you?" You wish to bet with me without putting anything at stake? You must be joking with me! If theres nothing to earn, why should I tire myself out? "This..." Not expecting the other party to raise the issue about the stakes as soon as he arrived, Bai Mian turned to the other two to seek their opinions. Ying Qin had a frown on his face as well. After a moment of contemtion, he stepped forward and said, "Zhang shi is right. Since we have imposed conditions on you, its only right for us to put something on the line as well. How about this? If we lose, Ill take back everything I have said and apologize to all of you." "Apologize?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "How about this instead? It hasnt been long since our Xuanxuan Faction was established, and it just so happens that we arecking some servants to guard our doors. If you lose, you shall back out of the True Helios Faction to watch our doors. What do you think of that?" Chapter 781: Imparting a Saber Art Maneuver Chapter 781: Imparting a Saber Art Maneuver Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Watch your gates?" Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and Yuan Gang clenched their fists tightly after hearing those words, nearly exploding on the spot. They were Grade-4 students, Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle experts. Yet, a freshman actually wanted them to watch their gates? Was this even a bet anymore? This was clearly an attempt to humiliate them! "Werent you confident that you wouldnt lose just a moment ago? If you wont lose, surely the content of the bet wont matter to you, right? What, has your confidence wavered?" Zhang Xuan gazed at the trio with a slight smile on his lips. "Change the conditions!" With a livid expression, Ying Qin flung his sleeves and harrumphed. Even though they wouldnt lose, they couldnt bring themselves to ept such a bet. The other party was clearly belittling them! "It seems you arent as confident as you seem. Well, theres no need to be embarrassed about losing. Everyone loses sometimes; theres no shame in it," Zhang Xuan consoled. "You!" Hearing those words, Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and Yuan Gang nearly spewed blood. What do you mean by embarrassed? What do you mean by saying everyone loses sometime and theres no shame in it? We arent afraid of losing; we just find your conditions humiliating! Just as they were about to refute the other partys words, the other party suddenly lowered his head, seemingly falling into contemtion. "If you are really that afraid of losing, why dont I offer some guidance to some of the freshmen and send them up to fight against you? If thats still too much for you to ept... how about those you have just defeated? Surely you should be a little more confident with that? I dont think I can go any lower than this..." "You..." Seeing how the other party was going further and further, Ying Qins fury peaked. "Fine! We will ept your conditions! Youd better pray that you are as capable as your mouth, or else just wait and see!" Upon receiving the other partys agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction before issuing a set of instructions. "Good! Ruohuan and Song Chao, send a few men to construct a gate at the entrance. Otherwise, there will be nothing for them to watchter on." The living quarters of the freshmen were enclosed, and there was an entrance for students to enter and leave the premises. However, there was no gate at the entrance. It would be awkward if those fellows had nothing to watch over when they lost. "Alright!" Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao nodded before leaving to settle the matter. "You are courting death!" Seeing how the other party was acting as if victory was assured for him, Bai Mian finally reached the limit of his tolerance. His dark face warped in savagery, and the enormous saber in his hands also buzzed in resonance to his emotions. Turning to Ying Qin, he said, "Allow me to teach this fellow a lesson!" After saying those words, he immediately walked to the center of the dueling tform, and with eyes as sharp as lightning, he bellowed, "Zhang Xuan, I shall be your opponent for the first match. Come!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Calm down, theres no hurry. Youngsters nowadays sure dont know the virtue of patience." "You..." Suffering yet another blow, Bai Mians face turned even darker than before. We might look young, but we are all in our fifties, you know? You are only a brat in your early twenties, and yet you dare to call us youngsters? How shameless can you get? "Is your mouth the only thing you have? If you are a man, youd bettere up here this instant!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to win a verbal war with the other party, Bai Mian gritted his teeth in anger. "I wont take advantage of you; you will surely lose if I head up there. Like I said before, I will find a few freshmen to fight against you. Since I have already given my word, Ill honor it!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Ignoring the frenzied Bai Mian above, he turned to the freshmen and asked, "Is there anyone here who was defeated by this fellow and wields a saber?" Upon hearing the question, the crowd stared at one another bewilderedly. Theyd thought that Zhang shi had only said those words to provoke the seniors into agreeing to his conditions, was he really serious about it? But they had already lost, and it had been a crushing defeat at that! Even if the wounds they had suffered werent substantial, there was no way they could defeat them! "I... lost just now!" After a short moment of silence, a freshman suddenly waved his hand and walked out from the crowd. It was a young man in his mid-twenties with a cultivation of Consonant Spirit realm primary stage. There was a ring and hideous saber cut on his body, which even though it wasnt a serious wound, it seemed as though he would have been sliced into two if his opponent had put slightly more strength into the attack. It was only due to his opponents mercy that he was still living at this very moment. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan assessed him carefully from head to toe before nodding in approval. "You shall go up to the dueling tform and defeat that fellowter on!" "I..." The young man leaped in shock. With a conflicted expression, he said, "I am not a match for him. I wasnt even able to withstand a single blow of his previously!" When he faced Bai Mian just a few moments ago, as soon as the duel started, before he could even raise his saber, he was sliced through by the other partys weapon. Given the huge disparity in strength, he would lose no matter how many times he challenged Bai Mian! "Its fine. Ill impart a saber art maneuver to you right now, and if you execute it well on the stageter on, you should be able to defeat him within a single blow," Zhang Xuan said. "A saber art maneuver?" the young man repeated in disbelief. What use was a single maneuver? Given the other partys deepprehension of saber arts, even if he were to learn a hundred saber art maneuvers, there was still no way he could match up to the other party! "Thats right. Pass me your saber!" Paying no heed to the other partys shock, Zhang Xuan nodded nonchntly. "Alright..." Even though the freshman had no idea what his faction leader was up to, he still passed his saber over obediently. "Damn it!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was really going to impart a saber art to an opponent he had defeated and make him go up against him once more, Bai Mian nearly exploded from fury. It was already challenging the limits of his tolerance for the other party to act as if victory was already in his grasp... But the other party then went on to choose an opponent he had utterly defeated just a moment ago to teach him a saber art, hoping that he could defeat him... What kind of game are you ying over here? I wouldnt be a genius of the Martial Arts School if I could be defeated that easily! You are too smug! Arrogant and conceited! Even the head of the Martial Arts School wouldnt dare to make such ims! "Bai Mian, since Zhang shi is going impart a freshman a saber art to challenge you, we shouldnt take advantage of them either. Inhibit your senses to avoid learning anything about the saber art ahead of the battle!" Ying Qinsplexion looked awful as well. However, as a master teacher, he still had a reputation to uphold. Given their deepprehension in battle techniques as geniuses of the Martial Arts School, if Zhang Xuan were to teach the freshman before them, it was likely that they might have already mastered the technique before the freshman could even make sense of it. If that happened, would there even be a need to carry on with the duel? The oue would have already been decided! Even if they were to win, it would reflect poorly on them. At the very least, if they were to inhibit their senses to avoid learning anything about the saber art ahead of the battle, there would be nothing the other party could say upon the conclusion. "Alright!" Bai Mian nodded. However, just as he was about to inhibit his senses, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to them and said, "Theres no need to go through so much trouble. Since you are students of the Martial Arts School, I believe you should have a deep understanding of battle techniques. Since thats the case, I ask of you to take a look at it during my impartation and correct any mistakes in it!" Bai Mian and Ying Qin stared at one another nkly with blinking eyes. That fellow... Was his head stuck in between a gate or did a donkey kick him foolish? You want your faction member to challenge me in the field of saber arts, and yet you still want me to take a look at it in advance? What kind of logic is that? Just as Bai Mian was at a loss about what he should do, he suddenly received a telepathic message from Ying Qin. "Since he wants us to take a look, lets just do as he says. He is the one telling us to take a look anyway, so surely he cantin about it when he loses!" Ying Qin was the leader of the group, so Bai Mian could only agree to it. Thus, he focused his gaze on the young man imparting a saber art below. "It will only be a single move, so watch closely!" Ignoring the dumbfounded crowd, Zhang Xuan chuckled, and with a slight flick of his wrist, he performed a diagonal sh. The saber moved at an extremely slow speed, as if the slow stroke of a brush on paper. You call this a saber art? Bai Mian waspletely bbergasted. Even when he had only just started learning saber arts when he was five, he had never executed such an ugly move before. In no way was this a saber art! Even the technique used to split lumber in two was much more elegant than this! He was still wondering what kind of formidable saber art the other party was going to teach the freshman that was capable of defeating him in a single move, but who would have thought that the other party would execute such crap instead? Are you fooling around with me? At this moment, Bai Mian wasnt the only one whose mind was in turmoil. The young man whom Zhang Xuan was imparting the saber art to was also nearly on the verge of tears. Hed thought that, given how confident the faction leader was, he must have had some powerful move to teach him. Never had he thought that it would be something like that... Given his eye of discernment, he could tell that there was absolutely no skill or anything deeper lying beneath that sh. Such a haphazard, slow, and powerless attack wouldnt even kill an ant, could he really defeat a Grade-4 senior whom he wasnt even able to withstand a single blow from previously with something like this? In an instant, all of the confidence he had before escaped from his mind. Just as the young man was overwhelmed by helplessness, not knowing what Zhang shi was up to, he suddenly heard a faint voice sounding by his ear. Following which, a thought suddenly emerged within his mind, and his body jolted in response. "The crux of my saber art lies not in the form but the intent. This is the essence of my saber art,prehend it well!" "This is... Soul Impartation?" Sensing the new battle technique in his mind, the young mans eyes widened in shock. Soul Impartation was said to be an ability that only 7-star master teachers were capable of utilizing. Why was their faction leader able to use it as well? Seeing the young man fall into a daze, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to chide him. "Dont let your thoughts wander, make good use of the time you have toprehend the cultivation technique. Take note of the Saber Intent which I have imparted you as well. Use it along with the saber artter in the duel as well!" "Yes!" Recovering from his astonishment, the young man quickly turned his focus to the saber art in his mind. In there, he felt a concentration of Saber Intent which carried an aura so sharp that it left one feeling powerless before it. "This..." The young man narrowed his eyes. He might not be as experienced and knowledgeable as Bai Mian in the field of saber arts, but as a practitioner of the saber as well, he was still able to tell at a single nce how powerful the concentration of Saber Intent was. As long as he imitated it, hisprehension of the saber would definitely advance by leaps and bounds, reaching a level beyond imagination. He drove his zhenqi through his body ording to the imparted saber art while tapping into the concentration of Saber Intent, and for an instant, it was as if sharp des had flickered across his eyes. After grasping the rough flow of the technique, the young man took a deep breath and bowed all the way down to his waist level. "Thank you, faction leader!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Its alright. Now, go and defeat that fellow!" Not only did Bai Mian possess an exceptional aptitude for saber arts, he had also immersed himself in its training for several decades now. Even if Zhang Xuan were to impart the simplified Heavens Path Saber Art to the young man, it would still be difficult for him to defeat Bai Mian right now. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only impart a portion of his Saber Intent as well. Weapon Intent was something fleeting and intangible. Just like a sensation or a certain state of mind, it was impossible to describe it entirely through words. Even if one hadprehended it, it was nigh impossible to transfer Saber Intent to another party. However, Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heavens Path Saber Art, which was the most direct interpretation of the quintessence of the world, making his Saber Intent wholesome and wless. By tapping into his capabilities as a soul oracle as well, it was still possible for him to transfer a portion of his Saber Intent over without it dissipating for the other party to use. "Yes!" Taking a deep breath, the young man nodded. With a leap, he stepped onto the dueling tform. If he had still been a bit apprehensive at the thought of facing Senior Bai Mian earlier, thinking that there was no chance he could defeat the other party, at this very moment, having learned a move from the simplified version of the Heavens Path Saber Art and harnessing Zhang Xuans Saber Intent within him, all fear had vanished from his mind. "You really think you can win against me like that?" Seeing the fellow really leaping up to the dueling tform to challenge him after learning apletely useless saber art which couldnt even be used to chop lumber, Bai Mian felt as if he was about to explode with anger. "Pardon me!" The young man nodded before raising his saber. In an instant, an aura that felt as if it could split the heavens burst into the air, and in the next moment, the saber was already falling on Bai Mian. Hu! Despite the young mans Consonant Spirit realm primary stage cultivation, the cold glint of his saber extended across several zhang instantaneously as if a streak of lightning, tearing through space to crush Bai Mian. "Lightning sh of Saber... T-this is an ability that only those who haveprehended Saber Heart can use! How is it possible that you..." Bai Mians body trembled in shock. His eyes were bulging as if they would drop off at any moment. He could hear a deafening rumble swiftly crescendoing next to him, as if it was going to cast him into oblivion. Chapter 782: Wretched Competition Chapter 782: Wretched Competition Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Just like any other weapon, if ones saber art was aligned with nature, one would be able toprehend Saber Intent, and only after that would it be possible for one toprehend Saber Heart. This was simr to how, in swordsmanship, one had to firstprehend Sword Intent before they couldprehend Lower Sword Heart, Middle Sword Heart, and Higher Sword Heart. Even as a genius of the Martial Arts School, specializing in the study of saber art, Bai Mian was only at Saber Intent pinnacle, a considerable distance away fromprehending Saber Heart. Yet, the incredibly sharp aura his opponent exuded along with the Lightning sh of Saber... The other party was actually utilizing a technique that only one who hadprehended Saber Intent could use! How was that possible? When he fought with the freshman earlier, he could clearly sense that thetter had onlyprehended the bare basics of Saber Intent, a long distance away from matching him. Yet, with just that single saber art maneuver Zhang shi had imparted to him, hisprehension of the saber had actually advanced by so much? Damn it... Bai Mians body trembled in shock. In the midst of a battle, however, he swiftly responded to the freshmans attack, raising his saber to defend against the move. While he was shocked by the freshmans feat ofprehending Saber Heart in just a short moment, he still didnt think that he would lose. After all, he had seen the technique Zhang shi had imparted to the freshman, and it was littered with hundreds of ws. On top of that, it was incredibly slow. As long as he moved swiftly and curbed the other party with speed, he would still be able to overwhelm him and achieve an easy victory. Hu! In that split moment when Bai Mians enormous Nine-ringed Saber was about to meet the freshmans saber, the freshmans saber abruptly twisted in an elegant arc, bypassing Bai Mians weapon to cut down on him. It was as if Bai Mians defense meant nothing to him at all. This is... Distition of the Profound, Surpassing Technique Through Ability? Bai Mians body stiffened. While he was studying the saber, a master teacher whom he deeply respected had once told him that upon reaching a certain level of mastery in the saber, one could reduceplex saber arts into simpler and more concise techniques. But this simplification of the saber art didnt mean that it had be weaker. On the contrary, theck of extraneous movements meant that there were fewer ws that one could exploit against the technique, making it even more difficult to oppose. Bai Mian had thought that such a realm existed in a world far beyond his, and he could possibly never encounter it in his entire life. But... he was seeing it from the freshman at this very moment! The saber art which the freshmen was executing was notplex at all. It was just a simple sh without anything fancy to it, but it carried a might capable of slicing through anything. Bai Mian felt as if his entirety had been overwhelmed by the might of the sh. Regardless of what technique he utilized, there was no way he could stand against the sh. Flee! In that instant, fear took over Bai Mians instincts. Not daring to take the sh face-on, he immediately retreated hurriedly. Retracting ones saber art abruptly in the midst of its execution would lead to a bacsh in ones zhenqi, but given that Bai Mian was an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert utilizing the might of a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage expert at the moment, he could easily suppress it. Thus, despite the seeming distressed state he was in, he hadnt suffered much damage from this move. Hu! Taking two steps back, Bai Mian was just about to raise his saber art to counterattack when the freshmen before him swung his saber furiously once more at him. This time, the attack felt even sharper and more powerful than before. The sh had harnessed the remaining force from the previous sh to amplify its might more than twofold. At that moment, it seemed as if a tempest had struck the dueling tform. This is... retion of Saber Might? Bai Mian was on the verge of spurting blood. He had thought that after the freshman had put his might into the first blow, his strength would surely decline considerably. Who knew that not only would that not be the case, he would even amplify his second sh significantly through ruing the might from the first! Even the first sh was already beyond his capability, so how could he possibly withstand the might of two shes at once? Thus, he retreated once again. Hu hu! Seeing Bai Mian retreating once again, the freshman felt a burst of confidence, and heunched his third sh decisively. As if tributaries gathering into an ocean, the might of the three shes converged with one another to produce an unopposable force. The young man was only at Consonant Spirit realm primary stage, but through harnessing the capability of Saber Heart to converge the might of three shes together, he could easily overwhelm a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage or even an advanced stage cultivator! No, this wont do... If I allow him to continue building up strength, Ill surely lose without doubt! Realizing the crux of the problem, Bai Mians face turned grim. His initial thought had been to dodge the attack, and at the moment the other partys strength died down, he would be able to do as he pleased. But who could have known that the other partys saber art would only grow stronger with time, its might amplifying with each sh? From the very first dodge he had made, he had already lost the initiative. If he were to continue avoiding the attacks, the odds would only continue stacking against him, and eventually, he would be overwhelmed. Its do or die... Gritting his teeth, Bai Mians strength surged frenziedly from his arm as he swung his saber to face the freshmans sh. Spirit high-tier battle technique, River Severing Furious Saber! This technique was said to have been created by a Saint realm expert. Out of vengeance for the grievances his lover had suffered, he drew his saber and shed down furiously, dividing a river several ten thousand meters long in two permanently. This was the strongest saber art he had after cultivating for so many years. Even though he wascking zhenqi to execute it perfectly after suppressing his cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm primary stage, through his deep understanding of saber arts, he still managed to pull it off. Saber qi immediately gushed forth from his saber to collide with the freshmans ferocious sh. Hong long! With a deafening reverberation, the two sabers collided with one another. In an instant, Bai Mians face reddened as the might from his River Severing Frenzied Saber was overwhelmed instantaneously. Following which, the amplified sh continued falling furiously toward him, seemingly about to rip his meridians apart. This is bad... Bai Mians face turned livid. While the thought of being unable to withstand the sh had crossed his mind, he didnt think that it would be to such an extent. Despite his retaliation, the sh still continued flying toward him with unabated might. In that desperate moment, Bai Mian roared furiously, and his cultivation, which he had suppressed initially, began rising rapidly. Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage! Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage! Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle! Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage! His cultivation had to rise by an entire realm before he was able to dispel the overwhelming saber qi before him. Peng! Due to Bai Mians forceful counterattack, the freshman was knocked back, and a mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth. Even though he had sustained some damage from thest attack, his eyes were glowing with excitement. "You have lost!" The other party had been forced to unseal his cultivation in order to withstand his blow, which meant that he had broken the rules, and thus, he had lost! Upon hearing those words, Bai Mians face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, and he muttered feebly, "I... I have lost..." There was no other choice for him but to admit it. So many eyes had seen him being forced into a corner, unable to retaliate at all. This was his utter defeat! It was just a moment ago that this freshman had been defeated by him in a single blow, but in the next moment, he was defeated by thetter instead... Despite being the person in question here, the situation before him felt so mystical that he could hardly believe what had just happened. That Zhang shi had only imparted a single move to the freshman... and thetter had gained sufficient strength to defeat him? Just how in the world was that possible? Bai Mian wasnt the only one who couldnt get to grips with the situation. All of the freshmen beneath also felt as if their eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets. They had witnessed the prowess of the freshman before and after he had learned Zhang shis saber art... To allow the freshman to gain the power to defeat a genius of the Martial Arts School just by imparting a single move to him, this was just way too exaggerated! Was their faction leader in truth a deity in disguise? "Faction leader, I-I seeded! I managed to defeat a Grade-4 student! I..." Upon hearing Bai Mians confirmation, the young man immediately leaped down from the dueling tform excitedly and rushed up to Zhang Xuan with clenched fists. Having executed the saber art, he understood just how powerful the move which the faction leader had imparted to him was. As long as he studied it thoroughly and practiced diligently, his understanding of the saber would surely soar, allowing him to be a saber master! As such, it was inevitable that he would be so excited. Pah! However, before he could finish his words, Zhang shi abruptly pped him on his head with a livid expression, as if a senior chastising a disappointing junior. "Faction leader..." The freshman was stunned, not knowing what was going on. Why was the faction leader angry? He had defeated his opponent! "After that disappointing performance of yours, you are still in the mood to celebrate? Honestly, can you even call what you have just did saber art? In the very first move, if only you had utilized the full extent of your strength, your opponent couldnt have dodged at all. It was a duel you could have won in a single move, and yet you dragged it on for three moves. Dont you feel ashamed of yourself?" The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the angrier and more disappointed he felt. If he could, he would truly have wanted to knock some sense into the fellow. No matter what, the other party was a half 5-star master teacher. How could he be so slow on the uptake? He had personally imparted a simplified version of the Heavens Path Saber Art to the other party and even transferred a portion of his Saber Intent to him. And yet, that fellow still required three blows to defeat his opponent. That was a disgrace! Win in a single move... Bai Mian nearly spurted blood upon hearing those words. I am a Grade-4 student, a genius of the Martial Arts School... Its already incredible that you were able to grant a freshman the strength to defeat me within three blows just by imparting a saber art to him, and yet you are still disappointed by it... "Yes..." Hearing the chastising from the faction leader, the young man could only hang his head in shame. The faction leader was right. If he put his full strength into the very first blow, Bai Mian would have surrendered immediately. Things wouldnt have dragged on to the third blow, Bai Mian wouldnt have resorted to a desperate struggle, and he wouldnt have been injured either. "Alright, at least you are repenting. However, take note of this in the future. No matter who your opponent is, you have to strike decisively. The slightest bit of hesitation could cost your life!" Seeing the other partys regretful expression, Zhang Xuans rage finally alleviated slightly. Sighing deeply, he waved his hands and turned to the dueling tform once more. "Which one of you is next?" "I shall be your opponent!" Yuan Gang stepped forward. Bai Mians defeat had shocked him deeply as well. At this point, he knew better than to underestimate the young man standing before him. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Who was defeated by him earlier?" "Me!" "Faction leader, I lost as well!" "You didnt lose as badly as I did. Allow me to do it!" "The hell you lost badly, you only fell from the stage! Look at me, I was even pped by him. I am in the most wretched state of all. Let me challenge him!" "Look, I even spewed blood! Let me do it..." ... Upon Zhang Xuans call, a hugemotion broke out beneath the stage. All of those who had been injured previously immediately rushed up indignantly, howling in agitation. They had witnessed how the freshman who had been defeated in a single blow earlier turning the tables on Bai Mian after Zhang shis guidance. If they could learn a thing or two from Zhang shi as well, their fighting prowess might be able to soar like his. With such a good opportunity lying before them, only a fool would give it up! "To think a day woulde that I would see such a sight before me..." On the stage, Yuan Gang and Ying Qins mouths twitched. The heck! The freshmen had always gone out of their way to avoid any confrontations with their seniorsafter all, the disparity in strength was as clear as day. Never had they seen any freshman volunteering to challenge the seniors so energetically before. Moreover, it was one thing for them to fight over the opportunity, but screw theirpetition over who was in a more wretched state! The more wretched ones state was, the weaker they were in the previous confrontation. To still be vying for the opportunity after being defeated so tragically, what do you take us seniors for? Arent you all being too arrogant! Watching as the crowd below argued over who was in a worse state, Ying Qins face turned more and more livid. There were even a few of the freshmen who had regretful expressions on their faces, as ifmenting how they hadnt allowed Yuan Gang to get a few more punches on them. Eventually, Ying Qin came to the limit of his tolerance, and he sent a telepathic message to Yuan Gang. "Make sure to subdue them decisively. You mustnt show them any mercy at all! Itll be a grave humiliation on us and the True Helios Faction if we lose again!" In truth, Bai Mians loss had already introduced some doubts into their minds. They realized that they had grossly underestimated Zhang shis capability. However, the arrow was already nocked, and it was toote for them to back down. No matter what, they had to win the next round. Otherwise, they just might end up bing the gatekeepers of the Xuanxuan Faction. "Dont worry, Ill give it my all!" Yuan Gang nodded grimly. While the duo was speaking, Zhang Xuan was done picking out his nextpetitor as well. It was a young fellow whose face was bruised to the point that there was not the slightest uninjured area to be seen. His nose and teeth were slightly crooked, and a stream of blood flowed uncontrobly from the edge of his mouth. I remember that fellow! But... I dont recall beating him up so heavily? Could it be that, just so he would appear more wretched than the others, he chose to beat himself up? Upon seeing the appearance of the other party, Yuan Gangs eyelids began twitching uncontrobly, and he nearly keeled over. Chapter 783: Challenging Zhang shi Chapter 783: Challenging Zhang shi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 5-star high-tier master teacher, he had an eidetic memory. When he was fighting with the other party, he had only used the Light Breezy Hands to knock him off the dueling tform. Yet, at this very moment, the other partys facial features were warped hideously, and blood was dripping down from his mouth... Just how freaking severe was his injuries? If he had suffered such severe injuries earlier in the battle with him, he couldnt possibly still be standing here. Someone would have already sent him to a physician! Most likely, he had beaten himself up intentionally just so he could receive Zhang shis guidance... Or else, the situation simply didnt make sense! Just as Yuan Gang was feeling extremely frustrated within, Zhang Xuan begun imparting a battle technique to the other party. In his view, it was highly likely that Bai Mian had only been defeated by the freshman due to his carelessness. Thus, this time, he widened his eyes to pay attention to every single detail regarding the fist art which Zhang shi was imparting to the severely injured young man. However, just like the previous saber art, no matter how he looked at it, he just couldnt see any deeper technique or intention behind it. After a while, he waspletely bewildered. He could easily execute a fist art like that back when he was only three... Did Zhang shi really think that he could be defeated with that? Nevertheless, there is something peculiar about Zhang shi. I should remain on my guard. Later, I shall attack my opponent as soon as we get on the stage! Unable toprehend the essence hidden within Zhang Xuans fist art, Yuan Gang decided to just achieve a swift victory. Given his deeper insight into battle techniques and the control of his strength, as long as he could gain the initiative, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to defeat a freshman swiftly. Right after he had decided his n for the battle, the bruised young man finally stepped onto the dueling tform. "Senior!" the young man greeted. "Lets hurry up and get it over with," Yuan Gang said. Crrk crrk crrk! With a series of creaking sounds, Yuan Gangs slender body abruptly grew taller, and his limbs grew longer as well. Spirit high-tier battle technique, Supreme Ape Transformation! Having spent more than a decade cultivating this battle technique, he had already fully grasped the essence of it, allowing him to bring out the full might of the technique. "Here Ie!" Without giving the other party an opportunity to even respond, Yuan Gang immediately charged forward as soon as the duel began. His movement was as swift as the silhouette of an eagle swooping down for its prey. In the blink of an eye, his figure was already standing right before the bruised young man, and with his fingers bent into hooks, he wed ferociously at him. The crux of the Supreme Art Transformationy in its speed, and the attacks were mainly hacking, wing, and grabbing. This was a technique that an elder of the academy hade up with after studying the fighting technique of apes. Sharp glints reminiscent of daggers shed from the edges of Yuan Gangs fingers as they headed right for the bruised young mans body. Not bad! Looking at how Yuan Gang went for his opponent decisively without holding back, Yin Qing heaved a sigh of relief. They had already lost a match. If they were to lose another, they would have lost the bet. It was fortunate that Yuan Gang wasnt an inflexible person who allowed his pride to get over his head. Knowing that there was something peculiar about his opponent, he opted to go with his strongest move right from the start. "Yuan Gangs w harnesses great power. If I were his opponent, I would first take a step back and wait for the momentum of his attack to die down before retaliating," Ying Qin muttered contemtively. As peers from the same student faction, Ying Qin often sparred with Yuan Gang, so he had a clear idea of how fearsome the Supreme Ape Transformation was. Due to the formidable speed of the technique, it was nearly impossible to dodge at close quarters. Curious to see how Yuan Gangs opponent would respond to his attack, Ying Qin turned his gaze back to the stage, only to see the other party standing still on the spot, retaliating to Yuan Gangs attack with a punch of his own. "This..." Ying Qin blinked in shock. Was the opponent intending to trade blow for blow? But Yuan Gangs w was far swifter than his fist! If he were to remain in the same position, he would surely be struck by Yuan Gangs w first! Hu! Before the doubt in Ying Qins mind could vanish, he suddenly saw the speed of the opponents fist abruptly elerate. At the current speed, it was likely that both of their attacks wouldnd on each other at the same time. In other words... the opponent was aiming for a mutually assured destruction! Peng! As Ying Qin had predicted, the duo struck one another squarely. Deng deng deng! Deng deng deng! Yuan Gang was knocked eight steps backward from the impact of his opponents fist while his opponent was left with deep w marks on his chest. "Good!" Despite being injured in the first encounter, the bruised young man didnt seem to have lost his courage in the least. On the contrary, he grew more and more excited. Without any hesitation, he charged right toward Yuan Gang once again. Regardless of how profound Yuan Gangs move was and how much damage he would sustain from them, his focus was only on one thingnding his punch on Yuan Gang. Peng! They traded another blow. Even though the bruised young man was injured, Yuan Gang didnt fare any better either. Suffering two consecutive heavy blows, his face paled, and with a sweet sensation at the back of his throat, he spurted a mouthful of blood. I finally understand... Ying Qin narrowed his eyes as he tightened his fists in agitation. It is indeed a good n. Zhang shi sure is a formidable opponent... At this moment, he finally understood the reasoning behind the bruised young mans fighting style. Ultimately, one couldnt be a master at close quarterbat just by learning a single move. It required the umtion of experience and refinement through practice over countless years. Understanding this, Zhang shi decisively imparted a fist art with overwhelming offensive ability. Since it is impossible for us to win in a battle of skill, we might as well abandon the very notion of it. We shall go head to head with you instead! Even if we suffer grievous wounds in the midst of doing so, we wont let you get off the hook easily either! If yound a blow on me, I will make sure to return the favor twofold to you! As long as I possess sufficient strength and speed in my attacks, the one who will fall ultimately will be you! How vicious! It seems like Zhang shi didnt select his candidates randomly. This fellow was willing to even punch himself in order to earn the opportunity, and that reflects how tenacious he is... Ying Qin thought with a livid expression. Honestly speaking, he did wonder why Zhang Xuan had chosen the person who had beaten himself up. Given thetters sharp eye of discernment, surely he should have been able to tell that those wounds were self-inflicted? But at this moment, he realized that it was an intentional action on the other partys part. If a person was willing to hurt himself for an opportunity, how could he possibly back down in a crucial moment? A person with such a personality was the most suited for a battle of trading blows! It seems like... Yuan Gang is going to lose! Ying Qin shook his head. They were all currently of the same cultivation realm, but considering the incredible might behind the bruised young mans fist art, as well as his determination to win the duel, it was just a matter of time before Yuan Gang fell in defeat. It was not that Yuan Gang was weak, but such a battle simply wasnt his forte. The Supreme Ape Transformation which he cultivated was built on the natural instincts of apes, and this included their natural aversion toward danger as well. As such, Yuan Gangs instinctual response toward harm was not to fight but to flee. Naturally, Yuan Gang also understood the bruised young mans intentions, and he knew that if he wanted to win, he had to attack decisively and persevere to the very end. However, the contradiction between his instincts and actions resulted in an inevitable hesitation in his movements, which hindered him from fighting decisively. Peng peng peng! As expected, after trading five blows, Yuan Gang finally reached the limit of his perseverance, and after a stagger, his body copsed to the ground weakly. He had been defeated by a freshman. That ape guy is not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded inmendation. The Heavens Path Fist Art harnessed immense strength behind each of its blows. Even though Zhang Xuan had only imparted a move from its simplified version to the bruised young man, it was still an incredible feat for Yuan Gang to endure five punches before copsing. "Faction leader, I won..." The bruised young man leaped down the dueling tform excitedly and bowed deeply to his faction leader with respect gleaming in his eyes. Previously, when he fought against Yuan Gang, he was unable to even take a single blow from him. Yet, after receiving his faction leaders guidance, he was able to overwhelm Yuan Gang and defeat him. Regardless of whether it was his faction leaders grasp over battle strategy or hisprehension of battle techniques, they had reached a level beyond his imagination. "Good, you have done well. Drink this!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a gourd over. "Yes!" Taking the gourd, the bruised young man gulped down the fine wine within, leaving not a single drop behind. The next moment, he suddenly felt a tingling feeling throughout his body, and the injuries he had sustained swiftly healed. "That is Saint recovery medicine..." The bruised young man widened his eyes in shock. In order to treat his injuries, his faction leader was willing to even take out a gourd of Saint recovery medicine for his consumption. To go this far for him... Faction leader, from this day onward, I shall remain a member of your faction until the moment of my death! Theres nothing in this world that can change my decision... ... "Zhang shis means are indeed incredible!" Seeing the freshman who was pummeled recovering entirely from his wounds in the blink of an eye while Yuan Gang was still convulsing on the ground, on the brink of death, Ying Qin shook his head and sighed deeply before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with a profound gaze. Regardless of whether it was his ability to impart techniques, his grasp over battle techniques, or his charisma around his subordinates, he was indeed worthy of respect. Taking a deep breath, Ying Qin grasped his spear tightly and said, "Having lost two consecutive rounds, we have already lost the bet. However... I find it hard toe to terms with my defeat without witnessing Zhang shis prowess with my own eyes. Thus, I hope that Zhang shi will agree to a fight against me!" As Zhang Xuans side had already achieved two out of three wins, the trio had already lost the bet. However, having yet to force Zhang Xuan into action, he couldnt help but feel a little indignant inside. Thus, he wanted to challenge him so as to see how powerful the young man, who could give the other freshmen the strength to defeat his peers through just a moment of guidance, was. If he lost, so be it. He would have no regrets whatsoever at the very least. "You wish to challenge me?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright then." This fellow with the spear was likely to be the strongest of the three. He should be a fine opponent for him to test out his newfound strength with the advancement in his cultivation he had made recently. Thus, Zhang Xuan leaped up to the dueling tform as well. While being able to guide others to victory was indeed a testimony to his prowess, it wasnt as impactful as witnessing it in a battle. Only in a real battle could the full extent of ones skills be seen. "Since Zhang shi possesses the cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, I shall suppress my cultivation to that of your level too..." Seeing the other party agree to it, Ying Qin nodded before forcefully suppressing his cultivation of Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle down two realms. "Suppress your cultivation?" Seeing Ying Qins action, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You will die like that..." He had cultivated his soul, physical body, and zhenqi, along with his Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, that fellow wouldnt even be much of a match even if he were to fight him at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle. Yet, he was still thinking of suppressing his cultivation. How bold! "Zhang shi, dont worry. Even though you have a deep understanding of battle techniques, I am not that bad either, especially in the field of spearmanship. I can proudly say that there are none at my level who can rival me!" Ying Qin replied confidently. He had seen what Zhang shi had done, and that was indeed impressive. However, he had confidence in his ability as well. This was the trust he had in himself after countless years of sweat, tears, and blood honing his spearmanship. As long as he had a spear in hand, he would be able to face any enemy. "Alright then..." Seeing how confident the other party was, there was nothing else Zhang Xuan could say. Seeing Zhang Xuan standing barehanded on the dueling tform, Ying Qin asked doubtfully, "Zhang shi, wheres your weapon?" "My weapon? You have already suppressed your cultivation; if I were to use a weapon on top of that, I would truly be bullying you... How about this then?" Zhang Xuan turned to Ruohuan gongzi and said, "Ruohuan, I recall that there is a feather duster beneath the stool over there. Bring it over to me!" Chapter 784: Zhang shi, Isnt Yours Too Short? Chapter 784: Zhang shi, Isnt Yours Too Short? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Feather duster? Ying Qins body swayed weakly from side to side. The spear in my hand is a Spirit high-tier weapon crafted using the finest Xuan Jade of the Eastern Sea. It has a length of 2.3 meters, and the tip is specially made out of Gelid Jadeite Essence, possessing iparable sharpness capable of slicing through metal and carrying the effect to slow down the thoughts of ones enemy... I have such a powerful weapon in my hands, and yet you wish to fight against me using a feather duster? That item is only made out of ordinary bamboo! It would be sliced into two with even the slightest touch, how in the world do you expect to fight against me? Not only him, Ruohuan gongzi waspletely stunned as well. Using a feather duster to deal with a Spirit high-tier weapon? Zhang shi... dont you think you are going too far humiliating the other party? But... what is with the inexplicable joy I am feeling at the sight of this? "Great, Ill be right back!" With his lips curling up uncontrobly out of excitement, Ruohuan gongzi immediately ran off. "You..." Seeing the gleeful look on Ruohuan gongzis face, Ying Qin felt his innards boiling with fury. "Zhang shi, I am earnestly challenging to a duel, and since you have agreed to it, I hope that you can take it seriously. As fellow master teachers, dont you think its improper for you to humiliate me like that?" "Humiliate?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I am truly not trying to humiliate you, and you arent qualified for me to go that far either. The reason I am not using a spear against you is due to the excessive power of my spear art. I fear that I might identally kill you if I fail to control my strength well, and that would be very troublesome. While a feather duster is indeed a little weaker, its much easier to control it, so I will be able to avoid injuring you!" He really didnt have any intention of humiliating Ying Qin. He could see why thetter would think so, but if he wanted to humiliate him, he could have easily defeated him in a single blow without any weapon at hand as well. Honestly speaking, it was out of respect for the other party that he chose to even use a feather duster as a weapon. "You..." Ying Qin was so furious that he startedughing uproariously instead. His eyes narrowed into menacing slits as he bellowed, "Fine! Let me see how powerful your spear art is then!" For a top Grade-4 student to be told by a freshman that he was fearful that he might identally kill him... Ying Qin felt so much fury boiling within him that he couldve charged forward to tear the other party apart then and there. In the midst of their conversation, Ruohuan gongzi had already gathered more than a dozen feather dusters from the surroundings and threw them onto the stage for Zhang Xuan to choose. Zhang Xuan casually picked up one of them before turning to Ying Qin. "We can start now." "Youre seeking death!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was truly intending to use a feather duster to fight against him, Ying Qin roared in fury as the spear in his hand pierced forward with might reminiscent of a massive dragon. A gale so powerful that it felt as if it could tear one into shreds whipped up in the surroundings. Infused with zhenqi, the Spirit high-tier spear pierced through the air, producing a deafening sonic boom as it headed straight for Zhang Xuan. "Strong..." Upon seeing the move, Luo Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others couldnt help but narrow their eyes. Even though Ying Qin had already suppressed his cultivation to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, the power that he disyed in his attack was still far beyond what they could withstand. Perhaps it might be an exaggeration to say that this move was unrivaled by all Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, but it was no joke to say that less than a handful of Cosmos Bridge realm cultivators in the academy would be able to take this blow. In fact, most Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage cultivators would be forced to retreat in the face of this move, not daring to confront it head-on. Could Zhang shi really be able to stand against such a powerful attack with a feather duster in hand? Everyone subconsciously turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan, only to see him standing nonchntly before the other partys might. A slight smile emerged on his face as he stretched his hand forward and snapped his forefinger and middle finger together. Kacha! Just like that, the iparably powerful spear was held lightly in Zhang Xuans fingertips. As if fallen deep into a marsh, the ferocious dragon of a spear from a moment ago found itself incapable of moving no matter how hard it struggled. Pah pah pah pah! While holding onto the spear, Zhang Xuan raised his feather duster and struck Ying Qins face relentlessly. In just the blink of an eye, crimson streaks had already filled thetters face. "The heck... it is actually possible for such a situation to happen in a battle?" "Why does it feel like an adult caning a child?" "Indeed... This is supposed to be a serious battle, but this..." ... The crowd beneath the stage was stunned. When they saw Ying Qins spear art earlier, they had nearly been scared out of their wits, thinking that Zhang shi would be defeated by it. Who could have known that Zhang shi would end up stopping the spear with just two mere fingers instead! No matter how hard Ying Qin tugged or pushed, the spear was firmly trapped between Zhang Xuans fingers, refusing to budge at all. This had left him open to theshing of Zhang Xuans feather duster. Everyone had thought that this would be an intense battle between two experts, but in the end... it turned out to be a one-sided ughter instead! "Ah!" Ying Qin hadnt expected the other party to be skillful enough to even grab a spear harnessing such immense might so easily. Panicked, he struggled with all his might, but he was unable to pull the spear out of Zhang Xuans fingers at all. Flustered, he howled, "Let go!" At the same time, he gathered all of the zhenqi in his body to pull the spear back to him with his full might. As long as the spear remained in the other partys grasp, he would be powerless against him. "You want it back? Here you go!" Feeling the force pulling the spear away from his fingers growing stronger and stronger, Zhang Xuan abruptly let go with a smile. Deng deng deng deng! The sudden disappearance of the force from Zhang Xuans side caused Ying Qin to fall backward abruptly. In an attempt to stop himself from tumbling back, he ended up leaving a series of heavy footprints in the dueling tform. "You! Die!" Even though Ying Qin was left in quite an awkward position, having seeded in pulling his spear out, he felt another burst of confidence returning to him. With a roaring whiz from his spear, he swept it toward the Zhang Xuan. Since the pierce failed to work, surely a sweep would be fine! In the next moment, however, the figure before him suddenly blurred, and a pair of fingers abruptly materialized from nowhere and easily halted the movement of his spear. What is going on... Ying Qins body shook wildly. In order to prevent the other party from grabbing his spear, he had put his full might into the sweep. How did the other party still manage to grab his spear? That should have been impossible! Before he could give it much thought, the feather duster began raining blows down on him once more. Even though it was only a stick made out of bamboo, it had zhenqi infused into it. As such, ashing from it felt even more painful than being whipped by a leather belt. With just a few strikes, Ying Qins face was already covered incerations, and blood was dripping down his face profusely. "Damn it!" Despite facing an opponent with the same cultivation level as him at the moment, he still ended up being struck bloody by a feather duster. Ying Qin felt as if he was going to go mad. With an abrupt pounce, he leaped upward while tugging the spear forcefully out of Zhang Xuans grip. Exerting his full might until the point which his zhenqi was about to explode from overexertion, the other partys force on his spear abruptly disappeared once again. Hu! As a result, Ying Qins figure fell back yet again. However, this time, before he could steady his figure, Zhang Xuan had rushed forward to grab his spear once more, and the feather duster beganshing him again. The heck... Ying Qin was on the verge of tears. He had fought many battles ever since he had started cultivating, but never had he had a duel like that before. The moment his spear shot forth, the other party rushed to grab his spear andsh him viciously. While he was trying to pull his spear out of the other partys grip, the other party would abruptly let go, resulting in his loss of bnce. But yet again, making use of his state of vulnerability as a result of his loss of bnce, the other party would charge forward to grab his spear again... Thats cheating! Cant we have a proper duel? "AHHHH!" The more he thought about it, the more furious Ying Qin felt. Fury raged furiously in his chest like zing mes. Hong long! In his state of rage, he finally let go of the suppression of his zhenqi, resulting in his cultivation swiftly surging back to normal. Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage... Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage... Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle! In the blink of an eye, he had reached the peak of his strength once again. Upon the recovery of his strength, he immediately turned his attention back to Zhang shi once more, seemingly about to charge at him again, only to see thetter had already retreated several meters away. Holding a feather duster in his hand, the other party questioned him nonchntly, "Are you admitting defeat?" "Admitting defeat? Impossible! Through the battle we had, I realized that you arent merely a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator... Do you dare fight against me at my full strength?" Ying Qin gritted his teeth. After being struck so viciously on his face, how could he possibly admit defeat and let the other party get away just like that? Besides, considering how the other party could grab his spear so easily and firmly such that even he was unable to extract it from his fingers, that showed that his strength far exceeded any Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator. Since that was the case... even if he were to use his full strength against the other party, that couldnt be considered bullying. "Fine by me," Zhang Xuan replied calmly. In the first ce, he had intended for Ying Qin to use his full strength, but thetter obstinately insisted on suppressing his cultivation for the sake of fairness. This situation worked better with him; he would finally be able to try out his strength like that. "Lets start then." Zhang Xuan raised his feather duster to gesture for the other party toe at him. "Wait a moment!" Seeing Zhang Xuans movement, Ying Qin couldnt help but recall how badly he had been thrashed just a moment ago, and he shuddered in fear. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I wish topete with you in terms of spear art, but your feather duster is too short, turning the duel into a close quarter battle instead. May I ask of you to use a spear to fight with me?" What Zhang Xuan had done earliergrabbing his spear andshing him viciouslycouldnt be considered as a spear art but close quarter offense. A spears length granted it a long reach, but at the same time, it also limited its utility in a narrow space. He couldnt allow the other party to turn the battle into a close quarterbat like before, or else even with his restored cultivation, it was extremely likely that he would end up badly thrashed like before. "Close quarterbat? Spear?" How could Zhang Xuan possibly not understand the other partys intention? Letting out a soft chuckle, he said, "You mean that... my feather duster is too short for you, so you want me to fight you with a longer weapon?" "Thats right!" Ying Qin nodded. "Fine by me as well!" Zhang Xuan nodded before turning to Ruohuan gongzi. "Help me tie these feather dusters together, end-to-end." "Yes!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded as he leaped onto the dueling tform and tied the feather dusters together using some string from his storage ring. With more than a dozen feather dusters connected end to end, the ultimate product was more than ten-meters long, and it resembled a long wooden branch. It was truly a novel sight to watch as the bunch of feather dusters rose up like a gpole, and countless feathers swayed amidst the wind. "This should be long enough, right?" Zhang Xuan asked as he took the long rod over. "Of course!" Ying Qins eyes lit up. Due to his spear being too long, he had been unable to disy his prowess in close quarters, which resulted in the eventualshing hed received. However, now that Zhang Xuan had made his weapon ten meters long, the tables would be turned on him. He had no doubt that the other party would bepletely crushed, and he would be able to exact vengeance for the humiliation hed received. Hearing the other partys approval, Zhang Xuan flicked his long spear made out of more than a dozen feather dusters to the side, preparing himself for the battle. He then said nonchntly, "I hope that you wontin anymore when you lose this time." "Of course, I wont. However, you are the one who should be careful!" Ying Qin replied confidently. The feather duster spear was more than ten meters long. Provided he could get within a distance of ten meters of Zhang Xuan, the other party would be helpless before him. Excited, Ying Qin swung his spear casually and said, "Lets begin!" Seeing the other partys confidence, Zhang Xuan raised his spear vertically upright, as if a lightning rod connecting to the heavens. At the same time, he beckoned with his left hand and chuckled lightly. "Come, Ill give you a 39 meters head start!" 1 Chapter 785: The True Spear Art Chapter 785: The True Spear Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In his previous life, Zhang Xuan had once seen a picture of a small person holding a forty-meter-long saber taunting his opponent, saying that he would first allow him to get a 39 meters head start. At this moment, this was exactly the kind of feeling Zhang Xuan got. With more than a dozen feather dusters connected together, his weapon seemed just like a gpole. Inparison, his enemys spear felt no different from a short twig. With such a long weapon in hand, he felt as if he had nothing to fear. "Lets begin then!" With a roar, Ying Qin stepped off with his right foot and charged straight at Zhang Xuan, aiming to close the distance as soon as possible. Considering the length of Zhang Xuans weapon, as long as he could get within a ten-meter radius of him, he should be safe from the other partys offense. The other party had previously used a feather duster tosh him. With this opportunity, he would return the favor to him! "Do you really think itll be that easy for you to close in on me?" How could Zhang Xuan possibly not understand Ying Qins intentions? With a slight smile, he executed the Heavens Path Movement Art and drew an additional ten-meter distance away from Ying Qin in an instant before stabbing his feather duster spear toward Ying Qin. Hu! A feather duster spear ten-meter long couldnt possibly be as agile as a spear or as swift as a sword. Yet, for some reason, it still managed to block Ying Qins advancement. Or to be exact, the spear was precisely positioned such that there was no way for Ying Qin to avoid it if he were to continue charging forward with his current momentum. Damn it! Ying Qinsplexion turned awful upon realizing that his advancement had been impeded. He immediately twisted his body to dodge the other partys attack before rushing to another location to charge forward once more. However, just as he was about to do so, the feather duster spear appeared right before him once again. The speed this time around was far swifter than previously. Moreover, it was directed at one of his mingmen, leaving him no choice but to avoid it as well. "Humph!" He immediately leaped backward to dodge the attack before rushing at another direction. With a burst of his zhenqi as an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert, his speed was as swift as a soaring dragon. But... despite his speed, the Zhang Xuans feather duster spear seemed to be even faster than him. Every time he attempted to approach the other party, a spear would abruptly emerge to block his path. It was as if the Zhang Xuan knew where he would attack from. As such, despite the bulky and burdensome weapon the opponent was wielding, Ying Qin felt as if he was facing an impregnable fortress. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldnt breach the other partys defenses. "This..." Ruohuan gongzi and the others swallowed a mouthful of saliva as they widened their eyes in shock. They had thought that it would be hard for Zhang shi to deal with Ying Qin when thetter released the suppression on his cultivation. After all, two realms was indeed a huge gap to ovee. But who would have thought that with just a feather duster spear, Zhang shi would be able to ward off the other party perfectly, leaving him prowling helplessly at a ten-meter distance away? While this couldnt be consisted a victory, considering that Zhang shi was facing an opponent with a far higher cultivation than him, it was indubitably an impressive feat. It was at that moment that someone amidst the crowd suddenly shouted, "Do you all feel that theres something weird about this battle? I cant really put my finger on it, but... it doesnt feel like a duel at all!" "Indeed!" Luo Xuan frowned as he felt that there was something amiss with the situation as well. After a moment of contemtion, he muttered, "It is like... toying like a monkey?" "Now that you say it, it does seem like that..." Ruohuan gongzi nodded in agreement. Words of agreement rippled through the crowd as well. At this moment, it seemed as if the awe-inspiring Ying Qin from a moment ago was being yed by Zhang shi like a monkey. Zhang shi would stand, unmoving, on the spot and flick his feather duster spear slightly, and Ying Qin would suddenly leap backward and rush off in another direction before attempting to charge toward Zhang Xuan again. But before he could charge in, the bamboo spear would arrive before him, and he would leap backward once more... Such a cycle had been ongoing since the start of the battle. Honestly, it truly resembled those street performers yed with their monkeys. To y a Grade-4 student like a monkey... Zhang shi sure was incredible! Luo Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others had once viewed Zhang shi as a target forparison, but upon seeing this sight, they could only swallow a mouthful of saliva and watch silently. Even if they were to cultivate for another ten years, it was doubtful they would be able to wield the strength he had at this very moment! ... "Damn it!" As the crowd below realized that, Ying Qin had also noticed this detail as well. Furious, he gritted his teeth so tightly that they were on the verge of chipping off. He had thought that with the opponent wielding such a long weapon, as long as he could get into close quarters, he would be able to subdue him easily. Who could have known that the other party would be so skilled with a spear? Every single move that the other party made casually came at trajectory that was difficult for him to defend, and they were all aimed at his mingmen as well. In other words... there was no way for him to get close at all! At this moment, the short reach of his spear became his weakness instead. The other partys spear was more than ten meters long whereas his was only two meters. With his spear being unable to reach the other party, how could the duel go on? Shouldnt the one with the shorter weapon be at an advantage? Why does it feel as if I am the one being disadvantaged instead? If this goes on, not only will I lose, I will even be aughingstock! Ying Qin thought with a livid expression as he heard thements from the crowd below. If word were to spread that he had been toyed with like a monkey by a freshman, there would be no way he could keep his head up before his peers and his juniors. That spear of his is crafted by connecting feather dusters together, so its quality is subpar. If I directly sh with it, even if Im injured in the encounter, I should be able to snap it! Ying Qin pondered as he flitted across the battlefield. There was no way he could achieve victory under the current circumstances. The urgent matter at hand was to find a way to close in on his opponent, and the only way to do so was to snap the feather duster spear... Considering that those feather dusters were only made of ordinary materials, with his strength as an Ethereal Treading realm expert, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to reduce them to dust with his zhenqi. Alright, Ill do just that then! Gritting his teeth, Ying Qin pumped his zhenqi furiously, and with his arms covering his chest, he charged forward furiously, paying no heed to the movement of the feather duster spear at all. Kacha! Kacha! As he had predicted, the feather duster spear was unable to withstand his might at all. Due to the long length of the feather duster and the low quality of the materials used to craft it, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to pump zhenqi into it efficiently to reinforce its resilience. Thus, upon contact with Ying Qins rampaging zhenqi, it was swiftly reduced to dust. "This is bad..." "Thats cheating!" Anxiety swept through the crowd as they watched the sight. Zhang shi had already given him a huge advantage by wielding a feather duster spear, and yet he shamelessly destroyed it. That was cheating! "Lets see how you stop me now that I am already right before you!" With a roar, Ying Qin raised his spear and pierced right at Zhang Xuan. At his current proximity from the other party, his spear wielded the absolute advantage in the collision. With this blow, he would win the duel! "Do you think that you can win with just this?" Seeing the other partys excited look, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He abruptly released his grip, and the feather duster spear fell to the ground. He let go of his weapon? Ying Qin was taken aback by the abrupt turn of events. A weapon was a cultivators most prized possession. It was an unspoken rule to never release ones weapon in battlewhat would a spear master be without his spear? How could Zhang Xuan simply throw his weapon aside like that? At that moment, the young man before Ying Qin chuckled lightly as he spoke. "A weapon is just an extension of ones limbs. A spear art doesnt require a spear to be executed!" The next moment, Zhang Xuan leaped into the sky and his aura abruptly changed. Boundless Spear Intent gathered around him, and in that instant, it felt as if he was the personification of the spear itself. He was the spear, and the spear was him; there was no distinction between the two. "T-this... This is the realm of Spear-Man Union?" Ying Qins body stiffened as his eyes narrowed in astonishment. Legend had it that if one were to reach a certain level in theprehension of Spear Heart, they would be able to be the spear themself. Even without a spear in hand, they could wield their body like a spear through the manifestation of their Spear Intent and challenge anyone who stood in their way! But even Senior Xue Zhenyang had yet to reach such a realm. How did the man before him achieve such heights? However, in the midst of a duel, he didnt have the luxury of entertaining any misceneous thoughts. Zhang Xuans manifestation of a spear was already right before him. The other partys fingertip had manifested into the edge of the spear, and with a sharp glint, it shed with the tip of his spear. Hong long! An immense force crushed down on Ying Qin as he felt an overpowering Spear Intent rushing through his body, shattering his defense in an instant. Pu! Fresh blood spurted frenziedly from his mouth as his figure was sent flying into the air, retreating at a rapid pace. Padah! After flying several dozen meters, he crashed heavily onto the ground. A momentter, the tip of his spear was plunged into the ground some distance away from him. Pu! Yet another mouthful of crimson blood spewed from his mouth. "Ive lost..." Looking at the nonchnt Zhang Xuan on the dueling tform, he clenched his fists tightly in agitation. He had never thought that even when he had exerted the full extent of his strength, he would still be defeated by a single finger from the other party. Such strength was alreadyparable to Senior Xue Zhenyang, the leader of the True Helios Faction. Just as Ying Qin was wallowing in the sorrow of his defeat, Zhang Xuans calm voice was suddenly heard. "Do you know the reason for your loss?" Ying Qin struggled his feet and said, "I know that I have lost. I will back out of the True Helios Faction to be Xuanxuan Factions gatekeeper. You need not mock me any further about this matter..." A person who lived with the spear had a backbone just like the spear. Since they had agreed on it beforehand, he would keep his end of bet and be the gatekeeper of Xuanxuan Faction. However, he wouldnt allow himself to be humiliated any further. "Mock?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I am only telling you to set your priorities straight. What you should be pursuing is the Way of the Spear, not the spear in your hand!" "What do you mean?" Ying Qin was slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuans words. "Spearmanship is both an artform and a capability. It shouldnt just be what you do with a spear but what you feel with your heart as well." With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan turned to Ying Qin with a profound gaze in his eyes and said, "Just like when you were struck by my feather duster in close quarters, if only you had let go of the spear in your hand, what you could have gained would have been a brand-new world. But... its a pity that you werent able to do so. "Thats the reason you lost." "I..." Ying Qin was stunned. Indeed. When the other party was holding onto his spear andshing him with a feather duster, he could have let go of his spear. Even if he was barehanded, he would still be able to fight. Even if he couldnt win, he would still be able to flee. At the very least, he wouldnt have been struck so horrendously as he had been back then. "Afterwards, when I fought you with the feather duster spear, it was indeed a wise move on your part to close the distance between us. However, you neglected the fact that spearmanship doesnt simply lie in the spear. In a true spear art, the man is in the spear, and the spear is in the man as well! Thats the reason you were caught off guard when I let go of my spear and attacked you directly," Zhang Xuan continued. "I..." Ying Qins body froze in shock. The other party was right. Training with the spear, he had already viewed the spear as a part of him. This was the reason he couldnt bring himself to let it go earlier in the battle. Instinctively, he thought that he would be unable to fight once he released his spear. "If you arent able to let go, how can youprehend the quintessence of the spear and grasp profound spear arts?" Zhang Xuan said with a smile. "Let go? Quintessence?" Ying Qin muttered these words in a daze. Ever since he had started learning the spear, he had thought of his weapon as a part of him, just like his limbs and eyes. How could a human simply let go of their limbs and eyes so easily? But in the previous battle, Zhang Xuan had given him an impactful lesson. Sometimes, one had to let go. Letting go could open up a whole world before one, bringing one release and freedom. Perhaps, one might even notice something one had never noticed before. Seeing that Ying Qin was starting to understand what he was saying, Zhang Xuan continued, "Spear in the heart, and heart in the spearthats what spearmanship truly is. The thing you hold in your hand is nothing more than a tool!" "The heart in the spear is the true spear?" Ying Qin ruminated over those words with his eyes closed. A momentter, exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, he opened his eyes once more, and the confusion in his eyes had given way to rity. Putong! Kneeling on the floor, Ying Qin lowered his head in respect. "Thank you for your guidance! I beseech Zhang shi to take me as your student and impart your spearmanship to me!" Chapter 786: Xue Zhenyangs Determination Chapter 786: Xue Zhenyangs Determination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Stand up! As long as you work diligently for the Xuanxuan Faction, I will guide you in your spearmanship!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The Xuanxuan Faction had just been established, and considering it was a faction consisting solely of freshmen, it was in dire need of credible fighting power. However, Zhang Xuan didnt have the time to protect its members every time something happened, so he needed to bring in sufficiently powerful cultivators to ward off troublemakers. Considering that these three were geniuses of the Grade-4 students, they were indeed the most suitable candidates. This was also the reason Zhang Xuan had provoked them into agreeing to the bet of bing the gatekeepers of Xuanxuan Faction. He wasnt intentionally trying to humiliate them. He was hoping that through their presence, the troublemakers would have to stop and think for themselves whether they could really afford to provoke the Xuanxuan Faction or not. Ying Qin stood up and said, "Alright. The three of us will back out of the True Helios Faction to join Xuanxuan Faction!" At this moment, he wasnt just awed by the other partys fighting prowess but his character as well. Even in a duel, thetter intentionally used a feather duster against him just to teach him that the foundation of spearmanship didnty in the weapon itself. Thisprehension hadnt led to an increase in his fighting prowess yet, but it did open up a brand-new world before him. Now that he knew the general direction in which he should advance, as long as he built on it, he would surely be able to climb to great heights. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded before turning his gaze back to the crowd. "Faction leader, faction leader!" "Faction leader, faction leader!" ... Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd began shouting faction leader!, and before long, more and more people joined in the chant, and it grew louder and louder. Eventually, everyone was shouting vehemently as they stared at the young man on the dueling tform with deep excitement and admiration gleaming from their eyes. If they had still harbored doubts as to whether it was truly the correct decision for them to follow Zhang shi previously, at this very moment, they knew that they had made the right decision. He was able to easily defeat the geniuses of the Martial Arts School, the top fighters of the True Helios Faction. As long as he was around, what else did they have to fear? This is our faction leader! The pir of support for us freshmen. As long as he is around, we have nothing to fear! Feeling the earnest emotions from the crowd, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a little moved as well. At this moment, Ruohuan gongzi stepped onto the stage and raised his hand. The chanting immediately quietened down. "In the Master Teacher Academy, every batch of freshmen faces the oppression of the seniors. This is to beat the arrogance and conceit out of them, teaching them that there is always a higher mountain, a world beyond what they see! This should have been a good tradition to uphold within the academy, but... as time passed, this tradition nurtured a sense of superiority within them, and they got more and more overboard in their actions, turning the culture of humility into a toxic cesspool!" Ruohuan gongzis voice was heard clearly throughout the crowd. "They forced us into purchasing their products at excessively inted pricing. They forced us to join their factions and be tools for them to earn their fortunes and Academic Credits. And if we refused, they would use their connections to deprive us of crucial resources needed to survive in the academy! Are we freshmen supposed to sit idly and allow them to oppress us like that? "We cant! "We cant, and we wont! We wont allow them to oppress us like that! We wont allow them to turn us into their money-earning ves! We wont allow our dignity to be trampled beneath their feet! We are master teachers. We are the leaders who will guide humanity to higher grounds, not pitiful beings who can be bullied by anyone! "We might be weak individually, but even oceans are made of tiny droplets of water. If we can gather our strength together, we will find the might to stand against them! Thus, we must unite together as one! "On this note, I nominate Zhang shi to be our leader! In order to allow many of us to enroll in the academy, he willingly gave away his own points in the entrance examination. So that we wouldnt be taken advantage of by the seniors, hepiled his own version of the Teacher Information Documentation and distributed it for free. To uphold the dignity of us freshmen, he stood up and defeated the Grade-4 students who came to oppress us, convincing them to lend a hand to our cause! "His selfless character is a role model for all of us! If such a man is going to be our leader, I am willing to join the Xuanxuan Faction and listen to hismands! "What about the rest of you?" Ruohuan gongzis gaze fell on the crowd as his voice echoed resoundingly, "Are you willing to stand up as well?" "We are willing to join the cause!" "We will join the Xuanxuan Faction!" ... With thirty thousand freshmen shouting simultaneously, it seemed as if the buildings in the area would copse due to the sheer volume. "Good! Since everyone is agreeable, our Xuanxuan Faction shall be officially established today, and Zhang shi will be our leader!" Ruohuan gongzi roared. Even though most knew of the existence of the Xuanxuan Faction due to Ruohuan gongzis attempt to gather members, its formation had yet to be officially announced. As such, making use of this opportunity when everyone was gathered together, he decided to announce its establishment. From this moment onward, thergest student faction in the academy was no longer the True Helios Faction nor the Bewitching Devil Faction but the Xuanxuan Faction! The faction established by Zhang Xuan, a freshman who had barely arrived in the academy for less than five days. "Xuanxuan Faction! Xuanxuan Faction!" "Xuanxuan Faction! Xuanxuan Faction!" ... Deafening chanting sounded from the excited crowd. Even if a student were to join a seniors faction, while they would be protected from the oppression from other student factions, they would still face oppression from the seniors in the same faction. The only way for them to escape that altogether was to establish their faction! Furthermore, given Zhang shis noble character, they were more than willing to obey hismands as well! Thus, the crowd agreed to join the Xuanxuan Faction without any hesitation. "Since everyone is agreeable, allow me to invite our faction leader up to say a word or two!" Interjecting in the chanting, Ruohuan gongzi turned to Zhang Xuan and gestured him forward. "Me?" Zhang Xuan was caught off guard by that remark. But facing the expectant gazes of thirty thousand freshmen, he had no choice but to step forward. "Theres only one thing I have to say. We might be freshmen, but we arent inferior to the seniors. What the seniors can do, we can aplish as well! Only through standing on our own two feet will others acknowledge our strength. If we dont even respect ourselves, who will respect us? Thus, I will warn the members of the Xuanxuan Faction against provoking others, but if anyonees to provoke us, we shall not back down!" "Well said!" "We will let them know our prowess!" A wave of cheering swept across the crowd. It had only been five days since theyd enrolled at the academy, but many of those present had already suffered great grievances from the oppression of the seniors. Thus, those words touched the depths of their hearts, leaving them deeply moved. Seeing this, Ying Qin and the others also felt their blood running wild in passion. It was at this very moment that they couldnt help but think that perhaps... it wasnt a bad decision to join the Xuanxuan Faction. Most other student factions operated by forcing others to join their ranks, so their members were united on the surface but divided internally. However, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction were all united in their wills. Perhaps, they might achieve greatness that no other student factions had before! ... As the student faction was being established, Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin were also about to arrive at the dormitories of the freshmen. They had been rushing there ever since leaving Hu Yaoyaos residence, but due to the significant distance between both ces, it had taken them quite a while. "Faction leader!" Before long, row after row of towering buildings appeared in their sights. They were just about to sneak in under the cover of the night to see how Ying Qin was doing teaching the freshmen a lesson when they suddenly saw a figure rushing toward them before stopping right before them. "How is Ying Qin doing?" Xue Zhenyang asked. The other party was the subordinate whom he sent to scout the situation. "This..." The figure hesitated for a moment before replying, "Ying Qin, Yuan Gang, and Bai Mian... have been defeated by Zhang shi, and as per their bet, they have left the True Helios Faction to join the Xuanxuan Faction!" "Defeated? Left the... True Helios Faction?" Xue Zhenyang was bbergasted. Beforeing over, he had dered confidently that there would be no problems given that he had sent Ying Qin over. Never had he imagined that such a situation would happen instead! "Yes!" The figure nodded. "What happened? Putting aside Yuan Gang and Bai Mian, Ying Qin received my personal guidance! How could he have lost?" Xue Zhenyang was unable to believe his ears. Yuan Gang and Bai Mian might have still been a littlecking, but Ying Qin was one of the top fighters among the Grade-4 students! The other party had followed him for many years, and he had imparted his spear art to him unreservedly... How could he have lost to the freshmen who had just enrolled into the academy? Dong Xin and Long Cangyue were also dumbfounded by the situation before them. Ying Qin might not have been a member of their factions, but as one of the most capable members of the True Helios Faction, they were acquainted with him as well. An Ethereal Treading realm expert, 5-star high-tier master teacher, challenged the freshmen to a duel of battle techniques... but lost? Were their ears ying tricks on them? "I recorded the scene of the duel. You will understand once you take a look..." Knowing that it was hard to convince them of the matter, the figure flicked his wrist, took out a Record Crystal, and passed it over. Xue Zhenyang hurriedly took it and infused his zhenqi into it. A few momentster, the scene of the duel appeared before everyones eyes. "The freshmen actually managed to defeat Bai Mian and Yuan Gang easily after receiving his guidance?" "With a feather duster, he was able to beat Ying Qin into submission?" ... Upon seeing the content of the Record Crystal, the trio was stunned. To allow to a freshman to defeat a Grade-4 student after a short moment of guidance... Such a feat was way beyond them! "Even though he was only using a feather duster, he still managed to subdue Ying Qin by exploiting the ws in his spear art. This eye of discernment... just how deep an understanding of spearmanship must one possess to be able to do so?" Xue Zhenyang muttered hoarsely as his body trembled uncontrobly. As a master of the spear, he could tell the prowess of Ying Qins attacks. Even he would be forced to dodge when facing them! Yet, not only did Ying Qins opponent manage to ovee his spear art, he even did so casually by catching hold of his spear using his fingers, as if it was as simple as picking up a rock at the side of the road... To be able to do this so leisurely, this could only mean that he had seen through the main ws of Ying Qins spear art and used them against him. How frightening must his eye of discernment be? "It is no wonder Hu Yaoyao ended up bing his apprentice. His understanding of the spear has reached an unfathomable level... Zhenyang, if you were to fight with him, would you be able to defeat him?" asked Dong Xin, turning to Xue Zhenyang. "I..." Xue Zhenyang clenched his fists tightly as hesitation shed across his eyes for a moment. However, his eyes swiftly grew steadfast once more as he said, "I might be unable to defeat him now, but... as long as I am able to reach the tenth dan of the Fallen Leaf Spear, it wont be hard for me to defeat him!" As the leader of the True Helios Faction, a celebrated genius of the Martial Arts School, how could he falter that easily before an opponent? "If I recall correctly, you reached 9-dan three years ago. If it was that easy to reach 10-dan, you wouldnt have been stuck for so long!" Dong Xin shook her head, thinking that it was unlikely for Xue Zhenyang to seed. "Dont worry, I have alreadyprehended the essence of the tenth dan. All I amcking now is an impetus for me to make the breakthrough!" Back then, in order to ovee his bottleneck, Spear Emperor Lu Xinqing had wandered through the streets to experience the world of the ordinary mortals, and from there, he created the 10 Dans of the Fallen Leaf Spear. After a moment of hesitation, an unwavering determination appeared in Xue Zhenyangs eyes as he dered, "Tomorrow, I shall leave the academy and wander the world toprehend the various intricacies of life in order to find the inspiration to achieve the breakthrough to 10-dan. I will not return to the academy until I manage to achieve the breakthrough!" Chapter 787: Wei Changfengs Daughter Chapter 787: Wei Changfengs Daughter Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The establishment of a student faction was not an easy task. There were all kinds of administrative tasks to be done, such as deciding the organization structure, the rules of the faction, and the registration of the members. By the time they were done, it was already nearing dawn. As a faction established by freshmen, the Xuanxuan Faction had no membership fee. However, it did have a strict organizational system that all members had to adhere to. This was necessary to bring sufficient resources into the faction for its operations. Of course, such important decisions couldnt be decided overnight, and they were still under discussion. Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with such matters, so he left it up to Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others, and returned straight to his residence in the Elite Sector. However, before he could even take a rest, he suddenly heard knockings on his door. One of the seniors in charge of managing the Elite Sector stood at the door. "Zhang shi, you have a visitor!" Zhang Xuan nced behind the senior and saw a fatty, who stepped forward and greeted, "Young Master!" "Thank you, senior." Seeing that it was Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan first thanked the senior before pulling Sun Qiang into the residence. "What happened?" It had just been a few days ago that he had visited Sun Qiang and the others at the residence. For Sun Qiang toe looking for him so suddenly, could it be that something bad had happened? "Its Wei Changfeng. After making arrangements for the Spirit Emporium, he visited the residence seeking Young Master," Sun Qiang replied. "He is looking for me? Didnt I tell him to follow your instructions? Is he acting defiant?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Wei Changfeng had be his subordinate after he had wreaked havoc in the Spirit Emporium. However, as he had to return to the Master Teacher Academy, he had instructed Wei Changfeng to obey Sun Qiangsmands instead. Could it be that he was refusing to listen to Sun Qiang? "Thats not it. He... insisted on meeting young master. Left with no choice, I could onlye over to find you," Sun Qiang replied. It wasnt easy to gain ess to the Master Teacher Academy. Even he had to go through quite a bit of effort before he could reach Zhang Xuans residence. "He insisted on meeting me?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Yes. I asked him whats wrong, but he refused to speak a word. He said that he would only speak before you, so I had no other choice but toe here," Sun Qiang said with a bitter smile. "This... Alright then, Ill meet him." It was unlikely for a Saint realm expert like Wei Changfeng to go all the way to seek him for some minor issue. Since he had made such a request, it must be an urgent matter. Thus, Zhang Xuan swiftly left the academy with Sun Qiang. Soon, they arrived at the residence where Sun Qiang and the others were currently living. "Young Master!" Wei Changfeng immediately rushed up upon seeing Zhang Xuans figure. It had only been a few days since theyd parted, but Wei Changfeng looked as if he had aged several years. His eyes were bloodshot, and it seemed as if he had undergone some kind of turmoil. "This... what happened?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. As a Saint realm expert, Wei Changfeng could easily live for a thousand years. As long as he didnt do anything that would sap his life force, it was impossible for him to age so quickly! Furthermore, taking his lifespan into consideration, the ageing of several years in his appearance would trante to a loss of several decades of his lifespan. Putong! Wei Changfengs knees fell to the ground, and he pleaded, "Young Master, please save my daughter. Shes... reaching her limit!" "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Through the Library of Heavens Path, he had learned that the reason Wei Changfeng had established the Spirit Emporium was to gather as many as artifacts as possible to feed their spirit to his daughter to sustain her life. Considering the number of artifacts that Wei Changfeng had gathered, it should have been sufficient for his daughter to hold on for several decades as long as nothing severe urred. It was also due to this that Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to save his daughter. Given all that, why did his daughter suddenly fall into a critical state after just a few days? "I have no idea either. She was still fine initially, but two days ago, her state suddenly worsened. I tried feeding her the spirit of the artifacts, but it waspletely ineffective. Young Master, please save my daughter!" Wei Changfeng pleaded desperately with reddened eyes. For so many years, he had done everything he could to sustain his daughters life. If thetter were to really sumb to her illness, he wouldnt have the will to live on either. His young master had been able to see through his situation with a nce, and considering the extraordinary means he had disyed back in the Spirit Emporium as well, perhaps... he might really be able to save his daughter. This was thest hope that he had. "Bring me to her!" The only way for Zhang Xuan to ascertain his daughters current condition was by meeting her personally. "I have brought her over. Shes currently in my room..." Wei Changfeng hurriedly pointed. Fearing that his daughter might notst that long, he decided to bring his daughter over as well. "Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he hurried into the room. The residence which Sun Qiang had found only had eight rooms in total, and all of them were only around ten square metersrge. Furthermore, due to the bad positioning of the residence, the rooms were rather dark even in the day. By the corner of the room was a wooden bed, and lying on it was an extremely thin youngdy who seemed to be around fifteen years old or so. Her face was peculiarly pale, and her ck hair had a slight yellowish tinge to it. In aa, her eyes were tightly shut. "Her illness is really severe!" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even breathing seemed to be difficult for the youngdy before him. Through his Eye of Insight, he could see that the other partys bodily function had already declined fatally, and there was not a single healthy meridian in her body. It felt as if she could just breathe herst at any moment. It was no wonder Wei Changfeng was panicking. His daughter was indeed already on the verge of death. If she wasnt treated soon, it was doubtful whether she could evenst until nightfall. "Until two days ago, she was still able to maintain her consciousness and converse with me. Even though there were times when her illness would act up, she would be fine once she consumed the spirit of the artifacts... But two days ago, the spirit of the artifacts becamepletely ineffective in curbing her illness. As a result, she fell into aa and hasnt woken up since then," Wei Changfeng swiftly exined the symptoms anxiously. "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded as he assessed the youngdy carefully, but eventually, he could only shake his head helplessly. His current understanding of the Way of Medicine was still only at 4-star. Due to his limited knowledge, even with the Eye of Insight, he was still unable to precisely identify the root of the problem guing the youngdy. Thus, without any hesitation, his hand reached forward to read the youngdys pulse. The youngdys skin felt chilling to the touch, as if an ice cube. After which, Zhang Xuan muttered inaudibly, "ws!" Weng! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Just like artifacts, Zhang Xuan couldpile a book on an unconscious living being in the Library of Heavens Path bying into contact with them as well. Zhang Xuan hurriedly flipped the book open. Wei Ruyan, a citizen of Qingyuan City, possessing the Innate Poison Body... The content of the book immediately surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind as though it was imprinted on it. Innate Poison Body? Thisss possesses the Innate Poison Body? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Unique constitutions were extremely rare on the Master Teacher Continent. In his entire journey, the only people he had met with unique constitutions were Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya. To think that this unconscious youngdy would possess a unique constitution as well! Innate Poison Body is an ideal constitution for cultivating the ways of the poison master. However, in her current state... it is questionable whether she will be able to live or not! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Unique constitutions were formidable, but until they were awakened, the possessor of the unique constitution would be nothing more than an ordinary human. Clearly, this youngdy hadnt awakened her unique constitution. Back when Zhang Xuan was in the Red Lotus Ridge Poison Hall, he once read several books regarding the Innate Poison Body, but the details were extremely vague. As a result, he had no idea how the Innate Poison Body could be activated, and what would happen once it was activated. In any case, the urgent matter was the illness she was suffering from, so Zhang Xuan continued reading. ... She has once suffered an attack from a Saint realm expert while she was still in her mothers womb, resulting in the Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood. ws: ... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood? Just as the name suggested, the Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood meant that ones spirit, soul, and blood were impairedpared to those of an ordinary human. Often, this was a result of a problem in the development of the fetus, especially theck of nutrients. It would be difficult for a person suffering from such an illness to survive due to their spirit, soul, and blood being too weak to sustain their core bodily functions. In fact, more often than not, a fetus suffering from such an illness wouldnt even survive until childbirth. Yet, not only did the youngdy seeded ining to this world alive, she even managed to live to such an age... This was truly a miracle in itself. "Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult for Ruyan to be born given her condition. However, my wife expended all of her vitality to protect Ruyan, giving her the strength to be born into this world. In the process, however, my wife... lost her life," Wei Changfeng exined, seemingly noticing Zhang Xuans thoughts. His face was nonchnt, and his voice was steady, but the sorrow deep within his eyes couldnt be concealed. "Ruyan has inherited my wifes life and will. Even at the cost of my life, I cant allow anything to happen to her!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly to reassure him that he would try his best. He could understand where Wei Changfeng wasing from. His wife had given her life to protect their daughter and bring her into this world. If he couldnt even protect their daughter after all that, how could he face his wife in theherworld? Over the years, regardless of how heavy a price he had to pay, as long as there was a ray of hope for his daughter, he would clutch at it desperately. "Young Master, is there still hope for Ruyan?" Wei Changfeng asked with worry reflected in his eyes. "Her bodily functions have nearlye to aplete halt. Im afraid that it will be extremely difficult to save her." Zhang Xuan shook his head. After reading Wei Ruyans book, he realized that this matter was extremely problematic. Over the years, this matter had evolved beyond a simple Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood problem. In order to sustain Wei Ruyans life, she had been consuming a lot of nourishing items, but her body was simply too weak to take all that nourishment. As a result, her bodily functions ended up being destroyed by the excessive energy in her body instead. On top of that, with her soul slowly growing weaker with time, she could be said to already have one foot in the grave. It was no wonder even 6-star pinnacle physicians were helpless before her problem. Even for Zhang Xuan, despite having traced down the very source of her affliction, he was still at aplete loss, having no idea where he was supposed to start. Hearing that the young master didnt say that it was entirely impossible, Wei Ruyan immediately pleaded. "Young Master, I ask of you to save Ruyan. As long as Ruyan recovers, I am willing to serve you for my entire life!" "Since you have sworn loyalty to me, I will definitely do whatever I can for your daughter. However, the affliction guing your daughter is a tricky one to deal with. Not only is your daughters body in a weakened state, her soul is also far too feeble at the moment. To treat her, we must first find a way to allow her to regain her consciousness. However, to do so, we must strengthen her body first..." Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. The reason Wei Ruyan was in aa was due to her body being too weak to harness her soul. To make an analogy, her body was like a gunny sack while her soul was like water, resulting in her soul gradually weakening over time. If her soul weakened beyond a certain point, her consciousness would eventually fade altogether. But... it was impossible to treat her physical body without rousing her consciousness. It was possible to nourish her body through medicinal herbs, but its effectiveness would be severely limited without her will tenaciously driving her body toplement the treatment. This resulted in a paradox. To regain consciousness, she would require a sufficiently strong body to harness her soul. But to nourish her body to be sufficiently strong, she had to regain consciousness first... Such was the difficult situation Wei Ruyan was facing. Even Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel his head aching at the situation before him. "What do we do?" Wei Changfeng asked anxiously. Havinge into contact with medicinal herbs and treatment methods on a daily basis in order to treat his daughter, even though he had never taken the physician examination, hisprehension of the Way of Medicine in this specific field could be said to be on par with most 5-star or even 6-star physicians. Even without the young master saying anything, he knew very well the condition his daughter was in. Could it be that the young master was helpless before this situation as well? Was he doomed to watch as his daughter withered before his eyes? Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before replying, "Calm down, I have a way to stabilize her condition for the time being. However, it is unlikely to work for long. In order to treat her once and for all, we have to first find a medicinal herb capable of nurturing the soul. As long as I can find a way to peg her soul to such a medicinal herb to nurture it, I should be able to rouse her consciousness, and the rest will be easier to deal with!" Chapter 788: Metastasis of the Innate Fetal Poison Chapter 788: Metastasis of the Innate Fetal Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even 7-star physicians would have been helpless in such a situation, but Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the capability of a soul oracle, if it were toe down to it, he could even draw the other partys soul out to nourish it directly before cing it back into her body. However, given Wei Ruyans current feeble body, if he were to draw her soul out, there was a chance that she might sumb to her frailty and die. Thus, that could only serve as his final resort. "Medicinal herb? What medicinal herb do you need?" Wei Changfeng asked anxiously. "Give me the name, and Ill definitely find it no matter how much it takes!" "I dont have a specific name to give you, but the medicinal herb must at least reach Saint tier and possess the ability to nurture souls. Furthermore, the herb must be alive... On top of that, I will need a Grand Intermittence Pill!" Zhang Xuan said. "A living Saint herb? And a Grand Intermittence Pill, the g-grade-7 pill?" Wei Changfengs face paled. If it had been anything else, given his strength as a Saint realm expert and his influence as the head of the Spirit Emporium, it wouldnt have been too difficult for him to find them as long as he were to devote his resources into it. But those two items... that would be difficult. This was no longer a problem of whether he had the connections to obtain them or not, but that it was very possible that these items might not even exist in the entire Hongyuan City! If it was on some other asion, he might still have been able to head to a higher tier empire to search for those items. However, Wei Ruyans current condition didnt permit him the luxury of time! "Only a living Saint herb possesses sufficient vitality to nurture her feeble soul. As for the Grand Intermittent Pill, I believe that you should have heard of it as well. As long as one hasnt hurt ones foundation, one will be able to recover from even the most severe of injuries easily by consuming this pill, and this includes severed limbs as well! This pill is also extremely effective in tackling physical frailty," Zhang Xuan exined. The Grand Intermittent Pill harnessed the ability to stimte the vitality within a human body, allowing even ones severed limbs to regrow. Considering that Wei Ruyans bodily functions had nearlye to aplete halt, only a pill of such a level could alleviate her condition. Any pill weaker than that was likely to bepletely ineffective on her. "I understand... It might still be able to find a living Saint herb in Hongyuan City, but where am I to search for a grade-7 pill?" Wei Changfeng clenched his fists tightly in distress. As rare as Saint herbs were, there were still some who cultivated them in Hongyuan City. As long as one could offer them a satisfying price, it wasnt too difficult to obtain it. But... it was nearly impossible to find a grade-7 pill here. "Hmm." Zhang Xuan also frowned. Even the most capable of apothecaries in Hongyuan City were at 6-star pinnacle, and it was impossible for them to forge grade-7 pills. Not to mention, the Grand Intermittent Pill was one of the more advanced pills amongst grade-7 pills. "For the time being, let me see if I can find some other way to strengthen her body." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his sight back to Wei Ruyan. At this moment, Zhang Xuan was considering trying the Heavens Path zhenqi to nourish Wei Ruyans body. The Heavens Path zhenqi possessed the ability to allow one to recover from ones injuries swiftly. While Zhang Xuan had never tried to see if it was capable of stimting the regrowth of severed limbs, there was no doubt regarding its ability to heal most wounds. If it could be used as a substitution for the Grand Intermittence Pill, they could be spared from the effort of having to find a grade-7 pill. Thus, cing his wrist on Wei Ruyans wrist, he sent a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into her body. Her meridians arepletely blocked? Zhang Xuan had thought that he would be able to send his Heavens Path zhenqi throughout Wei Ruyans body to trigger her vitality, but who could have known that he would meet with a blockade shortly after entry? To his astonishment, the meridians in her body were like sealed tunnels, unconnected to one another. Helpless, Zhang Xuan retracted his finger. This is probably a result of the attack from the Saint realm expert she suffered back when she was still a fetus. As a self-protective mechanism, her body automatically sealed her meridians to limit the damage. Furthermore, as she has been in this condition for too long, it would be dangerous to attempt to force her meridians open, especially while shes unconscious... Zhang Xuan swiftly got a rough grasp regarding the situation. Maybe I should try this! Despite his initial failure, Zhang Xuan didnt despair. He flicked his wrist and took out a box of silver needles. Hu! With a light shake of his hand, the silver needles fell on the various acupoints throughout Wei Ruyans body, and using them as a medium, Zhang Xuan sent surges of his Heavens Path zhenqi into her body. "Good, it worked!" As the Heavens Path zhenqi seeped into Wei Ruyans body, her ghastly pale face finally began to regain a red glow. "It worked..." Wei Changfengs body trembled in agitation. Seeing that it was effective, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He continued to infuse his zhenqi into the other partys body through the silver needles. However, just as Zhang Xuan was about to circte his Heavens Path zhenqi throughout Wei Ruyans body to nourish it, he suddenly noticed something, and his eyebrows shot up in rm. "No, somethings wrong!" He immediately rushed to retract the silver needles, but before he could do so, the face of the youngdy before him suddenly turned pale once more, and her body abruptly convulsed intensely. "Damn it!" Zhang Xuan swiftly retracted all of the silver needles from Wei Ruyans body as fast as he could. However, it was already toote. As if struck by lethal poison, white foam seeped out from the edges of the youngdys mouth, and after a slight moment of trembling, her body fell deadly still. "D-dead?" Wei Changfeng quickly rushed forward to check the condition of his daughter, and upon realizing that there was no pulse, his eyes immediately turned crimson in fury. He had thought that the young master might be able to save his daughter, and clutching this final straw of hope, he had rushed over to seek his help. Who could have known that thetter would actually treat his daughter to her death! In that instant, the final spark of hope in his heart faded, and madness overtook his rationality. "This..." Zhang Xuan was also in a frenzy by the situation before him. The Heavens Path zhenqi had never failed him before. Why would something crop up this time around, causing Wei Ruyan to lose her life? "It must be the effects of her Innate Poison Body..." Zhang Xuans face turned livid as realization struck him. The other partys Innate Poison Body seemed to have shed with his Heavens Path zhenqi, resulting in a bacsh. Considering the incredibly feeble state that Wei Ruyan was already in, how could she possibly withstand the impact of the bacsh? Due to the heavy toll on her body, she breathed herst. I promised Wei Changfeng that Ill treat his daughter, but such an unfortunate mishap happened instead... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Even though Wei Changfeng wouldnt be able to do anything to Zhang Xuan with his soul being held hostage, it was a fact that Zhang Xuan had promised to treat his daughter. Just a moment ago his daughter had still been breathing, albeit on the verge of death. Yet, in the midst of his treatment, his daughter ended up losing her life. It might have been an unfortunate ident, but there was no way anyone could ept this easily, especially not Wei Changfeng, who had devoted his life to saving his daughter. I must save her! Whether it was for Wei Changfeng, his own reputation, or Wei Ruyan herself, Zhang Xuan couldnt allow the youngdy to die just like that. Thus, he ced his fingers on the other partys pulse once more andpiled a new book on her condition. In the blink of an eye, he browsed through the entire book. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Little Feng, leave the room for a moment!" "Leave the room?" Wei Changfeng asked with an awful look on his face. "Thats right. She isntpletely dead yet. She has just fallen into a deepera due to the bacsh from the collision of energies. I need to use my secret art to save her, so I need you to leave for a moment." Zhang Xuan waved his hands, urging him to leave quickly. "This..." Wei Changfengs face turned incredibly ugly after hearing those words. Her heart has stopped, and her body was beginning to stiffen. Yet, you are calling this aa? Who do you think you are fooling? "Hurry up! If you dont want to see her dead, get out of the room this very instant!" Zhang Xuan roared furiously. "Alright then." Seeing the young master fly into a rage, even though Wei Changfeng was still feeling deeply displeased on the inside, he still walked out of the room and closed the doors. In the end, this was the final sliver of hope he had left. He could only pray that what Zhang Xuan was saying was true. After he left, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply and sat on the ground. He had used the Library of Heavens Path to check on Wei Ruyans condition just a moment ago, and detailed on it was not that Wei Ruyan had fallen into a deepera but that... she was really dead! However, even though she had breathed herst, her soul had yet to leave the confines of her body entirely yet. While it wasnt incorrect to define a person in such a state as dead, considering how not even a 7-star physician would be able to treat such a condition, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled one of the techniques that Mo Hunsheng had imparted to him had the effect of guiding a soul back to its body. Thus... since there was no better solution at hand, he decided to give it a try! Otherwise, Wei Ruyan truly would be doomed! This technique is damaging to my soul, but at this moment... I have no other choice! Since he had decided to save Wei Ruyan, he wouldnt allow anyone or anything, not even the grim reapers, to take her away, even if he had to pay a heavy price for it. Thus, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out from his be. Floating in the air, he saw Wei Ruyans soul gradually separating from her body, as if attracted by some inexplicable force of nature. Seal! Knowing that it would be impossible to save her once her soul was taken away, Zhang Xuan immediately formed a few hand seals before pushing his palm down on her soul. Soul Art, Soul Summoning! This capability had the mystical ability of summoning a soul through a suitable medium. Hu! With the suppression from his palm, the soul immediately returned back to her body. However, just this wasnt enough to reverse her death. Even though Wei Ruyans soul had been temporarily secured by Soul Summoning, her death had already created a considerable rift between her body and her soul, making it difficult to fuse them together again. I have to enter her consciousness! It was impossible to mend the rift from the outside. Zhang Xuan would have to enter her consciousness, just like how he had saved Lu Chong previously. Thus, without any hesitation, his massive soul seeped right into her consciousness. In a vast sea of consciousness, a thin and frail-looking youngdy was floating in the air a short distance away with her eyes tightly shut, seemingly in a deep sleep. It was Wei Ruyans soul. I will have to strengthen her soul first... Theres only one feasible way to do it at the moment, and that is to nurture her soul through mine! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. Due to the other partys soul being too weak at the moment, it was impossible to fuse it together with her body. Thus, there was a need to strengthen her soul first. And the best method to do so was to nurture her soul through his! In essence, this method meant feeding a portion of his soul to the other party. Even though it was an effective method, it would also severely weaken oneself as well. As such, unless it was for the closest kin, there was no soul oracle who would be willing to resort to this. To be honest, Zhang Xuan was also a little hesitant to go so far for a person whom he had only met a moment ago. But ultimately, even though Wei Ruyan had already been in an extremely feeble condition back then and could possibly have died at any moment, it was a fact that his treatment had led to her death. Since he had wronged her, it was only right for him to correct it. Besides, the lengths to which Wei Changfeng had gone for his daughter had also touched him. It would be an unfortunate tragedy if the father and daughter were to be separated by the boundary of life and death. Tzzzz! Zhang Xuans soul reached for Wei Ruyans finger, and using her arm as a medium, he injected concentrated soul essence into thetters body so as to nourish her soul. As his soul essence depleted at a rapid pace, it didnt take too long for Zhang Xuan to feel deep fatigue. Soul essence to a soul was just like blood to a body. Giving it away to another was extremely damaging to his soul. The fatigue he was feeling at the moment was only a minor side effect; in the very worst-case scenario, his soul could even lose its stability and dissipate. However, since he had already begun this, it was already toote to back down. Suppressing his fatigue, he continued to pump his soul essence into the other partys soul. Under the massive influx of soul essence, Wei Ruyans feeble soul finally began to grow denser. It is effective... Upon seeing that his method was working, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. However, just as he was about to continue pumping more soul essence into the other party, a thought suddenly shed through his mind, and his eyes widened in shock. He immediately activated his Eye of Insight, and his soul began trembling in agitation. Sh*t, the Innate Fetal Poison... is spreading! Chapter 789: Poison Soul Constitution Chapter 789: Poison Soul Constitution Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Initially, the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul was wrapped together in a bundle by the corner, making it an inconspicuous existence. However, with his soul weakening swiftly due to the transfusion of his soul essence, the Innate Fetal Poison began its assault. At this moment, it had already spread to more than half of his entire soul, and its march was still showing no signs of stopping. Im done for... Zhang Xuans face paled in fright. The Innate Fetal Poison was something even Empyrean Kong shi had been helpless before in his time! If he were to allow it to consume his soul, there was no doubt that he would be immediately poisoned to death. No one would be able to save him! Even though Zhang Xuan had failed to find what he was looking for at the Terpsichore School, he hadnt panicked too much. He had thought that as long as he were to proceed carefully, he would be fine for the time being. Yet, in his moment of anxiety, hed neglected the presence of the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul and transfused his soul essence to another, granting the Innate Fetal Poison an opportunity to strike! What in the world is this! I must be the first one in the world to die due to an attempt to save anothers life! On the verge of tears, just as Zhang Xuan was contemting drawing back the soul essence he had pumped into the other party, he suddenly felt a warm surge of energy flowing back from the youngdys body. Upon contact with this surge of energy, the Innate Fetal Poison immediate fled in fright, as if having met its nemesis. This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. The Innate Fetal Poison was a high-grade poison which was extremely difficult to deal with. So far, the only thing that Zhang Xuan had found to be effective in suppressing it was the Heavens Path zhenqi. In order to save his soul, he had tried many methods in hopes of being able to keep the Innate Fetal Poison in check, but none of them worked. Yet, why was it suddenly retreating so fearfully all of the sudden? A thought shed through Zhang Xuans mind, and he muttered beneath his breath, "Could it be... the Innate Poison Body?" Through the Library of Heavens Path, hed learned that Wei Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Body, just that she hadnt activated it yet. Could the Innate Poison Body possess the ability to curb the Innate Fetal Poison as well? "No, it doesnt seem to be the Innate Poison Body. Could it be the... Poison Soul Constitution?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. The Innate Poison Body granted one an innate resistance to all poison. In fact, the consumption of lethal poison would only further temper ones physical body. However, such an effect didnt extend to ones soul. If afflicted by a soul poison, it was still possible for a person possessing the Innate Poison Body to be poisoned to death. Unless... that person possessed the Poison Soul Constitution as well. The Poison Soul Constitution worked in a manner simr to the Innate Poison Body. It granted ones soul perfect immunity to all poison. Considering that Wei Ruyans soul was able to help him suppress the Innate Fetal Poison guing his soul, there was a high chance that she possessed such a constitution. Its no wonder shes still so feeble despite absorbing the spirit of so many artifacts! Her body has already been extremely frail since birth, and yet she still had to bear the burden from the sheer might of two unique constitutions within her. It is truly a miracle that she has survived to such an age! It sure is hard to say whether she has been blessed or cursed by the heavens... Zhang Xuan eximed internally as realization struck him. Unique constitutions were extremely powerful, but their sheer power created a heavy burden on ones body as well. It sure wasnt easy for Wei Ruyan toe this far with two unique constitutions within her. I should try it out to see if my deduction is right! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began to draw back the soul essence he had pumped into the other partys soul. Gu gu gu! As soon as the soul essence he had drawn back came into contact with the Innate Fetal Poison, thetter immediately retreated in horror as if electrified. Hahaha, this is great! Zhang Xuanughed joyously to himself. He had been agonizing over how he could curb the Innate Fetal Poison when the solution to his problem simply fell from the heavens. Excited, Zhang Xuan quickly hastened the flow of his soul essence. Tzzzz! As he circted his soul essence with Wei Ruyan, the Innate Fetal Poison was slowly driven back to the corner where it came from, not daring to make a move at all. Even though he couldnt get rid of it yet, he was at least able to suppress it for the time being. This sure is a blessing in disguise! Only after suppressing the Innate Fetal Poison entirely did Zhang Xuan finally heave a sigh of relief, and excitement gleamed in his eyes. Nurturing the soul of another was never an easy feat. To allow Wei Ruyans soul to recover from its feeble state, he would have to expend a significant portion of his soul essence, leaving him in a severely weakened state. Nevertheless, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was truly d that he had made the decision he did. Who could have known that the sacrifice he made for Wei Ruyan would end up saving his life as well? When his soul essence fused with thetters soul, it also gained a certain degree of the properties of the Poison Soul Constitution as well. At this current moment, even if someone were to feed him lethal poison capable of dissipating ones soul, he would bepletely unaffected by it. On the contrary, his soul might even grow stronger as a result of it. Ill have to stop here today. Along with the transfusion of his soul essence, the fatigue Zhang Xuan felt gradually weighed heavier and heavier on him. Eventually, reaching his limit, he had no choice but to extract his soul from the other partys consciousness. Honestly speaking, Wei Ruyans soul was simply way too feeble. Even with the nourishment of his soul, he was still unable to awaken her fully in a single try. Hu! As Zhang Xuans soul returned to his physical body, he immediately turned his gaze to assess Wei Ruyans condition once more. Even though thetter had yet to awaken, she had regained her breathing and heartbeat, and there was a healthy red glow on her face as well. At this moment, it felt as if she was only asleep. For the time being, she shouldnt be in danger. However, if she wasnt treated soon, it was unlikely that she would be able to survive for too long. Her physical body was simply far too weak. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan shouted, "Alright,e in!" Jiya! The anxious Wei Changfeng immediately rushed into the room in a fluster, and after taking a look at his daughter, he heaved a sigh of relief. Following which, he turned to his young master, and upon seeing thetters pale face, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Seeing the young masters treatment causing his daughters death had left him so infuriated that he almost wanted to kill him. However, at this very instant, he realized that everything the young master had done was to save his daughter! For the young master to be severely weakened after the treatment, it was clear how far he had gone for her... Despite the other party devoting his efforts to saving his daughter, he actually misunderstood his intentions... "Im sorry, Young Master..." Wei Changfeng lowered his head apologetically. "Ive said that as long as you remain loyal to me, I will definitely do everything I can to save your daughter!" Zhang Xuan shook his head as he spoke with a powerless voice. "Guard me, I need to recuperate." Leaving those words behind, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a jade bottle. Opening it, a round pill fell into his palm, and he consumed it whole. It was the Miniature Restorative Pill that Wei Ranxue had given him. Gugugugu! The pill dissolved as soon as it came into contact with his mouth, turning into a warm gush of medicinal energy that surged through his body. His soul, which had been severely depleted while trying to nurture Wen Ruyans, slowly began to heal. A momentter, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas before standing up. Through the medicinal energy of the pill and his meditation, his soul was able to recover to its original state. "Young Master!" Wei Changfeng sped his fist to greet Zhang Xuan. "Un." Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the youngdy on the bed once more, and after confirming once more that her status had stabilized, he heaved a sigh of relief. "We will still need the two items which I listed previously. Dont waste your time waiting here, hurry up and find them!" "Yes!" Wei Changfeng nodded. However, a momentter, he frowned. "I have given it some thought, and I think that there just might be a living saint herb in Hongyuan City. However... I might require Young Master to lead the way!" "Where is it?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Wei Changfeng was a Saint realm expert, and yet there was still a ce in Hongyuan City which he couldnt ess? "Its in the Master Teacher Academy," Wei Changfeng replied. "The Master Teacher Academy?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before realization struck him. Indeed. Having been able to enter its premises freely as a student, Zhang Xuan had overlooked its tight security. The entire academy was filled with many experts, and there was nock of Saint realm cultivators amidst them. Even a person of Wei Changfengs strength would dare not charge in recklessly. Thus, he required a student such as Zhang Xuan to bring him in. "Yes. The vice head of the Physician School, You Xu, is not only a physician but a herbologist as well. He cultivates quite a few precious medicinal herbs in his garden, so if there is anywhere we can procure living saint herb in Hongyuan City, it is from him!" Wei Changfeng said. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Thats good, lets make a move then! The longer we drag it out, the harder itll be to treat your daughter!" "Yes!" Wei Changfeng replied. After the discussion, just as the duo made their way out of the room, they saw Sun Qiang, Wang Ying, and the others standing before them. They turned to Zhang Xuan as soon as they saw him walking out of the room and greeted him. "Teacher!" "Young Master!" Over the past few days of absence, Wang Ying and the others had made significant progress in their cultivation once again. The aura they exuded felt much more condensed than before. With everyone gathered in the same area, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but to notice how cramped the residence was once again. Shaking his head, he turned to Sun Qiang and asked, "Have you found arger residence yet?" "Reporting to Young Master, I have searched the area, but there are simply norger residences in the vicinity," Sun Qiang said embarrassedly. It wasnt that he had beenzing about, but all of the better residences near the Master Teacher Academy he found had already been purchased by the other students. Up until this point, the best residence that was avable that he had found so far was still the one they were living in. Knowing that Sun Qiang wasnt intentionally cking off, Zhang Xuan didnt me him. Instead, he turned to Wang Ying and the others and instructed, "I see. Alright, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang, you should help Sun Qiang look around as well. The sooner we find a suitable residence, the sooner we can move. This ce is simply far too cramped..." With another three people on the job, they should be able to find a suitable residence sooner. In any case, spending all of their time cooped up indoors cultivating wasnt ideal for them either. There should be a bnce between work and leisure. It would do them some good to take a stroll outside and enjoy the city. "Yes!" Wang Ying and the others nodded. "Lets go!" After delegating several other matters, Zhang Xuan left for the Master Teacher Academy with Wei Changfeng beside him. Even though he still hadnt received his student token yet, he had the tokens of three of the Ten Great Master Teachers in his possession, so bringing another person into the academy wasnt a problem for him. After traveling for another hour, they finally arrived at the Physician School. The Physician School was ranked fifth out of the ten schools of the academy. Nevertheless, due to the nature of their upation, there was no master teacher in the academy who was willing to offend them. After all, there was no way anyone could guarantee that they could remain healthy for their entire life. As cultivators, there was a much higher chance that a day woulde when they would require the help of the Physician School than any of the other schools in the academy. Even before reaching the Tower of Physicians, the building located at the very center of the Physician School, Zhang Xuan could already see arge crowd walking in and out of the area. Astonishingly, it seemed to be even more bustling than the cksmith School. As they were heading over, Zhang Xuan suddenly asked, "The price of saint herbs arent cheap. Have you prepared the money yet?" He had no high-tier spirit stones with him at the moment, so there was no way he could afford a saint herb. Besides, Wei Ruyan was Wei Changfengs daughter, so it was only right for thetter to pay. "I have prepared some money. It should be enough to afford a saint herb," Wei Changfeng replied. As the head of the Spirit Emporium, even though most of his artifacts had been swept away by Zhang Xuan, he still had quite a bit of savings left with him. While saint herbs were expensive, the savings which he had rued over many years should be sufficient to afford it. "Thats good!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Advancing ahead, an imposing tower soon came into their sight. Tower of Physicians! This was the grandest building within the entire Physician School, and the Vice School Head You Xu whom Wei Changfeng spoke of resided here. Following behind the crowd, Zhang Xuan stepped through the entrance of the tower. The first floor was a vast hall with countless master teachers walking around the area. Shelves of precious herbs filled the room, and by the corner stood several physicians to attend to those who required a diagnosis. Most master teachers would choose to pay this ce a visit to resolve any existing conditions they had or to purchase recovery herbs before embarking on their mission. Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings, but he wasnt sure where Vice School Head You Xus living quarters were. Thus, he could only head to the reception with Wei Changfeng beside him. Chapter 790: Ten-leafed Flower Chapter 790: Ten-leafed Flower Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What do the both of you need?" the receptionist asked with a smile upon seeing Zhang Xuan and Wei Changfeng. The receptionist was ady in her early thirties. She wore a tight-fitting physician robe which entuated her beautiful figure. Like Luo Qiqi, she was also a 5-star low-tier master teacher, a Grade-2 student. Most likely, she had taken this job in order to earn Academic Credits as well. "We wish to meet Vice School Head You Xu." Zhang Xuan dived right into the matter at hand. "You wish to meet Vice School Head You?" The receptionist was slightly taken aback. With a doubtful voice, she asked, "Do you have an appointment with him?" "We dont!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The receptionist also shook her head. "I will have to apologize then. Vice School Head You is a busy man, so I cant take you to meet him if you dont have an appointment." As a vice head of the Physician School, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, even the nobility of the country would have to make an appointment in advance to meet him. How could a mere student be allowed to meet him as he pleased? Judging from the other partys young age, he was likely to only be a Grade-1 student. A minor figure like this wouldnt even be qualified to meet the manager of the Tower of Physicians, needless to say a vice school head! Indeed, the ignorant were brazen! "Then... how can we make an appointment with him?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I have no idea," the receptionist replied snappishly. She had already made it clear through her words, but the other party still continued to pester her. A hint of displeasure shed across the receptionists eyes. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan scratched his head, troubled. Hed thought that the matter could be easily settledhe would meet with Vice School Head You Xu, ask him about the medicinal herb, negotiate the price, and they would be done. But who would have thought that he would be hindered at the very first step? However, considering the other partys standing as the vice head of the Physician School, this should have been expected. Otherwise, if he were to meet anyone who sought an audience with him, he wouldnt have any time left for himself anymore. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "Since thats the case, I have something in my possession that I hope you can pass to Vice School Head You in my stead. Perhaps, he might be willing to meet me after see it." "I apologize, but I am not your courier. If you really wish to meet Vice School Head You, please return only after you have the qualification to speak with him. Now if you will excuse me, I have things to attend to..." Seeing that the other party was still refusing to give up, the receptionist shook her head in displeasure and rejected him tly. However, just as she was about to chase him away, he suddenly flicked his wrist, and a token appeared in his hand. On the surface of the token was a majestic image with rows after rows of buildings inscribed on it. It was a picture of the Master Teacher Academy. The token of the elders? Gedeng! The receptionists words suddenly came to an abrupt halt. As a Grade-2 student, she was naturally able to recognize the personal tokens of the elders of the academy. How could a freshman possess such an important item? In the midst of her shock, the young man flicked his wrist and took out two other identical tokens. cing the personal tokens on the receptionist table, Zhang Xuan requested, "I have three tokens here. Can you take a look to see which of them is closer with Vice School Head You and deliver it to him?" "This..." Astonished, the receptionist flipped over one of the tokens, only to see the words Mo Zhu written on it. "Mo Zhu? The head of the Beast Tamer School, School Head Mo?" The receptionist shuddered in shock. With trembling lips, she flipped over the second token, and she nearly cked out. Written on the second token was a name as wellZhao Bingxu. It was the head of the cksmith School, School Head Zhao! "He possesses both School Head Mo and School Head Zhaos personal tokens?" the youngdy uttered in shock as her trembling hand reached for the third token and flipped it. Wei Ranxue! It was the head of the Terpsichore School! The Ten Great Master Teachers were figures who stood at the very top of the academy, existences far beyond her. Despite being a Grade-2 student, she had hardly seen them around in the academy. It was only during the Academys Annual Celebration and the Annual Tournament that she would get an opportunity to see them from afar. Yet, the young man before her actually took out three of their personal tokens at once... The receptionist felt as if she was going to burst into tears. She had thought that the other party was only a mere freshman, but who could have known that he would have such powerful backing? If you are so formidable, you should have just headed up to meet Vice School Head You directly. Why did you even bother wasting your breath on me? While her face had gone pale in shock, the young man before her asked with a doubtful voice, "How is it? Are these tokens useless as well? I knew it, those fellows were indeed bragging... If the tokens wont work, will it be better if I call them over?" "Cough cough!" The attendant nearly died from shock. To say that three of the school heads were bragging, and even propose to call them over... Just who was the young man standing before her? To think that she had snapped at him just a moment ago... Her face paled as her body shook uncontrobly. "Theres no need for that! The tokens work perfectly fine!" Fearing that she would earn the ire of the school heads, the receptionist hurriedly pushed the tokens back to Zhang Xuan before walking out from the receptionist desk. "Follow me!" Regardless of whether the other party meant those words or not, the fact that he could whip out the personal tokens of three of the Ten Great Master Teachers was more than enough to say that he was a figure whom she couldnt afford to offend. "Thanks." Seeing that the personal tokens had really worked, Zhang Xuan nodded before following behind the receptionist with Wei Changfeng. Not too longter, they arrived at the entrance of a vast courtyard. "This is the residence of Vice School Head You!" the receptionist gestured and said. Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the residence. As expected of the residence of the vice head of the Physician School, it was indeed muchrger than Hu Yaoyaos residence. Even though he couldnt get a clear view of the formation surrounding the residence, he could still feel the dense spiritual energy drifting in the surroundings. Dong dong dong! Stepping forward, the receptionist knocked on the gates. Jiya! A middle-aged man opened the gates from the inside. "Sunoshi, these two men seek an audience with Vice School Head You," the receptionist hurriedly said. "Seek an audience with Vice School Head You?" The middle-aged Sunoshi frowned. He turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan, and after confirming that he had no idea who he was, he turned his gaze onto Wei Changfeng. The next moment, his eyes lit up. "So, its the Boss Wei from the Spirit Emporium! Ill report your presence to my teacher this instant!" As a Saint realm expert and one of the top figures in Hongyuan City, Wei Changfeng was rather well-known in Hongyuan City as well. Hearing those words, Wei Changfeng nodded. As Sunoshi turned around and returned back into the residence, the receptionist nearly fell limply to the ground from horror. As Wei Changfeng had been standing silently behind Zhang Xuan without saying a word like a subordinate, she had assumed him to be a person unworthy of notice. Never could she have imagined that he would be the boss of the Spirit Emporium! To take a Saint realm expert as a subordinate... Just who in the world was the young man before her? It didnt take long for Sunoshi to return. He bowed deeply and gestured for them to head into the residence. "This way please!" "Thank you." Ignoring the receptionist, who seemed to be on the verge of going bonkers, Zhang Xuan stepped into the residence. The next moment, the refreshing scent of medicinal herbs filled his nose. Concentrated spiritual energy seemed to linger by his ear like a mini whirlwind, producing a soft whimpering sound. Consonance of the Spiritual Energy? Zhang Xuan was stunned. This phenomenon was a result of a consonance produced by umting an overwhelming amount of treasures in an area. Scanning through the courtyard, Zhang Xuan swiftly caught sight of a small medicinal herb garden. That was where the Consonance of the Spiritual Energy wasing from. All kinds of herbs were being cultivated in the garden, creating a beautiful harmony of vibrant colors. It was a pleasure just to look at them. Broken Yin Grass, Smile Embodiment Flower, Seven Hearts Spearmint... There are so many saint herbs here? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. The garden was considerably small, containing only several hundred medicinal herbs. However, every single one of them was a top-grade herb, and one could even see quite a number of saint herbs with just a swift nce. Hmm? That is... a Ten-leafed Flower? As Zhang Xuan carefully observed them while walking along the garden, his eyes suddenly lit up. The Ten-leafed Flower was a saint herb as well. Upon reaching maturity, ten different colored flowers will bloom on the ten leaves of the medicinal herb, and the flowers corresponded to the three hun and seven po of a humans soul. If they could procure this saint herb to nourish Wei Ruyans soul, Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to awaken her within a single week. At that moment, Wei Changfeng asked him via zhenqi telepathy, "Young Master, will that Ten-leafed Flower do?" Clearly, he had also caught sight of the same medicinal herb as him. In order to save his daughter, he had studied a great deal on medicine, granting him in-depth knowledge regarding medicinal herbs. "Yes, the Ten-leafed Flower can save your daughters life. However, itll be preferable to procure one whose flowers have already bloomed so as to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment," Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively. The Ten-leafed Flower being cultivated in the medicinal herb garden was still quite some time away from blooming. However, it was unlikely that Wei Ruyan would be able to wait so long. Even though the effectiveness of the treatment would be lowered using an immature Ten-leafed Flower, it should still be sufficient to save her life. Hearing the young masters confirmation, Wei Changfeng heaved a sigh of relief. With his goal lying right before him, he couldnt help but feel agitated within. At that moment, Sunoshi suddenly reported with a resounding voice, "Teacher, Boss Wei is here!" Shifting their gazes, they soon saw an old man applying fertilizer to one of the medicinal herbs with a bent back not too far away. The old man seemed to be in his sixties or seventies, and he had a long grayish beard. The medicinal herb which he was tending to was a crimson flower with clear vein lines on it. The old man carefully dug the soil around the crimson flower and poured a scarlet fluid in before cing the soil back. Demonic Blood Flower? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had read this flower on a book before. Even though it was a saint herb, there were very few people who chose to cultivate it. It wasnt because the flower was inauspicious but that it was simply too difficult to provide for it. This was because the Demonic Blood Flower required the nourishment of blood to survive! Just cultivating a single Demonic Blood Flower would potentially require the blood of more than a dozen spirit beasts. It seems Vice School Head You isnt young anymore... But even though it was hard to provide for, it had an incredible effect as well. Once matured, consuming it could boost a persons vitality, extending their lifespan. This was probably the reason Vice School Head You was taking care for it so diligently. Otherwise, why would a master teacher spend so much effort on cultivating such a medicinal herb? "Un." Without turning his head over, the old man waved his hands to gesture that he had heard Sunoshi. The old man first ttened the ground around the Demonic Blood Flower and washed his hands in a basin in front of him before turning his attention to them. "I have long heard of Boss Weis reputation, pleased to meet you," Vice School Head Wei said with a smile. "I have also long heard of Vice School Head Weis aptitude in cultivating medicinal herbs, and I must say that I am truly impressed by your medicinal herb garden!" Wei Changfeng sped his fist. "I dare not im any aptitude in it, it is just a hobby of mine. May I know the reason for Boss Weis sudden visit?" asked Vice School Head You. As fellow Saint realm experts, even though they had never met before, they had at least heard of each others name on other asions. Considering that they had spoken to one another before, it was likely that Wei Changfengs visit meant business. "Vice School Head You sure is a candid man. I do have a request to ask of you..." Wei Changfeng bowed. "I hope to purchase Vice School Head Yous Ten-leafed Flower!" "Ten-leafed Flower?" ncing at the saint herb which was pulsating with spiritual energy in the courtyard, Vice School Head You shook his head and replied, "Pardon me, but that medicinal herb is not for sale!" Wei Changfeng immediately panicked. "I require the medicinal herb to save my kin, I hope that Vice School Head You can do me this favor..." "I have already said that the medicinal herb is not for sale. Sun Yuan, send our guests out!" Vice School Head You waved his hands. "Yes!" Sunoshi stepped forward and bowed. "This way please." "This..." Wei Changfeng looked at Vice School Head You with an anxious frown. "I know that it is somewhat rude of me to suddenly arrive at your residence and ask for your medicinal herb, but I truly need it to save someone. Vice School Head You, I am willing to pay any price for your Ten-leafed Flower as long as it is within my means!" Chapter 791: Price Chapter 791: Price Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Its not a problem of the price, but my teacher simply has no intention of selling any of these medicinal herbs. I ask for your understanding!" Sun Yuan bowed. Hearing those words, Wei Changfeng clenched his jaws anxiously. As long as the other party was willing to sell it, even if he had to risk bankruptcy, he would surely purchase it. But... if the other party wasnt willing to sell it, he couldnt possibly go to the extent of stealing it, right? Putting aside whether he was a match for Vice School Head You or not, just the fact that they were in the Master Teacher Academy quickly dispelled such thoughts. "I truly require this saint herb to nourish my daughters soul in order to save her. I beseech Vice School Head You to just do me this favor..." Taking a deep breath, Wei Changfeng kneeled onto the floor. "Haa..." Seeing Wei Changfengs actions, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. For his daughters sake, he had already kneeled twice. For a Saint realm expert to put down his dignity and everything he had for another... this is a parent! Their love for their children is simple and innocent, noble and powerful. For their children, they are willing to do anything. "I said that I wont sell it! Even if you kneel to your death here, my decision will not change. You should leave!" Vice School Head You waved Wei Changfeng away impassively, unmoved by Wei Changfengs actions. "Vice School Head You..." Wei Changfengs fingernails dug deep into his flesh. They were all Saint realm experts, existences that stood at the top of Hongyuan City. Yet, despite kneeling down and pleading with Vice School Head You, thetter still remained unmoved. Seeing that Vice School Head You was unwilling to relent at all, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to step forward to speak in Wei Changfengs stead, a series of knocking suddenly sounded from the gates. Dong dong dong dong! Sun Yuan left to get the door, and before long, he returned with a middle-aged man behind him. The middle-aged man sped his fist. "Vice School Head You, my teacher requires a Saint-tier Origin Harnessing Grass for his pill forging!" "Origin Harnessing Grass?" Vice School Head Xu nodded. "Sun Yuan, go and get it for Zhuo shi!" "Yes!" Sun Yuan nodded. He walked into the herb garden, dug out a light green-colored medicinal herb, and passed it over to the middle-aged man. "Thank you!" The middle-aged man nodded as he flicked his wrist, taking out ten high-tier spirit stones. "Here is the payment for the medicine!" Vice School Head You took the spirit stones, and the middle-aged man ced the Origin Harnessing Grass in his storage ring before leaving. In just a few minutes, this deal waspleted. "Vice School Head You, didnt you say that you arent going to sell any medicinal herbs? Why did you sell it to that Zhuo shi then?" Seeing how the middle-aged man was able to obtain a medicinal herb so easily from You Xu and yet he had been rejected even though he had already gotten onto his knees, Wei Changfeng clenched his fists in fury, and veins popped out from his temples. Watching the scene, Zhang Xuans eyebrows also knitted together into a frown. If it was You Xus principle not to sell medicinal herbs to anyone, there would be nothing that they could say... But the other party had rejected Wei Changfengs desperate request only to sell a medicinal herb to that Zhuo shi so easily the next moment... This preferential treatment was way too much! Vice School Head You harrumphed in response. "Zhuo shis teacher is the head of the Apothecary School, School Head Lu Feng. I have a close rtionship with him, so naturally I am willing to sell my medicinal herbs to him. But on the other hand... I dont think that you and I are so close that I need to sell my medicinal herbs to you, right?" "I..." Wei Changfeng clenched his jaws in indignation, but there wasnt anything he could refute about Vice School Head Yous words. The other party was right. Considering that there was no rtionship between them, there was no reason the other party had to sell the medicinal herb to him. If the other party was willing to sell it, it would be goodwill on his part. But if he wasnt, it would be his freedom of choice to do so as well. Unable to watch on any further, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and sped his fist. "Vice School Head You is right, but the main use of a medicinal herb should be to save lives. Physicians should havepassion in their hearts; they shouldnt disregard a life just because they arent close with the other party! The life of Boss Weis daughter is currently hinging on your Ten-leafed Flower, so I ask of Vice School Head You to have mercy on her!" "Who are you to butt into our conversation?" Vice School Head You frowned in displeasure. He was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a vice head of the Physician School. When had he been preached to by another before, not to mention, by a twenty-year-old brat at that? "I am Zhang Xuan, a freshman of the academy," Zhang Xuan replied. "Oh, so you are that Zhang Xuan?" Vice School Head You sneered. "Ive heard of you. You might have won School Head Mo and School Head Zhaos favor, but before me, you are nothing more than a junior. Know your ce! "Despite being a student of this academy, you chose not to focus your efforts on your study and instead went around stirring trouble, sullying the reputation of master teachers. If you were my student, I would have long expelled you from my lineage!" At this point, he nced at Zhang Xuan disdainfully and said, "Before you incur my ire, youd better leave this instant. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty with you." "Getting nasty with me?" "Indeed. Since you are a freshman, youd better act like one and obey the rules. Yet, here you are, brazen, conceited, and disrespectful... If you continue acting like this, I dont mind teaching you a lesson in your teachers stead!" With his hands behind his back, Vice School Head You flung his sleeves. "Teach me a lesson in my teachers stead? You?" Sensing the other partys hostility toward him, Zhang Xuan didnt bother holding back either. "Who are you to talk about the reputation of the master teachers? That is something for the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Master Teacher Academy to decide! Besides, even though we are in your residence now, this is the property of the academy. Chase me away... Are you sure you are qualified to do so? If I recall correctly..." At this point, Zhang Xuans lips curled up in a smirk. "You arent the school head yet, right?" If others were to treat him with respect, Zhang Xuan would regard them with respect as well. But the other party had spoken about how hed sullied the reputation of the master teachers and that he would expel him from his lineage right from the get-go... No matter how good Zhang Xuans temper was, how could he tolerate this? Reputation was extremely important to a master teacher. Without a clear reputation, how could they earn the respect of others? This was also one of the reasons Zhang Xuan eventually chose to transfuse his soul essence to Wei Ruyan despite the risks. Yet, the other party had insulted him as soon as he began to speak. That was a clear provocation, and it had already crossed his bottom line. "Audacious! Do you know who you are speaking to?" Not expecting a freshman to talk back to him, Vice School Head Yous face turned livid with rage. "Who am I speaking to? Of course I know, 6-star master teacher You Xu, the vice school head of the Physician School! But do you know who you are speaking to?" With an upright back, Zhang Xuan emanated an overwhelming aura of confidence. "I am the honored guest of Pavilion Master Mo, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and School Head Wei, and they have entrusted their personal tokens to me as a symbol of that. On top of that, I am a 6-star cksmith and a 6-star terpsichore. Yet, you dare to insult and threaten me... Isnt it clear who is the one who is being audacious here?" A master teacher couldnt allow their dignity to be trampled upon. That was all the more true for a Celestial Master Teacher like him! "You..." Vice School Head You narrowed his eyes in fury. He had heard of Zhang Xuans affairs as well. Thetter had raised a huge storm as soon as hed arrived in the academy, and at this point, there was probably no one in the academy, be it the freshmen, seniors, or even teachers, who didnt know of his name. Vice School Head You harbored a deep dislike for those who showed no regard for the rules, so he had intended to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson so as to suppress his arrogance. Who would have thought that the tables would turn on him instead? The other party was right. The personal tokens of the three school heads represented their very presence. To chase three school heads away from his residence was a huge act of disrespect toward them, so it was indeed a faux pas on his part. Even though he was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher as well, his standing was nowhere on par with the Ten Great Master Teachers. "I brought my subordinate here to purchase a saint herb from you, and if you have any request for us, we are more than willing to listen. However, despite being a 6-star master teacher, you made a verbal assault on me as a person, insulting me as you pleased. If I report this matter to the academy, I wonder if they will be willing to redress my grievances!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "You... Good, good!" Not expecting that the words he had uttered in a moment of fury would actually be used against him, Vice School Head Yousplexion turned incredibly awful. A master teacher should have a bearing worthy of one. As a 6-star master teacher, it was truly unbing of him to insult and humiliate a 6-star cksmith. If this matter were to be reported to the Master Teacher Academy, while it was unlikely that he would suffer any severe punishment, it would indubitably leave a stain on his records. Furthermore, if the students were to learn of his matter, he would be unable to keep his head held high in the Physician School. He had long heard of Zhang Xuans astounding deeds, but he didnt think that his words would be so sharp as well. Knowing that he would only corner himself further if he were to continue bickering with the other party, Vice School Head You chose to change the topic decisively. "It took me a lot of effort to cultivate the Ten-leafed Flower. However, seeing that you really need it, I can consider selling it to you." Vice School Head Yous abrupt change in his words left Zhang Xuan and Wei Changfeng bewildered. The duo exchanged doubtful nces. "However, the price might be a little steep!" Vice School Head You said. "Please speak!" Wei Changfeng sped his fist. Even though he had no idea what the other party was up to, it was still good news for him that the other party was willing to sell the Ten-leafed Flower to him. "I need a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. If you can bring me a Cloudmist Flower within two days, I will trade my Ten-leafed Flower for it!" Vice School Head You said. "Cloudmist Flower?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Despite being a 4-star physician, he had never heard of this medicinal herb before. Just as Zhang Xuan was going to ask what it was, he suddenly saw Wei Changfengs face turning pale, and his body began trembling lightly. "You know what it is?" Zhang Xuan asked. "The Cloudmist Flower is a unique nt that appears only in the Cloudmist Ridge of Hongyuan Mountain Range. However, it isnt a medicinal herb... If one dries it first before boiling it in water, it will produce a stream of billowing steam reminiscent of the clouds. The Cloudmist Flower is an extremely precious tea leaf!" Wei Changfeng exined. "Tea leaf? Exchanging a tea leaf for the Ten-leafed Flower?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The Ten-leafed Flower was a Saint-tier medicinal herb. Even in the market, it would easily fetch at least ten high-tier spirit stones. To exchange it for a tea leaf... Wasnt this too good a deal? "Yes!" Wei Changfeng nodded. He opened his mouth once again to continue speaking, but at the veryst moment, he changed his mind and turned to Vice School Head You instead. "Alright, Ill agree to it!" "Good. Ill be waiting for your good news then." Chuckling lightly, Vice School Head You waved his hands. "Rest assured! As long as you keep the end of your promise, Ill definitely seed!" Wei Changfeng said with his fists clenched tightly behind his back. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Young Master, lets go!" Since the negotiation was over, Zhang Xuan nodded, and the duo left the residence. Shortly after they left, Sun Yuan turned to his teacher and asked, "Teacher, the Cloudmist Ridge is filled with saint beasts. Even if a master of beast taming like School Head Mo were to venture in there, it would be hard for him to return alive... To ask Boss Wei to pick a Cloudmist Flower from there, isnt that task a little... too dangerous?" "Too dangerous? Of course I know! But you should have heard about Wei Changfengs deeds in Hongyuan City as well... Vermin like him is much better off dead! As for that conceited and disrespectful Zhang Xuan, it would be best if he went along as well. But even if not, he shall learn that a 6-star master teacher... isnt a person whom he can offend that easily!" Vice School Head You sneered. Chapter 792: Its Yours! Chapter 792: Its Yours! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After leaving the residence, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask Wei Changfeng, "Is there something wrong with the Cloudmist Flower?" No matter how he thought about the matter, it was bizarre that You Xu would suddenly change his mind and sell the Ten-leafed Flower at such an inexpensive price. "Thats not it. Its just that it isnt too easy to procure the Cloudmist Flower. Young Master, dont worry about this. Ill surely get it by hook or by crook to save my daughter!" Wei Changfeng replied with a determined glint in his eyes. "Is that really it?" Zhang Xuan was still a little doubtful about the matter. His impression of Vice School Head You wasnt too good, and he didnt think that thetter would be so kind as to let go of his Ten-leafed Flower for a stalk of tea leaf. "Young Master, dont worry. This issue might be a little problematic, but Ill surely get it done!" Wei Changfeng assured. Even to save his daughter, he couldnt allow the young master to bear the risk along with him. Although he wasnt able to see how the treatment went, the fact that the young master had needed to consume a whole Miniature Restorative Pill to recuperate reflected how far he had exerted himself in order to save his daughter. The young master had already gone this far to save his daughter, so he couldnt allow him to worry over this matter as well. "Alright then... If you truly need help, feel free to tell me. Even though my cultivation might be beneath yours, I do have quite a few aces up my sleeves!" Seeing that Wei Changfeng was unwilling to speak about it, Zhang Xuan decided not to probe any further. "Thank you, Young Master!" Wei Changfeng nodded. "The Cloudmist Ridge is quite a distance away, so Ill have to rush a bit to make it back in two days. I will have to make some preparations as well, so Ill be taking my leave first!" "Okay, go on." Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though he still couldnt help but feel that something was amiss, considering that Wei Changfeng was a Saint realm expert and the boss of the Spirit Emporium, he decided to put his worries aside. Hu! After bidding Zhang Xuan farewell, Wei Changfeng immediately leaped into the sky, and in just a few moments, he had already disappeared from sight. Saint realm experts were capable of flight, and even without aerial spirit beasts to carry them, they could travel tens of thousands of kilometers each day. I should return to my residence as well! After Wei Changfengs departure, Zhang Xuan sighed a breath of relief. He was finally done settling the matters he had at hand, and fatigue began to set in once again. Meeting Hu Yaoyao, browsing through the books in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, cultivating, establishing a student faction, saving Wei Ruyan... Due to this whole string of eventsing up one after another, he had already been awake for two days. Fatigued, he headed right for his residence in the Elite Sector right after leaving the Physician School. As soon as he pushed open the door to his residence, he saw Luo Qiqi walking up to him excitedly. "Teacher!" In the time of Zhang Xuansa, in order to better take care of him, Luo Qiqi had created a spare key so that she could ess the residence easier. "Youre here." Zhang Xuan nodded. After the establishment of the Xuanxuan Faction, while the others were discussing the various administrative and logistical matters, he had Luo Qiqi return to take a good rest. "Teacher, Senior Hu Yaoyao has been here since this morning..." Luo Qiqi told him via zhenqi telepathy. "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded. The previous night, after teaching that conceitedss a lesson, he instructed her to report at his residence in the morning. It seemed like she was at least still punctual. Walking into the main hall, Zhang Xuan saw Hu Yaoyao waiting inside. The air of superiority shed held before had disappeared, and instead, Zhang Xuan could see a hint of respect and deference in her eyes. The matter yesterday had left her slightly fearful. She had utilized all her means against Zhang Xuan, but not only were they ineffective, she even had the favor reversed on her, resulting in her being berated by her teacher... On top of that, after practicing the revised Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe and realizing how exceptional it was, she dared not pull her weight before the other party anymore. Walking up to Zhang Xuan, Hu Yaoyao clenched her fists tightly and bowed slightly. "Zhang shi." As expected of one of the top beauties of the academy. Despite being dressed in the standard master teacher robe, the disposition shemanded, along with her movements and gestures, naturally left ones heart fluttering. Her barely visible curvaceous figure under the loose robe seemed to spark ones imagination. However, Zhang Xuan waspletely impervious to all of that. He nced at her nonchntly and asked, "Do you know why I chose to take you in as my apprentice?" Hu Yaoyao nodded. "You want me to tell you where Wu Yangzis old residence is." Saying those words, she couldnt help but feel slightly frustrated. She was the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, a famed beauty and genius in the academy... Yet, he seemed so reluctant to have her be his apprentice... Just the thought of it left her feeling frenzied within. Just how could there be such an oddball in the world? She had thought that with her charms, she would be able to make any men obey hermands. But before Zhang Xuan, she felt as if her charm was worth less than a high-tier spirit stone. "Thats right. You can speak now." Seeing Hu Yaoyao understand her current position, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Indeed. That was the sole reason he had decided for her to be his apprentice. Otherwise, why in the world would he bother getting involved with such an entric and problematic person? It was not as if he had ack of subordinates. "Even if I were to point out the location, you will probably find it hard to believe. Instead, why dont I take you there instead?" Hu Yaoyao offered. "Fine by me. Lead the way then." Zhang Xuan gestured toward the door. Even though he was extremely exhausted at the moment, there was still some time before nightfall. Besides, it would be better to get this over and done with as soon as possible too. "Alright then." Hu Yaoyao nodded and made her way out of the residence. Zhang Xuan beckoned for Luo Qiqi, and the two of them followed closely behind her. Leaving the Master Teacher Academy, they walked through several streets and alleys, and soon, a magnificent manor appeared before their eyes. Its incredible size and spectacr architecture gave the manor an air of majesty around it. With just a nce, one could tell that it belonged to someone extraordinary. "This is the ce!" Hu Yaoyao came to a stop before the magnificent manor and gestured. "Here?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The courtyard, walls, bricks, and even the architecture style were all new! There was no sign of age whatsoever. This was Wu Yangzis old residence? Was this for real? As one of the greatest cksmith in his time, even if Wu Yangzi had gone missing, there would surely have been someone to maintain his residence to serve as a historical monument for future generations to honor him. But this residence waspletely brand new. There was no sign of wear and tear at all! It was no wonder Hu Yaoyao had dered confidently that no one other than her knew the location of Wu Yangzis old residence. Even if someone managed to trace down the location to this magnificent manor, there was no way they would believe that this was it! "This was the ce where Elder Wu Yangzi lived two thousand years ago!" Hu Yaoyao nodded. "But this entire manor is brand new; there isnt any sign of it being Wu Yangzis old residence at all. How can you be certain that this is it?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. Luo Qiqi was also curious about this. This matter concerned the treasures that Wu Yangzi had left behind. If they couldnt even find his old residence, it would be impossible for them to obtain his treasure. "I cant tell you how I know, but I can tell you for sure that this is it. Of the entire Hongyuan City, I am the only one who knows this!" Hu Yaoyao replied with a mysterious smile. "Alright then." Seeing that Hu Yaoyao was unwilling to speak, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be useless even if he probed on. In any case, the important thing was that they had found Wu Yangzis old residence. Anything else was of little concern. Thus, he turned his attention back to the manor. The entrance had crimson doors made out of teak. Reeking of paint, it seemed like it had just been refurbished not too long ago. The doors were tightly shut, but one could hear the sound of builders at work inside. However, what was peculiar was even though the manor was in the midst of refurbishment, there was not a single person outside, not even a guard. Typically speaking, manors of such a size would have guards standing at the doorway to ward off intruders and uninvited guests. However, there was nothing of that sort here. It was as if no one lived here. "Shall I knock on the door?" Luo Qiqi asked. "Lets hold that off for now..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Lets find a ce to take a seat first." For the time being, it was good enough for them to have confirmed that this manor was where Wu Yangzis old residence was situated. In order to find the treasure, it was likely that they would have to search throughout the manor, but if they were to do it recklessly, they might just make the owner suspicious, and that couldplicate the matter. Thus, it was imperative that they nned this through. For starters, it would be best for them to look into who the owner was before deciding on the next course of action. After looking around, Zhang Xuan found a teahouse not too far away which had a clear view of the manor. Thus, beckoning the other two, the trio headed there. Even though the teahouse was near the main street, as it was already approaching evening, there werent many people in there, and it was rtively tranquil. Heading straight to the second floor, they ordered a pot of tea. Afterward, as a waiter filled their cups, Zhang Xuan tossed him a middle-tier spirit stone and asked, "Lad, I have a question to ask you!" The waiters eyes lit up upon seeing the spirit stone, and he hurriedly sped his fist. "Gongzi, feel free to speak. As long as its not beyond me, I will answer any question you have!" "To whom does the manor over there belong to? It doesnt look bad!" Zhang Xuan pointed to the manor opposite to the teahouse as he spoke. "That manor? Im not too sure of that either. It has been switching hands quite often recently. In the two years that I have been here, its owner has already changed thrice... no, with this, it should be the fourth time!" the waiter replied with a smile. "It is already at its fourth owner? Why? Isnt it situated in a prime location?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled. "It is! That manor is close to the Master Teacher Academy, and it is facing the main street too. There is truly nothing toin about its location! Im not too sure about the details as well, but two years ago, when I first started working at this teahouse, it was a merchant who was living in there. However, I heard that two months after he bought down the manor, it seemed like an internal conflict broke out within his n, and his business was adversely affected. Facing financial problems, the merchant had no choice but to sell the manor. "The one whom the merchant sold the manor to was a high-ranking official of Hongyuan City. However, not too long after he got the residence, he was dispatched to another city to serve as its governor. "Thus, the manor was then passed on to a gentleman whose surname is Zhao. Hes a friendly person, and he oftenes here for tea as well. He stayed in the manor for almost a year, but just a few days ago, he sold the manor to another person. The new owner seems to be an extremely affluent person. I heard that in order to have Zhao move away as soon as possible, he even paid him an additional sum. Currently, hes still in the midst of refurbishing the manor, so I dont think he has moved in yet. So far, I havent had the chance to meet the new owner, so Im not too sure who he is either," the waiter said. "It was just sold a few days ago?" Zhang Xuan fell into thought. He couldnt help but recall how Sun Qiang had said that hed found a residence with an ideal location a few days ago, but another person had taken it before he could. Could it be that this manor was the residence which Sun Qiang had been talking about? "Thank you, you may go now." After asking a few more questions and confirming that the waiter knew nothing about the new owner, Zhang Xuan gestured for the waiter to leave. He sent a telepathic message to the Great Violetwing Beast to have it bring Sun Qiang over before returning back to sipping on his tea. Not too longter, the Great Violetwing Beast appeared in the vicinity of the teahouse, and Sun Qiang leaped off its back and hurried toward Zhang Xuan. "Young Master, you were looking for me?" Sun Qiang bowed. "Yes. Is the manor over there the one that you were talking about previously?" Zhang Xuan asked. Sun Qiang took a look at the manor before nodding. "Indeed. Thats the residence which I wanted to purchase, but an affluent man clinched the deal instead..." Both the size of the manor and the location which it was situated in fitted the young masters request perfectly. However, it was a pity that they didnt have sufficient money to outbid the other party, or else there was no way he would have given up on it. "Do you know the details of that affluent man?" Zhang Xuan asked. After a moment of contemtion, Sun Qiang replied, "That... Im not too sure either. However, I think it should be possible to get his details by visiting the realtor agency where the trade was made!" To officialize the sales of a residence, the documents regarding the exchange of deed had to be filed at a realtor agency. As such, it shouldnt be too difficult to uncover the identity of the new owner of the manor. "Find out who the new owner of that manor is. I want the answer within two hours!" As Sun Qiang used to be in the realtor industry as well, he was more familiar with the various proceedings in the field, so it shouldnt take him too long. "Yes!" Nodding affirmatively, Sun Qiang left the teahouse. Around an hourter, he returned with a peculiar look on his face. His eyes were widened in disbelief, as if he had just seen a ghost. "Whats wrong?" Seeing Sun Qiangs expression, Zhang Xuan was slightly puzzled. "Young Master, is there any other freshman in the Master Teacher Academy who goes by the name of... Zhang Xuan too?" Sun Qiang asked with a bizarre look on his face. "I should be the only one." Zhang Xuan frowned. "Didnt I ask you to look into who the new owner of the manor is? Why are you asking that instead?" Considering Zhang Xuans fame in the Master Teacher Academy, he should have at least heard about it if there was anyone of the thirty thousand students who shared the same name as him. "If there is no one who shares the same name, then..." At which, Sun Qiang took in a deep breath and said, "I think the manor belongs to you!" Chapter 793: Zheng Yang Accepts a Disciple Chapter 793: Zheng Yang epts a Disciple Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Mine?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. His hands trembled, and tea spilled from the cup he held in his hands. "What do you mean by it belongs to me?" "I just went to the realtor agency to look into the matter, and ording to the document filed there, the new owner goes by the name of Zhang Xuan!" Sun Qiang seemed to be in a state of disbelief as well as he spoke. "I found it weird as well, so I asked them about that Zhang Xuans upation and identity. The answer I received was that he is a Grade-1 freshman of the Master Teacher Academy. This is also why I asked Young Master if there is anyone who shares the same name as you among the freshmen. If there isnt... the only possibility left is that the owner of the manor is you!" "This..." Zhang Xuan blinked in a daze, nearly fainting from shock. He had never seen this manor before, and he didnt have the money to buy such arge manor either. How could it possibly be his? If it had been a day before, he would have been certain that it must be a freshman who just coincidentally shared the same name as him. However, Zhang Xuan had replicated a copy of the registry with the names of all of the Xuanxuan Factions members in it yesterday, and checking it, there was no one with the same name or even a simr sounding name to his. What was going on? "What about the buyer? Did you get any information on the person who bought the manor?" Zhang Xuan asked. If he was registered in the deed, someone must have made the deal in his stead. But... what was the motive behind doing this? "I tried looking into it as well, but it seems like even the realtor agency has no idea who the buyer is. They left no information whatsoever with the realtor agency, only saying that the new owner will take over the house once the refurbishment is done," Sun Qiang replied. The more he tried to dig deeper into the matter, the more bewildered he became. He had attempted to buy the manor, but he couldnt outbid the other buyer. Yet, mysteriously, the manor was suddenly put under the young masters name? "This..." Zhang Xuan also found the situation bizarre as well. He had heard of people giving the wrong amount of money when purchasing items, but he had never heard of people putting down the wrong name on a deed when buying a home. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but turn to thedy before him and ask, "Luo Qiqi, was this you?" Of the entire Hongyuan City, the one who was most likely to do such a thing was this student of his. Luo Qiqi shook her head. "How could it be me? Even if I wished to buy it, I dont have the money to afford such a grand manor..." "Thats true..." Zhang Xuan frowned. Considering the location and size of the manor, its price could possibly reach up to a hundred high-tier spirit stones... Even with Luo Qiqis mysterious background, it didnt seem likely that she would have so much money on hand with her. "Then... could it be Yu Fei-er and the others?" If it wasnt Luo Qiqi, the only few he could think of were Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others. Coming from prestigious ns, not to mention that Yu Fei-er was the Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire at that, it wasnt imusible for them to be able to afford such a manor. "Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others went into seclusion to cultivate after undergoing the Meridian and Bone Cleansing to attempt to make a breakthrough to the Perfect Harmonization realm. I dont think that they have the time to bother about this matter..." Luo Qiqi shook her head. If they had the time to do something like that, they would have longe to pay a visit to Zhang Xuan, especially since that they had parted abruptly at the underground chamber. Since they didnt even have the time to do so, how could they possibly have the time to buy a manor for him? Besides, Yu Fei-er was her close friend. If she had done something like that, there was no reason she would have hidden it from her. "Then... who could it be?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Mo Gaoyuan, School Head Mo, and the others were usible candidates, but Zhang Xuan didnt think that it was likely to be them. Even though they were interested in getting on good terms with him, there were many ways for them to do it. Purchasing a manor and refurbishing it to give it as a gift to him was going overboard, especially in view of their identities as 6-star master teachers. Such actions could easily make them theughingstock of the city. "Forget it. Since the other party has written my name on the deed, it should be a matter of time before they appear before me. Otherwise, wont their money have been spent in vain?" After a moment longer of pondering, Zhang Xuan was unable to figure out who it was, so he decided to just put it aside for the time being. Considering the amount of money invested into purchasing and renovating the manor, it would be foolish for the person in question not to im credit for their actions. "Teacher, are we going to move into the manor then?" Luo Qiqi asked. "Not yet. Since the deed is registered under my name, the person behind this shoulde to look for me once the refurbishment is done. At that moment, we shall move into the manor openly!" Zhang Xuan gestured. Since it was already his manor, there was no need for him to worry about the matter anymore. But just to be safe, it would be best for him to meet the person behind it first to confirm their intentions before doing anything. "Alright!" Luo Qiqi nodded. "Sun Qiang, tell Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang that they can stop looking for a residence," Zhang Xuan instructed. "Yes, Young Master!" Sun Qiang replied. "Alright, lets return to the academy then!" Since the owner of the manor was confirmed to be him, his job here was done. After issuing several instructions to Sun Qiang, he returned back to the academy with Luo Qiqi and Hu Yaoyao. As soon as he returned back to his residence in the Elite Sector, he went to his room and began meditating. After conditioning his body for around four hours, his fatigue finally vanished. Turning his sight outside, he realized that it was already the middle of the night. The sky felt a little heavy and gloomy that night. As if someone had pulled a ck veil across the sky, there was not a single star or moon to be seen. Since I am free at the moment, I should pay the Physician School a visit to read their books! Zhang Xuan thought. Ever since the previous treatment for Wei Ruyan, he realized that his knowledge regarding the Way of Medicine was stillcking, so he had been thinking about paying a visit to the library of the Physician School. The more knowledge he rued, the better chance he stood at saving Wei Ruyan. Thus, without any hesitation, he drew out his soul, and he began making his way to the Physician School. From the incident with Wei Ranxue, he had learned that even in his form as a soul, he still had to operate carefully due to the presence of Saint realm experts in the academy. Thus, he advanced slowly, and it took him an hour before he was able to get into the vicinity of the Tower of Physicians. The library is over there... While Zhang Xuan was in the Physician School earlier, he had made sure to take a look around to confirm the location of the library. Thus, it didnt take long before he reached his destination The gigantic building he was currently floating before emanated a solemn and academic aura. Just like the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, entry into its premises required a student token and Academic Credits. Thus, Zhang Xuan waited patiently outside. Unlike the Terpsichore School, the Physician School was ranked fifth in the academy, and it had several ten thousand students under it. As such, there were many students who visited the library each day, so the wait shouldnt take too long. As expected, a few minutester, a student walked out from the entrance. Making use of this opportunity, Zhang Xuans soul slipped in. Upon entering the library, an incredible collection of books immediately appeared before his eyes. "Alright, I should begin!" Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan started scanning through the books with his eyes, and books began materializing in the Library of Heavens Path at an incredible speed. ... When Zhang Xuan went back to the Master Teacher Academy, Sun Qiang also returned to their residence. When night fell, he saw Wang Ying and the others returning with their heads hanging in disappointment. It was a difficult feat, searching for a suitable residence in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Academy. Otherwise, Sun Qiang would have already found something by now. "Where is Young Master Zheng Yang? He didnt return with you all?" Just as Sun Qiang was about to tell them that there was no need to search any longer, he suddenly realized that Zheng Yang was missing, and he frowned. "We dont know either. We separated in the morning to scour the area for a suitable residence, and I only met Wang Ying on the way back. However, there should be no need to worry. He is probably on his way back," Liu Yang replied. "Zheng Yang is a wary person, and he has inherited teachers heritage. He should be fine!" Wang Ying nodded. Of Zhang Xuans direct disciples, the one who had the strongest adaptability was Yuan Tao, followed by Zheng Yang. It would already be a blessing to the world if he didnt attempt to do anyone in; how could anything possibly happen to him? While they were speaking, a figure walked into the courtyard. Who else could it be if not Zheng Yang? "Uncle Qiang!" Zheng Yang rushed up with excitement gleaming in his eyes. Seeing Zheng Yangs expression, Sun Qiang asked doubtfully, "Did you find a residence?" "Thats not it... Its just that I encountered something today, and I wish to discuss it with you!" Zheng Yang scratched his head in embarrassment. "Discuss with me? What is it?" Sun Qiang asked. Zhang Xuan had left his students in Sun Qiangs care, so they would often turn to Sun Qiang for most decisions. "Its like this... While I was outside, I met a person who is interested in learning spearmanship from me. I wish to take him in as my disciple and allow him to stay here for a few days. Is that fine?" Zheng Yang asked embarrassedly. "You wish to take in a student?" Sun Qiang widened his eyes in shock. You are still a student yourself, but you wish to ept a student? "Thats right. I saw that that fellow possessed quite a high aptitude in spearmanship, so I gave him some pointers casually. Who would have thought that he would insist on acknowledging me as his teacher afterward? He even gave him quite a sum as a school fee... Seeing how sincere he was, I couldnt bear to turn him down," Zheng Yang said hesitantly. When he was out looking for a residence earlier in the day, he coincidentally stumbled upon a bullying incident, and out of rage, he drew his spear and taught the bullies a lesson. A young man happened to catch sight of him in action, and impressed by what he saw, the other party insisted on learning spearmanship from him. After studying diligently under Zhang shi over the past half a year, Zheng Yangs spearmanship had already reached an unfathomable level. Upon hearing that someone was interested in learning from him, he couldnt help but offer him a few words of guidance. To his surprise, that young man was extremely intelligent,prehending what he imparted in an instant. Even though his spearmanship was still a little weak, it was fortunate that his foundations were still considerably solid. As a result, Zheng Yangs interest in taking the other party as his disciple was piqued. However... considering that he was still a student himself, he felt that he should discuss this with his teacher first. But since this teacher wasnt around, the second-best option would be Uncle Qiang. "He paid you a school fee? How much?" Sun Qiang asked. "It is all in here!" Zheng Yang passed a storage ring over. Perplexed, Sun Qiang took the storage ring and had a look inside. The next instant, his eyes widened in shock. "Twenty thousand middle-tier spirit stones? And so many pills as well... Is this the school fee he paid to acknowledge you as his teacher?" Other than the twenty thousand middle-tier spirit stones, there were various herbs and other misceneous stuff inside as well. Totaling the entire value of the items in the ring, there were definitely at least fifty thousand middle-tier spirit stones... The other party had paid so much money to learn spearmanship from Zheng Yang? Just where in the world did Zheng Yang find such a wealthyd? "Thats right. I wish to take him in as my student... but I fear that Teacher will disagree with it. Uncle Qiang, please help me convince my teacher about this..." "Dont worry! Given the school fee... Ahem! As a master teacher, the young master surely wishes to spread his teachings far and wide, so you dont have to worry about it!" Sun Qiang smiled. After the time he had spent with the young master, how could he possibly not know thetters character? As long as one was willing to fork out sufficient money... Putting aside a single disciple, he would even ept an army of them without any hesitation! Chapter 794: The Excited Xue Zhenyang Chapter 794: The Excited Xue Zhenyang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Thats great!" Hearing that there was no problem about it, Zheng Yang heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly turned to the entrance excitedly and said, "Come in!" "Yes!" Hearing those words, a young man wielding a spear walked into the residence. His aura felt condensed and sharp, reminiscent of a de piercing into the heavens. In his early thirties, the young man had sharp facial features which gave him a masculine appearance. "Uncle Qiang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang, this is the student I have epted!" Zheng Yang introduced. "Student Xue Zhenyang pays respect to seniors!" the young man greeted with a sped fist. "Xue Zhenyang? Your cultivation... seems to be considerably higher than Zhenyang, isnt it? Why did you choose to acknowledge him as your teacher?" Sun Qiang frowned. While he wasnt able to gauge the exact level of the other partys cultivation, he could tell that it was definitely far above Zheng Yangs. Why would an expert of his strength acknowledge a young child as his teacher? "Even though my cultivation is higher than Zhengoshi, myprehension of spearmanship is far beneath him. Its my honor to be able to learn from someone as capable as him!" Xue Zhenyang said respectfully. Naturally, this was the same Xue Zhenyang from the Master Teacher Academy, the leader of the True Helios Faction, as well as the fellow who was determined to challenge Zhang Xuan. Having decided to devote his heart to master the 10-dan of the Fallen Leaf Spear, he left the Master Teacher Academy to embark on a training expedition, and in the midst of doing so, he unintentionally caught sight of Zheng Yangs spearmanship. While thetters cultivation was far beneath his, his understanding of spearmanship had already achieved the level of Spear-Man Union, harnessing immense might. In a brief conversation with the other party, he realized that thettersprehension of spearmanship had already achieved the level of Distition of the Profound, a direct interpretation of the peak of spear art. As a result, he couldnt help but want to learn from him. He could see that if he were to learn diligently under the other partys tutge, he would be able to grasp the 10-dan of the Fallen Leaf Spear perfectly very soon. By then, he would be able to destroy Zhang Xuan and restore the honor of the True Helios Faction! It was never a humiliation for a master teacher to learn from someone weaker or younger. On the contrary, there had been many of such cases in history. In the philosophy of master teachers, students are not necessarily inferior to their teacher, and teachers are not necessarily greater than their students. Each and every person has their own strengths, and it is the one proficient in the field that bes the teacher. Even Kong shi had studied under those weaker than him, needless to say, other master teachers. "I see!" Sun Qiang nodded. As the butler of the old master and the young master, he had a rough understanding of the various doctrines of the master teachers too. Considering that Zheng Yang was a direct disciple of the young master, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to teach a nobody. "For the time being, you dont have to look for our residence anymore, so just focus your effort on your cultivation. Zheng Yang, its fine if you want to impart him spearmanship. Ill report this matter to the young master for you!" Seeing that the other fellow was sincere in wanting to acknowledge Zheng Yang as his teacher, Sun Qiang decided to let them be. "Un!" Zheng Yang nodded before turning to Xue Zhenyang, "Study diligently for the next few days. Once you reach a satisfactory level, I will bring you to meet my teacher. Hisprehension of spearmanship is at least ten times more formidable than me, so dont you embarrass me!" As he spoke those words, admiration gleamed in his eyes. "Teacher, rest assured! I will study diligently so as to not disappoint grandteacher!" Xue Zhenyang nodded his head in agitation. It was no wonder why people say that the true experts live in the streets. Just a random person he met in the streets already possessed such formidable spearmanship, and he even had a teacher who was ten times more formidable than him... As long as he were to pursue this teacher of his, he had no doubt that he would be able to achieve the 10-dan of Fallen Spear Art soon, and perhaps... he might even find himself reaching a level he had never thought to be possible! "Un. I will be sparring with your Senior Aunt Wang Ying now, so do watch closely to see how I utilize my spear in the battle!" Zheng Yang said as he drew his spear. Battle techniques werent just aboutprehending its form and intent. More importantly, one must learn how to incorporate it into battle as well. As such, sparring was the best way to deepen ones understanding of battle techniques. "Roger!" Xue Zhenyang nodded excitedly. "Wang Ying, Ill be troubling you..." With a swift movement, Zheng Yangs spear suddenly pierced right for Wang Ying with a sharp whiz. As fellow students, they often sparred with one another, and they were extremely familiar with each others strength and battle techniques. Upon seeing the pierce, Wang Ying smiled lightly, and with a swift step, her figure vanished like an apparition, dodging the spear. Hu! Following which, as swift as lightning, Wang Ying sent a kick right for Zheng Yangs spear. Even though she was executing a battle technique, her movements carried a peculiar elegance to them, reminiscent of a butterfly threading amongst flowers. "What a formidable movement art and leg art..." Xue Zhenyang widened his eyes in astonishment. His Senior Aunt Wang Yings cultivation might be far beneath him, but her mastery of leg art and movement art were far above those teachers of the Martial Arts School. In fact... he even doubted whether his teacher, the head of the Martial Arts School, School Head Xu Changqing, would be able to execute such a move as well. Her movements were simple, but every single aspect of it, be it the timing, trajectory, or force, was wless. He had never seen anything like this before! Hu hu hu hu! The duo soonpleted their sparring. In the process, Xue Zhenyang stared at every single action they made carefully, not daring to even blink for fear of missing the slightest detail. In this battle, both sides were incredible. The spearmanship, movement art, and leg art utilized in the battle had left his heart thumping with excitement and awe, as if a new world had opened before him. "Zheng Yang, why dont we give it a go too?" Liu Yang stepped in and asked with a smile. This was the first time any of them had epted a student, and for someone as young as they were, it was inevitable that they would be tempted to show off before the other partys student. "Sure!" Zheng Yang agreed to it heartily. Raising his spear once more, he charged at Liu Yang. Xue Zhenyang hurriedly turned his attention to the duel, curious to see what his Senior Uncle Liu Yang was capable of. Unlike Senior Aunt Wang Ying, Senior Uncle Liu Yang couldnt move at unbelievable speed, and he didnt seem to specialize in leg art either. However, what was incredible about him was the sheer might of his fist. Before the attack of Zheng Yangoshi could strike him, he had already sent out a powerful punch aimed precisely to jolt away Zheng Yangs spear. Zhenqi burst from his acupoints, and his fist hustled forward with the roar of a tiger. "What a formidable fist art... Given the same cultivation realm, even Yuan Gang, who specializes in fist art, wouldnt survive a single strike from him..." Xue Zhenyang was overwhelmed by agitation. He thought that it would take him some time before he could gain a greater insight into spearmanship andprehend higher tier battle techniques. Who could have thought that in the very first day of his journey, he had already met so many formidable people. Even though the teacher, Senior Uncle, and Senior Aunt whom he had just acknowledged werent as strong as him, their understanding of battle techniques had far surpassed most master teachers in the academy. Perhaps, even surpassing some of the elders as well! Unbelievable! Soon, after his teacher and Senior Uncle Liu Yang was done sparring, the duo smiled at one another before turning to Xue Zhenyang, "How is it?" "Teacher, Senior Uncle, and Senior Aunt, if it isnt too much, I... have a request to ask of you." Taking a deep breath, Xue Zhenyang suppressed his agitation and bowed with sp fist. "Oh?" Seeing Xue Zhenyangs grim expression, everyone immediately pricked their ears in curiosity. "Its like that... I have established a faction, and most of my followers are interested in battle techniques, spending most of their life devoted to the study martial arts. If it isnt too much, may I invite teacher, Senior Aunt, and Senior Uncle to conduct a few lectures for them to impart them the essence of battle techniques?" Xue Zhenyang asked nervously. "Lecture?" Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang nced at one another with a distressed look on their faces. "We are not master teachers, how can we lecture?" In the Master Teacher Continent, lecture was a word that was usually associated with only master teachers. They might possess a deep understanding of battle techniques, but to lecture others despite not being a master teacher... Wouldnt they be overstepping their boundaries if so? "Even though you arent master teachers, you have reached a level of mastery in your field of battle techniques which most master teachers would never achieve in their lifetime. Even though it might not be much, Ill have my followers pay a school fee for the lecture as a token of our sincerity..." After a moment of hesitation, Xue Zhenyang said. If he could invite the three of them to his faction to lecture his followers, the fighting prowess of his followers would surely soar. If so, it would be a matter of time before the True Helios Faction became the number one faction in the academy! With that, he would be able to cleanse the humiliation he had suffered from Zhang Xuan. "School fee? How much?" Before Wang Ying and the others could respond, Sun Qiang, who had been listening to the conversation by the side, asked with an excited gleam in his eyes. As the butler of the group, he was in charge of in charge of the finances and logistics of the group. Naturally, he understood the importance of money as well. Currently, the spirit stones earned by the young master wasnt even enough to sustain his cultivation. It was about time for them to step up and provide for themselves. If Wang Ying and the others could make use of this opportunity to earn a bit of money, they would be able to ovee the current financial crisis they were suffering from. The young master would surely be more than delighted to see this. "This... I will have each of them pay a hundred middle-tier spirit stones to you. I have a total of 500 followers, so it should add up to fifty thousand middle-tier spirit stones..." Xue Zhenyang said. The True Helios Faction was a famous faction in the academy, with over two thousand members under theirmand. However, the only ones whose field of specialty collided with these three probably only numbered five hundred. "Five hundred? A hundred from each person?" Sun Qiangs eyes lit up. Through a single event, they could earn more than fifty thousand middle-tier spirit stones! "I see... Why dont we set the price a two hundred, and not only will they impart the essence of battle techniques, they will also decipher the foundation of cultivation. Dont worry, I can guarantee you that this is a deal you wont regret it!" After a moment of contemtion, Sun Qiang said. "Foundation of cultivation?" Xue Zhenyang was taken aback. "Thats right. Wang Ying, tell him a bit about the cultivation method of Prolonged Longevity realm!" Sun Qiang nodded. "Yes!" Wang Ying nodded, and after organizing her thoughts for a moment, she began to speak. Prolonged Longevity realm was the first dan of Transcendent Mortal, and itid the foundation for all of the realms toe. If cultivated improperly, not only would ones further progress slow, it might even create an invisible cap on the persons eventual aplishment! Wang Ying hadnt read many books on the topic before, but as a cultivator of a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art and having learned directly from Zhang Xuan, her understanding of the subject had reached an astonishing level. With just a few words from her, Xue Zhenyangs body was already convulsing with excitement. The proposed cultivation method allowed the cultivator to first built a strong foundation before delving deeper into the cultivation realm, creating an extremely stable base... Not even the greatest teacher in the academy coulde up with something as ingenious as that! It could be said that this cultivation method close to perfection. Just by hearing a small portion of it, Xue Zhenyang had already benefitted greatly from the impartation. "This is wonderful! If my followers can listen to this as well, they would be able to reinforce their foundation and cultivate even faster!" The more Xue Zhenyang thought about it, the more agitated he became. He immediately turned to look at Wang Ying and the others in agitation, as if he was looking at a mountain of gold. Even though he had no idea what master teacher could groom such talented students, there was one thing he did know... The rise of the True Helios Faction was on the horizon! If his followers could listen to their lecture as well, not only would the members of the True Helios Faction enjoy tremendous progress in their cultivation and understanding of battle techniques, the True Helios Faction would also be able to attract a steady stream of students applying for it! With this, he would be able to rise over the others and reach the top! "Hahaha, Zhang Xuan! Lets see how you canpete with this!" Xue Zhenyangs eyes lit up with excitement, and for a brief moment, he could almost see the radiant future of the True Helios Faction before him. Chapter 795: Nothing Must Happen To You! Chapter 795: Nothing Must Happen To You! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "How is it? This decipher of the foundations of cultivation is worth two hundred middle-tier spirit stones, right?" Seeing Xue Zhenyangs expression, Sun Qiang could immediately tell that he was drawn to the content of Wang Yings words, so he pushed on with a smile. He had absolute confidence with the old master and the young masters interpretation of cultivation. Since the old master was able to make so many formidable master teachers submit him, surely winning over a nobody like the other party should be a walk in the park for his grandstudent? "Worth, it is definitely worth two hundred middle-tier spirit stones!" Xue Zhenyang nodded vehemently. "Good. So as we have agreed, each lecture conducted by Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang will cost two hundred middle-tier spirit stones for each person. I will have to ask you to first prepare the spirit stones in advance before the lecture, or else... Im afraid that well have to drop the matter!" As a true merchant, Sun Qiang was determined to wring the greatest benefit out of any deal he made. "Two hundred middle-tier spirit stones per lecture?" Xue Zhenyangs lips twitched violently. Nevertheless, he still nodded swiftly, "Alright!" Master teachers did conduct public lectures from time to time, and the price they charged tended to be on the pricey side. Considering the deepprehension of cultivation and battle techniques that the three of them possessed, charging two hundred middle-tier spirit stones could already be considered as cheap. When Kong shi first established the Master Teacher Pavilion, while his ideology was to enlighten the masses and bring humanity to greater heights, his intent wasnt to impart everything unreservedly to everyone. Otherwise, he wouldnt pass down his heritage to only the 72 Sages. It was said that Kong shis initial intent regarding the Master Teacher Pavilion was indeed essible knowledge without discrimination. However, there was an event where a student had misinterpreted his cultivation technique and imparted his wed interpretation on to many talented geniuses, resulting in their eventual downfall. Considering the profoundness of battle techniques, it was extremely easy for one to veer down the wrong path without proper guidance from a teacher. Knowledge is as destructive as it is beneficial. This was also the intent behind the saying knowledge is not to be divulged indiscriminately, and skills are not to be passed down easily. Master teachers were humans as well, they had limited time and energy on their hands. Thus, they could only focus their efforts on a few students at a time to pass their true heritage down to. This was also the reason why there was the eventual ssification of direct disciple, normal student, listening in, and half-teacher. From that perspective, conducting public lectures could be considered as an additional service performed by master teachers, and master teachers did require money as well. Thus, it became a convention to charge a fee for such public lectures. "Good! Well leave the arrangements to you then! When will the lecture be?" Seeing Xue Zhenyang agree to it, Sun Qiang nodded in satisfaction. Just as they were frustrating over theck of money, the other party came and delivered a carriage of it to them. He sure was a good man! However, this was indeed a viable source of ie. If they were to find themselves tight on their finances at any moment, they could just conduct public lectures, and money would start rolling in... "It would be best for it to be done as soon as possible! Is tomorrow morning fine?" Xue Zhenyang asked. Since this was an opportunity for the True Helios Faction to soar, it would be best for it to be done as soon as possible! "Morning?" Not expecting the other party to be so anxious, Sun Qiang hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Thats fine as well!" This wasnt a serious matter anyway, so it shouldnt be a problem. He could just report it to the young master once it was over. "Great! I will bring you all to the Master Teacher Academy with me tomorrow morning then!" Hearing the other party agree to it, Xue Zhenyang nodded in excitement. "Master Teacher Academy?" Hearing those words, everyone leaped in shock. Sun Qiang asked in astonishment, "You are... a master teacher?" "Indeed!" Xue Zhenyang nodded. "This..." Everyone nced at one another with a troubled look on their faces. They had thought the other party was a nobody, but to think that he would be a student from the Master Teacher Academy... Young master was currently in the academy as well. Wouldnt it be bad for them to conduct a lesson there without asking for his permission? "Uncle Qiang, what do we do?" Everyones gaze gathered on Sun Qiang, and Zheng Yang sent a telepathic message over. "This... It shouldnt be anything much, I think... So what if the ones you are going to lecture to are master teachers? There are plenty of master teachers out there who have submitted to the old master. Isnt even Pavilion Master Mo filled with admiration for him as well? As the grandstudent of such a figure, theres nothing for you to be afraid of! As long as you exin the concepts the young master has imparted you carefully, there shouldnt be any problem!" After a moment of hesitation, Sun Qiang replied with gritted teeth. What about the Master Teacher Academy? He had never feared anything before, so why should he fear it? It was the other party who was inviting them over to conduct a lecture, not that they were forcing the other party into it. Moreover, to allow money that was nearly in their pockets to slip away... "Then... on teachers side..." Wang Ying asked worriedly. "Leave the young master to me, you just have to focus your effort on conducting the lecture... As long as you do a good job, the young master shouldnt have any objections to the matter!" Sun Qiang replied. Given the dire state of their finances, surely beggars couldnt be choosers? It wasnt easy for them to meet a God of Fortune. It would be a huge shame if they were to let this opportunity slip past their fingers. The young master should be able to understand the rationale of their action. "Alright... Teacher has been taking care of us all along, its time for us to do something for him!" Wang Ying and the others clenched their fists tightly. The resources for their cultivation had alwayse from their teacher. Since this was a rare opportunity to give back to him, it was natural that they would be excited to do so. "Its decided then. Xue Zhenyang, you should rest here tonight. Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang will follow you to the Master Teacher Academy tomorrow!" Havinge to a decision, Sun Qiang turned to Xue Zhenyang and said. "Roger!" Xue Zhenyang nodded excitedly. ... Hu! After several hours, Zhang Xuan finally finished taking in all of the books in the library of the Physician School into the Library of Heavens Path, and he heaved a sigh of relief. After which, making use of the opportunity of another students entrance, he slipped out of the library and returned back to his residence. "Compile!" With a thought, the books came together and formed six books, ranging from 1-star to 6-star. Since he was already a 4-star physician, there was no purpose in reading the earlier books. Thus, he picked up the fifth book straight. Hu! The content of the book flowed into Zhang Xuans head, and he swiftly began assimting the knowledge. It took a while before he was able to fullyprehend the wisdom contained within the book. Following which, he turned to the sixth book. An hourter, he was done assimting the knowledge within it as well. After that, he went back to browse through the earlier four books, and as he had expected, their crux was simr to what he hadpiled earlier. "Right now, my knowledge in the Way of Medicine should be on par with 6-star pinnacle physicians..." After he was finally done studying the six Heavens Path Physician Art manuals, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. Zhang Xuans current knowledge in the Way of Medicine ranked at the very peak of 6-star pinnacle. Even the head of the Physician School would be no match for him, and he might even be able to rival some of the less proficient 7-star physicians too. "Wei Ruyans illness..." With the advancement in his understanding of the Way of Medicine, Zhang Xuan began pondering over Wei Ruyans illness once more. But after some time, he eventually shook his head. The youngdy was struck a heavy blow while she was still in the womb, resulting in her suffering from a Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood. Her condition was simply too weak that there was nothing he could do other than to nourish her soul and physical body. "As long as I obtain the Ten-leafed Flower and pair it with some additional medicinal herb toplement its effects, I should be able to hasten the recovery of her soul." Vice School Head You Xus Ten-leafed Flower hadnt matured yet, so its effects wouldnt reach ideality. However, with Zhang Xuans newfound knowledge, he would be able toplement the Ten-leafed Flower with several other medicinal herbs to boost its effectiveness. "Yet another night has passed!" Putting aside those thoughts from his mind, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily as he walked out of his room, only to realize that the sky had already lit up. The rays of the sun fell upon the courtyard, reflecting a brilliant gold on the ground. "Teacher!" After eating breakfast, Zhang Xuan was just about to head out when Luo Qiqi walked into the residence. "You came at a good timing. Theres something that I forgot to ask you yesterday!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile as he suddenly recalled something that he had neglected yesterday. He had been too shocked upon learning that the manor where Wu Yangzis old residence was situated at belonged to him that he forgot to ask Luo Qiqi about that matter. "Teacher, please speak!" Luo Qiqi said with a perplexed expression. "Have you heard of the Cloudmist Flower before?" Zhang Xuan asked. He had noticed some peculiarities in Wei Changfeng yesterday, but he had shrugged it off thinking that it shouldnt be a problem for him as a Saint realm expert. However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that things werent that simple. "Cloudmist Flower? Is teacher referring to the flowers that grow on the Cloudmist Ridge which can be processed into tea leaves?" Luo Qiqi pondered for a moment before replying. "Yes, thats it!" He hadnt heard of the Cloudmist Ridge before, but Wei Changfeng did say that the Cloudmist Flower could be dried to serve as tea leaf, and the tea brewed from it produced billowing clouds and had a refreshing fragrance, making it a sought-after product. "ording to what I have heard from Yu Fei-er, the Cloudmist Flower is a very preciousmodity. Not only is it rare, it is very difficult to harvest it as well. Even if one were to take the entire Hongyuan Empire into ount, there is barely a few stalks of it. Even the royal family will only use it to wee esteemed guests of the empire!" Luo Qiqi replied after a moment of contemtion. "Its so rare?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A momentter, a frown emerged on his face as he asked, "You mentioned that its very difficult to harvest earlier, what does that mean?" "The Cloudmist Ridge is located in the midst of Hongyuan Mountain Range, and it is home to countless spirit beasts and saint beasts. Any human that steps into the Cloudmist Ridge will suffer their ferocious assaults, making it a dangerous territory to tread. Even a master of beast taming such as School Head Mo wouldnt dare to venture too deep into it!" Luo Qiqi said. "This is also the reason why the Cloudmist Ridge is ssified as a Forbidden Land!" "Forbidden Land?" Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat as hisplexion turned awful. "Indeed!" Seeing Zhang Xuans expression, Luo Qiqi asked doubtfully, "Whats wrong, teacher?" "If a Saint realm expert were to enter the Cloudmist Ridge to harvest a Cloudmist Flower, what will happen?" Zhang Xuan asked anxiously with a sharp glint in his eyes. "A Saint realm expert? The odds are that he wont be able to return alive. Even the stock of Cloudmist Flowers that the Hongyuan Empire royal family possesseses from asional expeditions with over a dozen Saint realm experts in the team. Even so, they dare not to venture too deep to harvest more for fear of their life. How could a single Saint realm expert survive in suchnds alone? He would surely be killed!" Luo Qiqi shook her head. "Surely be killed? Damn it!" Zhang Xuans fists shook uncontrobly. He finally understood why Wei Changfengsplexion would look so awful after hearing about the Cloudmist Flower. It seemed like he knew the dangers associated with it! "That exins why that darned You Xu changed his mind... So thats what hes going for!" Zhang Xuan said with a livid face. An aura reminiscent of the brewing of a tempest gathered around him, ready to burst at any moment. "Teacher..." Luo Qiqis body stiffened upon seeing his state. Ever since she first met her teacher, thetter had been able to keep his calm regardless of how bad the situation before him was. Back then, in the underground chamber, when the both of them were in dire straits, he was still able to deal with it withposure. Yet, seeing him in such a state... Just what could have happened? "Im fine!" Seeing the worried gaze of the youngdy before him, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before asking, "Where is the Cloudmist Ridge?" "The Cloudmist Ridge is around a thousand li 1 east from here. Its name is derived from the clouds that shroud it all year round, making it a conspicuousndmark!" Luo Qiqi said. "Ill be going out for a moment!" Upon learning the location, Zhang Xuan immediately rushed out of his residence and began running. At the same time, he sent a telepathic message out, and not too longter, the Great Violetwing Beast appeared before him. Leaping onto its back, they headed eastward. Wei Changfeng, since you have pledged your allegiance to me, I wont allow anything to happen to you! Chapter 796: For What? Chapter 796: For What? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Great Violetwing Beast was capable of flying at an incredible speed. The distance of a thousand li was covered swiftly. In the meandering Hongyuan Mountain Range, a towering mountain was shrouded amidst clouds. The sun rays falling on it refracted to form a brilliant myriad of colors. Apanied with the rich spiritual energy on the grounds and the asional calls of beasts and fowls, it felt like a heavenly realm. "So this is the Cloudmist Ridge!" Recalling Luo Qiqis introduction, Zhang Xuan stared at it with a grave expression. Even before reaching, he could already feel the concentrated spiritual energy spilling from it, as if a natural Spirit Gathering Formation had been erected on the mountain. Without a doubt, such a blessednd would have countless powerful spirit beasts and saint beasts on it. "I need to speed up!" Knowing that Wei Changfeng might be in danger at this very moment, Zhang Xuan urged the Great Violetwing Beast forward. However, as they reached the foot of the mountain, the Great Violetwing Beast seemed to have felt some kind of fearsome aura which rendered it unwilling to advance forward regardless of what he said. Thus, he could only have it wait at the bottom of the mountain while he ventured up alone. "Eye of Insight!" Activating the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings carefully as he advanced forward to search for Wei Changfengs trail. The Cloudmist Ridge might only be a portion of Hongyuan Mountain Range, but nevertheless, it still extended over several hundred kilometers. On top of that, visibility here was also impaired by the clouds drifting in the area. If Zhang Xuan were to search randomly, it would be unlikely for him to find the other party even if he were given a year. By then, the other party would have been long dead. "Hm? I cant find his trail?" After scanning the region, Zhang Xuan was unable to find anything at all, and his eyebrows shot up. Logically speaking, considering that Wei Changfeng had only set off a day earlier than him, he should be able to pick up his trail through the Eye of Insight easily. Yet, to be unable to find anything at all... what was happening? "Wei Changfeng must have intentionally erased his trail..." After a moment of thought, the truth dawned on Zhang Xuan. Considering that he was venturing into and filled with saint beasts, if he were to leave behind any trail, the enemy could use it to track him, and he would be ced in an extremely dangerous position. Realizing this, Wei Changfeng must have intentionally erased his trail so as to avoid the attention of the saint beasts. "How do I find him now?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He thought that he would be able to find the other partys trail easily with the Eye of Insight, but given the current circumstances, how was he to save Wei Changfeng? If he were to search aimlessly, it was more likely that he would get lost before he could even find Wei Changfeng. "Right!" Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind, and he took out the football-sized object from his storage ring. Myriad Anthive Nest! In terms of finding something, there was nothing more efficient than this fellow! Hu! The Myriad Anthive Queen appeared before Zhang Xuan. Over the past few days, it seemed to have be much thinner, and its body was distorted like a fried dough biscuit. "What happened to you?" Seeing its state, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. On the other hand, the Myriad Anthive Queens eyes flew around the ce in fury. Dont you know very well what happened to me? You forcefully stuffed the Byzantium Helios Beast into my nest, leaving me to squeeze with that huge fellow. If it wasnt for the blessing of the heavens, I might have already been squeezed to death! But as frustrated as the Myriad Anthive Queen was, she didnt dare toin to Zhang Xuan. "Alright, the reason why I brought you out is to have you scout the Cloudmist Ridge for me. I want to find a person!" Knowing that this wasnt the time to be concerned with the state of the Myriad Anthive Queen, Zhang Xuan instructed. The Myriad Anthive Queen nodded, and opening its mouth, it breathed out a round ball. Weng weng weng! The ball grewrger andrger before abruptly bursting, and countless Myriad Anthive Ants burst forth from it, infiltrating the surroundings inconspicuously. "Master, there is no sign of any humans in the area!" A few minutester, the Myriad Anthive Queen reported. "No sign?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Search the area further up the mountain. At the same time, keep a lookout for the saint beasts as well. The moment you find any, report it to me immediately!" There might be many saint beasts in the area, but it was highly likely that they had segmented the mountain amongst them. As long as they could find the saint beast in charge of the territory they were treading through and avoid it, they should be able to avoid danger. "Yes!" the Myriad Anthive Queen nodded. Using its unique ability, it ryed the orders to the Myriad Anthive Ants. "Lets advance up the mountain!" Soon, after the Myriad Anthive Queen was done analyzing the beasts in the area, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The strongest beast at the foot of the mountain was only at Ethereal Treading realm. There was no saint beast yet. With this intelligence, Zhang Xuan advanced up the mountain with the Myriad Anthive Queen using the safe path found by the Myriad Anthive Ants. "Master, there seem to be some traces of a fight ahead..." After advancing some distance, the Myriad Anthive Queen suddenly sent a telepathic message over. "Are there any corpses?" Zhang Xuan asked. "There is no human corpse there!" Knowing what Zhang Xuan was worried about, the Myriad Anthive Queen replied. "Bring me over," Zhang Xuan said grimly. "Alright!" The Myriad Anthive Queen pointed the direction where the battle had urred, and Zhang Xuan flew over discreetly. Soon, he arrived in an area where marks of battle could be seen. Activating the Eye of Insight, he scanned the surroundings carefully. The battle happened around ten to twelve hours ago... On top of those three Virescent Sound Beasts, I can also see traces of a human from the battle marks in the surroundings, Even though these Virescent Sound Beasts arent too strong, possessing only the cultivation of Perfect Harmonization realm, they possess exceptionally sharp noses. Most likely, they must have caught the scent of the human and followed it here, resulting in the eventual fight. "Two of them were struck dead in a single blow, but the final one managed to let out a howl in his moment of death. rmed, the human smashed its head swiftly in order to silence it. However, even though the Virescent Beast had only managed to let out a momentary shout, its sharp voice should have attracted the attention of plenty of spirit beasts. Soon, Zhang Xuan finished analyzing the details of the battle swiftly. Most likely, the human was Wei Changfeng. Even though the battle had ended swiftly, it had still ended up leaving a disturbance in the spiritual energy in the area. This was no different from having ones location exposed. Having rmed the saint beasts and spirit beasts in the area, the danger faced from venturing further in was greater than ever. He went in that direction! As Zhang Xuan analyzed the scene carefully, a gleam shed across his eyes as he found a trail left behind by Wei Changfeng while he was escaping, and he hurriedly followed it. Most likely, Wei Changfeng must have known that it was no longer of any use to hide his trail with his general location revealed. He would be easily uncovered if the beasts were tob the area. Under such circumstances, rather than wasting his time on clearing his trail, he decided that it would be better for him to escape as far as he could. However, it must be said that Wei Changfeng was truly an intelligent person. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the beasts caught up with him, he chose to take the narrow path up the mountain. Treading on the narrow path, the spirit beasts and saint beasts would be unable to exploit their numerical advantage against him. On top of that, the massive bodies of the beasts would hinder them on this narrow path, limiting the prowess they could exert. But naturally, there was a huge w in this course of action too. He might still be able to hold his ground at the start, but as his strength depletes battle after battle, he would find himself with nowhere to escape to, as though a noose was slowly tightening on his neck. Proceeding onward, Zhang Xuan saw quite a few dead spirit beasts along the path. Perfect Harmonization realm, Ethereal Treading realm, Chrysalis realm... As the strength of the spirit beasts rose, the battles grew more and more intense. A distanceter, Zhang Xuan finally stumbled upon a Half-Saint beasts carcass. It was a Darkface Steel Bear, and it was killed by a saber shing through its head. A Half-Saint has already appeared even though I havent reached the middle point of the ridge yet... and the beasts will only grow stronger the further up the mountain we proceed... , Zhang Xuan thought grimly. The more kills Wei Changfeng made, the more beasts he would attract. Even though he was a Saint realm expert, he would eventually reach the limit of his stamina. I should make haste! With an ominous feeling weighing on his heart, Zhang Xuan hurried forward. Perhaps all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts had been attracted by Wei Changfeng, or maybe the Myriad Anthive Queens informationwork was truly that effective, he had managed to steer clear of any beasts in his way forward. However, the deeper he ventured, the more intense his eyelid twitched. Soon, Zhang Xuan stopped at a battlefield. The surrounding fauna and flora had beenpletely tramped by the shockwave of battle. There was a massive depression that extended for over several hundred meters. In the depression, one could see a dense concentration of narrow sh marks and huge smash marks. All in all, it was aplete upheaval. There are three Nascent Saint realm cktail Fox! With the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan swiftly analyzed the surroundings, and his face darkened. Even though Nascent Saint realm cktail Foxes were no match for Wei Changfeng, they were known to be cunning and their expertise at conducting surprise assault. Based on the marks of battle, it seemed like Wei Changfeng had suffered considerable injuries in the fight as well. Zhang Xuan casually bent down and picked up a tattered piece of cloth on the ground. It was stained crimson with blood. This happened two hours ago... , Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Knowing that he was getting closer and closer to Wei Changfeng, he continued rushing ahead. Not too longter, he stumbled upon another battlefield. It was an even more intense battle this time. Two Saint realm beasts were lying on the floor, devoid of life. One of them had an arm hanging from the tip of its mouth, and until this point, fresh blood was still spilling from the end of the arm. Its Wei Changfengs arm! , Zhang Xuan widened his eyes as he recognized the arm before him. Assaulted by Saint realm beasts and having an arm torn off him, even if Wei Changfeng managed to ughter his opponent, it was unlikely for him to be able to proceed much further with all the injuries he had suffered in the battle. With a brief nce at the surroundings, he also realized that the ground was deeply stained with a humans blood. With such injuries, Wei Changfeng would die very soon if he wasnt treated. That fellow... Does he really need to go that far? Even if we fail to obtain the Cloudmist Flower, we can always find another alternative together... , Zhang Xuan sighed deeply inmentation. Encountering saint beasts with strengthparable to his, Wei Changfeng must have known that it was nigh impossible for him to pass them. Even if he did, it wasnt a guarantee that he would find the Cloudmist Flower, and it was impossible for him to return with the Cloudmist Flower in hand either. A person as smart as him should have known it was futile and suicidal for him to proceed on! Hurrying ahead, he advanced yet another several hundred meters and saw a saber stabbed deeply onto the cliff face along the path. The saber was dripping with blood, probably from the deceased saint beast encountered earlier. Through the various marks of battle, Zhang Xuan could tell that Wei Changfengs weapon was a Spirit pinnacle saber. Astonished, he hurried forward to pull the saber out. Its broken? Upon pulling it out, Zhang Xuan realized that the saber was already snapped into two. It seemed to have been cleanly sliced apart by some kind of unbelievably sharp weapon, and the entire patch in the surroundings was dyed red as well. For a Saint realm expert to have its Spirit pinnacle weapon snapped in battle, just what did Wei Changfeng encounter? Taking a swift scan of the surroundings, Zhang Xuan suddenly rushed forward, bent down, and picked up a clump of thick hair from the ground. This is the hair of a... Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle Ancient Ape? , Zhang Xuans face darkened as if the underside of a pot. Wei Changfengs cultivation was only at Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage. Given his current fighting prowess, it would be difficult for him to match even a Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage saint beast, not to mention a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle Ancient Ape... He is in true danger this time around. Itll be difficult for him to survive... , Zhang Xuan thought worriedly as he rushed ahead. As long as Wei Changfeng gave up at this point, he might still stand a chance at escaping. Just what was it that made him push on despite sustaining such severe injuries? Chapter 797: This is a Fathers Love Chapter 797: This is a Fathers Love Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Deep in the Cloudmist Ridge. Peng peng peng peng! A figure was knocked back and crashed heavily into the cliff face. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and blood was spilling from his mouth. He had lost a hand, and most of his bones had snapped from the many intense battles he had fought. Breathing raggedly, it felt as if he was just clutching to the final flicker of his life. The enemy he was facing was a massive ape-like saint beast. It had a pitch-ck body and enormous fists, and it possessed fearsome strength to fit its stature. "I have not taken the Cloudmist Flower, I cant die just yet!" Clenching his teeth, he pulled himself out from the cliff face through sheer resolution, and with his gaze fixated in the distance, he immediately charged over. "Damn it!" Seeing how that fellow was still persisting on, the ape snorted heavily and charged at the man once more. Upon reaching the level of a saint beast, the ape was already capable of speaking human speech. It had encountered the human an hour ago, and considering that the other party was a Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage cultivation, he thought that he should be able to easily send the other party fleeing with fear with a strike of its fist. Who could have thought that the other party would disregard his injuries entirely and charge on resolutely, as if he was in a trance? Pursuing the human, it had alreadynded over twenty clean punches on him. With the incredible might of its fists, even a fellow Saint realm pinnacle beast would have sumbed by now. But no matter how many blows itnded on him, he just couldnt be stopped. Hong long! With a swift leap, the ape smashed that human into the ground, shattering innumerable bones in his body further. Pu pu pu! The human spewed yet another mouthful of fresh blood with so much force that it felt as if he would spew his innards out as well. The ape thought that he had finally defeated the human with this blow, but the other party abruptly leaped out from the ground in the next moment and trudged on. "Just what is that fellow up to?" The ape couldntprehend the humans persistence. All lifeforms, be it human or beast, carried a natural deference for life. They were driven by a natural tendency for survival, and they would do anything they could to clutch on to life. Yet, that fellow rushed forward adamantly with no regard for his life. "Soon... I will reach the area where the Cloudmist Flowers grow soon..." Paying no heed to the Ancient Ape, Wei Changfeng nced at the surroundings as a spark of hope lit in his ck eyes. He was thinking that he would sneak onto the mountain, harvest a stalk of Cloudmist Flower, and leave quietly, but who could have thought that he would be so unlucky as to be spotted by the Virescent Voice Beast so early in, drawing in powerful beasts to him. To be honest, as the boss of the Spirit Emporium, Wei Changfeng possessed many unique artifacts that would have allowed him to escape even from the Saint 1-dan pinnacle Ancient Ape. But... if he were to do that, it would be impossible for him to make it within the two day deadline that You Xu set. He needed the Cloudmist Flower to trade for the Ten-leafed Flower in order to save his daughters life. For that goal, even if death was at the very end of the path, he would tread on it without any hesitation! Peng! Struck yet again, Wei Changfeng was sent tumbling on the ground. With each blow, Wei Changfeng could feel his strength and consciousness being driven out from his body. In a moment of daze, he could vaguely see a figure beckoning him over... ... "I havent met him yet, and I dont even know his gender, but hes our child. Even at the risk of my life, I cant allow anything to happen to him!" Sitting cross-legged on the ground, a stream of tears flowed down her face as she faced him, "I know that you love me, and you will respect my decision..." "No..." He wanted to reach out to stop her, but at this very moment, his strength was sealed. No matter how hard he struggled, his body just wouldnt move. "With the severe injuries I carry on me, my life is already limited. I want to give my life to him and allow him to live on in my stead..." With a dull moan, she transferred the remaining strength she had in her towards her womb, granting her child the strength toe to this world. A resounding cry of an infant echoed in the cavern... Finally, he managed to break the seal that bound him, but by this point, she was already lying on the ground, devoid of strength. In his embrace, she smiled, "Changfeng, Im sorry. Take care of our child and bring her up well..." Before she could finish her words, her body had already slumped lifelessly. ... "Your daughter has suffered considerable damage in the womb. I fear that she wont live more than three months!" An old man shook his head. He gritted his teeth as he heard those words. This life was one she had exchanged her life for. If his daughter were to die, how could he face the woman he deeply loved? Thus, he traveled the world, searching for renowned physicians to treat his daughter. "The spirit of artifacts can grant her soul the power to support her body, allowing her to live on... but this is only a temporary a measure. Its effectiveness will eventually wear out..." a 6-star physician told him. "As long as she can live on, I am willing to pay any price..." he replied with clenched fists. Thus, he built the Spirit Emporium and went around scouring for as many artifacts as he could, resorting to even underhanded means to obtain them... Finally... His daughters condition improved. "Papa..." A young voice sounded. His eyes reddened, and at that moment, he felt as if everything he had done had paid off. This was because... she was his daughter! As well as her daughter! ... "Where is mama?" An eight-year-old child asked him. The gleam in her eyes and the slight frown on her forehead seemed like an exact replica of hers. "She... has gone to a faraway ce..." Holding his daughter dearly, his eyes couldnt help but redden. ... "Father, am I reaching my end? I feel so tired and exhausted..." "You will be fine. Father will save you..." he spoke with a lump in his throat. "The Ten-leafed Flower can save your daughters life..." the young master told him. "I need a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. If you can bring me a Cloudmist Flower within two days, I will trade my Ten-leafed Flower for it!" Vice School Head You Xu said with a nod. ... "I cant die yet. If I were to die, there will be no hope for Ruyan as well!" Many scenes shed across Wei Changfengs eyes as he struggled to his feet once more. If he didnt require the Cloudmist Flower to save her daughter, he would never have been able to push on so far. The Ancient Ape behind him might not be able toprehend his actions, and Zhang Xuan might not be able to understand his tenacity, but only he knew that he would do anything for his daughter. In this world, there was nothing more important than his daughter! "Almost..." He rushed across the hill, and all of the sudden, the clouds before him parted, and a beautiful white flower appeared in his sight. "Cloudmist Flower..." Wei Changfengs body trembled in agitation. The only reason why he had trudged on this far was for this. Finally, his goal was right before his eyes! Peng! Just as he wanted to rush forward to pick the flower, he was suddenly kicked by the Ancient Ape from the back. Tumbling on the ground furious once more, Wei Changfeng felt his consciousness blurring. He felt lethargic and powerless, and an urge to rest welled up within him. "I must obtain it..." But he still climbed to his feet once more. Rushing forward, he swiftly grabbed the flower and kept it in a jade box. Hu! In that instant, he heaved a sigh of relief, and the edges of his lips curled up. In that instant, he felt that all of the injuries he had sustained was worth it. With this, the young master would be able to save his daughter. Even if he were to die, he would be able to stand before her proudly and say that he had protected their daughter! "All this... for a stalk of Cloudmist Flower?" Seeing the contented smile on that human, the Ancient Ape had an unbelievable look on its face. It was still wondering what it was that would drive a human to persevere on even at the expense of its life, but to think that this would be all... A Saint realm expert losing his life over a mere tea leaf... Was this really worth it? Taking its reactions into sight, Wei Changfeng simply smiled. How could a beast understand human emotions? With the item he came for in hand, he took in a deep breath and began trudging down the mountain. "Hmph! Regardless of what you are here for, the Cloudmist Ridge isnt a ce where you cane and leave as you please!" With a furious roar, the Ancient Ape charged forward and wed at Wei Changfeng. Pu he! How could the severely injured Wei Changfeng stand against the Ancient Ape? His chest was immediately pierced through, and fresh blood spewed from the wounds. "I..." Wei Changfeng staggered backward weakly. He tried to draw on all of his strength to retaliate, only to realize that he waspletely depleted. His body had already reached its very limit! He could feel an immense force tugging at his soul, seemingly trying to draw his soul somewhere. "Is this death? I should be able to meet her now... right?" His consciousness gradually blurred as his soul began departing from his body to enter an unknown dimension. "Wei Changfeng!" In that final moment, he vaguely saw a figure rushing towards him in his blurred vision, and an anxious voice called his name. "Young master?" Feebly, he muttered, "Why did youe? Its dangerous here..." The reason why he dared not tell the young master about the condition of the Cloudmist Ridge was due to his fear that the young master would insist on tagging along with him. If something were to happen to the young master, there would be no one who could save his daughter! "Dangerous? If you knew it was dangerous, why didnt you tell me?" Zhang Xuan roared furiously. He had rushed all the way here, but from the looks of it, he was still toote. He could feel that the other partys life force had already withered. Not even a 7-star physician would be able to save him now. cing his fingers on the other partys acupoint, Zhang Xuan furiously pumped his Heavens Path zhenqi into Wei Changfengs body in hope for a miracle. However, as if a bag filled with holes, his zhenqi simply leaked out of the other partys body, unable to do any good at all. "Young master, dont bother. I know that I... wont make it..." Flicking his wrist, Wei Changfeng passed a jade box over with trembling hands, "This is the Cloudmist Flower..." "You..." Zhang Xuans face was livid. He really didnt expect that fellow to go so far just for a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. "You must save her..." Wei Changfengs voice slowly grew fainter and fainter. "Dont worry, I will save her. I will let her live an ordinary, no, a life far better than an ordinary one..." Zhang Xuan said hoarsely. "Thank you, young master..." Wei Changfeng nodded, but in the next moment, his soul finally sumbed to the force and disappeared into the unknown dimension, and his body slumped back powerlessly. "Changfeng..." Sensing the final flicker of life within his subordinate fade, Zhang Xuans eyes reddened and he roared furiously. At this moment, how could he still notprehend the reason behind Wei Changfengs actions? Everything he did was for his daughter! This is.. a fathers love! The simplest and most selfless love in the world! ... "Human, this isnt a ce where you can enter as you please..." Upon seeing yet another person rushing in and disregarding its presence even, the Ancient Ape roared in fury. "This isnt a ce where I can enter as I please?" Zhang Xuan raised his head and gazed at the Ancient Ape. "You are the one who killed Wei Changfeng?" His eyes were filled with coldness and savagery. Hu! In the next moment, more than twenty Saint realm puppets appeared abruptly and rushed for the Ancient Ape. "Make it suffer a fate worse than death!" Chapter 798: Earth Vein Spirit Essence Chapter 798: Earth Vein Spirit Essence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "What?" Not expecting a weak human whom he could easily squeeze to death with a finger of his to have so many Saint realm puppets in his possession, the Ancient Apes body stiffened. It immediately turned around to flee. But with so many Saint realm puppets going after him simultaneously, how could it possibly stand any chance at escaping? Pi li pa! The sound of fists and kicks sinking into the flesh echoed resoundingly. With the experience the puppet had from dealing with the Byzantium Helios Beast, they were able to deal with the Ancient Ape efficiently. In just a few moments, there was not a single unharmed spot on the Ancient Ape, and it was teetering on the verge of death. "Dont kill me! I am willing to be your tamed beast!" the Ancient Ape pleaded. At this point, with its life at stake, it couldnt care less about its dignity as a saint beast anymore. "I dont need it!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands coldly. It would indeed be convenient for him if he had a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle tamed beast serving him. But for killing Wei Changfeng... Zhang Xuan wanted it to pay with its life! Otherwise, how could he face Wei Changfengs daughter? "Kill it!" Turning his gaze away from the Ancient Ape, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul. If his Heavens Path zhenqi couldnt save Wei Changfeng, perhaps his means as a soul oracle might still stand a chance. But after taking a look, he could only shake his head helplessly. Wei Changfeng was simply far too severely wounded. If not for his sheer determination to obtain the Cloudmist Flower, he would have already died hours ago. As soon as the tension in his mind was released, his soul was immediately absorbed into an unknown dimension, disappearing from the face of the world. Putting aside him, not even Kong shi would be able to save Wei Changfeng. "Dont worry, I will take good care of your daughter!" Zhang Xuan said solemnly as his soul returned to his body. Even though it hadnt been long since he met Wei Changfeng, and there were even some unpleasant memories between them, Zhang Xuan was still filled with respect for him. Wei Changfeng wasnt a good man, but he was a good father. He was willing toy down everything he had for his daughter, and that was truly admirable. Knowing that it was impossible to save Wei Changfeng, Zhang Xuan kept his corpse in his storage ring before turning to the Ancient Ape once more. At this point, it had only a few breaths left in it. Even though it was a Saint 1-dan pinnacle beast, it was still no match against twenty powerful puppets who knew not of exhaustion or pain. "Human, as long as you dont kill me, I will let you in on a secret..." Noticing Zhang Xuans gaze on it, the Ancient Ape anxiously made an offer. It knew that it would surely die if it didnt do anything, so it could only make a gamble. "A secret? What secret can you offer me?" Zhang Xuan asked disdainfully. "Its the location of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence! As long as you spare me, I can bring you to it..." the Ancient Ape hurriedly spoke. "Earth Vein Spirit Essence?" Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. "Indeed! That is the condensation of spiritual energy that umtes only within major earth veins. The spiritual energy contained within Earth Vein Spirit Essence is far easier to absorb than those within spirit stones, making it highly useful for cultivators beneath Saint realm!" the Ancient Ape exined hurriedly, fearing that Zhang Xuan wouldnt know what it was. Zhang Xuan was moved by the offer. At the current moment, what he wascking direly at the moment was spirit stones to provide ample spiritual energy for his cultivation. If he could obtain the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, he could be spared a great deal of effort. Even though he had never heard of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence before, considering that it was the condensation of spiritual energy within major earth veins, it must be incredibly valuable. "The reason why saint beasts of Cloudmist Ridge disallow humans from entering the mountain is to protect the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. As long as you dont kill me, I can bring you over..." the Ancient Ape offered. "I will be able to find it even without you!" Zhang Xuan uttered coldly as he raised his hand, and the puppets immediately continued raining blows on the Ancient Ape. At the same time, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out of his body and formed a series of hand seals. Soul Art, Soul Search! As the culprit who killed Wei Changfeng, the Ancient Ape had to die. There was no room for negotiation at all. Under normal circumstances, given Zhang Xuans current soul cultivation, it should have been impossible for him to conduct a Soul Search on a Saint realm expert. However, a saint beasts soul was typically weaker than a human Saint realm experts, and that fellow has also been beaten to the point that it was on the verge of dying. On top of that, Vicious was also helping him by the side. As a result, the Ancient Ape sumbed swiftly to the Soul Search. Tzzzzzzz! Dragging out the Ancient Apes soul, its memories and knowledge began flowing in Zhang Xuans mind. "Theres indeed ake of Earth Vein Spirit Essence here!" Browsing through the Ancient Apes memory, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The other party didnt lie to him, there was indeed Earth Vein Spirit Essence on the Cloudmist Ridge. It was for fear that humans would discover its existence that they guarded the area faithfully. To be honest, the Ancient Ape hadnt expected to luck out as well. If it had been anyone else, the other party might have chosen to spare it in consideration of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. But never in its dreams would it have expected the young man before it would be a soul oracle possessing the ability of Soul Search! While I do know the location of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence now, it wont be easy for me to get to it. There are four saint beasts of the Ancient Apes level guarding it... If I had really followed this fellow there, even with my puppets, it would have been unlikely for me to have escaped with my life! The existence of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence might be true, but the Ancient Ape wasnt speaking the entire truth. If Zhang Xuan had really listened to it and followed behind it, he would have found himself encircled by four Saint 1-dan pinnacle saint beasts and countless Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts. Even with the Otherworldly Demon puppets he had in his possession, it would be extremely difficult for him to break free. After all, even though the puppets feel no pain and could fight fearlessly, they were still limited by the spiritual energy within them. After the previous few uses, their energy reserves were already half depleted. Unlike in the underground chamber, where there was a river filled with spiritual energy that could be used to recharge the Otherworldly Demon puppets, it wouldnt be so easy to do it here. Once the puppets ran out of energy, given Zhang Xuans current strength, the only fate before him would be death. Even at the expense of its death, the Ancient Ape intended to drag him down from it. Under the forceful impact of the Soul Search, the Ancient Apes soul dissipated into nothingness. After procuring its inner core and other useful parts and storing them in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion, Based on what it said, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence is made out of spiritual energy. Even though its purity isnt on par with high-tier spirit stones, it is far easier to absorb it, such that even nts could absorb spiritual energy from the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. If I were to give it to the Ten-leafed Flower, I could make it bloom within a single day! After studying the effects of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence ording to the Ancient Apes understanding of it, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. While spirit stones had an incredible reserves of spiritual energy within them, its solid form made it less efficient and effective in terms of absorption rate aspared to the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. If spirit stones was coal, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence would be fuel. While coal was capable of producing greater heat over a longer period of time, in terms of ignition speed and utility, fuel was still inherently superior. If Zhang Xuan could obtain that, he would be spared from finding hundreds of high-tier spirit stones he would require to reach Saint realm! The Earth Vein Spirit Essence is located at the direct center of the Cloudmist Ridge. It isnt too far from here, but... four Saint realm 1-dan beasts are guarding it. On top of that, there are also many Nascent Saint and Half-Saints in the area... It wont be easy for me to bypass them! Having learned the existence of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, it was natural that Zhang Xuan would want to obtain it. However, with his current strength, he would only die if he were to attempt to charge in forcefully. Vicious could suppress a Saint realm 1-dan beast easily, but there was nothing he could do about it when there were too many of them. After all, he had only just awakened, and he was merely a little more than a heart at the moment. Naturally, his strength was still far from his peak. Besides, it wouldnt be safe to rely solely on Vicious. If Vicious were to attempt a mutually assured destruction and refuse to help him, he might very well end up losing his life. Thus, it would be best to depend on himself wherever possible. "Looks like I should still rely on my soul!" After a moment of contemtion, a thought emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. It would be impossible for him to infiltrate the center of the Cloudmist Ridge in his physical body. No matter how well he hid his trail, considering the dense concentration of spirit beasts and saint beasts in the area, he would definitely be found easily. However, it would be a different case if he was just a soul. Unlike saint realm cultivators, saint beasts had far weaker souls. It would be harder for them to sense the presence of souls. If Zhang Xuan were to y his cards well, he might be able to creep in silently and smuggle the Earth Vein Spirit Essence out. "Alright, its decided then!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan sat on the floor and drew his soul out. With a slight flick, he kept his physical body within the storage ring. The Myriad Anthive Nest was extremely squeezy with the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Myriad Anthive Queen packed inside. Despite the harsh conditions in the storage ring for a living body, considering Zhang Xuans current cultivation realm and the resilience of his physical body, it should be fine if it was just for a few hours. "What should I do about the ring..." Since he had stored his physical body and his clone within the storage ring, it would be safer for him to bring it along with him wherever he went. Otherwise, if spirit beast were to find his storage ring and take it away, it would be toote for tears. But if he were to carry something tangible with his soul, that would be going against the very purpose of infiltrating into the center of the Cloudmist Ridge as an intangible soul. He would be giving away his location to his enemies! "Wait... what about the Myriad Ants?" A thought suddenly struck Zhang Xuan. He might be unable to bring the storage ring with him, but he could leave it with the Myriad Ants! Despite their small size, those ants were still savage beasts. It wasnt too difficult for them to fly with a ring. Furthermore, the intelligencework they shared allowed them to avoid spirit beasts and saint beasts in advance as well. They could follow his soul silently and bring the storage ring to where he wanted it to be. Even if some beast really managed to obtain the storage ring from them, as long as there were Myriad Ants keeping tabs on its location, he would still be able to find some way to retrieve the ring. "Its decided then!" Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to the Myriad Anthive Queen to inform it of his n, and a Myriad Ant immediately flew over to carry the storage ring. As he had expected, it had no problem flying while bearing the weight of the ring. "Good. Fly close to the ground, near the shrubs..." Seeing that his n was feasible, Zhang Xuan issued it several instructions before advancing to the center of the Cloudmist Ridge. After the Soul Search he had conducted on the Ancient Ape, he had gained an insight into how the beasts were distributed on the Cloudmist Ridge. With the Myriad Ants scouting the area as well, Zhang Xuans soul managed to avoid the detection of the spirit beast and saint beast. An hourter, he arrived before a towering cliff. Before the cliff was a gigantic waterfall that produced a deafening rumble reminiscent of thunder as it cascaded from the peak. The water eventually led to a river which meandered into the horizon. "It should be here..." Zhang Xuan raised his gaze and stared at the waterfall. It waspletely concealed behind the cascading water, but if staring at it intently, he could still barely see the outlines of a cavern behind the waterfall. If one hadnt known in advance, it would have been impossible to notice it. Based on the Ancient Apes memory, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was inside the cavern. Instead of rushing into the cavern, Zhang Xuan first scanned the surroundings, and expected, he found a couple of saint beasts who possessed strength on par with the Ancient Ape camping in the area. Slightly further away, he sensed the presence of at least a dozen Saint realm primary stage, intermediate stage, and advanced stage beasts. "Its fortunate that I didnte here in my physical body..." Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Had he brought his physical body over, he would have definitely been surrounded and killed. On the other hand, a soul was intangible and nearly indiscernible. As long as he didnt exert any power, it would be difficult for the enemies to notice his presence. Chapter 799: Breakthrough to Perfect Harmonization Realm Chapter 799: Breakthrough to Perfect Harmonization Realm Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You head in first!" Zhang Xuan first issued borate instructions to the Myriad Ant carrying his storage ring for it to proceed into the cavern without drawing anyones attention first before slowly flying over himself. "It has been some time since Ancient Ape headed out. Why isnt he back yet?" Before he could reach the cavern, he heard a voice from the surroundings. Two saint beasts not too far away from the cavern were currently chatting. The other saint beast harrumphed. "Who knows? But in any case, I heard the enemy is a Saint realm intermediate stage human, so he should be more than enough to subdue the other party. Hes probably just toying with him at this point. After all, it has been some time since any humans came to the Cloudmist Ridge!" They were conversing in the Ancient Beast Language, but Zhang Xuan could still understand their words without any problem. "Indeed... At least the humans know their ce. Knowing that we are around, they dare note over at all!" the first saint beast said. Seeing that the two saint beasts were too engrossed in their conversation to notice him, Zhang Xuan dived straight into the cavern. If it had been any other soul oracle, even if the saint beasts were ignorant in the study of souls, they would still have noticed the yin aura it exuded. However, having cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, his soul wasplete, leaving it with no distinct aura. As if a light breeze, it would be extremely difficult for any unskilled personnel to notice it. Making use of the massive torrent of water from the waterfall, Zhang Xuan was able to conceal his movement and slip into the cavern without any issue as well. The cavern was vast, and it was filled with slightly damp air. Zhang Xuan met up with the Myriad Ant and took the ring from it before advancing forward. The further he advanced, the more humid the surroundings seemed to be. At the same time, the spiritual energy also grew more and more concentrated. At his current location, the spiritual energy concentration was already far above even that of Vice School Head You Xus residence. It was indeed a blessednd for cultivation. One would be able to easily achieve what would have taken others several days elsewhere in a single day. Its no wonder the saint beasts maintain such a tight defense around the Cloudmist Ridge. There is no way anyone would be willing to give up on such a blessednd... Zhang Xuan thought. Not only was the spiritual energy in the surroundings concentrated, it was incredibly pure as well. Its level of purity was sufficient to even satisfy Zhang Xuans demands easily. Advancing forward, Zhang Xuan soon reached the end of the cavern. There, he saw a roundke of around eight meters in diameter. Within it was an emerald fluid which carried a refreshing air to it. It felt like one would be able to progress greatly in ones cultivation just by absorbing a small portion of it. This is the Earth Vein Spirit Essence? Its indeed impressive! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though he had learnt of its mystical effects from the Ancient Ape, it was still very difficult for him to believe that such an incredible item could exist in the world until he finallyid his eyes on it himself. While its purity was still slightlyckingpared to a high-tier spirit stone, it made up for it with its overwhelming quantity. Even a thousand high-tier spirit stones together might not match the sheer amount of spiritual energy contained within theke. The mountains in the Hongyuan Mountain Range are a naturally urring Spirit Gathering Formation, and the Cloudmist Ridge stood at the very center of the formation. As a result, vast amounts of spiritual energy umted in the area. However, the clouds in the surroundings hinder the diffusion of the spiritual energy, and as time went by, the spiritual energy eventually condense into spirit essence... Zhang Xuan deduced as he recalled the geographical terrain in the surroundings and the various sights he had seen so far. Nevertheless, to form ake as big as the one before Zhang Xuan, it should have taken at least ten thousand years. If I can take all of this away, not only will I have no problem advancing to Saint realm, there will even be spare for Zheng Yang and the others use as well... Zhang Xuan thought in delight. With this treasure, they would no longer have to frustrate over theck of spirit stones anymore! But... how am I supposed to store an entire spirit essenceke? While Zhang Xuans storage ring was indeedrge enough to put in ake as big as this, he didnt have any container to store it! He did have a few wine gourds on him, but those were insignificantpared to the entireke. What could he do? There was nothing that felt worse than stumbling upon a mound of treasure only to realize that one only had the inventory to store an insignificant portion of it. Even in his form as a soul, it took a fair bit of luck for him to sneak in here without drawing the attention of the saint beasts. There was no guarantee that it would be the same the next time he came here. As a result, he had to take away as much as he could this time around. Otherwise, he would be allowing such an ideal opportunity slip through his fingers. After a moment of contemtion, a thought popped into Zhang Xuans head. Perhaps I can use beastskin! There were quite a few sheets of beastskin in his storage ring. Perhaps, he could tie them together to make a container. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan essed his storage ring and pulled out severalrge sheets of beastskin. He skillfully manipted his soul energy to form threads to weave them together, forming a gigantic container. Afterward, he plunged it into theke to store as much spirit essence in it as possible. Gugugugugu! Soon, the beastskin container was full with over twenty tonnes of liquid in it. Zhang Xuan swiftly stored the beastskin container into his storage ring. There is still more than half left... Seeing that there was still a lot of spirit essence left in theke, Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw. Since he was already there, if he didnt clean out the ce, he would have a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he had missed something important. Sigh, obsessivepulsive disorder sure is frustrating! Besides, the saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge had a hostile rtions with humans, and they had in countless humans over the years. Every droplet of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence left meant an additional droplet to nourish the enemy. However, having used up even his beastskin, there was nothing else he could use as a container in his storage ring anymore. It was impossible for him to store any more than that! I wonder if there are any objects that could be used to store spirit essence around here... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but after he found that he was still unable toe up with any feasible solution, he decided to take a look around the cavern to see if there was anything he could use. Hmm? Whats this? Drifting alongside theke, a pile of items suddenly appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes, and his eyebrows shot up. These are... human bones? Taking a closer look, the pile was astonishingly human bones! Scanning the surroundings, there were several hundred other simr skeletal piles all around the cavern! Arent humans forbidden from entering this area? How can there be human skeletons here? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. With the tight defenses the saint beasts and spirit beasts had organized on the Cloudmist Ridge, it should have been impossible for any humans to get in here. Thus, the presence of so many skeletons was unnatural. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan drifted down to take an even closer look. Most of the skeletal piles were male, and not too far from the pile, he found several weapons. These weapons werent too high tiered, averaging at around Spirit intermediate-tier. Zhang Xuan picked one up using his soul energy, but upon attempting a sh, the weapon immediately snapped in two. It seemed the weapon had suffered severe damage in the midst of an intense battle, resulting in the loss of its durability. It appeared that an army had barged into the cavern in hopes of securing the grounds, only to eventually fall in defeat. Hmm? As Zhang Xuan was casually looking around, he suddenly caught sight of a storage ring. Interested, he immediately immersed his consciousness into the ring. Theres nothing inside. Seems like someone has already emptied it out... Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even though spirit beasts were unable to ess storage rings, saint beasts could. Considering the sheer number of saint beasts in the area, if there had been anything good in those storage rings, they would have already long emptied them out. How could they possibly leave anything behind for him? These are... books? Just as Zhang Xuan was going to back out of the storage ring, he suddenly caught sight of an insignificant pile of items in the very corner of the storage ring. Proceeding closer, he realized that they were all books! Saint beasts had their own heritage, and the innate differences between a human and a beast also made it impossible for them to take up human cultivation techniques and battle techniques as well. As such, these books werepletely useless to them. Zhang Xuans eyes swiftly scanned through them and replicated them in the Library of Heavens Path. Indeed, they really are cultivation technique and battle technique manuals! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Most human cultivators had the habit of carrying dozens of books with them in their storage rings for reference or studying purposes. It was the same here as well. The storage ring had over a hundred books in it. They spanned over Cosmos Bridge realm, Perfect Harmonization realm, and Ethereal Treading realm. However, due to thecking quantity, Zhang Xuan was still unable to form a Heavens Path Divine Art out of them. Perhaps there might be other storage rings in the area. If I can find more books, I just might be able topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art... Since Zhang Xuan was in no hurry either, he scanned through the area carefully, and before long, he had unearthed more than twenty storage rings. For several hundred corpses to only have so many rings, the rest must have been imed by the other saints beasts. Just like the ring Zhang Xuan had looked into before, the valuable items had also been emptied out of them, leaving behind only a couple of books. Zhang Xuan swiftly replicated the books in his Library of Heavens Path. There are over a thousand Perfect Harmonization realm cultivation technique manuals, five hundred for Ethereal Treading realm, and two hundred for Chrysalis realm... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He still didnt have sufficient books topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art for Ethereal Treading realm and Chrysalis realm, but with over a thousand for Perfect Harmonization realm, he should be able to do so for that one. Compile! Before long, a Perfect Harmonization realm Heavens Path Divine Art appeared before his eyes. Flipping through it casually, its contents appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. Since I am unable to take away the remaining Earth Vein Spirit Essence, I might as well cultivate here and save as much as I can... Since there was nothing that could be used as a container in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan decided to take this chance to raise his cultivation realm as well. Thriftiness is a virtue. What can be saved should be saved. Zhang Xuan took out his physical body and returned his soul into it. After which, with a flick of his wrist, his clone also appeared before him. Just like his main body, his clone had also only cultivated up to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Given the sheer amount of Earth Vein Spirit Essence remaining in theke, it should be more than enough to share between him and his clone. Thus, after informing his clone about the situation, Zhang Xuan stepped into theke first. Tzzzzz! Driving the Perfect Harmonization realm Heavens Path Divine Art, the spirit essence around him began flowing into his body through his acupoints. Hong long! With a crisp echo, he sessfully achieved a breakthrough from Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle to Perfect Harmonization realm. With the rise in his cultivation, the rate at which he could absorb spiritual energy increased as well. Due to the overwhelming speed he was absorbing the spirit essence at, a vortex formed within theke. Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage! Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage! Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage! ... In just an hour, Zhang Xuans cultivation had reached Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle. Now for my soul... After he was done raising his zhenqi cultivation, Zhang Xuan immediately drew out his soul and continued cultivating. His soul had already reached Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage, so it only took him ten minutes to reach pinnacle. With his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation reaching new heights, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Feeling the immense power he wielded within, his eyes glowed in excitement. Typically speaking, it would have taken him at least several dozen high-tier spirit stones in order to raise his soul cultivation and zhenqi cultivation to Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle. However, to be able to do this for free, he couldnt help but feel extremelyforted within. Alright... Standing up, Zhang Xuan nced at the spirit essence to see how much of it was left when he suddenly froze. At this very moment, he could see the floor of the spirit essenceke, which had a diameter of eight meters. In a little more than an hour, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence had been almostpletely depleted. How is this possible? Zhang Xuan had only advanced his cultivation to Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle, so how could he use have possibly used so much of it? He subconsciously turned his gaze to his clone, and his eyes narrowed in shock. Unable to hold himself back, he cursed, "Screw you, you damned wastrel!" Chapter 800: Zheng Yang Lectures! Chapter 800: Zheng Yang Lectures! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At this moment, he saw that his clones soul had also left his body, and it was currently absorbing the spiritual energy in theke frenziedly. With all the absorption he had done, his soul had doubled in size, reaching around twenty meters tall and nearly filling the entire cavern. Most of the remaining spirit essence had been absorbed by that fellow before him. Even though his clones soul cultivation was still at Perfect Harmonization realm, the sheer size and power surrounding the soul felt reminiscent of a deity, as if it wielded boundless power in its hands. After breaking the twenty-meter bottleneck, the soul seemed to have undergone some kind of mysterious metamorphosis yet again. It became considerably more resilient, and the strength it wielded seemed to have grown far more fearsome as well. Against such a huge soul, even Lu Chongs soul, which he had seen in thetters consciousness back then, paled inparison. Zhang Xuan had barely used a hundredth of the spirit essence to raise his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation to Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle, but that fellow actually sapped the entireke dry... Just the thought of it left him so frenzied that he could tear his hair out. Even though it was indeed true that he had no way of taking away the remaining Earth Vein Spirit Essence, he still couldnt help but feel his heart bleed upon seeing that hugeke being reduced to nothing. Hu! Hearing Zhang Xuans roar, his clones soul immediately slipped back into his body, and an incredible aura burst from its body, leaving Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitching uncontrobly. Zhang Xuan wasnt a match for it before, and he was even less so now. Despiteing from the same origin, his clones soul had been nourished by the Nine Hearts Lotus, granting it strength far greater than the main body. For the main body to be inferior to the clone... How humiliating! Nevertheless, considering that they shared the same consciousness, they could be considered as one entity. His clones growth was also good news for him. "You should return to the storage ring for now!" Knowing that it was impossible to make his clone spit out the spirit essence that it had absorbed, Zhang Xuan could only sigh helplessly and have his clone return to the storage ring. He, on the other hand, leaped out of theke and began assessing himself internally. Having reached Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle, the current strength that he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation was 14,000,000 ding, which wasparable to an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage expert. Additionally, the maximum power he could draw from his soul cultivation had also reached 11,000,000 ding. Adding in the 8,000,000 ding from his physical body, his overall maximum strength currently stood at 33,000,000 ding, which was nearly on par with a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert. (Chrysalis realm pinnacle34,000,000 ding) With this kind of strength, he could definitely be ranked amongst the top of the student popce. Nheless, it was still far from matching up to the saint beasts camping outside. I should leave now! With his work done, Zhang Xuan immediately drew out his soul and ced his physical body in the storage ring. Holding it himself, he carefully sneaked out of the cavern. "Wait a moment, why does it feel like the spiritual energy concentration inside has fallen?" "Lets take a look!" But before he could reach the cavern entrance, he suddenly heard the bellows of the saint beasts outside. In that split moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly hid the storage ring behind a boulder before lying motionlessly with his soul pressed against the wall. Hu! Right after he did that, two saint beasts abruptly appeared at the entrance of the cavern and rushed in at a speed so fast that it nearly stirred up a hurricane. It was due to the Earth Vein Spirit Essence that the cavern was unbelievably rich in spiritual energy. However, along with its depletion, the concentration of spiritual energy in the area began falling at a perceptible rate. No matter how slow the saint beasts were, it was impossible for them to not notice it. Now is my chance, I should quickly leave! Knowing that the saint beasts wouldb through every nook and cranny once they noticed that theke of spirit essence had beenpletely depleted, Zhang Xuan dared not waste a single moment. He quickly picked up his storage ring and darted out of the cavern. "AHHHHHH!!! SOMEONE STOLE THE SPIRIT ESSENCE!" "Damn it, who was the one who did it!" Right after Zhang Xuan left the cavern, he heard a deafening roar from within. Not daring to waste even a split second, he immediately dived into the waterfall. In the next instant, a pressure so great that it felt as if even the earth would be reduced to dust burst out from the cavern, enveloping the area. "Someone has sneaked into our Cloudmist Ridge. All beasts, listen to mymand. Comb through the entire mountain and eliminate any suspicious people you see!" Hong long! Countless spirit beasts and saint beasts roared resoundingly in response, shaking the entire mountain. Looks like I wont be able to escape for the time being... With all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridgebing the area to search for him, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to escape even in his state as a soul. Thus, he decided to advance under the concealment of the river for the time being. However, a short momentter, a dozen spirit beasts suddenly dived in to search the river. It was truly fortunate that Zhang Xuan was currently in his soul state. With his storage ring hidden amidst the gravel of the seabed, there was nothing that could betray his presence to those spirit beasts. As such, after scouring the seabed for a moment, they were still unable to find anything at all, so they could only back out. After swimming for an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan finally reached the end of the river. By the time his soul finally left the river, the sky was already dark. Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings, and there were still quite a number of spirit beasts around. However, it would be nigh impossible for any beast beneath Saint realm to notice his presence. Even so, Zhang Xuan still decided to proceed carefully. Sometimes, the sensitivity of a spirit beast to its surroundings far surpassed what humans could even imagine. It would truly be unfortunate if he were to be caught and encircled at this point. Thus, he slowly proceeded down the mountain, stopping from time to time whenever he felt that a spirit beasts attention was focused nearby. As a result, it was already dawn by the time he reached the foot of the mountain. Finally, when he was a safe distance away from the Cloudmist Ridge, he found a discreet location and took out his physical body. After returning his soul to his physical body, he summoned the Great Violetwing Beast and swiftly returned to the academy. He might have failed to save Wei Changfeng, but he was determined to save his daughter! So far, it had been an entire day since he had left the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. ... While Zhang Xuan was preupied with his business at the Cloudmist Ridge, a hugemotion had broken out in the Master Teacher Academy. Sun Qiang had rushed to Zhang Xuans Elite Sector residence in order to report the matter of someone being interested in learning battle techniques from Zheng Yang and the others to him, but of course, thetter was nowhere to be found. At the same time, Zheng Yang and the others had also entered the headquarters of the True Helios Faction, following behind Xue Zhenyang. In a vast courtyard... "Gather everyone!" Xue Zhenyang issued amand as soon as he returned. Not longter, everyone in the True Helios Faction was standing before him. As expected of one of the top few factions in the academy. The entire True Helios Faction consisted of more than two thousand people, and its members spanned from Grade-1 to Grade-4. Seeing that all of the members were gathered there, Xue Zhenyangs gaze scanned through the crowd before he began speaking. "The reason I have gathered you all here today is to announce to you all that I have found an expert to impart the essence of battle techniques to the faction members!" "An expert?" "Hasnt the faction leader been the one who has been giving us lessons on battle techniques? Did he manage to find someone more formidable than he is?" Everyone looked at one another doubtfully. All along, other than the teachers they were under, the one who had been guiding them in their battle techniques had been Xue Zhenyang. Xue Zhenyang was one of the greatest talents in the Martial Arts School, so they had benefited greatly from his teachings as well. In truth, this was also the very reason most of them had chosen to join the True Helios Faction. Yet, he had gathered all of them to tell them that there was another expert who would be guiding them on their battle techniques... Was he for real? "Allow me to introduce you to my new spearmanship teacher, Zheng Yang. The lecture today will be conducted by him. He possesses transcendental skills in spear arts, so I believe that you will benefit greatly from his lecture!" Xue Zhenyang introduced with a wave of his hand. "Zheng Yang?" "Spearmanship teacher?" "But this fellow seems to be only sixteen or seventeen years old!" "Ad as young as him is going to exin spearmanship to us?" Seeing a young man walk up to the podium, the crowd waspletely dumbfounded. They were the cream of the crop amongst master teachers, the geniuses of the geniuses. Yet, to have a teenage child lecture them... Wasnt this taking them too lightly? "Today, what I will be talking to you about is the fundamentals of spearmanship..." Standing before such a huge crowd, Zheng Yang couldnt help but feel a little anxious. However, as he began speaking about spearmanship, the confidence and pride in his heart dispelled the doubts in his mind, and his words gradually grew smoother and more fluent. "Its possible to interpret spearmanship in such a manner?" "Formidable! Just by listening to his lecture, I feel like my understanding of spearmanship has been brought up several notches!" "The concepts that hes teaching are profound, but he is able to bring them across directly through simple words. On top of that, the concepts that hes exined are applicable not only to the spear but other weapons as well!" "His lecture has deepened my understanding of swordsmanship as well..." ... The crowd initially had their reservations about having a teenage child lecture them, and they were prepared to see the other party make a fool out of himself. However, just by listening for a moment, they werepletely awed. As young as the person before them might be, the concepts that he spoke of were a direct interpretation of the crux of spearmanship. It was very likely that even the elders in the academy might not have as deep an understanding of spearmanship as he did. It was no wonder the faction leader went all out to invite him there and gathered all of them together to listen to his lecture. He was indeed more than qualified for this. ... "What did you say? Xue Zhenyang invited a spearmanship expert from the streets to conduct a lecture for his members?" In the Ashen Moon Faction, Long Cangyue stared at the reporting student with eyes filled with disbelief. "Yes! The person he invited has an extremely deep understanding of spearmanship. Two hours into the lecture, almost half of the spear practitioners of the True Helios Faction had already achieved a breakthrough!" the reporting student replied. "Almost half of them made a breakthrough?" Long Cangyue was shocked. Making an advancement in ones mastery of a weapon was far more difficult than making an advancement in ones cultivation. Thetter could be achieved through diligence and good resources, but the former was highly dependent on ones aptitude. It was easy to learn theories, butprehending the core of the concept was another different matter. Yet, to make half of the spear practitioners achieve a breakthrough in just two hours... Just how did that fellow do it? Where in the world did Xue Zhenyang find such a monstrous figure? "If this matter is true, the True Helios Faction will only grow stronger and stronger... I will have to look for Dong Xin to discuss this matter!" Realizing the significance of this matter, Long Cangyue immediately made his way to Dong Xins residence anxiously. ... "Preposterous!" In the school heads office, the head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, flung his sleeves furiously after hearing a teachers report. Xue Zhenyang was his direct disciple. He could condone him causing trouble from time to time, but to invite a teenage child over to the Martial Arts School to lecture their students... Wasnt that making a mockery out of their school? If word were to spread, how could their Martial Arts School hold its head high before the other schools? "Ill go and take a look!" Harrumphing coldly, Xu Changqing left his room and walked swiftly to the True Helios Factions headquarters. Before long, he had arrived before the courtyard. There are so many people here? Xu Changqings eyebrows shot up in astonishment at the sight before him. The courtyard, from the podium to the very entrance, waspletely packed with people. There was literally a sea of people before him! Even though the True Helios Faction was a student organization, Xu Changqing still knew a thing or two about it. Based on what he knew, the True Helios Faction should only have had two thousand people or so. But the crowd before him... no matter how he looked at it, there should at least be five thousand people here! Five thousand people had gathered there to listen to the lecture of a teenage child? Ridiculous! This was utterly ridiculous! Just as Xu Changqing was about to step into the courtyard, a plump man holding a basket in his hand abruptly stepped over and blocked his way. "It will cost you two hundred middle-tier spirit stones to enter." "I have to pay to enter?" Hearing those words, Xu Changqings face turned livid. It was already bad enough that Xue Zhenyang found a person of doubtful background to conduct a lecture in the Martial Arts School, but to think that he would have to pay two hundred middle-tier spirit stones to enter... This was even costlier than the lecture of normal 6-star master teachers! Furthermore, the more students there were in a lecture, the cheaper it should have been. There were nearly five thousand people in there, and yet they were still charging two hundred spirit stones per person... Didnt that mean that they would earn a million middle-tier spirit stones in just a single lecture? Please, not even a 7-star master teacher charged others in such a manner! "Why? You cant afford it? Why even bothering here when you cant even afford it? No wonder you still cant graduate despite being so old!" Seeing that the old man before him was trying to barge in without paying, the plump man harrumphed in disdain. "So, youre broke!" Chapter 801: Xu Changqings Shock Chapter 801: Xu Changqings Shock Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You..." Hearing those words and seeing the other partys disdainful gaze, Xu Changqings face turned livid in fury. Even though the Martial Arts School was ranked sixth in the academy, standing behind the Physician School, it was still a huge power in Hongyuan City. On top of that, within the Ten Great Master Teachers, in terms of one-to-onebat, even if he wasnt ranked first, he was at least in the top three! Yet, the other party didnt recognize him and even asked him for money? And that wasnt the worst yet! The other party actually said that he was broke? Broke your head! How could someone dare toe to the Martial Arts School without even knowing who the school head is? Where did this freake from? Reining his anger back in, Xu Changqing said, "I am just here to take a look, not to listen to the lecture!" As the head of the Martial Arts School, he must maintain a bearing worthy of such. He couldnt possibly fight with the other party over a mere insult. "Take a look?" The plump man assessed him doubtfully. Xu Changqing nodded as he stroked his beard, bringing out the disposition of an enlightened expert. He had already made it so obvious. The other party couldnt possibly not recognize him after this. "Alright then!" The plump man seemed to have realized something, and he put the basket on the floor and said, "You may enter!" "Thank you." Seeing that the other party had finally realized his true identity, Xu Changqing nodded in satisfaction and raised his leg to walk through the door. However, before he could step into the courtyard, he suddenly heard the quiet mutterings of the plump man. "What the heck, why is he putting up such a front? If he has no money, he should just say so! Taking a look... he sure has some cheek to say such shameless words. Who doesnt know that hes going in to learn? Is there anyone more brazen than him? To think that a person like him could be a master teacher as well... The standard sure has dropped!" The plump mans disdain for Xu Changqing couldnt be any more obvious from his words and tone. "You..." Xu Changqing staggered, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. He was the head of the Martial Arts School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers! To be told that he was shameless to his face... Burning fury welled up within him, and he felt as if he was going to go insane. He had never met anyone as infuriating as the plump man before. Didnt you see the disposition of an expert that I disyed up just now? Shouldnt my identity be obvious after that? "Fine! Ill pay!" Knowing that he would only be angered to death for arguing with such a fellow, and it would only drag down his reputation if he were to really squabble with him, Xu Changqing gritted his teeth and threw a spirit stone into the basket. The spirit stone that just fell into the basket had a brilliant glow, and the overwhelming concentration of spiritual energy in it induced a disturbance in the spiritual energy in the surroundings. "A high-tier spirit stone?" The plump mans eyes lit up. He had thought that the other party was just another broke geezer trying to sneak into the lecture, but who could have known that he would whip out a high-tier spirit stone in the next instant... In the end, not only was that fellow not broke, he was even a wealthy man! "I can go in now, right?" Xu Changqing harrumphed in displeasure. "Wait, let me get your change. A high-tier spirit stone is worth around 10,000 middle-tier spirit stones, and the cost of the lesson is 200 middle-tier spirit stones. So, Ill return... 9,800 middle-tier spirit stones to you!" the plump man said as his hands fumbled through the basket to take out spirit stones to return the change to the other party. "Theres no need for it!" Xu Changqing waved his hands haughtily. A high-tier spirit stone might be an invaluable treasure in the eyes of others, but as one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert, it was nothing much to him. "Great! It just so happens that I dont have the money to give the change to you too!" the plump man said with glowing eyes. "..." Once again, Xu Changqing felt a stifled feeling in his chest. What the heck was this... How could a man be so shameless! Why did Xue Zhenyang bring such a fellow here? Wasnt this a clear disgrace to the Martial Arts School? The more he thought about it, the more furious Xu Changqing felt. Suppressing his urge to p the plump man to death, he entered the backyard. However, before he could get far, the plump man behind him shouted, "Look, the slightly aged student ahead has generously given us a tip of 9,800 middle-tier spirit stones. You should all learn from his example!" Xu Changqings eyebrows twitched uncontrobly, and he nearly lost his sanity in that very instant. Tip? Learn from my example? He was only intending to sneak here to see what was going on and teach Xue Zhenyang a harsh lesson. But somehow, he ended up bing yet another studenting here to listen to the lecture, and he even paid an additional tip for it... The heck! He wouldnt be able to cleanse his reputation now even if he were to jump into the Hongyuan Lake! And as he had expected, the next moment, the students in the area turned their gazes to him. "Its School Head Xu..." "Not only did School Head Xue, he even paid the school fee and gave such a huge tip to them?" "Impressive! It looks like he acknowledges the formidable prowess of Zhengoshi, Liuoshi, and Wangoshi as well!" "Indeed..." ... Seeing that even their school head had attended the lecture and paid a generous tip for it, a hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. Two of the students of the Martial Arts School rushed up to him and invited him to the front. "School head, you are here as well! The front seats are better, so why dont youe over here?" Xu Changqings body swayed weakly, and his vision darkened. Front seats are better... I am here to cause trouble, not to listen to the lecture! "Indeed, school head. Our faction leader is currently waiting for you there, so why dont we head there together?" another student added. "Faction leader? Fine, lets see what in the world is he up to!" Xu Changqing felt so stifled that he could vomit blood. However, it would only be more embarrassing if he were to remain there as a spectacle for the other students. Thus, he decided to find his wretched disciple and teach him a lesson instead. Squeezing through the crowd, they soon arrived at the front row before the podium. "Teacher, you are here!" Upon seeing Xu Changqing, Xue Zhenyang immediately bowed respectfully. "Just what in the world are you up to?" On the other hand, as soon as Xu Changqing caught sight of Xue Zhenyang, all of the fury that had been bubbling within him came bursting forth. Instead of answering his teachers question, Xue Zhenyang pointed to the podium and said, "Teacher, calm down. Try listening to the lecture first..." "Listen to the lecture?" As angry as Xu Changqing was, seeing at the entranced looks of the students in the area, he still decided to suppress his rage and turned his attention to the stage. The one who was currently lecturing was a youngdy only sixteen or seventeen years old. She had a beautiful face which was on par with even the school belles such as Hu Yaoyao and Dong Xin. "... In essence, leg arts can be defined as the movement of ones legs and feet. As we know, walking and running can also be considered leg and foot movements as well. If we can regard these casual movements as a means to cultivate our leg arts as well, we will surely be able to further refine our mastery of leg arts..." "Most of leg arts that we cultivate is focused on technique. Take for example the Whirlwind Kick, Hanyang Kick, and Raging Adamantium Kick... There are simply far too many leg arts that I can list that can be ssified under this category. However, this is a gross misinterpretation of the essence of leg arts. The core function of a leg is to move, so naturally, in order to bring out the true strength of a leg art, we should not focus merely on the technique of the kick but..." The youngdy spoke clearly and fluently, showing no hint of nervousness or her usual shyness at all. Xu Changqing initially thought nothing of it, but the more he listened, the more shocked he became. Eventually, his face started to twitch in agitation. One could recognize a true expert the moment they made a move. As the head of the Martial Arts School, as well as a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed deep insight into theprehension of battle techniques. Even though the other party only spoke about the basics of leg arts, her words precisely hit the nail on the head, guiding him directly to the core of leg arts. In fact, her understanding on some aspects was even deeper than his! It could be said that even if Xu Changqing were to take her ce, he would be unable to do as well as her! Is this... really just the foundation of leg arts? There are actually so many variations to the basics of leg art? After hearing for a moment longer, Xu Changqing couldnt help but frown. Unconventional had be the new convention of martial arts. It was important to make ones battle techniquesplex or unorthodox in order to catch ones opponents off guard. On the other hand, the youngdy was speaking of the orthodox martial arts, leaving out all of the unorthodox variations and maneuvers that most cultivators would incorporate into their movements. But for some reason, despite the simplicity of the moves she was exining, it felt as if that was the best way to draw out the maximum prowess out of a leg art. "... However, one issue with any leg art is the difficulty to put ones full strength into a kick. Thus, I will be imparting a basic leg art to you that will allow you to gather the full strength of your body into your legs, allowing you to disy the full might of your cultivation toward your opponent..." the youngdy on the podium exined. "Most martial arts require one leg to support the body and another one to strike the opponent. Naturally, this results in ones strength being divided between the two legs, thus reducing the strength of ones kick significantly. However, if one could put exert ones full prowess into a kick..." As the notion struck Xu Changqing, his eyes lit up in excitement He immediately pricked up his ears and listened intently. A momentter, he pped his thigh and eximed, "Indeed! If one were to execute a leg art in such a manner, that would solve the issue perfectly! This enhances the might and the speed of the kick, making it far deadlier than before! "As simple as the technique is, it embodies the essence of leg arts. This is a perfect demonstration of how all battle techniques are built upon foundations..." Musing over the content of the youngdys words, Xu Changqings heart leaped in excitement. While the content lectured by the other party might not be as profound as his, it was a perfect interpretation of the basics of leg arts. Even he would benefit greatly if he were to cultivate ording to what the other party had said. At the same time, it also gave him a deep insight into the way to further his mastery of battle techniques. "Teacher, whats wrong?" Xue Zhenyang asked with a slight smile, seeing his teachers expression. When he invited Zhengoshi, Senior Aunt Wang, and Senior Uncle Liu over, he knew that his teacher would surely be enraged at his actions. Nevertheless, he still chose to do so because he had deep trust in their capabilities. And he was right. In just a short moment, his teacher was also entranced by the lecture. Honestly speaking, even though the three of them werent master teachers, their understanding of battle techniques far exceeded any master teacher he had met before. If they were to cultivate ording to the methods they had proposed, they would be able to build an impable foundation for their battle techniques, and that would in turn allow them to advance their mastery of battle techniques swiftly. It was as if they were parting aside the clouds and showing them a whole new world above for them to reach for. How could anyone possibly not be taken in by that? "Impressive!" Xu Changqing nodded. "I never expected that there would be a person who could have such a thorough and deep interpretation of the basics of battle techniques... To be able to listen to such a lecture for just two hundred middle-tier spirit stones, this is definitely a huge bargain!" To master teachers like them, middle-tier spirit stones werent anything much. Most seniors in the academy would have hundreds in their storage rings. It was more than worthwhile to pay this small sum to listen to such an exciting lesson. Through this lecture, many students would gain a refreshing insight into battle techniques, and the rise of the Martial Arts School wouldnt be too far away! "Indeed!" Xue Zhenyang nodded in agreement. If he wasnt deeply impressed by Zheng Yangs understanding of spearmanship, how could he, a top genius of the Master Teacher Academy, possibly be willing to take a person who was several decades younger than him as his teacher? At that moment, Xu Changqing suddenly asked, "Zhenyang, what is the background of the youngdy on the podium?" "Im not too sure about the details either. I happened to meet them while I was walking through the streets of Hongyuan City yesterday... Why? Is Teacher interested in taking her in as your direct disciple?" Xue Zhenyang asked. "Taking her in as my direct disciple?" Xu Changqing sighed deeply and shook his head. "With her deep understanding of battle techniques, how am I qualified to be her teacher? What I intend to do is to invite her to be the Martial Art Schools... "... guest elder!" Chapter 802: Im Not Selling It Anymore! Chapter 802: Im Not Selling It Anymore! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Guest elder?" Xue Zhenyang widened his eyes in shock. Even though guest elders might not wield as much authority as other elders in the academy, they had a higher standing than them. This was because they were formidable figures outside who had been invited to join the academy in order to boost its prestige and reputation. For example, the emperor of Hongyuan Empire also held the position of a guest elder in the academy. asionally, he would visit the academy to conduct a lesson or two for the students, imparting hisprehension of cultivation to them. For a seventeen-year-old youngdy to be a guest elder of the academy... Wasnt that a little too exaggerated? "Thats right. She is more than qualified for it!" Xu Changqing nodded seriously. It wasnt on a whim that he had made this decision. He had already considered the variousplications before saying it. The other party was able to distill profound concepts into simple and direct exnations, provoking the listeners to think deeper into them. If such figures could be the guest elders of the Martial Arts School, they would definitely be able to attract more and more students to join them, enhancing the prowess and influence of the school. In time, it could overtake the Physician School, Beast Tamer School, and perhaps even the Apothecary School to be the number school of the Master Teacher Academy! The crux of a master teachery in rifying doubts and imparting knowledge. In view of that, very few of them paid little regard to furthering their understanding of battle techniques. On top of that, advancing ones mastery of battle techniques took great effort, and it was highly dependent on aptitude as well. What made things even worse was that it wasnt a supporting upation, making it a non-crucial aspect in raising ones master teacher rank... As a result, despite being an impressive school that raised the fighting prowess of its students, there were very few who opted to join it, putting it in the bottom half of the ten schools, ranking above only the less popr supporting upations such as the Celestial Designer School, Painter School, Demonic Tunist School, and Terpsichore School. This was truly a disheartening sight. All along, Xu Changqing had been dreaming of making the Martial Arts School bigger, and with an opportunity standing right before him, he would have to be a fool to not grasp it! "Alright. I think it would still be best for Teacher to bring this issue up with them personally, so I will invite them to Teachers room once Senior Wangs lecture ends," Xue Zhenyang said. As he was the one who had invited Zhengoshi, Senior Aunt Wang, and Senior Uncle Liu here, if the three of them could be guest elders of the school, it would reflect well on him as well. With such backing in the academy, his standing would rise as a result as well. By then, wouldnt it just be a walk in the park for him to teach a freshman a lesson? "Okay." Xu Changqing nodded before leaving the courtyard and walking to a room not too far away. Sometimeter, the door to the room opened, and Xue Zhenyang walked in with Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang behind him. "Zhengoshi, Senior Aunt Wang, Senior Uncle Liu, this is my teacher, the head of the Martial Arts School, School Head Xu! "Teacher, this is Zheng Yangoshi. I am currently studying spearmanship from him. This is Senior Aunt Wang Ying, you saw her on the podium just now. And this is Senior Uncle Liu Yang!" Xue Zhenyang hurriedly introduced them to one another. "School head?" Zheng Yang and the others nced at one another with widened eyes. When they heard that someone was interested in meeting them, they were still wondering who it would be. They had never expected that it would be the head of the Martial Arts School. "Theres no need to be rmed. The reason I have invited you here is to offer you the positions of guest elders at our Martial Arts School," Xu Changqing said with a kind smile. "Guest elders?" Zheng Yang and the others were taken aback by those words. They were still students learning under Zhangoshi themselves, and yet in the blink of an eye, they were going to be guest elders of the great Master Teacher Academy? Were they dreaming? Wasnt this honor far too great for them? "Yes!" Xu Changqing nodded. "May I know if you are willing to ept the offer?" "Of course we are!" Zheng Yang and the others immediately nodded their heads in excitement. "Thats good. Ill make the application right now, and I should be able to give you your identity tokens by today afternoon at thetest!" Seeing that he had their approval, Xu Changqing nodded in satisfaction. After chatting for a moment longer, Xu Changqing took his leave. Soon, only Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang were left in the room. The trio nced at one another with a dazed look in their eyes, seemingly still unable to believe what had just happened. A momentter, Wang Ying couldnt help but ask, "This... We became elders of the academy, but Zhangoshi is still a student here... How are we going to report this matter to him?" "This..." Zheng Yang and Liu Yang also scratched their heads in distress. They had been so overwhelmed by excitement upon hearing the invitation that they epted it immediately without considering the implications. It was only after calming down that they realized the absurdity of the situation. For them to be elders of the academy when their teacher, Zhang Xuan, was still a student himself... No matter how one looked at it, the matter just seemed ridiculous. "This... Why dont we hide it from him for the time being? We will just take each day as ites..." Zheng Yang proposed after a moment of silence. Escape is always the easiest solution in times of dilemma. Without any hesitation, Wang Ying and Liu Yang nodded. "Lets do that!" It wasnt that they really wanted to hide it from Zhang Xuan, but... how were they supposed to bring up such a matter with him? ... "What did you say? School Head Xu promoted those youngsters whom Xue Zhenyang brought over as guest elders?" Hearing the report, Dong Xin and Long Cangyue nearly fainted. They had thought that School Head Xu would surely teach Xue Zhenyang a lesson, but who could have known that... he would actually make those youngsters into guest elders of the Martial Arts School! How was that possible? Was it a joke? "Its true! Not only that, I heard that School Head Xu went into seclusion as soon as he returned from the True Helios Faction, only appearingter in the night... ording to the rumors, he gained new insight into battle techniques, and in a spar with Vice School Head Chen, he managed to defeat thetter in a single strike..." the student continued. "Defeated Vice School Head Chen in a single strike?" "Even though Vice School Head Chens strength wasnt on par with School Head Xu, there wasnt arge disparity between their fighting prowess. In the previous spars, it would take them several dozens of blows before the victor would emerge. Yet, a single blow..." Dong Xins eyes were filled in incredulity. "Are those youngsters whom Xue Zhenyang invited over really that formidable?" "Im not too sure, but I heard that everyone who attended the lecture has achieved a breakthrough of some kind, and the overall strength of the True Helios Faction has been raised significantly!" the student replied. "I see..." Long Cangyue and Dong Xin tightly clenched their fists. "It seems like we will have to be careful of the True Helios Faction!" A simr scene was urring in the other student factions across the academy as well, and even the teachers were rmed by the matter. For three youngsters who werent even twenty to be guest elders of the academy, this was unprecedented in the history of the Master Teacher Academy. In an instant, the matter became a hot topic within the academy, and many freshmen also learned of the matter as well. However, while most people in the academy learned about the new young guest elders in the Martial Arts School, very few knew the names of the guest elders or their background. ... While a huge ruckus had broken out due to the three new guest elders, Zhang Xuan had also finally returned back to the academy. The deadline which Vice School Head You set was two days. I should still be able to make it in time! As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the academy, he didnt return to his residence in the Elite Sector but headed straight to the Tower of Physicians. Even though Wei Ruyans condition had stabilized after he had nourished her soul, the stable condition wouldntst for too long. Treatment still had to be conducted as soon as possible or else her life would be at risk once again. Zhang Xuan had already made a promise to the deceased Wei Changfeng... Regardless of what happened, he was determined to obtain the Ten-leafed Flower. Soon, Zhang Xuan reached the Tower of Physicians. He headed straight for Vice School Heads residence and knocked on the door. It was Sun Yuan who opened the door. "You..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Sun Yuan was astonished. He knew very well how dangerous the Cloudmist Ridge was. How could he possibly still be fine after heading to such a ce? "I am here to meet Vice School Head You!" Zhang Xuan said. Considering that Vice School Head You intentionally ordered Wei Changfeng to pick the Cloudmist Flower despite knowing the dangers there, it was obvious that he had intended to pick on him. As furious as Zhang Xuan was, for Wei Ruyans sake, he decided to rein in his fury for the time being. The Ten-leafed Flower was a rare saint herb that had the ability to heal ones soul. In the entire Hongyuan City, it was likely that Vice School Head You would be the only one who possessed it. Wei Changfeng had already given up his life for it, Zhang Xuan couldnt let his perseverance and sacrifice go in vain. Recovering from his daze after a moment, Sun Yuan invited nodded and gestured for Zhang Xuan to enter. "Please enter..." Soon, he met Vice School Head You in his main hall. "Vice School Head You, here is a Cloudmist Flower. As promised, I have brought it to you within two days!" Without even bothering with pleasantries, Zhang Xuan immediately flicked his wrist and took out a jade box containing the flower which Wei Changfeng had procured at the cost of his life. "You obtained it?" Vice School Head was taken aback. He took he jade box over and opened it. A mysterious mist rose from the jade box, and the flower within exuded a refreshing fragrance that left ones cells moaning infort. Even without undergoing processing, the Cloudmist Flower was still an incredible nt with therapeutic effects. "This is indeed the Cloudmist Flower!" Vice School Head You nodded. "Since you have confirmed it, may I trade it for the Ten-leafed Flower now?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I would have loved to do so, but that wont do!" Vice School You shook his head. "What I want is a living Cloudmist Flower which I can cultivate, but the one you have procured for me is already dead. You didnt fulfill my request, so how can I trade it for the Ten-leafed Flower? If you really want it, bring me a living Cloudmist Flower!" "A living Cloudmist Flower?" Zhang Xuans face darkened. The other party didnt say anything of that sort when they made the deal two days ago! Yet, at this instant, he was using this kind of excuse to reject it. It was clear that he had no intention of giving the Ten-leafed Flower to them in the first ce! "Fine, if a living Cloudmist Flower is what you want, a living Cloudmist Flower is what you will get..." Even though Zhang Xuan was furious, he knew that it would do him no good to fall out with You Xu right now. He would have to hold himself back until he obtained the Ten-leafed Flower from the other party. Thus, he took the jade box back from Vice School Head Yous hands and infused a surge of his Heavens Path zhenqi into the Cloudmist Flower. At the same time, he secretly took out a droplet of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and dripped it on its stalk. Even though it had been a day since the Cloudmist Flower had been harvested, it still managed to retain its freshness as it was stored in the jade box. As long as Zhang Xuan could nourish it with his Heavens Path zhenqi and Earth Vein Spirit Essence, it should be possible for him to revive it. As expected, under the nurturing of his zhenqi and the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, the slightly withered Ten-leafed Flower began to recover, and it started to exude an incredible fragrance. "The Cloudmist Flower came back to life?" Sun Yuan was stunned. Even Vice School Head You was dumbstruck by the scene before him as well. In the very first ce, he had no intentions of selling the Ten-leafed Flower at all. He only brought up the Cloudmist Flower as an excuse to deal with Wei Changfeng and Zhang Xuan. He had thought that he would be able to force Zhang Xuan to back off by insisting that the Cloudmist Flower had to be alive, but in the blink of an eye, that fellow actually seeded in doing so! "Alright. Now that the Cloudmist Flower is alive, you should be able to trade the Ten-leafed Flower for it now, right?" Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan passed the jade box back to Vice School Head You. "Not bad. Since the Cloudmist Flower is alive, I can trade it for the Ten-leafed Flower. However... my Ten-leafed Flower isnt mature yet, so I cant give it to you right now!" Vice School Head You shook his head and said, "From the current look of it, itll take around ten years for the Ten-leafed Flower to mature. So, Im afraid that you will have toe back in ten years..." "Ten years?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in fury. "At the very start, you said that you would trade the Ten-leafed Flower for a Cloudmist Flower as long as we brought one over within two days. When I brought one over, you suddenly insisted that it had to be alive. Now that I have revived it, you started saying that Ill have to wait ten years for it. What if you were toe up with some other excuse after ten years?" "Are you doubting my integrity? Humph! Someone like you who has no respect for your elders wants to buy my Ten-leafed Flower?" Vice School Head Yous face darkened as he flung his sleeves. "Leave! I wont be selling my Ten-leafed Flower anymore!" Chapter 803: A Hundred Thousand Academic Credits? Chapter 803: A Hundred Thousand Academic Credits? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You wont be selling your Ten-leafed Flower?" Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. If not for this fellow, Wei Changfeng wouldnt have died! And despite all that had happened, he still refused to sell his Ten-leafed Flower? Indeed! When a master teacher acted shameless, they could be even more fearsome than the saint beasts of Cloudmist Ridge! "Thats right!" Vice School Head You waved his hands impatiently. "I dont have the habit of selling immature herbs. Leave!" Knowing that Wei Ruyans life was at stake, Zhang Xuan forcefully suppressed the rage bubbling within him and said, "In other words, the reason you are unwilling to sell the Ten-leafed Flower to me is because it isnt mature yet. So, if it matures, you will sell it to me?" "Thats right!" Vice School Head You nodded. "The medicinal properties of a herb will only be drawn out upon maturity, so as a physician, how can I sell an immature herb to another? I am not intentionally picking on you. As a master teacher, you should understand the logic behind this as well!" "I see. Since you insist that you wont sell an immature nt, I shall make it mature this very instant then!" ncing at the other party coldly, Zhang Xuan walked to the Ten-leafed Flower in the herb garden, dabbed a few droplets of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence on it, and infused his Heavens Path zhenqi into it afterward. Even though the Earth Vein Spirit Essence could speed up the growth of the Ten-leafed Flower as well, it would still take a day before it matured. By pairing it with his Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan could further speed up the maturing process. Indeed. With the Heavens Path zhenqi and Earth Vein Spirit Essence infused to the Ten-leafed Flower, the saint herb began growing at a visible pace. Within ten minutes, ten beautiful flowers had bloomed on the ten leaves of the herb, and an invigorating fragrance drifted around it. "This..." Sun Yuan widened his eyes in shock. As a saint herb, the Ten-leafed Flower would ordinarily require at least ten years of cultivation before it could bloom. Yet, the other party seeded in just ten minutes... Just how did he do it? "Vice School Head You, since the Ten-leafed Flower has matured, you should be able to sell it now, right?" Zhang Xuan stood up and said. At that instant, Vice School Head Yous face was alreadypletely livid. When he said that the other party had to trade his Ten-leafed Flower for a Cloudmist Flower, the other party seeded in bringing a Cloudmist Flower. When he said that the Cloudmist Flower had to be alive, the other party revived it. When he said that he couldnt sell it as the Ten-leafed Flower hadnt matured yet, the other party matured it on the spot... Was the other party actually there to p his face? Seeing the other partys grave expression, Zhang Xuan asked impassively, "What? Now that the Ten-leafed Flower has matured, is Vice School You thinking of another reason to reject me?" "Humph! I brought this Ten-leafed Flower up painstakingly. If I insist on not selling it, will you snatch it from me?" Vice School Yous eyebrows shot up. "How could I dare to snatch the possession of a vice school head?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. With a sharp glint in his eyes, he stared at Vice School Head You Xu intently and said, "I will ask you onest time. Are you certain that you wont sell the Ten-leafed Flower to me?" "Thats right! I would rather my Ten-leafed Flower rot in the herb garden than sell it to someone as disrespectful and unruly as you!" Vice School Head You harrumphed. "Very well!" Zhang Xuan turned around decisively and left the residence. "He left just like that?" Vice School Head You had thought that the other party would cause a ruckus over this issue, but he simply left without saying a word. Taking this entire scene into sight, Sun Yuan couldnt help but say, "Teacher, its just a Ten-leafed Flower. Since he has already gone that far, why dont you just sell it to him? There is really no need to make things so awkward..." "Audacious! Are you trying to preach to me?" Vice School Head You Xu frowned in displeasure. "I dare not!" Sun Yuan sped his fist. "I heard that that fellow has caused quite a bit of trouble in the academy. I fear that... if we offend him, it might bring trouble upon us as well!" "What a joke! I, You Xu, a Saint realm expert and the vice head of the Physician School, should fear him? After all the things I have gone through, do you think that I would fear a mere student?" Vice School Head You sneered coldly. "But..." Sun Yuan was still worried. There had to be something special about that fellow for him to win the favor of Pavilion Master Mo, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and School Head Ran. If his teacher were to offend him, wouldnt that mean falling out with the three school heads and the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well? Vice School Head You harrumphed coldly. "No buts. If youre truly worried, why dont you follow that fellow then? If he dares to defame and spread malicious rumors about me before School Head Mo and the others, capture him immediately. I shall have him punished severely for ndering a higher ranked master teacher!" "This..." Sun Yuan was a little hesitant. "What are you waiting for? It is a huge sin for a lower ranked master teacher toment blindly on the actions of a higher ranked master teacher. Since hes a lower ranked master teacher, he should act like one! If he really dares to defame me before others, hes simply courting death!" Vice School Head You waved his hands impatiently. "Yes, Teacher!" Since his teacher had already said so, there was nothing else Sun Yuan could do. Nodding, Sun Yuan backed out of the residence. It was indeed a crime for a lower ranked master teacher to gossip about the actions of a higher ranked master teacher without any concrete evidence. This was a rule in order to maintain order in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Considering that Zhang Xuan was only a 4-star master teacher whereas his teacher was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, Zhang Xuan could indeed be taken away if he dared to defame his teacher. After leaving the residence, Sun Yuan looked around and found the back silhouette of Zhang shi a short distance away. Discreetly, he followed behind the other party. Even though he didnt approve of his teachers way of dealing with this matter, he dared not defy his teachers orders. Will he find School Head Mo first or School Head Zhao? Sun Yuan thought as he followed Zhang Xuan from a distance away. He had heard quite a few rumors regarding Zhang Xuan over the past few days. School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and School Head Wei all gave him preferential treatment. If Zhang Xuan intended to deal with his teacher, it was likely that he would seek one of them to back him. However, given the esteemed standing of those three and the fact that they werent from the school, the most that they would do was serve as mediators for this conflict. In order to maintain harmony in the academy, it was unlikely that they would do anything to his teacher. I think it is more likely for him to find School Head Zhao. After all, the cksmith School is the secondrgest school in the academy, so School Head Zhao is in a better position to exert pressure on my teacher... Sun Yuan deduced. To his surprise, however, he suddenly saw the young man walking straight through the entrance of the Tower of Physicians. Hmm? Why is he going to the Tower of Physicians? Sun Yuan blinked nkly in astonishment. Shouldnt the young man be running to the other schools toin to the school heads and have them stand up for him? Why did he head to the Tower of Physicians instead? I should follow him to take a look! Sun Yuan hurriedly followed him. There was a huge crowd travelling into and out of the Tower of Physicians. Shortly after Zhang Xuan walked in, he disappeared amidst the sea of people. Sun Yuan searched the surroundings for some time but to no avail. Left with no choice, he headed right to the front reception. It was a youngdy who was manning the reception. Upon seeing Sun Yuan, she sped her fist and bowed. "Sunoshi..." It was the samedy who had led Zhang Xuan to Vice School Head Yous residence that day. "Hello. Have you seen Zhang Xuan around here?" Sun Yuan asked. "Zhang Xuan?" The receptionist was slightly taken aback by the question. "Its the young man whom you brought to meet Vice School Head You that day!" Sun Yuan frowned. "H-he... is Zhang Xuan?" The receptionist covered her mouth in shock, and her eyes twinkled with excitement, as if having seen her idol. Over the past few days, there was probably not a single person in the academy who hadnt heard of the name Zhang Xuan. Seeing the excited look on the other partys face, Sun Yuan was rendered speechless. He coughed loudly to regain the other partys attention before asking, "Cough! So, did you see him?" What the heck is wrong with this? As a senior, do you really need to be admire a freshman like that? Even if you do, the least you can do is not to express it so clearly in public! "I did. He took an application form from me, saying that he intends to challenge the Wall of Dilemma to earn some Academic Credits!" the receptionist replied. "He intends to earn some Academic Credits at the Wall of Dilemma?" Sun Yuan was stunned for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh. The Wall of Dilemma was also known as the Wall of Incurable Illnesses, and it could be found in every Physician Guild. Usually, difficult illnesses encountered which no existing physicians in a certain guild were able to treat would be listed on the wall so as to encourage theter generations to muse over the problem and solve it with their own capability. However, it was not without reason that these illnesses were known as incurable. The sess rate of the challengers was extremely slim, and only a handful of physicians in history had seeded in resolving even one illness on the Wall of Dilemma. In a sense, this was simr to the cksmith Schools Passageway of Records. There might be many people challenging it each year, but how many of them seeded in beating the existing record? "Thats right!" the receptionist replied. I thought that he would head straight to the cksmith School to look up School Head Zhao. Who would have thought that he would challenge the Wall of Dilemma instead... What is he up to? Just as Sun Yuan was gued with doubts, a buzz so loud that it caused even the ground to tremor echoed throughout the Tower of Physicians. "What is going on?" As the center of the Physician School, the Tower of Physicians was built with the most resilient materials. Unless something major had happened, a building this stable couldnt possibly shake. "Hurry up, lets go and take a look. The Wall of Dilemma has copsed!" "The Wall of Dilemma copsed? But isnt it just amunication tool with the Physician Guild headquarters? How did it copse?" "I heard that someone has just challenged the Wall of Dilemma, and within ten minutes, he managed to solve all of the illnesses listed on it. Due to the sheer speed he solved the problems at, the Wall of Dilemma was unable to catch up and eventually copsed..." "Unable to catch up?" "Indeed! Information transfer over long distance is a very energy-consuming process. The Wall of Dilemma uses high-tier spirit stones in order to process the information written on our side and transfer it over to the headquarter. Yet, I heard that the current challenger solved several hundred illnesses written on the wall within ten minutes... Every single one of the illnesses written on the Wall of Dilemma isplex and requires a thorough treatment method. As a result, the sheer amount of information the Wall of Dilemma had to process resulted in a burden exceeding its limit, thus eventually causing its copse..." ... Just as Sun Yuan was perplexed by the situation before him, he heard discussions ahead of him, and the crowd abruptly began rushing toward the Wall of Dilemma to watch themotion. He solved the problems so quickly that the Wall of Dilemma was unable to handle it and copsed? Sun Yuan widened his eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard. Was that even possible? He had attempted the problems on the Wall of Dilemma before, and every single one of them was exceedingly difficult. Even if his teacher was here today, he would find it hard to solve even a single problem without pondering over it for several days. How could there exist a person who could solve all of the questions within ten minutes? Could that person be... Zhang Xuan? Suddenly, Sun Yuan recalled the words of the receptionist and subconsciously turned his gaze over, only to see thetter with widened eyes. "Is there anyone else who challenged the Wall of Dilemma today?" Sun Yuan hurriedly asked. "No. Hes the only one..." the receptionist replied with a dazed look in her eyes, as if she couldnt believe what had just happened either. "Is it really him?" Sun Yuan muttered under his breath as he felt his heart turning cold in apprehension. Unable to hold himself back, he instructed, "Take me over to have a look!" Thus, the duo rushed over to the Wall of Dilemma, only to see the huge room being reduced to shambles, and smoke was currently puffing out of it. A middle-aged man climbed out from the ruins with a face caked with dust. Sun Yuan hurriedly walked up to ask, "Hu shi, what happened?" Hu shi was also a Vice School Head You Xus student, as well as his junior. He was in charge of looking after the Wall of Dilemma. "Its Zhang Xuan. He came here and solved all of the problems on the Wall of Dilemma... Due to umting too many Academic Credits, the system exceeded its limit, resulting in the entire rooms copse!" Hu shi exined with quivering lips. "umted too many Academic Credits?" Sun Yuan was taken aback. "Indeed. Its not like you dont know the situation with the Wall of Dilemma. In order to encourage students to challenge it, its set in a manner such that the more questions one solves in a given period of time, the more Academic Credits one will be awarded. If a person solved a question in two hours, they would earn one Academic Credits. If a person solved two questions, they would earn two Academic Credits for the second question, thus earning a total of three Academic Credits. Going by this pattern, a person who solves three questions will earn six Academic Credits, so on and so forth..." Hu shi exined. Sun Yuan nodded. There was indeed such a rule for the Wall of Dilemma. The faster one solved the problems, the more Academic Credits one would earn. This system was implemented to challenge the analytical ability of students. After all, it wasmon for a physician to be overloaded with patients, so it was imperative for physicians to be able to formte a treatment method using minimal time as well so that they could treat more patients. "That Zhang Xuan managed to solve more than five hundred questions within five minutes... As a result, the Academic Credits he earned were far more than the number the entire Physician School possessed at the moment. On top of that, the system was also overclocked, thus resulting in the current state of affairs..." Hu shi exined. "He earned more Academic Credits than the entire Physician School possesses?" Hearing those words, Sun Yuan felt his vision turning dark, and he nearly fainted on the spot. "Are you saying that... he actually earned more than 100,000 Academic Credits?" Chapter 804: Sun Yuans Mental Breakdown Chapter 804: Sun Yuans Mental Breakdown Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As Academic Credits were the currency of the academy, their distribution had to be regted to avoid intion. Thus, every ten years, the ten schools would be given a set number of Academic Credits to distribute to the students. The amount was determined by many factors, such as the total number of students in the school, the number of upation promotions in recent years, the aplishments of its students... As the fifthrgest school in the academy, judging from recent history, it would usually be given at least a hundred thousand Academic Credits to distribute for the following ten years. As students spent their Academic Credits on using the services of the Physician School, such as essing the library or purchasing valuable herbs in the school, the Physician School would earn back the Academic Credits, forming a mini economy in itself. Given that Zhang Xuan could cause the Wall of Dilemma to be unable to process the distribution of Academic Credits, resulting in a severe error that caused its copse... That could only mean to say that the Academic Credits he had earned exceeded a hundred thousand! That was the entire budget the Physician School had to live off for the next ten years! And yet, it was gone in an instant... If there arent enough Academic Credits for the teachers to distribute to the students as rewards for the missions and tasks... Darn it, the Physician School is in deep trouble... Realizing the implications of Zhang Xuans actions, Sun Yuans mouth twitched violently, and he nearly burst into tears. His teacher, You Xu, happened to be in charge of regting the distribution of Academic Credits in the Physician School. For ten years worth of Academic Credits to be earned by a single individual... This meant that they had no more Academic Credits to award to the other students! Earning Academic Credits was no easy task. Students had to undergoborious tasks or life-threatening missions just to earn a couple of them. If they were to realize that they would be awarded nothing at the end of their efforts... At this moment, Sun Yuan could already see the huge pandemonium that would arise due to the displeased students! Furthermore, the distribution of the Academic Credits was a major affair concerning the development of the students. If the Physician School was unable topensate its students properly for their efforts, that would be flouting of the rules of the academy as well. As the vice school head in charge of its regtion, his teacher would surely be severely punished! Sun Yuan had thought that the fellow would rush to the cksmith School toin to School Head Zhao, but who knew that just by challenging a Wall of Dilemma, he had already managed to corner his teacher! Without a doubt, students would start withdrawing from the Physician School due to this matter, and its overall prowess would fall rapidly. Perhaps, by the end of this decade, they might very well be thest ce among the ten schools. And for allowing such an incident to happen under his watch, his teacher would indubitably be stripped of his responsibilities. "Indeed!" Having realized this much as well, Hu shi also had a bitter smile on his face. "Right, where is Zhang Xuan? Why isnt he here?" At this moment, Sun Yuan suddenly realized that the culprit of this mess had disappeared, so he couldnt help but ask. "Zhang Xuan? After clearing the Wall of Dilemma, he headed straight for the Mdy tform..." Hu shi said. Realizing that it was possible that Zhang Xuan wasnt quite done yet, Sun Yuans body trembled in apprehension at what that could potentially happen next. Fearfully, he asked, "Mdy tform? What is he going to do there?" "The Mdy tform has a unique mechanism that allows physicians to experience illnesses themselves so that they could better understand its symptoms, and they can also treat themselves so as to verify the effectiveness of their proposed treatment method... If he is heading there, I guess he should be trying to assess his current proficiency in the Way of Medicine," Hu shi replied. The Mdy tform allowed a physician to put themselves in the shoes of the patients to better understand what they would be going through, thus buildingpassion within them for those who were suffering. At the same time, through verifying their treatment methods here, they could avoid mistreating their patients. "Since he was able to ovee even the Wall of Dilemma, does he really need to verify his proficiency in the Way of Medicine?" Sun Yuan rolled his eyes. The Wall of Dilemma was already the most difficult test in the entire Physician School. Given that Zhang Xuan was able to solve over five hundred illnesses within five minutes, would he still need to verify his proficiency in the Way of Medicine at the Mdy tform? "This... Crap!" At this moment, Hu shi also realized what was going on. Just as he was about to rush over with Sun Yuan, a loud rumbling suddenly echoed from afar, and smoke could be seen rising in the distance. It seemed something else had copsed too. Sun Yuan mouth twitched uncontrobly. "Thats where the Mdy tform is! Lets hurry over to take a look..." With Hu shi and a few others, they hurriedly rushed to the Mdy tform, and the sight before them upon reaching it left them staggering weakly. At this moment, the massive building housing the Mdy tform was reduced to ruins, and a middle-aged man was looking at the rubble with a dazed look. "Zhou shi, what happened?" Sun Yuan hurried forward to ask. Zhou shi was also a direct disciple of Vice School Head You Xu, Sun Yuans disciple. He was in charge of maintaining the Mdy tform. "A student said that he wanted to verify a new treatment method he had, so I allowed him to enter after paying the required Academic Credits. Who knew that... within three minutes of his entry, this happened..." Zhou shis face was pale, and his lips was quivering in agitation. Knowing that this wasnt the time to be concerned about the copse of the Mdy tform, Sun Yuan asked anxiously, "What is the freshman called... and where is he now?" "I believe his name is Zhang Xuan, and from the direction in which he was heading... I think hes going to the Ancestor Forest!" Zhou shi replied. "Ancestor Forest?" Sun Yuan was taken aback. "The Ancestor Forest is a ce where the will of the predecessors lingers alongside their tombstones. Engraved on their tombs are the most outstanding feats they achieved in their lives and how they had achieved them. It serves as an inspiration to theter generation to learn from their example and their wisdom. Why would Zhang Xuan head there..." If the Wall of Dilemma and Mdy tform were premises to verify ones expertise as a physician and earn Academic Credits, the Ancestor Forest would be a ce to admire and worship the predecessors. All renowned physicians of the Master Teacher Academy would have a tombstone erected for them there. The illnesses which they had discovered a cure for, along with the cure itself, would be inscribed on their tombstones alongside their name so that theter generations could admire their work... It was nothing more than a tform to motivate the current students, and there was not a single Academic Credit that could be earned there. Why would Zhang Xuan head there? "I think we should still go over to take a look," Hu shi said. "Yes!" Sun Yuan nodded in agreement. Even though they couldnt see how Zhang Xuan could break anything in the Ancestor Forestthe Ancestor Forest had absolutely nothing to do with tests or Academic Creditsthere was simply something extraordinary about him that it would be unwise to gauge him viamon sense. It was still best for them to take a look themselves. As such, they rushed off to the Ancestor Forest, but as usual, before they could reach their destination, the ground shook intensely, and the sound of countless tombstones shattering sounded. The violent shaking caused even cracks to appear on the ground, and even the resilient Tower of Physicians was shaking violently. "What happened?" Rushing into the Ancestor Forest, they realized that the entire area had been reduced to rubble. Sun Yuan and the others felt as if they were going insane. This was a ce to honor the glorious deeds of their predecessors! How could it be destroyed as well? Did Zhang Xuan... destroy them with his own hands? The reason the Wall of Dilemma and Mdy tform copsed was due to Zhang Xuans overwhelming capability exceeding the limits of the mechanism, resulting in its own copse. Considering that the destruction urred due to the limitations of the Physician Schools facilities, it would be unreasonable toy me on him. After all, he hadnt flouted any rules at all; all he did was challenge that which should be challenged. But for the Ancestor Forest... there was no examination involved here, so there shouldnt be any mechanism for him to overwhelm. Could he have created the ruins here with his own hands? To intentionally destroy the property of the Physician School, not to mention disrespecting the predecessors and their heritage, that was a grave sin that could have Zhang Xuan sent straight to the Tribunal of Master Teachers to be judged! "This... How could this be?" At this instant, a middle-aged man with a ghastly pale face walked over with a stupefied expression on his face. It was as if he had just suffered a blow so great that he was losing his mind. "Ye shi..." Sun Yuan shouted. Ye shi was also his junior, and he was in charge of maintaining the Ancestor Forest. As the Tower of Physicians was under Vice School Head Yous jurisdiction, the facilities in the area were mainly taken care of by his students. Seeing that Sun shi, Hu shi, and the others were standing before him, Ye shi finally snapped out from his daze. Gesturing to the rubble behind him, he eximed with a defeated look, "Wrong! To think that they are all wrong!" "Ye shi, what happened? Did someone destroy the Ancestor Forest using brute force?" Sun Yuan asked. "Brute force?" Ye shi shook his head and sighed deeply. "Take a look yourself..." Without exining, Ye shi took out a Record Crystal and tossed it over to Sun Yuan and the others. Catching it, Sun Yuan hurriedly infused his zhenqi into the Record Crystal to activate it. With a sh of light, apletely unharmed Ancestor Forest suddenly appeared before their eyes. Following which, a young man walked into the scene. Who else could the young man be if not Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan swiftly walked up to the first tombstone. The tombstone contained the writings of the first head of the Physician School. Inscribed on the tombstone were the contributions he had made to humanity in his lifetime, the most significant one being formting a cure for the Demonhound Affliction. The Demonhound Affliction was a bizarre disease that was rampant in that period of time. Those who were bitten by a hound-type beast would begin shedding their skin and growing fur within three months. A few days after the transformation began, they would lose their rationality and turn into monsters that would bite anyone they saw. Those who were bitten by the infected would be inflicted with the Demonhound Affliction as well. What made things worse was that the disease was so potent that not even Saint realm experts could suppress the symptoms. Due to its nature, the disease spread swiftly, causing great cmity to the human race. The first head of the Physician School, through half a year of tireless research, finally managed to formte a vine against the Demonhound Affliction. However, the vine was only effective for prevention; it couldnt save those who had already been transformed. In order to suppress the gue, the academy had to dispatch countless experts to y those who had been infected and cremate their corpses, resulting in a huge death toll. Even though the first head of the Physician School failed to save those who had already been infected, he yed a major role in suppressing the gue, saving many innocent lives through doing so. He was honored for his contribution in that cmity, and his story was passed down from generation to generation. Just as Sun Yuan and the others were perplexed by what Zhang Xuan was going to do, they saw thetter nce at the tombstone briefly before speaking. "The Demonhound Affliction is a disease caused by the virus present in the blood of hound-type beasts. It can be easily cured by taking two qian 1 of Sunflower Hemp, four qian of Crimson Frond, half a liang of Violetdawn Stalk, and a pinch of a hound-type beasts heart flesh! A disease that can be cured so easily, and yet you had all of the afflicted killed and cremated. On top of that, the vine you came up with is at least dozens of times more expensive than mine as well. I really dont understand how you can feel proud of your achievements and have a tomb erected here. Are you that intent on having theter generations learn of your shameful failure?" Kacha! Hearing those words, the will contained within the tombstone realized that there was indeed a far better medicine to the one he had formted back then, and he had wronged those who were killed in the gue. The tombstone began to shake violently before abruptly bursting into smithereens. Without sparing the first tombstone a second nce, Zhang Xuan walked on to the second tombstone, and just like before, he took a nce and spoke a few words, and the will contained within felt ashamed of its deeds too and broke apart. The same scene urred again and again as he walked down the path. From the moment he nced at the tombstone to the moment he spoke, there was only an interval of two breaths. But despite that, each time he spoke, a tombstone would surely burst apart. In other words... the prescription that he had proposed was even more advanced, effective, and easier to concoct than the ones the predecessors hade up with! "In a battle in the Way of Medicine against the predecessors, he was able to disy such overwhelming knowledge that left thetter ashamed of themselves, to the point that they would willingly erase all traces of themselves..." The mouths of Sun Yuan, Hu shi, and the others twitched at the sight before them. They finally understood why Ye shi would look so defeated! Guarding the Ancestor Forest, he had been studying their wisdom day after day, and he was filled with awe and respect for them. But a man suddenly walked in and said that everything was wrong, and he even won the acknowledgement of the predecessors at that... It was extremely fortunate that his mind didnt break immediately! Wall of Dilemma, Mdy tform, and the Ancestor Forest... Three of the most important facilities of the Tower of Physicians have been destroyed. Just what kind of monster did Teacher offend? Taking another nce at the ruins of previously majestds, Sun Yuan shook his head and sighed deeply. To point out the mistakes in the predecessors deeds and induce the erasure of the wed solutions on the tombstone, preventing them from misleading future generations, not only did Zhang Xuan not err, he had even contributed greatly to the Physician Guild! If the Physician Guild were to learn of this matter, they would surely reward him handsomely for it... But still, to be able toe up with even more brilliant solutions to difficult diseases that took the predecessors months or even years to formte... Just how did that fellow do it? "Wait, where is Zhang Xuan?" After a moment of shock, Sun Yuan suddenly realized that he still hadnt found Zhang Xuan, and he quickly looked around to find him. "Sunoshi, bad news! Zhang shi has headed to the higher floors of the Tower of Physicians. He intends to take the physician examination..." All of a sudden, a student running toward them shouted frantically. However, before he could finish his words, the ground shook yet again. Following which, the massive tower in the distance abruptly copsed, and countless rock fragments rained down on the earth. "The Tower of Physicians... is gone as well!" Sun Yuan cried. Chapter 805: Life-and-Death Physician Duel Chapter 805: Life-and-Death Physician Duel Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Tower of Physicians consisted of seven floors in total. The first floor was mainly used for misceneous matters, such as patient diagnosis, the Wall of Dilemma, sales of medicinal herbs, and such. From the second floor onward were the mechanisms for the 1-star to 6-star physician examination. Just like the Ocean of Weapons, mechanisms and formations were incorporated into the Tower of Physicians to create a simtion for the examinees. As such, not only would they have to possess deep understanding of the Way of Medicine, they must be experienced in treating patients as well. Treating an illness was unlike smithing or pill forging. A single illness could easily have thousands of different methods to cure it. One had to assess the patients constitution and overall condition before choosing the most suitable one. As such, the examination in the Tower of Physicians couldnt be as routine as the one in the Ocean of Weapons. Thus, the wills of countless predecessors had been left within the Tower of Physicians to assess the proficiency of the examinees. The wills of the predecessors wouldnt have much trouble conducting examinations for others, but when it came to Zhang Xuan... Zhang Xuan was able to even criticize the correct answers left behind by the predecessors in the Ancestor Forest to such a degree that they seemedpletely worthless... If he were toe up with far better solutions than those of the predecessors in the Tower of Physicians, they would surely feel ashamed of their own ignorance and think that they were unworthy of assess the work of others... Thus... just like what happened in the Ancestor Forest, the Tower of Physicians ended up copsing as well! It had been millenniums since the Physician School first came into existence, and yet, the crystallization of countless predecessors wisdom over all those years couldnt evenpare with that fellow... It was no wonder School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and even the reserved School Head Wei would regard with him respect and give him their personal tokens... That fellow was aplete monster! Sun Yuan and the others hurriedly drove their zhenqi to form a barrier to protect themselves from the flying rubble thrown out from the copsing building. At this point, Sun Yuan and his juniors were feeling their hearts bleed within. Vice School Head You was in charge of the affairs concerning the Tower of Physicians. For Zhang Xuan to have destroyed the entire ce while abiding by the rules... this meant that all responsibility for the damage would have to be shouldered by their teacher alone! Wasnt it just a mere Ten-leafed Flower... To think that single darned flower would cause the doom of the Physician School! This wasnt just a matter of the destruction of facilities and the reparation cost, but the reputation of the Physician School as well! For a freshman to literally destroy the four most prided assets of the Physician School with his knowledge, and on top of that, not a single onested more than ten minutes... Furthermore, all of the Academic Credits had been swiped by him, leaving the Physician School currently deep in debt with the pending payments for the missions and tasks undertaken by students... Without a doubt, it wouldnt be long before the students began abandoning the Physician School, and by the next year, it would fall to the very bottom in the rankings, beneath even the Terpsichore School! Just what the heck was this! No, I must inform Teacher of the matter immediately! Just as Sun Yuan was feeling deep destion within, he suddenly recalled his teacher. When he left, his teacher was still gleeful about teaching a freshman a lesson, not realizing the cmity he had just brought upon the Physician School. Thus, he immediately rushed from the ruins to Vice School Head Yous small residence. Stepping through the doors, he saw Vice School Head You watering the nts leisurely, oblivious to the mess that had happened outside. In order to retain a dense concentration of spiritual energy within the herb garden, a formidable formation had been set up in the courtyard. But while spiritual energy was unable to escape, sound was unable to enter as well. Despite the hugemotion outside, isted from the rest of the world, the herb garden remained unaffected. Seeing that it was Sun Yuan, You Xu raised his gaze and nced at him. "You are back. How is it? Did you capture that fellow?" Sun Yuans lips twitched. "I didnt..." "You didnt? Did he not go to School Head Zhao or the others toin? You know the rules as well, defaming a higher ranked master teacher warrants the death penalty," You Xu sneered coldly. "He didnt find the other school heads toin. Instead, he went to the Tower of Physicians..." Seeing that his teacher was still immersed in his world, Sun Yuan wasnt too sure how he could break the news to him. "He went to the Tower of Physicians? For what?" You Xu was perplexed. Not knowing where to start, Sun Yuan said, "Teacher, I think it might be better if you head outside to see for yourself..." "See for myself?" You Xu was growing more and more intrigued by the baffling words his student was spouting. Nevertheless, seeing the grim expression on his students face, he nodded and left his residence. As soon as he stepped out of the door, a sight of ruins appeared before his eyes. The towering Tower of Physicians from before was nowhere to be seen. "This rubble... is the Tower of Physician? What happened? Was there an enemy attack?" The huge contrast between what he expected to see and what he saw left You Xu on the verge of insanity. That was the Tower of Physicians, the trademark building of the Physician School! For it to copse all of a sudden... Who was the culprit? Could it be the Otherworldly Demons? "No, it is..." But just as Sun Yuan was about to speak, a resounding voice echoed throughout the entire Physician School. "I, Zhang Xuan, request the physician headquarters permission for a Life-and-Death Physician Dual against 6-star physician, Vice School Head You Xu. I beseech your approval!" Hong long! The next moment, a physician emblem flew into the air, and with a brilliant sh of light, a massive word appeared in the skyPermitted! Life-and-Death Physician Duel? Sun Yuans vision darkened. Life-and-Death Physician Duel was a tform for physicians to resolve irreconcble grudges between them through a duel, somewhat simr to how the Master Teacher Confrontation worked. As long as the headquarters gave its permission, both parties would be able to decide on a type of duel to resolve their grudges. So, the reason he took the 6-star physician examination is for this! Realization suddenly struck Sun Yuan. Typically speaking, the headquarters would only approve of Life-and-Death Physician Duel between physicians of simr rank. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to get his 6-star physician emblem first. However, entering the higher levels of the Tower of Physicians to take the physician examination required Academic Credits, which Zhang Xuancked as a freshman... That was why he went for the Wall of Dilemma first! In other words... Zhang Xuan was intending to challenge his teacher in a battle of their medicinal knowledge and force him to his death! This duel was indeed the most straightforward and official way to destroy another physician in public! It was no wonder that fellow specially asked his teacher onest time before leaving. It seemed like he was indeed giving his teacher onest chance. However... it was a pity that his teacher thought little of the other partys threat, thinking that it was impossible for a mere student to do anything to him... But now, not only did the other party destroy the Tower of Physicians, he was even challenging his teacher to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel... What should they do now? "Life-and-Death Duel? How conceited can you get! But that works fine by me too, I have been wanting to teach you a lesson as well! Since you are the one who came at me, dont me me for getting nasty!" Vice School Head You hadnt expected a freshman to dare challenge him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, and his face immediately darkened upon hearing those words. Flicking his wrist, he took out his physician emblem. Following which, he bit his finger and dripped a droplet of blood on the emblem. H! With a glimmer of light, the emblem flew into an air, and an authoritative voice boomed, "I, You Xu, agree to the duel!" "Teacher..." Not expecting his teacher to ept the duel without any hesitation, Sun Yuans body shook weakly. Too overwhelmed with shock, he hadnt had time to exin to his teacher the various unbelievable feats that Zhang Xuan had aplished before his teacher suddenly epted the duel in his moment of dy. This was truly a disaster! Just like the Master Teacher Confrontation, the Life-and-Death Physician Duel was overlooked by the headquarters. Once epted, any party that backed out would be severely punished. Some had been stripped of their physician licenses due to this matter, and there were even a few who were killed outright! If it had been before, he would have surely thought that the freshman who dared to challenge his teacher was a fool seeking death... But after all he had seen, his instincts were telling him that even if his teacher went up against that fellow for ten thousand rounds, it was unlikely that he would win even a single round! Or to put it in other words... his teacher stood no chance at all! Nevertheless, as Vice School Head Yous student, it was still his duty to warn him of the matter so that he could be prepared. "Teacher, you shouldnt have agreed to the duel. That Zhang Xuan isnt as simple as he looks..." "Whats wrong?" Seeing how little faith his student had in him, You Xus face darkened, and he harrumphed coldly. "Hes just an insignificant fellow, theres nothing to fear. I shall make him learn the price of daring to stand against me! You should return to the residence first and heat up some fine wine for me. I should be done by the time its warmed up..." Then, ignoring Sun Yuan, he leaped into the sky, in the direction his emblem had flown to. In his view, no matter how talented Zhang Xuan might be, he was only a twenty-year-old brat. On the other hand, he had been immersed in the study of the Way of Medicine his entire life. To challenge him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, what else could that be other thanmitting suicide? "Heat up some fine wine? Teacher..." Sun Yuan nearly burst into tears. Indeed, there is someone who will be destroyed in a few moments, but... that will be you and not Zhang Xuan! Sun Yuan hurriedly shouted for his teacher, only to realize that thetter was too far to hear him. "No, I have to inform him of this matter before its toote..." Sun Yuan said determinedly. If his teacher were to let his guard down in the duel on top of everything else, there truly would be no hope at victory whatsoever. Thus, Sun Yuan swiftly pursued his teacher. ... In the head of the Apothecary School Lu Fengs residence, School Head Mo sped his fist and asked, "School Head Lu, do you have any news regarding Senior Byzantium Helios Beast?" In response to the question, Lu Feng shook his head. Lu Feng was a tall old man with a ck beard. Despite being the head of the Apothecary School, the number one school in Hongyuan Academy, he was dressed in exceptionally simple clothing, giving others the impression that he was an ordinary old man. "I have tried following all of the clues we have, and I have paid a personal visit to Leiyuan Peak as well. However, I am still unable to find anything significant yet," Lu Feng said worriedly. As soon as he had learnt that the Byzantium Helios Beast had been captured by the Otherworldly Demons, he had immediately begun his investigation. However, despite seven days effort, he was still unable to find anything at all. At this point, he was starting to feel a little anxious inside. The longer it took them to find the Byzantium Helios Beasts whereabouts, the slimmer the chances that he would be alive. Were they going to lose the old principals tamed beast too, shortly after losing the old principal? "I havent been able to find anything either. I had the students of the Beast Tamer School ride their aerial beasts to search the surroundings, but there was no sign of the Otherworldly Demons or Senior Byzantium Helios at all. Its as if theyve disappeared into thin air!" School Head Mo shook his head and sighed deeply. He felt extremely helpless and frustrated by this issue. It was by his invitation that Senior Byzantium Helios went to the Leiyuan Peak to invigte the students exam. But who could have known that he would disappear in the midst of the examination? If it wasnt for him, Senior Byzantium Helios would have never gone missing... As such, School Head Mo had always med himself for this matter. "Alright, lets not talk about this anymore... The best we can do now is wish Senior Byzantium Helios good luck!" Lu Feng shook his head before turning to School Head Mo once again and asked, "I heard that you are very interested in the freshman named Zhang Xuan from the newest batch, and you intend to take him in as your direct disciple?" "Theres indeed such a matter, but... I fear that I dont have the fortune to do so!" School Head Mo replied with a bitter smile. "You dont have the fortune to do so?" Lu Feng was slightly perplexed. "Just what kind of talent does that fellow have to make an old withered tree like you blossom?" "His affairs are truly incredible. You will understand once you hear his story..." Stroking his beard, School Head Mo was just about to tell thetter Zhang shis formidable deeds when the ground suddenly shook intensely. In the next moment, a deafening rumbling sounded in the distance. Following which, they saw the towering Tower of Physicians, which stood at the very center of the Physician School, copse abruptly. "What happened?" Narrowing his eyes, Lu Feng hurriedly rushed out of his residence and headed right for the Physician School. However, before he could get far, he heard an impassive voice echoing resoundingly in the surroundings. "I, Zhang Xuan, request the physician headquarters for a Life-and-Death Physician Dual against 6-star physician, Vice School Head You Xu. I beseech for your approval!" Chapter 806: Movements from All Fronts Chapter 806: Movements from All Fronts Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang Xuan? Life-and-Death Physician Duel?" School Head Zhong and School Head Mo nced at one another, and their eyes slowly widened in shock. It was just a moment ago that they had begun talking about the other party when such a situation urred... Just what in the world had happened? Wasnt that fellow a skilled beast tamer and a cksmith? When did he be a physician as well? Not to mention, he was going to challenge You Xu? "Something big is going to happen. Lets head over to take a look!" Anxious, School Head Mo hurriedly left with School Head Zhong, headed in the direction of the tower of Physicians. ... "What did you say? Zhang Xuan... is going to challenge Vice School Head You to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel? Is he insane?" Long Cangyue widened his eyes in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard. "Isnt that fellow a cksmith and a terpsichore? When did he be a physician too?" Dong Xin was also astonished by the news. "Challenging Vice School Head You, a Saint realm expert..." Long Cangyues lips quivered in fear at that thought. As powerful as his Ashen Moon Faction was in the academy, that was only rtive to those small confrontations amongst the student popce. Yet, that fellow actually went head-to-head with a vice school head of the academy, challenging him to a Life-and-Death Duel... Was he tired of living? "It was just yesterday that the True Helios Faction caused a huge uproar in the academy, and this fellow managed to top that... Lets go over to take a look!" Dong Xin said with a bitter smile. They had thought that it was insane for the True Helios Faction to bring in three youngsters to lecture them, but that fellow had to bepletely out of his mind to go head-to-head against a vice school head... Was he trying to start a revolution?! "Yes!" Not daring to waste a single second, the duo rushed out of the residence. ... "Teacher... challenged Vice School Head You Xu? What happened?" In Zhang Xuans residence in the Elite Sector, Luo Qiqi was still pacing around the room, worried for her teachers safety after he went to the Cloudmist Ridge, when she suddenly received the news from Hu Yaoyao, and her body trembled in shock. That was sheer arrogance! The opponent was a vice school head and a 6-star pinnacle physician... To challenge such an opponent to a Life-and-Death Duel given his current strength... Wasnt that just madness? "No, I must stop him..." Unable to remain seated, Luo Qiqi leaped up and rushed for the Physician School. ... The light fragrance of flowers drifted in a tranquil and vast courtyard in the Master Teacher Academy. A beautiful figure stood amidst a field of flowers with her hands behind her back. That image felt so peaceful that it seemed as if it could have been a painting. Her silky, ck hair fell on her snowy robe as if long streaks of ink, and the vibrant colors of the flowers in the surroundings seemed toplement her disposition, creating an inexplicably bewitching sight. "He is challenging the 6-star pinnacle physician, You Xu?" The figure turned around, revealing her alluring face. It was the youngdy who had captured Zhang Xuans heart, Luo Ruoxin. Back then, after learning that Zhang Xuan was fine, she had returned back to her residence, and the two of them hadnt met each other since. Who would have thought that the next time she heard of his name would be when he challenged a vice school head to a duel? "He sure is gutsy..." Luo Ruoxins lips curled up into a faint smile. Even though she hadnt spent much time with Zhang Xuan, she did know that he had a daring side to him. Back then, with just a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, he stepped into an encirclement of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts to save her. Such a feat in itself took extraordinary courage. "For him to go to the extent of challenging You Xu to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, it seems thetter must havemitted some kind of intolerable crime..." Based on her impression of Zhang Xuan so far, he didnt seem like a person who would get angry over minor matters. For him to go to this extent, it seemed that You Xu must have done something deplorable. "I should go and take a look, too!" With a slight smile, she stepped forward lightly, and in a blink of an eye, she had already disappeared from the courtyard. ... In the True Helios Faction, Zheng Yang and the others were currently sitting at a table filled with sumptuous dishes, enjoying the highest of privileges. "Uncle Qiang, Teacher has challenged a vice school head to a duel..." But despite the delicacies before her, Wang Ying was so worried that she couldnt find the appetite to eat. "Its just a duel, no worries. Dont you have confidence in your teachers prowess? That vice school head will be utterly destroyed by the time we are done with this feast, so you can rest assured!" Sun Qiang said as he stuffed anotherrge piece of spirit beast meat into his mouth. "But..." "There are no buts, eat. Nothing can possibly happen to your teacher..." Sun Qiang waved his hands casually. "Besides, theres nothing you can do even if you head there too. Do you know anything about the Way of Medicine at all?" "This..." A bitter look appeared on Zheng Yang and the others faces. Unable to share their teachers burden, they couldnt help but feel helpless at that instant. "Enough, theres no need to feel conflicted over this matter. Just eat your food! Your teacher might look docile usually, but there has never been a single asion where he has not seeded when he makes a move. If youre still worried, well head there once we are done eating!" Sun Qiang said while stuffing his mouth with more food. You must be joking! If it is a matter which even the young master is unable to resolve, there is nothing we will be able to do there either. Not to mention... is it even possible for there to be something which the young master and the old master are unable to resolve in this world? "Alright then..." Seeing how calm Sun Qiang was, and recalling the various incredible deeds that their teachers had done, Zheng Yang and the others slowly lifted their chopsticks and began to dig in. ... "Hahaha, hes truly courting death! Vice School Head Yous mastery in the Way of Medicine is beneath only that of School Head Zhong Dingchun, making him one of the top physicians of Hongyuan Empire. To challenge him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel... he must be tired of living!" "Seems like there will be a good show ahead!" "That freshman has allowed fame to get to his head; he has started to forget his ce. To dare to provoke even the vice school head, just how arrogant can a person get..." ... As Zhang Xuans resounding voice reached the corners of the Master Teacher Academy, a huge uproar followed. Some were shocked, some were agitated, but most were waiting to see him make a fool of himself. Establishing the Xuanxuan Faction amidst the oppression of the other student factions, causing a hugemotion in the cksmith School, winning the favor of three school heads... Zhang Xuan had been in the spotlight ever since he had entered the academy. While there were some who admired his capability, there were naturally also a few who were unsatisfied with him. There were many seniors who were waiting for him to fall off his high horse. Thus, upon hearing that he had challenged the vice school head of the Physician School, they immediately rushed over to watch his fall from grace ... On a tform not too far away from the ruins of what used to be the Tower of Physicians, Zhang Xuan stood proudly with a cold gleam in his eyes. It was not without a reason that he caused such a hugemotion with his challenge. His motive was simpledeterrence! He simply didnt have the time or effort to deal with everyone who came his way. Each upation had its own way to resolve conflicts amongst its members. The Life-and-Death Physician Duel was the official way for physicians to deal with irreconcble grudges amongst themselves. It was one thing for You Xu to refuse to sell the Ten-leafed Flower, but he had intentionally misled Wei Changfeng to cause his death. There was no way Zhang Xuan could forgive him! Given Zhang Xuans previous rank, the Physician Guild would never acknowledge his request for a Life-and-Death Physician Duel with You Xu. Understanding that much, he could only obtain a 6-star emblem first. Just as Sun Yuan had deduced, the reason he went to challenge the Wall of Dilemma was to earn the Academic Credits. Despite possessing the favor of three of the school heads, Zhang Xuan didnt have a single Academic Credit on him. Naturally, he wasnt able to enter the Tower of Physicians. "Zhang shi, how did you end up challenging Vice School Head You to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel?" At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared right in front of Zhang Xuan. It was the head of the cksmith School, Zhao Bingxu. He had rushed over as soon as he received the news, so he arrived even earlier than School Head Mo. "What happened? Do you need me to mediate in the conflict between you two? Its not that I dont trust you, but Vice School Head Yous proficiency in the Way of Medicine is astounding. If not for his advanced age, he would have surely be one of the Ten Great Master Teachers instead of Zhong Dingchun in the previous selection!" Zhao Bingxu quickly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan, hoping that he would rescind his reckless decision. He truly admired Zhang Xuans capability, and he was unwilling to see anything happen to such a talented genius. It was not without reason that it was called the Life-and-Death Physician Duel. Just the slightest carelessness could potentially result in ones death! Knowing that the other party was saying those words out of concern, Zhang Xuan replied respectfully, "I am grateful for your goodwill, but I know what I am doing. Allow me to resolve this matter myself." So what if You Xu is a vice school head? So what if he is a talented physician? I will still crush him to a pulp! "Alright then... However, you must be extremely careful! Vice School Head You once went to an ancient domain together with the old principal and a few others, but he ended up being the only one who managed to return alive, whereas the others went missing, and he was extremely self-reproachful about that. "Perhaps it was due to the heavy blow of the matter, but his temper has be extremely entric since then. I fear that he might attempt to kill you in the duel... If you find yourself in danger, itd be best for you to admit defeat straight. Dont worry, Mo Zhu and I will step forward to help you mediate the matter," Zhao Bingxu advised Zhang Xuan through zhenqi telepathy. Back then, when the old principal discovered an ancient domain, he had taken a team with him to explore the grounds. However, all of them had gone missing in the expedition, and You Xu was the only one who had returned alive. After that incident, his temperament abruptly changed. He began isting himself in his residence, choosing to avoid contact with everyone else as much as he could. Despite being the head of the cksmith School, Zhao Bingxu had no confidence that his words would hold any sway over You Xu. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After saying what he had to say, Zhao Bingxu heaved a sigh of relief and leaped down the tform. This was a duel conducted with the approval of the Physician Guild headquarters. Not even he, as a 6-star pinnacle master teacher and one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, could reverse that decision. Hu hu hu! Soon, School Head Mo, School Head Zhong, and the others arrived as well. "What happened for Zhang shi to be so angry as to recklessly challenge You Xu to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel?" Wei Ranxue asked anxiously. "I am not too sure about the details either, but my men are currently looking into it!" Zhao Bingxu replied. "Looking into it?" "One of my students happen to be a close friend of You Xus direct disciple. He should be reporting back soon," Zhao Bingxu replied with a nod. The Master Teacher Academy might be big, but as the school heads, they still had some connections throughout the academy. It shouldnt be too difficult for them to look into a matter. "Teacher!" A short momentter, a middle-aged man suddenly ran up to the group. "Un. What have you found out?" Zhao Bingxu asked. "ording to my friend, it seems that Zhang shi, together with Wei Changfeng of the Spirit Emporium, paid a visit to Vice School Head You, hoping to purchase a Ten-leafed Flower from him to save a person. However, Vice School Head You demanded a Cloudmist Flower as payment," the middle-aged man said. "Cloudmist Flower? He was trying to make them scale the Cloudmist Ridge?" Upon hearing those words, a frown appeared on School Head Mos forehead, and his face darkened. "Un! So, this morning, Zhang shi brought back a Cloudmist Flower, but Vice School Head You adamantly refused to make the trade... Infuriated, Zhang shi went to take the 6-star physician examination and challenged him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel!" The middle-aged man swiftly revealed the news that he had heard. Considering how huge this matter had be, it would be impossible for them to cover up the matter anymore. Thus, Sun Yuan didnt bother hiding anything from the middle-aged man. "To refuse to make the trade after they obtained the Cloudmist Flower, You Xu is intentionally making things hard for them!" Zhao Bingxu frowned deeply in disapproval. "Indeed. There are many Saint realm beasts in the Cloudmist Ridge, such that even I wouldnt dare to enter too deep myself. They must have paid a heavy price in order to procure the Cloudmist Flower! And yet, You Xu still refused to make the trade. Its no wonder Zhang shi flew into a rage! Even if I was in his ce, I doubt that I would have been able to hold back my temper either!" School Head Mo eximed furiously. Master teachers must honor their words! If we cant even keep a promise we have made, what right do we have to preach to others? Breaking ones promise was one of the greatest taboos that a master teacher could make. "But regardless of whether You Xu has done it intentionally or not, it is still too reckless of Zhang shi to challenge him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel... Can he win against him?" Wei Ranxue frowned in worry. Chapter 807: You Xus Eyes Reddened Chapter 807: You Xus Eyes Reddened Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This..." School Head Mo and School Head Zhao fell silent. They had seen the young mans talent in beast taming and smithing, but in the Way of Medicine... One must know that treating a patient was an extremelyplex study. Due to differences in constitution and cultivation technique, each patients condition was unique. Even if two people were suffering from the same ailment, the medicine that was effective on one might not necessarily be effective on the other. In order to make the correct judgements for a treatment, knowledge was not enough. One needed vast amounts of experience as well. As such, most physicians chose to roam the world and even frequent battlefields. Only by expanding their horizon and encountering more patients would they make progress in the Way of Medicine. As such, the older a physician was, the more likely they would be skilled. Even if Zhang shi possessed superb talent, he was only twenty this year. Could he really be a match for the experienced You Xu who had lived for nearly a thousand years? "I think so... I asked him, and he seems really confident," Zhao Bingxu replied. Despite his positive words, his tone carried slight traces of hesitation. So far, he had only seen the other partys aptitude in smithing. As for treating a patient... never before. Without anything to work with, it would be hard for him to make an urate deduction. "Please be assured, Zhang shi will surely emerge victorious!" Seeing the conflicted and worried expressions of the trio, the middle-aged man who had just reported the matter to them spoke up. "Zhang shi will surely emerge victorious?" The four school heads turned to look at the middle-aged man doubtfully. Zhang Xuan was going to face one of the top physicians of Hongyuan Empire, how could that fellow be so confident of the oue? "It seems like you are still unaware," the middle-aged man said. "You should have heard of the Three Great Trials of the Physician School, right?" "The Three Great Trials? Do you mean the Mdy tform, Wall of Dilemma, and Tower of Physicians?" School Head Mo replied. Those three infrastructures formed the basis of the Physician School, so even the other school heads had heard of them as well. "Zhang shi... In the first ten minutes, he tore down the Wall of Dilemma. In the next five minutes, he left the Mdy tform crumbling. While strolling through the Ancestor Forest to return to the Tower of Physicians, he induced the shattering of all the tombstones erected there... After which, in less than ten minutes, he managed to clear the 4-star to 6-star physician examinations, leaving the wills of the predecessors in the Tower of Physicians feeling defeated, thus resulting in the copse of the Tower of Physicians as well," the middle-aged man said with a bitter smile on his face. "The current state that the Physician School is in was caused singlehandedly by him... How could a person who possesses such astounding medical skills possibly lose?" "T-this..." School Head Zhao and the others widened their eyes in shock. When they arrived at the Physician School, they had also been perplexed to see the mess it was in. To think that the culprit behind this would be that fellow as well! Tearing down the Wall of Dilemma, crumbling the Mdy tform, destroying the Ancestor Forest, and demolishing the Tower of Physicians... Just how formidable must ones medical skills be to be able to achieve all of these feats? Unbelievable! Standing beside School Head Mo, the head of the Physician School, Zhong Dingchun, who had remained silent all this while, staggered weakly upon hearing those words, and muttered in disbelief, "All of this happened... just because You Xu was unwilling to sell a medicinal herb to Zhang shi?" The middle-aged man nodded. "From the current news we have, that seems to be the case!" "You Xu, screw your grandmother..." Zhong Dingchun nearly spurted a mouthful of blood out of sheer frustration. Freaking hell! Do you think that it was easy for the Physician School toe this far? Yet, you caused such a mess just by offending a single person. How do you expect me to face the preceding heads of the Physician School? With this, I will be the most disgraceful school head in the entire history of the Master Teacher Academy... During my administration, a student actually managed to cause such devastating damage to the Physician School, and through legitimate means at that... The heck, just what have I done so wrong to deserve this? I was doing nothing in my residence when this came out of nowhere. You Xu, are you sure you arent a spy sent by others to do me in? Zhong Dingchun gnashed his teeth furiously. "After this, I will make sure to strip him of his position as the vice head and make him grind himself to dust reconstructing the Tower of Physicians... No, that wont quell my anger. I will make him clean every single toilet in the Physician School..." The other vice school heads helped their own school by bringing in top-notch talents and maintaining order, but this fellow... not only did he break his promise, he even set such a talent thoroughly against the Physician School... What will others think of the Physician School when they learn of it? Just why in the world did I appoint this darned thing as the vice head of the Physician School... "My condolences!" Seeing the frenzied state that School Head Zhong was in, School Head Mo and the others shook their heads and sighed deeply. Of all people You Xu could have offended, he just had to pick on the most monstrous student the Master Teacher Academy had ever had since its inception. It was fortunate that the other party had only torn down the Tower of Physicians before challenging You Xu to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel. If he had headed to the other facilities as well... this day might just have been the final day of the Physician School! At this point, Wei Ranxue couldnt help but heave a long sigh of relief. Thank god that the examination for our Terpsichore School is much easier... Otherwise, who knows what could have happened to our Terpsichore School! While attempting to take the cksmith examination, Zhang Xuan had destroyed half of the cksmith Guild along with the entire Passageway of Corridors. It was even worse for his physician examinationthe Physician School lost its Wall of Dilemma, Mdy tform, Ancestor Forest, and Tower of Physicians, and it seemed that a vice school head was still waiting to get onto that list... It was truly fortunate that she had made the wise call to apply for the 6-star terpsichore emblem for Zhang Xuan directly. Otherwise, her small Terpsichore School couldnt possibly have survived the Zhang Xuan Ordeal. Hearing those words, School Head Mos eyebrows immediately began twitching. "Then... should I apply for a 6-star beast tamer emblem for him, too? What if he suddenly thinks of taking the examination in a few days time?" "..." The middle-aged man. "..." The other three school heads. ... Meanwhile, amidst a huge gust of wind, Vice School Head You Xunded on the tform. cing his hands behind his back, he gazed at Zhang Xuan menacingly with narrowed eyes. Carrying a domineering aura as if the entire world was in his grasp, he sneered coldly, "With your measly capabilities, you dare challenge me? I wont bully you. I will let you choose what kind of duel we shall have!" A duel between physicians could be mainly ssified into two categoriesquantity and quality! In a duel of quantity, the physicians would be gauged based on the number of patients they could treat to a satisfactory degree within a set period of time, conventionally two hours. On the other hand, in a duel of quality, the physicians would be tasked toe up with a prescription for the same patient, and they would be judged on how easy it was to concoct the prescription, its price, and the effectiveness of it. "As expected of Vice School Head You, he sure is magnanimous!" "Of course! As a 6-star pinnacle physician, its a piece of cake for him to deal with a freshman..." "Youre my idol, Vice School Head You!" Under normal circumstances, the challenged person in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel would have the right to select the format of the duel, and yet, Vice School Head You decisively gave away this advantage to Zhang Xuan. His magnanimous actions immediately won him the apuse and admiration of many amidst the crowd. Did you see that? That is the magnanimity that a master teacher should have! For a freshman who has barely learned peanuts about the Way of Medicine to be so arrogant as to challenge a veteran such as Vice School Head You... Even if hes given you the advantage of choosing, can you win? "There is no doubt; that fellow Zhang Xuan will surely lose. Just because he has achieved that little bit here and there, he forgot his own ce. Today, Vice School Head You will beat him back to where he belongs!" "I heard that he established a new student faction called the Xuanxuan Faction or something a few days ago. Those freshmen sure are brazen to attempt to overthrow the long-established hierarchy right after their enrollment. As their ringleader, he must be punished sternly as a warning to others..." Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was so brazen as to challenge a vice head of the Physician School, many of the seniors couldnt help but gloat gleefully. This is the Master Teacher Academy, not whatever rundown vige youe from. Instead of lying low obediently, you chose to go around causing trouble. Now, you shall suffer the consequences of your actions! Hearing the discussions below, You Xu felt surge of confidence, and he mocked Zhang Xuan coldly. "Why? You are the one who challenged me. Are you scared speechless now that I am standing before you?" Seeing You Xus majestic disposition, another round of cheers broke out beneath the stage. In stark contrast to the delighted cheers of the crowd was Sun Yuan, who was on the verge of bursting into tears after rushing over to the tform as fast as he could and seeing what he saw. His teacher was currently overloaded with confidence, but if his teacher had seen what he had seen just a moment ago, he wouldnt be acting in such a manner... Not daring to waste a single moment, Sun Yuan hurriedly sent a telepathic message over. "Teacher, I have a matter that I must inform you of right now!" "Right now? Cant you see that Im busy?" You Xus eyebrows shot up in displeasure. His student, Sun Yuan, might be a talented physician, but wasnt he way toocking in his sense of timing? Couldnt Sun Yuan see that he was busy over here? "This matter is really urgent, so I cant put it off. Otherwise, I fear that teacher might be disadvantaged in the duel!" Despite seeing his teachers livid expression, Sun Yuan knew how important this matter was, so he pushed on. "Disadvantaged?" You Xu frowned. "Yes. Zhang shi, just a few moments ago, managed to clear the 6-star physician examination!" Fearing that his teacher would lose his patience, he hurriedly got straight to the point. "He cleared the 6-star physician examination despite hiscking cultivation as a freshman? It seems like he does possess some true capability..." You Xu was stunned for an instant before nodding slightly. It was no wonder the other party had won the favor of School Head Zhao and the others. He was indeed a talented individual. But, so what? The other party was a freshman who had only recently cleared the 6-star physician examination. On the other hand, he was a veteran who had immersed himself in the Way of Medicine of nearly a thousand years. Did he need to fear an inexperienced brat? "Not only so, he went to the Wall of Dilemma... and singlehandedly, he solved all of the problems on it!" Sun Yuan continued. "Wall of Dilemma? Is that even within the means of a new 6-star physician? Let me guess, he went back without even solving a single problem, right..." You Xu was in the middle of his sentence when the meaning of Sun Yuans words suddenly struck him, and he froze. "What did you just say? H-h-h-h-he solved all of the problems on it?" "Yes, and thats not all..." Sun Yuan swiftly went through what he had encountered previously. "The Mdy tform copsed? "The tombstones in the Ancestor Forest shattered out of sheer embarrassment?" "While clearing the 6-star physician examination, he left the lingering will of the predecessors ashamed of their ignorance, thus inducing the copse of the Tower of Physicians?" "So, he is the culprit of the mess I see before me..." Every single matter that Sun Yuan spoke about was like a bolt of lightning striking You Xu. In that instant, he felt as if someone had thrown him down an abyss that was thousands and thousands of zhang 1 deep, and it was just a matter of time before he went st. Putting everything aside, he couldnt even solve a single question on the Wall of Dilemma. Yet, the other party actually solved more than five hundred of them in a single breath... Was that even humanly possible? I am facing such a monster in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel? You must be pulling my leg, right? You Xu had thought that the other party was just a mere chick which he could squash with one hand tied behind his back. Yet, he realized that his judgement had failed him, and the other party was actually a majestic dragon of the heavens, an existence who could destroy his world with a breath! "Thats right... I fear that the odds are against Teacher in this duel!" Sun Yuan said worriedly. You Xus body swayed weakly, and it looked as if he would copse at any moment. How in the world is this the odds are against me? More like I dont even have a single odd in my favor at all! If he were to reallypete with the other party, it would definitely be his head that rolled. If only hed known that this would happen, he would have never agreed to it. "Why didnt you say so earlier..." You Xu couldnt help but berate in fury. If only Sun Yuan had told him this earlier... What was the point of telling him this now that he had agreed to the duel? His eptance had already reached the Physician Guild headquarters; it was toote to back out now. "Didnt Teacher tell me to warm up some fine wine to wait for your return," Sun Yuan replied indignantly. It wasnt that I didnt want to speak, but you didnt give you a chance to do so! You Xus mouth twitched. "Warm up some fine wine..." As the memories regarding everything that had happened earlier shed through his mind, You Xu couldnt help but feel extremely stifled inside. I only refused to sell you a Ten-leafed Flower, did you need to leave the Physician Guild in such a state? To challenge me on a Life-and-Death Physician Duel on top of everything else... Even if I win this duel by some chance, I will still be skinned alive by the school head! Just what the heck is this! Looks like I have reaped what I have sowed. As bitter as the fruit may be, I have no choice but to swallow it... In that instant, You Xu felt his eyes reddening. Chapter 808: Content of the Duel Chapter 808: Content of the Duel Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 But as stifled as he was, as an old monster who had lived for nearly a thousand years, he swiftly recovered and began thinking of a solution to his current plight. Since he was able to clear the Wall of Dilemma, it is unlikely that he would stumble on difficult illnesses! Since he was able to ovee the Mdy tform, it means that he has a deep understanding of the newest illnesses! Since he was able to make the predecessors wills voluntarily destroy their own tombstones out of shame, it means that his understanding of the Way of Medicine has reached an incredible level... ... The more You Xu pondered the matter, the more awful hisplexion became. No matter how he looked at the matter, he couldnt see himself winning at all. Unless... Suddenly, a thought struck You Xis mind, and a vicious glint shed in the depths of his eyes. Alright, its decided then! Just as he made his decision, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his gaze and said, "Since Vice School Head You is so generous as to offer me the opportunity to decide on the format of the duel, I will graciously take you up on the offer. The duel format I propose is..." "Hold it right there!" a voice abruptly interjected. Without regard for all of the words he had said before, You Xu raised his hand and said, "Since you are the one who challenged me, naturally, I should be the one deciding the format of the duel!" I would have to be a fool to allow you to decide the duel format! "Is this the magnanimity that you all spoke about?" Zhang Xuan muttered with a wry smile. Upon hearing those words, the students who had still been cheering in support for You Xu a moment ago abruptly fell silent. They felt a stinging pain on their cheeks, as if they had been sharply pped on their faces. Just a moment after they praised the other party for his magnanimity, the other party reneged on his words. As a 6-star master teacher, cant you at least have a sense of shame and honor your words? "Fine, speak then!" Zhang Xuan replied coldly. It mattered not to him what the other party chose. There was only one thing he was here for, and that was to avenge Wei Changfeng! He would achieve this regardless of whatever stood in his path. "Good. As physicians, in order to save the lives of our patients, we have to be skilled in all aspects." Vice School Head You gazed at Zhang Xuan with a sharp glint in his eyes as he continued, "Naturally, this includes curing poison as well. This is an essential skill that all physicians must learn. The duel format I propose is very simple. Do you dare to participate in a Duel of Poison Curing with me?" "Duel of Poison Curing?" Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows. Even though it wasnt as varied as the master teachers, a duel between physicians coulde in many forms as well, and poison curing happened to be one of them. Poison masters and physicians were nemeses of one another. If one wanted to progress further as a physician and earn the respect of others, one had to be skilled in the Art of Poison Curing. Otherwise, it would truly be shameful if a high-ranking member of the Physician Guild were to sumb to a secret attack by the poison masters. Throughout history, there were simply far too many cases of physicians being poisoned to death. "Thats right. Not only must a physician be good at treating illnesses, he must also be capable of curing poison as well. Withoutprehensive knowledge in all aspects of medicine, one cannot be considered a full-fledged physician! "So, do you dare to take me on in a Duel of Poison Curing?" You Xu asked with a smirk on his face. "Preposterous! That damned fellow!" School Head Zhong Dingchun was already incensed when he saw You Xu suddenly reneging on his words. However, upon seeing thetter proposing a Duel of Poison Curing, he couldnt hold himself back any longer and cursed furiously. "Whats wrong?" School Head Mo asked. "Poison curing is an extremely dangerous duel format. The lives of those involved will be put at risk!" Zhong Dingchun said. "Put at risk? What do you mean by that?" School Head Zhao and the others were perplexed. They had heard of the Duel of Poison Curing before, but as it was a lessmon form of dueling among physicians, they werent too sure about the rules. "In order to test a cure for a poison, we will need someone who is afflicted with the poison. In other words... a person must be afflicted with the poison to carry out this duel!" Zhong Dingchun said. "A person must be afflicted with the poison?" Since it was a duel, it was natural that an extremely potent poison would be used. It would still be fine if the physicians managed to cure the poison, but what if they were to fail? Wouldnt the person afflicted end up being poisoned to death? "Indeed. This duel is simply far too dangerous, so most physicians tend to avoid it. Yet, of all things, that fellow chose this one..." Zhong Dingchun gritted his teeth. Curing poison was no joking matter. Just wrong move could cause the poison to mutate, rendering the existing antidotes useless. A life could easily be lost due to it! "Wait! I understand that someone has to be afflicted with the poison in order to assess the physicians poison curing skills urately, but surely theres no need to use a human as a test subject here? It should be possible to use Pill Sample Beasts instead. After all, physicians carry the noble mission of treating the ill and supporting the wounded. How could they take a life so lightly?" There were spirit beasts with simr constitutions to a human, so there should be no need to use a human for the duel. "Its not like that..." Zhong Dingchun was just about to exin when Zhang Xuans voice suddenly echoed through the surroundings. "Sure, a Duel of Poison Curing it shall be then. What are the rules?" "Its simple!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the duel, You Xu heaved a sigh of relief. With a smirk, he said, "We will each take out a poison for the other to consume, and whoever seeds in curing the poison within a given period of time will be deemed to be victorious!" "We will be testing the poison with our bodies?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Thats right. I have already told you the rules, so what do you say about it? Do you dare take up the challenge? If you dont... it will be considered your loss for this duel!" You Xu harrumphed coldly. "They will each consume the poison of the other? If they fail to cure it, wont they die on the spot?" "Indeed! Arent the rules of this duel a little way too frightening?" "Even though its called the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, its just a metaphor. To think that they would really end up pitting their lives against one another in this duel..." Upon hearing the rules, a hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. Even Wei Ranxue, School Head Zhao, and the others were stunned. It was no wonder Zhong Dingchun was so furious upon hearing the name of the duel! Who would have thought that it was so vicious? It would still be fine if they could cure it, but if they couldnt? One must know that there were many kinds of mystical poisons in the world, and there were even some that could cause instantaneous death! Just as everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would never agree to a duel with such ridiculous rules, thetter suddenly announced, "Fine, I agree to it!" School Head Mos face paled, and he hurriedly eximed, "You cant agree to it! Thats too dangerous..." He had heard about Yang shis existence from Mo Gaoyuan. If Zhang shi were to be poisoned to death, there was no one in the Master Teacher Academy who could withstand Yang shis wrath. The Master Teacher Academy could very well be a relic of the past due to this! "Damn it, how can he be so shameless? Hes a Saint realm expert, a different level of existence from Zhang shi. Even if Zhang shi has some formidable poison on him, its unlikely to work against him!" Wei Ranxues face also reddened in fury. Naturally, the prowess of a poison was also corrted with a cultivators cultivation realm. This was just like how a drop of water could drown an ant but waspletely ineffective against an elephant. As a higher level of existence, Saint realm experts could survive lethal doses of poison that would cause a Chrysalis realm expert to die many times over. Considering the fundamental difference between their strength, Zhang Xuan was already at an overwhelming disadvantage before the duel had even started! In the first ce, it couldnt be said that the rules of the duel were fair to both sides! Infuriated, Zhao Bingxu turned to School Head Zhong with a livid expression on his face. "Zhong Dingchun, is this the character of a vice head of your Physician School?" You Xu reneging on his promise was a dishonorable and shameful action for a master teacher to make, but ultimately, the medicinal herb was still his. It was his freedom of choice to choose whether he wanted to sell it or not, and there was no way anyone could force him into it. But at this very moment, You Xu was exploiting his inherent advantages as a Saint realm expert to challenge the other party to a Duel of Poison Curing, which would put their lives at stake. This was a clear attempt to corner the other party and kill him! This reflected a fatal w in You Xus character. School Head Zhao didnt have much contact with You Xu, so he didnt know him well as a person. However, to go to the extent of having a student of the academy killed despite being a vice school head, was that person really a master teacher? While there were master teachers who were selfish andckedpassion, even they wouldnt do something as disgraceful and vicious as this! "I..." Zhong Dingchuns face turned crimson in embarrassment upon hearing those words. While You Xu didnt infringe on the rules of the Life-and-Death Physician duel, his actionscked the righteousness and magnanimity a master teacher should have. There was nothing to say about his actions but shameful, utterly shameful. "You need not me School Head Zhong. I have had some interactions with You Xu before, and he wasnt like that before. Perhaps it is due to his age encroaching on him and his fear of death growing, he bes more willing to abandon his dignity and honor for his life." School Head Mo sighed. It is often only when death approaches that ones desire to live kicks in. This desire to live gnaws at one, prompting one to do anything as long as one can push death further away from them. School Head Mo continued, "The fear of death is never an easy hurdle to ovee. There are some who are able to uphold their morals and values even in the face of death, preserving their honor and dignity. But ultimately, most men are only mortals. They sumb to fear, clinging desperately to every additional day they can get. After all, honor and dignity mean nothing to a dead man. "But as a master teacher and a vice school head of the Physician School, he isnt just anyone. In order to extend his longevity, he goes around hunting down spirit beasts to procure their blood. It is only because we are colleagues and the misfortune he encountered in that expedition with the old principal that I had turned a blind eye to his actions. And yet, he still doesnt know repentance!" "Hunting down spirit beast?" This was the first Zhong Dingchun was hearing of this, so he couldnt help but turn to School Head Mo with a questioning gaze. Those who trod on the Way of Medicine should possessed a deference for life in their soul. While it was impossible to expect them to save everyone that they met, they should never allow a life to slip away easily, and this included the lives of spirit beasts as well. Yet, to go around hunting spirit beasts just to sustain his life... Was this truly the doing of a physician? "Indeed. I learned of this coincidentally a few days ago while looking into the whereabouts of Senior Byzantium Helios. Its said that within the past year, just counting the number of Half-Saint realm beasts, You Xu has already killed more than twenty of them!" School Head Mo harrumphed. "More than twenty? What is he killing so many Half-Saint beasts for?" School Head Zhong was astonished. You Xu had done all of this discreetly behind his back, so despite being the head of the Physician School, Zhong Dingchun waspletely unaware of this. School Head Mo shook his head. "Regarding that, I am not too sure either." He had also been bewildered when he first heard the news, but considering that You Xu hadnt done anything that would infringe on the interests of the Master Teacher Academy, he didnt have a good reason to investigate the matter either. "Even on the Hongyuan Mountain Range, Half-Saint beasts can be considered a great power. You Xu might be a Saint 1-dan expert, but it wouldnt be easy for him to hunt them either. To kill over twenty of them in a single year..." Zhong Dingchun could hardly believe his ears. Half-Saint realm beasts were able to stand their ground even against Saint realm cultivators. Even if they were no match for You Xu, they could have still fled easily. How could so many of them be hunted in a single year? Besides, it was not like there were Half-Saint beasts lying all over the Hongyuan Mountain Range. It might not be too difficult to find a single one, but finding twenty of them... Difficult! "I am not too sure about it, but it seems like You Xu has some ties with the Cloudmist Ridge too. Regardless, I have verified the news regarding the twenty Half-Saint beasts, so there is no mistake about it. If you still harbor some doubts, you can question You Xu after the duel!" School Head Mo said. "Un!" With many doubts still lingering in his head, Zhong Dingchun nodded slowly. Most of the saint beasts in the Hongyuan Mountain Range resided in the Cloudmist Ridge. If the Cloudmist Ridge was involved in this matter as well, then there was a good chance that it was true. "Put that aside for now. As the head of the Physician School, cant you stop the duel?" Seeing that the duo was still in the mood to discuss other matters, Wei Ranxue snapped at them. The urgent matter at hand was to deal with the duel between You Xu and Zhang Xuan. Otherwise, a life might be lost just like that. "The Life-and-Death Physician Duel is conducted with the approval of the Physician Guild. Once it has started, it can no longer be stopped. If we were to interfere in it, we would just end upplicating things..." Zhong Dingchun shook his head. It was not that he was unwilling to interfere in the matter but that he couldnt! The Life-and-Death Physician Duel was conducted with the approval of the Physician Guild headquarters, and attempting to interfere in it would mean challenging the authority of the entire Physician Guild. Even as one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, he didnt have the power to go against the Physician Guild. This was the rules, and it mustnt be broken. Otherwise, he wouldnt have allowed You Xu to still stand proudly on the stage. He would have already rushed forward to give him a good pummeling! Chapter 809: Cheers, Feel Free Chapter 809: Cheers, Feel Free Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing Zhong Dingchuns words, Wei Ranxue questioned heatedly, "What can we do then? Are we to watch as they kill one another?" She was still intending to study terpsichorean arts from Zhang Xuan. If something were to happen to him, who would she learn from? "Calm down. Its impossible to interfere in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, but if we see either of them in mortal danger, we can advise that they give up. As long as they admit defeat, I believe that given our standing, they shouldnt go so far as to kill the other party despite our mediation!" Zhao Bingxu said. After a moment of hesitation, Wei Ranxue was unable toe up with a better solution either, so she could only nod in agreement. "... I guess this is all we can do for now!" While the few of them weremunicating telepathically amongst themselves using their Saint Intent, a hugemotion had broken out amidst the crowd as well. Those who were standing around the tform were nearly all physicians, and upon hearing that it would be a Duel of Poison Curing, they nced at one another with astounded expressions on their faces. This was no longer a means to resolve their conflict; it was a battle to the death! In this duel, it was highly likely that one of them would lose their life. For a student to actually go so far against a vice school head... Just what was he up to? "Teacher..." Luo Qiqi, who had arrived just a moment ago, heard the news, and her face immediately paled in fright. "A Duel of Poison Curing?" Standing beside her, Hu Yaoyaos eyebrows also shot up. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking, but her fists were tightly clenched by her sides. "Take out your poison, we will swap with one another. The time limit is an hour, and whoever seeds in curing the poison first wins. If either of us dies... he can only me himself for being indolent in his studies!" You Xu roared withughter. Based on the other partys aplishments, it was unlikely that he would be a match for him in a battle in the Way of Medicine. However, in the field of poison curing... there was not a person in the Master Teacher Academy who was a match for him! "Fine by me!" Zhang Xuan replied with a cold smile. "Lets begin then!" You Xu flicked his wrist and took out a murky-green jade bottle. "This is my poison!" With a flick of his finger, the bottle flew in Zhang Xuans direction. Zhang Xuan raised his hands and caught it casually. Even without opening the bottle, he could feel an astounding power rippling within it, threatening to burst forth at any moment. Intrigued, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and assessed it. In an instant, he saw a ck aura shrouding the bottle. Even if a Saint realm 1-dan expert were to consume it, their physiological structure would likely be destroyed in an instant, resulting in immediate death. Uncorking the lid slightly, a pungent smell immediately surged from the bottle. Even the smell itself carried a poison that could result in the immediate death of an ordinary human. "What... kind of poison is that?" Beneath the stage, Zhong Dingchuns face warped in astonishment. As the head of the Physician School, a 6-star pinnacle physician, he could sense the fearsome aura within the jade bottle. Even if it was him who came into contact with it, the chances were that he wouldnt walk out from the encounter alive. "This poison is extremely formidable?" School Head Mo asked worriedly. "Formidable? Putting aside an hour, I dont think that I would be able to find a cure to it even if you were to give me a day!" Zhong Dingchun shook his head grimly. "Even you are unable to find a cure to it? Then..." School Head Mo widened his eyes in shock. After a moment of hesitation, Zhong Dingchun replied, "We can only have faith in Zhang shis capability... His proficiency in the Way of Medicine is far above mine, so it might be that he is able to achieve what I cant!" After learning of Zhang Xuans astounding deeds, Zhong Dingchun knew that the other partys medical skills were way above his, so it would be hard for him to make a judgement at the moment. Since that was the case, he decided to wait and see first. "It seems you are prepared." Corking the bottle, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to You Xu. It was no wonder the other party proposed a Duel of Poison Curing. The poison he had at hand was indeed fearsome. "This is a poison that I obtained coincidentally, and it is effective even against Saint realm experts. Where is your poison?" You Xu sneered coldly in response. "My poison?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though he was a poison master, he had never concocted a poison before, needless to say, one that would be capable of killing a Saint realm expert. There wasnt any poison he could take out from his storage ring at that very instant. "What? You dont have any? Going by the rules, that would mean a loss on your part..." You Xu said coldly. The rules of the duel had been stated clearly, both parties had to offer a poison of their own to the other party. If Zhang Xuan was unable to take anything out, it would mean an automatic victory for You Xu. It was not without reason that You Xu had chosen this format of duel. He didnt think that there was anyone in Hongyuan Empire who was capable of taking out a poison more potent than the one in his jade bottle. "Of course I do, hold on for a moment!" Waving his hands casually, Zhang Xuan fell into a short moment of contemtion before turning his sights to School Head Mo. "School Head Mo, by any chance, do you have some Spirit Solution of Vigor? "Spirit Solution of Vigor?" School Head Mo was stunned for a moment before a peculiar expression slowly crept across his face. "Do you mean... the urine of saint beasts?" "Indeed. If you do have some, can you give some to me?" Zhang Xuan asked. The Spirit Solution of Vigor was the academic terminology for the urine of saint beasts, and it wasmonly used amongst physicians so as to make it sound less dirty. While the Spirit Solution of Vigor was only normal excretion for saint beasts, it was an object of fear for low-tier spirit beasts. Beasts usually used their urine to demarcate their sphere of influence, and saint beasts were no exception to the rule. As such, most beast tamers tended to carry some with them so as to deter the assault of spirit beasts. You want some? School Head Mo frowned in confusion. He nced at Zhong Dingchun, hoping that he might have some clue what Zhang Xuan was up to, but thetter looked equally perplexed as well. The other party has taken out such a formidable poison, and instead of finding a poison to go against him, you are asking for the urine of saint beasts instead? Even though the Spirit Solution of Vigor is effective at keeping spirit beasts at bay, surely you arent thinking that itll work on Saint realm cultivators too? "Of course!" But despite School Head Mos bewilderment, he felt that Zhang shi wouldnt be asking him for it without any reason. Thus, flicking his wrist, he took out a chi 1 long gourd and threw it to the tform. Catching the gourd, Zhang Xuan swirled it slightly, and an astringent odor immediately diffused from it. Satisfied, Zhang Xuan nodded and turned to You Xu. "Alright, this is my poison!" "..." In that instant, You Xus face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he nearly choked to death. The heck! I took out a lethal poison, and yet you presented me with a gourd of beast urine... What do you mean by that? To call it your poison on top of that... Do I look blind to you?! Everyone here saw with their own eyes that School Head Mo just passed it to you, and you havent even uncapped it yet... The hell is this a poison! You are just intentionally trying to humiliate me, arent you? Zhang Xuan, screw your grandmother... Even if you want to humiliate me, you shouldnt have done this. This is cheating! Not only was You Xu frenzied, the crowd who was watching the show from below also abruptly fell deathly silent upon seeing that scene. Their eyes bulged from their sockets, as if they had seen a ghost. This is a Duel of Poison Curing, a duel that can very well determine ones life and death. The poison that Vice School Head You took out carries a frightening aura, and just the smell makes one feel as if death is encroaching upon oneself. It is one thing for you not to take out a poison to match him, but... a gourd of urine? More importantly... if you had taken it out discreetly, we wouldnt have thought much of it. But you asked School Head Mo for it in public and passed it to Vice School Head You Xu right after you received it ... Could you have been any less discreet than that? On the other hand, Zhong Dingchun also widened his eyes, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. As a 6-star pinnacle physician, he naturally knew that the urine of saint beasts carried no poison whatsoever. School Head Zhong turned to School Head Mo and asked, "School Head Mo, could it be that... there is something special about your Spirit Solution of Vigor?" "There isnt. I just procured it from my saint beast not too long ago..." School Head Mo was also a little dazed by the abrupt twist of events before him. He couldntprehend what the young man on the stage was up to. "Whats wrong? I have already prepared my poison. If you dare not drink it, itll be your loss..." Zhang Xuan said as he continued holding the gourd up to You Xu, who was still reluctant to take it. "You..." You Xus breathing hastened, and in that instant, he was truly tempted to rush forward and crush the neck of the young man standing before him. He had thought that this would be an easy duel for him. No matter how potent the other partys poison was, there was no way the other party would win. Yet, who could have known that the fellow wouldnt y by the rules, presenting him with a gourd of urine instead... If he were to drink it, even if he won this duel, he would never be able to hold his head high before anyone anymore! Drinking urine to achieve a victory... Screw that! But if he didnt drink it, that would mean that he was backing out from the duel, and going by the rules of the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, Zhang Xuan would be able to do anything to him... He was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, the vice head of the Physician School... How did he end up getting cornered like that? Seeing the other partys agitated breathing and hateful gaze, Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. "Stop wasting time. If you arent going to drink it, just surrender. You are the one who decided on the content of the duel, not me!" In truth, he hadnt intended to humiliate You Xu either. He had no poison on him, and so far, the only books he had read on poison were those from the Red Lotus Ridge Poison Hall. As such, his current proficiency as a poison master was still only at 2-star. With his current capability, it was impossible for him to concoct a poison capable of killing a Saint realm expert. Besides, even if he could, he didnt have the ingredients on him to do so at this very instant! Without any poison form or medicinal ingredients for him to work with, how in the world was he going to concoct a poison? Left with no choice, Zhang Xuan could only bank on his Heavens Path zhenqi. After learning the Heavens Path Poison Art, he was able to turn his zhenqi into either a medicine or a lethal poison at a whim. If he wanted to win against You Xu in the Duel of Poison Curing, he would have to use this. However, it would be difficult to hide the Heavens Path zhenqi from You Xu, a Saint realm expert, and considering the unbelievable purity of it, the revtion of its existence could potentially bring Zhang Xuan great trouble. Thus, he had to use something with an overpowering odor to conceal it. While strong alcohol did work against Luo Qiqi and the others, it was doubtful whether it would be effective on a Saint realm expert or not. On the other hand, the Spirit Solution of Vigor carried an astringent odor. On top of that, drinking such a thing in public, the other party would surely try to gulp it down as fast as he could so as to get it over with as soon as possible. With that, the Heavens Path zhenqi would be able to swiftly fuse together with the other partys own zhenqi before he could detect anything. Once this was done, putting aside a 6-star physician, even if a 9-star physician was there that day, they would be helpless before this situation. The Heavens Path zhenqi was not a lethal poison but incredibly pure zhenqi. As such, unlike typical poison, the body wouldnt inhibit its movements at all, allowing it to easily seep into the vitals of a cultivator. Even if the cultivator were to notice its existence, it would be impossible for them to expel it from their body. In the truest sense, it could be considered an incurable disease. "This is a Duel of Poison Curing, and yet, you offered me a gourd of saint beast urine instead. This is an infringement of the rules!" You Xu gnashed his teeth together in savagery. "As a physician, you should know that saint beast urine is a type of medicinal ingredient as well, otherwise it wouldnt be known as the Spirit Solution of Vigor among physicians either. It is used to treat Berserk Syndrome, Ice-Fire Zhenqi Clots, Beast Scabs, and several hundred different types of illnesses. "Since its a medicinal ingredient, naturally it can be used as a poison as well. Your poison is concocted out of many medicinal ingredients, so why cant mine be the same? Since I am willing to consume yours, you shouldnt have any problem with mine as well. If you refuse to drink it, I will have to ask you to just admit defeat!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Despite the astringent odor of the Spirit Solution of Vigor which left one on the verge of fainting with just a sniff, it did possess medicinal properties as well. And anything that possessed medicinal properties could be utilized as poison. This wasmon knowledge among physicians. Since the Spirit Solution of Vigor could be ssified as a poison as well, this wasnt an infringement of the rules. Seeing that there was no way around it, You Xu gritted his teeth furiously and spat, "You want me to admit defeat? Dream on! Fine, I will drink it. However, we shall start at the same time!" "Start at the same time? There is no need for that!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan poured the poison in the jade bottle into his mouth before turning his gaze back to You Xu with an inviting gesture. "Cheers, feel free!" Chapter 810: Zhang Xuans Poison Chapter 810: Zhang Xuans Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He drank it all, just like that?" "Cheers? Does he think that that is wine?" "To drink lethal poison so nonchntly... he sure is cool!" "Indeed. He might be a freshman, but with this, he has myplete respect!" ... Seeing Zhang Xuan gulping down the poison without any hesitation, a hugemotion broke out among the crowd. Previously, when he had first uncorked the lid, everyone could feel the overwhelming aura of the lethal poison contained inside. Putting aside physicians, even poison masters would not dare to swallow such a poison! Yet, the young man before them had gulped it down casually as if he was drinking wine, even smacking his lips when he was done. Just his courage in itself was truly admirable! Even the seniors who had their reservations about him couldnt help but feel a surge of respect for him. There was probably not a second person in the Master Teacher Academy who would willingly drink lethal poison as readily as him! "You..." Not expecting the other party to drink his poison so quickly, leaving him no time to react at all, You Xus mouth twitched uncontrobly. What do you mean by cheers, and that its my turn? The hell! With such a huge gourd, there is at least four to five jin 1 of urine inside! On top of that, the astringent odor... How am I to drink this? "I have already drunk your lethal poison, but you still arent going to drink mine? Fine by me as well. You are the one who set the rules, and you have failed to follow them. Since thats the case, I will report it to the Physician Guild this instant to have your physician license revoked!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "You..." You Xusplexion turned extremely awful, and he felt as if he was going to explode at any moment. He had heard of how troublesome this fellow was, but he had never thought much of it. To think that it would actually be true! To leave the Tower of Physicians in such a state and force him into epting his duel... and now, the other party was even making him drink saint beast urine! Refuse, and he would lose the duel, subjecting him to the whims of the other party. Drink, and the reputation he had built up painstakingly over the course of his life would go down the drain. There was no way out for him. Neither option was one he could ept. He had thought that he was ingenious to have thought of proposing a Duel of Poison Curing, but who knew that it would turn out to be the stinkiest decision he had ever made! Forget it! Even though the Spirit Solution of Vigor is urine, its still a type of medicinal ingredient... But ultimately, could ones life possibly be more important than ones reputation? "Fine, Ill drink it then!" Gritting his teeth in determination, You Xu pinched his nose and took the gourd. Tilting his head upwards, he gulped it down. The predecessors of the Physician Guild had also needed to consume all kinds of saint beast urines back then in order to formte prescriptions to treat specific illnesses. Thinking about it from that perspective, drinking the Spirit Solution of Vigor didnt seem to be much of a deal anymore. Gudong, gudong! The odor from the Spirit Solution of Vigor was so overpowering that You Xus lips began twitching wildly, and tears streamed down his cheeks. Elder Mos gourd was extremelyrge, storing around four to five jin of the Spirit Solution. Despite the speed at which You Xu was gulping it down, it still took him three minutes before he was able to ingest all of it. The urine of saint beasts was far harsher to the nose than a humans. Putting aside whether there was any poison in the Spirit Solution of Vigor in the first ce, just the smell itself already left You Xu extremely nauseated, and he felt as if he would vomit at any moment. "Im done!" After exhaling a mouthful of foul-smelling breath, You Xu red at Zhang Xuan savagely with a reddened face. Just as You Xu was going to see if his poison had started to act on Zhang Xuan yet, he suddenly saw thetter gazing at him in admiration, even giving a thumbs up toward him. "You drank it all? Impressive! When I said feel free, I meant that you dont have to finish drinking the entire gourd. Actually, my poison only requires you to drink a mouthful. I truly didnt expect Vice School Head You to have such a unique taste, gulping down an entire gourd of it... I am truly in awe of you!" The purpose of the Spirit Solution of Vigor was just to conceal the unique presence of his Heavens Path zhenqi. You Xu just had to drink a single mouthful for the Heavens Path zhenqi infused in it to seep into his body. Who could have known that the other party would be so drastic, finishing such arge gourd to thest drop? He sure was impressive! "You..." You Xus body swayed weakly, and a mouthful of orange-yellowish liquid spewed from his mouth. A repugnant odor could be smelled from his breath. A mouthful is sufficient? Screw you! You are toying with me, arent you? "I will remember this! Lets see if you canugh until the very end! If you cant neutralize the poison within the next hour, you will have lost the duel!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to win a verbal fight against Zhang Xuan, You Xu gritted his teeth and harrumphed coldly. "Neutralize the poison within the next hour? Theres no need to be that troublesome. I have already neutralized the poison..." Zhang Xuan looked at You Xu with a wry smile on his face. Thetters poison was indeed formidable. If it had been in the past, even with Zhang Xuans Heavens Path zhenqi, it would still have taken quite a bit of effort for him to neutralize it. However, the previous transfusion of soul essence with Wei Ruyan had resulted in a change of his constitution, granting his body with properties reminiscent of the Innate Poison Body. To the current Zhang Xuan, drinking You Xus poison was not much different from drinking any beverage. Its lethality waspletely ineffective on him. On the contrary, the spirit from the medicinal herbs used to concoct the poison further reinforced his cultivation and his soul. His soul had grown yet again from its size of ten meters. Even though he would have to draw out his soul in order to ascertain how much the growth was, it was a fact that his soul energy had grown significantly more condensed. In other words, not only was the poison not harmful to him, it even boosted his cultivation. "You have already neutralized the poison?" You Xu staggered, and he nearly fell from the stage. Are you for real? That poison was his greatest trump card! With it, he could even kill opponents who possessed a higher cultivation than him... Yet, the fellow hadnt attempted to consume an antidote or done anything at all, how in the world did he manage to neutralize his poison? "Thats right. If Im not mistaken, the core ingredients of your poison are Green-leafed Heart Nexus nt and Soulless Flower, and you added another 49 medicinal ingredients toplement them. Should an ordinary Saint consume just a single drop, their heart and mind would be corroded, resulting in a swift death. "Not only so, this poison has the effect of numbing ones nerves as well. When diluted heavily, it can be used to make others obey onesmands. This property of it is extremely potent as well, working on Saint realm experts too." At which, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. "The poison you concocted is indeed formidable. However, it is nothing before me! It just happens that I do know how to make an antidote to it. Three qian of Green Bamboo Shoot, two liang of Silverwear Grass, four qian of White Angelica Wood... Grind all 23 medicinal ingredients into powder, and that would be the antidote to your poison. There isnt even a need to concoct anything at all." "Y-you..." Every word that Zhang Xuan spoke made You Xu widen his eyes a little more. By the time he was done saying everything, thetters eyes were already bulging as if he had seen a ghost. Given that You Xu had the poison in his hands, it was natural that he would have the antidote as well. Regardless of whether it was the poison or the antidote, the other partys analysis was spot-on! In other words, the reason Zhang Xuan was still fine despite drinking his poison was because he had neutralized it instantaneously... Was that still the feat of a human? Just how could one possibly do that? Why did it feel as if he wasnt consuming poison but just having a meal instead? "Am I right?" Zhang Xuan nced at You Xu with a provocative smile. When he received the jade bottle, he had used the Library of Heavens Path to analyze its content. As a result, he knew the various ingredients of the poison, and from that, he was able to formte an antidote to it. Saint realm poison? A piece of cake! "You... Fine, you might be right! However, this isnt your victory yet... I can neutralize your poison, too! Open!" Gritting his teeth, You Xus zhenqi began surging furiously. Hong long! In the next instant, all of his acupoints abruptly opened, and a fiery aura immediately gushed into the surroundings. In an instant, it felt as if he was a searing cauldron. "This is... the Grand Cirction Cauldron Poison Expelling Art?" Zhong Dingchun eximed with narrowed eyes. Hearing the lengthy name of the technique that the other party had stated, School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others turned to him with questioning gazes. "This is a technique created by 6-star pinnacle Physician Qian Buyou five thousand years ago. This technique allows one to expel the poison within ones body without consuming an antidote. "Despite the profound variations of poison in the world, poison is, in essence, a foreign substance that isntpatible with the human body, invading ones meridians and acupoints. The Grand Cirction Cauldron Poison Expelling Art was designed based on this fundamental interpretation of poison; by using ones body as a cauldron and ones zhenqi as a power source, it expels all poisonous substances from ones acupoints in a gaseous form! "However, due to the techniques inability to clearly differentiate between poison and other essential parts of the body, the usage of this technique inflicts permanent damage on the foundation of ones body. Nevertheless, it has never failed in dealing with poison before. As long as it isnt the kind of poison that results in instantaneous death, this technique will be able to resolve it. However, this technique went missing a few thousand years ago... How did You Xu learn it?" Zhong Dingchun exined with a deep frown. The Grand Cirction Cauldron Poison Expelling Art was an incredibly effective skill in dealing with poison, but at the same time, it was an extremely difficult skill to master. Furthermore, it was said to have disappeared from the world several thousand years ago. It was bizarre that You Xu knew of the technique when he, the head of the Physician School, didnt know of it. On top of that, the poison which the other party had just taken out was also something he had never heard of before. His doubts only served to deepen after Zhang Xuan described the prescription. The core ingredients of the poison, Green-leafed Heart Nexus nt and Soulless Flower, were medicinal herbs that had gone extinct several centuries ago. It was impossible to find them anywhere now... If that was the case, how did that fellow concoct the poison? On top of that, even though poison masters and physicians shared many simrities in their fields of specialty, the core capabilities they possessed were still different from one another. It would be difficult for a physician to concoct a lethal poison capable of killing a Saint realm expert unless there was a poison master working with him! But... poison masters had always been the nemeses of physicians. Could that fellow have some secret connection with them? I will have to question him thoroughly on this matter after this matter is over... Zhong Dingchun thought with a grim expression. While Zhong Dingchun was contemting the issue, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others came to a realization upon hearing his words. "No wonder he challenged Zhang shi to a Duel of Poison Curing! He has such an ace up his sleeves!" Despite the various reasons that You Xu hade up with to convince Zhang Xuan to ept the duel, it was still bizarre that a physician would choose topete not on patient treating but poison curing. It turned out that he did have the absolute confidence in achieving victory over Zhang Xuan on this aspect. A technique that could resolve any poison easily... It was natural that he would choose the format of the duel to be poison curing, especially after hearing about the formidable feats Zhang Xuan had performed in the Physician School! Hong long! While they were chatting, a yellowish gas gushed out of Vice School Head Yous body, reminiscent of steam fleeing from the various apertures of a cauldron. "Pungent!" "This foul smell is really intolerable!" "Hurry up and seal your six senses, or else you will be stunk to death..." "Sealing the six senses dont work at all! That pungent gas seeps right into our acupoints..." ... As more and more yellowish gas was expelled from Vice School Head Yous body, the crowd beneath frowned in displeasure. The smell of the Spirit Solution of Vigor alone was already overwhelming to any human. Yet, the Grand Cirction Cauldron Poison Expelling Art further refined it before releasing it into the air, worsening the odor many times over. Even Saint realm experts like Zhao Bingxu, Wei Ranxue, and the others couldnt stand it, and they hurriedly created a barrier of zhenqi to ward off the odor. Otherwise, they might really just faint from the sheer acridity of the stench! Hu! After some time, You Xus body finally stopped expelling yellowish gas. His entire face was ghastly pale from frailty, and it looked like he had been choked by the stench as well. However, the excited gleam in his eyes couldnt be concealed. Flinging his sleeves, he dered proudly, "I have neutralized your poison too!" While he did take longer than Zhang Xuan to neutralize the poison, arguably, he did consume the poisonter, and the quantity he consumed was much more as well. As long as he were to grasp onto these points firmly, he should be able to force the duel into a draw. "You have neutralized my poison?" Seeing You Xus confident face, Zhang Xuan shook his head and gazed at You Xu in sympathy. "Do you even know what poison you are inflicted with?" You Xu harrumphed coldly. "No matter what kind of poison you used, my Grand Cirction Cauldron Poison Expelling Art is able to resolve it easily..." However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt an intense pain assaulting his chest. Pfffft! A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, and his body began shaking uncontrobly. At the same time, his face swiftly turned ck. You Xu widened his eyes as his body stiffened in shock. "I havent neutralized your poison yet?" Chapter 811: Busybody Chapter 811: Busybody Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 6-star pinnacle physician, You Xus understanding of the human body had reached a profound level. He could easily tell whether he had been poisoned or not. In just that brief moment, he instantaneously realized that the lethal poison had already reached his vitals. At such a point, there was nothing he could do to salvage the situation anymore. Unknowingly, his fate had already been sealed. Didnt the Grand Cirction Cauldron Poison Expelling Art dispel the poison from his body? Just what was going on? "That is right, you didnt neutralize my poison at all..." "I didnt neutralize it? How is that possible!" Unable to believe it, You Xu anxiously drove his zhenqi in an attempt to suppress the poison within his body, but his actions werepletely futile. Flustered, he pointed a finger at Zhang Xuan and yelled furiously, "Could it be that your poison was not in the Spirit Solution of Vitality? T-that... Thats cheating!" He had already expelled everyst drop of the saint beast urine, but the poison still remained in his body. Could the saint beast urine have been a cover to conceal the true poison? "I cheated?" Zhang Xuan gazed at You Xu disdainfully and bellowed authoritatively, "We were sincere and polite when we pleaded with you to sell the Ten-leafed Flower to us, which we needed urgently to save a life. It was one thing for you to reject us, but you exploited Wei Changfengs desperation to save his daughter and baited him into picking a Cloudmist Flower from the Cloudmist Ridge, causing him to suffer a tragic death under the relentless assault of saint beasts... And yet, you are using me of cheating?" Zhang Xuan slowly walked forward as he spoke, and he carried an overpowering disposition that made one dare not look him in the eye. "Vice School Head You made them pick a Cloudmist Flower from the Cloudmist Ridge? Isnt that no different from sending them to their deaths?" "Is that the reason behind the conflict between them?" "I thought that Zhang shi only challenged Vice School Head You in order to make a name for himself. I didnt expect for there to be such a story behind this matter..." ... Hearing the resounding and powerful voice on the stage, a hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. Most of those gathered here had only known that Zhang Xuan had challenged Vice School Head You, but they didnt know the story behind it. After hearing his words, they finally understood why Zhang Xuan would go to the extent of challenging a vice school head of the academy. "I..." Hearing the criticisms below the stage, You Xu panicked. On top of that, watching as Zhang Xuans seemingly immense figure advanced toward him, he suddenly felt a deep surge of fear, and he subconsciously took a step back. "But nevertheless, as per your request, I managed to procure the Cloudmist Flower. Yet, when I went to your residence to make the trade with you, you insisted that the Cloudmist Flower should be alive. Fine, since thats your request, I revived the Cloudmist Flower as per your wish, but you still refused to make the trade... Was I the one cheating then?" Zhang Xuan continued to advance on You Xu with a sharp glint in his eyes. "I..." You Xu trembled in fear as he took yet another step back. "You said that the Ten-leafed Flower hadnt matured yet and thus couldnt be sold. Thus, I used my secret art and expended my zhenqi to hasten its maturity. But after all was done, you still refused to make the trade, disregarding the honor you have as a master teacher... Was that me cheating as well?" It felt as if Zhang Xuans sharp words were going to prate You Xus soul. His voice echoed loudly from the stage, sounding clearly in everyones ears. "I..." Three consecutive "I"s, You Xus lips parted in an attempt to refute Zhang Xuans ims, but he simply couldnt find other words to say. What the other party had said were facts. There was no way to refute facts. "There is actually such a matter?" "It is one thing for Vice School You to refuse to sell the medicinal herb to Zhang shi, but to make things difficult for him on top of that, resulting in the loss of a life... Thats going too far!" "I used to respect Vice School Head You and viewed him as my role model, but to think that hes actually such a person... He has truly soiled the reputation of the Physician School this time around!" ... Indignant and shocked exmations broke out amidst the crowd. Previously, there were many seniors who thought that Zhang Xuan was being extremely arrogant and disrespectful to challenge a vice school head despite merely being a freshman. However, after hearing these words, they realized that he was provoked into doing it! Who could have expected a 6-star master teacher to actually be so vicious and dishonorable? If they were in Zhang shis shoes, they would have been burning in fury as well! "The Ten-leafed Flower is a medicinal herb that I have cultivated painstakingly. If I wish to sell it, good for you. But if I refuse, who are you to question my judgement? Am I to bebeled a criminal just because I refused to sell it to you?" Seeing that the public opinion waspletely against him, You Xu gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand his ground. "The Ten-leafed Flower is yours, so its your choice to decide whether you want to sell it or not. I cant force you into it. However, its also my choice whether or not I want to challenge you to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, what can you do about it?" Zhang Xuan said coldly. "You..." You Xus body stiffened. Since he couldnt even defeat the other party in a Duel of Poison Curing, there was no way he would stand a chance in anything else! In other words... victory was impossible for him in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel against the other party! Furthermore, even if the other party did not dare kill him with so many people watching, the problemy in that the other party could challenge him in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel any time he wished! There was no way he could take it if that were to happen! With each Life-and-Death Physician Duel, he would lose ayer of his skin. Come a few more times, and he would be on the verge of death, if not dead by then. "You... Fine, I admit that I am no match for you! I willpensate you however you want me to, is that enough?" You Xu spat through gritted teeth. "Compensate?" At this point, Zhang Xuan was already standing right before You Xu. Gazing down on him coldly, he asked, "Are you able topensate for Wei Changfengs life?" You Xu took a step back fearfully before frustration finally overwhelmed him, and he bellowed angrily, "Just what do you want then?!" "Simple... I want you to pay with your life!" Zhang Xuan uttered coldly. The fellow before him was the cause of Wei Changfengs death. Thus, there was only one thing he wanted from the other partyhis life! Because of you, Wei Changfeng was forced to scale the Cloudmist Ridge in order to save his daughter, resulting in his eventual death at the hands of a saint beast... As the culprit behind it all, how can I allow you to continue living in this world? "You want me to pay with my life?" You Xus face warped in savagery. "I am the vice head of the Physician School, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, but you want me to give up my life simply because of an insignificant figure like him? Why should I do that?" "Why should you do that? HAHAHAHA!" Zhang Xuan roared withughter. "You want to know why? Let me tell you why then! "Simply because I solved 503 problems on the Wall of Dilemma singlehandedly! "Simply because I have left 432 new treatment methods on the Mdy tform! "Simply because I have contributed far more effective solutions to the illnesses recorded in the Ancestor Forest, allowing them to be resolved easily! "Simply because I did not make a single mistake in the 5-star and 6-star physician examinations, leaving behind perfect treatment methods for 73 illnesses! "I might have destroyed the Tower of Physicians, but my contribution to the Physician Guild is far greater than that. It is in view of this that the headquarters granted me permission to challenge you to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, and yet you still dare to ask me why? "I defeated you fair and square as a physician. Why, you ask? Simply because I defeated you in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel!" As if an almighty deity from the heavens above, Zhang Xuan exuded an invible aura that allowed no one to question him in the slightest. You Xu would take a step back fearfully with every single point that Zhang Xuan made, but Zhang Xuan would push forward with a forceful step each time, cornering him slowly. "I..." Eventually, You Xu suddenly realized that the ground behind him was empty; he had reached the edge of the stage. Indeed, the other party hadnt yed any trickery against him. What the other party depended on what his true capability to challenge him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, and he had won fair and square as well. There was nothing You Xu could say to refute that. "Kill yourself!" Zhang Xuan said with unquestionable authority. At this point, You Xus face waspletely pale, and he couldnt speak a word at all. His confidence had beenpletely shattered. "I..." In this instant, he felt as if he was an utter failure, and his very existence was shameful. Rather than to live so pathetically, he would be better off dead. Thus, he raised his hand and pressed it down forcefully on his head. "Hold it right there!" But just as the palm was going to strike down on You Xus head, a deafening bellow suddenly echoed from the sky, and a figure descended to the ground. Along with the bellow, You Xus body suddenly jolted, and the lifeless expression vanished from his face. He lifted his head to look at Zhang Xuan once more, but this time, his eyes were reddened with fury. "You dare to use the Impartation of Heavens Will on me? I will kill you!" You Xu howled in rage. No matter how slow he was, it was clear that the other party had used the Impartation of Heavens Will against him. Utilizing the pressure of the heavens, the other party made him lose himself. If not for that bellow snapping him out of his trance in the nick of time, he would already be dead! Hong long! The overpowering aura of a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert engulfed the entire area, and the stage creaked loudly under the pressure, threatening to shatter at any moment. Gathering destructive might in his palm, You Xu thrust his fist at Zhang Xuan furiously. In face of the other partys offense, Zhang Xuan stood proudly with his hands behind his back, viewing the other partys attack with disdain. "Enough, Vice School Head You!" Just as the attack was about tond on Zhang Xuan, another bellow sounded, and a massive hand fell in between Zhang Xuan and You Xu, dissipating You Xus offense. With the disappearance of the attack, Zhang Xuan sighed. The Life-and-Death Physician Duel was conducted under the supervision of the headquarters. Had You Xu dared tond that palm on him, he would have been killed remotely by the headquarters! It was a pity that someone had stopped him. Turning to the intervening figure, Zhang Xuan saw a white-bearded old man dressed in a master teacher robe. He carried an air of dominance about him, hinting at his extraordinary standing. "You are Zhang Xuan?" The old man nced at Zhang Xuan emotionlessly with an overbearing disposition. Looking at how the old man was still putting on airs here after stopping him from killing You Xu, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. "I am the head of the Apothecary School, Lu Feng!" As the old man introduced himself, he stared down at Zhang Xuan impassively, exerting immense pressure on him. "No matter what, You Xu is a vice school head of the academy. Even if he has erred, he doesnt deserve to die. How about this, I will have him give the Ten-leafed Flower to you andpensate you with some spirit stones, and we will call this matter off!" "Call this matter off?" Zhang Xuans face darkened. If not for this old man interfering in this matter, You Xu would have already died by now! A Ten-leafed Flower and some spirit stones... Could these things bring Wei Changfeng back to life? Waving his hands grandly, School Head Lu Feng said, "Yes. By challenging a teachers authority, you have already vited the respect a student ought to show a teacher. If you drop this matter now, the academy will be lenient with you for this matter..." "Be lenient with me?" Zhang Xuans eyes were utterly cold. "What if I insist on taking his life?" "Humph, this is the Master Teacher Academy! Do you think that a student like you will be allowed to act as you please?" A freshman should have leaped at the opportunity to resolve the matter peacefully, especially since he was already mediating it. Yet, the other party dared to talk back at him publicly. School Head Lu Fengs face immediately turned livid. "Besides, You Xu is not only a physician but a 6-star pinnacle master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. How he should be dealt with is a matter for the Master Teacher Pavilion and Master Teacher Academy to discuss. A 4-star master teacher like you has no ce in a matter like this!" "Are you the principal of the academy?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. "Im not!" Not expecting Zhang Xuan to ask such a question, School Head Lu Feng was stunned for an instant. However, he swiftly recovered and said, "But with the disappearance of the old principal, and considering the fact that the Apothecary School is the number one school in the academy, I can be considered the stand-in principal, and I have the right to determine the major affairs within the academy. Dont worry, my words count here. Not even You Xu will be able to override my decision!" "Since you arent the principal, what are you spouting so much nonsense for? Stop being a busybody and move aside!" Upon hearing that the other party wasnt the principal, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and he flung his sleeves majestically. "Otherwise, shall I challenge your Apothecary School right here, right now?" Chapter 812: Seniority Chapter 812: Seniority Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" "Did he just say that School Head Lu is a busybody?" "Hes going to challenge the Apothecary School?" Watching the spectacle on the stage, the crowd below felt as if they were going bonkers. Ever since the disappearance of the old principal, most of the affairs in the academy had been taken care of by School Head Lu Feng. He might not be the official principal, but the power he wielded was as good as one. Furthermore, he was also the de facto leader of the Ten Great Master Teachers, and School Head Mo and the others usually heeded his words for most affairs, granting him immense influence as well... Yet, a freshman dared to say that he was a busybody and asked him to move aside. That was truly brazen! "Why is Zhang shi so reckless?" School Head Wei, School Head Zhao, and the others nearly fainted after hearing Zhang Xuans words. They were thinking that with School Head Lus intervention, the matter could be resolved swiftly. However, they didnt think that Zhang shi would take such a forceful stand on this matter. School Head Lu was an austere man, and he regarded discipline and order very highly. Insulting him in public was an immense humiliation to him; there was no doubt that he would fly into a rage over this matter. And just as they had expected, School Head Lus face darkened, and a steely glint could be seen in his narrowed eyes. With a voice reminiscent of the ominous rumbling of thunder, he bellowed, "What did you say?" "Are you deaf? But even if you are deaf, surely your eyes should be able to see, right? Its in my capacity as a 6-star physician that I have challenged You Xu in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel. In this matter, there is no distinction between teacher or student, so we can only be considered peers... So, dont bother using those principles to your convenience to pressure me! "Also, we havent even determined the winner of our duel yet, but you barged in and interfered in our battle willfully, terminating it forcefully... To talk to me about rules, why dont you try to practice what you preach?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly, with a fearless gaze. While it was indeed a taboo for a student to challenge a teachers authority, Zhang Xuan had challenged You Xu to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel as a fellow 6-star physician, so until the moment the duel ended, his position would not be that of a student but a 6-star physician. Even if Lu Feng was a 6-star master teacher, he could only be considered a peer in the course of the duel. And as a fellow peer, what right did Lu Feng have to interfere in a fight between him and You Xu? "You..." Lu Feng pointed his finger at Zhang Xuan with a livid face before flinging his sleeves backward furiously. "Sharp-tongued, arent you? But regardless of what you say, I wont allow any harm toe to You Xu today. I will personally report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion to have them annul this matter with the Physician Guild!" "You intend to protect him?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed menacingly. For a moment, he was a little perplexed by why Lu Feng would go to such an extent to protect You Xu, but after a moment of contemtion, it suddenly struck him. Back then, when he and Wei Changfeng were attempting to purchase the Ten-leafed Flower, the master teacher who went to purchase a medicinal herb from You Xu seemed to have gone as Lu Fengs representative. The price was low, and the exchange waspleted swiftly without any trouble. Considering this, the rtionship between the both of them must be fairly good. But that was to be expected. As an apothecary and a herbologist in the Master Teacher Academy, the two of them had probably worked together on multiple asions over the years, and this gradually built camaraderie between them. Otherwise, Lu Feng wouldnt have gone to the extent of offending the Physician Guild to intervene in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel. "Thats right!" Lu Feng dered grandly. "Vice School Head You, lets leave. I would like to see who in the Master Teacher Academy dares to stop me!" "Yes!" Seeing that School Head Lu was firmly standing up for him, You Xu heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed behind him. He had already lost the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, so if he were to remain here, the only thing awaiting him was misfortune. At the current moment, the best thing he could do was to leave this area as soon as possible. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he harrumphed coldly. "Leave? I havent given him the permission to leave yet, who dares take him away?" ncing coldly at You Xu, hemanded authoritatively, "After disregarding your honor and morals, what rights do you have to remain as a master teacher? Kneel down!" "Kneel down?" You Xu was stunned to hear Zhang Xuans abrupt words. Just as he was about to sneer in response, he abruptly felt an inexplicable power striking his acupoints, and excruciating pain assaulted him. Putong! Before he could say anything more, his knees caved in and fell to the ground. Having nted his Heavens Path zhenqi within You Xus body, it took nothing more than a thought for Zhang Xuan to subdue the other party. "You..." Lu Fengs countenance turned hostile. Right after he said that he would bring You Xu back, Zhang Xuan made You Xu kneel onto the ground. That was a direct p to his face, a resounding one at that. When did his standing as the head of the Apothecary School be so worthless? "Zhang Xuan, are you sure you want to go against me?" Lu Feng red at Zhang Xuan with a disquieting gaze. "Go against you?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You arent worthy of that! To tell you the truth, I didnt give a single shit about you before you appeared!" Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, there was nothing beneath the heavens that could stand against him. A mere head of the Apothecary School wasnt even worthy of his notice; if the other party hadnte here to cause a ruckus, why would he have bothered wasting his effort going against him? "You..." Hearing those words, Lu Feng nearly rushed forward in a frenzy to tear Zhang Xuan apart. "Enough, I dont wish to waste any more words on you. Until the Life-and-Death Physician Duel ends, no one will be taking him away. Putting aside the fact that you are only a stand-in principal, even if the official principal of the academy was here today, the only thing he would be taking away from here is You Xus corpse!" Zhang Xuan dered authoritatively. With his Heavens Path zhenqi nted deep in the other partys body, the difference between You Xus life and death hinged on a single thought of his. No matter who it was, they wouldnt be taking You Xu away from here alive today! "You dare!" Lu Feng roared furiously "What do I have to fear?" With a wry smile, Zhang Xuan turned to You Xu and ordered, "He thinks that I dont dare do anything. Why dont you try spurting a mouthful of blood to prove him wrong?" The next moment, an inexplicable power suddenly rampaged within the kneeling You Xus innards, and unable to hold himself back, uweh!, fresh blood gushed from his mouth, dyeing the entire area crimson. "You..." Lu Feng nearly lost his sanity on the spot. That was a tant provocation toward him! "Why? You still want to try me? You Xu, continue until he submits!" Zhang Xuan ordered with his hands behind his back. Pu! Pu! Pu! At Zhang Xuansmand, You Xu began spurting blood endlessly. In just a few moments, his face had already turned ghastly pale, and it felt as if he might pass away at any moment. "Stop it!" Seeing that his old friend would die if he were to continue spewing blood, School Head Lu Feng yelled furiously, but he realized that he waspletely helpless to stop Zhang Xuan. The poison which Zhang Xuan had nted into You Xu in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel was simply far too potent. Otherwise, thetter wouldnt have been forced to obey hismands either, kneeling and spewing blood onmand. "Stop!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Only after that word was uttered did You Xu finally stop throwing up blood. His body fell feebly to the ground, and he gasped frantically for air. For a moment there, he could almost feel deaths embrace. Ever since bing a master teacher a thousand years ago, he had never suffered such humiliation before. Seeing that You Xu had finally stopped throwing up blood, Lu Feng immediately rushed forward to feed him a general antidote. You Xu swallowed the antidote and drove his zhenqi to allow the antidote to permeate through his body. A momentter, however, he shook his head. As a grade-6 pill, the antidote was potent. However, it waspletely ineffective against the poison he was gued with. The poison which the other party had nted in him had already reached even the most hidden corners of his body, where his zhenqi was incapable of reaching. There was no medicine that could save him anymore. "Damn it!" Lu Feng stood up and turned to Zhang Xuan once more. His teeth were gritted so tightly together that it felt as if they would chip off from the sheer pressure between them. "Very well, I acknowledge your capability! However, allow me to offer you a warning. You might have won the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, but You Xu is a 6-star pinnacle physician under the protection of the academy. With your current standing, you have no right to determine his life and death!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. As rude as the other partys words were, he knew that the other party was right. If You Xu was an ordinary physician, Zhang Xuan would have killed him without any hesitation. He had the right to do so after winning the Life-and-Death Physician Duel. However, it was a pity that You Xu wasnt an ordinary physician... he was also a 6-star pinnacle master teacher as well. Every single master teacher was a pir of society, a precious asset of the Master Teacher Pavilion. A huge amount of time, effort, and resources had to be devoted to groom every single 6-star pinnacle master teacher, and the death of any single one of them was a huge loss to society. As a result, unless they were tomit some grievous crime that harmed the interest of humanity, even master teachers of the same rank didnt have the right to put them to death. The only way that a 6-star pinnacle master teacher could be killed was under the decree of a 7-star master teacher or above, or a ruling from the Tribunal of Master Teachers. This was precisely the reason Zhang Xuan had used his Impartation of Heavens Will to beguile You Xu intomitting suicide instead. If You Xu had really killed himself, he could pass it off as the other partymitting suicide out of shame. There would be no one to testify against him, so he couldnt be charged for it. However, after falling for it once, it would be difficult for him to beguile You Xu into it once again. "I can spare him, but I will be taking him with me!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. If he had seeded in making You Xumit suicide, that would have been the end of things. However, since things had reached this point, he decided to take him to Wei Ruyan for her to end him instead. Firstly, he would be able to gain some time to find a way to circumvent the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and secondly, Wei Ruyan would be able to personally exact vengeance on the man who had killed her father. "You want to take him with you? You are in the Master Teacher Academy, and you wish to take one of our vice school heads away with you? Dont you think you are being a little too naive?" Lu Feng sneered coldly. "Are you intending to not abide by the rules of the Life-and-Death Physician Duel?" Zhang Xuan frowned coldly. "The rules must be abided, but at the end of the duel, you are still a student of the academy. As the stand-in principal of the academy and the leader of the Ten Great Master Teachers, I believe that I am more than qualified to stop a student!" Lu Feng replied with a grand wave of his hands. While he had infringed on the rules by interfering in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel previously, as the duel hade to an end, the other partys position had reverted back to that of a student. As the stand-in principal of the academy, he possessed the authority to stop or even teach a student of the academy a lesson. There was no one who could refute that. On the other hand, Zhang Xuansplexion turned extremely awful. Lu Feng was right. No matter how he put it, he was still a student of the academy. There was a natural hierarchy between teacher and student, and there was nothing he could do if the other party was intent on stopping him. As long as he was in the academy, he had to respect the rules of it. He could use poison to threaten You Xu, but if You Xu were to really die, that would be equivalent to a 4-star master teacher killing a 6-star master teacherin other words, insubordination. Just by this in itself, he would be subjected to an investigation by the Master Teacher Pavilion. That would make things troublesome for him. As expected of a stand-in principal of the academy, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he was indeed a master at ying by the rules. "Leave Vice School Head You here and neutralize the poison he is suffering from. For your victory in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, I willpensate him in your stead. At the same time, I will make an exception and overlook this matter, treating it as if nothing has happened. Otherwise, I believe that you should also know that I have the power to teach a student of the academy a lesson. Even if you bring up your grievances to the Master Teacher Pavilion, there is no one who will side with you!" Lu Feng threatened. "You are really determined to make things difficult for me, arent you?" Seeing that Lu Feng was determined to stand in his way, Zhang Xuans gaze turned frosty. There was indeed nothing scarier than a shameless master teacher! As the saying goes, There is nothing to fear from a hoodlum, what is truly fearsome is a cultured hoodlum! "Make things difficult for you? Why would you say such words? I am merely teaching a junior a lesson. If you believe that you are above me in seniority, you are more than free to do so as well!" Lu Feng roared inughter. There was an inherent power in seniority. You are a student; I am a teacher. With just my standing, I can easily force you to lower your head to me! Trapped in a deadlock, Zhang Xuan racked his brain furiously for a way out, but there was nothing that he could use to turn the tables. Just as he thought that it was the end, he suddenly heard the exmation of an old man beneath the stage. "Elder Zheng, Elder Wang, and Elder Liu, you are here! Wait a moment, dont go up now..." With a gust of wind, several figures leaped onto the stage. Following which, a voice with suppressedposure, reminiscent of the calm before a storm, spoke. "School Head Lu, we are the three guest elders that the Martial Arts School invited recently. May I ask if with our standing... can we be considered your peers?" Chapter 813: Unfilial Disciple, Hurry Up and Pay Respects to Your Grandteacher! Chapter 813: Unfilial Disciple, Hurry Up and Pay Respects to Your Grandteacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing that voice, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but turn around, and what he saw left him in a trance. The three elders who had leaped onto the stage were none other than Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang. Werent those three fellows cultivating in the residence outside the academy? Why were they here? Furthermore, considering the tight security of the Master Teacher Academy, how did they sneak in without getting caught? While Zhang Xuan was astonished by the sight before him, Lu Feng also didnt expect the abrupt situation that fell upon him. He pondered for a moment before chuckling softy and replying, "I heard about the three of you from School Head Xu. Despite your young age, you are geniuses among geniuses, possessing extraordinary insight into battle techniques and cultivation. The fact that you were able to win School Head Xus approval speaks volumes about your capabilities! "Since you are the guest elders of the Martial Arts School, you are naturally elders of our Master Teacher Academy as well. Without a doubt, you are my peers!" The standing of guest elders was higher than that of ordinary elders. Even though Lu Feng was a school head, in the strictest sense, he was only considered an elder of the academy as well. In other words, despite the age difference between them, the trio were his peers. "Its good to hear that!" Zheng Yang nodded in satisfaction. He gestured to the other two, and the three of them turned to Zhang Xuan and kneeled to the ground. "Student Zheng Yang (Wang Ying, Liu Yang) pays respect to teacher!" "Ah?" "The three guest elders invited by the Martial Arts School are actually... Zhang shis students?" "If Zhang shis students are of the same seniority as School Head Lu, doesnt that mean that... School Head Lu is lower than him in terms of seniority..." "Just what is going on?" ... Not only were the seniors stupefied by the situation before them, the many teachers, elders, and school heads who had gathered in the area were dumbfounded as well. Many people had heard about the new guest elders recruited by the Martial Arts School, and there were quite a few who had gone to listen to their lessons as well. The three new guest elders might be young, but their understanding of cultivation and battle techniques was truly worthy of respect. As such, there was no one who had any qualms with their position. Nearly all of the student popce thought that the reason the trio could achieve such a deep understanding of battle techniques and cultivation was because they had inherited the heritage of some formidable figure in the Master Teacher Continent, but never in their dreams had they expected that... their teacher would be Zhang Xuan! He was just a freshman, and yet his students had already be elders of the academy... Just what was with this weird turn of events? While the others were shocked by the situation before them, on the stage, Lu Feng was on the verge of losing his mind. It was just a moment ago that he had haughtily said that Zhang Xuan was free to teach him a lesson if thetters seniority was above his, but the next moment... these three appeared. Going by seniority, if Zhang Xuan was the teacher of the academys guest elders, wouldnt that mean that Lu Feng would have to call him... uncle? The thought of that immediately sent a streak of darkness across his face. An extremely stifling sensation gripped his chest, leaving him short of breath. The hell with this! If he had known that this would happen, he would have never said that the trio were his peers... But spilt water couldnt be taken back. Since he had already dered it publicly, he couldnt possibly refute what he had just said. It took a long time before his soul finally returned to him, and he said, "Zhang Xuan might be your teacher, but he is also a student of the academy as well..." "Since you say that my teacher is a student of the academy, may I ask, who has he acknowledged as his teacher?" Zheng Yang asked. Lu Fengs face stiffened. Given the huge ruckus that Zhang Xuan had caused in the academy, as the stand-in principal of the academy, hed naturally had someone investigate his background. ording to what he knew, the other party had gone into aa during the recruitment period, so he had no teacher at all! Realizing what Zheng Yang was possibly driving at, Lu Feng replied with an awfulplexion, "He didnt acknowledge anyone as his teacher..." "Then does my teacher have a student token?" Zheng Yang asked. Lu Feng hesitated once again. Most students would receive their student tokens straight from their teachers when they acknowledged them. As for those who didnt acknowledge a teacher, they were still allowed to attend open lectures and they would be given the benefit of the doubt to ess most facilities in the academy, but the processing of their student token would be a little more troublesome, requiring at least ten days. Considering that it was only six days since the start of the semester, it was natural that Zhang Xuan wouldnt have a student token yet! "Since my teacher doesnt have a student token and he hasnt acknowledged a teacher in the academy, why do you say that hes a student of your Master Teacher Academy? Do you have any proof that he is?" Zheng Yang pressed on. There was nothing Lu Feng could say to this. Considering that Zhang Xuan didnt have a student token and hadnt acknowledged any teacher in the academy, even though he was recognized as a student in the academy, there were no official records stating so... If that was the case, it wasnt exactly wrong to say that he wasnt a student of the academy... Assuming that Zhang Xuan really wasnt a student of the academy but the teacher of guest elders, it would mean that his standing was higher than Lu Fengs. Thus, if Lu Feng dared to hinder his path, that would be a tant disrespect for his elders, and this was uneptable for a master teacher! "Even though he doesnt have a student token, he has a residence in the academy, and he even created a student faction..." Lu Feng argued anxiously. In the few days since he had entered to the academy, that fellow has already caused two schools to copse and created so much trouble everywhere. Yet, you are telling me that hes not a student... Are you seriously trying to argue that? If he wasnt a student, he would have long been kicked out from the academy for all he had done! There was no way the academy would condone such actions from unaffiliated personnel? "Enough, Junior Lu Feng. Its due to the token that School Head Mo gave me that I was able to obtain a residence in the academy, and the reason I established a student faction is due to the overwhelming support that the freshmen showed me. I dont understand why you are overthinking this matter," Zhang Xuan said. "I know that its in consideration of the academys interests that you want to stop me, and I dont me you for that. However, its a fact that You Xu did lose to me in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, so its my right to take him away. As a junior, you should know better than to hinder me!" "Jun-Junior?" Hearing the other partys nagging tone, as if a senior trying to persuade a junior not to do the wrong thing, School Head Lu Feng nearly fainted on the spot. Do you have to rise up to the asion every single time someone gives you the opportunity to brag? If someone says that you are the principal, are you going to start acting like you own the academy immediately? School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others began muttering in disbelief. "Elder Zheng, Elder Wang, and Elder Liu are actually... Zhang shis students?" "It seems like they are direct disciples at that..." They had thought that You Xu would surely escape with his life now that School Head Lu was mediating the dispute. But who could have known that three guest elders would suddenly appear at this crucial juncture? What shook them the most was how Zhang Xuan addressed Lu Feng as his junior... Going by that, wouldnt that mean they were his juniors as well? Knowing that he would only be cornered if he allowed himself to be swept along at the other partys pace, Lu Feng harrumphed coldly. "Lets just drop the word games here. No matter how you put it, you are only a 4-star master teacher; dont even dream about taking You Xu away today!" In truth, the matter regarding seniority was indeed very troublesome to iron out. If one were to put it like that, everyone would be everyones senior in one way or another. At that moment, an impassive voice suddenly sounded from above. "Enough, School Head Lu! For a stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy to make such a huge fuss like that, dont you think thats shameful?" Everyone lifted their gazes and saw a ravishing figure descending from the sky. Upon seeing the figure above, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The person was no other than the beautiful teacher who had captured his heart at first sight, Luo Ruoxin! "Luo shi!" Upon seeing her, School Head Lu hurriedly sped his fist and reported, "This matter concerns the dignity of the Master Teacher Academy! If we were to allow an outsider to take away one of our vice school heads, wouldnt others start to question the authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion? How can we exin this to the headquarters if they question us on this matter?" A slight frown appeared on Luo Ruoxins face as she waved her hands. "Thats not a problem for you to worry; Mu Yuan will exin it to the headquarters." "This... Yes!" Even though School Head Lu was dissatisfied with Luo Ruoxins response, he dared not to talk back to her. Even though thedy before him was young, there was a high chance she was a member from a Sage n, the Luo n. Even Mu shi had to treat her with the utmost respect, so naturally, he wouldnt dare challenge her authority. Seeing Lu Feng backing down on this matter, Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Could it be that... you haveprehended the Eye of Insight?" Zhang Xuan didnt expect Luo Ruoxin to ask such a question. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I guess you could say so!" The other party had probably noticed it when he used it in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel against You Xu earlier. "He hasprehended the Eye of Insight which only 6-star master teachers canprehend?" "I heard that it is extremely difficult toprehend the Eye of Insight, and there are many of the top-notch geniuses in Sage ns who spend their lives trying to understand it, only to eventually die in regret. Yet, Zhang shi hasprehended it?" "With talent like his, as long as he doesnt die, hell at least be an 8-star master teacher..." "Indeed! So far, there are only ten people who are recorded to haveprehended the Eye of Insight in the books. Six of them became 9-star master teachers, two of them died a premature death, one of them had his cultivation capped after suffering severe wounds, but nevertheless, he still reached 8-star, and thest one went missing after clearing the 7-star master teacher examination... However, rumor has it that the missing 7-star master teacher was seen exerting mightparable to a 9-star master teacher in a fight against the Otherworldly Demons before passing away. All of these point at one thingthose who haveprehended the Eye of Insight will at least achieve strength equivalent to an 8-star master teacher if they are given time and space to grow!" "Fearsome..." Hearing Zhang Xuans admittance, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd. Even though the Eye of Insight was said to be an ability that 6-star master teachers could awaken, only a small handful of true geniuses had managed toprehend it. Yet, Zhang Xuan had actually managed toprehend it! It was no wonder he possessed exceptional capabilities in smithing, terpsichorean arts, and the Way of Medicine! His talent was rare even among the offspring of Sage ns. "Eye of Insight?" At the same time, upon hearing of the news, Lu Fengs body trembled uncontrobly in fear. Even the students beneath the stage knew of the significance of the Eye of Insight, so how could he possibly be unaware of it? It was definitely no joke to say that the other partys potential was boundless! To offend such a talent for You Xu... was it really worth it? It was no wonder Luo shi chose to side with him instead. Possessing such talent, the other party would surely grow to be one of the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent one day. Even those of the Sage n would be inclined to build a good rtionship with him, not daring to offend him in the least. "As I expected!" Luo Ruoxin nodded for a moment before abruptly leaping off the stage. For an instant, it felt as if she hade here to stop Lu Feng just so that she could ask this question, but the next moment, her soft voice sounded in his ear. "I wille and find you tonight!" Leaving behind those words, she stepped into the crowd, and after a few turns, she abruptly disappeared from sight. Find me? Zhang Xuan frowned. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he could easily see through anyone. But for some reason, he was unable to see through Luo Ruoxin. Forget it! Knowing that it was impossible for him to fathom the other partys thoughts, and that he would get the answer tonight, Zhang Xuan decided to put the matter aside for the time being. With Luo Ruoxin speaking up on his behalf, Lu Feng didnt dare stop him any longer. After instructing Zheng Yang to carry the poisoned You Xu, he stepped off the stage with his students. With everything that had happened, there was no one who dared to block his path. In an instant, the seniors immediately opened up a way for him to pass. As Zhang Xuan walked, he couldnt help but shake his head in disappointment. Given how huge a trouble he had caused this time, it would probably be difficult for him to enter the Master Teacher Academy anymore. Of the ten schools, he had only challenged the cksmith School, Terpsichore School, and Physician School so far. There were still seven more to go, and it felt like a huge loss for him to leave just like that. Looks like I will have to assume the role of a challenger if I wish to return to the academy... After Zhang Xuan had denied being a student of the academy, there was no way School Head Lu would acknowledge him anymore. Those who werent students of the academy possessed no Academic Credits or student tokens, so they werent able to enter the academy freely, and they werent allowed to use its facilities or take the examinations here either. If Zhang Xuan still wished to raise the rank of his supporting upations to 6-star in Hongyuan City, there was only one waychallenging the schools! For example, if Zhang Xuan intended to obtain the 6-star apothecary emblem, he could challenge the entire school, and if no one could match up to him, he would naturally be qualified to apply for a 6-star apothecary emblem. Why is it just so difficult for me to live a quiet and humble life? Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He could already foresee the huge chaos he would bring to the Master Teacher Academy should he challenge the schools. Honestly speaking, all he wanted to do was to be an ordinary student, study in a peaceful environment, and pass his exams with flying colors. Yet... trouble simply had toe knocking on his door. But since what had happened had happened, he decided to return to his residence and rest for a few days first. If no better solution came to mind by then, he would just have to resort to challenging the schools. Once he obtained six 6-star supporting upations, he would be able to take the 6-star master teacher examination. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan walked toward the entrance of the academy. However, on his way there, he suddenly saw a young man wielding a spear run up to him excitedly and block his way. "I have finally reached the tenth dan of the Fallen Spear Art, achieving the level of Spear-Man Union! Zhang Xuan, I want to challenge you to a duel. Will you ept the challenge?" The young man flicked his spear, and a resounding whir reminiscent of the roar of a dragon echoed. In that instant, his figure resembled an undefeatable God of War. That person was none other than Xue Zhenyang. After listening to Zheng Yangs lecture the day before, he had gone into seclusion, and just a few moments ago, he had finally seeded in breaking through his bottleneck. After asking around and learning that Zhang Xuan was here, he immediately made his way over. With his newfound strength, he would cleanse the humiliation he had suffered and reforge the True Helios Factions reputation! Pah! But before he could even listen to Zhang Xuans reply, he suddenly felt someone striking the back of his head forcefully. He quickly turned around, only to see Zheng Yangoshi ring at him with a displeased gaze. "Unfilial disciple, hurry up and pay respects to your grandteacher!" Chapter 814: So He Was the One Who Bought the Manor! Chapter 814: So He Was the One Who Bought the Manor! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Xue Zhenyang fell into a daze. The excited gleam in his eyes slowly transformed into a look of horror. Pointing a finger at Zhang Xuan, his gaze alternated between Zhang Xuan and Zheng Yang, and despair gradually painted his face dark. Unwilling to believe what was happening, he asked doubtfully, "G-g-grandteacher?" When hed departed from the True Helios Faction, Zheng Yang and the others hadnt gotten on the stage yet. As such, he was still unaware of the background of his spearmanship teacher. However, at this instant, hearing from his teachers own mouth that his grandteacher was Zhang Xuan, he suffered a blow so heavy that it threatened to snap his sanity. When the subordinate hed sent ended up being taken in by Zhang Xuan instead, the True Helios Faction suffered a heavy blow to its reputation. In order to exact vengeance, hed left the academy with a spear in his hands, intending to tour thends so that he couldprehend the tenth dan of the Fallen Spear Art. Through surpassing Zhang Xuan in spearmanship, he would bring glory back to the True Helios Faction, sending out the message that he, Xue Zhenyang, was still an irreceable genius of the Master Teacher Academy... After all the effort he had put into it, when his diligence had finally paid off and he had achieved a breakthrough, reality suddenly struck him... Unknowingly, he had be the grandstudent of his nemesis! The hell! I dont want to be that fellows grandstudent! I want to surpass him and cleanse the shame I have suffered due to him! I want to remain the revered genius of the Master Teacher Academy... Xue Zhenyang howled furiously on the inside. However, before he could sort out his thoughts, excruciating pain assaulted the back of his head once more. His teacher had struck him again. "Who do you think you are pointing your finger at? Where are your manners? This is the person I have been telling you about, my teacher. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get on your knees!" Zheng Yang urged with a displeased frown. He had been wanting to introduce his talented student to his teacher for a while now, but now that the chance finally came, thetter was actingpletely disrespectful to his teacher. This was truly... If he had known earlier, he should have taught Xue Zhenyang some etiquette beforehand! Get on my knees? On the other hand, Xue Zhenyang felt as if someone had just torn his world apart. All along, due to Zheng Yang and the others age and astounding capability, he had thought that his grandteacher would be a formidable figure and thus imaged him as an old man in his seventies or eighties... Yet, it turned out to be the nemesis he had set out to defeat in the first ce! Why did fate had to pull such a prank on him? Before his departure, he had dered proudly that he would defeat Zhang Xuan upon his return... But how could he do so, given his current identity?! While Xue Zhenyang was suffering a tragic mental breakdown, Long Cangyue and the others, who were watching themotion, felt their bodies swaying weakly. Of their four student factions, two had challenged Zhang Xuan, but one became his apprentice and the other his grandstudent... Their standing was gradually bing one lower than the other. "Say, if we challenge him as well... will we end up bing his grand-grandstudents?" Long Cangyue gulped. "You must be joking! Grand-grandstudent, that means that his standing is three generations higher than us! But we are the direct disciples of the old principal. If hes three generations higher than us, wouldnt that make even the old principal his grandstudent?" Dong Xin harrumphed coldly. "Dont put yourself down and inte his ego!" "But... there is just something uncanny about that fellow," Long Cangyue said. "Theres indeed something weird about him, but... dont you think thats what makes this a challenge?" Unlike Long Cangyues nervousness, Dong Xins eyes were glowing in excitement. As a genius, she had never submitted to anyone before. Formidable as Zhang Xuan might seem, his capability had only served to further stimte her fighting will. "A challenge? Forget it. I fear that my Ashen Moon Faction will disappear after the challenge... If you wish to do so, do it yourself!" Long Cangyue hurriedly shook his head. You must be joking! Which of the four student factions are weak? Two had already had their turn, and they ended up in such a miserable state. Even a vice school head was utterly crushed by the other party... He had no desire whatsoever to get himself involved in this matter. "Forget it! If you are really that scared, Ill do it alone then! Dont worry, Ill surely be able to find his weakness and defeat him!" Dong Xin chuckled as her eyes twinkled in confidence. There was no such thing as a wless cultivator in the world. So what if Zhang Xuan was formidable? She didnt believe that he could be perfect! As long as she paid careful attention, she would surely be able to find something to exploit against him. By then, her Dong Xin Faction would be the academysrgest faction, unmatched by any other! And finally, after so many years ofpeting with Hu Yaoyao, she would emerge at the top! ... "You epted Xue Zhenyang as your disciple?" On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was gazing at the kneeling Xue Zhenyang before him in a daze. When did Zheng Yang take this fellow as his disciple? Not to mention, what was with the matter of being the guest elder? Fearing that Zhang Xuan would get furious, Sun Qiang hurried forward and interjected. "Young Master, I was the one who convinced Young Master Zheng Yang to do so. I saw that this fellow was sincere and determined in acknowledging Young Master Zheng Yang as his teacher, and he also paid the school fee as well, so I took pity on him..." Discreetly, he passed a storage ring over and sent a telepathic message. "Here are the spirit stones that Zheng Yang and the others have earned through their lectures!" "Lecture?" The more Zhang Xuan listened, the more bewildered he became. He immersed his consciousness into his storage ring, and what he saw made him have the shock of his life. Middle-tier spirit stones stacked as if a mountain! Judging from the size of the pile, there were at least several ten thousand of them in there. Even if he were to exchange them for high-tier spirit stones, he would at least be able to get a hundred of them. Are you sure you earned this sum by conducting a lecture, not by robbery? "Indeed. Its actually like this..." Sun Qiang swiftly exined the matter of how Zheng Yang and the others became guest elders of the Martial Arts School to Zhang Xuan. "To think that such a thing could happen!" Zhang Xuan was astonished by what had happened while he was at the Cloudmist Ridge. Even though what he had imparted to Zheng Yang and the others were just simplified versions of the Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path battle techniques, those were already the most profound secret manuals in this world, far surpassing any of their kind. As master teachers, it was natural that Xue Zhenyang and Xu Changqing would realize how profound they were. With that, it didnte as much of a surprise that they would invite Zheng Yang and the others to be guest elders of the academy. Sun Qiang couldnt help but feel a little unnerved by Zhang Xuans silence. "Young Master, Im the one who convinced Zheng Yang and the others into it. If you wish to punish them, please punish me instead..." He felt that the young master would be moved by the spirit stones, but nevertheless, there was no way he could be certain that he had made the right call. "Punish? Why would I punish you for this matter? epting disciples and imparting knowledge to them, this is a way for them to reinforce their understanding as well!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Often, just by listening to a lecture, ones understanding of a subject wouldnt beplete. However, if one were to attempt to teach it to another, one would be forced to organize their thoughts and sort out the logic regarding it, and this would reinforce ones understanding of the subject. As such, it was crucial for students to exchange their knowledge with one another or even serve as the others teacher. This was not only beneficial to the other party but oneself as well. Through the lecture, Zheng Yang and the others should have been able to gain deeper insight into cultivation and battle techniques themselves, and that was surely a good thing! Besides, it wasnt like he had made a loss because of this matter. With the spirit stones earned, he would have nothing to worry about for the time being! He was still thinking about selling a portion of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence to tide them over for the time being, but it seemed like there was no need for it anymore. These students of his had truly done something good for him this time around. Nevertheless, there was still one thing he had to warn them about. "I dont oppose to you bing the teachers of others. On the contrary, I think its good for you to impart knowledge to others. However... I will still have to ask you to do it in moderation. Our heritage is grand and profound, so it might bring us trouble instead if you impart too much to others. Living in this world, its always best to keep a low profile whenever possible. This is a trait that you should learn from me!" Zhang Xuan warned grimly. The Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path battle techniques, even if just the simplified versions, were too powerful; it would definitely cause a huge uproar if their existence were to be made known to others. Perhaps, it might even end up drawing in enemies far too powerful for them to deal with. Thus... it would still be best for them to keep a low profile. "Teacher, rest assured. We only lectured them on the bare basics. Regarding those crucial aspects of our heritage, we made sure to left them out... We have tried our best to keep a low profile as well!" Zheng Yang and the others replied. "Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. The few of them didnt speak too loudly, so not many had heard their words. However, Xue Zhenyang, who was just kneeling before them, heard them loud and clear. His body shook frenziedly, and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. The heck, can we still hold a proper conversation over here? A twenty-year-old freshman creating a huge storm as soon as he entered the academy, sending all of the seniors into a frenzy... Three youngsters, only fifteen or sixteen, bing the guest elders of the Martial Arts School... How the freaking hell can you call this low profile? If this is called low profile, what can be considered high profile? "Alright. Since you have epted him as your disciple, teach him well. Also, try to conduct a few more lectures in the academy to earn more spirit stones. As you know, we cultivators require a lot of spirit stones to cultivate, so it will be best for us to get as many of those as we can," Zhang Xuan instructed. Sun Qiang nodded. "Dont worry, Young Master. I will make arrangements!" As he had expected! As long as it came to money, the young master would have no qualms with it. "Un. For the time being, we should head over to You Xus residence to get the Ten-leafed Flower!" Zhang Xuan said. For the moment, the urgent matter at hand was for him to take the Ten-leafed Flower and save Wei Ruyan. Other matters could wait, but hers couldnt. If he didnt hurry, thetter might just end up sumbing to her illness. Given that You Xus life was in Zhang Xuans hands and he had lost in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel as well, he had no choice but to obey Zhang Xuans orders. Thus, it didnt take long for the Ten-leafed Flower to appear in Zhang Xuans hands. After obtaining the medicinal herb, Zhang Xuan headed to his residence in the Elite Sector. His residence outside was currently too small, so it was extremely inconvenient there. On top of that, the treatment to save Wei Ruyan also required an area with a high concentration of spiritual energy, and his residence outside clearly couldntpare to this. However, when they arrived at Zhang Xuans residence in the Elite Sector, he saw someone guarding the entrance. It was Huang Xing, Zhou Tong, and the others, the seniors who had allocated the residence to him back then. Stacked beside them were his personal belongings which he had stored inside the residence. "What is going on?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Zhang shi, School Head Lu just passed an order saying that you are prohibited from staying here because you arent a student of the academy. His authority is higher than that of School Head Mo, so theres nothing we can about it either... I beg your pardon, Zhang shi," Huang Xing said with a reddened face. He had also heard of the matter in the Physician School, and honestly speaking, he was filled with respect and admiration for Zhang Xuans actions as well. However, the person standing on the opposing side was the head of the Apothecary School, the stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy. No matter how gutsy he was, he dared not disobey School Head Lus orders. Thus, he could only move Zhang Xuans possessions out of his residence. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. He hadnt thought that Lu Feng would act so swiftly! This residence was built upon a Spirit Gathering Formation, thus resulting in a dense concentration of spiritual energy around it. Such conditions were ideal for the Ten-leafed Flower to nourish Wei Ruyans soul. The treatment wouldnt be as effective if he were to conduct it in his residence outside! However, it was indeed true that he had dered that he wasnt a student of the academy, so he had no right to live there. What should I do? Zhang Xuan rubbed his be, troubled. Resigned, he ced his possessions in his storage ring and prepared to head back to his residence outside. However, at that moment, a middle-aged man, under the lead of a senior, suddenly walked up to him. "Zhang shi, this man is looking for you!" the senior reported before retreating to the side. The middle-aged man sped his fist and asked, "May I confirm that you are Zhang shi?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "You are..." "I am the butler of King Huai Manor, Yu Qing. Our master has bought an amodation for Zhang shi, and it is located just a short distance away from the academy. He tasked me to deliver the deed to you, and I will be grateful if you ept it!" As he spoke, Yu Qing took out a jade box, and opening it, a housing deed andnd deed came into sight. Taking a look at thend deed, Zhang Xuan saw the location written on it and he froze. "Amodation... That manor was bought by your master?" Chapter 815: Hu Yaoyaos True Identity Chapter 815: Hu Yaoyaos True Identity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Written on thend deed was the specific location of the plot ofnd, and it was indicating the location of the manor that Hu Yaoyao said was where the old residence of Wu Yangzi used to be situated. Back then, when he learned that the manor belonged to him, he was extremely perplexed. He racked his mind to figure out who it could be, but never had he thought that it would be King Huai! He never had any interaction with King Huai, except for the fact that Zheng Yang and the others had stayed in his manor for a few days, and his ambiguous rtionship with the Yuan n, who had taken Yuan Tao with them. To be honest, they couldnt even be considered acquaintances, having just met once. Yet, the other party was gifting him a luxurious manor worth more than a hundred high-tier spirit stones? Wasnt this... a little too much? But thinking about it carefully, King Huai was indeed the only one who had the financial resources to spare to carry this out. Even though Mo Gaoyuan, School Head Mo, and others were prestigious 6-star master teachers, their wealth still couldnt bepared to a king who wielded immense power in Hongyuan Empire. "Thats right!" Butler Yu Qing nodded respectfully. "I dont think I have done anything worthy of this gift from King Huai..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. As much as he was interested in the manor, he had no ties with King Huai whatsoever. It wasnt really appropriate to ept such a valuable gift from a stranger. "My master has ordered me to deliver thend deed and housing deed to you regardless of the cost. Otherwise, I might be kicked out of the King Huai Manor or even be severely punished for mypse in duty!" Yu Qing said anxiously. "Furthermore, this manor is registered under your name. If you continue to turn me down, I really do not know what I will do with the manor!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. He had noticed it just now as well. The owner registered on thend deed and housing deed was indeed him. In other words, King Huai had guessed that he would reject the gift, so he chose to register the manor straight under his name. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright, I will ept it then. Sun Qiang, take the jade box. When I am free, I will make sure to pay King Huai a visit so as to express my gratitude!" It was a fact that he needed a better amodation at the moment, and Wu Yangzis treasure was located within the manor as well. Since the other party was determined to give the manor to him, there was no need for him to refuse it anyway. At most, he would find an opportunity to offer some guidance to King Huai or resolve the illnesses he was suffering from in order to repay the favor. Actually, the other partys intention behind giving him the manor wasnt too difficult to figure out. What King Huai was interested in wasnt him but Yuan Tao. Yuan Tao possessed the Emperors Bloodline. Once he returned to the Yuan n, a Sage n, the Yuan n would surely devote their resources to grooming him. It would just be a matter of time before he became a powerhouse of the Master Teacher Continent. Considering that he was Yuan Taos teacher, it wasnt too difficult to imagine his standing then. King Huai might be unable to fawn over Yuan Tao, but if he could get on close terms with him, it would be equivalent to building a connection to the Yuan n as well. Even if Zhang Xuan were to adamantly reject the manor, it was likely that King Huai might still resort to other means to get to him. Since that was the case, he might as well just ept this manor. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" Butler Yu Qing had thought that Zhang shi would need some convincing before epting the manor, but thetter suddenly agreed to it. Excited, he hurriedly passed the housing deed andnd deed to Sun Qiang before sping his fist. "I will be taking my leave then!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands to dismiss the other party. "Since we have a new residence now, lets head there!" Without any hesitation, he left with the others behind him. "This..." It was just a moment ago that Huang Xing and the others had stopped Zhang Xuan from entering his old residence in the Elite Sector when King Huai suddenly sent him a massive manor. They nced at one another with nk looks on their faces, not knowing what to say. It was clear that School Head Lu had done all of this to humiliate Zhang Xuan, but now... not only was Zhang Xuan not humiliated, he even gave a tight p back to School Head Lu... If they were to report this matter to School Head Lu, would thetter fly into a rage and punish them instead? What the heck was this! If they had known earlier, they would have never gotten involved in this matter! ... Oblivious to the woes Huang Xings group faced, Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang, and the others left the academy, and not too longter, they arrived before a massive manor. "Young Master..." Before he could even knock on the doors, jiyaa!, the doors creaked open, and a huge army of guards and servants rushed out to wee him. A butler stepped forward and reported, "King Huai has sent us here out of worry to tend to your needs." "I see, help me ry my gratitude to King Huai!" Zhang Xuan nodded. King Huai had truly put a lot of effort into this matter. Not only did he purchase such a luxurious manor in a prime location, he even refurbished the manor and prepared all of the servants required to manage it. He sure was generous! Indeed, it would be difficult for Sun Qiang and the others to tidy up the manor by themselves. Since he had already epted the manor, adding a little more to the debt didnt mean much anymore. All he had to do was to find a way to return the favor when the time came. Following the butler into the residence, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but gasp in awe. It seemed like great care had been taken in the refurbishment as well. The manor was extravagant but notcking in elegance, magnificent but soothing at the same time. It was exquisitely designed to harmonize with nature. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if he had walked into a massive park. It was apparent that a Spirit Gathering Formation had been set up here; the spiritual energy in the manor was extremely dense. In terms of concentration, it was on par even with his residence in the Elite Sector. "Incredible!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. From the looks of it, it seemed like King Huai must have spent a bomb on the refurbishment of the manor as well, perhaps even costing more than the manor itself. In any case, if Zhang Xuan had bought the manor himself, there was no way he would have been able to make it like that. Walking into the main hall at the very center of the manor, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Sun Qiang, you shall go with the Great Violetwing Beast to bring Wei Ruyan over!" "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded before taking his leave. After finding a ce to keep You Xu locked up, Zhang Xuan took a walk around the manor, and he soon arrived at a flower garden. He paced around the area a few times before finally taking the Ten-leafed Flower out and nting it in the ground. This was the area in the manor where the spiritual energy focused. By storing the medicinal herb here, he would be able to maintain its freshness. After nting it in the ground, Zhang Xuan dripped a few droplets of Earth Vein Spirit Essence on it before heaving a sigh of relief. In order to have the Ten-leafed Flower nourish Wei Ruyans soul, Zhang Xuan had to keep it alive first. Otherwise, if the flower were to wither, the soul that was bound to it would dissipate as well. In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, Zhang Xuan took out several dozen formation gs from his storage ring and nted them in the area, creating a formation to keep others out. Only after this was done did Zhang Xuan finally heave a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to return to his room, he suddenly saw Luo Qiqi and Hu Yaoyao walking over. "Teacher, is this manor really yours?" Even at this point, Luo Qiqi could still hardly believe that it was true. After all, this ce was simply far too extravagant, and it would be no exaggeration to say that it was on par with the royal pce. To abruptly give such a ce to her teacher for no apparent reason, it was normal that she would be skeptical. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Lets head in to speak!" Thus, the three of them headed to the main hall. "Hu Yaoyao, are you certain that this is Elder Wu Yangzis old residence?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Yes, I am certain!" Hu Yaoyao replied decisively. Seeing theck of hesitation in her response, Zhang Xuan frowned. The reason he and Luo Qiqi were looking for Wu Yangzis old residence was to obtain the treasure he had hidden. However, this manor had already changed hands several times, and considering the many times it had been refurbished and renovated, probably every inch of ground here had been dug before. Even if there was a treasure here, the chances were that it would have been taken away. Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in contemtion, Hu Yaoyao suddenly spoke once more. "The reason Zhang shi is determined to find Elder Wu Yangzis old residence, if I am not mistaken, is to find the treasure that he left behind, right?" "Treasure? What treasure?" Zhang Xuan feigned ignorance. "Theres no need for you to hide it from me. There are some members in my Bewitching Devil Faction who are cksmiths too, and I have heard that the both of you found Elder Wu Yangzis corpse!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Since youve found Elder Wu Yangzis corpse, surely youve learned of the existence of his treasure as well!" "It has been two thousand years since Elder Wu Yangzi disappeared. Even if we managed to find his corpse, he would have already been long dead. How could we possibly receive any clues about his treasure from him..." Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed in disappointment. "To tell you the truth, I already knew what you two were up to when you asked me about the location of Elder Wu Yangzis old residence. Its just that I chose not to point it out since you were unwilling to talk about it!" Chuckling lightly, Hu Yaoyao returned back to her usual coquettish self and said, "Dont worry. Of the entire Hongyuan City, I am the only one who knows about the treasure that Elder Wu Yangzi left behind. Thus, you need not worry about the news being leaked!" Since the other party had already brought things out into the light, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to keep up with the disguise anymore. Thus, he turned his gaze to her and asked, "Oh? Since you said so, I would really like to ask you what your rtionship with Elder Wu Yangzi is. Why do you know so much about him?" In the first ce, it was already bizarre how certain she was about where Wu Yangzis old residence had been. But to think that she would know about the existence of the treasure on top of that... This was suspicious. "You want to know?" Hu Yaoyao smiled. Taking a deep breath, she drove her zhenqi. Weng! The next moment, with a jolt, her slender body suddenly emanated a slight glow, and the strength of the aura she exuded surged. "This is... the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body?" Luo Qiqi eximed in shock as she exchanged nces with Zhang Xuan. No matter how they looked at it, the technique was the secret art they had learned from Wu Yangzi, Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body! But didnt this physical body cultivation technique go missing long ago? How did Hu Yaoyao learn it? Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like she had spent quite some time studying and cultivating it as well, reaching Second Incandescence just like Zhang Xuan. "Indeed, this is the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!" Hu Yaoyao nodded as she halted the flow of her zhenqi. "This is a technique I inherited from my ancestor." "Your ancestor? Isnt the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body... Wait, could it be..." Luo Qiqi was astonished. "In truth, my surname is not Hu but... Wu!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Wu Yangzi is my ancestor!" "But if you are a descendent of Elder Wu Yangzi, why did you change your surname to Hu?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. As a grandmaster cksmith, Wu Yangzi possessed immense prestige in Hongyuan City. It should have been an honor to have such an ancestor, why would his descendants choose to conceal their heritage instead? Hu Yaoyao harrumphed coldly. "If we didnt change our surname, our lineage would have been massacred by others long ago!" "Massacred?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "But this is where the Master Teacher Academy is located. There are actually people who dare toy their hands on you?" With both a Master Teacher Pavilion and Master Teacher Academy taking root here, who would dare toy their hands on Wu Yangzis descendants? "Dare? Do you really think that it was possible for Wu Yangzi to be kidnapped by others so easily? Not to mention, does it make sense that he didnt even have a chance to leave a message or call for help?" Hu Yaoyao asked. "This..." In truth, Zhang Xuan also felt that there was something amiss with the matter. Back in the underground chamber, the Otherworldly Demon puppets whom he had faced were all at Saint 1-dan. While they were a formidable force in Hongyuan Empire, it was still nigh impossible for them to deal with a figure who could potentially make the breakthrough to be a 7-star cksmith so discreetly. Could there... really be some kind of hidden secret behind this matter? Chapter 816: Going to the Apothecary School to Play Chapter 816: Going to the Apothecary School to y Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As an Upper Nine Paths upation, the cksmith Guild had a strict requirement on the cultivation of its members. Considering that Wu Yangzi was known to be extremely close to achieving a breakthrough to 7-star, he must have been at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. On top of that, as the greatest cksmith in Hongyuan Empires history, he must have possessed a lot of valuable artifacts as well... Even if School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, School Head Lu, and the others were to gang up against him, it would still have been extremely difficult for them to kill him! Yet, a bunch of Saint 1-dan Otherworldly Demons actually managed to infiltrate Hongyuan City and captured Wu Yangzi without anyone noticing, imprisoning him until his death. This was unimaginable in itself. Judging from Hu Yaoyaos tone, it seemed she knew a thing or two about the matter. It was likely that Wu Yangzis capture was not as simple as it seemed. "What happened back then?" Zhang Xuan asked. "There are too many implications in this matter, and I dont have any concrete evidence either, so I wont talk about it for the moment. The only reason I revealed my identity to you is to earn your trust. If you really are looking for Wu Yangzis treasure, I might be able to help you!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Since you are a descendant of Elder Wu Yangzi, theres no need for us to hide this matter from you. Youre right, the reason we are looking for his old residence is to find the treasure he has left behind," Zhang Xuan revealed. "However, the details he left for us are extremely unclear. He only mentioned that he left something behind in his old residence, but as for what it is and where it is, it isnt clear to us either." Even though Zhang Xuan admitted it, he didnt tell Hu Yaoyao about the clue to the treasure he had received from the underground chamber. It was not that he distrusted Hu Yaoyao, but the implications behind this matter were simply too great. Better safe than sorry. "I have a rough idea of the items he has left behind, but... I have been here many times, and I havent found any trace of his treasure at all!" Hu Yaoyao said with a doubtful expression. As Wu Yangzis descendant, she knew of the existence of Wu Yangzis treasure. However, the only one who knew where it was buried was Wu Yangzi himself. She had visited this manor many times over the years, hoping to find it, but there was no sign of it anywhere. "We can take our time. Since this manor is mine now, we can slowly figure out where it is!" Zhang Xuan replied. Wu Yangzi had said that he had left behind something that could help one reach Sainthood at the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon. As long as one were to ce three formation gs ording to the three stars, the object would appear automatically. Zhang Xuan was still unable to figure out what the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon referred to, so he had no idea where to start. However, with the confirmation of the location of Wu Yangzis old residence, they had managed to reduce the search perimeter significantly. As long as it was within that manor, they would eventually find it if they were to search carefully. Most probably, Wu Yangzis treasure... isnt as simple as to only help one achieve Sainthood! Zhang Xuan thought. Somehow, he felt that the reason Wu Yangzis descendants were being hunted down was due to the treasure as well. Zhang Xuan proceeded to ask Hu Yaoyao a few more questions about Wu Yangzis old residence, but the manor had gone through far too many hands over the years. It was impossible for anyone to tell what the manor had been like two thousand ago. "Alright, you should find a ce to rest first. I have to treat Wei Ruyan now. We will talk afterward." Soon, Sun Qiang and the Great Violetwing Beast returned with Wei Ruyan. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan rushed over to receive them. He immediately checked on Wei Ruyans state. After she was nourished by his soul essence two days ago, her condition had improved significantly. But even so, she was still in aa at the moment. He carried her to the area where he had nted the Ten-leafed Flower earlier and began his treatment. He first drew his soul out, and using a soul art, he transferred her soul into the Ten-leafed Flower. After aplishing this, he heaved a sigh of relief. For the time being, he would be leaving Wei Ruyans soul with the Ten-leafed Flower to allow thetter to nourish her. This process would require at least three days. After which, Zhang Xuan took out the Earth Vein Spirit Essence to nourish Wei Ruyans body as well, but a momentter, a deep frown appeared on his face. It seems that the most the Earth Vein Spirit Essence can do is to maintain her current physical condition. If I wish to restore vitality to her body, I will need the Grand Intermittence Pill! The Grand Intermittence Pill was a grade-7 pill. Given Zhang Xuans current capability, it would be impossible for him to have it forged. Furthermore, he didnt have the pill form nor the medicinal herbs required for it. "It seems like I will have to pay the Apothecary School a visit..." Zhang Xuan muttered under his breath. To have the Grand Intermittence Pill forged, he would have to first raise his pill forging skills to that of a 6-star pinnacle apothecary. Following which, he would have to apply for the pill form of the Grand Intermittence Pill from the headquarters, purchase the necessary ingredients, and finally, find a 6-star pinnacle apothecary to forge it in his stead... Theres still some time before nightfall... Ill just make a quick trip there then! It was barely dawn when Zhang Xuan had returned to the academy from the Cloudmist Ridge. After which, despite breaking many records in the Physician School and clearing the 6-star physician examination, it had only taken him around thirty minutes in total for that, and the Life-and-Death Physician Duel with You Xu had taken another thirty minutes, too. Following which, the procuring of the Ten-leafed Flower, obtaining the housing deed andnd deed to the manor, moving into the manor... Even after everything was done, it was also only barely noon. There was still some time before the appointment he had made with Luo Ruoxin at night. As the saying goes, vengeance in the moment. Since he had said that he would pay a visit to the Apothecary School and he happened to have the time for it now, wouldnt it only be right for him to head there? After all, he was a master teacher. How could he break his promise? ... In a vast room within the Apothecary School sat a livid-faced Lu Feng. In front of him were four other elders gathered around a table. "The reason I gathered all of you here is to discuss how we can save You Xu!" Lu Feng said gravely. "School head, its You Xus own fault for getting into such a plight. A master teacher should honor his promises. Yet, Vice School Head You reneged on his promise and even willfully caused the death of a Saint. This is more than enough to have him sentenced in the Tribunal of Master Teacher!" One of the elders shook his head and sighed. "Furthermore, he lost to another in a fair Life-and-Death Physician Duel. Even if we wish to save him, there is no legitimate pretext we can use. If I may... I think it would be in our best interest to drop the matter!" If Zhang Xuan were here, he would surely be able to recognize the other party as Vice School Head Zhou Qing. He was the one who had helped Luo Ruoxin to clean her podium when she conducted her public lecture back then. "Drop the matter? You must be joking! If not for You Xu contributing the saint herbs he had been cultivating to us, do you think that you would have been able to forge a 6-star pinnacle pill? Do you think that you would have been able to make such rapid progress in your pill forging skills over the years?" an elder interjected furiously. "Indeed! Our Apothecary School is indebted to You Xu. We cant allow him to be taken away just like that, especially not by a student!" another elder added. "We have to deal with this matter sternly. Otherwise, if we allow students to act as they please, what will be of our Master Teacher Academy?" thest elder said. Just like most of the schools, the Apothecary School had four vice school heads as well. "I know that all of us are indebted to You Xu, but... the one who is at fault for this matter is him. On top of that, the other party followed the rules and went by the official procedure, such that even the Physician School has no objection to it. If we were to interfere in this matter any further, I fear that others might say that we are narrow-minded!" Zhou Qing frowned. "Narrow-minded? Humph! That fellow has no respect for his elders at all, putting down the school head in public. If we dont teach him a lesson, wont others start going over our heads as well?" the first elder harrumphed. "But it is the school head who interfered in the duel fir..." Vice School Head Zhou frowned, but before he could finish his words, Lu Feng abruptly mmed his palm on the table. "Enough! The reason I gathered all of you is to discuss how we should resolve this matter, not to bicker with one another!" Lu Feng roared. At this moment, he was still feeling extremely frustrated inside. Despite being the stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he was snubbed by a twenty-year-old fellow in public and left in a tough spot. Just recalling the matter left rage boiling within him. "That Zhang Xuan has been causing trouble all around ever since he enrolled at the Master Teacher Academy. No matter how talented he is, the Master Teacher Academy will not tolerate a student who attempts to undermine its authority!" School Head Lu Feng waved his hands grandly. "Besides, in the Physician School, he has already publicly acknowledged that he isnt a student of the academy. Thus, I have sent men to clear away his stuff from his residence in the Elite Sector, disallowing him from taking even a single step into the residence anymore!" "This..." Vice School Head Zhou was slightly worried by Lu Fengs extreme actions. "School head, no matter what, Zhang Xuan has School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and School Head Weis backing. If you do this... wont you draw their discontent?" Even if Zhang Xuan wasnt a student of the academy, as a person favored by the school heads, it was nothing much for him to possess a residence in the Master Teacher Academy. To kick him away like that, that was equivalent to provoking the three school heads as well! "Discontent? I am operating by the rules of the academy, what do they have to be discontented about?" Lu Feng sneered coldly. "The residences in the vicinity of the academy are extremely expensive. Lets see where he can go after he gets kicked out!" Vice School Head Zhou shook his head, disagreeing with Lu Fengs decision. He was going to persuade Lu Feng against it once again when someone knocked on the door outside. "School Head Lu, Grade-2 student Huang Xing seeks an audience!" "Come in!" Upon hearing that it was Huang Xing, who was in charge of managing the Elite Sector, outside, Lu Feng gave him permission to enter. Upon stepping into the room, Huang Xing was shocked to see that the school head and the four vice school heads were all present in the room, and he hurriedly sped his fist to greet them. "Huang Xing pays respect to School Head Lu and the vice school heads!" "So, how did the matter which I entrusted you with go?" Lu Feng asked. Huang Xing twitched for a brief instant before he swiftly replied, "Reporting to School Head Lu, I have cleared out Zhang shis belongings from the residence and taken back possession of it..." "Well done!" Lu Feng stroked his beard as he nodded in satisfaction. A freshman actually tried to go head-to-head with him? Arrogant! Even though Lu Feng couldnt make a move on Zhang Xuan personally in consideration of his identity as a master teacher, given the prestige he had umted in both the Master Teacher Academy and Hongyuan City over the years, it was still a piece of cake for him to make the life of a mere student a living hell. "How is he faring? Is he searching anxiously for lodging? Tell the realtor agencies that no one is to rent or sell any property to him, or else I will get even with the organization personally!" Lu Feng said. "This..." Huang Xing hesitated for an instant before replying. "Reporting to School Head Lu, he... isnt looking for lodging!" "He isnt looking lodging? Could he still be hanging around the Elite Sector, refusing to leave?" Lu Feng frowned. "Thats not it... When Zhang shi came to collect his belongings, King Huais butler arrived and gifted him a massive manor which spans over three hundred mu 1 in area. Its interior design is also grand and beautiful, reminiscent of the royal pce... So, he moved in there!" Huang Xing said with a flushed face. "King Huai... gifted him a manor?" Lu Feng widened his eyes in shock. It was just a moment ago that hed had the other party kicked from his residence, and now the other party had been given an extravagant manor... Was this for real? "Yes..." Huang Xing replied nervously. Even though he was afraid to say it, this was simply the truth... Not only was School Head Lus action of kicking the other party out of his residencepletely ineffective, it had also made aplete enemy out of the other party. With a livid face, Lu Feng was just about to ask for more details when a young man abruptly barged into the room. "Teacher, bad news!" The young man who barged in was Lu Fengs direct disciple. Seeing the fluster on his direct disciples face, Lu Feng frowned. "Whats wrong?" "Its Zhang Xuan! H-h-hese to our Apothecary School!" the young man yelled anxiously. Chapter 817: The Exodus Chapter 817: The Exodus Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Hese to the Apothecary School?" School Head Lu was taken aback for a brief moment before narrowing his eyes. "He is no longer a student of the academy, why didnt anyone stop him?" Considering that Zhang Xuan was no longer a student of the academy, how could he be allowed to enter the premises of the academy as he pleased? "He possesses the personal tokens of School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and School Head Wei. On top of that, hes also the teacher of three guest elders, so his seniority is higher than even teachers... We werent able to stop him!" The young mans face turned crimson. It was not as if the Master Teacher Academy was some forbiddennd exclusive to only students and teachers. Furthermore, the other party had the personal tokens of three school heads, so how could they stop him? "What is he doing at the Apothecary School?" Lu Feng asked with an awfulplexion. What the other party said was true. Putting aside the students, even he didnt have the official authority to hinder Zhang Xuan from going to the Apothecary School. "Im not too sure either. As soon as he arrived in the Apothecary School, he headed straight for the library," the young man said. "The library?" Lu Feng frowned. "But he doesnt have a student token on him, what is he doing there?" To enter the library, there were two things that one neededa student token and Academic Credits. After clearing the Wall of Dilemma, Zhang Xuan had nock of Academic Credits. However, without a student token, he couldnt be considered a student of the academy, so naturally, he wasnt allowed to use their facilities! "He stopped right before the entrance of the library and went into a... daze..." At this point, a bizarre expression surfaced on the young mans face. "Went into a daze?" Lu Feng and the other vice school heads were dumbstruck by what they heard. He specially made the trip into the Apothecary School just to stand in a daze before their library? "Thats right. He stood therepletely motionless, speaking not a single word, his eyes fixated on the library," the young man replied. School Head Lu and the four vice school heads blinked nkly. They were wondering what the fellow could be up to,ing to the Apothecary School, but to think that he would go into a daze... What the heck? "Is he still there?" Lu Feng asked. "He was still there when I left. It has been around an hour since then!" the young man replied. Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was there, Lu Feng was stunned for a moment. No matter how he thought about it, it felt that there was something wrong with the matter, so he stood up. "That fellow caused the copse of the Passageway of Records in the cksmith School and the Tower of Physicians in the Physician School... I think that hes up to no good here too. Follow me to take a look!" Even though he had only met Zhang Xuan once, he still remembered how tenacious Zhang Xuan had been when he cornered him on the stage. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had also threatened to challenge the Apothecary School back then as well. For some reason, he felt extremely unnerved, and his heart simply wouldnt calm down. The only way he could ease his mind was to take a look personally. "Yes!" Recalling the various deeds that Zhang shi had done in the past, the mouths of the four vice school heads also twitched as well, and they hurriedly got to their feet. In truth, when they heard about how Zhang Xuan wreaked havoc in other schools previously, they had even gloated over it. But now that it was happening to their own school, they couldnt help but feel as if peril was right behind them, and it left them fidgety. They immediately rushed off to the library at top speed, and it took them less than ten minutes to arrive at their destination. The library looked no different from before, towering and majestic. It didnt seem as if it was damaged in the least, and Zhang Xuan was nowhere to be seen either. Perplexed, Lu Feng turned to the student and asked, "Where is he?" "I have no idea... He was definitely here just now!" the young man said in confusion as he raised his finger and pointed to a specific spot. That fellow had been standing in a daze in front of the library for some time before he felt that something was amiss and went to look for the school head. Why did he suddenly disappear from there? But one thing noteworthy about the surroundings was that, perhaps drawn here by Zhang Xuans reputation, quite a crowd had gathered. "Wait a moment, I will find someone to ask!" After scanning the surroundings and seeing that Zhang Xuan was nowhere in sight, the young man walked toward the small shack beside the library entrance. That was where the few Grade-3 students in charge of looking after the library stayed. But before the young man even reached the shack, jiya!, the shack doors opened, and two young men walked out. Recognizing one of the duo, the young man called out. "Hu Xu..." "Senior Lu Hui!" Hu Xu sped his fist and returned the greeting. Seeing that the duo was carrying their luggage with them, Lu Hui asked bewilderedly, "Where are you two going?" Students working as the library guards were expected to stay in the shack for the entire semester in order to take care of it around the clock. It was just a few days since the start of the semester, but why were they both carrying their luggage out of the shack? "Reporting to senior, we have just listened to Zhang shis lecture, and his words have enlightened us. We feel that we arent suited to studying pill forging, so... we have decided to leave the Apothecary School and study another upation instead!" Hu Xu reported. "Lecture?" Lu Hui widened his eyes upon hearing those words. Lu Feng and the others couldnt help but turn their gazes over as well. That fellow... was lecturing here? With a bitter smile, Hu Xu said with a depressed look, "Yes. After standing in a daze for a moment, Zhang shi began to lecture us. I was one of the fortunate few who happened to hear it, and it was only then that I realized that even though apothecary is ranked at the top of the Upper Nine Paths, an extremely prestigious upation, I am simply not suited for it. All those years I have spent studying the art of pill forging, they were all in vain..." Zhang shis lecture wasprehensive and profound, and all who had listened to it had benefitted greatly from it. Although Hu Xu had studied pill forging for some time, the lecture had made him realize that he was simply not suited to be an apothecary. Even if he were to attempt to force his way through, the mismatch in his aptitude would make it an uphill battle, and eventually, he would only reach a bottleneck. Rather than suffer on but achieve nothing in the end, it would be much better for him to let go. In any case, there were nine supporting upations in the Master Teacher Academy. Even if he didnt study pill forging, there were still others he could explore. Surely, there would be one that would be aligned with his aptitude. Hearing Hu Xus words, Lu Hui couldnt help but ask the other Grade-3 student standing beside him, "You also dont think that you are suited for pill forging?" "Thats right, I also dont think that I am suited either. Farewell, senior!" Leaving those words behind, they turned around and left. "This..." With their departure, there would be no one to guard the library anymore. The school head and the four vice school heads nced at one another with a slightly troubled look, seemingly at a loss about what to do. However, the worst had yet toe. The next moment, a few more students walked over, and just like Hu Xu and the student beside him just now, they were carrying baggage with them as well. Taking a closer look at their faces, one of the vice school heads eximed in surprise, "Vice School Head Wei, arent those... your students?" asionally, the school heads and vice school heads of the Master Teacher Academy would take in some students under their tutge as well, just like how Wei Ranxue took in Hu Yaoyao. Recognizing them, Vice School Head Wei replied, "Yes, they are indeed my students, Shu Yongning and the others!" "But they are carrying their luggage... Could it be that they dont think that they are suited for pill forging, too?" The mouth of the other vice school head twitched. "How is that possible?!" Vice School Head Wei eximed. "Shu Yongning might not be the most talented apothecary among the students under me, but he definitely ranks among the top few. His aptitude for pill forging is extremely high, and its only a matter of time before he bes a 6-star apothecary. How can he possibly be unsuited for pill forging?" Shu Yongning was one of his most outstanding students. If even he was unsuited for pill forging, who else would be? "Then, he..." the other vice school head asked doubtfully. For him to be carrying his luggage, it seemed he had the same intention as Hu Xu as well. If he wasnt intending to leave the Apothecary School, what else could he be up to then? "Ill go ask him!" With a livid expression, Vice School Head Wei harrumphed and stepped forward. However, at that moment, Shu Yongning seemed to have noticed him and rushed forward to greet him. "Teacher!" Shu Yongning sped his fist. "What happened?" Vice School Head Wei asked with narrowed eyes. "Reporting to teacher, I... am here to bid you farewell!" Shu Yongning suddenly got to his knees and lowered his head in shame. "Bid me farewell? Could it be that you found that you are unsuited to be an apothecary, too?" Hearing those words, Vice School Head Wei felt so furious that he could burst into mes on the spot. "Of course not! Its just that... I dont think that I am suited for teachers lessons, and it will be difficult for me to make substantial improvement under your tutge. Thus, I dont wish for you to waste your precious time on me, so Ive decided to bid you farewell..." Shu Yongning spoke hesitantly. Flicking his wrist, he took out the other partys tutge token and handed it back. Just as teachers could choose their students, students could choose their teachers. This was a two-way rtionship. "My lessons... are not suited for you?" Vice School Head Wei was stunned. He was the vice head of the Apothecary School, a 6-star pinnacle apothecary, and his knowledge of pill forging was only beneath School Head Lu Feng by a notch. Yet, this fellow actually wanted to withdraw from his tutge... "Yes. After hearing Zhang shis lecture, I finally understand what pill forging truly means. Even though teachers lessons are impressive as well... I find Zhang shis teachings are far more impactful and profound. Thus, I intend to join the Xuanxuan Faction to pursue Zhang shi... I am truly sorry, and I beg for teachers understanding!" After cing the tutge token back into the shocked Vice School Head Weis hands, Shu Yongning stood up, turned around, and left. "..." Vice School Head Wei waspletely stunned. His face was twitching non-stop, and he felt as if he was going to lose his sanity soon. To think that someone would actually withdraw from the lesson of a 6-star pinnacle apothecary like him... Not to mention, the reason was that his lessons were inferior a freshmans... The hell! This was a severe p right to his face! "Teacher, we are also here to withdraw from your tutge. Please forgive us!" "Zhang shis lecture was a true eye-opener. It was only a short lecture, but it made me realize that only through pursuing him will I be able to make greater progress as an apothecary..." ... Before Vice School Head Wei could recover from the primary shock, the other students who were with Shu Yongning hurriedly rushed forward and passed their tutge tokens back as well. Previously, every single one of them had worked extremely hard to get into his lessons, and they had celebrated for three days and three nights when they seeded. They had viewed it as a great honor, and theyd gone around the Apothecary School bragging about it before others. Yet, at this very moment, they were withdrawing from his tutge, and judging from their expressions, it seemed like they were even fearful that he would deny them of their freedom! Vice School Head Wei couldnt help but feel extremely stifled within. "Something is wrong here!" Watching how the students left with a delighted look on their faces after withdrawing from their tutge, School Head Lus mouth twitched. He walked up to Vice School Head Wei and asked, "For so many students to withdraw from the lesson at once, could it be that there is something wrong with your lesson and Zhang Xuan managed to grab onto that and exploit it?" There was only one reason for such an exodus of studentssomething was wrong with the teachers lessons! If that was the case, not only would the teachers reputation be soiled, the prestige of the entire school would plummet as well! The main reason the Apothecary School was able to be the number one school of the Master Teacher Academy was due to the overwhelming number of students under them, numbering over sixty thousand... But if a huge number of students were to withdraw from their lessons at once, their position as the number one school would be threatened. Seeing that School Head Lu was doubting his teaching capability, a bitter smile appeared on Vice School Head Lus expression. "I... dont think that theres any problem with my lessons..." He always designed his lessons in a way such that it abided by the conventions of the Apothecary Guild. While they werent outstanding, there was no particrly ring mistake with them either. Just what kind of problem could have happened for so many students to withdraw from his tutge after listening to a lecture from Zhang Xuan? "Then what other reason could there be?" Lu Feng frowned. Just as he was about to continue on, another group of students suddenly appeared and rushed up to them. "School Head, they seem to be your students," Vice School Head Wei remarked. School Head Lu nodded in response. Just like Lu Hui, these students were under his tutge, and he had already taught them for several years. "Dont worry, I have confidence in my lessons. My students cant possibly withdraw from my tutge like yours! Most probably, they are just here to report to me with news on Zhang Xuan," School Head Lu said assuredly. But just as he was about to ask the group what they were there for, they abruptly kneeled onto the floor simultaneously. "Teacher, we are thankful for your guidance over the years. However, we would like to... withdraw from your tutge!" Chapter 818: Even They Have Fled Chapter 818: Even "They" Have Fled Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In that instant, Lu Fengs body swayed weakly from side to side. It was just a moment ago that he had dered his confidence in his lessons, but then these fellows said that they would like to withdraw from his tutge. Must you really p my face like that? Suppressing his overwhelming rage, School Head Lu asked hoarsely, "Why?" One of the students hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Reporting to teacher, after listening to Zhang shis lecture, we feel like we have squandered the past few years of our lives learning pill forging. Thus, we hope that you can let us go! Even though we are withdrawing from your tutge, you will forever be our teacher in our hearts. We will never show the slightest disrespect to you!" If theres noparison, theres no damage. It was only after hearing Zhang shis lecture that they finally understood what pill forging truly was and how many detours they had taken under School Head Lus tutge! If they had learned from Zhang shi from the very start, they would have definitely already be a 6-star apothecary or even higher by now! They knew full well that withdrawing from their teachers tutge would sully his reputation, but for their own futures, they had no other choice. Just like how teachers could choose their students, students could choose their own teachers as well. Even if they had already acknowledged Lu Feng as their teacher, they still had the freedom to withdraw from his tutge. After all, they were just ordinary students, not direct disciples. Squandered the past few years of your lives... School Head Lu staggered, and he felt a crushing pressure on his chest. For a moment, he found himself unable to catch his breath. To think that he, the head of the Apothecary School, as well as the most formidable master apothecary in Hongyuan Empire, would have his lessons described to be... squandering ones life away! Argh, my heart and my lungs... Just what did that fellow say for all of you to be so mesmerized and impressed by him? With a livid expression, Lu Feng dripped a drop of blood on their tutge tokens as he said, "Fine, I will allow you to withdraw from my tutge as long as you tell me where Zhang Xuan is!" His students had already spoken such words. It would only further his humiliation if he were to attempt to retain his students after all of that! The student pondered for a moment before replying. "After Zhang shi finished his lecture, he headed to the Apothecary Pavilion... It seems he intends to take the 6-star apothecary examination!" "Apothecary Pavilion?" Ignoring those fellows who had just withdrawn from his tutge, School Head Lu turned around and beckoned the others. "Lets go and take a look!" Simr to the Tower of Physicians, the Apothecary Pavilion was a ce where apothecaries could interact with one another and take their examinations. There were also all kinds of tests that one could take there. Leaving Lu Hui behind to guard the library temporarily, Lu Feng and the other vice school heads hurriedly proceeded forward. Just like the Tower of Physicians, the Apothecary Pavilion was also an extremely tall building, as well as thendmark of the Apothecary School. Seeing that the Apothecary Pavilion was still standing tall and grand, the group heaved a sigh of relief. Judging from Zhang Xuans past history of bringing forth destruction, even Lu Feng couldnt help but feel a little fearful. Entering the Apothecary Pavilion, there was a huge crowd selling and purchasing pills and looking for pill forging services, as per usual. There didnt seem to be anything out of ordinary. "Did he note here?" The school head and vice school heads nced at one another in confusion. They had long heard of what had happened to the Tower of Physicians. Wherever Zhang Xuan appeared, destruction and catastrophe followed. If he was truly here, how could everything still be intact? This didnt make sense! "Let me ask around!" After a moment of hesitation, Vice School Head Wei stepped forward and stopped a student. "Student, was there anything... weird that happened here?" "Vice School Head Wei!" Recognizing the other party, the student leaped in shock. She pondered for a moment before hurriedly replying, "No, nothing happened at all!" "Nothing happened at all?" Vice School Head Wei gazed at the students face intently for a moment before waving his hands. "I see. You may go!" "Yes!" The student hurriedly left. After which, Vice School Head Wei proceeded to ask a few more students, but they gave the same response as well. Having confirmed that nothing had happened, he returned back to a group with a relieved smile on his face. "It seems like our worry is unfounded. No matter how formidable he is, that Zhang Xuan is still only a twenty-year-oldd. Since he already possesses a profound understanding in the Way of Medicine and smithing, it would be asking too much for him to be skilled in pill forging as well. Perhaps it might be something else that led to the students before withdrawing from the school..." "Lets hope thats the case!" School Head Lu nodded with an uneasy smile. Even though nothing had happened, he still had an ominous premonition. If it was so easy to deal with that fellow, he wouldnt have been so troubled over this matter. "Lets head to the 6-star apothecary examination Apothecary Forge to take a look," School Head Lu said. The group headed to the upper levels of the Apothecary Pavilion, where the Apothecary Forges for the apothecary examinations were located. However, the examination area was extremely peaceful. It didnt seem like anything had happened here at all. Thus, they called the teacher in charge of managing the Apothecary Forges over. "Did anyonee over to take the apothecary examination earlier?" Lu Feng asked. "No one at all! I have been here since morning, and I havent seen anyone here!" The teacher shook his head doubtfully, not sure why School Head Lu would ask such a question. "No one at all?" Lu Feng was still slightly doubtful. His students had clearly told him that Zhang Xuan had headed here to take the 6-star examination, but why wasnt he in the Apothecary Forges then? "No one at all. If school head still doesnt believe me, I have the records here..." Noticing the slightly peculiar state the school head was in, the teacher hurriedly handed over a book recording the students taking the apothecary examination. School Head Lu took the book and confirmed that no one had been there since the morning. He traded nces with the other vice school heads, and they heaved a sigh of relief together. It seemed like Vice School Head Wei was right. As talented as that fellow was, he couldnt possibly be that skilled in pill forging as well. After all, each human had their own strengths and weaknesses. If a human were to be that talented in all aspects, he wouldnt be a human but god! "It seems I really worried over nothing this time around... Alright, theres nothing else; you can return to your station now. However, if a twenty-year-old young manes here, make sure to report the matter to me immediately!" School Head Lu instructed. "Yes!" the teacher replied. At that moment, another thought suddenly struck him, and he asked, "School head, I suddenly remembered something. Other than taking the examination here, its also possible to take the 6-star apothecary examination at the Ancestral Hall as well!" "Ancestral Hall? Impossible! The Ancestral Hall is prepared solely for students who intend to challenge the Pill Debate, but its not like you are unaware of how difficult it is. Even I cant say with absolute confidence that I would be able to pass a 6-star Pill Debate! Why would anyone go through that additional effort for it when there is an easier way?" Lu Feng shook his head. There were two formats for apothecary examinations. One of them was to forge a pill with a grade corresponding to the rank which the apothecary was intending to advance to. For example, to clear a 6-star apothecary examination, one had to sessfully forge a grade-6 pill. As for the other format, it was the Pill Debate. The Pill Debate was conducted in the Ancestral Hall. The Ancestral Hall had a Communication Wall linked to the Apothecary Guild headquarters, and the headquarters would dispatch 6-star pinnacle apothecaries to conduct the examination. These apothecaries would raise questions in order to verify the examineesprehension of pill forging, and the examinee had to answer every single question without making the slightest mistake. However, the 6-star pinnacle apothecaries in the headquarters possessed a far deeper understanding of pills than those in the branches due to their association with higher ranked apothecaries. To answer their questions without making the slightest mistake... nigh impossible! Putting aside the fact that Zhang Xuan was only a twenty-year-oldd, even a veteran with eight hundred years of experience like him couldnt hope to seed in a Pill Debate! As a result, almost all apothecaries would opt for the easier pill forging examination rather than the nearly impossible Pill Debate. "Thats true..." Understanding the logic behind it, the teacher nodded in agreement. "But regardless of the case, I think that we should still head to the Ancestral Hall to take a look..." Vice School Head Wei interjected. "Un!" Since they were already there, they might as well check on the Ancestral Hall as well to bring them peace of mind. Lu Feng emphasized for the teacher to keep a tight watch over the Apothecary Forges once again before heading to the Ancestral Hall with the group. The Ancestral Hall was located in the vicinity of the Apothecary Forges, so it didnt take too long for them to arrive there. Just like the Apothecary Forges, the Ancestral Hall was extremely quiet as well. As there were nearly no students who would attempt the Pill Debate, the Apothecary School also didnt bother dispatching anyone to look after the premises. The group entered the grounds, but the area looked exactly how they remembered it to be. It didnt seem like anything had happened there. "It doesnt seem like anyone has been here..." Vice School Head Wei heaved a sigh of relief. As long as the Ancestral Hall was still standing, it should mean that that fellow hadnt been there, and there was no problem whatsoever, so they need not worry about the matter. However, the next moment, Vice School Head Zhou suddenly widened his eyes and eximed, "No, something is wrong!" "What is wrong? The Communication Walls and the other items arepletely undamaged..." Vice School Head Wei asked doubtfully. There were ten massive Communication Walls erected in the Ancestral Hall, and all of them were undamaged. It didnt seem like Zhang Xuan hade here at all. "The Communication Walls might be fine, but look at the Communication Jade Screen in front!" Vice School Head Zhou pointed. Everyone hurriedly turned their gazes over as well. As well as the Communication Walls, there was also a Communication Jade Screen in the Ancestral Hall. The former was to ry messages to 6-star apothecaries in the headquarters while thetter could establishmunication with 7-star apothecaries in the headquarters. At the moment, there was still a slight glow on the Communication Jade Token, and it was a little warm to the touch as well. It seemed like someone had just used it. "Someone used the Communication Jade Screen? Could it be that... Zhang Xuan didnt establishmunication with the 6-star apothecaries but the 7-star apothecaries instead?" "Impossible! Is he intending to take the 7-star apothecary Pill Debate examination?" "Its questionable whether he can pass the 6-star apothecary Pill Debate examination or not! To take the 7-star apothecary Pill Debate examination..." Lu Feng, Vice School Head Wei, and the others shook their heads in disagreement. How could it be possible for a twenty-year-old freshman of the Master Teacher Academy to take the 7-star apothecary examination? After a moment of silence, a vice school head suddenly spoke up. "Hes probably here to request a grade-7 pill form!" There could only be two possibilities where one would need to activate the Communication Jade Screen. One, to take the 7-star apothecary examination. Two, to request a grade-7 pill form from the headquarters. "But regardless of what it is, one has to use ten different grade-6 pills as a deposit in order to activate the Communication Jade Token. Where did the fellow find so many grade-6 pills?" one of the vice school heads asked. 7-star apothecaries were extremely busy. They werent figures whom one could meet just because they wanted to. As such, one had topensate the 7-star apothecaries duly for their time, and that was through grade-6 pills. Only if one could take out ten different grade-6 pills could one activate the Communication Jade Screen. It was due to this rule that there had rarely been anyone who had establishedmunication with a 7-star apothecary ever since the Ancestral Hall was built. It wasnt that no one dared to reach out to them, but... the price was simply far too heavy! No matter how talented Zhang Xuan might be, he was only a twenty-year-old young man. It was already extremely difficult for him to even buy a residence; how could he possibly be able to take out ten different grade-6 pills at once? "But... it is clear that the Communication Jade Screen was activated just a moment ago. This shows that someone didmunicate with a 7-star apothecary," Vice School Head Zhou said. Even though it was hard to believe, it was a fact that the Communication Jade Screen had been activated just a moment ago. There was no doubt about this. "Could it be..." At that a moment, Lu Feng suddenly thought of something and his eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to speak, a figure abruptly rushed into the room. "School Head Lu! School Head Lu! Bad news!" The person who arrived was a familiar middle-aged man in his forties. It was the teacher who was in charge of the Pill Chamber. "Whats wrong?" Lu Fengs eyebrows shot up upon seeing the other partys anxious state. "The grade-6 pills forged by School Head Lu, the vice school heads, and the teachers of the Apothecary School that are stored in the Pill Chamber have... have..." The middle-aged man looked as if he had seen a ghost, and his lips couldnt stop quivering. "Whats wrong with the pills?" Vice School Head Wei asked anxiously as the other party stuttered at the crucial point. With a tearful face, the middle-aged man eximed, "The pills have escaped!" Chapter 819: Lu Fengs Frenzy Chapter 819: Lu Fengs Frenzy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The pills have escaped? What do you mean by they have escaped?" Lu Feng and the four vice school heads were stunned. Other than a few pills that they would use themselves, most of the 6-star apothecaries in the Apothecary School would store the pills they had forged in the Pill Chamber, where they would bebelled with a price and sold when the opportunity presented itself. The middle-aged man happened to be in charge of this matter. It could be said that most of the wealth of the 6-star apothecaries in the Apothecary School was within the Pill Chamber, and yet, you are telling me that those pills have escaped? Are you kidding me? "Its true! They have escaped on their own..." the middle-aged man said in a panic, but he had no idea how he could exin the situation. Just like the other teachers in the Apothecary School, he was a 6-star master teacher as well. Yet, for a person of his capability to be rendered incapable of exining himself, the situation he had encountered must have been truly shocking. "What in the world happened?" With a livid face, Lu Feng demanded furiously, "Exin yourself clearly!" "Its like this. I was in one of the Pill Chambers checking on the pills when all of a sudden... the pills began flying by themselves. They rushed out of the chamber and disappeared into the sky..." the middle-aged man said. "You are telling me that... the pills flew away by themselves?" The lower jaws of the group of five fell to the ground. Just like Spirit artifacts, while grade-6 pills did possess a spirit, it was impossible for them to move unless they had acknowledged a master. But making a pill acknowledge one as its master was far more difficult than making an artifact acknowledge one! It would be difficult for even an apothecary to do so, needless to say, others! More importantly... it was clearly impossible to make so many pills acknowledge someone as their master at the same time! Suddenly, Lu Feng recalled something, and he hurriedly asked, "Before the pills started flying, did anyone enter the Pill Chamber?" "A young man in his twenties came by, saying that he wanted to take a look around. He went around touching each and every pill, but eventually, he left without buying a single one," the middle-aged man said after some contemtion. There werent many people who could afford grade-6 pills, so there were rarely any customers at the Pill Chamber. That young man was the only guest he had seen the entire day, so he remembered him clearly. "A young man in his twenties? Does he look like that?" Lu Feng swiftly drew a picture of a young man in the air using his zhenqi. Naturally, the young man he drew was Zhang Xuan. Upon reaching Saint realm, one would be able to do aplish many unimaginable feats with zhenqi, and drawing a picture in midair was only one of the many abilities. The middle-aged man quickly nodded. "Yes, thats him!" "As I expected..." In that instant, Lu Fengs body shook uncontrobly, and he nearly went insane. He had been worrying that Zhang Xuan would reduce the Apothecary School to ruins, just like the Physician School, so he had been keeping his guard up against thetter. But who knew that... instead of destroying their school, he would end up taking their wealth instead! In order to forge those grade-6 pills, the 6-star apothecaries of the Apothecary School had devoted incalcble time, effort, and most importantly of all, money, to the point that even School Head Lu and the four vice school heads themselves were heavily in debt, waiting for the pills to be sold to earn back their money to clear their debt... But... just by touching each one, that fellow had all of those pills acknowledge him as their master and took them away... If the Apothecary Pavilion had copsed, they could just rebuild it with the profit earned from selling those pills. On top of that, the Master Teacher Academy and the Apothecary Guild would also help to cover some of the cost of reparation as well. However, those pills were their personal property, so it was impossible to obtain any reparation from the Master Teacher Academy or the Apothecary Guild. In other words, with the disappearance of those pills, nearly all of the apothecaries in the Apothecary School were currently bankrupt! Lu Feng clutched his chest tightly. My heart, my lungs, my kidneys... "Lets go over and take a look!" The group hurriedly rushed to the Pill Chamber, only to see that the vast room waspletely empty. As the pills had escaped on their own ord, they had no concrete evidence to prove that this was Zhang Xuans doing. Thus, if thetter were to deny it vehemently, there would be nothing they could do either! Lu Feng turned to the middle-aged man and asked anxiously, "Do you know where the young man who touched the pills earlier went to?" As important as this matter was, it was of greater importance for them to track down Zhang Xuan and stop him from doing any more harm. After a moment of thought, the middle-aged man replied, "Im not too sure... Judging from the direction he left in, I think he might have gone to the Apothecary Auditorium!" "Apothecary Auditorium?" Lu Fengs body shook. "This is bad!" Without any hesitation, he ran out of the Pill Chamber and rushed in the direction of the Apothecary Auditorium. With grim expressions as well, the four vice school heads hurriedly followed him. The Apothecary Auditorium was where most apothecaries listened to public lectures. It was where most of the students of the Apothecary School usually spent their time. If that fellow were to go there and lecture like he did outside the library... there might very well be no one left in the entire Apothecary School! Screw that! While that fellow had destroyed the buildings in the cksmith School and Physician School, the damage that he had caused could easily be resolved with ample money. On top of that, his deeds had also boosted the reputation of those schools, and there had been a rise in the number of students who applied for those two schools. But what he was doing in the Apothecary School waspletely different! If he were to conduct another lecture as he had done outside the library and all of the students withdrew from the Apothecary School... A school with only teachers and no students at all would be as good as dead! In a school, the priority was always the student. Could a teacher without any students still be called a teacher? Screw that! It was already bad enough that he had taken all of the grade-6 pills in the Pill Chamber, but now, he was plotting to create an exodus in the Apothecary School as well... That was as good as snapping the very roots that made the Apothecary School itself! Lu Feng clutched his chest once more. My heart, my lungs, my kidney, my dder... Moving as fast as they could, it took only ten breaths for School Head Lu and the vice school heads to arrive at the Apothecary Auditorium. What they saw before them left them on the brink of mental breakdown. The auditorium could hold more than several dozen thousand people simultaneously but was still usually densely packed with people. However, there was nary a human in sight at this very moment. Other than a cat or two here and there, there was not a single soul to be seen. Somehow, the emptiness seemed to reek of destion, as if dering that the era of glory that the Apothecary School had once enjoyed was over. After searching around, School Head Lu finally found the teacher in charge of managing the Apothecary Auditorium, and he rushed up to question him. "Wuoshi, where are the students? Where are the students?!" Wu Tian was a 6-star apothecary, one of the elders of the Apothecary School. But instead of responding to School Head Lus question, Wuoshi continued packing his luggage and said, "School head, you came a timely moment. I was intending to head to your office to bid you farewell..." "Bid me farewell?" Lu Fengs figure froze, and anxiety swiftly covered his entire face. "Could it be due to that Zhang Xuan again?" "Thats right." Wu Tian nodded with a light chuckle. "Zhang shis lecture has truly opened my eyes, so I acknowledged him as my teacher. From this day forth, I shall no longer be an elder of the Apothecary School but an ordinary member of the Xuanxuan Faction! I shall study hard there and aim to achieve a breakthrough as soon as I can!" "You have... acknowledged him as your teacher?" The edge of Lu Fengs lips twitched, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. The fact that Wu Tian was a lecturer for several dozen thousand students reflected the extent of his capability and his standing in the Apothecary School. Yet, a figure like him... had actually acknowledged Zhang Xuan as his teacher? You must be freaking kidding me! Not only so, he was even willing to lower himself to be an ordinary member of the Xuanxuan Faction... Tell me, just which screw in your head is loose? The Xuanxuan Faction is only an ordinary student faction, what is an elder like you getting involved in it for? "Alright, I will be taking my leave now..." After Wu Tian finally finished packing up his items, he turned around and left decisively, devoid of any hesitation or wistfulness for the Apothecary School. "Wuoshi, wait a moment... If you have acknowledged Zhang Xuan as your teacher, what about the other teachers? We should have around forty teachers in the Apothecary Auditorium, where did they go?" School Head Lu shouted after him. You might be an elder, an important existence to the Apothecary School, but as long as the other teachers are around, we can surely survive even without you. But... why is the entire areapletely empty? Even if the students arent around, surely the teachers should be? "The others were far more decisive than I was. At this moment, they have probably already reported to the Xuanxuan Faction. Alright, I really have to get going now. Otherwise, if I miss a lecture, I willg behind the others..." Wu Tian waved his hands before turning around and walking into the distance. "All of them have r-r-reported to the Xuanxuan Faction?" Weakness suddenly assaulted Lu Feng, and he fell onto the floor on his bottom. At this instant, he didnt seem like a man who wielded immense power but a defeated old man. The hell! It is one thing for the students of the Apothecary School to leave, but for you to actually take the teachers as your students as well... If that is going to be the case, you might as well demolish my entire Apothecary School! Now that I am without students and teachers, what is the point of all of these facilities... Lu Feng and the four vice school heads nced at one another in frenzy. No words could exin what they were feeling at this moment. "School head, if you hadnt interfered in You Xus matter, I think the most that would have happened to our Apothecary School is only a few copsed buildings. But this... what should we do now?" Vice School Head Zhou sighed deeply. "I dont know either..." Lu Feng muttered with a nk look on his face. It was just a moment ago that he was doing all he could to prevent Zhang Xuan from destroying the facilities of the Apothecary School. However, at this instant, he found himself wishing for that to happen instead... The Apothecary School was known as the number one in the Master Teacher Academy due to its overwhelming number of students and excellent teaching staff. It was on this basis that he had be the de facto leader of the Ten Great Master Teachers, the stand-in principal of the academy... But now that the only ones remaining in the academy were him and the vice school heads, his basis of power had vanished. Perhaps, the influence he had might even be beneath that of the Terpsichore School at this very instant! How did this befall him? My heart, my lungs, my kidneys, my dder... now even the opening to my dder is hurting... Reluctant to give up just like that, Lu Feng gritted his teeth in determination and stood up. "Lets head over to the Xuanxuan Faction. I dont believe that a freshman like him can really win the loyalty of the three hundred teachers and sixty thousand students of our Apothecary School!" No matter what, he was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a figure who could possibly be a 7-star master teacher in the near future. Would he really lose to a mere freshman? "Alright!" The other vice school heads nodded. The group followed Wuoshis figure, and after around twenty minutester, they finally arrived at the dormitories of the freshmen, which also served as the headquarters of the Xuanxuan Faction. Even from afar, one could see an enormous crowd gathered in the area. Standing guard at the main entrance were three mighty-looking Grade-4 students, one wielding a spear, one wielding a saber, and thest one bare-handed. They were the trio who had lost in the bet against Zhang Xuan back then, Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and Yuan Gang. Seated on a stool right behind the entrance gate was a fatty. He held onto a basket in his hands as he shook his plump thighs casually in a crude manner. Upon seeing the group of five, he immediately stood up and weed them. "Oh, isnt this our great School Head Lu? Are you intending to enter to listen to the lecture? That will be one high-tier spirit stone each! We dont discriminate over here, so we charge everyone the same price!" "What did you say?" Lu Fengs cheeks twitched violently, and he nearly erupted on the spot. Upon hearing the argument, Zheng Yang stepped out and sped his fist. "School Head Lu, since we are fellow elders of the Master Teacher Academy, I will dispense with the ceremonies and just address you as senior. Senior Lu, my teacher is currently imparting profound knowledge of pill forging, so anyone who wishes to listen to the lecture must pay the entrance fee. This is the rule, as well as a sign of respect for the teaching upation as well. Uncle Sun is only abiding by the rules, so as juniors, I hope that you wont make things difficult for my uncle!" "Senior? Uncle Qiang? Me, a junior?" Lu Feng felt as if his entire world had turned dark. The hell! When in the world did my standing be even beneath that of a fatty who only knows how to collect money from others? Chapter 820: The Downfall of the Apothecary School [2in1] Chapter 820: The Downfall of the Apothecary School [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that the other party would only use a ton of twisted logic against him even if he were to argue over the matter of seniority, Lu Feng flung his sleeves furiously and changed the topic. "We are not here to listen to the lecture. Zhang Xuan has hoodwinked the students and staff of our Apothecary School, so we are here to see what kind of underhanded means he used to lure them here..." "If you are here for the lecture, just say so! Stoping up with such pathetic excuses. But no matter what you say today, you will have to pay the entrance fee to enter! Otherwise, with a shout, I believe that there are many students here who will be more than willing to see the valiant figure of the stand-in principal refusing to pay the entrance fee to a lecture!" Sun Qiang said as he stretched his backzily. "You..." Lu Fengs nails sank deep into his flesh. If the fellow really started shouting then, the reputation which he had built up painstakingly over the years would really dissipate into nothing. Just the shame of it could easily kill him. "School Head, lets just get in first..." Knowing that the school head had already lost his cool, Vice School Head Zhou stepped forward and passed five high-tier spirit stones over. "Here!" "Thats more like it!" Sun Qiangs eyes lit up. The members of the Xuanxuan Faction werent charged for the lectures, and there werent too many outsiders attending the lecture eithersthe several dozen thousand students and teachers from the Apothecary School had all chosen to join the Xuanxuan Faction. It wasnt easy for him to find someone to profit from, so naturally, he wanted to take a bit more from them. In any case, the Apothecary School had already fallen out with the young master, so there was no longer any need to keep up a front before them. Besides, the esteemed head of the Apothecary School probably couldnt abandon his dignity and squabble with the uncle of the guest elders of the academy. Well, even if he did, that would be great too. He could make full use of this opportunity to return the favor in the young masters stead. After all, he had seen for himself how arrogant the other party was earlier in the morning. "Humph!" Seeing Vice School Head Zhou pay the spirit stones, Lu Feng harrumphed coldly and walked in, paying no heed to the excited Sun Qiang. The living quarters of the freshmen was considerablyrge. Even though it was housing tens of thousands of people, it wasnt cramped at all. Lu Feng had barely taken a few steps through the entrance when he suddenly caught sight of a figure who made him stop in his tracks, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment. "Apothecary Lu, why are you here?" At the back of the crowd, an old man was currently looking ahead of him with eyes gleaming in excitement. Upon hearing someone call him, the old man turned around. He was no other than one of the most esteemed elders in the Apothecary School, Apothecary Lu Yi! Apothecary Lu Yi was barely younger than You Xu, aged in his nine hundreds. He was one of the oldest elder in the Apothecary School, and over the years, he had contributed greatly to it in all aspects. Stuck at a bottleneck, he had been spending thest thirty years of his life secluded in his residence to study. He had rarely appeared in public, such that even many of the seniors were unaware of his existence. Even in the annual grand Apothecary Impartation Symposium, which he had initiated, one the most prestigious events in the Apothecary School, he had been absent... Why was he suddenly here? "Shhh, dont speak. Just listen... Marvelous, this is indeed marvelous! To think that even such simple logic can be incorporated into pill forging as well, unbelievable..." Waving his hands impatiently, Apothecary Lu Yi ignored School Head Lu and turned his attention back to the stage. "Apothecary Lu..." Dark lines streaked across the furious Lu Fengs face. He stepped forward to call out to Lu Yi once more, but at that instant, Vice School Head Wei suddenly tugged at his robe and said, "School head, look at Apothecary Lus clothes..." "His clothes?" Lu Feng hurriedly turned his nce over, and what he saw left his mouth twitching endlessly. As an elder of the Apothecary School, naturally, he was still dressed in the master teacher robe. However, two huge words were weaved on his chestXuanxuan Faction! Clearly, even he had joined the student faction as well! "Its not only Apothecary Lu... School head, take a look around us," Vice School Head Wei said as he gestured to the surroundings. Lu Feng hurriedly looked around, and he immediately saw a few familiar figures amid the crowd. "Apothecary Bai? Wasnt he exploring the world? Thest time I invited him to conduct a lecture, his face grew so dark that it seemed as if I was forcing him tomit suicide. Why would he... be wearing the robe of the Xuanxuan Faction?" "Apothecary Ren... his Clearme Pill Forging Technique is currently the most popr ss in the Apothecary School, and he is one of the teachers who has contributed immensely to the growth of the school as well. Hes even on the list of the most respected teachers in the academy... He joined the Xuanxuan Faction as well?" "That is Apothecary Qiu! I even studied from him at one point..." ... With every figure he saw, School Head Lus face turned a shade darker. By the time he was done, he felt as if the string of sanity in his head was going to snap. There were a few esteemed retired old teachers in the Apothecary School whom even he didnt have the authority to mobilize, and yet, here they were, having joined the Xuanxuan Faction voluntarily... To think the influence of a mere student faction would be greater than a stand-in principal like him... More importantly, every single of them waspletely enraptured by the lecture, pricking up their ears for fear that they might miss a single word... What was this insanity before him? Had the world gone mad? Just as Lu Feng thought that he might really go mad at that very instant, Vice School Head Wei suddenly nudged him and pointed forward. "School Head, isnt that... Lu Hui?" Once again, Lu Feng felt as if his sanity was pushed a step closer to the edge of a cliff. Amidst the crowd, he saw a young man looking at the stage excitedly, as if he was going to meet his idol. Who else could it be other than his direct disciple who had reported Zhang Xuans presence in the Apothecary School earlier to him, Lu Hui? When they left for the Apothecary Pavilion, they had left Lu Hui to take care of the library. When did the other party sneak here... and what was with the Xuanxuan Faction uniform he was wearing? They had only parted a few moments ago! Did he really betray them in such a short period of time? "Lu Hui!" Lu Feng bellowed furiously. Hearing that voice, Lu Hui noticed that his teacher was there too. He hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to head toward his teacher and bowed deeply. "Teacher, I... I saw that there were many students of our school heading here to listen to the lecture, so I couldnt help but tag along as well. Listening to Zhang shis lecture, I thought that it was amazing, so I joined the Xuanxuan Faction as well..." Fearing that his teacher would me him, he hurriedly tried to exin himself. "Wonderful... Wonderful!" Lu Fengs face grew so red that it seemed as if blood was going to ooze from his skin. "Are you going to withdraw from my tutge too?" "This... I will be truly grateful if teacher can grant me that!" Lu Hui bowed deeply. "Grant your head!" Clenching his jaws tightly, Lu Feng really felt like strangling the young man before him at that very instant. It was just a moment ago that the other party had been reporting Zhang Xuans activities to him, but ten minutester, the other party suddenly turned on him... Are you really my direct disciple? Unable to take it any longer, Lu Feng turned his gaze to the young man on the stage. "Humph, let me see what kind of sorcery that fellow used to make all of you so utterly enamored by him..." At this moment, the young man on the stage had alreadypleted his lecture, and he was in the midst of answering questions. "Zhang shi, when I forge the Refining Yang Pill, the pill often turns yellow upon formation. May I know if there is any solution to that?" asked one of the apothecaries amid the crowd. "In order to bring out the true essence of the Refining Yang Pill, the apothecary forging the pill must be rich in yang energy as well. Even though theres no problem in your cultivation, a trauma that you suffered when you were younger has resulted in a lingering surge of cold energy within your body, leading to physical frailty. As such, youck the vitality to forge such a pill. Even if you are able to form the pill, it is unlikely for the pill to harness much medicinal energy." At this point, the young man on the stage nced at the apothecary in the crowd and asked, "If Im not mistaken, the Refining Yang Pills you forge arent very effective, are they?" The apothecary hurriedly nodded. "Thats right!" The other partys analysis was spot-on. "Since you have joined the Xuanxuan Faction, you are one of us, and I cant possibly give up on our own members. Alright, I will give you this grade-6 Searing Yang Pill then. With this, you should be able to expel the cold energy in your body easily. Once you do so, you wont face any problems forging the Refining Yang Pill anymore. On top of that, you should be able to make the breakthrough to Chrysalis realm as well!" Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and a pill flew toward the apothecary. Seeing that pill, Vice School Head Weis lips twitched. "That pill is mine..." He recognized the pill. It was the one he had forged and stored at the Pill Chamber to be sold... "Yes!" However, no one paid any heed to Vice School Head Weis exmation. The apothecary caught the pill and consumed it immediately. Gugugugu! Not too longter, spiritual energy gushed into him, and with a deafening roar, his aura suddenly surged furiously, soaring into the clouds. Chrysalis realm, reached! "Thank you, Zhang shi!" Not expecting that he would be able to achieve a breakthrough on top of resolving an existing trauma he was suffering from, the apothecary immediately kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed out of gratitude. "Zhang shi, I..." The next moment, a few more people raised their hands and asked their questions. It was as if the young man had a pair of eyes that could peer through the essence of the world. He could easily tell what kind of constitution everyone had, and he could analyze the root of their problems and answer their questions easily. When he encountered those who seemed to be on the brink of a breakthrough, he would also bestow them with a grade-6 pill without any hesitation. The sound of breakthroughs sounded endlessly beneath the stage. Looking at that sight, Lu Feng and the vice school heads couldnt help but feel their hearts ache. Those grade-6 pills that the young man was giving out freely had been forged painstakingly by them. They had invested a huge amount of time, effort, and money for them, and each of them was worth a fortune. Yet, this fellow was giving them out so casually like that... The more Lu Feng thought about it, the more furious he felt. But he knew that if he were to rush forward to demand those pills be returned to him, he would surely be kicked out by the students and teachers in the crowd, and his reputation would be shattered as well. "Lets return!" Gritting his teeth, School Head Lu turned around and left. Not only did the other party steal away his students and teachers, the other party even made use of his pills to win their hearts and loyalty... How could he possibly keep his calm before this? If he were to watch on, he might just die of anger! But if he were to report this to the Master Teacher Pavilion, it would just make him appear petty inparison. After all, the main purpose of pills wasnt to serve as decoration within a chamber but to benefit humanity. Not to mention, he was the head of the Apothecary School, and the pills were being distributed to benefit the students of the Apothecary School. The other party might be making use of his pills to win the hearts of the popce, but even he had to admit that the other party had distributed them in an ideal manner. Each of those pills were given to the person who needed it the most, thus maximizing their worth. "Return?" the vice school heads asked nkly. Arent we going to cause some trouble and coax the students toe back with us? We are going to leave like that, without doing anything? "What else do you think we can do? Do you really think its possible for us to coax the students back with us given the current state of affairs?" School Head Lu spat through gritted teeth. "This..." The vice school heads took a look at the crowd around them and subconsciously shook their heads. Judging from the delighted faces among the crowd, they wouldnt even be able to coax the teachers to leave with them, let alone the students. "What do we do now?" Considering that the teachers and students were all there, the Apothecary School was nothing more than an empty shell at this point... "What do we do? We shall hold an Elder Conference!" Lu Feng said resolutely. The other party had already captured the hearts of several ten thousand students. Even he didnt dare to provoke him at the moment, so the only thing they could do at the moment was to hold an Elder Conference when they returned to decide on a countermeasure. Otherwise, if both teachers and students began acting out of their ces, what would be of the Master Teacher Academy? "Yes!" Vice School Head Wei nodded. If this problem wasnt resolved, the Master Teacher Academy could be in for great trouble... What was this? To think that the Master Teacher Academy would face such a serious problem over a single You Xu. If he could, he would really have wanted to chop that fellow into pieces. "Lets return!" Havinge to a decision, the five of them turned around and left. After leaving the Xuanxuan Faction, they returned back to the Apothecary School. However, watching the previously bustling school be devoid of any life, they couldnt help but feel like crying. When had the Apothecary School been in such a pathetic state before? After a moment of silence, Vice School Head Zhou asked, "School Head, why dont you... apologize to Zhang shi? Otherwise, this might really just be the end of our Apothecary School!" "Apologize to him? Dream on!" Lu Feng clenched his teeth furiously. "Wait here for a moment, Ill gather the Ten Great Master Teachers right now for an urgent meeting... No, I should call Mu shi over too. If I dont make thatwbreaking fellow pay for this, I will abandon my surname Lu!" ... In the tallest tower in the Master Teacher Academy, there was an exquisite room. In that room was a long oval table with thirteen seats, and at this very moment, ten of them were filled up. "School Head Lu, why did you gather us so urgently?" School Head Mo asked. "Could it be that... youve found clues about Senior Byzantium Helioss whereabouts?" "That is great news! I have beenbing every possible location, but I couldnt find any leads at all..." The other school heads chirped in. It had only been five to six hours since Zhang Xuan had stepped into the Apothecary School and all of the students and teachers had joined the Xuanxuan Faction. As it had happened too fast, the other school heads hadnt heard of the news yet. "Its not regarding Senior Byzantium Helios but the survival of our Master Teacher Academy. Please wait for a moment, I will speak after Mu shi arrives!" Lu Feng waved his hands. "The survival of our Master Teacher Academy?" "Could it be that you have found the Otherworldly Demons who captured Senior Byzantium Helios?" "If thats the case, a huge battle will be inevitable..." ... Seeing the grim expression on Lu Fengs face and hearing how he had even invited Mu shi to the meeting, the school heads nced at one another with grave expressions. On top of enlightening the masses, the Master Teacher Pavilion also shouldered the responsibility of protecting humanity as well. Since the Otherworldly Demons had gone to the extent of kidnapping Senior Byzantium Helios several days ago, there was no doubt that they were up to something. The moment that they appeared, the Master Teacher Academy would have to devote every single one of its members to stopping them. Jiya! In that moment, the door suddenly opened and Mu shi walked in. "Paying respects to Mu shi!" Those in the room hurriedly stood up and sped their fists. Mu shi was a 7-star master teacher from the headquarters, and he was tasked with the responsibility of electing the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy and facilitating the handover of power. Thus, he could be considered the superior of the school heads, and none of them dared show him any disrespect. After gesturing for the group to settle down, Mu Yuan asked with a frown, "Lu Feng, why did you summon me so urgently? Did something happen?" "Since everyone is gathered here, I shall begin!" Lu Feng nodded. "In the current batch of freshman, there is a student named Zhang Xuan. I believe that everyone here should have heard of him!" "Naturally!" With the exception of Mu Yuan, who frowned upon hearing the name, the other school heads nodded. Ever since arriving in the academy, the only time that he had headed out was when he sensed Byzantium Helios Beasts aura. Other than that, he spent nearly all of his time cultivating in his residence. As a result, he hadnt heard of the affairs regarding Zhang Xuan before. "Mu shi, this Zhang Xuan is..." School Head Mo swiftly exined the matter to the other party. Mu shis eyes lit up upon hearing the introduction. "A master teacher who hasprehended the Eye of Insight? Such a genius has appeared in the Master Teacher Academy?" Clearing the records of the cksmith School and Physician School and defeating You Xu in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel meant nothing to him. After all, those were merely supporting upations. To Mu shi, what he thought that was the most important was ones aptitude as a master teacher itself. A master teacher who hadprehended the Eye of Insight would eventually be an incredible force in the Master Teacher Continent as long as they didnt fall. Not even a single talent of such caliber would appear in the Sage ns once in a millennium. Seeing the excited gleam in Mu shis eyes, Lu Feng hurriedly interjected. "Mu shi, please allow me to continue first before you make your judgement... I acknowledge the fact that Zhang Xuan is indeed an incredible talent, and his appearance would be a blessing to the Master Teacher Academy if he were to use his power for good. However, if he were to use his power for evil instead, he could easily destroy the Master Teacher Academy and the millenniums of history behind it!" "Use his power for evil?" Mu shi frowned for a moment before nodding. The Eye of Insight allowed one to see past falsehood and peer into the essence of things. If he were to use it as a tool to guide others down the right path, he would definitely be a valuable aid to humanity... but if he were to use it for evil, that could potentially end in a catastrophe. Even though such matters werent recorded in the annals, there had indeed been cases where talented master teachers had betrayed humanity. Seven thousand years ago, a genius of humble background had seeded in clearing the 7-star master teacher examination before thirty, causing a huge uproar at that moment. Just when everyone had thought that he would be a pir of humanity... the Master Teacher Pavilion made a misjudgment on a matter and wronged him. Out of rage, that genius hunted down the 37 master teachers who were involved in the matter and ughtered them. The shock wave of that battle reduced an entire capital extending over a radius of three thousand li into dust, and over a hundred million people had lost their lives. The resulting destruction was not beneath that of an invasion from an army of ten thousand Otherworldly Demons. Due to the severe aftermath, the Master Teacher Pavilion couldnt cover for him either. Thus, they issued a Master Teacher Pursuit Decree, dispatching high-ranked master teachers to hunt him down. Knowing that a pursuit decree had been released, that genius had fled to the borders and lured over nine thousand 6-star master teachers and above into a trapid by the Otherworldly Demons at Fubo Ridge. That was truly a gruesome battle. Even though they had seeded in killing that genius eventually, the Master Teacher Pavilion had also suffered heavy damage in return. Three 8-star master teachers, 134 7-star master teachers, and 7612 6-star master teachers died in the sh. Eventually, the others named it the Cmity of Fubo! That could be said to be one of the greatest blows the Master Teacher Pavilion had suffered ever since Kong shi unified the Master Teacher Continent. It had taken a long time for the Master Teacher Pavilion to recover from the aftermath of the matter. Due to that matter, the Master Teacher Pavilion had also altered their recruitment rules as well. On top of considering talent, character and morals were also important aspects to be assessed as well. If one had a poor character and was immoral, the more resources the Master Teacher Pavilion devoted into grooming one, the greater the danger humanity would be in. The number of master teachers who had possessed the Eye of Insight was few, even considering the long history of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Each of them were top-notch talents, figures who had rattled the Master Teacher Continent in their era. If they were to use their power for justice, humanity could be brought to greater heights. However, if they were to turn to evil, the destruction they could potentially cause was far greater than the Cmity of Fubo. "Could it be that the Zhang Xuan you all spoke of has poor character and is immoral?" Mu shi asked doubtfully. If that was the case, they would really have to tread carefully. Otherwise, they would be bringing a great cmity upon the Master Teacher Continent. "How is that possible!" Hearing those words, School Head Mo eximed with indignation. "In order to allow more students to enroll at the Master Teacher Academy and bolster the forces of humanity, Zhang shi gave away the forty thousand points he had umted to others without asking for anything in return. How could a person with such magnanimity possibly turn to evil?" "School Head Mo, I have to ask of you not to be fooled by appearances. His doings are a clear attempt to rally the freshmen to his side so that he could establish his Xuanxuan Faction!" Lu Feng waved his hands. "Xuanxuan Faction?" Mu shi asked doubtfully. "The Xuanxuan Faction is the student faction established by Zhang Xuan. Student factions serve as a tool of cohesion to promote camaraderie among master teachers, allowing them to work together toward improving themselves. As such, the academy has imposed no restrictions toward them. However... it hasnt been long since that fellow enrolled in the academy, but he is already going around trying to win the hearts of the students to gather aplices for his misdeeds in the academy. It is clear that he has malicious intentions at heart!" Lu Feng said. "School Head Lu, as a master teacher, you should watch your words!" School Head Mos face darkened. What do you mean gather aplices for his misdeeds? Just because a group of students have gathered together means that they are up to no good? "Based on my sources, it appears that Zhang shi was unaware of the formation of the Xuanxuan Faction. It was under the oppression of the seniors that led to the freshmen banding together, and as the most outstanding student among the freshmen, they nominated Zhang shi to be their leader..." Wei Ranxuesplexion looked awful as well. Given the influence that master teachers wielded, it was imperative that they had to be particrly careful with what they spoke, especially when there was no concrete evidence. Otherwise, an innocent man could possibly be convicted as a result of that. "Watch my words? I am already watching my words very carefully! Since it hase to this, I shall not hide it anymore then. I will tell you all what happened today, and you can evaluate it for yourselves and see whether I have framed him or not!" Harrumphing coldly, Lu Feng swiftly told the group what he had gone through that day. "You are saying that... all of the teachers and students of the Apothecary School have joined the Xuanxuan Faction, and even the old elders are no exception to that?" "So... the Apothecary School is currently nothing more than an empty shell?" The room abruptly turned silent. The ten school heads along with Mu shi were dumbfounded. Why did it feel as if they were listening to an unbelievable story instead? "Indeed! What is most important to a master teacher is their lineage. To make so many people withdraw from the tutge simultaneously just to join a student faction, there is no doubt that fellow resorted to some underhanded means!" Lu Fengs face warped in savagery. "If we dont deal with him soon, he could do the same to the other schools as well. Before long, all of the teachers and students in the Master Teacher Academy might soon be his students. If that were to happen, the academy would be nothing more than his ything!" Everyone fell silent. Even School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others were shocked beyond words. Honestly, they thought that what Zhang shi had done so far, breaking the records of their schools and destroying their buildings, were already extremely fearsome. Who could have thought that... he could even abduct all of the teachers and students from the Apothecary School with just a lecture? That was way too terrifying! Wouldnt everyone in the school be his student or grandstudent if he were to conduct a few more lectures? After a moment of silence, Mu shi asked grimly, "Have you heard his lecture?" "Zhang Xuan allows the members of his Xuanxuan Faction to listen to his lecture for free, but for outsiders, they would have to pay an extremely steep entrance fee to enter. I, Zhou Qing, and the other vice school heads of the Apothecary School had to pay a high-tier spirit stone each just to enter!" Lu Feng harrumphed coldly. "Naturally, we heard his lecture as well, but his standards can only be said to be subpar. Putting aside the fact that itsplete nonsense, most of what he said was just propaganda to beguile the others into following him!" "Subpar?" Mu shi frowned. "Thats right. Also, didnt I mention that he resorted to despicable means to steal the grade-6 pills from our Pill Chamber? In order to win their support, he gave away the pills to students who were on the verge of a breakthrough just to create a false impression of magnanimity before his followers." Lu Feng recounted his version of events of what he had seen in the Xuanxuan Faction. "Giving away those pills to those who require them can be considered a merit, but... if he intended to use it to win the support of others, that would paint apletely different picture of the matter!" Mu shi nodded gravely. The Master Teacher Academy was a ground to groom students to be pirs of support for humanity, so it was surely a joyful event to see the students growing swiftly. However, if Zhang Xuan had intended to use those stolen pills as a means to rally others to support him, that could only mean that hecked righteousness. "He must be up to no good!" Lu Feng added. "Otherwise, how can a man make so many students and teachers be so loyal to him over the course of just a few hours?" Mu shi shook his head. "Every cultivator is unique. They have their own expertise and understanding of the world, so the lessons they need are different as well. This is the reason Kong shi proposed the concept of teaching to the individual. To win the acknowledgement of all of the teachers and students through a single lecture and convince them to join the Xuanxuan Faction is indeed not quite possible." No matter how formidable a master teacher may be, it was impossible for him to win over everyone. After all, humans were unlike money, they were incapable of making everyone love them. Yet... that Zhang shi actually managed to do it. It couldnt help but introduce doubts that he might have resorted to some other underhanded means instead. "Since this matter has happened in your Apothecary School, how do you intend to deal with it?" Mu shi turned to Lu Feng and asked. "My intentions are simple. I wish for the ten schools toe to a consensus to evict Zhang Xuan out of the Master Teacher Academy, prohibiting him from taking even a single step into its premises!" Lu Feng coldly sneered, "After which, he shall be stripped of his master teacher license, banned from taking any master teacher examinations for life!" Chapter 821: Quasi 6-star Apothecary Chapter 821: Quasi 6-star Apothecary Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Evict him from the Master Teacher Academy?" "Strip him of his master teacher license, banning him from taking the master teacher examination for life?" Everyone was stunned. "No, that is definitely out of question!" School Head Mo bellowed furiously. If that were to happen, putting aside the fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion would lose a precious talent, just the thought of how Zhang shis mysterious teacher would respond to it was enough to send shivers down his spine. Perhaps, the Master Teacher Academy might bepletely obliterated with a wave of his hand! The higher ranked a master teacher was, the more esteemed they became. Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion sought to uphold justice and fairness, it still had practical concerns to consider... Take for example, a hundred thousand 6-star master teacher might be a valuable asset to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but their value was still far beneath that of a 9-star master teacher. Or taking Kong shi as example, he was a genius that only appeared once in several dozen thousand years. Putting aside a 9-star master teacher, not even a hundred 9-star master teachers could possibly achieve what he had contributed to humanity in his time. If Mo Gaoyuan was right and Zhang shis teacher was an 8-star master teacher or above, if thetter were to obliterate the Master Teacher Academy with a p of his hand, it was likely that the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt utter a word ofint. It was unfair, but this was the kind of privilege that top-tier master teachers possessed. After all, there were still many threats that humanity faced where their strength was required. "Stripping a master teachers license concerns his entire future. This is not something we can take lightly!" Zhao Bingxu spoke up as well. "This is especially so when the person in question is a talented individual. If we handle this inappropriately, I fear that what we will lose is not just a genius. We might risk bringing upon ourselves another Cmity of Fubo!" "This..." Hearing those words, everyone fell silent. In truth, the Cmity of Fubo could have been avoided. It was due to that genius offending the offspring of a Sage n and having no backers to support him that he was eventually forced into a corner, resulting in the eventual tragedy. Considering that Zhang Xuan had already awakened his Eye of Insight before he had even reached 6-star was testimony to his immense talent. If they were to push him too far and breed malice toward humanity within him, Zhang Xuan could possibly choose to side with the Otherworldly Demons out of fury. With his prowess, that could spell cmity for humanity. Putting everything aside, with his Eye of Insight, he could possibly be another Kong shi, but for the Otherworldly Demons this time around. If so, humanity would be in deep trouble. "School Head Zhao is right!" Mu shi nodded. "Fine, we can put aside the matter of taking away his master teacher license... However, we have to evict from the Master Teacher Academy and Hongyuan City! Since he singlehandedly brought about the downfall of my Apothecary School today, he could easily do the same to the other schools tomorrow! By then, what will be of our Master Teacher Academy?" Lu Feng said with gritted teeth. There was no one who had a response to Lu Fengs words. Even School Head Mo, Wei Ranxue, and the others who favored Zhang Xuan couldnt find any words to respond to that. Honestly speaking, given Zhang Xuans nature, it was very possible that he might wreak havoc in the other schools after he was done with the Apothecary School. It was as if he was an ox pulling a plow behind him. It seemed as if he just wouldnt be content until he overturned everything in his path. Furthermore, after what he had done to the Apothecary School... there was no one in the academy who could confidently say that they could stop him! After a moment of silence, an old man spoke up. "I concur with School Head Lus judgement. This kind of trouble should be chased away as soon as possible! Putting aside Hongyuan City, we shouldnt even allow him to remain within Hongyuan Empire!" The head of the Formation Master School, Chen Chengxun! School Head Chen had always maintained close ties with School Head Lu, and they often stood on the same ground for most affairs. Another school head nodded in agreement. "I concur as well!" The head of the Painter School, Song Danqing! "I disagree. The purpose of those tests in the Master Teacher Academy is for them to be challenged, and there are no rules banning students conducting lectures either. Zhang shis doings might be exaggerated, but he hasnt done anything that infringed on the rules. What right do we have to evict him?" School Head Mo argued. "Indeed. His deeds in the Apothecary School might seem ridiculous, but as you have said, even a veteran elder like Apothecary Lu chose to join the Xuanxuan Faction to listen to his lectures. This shows that, unlike what you have imed, there is an extremely high value to his lectures!" "As master teachers, we should be magnanimous! For someone of Zhang shis capability, I think that not only should we not chase him away, we should even keep him in the academy as one of our teachers. Just imagine the heights he could bring our Master Teacher Academy to!" Zhao Bingxu and Wei Ranxue also spoke up. After which, School Head Zhong of the Physician School expressed his disapproval of the motion whereas School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School expressed his approval. After hearing their words, Mu shi turned to the remaining two in the room. "So far, its four for and four against. What about you two?" Currently, Lu Feng of the Apothecary School, Chen Chengxun of the Formation Master School, Song Danqing of the Painter School, and School Head Feng of the Celestial School were in support of evicting Zhang Xuan from the Master Teacher Academy whereas School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, School Head Wei, and School Head Zhong were against it. Only two more men hadnt expressed their views yetthe head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, and the head of the Demonic Tunist School, Jiang Qingqin. "Zhang shis students are currently the guest elders of our Martial Arts School. Since even his students have such a deep insight into battle techniques, nothing needs to be said about him. My view is that we should have Zhang shi remain!" Xu Changqing said. "What about you?" Mu shi asked. Everyone turned their sights to Jiang Qingqin. It was five against four. If the other party were to vote in favor of Lu Feng, it would lead to a five against five, a draw, and there might be another round of voting in the near future. Otherwise, the motion would be scrapped entirely. "I havent met Zhang Xuan for myself, so I dont think I am in a good position to pass judgement on him. Thus, I will refrain from voting," Jiang Qingqin said. "Besides, the most important matter we have at hand isnt to deal with a single student of the academy but to find Senior Byzantium Helios!" "Refrain from voting?" "Thats quite a wise decision. Its still too early to see who is right and who is wrong, so it might be better to back out for the moment." "School Head Jiang has never been concerned about worldly affairs, so its not too surprising that he wants to stay out of this matter!" The others nodded in response. The head of the Demonist Tunist School, Jiang Qingqin, had always been nonchnt about the world around him, choosing to stay out of troublesome affairs whenever possible. It was within the expectations of the other school heads that he would stay out of the voting. "Since the current vote is five is to four, this motion will be scrapped. For the time being, everyone should focus their efforts on finding Byzantium Helios Beast!" Announcing the verdict, Mu shi waved his hands. "Just as I have said before, the person who finds Byzantium Helios Beast will be the next principal. As for the matter regarding Zhang Xuan, I shall leave it to the next principal to decide how to deal with him!" Even though Mu shi was a 7-star master teacher from the headquarters, he was ultimately still an outsider in this matter. It would still be for the best to allow the Master Teacher Academy to resolve the matter among themselves. Otherwise, he could possibly be cast under suspicion of exploiting his authority. Upon hearing the conclusion of the matter, Lu Feng panicked, and he hurriedly turned to Mu shi with an indignant look on his face. "Mu shi..." "Alright, this matter is already settled. Dismissed!" Unwilling to speak any further, Mu shi waved his hands and walked out of the room. "Farewell!" Following which, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others left as well. Soon, Lu Feng was the only one remaining in the room. Amid the deafening silence, his face warped savagely, and he clenched his fists tightly. "Damn it..." Furious, he mmed his fist on the table. "Fine, I will let you get away for now. However, youd better pray that you dont slip up. Otherwise... I will make your life a living hell!" Lu Feng roared furiously. ... While Lu Feng was reporting the matter to the Ten Great Master Teachers, Zhang Xuan finally finished with his lecture as well. Back then, when he had been standing before the library of the Apothecary School, he hadnt been standing in a daze. Rather, he had been using his soul to gather all of the books within into his Library of Heavens Path. As a 4-star apothecary, he had been able to skip right to the 4-star and 5-star books. As such, it had only taken him an hour to sessfullypile the 5-star and 6-star Heavens Path manual. After studying the manuals, hed suddenly felt a surge of inspiration, so hed begun lecturing right outside the library. The content he had spoken of was profound yet easy to understand, interpreting the essence of pill forging directly. The crowd in the surroundings couldnt help but be drawn in by his words. This was also the reason behind the first exodus of the Apothecary School to the Xuanxuan Faction. After he was done, Zhang Xuan had first gone to the Pill Chamber, hoping that there might be a Grand Intermittence Pill there. However, to his disappointment, there was nothing of the sort there. Nevertheless, not wanting to make a trip for nothing, hed decided to take the grade-6 pills with him so as to return the favor to Lu Feng. Following which, he had headed straight for the Ancestral Hall, where the Pill Debate examination was conducted. Just as Vice School Head Wei and the others had seen, he had activated the Communication Jade Screen, not only to clear the Pill Debate but also to request the pill form of the Grand Intermittence Pill as well. Without any experience in pill forging, it would have been impossible for Zhang Xuan to pass the practical examination. However, if it was just a Pill Debate, given his thorough understanding and deep insight into pill forging, not even a 7-star apothecary would be a match for him. In the Pill Debate, he had utterly crushed the 7-star apothecaries on the other end of the screen and received his quasi 6-star apothecary emblem, as well as the pill form of the Grand Intermittence Pill. Having achieved what he had gone for, Zhang Xuan had initially intended to leave. However, recalling how he had taken so many grade-6 pills for nothing, hed still felt a little guilty. After all, his grudge was with Lu Feng, not with the Apothecary School. However, the matter was already done... Thus, he had gone to the Apothecary Symposium to conduct a lecture as a form ofpensation to the Apothecary School. Who knew that his lecture would end up aweing both students and teachers alike? As a result, the grand sight of countless elders, teachers, and students abandoning the Apothecary School for the Xuanxuan Faction hade to be. As for the matters regarding the uniform and the entrance fee, those were Ruohuan gongzi and Sun Qiangs doing. "So, this is the key to forging the Delight Harnessing Pill. I finally get it!" "I feel that with my currentprehension of pill forging, as long as my cultivation reaches the required level, I will surely be able to forge a grade-6 pill!" "This lecture has truly benefited me greatly. Its as good as three years hard work on my part!" ... While Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and departed from the stage, the apothecaries beneath the stage had intoxicated expressions on their faces, still immersed in the lecture they had just heard. Zhang shis lecture had been random and abrupt, raising points on the unexpected aspects of pill forging. However, his words eventually tied together perfectly like puzzle pieces to form a profound picture of pill forging, giving the listeners a striking and deep insight into the essence of pill forging. As long as they were to ruminate over his words carefully and decipher them, their proficiency in pill forging would surely rise immensely in the short run! It was just a single lecture, but it was equivalent to several years of their hard work. ... "Genius! Hes truly a genius! To think that pill forging can be interpreted from such an angle as well..." Apothecary Lu stood beside some of the other old elders of the Apothecary School as they discussed Zhang shis lecture, and the more they spoke, the more astonished they became. At their age, it was already far too difficult for them to make a breakthrough. If only they had listened to such a lecture ten years earlier, every single one of them would have been 7-star apothecaries by now! "From now on, I am a member of the Xuanxuan Faction. I will never ever return to the Apothecary School!" "Me too! I would rather remain here to listen to Zhang shis amazing lectures than rot away in the Apothecary School. Perhaps, if we listen to a few more, we might just be able to pass our 7-star apothecary examinations!" Just when the few elders were overwhelmed with excitement, they suddenly saw the young man who had just lectured them abruptly walking toward them. "Zhang shi!" The elders sped their fists and bowed politely. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. I am here to request something of you all," Zhang Xuan said. "Feel free to speak, Zhang shi! As long as its within the means of old bones like us, we will surely give it our best!" Even though they werent students of the academy, they had bepletely impressed by the young man before them after hearing the lecture as well. "Thank you, but its actually not that much. I just need you all to coborate together and forge a pill for me!" Zhang Xuan revealed his motive. "Coborate together?" The group was stunned. Despite the profound understanding of pill forging that the young man before him had, he still needed their help? "Thats right. I wish to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill!" Zhang Xuan said. "Grand Intermittence Pill... A grade-7 pill?" Apothecary Lu eximed in shock. Chapter 822: Phoenix Timber Core Chapter 822: Phoenix Timber Core Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Grand Intermittence Pill was extremely well-known for its miraculous ability in allowing one to regrow even severed limbs. But naturally, it was an extremely difficult pill to forge as well. Even among grade-7 pills, it could be considered one of the more advanced ones. It would be difficult for even an average 7-star apothecary to forge it, so how could they possibly seed? For all Upper Nine Paths upations, the difference between each rank became exponentiallyrger the higher one climbed. Even though it was only a single rank of difference between 6-star and 7-star, it was like the difference between a Saint and a Transcendent Mortal. There was an unbreachable gap between the two. In fact, even within the rank itself, there was a vast difference in the capability between low-tier and pinnacle. In other words... even though they were all 6-star pinnacle apothecaries, just a toe away from achieving a breakthrough to 7-star, it was still utterly impossible for them to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill, which only 7-star pinnacle apothecaries were capable of forging. With a bitter smile, Apothecary Lu shook his head. "Im afraid that we might not be of much help here..." "I know that its difficult, thats why I need you to work together with one another," Zhang Xuan replied. "Work together? But we have never worked together before, it wont be easy to do so..." The group shook their heads. Pill forging wasnt like fighting a battle, where each cultivator just had to cover for one another... Every single apothecary had their own unique pill forging technique and style. It was more likely than not that if two apothecaries tried to work on the same cauldron, a major error would ur somewhere. This could easily lead to all of the medicinal herbs being ruined, or in the worst-case scenario, a cauldron explosion even! That was not to say that it waspletely impossible for apothecaries to work together on the same cauldron. There were such cases in the world, but most of them were students who had been training to work with each other from the very start, and after several dozen years of coboration, they gained the ability to understand one another by the slightest gesture or gaze, allowing them to synergize with each other perfectly. But on the other hand, Apothecary Lu and the others had already tread on their own path for several centuries now, and they had their own unique forging style tailored to their own needs. If they were to forcefully work with one another, it was one thing for them to fail in forming the pill, but in the worst-case scenario... they might even end up blowing away the entire Master Teacher Academy! As one of the more advanced grade-7 pills, the medicinal energy contained within a Grand Intermittence Pill wasparable to the might of a Saint 4-dan expert. If a mistake were to ur, with their cultivation of Saint 1-dan, it would be impossible for them to suppress the explosion. "Theres no need to worry about that. I have a few pill forging techniques here that are suited for just that, so I hope that you can familiarize yourselves with them quickly. As for the coboration, as long as you listen to my instructions strictly, there wont be any problem with it!" Zhang Xuan said as he whipped out a few books and passed them over. These were the pill forging techniques he had deduced that he would require for the forging of the Grand Intermittence Pill. "Pill forging techniques?" Apothecary Lu and the others grabbed the books given to them and began browsing through them. Each of them took a different book each, and the content of each book was different as well. "Misty Rain Pill Forging Art..." It didnt take too long for Apothecary Lu to finish browsing through his book, and by the time he was done, his hands were trembling intensely. The Misty Rain Pill Forging Art was centered around stability, taming whatever destructive force it encountered while silently nourishing the pill. The technique was extremely profound and intricate; despite Apothecary Lus many years of experience, he had never seen anything like it before. Without a doubt, if he were to sessfully master this technique, his proficiency of pill forging would soar once again. By then, as long as his cultivation hit the requirement, he was confident that he would clear the 7-star apothecary examination easily! But what had truly left him astounded was that... the Misty Rain Pill Forging Artplemented his cultivation technique perfectly! If he were to master this technique, even his fighting prowess would be enhanced as well! "This is truly a good pill forging technique. Itplements my Spirit Turtle zhenqi splendidly..." "The pill forging technique in the book supplements my cultivation technique impably too..." After reading their own books, the eyes of the others were also glowing, and they couldnt help but exim in excitement. Hearing those words, Apothecary Lu took the books of his other friends and browsed through them swiftly as well, and his eyes couldnt help but widen. He realized that the pill forging techniques listed in the books were a perfect fit for their individual cultivation techniques and constitutions, such that he couldnt pick a single w from it. In other words... Zhang shi had designed these pill forging techniques specifically for them! Otherwise, considering how each cultivator had his own unique cultivation technique and constitution, how could there be such a coincidence that all of them would have a pill forging technique that was a perfect fit for them? But to tailor a pill forging technique to the needs of another... Just how deep of an understanding must one have of pill forging to be able to do so? Even the most capable 7-star pinnacle apothecaries were incapable of such! "T-this..." Naturally, since Apothecary Lu had noticed this much, the others couldnt possibly remain oblivious to it. With eyes widened with respect and awe, they gazed deeply at the young man before them. They had thought that the other party was amazing when they were listening to his lecture, but at this moment, what they had was deep reverence for him. After recovering from the shock, Apothecary Lu asked, "Has Zhang shi prepared the required medicinal herbs yet? ording to what I know, the main medicinal herb of the Grand Intermittence Pill, the Grand Intermittence Grass, is a rare saint herb!" As the saying goes, even the most capable of cook cant cook without ingredients. The medicinal ingredients of grade-7 pills might not be too difficult to find within a Conferred Empire, but in Hongyuan City, that would be no easy feat. This was especially so for the Grand Intermittence Grass. Putting aside how it was rare and impossible to be cultivated, its natural habitat also tended to be regions gued with poisonous worms. Even Saint 4-dan experts would be troubled to procure it. "I have already applied for the required medicinal herbs from the headquarters," Zhang Xuan replied. After obtaining the pill form of the Grand Intermittence Pill, he swiftly looked through the herbs required and noted that the main ingredient, Grand Intermittence Grass, was hard to obtain in Hongyuan City. Thus, he applied for it from the headquarters. "You applied for the medicinal herb from the headquarters?" Apothecary Lu and the other apothecaries nced at one another, astounded. "But given the steep price of the Grand Intermittence Grass, will the headquarters really be willing to give it to you?" Applying and purchasing from the headquarters were two separate matters. Applying was equivalent to asking for a subsidy from the headquarters. Should the headquarters ept the application, they would give the medicinal herb to the applicant without charging anything. On the other hand, purchasing would require the purchaser to pay a certain price in exchange for the medicinal herb. But the Grand Intermittence Grass was a rare and valuable saint herb. Even if one were to purchase it from the headquarters, it would cost at least several hundred or even a thousand high-tier spirit stones. To apply for it... how could the headquarters possibly ept the application? If it was that simple, the Apothecary Guild headquarters would have already closed down from the sheer expenses incurred from apothecaries applying for medicinal herbs. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. "I happened to solve the problems of one of their apothecaries, and the other party promised to help me settle this matter... so I dont think there will be any trouble!" The Communication Wall could only transfer written information whereas the Jade Communication Screen allowed one to transmit and view visual information as well. Back then, when Zhang Xuan had been taking his 6-star apothecary examination, one of the apothecaries on the other end had sent a video of someone forging pills, and Zhang Xuan had helped the other party analyze and resolve a few problems in his forging method, thus winning the other partys respect. In light of that, the other party had offered to help him apply for the Grand Intermittence Grass. But back then, the other party had spoken of it lightly as if it was nothing... Could the other party have been lying to him? Apothecary Lu frowned slightly upon hearing Zhang Xuans story, and he said, "Even for the apothecaries of the headquarters, it would still be difficult for them to apply for medicinal herbs without some connections. Do you know of the name of the apothecary you spoke to?" "If I recall correctly, I think his name is... Wu Huayu! Back then, of the ten apothecaries projected in the Jade Communication Wall, he was the one who was the rowdiest..." Zhang Xuan replied. However, before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the lower jaws of the elders before him abruptly fell to the ground, and they began shaking in fear. "Whats wrong?" Seeing the bizarre state of the elders before him, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Zhang shi... do you have any idea who Wu Huayu is?" Apothecary Lu asked with quivering lips. "How could I possibly know? But considering how dim-witted he was and the ton of nonsense that flew out of his mouth, he is probably no one important. Why, do you know each other?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Dim-witted?" "Cough cough..." Apothecary Lu nearly choked. Seeing that the man before him was truly ignorant of it, he could only shake his head with a bitter smile. "Wu Huayu is the head of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Apothecary Guild... a 7-star pinnacle apothecary!" The others also hurriedly nodded, as if fearing that Zhang Xuan wouldnt believe it. It was one thing for you not to recognize Guild Leader Wu, but to say that he is dim-witted... That is the number of apothecary of Qingyuan Empire, and yet you speak as if he is nothing at all! More importantly, you even helped to solve his problems? Just what kind of monster is standing before me? "Guild leader? You are saying that person is the leader of the Apothecary Guild? I see..." Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before he slowly nodded. "Since hes the guild leader, there shouldnt be any problem with obtaining the Grand Intermittence Pill. As for the other ingredients, it shouldnt be any trouble obtaining them in Hongyuan City. Here is the list of ingredients that I will need..." Zhang Xuan said as he passed a piece of paper over. "As apothecaries, you have more connections in Hongyuan City than I do. Thus, I will have to trouble you to help me source them. If you see any of these herbs, do help me purchase them, I will repay youter. If I dont have enough money, I will trade grade-6 pills for them..." Since Zhang Xuan was troubling them to find the medicinal herbs for him, he couldnt possibly have them pay out of their pocket for it too. It just so happened that he had quite a few grade-6 pills remaining in his hands, so he could use them to trade for the medicinal herbs. "The medicinal herbs on this list are quite affordable..." Apothecary Lu took the paper, browsed through the list of ingredients, and remarked, "I think we might be able to gather all of these medicinal herbs through our own private stashes, so theres no need for Zhang shi to pay. You may consider this our way of repaying you for your impartation of knowledge and the pill forging techniques!" As old elders of the Apothecary School, they had their own stashes of medicinal herbs that they could use whenever they needed. While they might not have extremely valuable saint herbs like the Grand Intermittence Grass in their possession, the collections they had umted over the years were still rather impressive. Besides, as 6-star pinnacle apothecaries and elders of the Master Teacher Academy, it would be embarrassing if they were to only receive from the other party and not give back to him. It was just a bunch of medicinal herbs, they each had plenty of those in their stash. It was nothing much for them to just give them away. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he sped his fist and thanked them. "I will be thanking you in advance then!" "Zhang shi, allow me to finish first..." Apothecary Lu waved his hands. "We are able to gather most of the medicinal herbs required, but there is one which you might have to source for yourself." "Which one?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Its thest medicinal herb on the list, the Phoenix Timber Core!" Apothecary Lu replied. "Phoenix Timber Core?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "You arent able to find this?" The Phoenix Timber Marrow was not a saint herb, spirit herb, or even a medicinal herb. Zhang Xuan had thought that it would be the easiest one to find on the list, which was also the reason he had listed it at the very bottom, but who would have thought that the old elders would tell him that they were unable to obtain it? "The Phoenix Timber Core is the very foundation of the Phoenix Timber Tree. It has the medical properties of facilitating hemostasis and the recovery of wounds. Compared to the other medicinal herbs, it is indeed not very valuable. However, the problem lies in its rarity... None of us have it in our stash, and it is unlikely that we will be able to find it in the Apothecary School and Physician School either!" Apothecary Lu said. "If even the Apothecary School and Physician School dont have them... then where am I to look for it?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The Apothecary School and Physician School could be said to have thergest collection of medicinal herbs in Hongyuan City. If the Phoenix Timber Core couldnt even be found in those two ces, it was highly likely that it would be impossible to find it anywhere else in Hongyuan City. "Zhang shi, calm down. While we dont have the means to procure the Phoenix Timber Core, we do know where you can find it. If Zhang shi is able to convince that fellow, you might just be able to obtain it!" Apothecary Lu said. "Oh?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Please enlighten me..." "The main use of the Phoenix Timber Core is not to serve as a medicine but to craft zithers. If my memory fails me not, I believe there is a Phoenix Timber Tree in the Demonist Tunist School. If you can get to School Head Jiang Qingqin, you might just be able to obtain it!" Apothecary Lu said. Chapter 823: Attainment of Six Cranes Chapter 823: Attainment of Six Cranes Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Demonic Tunist School?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Thats right. Once the Phoenix Timber Tree matures, one can procure its wood and soak it in a flowing river for 49 days. The resulting wood is an ideal material for crafting the Seven String Zither. This instrument has an extremely beautiful sound that reverberates deep within ones soul, making it a treasure which all demonic tunists hope to obtain!" Apothecary Lu exined. "The current Phoenix Timber Tree in the Demonic Tunist School was nted personally by School Head Jiang Qingqin five hundred years ago. Over the many years, it has been nourished by the rich spiritual energy in the academy, thus making it exceptional material. If we can acquire its core to use in forging the Grand Intermittence Pill, it will definitely augment the medical properties of the formed pill!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. He didnt have much knowledge of the demonic tunist upation, so he didnt know there was such a use to the Phoenix Timber Core too. "Alright. I will find a way to purchase the Phoenix Timber Core from the Demonic Tunist School!" Knowing that he could acquire the material inside the Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Purchase?" Apothecary School Lu shook his head. "School Head Jiang has always viewed worldly possessions with nonchnce, so I fear that... it wont be that easy!" "View worldly possessions with nonchnce?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "In any case, we dont have any ties with School Head Jiang, and our words also dont have enough weight to sway him, so Im afraid that we wont be able to help you on this matter. Zhang shi, you will have to convince him yourself. For the time being, I think that you should send him a visiting scroll to indicate that you will be visiting. This will make you seem sincerer, and it might boost your chances of sess..." (Visiting scroll: It is simr to a letter which you send in advance to your visit or right before your visit to indicate your identity so as to give the other party a heads up. It is considered to be polite and respectful. At which point, Apothecary Lu suddenlyughed dryly and said, "If Zhang shi were to do what you did to the Apothecary School, I fear that it might have the opposite effect..." School Head Jiang Qingqin was a reticent person, and he usually avoided interacting with others wherever possible. Even though they were the old elders of the Apothecary School, they hadnt really had much contact with him. But nevertheless, based on the rumors, they could still fathom a guess on the other partys temperament, and it didnt seem like he was an easy person to get along with. If they were to regard the other party respectfully, they might still stand a chance. But if Zhang shi were to act as he usually did, destroying everything in his path... "Dont worry, I am not a reckless person!" Zhang Xuan reassured them. "..." However, Apothecary Lu and the others fell speechless after hearing those words instead. If it wasnt out of recklessness that you practically crippled the Physician School and Apothecary School, wouldnt the Master Teacher Academy copse if you were to get reckless? Seeing that there was still some time before the agreed time with Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Sun Qiang, make some preparations. We will be heading to the Demonic Tunist School now!" "Yes!" Sun Qiang hurriedly rushed off to prepare. Soon, after confirming the direction, the master and butler headed for the Demonic Tunist School. ... In the Demonic Tunist School, beneath a lush Phoenix Timber Tree, an elder was stroking his zither calmly. The melodious sound of the zither drifted lightly in the air, and six divine cranes began dancing upon hearing the music. They flew around the courtyard joyously, calling out in excitement. A long timeter, the zither music finally came to an end. The elder shook his head and sighed. "Im still a bit off..." Another elder not too far away stroked his beard and said, "School Head, thats because your expectations are too high. Choir of Six Cranes, that is already a level that countless dream of. In order to reach seven cranes, that requires one to possess skills on par with a 7-star demonic tunist!" The old man who had been ying just a moment ago was School Head Jiang Qingqin, and the other person with him was Vice School Head Ning Hai. "These days, I can feel that a breakthrough is imminent, but I just cant find the impetus to do so!" Jiang Qingqin shook his head. Not too far away, the flying cranesnded back on the ground, returning back to their flock of around a dozen cranes. Demonic tunist, just like the other upations, could be divided into differing levels of capability. In this case, the more cranes that one was able to allure into dancing merrily in the sky, the greater ones capability as a demonic tunist was. Jiang Qingqins feat of inducing six cranes to dance harmoniously to his zither could already be considered an incredible achievement. "The music of the zither originates from the heart. Theres no point getting anxious over it. Perhaps, if you could empty your mind, you might achieve a breakthrough instead!" Vice School Head Ning chuckled. "Thats true... but with so many things going on the academy recently, its not easy for me to empty my mind." Jiang Qingqin sighed. He would have also loved to stay out of worldly affairs and achieve a transcendent state of mind, but as the head of the Demonic Tunist School, he had many affairs that he had to tend to each day. It was easier said than done. Furthermore, many troubles seemed to have cropped up within the Master Teacher Academy one after another in recent days. Bearing heavy responsibilities on his shoulders, he couldnt just turn his head away at such a time. "Indeed!" Vice School Head Ning sighed as he ced his fingers on the zither before him. "Being a school head sure is tough. Even if you offered to hand it over to me for free, I still wouldnt take it! What I want is to roam the world, living joyously and carefree with a zither in hand, unburdened by worldly affairs!" "You..." Seeing his old friends state, Jiang Qingqin chuckled and shook his head. In truth, Vice School Head Ning was nowhere beneath him in terms of his capability, and if he wished to, he was more than qualified to be the school head. However, it was just that he was unwilling to take on the responsibility. At that moment, a student suddenly rushed into the courtyard. "Teacher, Zhang Xuan seeks an audience!" As the student spoke, he passed a visiting scroll over. "Zhang Xuan?" Jiang Qingqin was taken aback for an instant before the corners of his mouth twitched. "What is he doing here? I dont think... I have any conflict with him!" "Whats wrong? Is there something special about that Zhang Xuan?" Seeing Jiang Qingqins state, Vice School Head Ning couldnt help but be puzzled. Even though Ning Hai was the vice head of the Demonic Tunist School, it was more or less only in name. He rarely interfered in the affairs of the school, spending his days ying his zither, immersed in music. Thus, he was unaware of the various affairs surrounding Zhang Xuan. "Special is an understatement, he is like the God of Destruction. Wherever he goes, unrest follows..." Jiang Qingqin swiftly brought his old friend up to speed on the matter. "To think that there would be such a formidable genius in our Master Teacher Academy!" Vice School Head Ning eximed in astonishment. He had heard of master teachers who possessed a particr talent for a single upation or two, but never had he seen a twenty-year-old freshman overpowering multiple schools in the academy singlehandedly. This was unimaginable! "But our Demonic Tunist School has no grudge with him, what is he doing here?" Jiang Qingqins questioned with an awfulplexion. He was usually extremely easy-going, rarely allowing anything to get to him. But... Lu Feng had described the other party as if he was a monster with six arms, so Jiang Qingqin couldnt help but feel a little apprehensive at the other partys arrival. To visit the Demonic Tunist School for no apparent reason... it couldnt be that he intended to tear down the Demonic Tunist School? "Based on what you said... we cant discount that possibility!" Vice School Head Ning frowned as well. "Since thats the case, tell him that I am currently in seclusion, so I cant meet him," Jiang Qingqin instructed the student. "That wont work! If that fellow resorts to forceful measures after being turned down by you, the Demonic Tunist School might just end up like the other schools..." Vice School Head Ning hurriedly interjected. "What should we do then?" Jiang Qingqin frowned. Honestly speaking, that Zhang Xuan was truly a star of cmity. Misfortune fell on whoever was around him. If he had a choice, he would definitely stay as far out of that fellows path as he could... "Why dont we invite him in for the time being? Since he has delivered his visiting scroll instead of barging in, I think that there are still grounds for negotiation," Vice School Head Ning said. "Furthermore, if he is as formidable as you have said, and he has a deep understanding of demonic tunes as well, we could have him offer some pointers to our students, and perhaps, that might lead to a significant rise in the strength of our Demonic Tunist School!" "This..." Hearing those words, Jiang Qingqins eyes lit up as well. "Indeed! This encounter can be considered an opportunity for our Demonic Tunist School too!" Thus, Jiang Qingqin turned to the student and instructed, "Alright, invite him in!" Even though Zhang Xuan had a fearsome record of destruction behind him, considering the nature of the demonic tunist examination, it was unlikely that he could do anything to the school. Besides, if the other party possessed true capability, he could even apply for the 6-star demonic tunist emblem for the other party directly. "Yes!" The student nodded before leaving quickly. Not too longter, he returned with Zhang Xuan and a plump man. Zhang Xuan stepped forward and sped his fist. "Zhang Xuan pays respect to School Head Jiang and Vice School Head Ning!" On the way here, he had already asked the student about the identities of the duo standing beneath the Phoenix Timber Tree. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony with us, Zhang shi. I have heard much about your affairs. May I ask the reason behind your visit? Our small Demonic Tunist School is unable to take any setbacks, so I have to ask of you to have mercy on us," Jiang Qingqin said. "Urk... School Head Jiang, what are you talking about..." Not expecting the other party to actually take precautions against him right from the start, Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment. He quickly sped his fist and replied, "Actually, the reason I am here today is because I have something to request of you!" "Oh?" Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai exchanged doubtful nces, and after brief moment of silence, Jiang Qingqin turned to Zhang Xuan and said grimly, "As long as you dont destroy the Demonic Tunist School, challenge the trials here, and have my students join your Xuanxuan Faction... I will definitely do whatever I can for you!" "Cough cough!" Zhang Xuan choked on his saliva. What the heck is this! It was not like I intended to cause all that damage. All I did was challenge those trials fair and square, and yet, everyone treats me as if I am bent on destroying everything Iy my eyes on... I am not such a person! But as frustrated as Zhang Xuan was, he didnt forget the aim of his visit. "The reason I am here is to ask School Head Jiang to spare me some Phoenix Timber Core..." "Phoenix Timber Core? Impossible! I cant give you that!" Hearing those words, School Head Jiang immediately waved his hands and rejected him decisively. When hed seen how amicable the other partys attitude was, he had thought that the other party might not be as bad as the rumors had made him out to be. But who knew that the other party would ask for his Phoenix Timber Core... There was no one in the Master Teacher Academy who didnt know that the Phoenix Timber Tree was his most prized possession! To actually ask me to give it to you... Thats as good as taking my life! Why dont you just kill me instead? "This... I am willing to pay a premium price on it!" Zhang Xuan offered without any hesitation, knowing the rarity of the Phoenix Timber Core. "I wont sell it to you even if you are willing to pay a premium on it..." School Head Jiang shook his head. "Alright then." Seeing how determined the other party was, Zhang Xuan could only sigh helplessly. "Then, may I know where the library of the Demonic Tunist School is and where I can take the demonic tunist examination? I would like to take the demonic tunist examination while I am here..." "You want to take the demonic tunist examination?" Recalling the huge cmity that had resulted from the young man before him taking the examinations of the other upations, School Head Jiangs lips twitched, and he hurriedly waved his hands. "No way!" "No way? Is School Head Jiang prohibiting me from taking the demonic tunist examination?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Thats not it..." Jiang Qingqinsplexion looks extremely awful, but he had no idea how he could speak about the matter. In truth, he had no right to stop the other party if the other party wanted to take the examination. After all, the students had their own freedom to take the examinations as they liked. It was utterly ridiculous for him to prevent a genius from taking the demonic tunist examination just because of his fear. If so, he would be unqualified to be a master teacher as well. Seeing that Jiang Qingqin was in a dilemma, Ning Hai discreetly sent a telepathic message to him. "School Head, arent you trying to achieve a breakthrough beyond the Attainment of Six Cranes? Considering the incredible reputation of that fellow, why dont you have him offer you some pointers on your demonic tunes? If he is able to help you reach Attainment of Seven Cranes, there is no harm giving him some Phoenix Timber Core. But if he fails... you will have a reason to turn him down and ask him to leave!" "This..." Hearing those words, Jiang Qingqins eyes suddenly lit up in enlightenment. Indeed! Since the other party was able to make all of the teachers and students of the Apothecary School willingly acknowledge him as his teacher, and even Wei Ranxue waspletely awed by his teaching, perhaps he might be able to do the same in demonic tunes as well! Chapter 824: Fly, Divine Cranes Chapter 824: Fly, Divine Cranes Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "As long as you can do something for me, its not impossible for me to give you some Phoenix Timber Core." With such thoughts in mind, Jiang Qingqin regained his confidence. "Oh?" Curious to know why the other party had suddenly changed his mind, Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "Currently, my zither ying can only draw in six cranes. If you can help me reach the Attainment of Seven Cranes within the next two hours, I can give the Phoenix Timber Core to you for free!" Jiang Qingqin revealed his motive. "Six cranes? Attainment of Seven Cranes? What are those?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered by those foreign terms. He had nevere into contact with any demonic tunist books before, and the other party used professional jargon specific to the upation, so he couldnt understand it at all. "You... dont know?" As the other party had said that he would challenge the demonic tunist exam, School Head Jiang had assumed that the other party possessed capability as a demonic tunist on par with him. Yet, to hear him ask such basic questions at this moment... Jiang Qingqin felt his vision turning dark, and he nearly spurted blood. The hell! These are terms one learns as an apprentice, and yet you dont know them... Could it be that you dont know a single thing about demonic tunists? An amateur like you dared to arrogantly dere that you would take the demonic tunist examination? "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright then... Of all demonic tunes, those involving zithers tend to possess the greatest offensive power, so most demonic tunists choose to immerse themselves in the study of the zither. It also became the basis to judge ones level of attainment as a demonic tunist. The deeper ones understanding of the zither, the more aligned ones zither ying will be with nature, drawing in more divine cranes to dance to ones melody. Under normal circumstances, a 1-star demonic tunist will be able to draw in one crane, and a 2-star will be able to draw in two cranes... so on and so forth. This is also the standard for determining a demonic tunists capability." Suppressing his frustration, Jiang Qingqin exined the basic knowledge, which even an apprentice would know. "I am currently a 6-star pinnacle demonic tunist, and I am only capable of charming six divine cranes to dance at once. Seven is still beyond my reach. If you can allow my zither ying to charm seven divine cranes to dance simultaneously... I will give my Phoenix Timber Core to you." "Seven divine cranes dancing simultaneously?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Thats right!" Jiang Qingqin nodded. "What I amcking now is just an impetus for a breakthrough. If you can help me aplish it, I will agree to your request. Otherwise... I will have to ask of you to leave and nevere back!" "This..." Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before turning his gaze to Jiang Qingqin. "In other words, as long as seven divine cranes dance simultaneously while you are ying, you will ede to my request... Can I interpret it as so?" "Thats right!" Jiang Qingqin nodded. "Thats simple! I wont even need two hours... Just five minutes will do!" Zhang Xuan smiled confidently. He was still thinking what kind of arduous mission he would be tasked with, but to think that this would be it. Count on me, I will solve it for you within moments! The two elders were stunned. "Just five minutes will do?" Are you for real? Jiang Qingqin had cultivated diligently for five hundred years only to yet to make the breakthrough to Attainment of Seven Cranes, and yet, within five minutes, you are going to make him make breakthrough? I thought you didnt even know about the six cranes and seven cranes, are you sure you possess the ability to do so? If you seed, putting aside the Phoenix Timber Core, I will even allow you to take the entire Phoenix Timber Tree away with you! "Of course!" Zhang Xuan reassured with a nod. "Thats good to hear. So, where did I go wrong? Why am I still unable to make a breakthrough after so many years?" Jiang Qingqin was a little hesitant, but as he recalled the unbelievable records the young man before him had achieved, he decided to put his trust in the other party. Even Vice School Head Ning couldnt help but be curious about what Zhang Xuan was going to do. To make such big ims, he must have some unbelievable means up his sleeves. Was this the prowess of a master teacher who hadprehended the Eye of Insight? "y the zither!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Alright!" Knowing that he had to first disy his capability before the other party could offer him any pointers, Jiang Qingqins fingers slid across the zither, and a note resonated in the air. It was like a melody had descended from the heavens, resounding in the courtyard. The melody mesmerized the listeners in an instant. It was a tune permeated with grandness, as if one had ascended to godhood and wasughing heartily at the world beneath his feet. Demonic tunist was an upation specializing in soul attacks. Upon reaching a high level of attainment, one could create an entire army or a destructive tempest with just a slight flick on the zither, making it difficult for even Saint realm experts to withstand their might. Legend has it that demonic tunists were once known as divine tunists. But twenty thousand years ago, a 9-star divine tunist found himself deeply encircled by his enemies. With his zither in hand, he drew out demons with his ying to ughter the million-strong army around him. That battle had forged the reputation of demonic tunist in the Master Teacher Continent. It was then that everyone learned that the seemingly unimpressive upation could wield such fearsome power as well, and it was in deference to them that the world had conferred on them the word demon. Impressive... Zhang Xuan had to drive his Heavens Path zhenqi before the pressure on his body finally disappeared. He couldnt help but be astonished. If he hadnt been prepared, he might have been left in a trance from the zither music. It seemed that even the upations of the Lower Nine Paths held immense potential in them. Otherwise, they couldnt possibly have been passed down over several dozen millennia without going into decline. "Hmm?" Jiang Qingqin frowned. He had been intending to teach the young man a lesson, so he had intentionally added an offensive edge to his ying. He had thought that the other party would have been mesmerized by his ying, especially given the other partys low cultivation, but who knew that in a blink of an eye, the other partys eyes would immediately be clear? He couldnt help but be impressed. It was no wonder the other party could induce such widespread fear around the academy, leaving even School Head Lu in a frenzy. As young as the other party might be, he did seem to possess unparalleled talent and capability. Hu hu hu! Impressed, Jiang Qingqin decided to stop with his little tricks, and the zither music abruptly became gentle. Upon hearing the music, some of the divine cranes suddenly began to call excitedly, and they rose into the sky to dance. One crane, two cranes, three cranes... Not longter, six cranes were dancing along to the zither music. Seeing that the zither music could indeed charm the divine cranes into dancing, Zhang Xuan nodded in awe. As a soul oracle, Zhang Xuan had a deep understanding of soul. This granted him the ability to induce effects reminiscent of demonic tunes with his words, such as inducing dizziness in anothers soul. However, it was still beyond him to charm so many divine cranes into dancing along to a melody. "Zhang shi, as you can see, I have achieved the Attainment of Six Cranes. However, I am still unable to charm the seventh crane. How should I y in order to make the breakthrough?" Jiang Qingqins voice echoed resoundingly amid the zither melody. Despite his advanced age, his voice had a melodious edge to it, reminiscent of singing. It felt extremefortable, and itplemented beautifully with the zither melody. "Leave it to me!" Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan chuckled. He stepped forward, heading to where the divine cranes were loitering around. Even after six of the cranes had left, there were still ten left in the group. Jiang Qingqin had been taking care of these cranes since they were young, so they were extremely obedient to him. At this moment, they were standing silently on the spot, seemingly enjoying the music. "Lets begin!" When Zhang Xuan was around ten meters away from a crane, he stretched his back and took in a deep breath. Heavens Path Movement Art! Heavens Path Fist Art! With a forceful step, his figure abruptly turned into an afterimage. Peng peng peng peng! Ten consecutive punches struck the ten remaining cranes standing peacefully on the spot. In an instant, they were sent flying, and their bodies crashed into the wall of the backyard, leaving a huge dent behind them. "..." Jiang Qingqin staggered. He was still wondering what pointers Zhang shi was going to offer him when thetter abruptlyid his hands on his crane, smashing them into the wall. In that instant, he nearly fainted from fury. Ding! In that moment of panic, Jiang Qingqin abruptly exerted too much force, and a string on the zither snapped, created an abrupt disharmonious note. ring at Zhang Xuan with eyes that could kill, he roared, "Zhang shi, what are you doing?" It was no wonder he was angry. He had taken care of those cranes from young, and he had long developed a sense of fondness for them. Even though he could tell that the other party had held back his punches, leaving a breath in his cranes... still, to pummel his cranes without any hesitation, unforgivable! "School Head Jiang, please calm down. Continue ying your melody... I will have seven cranes dancing before you very soon!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Very soon?" Jiang Qingqin was slightly hesitant. You are supposed to offer me pointers so that I can make a breakthrough in my demonic tune arts, but instead of focusing your attention on me, you turned to my cranes instead... Can I really make a breakthrough like this? "Trust me, you will see soon enough!" Zhang Xuan nodded in reassurance. "Humph! That had better be the case. Otherwise, youd better have an exnation for harming my cranes..." With a livid expression, Jiang Qingqin fixed the snapped string with his zhenqi and began ying once again. The fellow before him had created simply far too many miracles, and he had been stuck at the Attainment of Six Cranes for far too long. His eagerness to achieve a breakthrough and the other partys confidence in his words convinced him to give it another try. Triinngg ting tang ting! A melody that created the vivid imagery of a flowing river deep in the mountains drifted in the air, creating a soothing atmosphere. Upon hearing the music, the six divine cranes which had been spared from the previous injury began dancing in the air once again. Seeing how School Head Jiang could quickly keep his emotions in check and y an impable tune rich with emotions, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but nod inmendation. Chuckling softly, he waved his hands and said, "Fly freely, divine cranes!" Along with his words, one of the cranes which he had pummeled just a moment ago struggled to its feet, and with a loud call, it leaped into the sky to join the dancing six. "You... seeded?" Vice School Head Ning couldnt help but widen his eyes in shock. Wasnt Zhang Xuan going to offer some pointers to his old friend to help him achieve a breakthrough? Yet, with a fly freely, divine cranes, his old friend reached the Attainment of Seven Cranes just like that? But judging from the melody, it didnt seem like there was any improvement or change in his old friends ying whatsoever. Before Vice School Head Ning could make sense of what was happening, yet another crane struggled to its feet. After shaking its head to recover from its dizziness, it abruptly pped its wings, and with a loud call, it joined the dancing group. "Eight cranes..." Vice School Head Nings lips twitched. Wasnt his old friend still struggling to charm seven cranes a moment ago? How did it suddenly turn into eight cranes? Eight cranes... Did this mean that his old friend was on par with an 8-star demonic tunist... But his old friends music hadnt changed whatsoever, and Zhang shi hadnt offered any guidance either. How did the level of his ying abruptly rise like that? Just as Vice School Head Ning was still perplexed by the sight before him, the rest of the cranes, which had been struck into the wall, struggled to their feet, and shaking their heads, they pped their wings and soared into the sky as well. "Nine cranes, ten cranes, eleven cranes..." Vice School Head Ning was frenzied by the sight before him. For a moment, he was so agitated that he could hardly catch his breath. The highest level a demonic tunist could achieve was the Attainment of Nine Cranes, and yet, at this very moment, there were eleven cranes flying in the air. Not only so, the remaining cranes were showing signs of joining the dance as well... Just what was going on? Could Zhang shi really possess such mystical abilities? Even without giving any pointers, he could induce substantial improvement in another with just a momentary nce? Astonished, Vice School Head Ning hurriedly turned his attention back to his old friends ying in an attempt to feel if it had reached a profound level when one of the zither strings suddenly snapped. Seemingly having realized something, his old friends face turned as dark as the stormy clouds, and his hands had trembled to a stop as well. The usuallyposed Jiang Qingqin could no longer hold back his rage anymore, and a furious bellow reminiscent of the howling of a wolf echoed resoundingly in the courtyard. "Zhang Xuan! Screw you!" Chapter 825: Demonic Tunist Examination [2in1] Chapter 825: Demonic Tunist Examination [2in1] Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Whats wrong?" Seeing his old friend flying into such a rage, Vice School Head Ning was stunned. It had been five hundred years since he met Jiang Qingqin, and not once had he seen thetter losing hisposure before. In fact, there was even one time when a direct disciple of his betrayed Jiang Qingqin, and Jiang Qingqin evicted him from his lineage without the slightest hint of anger on his face... Yet, at this instant, he was bellowing furiously at a freshman without any regard for his bearings. Just what was going on? Hua! As soon as the melody came to a halt, the cranes in the sky descended back to the ground, and they called out delightfully, as if they had managed to achieve something incredible. "School Head, so did you achieve a breakthrough or not?" Vice School Head Ning asked curiously. Demonic tunist was very unlike most other upations, in the sense that its improvement was not strictly tied to ones cultivation or skills, but the deeper intent infused into the ying. Considering that Jiang Qingqin was able to charm so many divine cranes into dancing to his melody, it should mean that the level of his ying had risen significantly. Yet, for some reason, the intent he could feel from it didnt seem to have reached a higher level, so he couldnt help but feel a little doubtful. "The hell with breakthroughs!" School Head Jiang stood up furiously as he red at the young man in the distance, seemingly tempted to rush forward and tear thetter to shreds. Vice School Head Ning was unable toprehend what was going on. "You didnt achieve a breakthrough? Then why would the cranes..." It was an unchanging rule that the number of cranes one could charm into dancing would correspond to ones level of capability. Yet, just a moment ago, he had seen the unbelievable sight of sixteen cranes dancing harmoniously to a melody... "Why, you ask? Thats because he tamed my cranes!" Jiang Qingqin looked as if he was going to explode. When hed seen the other partys confident deration, he had thought that the other party might just have some mystical means to help him achieve a breakthrough. Yet, the other party had used some unknown method to tame ten of his cranes instead... Naturally, a tamed spirit beast would obey the orders of its master, so naturally, they flew at the other partysmand... "So, thats what happened..." Hearing the story, Vice School Head Ning also nearly fainted. What we meant by seven cranes dancing is a breakthrough in ones capability as a demonic tunist! What use is it for you to tame those cranes and make them dance at yourmand? If taming cranes and making them dance can represent ones capability as a demonic tunist, I would have found a few hundred cranes to do so long ago... Not expecting Jiang Qingqin to be furious even after he had done what the other party had asked him to, Zhang Xuan frowned. "School Head Jiang, you said it yourself that you will give me the Phoenix Timber Core as long as I can make seven divine cranes dance simultaneously to your melody. Now sixteen of them have done so... it cant be that you are intending to renege on your promise, can it?" "Renege on my promise? Renege your head!" Jiang Qingqin clenched his jaws so tightly together that it felt that his teeth might chip at any moment, and in that moment, he was on the verge of going berserk. Never ever have I seen someone as shameless as you! You are clearly just ying on my words; how can you still speak so brazenly? What I mean is for you to help me achieve a breakthrough, and yet, you ended up taming my cranes instead... You hadnt done what I asked you to, and you still dare to ask me for the Phoenix Timber Core? Not expecting that an esteemed master teacher would suddenly insult him like that, Zhang Xuan harrumphed furiously. "Vice School Head Ning, please help us judge this matter. Didnt School Head Jiang say that as long as seven cranes flew simultaneously to his melody, he would give the Phoenix Timber Crane to me? Does being the school head give one the right to take advantage of another like that?" "This..." Vice School Head Nings lips twitched uncontrobly. Previously, his old friend had said these exact words, "If you can allow my zither ying to charm seven divine cranes to dance simultaneously... I will give my Phoenix Timber Core to you." Even though the implied meaning was to offer pointers such as to raise his old friends level of ying, if one were to just look at the meaning of the words itself... Zhang Xuans interpretation wasnt wrong either! Sixteen cranes had danced in the air, so technically speaking, the other party had already fulfilled what had been asked of him. After a moment of hesitation, Vice School Head spoke slowly. "Zhang shi, what School Head Jiang means by seven cranes is the level of his ying... This is jargonmonly used by demonic tunists. While you did manage to make seven cranes dance simultaneously to his tune, the way you did was via the means of a beast tamer. Isnt that twisting the meaning of his request?" You said that we are taking advantage of you, but you are the one who is bullying us. What Jiang Qingqin meant was the level of his ying, but you used the means of a beast tamer to resolve the problem instead... It doesnt work like that! It was only then that Zhang Xuan finally realized what was going on. "Ah!" He had really thought that it would suffice as long as he could make the cranes dance to the other partys melody, and he had even asked once again to double check it. But from the looks of it now, the matter wasnt as simple as he had thought. It was amunication error... Considering how valuable the Phoenix Timber Core was, he knew that it couldnt possibly be so easy! After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "So, what you mean is for me to raise School Head Jiangs level of ying... You should have said so earlier! Since thats the case, may I know where the Demonic Tunist Schools library is? I would like to take a look in there!" He could easily make a thousand divine cranes dance in the air, but to raise the capability of a 6-star demonic tunist... his knowledge was still far toocking at the moment. He would have to first read some books in order to gain some understanding of the demonic tunist upation first. "Our library?" Hearing Zhang Xuan ask about this matter again, Vice School Head Ning frowned in doubt. "Yes... I have noticed a few things about School Head Jiangs current state, but there are still a few aspects that I am still unable to make sense of. I wish to browse through some books to verify certain details first beforeing to a conclusion!" Zhang Xuan replied. The Library of Heavens Path allowed him to see through the ws of another, but it didnt provide him with the solution. Without any understanding of demonic tunists, there was no way he coulde up with a suitable solution to School Head Jiangs problem. Only after browsing through some books and reaching the same level as the other party or even higher would he be able to resolve the ws that the other party had. However, he could not speak of this matter. Otherwise, he would have been kicked out under the suspicions of being a lunatic, so he could only make up a reason on the spot. "This..." Vice School Head Ning shot a nce at Jiang Qingqin, who was still furious about the happenings a moment ago. Vice School Head Ning sent the school head a telepathic message. "Should we let him into our library?" "If my problem could be resolved just by browsing through books, do you think I would have been stuck at this bottleneck for over five hundred years?" Jiang Qingqin scoffed in skepticism. "I will reject him then..." Vice School Head Ning replied. "Wait a moment... It isnt much of a problem to allow him into our library. How about we do this... Tell him that we will allow him to enter, but if he is still unable to induce a rise in the level of my ying, he can forget about obtaining the Phoenix Timber Core from me!" Jiang Qingqin said. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "Also... he is only allowed to browse through the books. He isnt to cause any trouble or destruction in the Demonic Tunist School!" His original intention was to turn Zhang Xuan down, but fearing that he might start demanding to take their examination or challenge their trial the next moment, he swiftly changed his mind and decided to ede to thetters request instead. Since the purpose of a library was for one to enhance their knowledge, it wasnt a big deal to allow Zhang Xuan in to browse through their books. But of course, that was assuming that the other party didnt cause any trouble. "Alright!" Vice School Head Ning nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan to ry those words. Hearing that he was allowed entry into the library, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Dont worry, I wont cause any trouble..." "The library is around the back; Ill take you over there!" Vice School Head Ning said as he led the way forward. Since it would take some time for him to browse through the books, Zhang Xuan had Sun Qiang return to the manor first before following closely behind Vice School Head Ning. The Demonic Tunist Schools library was significantly smaller than the Apothecary Schools and Physician Schools. With his authority as a vice school head, Ning Hai was able to open ess of the library to Zhang Xuan without requiring a student token or Academic Credits on the other partys part. "Thank you, Vice School Head Ning." Entering the library, Zhang Xuan saw innumerable books stacked on shelves, and his eyes lit up. "Alright, Ill leave you be. If you have any requests, feel free to have any student ry it to me!" Ning Hai said before bidding Zhang Xuan farewell. Zhang Xuan responded with a nod before turning his eyes back onto the huge collection of books before him. Possessing the ability to store books into the Library of Heavens Path with just a nce, he didnt need to go through the trouble of flipping through the books like before. Focusing his gaze, the books on the shelves began appearing in the Library of Heavens Path at an incredible speed. Just like the library in the Terpsichore School, there were hardly any students in here. However, this yed just to Zhang Xuans liking. It would be a bother if others were to disturb him while he was taking in the books. One book, two books... one hundred books, two hundred books... one thousand books, two thousand books... In a few hours, Zhang Xuan managed to sessfully take in the several million books stored in the library. Compiling them, he formed the 1-star to 6-star Heavens Path Demonic Tune Arts. I should start reading them now! As there was no one around, Zhang Xuan simply found a more spacious area and sat there. Immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, he began studying from the 1-star Heavens Path Demonic Tune Art. Six hourster, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. At that very moment, his understanding of demonic tunes had already reached 6-star, putting him on par or even above that of School Head Jiang Qingqin. Since I have attained the capability of a 6-star demonic tunist, I should make use of this chance to take the demonic tunist examination and obtain the 6-star emblem for myself! In order to make the advancement to a 6-star master teacher, he had to have 6-star emblems in six supporting upations. At that moment, he had the 6-star emblems for cksmith, physician, apothecary, and terpsichore, and hecked another two. Since he was already in the Demonic Tunist School, and he had some time to spare, it would be best for him to get this over with. Thus, he left the library, and after asking around, he headed for the Demonic Tunist A, where the demonic tunist examination was held. Unlike the Tower of Physicians, the Demonic Tunist A was a spherical building with an opening at the top, reminiscent of an observatory in his previous life. Those who intended to take the demonic tunist examination would sit at the very front row and y their instrument. The music would be amplified by the walls before echoing up into the heavens. Upon hearing the melody, the cranes residing in the school would fly over and dance merrily to the tune. After which, the examinees level of ying would be assessed by the number of cranes drawn in. Just outside of the Demonic Tunist A stood a young man who was currently snoozing on a table. He was probably the student worker in charge of facilitating the examinations in the Demonic Tunist A. Walking up to the table, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and said, "Senior, I would like to take the demonic tunist examination!" "You want to take the demonic tunist examination?" The young man rubbed his eyes and took a good look at Zhang Xuan before asking, "What rank?" "I have never taken the examination before, so I intend to start from the 1-star examination," Zhang Xuan replied. "Start from the 1-star examination? Thats fine. Here are the music scores used for the 1-star examination. You have to choose a piece from here and y it for the examination. As long as you draw in a single crane with your ying, the Demonic Tunist A will automatically award you a pass. You may start whenever you are ready!" the young man said as he passed a file of music scores over. Only certain scores were allowed in the demonic tunist examinations. One had to disy the capability of a 1-star demonic tunist through those specific scores in order to pass the 1-star examination. "Alright!" After reading through the books in the library, Zhang Xuan had also gained a rough understanding of the typical rules concerning the demonic tunist examinations, so he didnt have much trouble with that. However, there was another problem that he faced... "That... I dont have a zither with me, so may I borrow one?" Zhang Xuan asked awkwardly. The young mans eyes widened in disbelief. "You dont have a zither? Why are you here if you dont even have a zither with you?" A zither to a demonic tunist is like a sword to a swordsman or a brush to a painter. Yet, you wish to take the examination without even having one in your possession... You must be pulling my leg! To want to take the demonic tunist without a zither at hand, you really are one-of-a-kind! "That... I remember that if an examinee doesnt possess a suitable zither, he can borrow one from the Demonic Tunist School..." Zhang Xuan said. With the books he had read, he had also gained a good grasp regarding the rules concerning the Demonic Tunist School as well. Based on what he knew, the Demonic Tunist School lent zithers to examinees who needed them, and it wasnt against the rules to do so. "Its true that you can borrow a zither from our school, but putting aside the fact that those zithers are of subpar quality, they are also extremely old and worn. Its possible that the strings may snap just by exerting the slightest force on them, so your results will not be ideal if you use them... Are you certain about this?" the young man asked doubtfully. The zithers of the Demonic Tunist School were crafted to only have the bare basics required. Furthermore, they hadnt been used for many years, so they had already gotten rusty. It was questionable whether any of them could y a proper tune or not, and to use one in an examination... the chances of clearing the examination would be unimaginably low. This was precisely the reason very few people were willing to use it. "I am certain!" Zhang Xuan nodded. It would be rather troublesome for him to head out now to purchase a zither, and it was unlikely that he would use it often. Thus, to spare himself the trouble, he decided to simply use the schools zithers. "Alright then!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had decided on the matter, the young man shook his head and walked into a room behind his table. Not too longter, he returned with an extremely worn-out zither and a few zither strings. "Use it carefully. These are spare strings for you to rece with should any snap in the midst of your ying. You have two hours. If you fail to draw a single crane within the time limit, it will mean that you have failed the examination!" the young man said. In truth, he didnt have much confidence in the fellow standing before him. How could there be a demonic tunist who didnt even possess a zither of his own? The fact that he didnt possess a zither likely meant that hecked practice and that his skills were subpar. asionally, he would encounter such arrogant students who had an absurdly optimistic view of their own skills. "Noted." Taking the zither, Zhang Xuan paid the fee required for the examination before heading into the Demonic Tunist A. The results for the demonic tunist examination were primarily determined by the divine cranes, so there was no need forplicated formations which consumed a great deal of energy to be inscribed onto the Demonic Tunist A. On top of that, there were rarely any examinees around as well. In order to encourage more students to take the examination, the Demonic Tunist School decided to waive the payment of the Academic Credits and charge only a small amount of spirit stones for the examination. Walking to the center of the Demonic Tunist A via a long passageway, Zhang Xuan found himself surrounded by thick walls inscribed with unique patterns. Zither melodies seemed to resonate with those patterns, amplifying the sound many times over. However, and fortunately as well, this sound could only be heard by the divine cranes. There was not a single person in sight within the Demonic Tunist A. Zhang Xuan walked straight up to the round stage at the very center and ced the old zither on the small wooden table there. After which, he ced his finger on the music scores and imprinted them into his mind. "Its quite a simple tune..." Zhang Xuan chuckled softly to himself. Having mastered the 6-star Heavens Path Demonic Tune Art, his level of ying was currently, at the bare minimum, on par with School Head Jiang. To him, ying the score prepared for the 1-star examination was nothing more than a walk in the park. "I should give the zither a try first..." cing his finger on the zither, Zhang Xuan plucked a string lightly, and a crisp sound reminiscent of a flowing river striking against a boulder sounded. Even though the sound produced by the zither wascking in richness, it was at least still usable. "Alright, time to begin!" Calming his mind, Zhang Xuan began moving his fingers, and a beautiful melody began permeating the room. ... In the Demonic Tunist School, School Head Office... "He didnt cause any trouble, right?" Seeing Vice School Head Ning walk into the office, Jiang Qingqin couldnt help but ask that, his tone tinged with unease. Vice School Head Ning shook his head. "He didnt." Truthfully, he had also been a little worried previously. This was also the reason he had stood outside the library for several hours to ensure that nothing wrong was going to happen, before he eventually convinced himself that it was safe to leave. Jiang Qingqin heaved a sigh of relief. "Thats good..." "However..." At this point, Vice School Head suddenly spoke up hesitantly with a deep frown. "Whats wrong?" Jiang Qingqin hurriedly asked. Honestly, the rumors regarding that fellow were simply far too frightening. He couldnt help but pay careful heed to every single action the other party did. "This morning, he left the library and headed to the Demonic Tunist A. If Im not mistaken, I think he intends to take the demonic tunist examination!" Vice School Head Ning said. Jiang Qingqins eyelids twitched as he asked, "Doesnt he know nothing about demonic tune arts? Why is he taking the examination?" "Im not too sure either... I was fearful that he would wreak havoc, so I secretly followed behind him and watched the situation from the outside. However, I saw the fifteen cranes stationed for the examination flying into the Demonic Tunist A, and they didnt leave while I was there!" With a tight frown, Vice School Head Ning recounted what he had seen. In order to ensure that the examination could be held at any time, the Demonic Tunist A had also reared fifteen cranes of their own. "They flew into the Demonic Tunist A? But even if that fellow is taking the 6-star demonic tunist examination, six should be enough. For fifteen of them to fly in... just what is he up to?" Jiang Qingqin was perplexed. Fifteen cranes flew over when only six were needed... Something was definitely amiss! "Im also a little bewildered by this matter, thats why I came here to discuss it with you..." Vice School Head Ning nodded. "Discuss? This isnt the time for discussions! We have to rush over to take a look. Otherwise, who knows if that fellow will kill all of our cranes and roast them for his breakfast..." Recalling the various bizarre feats that young man had aplished, Jiang Qingqins face darkened. He immediately stood up to rush out of his office, but at that moment, jiya!, the office doors opened, and a head peeped in around the side. "That... School Head Jiang, I wish to take the demonic tunist examination, but there arent enough cranes around. Can you lend some to me?" Zhang Xuan asked awkwardly. Jiang Qingqin frowned deeply upon hearing those words. "How many do you intend to borrow?" Beside him, Vice School Head Ning also widened his eyes in disbelief. There arent enough cranes around? You have fifteen cranes over there... Never has the Demonic Tunist A received aint about having insufficient cranes; why are you the only exception? Just what in the world did you do to our cranes?! At that instant, School Head Jiang and Vice School Head Ning felt extremely choked up within. Chapter 826: 5-star Demonic Tunist Chapter 826: 5-star Demonic Tunist Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Returning back to the time when Zhang Xuan first began ying in the Demonic Tunist A. As the melody was amplified by the walls, it gradually crescendoed before spilling out from the top. Qiu! Not too longter, with a crisp call, a crane flew over. Under the influence of the beautiful melody, it began to dance delightfully. Great, one came... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Since a crane hade over, it meant he had cleared his 1-star demonic tunist examination. Let me see if I can lure two over... Without changing the score, Zhang Xuan adjusted his state of mind and executed the Heavens Path Demonic Tunist Art 2-dan. In an instant, the zither melody abruptly became sharp and deste. Under normal circumstances, taking the examination of the next rank would require a change in the music score, but Zhang Xuan was toozy to head out to take it from the young man. In any case, this melody sounded rather pleasant, so he decided to go as far as he could for the moment. Switching from the Heavens Path Demonic Tunist Art 1-dan to 2-dan, the intent behind Zhang Xuans ying suddenly grew much richer, and the sound he produced seemed to have be far more vibrant and resounding as well. Qiu! However, the difference in the ying seemed to exert immense pressure on the dancing crane. As if it had suffered some kind of attack, it shrieked fearfully before abruptly plummeting from the sky and fainting. "This..." Astonished, Zhang Xuan hurried forward to check on the state of the crane. After verifying that the crane had only lost consciousness, he heaved a sigh of relief. Could it be that... this music score is unsuited for the 2-star demonic tunist examination? Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. No, that shouldnt be it. The core of a demonic tune art lies not in the score but in the intent behind it... Perhaps the rise in my intent doesntplement the music score... If thats the case, it should work as long as I alter the score correspondingly! Music, just like the dance of a terpsichore, was nothing more than a medium. What stood at the core of demonic tunes was still the intent. Take painting for example, as long as one reached a profound level of proficiency in their painting skills, one would be able to ry ones intent no matter what one drew; the content of the painting itself served as nothing more than a medium. What Zhang Xuan was currently experiencing was likely to be the disharmony between the richness of the intent he was rying and the music score he was using. As long as he made adjustments ordingly, there shouldnt be any problem with it. Given his current eye of discernment and understanding of demonic tune arts, altering a music score wasnt too difficult for him. Before long, he had managed to alter the melody to suit his current intent. Thus, his fingers began plucking at the strings of the zither once more. As he had expected, not too longter, another two cranes flew into the Demonic Tunist A and danced above him. Seeing that it worked, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in delight. Having passed the 2-star demonic tunist examination, Zhang Xuan began adjusting his state of mind once more to evoke the intent of a 3-star demonic tunist when his fingers abruptly moved too forcefully, and pah!, a string snapped. As this was the first time he was ying a zither, he failed to keep his strength properly in check, resulting in this unfortunate event... Padah! Padah! Yet another two cranes fell to the ground, convulsing uncontrobly. White foam was spilling from the edges of their mouths, and their eyes were rolled back, revealing only the whites. Somehow, they seemed to exude an aura of indignation, seemingly saying "We have onlye over in appreciation of your music, must you do this to us?"... "Urgh..." The edges of Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He was only taking the 2-star demonic tunist examination, but three cranes had already fainted. He was probably the first one to do so ever since the establishment of the Demonic Tunist School. But it honestly wasnt intentional! The quality of this zither was simply too poor! I mustnt allow any problems to ur anymore... Determined to change his image, Zhang Xuan assessed the score and the zither properly, and only after confirming that there wasnt any problem did he continue to y once more. As the music permeated the room, it didnt take too long for three cranes to fly into the Demonic Tunist A. This time, Zhang Xuan had made sure to control his strength properly, so he didnt hurt any of the cranes this time around. It was also the same for the 4-star examination as well. However, just as he was just about to make the transition into the 5-star level of ying, he identally exerted too much strength again, and pah!, another zither string snapped. The sharp dissonance from the snapping of the cranes left the four happily dancing cranes plummeting to the ground. The zither didnt pose much of a problem for the melodies he had yed up to 3-star, but it seemed that it was swiftly approaching the limits of its durability at 4-star. Furthermore, Zhang Xuans overwhelmingly powerful soul paired with hisck of proficiency in zither ying made it extremely difficult to control his strength perfectly. However, knowing that there was no better zither he could borrow, he could only suppress his frustration and continue with the examination. The most he could do at the moment was just to be more careful than before. Thus, he began making preparations for his 5-star demonic tunist examination. Upon reaching 5-star, one could be already considered an expert of the Demonic Tunist School. Naturally, the difficulty of the exam was also far harder than those before. Gathering his focus, Zhang Xuan began plucking at the strings, and a mesmerizing melody resounded throughout the room. The other cranes seemed to be a little apprehensive at approaching the melody this time around, so they didnt rush over immediately like before. Instead, it was five minutes into the ying when they finally fly over. Seeing five cranes dancing to his melody above, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Heaving a sigh of relief, he was just about toe to the end of the tune when pah pah!, the zither strings snapped once again, two this time. Under the abrupt dissonance, the five dancing cranes red at Zhang Xuan resentfully for an instant and chirped furiously before they followed in the footsteps of the others and plummeted to the ground. Looking at the twelve unconscious divine cranes lying in his surroundings, Zhang Xuan felt the sight before him turning dark. He really didnt do it intentionally! That darned zither was simply far too lousy to harness the might of his soul! This was just like having an adult draw a childs bow. The slightestpse in concentration might cause one to lose control of the weapon. It was fortunate that the souls of the cranes were only jolted, resulting in a temporary loss of consciousness. Otherwise, if he were to really cripple twelve of the Demonic Tunist Schools cranes by taking the demonic tunist examination, School Head Jiang Qingqin just might skin him alive! Nevertheless, this situation had put him in a dilemma. While Zhang Xuan could wake them up with his means as a soul oracle, his actions would have likely left a trauma in the cranes mind. Thus, in the short run at the very least, they would be unlikely to be drawn to his music. In other words, these twelve cranes were incapable of judging his level of ying at the moment. But nevertheless, I have sessfully cleared the 5-star examination, so I am officially a 5-star demonic tunist now... I think I should just get to 6-star in one go! Zhang Xuan thought. It would be too troublesome to return to the Demonic Tunist School another day, and Zhang Xuan also knew that he had the capability to clear the 6-star demonic tunist examination at the moment as well. Even though the conditions might not be ideal, he still wanted to give it a try. Thus, he reconnected the snapped strings and adjusted his state of mind before ying once more. A clear and beautiful melody echoed amid the clouds, and ten minutester, three divine cranes flew over. Why are there only three cranes? Zhang Xuan was certain that he had yed at the level of a 6-star demonic tunist, but only three cranes had arrived. He couldnt help but be perplexed by the bizarre situation before him. He continued ying, hoping that more cranes would arrive soon, but even as he reached the end of his melody, no other cranes arrived around him. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only give up and head out. It seemed like due to the limitations resulting from the quality of the zither, 5-star was the current limit of his performance. Most likely, he wouldnt be able to clear the 6-star examination that day. When Zhang Xuan walked out, the young man at the entrance took a look at him, and upon seeing his depressed face, he chuckled lightly and said, "The demonic tunist examination wasnt that easy as you expected, was it?" "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He had thought that clearing the 6-star demonic tunist examination would be a piece of cake to him, but the tools he had at hand was simply far too poor. It seemed like he would have to find an opportunity to purchase a zither that was suited for him before attempting the examination once more. "Do you know where I can purchase a better zither here?" Zhang Xuan asked the young man. "If you want a truly good zither, you will have to craft it yourself. Only then will you be able to tailor it to your own needs and bring out your full potential," the young man exined. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan nodded and replied, "Got it!" Having read countless books, he knew a fair bit about the crafting of zithers as well. However, he didnt have any time to spare for that at the moment, and there wasnt any good material at hand for that either. It seemed like that would have to wait then. "Where do I get the emblem from clearing the examination?" Zhang Xuan asked. While it was regretful that he didnt clear the 6-star examination, it would still be good for him to obtain the 5-star emblem first. "Emblem? You cleared the 1-star examination?" The young man was surprised. Nevertheless, he raised his finger and pointed. "You can get your emblem over there. Just ce your palm on the wall, and it will give you the corresponding emblem!" Zhang Xuan walked in the direction where the young man gestured toward, and soon, he found himself standing before a wall. It seemed to be a mechanism simr to the one in the Ocean of Weapons in the cksmith School. He ced his palm on the wall. Padah! An emblem with five shining stars on it fell out. "5-star..." The young man who had followed Zhang Xuan, curious to see if he had really cleared the 1-star examination, was shocked to see the 5-star emblem. To clear the 1-star to 5-star examination in a single go... and to use the old zither from the school at that... Just how did he do it? If it was the young man himself, he wouldnt even be able to clear the 3-star examination with a worn zither like that! Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, the young man said, "You should have told me that you were going to take the 5-star examination... I could have had the cranes prepare themselves for it. Otherwise, even if your zither melody reaches the required level, if the cranes arent around to hear it, or if there isnt a sufficient number of cranes around, you might have failed the examination..." "Insufficient number of cranes?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before a thought struck him. "How many cranes does the Demonic Tunist School have in total?" "Fifteen!" the young man replied. "The school head has reared a couple of them as well, but they are situated a little far from the Demonic Tunist A, so they arent able to hear the zither melody and participate in the evaluation of the examination..." "Fifteen?" Zhang Xuan suddenly realized what was going on. The reason there were insufficient cranes in his 6-star examination wasnt due to hiscking capability, but that twelve of them were lying unconscious on the ground, and the remaining three were already dancing above him... There were no more cranes left to judge his performance! That exined why the final three cranes were staring at him fearfully, seemingly tempted to flee, but mesmerized by the music, they couldnt bring themselves to do so... "Can insufficient cranes can lead to a situation where a qualified examinee fails?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Indeed. The Demonic Tunist A determines the examinees capability based on the number of cranes that have gathered in the surroundings. Naturally, if there arent sufficient cranes in the area, the Demonic Tunist A can only deem it a failure!" the young man replied. "I see... Thank you for your enlightenment." Having understood what was going on, Zhang Xuan hurriedly left for School Head Jiangs office. Since there werent sufficient cranes in the area, he would just have to borrow three more... But he couldnt help but be a little worried... Would School Head Jiang be willing to lend his cranes to him? Chapter 827: Zither Dissension of the Cranes Chapter 827: Zither Dissension of the Cranes Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Upon understanding what had happened, Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hais eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. To render twelve cranes unconscious in a demonic tunist examination, you have truly made history today! After confirming that the cranes had only fainted, Jiang Qingqin heaved a sigh of relief before turning to Zhang Xuan. "The school zithers are made out of ordinary materials, so they are usually only used in 1-star examinations. Beyond that, examinees are expected to bring their own zithers along with them... I understand your situation. Why dont you use my zither to y here? If six cranes dance to your melody, I will apply for your 6-star demonic tunist emblem personally!" "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Since the other party had volunteered to apply for the 6-star emblem for him, he was spared an additional trip to the Demonic Tunist A. Taking the zither from Jiang Qingqins hands, he gently brushed his fingers past the strings, and a crisp sound reminiscent of top-quality jades shing with one another sounded. "A good zither this is!" Zhang Xuanmended. Just by listening to the sound produced by School Head Jiangs zither, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was innumerable times better than the old zither he had used previously. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan adjusted his state of mind before beginning to y a light melody. "A 1-star music score?" Seeing how that fellow was ying a 1-star music score, both Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai shook their heads. However, just as they were about to speak, the cranes in the courtyard abruptly flew over. No more and no less, there were exactly six of them! "It is actually possible to charm six cranes simultaneously with a 1-star music score?" Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai nearly fainted from shock upon seeing that sight. A 1-star music score, as the name suggested, was an elementary demonic tune, and it was limited in its prowess. To make an analogy, it was like a Mortal battle techniqueno matter how exquisitely one executed it, there was a cap on the prowess one could exert through it. Even if they were to y a 1-star music score, it wouldnt be very effective. Yet, the young man before him had actually charmed six cranes into dancing to a 1-star music score... Was this still the same fellow who knew nothing about six cranes or seven cranes several hours ago?! To be like this after a night of studying... Just what kind of monster are you? It is no wonder you were able to create such a storm in the Master Teacher Academy... your talent is terrifying! "What if... he uses a 6-star music score?" Vice School Head Ning couldnt help but wonder at the possibility. Since the young man was capable of bringing out the prowess of a 6-star demonic tunist with a 1-star music score, what would happen if he were to use a 6-star music score? Would seven cranes soar into the sky instantaneously? Would he immediately make the breakthrough to be a 7-star demonic tunist? With such thoughts in mind, the eyes of the duo immediately lit up. Thus, at the end of Zhang Xuans current piece, Jiang Qingqin flicked his wrist and took out a music score. "Zhang shi, this is a 6-star music score, Tides of the Spring Moon. Give it a try!" Zhang Xuan took the music score and looked through it. As expected of a 6-star music score, it was indeed significantly moreplex than the one he had yed previously. However, theplexity also made it easier for him to draw out the richness of the intent he harnessed within. If he could only bring out 30% of the intent as a 6-star demonic tunist with the previous tune, he could bring out 100% with the one he was currently looking at, or perhaps, if he were to utilize the music score well, it could even go beyond that! Triiiing ting tang ting! After contemting how he would y the tune, Zhang Xuanid his hands on the zither once more, and a melody carrying a faint trace of authority within it burst into the surroundings. As if a rising tide, it filled the entire courtyard. Hearing the zither melody, in a moment of daze, Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai seemed to see a beautiful full moon rising gradually from the waters surface. Amid the spring night, it brought a dim illumination to the world beneath as the darker side to the world sprung to life. The spring river coalesced with the calm sea; a brilliant moon rose amid the tides. Shimmering waves charged along with the tides into the horizon, and nary was there a sight devoid of moonlight! Qiu! Qiu! The melody grew more and more fleeting, and under the influence of the atmosphere, the cranes soared into the sky. One crane, two cranes, three cranes... In the blink of an eye, six cranes were already dancing above Zhang Xuan, seemingly dancing along with the waves, mesmerized by the radiance of the moon. Hu! Just as School Head Jiang and Vice School Head Ning were enchanted by the melody as well, the remaining ten cranes by the side called out simultaneously, and one of them soared up to join the dancing six. But before that crane could even get close, another one leaped up to bite it and dragged it down to the ground. After which, a second crane spread its wings and prepared to fly up, but before it could lift off the ground, yet another crane rushed forward to stop it. In the blink of an eye, the remaining ten cranes were tangled in a ferocious fight against one another, unwilling to let each other get ahead of them. In just a short moment, a rain of feathers had already fallen to the ground, and blood dyed the surroundings red. The cranes, which had lived harmoniously with one another for many years, were currently ring hostilely at one another as if they were archenemies, dying to tear each other apart with their beaks. "This..." Jiang Qingqins body couldnt help but shudder at that sight, and he uttered hoarsely, "This is the phenomenon which only one who has achieved an astounding grasp of demonic tunes can produce... Zither Dissension of the Cranes?" The capability of a demonic tunist was determined by the number of cranes they could charm with the melody they yed. However, if all of them were enticed into dancing, a situation might ur where theypeted with one another for the slot. The divine crane was an extremely proud beast. If they were to see theirpanions dancing to a melody, they would be reluctant to make a move themselves, unless... the demonic tunists level of ying had reached an unbelievable level, inducing an uncontroble urge within the cranes to dance to the zither melody. However, there was a limit to the slots. Thus, they could only tussle with one another to fight over it. Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! The ten cranes fought with one another ferociously, determined to be the final one to join the group. After a long and bloodied battle, which resulted in a tragic grave of feathers on the ground, the victorious crane finally pped its wings and joined the group unsteadily. But while it had won, it was a miserable victory. Its feathers had nearly all been torn off by its otherpanions, revealing the crimson flesh and skin beneath. The dance of a featherless cranethere was not one thing that was divine or graceful about it! At the end of the music piece, Zhang Xuan finally recovered from the trance he had fallen into in the midst of his ying, and when he saw the bloodied mess from the tragic battle of the ten cranes, he leaped in horror. What happened while I was ying the zither? Just as Zhang Xuan was bewildered by the absurd sight before him, he suddenly saw Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai rushing to him with eyes gleaming in excitement. "This... Does this mean that I have cleared the 6-star demonic tunist examination?" Zhang Xuan asked. "If this doesnt constitute a pass, nothing will... Dont worry, I will apply for the 7-star demonic tunist emblem for you right now!" Jiang Qingqin said. "7-star emblem?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Indeed. Yourprehension of demonic tunes has definitely reached 7-star!" Jiang Qingqin nodded in awe. To be able to induce the Zither Dissension of the Cranes, his capability was even above that of ordinary 7-star demonic tunists! Upon hearing that the other party would help him apply for the emblem, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "Thank you!" With this, he would have five supporting upations cleared. As long as he received another 6-star emblem and his cultivation reached the required level, he would be able to attempt the 6-star master teacher examination! On top of that, with hisprehension of demonic tunes reaching the level of a 7-star demonic tunist, it would be much easier for Zhang Xuan to help Jiang Qingqin achieve a breakthrough in his level of ying as well. Activating his Eye of Insight, he began assessing Jiang Qingqin carefully, but a momentter, a peculiar expression surfaced on his face. "Whats wrong? Is it impossible for me to achieve a breakthrough?" Seeing Zhang Xuans expression, School Head Jiang couldnt help but be worried. He had thought that it would be easy for the other party to offer him pointers for him to achieve a breakthrough given the level of attainment the other party had achieved, but from the looks of it, he was probably being too optimistic. But that was no wonder. If it was that easy to make the breakthrough to a 7-star demonic tunist, he wouldnt have been stuck at a bottleneck for an entire five hundred years. Seeing the disappointed look on School Head Jiangs face, Zhang Xuan hurriedly exined the situation. "Its not that its impossible, but... "... you have already made the breakthrough. Yourprehension of demonic tunes... has already reached the level of 7-star!" "I have already made the breakthrough?" School Head Jiang was stunned. Even Vice School Head Ning was dumbstruck after hearing Zhang Xuans words. Are you for real? It was just yesterday that I was still stuck at the Attainment of Six Cranes, and I havent really done anything since. How and when did I achieve the breakthrough? "If Im not mistaken, School Head Jiang must have a transcendent view of worldly affairs. You view all matters with nonchnce, am I right?" Zhang Xuan asked. Vice School Head Ning nodded in agreement. "School Head Jiang is a veryposed person. He is able to retain his calm even in the face of a cmity." He had always been in awed of his old friends ability to allow nothing to get to him. "It is not without reason that demonic tunes have such a prefix. In order to truly understand the essence of the word demon, one has to experience the various vicissitudes of lifebirth, death, illness, separation, nostalgia, desire, envy... These are the emotions that provoke us to strive for greater heights... Possessing a transcendent view of worldly affairs mean that your mind has stagnated. As such, how can you expect to reach greater heights?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This..." Jiang Qingqin fell into deep contemtion. Five hundred years ago, he had undergone a major event which allowed him to view most affairs with nonchnce. He had thought that he had achieved enlightenment, but from the looks of it, that wasnt the case. "Living in the mortal world, it is only normal for us to be involved in and affected by worldly affairs. To pay no heed to them and even avoid thinking about them... that isnt transcending beyond mortal affairs but escapism! If you have already chosen to escape from everything you faced, how can you possibly pave your way forward to aplish a breakthrough?" Zhang Xuan questioned. "Youre right..." Jiang Qingqins face paled in realization. The other party was right. To pay no heed to worldly affairs was not enlightenment but escapism! "There are many experts who would immerse themselves within the vicissitudes of life and experience all kinds of emotions so as to find the impetus to achieve a breakthrough. Yet, you chose to do the opposite. You secluded yourself in your residence, choosing to involve yourself in nothing at all... That is the reason you have been stuck at a bottleneck for the past five hundred years!" Zhang Xuan sighed deeply inmentation. "Yesterday, by taming your cranes, I managed to evoke your anger, resulting in a ripple in your stagnated state of mind, which became the impetus for you to ovee your bottleneck. In other words... you achieved a breakthrough yesterday!" It was just yesterday that he didnt understand the true difference between six cranes and seven cranes, thinking that it would do as long as he convinced the seventh crane to join in the dance. Who could have known that an unintentional act on his part would actually allow the other party to achieve a breakthrough... It was indeed a blessing in disguise! If he hadnt experienced such a matter personally, it would have been hard for him to believe that there could be such a coincidence in the world. After hearing the lecture, Jiang Qingqin closed his eyes for a brief moment, and the days he had spent over the past five hundred years shed through his mind in an instant. The next moment, he stood up, sped his fist, and bowed. Determination and gratitude could be seen in his eyes. "Zhang shi, thank you for your guidance. From today onward, in the path of a demonic tunist, you shall be my teacher!" "This... How can I?" Not expecting that the esteemed head of the Demonic Tunist School would suddenly acknowledge him as his teacher, Zhang Xuan was astonished for an instant before swiftly waving his hands. "It is proficiency and not seniority that matters in the path of learning! I might have been studying demonic tunes for a far longer time than you, but myprehension of it still isnt as deep as yours... Your words today have answered a doubt that I have harbored for more than five hundred years. Until you are willing to acknowledge me, I will not rise from my bow!" Jiang Qingqin said persistently. "This... Alright then!" Seeing the determination and earnestness in the other partys actions, Zhang Xuan eventually relented. With his eptance, the Library of Heavens Path in his mind jolted lightly, and a golden page materialized. However, this wasnt the time to be looking at it. Zhang Xuan hurried forward to help School Head Jiang up. "Teacher, I will chop down the Phoenix Timber Tree now and procure its core for you. As for its trunk, I will craft a suitable zither for you!" School Head Jiang said. "Ill be troubling you..." Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, they chatted awhile longer, and Zhang Xuan offered Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai some pointers regarding demonic tunes which benefitted the duo greatly. Two hourster, with the Phoenix Timber Corewhich Jiang Qingqin had just had a student procure for himin hand, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bade the duo farewell. However, the moment he stepped out of the Demonic Tunist School, a thought suddenly struck him, and his face warped in shock. Damn it... I was too concerned with the demonic tunist examination that I forgot about my appointment with her! Gathering the books, studying, and taking the demonic tunist examination... By the time he was done with all that, it was already daybreak. Yesterday, Luo Ruoxin had told him that she would look for himter in the night, but it was already way beyond the agreed timing. Thus, Zhang Xuan hurriedly returned to his manor, and Sun Qiang hurried forward to report to him. "Young Master, Lady Luo camest night to look for you, but after learning that you werent around, she left..." "Did she say anything?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Nothing at all..." Sun Qiang shook his head. "Nothing?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in bewilderment. Luo Ruoxin had said that she would look for himst night, but she ended up leaving without saying anything... What was she up to? "I will head over to her residence to take a look!" Zhang Xuan said. Returning to the Master Teacher Academy, he found Luo Ruoxins residence, and after asking around, he learned that the other party wasnt in, so he could only return to his manor helplessly. Even though he did feel a little stifled within due to missing Luo Ruoxins appointment, considering that thetter seemed to have some important matter for him, it was likely that she would return another day. Thus, there no need for him to feel so conflicted over this issue. In any case, his efforts the previous night had brought him the Phoenix Timber Core, so it wasnt really a wasted trip anyway. As soon as he obtained the Grand Intermittence Grass and the other medicinal herbs from the old elders, he would be ready to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. Under the nourishment of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, even though it wasnt sufficiently potent to heal Wei Ruyans body, it was still able to prevent the state of her physical body from declining any further at the very least. Besides, it would take some more time before the Ten-leafed Flower nurtured her soul to a satisfactory level, so there was no rush at all. When Zhang Xuan returned to his manor once more, he heaved a sigh of relief. Now that he finally had some time to himself, he suddenly recalled a fellow who he had been neglecting over the past few daysByzantium Helios Beast! It had been around eight days since he had captured that fellow on Leiyuan Peak, but he hadnt had any time to interrogate it properly yet. Since he finally had some time at hand, it would be good to coax some news on the Otherworldly Demons from it. Considering that we are in the center of the city, in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Academy, I should set up a formation to conceal that fellows aura. Otherwise, I might be noticed by others when I release the Otherworldly Demon puppets on it! The manor Zhang Xuan was currently residing in was enormous, so there was more than sufficient space to deal with the Byzantium Helios Beast here. However, considering that they were in the middle of a bustling city instead of some remote mountain, it was still imperative to take some precautions so as to ensure that no one would learn of the Otherworldly Demon puppets. Not to mention, they were extremely close to the Master Teacher Academy as well. Considering the sharp senses that Saint realm experts possessed, it was best not to take his chances. He was currently a 4-star formation master, so he was familiar with quite a few grade-4 formations. After some searching about, he finally found a suitable one. This Aura Sealing Formation should do! The Aura Sealing Formation served to iste all auras within a set area from the rest of the world. As long as a Saint realm expert didnt consciously attempt to peek in the area, it would be hard for them to notice what was within the Aura Sealing Formation. While it was only a grade-4 pinnacle formation, it was currently the best formation capable of concealing auras that he coulde up with. Even though he had experience setting up grade-6 Hidden Formation in the underground chamber, the formation was incapable of concealing auras or even sound. Given the current circumstances, the Aura Sealing Formation was much more useful. I should begin! Taking a swift look at the courtyard, Zhang Xuan swiftly deduced the ideal manner in which he should set up his formation before abruptly throwing several hundred formation gs out at once. Hu hu hu! The gs soared through the air andnded in their corresponding locations simultaneously. Weng! The formation came to life. Hundred gs of Void Sealing! "Alright..." Seeing that the formation had been set up, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the Myriad Anthive Nest, and the next moment, a massive ape saint beast appeared on the ground. After being trapped for over a week, the Byzantium Helios Beast was finally released from its confines! Chapter 828: Byzantium Helios Beast, Found Chapter 828: Byzantium Helios Beast, Found Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Faction leader, after Zhang shi left School Head Jiangs residence, he returned straight to the manor which King Huai gave him. After which, he headed to Luo shis residence but left shortly after. Since then, he hasnt left his manor!" In the courtyard of a vast residence sitting at the very center of the Formation Master School, a youngdy reported to a beautiful silhouette before her. Dong Xin turned around and asked, "He hasnt left his manor?" Ever since the affairs at the Physician School, she had been sending her men to trail Zhang Xuan so as to uncover his weaknesses, but thetter had been so busy that it was hard to even catch a glimpse of him. So far, she still hadnt received anything that she could use against him. "Yes!" The otherdy nodded in response. "Alright, you may leave now." Dong Xin waved her hands casually before cing them behind her back. A slight spring breeze tugged at her robe, highlighting her mesmerizing figure. She lived up to her name as one of the top beauties of the academy. Her posture and gestures carried a unique charm to them. If Hu Yaoyao was a thorny rose, she would be an elegant lily, cold but alluring. "One has to enter the tigers den to find a cub. If I wish to uncover that fellows weakness, I will probably have to make a move myself!" Dong Xins eyebrows shot up. She was an extremely careful and meticulous person, and she didnt like to depend on secondhand news. Even though she had heard many things about Zhang Xuan from Hu Yaoyao and the others, she still held her reservations toward the authenticity of their words, choosing to devote significant resources to investigating him herself. However, perhaps it might be due to Zhang Xuan being far too careful, her subordinates had been unable to obtain any useful intelligence on him yet. It seemed like she would have to make a move herself if she wished to find anything useful. "Alright, I should head over to take a look!" Switching to an ordinary robe, Dong Xin flitted out of her residence. She had already tasked someone with uncovering the location of the manor which King Huai had given Zhang Xuan, so she knew its exact location. It wasnt located too far from the Master Teacher Academy, so she arrived at her destination within a few minutes. It seems like there are quite a few formations set up here... However, you are being too naive if you think that this can stop me! Chuckling lightly, Dong Xin infiltrated the manor. She was one of the top Grade 5 students in the Master Teacher Academy, a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm expert. On top of that, she was the direct disciple of Chen Chengxun, the head of the Formation Master School. The formations in the manor might have been able to stop 4-star and 5-star formation masters in their tracks, but to hinder her passage? Dream on! Slowly advancing carefully in the manor, Dong Xin soon found herself standing before a vast courtyard. A formation was currently active in the courtyard. It created a thickyer of mist around the courtyard, preventing one from seeing what was within. Dong Xin recognized it with a single nce. This is... a 4-star pinnacle Aura Sealing Formation? The purpose of the formation is to conceal ones aura... Could it be that his weakness is hidden within here? Dong Xins eyes lit up in excitement. The Aura Sealing Formation didnt have much practical use other than concealing ones aura. For the other party to set up such a formation within his manor, there was no doubt that he was trying to hide something! I must find a way to get through the Aura Sealing Formation to take a look... Dong Xin clenched her fists tightly in agitation. Her enemys secret, and possibly his greatest weakness as well, was standing right before her. She couldnt let this opportunity slip through her fingers. Gritting her teeth ferociously, she began analyzing the formation carefully with her beady eyes. It isnt too difficult to decipher a grade-4 Aura Sealing Formation, but if I make a wrong move, I might end up shifting the formation gs and cause some unexpected changes in the formation... As a 6-star formation master, Dong Xin was more than able to ovee an Aura Sealing Formation. However, the tricky part was to sneak in without the other party noticing. To do so, she would have to study the formation thoroughly and n out her moves carefully. With a swift movement, she leaped onto a lush tree in the corner of the courtyard to conceal herself. After which, she took out a geomanticpass and began making her calctions based on the spiritual energy flow in the surroundings. Li San, Xun Wu... 1 Dong Xin swiftly performed her calctions, and the more calctions she made, the more awed she became. The person who set up this Aura Sealing Formation is a person of great capability. He managed to align the formation perfectly with the entire manor, turning the two into one entity. Even I am unable to achieve such a feat... Even though the formation before her was only at grade-4 pinnacle, it was perfectly aligned with the surroundings, drawing out prowess that only grade-5 formations could possess. To be able to bring out such prowess in a grade-4 formation, the other partys capability as a formation master could only be above hers. But ultimately, theres still a limit to how powerful a grade-4 formation can be. No matter how well he might have set it up, as long as I find the Life Gate, I will still be able to get in easily... Dong Xin chuckled softly in confidence. Her talent in formations were extraordinary, and this was also the reason the head of the Formation Master School had taken her in as his disciple. The formation might be far beyond the normal scope of an ordinary grade-4 formation, but due to its fundamental limits, she was still able to decipher it easily. Taking a deep breath, she was just about to confirm the location of the Life Gate and sneak in when the ground suddenly shook intensely. A violent energy burst out from the formation. It felt as if a powerful expert was trying to break the formation from within to escape. Boom! Boom! Boom! Dong Xin swiftly hid herself before she heard yet another powerful shockwave striking the Aura Sealing Formation. Under the immense force, pili p!, the formation began to crumble. To be able to destroy a grade-5 formation with brute force... the person trapped inside the formation must be at least a Saint realm expert! Dong Xin narrowed her eyes in astonishment. While the Aura Sealing Formation was meant to be a grade-4 pinnacle formation, the person who had set it up had done it so impably,plementing it perfectly with the surroundings, that it harnessed the prowess only grade-5 formations should possess. For a grade-5 formation to crumble under brute force, it could only mean that the person trapped within was an unbelievably powerful expert. Boom! Amidst her shock, Dong Xin saw an enormous figure emerging from the crumbling formation. This is... Senior Byzantium Helios?! Her body immediately stiffened from sheer astonishment. As a Grade 5 student, she had been fortunate enough to meet the tamed beast of the old principal several times... But wasnt he kidnapped by the Otherworldly Demons? How can he be here? Or could it be... The thought that just shed through Dong Xins mind filled her with unprecedented horror. "You intend to escape? Vicious, take it down!" In the next instant, a nonchnt voice suddenly sounded in the courtyard, and an overwhelming killing intent permeated the area. Padah! Before Senior Byzantium Helios could even react, he had already fallen back to the ground, convulsing uncontrobly. Its... the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Dong Xin was so frightened that she didnt even dare to move in the slightest. "The rest of you, get him! Pummel him to death!" Following which, the nonchnt voice sounded once more, and twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons abruptly appeared and charged furiously toward Senior Byzantium Helios. Pili p! Fists and kicks sunk into the flesh of the helpless Senior Byzantium Helios, and in the blink of an eye, he was already bruised all over. Hey on the floor twitching uncontrobly, and it felt like he could breathe hisst at any moment. Covering her mouth firmly to stifle her gasp, Dong Xin felt her blood run cold. In that instant, she dared not to make the slightest movement or noise for fear of being noticed. The enemy side had twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons, and even Senior Byzantium Helios wasnt a match for them. If she were to be noticed, there was no doubt that she would be ughtered in an instant. "It fainted again..." Through the gaps of the leaves, she saw Zhang Xuan walking leisurely toward Senior Byzantium Helios and harrumphing coldly. He flicked his wrist, and the massive Senior Byzantium Helios abruptly disappeared from sight. After which, he looked at the broken formation and fell into deep thought. "This formation is too weak... It seems like I should head to the Formation Master School to learn a more formidable formation..." Zhang Xuan muttered under his breath before walking back to his room. Even after Zhang Xuan had disappeared from sight, Dong Xin didnt dare to move, fearing that the other party might return abruptly. It was only six hourster, when dusk had finally set in, that she dared to move her stiffened body and swiftly flee from the manor. The matter she had seen that day was truly huge! It was so huge that it terrified her to her very core! It was no wonder Zhang Xuan was so talented, skilled in every aspect... It turned out that he was really not a human! It was said that the royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed the capability to disguise themselves as humans, and not even Saint realm master teachers would be able to tell the difference. When shed first heard of it, she had thought of it as utter nonsense how could such a convenient ability exist in the world? but to think that... it would actually be true! For an Otherworldly Demon to disguise itself as a master teacher and even sessfully infiltrate the Master Teacher Academy... This news would cause not only a huge uproar in the Master Teacher Academy but the Master Teacher Pavilion as well! Realizing the implications behind this issue, Dong Xin rushed straight to the Master Teacher Academy as fast as she could. This wont do, I cant let his schemes seed! I have to report this matter to the academy this instant... This was no longer something that she, as a student, had the power to deal with. She had to inform the top echelons of the Master Teacher Academy as soon as possible. But... given how astounding this matter was, would anyone believe her? After all, that Zhang Xuan had earned the deep trust of School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, School Head Wei, and just a few hours ago, even that of School Head Wei! On top of that, he was also a close friend of Pavilion Master Mo, and he seemed to have an amicable rtionship with Luo shi from the headquarters too... If she were to use him of being an Otherworldly Demon without concrete evidence, not only would others not believe her, she might even be stripped of her master teacher license on the grounds of ndering her own peers! I should first discuss this matter with teacher... Dong Xin thought. As the person who had founded the Dong Xin Faction and led it to be one of the strongest student factions in the academy, she was by no means a reckless or foolish person. Even though it had only been days since Zhang Xuan had enrolled at the academy, he had already won the trust of several dozen thousand students along with four school heads and Pavilion Master Mo... Her current standing was in no way on par with his. Under the circumstances, since there was no concrete evidence to back her words, she was in a definite disadvantage on this matter. It was highly likely that the tables would turn on her, and perhaps... her life might even be threatened! Thus, it was imperative for her to act cautiously and even more carefully for this matter. But even if teacher were to trust me, his standing is still beneath that of School Head Zhao. That wont be sufficient to overthrow Zhang Xuan... A figure suddenly surfaced in Dong Xins mind. Wait, I can look for School Head Lu Feng! While it was true that her teacher Chen Chengxun, the head of the Formation Master School, did possess immense prestige in the Master Teacher Academy, his standing was still beneath that of Zhao Bingxu. If Zhao Bingxu were to oppose to the motion that her teacher raised, it was highly likely that the entire matter might fall through. However... things would be different if she could rally the stand-in principal, Lu Feng, to her side! Lu Feng and Zhang Xuan had a hostile rtionship, so Lu Feng might be inclined to listen to her words. I should first find teacher and have him take me to School Head Lu Feng... Dong Xin gritted her teeth in determination. The implications behind this matter were simply too huge. The matter wouldnt just resolve itself if she only revealed what she had seen. She had to gather sufficient power on her side first. And at this very moment, the person who wielded the greatest say in the academy was indubitably School Head Lu Feng. On top of that, the other party had a grudge against Zhang Xuan, so if she were to reveal this news to him, it was likely that the other party would side with her. Hu! Having made up her mind, she headed toward the school head office of the Formation Master School without any hesitation. Chapter 829: I Am the Old Principals Tamed Beast! Chapter 829: I Am the Old Principals Tamed Beast! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not knowing that Dong Xin had already discovered the secret regarding the Byzantium Helios Beast, Zhang Xuan was currently making his way over to the Formation Master School. Even though he had set up his Aura Sealing Formation impably, the formations grade was ultimately still too low. While the Byzantium Helios Beast was tightly squeezed inside the Myriad Anthive Nest, it was still a saint beast with incredible regenerative capability. In just a few days, it had mostly recovered from the wounds it had sustained previously. Thus, as soon as it was released in the courtyard, it exerted its full might to break the formation so as to escape. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had expected such a situation and had prepared in advance for it. Through utilizing the strength of Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon puppets, he had managed to subdue it eventually. However, that wasnt a feasible solution in the long-run. Zhang Xuan had no choice but to take the Byzantium Helios Beast out in order to interrogate it on the affairs of the Otherworldly Demons, but if he couldnt trap it properly with his formation, it might just end up escaping while his guard was down one day. Furthermore, the shattering of the Aura Sealing Formation meant that it was possible for the aura of the Otherworldly Demon puppets to escape, and he might potentially draw in the Saint realm experts of the academy as a result of it. If that were to happen, it would be difficult for him to exin himself. After much contemtion, Zhang Xuan decided that he should first study a higher grade formation just to be safe. Thus, he left his manor, and before long, he was already in the Formation Master School. I should start with the library first! After confirming the location of the library from the passers-by, he found a small gazebo in its vicinity, sat down in there, and drew his soul out. The Formation Master School was ranked third in the entire Master Teacher Academy. There was a constant flow of people going in and out of its library, a sight that one would never see in the Terpsichore School or the Demonic Tunist School. It didnt take too long for Zhang Xuan to get into the library. As he was currently a 4-star formation master, he decided to skip the books in the lower levels and head right up to the fifth floor. Hula! As his gaze swept over the shelves, book after book swiftly appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. In four hours, he had already finished taking in all of the books on the fifth and sixth floors, and hepiled them to form the 5-star and 6-star Heavens Path Formation Art. After he was done, he quickly returned his soul to his body and began studying. When Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes once again two hourster, there was a bright gleam in them. At that very moment, hisprehension of formations had reached the equivalent of a 6-star pinnacle formation master. Even against the head of the Formation Master School, he was confident that he would be able to stand his ground. Should I take the 6-star formation master examination while I am here? Standing up, Zhang Xuan contemted with his right hand stroking his lower jaw. If he could receive a 6-star formation master emblem as well, he would have cleared one of the main prerequisites to the 6-star master teacher examination. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan decided against it. Forget it, I have been taking too many examinations recently. If I continue at this pace, I might just end up drawing doubts upon myself, and that would be troublesome. For the time being, I should focus my effort on interrogating the Byzantium Helios Beast! He had taken quite a lot of examinations in recent dayscksmith, terpsichore, physician, apothecary, demonic tunist... The matter had caused a huge uproar in the Master Teacher Academy. Since his cultivation was still too low to take the 6-star master teacher examination, it might be good for him to slow down for the time being. Once the current heat had dissipated, he could continue as he pleased. In any case, his knowledge couldnt possibly escape from him. It would make no difference whether he took the examination now orter. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan returned straight to his manor. He walked directly to his courtyard and took out a couple to formation gs to set up a grade-6 Breath Istion Formation. When he was finally done, he took a look at the work he had just achieved and nodded in satisfaction. Unlike other grade-6 formations, which were impossible to sessfully set up without reaching Chrysalis realm or even Half-Saint, the Breath Istion Formation could be set up even by those whose cultivation wasnt up to par. Zhang Xuan had done some calctions, and he had realized that even if the Byzantium Helios Beast was in its peak state, it would still be unable to break the formation. With this, Zhang Xuan would no longer have to worry about anything escaping from it. Hu! Zhang Xuan stepped into the formation and deployed the Otherworldly Demon puppets in the surroundings. After this was done, he released the Byzantium Helios Beast. "You... If you want to kill me, just do it!" By this point, the Byzantium Helios Beast had already awoken from its previous unconsciousness. Ity motionless on the ground as it red at the young man before it with deep resentment. As the tamed beast of the old principal, when had it ever suffered like that before? If only it wielded sufficient power in its hands, it would have surely ripped the fellow before it into shreds! "If it was my intention to kill you, I would have already done so on Leiyuan Peak. There would have been no need for me to keep you alive until now!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands coldly. "If you dont want to suffer, youd better reveal your motive for harming the thirty thousand examinees and the mastermind behind you... If you do so, I can consider sparing your life. Otherwise, believe me, I will make every single day of yours a living hell!" This fellow was unlike the Ancient Ape on the Cloudmist Ridge. Soul Search was not an infallible technique. The main reason Zhang Xuan had been able to sessfully use it on the Ancient Ape was due to thetters fear of him, and the unstable state of mind made it easier to peer into his memories. On the other hand, the Byzantium Helios Beast had a headstrong and loyal personality. Considering how it hadnt spoken a word despite being pummeled again and again, there was a good chance that Soul Search may fail on it. If that was the case, Zhang Xuan would lose the only lead he had on the Otherworldly Demons! Honestly speaking, he also couldnt help but feel deeply helpless against this fellow. "Make my life a living hell? Do you think that Im afraid of that?" the Byzantium Helios Beast roared furiously. "My master was killed by Otherworldly Demons like you! You want me to submit to the likes of you? Not in a million years!" His master had devoted his life to fighting against the Otherworldly Demons, and having apanied by his masters side for many years, the Byzantium Helios Beast had inherited his moralpass. It had a clear notion of what it should do and what it shouldnt do. If it were to side with the Otherworldly Demons, it would be too ashamed to continue living in this world! Rather than live without honor and dignity, it would rather die! "Your master was killed by Otherworldly Demons?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "What do you mean by that?" The Byzantium Helios Beast harrumphed. "Your deception is meaningless! You are royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, right? Only the royalty can conceal their aura perfectly and disguise themselves as master teachers without catching the notice of others!" "Disguise as master teachers?" Zhang Xuan burst intoughter. He was intending to interrogate the other party on the whereabouts of the Otherworldly Demons, but to think that he would end up being framed by the other party instead... "Do you think that you can prove your innocence by fabricating such lies? To control so many spirit beasts to attack the examinees of the Master Teacher Academy, even a fool can tell that you have malicious intentions in mind. Who else can you possibly be working for if not the Otherworldly Demons?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. "Attack the examinees? Malicious intentions?" The short-tempered Byzantium Helios Beasts face turned scarlet upon hearing the usation. "I was invited by School Head Mo to facilitate an examination for the examinees, how is that a malicious intention?" "Facilitate an examination? You had the Myriad Anthive Queen to track down the whereabouts of the students so that the spirit beasts couldy a trap for them to step into... can that even be called an examination? If I hadnt discovered it in time, who knows how many students would have lost their lives!" Zhang Xuan sneered disdainfully. Seeing that the other party was trying to soil its honor, the Byzantium Helios Beast exined indignantly, "Those spirit beasts were captured by School Head Mo, and I had already warned them against killing any of the examinees! The purpose of the examination was to dampen their arrogance and have them understand that the strength of master teachers lies in their collectivity, not the individual!" Even at death, it would die an honorable beast. It wouldnt allow anyone to frame it of anything. "Theres such a way of going about it too?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. At this point, he suddenly couldnt help but recall the situation back when he was still on the Leiyuan Peak, when he encountered two hundred master teachers surrounded by four hundred spirit beasts. While the situation seemed perilous then, thinking back... it was indeed bizarre how there were no casualties. Could it really have been part of the examination? If that was the case... could it be that he had misunderstood the Byzantium Helios Beast? "You... are acquainted with School Head Mo?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Of course! I am the tamed beast of the Master Teacher Academys old principal. How could I possibly not know who School Head Mo Zhu is?" the Byzantium Helios Beast said with clenched jaws. "You can kill me, but dont even dream of prying my mouth open!" "The tamed beast of the old principal..." Zhang Xuans mouth twitched upon hearing those words. During his time in the Master Teacher Academy, he had that the old principals tamed beast had disappeared, and back then, he had thought that it was the doing of Otherworldly Demons... To think that the culprit... would be him instead! Oblivious to Zhang Xuans shock, the Byzantium Helios Beast roared resolutely, "Indeed! My master might have already left me, but there is no way that I will side with Otherworldly Demons! Impossible!" "Side with Otherworldly Demons... Are you saying that I am an Otherworldly Demon?" Zhang Xuan asked with a bizarre look on his face. "Is that not it? To be protected by the will of an Otherworldly Demon expert and so many Otherworldly Demon puppets... Who else can you be if not an Otherworldly Demon!" the Byzantium Helios Beast spat. "This..." ncing at the Otherworldly Demon puppets in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in a daze. If one were to see so many Otherworldly Demon puppets all of the sudden without knowing of the inside story, they would indeed assume that to be the case... It seemed like the entire matter was just a huge misunderstanding... He had thought that the Byzantium Helios Beast was a subordinate dispatched by the Otherworldly Demons to harm the Master Teacher Academys examinees, and the other party thought that he was royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... What the heck! If hed known this was a misunderstanding, he would never have been so harsh on the Byzantium Helios Beast! Taking a look at the other partys state, he didnt even look like a beast anymore... Recalling the sight of how his puppets had pummeled the other party viciously just earlier that afternoon, Zhang Xuans lips twitched uncontrobly... It seemed like... somehow, things had gotten out of hand. In terms of standing, the tamed beast of the old principal wasparable to a school head. To pummel the other party viciously, leaving it on the verge of death multiple times... If others were to learn of it, he would be a goner! The entire academy would be raising their pitchforks toward him, hunting him down to the ends of the world. Currently, there are only two solutions before me. One is to kill the other party and ensure that no one learns that I am the culprit. The other is to tame it and make it my tamed beast. Otherwise, it will surely rally others against me as soon as I set it free! Zhang Xuans mind swiftly whirred into action upon realizing that this was a huge misunderstanding. Given the other partys standing, even if Zhang Xuan were to prove that he wasnt an Otherworldly Demon, there was no way it would be willing to let Zhang Xuan off the hook just because he had left it on the brink of death multiple times. If he were to release it, there was no doubt that he would be in for a round of misfortune. The easiest and safest way out of this was to... just kill the other party! I cant. I should try the second solution instead! It was admirable and touching how the Byzantium Helios Beast refused to budge even in the face of death, choosing to take the secrets of humanity with it to its grave instead. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan was unaware of it, but now that he had learned of it, he would surely regret it for life if he were to kill the other party. Taming might be difficult, but Zhang Xuan felt that it was the only eptable solution out of this mess. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before turning to the Byzantium Helios Beast and said, "I am not from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I am a real master teacher!" "Stop putting on an act here, do you think that Ill believe you?" The Byzantium Helios Beast didnt believe Zhang Xuan at all. If the other party wasnt an Otherworldly Demon, how could he have so many Otherworldly Demon puppets protecting him? On top of that, the will of an Otherworldly Demon expert had even pledged loyalty to him... Dont even think that you can fool me that easily just because I am a beast... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. "Consider our plight, is there really a need for me to lie to you? I really am not an Otherworldly Demon. There is a huge misunderstanding between us!" The next moment, the aura that Zhang Xuan exuded abruptly changed. In that very instant, his presence felt like an invible deity from the heavens, a figure whose authority one could never challenge. "This is..." Sensing the aura, the Byzantium Helios Beast was bewildered briefly. Then, a thought struck it, and its eyes immediately widened in astonishment. "You are... a Celestial Master Teacher?" Chapter 830: Byzantium Helios Beast Acknowledges Its Master! Chapter 830: Byzantium Helios Beast Acknowledges Its Master! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The old principal had once told him that the most formidable master teacher was the Celestial Master Teacher. Acknowledged by the heavens, the Celestial Master Teachermanded an aura thatpelled others to acknowledge them as their teacher. In history, only Kong shi had reached such a peak before. Could the man before him be one as well? "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Do you think that a Celestial Master Teacher can be an Otherworldly Demon?" The Byzantium Helios Beast hurriedly shook its massive head. "Of course not..." The Celestial Master Teacher was a master teacher acknowledged by even the heavens, an existence on par with Kong shi. How could he possibly an Otherworldly Demon? Those two were from twopletely different worlds! Seeing that the other party had recognized his identity, Zhang Xuans face immediately darkened. "Even the heavens have recognized me, but you showed me no respect at all, assaulting me even... Do the heavens mean nothing to you? Does Kong shi mean nothing to you?" If he wanted to tame the other party, he had to im the moral high ground first. Thus, he had to pin the me on the other party. Besides, it was a fact that the other party was the first to make the move. Had Zhang Xuan not possessed several means up his sleeves, their roles at this very moment would have been reversed. "I..." the Byzantium Helios Beasts face flushed crimson. Back then, it was just thinking of scaring the arrogant freshman before it to instill humility into him, but who could have known that... the other party was actually a Celestial Master Teacher! In the whole of history, there had only been one Celestial Master TeacherEmpyrean Kong shi. Even the 72 Sages, his direct disciples, had never achieved such a height... This went to show how fearsome an existence a Celestial Master Teacher was! In other words, it had attempted to assault a master teacher who was innumerable times more noble than the old principal... It was no wonder the other party had taught it a lesson! It should already count its blessings that it hadnt been reduced to meat jerky! Even though the other partys cultivation was currently weak, just by this identity in itself, even if the other party were to destroy the entire Master Teacher Academy, there wasnt anyone who would dare punish him for that. Celestial Master Teacher, an existence equivalent to Kong shi, which master teacher would dare to refute his actions? Seeing that he had managed to instill fear into the other partys heart, Zhang Xuan swiftly pushed on with the momentum. "Its due to your disrespect toward me that I imprisoned you and taught you a lesson. Do you harbor any grudges against me due to that?" The Byzantium Helios Beast swiftly shook its head in denial. "I dare not..." A Celestial Master Teacher was the hope to furthering mankinds rise. Even if the old principal were in its ce, he would not dare harbor a grudge toward the other party. This was the special privilege that a Celestial Master Teacher possessed! "Good! Since the misunderstanding between us is dispelled, I shall give you two options. One, acknowledge me as your master and I will treat your wounds and help you achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation. Two, since youve found out about my identity, in order to prevent the news from leaking... I can only silence you for good!" Zhang Xuan said impassively with his authoritative gaze pressurizing the other party. His identity as a Celestial Master Teacher could not be made known to others easily. It was one thing if his fellow master teachers were to learn of it, but if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to catch hold of that news somehow, he would be a target for them to hunt down! Due to that fear, Zhang Xuan refused to reveal his identity to anyone, not even to his fellow master teachers. Those who knew about it had sworn to maintaining secrecy about it. "This..." The Byzantium Helios Beast was conflicted. After a moment of hesitation, it gritted its teeth and replied, "I will acknowledge Zhang shi as my master!" It was not out of fear for its life that it chose this decision, but... since the person before him was a Celestial Master Teacher, the heights that he would surely reach were unthinkable. Perhaps, he might be able to exact vengeance for his master! "Since you have decided to acknowledge me as your master, I will give you my word too then. As soon as I possess sufficient strength, I will investigate the true reason behind the old principals death and avenge him!" Zhang Xuan also noticed the Byzantium Helios Beasts intentions, and he gave his word. "Thank you... master!" Seeing the other party promising it of the matter even before it could speak, the Byzantium Helios Beasts eyes reddened in agitation. It immediately kneeled to the floor, and a droplet of crimson blood seeped out of its be and into Zhang Xuans be. The formation of the contract! "Rise!" Having averted one possible cmity, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Stepping forward, he ced his palm on the Byzantium Helios Beasts body and infused the pure Heavens Path zhenqi into it. Within just a few moments, thetters heavy wounds had vanished without a trace. "This..." The Byzantium Helios Beast widened its eyes in shock. As a Saint realm expert, it could clearly sense the unique nature of Zhang Xuans zhenqi. Not only was it unbelievably pure, it also carried a grand and majestic aura reminiscent of a deity overlooking the world. So, this is a Celestial Master Teacher... The Byzantium Helios Beast couldnt help but feel deference to Zhang Xuan. "You must be curious why these puppets and the will that subdued you are Otherworldly Demons..." Oblivious to the other partys thoughts, Zhang Xuan swiftly told him about the matter regarding the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious. Considering the undying loyalty that the Byzantium Helios Beast held to mankind, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to hide it from him. "I see..." After hearing the details, the Byzantium Helios Beast couldnt help but feel deeper respect for Zhang Xuan. Were it not for the young man before it, had the heart been given time to recover and make aeback, mankind would have been in deep trouble. By subduing the other party, that was equivalent to averting a disastrous catastrophe for mankind, and that was a huge merit! If he were to report this contribution to the Master Teacher Pavilion, he would be rewarded with the top-tier Saint weapons! "Since you have submitted to me, I will treat you as one of my own. Here is an inner core of an Ancient Ape. As long as you assimte it, you should be able to ovee your current bottleneck and reach higher realms!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan threw the inner core he had procured from the Ancient Ape on the Cloudmist Ridge over. Just like the Ancient Ape, the Byzantium Helios Beast was also an ape-type saint beast as well. Due to the simrities in their constitution, it shouldnt be too difficult for the Byzantium Helios Beast to assimte the inner core to raise its cultivation. "Thank you, master!" Holding the inner core in hand and feeling the pulsating energy within it, the Byzantium Helios Beasts eyes reddened in agitation. Just as Zhang Xuan had deduced, the inner core was indeed extremely useful to him. If he were to utilize it well, he could easily reach Saint realm 2-dan. "Theres no one around here, so you can cultivate here without worries!" Seeing the excited gleam in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan left the Byzantium Helios to be and walked out of the formation. The matter with the Byzantium Helios Beast was finally resolved. With the backing of the old principals tamed beast, it was unlikely that there would be anyone who would dare to challenge him in the Master Teacher Academy in the future. Just as Zhang Xuan was stretching his backzily, Sun Qiang walked up to him and reported, "Young master, Lady Luo is here. She is waiting in the main hall!" "Shes here?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he rushed to the main hall. Even though he had only met Luo Ruoxin thrice, he couldnt help but feel something special for her. It was an inexplicable sensation, but it was one he had never found in any otherdy before. In terms of beauty, he had met plenty of beautifuldy before. Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Shen Bi Ru, Zhao Feiwu, Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao... They were also ravishing beauties with their own unique disposition and charm. But toward them, he only harbored ordinary feelings between one of a teacher and student or friends, nothing more than that. He had no idea why this was the case. But with Luo Ruoxin, just the thought of spending some time with the other party left his heart hastening slightly in anticipation. Stepping into the main hall, he saw the back of a ravishing white-robed figure standing at the center of the room. The figure was rtively small in contrast to the vast room, but her beautiful silhouette seemed to capture ones attention entirely, rendering it impossible to tear ones eyes away from her. "Luo shi!" With a smile, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and greeted her. "Zhang shi!" Luo shi turned around and smiled. In an instant, it was as if a field of flowers had bloomed in the room. After settling down in the seats in the main hall and exchanging some pleasantries, Luo Ruoxin said, "I came to look for you because I have something I require your help on!" "Feel free to request anything from me. As long as its within my means, I will definitely aplish it!" Zhang Xuan said. "Zhang shi is truly too polite. However, the matter I am going to request of you is indeed something only you can do because you possess the Eye of Insight... On top of that, if I am not mistaken, you are a Celestial Master Teacher too, right?" Luo Ruoxin said calmly. "You..." Taken aback, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. He had been doing his best to conceal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher all along, and not even a 7-star master teacher like Mu shi had been able to see through it. But Luo Ruoxin actually saw through it with a single nce... Was this for real? So far, the only one who had managed to do so was Vicious. But Vicious was a figure who had fought with Kong shi on equal grounds in his time! It shoulde as no surprise that his eyes would be keener than many others. However, Luo shi should only be a 6-star master teacher. How could she see through it as well? Noticing Zhang Xuans shock, Luo Ruoxin smiled. "I noticed it back when we first met in the Verdant Mountain. However, as we werent really acquainted with one another then, I chose not to point it out." As she spoke, she couldnt help but recall the other partys silly actions back in the Verdant Mountain, and an urge to chuckle welled up in her. In the time that she had lived, she had encountered countless geniuses of all sort. However, this was the first time she had encountered one as silly as him. "I see..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head, not knowing how he should respond. It wasnt like he had to hide his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher at all cost. All he feared was the news reaching the ears of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. But since the other party had been aware of it but kept silent all along, she should be a trustworthy person. "May I know what the matter you require my help on is?" Zhang Xuan asked. Considering the fact that he couldnt see through the other partys cultivation and that the other party was able to tell that he was a Celestial Master Teacher easily, there was no doubt that Luo Ruoxin wasnt an ordinary 6-star master teacher. At the very least, it was highly likely that she possessed strength on par with Mu shi. For such an expert to require his help, what could the matter be? "I want you to follow me to the Saint Ascension tform!" Luo Ruoxin said. "Saint Ascension tform?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never heard of such a ce before. "It is said to be the ce where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood back then. I wish to visit there to take a look and verify some deductions of mine," Luo Ruoxin said with a slight frown. "The ce where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. "Indeed. Legend has it that Kong shi was no ordinary Saint but one recognized by the heavens, thus the usage of the word ascension. The Saint Ascension tform isnt an ancient ruin but a popr tourist location. Each year, countless master teachers would make a pilgrimage there to pay their respects to Kong shi," said Luo Ruoxin. "Its a tourist location? If thats the case, what am I to do there?" Zhang Xuan asked in astonishment. Since the Saint Ascension tform was a tourist location, every nook and cranny of it must have been examined innumerable times by the master teachers visiting it. Even if he were to head there, it was unlikely that he would be able to contribute anything! "You are a Celestial Master Teacher just like Kong shi. On top of that, you have alsoprehended the Eye of Insight. Perhaps, you might be able to see something others cant," Luo Ruoxin replied. "Besides, Kong shis handwritten words are inscribed there. It will be beneficial for you to take a look too!" "This..." Zhang Xuan hesitated. "How far is the Saint Ascension tform from here?" "Not too far. If you ride on the Great Violetwing Beast, the journey should take about six to seven days!" Luo Ruoxin said with a chuckle. Chapter 831: Zhang Xuan, I Shall Crush You Utterly! Chapter 831: Zhang Xuan, I Shall Crush You Utterly! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Six to seven days? Thats not too far..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Despite being a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan spirit beast, the Great Violetwing Beast wouldnt even be able to reach the borders of Hongyuan Empire in six to seven days. Judging from that, it didnt seem like the Saint Ascension tform was too far away. With a faint smile, Luo Ruoxin asked, "How about it? Are you interested in going with me?" "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded excitedly. Putting aside that Luo Ruoxin was going as well, it was a good opportunity in itself for any master teacher to visit the grounds where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood. On top of that, there was a chance he might learn something about the Innate Fetal Poison there as well. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan asked, "When do we set off?" "If it is convenient for you, we can set forth this instant..." Luo Ruoxin replied. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Since the Grand Intermittence Grass hadnt arrived yet, Zhang Xuan couldnt forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. At the current moment, Wei Ruyans soul and body were being nourished by the Ten-leafed Flower and Earth Vein Spirit Essence respectively, so there shouldnt be any problems in the short run. A six to seven days journey shouldnt be an issue. After instructing Sun Qiang to take care of the others, he and Luo Ruoxin leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and set forth for the Saint Ascension tform. ... Shortly after Zhang Xuan left Hongyuan City, Dong Xin arrived at the office of the head of the Formation Master School, Chen Chengxun. Noticing the anxiety on the usuallyposed face of his most prided student, Chen Chengxun asked apprehensively, "Whats wrong?" Dong Xin clenched her teeth and said, "I have something extremely important to report... I hope that teacher can take me to meet School Head Lu Feng!" "You want to meet School Head Lu Feng? Whatever for?" Chen Chengxun frowned. A matter brought up with the stand-in principal would elevate the issue to the academy-wide level. Just what kind of matter would require such attention? "This matter concerns the safety of the Master Teacher Academy... as well as Senior Byzantium Helios and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Dong Xin said grimly. "Senior Byzantium Helios?" Chen Chengxun immediately stood up in agitation. "You have news on him?" "Yes!" Dong Xin nodded. "Thats good news. Follow me, Ill take you to School Head Lu..." Not daring to make light of the matter, Chen Chengxun swiftly took his direct disciple to the Apothecary School. Before long, they arrived at Lu Fengs residence. After sealing the surroundings to ward off any eavesdroppers, the two school heads took their seats and gazed at the youngdy before them. "So, whats the matter?" Lu Feng asked with a tinge of agitation in his voice. Mu shi had once said that whoever who found the Byzantium Helios Beast would be the next principal of the academy. If Lu Feng were to obtain the authority of principal, he would be able to deal with Zhang Xuan as he pleased. Be it Mo Zhu or Zhao Bingxu, they would only be able to ept the verdict quietly. "Its like this. Earlier today... I saw Senior Byzantium Helios!" Dong Xin said. Lu Feng and Chen Chengxuns eyes immediately lit up upon hearing those words. "You saw him? Where is he? Is he safe?" Lu Feng asked anxiously. Since Dong Xin had seen the Byzantium Helios Beast that day, it meant that thetter was still in Hongyuan City. If so, they could still make it in time to save him if they were to rush over immediately. "He... is currently in Zhang Xuans manor," Dong Xin said. "Zhang Xuans manor? Why would Senior Byzantium Helios be there?" Lu Feng asked in astonishment "Its like this. By some coincidence... I happened to pass by the manor and saw Senior Byzantium Helios being trapped within a formation in the manor. He tried to escape, but he couldnt break out of the formation..." Without hiding anything, Dong Xin revealed everything she had seen in Zhang Xuans manor. As she had been hidden quite a distance away, she couldnt get a clear glimpse of the puppets, so she thought that they were real Otherworldly Demons. "You are saying that... Zhang Xuan ordered twenty Otherworldly Demons to assault Senior Byzantium Helios, and from the looks of the situation then, he seems to be their leader?" Overwhelmed by the news before him, Lu Feng abruptly stood up. This was really beyond his imagination. Even for someone who had lived for several centuries, he could hardly believe what he had just heard. "Is what you said true?" Chen Chengxun asked Dong Xin anxiously. This was truly a huge matter. To order twenty Otherworldly Demons to attack the Byzantium Helios Beast, and to emanate a powerful killing intent himself... All of this was clearly screaming that Zhang Xuan was a spy in the Master Teacher Academy, and it was highly likely that he was an Otherworldly Demon himself! "I am willing to use my identity as a master teacher to vow that every word that I have said is true. If there is the slightest falsehood in my words, I am willing to have my master teacher license revoked..." Dong Xin raised her right hand and swore earnestly. To swear in ones name as a master teacher was one of the heaviest vows one could make. If something were to go wrong, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion chose not to pursue the matter, it would still lead to a copse in faith, making it difficult for one to make any progress in their Soul Depth. "This..." Seeing Dong Xin make such a vow, Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun exchanged nces, and their expression grew even graver. A momentter, a thought suddenly struck Lu Feng, and he eximed in realization, "That exins why that fellow is skilled in so many supporting upations despite being only twenty this year, surpassing even school heads like us! So thats the reason!" Noticing the confusion of the other two beside him, Lu Feng exined, "The Otherworldly Demons possess a far longer lifespan than us humans. Even though that fellow seems to be in his early twenties, the chances are that he is an old monster who has lived through many eras. Otherwise, how could he possibly achieve such expertise in his smithing, pill forging, medicine, and terpsichorean arts?" "This..." Chen Chengxun pondered for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. "What youve said makes sense. He has been causing great chaos in the academy ever since his enrollment, rallying the students to join his Xuanxuan Faction and support him. I have been thinking that there is something abnormal about this situation, but if he truly is an Otherworldly Demon, everything makes perfect sense!" That Zhang Xuan simply had far too many mysteries surrounding him. Even hisprehension of the Eye of Insight seemed insufficient to justify the unbelievable aplishments he had achieved thus far. However, if he was indeed an Otherworldly Demon, everything came together like pieces in a puzzle. "Otherworldly Demons are the bane of humanity. As master teachers, we have to kill every single one of them..." A sharp glint shed across Lu Fengs eyes, and he gritted his teeth furiously. The enmity between Otherworldly Demons and humanity was already etched deep into their bones, irreconcble at this point. Since Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon, there was only one thing to do... he had to die! "Thats right. Its our responsibility as master teachers to eliminate all those who intend humanity harm." Chen Chengxun spoke in agreement. However, the next moment, a frown appeared on his forehead. "But Zhang Xuan has already won the trust of School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others. If we cant find any concrete evidence against him, we might only end up creating a rift among ourselves." "Those fools!" Lu Feng harrumphed coldly. With an air of superiority, he dered confidently, "From the first time I saw him, I could tell that fellow wasnt a good person, but they just simply wouldnt believe it. Now, look at what their obstinacy has led us to. Alright, lets look for Mu shi and exin this matter to him. Afterward, we shall assemble the Ten Great Master Teachers, bring Zhang Xuan over, and expose him before them!" "Indeed! With Mu shi around, the others wont be able to oppose the matter!" Chen Chengxun nodded in agreement. "Un!" Lu Feng nodded in satisfaction. After which, he turned to the youngdy in the room and said, "You are Dong Xin, right? You have done well. Later, when we meet Mu shi, recount what you have seen to him... I know that apothecary is one of your supporting upations as well. As long as you settle this matter well, I will take you in as my direct disciple and impart pill forging to you personally!" Hearing those words, Dong Xin immediately kneeled down and greeted agitatedly, "Dong Xin pays respect to Luoshi!" If Lu Feng were to be the principal of the academy, she would be the direct disciple of the principal. With her standing as the direct disciples of two school heads, it would only be a matter of time before her Dong Xin Faction became the number one faction in the academy! Hahahaha! Hu Yaoyao, Long Cangyue, and Xue Zhenyang, lets see how youpare to me then! As for Zhang Xuan... with his identity as an Otherworldly Demon revealed, his life was over. His name was no longer worth even a mention. "Alright, lets look for Mu shi now..." With a nod, Lu Feng was just about to head out when he abruptly stopped. "Wait a moment! If I recall correctly, Zhang Xuan has a close rtionship with Luo shi as well. If we meet Mu shi now, I fear that the news might reach Zhang Xuan somehow, giving him time to make preparations in advance. It will be difficult for us to capture him if he flees!" Concealing his aura and disguising as a master teacher, it would mean that the other party was likely royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If an expert of that caliber were to flee in advance, not even a Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would necessarily be able to track him down and capture him, let alone the Master Teacher Academy. This matter would have to be nned carefully. "Indeed!" Chen Chengxun also nodded in agreement. No matter how slim the chances were, it was never wrong to be prepared. After a moment of contemtion, Lu Feng instructed, "School Head Chen, help me look into where that Zhang Xuan is at the moment. Dispatch a few men to observe him all day long, dont give him any chance to escape... Once our preparations are ready, we shall inform Mu shi and have him judge the matter!" As much as he would have loved to rush straight up to Zhang Xuan and have him executed immediately, he knew that this wasnt the time to be reckless. As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he was still able to keep hisposure in crucial moments like this. "I will have it done!" School Head Chen replied before leaving the room. A momentter, he returned after dispatching two elders to Zhang Xuans manor. An hourter, one of the two elders walked into the room and reported, "School Head Lu, School Head Chen, we went to Zhang Xuans manor, and he isnt there. Thus, we asked around, and it seems like he left on an aerial spirit beast with Luo shi earlier this afternoon..." "He left?" The trio was stunned. "Thats right. He left two hours ago. As for where he went, he didnt inform anyone before departing, so we werent able to uncover his trail," the elder replied. With their cultivation as Saint realm experts, it wasnt too difficult for them to check the entire manor discreetly to confirm Zhang Xuans absence. After which, they questioned those living in the vicinity about Zhang Xuans whereabouts, which was where they learned that Zhang Xuan had left with Luo shi on an aerial spirit beast. However, considering that not even Sun Qiang knew where he was heading, there was no way the others could possibly know. "He left two hours ago?" Lu Fengsplexion was extremely awful. A spirit beast could cover several thousand kilometers in two hours. Even if he were to dispatch the full force of the Master Teacher Academy, there was no way he could locate an aerial spirit beast who could be anywhere within a several-thousand-kilometer radius in a short period of time, and by the time they managed to find any trail, the other party would have been long gone. Lu Feng turned around and asked, "Are his students still around?" "They are!" the elder replied. "Also, based on our sources, it seems Luo shi was the one who extended the invitation to him to head out." "Thats good. From the looks of it, it seems he has only headed out to settle some matters. The fact that his students are still around likely means that the news hasnt reached him yet. Keep a close eye on this matter. As soon as he returns, make sure to report to me as soon as possible!" Flinging his sleeves, Lu Feng instructed them with a majestic disposition fitting that of a principal of the Master Teacher Academy. "Yes!" The elder nodded before leaving the room. "Now that hes not around, what do we do?" Chen Chengxun asked. "What do we do? We wait! As soon as he returns, we shall conduct an Elder Conference and unmask his true identity before Mu shi and the others!" With killing intent raging in his eyes, Lu Feng sneered coldly. Arrogant, arent you? Challenging my authority and destroying my Apothecary School... Zhang Xuan, let me tell you. Your good days havee to an end! Just wait and see. I, Lu Feng, shall crush you utterly! Chapter 832: Saint Ascension Platform Chapter 832: Saint Ascension tform Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Lu Feng and the others were organizing their ploy to expose Zhang Xuans true identity, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin were seated by the window in the room on the back of the Great Violetwing Beast, watching as the clouds flew by them. "The Saint Ascension tform is the ce where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood. Upon his ascension, he inscribed his insights personally on a cliff face at the peak of the mountain... On top of that, its said that he also left a sliver of his will there to gift to a fated man. Since you are a Celestial Master Teacher as well, you might just be able to obtain it!" Luo Ruoxin said with a smile. "A sliver of Kong shis will?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. As the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, even a sliver of Kong shis will could send countless master teachers fighting frenziedly over it. "Thats right. The will isnt too strong as it was left right after Kong shi reached Saint realm, but nevertheless, considering that it belonged to Kong shi, it is not something to be underestimated... If you were to obtain and assimte it, it wont be long before you reach Saint realm too!" Luo Ruoxin replied with a nod. "Saint realm?" A bitter smile emerged on Zhang Xuans face. "I am only at Perfect Harmonization realm at the moment, still a long distance away from reaching Saint realm." Beyond Perfect Harmonization realm was Ethereal Treading realm, Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and finally, Nascent Saint! There were four realms standing between him and Saint realm. Even if he were to gather sufficient cultivation technique manuals topile the respective Heavens Path Divine Arts for those realms, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was still unlikely to be sufficient for him to cultivate that far. The Heavens Path Divine Arts demand for spiritual energy increased at an exponential rate. Perhaps, Zhang Xuan might have to expend up to a thousand times more spirit stones or spirit essence just to reach Saint realm. Furthermore, the thresholds between Chrysalis realm to Half-Saint and Half-Saint to Nascent Saint were known to be extremely difficult to ovee. Many preceding cultivators had their journeys terminated prematurely at those two bottlenecks. Even if Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, he wasnt certain that he could ovee them for sure. "When I first met you at the Verdant Mountain, you were only at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. However, in less than two months, you have already reached Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle. Thats a growth of three realms in less than two months! Even I hardly see such swift growth around. Saint realm might still be a distance away, but it shouldnt be a problem for you!" Luo Ruoxin consoled. When she had first met Zhang Xuan, he had only been at rifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. In their second meeting, he had already reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. She had thought that his current rate of growth was already incredible, but when she met him once more the day before, he was already a Perfect Harmonization realm expert. Such a rate of growth was truly astounding. "I was just lucky..." Zhang Xuan smiled awkwardly. Not wanting to dwell further on this topic, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something and asked, "Right, do you have any Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals with you? The quality doesnt matter, I just need as many of them as possible!" The Master Teacher Academy did have a Cultivation Depository to store cultivation technique manuals, but its security was far tighter than the other libraries in the academy. Putting aside the fact that the advanced formation made it hard for even a soul to slip in, the ones guarding the premises were mainly the Saint realm teachers as well. After the prior experience in the Terpsichorean Compendium Pavilion, he dared not enter it recklessly. One Wei Ranxue had already nearly him killed. If he were to encounter multiple Saint realm experts specializing in soul attacks, he might just very well lose his life. As a result, despite visiting the libraries of the various schools, he hadnt paid the Cultivation Depository a visit yet. It was not that he couldnt find it, but he dared not enter it. Since it happened that there was nothing to do at the moment, if he could obtain some Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals from the other party, he could study them and raise his cultivation. "Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals? I only have one of those, and its a cultivation technique passed down within my n, so I am unable to share it with you..." Luo Ruoxin shook her head. "Pardon me, I was being impetuous!" Zhang Xuan apologized. Based on what he knew, the youngdy before him was likely from a Sage n, the Luo n. ns like that guarded their heritage tightly, and asking for the other partys cultivation technique abruptly could be considered a disrespectful action. Take Mu shi for example, he was expelled from his n due to revealing the secrets of his ns cultivation technique to an outsider. "Dont worry about it. However, if you wish to make a breakthrough to the Ethereal Treading realm, I can offer you some pointers instead..." Luo Ruoxin smiled. "Ethereal Treading, the eighth dan of Transcendent Mortal. By aligning ones body with nature, one can achieve the feat of stepping upon thin air..." Listening carefully to Luo Ruoxins words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. As expected of an expert from a Sage n, her understanding of Ethereal Treading realm was extremely detailed, and there were nearly no mistakes to be found! If Zhang Xuan were to cultivate by the method she had imparted, even without apiled Heavens Path Divine Art, he would still be able to achieve a breakthrough. However, he decided not to rush into it. Even for a cultivator of the Heavens Path Divine Art, it was still essential for him to build a strong foundation for his cultivation. Otherwise, even if he could advance his cultivation swiftly, it would be like the moon in the water, dissipating with a light touch. It had only been two days since he had reached Perfect Harmonization realm, so it was imperative for him to allow his cultivation to settle down first before making another advancement. Nevertheless, the conversation with Luo Ruoxin benefited him greatly, giving him a deeper insight into the intricacies of cultivation. It was a three-day journey to the Saint Ascension tform. Zhang Xuan had been too busy with various misceneous matters previously to cultivate, so this was a good opportunity for him to reinforce his cultivation. Absorbing the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, Zhang Xuan further tempered his Heavens Path zhenqi, making it even purer and more condensed. ... Time passed in a sh. The three days of hard work had allowed Zhang Xuan to fully reinforce his Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle cultivation, resulting in his aura bing sharper than before. Even though his strength was still capped at 14,000,000 ding, he had be able to utilize his zhenqi more nimbly, thus furthering his battle prowess. However, the most conspicuous change was with the spiritual sea in his dantian, having expanded by more than twofold. Pure zhenqi filled the area to the brim, and as if a full dam, one could draw immense power from it in an instant. At the same time, his understanding of the Perfect Harmonization realm had also deepened. If he wished to, he could achieve a breakthrough to the Ethereal Treading realm whenever he wanted to. ... I should take a look at the golden book first! Zhang Xuan thought. After epting School Head Jiang as his student, a golden book had appeared in his Library of Heavens Path. Due to the various matters he had needed to address back then, he hadnt had chance to take a good look at it. Since they were still a distance away from the Saint Ascension tform, this was a good opportunity to examine it. This book resembled the golden Book of Heavens Path before the Library of Heavens Paths upgrade, but its cover was reced with a deeper tone instead. However, that only seemed to grant it a profound and grand aura. It seems like with the upgrade of the Library of Heavens Path, even the Book of Heavens Path has upgraded too... Zhang Xuan noted. So far, the golden pages in the Book of Heavens Path had four main known usesassimting the knowledge of the books contained in the Library of Heavens Path into his mind, serving as a brick to crush one to deaththis was effective on even experts of Vicious caliber as wellraising ones Soul Depth, and sealing an entity within the page. After the upgrade... would the pages formed within the slightly darker Book of Heavens Path possess some different abilities? Just as Zhang Xuan was about to delve deeper into the matter, a gentle voice suddenly interrupted him. "We have arrived at the Saint Ascension tform!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately withdrew his consciousness from the Library of Heavens Path, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Luo Ruoxin standing by the window. Her eyes were gazing at the sight outside, forming a peaceful and picturesque scene. Zhang Xuan walked up to her, and beyond the window, he saw a tall mountain towering in the midst of an empty in, resembling a majestic dragon rising to the clouds. However, what was particrly striking was that the mountain had a t peak, and from afar, it resembled a massive altar. There was a mountainous path coiling around the mountain that led straight to the top. "So, this is the Saint Ascension tform?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. By the bizarre work of nature, the mountain seemed to resemble an altar connecting the heaven and the earth together. It would be hard to imagine that there could be such a unique naturally-urringndscape had Zhang Xuan not seen it with his own eyes. "Its said that Kong shi sat at the top of the mountain for three days, and at the moment of his breakthrough, the voices of the angels descended from the heavens, and myriad gongs chimed simultaneously in celebration of his aplishment!" Seemingly knowing quite a bit regarding the details of Kong shis ascension to Sainthood, Luo Ruoxin exined with a smile, "No one knew what the mountain was like before, but it assumed its current form after Kong shi ascended to Sainthood. It resembles an altar allowing those born on earth toe in touch with the heavens, doesnt it? Cultivating at the peak of the mountain helps to open up ones mind, which may aid one in achieving a breakthrough. This is also the reason many cultivators choose to make a pilgrimage here in seek of oveing their bottleneck." Zhang Xuan nodded. Through his Eye of Insight, he could see many silhouettes walking along the coiling mountainous path in the distance. Just as Luo Ruoxin had said, there were many who visited these grounds in hope of seeking enlightenment. However, whether one seeded or not would be dependent on their luck. "As this is the ce where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, the Master Teacher Pavilion has deemed this area as one of its sacred grounds. If one wishes to visit the top, one will have to walk up the mountain a step at a time. All forms of flight are banned, and not even Saint realm experts are excluded from the rule... Letsnd at the foot of the mountain," Luo Ruoxin said. Out of respect to Kong shi, pilgrims were disallowed from flying straight to the peak. If one wanted to reach the top, there was only one way, and that was to scale the mountain via the coiling mountainous path! Thus, Zhang Xuan had the Great Violetwing Beastnd at the foot of the mountain. However, before they could even reach the ground, they could already see countless people donned in master teacher robes slowly walking up the mountainous path. Most of them were Chrysalis realm experts, but there were also a handful of Half-Saints and Nascent Saints too. Some of them were master teachers, but there were also ordinary cultivators amid the crowd as well. It seemed like they hade here in seek of a miracle too. "Are these experts all from Hongyuan Empire?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. With just a sweeping gaze, he could easily spot over ten thousand cultivators on the mountainous path, and they were all Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint experts... But when had there been so many experts in Hongyuan Empire? "Of course not! The Ascension Saint tform is located near the borders of Hongyuan Empire, at the intersection of over a dozen Tier-1 Empires. Sometimes, even cultivators from the Conferred Empires pay a visit here too. Most likely, of the crowd you see ahead of you, less than one percent is from Hongyuan Empire," Luo Ruoxin replied. Zhang Xuan nodded. "I see." After all the reading he had done over the past few days, he had obtained a rough overview of the distribution of power in the region. Hongyuan Empire was a Tier-1 Empire beneath Qingyuan Conferred Empire. In total, there were several dozen Tier-1 Empires like Hongyuan under Qingyuan Conferred Empire. All in all, Qingyuan extended over several ten million kilometers, and its poption exceeded a trillion. Even though Hongyuan Empire was well-reputed in Qingyuan Conferred Empire due to the existence of the Master Teacher Academy, it was still far from being thergest and strongest among the Tier-1 Empires. At most, it could only be considered as slightly above average. This was also precisely the reason there werent many experts in Hongyuan Empire. The strongest expert in Hongyuan City was only at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle, but in some of the more powerful Tier-1 Empires, there might be Saint 2-dan or even Saint 3-dan experts. Even among Tier-1 Empires, there could be a significant difference in the fighting prowess of each empire. "Are there Master Teacher Academies in the other Tier-1 Empire too, or is it only found in Hongyuan Empire?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Establishing a Master Teacher Academy is an extremely expensive project requiring huge amount of resources. As such, even though Hongyuan Master Teacher isnt the only ce with a Master Teacher Academy, there are very few Tier-1 Empires that have them. Of the dozens of Tier-1 Empire under Qingyuan Conferred Empire, there are only four Master Teacher Academies in total," said Luo Ruoxin. "However, these four academies are located rather far from one another, so not a lot of people are aware of their existence!" "There are four academies?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. All along, he had thought that Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was the only one among the Tier-1 Empires. Who would have thought that there were three others as well? Considering that Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had a hundred thousand master teachers, it should be around the same for the other academies as well. It seemed the Master Teacher Continent was truly huge, at least several dozen thousand timesrger than the he had lived on previously! Scary! Chapter 833: Ancient Secret Chapter 833: Ancient Secret Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Amid chatter, the Great Violetwing Beast eventually arrived at the foot of a mountain andnded. Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin stepped off its back and watched it leave into the distance before following the crowd on the path up the mountain. With the master teacher emblem pinned on their chests, there wasnt anyone who hindered their path. After taking a few steps, Luo Ruoxin gestured to her surroundings. "Recorded along this path are the insights andprehension of cultivation that countless predecessors have left behind after paying the Saint Ascension tform a visit." Taking a closer look at the cliff face by the side, there were indeed all kinds of inscriptions on it. There were two main reasons master teachers would make a pilgrimage there. One was to pay respects to the honorable Kong shi, and the second was to utilize the lingering aura around the Saint Ascension tform to achieve a breakthrough to Sainthood. Just as there were those who failed, there were also those who seeded. Out of sheer delight, those who had seeded would usually record the insights they had upon breaking through so that future generations could refer to them, and perhaps, take the final step across the threshold as well. Of course, each insight was only based on the individualsprehension, so they might not be applicable to everyone. Nevertheless, over the course of many years, countless insights had umted on the cliff faces, making them a valuable source of inspiration. Most of these detailed the methods and the sensations experienced upon achieving breakthroughs to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and even Saint realm. Quite a few pilgrims had stopped in their footsteps to study them carefully, mesmerized by the content. "There are too many insights here. It will take me at least a month to read finish all of them..." In the several dozen millennia since Kong shis ascension to Sainthood, countless experts had visited the Saint Ascension tform, and the writing extended all the way to the various mountains in the vicinity. Even with Zhang Xuans photographic memory, it would still take at least a month for him to see all of the insights. ncing at the cultivators who were studying the writing intently, Luo Ruoxin shook her head. "Each cultivator has their own unique constitution, cultivation technique, and personality. Due to these differences, what they require to achieve a breakthrough also differed from one another. These insights may seem like a valuable source of inspiration, but if one were to read too many of them, one might lose sight of what is important and descend into confusion instead!" As useful as the writing might be, it had its ws as well. Most of the insights contained the crystallization of the wisdom of the writer, making them a valuable source of knowledge. However, what worked for one might not necessarily work for another. The more knowledge one umted, the more paths would be opened up before one. But at the same time, it also made it more difficult to sieve out the feasible path from all of the options. Besides, even though there were countless roads a cultivator could take, all of these roads eventually converged into the same peak. The Master Teacher Pavilion encouraged cultivators to be innovative and take risks. It was through such a culture that innumerable cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and secret arts had been created over the years. There were even more formidable cultivators who had sessfully forged their own unique paths based on their own interpretation of the world, some conflicting with the epted conventions of cultivation even, but they still managed to create their own feasible system. Given the astoundingplexity and vast number of possibilities within cultivation, there was no cultivator who could possibly make sense of everything. As such, there were many cultivators whose cultivation had gone berserk due to taking in too much misceneous information and losing their way. This was also the reason the Master Teacher Pavilion maintained a tight control over the impartation of cultivation techniques. Only with the permission of a master teacher would a cultivator be allowed to copy the content of a cultivation technique manual. Otherwise, if one were to study indiscriminately, they could very well end up dulling their judgement instead, resulting in confusion. It was also for the same reason most master teachers were encouraged not to study the writings unless they had been stuck in a bottleneck for too long and couldnt find the impetus to make a breakthrough. While others might not be able to fully make sense of the writings inscribed into the cliff face, I am different... Zhang Xuan thought. There were insights from at least several million cultivators inscribed in the area, and perhaps even Kong shi might have fallen into a state of confusion from this bombardment of information. However, Zhang Xuan was different. With the Library of Heavens Path, he could easily discern truth from falsehood and rationalize everything easily. Such a problem wouldnt affect him. But... these writings arent in the form of books but engravings on the wall. I wonder if I can take them in... So far, the Library of Heavens Path had only taken in written information in the form of books. Considering that the writings were inscribed on the cliff instead, it was hard to tell whether the Library of Heavens Path could copy them in or not. "I should give it a try. ws!" Zhang Xuan muttered softly with his eyes fixated on the wall. Hul! The next moment, the Library of Heavens Path jolted intensely, and countless books fell from the heavens and onto the shelves. Zhang Xuan took one of the books out and flipped it open. It contained the words which his gaze had been fixated on previously. It works! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It seemed that, with the upgrade of the Library of Heavens Path, his ability to store information in the Library of Heavens Path by his gaze wasnt limited to only books but possibly written information of any sort too! I dont have any use for these at the moment, but once my cultivation reaches the required level, I wont have to go through the trouble of searching for cultivation technique manuals anymore... Zhang Xuan thought in delight as he followed Luo Ruoxin up the mountain. Along the way, his gaze would sweep across the cliff face to take in the insights on it. If he had read them normally, it would have taken him a months time at the very least. However, being able to take in the writings with his gaze, his speed was only limited by how fast he could walk. On top of that, the content would be filtered through the Library of Heavens Path too, so he need not worry about falling into confusion either. As the duo advanced, the number of cultivators who lingered by the cliff faces to study the writings reduced, and the number of experts increased. The bottom of the mountain was mainly filled with Chrysalis realm cultivators, but at their current location, the crowd was predominantly Nascent Saint experts. Because of that, he became the odd one out instead, being the only Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator there. As the Saint Ascension tform was considered a sacred ground for master teachers, there were none who dared cause trouble here. Advancing ahead, it took Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin an entire night before they arrived at the peak. There, they saw something resembling an altar. On the t peak towered a massive cliff face, and there were countless cultivators densely packed before it. Some were master teachers, and some were ordinary cultivators, but one thingmon among them was that they were gazing deeply into the words on the cliff face, some pondering, some analyzing, some experimenting, and some cultivating. The surroundings were extremely quiet, as if no one was willing to disturb the tranquility that lingered in these sacred grounds. "These are the insights that Kong shi had when he ascended to Sainthood," Luo Ruoxin informed Zhang Xuan telepathically. "This was left behind by Kong shi?" Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the cliff face. Majestic words describing a persons insight in his breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm were inscribed on the cliff face. With Zhang Xuans deepprehension of painting, he could tell that the words had achieved a profound level. If not for some kind of power suppressing them, they might have gained sentience and escaped from the cliff face, bing a lifeform themselves. Upon reaching the peak of painting, one could create a palpable world with ones brush, leaving others unable to discern it from the real world. Legend had it that a 9-star painter once drew out a prison that incarcerated an army of millions to their deaths. The army had nock of Saint realm experts as well, but not a single person had been able to escape from the world he created. While the painting on the cliff face had yet to reach such a level, it gave the distinct feeling of a lifeform, as if the words would leap out from their positions and slip away any moment. After looking for a moment, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown, "Wait a moment... these words dont seem like Kong shis!" While these words carried an imposing disposition to them, theycked the magnanimity to harness the world within them. Since it was something left behind by Kong shi, it should carry altruism for the world in it. But the act of these words attempting to escape by themselves was conflicting with that. "You have seen Kong shis words before?" Luo Ruoxin asked. "Un. A student of mine has Kong shis personal letter which contains his handwritten words. The form might be simr, but theres something quite different about the words on this cliff face and that..." Zhang Xuan replied. There werent too many words on Kong shis personal letter, but they carried an inexplicable force that jolted ones soul. Even Zhang Xuan had gone through Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy due to that, enjoying a significant rise in his Soul Depth. But the words before him didnt carry such a quality. "Youre right. These arent the words left behind by Kong shi..." Luo Ruoxin shook her head. "Even though this is sacred ground for master teachers and has been guarded carefully by the Master Teacher Pavilion, it has still been attacked by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe multiple times, and in one of those attacks, Kong shis heritage was wiped off as well. What you see now is an imitation made by one of the masters of the Painter Guild!" "Kong shis words were wiped off by the Otherworldly Demons? But... didnt the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe disappear from the world?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. So far, he had only met one living Otherworldly Demon so far, but not only was it a hybrid, it was even talked intomitting suicide by him. Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon puppets were remnants left behind by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but by no means could they could be considered truly alive. Since the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had already disappeared from the Master Teacher Continent, how could they possess the force to destroy such a well-guarded sacred ground? They had at least met several dozen thousand Half-Saint and Nascent Saint experts on the journey to the peak. The difficulty in scaling the mountain to destroy Kong shis heritage was not any different from barging into the Master Teacher Academy to kill Lu Feng. In a sense, it could be said to be a nearly impossible feat. "Disappear? If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has disappeared from the world, why would the Master Teacher Pavilion still be spread across the world? Why would the Master Teacher Pavilion even go through the trouble of establishing Master Teacher Academies here and there? Why would they hold such strict examinations?" Luo Ruoxin said withplex emotions rippling in her eyes as she shook her head. "Hongyuan Empire may seem calm, but thats far from the case!" "Are you saying that... there are Otherworldly Demons in Hongyuan Empire?" Zhang Xuans face warped in shock. "Indeed. You must have heard of the disappearance of the Master Teacher Academys old principal as well. If my conjecture is right, thats probably the doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well," Luo Ruoxin said with mncholy. "The doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Zhang Xuan expression turned grim. If the old principals death was truly the doing to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, that would exin why the Byzantium Helios Beast carried such hatred for him back then. Hu Yaoyao also said something simr to that... Zhang Xuan tightened his fists. With the presence of the Master Teacher Academy in the city, he had always thought that Hongyuan City was as secure as it could get. However, it seemed like his thoughts were too naive. "The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe originated from another world. Back then, in order to invade the Master Teacher Continent, they built many passageways linking their world to here, and Hongyuan City happens to be one of the ces where a passageway is located... Otherwise, considering how Hongyuan Empires national power is only average among the various Tier-1 Empires, how could the Master Teacher Academy be built here?" Luo Ruoxin exined. "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had never really thought about this matter before, but Luo Ruoxins words were logical and persuasive. There were indeed many doubtful aspects regarding the choice of location to establish the Master Teacher Academy. However, if the true aim of the Master Teacher Academy was to maintain the seal on the passageway between the Master Teacher Continent and the other world, everything would make perfect sense. "The reason I brought you here is not to study the words on this cliff face. While the cliff face once contained Kong shis handwritten words, what remains is just an imitation. It might be possible to imitate the form, but it is impossible to imitate the intent as well... What I hope for you to do is to use your Eye of Insight to trace Kong shis aura and find the real location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood!" Luo Ruoxin said. "The real location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood? You are saying that... he didnt ascend to Sainthood on this peak?" Since this ce was known as the Saint Ascension tform, it was naturally the ce where others thought Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood... Could it be that this Saint Ascension tform is a fake? Chapter 834: Saint Ascension Circle Chapter 834: Saint Ascension Circle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing what Zhang Xuan was thinking about, Luo Ruoxin replied with a smile, "Of course not. Its true that Kong shi ascended to Sainthood here, but its not certain exactly where in this huge area he did so." "This..." Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes nkly. The t peak of the mountain in itself extended for several ten thousand mu. On the other hand, Kong shi would only take up, at most, a square meter by himself during his cultivation. To find a single square meter from an area of several ten thousand mu... That was indeed difficult. "But is there a purpose to finding the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. The entire mountain was permeated with the grand aura that Kong shi had left behind from his ascension to Sainthood. Since that was the case, it shouldnt matter whether they found the precise location where Kong shi had made his breakthrough at. Besides, even if they were to find it, considering that several dozen millennia had passed, and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had wreaked havoc here multiple times, what could possibly remain there? "I just wish to verify a deduction I have... Furthermore, Kong shis will still remains here. It will be beneficial to you too if you can find it!" Luo Ruoxin said. "I will give it a try then..." Hearing the other partys words, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. Activating his Eye of Insight, he began observing the cliff face intently, analyzing every single inch of it. As expected, those words were just an imitation of Kong shis original words. Through the Eye of Insight, he could see a clear difference in the disposition of the words aspared to those written by Kong shi. A momentter, he shook his head. "None of Kong shis original words remain... I cant find anything at all." "You cant find anything?" Luo Ruoxin frowned before sighing deeply. She had already expected such an oue. After the many assaults on the Saint Ascension tform by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, all traces of Kong shi had been pretty much wiped clean. Even the possessor of the Eye of Insight would be unable to trace Kong shis trail anymore. The Eye of Insight might be formidable, but tracking down the remains from several dozen millenniums ago was clearly still beyond it. "What about the surroundings?" "Its the same too... Furthermore, there are too many people here, so I cant clearly discern anything," Zhang Xuan replied. There were countless people who scaled the Saint Ascension tform each day to cultivate, and there were all kinds of formations and tools activated in the area to facilitate their cultivation. To search for Kong shis trailwhich would be incredibly faint, if it had notpletely dissipated, after such a long period of timeamid this chaos was nigh impossible. After a moment of contemtion, Luo Ruoxin said, "I see... Since thats the case, try looking at the content of the words inscribed on the cliff face. Perhaps, you might be able to find a clue in it." Since it was impossible to find Kong shis trail, they could only work from the inscribed words then. Even though the current words inscribed on the cliff face had not been inscribed by Kong shi personally, the words dide from Kong shi. Perhaps, there might be some clue contained within them. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded before turning his gaze over to the cliff face. ws! Zhang Xuan willed, and in the next instant, a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He picked up the book, and a momentter, a bizarre expression surfaced on his face. Noticing the anomaly in Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin asked, "Whats wrong?" "Its not much, but... it seems like the insight which Kong shi left behind... isnt that urate..." Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. Through the analysis of the Library of Heavens Path, it was revealed that there were nine ws contained regarding the insight Kong shi had left behind. If it had been anyone else, even if the other party was a 9-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have been so surprised. But Kong shi... this was a little hard to believe. Even though these ws were very minor and inconspicuous ones, making it hard for anyone to notice them, they were still mistakes; this was an undeniable fact. To think that even the Worlds Teacher would make such errors... Was this for real? Taken aback, Luo Ruoxin asked, "Isnt that urate? Do you mean to say that... there are problems with the insights Kong shi left behind?" "Thats right. There is a total of 3,324 words contained within Kong shis insight, and there is a total of nine mistakes in it. Even though these were extremely minor mistakes that wouldnt affect the overall picture, still..." Zhang Xuan said hesitantly. On his journey up the Saint Ascension tform, he had taken in the insights of the predecessors and sessfullypiled the Heavens Path Divine Art regarding the breakthrough to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm. Comparing thepiled Heavens Path Divine Art with the insight Kong shi had left behind, the errors in thetter were apparent. Even though what Kong shi had left behind was only an insight and not a cultivation technique, most of the cultivators used it for reference for their cultivation. If it wasnt altered, even if one could sessfully achieve a breakthrough by referencing the insight, the effects wouldnt be ideal. "You are able to see the mistakes Kong shi left behind?" Luo Ruoxin eximed softly in astonishment as she gazed at him intently. Who was Kong shi? The Worlds Teacher, the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as the man who brought about the eviction of the Otherworldly Demons from the Master Teacher Continent, ushering an era of prosperity for humanity... His contribution to the world was truly immeasurable! Part of the reason Kong shi had been able to achieve all of those feats was due to his unparalleled talent and unimaginable capabilities. Countless master teachers viewed him as their goal and aspired to be like him, and yet, this fellow had actually said that there were nine ws in the insight Kong shi had left behind! If the master teachers in the surroundings were to hear his words, they would surely fly into a frenzy and pummel him into the ground! Luo Ruoxins exmation abruptly brought Zhang Xuan back to reality. He suddenly realized that he might have revealed far too much, so he hurriedly patched things up with an awkward smile. "Ahhh... Actually, I am not too sure either. There might be a mistake in myprehension too..." Zhang Xuan harbored no doubt regarding the Library of Heavens Paths capability. However, he was currently only a Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator, so it was inevitable that others might doubt his credibility when he mentioned that there was a mistake in Empyrean Kong shis words. "There is no mistake in yourprehension. There are indeed nine ws in the insight Kong shi left behind!" Paying no heed to Zhang Xuans response, Luo Ruoxin nodded affirmatively. The next moment, however, a deep frown surfaced on her forehead as she continued, "There are only two possibilities to such a happening. First, this insight was left behind by Kong shi right after he achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm, long before he became the Worlds Teacher whom everyone respects. If thats the case, it wouldnt be too surprising that he made mistakes." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Luo Ruoxin didnt pursue the matter, and after hearing the words of thetter, he couldnt help but nod in agreement. It would be unfair to judge Kong shi based on the Library of Heavens Path. Even with Kong shis unparalleled talent, it wasnt too surprising that he might have a few minor mistakes in hisprehension of Saint realm, especially since he had barely reached Saint realm himself. On the contrary, it was an extremely impressive feat for a person to have nine ws in hisprehension despite only just having reached Saint realm. "What about the second possibility?" Zhang Xuan asked. "The second possibility is that Kong shi left those ws within the insight deliberately. After all, there was no guarantee that there wouldnt be men with malicious intent or even those of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would attempt to study his insight as well. If so, they would benefit from his teachings as well, and that is no different from delivering a weapon into the hands of the enemies. On top of that, this might be his way of teaching theter generations of master teachers that it is foolish to blindly trust the teachings of others. Even he, the Worlds Teacher, could make mistakes, so they must have a mind of their own and discern what is right and wrong for themselves!" Luo Ruoxin said. "This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned. Truthfully, he hadnt thought deeply into Kong shis intentions at all. However, what Luo Ruoxin had said was logical and could very possibly be true. It was out of a trust in a teachers capability that a student would acknowledge the other party as their teacher, but this shouldnt form the basis of blind trust. Only through doubting and questioning established teachings could one surpass ones predecessors and reach greater heights! Could Kong shi have really intentionally left these nine minor mistakes in order to challenge the mindset of master teachers? If one could doubt even Kong shi himself, one might just be able to achieve what no one else ever had. On the other hand, if one were to blindly trust Kong shis teachings, even if one were to achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm, one would soon find ones own aplishments swiftly being capped by a bottleneck. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan said, "If it is the first possibility, Kong shi should have returned to alter the ws he left after he established the Master Teacher Pavilion... The fact that he didnt do so means that it is highly likely that it was the second possibility!" "Indeed." Luo Ruoxin nodded in approval. If it was a mistake out of ignorance, as the Worlds Teacher, Kong shi would have surely been ashamed of his failure, thuspelling him to return and correct it. But since he hadnt done so, the odds seemed to lean more toward the second possibility then. But whether there were ws in the insight or not had little to do with the exact location of where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood, so there wasnt much point in analyzing the matter any further. I should first study the content of the insight first. If this fails, I will just have to look around slowly... With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness intoprehending the writing Kong shi had left behind. The insight described the process of how Kong shi achieved his breakthrough to Saint realm. Even though it wasnt explicitly written as a cultivation technique, it was soprehensive that if one were to jot down the details, it could form aplete cultivation technique. But of course, this cultivation technique was specific only to Kong shis constitution. If others were to attempt a breakthrough via that cultivation technique, what would await them was only their own cultivation going berserk. This was somewhat simr to what the Heavens Path Divine Art was to Zhang Xuan. If others attempted to cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art, they would first find themselves bleeding profusely from their seven apertures 1 before they could aplish anything. After studying for some time, Zhang Xuan was unable to find anything reminiscent of a hint from the writing, so he could only give up on it. Standing up, he activated his Eye of Insight and beganbing the area. The peak was extremely spacious. Other than the area before the cliff face, which waspletely packed with cultivators, there was still plenty of room to move about. It didnt take too long for Zhang Xuan to circle around the area, but he was still unable to find anything. Disappointed, he shook his head helplessly. He hadnt expected it to be so difficult. But thinking about it, if it was that easy, the Otherworldly Demons would have long found the location and obtained the will that Kong shi had left behind. With his efforts futile, Zhang Xuan was just about to regroup with Luo Ruoxin when amotion suddenly broke out in front of the cliff face, breaking the tranquility at the peak. There was arge group of people discussing with one another, seemingly sharing their own insights andprehensions. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but grab a middle-aged man not too far away and ask, "Excuse me, may I ask what is going on?" The middle-aged man nced at Zhang Xuan and replied, "You must be new here! Every day, the Saint Ascension Circle conducts lectures to decipher the essence of Kong shis teachings. This is an opportunity for everyone to learn and have their doubts answered." "Saint Ascension Circle?" Zhang Xuan had never heard of such an organization before. Noticing Zhang Xuans surprise, the middle-aged man shook his head and said, "The Saint Ascension Circle is a group that specializes in studying and deciphering the writing Kong shi left behind here. It consists of thirteen 7-star master teachers and several hundred 6-star master teachers. They aim to uncover the underlying intentions that Kong shi had when he inscribed his insight onto this cliff face through their research. "Over the years, they have already gained a deep understanding of the subject. Outsiders like us might find it hard toprehend the thoughts of Kong shi even if we were to stare at the cliff face for an entire month straight, but through their lectures, we can understand the thoughts that thetter had in mind when he was making his breakthrough to Saint realm." "To think that there would be such an organization here..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. Asplicated as it may sound, the circle was actually rather simr to those organizations involved in the study of Redology 2 , Goldenology 3 , and the other ssics in his previous lifea bunch of fellows who had nothing better to do with their lives! If it wasnt out of boredom, why would they bother scrutinizing every single word written, losing themselves in needless profundities? Simrly, Kong shi had just left his insight on the cliff face in his moment of delight after sessfully reaching Saint realm. What more was there to uncover from that? To think that so many master teachers would devote so many years of their lives to researching something as insignificant as this... Just the thought of it rendered him speechless. The next moment, the middle-aged man eximed, "Look, they are here..." Following which, three elders could be seen walking to the front of the crowd. Chapter 835: Cornering Chapter 835: Cornering Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Dressed in master teacher robes, the three elders had snowy hair and beards, and they emanated powerful auras. "7-star master teachers..." ncing at the brilliant emblems pinned at their chests, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. These elders were actually 7-star master teachers! This meant that their strength had already surpassed even the strongest expert in Hongyuan Empire. "I have kept all of you waiting..." one of the elders said with a smile upon reaching the front. His voice wasnt loud, but it resounded clearly within the ears of the listeners. In an instant, themotion died down. "Its only right for us to wait for elders!" "Its my honor to listen to elders lecture!" The crowd below sped their fists in response. Most of those who stood before the cliff face were Half-Saint and Nascent Saint experts, which tranted to 6-star low-tier and 6-star high-tier master teachers. This meant in terms of standing, they paled far inparison to three elders in front. Under such circumstances where they didnt know the names of those before them, it was only right for them to address the other party as elders. "We are all fellow cultivators, so there is no need to stand on ceremony. Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Wu Ran, and I have been managing most of the affairs of the Saint Ascension Circle in recent years. I am a master teacher from Qingzhu Empire, and you can call me Wu shi!" the elder said as he stroked his beard. "Wu Ran? Could you be the incumbent leader of the Saint Ascension Circle?" "Youve heard of him?" "Of course! Wu shi not only possesses a deepprehension of Kong shis Insight to Saint Ascension, he is also the principal of Qingzhu Academy?" "Qingzhu Academy? You mean... the Master Teacher Academy located at Qingzhu Tier-1 Empire?" "Thats right! Qingzhu is one of the four empires out of the 46 Tier-1 Empires under Qingyuan Conferred Empire to have a Master Teacher Academy... While Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy is only ranked third of the four, above only Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, nevertheless, the fact that he could be its principal reflects the immense capability and profound knowledge that he possesses!" "Seriously? Its truly a huge honor to listen to the lecture of such an incredible person!" ... Shock rippled through the crowd when they heard Wu Rans name. While the Saint Ascension Circle would conduct lectures there on a daily basis, most of the time, it was conducted by ordinary members. Thus, many of the cultivators of the peak were surprised to see the leader of the circle, a 7-star master teacher and the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, conducting the lecture himself. It was truly a huge honor to have the other party decipher Kong shis teachings for them personally. "To my left is Wang Liao, Wang shi, and Sun Jing, Sun shi. If you have any doubts, feel free to direct them to us. We will try to answer them to the best of our ability!" Wu shi said with a smile. "Wang Liao? Ive heard of that name before! He once wrote a paper, Kong shis Path to Enlightenment, which made a huge uproar in the neighboring Tier-1 Empires. Its said that the paper brought enlightenment to over three hundred cultivators, thus allowing them to ovee their bottlenecks. He is one of the Ten Great Master Teachers of Qingzhu Empire!" "I have heard of Sun Jing as well. He is one of the Ten Great Master Teachers to Qingzhu Empire, too. The book that he wrote, Nascent Saint Breakthrough Form, is one of the most sought-after manuals in the region. I had to pay a huge number of high-tier spirit stones to purchase it... To think that I would meet the author in person here!" Hearing the names Wu shi introduced, a huge wave ofmotion broke out once again. The two elders behind him werent nameless figures either; on the contrary, they enjoyed widespread fame. Just that... considering that Qingzhu Empire was extremely far from there, such that it would half a months journey even on a saint beast, why would those esteemed men suddenly go there? "Since it seems like everyone knows of us, I will just get straight down to business. I will start from lecturing everyone about the origin of Kong shis insight!" After introducing himself, Wu shi surveyed the surroundings with a meaningful gaze before beginning his lecture. "As everyone knows, the era which Kong shi lived in was the period of time when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe held the dominant position in the continent. Back then, mankind lived every single day in fear, not knowing when they might be killed. Living in such tumultuous times, even though Kong shi became a Celestial Saint, an existence recognized by the heavens, he still worried for mankind and contributed to its welfare... As such, if you were to ruminate over the insight closely, even though it carries a tinge of joy from his advancement to Saint realm, at the same time,plex emotionsing from his worry for mankind and the world can be felt from it as well!" Worry for mankind and the world? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard. Kong shi had left behind this insight just to remind theter generations to always rely on their own judgement, and to never fully trust the wisdom of their predecessors. How in the world did the other party sense such deep emotions from it? Your imagination sure is vivid! But giving the matter some thoughts, that was indeed the job of academics such as them. They strove to uncover the deeper intentions behind the words of the predecessors so that others could better appreciate them. However, they had a tendency to go too far and overthink even the most minor of details so as to unt their knowledge, such that if the author were toe alive once more and see their evaluation of his work, he would also bepletely bbergasted! And from the looks of it, it seemed Wu shi was such an academic as well! "... Try reading this writing once more with such emotions, and you will be able toprehend Kong shis state of mind then!" Wu shi continued. "Just like this sentence, Stale rice and cold water, a bent arm as a pillow, but joy lies not in those but in itself. This is a reflection of the agony mankind suffered under the oppression of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It can be interpreted that despite the suffering Kong shi endured, he felt utmost joy from working for the welfare of mankind..." After listening for a while longer, Zhang Xuans eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. It was not that the other party was exactly wrong, but they had elevated Kong shi to a height beyond reach in their hearts, to the point where they view him with rose-colored goggles, failing to see the man himself. This would only lead their interpretation further and further away from the truth. However, the other party couldnt be entirely med for this either. Kong shi was simply far too much of a venerated figure among the master teachers, and his infallibility had be a deeply-ingrained notion in the minds of many. As such, there was a tendency to evaluate everything that he had left behind in a higher and nobler perspective, and anything other than that would be viewed as challenging Kong shis authority and disrespecting ones teacher. However, Zhang Xuan was different. As the saying goes, the onlooker gets the clearest glimpse of the situation. Havinge from a different world, he didnt possess as deep of an impression of Kong shi as most in this world, who had been taught to admire and respect Kong shi from a young age. On top of that, as one who possessed the Library of Heavens Path, he had learned never to ce blind faith in the words of others too. Hong long! But in that moment, a Nascent Saint cultivator standing just slightly in front of him seemed to have a sudden surge of inspiration, and with a jolt through his body, he abruptly achieved a breakthrough. That sight left Zhang Xuanpletely stunned. He had just been thinking that the lecture waspletely nonsense and would surely be ineffective a moment ago when someone really achieved a breakthrough. A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. Could this be... faith? Perhaps, even Wu shi himself might have been aware that his interpretation had deviated from Kong shis original intention, but he still chose to shape his lecture in such a manner in order to y on the deep respect that master teachers had for Kong shi. Through empowering this faith, it could strengthen ones resolution, turning it into a driving force for one to achieve a breakthrough. The difference between a Saint and a Nascent Sainty not only in their cultivation but their state of mind as well! This exined why despite the far-fetched theories that the Saint Ascension Circle proposed, it still enjoyed widespread poprity among the popce. Stroking his beard in satisfaction, Wu shi continued, "Not bad, someone has already achieved a breakthrough... Moving on, I believe one of the lines that might have many of you stumped is this, Composure frees worries, and agitation induces disturbance. If one can devote oneself to the calm, a breakthrough is possible even in the state of stagnancy... Its meaning is simple. As long as one maintains aposed state of mind, even without sufficient zhenqi, one can still achieve a breakthrough." "This..." Zhang Xuan couldnt help but burst into a soft chuckle. This happened to be one of the nine ws reflected in the Library of Heavens Path. Maintaining aposed state of mind was indeed important, but one still had to possess sufficient zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough. There was a limit to what sheer willpower could do. Nevertheless, it was indeed true that a calm mind could give rise to a state of aplishment through inaction, inducing the growth of ones zhenqi and ultimately allowing for a breakthrough. While there was a w in the sentence, it was probably Kong shis way of telling theter generations that they shouldnt be overly obsessed with their zhenqi cultivation. Tempering the mind was also of utmost importance. Yet, the other party managed to shape it into a secret art to achieving a breakthrough somehow... It was no wonder no one had noticed the nine ws and corrected them over all these years. It wasnt that the master teachers were too foolish, but they had ced Kong shi on far too high a pedestal, and this had led to the twisting of the intentions behind his words. "The friend over there, may I ask if there is anything wrong with my exnation for you to have burst into a chuckle?" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was about to walk away when he suddenly heard those words. Raising his gaze, he saw Wu shi staring at him with a deep frown. While everyone else was listening to the interpretation of Kong shis insight intently, that fellow was chuckling silently in the corner. This was extremely disrespectful to both him and Kong shi. As a 7-star master teacher, he could overlook the insult that the young man was showing to him, but he couldnt sit idly when someone was clearly scorning Kong shis teachings, especially in sacred grounds like this. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan also didnt expect his gesture to be noticed by the other party. Embarrassed, he sped his fist and bowed. "Hearing your lecture, I suddenly had an epiphany which resulted in my light chuckle. I ask for your understanding if I have been disrespectful!" Even if the other party was wrong, it had nothing much to do with him. Knowing that it would only cause a huge uproar if he were to stand up at this moment, he decided to apologize and end the matter there. "Epiphany? Hahaha, can a Perfect Harmonization realmd like you understand the content of Wu shis lecture?" "Kong shis insight is directed toward Nascent Saint realm experts. Epiphany my head, do you even understand a single word of it?" "Since you had an epiphany, why dont you achieve a breakthrough for us all to see?" ... Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the crowd in the area burst intoughter. As Nascent Saint realm experts, they didnt dare im that they understood Kong shis wisdom. Yet, a Perfect Harmonization realm expert like him had imed that hed had an epiphany... How conceited! How could a person have such thick skin? Wu shi also frowned upon hearing those words. "Oh? If youve had an epiphany, may I invite you to share it with us? This is a good opportunity for us to learn from one another!" "This... I shall not embarrass myself up there..." Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands to turn down the offer humbly. "Are you trying to say that I am embarrassing myself here?" Wu shis face darkened. "Thats not what I meant though..." Not expecting the other party to misinterpret his words, Zhang Xuan was stunned. He hurriedly exined, "What I am saying is that with my shallow level ofprehension, my epiphany will only beughed at, so it isnt worth a mention..." "If you are saying that the epiphany you had after listening to my lecture will only beughed at, does that mean that my lecture is hrious and not worth a mention too?" Wu shi harrumphed. "You are misunderstanding my words. I am saying that myprehension of the subject is still shallow, so..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If you can have an epiphany despite your shallowprehension of the subject and chuckle at it, does that mean that the content of my lecture is shallow as well?" Wu shi snapped. Chapter 836: Collapse of the Saint Ascension Platform Chapter 836: Copse of the Saint Ascension tform Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "If you really wish to understand that in such a manner, there is nothing that I can do..." Seeing that the other party was picking ws with everything that he said, Zhang Xuan frowned. "We are all master teachers, and you have made your point. Since I have already admitted my mistake, surely you dont have to corner me like that!" "Audacious!" "How dare you speak to Wu shi like that?" "Where did this arrogant brate from?" Hearing Zhang Xuans words, a huge disturbance broke out amid the crowd. Having listened to Wu shis lecture, the group gathered in the area could be considered to be half-students of his. It was one thing that a Perfect Harmonization realm brat was refusing to listen to the preaching of their half-teacher humbly, but to utter such disrespectful words on top of that... Was he tired of living? "I am only asking you to share your epiphany here, how am I cornering you here? Humph! To feign knowledge in the face of ignorance, is this the attitude befitting of a master teacher?" With a steely glint in his eyes, Wu shi took a step toward Zhang Xuan. Hong long! The immense pressure from the overwhelming might of a Saint 2-dan abruptly fell upon the surroundings as if a tsunami had crashed down upon the area, rendering those caught within it unable to breathe properly. As one who had dedicated a significant portion of his life to studying the quintessence of Kong shis insights, Wu shi carried special feelings for the Saint Ascension tform. As such, he couldnt bear to see another disrespecting it. But from the moment he began his lecture, that fellow had been putting on all kinds of peculiar expressions, even sneering at one point. It was then that his tolerance snapped. To act so frivolously in the grounds where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood... If the other party was his student, he would have surely expelled him from his academy that very instant! That was also why he had lowered himself to bickering with a 4-star master teacher despite being a 7-star master teacher himself. It wasnt out of pettiness but to send out a clear message that any form of disrespect toward Kong shi was intolerable! Otherwise, if everyone started to act in such a manner, what would be of the Master Teacher Pavilions dignity? Feign knowledge in the face of ignorance? Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, the pressure weighing down on Zhang Xuan dissipated. Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan stared at Wu shi directly in thetters eye and shook his head. I only couldnt be bothered to point out your errors, but you managed to pin so many sins on me. But as stifled as Zhang Xuan was within, he didnt feel like starting anything at this very moment, especially since he was here with Luo Ruoxin. Thus, he sped his fist and said, "Yes, I apologize for my ignorance and breach of etiquette, and I hope to seek your understanding!" In any case, he knew better than anyone whether he was ignorant or not. It was pointless to argue with another over this; it was not like he could help what the other party thought of him anyway. However, if the other party wished to make an example out of him, he should know better than to push his luck further than this. "To be spouting such arrogant words despite your ignorance, you sure are an embarrassment to master teachers!" Harrumphing coldly, Wu shi ced his hands behind his back, and with the majestic disposition of a 7-star master teacher, he dered, "I do not wish for someone as presumptuous as you to remain on this Saint Ascension tform. Take off your master teacher robe and leave the premises!" "Take off my master teacher robe and leave the premises?" Zhang Xuans face immediately darkened. To be asked to strip ones master teacher robe and scram from the mountain was a huge humiliation. If word of this matter were to spread, his path as a master teacher could very welle to an end at this point. He had already given so many concessions, but the other party simply continued to try to corner him. Did the other party think that he was an easy target to bully just because he was young? Even if you wish to send out a stern warning to others, you have already made your point. This is going beyond the limits! Could it be that I have an extremely loathsome face and anyone who meets me just has to provoke me and teach me a lesson? "Thats right!" Wu shi nced at Zhang Xuan coldly. "Reluctant? Dont make me do it personally; it wont end as simply as that if I have to get involved..." Noticing the hostility in Wu shi eyes, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Wu shi, revealing his narrowed eyes. "I have already given you so many concessions, but you just want to stick your face in here, dont you? Your lecture is utter nonsense, filled with ws everywhere, and it is only out of respect for you as a fellow master teacher that I chose not to expose you publicly. Yet, you started going after me instead!" He had already gone as far as to apologize, but the other party still refused to step down. Why? Will you only be contented after you p my face? Fine, here is my face... p it if you can! "What did you say?" Not expecting a Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator to speak to him so insolently, Wu shis expression turned livid. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he uttered coldly, "Dont you have ears to hear what I am saying? Kong shi left his insight as both a warning and advice to theter generations; it is one thing to distort the meaning of Kong shis words, but to even go around spreading false teachings and beguiling others, you should be thankful that I didnt rip apart your lies. To be putting on an act before me here, are you trying to act as if you are formidable?" He had been intending to keep a low profile and say nothing much, but the other party simply refused to stop. Just because I am sparing your face, do you think that I am some kind of idiot? Not expecting the other party to speak so rudely to him, Wu shi nearly burst into rage. "Audacious!" "Audacious? Who is the one being audacious here? Kong shi left his insight here in order to test theter generations. There is a total of nine ws here, but despite the many years your Saint Ascension Circle has dedicated to uncovering its secrets, you have never noticed them. What have you been doing all these years? As the incumbent leader of the circle, dont you feel the slightest guilt or embarrassment?" Zhang Xuan spoke sharply without any reservations. Since the other party had decided to corner him like that, it would be impolite of him not to return the favor. "Nine ws?" "How could Kong shi make any mistakes? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" "Stop talking nonsense over there!" ... Those words had left not only Wu shi stunned, but it had sparked a huge wave of criticism from the surrounding cultivators as well. To them, the infallible Kong shi making a mistake was no different from the sky falling on them. How could they possibly believe it? "You dont believe my words? Fine, I will point out the nine ws right here and now for everyone to hear!" Since he couldnt be bothered to waste any more time bickering over this matter, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to the cliff face and pointed with his finger. A surge of zhenqi gushed out from his fingertip as if a ray of light, highlighting the area where the first w was located. "The first w lies in this line, Composure frees worries, and agitation induces disturbance. If one can devote himself to the calm, a breakthrough is possible even in the state of stagnancy... What this line is truly saying is that ones strength and spirit must be in harmony in order to attain true power. Strength without spirit makes one no different from a beast, a being with nothing but brute strength. Without a unique encounter, it would be impossible for one to achieve a breakthrough. On the other hand, spirit without strength is nothing more than a pipe dream... "Kong shi only left behind a portion of the full quote in order to provoke deeper thoughts in theter generation andprehend that just having spirit alone or strength alone is futile... Yet, Wu shi imed that as long as one can achieve aposed state of mind, one can achieve a breakthrough even without strength... Impressive, why dont you achieve a breakthrough to show all of us? What are you waiting for? Go on!" "You..." Wu shis face flushed scarlet in embarrassment. "The second w lies in the phrase, Fear the world, peer into the unknown horizon, embrace worries and fear, and only then will you advance... What this means is that it is imperative to feel fear because that will be the drive for strength. If one remainscent or escapes from ones fears, one will only stagnate. "There is no problem with this line for those who have just started treading on the path of cultivation. But upon reaching Saint realm, one will be wrestling with the heavens for power. If one were to allow fear to remain in ones heart, how could one possibly win against the heavens? "A true expert must be capable of oveing anything in their path. Fear should only be the basis to building up fearlessness, and only with a fearless mindset can one charge bravely ahead and ovee all odds in ones path! "The third w... "The fourth w..." ... Zhang Xuans words were sharp like knives, cutting straight into the ws of the insights. They might be minor ws, but it left the listeners in a daze, and they couldnt help but tremble in astonishment. It was not that they had never had their doubts regarding certain aspects of the writing, but as this was the insight left behind by the venerated Kong shi, they disregarded such thoughts and med it on their ignorance instead. But in this instant, for everything to beid bare so clearly before them, their faces couldnt help but pale, and a tempest raged within their hearts... Could Kong shi really have been mistaken? But... thats Kong shi! How could he be wrong? He was the Worlds Teacher... At that instant, Wu shi waspletely dumbstruck as well. As a 7-star master teacher, he had the judgement to tell that there were no mistakes in what the other party had said. However, as one who had immersed himself in the study of the insight for many years, those words were a huge blow to him, copsing the faith which he had held firmly all those years. "... and this is the ninth w!" In a single breath, Zhang Xuan revealed all nine ws. Even though the entire area was ghastly silent, not a single person dared to utter a word or breathe loudly; nearly everyone had already been convinced by his words. Weng! As soon as Zhang Xuans words came to a halt, a blinding light suddenly burst into the surroundings. The next moment, nine words from the nine ws abruptly tore out from the cliff face and morphed into nine massive words. "Mymendations. Blindly trusting another, why not trust yourself!" At the same time, the words in the nine ws began rearranging themselves, and in just a short moment, they were corrected, and the writing became perfected. "This is... Kong shis acknowledgement?" "He received Kong shis acknowledgement?" "Its not that Kong shi was mistaken, but that... this is a test he left behind for theter generations!" "Its a pity that we never saw through it. Even the Saint Ascension Circle was unable to do so over all of those years..." ... How could the crowd still notprehend what was going on after all that had happened? Their bodies stiffened, and they couldnt help but kneel to the ground. Since even Kong shi had given his acknowledgement, it could only mean that the words of the young man were correct! Wu shis ridicule and their mockery had instantly be nothing more than a joke. "Th-this... Has all the time I spent studying Kong shis writing been futile?" In this moment, Wu shis face paled, and he couldnt help but stagger backward weakly. Theplexion of the two elders beside him, Wang shi and Sun shi, also paled, and they could hardly ept what was happening before them. It couldnt be more apparent to them that it was a test Kong shi had set for them, but they had gone centuries without noticing it, and they had even taken pride in their analysis... With many years of debates among many master teachers, the members of the Saint Ascension Circle had thought that they were only a step away from fullyprehending Kong shis intent. But in this instant, it suddenly dawned on them that... All of those profound theories they hade up with were nothing more than utter gibberish! Kacha! With the appearance of those nine words, an iparably powerful aura suddenly spread over the crowd, jolting their souls. In an instant, they lost control of themselves and entered a unique state of mind. Following which, the cliff face behind began shaking violently. As if it had finally fulfilled its raison dtre, cracks began appearing on it. The cracks swiftly crept across the entire cliff face, shrouding its entirety before everything abruptly copsed with a deafening boom!. Smithereens flew all over the ce, and a huge cloud of dust rose in the air. In just a few short moments, the 3,324 words Kong shi had left behind had disappeared from existence. The heck... Watching as all of that unfolded before him, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was going to burst into tears. Hed known that there were mistakes with the insight, but he hadnt thought that the cliff face would be so fragile as to copse just by having them pointed out... You fell valiantly and magnificently with a bang... but what about me? With all of the master teachers gathered here to witness how I murdered you, they will definitely have me pay with my life... Must you really do me in like that? "Hmm?" On the other hand, Luo Ruoxin was busy searching around for the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood when she abruptly heard the deafening rumble. Astonished, her body trembled in astonishment as she hurriedly turned her gaze to the cliff face. There, she saw the dazed Zhang Xuan, whose mouth was twitching non-stop before the cliff face. Both her eyes and mouth slowly widened in shock. I was only gone for a moment! Y-y-you... What did you do this time? This is the Saint Ascension tform, you know! How can you destroy this as well? Chapter 837: Folded Space Chapter 837: Folded Space Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The very heart of the Saint Ascension tformy in the insight inscribed into the cliff face at the very top. As this was something that Kong shi had left behind, there was no master teacher who didnt view it as a sacred relic. None dared to speak loudly before it for fear of desecrating it. Yet, you actually reduced it to smithereens shortly after your arrival. In its current state, even restoration is no longer a feasible option... It is one thing for you to mess around in the academy. After all, in consideration of its own reputation, the academy will try to suppress the matters that happen within its grounds. But this... Do you have a deep-seated grudge against all infrastructures, or were you simply born with the innate potential to be the God of Destruction? Does the word careful not exist in your dictionary? To dare destroy even the sacrednds where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood... Cant you at least pick a less prominent target than that? You are pping the entire Master Teacher Pavilion in its face! Without a doubt, you cant even need to dream of leaving the mountain anymore. Any moment now, countless master teachers will be pouncing on you, grinding you into meat paste. Speechless, Luo Ruoxin hurriedly rushed up to Zhang Xuan, grabbed his sleeve, and hurriedly pulled him away to flee. She was the one who had taken Zhang Xuan there, so she felt that she had to take responsibility for him. No matter what, it couldnt be wrong for them to flee at that very instant. Otherwise, once everyone came to, they would be goners! "Hmm?" Luo Ruoxin had thought that Zhang Xuan, knowing that he was in deep trouble, would flee with the lightest tug, but to her surprise, thetter waspletely motionless. It was as if he was rooted to the spot. "Hurry up and leave!" Luo Ruoxin eximed anxiously. "Just wait a moment!" Zhang Xuan grabbed Luo Ruoxins sleeve and halted her instead. With his other hand, he pointed to the rubble and said, "Take a look at this." "Take a look at what?" Hearing that Zhang Xuan was still in the mood to look at the rubble, Luo Ruoxin frowned. However, what she saw next left her eyelids twitching uncontrobly. What was within the rubble wasnt just dust or debris but a meter square stone tform with a peculiar light halo circling above it as well. A holy and majestic aura flowed from it, reminiscent of an object from the heavens. "Could this be... the ce where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?" Luo Ruoxins body trembled in agitation. That was the main reason she was there. After going around the peak and finding nothing at all, she had thought that perhaps it had already disappeared along with the ages, never to be found again. Who could have known that it would be hidden in the cliff face instead! That exined why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been unable to find anything despite ransacking the ce. Back then, what they had destroyed was only the words on the wall, but the cliff face had survived their rampage. In the midst of her shock, Luo Ruoxin felt someone tugging at her sleeves. "Lets head over there to take a look!" Zhang Xuan said as he pulled her to the stone tform. Without any hesitation, Luo Ruoxin swiftly followed behind him. The light halo was barely visible amid the cloak of dust drifting in the area. Walking up to it, Zhang Xuans hand stretched for it and touched it lightly. Hu! The light halo immediately expanded, enveloping their bodies. The next instant, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin suddenly felt an intense falling sensation as the world flew past them, disappearing in a sh. When the brilliant sh of light finally dissipated, Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin, and the stone tform disappeared from sight, as if they had never been there in the first ce. ... "So that is indeed the truth behind the insight! I never would have thought that my years of research were actually in vain..." It was only after the disappearance of the duo that Wu shi and the others finally began to move once more, as if having just recovered from their shock. After the appearance of the nine words from Kong shis acknowledgement, they had been sent into a momentary trance. It was only a short while after that they finally returned to reality. Recalling the mystical sight they had just seen, their faces flushed scarlet in agitation. Wasnt the goal of the Saint Ascension Circle to uncover the real meaning behind Kong shis words? Even though the one who had done it was just a Perfect Harmonization realmd, it was a fact that they had finally uncovered what they had sought for innumerable years! "Where is the esteemed elder who deciphered Kong shis insight?" The crowd hurriedly turned to the location where Zhang Xuan had been standing a moment ago, but the ground waspletely empty. There was not a person to be seen. At the same time, their address had also turned from brat to elder as a form of respect. "He isnt here anymore. He was standing right there just a moment ago..." Wang shi muttered in astonishment. In their perception, barely a second had passed since the appearance of the nine words from Kong shi, but that was only a false impression they had due to the momentary trance. They bore no recollection of Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin stepping into the cloud of dust and disappearing in a sh of light, as though everything that had just urred was a dream. "To be able to decipher Kong shis intentions and earn his acknowledgement, that young man is anything but simple... Its a pity that we know nothing about him!" Wu shi shook his head in embarrassment. Just a moment ago, he had been using the other party of feigning knowledge in the face of ignorance. However, it couldnt be clearer to him at this moment that the other party was far more knowledgeable than him. He felt like a clown prancing around a true expert to unt his half-baked knowledge. His actions were truly embarrassing. Nevertheless, a 7-star master teacher should have the magnanimity worthy of one. He had indeed wronged the other party, and if given a chance to meet that elder once more, he would surely apologize to the other party sincerely. "Wu shi, the cliff face has copsed..." Sun shi remarked in worry. Each year, countless cultivators would visit the Saint Ascension tform in hopes of achieving a breakthrough. For such a thing to happen, how were they supposed to exin this to the Master Teacher Pavilion? "The Saint Ascension tform is a valuable asset, but the writing on the wall was not Kong shis personal writing but an imitation. Besides, even though it has copsed, we have perfected the insight instead. Thus, not only is there no loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion, its also a huge merit! I will contact the Painter Guild right now and have them send someone to conduct restoration works. This time, we shall inscribe the correct version onto it!" Wu shi said with glowing eyes. Kong shis words had already reflected his acknowledgement and eptance of this matter. Since even Kong shi wasnt angry, who were they to be furious in his stead? Not to mention, with the perfected insight, they would surely be able to attract more people to the Saint Ascension tform, thus furthering Kong shis teachings! "Wang shi, help me calm everyone down here. Sun shi, follow me tob the surroundings to see if we can find the young man. If we could have him lecture here on Kong shis writing, we will surely benefit greatly from his teachings!" Wu shi said. "Alright!" Sun shi and Wang shi nodded. After making arrangements, Wu shi and Sun shi hurriedly headed down the mountain to pursue the young man. With their nimble footsteps, it didnt take long for them to reach the bottom of the mountain. Yet, it was as if the young man had just vanished from the face of the world. That young man might have caused the copse of the cliff face, but he had correctly interpreted Kong shis intentions and won his acknowledgement. Despite being 7-star master teachers, they were only d that they could see such a grand sight with their own eyes. "Its such a pity..." Unable to find the young man, the duo sighed deeply inmentation. ... After disappearing from the spot, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin suddenly found themselves standing in apletely different ce from where they had been previously. Before them was a lush field of grass and flowers. Not too far away, there was a simple straw cottage. "Where... is this?" Zhang Xuan was dazed by this abrupt change in surroundings. It was just a moment ago that he had been standing at the peak of a mountain, but in the blink of an eye, he had suddenly appeared in a field. Recalling that he was still grabbing the other partys sleeves, he quickly turned around, only to see Luo Ruoxins reddened face as she hurriedly tugged her sleeves out of his grip. A momentter, after she had recovered from the embarrassment, Luo Ruoxin took a look at the surroundings and said, "If I am not mistaken, this should be... a folded space!" "Folded space?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Un. A folded space refers to a region where space is pressed together to create vastnds in a very small area. Storage rings are a use of folded space, too. However, the conditions in storage rings are too extreme to contain humans whereas folded space such as this can," Luo Ruoxin replied. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Sounds like the Myriad Anthive Nest..." "Thats right, it is fundamentally simr to the Myriad Anthive Nest, but folded spaces are typically muchrger." Luo Ruoxin nodded. "It isnt too difficult to determine whether the ce you are in is a folded space or not. As folded spaces are usually artificial and less stable, the space within it shakes easily with sufficient force." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and abruptly punched forward. Hong long long! An immense shock wave burst into the surroundings, and the surrounding space seemed to shake slightly. "It does seem to be rather unstable," Zhang Xuan remarked. This verified that the area they were in was indeed a folded space. However, to be able topress such a huge space into just a small area, this capability was far more powerful than that possessed by the Anthive Myriad Queen. Just how fearsome must the one who constructed it be? Having guessed Zhang Xuans thoughts, Luo Ruoxin said, "Unless one possesses some kind of exceptional means, only 9-star master teachers are capable of utilizing this ability!" "9-star master teachers?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. That was an existence that stood at the very top of the continent. Even with the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan wouldnt dare to speak loudly before such an existence. There was simply too huge a disparity between their standing and strength that not even his disguise could make up for. "Could this have been left behind by Kong shi?" Zhang Xuan asked. Just by touching a light halo hidden within the cliff face on the Saint Ascension tform, he had been transported here. As such, it was likely that this was Kong shis design. By exposing the ws publicly, Zhang Xuan might have triggered some kind of mechanism that Kong shi had left behind on the cliff face. "Thats very possible, but... its still too early to say for sure. Lets head to the straw cottage to take a look first. Perhaps, we might find something conclusive there!" Luo Ruoxin said. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan replied. The straw cottage looked rather shabby, simr to that which he had seen on Leiyuan Peak. The door was unlocked, and pushing on it lightly, jiya!, the duo entered the cottage. The room was around twenty to thirty square metersrge. There was a square table at the center of the room, and an ancient scroll was ced on it. Zhang Xuan exchanged nces with Luo Ruoxin before reaching for the scroll and opening it gently. Words were written on the scroll, and the content was identical with what was inscribed on the cliff face outside. These words werent as fanciful as those outside, but as simple and inelegant as they were, they seemed to strike a chord deep within ones heart. "This is... Kong shis handwriting!" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. The next instant, his blood flow hastened as if triggered by something, and he subconsciously began releasing the authoritative aura of a Celestial Master Teacher. Soon, he fell into a trance. "Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy?" Luo Ruoxin frowned. Without a doubt, what was left on the scroll was definitely Kong shis personal writing. Only the Worlds Teacher had the capability to draw one into a unique state of mind just by his words alone. Once triggered, the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy tempered ones state of mind, raising ones Soul Depth. It was an encounter that happened only by chance and was desired by all master teachers. Knowing that she mustnt interrupt Zhang Xuan at this crucial moment, Luo Ruoxin left him to be. She took a swift look around the cottage, but other than the scroll, there was nothing else to be found. Shaking her head slowly, she left the cottage. She took a walk around the fields surrounding the cottage, and the frown on her face slowly deepened. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking, but the slightly expectant gleam in her eyes seemed to have dimmed in disappointment. Chapter 838: Meeting Kong shi Once More Chapter 838: Meeting Kong shi Once More Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! After the passing of an unknown amount of time, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, and a sharp glint shed through his eyes. My Soul Depth has grown by 2.0! With the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy that he had just undergone, his Soul Depth had increased from 19.1 to 21.1. One of the prerequisites to taking the 7-star master teacher examination was to possess a Soul Depth of 21. In other words, in terms of Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan was currently on par with a 7-star master teacher! For a 4-star master teacher to possess the Soul Depthparable to a 7-star master teacher, this revtion could surely leave many shocked to death! The hardest aspect that had many master teachers stuck was not their cultivation or their supporting upations but their Soul Depth. For it to have grown by 2.0 with just a single trip, he had not spent the previous few days in vain. All of a sudden, just as Zhang Xuan was about to put away the scroll, a bright light suddenly shed from it, and a schrly young man dressed in a white robe suddenly appeared in the room. It was only an illusory figure formed of light, but the features of the young man were extremely distinct, just like a real person. "To be able to avoid the pitfall of respect and find the ws in my insight, you did well!" The young man seemed to be in his early twenties. With a slight smile, he gazed at Zhang Xuan inmendation. Taken aback, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. "You are... Kong shi?" The figure before him might be young, but he did bear a striking resemnce to the old man he had seen during his first acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher in Tianwu Kingdom. Most likely, the other party was Kong shi in his youth! It was recorded in the books that Kong shi had managed to be a 9-star master teacher before reaching his thirties. They were at the Saint Ascension tform, which was where Kong shi had made a breakthrough to Sainthood. The corresponding master teacher rank to his cultivation realm then would be 6-star, so making a rough estimation, the other partys age should indeed be around his early twenties too... "My surname is indeed Kong..." The young Kong shi chuckled. "I am nothing more than a sliver of will now, so I wont be able to maintain my state for too long. Since you were able to find the ws in my insight and interpret my true intentions, it can only mean that our fate has intersected. The scroll in your hand contains the cultivation technique I used when achieving a breakthrough to Sainthood. Study it well, perhaps it might be useful for your future cultivation." "It contains your cultivation technique?" Zhang Xuan took a nce at the scroll. The content of the scroll was identical to what was inscribed on the cliff face, the only difference being that the scroll contained the personal handwriting of Kong shi and harnessed his grand aura. Back outside, when Zhang Xuan had taken in the words on the cliff face via the Library of Heavens Path, he hadnt seen a cultivation technique in it... Had he not been sufficiently thorough in his study of it? It seemed he would have to look through it carefully when he had time. "Also, these words harness my essence, breath, and spirit after I ascended to Sainthood. Use it well, it will benefit you greatly." The young Kong shi said with a smile, "I will just end it here. After all, cultivation is an individual journey. Work hard, perhaps fate might bring us together once more in the future!" After saying his piece, the illusory figure began to waver, seemingly ready to dissipate at any moment. Seeing that Kong shi was about to disappear, how could Zhang Xuan possibly waste any time? Pushing the matter regarding the book to the back of his mind, he quickly asked anxiously, "Wait a moment! I still have a question to ask. From an ancient record, I learned that you were gued with the Innate Fetal Poison in your earlier years. May I know how you cured it?" He knew that Kong shi had also suffered from the Innate Fetal Poison from the ancient records, and this was a rare chance to ask the other party about the matter. He wasnt going to let this opportunity go so easily. "You are also afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison?" Hearing those words, the young Kong shi was taken aback. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan quickly replied. "How can I solve the issue?" "Hahaha, I am not alone in my path!" But instead of answering, the young Kong shis eyes gleamed in excitement as heughed heartily. "Finally, another person just like me. Good..." Hu! In the midst of his words, the young Kong shi vanished, and his voice gradually faded in the room. A sliver of will left several dozen millenniums ago couldnt possibly maintain its existence for too long. It was already a blessing that it hadsted as long as it did. You... Zhang Xuan was overwhelmed with frenzy. You havent answered my question yet... Is that fellow really Kong shi? Dont they say that Kong shi had a heart that embraced the world, shouldering the responsibility for the welfare of the world on his shoulders, a good man through and through? But why was he so creepy instead? Hearing that I am afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison, it is one thing for him to not tell me the cure, but to get excited at that as well... What you are not alone in your path, and that I am like you... Are you that d to see another person as unfortunate as you? More importantly, good? Good your head! Zhang Xuans face was streaked with ck lines. He had been thinking that it was a good opportunity to uncover the cure for the Innate Fetal Poison through the sliver of will Kong shi had left behind. But who knew that... not only did he not receive anything substantial, he ended up beingughed at instead. Forget it. The Kong shi at this age probably hadnt found a solution yet either... Feeling extremely stifled inside, Zhang Xuan consoled himself. Considering that the sliver of will had been left behind right after Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, he could only be a 6-star master teacher at best. Since he hadnt even cured his own Innate Fetal Poison then, it wasnt surprising that he didnt have a solution to it yet. To find the cure, Zhang Xuan would have to find a 9-star master teacher Kong shi. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tossed aside those frustrating thoughts and studied the scroll in his hand instead. The scroll was made of bamboo pieces weaved together. Despite being several dozen millenniums old, there wasnt the slightest wear and tear to it. Studying the words written on it closely, Zhang Xuan realized that it wasnt written using ink but inscribed using a unique method, which made the words look more wholesome and dignified. If I study this calligraphy carefully and master it, I will be able to further my aplishments in painting! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly as he felt the pulsating power infused within the words. As the first master teacher, Kong shi had been skilled in many upations, and painting was one of them. Even though he was only a 6-star master teacher when he left those words, hisprehension of painting was already on par with 7-star or perhaps even 8-star painters. If Zhang Xuan could examine and learn his calligraphy, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to advance his painting skills to 6-star or 7-star. As for the cultivation technique that Kong shi had spoken of earlier, Zhang Xuan was still unable to find anything about it at the moment. It seemed like he could only decipher it bit by bit to uncover the secret hidden within. Knowing that Luo Ruoxin was waiting for him, Zhang Xuan was just about to ce the scroll in his storage ring when he suddenly felt something. Looking around him and verifying that Luo Ruoxin was nowhere near, he took out a book from his robes. It was the Book of Heavens Path that had Vicious sealed within. Previously, out of fear that he would be lynched for destroying the cliff face on the Saint Ascension tform, Zhang Xuan had taken the book out from his storage ring in preparation for whatever woulde at him. Zhang Xuan flipped open the book and asked the heart, "Whats wrong?" This fellow had been beating wildly, seemingly intent on saying something. "That is Kong shis personal handwriting, his will is harnessed within it... Why dont you allow me to devour it? With it, I should be able to recover a fair bit of my strength and be of more help to you!" Vicious said greedily. "Dont even think about it!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger at the heart in the book. That was Kong shis handwriting, an invaluable treasure! How could he possibly give it to Vicious to devour? "You have already memorized his writing, so the scroll shouldnt mean anything... If I devour it, I will be able to convert my killing intent into a purer and more orthodox form... In fact, I should be able to imitate Kong shis aura as well and teach others a lesson in your stead!" Under Zhang Xuans flick, Vicious spun around several times before eventually crashing to a stop. Unwilling to give up on such a precious opportunity to regain his strength, he hurriedly continued as soon as he recovered. "In any case, I am suppressed by this book of yours, so you dont have to worry about me escaping your control. So, the more strength I recover, the safer you will be..." "Dont even dream about devouring this book! I will try to think of another way for you to recover your strength!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands before putting away both the scroll and the book decisively. It wasnt easy for him to receive Kong shis personal handwriting, so he couldnt allow that fellow to consume it. Besides, he had only obtained this due to Luo Ruoxins help, so this artifact belonged not just to him but her as well. He would have to discuss with her to decide on how they would deal with the scroll. However, there was one thing that Vicious was right about. The stronger Vicious became, the safer he would be. Zhang Xuan had faith in the prowess of the Book of Heavens Path, so he didnt need to worry about Vicious revolting against him. After all, no matter how powerful an existence was, could he possibly rise above the heavens? No matter what happened, Vicious would just have to listen to his words obediently. Forget it, I will think of a nter on... Knowing that it was futile to think about all of that now, Zhang Xuan shook his head and walked out of the straw cottage. The next moment, he saw the silhouette of a youngdy standing in the field not too far away. For some reason, her figure looked forlorn. Noticing Zhang Xuans presence, the youngdy turned around and asked with a smile, "How was it?" "I benefitted greatly from it... What about you? Did you get what you came here for?" Zhang Xuan asked in return. The other party had said that she had gone there to confirm her deductions. They had managed to find the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, but as for whether she did seed or not... "I did find some stuff, but... Forget it, lets not talk about it!" Reluctant to speak any further, Luo Ruoxin shook her head and said, "Its good that you managed to undergo a Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy. This trip hasnt been a waste for you. Alright, I think we should get going now!" "Yes, we should..." Zhang Xuan nodded slightly before he suddenly recalled the scroll and took it out from his storage ring. "Since we found this together, you are also a partial owner of it. How do you intend to deal with this?" Luo Ruoxin smiled. "You were the one who found this folded space, so naturally, it should go to you." Having thought over the matter after entering the folded space, she had realized that it probably hadnt been Zhang Xuans intention to destroy the cliff face. Instead, it was more likely that he had solved some kind of test that Kong shi had left behind which resulted in the triggering of some kind of mechanism. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "This wont do. We found this together, so how can I take it for myself..." If it wasnt for Luo Ruoxin bringing him here, he wouldnt have even known that the Saint Ascension tform existed, let alonee here. At the very least, he had managed to undergo a Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy from this trip, but the other party hadnt gained anything. This left him feeling too guilty to take the scroll for himself. Seeing Zhang Xuans response, Luo Ruoxin chuckled softly. "There is no one in this world who doesnt desire to obtain Kong shis personal handwriting, but here you are, trying to give it away to me..." This wasnt some grass by the street but Kong shis personal handwriting! Even the Sage ns would fight one another just to obtain it, and yet, that fellow seemed to think nothing of it at all... It was hard to tell whether he was truly a fool or not. "Alright, the scroll is of no use to me. If I really want it, I have the means to find more of those. Rest assured and keep it," Luo Ruoxin said. "No use to you?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Even though he had no idea why such an invaluable artifact would be useless to Luo Ruoxin, her earnest attitude didnt seem like she was simply reassuring him for the sake of it. I am not too sure about the details regarding Sage ns, but perhaps... they have nock of Kong shis handwriting! Zhang Xuan came to a realization. Considering that the other party was likely from a Sage n, the Luo n, and that such ns had millenniums of history, it wouldnt be too surprising if they had Kong shis personal handwriting in their treasure vaults. Besides, this writing had been left behind when Kong shi had just ascended to Sainthood, long before he had reached his peak. Perhaps it didnt hold that much allure to offspring ofrge ns like that. "I wont stand on ceremony then..." Seeing that Luo Ruoxin truly didnt want it, Zhang Xuan returned the scroll to his storage ring. Following which, he assessed the surroundings, and with a perplexed look, he asked, "How do we get out of a folded space?" Chapter 839: Return to Hongyuan City Chapter 839: Return to Hongyuan City Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Folded spaces are simr to formations. As long as one finds the door, one will be able to leave it easily," Luo Ruoxin said. "Door?" Zhang Xuan looked around his surroundings. The area he was in wasnt too big, spanning only around several hundred meters. Anything beyond that seemed to be blocked off by some spatial barrier; no matter how he tried to pass it, he simply couldnt step past the boundary. "It seems the exit should be somewhere in here then..." Since it was impossible for him to pass the spatial barrier, the exit had to be somewhere within the area he could move in. Activating his Eye of Insight, he began observing his surroundings intently. Initially, he couldnt find anything, but a thought suddenly came to mind and he turned to the area where he had arrived, and after a moment of keen observation, he finally found a clue. He walked over to the area, and with a light step, a stone tform identical to the one hed seen when entering this folded space gradually surfaced. "That must be the exit. We should be able to leave by stepping on it." Luo Ruoxin smiled as she took the lead and stepped on the stone tform. With a slight sh, her figure disappeared from the spot. "Wait a moment..." Not expecting the other party to leave without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Given that the Saint Ascension tform had just been destroyed, the master teachers outside would surely be armed with their pitchforks, hunting down the culprit behind the mess. If he were to leave, wouldnt he be pummeled to death? But since Luo Ruoxin had already left, he couldnt possibly leave her in the lurch. Deciding to just face whatever came his way, Zhang Xuan stepped on the stone tform as well. Hu! With a brilliant sh of light, the scenery changed. Blue sky and white clouds, apanied with a light breeze, appeared before him, and a youngdy stood not too far away from him. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan took a look at his foreign surroundings and was taken aback. "Where are we?" From where he stood, he couldnt see the Saint Ascension tform anywhere. It didnt seem like they were in the area anymore. "I am not too sure either. My guess is that Kong shi knew that the destruction of the Saint Ascension tform would cause a great deal of trouble to the one who solved his test, so he set the exit somewhere else," Luo Ruoxin said contemtively. "I see, thats a relief..." Seeing that he was spared from the miserable fate of being lynched, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At this point, he had already realized that as one who had received Kong shis acknowledgement, the other master teachers wouldnt do anything to him even if he was the culprit behind the destruction of the Saint Ascension tform. The true problemy in the existence of the folded space hidden in the cliff face and Kong shis personal handwriting. If others were to learn that he carried such a treasure in his possession, others could potentiallye after him out of greed. Master teachers were respected for their righteousness and morals, but it was nigh impossible for an organization as big as the Master Teacher Pavilion to urately assess the character of each of its members. Without a doubt, there would be a few who would sumb to their greed and go after him. He didnt want to be assaulted day after day over a darned scroll. After checking the surroundings once more and confirming that he was a safe distance away from the Saint Ascension tform, Zhang Xuans tense heart finally calmed down. He called for the Great Violetwing Beast to return to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and while waiting, a thought suddenly popped into his mind. Flicking his wrist, a nest around the size of a football appeared in his palm. The Myriad Anthive Queen emerged from the nest. "Master!" "There is a folded space here. Are you able to put it into your nest?" Zhang Xuan asked. The Myriad Anthive Nests interior was only around three meters from one end to the other, and it had beenpletely packed with just a single Byzantium Helios Beast inside. For a very long time, Zhang Xuan had been looking for some way to expand the space inside the hive. What was before him at this very moment was a folded space of several ten thousand square meters. If there was some way to assimte both of the spatial artifacts together, he would really be able to call forth an army of spirit beasts at a whim to decimate anyone who irked him. The Myriad Anthive Queen took a look at the stone tform and climbed on it for a moment before returning to Zhang Xuan with an excited gleam in its eyes. "Master, I think I will be able to assimte the folded space into the nest. However... the process will take some time!" "How long?" Zhang Xuan asked. Anything concerning space was filled with intricacies, and the Myriad Anthive Queen was only a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast. Despite possessing an inborn talent for spatial maniption, it still wasnt an easy feat for it to conduct an assimtion. "I will require a minimum of three days to devour itpletely, and several months to assimte it into the nest," replied the Myriad Anthive Queen. "Alright, I will give you three days then," Zhang Xuan said. He could still afford to spare three days. "Yes!" Having earned its masters permission, the Myriad Anthive Queen hurriedly stepped onto the stone tform and disappeared. On the other hand, seeing that he wouldnt even let the folded space Kong shi had left behind go, Luo Ruoxin shook her head. Other master teachers would be worshipping anything that Kong shi had left behind as sacred relics, not daring to desecrate it in the least. But this fellow... he actually intended on having his own tamed beast devour the folded space where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood in... Really, just what was in his mind? ... After waiting patiently for three days, the duo finally saw the Myriad Anthive Queen climb out of the folded space with a pale face. Its head had doubled in size, and there was an ufortable bulge in its stomach. After having it return into its nest to expand the space in it, Zhang Xuan, along with Luo Ruoxin, leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast before returning to the Master Teacher Academy. This trip to the Saint Ascension tform had been worthwhile. Through the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy, his Soul Depth had reached 21.1,parable to a 7-star master teacher. He had also obtained Kong shis personal handwriting, and even though he had no idea what use it served, it must have some invaluable use to it considering how countless master teachers would fight over it. Last but not least, he had also found a way to expand the Myriad Anthive Nest. Having devoured such arge folded space, the Myriad Anthive Nest would surely expand to many times its original size once the Myriad Anthive Queen sessfully assimted the folded space in it. By then, he would be able to house the Byzantium Helios Beast, Great Violetwing Beast, his clone, and even his students in it. He wouldnt have to worry about bringing them around into inconvenient ces anymore. Days flew by like the passing wind for a cultivator. Before long, three days had passed, and Hongyuan City came into sight. In this time, the Myriad Anthive Nest had grown to be around a dozen meters wide, allowing even the massive Great Violetwing Beast to enter without a problem. Zhang Xuan hadnt been cking off either. With the rise in his Soul Depth, his analytical capability had been enhanced, granting him a deeper insight to his cultivation technique, thus allowing him to cultivate faster than before. He had been intending to suppress his cultivation until he found the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art before making the breakthrough, but who could have known that in his sleep on the first day, he would subconsciously make the breakthrough to Ethereal Treading realm primary stage. That had left him feeling incredibly stifled within for the entire day. He had already resolved to refine his zhenqi well and build up a truly solid foundation for the further advancement of his cultivation, but... it seemed like fate simply wouldnt allow it. Sigh! It sure is a huge problem when one achieves breakthroughs too easily! In any case, the breakthrough to Ethereal Treading realm had raised Zhang Xuans fighting prowess a significant amount. The strength he could tap into from his zhenqi cultivation increased from 14,000,000 ding to 17,000,000 ding! That was might on par with Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage experts! Factoring in the 11,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and 8,000,000 ding from his physical body, he harnessed abined strength of 36,000,000 ding, which was more than sufficient for him to destroy even a Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert in a single punch! (Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts wield a strength of 34,000,000 ding) Not too long after entering Hongyuan City, the Master Teacher Academy came into view. After arriving at the destination, Luo Ruoxin bade farewell and left, stepping on thin air. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had the Great Violetwing Beast fly back to his manor. ... As soon as the Great Violetwing Beast entered Hongyuan City, one of the elders of the Apothecary School hurriedly rushed to Lu Fengs residence and reported to him. "School head, Zhang Xuan and Luo shi are back!" pping the table, Lu Feng stood up abruptly with a sharp glint in his eyes. "He has returned? Good!" He had thought that the fellow would return in a day or two, but who could have known that he would end up waiting for nearly ten days? Unforgivable! "Continue keeping tabs on him. Remember, dont let him get away by hook or by crook!" Lu Feng instructed the elder before turning to the side. "School Head Chen and Dong Xin, lets head to the Elder Hall." "Alright!" Chen Chengxun and Dong Xin heaved a sigh of relief as they stood up. In order to ensure that the news didnt leak, they had been asked to remain there for the past ten days as well. Since Zhang Xuan had returned, their istion was finally over. Not too longter, they arrived at a tightly sealed room located at the highest point of the Master Teacher Academy. The Elder Hall! This was where the Ten Great Master Teachers, principal, and vice principals discussed important matters concerning the academy. Rarely were there any matters requiring all of the top brass of the Master Teacher Academy to gather together, so the doors of the Elder Hall were rarely opened. However, in just than half a month since the start of the semester that year, it had already opened twice. The first was regarding the disappearance of Senior Byzantium Helios and the second was on a motion to expel Zhang Xuan. Entering the room, they activated the formation inscribed in the room to ensure confidentiality before taking a seat and waiting. One by one, the remaining eight school heads stepped into the room as well. "School Head Lu, what have you assembled all of us so anxiously for this time?" School Head Mo asked as soon as he stepped into the room. "Indeed. If you are still hung up on the matter regarding Zhang Xuan, I will have to ask you not to waste our time. Even though most of the students of the Apothecary School have withdrawn from their lessons, I have personally made a trip to take a look at the situation after the previous conference, and over half of them have achieved a breakthrough in their pill forging proficiency... In other words, not only should Zhang shi not be punished, our academy should even reward him for his contribution!" Zhao Bingxu said. After that day, most of the school heads had conducted a private investigation of the matter concerning the Apothecary School out of worry. Just as Lu Feng had said, most of the students of the Apothecary School had withdrawn from their lessons... But despite that, it seemed like they had found a better teacher to further their studies. There was a significant rise in the overall pill forging proficiency of those ex-students. The vision of the academy was to groom generations of talents for mankind. Anyone, be it teacher or student, who could achieve this would be a meritorious member of the academy. Even if Zhang Xuans matter was reported to the headquarters, there was no one who would fault him for his deeds. Lu Feng waved his hands and spoke leisurely. "Dont be hasty, I will start once Mu shi and Pavilion Master Mo arrive!" He might have suffered a checkmate at their hands the previous time, but he hade with concrete evidence in his hands this time around. Let us see how you can help Zhang Xuan this time! "Pavilion Master Mo? Why did you call him here?" Wei Ranxue questioned. The other elders also frowned in displeasure. While the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Hongyuan Master Teacher Pavilion were associated with one another, they were considered two different entities, and they rarely interfered in the matters of the other. The Elder Conference should have been something private to the academy, but Lu Feng, of his own ord, had decided to invite Pavilion Master Mo over. Dont you find it embarrassing to involve outsiders in our affairs? Are you inviting the Master Teacher Pavilion to have a goodugh at our own internal problems? "You will know soon enough!" Lu Feng spoke confidently with his head tilted upward. All of you who protected Zhang Xuan the previous time around will learn what is truly embarrassing when you learn that he is an Otherworldly Demon! Seeing that Lu Feng was unwilling to reveal anything further, Zhao Bingxu, Mo Zhu, and the others traded doubtful nces. Jiya! Jiya! Not too longter, Mu shi and Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan arrived as well. "Mu shi, Pavilion Master Mo!" The school heads stood up and sped their fists. After everyone settled down, Mu shi asked with a wave of his hand, "What is it this time?" "Mu shi, this matter concerns both Senior Byzantium Helios and the safety of mankind, so we have to take all possible precautions to ensure that nothing we speak of here leaks out. Thus, before I begin, I beseech you to ce an additionalyer of protection around this room to prevent anyone from sending news out!" Lu Feng stood up and bowed. "You want me to ce an additionalyer of protection?" Mu shi frowned deeply. Zhao Bingxus face darkened, and he bellowed furiously, "Lu Feng, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that we will leak the news?" The other school heads also narrowed their eyes in displeasure. They were the only ones in the room; Lu Feng was clearly guarding against them. On top of that, he even clearly said that he wanted to prevent anyone from sending news out. They were the Ten Great Master Teachers, the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy! Did Lu Feng think that they would leak news regarding something as important as the safety of Senior Byzantium Helios and mankind to others? That was a clear attack on their integrity and honor! Lu Fengs gaze swept across the room as he spoke sharply. "Well, I do know that I wont leak any news to outsiders, but I cant say the same for the others. This matter has huge implications, and there are a few among us who have been beguiled by that scoundrel. I am only doing this as a precaution!" Chapter 840: Zhang Xuan Is My Teacher! Chapter 840: Zhang Xuan Is My Teacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The hot-tempered Wei Ranxues face darkened, and she bellowed furiously, "Beguiled? Who are you talking about? I will have to ask you to stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point!" School Head Mo harrumphed coldly. "Shes right! We, the Ten Great Master Teachers, have known each other for at least several centuries now, but for you to say such words... Are you suggesting that I will reveal important secrets to outsiders? Or are you using School Head Zhao or School Head Wei? Or perhaps, you think that you are the only trustworthy one here?" It was clear that the other party was pointing fingers at them, so how could they possibly not fly into a rage? "Calm down, you are acting as if I am talking about you. I dont think you should have anything to worry about unless... you have intimate rtions with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Lu Feng sneered coldly. "What did you say?" Unable to hold back her rage any longer, Wei Ranxue mmed her palm on the table forcefully and stood up. Her powerful aura as a Saint realm expert gushed out as she roared, "I dare you to say that again!" "Lu Feng, watch your mouth. We are all school heads of the Master Teacher Academy, members of the esteemed Ten Great Master Teachers of Hongyuan Empire. Who are you saying has intimate rtions with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Zhao Bingxu uttered menacingly with narrowed eyes. "You will know who I am talking about very soon. Just that, I hope that you wont be too ashamed to raise your facester on!" Lu Feng harrumphed in response. "Theres no need to wait, I have been wanting to try your Great Inarticte Palm for some time now. Make your move!" With a roar, Wei Ranxue raised her hands and released her full might as a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle cultivator unreservedly. Even though she specialized in terpsichorean arts, her fighting prowess still wasnt something that one could underestimate. Before her blow even reached him, the sheer force of her offense already had the surrounding airpressed so tightly that it seemed it could burst at any moment. "School Head Weis fighting prowess is far stronger than before!" Feeling the incredible aura Wei Ranxue exuded, everyone was astonished. Having been together for the past several centuries, they had a clear understanding of how powerful each of the others were. Who would have thought that in just a few days of absence, Wei Ranxue would make a breakthrough in both her cultivation and her terpsichorean arts? Each movement and gesture of hers seemed to draw one deeper into a trance. "Since School Head Wei wishes to try my Great Inarticte Palm, it would be impolite for me to reject your request!" Harrumphing coldly, Lu Feng raised his palm, and a massive palm print appeared in the air. The Great Inarticte Palm, a Spirit pinnacle battle technique, Lu Fengs strongest technique! "Come!" Wei Ranxue raised her palm, and a surge of pure zhenqi shot forth from her hands. The room wasntrge, but having reached Saint realm, they had already gained an astounding level of control over their strength, minimizing the power loss in their techniques to the surroundings. As such, they need not worry about harming others in the area or destroying the room. "Humph!" Facing Wei Ranxues attack, Lu Feng sneered coldly. Not even bothering to stand up, he thrust his right hand forward, and the palm print floating in front of him flew forth to face Wei Ranxues attack. Boom! As the palm print and the surge of zhenqi collided, Wei Ranxues face paled, and she was forced to retreat several steps. At this turn of events, she couldnt help but widen her eyes in shock. "Half... Spiritual Perceptual realm?" At Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm, a cultivator would be able to open their Incipient Eye and awaken their spiritual perception. Through the spiritual perception, one would be granted a further and clearer view of ones surroundings, allowing one to notice the crucial minor details that could determine the flow of a battle, thus enhancing ones fighting prowess by leaps and bounds. While Lu Feng hadnt exactly reached this realm, he wasnt too far from it anymore. "No wonder..." Zhao Bingxu and the others narrowed their eyes in astonishment. That exined why Lu Feng dared to utter those arrogant words, not fearing that he would offend them. It turned out that he had achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation! "Looks like you arent that blind yet!" Lu Feng harrumphed coldly as an indomitable aura emanated from him. "Who else wants to try my Great Inarticte Palm?" "..." The crowd fell silent. After all the years they had been together, they were well aware of the means that each of them possessed, so even in a duel, they would usually end in a draw. However, now that Lu Feng had reached Half-Spiritual Perception realm, he was already a step ahead of them all, bing the number one expert of the Master Teacher Academy! "Enough! You are all master teachers of the academy; this is no reason for you to fight with one another!" Mu shi bellowed furiously. With a wave of his hands, his zhenqi shrouded the room. Using his unique technique, all forms ofmunication that could deliver information beyond the confines of the room, be it verbally or via Communication Jade Tokens, were terminated. "Alright, I have already set up a barrier. Say whatever you need to!" Mu shi said impassively. "Reporting to Mu shi, there is still another matter which I need your permission for..." Looking at the shocked faces in the room, Mu shi stood up and said authoritatively, "For further precaution, I wish to invite the Guardian Saint Artifact of our academy over... the Golden Origin Cauldron!" "Golden Origin Cauldron?" "The Guardian Saint Artifact that the Master Teacher Pavilion bestowed to our academy?" "That is a real Saint-tier artifact! It might only be a cauldron, but it possesses its own sentience and spirit. With the strength it wields, it could y Saint 2-dan or even 3-dan experts easily! Why would Lu Feng invite it to our Elder Conference?" "Back when the headquarters bestowed the Golden Origin Cauldron to us, it said that other than in times of emergency, we are not to use it... Could he have really found something crucial?" ... The Golden Origin Cauldron was the final trump card of the Master Teacher Academy. Unless they were faced with an invasion by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they were not to use it. To invite it to their Elder Conference at this very moment... What was it for? The expressions of the elders turned grim. "Do you know what the inviting the Golden Origin Cauldron means?" Mu shi asked with narrowed eyes. "I do, but the matter which I am going to speak of has significant implications, and that man possesses unbelievable means. In order to prevent any mishap from urring, it is imperative that we make sufficient preparations beforehand. Otherwise... I fear that even with all of us here, we still might not be a match for him!" Lu Feng replied confidently. Based on what Dong Xin said, Zhang Xuan had subordinated twenty Saint 1-dan Otherworldly Demons, and he could emanate a powerful killing intent which could render even Senior Byzantium Helios powerless. If they were to expose his identity, and the other party, cornered, were to retaliate, it wasnt certain whether they would be a match for him or not! If they couldnt subdue his rampage as soon as possible, the Master Teacher Academy would suffer heavy losses. "This..." The crowd nced at one another, perplexed. Just what could it be that would require even their greatest trump card to be taken out? "As long as you understand. Since you believe that the Master Teacher Academy is in such deep peril, let us invite the Golden Origin Cauldron over!" Mu shi nodded. Even though he had been sent to the academy by the headquarters to elect the next principal, he was ultimately still an outsider. He didnt wish to get too involved in the affairs of the academy. It was best for their internal matters to be resolved internally as well. "Thank you, Mu shi!" Receiving Mu shis approval, Lu Feng sped his fist before walking to the side of the room. He pressed his palm against the wall before saying, "I am Lu Feng, the stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy. I would like to invite Senior Golden Origin Cauldron to our conference!" Hong long! Following which, the room began to shake, and jiya!, the wall suddenly parted, and a massive cauldron flew out. Peng! Itnded at the very center of the room with a resounding reverberation. With a deep voice, it said, "Dont you know that I am resting? What is the matter?" Artifacts that had reached Saint-tier had already gained sentience and were capable of thinking just like humans. Lu Feng sped his fist politely as he said, "An Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royalty has appeared in the academy. I beseech senior to help us suppress him once he appears!" "Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royalty?" "Who?" Hearing those words, all of those gathered in the room widened their eyes in astonishment. An Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royalty... had appeared in the academy? Mu shis face darkened as well. If there was truly such a fearsome existence around him, it was gross negligence on his part to not have noticed it. Taking a step back, even if he didnt notice it, surely she would have been able to? "Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royalty? Are you certain?" The Golden Origin Cauldron was taken aback by Lu Fengs revtion as well. "I am absolutely certain!" Lu Feng nodded confidently. "Alright. If an Otherworldly Demonic Tribe really appears in the Master Teacher Academy just as you have said, I will make a move and subdue him. However, if I dont see him by the end of the day... for interrupting my sleep, dont me me if I reduce you to ashes!" The Golden Origin Cauldron harrumphed. "Senior, rest assured. I will surely bring him before you..." Lu Feng smiled. "Alright. Since you have already brought even Senior Golden Origin Cauldron here, hurry up and tell us what is going on!" Zhao Bingxu urged impatiently. Lu Feng nced at Zhao Bingxu and smirked before turning his attention back to the crowd. "Seems like someone is getting angsty. Dont you worry, I will begin right now! "Allow me to introduce all of you, this is Dong Xin, a Grade 5 student of our academy, the leader of Dong Xin Faction, as well as a direct disciple who I have recently epted... Alright, Dong Xin. Tell everyone the sight you saw ten days ago. There is no need to worry; I am here." "Yes!" Dong Xin nodded grimly. Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward. She knew that this was as much a risk as an opportunity. Putting everything aside, her contribution in having uncovered a disguised Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royalty would solidify her reputation as a master teacher, and many opportunities woulde her way, allowing her to rise through the ranks. "I am Dong Xin, a Grade 5 student of the Master Teacher Academy and a 6-star low-tier master teacher. In my name as a master teacher, I vow that everything that I am about to say is urate and true, devoid of the slightest falsehood..." Stepping to the very center of the room, Dong Xin raised her palm and swore on her name as a master teacher. Seeing her action, the crowd nodded their heads grimly. If a master teacher were to act against their vow, their faith would copse, resulting in the instability and perhaps even aplete ruination of their state of mind, not to mention the severe punishments the Master Teacher Pavilion would impose on them. As such, there were very few master teachers who would dare to lie in a vow. "Ten days ago, I visited a manor outside the academy and saw an Aura Sealing Formation. Out of curiosity, I remained in the area to observe it when I saw Senior Byzantium Helios breaking out of the formation and escaping from it..." With a crisp voice, Dong Xin recounted what she had witnessed that day. The entire room was silent, and everyonesplexion was awful. This was especially so for School Head Mo and the others. They were shaking their heads, unwilling to believe what they were hearing. Eventually, School Head Jiang Qingqin couldnt take it any longer and stood up. "You are saying that... Zhangoshi ordered twenty subordinate Otherworldly Demons to pummel Senior Byzantium Helios?" As the saying goes, the music at ones fingertips reflects ones inner self. He was privileged enough to have listened to Zhangoshis ying, and from it, he could feel a pure and dignified vibe. How could a man who could evoke such a vibe from his music possibly be an Otherworldly Demon? Even if an Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royalty could conceal their aura, they couldnt possibly disguise their state of mind as well! "Thats right!" Dong Xin was slightly fearful at School Head Jiang Qingqins outburst, but she nodded affirmatively. "Impossible! Zhangoshi is a noble and straightforward man, how could he possibly be an Otherworldly Demon? Utter nonsense! In any case, I dont believe your words!" Jiang Qingqin flung his sleeves furiously as he turned his sharp gaze to Lu Feng. "Lu Feng, are you making this up to exact vengeance on the humiliation Zhangoshi brought upon you?" "What did you call him? Zhangoshi?" Lu Feng asked with a deep frown. It was already bizarre to see the usually impassive andposed School Head Jiang flying into such an abrupt rage, but the term he used to address the other party... Zhang shi and Zhangoshi, there was just a syble of difference, but the meaning changedpletely. The former was just a respectful manner to address a fellow master teacher whereas thetter was how a student addressed their teacher. "Indeed, I am Zhangoshis student. You dare insult my teacher by using him of being an Otherworldly Demon, do you think that I will just stand idly and allow you to fling mud on him like that?" Jiang Qingqin bellowed furiously. "Teacher? You are an esteemed school head, and yet you acknowledged a student as your teacher?" Lu Feng nearly went mad. Is there something wrong with that fellows head? I thought that you possess a transcendental view of the world? I even respected you for that! How in the world did you end up acknowledging Zhang Xuan as your teacher in the blink of an eye? Are you out of your mind? Chapter 841: Byzantium Helios Beasts Breakthrough Chapter 841: Byzantium Helios Beasts Breakthrough Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This feeling resonated not only within Lu Feng but with the others in the room as well. Sure enough, there were several school heads among the group who were impressed by Zhang Xuans capability, but in view of their own standing, they had still held themselves back. School Head Mo had tried to take him in as his direct disciple, Zhao Bingxu had offered to take him in as his teachers student, and even Wei Ranxue had only viewed him as a fellow peer that she could consult with... Yet, this fellow had actually gone beyond that and acknowledged him as his teacher! The standing of a teacher was inherently higher than a students. Considering that we are all peers, if you have acknowledged him as your teacher, doesnt that mean that we are all his juniors? "Thats right!" School Head Jiang harrumphed coldly. "If this is the matter you wish to confer on today, I dont think there is any need for me to listen any further!" After saying those words, he turned to the door to leave. That Lu Feng had painted such a grim picture, but in the end, he was just making use of this opportunity to insult his teacher and exact vengeance for the previous humiliation he had suffered. Since that was the case, there was no point in him remaining in this conference! Lu Fengs face darkened, and he bellowed furiously, "You cant leave!" After all the measures he had taken to ensure absolute secrecy, if Jiang Qingqin were to leave to reveal the news to Zhang Xuan, thetter could very well make preparations in advance and flee! "Oh? Are you going to attack me if I insist on leaving?" Jiang Qingqins eyebrows shot up as he turned around to assess Lu Feng with a frosty gaze. "Thats right! No one shall leave until this matter is resolved! I wont go easy on anyone who attempts to do so..." Lu Feng uttered coldly with eyes narrowed menacingly. Without any hesitation, he raised his palm and executed the Great Inarticte Palm once more. A massive palm print flew toward School Head Jiang with astounding momentum. The strength of a Half-Spiritual Perception realm expertplemented with a Spirit pinnacle battle technique was nothing to scoff at. Under the immense force of the palm technique, the air waspressed to such a degree that a deafening sonic boom erupted, threatening to rupture ones ears. "Others might fear you, but not me!" Seeing that Lu Feng had trulyunched an attack against him, Jiang Qingqin swiftly flicked his wrist, and a massive zither appeared before him, floating in the air quietly. With light and agile movements from his ten fingers, a sharp melody pervaded the room. Tingg tanggg! Tinggg tangggg! A torrent of sound waves gushed forward. Boom! As soon as the sound wave came into contact with the palm print, Lu Feng abruptly exerted more force to ovee the other partys sound wave in a single push. However, to his horror, even when he had exerted his full strength, he couldnt withstand the might of the sound wave at all. Under the onught of the music wave, his face reddened instantaneously as he was pushed back several steps, and blood spewed from his mouth! "7-star demonic tunist?" Lu Feng widened his eyes in shock. The other partys cultivation might not be on par with his, but hisprehension of demonic tunes had reached 7-star. With his current fighting prowess, not even a Saint 2-dan cultivator would necessarily be a match for him! In just a momentary sh, his soul had been already severely wounded. "Indeed. Under teachers guidance, I managed to achieve a breakthrough!" Jiang Qingqin said proudly. If not for Zhangoshi, he might very well have been stuck at 6-star for his entire life... As such, how could he allow anyone to insult his teacher like that? "Mu shi..." Lu Feng had thought that with his recent breakthrough, he would have been the number one expert of the Ten Great Master Teachers. He had never thought that he would be defeated by Jiang Qingqin in a single blow. Indignant, he could only turn to Mu shi for help. "Alright, lets end this here. School Head Jiang, you calm down as well. Since Dong Xin has vowed on this matter in her name as a master teacher, this matter is indeed worth looking into!" Mu shi waved his hand and said, "Since things have already gotten to this point, why dont we invite Zhang shi over to exin himself? If this truly is a misunderstanding, he will surely be able toe up with a logical exnation to convince us. Otherwise, if he truly is an Otherworldly Demon... we mustnt allow him to get away!" "This..." Seeing that even Mu shi had spoken up, Jiang Qingqin hesitated for a moment before returning to his seat. "Alright, I will listen to Mu shis arrangements. However, I hope for Zhangoshi to be invited over in his capacity as a master teacher and not as a suspect. I dont want to see anyone doing anything disrespectful to my teacher!" "Fair enough!" Mu shi nodded. Even though Dong Xin had vowed on the matter using her name as a master teacher, it would be unfair to treat Zhang Xuan as a criminal just based on her story alone. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was an incredibly talented master teacher possessing the Eye of Insight as well. If they were to capture him and eventually find out that everything was just a misunderstanding, this could create a rift between him and the Master Teacher Academy. Besides, if the other party really was an Otherworldly Demon, if they were to send their forces out to apprehend him, he might notice that something was wrong and escape. That could potentially lead to a disaster. "Alright then. I have no more objections!" Jiang Qingqin relented. "Lu Feng, you heard it. Dispatch someone to invite Zhang Xuan over to have his testimony cross-examined with Dong Xins. Lets hope that he can exin himself well, or else... I will have him eliminated personally!" Mu shi said. "Yes!" Nodding, Lu Feng walked out of the Elder Hall to send his men to invite Zhang Xuan over before returning back to his seat and waiting patiently. ... While a hugemotion was going on there, Zhang Xuan had ridden the Great Violetwing Beast all the way to his manor andnded. As soon as he walked into the main hall, he was weed by the Byzantium Helios Beast and Sun Qiang. "Master!" At that very moment, the Byzantium Helios Beastmanded an aura overflowing with vitality and power, reminiscent of a dragon. Over the past few days, it had grown many times stronger than before, and its eyes reflected a wise andposed gleam. "You have achieved a breakthrough?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm. While the strength growth one would experience from a breakthrough to this realm wasnt as exaggerated that when advancing from Nascent Saint to Saint realm, it did induce an immense growth in ones fighting prowess. This was due to the awakening of ones spiritual perception. Through the spiritual perception, one could view ones surroundings with greater rity than before. Even the slightest movement wouldnt escape ones notice. This wasnt something that ones physical eye could possiblypare to. There were even many that said that Saint 2-dan was the first step toprehending the many secrets arts that Saints wielded, and it was only after awakening ones Incipient Eye could one be considered a true Saint. The Byzantium Helios Beast nodded. "Thats right!" From the beginning, it hadnt been far from making a breakthrough. Through assimting the Ancient Apes inner core, which shared manymon properties with it, it had managed to find the impetus to ovee its bottleneck and reach Saint 2-dan. "Good!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a huge gourd over. "This is Earth Vein Spirit Essence; you will find it useful in helping to reinforce your cultivation!" It was not without reason that so many saint beasts in the Cloudmist Ridge had guarded the Earth Vein Spirit Essence so tightly. It had exceptional effects on saint beasts. "Thank you, master!" Uncorking the cap, the Byzantium Helios Beast immediately felt the condensed spiritual energy harnessed within the gourd, and it shuddered in agitation. With his instincts, it could instantaneously tell that the spirit essence contained within the gourd was worth more than dozens of high-tier spirit stones. To hand something as valuable as that to it so easily, this reflected the deep trust that Zhang Xuan had in it. Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and asked, "Un. Did anything happen while I was gone?" "Nothing much, just that..." At which, Sun Qiang frowned. "Hu Yaoyao sent a message several days ago saying that our manor seems to be under surveince..." "Under surveince?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Hu Yaoyao was the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, controlling a huge pack of experts. Since she had sent word of it, the news was likely to be authentic. "Have you found out who those people are?" "I tried looking into the matter several times, but the other party was too strong. They managed to escape my detection each time..." Sun Qiangs face reddened in embarrassment. His current cultivation realm hadnt even reached Consonant Spirit realm yet. While his strength could be considered fairly powerful in a Tier-2 Empire, it was stillcking in the capital of a Tier-1 Empire like Hongyuan City. "Master, I know of this matter. Those men keeping watch on the manor are the elders from the Master Teacher Academy!" the Byzantium Helios Beast said. Having achieved a breakthrough to Spiritual Perception realm, he could easily perceive the happenings in his surroundings. Sun Qiang might not have been able to find those creeping around the manor, but there was no way they could have escaped the Byzantium Helios Beasts notice. "Elders of the Master Teacher Academy? Why are they keeping watch on me?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Even though he did cripple a couple of schools, wasnt sending the esteemed elders on the academy to keep tabs on him a little, no, way too excessive? "When I achieved the breakthrough to Saint 2-dan and awakened by spiritual perception, I happened to overhear their conversation, and it seems like... thatd, Lu Feng, intends to call for an Elder Conference to have you judged. I am not too sure about the details as well as they didnt say too much, but I think you should remain on your guard for the next few days," the Byzantium Helios Beast said. "Lu Feng wants to have me judged?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. After he had made his round in the Apothecary School, Lu Feng had once assembled the Ten Great Master Teachers to push forward a motion to have his master teacher license revoked, but his n had fallen through eventually. School Head Jiang had already told him of this matter when he was at the Demonic Tunist School. Could that fellow be up to something again? But if he didnt seed the first time, surely the second time would be nothing to worry about too... "From the looks of it, I think they might have found some important evidence to use against you," the Byzantium Helios Beast said. "Based on what I heard, not only did they invite Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan over, they even called forth the Saint-tier artifact, Golden Origin Cauldron!" The surveilling elders didnt seem to know too much of the matter either. Thus, even though the Byzantium Helios Beast had been eavesdropping on their conversation, he only knew fragments of the story. "Golden Origin Cauldron?" "That is the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Master Teacher Academy. It is usually under the control of the principal, and it wields the power to destroy even Saint realm 3-dan experts!" The Byzantium Helios Beast frowned. "However, after my master died, the Golden Origin Cauldron fell into a deep sleep, and no one has been able tomand it since then. This would likely remain the case unless... an invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe urs!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows knitted together. If what the Byzantium Helios Beast said was true, this was indeed a huge matter! But... what did sending elders to surveil him have to do with an invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Could it be that... news regarding his Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious had leaked? If that was the case, he was indeed in deep trouble. Putting aside how it would be ludicrous to most for a master teacher to have sessfully taken in one of the top brass of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as his subordinate, just the fact that he had so many Otherworldly Demon puppets in his possession was already something he couldnt possibly hope to exin well. Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, attempting to figure out what Lu Feng was up to, Zheng Yang suddenly rushed into the room. "Teacher..." Zhang Xuan turned to him and asked, "Whats wrong?" "Teacher, Vice School Head Zhou and Vice School Head Wei from the Apothecary School are here. They said that they are here to invite you to the academy to discuss an important matter," Zheng Yang said. "Invite?" Zhang Xuans frown deepened. "How are their attitudes?" "Their attitudes? Amicable and polite, I guess... They are currently waiting in the guest lounge!" Zheng Yang replied. In truth, he had also felt that something was off about this matter. After the mess that his teacher had caused at the Apothecary School, the rtionship between the two had been like fire and water, incapable of coexisting simultaneously. For thetter to suddenly pay their manor a visit and extend an invitation to the Master Teacher Academy... there was truly something bizarre about the situation. Their attitudes are amicable and polite? And yet, they still sent men to surveil me? Looks like they did manage to grasp hold of some kind of handle over me, and they are afraid that I might flee after learning of it... A sharp glint shed through Zhang Xuans eyes. After sending elders to surveil him and calling forth the trump card of the Master Teacher Academy, they abruptly sent vice school heads to invite him over to the academy politely... Their incongruous actions hinted at treacherous currents hidden beneath the calm exterior. On top of that, he hade into contact with Lu Feng before. He was certain that thetter wasnt one who could let go of his grudges easily. Something was definitely amiss! After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan said, "Byzantium Helios, for the time being, I need you to get into the Myriad Anthive Nest. I might require your presenceter on!" "Yes!" the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded before entering the Myriad Anthive Nest. At this moment, the Anthive Nest was already more than a dozen meters wide, so while there wasnt sufficient space for him to move about, it was, at the very least, not cramped. After this was done, Zhang Xuan was just about to head out to meet the vice school heads when he abruptly halted. He gestured for Sun Qiang and Zheng Yang to head to the guest lounge, and after confirming that there was no one around, he brought his clone out and passed his storage ring to him. Vicious and the newly-acquired scroll containing Kong shis personal handwriting were in the storage ring. Wherever the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was concerned, master teachers would tend to act by the adage, better safe than sorry. On the off chance that he found himself cornered... it would be better to leave a hand. His clone and he shared the same soul, so as long as his clone wasnt kept in the storage ring, they couldmunicate remotely with one another. Chapter 842: Byzantium Lad, Explain It to Them! Chapter 842: Byzantium Lad, Exin It to Them! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the guest lounge, Vice School Head Zhou and Vice School Head Wei were conversing with one another via zhenqi telepathy. "Do you think that he will try to escape?" While the duo wasnt too sure what was going on either, the fact that the school head had had Zhang Xuans manor surveilled for the past few days meant that he was going to make his move on Zhang Xuan. "If he refuses toe with us or attempts to escape, we will just have to act as the school headmands and eliminate him!" Vice School Head Wei replied grimly. "But if we really do so, there is no way School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others will let this matter rest easily..." Vice School Head Zhou said worriedly. When they first heard the order, they were nearly scared out of their wits. Considering the prestige that Zhang Xuan wielded among the student popce, as well as his rtionship with the various school heads, if he were to be killed... the Apothecary School would fall into deep trouble! "I am also worried, but there is no way around it. This is a directmand from the school head; we cant disobey it. Dont worry, he must have his own reasons for giving such amand," Vice School Head Wei replied. Lu Feng wasnt a reckless person, so he must have understood the implications of the order, too. There had to be a good reason for him to make such amand despite that. As subordinates, they would just have to do as they were told. "You are right; there is no point thinking about it too much. We should just do as we were told..." Vice School Head Zhou nodded. At that moment, a young man suddenly appeared by the doorway. Stepping into the room, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted them. "Vice School Head Zhou, Vice School Head Wei!" He had met Zhou Qing during the academys student recruitment period; he was the elder who had helped Luo Ruoxin tidy up the podium for her public lecture. Vice School Head Zhou stood up and said, "Zhang shi! We are here to invite you to the academy so as to discuss a matter..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan had not opted to flee, the duo subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief. "Can you tell me what the matter is regarding?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I am not too sure about the details either. However, this matter seems to be of grave importance, so I will have to ask Zhang shi to not turn us down," Vice School Head Zhou said with a bitter smile. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "I see. Alright then, lead the way!" With all the preparations Lu Feng had made, surveilling his manor and calling forth the Golden Origin Cauldron, there was no way he was going to let Zhang Xuan escape easily. Since it was impossible to avoid it, there was no point in dying the inevitable. "Yes, this way please!" Seeing how Zhang Xuan agreed to it readily, Vice School Head Zhou hurriedly gestured forward, as if fearing that the other party would change his mind. Zhang Xuans manor wasnt too far away from the Master Teacher Academy. Under the lead of the two vice school heads, it didnt take too long before they arrived at the Elder Hall. Pushing the door open, Zhang Xuan walked in. The first thing he noticed upon stepping into the Elder Hall was the ancient aura that permeated the room. The Elder Hall had been around ever since the establishment of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and it had been several millenniums since then. The design and the architecture of the room formed a stark contrast with the rest of the Master Teacher Academy, leaving one feeling as if one had stepped into the past. Gazing around the room, Zhang Xuan saw the Ten Great Master Teachers and Pavilion Master Mo seated around, and a massive cauldron stood at the center of the room. Hmm? Mu shi? Suddenly, Zhang Xuan caught sight of a familiar figure. It was the man who had acknowledged him as his grandteacher, Mu Yuan! Why would that fellow be in the academy as well? But despite Zhang Xuans surprise, he didnt allow his etiquette to fall short. He sped his fist and greeted School Head Mo and the others, but upon reaching Lu Feng, he ced his hands behind his back and said, "Junior, what are you waiting for? Arent you going to pay your respects to me?" Since Lu Feng was trying to do him in, there was no need to show any courtesy to him. "You..." Hearing those words, Lu Feng nearly choked on his anger. Was that fellow really that brave, or was it in naivety? It was such a solemn setting; did he really not feel the slightest bit of fear? Lu Feng narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist. Jiya!, the door closed, and a formation seemed to have started operating within the room, leaving the air slightly heavy. With the doors closed, Lu Feng red at Zhang Xuan with killing intent reflected in his eyes. "Zhang Xuan, your identity has already been exposed. If you plead guilty, we might still consider sparing you. Otherwise... not only will you be killed, those who are rted to you will be implicated as well!" Zhang Xuan frowned, seemingly confused by what Lu Feng had said. "My identity has been exposed?" "Still feigning ignorance? Dong Xin, tell him!" Lu Feng sneered coldly as he gestured Dong Xin forward. "Yes!" Dong Xin nodded. "Zhang Xuan, I saw with my own eyes how you used a formation to confine Senior Byzantium Helios, and after thetter broke out, you had twenty of your Otherworldly Demon subordinates pummel him..." "You saw with your own eyes?" Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned. Ten days ago, when he was teaching the Byzantium Helios Beast a lesson, thetter managed to escape due to the formation being too weak... Could thatdy have been hiding in his manor at that time? It seemed the formations that King Huai had prepared for the manor werent reliable after all. He would have to work on them when he returnedter on. Otherwise, if others could enter and leave his manor as they pleased, it could pose as a potential source of trouble. "Thats right. I swear on my name as a master teacher that I saw youmand your subordinates to assault Senior Byzantium Helios. From start to end, you said a total of three sentences, the first one being, Trying to escape? Vicious, take it down!, followed by The rest of you, get him! Pummel him to death!, and finally, when Senior Byzantium Helios passed out, you said, It fainted again.... Is there any mistake with what I said?" Dong Xin asked. She would never forget what she had seen that day. The viciousness that the young man before her had shown had been imprinted deep in her mind. "You do have a good memory..." Seeing how the other party was able to recount what happened that day perfectly, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Unaware of the Byzantium Helios Beasts true identity then, he had thought that it was a crony of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Naturally, he wouldnt show any mercy to it. "He is admitting to it?" Realizing that Zhang Xuan wasnt denying the matter, everyone was bbergasted. If he had trulymanded Otherworldly Demons to pummel Senior Byzantium Helios... Was he really from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe then? Unable to believe what he had just heard, School Head Mo stood up and asked in agitation, "Zhang shi, did you really assault Senior Byzantium Helios?" He was the first one to notice that Senior Byzantium Helios had gone missing, kidnapped by more than a dozen Otherworldly Demons as deduced from the traces left behind. The Master Teacher Academy had devoted its manpower to searching for it for half a month now, but there were no signs of him anywhere. He had contemted many possibilities, but never could he have imagined that Zhang Xuan would be the culprit! "I... did order my men to pummel it before," Zhang Xuan confessed. "Its good that you have admitted to it!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had confessed to the matter, Lu Feng was taken aback for a moment, not expecting everything to go so smoothly, before a sharp glint shed across his eyes. He hurriedly turned around and said righteously, "Mu shi and Senior Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan has already admitted to his identity as an Otherworldly Demon. I ask of you to have him killed so that no other human will be harmed by him!" With a deep frown, Mu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and questioned authoritatively, "Zhang Xuan, what else do you have to say for yourself?" If Zhang Xuan truly turned out to be an Otherworldly Demon, then regardless of the other partys close ties with Luo shi, he would have to fulfill his responsibilities as a master teacher and eliminate the other party. Seeing Lu Feng eagerly pinning such a huge crime on him, Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes. "Wait a moment. When did I admit to being an Otherworldly Demon?" "Why? Are you going to start denying the matter now? Justice will eventually fall on all evildoers; you wont be getting out of this no matter how well you argue your case. Since you have already admitted to assaulting Senior Byzantium Helios, what else can you be if not an Otherworldly Demon?" Lu Feng sneered. "I did order my men to pummel the Byzantium Helios Beast before, but how does that prove that I am an Otherworldly Demon?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There is no one in this academy who doesnt know that Senior Byzantium Helios is the tamed beast of the old principal. Assaulting him is equivalent to insulting our entire Master Teacher Academy, insulting us master teachers..." Lu Feng bellowed authoritatively. "Insulting the Master Teacher Academy and master teachers? Your imagination sure is wild..." Zhang Xuan shrugged helplessly. "If that is really what you think, there is nothing that I can say... I can only have the Byzantium Helios Beast exin the matter to you then!" Saying those words, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the football-like Myriad Anthive Nest appeared in the room. The nest jolted for an instant, and the massive figure of the Byzantium Helios Beast abruptly emerged from it. "It is Senior Byzantium Helios!" "Senior Byzantium Helios isnt injured at all?" Upon seeing the Byzantium Helios Beast appearing before their eyes, everyone was stunned for an instant before doubts began filling their minds. Not only was Senior Byzantium Helios not weakened from his injuries as they had thought he would be, he was even overflowing with vitality and power. In fact... it seemed like he was even stronger than before! Wasnt he pummeled to the state of near death? What was going on? Gazes swiftly turned to Dong Xin, waiting for her to exin the matter. Feeling the intent gazes on her, Dong Xins face paled. She could hardly believe what she was seeing as well. She had personally witnessed the saint beast writhing on the floor in pain and passing out... But not only was Senior Byzantium Heliospletely fine, he had even grown stronger! More importantly... when she first met thetter, he had been trying to escape from Zhang Xuan! Yet, at this very moment, he was standing motionlessly, seemingly devoid of any hostility for Zhang Xuan! She wasnt the only one who went pale at this situation. Lu Feng also felt an ominous premonition when he saw Senior Byzantium Helios appearing before him, and his entire body stiffened. Just as he was about to speak, the young man before him beat him to it. "Byzantium Lad, Junior Lu Feng over here ims that I am an Otherworldly Demon because I had my men pummel you. Exin this matter to everyone for me!" "Byzantium Lad?" Hearing how Zhang Xuan addressed Senior Byzantium Helios, the crowd nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. School Head Mos eyes swam around the ce in frenzy. Everyone in the room respectfully addresses him as senior, but you actually cut all formalities and even called him a d... Arent you afraid of him killing you with a p? He was a beast tamer, so he understood just how proud Senior Byzantium Helios was. Even he had to treat the other party with the utmost respect, not daring to even speak loudly. To address Senior Byzantium Helios in such a disrespectful manner... Arent you pushing it too far? But before they could recover from their shock, the esteemed Senior Byzantium Helios sped his fist and bowed right before their eyes. "Yes, master!" "Master?" "Senior Byzantium Helios... is addressing Zhang shi as his master?" Lu Feng felt the world before him turning dark, and the other nine master teachers also swayed weakly, feeling as if their perception of the world had beenpletely shattered. Who was Byzantium Helios Beast? The tamed beast of the old principal, possessing a standing even higher than the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, second to only the Golden Origin Cauldron. With such standing, it was inevitable that his pride would be sorge that it could reach the clouds. "Master is a Cele... a master teacher recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so how could he be an Otherworldly Demon? That is utter nonsense! The reason he had someone beat me up was to help me achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation!" Paying no heed to everyones shock, the Byzantium Helios Beast drove its cultivation, and an overwhelmingly powerful aura gushed out from its body. Hong long! Under that immense pressure, everyones souls jolted in astonishment. The Byzantium Helios Beast had been thinking about how it should address this matter for a while now. If he were to say that it was pummeled due to a misunderstanding, he could very well shatter his image as an esteemed elder of the Master Teacher Academy. If that was going to be the case, he might as well im that the other party was helping him achieve a breakthrough. In any case, he did manage to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan. "Saint 2-dan... Spiritual Perception realm!" "Senior Byzantium Helios managed to achieve a breakthrough..." Everyone was stunned once more. It was extremely hard for natural-born saint beasts like the Byzantium Helios Beast to achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation. This was the reason why, despite the years it had spent with the old principal, it had remained trapped at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, unable to ovee its bottleneck. Yet, in just half a month of absence, it had managed to take the final step forward and reached Saint 2-dan... It was just a moment ago that they had thought that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon because he had assaulted Senior Byzantium Helios. But just shortly after that, Senior Byzantium Helios had personally stepped forward and revealed that Zhang Xuan was his master and even disyed his newfound strength. This turnaround was so swift that they could hardly keep up. Chapter 843: Who Is Your Teacher? Chapter 843: Who Is Your Teacher? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed! The reason I didnt contact you all is because I was at a crucial moment in my breakthrough, so I was unable to divert my attention," the Byzantium Helios Beast said. "If not for my master, I could have been trapped at Saint 1-dan pinnacle for my entire life!" What it was saying was the truth. For nearly twenty days, when it wasnt being pummeled, it would be tightly squashed within the narrow space of the Myriad Anthive Nest, where it couldnt even stretch its limbs. This had led to an immense frustration and rage bubbling within it, but coincidentally, that had formed the foundation of its breakthrough as well. Spiritual Perception realm was closely tied to ones soul and state of mind. As indignant as it was at the suffering it had been put through, it had to admit that the experience had tempered its mental resilience. If not for this experience, even with the inner core of the Ancient Ape, it was questionable whether the Byzantium Helios Beast would have been able to achieve a breakthrough or not. Hearing those words, the crowd fell silent. It wasnt umon for cultivators to go into seclusion for several months or even years at once. Going into seclusion for half a month was indeed not much. Realizing that the tables had turned, Zhao Bingxu was the first to counterattack. "As the tamed beast of our old principal, Senior Byzantium Helios has contributed greatly to our academy. I believe I dont have to say this, but Zhang shi has really done our academy a great favor this time around... Yet, despite all he has done, you used him of being an Otherworldly Demon! Lu Feng, if you dont exin yourself well today, I will make sure you are charged for aspersion even if I have to bring this matter all the way up to Qingyuan Empire!" You said that Zhang shi had pummeled Senior Byzantium Helios and thus was an Otherworldly Demon, but now, even the victim has stepped forward to rify the matter... What else do you have to say? Hearing those words, Lu Fengs face warped in savagery, and veins began popping up at his temple. He felt so stifled within that he could puke blood. He had thought that with this intelligence, he would be able to have Zhang Xuan begging him for mercy. Who could have known that the situation would end up turning on him instead? Standing by the side, Dong Xin, who had been watching the entire scene throughout, trembled uncontrobly as well. If she could, she would have loved to disappear that very moment. She had seen with her own eyes how Zhang Xuan had viciously ordered his subordinates to pummel Senior Byzantium Helios, how did it turn into helping the other party achieve a breakthrough in the blink of an eye? Where in the world could one find a person pummeling another to the point of near death to help him achieve a breakthrough? In that instant, a thought suddenly emerged in Dong Xins mind. "Wait a moment! Could it be..." She immediately sped her fist and said, "Mu shi, Senior Golden Origin Cauldron, and school heads, I have a hypothesis in mind, but I am not sure if it will be appropriate for me to speak of it!" "Feel free to speak!" Mu shi nodded. "I am certain that I saw Zhang Xuan ordering his subordinates to pummel Senior Byzantium Helios, but at this moment, Senior Byzantium Helios is speaking in his stead... I find that there is something really unnatural about this situation. Thus, I am thinking, could it be possible that Senior Byzantium Helios is being threatened? Maybe there is something he is unable to tell us about, or perhaps, the very reason for the pummeling might have been to make Senior Byzantium Helios submit!" Dong Xin said. She knew what she had seen, and she was certain that there had been tension and hostility between Zhang Xuan and Senior Byzantium Helios back then. Yet, all of this had disappeared all of a sudden, and thetter had even acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master. Had it been anyone else, they wouldnt have been able to believe it either. For ones attitude to change that quickly, there could only be one possibilityhe was being ckmailed! "You mean that he is being coerced into saying those words?" Mu shi frowned. The other school heads fell into deep contemtion upon hearing those words, too. Such a situation had indeed happened before. Even if Zhang Xuan was a disguised Otherworldly Demon, he had spent some time as a master teacher, so it wouldnt be too surprising for him to be capable of spinning lies that could convince even them. "Indeed. Everyone knows that Senior Byzantium Helios is deeply loyal to the old principal. So far, we dont even know whether the old principal is alive or dead, and for Senior Byzantium Helios to acknowledge another man as his master under such uncertain circumstances... I find that hard to believe!" Lu Fengs eyes lit up upon hearing Dong Xins words, and he immediately leaped at the opportunity to build on it. It was true that the old principal had gone missing on an expedition in an ancient domain, but until his corpse was found, it was impossible to conclusively tell whether he was alive or dead. Considering the loyalty Byzantium Helios Beast had for the old principal, to acknowledge another man as its master while its old master could still be alive, there was indeed something really suspicious about the situation. Chen Chengxun stood up and said, "Could it be that Zhang Xuan possesses some news regarding the old principal, and he is using it to threaten Senior Byzantium Helios into acknowledging him as his master and speak on his behalf? Or perhaps... if he is truly an Otherworldly Demonic Tribe royal, he could very well be using some kind of special means unknown to us!" He was on the same boat as Lu Feng. Sink or swim, their fates were already closely tied together. Hearing those words, Mu shi had no choice but to rethink the matter. If his old friend was truly alive, and Zhang Xuan was using this piece of news to coerce the Byzantium Helios Beast into doing his bidding, given the loyalty of thetter, it was indeed highly likely that thetter would speak on Zhang Xuans behalf. "Until we can confirm whether Senior Byzantium Helios has been coerced or not, I think we should invalidate his testimony on the grounds of reliability!" Lu Feng said. "You... Audacious!" Not expecting that someone would use this kind of ridiculous theory to cast suspicion on his words, the Byzantium Helios Beasts face turned scarlet, and he bellowed furiously, "Every single word of minees straight from my heart, how is it unreliable?" "Senior Byzantium Helios, please calm down! The Otherworldly Demons specialize in beguiling the heart, so until we can ascertain that you were not subjected to such means, it is difficult for us to determine the authenticity of your words. We have to ask for your understanding on this matter!" Lu Feng said. Before they had been eradicated, the soul oracles had once sided with the Otherworldly Demons. From them, the Otherworldly Demons had learned some techniques rting to the maniption of the soul as well. Even if Dong Xins testimony was unreliable and Zhang Xuan had truly helped the Byzantium Helios Beast achieved a breakthrough, it was still hard to believe that someone as loyal as the Byzantium Helios Beast would abandon its possibly still living master and acknowledge a man whom it had barely known for half a month as its master. At this point, Pavilion Master Mo, who had been watching the scene silently all this while, suddenly spoke up. "School Head Lu, if we start delving into such conspiracy theories, can I also im that you have been beguiled by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe into plotting against a talented master teacher who possesses the Eye of Insight?" School Head Mo harrumphed in agreement as he stroked his beard. "Indeed! All of us are more than aware of the significance of a master teacher possessing the Eye of Insight to mankind, and yet, School Head Lu has intentionally acted against Zhang Xuan time and time again. Could it be possible that you are an Otherworldly Demon in disguise?" Sure, you might have cast suspicion on Senior Byzantium Helioss words... But how credible are your wordspared to his? "You..." Not expecting that the duo to counterattack from such an angle, even pinning such a huge crime on him, Lu Feng nearly spurted blood. Left with no choice, he could only wave his hands and relent. "Fine! We will get nowhere with that, so let us put that aside for the moment... Even if Senior Byzantium Helioss testimony holds, surely the matter of Zhang Xuan having Otherworldly Demons subordinated to him is a fact that cannot disputed? We visited Leiyuan Peak, the ce where Senior Byzantium Helios wasst seen before his disappearance, and I believe we can all agree that the lingering aura and remaining traces there belonged to Otherworldly Demons!" ording to Dong Xins description, not only did Zhang Xuan assault Senior Byzantium Helios, he had an army of Otherworldly Demon subordinates as well. That was also the most crucial point to proving that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon. Furthermore, since all of the school heads had visited Leiyuan Peak to investigate the Senior Byzantium Helioss kidnapping, they wouldnt be able to refute this point. And as expected, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others all fell silent. Given Zhang Xuans current cultivation realm, there was no way he could be Senior Byzantium Helioss match without any external help. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had also acknowledged that he had ordered his men to pummel Senior Byzantium Helios. Could he really have Otherworldly Demons as his subordinates? If that was really the case, that wouldplicate matters. Master teachers were banned froming into close contact with Otherworldly Demons, and most would often refrain from doing so as well in order to avoid suspicion. "Otherworldly Demon subordinates... Do you mean this?" Knowing that this matter would be a permanent stain on his record if he failed to exin himself well today, he flicked his wrist, and an Otherworldly Demon puppet appeared before him. "I believe that with everyones eye of discernment, you should be able to tell that this is a puppet forged out of the body of an Otherworldly Demon!" Zhang Xuan said. "Indeed!" "This is a puppet forged out of an Otherworldly Demon!" The crowd examined the puppet before them for a moment before nodding in agreement. All of those gathered there were 6-star pinnacle master teachers, and unlike Dong Xin, who had only seen the puppets from afar, they were examining it in close proximity as well. Whether it was a puppet or a real Otherworldly Demon, they were more than capable of differentiating. "As School Head Zhao will know, before enrolling at the academy, I once apanied Luo Qiqi, Princess Yu Fei-er, and a few others into an underground chamber, and in there, we managed to stumble upon Elder Wu Yangzis heritage," Zhang Xuan said. "Un!" Zhao Bingxu nodded, confirming his words. He hadpiled a report on it and sent it to the other school heads as well, so they should be aware of the matter, too. "The Otherworldly Demons mentioned earlier are actually puppets forged by Elder Wu Yangzi back when he was still alive, and I only managed to obtain them out of a stroke of luck!" Zhang Xuan exined. "Master teachers are indeed forbidden froming into contact with Otherworldly Demons, but Elder Wu Yangzi had already forged them into puppets to serve mankind. Even if I havent contributed to mankind through them, at the very least, my possession of them cant be considered a sin, right?" Everyone was stunned. They had thought that Zhang Xuans subordinates were Otherworldly Demons, but to think that they were only puppets... Puppets were mindless and possessed no sentience of their own. Unless they weremanded to do so, they wouldnt be able to hurt anyone. Thus, there was no harm in Zhang Xuan possessing them. After studying the puppet carefully, Mu shi remarked, "This is indeed a mindless puppet, and the manner in which it was forged does bear a striking resemnce with Wu Yangzis smithing technique..." The puppets had personally been forged by Wu Yangzi during his captivity in the underground chamber. Precious materials had been devoted to the forging process, so each of the puppets was invaluable treasures. "However... this puppet still harnesses killing intent within its body, and it retains its innate instincts as Otherworldly Demons. Even Wu Yangzi might not have been able to tame it, so how did you make it follow your orders obediently?" Realizing the crux of the matter, Mu shi frowned. Just as the Otherworldly Demons were mankinds nemeses, the opposite was true as well. The hatred for mankind flowed in the very bloodline of the Otherworldly Demons, making it nigh impossible for a human tomand them. Even an expert like Wu Yangzi would not necessarily be able to tame them, so how did a Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator like Zhang Xuan seed? Hearing Mu shis words, Zhang Xuan frowned. The reason he had been able to make the Otherworldly Demon puppets obey hismands was due to Vicious, and exposing Vicious existence meant exposing the existence of the Book of Heavens Path and possibly his greatest secret, the Library of Heavens Path, as well. Those were his greatest trump cards, so by no means should he ever reveal them! "On top of that, this puppet was forged by having body parts forcefully switched while it was still alive. Judging by the marks, it seems like the Otherworldly Demons didnt reject the swapping of the parts... or to be more exact, they were willing to have it done! Back then, the disappearance of Wu Yangzi caused a huge uproar, and there is even a report documenting it in the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. "If Wu Yangzi possessed the ability to have the Otherworldly Demons obediently undergo his forging and listen to hismands at the end of it, he should have been more than capable of escaping from his captivity. If that was the case, he wouldnt have been trapped in an underground chamber until his death," Mu shi analyzed. As a 7-star master teacher, as well as a 7-star cksmith, Mu shi was able to easily deduce the forging process of the Otherworldly Demon puppet. Even with Wu Yangzis outstanding smithing capability, it would have been hard for him to sessfully forge it had the Otherworldly Demon resisted. Hearing Mu shis words, Lu Fengs eyes lit up. "Mu shi is right. These might just be puppets, but their origin is dubious. On top of that, you clearly dont possess the strength to tame them! "Unless... you are royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, allowing you tomand the Otherworldly Demons just by your bloodline itself. That would exin why the Otherworldly Demons would willingly allow themselves to be torn apart to be made into puppets, and why they would obey yourmands even after death!" Zhang Xuans face darkened upon hearing those words. Naturally, he wasnt royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but Vicious was, and he could very well be an emperor among them. It was due to him exerting pressure on those Otherworldly Demons that Wu Yangzi had been able to forge them into puppets sessfully. But if he had to reveal the existence of Vicious, he would risk having to reveal the existence of the Library of Heavens Path too. "I have no idea how the Otherworldly Demons were forged into puppets either; that was Elder Wu Yangzis doing. But as for the matter of taming them..." After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "My teacher, fearing for my safety, tamed them and gave them to me." "Your teacher?" Lu Feng harrumphed coldly. "Which master teacher is that? I would like to know which formidable master teacher possesses the capability to make so many mindless Otherworldly Demon puppets obey the orders of a 4-star master teacher!" "My teacher..." Zhang Xuan began to speak, but before he could finish his words, an impassive voice suddenly sounded from beyond the door. "His teacher is me!" The room was abruptly engulfed by a devastating aura. Chapter 844: I Am Yang Xuan! Chapter 844: I Am Yang Xuan! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That aura was reminiscent of a tsunami, leaving one feeling insignificant and helpless before it. Everyones hearts turned cold, and goosebumps rose from their arms. Even Mu shis body had tensed in apprehension. Before this aura, there was no one, not even a person as strong Mu shi, who dared to show the slightest bit of retaliation. Otherwise, they could very well be crushed by that overwhelming power in an instant. Jiya! Jiya! Under the crushing pressure of that devastating aura, the ancient Elder Hall came to the limits of its durability, and countless cracks began to surface throughout the room. Following which, with a long rumble, the room copsed entirely. To be able to dissipate the formations here and copse the room just with the aura he exudes... The school heads in the room exchanged fearful nces. Not only was the Elder Hall made of incredibly resilient material, it was even reinforced with several extremely powerful formations. Even if a Saint 3-dan expert were tounch an attack with their full might against the room, they might not necessarily be able to destroy the formations. Yet, a person actually managed to dissipate the formations and copse the room with just his aura. Just how powerful was Zhang Xuans teacher to be able to do that? With this thought in mind, they hurriedly raised their gazes and saw a blurred silhouette standing in the air above them. Amid the cloud of dust, they couldnt make out the other partys appearance clearly. Nevertheless, judging from his physique, the other party didnt seem too old, possibly only in his early thirties, but he carried an authority that none dared to defy. "Are you the ones who suspect my student of being an Otherworldly Demon?" The figure harrumphed coldly. "Then... Do I look like an Otherworldly Demon to you?" Boom! His voice wasnt loud, but it created a sensation that felt as if the sky was crumbling down on them. Under that immense pressure, Lu Feng and the others felt their bodies stiffening, and even breathing became a difficulty. Hong long long! With the intensity of the pressure, the building beneath them also reached its limit and crumbled as well. But that wasnt the end yet. The pressure that man exuded seemed to ripple outward like waves, and any building that came into the slightest contact with it would have the formations protecting it shattered immediately, and the majestic structure woulde copsing down as if nothing more than a fragile piece of paper. "That is... the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall!" Everyone hurriedly turned to look at the building that had just copsed, and their eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. That was the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, where the tablets of the predecessors and Kong shis statue were housed! That ce was protected by the will of their predecessors, and even if all of them were to strike it with all their might simultaneously, it wouldnt suffer the slightest damage. Yet... with just mere words from the other party, it had copsed! "The fact that the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall has copsed means that the wills of the predecessors dared not stand against this elder, and even... even Kong shi has fled!" an elder muttered in a daze. Hearing those words, cold sweat began trickling down everyones backs. That elder was right. The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was protected by the will of Kong shi and many predecessors. Even the Otherworldly Demons would be doomed for failure if they were to attempt to breach those grounds. For it to copse that easily with mere words, there was only one possibility... that elders strength was so great that not even the will Kong shi had left behind dared to stand against him. And for this to ur, it could only mean that either Kong shi himself had arrived at the scene or that the other party possessed strength worthy of Kong shis respect. But... how could that be possible? Kong shi was no longer around, and considering the overwhelming strength Kong shi wielded, a person who possessed strength worthy of his respect would be... Another elders eyes narrowed as he muttered in a quivering voice, "Could he be an expert on par with the 72 Sages?" The predecessors in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall were all Saint realm experts at the very least, and not to mention, a sliver of Kong shis will was infused within his statue as well. In terms of pure disposition, it was impossible for even a Saint realm 7-dan expert, 8-star master teacher, to send all of them fleeing with just mere words. Only one who had achieved strength equivalent to the legendary direct disciples of Empyrean Kong shi, the 72 Sages, could possibly have the ability to do so. Could the elder before them be an expert of such a caliber as well? Was this for real? In the time after Kong shis disappearance, the strongest existences in the world had been the 72 Sages. However, the era of the 72 Sages hadntsted for long, so there were very few records of them in the world. After the 72 Sages departed, there were quite a number of Saint realm pinnacle experts who rose to fill the power vacuum left in their absence, and those men founded the existing Sage ns in the world. Those old ancestors of the Sage ns possessed power surpassing any mortals imagination. Even a ce like the Master Teacher Academy could be wiped off the map with a wave of their hand. But nevertheless, those old ancestors were still a far way off from matching up to the strength of their predecessor, the 72 Sages! Even if the other party isnt an expert of the same caliber as the 72 Sages, he is probably, at the very least, on par with the old ancestors of those Sage ns... With such a thought in mind, everyone subconsciously gulped. A person who could make the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall copse with just his disposition, there was only a single word that could be used to describe his strength: terrifying. If an expert of that level truly intended to kill them, he need not even move his hands. Just a single thought, and they would be reduced to lifeless corpses in an instant. Furthermore, it would be difficult for even the Master Teacher Pavilion to trace such sudden and obscure deaths to him, which meant that there was nothing they could do to stop or deter him from doing what he liked. "H-h-he is... so strong?" Mo Gaoyuan could feel his blood running cold. He had met Zhang Xuans teacher a while back, and they had even chatted with one another. However, as the other party had hidden his strengthpletely back then, he had thought that the other party was, at the very most, an 8-star master teacher. But it turned out that... even that was an underestimation! With mere words, the other party had turned all of the buildings within several hundred meters of the Elder Hall and Teacher Acknowledgement Hall into rubble. This was a feat beyond the capability of an 8-star master teacher! With a pale face, Pavilion Master Mo furiously whispered to Elder Mo, "I already told you about how powerful Zhang shis teacher is. Didnt you tell the other elders?" It was due to his knowledge of how powerful Yang shi was that he had gone to such lengths to get along with Zhang Xuan, and he had discreetly informed Mo Zhu of the news back on Leiyuan Peak so that he could keep a lookout as well. I gave you fair warning, but why are there still fools in your academy going on to judge the other partys student on their own ord? Look, you have ended up incurring the wrath of a power far beyond you! Are you happy now? For an expert of such caliber, even if he chose not to make a move personally out of sheer disdain, he could easily damn one to the bottom of hell with just a single word! "I-I did tell them, but they refused to believe me!" Elder Mo replied tearfully. He had never met Yang shi before, only hearing several rumors from Pavilion Master Mo, so his impression and fear of the man didnt run as deep before. Thus, he had only brought it up casually before the others. Who in the world could have known that... the man would be a monster? His strength was way off the charts! "You all..." Fearing that the man above might just destroy the entire Master Teacher Academy in a moment of anger, Mo Gaoyuan hurriedly raised his pale face and said, "Yang shi, I am Mo Gaoyuan; you offered me a pointer once before... Its not our intention to make things difficult for Zhang shi. We only invited Zhang shi over to ask him a few questions..." At this point, he had no choice but to speak up personally. Otherwise, if he were to give that fool Lu Feng an opportunity to speak, they might really just end up breathing theirst here. The figure in the sky nced downward and uttered coldly, "Oh? You only invited my student here to ask him a few questions? But why does it seem to me that you are judging my student instead? Is it because you think that he is an Otherworldly Demon, or do you think that I am an Otherworldly Demon?" An immense pressure that left one feeling as if the world before one was crumbling apart fell from the heavens, leaving the crowd below suffocated. This is... a Celestial Master Teacher? In an instant, the faces of everyone in the room paled even further, and the sheer fright they were experiencing rendered them incapable of words. For as long as the world remembered, the only one known to be a Celestial Master Teacher had been Kong shi. But the invible authority reminiscent of a deity from the heavens that the figure abovemanded... he was a Celestial Master Teacher as well. They had actually used the student of a Celestial Master Teacher of being an Otherworldly Demon! This was the most ludicrous thing anyone could do in the world! Even the heavens had acknowledged him as a master teacher, so how could he possibly ept an Otherworldly Demon as his student? Wasnt this a joke? Gr-grandteacher? Seeing the other partys face and feeling the familiar pressure crushing him, Mu shi finally recognized the man standing above him. Zhang Xuans teacher was no other than his grandteacher, whom he had met several days ago... Yang Xuan! If he had known that Zhang Xuan was the other partys student, he would never have allowed this hearing to happen! "W-we wouldnt dare..." Mo Gaoyuans lips twitched uncontrobly as he hurriedly bowed deeply in deference. "What about you?" Yang Xuan turned his cold gaze to Lu Feng. "N-no, I dare not to!" Under that frosty gaze, Lu Feng couldnt stop his body from trembling. Had he known earlier that Zhang Xuan had such powerful backing, he would never have dared to initiate this mess... He had truly dug his own grave this time around! It was all over. Having offended such a powerful master teacher, even if he were to survive this ordeal, his future was already over. There would be no one and nowhere that would dare ept him. Beside him, Chen Chengxun and Dong Xin nearly keeled over. They had thought that they would enjoy a life of glory once Lu Feng took over as the principal. They had never imagined such a situation would ur instead. It was as if the path to paradise had suddenly copsed beneath their feet, damning them to the depths of hell. "That had better be the case!" Yang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he raised his gaze, seemingly peering into the depths of the heavens. "My name is Yang Xuan. If any of you feel that I have abused my power, feel free to report me to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters!" "We wouldnt dare do such a thing..." Mo Gaoyuans face immediately paled in fright. Like hell they would report the other party! On the contrary, if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were to learn that they had offended a master teacher of Yang shis stature, not only would they not redress their grievances, they might even get rid of them to appease Yang shis rage. Master teachers of Yang shis caliber could be considered as the wealth of mankind. Putting aside a Master Teacher Academy of a Tier-1 Empire, not even an entire Conferred Empire could match up to them in value. They would be counting their blessings if the happenings today never reached the ears of the headquarters; to report this matter the headquarters on their own ord... they would have to be tired of living to do so! It was true that the Master Teacher Pavilion worked to uphold justice in the world, but it had to be practical as well, especially considering the existing threats it faced. As such, the higher ranked a master teacher was, the more privileges they were granted. This served as motivation for master teachers to work harder, as well as a measure to preserve the forces of the Master Teacher Pavilion as far as possible. Even the life of ten thousand 6-star master teacher couldnt match up to the value of an expert like the other party. Which side the Master Teacher Pavilion would choose to take, it didnt take a genius to figure it out. "That will be for the best," Yang Xuan uttered impassively. With a final nce at the crowd beneath, he flung his sleeve and turned around, preparing to leave. At that moment, Mu shi suddenly rushed forward. "Grandteacher!" He had been practicing the cultivation method that his grandteacher had imparted to him over the past few days, and the affliction he had been suffering from had alleviated. For the first time in a very long time, he had experienced a growth in his cultivation. Thinking of the changes he had experienced over the past few days, he was filled with deep gratitude for the man before him. Seeing that his benefactor was about to leave, Mu shi couldnt help but rush forward in agitation. Yang Xuan took a nce at Mu shi and nodded slightly. "Un. Cultivate well, and perhaps, a day mighte when you are able to return to the Mu n." After which, with a slight step, hu!, he abruptly disappeared from the spot, as if having teleported away. "This is... Spatial Maniption! He is... a 9-star master teacher?!" After witnessing that scene, the crowd waspletely dumbstruck. Having grasped thews of space, the most distinctive trait of 9-star master teachers was their ability to manipte space, which allowed them to aplish the unthinkable, such as constructing inner worlds through folding space... Given how Yang shi had disappeared before their eyes in an instant, it could only mean that he hadprehended suchws as well! A living 9-star master teacher... There was barely a handful of them still in this world, and they had actually met one and even attempted to judge his student... A shiver ran down everyones spines as fear gripped their hearts. It was fortunate that the other party, perhaps in view of his identity as a master teacher, had no intentions of getting even with them. Otherwise, they, along with the entire Master Teacher Academy, would have be a thing of the past. Nevertheless, even though they were spared from this cmity, they would still do well not to push the other partys buttons anymore, which, in this case, was his student. As such a thought came to their minds, they subconsciously turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter with a deep frown on his forehead, seemingly displeased. And the truth was that at this very instant, Zhang Xuan was indeed displeased. While he knew that his clone wasnt a reliable person, he hadnt thought that the other party would be so unreliable. This... Isnt this overdoing it? Chapter 845: I Nominate Zhang Xuan to Be the Principal Chapter 845: I Nominate Zhang Xuan to Be the Principal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As he would have to expose the existence of the Library of Heavens Path in order to exin how he managed to tame those Otherworldly Demonic puppets, Zhang Xuan had nned to have Yang Xuan make an appearance to save the day. Thus, through his mental connection with his clone, he had thetter appear in Yang Xuans form. Zhang Xuan had initially only intended to have Yang Xuan scare the others just a little, but who could have known that he would blow the entire matter way out of proportion? Looking at the wreckage around him, Zhang Xuan pped his forehead in frustration. All his clone had needed to do was prove that he wasnt an Otherworldly Demon, but that fellow actually turned the Elder Hall, along with many other crucial buildings, into rubble... As for how everything had happened... The powerful aura, which his clone seemed to emanate, was from Vicious, naturally. That fellow had once said that as long as he devoured Kong shis personal handwriting, he would be able to turn his aura that was drenched with killing intent like all other Otherworldly Demons into a purer and more orthodox form, simr to that of a master teacher. The copse of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was probably a result of the auraing from Kong shis personal handwriting. While Kong shi had yet to reach his peak when he left behind those words, there was no way that the will of any master teacher would dare to stand against him. As for the aura of a Celestial Master Teacher, as his clones soul hade from his, he had also been recognized by the heavens. On top of that, Vicious was around to assist, so they managed to pull it off easily. And the final disappearance was naturally not teleportation either. While the crowd had been being distracted by their own fear, Zhang Xuan had managed to slip them into the Myriad Anthive Nest discreetly. Entering a folded space was simr to entering another world. Even with the spiritual perception of a Saint 2-dan expert, it was impossible to find any traces of them anywhere, thus creating the illusion of teleportation. It was fortunate that they had managed to pull it off perfectly, but considering the destruction left in their wake... wasnt this going too far? Since this was only a small conflict, Zhang Xuan had intended to just erase all doubts of him being an Otherworldly Demon from the minds of the others, but this... He could see deep fear in the eyes on him! Just as he was conflicted as to what he should do under such circumstances, Mu shi suddenly stepped forward, sped his fist, and bowed. "Senior Uncle!" Zhang Xuan was slightly stunned for a moment before he responded with a slight nod. "There is no need to stand on ceremony!" Since Yang Xuan was his grandteacher, as the direct disciple of Yang Xuan, there was no mistake with Mu shi addressing him as such. Senior Uncle? Lu Fengs lips twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot. Mu shi was a 7-star master teacher, so in terms of seniority, Lu Feng could be considered to be a generation younger than the other party. If the other party was calling Zhang Xuan Senior Uncle... Didnt that mean that his seniority before Zhang Xuan had dropped yet another generation, putting him on equal standing as thetters grandstudent? It was just a moment ago that he had still been a junior... Would the other party be calling him a child next? What the heck was going on! Not only did Lu Feng suffer a heavy blow from this, Dong Xins vision had also darkened upon hearing those words. Previously, Long Cangyue had said that going by the current trend, the next one of them to provoke Zhang Xuan could just end up as his great grandstudent... Back then, she hadnt thought much of it, thinking that it was impossible. But this... As a direct disciple of Lu Feng, if her teachers seniority was that of Zhang Xuans grandstudent, wouldnt that make her his great grandstudent? Of the Great Four Student Factions in the Master Teacher Academy, Hu Yaoyao was the first to challenge Zhang Xuan, and she ended up bing his apprentice. Xue Zhenyang was the second, and he became his grandstudent. And she, being the third... became his great grandstudent! Tears wouldnt stop flowing down Dong Xins cheeks. If she had known that this would happen, she would never have gotten involved in this trouble.... Now, she would have to call even Hu Yaoyao her grandteacher... "This..." Pavilion Master Mo and the others were also at a loss after hearing Mu shi calling Zhang Xuan Senior Uncle. Paying no heed to the bizarre expressions of the crowd, Zhang Xuan asked Mu shi, "With this, there shouldnt be anyone who still suspects me of being an Otherworldly Demon, right?" Mu shi hurriedly shook his head. "Of course not!" You are Yang shis student, and Yang shi is a Celestial Master Teacher. There is no way a student of a Celestial Master Teacher could be an Otherworldly Demon. The other master teachers in the area also hastily agreed. "Since this matter is cleared, this hearing should be over. I can take my leave now, right?" Zhang Xuan continued. "Of course!" Mu shi nodded hurriedly. "Alright, I will bid you all farewell now," Zhang Xuan said. Given the current state of affairs, even if he didnt say a word, the Master Teacher Academy would still certainly make sure that Lu Feng was punished severely for his actions. As the most senior figure in the room, there was no need for him to lower his standing to deal with a mere grandstudent. If he really insisted on dealing with Lu Feng, the prestige that he had just built up using his clones disguise would be diminished. Furthermore, the reputation of the Master Teacher Academy was at stake here, so it wouldnt be good for a student like him to get involved in the matter. It would be best to leave it to the school heads to deal with the matter as they deemed fit. But just as Zhang Xuan was just about to leave, School Head Mo stepped forward and said, "Zhang shi, please wait a moment!" "Is there still a problem?" Zhang Xuan asked politely. School Head Mo had granted him plenty of help ever since his enrollment, so he had a high opinion of thetter. Even in the hearing just a moment ago, before Yang shi made an appearance, he had been active in speaking up for him. "It is like this... Mu shi once said that anyone who finds Senior Byzantium Helios will be made the next principal. Since you were the one who found Senior Byzantium Helios, and you have even be his master... I feel that it will only be right for you to take on the responsibility as the next principal of our academy!" After saying those words, School Head Mo turned to look at the others and asked, "What do the rest of you think of this matter?" Ever since the old principal disappeared, the academy had slowly be divided, and troubles had emerged one after another. It was imperative that someone in the academy had to step up to take hold of the situation, and Zhang Xuan seemed to be the ideal candidate for that. While he might becking in his cultivation, he made up for that through his deepprehension in the other supporting upations. Besides, he had Senior Byzantium Helios as his tamed beast. With such powerful backing, who would dare question his authority? "I was thinking of making the same suggestion!" Zhao Bingxu nodded in agreement. "I have no qualms with Zhang shi bing our next principal!" Wei Ranxue replied. "I think that Zhangoshi is the most suitable candidate to be the principal as well!" Jiang Qingqin nodded. "I agree!" School Head Xu Changqing of the Martial Arts School hesitated for a moment before nodding. Wang Ying and the others were guest elders of their school. If their teacher were to be the principal, they would surely be willing to devote more time to imparting knowledge to the student. In just a few moments, half of the Ten Great Master Teachers had already expressed their support for the motion. Senior Uncle is a student of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy himself, and he also fulfills most of the conditions required to be the principal. If he is willing to take on this responsibility, that will truly be a blessing for the academy! Mu shis eyes lit up, and he nodded. "I agree to this motion as well!" His main mission foring to the Master Teacher Academy was to nominate and confirm the next principal. While Senior Uncle might still be young, and his cultivation is still weak, he has a strong backer who is more than sufficient to make up for his deficiencies. Besides, Senior Uncle is also an exceptional genius. Most likely, he will be able to rise up to the role in just a few years time, and under his leadership, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy could be brought to unprecedented greatness! Mu shi turned his sights to the remaining five school heads. "What about the rest of you?" "This..." Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun nced at one another with extreme reluctance. They would have vetoed the motion immediately under normal circumstances, but considering their current plight and Zhang Xuans newfound status... "Since even Mu shi is in support of this matter, I have no objections either," the head of the Painter School said. "I have no objections, too!" the head of the Celestial Designer School said. "I am of the same opinion as the others!" Zhong Dingchun, the head of the Physician School, nodded. Eventually, Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun had no choice but to relent as well. "Alright, we agree to the motion!" They had no choice in this matter. With eight of the Ten Great Master Teachers in support of this motion, even if they were to voice their disagreements, nothing would change. With all of the school heads in support of this motion, School Head Mo was just about to make the official deration of the results when a deep, resounding voice suddenly sounded. "One of the requirements to be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy is to be a 6-star master teacher. Zhang shi hasnt met this requirement yet. I disagree with this matter..." the Golden Origin Cauldron objected. As the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Master Teacher Academy, its position was higher than even that of the school heads. Naturally, it had a say in the matter as well. "Senior Golden Origin Cauldron, even though Zhang shi isnt a 6-star master teacher yet, given his astounding talent, it wont be long before he sessfully clears the examination," School Head Mo said. The others nodded in agreement at School Head Mos words. They had witnessed the heaven-defying talent of that young man personally, and the copious destruction all over the Master Teacher Academy served as testimony to that. If even a genius like him couldnt pass the 6-star master teacher examination, who else could? "You may be right, but have you all forgotten about the selection three months time?" the Golden Origin Cauldron asked. "Three months time?" The crowd frowned, unsure of what the Golden Origin Cauldron was referring to. "It seems like all of you have really forgotten about it... Three months from now will be the centennial Combat Master Selection!" the Golden Origin Cauldron eximed. "Combat Master Selection? Now that you mention it... it has indeed been a hundred years since the previous selection!" "The Qingyuan Conferred Empires Combat Master Hall only conducts a selection exercise once every hundred years. I wasnt a school head yet during the previous selection, so I dont really recall it..." "The four great academies under Qingyuan Conferred Academy will be gathering together for the selection. It will be a huge event!" "I had forgotten about that as well... If Zhang shi fails to be a 6-star master teacher within the next three months, we wont stand a chance against the other three academies!" ... Everyone fell silent. "Combat Master Selection?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. He didnt think that he would remain in Hongyuan Empire for too long, so it didnt matter to him whether he became the principal of the Master Teacher Academy or not. However, judging from everyones tone, it seemed like they had some apprehensions regarding the Combat Master Selection. "I believe Zhang shi should have heard ofbat masters before?" School Head Mo asked. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The Combat Master Hall could be considered an offshoot of the Master Teacher Pavilion, serving primarily as its offensive wing. Combat masters were considered master teachers as well, but they need not be skilled in teaching nor did they have to take on supporting upations. All that was required of them was to be sufficiently strong to clear the respective examinations to obtain their master teacher rank. Eachbat master was known to possess the capability of fighting with opponents with higher cultivation levels than them. Even among the powerful master teachers, they could be considered experts. Back then, when he was in Huanyu Empire, he had once been suspected of being abat master on one asion. "The master teachers of the Combat Master Hall are famed for their overwhelming strength, and most regard it as an honor to join their ranks," School Head Mo exined. "Once every century, the Combat Master Hall will select fresh blood from the various academies to fill their ranks, and the next selection happens to be in three months time!" "Three months..." "Thats right. In three months time, the four academies will gather together for the selection. However, due to the limited slots... the principals of the four academies will be firstpeting in a duel to decide on the allocation of slots to each academy first!" School Head Mo said awkwardly, "If Zhang shi bes the principal, you will have to participate in the principals duel. Given your current strength... I fear that you might not be able to hold your ground against the others!" As principals of Master Teacher Academies, the opponents Zhang Xuan might face would be 6-star pinnacle or even 7-star master teachers. Given Zhang shis talent, there was no doubt that he could surpass the other principals if given sufficient time... but the duel was in three months time! "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was no wonder everyone was worried. He was currently only at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage, which would put him at a fatal disadvantage against the other principals. "Actually, there is no need to worry. If I am not mistaken, Zhangoshi already has five supporting upations at 6-star rank. As long as he earns one more, he will have cleared the supporting upation prerequisite for the 6-star master teacher examination. I think it is possible to make it within three months!" Jiang Qingqin interjected. Currently, the 6-star supporting upations that Zhang shi had were cksmith, physician, apothecary, terpsichore, and demonic tunist. He was stillcking another one to clear the supporting upation prerequisite for the 6-star master teacher examination. Given the ridiculous rate which he learned at... getting another supporting upation up to 6-star within three months shouldnt be a problem! Chapter 846: Principal Zhang Chapter 846: Principal Zhang Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After all, Jiang Qingqin had personally witnessed the rate at which Zhang Xuan learned. He had still beenpletely ignorant the first day, but the following day, his capability as a demonic tunist abruptly soared to 7-star. Considering that, it shouldnt take him too long to master another supporting upation. "I am not worried about his supporting upations but his cultivation. Zhang shi is currently only at Perfect Harmonization realm, but the minimum requirement to take the 6-star examination is to reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle," Zhao Bingxu said. 5-star low-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle corresponded to Cosmos Bridge realm, Perfect Harmonization realm, and Ethereal Treading realm. In order to take the 6-star master teacher examination, ones cultivation had to be Chrysalis realm pinnacle at the minimum. Back then, when Zhang shi shed with You Xu, he had exposed his strengthPerfect Harmonization realm pinnacle. It was impressive for a freshman, but he was still two realms away from bing a 6-star master teacher. To progress through two realms within three months... One could say that it was nearly impossible. "Ah... Actually, when I went out a few days ago, I identally made a breakthrough, so my cultivation is currently at Ethereal Treading realm..." Zhang Xuan said. "identally?" Everyone widened their eyes in shock. Others had to put in a huge amount of effort while expending many valuable treasures in order to reach Ethereal Treading realm, and yet, you im that you reached it identally? On top of that, you still dare to say it as if you have been wronged... Can you be more serious? This is an important matter we are speaking of! In truth, they had wronged Zhang Xuan. It was indeed true that he had made the breakthrough unintentionally, and he was frustrated by the matter. "You made the breakthrough to Ethereal Treading realm?" But different from the frustrated and stifled expressions of the others, School Head Mo froze, and his mouth suddenly began twitching. "When Zhang shi first participated in the entrance examination, I remember that his cultivation was only at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. It was to save a group of students that he made the breakthrough to Cosmos Bridge realm in the midst of the examination..." As the invigtor, he had kept tabs on the happenings of the examination so as to source out talented students which the academy could devote resources to grooming. ording to what hed heard, Zhang Xuan had forcefully raised his cultivation by an entire realm just so to save his fellow peers from the encirclement they were in. He hadmented after hearing the news as such forceful and abrupt breakthroughs tended to leave hidden traumas within ones body, limiting ones future progress. This was also why he had advised Zhang Xuan to take note of this matter and make sure to stabilize his cultivation well... But before he knew it, the other party was suddenly at Ethereal Treading realm... "It has been less than twenty days since the entrance examination, right?" someone amid the crowd muttered. Everyone hurriedly turned their gazes to the young man in horror, as if they were staring at a monster. To advance from Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm to 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm in slightly more than half a month... That was nearly three whole realms! Are you sure you arent some renowned expert concealing your cultivation to toy with us? Even Cultivation Impartation couldnt possibly be as fast as that, right? Dont you need to reinforce your cultivation? Dont you need to spend some time digesting and musing over the intricacies of each cultivation realm? Just as they were feeling frenzied over the matter, they suddenly heard Zhang Xuan sighing deeply, and with an embarrassed look, he said, "Indeed. I have been spending too much time on advancing my supporting upations that I wasnt able to find much time to cultivate, so my progress has been slow..." In truth, he had been intending to sweep through the ten schools within ten days and spend an additional six more striving for Saint realm 1-dan, thus graduating within half a month. But more than half a month had passed, and he was only at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage. Additionally, he had only mastered five supporting upations as well... He was embarrassed by his incapability. Hearing those words, the crowd nearly spurted blood. The heck! You call this slow? If your pace is considered slow, then what do you call spending several decades just to raise our cultivation by one stage? Also, wipe that embarrassment off your face! The ones who should be embarrassed are us! What made things worse was that despite the ridiculousness of Zhang Xuans words, they could tell that he wasnt lying, deepening the trauma they had just suffered. Ever since the other party enrolled in the academy, he had spent seven days to master five supporting upations, achieving proficiency levels surpassing even those of the heads of the respective schools, causing pandemonium in his wake... Not only so, he even had the time to conduct lectures and establish the influential Xuanxuan Faction. Despite all he had done, he was still able to find time to make the breakthrough from Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle to Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle... If he had devoted his time to just cultivating in itself... Forget it, lets not think about it anymore! It will only make us feel worse anyway! Inparison to the other party, their rate of cultivation was indeed not only slow. It was as if they suffered from apleteck of talent! As stifled as they were, recalling the unfathomable expert the other party had as a teacher, they could only ept what was before them. Incredible talent paired with an unparalleled teacher. If the other party were to be on the same level as them, that would be truly embarrassing. He would be unworthy of his title as a genius! After a long moment of silence, one of the elders spoke up. "Given Zhang shis capability, reaching 6-star within three months shouldnt be a problem for him!" "I think so, too." Words of agreement soon rippled through the group. Three months wasnt a long time for a cultivator; it would be gone in one period of seclusion. But to the fellow before them, they dared not think what he could achieve within this limited period of time. Perhaps, he might even be able to make the breakthrough to Saint realm! "Then... since we havee to a consensus, lets not hesitate any longer. We shall conduct the inauguration ceremony in three days then!" Mu shi dered with a wave of his hand. The inauguration of the principal of the Master Teacher Academy was a huge affair with great implications for the surrounding Tier-1 Empires and Master Teacher Pavilions. The reason it was set for three dayster was to allow for sufficient preparation time for the ceremony and to invite the guests. Besides, they had to fix the Elder Hall and the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall first. Otherwise, if others were to see the tattered state the great Master Teacher Academy had been reduced to, they would probablyugh themselves to death. Having decided on the matter, the others quickly nodded in agreement. While the Golden Origin Cauldron did have a vote in the matter as well, given that even Mu shi had expressed his support for Zhang Xuan, it had no choice but to go along with the majority decision as well. In any case, its standing wouldnt change regardless of who became the principal, so there was no need for it to go all out to oppose Zhang Xuan either. Seeing how the group hade to a decision without him, Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched uncontrobly. In your discussion, deciding whether I should be the principal or not, shouldnt you have asked for my opinion as well? Perhaps noticing Zhang Xuans thoughts, the Byzantium Helios Beast said, "Master, bing the principal might be a heavy responsibility, but ites with many privileges as well. For one, you can ess the facilities of the schoolthe libraries and suchfreely!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If he could gain ess to all of the books in the academy freely, bing the new principal was indeed nothing much. After the confirmation of this matter, the group discussed, for another two hours, how best to allocate the various responsibilities for the preparations of the inauguration ceremony. Nearing the end of the meeting, School Head Mo turned to Zhang Xuan and said apologetically, "Zhang shi, until the inauguration ceremony is over, we cant bring you into the principals residence. Thus, we will have to ask you to remain in your manor for a while longer..." Even though this matter was already approved by the Ten Great Master Teachers and Mu shi, Zhang Xuan still couldnt be considered the official principal until the inauguration ceremony was over. Thus, he couldnt use most of the authority he had as the principal just yet. Understanding this, Zhang Xuan nodded in response. In any case, it was just three days. It would pass in a sh. In the discussion, it was decided that Zhang Xuan should focus his attention on raising his cultivation and clearing the 6-star master teacher examination, so most of the responsibilities of the principal would be distributed among the Ten Great Master Teachers for the time being. Naturally, upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a huge sigh of relief. At that point, he suddenly recalled another matter he had to tend to, so he asked, "I need to forge a grade-7 pill, so may I borrow Senior Golden Origin Cauldron for a moment?" It had been ten days since he had left Hongyuan City, and while he hadnt had the time to check on Wei Ruyan yet, her soul should have been sufficiently nourished at this point. It was about time for him to move on to the next step. Thus, the urgent matter at hand was to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. The various medicinal herbs should have been gathered by now, and Apothecary Lu and the others should have achieved a certain level of mastery in the forging technique he had imparted to them. What he wascking now was a proper cauldron to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill in. "Cough cough..." His face flushed with anxiety, Zhao Bingxu hurriedly exined, "Zhang shi, Senior Golden Origin Cauldron is a weapon caldron, not a pill cauldron!" It went without saying that there was a huge difference between a weapon cauldron and a pill cauldron. As a 6-star cksmith and apothecary, Zhang shi should have been more than able to tell the difference! Why would he make such a bizarre request out of the blue? "I understand, but the medicinal energy contained within a grade-7 pill is so great that I fear that Spirit-tier cauldrons will be unable to harness it. Most probably, only a Saint cauldron like Senior Golden Origin Cauldron will be able to do so," Zhang Xuan said. Zhang Xuan was confident that Apothecary Lu and the others would be able to sessfully forge the Grand Intermittence Pill if they were to follow his procedures strictly without incurring a cauldron explosion, but after his previous few experiences in pill forging, he understood that things wouldnt necessarily go as nned regardless of how thorough the preparations were. If a Spirit-tier cauldron was used and it failed to confine the explosion, the entire Master Teacher Academy could possibly be reduced to rubble. This was a risk he couldnt afford to take. "This..." Zhao Bingxu was perplexed. "There is a huge difference between a pill cauldron and a weapon cauldron. How are you going to forge a pill in him?" "Theres no need to worry. Even though Senior Golden Origin Cauldron is a weapon cauldron, he is still ultimately a cauldron. As long as I ce a formation over him to alter his properties slightly, he will work fine as a pill cauldron as well," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. The main difference between a pill cauldron and a weapon cauldrony in their temperature. Weapon cauldrons were far better at retaining heat, thus allowing the temperature to rise to higher levels. On the other hand, pill cauldrons could heat up and cool down swiftly, making it easier to manipte the temperature. Fortunately, this problem could be easily solved by implementing a formation on top of the cauldron, so it wasnt a huge issue. Hearing that Zhang Xuan could alter the properties of a weapon cauldron into that of a pill cauldron with a formation, Zhao Bingxu hesitated for a moment before nodding. "If you are confident, I will talk to Senior Golden Origin Cauldron on your behalf..." However, at that moment, the Golden Origin Cauldron suddenly harrumphed. "I am a Saint weapon cauldron, and you expect me to forge a pill for you? Dream on!" As a Saint artifact, it had its own pride. To it, making it forge a pill was like forcing a duck toy chicken eggs, and it viewed it as a huge insult. How could it possibly agree to that? Hearing those words, Zhao Bingxu sped his fist and pleaded, "Senior..." "Dont waste your breath, its not like you are unaware of my temper. If you say another word, I shall swallow you and turn you into cinders!" the Golden Origin Cauldron bellowed with unconceble pride in its tone. "This..." Hearing the obstinate tone of the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhao Bingxu could only sigh deeply and shake his head helplessly. "Zhang shi, this... Im afraid that I wont be able to help you on this. If Senior Golden Origin Cauldron refuses to help you, there is no way we can force him to help you." If the spirit within a Saint artifact refused to cooperate, it would be impossible to use the artifact. If the Golden Origin Cauldron were to tamper with the forging process even in the slightest, the medicinal herbs could be easily turn to ash, resulting in a tragic failure. "Let me try negotiate with him myself!" Zhang Xuan told Zhao Bingxu telepathically before walking up to the Golden Origin Cauldron. It must be said that the Saint artifact was indeed massive, standing half a head taller than Zhang Xuan. It emanated a domineering aura that exerted immense pressure on those standing before it. As expected of the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Master Teacher Academy, it indeed possessed fearsome prowess. Even the Byzantium Helios Beast, despite its breakthrough, was no match for the other party. The Golden Origin Cauldron harrumphed coldly. "You want me to forge pills for you? That is impossible, so youd better kick that idea out of your mind. Otherwise, even if they have all nominated you to be the next principal, I will still reduce you to cinders." "Senior, hold it for a moment. It wont be toote for you to make your decision after hearing my offer!" Zhang Xuan smiled confidently. After which, he stepped closer and ced his palm lightly on the Golden Origin Cauldron. Following which, he circled around the Golden Origin Cauldron, smacking his palm on it intermittently as he walked by. "Do you think that... Zhang shi will be able to tame Senior Golden Origin Cauldron?" School Head Mo asked School Head Zhao discreetly as he gazed at the sight before him. Zhao Bingxu shook his head. "I think it will be difficult. Its not like you dont know Senior Golden Origin Cauldrons temper. He even snubbed the old principal back then, so I dont think Zhang shi will fare any better with him. To persuade him... unlikely. Truly unlikely!" "I think so too..." School Head Mo sighed. Just as he was about to continue speaking, a sharp sound suddenly echoed from the Golden Origin Cauldron, and its massive body jolted abruptly. The next moment, it cuddled up to Zhang Xuan, as if apdog trying to please its owner, " Ding Ding 1 pays respect to master! Master, I will forge whatever you want me too! Isnt it just pills? How many do you need?" "..." School Head Mo. "..." School Head Zhao. "..." The others. Chapter 847: Yu Fei-ers Invitation Chapter 847: Yu Fei-ers Invitation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Golden Origin Cauldron was a real Saint artifact, the guardian of the Master Teacher Academy. It was an extremely prideful existence, such that even though the preceding principals had the right to mobilize it in extreme situations, none had seeded in taming it before. Even the previous principal, despite having made a breakthrough to 7-star before he went missing, had been unable to make it submit to him. To make things worse, the Golden Origin Cauldron was also extremelyzy. It preferred to spend its time dozingzily, so nearly no one had been able to convince it to allow them to smith a weapon using it. Yet, Zhang Xuan was asking it to forge a pill... Everyone thought that he would be disappointed, but who knew that such a godly twist was waiting for them! Not to mention, what the heck is Ding Ding... Ding your head! You are a Saint artifact, the guardian of the Master Teacher Academy... Where is your pride and dignity? On the other hand, Lu Feng felt as if he was going insane as well. When he invited the Golden Origin Cauldron to the conference earlier on, it had acted extremely arrogantly, even threatening to reduce him to cinders. Yet, at this very moment, it was cozying up to Zhang Xuan in an attempt to fawn over him, as if fearing that thetter wouldnt allow it to help him... How could there be such a huge difference in treatment even though they were both humans? Having tamed the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the crowd and smiled. "Done!" Even though the Golden Origin Cauldron was a Saint artifact, it still had its fair share of ws. Using the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan had been able to find them easily, and he had corrected some of them on the spot. After building up his credibility, he had given his word to the other party that he would help it raise its tier. With such an alluring offer ced before it, it was inevitable that the Golden Origin Cauldron would jump at it. After a long moment of speechlessness, Zhao Bingxu could only raise his thumb andpliment him. "Incredible, my principal!" It was impossible not to be impressed by him. Zhang shi had always managed to exceed their expectations each and every time. Under his lead, the academy just might reach unprecedented heights, perhaps even surpassing the other three to be the top Master Teacher Academy under Qingyuan Empire. "Master, that fellow has gone to great lengths to do you in. Shall I reduce him to cinders for you?" After pledging allegiance to Zhang Xuan, it immediately began thinking on his behalf as well. With an aura dripping with savagery, it red at Lu Feng ferociously, seemingly threatening to devour him whole. It had seen how the other party had gleefully tried to bring his master down. His master, as a grandteacher-like figure to the other party, could overlook his grandstudents mistake, but as his masters loyal artifact, it couldnt do the same. Hearing those words, Lu Fengs face immediately paled in fright. "Senior..." Famed as the Master Teacher Academys Guardian Saint Artifact, the Golden Origin Cauldrons standing could be considered equivalent to an old ancestor of the Master Teacher Academy. Even if it were to really reduce him to cinders, considering that this was an internal affair of the Master Teacher Academy, not even Mu shi would be in a good position to speak up on his behalf. "Who are you calling senior? Call me your grandfather!" the Golden Origin Cauldron sneered coldly. "I..." On the verge of tears, Lu Feng turned to Mu shi desperately to plead with him for help. However, Mu shi shook his head and said, "Senior Golden Origin Cauldron is right. You framed an innocent master teacher and nearly ruined his reputation. I will report this matter to the headquarters as I have seen it. Not only will you lose your position as the head of the Apothecary School, there is a good chance that your master teacher license will be revoked as well!" "My master teacher license will be revoked?" Lu Feng muttered in utter shock as he suddenly felt a surge of weakness through his body, and his knees fell to the ground. He had known that this matter would result in the loss of his position as the head of the Apothecary School, but if he were to be stripped of his master teacher license as well, he would have lost everything that he had worked hard for over the past few centuries. Seeing Lu Fengs defeated state, Mu shi sighed pensively. "As the role model of mankind, master teachers must remain upright at all times. You allowed your own emotions to get in the way of your judgement, leaping at an opportunity to frame a fellow master teacher without conducting prudent investigation beforehand. This is already against the moral code that we, as teachers, have to observe. I cant help you with this matter. You only have yourself to me for your plight." If he had really listened to Lu Fengs words and punished Zhang shi without giving him a chance to exin himself, he would have truly erred greatly. A person like Lu Feng was like a ck sheep among the master teachers. In order to maintain a righteous culture within the Master Teacher Pavilion, he would have to be expelled. "I understand..." Lu Feng replied weakly. Two hours ago, he had still been the influential stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, and a Half-Spiritual Perception realm expert. s, he had fallen from grace, and the authoritative disposition that hemanded before had withered into helplessness. In this battle against Zhang Xuan, he had suffered aplete defeat. After dealing with Lu Feng, Mu shi turned his sights to Chen Chengxun. "Chen Chengxun, for blindly listening to the words of another, failing to discern right from wrong, you will be stripped of your responsibility as the head of the Formation Master School, and you are to await the verdict from the headquarters!" While School Head Chen might not have yed a huge role in this incident, he was still a culprit who had yed a part in framing Zhang shi. "I understand." In that instant, Chen Chengxun seemed as if he had aged a decade. "As for Dong Xin, as a student of the Master Teacher Academy, instead of working hard on your studies and acting as a role model for the freshmen, you got involved in the politics of the academy and became a tool for Lu Feng to frame Zhang shi. From today onward, you will be stripped of your position as a student... In other words, you are expelled from the academy!" Mu shi waved his hands. With the usations against Zhang Xuan proving to be unfounded, and that he was going to be the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy, those who had attempted to do him in had to be dealt with. Otherwise, if they were to set a precedent for leniency in such a matter, it might encourage others to do the same. Furthermore, the authority and standing of the principal could not be sullied by just anyone. While Dong Xin had said that she was just recounting that she had seen, it was due to her words that Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun had put the n into motion. The words of a master teacher held great power, so it was imperative that they should be held ountable for their words. It was an unfortunate mistake, but it was a fact that she had unwittingly be Lu Fengs aplice as well, so she had to be promptly punished, too. With a darkenedplexion, Dong Xin sped her fist and bowed. "Yes!" She had thought that having found a handle on Zhang Xuan, she could finally get one over him. But not only had she be of the same seniority as the other partys great grandstudent, she was even expelled from the academy... While she was still a 6-star master teacher after leaving the academy, the connections she had built up in the academy over many years had gone to waste. On top of that, there was also a blemish on her record, making it difficult for her to advance further as a master teacher. Of the four of us, it seems Hu Yaoyao is the wisest after all! Dong Xin sighed deeply. Their four student factions had beenpeting with one another for several years, and thinking about the matter, it seemed like Hu Yaoyao was the one with the most foresight of the four leaders. As Zhang shis apprentice, it would mean that she was a direct subordinate of the academys principal... With such an identity, her prestige would skyrocket, and many would be eager to fawn over her, making it easier than ever for her to obtain resources and forge connections. After dealing with the trio, Mu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Principal Zhang, is this resolution fine with you?" Even though Mu shi was a 7-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan was currently the principal of the academy. By addressing Zhang Xuan as Principal Zhang and consulting him on this matter, he was expressing his respect for the other partys authority, as well as to clear away any doubts that he might be siding with Lu Feng and the others. "Yes, the resolution is fine with me." Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Actually, in his view, as long as the trio were willing to contribute all of their spirit stones to him, he didnt mind dropping the matter altogether. In any case, those three were unlikely to be able to start anything anymore. Yet, not only were they removed from their current positions, some of them might even lose their master teacher license... Whatints could Zhang Xuan have of this? "I still have matters to tend to, so I will be returning now... Ding Ding, lets go!" Leaving those words behind, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and stored the Golden Origin Cauldron in his storage ring as he bade the others farewell. After returning to his manor, he had Sun Qiang head to the Xuanxuan Faction headquarters to invite Apothecary Lu and the others over before making his way to the Apothecary School. Back then, he hadmunicated with the headquarters, and the other party had said that they would bring the Grand Intermittence Grass over. Walking through the Apothecary School, he soon reached the reception of the Apothecary Pavilion and found that the medicinal herb the headquarters had promised him had arrived several days earlier. It was said that the man who delivered the medicinal herb had wanted to hand it over to him personally, but after waiting a day in futility, he could only leave in disappointment. Having obtained the Grand Intermittence Grass, Zhang Xuan was just about to return to his manor to check up on Wei Ruyans condition when he suddenly saw Luo Qiqi walking toward him. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqis eyes lit up. "Teacher, youre back!" "Zhang shi!" There were several others standing behind Luo Qiqi. They were Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian. Just like Luo Qiqi, they had all achieved a breakthrough in their cultivation, reaching the Perfect Harmonization realm. It seemed like Zhao Bingxus Meridian and Bone Cleansing was indeed extremely useful to them. In just a single period of seclusion, they had already made significant advancements in their cultivation. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile. Even though he had a conflict with the others previously, the experience they had shared in the underground chamber had forged a unique bond among them. Thus, he truly felt happy for them from the depths of his heart when he saw them achieving greater heights. "Zhang Xuan, I told you that I will repay my debt to you. Here are three high-tier spirit stones, treat the remaining as extrapensation for that day!" Yu Fei-er stepped forward and handed him a jade box. Three high-tier spirit stones were lined up within it, and they harnessed such great energy within them that even the spiritual energy in the surroundings was disturbed. She had gambled with Zhang Xuan on multiple asions, but not once did a bet end in her victory, and she even became the other partys maid... though thinking about it now, she had never really fulfilled her responsibilities as a maid. Nevertheless, as a princess of Hongyuan Empire, and considering the fact that she had just made a breakthrough to the Perfect Harmonization realm, it wasnt too difficult for her to ask for a couple of high-tier spirit stones from the royal court. "I wont stand on ceremony then..." If there was one thing Zhang Xuan always needed, it was spirit stones. With a flick of his wrist, he ced the jade box into his storage ring. "Zhang shi, we have heard of your encounter in the academy. Did the school heads... make things difficult for you?" Xing Yuan and Wu Zhen asked anxiously. From the moment they came out from their seclusion, they had been hearing about Zhang shis affairs in the academy, how he crippled several schools and even challenged a vice school head to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel... It could be said that in just the half of month since Zhang shis enrollment, the ruckus he had caused in the academy was greater than what the four of them had caused over the past few years. Seeing that the others were sincerely worried for him, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, "They didnt. Dont worry, Im fine." "Thats good!" Hearing those words, the group heaved a sigh of relief. At this point, Yu Fei-er stepped forward, and gritting her teeth, she hesitated for a brief moment before saying, "My father hopes to meet you." "Your father? That is... the emperor of Hongyuan Empire?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Since Yu Fei-er was the Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire, naturally, her father must be the incumbent emperor. "Thats right." Yu Fei-er nodded. "When?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "He has asked me to invite you to the banquet tonight," Yu Fei-er replied. "Why would he invite me to a banquet?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. He was only a 4-star master teacher. He might have caused quite a ruckus in the academy, but surely what he had done wasnt sufficient for the emperor of a Tier-1 Empire to extend an invitation to him? "King Huai has gifted you a luxurious manor, and you once took me in as your maid as well. On top of that, you caused quite a huge ruckus in the academy and emptied out nearly the entire Spirit Emporium... Naturally, my father hopes to meet the mastermind behind all of that!" Yu Fei-er said. At Zhang Xuans current pace, it seemed as if he would tear apart the capital next. If Yu Fei-ers father hadnt heard of him after everything that he had done, he would truly be an ipetent emperor. Not to mention, he had taken the other partys daughter as his maid at one point in time. Even though Yu Fei-er didnt mention it to him, he still had his sources to uncover that. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. "Alright then. However, I need to forge a pill first. If I have time, I will make sure to drop by..." Since he was staying in Hongyuan Empire for the time being, it would be impossible for him to steerpletely clear of Yu Fei-ers father way, especially if the other party was intent on meeting him. Besides, there was nothing for him to fear either. "Its settled then. I will meet you at the banquet. The location is the royal pce, and here is your invitation letter!" Seeing that she had received Zhang Xuans agreement, Yu Fei-er passed a letter over with a smile. "Un." Zhang Xuan took the letter and stowed it in his storage ring. After bidding farewell to Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, and the others, Zhang Xuan returned to his manor. However, as soon as he stepped through the door, Sun Qiang suddenly rushed up to him with an anxious look on his face. "Young Master, bad news... the Ten-leafed Flower you have nted in the courtyard... has changed colors!" Chapter 848: Wei Ruyans State Chapter 848: Wei Ruyans State Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The color changed?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan hurriedly made his way over the area where the Ten-leafed Flower was nted. The Ten-leafed Flower was a saint herb. Upon reaching maturity, a different colored flower would bloom on each of its ten leaves, and each flower corresponded to a humans three hun and seven po. 1 Wei Ruyans soul had been ced into it to be nourished. Based on what his deduction, the color of the Ten-leafed Flower shouldnt change in the midst of the treatment, so what could be happening? Soon, at the center of the courtyard, Zhang Xuan saw the Ten-leafed Flower. Its previously resplendent flowers had all turned pitch ck, as if someone had tossed a bucket of ink over it. "What happened?" Zhang Xuans face darkened. The ten colors of the Ten-leafed Flower were symbolic of its ability to nurture a soul. For them to have turned ck, it was clear that some kind of mishap must have happened. He had already promised the deceased Wei Changfeng to take good care of his daughter, so nothing could be allowed to happen to Wei Ruyan! "Young Master, you told me take care of this flower, so I have been diligently watering it with some Earth Vein Spirit Essence every day. It had been growing well, and even when I checked it this morning before you returned, I didnt notice any anomalies. However, just two hours ago, the colors of its flowers suddenly turned pitch-ck. I checked the surroundings carefully, but there were no signs of anyoneing by and tampering with it. I have no idea what happened," Sun Qiang exined anxiously. "It suddenly turned pitch-ck?" Zhang Xuan muttered with a frown. He released the surrounding formation and studied the surroundings carefully, and indeed, just as Sun Qiang said, it didnt seem like anyone else had been there. Since no one else had been there, Sun Qiang would have been the greatest suspect. However, Sun Qiang had been with him for some time now, and he trusted the other party deeply. Furthermore, Sun Qiang had no reason to harm Wei Ruyan. Just what could have happened? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Ten-leafed Flower and studied it carefully with his Eye of Insight. Previously nourished by the Earth Vein Spirit Essence and Heavens Path zhenqi, the Ten-leafed Flower had been overflowing with vitality when he left Hongyuan City ten days ago. But in this instant, not only had the resplendent flowers turned ck, even the leaves seemed to have be slightly withered, as if they were suffering from some kind of terminal illness that was sapping its life force away. This feeling was particrly prominent when Zhang Xuan saw the decay on the exposed rhizome of the herb. How could this have happened? Under the constant nourishment of the dense spiritual energy from the Spirit Gathering Formation and the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, the saint herb should have flourished with time. How could it have been reduced to this state instead? Zhang Xuan stretched his hand over to touch the Ten-leafed Flower and muttered "ws!" beneath his breath. The next moment, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path, and he hurriedly flipped it open. Upon taking a look, hisplexion turned awful. It was indeed poisoned! ording to the details recorded in the Library of Heavens Path, the reason the Ten-leafed Flower had been reduced to its current state was because it had been poisoned! Wei Ruyan possesses the Poison Soul Constitution, which means that her soul contains lethal poison. The Ten-leafed Flower has the ability to nurture a soul, but after prolonged contact with her soul, it was inevitable that it would be poisoned. If not for the dense spiritual energy and the Earth Vein Spirit Essence nourishing it and sustaining its life force, it would have died several days ago... A deep frown surfaced on Zhang Xuans face as he analyzed the situation. Wei Ruyans Poison Soul Constitution was simply a formidable ability. The fact that it could suppress even the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul served as proof of its prowess! The Ten-leafed Flower was a saint herb that possessed the ability to nurture a deficient soul, but even it was powerless before such a formidable poison, thus resulting in its current state. Zhang Xuan had been single-mindedly thinking about nurturing Wei Ruyans soul to rouse her consciousness and treat her body that he had neglected the potency of her Poison Soul Constitution! If the Ten-leafed Flower died, Wei Ruyans soul would lose its binding to the world and dissipate swiftly! It was fortunate that Sun Qiang had noticed it early, or else she could have lost her life just like that. I should take a look at how far her soul has been nourished first... Not daring to waste any time, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul and observed the soul infused within the flower. A momentter, his expression turned livid. The nurturing of the Ten-leafed Flower could easily nurse even the weakest of souls back to perfect health within ten days, but Wei Ruyans Poison Soul Constitution was simply too powerful. Putting aside how it had nearly poisoned the saint herb to death, it had also rendered its property to nurture souls nearlypletely ineffective! In other words, Wei Ruyans soul might have recovered slightly over the ten days, but it was still in an extremely feeble state. It would take a lot more before she could regain her consciousness. At the current rate, if I wish to bring back her consciousness, I will require... at least a hundred thousand Ten-leafed Flowers! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Just to obtain this Ten-leafed Flower, he had caused a huge ruckus and nearly crippled the Physician School for good. A hundred thousand Ten-leafed Flowers... Where in the world could he find that many?! It clearly wasnt feasible! It seems like... I will have to try looking for a higher tier saint herb than the Ten-leafed Flower! Zhang Xuan frowned. While the Ten-leafed Flower was a saint herb, it was of the lowest tier. To put it in terms of human cultivation realm, it was only at Saint 1-dan. Naturally, its ability to counteract poison and its potency in nurturing souls would be weaker. If a higher tier saint herb was used, the effectiveness of the treatment could be increased significantly, and he wouldnt have to go through so much trouble as to gather a mountain of saint herbs. But... it was so difficult to find even a stalk of a living Ten-leafed Flower in Hongyuan City, could he really find a higher tier living saint herb that had the ability to nurture souls here as well? For the time being, I should return her soul to her body first... Knowing that it was futile to think about it at the moment, Zhang Xuan instructed Sun Qiang to carry Wei Ruyans body over before drawing her soul out of the Ten-leafed Flower. The extracted soul still looked extremely weak. Even after it was returned to its body, Wei Ruyan showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Looking at the unconscious youngdy before him, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. I should just forge the Grand Intermittence Pill for the moment. By nourishing her body, her soul will be strengthened along with it, thus stabilizing her current condition... With that, I should be able to gain some time to find a higher tier saint herb! An affliction that could render innumerable 6-star physicians helpless, Wei Ruyans condition was clearly not as easy to treat. Zhang Xuan had thought that everything would fall into ce once he found a living saint herb to nurture her soul, but reality had shown that his thinking was too naive. Putting everything aside, just the fact that her Poison Soul Constitution could render most saint herb ineffective was a tough hurdle to ovee. Shaking his head grimly, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul and transferred his soul essence to Wei Ruyan to nourish her soul, stabilizing her condition for the time being. After this was done, he heaved a sigh of relief. While the Ten-leafed Flower had failed to bring back Wei Ruyans consciousness, it hadnt beenpletely ineffective. At the very least, it had pulled her back from the brink of death for the time being. As long as he could sessfully forge the Grand Intermittence Pill and return vitality to her body, she should be able tost until he found a suitable saint herb to treat her. "Young Master, Apothecary Lu and the others have arrived!" Sun Qiang reported. Nodding, Zhang Xuan tasked Sun Qiang to take care of Wei Ruyan before heading to the main hall to meet Apothecary Lu and the others. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the room, Apothecary Lu and the others hurriedly stood up and greeted him. "Zhang shi!" "There is no need to stand on ceremony. I believe you should know why I gathered you all here today. I need your help in forging a grade-7 Grand Intermittence Pill." Taking a seat, Zhang Xuan got straight to the point. Even though they had an inkling of the reason when they made their way here, their faces still turned grim upon hearing those words. As 6-star pinnacle apothecaries, they were more than confident in forging any grade-6 pills. However, to forge a grade-7 pill, not to mention, they would have to coborate with people they had never worked with before... It was simply too difficult. "Zhang shi, it is not that we are unwilling to help you, but we know our own limits, and... we fear that we might not be able to reach your expectations!" Apothecary Lu shook his head. They had to admit that Zhang shi did possess an inconceivable talent for pill forging, but the Grand Intermittence Pill was one of the harder pills to forge even among grade-7 pills! It was impossible for them to seed! Noticing theck of confidence among the apothecaries, Zhang Xuan reassured, "There is no need to worry, and you need not feel pressured as well. As long as you follow my instructions strictly, there shouldnt be much of a problem!" He could understand why they would feel apprehension at having to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. The gap between each rank grew exponentiallyrger as one progressed up any upation. Simrly, there was a huge gap between forging grade-6 pills and grade-7 pills. They had seen many of their peers devoting their lives to pill forging, only to never step through the final threshold. As such, it was unimaginable for them to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill, the difficulty of which ranked amid the top among grade-7 pills. "But even so, I still dont think that we can do it..." Apothecary Lu shook his head. "All of us have tried many times to forge a grade-7 pill, but never have we seeded before. On top of that, we dont have any experience coborating with one another, so I fear that it is nigh impossible for us to seed!" The other apothecaries also shook their heads grimly. Seeing that the apothecaries had no confidence at all, Zhang Xuan frowned. Skill wasnt everything to forging a good pill, ones spirit, soul, and essence must be in the right ce as well. This was especially so for a pill like the Grand Intermittence Pill, which harnessed vitality so overwhelming that it could regrow broken limbs. If the apothecaries carried such a pessimistic attitude, even if they were to get all of the steps correct, they would still be unable to forge a proper pill. This was a problem of spirit and faith. This was simr to how in his 1-star apothecary examination, one of his invigtors, Apothecary Chen Xiao, had managed to sessfully forge Tranquil Heart Pills in his Pill Debate, but due to his own condition, the pill harnessed a death aura, which not only rendered the pill ineffective but could cause ones cultivation to go berserk as well. A grade-7 pill would be Saint-tier at the very least, which meant that it would possess a spirit of its own. If the apothecary forging the pill suffered from ack of spirit, how could the pill forging be sessful? Zhang Xuan only had one set of medicinal herbs, so there would be no second chances. Failure was a luxury he couldnt afford! "Since none of you have the confidence, then... pardon me!" Seeing the state that the apothecaries were in, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be difficult for him to make them regain their confidence anytime soon. However, he didnt have the time to spare at the moment. Thus, he flicked his wrist, and the pile of medicinal herbs fell to the ground. These were the medicinal herbs that the apothecaries had prepared and entrusted Sun Qiang to pass to him. After which, he took a deep breath and began speaking. "Lets get straight down to business. Here are the medicinal herbs. Apothecary Lu, extract the medicinal essence of the Goldsilver Burclover. Apothecary Qiu, process the Truebeard Flower under low heat. Apothecary Liu..." Zhang Xuan issued instructions swiftly, and his words seemed to carry a unique rhythm to them, making it particrly pleasant to the ear. The apothecaries were intending on refusing Zhang Xuan, but before they knew it, their bodies were already moving ording to the other partys instructions. Impartation of Heavens Will? Feeling how their bodies were moving against their will, the crowd narrowed their eyes in astonishment. No matter how slow they were, it was obvious that the young man before them had used Impartation of Heavens Will against them! But they were 6-star pinnacle master teachers, Saint realm experts, and their Soul Depths could be considered among the highest in the Master Teacher Academy. Never had they thought that they would sumb to the Impartation of Heavens Will of another so easily! Even at the very least, his Soul Depth must have reached 21! they thought in shock. To be able to make so many of them fall under his Impartation of Heavens Will so easily, it meant that the other partys Soul Depth was significantly higher than theirs, very possibly reaching the level of a 7-star master teacher! For a twenty-year-old freshman to possess a Soul Depth of 21... Such a genius was probably rare even within the Sage ns! Perhaps, under the young mans leadership, they might just be able to produce a miracle! Chapter 849: Pill Mist Chapter 849: Pill Mist Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the tattered Elder Hall of the Master Teacher Academy, Mu shi and the others couldnt help but fall in a daze as they stared at the destruction before them. The Elder Hall had many years of history to it, and countless precious antiques and relics from the predecessors had been stored in it. But now... it had all been reduced to rubble. To be able to reduce the entire area to this state with just the aura he exuded, copsing even the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, Yang shis prowess was too fearsome! Wei Ranxue couldnt help but remark, "It seems like... Zhang shis destructive capabilities were picked up from Yang shi!" The other school heads nodded in agreement with bitter smiles. Even though Zhang shi had destroyed quite a few of buildings since his enrollment, they could tell, that had happened due to a series of unfortunate coincidences, and it wasnt intentional. However, the matter with Yang shi was different. In a fit of rage, the entire Elder Hall just abruptly copsed under his wrath... That ability to destroy was clearly a level higher than Zhang shis! Tearing down walls and buildings without the slightest warning beforehand in the face of a disagreement... It was truly fortunate that they didnt hurt his student! If someone had really injured Zhang shi, wouldnt Yang shi tear down the Master Teacher Academy or even the entirety of Hongyuan City? "It is really a blessing that there is a protective formation around the area which helped to conceal the destruction from the eyes and ears of others, and Yang shi seemed to have held himself back as well, so the destruction isnt too widespread. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Academy would be theughingstock for the entire Master Teacher Pavilion for years toe!" Mu shi said. "Indeed!" The others nodded in agreement. It was clear that Yang shi had reined in his immense strength, choosing to destroy only the Elder Hall, Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, and the buildings in the region in order to strike fear into their hearts. Otherwise, given the other partys incredible strength, if he had wished to see blood, putting aside just the handful of them present at the scene, it was questionable whether even the full force of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would be able to stop him! "Repair those buildings within a day, and send out news to the relevant powers in the region to inform them that the new principal has been chosen, and they are invited to attend the inauguration ceremony," Mu shi instructed. The others nodded in acknowledgement to his instructions. "Right. As for the matter regarding Yang shi, since we are all master teachers, I believe that you should know what to do even without me saying so. As per the norm, make sure to seal your lips tight. Anyone who fails to do so will be punished ording to the crime of betraying humanity!" With his hands behind his back, Mu shis eyes swept through the crowd with a gaze as sharp as a knife. The whereabouts, appearance, and even students of a pinnacle master teacher like Yang shi were considered to be confidential secrets of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Juniors like them had no right to discuss such matters. Otherwise, if news were to leak to the enemies of the Master Teacher Pavilion and some sort of mishap urred, they would be unable to pay for their sins even if they were to die a thousand times over. Mindful of the grave importance of the matter, the crowd nodded. "Understood." After which, Mu shis pressurizing gaze fell upon Lu Feng. "What about you, Lu Feng?" Lu Feng had a grudge against Zhang shi, and it was also due to Zhang shi that he was going to suffer severe punishment from the Master Teacher Pavilion. If he were to attempt to exact vengeance on Zhang shi, it could potentially lead to dire consequences. "It is my fault that the Elder Hall has been reduced to its current state. I will donate all my wealth to supplement the reparation cost for the destruction here. After which, I shall apply to be a guardian of the Subterranean Gallery!" Lu Feng said. "You wish to go to the Subterranean Gallery?" "This..." Hearing this decision, everyones faces darkened. Even School Head Mo, who had a poor impression of Lu Feng, frowned upon hearing those words. "Are you certain?" "I have been reflecting on my deeds, and I realized that in my pursuit to be the principal of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, I have lost sight of what I stood for originally. Perhaps, I might be able to rediscover myself in the Subterranean Gallery. Even if death lies at the end of this path, I have no regrets!" Lu Feng nodded in determination. When he looked back at his past, he realized that his aim had changed at some point in time. He had not started out as a person hungry for power, but under the intense rivalry amid the Ten Great Master Teachers and his desire to prove himself, the desire for the principal seat sparked in his mind, and before long, it had grown into a zing me. And like a moth attracted to a me, he found himself sinking deeper and deeper into his desire. However, with Zhang shi decided as the next principal, the me that had blinded his eyes vanished, and as if a man awakening from a dream, he suddenly realized how ludicrous and shallow his actions had been. The reason Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion wasnt to bask in the respect and glory of it, nor was it to serve as a tool to vie for power and im supremacy. It was to guard mankind and bring it to greater heights. But the allure of power was simply too difficult for any man to resist. Even the most steadfast of master teachers could stumble easily in its face and lose the faith they had held resolutely at the start of their journey. "Since you have made such a decision, I will not report this matter to the headquarters for the time being and allow you to remain as a 6-star master teacher. However, I hope that you remember your promise. Dont let the Master Teacher Pavilion and yourself down anymore!" Mu shi said. Hearing that Mu shi was willing to give him another chance, Lu Fengs eyes reddened in agitation. "Thank you, Mu shi!" For a moment, he suddenly recalled the oath he had made when he first became a master teacher several centuries ago, and the surge of passion that he had felt back then ran through his old body once more. Following which, Mu shi turned to School Head Zhao and instructed, "Zhao Bingxu, you will be in charge of liaising with the powers and inviting them to the inauguration ceremony. Remember not to reveal the matter of Zhang shi being the seeding principal for the time being! He is still too weak at the moment, so it is necessary that we take such precautions to ensure his safety. Once he receives the Principals Seal in the inauguration ceremony, there will be no need for us to worry about his safety anymore..." "Understood!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. "As for Mo Zhu and Wei Ranxue, you will be in charge of keeping a lookout on the internal state of the academy. Take note of the atmosphere in the academy and make sure to quell any unnatural movements that might not be conducive to the inauguration ceremony..." Mu shi continued. However, halfway through his words, the ground suddenly began trembling, and a deafening st reverberated from the distance. Hearing the explosion, Mu shi narrowed his eyes. "What happened?" Along with the other school heads gathered in the Elder Hall, he immediately headed in the direction of where the explosion originated from. A short distance away from the academy, they saw an entire row of copsed residences. It seemed like the explosion had originated from that area. Mo Zhus eyes narrowed, and he eximed in astonishment, "Isnt that... Zhang shis manor?" He had heard that King Huai had given Zhang Xuan a manor, and he had looked into the matter as well. Naturally, he knew where the manor was as well. But this... why would it copse out of the blue? "It cant be that Zhang shi, in a fit of anger... decided to destroy his own manor as well?" Wei Ranxue gulped down a mouthful of saliva. It was said that just for the renovations, King Huai had spent hundreds of high-tier spirit stones. Yet, in an instant, that extravagant manor was reduced to rubble along with dozens of residences in the surroundings. This was an even greater tragedy than what had happened to the Elder Hall! They had known that wherever Zhang Xuan went, destruction wouldnt be too far away, but to destroy his own manor as well... This was way too exaggerated! They had seen people going on a rampage and punching others, but they had never seen anyone going on a rampage and punching themself! "It doesnt seem like he has torn down his manor intentionally. Look!" At that moment, Mu shi abruptly pointed upward. Hong long! As if in response to his words, a violent jolt suddenly urred from the direct center of the area of destruction, and a seven-colored mist abruptly burst forth, illuminating the surroundings. "This is... Pill Mist?" "Pill Mist? Legend has it that it will only appear when a grade-8 pill is forged..." "The higher grade a pill is, the more potent it will be. Upon reaching a certain point, it has to suffer a bacsh from the heavens as well. The Pill Mist is a form of heavenly tribtion that appears with the forging of grade-8 pills... Just what in the world is Zhang shi forging? How could Pill Mist appear here?" ... Upon taking a closer look at the form of the mist, the school heads immediately recognized what it was, and they nearly lost their sanity. Pill Mist, just as the name suggested, was a phenomenon that urred in the midst of the forging of a grade-8 pill. For it to appear, didnt it mean that... Zhang shi was attempting to forge a grade-8 pill? "No, it isnt a grade-8 pill. If that were the case, there would be a tribtion within the Pill Mist, but the fact that it is absent means that it is highly unlikely that the pill forged has reached grade-8 yet. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that it is a grade-7 pinnacle at the very minimum, and the chances are that it is an Inscribed Pill as well. Otherwise, such a phenomenon wouldnt have urred!" Mu shi said with a frown. He had once had the privilege of witnessing the formation of a grade-8 pill with his own eyes. Not only was there Pill Mist, even the apothecary himself had to undergo a lightning tribtion as well. Through the refinement of lingering lightning sparks, the pill would be further perfected, thus forming a sentient spirit within it. However, the fact that there was only the Pill Mist but no lightning tribtion meant that the grade of the pill forged hadnt reached the mark yet. "A grade-7 pinnacle Inscribed Pill?" Everyones mouths twitched in astonishment. That was likely to be more valuable than most ordinary grade-8 pills! Pills could be ssified into four tiers of quality: Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill. Even within their academy, Inscribed Pill was a thing of the legends. Only very few apothecaries had achieved it in their lifetime. Yet, to think that Zhang shi would manage to achieve this level of quality while forging a grade-7 pill... Was this for real? "Lets go over to take a look!" Unable to hold back their curiosity, the school heads hurriedly flew over. ... In Hongyuan Empires royal pce, a middle-aged man was currently sitting before a golden table with a brush in his hand, browsing through memorials. The emperor of Hongyuan Empire, Yu Fei-ers father, Yu Shenqing! He had a denseyer of zhenqi shrouding around him, morphing into the forms of many beasts such as dragons and tigers, projecting an authoritative disposition that put others at bay. Even though he wasnt driving his cultivation, judging by the aura hemanded by itself, it seemed that Yu Shenqing possessed strength on par with School Head Mo and the othersSaint realm 1-dan pinnacle. A eunuch walked into the room and reported, "Your Majesty, we havepleted the preparations for the banquet tonight!" "Un!" Putting down his brush, Yu Shenqing pinched his be before asking, "What did Fei-er say? Did she manage to invite Zhang Xuan over?" "Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Highness says that Zhang shi has received the invitation and that he will be here tonight!" the eunuch reported. "Thats good. I would love to see the young man who dares to make my daughter his maid!" Yu Shenqing harrumphed in displeasure. "Your Majesty, that Zhang shi has caused quite a huge ruckus in the Master Teacher Academy, so he is likely to be a man with great capability... However, to make Her Highness his personal maid, he has indeed overstepped his boundaries!" the eunuch said. "Indeed! I have doted on my daughter ever since she was born, and it pains me deeply to even chide or nag at her. And yet, he actually dared to take advantage of her... I sure would like to see how many heads that fellow has! I will make sure to teach him a lesson when he arrivester on so that he learns what humility is..." Yu Shenqings gaze turned cold. At that moment, the ground beneath him suddenly tremored violently. Frowning deeply, Yu Shenqing instructed, "What happened? Go and take a look!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" Hearing those words, the eunuch hurriedly rushed out of the pce. Not too longter, the eunuch returned with a bizarre look on his face. "Reporting to Your Majesty, it seems like... Zhang shi has destroyed the manor that King Huai gifted him!" "He destroyed his own manor?" Yu Shenqing was taken aback. "Thats right. That Zhang shi... When he went to the cksmith School, the cksmith School copsed. When he went to the Physician School, the Physician School copsed. When he went to the Apothecary School, the Apothecary School copsed... Now, when he returned to his own manor, even his manor copsed... He really brings destruction wherever he goes!" the eunuch remarked. "Brings destruction wherever he goes?" Yu Shenqings mouth twitched. "This... Shall we cancel the banquet tonight then? Or... why dont we just cancel our invitation to Zhang Xuan! No, that wont do. It would be a breach of etiquette if we were to cancel the banquet or our invitation abruptly... Since thats the case, help me invite Formation Master Wu over and have him set up a dozen Fortification Formations in case anything happens!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" The eunuch was slightly stunned for an instant before nodding and backing out from the pce. Chapter 850: Bodhi Saint Tree Chapter 850: Bodhi Saint Tree Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 When Mu shi arrived at Zhang Xuans manor, they realized that Senior Byzantium Helios had wrapped everyone within his power, so no one had been injured in the catastrophe. At this very instant, Zhang shi was standing before a towering cauldron, bellowing furiously. "What did you guarantee me before the pill forging? To be unable to withstand even the medicinal energy of a mere grade-7 pill, how can you have the cheek to call yourself a Saint artifact? Saint artifact your head!" He was indeed very infuriated by this incident. That fellow had promised him that it would have no trouble forging a grade-7 pill. That was the reason he had gone to the extent of using the Impartation of Heavens Will to control Apothecary Lu and the others so as to guarantee that there were no mistakes in the steps at all. All of the medicinal herbs prepared were of excellent maturity, and there was no mistake whatsoever, so the pill was swiftly formed. Yet... in the instant that the pill was formed, it turned out that the one who would drag his feet wasnt Apothecary Lu and the others but the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Master Teacher Academy, Golden Origin Cauldron! Unable to properly hold in the rampaging energies harnessed within it, the lid of the Golden Origin Cauldron abruptly burst open, resulting in the energies destroying everything in the area. It was fortunate that no one was injured, but his manor... It was gone just like that! "I-I didnt know that you were going to forge such a potent pill either..." Berated by Zhang Xuan, the Golden Origin Cauldron tried to exin itself indignantly. It was indeed a Saint artifact, but it was a weapon cauldron and not a pill cauldron. Even though a formation had been cast over it to manage the temperature regtion, its physical structure still wasnt optimized for pill forging. Forging an ordinary grade-7 pill was already stretching its limits, but the pill that Zhang Xuan was forging just had to be the Grand Intermittence Pill... It was already a huge blessing that it wasnt blown to smithereens on the spot! "If you had been able to hold on, that pill would have surely reached grade-8! Look, due to your error, the final product is only a grade-7 Inscribed Pill. What a huge waste of those precious medicinal herbs!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. He knew that the Golden Origin Cauldron couldnt be med for this matter, but he simply couldnt hold back his rage. One must know that there was a huge qualitative difference between a grade-7 Inscribed Pill and grade-8 pill! It was such a waste of Jiang Qingqins Phoenix Timber Core and the high maturity medicinal herbs that the other old elders of the Apothecary School had prepared for him! "Grade-8? Grade-7 Inscribed Pill?" On the other hand, after hearing those words, Apothecary Lu and the others finally understood what kind of pill they had just forged, and their bodies wouldnt stop trembling in excitement. Big Brother, the Grand Intermittence Pill is a grade-7 pill in itself. It is already an incredible feat to forge it to the level of an Inscribed Pill. There is no guarantee that 8-star pinnacle apothecaries would be capable of doing the same. And yet, you were thinking of forging it to the level of a grade-8 pill? Man, you are really about to break out of the atmosphere! "Forget it. At the very least, the pill is fine. Otherwise, you wouldnt be able topensate for it even if I were to sell you off!" After berating the Golden Origin Cauldron onest time, he took a deep breath and released his anger before storing the pill in a jade bottle. After which, he finally noticed the presence of Mu shi and the others. He sped his fist and greeted, "Mu shi, school heads!" Recognizing the pill, Mu shi asked, to verify the matter, "Senior Uncle... the pill that you have just forged, is it the Grand Intermittence Pill?" "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. "To be able to forge the grade-7 Grand Intermittence Pill to the point that Pill Mist is produced... Inconceivable, truly inconceivable!" Mu shi eximed. "The Grand Intermittence Pill has the ability to regrow limbs. If it isnt inconvenient, may I ask why Senior Uncle is forging this pill?" As a pill overflowing with vitality, the Grand Intermittence Pill could heal even the most severe injuries and even induce the regrowing of limbs. It wouldnt be too far off to im that the pill only fell short of bringing back the dead. Not to mention, the pill that Zhang Xuan had forged was just a step away from reaching grade-8. "It is to save a junior," Zhang Xuan replied. After which, he gestured for the Byzantium Helios Beast to bring Wei Ruyan over before taking out the jade bottle once more. "Is this the person whom Senior Uncle hopes to save?" Mu shi frowned. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. "This youngdys body is currently too frail. I fear that your Grand Intermittence Pill might be a little too potent for her current condition. The chances are that it could end up worsening her condition instead," Mu shi said. As themon adage among physicians went, over-nourishment kills the frail. Even for a Saint realm 3-dan expert like him, it would be difficult to absorb and assimte the overwhelming medicinal energy contained within that Grand Intermittence Pill fully, let alone an unconscious and frail youngdy. Most likely, her body would be utterly destroyed by the overwhelming medicinal energy before it could work its wonders. "Its not a problem." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. He uncorked the jade bottle, and a dense surge of spiritual energy immediately gushed into the surroundings. In the next instant, a pill abruptly surged into the air, attempting to flee. At the level of a Grade-7 Inscribed Pill, the Grand Intermittence Pill possessed spirit, granting it the instinctive ability to avert danger. Even though it hadnt developed sentience yet, given sufficient time, it could develop sentience like the Golden Origin Cauldron. If it were allowed to continue developing, a day mighte when it could even morph into a human. "Trying to flee? Come back!" However, Zhang Xuan seemed to have expected that the pill would react in such a manner. With a cold harrumph, he abruptly closed his fists, and a surge of energy suddenly emerged from the pill itself, sealing its movements. Following which, the pill was forcefully pulled back to the ground by the surge of energy. Having gone through the books in the library of the Apothecary School, Zhang Xuan knew that grade-7 pills possessed such a property, so he had left a hand in advance. Using his zhenqi to support the Wei Ruyans lower jaw, Zhang Xuan opened her mouth and fed her the Grand Intermittence Pill. Tzzzzzzzz! As soon as the pill entered her body, a sizzling sound reminiscent of searing metaling in contact with iced water sounded. At the same time, Wei Ruyans ghastly pale face gradually began to regain a healthy red glow. However, a short momentter, it stopped. At this point, even though Wei Ruyan seemed to be in a better state than before, she was still in a deep sleep, and there was no sign of her regaining consciousness. Zhang Xuan quickly ced his fingers on the other partys pulse before heaving a sigh of relief. If it had been someone else, perhaps they might have sumbed to the overwhelming medicinal energy contained within the Grand Intermittence Pill and died. However, Wei Ruyan was a unique case. Her unique constitution was so powerful that she could even poison a saint herb like the Ten-leafed Flower while unconscious. A grade-7 Inscribed Pill might contain immense medicinal energy within it, but most of it had turned into nutrients to feed her Innate Poison Body. While the Grand Intermittence Pill wasnt enough to cure her affliction entirely, it did help her body to recover to perfect health. Even the trauma that she had suffered back in her mothers womb had healed as well. With the recovery of her body, even if her soul remains unconscious for the time being, she shouldnt be in any danger... Zhang Xuan thought. "To still remain unconscious despite having consumed the Grand Intermittence Pill... Senior Uncle, what kind of affliction is this youngdy suffering from?" Mu shi asked in astonishment. One must know that the Grand Intermittence Pill was so potent that it would be difficult for him to bear it! It was one thing for a frail patient to be fine after consuming it, but for her to remain unconscious after that, the affliction she was suffering from sure was fearsome! "On top of her frail physical body, her soul has suffered some damage as well. Even though her body has recovered with the consumption of the Grand Intermittence Pill, her soul is still far too weak for her to regain consciousness," Zhang Xuan exined. At that instant, he suddenly thought of something and asked, "Mu shi, do you know where I can obtain living saint herbs that can nurture souls? I need as many of those as possible!" He didnt have any clue as to where he could find saint herbs to nourish Wei Ruyans soul, but Mu shi might know where he could source them. After a moment of contemtion, Mu shi shook his head. "I do know of a few ces that sell saint herbs capable of nurturing souls, but all of them are dried. Living saint herbs... I really dont have any idea in mind." "You dont know either?" Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. He could easily find dried saint herbs in the Apothecary School and Physician School as well, but it was a pity that those were useless for Wei Ruyans current condition. For his treatment, the saint herb must be alive. At this moment, Zhong Dingchun, who was among the group of school heads who had gone over to check out the situation, abruptly spoke up. "Zhang shi, if you really require a living saint herb, I do know of one in Hongyuan City!" As the head of the Physician School, he maintained an intelligencework on medicinal herbs so that he could easily source them when he required them. "Oh? Where is it?" Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. "In the royal pce of Hongyuan Empire, there is a Bodhi Saint Tree. It is known to possess exceptional effectiveness in nurturing souls," Zhong Dingchun said. "Bodhi Saint Tree?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never heard of such a tree before. "Rumor has it that the tree was brought back from the wilderness by the ancestors of the current Hongyuan royal family. Knowing that it has the effect of nurturing souls, they chose to nt it in the royal pce to benefit the generations toe. This is the reason the royal offspring of Hongyuan Empire possess exceptionally powerful souls!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhong Dingchun continued, "However, the tree is one of the most important treasures of the royal family, so I fear that they might not be willing to lend it to you!" "I see..." Stroking his lower jaw, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. "It happens that there is a banquet at the royal pce tonight. I should make use of the opportunity to take a look at the Bodhi Tree and determine if it will be effective on Wei Ruyan first. If it is, it will be worth giving it a shot. "Anyway, thank you for your advice, School Head Zhong!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist. "There is no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang shi!" Zhong Dingchun hurriedly replied. After which, Zhang Xuan tried asking for some more details regarding the Bodhi Tree, but it seemed like the others didnt know much about it either. Thus, he could only shake his head helplessly. "Zhang shi, I will send some men to help you repair your manor," Zhao Bingxu said. It would be truly tragic if the future principal of the Master Teacher Academy were to be rendered homeless, and such publicity could have adverse effects on the inauguration ceremony three dayster. "I will be depending on you, School Head Zhao!" Zhang Xuan nodded in gratitude. If only hed known that such a mishap would ur in the forging of the Grand Intermittence Pill, he would have surely taken the others to a clearing to conduct the pill forging. At the very least, he wouldnt have ended up destroying his own residence. "Un!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. After which, Mu shi and the school heads bade farewell and returned to the Master Teacher Academy. It had already been afternoon when Zhang Xuan first returned to his manor from the Saint Ascension tform. After which, he had attended the hearing at the Elder Hall and forged the Grand Intermittence Pill. Time passed swiftly, and unknowingly, the sun had already set, allowing darkness to permeate the sky. Looking at the rubble, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before gently cing Wei Ruyan in the Myriad Anthive and instructing Sun Qiang, Wang Ying, and the others to spend their night at the residences in the Master Teacher Academy, which they were allocated as guest elders of the Martial Arts School. After this was done, he was just about to make his way to the royal pce to attend the banquet when something suddenly caught his eye, and he stopped in his tracks. His gaze swept across his surroundings, and he couldnt help but notice that the rubble around him seemed to beid in a formation resembling a massive dragon prowling the grounds. Is this... the earth dragon? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. Looking at this formation, he couldnt help but recall the clue that he had obtained from Wu Yangzi regarding the location of his treasure! In his old residence, beneath Three Stars of the Earth Dragon! If what he was seeing before him was the earth dragon in the clue, then... what could the three stars be? Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze upward. Countless stars scattered throughout the seemingly endless night sky came into sight. How am I to know which three stars Wu Yangzi is referring to? Zhang Xuan frowned in frustration. All he had received from the clue was Three Stars of the Earth Dragon. There was no clue as to which three stars it was referring to, or even their general location! He might have found the earth dragon, but without the three stars, he wouldnt be able to pinpoint the location of the treasure. Was he supposed to overturn every inch of ground in the manor to find the treasure? Besides, if it was possible to find the treasure by doing so, it would have long been uncovered by someone else in thest two thousand years. Thinking that it might be helpful to get a birds eye view, Zhang Xuan executed the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps and leaped into the sky. The copsed rubble seemed to meander on the ground, connecting with the dark sky at the horizon, as if a massive dragon that was on the verge of soaring into the heavens. Eye of Insight! Knowing that it was impossible to find it just like that, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight before turning his gaze to the point where the earth dragon intersected with the dark sky. Chapter 851: Scarlet Firefly Fruit Chapter 851: Scarlet Firefly Fruit Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At the point where the earth dragon and the dark sky intersected was a river that flowed along the walls of the academy and into the depths of the seemingly boundless darkness. Looking along the body of the earth dragon, there were several ponds with flowers and trees by the side. It resembled patches of clouds, which further entuated the image of a dragon rising to the heavens. After studying the area for over ten minutes, Zhang Xuans head was starting to spin from overusing his Eye of Insight. Shaking his head, he could only stop there. From what he had deduced so far, it seemed like the three stars Wu Yangzi had referred to werent literal stars or a figurative description of the geography. It didnt seem like he would be able to figure out what it was with just a quick nce, and a more thorough investigation was required. Nevertheless, having found the earth dragon, he was already at the halfway mark to finding Wu Yangzis treasure. As long as he were to put in some more effort, he should be able to find the three stars easily. After all, if Wu Yangzi was willing to reveal the location of his treasure, he would have hidden it with the expectation that someone would be able to find it. Thinking that he should head to the banquet first and continue his investigation after that, Zhang Xuan was just about to descend back to the ground when he saw a figure in the distance flitting swiftly toward the manor. "Hu Yaoyao? What is she doing here at this time?" Zhang Xuan muttered under his breath. The Eye of Insight could peer through the darkness, thus allowing Zhang Xuan to recognize the other party immediately. However, it didnt seem like she had noticed him in the sky, bypassing him and rushing straight to a vantage point amid the rubble. Despite being a Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert, it still wasnt easy for her to find a person in the dark. Flicking her wrist, she took out a Night Illumination Pearl and began scanning the area carefully. "Zhangoshi!" she shouted. As an apprentice, her rtionship to Zhang Xuan was reminiscent to that of a teacher and a student, so she had changed the way she addressed him ordingly. Zhang Xuan was just about to descend back to the ground to reply to her call when he suddenly noticed something. The faint glow of the Night Illumination Pearl in Hu Yaoyaos hand was reflected in a pond not too far away from where she stood, and from his point of view, it bore an uncanny resemnce to a star. "Could it be..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he hurriedly turned his gaze to the other ponds in the courtyard as well. As expected, as if resonating to one another, the faint radiance of the Night Illumination Pearl was reflected in their surfaces as well. This addition to the formation created a picturesque sight of the earth dragon traversing across the night sky, journeying in the apaniment of the stars. Over the past two thousand years, theyout of the manor has gone through massive changes. Perhaps, at the very start, there might only have been three ponds... I will have to find the original three stars then! There should only be three stars ording to the message left behind by Wu Yangzi. If the light reflected in the ponds were the stars mentioned in the clue, he had too many of them at the moment. However, this didnt necessarily mean that Zhang Xuans direction was wrong. Too long a time had passed, so theyout of the manor could have undergone numerous changes. Others might stumble before this problem, but this isnt an issue to me... Zhang Xuan smiled confidently. It would be difficult for even Mu shi to decisively determine which of the current eight ponds were existent two thousand years ago, but this was a piece of cake for Zhang Xuan. With the Eye of Insight, he could easily tell how long each pond had been around for. In just a few moments, he had already confirmed which the three ponds he was looking for. After which, he swiftly mapped out the midpoint of the triangle formed by the three stars. The resulting location was a towering ancient pine tree positioned just in front of the manors main hall. It seems like the treasure is hidden beneath the pine tree! Zhang Xuan thought. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan descended to the ground and walked up to Hu Yaoyao. "You were looking for me?" "Zhangoshi, you are fine! I really didnt expect you to go so far just to find Wu Yangzis treasure..." Hu Yaoyao was visibly relieved for a moment after seeing Zhang Xuan before gesturing to her surroundings speechlessly. Do you know how much this manor cost? If you do, how could you destroy it like that? Even if it is to find Wu Yangzis treasure, surely you didnt have to reduce the manor to this state? ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face as he heard those words. "I didnt do this to find the treasure. It was an ident..." "It cant be that you came here to watch themotion after hearing that the manor has copsed?" "N-no, its not that... I have something that I need your help on!" Hu Yaoyao said. She had heard about the treasure that Wu Yangzi had left behind, but many of her predecessors had already attempted to find it, to no avail. Thinking that there was little hope in that direction, she had decided to not pay it any heed. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. While Hu Yaoyao was docile before him, she was still one of the most influential figures in the Master Teacher Academy, and she had many tricks up her sleeves as well. What kind of matter could it be that would require his help? Hu Yaoyao hesitated for a moment before speaking. "To tell you the truth, Dong Xin, Long Cangyue, Xue Zhenyang, and I have found a treasure that can increase the chances of making the breakthrough to Half-Saint by twenty percent... "Naturally, we are nning to obtain the treasure, but... there are two powerful beasts guarding it, and we arent a match for them. Thus, we hope to seek your help for this matter!" "A treasure?" Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Back then, he had once followed Hu Yaoyao to a gazebo and overheard them speaking about some kind of treasure maturing by the end of the month, and looking at the current date, it did seem to be about time to harvest it. "Thats right. You possess both strength and knowledge, so we were unable to think of anyone more suitable to help us with this matter than you," Hu Yaoyao said. Even though the four of them were powerful figures who no one dared to offend in the academy, for some reason, all of them had stumbled before him. She had be his apprentice, Xue Zhenyang had be his grandstudent, and Dong Xin, the most pitiful one of them, had not only be his great grandstudent but was expelled from the academy as well. Long Cangyue, who had chosen not to take any action, was the sole survivor of their group. Typically speaking, considering how three out of four of them had some kind of grudge with Zhang Xuan, they would be reluctant to seek his help. However, with that objects date of maturity swiftly approaching, they were pressed on time. They had to make a move soon or else those two huge fellows would have devoured it for themselves. By then, they would be left with nothing at all. Thus, after some serious discussion, they had eventually decided to seek Zhang Xuans help. That fellow might be the God of Destruction, but he had proven that he was a capable individual on multiple asions. Otherwise, the three of them wouldnt have been subdued by him either. "To be able to increase the chances of making a breakthrough to Half-Saint by twenty percent, what kind of treasure is it?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Back at the Saint Ascension tform, he had seen many insights from the predecessors, and from that, he had gained a rough understanding of how difficult it was to make a breakthrough from Chrysalis realm to Half-Saint. To talents like that, twenty percent could make a huge difference. Under the dim light of the Night Illumination Pearl, Zhang Xuan could see Hu Yaoyao biting her crimson lips together hesitantly before saying, "It is the Saint realm medicinal herb... the Scarlet Firefly Fruit!" "Scarlet Firefly Fruit?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before his eyes abruptly lit up. He had heard of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit before. It was a saint herb with a scarlet exterior, and upon maturity, it would release a beautiful fluorescent light reminiscent of a firefly. Growing by absorbing sunlight and moonlight, the fruit had a maturity period of a hundred years. On top of that, it was extremely rare and couldnt be artificially cultivated, thus making it very difficult to obtain. While consuming the Scarlet Firefly Fruit wouldnt guarantee a breakthrough to Half-Saint, its ability to increase the chances at doing so was more than sufficient to make Chrysalis realm cultivators go insane over it. Even Zhang Xuan was moved by its effects as well. Even though Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage at the moment, around two realms away from reaching Half-Saint, given his current rate of cultivation, as long as he had sufficient high-tier spirit stones and the relevant cultivation technique, he should be able to reach it within six hours. Theption of insights from the Saint Ascension tforms had already greatly boosted his chances at making a breakthrough, and the aid of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit could make his breakthrough go even more smoothly. For one, as a cultivator of the Heavens Path Divine Art, the spiritual energy he required to make a breakthrough was enormous. While he did obtain quite a lot of Earth Vein Spirit Essence from the Cloudmist Ridge, it was hard to tell if it would still be effective by the time he reached Chrysalis realm. After all, the Earth Vein Spirit Vine was still slightlycking in purity. However, if he could obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit... he could confidently say that Half-Saint was finally within sight! "Thats right. Based on our investigation, there is a total of ten Scarlet Firefly Fruits in the area. As long as you help us obtain them, we will split them equally among us, meaning that each of us will obtain two fruits!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Two each?" Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw in contemtion before nodding slightly. "I am fine with that!" Given that he hadnt participated in the scouting and the preparation work, it was indeed not bad that he was going to receive an equal share. And of course, if he were to contribute more than proportionately to the obtaining of the Scarlet Firefly Fruitster on, he could always renegotiate the distribution then. "So, you will help us?" Honestly speaking, Hu Yaoyao had thought that Zhang Xuan would try to bargain for more favorable terms for himself, so she was slightly taken aback when she heard him agreeing to it so readily. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "When are we setting off?" "We can set off now if you are ready. We will be riding on Dong Xins tamed beast, and it will take roughly three days for us to arrive at our destination. So, even at the very minimum, our trip will take seven to eight days!" Hu Yaoyao said. "Seven to eight days?" Zhang Xuan frowned. His inauguration ceremony as the next principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was three days from now, so he couldnt afford to leave for such a long period of time now. "Thats right. We have made a rough calction of when the Scarlet Firefly Fruit will mature, but we will be arriving earlier to give us some leeway in case it matures earlier. However, if it maturester than we expected, we might end up spending a few more days there," Hu Yaoyao said. "You are saying that the trip could be even longer than that?" Didnt that mean that he might spend nearly half a month away from the academy? That was too long! He could potentially raise his cultivation to Nascent Saint in half a month. To waste it for a mere Half-Saint was not worth the time and effort. And most importantly of all, he would miss the inauguration ceremony as well. "But the inauguration ceremony for the new principal of the academy is three days from now. If we leave now, we will definitely miss it," Zhang Xuan said. "I have heard of the matter, too. ording to the rumors, the reason Mu shi was sent to our academy was to nominate our next principal. I sure do wonder who our next principal is... I tried asking my teacher, but she refused to say anything about the matter. However, it should probably be either School Head Lu or School Head Zhao. They are the most respected elders in the academy, and they wield the greatest influence as well. Thus, the probability of them bing the next principal should be the highest!" At which, Hu Yaoyao smiled and reassured, "Dont worry, I have asked my teacher, and she has granted me the special privilege to skip on the inauguration ceremony to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit. Besides, Zhangoshi, you arent a student of the academy now, so it shouldnt matter to you who bes the next principal of the academy, right?" As the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, she had heard about the conflict between School Head Lu and Zhang Xuan, and how thetter had been kicked out of the academy. Given that Zhang Xuan wasnt even considered a student of the academy anymore, it shouldnt matter to him who became the next principal. Naturally, he should have nothing to do with the inauguration ceremony. "This..." A bitter smile surfaced on Zhang Xuans lips. It just so happened that he did have a role to y in the inauguration ceremony, and a huge one at that. "You should quickly make your decision. The Scarlet Firefly Fruit will be maturing in the next few days, so we have to set off as soon as possible!" Hu Yaoyao urged. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan proposed, "Since thats the case, lets set off straightter in the night then. However, instead of riding Dong Xins tamed beast, I suggest that we ride on mine. We should be able to make a round trip within a day with that." He still had to attend the banquet at the royal pce to determine whether the Bodhi Saint Tree could be used to save Wei Ruyan or not before heading out. Considering Dong Xins current cultivation realm, her tamed beast should also be at Chrysalis realm at the very most, so the speed of travel wouldnt be too fast. However, if they were to ride on Byzantium Lad, they should be able to cover the three days journey within half a day. That would save them quite a bit of time. "Your tamed beast? You mean your Great Violetwing Beast?" Hu Yaoyao frowned. "But its speed is likely slower than Dong Xins tamed beast, right?" Chapter 852: Wu Yangzis Treasure Chapter 852: Wu Yangzis Treasure Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Great Violetwing Beast was only at Half-Chrysalis realm whereas Dong Xins tamed beast was a Chrysalis realm intermediate stage spirit beast. The former might be capable of flying at fast speed, but in terms of overall performance, thetter was definitely superior. Given that Dong Xins tamed beast would require three days just to make a one-way trip, do you really believe that your Great Violetwing Beast could make a roundabout trip in a day? You must be joking! "Its settled then. Meet me at Leiyuan Peak at the Zi hour 1 tonight, we will set off from there!" Zhang Xuan noticed the doubtful expression on Hu Yaoyaos face, but since they would understand when the time came, he didnt think that there was any need for him to exin himself. "... Alright then." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to speak, Hu Yaoyao didnt ask on as well. Turning around, she returned back to the Master Teacher Academy. After she left the manor, Zhang Xuan didnt rush off to the royal pce to attend the banquet. Instead, he made his way to the ancient pine tree in the courtyard. Since this tree was located beneath the Three Stars of the Earth Dragon, the treasure should be in its vicinity. Activating the Eye of Insight, he began to examine the pine tree carefully. However, despite scrutinizing every inch of it, he was unable to find anything peculiar at all. But that was to be expected. If it could be found that easily, someone else would have imed the treasure long ago. Wu Yangzi mentioned that I have to put down three formation gs ording to the Three Stars, and the items will surface automatically... Recalling the words Wu Yangzi had mentioned back then, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out three formation gs and a Night Illumination Pearl. With a swift leap, he returned to the area where Hu Yaoyao stood previously and raised his Night Illumination Pearl up high. In an instant, three brilliant stars appeared in the three ponds scattered around the courtyard. "Go!" With another flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan tossed the formation gs into the air. Sou sou sou! The three formation gs fell directly onto the stars in the three ponds simultaneously. Weng! With a faint buzz, the ground suddenly started rumbling slightly, as if the earth dragon hade to life. Following which, the towering pine tree abruptly burst apart, revealing a medium-sized metal box within. Zhang Xuan rushed over and grabbed the box. "Is this the treasure Wu Yangzi left behind? It sure is well-hidden!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Even though the box sprung from the pine tree, he could tell that it was actually not hidden within the pine tree but a hidden space inside. In other words, had Zhang Xuan not found the three stars and inserted the three formation gs, he wouldnt have been able to find the box even if he were to reduce the pine tree to dust. Studying the pine tree carefully, it seemed like some kind of formation with a function reminiscent of a storage ring was set up around the area, and the center of the formation was where the pine tree was located. This was also the reason why Wu Yangzis treasure remained unfound even after two thousand yearster. "This is a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container!" After analyzing the tree, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the metal box. Each Celestial Designer Mechanical Container was exquisitely built using a unique blueprint designed by a celestial designer. Without an understanding of the structure of the box, it was impossible to unlock it. However, this wasnt a problem for Zhang Xuan. Muttering ws! beneath his breath, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. He browsed through it quickly before tapping on sixteen different points on the box with his finger. Kacha! With a crisp click, a mechanism whirred into action, and the box was opened. The first thing that Zhang Xuan saw inside the box was a pitch-ck ore which was around the size of a fist. It emanated a bone-chilling frigid air. "Since you found this box, it can only mean that I have met with some kind of mishap..." Along with the whirring of the mechanism, a faint voice sounded in the air. It was Wu Yangzis voice. You did meet with mishap... Upon thinking about how the number one cksmith of Hongyuan Empire ended up being trapped within an underground cavern til his death, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but sigh deeply inmentation. Wu Yangzi thought that he was contributing to mankind by turning those Otherworldly Demons into puppets and killing them, but the truth was that Vicious was making use of his smithing capability to turn his subordinates into evesting guards that could protect him until hiseback. "Regardless of whether I have passed away or not, the fact that you were able to find my treasure means that there is fate between you and me. Contained in here are my most valuable possessions, so I hope that you can use them wisely. "The ore in the box is known as the ck Goldcrystal Ore. I had to go to great lengths in order to obtain it. If you were to add even a pinch of it into the weapon you are forging, you will be able to raise its quality up a notch." "ck Goldcrystal Ore? This is the ck Goldcrystal Ore?" Zhang Xuans breathing hastened in agitation. As a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, he had a deep understanding of the various valuable ores in the world. Of those, the ck Goldcrystal Ore was definitely one of the most expensive and rarest ores Putting everything aside, if he had added a pinch of it into his Half-Saint cier Rain Sword during its forging process, he would have been able to sessfully raise it to Saint-tier! This was how valuable it was! Just a pinch of it could have such miraculous effects, and an entire fist of it was sitting right before him... Its price was inestimable! It would be hard to tell whether one could afford it even with ten thousand high-tier spirit stones on hand! It was no wonder why Wu Yangzi would regard it as one of his most valuable possessions! "But of course, an object that only has the effect of raising an artifacts tier cant be considered my greatest treasure. The second item I have left behind here is the manual of my Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!" the voice continued. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the box, and he saw a secret manualbeled Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body on its cover. As he had already obtained it back in the underground chamber, he wasnt particrly excited to see it. "If you have obtained this cultivation technique from me elsewhere, the chances are that the cultivation technique you have received... is a fake! This is the only real version of Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body in the world, and only by cultivating this version will you be able to grasp the true essence of the technique. If you were to continue cultivating the other version, your cultivation will eventually go berserk..." the voice revealed. "The one in the underground chamber is a fake?" Astonished, Zhang Xuan swiftly picked up the book, and a replica appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. He swiftly looking through the version in the Library of Heavens Path, and a momentter, he shook his head. The book contained within this box was indeed different from the one Wu Yangzi left in the underground chamber, containing far fewer mistakes in it. However, that made no difference to Zhang Xuan. He had already resolved most of the ws of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body with his Library of Heavens Path back in the underground chamber when he first cultivated the technique. In other words... not only was the current version he was cultivating correct, it was even more perfect than the authentic version in the box. To Zhang Xuan, it didnt matter how wed a book was. As long as it contained content that would contribute to theption of a perfected Heavens Path manual, it would be useful to him. Compile! Zhang Xuan muttered as hepiled the two versions of Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body together before browsing through it once more. With a swift nce, his eyes lit up. It seems like I will be able to cultivate the Third Incandescence very soon... Of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body he hadpiled previously, with the exception of the First Incandescence, he required certain items to serve as a catalyst for him to cultivate the subsequent levels. The Second Incandescence required the Earth me Heart whereas the Third Incandescence required the Origin Heavy Water. He had learned the price of the Origin Heavy Water by eavesdropping on Hu Yaoyaos conversation. A bottle of it cost ten high-tier spirit stones, and he would require at least ten of them to sessfully cultivate the Third Incandescence. In other words, he would require a hundred high-tier spirit stones for it! He didnt have the money for that, so he had been putting off the issue so far. However, afterpiling the authentic version of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body along with the one he currently had, even though he still required Origin Heavy Water to cultivate the Third Incandescence, the quantity required had decreased significantly. From the initial ten bottles, he only needed one now! "There are some changes to the Fourth Incandescence and Fifth Incandescence as well..." While the authentic version of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body wasnt able to resolve the remaining ws contained in his current version, it did help to alleviate it by reducing the amount of each item required to cultivate the subsequent levels. It seems like Wu Yangzi was still wary of the Otherworldly Demons after all... Zhang Xuan thought as he kept the manual into his storage ring. It was fortunate that he had borrowed physical body cultivation technique manuals from Luo Qiqi, resolved its ws, and imparted the correct version to Luo Qiqi. Otherwise, her cultivation might have very well gone berserk. But thinking about it, Wu Yangzi didnt have any other choice but to remain wary either. Surrounded by Otherworldly Demons, how could he possibly dare to leave behind a manual of his secret art without any reservations? If the Otherworldly Demon were to obtain his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body and use it against mankind, wouldnt he be a huge sinner? "The final treasure I have left behind is also the most important one of all. It is due to my possession of this that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had set their eyes on me. If you are an ordinary cultivator, I hope that you can hand it over to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and if you are a master teacher, I hope that you can deal with it carefully. Make sure that it doesnt fall into malicious hands..." the voice spoke grimly. "Hand it over to the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan muttered in confusion as he took out the remaining item in the box. Taking a closer look, it was a piece of goatskin with countless years of history behind it. Resembling a map, it had manybels written in bizarre characters which he had never seen before. "What is this?" Zhang Xuan muttered as he tried to analyze it with the Library of Heavens Path. While he did manage topile a book on the map, it only contained details regarding the fabric used. The bizarre characters on it which seemed to bendmarkbels on the map didnt have any ws, so they were reflected how they originally were in the book. Unable to derive anything conclusive from the map, Zhang Xuan could only keep the goatskin into his storage ring. Even though he couldnt tell what the map was for, given how careful Wu Yangzi was with it and that the Otherworldly Demons were dying toy their hands on it, it was definitely an extremely important artifact. "If my descendants are still around, I hope that you can treat them kindly. The greatest regret of my life is to have implicated them in the mess that I got involved with..." After introducing the three treasures, the voice continued speaking in a mncholic tone. Zhang Xuan could sense Wu Yangzis conflicted emotions when he was recording this message. Thetter seemed to have known that his possession of the map would result in his enemies going after his family as well, but standing in between the welfare of his family and mankind, he had no choice but to choose thetter. "Dont worry, your descendant is currently my apprentice. I will take care of her well!" Zhang Xuan promised solemnly. He had initially taken in Hu Yaoyao as his apprentice to uncover the location of Wu Yangzis old residence, but after learning of the sacrifices that Wu Yangzi had made for mankind, he felt obliged to repay the favor to Hu Yaoyao. Even if he didnt ept her as his direct disciple, he would at least acknowledge her as his official student and offer her some guidance in her cultivation and supporting upations. "Thank you!" As if responding to Zhang Xuans words, the voice spoke these two final words before the whirring of the mechanism faded into silence. There are two problems that I will have to address now. First, what is the map for? Second, why does the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe hope toy their hands on it for? Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his be. Hu Yaoyaos concealment of her heritage and Wu Yangzis wariness, these seemed to be telling him that Hongyuan City wasnt as safe as it seemed. Wait, perhaps Vicious might know a thing or two about it... Such a thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. The map seemed to be an extremely old relic, and Vicious had lived since the ancient times. Perhaps, he might be able to read those words on the map and deduce what it was for. Just as he was about to bring Vicious and his clone out from the Myriad Anthive Nest, he suddenly sensed something, and his eyebrows shot up. In the next moment, he saw a beautiful silhouette flitting through the night, headed in his direction. Chapter 853: Banquet Chapter 853: Banquet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 She was Luo Qiqi. Upon seeing her, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He quickly sent a telepathic message to her. "You came at a good time! I have found Elder Wu Yangzis treasure!" Flicking his wrist, he took out the metal box and the three artifacts. Since he had received Wu Yangzis heritage along with Luo Qiqi, and thetter was Wu Yangzis direct disciple at that, she had the right to know what the treasures were and share possession of them as well. "Youve found it?" Stunned, Luo Qiqi turned her sight to the items in Zhang Xuans hands. Luo Qiqi widened her eyes in disbelief. "This is... ck Goldcrystal Ore?" "You recognize it?" Zhang Xuan asked. Due to the sheer rarity of ck Goldcrystal Ore, he had never seen it in person before, only learning of its existence from the books. It was due to Wu Yangzis exnation that he was able to confirm its identity before using the Library of Heavens Path, and yet, Luo Qiqi actually recognized it with a single nce. Could it be that her eye of discernment was beyond his? One must know that even though he might not be the most capable cksmith in Hongyuan Empire, he was definitely the most knowledgeable one. Even Zhao Bingxu, the head of the cksmith School, was far from a match for him in terms of knowledge. "I have seen some before. However, the piece I saw was only the size of a walnut, and the price was already astronomical. Considering the size of this one, I can hardly even imagine how much it is worth," Luo Qiqi eximed. "You have seen ck Goldcrystal Ore before?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Even if the piece she had seen was just the size of a walnut, it was sufficient to show that her background was anything but ordinary. "Un!" Luo Qiqi nodded. After which, she turned her sights to the other two objects, and upon seeing the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, she nodded in realization. "You should take the authentic manual for now. I will help to alter it to suit your constitution better when I have the time!" After passing the correct Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body over to the other party, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the map and asked, "Do you happen to recognize the words on this map?" Luo Qiqi shook her head. "I have never seen such words before." "I see... Allow me to keep the map for the time being then. Once I figure out what the map means, I will get back to you and bring you there," Zhang Xuan said. "As for the ck Goldcrystal Ore, I will try to find a way to melt it to forge a weapon for you." "Thank you, teacher!" Luo Qiqi nodded in gratitude. Each of the three items was incredibly valuable, but her teacher didnt hide them from her and take them for himself. That said a great amount about his character. At this moment, Luo Qiqi finally recalled her aim foring over, and she hurriedly said, "Oh right, teacher, I am here to invite you to the banquet at the royal pce..." Yu Fei-er had invited her, Zhang Xuan, Xing Yuan, and the others to the banquet in the royal pce. Knowing Zhang Xuans personality, she knew that he might attempt to skip the banquet, and she had also heard the news about his manor copsing as well, so she specially made the journey here to take a look. Knowing that he had to make the trip to the royal pce to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Tree, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Lets go." Leaving the rubble of the manor, the duo got onto a carriage that Luo Qiqi had prepared beforehand and headed to the royal pce. It didnt take them too long to arrive at their destination. Befitting of its status as the center of authority of a Tier-1 Empire, Hongyuan Empires royal pce was enormous. Before the towering gates stood two rows of guards, every single one of them possessing the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm. With several hundreds of them gathered in a spot, their presence exerted a huge pressure on those walking between them. Stepping through the pce gates, Zhang Xuan noticed all kinds of formations in the area, and even the weakest of them was a grade-6 primary formation. Those who were unfamiliar with theyout of the royal pce would swiftly find themselves trapped within abyrinth, unable to escape. With traps potentially springing on one with each step, not even a Saint realm 1-dan expert would dare to casually step into the royal pce. Handing over their invitation letters, a guard led them around the royal pce, and soon, they were standing before a huge pce. "This is the ce where the banquet is held," Luo Qiqi said. At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled this matter and asked, "Right, I forgot to ask. What is the asion today? Why are we invited to the banquet?" Even the royal family couldnt possibly hold such a grand banquet for no good reason. "You dont know?" Seeing how her teacher came here without even knowing anything at all, Luo Qiqi was rendered speechless. "You were also there when Yu Fei-er handed me the invitation letter. She didnt tell me anything, so how could I possibly know?" Zhang Xuan replied in bewilderment. "..." Luo Qiqi pped her forehead and shook her head. Her teacher was a person of great capability, but his emotional quotient was trulycking. An esteemed princess of the empire invited you to a banquet; the least you could do was to ask around, find out what the asion is beforehand, and make preparations ordingly! After all, this is the monarchy of an empire we are talking about! But this... if I hadnt gone to the manor to bring you over, would you still be loitering around the rubble, at a loss of what to do? "Today is Yu Fei-ers... birthday banquet!" Luo Qiqi said. "His Majesty has invited the young talents from all over the empire along with her good friends to celebrate this asion!" "Birthday banquet?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyelids began twitching. "Thats right. Dont tell me that you didnt even prepare a present?" Luo Qiqi stared at her teacher with a frustrated look. "Am I supposed to prepare one?" Zhang Xuan returned her a nk stare. None of you told me that it would be a birthday banquet, how was I supposed to know that I had to prepare a present? I dont even know what an appropriate gift for ady would be; how am I supposed to pick one out for her? Besides, I have been busy the entire day, so I wouldnt have had the time to find one either. "You..." Luo Qiqi shook her head, not knowing what she could say to enlighten that blockhead of a teacher she had. Even if you didnt know that it is Yu Fei-ers birthday, that is a personal invitation from the emperor that you have over there. Shouldnt you prepare some gifts to at least avoid leaving an unfavorable impression? To arrive empty-handed... you are probably the only one who dares do such a thing! "Forget it. I have some items here; you can make do with them for the moment..." Flicking her wrist, Luo Qiqi took out a few items that mostdies would fancy. There was a massive pearl, a hair ornament embedded with precious gems, a fragrance pouch with a unique aroma... They were all fairly expensive essories. "Its fine! If ites down to it, I will just leave the banquet. Dont worry about it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. In the first ce, he wasnt really interested in the banquet. The main reason he wanted toe to the royal pce was to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Tree and see if it could be used to save Wei Ruyan. If he was going to be snubbed for not bringing a present, there didnt seem much point remaining at the banquet then. "Leave the banquet?" Luo Qiqi frowned, but seeing the serious look on her teachers face, she could only give up on persuading him otherwise. "Alright then..." As close friends, she knew Yu Fei-ers personality and temper very well. Thetter wasnt one to care about gifts. As long as Zhang shi was present at her birthday banquet, she would be satisfied. Thus, the both of them stepped into the pce and began making their way over to the main hall. The corridor linking the entrance of the pce to the main hall had a particrly tall ceiling that made one feel minuscule inparison. There were various extravagant ornaments ced along the corridor, which gave it a dignified and regal air. A thick red mat of around half a chi wide stretched from the entrance of the pce all the way to the main hall. There was a pleasantly soft and springy sensation stepping on it. Activating his Eye of Insight discreetly, Zhang Xuan took a brief look into the main hall. To his astonishment, he saw countless formationsid out inside the main hall. Some were for defensive purposes and some were for offensive purposes, but most of them were for the sole purpose of fortifying the room. Grade-6 pinnacle Stabilization Formation, grade-6 pinnacle Grand Monolith Formation, grade-6 pinnacle Castle Fortification Formation... Why would the main hall of the royal pce require so many Fortification Formations? Zhang Xuan wondered in bewilderment. As the center of Hongyuan Empire, the royal pce was constructed by the most capable of craftsmen, so there was little to question about its stability. It wouldnt copse even in the face of a massive earthquake, so it was baffling to see so many Fortification Formations in the room. Forget it, its not like its any of my business anyway... Zhang Xuan shook the thought out of his head, deciding not to think deeper into it. He was only there to attend the banquet, so the formations in the area shouldnt matter to him. "Qiqi, Zhang shi, you are here!" Just as they were standing before the entrance of the main hall, they suddenly saw Xing Yuan and Wu Zhen walking over. They were dressed in brand-new master teacher robes, and it seemed like they had specially dressed themselves up for the asion. There was an air of nobility around them, and they seemed extraordinarily spirited. "Has the banquet begun yet?" Luo Qiqi asked. "Not yet. Not all of the guests have arrived yet," Xing Yuan said with a smile. Hearing that, Luo Qiqi heaved a sigh of relief. "Thats good!" As an entire group, the four of them stepped into the main hall. The main hall was around eight hundred square metersrge, and it was supported only by the four pirs at the corners. There were countless Night Illumination Pearls embedded in the tall ceiling, making the hall brightly lit as if it was day. After taking a seat, Zhang Xuan took another look around the room and noticed that there were eight elegantly-dressed young men in their twenties already in the hall. Judging from their movements and gestures, they seemed to be from the upper society. "These are the offspring of the empires nobility," Xing Yuan informed Zhang Xuan through zhenqi telepathy. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He had expected such a sight when he learned that it was a birthday banquet earlier on. Most likely, the emperor had invited those young men in order to pick out a suitable husband for Yu Fei-er. With the extended lifespan that Transcendent Mortal cultivators possessed, it was umon for cultivators to marry in their twenties. However, Yu Fei-ers marriage had political implications. If she could bring in a powerful ally to the royal family earlier on, it could help to further affirm the royal authority. Even though most of these youths werent students of the Master Teacher Academy, they possessed extraordinary strength. The strongest of them had a cultivation equaling Hu Yaoyao and the others, Chrysalis realm pinnacle, a single step away from reaching Half-Saint. To possess such capability in their twenties, they could be considered top-notch geniuses even when ced against the students of the Master Teacher Academy. "Xing Yuan, you seem to have quite a fewpetitors here?" Luo Qiqi teased. As his good friend, she knew that Xing Yuan was interested in Yu Fei-er and had been courting her for some time. However, it was a pity that thetter didnt reciprocate his feelings. "This..." Xing Yuans face reddened as he subconsciously shot a nce toward Zhang Xuan. With an awkward smile, he said, "I know that I am not good enough for Yu Fei-er, so I have already given up those thoughts..." He did like Yu Fei-er, but thetter was uninterested in him. On the other hand, she seemed to possess some inexplicable feelings for Zhang shi. After some consideration, he felt that it would be better for him to give up on this futile pursuit. Putting aside the fact that Zhang Xuan had saved all of them, his aplishments in the Master Teacher Academy were also not something he could ever hope to match. On top of that, the other party was also the respected leader of the powerful Xuanxuan Faction. If he really were to attempt topete with the other party, he just might end up making enemies out of several tens of thousands of students in the Master Teacher Academy as well. How could he possibly match that? "I advised you to give up long ago, but you just wouldnt listen. Well, its still good to see you getting over it," Luo Qiqi replied. She knew very well how her close friend viewed Xing Yuan, so she had tried to advise him on the matter several times privately, but thetter had refused to listen. He might have already spent many years courting Yu Fei-er, but it wasnt necessarily a bad thing for him to give up on it now. "Xing Yuan, the two people beside you look unfamiliar. Why dont you introduce them to me?" Just as they were speaking, they were interrupted by a masculine voice. Following which, a smiling young man in his mid-twenties walked over with a wine ss in his hands. That young man had eyes as sharp as lightning, and he carried a dignified disposition fitting of nobility, which seemed to further entuate his good looks. Of the youths gathered at the banquet, he was the strongest of them all, possessing a cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Chapter 854: Shen Jun Chapter 854: Shen Jun Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Its Young Master Shen Jun, I see..." Upon seeing the other party, Xing Yuans face darkened in displeasure. Nevertheless, he still made the introduction. "They are students from the Master Teacher Academy as well, the schoolmates of Princess Yu Fei-er. He is Zhang shi, and she is Luo shi!" "So, its Zhang shi and Luo shi! Pleased to meet you, I am Shen Jun!" The young man sped his fist and greeted them before raising his wine ss to offer a toast and drinking it in advance. Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi also raised their wine sses and drank in reciprocation. "That young man is Shen Jun, the young master of the Shen n, one of the Four Great ns of Hongyuan Empire. Young and talented, he has contributed greatly to the royal court and was conferred the position of a general of the empire. He is currently Xing Yuans greatest rival, and in their past shes, Xing Yuan has suffered a fair bit due to him," Wu Zhen discreetly informed Zhang Xuan after noticing the confused look on his face. "Four Great ns?" Zhang Xuan replied. "Un. Other than the royal family, the strongest powers in Hongyuan Empire are the Four Great ns. Those ns either possess great influence in the royal court ormand numerous experts, so even the royal family has to tread carefully around them. Other than the Shen n, there is also the Xing n, which Xing Yuan is from, my Wu n, and the Liu n. In terms of standing, the Shen n is first, and following closely behind is the Xing n, and finally the Liu n and the Wu n," Wu Zhen said. Hearing that Wu Zhen was from the Four Great ns too, Zhang Xuan was astonished. "So, you are an offspring of the Four Great ns?" There was a huge difference between Xing Yuan and Wu Zhen in terms of their disposition and the artifacts they had, so he had always thought that Wu Zhen hade from a humble background. "I am an offspring from the branch family of the n, so naturally, my standing is different from an offspring of the main family like Xing Yuan," Wu Zhen exined awkwardly. Bloodline was viewed to be of the utmost importance in the session ofrge ns, resulting in a vast difference in the standing between that of the main family and the branch family. For one, just because Xing Yuan was from the main family, he had a high standing in the n, and the n devoted many resources to grooming him. As Wu Zhen and Zhang Xuan hadmunicated telepathically, their exchange might seem long, but it had urred in just a brief moment. After Shen Jun put down his wine ss, he turned to Xing Yuan and smiled. "I have a request to ask of you all, but I am not sure if it is appropriate to raise it." "Since you arent sure whether it is appropriate to speak of it or not, you might as well keep quiet." Seemingly aware of what Shen Jun was going to say, Xing Yuan rejected him tly. Disregarding Xing Yuan as if he was only throwing a tantrum, Shen Jun began to speak elegantly. "From the moment I met the Sixth Princess when I was twelve, I knew that she would be my life goal. So that I can be worthy of her, I have worked hard to achieve the standing and strength I possess today. As master teachers, you should be able to tell how much effort I have put in over the years. Even so, the thought of giving up has never crossed my mind. I knew that this was all necessary if I wanted to be qualified to stand beside her one day..." The topic of his speech was his past history with Yu Fei-er, and the feelings he harbored for her. Upon hearing those words, Xing Yuans face turned livid. Even though he had made up his mind to give up on courting Yu Fei-er, how could he let go of those emotions that he had held dearly for many years? To confess his love to Yu Fei-er before him, it was clear that Shen Jun was trying to humiliate him. After introducing his history, Shen Jun requested with a smile, "... Thus, I intend to propose to take the Sixth Princesss hand before His Majestyter on, so I would be honored if you can speak on my behalf when that timees." "Speak on your behalf? Dream on!" With his teeth clenched tight, Xing Yuan looked as if he was going to explode at any moment. "Now now, there is no need for you to get mad. I didnt expect to count on you in the first ce!" Shen Jun chuckled lightly in response to Xing Yuans rage. Turning his gaze to Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi, he continued, "I hope that the both of you can help me with this matter... Putting aside that, I do hope to be friends with you two. Here is a token of sincerity from me, I hope that you can ept it!" After saying those words, Shen Jun raised his hand and beckoned, and a young man walked up from behind. With a flick of his wrist, he took out two jade boxes and ced them on the table. Opening the box, spiritual energy immediately gushed into the air, bringing a refreshing breeze to everyones face. Astonishingly, there were two high-tier spirit stones in each box. To gift them two high-tier spirit stones each on their first meeting, Shen Jun sure was generous. However, this also reflected how extreme his means were. There were no cultivators who could possibly reject high-tier spirit stones, but if they were to ept them, they would no longer be in a good position to voice their objections to Shen Juns proposal. As expected of the young master of the Shen n, he sure knew how to deal with people. "You are giving us four high-tier spirit stones to speak up on your behalf? Young Master Shen sure is generous! Qiqi, since he has offered them to us, it would be impolite for us to turn him down. Take them!" Zhang Xuan replied enthusiastically with a smile. Four high-tier spirit stone was a huge sum of money. It would be a huge waste not to take them, especially since the other party was giving them to him for free. "Yes!" Luo Qiqi, of course, knew that her teacher was not one to fall for such cheap trickery like that. The chances were that he already had an idea in mind. Thus, she stepped forward without any hesitation and stowed the high-tier spirit stones into her storage ring. Shen Juns mouth twitched for an instant before he swiftly covered it up naturally with a chuckle. "Haha, Brother Zhang sure is a straightforward man. We will definitely get along well!" His address toward Zhang Xuan had changed from Zhang shi to Brother Zhang, as if to symbolize how close they were, and he shot a provocative nce toward Xing Yuan before returning to his seat. Truthfully, Shen Jun also didnt expect that Zhang Xuan would actually ept the four high-tier spirit stones. After all, his loyalty to Xing Yuan was on the line here. "Zhang shi..." Xing Yuan panicked after watching Zhang shi actually ept Shen Juns high-tier spirit stones despite thetters provocation. Seeing that Xing Yuan had lost hisposure over this matter, Zhang Xuan calmly pointed out, "There is no need to worry. After all the time you have spent with Yu Fei-er, do you think that she is the sort of person to bend to mere words?" "This..." Those words washed away Xing Yuans doubts in an instant. If thedy he was interested in could be moved easily with words, he wouldnt have been unsessful despite years of effort. Yu Fei-er was a person with her own thoughts, and she was extremely obstinate about them. Once she had made a decision, even a hundred bulls couldnt hope to reverse it. It was also due to this obstinacy that she would rather serve as Zhang shis maid than ept Xing Yuans goodwill. How could a person with such a personality be moved by mere words? "Since our words wont sway Yu Fei-ers decision, why should we reject a free gift that he offered us?" Zhang Xuan shed him a meaningful smile. "Even to an offspring of the Shen ns main family, four high-tier spirit stones should still a huge sum." "This..." Xing Yuans eyes widened as realization struck him. His Xing n didnt pale too muchpared to the Shen n, and his standing in the Xing n was also nearly equivalent to Shen Juns. Considering how it was difficult for Xing Yuan to ess the high-tier spirit stones of the n with his current standing, even with Shen Juns higher cultivation realm, it was unlikely that his plight would be much better than his own... Thus, despite the generous exterior that Shen Jun had put up, his heart was probably bleeding when Luo Qiqi stowed the four high-tier spirit stones into her storage ring. Most likely, Shen Jun was just making use of this opportunity to humiliate Xing Yuan and sow discord among them, but who could have known that Zhang Xuan would shamelessly ept his spirit stones... Shen Jun had already said that those spirit stones were for them, and as the young master of the Shen n, he would be aughingstock of the city if he were to go back on his word... Most likely, his heart must be filled with regret and remorse at this very instant. Having understood all of this, Xing Yuans eyes lit up, and the negative emotions he had umted from the encounter with Shen Jun earlier dissipated without a trace. Turning his eyes to Zhang shi once more, he couldnt help but feel deep respect and admiration for the other party. And the truth was that Zhang Xuan was right. Young Master Shens heart was indeed bleeding at this very instant. He had taken out those four high-tier spirit stones to oppress Xing Yuan, but who would have thought that the other party would be so shameless as to ept them... Furthermore, the other party epted them so candidly, without the slightest hint of hesitation at all. Are you sure you are Xing Yuans friends? Where did your loyalty to your friends go? Just as Shen Jun returned to his seat, a young man before him secretly sent a telepathic message to ask, "Brother Shen, who is that fellow?" The young man was an offspring of the Liu n, one of the Four Great ns as well. Shen Jun harrumphed coldly. "A greedy fellow!" "Greedy?" Liu gongzi was baffled by Shen Juns response. Judging from the greedy fellows clothes, he seemed to be a master teacher. Arent master teachers upright and incorruptible? How can he be greedy then? ... The encounter with Shen Jun was only a small matter, so Zhang Xuan didnt pay much heed to it. At this moment, his attention was focused on uncovering the details of the Bodhi Saint Tree and determining if it would be effective at healing Wei Ruyans soul. Thus, he turned to Xing Yuan and asked, "I heard that there is a Bodhi Saint Tree in the royal pce that has the effect of nourishing ones soul. Is that true?" "Bodhi Saint Tree? Now you mention it, I think I have heard of such a matter before!" Xing Yuan nodded. As the offspring of the Four Great ns, he was privy to some of the deep secrets in the royal pce. Hearing that Xing Yuan knew of its existence, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he continued his questioning. "Then, do you know where in the royal pce it is located?" "If I recall correctly, it should be in the emperors sleeping chamber," Xing Yuan said. "This is a secret of the royal family, so I am not really sure about it either." If it had been someone else, there was no way Xing Yuan would have revealed these secrets so easily. However, he was indebted to Zhang Xuan for saving his life, and he believed in thetters integrity as well. "Sleeping chamber?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He wasnt too sure where the emperors sleeping chamber was, but it shouldnt be too difficult for him to find it if he were to search thoroughly. The emperors sleeping chamber must be in the location filled with powerful defensive formations and patrols in order to ward away assassins. As long as he moved in that direction, he should have no problem finding it. I have to find an opportunity for my soul to slip away and take a look around, Zhang Xuan thought. Given his current cultivation, it would be impossible for him to slip under the radar of the experts in the royal pce and find the emperors sleeping chamber, unless he were to move as a soul. With the intangible property of a soul, as long as he didnt encounter any Saint realm experts specializing in the study of souls, he should be able to avoid detection. With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan turned to ask the youngdy seated beside him, "Qiqi, when does the banquet start?" Luo Qiqi took a look around the surroundings before replying. "Not all of the guests have gathered yet, so I would estimate... around an hour!" "Thats plenty of time. I just had a sudden spurt of inspiration, so I would like to cultivate for a moment. Stand guard for me, dont let anyone interrupt me!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "You want to cultivate here?" Luo Qiqi widened her eyes in shock. We are at a banquet, a ce where people drink, sing, and make merry... and you want to cultivate? "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright then..." Hearing those words, Luo Qiqi couldnt help but feel awed by her teacher. With his diligence, it was no wonder her teacher was able to improve so swiftly. There were very few who could go to this extent. "Thank you." Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan slipped his soul out of his body. Having studied both demonic tunes and terpsichorean arts, his understanding of souls had deepened. This had granted him the ability to better conceal the presence of his own soul, allowing him to slip away from the main hall without catching anyones attention. After slipping out of the main hall, he didnt dart around randomly to search aimlessly. Instead, he flew to a greater altitude and activated his Eye of Insight. In an instant, the many formations set up throughout the royal pce appeared right before his eyes. The ce with the highest concentration of formations is there... Soon, he narrowed down his search to a certain residence. If it had been before, even in his soul state, he wouldnt have dared to venture into an area filled with grade-6 formations. However, after going through the books in the Formation Master School, there was currently no one in the territory of Hongyuan Empire who could match him in the field of formations. No matter how powerful or profound the formations in the royal pce might be, they were no different from unclotheddies, their secrets lying bare for him to see. After maneuvering skillfully around numerous sentries, mechanisms, and formations, he soon arrived at the residence. Chapter 855: Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art Chapter 855: Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Origin Convergence Formation? Standing on the wall of the residence, Zhang Xuan frowned. A grade-7 formation? This wasnt thergest residence within the entire royal pce, but it had the most formidable formation of alla grade-7 formation. A formation of that grade had already surpassed Hongyuan Empires level. It seems like that is the most important ce in the royal pce. The Bodhi Saint Tree must be inside! A glint shed through Zhang Xuans eyes. ording to what Zhong Dingchun said, the Bodhi Saint Tree was the foundation to the royal familys power, so it must be very tightly-guarded. This residence met that requirement perfectly. Whether it would be able to save Wei Ruyan or not, he would just have to enter and take a look for himself. Zhang Xuan began studying the grade-7 formation with his Eye of Insight, but a momentter, he shook his head. With my current cultivation, it will take quite some time to decipher a grade-7 formation... It was possible for him to find the Life Gate and slip in discreetly without rming anyone, but based on his estimations, he would need at least two hours to work it out. Considering the dangers lurking within the royal pce and that the banquet would be starting in an hours time, he couldnt afford to take that much time. I have no choice then! With a thought, Zhang Xuan used his soul energy to pick up a tree branch and toss it into the residence. Weng! Like a rock tossed into calm water, the formation immediately whirred into action, and a series of crisp sounds echoed throughout the area. Countless swords shed across the air, and in an instant, the tree branch was reduced to shreds. It was a powerful ughter Formation! In the moment that the formation activated, Zhang Xuan immediately muttered softly, "ws!" The Library of Heavens Path wasnt able topile books on formations when they were in their dormant stage. Thus, he had to activate it before he could see the problems with it. A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path, and Zhang Xuan swiftly flipped through it. After gaining an understanding of the formation, he immediately headed to the center of the formation and kicked it forcefully. Hu! The formation came to an immediate halt. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan hurriedly made his way into the residence. Other than the ughter Formation set up outside, it didnt seem like there was anything special about the residence. Perhaps due to the banquet, there was not a person in sight. Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned the entire premises, but the Bodhi Saint Tree was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he found several ancient tombstones. Was I mistaken? Zhang Xuan frowned. ording to the information he had received from Zhong Dingchun, the Bodhi Saint Tree was likely to be of the utmost importance to the royal family. However, there was nothing resembling a tree to be found in the courtyard... Perhaps, the safest ce wasnt the most tightly-guarded ce? But assuming that was the case, why would a grade-7 formation be set up there? In order to protect those tombstones? Or could it be that... those tombstones were more valuable than the Bodhi Saint Tree? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan headed to the closest tombstone to take a closer look. Judging from the severe wear and tear, the tombstone was extremely old, possibly having existed for thousands of years. There were severalrge characters inscribed on it. These words were unlike those of a painter; there wasnt any form of unique intent that could be felt from it. In fact, the handwriting was only an inch away from being ssified as hideous. However, for some reason, just by looking at it, Zhang Xuan felt his soul being drawn in by some kind of inexplicable force. Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art! Theserge words were inscribed on the top of the first tombstone. Is this a soul cultivation technique? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It was well-known that the soul was the hardest to cultivate, and this was especially so after the soul oracles went extinct. It was significantly easier and more effective to cultivate ones zhenqi, so there were very few soul cultivators in the world. As such, there werent many soul cultivation technique manuals existent in the world. This was also the reason his soul had reached a bottleneck at Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle, unable to advance any further. He hade to this residence thinking that he would find the Bodhi Saint Tree, but who could have known that he would stumble upon a soul cultivation technique instead! That might not have been much to others since cultivating ones soul was an arduous process with disproportionate returns, but this was definitely a treasure to him. He had received the Transcendent 1-dan to 9-dan cultivation techniques of the soul oracle from Mo Hunsheng, but there were many ws in theter portions, making them unsuitable to be cultivated. Perhaps, with this Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art, he might be able to resolve those ws. "ws!" Zhang Xuan turned his sight to the tombstone, and a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. After the previous experience at the Saint Ascension tform, he knew that he could replicate written content into the Library of Heavens Path through his sight even if it wasnt a book. He quickly did the same for the other tombstones before heaving a sigh of relief. As he was still within the royal pce, and danger was lurking around him, this wasnt the ce for him to process his newfound knowledge. For the time being, he had to get out of the area as soon as possible. However, just as he was about to leave the residence to continue his search for the Bodhi Saint Tree, a bellow suddenly reverberated across the room. "Whos there?" Following which, an immense might came crushing toward his soul. "This is bad!" rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly moved away, dodging the attack by a hairs breadth. After which, he turned around and saw a middle-aged man staring at him intently. The middle-aged man seemed to be in his mid-forties, and he was dressed in posh clothes. He harnessed a powerful aura, whichmanded subservience from others. In his eyes, Zhang Xuan could see vortices that seemed to reflect his existence. An expert specializing in souls... Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in rm. With a swift nce, he could tell that the other party, rather than really seeing him, was able to sense his presence, simr to Wei Ranxue back then. It seemed like it wasnt for no reason that the royal family was able to maintain a tight grasp of power over a country as powerful as Hongyuan Empire. It was filled with experts who could fend off even the elusive soul oracles. "Which brazen vermin dares to barge into the royal pce?" The middle-aged man harrumphed coldly as he sent a punch over. An overwhelming might of a Saint 1-dan pinnacle swiftly tore through space to strike its target. An expert of that caliber was indubitably ranked amid the top power tier in Hongyuan Empire. "Flee!" Zhang Xuan immediately dove out of the residence decisively, knowing that he wouldnt be a match for the middle-aged man. "Trying to flee? Do you think that the royal pce is a ce where you cane and go as you please?" Sensing the presence hiding within the room attempting to flee, the middle-aged mans eyebrows shot up, and he swiftly raised his hand and grabbed firmly. Hong long! A huge palm print fell from the heaven, sealing all of Zhang Xuans paths of escape. He might not be able to see me, but having cultivated his soul, he is able to sense my presence... If this goes on, I might just lose my life here... Trapped, Zhang Xuans soul tensed anxiously. He was in far greater danger currently than when he had encountered Wei Ranxue previously. At the very least, Wei Ranxue seemed to be trying to apprehend him for investigation back then, so she had held back in her attacks. However, this middle-aged man had gone all out from the start, seemingly determined to vanquish him from the face of the world. Considering that he was an unidentified intruder in a seemingly important area of the royal pce at the current moment, it was natural that the other party would be uneasy. Zhang Xuan swiftly moved to dodge the palm strike, but he was still nicked at the edge of his soul, inducing fiery pain upon him. No, this wont do. I wontst long like this. But despite his anxiety, Zhang Xuan didnt allow panic to cloud his rationality. Instead, he swiftly analyzed his current circumstances. His soul cultivation was only at Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle, and against a Saint 1-dan pinnacle opponent, he couldnt possibly hope to stand his ground. But if all he did was evasive maneuvers, he would only be gradually worn thin and die. A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as an idea surfaced in his head. The ughter Formation! With his current strength, it would be impossible for him to defeat the other party. His only hopey in the Origin Convergence Formation set up around the residence. Havingpiled a book on it in the Library of Heavens Path, he had gained a clear grasp of the formationsyout and ws. To escape, he would have to borrow the strength of the formation. Having made up his mind, he immediately darted to the core of the formation. At the same time, the middle-aged man also sent another palm strike at him. With his life on the line, Zhang Xuan dared not hesitate. He immediately kicked the core of the formation forcefully. "Activate!" Hong long! The halted formation immediately came to life, and an abrupt burst of mist shrouded the middle-aged man in an instant. This is my chance! Zhang Xuan thought as he quickly darted out of the residence. Considering that the middle-aged man was able to enter the residence as well, it was likely that he was able to control the formation. In other words, it was only a matter of time before he disabled the formation and came after him. Knowing that he had to get as much distance between him and the middle-aged man as possible, Zhang Xuan fled as fast as he could. "Damn it!" On the other hand, the middle-aged man didnt expect that the intruder would be able to control the formation as well, and he bellowed in frustration. By the time he stepped out of the formation, he was unable to detect the other partys presence anymore. "Just what could it be?" Standing in the air above the residence, the middle-aged man pondered with a livid expression. The content inscribed on the tombstones was profound, and without proper guidance, it was impossible toprehend it. As such, he didnt fear the soul cultivation technique being leaked out. However, to be able to enter the royal pce freely and even control their grade-7 formation... this was way too exaggerated! Had he not sensed the formation in the residence being halted ande to investigate the matter, it was unlikely that the intruder would have been found at all. "It seems like its about time to step up the security of the royal pce..." the middle-aged man muttered. Regardless of whether the intruder was a saint beast or a human, the only thing he could do now was augment the defenses of the royal pce and eliminate the intruder the next time he struck. ... That was a close shave! After fleeing some distance away from the residence, Zhang Xuan dove into a nearby building to conceal himself and decide on his next move. He could easily see through the ws of the formation in the building, so he was able to slip through them easily. Having escaped so far, he should already be out of the other partys detection range by now, and he heaved a sigh of relief. The royal pce of Hongyuan Empire sure was impressive. To think that there would be soul experts in the pce as well! But giving the matter some thought, considering that the Bodhi Saint Tree had the ability to nourish souls, the members of the royal family should possess extraordinarily powerful souls. Paired with some soul techniques, even if they were still far from matching up to the soul oracles, they would still be an incredible force to reckon with. It seemed like the search for the Bodhi Saint Tree wouldnt go smoothly after all. Forget it, the banquet should be starting soon. Its about time for me to make my way back now. With his presence exposed, it was likely that the royal pce would tighten its guard on the Bodhi Saint Tree. His safety would bepromised if he were to continue searching for it. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, he decided to return to the banquet for the time being. In any case, Wei Ruyans condition had been stabilized, so she wouldnt be in danger in the short term. There was no need for him to take such a huge risk at the moment. Thus, he discreetly made his way up to the roof, stared at the countless resplendent buildings and residences that stretched all the way to the horizon, and scratched his head nkly. So... where is the main hall again? Chapter 856: Advancement in Soul Cultivation Chapter 856: Advancement in Soul Cultivation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Fleeing frantically for his life, he did not have the luxury of choosing his path. Thus, he just moved ording to his instincts, heading to wherever it brought him to. To make things worse, the royal pce was massive, and there were many buildings that resembled one another. Staring at the countless buildings in the area, he couldnt help but fall into a daze. To think that the esteemed Principal Zhang of the Master Teacher Academy... would actually get lost! If he was in close proximity to his body, he might have still been able to sense it. However, putting aside the fact that he was quite a distance away at the moment, the royal pce was filled with formations and experts, resulting in a multitude of auras permeating the area, making it nigh impossible for him to sense his physical body. Perhaps, he might be able to find his way around if he were to fly to a sufficiently high altitude, but after the previous incident, he knew that there were soul experts around the royal pce. With his presence made known, he couldnt guarantee that there werent soul experts keeping a lookout over the airspace as well. On top of that, the middle-aged man was likely still looking for him at the moment. He didnt have the confidence to be able to flee from the other party once more. He had been able to catch the other party off-guard with the ughter Formation earlier, but such a trick was unlikely to work twice. As long as I head in single direction persistently, I should be able to get out of the royal pce... Unable to find his direction and daring not to fly high, Zhang Xuan could only resort to the most unsophisticated method in the book. He had once heard that if a person found themself lost inside apletely dark cave, the best way out was to continue advancing forward along the wall. No matter how deep the cave might be, one should eventually be able to find a way out. This was the very method he had decided to employ. With all of the buildings identical to one another, if he were to attempt to return via his original route, putting aside the fact that he could very well bump into the middle-aged man once more, it was questionable whether he would be able to find the main hall or not. Thus, the best option lying before him was to simply continue advancing in a single direction all the way to the end. The royal pce wasrge, but he should eventually reach its end. Once he left the royal pce, he should be able to determine his location and find his way back to the pce entrance and the main hall. Alright, this direction then! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan decided on a direction and began to move. As a soul, he could float over the walls easily. As long as he didnt go too high, it shouldnt be easy for the soul experts in the royal pce to sense him. What was troublesome were the formations in the courtyard and the asional patrols in the area, so he had to move carefully. However, it was fortunate that he possessed the Eye of Insight, and the soul cultivation technique he cultivated was the Heavens Path Soul Art too, allowing him to conceal his aura. Unless it was a Saint realm expert specializing in the study of souls, he should be able to bypass most patrols without an issue. After passing by six residences, a bizarrelyrge residence suddenly appeared before him. What is this ce? What had caught his eye about the residence was the immense Breath Istion Formation set up around the area to conceal what was within. Is there some kind of unspeakable secret concealed inside? Or... could it be that the Bodhi Saint Tree is in there? The main purpose of the Breath Istion Formation was to cast a barrier over the auras within, making it impossible for those outside to sense what was inside. For the ground to be protected by a Breath Istion Formation instead of the usual defensive formations for the other residences, it seemed like there was something really important inside that the royal family was trying to hide. Curious, Zhang Xuan slipped through the Breath Istion Formation and began scanning the area. This seems to be some kind of trial grounds. Am I already out of the pce? The first thing he noticed was that there were many Strength Measuring Rock Pirs scattered throughout the courtyard, reminiscent of a training ground. But the royal pce had its own barracks for soldiers to train at. Why would there be so many Strength Measuring Rock Pirs in thisrge residence? Intrigued, Zhang Xuan wandered around the residence to take a look, and at the other end, he saw two walls lined side by side to form a narrow alley. Closing in, there seemed to be some sort of inscription on two walls. "There are seven conventional ways that one can cultivate ones soul. First, conception of intention. Second, facing ones negative emotions. Third..." There were various pieces of knowledge concerning the soul written on the two walls. These are the bare basics to soul cultivation? Zhang Xuan thought. The content contained on the walls was extremely simplistic, involving only the very basics of soul cultivation. It couldnt even bepared to the Soul Guiding Method, which he had learned from Mo Hunsheng back then. They were only useful to Consonant Spirit realm cultivators, who had just barely begun to start cultivating their souls. The inscriptions extended from one end of the wall to the other. Reading on, Zhang Xuan began to inch deeper into the alley. It seems like the cultivation techniques here are slightly more profound, Zhang Xuan remarked. The knowledge contained on the portion of the wall deeper into the alley was slightly more profound than what he had read earlier on. Even though they still paled greatly inparison to the cultivation techniques of the soul oracles, there was no doubt that they did have the effect of enhancing ones soul energy if practiced diligently. Staring into the depths of the long alley, Zhang Xuan curiously wondered, Does the content get more and more profound the further one proceeds into the alley? Taking a few more steps in, he realized that the content became even more profound yet again. Perhaps, if he were to travel deep enough, the knowledge there could help to resolve the ws existing in his Heavens Path Soul Art! I still have some time before the banquet begins... Lets do it then! So far, it had only been ten minutes since he had left the main hall. He could still afford to explore a little longer. Thus, he proceeded forward. The content on the walls did get more and more profound the further he progressed. Even though it was still useless to him, it was at the level where an ordinary cultivator would consider it as a treasure. Hmm? Why do I feel a slight pressure on my soul? Proceeding slightly deeper, just as the end was in sight, he suddenly realized that there was some kind of force in his surroundings exerting pressure on his soul. However, it was extremely weak. If he wasnt paying any notice to it, he wouldnt have even felt it. Regardless of what it is, I should finish reading through the content on the walls first! Knowing that there were profound soul cultivation techniques ahead of him, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward without any hesitation. To him, the number of ws in a soul cultivation technique didnt matter. As long as he could gather a sufficient number of them to form a Heavens Path Soul Art, that would be enough. Thus, he took in all of the inscriptions on the wall without discriminating among them. Wherever his gaze fell, the writings inscribed in the area would appear in the Library of Heavens Path in the form of a book. By the time he reached the end of the alley, theplexity of the cultivation technique was already nearing the level of the Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art. It still wasnt particrly profound, but at the very least, it wasnt as unseemly as those he had seen earlier on. At this point, the truth finally dawned on Zhang Xuan. From the basics to the advanced, this should be an area where the offspring of the royal family cultivate their soul... The content at the very start of the alley was aimed at those who had just started cultivating their souls, and the profoundness deepened gradually the further one advanced. At the very end, the knowledge had begun to ovep with the stone tablets he had seen earlier. Those who had reached this point should have already achieved a deep understanding of souls, not to his level perhaps, but at least on par with the middle-aged man he had encountered earlier. Considering that these were valuable and rare soul cultivation techniques, it was no wonder the stone tablets he had encountered earlier were guarded by a grade-7 ughter Formation, and this residence was concealed a Breath Istion Formation. After reading the final writing on the wall, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. But still, these soul cultivation techniques are still far too basic... Ordinary cultivators might find these soul cultivation techniques profound, but as one who had inherited the heritage of the soul oracles, they were still too basic. To make an analogy, it was like a college student taking on a junior school students work. Nevertheless, one thing praiseworthy about it was that even though the cultivation techniques were simple, they were well-structured andplete, and it was definitely possible to cultivate a powerful soul expert through it. It must have taken the royal family quite a lot of effort to gather and organize this. Turning his gaze away from the walls, Zhang Xuan saw an average-sized round door at the end of the alley. Seemingly fortified by some kind of power, it stood tightly-shut. He moved over to the door and attempted to push it open, only to find that it wouldnt budge. Humph! With a frown, Zhang Xuan gathered his soul energy and pushed forcefully. Kacha! The round door was sted open, revealing a vast hall ahead. Curious, Zhang Xuan moved into the hall. Hong long! As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the premises, he immediately felt a massive force crushing down on his soul, threatening to tear it apart. Humph! Zhang Xuan immediately drove his Heavens Path Soul Art and a golden glow rippled across his soul, significantly reducing the pressure exerted on him. With his difort alleviated, he began to scan the room, and he swiftly found the culprit behind the crushing force on his soulfour glowing statues. The statues were tall and powerfully-built. Two wielded swords while the remaining two wielded massive sabers. They emanated a powerful aura around them that exerted a huge pressure on those who entered the room. Those who werecking in their soul cultivation might just find their souls dissipating in the face of that immense force. One thing that Zhang Xuan swiftly noted about the hall after his recovery was that the spiritual energy in the area was extremely concentrated, to the point that it was nearly tangible. It was simr to the sensation he had felt when he first entered the Lake Eye of the Cleansing Lake. Wait... This spiritual energy has the property of nourishing souls? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. As souls tended to be more fragilepared to physical bodies, they needed to be nourished by more soothing spiritual energy. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been so troubled over Wei Ruyans illness. But while this spiritual energy can nourish souls, given that Wei Ruyan is still unconscious at the moment, even if I were to bring her here, she wouldnt be able to absorb it either... While the spiritual energy had the ability to nourish souls, Wei Ruyan couldnt absorb and assimte it into her soul given herck of consciousness. This was also the reason why Zhang Xuan eventually chose to transfer her soul to a saint herb to nourish it. But while she is unable to do so, I can. If I can strengthen my soul before treating her, I will be able to raise my chances of saving her! With a stronger soul, he would be able to utilize his means as a soul oracle more effectively, which would be vital in rousing Wei Ruyans consciousness. I should first see if I canpile the subsequent levels of the Heavens Path Soul Art first... With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! With a silentmand, hepiled the soul oracle cultivation technique he had obtained from Mo Hunsheng with the numerous books that he had just collected. Flipping it open, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. A perfect Ethereal Treading realm Heavens Path Soul Art... Bypiling the Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art and the other soul cultivation techniques here along with Mo Hunshengs soul oracle cultivation technique, he had sessfully produced the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Heavens Path Soul Art! With a dense concentration of spiritual energy optimized for a souls absorption in the area, this was a good opportunity for him to raise his soul cultivation from Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle. Thus, without any hesitation, he immediately sat down. Driving the Ethereal Treading realm Heavens Path Soul Art, his massive soul seemed to have turned into a Spirit Gathering Formation in an instant. The surrounding spiritual energy was swiftly drawn around him and disappeared into his soul. Gugugugu! Zhang Xuans soul cultivation swiftly rose. Hong long! Before long, with a crisp echo, he had managed to achieve a breakthrough to Ethereal Treading realm. Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage. Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage. Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle! Half an hourter, his cultivation had already reached Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, and his strength rose to 20,000,000 ding! Great! With the breakthrough in his soul cultivation, his analytical ability had been enhanced, and his spirit had grown even more lively. By the time he looked at his surroundings once more, he realized that he had devoured nearly all of the spiritual energy in the room. The four statues before him had also lost their glow, seemingly on the verge of breaking apart after being deprived of their energy source. Chapter 857: Who Is the Principal? Chapter 857: Who Is the Principal? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In Hongyuan royal pce, two young men dressed invish clothing were walking side by side. Both of them seemed to be in their early twenties, and their cultivation was both at Perfect Harmonization realm as well. "Fifth Brother, are you challenging the trial today as well?" the younger of the duo asked with a smile. "Sixth Sister has managed to clear four trials after her previous breakthrough. As her elder brother, how can I lose out to her? If I cant match her at the very least, Father might just start looking down on me!" the man addressed as Fifth Brother replied with a glint in his eyes. The older of the duo was the Fifth Prince of Hongyuan Empire, Yu Hong, and the younger was the Eighth Prince, Yu Zheng. "Even the most talented of us siblings, our Third Brother, only managed to clear the third trial when he was at Perfect Harmonization realm. Yet, Sixth Sister managed to clear the fourth trial. She sure is amazing! In fact, it is after hearing about her matter that I came over today to see if I can surpass my previous limit and reach higher grounds!" Yu Zheng nodded. "The Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway works wonders in tempering ones soul, but it also exerts immense pressure on it as well. Without a resilient mind, it could result in loss of consciousness or even a trauma in ones soul. You have been dispatched to guard the borders until recently, so it must have been a long time since you have cultivated your soul. If you find yourself reaching your limit, dont force yourself to continue. You can always try again another time," Yu Hong advised. "Dont worry, Fifth Brother. I might have been guarding the border, but I havent cked on my training either. Even if I cant clear the third trial, I think I should still be able to get pretty far," Yu Zheng said confidently. Yu Hong nodded. "Thats good." ... Soon, the duo arrived at the alley that Zhang Xuan had gone through previously. "Lets start then!" Exchanging nces, the duo stepped into the passageway simultaneously with grim expressions. However, in just a few steps, they could already feel an overwhelming pressure crushing their soul, and their bodies began to sway unsteadily. Cold sweat began flowing down their backs. "Hold on!" The duo exchanged nces before clenching their teeth and pushing onward. As they ventured deeper into the passageway, their bodies began shaking more and more intensely. Pu! Yu Zheng was the first one to cave in. Spurting a mouthful of blood, his body abruptly fell to the ground. Sighing deeply, he said, "Fifth Brother, I cant go on any further. I guess I am still stuck on the second trial for the time being... Good luck!" "Thanks!" Yu Hong squeezed out through his clenched teeth before trudging forward arduously. Inscribed on the walls of the passageway were soul cultivation techniques, but if one wanted to read them, one would have to endure the increasing pressure on their soul from the passageway. Each trial was roughly five meters, and there was a total of nine trials in the passageway. If a Perfect Harmonization realm could clear the third trial, he could already be considered a talented soul cultivator. Pu! A few more stepster, Yu Hongs face paled. His knees caved in, and he fell to the ground as well. Even though he had been diligently cultivating his soul day and night, he was still unable to clear the third trial! "I am still too weak..." The two princes looked at one another and shook their heads in frustration. Hearing that the Sixth Princess had managed to clear the fourth trial had motivated them to give the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway another try, but their results still didnt live up to their expectations. This passageway was simply far too difficult! After resting for a moment and feeling the stabbing pain in their heads disappear, they stood up and left the premises. "It seems like we are still too weak... I guess the current record holder is still Sixth Sister, right?" Yu Zheng asked. "I would think so. Lets go and take a look..." Yu Hong nodded. The duo walked up to a wall outside the passageway, and Yu Hong ced his palm on it lightly. This wall was known as the Wall of Records, and it detailed the results of the current record holder of the passageways challengers. Weng! With a slight buzz, a few words appeared on the Wall of RecordsFirst Trial: Two Breaths! "Two breaths? Sixth Sister cleared the first trial in two breaths? That is unbelievable!" Yu Zheng widened his eyes in astonishment. "That is impossible! Even if she can reach the fourth trial, it shouldnt be possible for her to clear the first trial in two breaths... Lets take a look at her result for the second trial..." Yu Hong frowned in bewilderment as he swiped his hand on the wall. Weng! Yet another row of words appearedSecond Trial: Two Breaths! "Two breaths again?" The duo stared at one another in disbelief. They hurriedly swiped the wall once again. Weng! Third Trial: Two Breaths! Fourth Trial: Two Breaths! Fifth Trial: Two Breaths! Sixth Trial: Two Breaths! ... All the way up to the ninth trial, the recorded challenger had only used two breaths. "Someone managed to clear the ninth trial... and in two breaths for all of them at that?" The two princes exchanged nces, and they could see sheer horror reflected in the others eyes. Was this for real? They couldnt even clear the third trial, and yet someone managed to clear all of the nine trials in two breaths each, no more and no less? Was the person strolling instead of challenging the trials? "The person who made the existing record didnt leave their name behind," Yu Zheng noted. After a moment of contemtion, Yu Hong said, "Lets call Uncle Bai here. He is in charge of this passageway, so he probably has some way of finding the person who left the record!" "Alright!" The duo left the passageway hurriedly, and not too longter, they returned with a middle-aged man following behind them. If Zhang Xuan were there, he would surely be able to recognize the middle-aged man as the Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert he had encountered back in the residence filled with stone tablets. "What happened for you two to call me over so anxiously?" Uncle Bai asked with his eyebrows knitted tightly together. He was in the midst of pursuing that intruding soul, and he didnt have time to waste with these two princes. "Uncle Bai, did you or my father challenge the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway in thest two days? How do you expect us to break the record you left there?" Yu Hong asked with a bitter smile. "What are you saying? Why would we challenge the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway?" Uncle Bai replied with a deep frown. He had been spending his time studying the ancient stone tablets in recent years, so how could he have the time to spare to challenge the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway. This was even more so for Yu Shenqing, the emperor of Hongyuan Empire. With an endless stream of work on his hands, he couldnt possibly find the time to challenge the passageway either. "But... if isnt my father or you, who else could have left that record?" Hearing Uncle Bai deny the matter, Yu Hong hurriedly ced his palm on the Wall of Records once more. Weng! The records reflected previously appeared again. "T-t-two breaths?" Uncle Bais body staggered weakly, and he nearly fainted from shock. "Even with His Majestys and my cultivation, we can only reach the eighth trial. Furthermore, beyond the sixth trial, every single step made will take us a very long time, and it could easily take up to an hour for us to clear the trial. To seed in just two breaths... J-just who could it be?" Uncle Bai was in disbelief as well. The Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway was created by an old ancestor of the Yu n to challenge theter generations. The pressure emanated by the passageway had the astounding effect of tempering souls, and it was due to this that the Yu n was reputed for its soul cultivation amid the many Tier-1 Empires. Countless outstanding geniuses had emerged in the Yu n over the years, but still, no one had seeded in clearing the ninth trial to enter the hall... So how could there be a record reflected for the ninth trial? Not to mention, two breaths? If he recalled correctly, there wasnt such a record when Yu Fei-er challenged the passageway yesterday aftering out of her seclusion... "Could it be..." Uncle Bais eyes narrowed as he recalled the soul he had encountered earlier. "No, I have to check the hall..." Realizing what could have happened, he quickly circumvented the passageway and headed to the hall lying behind it. As the manager of the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway, he had the authority to enter the hall even without clearing the passageway itself. Pushing open the door, he rushed into the hall, and what he saw left his eyelids twitching uncontrobly. The dense concentration of spiritual energy that should have been inside the hall had disappeared without a trace, and the four ancestral sculptures that were used to temper the souls ofter generations had lost their glow. With a touch, hu!, the sculptures crumbled to the ground. "Damn it... Just who is that fellow?!" Uncle Bai felt as if he was going insane. Harnessed in this hall was the overwhelming aura of their ancestors, and had he not been the manager of the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway, he would have never dared to enter the grounds. Who could the intruder have been to be able to enter the hall and reduce it to such a state? To be able to achieve this feat, just how powerful must his soul be? "No, I must report this matter to His Majesty immediately..." rmed, Uncle Bai hurriedly rushed to the main hall, where Yu Shenqing was. ... In a majestic assembly room of the royal pce, Yu Shenqing had just finished going through the reports and was currently closing his eyes for a short rest. An old eunuch walked into the room and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Master Teacher Academy has sent a notice saying that the inauguration ceremony for the seeding principal will be held in three days, and they have invited Your Majesty to witness the ceremony!" "Un, understood. Tell them that I will be there!" Yu Shenqing nodded. Even though the Master Teacher Academy was located within Hongyuan Empire, in terms of standing and influence, he could be said to be beneath the academys principal. Upon bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, that person could be said to have be the number one figure of Hongyuan Empire. Even he, despite being the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, wouldnt dare to treat the principal with the slightest disrespect. The old eunuch nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty!" "Right, did they mention who the seeding principal will be?" Shen Yuqing asked. "Your Majesty, they didnt reveal who the seeding principal will be, but they did mention that Mu shi from the headquarters will be overseeing the inauguration ceremony personally!" the eunuch replied. "Mu shi? You are referring to 7-star master teacher Mu Yuan?" Yu Shenqings eyes lit up in agitation. "Yes, Your Majesty!" "If he is going to be overseeing the ceremony personally, the principal must be either Lu Feng or Zhao Bingxu. Send someone in to ask about the identity of the seeding principal so that we can prepare an appropriate gift in advance!" Yu Shenqing waved his hands. Lu Feng and Zhao Bingxu had different main supporting upations, so their interests differed as well. If it was Lu Feng, they would have to prepare some valuable medicinal herbs. If it was Zhao Bingxu, they would have to prepare some precious ores. The fate of Hongyuan Empire was intricately linked with the Master Teacher Academy. If he could win the favor of the new principal, he might be able to consolidate the royal authority that the Yu n wielded. The old eunuch frowned. "But Your Majesty, since they didnt reveal the identity of the seeding principal in the notice, I am afraid that we might not be able to receive an answer from them." If the other party didnt reveal to them who the new principal was, it could only mean that they had a reason for doing so. Since that was the case, the result would be the same no matter how many times they asked for it. Yu Shenqing waved his hands casually. "Tell them that it is a personal request from me, the school heads should at least give me some leeway. Besides, its no big deal to learn of the identity of the next principal in advance." As the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, even if his standing couldnt be matched with the principal, he could at least be considered an equal to the Ten Great Master Teachers. If they were to ask under his name, the other party should speak. "Yes, Your Majesty!" the old eunuch nodded. "Right, has Fei-ers birthday banquet begun yet?" Yu Shenqing suddenly asked. "As Your Majesty is still here, we dare not start the banquet yet..." "I see. Tell her I will be heading over now..." Yu Shenqing said as he stood up from his throne. "Right, is that Zhang Xuan fellow here yet?" "Reporting to Your Majesty, Zhang shi is currently seated in the main hall!" "Has he caused any trouble yet?" Yu Shenqing asked with a frown. "He has been sitting quietly ever since his arrival. He must be lying low, knowing that he is currently in the royal pce..." The old eunuch knew that Shen Yuqing was interested in Zhang Xuan, so he had been keeping an eye out for his affairs. "Good!" Shen Yuqing nodded. "Lets go over to take a look!" Thus, he began making his way toward the main hall, where the banquet was held. Chapter 858: Zhang Xuan, Rejected! Chapter 858: Zhang Xuan, Rejected! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I am finally out! After cultivating his soul to the Ethereal Treading realm, Zhang Xuan had left the residence and continued moving straight, and soon, he managed to escape from the royal pce. Upon leaving the pce, he scanned his surroundings and swiftly deduced where he was. After which, he suppressed his aura to the bare minimum and swiftly made his way through to the main entrance of the royal pce and then the main hall where the banquet was held. As soon as he entered the main hall, he immediately darted back to his body before heaving a huge sigh of relief. In his short journey, even though he failed to find the Bodhi Saint Tree, he did manage topile the Ethereal Treading realm Heavens Path Soul Art, so it wasnt aplete waste of time. Also, he managed to get an insight into theyout and security of the royal pce, especially regarding the existence of soul cultivators in the pce. With this knowledge, he would be able to better n his movements the next time. Seeing Zhang Xuan open his eyes, Luo Qiqi, who sat beside him, asked, "Teacher, are you done cultivating?" Shed had the scare of her life when her teacher started cultivating. Not only did his breathing stop, even his heartbeat had disappeared as well. If he hadnt told her that he was cultivating in advance, she would have thought that he was already dead. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Has the banquet begun yet?" "Not yet, but it should be starting soon. All of the guests have arrived," replied Luo Qiqi. Coincidentally, at that moment, a eunuch outside suddenly announced, "Her Highness has arrived!" Everyone swiftly turned their gazes to the doorway, and they saw a beautiful figure slowly making her way in; it was Yu Fei-er. She was dressed in a purple dress embedded with innumerable gemstones, and it glowed beautifully beneath the light of the Night Illumination Pearls. She had light make-up on, which further entuated her beautiful facial features, sending the hearts of men leaping uncontrobly. She was simply too beautiful! "Your Highness!" A fiery passion lit up in Shen Juns eyes upon seeing Yu Fei-er, and he hurriedly rushed forward to greet her. However, Yu Fei-er paid him no heed, walking straight past him. Her beady eyes scanned the hall swiftly, and before long, she found Zhang shis figure. "Zhang shi, Qiqi, you are all here!" With a delighted expression, she rushed up to the group excitedly. Even though she had sent an invitation letter to Zhang shi, she wasnt sure whether he would reallye. After all, considering thetters personality, he would probably have no qualms snubbing even the royal family. Thus, upon seeing him, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Fei-er, you are really beautiful today!" Luo Qiqiplimented earnestly. In terms of beauty, the both of them could be considered equal, each possessing their own unique charms. However, Yu Fei-er had dressed up meticulously today, allowing her to grab the spotlight as soon as she stepped into the room. "Brother Shen, isnt that the greedy fellow you spoke of?" Liu gongzi asked Shen Jun doubtfully. Didnt you talk to him earlier? Why does it seem like Princess Yu Fei-er is more concerned with him than you? "Humph!" Shen Juns expression turned livid. Even without Liu gongzi pointing it out, he could see it clearly. Privately, he had already viewed Yu Fei-er as his woman, and he had been destroying all rivals who dared stand in his path. Even Xing Yuan had been utterly defeated by him, so where did this fellow pop up from? He had thought that that fellow was just an insignificant figure, but from the looks of it now, that wasnt the case! "Sixth Princess, it has been too long since west met. Knowing that its your birthday, I specially prepared this for you..." Concealing his displeasure in the depths of his heart, he put on a warm smile before walking up to Yu Fei-er once more and presented a jade box to her. Weng! A dense concentration of spiritual energy gushed out from within, leaving those standing before it feeling energized and spirited. "This is... the inner core of a Saint 1-dan Water Serpent?" someone amid the crowd eximed in shock. "The inner core of a saint beast?" "What an incredible gift!" Hearing that voice, amotion broke out in the main hall. Everyone was shocked. Relishing the shocked expressions of the crowd, Shen Jun chuckled lightly and exined gleefully, "Indeed, this is the inner core of a Saint 1-dan Water Serpent. I heard that it has the ability to nourish a cultivators body, and if one wears it frequently, it can help to calm their state of mind and enhance their cultivation speed. As such, I specially made the trip to the depths of the ocean to obtain one for Your Highness!" The Water Serpent wasnt a member of the Dragon Tribe; it was only a unique saint beast living in the deep oceans. Nevertheless, its inner core was a highly sought after artifact due to the incredible properties it possessed. If a cultivator wore it on them often, it could increase their rate of cultivation and strengthen their body. As such, its inner core was easily worth hundreds of high-tier spirit stones. As expected of Shen Jun, his hand was indeed amazing. In an instant, the gifts that the others had prepared for the princess seemed to pale inparison. "Thank you..." Yu Fei-er also hadnt expected Shen Jun to present her with such a valuable gift. Nevertheless, she gracefully took the gift and stowed it in her storage ring. As the princess of Hongyuan Empire, she had seen plenty of treasures in her time. The inner core of a Water Serpent might be valuable, but it wasnt enough to make her lose her nerve. "It is my pleasure!" Seeing Yu Fei-er ept his present, Shen Juns lips curled up in delight. He turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Today is Her Highnesss birthday. May I know what gift Brother Zhang has prepared for her?" In an instant, all gazes fell upon Zhang Xuan. They had also noticed that the princess had walked straight up to this Zhang shi after entering the hall. No matter how slow they were, it was clear that Shen Jun was challenging his love rival. "Me? I didnt prepare one." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had only learned that it was Yu Fei-er birthday right before stepping into the main hall, so how could he have the time to prepare a gift in advance? He had always been poor, so he couldnt afford a treasure like the other partys Saint realm Water Serpents inner core. Besides, even if he had such a treasure in his possession, he also couldnt bring himself to give it to Yu Fei-er anyway. After all, his rtionship with her wasnt as close as with Luo Qiqi. Since it was a fact that he had no gift, he might as well admit it candidly. "You didnt prepare one? Cough cough!" Shen Jun had prepared lines in advance to put Zhang Xuan down as soon as he took out his gift, but upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, he nearly choked on his own words. He had thought that by putting down Zhang Xuans gift, he could quash thetters pride while highlighting his own sincerity, but who could have known that the other party hadnt even brought one? The crowd was dumbfounded by the revtion as well. To think that there would be a person who didnt prepare anything while attending the princesss birthday banquet... Are you sure that you arent teasing us? Recovering from his surprise, Shen Jun sneered coldly, "Brother Zhang, your joke isnt funny at all! It is out of sincerity that Her Highness has invited us to her birthday banquet, so it is natural that we should reciprocate with a gift... and yet, you arrived empty-handed. Dont you think that this is greatly disrespectful to Her Highness?" Yu Fei-ers face darkened upon hearing Shen Juns words. "Shen Jun, what do you mean by those words? Zhang shi is my guest!" Seeing that the princess was speaking up for Zhang Xuan, Shen Jun felt his blood boiling in rage. "Your Highness, it is your birthday today, and we have all prepared gifts for you. Yet, Zhang shi chose toe empty-handed. It is clear that he is disrespecting you!" "He..." Yu Fei-er was just about to say that she hadnt told Zhang Xuan that it was her birthday banquet when she saw Zhang Xuan waving his hands casually. "Does a gift truly signify respect for a person? Does the value of a gift really signify how much respect one has for another? So... are you implying that the reason Her Highness invited everyone to this banquet is to demand gifts from everyone?" Zhang Xuan asked with a sharp glint in his eyes. "In your eyes, is Her Highness a petty person who pursues little gains?" "This... That is not what I mean!" Not expecting the other party to twist his words in such a manner, Shen Junsplexion turned awful. "What I am saying is that the fact you chose to arrive empty-handed signifies yourck of respect for Her Highness..." "So, in other words, you are saying that myck of gift signifies ack of respect, and your valuable gift signifies a great deal of respect. In the end, arent you still implying that Her Highness is only interested in the gifts and not the people giving them?" Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly and said, "To insult Her Highness like that, just what malicious intentions do you have?" "Stop spouting nonsense! When did I insult Her Highness?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was pinning such a huge sin on him, Shen Jun turned to Yu Fei-er anxiously and said, "Your Highness, dont listen to his words. This isnt what I meant..." On the other hand, Luo Qiqi, who had been watching the farce from the side, nearly burst intoughter. Her teachers mouth sure was a formidable weapon. It is one thing for you not to bring a gift to a Fei-ers birthday banquet, but to think that you can still take pride in it, arguing unabashedly that the other party was insulting Fei-er by bringing a gift here... The crowd was also dumbstruck by the turn of events. They had all prepared gifts of their own as well, but given the current circumstances... if they were to present them, it would look as if they were implying that the princess was a superficial person who was only interested in material gains. Yet, if they didnt present them, it would seem as if they were being disrespectful... Conflicted, their faces scrunched up tightly as if they were suffering from constipation. Interrupting in Shen Juns apology, Yu Fei-er flung her sleeves and harrumphed. "Alright, that is enough. I have invited everyone here today just to get together. If anyone dares to present me with another present, I will ask you to leave and never return. I, Yu Fei-er, will not wee you in the royal pce!" "I..." Shen Juns face turned livid, and he clenched his fists tightly together. After going through so much trouble to obtain such a valuable gift, he had thought that he would be able to win the princess fancy. Who would have thought that not only did his gift not delight her, it even incurred her ire instead! What was this? He had truly made a huge loss this time around. Its all that fellows fault! ring at Zhang Xuan coldly, Shen Jun flung his sleeves furiously and returned to his seat. He was currently in a disadvantageous position. The more he talked, the deeper he would err. As such, he decided to back down silently for the moment. In any case, as long as the fellow remained in Hongyuan City, he would surely be able to find a chance to teach him a lesson in the future. To think that a day woulde when he, despite being the sessor of the Shen n and reaching a Chrysalis realm pinnacle at such a young age, would suffer such a setback in the hands of a twenty-year-old brat. Just the thought of it left him incredibly stifled inside. ... Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan ignored the infuriated Shen Jun and turned his eyes to Yu Fei-er and asked, "Are you currently cultivating your soul?" While he snuck around the royal pce in his soul form earlier, even though he had failed to find the Bodhi Saint Tree, he did notice that the royal family seemed to pay quite a bit of attention to the cultivation of the soul. Since Yu Fei-er was a member of royalty as well, she should have dabbled in soul cultivation. "I did cultivate my soul for a while." Yu Fei-er nodded as she gazed at Zhang Xuan doubtfully, unsure of what he was up to. "I learned from Xing Yuan earlier that your royal family specializes in soul cultivation, so I spent some time a moment ago to tailor a soul cultivation technique for you. Consider it my birthday gift to you!" Zhang Xuan told her telepathically. He had secretly learned the soul cultivation secret arts of the royal family and devoured an entire halls worth of spiritual energy dry... Given that he had taken so much from the other party, it was imperative that he returned the favor. "A soul cultivation technique tailored for me?" "Un, I came up with it while musing over the quintessence of demonic tunes and terpsichorean arts. It has a high affinity with your constitution!" Zhang Xuan replied. His inheritance of the soul oracles heritage was a secret that he couldnt reveal, and he couldnt possibly tell the other party that he had secretly learned their soul cultivation secret arts either. Thus, he could only try to cover it by using his high mastery as a demonic tunist and terpsichore as a front. In any case, he stood at the peak for those two upations in the Master Teacher Academy, so there was no one who was sufficiently qualified to question him. "This..." After a moment of hesitation, Yu Fei-er clenched his teeth and said, "I... dont want it!" "You dont want it?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Since the cultivation technique was from him, there was no doubt about its prowess. At the very least, it was several times stronger than the Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art! Yet, the other party said she didnt want it! To think that an impartation from the principal of the Master Teacher Academy... would actually be turned down! This... what was going on? Chapter 859: Yu Shenqings Suspicions Chapter 859: Yu Shenqings Suspicions Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I am delighted that Zhang shi has specially tailored a cultivation technique for me, but... I cant ept it!" Yu Fei-er shook her head. Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, "You do understand how valuable a cultivation technique from me is, right? As long as you cultivate it, your soul cultivation will potentially increase manyfold!" Those were not empty words. Even if it was a simplified of Heavens Path Soul Art, the essence of demonic tunes, terpsichorean arts, and the Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art were infused into it. If Yu Fei-er were to study it, her soul cultivation would surely rise by leaps and bounds. It would just be a matter of time before she surpassed the emperor or even the middle-aged man from before. "It is precisely because I know that it is valuable that I cant ept it," Yu Fei-er said hesitantly. "Why dont I buy it from you instead?" If she were to ept Zhang Xuans cultivation technique without giving anything in return, it would be equivalent to acknowledging Zhang Xuan as her half-teacher. In the Master Teacher Academy, traditions were extremely important, and the order between a teacher and a student had to be respected. If she were to be Zhang Xuans student, everything else that she hoped for would be a pipe dream. However, it would be a different matter if she were to purchase it from Zhang Xuan. Upon Yu Fei-ers insistence, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. "... Alright then!" He lifted his forefinger and tapped the other partys forehead. Weng! Yu Fei-ers body jolted, and aplete set of cultivation techniques emerged in her consciousness. "This..." With just a single nce, her eyes bulged from their sockets, and she couldnt stop her body from trembling in agitation. The set of cultivation techniques she had just received was simply too profound. It was far stronger than the one she was currently cultivating! "This is simply too valuable; I dont think I can afford it. I will report it to my father and have himpensate you duly..." Yu Fei-er hurriedly said with her face flushed. She had thought that no matter how powerful the set of cultivation techniques Zhang Xuan came up with was, it couldnt possibly be more formidable than the secret arts passed down in their lineage. However, from her very first nce, she realized that before Zhang Xuans set of cultivation techniques, her ns secret arts were nothing at all. Even if she were to hand the secret arts to him, he might not even be willing to spare them a single nce. This was how big the difference was. "Im fine with anything." Zhang Xuan waved his hands, indicating that he wasnt bothered. Raising his soul cultivation could boost his chances at saving Wei Ruyan, so he had made the decision to absorb the spiritual energy within the mysterious hall in the royal pce. Nevertheless, he felt guilty about the matter, so he had decided to repay the favor by imparting a set of soul cultivation techniques to them. As for how the other party decided to deal with this matter, that was no longer under his control. While they were discussing this matter with one another, Shen Juns face was progressively turning darker and darker, and it looked as if he would explode at any moment. At this very moment, he felt as if a grassy field had sprouted above his head. 1 As the duo weremunicating telepathically, he had no way of telling what they were saying. However, there was a moment when Zhang Xuan had struck Yu Fei-ers forehead lightly, and thetters face had turned red in embarrassment... How could they flirt so openly before him, treating him as if he were invisible? "Damn it, damn it! Liu Quan, look into the background of that fellow when we returnter!" Shen Jun spat through gritted teeth as he crushed the wine cup in his hand with immense force. He had only returned to the capital not too long ago, so he wasnt aware of the recent happenings. On top of that, Zhang Xuans full name hadnt been revealed in the introduction, so it was inevitable that he wasnt able to recognize him. "Alright!" Liu Quan nodded. "Since he is a student of the Master Teacher Academy as well... When I left earlier, my father told me a new principal will be inaugurated at the Master Teacher Academy in three days, and he said that he would take me to watch. We can make use of that opportunity to bring in a few men to pummel that fellow so as to teach him a lesson!" "Thats a good n. It is decided then; I will bring a few of my men there as well. I swear that I will pummel him until he is forced to crawl on the floor to search for his fallen teeth..." Shen Jun sneered viciously. ... Right after leaving the residence, Uncle Bai headed right for the assembly room where Yu Shenqing should have been. However, when he arrived at the assembly room, a eunuch walked up to him and said, "Reporting to the Seventh King, today is the Sixth Princesss birthday, so His Majesty has gone to the main hall to attend her banquet." "Alright, I will head there now." Not daring to waste a single moment, Uncle Bai rushed all the way to the main hall, and finally, at the main halls entrance, he caught up with the emperor and his entourage. "Brother..." Uncle Bai hurriedly called out. "Mubai, for you to be in such a rush, whats wrong?" Yu Shenqing frowned. Uncle Bais full name was Yu Mubai, and he was the Seventh King of Hongyuan Empire, as well as Yu Shenqings blood-rted younger brother. "The matter is like this. I went to the stone tablets earlier in order to decipher them..." Knowing that this matter was of grave importance, Yu Mubai hurriedly exined everything that he had encountered in detail. "You are saying that a soul-like object has appeared in the royal pce, and the Soul Tempering Hall has been destroyed? On top of that, someone managed to clear the ninth trial of the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway, using only two breaths for each of the trials?" Yu Shenqings body staggered as he shook his head in disbelief. As the emperor of a Tier-1 Empire, he had heard of many huge matters throughout his life. Yet, when he heard the other partys ount, he felt as if his head was unable to keep up. As the head of the Yu n, he knew full well how difficult the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway was. Even with his prowess, in the face of that crushing pressure, he was still unable to clear the eighth trial Yet, someone had managed to clear even the ninth trial in just two breaths... and that wasnt all. That person had even rushed into the Soul Tempering Hall and absorbed all of the spiritual energy contained in the area, causing the ancestral sculptures to shatter... How powerful must that persons soul be? "Thats right!" Yu Mubai nodded as he looked at Yu Shenqing worriedly. "Your Majesty, shall we activate the Great Pce Defensive Formation to capture that fellow?" The Great Pce Defensive Formation was capable of stopping even Saint 3-dan experts. Even if the enemy they were facing was intangible, they were certain that they could trap him with it. Yu Shenqing shook his head. "That wont do. The moment that we activate the formation, pandemonium could very possibly break out in the royal pce. Furthermore, considering that his presence has been exposed, chances are that he has already gotten away." Unless the empire was on the brink of destruction, the Great Pce Defensive Formation shouldnt be activated. Otherwise, putting aside the pandemonium in the pce, it could cause huge unrest among the popce as well, knowing that the country was threatened. If so, not even he, as the emperor, could shoulder the responsibility. Besides, until this point, they were still unsure of what they were dealing with. Even if they were to activate the formation and trap that fellow, considering the size of the royal pce, it wouldnt be easy to find him either, considering the limited clues they had. "What should we do then?" After a moment of contemtion, Yu Shenqing said, "Increase the number of patrols in the royal pce, and if they find any suspicious individuals, we will send in experts immediately to apprehend that person!" "Alright!" Yu Mubai nodded. "For the time being, dont tell anyone of this matter. The moment you receive any news, report to me immediately. That will be all. I have to attend Fei-ers birthday banquet now." Yu Shenqing waved his hands. He was enraged that someone had barged into the Soul Tempering Hall and destroyed their ancestral sculptures as well, but as the emperor of a nation, he couldnt allow his emotions to supersede his rationality. After leaving behind those words, he turned around and continued making his way to the main hall. At that moment, he noticed that the old eunuch beside him had his eyebrows tightly knitted together. "If you have any thoughts in mind, feel free to speak!" Yu Shenqing said nonchntly. The old eunuch had been with him for many years now. He knew that on top of being a Saint realm expert, the old eunuch possessed keen intellect, which allowed him to see through many matters as well. "Your Majesty, wherever Zhang shi has gone, pandemonium ensued. Even his manor wasnt spared from his antics... He also happens to be in the royal pce tonight, so could it be possible that... he has something to do with that matter?" the old eunuch asked. There was simply something bizarre about Zhang Xuan. Wherever he went, destruction and misfortune seemed to follow right behind... Knowing that he would attend the banquet tonight, they had invited several formation masters in to prevent any idents from urring... But who could say for sure that it was foolproof? Take this matter for example, while the main hall had been spared, the Soul Tempering Hall had been destroyed instead... Could Zhang Xuan have had something to do with this? "Him?" Yu Shenqing frowned. The old eunuchs words were groundless and seemingly ridiculous, but when supported by the various rumors regarding Zhang Xuan that they had heard earlier, this hypothesis wasntpletely illogical. The mess that fellow had caused over the past half a month could leave even his eyebrows twitching uncontrobly. If there was a person who could aplish what Yu Mubai had just described, that fellow was definitely a huge suspect! "But didnt he arrive an hour and a half ago, and he hasnt left his seat since then, right?" Yu Shenqing asked. "Yes, Your Majesty. However, he was sitting in a daze on his seat for more than an hour in that duration!" the eunuch replied. "He was sitting in a daze on his seat?" "Thats right, Your Majesty. If what the Seventh King said was true, and the intruder is truly a soul, could it be that Zhang Xuan drew out his soul in the hour that he was in a daze..." the eunuch said hesitantly. "He drew out his soul? Are you suspecting him of being a soul oracle?" Yu Shenqings face immediately turned livid. "Your Majesty, this is just a hypothesis on my part," the old eunuch replied with a lowered head. "The soul oracles should have beenpletely eradicated by the Master Teacher Pavilion for siding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe long ago, so their heritage should have disappeared from the face of the world. As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan should know better than to dabble in an upation like that," Yu Shenqing said with a deep frown. "Actually, Your Majesty, we can uncover the truth with a simple test," the old eunuch said. "Un." Yu Shenqing nodded grimly. Flinging his sleeves, he walked into the main hall with widened strides. Just a moment after he stepped through the doors, he saw his beautifully-dressed daughter standing before a certain young man, serving him wine with a bent back. His face immediately turned ck. How could there be a fellow so arrogant as to allow his noble daughter to serve him wine? "Your Majesty, that person is Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi!" the old eunuch quickly informed him. "He is Zhang Xuan?" Yu Shenqing muttered as he red at Zhang Xuan with a wintry gaze. He was already prejudiced against Zhang Xuan after hearing about everything thetter had made his daughter do when he encountered such a sight. In an instant, rage filled his mind. "Fei-er, what are you doing?" Yu Shenqing rushed forward and stared at his daughter grimly. "As a princess, how can you stoop down to serving another wine?" The fact that the other party took you in as his maid is a form of insult to you and the royal family. How can you take it for real? Zhang Xuan is just a mere 4-star master teacher! He might possess some extraordinary means, but he is far from qualified to have you serve him wine! "Father, you are here!" Upon seeing Yu Shenqing, Yu Fei-er hurriedly stood up and bowed in greeting. "Shen Jun (Liu Quan, Xing Yuan...) pays respect to Your Majesty!" The others in the room also quickly stood up and bowed. Following the others, Zhang Xuan also stood up, and after taking a nce at the authoritative middle-aged man before him, he sped his fist and bowed as well. He might be the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, which would put his standing above that of the other party, but due to his unique circumstances, it was inconvenient for him to reveal his identity ahead of the inauguration ceremony. Thus, it was still best for him to follow the formalities. "You are Zhang Xuan?" Yu Shenqing asked with a sharp glint in his eyes. "Indeed, it is me." Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Yu Shenqing assessed Zhang Xuan for a moment before turning around and heading to the main seat in the hall. While he was dying to test out whether that fellow was a soul oracle or not, as the emperor of the nation, he couldnt possibly make a move directly. Not only would he be stooping beneath his standing, if his assumption proved to be false, he would have no way of ounting for this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion. On top of that, he could incur the hostility of his daughter too. "Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for attending my young daughters birthday banquet!" Upon sitting down, Yu Shenqing scanned the surroundings and chuckled lightly. His movements were casual, but it carried a regal disposition that only emperorsmanded. "Since today is a joyous asion, how can we go without music? Luo Fu, summon Musician Bai in to y a tune for us!" "Yes!" Understanding the hidden meaning behind Yu Shenqings words, the old eunuch nodded and backed out of the room. "Musician Bai? Could it be the renowned 6-star demonic tunist guest in the royal pce? It would truly be a great honor to listen to her ying!" Upon hearing that Musician Bai would be ying for them, everyones eyes lit up in excitement. Chapter 860: Clash of Demonic Tunists Chapter 860: sh of Demonic Tunists Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Musician Bai?" Sensing the excited atmosphere in the room, Zhang Xuan turned to Yu Fei-er with a questioning look. "Musician Bai is a demonic tunist whom my father specially invited as a guest to our royal pce. It is said that her proficiency has already reached 6-star pinnacle, and her ying resonates deeply with ones soul. Ordinarily, only esteemed envoys of the empire have the honor of hearing her y," Yu Fei-er replied with an agitated look. As a 6-star demonic tunist, Musician Bais standing in society was generally lower than her apothecary and cksmith peers. However, the set of skills she possessed made her more desirable in royal pces and the manors of nobility. For one, having such a talented musician in ones home could better reflect their high standing. On top of that, Musician Bais ying had the effect of nurturing ones soul if one were to listen to it frequently. "It seems like she is a performance-type demonic tunist," Zhang Xuan noted. Demonic tunists could be divided into two main categoriesoffensive and performance. Take School Head Jiang Qingqin for example, as a master teacher, he shouldered the responsibility of protecting mankind and warding against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Naturally, his field of specialty for his demonic tunes focused on the offensive aspect. His ying could rattle the souls of his enemies, rendering them powerless. On the other hand, performance-type demonic tunists aimed to elevate their level of ying for non-offensive purposes. Their ying tended to possess some kind of benefit to those listening to it, and even ordinary humans could enjoy their music. Otherwise, if all demonic tunists were to leave behind a field of feathers each time they yed, just like Zhang Xuan, those envoys in Hongyuan Empire would probably rush back to their empires and incite a war between both countries after listening to the ying. For those gathered in this main hall to be excited at the opportunity to listen to Musician Bais ying, it went without saying that she was a performance-type demonic tunist, whose ying could sooth and pleasure one. Seeing that his daughter was still acting so intimately around that Zhang shi, Yu Shenqing said in displeasure, "Fei-er,e over!" "Yes, Father!" Nodding, Yu Fei-er stood up and took the seat beneath her fathers. A short momentter, the old eunuch, Luo Fu, returned with a beautiful, white-robeddy behind him. Her appearance might pale inparison to Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi, but her face was still one that few could tear their gazes away from. "Demonic Tunist Bai Xuan pays respect to Your Majesty, Sixth Princess, and the fellow young talents here!" Upon stepping into the main hall, Musician Bai immediately bowed deeply and greeted everyone present. Her voice was melodious, reminiscent of a zither, leaving a numbing sensation in ones heart. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. To be able to evoke the melody of a zither through her voice and not harm anyone despite ying a demonic tune, she did have some skills. "Musician Bai, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Today is my daughters birthday, so I would like to request a song from you to celebrate this joyous asion!" Yu Shenqing said with a smile. "Yes, Your Majesty!" Musician Bai nodded. Sitting by the side, she flicked her wrist, and a zither materialized before her. Upon seeing her zither, an excitedmotion broke out amid the crowd. "This must be Musician Bais Feathered Eagle Zither!" "Legend has it that Musician Bais tamed beast, Green-tailed Eagle, died in the midst of trying to save her. In gratitude to her tamed beast, she forged a zither out of its feathers and evenposed a song in remembrance of it. It is said that the melody harnesses the heart wrenching sorrow she experienced upon its death, and it can evoke the same emotions in the listeners as well!" "I have heard of this before, too! Its said that on the day she finishedposing the song, countless divine cranes wept in sadness. It was after that incident that Musician Bais reputation spread far and wide. Countless experts in the capital considered it an honor to have heard her ying then!" "I didnt think that His Majesty would invite her over for Princess Yu Fei-ers birthday. I will be able to brag about this matter for the next three days when I return!" "Three days? This is sufficient for me to brag for the next three months!" ... Everyone could hardly keep their exhration in check. Offensive-type demonic tunists usually only disyed their prowess in battle, so they tended to be less famous. On the other hand, performance-type demonic tunist could easily win the hearts of others through their euphonious music, thus granting them widespread fame. Hearing the discussion of the crowd, Musician Bai chuckled lightly before cing her slender fingers on the zither and plucking on a string slightly. Trringg! It was an extremely deep sound that seemed as if it hade from the ancient past, and it reverberated right within their souls. Zhang Xuans eyes immediately lit up. As a skilled demonic tunist himself, he could easily tell whether the other party was truly skilled or not. While Musician Bais level of ying might be slightly beneath that of School Head Jiangs, she had embarked on apletely different path than him. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but anticipate what was going toe. Triinnnggg tangg! Under the light touch of Musician Bai, melodious music drifted from the zither. In the blink of an eye, the crowd found themselves standing before a vast in. Countless birds were chirping harmoniously in the surroundings, and the aroma of flowers wafted in the air. It was a pleasurable sensation. Unknowingly, everyone began to close their eyes to feel the music with their hearts. Even Shen Jun had his eyes shut, immersed in the world carved out by the music. An upation that had been passed down through the ages, even if it was a Lower Nine Paths upation, should never be underestimated. Even a seemingly powerless painter, upon reaching the zenith, could bring out a fearsome army of millions at the tip of their brush, leaving powerful cultivators in despair. ... Seeing that she had captured everyone within her music, Musician Bai chuckled softly before turning her sights to Zhang Xuan. Before entering, she had already received the emperors edict to test this young man. Tring tang, trriiing tannngg! There was an abrupt twist in the tune. It was still a euphonic melody to the ears of others, but beneath this exterior, a powerful surge of soul energy was creeping swiftly toward a certain target. Zhang Xuan was listening to the music carefully, trying to identify the main differences between a performance-type music and an offensive-type music, when his soul abruptly jolted. An offensive edge had suddenly emerged amid the music to assault his soul. How brazen! Zhang Xuan swiftly dispelled the attack with his soul energy before directing a sharp gaze to Musician Bai to assess her. As a 7-star demonic tunist, he could tell that the previous assault was an intentional act from her. But... this was the first time the two of them had met, so there shouldnt be any grudges between them. Why would the other party attack him? Could it be that... she knew that he was the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy and she was trying to assassinate him? I cant discount this possibility. Too many people have told me that Hongyuan Empire isnt as peaceful as it seems, and even the elders of the Master Teacher Academy have chosen to conceal my identity until the inauguration ceremony in order to protect me as well... Perhaps, danger is closer to me than I thought! Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Luo Ruoxin had told him one of the pathways between the Master Teacher Continent and the other worldsy in Hongyuan City, and the Otherworldly Demons could exploit it to invade thisnd. The main purpose for the existence of the Master Teacher Academy was to keep a lookout on the passageway. Besides that, the powerful Wu Yangzi being captured by Otherworldly Demons and Hu Yaoyao concealing her own lineage... All of these events simply pointed to treacherous currents lying beneath the surface of Hongyuan City. It seemed there were many unspeakable secrets hidden in the depths of this ce. Musician Bai might be a respected figure in Hongyuan City, but to assault him abruptly in the midst of her performance, there was no doubt that she was up to no good! Humph! You might stand a chance if you fight me directly, but to attempt to deal with me through demonic tunes... you have just sealed your own doom! Zhang Xuans eyes turned cold. He was only an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage cultivator at the moment, so if the other party had fought him in a normal battle, unless he were to bring out the Byzantium Helios Beast to fight in his stead, he would be utterly crushed. But... of all things, the other party had chosen tounch her attack through demonic tunes. She was courting her own death! Even the powerful School Head Jiang has acknowledged me as his teacher! Yet, a performance-type demonic tunist like you dared to provoke me... You must really be tired of living! Zhang Xuan slowly closed his eyes, acting as if he was immersed in the music like everyone else. However, his hands were moving elegantly to raise a wine gourd and wine cup before pouring the wine from the gourd into the cup slowly. Swoooshhhhh! It was a sound reminiscent of a stream flowing down the towering mountains or a river flowing through a peaceful valley. It wasnt too loud, but mixed amid the zither melody, it caused the other partys assault to dull. "Hmm?" Sensing that the sound was perfectly timed to interfere during the pauses of her melody, Musician Bai swiftly realized that she was facing a skilled demonic tunist. Her eyebrows shot up, and she abruptly changed her ying style. Tring tang tring trang ting tring! Her ying hastened. In an instant, the listeners felt as if a huge cavalry troop was charging across the vast in. Dust rose in the horizon of the trembling earth as dark ominous clouds began to set in. Come at me! Having guessed that she would respond in such a manner, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. cing the gourd and cup on the table, he picked up a chopstick with his right hand and tapped it lightly on the cup, gourd, and tes intermittently. Ting! Even though they were all ceramic, so the music sounded a little monotonous, due to the food and wine in the dishes, cup, and gourd, Zhang Xuan was able to y different tones. Ting ting tang, ting ting tang! Limited by the tools at hand, the music Zhang Xuan yed wasnt as rich as the other partys melody. However, each tap he made coincidentallynded on the brief pause in between each note of the zither melody, thus causing her tempo to go into chaos. If one were topare the zither ying of a demonic tunist to ripples in a body of water, Zhang Xuans every tap would be timed perfectly at each trough of the wave. Not only did he manage to interfere in the other partys ying through this, even her bodily functions, such as her breathing and her heartbeat, began moving to his rhythm. Shit, the other party is a true expert! It was at this instant that Musician Bai realized what kind of opponent she was facing, and her face paled in fear. Despite the seemingly calm showdown, a sh of demonic tunes was actually incredibly dangerous. The slightest carelessness could cause one side to lose their cultivation or even die! As the saying goes, it is the silent dog that bites. The more elegant an upation seemed to be, the more treacherous it usually was. Taking master teachers for example, they sought to be role models and bring enlightenment to the world, a truly noble upation. However, if one were to incur their wrath, they could be an unstoppable force that even the heavens would pale in fear before. The same went for demonic tunists. The fact that the other party could generate such power with just dining tools showed that the other partysprehension of demonic tunes far exceeded hers, reaching a height she couldnt have imagined. If it had been on any other asion, she would surely have sped her fist and admit defeat before fleeing as far away as she could. However, it seemed she had gone too far in provoking the other party, such that the other party was no longer willing to let her off. The intermittent taps had already harmonized perfectly with her zither music, and she could no longer stop the fight of her own ord anymore. The moment her ying stopped, the momentum that had built up in the sh of their demonic tunes woulde crashing down on her like a tsunami, and she could very well suffer a permanent impairment that would prevent her from ying another demonic tune in her life. In the worst-case scenario, her heart might even leap out of her throat, resulting in her immediate death. Damn it! Panicked, Musician Bai stood up and hastened her ying in an attempt to shake off the other partys intermittent taps. Due to her driving her zhenqi too fast, white smoke was puffing out of her head. You want to go all out? Sure, I will grant your request! Seeing the other partys ying getting even more intense, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. He grabbed another chopstick with his left hand and began tapping it on the table. Dong dong dong! The table had been crafted out of a unique lumber that produced a deep and powerful note reminiscent of a drum. Even though he had only added a chopstick to his offense, the prowess he could exert was increased by more than twofold. Pu! From the very start, Musician Bai was already struggling under Zhang Xuans counterattack. Now that Zhang Xuan had abruptly raised the intensity of his offense, how could she possibly withstand it? Her face paled, and a mouthful of blood spurted from her mouth. Her body flew back and struck a stone pir in the hall. Attempting to retreat? Try it if you can! With a forceful strike on the te, Zhang Xuan produced a reverberating sound reminiscent of the chiming of a bell. Pu! As if someone had struck her squarely on her chest, Musician Bai felt the zhenqi in her body running amok, and she spurted another mouthful of blood. Under the immense impact, the pir behind her reached the limits of its durability and copsed, and dust fell from the ceiling. Chapter 861: He Is the Principal? Chapter 861: He Is the Principal? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The pir might have copsed, but as the hall had been fortified by numerous formations, it was still holding steady for the time being. "What happened?" "How was Musician Bai injured?" "What happened?" In the very brief period of time since their sh started, Musician Bai had been severely injured, crashing into a pir and causing the entire hall to shake. Due to the huge disturbance, the crowd awakened from their trance and stared at one another with dazed expressions, confused by the situation before them. There didnt seem to be anything wrong with Musician Bais ying, so why would she abruptly spurt blood and break a pir? She had always been famed for her good-tempered and gentle nature; did a screw fall from her head today? What happened? Taken aback, Yu Shenqing swiftly turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. As the one behind the matter, he knew that Musician Bais bizarre actions definitely had something to do with the young mans use of chopsticks to tap on cups and tes. Are they fighting with one another? Yu Shenqing frowned doubtfully. Didnt I instruct Musician Bai to check if Zhang Xuan possesses any exceptional means to do with souls? Why did they suddenly start fighting with one another instead? Wait a minute... Could it be that Zhang Xuan is a demonic tunist as well? As the only ones who knew that Zhang Xuan had taken the demonic tunist examinations were the student worker at the Demonic Tunist A, School Head Jiang, and Vice School Head Ning, this piece of news was missing from the intelligence Yu Shenqing had received from his men. However, with Zhang Xuan knocking on the table and the tes, the truth couldnt be any more apparent to him. Yu Fei-er turned to Yu Shenqing and said anxiously, "Father, Zhang Xuan is my guest. If anything happens to him, it will reflect badly on the royal family..." Even though she had no idea why Musician Bai would make a move against Zhang Xuan, she knew that her father was definitely involved in this matter. "Un." Knowing that his daughters words rang true, Yu Shenqing nodded grimly. Turning to Musician Bai, he said, "Musician Bai Xuan, please stop!" Yu Shenqing was unaware of the dangers involved in the sh of demonic tunes, so he thought that Bai Xuan was still carrying out his orders, oblivious to the fact that she was in a desperate situation herself. "I..." Hearing Yu Shenqings words, Bai Xuan was just about to exin the situation to him when the sound of Zhang Xuans tapping sounds assaulted her once again. Under the furious onught, she had to put her everything into ying her zither just to fend off Zhang Xuans offense, leaving her with no additional energy to speak. Deng deng deng deng! The immense pressure she was ced under left her retreating uncontrobly, and every step that she took left a half chi 1 deep footprint in the ground. Peng! Eventually, she found herself backed against the wall of the main hall. The Fortification Formation behind her glowed, obstructing her path, and her footsteps came to a halt. "Hmm?" Feeling the support behind her, Bai Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. In that instant, an idea suddenly came to a mind. With her back pressed against the wall, a smile emerged on her face as her crimson lips parted. "His blue robe flutters in the wind; my heart wanders into the distance. Even if fate permits me not to be with you, is silence the only word you offer me?" It was a song filled with remembrance. Even though it was filled with nostalgia, leaving one in a pensive trance, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and he abruptly got to his feet. The other party was already on the verge of copsing to his demonic tunes, but with the support of the Fortification Formation cast on the room, the other party had actually managed to neutralize his offense. To put it simply, formations could be defined as the gathering of spiritual energy in specific positions in order to produce unique effects such as calling forth sword qi to attack ones opponents or a mysterious fog to beguile others. The essence of Fortification Formationsy not in making an infrastructure stronger but by neutralizing the attacks conducted on it, simr to a sponge. Once the force was neutralized, naturally, the object fortified wouldnt suffer any damage. By hiding within the Fortification Formation, Zhang Xuans offense would be weakened by it, which gave the other party room to counterattack! As the saying goes, the sorrow of fond remembrances breaks the soul. If Zhang Xuan couldnt counter the other partys singing, he could lose his life! In just a short moment, by utilizing the Fortification Formation, the other party had managed to turn the tables on him, and he fell into an extremely disadvantageous position. Indeed, there is no upation that should be underestimated! But even though Zhang Xuan was in a disadvantageous position, there wasnt the slightest trace of anxiety or nervousness to be seen from him. Instead, with a light chuckle, he smacked the table, and the cup filled with wine flew up. "A fine song indeed! Allow me to propose a toast to Musician Bai!" His voice was also infused with the power of a demonic tune, instantly neutralizing the other partys singing. The next instant, he flicked the wine cup with his finger. The direction the wine cup was heading toward wasnt Musician Bai but the wall beside her. Dangng! Uponing into contact with the wall, the wine cup immediately burst apart, shattering into numerous pieces before falling down. However, what was astonishing was that instead of falling to the ground, the broken shards suddenly stopped in midair. Weng! In the next instant, as if someone had stopped them at their cores, the Fortification Formations in the main hall suddenly came to a halt. When Zhang Xuan had first arrived in the room, he had already taken a look at the various formations using his Eye of Insight, so he knew where the weaknesses of the formations were. The wine cup he had flicked over was infused with his zhenqi, and even though it might seem as if the broken shards had parted in random directions, it was actually all under his control. Through manipting the shards precisely, he managed to stop all of the Fortification Formations simultaneously. It followed the same principles as his Formation Destroying Kick. The formation has been halted? This is bad... Noticing the changes in the room, Yu Shenqing was rmed. He had been waiting for Musician Bai to stop when thetter abruptly started singing. Before he could process what was going on, Zhang shi had already stood up and thrown the wine cup, and the formations hade to a sudden stop right after. As if a dj vu had struck him, he immediately stood up to intervene in the matter. But again, before he could do anything, Musician Bai, with the loss of the support from the Fortification Formation, sumbed to Zhang Xuans assault, and with a frenzied spurt of blood, she was sent flying backward once more. Hong long! This time, without the additional protection from the formation, how could the wall behind her endure such immense force? In the blink of an eye, it had already copsed into a pile of rubble. Jiyaya! The main hall was only supported by four pirs. It had lost one just a moment ago, and with another wall face copsing, the entire rooms support became extremely unstable. With a loud rumbling, the ceiling came crashing down. Damn it! Yu Shenqing felt as if he was losing his mind. That fellow was really a God of Destruction, copsing everything that he came into contact with... He had gone to the extent of inviting formation masters to heavily fortify the main hall, but it eventually still met with such an oue! Are you here to attend Yu Fei-er birthday banquet or to demolish our buildings? But knowing that this wasnt the time for that, he exerted his powerful zhenqi to hold up the copsing ceiling so as to protect those in the room. As a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert, even if he was unable to undo the damage done to the building, he could at least break the fall of the copsing rubble. No matter what, it was his daughters birthday. The main hall might have copsed, but he couldnt allow any of those young talents to be injured due to it. Otherwise, what would this say about the royal family? "Pardon me!" After knocking Musician Bai out, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and sped his fist elegantly. If the other party had fought with him as a cultivator, he might have suffered a tragic loss. But to challenge him to a battle of demonic tunes... that was pure foolishness! After that, Zhang Xuan turned to Yu Shenqing and said with a righteous aura, "Your Majesty, I am a master teacher recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, Musician Bai over here secretly attacked me during her ying. It is clear that she is up to no good. I suspect that she is involved with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! I ask of Your Majesty to apprehend and interrogate her for the safety of the citizens of Hongyuan City!" Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Hearing those words, Yu Shenqing nearly keeled over. I am the one who asked her to test you, how did the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe get into the picture? Furthermore, I havent settled the grudge with you for messing up my daughters birthday banquet, how can you be so shameless as to dare speak up in such a righteous tone? "If Your Majesty doubts my word, I beseech you to allow me to invite Pavilion Master Mo over to look into the matter!" Seeing Yu Shenqings silence, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party might be doubting his words due to his long years of friendship with Musician Bai, so he made another suggestion. On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to involve even the Master Teacher Pavilion in this matter, Yu Shenqing nearly erupted in rage. Musician Bai was only testing you to see if you are a soul oracle by my order. Not only did you knock her out, you even destroyed my building, so how can you still speak so boldly? Flinging his sleeves furiously, Yu Shenqing harrumphed coldly. "Today is my daughters birthday banquet, but you messed up this joyous asion with your antics. Regardless of whether Musician Bai attacked you or not, the royal pce wees you no more. Leave!" Even though Yu Shenqing was so angry that he could kill, in the face of the crowd before him, he still had to uphold his bearings as an emperor. Furthermore, the other party was a master teacher, so he dared not go overboard. "You are asking me to leave?" Not expecting the other party to not interrogate the culprit who had attacked him and instead order him to leave, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. "Thats right! From today on, I prohibit you, Zhang Xuan, from stepping onto the grounds of the Hongyuan royal pce. You are no guest of our royal family!" Yu Shenqing bellowed authoritatively. If he could, he would have issued an even harsher punishment. However, Zhang Xuan had a close rtionship with several school heads of the Master Teacher Academy, so he dared not go too far. "Father..." Not expecting such a situation to evolve out of her birthday banquet, Yu Fei-er hurriedly turned to her father to plead with him. "Speak no more. I have made up my mind!" Yu Shenqing waved his hands decisively. "What are you waiting for? Did you not hear His Majestys words?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had incurred the emperors anger, Shen Jun almost burst intoughter. He swiftly stood up and bellowed at Zhang Xuan, making use of this opportunity to vent his anger. "... Fine!" To think that he would be asked to leave like that, Zhang Xuan had no other words to say. He would have already left had it not been Yu Fei-ers birthday banquet. Shaking his head, he turned around and walked out. "Teacher, wait for me!" After shooting a nce at Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi quickly followed behind Zhang Xuan. "Zhang shi..." Not expecting an unpleasant event like this to happen at her birthday banquet, Yu Fei-ersplexion turned awful. Clenching her jaw, she rushed forward to Zhang Xuans side as well. "Fei-er!" Seeing his daughter leave with Zhang Xuan, Yu Shenqings expression turned so livid that it seemed as if one could squeeze ink from it. Rage clouded his mind, and just as he was about tomand his subordinates to capture Yu Fei-er and bring her back, the old eunuch standing by the side of the room, Luo Fu, suddenly flicked his wrist and took out a jade token. Taking a look at it, his face suddenly warped in astonishment. Luo Fu immediately rushed up to Shen Yuqing and called for him with lips quivering in fright. "Your Majesty..." "Whats wrong?" Yu Shenqing asked impatiently. "We have just received news regarding the identity of the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy..." Luo Fu told Yu Shenqing telepathically, not daring to speak aloud. "Who is it? Lu Feng? Or is it Zhao Bingxu?" Yu Shenqing asked anxiously in response. Yu Fei-ers matter might be important, but getting on good terms with the seeding principal was even more so. After all, thetter concerned the future of the Yu n, whether it would rise to greater heights or fall into decline. "Your Majesty, it is neither of them! The seeding principal is Zh... Zhang Xuan!" Luo Fus voice was shaking in fear. "Zhang Xuan? The man who has just walked out... Zhang Xuan?" Yu Shenqing suddenly felt as if the sky had copsed on him. "Yes, Your Majesty!" Luo Fu hurriedly nodded. Without any hesitation, Yu Shenqing got his feet and rushed out of the room. "Zhang shi, dont leave! I think there is some kind of misunderstanding between us..." "..." Shen Jun. "..." The crowd. Chapter 862: Yu Shenqings Regret Chapter 862: Yu Shenqings Regret Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hong long long! Shortly after Yu Shenqing left, the zhenqi propping the ceiling up disappeared, and the room copsed entirely. Debris flew randomly in the area, and a cloud of dust rose in the air. The young talents swiftly rushed out of the room. ncing at the rubble and the emperor who was busy running as he shouted "Misunderstanding!", they found themselvespletely stupefied. "What has happened... to His Majesty?" Liu Quan muttered in a daze. It was just moments ago that he had domineeringlymanded for the other party to leave the royal pce and never return, but in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly chasing the other party, iming that it was all just a misunderstanding... Could anyone have a change of mind faster than him? "How would I know?" Shen Jun was bewildered by the bizarre turn of events as well. When hed seen Yu Shenqingshing out at Zhang Xuan, he had stood up to berate the other party as well. However, with Yu Shenqing abruptly changing his mind, his actions suddenly became a joke. ced in an awkward position, he had no idea whether he should stay or just leave. "So... are we still going to teach that fellow a lesson?" Liu Quan asked hesitantly. Even the emperor had chased the other party, screaming that it was a misunderstanding... Was it really fine for them to teach the other party a lesson? "Of course! However, just in case, we shall find a few outsiders to do the job for us. As long as they cant trace the matter back to us, it will do!" Shen Jun said with a glint in his eyes. If Yu Shenqing had maintained his hostility toward Zhang Xuan, he wouldnt have viewed thetter as a threat to him. Ultimately, as a princess of Hongyuan Empire, Yu Fei-ers marriage was still dictated by her father. As long as her father opposed it, there was no way she could get together with Zhang Xuan, no matter how close the two of them were. However, Yu Shenqing had suddenly changed his attitude and run out to pursue Zhang Xuan, seemingly seeking reconciliation with thetter. In that instant, he felt the weight on his shoulders intensifying. Since that was the case, he would have to make sure to pummel the thought of marrying Yu Fei-er out of Zhang Xuan first. ... While the duo was discussing how they should deal with Zhang Xuan, Yu Shenqing had already reached the entrance of the royal pce. There, he only saw Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi standing in the vicinity, and Zhang Xuan was nowhere to be seen. Yu Shenqing rushed forward to ask, "Where is Zhang shi?" He might be the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, but Zhang Xuan, as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, possessed far greater influence than him. If he were to really offend Zhang Xuan, all the other party had to do was dere that the Master Teacher Academy would no longer protect the royal family, and the era of the Yu n woulde to an end in less than half a month. The main reason the Yu n had been able to retain control over Hongyuan Empire for so many years wasnt due to its strength but in deference to the Master Teacher Academy. Under the watchful gaze of the Master Teacher Academy, there was no one who would dare to brazenly initiate a coup dtat! On top of that, while the presence of the Master Teacher Academy had raised the national power of Hongyuan Empire, it had also made Hongyuan Empire reliant on it. Out of a hundred officials possessing a cultivation level at the Ethereal Treading realm or above in the royal court, ny-nine would be indebted to the Master Teacher Academy in one way or another. If a falling out were to ur between the Master Teacher Academy and the royal family, most would choose to side with the former! As such, even though he, as the emperor, possessed an unparalleled standing in Hongyuan Empire, he still dared not cross the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. This was reality! He had thought that Zhang Xuan was only an insignificant figure in the Master Teacher Academy. Even if thetter had won the admiration of several school heads, there was still no need to fear him as his standing was equivalent to the Ten Great Master Teachers... But who could have known that he would be the seeding principal! Furthermore, he was nominated unanimously by the Ten Great Master Teachers and Mu shi! Realizing what he had just done, Yu Shenqing immediately rushed out to seek reconciliation with Zhang Xuan. "Teacher said that he has matters to attend to, so he left first..." Luo Qiqi said. "He has left?" Yu Shenqing was stunned. "Father, Zhang shi is my benefactor. Just how did he offend you that you had to send Musician Bai after him?" Yu Fei-er questioned her father angrily, unable to stand it any longer. The others in the room might not be aware of what had happened, but as a talented soul cultivator, she was able to tell that it was Musician Bai who had made the first move, and Zhang shi had only retaliated out of rage. It was clear that her father was behind this matter, otherwise there was no way that Musician Bai would dare make a move on a guest! "I..." Yu Shenqing had no idea how he should exin this matter to his daughter. After a moment of silence, he decided toe clean. "Before the start of the banquet, someone cleared our Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway at an unprecedented speed, devoured all of the spiritual energy within the Soul Tempering Hall, and destroyed our ancestral statues. I suspect that it was Zhang shis doing..." "Impossible! Ever since arriving at the royal pce, Teacher has been with me, so how could he have caused destruction in the Soul Tempering Hall?" Luo Qiqi shook her head. "I suspect that the culprit behind the destruction in the Soul Tempering Hall is a soul. Didnt Zhang shi fall into a daze earlier on?" Yu Shenqing asked. "The reason he was in a daze was because he had just found out that today is my birthday, and he was creating a soul cultivation technique for me..." interjected Yu Fei-er upon hearing her fathers words. Upon recalling this matter, her eyes couldnt help but redden. As she hadnt informed Zhang shi that it was her birthday, thetter had probably only learned of it after arriving at the main hall. Yet, he still devoted his effort to creating a cultivation technique for her as a gift. But... he was still misunderstood like this! In fact, he had even been assaulted in the midst of the banquet... Wouldnt his heart break from indignation? "Creating a cultivation technique?" Yu Shenqing was surprised to hear those words. "Thats right. Let me write down the cultivation technique for you so that you can see for yourself whether or not a person who created such a cultivation technique within a few hours could still have the time to wreak havoc in the Soul Tempering Hall!" Gritting her teeth, Yu Fei-er took out a brush and a book and swiftly wrote down the set of cultivation techniques that Zhang shi had imparted to her. Taking the book, Yu Shenqing had barely read half a page when his body suddenly stiffened. Embarrassment flooded his face in the form of a crimson glow. The set of soul cultivation techniques detailed in the book was extremely formidable, even more powerful than their Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art! Even for a master teacher of Mu shis caliber, it would take at least several decades topile a technique like that. To create it on the spur of the moment, the other party must have put a lot of effort into it... And yet, he had actually suspected the other party of destroying the Soul Tempering Hall! In that instant, he felt as if he was an ingrate. "This cultivation technique is tailored perfectly for the constitution of our Yu n..." After browsing through the entire book, Yu Shenqing felt so ashamed of himself that he was tempted to dive into a burrow. The cultivation technique was built upon the special constitution that the members of the Yu n possessed, so outsiders were incapable of cultivating it. Thus, it was not even a possibility that this set of cultivation techniques had been taken from elsewhere. If the members of their n were to cultivate such a profound cultivation technique, the overall prowess of the Yu n would be raised by at least thirty percent! Putting aside a Soul Tempering Hall, the value of this cultivation technique was worth at least a half of the entire royal pce! In order to create such a profound cultivation technique, it was inevitable that the other party would have to fall into deep thought... Yet, he doubted the other party and had someone test him out, even demanding that he leave eventually... The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had gone overboard. Yu Shenqing turned around andmanded, "Luo Fu, didnt Zhang shis manor copse? Send the best craftsmen in the empire to fix it immediately. Before daybreak, I want to see a manor that is even grander than the royal pce!" "Yes!" The old eunuch hurriedly left to have the matter done. A huge manor like Zhang Xuans would surely cost a bomb to repair and refurbish, but so what? As long as they could repair their rtionship with Zhang Xuan, it would be worth the expense! ... Oblivious to Yu Shenqings intentions, Zhang Xuan finally reached Leiyuan Peak. The mountain peak was covered in a thickyer of snow, creating a chilling atmosphere. He entered the straw cottage where he first met the Byzantium Helios Beast and sat down. It was still some time before the Zi hour 1 , and Hu Yaoyao and the others hadnt arrived yet. He could make use of this time to impart the Ethereal Treading realm Heavens Path Soul Art to his clone to allow him to raise his cultivation as well. The clone appeared in the room and called out, "Main body!" "What happened back then when you were disguising as Yang shi? How did the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall copse as well?" Zhang Xuan asked. Thest time Zhang Xuan had met his clone was when thetter had appeared as Yang shi. As everything had happened too quickly, he didnt have time to process everything his clone had done before thetter was returned to the Myriad Anthive Nest, thus breaking the telepathic connection between them. As such, there were still certain aspects of the incident back then that he was unsure of. "It was an effect created by Vicious through the use of Kong shis writing," the clone responded. In that instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to see everything fall into ce. His deduction hadnt been too far off. Through utilizing Kong shis handwriting, Vicious had not only strengthened his aura, he had also managed to conceal the killing intent in his aura, converting it into a more orthodox and righteous form. It was through borrowing Vicious strength that his clone suddenly became so formidable, suppressing Mu shi and the Ten Great Master Teachers to the point that they dared not utter a word. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out of the Book of Heavens Path, where Vicious was sealed, and Kong shis writings. "I performed well, didnt I? See, I wasnt lying when I said that I would definitely be of great help to you if you were to let me devour Kong shis writings..." As soon as Vicious saw Zhang Xuan, he immediately began iming credit for his aplishment. "Devour Kong shis writings? Dream on..." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan opened up the scroll containing Kong shis writings when he abruptly froze. Astonished, he eximed, "What is this?" In the bamboo scroll, several hundred words of the initial three thousand had gone missing, leaving behind a smooth surface in their ce. It was as if those words had never existed at all. But he had definitely seen those words before, even undergoing the Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy due to them... "If you didnt let me devour those words, how could I possibly have produced such a powerful aura capable of destroying even formations and buildings?" Vicious replied. "Devour... You devoured those words?" Zhang Xuan felt the world spinning around him. He had known that his clone was not a person he could rely on, but who knew that the other party would allow Vicious to do something like that? That is Kong shis personal handwriting! On top of that, a cultivation technique is hidden within it... With a portion of it devoured by this fool, how am I going to uncover the secret hidden within it? "Thats right!" Vicious nodded nkly, not understanding why Zhang Xuan was making such a huge fuss. On the other hand, hearing Vicious admit to the matter, Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. There was no master teacher who wouldnt treasure Kong shis handwriting as if it was their life and pass it down to their descendants as a family heirloom. Yet, Vicious had actually devoured it... How he was supposed to face Kong shi if he were to meet the other party again in the future? Just what was with this matter? But what was done was done. There was no use ming those two anymore. Furthermore, the situation he had been facing then was extremely tricky, and there was no guarantee that he would have been able to get out of it without Yang shis appearance. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the bamboo scroll. Around a third of the words had disappeared, which meant that he could recreate the effect back in the Elder Hall another two times! Forget it, it shouldnt matter anyway... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he consoled himself. Kong shis cultivation technique might be formidable, but as the cultivator of the Heavens Path Divine Art, it didnt matter whether he obtained it or not. Stowing the bamboo scroll and Vicious back into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan imparted the Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique to his clone before leaving his clone to cultivate using the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Once this was done, Zhang Xuan found himself with some additional time on hand, so he decided to take a look at his current strength. At the moment, his soul cultivation had already reached Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, granting him a might of 20,000,000 ding. Factoring in the 17,000,000 ding from his zhenqi and 8,000,000 ding from his physical body, he wielded a total might of 45,000,000 ding. In other words, his strength was on par with a Half-Saint primary stage cultivator! For an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to be able to rival a cultivator two realms stronger than him, probably not even the famedbat masters were capable of such a feat! While checking on his body, he also noticed that his soul, with the recent breakthrough, was getting a little too powerful for his body, so he would have to slow down his soul cultivation for the time being. After waiting a moment longer, Zhang Xuan heard the sound of aerial spirit beasts outside. Knowing that Hu Yaoyao and the others had arrived, he quickly hid his clone in the Myriad Anthive Nest and left the Byzantium Helios Beast at the back of the straw cottage before heading to the entrance to meet the others. Chapter 863: Sabertooth Spirit Tiger Chapter 863: Sabertooth Spirit Tiger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang shi!" As soon as he headed back to the entrance of the straw cottage, he saw Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and the others stepping off the back of a massive spirit beast. Half a month ago, they had still been the domineering and powerful leaders of the four most powerful student factions in the academy. However, at this moment, as if little chicks meeting a mighty eagle, they were devoid of the arrogance that they held before, and a hint of fear could be felt from their bodynguage. They might still be considered rivals from before, but at this instant, they had be nothing more than juniors to him. They couldnt pull their weight before him even if they wanted to. "Zhang shi, are you ready to set forth now?" Hu Yaoyao asked. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Great. Lets get on the spirit beast then!" Hu Yaoyao beckoned Zhang Xuan onto the spirit beast that they had been riding on a moment ago as she prepared to leap on herself. "Lets ride on another one, that one over there is too slow..." Zhang Xuan shook his head as he sent a signal through his mind. A momentter, an ape-like saint beast emerged from the back of the straw cottage. "Senior Byzantium Helios?" "The old principals tamed beast?" "Didnt Senior Byzantium Helios go missing?" Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue leaped in shock as they stared at the young man before them as if they were gazing at a monster. They were all direct disciples of the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy, so they were privy to the news regarding Senior Byzantium Helioss disappearance as well.... How could he be with Zhang shi? Furthermore, from the looks of it, the rtionship between the two of them didnt seem to be simple. In contrast to the shock of the others, Dong Xin remainedposed. She had personally seen how Senior Byzantium Helios had addressed him as master, and she also knew that the Ten Great Master Teachers and Mu shi had nominated the young man before her as the next principal as well. However, due to the grave importance of this matter, she didnt reveal it to anyone. "If we ride on him, we should be able to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits and return within three days!" said Zhang Xuan, before turning to the Byzantium Helios Beast and instructing, "Byzantium Helios, we will be counting on you." "Yes, Master!" the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded. With crisp echoes from the bones throughout its body, its physique immediately grew threefold, turning its originallyrge physique into something resembling a mini mountain. After which, it walked forward to take the room on top of Dong Xins spirit beast and ced it on its back. "Lets set off!" Zhang Xuan said as he leaped onto the Byzantium Helios Beasts back. On the other hand, watching as the old principals saint beast of the academy turn into a mount, Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue werepletely bbergasted, and they couldnt help but think that either the world had gone mad or they hadnt awoken from their dreams yet. They had heard of how prideful Senior Byzantium Helios was, so it was hard to believe that not only would he acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his master, he would even... willingly serve as a mount! Even though they were witnessing the sight personally with their own eyes, they couldnt help but find it inconceivable. Even after they had entered the room on the Byzantium Helios Beasts back and soared into the clouds, they were still unable to recover from the blow. After a long moment of silence, Xue Zhenyang suddenly recalled something and eximed in astonishment, "My teacher told me that the person who found Senior Byzantium Helios would be the next principal of our academy!" His teacher, Xu Changqing, was the head of the Martial Arts School. The other party had once told him that Mu shi had spread the word that he would decide the seeding principal based on whoever found the Byzantium Helios Beast first. For the Byzantium Helios Beast to have acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master, could it be that... "I was forced into it. Sigh, I wouldnt have epted it if there was any other way around it!" Seeing that Xue Zhenyang had figured it out, Zhang Xuan thought that there was no need to hide the matter from them, so he shook his head with a sigh. If it wasnt for the principals privilege to ess all of the books avable in the academy, he would have never epted this troublesome role. As the principal, his actions would be publicly scrutinized, and any problem that urred in the Master Teacher Academy would be attributed to his ipetence. It was not as if this was anything good, so there was no need to make a huge fuss over the matter. "You were... forced into it?" "You wouldnt have epted it if there was any way around it?" Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue rolled their eyes upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. It is actually possible to be forced into bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy? Why cant such fortunee to us instead? We would have loved to be forced into it as well... ... Putting the matter aside for the moment, Zhang Xuan turned to Hu Yaoyao and instructed, "Hu Yaoyao, show me your battle technique!" Since he had promised Wu Yangzi to take care of his descendant, he had no intention of reneging on his words. "Alright!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan was going to offer her some pointers, Hu Yaoyao nodded and began executing her strongest battle technique. A momentter, after gaining a thorough understanding of the ws in Hu Yaoyaos cultivation, Zhang Xuan began offering her some pointers. It must be said that Hu Yaoyao was a rare gem. Not only was she knowledgeable, she possessed extraordinary talent, and the foundation of her cultivation was extremely stable as well. With Zhang Xuans guidance, she improved swiftly, especially in the field of terpsichorean arts. With her alluring figure, even a Half-Saint expert could be left in a trance after watching her dance. Hu Yaoyaos rapid improvement had left the others with an itch in their hearts, and eventually, they could no longer hold back the urge to consult Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan also offered them his pointers without any reservations, and the other three improved swiftly as well. While they were still a significant stretch from making the breakthrough to Half-Saint, they did manage to further reinforce their cultivation. In their current states, as long as they were to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, it was almost a certain that they would be able to make a breakthrough. ... Half a day passed in a sh. By the time they were arriving in the vicinity of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, the sun had just begun to rise from the eastern horizon. Even though it was in line with Zhang Xuans estimation, he still couldnt help but be amazed by the Byzantium Helios Beasts speed. As expected of a Saint 2-dan spirit beast, its speed and endurance were truly on a different level from spirit beasts. "Lets stop here!" Under Dong Xins directions, the Byzantium Helios Beastnded right outside a mountain valley. "Senior Byzantium Helios, I think it would be best for you to remain here. The Scarlet Firefly Fruit is guarded by two spirit beasts, and if they sense your presence by any chance, I fear that they might destroy the fruit out of desperation after realizing that they wont be able to maintain possession of it," Dong Xin said. The instincts of a spirit beast should never be underestimated. The moment they sensed the Byzantium Helios Beasts presence, they might choose to take a position close to the Scarlet Firefly Fruit and hold it hostage, threatening to destroy it should they approach. That would put them in an extremely disadvantageous position. "I also dont think that it is a feasible n to get past those two spirit beasts by brute force. Due to our lower cultivation, they wont view us as a huge threat and will be less wary around us. Our best shot at obtaining the fruits is to exploit their possible negligence toward us to sneak past their defense and obtain them discreetly," Long Cangyue said. This was the n they had derived after many rounds of discussion based on the intelligence they had gathered. Otherwise, they could have simply invited any of the elders over to help them overpower those two spirit beasts. There was no need for them to seek help from a nemesis. "I am confident at masking my presence such that they wont be able to find me," the Byzantium Helios Beast said assuredly. As a Saint 2-dan saint beast, it was an easy feat for it to conceal its aura from spirit beasts. "It isnt that easy... Take a closer look at the valley ahead!" Dong Xin said grimly. "The valley?" Zhang Xuan and Byzantium Helios Beast turned their sights to the valley ahead. The valley was extremely narrow, reminiscent of a sealed box. Perhaps due to the presence of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, it was rich in spiritual energy, reminiscent of a blessednd. The first thing that the duo noticed upon looking into the valley was that it was filled with a particr flower. The flower carried a tinge of red, as if embarrassed to be looked at. A certain nt surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and deep frown emerged on his face. "Are those Crimson Coy Flowers?" The Crimson Coy Flower was simr to the mimosa in his previous life. Uponing into contact with foreign objects, it would change its color depending on the strength of the intruder. In other words, it would change into a differing color should a Saint approach the valley. This was also why this flower was amon ingredient in formting medicine used to gauge the cultivation of an individual. "Indeed, those are Crimson Coy Flowers!" Dong Xin said with a bitter smile. "I see..." Zhang Xuan nodded. The Crimson Coy Flowers were extremely sensitive nts. Even if the Byzantium Helios Beast was able to conceal its aura perfectly, the flowers might still be able to gauge its true strength through its movements and other aspects. Of course, it was unlikely for the two spirit beasts to destroy the Scarlet Firefly Fruits just because a Saint realm expert was in the area, but this was a risk that they couldnt afford to take. After getting a clearer glimpse of the situation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and instructed, "Byzantium Helios, you should rest for the time being then. Dont worry, nothing bad will happen. Besides, it wont be toote for you to make a move if we really encounter danger." "Yes, Master!" the Byzantium Helios Beast replied. After which, it flew into the distance, and once it was out of sight, it returned to the Myriad Anthive Nest. Given Zhang Xuans current strength, there was no cultivator beneath Half-Saint that was a match for him. Besides, he could keep the Byzantium Helios Beast by his side via the Myriad Anthive Nest and release it immediately if they encountered a difficult situation, so there was nothing to worry about. "Lets enter!" Without any hesitation, the group began heading into the valley. As soon as they stepped into the valley, a ripple of color began to spread across the Scarlet Coy Flowers, as if transmitting information of some kind. "What are the spirit beasts guarding the Scarlet Firefly Fruits?" Zhang Xuan asked as the group advanced deeper into the valley. "They are both Chrysalis realm pinnacle Sabertooth Spirit Tigers!" Hu Yaoyao replied. "Sabertooth Spirit Tigers? No wonder..." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was not without reason that the Sabertooth Spirit Tiger was famed as the strongest spirit beast beneath Half-Saint. Even though they were Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts as well, Hu Yaoyao and the others were hardly a match for a single Sabertooth Spirit Tiger, let alone two. Defended by those two spirit beasts, it would indeed be extremely tricky to get to the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. Of course, this wasnt a problem for Zhang Xuan. If a fight were to really ur, he could easily settle it with two punches. "That isnt the only problem. Those two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers are very cunning too. Regardless of whatever happens outside, one of them will always remain behind to guard the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. If anything were to happen, that Sabertooth Spirit Tiger might choose to destroy the entire tree... Thus, we cant just rely on brute force for this matter. We have to find a way to lure the both of them out simultaneously," Dong Xin said. She had spent some time in this valley gathering intelligence for the operation, so she had gained a rough understanding of the habits of the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers. "Lure the both of them out simultaneously?" Realizing how tricky this matter was, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Thats right. Thus, we prepared the Origin Heavy Water that they are extremely fond of. However, due to our limited resources, we were only able to procure four bottles," Dong Xin said with a bitter smile. Usually, when freshmen enrolled in the academy, their student factions were able to earn sufficient spirit stones to purchase even several dozen bottles of Origin Heavy Water. However, the freshmen this year had all chosen to join the Xuanxuan Faction, so they had failed to earn anything at all. On top of that, they even had some of the senior students in their factions betraying them for the Xuanxuan Faction... As a result, theyd had to fork out from their own pockets, and altogether, they only had sufficient money to acquire four bottles. "Four bottles of Origin Heavy Water?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If he could acquire just one of those, he would be able to cultivate the Third Incandescence of his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. "How do you intend to use the Origin Heavy Water?" Zhang Xuan asked. After a moment of hesitation, Dong Xin revealed her n. "The Sabertooth Spirit Tiger is extremely sensitive to the scent of Origin Heavy Water. Our n is to open a bottle to lure the first Sabertooth Spirit Tiger out. Once the first one leaves, we will use the same trick to lure the second one out as well... "Of course, we will have to ascertain that the Scarlet Firefly Fruits have matured first. Otherwise, our efforts will be futile." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "It is unlikely that your n will work. "Once the Scarlet Firefly Fruits mature, even if the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers dont consume them directly, they will surely harvest them and escape swiftly. Ultimately, no matter how alluring the Origin Heavy Water is to them, it cantpete with an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint. Besides, I think you are underestimating the intelligence of the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers. They already possess intelligence on par with humans, so it is unlikely that they will fall for such a simple ploy." With only a step away from reaching Half-Saint, those two Sabertooth Spirit Tiger were more than capable of keeping their instincts in check. It would be difficult to get past them with such a crude n. "What should we do then?" Dong Xin asked anxiously. The others turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan as well. "I do have a n in mind, but I will need your Origin Heavy Water," Zhang Xuan said. Chapter 864: Someone Before Us Chapter 864: Someone Before Us Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang shi has an idea in mind?" Hu Yaoyao and the others traded nces, and their eyes lit up simultaneously. As valuable as Origin Heavy Water was, its value couldnt match the maturing Scarlet Firefly Fruits. As master teachers, they could tell that their n was unrefined, but limited by their cultivation and the resources they had at hand, they were unable to find a better n. If Zhang Xuan had an idea, that would be for the best. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. "That is great!" Recalling how the young man before them was able to tame over four hundred spirit beasts in two hours, as well as the master of the Byzantium Helios Beast, the four of them couldnt help but tremble in anticipation. "Here you go!" Dong Xin and the others flicked their wrists and took out a jade bottle each. It seemed that they had all agreed on purchasing a bottle each and gathering them together after arriving in the valley. Taking the jade bottles from them, Zhang Xuan uncorked the lid of one of them, and he immediately felt the rich water attribute energy contained within. He could feel his cells quivering in excitement, seemingly desiring the fluid within the bottle to cultivate the Third Incandescence. "Just wait and see, I will lure those two fellows out!" However, knowing that this wasnt the time for him to cultivate, Zhang Xuan stowed the jade bottles into his storage ring. Given how valuable the Origin Heavy Water was, it would be a huge waste to use it to lure the Sabertooth Spirit Tiger away. In any case, he did have another n in mind to lure out the spirit beasts that wouldnt require the Origin Heavy Water. In fact, if he wanted to, he could easily sneak in and make it out with the entire tree as his soul. Since that was the case, there was really no need to waste good Origin Heavy Water on this matter. It could be put to better use in his hands. But of course, he would make sure topensate the four of them properly for the Origin Heavy Water too. Aption on the insights of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint to guarantee them a sessful breakthrough should be sufficient. Considering that they were using the Origin Heavy Water to bet on the possibility of obtaining the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, which only raised the possibility of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint, aption that could guarantee them a sessful breakthrough was definitely worth more than the price of the Origin Heavy Water. After putting away the Origin Heavy Water, Zhang Xuan asked, "Right, can you share your full n with me? I can help you analyze it to determine its feasibility!" "Our n is actually rather simple. After luring those two fellows out, we will trap them in a formation, quickly obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, and leave," Dong Xin said. "Trap them in a formation? If you want to trap a Chrysalis realm pinnacle Sabertooth Spirit Tiger, the formation must at least be grade-6. On top of that, it must be capable of activating swiftly... Do you have such a formation te on hand?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Un. Just in case an ident urs, the four of us have prepared a formation te each, namely a Confinement Formation, Illusory Formation, Beguilement Formation, and ughter Formation!" Since they were going to coborate with one another, there was no need to hide this matter from Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "It should be possible to trap the Sabertooth Spirit Tiger with the grade-6 formation tes you have on hand, but it isnt a foolproof measure. You will have to pump your zhenqi into the formation to sustain it, but considering the overwhelming strength of the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers, you wont be able to hold on for long under their thrashing... It is uncertain if you will be able to buy sufficient time to procure the Scarlet Firefly Fruit and escape before they break out, so the n doesnt seem to be particrly reliable." The main advantage that a formation te provided was that even those who didnt understand formations could activate and use it as well. However, it had its fair share of disadvantagespared to typical formations, too. Unless one could create apound formation of it with a Spirit Gathering Formation, one would have to activate and sustain it using ones zhenqi. The amount of zhenqi a cultivator possessed was limited, so while formation tes might be useful in alleviating dire situations temporarily, their effectiveness was limited in the long-term. The Sabertooth Spirit Tigers possessed extraordinary strength, so it was hard to say whether or not the formation tes could stall them long enough to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. It was no wonder they eventually chose to find him. With this n, their probability of sess was probably even less than twenty percent. On the other hand, hearing Zhang Xuans words, their faces turned red. They also knew that there was a problem with their n, but there was no alternative they could think of. After a moment of hesitation, Hu Yaoyao spoke up with gritted teeth. "Zhang shi, if we obtain these Scarlet Firefly Fruits, we are willing to take only one each, and the rest will go to you..." The other three nodded in agreement. They knew that it would have been extremely improbable for them to seed, so they felt embarrassed to share an equal split of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits with him. In any case, their goal was just to make the breakthrough to Half-Saint. As long as they could seed, it mattered not whether they obtained one Scarlet Firefly Fruit or two. Zhang Xuan shook its head. "Lets obtain them first before talking about that..." It was impractical to be talking about the distribution when they hadnt even obtained them yet. Understanding this logic, the others nodded, and the group continued proceeded forward. "The area where the Scarlet Firefly Fruits are located is just around this bend. Lets proceed carefully," warned Dong Xin as she took a look at the surroundings. The others nodded as they advanced with bated breaths. While the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers would know that there were intruders due to the presence of the Scarlet Coy Flowers, as long as the intruders didnt possess strength beyond them, they were unlikely to be rmed. As long as they were to conceal themselves well and figure out a perfect opportunity to strike, they would still have a shot at sess. Advancing for a little longer, just as they were about to reach the end of the narrow path in the valley, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up in rm. "Somethings wrong!" Seeing Zhang Xuane to an abrupt halt, the others swiftly stopped in their footsteps as well. "Whats wrong?" However, Zhang Xuan didnt reply to their questions. Instead, he walked over to a nearby boulder and squatted down. A momentter, he gestured them over and said, "Take a look at this..." Hu Yaoyao and the others headed over with doubtful expressions, and behind the boulder, they noticed slight traces of fresh soil that was slightly different from its surroundings. It was barely discernible; they wouldnt have noticed it if they werent paying close attention, but the fresh soil didnt seem to belong to the valley. "This is..." The others were slightly perplexed by the sight before them. "This valley seems to be suffering from dry weather, as we can tell from the dry soil in the area. However, these bits of soil carry a slight bit of dampness with them... If I am not mistaken, I believe that someone has entered the valley ahead of us!" Zhang Xuan revealed his deduction. He had been keeping a lookout on his surroundings using the Eye of Insight, and as inconspicuous as the traces of fresh soil were, he was still able to easily find them and determine their origin. "Someone has entered the valley ahead of us?" On the other hand, hearing Zhang Xuans words, the faces of the others immediately warped in shock. The main reason they were so persistent about the Scarlet Firefly Fruits here was because there was no one else aware of their existence. If the news regarding them had spread somehow, it wouldplicate things. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Judging from the soil, it seems there are two of them, and it has been less than ten minutes since they passed this point. Also, the stronger of the duo seems to be... a Half-Saint realm cultivator!" "You are able to tell their cultivation just by these soil traces?" Everyone was stunned. Was he a fortune teller? It might be possible to gauge the time when the soil was left behind by its dampness, but how in the world did he manage to deduce the strength of those who had entered too? "I have been paying close attention to the surroundings, and I didnt notice any such soil traces behind us. In other words, the other party must have flown in andnded here. I can still feel slight traces of his zhenqi in the surroundings, and through that, it is not impossible to deduce his cultivation," Zhang Xuan replied. At Half-Saint, a cultivator had alreadyprehended the ability of basic flight. However, having yet to open the Zhukong acupoint, their flight would be unstable, and zhenqi would leak from their acupoints as well. If the other party had not stopped here, the leaked zhenqi might have been so faint that it would have been nigh impossible to discern anything. However, as the other party hadnded here, a trace of his zhenqi lingered in the area, allowing one to deduce his cultivation. "Incredible..." The crowd couldnt help but be awed. Even though they were master teachers as well, in terms of their meticulousness and analytical ability, they were still far toockingpared to Zhang Xuan. Xue Zhenyangs face suddenly turned grim. "If a Half-Saint is here... will the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers destroy the fruits?" If a Half-Saint was there, the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers would surely have been rmed. If the spirit beasts were to destroy the fruits out of desperation, they would have made the trip in vain. Hu Yaoyao shook her head. "I think we should focus our attention on figuring out the identity of those who came earlier than us. If they obtain the fruits before us, it would be no different from them being destroyed to us..." There was some truth in her words. If the other party were to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits before them, were they supposed to snatch the fruits from the other partys hands? As master teachers, they had to conduct themselves appropriately. If they were to be found guilty of snatching a treasure from the hands of another, they would be severely punished by the Master Teacher Pavilion. The others nodded in agreement as they continued to advance discreetly. After turning at the end of the meandering path, a vast plot ofnd suddenly unfolded before them. It was at least several thousand square meters, as if someone had forcefully dug out this space in the midst of the valley. At the end of the path, lying against the cliff face, was a massive cavern. The Scarlet Firefly Fruits were inside it. Through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could see dense spiritual energy congregated within the cavern, puffing out from time to time. "There is indeed someone ahead of us!" Dong Xin frowned. Following her gaze, there were two silhouettes hiding behind a boulder outside of the cavern, seemingly fiddling with something in their hands. "A Half-Saint and a Chrysalis realm expert!" Upon discerning the cultivation of the duo before them, the four of them couldnt help but nce at Zhang Xuan in admiration once more. It was exactly as he had deduced. "The clothes that they are wearing... are those master teacher robes? But why are they different to ours?" Xue Zhenyang frowned. It was after Xue Zhenyangs remark that everyone turned their attention to the clothes of the duo. Unlike the normal loose-fitting master teacher robes, the gray robes they wore seemed to be tighter and more fitting. From their side profile, they could vaguely make out a master teacher emblem pinned on their chest, but unlike the usual soothing and magnanimous aura it carried, the emblem they donned felt sharp and aggressive. It seemed as if their eyes would be pricked if they were to stare at it a moment longer. After a moment of contemtion, Long Cangyue said, "Even if their robes are different from ours, I can still sense that they are master teachers from the unique imprint on their emblems... However, it doesnt seem like they are from Hongyuan Empire. I know nearly all of the experts of their caliber in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Master Teacher Pavilion, but neither looks familiar to me." "Un." Xue Zhenyang and the others nodded in agreement as well. As elites of the Master Teacher Academy, theyd had the privilege of meeting many of the top master teachers in Hongyuan Empire. If those two had been from Hongyuan Empire as well, they should have been able to recognize them. Since they couldnt, chances were that they were from a foreignnd. In any case, the mountain range they were in was already beyond Hongyuan Empires territory, so it wasnt surprising to see foreign master teachers in the area. "The convention among master teachers regarding the distribution of artifacts is on a firste first serve basis. Once someone has obtained the treasure, the others are not to snatch it by force. Even if they really wish to obtain the treasure, they will have to do so via proper means," Dong Xin said. In a scenario where many master teachers were going for the same artifact, regardless of means, the first one to obtain it would be considered its owner. Malicious actions such as killing the person in possession of the item to snatch it were strictly forbidden. Otherwise, if master teachers were to wrestle one another to death over artifacts, what right would they have to preach to others? Of course, the side that failed to obtain the artifact could negotiate with the one in possession of the artifact regarding its distribution by offering something in exchange for it or through an official duel... However, if the one in possession of the artifact were to reject all negotiations, there was nothing that could be done. "It will be over once theyy their hands on the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, so we have to obtain the fruits before them..." Hu Yaoyao said with a grim expression. A momentter, Hu Yaoyaos eyebrows shot up and she asked doubtfully, "What are they doing?" Ahead of them, the duo seemed to be in no hurry to rush into the cavern either. The stronger of the duo had lit up an incense and was discreetly manipting his zhenqi to blow the incense toward the cavern. "If Im not mistaken, that item should be Soulshock Incense!" Dong Xin said. "Soulshock Incense?" Hu Yaoyao and the others asked doubtfully. "Un. The smoke produced by the incense contains a substance that can beguile a soul with hallucinations. They must be using it to incapacitate the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers before stealing the Scarlet Firefly Fruits!" Dong Xin exined. "However, that item doesnt discriminate between friend and foe... If they fill the cavern with the smoke, arent they worried that they will fall under the effects of the Soulshock Incense as well?" Chapter 865: Crossing Hands Chapter 865: Crossing Hands Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Soulshock Incense was crafted using several hundred unique medicinal herbs, and its effects were so potent that it was effective even on Chrysalis realm cultivators. However, the Soulshock Incense didnt discriminate between friend and foe. Even if they could blow the smoke away from them now, they would still be affected by it once they entered the cavern. "Every toxin has a counteracting antidote to it. Most likely, they must have concocted a pairing antidote and consumed it beforehand," Zhang Xuan replied calmly. There was always an antidote to a poison, no matter how potent it was, needless to say a substance that only induced hallucinations. "Un!" The others nodded in agreement. "What should we do then? Once the smoke fills the cavern, the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers will surely be knocked out, and they will be free to obtain the fruits!" Dong Xin eximed anxiously. The other party had a Half-Saint expert, so it would be impossible for them to get to the Scarlet Firefly Fruits faster than the other party once the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers were knocked out. After a moment of deep thought, Zhang Xuan replied, "We will have to be the first to strike then..." Since they were unable to outrun or outfight the other party, they would just have to be the first one to make a move! "Be the first to strike?" The others were perplexed, unsure of what Zhang Xuan meant. The other party was right in front of the cavern, and the cavern was currently filled with the smoke of the Soulshock Incense as well. Even if they were to rush in now, not only would they be unable to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, they might even sumb to hallucinations as well, putting them in a vulnerable position. "Wait for me here. If anything happens, leave the area immediately. Remember, your safetyes first. I will circle the area to see if I can find an opportunity to sneak into the cavern without them noticing," Zhang Xuan instructed. "You want to sneak into the cavern?" The cavern was only that big, and the duo was right before the cavern. How could he possibly sneak in without the other party noticing? "Dont worry about that, leave it to me..." Zhang Xuan reassured them before diving to the side. In a few moments, he had already disappeared from their sights. "This..." After Zhang Xuans departure, Dong Xin and the others nced at one another with bewilderment reflected in their eyes, unsure of what to do. A long momentter, Hu Yaoyao sighed deeply and said, "Lets just follow Zhang shis instructions. Since he has already said those words, he must have an idea in mind..." In the current circumstances, there was nothing they could do. Their only option was to follow Zhang Xuansmands. Considering the various miracles that thetter had produced before, perhaps he might just be able to exceed their expectations once more and obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits ahead of the duo. ... After getting out of the others sight, Zhang Xuan hid in a discreet location before drawing his soul out. Under the present circumstances, the only way for him to sneak into the cavern discreetly was through his soul. As for what he said about circling the area and finding an opportunity, that was only an excuse for him to hide out of view. Floating in the air, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before whipping out a bottle of Origin Heavy Water. He fed it to his body and drew out several surges of Heavens Path zhenqi from his dantian before stowing his body into the Myriad Anthive Nest. His physical body had already achieved the Mind of Void, allowing it to cultivate instinctively without his soul. Since that was the case, it would be a waste not to make full use of the ability to cultivate the Third Incandescence, especially since it wouldnt interfere in his mission anyway. Hu! Holding his storage ring up with his soul energy, Zhang Xuans soul traveled silently alongside the cliff face toward the cavern. There were many trees and shrubs growing alongside the cliff face, all the way to the cavern, so it wasnt too difficult for Zhang Xuan to move his small storage ring discreetly among them. On top of that, Zhang Xuans soul had reached Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, granting him greater control over his soul energy. If he were to conceal his aura, there was no way a Half-Saint would be able to notice him. Hu! By making use of a temporarypse in attention of the duo, Zhang Xuan managed to dart into the cavern with his storage ring without rming anyone. Heaving a sigh of relief, he began to scan his surroundings. The interior of the cavern was spacious and deep. From where he stood, he couldnt see the other end. At this moment, there was already a lightyer of smoke drifting in the cavern, and with just the slightest inhtion, one would fall into a deep trance. If it had been before, even if Zhang Xuan had cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, he would still have needed to proceed warily around such poison. However, after his soul had mixed with Wei Ruyans and gained the properties of the Poison Soul Constitution, such poison no longer posed a threat to him. Advancing deeper into the cavern, Zhang Xuan soon encountered a bizarre-looking tree. It had a twisted tree trunk with a thickness roughly equivalent to an average bowl with vine-like branches stretching from it. Hanging on those vine-like branches were golden leaves and several light-red fruits. It seems the fruits havent matured yet... Upon taking a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the fruits were still several days away from maturity. The distinctive trait of a mature Scarlet Firefly Fruit was its bright scarlet color and the emanation of a glow reminiscent of a firefly. However, it was currently only light-red in color. Just as Dong Xin and the others had deduced, it would still take from a week to half a month before they were ready to be harvested. Standing on guard right before the tree was a massive Sabertooth Spirit Tiger. It had an impressive body, which was two meters tall and five meters long, and it carried an oppressive aura that seemed to stifle ones breath. The other Sabertooth Spirit Tiger was prowling warily around the tree with its gaze frequently turning to the entrance of the cavern. It seemed to have realized that there were enemies camping outside, and nervousness and apprehension were reflected in its eyes. It seemed to be debating whether or not it should simply devour the unripe Scarlet Firefly Fruits and escape swiftly. The smoke of the Soulshock Incense had yet to reach this part of the cavern, so the tworge tigers still retained their consciousness. It seems Dong Xins intelligence is spot on... Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. There were indeed ten fruits on the tree, and the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers were at Chrysalis realm pinnacle as well. To be able to gather such detailed intelligence, Dong Xin must have scouted the cavern as well. While the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers were extremely wary, it was inevitable that they would lower their guards from time to time, especially while they were tending to their fundamental needs. Furthermore, the fruits were still far from maturity then, so they wouldnt have been as wary as they were now. With Dong Xins Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivation, even if she wasnt a match for the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers, she was still capable of sneaking in discreetly to scout the area. There are two ways I can proceed now. First, I can release the Byzantium Helios Beast, kill these two spirit beasts, and im possession of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. This is the easiest and most direct method, but I will risk exposing my means as a soul oracle and the existence of the Myriad Anthive Nest. Second, I can find a way to hasten the maturity of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, harvest them, and swiftly escape without anyone noticing. If so, I can avoid a confrontation with the two master teachers, thus sparing me a great deal of trouble... Zhang Xuan thought. Naturally, the easiest solution would be to release the Byzantium Helios Beast and swiftly get rid of the two tigers. However, it would be hard to exin how he had managed to sneak into the cavern without their notice and where the Byzantium Helios Beast hade from. The second method it is then! After giving the matter some thought, Zhang Xuan still felt that the second method would be safer. I will have to knock these two fellows out first... Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuans soul retreated slightly behind and drew the smoke of the Soulshock Incense in with his soul energy. The Scarlet Firefly Fruit should only be harvested upon maturity, and in order to hasten the maturity of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, Zhang Xuan would have to bring out his physical body to utilize his Heavens Path zhenqi. Thus, he would have to incapacitate the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers first. Under the control of his soul, the smoke of the Soulshock Incense swiftly gathered around the tree. Too focused on the cultivators loitering outside the cavern, the two spirit beasts didnt expect to be poisoned. Unknowingly, they took a few breaths in, and their bodies began shaking uncontrobly. In the blink of an eye, they were already hallucinating. After waiting for a few moments to confirm that the two fellows were incapacitated, Zhang Xuan rushed forward to the tree, took out his physical body, and returned his soul to it. Flicking his wrist, he took out a gourd of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and dripped it on the fruits while pumping his Heavens Path zhenqi into them. The reason Zhang Xuan dared to go in there without having to worry about beingte for the inauguration ceremony, despite Hu Yaoyao saying that she was unsure when the Scarlet Firefly Fruit would mature, was due to this ability of his. He had learned of this method when he had tried to hasten the maturity of the Ten-leafed Flower back in You Xus residence previously. Under the influx of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence and Heavens Path zhenqi, the light-red fruits swiftly deepened in color, and a glow gradually emerged within them. Before long, a refreshing fragrance began to permeate the surroundings. The fruits have matured! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He swiftly harvested the ten Scarlet Firefly Fruits and ced them in a jade box before stowing them into his storage ring. After which, he drew his soul out of his body and ced his body into the Myriad Anthive Nest before storing the nest in his storage ring as well. After all that was done, he took a nce at the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers once more and saw that they were still shaking on their feet, gued by hallucinations. Heaving a sigh of relief, he swiftly picked up his ring and rushed out of the cavern. Shortly after he escaped from the cavern, he saw the two master teachers who had lit the Soulshock Incense earlier walking over, seemingly trying to check if they had sessfully knocked out the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers. With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan quickly left the premises with his storage ring. He hurriedly searched for a discreet area with no one around before letting his body out and returning to it. In the time he had spent stealing the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, his physical body had sessfully cultivated the Third Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. His physical strength had doubled, rising from the original 8,000,000 ding to 16,000,000 ding. If exerted in unison with his soul and zhenqi cultivation, he would be able to bring out abined might of 53,000,000 ding, which wasparable to the strength of a Half-Saint pinnacle cultivator! (Half-Saint primary stage 40,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 44,000,000 ding; advanced stage 48,000,000 ding; pinnacle 52,000,000 ding) Feeling the overwhelming power coursing through his body, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but tremble with excitement. For an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage cultivator to possess strength on par with a Half-Saint pinnacle cultivator, that would terrify the bejesus out of others! That was a gap that couldnt be justified by just talent; it could only be said to be a miracle! Alright, I should return now... Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan stood up and returned to the area where he hadst seen Hu Yaoyao and the others. However, just as he was approaching the area, he suddenly felt a violent shockwave rippling in the surroundings. This is bad... Narrowing his eyes in rm, Zhang Xuan picked up his pace and rushed over. A few breathster, he saw several cultivators battling one another intensely in a clearing. Xue Zhenyang, Hu Yaoyao, Dong Xin, and Long Cangyue were fighting one of the duo they had encountered earlier. They executed powerful attacks with varying styles, but their opponent, despite fighting the four of them simultaneously, didnt seem to be falling in defeat. On the contrary, he easily neutralized their attacks and even cornered the four of them to the point that they had to execute their strongest techniques just to hold their ground. Its the Chrysalis realm pinnacle fellow? Zhang Xuan took a look at their opponent and frowned. If their opponent had been the Half-Saint expert, it would be understandable for the four of them to still be in a disadvantageous position despite putting their strength together. However, their opponent was the Chrysalis realm pinnacle master teacher, possessing cultivation equal to theirs! The four of them were famed geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, and there were barely any cultivators of the same cultivation realm who could defeat them. Yet, for them to be cornered even in a four-on-one battle against a fellow peer, was this really happening? Their opponent was a little... way too powerful! ncing to the side, Zhang Xuan saw the Half-Saint cultivator leaning a boulder as he gazed at the duel impassively, seemingly unworried that hispanion would lose at all. It seemed that the other party had absolute confidence in the strength of hispanion. Knowing that Hu Yaoyao and the others would lose tragically should the duel continue as it was, Zhang Xuan stood forward and bellowed, "Stop!" Chapter 866: Zhang Xuans Prowess Chapter 866: Zhang Xuans Prowess Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang shi..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the eyes of Hu Yaoyao and the others immediately lit up. They immediately attempted to retreat from the battle to unite with him, but their opponent harrumphed coldly. "Do you think that you can stop this battle just because you want to?" Hu hu! The opponent brandished the sword in his hand, and a powerful might immediately chased after Hu Yaoyao and the others, leaving them no choice but to turn around to counterattack. However, their counterattack was still a littlete, and the opponents sh left them with a deep cut on their arms. What swift swordsmanship! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The opponents swordsmanship wasnt exceptionally profound, but it made up for its simplicity with speed, preciseness, and exceptional mastery in theprehension of Sword Intent. Despite coborating with one another, Hu Yaoyao and the others were still unable to withstand its might, and they were pulled back into the battle once more. Seeing the opponent attack Hu Yaoyao and the others relentlessly, leaving them no opportunity to escape at all, Zhang Xuan frowned. "That friend over there, we are all master teachers, so surely we can talk things out. There is no need to resort to a life-and-death duel!" "You want the duel to stop? Sure, if you think that you can save them, you are free to try. Otherwise, I am afraid none of you will be getting out of here unharmed!" the Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivator fighting Hu Yaoyao and the others taunted with a smirk. The opponents voice sounded extremely young, which drew Zhang Xuans gaze to his facial features. Astonishingly, he realized that the opponent seemed to be even younger than Hu Yaoyao and the others, possibly only in his early twenties. To reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle at such a young age and subdue Hu Yaoyao and the others simultaneously, the opponents talent was truly fearsome! Turning his gaze to the Half-Saint realm cultivator as well, Zhang Xuan noticed that the other party was only in his mid-twenties as well. "Since that is the case, pardon me!" Seeing that the opponent had no intention of stopping, if the battle were allowed to continue, Hu Yaoyao and the others would eventually suffer severe injuries. Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan leaped into the battle as well. "Ethereal Treading realm?" Sensing Zhang Xuans cultivation, the disdainful sneer emerged on the lips of the Half-Saint standing by the side, seemingly anticipating that Zhang Xuan would make a fool out of himself. Even four Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivators are no match for mypanion. What can an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage like you possibly do? You are merely courting death! "I was thinking, how formidable must you be to talk so much by the side? But it turns out that you are only at the Ethereal Treading realm. Since thats the case, I will have you copse first!" The fighting young man also noticed Zhang Xuans weak cultivation, and the same disdainful sneer surfaced on his face as well. After pushing back Hu Yaoyao and the others with a powerful sh, he rushed straight toward Zhang Xuan with a stab. Even before the sword arrived, the powerful aura it emanated would have already pierced deep into ones body, leaving one shivering uncontrobly. That young man might only have been at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, but the might of his sword surpassed even some Half-Saint experts. It was no wonder Hu Yaoyao and the others couldnt defeat him even in a four-to-one battle. Facing such a powerful stab, Zhang Xuan didnt bother to hide at all. Activating his Eye of Insight, he swiftly analyzed the area where the sword wouldnd, and abruptly exhaled deeply. Hu! Zhang Xuans chest immediately deted along with the exhtion. In a battle between experts, the slightest millimeter could make the greatest of difference. The sword was aimed right at his chest, but it seemed that the other party had no intention of killing him with this stab, aiming to only achieve a shallow pierce and stop right before his heart. However, with the deep exhtion Zhang Xuan had made, the rampaging force of the advancing sword stopped right before his chest instead. Even the sharpest of sword cant pierce the thinnest of cloth once it loses its momentum! As powerful as the young mans stab was, it had already run out of strength at this point. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan lifted his hand and held the other party swords lightly between his forefinger and middle finger. Weng! As if a captured snake, the sharp sword wouldnt budge no matter how the young man tried to pull it away. What sharp insight and mental fortitude... The Half-Saint cultivator by the side narrowed his eyes. This movement might seem simple andckluster, but it wasnt something that just anyone was capable of pulling off. Ones eye of discernment and mental fortitude must reach be on par. If ones discernment wasnt sufficiently keen and a wrong judgement was made, the sword could end up piercing ones chest instead. On the other hand, if onecked sufficient mental fortitude, it would be impossible to retain onesposure before a life-and-death situation such as this. Interesting! For an Ethereal Treading realm cultivator to dare to face the sword of a Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert head-on, the other party sure had a lot of guts. However, Wu Xus sword cant be stopped that easily. He will have to pay a heavy price for it! Hispanion might possess a weaker cultivation than him, but his mastery of swordsmanship was astonishing. The other party might have managed to catch hispanions sword out of a stroke of luck previously, but... the true challenge had yet toe. With his lips curled up, the Half-Saint cultivator turned his sight to the battlefield calmly, expecting to see how hispanion would subdue the youngd. However, what he saw instead was hispanion exerting all of his strength, such that his face had turned red, but was still unable to pull his sword out of the other partys fingers. What is going on? the Half-Saint cultivators eyebrow shot up. Hispanion could be said to be invincible among cultivators of the same cultivation realm, but for his sword to be captured by an insignificant fellow who was nearly two realms weaker than him, and be unable to retrieve it from the other partys fingers at that... How could that be possible? "Y-you..." While he was shocked, the person who was experiencing the situation personally, Wu Xu, was nearly scared out of his wits. He had thought that the other party was a small fry who he could defeat in an instant. Yet, the stab that he had put a significant amount of strength into was not only negated by his opponent easily, he even had his sword trapped within the other partys grasp! "Let go!" Wu Xu roared as he gathered his strength and pulled furiously. "Here you go!" Zhang Xuan abruptly released his grip. "Humph!" As expected of abat talent, unlike the situation with Ying Qin, Wu Xu immediately did a somersault to neutralize the momentum from his pull, allowing him to recover his bnce swiftly. After which, he charged forward and quickly sent another stab toward Zhang Xuan. Knowing that his opponent wasnt ordinary, Wu Xus stab was abrupt and much swifter than before. Before one could even process what was happening, the sword would already be right before one. The Half-Saint nodded in approval upon seeing the stab. "This Blithe Sword is well-executed. It seems he has achieved at least twenty percent of my mastery!" That stab was swift and agile, carrying the aura of a conqueror! It might be only twenty percent of his mastery, but that was already a fearsome level. Considering how close the two of them were, even of an average Half-Saint intermediate stage cultivator would be unable to dodge the attack! There was no doubt about it; the Ethereal Treading realmds defeat was certain! "You really want to have a go at it, dont you?" If Zhang Xuan had been unable to react, he would have surely suffered severe injuries under the assault. Even if he were to survive this ordeal, he would have to spend at least the next few months in bed. He had already gone easily on the other party, but the other party stillunched such a vicious attack on him. Displeased, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he bent his middle finger and flicked it lightly. Ding! With a crisp echo, as if a cracked ss, Wu Xus sword abruptly broke into numerous pieces and fell to the ground. When Zhang Xuan had held Wu Xus sword previously, he had alreadypiled a book regarding it, so he knew where its weakness was. On top of that, he possessed strengthparable to a Half-Saint pinnacle, making it an easy feat for him to destroy the sword with a simple flick of his finger. "What?" Seeing his Spirit pinnacle sword destroyed by a single flick of the other partys finger, Wu Xu nearly fainted from shock. Even if a Half-Saint pinnacle expert were to exert the full extent of his strength, it would still be nigh impossible to destroy a Spirit pinnacle sword. Yet, for it to shatter with a single flick of the other partys finger... Just how could that be possible? At the same time, the eyeballs of the Half-Saint watching the battle by the side also nearly popped out of their sockets. He had thought that Zhang Xuan would be surely be severely injured at the very least, but thetter had actually managed to shatter Wu Xus sword with a simple flick of his finger... How could the other party possibly wield such fearsome strength? Was the other party really an Ethereal Treading realm cultivator? They had always prided themselves on being invincible among cultivators of the same cultivation realm, so how could hispanion be defeated by someone of a weaker cultivation level than him? "Damn it!" Wu Xu shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to believe what had just happened. With a frenzied look on his face, he charged at Zhang Xuan once more. It was impossible for someone who was nearly two cultivation realms weaker than him to defeat him so easily. Impossible! On the other hand, seeing that the young man was still unwilling to give up, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a sigh and raised his fist. Heavens Path Fist Art! Peng! Before Wu Xu could even process what was going on, he had already been struck by a punch to his chest. He copsed to the ground, coughing an endless stream of blood. It felt as if his internal organs had shifted under the incredible force, and even after a brief respite, he was still unable to catch his breath. "You..." It took him a few more moments before he managed to recover sufficiently to return to his feet. With a facepletely warped by rage, Wu Xu red at Zhang Xuan, seemingly preparing to make his next move, when the Half-Saint cultivator by the side abruptly intervened. "Enough! Dont you think that you have embarrassed yourself enough?" "... Yes!" Wu Xu red at Zhang Xuan hesitantly for a moment longer before hesitantly backing down to the side. He took out a pill and swallowed it, and only then did he feel his condition alleviate slightly. Even though he had decided not to make a move, his hostile gaze was still fixated on Zhang Xuan, seemingly tempted to tear him apart. Ignoring the duo, Zhang Xuan whipped out a wine gourd and infused his zhenqi inside before passing them over to Hu Yaoyao and the others to heal their injuries. After that was done, he turned his gaze back to the duo with a deep frown on his face. "We are all master teachers here, but you willfully made a move on mypanions, and not to mention, you even resorted to such vicious moves. Do the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion mean nothing to you?" "Vicious moves? You havent seen what truly vicious is yet! Hand over the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, and I can consider letting you off. Otherwise, none of you will be getting out of here unscathed today!" Wu Xu roared in response. Hearing those words, the short-tempered Xue Zhenyang bellowed furiously, "Scarlet Firefly Fruits? We have been behind you all this while, how in the world could we possibly have obtained the Scarlet Firefly Fruits ahead of you?" From the start to the end, they had never found an opportunity to approach the cavern. Yet, the duo actually came over to demand the Scarlet Firefly Fruits from them. Was there something wrong with their minds? Even if you wish to use us, at least find something less illogical than that! "We confirmed earlier that there were Scarlet Firefly Fruits inside the cavern, but they suddenly disappeared when we entered the cavern just a moment ago. On top of that, we noticed traces suggesting that someone had hastened the maturity of the fruits. There are only the few of us in this valley, so who else could it be if not you?" Wu Xu snapped. The two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers had lost their consciousness, and there were no signs to say that they had devoured the fruits ahead of them. From this, they deduced that someone must have beaten them to the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. There werent too many people in the valley, so the culprit could only be them! "If we had obtained the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, we would have already long left the valley. Why would we waste our time loitering around this area and talking to you? You are clearly making up nonsense to extort our wealth!" Hu Yaoyao harrumphed. In her opinion, the duo were the ones who had harvested the fruits, and they were only making use of this opportunity to extort them. They were truly a disgrace to all master teachers. "Preposterous, we..." Wu Xu was just about to argue with Hu Yaoyao when the Half-Saint cultivator beside him abruptly waved his hands and bellowed, "Enough!" Wu Xu immediately fell silent. "I am sure that we can agree that the Scarlet Firefly Fruits are very important to all of us here. Like you have said, we are all master teachers. If you have harvested the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, we are willing to officially negotiate the distribution of the fruits with you under the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion," the Half-Saint said calmly. "How do you intend to negotiate?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Simple. If any of you can withstand three blows from me, we will turn around and leave straightaway. Otherwise... pardon me, but you wont be leaving until you hand over five Scarlet Firefly Fruits today!" the Half-Saint replied. "If we win, you get to leave without anypensation, and if we lose, we have to hand you five Scarlet Firefly Fruits? Hahaha, this is the most hrious joke I have heard in the longest time. You call this a negotiation? What makes you think that we will agree to such terms?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. Chapter 867: I Can Use Any Means at My Disposal? Chapter 867: I Can Use Any Means at My Disposal? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Of course, we arent expecting to take the Scarlet Firefly Fruits from you for free. If we win, we will buy those fruits from you at a price of 50 high-tier spirit stones!" the Half-Saint cultivator said. "50 high-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan scoffed. "If you can fork out 5000 high-tier spirit stones, I can sell them to you right now!" Just the several bottles of Origin Heavy Water and formation tes that Hu Yaoyao and the others had prepared to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits already exceeded 50 high-tier spirit stones. To offer to buy five of them for such a price... Did he really think that they were fools? If you want to buy some of the fruits, sure, we are willing to sell them. Five thousand high-tier spirit stones, no more, no less! "You should learn to watch your words. You might possess exceptional talent, but in my eyes, you mean nothing at all! The Master Teacher Pavilion might forbid killing among fellow master teachers, but teaching you a lesson... I think I have sufficient authority to do so!" the Half-Saint said coldly as he nced at Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes. "Why? Are you going to resort to threatening me now that you dont have enough money?" Zhang Xuan burst intoughter. "This is not a threat; I am merely stating facts. In the world that we live in, the only thing that truly counts is strength!" The Half-Saint harrumphed as an aura reminiscent of a sharp sword abruptly burst out of him, forcing all flora and fauna in the area to lower themselves subserviently. Feeling that aura, the faces of Hu Yaoyao and the others paled in astonishment. They had met plenty of Half-Saints in their time, but the aura of the other party felt like a guillotine above their heads, threatening to decapitate them should they show the slightest resistance. This fearsome aura was something that they had never felt before, even from a Nascent Saint expert. Seemingly unaffected by the other partys overwhelming aura, Zhang Xuan asked with a wry smile on his lips, "In other words, you are saying that justice lies in the hands of the strong?" "Thats right. The Master Teacher Pavilion might have its own set of rules, but before true strength, those rules are meaningless! I rmend you learn your ce and hand over the Scarlet Firefly Fruits obediently; perhaps, we might still be able to settle this matter peacefully. Otherwise, I dont mind challenging you all to a Master Teacher Confrontation. By then, not only will you not receive any spirit stones at all, you will have to call someone to carry you back!" the Half-Saint cultivator sneered coldly as he ced his hands behind his back, ncing at Zhang Xuan with an aura of superiority. Snatching was forbidden among master teachers, but challenging one another to duels was allowed. Furthermore, considering that they were in a rural area, there would be no eye-witnesses to say anything if the pair did do something to them. "Fair enough. Since you have already said that much, there is nothing else I can do." Seeing that the other party was insistent on settling the matter with force, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a sigh andmanded, "Byzantium Lad, get him!" Hu! Before anyone could process what was going on, the Byzantium Helios Beast abruptly flew over from further down the valley and appeared before the Half-Saint. In order to not reveal his possession of the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan had secretly slipped the nest a distance away before having the Byzantium Helios Beast emerge from it. "What?" The Half-Saint cultivator did not expect to see a Saint 2-dan saint beast appear before him abruptly. He immediately leaped in the air to flee, but the next instant, a massive palm smacked him back to the ground. Peng! Due to the immense force, the Half-Saint cultivator tumbled eight rounds before knocking heavily into the cliff face, and arge mouthful of blood spewed from his lips. In the first ce, the Byzantium Helios Beast was a saint beast capable of rivaling cultivators who possessed a cultivation beyond it, not to mention, its cultivation was far higher than his at that. He might possess exceptional fighting prowess, but there was no way he could be a match for the other party! "Damn it!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to flee, the Half-Saint cultivators face turned so dark that it could bleed ink. Flicking his wrist, a sword appeared in his hands, and with a swift motion, he charged forward to strike the Byzantium Helios Beast. Seeing the other partys movements, Zhang Xuan nodded inmendation. "Not bad!" It was no wonder the other party was so arrogant. He did have the strength to back up his words. Just this single move in itself could easily overwhelm an average Nascent Saint! Even Zhang Xuan didnt have the confidence to ovee this move head-on. However... it was a pity that his opponent was the Byzantium Helios Beast! As one of the elders of the Master Teacher Academy, the Byzantium Helios Beast had fought innumerable battles. How could it possibly be afraid of a mere Half-Saint? With a roar, its massive palm plucked an enormous tree from the side and flung it toward the Half-Saint cultivator. Peng! When the sword was still eight meters away from reaching the Byzantium Helios Beast, the wielder of the sword was already struck on his head, and he was smacked flying toward the cliff face once more. In the first ce, this battle served no purpose at all. There was an insurmountable gap between the two of them, so there could only be one oue. "You..." Pushing himself away from cliff, the Half-Saint cultivator popped a pill into his mouth to alleviate his injuries. Gritting his teeth, he spat, "We are all fellow master teachers; dont you think that it is underhanded for you to have a saint beast elder interfere in our duel?" In his view, the Byzantium Helios Beast was probably an elder apanying them on this trip to ensure their safety. It should have been a fight among peers, but you had an elder fight in your stead. Dont you think that it is embarrassing? "Elder?" Zhang Xuan burst intoughter. "The Byzantium Helios Beast is my tamed beast, why do you think that he is an elder? Surely a beast tamer can use his own tamed beast in a duel, right?" "Your tamed beast?" The Half-Saint was stunned. He had seen many beast tamers before, but even the most capable 7-star beast tamer he had seen could only tame a saint beast one realm stronger than him. Yet, thisd, despite being only at the Ethereal Treading realm, actually managed to tame a Spiritual Perception realm saint beast... How could this be possible? Ethereal Treading, Chrysalis, Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, Void Pursuit, Spiritual Perception... That was five whole realms! "Thats right," Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly as he beckoned with his hand. The Byzantium Helios Beast immediately walked over and nudged intimately Zhang Xuan with its head. "This..." The Half-Saint was rendered speechless. If he had known that the other party had such a powerful tamed beast, he would have never provoked him! Beast tamers always fought with their tamed beast. While the other partys tamed beast might be irrationally powerful, that could only be credited to his astounding capability as a beast tamer. There were no bones anyone could pick from this. How was this duel supposed to proceed? Even if he were to grit his teeth and fight on, he would only be furthering his suffering! "Whats wrong? Didnt you say that you want to challenge me to a duel? Sure, I ept your challenge. Beast taming is one of my supporting upations, so my tamed beast can be considered part of my own strength as well. You shouldnt have any problem with that, right? Feel free to make your three moves, I will also have Byzantiumd make three moves as well, there is no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan said as he politely gestured for the other party to make his moves. Werent you arrogant just now, thinking that we are powerless before you? Sure, two can y that game. If you can withstand three blows from my Byzantium Lad, I will admit defeat willingly! "I..." The Half-Saint cultivator nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. If the Saint 2-dan Byzantium Helios Beast were to fight him seriously, he would be destroyed in an instant! Three moves... He wouldnt even survive the first one! "Its true that beast tamers can bring their tamed beasts into battle, but since we are master teachers, dont you think that you are diverging too much from your origins by relying so much on your tamed beast?" With a reddened face, the Half-Saint cultivator challenged, "I dare you to have a battle with me without the assistance of your tamed beast. You can use any other means at your disposal, and as long as you can defeat me, we will turn around and leave immediately." "I can use any other means at my disposal?" Zhang Xuan asked the Half-Saint cultivator with a peculiar smile on his lips. "Thats right!" The Half-Saint cultivator nodded vehemently. As long as the other party didnt make use of the Byzantium Helios Beasts strength, given his prowess as a Half-Saint, he could achieve victory easily. He had gained a rough gauge of the other partys strength from his battle with Wu Xu earlier, and he was confident that he could defeat the other party in a normal duel. "Dont you think that those words sound familiar? I recall that someone said those words just a moment ago... However, if you are willing topensate me a hundred high-tier spirit stones if you lose, I dont mind having another duel with you!" Zhang Xuan said. Naturally, Zhang Xuan wouldnt ept a duel if he had nothing to gain from it. "A hundred high-tier spirit stones? Fine! But if you lose, you have to give me five Scarlet Firefly Fruits!" Seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the duel, the Half-Saint cultivators eyes lit up in excitement. Sensing the other partys excitement even before the duel had started, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "I havent lost yet, you know..." "Humph, we will see soon enough!" The Half-Saint cultivator flicked his sword, and a crisp reverberation sounded from his sword. "Come!" "Wait a moment. Allow me to confirm once more. As long as Byzantium Lad doesnt make a move, I can use any other means at my disposal?" Zhang Xuan confirmed once again. The Half-Saint cultivator nodded. "Thats right!" "Alright then, sounds fine to me," Zhang Xuan replied. "Good!" With a cold sneer, the Half-Saint cultivator stood upright, and in that moment, it felt as if he had be one with his sword. Despite the arrogance of the Half-Saint cultivator, hisprehension of swordsmanship wasnt beneath Zhang Xuans at all, achieving Sword Heart realm. Otherwise, his swordsmanship wouldnt harness might that could destroy even a Nascent Saint expert. "Zhang shi, be careful!" Hu Yaoyao said worriedly. Even though the Half-Saint cultivator had been struck twice by Senior Byzantium Helios, due to thetter going easy on him, his injuries werent too severe, and they had mostly recovered with the pill he had swallowed earlier. In his current state, he should be able to exert his full strength. Hu Yaoyao wasnt too sure how powerful Zhang Xuan was, but the disparity in their cultivation realms was simply too huge. No matter how formidable Zhang Xuan might be, defeating a Half-Saint while at the Ethereal Treading realm seemed to be nigh impossible. This worry was also shared by Xue Zhenyang and the others. It was not that they didnt have faith in Zhang Xuans strength, but that his opponent was simply too powerful. Be it the other partys aura or Sword Intent, those werent what ordinary cultivators could withstand. Seeing everyones expressions, Zhang Xuan chuckled leisurely. "Dont worry. He said it himself that I can resort to any means as long as Byzantium Lad doesnt interfere in the duel!" With a flick of his wrist, he said, "Ding Ding, youre up. Teach that fellow a lesson!" Hu! In the next instant, a massive weapon cauldron appeared before everyone else. It seemed to harness searing mes within it, causing in the surroundings to be exceptionally torrid. "This is... the Guardian Saint Artifact of our academy, the Golden Origin Cauldron?" Recognizing the other party, Hu Yaoyao nearly copsed to the ground. It was well-known among the student popce that the Master Teacher Academy had a powerful Guardian Saint Artifact that even Senior Byzantium Helios wasnt a match for. Even though Hu Yaoyao had never met the Guardian Saint Beast before, she had seen a painting of it in some books. She had thought that it was already formidable that Zhang shi had seeded in taming Senior Byzantium Helios... but he had actually managed to tame the Guardian Saint Artifact as well? Beside her, Xue Zhenyang and Long Cangyue also saw the world darken before them, and they nearly keeled over. To tame even the Guardian Saint Artifact... It was no wonder he was forced to be the principal. There were no viable candidates other than him! Otherwise, if he were to take both Senior Byzantium Helios and the Guardian Saint Artifact away with him, it would be no different from the Master Teacher Academys treasury being emptied out... Hu Yaoyao and the others were only overwhelmed by shock, but at the moment that the Golden Origin Cauldron appeared, the Half-Saint cultivator saw ten thousand divine beasts stampeding through his mind. His mouth widened to the point where one could stuff an egg in, but he was still unable to alleviate the suffocating sensation he felt in his chest. You tamed a saint beast? Fine, I will ept that. Perhaps, you might just be lucky, encountering an injured saint beast and treating him, thus bing its benefactor... But to tame a Saint-tier artifact as well, not to mention one as powerful as that cauldron, just how in the world did you do it? A pity it was that the Half-Saint cultivator wasnt even granted the time to brood over his misery. The Golden Origin Cauldron, upon hearing that that there was someone it could beat up, leaped up in excitement and dered, "Dont worry, Master. I will fulfill the mission you have asked of me perfectly. Watch how I, the Golden Origin Cauldron, reduce him to cinders within moments..." After which, the Half-Saint cultivator saw therge figure before him turn into a blur, and he instinctively raised his sword in defense. Kacha! The sword in his hands broke into smithereens, but before he could even process that, his body was already whizzing through the air before crashing right into the cliff face once more, leaving a huge -shaped depression behind him. More than a dozen of his ribs had shattered, and fresh blood spurted uncontrobly from his mouth. Chapter 868: Breakthrough, Chrysalis Realm! Chapter 868: Breakthrough, Chrysalis Realm! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Brother Lu..." Wu Xu hurriedly rushed forward to pull hispanion out of the wall and fed him a recovery pill. "Y-you..." After consuming the recovery pill and resting for a moment, the Half-Saint Brother Lu finally regained consciousness. Pointing a shaking finger at Zhang Xuan, he felt as if he was going to burst into tears. It is one thing for an Ethereal Treading realmd like you to possess a Spiritual Perception realm saint beast as a tamed beast, but to have a Saint-tier artifact on top of that... Tell me the truth, are you actually Kong shis illegitimate son? Otherwise, how can you have so many good items in your possession? "Whats wrong? You were the one who told me that I can resort to any means at my disposal as long as Byzantium Lad doesnt interfere in the battle. You were the one who set the rules, and I simply followed them!" Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. Pu! A strong feeling of frustration welled up in Brother Lus chest, and he spurted yet another mouthful of blood. What was this! He had thought that the other party could only have a Byzantium Helios Beast as his trump card. As long as he restricted that, he would be able to pummel the other party as he pleased. How could he have known that the other party would have a cauldron on top of that? Screw this! The person who I want to fight is you, not your Saint-tier artifact... You might not have broken any rules, but how the hell am I supposed to fight with a Saint-tier artifact? There is no way I can win, right? Gritting his teeth, Brother Lu eximed, "What I mean is a fight without relying on any artifact or saint beast, a proper duel between two cultivators using their own strength!" Fearing that the other party would whip out some kind of powerful item next, he emphasized using their own strength. "I see. So, you want to have a proper duel as martial artists?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Thats right. Do you dare ept my challenge?" Brother Lu taunted. He had always been a proud person, but he had ended up being humiliated more than he had ever been in his life today. If he didnt vent it out today, it would be a permanent trauma that would hunt him for life. While it was unbing for a Half-Saint expert like him to challenge an Ethereal Treading realm cultivator, in view of the many means the other party possessed, not even he could say that he had absolute confidence in achieving victory. "Sure, but the stakes will be doubled!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. A duel? As long as there is sufficient money involved, I am open to negotiations. "Fine by me!" A glint shed across Brother Lus eyes as he nodded in agreement. "Remember, you have already lost once, so you owe me a hundred high-tier spirit stones!" Zhang Xuan reminded. Brother Lu harrumphed. "You dont need to worry about that; I wont stoop so low as to renege on my promise! But of course, if you lose, I hope that you can fulfill your end of the bet as well!" "Alright then. I wont take advantage of you; I will give you two hours to recuperate from your injuries before we begin the duel, lest you refuse to admit defeatter on!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "You..." It should have been a good thing that the other party was giving him some time to recuperate, but for some reason, Brother Lu felt as if the other party was mocking him, and he felt another warm surge gushing up his throat once more. It took some time before he managed to recover, and after taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Fine!" It was through countless battles that he had managed to attain his current strength. He knew that it was precisely in crucial periods like this that he shouldnt allow his emotions to cloud his rationality. Two hours might not be sufficient for him to make a full recovery, but he should be able to exert around 95% of his full strength by then. And to him, that was more than enough! Brother Lu turned to Wu Xu and said, "Wu Xu, give me two of your Miniature Restorative Pills!" "Yes!" Wu Xu nodded. The Miniature Restorative Pill was an extremely valuable grade-6 pill, and he was usually reluctant to use one even when he was injured. However, knowing that Brother Lu had gotten injured for him, he passed them over without any hesitation. This grade-6 pill was known to be effective on even the injuries of Saint realm experts. Even if the two pills couldnt guarantee aplete recovery, they should improve his condition significantly. Swallowing the Miniature Restorative Pill, Brother Lu immediately felt the medicinal energy coursing through his body, and his paleplexion swiftly regained its color. The Golden Origin Cauldron turned to Zhang Xuan and advised, "Master, given that this fellow was able to survive my attack, his strength is extraordinary. It would be best not to make light of him!" By the side, the Byzantium Helios Beast also nodded in agreement. The two of them had exchanged blows with Brother Lu, and even though they were able to subdue the other party easily, they could feel that the fellows strength far surpassed that of ordinary Half-Saint cultivators. Even though their master wasnt a weakling either, he was still some way off from matching the other party. "I know." Zhang Xuan nodded. Through the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, he knew that the other party possessed exceptional prowess, which he couldnt match in his current state. However, the oue of a battle couldnt be determined by just mere stats. The decisions one chose to make in the midst of a battle yed a vital role, too. Even though Zhang Xuan felt that he wouldnt lose, he still thought that he should make some preparations just in case. This was also why he had proposed taking a two-hour break before the duel. The enemy needed time to recuperate, but he needed time to prepare his hand as well. Zhang Xuan turned to Hu Yaoyao and the others and asked, "Do you have any Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals? I need as many of them as possible!" The best way for him to stand against that Brother Lu was to raise his cultivation and narrow the gap between them. Two hours might not be much to anyone else, but to him, as long as hepiled the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art manuals, he would be able to raise his cultivation swiftly! "We do have some!" Hu Yaoyao nodded, and the four of them began taking out all of the Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals they had. As the leaders of their respective factions, they tended to keep quite a handful of cultivation technique manuals of lower cultivation realms in their storage rings so that they could refer to them whenever they were guiding their subordinates in their cultivation. For Ethereal Treading realm, they had around several hundred books each. Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned them with his gaze, collecting them into his Library of Heavens Path. Bypiling all of them together, he sessfully formed the Ethereal Treading realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Zhang Xuan turned to them and asked once more, "What about Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals?" "I only have twenty Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals with me at the moment!" "Twelve here. Dong Xin is more meticulous, so she might have more with her." "I do have a few more, but I only have around forty of them in total." ... Soon, gathering the fours Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals together, there was a total of around a hundred books or so. After collecting them all into the Library of Heavens Path andpiling them, the result was just as Zhang Xuan had expected. There were still too many ws to form aplete Heavens Path Divine Art. Nevertheless, the portion regarding the breakthrough to Chrysalis realm was still perfected. In other words, he had the Heavens Path Divine Art manuals to cultivate from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage all the way to Chrysalis realm primary stage! "Guard me, I need to cultivate now!" Zhang Xuan said. Even though he had failed topile theplete Chrysalis realm Heavens Path Divine Art, he was still rather satisfied with the result. "Yes!" The others nodded, but they couldnt help but trade perplexed nces with one another. To cultivate right before the duel... Isnt that just desperately grasping at straws? But despite the doubts in their mind, they still made sure to guard him earnestly. They hid him behind them while directing their gazes intently at Wu Xu and Brother Lu, fearing that they might attempt to do something in the meantime. However, even though the two of them had resorted to some underhanded means out of their desperation to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, they still had their pride as martial artists. As such, even though they had noticed that Zhang Xuan was cultivating, they didnt try to disrupt him in any way. They chose to focus their efforts on recuperating from their injuries instead, so that they would be in their top condition for the duel two hourster. Seeing that they werent going to pull anything, Hu Yaoyao heaved a sigh of relief. However, with her attention freed, doubts about the impending duel began sprouting in her mind. Unnerved, she turned to Senior Byzantium Helios to ask her about the chances of Zhang shi achieving victory, hoping to ease her worries, when she suddenly heard Dong Xin gasping in shock. "Whats wrong?" The others immediately turned to her with doubtful gazes. With a body stiffened with shock, Dong Xin pointed behind her. "Look at Zhang shi!" "Zhang shi?" Hu Yaoyao and the others turned around to take a look, and what they saw left them dumbstruck. "Is it just my imagination, or has Zhang shis cultivation reached... Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage?" Xue Zhenyang uttered with quivering lips. They had gotten a clear glimpse of Zhang Xuans cultivation when he made a move against Wu Xu earlierEthereal Treading realm primary stage. Yet, in just a short moment after he started cultivating, why did it feel as if thetter had achieved a... breakthrough? "Its not your imagination. He has indeed reached Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage!" Hu Yaoyao nodded affirmatively. "Most likely, Zhang shi must have been stuck at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage for quite a long while and was already on the verge of a breakthrough!" Advancing a single stage abruptly wasnt much to be surprised about. To use an analogy, if one was already standing before the goal of a marathon, all it would take was one final push to sessfully achieve the breakthrough. There was no need to make a fuss over it. "That does seem to be the case. No wonder Zhang shi agreed to have a duel with the other party so readily; it seems he was already on the verge of a breakthrough. However, it doesnt seem like advancing a single stage will make much of a difference to the oue... Ah?" Xue Zhenyang remarked while he nodded, but then he suddenly eximed in the midst of his words. "What is with you again?" Seeing Xue Zhenyang make a big fuss out of everything, Long Cangyue was rendered speechless. No matter what, they were the cream of the crop in the Master Teacher Academy,petent and knowledgeable. Why did it seem that after meeting Zhang shi, they had all be countryside bumpkins who were ignorant of the world? "Why do I feel like... Zhang shi has reached Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage? Could my eyes be ying tricks on me?" Xue Zhenyangs face paled as he rubbed his eyes forcefully. He was certain that Zhang shi had just reached Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage a moment ago, so how could he be at the advanced stage right now? Even the greatest genius in the world couldnt advance that fast! "Advanced stage? You must be joking! All of us clearly saw it just now, and he is definitely at the intermediate stage..." Long Cangyue chuckled softly, and just as he was going to make a joke about how Xue Zhenyangs eyes had been failing him recently, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhang Xuan, and his eyes widened in shock. "Holy moly!" "He... really is at advanced stage!" Long Cangyue eximed with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. On the other hand, watching the frenzied state that the other two were in, Hu Yaoyao and Dong Xin hurriedly turned their gazes over, and their eyes couldnt help but widen in astonishment as well. It appeared that Zhang shi was truly at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage! Could they have made a mistake earlier? But was it really possible for all four of them to make such an elementary mistake simultaneously? However... no matter how they looked at it, the other party was indeed at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage! There was no mistake about that! Before the few of them could recover from their shock, Dong Xin suddenly eximed with a hoarse voice, "Wait a moment... he isnt at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage but... Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle!" "Pinnacle?" The group couldnt help but feel the world spinning around them. With a tearful expression, Hu Yaoyao gasped, "Why does it seem like he is attempting a breakthrough to Chrysalis realm? No, he is indeed attempting a breakthrough... Wait, that isnt right, he has already reached Chrysalis realm!" The group couldnt help but be dumbstruck once again. The young man behind them was already a Chrysalis realm primary stage expert at this very moment! To advance from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to Chrysalis realm primary stage, one entire realm, in less than an hour... Even though they had witnessed the sight with their very own eyes, they still couldnt help but think that they were in a dream. Feeling so shocked that her mind was going to explode, Hu Yaoyao asked, "Dong Xin, how long did it take you to advance from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to Chrysalis realm primary stage?" "Two years and four months... With this record, I was already considered one of the fastest cultivators in the Master Teacher Academy..." Dong Xin replied hoarsely. When shed achieved the feat back then, she had felt a huge surge of confidence, which had made her feel as if she was unrivaled in the world... But looking at the young man before her, she realized that her record didnt evene close to being associated with the word fast... It felt as if even a turtle would be faster than her! It was no wonder that, back at the Elder Hall, that fellow had said that his rate of cultivation had slowed due to him being busy with various matters. Back then, she had thought that he was just bragging, but after witnessing this sight, she realized that not only was he not bragging, he was even being incredibly humble... At this moment, a random, passing thought raced through her mind. If she were to run to the Ten Great Master Teachers to tell them that Zhang shi was actually extremely humble and low profile, would they think that she was exaggerating and throw her out? Chapter 869: Still a Human? Chapter 869: Still a Human? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Havingpiled the relevant Heavens Path Divine Art manual, Zhang Xuan began cultivating with the Earth Vein Spirit Essence without any hesitation. Due to the easier absorbability of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, his rate of cultivation was much faster than if he had cultivated using a spirit stone instead, so he was able to achieve breakthroughs faster than normal. However, even though he had managed to achieve breakthroughs swiftly, the amount of spiritual energy he needed had, in fact, increased exponentially instead. He had procured a huge pool of Earth Vein Spirit Essence from the Cloudmist Ridge, but in just this hour of cultivation, he had already depleted nearly a third of it! The higher my cultivation is, the harsher the requirement on the spiritual energy I have to absorb. Even though the Earth Vein Spirit Essence is rich in spiritual energy, its purity is stillcking... Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Earth Vein Spirit Essence was rich in spiritual energy and had a high absorbability, thus making it an invaluable treasure. However, its purity was inferior to high-tier spirit stones. It was sufficient for the usage of saint beasts and other cultivators, but to Zhang Xuan, who cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, it was stillcking. Only a tenth of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was suitable for his absorption, and the remaining nine-tenths ended up being wasted in the process. It seems like I shouldnt cultivate using the Earth Vein Spirit Essence anymore. If ites to it, I should just sell it for high-tier spirit stones... Zhang Xuan thought. Since the effectiveness of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence for him was declining, he would only be wasting it if he were to continue using it. Rather than to waste such a valuable resource, it would be wiser for him to sell it instead. It might be useless to him, but it was still an invaluable treasure to others. Otherwise, the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge wouldnt have been guarding it so desperately back then. Forget it, I will think about it when I return to Hongyuan City! Putting the matter to the back of his mind, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to his newfound strength. Advancing from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to Chrysalis realm primary stage, the strength that he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation had increased from 17,000,000 ding to 29,000,000 ding! With just that, he was already on par with a Chrysalis realm advanced stage cultivator! (Chrysalis realm primary stage 25,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 28,000,000 ding; advanced stage 31,000,000 ding; pinnacle 34,000,000 ding) If he were to factor in the 20,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and 16,000,000 ding from his physical body, that would total up to an incredible might of 65,000,000 ding, which was on par with a Nascent Saint intermediate stage cultivator! (Nascent Saint primary stage 60,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 65,000,000 ding; advanced stage 70,000,000 ding; pinnacle 75,000,000 ding) In other words, he wielded strength equivalent to a cultivator two realms stronger than him! With this, that fellow shouldnt be a match for me anymore! Zhang Xuan chuckled confidently. That Brother Lu was clearly no pushover, butpared to Zhang Xuan, the other party was still slightlycking. Zhang Xuan meditated on the spot to reinforce his cultivation, bringing his aura to its strongest state, before opening his eyes and gazing at the duo opposite to him. Brother Lu seemed to have mostly healed from his wounds as well, and his aura felt sharper and more pressurizing than before. Most likely, he had used some kind of formidable secret art to bring himself back to his peak state for the duel. That fellow sure wont be easy to deal with! Zhang Xuan remarked internally. Under normal circumstances, given how much weaker he was than the other party, the other party should not view him as much of an opponent. Yet, the other party focused his attention fully on conditioning himself to his peak state, not underestimating him in the least... It was truly rare to see a cultivator not bingcent before an opponent weaker than them. Often, geniuses were defeated not due to being overpowered by the strong but due to carelessness against the weak. A long momentter, Brother Lu exhaled deeply and abruptly stood up. "I am done recuperating. Are you done yet?" Hisplexion was still slightly pale, but he had managed to condition his state to be significantly stronger than he was before. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan chuckled as he stood up as well. "Lets begin then. Draw your weapon!" With a flick of his wrist, Brother Lu took out another sword from his storage ring. As a sword practitioner, it was normal for him to have more than a single sword in his possession. "Alright." Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist as well, and a sword appeared in his grasp. cier Rain Sword! "That is... a Half-Saint weapon?" As soon as the sword materialized, a huge gust of frigid air swept into the surroundings, as if heralding the arrival of the king. Brother Lus lips immediately began twitching. To think that the fellows sword would be a Half-Saint artifact as well... Does your family operate a weapons shop? Otherwise, how could you have so many good items in your possession? With a reddened face, Brother Lu asked hesitantly, "Ahem. Your sword is a little too sharp, so can you change to another one..." The weapon in his grasp was only at Spirit pinnacle, which was far weaker the other partys Half-Saint sword. Just the sharpness of the sword would boost the other partys fighting prowess by at least fifty percent. On the other hand, he would have to avoid a direct sh with the other partys sword as far as he could, which meant that his movements would be severely restricted. "Change to another one?" Zhang Xuan frowned in irritation. When I sent Byzantium Lad against you, you said that I shouldnt rely too much on my capabilities as a beast tamer. When I sent the Golden Origin Cauldron against you, you said that I shouldnt rely too much on my Saint-tier artifacts. Now, you are even picking on my sword... At this rate, are you going to start picking on my clothes next? But as displeased as Zhang Xuan was, he eventually nodded. "Forget it. Since you were injured previously, I will just acquiesce to your request..." He scanned his surroundings for a moment before reaching forward to grab a certain object. With a smile, he said, "I will fight with you using this then!" "A de of foxtail grass?" Hu Yaoyao and the others staggered weakly. The object that Zhang Xuan had just picked was indeed a narrow de of foxtail grass. He was going to fight with that? But his opponent was a Half-Saint, and an extraordinarily powerful one at that... Even if you have achieved a breakthrough, is it really fine for you to do that? Noticing their worry, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he ced the foxtail grass in between his forefinger and middle finger. Pumping a surge of zhenqi into it, the bent foxtail grass immediately became taut, as if a real sword. "The essence of swordsmanship lies not in the sword; to a true sword master, even a de of grass or pebble from the side of the street can serve as a sword. This might be foxtail grass, but if used well, it can disy astonishing power as well!" As he said those words, Zhang Xuan gently slit the foxtail grass through the thick tree trunk that the Byzantium Helios Beast had tossed to the ground earlier, and it was immediately sliced into two halves. "What pure zhenqi..." Brother Lu narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Even though the other party was wielding a de of foxtail grass, its true edgey in his zhenqi. But to be able to make ones zhenqi as sharp as a swords edge... just how pure must his zhenqi be? At the very least, he knew that he was incapable of doing the same! "Lets start!" Knowing that the other party would still be a formidable opponent even when wielding a de of foxtail grass as a weapon, Brother Lu let out a battle cry and charged forward, taking the initiative. Weng! His sword, imbued with sword qi, sliced through the air with incredible momentum. From the very start, he was already using his full strength. He knew better than to underestimate his opponent due to his lower cultivation or his choice of weapon. "Come!" With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan raised his foxtail grass and stabbed it toward the other partys armpit like a rapier. All sword practitioners shared amon weakness. When they swung their swords, the area around the armpit would be open, even if just for the briefest of moments. This was a weaknessmonly exploited against sword practitioners. But naturally, most sword experts would have already trained themselves to guard that area perfectly. And Brother Lu was no exception to the rule. Hu! Even though Brother Lu was perplexed as to why the other party would use such a basic move to deal with him, he dared not to make light of the other partys counterattack. With a powerful flick of his wrist, he pulled his sword back to seal the advancement of the other partys foxtail grass, and at the same time, he sent a powerful st of sword qi straight toward Zhang Xuans be. In a single move, he managed to defend himself whileunching a counterattack simultaneously, sessfully turning the tides of the battle in his favor! "Not bad, your reflexes are good. However... thats not enough!" Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle. In the next instant, his foxtail grass abruptly bent like a flexible rope,pletely bypassing the other partys sword. "What?" Caught off guard by the unexpected twist, Brother Lus face paled in shock. With the bending of the other partys foxtail grass, not only was his defense rendered ineffective, more importantly, the tip of the foxtail grass was heading straight for a major acupoint on his chest. If he failed to dodge this, he would be severely wounded! After all, he had witnessed how formidable the might of the other partys foxtail grass was when the tree trunk was easily split in two with a light flick earlier! Not daring to take any risks, Brother Lu hurriedly retreated a few steps back. "Hehe!" On the other hand, Zhang Xuan seemed to have expected Brother Lu to respond in such a way. He leaped forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. At the same time, the foxtail grass in his hand straightened as it lunged forward, this time directed at Brother Lus throat. Despite the abrupt change in movements, the maneuver waspleted extremely smoothly and elegantly, making it peculiarly pleasing to the eye. While others were appreciating the gracefulness of the movement, Brother Lu felt as if the grim reaper was pulling him down instead. If he were to stop at this instant, his throat would be impaled. Thus, with a pale face, he continued retreating hurriedly. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan continued to pursue him relentlessly, and this time, his foxtail grass was aimed for the other partys Shanzhong acupoint, located at the center of the chest. Helpless, Brother Lu could only continue retreating. The foxtail grass moved around flexibly in Zhang Xuans hands, aiming for the gaps in the Half-Saint cultivators swordsmanship precisely with every move. Frightened, Brother Lu didnt dare retaliate and could only retreat endlessly. From the start of the battle to this point, the sword had nevere into contact with the foxtail grass at all. "How powerful..." Hu Yaoyao, Dong Xin, and the others nced at one another, and they couldnt help but gulp. They had gotten a glimpse of Brother Lus strength earlier from the aura he exuded, and even an average Nascent Saint wouldnt be a match for him. But it was only after witnessing Zhang shis prowess that they realized what true power was. Using a de of foxtail grass to face a Spirit pinnacle weapon directly, but not only was the foxtail grass not severed, it was even able to force the other party back continuously. Just how deep of an understanding of swordsmanship did one need to possess to do this? "It seems... that Brother Lus defeat is sealed..." Xue Zhenyang muttered with clenched fists. Before the battle, he had thought that Zhang Xuan still wouldnt be a match for the other party even with a Half-Saint sword in hand. But with this... he realized that he got it all wrong. It was Brother Lu who was never a match for Zhang Xuan, and the difference between them was as clear as day! He couldnt help but feel thankful that he had acknowledged Zheng Yang as his teacher then, thus bing Zhang Xuans grandstudent. He could hardly imagine what would have happened to him if he had really faced Zhang Xuan. Too scary! Peng! While the others were overwhelmed with shock, Brother Lu continued retreating under Zhang Xuans relentless assault, and finally, he found his back pressed against the cliff face, left with nowhere to escape anymore. Hu! Zhang Xuans foxtail grass also stopped right before the other partys heart. "I have lost..." With a face as pale as a sheet of paper, Brother Lu hated to admit it, but he knew that it was his utter defeat. "Pardon me." With a polite smile, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the foxtail grass finally broke apart into eight pieces, scattering on the floor. Wu Xu, who had taken the entire battle into sight, muttered with quivering lips, "132 moves, but Brother Lu didnt even manage to nick the other party! Instead, he retreated a total of 77 steps and was eventually forced to cast aside his sword and admit defeat... "Is this... still the feat of a human?" Chapter 870: Selling the Spirit Essence Chapter 870: Selling the Spirit Essence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As Brother Luspanion, Wu Xu knew how powerful his swordsmanship was. Just slightly short of bing a Hundred Man Commander, Brother Lus fighting prowess far surpassed that of his peers. 132 moves from such a powerful expert, and yet, not a single one had managed to nick the other partys clothes or even the weapon at that! Instead, he had been forced back 77 steps before being eventually cornered... Just how powerful was the other party to be able to aplish this feat? Thinking about, it wasughable how confident they had been in their strength to have challenged the other party to a duel; they had simply humiliated themselves! "Brother Lu..." Wu Xu hurriedly rushed over, only to see thetters ashen face, seemingly having suffered a heavy shock. A momentter, Brother Lu sighed in resignation and waved his hands weakly. "Hand him 300 high-tier spirit stones!" A hundred high-tier spirit stones had been at stake for the first duel, and the stakes had been doubled for the second. All in all, he owed the other party 300 high-tier spirit stones. "Yes!" Wu Xu gritted his teeth before wrapping a pile of high-tier spirit stones with his zhenqi and handing them over. There were three hundred of them, no more, no less. "I will be epting them then!" Upon seeing the spirit stones, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he quickly stowed them in his storage ring. Even though the other party had agreed to the bet, he hadnt really expected the other party to pay him. After all, three hundred high-tier spirit stones wasnt a small sum. It would be difficult for even a figure of School Head Mos standing to take out so much money on the spur of the moment. Yet, the other party had handed him the sum so easily. Could it be that these two are not only strong but are actually... tycoons as well? If that is the case, I should really start thinking about how I could knock some more spirit stones out of them... Stroking his lower jaws, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Recovering from the shock of his defeat, Brother Lu sped his fist and bowed. "My name is Lu Cheng, and since I have lost, I shall not disturb you any further. However, I hope to learn of your name in hopes of challenging you once more in the future!" A loss was a loss; he could only admit it. Not to mention, there was still a Byzantium Helios Beast and a weapon cauldron ring at him in hostility by the side. "I am Zhang Xuan." Zhang Xuan nodded. "You need not think of it that way; it was just a spar between peers. If I am not mistaken, the reason you are so desperate to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit is for Wu shi over here to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint?" "Indeed!" Lu Cheng nodded. The main reason cultivators sought the Scarlet Firefly Fruit was for the increased chances of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint. Since Lu Cheng was already a Half-Saint, the only reason for him to go through the effort of challenging them was for his closepanion. "Actually, I have taken a look at Wu shi condition when I was battling him earlier. The reason he was unable to achieve a breakthrough is not due to hisck of cultivation but..." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment. "But?" Wu Xu asked anxiously. He had been trapped at Chrysalis realm for too long. Most of his fellow peers had already ovee this bottleneck, racing ahead of him, so he couldnt help but be gued with anxiety. It wasnt easy for him to learn about the existence of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit in this valley, and he viewed it as his only chance. That was also the reason he had lost hisposure and attacked Hu Yaoyao and the others when he realized that someone had gotten to the fruits ahead of him. If the man before him could help him achieve a breakthrough, it wouldnt matter anymore whether he obtained the Scarlet Firefly Fruit or not. "I believe that the reason you are unable to push for a breakthrough is due to yourck of zhenqi!" Zhang Xuan said. "Lack of zhenqi?" Lu Cheng and Wu Xu frowned. Due to the special training they underwent, as well as the cultivation techniques and battle techniques they cultivated, their quantity and quality of zhenqi were far above those of ordinary master teachers. Yet, the young man before them had said that Wu Xu suffered from ack of zhenqi? Had it not been for the astounding prowess that the other party had shown them, they would have surely thought that he was spouting nonsense. "Indeed. Your foundation might be far stronger than an ordinary cultivator, but that also means that the bottleneck you face is far more difficult than the others too. To use an analogy, others might require just a pail of zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough, but what you need is an entireke!" Zhang Xuan said. "This..." Wu Xu knew that the other party was right. He possessed extraordinary strength among his peers, but the hurdle he had to face with each breakthrough was higher as well. This wasnt much trouble in his earlier cultivation, but Half-Saint happened to be an exceptionally difficult hurdle to ovee. "This is indeed amon problem that practitioners of our school suffer from!" Lu Cheng sighed deeply. "Zhang shi, is there any way to resolve this problem?" To possess strength superior to ones peers, one would have to reinforce ones cultivation over and over again, making it sturdier and stronger than the others. However, the more reinforced ones cultivation was, the harder it was to achieve a breakthrough. This was simr to building a castle. To build a sturdier castle, one would have to build a stronger supporting structure. However, that would also mean that one would have to devote more resources and time for that. This was the problem Wu Xu was facing at the moment. Due to their strict training, their zhenqi was condensed to be far purer than others, granting them nigh invincible prowess among their peers. However, the bottlenecks they faced were also more difficult to ovee inparison. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying. "I do have a solution for that... but it will be quite troublesome!" "You do?" Lu Cheng had only asked this question casually, not hoping for a positive answer. However, hearing that Zhang Xuan really had a solution, his eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly shot hispanion a meaningful gaze. Grasping the intention behind Lu Chengs gaze, Wu Xu hurriedly suppressed his agitation and sped his fist. "As long as Zhang shi can help me achieve a breakthrough, I am willing to pay any price!" For the young man before him to possess such formidable strength at such a young age, he must havee from a powerful background, so he might just know of some means that could help him sessfully achieve a breakthrough. "The solution is actually really simple. Since you are unable to gather sufficient zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough, you can easily make up for that by increasing the rate you absorb external spiritual energy at to make up for the deficiency," Zhang Xuan said. "Increase the rate I absorb external spiritual energy at?" Hearing Zhang Xuans solution, Wu Xu shook his head bitterly. "I have used quite a number of high-tier spirit stones to push for my breakthrough, but I have still been unable to build up sufficient momentum to ovee the Half-Saint bottleneck..." For a person who could whip out three hundred high-tier spirit stones at a whim, Wu Xu was definitely not a person whocked spirit stones. Since he couldnt achieve a breakthrough even with sufficient spirit stones at hand, what else could he do to increase the rate he absorbed spiritual energy at? "High-tier spirit stones do indeed help to make up for the deficiency, but their effectiveness is limited due to the long duration required to process the spiritual energy contained within them into zhenqi!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. In a sense, high-tier spirit stones were like beef. They were effective in staving off hunger, but it wasnt easy to digest them. "Youre right, but what else can I use if not spirit stones?" Wu Xu asked. "The reason the spiritual energy within spirit stones is harder to process is due to the solid form the spiritual energy is in. If you were to use spirit essence instead, the rate you could absorb spiritual energy at and convert it into zhenqi would be at least three times faster, and that should be sufficient for you to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint!" Zhang Xuan said. If spirit stones were beef, spirit essence was porridge, easily digestible. Lu Cheng pondered for a moment before frowning. "Spirit essence? Do you mean... Earth Vein Spirit Essence?" There were many forms of spirit essence, but the one that was most effective for Half-Saints was the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. The rest would be less effective than high-tier spirit stones. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Thats right. This spirit essence is formed through the umtion of the spiritual energy contained in the earth veins. Not only is the spiritual energy pure, it is also easily absorbed and converted into zhenqi... If Wu shi absorbs it, he should be able to gather sufficient zhenqi within a short period of time to ovee his bottleneck!" "But the Earth Vein Spirit Essence is only found in grounds rich in spiritual energy, and thosends are often upied by dominant powers, so it is even harder to procure it than Scarlet Firefly Fruits. Where are we supposed to find any?" Wu Xu said with a bitter smile. Everyone knew that the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was good stuff, but obtaining it was easier said than done. Even if he knew it could help him achieve a breakthrough, he had to find a way to obtain it first! "This... Out of a stroke of luck, I managed to obtain a bit of it. However, I was nning to use it to ovee my Half-Saint bottleneck..." Zhang Xuan said hesitantly. "You have Earth Vein Spirit Essence with you?" Wu Xus eyes immediately lit up in excitement. "Can you sell it to me? I am willing to buy it using high-tier spirit stones!" "This..." A conflicted expression surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. "You also know how difficult it is to obtain Earth Vein Spirit Essence, and I dont have too much of it either. Im afraid that I cant sell it to you..." After a moment of thought, Wu Xu gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Zhang, I am willing to buy it at two times the market price!" He had to reach Half-Saint as soon as possible or else he would risk being eliminated. This was a rare opportunity, and he couldnt miss it, no matter the price he had to pay. "Two times?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a long moment before reluctantly nodding in agreement. "Alright, seeing that you need it so much, as a fellow master teacher, I will make an exception and sell it to you!" After which, he flicked his wrist and took out a massive gourd containing around seven liters of spirit essence. "This is all of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence that I have collected thus far; I will give it to you then!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Wu Xu hurriedly took the gourd and uncapped the cork, and he immediately saw that it was filled to the brim with Earth Vein Spirit Essence. The spiritual energy that gushed out of the opening left his cells feeling energized and refreshed. "This... Thank you, Zhang shi!" Seeing that the other party was willing to give all of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence he had gathered to him, Wu Xu immediately sped his fist in agitation and thanked him. After which, he went to Lu Cheng and pooled some stuff together before stowing them away in a storage ring. "As we left our ce in a hurry, we didnt bring too many spirit stones with us. We know the high-tier spirit stones we have wont be enough to make up for the value of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, so we ced some of the valuables we have umted over the years in as well. I hope that Zhang shi can ept it," Wu Xu said as he presented the storage ring over. Even though they knew that the young man before them probably didntck money, considering that he had a Saint realm tamed beast and artifact, it would still be improper for them to take something from the other party for free, not to mention that they had agreed on paying double the price earlier. Taking the ring, Zhang Xuan swept through the contents and saw over 200 high-tier spirit stones, a handful of grade-6 pills, and a bunch of valuable medicinal herbs. If it was in Hongyuan City, this gourd of Earth Vein Spirit Essence would probably only have been worth fifty high-tier spirit stones at most. Yet, the other party had given him so much money in return. It could be said that he had made a huge killing this time around! It was not that the other party was foolish, but that the value of an item was determined by the persons perceived necessity of it. Ordinary cultivators could achieve breakthroughs with high-tier spirit stones just fine, so they didnt require the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. As a result, its perceived value would be lower to them. "Rest well and condition your body to its peak state. With the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, you should be able to push for a breakthrough in a single try!" Zhang Xuan said after putting away the storage ring. "Yes!" Wu Xu nodded. He had suffered a punch form Zhang Xuan earlier, and even up to this point, he hadnt fully recovered from it yet. To maximize his chances of reaching Half-Saint, he should only attempt a breakthrough once he was in his peak state. "Thank you, Zhang shi. The both of us will take our leave now!" Having obtained what they wanted, the duo sped their fists, turned around, and left. In just a few moments, they had already disappeared from sight. With the departure of the duo, Hu Yaoyao and the others finally heaved a sigh of relief. "Zhang shi, thank you for saving our lives!" Before, they had thought that Zhang Xuan was only terrifying in his supporting upations. However, with this experience, they learned that his talent for his supporting upations was nothingpared to his fighting prowess! Chapter 871: Breakthroughs Chapter 871: Breakthroughs Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "If I am not mistaken, the both of them arebat masters, right?" Exhaling deeply, the tension left Zhang Xuans body, and the exhaustion umted over that whole period finally set in. Even though he seemed to have won the battle against Lu Cheng easily, hed had to concentrate deeply as he couldnt afford to make the slightest error. Thus, even though the battle had onlysted for a few minutes, it had sapped Zhang Xuans energy dry. Dong Xin nodded in agreement. "To possess such fighting prowess at such a young age, and considering the different master teacher robes that they have, they should indeed bebat masters." She had read a fair number of books, and she knew how fearsomebat masters were. She hadnt really thought much into it before, but with Zhang Xuan raising the topic, it suddenly dawned on her. Those two might just really bebat masters! Otherwise, given that most master teachers cultivated a variety of supporting upations, rarely would theypete with one another directly in a physical duel. "Combat masters?" The others also nced at one another before nodding in agreement. Indeed. Only the legendarybat masters, who boasted the greatest fighting prowess among the master teachers, could wield such strength! That would exin why a fellow Chrysalis realm cultivator could subdue the four of them so easily. "Wait... If Zhang shi can defeat abat master that easily, doesnt that mean that he is qualified to be abat master as well?" Hu Yaoyao eximed in astonishment. "Easily?" Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. "He went easy on me, or else it is questionable whether I would have been able to defeat him or not!" It might seem as if he had won with ease in the eyes of others, but he knew that wasnt the case! "Went easy on you?" The others were perplexed. You used a de of foxtail grass while the other party used a Spirit pinnacle weapon. On top of that, the other party was unable to evennd a single blow on you, so how could he have possibly gone easy on you? Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If I had wielded a Spirit pinnacle weapon just like him, it is hard to tell which of us would have emerged triumphant. That Lu Cheng is a proud person. He didnt want to take advantage of the disparity in our weapons, so he curbed his own swordsmanship. On top of that, I intentionally sliced the tree trunk in two before the battle to create a vivid impression of the prowess of the weapon in his mind... Those were what caused him to retreat continuously. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for me to win against him!" It might have seemed like an ordinary fight, but before the duel began, the other party had already fallen for Zhang Xuans mind games. "I see..." It was at this instant that realization struck them. The foxtail grass was an unimpressive weapon, but in a single move, Zhang Xuan had sliced the tree trunk in two, instilling fear into the minds of those who had seen the sight. Lu Cheng was probably the same as well, which led to his subconscious unwillingness to face the foxtail grass head-on. As a result, he had found himself unable to take back the initiative and turn the tides of the battle, thus eventually resulting in his loss. "Forget it, its already over. Here are the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. Condition yourselves well before consuming them. Try to achieve a breakthrough before we return to the academy!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed the fruits over. "Zhang shi... really managed to obtain the fruits?" "How could they be in your hands?" None of them could believe it. They had been watching the cavern intently the whole time, and they had only seen Lu Cheng and Wu Xu entering it... But if Zhang Xuan had never entered the cavern, how could the Scarlet Firefly Fruits be in his hands? "I found another entrance behind the valley and sneaked in from there," Zhang Xuan replied casually. Naturally, he couldnt talk about his means as a soul oracle. In any case, the items were already in his hands, so the others probably wouldnt be bothered to check on his story either. "Incredible..." Nevertheless, the others were still impressed. To stumble upon another entrance, it had indeed been the correct decision to invite him over! "Here is some Earth Vein Spirit Essence, I will give a gourd to each of you. After recuperating, try your best to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out four gourds of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and passed them over. These four gourds were significantly smaller than the one given to Wu Xu earlier, but it was still worth quite a sum, considering that it was filled with Earth Vein Spirit Essence. At the very least, it was definitely worth more than the Origin Heavy Water that they had bought earlier. "This..." "Thank you, Zhang shi!" After seeing Zhang Xuan sell a gourd earlier, they knew that the gourd they had just received was at least worth fifty high-tier spirit stones. To give it to them just like that... How could they ever return the favor? With reddened eyes, they mustered their determination, knowing that they had to sessfully make a breakthrough so as to not let down Zhang Xuans expectations. Gugugugu! With the Byzantium Helios Beast and Golden Origin Cauldron guarding them by the side, they need not worry about anyone disturbing them here. Thus, sitting cross-legged on the ground, they began to cultivate. Six hourster, once they had managed to reach their peak condition, they devoured a Scarlet Firefly Fruit each. As expected of the divine medicine that could raise the chances of a breakthrough to Half-Saint, as soon they consumed it, they immediately felt their psyche growing stronger. Hu Yaoyao, under Zhang Xuans tutge, was the first one to achieve a breakthrough. The second person to seed was Dong Xin. After the events at the Elder Hall, her mind had grown much more resilient than before. This state of mind would help her achieve greater heights in her cultivation in the future. Following her was Xue Zhenyang. After listening to Wang Ying and the others teachings on the basics of cultivation, he had managed to reinforce his cultivation further. Even though he was the third one to achieve a breakthrough, his cultivation was considerably more stable than the other two. However, thest one, Long Cangyue, wasnt as lucky. After failing four times consecutively, he felt a sense of fatigue creeping up on him. Knowing that it was impossible for him to seed that day, he could only sigh in disappointment and stop there. Initially, there hadnt been much of a difference between the four of them. However, three of them had seeded in achieving a breakthrough, and he was the only one to have failed. It wasnt too difficult to imagine his current emotions. The three of them are Zhang shis apprentice, grandstudent, and great grandstudent, so they have received his guidance. On the other hand, due to my overthinking of matters and my pride, I ended up being the furthest away from him... Long Cangyue shook his head bitterly. In one way or another, the other three were rted to Zhang shi, so they had received his guidance. But he, due to his excessive worries, had chosen to stay out of Zhang shis way, and the oue was him eventuallygging behind the others... If he had known this was the case, regardless of whether he would have be Zhang shis great great grandstudent or anything else, he would have tried to strike up a connection with thetter somehow. Seeing through Long Cangyues thoughts, Zhang Xuan offered a word of advice. "What you arecking is not strength but confidence! Due to your indecisive character, you are unable to rid yourself of your hesitation and charge forward, which has led to your inability to build up sufficient momentum to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint." If one were to ask whether he had yed a part in the sessful breakthrough of the other three, the answer would be yes. The points that he listed in his guidance were often direct and spot-on. If one were to cultivate as he had advised, it would indeed be much easier to achieve a breakthrough. However, making a breakthrough to Half-Saint wasnt just a problem of strength. Ones mind also yed a huge part as well. Hu Yaoyao had a willful and decisive personality, allowing her to make prompt decisions andmit to them. Dong Xins mind had been tempered to be more resilient after the setback she had suffered back in the Elder Hall. Xue Zhenyang had a straightforward personality, which allowed him to charge forward without any hesitation. On the other hand, Long Cangyue was an indecisive worrywart, which made it difficult for him to put his mind entirely into something. It was such a personality that made it difficult for him to seed. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, Long Cangyue suddenly felt enlightened. "Zhang shis teaching is right!" Gathering his remaining strength, he sat down and began cultivating, embracing the determination to lose his life if he were to fail. Hong long long! He drove his zhenqi and rammed it furiously into his spiritual sea. A long momentter, he finally felt the invisible ceiling that had been limiting him loosening before abruptly falling apart. Half-Saint, reached! By the side, the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron gasped in awe. "Incredible!" Their master might be young, but he had a deep insight into cultivation and the human psyche. His analyses were often spot-on, directed at the very root of a problem. More importantly... he never discriminated in his guidance. Be it to an ally or a rival, he would offer them his pointers unreservedly. Such magnanimity was rare even among master teachers. Having reached Half-Saint, Long Cangyue shed the haughty attitude he once had and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan, thanking him earnestly from the bottom of his heart. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" "Alright, lets return!" Having achieved their goal here, there was no longer any need to remain there. Thus, he stepped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast to return to Hongyuan City. ... Shortly after Lu Cheng and Wu Xu left the valley, they suddenly halted. "Brother Lu, why didnt you use your full strength against Zhang shi earlier?" Wu Xu had been overwhelmed by the oue of the battle earlier, but after giving the matter some thought on the way, he couldnt help but feel that something was amiss. He knew very well how powerful Brother Lu was, and there were many powerful moves that he hadnt executed in the duel before he fell in defeat... It was clear that thetter had gone easy on Zhang shi earlier! "I didnt use my full strength?" Lu Cheng shook his head, and the next moment, his body abruptly faltered weakly, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. "Brother Lu!" Not expecting Brother Lus injuries to be so severe, Wu Xu hurriedly helped him to a nearby boulder to rest before feeding him another pill. Seeing the other partysplexion alleviate, he heaved a sigh of relief before asking, "Brother Lu, this..." After recovering slightly from his injuries, Brother Lu shook his head and said, "There were indeed many powerful moves that I didnt execute in the duel, but it isnt that I was unwilling to use themI couldnt use them at all!" "You couldnt use them?" "Un. Even though it might seem as if he was underestimating me by wielding a de of foxtail grass against me, in truth, every single move he made was aimed perfectly at my opening, leaving me incapable of driving my zhenqi properly to execute my most powerful moves at all!" Brother Lu said with a bitter smile. The duel might have already ended, but just at the thought of how he had been cornered by the other partys astounding eye of discernment, he couldnt help but shudder. He had tried multiple times to execute his strongest sword art, but he had been stopped by the other partys foxtail grass before he could even gather the momentum for it. It was just like how a river impeded every now and then couldnt possibly build up the momentum to form a devastating flood. "You were unable to drive your zhenqi properly?" Wu Xu was taken aback. "Thats right. Whats fearsome about Zhang shi isnt just his overwhelming strength that allowed him to challenge even those stronger than him but his terrifyingly discerning eyes. It was as if he had studied every single one of my moves in advance, seeing through their ws and intercepting them the moment I executed them... In truth, from the very first move, I already knew that I had lost. The remaining hundred moves could only be considered the other partys attempt to spare my dignity!" Brother Lu shook his head. "How can that be?" Wu Xu could hardly believe what he was hearing. He knew how powerful hispanion was. To lose in a single strike, that was impossible! Furthermore, he had been watching the battle all along, and he didnt notice any hint of Zhang shi going easy on Brother Lu at all. "You dont believe me? Alright, I will tell you the truth then. In truth, the injury from the Byzantium Helios Beast and the cauldron was more severe than I thought. Even though I had two hours to recuperate, I wasnt able to fully recover from my injuries... You should be well aware of this, too!" Brother Lu exined. "Un." Wu Xu nodded. He had been beside Brother Lu while he was recuperating, so he had a clear view of the extent of thetters injuries. "Thus, I made use of a secret art to suppress my injuries temporarily for the duel. Coming from the same lineage, you should be well aware of what the secret art is," Brother Lu said. "Are you referring to the Hu Po Recuperation Art left behind by Elder Hu Po?" Wu Xu asked. Chapter 872: The Bodhi Saint Tree Is Dying! Chapter 872: The Bodhi Saint Tree Is Dying! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed, its the Hu Po Recuperation Art!" Lu Cheng nodded. "Do you know its effects?" "ording to what I know, this secret art doesnt really treat ones injuries. Instead, it aims to trigger the potential of ones body, suppressing ones injuries so as to draw ones fighting prowess to the peak temporarily. This is an emergency maneuver that webat masters only use under desperate circumstances on the battlefield," Wu Xu replied. Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, they werebat masters. As the warriors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was inevitable that they would have to face deadly battles frequently. On the battlefield, losing the ability to fight meant that one was just moments away from death. As such, an elder of the Combat Master Hall, Hu Po, created such a secret art aimed not to heal ones injuries, but to trigger the potential harnessed within the body to grant one the ability to disregard ones injuries and continue fighting. This secret art had managed to save manybat masters from desperate circumstances. Eager to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit earlier, he had ended up using this secret art as well. "Youre right. Then, do you know the w of this secret art?" Lu Cheng asked. Wu Xu nodded. "The w is... as soon as the effects end, ones injuries will worsen." "Thats right, ones injuries will worsen, and there is a chance that ones cultivation might plummet as well..." Lu Cheng said grimly. "Zhang shi seemed to know the condition I was in, so he went easy on me from the very first move, and he chose to avoid the ces where I was injured previously. Otherwise... I wouldnt have survived three moves, let alone a hundred!" "This..." Wu Xu still found the matter a little inconceivable, thinking that Brother Lu was just overthinking it. "You dont believe me?" Lu Cheng shook his head. "The Hu Po Recuperation Art suppresses ones injuries by forcing it into a few acupoints. For me, it is the Hongmen and Zhanghui acupoints. If the other party had struck either of these two points, I would have suffered severe bacsh from my injuries." Wu Xu nodded in agreement. The essence of the secret arty in manipting ones zhenqi to seal ones injuries, and the mingmen of these seals would be located on certain acupoints, depending on the cultivator themself. "Take a look at this..." With a bitter smile, Lu Cheng pointed to his clothes. Wu Xu hurriedly took a look, and his eyes immediately narrowed in astonishment. On the area of the clothes corresponding to where Brother Lus Hongmen and Zhanghui acupoints were located, there were small holes reminiscent of a thin needle; it would have been hard to notice them if one didnt take a closer look. "These were... left by him?" Wu Xus voice quavered in fear as he spoke. "Indeed. From the very first move, he had already noticed my weakness and swept his foxtail grass at those two points. Back then, I hadnt realized it yet, thinking that he might just not have sufficient power toplete the attack. However, the next moment, in order to avoid hurting me, he forcefully diverted his attack to my Shanzhong acupoint on my chest..." As Lu Cheng spoke, a hint of deference surfaced in his eyes. "In truth, if it had been a life-and-death duel, he could have killed me in the very first blow. However, he chose to go easy on me. It was just that I wasnt aware of it then..." "T-this..." Wu Xus face paled as it dawned on him what kind of figure he had just crossed earlier. To be able to go easy on his opponent in such an intense battle, was he still human? That was way too fearsome! "Even I can hardly gauge the true prowess of Zhang shi. He is truly like an unfathomable enigma. By no means should we ever make an enemy out of him again," Lu Cheng said grimly. "Yes!" Wu Xu nodded. Since even Brother Lu wasnt a match for Zhang shi, there was no way he would dare to provoke the other party once more. "Alright, you should hurry up and recuperate from your wounds; then you can attempt a breakthrough to Half-Saint. Once you seed, you will be able to follow us to the Four Great Academies to participate in the selection of new members and aplish that mission. Otherwise, it will be an extremely long time before you get another chance!" Lu Cheng said. "Dont worry, Brother Lu. I will surely seed this time around!" Wu Xu said with great determination. ... On the journey back, Hu Yaoyao and the others spent most of their time reinforcing their Half-Saint cultivation, and Zhang Xuan also used this time to reinforce his Chrysalis realm cultivation as well. It was a silent half-day journey back to the Hongyuan City. From their departure to their return, they had only taken slightly more than a day. When the sun started rising from the horizon once more, Hongyuan City was already in sight. A momentter, as Zhang Xuan nced downward, he waspletely stunned. Is that... my manor? What had been rubble when hest saw it had transformed into an exquisite manor that didnt pale inparison even with the royal pce. On top of that, he could vaguely feel a handful of grade-6 formations that not only gathered spiritual energy in the area but wielded astounding offensive and defensive capabilities as well. What has happened? Zhang Xuan was unable to understand what had happened during his absence. School Head Zhao and the others had said that they would send someone to repair his manor for him, but did they really have to make it so extravagant? Outsiders might just think that this was the royal pce itself! "Lets head down to take a look!" After bidding Hu Yaoyao and the others farewell, Zhang Xuan had the Byzantium Helios Beast descend to the courtyard of the manor. As soon as theynded, Sun Qiang immediately rushed up to greet him. "What happened?" Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. "Its the Hongyuan royal family! I tried to stop them, but they insisted on fixing the manor. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as they made this," Sun Qiang said indignantly. In truth, he was alsopletely dumbfounded by the happenings as well. He could still understand it if the Master Teacher Academy had dispatched some men to fix their manor, but for the royal pce to get involved as well, and to go such great lengths at that... Just what were they up to? "The royal pce?" Zhang Xuan blinked nkly. He had been kicked out of the royal pce by the emperor himself two nights ago. Why would the other party offer to fix his manor all of the sudden? "Thats right. Not only so, Emperor Shen Yuqing has also visited three times in your absence, requesting to meet you..." Sun Qiang said. "He wants to meet me?" Zhang Xuans bewilderment deepened. Were all emperors as unpredictable as that? It was as if they suffered from severe mood swings! But just as Zhang Xuan was confused by the situation before him, one of the manor servants abruptly rushed in to report that Emperor Yu Shenqing had turned up once again! "Invite him in." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Even though he had no idea what the other party was up to, it happened that he needed the other partys Bodhi Saint Tree. This was a good opportunity to ask about it. "Yes!" Sun Qiang headed out. A momentter, Zhang Xuan met Emperor Yu Shenqing in the main hall. Thetter sped his fist upon meeting him and greeted, "Zhang shi!" Zhang Xuan gestured for him to take a seat before asking, "Your Majesty, I am thankful that you sent your men to fix my manor, but may I know the reason behind it?" "We had some misunderstanding the other night, so I hope that we can reconcile our differences through this," Yu Shenqing quickly replied. "Misunderstanding?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Dont worry about it, its really nothing much." He hadnt really taken the matter that night to heart. After all, he was also at fault for destroying the other partys main hall and ruining the banquet. Seeing that there wasnt any hint of unhappiness on the other partys face, Yu Shenqing heaved a sigh of relief. "Im d to see that Zhang shi isnt angry about it." He had been worrying over this matter for thest two days, fearing that he had offended the other party, but it seemed like the other party hadnt taken the matter to heart. But that was no wonder as well. A person who could create and gift such a formidable set of cultivation techniques on a whim was likely to be a magnanimous person, unbothered by such trifling matters in the world. After chatting for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan raised his request. "I heard that the royal family has a Bodhi Saint Tree. If it isnt too much, may I borrow it for something?" "Bodhi Saint Tree?" A conflicted expression surfaced on Yu Shenqings face. "This..." "It isnt convenient?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Since he had promised to save Wei Ruyan, he would keep his word. However, if Yu Shenqing were to refuse to lend him the Bodhi Tree, there would be nothing he could do either! "It isnt that..." With a shake of his head, Yu Shenqing sighed deeply, "To be honest with Zhang shi, our Bodhi Saint Tree, for some unknown reason, started to wither some time ago. The situation has worsened particrly in the recent two years... I have tried all kinds of means, but I have been unable to reverse its declining condition. I fear that in its current state, it isnt too far from death anymore!" "Wither?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Thats right. I have invited over a hundred herbologists over the past two years, but none of them were able to resolve its illness," Yu Shenqing replied despondently. The condition of the Bodhi Saint Tree was a huge secret of the royal family, so he had been guarding it tightly all along. However, since Zhang shi had asked about it, he could only reply honestly. "Can you take me over to take a look?" Zhang Xuan asked after a moment of thought. "Zhang shi wants to take a look?" Yu Shenqing asked in astonishment. "Indeed. I do know a thing or two about herbology too, so I might just be able to help you on this matter," Zhang Xuan exined. He had once solved a problem for a herbologist back in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so he wasnt unfamiliar with the upation. Hearing those words, Yu Shenqings eyes lit up, and he nearly leaped up in excitement. "Zhang shi is knowledgeable in herbology as well? Thats great!" His ears were already on the verge of growing calluses from hearing about the incredible deeds that Zhang shi had aplished. After two years of effort, he already didnt harbor much hope for the recovery of the Saint Bodhi Tree. However, if Zhang shi were to make a move, there might still be a chance for it to happen! Without any hesitation, he immediately brought Zhang shi onboard the saint beast he had arrived on and headed back to the royal pce. Uponnding in the royal pce, Yu Shenqing led the way, and after twisting and turning about numerous roads, they finally arrived at a residence. "The Bodhi Saint Tree is right inside..." Yu Shenqing said as he gestured toward the building. "Here?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never been to this residence before, but he couldnt help but notice that there were no formations set up in the area. Considering how valuable the Bodhi Saint Tree was, was it really fine to leave it lying around without any protection? Noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, Yu Shenqing answered, "The Bodhi Saint Tree is only useful for those who practice soul cultivation techniques, so, perhaps in the whole of Hongyuan Empire, it only has value to our Yu n. Others wouldnt benefit from it. Besides, having reached Saint realm, it already possesses its own sentience, and it detests being surrounded by formations, so..." "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded. Formidable saint herbs, just like Saint-tier artifacts, possessed sentience. It was harder to absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings if they were surrounded by formations, so they loathed it. While speaking, the duo entered the residence, and a few elders within immediately walked over and greeted respectfully, "Your Majesty!" These elders were all Saint realm experts, and they were probably stationed there to take care of the Bodhi Saint Tree. "Zhang shi, this is the Bodhi Saint Tree!" Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw a majestic tree in the middle of the courtyard. It had an extremely thick trunk, and it towered at a height of around a dozen meters tall. However, the leaves on its branches were shriveled and sparse, and traces of white had surfaced on the tree trunk as well. It didnt seem to be in a good condition. "Indeed, the Bodhi Saint Tree is nearing death..." Zhang Xuan frowned deeply. It was spring, the season when everything came to life and vitality permeated the air, but the massive tree was showing clear signs of decline. There was no doubt that it was extremely ill. Had it not been for the royal family pumping in endless resources to sustain its life, it might have already died. Unable to determine its condition from a distance away, Zhang Xuan asked, "Can I take a closer look?" "Of course, feel fr..." Yu Shenqing nodded, but before he could finish his words, one of the elders stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, it is not advisable for anyone to approach the Bodhi Saint Tree now!" Chapter 873: Burn It (1) Chapter 873: Burn It (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Elder Zhao, this is Zhang shi. He possesses a deep understanding of herbology, so I invited him to treat the Bodhi Saint Tree as well!" Yu Shenqing quickly introduced. These elders were herbologists who he had gone to great lengths to invite here. If not for them, the Bodhi Saint Tree might have long died. "Treat the Bodhi Saint Tree? A young brat like him? Your Majesty, I think you should proceed warily, lest yet another scammer makes things difficult for us once more!" Elder Zhao took a nce at Zhang Xuan and frowned in displeasure. "Elder Zhao, Zhang shi is different from those before. He is a man of great capability," Yu Shenqing said awkwardly. "Different? Your Majesty, you say the same words each time, but the results speak for themselves!" Elder Zhao flung his sleeves and harrumphed. "If you dont trust us, we can leave this instant. There is really no need for you to invite outsiders one after another to render our previous efforts futile!" "Indeed. Your Majesty, if you dont trust us, we can leave right now!" The other elders also chirped in agreement, clearly displeased by Zhang Xuans arrival. Yu Shenqing hurriedly tried to appease them. "Of course, I trust you all! Otherwise, I wouldnt have entrusted the most important Bodhi Saint Tree of our Yu n to you." Elder Zhao harrumphed. "Your Majesty, if you trust us, we will have to ask you not to invite these kinds of shady figures to interfere with our work. The Bodhi Saint Trees condition is already veryplicated as it is, and we might not be so lucky as to sessfully save it the next time someone you invited over who screws it up once more! We will try our best, but whether we seed or not will depend on fate." Over the years, Yu Shenqing had invited many herbologists to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Trees conditions, and there were plenty of them who had given empty promises, hoping that they could seed by some stroke of luck and make a name for themselves. However, not only did they fail tragically, they even worsened the Bodhi Saint Trees state. It was these elders who had to work tirelessly for days in order to stabilize its condition. This was precisely the reason why they felt extremely frustrated whenever Yu Shenqing tried to bring someone new over. Such an emotion was exacerbated when Yu Shenqing introduced a youngd who was barely in his early twenties as someone who possessed a deep understanding of herbology... Like hell they would believe that! Even though herbologist wasnt officially recognized as an upation, it did have its own heritage. Simr to the physicians, it was an upation containing deep wisdom within it, and the knowledge one learned had to be corroborated with practice as well. For a youngd who was barely in his early twenties, even if he had start studying from the day he was born, how much could he possibly have learned? "This..." Yu Shenqing was conflicted. If it was in the field of pill forging or smithing, he would harbor no doubts about Zhang shis capability. But herbology... he really couldnt say for sure. Just as Yu Shenqing was still in a dilemma, not sure who he should side with, the young man beside him ignored everyone and walked straight toward the Bodhi Saint Tree. There was a formation set up around the tree in order to protect it from further harm, but the young man walked past it as if it were non-existent. In just a short moment, he was already standing before the tree; he then raised his hand and ced his palm on its thick trunk. "What are you doing?" Not expecting that youngd to disregard them and head straight for the tree, touching it even, Elder Zhao and the others bellowed furiously. They felt as if their authority had been challenged, and they red at the youngd in hostility. "I am not doing anything," Zhang Xuan replied innocently. After which, he turned to Yu Shenqing and said, "If those fellows want to leave, let them be. Its not like they are doing any good around here..." The elders immediatelyshed out furiously. "What did you say?!" "Lad, where are you from? There are just this many herbologist ns in Hongyuan Empire, which one are you from?" "You sure are haughty for someone your age..." Yu Shenqing had also brought in plenty of renowned herbologists before, but there were none who had dared disrespect them like that. After all, they were second to none in the field of herbology in Hongyuan Empire! It was one thing for that fellow to have disregarded them and overstepped his bounds, but to question their professionalism on top of that... How dare he! "What I said is a fact. Its such a simple illness, but none of you managed to see through it, even saying that it would depend on fate... Are you here to treat the Bodhi Saint Tree or to hasten its death?" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. He had already noticed some problems when he assessed the tree via the Eye of Insight when he first arrived. However, he wasnt too sure whether his analysis was right or not, so he decided to step forward and check via the Library of Heavens Path as well. The result was simr to what he had deduced. The illness was, in truth, not veryplicated, but it was extremely difficult to diagnose it urately by examining just the exterior of the tree. "You..." Elder Zhaos eyebrows shot up disdainfully as he uttered coldly, "Simple? So, you are saying that you know what illness the Bodhi Saint Tree is suffering from? Speak then, I sure look forward to hearing whates out of your mouth!" "Even if I tell you, will you understand?" Zhang Xuan replied impassively. Given that these fellows had failed to determine the root of the Bodhi Saint Trees illness despite spending so much time analyzing and treating it, it was doubtful whether or not they would believe him even if he were to tell them. "You..." Elder Zhao and the others felt as if their veins would rupture from sheer rage. As the top herbologists of Hongyuan Empire, they had always been the ones to look down on others. This was the first time in a long while that someone had dared underestimate them like that. Will we understand, you ask? Lad, does your n know who you have just provoked? Just wait and see, soon, there wont be a ce for you in the circle of herbologists in Hongyuan Empire! Zhang Xuan turned to Yu Shenqing and urged, "Your Majesty, the Bodhi Saint Trees condition is dire, and we cant afford to dy it any longer. Otherwise, it might just die in the hands of these men..." "Audacious! You said that the tree will die in our hands? Youd better exin yourself right now, or else I wont let this matter slide!" Seeing that the youngd was getting more and more overboard with his words, Elder Zhao stepped forward and red at the other party menacingly. A powerful aura burst forth from him, as if saying that he wouldnt hesitate to kill the other party should his words turn out to be nonsense. As a top-notch herbologist and a Saint realm expert, Elder Zhao had always been respected no matter where he went, and even Emperor Yu Shenqing had to speak to him courteously. Yet, this youngd had actually dared to insult him like that... This waspletely uneptable! "The Nine-Nine Soul Consonance Formation, if I am not mistaken, serves to pump spiritual energy into the Bodhi Saint Tree to stimte its spirit, right?" Zhang Xuan asked calmly. "You know the Nine-Nine Soul Consonance Formation?" Elder Zhao was slightly taken aback. Due to the young age and the arrogance of thed before him, he had already regarded him as one of those incapable fame-seekers. Thus, he hadnt thought that the other party would be able to see through the essence of their treatment so quickly. The Nine-Nine Soul Consonance Formation was a secret art passed down only among top herbologist ns. It had the ability to stimte and nurture the spirit within spirit herbs and saint herbs, bringing vitality back to them. Most herbologists werent even aware of it. From their diagnosis, they had determined the cause of the Bodhi Saint Trees withering to be the dissipation of its spirit. That was why they had spent such a heavy price to set up this expensive formation, hoping to revitalize its spirit and bring it back to life. But for the youngd to speak in such a manner, could there be a problem with their treatment method? "Of course! Not only that, you also gathered the spirit of eighteen different saint herbs and tried to forcefully in fuse them into the Bodhi Saint Tree, but it ended in failure," Zhang Xuan said confidently. "This..." Elder Zhao and the other herbologists traded gazes, stumped by the situation before them. The other party was right. They had thought that they could swiftly revitalize the trees spirit by infusing the spirits of other saint herbs into it, but the attempt had ended in a failure. As the result was unsatisfactory, they hadnt reported this matter to Yu Shenqing, so it was only known among them. How did this fellow learn of it? Did he deduce it with just a nce? But that was impossible! Matters regarding spirits and souls had always been an enigma to most of mankind. It might still be possible to deduce that a sessful spirit infusion had urred by looking at the spirit of the medicinal herb, but if it had been a failure, not even top herbologists like them would be able to discern it. How could the youngd before them deduce it urately? "This Bodhi Saint Tree has yet to die, and its spirit is still alive and kicking. Yet, you attempted to infuse another spirit into it to take over its body... It is really a blessing of the heavens that it hasnt died in your hands yet! To still be acting so arrogantly around here despite that, do you have not the slightest bit of shame? I really do wonder where you get your boldness and confidence from!" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves majestically. "You... Nonsense! We have checked using various means, and the spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree has definitely disappeared. How could it still be alive?" Elder Zhaos face reddened in agitation. Naturally, they understood the implications of a soul infusion, so they had checked over and over again to ensure that their diagnosis was correct. If the Bodhi Saint Tree still retained its spirit, how could they not be aware of it? Another elder stood forward and said, "Indeed! I checked for its spirit using the Golden Needle Spirit Detection Method thrice, and the results were all negative. Furthermore, if its spirit was still around, how could it allow its body to wither like that?" Yet another elder nodded in agreement. "I also used the exclusive Green Mist Spirit Detection Method of my lineage, and I can testify that the tree has already lost its spirit!" It wasmon knowledge that saint herbs possessed spirit. If one were to forcefully infuse a spirit into a saint herb that still retained its spirit, that would be practically no different from murdering the herb! If they, who prided themselves on their expertise in the field of herbology, had truly unintentionally killed a herb when they were supposed to save it, they would be too ashamed to continue living. Another elder waved his hands and harrumphed. "The spirit infusion might have failed, but it sprouted new leaves on the withered tree and alleviated the yellowing of the existent leaves. This is a clear sign of the Bodhi Saint Tree making a recovery. Theres really no need for us to listen to the nonsense of an ignorantd here!" The others nodded in agreement to his words. The spirit infusion might have failed, but the fact that it had regained its green glow for even a short moment of time meant that their treatment was effective and they were moving in the correct direction. "A clear sign that the Bodhi Saint Tree is making a recovery, you say? The leaves might have turned green, but have you checked the roots? Do they show signs of recovering? What about the tree trunk? Does it look healthier, or did the wither worsen?" Zhang Xuan scoffed. "This..." The elders immediately fell silent. They had checked the condition of the tree thoroughly after the spirit infusion, and the condition of the roots and the trunks seemed to have worsened considerably... But there was a period of adjustment, so it should be normal to see such conditions, right? "The Golden Needle Spirit Detection Method can indeed check for a herbs spirit, but how long is your golden needle? Can it reach the depths of the tree trunk? If the spirit is hidden in the depths, do you think that your detection method will be effective?" Zhang Xuan continued. "This..." The elders had no idea how to respond to this either. The Golden Needle Spirit Detection Method responded only upon direct contact with the spirit. If it had been an ordinary medicinal herb, there wouldnt be any problem. However, considering the massive size of the Bodhi Saint Tree, there was indeed no guarantee that the needle would reach the spirit. Zhang Xuan turned to the other elder and stated, "A simr problem applies for the Green Mist Spirit Detection Method as well. It works by triggering a response from a conscious spirit, but what if the spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree is unconscious? Wouldnt the result you receive wrongly reflect that its spirit is dead?" "Ahh..." Realization struck the elder, and he fell silent as well. To the Green Mist Spirit Detection Method, an unconscious spirit was deemed to be no different from a dead spirit. An elder abruptly interjected, "Enough! After all you have said, you still havent told us how the Bodhi Saint Tree should be treated? If you cante up with a solution, you are ultimately still the same as us!" The others immediately nodded in agreement. The most important thing at hand was to save the Bodhi Saint Tree; everything else was secondary. "A solution?" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly before turning to Yu Shenqing. "Your Majesty, I will have to trouble you to get your men to bring some pails of oil and a paper match 1 over... "I am going to burn the tree!" Chapter 874: Burn It (2) Chapter 874: Burn It (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Burn it?" "You have been invited here to save the tree, not to burn it down!" "Ridiculous, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Who doesnt know how to kill a tree, do we still need you for that?" ... Everyone was stunned for an instant after hearing Zhang Xuans words before bellowing furiously. There must be something wrong with your head! You spoke as if we werepletely useless, but when asked for a solution, you proposed to burn the tree instead... The Bodhi Saint Tree was the very foundation of the Yu n, and the herbologists had used every means at their disposal to treat it desperately, fearing that their failure would result in their heads being lopped off. That youngd had spoken as if he had some incredible means up his sleeves, but to think that the solution he proposed would be to burn down the tree... This was utter insanity! Yu Shenqings body shook, and he nearly fainted on the spot as well. Watching Zhang shi render the elders in the room speechless with his words earlier, he had seen a glimmer of hope for the Bodhi Saint Tree. But after hearing his solution, he realized that the other party was just toying with him! The Bodhi Saint Tree was already on the verge of death. If it were to be burned down, wouldnt it lose its life immediately? Noticing Yu Shenqings hesitation, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "I wont force you if you dont trust me. However, if you wish to save the Bodhi Saint Tree, youd better make your decision quickly!" "Save?" Yu Shenqings lips twitched. Are you sure that you are really saving the Bodhi Saint Tree and not murdering it? "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded before cing his hands behind his back and waiting patiently. "This..." Seeing the grim look on Zhang shis face, it didnt seem like the other party was joking around. After a moment of hesitation, Yu Shenqing turned around to the old eunuch, Luo Fu, and instructed, "Do as Zhang shi says!" Even though he still thought that it was ridiculous to burn down the tree, the fact that Zhang Xuan was the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, along with the various incredible feats he had achieved, still convinced him to trust the other party this once. More importantly, those elders had been here for two years, but there wasnt the slightest improvement in the Bodhi Saint Trees condition. It would be no exaggeration to say that the trees death timer had already started ticking. Since Zhang shi was so confident in the matter, perhaps it was worth giving his method a try, especially since there was no better solution at hand. If the tree still died eventually, it could only be said to be its fate. "Your Majesty, I beseech you to reconsider your options!" "Dont listen to the lies of this fellow. The Bodhi Saint Tree is already in a very feeble state; it wont be able to survive being burned!" Seeing that Yu Shenqing had really instructed his men to bring oil and a paper match over, Elder Zhao and the others immediately panicked, and they rushed forward to advise him otherwise. "Please calm down. Zhang shi is the pr... a very talented master teacher from the Master Teacher Academy. I believe there is a reason why he made such a decision..." Yu Shenqing was just about to reveal Zhang Xuans other identity when he suddenly realized that this matter was supposed to remain a secret until the inauguration ceremony, so he could only quickly change his words. Seeing that Yu Shenqing was being beguiled by the youngd, Elder Zhao eximed in agitation, "I dont deny that master teachers are knowledgeable and discerning, but in the field of herbology, there is no one who can top us in Hongyuan Empire, and none of us here have ever heard of a saint herb being saved by being burned!" They came from the top herbology ns with long heritages behind them. The wisdom of their predecessors had been passed down from one generation to the next, forming incrediblependiums of knowledge. Yet, despite being the sessors of thesependiums of knowledge, none of them had ever heard of a herb being saved through burning. That was no different from drinking poison to alleviate ones thirst, a concept thatpletely went against the theories of herbology. It was something that could never happen. "Indeed! Each upation has its own experts, and even master teachers cant possibly be knowledgeable about every single upation in the world. After all, there is only one Kong shi!" another elder added. Legend had it that on top of being the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi had been skilled in many upations as well. In fact, the heritage of many existing upations had beenpiled and organized by him. The youngd before them might be a formidable master teacher, but even master teachers werent capable of everything. There were times when they, too, would fail! "This..." Hearing the words of the elders, Yu Shenqings determination began to waver. However, thinking about Zhang Xuans identity, he eventually still gritted his teeth and said, "Say no more, I have already made up my mind. Lets just do as Zhang shi instructs!" While they were talking, the pce attendants had already brought pails of oil and a paper match into the room. Zhang Xuan, upon seeing that Yu Shenqing was willing to put his trust in him at a crucial moment like this, nodded in satisfaction. He instructed the pce attendants to spill the pails of oil all over the tree, and when that was done, he blew on the paper match to light it up 1 . In no haste to ignite the oil, Zhang Xuan turned to the herbologists in the room and said, "There are countless herbologist ns in the world, and they each have their unique ways of cultivating and treating medicinal herbs. While you all might be considered to be the best herbologists in Hongyuan Empire, do you really believe that you have grasped all possible treatment methods in the world?" Elder Zhao and the others fell silent. The pursuit of knowledge is an endless race. Every day, new things were being discovered, and new heritages were being formed. Who would dare say that they had already seen it all? Not even Kong shi would dare to arrogantly dere so! Otherwise, he wouldnt have been rendered speechless by the words of two young children while passing through a remote country back then. "The spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree is not dead but asleep. You rushed into treating it without checking its condition thoroughly, nearly causing its death... Forget it, just watch and see." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan threw the paper match over. Hu hu! As soon as the paper match came into contact with the oil, the entire tree immediately burst into mes. "He really is burning the tree..." The mouths of Elder Zhao and the others twitched uncontrobly. After spending two years with the Bodhi Saint Tree, they already possessed some feelings for it. Thus, they couldnt help but feel a stabbing pain in their hearts as they watched the mes gradually devouring the tree. Yu Shenqing also couldnt help but clench his fists tightly as he watched the mes. At this point, he really didnt know whether he was right or not to trust Zhang Xuan. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was staring at the mes intently, seemingly waiting for the right moment. Shortly after, he raised his hand and said, "Extinguish the mes!" "Yes!" A few guards immediately rushed forward and stifled the mes around the Bodhi Saint Tree with their zhenqi. Even the weakest of them was at the Ethereal Treading realm, and with their strengthbined, it took barely more than a moment for them to extinguish the mes. With the mes gone, everyone got a clear glimpse of the current state of the Bodhi Saint Tree. At this point, its exterior was charred ck, and there wasnt the slightest hint of life from it. Without saying a word, Zhang Xuan walked up to the tree and began striking it at certain locations while circling around it. After striking it consecutively thirty-six times, he finally came to a halt. Just as everyone was wondering what Zhang Xuan was up to, thetter returned to Yu Shenqing and the others side and snapped his finger. Kacha! Kacha! The charred exterior of the tree abruptly burst apart. "T-this... How is this possible?" The sight that unfolded before their eyes left everyone stupefied. Beneath the charred exterior of the tree was a tree trunk only about an arm thick, but it was overflowing with vitality, like a young sprout blossoming from the old tree. It was just that it had been hidden beneath its withered exterior previously. But considering how the exterior was already nearing death, how could the insides of the tree still remain so vibrant? This sight was mystifying, and there was no one who couldprehend what was going on. Elder Zhao and the others had diagnosed and treated many herbs in their time, but they had never encountered or even heard of such a scenario before. Seeing the looks of iprehension on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan exined calmly, "It isnt because this Bodhi Saint Tree is nearing death that it is unconscious. Instead, it was out of self-preservation by the spirit to protect its foundation that it chose to conceal itself in the core of the tree. As a result, the externalyer was no longer sustained by the spirit, thus resulting in its death-like state. "You overlooked this and forcefully infused another spirit into it. Through doing that, you nearly destroyed its remaining foundation. If you had really seeded then, the Bodhi Saint Tree would have already died by now..." "This..." The bodies of Elder Zhao and the others shuddered in astonishment. The other party was right. Under the condition that the current spirit hadnt died yet, if a new spirit were to be infused into the body, it would result in a huge fight, and in the worst-case scenario, the two spirits might just end up killing one another. In other words, it was truly a blessing that they hadnt seeded then. Otherwise, they would have been the culprits behind the Bodhi Saint Trees death! "But Zhang shi, the Bodhi Saint Tree has been perfectly fine for many years. Why would it suddenly need to resort to a self-preservation maneuver?" Yu Shenqing asked, puzzled. The others also turned doubtful gazes to Zhang Xuan as well. "I am not too sure about that either. Under normal circumstances, a spirit will only do that if it has suffered severe injuries... Try recalling this. In the period of time just before the Bodhi Saint Tree started to wither, did anything happen?" Zhang Xuan said. The Library of Heavens Path had reflected the ws of the Bodhi Saint Tree, but it didnt delve into the reason for its condition, so he wasnt too sure either. "This... I dont think that anything major happened in that period of time!" Yu Shenqing frowned. "Two years ago... That should be around the time when the old principal of the Master Teacher Academy went missing. Oh right, the vice head of the Physician School, You Xu, visited once in that period of time to procure a seedling from the tree, saying that he wanted to try cultivating it to help locate the old principals soul. Other than that, I dont think that there are any outsiders who have approached the tree!" "You Xu?" Zhang Xuan frowned. That fellow was the culprit behind Wei Changfengs death, and in order to let Wei Ruyan exact vengeance for her father personally, he had the other party imprisoned in his own manor for the time being. Was the other party rted to this incident as well? "Thats right. Vice School Head You Xu is a talented herbologist himself, so I invited him over to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Trees condition as well, but he wasnt able to tell what was wrong with it either," Yu Shenqing replied. "I see... Forget it, lets put that matter aside for now. For the time being, we should find a way to awaken the spirit from its slumber first!" Zhang Xuan said. It had been two years since the Bodhi Saint Tree was poisoned, so it would be difficult to track down the culprit now. Besides, this had nothing to do with him, so there was no need for him to get involved in the matter. Understanding this, Yu Shenqing also chose not to talk about it any further. Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Bodhi Saint Tree once more and ced his palm on it before falling into deep thought. A momentter, he flicked his wrist and took out a gigantic wine gourd. Uncorking the lid, a concentrated surge of spiritual energy immediately gushed into the surroundings. "That is... Earth Vein Spirit Essence?" The eyes of Yu Shenqing and the elders lit up. Earth Vein Spirit Essence contained the energy of the earth, which made it exceptionally nourishing to medicinal herbs. It was an incredible treasure to herbologists. Pouring the Earth Vein Spirit Essence on the vigorous tree trunk, innumerable buds began growing at a rate visible to the eye on the bald tree, and they gradually sprouted to form lush leaves. "This... the spirit has been awakened?" Upon seeing this sight, Yu Shenqing and the other elders couldnt help but tremble in excitement. For the tree to undergo such rapid growth, it could only mean that the sleeping spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree had awakened! However, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence only had the effect of replenishing spiritual energy within saint herbs, it shouldnt have been capable of rousing an unconscious spirit. Just what kind of mystical means did Zhang shi use? Chapter 875: Problem with the Myriad Anthive Nest Chapter 875: Problem with the Myriad Anthive Nest Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No, something is wrong... Contrary to the looks of delight on the faces of the crowd, Zhang Xuan had a deep frown etched on his forehead. What had awakened the spirit wasnt the Earth Vein Spirit Essence but his Heavens Path zhenqi! The Heavens Path zhenqi was so rich in vitality that it could even easily neutralize lethal poison, so naturally, it had the ability to rouse the unconscious spirit within the Bodhi Saint Tree as well. However, what had left a deep frown on his face was the realization that the spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree had been unconscious not just because it was injured but because it was poisoned! The Heavens Path zhenqi was incredibly pure, allowing it to travel through the tree unobstructed. As such, he was able to catch a clear glimpse of the state of the Bodhi Saint Trees unconscious spirit. The spirit was indeed injured, but it wasnt severe enough to drive it into an unconscious state. What had truly sapped the spirit was a fight against a lethal poison that was ongoing even now. And most importantly of all, he actually recognized that lethal poison... Its the Soul Purging Poison! A peculiar glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Speaking of the Soul Purging Poison, most, including the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy, might be unfamiliar with the name. However, if one were to define it as the lethal poison concocted using the Green-leafed Heart Nexus nt and the Soulless Flower, most should understand what it was in an instant. It was the lethal poison You Xu had given him during the Life-and-Death Physician Duel! This poison, once consumed, would immediately corrode ones heart and mind, resulting in a swift death. Not even Saint realm experts would be spared from this tragic oue. Even though the Bodhi Saint Tree was a saint herb rich in vitality, it was still difficult for it to stand its ground against the potent Soul Purging Poison. The only reason it was able to survive so long was because Elder Zhao and the others, even though their direction was wrong from the very start, had fed it many nourishing substances, granting it the strength to withstand the onught of the poison. You Xu came here two years ago, and shortly afterward, the Bodhi Saint Tree fell ill... Could You Xu have really been the culprit? Zhang Xuan frowned. The Soul Purging Poison was extremely hard to concoct, not to mention, the Green-leafed Heart Nexus nt and the Soulless Flower had gone extinct centuries ago. On top of that, You Xu had an opportunity to strike as well... Following this line of deduction, all of the current evidence seemed to point toward You Xu. But... if Yu Shenqing was willing to allow You Xu to get close to the Bodhi Saint Tree to procure its seedling, that could mean that there was no conflict between them. So... what could You Xu stand to gain from poisoning the Bodhi Saint Tree? Zhang Xuan contemted over the issue a moment longer, but he was still unable to connect the dots. Shaking his head, he decided to turn his attention away from the matter. Forget it, this should be a matter for Yu Shenqing to worry about... The only reason he had treated the Bodhi Saint Tree was to borrow it to save Wei Ruyan. As for uncovering the culprit who had poisoned it, that was a job for the others to do. After emptying out the Earth Vein Spirit Essence in the gourd and pumping a few dozen more surges of zhenqi in, the weak Bodhi Saint Tree began to regain its vitality, and signs of its former glory started to appear. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan said, "Alright, Im done." "Thank you, Zhang shi!" The agitated Yu Shenqing immediately rushed forward and sped his fist in gratitude. The Bodhi Saint Tree was the foundation of their Yu n. Once it was gone, the Yu n would start falling into decline, eventually disappearing in the annals of history. Yu Shenqing had thought that it was hopeless, and he had already prepared himself for the worst. He really hadnt expected the young man before him to be able to easily identify the cause and resolve the problem within less than half a day. "Zhang shi..." The faces of Elder Zhao and the others reddened in embarrassment, and if they could, they would have loved to vanish on the spot. They had doubted the other party, using him of only being there for the fame. Yet, theythe knowledgeable oneshad spent two years achieving nothing, but hethe ignorant onehad solved the problem surrounding the Bodhi Saint Tree in just a few hours. Just recalling the matter was sufficient to fill them with embarrassment. An elder stepped forward and said, "Zhang shi, if you are free, doe over and conduct a lecture for us. Our Sun n is willing topensate you with a hundred Spirit pinnacle medicinal herbs in return!" It was a problem that they couldnt figure out despiteing together, but the other party was able to find a solution for it with a single nce. His mastery in herbology was far beyond their imagination. If they could invite him to their n to lecture them, the proficiency of their n members would surely rise rapidly, and it would just be a matter of time before they surpassed the other herbology ns. Another elder stepped forward and offered, "Zhang shi,e to our Chen n! We are willing to offer you 150 Spirit pinnacle medicinal herbs and five saint herbs!" Knowing that Zhang shi could possibly herald in an era of prosperity for their n, the other elders in the room could no longer hold themselves back either. "Zhang shi,e to our Zhao n instead..." "Our Liu n..." ... "Thank you for your high evaluation for me, but I dont have the intention of conducting any lectures for the time being!" Seeing the previously haughty elders standing before him politely as if young junior school students before a teacher, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. In truth, the offers the elders had made were extremely tempting, but the problem was that he had no idea how to lecture them on herbology! The reason he was able to cure the Bodhi Saint Tree was due to his Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path. It had very little to do with his knowledge concerning herbology. If he were to really conduct lectures for them, it wouldnt be long before they started pestering him for refunds. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to conduct any lectures, Elder Zhao and the others could only back down in disappointment. Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said, "Your Majesty and elders, I need to borrow the Bodhi Saint Tree to resolve some private affairs, so..." Understanding the meaning behind Zhang Xuans words, Yu Shenqing turned to the crowd and smiled. "You have all worked hard to treat the Bodhi Saint Tree over thest two years. I will have the royal chefs prepare a feast this instant, so please follow me to the main hall!" "Your Majesty, thank you!" "We havent really done anything much..." The other elders nodded as they followed Yu Shenqing out. Soon, Zhang Xuan was the only one left in the residence. He flew to the air to take a look at the surroundings and saw that Yu Shenqing had deployed the guards in the area away as well, strictly prohibiting anyone froming close to the residence. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan took out the sickly Wei Ruyan from the Myriad Anthive Nest. In recent days, he had been bringing her around in case her condition abruptly worsened and emergency treatment was required. With a healthy Bodhi Saint Tree before him now, it was time to treat her affliction once and for all! Zhang Xuan first drew his soul out of his body before summoning Wei Ruyans soul out as well, and using a secret art, he infused thetters soul into the Bodhi Saint Tree. He had taken a close look earlier, and the Bodhi Saint Tree was indeed extremely effective in nurturing souls. Zhang Xuan followed Wei Ruyans soul into the Bodhi Saint Tree to assess her condition, and he could sense thetters feeble soul being nurtured, growing stronger by the moment. Hmm? She is recovering faster than I thought... Zhang Xuan fell in a moment of thought before the answer struck him. It is the Soul Purge Poison! To think that the two years of pain the Bodhi Saint Tree suffered under the tyranny of the Soul Purge Poison would be an opportunity for Wei Ruyan instead! Despite the massive size and greater medicinal potency of the Bodhi Saint Tree, it was just a matter of time before Wei Ruyans Poison Soul Constitution poisoned it and rendered its effects negligible just like with the Ten-leafed Flower. However, after two years of fending against the Soul Purge Poison, this Bodhi Saint Tree had already gained a fair degree of immunity to poison. On top of that, the Poison Soul Constitution had the ability to consume lethal poison, and the lingering Soul Purge Poison left in the tree was greatly nourishing to her! In other words, not only would Wei Ruyans soul not poison the Bodhi Saint Tree in the short term, it would even help to devour the remaining poison left within it. At the same time, Wei Ruyans soul would recover faster as well. At this rate, it will only take a day for her to regain consciousness... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. It seemed like it was the correct decision for him to choose to save the Bodhi Saint Tree. Even though he had used up a fair bit of precious Earth Vein Spirit Essence in the midst of doing so, it would be well worth the cost if he could sessfully cure Wei Changfengs daughter of her affliction with this. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his body, and he stowed Wei Ruyans body back into the Myriad Anthive Nest as well. Shortly after he did so, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind. "Master, I need you toe in here urgently..." Hearing that voice, Zhang Xuan frowned. It was the Myriad Anthive Queen. A while ago, it had devoured Kong shis folded space, and it was currently using it to expand its nest. ording to its deductions, it would require at least three months to finish the job. Given that less than five days had passed, it must have met with some kind of issue. Thus, Zhang Xuan quickly entered the Myriad Anthive Nest without any hesitation. The Myriad Anthive Nest was considerablyrger than before, stretching twenty meters from one end to the other. Even with the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron standing within, there was still plenty of space to move around. While admiring the incredible ability of the Myriad Anthive Queen, Zhang Xuan walked up to it and asked, "Whats wrong?" "Master... I think I might have underestimated the difficulty of this task. I know that I said that I would be able to seed in three months, but due to my cultivation being too low... I am already starting to lose control over this space!" the Myriad Anthive Nest exined awkwardly. It had previously dered confidently that it would be able to assimte Kong shis folded space into the Myriad Anthive Nest within three months, but from the looks of it now, it wouldnt happen that easily. With the Myriad Anthive Queens current cultivation of Perfect Harmonization realm, it was still within its means to control a space of around ten meters wide. However, when the nest was increased to twenty meters wide, the space became a little toorge for it to control properly. At the current rate, the space might just very well copse even before the nest could be fully constructed. "Lose control?" Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression. Even though the unique constitution of the Myriad Anthive Queen allowed it to utilize spatial maniption despite only being at the Perfect Harmonization realm, its abilities were still limited by its cultivation. If it were to forcefully expand its nest, it could very well suffer a bacsh, and huge trouble would ensue. "Is there any way to solve the problem?" Zhang Xuan asked. "There is, but... it will be rather troublesome!" The Myriad Anthive Queen shook her head. "Speak." Hearing that there was a solution, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "The problem can be solved by raising my cultivation swiftly. As long as I reach Saint realm, I should be able to retain perfect control of the space and even hasten the assimtion process at that," the Myriad Anthive Nest said. "Raising your cultivation? Thats easy, I can easily do that. However, to reach Saint realm..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "Forget it, I will do what I can first." If raising the Myriad Anthive Queens cultivation was all it took, it wasnt really a huge issue. With Zhang Xuans Heavens Path zhenqi, he could cleanse the bloodline of a spirit beast and raise its cultivation. Kacha! Kacha! Under the nourishment of Zhang Xuans zhenqi, the Myriad Anthive Nests body jolted, and its cultivation began rising steadily. Six hourster, under the nourishment of the Heavens Path zhenqi and Earth Vein Spirit Essence, the Myriad Anthive Queens cultivation reached Chrysalis realm primary stage, just like Zhang Xuans. Due to the limits of Zhang Xuans cultivation, he could only raise its cultivation this far. Even though Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle to Chrysalis realm primary stage was a rise in cultivation by slightly more than a realm, the Myriad Anthive Queen was still a significant way off from reaching Saint realm. After reinforcing its cultivation, the Myriad Anthive Queen contemted for a moment before speaking. "Master, I heard that the Beast Hall has a bottle of the blood essence of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen in its inventory. If I can obtain it, I should be able to raise my cultivation to Saint realm swiftly..." Chapter 876: Master Teacher! Chapter 876: Master Teacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Beast Hall?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Un. The Beast Hall keeps an inventory of the blood essence of many saint beasts, and as long as beast tamers have reached a certain rank and are able to afford the price, they are able to trade for these blood essences!" the Myriad Anthive Queen said. "I see... I will take the 6-star beast tamer examination now and trade for some then." Knowing that the blood essence of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen had such an effect, Zhang Xuan swiftly left the nest. He took another look at Wei Ruyan to check on her condition once more, and after confirming that she was recovering rapidly and that the Bodhi Saint Tree showed no signs of being poisoned, he heaved a sigh of relief and left the royal pce. His next destination was the Master Teacher Academy. To take the beast tamer examination and trade for the blood essence, it would be more convenient to do it via School Head Mo. Besides, he wasnt too sure where Hongyuan Empires Beast Hall was located. Entering the Beast Tamer School, he quickly found School Head Mo sitting with a deep frown in his office, seemingly troubled by something. "Principal Zhang!" Upon noticing Zhang Xuans presence, School Head Mo quickly got up and sped his fist politely. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. The reason I came over here today is to take the 6-star beast tamer examination..." Zhang Xuan immediately revealed the reason behind his arrival. "6-star beast tamer examination?" School Head Mo was visibly stunned for a moment before he shook his head. "Principal Zhang, you are pulling my leg. Since you were able to tame even Senior Byzantium Helios, you are qualified to be a 7-star beast tamer. I have already helped you apply for it from the headquarters, and I have received a positive reply as well. I am just waiting for the emblem to arrive now." The Byzantium Helios Beast was already at Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm, and under the ssification of the Beast Tamer Hall, one who could tame a saint beast of such power was qualified as a 7-star beast tamer. Thus, there was no need for him to go through the effort of taking the examination. "7-star beast tamer?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. He had been intending to take the 6-star examination, only to learn that School Head Mo had already applied for a 7-star emblem on his behalf. This worked fine with him, too; he would be spared from quite a bit of trouble with this. "I will be thanking you in advance then. Since the headquarters have already agreed to it, it just so happens that there is something I need to request from them... I would like to trade for some Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence!" Zhang Xuan said. "Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence?" School Head Mo frowned. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. School Head Mo replied, after a moment of hesitation, "Usually, the headquarters will approve the trade for most saint beasts blood essence, and the price wont be too high as well. But the Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence... I fear that it wont be that easy to make the trade." "Wont be easy to make the trade?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Since they were all from saint beasts, the difficulty in procuring their blood essence shouldnt be too different from one another. Why would the Myriad Anthive Queen be an exception? Noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, School Head Mo exined, "In the very first ce, the Myriad Anthive Queen is an extremely rare beast, and on top of that, only a small proportion of them manage to achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm! "More importantly, the Myriad Anthive Queen possesses the ability to create space, making it an extremely valuable beast... Even if the headquarters do have its blood essence, I fear that the price to obtain it will be exorbitant!" "Exorbitant? Roughly how much will it cost?" "Even taking into ount your identity as a 7-star beast tamer, it will still cost around several thousand high-tier spirit stones, or even more," School Head Mo said as he shook his head bitterly. The price to purchase the blood essence of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen was simply too great for them to bear. "Several thousand high-tier spirit stones?" Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He had thought that he could finally be considered wealthy after receiving several hundred high-tier spirit stones from Wu Xu and Lu Cheng, but to think that it wouldnt even be sufficient to buy a single item. Furthermore, this was due to the fact that he was a 7-star beast tamer. If it was an outsider instead, the price could very well be hiked up by twofold. The upation guilds like the Beast Tamer Hall would often grant special privileges such as discounts or priority in services to its own members, depending on their rank. It seemed like what he had wasnt much after all. At this point, School Head Mo suddenly spoke up. "Actually, there is a way to obtain it even if one cant afford the price, but... it will be much harder!" "Oh?" Seeing that there was a way to work around it, Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze to the other party. "As long as your contribution to the Beast Tamer Hall is high enough, the headquarters could give it to you for free," School Head Mo said. "Contribution?" Zhang Xuan frowned at the unfamiliar term. "Thats right. Donating the blood essence of rare spirit beasts or saint beasts, or aplishing the missions set by the Beast Hall... all of these will be noted by the Beast Hall as contributions from the individual members," School Head Mo exined. "Donating the blood essence of rare spirit beasts or saint beasts?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It had been innumerable years since the Beast Hall was established, and it possessed influence all around the Master Teacher Continent. There were only a handful spirit beasts and saint beasts that it couldnt get to, so very few of them could be considered rare. Even if Zhang Xuan knew where he could find one, he wouldnt have the time to look for it. "The first way is indeed rather difficult, most only aplish it with a stroke of luck. As for the second, the Beast Hall rarely set missions, and even when they do, it wouldnt reach here..." School Head Mo said with a bitter smile. Contribution to a guild wasnt that easily earned. Otherwise, its treasury would have been depleted long ago. "School Head Mo, we arent able to hold on any longer! We need assistance..." In that moment, flurried footsteps sounded, and an elder abruptly barged into the room. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the elder sped his fist and greeted, "Principal Zhang!" It was the head of the cksmith School, Zhao Bingxu. "School Head Zhao, what do you mean by being unable to hold on any longer?" Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. At this point, he couldnt help but recall the deep frown he had seen on School Head Mos face when he first entered. He had thought that it might have been some personal problem, but after hearing Zhao Bingxus words, things probably werent as simple as they seemed. "Its actually nothing much. Principal Zhang, we are just a day away from your inauguration ceremony, so you should focus on preparing for it for the time being. You dont have to worry about anything else," Zhao Bingxu quickly replied with a smile. "Indeed. Principal Zhang, leave the other matters to us," School Head Mo quickly added in agreement. Noticing that something was amiss, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Tell me, what is it?" The two elders before him were the heads of the Beast Tamer School and cksmith School, as well as Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts. For such powerful figures to have troubled looks on their faces, something major must have happened. While Zhang Xuan might not have paid much heed to the matters concerning the Master Teacher Academy, he was still ultimately the principal, and he had to bear the responsibilities that came with that role. "This..." Hearing Zhang Xuan ask about the matter, the two school heads nce at one another hesitantly, unsure of what they should do. But seeing the determination in Zhang Xuans eyes, School Head Mo knew that they wouldnt be able to hide it from him any further, so he sighed deeply and said, "The beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge haveunched a beast stampede against us." "Cloudmist Ridge? Beast stampede?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Un. The beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge have always lived isted from our Hongyuan Empire, never interfering with the business of the other. However, just a few days ago, they suddenly went on a rampage, hunting down all of the hunters and cultivators roaming the mountains," School Head Mo said. "Our Master Teacher Academy received a request for assistance, so we sent our men in to warn them against their actions. But instead of backing down, they assaulted our master teachers and even sent their full forces forward, initiating a beast stampede against Hongyuan City. Left with no choice, I sent in all of the students of the Beast Tamer School to fend off their forces at Hongyuan Mountain Range... It has been a day since the battle began, and our line of defense is starting to crumble!" "Crumble..." Zhang Xuans face darkened, and he clenched his fists tightly. "Take me there, I want to take a look!" The reason the beasts of Cloudmist Ridge went on a rampage was probably rted to him taking away their Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Even though the beasts of Cloudmist Ridge had lived separately from Hongyuan Empire, there had always been some tension between them. Nevertheless, an uneasy peace was established between the two due to the deterrence of the Master Teacher Academy. Part of the reason Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate to take away the Earth Vein Spirit Essence despite knowing how much the beasts of Cloudmist Ridge valued it was because he knew that if the other party continued to rue more power, this could spell disaster for Hongyuan Empire in the long run. Even so, he hadnt expected the other party to actually charge out and go head-to-head with the Master Teacher Academy. Since this matter had started due to him, he couldnt back out at this point. "Principal Zhang, you cant go! You havent undergone the inauguration ceremony yet, and your cultivation is still too low. If the others learn of your identity, they will target you!" Zhao Bingxu shook his head firmly. It was not without reason that they had chosen not to inform the principal of a matter as major as the students being dispatched to battle. At the current moment, Zhang Xuan was simply too weak. If the others were to learn that he was the principal, the beasts of Cloudmist Ridge would surely focus their forces on him. Should the principal be captured by the enemy at such a crucial period, it would be a devastating blow to the morale of their forces, bringing forth panic and chaos. Furthermore, they earnestly believed that with Zhang Xuans capability, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy could be brought to greater heights. At least, until thetters capabilities matured, they, as elders, must not let any harme to him. Thus, they had chosen to take matters into their own hands instead. "Take me there, or else I will just have to head there myself!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The lives of innumerable students were at stake; he couldnt possibly sit idly at such a crucial moment! "This..." Seeing the determination in Zhang Xuans eyes, the two school heads nced at one another and sighed. "Alright, we will take you over there. However, I hope that you wont be hasty, and by no means should you reveal your identity to anyone. This isnt the first beast stampede from Cloudmist Ridge, so we will surely find a way to suppress it in the end." "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. School Head Mo summoned his Inferno Dragon Saint Beast over, and the three of them swiftly got on and flew for Hongyuan Mountain Range. Standing on the back of the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast, Zhang Xuan asked Zhao Bingxu, "What is the current situation?" "It isnt looking too optimistic... The beast stampede is much more severe than the previous cases. In the first ce, most spirit beasts possess the strength to rival cultivators stronger than themselves. To make things worse, the spirit beasts are coordinating with one another like disciplined soldiers, and this ces our students in a very dangerous position!" Zhao Bingxu said hesitantly. "Coordinating with one another like disciplined soldiers?" Zhao Bingxu nodded. "Un. If I am not mistaken, the saint beasts of Cloudmist Ridge have probably gotten involved as well. Only under their leadership can the spirit beasts disy such battle prowess collectively." "How are the casualties?" Zhang Xuan asked. "It is rather severe. As the fourthrgest school in the Master Teacher Academy, there are over twenty thousand students who chose beast tamer as their main supporting upation. Other than those who are currently out on missions, all of them have participated in the battle. More than half of them are wounded, but the death toll is still rtively low at around a dozen," Zhao Bingxu replied grimly. "There are already around a dozen dead?" Zhang Xuans body stiffened. "Thats right." The one who replied this time around wasnt Zhao Bingxu but School Head Mo. While they were speaking, the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast had already arrived at the air space above Hongyuan Mountain Range. Looking down, Zhang Xuan could see countless spirit beasts charging down from the mountaintop, and innumerable students rushed forth to meet them. The battle was extremely intense. There were many severely wounded students among the group, but they stood firmly on their ground, not backing out at all. Instead, they seemed to grow more and more courageous by the moment, braving through the hordes of spirit beasts fearlessly. Zhang Xuans body couldnt help but tremble. He saw two familiar faces. They were Feng Wu and Yu Cheng, whom he had a conflict with during the entrance examination on Leiyuan Peak. At this moment, their bodies werepletely drenched in blood, and Yu Cheng even had an arm of his snapped off. Yet, they still continued to charge toward the enemies fearlessly with reddened eyes. This posed a stark contrast to the selfish behavior they had disyed whilepeting with him back then. Whether they were once friend or foe, at this very moment, everyone was fighting side-by-side, trusting their allies with their back. Taking a nce at Zhang Xuans astonished face, School Head Mo said proudly, "Many of them have grudges with one another, and from time to time, they fought and sometimes even resorted to despicable means against one another, but... in the face of trouble, they will still unite together as one and fight alongside one another fearlessly, even if death is what they will ultimately face! "This is because this is their mission and responsibility. This is because they bear amon identity..." "Master teacher!" Chapter 877: Heart of a Teacher Chapter 877: Heart of a Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Master teacher?" Zhang Xuans body stiffened. It had been half a year since his transcension, and he had encountered many different master teachers in his time. Be it a normal 1-star master teacher or a powerful 6-star pinnacle master teacher, be it joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, all of them possessed emotions like an ordinary human being, and they had their own desires and goals that they pursued as well. Despite being a master teacher himself, he had never felt how heavy the upation was. However, upon seeing this sight, he finally understood what being a master teacher meant to these men. For mankind, they were willing to put aside their differences andy down their lives when the time came. All because they were master teachers! They were only two mere words, but they carried heavy significance behind themthe hope of mankind. "Thats right!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. "Being a master teacher is more than about glory, it is a responsibility. Take Lu Feng for example, he has already applied to head for the Subterranean Gallery! Even if he might meet his end there, he is still determined to protect his dignity as a master teacher!" "Subterranean Gallery?" Zhang Xuans body trembled. He had read about it in the books, so he knew very well what kind of ce it was. The Subterranean Gallery was the passageway connecting the Master Teacher Continent to the world of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, as well as a dangerous battlefield where one could easily lose ones life in a moment of carelessness. Lu Feng... had volunteered to head to the Subterranean Gallery? Even if Lu Feng was stripped of his master teacher license, he could still livevishly with his prowess as a Half-Spiritual Perception realm expert. Yet, he had chosen to veer down this difficult path to guard his honor instead! "The reason School Head Lu spoke on You Xus behalf was due to their close ties. Such emotions are ingrained in all humans, and it has never been the Master Teacher Pavilions aim to destroy human nature. In fact, Kong shi even encouraged the development of each persons unique character instead, saying that it was the true way to further the prosperity of mankind! If other master teachers lose their individuality and act as if they were cast from the same mold, that would turn into a disaster for mankind instead!" School Head Mo said. "This..." Words couldnt express Zhang Xuans current emotions. There are no humans who arent born with emotions, and they served as the key to drive us further, allowing us to exceed our limits. If one were to destroy the human character in pursuit of perfection, even without the intervention of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, we would have already limited and destroyed ourselves. Perhaps, this was the reason the Master Teacher Academy condoned conflicts among the students, allowing them to sort things out among themselves. "Master teachers can be selfish. They may choose to side with their kin and friends against justice, and they maye to blows over a treasure as well, but... in dire times like this, they have to put aside their differences and charge forward bravely. This is the responsibility of all master teachers, as well as the vision Kong shi had in mind when he established the Master Teacher Pavilion!" School Head Mo continued. "So, this is a master teacher!" Zhang Xuan muttered as he closed his eyes. He had met many master teachers on his journey. There were those who were kind and upright, but there were also those who were greedy and selfish. He had thought that master teachers were no different from anyone else, but his thoughts had been wrong all along. Master teachers could be selfish, greedy, and even narrow-minded. But when the survival of mankind was at stake, they would be the first to step forward and shoulder the burden. This is what a master teacher has to do and must do. In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if his soul had been cleansed and initiated. He was a transcender, and in the world he hade from, many of the fine cultural traditions had already eroded. Students no longer respected their teacher, and teachers no longer felt pride in their upation. Some of them evenmitted unforgivable acts that a teacher should nevermit. Aftering to this world, Zhang Xuan had gotten a glimpse of the nobility of the upation. But nevertheless, his subconscious mind still retained the view he had from his previous life. It was only in this instant that he realized the responsibilities he shouldered from the moment he had chosen to bear this identity! Kacha! A crisp crack sounded from Zhang Xuans chest, and as if a caterpir breaking out of its cocoon, a unique and solemn power fell from the sky and onto him. At that moment, it felt as if he was a divine being descending from the heavens. "Could this be..." Noticing the changes surrounding Zhang Xuan, Zhao Bingxu and School Head Mo traded nces, and their eyes abruptly narrowed. With a quivering voice, they uttered simultaneously, "Heart of a Teacher!" Heart of a Teacher, just like the Eye of Insight, was a unique ability that only master teachers couldprehend. Only those who persisted in their path as a true teacher would be able toprehend this ability and reach greater heights. Legend had it that only 8-star master teachers couldprehend this ability, but to think that... Zhang shi wouldprehend it despite only being a 4-star master teacher! A person with the Heart of a Teacher was no longer confined by the boundaries of race. His Impartation of Heavens Will would be effective on even savage beasts and spirit beasts, allowing him to turn them into his students, achieving, in the truest sense, enlightenment devoid of discrimination. Back then, Kong shi hadprehended the Heart of a Teacher as well, as his students didnt just consist of humans but beasts and even Otherworldly Demons as well. In a sense, a person who hadprehended the Heart of a Teacher could be considered to be nearly on par with a Celestial Master Teacher! "Principal Zhang actually managed toprehend the Heart of a Teacher... It seems like the rise of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is just on the horizon," School Head Mo said as his body trembled in agitation. Even in the entire history of the Master Teacher Pavilion, only a handful had managed toprehend the Heart of a Teacher. Yet, their principal had actually seeded inprehend it! Just based on this in itself, he would surely aplish great things in the future. Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy would also make its mark on the world, bing a sacrednd where all master teachers desired to head to. School Head Mo swiftly set up a barrier around him with a wave of his hand to conceal what was happening within before turning to Zhao Bingxu. "School Head Zhao, the matter concerning Principal Zhangprehending the Heart of a Teacher has great implications. If he were to be targeted by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe due to this matter, we would be sinners of mankind!" It would only be a matter of time for a master teacher who hadprehended the Heart of a Teacher to advance through the ranks, bing one of the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to learn of such an existence, they would surely hunt that person down with their full force. For Principal Zhangs safety, they must keep this matter a secret. "Dont worry. I swear on my identity as a master teacher that I will not tell a single soul about this matter," Zhao Bingxu vowed. "I also swear to do the same on my identity as a master teacher!" School Head Mo nodded. While they were talking, the unique power finally vanished, and Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes. Unlike before, there as a resolute glint in his gaze. As one who hadprehended Heart of a Teacher, the confusion that had gued him before had disappeared, and he understood what he should and shouldnt do. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan said calmly, "School Head Mo, propose a ceasefire with the beasts of Cloudmist Ridge. Tell them that the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy wishes to negotiate with them!" "Negotiate?" The two school heads were taken aback for an instant before School Head Mo hurriedly eximed in astonishment, "You cant do that! The reason we refused to tell you about this matter before is because we feared that you would do this! None of us can bear the consequences if something happens to you!" "Indeed! It isnt easy for a principal who has the approval of Mu shi and the entirety of the Ten Great Master Teachers to appear. You are the one who will unite the Master Teacher Academy and bring it to greater heights; we cant afford to lose you!" Zhao Bingxu added. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Wont my identity be revealed tomorrow in the inauguration ceremony anyway?" Since his identity was going to be revealed the following day, what harm would it do if others were to learn of his identity a day before? "That isnt the same! After the inauguration ceremony, you will be qualified to wield the Principals Seal, and it will help to ensure your safety... No matter what you say, I wont allow you to reveal your identity now!" School Head Mo eximed. "Principals Seal?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Thats right. Infused in the Principals Seal is the will of the students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy. Even if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe attempts to harm you, they will be kept at bay by the power of the Principals Seal. Only with that can your safety be guaranteed!" School Head Mo exined. "If thats the case... did the missing old principal possess the Principals Seal?" "Of course!" "Then how did he go missing?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This..." School Head Mo was unable to answer that question. Gesturing at the many master teachers charging forth bravely below, Zhang Xuan said, "Danger is always existent. Since even the students below arent afraid, what do I have to fear?" He was a master teacher just like the rest of them. Since they could face death without fear, what did he have to hesitate over? After a moment of hesitation, School Head Mo eventually relented. "Fine, I will do as you have said. However, I will be proposing a negotiation in the name of School Head Zhao and myself instead. I hope that you can understand our concerns!" Even if Zhang shi didnt fear death, they couldnt allow the Master Teacher Academy to lose its principal once more. "Un." Knowing that this was the bottom line of the other party, Zhang Xuan agreed to it. Retracting the barrier from the surroundings, School Head Mo leaped off the back of the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast and stopped in midair. Taking a deep breath, he roared, "The kings of Cloudmist Ridge. I, Mo Zhu, propose a negotiation with you as the representative of the Master Teacher Academy!" Hong long! As if a massive wave, his voice swept across the entire mountain range, reaching the ears of each and every being in the area. "Negotiate?" "Why should we negotiate? These beasts have trampled on the dignity of mankind; we cant let them go so easily!" "Indeed! How can we face the many master teachers who have been wounded or even killed in this conflict if we negotiate with them?" ... Upon hearing that School Head Mo was proposing a negotiation, a huge uproar immediately broke out amid the master teachers below. Proposing a negotiation was a sign of weakness! If the Master Teacher Academy, facing the onught of the beasts, were to choose to negotiate instead of returning the favor back to them, what would be of their dignity? A powerful voice boomed from the back of the spirit beast stampede. "You want to negotiate? Fine by us. Come to the Cloudmist Ridge, we will give you a chance to negotiate all you want!" It was likely that the one speaking was one of the most powerful existences among the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, their king. "They want to hold the negotiations on the Cloudmist Ridge? School Head Mo, you mustnt agree to their demands!" "That has got to be a trap!" "If even our school head is captured by them, we will never be able to raise our heads before others anymore!" ... The master teachers panicked. It was clear that the other party was up to no good. The Cloudmist Ridge was their den, and if School Head Mo were to head over, he would be encircled by countless Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm beasts. Should negotiations break down, he wouldnt even have the chance to escape! Moreover, as the side proposing the negotiation, they were already in a disadvantageous position. If they were to negotiate on the other partys territory on top of that, wouldnt they simply be exploited? The Master Teacher Academy served as a pir of support for mankind, so how could it bow its head to others like that? If word were to spread, wouldnt it create a huge uproar among the poption? "Principal Zhang..." While a hugemotion was going on beneath them, School Head Mo turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan hesitantly. He also felt that it was too dangerous to negotiate in their territory as well. "ept it!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. Zhao Bingxu hurriedly sped his fist. "Principal Zhang, its too dangerous. We can think of some other solutions..." "There is no need for that. If we dont enter their den, how can we meet their kings?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands resolutely, signifying that this matter wasnt open for discussion. "This..." School Head Mo and School Head Zhao traded gazes and sighed. That was indeed the case. The saint beasts treasured their lives dearly, or else, they wouldnt have had the spirit beasts charge at the frontlines in their stead either. If they were to turn down the negotiation, they wouldnt have any other opportunity to meet the other partys kings. "Fine, we agree," School Head Mo bellowed back. Knowing that Zhang Xuans mind was made up, the both of them could only resign themselves to it. They solemnly vowed that they would protect and send Zhang Xuan out of the Cloudmist Ridge safely, even at the cost of their lives. "What? School Head Mo, you cant!" "School Head Mo, this wont do. They are lying!" Hearing those words, the master teachers below yelled in panic. "Enough! This is the decision made by the Master Teacher Academy. All master teachers, retreat and assemble at Leiyuan Peak!" School Head Mo roared. Chapter 878: Returning to Cloudmist Ridge Chapter 878: Returning to Cloudmist Ridge Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Yes!" Even though the master teachers felt indignant and frustrated, they knew that they had to obey the orders made by the Master Teacher Academy or else there would be chaos. Thus, they withdrew from the battlefield and headed to Leiyuan Peak. Watching as the students retreated, Zhang Xuan instructed, "School Head Zhao, you should remain behind tomand the students. They need a leader to unite them at a moment like this. Try to avoid all confrontations with the spirit beasts for the time being if possible. It will suffice for just School Head Mo and me to head to the negotiations!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan was sending him away, Zhao Bingxu hurriedly shook his head. "That wont do; I will follow you to the Cloudmist Ridge as well!" Even though their principal had made huge progress in his cultivation recently, he was still only at Chrysalis realm primary stage. With the other partys current cultivation, heading into the Cloudmist Ridge, which was filled with saint beasts, was no different from courting death. Even at the expense of his life, Zhao Bingxu was determined to follow the other party to ensure his safety. "Are you going to disobey my orders right after nominating me as your principal?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "If you are unwilling to listen to mymands, the two of you might as well remain here. I will head in myself!" "Principal Zhang..." Zhao Bingxu frowned in worry. "School Head Zhao, those students do need you with them, so you should go. Dont worry, I will make sure that no one harms Principal Zhang," School Head Mo said. In the next moment, he sent a telepathic message to Zhao Bingxu. "After you return, reorganize our forces and find Mu shi and the others. Four hours; if we dont return in four hours,unch an attack against the Cloudmist Ridge. I will remain by Principal Zhangs side to ensure his safety for the next four hours!" "This..." Zhao Bingxu was taken aback for an instant before he nodded grimly. "Alright then, I will be heading off now!" Zhang Xuan could tell that the duo hadmunicated telepathically as well, but he didnt pay it any heed. Standing on top of the Infernal Dragon Saint Beast, he and School Head Zhao began heading for the Cloudmist Ridge. Zhao Bingxu watched their departing backs with clenched fists for a moment before rushing back to the Master Teacher Academy. "Principal Zhang, no harm cane to you..." He knew that their principal was proposing this negotiation for the sake of the students of the Master Teacher Academy. It might seem as if he was undermining the authority and dignity of the academy, but this battle hade too suddenly, and they werergely unprepared. This was the best solution to preserve their fighting power at the moment. To bear the me of failure so as to protect his fellow master teachers from harm, such decisiveness and courage... They had indeed chosen the right candidate for the job! Zhang shi was indeed a person whom they could count on, a true master teacher who, just like Kong shi, possessed a heart that wasrge enough to embrace the world. Perhaps, they might just be witnesses to the birth of a new legend. ... The Inferno Dragon Saint Beast flew swiftly, and in just a few moments, they had already arrived at the Cloudmist Ridge. Standing tall on top of the saint beast, School Head Mo bellowed, "I, Mo Zhu of the Master Teacher Academy, havee as agreed. I ask the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge to meet me!" Aposed voice responded. "Ride on the Eagle Beast, he will bring you to us. As for your saint beast, leave him outside. I fear that we might end up putting him in a difficult position if negotiations fail!" School Head Mos Inferno Dragon Saint Beast was a beast as well. If negotiations were to break down, it would be cast in a difficult position. If it were to help its master, that would be equivalent to betraying his kin, but if he were to help the beasts, that would be equivalent to betraying his master. No matter what he did, there was no correct decision. "Alright!" After issuing some instructions telepathically to his tamed beast, School Head Mo wrapped Zhang Xuan with his zhenqi before leaping over to the back of the gray-feathered Eagle Beast not too far away. Qiuu! The Eagle Beast let out a sharp call before it spread its wings wide and flew forward. The Eagle Beast bore some resemnce to the Viridescent Eagle that Zhang Xuan had tamed before, but it was much stronger. Having reached Chrysalis realm, it was able to move at incredible speeds. "Principal Zhang, for the time being, lets just say that you are a student of mine. If they try to make things difficult for us, I will try to find a way to send you out safely," School Head Mo told Zhang Xuan telepathically. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There is no need to go through so much trouble. If I dont reveal my identity, how can we negotiate with them?" "That would be too dangerous." School Head Mo shook his head grimly. "These saint beasts have always been at odds with us humans, and it was just a matter of time before a battle broke out. In truth, our Master Teacher Academy has been looking for a way to eliminate them as well, but those fellows are constantly holed up in their dens, refusing toe out. Both the Master Teacher Academy and the royal family have dispatched many men to scout the depths of the Cloudmist Ridge over the years, but very few have managed to return alive..." "Dispatched many men?" Zhang Xuan frowned as he recalled the many corpses he had seen around theke of Earth Vein Spirit Essence back then. Most likely, those corpses were probably a squadron dispatched by the royal family or the Master Teacher Academy as well. "The Cloudmist Ridge is consistently covered in mist all year round, and its terrain is extremelyplicated as well, making it a stout natural fortress. The saint beasts gathered in the area are like a thorn stuck in our throat, posing a potential threat to us. We have been wanting to eliminate them for some time already, but its a pity that we have been unable to breach their defenses!" At this point, School Head Mo suddenly recalled something, and hisplexion turned grim. "Furthermore, there seems to be a deeper reason behind why the saint beasts choose to dominate the Cloudmist Ridge. The old principal seemed to have uncovered something about them, but he disappeared before he could tell anyone else about it. Also, ording to the investigations over the years, it seems like Elder Wu Yangzis disappearance also had something to do with the Cloudmist Ridge!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He had a rough understanding of the mystery concerning Wu Yangzis disappearance, and he had obtained thetters treasure as well. If the Cloudmist Ridge was involved in Wu Yangzis disappearance too, it could mean that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was behind them. Could... Vicious be involved in this matter as well? After obtaining Wu Yangzis treasure, Zhang Xuan had asked Vicious about this matter, but thetter had lost most of his memories, so he wasnt able to say much. However, it was certain that Wu Yangzis disappearance was plotted by the Otherworldly Demons... Were these saint beasts involved in the operation as well? That might really be the case! For an expert who was nearing Saint 2-dan to be kidnapped discreetly in Hongyuan City, where the Master Teacher Academy was located, it was impossible for the Otherworldly Demons to conduct such an operation by themselves. "In order to uncover the truth, we have dispatched even Saint realm experts into the Cloudmist Ridge, but none of them seeded. Seven hundred years ago, I tried to scout thisnd myself as well, and if not for the old principal, I might have just lost my life here," School Head Mo said with reddened eyes. When he was still young and hot-blooded, he had secretly crept into the Cloudmist Ridge in hopes of uncovering the secrets surrounding it. However, before he could get far, he had already found himself assaulted by hordes of beasts. If not for the old principal lending a helping hand, he would have lost his life then. "I see..." Zhang Xuan hadnt expected for School Head Mo to have had such an experience. He had ventured into the Cloudmist Ridge once as well, and there was indeed something rather bizarre about it. Were it not for his means as a soul oracle and his Otherworldly Demon puppets, he would have definitely been unable to sneak into the depths of the Cloudmist Ridge and steal the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. "Thus, you really mustnt reveal your identityter on. Otherwise, the saint beasts might just attempt to capture you and hold you hostage," School Head Mo said. "Un, alright then." Zhang Xuan nodded. Considering the many uncertainties and implications surrounding the matter, it would be very dangerous for him to reveal his true identity. Even with the Byzantium Helios Beast, the Golden Origin Cauldron, and his many Otherworldly Demon puppets, it would still be difficult for him to escape from the hordes of Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge. While the duo was speaking, the Eagle Beast flew across the mist and arrived on the mountain peak. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan realized that the surroundings looked familiar to him. It was the ce where he had procured the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Qiu! The Eagle Beast called out sharply before descending to the ground. After which, School Head Mo and Zhang Xuan leaped off the back of the Eagle Beast. "I, Mo Zhu of the Master Teacher Academy, have arrived with my student. I beseech the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge to meet us!" Stepping forward, School Head Mo exuded the impressive aura of a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle to put up a disy of power. "School Head Mo,e in." An impassive voice sounded from the cavern ahead of them. Following which, two Half-Saint ck Spirit Panther walked out and made a weing gesture. They seemed to be the guards of this cavern. "Lets go!" Taking a deep breath, School Head Mo took the lead and walked in, and Zhang Xuan followed behind him. Scanning his surroundings, Zhang Xuan noticed that there were many Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts guarding the area, simr to how it had been thest time he was there, except for the significant decrease in their numbers. It seemed like a handful of them had been dispatched for the battle with the Master Teacher Academy. Advancing deeper into the cavern, they soon arrived at the area where the Earth Vein Spirit Essence had been stored, and there, they met ten seated Saint 1-dan pinnacle saint beasts. As soon as School Head Mo and Zhang Xuan approached, they immediately turned their eyes to them, and there was chilling killing intent in their gazes. One of the ten Saint 1-dan pinnacle saint beasts, a Golden Beartiger Beast, uttered coldly, "Mo Zhu, you sure are arrogant to bring a Chrysalis realm student here!" As the head of the Beast Tamer School, School Head Mo had a rough idea regarding the various saint beasts that lived on the Cloudmist Ridge. Paying no heed to the Golden Beartiger Beast, School Head Mo said with a wave of his hand, "Since I am here, we can begin talking about how we can resolve the battle between the Master Teacher Academy and Cloudmist Ridge amicably. I believe that we can both agree that if we continue fighting like that, both sides will just suffer severe losses. There will be no winner in this battle." "Suffer severe losses? So what if we suffer severe losses? You humans stole our Earth Vein Spirit Essence, destroying our very foundation! Let me tell you this straight. If we beasts are going to suffer, I will make sure that you humans feel double the pain!" the Saint 1-dan pinnacle Scarlet ze Lion roared. "We stole your Earth Vein Spirit Essence?" School Head Mo frowned. "Indeed. This is the ground where we store our Earth Vein Spirit Essence, but it has beenpletely emptied out now. Only you despicable humans are capable of such underhanded actions!" the Scarlet ze Lion bellowed furiously. School Head Mo took a look at his surroundings, and there was indeed a depression in the cave reminiscent of an emptyke. Even though there was nothing in it, he could still feel the lingering spiritual energy, indicating that something extremely rich in spiritual energy had once been stored in the depression. But this was the very core of the Cloudmist Ridge! Countless Nascent Saint and Saint realm beasts guarded the area. To be able to steal the spirit essence under such circumstances... which expert could it be? One must know that School Head Mo had already reached a considerable height in his cultivation when he had attempted to scale the mountain back then, but he had nearly been killed before he could even reach the halfway mark of the mountain. To be able to sessfully sneak in, steal the treasure of the saint beasts, and escape alive... That fellow sure had helped mankind vent the countless years of pent-up frustration at those arrogant saint beasts! "I am unaware of such a matter." But even though School Head Mo was full of awe for that anonymous expert, he didnt allow it to show on his face. Instead, he frowned deeply and asked, "You imed that it is the doing of a human, but do you have any evidence? Have you uncovered the culprit yet?" "Hah, unaware of the matter? Do you think that you can cover this matter just by saying that you are unaware of it?" The Golden Beartiger Beast harrumphed. "I am not trying to cover up the matter. Its just that if you dont have any evidence or suspects in mind, there is no way I can help you redress your grievances. I dont think that we will be able to get anywhere by arguing about that, so lets talk about the battle instead," School Head Mo said. "If its just a small skirmish between us, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt bother getting involved. However, if this matter were to blow up and bring great misery and suffering to the popce, there is no guarantee that the Master Teacher Pavilion wont decide that there is no need for your Cloudmist Ridge to continue existing in the world and wipe it away with a swipe of their hands. Even if I dont point it out, I believe that you should be extremely clear of this as well. Since you have alreadyin low for so many years, why start something now and let your efforts go in vain?" Hearing School Head Mos words, the Golden Beartiger Beast sneered coldly and said, "In the past, we still had the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. It represented hope for us to advance our stagnated cultivation, so we were still willing to lie low back then. But now... "We wont take reconciliationpletely off the table just yet. As long as the Master Teacher Academy is willing topensate us fifty thousand high-tier spirit stones and help us set up five hundred grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formations all over Cloudmist Ridge, I will order my spirit beasts to retreat immediately!" Chapter 879: Zhang Xuans Means (1) Chapter 879: Zhang Xuans Means (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Fifty thousand high-tier spirit stones? Five hundred grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formations? Impossible, you must be dreaming! Come up with something else!" School Head Mos face darkened. You are clearly trying to take advantage of us! Fifty thousand high-tier spirit stones? Even if you overturn the entire Master Teacher Academy, you wont be able to find that much money! Besides, it is not like our Master Teacher Academy is afraid of you. It is only in consideration of the death and suffering that a full-blown war will bring that we are negotiating with you. If it reallyes down to it, we can definitely overthrow your Cloudmist Ridge if we mobilize all of our strength. "Come up with something else? Im afraid that those are the only things I want. ept it or not, the decision is in your hands. But of course, if you turn down the offer, the war will immediately resume. I havent mobilized our aerial spirit beasts yet. Once we do, do you think that your students who are still incapable of flight will be able to stop them? Once they reach Hongyuan City, the death toll wont be just a dozen people or so. I sure would like to see how you will ount to your headquarters and the popce once that happens!" the Golden Beartiger Beast sneered coldly. Master teachers were tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the peace and security of the region. If aerial spirit beasts were to really overrun Hongyuan City and massacre the popce, the credibility of the Master Teacher Academy would surely be destroyed. At the same time, the trust in the Master Teacher Pavilions capability would also waver. "Are you threatening me?" School Head Mo asked with a cold glint in his eyes. For the Master Teacher Academy to be threatened by a bunch of saint beasts, what a joke! The dignity of master teachers could not be sullied. Those werent just empty words. If anyone were to dare do so, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt hesitate to wipe them off the face of the world. Back then, the soul oracles had been a very powerful faction themselves, but they had still disappeared in the annals of history. The poison masters were also known for their fearsome capability to defeat opponents stronger than them, but they still dared not build their Poison Hall openly. No matter what, School Head Mo couldnt let this threat pass. But just as he was about tosh out at them, he suddenly heard Principal Zhangs voice in his mind. "Find a way to uncover the location of their aerial spirit beasts and send me over to take a look!" School Head Mo was stunned. Why would Principal Zhang ask this? Furthermore, why would he want to take a look at the aerial spirit beasts? But since the other party had requested it, he must have had his reasons for doing so. Thus, with a deep frown on his face, School Head Mo turned to the Golden Beartiger Beast and sneered, "So what if there are aerial spirit beasts in the Cloudmist Ridge? We have hundreds of cultivators capable of flight in our Master Teacher Academy, what makes you think that we wont be able to stop your forces? Even if you wish to threaten us, at least find something that can scare us!" "Hah, hundreds of cultivators capable of flight? Let me tell you this, our Cloudmist Ridge has three thousand aerial spirit beasts, and each of them is capable of flying at incredible speeds. There might be many Saint realm experts in the Master Teacher Academy, but there is no way they will be able to stop every single one of them. As long as several hundred of them bypass your defenses, they will be able to bring forth devastating destruction. Besides, we can choose tounch an attack on the nearby small towns instead. I dont believe that you have enough Saint realm experts to clear off each and every one of them quickly!" the Golden Beartiger Beast sneered coldly, his tone dripping with threat. "Three thousand?" School Head Mo burst intoughter. "Do you take me for a fool? Are you including those Transcendent Mortal 1-dan and 2-dan aerial spirit beasts in your calction as well?" Aerial spirit beasts were capable of causing massive destruction as ordinary cultivators were incapable of flying to hunt them down. However, the strength of the aerial spirit beasts mattered as well. If they were only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan or 2-dan, what harm could they cause in Hongyuan Empire, which was filled with Transcendent Mortal cultivators? The Master Teacher Academy could easily destroy them all just by dispatching a few students here and there. "Transcendent Mortal 1-dan 2-dan? School Head Mo, it seems like you arecking intelligence on the prowess of our Cloudmist Ridge. Even the weakest of our three thousand strong aerial spirit beast troop is at Transcendent Mortal 7-dan! Do you still think that your Master Teacher Academy has the ability to stop them in their tracks?" the Golden Beartiger Beast scoffed. "Transcendent Mortal 7-dan? You sure know how to brag!" School Head Mo shook his head with a look of disbelief. "You dont believe me?" The Golden Beartiger Beast frowned. "How can you expect me to believe such tant lies? Since you are clearly insincere in the negotiations, I think there is no need for us to talk any further!" At this point, School Head Mo hesitated for an instant before adding, "If you want me to believe your words, there is one way. You can send a saint beast to escort this student of mine to take a look. If you really do have that many powerful aerial spirit beasts, I will immediately send a message to the other school heads and even Emperor Yu Shenqing to ask for permission to negotiate in their stead." The Golden Beartiger Beast raised his massive paw and harrumphed. "You obstinate old fogey... Fine! ck Spirit Panthers, take the student of School Head Mo to take a look at our army of aerial spirit beasts!" Even though he had spoken with great bravado, the truth was that he was also fearful about the might of the Master Teacher Academy as well. As an organization that had groomed many generations of master teachers, it was surely filled with many experts. If it was just the students, he was confident that they would be able to wipe them out easily. However, if the opponent included the teachers and elders as well, even with the geographical advantage they possessed, it would still be a matter of time before they were overrun. Furthermore, the Master Teacher Academy still had the headquarters behind it. Even if they were to win the battle against the Master Teacher Academy by some incredible stroke of luck, what they would face next would be an impossible enemy. In light of this, they couldnt give up on the negotiations easily either. "Roar!" The two Half-Saint realm ck Spirit Panthers answered with a call before heading toward them. "School Head Mo, try to stall them for as long as you can, and dont engage them in a battle if possible. Take care of yourself..." Sending a telepathic message to School Head Mo, Zhang Xuan turned around and followed the ck Spirit Panthers out of the cavern. "Noted!" Even though School Head Mo was unsure what Zhang Xuan was up to, he still had some trust in Zhang Xuans capability. He turned to the Golden Beartiger Beast and said, "If the situation is as you have said, I will report the matter as it is to the Master Teacher Academy before making a decision. I cant give you an affirmative answer right now, but if you really do have such a powerful army of aerial spirit beasts, it is not entirely impossible for us to give in to your terms..." "Oh? I will be looking forward to your reply then!" the Golden Beartiger Beast replied with a smirk. At the same time, a hint of relief shed through the eyes of the other saint beasts in the area as well. If they could avoid battle, that would be for the best. As powerful as they were, they knew that it was utter foolishness to go head-to-head with the Master Teacher Pavilion. For that moment, the cavern fell silent. Seeing that he had managed to stall for some time, School Head Mo secretly heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he couldnt help but wonder what Zhang Xuan hoped to achieve by paying the army of aerial spirit beasts a visit. It would be difficult to deal with such a force even if all of the teachers of the Master Teacher Academy were to be mobilized. What could Zhang Xuan do alone? ... Following behind the two ck Spirit Panthers, Zhang Xuan walked out of the cavern and saw dozens of Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts patrolling the area, ring at him viciously whenever they passed him by. "Esteemed beasts, my cultivation is still very low... I am afraid that these saint beasts will do me harm if they remain in this area... Can you ask them to back down for the moment?" Zhang Xuan said as he cowered back fearfully. "Roar!" Seeing a Chrysalis realm master teacher acting so timidly, the lips of the two ck Spirit Panthers curled up into a disdainful smile. "It was my teacher who insisted on bringing me over and sending me to check on the aerial spirit beasts. If I had a choice, I would have definitely stayed away as far as I could... I beseech you, just do me this one favor. As long as they can stay away, I am willing to give these two spirit stones to you..." At this point, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and threw out two high-tier spirit stones as he scanned his surroundings unwarily. Grabbing a high-tier spirit stone each, the eyes of the two ck Spirit Panthers immediately lit up. As Half-Saint beasts, the resources they could ess were extremely limited. As such, a high-tier spirit stone was a highly valuable to them. "Roar!" Gripping the high-tier spirit stones, the two massive ck Spirit Panthers abruptly roared loudly, seemingly issuing an order. In an instant, the Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts in the area hurriedly backed off, and it didnt take long for them to disappear from sight. While the ck Spirit Panthers werent the strongest of them all, they were the personal attendants of the various kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, so none of them dared to disobey theirmands. "Roar!" After the beasts in the surroundings left, the two ck Spirit Panthers nced at Zhang Xuan with a look of superiority in their eyes. What they wanted to express was simpleHow did someone so timid be a master teacher? "Hehe!" Facing their ridicule, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he flicked his wrist. Hu! An identical figure abruptly appeared beside Zhang Xuans side, and with a step each, they disappeared from the spot and appeared right before the two ck Spirit Panthers in the blink of an eye and simultaneously threw a punch forward! Peng! Peng! Everything had happened so fast that the two ck Spirit Panthers had no opportunity to respond before they were sent flying. Crashing into the ground, their bodies convulsed, rendering them unable to move. "You have two choices before you. Submit, or die!" The two Zhang Xuans walked up to the two ck Spirit Panthers and stepped on their heads as they nced down at them coldly. "Roar..." They hadnt expected that they, as Half-Saint experts, would be defeated by a Chrysalis realm cultivator all of a sudden, and they werepletely stunned. It didnt take too long for them to make a decision. A few breathster, a droplet of fresh blood flew out from bes of each of the ck Spirit Panthers and flew toward Zhang Xuan. ck Spirit Panthers... tamed! "Good. Call those Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts over here one by one. Tell them that the Golden Beartiger Beast is summoning them over!" Zhang Xuan instructed the tamed ck Spirit Panthers. "Roar!" Not daring to disobey Zhang Xuan, the two ck Spirit Panthers hurriedly nodded before rushing away. After they left, Zhang Xuan summoned the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron. "Byzantium Lad and Ding Ding, I will need you to help me beat those saint beasts into submissionter on." "Yes, Master!" the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded. "Hehe, this is exactly the kind of thing I like. Master, can I reduce those who refuse to submit to cinders?" the Golden Origin Cauldron said with an excited undertone in its voice. As the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Master Teacher Academy, it was usually stowed away in the depths of the academy until a major crisis urred. As such, it rarely had an opportunity to fight. "You may." Zhang Xuan nodded, eding to the Golden Origin Cauldrons request. The reason he had chosen to infiltrate the Cloudmist Ridge was to have everyone here submit to him. As for those who refused... the only fate awaiting them was death! Roar! Soon, a Nascent Saint beast was escorted there by the ck Spirit Panther. Two minutester, it was kneeling before Zhang Xuan, submitted. A few minutester, three more Half-Saint beasts submitted. Ten minutester, all of the Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts patrolling the area were under Zhang Xuans control. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan issued several instructions. "Alright. Just like before, scatter yourselves in the surroundings, dont let anyone else notice any anomaly. ck Spirit Panthers, bring me to the aerial spirit beasts!" These Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts were easier to tame than he had thought. There were only two who had refused to listen to his words, and they had been reduced to cinders on the spot by the Golden Origin Cauldron. Such an action had a deterrent effect on the other beasts. Knowing that the young man before them wouldnt hesitate to kill them should they choose otherwise, the others hurriedly submitted as well. The ck Spirit Panthers obediently led the way forward. "Master, the aerial spirit beasts are gathered in the valley over there..." Zhang Xuan stowed his clone, the Byzantium Helios Beast, and the Golden Origin Cauldron into his Myriad Anthive Nest before leaping onto one of the ck Spirit Panthers and setting forth. Chapter 880: Zhang Xuans Means (2) Chapter 880: Zhang Xuans Means (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The area where the aerial spirit beasts were located wasnt in close proximity to the cavern. Even with the ck Spirit Panther sprinting at full speed, it still took an entire five minutes before they arrived at their destination. Beneath their feet was a massive valley with a diameter of around three li 1 . Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan peered into the valley. Just as the Golden Beartiger Beast had said, there were indeed three thousand of them, and every single one of them had reached Transcendent Mortal 7-dan at the very least. If such a huge group of aerial spirit beasts were tounch an assault toward Hongyuan City, it would indeed be difficult for any defending force to stop their charge perfectly. In the event of an attack, even if they did sessfully clear away every single one of them in the end, Hongyuan City would probably suffer devastating damage as well. I have to set up a formation to ensure that none of them manage to escape! Zhang Xuan thought. There were simply too many aerial spirit beasts in the area. If any of them noticed that something was amiss and escaped to inform the Golden Beartiger Beast of the matter, School Head Mo would be ced in a very dangerous position. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan began scanning his surroundings to analyze how he should set up his formation. This geographical terrain seems to be suited for the grade-6 Resplendent Helios Illusory Formation! Alright, that shall be it then... Even though he hadnt taken the formation master examination yet, hisprehension of formations was already on par with a 6-star pinnacle formation master. With his current capability, he could still easily determine the most appropriate formation to use swiftly by looking at the terrain. Flicking his wrist, he took out a bunch of formation gs. After which, he stepped forcefully against the ground and leaped down into the midst of the aerial spirit beasts. Roarrrr! Upon seeing that a human was amid them, the aerial spirit beasts roared in astonishment. However, just as they were about tounch an assault to kill the intruder, the two ck Spirit Panthers abruptly leaped up as well and roared, "This is the man who hase here to negotiate with our kings, Zhang shi. He is here to take a look at our aerial spirit beast army camp, as well as set a formation around here. There is no need to be rmed!" Those ck Spirit Panthers spoke in the beastnguage, so the aerial spirit beasts couldprehend what they were saying. As those speaking were the attendants of their kings, the aerial spirit beasts had no objections whatsoever; they scattered and returned to whatever they were doing before. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi, and the gs in his hands began scattering into the surroundings. Hu! As the Resplendent Helios Illusory Formation came to life, a thick mist began to set into the valley, shrouding all of the aerial spirit beasts within it. Knowing that the young man was going to set up a formation, the aerial spirit beasts didnt panic, waiting for him quietly to finish instead. "Time to start!" With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan brought out his clone, and the both of them dived into the mist. Roar! Roar! Roar! In an instant, the cries of the aerial spirit beasts immediately filled the valley. Even the strongest of these aerial spirit beasts was only at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, so they were no match for Zhang Xuan and his clone at all. As such, there wasnt even a need to bring out the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron. Every few steps Zhang Xuan took, an aerial spirit beast submitted. ... While Zhang Xuan was busy taming the aerial spirit beasts, in the cavern, School Head Mos forehead was covered with sweat. It had been two hours since Zhang Xuan left, and the saint beasts were beginning to get suspicious. The Golden Beartiger Beast, who stood at the very center of the room, bellowed with a livid face, "Why arent they back yet? Mo Zhu, what the hell is your student doing?" A trip to the valley where the aerial spirit beast army was located and back should only take twenty minutes at most. For them to be gone for two hours, it was clear that there was something really wrong. "My student is only a Chrysalis realm cultivator while your Cloudmist Ridge is filled with many saint beasts, what are you worrying about?" Even though School Head Mo was panicking inside, he didnt allow any of it to show on his face. With aposed chuckle, he said, "My student is a very meticulous person, so he is probably checking thoroughly to confirm the strength of your aerial spirit beast army. Or... are you worried that he will escape?" "Escape? Hah! With you here, what can a mere student like him do?" The Golden Beartiger Beast harrumphed coldly. "Scarlet ze Lion, go and check what that fellow is up to! Humans have always been a cunning race, so dont fall for his lies!" "Yes!" Nodding, the Scarlet ze Lion began to walk out of the cavern. "Wait a moment..." Astonished, School Head Mo immediately got to his feet. "He is just a student. Are the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge so timid?" "Timid?" The Golden Beartiger Beast burst intoughter, as if he had just heard a hrious joke. "Scarlet ze Lion, ignore him. Go and take a look!" Ignoring School Head Mos attempt to stall for time, the Golden Beartiger Beast gestured for the Scarlet ze Lion to move on. Seeing that the Scarlet ze Lion was really going to head out, School Head Mo suddenly chuckled softly and said, "I have long heard that the great Golden Beartiger Beast King of Cloudmist Ridge possesses extraordinary strength. Do you dare to have a match with me? I am interested in experiencing the prowess of the Beast Tribe myself!" "You are challenging me to a duel?" Not expecting School Head Mo to make such an abrupt request, the Golden Beartiger Beast frowned. "Pardon me, did I scare you?" School Head Mo said with a wry smile. "Scare me? You must be joking! If a duel is what you want, a duel is what youll get!" Harrumphing coldly, the Golden Beartiger Beast got to his feet. "Good! Scarlet ze Lion King, why dont you remain here to watch our battle? You will be next after I am done with Golden Beartiger Beast King!" School Head Mo said haughtily. Naturally, this was an attempt to stall for time as well. Even though he wasnt sure what Zhang Xuan was up to, he was determined to aplish what he had promised thetter. "Sure!" the Scarlet ze Lion nodded. Both School Head Mo and the Golden Beartiger Beast were the strongest existences in Hongyuan Empire. Naturally, watching a battle between the both of them was much more interesting than looking for a Chrysalis realm fellow. "Lets begin then!" Fearing that the Golden Beartiger Beast would notice that he was stalling once he was given time to think, School Head Mo rushed forward and thrust his palm at the saint beast. The incredible might of a Saint 1-dan pinnacle abruptly permeated the entire cavern. With just a single palm, the ground of the cavern began creaking in protest, seemingly on the verge of breaking under the immense force. "Hahaha! If this is all youve got, I have to say that you are a disgrace to the name of Ten Great Master Teachers..." Against the immense pressure, the Golden Beartiger Beast didnt show the slightest fear. Instead, with a furious bellow, he raised his paw and swiped forward, causing the air to release a painful screech as it was torn in two. Si! Under the powerful might, the strength of School Head Mos palm thrust waspletely neutralized. In the next instant, the Golden Beartiger Beast furiously flicked its whip-like tail toward School Head Mo. The strength and speed behind it were so great that even with School Head Mos Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle cultivation, he would surely suffer severe injuries if it were tond on him. Hu! Not daring to face the tail directly, School Head Mo swiftly dodged with a side leap. Sou! But in that instant, the Golden Beartiger Beast sent yet another swipe toward School Head Mo. In the midst of a leap, he was unable to change the trajectory of his motion abruptly, so he could only face the swipe head-on with a punch. As the paw and the fist came into contact, School Head Mo instantaneously felt a crushing pressure on his chest, and he was sent flying away. His back crashed heavily into the wall of the cavern, creating a huge hole behind him. Beasts had always possessed superior physical resilience and strengthpared to humans, and the Golden Beartiger Beast was the most formidable saint beast in the Cloudmist Ridge. School Head Mo was, by no means, weak, but it was still impossible for him to face the other party head-on. "Haha, is this the strength of a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers? Nothing impressive about it at all!" With a deafening roar that jolted ones mind silly, the Golden Beartiger Beast charged forward with impressive momentum. As the saying went, the dragons soared amid the clouds, and the tiger raced against the wind. Even though the Golden Beartiger Beast wasnt a tiger in the truest sense, it did possess part of its bloodline. Even before the other party had reached him, School Head Mo could already feel a huge gust of wind blowing in his face. Astonished, he quickly freed himself and whipped out a sword to counterattack. If he was no match for the other party in terms of brute force, he would have to rely on his weapon then. Sou sou sou! Moving at an unbelievable speed, the sword left after-shadows in its wake as it charged toward the Golden Beartiger Beast. In the face of the powerful stab, the Golden Beartiger Beast didnt even bother to dodge. Instead, it took in a deep breath, and its fur immediately turned pitch-ck, reminiscent of a scale. Ding ding ding! The tip of the sword and the fur collided with astonishing momentum, but the sword was unable to pierce through the fur! "What?" School Head Mos face paled. He had known that it was unlikely that he would be a match for the Golden Beartiger Beast, but he hadnt expected the other party to be so powerful! To think that his sword wouldnt even be able to prate the other partys defense, this was way too fearsome! It was no wonder that, even though the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge were all at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, they still obeyed his orders without the slightest hesitation. Just this defense itself was sufficient to render most saint beasts and cultivators powerless. "Thirteen Swords of the Red Leaf!" However, he couldnt back down now. The slightest hesitation in his movement could spell his defeat. School Head Mo immediately drove his zhenqi through a unique cirction pathway in his body, and a piercing buzz emanated from his sword. In that instant, astounding might gathered in his sword, and it felt as if it would tear down anything that stood in its path. The Thirteen Swords of the Red Leaf, his strongest battle technique! Back then, the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast had fallen under this move of his and willingly became his tamed beast. Tzzzzzz! In that instant, the after-shadows of the sword seemed to form a red leaf in midair as it rushed forward with a might that threatened to shatter everything before it. "Interesting! However, if you hope to defeat me with just this, you must be dreaming!" The Golden Beartiger Beast was slightly astonished for an instant when he saw School Head Mo execute his sword art, but his astonishment swiftly gave way to a wry smile. Sharp ws emerged from his raised paws, and heunched a devastating swipe toward School Head Mos sword. Ding ding ding! The paw and the red leaf collided. The Golden Beartiger Beast was forced to retreat a single step under the immense force, but School Head Mo was sent flying once more as blood spurted from his mouth. His body smashed heavily onto the ground, and hisplexion turned ghastly pale from the severe internal injuries he had suffered. He hurriedly stood up and swallowed a recovery pill, and after a brief moment of recuperation, he finally felt his injuries alleviating slightly. "How is it? Does my strength satisfy you?" the Golden Beartiger Beast roared withughter as its gaze fell on the defeated School Head Mo. Even though it had sustained some injuries from the previous collision as well, its condition was still much better than that of the other party. This battle had ended with aplete victory on his part. "You are indeed powerful," School Head Mo said as he got to his feet. He truly wasnt a match for the other party. Even though they were at the same cultivation realm, it was still too difficult for a cultivator like him to ovee the innate advantages that saint beasts possessed. Otherwise, the Byzantium Helios Beast wouldnt have been known as the strongest expert in the Master Teacher Academy. The Golden Beartiger Beast returned to his seat andmanded, "Alright, since this duel is over, Scarlet ze Lion, you can hurry over to see what thatd is up to now. If he is plotting something against the Cloudmist Ridge, you have permission to kill him on the spot!" "Yes!" The Scarlet ze Lion nodded before heading out of the cavern. "No... wait..." Hearing those words, School Head Mo panicked. He was going to step forward to stop the Scarlet ze Lion, but the Golden Beartiger Beasts cold words suddenly reverberated through the cavern at this moment. "Why? Does School Head Mo want to have another round with me?" "I..." School Head Mos body trembled. With the injuries he had sustained, he couldnt afford to fight against the Golden Beartiger Beast again. Otherwise, he might just lose his life. He had no idea whether or not Zhang Xuan was done with whatever he was trying to do, but he was already at his wits end. He couldnt stall the other party any longer... At this point, the Golden Beartiger Beast had also noticed School Head Mos motive, and he bellowed furiously, "What are you waiting for? Go!" "Yes!" the Scarlet ze Lion swiftly rushed out of the cavern, and in a moment, he had already disappeared from sight. Principal Zhang... Watching as the other partys back disappeared, School Head Mos body fell feebly to the ground. I have already done all I can... Chapter 881: You, Come out for a Moment! Chapter 881: You, Come out for a Moment! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Scarlet ze Lion rushed out of the cavern and flew straight toward the valley where the aerial spirit beasts were garrisoned. It didnt take him too long to arrive at his destination. The Scarlet ze Lion frowned. "Why is there an Illusory Formation here?" Standing before him was a gigantic formation that shrouded the entire valley. From time to time, the bellowing of spirit beasts could be heard from within. At the entrance of the valley, the two ck Spirit Panthers, who had escorted that fellow to this valley earlier, stood guard, watching the surroundings warily. The Scarlet ze Lion flew toward the two panthers and gazed at them coldly. "ck Spirit Panthers, what is going on?" "Scarlet ze Lion King..." Upon seeing the other party, the ck Spirit Panthers leaped in shock. They hurriedly exined, "Its like this... That Zhang shi fellow is a skilled formation master, and as soon as we arrived here, he immediately set up a formation, and before we couldprehend what was going on, he... disappeared! We tried looking around for him, but we couldnt find him anywhere!" "You fools!" The Scarlet ze Lion red at them. It was clear that the other party was up to no good from the fact that he had set up a formation here, and these two fellows actually didnt attempt to stop him at all... How could they be so dim-witted? However, as Illusory Formations couldnt iste auras, the Scarlet ze Lion could clearly sense that the spirit beasts within were still alive and kicking. If the other party wasnt intending to deal with the aerial spirit beasts, what was his reason behind setting up this formation? As the Scarlet ze Lion racked his brain to make sense of the situation, the Illusory Formation before him abruptly dissipated, and a young man flew up from the valley. It was the young fellow he had met earlier, School Head Mos student. At this moment, Zhang Xuans face was slightly pale, and he felt light-headed from exhaustion. Even for a person of his stamina, he was still drained after spending thest two hours taming aerial spirit beasts. However, it was fortunate that his mission was a sess. He had managed to have all of the aerial spirit beasts to acknowledge him as their master. Of course, there were a few thick-headed ones who obstinately refused to submit to him. Zhang Xuan didnt have the time to waste his words on them, so he killed them with a single punch. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan emerge from the valley, the Scarlet ze Lion roared furiously, "Lad, what were you doing?" "Its nothing much. Byzantium Lad and Ding Ding, help me take care of this fellow. I have to rest for a moment..." Zhang Xuan didnt seem to be too surprised to see the Scarlet ze Lion at all. He nonchntly took out a grade-6 pill and swallowed it while flicking his wrist to release the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron. Upon seeing that there was a Saint 1-dan pinnacle saint beast to y with, the Golden Origin Cauldron cheered in excitement and charged forward. Peng! Before the Scarlet ze Lion could even react to the situation, he had already been smacked into the face of the mountain, andrge mouthfuls of blood spilled from his mouth. In the next moment, before he could even catch his breath, the huge fist of the Byzantium Helios Beast had already appeared right before his eyes. Peng peng peng peng! A saint beast and a Saint-tier artifact, two experts coborating with one another, there was no way that the Scarlet ze Lion could possibly withstand that. In the blink of an eye, his face was already disfigured with bruises and blood. He tried to escape, but his leg couldnt move; he tried to scream, but his voice wouldnte out. Not too longter, that fellow ended up obediently acknowledging Zhang Xuan as his master with tears streaming down his cheeks. What is with my luck? I only came out to take a look, but I ended up being beaten up like this... Where is the justice in the world? What has happened to respecting thew? After offering a fragment of his soul to Zhang Xuan, the Scarlet ze Lion greeted him with a bruised face. "Master!" Having recovered from his fatigue at this point, Zhang Xuanmanded as he stretched his back leisurely, "I want you to return to the cavern right now and lure two kings out!" "Lure two kings out?" The Scarlet ze Lions blinked nkly in response. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. There was a total of ten kings in the cavern. Even if he were to draw all of them out at once, there was no guarantee that he would be able to defeat all of them even with the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Byzantium Helios Beast, and his Otherworldly Demon puppets, let alone, tame them. Furthermore, if too many of them were gathered together, they would try to at least put on a show of bravado of some kind before theirrades, or else it would be too embarrassing for them to face one another in the future. If that was the case, that couldplicate the taming process. Dealing with them one by one was much easier and simpler. "Alright, but..." With his soul held hostage in Zhang Xuans hands, the Scarlet ze Lion couldnt disobey him. However, he raised his face and said, "... in my current state, I fear that they wont believe my words..." The Golden Origin Cauldron had gotten too excited earlier, so it had identally gone overboard, causing the Scarlet ze Lion to look nothing like its originally majestic and dashing self. "Drink the contents of this gourd!" Zhang Xuan infused a few surges of Heavens Path zhenqi into a gourd of Earth Vein Spirit Essence before passing it over. Due to the other partys massive physique and higher cultivation, it would require at least a dozen gourds of wine for the Scarlet ze Lion to make aplete recovery. Even if the other party wasnt drunk by then, the others might still notice that something was amiss from the strong scent of alcohol on him. On the other hand, by mixing the Earth Vein Spirit Essence with his Heavens Path zhenqi, the restorative effect of the Heavens Path zhenqi would be amplified, so a single gourd would suffice. Taking the gourd, the Scarlet ze Lion uncorked the cap, and with a single sniff, it suddenly felt the urge to keel over. "This is... the Earth Vein Spirit Essence?" He had finally found the fellow who had stolen their treasure... But who would have thought that the thief would end up bing his master? What was with this turn of events? It was just that morning that he had been hurling curses at the thief alongside the other kings, swearing to tear the other party into shreds... But a few hourster, here he was, kneeling before the other party respectfully... Ahhh, the wretched tragedies of a beast life... But as stifled as he felt within, the Scarlet ze Lion drank the spirit essence in the gourd in a single gulp. As the spiritual energy coursed through his body, the severe injuries he had sustained before swiftly healed. "T-this..." The Scarlet ze Lion blinked in confusion,pletely dumbfounded. He was familiar with the properties of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Even at the very most, it should only have replenished his strength. When did it gain healing properties as well? "I have added some medicinal herbs inside to give it the ability to heal injuries swiftly. As long as you serve me well, it isnt too difficult for me to raise your cultivation to Spiritual Perception realm!" Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" The Scarlet ze Lion nodded in agitation. It could be said to be a miraculous feat to grant the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, a substance formed solely out of spiritual energy, healing properties. If his master had such means, perhaps it might really just be able to help raise his cultivation to Spiritual Perception realm! "Alright, you may go now!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Having tamed the Scarlet ze Lion, he could control the other partys life and death with a single thought, so he wasnt worried about the other party turning against him. "Master..." Watching as the Scarlet ze Lion returned to the cavern, the Byzantium Helios Beast walked up to Zhang Xuan with admiration gleaming in his eyes. The Cloudmist Ridge had always been a lurking threat to the Master Teacher Academy. Even the old principal had been helpless before it, but Zhang Xuan... As soon as he arrived, he had already tamed all of the Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts in the area. Now, he had even tamed one of the Ten Indomitable Kings, and it seemed like his streak was still going to continue... It might not be long before the entire Cloudmist Ridge became a vassal of the Master Teacher Academy... Zhang Xuan thought that the Byzantium Helios Beast was worried, so he reassured with a smile. "We might not be a match for them now, but with an additional member of the Ten Indomitable Kings tamed, the odds will lean further in our favor. By then, we should be able to achieve an easy victory!" From the moment he arrived on the battlefield, he had alreadye up with this n. Naturally, it was also with such intentions in mind that he had asked School Head Mo to propose a negotiation with the other party. This was the only way that he would be able to slip into the Cloudmist Ridge to carry out his n. The Ten Indomitable Kings were a formidable force when they were gathered together, and not even he was able to do anything about them. However, by luring them out one by one, as long as he could tame four of them, with their force along with the Byzantium Helios Beast, the Golden Origin Cauldron, and the Otherworldly Demon puppets... the remaining members would surely fall to him as well! ... In the cavern, School Head Mo was still oblivious to Zhang Xuans intentions. He stared at the entrance of the cavern worriedly with clenched fists, fearing that the next being to enter would deliver bad news. Hu! A figure appeared in his sight as the Crimson ze Lion rushed into the cavern. Seeing the Crimson ze Lion return to the cavern without anyone with him, the Golden Beartiger Beast frowned in displeasure. "What happened? Where is the ck Spirit Panthers and thatd?" He had ordered the Crimson ze Lion to find that fellow, so why had he returned alone? The Scarlet ze Lion harrumphed in displeasure. "That fellow is more cunning that I thought. He managed to distract the ck Spirit Panthers for a moment and slipped away. I tried to look around the area, but I wasnt able to determine which direction he escaped in. Steelbacked Bear and Emerald Bamboo Earth Dragon, follow me to take a look!" "That fellow escaped?" "Hahaha! School Head Mo, so that is your student? Abandoning his teacher in the face of danger to escape?" "The Master Teacher Academy sure has fallen!" Hearing that thed had abandoned his teacher and escaped, the other kings burst intoughter. It was said that the master teachers valued their lineage. But while the teacher was negotiating here, the student actually escaped as soon as he found the opportunity to do so. Disgraceful! School Head Mo was dumbstruck as well. Principal Zhang escaped? He could hardly believe those words, but... the Scarlet ze Lion shouldnt have any reason to lie about that! "Sure, I will go with you to take a look. I sure didnt expect the Master Teacher Academy to have such a student in their ranks!" The Steelbacked Bear stood up as heughter uproariously. "Hahaha, count me in as well!" The Emerald Bamboo Earth Dragon rose from its seat as well. Just like the Scarlet ze Lion, these two fellows were Saint 1-dan pinnacle beasts as well. Their presence felt like an endless abyss, leaving one incapable of gauging how powerful they were. "Find him quickly; we dont have much time to spare!" the Golden Beartiger Beast said with a frown. "Dont worry!" The Scarlet ze Lion chuckled before bringing the two saint beasts out. After the three saint beasts left, the Golden Beartiger Beast turned to School Head Mo and sneered coldly, "School Head Mo, what else do you have to say? Even your own direct disciple behaves so dishonorably... Tell me, where do you find the confidence to preach about morals and values to others?" Only a person of upstanding character can win the respect of others. Despite being one of the esteemed Ten Great Master Teachers, his direct disciple turned out to be a reprehensible scoundrel who cared only about his own safety in the face of danger. If others were to learn of this, he could very well die of shame! "I..." School Head Mo clenched his fists tightly. Even though he didnt think that Principal Zhang would actually abandon him, he still couldnt help but feel apprehensive. The other party was the one who had proposed the negotiation, but two hours had passed, and the other partys figure was nowhere to be seen. Even up to this point, he still had no idea what was going on; he felt helpless and frustrated. "Hehe, theres no doubt about it. That student of School Head Mo must have been scared out of his wits when he saw our great army of aerial spirit beasts, and knowing that their defeat was imminent, he decided to flee in advance!" "I have always thought that master teachers are people with backbones, but this incident has truly opened my eyes. To think that they could stoop even lower than our Beast Tribe..." The kings burst intoughter. "School Head Mo, there is no need to stall for time any longer. Both you and I know that it is futile. Hurry up and contact the other school heads and have them agree to our terms. Otherwise, you wont be getting out of here alive!" the Golden Beartiger Beast said with a menacing edge to his voice. "I..." Sighing deeply, School Head Mo was just about to speak when footsteps sounded outside the cavern once more. Turning his gaze over, the Steelbacked Bear, who had left just a moment ago, had returned. "There is something really eerie about that fellow! I have no idea where he found those experts from, but even with the three of usbined, we arent able to defeat his reinforcements. Tigerhead Beast and Steelfang Wolf, follow me. We shall crush him together!" "He found experts to reinforce him?" "What kind of experts did he bring in for the three of you to be unable to defeat them?" The Tigerhead Beast and Steelfang Wolf both questioned him with a deep frown as they got up from their seats. "I am not too sure either, but they dont seem like elders from the Master Teacher Academy. Lets talk on the way, I fear that the Scarlet ze Lion and the Emerald Bamboo Earth Dragon cant hold on for much longer!" the Steelbacked Bear urged. "Alright then." The two kings of the Cloudmist Ridge stood up, and after bowing to the Golden Beartiger Beast, they hurriedly followed the Steelbacked Bear out. A few momentster, the Steelfang Wolf returned and eximed, "He seems to have brought in even more reinforcements! Bluetrunk Elephant, Crimsonme Ape, Steelscale Beast, and White-eared Beast, follow me!" Just who did Principal Zhang bring in here? School Head Mo was confused by the situation before him. "This..." Looking around him, the Golden Beartiger Beast suddenly realized, to his surprise, that he was the only remaining member of the Ten Indomitable Kings in the cavern. Chapter 882: Tribute Chapter 882: Tribute Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Every single one of the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had strength rivaling the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Master Teacher Academy! Just what kind of reinforcements did School Head Mos student bring in to require the strength of nine of them? Did he bring the other elders into the Cloudmist Ridge? But that didnt make sense either! If so many enemies had invaded the heart of their base, the Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts patrolling the area should have already reported the matter to him! With eyes narrowed threateningly, the Golden Beartiger Beast red at School Head Mo. "Mo Zhu, just what in the world are you up to?" "I dont know either. I have been here all along..." School Head Mo was on the verge of bursting into tears. It was as if he was here to serve as a sidekick to the principal; he had no idea what the other party was up to... Unsure of whether School Head Mo was putting on an act or not, the Golden Beartiger Beast threatened him once more. "You dont know? Youd better not be trying to pull something. For my Cloudmist Ridge to survive right under the nose of the Master Teacher Academy for so long, it definitely isnt as simple as you might think..." "You have your men scattered throughout Cloudmist Ridge. Even if we do attempt to pull something, how can you possibly not know?" School Head Mo argued. Hearing those words, the Golden Beartiger Beast red at School Head Mo for a moment before eventually nodding slightly in agreement This was exactly what had left him puzzled. If something had truly happened, the other kings would have surely informed him. For them to call for the other kings to go with them instead, that meant that the problem was still within their means to deal with. Forget it. As long as School Head Mo remains my hostage, the Master Teacher Academy wont be able to take any drastic actions. As long as I have this card, I should be able to force them intopromising! The Golden Beartiger Beast reassessed his current situation, and feeling that he was still in a safe position, he heaved a sigh of relief. Standing up, he was just about to force School Head Mo into epting his terms once more when the Scarlet me Lion, the first king to leave, finally returned to the cavern. Following behind him was the Steelbacked Bear, Tigerhead Beast, Steelfang Wolf... All nine of the kings had returned together, and sandwiched between them was a young man with a lowered head. He was School Head Mos escaped student. The Scarlet ze Lion stepped forward and reported loudly, "Boss, we have managed to bring back this fellow!" "What happened that required all of you to head out?" the Golden Beartiger Beast asked doubtfully. "Its like this..." The Tigerhead Beast stepped forward, pointed its steel ws at Zhang Xuan ferociously, and harrumphed. "I dont know how that fellow did it, but he managed to find a few formidable master teachers to reinforce him, so we ended up fighting against them..." "Master teachers?" The Golden Beartiger Beast frowned. The Steelfang Wolf stepped forward and said in agreement, "Thats right!" "Who are those master teachers? Are they the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Master Teacher Academy?" the Golden Beartiger Beast continued asking. "That doesnt seem to be the case. None of them look familiar to us... Why dont I take out their corpses to show you? Here they..." the Steelbacked Bear said as he walked toward the Golden Beartiger Beast At this point, the Steelbacked Bear was only three meters away from the Golden Beartiger Beast. Without finishing his words, he abruptly leaped forward with three other saint beasts to assault the Golden Beartiger Beast. Hong long! The Scarlet ze Lion, Tigerhead Beast, Steelfang Wolf, and Steelbacked Bear were considered the strongest saint beasts in Cloudmist Ridge after the Golden Beartiger Beast. Theirbined might was so great that it felt like it could split mountains and reverse rivers. Before the Golden Beartiger Beast could react, he was already struck squarely by four paws and ws. Peng! "What are you all doing!" the Golden Beartiger bellowed furiously as his figure was sent retreating into the distance. It knocked through a couple of stctites before eventually crashing into the wall of the cavern, and it spewedrge mouthfuls of blood. The other saint beasts had been together with him for over a thousand years, and he deeply trusted them. He never thought that they would suddenly make such a vicious move against him! In just a moment, the Golden Beartiger Beast had already sustained severe injuries. His innards were so shaken by the impact that it would be difficult for him to recover in the short term. Panting heavily, the Golden Beartiger Beast felt most of his strength sapping away from his body. With reddened eyes, he roared frenziedly, "Why? Tell me why!" "Master!" Ignoring the roars of the Golden Beartiger Beast, the Scarlet ze Lion, Steelbacked Bear, Steelfang Wolf, and Tigerhead Beast, having aplished their mission, turned around and bowed to Zhang Xuan. "Un." Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and raised his head, revealing a faint smile on his lips. As he stepped forward with an entourage of saint beasts following behind him, it seemed as if he was a lofty emperor. "Of the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, nine have already submitted to me. Golden Beartiger Beast, you have two choices before you; you can either submit to me, or prepare to die!" "They have submitted to you?" The Golden Beartiger Beast widened its eyes as it nced at the other nine kings in disbelief. They were all proud saint beasts, how could they submit to a mere human... and not to mention, an insignificant Chrysalis realm cultivator? He wasnt the only one who was feeling frenzied by the situation; School Head Mo also felt like he was losing his mind. He had thought that Principal Zhang was truly here to negotiate, and he had resigned himself to be cursed for this failure for generations toe. Who would have thought that the other party, in just a little more than two hours, would manage to tame nine of the Ten Indomitable Kings? Furthermore, recalling how there was not a single beast who hade in to report the matter, the chances were that the Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts had be his tamed beasts as well... He knew that the new principal was extremely skilled at beast taming, having witnessed it back in the entrance examination on Leiyuan Peak, but this... this power level was way off charts, way too overpowered! If the other party were to continue taming beasts at this rate, would all of the saint beasts in the Master Teacher Continent be his tamed beasts and obey hismands? While School Head Mo was in a daze, the Scarlet ze Lion and the others turned to their former boss, the strongest saint beast of the Cloudmist Ridge, and attempted to persuade him. "Boss, you should just submit to him. Our master is a person of great capability. We will definitely achieve greater heights pursuing him!" "Indeed. For many years, we have sessfully repelled all enemies, including the forces of the Master Teacher Academy, and maintained a tight grip over the Cloudmist Ridge. But think about it, how different is this from being trapped in a cage? In any case, I have had enough!" "There is no point resisting it; you will be killed if you hesitate any longer!" ... "You want me to submit? Dream on!" Seeing that all of his subordinates had betrayed him, the Golden Beartiger Beast shouted savagely, "Werent you all curious about why such a huge supply of Earth Vein Spirit Essence has umted here, never running out despite so many spirit beasts and saint beasts absorbing it over the years? Let me tell you the reason today!" With a furious roar, the Golden Beartiger Beast struggled to his feet and leaped into the dried-upke before speaking in a respectful tone. "My great emperor, please grant me the power to eliminate these traitors of the Beast Tribe..." This time, he was speaking not in the humannguage but the Ancient Beast Language. "Emperor?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned as an ominous premonition clutched his heart. From the very start, he had been wondering how something as rare as the Earth Vein Spirit Essence could gather in such great quantity in the Cloudmist Ridge. Even considering the unique geographical terrain, it was near impossible for that to happen. And more importantly, it was unnatural for there to be so many saint beasts gathered here. Survival of the fittest. Resources were always in short supply, so the number of experts in a region was limited. It was truly confounding to see so many powerful beasts gathering on thisnd. At the same time, School Head Mos face also warped in astonishment. As a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer, even though he wasnt very fluent in the Ancient Beast Language, he was still able to decipher bits and pieces of the Golden Beartiger Beasts words. It was apparent that the other party was trying to initiate some kind of ritual to summon a powerful being. If the other party seeded, the tables could very well be turned on them. "Zhang shi..." Anxious, School Head Mo immediately turned to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan raised his hand and said, "Calm down, lets just watch for now. This could very well concern the mystery behind the disappearance of Elder Wu Yangzi..." After taming the Scarlet ze Lion and the others, he had questioned them about the matter concerning Wu Yangzis disappearance two thousand years ago. However, they had only risen to power a thousand years ago, so they werent too sure about that incident either. However, based on their description, it seemed like the Golden Beartiger Beast was the key to this mystery. This was precisely why he possessed unparalleled authority in the Cloudmist Ridge, the number one figure of the innumerable beasts gathered here. Hong long long! Extremely high concentrated spiritual energy abruptly burst forth from the depths of the cavern. In that moment, it felt as if the sky was falling, and it left all present incapable of catching their breath. Theke that had stored the Earth Vein Spirit Essence previously seemed to have be an altar for the Golden Beartiger Beast to make an offering in order to summon an overwhelmingly powerful being here. "What power..." Feeling the powerful energy drifting in the air, School Head Mos face paled. He couldnt help but retreat several steps as he clenched his jaws in pain. The pressure was simply too great, and it seemed to be crushing his soul directly. Despite being a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert, he still found himself unable to hold on for much longer. "Zhang shi..." If even someone of his prowess was unable to withstand this pressure, what would be of their principal? rmed, he quickly turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter standing upright with his eyes gazing coldly upon theke, as if he couldnt feel the pressure at all. School Head Mos body jolted in astonishment. Even the Scarlet ze Lion and the other kings of the Cloudmist Ridge were lying feebly on the ground under that immense pressure, so how was it possible for their principal to bepletely fine? Hong long long! Before he could analyze what was going on, the spiritual energy in the air suddenly gathered to form an illusory, mist-like Bluehorn Dragon Beast. Coiling in the air, its very presence seemed to exert immense pressure directly on ones soul. "My descendant, why have you summoned me?" A majestic voice boomed. The Bluehorn Dragon Beast spoke in the Ancient Beast Language as well, but its words felt heavy, seemingly carrying a quality that left one feeling as if one had traveled back in time. This is... the most authentic Ancient Beast Language! School Head Mos body turned cold. It was possible for them to emte the pronunciation of the Ancient Beast Language, but it was impossible to bring out the same deep resonance as the ancient beasts of old. Just this intonation in itself could bring one the loyalty of many spirit beasts and saint beasts. Without a doubt, this Bluehorn Dragon Beast was a legendary figure from the ancient era. Turning around, he saw the Scarlet ze Lion, Tigerhead Beast, and the others trembling in fear, unable to bring forth the slightest intention to retaliate at all. This was a result of the inevitable suppression of bloodline among saint beasts Turning his gaze back to Principal Zhang, he was just thinking about how he could shield the other party and send him out safely, when he saw thetter standing before the Bluehorn Dragon Beast with a frown, seemingly in deep thought. The Golden Beartiger Beast kneeled to the ground and pleaded using the Ancient Beast Language, "My emperor, I ask of you to grant me the power to eliminate these traitors!" "What can you offer me?" the illusory figure above asked impassively. "I can offer you the fresh blood of this 6-star pinnacle master teacher of the Master Teacher Academy, the head of the Beast Tamer School!" the Golden Beartiger Beast replied respectfully. "A 6-star pinnacle master teacher?" The figure above shook his head and replied, "That is not enough!" The Golden Beartiger Beast pointed to Zhang Xuan and said, "And his student as well!" However, thinking that it was unlikely to suffice as well, he added, "With my newfound power, I will immediately dispatch my army to ughter more master teachers to offer them to you!" "Granted. You should know the consequences if you renege on your promise." Hong long! With the words of the illusory figure above, overwhelming strength abruptly fell and surged into the body of the Golden Beartiger Beast, and its withered aura began to recover. Chapter 883: The Powerful Golden Beartiger Beast Chapter 883: The Powerful Golden Beartiger Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 School Head Mos face nched. "Zhang shi, you must leave right now! The Golden Beartiger Beast is having his strength forcefully raised, and he will gain great power in the short term. If you dont leave right now, you will be in danger..." Despite the severe side effects afterward, such forceful infusion of energy could heal the Golden Beartiger Beasts wounds and even bring his cultivation up another level. Once this infusion wasplete, none of those present would be a match for him! Before School Head Mo could even finish his words, the Golden Beartiger Beasts strength already recovered to Saint realm 1-dan, and with incredible momentum, he achieved a breakthrough and reached Spiritual Perception realm shortly afterward. Spiritual Perception realm primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage... His cultivation sped forward at an unbelievable pace. Faced with such a sight, those kings who had pledged loyalty to Zhang Xuan earlier began trembling in fright. Over the years, they had learned that the Golden Beartiger Beast was hiding some powerful means up his sleeves, but they didnt think that it would be so fearsome! If they had known that the Golden Beartiger Beast was capable of this, they never would have dared to betray him! Having pledged allegiance to the wrong faction, they were all doomed to die now. Kacha! With another loud buzz, the Golden Beartiger Beasts cultivation achieved another breakthrough, reaching Saint realm 3-dan before graduallying to a halt. "Remember your promise!" the illusory figure warned sharply before gradually dissipating into nothingness. "Hahaha, you must not have seen thising when you betrayed me. Today, you all shall learn the consequence of turning your back on me!" Feeling the magnificent power coursing through his body, the Golden Beartiger Beast swiped his paw down with a roar, sealing the entrance to the cavern. No one could escape anymore. He had always been the emperor of the Cloudmist Ridge, and no one had dared to disobey his orders before. Yet, in a single day, not only had he found his subordinates betraying him all at once, he had even been severely injured by them. The rage that he felt within was enough to drive him mad. Hong long long! As the might of a Saint realm 3-dan expert permeated the area, the entire cavern began creaking under the pressure, seemingly on the verge of copse. "Master..." In the face of the Golden Beartiger Beasts absolute strength, the Scarlet ze Lion and the others trembled in fear, and with pale faces, they turned to Zhang Xuan, hoping to find a chance of survival. At Saint realm 3-dan, Embryonic Soul realm, ones dantian would be forged into an Origin Soul, amplifying the power one could wield many times over. Even if the nine of them were to gather their strength to fight against him, they still wouldnt be a match at all! If a battle were to truly ur, it wouldnt be long before they breathed theirst. At this moment, they could only bank their hopes on the master they had acknowledged just a while ago and pray that he would be able to create a miracle once more. "Mo Zhu, I gave you a chance earlier, but you refused to budge. Its toote now. Not only will you die, Hongyuan City and the Master Teacher Academy will pay the price for your foolishness as well! They shall be devastated by the army of aerial spirit beasts, and history will remember you as the sinner who caused it all!" the Golden Beartiger Beast roared savagely. Hong long! With a deafening cry, the Golden Beartiger Beast charged at School Head Mo. The Golden Beartiger Beast raised his paws, and a massive palm print appeared in the air and fell violently upon thetter. "Thirteen Swords of the Red Leaf!" Without any hesitation, School Head Mo drew his sword once more and utilized his strongest technique to retaliate. As soon as the sword came into contact with the red leaf, the red leaf after-shadows immediately dissipated, and with a loud kacha!, the sword snapped into innumerable pieces and scattered all over the ground. Pu! School Head Mo was sent flying before knocking onto the wall of the cavern. Blood spewed out of his mouth frenziedly, and his face turned as pale as a sheet of paper. When hed used that same sword art earlier, he had at least been able to force the Golden Beartiger Beast back by a single step. However, after the other partys surge in strength, he couldnt even stop a casual blow from the beast. The disparity in their strength was truly despairing. Even if Senior Byzantium Helios and Senior Golden Origin Cauldron were to coborate against him, they still wouldnt be a match for him. "Zhang shi, hurry up and leave," School Head Mo urged anxiously. It wouldnt matter if he were to die here, but nothing could be allowed to happen to the principal! Otherwise, the division within the academy would never be breached, and it would fall into chaos once more. The Golden Beartiger Beast turned to Zhang Xuan and sneered, "Leave? Hahaha, after inducing so many of my subordinates to betray me, do you think that I will allow you to leave?" Leaping forward, the Golden Beartiger Beast raised his paw and struck down forcefully. "Be careful!" School Head Mo eximed anxiously. Even he was unable to stand against the assault of the Golden Beartiger Beast, let alone the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Principal Zhang! Enduring the severe wounds he was afflicted with, School Head Mo hurriedly got to his feet to rush forward and take the blow for Zhang Xuan, but before he could move, an immense pressure abruptly crushed down on his body, nearly shattering it. The enemy was simply too powerful. Just his aura was already sufficient to render him nearly powerless. "No need to get hasty, you will be next! No one will be getting away today!" Sneering coldly, the Golden Beartiger Beast pushed his palm down toward Zhang Xuan, and jiya!, the ground creaked loudly under the pressure of the palm. "Zhang shi!" School Head Mo eximed in despair. He had never thought that it would eventually end like this. If he had known, he never would have agreed to let Zhang Xuane with him. "Getting away? Who says that I intend to escape?" Just when everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would surely die, a nonchnt voice suddenly sounded in the air. Following which, an overwhelming killing intent suddenly burst forth from behind Zhang shi and swept through everything in its path like a hurricane. Hong long! Under the burst of killing intent, the offense against Zhang Xuan was neutralized, and before the arrogant Golden Beartiger Beast could realize what was going on, his head suddenly bent backward, and his tongue fell out from his mouth as he plummeted from the sky, crashing head first to the ground. A massive depression appeared in his wake. "Ding Ding, destroy him!" Zhang Xuan instructed. The Golden Origin Cauldron immediately charged forward to m into the Golden Beartiger Beast. Peng! As the duo collided, a resounding chime reminiscent of a bell echoed, and a spurt of blood mixed with a few teeth spewed out of the Golden Beartiger Beasts mouth. The situation he suddenly found himself faced with left him dumbfounded. He had thought that after reaching Saint 3-dan with the infusion of power from his emperor, he would be able to ughter everyone present and shake the Master Teacher Academy to the core. Who could have known that, before he could even disy the full extent of his prowess, he would be abruptly knocked out of the sky by an aura that jolted his soul? Furthermore... What was with the sudden appearance of this Saint-tier artifact? He might possess greater strength than the other party, but Saint-tier artifacts, especially a cauldron like the one before him, were known to possess nigh invincible defense; how was he supposed to defeat the other party? Peng! Just as the Golden Beartiger Beast was overwhelmed by the turn of events, the Golden Origin Cauldron suddenly charged over with a roar and smashed into his head once more. A deafening st reminiscent of the heaven and earth copsing sounded, and the sight before the Golden Beartiger Beast abruptly turned dark. His massive body tumbled backward with astounding momentum, leaving a deep gorge in his path. By the time he knocked into the cavern wall, his body was already cloaked in ayer of dust and bits of granite. "This..." "Even the powered up Golden Beartiger Beast... is no match for the Saint-tier artifact?" The Scarlet ze Lion, Tigerhead Beast, and the other kings gulped down a mouthful of saliva. From the looks of it, it seemed like the Golden Origin Cauldron had truly gone easy on them back when they had fought with it. Otherwise, with just a body m, their bodies might have been crushed to bits. Those saint beasts who had just regretted pledging allegiance to Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shudder in astonishment. It was fortunate that they hadnt said it out loud, or they might just have been the next ones to follow the Golden Beartiger Beast. "Hahaha, this is truly exhrating! It has been long since I wasst able to fight like that. Little beast, just watch how Grandpa Ding turns into cinders today!" the Golden Origin Cauldron yelled excitedly as it mmed into the dying Golden Beartiger Beast again and again. The might of the Golden Origin Cauldron was so great that ordinary Saint realm experts couldnt hope to withstand it. Only against this fellow would it be able to use its full strength. "This..." School Head Mo felt his head spinning as he stared at the sight with ckened jaws. He had thought that they would all lose their lives, but... this reversal hade far too quickly! The Golden Origin Cauldron was powerfulthere was no doubt about thatbut ultimately, it was only a Saint-tier artifact. Without anyone wielding it, it was difficult to bring out the full extent of its power. Thus, School Head Mo didnt think that it would be able to defeat the Golden Beartiger Beast. What had truly reversed the tides of the battle was the fearsome killing intent that had burst forth from behind Zhang shi earlier! Where did ite from? Had the Golden Origin Cauldron charged forth without that killing intent incapacitating the Golden Beartiger Beast beforehand, it would have surely been knocked back, and a one-sided pummeling wouldnt be happening now either. School Head Mo swiftly turned his gaze to Principal Zhang, only to see thetter with a nonchnt expression on his face. It was as if he knew that this matter would end in such a manner, and there was not the slightest trace of surprise or fear on his face. And in truth, this matter was truly nothing to Zhang Xuan at all. The Golden Beartiger Beast had gained massive power from the emperor he spoke of, reaching Saint realm 3-dan, but Zhang Xuans trump cards didnt consist of just the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron. There was the even more powerful Vicious as well. After consuming a third of Kong shis writings on the scroll, he had grown significantly more powerful than before. Putting aside a mere Saint realm 3-dan primary stage cultivator, a surge of zhenqi could easily knock down even a Saint realm 4-dan expert from the sky and incapacitate him. Before a mere Golden Beartiger Beast, he wouldnt even bat an eyelid! Peng peng peng peng! The Golden Origin Cauldron continued to ram itself into the Golden Beartiger Beast, and before long, he was already bruised all over. His breathing was so faint that it seemed as if he would just pass away at any moment. "Alright, thats enough!" Seeing the Golden Origin Cauldron getting more and more excited from the battle, Zhang Xuan hurriedly stood forward to stop it. "Master, he tried to kill you earlier! Let me pummel him to death to show him the consequences of baring his fangs at you..." The Golden Origin Cauldron was reluctant to stop in the midst of his fun. It wasnt easy for it to find someone who was so tolerant to its beating, so it should at least have its fair share of fun with him. "Leave him alive for now, I have some things to ask him," said Zhang Xuan. There were still many mysteries surrounding this matter, such as the emperor whom the other party had summoned earlier and the various bizarre happenings on Cloudmist Ridge. If the Golden Beartiger Beast was killed, they would lose a valuable source of information. Hearing those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron could only stop with a regretful look on its face. Zhang Xuan walked up to the Golden Beartiger Beast, and upon taking a closer look at its current state, his lips couldnt help but twitch. It must be said that the Golden Origin Cauldron really hadnt held back. It had rammed its body at the Golden Beartiger Beasts head forcefully, again and again, knocking away every hint of the other partys former glory as a king of the Cloudmist Ridge. As a result, the other partys massive head was filled with creases, simr to those of a shriveled meat bun. If he hadnt stopped the Golden Origin Cauldron in time, the other party would definitely have lost his life! Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a bit of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and fed it to the Golden Beartiger Beast, restoring a little bit of his vitality. Afterward, he gazed down at the other party coldly and said, "Submit to me, or die!" As long as the other party submitted to him, he should be able to acquire all of the intelligence he needed. Otherwise, even if he were to force the other party to speak, there was no way of telling whether the information acquired was credible or not. "You want me to submit to you? Dream on! My life belongs to my emperor, and if you dare to kill me, my emperor will surely exact vengeance for me!" the Golden Beartiger Beast roared furiously. "Your emperor? Hah, you expect an iplete soul to exact vengeance for you?" Zhang Xuan sneered. Zhang Xuan had assessed the emperor that the Golden Beartiger Beast spoke of with his Eye of Insight when it was summoned earlier, and he was certain that it was only a soul. The reason the soul was able to raise the Golden Beartiger Beasts cultivation so swiftly was probably due to some kind of secret art it possessed. So far, Zhang Xuan only had the cultivation techniques for soul oracles from Transcendent Mortal 1-dan to 9-dan. On the other hand, considering how the emperor was able to raise the Golden Beartiger Beasts cultivation to Saint realm 3-dan in just a short period of time, it should at least be at Saint realm 4-dan or 5-dan. Considering its strength, even if it was a mere iplete soul now, it would still be extremely beneficial to Zhang Xuan if he could capture it. Chapter 884: Zhang Xuans Change Chapter 884: Zhang Xuans Change Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "An iplete soul? My emperor is a deity, a saint beast from an ancient era. For you to have plotted against the Cloudmist Ridge, you have already infringed on his authority. There is no doubt that he will extract your soul and tear your body into pieces to exact vengeance for me," the Golden Beartiger Beast howled in rage. It seemed that he was extremely loyal to the so-called emperor, revering the other party even. He had already ced the other party on a divine pedestal in his mind, so he couldnt bring himself to believe that the other party would only be a mere soul. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan shook his head. If the so-called emperor was truly that powerful, it wouldnt have been stuck on the Cloudmist Ridge, dependent on the Golden Beartiger Beasts tributes. "If the emperor you spoke of is as incredible as you say, dont you think that it would have appeared after seeing the state you are in?" Zhang Xuan replied with a wry smile. "My emperor will never abandon me. You will be regretting your actions against me very soon," the Golden Beartiger Beast yowled frenziedly. But despite the words it spoke, uncertainty had already crept into his gaze. His confidence had wavered. He knew that his rtionship with his emperor was one built on mutual profit. He would offer tributes to thetter, and thetter would grant him power or the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Even if he was pummeled to death, all his emperor had to do was find another agent to work for him instead. There was no need for the other party to save him, or rather, if the other party had any intentions of saving him, the other party wouldnt have watched as the massive cauldron pummeled him viciously. Noticing the hint of apprehension in the depths of the Golden Beartiger Beasts eyes, Zhang Xuan knew that his words had worked. Thus, infusing his words with the Impartation of Heavens Will, he said, "I heard earlier that you were going to offer School Head Mo and me to your emperor. Is this what you have done with the many master teachers before us?" Earlier, when the Golden Beartiger Beast negotiated with his emperor and offered the lives of School Head Mo, Zhang Xuan, and countless other master teachers as tribute, thetter had agreed immediately. The deal had gone so smoothly that it felt like they had conducted the same trade innumerable times over the years, and they had alreadye to a mutual understanding of the needs of each other. Furthermore, recalling the many corpses he had seen in the surroundings, it wasnt too difficult to put the story together. Considering the huge implications of this matter, the Golden Beartiger Beast couldnt possibly allow the other saint beasts to learn of this matter as well, so he had to get the information out of the beast in question. Perhaps, the full mystery might be unraveled with this. "Nonsense..." The Golden Beartiger Beast immediately shook his head. However, halfway through his words, the figure of the young man before him suddenly seemed to tower above him, reminiscent of an invible deity of the heavens. He desired deeply to deny the matter, but his mind wouldnt listen to him. Unable to control himself, he began confessing, "Thats right! My emperor would devour the blood and flesh of those master teachers, and in exchange for that, he would bestow us with the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, granting us an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough in our cultivation!" Previously, Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will had only been effective on those who had the blood of a human running through their veins, which resulted in it being ineffective against beasts. However, afterprehending the Heart of a Teacher, the effects of his Impartation of Heavens Will had been extended to beasts as well, allowing him to beguile even a saint beast like the Golden Beartiger Beast easily. "Devour the blood and flesh of master teachers?" School Head Mo clenched his trembling fists in agitation. He had thought that the saint beasts were just an impending threat that the Master Teacher Academy would have to deal with soon, but who would have thought that they had beenmitting such atrocities over the years? If he had learned of this earlier, he would surely have convinced the Master Teacher Academy to send an army up to utterly destroy the Cloudmist Ridge long ago. If this had been going on over a span of more than a thousand years, he could hardly imagine how many master teachers had died brutally due to the other party. Zhang Xuansplexion had darkened as well, but he continued to interrogate the other party. "Are those white bones in the cavern the corpses of the deceased master teachers?" "Thats right! They are the master teachers who dared to brazenly barge into my Cloudmist Ridge over the years. I offered their blood and flesh to my emperor, and all that is left of them is the pile of bones here. In exchange, my emperor has used his divine strength to alter the geography of the Cloudmist Ridge, turning it into a natural formation to gather Earth Vein Spirit Essence. It is precisely this that has allowed the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge to grow rapidly stronger over the years!" the Golden Beartiger Beast exined proudly. He dared not kill master teachers openly, but each year, there were still a substantial number of master teachers who went missing due to undertaking dangerous missions or various misceneous reasons each year. As such, he was still able to tribute dozens or even several hundred master teachers each year without drawing much attention. Suppressing his fury, Zhang Xuan continued asking, "Since your emperor is consuming the blood and flesh of master teachers, it is surely not an ordinary soul. Where is he now?" For a soul to live, it had to be nourished by a body. Otherwise, it would be extremely vulnerable by the Five Soul Declines, resulting in it getting weaker and weaker over time. The main reason Mo Hunsheng was able to survive several ten thousand years was due to the unique nature of the Nine Hearts Lotus. If not for that God artifact, his soul would have long dissipated as well. To be able to survive the ancient era and feed on the blood and flesh of master teachers, the so-called emperor was definitely not an ordinary soul. "That... I am not too sure where my emperor is either. I only know that he only appears if I summon him here," the Golden Beartiger Beast replied. "Summon him here?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Activating the Eye of Insight, he began scanning the surroundings. The previous time he was here, he had taken a look as well, and he hadnt noticed anything at all. But if the so-called emperor would only appear when summoned here, the chances were that there was something amiss here... Even through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan only saw an ordinary cavern. There didnt seem to be anything out of ce in the surroundings. Wait. That fellow appeared here not long ago, so perhaps I might be able to trace his aura... Suddenly recalling this matter, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Due to the intangible and elusive nature of souls, it was extremely difficult to find the trail of a soul. However, as one who possessed the Eye of Insight, he should still be able to find some traces if he looked closely. Focusing his sight on the area where the so-called emperor had appeared earlier, lines of insight began gathering in Zhang Xuans eyes, and finally, an extremely faint trail could be seen leading into the depths of the cavern. "Ding Ding, I will leave this fellow to you!" Having finished his interrogation and uncovered the trail to his next target, Zhang Xuan issued his instructions to the Golden Origin Cauldron before taking huge strides into the depths of the cavern. The Golden Beartiger Tribe had the blood of far too many master teachers on his hands. That was beyond Zhang Xuans bottom line, and he had no intention of sparing him. "You are leaving him to me? Great, thats exactly what I like!" Cheering in excitement, the Golden Origin Cauldron immediately leaped toward the Golden Beartiger Beast. "W-what are you going to do?" Hearing the glee in the Saint artifacts voice, the Golden Beartiger Beasts body immediately stiffened in fear. "Zhang shi, I will acknowledge you as my master. Please, spare me. SparAHHHHH..." Before he could finish his words, a cry of agony had already escaped from his mouth. A certain massive cauldron had descended right onto its face, and raging mes burst from it, producing a sizzling sound in contact with the other partys skin. Soon, a fragrant aroma drifted within the cavern. Gudong! The Scarlet ze Lion, Steelbacked Bear, and the others gulped before the sight. The heck. That monster... It was fortunate that they had submitted, or else they could have been in the Golden Beartiger Beasts position... This particr emotion was intensified as they stared at the Golden Beartiger Beasts face... The face that they had respected and feared for many years had distorted into a hideous shape indescribable using words... ... "Zhang shi!" Paying no heed to the Golden Origin Cauldron, which was having the time of its life, School Head Mo hurriedly rushed forward to catch up with Zhang Xuan. After walking up to Principal Zhang, he hurriedly advised telepathically, "That emperor seems to be an extremely powerful being. Since we have managed to subdue the forces of the Cloudmist Ridge, I dont think that emperor will do anything for the time being. Why dont we just leave this matter for the headquarters to deal with?" That so-called emperor was able to heal a severely wounded Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle beast fully and raise his cultivation to 3-dan on top of that. Such prowess was unimaginable to him. To pursue such an enemy, and not even bringing Senior Golden Origin Cauldron at that... he feared that Principal Zhang would face grave danger. This matter was already beyond their scope of power, so it was best to leave it to the higher ranked master teachers of the headquarters. "That emperor will definitely escape after seeing that his loyal subordinate has perished. It will take at least around half a month for the personnel of the headquarters to arrive, and by then, it will already be toote!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. That fellow was an iplete soul, which was extremely useful to him, so how could he hand such a treasure over to anyone else? If the personnel from the headquarters were to arrive, it would be impossible for him to take the soul for himself, and all he would receive were a few words ofmendation. Since that was the case, he would have to take matters into his own hands. "This..." School Head Mo hesitated for a moment before replying, "Since thats the case, allow me to call Mu shi and the other elders here too. It should be safer that way..." "Theres no need for that. You should stay here to manage the situation, I will go in to take a look. Dont worry, even if I am no match for the other party, I still do have some means up my sleeves to at least escape safely!" Zhang Xuan reassured. That emperor was at least a Saint realm 5-dan expert, an extremely dangerous being to go against. One reason that he dared to pursue the other party was because he had Vicious in hand, but more importantly, it was because he still had a golden page in his Library of Heavens Path! It was formed when he took School Head Jiang Qingqin in as his student back then. No matter how powerful that emperor may be, could he be more powerful than the heavens itself? Even Vicious was forced to kneel before it, let alone an iplete soul. Of course, he couldnt mention this matter to anyone else. Even though he could tell that School Head Mo earnestly cared for him, and he trusted thetter as well, this matter was simply too important for him to reveal to anyone. "Zhang shi..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan insisted on entering, School Head Mo cut into his path to stop him. "Enough! ... Dont worry, I will be fine. Have the Scarlet ze Lion and the other kings issue an order for all of the battling spirit beasts to return to Cloudmist Ridge. After that, inform School Head Zhao that the negotiations were a sess, and have him send the students involved in the battle to rest. After such a long battle, they must be exhausted!" Zhang Xuan instructed with a wave of his hand. School Head Mo was still hesitant, but he eventually relented and nodded. "This... Alright!" Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a pile of high-tier spirit stones. "Here are two hundred high-tier spirit stones. Pleasepile a list of the students who have lost their lives in this battle and use this money topensate their families." There were exactly two hundred of them in there. As much as he loved money, there were some things that just had to be done. Ultimately, the trigger to the beast stampede was his theft of the Cloudmist Ridges Earth Vein Spirit Essence, so it was only right for him topensate the victims of the conflict. He didnt have the power to raise the dead, but if his money could aid the family members of the victims and allow them to lead better lives, perhaps it would at least allow the souls of the victims to rest in peace. Seeing Zhang Xuan take out so many high-tier spirit stones all of the sudden, School Head Mo was shocked. He hurriedly waved his hands to reject it. "This... Zhang shi, our academy will fork out the expenses topensate the students. How can we allow you to pay out of your own pocket!" Even if Zhang Xuan wanted to provide some form of aid to the family members of the deceased students, he need not pay out of his pocket. The Master Teacher Academy and the Master Teacher Pavilion had their own measures for that. Those master teachers had died while protecting the popce of Hongyuan City, so there was no way the Master Teacher Pavilion would allow their sacrifice to go unrecognized. "Take it!" Zhang Xuan insisted with a displeased frown. "This is from me; it has nothing to do with the academy!" "... Alright!" Seeing the determination in Zhang Xuans eyes, School Head Mo could feel the earnest sincerity in his gesture, so he couldnt bring himself to turn thetter down anymore. At the same time, his admiration for thetter deepened once more. Only such an upright and selfless person would be qualified to be their principal! They had indeed made the correct decision. I must learn from Principal Zhangs example and strive to lead an upright and altruistic life, School Head Mo vowed within. "Alright, you should hurry along now. I will be fine here, so rest assured." After leaving behind those instructions, Zhang Xuan turned around and followed the barely visible trail he saw with his Eye of Insight into the depths of the cavern. Chapter 885: A Single Finger Chapter 885: A Single Finger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at a ce filled with white bones and rusty armor. Taking a close look at those bones, there were some faint engravings on them, reminiscent of those that the predecessors in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall would leave on those whom they had recognized. In other words, these bones belonged to master teachers. Every single master teacher was a wealth to humanity. Looking at the sheer number of bones umted here, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but tremble in agitation. Every single bone here reflected the sin of the Golden Beartiger Beast. Even if he were to die a thousand times over, that still would be insufficient to absolve him of what he had done. You are all heroes who have sacrificed yourself for mankind; I cant allow your bones to be left lying exposed here! Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Thus, he pushed his hand on empty ground not too far away, and a massive hole immediately emerged. After which, with a surge of his zhenqi, he swept all of the bones in the area into it. After many years, the bones had already worn down and shattered into innumerable pieces, making it impossible to differentiate one person from another. As such, he could only bury them together. Asrades in arms, it should be eptable for them to be buried alongside one another in death. At least, this was all he could do at the moment. After burying them, Zhang Xuan continued to follow the trail with his Eye of Insight. The trail that the emperor had left behind disappeared beneath a certain area covered by bones earlier. Is it beneath the ground? It was apletely t ground, and touching the area, it didnt seem like there were any mechanisms or formations around. He had followed the other partys trail using his Eye of Insight, so there shouldnt be any problem with the location. How could the soul have vanished into thin air? Could it be... All of a sudden, a thought emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. He flicked his wrist, and a spirit beast soon appeared before him. "Myriad Anthive Queen, check if there is a folded space in the area!" Folded space concerned thews of space, which Zhang Xuan was unable toprehend due to the limits of his cultivation. However, the Myriad Anthive Queen possessed exceptional aptitude in spatial maniption, so it should be able to easily discern the presence of a folded space. The Myriad Anthive Queen nodded and began sniffing around, and before long, it stood up. "Master, there is indeed a folded space here. However, it doesnt seem to be toorge. Do you want to enter to take a look?" "As I expected!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Since there were no mechanisms or anything of that sort in the area, the chances were that the soul had hidden itself in a folded space. "Of course, I have to enter to take a look!" Zhang Xuan replied without any hesitation. His goal here was to find and capture the emperor that the Golden Beartiger Beast had spoken of. He couldnt give up just because the other party was hidden in a folded space. However, given that a Saint 5-dan expert was hiding inside, it would be dangerous for the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Anthive Myriad Queen to enter. Thus, after some consideration, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze and said, "It will be unsafe for you to enter the folded space... Open the entrance for me; I will enter myself." Without spatial maniption capability, it was impossible for one to enter a folded space even if one were to discover one. Take, for example, the folded space back at the Saint Ascension tform, had Zhang Xuan been unable to find the ws in the inscriptions and won Kong shis acknowledgement, he would not have been able to enter it even if he had shattered the cliff face and managed to find it somehow. It was the same for this as well... However, given the Myriad Anthive Queens aptitude for spatial maniption, it was highly likely that it would possessed some kind of method to enter folded spaces. "Alright, I will open the entrance right now. You should be able to get into the folded space just by stepping in!" the Myriad Anthive Queen replied with a nod. After which, it began sniffing the area before abruptly grabbing onto something with its hands and ripping it apart. Si! A void around the size of a human appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a book. After instructing Vicious to guard him well, he stepped into the void. ... There was no vertigo or anything. As soon as Zhang Xuan stepped through the void, he was able to see everything on the other side clearly. It was indeed not a veryrge space, consisting of only a diameter of around eight meters, considerably smaller than the one in the Saint Ascension tform. Scanning the room, he didnt see the Bluehorn Dragon Beast that had appeared previously, but there was a peculiar round altar, around the height of a human and a diameter of half a meterrge. Unlike normal altars though, it had nothing on it. After taking a thorough look around the room and finding nothing, Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. His Eye of Insight wouldnt lie. The emperor had definitelye into this folded space, but why wasnt there anything here? Not even a soul could escape the discerning gaze of the Eye of Insight, not to mention, he was also a soul oracle as well. If the Bluehorn Dragon Beast was truly in here, it shouldnt have been able to hide from him. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to conduct another thorough check, a shrill shriek suddenly sounded in the room, as if something was rushing right toward him. Before he could react, an immense might was already right behind him. Weng! The moment that Zhang Xuan was about to be struck, a light barrier suddenly appeared around him. It was the Aerial Strike Amulet, which he had received from Yu Cheng back in the entrance examination. The Aerial Strike Amulet could deflect an attack with the full power of a Saint realm 1-dan infused into it, and for safety, Zhang Xuan had always kept it on him instead of his storage ring. In the face of grave danger, he immediately activated it. Kacha! With a sharp echo, the Aerial Strike Amulet shattered, not even stopping the attack for half a breath. That rampaging might rushed forth and struck Zhang Xuan squarely on his back, and as if hit by a train, his figure was immediately sent flying. Peng! He crashed heavily onto the wall behind, creating a huge hole behind him. Pu! Arge mouthful of blood spurted forth. Even with the Aerial Strike Amulet protecting him and cushioning the blow, Zhang Xuan still ended up suffering severe injuries. He quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to heal his injuries as he turned around to look at the origin of the assault. There was no one in sight, and the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast was nowhere to be seen either. There was only a withered finger floating in the air. The attack he had just suffered probably came from this finger. A single finger actually managed the crush the Aerial Strike Amulet and injure me severely? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He couldnt sense how powerful the finger was, but to be able to injure him so easily, it was definitely a terrifying existence. Stabilizing his breathing, Zhang Xuan asked, "Are you the emperor that the Golden Beartiger Beast spoke of?" "To be able to track me down to here, you do possess some capability!" A thought from the finger reached his mind, and thenguage used was the Ancient Beast Language. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be the Bluehorn Dragon Beast from before. "To think that the soul of a great Bluehorn Dragon Beast would be living off a finger!" Zhang Xuan remarked coldly in response. Souls wouldnt age, but they couldnt survive by themselves either. Zhang Xuan had been wondering how the Bluehorn Dragon Beast had been able to live through the ages, and looking at it now, it seemed that the other party had only managed to survive for so long by hiding within the finger. This was simr to how Mo Hunsheng managed to survive in the Nine Hearts Lotus. As long as a soul could find an excellent container, it could survive for a very long time. It was for certain that the finger wasnt just an ordinary finger, but ultimately, it still wasnt a living body withplete organs. Thus, in order to sustain its life force, it had to absorb the vitality contained within flesh and blood. Perhaps... this was the reason the Bluehorn Dragon Beast had made thetter offer the bodies of master teachers to him as tributes. Master teachers tended to possess purer zhenqi, which resulted in the vitality within their flesh and blood being far richer than ordinary cultivators. In a sense, they could be considered the ideal tonic for the finger. Seeing Zhang Xuan exposing its origin so easily, the finger harrumphed coldly. "You do have a pair of sharp eyes. To have such insight at your age, it seems like you arent just an ordinary student. You probably arent the student of that fellow out there either." "Indeed, I am not School Head Mos student," Zhang Xuan replied. "To be able to tame nine of the ten kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, you are indeed a capable man. You know, I am really d that you came here... I simply love devouring talented master teachers like you. With you, I should be able to fill the vitality of this finger to the brim once more and live for another fifty years!" The finger chuckled eerily. For a moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if a pair of greedy eyes were staring at him. "Live for another fifty years?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "What is this finger for it to allow you to escape Senescence Decline?" Of the Five Soul Declines, the one that had left most soul oracles despairing was the Senescence Decline. The Senescence Decline dictated that as time ticked, even if a soul was protected by a powerful body, its soul energy would still continue to dissipate. As such, not even soul oracles could live on for an eternity. Trapped in the Nine Hearts Lotus, Mo Hunsheng had been isted from the world. But even so, his soul energy still continued to dissipate over the years, and by the time he was released, he possessed less than a tenth of his original cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan pinnacle. Yet, this fellow had been able to live for so long just by hiding within a finger... There was truly something eerie about the finger. "You know about Senescence Decline?" the finger asked in astonishment. There were many who knew about the existence of soul oracles, but very few had ever heard of the Five Soul Declines. The Five Soul Declines contained the weaknesses of the soul oracles, so they had guarded this secret tightly, unwilling to allow any outsider to learn of it. For this fellow to be aware of it as well, could he be a soul oracle too? "Of course I do! On top of that, I also know that you have not inherited the heritage of the soul oracles. Even though you are able to survive in the form of a soul, you are just a parasite leeching off the finger, not the possessor of it," Zhang Xuan responded. Had the other party not attacked him, he would have been unable to gather any details on the other party via the Library of Heavens Path. In a sense, it was fortunate that the other party had assaulted him, allowing him topile a book and learn more about the enemy he was going to face. Zhang Xuans initial thought had been that the Bluehorn Dragon Beast had inherited the soul oracle heritage, thus allowing him to survive through many eras. However, after taking a look at the book, he realized that he had been mistaken. The other party had only bound his soul to the finger using a special method, and through consuming the vitality of master teachers via the finger, he was able to sustain his existence. This had nothing to do with the soul arts of the soul oracles at all. However, to be able to sustain a soul for so long, this finger was definitely no ordinary artifact. However, it was a pity that the Bluehorn Dragon Beast could only be considered to be in coexistence with the finger, meaning that they were still two separate entities, and the one who had attacked earlier was only the soul, so there was no information reflected on the finger in the Library of Heavens Path at all. Otherwise, he would have just ended it straight with a smack of his book instead of wasting words on the other party. The finger was astonished for a moment before bursting into a cold chuckle. "I never expected a youngd like you to be able to see through me so easily. Despite your young age, you are rather knowledgeable. However... the more that this is the case, the more I cant spare you! I might still have thought twice if you hadnte into my folded space, but since you are here now, dont even dream about leaving here alive!" Weng! The next moment, an overwhelming aura burst forth from the finger. The illusory Bluehorn Dragon Beast that Zhang Xuan had seen earlier in the cavern swiftly emerged from the finger. Its eyes were filled with killing intent, seemingly determined to devour the young man before it. "We were still speaking properly a moment ago, so why do you want to eat me all of a sudden? And... do you think that you will be able to seed?" Seeing that the Bluehorn Dragon Beast was going to make its move, Zhang Xuan grasped the Book of Heavens Path in his hands tightly, ready to throw the golden page at any moment. However, at that moment, Vicious voice suddenly sounded. "Leave that fellow to me..." "Leave him to you?" Based on what he knew of Vicious, thetter was never one to take on a job actively. Why would he suddenly step up to this task? Zhang Xuans query was answered very soon. "Its because... that finger over there is mine!" Chapter 886: I Am Also Vicious Chapter 886: I Am Also Vicious Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Yours?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. ording to what Vicious had told him previously, in the battle against Kong shi back then, he had beenpletely obliterated except for a droplet of blood, and after several dozen millenniums of rest, the droplet of blood finally grew to be a heart. In other words, there should be no other parts of Vicious remaining after the battle, so why would its finger suddenly appear out of nowhere? Aware of the nuances behind Zhang Xuans words, Vicious replied, "Im not too sure what is going on either; I am still missing many parts of my memories. However, I am certain that is my finger! That fellow is making use of my body part!" As a former powerhouse of the Master Teacher Continent who was capable of reviving himself with just a droplet of blood, even though he had lost most of his memories, he could still recognize his body parts easily. This finger was originally just the phnges 1 of a finger, but after the Bluehorn Dragon Beast leeched onto it and devoured the vitality of master teachers, it began to recover its blood and flesh. "You are intending to snatch it back?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. "Of course!" Vicious heart began beating rapidly, and an overwhelming killing intent immediately surged forth from it, directed toward the finger floating in the air. "What?" The Bluehorn Dragon Beasts soul, who had just left the finger for a moment, immediately felt the killing intent and began trembling in fear. With a piercing scream, it swiftly dived back into the finger while shouting, "Vicious, save me! Save me..." Hong long! Another powerful killing intent spilled forth from the finger, shing with that from the heart. As the two auras collided, the folded space began shaking intensely, seemingly on the verge of bursting apart under the pressure. An incredibly powerful voice, which exerted a crushing pressure, sounded from the finger. "Who are you?" Under the immense pressure, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat all the way to the corner of the folded space. At this moment, his eyes were widened in astonishment. He could clearly feel the intent from the finger... and to his shock, it was identical to that of the heart sealed in the Book of Heavens Path! "Who am I? I am Vicious!" the heart dered proudly. "Nonsense, I am Vicious!" the finger refuted coldly. "Two Viciouses?" Zhang Xuan blinked nkly. What was going on? Even someone as knowledgeable as him was finding it hard to process what was going on. "Bullsh*t, I am the real Vicious! How can a puny finger like you be Vicious?" the heart roared furiously. The finger harrumphed coldly. "Back then, Vicious stood at the very top of the world, devoid of fear for even Kong shi. How could he possibly submit to an insignificant master teacher like thed over there and listen to hismands? Stop soiling my reputation any further! Youd better sit obediently as I devour you, or else I will kill you along with your master!" "You want to devour me? Hah, let me see if you have the capability to do so!" With a furious roar, the heart leaped forward furiously along with the Book of Heavens Path with unbelievable momentum to strike the finger. Boom! The finger retaliated with a tap, and a loud explosion sounded. Suffering grave injuries from the tap, the heart convulsed intensely as it tumbled furiously backward, returning to Zhang Xuans hands. "Zhang shi, hurry up and release the books seal on me. Otherwise, we might all die here..." the heart implored. "What is going on?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. "It could be because I was too powerful when I was still alive, so even a droplet of blood or the phnges of a finger could form an individual entity in itself. During the time when my main body was still alive, these individual entities could still be managed and evenbined into one. However, with the death of my main body, the sentience that sprouted in each individual part viewed itself as the real Vicious, resulting in the current circumstances. In order to fully recover, it seems like we will have to devour one another... but the side that is being devoured will stand to lose his consciousness once and for all!" Vicious hurriedly exined. "Theres such a matter?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. To be able to revive oneself from just a droplet of blood... This was way too overpowered! "Un. That fellow has devoured innumerable master teachers, and the vitality he has absorbed has made him far stronger than me. Unless you dispel the seal on me, I wont be a match for him at all," Vicious hurriedly exined. "Dispel the seal on you?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He could indeed release the seal from the Book of Heavens Path on him with a single thought, but it would be a huge risk to do so. No matter what, the other party was an expert who had stood toe-to-toe against Kong shi at one point in his life. It was only due to the prowess of the Book of Heavens Path that the other party was obeying his orders, and if he were to release the seal, the other party could very well disobey his orders and even turn against him. Feeling a burst of confidence after sessfully overpowering the heart in the direct sh earlier, the finger sneered coldly, "Hah, with powers like yours, you still dare to vie with me? Die!" Otherworldly Demons could grow by devouring humans, and master teachers could be considered an ideal tonic to them. Even though the Heart Vicious was able to make a substantial recovery using the spiritual energy in the underground chamber, it couldnt bepared with the Phnges Vicious, who had recuperated by devouring innumerable master teachers over the years. More importantly, the finger could be considered one of the more flexible and active portion of a body, so it wielded might superior to the heart. Hong long! The finger gathered its might and charged at the heart once more. Overwhelming killing intent gushed over like a sharp sword, threatening to pierce through all that stood in its path. Feeling the immense power of the finger, the heart panicked and quickly urged Zhang Xuan, "Hurry up and dispel the seal!" "There is no need for that. Itll suffice as long as I seal that fellow as well," Zhang Xuan said. Releasing the seal on Vicious simply wasnt an option. If he were to release the other party, that would be no different from leaving his life in the hands of the other party. And to leave ones life in the hands of an Otherworldly Demon was sheer foolishness. Since that wasnt an option, he would just have to seal the finger as well. At the very most, it would just get a little noisier as the two Viciouses wrestled with one another in the book. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan was just about to call upon the golden page when a thought suddenly shed across his mind. Since he had the power to release the seal on the heart, was it possible for him to put the finger in as well? If that was the case, he wouldnt have to waste an additional golden page. The golden page was his ultimate trump card, so it was best to save as many of them as he could. "Go!" Zhang Xuan immediately put his theory to the test. With a thought, the Book of Heavens Path, in which the heart was sealed, immediately flew straight for the iing finger. Hu! The finger, which was just on its path to ughter the heart, suddenly felt an oppressive power shrouding it, which froze the finger on the spot. "What is this..." the finger eximed in shock. It struggled furiously in an attempt to escape, but as if pinned down by a mountain, it found itself unable to move at all. The book before it seemed to harness thews of the world, forming an unbreakable cage. "Haha, didnt you just mock me a moment ago? Lets see how you are going to escape from this!" Seeing the finger getting suppressed by the book as well, just as he had been back then, the heart couldnt help but burst into heartyughter. The other party had just imed that he was a fake and that the Vicious who had dared to fight against Kong shi couldnt possibly submit to a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan student. But with this, the other party should understand that it wasnt only him... Even if the real Vicious was standing before this, he would have to kneel down as well! This trump card of Zhang shis was simply that fearsome! There was nothing higher than the heavens in this world. No matter how much power or authority one held, even if one was unmatched by any other being in the world, it was all futile! No matter how much power one rued, could one still be stronger than the heavens? And as long as one continued to exist beneath the heavens, one would have no choice but to bow before it! "NO!" Hearing the other partys mocking, the finger was horrified. Kacha! Amidst the fingers piercing screams, the book abruptly closed, sealing the finger within it. That finger had devoured innumerable master teachers, granting him power considerably greater than the heart. Nevertheless, it was still nothing more than a hatchling before the Book of Heavens Path. Hu! Seeing that it had worked, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a slight grab, the Book of Heavens Path returned to his palm. He flipped it open swiftly and saw the finger and heart sealed alongside one another. Previously, the heart had only taken up half of the page, and with the addition of the finger, the entire page was filled up. This likely meant that this page was already full, and it couldnt contain anything else anymore. "I am the real one; you are the fake!" "No, I am the real one; you are the fake!" The heart on the upper half and the finger on the lower half red at one another viciously as they bellowed in fury. Until now, the finger still could hardly believe what had just happened to it. As the phnges of the great Vicious, who had faced Kong shi head on back then, even if a Saint realm 9-dan expert was here, it would still have some means up its sleeves to escape safely. Yet, in this instant, it was trapped within this ancient book. It howled angrily and struggled with all its might, but it found itself unable to break free. "Where is this ce?" This book seemed to harness the will of the heavens, a lofty power that gazed coldly on all existences beneath, eradicating all who dared stand in its way. Putting aside him, any existences that lived beneath the heavens, no matter how powerful, had to bow down to it. The heart harrumphed. "Dont bother with that futile struggling. Just let me devour you and end it once and for all!" "Let you devour me? Dream on! It is your fate to be devoured by me... and thatd as well, I will kill him as soon as I find a way to get out! All of you shall die by my hand. There is no one who has dared offend me, Vicious, and ever met a good end..." the finger cried furiously. But before it could finish its words, a finger suddenly flicked lightly on it, harnessing a surge of pure zhenqi. Peng! Before it could even react, it was already tumbling furiously within the page. Struck by the pure surge of zhenqi, it found itself unable to catch its breath. It was as if that surge of zhenqi was its nemesis, capable of subduing it easily. "Shut up!" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even if you still carry the consciousness from your previous self and think that you are Vicious, in here, you are nothing more than a simple image. Learn your ce and keep your mouth shut! "You dare to flick me? Do you know who I am..." The finger was exactly like how the heart had been when it first arrived, indignant and iparably arrogant. It thought that it was still the great emperor of the Otherworldly Demons, which even Kong shi himself had feared. Peng! But before it could finish speaking, another flick struck it. There was only one way to make that fellow submit, and it was to pummel him! Sealed in the Book of Heavens Path, even if the other party was the peerless monarch of the world, the other partys life and death would still be grasped in his hands. Peng peng peng! Under consecutive flicks, the finger in the book nearly lost its life. "You..." Howling furiously, the finger finally realized its current standing and dared not speak arrogantly anymore. Finally, after seeing that he had finally managed to stamp out the other partys arrogance, Zhang Xuan began his interrogation. "Who are you? What is with the Bluehorn Dragon Beast? Why do you have two consciousness within you? Exin yourself well, or else... Vicious, I will make you know what true viciousness is!" Whether you are Vicious or not, at the moment, you are nothing to me. If you dare cross me again, I will make you regret ever being born in this world! Chapter 887: The Wealth of the Golden Beartiger Beast Chapter 887: The Wealth of the Golden Beartiger Beast Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I..." Knowing that it was helpless before the other party as long as it was trapped within this book, the finger finally abandoned its pride and spoke. "I am the phnges of a finger of Vicious, and it is only after several dozen millenniums of sleep that I finally gained my own consciousness. The Bluehorn Dragon Beast was the emperor of the Cloudmist Ridge, and in order to hasten my awakening, I bound his soul to me and had him work under me..." Soon, it went through the entire story. It wasnt too far from what Zhang Xuan had guessed previously. No one could tell for sure what had happened in the battle between Vicious and Kong shi back then, but one thing for sure was that the phnges of a finger of his had been left behind somehow. Vicious had already reached the level of being able to revive from just a droplet of blood, so even though his phnges had suffered severe damage, resulting in a lengthy sleep of several dozen millenniums, it still managed to regain consciousness. Afterwards, by some stroke of luck, it was found by the emperor of the Cloudmist Ridge. In order to quickly recover, it used a unique method it possessed to bind the other partys soul to him and made use of it to lord over the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge. In exchange for replenishing the Earth Vein Spirit Essence in the cavern, the saint beasts would capture master teachers to feed it. Naturally, with its incredible means, it was able to raise the cultivation of the Golden Beartiger Beast easily as well. However, one thing that was not within its calctions was that Zhang Xuan would possess such a powerful artifact, and it was this that resulted in its current plight. As for the matter regarding Wu Yangzi... around two thousand years ago, a few Otherworldly Demons had visited the Cloudmist Ridge to request their assistance. At that moment, Vicious had fallen into a short moment of hibernation after consuming several master teachers, which ced the Bluehorn Dragon Beast in charge for that period of time. Learning of the motive of those Otherworldly Demons, it had sent a few saint beasts to assist them in kidnapping Wu Yangzi. The Bluehorn Dragon Beast was only an iplete soul, but after spending innumerable years with Vicious consciousness, it had learned of quite a number of its secrets. While Vicious was unconscious, it had secretly told the Otherworldly Demons about the existence of the droplet of blood... Eventually, those Otherworldly Demons sessfully retrieved the heart and brought it back to the underground chamber. It was under their nourishment that the heart eventually regained consciousness. Thus, it could be said that this finger was the reason the heart was able to regain its consciousness. After asking everything that should be asked, Zhang Xuan still had some matters that he hadnt figured out. But just as he was thinking about them deeply, a voice suddenly sounded by his ear. "Zhang shi, allow me to devour this fellow. I should be able to recover a fair bit of my strength with this..." It was from the heart. "You want to devour it?" "Thats right. Based on my deduction, it seems that even though Vicious was destroyed in the battle back then, he has left quite a few hands. Most likely, there are quite a few of us out there that possess consciousness as well. Even if I absorb spiritual energy for another hundred thousand years, I still wont be able to return to my peak... The only way to do so quickly is to find my other body parts and devour them!" the heart said. "As long as I devour a sufficient number of them, even if I cant return to my peak, I wouldnt be too far away from it!" "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded. When he saw the finger iming that it was Vicious as well, he had already deduced this much. There was a famous, albeit brutal, way to groom an expert within an organization. It was to gather a huge bunch of men and have them face off against one another, and the final one standing would be strongest of them all. Vicious knew that there was a high chance that he could lose his life fighting against Kong shi, so he had used some secret art to preserve his heart, finger, and perhaps a few more body parts so that he could still survive if a mishap urred. However, in order to regain his former strength, his body parts would have to devour one another, and the final consciousness standing would be the real Vicious. "As long as you pledge loyalty to me, not only will I give you this finger to devour, I can even help you find the other parts of Vicious so that you can regain your strength," Zhang Xuan said calmly. To him, it mattered not who became the final Vicious as long as the other party was loyal to him. The heart had followed him for quite some time, and they had gone through quite a few ordeals together. Thus, it was the closest to him, so the probability to sessfully tame it was the highest at the moment. As for the finger... considering that it had brutally ughtered so many master teachers and devoured their flesh and blood, Zhang Xuan was reluctant to have it serve as his subordinate even if he could tame it. "Pledge loyalty?" The heart fell silent. Even though it was powerless after getting trapped in the book, its consciousness was still one of the domineering Vicious who had fought head-on against Kong shi. As such, it was difficult for it to lower its pride and pledge loyalty to another. "Thats right." cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan waited patiently for the other party to make his decision. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, it was only a matter of time before he reached the top of the world. In his view, Vicious loyalty could only be considered icing on the cake. With or without it, he would still be able to forge a path ahead. After a moment of silence, the heart finally gave the word. "Fine, I agree." The capabilities and means that the young man had disyed thus far could even leave the legendary 9-star master teachers astounded. Perhaps, the other party might really be able to bring it to greater heights, and perhaps... surpass even Kong shi! Agree, and there would be a chance that it could make a full recovery and even reach greater heights. Reject, and it would be trapped in the book forever, never to make aeback. Which was the correct choice? It didnt take a genius to figure that out. Seeing that he had the other partys agreement, Zhang Xuan said, "Offer your soul then!" The other partys betrayal wasnt a risk he could afford to take, and a couple of words and promises held no weight at all. Only with the other partys soul held hostage in his hands would he be able to put his unconditional trust in the other party. "Yes." Without any hesitation, the heart sent a fragment of its soul into Zhang Xuans be, entering his consciousness. Feeling the soul fragment, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Previously, he was only able to make Vicious obey hismands through the prowess of the Book of Heavens Path. However, after the soul offering, he now possessed absolute control over the other party, simr to a tamed beast. The other party had no choice but to obey hismands unconditionally. "Master!" Offering ones soul was equivalent to acknowledging the other party as ones master; the heart put aside its pride and lowered its posture. Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Call me young master instead." "Yes, Young Master!" the heart responded. "With your current strength, will you be able to devour him? Do you need my help?" "Young Master, my strength is currently beneath his, so it will be extremely difficult for me to seed. However, if you can lend me Kong shis writing to use, I am confident that I should be able to overpower him!" the heart said. "You want to borrow Kong shis writing?" Zhang Xuan frowned. It hadnt been easy for him to obtain Kong shis personal handwriting, and his heart had nearly bled dry when he realized that Vicious had devoured a third of it the previous time that he helped his clone act as Yang Xuan. To think that he would still dare think of devouring more of it... "Young Master, Otherworldly Demons grow by consuming humans, and that finger has devoured many master teachers over the years. As such, its strength and spirit are far stronger than mine. Without Kong shis writing, I fear that I wont be an opponent for it, and I might even end up being the one devoured instead!" the heart said. "... Alright then. Here is the remaining two-thirds of Kong shis writing. Tell me, how much do you need to sessfully devour that finger?" Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. "That... I am not too sure either!" the heart said hesitantly. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, "Fine, I will help you weaken that finger first before you make a move. That should save a bit of Kong shis writing..." He might not be a match for the finger outside, but within the Book of Heavens Path, his Heavens Path zhenqi was a lethal weapon. Havinge to a decision, Zhang Xuan began infusing his zhenqi into the book. "AHHHHH..." Under the assault of the zhenqi, the finger began rolling around the ce as a shrill scream echoed from its consciousness. It took a while before the voice began to die down. Watching this sight, the heart couldnt help but convulse slightly. Nevertheless, knowing that this was a chance for it to strike, it rushed forward and sent a surge of killing intent toward the finger, attempting to subdue it. ... Sometimeter, the movements of the finger finally came to aplete halt. Abandoning its previous arrogant attitude, ity humbly in the book. ... "Young Master!" After an inestimable length of time, a voice sounded from the consciousness in the finger. The heart had sessfully devoured the Vicious within the finger and assimted it into a part of it. "Young Master, the sh with that fellows will while devouring it has depleted my spirit. I need to rest for a moment... I have already wiped away the consciousness in the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast, so you should be able to absorb it to nourish your soul," Vicious said. Following which, he felt a surge of soul energy leaving the book. Sensing the incredible purity of the soul, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though the emperor of the Cloudmist Ridge was only an iplete soul, it wielded powerparable to a Saint realm 5-dan. If he could absorb the energy in the soul and assimte it into his own, his soul cultivation could rise significantly. However, this wasnt the time to do so yet. The battle against the Cloudmist Ridge had just ended, and there were many other things that he still had to attend to. Taking Kong shis scroll back from Vicious, Zhang Xuan took a look at it and saw yet another thousand words had disappeared from it, meaning only a third of the original writing remained. His eyelids began twitching furiously, but a momentter, he sighed deeply and stowed it into his storage ring. Any other master teacher who obtained Kong shis writing would worship it as if it was their ancestor. He was probably the only one who trampled on it in such a manner. After returning to the cavern, Zhang Xuan instructed the Myriad Anthive Queen to devour the folded space. With the Bluehorn Emperor Beast, the culprit behind the deaths of countless master teachers, destroyed, the Cloudmist Ridge would no longer pose a threat anymore. The deceased master teachers who had died under its tyranny should also be able to rest in peace now. As the folded space wasnt toorge, and the Myriad Anthive Queens cultivation was also significantly higher than before, it only took an hour this time for it to devour itpletely. After which, he returned the Myriad Anthive Queen to the nest before heading out. When he finally returned to the area where the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was stored, he saw the Golden Beartiger Beast lying t like a pancake on the ground, deader than ever. Upon noticing him, the Golden Origin Cauldron immediately rushed over to greet him. "Master, I have killed this fellow for you, and he had quite a few good things with him..." With a fawning smile, it took out a storage ring and passed it over to Zhang Xuan. "Storage ring?" Zhang Xuan frowned for a moment before he suddenly recalled something. While spirit beasts were unable to ess storage rings, saint beasts could. As the oldest king of the Cloudmist Ridge, the Golden Beartiger Beast had at least lived for a thousand year now. Over the years, it had killed many experts and collected their possessions as spoils of war, so it should have considerable wealth in its ring. Zhang Xuan hadnt really thought of that earlier, but it seemed like his loyal Ding Ding had already helped him settle this matter. The seal on a storage ring would be erased upon the death of its master, so Zhang Xuan was able to easily im possession of it using a droplet of blood. Immersing his consciousness into the ring, he took a peek at what was within. The area inside was farrger than his current storage ring, spanning a diameter of several hundred meters. There were all kinds of treasures stacked up into towering piles all around, and just the number of middle-tier spirit stones in itself numbered in the tens of millions. There were also around several hundred high-tier spirit stones ced together as well. Besides that, there were also valuable medicinal herbs, high-grade pills, and rare ores of all sorts scattered all around the ce in unimaginable quantities As for weapons, there were several hundreds of them, of which, around forty were at Spirit pinnacle, and three of them were even at Half-Saint! "Incredible!" Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by the grandeur before him. Ever since his transcension to this world, he had worked diligently to earn money, not willing to spare even a single gold coin in his path. He had thought that with his hard work, he had already umted quite arge fortune for himself, butpared to this king of the Cloudmist Ridge, what he had was truly nothing inparison. But thinking about it... the Cloudmist Ridge had kidnapped Elder Wu Yangzi back then, so it must have taken quite a bit of treasure from thetter too. Just that in itself was sufficient to make it filthy rich. It had been two thousand years, so the Golden Beartiger Beast might not have even been born back then, but as the spokesperson of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast, it should have inherited most of the umted wealth of the Cloudmist Ridge. Chapter 888: Sinned! Chapter 888: Sinned! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That was only a small portion of the storage ring. What had particrly caught Zhang Xuans eye was the incredible pile of saint beast inner cores by the side. Saint beasts might enjoy a longer lifespan than humans, but death ultimately came to all. umted over several millenniums, the number of saint beast inner cores in the storage ring had reached an unbelievable numberthere were several hundred of them! Every single one of these inner cores was incredibly valuable and could be sold at an astronomical price. After looking through all of the treasures within the storage ring, Zhang Xuan waspletely dumbstruck. Compared to the Golden Beartiger Beast, he felt like a beggar unting a coin in his bowl before a tycoon Delighted, Zhang Xuan turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and said, "You have done well getting this for me! How do you wish to be rewarded?" With so many treasures in the storage ring, it was very likely that the Golden Beartiger Beast had hidden it somewhere discreet so that no one else could get to it. If the Golden Origin Cauldron had not gotten it out of the Golden Beartiger Beast, he might have just missed it. Despite Ding Dings asional silly behavior, it seemed like it was still reliable in crucial moments like this! "Hehe, it will suffice as long as Master doesnt forget to raise my strength," the Golden Origin Cauldron said. "Dont worry!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Currently, the Golden Origin Cauldron was only a Saint low-tier artifact. As long as Zhang Xuan raised his smithing capability further, he would be able to help raise its tier. It was also due to this promise that the Golden Origin Cauldron had willingly submitted to Zhang Xuan back then. Otherwise, as the proud Guardian Saint Artifact of the academy, it couldnt possibly have acknowledged anyone as its master so easily! Threat might force another to submit, but it would only eventually breed acrimony and result in betrayal. It took abination of both the carrot and the stick in order to instill true loyalty. After leaving the cavern with the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan was weed by the Scarlet ze Lion, Tigerhead Beast, and the other kings. "How is it?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Master, all of the spirit beasts that were fighting have been pulled back, and they are currently waiting for you at the foot of the mountain!" the Scarlet ze Beast hurriedly said. After everything they had gone through, they no longer dared harbor any second thoughts regarding their loyalty to the young man before them. "Lets head over." Zhang Xuan nodded as he began making his way to the foot of the mountain. They soon saw thousands of spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge gathered orderly at the foot of the mountain. As Zhang Xuan appeared before their eyes, amotion broke out amid them; each and every one of them widened their eyes in astonishment. They were in the midst of fighting against the Master Teacher Academy when they were suddenly brought here. They had no idea what exactly had happened, and why the kings would choose to negotiate with the humans. Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan began speaking without any hesitation. "The growth of a beast is reliant not only on absorbing the essence of the world and spiritual energy, but to emte the behavior of humans and cultivate..." ... Around the time that Zhang Xuan arrived at the foot of the Cloudmist Ridge, School Head Mo also arrived at Leiyuan Peak. It had been almost four hours since the duo went to the Cloudmist Ridge to negotiate, and Zhao Bingxu had already gathered all of the students along with Mu shi and the other school heads in preparation to fight a bitter war. When they saw School Head Mo return alone, without the principal by his side, theirplexion turned incredibly awful. Zhao Bingxu immediately rushed forward, grabbed School Head Mo, and asked him in agitation, "Where is the principal? How is he?" "Mo Zhu, how can you allow the principal to face such danger alone? If something happens to him, how do you intend to face the teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy?" Wei Ranxue red at School Head Mo so coldly that it felt that thetter would freeze on the spot. When Zhao Bingxu returned and informed them that their principal had gone to the Cloudmist Ridge to negotiate in order to stop the war and reduce their casualties, all of them nearly had died of shock. What kind of ce was the Cloudmist Ridge? It was and dominated by spirit beasts and saint beasts, and nearly all cultivators who dared to tread thosends were never heard from again. It wasnt easy for them to find a new principal to lead their academy to greater heights, and if they were to lose their principal over this matter, they would be the sinners of history, and no amount of time would wash away their sin. "I..." A bitter smile filled with helplessness emerged on School Head Mos face. Even if I really had tried to stop the principal, do you think that I would have been able to stop him? "Enough! This isnt the time to be talking about this. How is Senior Uncle doing, and what is the current situation on the Cloudmist Ridge?" Mu shi interjected sharply. "I heard that the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge are all vicious beings who are filled with hostility for humans. You probably met with a lot of trouble negotiating with them, right?" The others also quickly turned to School Head Mo, waiting intently for him to respond. "Trouble? ..." School Head Mo had no idea where he should start from. There was indeed a lot of trouble, but they werent the ones who faced trouble. After spending some time organizing his thoughts, School Head Mo began speaking. "The Ten Indomitable Kings demanded that the negotiation be conducted in a certain cavern, and we headed over and began discussing how we should resolve the conflict. In the midst of that, our principal... headed out for a moment, and when he finally returned, out of the Ten Indomitable Kings... nine had be his tamed beast! And the three thousand aerial spirit beasts, too, had acknowledged him as their master! In other words, other than the spirit beasts who had battled with the students earlier, all of the Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge have all be our principals tamed beasts..." Before School Head Mo could finish his words, he noticed a bizarre silence hanging in the air. Perplexed, he raised his head to take a look, only to see all of the school heads and Mu shi staring at him with ckened jaws and bulging eyes, as if the limits of their rationality had been challenged. Seeing their expressions, School Head Mo wasnt surprised in the least. There was no one in the world who wouldnt react in this way after hearing such news. To head to a negotiation and end up taming all of the enemys forces... Who could have imagined that? Negotiation? More like a seizure of property! Did it really have to be so exaggerated? "That is everything that happened..." Looking at the looks of disbelief of those around him, School Head Mo could only shrug helplessly. To be honest, if he hadnt been there to witness it himself, even he would never have believed such a story. Ever since the establishment of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had been a huge threat. Many of the previous principals had attempted to do something about it, but their efforts had been futile. Yet, the principal of the current generation, despite being yet to be inaugurated, had alreadypletely overturned the other partys nest! On top of that, not only did he snap the threat from its very roots, he had even tamed all of the saint beasts, which would bolster the forces of the Master Teacher Academy significantly! With this additional force, perhaps the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy could be pushed up a single ranking among the Four Great Academies of Qingyuan Empire. With his head still spinning from having heard such an unbelievable epic, Zhao Bingxu asked, "Where is the principal now?" "He had me return to organize the students while he deals with some misceneous affairs. He is probably still at the Cloudmist Ridge at the moment," School Head Mo replied. "Zhong Dingchun, have your students take the wounded to your Physician School for treatment. Xu Changqing, get the students of your Martial Arts School to remain on guard in case a battle urs. As for the other school heads, follow me to the Cloudmist Ridge!" Knowing that his Senior Uncle was still in the Cloudmist Ridge, Mu shi swiftly made arrangements. Naturally, the responsibility for treating the wounded students would fall on the Physician School. And even though School Head Mo had said that the problem was resolved, the situation wasnt entirely clear yet, so the Master Teacher Academy still had to keep its guard up in case an ident urred. Of the ten schools, the Martial Arts School boasted the greatest fighting power, so they were left to stand on guard. "Yes!" Zhong Dingchun and Xu Changqing nodded before rushing off to make preparations. "Lets go!" Mu shi nodded before rushing over to the Cloudmist Ridge with the other school heads. ... "Look, what is that?" Before they even reached their destination, they suddenly noticed innumerable spirit beasts gathered at the foot of the mountain with their bodies lying on the floor. Their eyes were gleaming in gratitude and respect, a vast contrast from the savagery and viciousness when they were battling before. At the very forefront of the army of spirit beasts was a young man standing on the back of one of the Saint realm kings. His nonchnt voice echoed resoundingly, drawing in an overwhelming amount of zhenqi into the surroundings that it created an illusion of lotus flowers falling from the sky. Listening to the words of that young man, the spirit beasts seemed to fall into a trance. This was the ability that only 5-star master teachers possessed, Spirit Gathering Diction! "This is... a lecture for the spirit beasts?" The arriving master teachers were stunned. They had seen master teachers conducting lectures for their peers, students, and fellow cultivators, but this was the very first time they had seen anyone lecture spirit beasts. And more importantly, every single one of the countless spirit beasts in the area was listening intently to each word that was spoken, and some of them were even using their snouts or paws to make notes on the ground. In the midst of their shock, Zhang Xuans voice suddenly sounded. "... Alright, I will end the lecture here. You are dismissed!" Roar! Roar! But despite Zhang Xuans words, the spirit beasts didnt scatter. Instead, they raised their heads and roared in unison, the sheer volume of which shook even the clouds in the sky. After which, they rose from the ground, and a droplet of blood floated out of each of their bee and toward Zhang Xuan. "The heck..." Watching a wave of fresh blood rushing toward him, threatening to drown him within it, Zhang Xuans knee weakened, and he nearly copsed on the spot. I was just conducting a casual lecture for you all; no one is asking you to acknowledge me as your master... Besides, even if you all want to acknowledge me as your master, there is no need for you to do it together, right? A droplet of blood from nearly a hundred thousand spirit beasts... That is probably enough to fill even a swimming pool! Zhang Xuan fell into a frenzy, but Mu shi and the others nearly lost their minds. It seemed like their principal didnt intend to stop with just taming the Ten Indomitable Kings... His aim was all of the spirit beasts in the Cloudmist Ridge! A hundred thousand spirit beasts... With such a force, their principal could overrun even a Tier-1 Empire like Hongyuan Empire with a single word! "To make so many spirit beasts acknowledge him as their master and resolve such a huge threat for Hongyuan Empire... T-this... there is no way to calcte his contribution at all! I must report this to the Beast Hall!" School Head Mo muttered with quivering lips. To make all of the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge acknowledge him as their master with a single lecture, there was no one who had achieved such a feat before him, and it was likely that no one else would after him... The contribution from doing so was immeasurable! On top of that, the other party had also tamed the Ten Indomitable Kings and many Nascent Saint and Half-Saint beasts as well... If Zhang Xuan was only an ordinary 7-star beast tamer with no contribution to the Beast Hall before, at this very moment, he could be considered a hero of the Beast Hall! He couldnt help but remember the saying, Silent in rest, devastating in action. This sure was applicable to Zhang Xuan at that moment! In the midst of his shock, School Head Mo didnt forget to heave a sigh of relief too. Its fortunate that I had the foresight to apply for the 7-star beast tamer emblem for him earlier on so that he need not take the examination. Otherwise, I can hardly imagine what the state of the Beast Tamer School would be in now... After seeing the tragic states that the cksmith School, Physician School, and Apothecary School were in after a visit from their principal, School Head Mo deeply feared that the other party woulde to take their beast tamer examination as well, so he took the initiative to apply for it in advance. From the looks of it, it was probably the wisest decision he had ever made in his life. Otherwise, if all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts in the Beast Tamer School were to take him as their master as well, there would definitely be a huge riot among the students! "Lets go over..." Suppressing his shock, Mu shi raised his trembling hands and gestured for everyone to head over to Zhang Xuans side. But moving over, they found themselves faced with a tearful young man. The crowd hurriedly sped their fists and greeted him. "Paying respect to Principal Zhang!" As if meeting his savior, Zhang Xuan hurriedly rushed over and pleaded with reddened eyes. "You are here... Have these spirit beasts gone insane? Why are they so insistent on taking me as their master? School Head Mo, you are the head of the Beast Tamer School... Do you have any idea how one can halt the acknowledgement ceremony?" He had really onlye here to conduct a lecture; he had no intentions of bing their master! None at all! "Halt the acknowledgement ceremony? I fear that there is no way to do so..." School Head Mo shook his head. It was extremely difficult to tame even one of these spirit beasts, and their principal had managed to tame all of them. Yet, he still had such an expression on his face... Principal Zhang, do you know that you are drawing a lot of hostility from beast tamers around the world? On the other hand, upon hearing that there was no way to undo the acknowledgement ceremony, a look of helplessness and despair surfaced on Zhang Xuan. A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, and he couldnt help but exim in agony. "I have sinned!" Chapter 889: Wei Ruyans Awakening Chapter 889: Wei Ruyans Awakening Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan had truly dug his own grave this time around. Taming a few saint beasts could give him a few more cards to y in times of crisis, but so many saint beasts... There was truly no need for that. But these fellows were insistent on taking him as their master, and none were willing to back down at all. If he were to turn them down, it could possibly result in an upheaval. It would be foolish to undo all of the effort that had gone into calming down the Cloudmist Ridge. In other words... he had no choice but to ept all of the spirit beasts. Indignant! Very indignant! What in the world is this? Putting everything aside, just taking in the souls of so many spirit beasts would put a huge burden on him. If not for Zhang Xuans unbelievably powerful soul, he would have long lost his sense of self and gone insane! But even so, he still suffered severe vertigo from having to take in so many souls, and his eyes turned bloodshot. Tears streamed down his face endlessly, and he found himself choked by agitation. I only came with the sole intention of conducting a lecture for you; I really had no intention to tame any of you at all... Please, spare me... ... After around twelve hours of effort, Zhang Xuan finally managed to take in all of the offered souls from the spirit beasts. By the end of it, he was feeling so fatigued that he could faint any minute. But still, he knew that this wasnt the time to rest yet. It had been a day since Wei Ruyans soul was ced into the Bodhi Saint Tree to be nurtured, and she should be waking up soon. He had to take a look at her condition. Otherwise, if the Bodhi Saint Tree were to sumb to Wei Ruyans unique constitution due to extended exposure to it, his efforts could end in futility once again. The Innate Soul Constitution was simply too powerful. Even Zhang Xuan didnt dare to underestimate its prowess. Thus, leaving the Cloudmist Ridge, Zhang Xuan rushed all the way to the royal pce. It was alreadyte at night, but with all of themotion in the Cloudmist Ridge, Yu Shenqing was in no mood to rest at all. Thus, upon hearing that Zhang Xuan had arrived, he rushed out to wee him. "Has anything peculiar happened to the Bodhi Saint Tree?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Nothing that I can think of..." Yu Shenqing was confused by Zhang Xuans abrupt question. "Lets head over there to take a look." Without exining himself, Zhang Xuan hurried over to the residence where the Bodhi Saint Tree was located under Yu Shenqings lead. Soon, in the residence, he finally saw a lush Bodhi Saint Tree that didnt show any signs of being poisoned, and he heaved a long sigh of relief. "Zhang shi, I will be taking my leave now. If you have anything that you require my help on, feel free to let my men know." Knowing that Zhang Xuan was going to settle a private matter, Yu Shenqing sped his fist and bade farewell. After Yu Shenqings departure, Zhang Xuan double checked that there was no one in the vicinity of the residence before drawing out his soul to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Tree. Under the nourishment of the Bodhi Saint Tree, Wei Ruyans soul had already grown significantly stronger. Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan drew her soul out of the tree before gently cing it back into her body. After which, he used his soul energy to facilitate the fusion process between her body and soul. It was no easy feat to fuse a separated soul and body together, but it was fortunate that Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art. This granted his soul a unique property that allowed him to possess the body of another without suffering any significant rejection... Nevertheless, it still took around an hour before he managed to fuse Wei Ruyans body and soul together perfectly. After doing all of that, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the other partys be and said, "Wake up!" Weng! A crisp buzz sounded, and Wei Ruyan began to open her eyes slowly. It must be said that despite her many years of sickness, Wei Ruyan was still an incredible beauty on par with Wang Ying. What particrly caught Zhang Xuans attention were her eyes. Perhaps it was because she had never witnessed the evils in the world; her eyes were extremely bright and clear, reflecting the innocence of an infant. "You are..." Upon seeing the young man before her, a perplexed look surfaced on Wei Ruyans face. She had been asleep all along, so this was the very first time she had met the benefactor who had saved her life. "I am Zhang Xuan, a master teacher. I have managed to sessfully cure the affliction you are suffering from, so you need not live a life filled with pain and suffering anymore." Zhang Xuan nodded. "My affliction has been cured?" Wei Ruyan could hardly believe what she was hearing. For as long as she could remember, she had always been gued by an affliction. Her father had taken her to many physicians and master teachers, and she had tried all kinds of treatments in the world, but nothing seemed to work. In the depths of her heart, she had already given up long ago. When she fainted the previous time, she had thought that she would nevere to again. Yet, she found herself opening her eyes to this world once more, and a man even told her that she was cured of her affliction. This was... She dared not believe what she was hearing to be true. Seeing through her thoughts, Zhang Xuan smiled gently and said, "Try standing up." "Stand up?" Confused, Wei Ruyan pressed her palm softly against the ground to prop herself up, but to her astonishment, her body flew seven meters into the air instead, causing her to nearly crash head-on into a nearby tree. "Ahhh!" She screamed in fright as she fell back down, waiting in apprehension for the onset of pain the moment she crashed back onto the ground. However, her iling arms, in a moment of panic, ended up creating a strong wind beneath her instead, which gently ced her back to the ground. "T-this..." Wei Ruyan widened her eyes in shock, dumbstruck by the changes in her body. Due to her affliction, despite her father being a Saint realm expert, she had never cultivated for a single day in her life. But... to be able to fly into the air with a light push andnd softly just by iling her arms, it was clear that she possessed strength beyond that an ordinary mortal... What was happening? Seeing the look of confusion on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile, "You have consumed many precious medicinal herbs over the years, and even though they didnt do your affliction any good, their medicinal properties are starting to work their magic now that your body has recovered. At the moment, you already possess strengthparable to a Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivator!" In order to save his daughter, Wei Changfeng had fed her all kinds of precious medicinal herbs, and on top of that, Wei Ruyan had also consumed the nearly grade-8 Grand Intermittence Pill just some time ago. As a result, despite having never cultivated for a single day in her life, her body still harnessed immense powerparable to a Chrysalis realm expert! If one were to take into consideration her double unique constitutions as well, she was definitely on par with an average Half-Saint! However, having never cultivated any cultivation technique or battle technique in her life, she didnt know how to utilize her newfound strength. "Chrysalis realm pinnacle?" Wei Ruyan was stunned. Suffering from such a severe affliction from a very young age, the greatest wish she had was to be granted an ordinary life. She had never dared hope that she would be able to cultivate and harness such great strength. But now... everything suddenly came to her at once! "Zhang shi, thank you for saving my life!" Knowing that it was the young man before her who had granted her this second life, Wei Ruyan kneeled to the floor without any hesitation. "Please rise!" Zhang Xuan stepped forward to help her up. "Yes!" Standing up, Wei Ruyan began scanning her surroundings, and noticing theck of a familiar figure, she asked, "Zhang shi, where is my father? Does he know of my recovery?" She had seen the extent her father had gone for her, so in her moment of recovery, the very first person she wanted to share the news with was him. If her father found out that she had recovered and could even cultivate, he would probably immediately leap in joy. Just by thinking about how her father would react to the news, Wei Ruyans eyes couldnt help but curl into crescents, and her lips inched up into a sweet smile. For many years, the both of them had relied on one another for support, creating an exceptional connection between them. "Wei Changfeng..." Seeing the expectant gleam in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan had no idea how he should break the news. Noticing that something was amiss with Zhang shis expression, an ominous premonition surfaced in Wei Ruyans heart, and she asked anxiously, "What about my father?" "He has departed from this world." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan sighed. As cruel as it was, this was the truth. Wei Ruyan would have to face it one day. "Departed...?" Wei Ruyans face froze before slowly paling. Her body staggered weakly, and she shook her head in disbelief. For as long as she could remember, her father had always been by her side. He told her bedtime stories and apanied her during her treatment. No matter what her request was, he would always give in to her so as to make her happy. She had thought that she would leave this world ahead of him, but who would have thought that... this would be the very first thing she would hear after her awakening! "Ruyan, you must live on. No matter the price, I will definitely save you!" "Be good and take your medicine, it will help you recover..." "You are my beloved daughter. I am willing to give you everything in the world, including my life..." ... Those words still echoed clearly in her ears, but the person who had said them had already disappeared... Time and time again, he had begged physicians to treat her. Time and time again, he had ventured into dangerousnds to seek rare herbs for her affliction... There were innumerable memories of her traveling on her fathers back, going around to seek others for help. But now that she had finally recovered, her father was no longer around to see it... Father... Wei Ruyans eyes reddened as her vision was blurred by the tears streaming down her cheeks. Amid sobs, she turned to Zhang Xuan and asked hoarsely, "How did my father die?" "He died while trying to save you..." Without hiding anything, Zhang Xuan told her everything that had happened. This included the affair with the Ten-leafed Flower, You Xus scheme, and Wei Changfeng venturing into the depths of the Cloudmist Ridge alone... Hearing that her father had trudged on, despite having sustained heavy injuries, in order to obtain the Cloudmist Flower to save her, Wei Ruyans clenched her fists tightly, and her skinny figure began to tremble uncontrobly. "Father..." she muttered weakly. A fathers love was greater than a mountain, and no words or actions could possibly repay those sentiments. She had intended to use her entire life to repay the favor, but it was impossible now... Taking a deep breath, Wei Ruyan seemed to havee to a decision, and her knees fell to the ground. "Zhang shi, please ept me as your student!" Since her father had lost his life in exchange for hers, she would have to live well so that her fathers soul would be consoled as he watched her from above. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright, I will ept you. From today on, you will be my student." From the moment he promised Wei Changfeng to take care of his daughter, he had already decided to take Wei Ruyan in as his student. "Student Wei Ruyan pays respect to Zhangoshi!" Kneeling on the ground, Wei Ruyan kowtowed grandly several times in order toplete the acknowledgement ceremony. Knowing that this was the tradition, Zhang Xuan epted her kowtows. After acknowledging Zhang Xuan, Wei Ruyan stood up and asked through clenched teeth, "Teacher, may I know where the culprit behind my fathers death, You Xu, is?" Years of fighting against her affliction had made her mind exceptionally strong despite her young age. Her mental fortitude was at least on par with Lu Chong, if not surpassing him. Since You Xu was the culprit behind her fathers death, she was determined to make him pay the price, regardless of whether he was a master teacher and the vice head of the Physician School or not! Understanding Wei Ruyans emotions, Zhang Xuan nodded. "I knew that you would surely want to exact vengeance for your father, so I have already detained him. "Follow me!" After saying these words, Zhang Xuan informed one of the guards to bid Yu Shenqing farewell in his stead. After which, he summoned the Byzantium Helios Beast, and the duo got on it and headed back for his manor. Upon reaching his manor, Zhang Xuan had Sun Qiang bring the imprisoned You Xu over. At this moment, You Xu had his cultivation sealed, and he no longer bore any resemnce to the majestic vice school head he used to be. In just half a month, he had grown so thin that he was barely even skin and bones, and he looked like he had aged a decade. "This is the culprit behind your fathers death. I will leave him for you to deal with." Knowing that Wei Ruyan would want to vent her anger and frustration, Zhang Xuan waved his hands before heading out, closing the door behind him. If she wanted to exact vengeance for her father, she should do it with her own hands. He, Zhang Xuan, would never ept a weak-minded person as his disciple! Chapter 890: The Reason Behind the Old Principals Death Chapter 890: The Reason Behind the Old Principals Death Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Returning to his room, Zhang Xuan finally felt exhaustion setting into his body. It had been two days since he returned from the search for the Firefly Fruit, and he hadnt had a single moment of rest. On top of that, bing the master of the many spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had caused him to overexert his spirit as well. Were it not for his massive soul, he would have never been able to hold on. Nevertheless, as soon as the tension left his body, he felt a splitting headache striking his mind. Before Vicious fell into a temporarya, he helped me tamper with the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast to remove its consciousness. I can use that to heal my wounded soul. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan whipped out the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast before drawing his own soul out as well. Driving the Heavens Path Soul Art, he began to devour the soul before his eyes. Tzzzzz! The pure soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast gushed into Zhang Xuans soul in the form of a warm surge of energy, healing and tempering it further. Not too longter, Zhang Xuans soul was fully recovered. On top of that, it had also be slightly bigger and stronger. As the Bluehorn Dragon Beasts soul wascking a portion, it couldnt be said to beplete. Nevertheless, it was still a soul that had reached Saint realm 5-dan, so in terms of the purity of its energy, even a high-tier spirit stone would be no match for it. Its truly a pity that I dont have theplete Chrysalis realm Heavens Path Soul Art yet... or else, I would have been able to raise my soul cultivation further! After consuming a portion of the Bluehorn Dragon Beasts soul and feeling his soul being filled to the brim, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head and put it back. He only had the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Heavens Path Soul Art at the moment, so there was no way for him to advance his cultivation any further. Of course, he could choose to absorb the soul to enhance the quantity of his soul instead of the quality, but if he were to do so, it was possible that the awkward situation that had befallen him back in the Cleansing Lake might ur once more. If his soul and body were to be ipatible once more, not only would his fighting prowess not increase, it might decline instead. Its a pity that the Cloudmist Ridge is dominated by saint beasts, so there are no human cultivation techniques here. Otherwise, I could have tried to gather books,pile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art, and attempt a breakthrough to Half-Saint tonight... There were all kinds of treasures in the Golden Beartiger Beasts storage ring, but there was simply a certain itemckingcultivation technique manuals. Spirit beasts and saint beasts cultivated in a vastly different manner from humans, so the cultivation techniques of humans were useless to the Golden Beartiger Beast, thus he didnt leave any behind. Otherwise, given that there was still some time before daylight, he could have attempted to break through to Half-Saint realm. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan thought, Forget it. It will be the inauguration ceremony in a few hours time, and once I be the principal, I will be able to ess all of the books in the academy freely. By then, I can easily gather all of the cultivation technique manuals that I amcking together and form the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art... If it had been before, Zhang Xuan would surely have begun searching around to see if he could find any cultivation techniques. However, considering that he would be able to ess all of the books in the academy tomorrow, there was no need for him to go through that trouble anymore. "Teacher!" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to rest, he suddenly heard Wei Ruyans voice from beyond the window. Frowning, Zhang Xuan walked over. "Whats wrong?" Wasnt she going to exact vengeance for her father? Did she get soft-hearted at thest moment? "Teacher, You Xu revealed some important news regarding the Master Teacher Academy right before I was going to kill him, so I dare not make a decision by myself. Thus, I came over here to report the matter to you!" Wei Ruyan said. "What is it?" Zhang Xuan frowned. From the very start, Zhang Xuan had already felt that there was something amiss with You Xu, and this feeling only intensified after the incident regarding the Bodhi Saint Trees poisoning. However, since You Xu was Wei Ruyans enemy, he still decided to leave the other party to her in the end. He really hadnt thought that she would be able to get vital information out of him. "It seems to be regarding the true reason behind the old principals death," Wei Ruyan said with a grim expression. "However, he was unwilling to go into details regarding the matter, and he demanded to meet Teacher instead." "Un, noted." Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to walk out, he hesitated for a moment before bringing the Byzantium Helios Beast out. The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of the old principal, and he was known to be extremely loyal to thetter as well. Since this matter concerned the death of the old principal, he had the right to listen to it as well. Thus, the three of them headed for the residence where You Xu was. When they entered, You Xus face was extremely pale, and his body was shaking uncontrobly. "You poisoned him?" Seeing the other partys state, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. As an expert on poison himself, he could instantly tell this reaction wasnt just due to You Xus fear but the lethal poison coursing through his body as well. Wei Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Body and the Poison Soul Constitution. Killing a master teacher who had his cultivation sealed was an extremely easy feat for her. "Thats right," Wei Ruyan admitted. She wasnt very aware about her unique constitution, but she had known from a young age that her body was capable of producing lethal poison. Since this fellow was the culprit behind her fathers death, she wasnt willing to let him off the hook easily. She wanted him to suffer for his actions first. Just that, she didnt think that he would sumb so easily and reveal secrets that were beyond her imagination. Thus, she swiftly rushed out to find her teacher to deal with this matter. Fearing that her teacher would reprimand her, Wei Ruyan said timidly, "Have I done... wrong? I wont do it again!" "Its fine this time, but you arent to use such a method on anyone else!" Zhang Xuan said with a frown. Wei Changfeng was the only kin that Wei Ruyan had, and he had been her mental support for over many years. Fearing that Wei Ruyan might crumble under the loss of her loved one, Zhang Xuan had chosen to leave You Xu to her so as to allow her to vent all of her unpleasant emotions and give her closure for this matter. Nevertheless, there was still a need to instill the correct values in her, especially since she was still young. Driving his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan began speaking with the Impartation of Heavens Will infused in his words. "Vice School Head You Xu, we meet once more. Since I am here, you can start speaking. What happened to the old principal?" His current Soul Depth was at 21.1, which was on par with 7-star master teachers. On top of that, he also possessed the Heart of a Teacher. With his means, he could easily make the mentally unstable You Xu reveal everything obediently. With his eyes zed, You Xu began to speak. "It was truly a moment of foolishness! "Two years ago, the old principal gathered all of the elders in the academy and revealed that he had discovered an ancient domain, and there was a high chance that a great secret was concealed within it, so it had to be explored. Thus, after some discussion, it was decided that I, along with the old principal and twenty other elders, would set forth for the ancient domain. "But who knew that we would encounter a spatial storm not too long after entering the ancient domain, scattering our group. Out of sheer misfortune, I fell into a folded space and was captured by the Otherworldly Demons... "They gave me a bottle of poison and forced me to feed it to the old principal and the other members of the expedition... "I really had no intention of harming them at all, but they had ced an extremely formidable curse on me, leaving me with no choice but to obey them..." You Xu confessed as he began wailing sorrowfully. "Is it the same poison that you used against me in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel?" Zhang Xuan asked with an awfulplexion. "Thats right!" You Xu nodded. "You scoundrel!" With his teeth clenched so tightly that a screeching sound echoed clearly in the room, the Byzantium Helios Beasts eyes reddened, and its massive body trembled intensely out of fury. His old master had treated You Xu so well, but to think that thetter would be so callous as to poison him! If not for this scoundrel before him, even if the expedition had met with some kind of danger in the ancient domain, they couldnt possibly have been wiped outpletely! "As a master teacher, instead of protecting your own kind, you chose to side with the Otherworldly Demons and aid them in harming your own brethren. How can you find the courage to remain living in this world?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed menacingly. He had tried the poison out himself, and if one had no means to neutralize it, even a Saint realm1-dan expert would be killed in just a few moments. The old principal possessed exceptional fighting prowess, but to fall under that scoundrels poison and be surrounded by the Otherworldly Demons shortly after, how could he possibly survive? It could be said that You Xu was truly the scum of humanity, the shame of the master teachers! "Are you the one behind the poisoning of the royal familys Bodhi Saint Tree as well?" Zhang Xuan continued the interrogation. "Yes." You Xu nodded. "Why?" The Bodhi Saint Tree was only something used by the royal family to nurture their souls, and it should have had nothing to do with the Otherworldly Demons. Why would he have to go to the effort of poisoning it? "I am not too sure about the exact reason myself either; I simply did what they ordered me to do. They said that, as long as I aplished this mission, they would use their secret means to lengthen my lifespan by an additional fifty years," You Xu confessed. Under the effects of the lethal poison coursing through his body, his mind was already on the verge of copse. As such, he was unable to put up any resistance against Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will, so he quickly revealed everything he knew. The closer ones life inched toward the end, the more desperately one would clutch on to life. You Xu was no exception to the rule. With the Otherworldly Demons promise to lengthen his lifespan, along with all of the threats they had made, he eventually gave in to them. Deep in his heart, he knew that this was the wrong move to make, but with a precedent made, it wasnt that difficult to take the second step. Before long, he found himself at a distance too far away to turn back. As for information regarding the ancient domain that they had gone to, as You Xu had been captured by the Otherworldly Demons right after he entered, he couldnt say for sure what the secrets it held were either. The same went for poisoning the Bodhi Saint Tree. He was only a puppet used by the Otherworldly Demons, so he wasnt qualified to learn of their true ns. After the interrogation finally came to an end, the Byzantium Helios Beast gritted his teeth and said, "Master, can you leave this scum to me to deal with?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "His crimes definitely warrants death, but this matter is too great for us to pass judgement on ourselves. I will have Mu shi take him back to the headquarters to investigate this matter. Dont worry, the Master Teacher Pavilion will never be lenient with traitors. He will suffer a death far more gruesome than we can imagine!" If You Xu had only caused Wei Changfengs death, given Zhang Xuans standing as the seeding principal of the academy and the victor of the Life-and-Death Physician School, he had the right and the authority to deal with You Xu as he liked. However, given that You Xu was involved in the death of the old principal and the schemes of the Otherworldly Demons, this matter had already exceeded their jurisdiction. They couldnt just kill him that easily anymore. The headquarters had to be informed of this matter so that they could investigate further. After a moment of hesitation, the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded reluctantly. "... Alright!" He wanted to kill that fellow badly, but as the tamed beast of the old principal, he had a rough grasp of the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. In any case, death could be considered a mercy to that traitor. Delivering him to the headquarters to be tried and punished so that he would permanently bear the shame on his name would be greatest punishment to him. Zhang Xuan turned to Wei Ruyan. "What about you?" "I will follow teachers arrangements." Wei Ruyan nodded. "Good." Zhang Xuan patted Wei Ruyans back. "Alright, I will call Mu shi over now." After which, he called Sun Qiang over and issued some instructions to him. Less than ten minutester, Mu shi descended in the courtyard of the manor. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mu shi sped his fist and greeted respectfully, "Senior Uncle!" Zhang Xuan gestured to the feeble-looking old man beside him and said, "Mu shi! After some investigation, I have found that You Xu has betrayed mankind. He colluded with the Otherworldly Demons to bring about the death of the old principal and the entire expedition that went with them to the ancient domain. I hope that you can take him back to the headquarters to be tried!" "Betrayed humanity?" Mu shi narrowed his eyes in rm. "Senior Uncle, are you certain?" This was an extremely grave sin to bear, especially for a master teacher. Once confirmed, it would ruin ones life and make one the scorn of humanity. "I am certain!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I see. I will make preparations then!" Knowing how grave this matter was, Mu shi waved his hand and bound You Xu with his zhenqi. Carrying thetter with his zhenqi, he said, "I will take him back to the headquarters right now. Pardon me, I dont think that I will be able to make it to Senior Uncles inauguration ceremony anymore..." Since Zhang Xuans role as the Master Teacher Academys principal was already agreed upon by him and the Ten Great Master Teachers, the inauguration ceremony could be considered nothing more than a formality. It didnt matter whether he participated in it or not. It was more important for him to take the traitor of humanity back to the headquarters to be judged. "Its fine, go ahead!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Responding with a nod, Mu shi leaped up, and before long, he disappeared into the night sky. Chapter 891: The Four Emperors Chapter 891: The Four Emperors Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back in Hongyuan royal pce... After Zhang Xuan left, Yu Shenqing hurried to the residence where the Bodhi Saint Tree was and checked the surroundings. After confirming that there was no damage whatsoever, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. The seeding Principal Zhang was an outstanding man, possessing superior talent in cultivation, exceptional proficiency in his supporting upations, amazing eye of discernment, and an upright character... But if one had to point out a w with that seemingly perfect man, it would be that he simply loved to cause destruction wherever he went. Every time the other party paid the royal pce a visit, he would feel his heart beating swiftly in apprehension, fearing that the other party would tear the entire ce down. In truth, he was rather surprised when the other party managed to cure the Bodhi Saint Tree without tearing anything down the previous time. "Your Majesty!" Shortly after Yu Shenqing returned to the imperial study, the old eunuch, Luo Fu, walked in. "Un. What is the situation at the Cloudmist Ridge?" Yu Shenqing asked. Considering the huge fuss at the Cloudmist Ridge, he, as the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, had been keeping an eye on it so that he could prepare swift countermeasures should the situation deteriorate. In fact, he had evenmanded for all of the soldiers that could be mobilized in Hongyuan City to stand on guard so that they would be ready to move whenever the situation called for it. Luo Fu sped his fist and answered, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the battle between the Cloudmist Ridge and the Master Teacher Academy has already ceased!" "The battle has ceased?" Yu Shenqing frowned. Both sides had still been engaged in an intense battle earlier in the morning, neither side willing to give in to the other. How did the battle end so abruptly? "School Head Mo personally went into the Cloudmist Ridge to negotiate with the enemys kings, and shortly afterward, the battle halted," Luo Fu reported. On the way to the Cloudmist Ridge, Zhang Xuan had been atop the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast all along, so no one except for the school heads and Mu shi knew that he was there. "Negotiate?" A deep frown surfaced on Yu Shenqings face. "Who was the one who proposed it?" Proposing a negotiation was not any different from admitting defeat, and the side to propose it would be instantly ced in a disadvantageous position in the negotiations. "The Master Teacher Academy was the one to propose the negotiation!" Luo Fu replied. "The academy?" Yu Shenqing was taken aback. The respected Master Teacher Academy admitted defeat to a bunch of beasts? And School Head Mo had entered enemy grounds personally to conduct the negotiation on top of that? This was... a little difficult to swallow... "Thats right. As the negotiation was conducted in the Cloudmist Ridge, our sources arent able to get any concrete news on the oue of the negotiation. However, earlier in the afternoon, the spirit beasts battling with the Master Teacher Academy withdrew from the battlefront!" Luo Fu said. Most beasts were hostile toward humans, and the Cloudmist Ridge could be considered an embodiment of that trait. Even the elite scouts from the Hongyuan royal family were unable to obtain any intelligence from there. After a moment of thought, Yu Shenqing nodded in realization. "They are probably making thispromise for the inauguration ceremony tomorrow." The inauguration ceremony would begin at dawn, and even though the invitation letters had been delivered in a rush, most of the neighboring powers, especially the many Tier-1 Empires, would still send a representative over to attend the ceremony. If they were to witness a huge war between the Cloudmist Ridge and the humans instead, they might lose confidence in the capability of the seeding principal. "That is probably the case. I have already sent our scouts to infiltrate the Cloudmist Ridge to look into the results of the negotiation. The scouts should be able to get back to us before the inauguration ceremony!" Luo Fu said. "Good!" Yu Shenqing nodded. Just as he was about to continue, a young eunuch abruptly rushed into the room. The young eunuch swiftly kneeled onto the floor and greeted, "Your Majesty!" "What happened?" Yu Shenqing frowned. Given that the young eunuch had barged in so abruptly in the middle of the night, it was very likely that it was a matter of grave importance. "The emperors of Tier-1 Empires Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao have arrived, and they are currently waiting in the Harmonious Heaven Hall!" the young eunuch reported. "They have arrived? They sure are fast!" Yu Shenqing was taken aback for a moment before getting to his feet. "Lets head over to take a look!" Even though the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy bore the name of Hongyuan Empire, its students epassed master teachers from the surrounding Tier-1 Empires. Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao were the four closest empires to Hongyuan Empire. Upon hearing that a new principal was going to be inaugurated, their empires leaders swiftly rushed over as a show of respect to him. Walking into the Harmonious Heaven Hall, Yu Shenqing saw four middle-aged men sitting on the guest seats. A majestic aura seemed to linger around them, and with just a look, it was clear that each of them possessed exceptional strength. To be able to be the monarch of a Tier-1 Empire, their cultivation must have at least reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle. "Brother Zhu, Brother Han, Brother Shen, Brother Nie!" Yu Shenqing greeted them one by one. "It must have been tiring for you to rush over here in just three days!" Even though their empires were located closest to Hongyuan Empire, it still must have been quite a rush for them to make it in less than three days. "How can we be absent for the inauguration of the new principal?" "The Master Teacher Academy is the foundation that ensures peace in the dozen Tier-1 Empires in the region. Given that a new leader is going to be inaugurated, we definitely had to make it on time for the ceremony, even if we did have to travel through the night!" "It has been two years since the disappearance of the old principal. I am curious to see what the new principal will be like!" ... The middle-aged men chuckled politely. Each of these men wielded indisputable power in their own territories, but before the Master Teacher Academy, they still dared not pull their weight. As soon as they received the invitation letter, they had swiftly put aside all of their work and rushed over. After trading some pleasantries, one of the middle-aged men asked, "Oh right, I nearly forgot. I rushed here as soon as I received the letter, so even now, I still dont know who the new principal is. May I know who it will be? Is it School Head Zhao Bingxu or School Head Lu Feng?" It was the emperor of Tier-1 Hongchi Empire, Zhu Yi. After hearing his words, the others swiftly turned their gazes toward Yu Shenqing as well. In truth, the reason they had headed to the royal pce in the middle of the night, as soon as they arrived in Hongyuan City, was to find out who the seeding principal would be so that they could prepare suitable gifts in advance. Otherwise, if they were to end up giving, say, the head of the cksmith School some medicinal herbs, they might end up leaving a bad impression instead. Hearing their guesses, a bitter smile surfaced on Yu Shenqings lips, and he shook his head. "It is neither of them!" Just like them, he had thought that the seeding principal would surely be one of those two. But the oue sure was unexpected... "It is neither of them?" The four emperors were stunned as they traded confused nces with one another. Zhu Yi sped his fist once more and asked, "Then, may I ask Brother Yu to tell us which elder it will be so that we can make preparations in advance?" "This..." Yu Shenqing hesitated. It was not without reason that the identity of the seeding principal had been kept a secret thus far. It was only through pulling some strings that he had managed to uncover it in advance, so he was unsure whether or not it was appropriate for him to reveal it. One of the middle-aged men frowned. "What? The identity of the principal will be uncovered in the inauguration ceremony tomorrow; is Brother Yu unwilling to let us know just a few hours in advance?" Yu Shenqing shook his head. "Its not that, but there is a reason the Master Teacher Academy chose not to reveal the identity of the seeding principal in advance... It would be disrespectful of me to disregard the Master Teacher Academy and reveal it in advance..." "It seems like Brother Yu doesnt trust us then! Just like you, the fates of our empires are also tied closely with the Master Teacher Academy. Since we are in the same plight, do you think that we will be so foolish as to leak the news to others easily?" Zhu Yi frowned in displeasure. "We only want to know it so that we can prepare some gifts in advance!" "This... Alright then!" Knowing that he would only gain the ire of the others if he were to continue attempting to conceal the identity of the seeding principal, Yu Shenqing eventually relented with a nod. "This is a confidential secret of the academy, so I hope that you can remain silent about the matter before the inauguration ceremony!" Since those present were emperors themselves, they should understand the possible implications that coulde from the leakage of crucial intelligence. If some mishap were to ur to the seeding principal, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely investigate the matter and severely punish the ones responsible for leaking the confidential information. As unlikely as it was, Yu Shenqing still felt that it was imperative for him to warn them sternly in advance. "Dont worry about this!" "How many years have we known each other? We arent that kind of men!" The others all replied sincerely. With a slight wave of his hand, the confidential formation in the hall was activated, and Yu Shenqing informed them through zhenqi telepathy. "Alright. Based on the intelligence I received, the seeding principal is Zhang Xuan!" The four emperors nced at one another in confusion. "Zhang Xuan?" They knew the names of the Ten Great Master Teachers, and they had even met most of them before. But Zhang Xuan... this name was extremely unfamiliar to them. Zhu Yi couldnt help but ask, "Is Zhang shi from the headquarters?" The others were also thinking the same thing as well. The Master Teacher Academy shouldered the heavy responsibility of grooming young master teachers, who would eventually be the future of mankind. It was impossible for a nobody without any credentials or outstanding capability to be the leader of such a vital organization. Since they had never heard of the name Zhang Xuan before, it was highly likely that the other party might havee from the headquarters. But... didnt the headquarters usually stay out of the affairs of the branches wherever possible? Why would they suddenly dispatch a master teacher here and even appoint him as the principal? Seeing the confusion in everyones eyes, Yu Shenqing hurriedly exined, "This... He isnt from the headquarters, and he isnt an elder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy either. He is... a freshman who enrolled into the academy just this year!" "Freshman?" "You are saying that a freshman who has just enrolled into the academy... is going to be its principal?" Hearing that revtion, the four emperors froze in ce, struck dumb by what they had just heard. The Master Teacher Academy is a pir of support of mankind and an invible existence in everyones heart... Yet, a newly-enrolled freshman is going to be its principal? You must be freaking kidding me! "I know its hard for you to ept this news all of the sudden, but this is the truth!" Yu Shenqing said with a conflicted expression. He had hardly believed it himself when he first heard the news. But after witnessing the many incredible means that Zhang shi possessed, he couldnt help but feel awed by Mu shi and the others decisiveness and keen insight. After a moment of silence, one of the middle-aged men asked, "What is Zhang shis background?" "Zhang shi is twenty this year, and he is currently a 4-star master teacher. Despite his young age, he has achieved a proficiency of 6-star for cksmith, apothecary, physician, demonic tunist, and terpsichore. At the same time, he has shown exceptional prowess in the fields of beast taming, formations, and herbology as well. He is truly an outstanding genius that very few in history can rival!" Yu Shenqing said. The four monarchs of Tier-1 Empires all eximed lividly. "He has five 6-star supporting upations? But even if he has that many supporting upations, he is still a 4-star master teacher. What right does he have to be the principal?" "Indeed! This world has nock of talents! As long as he doesnt possess the corresponding capability required, I dont think that he is qualified to be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy!" "I heard rumors on my way here that, for the inauguration ceremony tomorrow, the Master Teacher Academy went to the extent of lowering itself to negotiate with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge! Dont you think that the culture in the Master Teacher Academy has been slowly veering down the wrong path ever since the disappearance of the old principal?" "I have also heard of the matter as well. How could the respected Master Teacher Academy stoop to the level of negotiating with beasts? This is preposterous! Now, they are even nominating a 4-star master teacher to be their principal... Just how low are they going to fall?" They had heard about the battle between the Master Teacher Academy and the Cloudmist Ridge, and rumor had it that it was the Master Teacher Academy who had proposed the negotiations. They had thought that just those rumors were already ridiculous, but to think that something even more ridiculous was awaiting them! To nominate an immature twenty-year-old brat as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy... Just what were they thinking when they made such a decision? Facing the vehement disapproval of the four emperors, Yu Shenqing had no idea how he should respond. They had only heard Zhang shis age and master teacher rank, so it was natural that they reacted in such a manner. One had to meet him in person to realize how incredible he was. The several emperors stood up and dered their dissatisfaction furiously. "We must definitely get to the bottom of this matter. Otherwise, our Hongchi Empire will never acknowledge Zhang shi as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy!" "Our Yuanjiang Empire also wont acknowledge Zhang shi as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy!" "Our Baituo Empire as well..." Chapter 892: Requirements for the 6-star Master Teacher Examination Chapter 892: Requirements for the 6-star Master Teacher Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While these empires didnt have any say in deciding the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, they did have a vote of confidence. If it was found that there was an overwhelmingck of trust in the seeding principal, they couldunch a formal petition to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to look into this matter. After all, the operation of the Master Teacher Academy wasrgely financed by the surrounding Tier-1 Empires. The surrounding empires would often donaterge sums of money to the Master Teacher Academy each year for their operations, and in exchange, the Master Teacher Academy would nurture their master teachers, thus bringing their national power to greater heights. An incapable principal could render their investment futile, and this was something that they werent willing to see. If there was widespread distrust in the capability of the principal, even the headquarters would have no choice but to reconsider the matter. As the saying goes, the higher one stands, the greater the fall. As powerful as the Master Teacher Pavilion was, they still had to maintain friendly ties with the surrounding nations. Otherwise, if it were to lose the support of the people, it would fall into decline, and the moment it showed a sign of vulnerability, the others would rush to push it over. ... A simr sight was urring in the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as well. Facing arge group of displeased pavilion masters, Mo Gaoyuan rubbed his be in frustration, not knowing how he should deal with the situation. Since even the emperors of Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao had arrived, their corresponding Master Teacher Pavilion branches had also dispatched representatives. Three pavilion masters and one vice pavilion master! Upon hearing that the Master Teacher Academy would be inaugurating a 4-star master teacher as its principal, a hugemotion broke out amid the crowd. As representatives of the Master Teacher Pavilions of Tier-1 Empires, their standing was equivalent to Mo Gaoyuan and the Ten Great Master Teachers, so they were qualified to question their judgement. "Regardless of how capable the newly-appointed principal is, I object to this decision! Just watch how I make things difficult for him in the Question Symposium!" "How arrogant must a mere 4-star master teacher be to dream of bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy? He sure is taking all of us lightly!" "Hah, if it was so easy to be the principal, the seat wouldnt have been empty for a whole two years!" ... The several pavilion masters spoke with a cold glint in their eyes. As esteemed master teachers themselves, they would be lying if they said that they harbored no intentions of bing the principal themselves. If it had been a respected and capable master teacher who rose to the position, they would be nothing they could say about it. But a mere twenty-year-old 4-star master teacher... How could they possibly not oppose it? ... In the Master Teacher Academy, many wounded students were gathered together with their faces livid with rage. Peng! Amongst them, a Grade-4 student abruptly mmed his palm forcefully on a table. "How could the Master Teacher Academy actually admit defeat to a bunch of beasts? This is a huge humiliation to us as master teachers!" "I heard that the elders just want to settle the conflict ahead of the inauguration ceremony, or else it might reflect badly on them." "Preposterous! Are we going to toss aside the pride of mankind just for the pride of the new principal?" "This is truly a huge disgrace to all master teachers! I would rather have died on the battlefield than attend this shameful inauguration ceremony!" "As master teachers, we shoulder the fate of mankind. Yet, for the sake of their own pride, they actually chose to negotiate with those beasts. This is truly reprehensible!" ... Rage was burning in the hearts of each and every student gathered there. Busy with the inauguration ceremony, the school heads had chosen to conceal this matter from the students for the time being until everything settled down. As such, most of the students involved in the battle were unaware that the saint beasts and spirit beasts had already submitted to Zhang Xuan. They thought that the school heads had decided to surrender so that the inauguration ceremony could proceed smoothly. Otherwise, considering how furiously the spirit beasts had bared their fangs at them, seemingly unwilling to rest until they had torn every human in sight into shreds, how could they willingly retreat from the battlefield? "Right, do you know who the next principal is?" someone amid the crowd asked. A couple of students shook their heads and replied, "I am not too sure!" The Master Teacher Academy had kept a tight lid on this information, so not even they, as students, were unaware of the identity of the seeding principal. "Who cares who the next principal is? This is very first time that the academy has lowered its head to mere beasts since its establishment. A person like him is unworthy of respect! Why dont we start a protest at the inauguration ceremony tomorrow to force the seeding principal to confess what kind of humiliating terms he had to agree to?" one person proposed. "Thats a good idea! Its settled then! I also want to know what kind of benefits he has promised those beasts for them to obediently return to the Cloudmist Ridge!" Even though the students had no idea whom the next principal was, they were devoid of the slightest goodwill toward him due to this incident. ... Oblivious to the fact that he had just won himself the hostility of countless men, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was teaching Wei Ruyan suitable cultivation techniques for her constitution. By the time that was done, a new day had already set in. Stretchingzily, Zhang Xuan was just about to have his breakfast when School Head Mo suddenly arrived at his manor. "Principal Zhang, this is the flow of events for the inauguration ceremonyter on. Take a look at it and familiarize yourself with it," School Head Mo said as he passed Zhang Xuan a jade token filled with words. Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The inauguration ceremony was indeed not as easy as he had thought. He would first be challenged by all of the teachers and students in the Question Symposium, and after which, he would have to pay respects to the many predecessors of the academy and seek their acknowledgement, and only then would he be able to gather the will of the teachers and students of the academy to form the Principals Seal and be the true principal of the academy. Last but not least, he would have to conduct a public lecture. Each of these events was extremely troublesome, and the inauguration ceremony would take half a day at the very least. But of course, considering that he was going to be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy that protected the surrounding dozen Tier-1 Empires, if he didnt go through this much, it would be hard for him to win the support of the masses. Noting Principal Zhangs silence, School Head Mo feared that he might be unfamiliar with some of the procedures, so he began exining them. "The Question Symposium is a challenge from the academys teachers and students to the seeding principal. As long as you perform well, you should be able to increase your recognition level. Typically speaking, the questions will be posed by a representative of the students, a representative of the teachers, and a representative by the other Master Teacher Pavilions, and they will be concerning cultivation or supporting upations. Considering the deep knowledge that Zhang shi possesses, it shouldnt pose a problem at all!" Given how even Principal Zhangs students were able to conduct a lecture that could leave all listeners in a trance, little had to be said about the teachers capability. In truth, the Question Symposium served as a tform for the new principal to showcase his capability and win the support of the masses. "As for paying respects to the predecessors, considering Principal Zhangs astounding talent, even though you arent a 6-star master teacher yet, you already have six 6-star supporting upations, so it is only a matter of time before you clear the examination. Thus, it shouldnt be a problem for you to win their acknowledgement. "Last but not least, gathering the wills of the teachers and students in order to form the Principals Seal is, on the contrary, the most difficult aspect of the entire ceremony. No matter how formidable a master teacher is, it is impossible to obtain everyones recognition. It is inevitable that there would be those who object to your inauguration as the principal. Despite the incredible prestige that the old principal wielded prior to his inauguration, he still only managed to form the Golden Principals Seal." "Golden Principals Seal?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. "Un. The more teachers and students who recognize you as their principal, the more wills you will be able to gather, and the higher the tier of the Principals Seal formed from them will be. Typically speaking, it can be divided into four tiers, tinum, Golden, Copper, and Iron!" School Head Mo exined. "To form the Copper Principals Seal, one will require the earnest recognition from half of the entire academys popce. As for the Golden Principals Seal, one will require sixty percent recognition level, and the tinum Principals Seal will require seventy percent. Ever since the founding of the Master Teacher Academy more than ten thousand years ago, only two principals have managed to form the tinum Principals Seal! "One of them was the founder of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai! Mu shi was an earnest man who viewed every student as his own child. Back then, when a devastating war broke out, he charged to the frontlines and led the students bravely, suffering more than 130 deep cuts in that battle. After which, he even emptied out his entire fortune to treat the students wounded in the battle... It was such a sincere heart that won him the recognition of most students in the academy!" "The other one to achieve that feat was Principal Mo Liuzhen four thousand years ago. Principal Mo was truly an incredible talent who dominated his era, and the aplishments he had achieved back in his time dont even pale inparison to yours!" Upon speaking about Principal Mo Liuzhen, a hint of admiration couldnt help but surface in the depths of School Head Mos eyes. "Oh?" Zhang Xuan remarked in curiosity. He had thought that he was one-of-a-kind to get into huge incidents one after another from the moment of he arrived in the Master Teacher Academy... Could Principal Mo be one of his kind too? "Principal Mo isnt as big of a troublemaker as you..." Seemingly seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, School Head Mo replied reflexively before turning red after realizing what he had said. As an elder of the academy, it was extremely disrespectful of him to call the principal a troublemaker. However, seeing that the other party didnt fly into a rage, he heaved a sigh of relief inside. "From the moment Principal Mo arrived in the academy, he broke records all around. To date, the academys Mountain of Records is still filled with his aplishments. Even after four thousand years, there has still not been anyone who could surpass his feats..." "Mountain of Records?" Zhang Xuan was surprised by the foreign term. Despite having been in the academy for so long, he had never heard of such a ce. "It is normal that Zhang shi is unaware of it. The Mountain of Records is the ce where the 6-star master teacher examination is conducted. No one has challenged the 6-star master teacher examination this semester, so it has been closed the whole time," School Head Mo replied. "The previous time it opened was half a year ago when Hu Yaoyao and the others challenged it!" "Hu Yaoyao?" School Head Mo nodded. "Indeed. ording to the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, one has to be a Half-Saint at minimum to qualify as a 6-star master teacher. Otherwise, one can only be considered a half 6-star. However, the couple of them still managed to receive their 6-star emblems, and this is because they have reached the third stage in the Mountain of Records! "The Mountain of Records serves as a tform to examine a master teachers cultivation and fighting prowess. To be able to reach the third stage means that their fighting prowess is already nearly on par with a Half-Saint. On top of that, they had also passed all of the preceding examinations, so they were given the 6-star master teacher emblem!" "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded, and after contemting for a moment, he asked, "Other than six 6-star supporting upations, what else is required to take the 6-star master teacher examination?" Currently, Zhang Xuan had already fulfilled the requirement of six 6-star supporting upations, and two of them were even at 7-star. However, there could still be some prerequisites which he might be unaware of. "Supporting upations, Soul Depth, and cultivation, these are the three fundamental requirements for ones qualification to take the master teacher examination!" School Head Mo said. "You have already met the requirement for supporting upations. As for Soul Depth, the requirement for a 6-star master teacher is 18.0, and considering that you were able to beguile You Xu easily with the Impartation of Heavens Will, that means that your Soul Depth is not a problem. "And as for cultivation, the minimal requirement for a 6-star master teacher is Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Considering that you are only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, you are stillcking a little. However, if you can clear the third stage in the Mountain of Records as well, you should be able to earn the qualifications to take the examination! "After meeting these three fundamental requirements, what remains is the test to evaluate your aplishments as a master teacher. This test cane in many forms, and the moremon ones are through evaluating ones students, conducting a lecture, and offering pointers on the spot to a stranger!" School Head Mo hesitated for a moment before saying, "However, I fear that the difficulty for you will be higher than others. After all, given your identity, there will be many who will keep an eye on your actions. If you choose the easier routes, I fear that others might doubt your capability... Most likely, you will be pressured into taking on the most difficult test of allEmpire Building!" "Empire Building?" Zhang Xuan frowned in iprehension. Chapter 893: Teaching Zhang Xuan a Lesson? Chapter 893: Teaching Zhang Xuan a Lesson? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What he was going to take was the master teacher examination, how did Empire Buildinge into the picture? Master teacher examinations were centered around nurturing and guiding others, it shouldnt have anything to do with governance or anything of the sort. Noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, School Head Mo asked with a smile, "Principal Zhang, based on your journey here from Tianxuan Kingdom, what do you think the greatest difference between a kingdom and an empire is?" "Difference?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He contemted for a moment before replying, "The tier of the local Master Teacher Pavilions!" Conferred Empire, Tier-1 Empire, Tier-2 Empire, Conferred Kingdom, Tier-1 Kingdom, Tier-2 Kingdom... The main difference between nations of differing ssifications was their national strength. And the biggest contributing factor to the difference in national strength was the Master Teacher Pavilion! Master teachers nurtured the cultivators in the region they resided in, and the more capable a master teacher was, the stronger the students they taught would be. A capable master teacher could easily cause growth in a nations power through their teachings. Putting everything aside, if Tianxuan Kingdom had a 6-star master teacher, the entire kingdom would surely undergo overwhelming changes, and it would only be a matter of time before it became a Tier-1 Empire. The chain effects that could be brought about by a powerful Master Teacher Pavilion were also significant. Not only would the locals grow stronger, it would also draw in experts to join the ranks of the nation. At the same time, it would also attract the other upations to establish a branch in the area as well, such as a Beast Hall, Apothecary Guild, cksmith Guild... These upation guilds would provide the resources required for the nurturing of experts. With all of these in ce, it would be difficult for a nation to not be strong! Tianxuan Kingdom was only an Unranked Kingdom, but if it had a Master Teacher Pavilion in it, it could have been easily promoted to a Tier-2 Kingdom. "Indeed, its the tier of the local Master Teacher Pavilion!" School Head Mo nodded. "The higher the tier of the local Master Teacher Pavilion, the greater the nations potential for growth. This can be said to be an unsaid truth in the Master Teacher Continent. Rather than say that Master Teacher Pavilions were built in kingdoms and empires, it would be more urate to say that kingdoms and empires were built around Master Teacher Pavilions! Just take Hongyuan Empire for example, the main reason it has been able to withstand the trial of time, even though the surrounding empires have gone through numerous dynasties, is because there is a Master Teacher Academy here!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Even though a Master Teacher Pavilion didnt necessarily dictate the prosperity and decline of a nation, one thing was for surewherever a Master Teacher Pavilion existed, experts would gather, and enemies dared not invade. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had understood what he was driving at, School Head Mo continued. "Ordinary master teachers taking the 6-star master teacher examination will be evaluated based on their individual actions and aplishments, but you arent an ordinary master teacher. You are the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. You are no longer an individual but the symbol of our entire academy. "For Empire Building, the examinee is to choose a Conferred Kingdom, and through his prowess as an individual, he is to rebuild the local Master Teacher Pavilion and sessfully raise the nation to be an empire! This is a test that assesses not only ones capability as an individual but ones grasp of an entire situation as well. It is an extremely difficult test!" "I see..." Zhang Xuans lips began twitching uncontrobly. Turning to School Head Mo, he muttered hesitantly, "This... Is it toote for me to turn down the position as the academys principal?" "..." School Head Mo. "If I had known that it would be so troublesome, I never would have agreed to it," Zhang Xuanined grudgingly. He only agreed to the position because he was told he would be granted ess to all of the books in the academy. On top of that, with School Head Mo and School Head Zhao around, he thought that he wouldnt have to bother with most misceneous affairs regarding the academy as well. Who would have thought that not only would the inauguration ceremony be so troublesome, he would even have a face a higher level of difficulty for his 6-star master teacher examination... If he had known in advance, he never would have epted such a troublesome role! He would have chosen to remain an ordinary master teacher, take an ordinary 6-star master teacher, achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm ordinarily, and turn around and leave... But this... he was now trapped on the darned ship known as the Master Teacher Academy! Truly, a single mistake leads to a regret of a lifetime! Zhang Xuan could only sigh endlessly. "Cough cough!" Choking on his saliva, School Head Mo turned to Zhang Xuan with a look of speechlessness. "Even though your 6-star master teacher examination will be harder than anyone else, clearing it will strengthen your foundation more than the others, thus making it easier for you to be promoted subsequently. This is also the reason why most talented master teachers opt to take on the more difficult examinations as well. Not only will it temper them, it will also help pave a way ahead of them." If anyone else was nominated to be the principal, they would surely be so overwhelmed by delight that they could spend multiple days celebrating. Yet, Principal Zhang was evenining about it grudgingly... If Lu Feng were to learn of your response, would he just spurt a mouthful of blood and die on the spot? Lu Feng put so much into iming the principals seat, only for his efforts to end in futility. On the other hand, the positionnded in yourp so easily, and yet, you are still so reluctant about it... "What do you mean by it makes it easier for me to be promoted subsequently?" "Oh, it means that as long as you clear the Empire Building test, you will be able to apply for the 7-star master teacher emblem just by meeting the three fundamental prerequisites. You wont have to undergo the 7-star master teacher examination!" School Head Mo exined. "In other words, as long as you clear this test, you will receive a free pass to bing a 7-star master teacher! All you will have to do then is to raise your cultivation, temper your Soul Depth, and practice your supporting upations!" "Theres actually such a good thing in the world?" Hearing that, the slightly frustrated Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up. Every master teacher examination consisted of extremely troublesome procedures, filled with many rules and restrictions. If he could get a free pass to bing a 7-star master teacher by clearing this test, it would definitely be worth the additional effort! "Indeed!" School Head Mo nodded. But one thing School Head Mo had neglected to tell Zhang Xuan was that even though the Empire Building test allowed one to skip the 7-star master teacher examination, raising a Conferred Kingdom into an empire was no easy task. On top of that, not only did it have a high requirement on ones eye of discernment, ability to impart knowledge, and reputation, more importantly, it required time! Raising a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire didnt just take a couple of experts here and there but a steady foundation that could sustain the prosperity of the nation as well! But building a steady foundation was bound to take a long period of time. Back then, Principal Mo Liuzhen had also opted to take on this test, and despite his incredible capability, he had still spent three whole years on it! "Alright, I have decided. I will take on the Empire Building test for my 6-star master teacher examination!" Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. "..." School Head Mo fell silent. Why did it seem as if their principal seemed to take things too lightly? This was the most difficult test of the 6-star master teacher examination, and most master teachers would flee as far as they could as soon as they heard of this test. To agree to it without any hesitation, shouldnt he at least consider it for a little longer? Even if he had made up his mind, he should at least give a troubled frown or something so as to show some respect for the difficulty of the examination! To agree it without any hesitation, was he truly confident or did he not understand the difficulty of the test? School Head Mo opened his mouth for a moment before closing it hesitantly and shook his head. Their principal was always able to aplish the unbelievable, producing miracles that others thought impossible. Take the battle against the Cloudmist Ridge for example, he had honestly thought that they were heading there to negotiate with the Ten Indomitable Kings, but who knew that their principal was actually intending to overturn the other partys nest! Perhaps, the most difficult Empire Building in the eyes of most master teachers could really be nothing at all to him. Taking a nce at the sky to determine the time, School Head Mo realized that it was about time to begin the final preparations for the inauguration ceremony, so he decided to put the matter aside for the time being. "Principal Zhang, we should head to the academy now. School Head Zhao has worked together with the Celestial Designer School to design a special robe for you. You should head over to see if it fits!" "There is even a special robe?" Zhang Xuan eximed before realization struck him. As the seeding principal inaugurating into the Master Teacher Academy, he would surely have to dress up well so as to leave a good impression on the attending crowd. Naturally, an ordinary master teacher robe wouldnt do. Thus, the duo left the manor and headed for the academy. The Master Teacher Academy was bustling with people. There were many esteemed guests and powerful experts attending the inauguration ceremony, be it the various ns in Hongyuan City or influential figures from the nearby empires. It sure was a rare festive asion that one might not even witness once in a century. In order to avoid unneeded trouble, the duo rode the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast straight to the Elder Hall. ... Crowds flowed in and out of the Master Teacher Academy, and the entire ce was bustling wherever ones gaze fell on. Walking along a broad street, a young man asked, "Ruohuan, you are the most well-connected of us. Do you know who the seeding principal is?" Standing in front of him was a white-robed young man who held a foldable fan in his hands. That white-robed young man had a dashing appearance reminiscent of a young master from a prestigious n. He was Ruohuan gongzi, who hade to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy along with Zhang Xuan from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. And the one speaking behind him was also an old friend of Zhang Xuans, one of the founders of the Xuanxuan Faction... Song Chao! "How would I know?" Ruohuan gongzi shook his head and replied. "The identity of the seeding principal is a tightly-guarded secret of the academy, so we will probably only learn of it during the inauguration ceremony." Even though the Xuanxuan Faction had nearly half of the students in the academy as its members, they were still unable to uncover the identity of the seeding principal. "Anyone will do as long as it isnt School Head Lu Feng... He has a grudge with our faction leader, and if he bes the principal, our Xuanxuan Faction wont be too far away from being dissipated!" Song Chao said worriedly. "Indeed. Lets just hope for the best!" Shaking his head, Ruohuan gongzi sighed deeply. The next moment, a young man abruptly rushed up to them anxiously and asked, "Ruohuan, do you know where our faction leader is at the moment?" He was one of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well, a Grade-3 student. "Why are you looking for our faction leader so anxiously?" Ruohuan gongzi asked with a frown. Honestly speaking, their faction leader sure was irresponsible, leaving the work of managing the faction all to them. In fact, the other party had even disappeared from the academy without any notice a few days ago, and there was no news whatsoever about where the other party was now. The young man surveyed the surroundings carefully before speaking in a hushed voice. "Its like this. I was on my way to the training grounds to find a seat and await the start of the inauguration ceremony when I suddenly encountered some suspicious-looking fellows. They were asking around for the whereabouts of our faction leader, and it seems like they are up to no good..." "They are trying to find the whereabouts of our faction leader?" Ruohuan gongzi frowned. "Thats right!" The young man nodded. Half of the entire academys popce were members of the Xuanxuan Faction, so it didnt take long for those fellows asking around for Zhang Xuans whereabouts to catch the attention of its faction members. "Take me over to take a look!" Ruohuan gongzi instructed before abruptly stopping for a brief moment. "Wait a moment. Call Ying Qin and the others over first!" "Yes!" The young man rushed off, and in just a few minutes time, he returned with Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and the others behind him. "Alright, lets head over to take a look together!" Seeing that everyone was gathered, Ruohuan gongzi gestured for the young man to lead the way. Not too longter, under the lead of the young man, they found eight peculiarly-dressed fellows walking around the academy. They were scanning their surroundings warily as they moved, stopping passers-by from time to time to ask if they were aware of Zhang Xuans whereabouts. But considering how even Ruohuan gongzi had no idea where Zhang Xuan was at the moment, it was natural that those students were even more oblivious to it. Approaching slowly with their ears pricked up, they soon heard those peculiarly-dressed fellows whispering discreetly among themselves. "Why isnt there anyone who knows about the location of that Zhang Xuan? Young Master Liu has ordered us to teach that fellow a lesson, and we will be in a great deal of trouble if we mess this matter up. Could that fellow have learned of our ns in advance somehow, and he chose to hide himself out of fright?" a man with a scar on his face said with a conflicted expression. He had already asked many passers-by, and while all of them seemed to know who Zhang Xuan was, there was not a single person who knew where he was. This had left him extremely troubled. "They intend to teach our faction leader a lesson? Hah, so they are enemies after all!" Hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi, Song Chao, and the others traded gazes and nodded in unison, seeminglying to an agreement. To dare to teach their faction leader a lesson, they were truly courting death! Since thats the case, allow us to show you the prowess of our Xuanxuan Faction! You had better pray that your hearts are strong enough to not die of fright once you realize who you have just crossed! Chapter 894: He Is the Principal? Chapter 894: He Is the Principal? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ruohuan gongzi carefully analyzed the cultivation of the eight peculiarly-dressed men before remarking, "Those fellows do possess some strength!" While they had learned that those fellows were enemies, it would have been unwise to rush in recklessly without gaining an understanding of their strength. It seemed like the eight of them were all Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm experts, and on top of that, they carried an aura of callousness from the battlefield with them, which hinted that they might be veteran fighters who had gone through many battles in their life. If their deductions were correct, they should be from the military. After a moment of contemtion, Ruohuan gongzi instructed, "Song Chao, the rest of you should return to the headquarters for now to make preparations, I will find a way to lure them over shortly after!" "Alright!" Song Chao nodded before leading the others away. Waiting for a moment longer after the others had disappeared in the distance, Ruohuan gongzi took in a deep breath and walked up to the group of eight with a bright smile on his face. "Friends, I heard that you were looking for Zhang Xuan?" "Indeed. You know where he is?" The group of eight were still troubled over this matter a moment ago, so upon hearing Ruohuan gongzis words, their eyes immediately lit up, and they hurriedly turned their gazes over. "Of course I do! In fact, I am his closest friend in the academy! Why dont I take you to him?" Ruohuan gongzi offered with an earnest and amicable smile. "That would be great!" Seeing that someone was willing to lead the way to their target, the eight of them nearly leaped up from sheer joy. As expected of the Master Teacher Academy, the students here were indeed friendly and kind! It was no wonder everyone hoped to enroll here. Just their manners toward strangers in itself wasmendable! "I will be troubling you then..." A young man, seemingly the leader of the group of eight, stepped forward and sped his fist. "There is no need to stand on ceremony. As a master teacher, it is my duty to help those in need!" Ruohuan gongzi spoke righteously as he led the way. Not too longter, the group finally arrived at the headquarters of the Xuanxuan Faction. At this very moment, gathered in the massive square at the center of the headquarters were over ten thousand students. "Why are there so many people here? Where is Zhang Xuan?" Upon seeing that there were so many master teachers in here, the group of eight couldnt help but feel their hair standing on ends as an ominous premonition fell on them. "Ah, I guess you arent too familiar with the workings of the Master Teacher Academy. This is the freshman dormitory, and as a student who has only enrolled earlier this year, Zhang Xuan naturally resides here too. The recent batch of freshmen enrolled into the academy isrger than usual, so there are more of us residing here this year. Dont worry, everyone in there is a master teacher, so they wont bite!" Ruohuan gongzi said with a weing smile as he gestured the group in. Even though the group of eight felt a little wary at the situation before them, recalling that they were currently in the Master Teacher Academy, they decided to toss aside their worries and enter. Before long, they were already standing in the middle of the square, amid the huge crowd. At this point, Ruohuan gongzi abruptly came to a halt and dered loudly, "Alright, everyone. Here are the men who proimed that they would teach our faction leader a lesson! "Give them the beating of their life, make them spill out the name of the mastermind behind them!" "Alright!" "To dare cross our faction leader, you must be tired of living!" ... Before the group of eight could process what was going on, blows were already raining down on them, striking every inch of their bodies. Fists, feet, metal pipes, bricks, flower pots, chairs... and even sandals! Pili p! Before they had even met Zhang Xuan, they were already pummeled to the point where they were about to forget their own names... Their eyes gradually turned moist, and before long, they were bawling sorrowfully... The hell! Who was the one who said that master teachers were friendly and kind? Who was the one who said that the Master Teacher Academy was a safe haven, and it was impossible for anything bad to happen there? Just who in the world did they provoke for them to deserve such treatment? ... Ten minutester, the eight Ethereal Treading realm soldiers were lying t on the ground, their bodies convulsing uncontrobly as if electricity was running through their veins. Even though most of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction were freshmen, possessing cultivation at only the Consonant Spirit realm or so, there were simply too many of them! Ten thousand men attacking eight men simultaneously... No matter how powerful the group of eight was, it was impossible for their sixteen hands to fend off against twenty thousand hands simultaneously! At the current moment, their faces were bruised all over, and there was not a single patch of uninjured skin on them. Seeing that the group of eight was already on the verge of dying, Ruohuan gongzi had the crowd stop before walking forward to begin his interrogation. Having suffered a vicious beating, both their minds and bodies were already at their limits. As such, they ended up confessing obediently. "The ones who ordered us to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson are Liu Quan and Shen Jun from the Four Great ns. They said that as long as we do this well, they will give us ten high-tier spirit stones..." the young man with a scar on his face said. He could only be considered an acquaintance of Liu Qians from the military, so there was no need for him to hide the secret for him. "Where are Shen Jun and Liu Quan now?" Ruohuan gongzi continued asking. "They should be in the Master Teacher Academy now. We agreed to meet at the gazebo by theke to make the trade once we aplished our mission," the young man hurriedly replied. "Un." Ruohuan gongzi nodded before beckoning the crowd. "Go, lets take a look!" Thus, the many members of the Xuanxuan Faction began marching together toward theke located at the center of the Master Teacher Academy. ... In one of the gazebos by theke stood Shen Jun and Liu Quan. They had their hands behind their backs as they gazed at theke glistening under the warm rays of the sun, enjoying the beautiful scenery. A light breeze blew, bringing forth light ripples on the surface of theke. "They should be done teaching Zhang Xuan a lesson by now, right?" Shen Jun asked. That fellow had put him in a spot during Princess Yu Fei-ers birthday banquet. He wouldnt be able to quell the rage in his heart unless he returned the favor to the other party. "Young Master Shen, we have known each other for a long time; when have I failed before?" Liu Quan chuckled softly. "The men I have gathered this time are acquaintances from the military. They are capable individuals who possess the cultivation of Ethereal Treading realm; subduing that Zhang Xuan will be a walk in the park for them! On top of that, given the shallow ties we have, no one will be able to trace the matter back to us!" "That would be for the best! It doesnt matter whether that fellow finds out that it was me or not, the important matter is for Fei-er to never learn of it..." Shen Jun nodded. "Dont worry!" Liu Quan patted Shen Juns back and reassured him. However, just as he was about to continue speaking, two master teachers suddenly walked into the gazebo and asked, "Pardon me, may I know if you are Young Master Shen Jun and Young Master Liu Quan?" "Indeed, we are." Seeing two unfamiliar faces verifying their identities, the duo frowned in confusion, unsure of what was going on. Just as they were about to ask what business the other party had with them, the vision before them abruptly blurred. Two specially created gunny sacks had been ced over their heads. And following which... Pili p! Sharp pain abruptly assaulted every single part of their body. In that instant, the both of them felt as if over ten thousand men were assaulting them simultaneously, trampling on their bodies viciously. ... After an unknown period of time, the duo finally awoke. Attempting to get up, a sharp pain immediately assaulted them, leaving them writhing in pain. Only then did they realize that there was not a single part of their bodies that was still intact. Broken bones, bruised face, shattered teeth... Even if their parents were here at this very moment, it was doubtful they would be able to recognize their own children! They hadnt done anything since arriving at the Master Teacher Academy, but they suddenly found themselves being pummeled so viciously. To make things worse, they didnt even know the culprit behind it... Who can tell me what is going on? After a long period of time, the duo spat through clenched jaws, "It must be Zhang Xuan!" No matter how foolish they were, the only one they had a feud with in the Master Teacher Academy was Zhang Xuan. They hade here to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson, only to be pummeled themselves... They would never believe it if thetter wasnt the one pulling the strings behind this incident! "Young Master Shen, what should we do?" Liu Quan asked. "What else can we do? Lets return to our own manors and report the matter to the n head. We must make sure to teach that fellow a harsh lesson. He shall learn that the members of the Four Great ns arent people a pesky fellow like him can afford to cross..." Shen Jun bellowed furiously. In their current state, it was impossible for them to attend the inauguration ceremony. Since that was the case, they could only return to their homes to report this matter to their fathers so as to have them get back at Zhang Xuan for them. Since you dared to raise your fist against us, let us see if your fist will be tough enough to stand against the prowess of two of the Four Great ns! ... The enormous training grounds of the Master Teacher Academy was packed with men. There had to be at least a hundred thousand men gathered in the area. This was where the inauguration ceremony would be held. The emperors and pavilion masters of the neighboring empires, along with the experts of all kinds of powers, had assembled there to witness the grand ceremony weing the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy. "Its about to begin!" "The new principal must be either School Head Zhao or School Head Lu. Even though they are stillcking slightlypared to the old principal, they are currently the two most capable and respected elders in the academy!" "Indeed. Its truly a pity that the old principal went missing, and to date, we still dont know whether he is dead or alive! However, based on the information leaked out from the academy, it doesnt look positive!" "I heard that the seeding principal was the one who proposed a negotiation with the Cloudmist Ridge. I think that he owes us an exnation for that!" "Youre right! How could he stoop so low to bow to mere beasts? In any case, I will never approve of this. Lets make him spill out what shameful terms he had to promise the Cloudmist Ridge in order to make them retreat!" ... Such discussions could be heard from the crowds beneath. Everyones eyes were gathered on the highest pedestal in the center of the square, curious to know who the seeding principal would be! Hu! Amidst the discussions, a few elders abruptly flew across the air. "Silence!" The one who spoke was Zhao Bingxu. Everyone was taken aback. If Zhao Bingxu had appeared here at this very moment, did it mean that the seeding principal was... Lu Feng? Even though they were overwhelmed by curiosity, the crowd still quietened down. "It has been two years since the old principal went missing, and since then, the Master Teacher Academy has be divided. Even though it is fortunate that nothing severe hase out of it, the Master Teacher Academy cannot continue on in such a state. Thus, three days ago, under Mu shis leadership, the Ten Great Master Teachers unanimously decided on our next principal!" Zhao Bingxus powerful voice echoed throughout the entire square, allowing each and every one of the hundred thousand gathered there to hear his words clearly. "Today, we shall witness the inauguration ceremony of our next principal. I believe that with the capability of our new principal, our Master Teacher Academy will be brought to greater heights! With this, lets begin the first formality of the inauguration ceremony. First and foremost, lets wee our new principal to the stage!" As Zhao Bingxus voice came to a halt, a figure slowly walked through the crowd, heading toward the stage. Upon seeing this figure, everyone was stunned, especially the students of the Master Teacher Academy. Their eyes were bulging from their sockets, unable to believe what they were seeing? "What is our faction leader doing?" "Is he trying to exact vengeance on School Head Lu by messing up the inauguration ceremony?" "Its one thing for him to wreak havoc in the Apothecary School and empty it of its students and teachers, that is at least still an internal conflict within the academy, but there are many outsiders watching here today!" "This is bad. Someone, hurry and stop our faction leader!" The members of the Xuanxuan Faction were scared out of their wits, and some of faint-hearted ones even nearly cked out. They knew that their faction leader was a troublemaker, but this was the inauguration ceremony of the new principal. Countless foreign master teachers, emperors, and influential figures were witnessing the ceremony... To cause trouble at such an important ceremony was no different from seeking death! If the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were to learn of this, the consequences were not something that their faction leader could bear! "Teacher? What is... teacher doing?" "Teacher..." Not only were the members of the Xuanxuan Faction aghast, Luo Qiqi, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Zheng Yang were also horror-struck. No one had informed them that Zhang Xuan was the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, so they were unaware of the matter. As such, they also thought that their teacher was heading up to the stage in order to cause trouble... Just as nearly everyone was bewildered, unsure of what was going on, Zhao Bingxus voice sounded once more. "Alright, allow me to formally introduce the next principal of our Master Teacher Academy to everyone... Zhang shi!" "The next principal?" "Our faction leader is our next principal?" "This... How can this be possible?" The entire training grounds fell deathly silent for a brief instant before a huge ruckus swept through the crowd like a wave. Every single person, be it student or teacher, widened their eyes in astonishment, and for that instant, they thought that the world had gone insane. Zhao Bingxu, Lu Feng, Mo Zhu, Zhong Dingchun, Jiang Qingqin, Wei Ranxue... If it had been any of them, they would only have been surprised at the very most... But this fellow... Can anyone freaking tell me what is going on? Chapter 895: Challenging the Principal Chapter 895: Challenging the Principal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Is this Zhang shi whom you spoke about? He is much younger than I expected!" In the area of the training grounds where the emperors were seated, Zhu Yi frowned in displeasure. He had already learned that the seeding principal was only a twenty-year-old 4-star master teacher a few hours ago from Yu Shenqing, but even though he had known this was going to happen, it didnt stop him from doubting his eyes when he saw an incredibly young man heading toward the stage. Never in the history of the Master Teacher Academy had anyone that young be the principal! Were the Ten Great Master Teachers out of their minds? How could they nominate such a young brat as the principal? "Didnt Mu shi nominate Zhang shi as the principal too? Where is he?" one of the emperors asked. Hearing those words, the others scanned the surroundings as well, but they couldnt find Mu shi anywhere. "Mu shi has leftst night due to some urgent matters cropping up," Yu Shenqing exined. "Leftst night? Urgent matters cropping up?" Zhu Yi sneered coldly. "More like he doesnt wish to watch this farce unfold!" In Zhu Yis view, nominating a twenty-year-old brat as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy was, in itself, a huge farce. "Brother Zhu, dont jump to conclusions so quickly. You might have a different view of Zhang shi once you get to know him better..." Seeing that Zhu Yi was so prejudiced against Zhang Xuan, Yu Shenqing sighed deeply. Knowing that it was impossible to change the other partys view with just words, he could only say those words. "Lets just hope that is the case," Zhu Yi replied perfunctorily. ... The same sight was also urring in the area where the heads of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion were seated. Upon seeing that the seeding principal was so young, their faces turned livid. Zhang Xuan had also noticed themotion below, but he paid it no heed and continued walking calmly onto the stage. He knew that for someone as young as him to be the principal, it was natural that there were many who doubted his capability. Ignoring the discussions below, Zhao Bingxu announced, "Zhang shi might be young, but he possesses exceptional talent and capability. He has received the unanimous approval of Mu shi and the Ten Great Master Teachers to take the position of the 104th principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! "We shall proceed on with the first formality, the Question Symposium! Is there anyone who wishes to pose a question to Principal Zhang?" An elder immediately stood up as soon as Zhao Bingxu finished speaking. "I have a question for Principal Zhang!" The head of the Hongchi Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Wu Weitian! Wu Weitian was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, and he possessed exceptional standing and respect in the surrounding empires. Back then, in the selection of the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had lost to Zhao Bingxu by only a single vote. Had that not been the case, he would have been the head of the cksmith School at this very moment. "May I know what kind of question Wu shi has for our principal?" Zhao Bingxu frowned. The convention was to have several representatives pose the questions. For Wu Weitian to speak up so abruptly, it was clear that the other party was intent on causing trouble. However, the other party possessed a standing equivalent to his, so Zhao Bingxu didnt have the right to reprimand the other party for his actions. "The principal of the Master Teacher Academy must possess superior strength, or else how could hemand the respect of the masses?" Wu Weitian said as a powerful aura burst forth from him. "I am Wu Weitian, the pavilion master of Hongchi Empire. While my standing might be beneath that of Principal Zhang, I wish to challenge Principal Zhang to a cultivation duel. I hope that you can ede to my request!" "A cultivation duel?" "He is clearly trying to humiliate that youngd there..." "Indeed! Thatd is only twenty years old. Even if he started cultivating from his mothers womb, how strong can he possibly get? On the other hand, Wu Weitian is a pavilion master, so little has to be said about his prowess. To challenge thatd to a cultivation duel... he sure isnt giving thatd any face at all!" ... Hearing Wu shis words, a disturbance rippled through the crowd. A master teachers capability to impart knowledge and nurture the capability of others was important, but without sufficient power, it would be difficult tomand respect from others, and the master teachers credibility would be called into question as well. It was just like how a Transcendent Mortal master teacher would never be able to guide a Saint realm cultivator in their cultivation; even if the Transcendent Mortal master teacher did indeed possess deep knowledge of Saint realm cultivation, he would have to find a way to win the trust of the Saint realm cultivator first! To challenge the new principal to a cultivation duel right from the start, it could be said that Wu shi was intending to humiliate him through and through. "Wu shi, Principal Zhang is only at Chrysalis realm primary stage at the moment. How can he be a match against a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert like you?" Not expecting Wu shi to make such a request, Zhao Bingxus face darkened. However, at that moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly raised his hand to stop Zhao Bingxu before turning his gaze to Wu Weitian. "Pavilion Master Wu, you wish to challenge me to a cultivation duel?" "Indeed. I hope that Principal Zhang can ede to my request!" Wu Weitian sneered coldly. It was his intention to make things difficult for Zhang Xuan today, cornering and humiliating him before the crowd that had gathered. "I can agree to your request, but before that, I would like to ask, what do you define as cultivation?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Cultivation refers to ones fighting prowess!" Wu Weitian replied without any hesitation. "I see. So, as a beast tamer, if I were to have my tamed beast aid me in my fight, is that considered part of my fighting prowess as well?" Zhang Xuan asked calmly. "The ability to tame beasts is considered part of ones capability as a beast tamer, so naturally, ones tamed beast is considered part of ones fighting prowess too." Even though he did not understand why Zhang Xuan would ask such a question, Wu Weitian still replied to it nevertheless. A beast tamer fighting alongside his tamed beast could be considered synonymous to a martial artist fighting using his weapon. "I see." Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan raised his hand and said, "Byzantium Lad, I will be leaving this fellow to you then!" "Yes, Master!" Along with a furious roar, the crowd saw a massive saint beast descending from the sky, its massive palm aimed straight for Wu Weitian. "What?" Not expecting a Spiritual Perception realm saint beast to emerge out of nowhere, before Wu Weitian could even process what was going on, he was already smacked into the ground by the might of the palm, and huge spurts of blood spewed from his mouth. Even when the Byzantium Helios Beast was still at Saint realm 1-dan, none of the Ten Great Master Teachers were a match for it. Even though Wu Weitian was not weak, he stood no chance against the Spiritual Perception realm Byzantium Helios Beast. After Wu Weitian was smacked into the ground, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said calmly, "Allow me to introduce everyone. This is my tamed beast, Byzantium Helios Beast." "Isnt the Byzantium Helios Beast the old principals tamed beast? How did Zhang shi manage to tame it?" "Wait a moment, doesnt it seem like Senior Byzantium Helios is significantly stronger than before?" "The strength of a tamed beast is considered part of the strength of the beast tamer as well. Since the Byzantium Helios Beast is Zhang shis tamed beast, that means that Zhang shi possesses strength beyond Saint realm 1-dan as well!" ... Zhang Xuans words caused a huge ruckus to break out beneath the stage. Beast tamers had always been feared for the frightening strength that their tamed beasts possessed. Given that Zhang Xuan had such a powerful tamed beast, who would dare to underestimate him anymore? ... Shortly after Wei Weitians defeat, someone else within the crowd spoke up. "I admit that you are indeed capable to have been able to tame the Byzantium Helios Beast. However, a man who possesses nothing but power can only be said to be a brute. To be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, you must have a high Soul Depth as well. Thus, I, Liao Cong, wish to challenge Principal Zhang to a duel of Soul Depth. I hope that you can ede to my request!" Zhao Bingxu turned his gaze over. It was the head of the Yuanjiang Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Liao Cong! Pavilion Master Liao was slightlycking in terms of strength aspared to Wu Weitian, but he was known for his incredibleposure. It was rumored that he possessed an exceptional Soul Depth of 20.9, just a step short of reaching the level of a 7-star master teacher! "A duel of Soul Depth?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. "Thats right!" Pavilion Master Liao Cong nodded. Given that the other party had the Byzantium Helios Beasta Spiritual Perception realm spirit beaston his side, there was no way he would be a match for the other party in terms of fighting prowess. Thus, he would have to use other means to corner the other party. In any case, as long as he could defeat the other party in any challenge, the entire inauguration ceremony would be reduced to a farce. "Fine by me. How should we conduct the duel?" Zhang Xuan asked impassively. "Simple. We shall use the Impartation of Heavens Will on one another, and whoever manages to beguile the other will be the victor!" Pavilion Master Liao Cong said with a confident smile. "Impartation of Heavens Will?" Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. "Change it to something else, I dont have an interest in bullying others..." His Impartation of Heavens Will had grown considerably stronger afterprehending the Heart of a Teacher, allowing him to make the hundred thousand spirit beasts of Cloudmist Ridge submit to him. A mere 6-star master teacher like you, just where did you find the confidence to challenge me? "You..." Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Liao Cong nearly burst with rage. I am a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a person who possesses a Soul Depth of 20.9! Yet, you said that... you dont want to bully me? Ridiculous! "Why? Are you backing out from my challenge?" Pavilion Master Liao Cong spat through clenched jaws. With a glint in his eyes, Zhang Xuan said, "Since Pavilion Master Liao insists on it, I will ept your challenge then. How about this? Pavilion Master Wu was injured in the previous duel, so why dont you help him out?" There was a peculiar quality in his voice that seemed topel others into obedience. "Yes..." Pavilion Master Liao Cong was stunned for a brief moment before walking up to Pavilion Master Wu and driving his zhenqi to pull thetter out of the ground. However, as soon as he finished doing that, he suddenly froze. To obey the other partysmands, it was clear that he had just been beguiled! "You..." Pavilion Master Liao Congs face turned livid, and just as he was about to speak, the young man opposite to him continued speaking with aposed look. "It seems like there are some problems with your cultivation. Do you feel a persistent dryness in your throat and an aching pain in your Huyang acupoint? Dont worry, the symptom should be resolved by pping yourself twice..." "pping himself?" "This... Pavilion Master Liao cant be so foolish as to listen to that, can he?" "That is clearly an attempt to humiliate Pavilion Master Liao..." ... Hearing those words, the hundred thousand people gathered in the training ground were taken aback. Every single eye in the area was gathered on Pavilion Master Liao Cong, waiting intently to see how he would react. But before countless faces of disbelief, Pavilion Master Liao Cong raised his palm and struck his face forcefully. Pah! Pah! After the two powerful ps, blood began flowing out of the edges of Pavilion Master Liao Congs mouth. Paying no heed to the shocked crowd, Zhang Xuan continued. "Do a handstand right now and channel your zhenqi downward!" Without any hesitation, Pavilion Master Liao Cong immediately flipped over and did a handstand. A few breathster, his face started swelling up intensely due to the two previous ps. "What is going on?" "Could this be... Impartation of Heavens Will?" "But even if he is under the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will, it shouldnt be possible to make a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion, p himself and do a handstand on a whim, right?" "I have no idea what is going on either. However, it is clear that Pavilion Master Liao has lost utterly in this duel of Soul Depth!" ... Seeing Pavilion Master Liao, who had just challenged Zhang Xuan to humiliate thetter, abruptly pping himself and doing a handstand, everyone felt lightheaded. The situation before them was unbelievable, they couldnt make sense out of what was happening at all! As master teachers, they were capable of using Impartation of Heavens Will themselves. However, to make another harm himself and pose in humiliating postures publicly, that was far beyond their capability. In fact, that was already beyond the capability of the Impartation of Heavens Will itself! "Unless... Zhang shi isnt ying with him, and there is no mistake with what he is saying, causing Pavilion Master Liao to obey his words instinctively..." a 6-star master teacher amid the crowd remarked. It was indeed possible for one to control a master teachers body through the Impartation of Heavens Will for a short period of time, but it was only on the basis that the words spoken were wless and aligned with the essence of the world. Even though he had no idea why Pavilion Master Liao would have to p himself and do a handstand, there should be no mistake with the instructions. Otherwise, even if Zhang shis Soul Depth was far beyond Pavilion Master Liaos, it was still impossible for him to make Pavilion Master Liao obey hismands unconditionally. Pu! A momentter, before everyones astonished gazes, Pavilion Master Liao spurted a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground. Following which, he got back to his feet, and facing the young man on the stage once more, he sped his fist. This time, instead of skepticism, his eyes were filled with admiration and respect. "Zhang shi, I am truly grateful to you for saving my life..." Chapter 896: Fight Among Students Chapter 896: Fight Among Students Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Saving his life?" The seeding principal had used the Impartation of Heavens Will to make Pavilion Master Liao Cong embarrass himself publicly, but not only was thetter not angry at all, thetter had even thanked him for saving his life... This sight left the crowd confounded. They hadnt expected the situation to develop in such an unexpected manner. Noticing the doubt in everyones eyes, Pavilion Maser Liao Cong shook his head and exined, "In my hastiness to aplish, I erred in my cultivation, resulting in my flow of zhenqi bing disrupted, an aching pain in my Huyang acupoint, and a slight deterioration of my organs. I thought it was nothing much, and I only had to take note of it in the future to prevent any further deterioration! "But after Principal Zhangs guidance, I realized that the foundation of my cultivation has actually been damaged. The two ps to my face were actually to open my Longxi and Chiyang acupoints, which allowed my zhenqi to clear the blockage in my meridians. After which, the handstand served to circte my zhenqi, thus solving the hidden trauma within my body! "Despite my provocation and attempt to humiliate Principal Zhang, he was still willing to overlook the matter and treat my trauma... This is the magnanimity of a true master teacher! From this day forth, I dere that our Hongchi Empire Master Teacher Pavilion will support him as the principal, and this decision shall stand as long as I live!" Pavilion Master Liao Cong vowed as he raised his hand. "This is possible too?" "A hidden trauma is solved with just two ps and a handstand?" Amotion broke out beneath the stage. Everyone stared at one another, unable to believe their eyes. Had they not seen how Pavilion Master Liao Cong provoked Zhang Xuan earlier, they might have really thought that those two were just putting on an act! "This Principal Zhang..." In the area where the emperors sat, Zhu Yi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and muttered, "It seems like he does possess some capability after all!" Just like the pavilion masters, he had harbored doubts regarding Zhang Xuans capability due to his young age, and he had thought that the reason thetter had be the principal was due to pulling some strings behind the curtains. However, after witnessing how thetter dealt with the challenge of two of the pavilion masters decisively and promptly, his opinion of thetter was starting change. Another emperor beside him shook his head and remarked, "Lets watch on first. I still think that hes a little too young for such an important position." While age wasnt a determining factor to gauge a master teachers capability, it wasnt without reason that most were concerned about it. Time often tempered ones character and granted one collectedness, which allowed one to remain rational regardless of the situation. Inparison, the young were more prone to reckless outbursts, and in times of crisis, that could prove to be a fatal w. Given the importance of the Master Teacher Academy, this was a risk they couldnt afford to take. "It seems like Zhang shis Soul Depth is above Pavilion Master Liaos. I am truly impressed." While the two emperors were chatting, yet another elder stood up amid the crowd and spoke. "However, to be the principal, ones ability to impart and guide others is still extremely important. Despite my ipetence, I have taken in a few students and taught them, and they happen to be present for the ceremony today. If Principal Zhang doesnt mind, could you allow them to spar with your students so as to gauge your ability to impart?" "A spar between students?" "That sure is a vicious move!" ... The crowd flew into an uproar after hearing those words. The core responsibility of a teacher was to impart knowledge, and the most direct way to determine ones capability to impart knowledge was through assessing the students one taught. The more capable ones students were, the more capable the teacher would be perceived to be. If the principal of the Master Teacher Academy wascking in the ability to impart knowledge, that would mean that he had failed as a teacher! From this aspect, it could be said that this elder was even more vicious than the previous two. If Wu Weitian and Liao Cong had only intended to humiliate Zhang Xuan, this fellow was attempting to force Zhang Xuan off a cliff! Zhang shi was a talented individual, and he possessed astounding capability far beyond his peers, but ultimately, he was only twenty years old, and his cultivation was only at Chrysalis realm... Given such, how powerful could his students be? Hu! Shortly after the elder said those words, a middle-aged man stood up, and a powerful aura burst from him. A Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage expert! With such strength, he was already on par with the elders of the Master Teacher Academy!" "Principal Zhang, that man is Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun from Baituo Empire. If I am not mistaken, the middle-aged man is his direct disciple, Hong Lin. Thetter has been learning from Pavilion Master Xue for over a hundred years, and 35 years ago, he reached Saint realm 1-dan..." Zhao Bingxu hurriedly filled Zhang Xuan in on the details through zhenqi telepathy. "That middle-aged man has been his disciple for over a hundred years?" Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. That Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun sure was ruthless. Putting aside the fact his direct disciples cultivation was at Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage, just the fact that Hong Lin had studied under a pavilion master of a Tier-1 Empire for over a hundred years meant that it was likely that he possessed exceptional capability among his peers, and it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that he was invincible among cultivators of the same power level. If it had been any other challenge, Zhang Xuan might still have been able to turn it down through finding an excuse somehow. However, a duel between students involved his dignity as a teacher and his fundamental capability as a master teacher; turning it down would be a huge blow to his credibility and reputation. In other words, whether he liked it or not, as a master teacher and the seeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he had no choice but to ept the duel. As expected of the most powerful figure within a regional Master Teacher Pavilion, he sure wasnt an easy person to deal with. Just as Zhang Xuan was still busy contemting over how he should deal with this matter, the middle-aged man Hong Lin turned to him and sped his fist. "I wish to challenge Principal Zhangs students to a duel. May I know who my opponent is?" "We are here!" As soon as Hong Lin uttered those words, a few voices sounded clearly across the training grounds. Everyone turned their gazes over and saw Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang rising from their seats. They were the guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy, so naturally, they couldnt be absent for the inauguration ceremony either. At this very moment, the strongest of them, Wang Ying, had achieved a breakthrough recently, reaching the Cosmos Bridge realm. To reach the Cosmos Bridge realm at sixteen, she would definitely be considered an incredible genius regardless of where she was. However, she was still far from a match for the Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage Hong Lin. "Theres no hope to victory whatsoever..." The head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, shook his head and sighed deeply. He was the one who had invited Wang Ying and the others to be guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy, so he had a clear understanding of their capability. They had an extremely solid foundation, which allowed them to stand toe to toe even against cultivators with a higher cultivation than them. However, there was simply too huge a gap between them and Hong Lin. Even if Hong Lin were to lower his cultivation realm, given the disparity in their experience and reaction speed, he would still be able to defeat them easily! A gap of six realms wasnt something that could be ovee by just a strong foundation or a deep understanding of battle techniques. "You are the students of Principal Zhang? Haha, I can suppress my cultivation to be equal to yours when we fight!" Upon seeing that even the strongest among Zhang Xuans students was only at the Cosmos Bridge realm, Hong Lin couldnt help but burst intoughter. He could easily kill cultivators of that tier with just a puff of his breath. There was no doubt whatsoever; he would be the victor of this duel! "Come at me then!" With a furious roar, Wang Ying leaped onto the stage. Hong Lin chuckled softly before following suit as well. A tense atmosphere drifted between the two as they faced one another squarely. Zhang Xuan was just about to step forward to offer some guidance to Wang Ying ahead of the duel when another voice abruptly sounded. "Senior Wang Ying, you are teachers direct disciple. It would be making a mountain out of a molehill to have you face thisd, allow me to fight in your ce instead!" Hu! Following which, an old man descended onto the stage and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan with a sped fist. "Student Jiang Qingqin pays respect to teacher!" "Un." Upon seeing the other party, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten that he still had another student here? The old man was none other than the head of the Demonic Tunist School, Jiang Qingqin! The other party had acknowledged him as his teacher through a formal ceremony, so he could totally take Wang Yings ce! "Isnt that School Head Jiang?" "One of the Ten Great Master Teachers, School Head Jiang, is actually Zhang shis student?" "You must be joking! How could that be possible?" "But since School Head Jiang has already said it, there is no doubt about its authenticity. All master teachers view lineage with grave importance, let alone a 6-star pinnacle master teacher like School Head Jiang, so how could he simply acknowledge another as his teacher easily? Even if he intended to help Zhang shi, he wouldnt go to such an extent just for that!" "Even so, I just find this matter hard to believe!" "Indeed. For Zhang shi to have tamed the old principals tamed beast and even take School Head Jiang as his student... it really feels like I am in a dream!" ... The news that Zhang Xuan had epted Jiang Qingqin as his student had never been made public, so no one other than the Ten Great Master Teachers were aware of the matter. Hearing of this matter for the first time, the crowd beneath the stage widened their eyes in disbelief. A 6-star pinnacle master teacher had acknowledged a 4-star master teacher as his teacher? Even though School Head Jiang had admitted to it himself, the crowd still found it hard to ept. "School Head Jiang..." Beneath the stage, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun staggered weakly and nearly keeled over. He had thought that given Zhang Xuans low cultivation and young age, the other partys student would only, at best, be at the Cosmos Bridge realm. Yet, all of a sudden, a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers who was even stronger than him appeared, how was this battle supposed to go on? While he was feeling stifled, on the stage, Jiang Qingqin chuckled softly and said, "You are the student of Pavilion Master Yun? Haha, I can suppress my cultivation to be equal to yours when we fight!" Hearing those words, Hong Lins eyelids began twitching. Those were the exact words that he had said to Zhang Xuans students just a moment ago, and Jiang Qingqin had returned them to him word for word. "You..." Knowing that it was toote to back down, Hong Lin gritted his teeth and said, "Come!" Following which, he swiftly flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword. Tzz! The cold glint of a sword shed through the air as it shot for Jiang Qingqin. It must be said that Hong Linsprehension of swordsmanship had reached a profound realm, achieving the level of Sword-Man Union. Of course, he was still no match for Zhang Xuan, but he was at least on par with Wang Ying and the others in terms of proficiency of battle techniques. If Wang Ying and the others were to fight him in a battle, they would stand no chance whatsoever. Putting aside the other partys superior eye of discernment and reaction speed, just the battle experience he had umted over the past hundreds of years of his life would make him more than a match for Wang Ying and the others, who had never faced a life-and-death battle in their life. However, just this bit of prowess meant nothing to School Head Jiang. With a light chuckle, he took out a zither and stroked it gently, and a crisp note immediately rang out. Triiiinggg! A sound reminiscent of a vase breaking echoed resoundingly in the air. Before Hong Lin could react, his sword had already shatteredpletely, and, hu!, with a huge burst of wind, his figure was sent flying from the stage as if a cockroach. His silhouette swiftly grew smaller and smaller in the distance before eventually disappearing from sight with a twinkle. Judging from the distance he flew, even if he were to survive this ordeal, he would be bedridden from the next few days. "7-star demonic tunist?" Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun abruptly stood up from his seat. Under normal circumstances, even though there was some disparity between School Head Jiang and Hong Lins strength, it would still have been difficult for the former to defeat thetter in just a single move... unless the formersprehension of demonic tunes had reached 7-star! In the face of a demonic tunist of this tier, even he could only flee as far as he could, not daring to face the other party head on. To acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher despite possessing such strength... Was there a screw loose in his head? While Xue Cangyun was baffled by the situation before him, he suddenly heard the displeased mumblings of Wei Ranxue, another member of the Ten Great Master Teachers, not too far away from him. "Damn it, I let that fellow get ahead of me! Since Zhang Xuan is a half-teacher of mine, I can be considered a partial student of his too... Against such a fellow, sending in a full-fledged student is such a waste. A half-student like me is more than sufficient..." "School Head Wei is his student as well?" Pavilion Master Xue suddenly felt the sight before him darken. "..." The students and teachers of the academy staggered as they turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, this time with twitching lips. Brother... We can ept the fact that you have tamed the tamed beast of the old principal, turned half of the student popce into members of your Xuanxuan Faction, bing the half-teacher of the tens of thousands of Apothecary School students... But to make at least two of the Ten Great Master Teachers your students... How are we supposed to ept that? When did the Master Teacher Academy be your possession? Chapter 897: The Master Teacher Academys Shock (1) Chapter 897: The Master Teacher Academys Shock (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After sending Hong Lin flying, School Head Jiang put away his zither and scanned the crowd from the stage above with a gaze that sent shivers down ones spine. "Is there anyone else who doubts my teachers capability? I am more than willing to entertain you with a fight!" The crowd fellpletely silent. Those who had harbored such thoughts previously had been hushed by School Head Jiangs menacing words. Against a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers, a 7-star demonic tunist at that, how could any of them possibly fight him? Seeing that there was no response from the crowd, School Head Jiang turned his gaze back to Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun and smirked. "Pavilion Master Xue, dont you still have other students? I dont mind facing them all at once!" Feeling School Head Jiangs gaze falling on them, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyuns students hurriedly cowered away and lowered their gazes, not daring to meet the other partys eyes. Given that even the strongest of them, Hong Lin, had been defeated in a single blow, who else would dare face School Head Jiang in a duel? Sighing deeply, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun sped his fist and dered, "Our Baituo Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has no objections to Zhang shi bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy!" Even he wasnt a match for School Head Jiang, needless to say, his students. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had managed to ovee this ordeal as well, Zhao Bingxu heaved a sigh of relief. "Of the five representatives of the regional Master Teacher Pavilions, three have already recognized Principal Zhang. Vice Pavilion Master Bai of Chiyao Empire and Pavilion Master Mo of Hongyuan Empire, what about you?" As the inauguration ceremony had been organized in a rush, only four representatives from the Master Teacher Pavilions of the nearby empires had managed to make it in time. Counting in the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as well, there were a total of five representatives in total. "Our Chiyao Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has no objections!" Given that the three heads of the other Master Teacher Pavilion were no match for Zhang Xuan, Vice Pavilion Master Bai, as a mere vice head, was less likely to be a match. Thus, he hurriedly stood up and sped his fist. "Our Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has always supported Zhang shi as the next principal!" Mo Gaoyuan stood up and sped his fist as well. He had witnessed how Zhang shi had risen step by step in Hongyuan City, and he was also the first ones to agree to thetters session as the next principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Naturally, he wouldnt voice any objections during the inauguration ceremony either. "Good. Since there are no objections, we shall proceed on to the next formality!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. The greatest obstacle the seeding principal would face in the Question Symposium was mainly the representatives from the other Master Teacher Pavilions. Since even the representatives had no objections to the matter, Principal Zhang could be considered to have ovee this formality safely. At this moment, however, a huge group of students consisting of several hundred people suddenly stood up together, and a representative among them said, "School Head Zhao, we have a question that we would like to ask Principal Zhang!" The representative was the student who had killed the most spirit beasts in the battle against the Cloudmist Ridge earlier. Grade-4 student, Zhu Chenqing! His family had been killed by the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, so he harbored great hostility toward them. From the moment he enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy, he had already vowed to eradicate those scourges who had brought great suffering to mankind. However, it was a pity that, due to several considerations, the Master Teacher Academy had never made a move against the Cloudmist Ridge. At the same time, his influence as a single student was limited, so there was nothing he could do about the matter either. He had thought that the beast stampede this time around could change the Master Teacher Academys nonchnt attitude toward the Cloudmist Ridge, forcing them to steel their resolve and eradicate the Cloudmist Ridge once and for all. However, he had never expected that the seeding principal would actually propose a negotiation with the Cloudmist Ridge... and evene to an agreement with them at that! It wasnt hard to imagine how furious he had been when he heard the news. Thus, he rallied all of these students to rise with him for a single reasonto demand an exnation! In truth, he had managed to rally tens of thousands of people to stand up together with him before the inauguration ceremony, but many of them were from the Xuanxuan Faction. After seeing that the new principal was their faction leader, they changed their mind and decided not to participate, thus resulting in the number of protesters falling to a mere few hundred. "Speak!" Zhao Bingxu frowned in displeasure, but he gestured for Zhu Chenqing to continue. "I wish to ask Principal Zhang, when will the Master Teacher Academy sh with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge once more!" Zhu Chenqing said. Demanding the principal to reveal the results of the negotiation was extremely disrespectful, and it could be viewed as challenging the authority of the principal. As such, Zhu Chenqing chose to frame the question in another manner that would be slightly less insolent. "Finally, someone dropped the bomb!" "It seems like we arent the only ones concerned about the matter regarding the Cloudmist Ridge. It seems like the students also want an exnation as well!" "Lets see how the new principal answers that question!" ... Hearing Zhu Chenqings question, Zhu Yi and the others nced at one another and nodded in agreement. As emperors of Tier-1 Empires in the region, it didnt really matter to them who became the emperor... What was more important to them was whether or not the new principal had the ability to protect them! Considering what they had heard about the Cloudmist Ridge, it was inevitable that they would doubt the seeding principals capability. If the other party couldnt even deal with mere beasts, could they really expect him to stand up for their empires in times of crisis? "sh with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge?" Zhang Xuan and Zhao Bingxu traded nces upon hearing the question, and they couldnt help but chuckle softly. Thetter shook his head, stepped forward, and replied, "Theres no need to battle anymore. The problem regarding the Cloudmist Ridge has been thoroughly resolved. No more will we have to worry about facing beast stampedes from them anymore!" "Thoroughly resolved?" Zhu Chenqing and the other students looked at one another and frowned. What did those words mean? No more would they have to worry... Was the other party talking about the promises made by the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge? But how could the words of the enemy be epted so simply? That was taking this matter far too lightly! If this matter could be resolved that easily, the Master Teacher Academy wouldnt have been so helpless before this matter despite the emergence of numerous outstanding principals in history. "Pardon me, but since School Head Zhao is so certain of this matter, we would like to know what kind of terms the Master Teacher Academy promised the Cloudmist Ridge that could resolve the problem of beast stampedes once and for all!" Gritting his teeth, Zhu Chenqing dove straight into the main point. "Principal Zhang, allow me..." Noticing the nuances behind Zhu Chenqings words, Zhao Bingxu took a look at Zhang Xuan and nodded. However, at that instant, an elder abruptly flew in hurriedly from the perimeter of the training grounds. Before reaching the stage, he was already yelling in a panic, "Principal, elders, bad news!" "What happened?" Seeing an elder panicking like that in the midst of the inauguration ceremony, Zhao Bingxu frowned. "Reporting to School Head Zhao, w-we..." With a pale face, the elders body trembled intensely as he uttered fearfully, "We have been surrounded by the spirit beasts and saint beasts of Cloudmist Ridge!" "Surrounded?" Zhao Bingxu and Zhang Xuan were only slightly bewildered upon hearing the words, but the faces of the crowd instantaneously warped in horror. For the Master Teacher Academy to actually be surrounded by spirit beasts and saint beasts... In other words, they were trapped like cornered prey in an enclosure! Everyone immediately got to their feet, intending to take a look at the situation. However, at that moment, a loud sonic boom reverberated deafeningly through the air. Hu hu hu! Raising their gazes, the crowd saw three immense saint beasts flying straight toward the training grounds. They were the Emerald Bamboo Earth Dragon King, White-eared Beast King, and Steelscale Beast King of the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge. Even before their arrival, the overwhelming aura of three Saint realm 1-dan beasts permeated the training grounds, leaving the air in the surroundings tempestuous. Trailing neatly behind them were a dozen Nascent Saint beasts, followed by thirty or so Half-Saint beasts! If it had been just this, there was no way the crowd of a hundred thousand gathered in the training grounds at this very moment could possibly fear them. However, flying behind them was a huge formation of three thousand aerial spirit beasts! Each of them was at least at Transcendent Mortal 7-dan, and there were even quite a handful that had reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan. Moving in a neat formation, their majestic cries echoed resoundingly in the air. With just a singlemand from their leader, this mighty army could instantly swoop down from the sky and inflict devastating damage on them. An elder from the Beast Tamer Schools face paled, and he quickly roared furiously, "All master teachers, prepare for battle!" Hula! Having gone through the previous battle, the master teachers behind him swiftly whipped out their weapons and got into formation. Each of every single one of them stared at the aerial spirit beasts warily, prepared to retaliate as soon as any of them made a move. "Damn it! Those who arent one of our own can never be trusted; I have said time and time again that we should never keep such a threat by our side! How could the Master Teacher Academy be so foolish to have thought that they could negotiate with them? Take a good look at what that has brought us!" Zhu Yi cursed with a pale face. "Expecting the beasts to hold their end of a promise is a joke in itself! For the spirit beasts to fly together neatly without the slightest warning beforehand, it is clear that they havee prepared today! Even if the Master Teacher Academy manages to survive the ordeal today, it will surely suffer devastating damage that it might never recover from..." another emperor remarked with a livid face. Yet another emperor harrumphed coldly. "Indeed. Toe under the attack of a beast stampede in the midst of his inauguration ceremony, that Principal Zhang is doomed to go down in history as a sinner..." Three thousand aerial spirit beasts and dozens of Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts was indeed a fearsome formation, but it wasnt enough for them to bring them fear yet. The Master Teacher Academy had many trump cards up its sleeves after several millenniums of history, and on top of that, the Hongyuan Empire royal family was there as well. With theirbined force, resolving this conflict wasnt too difficult. Just that... if this matter were to be made known to others, Zhang Xuan and the Master Teacher Academy would be aughingstock for many years toe. Roar! Roar! Roar! Hong long long! Hong long long! But just as everyone was preparing themselves for a fight, a deafening war cry from countless beasts abruptly sounded in unison, shaking the heavens. Soon after, the ground began shaking intensely. "What is that?" someone amid the crowd shouted. Everyone quickly turned around, and what they saw left thempletely frozen on the spot. Amidst a huge cloud of dust that had risen outside the Master Teacher Academy, they saw an army of enormous Bluetrunk Elephants charging toward them with astounding momentum. Those Bluetrunk Elephants each possessed a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and there were several thousand of them in total. Under the lead of a Saint realm 1-dan Bluetrunk Elephant King, their presence seemed to emanate an aura that sent a ripple of fear and panic through the crowd. As the ground trembled beneath those massive figures, seemingly heralding the end of the world, the hearts of those watching them jolted in fright as well. "The Bluetrunk Elephants are here too? This willplicate things..." Seeing that the thick-skinned, massive beasts were there as well, everyonesplexion worsened. The aerial spirit beasts were already troublesome foes to deal with by themselves. If they had the support of the Bluetrunk Elephants, who specialized in crushing through formations with the fearsome momentum of their charge, that would make the battle many times more difficult than it already was. Zhu Chenqing rose up andmanded, "Everyone, get into a defensive formation." Hu! Hearing the orders, the students hurriedly awoke from their daze and quickly got into a defensive formation that would help them cope against the furious charge of the Bluetrunk Elephants. Aoooo! Aooooo! But shortly after they got into formation, a piercing howl echoed in the air. Following which, before everyones twitching eyes, an army of several thousand Steelfang Wolves charged in under the lead of a Saint realm 1-dan Steelfang Wolf King. Steelfang Wolves were known for their cunningness and their exceptional ability in coborating with one another to perform group assaults, making them a troublesome foe to deal with. For several thousands of them to appear simultaneously, it was truly a catastrophe! "We are doomed..." someone amid the crowd muttered feebly as the faces of those around him warped in despair. Even Yu Shenqing couldnt help but feel his hairs stand on end from the sheer number of enemies before him. Even though the old eunuch Luo Fu had said that they would be able to uncover news regarding the results of the negotiation at the Cloudmist Ridge before the inauguration ceremony, there seemed to have been some dys due to unexpected circumstances. As a result, he had no idea what School Head Mo had promised the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge back then. Roar! Roar! Roar! As if the heavens were decreeing their doom, before everyones shocked gazes, a bunch of Scarlet ze Lions arrived under the lead of the Saint realm 1-dan Scarlet ze Lion King, and just like those before, there were thousands of them as well. Following shortly behind were the Steelbacked Bear, Tigerhead Beast, Crimsonme Ape... Nine of the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had arrived with thousands of their subordinates, and altogether, they formed an impressive army of several dozen thousand beasts! In other words, it could be said that the entire force of the Cloudmist Ridge was present at that very moment! It was as if they were dering that they would eradicate the Master Teacher Academy by hook or by crook that day! Everyones face turned ghastly white, and not a single person could find a word to utter. Chapter 898: The Master Teacher Academys Shock (2) Chapter 898: The Master Teacher Academys Shock (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Didnt the Master Teacher Academy negotiate with the Cloudmist Ridge and receive thetters promise to never cause a beast stampede anymore? How did this happen?" "How can we fight against so many spirit beasts and saint beasts at once?" "We are doomed!" "This is probably the greatest crisis the Master Teacher Academy has ever faced since its founding. This is even worse than the war that Principal Mo Liuzhen faced four thousand years ago!" It took a while before the crowds voices finally returned. With so many saint beasts and spirit beasts surrounding them, even if the Master Teacher Academy were to achieve a victory eventually, it would still suffer devastating damage! Out of its hundred thousand students, it would be a huge blessing if even a third of them were still alive by the end of this ordeal. If that were to really happen, this matter would surely go down in history! It was just a moment earlier that they had been told confidently that the problem of beast stampedes from the Cloudmist Ridge had be resolved once and for all, but such a situation fell upon them in the very next instant. Even if that Zhang Xuan fellow were to sessfully be inaugurated as the next principal, he would be nothing more than a figurehead, devoid of any power or authority, and perhaps, he might even be aughingstock of the world! "From the challenges by the pavilion masters, it can be seen that Zhang shi does possess some capability. But faced with such a situation, there is nothing he can do. He can only me his misfortune for meeting with such an incident on the day of his inauguration!" One of the emperors sighed inmentation. "Indeed. No matter how well he copes with the situation and lowers the casualties to the bare minimum, it doesnt matter anymore. To be surrounded by so many saint beasts and spirit beasts during his own inauguration ceremony... No matter what he does, he is doomed to go down in history as the most ipetent principal of the Master Teacher Academy!" Zhu Yi also shook his head and he shot a nce at Zhang Xuan with sympathy in his eyes. The previous performance of the young principal had indeed won his admiration and approval, but it was a pity that fate had toyed with him. No matter how capable a genius the other party was, there was nothing he could do in the face of so many saint beasts and spirit beasts. Just as Zhu Yi wasmenting over Zhang Xuans fate, he suddenly noticed that themotion in the surroundings had abruptly died down. The breathing of those around him hastened, as if something huge was impending. Frowning, Zhu Yi asked Yu Shenqing, who was sitting beside him, "Whats wrong?" "Take a look for yourself!" With a pale face, the emperor of Hongyuan Empire raised a shaky finger to the sky. "Look at what?" Bewildered by the other partys response, Zhu Yi raised his head, and the sight that was reflected in his eyes left his pupils narrowing in shock. His body stiffened, and with a hoarse voice, he eximed in astonishment, "W-w-w-what is that?" He wasnt the only one who was in such a state. In an instant, the crowd went mute; the training grounds plunged into an eerie silence. Every single one of them had their faces warped in shock, as if they had seen a ghost. Zhao Bingxu also raised his head to take a look, and he saw that the aerial saint beasts and spirit beasts, at some point in time, had positioned themselves to form massive words that filled the boundless sky for several dozen kilometers. Every single one of those words was shaped beautifully, reminiscent of a calligraphy masterpiece of a master painter. "Congrattions to Master for bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy! May you achieve extraordinary aplishments and your name to go down for generations toe... Could it be that they arent here to cause trouble but to... offer their congrattions?" Reading those words in the sky, Zhu Yi felt his mind going nk. He had thought that those spirit beasts and saint beasts would make use of this opportunity tounch a fatal attack on them or even extort them for even more favorable terms... But never in his dreams had he expected that they would form words to offer their congrattions instead! What was going on? Hong long! Before Zhu Yi could recover from his shock, the three kings of the Cloudmist Ridge in the sky abruptly sped their fists and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan and said, "Green Bamboo Earth Dragon, White-eared Beast, and Steelscale Beast congratte Master on bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. We have prepared 132,000 jin of Cloudmist Flower as a gift for you to celebrate this festive asion!" (~66,000kg) Hu! As they spoke those words, thirty Half-Saint aerial beasts descended onto the stage with arge chest each in their talons, cing them down gently before opening them. Weng! In an instant, the fragrance of tea leaves permeated the area. Mist puffed out from the chests to form a myriad of brilliant colors above them, creating an extraordinarily picturesque sight on the stage that seemed as if it hade out of a beautiful dream. "This..." Yu Shenqings eyes nearly popped out from their sockets, and with quivering lips, he uttered, "These are... supreme grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves?" "Cloudmist Flower tea leaves? Isnt that what you gift us from time to time?" Zhu Yi asked in astonishment. As the emperor of a neighboring empire, he had the privilege of enjoying tea brewed from the valuable Cloudmist Flower as well. However, due to its limited quantity, he had only been able to drink it a few times despite his esteemed standing. Even so, that aroma, that vor, and that texture... they were things that he would never forget in his life. Just the thought of it left his mouth salivating endlessly. "What I gifted you?" Yu Shenqing shook his head. "Far from it. What I have given you is just the lowest grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves. Compared to the ones in those chests, those are nothing more than trash!" "N-nothing more than trash?" The faces of Zhu Yi and the other emperors turned livid. Noticing their expressions, Yu Shenqing realized that he had misspoken, so he quickly rified himself. "Dont misunderstand! Its not that I am intentionally sending low grade products to youthose are already the best ones in our royal pce! We simply dont have the means to procure supreme grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves!" "You dont have the means to procure them?" The other emperors were taken aback. To think that the most influential person in Hongyuan Empire would have something he would be unable toy his hands on too? "In order to reach such a grade, the Cloudmist Flower must be at least two hundred years old and be nourished by the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. After which, it has to be carefully dried for three whole years before it is ready for consumption... Inparison to that, the tea leaves that our royal pce are able to procure only have a maturity of less than three years, so there is no way they canpare with those," Yu Shenqing said with a bitter smile. They were both Cloudmist Flower tea leaves, but there was a vast difference between their quality. Only what was in those chests could be considered as true tea leaves; inparison to that, those procured by the Hongyuan royal pce wereparable to weeds. "Tea leaves so valuable that even your Hongyuan royal pce doesnt have any, and those saint beasts actually gave away more than a hundred thousand jin of them as a gift?" Coming to a realization, Zhu Yi and the other emperors exchanged nces, and they suddenly felt a dryness in their throats. There were no words that could describe the current emotions they were feeling. As fans, they were aware of the staggering value of the Cloudmist Flower tea leaves. Even the most ordinary and low-grade ones that Yu Shenqing had in his possession was easily worth a fortune! Yet, to give away more than a hundred thousand jin of the tea leaves so easily... This was simply way too generous, wasnt it? However, before they could recover from their shock, a heartyughter suddenly boomed in the air, creating resounding echoes throughout the Master Teacher Academy. "Scarlet ze Lion, Steelbacked Bear, and Tigerhead Beast also congratte Master on bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. We have prepared thirty chests of spirit medicine and saint medicine as a gift for you to celebrate this festive asion!" Hu! Following which, ten Scarlet ze Lions, ten Steelbacked Bears, and ten Tigerhead Beasts walked up to the stage side-by-side. Each of them carried a two-meter wide chest on their backs, and after cing them down gently on the stage, they slowly opened them; a fragrance immediately burst into the air, reaching over ten li away. (5km) "This is... Dazzleflower Saint Medicine, Redleaf Saint Medicine, Myriad Chrysanthemum Saint Medicine... Not to mention, there are so many of them... Even if one were to empty out the entire Physician School, it would be impossible to gather so many of them together!" "Thats not all. Look carefully, there are Greenleaf Flower Stem, Fleeting Fragrance Leaf, Woodbeard Spirit Grass... These medicinal herbs are incredibly rare, and perhaps even the Great Herb King of Hongyuan Empire might not have them!" "Look, isnt that the Thousand Gold Flower? Back then, I spent ten years visiting over twenty Tier-1 Empires, but I wasnt able to find a single one. But this... there is actually half a chest of them here?" "Is that the... Miniature Heart Devouring Grass? Isnt that the extraordinarily rare medicinal herb famed as the core ingredient for brewing the ultimate wine that can leave one deeply intoxicated, such that one can even forget the love of their life? When I was younger, in order to forget a rtionship, I toured the world to find it, and it took me three entire years just to find one that was three months old... Yet, those in that chest have a maturity of at least several hundred years!" ... Upon seeing the medicinal herbs in the chests, the master teachers of the Apothecary School and Physician School nearly went insane. Not only were these medicinal herbs insanely expensive, they were also extremely rare and difficult to find. Yet, those saint beasts actually gave out thirty chests of them in a single go. On top of that, all of the medicinal herbs were of a decent maturity too... To use those as a congrattion gift... Were they intending to empty out the Cloudmist Ridge? "Steelfang Wolf, Bluetrunk Elephant, and Crimsonme Ape also congratte Master on bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. We have prepared thirty chests of ores as a gift for you to celebrate this festive asion!" Hu! Before the crowd could even digest the astounding sight of thirty chests of spirit herbs and saint herbs, the final three kings also stepped forward and presented their gifts loudly. Hong long long! Ten Steelfang Wolves, ten Bluetrunk Elephants, and ten Crimsonme Apes also made their way to the stage, putting down the huge chests on their back carefully and opening them. Weng! A ripple spread across the spiritual energy in the air, and a burst of color appeared before everyones eyes. All kinds of rare ores, which the crowd had only heard about but never seen before, appeared before everyones eyes. "Is that the... Bluescar Metal? I heard that this metal is even tougher than Xuan Metal, and weapons forged using the Bluescar Metal will have elegant blue veins running through them. It is said that those weapons are incredibly sharp, allowing one to slice through the flesh of another cleanly, without leaving the slightest bloodstain on the de. Innumerable experts would die to just gain possession of a tael of it! For there to be an entire chest of it here... that should be at least several dozen tons, right?" (A tael = 50g) "I saw the Bloodseal Ore in one of the chests! If one grinds the ore down and smears it on a de, even the toughest metal will be easily turned into liquid! Back then, I tried to purchase some of it from the cksmith Guild, but I was rejected on the grounds of my rank being too low... Yet, the saint beasts are giving an entire chest of it to Zhang shi?" "Those are Adamantium Rocks! As long as they are carefully carved, they can be jewels more dazzling that diamonds! Even if its value doesntpare to the other ores, surely they dont have to give away so many chests of it like that!" "Could those be Snowrue Rocks? If cultivators of yin attribute cultivation technique were to carry some on them, their cultivation speed could be boosted significantly..." ... As soon as those ores appeared, all of the master teachers of the cksmith School fell into a frenzy. As cksmiths, they were able to recognize the ores in the chests, and they couldnt help but be astounded by their sheer value. Putting all of them together, and the value could easily exceed the wealth of the entire Master Teacher Academy and the Hongyuan royal family! And yet, these were given away for free to Zhang shi to serve as congrattory gifts for his inauguration! "Zhu Chenqing, didnt you say that our Master Teacher Academy agreed to humiliating conditions in order to convince the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge to retreat?" "But these gifts... Even if one were to overturn the entire Master Teacher Academy, it would be impossible to take out so many valuable resources!" "Not to mention, the Ten Indomitable Kings even delivered the gifts personally with their men!" ... Those students who had stood up in protest against Zhang Xuan earlier turned their sights to Zhu Chenqing. Previously, Zhu Chenqing had told them that the Master Teacher Academy hadpensated the Cloudmist Ridge with huge wealth just to convince them to retreat so that the inauguration ceremony could carry on without any trouble. It was after hearing his story that they agreed to stand up with him to question the seeding principal indignantly. But this... instead of the Master Teacher Academypensating the Cloudmist Ridge, it was the Cloudmist Ridge that was delivering valuable gifts one after another to them! No matter how slow they were, it was clear that the agreed to humiliating terms so that the inauguration ceremony could go on without any trouble, which they had been told, was a lie... "I-I... How was I supposed to know this?" Zhu Chenqing eximed with a trembling body as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Considering that it was their side that had proposed the negotiation, and that the negotiation had been conducted in the enemys den, where the negotiator could be easily pressured into giving in, the eventual terms decided upon in the negotiation were bound to be shameful and humiliating to them... Who would have thought that it would turn out to be theplete opposite? Zhu Chenqing felt as if his sanity was going to snap by the craziness happening around him... The heck! Are you sure that you went there to negotiate and not to rob them? Chapter 899: Inviting the Predecessors Chapter 899: Inviting the Predecessors Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After a very long moment of silence, someone amid the crowd eximed, "Wait! Have you noticed that they addressed Zhang shi as Master in their congrattions?" Overwhelmed by the shock of the gifts, none of them had really noticed it. However, now that they were given some time to process what had just happened, realization suddenly dawned upon them. "Indeed! They did say congrattions to Master!" "For them to call Zhang shi their master, there can only be one possibility... they are his tamed beasts!" "Wait, doesnt that mean that Zhang shi... has managed to tame all of the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge? Is that the reason they cleared out their den to prepare these gifts to offer to him during the inauguration ceremony?" As if a stone dropped into a tranquilke, amotion swiftly rippled across the crowd. As students of the Master Teacher Academy, none of them were fools. It only took them a brief moment to understand the situation before them. Shocked gazes swiftly turned to theposed, twenty-year-old young man standing on the stage, and the crowd felt as if their minds were about to blow. This was especially so for the students of the Beast Tamer School. They werepletely frenzied by the situation before them. Just to tame a single spirit beast, they would need to spend several years giving the other party all kinds of treasures and delicacies while putting aside their dignity to fawn over the beast, as if trying to please ones ancestor... Yet, the young man on the stage had not only tamed the Byzantium Helios Beast but the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge as well... Can you be any more exaggerated than that? While they were bbergasted by the situation before them, the several dozen spirit beasts in the air and on ground abruptly bowed down toward the young man on the stage and howled in unison. "Roar roar roar roar roar..." "Thats the Ancient Beast Language!" one of the older beast tamers amid the crowd eximed. Someone else hurriedly asked, "Ancient Beast Language? What are they saying?" It was extremely difficult to learn the Ancient Beast Language, and even among the master teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, there was only a small handful who could understand it. "I can only make out some of the simpler words..." The older beast tamer hesitated for an instant before saying, "It seems like they are saying... Congrattions to Master for bing the principal of the Master Teacher Academy..." "Master? Wait, it cant be that... these spirit beasts have been tamed by Zhang shi as well? All of them are his tamed beasts?" "That seems to be the case..." "While taming the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, he conveniently tamed the other spirit beasts as well?" "Faction leaderwait, it should be Principal Zhang nowsure devastates everything in his path..." The eyelids of the crowd began twitching uncontrobly once more. It was just a moment ago that they had thought that the situation was already sufficiently exaggerated, and that was when such a scene urred before them... Principal Zhang, are you sure that you are only a 4-star master teacher and not Kong shi in disguise? In fact, even Kong shi had no record of being able to tame several dozen thousand spirit beasts and saint beasts in a single breath during his younger years. One of the students of the Beast Tamer School who had participated in the battle was the first to realize the truth. "It seems like we really got it all wrong this time around. Principal Zhang participated in the negotiations as well, but instead of humbling himself before the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge and paying a heavy price in order to bring about peace, he went to overturn the other partys den!" "Indeed! To run straight into their base to tame the Ten Indomitable Kings and all of the spirit beasts beneath them... With such capability, were negotiations even required?" "Itsughable that we actually doubted Principal Zhang! It is no wonder School Head Zhao said that we dont have to worry about beast stampedes from the Cloudmist Ridge anymore. With all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts bing Principal Zhangs tamed beasts, how could a beast stampede possibly ur?" "The Cloudmist Ridge is a problem that the Master Teacher Academy has been unable to resolve for countless years, and yet, Zhang shi has already resolved it before he was even inaugurated as the principal. If I was one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, I would also have nominated him to be the principal! Who else could possibly be better suited for the role than him?" After recovering from the shock, a bitter smile surfaced on their faces. Previously, when they had heard that School Head Mo was proposing a negotiation with the Cloudmist Ridge, they had thought that the Master Teacher Academy was going to be forced into humiliating terms. But from the looks of it, they had been sorely mistaken. On the contrary, they had even helped to vent the many years of frustrations of mankind. Once the news spread, the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire would find their lower jaws dropping in astonishment as well. "He actually managed to tame all of them..." Watching the sight before him, Zhu Chenqings eyes reddened in agitation. His greatest goal had always been to exact vengeance for his family, and with all of the beasts submitting to Zhang shi, he could finally let go of this grudge. "Principal Zhang, thank you!" Kneeling to the ground, Zhu Chenqing expressed his earnest gratitude toward Zhang Xuan. "Alright, all of you may leave now!" After epting all of the gifts, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. He had no idea that the spirit beasts and saint beasts would cause such a huge ruckus during the inauguration ceremony! If he had known in advance, he would have surely stopped them from messing around like that! While it was true that their actions had indeed won him some prestige, he still couldnt help but feel stifled within. As the saying goes, unting ones wealth is nothing short of foolishness. How hard would it have been for you to have passed those gifts to me discreetly? But to present them as congrattory gifts in the middle of the inauguration ceremony, isnt that as good as telling everyone in the academy that I have struck it rich? "Yes!" Nodding, the Scarlet ze Lion swiftly led the spirit beasts and saint beasts out of the Master Teacher Academy. Watching the spirit beasts and saint beasts leaving orderly onmand, the master teachers in the area couldnt help but feel a surge of admiration. With such a principal leading them, it would just be a matter of time before the academy rose through the ranks! Seeing that Principal Zhang had managed to win everyone over, Zhao Bingxu chuckled softly and said, "Alright, if no one else have any other questions, we shall proceed on to the next formality, paying respects to the predecessors!" "We are willing to recognize Zhang shi as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy!" the crowd hurriedly responded. The young man on the stage had already shown outstanding character, professionalism, exceptional teaching capability, deep knowledge of cultivation, and magnanimity to them. They would only be embarrassing themselves if they challenged such a man further. "Good. Invite the predecessors!" Zhao Bingxu announced loudly. Inviting the predecessors to witness the inauguration of the principal was a convention of the Master Teacher Academy. In this formality, the seeding principal will seek the recognition of the preceding principals. While this might sound simr to how the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall worked, there was a significant difference between the two. In the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, master teachers would seek the acknowledgement from the wills of the outstanding predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and the more predecessors who acknowledged them, the greater ones aplishments were likely to be in the future. On the other hand, in this formality of the inauguration ceremony, the seeding principal would be seeking the recognition from the wills of the preceding principals. The greater the number of principals that recognized the seeding principal, the greater the authority and power the seeding principal would obtain in the Master Teacher Academy. The Master Teacher Academy wasnt as simple as it looked on the surface. There were many deeper secrets to it that even an esteemed school head like Zhao Bingxu was unqualified to learn of. Hong long! As Zhao Bingxus words echoed in the air, a massive formation inscribed onto the stage began whirring into action, and the sky abruptly darkened, as if an ominous cloud had concealed the sun. "What is going on?" This was the first time that most of the students had witnessed this formality, so they couldnt help but be unnerved by the bizarre happenings around them. Didnt School Head Zhao say that he would invite the predecessors? Why would the sky suddenly darken? "Dont worry, I was present in the inauguration ceremony of the old principal, and this was the exact same situation that happened then as well!" An elder stroked his beard and said, "By predecessors, it actually refers to the wills that the preceding principals left behind in the academy. As these wills exist in a form simr to souls, they are unable to move around in the sunlight, so a formation must be activated to conceal the sun before the predecessors can be summoned!" One of the students couldnt help but ask curiously, "Soul? Is that the means of a soul oracle?" "Means of a soul oracle? Of course not! The means of the soul oracles are extremely sinister and callous, consisting of methods to lengthen ones lifespan through possessing the bodies of others and turning living bodies into Soulless Metal Humanoids. On the other hand, the methods our Master Teacher Pavilion use are upright and orthodox!" the elder replied disdainfully. "Then..." The student was confused. ording to what he knew, only soul oracles had to avoid the sunlight, confined in the shades of darkness. "These predecessors are the wills left behind the preceding generations of principals, and naturally, they cant bepared with mere soul oracles! If you dont believe me, just take a look yourself..." Shortly after the elder said those words, a huge gust of wind blew, and the vague silhouette of an elder materialized above the stage. This elder had a square face, and a hint of valiantness seemed to be etched into his be, granting him a majestic and authoritative disposition. Unlike the cold and sinister aura that soul oracles usually carried, his presence felt upright and warm. Upon seeing the elder, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but frown. Just like the other students, he had also been wondering whether or not the predecessors had used the means of soul oracles in order to sustain themselves, as a duration of ten millenniums was more than sufficient to dissipate the soul of even the most capable master teacher. However, after seeing the elder, he realized that the predecessors existed in a form strikingly simr to the young Kong shi he had met at the Saint Acknowledgement tform. He wasnt too sure about the details, but the soul felt upright, devoid of the disquieting aura characteristic of a soul oracle. But of course, existing in such a form had its own disadvantages as well. For one, the soul before him didnt seem to beplete, which impeded it from exerting significant power. On top of that, soul oracles often possessed their full consciousness, but the soul of the master teacher could only be said to be a sliver of will, simr to the state that Vicious was in at the moment. "Judging from his appearance and aura, it seems like he is the first principal of the Master Teacher Academy, Mu shi!" Unlike Zhang Xuans questioning gaze, the eyes of the teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy lit up upon seeing the elder. The founder of the Master Teacher Academy appearing before their eyes, how could they not be excited? It might just be an iplete soul, but it harnessed his will within it! Hu hu hu hu! Shortly after Mu Kai appeared, several dozen more figures flickered into existence as well. Even though their silhouettes looked extremely faint, they harnessed a powerful aura that exerted great pressure on those before them. As students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, they were expected to remember the history of the Master Teacher Academy. Besides, those who were able to be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy in their generation possessed capability surpassing that of their peers, making them figures of admiration among students and teachers alike. Seeing so many of their idols appearing simultaneously, the atmosphere in the training grounds was about to burst through the sky. "Is that Principal Liu Changyuan from the seventh generation? I have been studying his Changyuan Great Sorrow Palm and Thousand Leaves Revolution Palm for the past few years..." "That must be Principal Mo Liuzhen! As expected of the one famed for possessing the greatest talent among all of the principals; just his presence seems to hint at the boundless might he possesses!" "Principal Mo Liuzhen is indeed strong, but its a pity that he entered the Subterranean Gallery in order to push himself to make a breakthrough to bing an 8-star master teacher and never returned. His death is truly one of the greatest loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion..." "My idol is Principal Zhu Xuanqing of the 79th generation. Even though he never managed to be a 7-star master teacher in his lifetime, he specialized in a total of 12 supporting upations andpiled his insights into each of them in great detail, leaving behind an incredible trove of knowledge for the generations toe..." ... The many master teachers in the training grounds couldnt help but feel their hearts leaping in excitement. Hu hu! Amidst the discussions of the crowd, a total of 102 figures had materialized on the stage. Zhang Xuan frowned. "102? Why dont I see the old principal anywhere?" Chapter 900: Wont You Allow Me to Pummel You? Chapter 900: Wont You Allow Me to Pummel You? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Every single generation of principal had left behind a sliver of their will in the Master Teacher Academy. Even if the principal of the previous generation had gone missing abruptly, considering that this was part of the heritage of the Master Teacher Academy, he should have entrusted a sliver of his will with the Master Teacher Academy as well. Why wasnt the old principal anywhere to be seen then? Noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, Zhao Bingxu exined to him through zhenqi telepathy, "The old principal... He went missing before he could rue sufficient contributions to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, so he couldnt leave his will behind..." "Contribution?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the term. "The Master Teacher Pavilion has a record of each master teachers aplishments, and these aplishments are then quantified in the form of contributions. Each generation of principal has to achieve a certain level of contributions before they are given the permission to enter the Mausoleum of Principals! "Basically, anything that is beneficial to mankind can be considered a contribution. Imparting knowledge so as to allow more cultivators to grow stronger is a contribution; killing Otherworldly Demons and ridding mankind of the underlying threat is a contribution; creating new cultivation techniques and battle techniques and spreading them far and wide so that mankind can reach greater heights is a contribution as well," Zhao Bingxu rified with a smile. "Principal Zhang, your act of taming the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge has spared mankind from a possible disaster in the future, and the Master Teacher Pavilion considers it a huge contribution as well. Just that in itself should qualify you to enter the Mausoleum of Principals!" The Cloudmist Ridge had always been a huge threat to the Master Teacher Academy, and despite going through over a hundred principals, the problem had still continued to persist. Facing such a problem, not only did Principal Zhang manage to resolve the problem once and for all, he even effectively turned the forces of the Cloudmist Ridge into the forces of the Master Teacher Academy. With such an aplishment, even if his contribution was still beneath that of the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, it was definitely sufficient to go down in history for countless years toe. "I have made sufficient contributions?" Zhang Xuan was stunned by the abrupt news. "Of course!" Zhao Bingxu nodded with an indescribable expression. Other principals had to toilboriously day after day, doing whatever they could do that was beneficial to mankind in order to rue sufficient contributions to enter the Mausoleum of Principals. The current principal was probably the only one in the many generations of principals to achieve sufficient contributions despite not knowing what it was. If the previous principals were to learn about this matter, would they spurt a mouthful of blood and start cursing furiously? Sometimes, it was the difference between fellow men that was the most frustrating. Oblivious to School Head Zhaos thoughts, Zhang Xuan continued asking, "What is the Mausoleum of Principals?" "The Mausoleum of Principals is where the wills of the principals are nurtured, as well as where their bodies are kept after their deaths. Thus, it can be said to be the resting ce of the previous principals of the Master Teacher Academy." "So, it is like a tomb for the principals." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Judging from School Head Zhaos words, it seemed like not every principal was qualified to be buried in there. Only those who had made sufficient contributions were allowed to rest there after their deaths. Most likely, there is something special about the tomb... Zhang Xuan thought doubtfully. If it was just an ordinary tomb, there was no need to restrict even the principals themselves from entering. Since there was such a strict restriction imposed on it, there was probably more to it than meets the eye. Just as Zhang Xuan was contemting this matter, the wills of the principals suddenly turned their eyes over to him. "You are the principal of this generation?" An authoritative voice echoed through the air. The one who had spoken was the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai. Mu Kai had a very gentle and elegant air around him, and his eyes carried no hint of underestimation or disdain for Zhang Xuan just because of thetters young age. On the contrary, he nodded inmendation, expressing his approval for Zhang Xuan instead. "For one of your age to receive the recognition of so many students and elders, it seems like you are a person of exceptional capability." Naturally, the eye of discernment of the man who had founded the Master Teacher Academy was anything but ordinary. When others only noticed Zhang Xuans young age and inexperience, the founder of the Master Teacher Academy saw his potential. For a person of his age to be chosen as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, that could only mean that he possessed certain capabilities that surpassed all otherpetitors. "Even under the protection of the formation, the time that we can remain existent here is limited. Use three sentences to introduce yourself, your strengths, and capabilities. We will use it as a gauge to determine whether you are worthy of our approval or not!" Mu Kai said with a smile. "Three sentences?" Not expecting to be given such a challenge, Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that he would be kneeling to beseech the preceding principals for their acknowledgement, simr to how it was in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. However, from the looks it, it didnt seem to be that simple. He was given an opportunity to speak, but this only served to heighten the difficulty of the test. This opportunity could also be considered a test from the preceding principals, so he would have to proceed with caution. Just as Zhang Xuan was musing over his words, Zhao Bingxu suddenly sent a telepathic message to him. "Principal Zhang, you must think it through carefully! The number of acknowledgements you receive from the principals will determine the degree of authority you will wield in the academy!" "Degree of authority?" "Un. There are certain ces in the Master Teacher Academy that even the principal wont be able to enter without possessing a certain degree of authority in the academy." "I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. In essence, the principal was not the true master of the Master Teacher Academy but a master teacher nominated by the Ten Great Master Teachers to manage the affairs of the Master Teacher Academy temporarily. Naturally, the principal wasnt given free rein over everything in the academy. The greater degree of authority onemanded, the greater ones control over the academy would be. "As long as you receive twenty percent of the predecessors recognition, you will be deemed qualified to take over as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy and receive the Elementary Jurisdiction. If you receive forty percent, you will be granted the Intermediate Jurisdiction. Sixty percent, you will be granted Advanced Jurisdiction, and eighty percent, Supreme Jurisdiction. If you receive Supreme Jurisdiction over the Master Teacher Academy, you will gain total control over all of the major formations, ess the most confidential books in the academy, and even gain free ess to the Mausoleum of Principals without needing the required contribution." ess the most confidential books in the academy? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The main reason he had agreed to be the principal in the first ce was due to the principals privilege in essing the books in the academy. However, judging from Zhao Bingxus words, it seemed that he would still be unable to ess some books if he didnt obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction. If that was the case, he would just have to obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction. But in order to achieve that, he would need to find the right words to convince over eighty percent of the preceding principals to recognize him within three sentences, and that was easier said than done. While the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai, might have a positive view of him, not all of the principals shared the same opinion. After all, there was simply nothing praiseworthy about Zhang Xuans age, cultivation, and master teacher rank. To change their minds of him within just three sentencesdifficult! Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask Zhao Bingxu, "What percentage of recognition did the old principal receive?" "The old principal was only a 6-star pinnacle master teacher when he took over as the principal, barely meeting the mark, so he only received 22% of the preceding principals recognition," Zhao Bingxu replied. "Most of the preceding principals received the Elementary Jurisdiction in this formality. Out of the 103 preceding principals, less than thirty has received the Intermediate Jurisdiction, less than ten for the Advanced Jurisdiction, and only one for the Supreme Jurisdiction, which was the founder, Mu shi himself!" "Only one for the Supreme Jurisdiction?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. It seemed like the test was far harder than he had thought. Each of the preceding principals were top-notch experts in their era; receiving their earnest recognition andmendation was truly no easy task. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one views to be perfect might be worth nothing in the eyes of others. There were master teachers in this world who specialized in more than a dozen supporting upations, achieving an incredible mastery in each of them. Logically speaking, a person that capable should receive the respect and admiration of others. However, there were also those who thought that a master teacher should focus their efforts on teaching others. The fact that a master teacher had achieved such deep mastery in every field only meant that they werent devoted in their primary responsibility, so they werent worthy of respect. "Indeed! In this formality, the fewer preceding principals there are, the easier it is to receive a substantial percentage of their recognition. With more than a hundred preceding principals here, it will be extremely difficult to gain a sufficient proportion of their support to obtain higher degrees of authority!" Zhao Bingxu said. Receiving the recognition of just one or two principals was rtively simpler with an outstanding performance and sufficient luck. However, to win the goodwill of over a hundred people at once, that was nigh impossible. Thus, the three sentences he would speak were of grave importance. What words could help him convince all of them? Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. ... The master teachers beneath the stage also swiftly came to realize the difficulty behind Founder Mu Kais request as well, and anxiety emerged in their eyes. One of the students turned to his good friend beside him and asked, "What do you think Zhang shi will say?" "Zhang shi is a man of great talent; it is beyond my means to fathom what he could possibly say. However, given his capability, I believe it shouldnt be too difficult for him to win the recognition of most predecessors!" The good friend happened to be a diehard fan of Zhang Xuan, so he possessed unwavering confidence in thetter. One of the master teachers who had a deep understanding of the history of the academy said, "Im afraid that it wont be that easy. Even the unbelievably talented Principal Mo Yanqing back then only managed to obtain a 71% recognition from the preceding principals. I believe that Principal Zhangs talent is nowhere beneath Principal Mos, but his talent has yet to manifest itself fully yet. If Principal Zhang was given a few dozen more years, I have no doubt that he would be able to surpass the results of the preceding principals easily. However, in his current state... I fear that it wont be that easy!" "Indeed, it is unlikely for Zhang shi to do too well in this. I heard that our old principal didnt do well in this formality either, achieving a recognition of only 22%," another student added. Considering how the old principal had managed to tame the Byzantium Helios Beast and had been on the verge of a breakthrough to bing a 7-star master teacher, there was little that had to be said about his talent and capability. Yet, such an expert only received 22% of the preceding principals recognition. This went to show how difficult this formality was. "Whether one would be able to receive the recognition of the preceding principals depended highly on ones capability, character affinity, and luck. It will be difficult to disy the full extent of ones capability with just three sentences, but if Zhang shi pulls it off well, he might manage to achieve something unexpected. Otherwise, it will probably just be a close pass!" An elder shook his head upon hearing their conversation, when he suddenly pointed forward and said, "Look, Zhang shi is about to begin speaking!" The crowd hurriedly turned their gazes to the stage and saw Zhang Xuan raising his gaze to face the wills of the 102 preceding principals! It might seem as if the conversation with Zhao Bingxu and the conversation among the master teachers below the stage had urred over a long period of time, but all in all, only ten breaths had passed. Seeing that the seeding principal had prepared himself in such a short period of time, they couldnt help but wait with bated breaths to hear what he had to say. Zhao Bingxu also turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan as he stroked his beard. He had already said all that had to be said. All that was left was to see how Zhang shi would create yet another miracle and overturn everyones view once more. "My name is Zhang Xuan!" With a soft chuckle, Zhang Xuan first introduced himself. Hearing those words, the wills of the preceding principals nodded in agreement. It might seem as if he had wasted a sentence, but this was a disy of his respect toward them and toward himself as well. It was polite and respectful, devoid of the usual arrogance that acent young man in his position would have. On top of that, hisposed disposition also highlighted the absolute confidence he had in himself. It seemed like the young principal was truly not simple! Just as the wills of the preceding principals were still nodding in approval at Zhang Xuans first sentence, thetter suddenly scratched his head awkwardly and asked with his face reddened in embarrassment, "That... As preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy, I believe you are benevolent and magnanimous... Since thats the case, wont you allow me to pummel you?" "He wants to pummel them?" Everyone in the crowd, who had pricked up their ears to listen intently to what that was being said, couldnt help but fall into a state of disbelief. Chapter 901: Go Ahead! Chapter 901: Go Ahead! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 They had all been wondering how Zhang shi would make use of his three sentences. If he wanted to disy his capability, be it pill forging, the Way of Medicine, smithing, or demonic tunes, he would surely have been able to capture everyones attention easily and win their respect. If he were to talk about his contributions, retrieving Elder Wu Yangzis corpse and contributing his forging technique without asking for anypensation, saving the Hongyuan royal familys Bodhi Saint Tree, taming all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge... All of these were incredible feats that wouldnt pale inparison to the previous generations of principals. Even if it was in the field of imparting knowledge, while his direct disciples might not possess high cultivation realms, their understanding of cultivation and battle techniques far surpassed most 6-star master teachers, such that even the head of the Martial School had personally invited them to be the guest elders of the academy... Regardless of which one it was, he would surely be able to attract the attention of all of the predecessors in an instant... Yet, instead of speaking about any of that, he had actually asked to pummel the predecessors instead! Big Brother, we are master teachers, not hoodlums! The master teachers beneath the stage were all dumbstruck. Countless elders had pulled out their beards unwittingly, causing blood to flow down their lower jaws, but it seemed as if they hadnt noticed it at all. They had seen those who had boasted about their capabilities and aplishments to win the admiration of others; they had also seen those who resorted all means in order to obtain power... But never had they seen anyone who threatened toy his hands on his predecessors after inviting them over! More importantly, he had even said it out loud, seemingly without the slightest shred of remorse at all... Zhang shi, arent you afraid of the predecessors killing you on the spot for your insolence? Even if you dont wish to be recognized and be the principal, you need not bring such trouble upon yourself, right? On the other hand, Zhao Bingxu nearly fell off the stage after hearing Zhang Xuans words. School Head Mo and the others also nearly had their lower jaws falling to the ground. Their faces flushed incredibly red, seemingly ready to blow at any moment. "You want to pummel us?" While the crowd was feeling light-headed from this abrupt turn of events, the wills of the preceding predecessors on the stage stared at one another in frenzy, unable to believe what they had just heard as well. As preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy, they had undergone this formality themselves, and they had assessed many juniors after them too. They had seen those who wracked their brains to formte the perfect three sentences to present to them, but never had they seen one who threatened to pummel them on this formal asion. You must be on the verge of going insane! As the faces of all of the preceding principals darkened, Founder Mu Kai frowned and advised, "You only have three sentences, consider what you wish to say carefully!" "I have already considered it thoroughly, just allow me to pummel all of you once!" Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively. After which, his figure blurred, and in the next instant, he was already standing before Founder Mu Kai with his palm raised, ready to assault thetter. Hong long! The palm strike was so powerful that it caused a deafening sonic boom to reverberate in the air. With just one nce, Founder Mu Kai could instantaneously tell that the young man before him possessed exceptional strength. Even a Half-Saint could be easily killed by the palm strike. "Zhang shi really made a move?" "What is he up to?" "Doomed, he is really doomed now. To make a move on the founder of the academy is a grossly disrespectful act; he will never be able to earn their recognition anymore!" ... The master teachers beneath the stage clutched their hair in frenzy. Zhao Bingxu, School Head Mo, and the others could feel their hearts in their mouths, and they felt as if they were going to faint at any moment soon. To make a move on ones predecessor, that was no longer a problem as simple as whether he was willing to be the principal or not anymore. Once this matter reached the ears of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he could be severely punished for his disrespectful actions! In the worst-case scenario, he might even be scorned by all, making it impossible for him to remain a master teacher! "Audacious!" "How brazen!" "You are seeking death!" ... Seeing Zhang Xuan make a move on Founder Mu Kai, the other preceding principals immediately bellowed furiously. Founder Mu Kais face also twitched at Zhang Xuans abrupt assault, and he quickly dodged his attack with a side step before raising his palm to retaliate with a strike of his own. In response, Zhang Xuan swiftly turned around and retreated. Founder Mu Kai was nning to retaliate, but in that moment, he abruptly sensed something that left his eyes narrowed and his body trembling. Hu! Seeing that the other party had finally understood it, Zhang Xuan smiled and came to a halt. However, his halt didnt stop the preceding principals from charging at him furiously. Powerful surges of energy, reminiscent of steel, were heading swiftly for him to bound him tightly. Zhang Xuans disrespect toward the founder of the Master Teacher Academy had incurred their ire, and their anger would never be appeased until they taught the new principal a harsh lesson. "Stop!" But just as the steel-like surges of energy were about to bind Zhang Xuan tightly together, a loud bellow abruptly soundedFounder Mu Kai. All of the preceding principals hesitated for a moment before withdrawing their strength and returning back to their positions reluctantly. Nevertheless, their hostile gazes were still fixated upon Zhang Xuan. "Mu shi, this new principal has no respect for his seniors and the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion at all. To dare make a move against you, that clearly shows that there is a problem with his character! Please, allow us to deal with him!" "We, master teachers, have always valued etiquette, and if we dont deal with him, how are we to maintain discipline among our ranks?" The preceding principals all eximed furiously. In their years as principals, they had never seen a person as brazen as that. "Audacious!" Hearing the furious exmations from the crowd, Founder Mu Kais face turned livid, and he raged, "We are only a sliver of will left behind by our former selves, and yet you still wish to teach the incumbent principal a lesson? Dont you think that is overstepping your bounds?" Hearing Mu shi, the one who respected etiquette strictly the most among them, saying such words, everyone was dumbstruck. They couldnt help but stare at him in confusion. I didnt see you hesitating in the slightest when you made a move on him earlier! Its just that the other party managed to dodge your attack, so your strike failed tond on him... We are just doing the same as you; why are our actions considered overstepping our bounds? "What should do we do then?" one of the preceding principals asked. "What else do you n to do..." Founder Mu Kai red at the preceding principal who had asked the question and raised his hands majestically. "Remain rooted on the spot and allow him to pummel you!" Putong! Putong! Putong! The knees of the master teachers beneath the stage caved in, and they all fell to the ground. Remain rooted on the spot and allow Zhang shi to pummel them... What the heck was with that? Was that some kind of bad joke from the founder of the Master Teacher Academy? The wills of the preceding principals exchanged horrified nces with one another. This was especially so for the second and third generation principals. Not only had they lived in the same era as Founder Mu Kai, they were even his student and grandstudent respectively. As such, they had a deep understanding of Founder Mu Kais personality. Upright and austere, he was a person who viewed etiquette with great importance. Yet, for him to show no signs of anger in face of the rudeness of the new principal, and evenmand them to remain still before thetters beating... Such a response was inconceivable! "Enough, hurry up and do as I say. Our time out here is limited, so stop wasting it!" Paying no heed to the shock of the others, Founder Mu Kai waved his hands impatiently. "Yes!" In face of Founder Mu Kais displeasure, the preceding principals could only grit their teeth and step forward reluctantly. With a look reminiscent of soldiers marching to their deaths, they red at Zhang Xuan and said in resignation, "Come, do your worst!" "Pardon me!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and shrouded all of the preceding principals with his zhenqi in an instant. The zhenqi only remained for a brief instant before dissipating. After which, Zhang Xuan returned back to the edge of the stage and stood quietly, as if nothing had happened at all. On the other hand, the faces of the preceding principals paled as realization struck them. They turned their sights to the young principal once more, this time with their gazes filled with respect. With a soft chuckle, Founder Mu Kai said, "Alright, its about time. Lets begin! "I, the first-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, dere my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal. With him, the Master Teacher Academy will definitely be brought to unprecedented heights!" "I, the second-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, dere my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!" "I, the third-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, dere my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!" "I, the fourth-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, dere my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!" "I..." ... "I, the 102nd generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, dere my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!" One by one, the principal of each generation stepped forward and dered their own support for Zhang Xuan as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy with a resounding voice. "Am I seeing things? The preceding principals actually expressed their support for Zhang shi?" "I have no idea what is going on!" "Didnt Zhang shi just show tant disrespect for the founder of the Master Teacher Academy? Under such circumstances, shouldnt all of the preceding principals object to his inauguration? How did the situation suddenly turn to this?" "I have no idea either... In any case, Zhang shi isnt a person who can be defined bymon sense. Somehow, even the impossible bes possible when he is involved..." The master teachers beneath the stage were shocked beyond words. Of the hundred principals in history, the only one to have received the highest authority was the founder, Mu Kai. Yet, despite crossing the wills of all of the preceding principals, that fellow had actually been recognized by each and every one of them and received the Supreme Jurisdiction over the academy without the slightest doubt... Could it be that the wills of these preceding principals were actually masochists who preferred to be beaten up than to listen to words? "Since we are done expressing our recognition for Zhang shi, its about time for us to leave." Seeing that everything was done, Founder Mu Kai nodded before he turned to Zhang Xuan once more and said, "I hope that you will never forget your roots as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, no matter how high you reach in the future." After which, he sped his fist and said, "Farewell!" With those words, the figures of the preceding principals swiftly blurred before disappearing altogether. Most likely, they had been teleported away by the formation. "Hu..." With their departure, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but heave a long sigh of relief. Upon learning that he would have to obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction in order to ess all of the books in the academy, he couldnt help but want to obtain it. After a long moment of contemtion, he hade to understand that it was impossible for him to win the support of over 80% of the preceding principals with just three sentences, especially given his disadvantages, such as hiscking cultivation and low master teacher rank. Unless... he could find apelling reason that would leave them with no choice but to recognize him! Such a reason would be nigh impossible for anyone to find, but it just so happened that he had one! Celestial Master Teacher! As a master teacher recognized by even the heavens, who would not recognize him? However, his capability was still currently too low in order to manipte his power such that it was only visible to the preceding principals. Considering that they were in a public location, he could potentially be ced into danger in the future if his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher were to be known by others. Left with no choice, he could onlye up with an alternative n... Feigning to battle with the master teachers to shroud his zhenqi around them before releasing his pressure as a Celestial Master Teacher! It was a little troublesome, but his Heavens Path zhenqi would be able to hinder anyone from trying to look into what was happening within. And after revealing his identity... which preceding principal would still dare to object to him? No matter how powerful one was, could one possibly be stronger than the heavens? Celestial Master Teacher, the height that no one other than Kong shi had reached! As such, the previous sight had urred, and Zhang Xuan became the only principal since the founding of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to have received the recognition of every single preceding principal! It was inconvenient for the preceding principals to speak of this matter, so the others had no idea what had happened either. As such, the mysterious veil that seemed to shroud Zhang Xuan grew even thicker. The students and teachers who had harbored doubts regarding Zhang Xuans inauguration as the principal were also utterly silenced by this matter. A man who was recognized by all of the preceding principals, what right did they have to doubt his capability? Recovering from his shock, Zhao Bingxu scanned the surroundings and dered with a hoarse voice, "Alright, since Zhang shi has received the recognition of all of the preceding principals, lets move on to the next formalityforming the Principals Seal! "But before that, allow me to invite Principal Zhang to conduct a public lecture!" Chapter 902: Even Donkeys Have Gone Insane! Chapter 902: Even Donkeys Have Gone Insane! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Forming the Principals Seal required gathering the wills of every single student and teacher in the Master Teacher Academy. It was a solemn and sacred event. Before doing so, the seeding principal was required to conduct a public lecture so as to give the members of the academy a glimpse of his capability in imparting knowledge. If the seeding principal couldnt even convince the members of the academy of his capability, how could he possibly gather their wills to form the Principals Seal? "I am excited to hear Zhang shis lecture!" "Since even his students are so capable, little has to be said about the teacher!" "I wonder what the lecture from a man recognized by all of the preceding principals will be like..." Anticipation surfaced on the faces of the crowd. Given how even Zhang shis students could lecture about the foundation of cultivation and battle techniques so well, he should be able to do far better than that! "I shall conduct a lecture on the fundamentals then!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he walked toward the edge of the stage. School Head Mo had told him earlier that he would have to hold a public lecture as part of the inauguration ceremony, so there was nothing much for him to hesitate over. Besides, havingprehended the Heart of a Teacher, he had a deeper insight into the responsibilities of a teacher. Knowledge served as a tool to further the prosperity of mankind, and only through imparting it would they serve their purpose. There was no point in him keeping it to himself. After surveying the crowd, Zhang Xuan began to speak. "One can view cultivation as simr to building a castle. Only with a strong foundation can a castle reach great heights. Otherwise, it will only be like the moon in theke, disappearing with the slightest ripple..." Even though he didnt intentionally amplify his voice, his words still reached the ears of every single person in the training grounds crisp clear. As he spoke, spiritual energy began to surge in from the heavens and gathered around the training grounds. The sheer concentration of spiritual energy resulted in its materialization as innumerable pure white lotuses, creating an exceptionally beautiful sight. Spirit Gathering Diction! Listening to Zhang Xuans lecture, it didnt take long for the students to fall into a trance. ... On the streets beyond the Master Teacher Academy were stores trading in every sort ofmodity that one could think of, be it daily necessities, amodation, or consumables. Over the years, each store had developed an extremely effective supply chain that drove the economy of Hongyuan Empire. Being a master teacher was one of the most lucrative upations in the Master Teacher Continent, so those who seeded in securing a store around the Master Teacher Academy often made a killing out of their businesses. "Boss, isnt the main reason most choose a store location close to the Master Teacher Academy toe into contact more with master teachers and possibly receive their guidance and advance their cultivation? Why has your cultivation remained stagnant over the past twenty years then?" In a tavern, a carefree swordsman with a cup of fine wine in his hand gazedzily at another person standing not too far away from him. He had visited the tavern once twenty years ago and lived there for several months. In that period of time, the both of them had grown rather close with one another. The man who he was speaking to was a potbellied man in his fifties, with an appearance that deeply resembled a merchant. However, he was actually a renowned swordsman, boasting incredible skill dozens of years ago! However, for some reason, he had backed out of the pugilistic world and became the owner of a tavern instead. It had been dozens of years since then, and many merchants along the street hade and gone; he was the only one who had remained constant in this time, and his cultivation had shown no change as well. As such, the swordsman couldnt help but be bewildered by this puzzling sight. "I also wish to advance my cultivation, and there must have been at least eight thousand master teachers who have drunk in my tavern, and of which, probably two to three thousand have offered me pointers on my cultivation at some point. However... it seems like I have already reached the limits of my talent. No matter how hard I try, I am just unable to take another step forward!" Sighing deeply, the boss shook his head with a bitter smile. As a swordsman who had lived alongside his sword for many years, he wouldnt have chosen to cast aside his sword had he not met with overwhelming difficulties. Severely damaged in a fight against a rival, he had found his cultivation and his ability to cultivate crippled. Hoping to find a cure, he had opened this tavern just outside the Master Teacher Academy so that he could seek their advice and return to his peak... However, dozens of years had passed, and he had indeed encountered many master teachers as well. However, not a single one of them possessed the capability to cure his trauma and allow him to pick up the sword once more! Over time, disappointment after disappointment had eroded the confidence he had, and eventually, his skill with the sword became beneath his skill with a butchers cleaver. "Sigh!" Realizing the bosss helplessness toward his plight, the carefree swordsman gulped downrge mouthfuls of wine and sighed. Just as he was about to say something in constion, he suddenly felt the surrounding spiritual energy gushing furiously toward the Master Teacher Academy. "What is happening?" the swordsman asked with a deep frown. The boss took a nce and replied nonchntly, "I heard that the Master Teacher Academy is holding an inauguration ceremony for their seeding principal today. Most likely, they are currently in the public lecture formality at the moment. For a 6-star master teacher to trigger Spirit Gathering Diction, that isnt anything to make a fuss about..." A 5-star master teacher was already capable of utilizing Spirit Gathering Diction, just that the area of effect would be significantly smaller. Considering that the one conducting the lecture was the seeding principal, it shoulde as no surprise that he was capable of utilizing Spirit Gathering Diction. "Oh..." The swordsman nodded. However, just as he was about to continue drinking, he suddenly heard a voice from afar. "One can view cultivation as simr to building a castle. Only with a strong foundation can a castle reach great heights..." The voice seemed to gradually fade off from the boundary of the Master Teacher Academy, but as the tavern was located right against the academys walls, it was a little vague but still barely audible in there. "This... the content may seem basic, but it is very direct, seemingly pointing straight to the essence of cultivation!" After listening for a brief moment, the carefree swordsmans eyes suddenly brightened, and he ced his wine cup down. The zhenqi in his body began to move spontaneously ording to the other partys words, furthering his cultivation. "Incredible!" For his body to have such a reaction despite being such a distance away from the speaker, just how powerful was the person lecturing in the Master Teacher Academy at this very moment? This was no longer a simple lecture but an impartation of the true essence of the world! Taking a swift nce at the boss of the tavern and seeing that thetter was still in the midst of preparing his wine, the carefree swordsman quickly yelled, "Boss, you should listen to the lecture, too!" The trauma thetters body had suffered had hindered him from cultivating. Perhaps, the formidable might of this lecture would be able to aid him in oveing his trauma and bring him back to his peak! "Listen to what? Its not like I havent met the elders of the Master Teacher Academy before. I have already received personal guidance from a couple of them, but none of them were able to do anything about my situation! What use can a mere public lecture be?" The boss shook his head, thinking nothing of it. Since even the personal guidance of the elders of the Master Teacher Academy was unable to treat him, what could a public lecture possibly do for him? After so many years of disappointment, the hope he had harbored initially had already eroded, leaving nothing but disappointment and despair. His faith in master teachers had also fallen to a minimum as a result. On the other hand, seeing that the boss of the tavern was reluctant to budge, the carefree swordsman urged anxiously, "I am not joking, you really should give it a listen. This is really good stuff..." Wandering the world, he had encountered many master teachers and listened to many of their lessons, but there were none who couldpare with this public lecture. Or perhaps, it might be more urate to say that they were on two totally different levels! Despite the faint voice depriving him of a few words here and there, he still benefited greatly from the lecture. "Its fine, I have already gotten used to this life!" The boss shook his head with a smile as he continued to prepare his wine behind the counter, not bothering to make his way over. "You dont believe me? Take a look at that donkey then!" Seeing that the boss was reluctant toe over, the carefree swordsman shook his head helplessly, unsure of how he should convince the boss otherwise when he suddenly caught sight of something, and his eyes widened in shock. He hurriedly raised his finger and pointed at a donkey in the courtyard of the tavern. It was the animal that the boss used to transport his wine about. "Donkey?" Frowning, the boss shot a gaze over, and the sight before him left him stunned. The donkey, which he had spent several years with, had pricked up itsrge ears and ced one against the wall of the academy, listening intently so as to not miss a single word of the lecture. Under the effects of the lecture, it seemed to have fallen into a trance, snorting in excitement from time and time while nodding continuously to express his respect for the lecturer. "Even a donkey is listening to the lecture?" The boss narrowed his eyes in shock. It was said that the most formidable of master teachers were able to impart knowledge beyond racial boundaries. Be they human or beast, the master teacher would be able to draw them in with their lecture, convincing their bodies to cultivate obediently. However, those who had managed to achieve such heights were extremely rare. At the very least, despite managing a tavern right outside the Master Teacher Academy for so many years, he had never seen a master teacher capable of such. For the public lecture of the seeding principal to sessfully convince even a donkey to listen to his words... Just what in the word was being said? In that moment of bewilderment, the boss suddenly saw his perfectly ordinary donkey raising its head to the air and braying out loud. The aura it emanated from its presence intensified as spiritual energy gushed into its body, nurturing its strength. Kacha! Kacha! The donkey had sessfully achieved a breakthrough from an ordinary animal into a savage beast! Aoooooo, aooooo! With this breakthrough, the donkey brayed arrogantly as it turned its sight to its boss tauntingly. Courage that had long disappeared within the donkey after the many years of oppression finally bloomed within it once more, and the determination to use is donkey hooves to fight against the inequality in its fate permeated its being. "Since even a donkey is capable of achieving a breakthrough, dont you think that its still too early for you to give up? Surely you cant be inferior to even a donkey, right?" the carefree swordsman remarked. The bosss face turned pale. The donkey that he had bought was only an ordinary animal, possessing no bloodline of any savage beast whatsoever. Yet, just by listening to a lecture momentarily, it actually managed to achieve a breakthrough... Just how formidable was the lecturer? Perhaps, if he were to listen to it, he might just be able to ovee the bottleneck that had limited his progress... Just as he was about to approach the wall against the Master Teacher Academy to listen to the lecture, he suddenly saw a rooster, which he was intending to killter in the night for dinner, leaping out of its cage, spreading its wings, and soaring into the boundless skies, reminiscent of a proud phoenix! An ordinary rooster had also be a savage beast after listening to the lecture! Following which, the pig he had bred, the fish within the pail... Changes began to emerge in each of them as strength welled up within them, and they began to thrash about in hopes of escaping the courtyard, as well as the deste fate that was awaiting them... "Th-this..." The boss rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Just what in the world was the seeding principal lecturing on for such changes to emerge in all of these fellows? Gugu huahua! But before he could recover from the shock of it, he suddenly heard many beasts and animals along the streets calling out delightfully as their strength reached new heights. At the same time, many vendors who were listening to the public lecture also felt invigorated as they overcame their previous bottlenecks. In just a short moment, the street seemed to have bepletely different from before. "I must hurry... I have to listen to the lecture as well..." Knowing that this change was caused by the lecture urring within the academy, the boss dared not to hesitate anymore. He quickly ran over and ced his ears against the academy walls, intent on listening to what was being said within. And with just a couple of words, his eyes immediately zed over as he fell into a trance. Hong long! Some timeter, his cultivation, which had remained stagnated for dozens of years, abruptly began moving once more, and with a resounding buzz, he overcame the locks tying him down previously. "I have seeded!" Realizing that he could finally pick up a sword once more, the bosss body trembled in agitation. He had no idea who the lecturer was, but he still kneeled down toward the Master Teacher Academy to express his earnest gratitude for a very long time. ... The same sight was also urring along all of the streets in proximity to the Master Teacher Academy. At least nine out of ten of those who had reached a certain level in their cultivation would receive a tangible benefit from listening to the lecture or even achieve a breakthrough! However, what was even more exaggerated was the animals. Almost all of them had turned into savage beasts just by listening to the lecture! In the royal pce, a white-haired historian recorded the events. Hongyuan Empire, the 33th Year of Emperor Yu Shenqings rule, spring. In the inauguration ceremony of the 104th principal of the Master Teacher Academy, Zhang shi held a public lecture. Spiritual energy descended from the heavens, and heavenly lotuses were scattered in the sky. All members of the Xuanxuan Faction achieved a breakthrough simultaneously, and many other students had managed to advance their cultivation significantly as well. In order to listen to the lecture, all of the savage beasts and spirit beasts pressed their ears against the walls of the Master Teacher Academy. During that time, there was not a single animal to be found along the streets and alleys of Hongyuan City, but their calls echoed resoundingly throughout the entire city... Chapter 903: Forming the Principals Seal Chapter 903: Forming the Principals Seal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Alright, I will end the lecture here!" The public lecture hadsted for an entire two hours, and after seeing that most students and teachers had benefited greatly from it, Zhang Xuan came to a stop. "Its ending just like that?" "In the past, when I attended the lecture of other teachers, I would be praying to get out of ss as soon as possible. But for Zhang shis lecture... Why does it feel like it has only just begun?" "Indeed, it ended too quickly! I have barely gotten started..." "If I could listen to this kind of lecture frequently, my chances at making a breakthrough to Saint realm would surely be increased by manyfold, and the duration I would take to graduate would also be cut by several years..." ... As Zhang Xuan came to a halt, the crowd recovered from their trance, and excitement gleamed in their eyes. It was only a two hours lecture, but it wasparable to months or even years of studying and cultivating! "Look!" Suddenly, someone amid the crowd eximed, and everyone swiftly raised their gazes, only to see a bunch of animals flying above them. There were chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, cranes... It was as if the Master Teacher Academy had turned into a zoo! All animals capable of flight filled the entire skies. "Laudation of Myriad Birds... Have they all arrived due to the sheer quality of the lecture?" someone among the crowd muttered with a quivering voice. Laudation of Myriad Birds was a phenomenon that was at a far higher level than Spirit Gathering Diction! Only 8-star master teachers were capable of producing such a sight! With mere words, even the birds in the area would go into an excited frenzy and gather in the area. But Zhang shi was only a 4-star master teacher, how could he draw so many birds over? Furthermore... chickens, ducks, geese, and peacocks? What the hell were those? Were those animals capable of steady flight like that? How could they remain in the sky for such a long period of time? Furthermore, the calls of innumerable other animals could be heard beyond the walls of the Master Teacher Academy as well. One particrly conspicuous sound among it was the majestic braying of a donkey, seemingly trying to disy to the world that it harbored great potential within as well. In the hands of a discerning man, it could transform into a Thousand Miles Donkey, so by no means should its talents be allowed to remain buried... Just what was going on? "Your guess is right; it was indeed Zhang shis lecture that drew so many animals here. Furthermore, it seems his lecture didnt discriminate between races, allowing even non-human listeners toprehend it and go into a frenzy over it... Perhaps, this is the real reason he was able to tame the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge!" an elder said meaningfully. He had paid careful attention to the lecture, and he noticed that it seemed to talk straight to ones soul, unimpeded by the barriers ofnguage. Even ordinary animals that had notprehended the human tongue could benefit from Zhang shis lecture! Such capability was already far beyond the means of a 6-star or even 7-star master teacher! The heavens nourished all living beings, regardless of race ornguage. Such was the same for the true Impartation of Heavens Will as well. Back then, when Kong shi conducted lectures, not only would humans, animals, spirit beasts, and saint beasts benefit greatly from his teachings, even the flora and fauna would form sentience and begin to cultivate. While Zhang shi still didnt wield the capability to sway nts with his words, just the ability to induce a breakthrough in ordinary animals was already an extremely fearsome feat in itself. "It seems like Principal Zhang will be able to clear the Empire Building test easily..." School Head Mo muttered beneath his breath as he gulped down a mouthful of saliva. The Empire Building test was the most difficult option among all of the different 6-star master teacher examinations, and barely any master teachers would dare to challenge it. He had thought that even someone as capable of Principal Zhang would face troubles with it, but after watching such a sight, he realized that he was still grossly underestimating thetter. Putting everything else aside, with just Principal Zhangs lecturing capability, he should be able to raise the prowess of a Conferred Kingdom to an Unranked Empire just by conducting a lecture once a week for two months straight... With such a lecture, not only would the humans be experts, even the roosters, ducks, donkeys, and such could easily be experts themselves with time! This was how fearsome his lecture was! Looking at the crowd, which was still immersed in the lecture, Zhao Bingxu shook his head and announced loudly, "With this, we conclude the Principal Zhangs public lecture. Now, lets begin forming the Principals Seal!" They were already at the final formality, so it would be good to wrap up the inauguration ceremony as soon as possible in case any mishap urred. "The process for forming the Principals Seal is extremely simple. I will activate a formationter on, and those who are willing to earnestly recognize Principal Zhang as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy, offer a droplet of your blood. Once the bloodes into contact with the formation, it will automatically extract your will contained within it and gather them all together to form the seal that governs the academy," Zhao Bingxu exined. Infused within a humans blood was a hint of their will. With the earnest will of a hundred thousand people gathered together, it could generate power beyond ones imagination. For one, if the principal couldmand all of the students through the Principals Seal and organize them neatly, the overall fighting power of the Master Teacher Academy could be enhanced significantly. On top of that, the Principals Seal contained the will of countless master teachers, making it a nigh indestructible artifact. When used for defense, even a Saint realm 4-dan or even 5-dan expert would find it hard to ovee it. In essence, it could be said that the Principals Seal represented the authority of the principal of the Master Teacher Academy in itself, making in an invaluable artifact. "We will start now!" After exining the matter, Zhao Bingxu raised his palm and closed it into a fist. Hong long! The ground began to shake as a massive formation whirred into life. Something reminiscent of a of light materialized in the air, shrouding the Master Teacher Academy. Grade-7 formation, Nine Revolution Heaven Net! The master teachers from the headquarters had dispatched their men to erect this formation back when the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was just founded. It was neither an offensive formation nor a defensive formation. Its sole purposey in just gathering the wills infused in the blood of those in its area and condensing them all to form the palm-size Principals Seal. "Gather the blood!" Seeing the formation whir into action, the master teachers bit their thumbs, and a droplet of their blood essence flew out of each of them. When each of these droplets of blood essence came into contact with the Nine Revolution Heaven Net, it began to emanate a brilliant glow. "Form the Principals Seal!" Zhao Bingxu shouted once more after noting that everyone had released a droplet of their blood. Hong long long! The in the sky suddenly converged together swiftly, gathering all of the droplets of blood essence together to a point. A deafening buzz rang out as a brilliant bundle of light shimmered at the center of the formation, seemingly heralding the birth of an artifact. As he looked at the brilliant bundle of light in the sky, School Head Mo couldnt help but ask, "What level of Principals Seal do you think our principal will be able to form?" Even though everyone had released a droplet of their blood, it was impossible to tell whether they had truly epted Principal Zhang from the depths of their heart or not. In order to contribute to the Principals Seal, ones subconscious mind must have fully epted the seeding principal, there mustnt be the slightest hint of rejection. Jiang Qingqin hesitated for a moment before replying. "Its hard to say... However, considering how well the public lecture went, he should be able to form the Golden Principals Seal at the very least!" Before the Principals Seal was formed, it would be difficult to say for sure. As the saying goes, ones true heart is hidden beneath ayer of skin. Even as 6-star pinnacle master teachers, it was still impossible for them to read the minds of others. Nevertheless, considering how Principal Zhang had managed to draw everyone in with his lecture previously, he should have at least won the recognition of over 60% of the school popce... In other words, even at the very least, he should be able to form the Golden Principals Seal! By no means should the Golden Principals Seal be underestimated. Even among the hundred preceding principals, such a result could already be considered outstanding. Ultimately, Principal Zhang was still young, and it had only been a month since he had arrived at the Master Teacher Academy. On top of that, he had spent most of his time demolishing buildings! If he had been given more time to conduct more lectures and build his reputation and prestige, forming a higher tier Principals Seal would have been a walk in the park! "I think the tinum Principals Seal is still within reach!" School Head Mo remarked. "Even though there have only been two principals who have reached such a tier since the founding of the academy, considering that this is Principal Zhang we are talking about... it should definitely be doable!" The Principals Seal could be divided into four tierstinum, Golden, Copper, and Iron. It would take the recognition of at least half of the academys popce in order to form a Copper Principals Seal, 60% for Golden Principals Seal, and 70% for tinum Principals Seal. "tinum? I think you are still underestimating Principal Zhang!" Wei Ranxue argued with a sharp glint in her eyes. "Before even entering the Master Teacher Academy, Principal Zhang generously gave away his points to the other examinees so that they could clear the examination as well, thus winning him the respect and admiration of the thirty thousand freshmen. It is their shared respect for him that led to theming together to form the Xuanxuan Faction. With this, he already has the support of 30% of the academys hundred thousand popce secured!" "Un!" The other school heads nodded in agreement. The Xuanxuan Faction was not only thergest student faction throughout the Master Teacher Academy, its members were also known to be exceptionally loyal to the organization. Considering that it was their faction leader that was bing the principal, they probably wouldnt have any objection to it whatsoever. "After which, he donated Elder Wu Yangzis forging and body cultivation technique to the cksmith school without demanding anypensation in return. For this, the students of the cksmith School should be filled with gratitude for him, right?" "This..." Jiang Qingqin and School Head Mo were stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement. Even though School Head Zhao and the other elders of the cksmith School didnt officially announce Zhang Xuans achievements, the news had eventually been leaked to the students, so most of them were aware of the matter. "As the secondrgest school in the Master Teacher Academy, even after subtracting the freshmen, there are still at least thirty thousand students in the cksmith School... In other words, there are already a total of 60,000 people who would recognize Principal Zhang, so he has already reached the mark required to form the Golden Principals Seal! "After which, he challenged the vice head of the Physician School, You Xu, causing a huge ruckus. Even though there are quite a few students who found his actions reckless and disrespectful, arger proportion of the students ended up admiring him for his courageous act in standing up against You Xus abuse of power. The Physician School is only the fifthrgest school in the Master Teacher Academy, and taking into ount the ovep in the students between the Physician School and the cksmith School as well... there should still be an additional five thousand students there!" The students of the Master Teacher Academy were allowed to take on multiple supporting upations at once, so there were frequently oveps between the students of each school. But even taking the oveps into consideration, there should still be at least five thousand new students who hadnt been taken into ount previously, thus adding up the total to 65,000 students! "Following that, he caused a huge ruckus in the Apothecary School, conducting a public lecture and emptying the school of its students and teachers... As thergest school in the Master Teacher Academy, it boasted thergest student poption of all! Even taking into ount the various oveps, there should still be ten thousand new students yet to be taken into ount there. This brings the total to 75,000 people, which means that 75% of the student popce will likely recognize Principal Zhang as their principal, thus reaching the level required to form the tinum Principals Seal," Wei Ranxue said. "This..." Hearing her analysis, the school heads couldnt help but leap in shock. It was only after having it exined to them that they realize how much prestige Principal Zhang wielded among the academy popce despite the short duration he had been in the academy... "That isnt all... In the matter yesterday, Zhang Xuans act of taming all of the beasts in the Cloudmist Ridge saved many students from the Beast Tamer School and spared the students from the Martial Arts School from a possibly bitter fight!" With eyes shining in excitement, Wei Ranxue continued, "Taking them into ount, there should be at least an additional five thousand students... In other words, using a conservative estimate, Principal Zhang should have at least won the earnest respect of more than 80% of the academy popce!" "80%?" School Head Mo and the others nced at one another as they gulped down a mouthful of saliva each. Hoarsely, School Head Mo muttered, "That... Supreme Principals Seal?" Chapter 904: From Today Onward, I Am the Principal! Chapter 904: From Today Onward, I Am the Principal! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hong long! Shortly after saying those words, the brilliant light at the center of the Nine Revolution Heaven Net finally started to dim, and a shining diamond-like Principals Seal emerged before everyones eyes. This Principals Seal had a translucent appearance reminiscent of a beautiful diamond, and its appearance left everyones hearts jolting in astonishment. School Head Mo and School Head Jiangs bodies trembled once more, and with a hoarse voice tinged with the disbelief over what they were seeing, they muttered, "No... That isnt the Supreme Principals Seal, but the... Impable Principals Seal!" "Isnt the Impable Principals Seal a thing of legends? How could it possibly appear here?" The Principals Seal that had formed before their eyes wasnt the Supreme Principals Seal, which required at least the earnest recognition from 80% of the academy popce, but the even higher tier Impable Principals Seal! In order to achieve this tier, one had to obtain the respect and admiration of every single student and teacher in the Master Teacher Academy! Such a tier only existed in theory because it was deemed to be impossible to achieve. Even Founder Mu Kai himself had failed to form such a Principals Seal! Each person had their own beliefs and ideals, and the more people there were, the more difficult it would be to win all of their favor simultaneously. Unless one was a spirit stone, it would be impossible to win the favor of over a hundred thousand master teachers simultaneously. After all, not even the great Kong shi was able to make everyone submit to him. Yet, someone had actually achieved this seemingly impossible task, and right before their eyes at that! Just how did this happen? It had only been slightly more than a month since the other party enrolled in to the Master Teacher Academy, and on top of that, he had spent half of his time beyond the walls of the academy... This was truly inconceivable! Hu! Before everyones shocked gazes, the Impable Principals Seal fell toward Zhang Xuan andnded on his palm. Taking hold of it, Zhang Xuan frowned in astonishment. The Impable Principals Seal was only around the size of ones palm, but in the moment that he caught the falling seal, he nearly fell off the stage from the sheer weight of the seal. Taking his zhenqi, physical body, and soul cultivation into ount, Zhang Xuan possessed a total might of 65,000,000 ding at the moment. With such strength, he could even easily lift a mountain! As such, it was truly bewildering how the small Impable Principals Seal would be so heavy that he would nearly fail to catch it. Lowering his head to examine it closely, the seal in his hand had a translucency reminiscent of a diamond, emanating an extremely brilliant and beautiful glow. Its appearance showed no signs of such heaviness, and on the contrary, it even gave the impression that it would be light and fleeting. Curious, he immersed his consciousness into the Impable Principals Seal, and what he saw left his eyes narrowing uncontrobly. This is... the weight of responsibility! Zhang Xuan eximed internally before sighing deeply. As an artifact forged out of wills, it should have been nearly weightless, to the point that any child could carry it easily. However, it bore the trust and faith of more than a hundred thousand students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, and that wasnt a weight that anyone could bear easily. It wasnt the Impable Principals Seal that was heavy, but the responsibility that came along with it! Zhang Xuan had only chosen to be the principal so that he could conveniently ess all of the books within the Master Teacher Academy, but feeling the weight in his hands, he suddenly felt that he could not proceed on with such an attitude in mind. Since he had decided to take on this responsibility, he would have to shoulder everyones hopes and dreams and bring them to greater heights. Otherwise, how could he face those who had ced their trust and faith into him? Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan made a solemn vow under his breath. "Rest assured. As long as the Principals Seal remains in my hands, I will definitely not let any of you down..." This Principals Seal was neither an honor nor a tool to elevate his standing; it represented the heavy responsibility on his shoulders! The greater authority one wielded, the more responsibility one had to bear. At this moment, Zhang Xuan could finally understand why the old principal insisted on heading to the ancient domain despite knowing the dangers behind it. Most likely, there must have been something extremely important within it that left him with no choice but to do so. Hu! Shortly after such thoughts emerged in his mind, the incredible weight that had threatened to break his already bent wrist abruptly disappeared, and the Impable Principals Seal became as light as a feather. Holding onto the Principals Seal, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to the crowd beneath the stage once more. The face of every single teacher and student appeared clearly before his eyes. There was a warmth in their eyes that was reminiscent of one when meeting old acquaintances. After a seemingly long period of silence, Zhang Xuans voice abruptly boomed across the training grounds. "From today onward, I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" "Principal!" "Principal!" "Principal..." Loud chanting exploded from the agitated crowd, and the voices continued for a very long time... A position that had been empty for more than two years had finally found a new owner, and it was with the recognition and admiration of every single teacher and student in the academy at that! "That is our principal..." School Head Mo and the others couldnt help but feel warm tears streaming down their cheeks. Ever since the disappearance of the old principal, it had been necessary for the Ten Great Master Teachers to step up to handle his responsibilities among the skepticism and doubts of others, thus putting them under a lot of pressure. However, with such an outstanding principal to lead them now, they would surely be able to raise the Master Teacher Academy to even greater heights than before. ... At the same moment, on the Recording tform of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a single line of words appeared... The 18,827th Year of the Qingyuan Calendar, Master Teacher Zhang Xuan takes over the position as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. These words werent particrly striking, and it didnt take long before it was drowned among the other iing information of the Recording tform. Only in the very distant future did theter generations realize the true significance behind those words, and the legend that would rise along with it... ... With the inauguration ceremony finallying to an end, Zhang Xuan stepped off to the stage and headed to the Principals Residence prepared for him. However, before he could reach his destination, School Head Mo suddenly walked toward him and handed him a storage ring. "Principal Zhang, these are the congrattory gifts sent in by the nearby empires, powers, and Master Teacher Pavilions..." The Master Teacher Pavilion was the central organization responsible for ensuring the peace and stability of the nearby dozen Tier-1 Empires and countless sects. Even if the leaders of most powers were unable to make it to the ceremony personally, the least they could do was deliver a proper congrattory gift. Grabbing the storage ring, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into it to take a look, and his eyelids abruptly twitched in astonishment. There were simply too many things inside, and each of them was of exceptional value! Just in terms of the high-tier spirit stones, there were already several thousand of them. Other than that, there were also all kinds of valuable pills and precious artifacts. "ce them into the treasury of the Master Teacher Pavilion. These items belong to the academy, not me..." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan held back the urge to stuff the ring into his pocket and passed it back to School Head Mo. He wanted to im the storage ring for himself, but he knew that these congrattory gifts werent meant for him but his identity as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! In other words, even if it was another person who had been inaugurated as the principal, they would also have received these gifts as well. Thus, these gifts could be said to belong to the Master Teacher Academy and not to him. Besides, after epting the gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge, these items no longer held much value to him. "Yes!" School Head Mo nodded and took the storage ring back as the admiration in his gaze toward the young man before him deepened. Following which, he whipped out yet another storage ring and passed it over. "This is a personal gift from Emperor Yu Shenqing to you." "To me?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan took a look inside and blinked in surprise. The items in the storage ring were significantly less valuable than the ones in the other, but it was still a significant sum. Yu Shenqing must have emptied out at least half of them national treasury in order to fork out this sum! "Emperor Yu Shenqing has said this is his token of appreciation to you for saving the Bodhi Saint Tree and imparting the set of profound soul cultivation techniques to them, and he hopes that you wont turn down this gift of his!" School Head Mo said. "This..." Zhang Xuan was a little hesitant. The reason he saved the Bodhi Saint Tree was for Wei Ruyans sake, and the impartation of the set of cultivation technique was hispensation for secretly learning the other partys secret arts... As such, how could he ept so many valuable items from the other party? "Tell His Majesty that I appreciate his goodwill, but I am undeserving of his gift!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hands. The items were indeed good, but these were items that shouldnt belong to him in the first ce. If he were to ept them, he would be striking up a karmic debt with Yu Shenqing, and this was a burden he wasnt willing to bear. "Alright then." School Head Mo nodded in response. After dealing with a few other misceneous matters, Zhang Xuan said, "Now thats all settled, take me to the Mountain of Records. I wish to take the 6-star master teacher examination!" Since he had already be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, it was about time for him to take the 6-star master teacher examination. "Alright!" School Head Mo nodded before giving a rough introduction to the ce. "The Mountain of Records is a ground used by the Master Teacher Academy to assess ones strength. Any master teacher of cultivation beneath Half-Saint is qualified to challenge it, and there are nine levels in total!" "Nine levels?" "Un. The difficulty of the test heightens significantly with each level. On the third floor, the challenger will have to face an enemyparable to a Half-Saint cultivator; on the sixth floor, an enemyparable to a Nascent Saint cultivator; and on the ninth floor... an enemyparable to a Saint 1-dan cultivator!" School Head Mo said, "This trial serves not only as a test but also as a standard for selectingbat masters. If any cultivator beneath the cultivation of Half-Saint clears the sixth level, they will gain the right to take the Combat Master Selection Test. If the cultivator sessfully clears the ninth level, they will be able to join the Combat Master Hall immediately!" "To reach the sixth level with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint... In other words, one has to defeat a Nascent Saint with the cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Indeed. With the superior eye of discernment that master teachers possess, they wield power that can challenge cultivators with higher cultivation than them. Nevertheless, to defeat a Nascent Saint with the cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle still requires an exceptional cultivation foundation and superior fighting prowess!" School Head Mo nodded grimly. "Un." Zhang Xuan agreed. The two master teachers that he had met back in the valley after procuring the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, Wu Xu and Lu Cheng, were very likely to bebat masters. Otherwise, the former wouldnt have been able to challenge the four strongest geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy simultaneously and still overwhelm them. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "Throughout all these years, how many people have reached the sixth level with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint?" School Head Mo pondered for a brief moment before replying, "In the ten thousand years since the establishment of the academy, a total of 327 people have sessfully be abat master. However, those who have done so through clearing the sixth level of the Mountain of Records are below a hundred!" Those who were qualified to bebat masters were the master teachers who possessed fighting prowess unmatched by their peers. But even so, only a small proportion of them were able to rival a Nascent Saint with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint! A huge rift existed between Sainthood and Transcendent Mortals. Before Saints, all beings were mere ants. Oveing this gap was nigh impossible, even for geniuses. "I see..." Zhang Xuan nodded as he continued asking, "What is the Master Teacher Academys highest aplishment in the Mountain of Records?" Since there were challengers, there should be an existing record as well. Zhang Xuan was curious to learn the strength of the greatest genius of the Master Teacher Academy. "The highest aplishment was left behind by Principal Mo Liuzhen!" School Head Mo chuckled. "Principal Mo is known as the most capable genius of the Master Teacher Academy in the past ten millenniums, and naturally, he still holds records to back this title as well. Back then, right after he achieved a breakthrough to Chrysalis realm, he headed to the Mountain of Records to challenge it, and in a single breath, he reached all the way up to the seventh level, leaving everyone else gasping in amazement!" "Principal Mo managed to reach the seventh level right after reaching Chrysalis realm?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. His cultivation was currently at Chrysalis realm primary stage as well, the same cultivation realm that Mo Liuzhen was at when he challenged the Mountain of Records back then. Considering the enemy at the ninth level was a Saint realm 1-dan primary stage cultivator, the enemy one would face on the seventh level would have to at least be a Nascent Saint intermediate stage or advanced stage cultivator. In other words, given they were in the same cultivation realm, Principal Mo Liuzhen possessed fighting prowessparable to or perhaps even beyond him! Chapter 905: He Looked at Me Chapter 905: He Looked at Me Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This was truly fearsome. The cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan cultivated was the strongest Heavens Path Divine Art, and he had cultivated his physical body and soul as well. For Mo Liuzhen to possess strength equaling him, could it be that his soul and physical body were equally strong as well? I truly mustnt underestimate other cultivators! Zhang Xuan thought in rm. In his journey from Tianxuan Kingdom, he had encountered many experts of his age, and he had always been able to ovee them easily. As time went by, a feeling of superiority had unwittingly arisen within him. However, it seemed like it was time to quell such a notion in his mind. There had always been powerful geniuses on par or even superior to him on the Master Teacher Continent, it was just that he had never met them before! "Does Principal Zhang intend to challenge the record?" School Head Mo asked. Honestly speaking, he was indeed rather curious to see the sh between the new principal and Principal Mo Liuzhen back then. With the same cultivation, which of them would possess superior fighting prowess? "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded, confirming School Head Mos guess. His strength was at 65,000,000 ding, which ced him on par with only a Nascent Saint intermediate stage cultivator, making it doubtful whether he could clear the seventh level or not. Nevertheless, this was a good opportunity to see how he stood against the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Continent, as well as to see what his limit was. Besides, this was a necessary trial he would have to undertake if he wanted to clear the 6-star master teacher examination as soon as possible. "Allow me to take you there!" School Head Mos eyes lit up in excitement as he offered to lead the way to the Mountain of Records. The Mountain of Records was in close proximity to the Elder Hall, and its structure was reminiscent of a towering mountain. As the duo arrived at the Mountain of Records, School Head Mo began exining more about the Mountain of Records. "Our Master Teacher Academys Mountain of Records was built by Principal Mu Kai back then based on the Combat Master Tower in the Combat Master Hall. Every single level is guarded by a puppet that represents the pinnacle fighting prowess of a cultivator of that certain cultivation realm. It wont be easy to scale the Mountain of Records. "This trial is extremely demanding on ones fighting prowess and battle sense. Furthermore, unlike most tests in the Master Teacher Academy, this trial is highly dangerous. Principal Zhang, you must proceed carefully inside!" "Dangerous?" "Thats right. As the ones guarding the levels are puppets, they might be unable to control their strength as precisely as human cultivators. The slightest carelessness might easily ce one in a lethal position, and each year, there are quite a number of master teachers who are severely injured or die in the trial!" School Head Mo said grimly. The Mountain of Records wasnt an easy trial to challenge. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for it to have remained unchallenged despite it being more than a month since the start of the new semester. "Principal Zhang, if you faces any danger in any level, please dont hesitate to admit defeat. Once you do so, the puppets will immediately stop their offense and back down," School Head Mo advised. He had deep trust in Zhang Xuans capability, but in the end, thetters cultivation was still too low. There would definitely be levels where thetter would face grave danger, so it was important to exin the rules to him thoroughly in advance. "Noted!" Zhang Xuan nodded before bidding School Head Mo farewell. Without any hesitation, he began making his way into the Mountain of Records. Before long, he arrived in a room roughly a few hundred square metersrge. Within the room was a puppet that possessed the cultivation of Chrysalis realm advanced stage, granting its fists an incredible might exceeding 30,000,000 ding. "Finally, a new challenger! Hehehe!" With a soft chuckle, the puppets joints cracked resoundingly before pushing its massive feet against the ground and charging right toward Zhang Xuan. An artifact by the Celestial Designer Hall? Even though it hasnt reached Saint-tier, it still possesses spirit. Not bad! Knowing that the other partys strength was beneath his, Zhang Xuan wasnt nervous in the slightest. Standing before the rampaging might of the puppets fist, he chuckled softly. He had also encountered simr puppets in his 2-star master teacher examination back in Tianwu Kingdom, but it was obvious that the one before him was far more technologically advanced. Even though it was still a way off from bing a Saint-tier artifact, it already possessed spirit and even sentience. If one could forge many of such puppets, one would be able to build an extremely powerful army that felt no fear nor pain. However, considering the expensive materials and advanced skill required to build each one, that would probably be difficult to achieve. Two breathster, the puppet was already lying on the floor. Zhang Xuan walked past it and headed to the second level without any hesitation. The puppet on the second level possessed a cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Naturally, it wasnt a match for him either, and he was able to defeat the other party easily. Advancing ahead, just as School Head Mo had said, Zhang Xuan faced a Half-Saint primary stage puppet in the third level. However, considering how Zhang Xuan was able to defeat even a Half-Saint realmbat master like Lu Cheng shortly after achieving a breakthrough, there was no way his journey could be impeded by that Half-Saint primary stage puppet. Heading up the levels, Zhang Xuan hardly faced any impediment at all. ... At the bottom of the Mountain of Records, Zhao Bingxu, Wei Ranxue, and the others had also gathered in the area after hearing that Principal Zhang was going to challenge the trial. They hadnt really witnessed Principal Zhangs battle prowess for themselves, but they knew that it was likely extraordinary, given the abilities of his direct disciples, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang. How could a teacher who had the capability to groom such powerful students possibly be weak himself? Wei Ranxue couldnt help but ask her fellow peers, "How far do you think that Principal Zhang will be able to reach?" "I harbor little doubt regarding Principal Zhangs fighting prowess. Just by hisprehension of battle techniques, as well as his grasp of spearmanship, fist arts, and leg arts, he should be able to disy a fighting prowess far beyond that of his cultivation realm. Back then, Principal Mo Liuzhen had reached the seventh level. I believe that, at the very least, Principal Zhang should be able to beat his record and reach the eighth!" the head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, said as he stroked his beard. As a martial arts fanatic, he had taken some time to study Zheng Yangs spearmanship, Wang Yings leg art, and Liu Yangs fist art, and the conclusion he had reached after a long examination was that... it would easily make them invincible among those of the same cultivation! There were no battle techniques that he could think of that could possibly rival theirs! How could a master teacher who was able to impart such powerful battle techniques possibly be weak himself? As talented as Principal Mo Liuzhen was, he also didnt manage to receive the recognition of all of the preceding principals and form the Impable Principals Seal... For Principal Zhang to achieve this unprecedented feat, there was no way his aplishment in the Mountain of Records would be beneath that of Principal Mo Liuzhen. "Un. Just like you all, I also think that principal Zhang should be able to clear the eighth level!" Zhao Bingxu said with a smile. They had harbored doubts regarding Principal Zhangs capabilities in the past, and in the end, they had suffered severe face ps due to their underestimation of thetter. When they heard that thetter was going to challenge the Mountain of Records, they had rushed over excitedly, hoping to witness how thetter would break the record and leave behind a legend. "I also think so..." School Head Jiang nodded in agreement. "I think its just a question of how long it will take Teacher to reach the ninth level now..." Others might be unaware of Principal Zhangs strength, but he had a clear view of it. Just in terms ofprehension of demonic tunes, the other party had already reached the level of a 7-star demonic tunist, just like him. With such prowess, the other party could easily destroy opponents of far higher cultivation realms than him. Moreover, this was unlikely to be all of his means. If he were to utilize all of them, clearing the levels would definitely be just a walk in the park. "Back then, Principal Mo Liuzhen took two hours in order to reach the seventh level. I think that our principal should be able to clear it within an hour!" "An hour... I think thats still underestimating our principal. Considering his previous records, he should be able to clear the eighth within ten minutes and perhaps even destroy the entire Mountain of Records while he is in the midst of doing so..." the head of the Physician School, Zhong Dingchun, said with a bitter smile. "That... Now that you mention it, that does seem to be possible!" Hearing those words, everyone abruptly fell silent. They suddenly felt that it was a huge mistake for them to have allowed the other party to challenge the Mountain of Records. Despite the short duration that Principal Zhang had been in the Master Teacher Academy, he had challenged quite a few of trials, and wherever he had passed through, there was not a single one that had been left intact. Devastating would be an apt term to describe it, and even they couldnt help but shudder when they imagine it. The Mountain of Records was one of the more important heritages of the Master Teacher Academy. If Principal Zhang were to copse it as well... how could they possibly face their predecessors? After a long moment of silence, the head of the Painter School, Song Danqing, said, "When he caused all that ruckus back then, he was only a student. Since he has be the principal... I guess he should know to hold back a little, right?" "Lets hope thats the case..." The others stared at the Mountain of Records with deep frowns on their faces, seemingly doubtful that Zhang Xuan would know to hold himself back. The levels of the Mountain of Records were hidden amid the mountain, making it impossible to tell the results from the outside. Only through entering the trial personally or waiting for the challenger to exit would one know the results. As the school heads thought that the new principal wouldnt take too long to clear the trial, they chose to wait patiently outside. However, the wait went on for far longer than they had thought. An hour! Two hours! Four hours! A day... But there still wasnt any movement outside, and no one had left the Mountain of Records either. Reaching the limits of her patience, Wei Ranxue asked with a deep frown, "School Head Mo, are you certain that our principal has entered?" "There is no doubt about that!" School Head Mo replied affirmatively with a nod. He was the one who had escorted Principal Zhang there personally, and he had seen thetter enter the trial with his own eyes. There couldnt be any mistake about it. "Then, why isnt he out yet?" "Given Principal Zhangs strength, it shouldnt be possible for him to have been trapped for one whole day!" "Indeed! Could it be that some kind of ident has happened?" Considering the outstanding talent that Zhang Xuan had disyed in the various supporting upations, challenging a mere Mountain of Records should be like an easy and rxing walk for him. How could he possibly still be inside even after the passing of an entire day? "Im afraid that something might have really happened..." Zhao Bingxus face darkened. It shouldnt take a day for any challenger to clear or fail the Mountain of Records. Be it pass or fail, the challenger should have been out long before then. Even Hu Yaoyao and the others didnt spend such a long time in there back then. Something was amiss. Hearing School Head Zhaos words, Wei Ranxue asked in a panic, "What should we do then?" It hadnt been long since Zhang Xuans inauguration, and there was even a hugemotion due to it. If something were to happen to him due to challenging the Mountain of Records... just the thought of the resulting after-effects was more than enough to leave them in a frenzy. "What else can we do? Lets enter to take a look! If something has really happened to Principal Zhang, we will have to act immediately to save him. In any case, we also need to get to the bottom of what is going on!" School Head Mo said. "I concur!" "I concur as well!" The school heads hurriedly nodded in agreement. Even ordinary students would only take six hours at most in the Mountain of Records. For someone as talented as their principal to take up more than an hour in the Mountain of Records, it would be a tant lie if they said that they didnt harbor some doubts regarding the matter. It was simply too inconceivable. They could believe it if the other party had rushed to the eighth or ninth level within an hour. In fact, even if the Mountain of Records had copsed into pile of rubble within ten minutes, it still wouldnt have been beyond their imagination... But for the other party to have remained inside for a whole day, that was unbelievable to them. "Alright, lets enter then!" Having made a decision, the school heads quickly pushed open the entrance of the Mountain of Records and entered with their Elder Tokens in hand. Soon, they arrived at the first room. As soon as they stepped in, they saw the puppet that had charged at Zhang Xuan earlier lying on the floor with its eyes widened in disbelief, as if a day wasnt sufficient to convince it that what had happened to it was real. Seeing its state, Zhao Bingxu couldnt help but ask, "What happened?" "I lost," the puppet muttered with its spiritless eyes. It seemed that it had suffered too huge a blow and its spirit could dissipate at any moment. "Where there ispetition, there will be victory and loss. You are the guardian of the first floor, so its perfectly normal for you to lose to the challenger!" Seeing its state, the crowd nced at one another for a moment before shaking their heads. Given that you are just the guardian of the first level, the least that anyone challenging the trial should do is defeat you. Surely you dont have to be so disappointed over a loss? After consoling the puppet, School Head Mo suddenly noticed something that left a deep frown on his face. Perplexed, he asked, "It doesnt seem like there is any external injury on you. How were you defeated?" Hearing those words, a look of indignation immediately surfaced on the puppets face as it cried tearfully, "He looked at me..." Chapter 906: It Wasnt Just A Look Chapter 906: It Wasnt Just A Look Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Looked at you?" The crowd frowned in bewilderment. What does that mean? When we asked you how you lost, what we wanted to know was which move or ability of the opponent did you lose to. It is one thing for you to refuse to reply to our question, but why are you suddenly so poetic for? Furthermore, he looked at you? Are you going to follow up with how he will never be able to forget your bewitching looks? 1 We are asking you a serious question here! As a puppet, you should be answering our question properly instead of ying with lyrics... School Head Mo and the others shook their heads. "I..." Seeing everyones expression, the puppet nearly burst into tears. "What I am saying is that he took a look at me... and I lost!" "He took a look at you, and you lost?" Everyone was stunned. They had heard about how others could defeat their opponent in a single blow with an exquisite move, a powerful palm strike, or a profound sword art... But never had they heard of anyone defeating an opponent with just a look! Confused, Xu Changqing asked, "What you mean is that the challenger who came yesterday didnt eveny his hand on you. With just a gaze from him, you were already forced to admit defeat?" "Thats right..." Upon seeing that someone understood what it was saying, the puppet was so touched that it nearly cried tears of joy. "Thats right?" School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others nced at one another in bewilderment. As a puppet, you are supposed to stand guard and test the challengers of the Mountain of Records. Yet, to admit defeat with just a look from the new principal? Even if you wish to fawn over him, surely you need not do it so obviously! If that is going to be the case, how can anyone trust in the credibility of this trial in the future? On the other hand, Xu Changqing seemed to have a different view of the matter, and he asked, "Can you recount the battle for me clearly?" "Yes!" The puppet hurriedly nodded and went through its encounter with Zhang Xuan the previous day without any hesitation. Back then, as soon as Zhang Xuan entered, it immediately began its attack. However, just as its fist was about to reach the other party, the young man chuckled softly, and a brilliant glint shed through his eyes. In that instant, deep fear abruptly assaulted it, and its instincts sent it swiftly retreating in fear. However, due to the sudden change in momentum, its body was put under immense pressure, and before the other party could even make a move, it had already sustained significant damage. While the other school heads were still bewildered by the puppets words, the head of the Celestial Designer School suddenly began trembling in agitation as his face paled in disbelief. "Could it be... the ws in the internal structure of the puppet?" Even though the puppets seemed to bear some resemnce to humans in terms of physical appearance, they were ultimately products created by celestial designers, and their internal structure was vastly different as well. If his guess wasnt wrong, it was likely that Principal Zhang had managed to see through the greatest w in the internal structure of the puppet. As long as he were to strike that location precisely, he could immediately cripple the puppet, rendering it powerless. Perhaps, even reparations might be impossible! In other words, at that moment that the puppet attacked, not only did Principal Zhang manage to find the w in the other partys attack, he had even managed to identify the core weakness behind the puppets internal structure! That look that he shot the puppet served as a warning to thetter that, if it didnt back down, utter destruction was the oue that it would face... The puppet might not have understood the true intent behind that gaze, but its instincts had subconsciously told it that it would face grave danger if it continued charging forward, thus triggering an instantaneous reaction within it to retreat. However, such a reaction caused its momentum forward to be abruptly halted, resulting in an immense force crushing down on its body, severely damaging it before the young man before it had even made a move... As simple as this sounded, it was easier said than done. The puppets in the Mountain of Records were specially crafted by the predecessors, and infused into them were the fighting experience of many veteran master teachers. An average master teacher would stand no chance against them at all. Furthermore, just as each leaf on a tree was unique, the same puppets created by the same celestial designer using the same materials might also have their weaknesses appearing in vastly different ces. Despite so, to be able to see through its ws with just a single nce... Just what kind of eye of discernment and battle sense did he possess? "This works, too?" "I heard of talented master teachers clearing the puppet in the first level with a single blow, but never have I heard of anyone defeating it with just a look..." Upon understanding what was going on, the school heads clutched their hair in a frenzy. As the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, they possessed a far wider outlook than most master teachers. In the past five hundred years of their life, they had seen many seemingly inconceivable feats in their life. They had seen how a weaker cultivator incapacitated a stronger cultivator with a single move, or how a powerful individual devastated an entire army with a single crushing move... But never had they heard of anyone severely injuring their enemy with just a look! Yet, the facts were lying right before them! They had long known that their principal would surely aplish something astounding when they heard that he had challenged the Mountain of Records, but they had thought that the most he could do was clear the trial faster than the talented Principal Mo Liuzhen... But from the looks of it now, they had been limited by their imagination... The other party had managed to clear the level without making a single move, subduing his opponent with just a single look... In the entire Master Teacher Continent, was there anyone who could top that feat? "Lets head to the second level..." Suppressing the shock in their minds and casting aside the many doubts they harbored, Zhao Bingxu and the others rushed to the next level. Simr to the sight they had seen on the first floor, the guardian of the second level sat on the floor with a nk look in his eyes, reminiscent of a defeated rooster. "He... took two looks at me, and I was already severely injured..." the puppet exined. The lips of the crowd twitched, and they hurried to the third level. "He took three looks at me..." the guardian of the third level cried tearfully. "A Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator fighting against a Half-Saint puppetthat is the difference of an entire realm in terms of cultivationand all it took was just three looks?" Everyones body trembled in disbelief. They had all guessed that Zhang shis strength would be extraordinary, and they knew that it would be a walk in the park for him to clear the test. But never had they thought that he would be able to clear even the third level with just a few looks, utterly crushing the confidence of all of the puppets he had defeated! Didnt he clear the levels a bit too easily? Back then, when they challenged the Mountain of Records, they were pummeled to the point that they felt as if they already had a foot into the grave. Yet, Principal Zhang was able to destroy the confidence of those powerful puppets with just a look, or two, or three... Was there really a need for the world to be so unfair? Sensing the gloomy atmosphere drifting among them, School Head Mo spoke up in constion. "The guardian of the fourth level will be a Half-Saint advanced stage puppet. Anything that is involved with the word Saint, be it Half-Saint or Nascent Saint, will be anything but ordinary. From this point onward, it is unlikely that Principal Zhang will be able to get past the puppets with just a few looks..." And in truth, the crowd also shared the same thoughts as well, but none of them dared to speak up. As the most powerful elders in the Master Teacher Academy, their eye of discernment, strength, and worldly view could be considered to be at the very peak of the Tier-1 Empires. Yet, for some reason, not once had their predictions on Principal Zhang ever been urate. It was truly inexplicable. "Lets head up to take a look..." Shaking their heads, the school heads knew that it was pointless for them to overthink this matter. Thus, they began making their way toward the fourth level of the Mountain of Records. The room on the fourth level was significantlyrger than the one on the third level. In the corner, arge puppet was lying unmoving on the ground. Its head was bent at an unnatural angle, and its eyes were zed over, seemingly despairing over life. Xu Changqing stepped forward and asked with a quivering voice, "It cant be that... you were left in such a state after Principal Zhang took four looks at you?" Considering how this fellow was in the same state as those that came before it, could it be that he had been defeated in the same manner? "Four looks?" Struggling to its feet, the puppet shook its head. Lowering its head in embarrassment, seemingly desiring to bury himself in the ground, it muttered softly, "He didnt look at me that much... All he did was to shoot me a nce and say, lie down, and I was already left in this state..." "Shot you a nce and said, lie down?" The crowd nced at one another in confusion. In the previous levels, Principal Zhang had eyed the puppets ws, leaving them deeply unnerved and frightened, thus causing them to instinctively admit defeat... Even though it was inconceivable, it was still an exnation they could barely ept. But this... just because the other party told you to lie down, youy down on the ground... Arent you being too obedient? "Wait a minute..." While the others were confused, a thought struck Jiang Qingqins mind, and his eyes narrowed. "Could Principal Zhangs words have been infused with demonic tune?" To make a Half-Saint advanced stage puppet lie on the ground with mere words, he could think of no other means capable of this feat other than demonic tunes. "It was indeed a demonic tune, and he focused his power on my vitals as well... I wasnt even able to retaliate at all!" the puppet cried inmentation. The young man it faced wasnt strong at allon the contrary, the other party to be rather weak aspared to itbut for some reason, under the other partys gaze andmand, its body seemed to move on its own andy down on the floor obediently... Just the thought of it left him deeply submerged in despair. "Focused his power on your vitals? I thought the strength of a demonic tunisty in attacking souls? Given that you are puppet devoid of a soul, how did he manage to attack you?" Xu Changqing frowned in iprehension. The other school heads carried the same doubts in their minds as well. The reason demonic tunists were widely feared was due to their ability to bypass physical defenses to attack their enemys soul directly... While spirit did share some simr properties with souls, they were ultimately two different things fundamentally. Considering how the puppet didnt possess a soul, even a 7-star demonic tunist like Jiang Qingqin wouldnt have been able to harm it with his zither tunes. Since that was the case, how did Principal Zhang manage to make the other party lie down obediently with just his words? "His demonic tune wasnt aimed at my soul but my physical body. His voice produced a resonance within my body that threatened to reduce it to dust should I continue to attack him..." the puppet said with deference and horror reflected in its eyes. "Resonance?" The school heads widened their eyes in astonishment. There was indeed such a method of offense known among demonic tunists, and it was extremely effective against puppets too. However, it wasnt easy to do so... For one, one must have a deep understanding of the properties of every single material used in the forging of the puppet, as well as the resulting product after tempering and putting them together so as to determine the resonant frequencies. Otherwise, no matter how loud ones demonic tune was, it would be nothing but futile. To be able to determine the materials used in the creation of the puppet, deduce its resonance frequencies, and determine the type of demonic tune to use against it with just a nce... Was this really happening? Principal Zhang, are you sure you are here to challenge the Mountain of Records and not to y around and subdue a few puppets while you are at it? After confirming the happenings in this room, Zhao Bingxu sighed deeply and said, "The puppet of the next level is at Half-Saint pinnacle, and it specializes in battle techniques. Given the same cultivation realm, even I would have difficulties defeating it... Perhaps, things will get difficult for Principal Zhang from now on..." "Lets take a look then!" Knowing that it was futile to be making guesses over there, the crowd moved on, heading to the fifth level. Just like in the fourth level, a puppet was lying unmoving on the ground, and unlike the one from before, this one was convulsing every now and then. Rushing forward, School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School took some time to look at it and repair it before asking anxiously, "What happened?" "That man... he told me to lie down twice. The first time, I stood my ground and resisted it. However, on the secondmand, I was left in such a state," the puppet said gloomily. "He issued twomands?" "It seems like this level was indeed not as easy as the previous one for Principal Zhang. It took him two wholemands before he was able to subdue the puppet..." "The next stage is a puppet that possesses the strength of a Nascent Saint cultivator. Considering that Principal Zhang is only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, surely he wouldnt be able to subdue his opponent with just threemands... right?" "Why not? You have seen the previous few levels, too. Dont tell me that you are still harboring doubts regarding our principal?" "This..." ... After hearing the words of the puppets, the lips of the school heads twitched uncontrobly, and they hurriedly rushed for the sixth level. Chapter 907: Entering the Seventh Level Chapter 907: Entering the Seventh Level Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The sixth level was evenrger than the previous, and there were several formations inscribed on the walls all around. A battle between two Nascent Saint cultivators could easily result in devastating damage; just the aftershock of their strikes was sufficient to induce a disaster. As such, it was imperative for the room to be reinforced with formations so that both parties could let loose and not be restricted by their surroundings. Walking in, they thought that they would see a puppet lying on the ground, just like in the previous five levels, but contrary to their expectations, such a sight didnt appear before them. A puppet was seated imposingly not too far away with a disposition reminiscent of a sharp sword, emanating a bone-chilling aura that left shivers running down ones spine. "Isnt the guardian of the sixth floor a Nascent Saint primary stage puppet? Why does it seem like... that isnt the case?" "You are right. It seems like the puppet has grown stronger!" "But isnt the strength of a puppet fixed, considering how it is unable to cultivate? How could it possibly grow stronger?" ... Upon seeing the puppet, everyones eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. With their eye of discernment, they could easily tell that the strength of the puppet had already surpassed its Nascent Saint primary stage bottleneck and reached Nascent Saint intermediate stage! But... how could this possibly have happened? Puppets were the product of celestial designers, made out of mechanisms. Even if they possessed spirit, they were ultimately still non-living things, making it impossible for them to cultivate under normal circumstances. Since they were unable to cultivate, how could they grow stronger? "Could this fellow... have killed Principal Zhang?" At that very moment, someone amid the crowd suddenly spoke up, and everyones body stiffened. Their principal had managed to clear the previous few levels easily, subduing the puppets with just mere gestures or words. Given that the puppet of this level had an abrupt power boost and putting that together with the bizarre disappearance of their principal, could their principal have identally let his guard down on this level and been killed by the puppet? If that was really the case, they would be the greatest sinners of the Master Teacher Academy for allowing such a mishap to happen! Unable to hold himself back anymore, Zhao Bingxu whipped out his Elder Token, rushed forward, and interrogated the puppet. "Where is the challenger who came here a day ago?" The puppet hurriedly got to its feet and asked with a smile, "The challenger who came here a day ago? Ah, you must be talking about Zhangoshi! May I know why you are looking for my teacher?" "Zhang...oshi?" "You acknowledged Principal Zhang as your teacher?" School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others nearly keeled over when they heard those words. To make the entire Apothecary School your student? Fine, we will ept that! Making Senior Byzantium Helios and Senior Golden Origin Cauldron acknowledge you as their master? Alright, we will tolerate that too! Taming the entire Cloudmist Ridge... since it isnt entirely impossible in the first ce, we will acknowledge that as well! But to make a puppet acknowledge you as its teacher, what the heck is that? Even though a puppet possessed spirit and was capable ofmunication, it was ultimately still an artifact, a tool. The memories and knowledge it possessed were all infused into it. To acknowledge another as its teacher... what for? Noticing everyones doubts, the puppet hurriedly exined, "Indeed. In truth, I initially intended to engage my teacher in a battle to stop him from advancing any further, but he noticed a clear w in my forging process and helped me correct it... It was just a simple fix, but my strength increased by a whole stage. A person of such capability, it is only right for me to take him as my teacher!" "A mistake in your forging process?" The lips of School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School twitched uncontrobly. "When did Principal Zhang be a skilled celestial designer as well?" For many generations, many talented master teachers had challenged the Mountain of Records, but not a single one had noticed a w in them. Yet, Principal Zhang had noticed one as soon as he arrived and even corrected it on the spot... Just by this feat in itself, it could be seen that the other partys mastery as a celestial designer was far above his! This... Was there a single upation that their principal was ignorant of? "Thats right. Its in awe of his capabilities that I acknowledged him as my teacher. In any case, if you are seeking Zhangoshi, you should head upwards. He headed to the seventh level a day ago." The puppet nodded. "Lets go!" After learning that Zhang Xuan had cleared the sixth level as well, the crowd began making their way over to the seventh level, which was also the level where Principal Mo Liuzhen had stopped back when he first challenged the trial. The guardian of the seventh level was a puppet that harnessed the strength of a Nascent Saint advanced stage cultivator. Against such a powerful opponent, the crowd couldnt help but wonder if Zhang shi would be ced in danger. "I have read through the journal that Principal Mo Liuzhen left regarding the situation when he first challenged the Mountain of Records. Even for someone as talented as he was, he was forced into a corner and nearly lost his life. It was out of sheer luck that he managed to achieve a breakthrough on the spot and surpass his limits, thus defeating the puppet," Zhao Bingxu said with a grim expression as they headed up. Principal Mo Liuzhen had left behind writings detailing his encounters while journeying up the Mountain of Records, and ording to it, luck had yed a huge part in him clearing the seventh level with his Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivation. If he hadnt achieved a breakthrough on the spot then, putting aside making history, he might have been severely wounded or even killed due to it. The stronger the puppets were, the harder it would be for them to hold back in battle. As such, the further one progressed up the Mountain of Records, the more danger one would be ced in. For Principal Zhang to have not returned after an entire day, especially considering how quickly he had cleared the previous levels, could he have met with some kind of unexpected situation? "I am truly in awe of Principal Zhangs strength, but his cultivation is simply still too low. There is a gap of almost three cultivation realms between him and a Nascent Saint advanced stage puppet. I fear that his chance of victory is slim..." "Indeed. I have met quite a fewbat masters over the years, but even so, I have never encountered one who could fight an opponent of almost three cultivation realms higher and emerge victorious!" "Since evenbat masters are incapable of achieving such a feat, how could our principal possibly seed?" Understanding how fearsome the puppet on the seventh level would be for a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator, the crowd couldnt help but be worried. Combat masters could be considered a type of master teacher, but their roles and responsibilities differed vastly from one another. Combat masters were, in essence, the soldiers of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and their responsibility was to protect mankind and uphold the authority and dignity of the Master Teacher Pavilion. As such, the primary focus ofbat mastersy in their fighting prowess. Supporting upations, the ability to impart knowledge, grooming students: none of those were used to assess their capabilities. There was only one criterion they had to fulfill, and that was to wield sufficient strength! In terms of knowledge and scope of skills, they might even be beneath that of the other upations. However, in terms of fighting prowess, they were an unrivaled existence in the Master Teacher Pavilion! Considering how even they were incapable of rivaling opponents almost three cultivation realms stronger than them, little had to be said for others. With worries guing their hearts, the crowd arrived on the seventh level. Pushing open the door and stepping in, the first thing they saw were the many formations inscribed on the walls to reinforce the room, simr to those on the sixth floor. They hurriedly scanned the room to search for the puppet standing guard, but for some reason, there was not a person to be seen in this vast room. They couldnt help but feel perplexed. No puppet or traces of battle to be seen, what could this possibly mean? Seemingly noticing something, School Head Mo pointed to the corner and asked, "Wait a moment... Look at that! What is that?" The crowd hurriedly turned their sights over, and there, they saw a pile of misceneous parts lying on the ground. "The puppet... has been dismantled!" School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School eximed with twitching lips as he examined the misceneous parts carefully. The puppets of the Mountain of Records had been carefully constructed out of several dozen thousand parts, making them an extremely intricate artifact. Looking at the innumerable parts that had clearlye from a puppet before them, it was obvious that someone had dismantled the puppet in this stage and reduced it to its primitive form. After a moment of astonishment, School Head Mo asked anxiously, "Can we confirm that these are the parts of the puppet on this level?" If Principal Zhang had really managed to dismantle the puppet of this level to such a state... he really couldnt begin to imagine how powerful the other party must be! "I cant be entirely sure, but there is a very high chance that is the case!" School Head Feng replied with a bitter smile. He had never seen the puppet on this level, but based on the misceneous parts left on the ground, he could tell that the puppet had a particrly advanced design and forging method that could create a Nascent Saint advanced stage puppet when put together. For such a powerful puppet to be left in such a state... that was definitely the doing of their principal! There was no doubt about it! They had been thinking that it would be difficult for the other party to achieve victory on this level, but to think that the other party would end up tearing the puppet all the way down into its parts like that... Principal Zhang, you sure are vicious! The puppet is only the guardian responsible for guarding the level. Just how did it offend you for you to dismantle it so callously... Several dozen thousand misceneous parts: even with a blueprint in hand, it would still take a group of 6-star celestial designer several days in order to put it back together... More importantly, that would only be the body! To return its spirit and battle sense would be a much more troublesome process, and they would probably require the help of the Martial Arts School for that. In other words, Zhang Xuans act of dismantling this puppet would leave those two schools busy for half a month in order to allow this level to function once more. However, considering that it would probably be a few thousand years before another challenger would be able to reach this far, there was no need for them to hurry either. "It seems like Principal Zhang really went easy on the puppets on the previous few levels," Wei Ranxue remarked. In the previous few levels, their principal had only shot the puppets a look or issued them amand in order to force them to submit. He hadnt used any real force against them at all. Perhaps it was due to the heightened difficulty of this level that had forced him to make a move. Nevertheless, even if they were to suppress their cultivation to Nascent Saint advanced stage, simr to that of the puppet, it would still be difficult for them to achieve victory. Yet, their principal had managed to tear the other party down into its most basic parts despite his Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivation... The thought of it sent endless sighs leaving their mouths. "Even Principal Mo Liuzhen only achieved a narrow victory back then, and yet, not only did Principal Zhang achieve a victory, he even managed to dismantle the puppet down to its parts... I really do want to know how he cultivates to grow so strong!" With twitching lips, the crowd fell silent. It seemed like the strength of their principal was as monstrous as his mastery in his supporting upations as well. To be able to defeat cultivators of three cultivation realms above him, that was already beyond the average standard of abat master! Fearsome! Previously, they had thought that their principal had put all of his effort into his supporting upations in order to achieve such astounding proficiency in them, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like they had misunderstood him. From the start to the end, his focus had been on his cultivation, and his supporting upations were just something he had learned leisurely! Otherwise, how could he possibly wield such astounding fighting prowess? There is no strength thates without hardship! Extraordinary strength can onlye with extraordinary diligence and hardship! Putting everything aside, just the willpower he must have needed to reach this far was sufficient to leave them deep in admiration. Scanning the room and finding Zhang Xuan nowhere in sight, Zhao Bingxu suddenly recalled something and frowned. "Since Principal Zhang has cleared this level, he must have gone on to the eighth. This is bad..." "Indeed, it seems like he went to the eighth level..." At this moment, School Head Mos face also turned grave. Noticing the unnatural reaction of the duo, Wei Ranxue asked doubtfully, "Whats wrong? Is there something wrong with the eighth level?" Her expertisey in terpsichorean arts, which simr to demonic tunes, had little effectiveness on puppets. As such, she had never challenged the Mountain of Records, and she possessed little understanding of it as well. "We fear that Principal Zhang will face danger on the eighth level!" Zhao Bingxu said worriedly. "You are still worried about that? I think that you can set your mind at ease now! Before the seventh level, we also thought that Principal Zhang would face danger. However, the fact that he was able to dismantle the puppet to this point shows that the strength he wields is far beyond our imagination! With that, it shouldnt be much of an issue for him to clear the eighth level!" Wei Ranxue reassured with a soft chuckle. They had been a little jittery ever since entering the Mountain of Records, worrying that some mishap could have happened to Zhang Xuan. However, time after time, thetter had shown them through his overwhelming strength that their worry was unfounded. After witnessing seven levels of miracles from their principal, was there still anything that they needed to worry over? Even if someone were to tell Wei Ranxue that thetter had cleared the entire Mountain of Records, she still wouldnt have been surprised in the least. Seeing that Wei Ranxue was oblivious of the matter, Zhao Bingxu shook his head helplessly. "Its not as easy as you think. The puppet on the eighth level is different from those before..." Chapter 908: The Frustrated Puppet Chapter 908: The Frustrated Puppet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Different? What can there be different about the puppets?" Wei Ranxue was perplexed. After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu replied. "To tell you honestly, the guardian on the eighth level isnt a puppet but a clone that Principal Mo Liuzhen made out of one of his rib bones back then!" "A... clone?" Wei Ranxue was stunned. "Indeed. Back then, when Principal Mo Liuzhen advanced his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle, he challenged the Mountain of Records once more, and unlike the first time, he managed to reach the eighth level this time around. In that battle, he felt that there was a fatal w with the puppet, so he took out one of his rib bones, and making use of an Earth Core Crystal he had in his storage ring, he forged a new guardian for this floor and infused his fighting skills into it!" "Earth Core Crystal? Do you mean that rare ore that can only be found near the worlds core?" Wei Ranxue frowned. She had heard of the Earth Core Crystal before. It was an extremely rare ore that was known for its toughness due to being tempered by the extreme conditions near the worlds core. Harnessing great heat energy within it, it was an ideal material for tempering ones physical body and forging puppets. However, it was said that this incredible ore had beenpletely depleted several thousand years ago, and it was nigh impossible to find a piece of it in the world. For Principal Mo Liuzhen to use it to forge a puppet for the Mountain of Records... even though it was for a good cause, they couldnt help but think his actions extravagant! In any case, if the puppet was truly forged out of Earth Core Crystal, by no means should its strength ever be underestimated. Even with the cultivation of Nascent Saint realm pinnacle, such a puppet would be able to emerge victorious in a battle against a Saint realm 1-dan expert! "Not only so, Principal Mo Liuzhen has also left a sliver of his will within it... In other words, the puppet of the eighth level is no longer an ordinary puppet but an existence with a battle sense nearly on par with Principal Mo Liuzhen back then! Pairing that with a cultivation of Nascent Saint realm pinnacle cultivation, nigh invincible defense, and a body that knows no pain, it is unlikely that even the Chrysalis realm pinnacle Principal Mo Liuzhen would stand a chance against it, needless to say the Chrysalis realm primary stage Principal Zhang!" Zhao Bingxu said with a bitter smile. It wasnt that he didnt have any trust in Principal Zhang, but the enemy he faced was simply too strong. Furthermore, when Principal Mo Liuzhen left behind the puppet, he was already at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, not too far away from reaching Half-Saint. Between fellow top-notch geniuses, nearly a realm of difference in strength was a practically unbreachable gap. On top of that, the opponent was a monster that knew no pain nor fatigue. It was no wonder School Head Zhao and School Head Mo had no confidence whatsoever. Wei Ranxue was at a loss for words. If that was truly the case, it would be truly too difficult for Principal Zhang to emerge victorious. It could almost be said that victory was a pipe dream! "Theres no point discussing it here. Lets head up, and we will know the answer soon enough!" Xu Changqing waved his hand to stop the discussion before gesturing toward the stairs upwards. "Un!" The others nodded in agreement before heading toward the eighth level. The eighth level was extremely quiet, but the many depressions of different areas and depths on the wall and ground made it clear that an intense battle had urred there. Zhao Bingxu took a quick look at the surroundings and said, "We werete. The battle has already ended." As master teachers, they could easily tell that the battle had already ended a day ago, so they quickly rushed into the room and look around. However, they couldnt see anyone or any misceneous parts anywhere. Eventually, they could only stare at one another and ask doubtfully, "So, who won?" If it was just like in the previous level, various misceneous parts scattered about the area, there would be no doubt that their principal had won! But the ground was clean except for the marks of battle here and there... Could their principal have really lost? But if he had lost... where was the puppet guarding this level then? Why would it have disappeared too? Suddenly, Wei Ranxue eximed anxiously, "There is some blood here!" rmed, the crowd hurriedly gathered together and saw a pool of blood on the ground. Judging from the amount of blood shed, the wounded must have suffered rather severe injuries. "Principal Zhang..." The crowd clenched their fists together tightly. While the puppet was a clone made out of Principal Mo Liuzhens rib bone, blood didnt run through its body... In other words, the blood could only havee from Principal Zhang. For their powerful principal to have stumbled here, indeed, defeating the Principal Mo Liuzhens clone to clear this level was no easy feat. Noticing everyones apprehension, Zhao Bingxu reassured them. "Even though Principal Zhang is injured, there should be no need to worry. Since the puppet of this level harnesses Principal Mo Liuzhens will, it shouldnt have executed a killing blow against Principal Zhang!" The puppets of the previous seven levels possessed ordinary spirits, capable of only fighting as they weremanded. They didnt have the emotions or sentience of a human. On the other hand, the puppet on the eighth level had a sliver of Principal Mo Liuzhens will imbued into it, so naturally, it possessed his consciousness as well. After learning of Principal Zhangs identity, it shouldnt have gone too heavily on him! At the very least, Principal Zhangs life wouldnt have been in danger. Just as everyone was deducing what had happened, the head of the Painter School suddenly eximed, "Everyone, take a look over there!" Everyone quickly turned to him, only to see his finger pointed toward the ceiling with a dumbfounded look on his face. Turning their gazes upwards, the crowd was also taken aback by what they saw. There was a huge depression on the ceiling with a human silhouette embedded deeply into it. The human silhouette had its eyes tightly closed, probably still unconscious from the impact of the blow it had suffered. "That is the puppet Principal Mo Liuzhen forged!" Zhao Bingxu eximed in astonishment. Upon recognizing the figure, the school heads quickly rushed up to pull the puppet out from the ceiling. School Head Zhong and School Head Feng hurriedly examined its condition and treated it. A momentter, it finally opened its eyes. As soon as it opened its eyes, its face immediately flushed in anger as it cursed furiously. "Damn it! Just who in the world is that shameless fellow who came by just now?" "Shameless fellow?" Hearing Principal Mo Liuzhens evaluation of Principal Zhang, the mouths of the crowd began twitching uncontrobly. ording to historical records, Principal Mo Liuzhen was not only known for his talents but hisposed temperament as well. This was also the main reason he was able to leave his mark in history as the number one figure of the Master Teacher Academy in its ten thousand years of history, respected by many generations of students and teachers. Yet, such an incredible figure actually began cursing without the slightest bit of concern for his bearing? "In the duel, that fellow wasnt a match for me at all!" The puppet that Principal Mo Liuzhen had left behind exined indignantly. "After a few blows, I could already tell that he was bound to lose in the end, so I told him to leave and return only after he had cultivated to Chrysalis realm pinnacle... But who knew that the fellow would suddenly proim his admiration for me passionately, requesting desperately for me to impart my battle techniques to him. Not only so, he even grabbed my hands and began spewing praise after praise for me..." At this point, a regretful look emerged on the puppets face for falling for the other partys ploy. "After all he had said, it wouldnt have been right for me to turn him down as a master teacher, so I began to offer him some pointers for his breakthrough... "But who knew that fellow would adamantly clutch onto my hands, iming that he wanted toe into close contact with his idol... I thought that his actions were out of earnest admiration for me, but who could have known..." The more the puppet spoke, the more furious it became. Eventually, its face reddened to the point that it seemed like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Seeing the other party stop at the crucial moment, Wei Ranxue urged it on. "Who could have known?" "Who could have known that it was all a trap by the shameless fellow! From the start to the end, his goal was to use the Earth Core Crystal within my body to cultivate! "You all should be able to tell that my body is forged out of Earth Core Crystal... If that fellow had absorbed the energy of my Earth Core Crystal rapidly, I would have surely noticed something. But h-he secretly stole it bit by bit while distracting me with his sweet words, so by the time I noticed, he had already stolen most of the energy contained within the Earth Core Crystal..." Even if a puppet was infused with the will of a human, its senses still wouldnt be as sensitive as a human body. Taking the Soulless Metal Humanoid for example, it was a body constructed mainly for movement and battle. Other than that, its senses and other functions were secondary to humans. "Even without the Earth Core Crystal, I will only suffer a drop in my defense. But for some reason, that fellows physical strength suddenly soared as well. With these two factorsing into y simultaneously, I was sent flying into the ceiling with a single punch and was knocked out from the impact..." The puppet recounted the happenings furiously. If it had known that that fellow intended to secretly cultivate using its Earth Core Heart, it would have never listened to his words! The state it was in... Putting aside how it had suffered from a significant dip in its defense and fighting prowess, it had even been utterly crushed in a battle against someone it had defeated easily a moment earlier... In Principal Mo Liuzhens many years of cultivation, he had seen many master teachers, but never had he seen one as shameless as that fellow! Rage, frustration, and indignation bubbled furiously within him, which had led to his outburst upon seeing the school heads. "This..." After learning what had happened, the crowd nced at one another with twitching faces. In a desperate life-and-death battle, such actions would be nothing much. But to resort to such in a trial, especially when the opponent had already stopped fighting... that was indeed a little improper. After venting his frustrations, the puppet sighed deeply and waved its hands to show that it was over the matter. "Forget it, this is how battles are supposed to be. There is no room forpassion or fairness in it. On the bright side, this shows that he isnt a rigid person restricted by conventions and the sort. A person like him will be able to reach greater heights than others!" As the role models for others, master teachers were expected to uphold their bearings. Nevertheless, they mustnt be too inflexible, or else how could they innovate and reach greater heights? Putting everything aside, even Kong shi had been an extremely adaptable person. Back then, he had sneaked into the Subterranean Gallery thrice and mixed in together with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, disguised as one of their own. Eventually, he had even managed to rise through the ranks, being conferred as a king, followed by an emperor, and so on... Through such efforts, he had nearly managed to wipe out their entire tribe! If master teachers had insistently embraced conventions, choosing to follow only the teachings of the predecessors instead of bravely forging their own path, humanity also wouldnt havee such a long way over just several dozen millenniums... Hearing Principal Mos words, Zhao Bingxu and the others heaved a sigh of relief. "Its good that Elder is able to think of it like that..." On one hand was the will of the esteemed preceding principal, Mo Liuzhen, and on the other was their current principal. As the saying goes, the ones to suffer in a battle between deities are the mortals. It wouldnt have been right for them to side with anyone in a conflict between the two, so it was best if Principal Mo could let this matter go himself. Shooting a nce at the stairway above, the puppet stood up, turned to Zhao Bingxu, and said, "Since that fellow was able to defeat me, he must have proceeded on to the ninth level. The ninth level is a forbidden ground, so even with your Elder Tokens, you wont be able to enter it. Since thats the case, you should wait for him here instead!" A restriction was ced on the ninth level such that only those who had defeated the guardian of the eighth level with their own strength were allowed to enter it... As Mo Liuzhen himself had only managed to clear the eighth level by exploiting a fatal w in the puppet, he hadnt been allowed to advance any further back then either. "Un!" Zhao Bingxu and the others nodded. They were aware of the rules as well, and knowing the difficulty of the eighth level, they had thought that they would find Principal Zhang here. However, thetter had surpassed their expectations and advanced even further. Suddenly, School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School noticed something and eximed in astonishment. "Wait, something is wrong... Elder, it doesnt seem like your cultivation is at Nascent Saint pinnacle..." Chapter 909: The Ninth Floor Chapter 909: The Ninth Floor Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "My cultivation isnt at Nascent Saint pinnacle?" The puppet was stunned for an instant before lowering its head to take a look at itself as it exerted its strength. Hong long! A powerful aura immediately burst into the air, forcing everyone back several steps. "T-this is... Saint realm 1-dan? H-how did I... achieve a breakthrough?" The puppet waspletely stunned. It had been a puppet for more than four thousand years, and all along, its cultivation had been capped at Nascent Saint realm pinnacle. Not once had it ever thought that it could still further its cultivation. "If Im not mistaken, this must be the doing of Principal Zhang! In exchange for devouring the energy contained in your Earth Core Crystal, he helped you advance your cultivation," Zhao Bingxu said. After the experience on the sixth level, they knew that their principal possessed the capability to do so. Most likely, he must have felt embarrassed about devouring the energy harnessed within the Earth Core Crystal in the other partys body, so he helped to alter the other partys constitution slightly to allow its energy to flow smoother, thus enhancing its cultivation significantly. "This..." Hearing School Head Zhaos exnation, the puppet was stunned. Even though the Earth Core Heart was important to it, it wasnt the centerpiece of its existence. Giving it up in order to raise its cultivation to Saint realm, it could be said that it was the winner of this deal! Just that... with its cultivation raised, it would be nigh impossible for theter generations to clear the trial. It was almost a certainty that they would be impeded on the eighth level, making it impossible for anyone to reach the ninth level. It was an act of goodwill toward the puppet, but the challengers that came after him would probably be cursing him furiously as they fought the enhanced puppet. Defeating a Nascent Saint pinnacle puppet was already nearly impossible. What Zhang Xuan had effectively done was create a deadlock on the eighth level, preventing anyone from advancing any further in the future. At that moment, Wei Ranxue suddenly turned to the puppet and asked, "What is on the ninth level?" "The ninth level... I have no idea either. I only know that no one has been there since the establishment of the Master Teacher Academy... Probably, the only one who knows is the founder of the academy, Founder Mu Kai!" The puppet shook his head in response. The one guarding the eighth level was a Nascent Saint realm pinnacle puppet whereas the prerequisite for challenging the Mountain of Records was for ones cultivation to be beneath Half-Saint... In other words, one would have to challenge an opponent nearly three realms stronger than oneself in order to reach the ninth level! Even the incredibly talented Chrysalis realm pinnacle Principal Mo Liuzhen back then had been unable to aplish this feat, needless to say the others! In the ten thousand years since the founding of the Master Teacher Academy, that fellow was the only one to have achieved this feat. Noticing everyones worries, the puppet said, "No matter what, that fellow shouldnt be in any danger. The main purpose for the establishment of the Mountain of Records is to sieve out the talents of the Master Teacher Academy, so there is no way it will allow one who possesses the ability to reach the ninth level to die in there!" "Un." The others nodded. Indeed. A person who had cleared the previous eight stages could already be considered a top-notch genius even among the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, so how could a mishap of any sort be allowed to befall a talent like that in the final level? As such, there was no need to worry about that matter! But even putting aside their worries, they were still curious to know what their principal would encounter in the ninth level. In that moment, they couldnt help but peer into the darkness of the stairway that led to the mysterious ninth level. ... Rewinding time back to a day ago... After clearing the eighth level, Zhang Xuan took a look at the puppet, which he had pinned onto the ceiling, and heaved a sigh of relief before heading forward. Honestly speaking, it seemed like he had overestimated his strength. In truth, he had already been struggling against the Nascent Saint puppet on the sixth level. His strength exceeded 65,000,000 ding, granting him a mightparable to Nascent Saint intermediate stage cultivator, but the difference between a Transcendent Mortal and Saint didnt just lie in their strength. Those who had achieved Sainthood had already reached an entirely different level of existence, granting them superior reaction speed and reflexes aspared to others. Even with his greater strength, it would still be difficult for him to achieve victory. In other words, despite his strength, Half-Saint pinnacle was the limit of his own ability. If he wished to defeat a Nascent Saint primary stage cultivator, he would have to depend on the Library of Heavens Path. As such, he offered guidance to the puppet of the sixth level in order to convince it to acknowledge him as its teacher, thus sessfully clearing the level. However, the puppet on the seventh level didnt trust him, so the same ploy didnt work against it. Unable to overpower the other party, he could only dismantle the other party bit by bit while dodging its attacks. If he had been able to defeat the other party in a proper battle, he wouldnt have resorted to such a method. To be forced to dismantle the puppet down to its very parts in order to defeat it... how embarrassing! On the eighth level, he encountered the puppet Principal Mo Liuzhen had forged using his rib bones, and after exchanging a few blows, he was already severely wounded from the other partys pummeling, leaving him spewingrge mouthfuls of blood. He had thought that the eighth level would be his limit, but he suddenly noticed that the puppet was made out of Earth Core Crystal. The Earth Core Crystal happened to be the artifact required for cultivating the Fourth Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and he had been searching for it all this while but to no avail. Seeing it here, he nearly went frenzied with delight. However, if he were to ask for it from the other party directly, there was no doubt that he would be rejected tly. Left with no choice, he could only resort to some tricks up his sleeves... Putting that aside, using the energy from the Earth Core Crystal, he managed to advance his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to the Fourth Incandescence, thus inducing a massive surge in his physical strength. From its original 16,000,000 ding, it had doubled to 32,000,000 ding! In other words, just in terms of physical strength, he was already on par with a Chrysalis realm advanced stage cultivator! Factoring in the 29,000,000 ding from his zhenqi cultivation and 20,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation, his total might added up to a grand total of 81,000,000 ding! With such strength, he could easily overpower even a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator! On top of that, Principal Mo Liuzhens puppet wasnt prepared for his assault at all, so it was easily sent into the ceiling from the might of his fist and fainted. (Nascent Saint primary stage 60,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 65,000,000 ding; advanced stage 70,000,000 ding; pinnacle 75,000,000 ding!) Even though I defeated the puppet in the previous level, my true fighting prowess is still some distance away from matching a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator... While Zhang Xuan had managed to send the puppet forged by Principal Mo Liuzhen flying with a single punch, he wasnt so arrogant as to believe that he wielded strengthparable to a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator. The reason he was able to seed was due to his understanding of the ws in the other partys moves from the previous battle and the other party letting its guard down from its underestimating of him. Otherwise, in a proper battle against a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator, even with his superior strength, he wouldnt have been able to achieve a victory that easily. That was also the reason why Zhang Xuan wanted to maintain a low profile. It could possibly be the key for him to oveing dire situations like that battle. As the saying goes, a tree that rises above the forest will only be torn down by the wind; an embankment taller than the shore will only be washed away by the waves. But it was a pity that every time he wished to maintain a low profile, everything would just go contrary to his wishes. This had left him deeply distressed. Perhaps that was life! The outstanding were meant to live brilliant and short lives. Considering how Zhang Xuan didnt even wield the fighting prowess to ovee a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator, he knew full well that he stood no chance at clearing the ninth level... Unless he perfected the Chrysalis realm Heavens Path Divine Art and advanced his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle! But there was no way he could find such cultivation technique manuals here... Since I have already reached this point, I might as well head up to take a look! Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan eventually decided to advance to the ninth level. Havinge to this point, it would be truly regretful if he stopped there without at least giving it a try. At the very most, he would just have to admit defeat once he found himself in a hopeless situation. Pushing open the entrance to the ninth level, an extremely vast room unfolded before his eyes. An elder came into his sight. Upon seeing the elders appearance, Zhang Xuan frowned. Mu shi? It was none other than Founder Mu Kai. He had just met the other partys soul during the inauguration ceremony, so there was no way he wouldnt recognize him. No, that isnt it. This is a Saint realm puppet that Mu shi forged based on himself! It wasnt very apparent, but Zhang shi was able to swiftly tell what was amiss about the elder before his eyes. Naturally, the elder before him couldnt possibly be Founder Mu Kai in person, and considering that it possessed a corporeal body, it wasnt just his soul either. Rather, it was a puppet forged ording to his appearance. However, the craftsmanship was so exquisite that Zhang Xuan had to take several nces before noticing it. Watching as Zhang Xuan walked over, Mu shis puppet said with a smile, "To be able to clear the previous levels with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, you are a truly talented individual!" "Paying respects to Mu shi!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed. Even though the other party was only a puppet, a sliver of Mu shis will was infused into it, so its prowess wasnt one he could afford to underestimate. "Un." Mu shis puppet nodded with a slight smile. "I possess a cultivation of Saint realm 1-dan primary stage at the moment. As long as you can defeat me, you will have cleared the Mountain of Records and earned the rights to im the reward from me!" "Defeat you..." A look of difficulty surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. Honestly speaking, his chance of defeating the other party in a proper battle was near zero. However, if he were to utilize his exceptional capability at tearing things apart to reduce the other party back down to its misceneous parts, he should still be able to defeat the other party. Just that... considering the opponent was the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, it would be disrespectful for him to use such an unseemly mean against it. If others were to think that the principal of the Master Teacher Academy had destructive tendencies due to this matter, what would be of his reputation? "Dont worry. Feel free to use any means at your disposal, there is no need to stand on ceremony!" Seemingly noticing the worries Zhang Xuan harbored, Mu shi smiled. "To be honest, it is already improper for a Saint realm cultivator like me to duel against a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator like you!" "Are you certain?" Zhang Xuan asked with a bizarre expression on his face. "Is it really fine for me to use any means at my disposal?" "Of course!" Mu shi replied with a smile. "Since thats the case, pardon me..." Hearing that there were no restrictions on the means he could utilize, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as the burden weighing down his heart vanished. Hu! The Golden Origin Cauldron materialized before Zhang Xuan. "Ding Ding, go and pummel that fellow for me!" Zhang Xuanmanded with a majestic wave of his hand. "Dont worry, its just a puppet of Old Mu. I will reduce it to cinders this very instant!" The Golden Origin Cauldron nodded as it began to rush forward. As the Guardian Saint Artifact that the headquarters had given to the Master Teacher Academy at its founding, it had met Mu Kai back then, so it was able to recognize thetter easily. Upon seeing the sight, Mu shis lips twitched as he nearly fainted on the spot. Anxious, he hurriedly yelled, "Wait a moment!" Gesturing for the Golden Origin Cauldron to stop, he turned to Mu shi with a doubtful look. "Whats wrong?" Didnt you say that I can use any means at my disposal? Why are you stopping me all of a sudden? The face of Mu shis puppet reddened as it said, "Cough cough. When I said that you can use any means at your disposal, I was referring to your abilities as an individual, such as your battle techniques and your supporting upations, and not your Saint-tier artifacts... Otherwise, with the might of your Saint-tier artifact, even a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan or 2-dan cultivator would be able to easily clear the Mountain of Records, thus rendering the entire trial meaningless!" It should have rified its words further in order to avoid such an awkward situation. The Mountain of Records was a trial to assess ones individual prowess. If one had such a formidable artifact in ones possession, one would be able to easily clear the entire trial even if ones strength wascking. If that was the case, what was the use of the trial? "This... I see. Pardon me for my misunderstanding!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head as he returned the Golden Origin Cauldron to his storage ring. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a Spirit pinnacle sword from his storage ring and pointed it at the other party. "Will this do?" Mu shis puppet nodded with a smile. Just as it was about to speak, the sharp glint of a sword reminiscent of a shooting star abruptly shed across its eyes. Chapter 910: Zhang Xuans Defeat! Chapter 910: Zhang Xuans Defeat! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Thats some fine swordsmanship you have there!" The eyes of Mu shis puppet lit up as it nodded in approval while moving to counterattack Zhang Xuans move. In an instant, the human and the puppet were already colliding with one another. Boom boom boom boom! Exerting his full might, Zhang Xuans sword fell relentlessly on the puppet like waves in the river, each strike growing faster and stronger than the previous. Even though he hadnt cultivated any particrly powerful sword arts, he had managed topile the many sword arts he had obtained so far to form the profound Heavens Path Sword Art. With its prowess, he could even overwhelm a Saint realm expert off-guard! "But as formidable as it is, you are still too weak..." With a light chuckle, Mu shis puppet tapped its finger forward. Hu! The air right before Zhang Xuans sword suddenly seemed to have copsed into an abyss, and the sharp glint of his de seemed to have been pulled into a whirlpool, draining it of its strength. Knowing that he would be ced in a vulnerable situation if he didnt retaliate to that swiftly, Zhang Xuan gathered his full strength and forcefully pushed his de ahead. Hong long! The copsed air abruptly burst apart like a balloon, and Zhang Xuans sword surged forward with incredible momentum to sh with the puppets finger. Hu! As if having struck a thick wall, Zhang Xuan felt a numbing sensation assault his arm, and a stifled feeling welled up in his chest. In the next instant, he was abruptly sent flying from the recoil of the collision. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan swiftly utilized the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps to counteract the momentum of his retreat while pushing himself back to the ground, leaving behind numerous deep footprints on the ground in the midst of doing so. After regaining his posture once more, he roared furiously and charged forward. Hu! A sword sliced through the air, heading straight toward where the weakness of Mu shis puppet was. Seeing that the other party was able to see through the weaknesses in his movements so quickly, Mu shis puppet was taken aback for a moment before chuckling softly. "Keen eyes!" Following which, he swiftly twisted, and the weakness from a moment ago disappeared without a trace. Even Heavens Path was imperfect, let alone man-made creations in the world. It was normal for any battle technique to have its own weaknesses. However, while Zhang Xuan was able to identify the weaknesses urately, the difference between his speed and reflexes against his opponents were so great that he was unable to exploit it. In other words, in the interval between him making his attack and his strikending, his opponent had sufficient time to evade it. As a result, the weaknesses he had identified became nothing more than a joke. As expected of the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... Zhang Xuan thought grimly. If it had been any Saint realm primary stage cultivator in the other partys ce, it would be doubtful if the other party would be able toe up with an instantaneous counterattack to his moves, especially since his moves were directed at the other partys weaknesses. However, his opponent was actually able to go to the extent of even predicting the next few moves that he could possibly make within this narrow window, sealing away any alternative offensive maneuver he could utilize against the other party. Fearsome! The other partys strength didnt lie solely in his fearsome might, speed, and reflexes, but his astounding eye of discernment as well. Put those together with the other partys vastbat experience and sharp battle sense, and the other party was truly a nearly impossible adversary for him to ovee with his current cultivation. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan didnt panic. As long as he makes a move, there will surely be ws that I can exploit. I dont believe that you can continue dodging until the end of time! Even though Zhang Xuan usually relied on the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron, rarely making a move himself, he had collected and gone through many books onbat and umted the wisdom of many predecessors, sharpening his battle sense to one that was on par with a veteran general, or even beyond. Regardless of how profound or elusive a technique was, it was bound to have its ws. As long as he could pull off the correct maneuvers to counteract to the other partys move, even if it was a God-tier battle technique that the other party was using, he would still be able to corner them. But of course, that was still easier said than done. Even if he had the Library of Heavens Path, which allowed him to see through the ws in the other partys attacks, his strength was stillcking for him to push his attacks through decisively. "Break!" With the flexibility of a serpent, Zhang Xuans sword surged forth, and in the blink of an eye, it was already on the verge of striking one of the mingmen of Mu shis puppet. As long as he struck that point, he should be able to inflict serious injuries on the other party even with the power disparity between them. "A good move!" Mu shis puppet remarked. However, as if having guessed that Zhang Xuan would make such a maneuver, it didnt show the slightest hint of anxiety. Instead, it chuckled softly and jolted its arms. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt an overwhelming might crushing down on him, suppressing his aura. His seemingly indomitable sword was abruptly halted in its path under that astounding force. Peng! The overwhelming might struck Zhang Xuan squarely, and he was sent tumbling back in the air before crashing heavily onto the wall. With a reddened face, fresh blood spurted out of his mouth. For two consecutive moves, he had sessfully identified the other partys weakness and aimed the attack at the other partys blind spot. But... the disparity in strength was simply too great. Even technique was insufficient to bridge the difference. Wiping away the fresh blood on the edges of his lips, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. I am still too weak... He was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, a gap of three whole realms from Saint realm 1-dan primary stage. Even his physical body and soul cultivation were insufficient to breach this massive difference. Before the other party, his immense strength exceeding 80,000,000 ding was not worth mentioning at all! Saint realm experts, having opened their Zhukong acupoint, were not only capable of flight but wielded a might exceeding 100,000,000 ding as well. Even if he could find the other partys ws with his Library of Heavens Path, he didnt possess sufficient strength to breach the other partys defense. So, how could he possibly win? Even if one were to equip an ant with a sword, there was no way it could rival an elephant. They were simply existences on two different levels! No matter how skilled the ant was, it couldnt possibly win. Such was the situation he was faced with. The other party was a puppet that boasted nigh invincible defense, and with his current strength and weapon, he couldnt breach the other partys defense. On top of that, the other party possessed sharp battle sense that allowed it to retaliate against every opportunity he received... This was truly a despairing situation... How could anyone ovee such a challenge? "I guess, I have no choice then..." Knowing that he wouldnt stand a chance in a proper fight, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path and summoned a certain book. Since the other party was a puppet, it had to be assembled part after part. If nothing worked out, he would just have to abandon his dignity and dismantle that fellow into its misceneous parts as he had done on the seventh level. Flipping open the book slightly, the content of the book immediately surfaced in his mind, bing part of his knowledge. "7-star Serial Puppet..." Upon noting the name of the puppet, Zhang Xuans eyebrows immediately shot up. The puppet on the seventh level was also a Serial Puppet as well, but it was only at 6-star, so he was able to dismantle it with rtive ease. A 7-star Serial Puppet... it was truly hard to say whether or not he would be able to dismantle it with his current strength! On top of that, the other party wouldnt simply stand idly on the spot while it was being dismantled. Once the other party sensed that it was in danger, it would surely retaliate with all of its might, and under such circumstances, he had no confidence that he would emerge as the victor. Forget it, I will still have to give it a try! Taking all of the ws of Mu shis puppet into mind, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and turned his gaze to the other party once more. Hu! Executing the Heavens Path Movement Art, Zhang Xuans figure vanished on the spot. In the next instant, he appeared behind Mu shis puppet with his sword cutting diagonally down on it. Simultaneously, the fingers of his left hand stabbed for a certain point on the other partys back. "Interesting!" Noticing Zhang Xuans attacks on its vitals, Mu shis puppet abruptly turned around and sent a punch at him. The punch was not a battle technique or a maneuver, just a simple attack packed with raw strength. However, Zhang Xuan instinctively sensed that he would be severely damaged if he were to push on. Thus, executing Heavens Path Movement Art once, he swiftly sidestepped to the left and dodged the attack. Naturally, his offense also fell t with this defensive maneuver he made. What incredible reflexes... Zhang Xuan face darkened. Never had he felt so indignant in a battle before. Despite grasping the weaknesses of the other party tightly in his hands, he was still forced back with just pure strength! As long as he didnt possess that darned strength, putting aside whether he would be able to defeat the other party, it would already be a blessing if he could survive the other partys attacks! Just as he had found the other partys weakness, the other party had also found hisck of strength! As long as the other party continued exploiting that weakness of his, he would be renderedpletely helpless. "Admit defeat, you arent a match for me." Mu shis puppet shook his head. "Admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan frowned. It hadnt been easy for him to reach the ninth level. Was he really going to have to admit defeat and leave like that? "Thats right. In your current state, you wont be able to defeat me. However, as long as you work hard on your cultivation and reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it is very likely that I wont be a match for you then!" Mu shis puppet said. Even though it had been able to easily defeat the young man before it, it knew that this wasnt a problem with the other partys talent or skill. As long as the other party raised his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it was very likely that it wouldnt be a match for him anymore. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "You should have established the ninth floor in the Mountain of Records hoping that someone will be able to clear the trial, but is it really possible for one with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint to defeat you?" If the other party was just an ordinary Saint realm 1-dan cultivator, his chances at victory would still have been considerable. However, Mu Kai was a master teacher, an expert who had founded the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy at that. His understanding of battle had reached an extremely profound level... It could be said that anyone who didnt possess strength rivalling him wouldnt stand a chance against him. Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and his soul... Yet, despite that, he was still unable to defeat the other party. He truly found it hard to believe that there would be another person in the world who could outdo him! But if that was truly the case, why would Mu shi bother creating a ninth level that no one would be able to clear? "It is possible!" Mu shis puppet replied with a nod. "Really?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. "You need not doubt my words; I am certain of that. There are manybat masters who are capable of this feat, and even Kong shi slew quite a number of Saint realm experts before reaching Half-Saint back then!" Mu shis puppet said. "Slew quite a number of Saint realm experts before reaching Half-Saint?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. He knew that the other party meant killing with their own strength and not making use of external aids such as the Golden Origin Cauldron or the Byzantium Helios Beast. To be able to y Saint realm experts... Was Kong shi already that formidable before reaching Half-Saint? "Of course. If he wasnt able to aplish such extraordinary feats, how could he possibly lead mankind in a war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Mu shis puppet replied nonchntly. "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. When he met Lu Cheng and Wu Xu back then, he had thought thatbat masters were only that capable. However, it seemed like it was naive of him to gaugebat masters just based on those two. "Admit defeat. You cant possibly win against me. There is no point stalling for time!" Mu shis puppet said, knowing that Zhang Xuan was only trying to earn some time to recuperate his zhenqi. "You can return after you reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Perhaps you will wield sufficient strength to defeat me then." Mu shis puppet didnt think that the other party would be able to defeat him with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage. If that was really the case, he would be far more frightening than mostbat masters he knew of. "Return after I reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There is no need for that. I can defeat you right now!" "Oh?" Mu shis puppet curiously gazed at Zhang Xuan. "You dont believe me?" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "I can prove it to you. However... I will have to ask you to give me a moment. I will change my clothes before battling you once more!" Chapter 911: Saint Ascension Decipher Chapter 911: Saint Ascension Decipher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Change clothes?" Mu shis puppet was stunned. What does changing your clothes have to do with whether you are able to defeat me or not? "The clothes I am currently wearing were specially prepared by the Master Teacher Academy, and they are extremely valuable. With them on, it is inevitable that my movements will be restricted. Only after changing back into my master teacher robe will I be able to fight you with my full strength!" Zhang Xuan exined. Hearing those words, Mu shis puppet frowned and asked, "Isnt the robe you are wearing a powerful artifact?" Zhang Xuan was still wearing the robe that the cksmith School and Celestial Designer School had specially made for the inauguration ceremony. Not only was it tailored to fit him snugly, it was even a Spirit pinnacle artifact that boasted incredible defense. The academy had paid a hefty sum in order toplete it. With eyes as sharp as Mu shis, he could tell that the robe was extraordinary from the very first sight. Even a pig could be a hero with that armor, and yet, the young man before him said that it lowered his fighting prowess? Wasnt that in nonsense? "It is indeed a powerful artifact, but in my humble opinion, I thinkfortable clothes still make the best battledress," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Pardon me, but I will have to ask Mu shi to turn around for a moment. I dont really like to expose my bare body to others..." "... Alright then!" Shaking his head, Mu shis puppet decided to just go along with Zhang Xuan and turn around. Actually, it was notpletely unheard of for a cultivator for change clothes in preparation for a battle, but that was usually only for terpsichoreans. Terpsichoreans utilized morous clothes to enhance their charisma so that they could better charm their opponent. Could the young man before it... be a terpsichorean? But even if that was the case, it was futile! Terpsichorean arts worked against the soul, but as a puppet, it didnt possess a soul. Besides... terpsichores were usually beautifuldies. For a man to be exerting his seductive charms toward it... Mu shis puppet suddenly felt a nauseated sensation in his guts. Even though it was a puppet, it could almost feel its goosebumps rising. At that very moment, it heard a cold and slightly haughty voice speak. "Im done." Turning around, Mu shis puppet saw that the young man before it had changed his previously eye-catching wear into a rather ordinary-looking robe. "This... You really intend to fight me with just an ordinary master teacher robe?" Mu shis puppet couldnt help but be taken aback. It could understand it if the other party had changed his clothes to a Half-Saint robe or something; after all, clothes could affect ones fighting prowess too... But to switch back to the perfectly ordinary master teacher robe... It was just as if one had switched a Spirit pinnacle sword to a perfect ordinary de! No matter how one looked at it, wasnt the other party just handicapping himself? Are you really certain that you are trying to defeat me and not suffer a beating? "Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he gazed at the other party proudly with his hands behind his back. "This ordinary robe is sufficient for me to subdue you!" "You seem really confident. Lets start then." Seeing how the young man before it had suddenly grown so arrogant right after changing clothes, the face of Mu shis puppet darkened, and it clenched its fists tightly. Hu! This time, Mu shis puppet took the first move. Its fist surged forward with immense might that copsed the air around it. In order to make the other party learn that his efforts were futile, it had utilized its full strength right from the start, making its attack far more powerful and threatening than before. "Just what I wanted!" The Zhang Xuan after changing his clothes stood on the spot inposure, showing not a sign of fear or respect. With a taunting smile, he retaliated with a punch of his own. "Hmm?" Seeing that the young man was going to face its attack face-on, Mu shis puppet frowned. It had gained a clear grasp of the other partys strength from their short battle earlier, and it knew that it was impossible for the other party to withstand an attack of its full might. For the other party to face its punch head-on... Did the other party change his brain as well as his clothes? If its punch were tond squarely on him, he could very well die! At that moment, Mu shis puppet couldnt help but hesitate and consider whether or not it should retract a portion of the strength in its fist. However, before it coulde to a decision, the two fists had already collided. Hu! In that instant, the eyes of Mu shis puppet narrowed. It was stillmenting over the arrogant decision of the young man to face it head-on a moment ago, but as soon as their fists connected... it immediately realized that something was amiss. It had expected to overwhelm the young mans punch in an instant, but what it encountered was a surge of devastating force pushing through its fist, leaving its entire body convulsing uncontrobly. Peng! It was truly fortunate that it hadnt retracted its strength. Even with its full might, it wasnt confident that it could emerge as the victor of this direct sh! "Go!" Bellowing furiously, a crescendoing creak sounded from the joints of Mu shis puppet as it gathered every single inch of power it wielded in its body to match the young mans fist. "Humph!" On the other hand, the young man opposite to it tilted his chin upwards and looked down on Mu shis puppet with a hint of disdain in his eyes. At the same time, the force exerted in his fist intensified. Peng! Before Mu shis puppet could even react, it was already overpowered and sent flying over a distance of several dozen meters through the air before crashing heavily into the wall. "This..." With a look of disbelief, Mu shis puppet stared at the young man standing haughtily in the center of the room, aghast. It was true that the young man had disyed an exceptional eye of discernment in the previous battle, identifying its ws precisely and exploiting them promptly. However, the huge gap in the strength between them should have made it impossible for him to injure it at all... Why did it seem like he had turned into a wholly different person just by changing a set of clothes, sending him flying in a sh of brute strength? Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like he hadnt even exerted his full might yet. It was inconceivable that there could be such a huge difference in a person within such a short span of time! Without any hesitation, Mu shis puppet immediately began to examine the young man before him from head to toe, but thetters physical appearance and distinctive soul aura told it that it was still the same person as before. In other words, that fellow had really grown many times stronger just by changing a set of clothes! With his hands ced behind his back, the young man standing at the center of the room dered haughtily, "You have lost." "I..." It took a while before Mu shis puppet finally recovered, and it shook its head bitterly. "Congrattions on clearing the ninth level. You are the first master teacher to clear the Mountain of Records ever since its establishment!" It was still unable to make sense out of what happenednaturally, it didnt believe that a person could grow stronger just by changing a set of clothesbut a loss was still a loss. As the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it wouldnt stoop so low as to deny this. On the other hand, the young man opposite to it simply waved his hands impatiently, acting as if it was a given that he would win. "You are the greatest talent our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has ever had since it was founded ten thousand years ago. As a reward for clearing the Mountain of Records, I will pass down this secret art, which I have held onto dearly for my entire life, Saint Ascension Decipher!" Paying no heed to the young mans arrogance, Mu shis puppet chuckled softly as it took out a book and passed it over. "Saint Ascension Decipher?" the young man asked doubtfully. "Indeed!" Mu shis puppet smiled. "As a master teacher, you must have at least heard of how Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?" "I have... ording to what I know, he is a Celestial Saint," the young man replied with a nod. It was said that when Kong shi made the leap from Nascent Saint to Saint realm, he received the recognition of the heaven and became a Celestial Saint, and the Saint Ascension tform was testimony to that deed. He had been there himself, and it wasnt much of a secret. "Indeed, he is a Celestial Saint!" At this point, a bright gleam surfaced in the eyes of Mu shis puppet. "A Saint recognized by the heavens will not only possess strength superior to others, it will also serve as the foundation for him to reach heights far beyond others... Over the years, innumerable master teachers have attempted to emte Kong shis feat and be a Celestial Saint as well, but to date... none have achieved it! "I happened to obtain this Saint Ascension Decipher by some stroke of luck back in my time, and detailed within it is the process of how Kong shi cultivated to Sainthood, and from it, I was able topile a feasible cultivation technique! "It isnt a guarantee to bing a Celestial Saint, but if a cultivator cultivates it strictly, he will be able to strengthen his foundation and raise his strength before Sainthood by at least twofold!" "Twofold?" the young man eximed with widened eyes. Typically speaking, the strength increments for the rise of each stage and realm from Half-Saint to Saint realm were fixed. Yet, to raise ones strength before Sainthood by twofold... Just how strong must ones foundation be? If one were to achieve a breakthrough with such a strong cultivation foundation, even if one didnt receive the acknowledgement of the heavens, one would still wield strength far surpassing ordinary Saint realm cultivators! "Indeed! This Saint Ascension Decipher does indeed have the ability to raise ones fighting prowess significantly. However, there is a fatal w to it as well..." At which point, Mu shis puppet shook its head. "Due to the exceedingly strong foundation, it will be far harder for a practitioner of the technique to achieve a breakthroughpared to their counterparts! Back then, I was greedy to aim for the best, but as a result, I missed the golden growth period for me to advance my cultivation. As a result, my cultivation remained stagnant until my death, and this is my greatest regret..." The young man fell silent. The other party was right. To gain something, one had to give up another thing in return. To raise ones strength by twofold before Sainthood, it wasnt too difficult to imagine the strength of the cultivation foundation required for that. It was indeed good to have a strong foundation, but it also made it far more difficult to achieve a breakthrough. Take the Heavens Path Divine Art for example, it had granted Zhang Xuan an incredibly strong foundation, which would allow him to reach greater heights in the future. But in exchange for that, he had to absorb more, far purer spiritual energy than others in order to advance his cultivation, and this was the main reason his progress had been slow. In fact, it seemed to have been even slower in recent days. It had nearly been two months, but he had only raised his cultivation by four realms. Just thinking about it was sufficient to leave his face reddening in shame. "I will leave the final decision to you. In any case, you have three days to study this book, and what you are able to gain from it within this period of time will be dependent on yourself!" Oblivious to Zhang Xuans reddened face, Mu shis puppet passed a book over. "Alright!" The young man nodded and took the book. After which, he hesitated for a brief moment before saying, "Before studying the book, I would like to change my clothes once more. I will have to ask Mu shi to turn around for a moment." "... Alright then." Mu shis puppet was rendered speechless by how troublesome the young man before him was being, but eventually, it still chose to ede to thetters request. After confirming that Mu shi had averted his gaze, the young man heaved a sigh of relief. With a thought, an identical figure materialized before him, and just by making eye contact for a brief instant, the materialized figure was able to get a sense of what had happened. "Alright, clone. You should return for now," the materialized figure said with a wave of his hand. "Yes, main body," the young man replied before vanishing into thin air. Naturally, the materialized figure was the real Zhang Xuan whereas the young man who had defeated Mu shis puppet earlier was his clone. Just by trading two blows, Zhang Xuan could already tell that he wasnt a match for the other party. Thus, using changing clothes as an excuse, he made use of the opportunity to switch ces with his clone. While thetter was not a particrly reliable figure to count on, his fighting prowess was indeed formidable. No matter how many breakthroughs Zhang Xuan had made, he was still overpowered by his clone without fail each time, smashed mercilessly into the ground... Even if Zhang Xuan himself wasnt a match for Mu shis puppet, he was still confident that his puppet would be able to subdue thetter with ease. And as expected, his clone didnt let him down. He had sessfully defeated Mu shis clone and cleared the ninth level. But in a sense, this couldnt really be considered cheating either. After all, his clone could also be considered a part of himself too, so there was no doubt that the strength of his clone was his strength as well. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still chose to do it discreetly so as to prevent the existence of his clone from leaking out somehow. After all, it was a trump card he could use in dire situations, and it wouldnt do for his enemies to learn about it in advance. After making the swap, Zhang Xuan informed Mu shi that he was done before turning his attention to the book in his hand. Chapter 912: Grades of Origin Cores Chapter 912: Grades of Origin Cores Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan had already gained a deep understanding of the content of the book. Detailed in the front were the experiences Kong shi had undergone before ascending to Sainthood, and the content was rather simr to the writings left on the cliff face on the Saint Ascension tform, just that the descriptions were more vivid, seemingly putting the reader himself into the very situations depicted through the words. Its soplicated? A frown slowly appeared on Zhang Xuans face. He had thought that the Saint Ascension Decipher would just be a simple cultivation technique that he would be able to master and raise his strength significantly just by following the instructions precisely. However, it wasnt that simple. A Saint that even the heavens had acknowledged couldnt possibly only possess denser zhenqi and greater might. Ones psyche must also be strengthened beyond the limits of an average cultivator as well. In essence, strengthening ones psyche could be considered to be tempering ones mind. Only with a strong psyche would one be able to keep a broad perspective of the world, allowing one to see and advance further. The mind and body of humans were connected in the most intricate of ways. If one could achieve a state of mind capable of harnessing a world within it, ones dantian would naturally expand to allow the harnessing of more zhenqi as well. As it watched the young man before it study the book in his hands seriously, Mu shis puppet suddenly spoke up. "In the Chrysalis realm, otherwise known as the Embryonic Core realm and Golden Core realm, a cultivator will gather their cultivation and mold it into an Origin Core, also known as a Golden Core. Once sessfullypleted, it will merge together with the cultivators body, allowing them to surpass their limits and advance to a height beyond mortals. "Since you have already cultivated to this realm, I believe that you should have a deep understanding of it as well." Zhang Xuan nodded. In essence, the Chrysalis realm was the stage where a cultivator condensed the zhenqi in his body into a core, transforming it from a liquid into a solid, thus allowing the cultivator to store even more zhenqi within their body. Once the Origin Core was formed, they would be able to fuse their body with it in order to advance further toward the threshold of Sainthood. Even though Zhang Xuan hadnt gathered sufficient Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art, a zhenqi whirlpool had already formed in his dantian, gathering the zhenqi throughout his body toward it. With some effort, it would only be a matter of time before he managed to form an Origin Core. "If one were to cultivate normally, one should be able to gather the zhenqi within ones body to cultivate an Origin Core swiftly. However, the resulting Origin Core would only be that of the lowest tier, known as a Third Grade Origin Core!" Mu shis puppet exined. "Third Grade Origin Core? There are differing grades to Origin Cores?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. He had gathered innumerable books spanning across multiple upations in the Master Teacher Academy, but he had never read of anything like that before. "There are, just that very few people are aware of it," Mu shis puppet replied. "This grading system was proposed by a student of Kong shi, and he intended to make it public knowledge to all cultivators. However, Kong shi forbade him from doing so, and over the years, fewer and fewer people have retained the knowledge of this grading system." "Kong shi forbade him?" Zhang Xuan questioned in astonishment. Wasnt Kong shi the Worlds Teacher, the man who founded the Master Teacher Pavilion and imparted his heritage to all of mankind? Why would such a person prevent the impartation of such vital knowledge? "Its in view of the welfare of mankind that he made such a decision!" Mu shis puppet replied with a deep sigh. "With some hard work, an average cultivator will be able to form a Third Grade Origin Core with ease. However, the same cannot be said about Second Grade Origin Cores... Not only will it require the devotion of a great amount of resources for its cultivation, the guidance of a skilled teacher is also necessary. Otherwise, the slightest mistake can easily render ones efforts futile! "To make aparison, the resources required to form a Second Grade Origin Core are at least tenfold of what is required to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, and that is a price that mankind cannot afford to pay! More importantly, not everyone has the talent to sessfully cultivate a Second Grade Origin Core even with ample resources. It is highly demanding on ones talent and psyche as well. To make things worse, there is a heavy price to pay for failure. Should an attempt to cultivate a Second Grade Origin Core fail, ones Origin Core may fall apart, thus crippling ones cultivation. In the worst-case scenario, one might even face instantaneous death! "If the news regarding the grades of Origin Cores bes known, many master teachers would surely take the risk in an attempt to raise their fighting prowess to greater heights. While some might seed, many more would find their cultivation going berserk and possibly end up dead. On top of that, that will ce a greater strain on our finite cultivation resources, this resulting in the weakening of the forces of humanity as a whole!" "This..." Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of contemtion before eventually nodding in agreement. The other party was right. Cultivating a higher grade Origin Core was no easy feat, requiring one to pay a heavier price and bear a higher degree of risk. From the very start, cultivators were limited by their inherent talent. If a person who wascking ample capability were to attempt to cultivate an Origin Core beyond their means, it would only end in disaster. It was just like a greedy snake attempting to devour an elephant. Despite its rtively small size, it still chose to prey on a target farrger than itself. In this case, failure was just a small issue; if things went wrong, the snake could very well find itself trampled to death instead! This was the same for the cultivation of Origin Core. But if a cultivator were to intentionally opt to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, it could create an impression that they had veered down the wrong path, and their cultivation was imperfect and inferior to others. Such subconscious thoughts could possibly lead to an opening within their mind and limit their future aplishments. But limited by his talent, the cultivator would be unable to cultivate the Second Grade Origin Core either way... As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. Sometimes, having a choice might not necessarily be beneficial. "A higher-grade Origin Core grants a cultivator strength superior to their peers, but the price in order to do so is sufficient to groom a Saint realm 2-dan or even 3-dan expert! From mankinds viewpoint, it is clear which is preferable of the two!" Mu shis puppet continued. "It was due to his concern of humanitys future that Kong shi decided to make such a decision. From the very beginning, the primary responsibility of master teachers has been to bolster the forces of mankind and bring it to greater heights. In view of that, it is not a big trade-off for the average strength of our cultivators to be slightly weaker." "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded. This secret was simply too shocking, and it could easily cause a huge uproar among the master teachers if it were to leak out. However, other than bringing huge pressure and stress upon them, there was really not much tangible benefit to it. Aspared to that, why not just remain silent and leave things as they are? Besides, the primary role of a master teacher was to impart knowledge and pass down the heritage of the predecessors, not fighting. As such, it wasnt really a big deal whether what they had cultivated was a Third Grade Origin Core or not. In any case, with only the deep understanding of cultivation techniques and battle techniques that master teachers wielded, they would still be considered the most powerful upation in the world, unmatched by any. After understanding the story, Zhang Xuan continued his questioning. "You said earlier that normal cultivators will only cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core. Since that is the case, what will a cultivator who has cultivated the Second Grade Origin Core be like?" "A Second Grade Origin Core... The most rtable example to highlight the prowess of a Second Grade Origin Core is thebat masters!" Mu shis puppet replied. "Combat masters?" "Un. Combat masters need not study supporting upations, so they will be able to devote their efforts to furthering their cultivation and battle techniques. The members of the Combat Master Hall are also carefully picked, so their talents are likely on par as well. Considering that the Combat Master Hall is heavily financed by the Master Teacher Pavilion and mankind as a whole, it possesses the ample resources too. As such, it isnt too difficult for its members to cultivate Second Grade Origin Cores!" At this point, Mu shis puppet paused for a brief moment before continuing. "In truth, the reason Kong shi kept the Combat Master Hall separate from the Master Teacher Pavilion was to pass on the knowledge of the grades of Origin Cores!" Realization dawned upon Zhang Xuan. It was no wonder Wu Xu, despite being at Chrysalis realm pinnacle as well, was able single-handedly subdue Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin simultaneously. It was not that the four of them were weak orcking in talent, but there was simply a disparity in the grade of their Origin Cores! Due to that, the purity of their zhenqi and their strength were inferior to Wu Xu, so it was no wonder that they had been defeated so easily. "But if evenbat masters only have Second Grade Origin Cores, what about First Grade Origin Cores?" Zhang Xuan asked. If even the powerfulbat masters only possessed Second Grade Origin Cores, how powerful would an individual who possessed a First Grade Origin Core be? "So far, First Grade Origin Cores are only known to exist in the legends. It has been far too long since anyone seeded! In any case, I have never seen anyone with one before. Rumor has it that Kong shi managed to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core back then... but of course, as such details are not written in the book, I cant say for sure either," Mu shis puppet replied. "Only known to exist in the legends?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Indeed. In fact, I believe that a First Grade Origin Core is the requirement to bing a Celestial Saint! That is the reason I wanted to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core, and I spent many centuries working toward it... But in the end, my efforts only ended with a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core," Mu shis puppet said with a bitter smile. Several centuries, nearly half of his entire life, he had dedicated to this dream of his, but he had only met with failure in the end. There was no one who wouldnt feel regret in his position. "Second Grade Advanced?" "Un. Each grade of Origin Core can be further subdivided into primary, advanced, and pinnacle. In order to form a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core, I had to pay a hefty price, go through innumerable near-death situations, and invest a huge portion of my time. "Even though I was able to rival opponents beyond my cultivation realm after sessfully cultivating it, my rivals whose talents were beneath mine back then had already reached Saint realm 4-dan or 5-dan. It was then that I realized that I had erred! If only I had advanced as an ordinary Saint realm cultivator... In order to cultivate my Origin Core, I squandered the golden period for a cultivator to advance their cultivation, which limited my final achievement. In the end, my footsteps terminated at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle... Can you understand the frustrations I felt then? "At that point, I finally realized why Kong shi chose to conceal the news... Those whose talent is insufficient, even if they were to achieve sess at the end of the road, the effort and time invested into it are simply not worth it! Can a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle cultivator possibly be able to contribute more to humanity than a Saint realm 4-dan cultivator? I think the answer is pretty clear." Mu shis puppet could only sigh endlessly in regret. Even the longest-living Saint in the world was unable to live past the age of two thousand, and he had dedicated an entire seven hundred years of his early years on cultivating his Origin Core, missing the golden years for advancing his cultivation. Eventually, his bodily functions deteriorated, and it was toote for him to start pushing his cultivation. On the other hand, those whom he hadpeted with in his earlier years and outshone had all be Saint realm 4-dan and 5-dan experts... So what if his Origin Core was of a higher grade than the others? So what if he was invincible among those of his cultivation realm? Could he possibly challenge an opponent three to four realms stronger than him? That was clearly infeasible. Eventually, he could only conclude that this was a technique for those who possessed the greatest of talents. Anyone beneath that would only be wasting their time and potential. "As such, I created the Mountain of Records in order to assess the fighting prowess of the students in the Master Teacher Academy. Only those who were able to defeat the Saint realm 1-dan me with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint would be qualified to learn of this news. Those are the people who possess greater talent than me. They might just be able to sessfully advance their Origin Core to greater heights and possibly aplish what I have failed at!" Mu shi said with a sharp glint in his eyes. "The fact that you were able to defeat me with just a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage shows that you are an incredibly talented person. A genius of your caliber probably doesnt even appear once in ten thousand years... If you cultivate this Saint Ascension Decipher, you might just be able to sessfully cultivate a First Grade Origin Core and possibly attempt to be a Celestial Saint!" Seeing Mu shis puppets heated eyes, Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Me?" Chapter 913: Cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher Chapter 913: Cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan didnt expect Mu shi to have such confidence in him. A First Grade Origin Core was great, but if it would take him several years to do so, it was clearly not worth the effort. For one, if he didnt be a 9-star master teacher before he reached 30, the Innate Fetal Poison would act up, and he would breathe hisst breath. If so, what would be the point in cultivating a higher-grade Origin Core? As such, despite how high of a regard Mu shi had for a First Grade Origin Core, he didnt have much of an interest in it. It would be best if he could obtain it, but if not, that was fine, too. "Indeed. With talent like yours, you definitely stand a good chance. But of course, to seed, you will need a fair bit of luck and aptitude too." Mu shis puppet nodded in response. There were countless outstanding geniuses in the history of the Master Teacher Continent, but not a single one of them had sessfully cultivated a First Grade Origin Core since Kong shi. Talent was important, but luck and intelligence were vital as well. "Luck is beyond our control, but there is a way to take a peek into ones intelligence. If you can learn the Saint Ascension Decipher and gather seven strands of zhenqi together without them copsing within three days, there is a very good chance that you will advance beyond Advanced Second Grade Origin Core in the future. If you cant achieve this much, I will have to advise that you not take this route." "Seven strands of zhenqi..." Zhang Xuan muttered as he recalled what he had previously read in the Saint Ascension Decipher. In truth, cultivating a Third Grade Origin Core could already be considered the limit of a Chrysalis realm cultivators capability. Putting aside that cultivating anything beyond that was nigh impossible, even if a cultivator were to seed in doing so, it was likely that their Origin Core could still copse due to their inability to wield the power. In view of this problem, the Saint Ascension Decipher worked in a manner that forcefully widened the window in which a cultivator could nurture their Origin Core from just Chrysalis realm to Half-Saint and Nascent Saint as well. In other words, as long as the cultivator hadnt made the breakthrough to Saint realm, they could continue to gather zhenqi into their Origin Core and strengthen it. This was probably how Kong shi built an extremely powerful foundation, such that even the heavens acknowledged his existence when he made the breakthrough to Sainthood. Usually, cultivating an Origin Core involved gathering ones zhenqi into a spherical shape and refining it bit by bit, turning it from a Pseudo Core to a Temporal Core, then to a Corporeal Core, and finally a Golden Core! The seven strands of zhenqi that Mu shis puppet had spoken of referred to the structure in crafting the Pseudo Core. The essence of the Saint Ascension Deciphery in gathering ones zhenqi in the form of threads and putting them together in a unique structure in order to construct an Origin Core. To make an analogy, cultivating a normal Origin Core would be like building a house by stacking rocks together. It was easier and more convenient to build a house in such a manner, but it would be unstable and unaesthetic. What the Saint Ascension Decipher did was give a blueprint to the house so as to elevate the quality of the ultimate product. In the Saint Ascension Decipher, seven strands of zhenqi put together was termed a knot. Using the prior analogy, these knots could be considered the bricks of the house. Once one was capable of building stable knots, one would be able to start umting them and begin building the structure. The theory was simple, but the difficultyy in condensing ones zhenqi into thin threads and constructing a structure with them without it dissipating. Not only must one possess a strong soul, ones control over zhenqi must also reach an astounding level in order to seed. "Indeed. You should start reading now. As long as you can seed within three days, I will impart my experiences and insights regarding the Saint Ascension Decipher to you. With those, at least the blind man I was back then, fumbling to search for a road, you should be able to avoid many detours, and that should save you many years!" Mu shis puppet said. "Reading... There is no need for that now. Are the seven strands of condensed zhenqi you speak of something like this?" Zhang Xuan raised his finger, and with a light tap, a strand of zhenqi appeared in the air. Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly saw Mu shis puppet staring at him with eyes widened in astonishment, seemingly on the verge of fainting. With a quivering voice, Mu shis puppet asked, "Y-you are... drawing zhenqi out of your body directly? And even maintaining fine control over it at that?" "What is there to be shocked about? I was already able to do this shortly after I started cultivating, it really isnt a big deal..." Seeing the other party making a huge fuss out of the matter like a countryside bumpkin who hadnt seen the world, Zhang Xuan shook his head. To think that he was the founder of the Master Teacher Academy at that, did he really need to be so surprised over something as elementary as this? Drawing zhenqi out of ones body, it was not like that was anything difficult to do. Back when he had just started cultivating, he had already injected his zhenqi into the bodies of others to clear their meridian blockages. Manipting them into fine threads, he could already do so when he was still at Fighter ream. If he couldnt do so as a Chrysalis realm cultivator, he really should just knock his head against a wall and die! "Th-this..." Noticing the other partys disdainful gaze, Mu shis puppet nearly spurted blood. It was not difficult to draw zhenqi out of ones body, but to prevent it from dissipating and even control it finely to form thin threads, that was the difficult part. In order to achieve that, one would have to meet two fundamental prerequisites. Firstly, ones zhenqi must be extremely pure, at least reaching superior quality! Secondly, ones soul must be powerful enough to draw soul energy out of ones body. Otherwise, it was impossible for one to control ones zhenqi remotely. It could be said that the young mans control over zhenqi had reached an unbelievable level. Even he wasnt capable of such a feat when he first reached Saint realm back then! Just as he was shocked beyond words, he saw the young man before him continuing to tap his finger in the air. Hu hu hu hu hu! The second strand of zhenqi, third strand... Before long, seven strands of zhenqi were already floating in the air, wriggling about like tiny snakes as they were manipted to ovep with one another. Mu shis puppet spoke hoarsely. "This... He is actually able to control seven strands of zhenqi simultaneously?" Condensing ones zhenqi into strands and controlling it remotely out of the body, this was a feat that even most Saint realm experts were incapable of. Yet, not only did this fellow seed, he was even doing it with seven strands simultaneously... This was way too much! Are you sure that you are only at Chrysalis realm primary stage? Could it be that you are a Saint realm pinnacle expert or some disciple of Kong shi who suddenly decided to challenge my Mountain of Records on a whim to mess with me? Soon, the seven strands of zhenqi were put together perfectly to form a sesame-sized zhenqi ball in the air. It twirled gently, not dissipating in the least. After this was done, Zhang Xuan raised his head and said, "What you mean is that as long as I create and gather such little balls in the dantian, I should be able to form a Pseudo Core?" "Yes..." Exhaling deeply, Mu shi suppressed his shock and nodded. The Saint Ascension Decipher was the condensation of zhenqi into threads before putting them together to form those little balls. By gathering many of such little balls, one would eventually be able to form ones Origin Core. An Origin Core formed in such a manner was much more stable and powerful than a normal one, just that the effort to achieve it was far too great. If that wasnt the case, Mu shi wouldnt have spent several hundred years to seed either. "Isnt it quite simple? I dont think anyone would need three days for that..." Zhang Xuan had thought that hisprehension of the technique was wrong, but in the end, it turned out that it was really that simple. Disappointed, he shook his head. If someone needed three day in order to create this, were they even qualified to be considered a genius? He might as well knock himself out with a blob of tofu! Embarrassed by how easily the other party had achieved it, Mu shis puppet replied with an awkward smile, "You... Perhaps you have cultivated some technique to condense your zhenqi, which granted you particr aptitude in this..." It had intended to use that as a test to assess the other partys capability, but who knew that the other party would clear it so easily? It felt like a fool for even proposing it in the first ce... In its years roaming the world and serving as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, it had met countless geniuses. But... the young man before it was a true monster! "Perhaps," Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. He hadnt cultivated any technique to specially condense his zhenqi, but his Heavens Path zhenqi did possess a purity far above that of superior zhenqi, which allowed him to easily aplish what others would struggle to do. On top of that, he was also a soul oracle, so the strength of his soul and his control over his soul energy were extraordinary as well. "Since thats the case, lets not waste any more time then. For the time being, let me see how many deciphers you can build!" Mu shis puppet said. Since the other party was able to do it to such an extent, there was no point assessing his talent anymore. It would be far more efficient to push him to his limit and see how far he could go. As for the deciphers, that was actually the central and most important phase of the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher. Seven zhenqi strands together were known as a knot, seven knots together were known as a bundle, and seven bundles together were known as a decipher. In other words, one had to condense and put 343 strands of zhenqi together without any error in order to form a decipher. Back then, when he was still at Chrysalis realm, he managed to form six deciphers before nearly losing control of it. Left with no choice, he could only make the breakthrough to Half-Saint. For those who possessed subpar talent and a weak soul, it was possible that they might be unable to cultivate even a single decipher. The other party did possess exquisite control over his zhenqi, but as one who had once cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher himself, Mu shi knew the difficulties involved. The more zhenqi strands that came into y, the more dangerous it was, and the more likely one could lose control of it. This was simr to stacking cards up. Stacking one or two of them was simple, but the higher it grew, the more dangerous it would be. The slightest error could make the entire structure copse. As long as a cultivator was willing to spend some time to refine their zhenqi, cultivating a knot was possible for most. Cultivating a bundle would be far more troublesome than that, and cultivating a decipher would be impossible if one didnt possess fine control over their zhenqi and great patience. As talented as the other party was, he was still too young. Furthermore, his cultivation was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage. In Mu shis view, it would be great if the other party could form even one. "How many deciphers I can build?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Let me give it a try." Honestly speaking, he also had no idea how many deciphers he could make until he tried it out for himself. Raising both of his arms, he thrusted his ten fingers out. Tzzzz! In the blink of an eye, hundreds of strands of zhenqi spilled forth from the tip of his fingers, wriggling excitedly like little dragons. "He simultaneously condensed so many strands of zhenqi?" Mu shis puppet was still wondering how long it would take for the man before him to sessfully cultivate a decipher when it saw such a sight, and it nearly fainted on the spot. To easily condense several hundred surges of zhenqi into strands simultaneously, just how powerful was his soul? Putting aside now, it wasnt even close to achieving this back when it was at his peak! But the shock wasnt over yet. Not too longter, the young man moved his fingers slightly, and the hundred strands of zhenqi began entangling together to form a sphere of zhenqi around the size of a grain of rice. At which, the young man turned to it and asked doubtfully, "This is a decipher, right?" Chapter 914: Reconstructing the Cultivation Technique Chapter 914: Reconstructing the Cultivation Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This..." Mu shis puppet hurried forward to take a closer look. The other partys zhenqi sphere wasnt big, but it carried a slight glow with the hues of a myriad colors, reminiscent of a rainbow, leaving ones gaze fixated on it. More than three hundred strands of zhenqi were intertwined with one another,yer afteryer, in a unique structure. It was so perfect that it couldnt find the slightest mistake to criticize. Back then, it had taken it nearly a hundred years of study, diligence, and experimentation in order to refine the precise distance that each strand should have from one another before it had seeded in forming the first decipher. On the other hand, it had only been ten minutes since the other party had picked up the book, and he hadnt even flipped open the pages at all. Yet, somehow, he was already able to create a decipher far more perfect and beautiful than his... Just how? At this moment, Mu shis puppet couldnt help but feel that the hundred years it had spent on studying the Saint Ascension Decipher had gone to waste... While it was still reeling in shock, the young man opposite to it continued flicking his fingers, and a massive wall of zhenqi strands abruptly appeared before it, concealing its sight. A slight buzzing sound echoed in the room, and before long, dozens of zhenqi spheres were already floating before its eyes. Hong long! The next moment, the young man abruptly sped his hands together, and a deafening explosion sounded. The dozens of zhenqi spheres gathered together to form one around the size of a longan. "This works too?" Mu shis puppet gulped as it felt as if it was going to go insane. The energy contained within each decipher was great enough to be considered a miniature bomb. As such, it was imperative to be extremely careful when putting them together, or else the slightest touch could result in devastating consequences. Back then, it had spent five years just to put two deciphers together, paying careful heed to the distance and strength, fearing that it would make a mistake. On the other hand, this young man had actually just sped his hands, and the dozens of decipher had melded together with nary a problem... Just how deep of an understanding and control of zhenqi must the young man before him possess to be able to achieve this? Watching how easily the young man achieved feats that had taken it great effort and time, it couldnt help but think that it had cultivated a fake Saint Ascension Decipher! After forming the longan-sized zhenqi sphere, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, "Is this how it works? It doesnt seem really difficult... How did you spend several centuries on it?" It was such a simple method of condensing and arranging zhenqi, yet the founder of the Master Teacher Academy had actually spent a few hundred years on it? Was this for real? Wasnt his talent way too bad? "Cough cough! This... isnt important!" With twitching lips, Mu shis puppet hurriedly shook its head. The talent and capability that it had taken pride in and others had admired it for felt like they werent even worth a mention before this young man. This experience had left it so traumatized that it could still brag about his talents and capability before others, but before this young man, it felt like they werent even worth a mention at all. It felt such a strong feeling of defeat that it couldnt find the courage to speak anymore. Examining the dozens of decipher the young man had created, regardless of whether it was the strength, distance, or stability, they were all beyond his! Even if it had attempted this at its peak, it would still have been unable to do it any better than the other party! It could be said that the other partys understanding of Saint Ascension Decipher had already surpassed it. In that moment, however, a voice suddenly disrupted its thoughts. "Something is wrong. This Saint Ascension Decipher might seem to be very steady, but there are still many ws in it. It is still a long way off from being considered the most stable structure," the young muttered with a deep frown. It was true that the current Saint Ascension Decipher could make the Pseudo Core and Temporal Core that one cultivated more stable and stronger, but through the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan still noticed many mistakes that could possibly result in ones undoing. The Saint Ascension Decipher was an incredible technique, but it was still a far way off from bing a Heavens Path cultivation technique. [If only I could find some cultivation techniques to perfect it...] Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. ustomed to the Heavens Path techniques, he really couldnt bring himself to cultivate a technique riddled with ws... This was simr to how a person used to eating delicacies and donning fine clothes would find it hard to swallow dry bread and rough fabric. [It seems like I should search for some Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint cultivation technique manuals in the academys Cultivation Compendium!] Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his be in distress. He was the principal who had been granted the greatest degree of authority in the Master Teacher Academys history. Regardless of which facility he wished to ess, there was no one who could stop him. Perhaps, he might be able to perfect the Saint Ascension Decipher through the books in the academy. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Mu shis puppet shook his head. "I know that there are ws in this cultivation technique, but it is already the crystallization of the wisdom of countless predecessors." Even 9-star master teachers dared not im that the cultivation technique they had created was impable. The Saint Ascension Decipher had been further refined by countless experts over the years, and while there were still many ws with it, it was practically impossible that anyone would be able to see through it and exploit it against them. Even if there was a person who could, they would have to be at least an 8-star master teacher, and against such an opponent, defeat was guaranteed regardless of whether the w existed or not. "Indeed..." Naturally, Zhang Xuan also understood the logic behind it. Shaking his head, he was just about to change the subject when Mu shis puppet suddenly continued speaking. "Not everyone is a Kong shi. If only we could find the cultivation technique manual he left behind back then, we would be spared a great deal of effort!" "The cultivation technique manual Kong shi left behind?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Back when he was at the Saint Ascension tform, he had encountered a sliver of Kong shis soul, and thetter had given him his personal handwriting, saying that there was a cultivation technique contained inside and that he might be able toprehend it if he were to study it carefully... Zhang Xuan hadnt paid much heed to it, but the words of Mu shis puppet suddenly sparked some thoughts in his mind. Could it be... the cultivation technique that Kong shi was referring to was the Saint Ascension Decipher? The Saint Ascension tform was the ground where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood, so the cultivation technique he had left behind there should be rted to that! If he could obtain Kong shis cultivation technique and merge it together with the Saint Ascension Decipher he had in hand, he might just be able to form a Heavens Path cultivation technique! Otherwise, he should still be able to make up for most ws contained in the current Saint Ascension Decipher. As long as the number of ws dropped to an eptable range, he would be able to pinch his nose and tolerate it. With such thoughts in mind, he flicked his wrist and took out a scroll. Flipping it open, what he saw left his lips twitching uncontrobly. He had forgotten that the writing had been devoured by Vicious... That fellow had consumed parts of the writing on two asion, leaving only a third of it behind. Even if there was a cultivation technique contained inside, it was probably already iplete at this point in time. What the heck was this? If he had known earlier, he never would have allowed Vicious to do that! Just as Zhang Xuan was boiling with frustration, he suddenly heard the quivering voice of Mu shis puppet. "That item in your hand, could it be... Kong shis personal handwriting?" Thinking that there was no need to hide it, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Thats right." "Can you... allow me to take a look?" Mu shis puppet asked anxiously. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan threw the scroll over casually. "Be careful!" Seeing how casually the young man treated Kong shis personal handwriting, Mu shis puppet nearly died of a heart attack. With a frightfully pale face, it hurriedly caught the scroll and held it gently. There was no master teacher who didnt carry an inherent trust and respect for Kong shi. If one was so lucky as to obtain Kong shis personal handwriting, they would surely treasure it dearly, unwilling to allow the slightest dirt or scratch appear on it... Yet, this fellow threw it about as if it was nothing much... It was hard to tell whether he had that strong a heart or he just simply didnt care for it. Opening the scroll gently, the eyelids of Mu shis puppet twitched. "Why does it seem like there is a huge chunk of words missing in the scroll?" "Oh... It was already like that when I obtained it. Perhaps... it has been left for too long!" Zhang Xuan replied without his face turning red in the least. "Left for too long?" Hearing that insincere response, Mu shis puppet was rendered speechless. Nevertheless, since the other party was unwilling to speak, it chose not to ask on. Soon, it finished examining the scroll, and with a look of agitation, it asked, "Is this... the insight Kong shi left on the Saint Ascension tform?" It had been to the Saint Ascension tform on multiple asion back when it was younger, and it could recite the entire insight word for word fluently. There were a few words here and there different from the ones he remembered seeing on the cliff face, but otherwise, it was identical. In response to the question from Mu shis puppet, Zhang Xuan nodded. "The insight written personally by Kong shi... If I had found this back then, I would surely have been able to gain a deeper understanding of Saint Ascension Decipher!" Studying the remaining words on the scroll carefully, Mu shis puppet couldnt help but feel as if its horizons were being stretched. It could remember the content word for word, but when paired with Kong shis handwriting, the feeling it gave waspletely different, seemingly guiding its understanding of it. If it were to work based on itsprehension from the insight on this scroll, it might just be able toe up with a cultivation technique far superior to the current Saint Ascension Decipher! [Compile! While Mu shis puppet was busy admiring in Kong shis scroll, Zhang Xuans consciousness was immersed in the Library of Heavens Path,piling Kong shis insight and the Saint Ascension Decipher together. Hu! A short momentter, a brand-new book emerged. Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan took a look, and before long, he shook his head. The insight that Kong shi had left behind consisted only of the insights he had when attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm; it wasnt a real cultivation technique. As such, the resulting product frompiling it with the Saint Ascension Decipher was only a pile of iprehensible gibberish. Zhang Xuan had only decided to give it a try in the hope that he might just be lucky, but of course, perfecting the Saint Ascension Decipher was indeed not that easy. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan was just about to give up when a thought suddenly struck him. [Even if I cantpile a perfect version, I can always work on it bit by bit... As long as I study the insights Kong shi had when he made his breakthrough and match them to the corresponding content in the Saint Ascension Decipher to refine it, I should be able to improve it significantly! There was no cultivation technique contained within the insight, but the process and sensations that Kong shi experienced were clearly detailed in it. Through it, Zhang Xuan would be able to deduce the zhenqi cirction pathways, thus reverse engineering the cultivation technique Kong shi intended to pass down! Typically speaking, a certain sensation could be triggered by hundreds or even thousands of zhenqi cirction pathways, making it nigh impossible to reverse engineer the process. However, Zhang Xuan was different! Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he could easily determine whether his deduction was right or not. By putting together the correct pathways, he would be able to derive theplete zhenqi cirction pathway! [I should give it a try! Diving into it without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground and began deconstructing Kong shis insight. Chapter 915: Time to Study Chapter 915: Time to Study Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan had thought that it would be easy and that he couldplete the reverse engineering very quickly. However, who knew that by the time he opened his eyes once more, an entire day would have already passed? Hu! Getting to his feet to stretch his back, Zhang Xuan massaged his be. Even with a strong constitution like his, he still couldnt help but feel like someone had smashed a brick into his head after an entire day of heavy thinking. However, it was fortunate that hard work never lied. After an entire day of effort, he had sessfully deduced a new version of Saint Ascension Decipher. It sure is a pity... If Vicious hadnt consumed two-thirds of the writing, I might have been able to create a wless technique... In the process of deconstructing Kong shis insight, he realized that the intent contained within Kong shis calligraphy was the key to reverse engineering the cultivation technique. However, the Library of Heavens Path had only replicated the content, so Zhang Xuan only had one-third of it to work with. With two-thirds of the intent missing, it was inevitable that the Saint Ascension Decipher that he eventually deduced would be wed. "There are still three ws... It is simr to the Quintuple Incandescence Golden BodyI will require certain artifacts to serve as catalysts in order to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm!" Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even though it would be troublesome to gather those artifacts, the current version he had deduced was at apletely different level from the Saint Ascension Decipher Mu shis puppet had given him. Mu shis puppet walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Whats wrong? Did you have a stroke of inspiration?" Yesterday, shortly after it received Kong shis writing, the other party had suddenly sat down and fallen into deep thought. Perhaps, the other party had also noticed that the scroll contained the key to refining the Saint Ascension Decipher further. "I did manage toprehend something," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Stroking its beard, Mu shis puppet said, with eyes gleaming in excitement, "Not bad! After studying the scroll, I also managed toprehend something as well. Why dont we exchange ourprehensions? Perhaps, we might be able to refine the Saint Ascension Decipher further!" Sensing the confidence in the other partys words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "Oh? May I know what Mu shiprehended?" "I feel that using seven zhenqi strands to form a knot is wrong... However, I have yet to deduce how many strands are required in order to perfect it..." Soon, Mu shis puppet swiftly revealed theprehensions it had. On the other hand, hearing the other partysprehension, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. He had thought that the other partysprehensions could possibly give him the inspiration to correct the three remaining ws in the technique, but it seemed like he was putting his expectations too high... The other partys understanding of the technique was still at a superficial level, a far way off from matching his freshly-deduced Saint Ascension Decipher. "What about you? What did youprehend? Why dont you share it with me so that we can analyze it together? You might be more talented than me, but in terms of intelligence, I am confident that I wont lose to anyone!" Mu shis puppet chuckled confidently. Against the top-notch geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, its talent was indeed unspectacr. There were a handful of principals who were more talented than it, such as Principal Mo Liuzhen. However, in terms of intelligence, he was definitely ranked among the top. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been able topile the experiences of those before him and refine the Saint Ascension Decipher, cultivating his Origin Core to Advanced Second Grade. One must know that very few master teachers had managed to achieve this feat! As such, he had the utmost confidence in this field. Within the span of a day, he didnt think that the other party would be able to fare much better than him. "This..." Not knowing how he should speak of the matter, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before grabbing a brush and an empty book and swiftly writing down a simplified version of the newly-deduced Saint Ascension Decipher, which anyone could cultivate, and passed it over. "This is what I haveprehended over the past day. You can take a look at it..." "This is what youprehended?" Lowering its gaze to take a look, the body of Mu shis puppet suddenly began trembling uncontrobly, and it nearly fell to the ground. It had thought that it had managed toprehend a lot within a single day, butpared to the other party, its feat was not even a drop in the ocean! It was as if two rivaling authors had started on their work simultaneously, and while one had just confirmed the name of the protagonist, the other had already finished the entire book... This was the overwhelming frustration that it felt at that very moment! It was barely at the starting point, but the other party had already deduced the most correct cultivation technique! The difference was so great that it felt as if it was about to suffer a mental breakdown. How could the world be so unfair as to allow for there to be such great difference between two people? Thinking back about what it had just shared with the other party, it felt so embarrassed that it felt tempted to drill a hole in the ground and hide itself for eternity toe! "Zhang shi is indeed a man of great talent; I am impressed!" After learning about the difference between them, Mu shis puppet decided to put down his attitude as the founder of the Master Teacher Academy. Seeing that he had unintentionally dealt a heavy blow to the other party, Zhang Xuan offered his constion. "There is no need to worry. As long as you work hard, you will surely improve." "... Yes." The mouth of Mu shis puppet twitched. It had always been the one to say those words to others so as to encourage its juniors... Who could have thought that it would hear those words directed toward it at such an age! But nevertheless, it was indeed true that its intelligence was far beneath the other party. As the saying goes, the proficient bes the teacher. The other party wasnt really getting ahead of himself to say such words to it. Shaking its head, Mu shis puppet passed the book back. "Zhang shi, this Saint Ascension Decipher is something youprehended yourself. I cant cultivate it even if I wanted to, so you should keep it well..." Existing only as a puppet now, it could no longer cultivate. As such, the Saint Ascension Decipher was useless to it. "Its fine!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "You should keep it. Pass it to the next person who clears the ninth level!" The cultivation technique he had deduced was valuable, but it was derived on the foundations of the other partys Saint Ascension Decipher and the insights Kong shi had left behind, so it couldnt be exactly called his private possession. In any case, it would serve a greater purpose here. Geniuses who cleared the Mountain of Records for generations toe would be able to learn the perfected version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, thus bolstering the forces of mankind. As for why he chose not to just release it to the world so that everyone could cultivate the technique... It was not that he was unwilling to do so, but he shared the same worries as Kong shi back then. The Saint Ascension Decipher was an unparalleled treasure to top-notch geniuses, but to others, it would only grant them false hope before crushing it mercilessly, tearing their confidence and motivation to shreds. This was simr to how a billion gold coins might be a small goal to a tycoon, but to ordinary humans, such a goal would only be a source of endless frustration. "Yes!" After hearing Zhang Xuans decision, Mu shis puppet nodded as it bowed deeply. "Allow me to thank you in ce of theter generations of the Master Teacher Academy!" To contribute the cultivation technique he hadprehended unreservedly to others, this was the deed of a true master teacher! Over the past day of interaction, it had learned that the young man was the new principal of the Master Teacher Academy, and it had been shocked for a long while. However, at this moment, it could see why the other party would be nominated to be the principal despite his young age. There was indeed something extraordinary about him. "Mu shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony. As a master teacher, it is my responsibility to impart knowledge to others and leave behind my heritage to benefit theter generations," Zhang Xuan replied. "Nevertheless, I feel that I shouldpensate Zhang shi for your generosity. As the new principal, you should be aware of the existence of the Mausoleum of Principals, right?" Mu shis puppet asked. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I took a look earlier, and a breakthrough to Half-Saint through your Saint Ascension Decipher will require a Scarlet Firefly Fruit, which I dont have on me unfortunately. However, I do have the Lightning Resonance Rock required for the breakthrough to Nascent Saint, and it is currently stored in the Mausoleum of Principals!" Mu shis puppet said with a kind smile. "Lightning Resonance Rock? You have it? Thats great!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he nearly leaped up in excitement. He had already found the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for a breakthrough to Half-Saint, so that wasnt a problem. However, the breakthrough to Nascent Saint required a Lightning Resonance Rock, an extremely rare ore that was only formed after being nurtured by natures lightning over a course of ten thousand years. The Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had gifted him many valuable ores, but there wasnt a single Lightning Resonance Rock in it. This went to show how valuable it was. He was still deliberating how he could obtain it when Mu shis puppet suddenly said that it had left one in the Mausoleum of Principals. Indeed, kindness begets kindness. If he hadnt donated the cultivation technique for free, it would have surely taken him a lot of effort in order to procure the Lightning Resonance Rock. "I happened to chance upon one while I was roaming the world, but I wasnt able to find a use for it, so I just kept it with me." Mu shis puppet nodded. After which, it flicked its wrist, and a unique token appeared in its hand. "After you enter the Mausoleum of Principals, head to where my body is buried and sh this token. The treasures I have hidden there should automatically appear. Those are the items I saved up over my entire life for the geniuses of theter generations to inherit." "Thank you, Mu shi!" Taking the token, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed respectfully. To think of theter generations even as death approached, leaving behind his possessions and heritage for those after him to enjoy, Mu shi was indeed a true teacher through and through. "Since you have cleared the ninth level of the Mountain of Records and received the reward, you may return now!" After saying everything it wanted to say, Mu shis puppet nodded in satisfaction before waving his hands. It was reassured, knowing that the young man before it would bring the Master Teacher Academy to even greater heights. "Farewell!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and headed down. Returning back to the eighth level, he encountered the worried School Head Mo and the others. After reassuring them that he was fine, he headed out of the Mountain of Records with them. When they finally arrived at the bottom, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had headed there as soon as he became the principal. Otherwise, once he made the breakthrough to Half-Saint, he would be unqualified to challenge it, and he wouldnt have been able to obtain the Saint Ascension Decipher, thus missing the opportunity to advance his Origin Core to higher grades. "Principal Zhang, where are you intending to go now?" "The Cultivation Compendium," Zhang Xuan replied. "Cultivation Compendium?" The others were taken aback. "Un. I intend to read through some books and study." Zhang Xuan nodded. With the Saint Ascension Decipher, he no longer needed the Heavens Path Divine Art from Chrysalis realm to Nascent Saint. Nevertheless, he still wanted to take a look and see if he could perfect it with the books there. If he seeded, he would be able to make breakthroughs to higher realms even without collecting the required artifacts. "I will take you over," School Head Mo said as he took the lead. The Master Teacher Academys Cultivation Compendium was located near the Elder Hall, and it didnt take long for the both of them to arrive there. The Cultivation Compendium was very unlike the other buildings in the Master Teacher Academy. Despite its majestic scale, it had a rather old and traditional architecture. There was a soothing atmosphere around it that whisked away the anxiety within one. Knowing that Principal Zhang was just going to study, School Head Zhao and the others didnt tag along. "Principal Zhang, this is the Cultivation Compendium. There is a total of five floors here. The bottommost floor is open to students with outstanding contribution. The second floor is open to teachers. The third floor is open to elders of the academy. The fourth floor is open only to the principal of each generation. And as for the fifth floor... other principals might be unable to enter, but you should have no problem doing so!" School Head Mo smiled. Given that Zhang Xuan had received Supreme Jurisdiction and the Impable Principals Seal, there was not an inch of ground within the Master Teacher Academy that he couldnt step on. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded as he shot the huge building another gaze. After which, he pushed open the door and stepped in. After two months... Here I finally am, Cultivation Compendium! Chapter 916: Chrysalis Realm Pinnacle Chapter 916: Chrysalis Realm Pinnacle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Each library in the Master Teacher Academy had its own genre. For example, the library in the Beast Tamer School would have books regarding beast taming, and the books in the Physician Schools library would be on the Way of Medicine. Stored in the Cultivation Compendium were the cultivation and battle technique manuals, as well as the history, geography, culture, and othermon knowledge regarding Hongyuan Empire and its surrounding nations. Even though the books on the first floor were open for students to browse through, its collection was still extremely impressive. Millions of cultivation technique manuals spanning from Consonant Spirit realm to Chrysalis realm filled the many tall shelves within the room. It had been ten thousand years since the Master Teacher Academy was established, and many outstanding master teachers had risen throughout the generations. These men had recorded their insights and experiences regarding cultivation so thatter generations would be able to analyze them and perhaps surpass them. Some had even created their own techniques and spread them far and wide in the world. This had given rise to a huge assortment of books for each cultivation realm. With just a casual look, Zhang Xuan could already find nearly ten thousand different ways one could cultivate the Consonant Spirit realm from the books. Each of them formed its ownplete system and heritage. For any other student, faced with so many choices, they would have to narrow down their choices to a specific ssification so as to not overload themself with information. Otherwise, they could dull their judgement over what was right and wrong, and this could lead to their cultivation going berserk. However, Zhang Xuan had no such worry. If there was one demand he had of his cultivation technique manuals, it would be quantity. The more of them there were, the better it would be for him. It took Zhang Xuan around two hours to collect all of the Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique manuals into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed. A new book materialized before his eyes, and he casually flipped it open. It was another Consonant Spirit realm Heavens Path Divine Art. While the cultivation technique detailed in it did differ slightly from the other one he hadpiled earlier, both cultivation techniques eventually converged into the same oue. After which, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to the Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals, and it also took him two hours to collect all of them. With those, he formed a new Cosmos Bridge realm Heavens Path Divine Art. It was much more detailed than the one he hadpiled earlier, making it significantly simpler and easier to cultivate. Overall, however, both cultivation techniques were essentially the same. It seems there isnt much of a difference between Heavens Path Divine Arts of the same cultivation realm! Zhang Xuan noted as he continued collecting the other books. Since he wasnt in a rush, it would be good for him to collect all of the books so as to enhance his knowledge. Ten hourster, Zhang Xuan had finally finished collecting all of the cultivation and battle technique manuals on the first floor. While these books hadnt raised his cultivation, they allowed him to expand his base of knowledge, granting him some understanding regarding the various schools of cultivation. With this, he was probably more knowledgeable than all of the master teachers in the academybined. Not only so, he had also managed to form a new Heavens Path Sword Art, Heavens Path Spear Art, Heavens Path Saber Art, and such. As long as he practiced them, he would be able to advance his Weapon Intent to even higher levels. However, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to cultivate. He chose to head to the second floor instead. ess to the second floor was limited to only teachers and above, and the battle techniques and cultivation techniques stored on the second floor were significantly more profound than those on the first floor. There were also a few Half-Saint cultivation technique manuals on some of the shelves too. After collecting the books, Zhang Xuan proceeded up. The third floor was restricted to only the elders of the Master Teacher Academy. There were Nascent Saint and Saint realm cultivation technique manuals on the shelves, but the overall quantity of books was much less than the first and second floor. After collecting those books andpiling a Heavens Path technique out of them, Zhang Xuan had finally sessfullypiled the Heavens Path Divine Art from Chrysalis realm to Nascent Saint. In other words, he could advance his cultivation from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Saint realm primary stage within six hours as long as he wished to. Chuckling in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, took the Half-Saint Heavens Path Divine Art, and flipped it open. A momentter, a frown was etched on his face. There was no mistake with the cultivation technique, and if he were to cultivate ording to it, he would be able to advance through Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and reach Saint realm easily. However, if he were to do so, he would only be able to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, and even the weakest Primary Second Grade Origin Core of the Saint Ascension Decipher was immensely stronger than that. Initially, he had still been a little perplexed about why there was such a huge disparity between the Saint Ascension Decipher and the other Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint Heavens Path Divine Arts when such a situation hadnt urred for the previous realms. However, after a moment of pondering, an answer surfaced in his mind. Within the cultivation technique manuals in the library, there was not a single one regarding the cultivation of a higher-grade Origin Core. No matter how many normal cultivation technique manuals he gathered, the eventual cultivation technique manual hepiled would only be normal. A fitting analogy would be: no matter how many straw hut construction manuals one studied, one would still be unable to build a royal pce. Even if the contents of both covered the same groundsadvancing ones cultivation to a higher realmthey were still essentially twopletely different paths leading to different destinations. Even though the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher is much more difficult, there is a chance that I will be able to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core and be a Celestial Saint. If I were to cultivate these normal cultivation techniques instead, I would stand no chance at all, Zhang Xuan thought. Cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher would require artifacts and more spirit stones, so it would be a difficult path to venture into. However, if he were to seed, he would gain immense power iparable to if he had chosen otherwise. Since he could only cultivate his Origin Core once, it was natural he would have to aim for the best! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan didnt rush into cultivating but instead headed up to the next floor. The fourth floor was an area restricted to only the incumbent principal of the Master Teacher Academy. There were no cultivation or battle technique manuals there, but there were books containing the insights of the preceding principals, as well as information concerning the deepest secrets of the academy. Collecting these books into the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan headed up to the final floor. The fifth floor consisted of mainly items left behind by Founder Mu Kai. Zhang Xuan took a quick look around the room, and it seemed like the Saint Ascension Decipher manual wasnt among the items. Nevertheless, there were still many valuable cultivation technique manuals in there. Most of the cultivation technique manuals were regarding Saint realm 1-dan, but there was still a very small handful of them regarding Saint realm 2-dan or even 3-dan. There were also a couple of them regarding soul and physical body cultivation. It didnt take too long for Zhang Xuan to collect everything into the Library of Heavens Path. Alright, I should start cultivating. After everything waspiled, Zhang Xuan noticed that he had more than a dozen Heavens Path cultivation techniques and battle techniques in the Library of Heavens Path. Taking in a deep breath, he searched for a slightly more spacious location in the room and sat down. Since he had already prepared his Chrysalis realm cultivation technique and the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for him to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint, it was about time for him to raise his cultivation! Taking out a couple of formation gs from his storage ring, he swiftly set up a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation in the area before taking out a couple of high-tier spirit stones and cing them in the area. Hong long! As the Spirit Gathering Formation came to life, spiritual energy was swiftly drawn out from the high-tier spirit stones to form a thickyer of mist in the area. Even without cultivating, the spiritual energy would automatically seep through his skin, nourishing his body. Zhang Xuan sat down on the floor before opening all of his pores to start absorbing the spiritual energy in the air at a frenzied pace. The spiritual energy contained within high-tier spirit stones was significantly purer and more condensed than the energy contained within the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, thus making it ideal for him to use in advancing his cultivation. Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan began driving his zhenqi ording to the cirction pathway of the Saint Ascension Decipher, gathering surge after surge of zhenqi in his dantian and condensing them into strands. The revised Saint Ascension Decipher waspletely different from before. In the previous version, seven strands of zhenqi formed a knot, seven knots formed a bundle, and seven bundles formed a decipher. However, in the revised version, nine strands of zhenqi formed a knot, nine knots formed a bundle, and nine bundles formed a decipher. Based on his deductions, the form that was most aligned with nature and the heavens was in sets of nine. Gugugugu. Spiritual energy swiftly gushed into Zhang Xuans body, and he quickly converted it into zhenqi before condensing it and gathering it into knots, bundles, and deciphers... As a technique to cultivate a higher-grade Origin Core, the Saint Ascension Decipher was far moreplex than a normal Heavens Path Divine Art, and thus, it was significantly more difficult andborious to cultivate. If Zhang Xuan had chosen to cultivate the normal Heavens Path Divine Art, he should have been able to raise his cultivation by a realm within two hours at most. On the other hand, cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, despite having cultivated for two hours, he still hadnt even advanced a single stage. It was at this moment that he finally understood why Mu shi had ended up spending several hundred years just to cultivate a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core. While the Saint Ascension Decipher had the mystical effect of raising the grade of ones Origin Core, granting one strength far beyond their peers, its demand was simply so huge that it was nearly an endless abyss. Putting everything aside, even with Zhang Xuans cultivation speed and the aid of a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation, it would still take him at least an entire day before he could reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle. For what should have taken two hours to stretch out to an entire day... from this, the enhanced difficulty in the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher was apparent. In any case, Zhang Xuan was in no rush anyway. If a day was what it took, so be it. ording to the notes Mu shi had left behind on the Saint Ascension Decipher, it had taken him more than 200 years toe to this point. Seated motionlessly on the ground, Zhang Xuan patiently drove his zhenqi, and his cultivation gradually rose. Chrysalis realm primary stage! Chrysalis realm intermediate stage! Chrysalis realm advanced stage! ... A dayter, Zhang Xuan finally reached Chrysalis realm pinnacle. In his current state, he was only a step away from making a breakthrough to Half-Saint. My strength has grown tremendously... Halting his cultivation, Zhang Xuan took an inward look at his physical state, and he couldnt help but remark in awe. For an ordinary Chrysalis realm cultivator, the rise in strength at each cultivation stage was 3,000,000 ding. However, having cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, Zhang Xuans rise in strength per stage was 6,000,000 ding! (Ordinary Chrysalis realm: primary stage 25,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 28,000,000 ding; advanced stage 31,000,000 ding; pinnacle 34,000,000 ding.) The strength derived from his zhenqi cultivation had been 29,000,000 ding initially, but after reaching Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it had increased by 18,000,000 ding to 47,000,000 ding! If the 20,000,000 ding and 32,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and physical body cultivation were taken into ount as well, his strength would be 99,000,000 ding, just a bit short of matching the 100,000,000 ding strength that Saint realm cultivators wielded! In other words, in terms of strength, he was nearly on par with Saint realm experts. Scary! For a Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivator to beparable to a Saint realm cultivator in terms of pure strength, would anyone in the Master Teacher Continent believe his words if he were to tell them about this? But while Zhang Xuan did wield strengthparable to a Saint realm cultivator, he would still be in a disadvantageous position in a fight against a real Saint realm cultivator. The superior strength of Saints wasnt derived merely from the boost in their strength but their enhancedprehension of thews of the world as well. For one, Saint realm cultivators were capable of dealing long-range attacks with minimal dissipation in might. On the other hand, if Zhang Xuan wanted to utilize the strength of his physical body and soul cultivation as well, he needed to be in close quarters with his opponent... Without those two to augment his attacks, his might would only be at 47,000,000 ding,parable to only a Half-Saint advanced stage cultivator. Nevertheless, his current fighting prowess was still extremely frightening. Even Principal Mo Liuzhen wouldnt have been a match for him at all. After relishing in his newfound power, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but look at the dust remnants on the ground with a bitter smile. My fighting prowess did grow by a lot, but the consumption of high-tier spirit stones is truly... The Saint Ascension Decipher could indeed further reinforce the foundation of his cultivation and enhance the richness of his zhenqi, granting him superior might. However, this came at a heavy price. For one, just the consumption of high-tier spirit stones was sufficient to leave him frenzied. He had received a few hundred high-tier spirit stones from Wu Xu and Lu Cheng back then, and adding in the ones he had procured from the Golden Beartiger Beasts storage ring and the congrattory gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge for his inauguration ceremony, he had possessed a total of around eight hundred spirit stones, making him richer than any of the Ten Great Master Teachers in the academy. Yet, just to advance from Chrysalis realm primary stage to pinnacle, he had consumed five hundred of them. That was more than half of his wealth! He could almost see a life of poverty waiting right ahead of him. Chapter 917: Another Breakthrough, Half-Saint Reached! Chapter 917: Another Breakthrough, Half-Saint Reached! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before muttering beneath his breath. "Forget it, I will just have to find a way to deal with it when the timees. For the time being, it is more important for me to raise my cultivation!" He was only a step away from reaching Half-Saint, and he happened to have the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for his breakthrough as well. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to hesitate. Conditioning his state back to its peak, he took a deep breath before reluctantly tossing his remaining three hundred high-tier spirit stones into the Spirit Gathering Formation. Hu hu hu! As soon as the high-tier spirit stones came into contact with the formation, the concentration of spiritual energy in the area swiftly rose to the point that it felt almost tangible. Following which, Zhang Xuan took out a Scarlet Firefly Fruit and swallowed it. Back in the valley, he had procured a total of ten of them. Hu Yaoyao and the others had taken four of them, and having achieved a breakthrough each, they had not required any more. Thus, the remaining six had gone into his storage ring. As soon as the Scarlet Firefly Fruit entered his mouth, it melted into an immense surge of energy, which gushed through his body. In just a short moment, he could vaguely feel an impetus, driving him to a breakthrough. However, the impetus wasnt very strong. Zhang Xuan knew that with the current momentum he had, there was a high chance that he would fail in his breakthrough. Thus, he took out another Scarlet Firefly Fruit and consumed it. It took a total of four fruits before Zhang Xuan was finally satisfied. Feeling the immense power coursing through his meridians, he took a deep breath and absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy into his body. Hong long! A crisp echo sounded in the room, as if the shackles that had been trapping Zhang Xuans body had been broken. At the same time, it also seemed as if a door leading to a new world had opened before his eyes. All of his pores opened simultaneously, drawing the surrounding spiritual energy furiously into him, driving the evolution of his body and soul toward that of a higher being. Half-Saint... reached! At Half-Saint, one was still a considerable distance away from achieving Sainthood, but nevertheless, one would no longer be considered to be on the same level of existence as a Transcendent Mortal. Be it ones physical body or soul, they had both undergone a qualitative evolution to be far stronger and more resilient than before, thus lengthening ones lifespan significantly as well. The limit of an average Transcendent Mortals lifespan was two hundred whereas a Half-Saint could easily live to five hundred! That was more than a twofold increase in ones lifespan! Other than that, Zhang Xuans strength had also increased significantly. From the initial 47,000,000 ding, it had risen by 13,000,000 ding to 60,000,000 ding! Just in terms of the strength he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation, he was already on par with a Nascent Saint primary stage cultivator! Paired with his physical body and soul cultivation, he would be able to easily kill any Saint realm 1-dan expert at close range! Other than the rise in his strength, his reaction speed and reflexes had also grown immensely. If he were to face Mu shis puppet once again in battle, he would surely be able to defeat the other party easily! It is great that my fighting prowess has grown so much, but... I am back to my broke days once more! Zhang Xuanmented. The items he had received in the inauguration ceremony a few days ago had left him greatly excited, and he had thought that he could finally be considered a tycoon. As such, he had haughtily turned down the gifts from many, thinking that he should uphold his standing. Yet, a single round of cultivation had undone everything... This darned cultivation! It sure was like an endless abyss, dragging him back to square one each time he thought he had struck it rich. He knew that the cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher would surely require a lot of zhenqi, and the fact that he cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art only served to nudge the requirement even higher. A couple of high-tier spirit stones could easily help others raise their cultivation up several stages, but to him, it was as if throwing pebbles into a pond, raising just a momentary ripple and nothing else. Going by even my most conservative estimates, advancing to Saint realm... will cost me at least five thousand high-tier spirit stones! Zhang Xuan thought with twitching lips. He had been thinking of advancing straight to Saint realm in a single breath after the inauguration ceremony, but that was clearly impossible now. Advancing from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Half-Saint primary stage, despite using the energy contained within four Scarlet Firefly Fruits, had still depleted eight hundred high-tier spirit stones. The numbers would only rise for his breakthrough to Nascent Saint and eventually Saint realm. At this rate, five thousand would be a truly, truly positive estimate. But the problem was that even if he were to overturn the entire Master Teacher Academy, he would still be unable to gather that many high-tier spirit stones! Rubbing his be, Zhang Xuan thought in frustration, It seems like I will have to head out and find a way to earn some money... Really, what was with this? When others cultivated, what they would be frustrated by was their bottleneck. But instead of worrying over that, his problem had always been being poor. Was this what they meant when they said that being poor limits ones imagination? If it reallyes down to it, I will just have to sell the congrattory gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge. That should tide me over for a while... The gifts his tamed beasts from the Cloudmist Ridge had given him were indeed very valuable, and if he were to sell them, he would be able to earn two to three thousand high-tier spirit stones easily. However... There were simply too few people in Hongyuan City who could afford to buy anything from him! Not even the royal family had that much money! If he couldnt find ample spirit stones, he wouldnt be able to advance his cultivation despite possessing theplete Saint Ascension Decipher. I almost forgot! Are the pavilion masters from the Master Teacher Pavilion of the surrounding empires still around? Perhaps, I might be able to sell my goods to them... Back when School Head Mo was briefing him about the inauguration ceremony, he had also done a brief introduction on the four nearby Tier-1 Empires, Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao. The national strengths of these four empires wereparable to Hongyuan Empire, perhaps exceeding it even. If he could sell his goods to them, he should be able to earn quite a number of high-tier spirit stones to tide him over... Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively before rising to his feet and heading out of the Cultivation Compendium. I think this is a usible idea. However, for the time being, I should first get the Lightning Resonance Stone in the Mausoleum of Principals. The Lightning Resonance Stone was the artifact he required as a catalyst for his breakthrough from Half-Saint to Nascent Saint. Already at Half-Saint, as long as he could gather sufficient high-tier spirit stones, it wouldnt be too long before he needed it to make a breakthrough. Thus, it would be best for him to take it and keep it on him. After leaving the Cultivation Compendium, Zhang Xuan went to look for School Head Mo, and just as he was about to speak, thetter suddenly looked at him excitedly and said, "Principal Zhang, congrattions!" Bewildered, Zhang Xuan shot the other party a questioning gaze. "Werent you trying to purchase the blood essence of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen earlier? I sent in the application to the Beast Hall headquarters a while ago, and they approved the request! Just this morning, the Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence arrived at our Master Teacher Academy!" School Head Mo said excitedly. "Oh yes, your 7-star beast tamer emblem also arrived together with it!" After which, School Head Mo quickly passed over a jade bottle and an emblem. Zhang Xuan took those two items from School Head Mos hands and studied the jade bottle with a perplexed expression before turning his gaze back to thetter. He asked, "Didnt you say that the Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence would be expensive? Why would..." The cultivation of his Myriad Anthive Queen was currently too low, rendering it incapable of continuing the expansion the Myriad Anthive Nest unless its cultivation was raised one way or another. Thus, a few days earlier, Zhang Xuan had paid School Head Mo a visit to enquire about the purchase of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence. However, the answer he had received was that it would cost at least several thousand high-tier spirit stones. Until now, Zhang Xuan had yet to gather so many high-tier spirit stones, so why would the headquarters deliver the blood essence all of a sudden? "It is indeed expensive, but Principal Zhang, you tamed all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge, and that is a huge contribution! Thus, the Beast Tamer Hall headquarters decided to gift this bottle of Myriad Anthive Queens blood essence to you directly as a reward!" School Head Mo exined with a smile. "On top of that, they have also expressed their interest in inviting you to the Qingyuan Empire Beast Hall to impart your technique for taming spirit beasts swiftly!" Not expecting for there to be such a benefit from taming the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, Zhang Xuan nodded in delight. "I see! Help me ry my thanks to the headquarters of the Beast Hall. I will definitely head there if I have an opportunity to do so in the future..." As he uncorked the jade bottle, the scent of the blood essence within immediately permeated the air. Within the bottle, he could feel an immense energy being harnessed within the fluid. After a quick nce, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but widen his eyes in shock. "Isnt this... the blood essence of a Saint realm 4-dan Myriad Anthive Queen?" When he made the request, he had expected the blood essence to be from a Saint realm 1-dan or 2-dan Myriad Anthive Queen. Never in his dreams had he thought that it would be from a Saint realm 4-dan Myriad Anthive Queen! It was already incredibly difficult to find a single one of the elusive Myriad Anthive Queens, needless to say a Saint realm 4-dan one. This was an unimaginably valuablemodity that was nearly impossible to find on the market! Yet, the other party had actually given so much of it at once... If he really had to pay for it, there was no way he would have been able to afford it! With this, the strength of the Myriad Anthive Queen would soar, and it wouldnt be long before it achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm! Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan ced the jade bottle into the Myriad Anthive Nest for the Myriad Anthive Queen to consume before turning his gaze to the 7-star beast tamer emblem. The design was identical to that of the 4-star emblem he had, just that the four stars had been reced with seven stars instead. However, one thing noteworthy was that the material of the emblem had changed. It felt a little heavier and solemn, seemingly reflecting the noble standing of the one who possessed it. Even though he was a 7-star demonic tunist as well, ultimately, demonic tunist was only considered a Lower Nine Paths upation. It could hardlypare with the prestigious Upper Nine Paths upations. Even if Zhang Xuan didnt have his identity as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, just by this 7-star beast tamer emblem in itself, there was no one who would dare underestimate or disrespect him, regardless of where he went. "Thank you, School Head Mo." Knowing that the other party must have done quite a bit of work to apply for this emblem for him, Zhang Xuan sped his fist in gratitude. "There is no need for that." School Head Mo shook his head with a smile before gazing at Zhang Xuan intently. "Speaking of which, when do you intend to take the 6-star master teacher examination? I will have to make preparations in advance..." "You should start making preparations then; I intend to take it as soon as possible. But before that, I would like to make a trip to the Mausoleum of Principals," Zhang Xuan said. "Mausoleum of Principals?" School Head Mo was surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "Im afraid that you might not have the authority to enter it at the moment..." "Why?" Zhang Xuan frowned, perplexed by School Head Mos words. He had obtained the Supreme Jurisdiction and Impable Principals Seal, was there anywhere in the Master Teacher Academy that he was still restricted from entering? Fearing that Zhang Xuan would misunderstand, School Head Mo swiftly exined the matter, "You are indeed able to go anywhere you wish in the Master Teacher Academy, having received everyones approval in the inauguration ceremony, but... to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, you will have to sever a portion of your soul and leave it on the Mausoleum Tablet... In other words, you have to leave a will behind as well! "The severing of the soul inflicts considerable damage to ones soul, so why dont you challenge the 6-star master teacher examination first? Meanwhile, using your contribution, I can help you apply for an artifact for severing your soul from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. This way, the damage to your soul will be minimized!" Taming the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge was as huge a contribution to the Master Teacher Pavilion as it was to the Beast Hall. Through the contribution, Zhang Xuan could easily apply for a powerful artifact to aid in the matter. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. Given that the preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy had appeared in the inauguration ceremony, it would mean that they had also severed their souls and left behind their will when they were alive. Having severed his soul once in the past, he knew that it was a process that was highly damaging, even for soul oracles, who specialized in souls. It would take a long period of recuperation before one could recover from the trauma. However, Zhang Xuan had the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast in his possession, which he could use to quicken the recovery of his soul. However, if he were to do so, he would risk exposing his identity as a soul oracle, which could pose to be a great trouble. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded. "I see. I will take the 6-star master teacher examination first then." It was one thing if he was just a normal master teacher, but as the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher, his identity as a soul oracle could not be revealed by any means. In any case, it was not like anyone else could get to the Lightning Resonance Stone before him, so taking the 6-star master teacher examination first wasnt a problem. "Alright." School Head Mo nodded. At that moment, an elder suddenly rushed into the room, and upon seeing the both of them, he sped his fist and reported, "Principal Zhang, Emperor Yu Shenqing wishes to meet you. He has been waiting outside for some time now!" Chapter 918: Bodhi Seed Chapter 918: Bodhi Seed Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Yu Shenqing?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Why was the other party looking for him? School Head Mo pondered for a moment before exining with a smile. "Principal Zhang, after you rejected his gift, he has beening over whenever hes had time these past few days, requesting to meet you. No matter how we tried, we werent able to stop him. My guess is that he probably fears that he has gotten on your bad side unwittingly." Principal Zhang had caused a huge ruckus during the inauguration ceremony, be it the congrattions from the thousands of beasts, the public lecture that had made him a half-teacher to almost everyone in the academy, or winning the recognition of every single person at the inauguration ceremony. Just from these feats, it was apparent to anyone who had been at the inauguration ceremony that Principal Zhang would be an extremely powerful person in the future. As such, many powers had sent valuable gifts in the hope of winning his favor. Yu Shenqing had also done the same as well, but... who would have thought that the other party would turn down his goodwill? He couldnt help but recall how he had chased the other party out during his daughters birthday, and shivers ran down his spine... With such a history, there was no way Yu Shenqing could remain idle! "Lets go and take a look!" Understanding the logic behind this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded and made his way over. The reason he didnt ept the other partys gift was because he didnt feel that it was right to be taking advantage of the other party. After all, despite what he had done for the other party, he had taken a peek at the other partys soul cultivation techniques and made use of their Bodhi Saint Tree, so he considered the both of them equal. But if his act had left the other party misunderstanding his intention, that would truly be horrible. Soon, they arrived at the reception hall where the principal usually hosted his guests and saw Yu Shenqing seated with an anxious expression. Apanying Yu Shenqing were three middle-aged man, and two of them, for some reason, dared not sit down and were standing at the back with pale faces. Zhang Xuan didnt recognize the two middle-aged man standing behind, but the person sitting next to Yu Shenqing was a familiar face. It was the man who had gifted him his manor, King Huai. "Your Majesty, King Huai!" Even though it was out of consideration of his ties with Yuan Tao, it was a fact that the other party had done him a huge favor while he was still in a humble position, so he had quite a favorable impression of the other party. "Paying respects to Principal Zhang!" The four of them got their feet and sped their fists. The four of them represented the pinnacle of authority within Hongyuan Empire, but nevertheless, their standing was still beneath that of the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. "There is no need to stand on ceremony." Zhang Xuan waved his hand before making his way over to the main seat. After which, he turned to King Huai and asked, "Your Highness, I should have paid you a visit long ago to thank you for your generous gift. For you to havee here instead, I am truly embarrassed." "Principal Zhang, there is no need for that!" King Huai hurriedly bowed politely. "When I first met you, I already knew that you are a capable person who is bound for great things. But nevertheless, I didnt expect you to be the principal of the Master Teacher Academy so quickly," King Huai remarked meaningfully. When he first met Zhang shi, he hadnt thought much of the other party. It was only due to thetters rtionship to Yuan Tao, a member of a Sage n, that he thought of striking up a close rtionship with thetter. But who could have known that, in a short span of less than two months, a seemingly insignificant Consonant Spirit realm figure who had no backing or connections in Hongyuan City would rise to be the most powerful person in the Master Teacher Academy? It was truly inconceivable that things would develop in such a manner. "Your Highness, you are too polite," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "If you dont mind, why dont you show me a move or two?" "Show you a move or two?" King Huai was stunned for a moment before ecstasy crept across his face. To be saying such words, it could only mean that the other party was intending to offer him some pointers! While the other partys cultivation was currently still beneath him, considering how the other party could even enlighten donkeys and roosters through his lecture, his teaching was surely something that no ordinary 6-star master teachers couldpare to. If he could receive the pointers of a person like that, he would surely be spared from many years of fumbling around. "It will be my pleasure!" King Huai replied excitedly. He quickly walked over the center of the reception hall and began executing a battle technique. As soon as he made his move, his cultivation became apparent. Just like School Head Mo and the others, he was at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle as well. It didnt take too long for him to finish executing his battle technique. He swiftly returned back to his position, standing upright as if a student before his teacher. A momentter, he heard the impassive voice of the young man ahead of him. "Your Highness, your mastery of the Fleeting Water Fist Art is indeed impressive. However, have you been suffering from poor blood cirction recently and asional bouts of weakness?" "This... How do you know?" King Huai was astonished, and his body stiffened slightly. He had indeed been suffering from poor blood cirction recently, and his zhenqi hadnt been flowing as smoothly as before. However, he had made sure to conceal the news well, not telling anyone at all. As such, even Yu Shenqing was oblivious to his ailment. After all, given the prestigious position he was in, there were many who desired to take his ce. If it was made known that his physical condition wasnt in the best of states, it might just stoke some of the more ambitious individuals into action, thus bringing unnecessary trouble to him. Yet, for the other party to notice the issue from a single battle technique, just how formidable was his eye of discernment? On the other hand, instead of replying, Zhang Xuan continued speaking with a smile. "If I am not mistaken, it is caused by an injury you suffered in the past, right?" The reason King Huai was able to hold such an esteemed position was due to the many contributions he had achieved for the country on the battlefield when he was younger. However, in the midst of doing so, there were several asions when he sustained severe injuries that threatened to im his life. The trauma was probably left from back then. "Thats right!" King Huai replied with a nod. "I have a gourd of fine wine here. Drink it and circte your zhenqi ording to the cultivation technique I am about to impart to you, then your trauma will be resolved. Work hard, and you might just be able to achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and handed a gourd over to King Huai. After which, he took out a piece of paper and a brush and swiftly wrote down a cultivation technique. Even though his cultivation was only at Half-Saint primary stage, he had read through all of the books within the Master Teacher Academys Cultivation Compendium, which had granted him a deep understanding of the Saint 1-dan and Saint 2-dan realms. As such, it was a walk in the park for him toe up with a cultivation technique aligned with the other partys constitution. "Thank you, Principal Zhang!" King Huai said before taking a look at the cultivation technique he had just received. With just a look, his eyes narrowed, and his body began trembling non-stop. Given his eye of discernment, he could easily tell that this cultivation technique was far more advanced than the royal familys cultivation technique, which he was currently practicing. On top of that, it was aligned with his constitution! If he were to cultivate it seriously, not only would he be able to resolve his trauma, there was a very high chance that he could ovee his current bottleneck and reach higher realms! He had only given the other party a manor, but in exchange, he had received a cultivation technique that he could pass on to his offspring and descendants... He had truly struck it rich! "This..." Yu Shenqing and the other two nced at one another and shook their heads. They didnt know what was written in the cultivation technique, but for the usuallyposed King Huai to get so agitated, that could only mean that it was extraordinary. If only theyd also had the foresight to get close to Zhang shi before he became the principal! To do so now... it was already toote! "There is no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. It was just a normal cultivation technique, not a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. It wasnt anything much at all. This served as hispensation to the other party for gifting him the manor, so they could be considered equal now. After dealing with King Huais matter, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Yu Shenqing and asked, "Your Majesty, may I know the reason behind your visit?" Yu Shenqing hurriedly got to his feet and replied, "Principal Zhang, there are two reasons behind my arrival..." "Oh?" "You are the benefactor of our Yu n. Not only did you impart my daughter a set of soul cultivation techniques, you even treated the Bodhi Saint Tree. I am truly grateful to you. It would be truly unbing of me if I didnt repay the favor!" Yu Shenqing hurriedly spoke up. The other partys refusal of his gift had left him jittery, so he had decided to pay the other party a visit to hand it over personally. "You are too polite," Zhang Xuan replied courteously. "I know that Principal Zhang is not a person who is interested in material gains... This is the only Bodhi Seed that the Bodhi Saint Tree has borne over all these years. I hope that you can ept this gift!" Yu Shenqing flicked his wrist and presented a jade box. He opened the box, revealing a round seed within. "Bodhi Seed?" Zhang Xuan frowned questioningly. What was this thing used for? Despite the many books that Zhang Xuan had read, there didnt seem to be anything regarding Bodhi Seeds. "As long as you nt and nurture it well, it will grow into another Bodhi Saint Tree. Cultivating under the tree can help to calm ones mind, thus enhancing ones rate of cultivation while decreasing the chances of ones cultivation going berserk. On top of that, it has mystical effects for those who cultivate the soul," Yu Shenqing quickly exined. "It can be used to grow a Bodhi Saint Tree?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He was rather interested in the Bodhi Saint Tree after seeing its prowess in nourishing Wei Ruyans soul quickly. If he could obtain one and cultivate his soul within it, his soul cultivation would surely rise swiftly as well. "Un!" Yu Shenqing nodded as he passed it over. "Since Principal Zhang was able to create such a formidable set of soul cultivation techniques, you must have a deep understanding of souls as well. I believe that this should be useful to you, so please do ept it!" Zhang Xuan took the box and nodded. "Thank you for your gift!" He would have probably turned it down if it was anything else, but it just so happened that he had a use for the Bodhi Seed. He could nt it within the Myriad Anthive Nest and bring it around with him so that his soul could cultivate in it whenever he had the time to do so. On the other hand, seeing Zhang Xuan ept his gift, Yu Shenqing heaved a long sigh of relief. After which, he gestured to the two middle-aged man behind him and said, "As for the second matter, I will leave it to you two to speak about!" The two middle-aged man hurriedly stepped forward and sped their fists. "The incumbent head of Hongyuan Citys Shen n, Shen Wanting, pays respect to Principal Zhang!" "The incumbent head of Hongyuan Citys Liu n, Liu Zaiyan, pays respect to Principal Zhang!" "Shen n? Liu n?" Zhang Xuan had heard of the Four Great ns of Hongyuan City, but he had never had any interactions with them. Why would these two n heads abruptly pay him a visit? "Yes. My unfilial son must have been blind to have offended Principal Zhang, so I havee as the representative of the entire Shen n to apologize for his deeds." "My son, Liu Quan, was brazen to have crossed you, so I havee here to seek your forgiveness. I will leave that unfilial son of mine for you to deal with!" The two n heads raised their hands, and two young men were pressed forward. They were Shen Jun and Liu Quan, whom Zhang Xuan had met back at Yu Fei-ers birthday banquet. At that moment, neither of them possessed the dashing appearance they had during the birthday banquet. Their faces were pummeled to the point that they had swollen up like a pigs face. Had it not been for the two n heads introducing themselves, he would have never made the connection between the two. There was only one word that could describe the current state they were inmiserable! "This..." Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in confusion. Even though he had gotten into a verbal disagreement with Shen Jun back at Yu Fei-ers birthday banquet, there wasnt any significant conflict between them. There was no need to have gone that far! "These two fellows actually dared to cause Principal Zhang trouble! Its ourck of discipline that has resulted in this situation, so we wish topensate you for this matter. We ask of you to ept it!" Raising his hand, Shen Wanting proffered a storage ring with an earnest attitude. "This..." Zhang Xuan was at a loss. Did these two fellows cause him trouble? Why didnt he have any recollection of the matter? Did he suffer an amnesia at some point? Noting Principal Zhangs silence, Liu Zaiyan continued pleading anxiously. "Principal Zhang, I hope that you can ept our goodwill. Otherwise, I fear that our ns will dare not remain in Hongyuan City." Zhang Xuan became even more bewildered. Just what was happening? On the other hand, seeing the earnest confusion on Principal Zhangs face, Yu Shenqing and King Huai nced at one another and admiration filled their minds. Two men had tried to cause him trouble by sending men to pummel him, but he actually didnt remember the matter at all... As expected of the principal, such trivial matters wouldnt even faze him in the slightest... Incredible! Chapter 919: Shen Jun Burst into Tears Chapter 919: Shen Jun Burst into Tears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Returning back to the time right after the end of the inauguration ceremony... After watching such a thrilling inauguration ceremony, Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan were filled with agitation and awe. This was especially so for Shen Wanting. As the man who wielded absolute power over thergest n in Hongyuan City, he had a clear idea of the significance of themotion that had urred today. To be the master of every single beast of the Cloudmist Ridge, and to be recognized by every single master teacher in the Master Teacher Academy... the authority the other party wielded could be said to be unmatched in Hongyuan City. Even Emperor Yu Shenqing couldnt evene close to measuring up to the power the other party wielded! If the Shen n could get on good terms with the other party, it would surely rise through the ranks and prosper for many generations toe! Thus, he was intending to rush back to the n to discuss with the other elders ande up with a n to forging a close rtionship with Principal Zhang, but at that very moment, his prided son was suddenly brought to him on a stretcher, severely wounded. "What happened?" Shen Wantings face darkened in fury. As the head of the Four Great ns, the Shen n wielded immense power in Hongyuan City. For his son, the young sessor to the n, to be pummeled like that in broad daylight, the culprit sure was brazen! Did the name of the Shen n mean nothing to him? "Father, you must redress my grievance!" Upon seeing Shen Wanting, Shen Jun howled in agony with tears and snot flowing down his face. "Regardless of who the culprit is, to dare provoke our Shen n, I will make sure that he pays for his action dearly even if he is a noble or a rtive of the royal family!" With eyes narrowed in rage, Shen Wanting made his deration majestically with unquestionable authority. As the head of the number one n in Hongyuan City, he did have the right to say such words. "The culprit is an obscure master teacher of the Master Teacher Academy... That despicable bastard colluded with hisrades to lure me and Liu Quan into a trap, surrounding us and pummeling us viciously!" Shen Jun clenched his jaw. He knew that there were many people involved in the attack, but as his head was covered in a gunny sack throughout the entire incident, he wasnt clear how many had participated. Of the entire attack, he only recalled endless blows raining down upon him before fainting... And when he came to once more, he was already in his current state. "An obscure master teacher? Surrounding you and pummeling you viciously?" Shen Wantings eyebrows shot up. "He must be tired of living to be so brazen as to provoke our Shen n!" The Shen n was a behemoth with influence across almost every single trade in Hongyuan City. In fact, even the Master Teacher Pavilion had seven 6-star master teachers who were allied with them. There were also a couple of n members who were 6-star master teachers as well. As such, if the enemy was just an ordinary master teacher, the Shen n would still be able to deal with the other party easily. Regardless of whether it was the Master Teacher Pavilion or the Master Teacher Academy, they would still at least give this small privilege to the Shen n. "What rank is he?" Even though Shen Jun had said that the other party was an obscure master teacher, Shen Wanting still felt that it was better to be safe. "4-star!" Shen Jun hurriedly replied. A mere 4-star master teacher, with his father making a move personally, it would only take moments before that despicable bastard was destroyed! "A fellow of that level actually dared bully you?" Shen Wanting narrowed his eyes in rage as he flung his sleeves furiously. "What is his name? I will send our men to apprehend him this instant!" "The name of that despicable bastard is Zhang Xuan!" Shen Jun replied with his fists clenched in excitement. With this, that fellow was a goner! However, after hearing that name, Shen Wanting seemed to have frozen on the spot, and his face paled. Noticing the bizarre silence lingering in the room, as well as the peculiar state his father was in, Shen Jun couldnt help but ask, "Father, what is wrong? Is..." But before he could finish his words, Shen Wantings feet suddenly flew right toward his chest as he bellowed furiously, "To hell with you! If you want to die, go ahead. Dont drag the Shen n down with you!" Peng! Not expecting that his father would suddenly make a move on him, Shen Jun was unprepared for the kick and was sent crashing right into the wall. Huge spurts of blood gushed out of his mouth, and he nearly died on the spot. The situation was baffling to him... Father, I am the one who was pummeled! It is one thing if you arent willing to get even with the other party for my sake, but to be chastising me and even kicking me because of the matter. Furthermore, to hell with me? I am your son! Clenching his jaws, Shen Jun said indignantly, "Father, if you dont intend to help me, I can settle the matter myself. As the eldest son of the Shen n, I still have the ability to deal with a 4-star master teacher easily." No matter what, he was a person who had greatly contributed to Hongyuan Empire, a meritorious subject of the royal court. It was already a blessing for someone of his standing not to bully others, but to think that someone would dare bully him instead. If he was really pushed to a corner, he could even pull his connections within the military to get the job done. After all, given his backing, there were plenty who would be eager to fawn over him! All it took to teach a 4-star master teacher a lesson was just a word from him. "You arent going to give up? Do you really want me to chop off your hands?" Hearing the words of his unfilial son, Shen Wanting nearly spurted blood. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Men, bind this fellow up and pummel him. I will punish anyone who dares hold back on him!" "This..." Hearing themand, the subordinates in the room nced at one another, bewildered by the abruptmand. However, they dared not defy a directmand from the n head. They hurried forward to tie Shen Jun now, but they didnt make a move immediately. Instead, they turned to Shen Wanting to seek his confirmation on the matter. Seeing that his father was serious about this matter, Shen Jun uttered in disbelief, "Why?" "You are asking me why? Do you know who the new principal of the Master Teacher Academy is?" Shen Wanting roared as his hands trembled in overwhelming rage. "Principal? I was pummeled shortly after entering the academy, so I didnt attend the inauguration ceremony," Shen Jun said awkwardly. Even though his father had taken him to the inauguration ceremony so as to broaden his horizons, he had been beaten up before the ceremony began, so he had no choice but to have his subordinates carry him back to the n. As such, he had no idea what had happened at the inauguration ceremony, and he didnt have the slightest clue who the new principal was either. "The new principal is the 4-star master teacher you spoke of, Zhang Xuan!" Shen Wanting howled furiously before turning to the subordinates and gesturing majestically. "After pummeling him, carry this unfilial son to the Master Teacher Academy to apologize. Wait, no, he will follow me to the royal pceter on. I have to meet Emperor Shen Yuqing first!" Given the atrocious crime his unfilial son hadmitted, he probably would not even be granted entry if he just went over to apologize. Thus, he could only ask Shen Yuqing for a favor! ... A simr scene also yed out in the Liu n. The bewildered Liu Quan was viciouslyshed by his father, and more importantly, thetter even prohibited him from applying medicine to his wounds. As such, many of his open wounds ended up being infected, causing him great agony. At the same time, his state also became so horrifying that no one was willing to allow their gaze to linger on his body more than an instant. If Liu Quan and Shen Jun were still indignant at how their fathers had treated him a moment earlier, after seeing Zhang Xuan naturally take the main seat in the room, drive King Huai into tears of gratefulness with just a few words, and Emperor Yu Shenqing begging him to ept the Bodhi Seed... With their wits, how could they possibly still remain oblivious to the standing of the young man before them? The heavily wounded Shen Jun lowered his head and pleaded, "I will take responsibility for my own actions. I was the one who was insolent to Principal Zhang, so I beseech you to not implicate our Shen n in this matter." "I was the one who gathered those men, this has nothing to do with the Liu n at all. My father waspletely oblivious to my actions," Liu Quan quickly added. After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan finally got a rough idea as to what had happened, and he couldnt help but shake his head. To march into the Master Teacher Academy, dering that you wish to teach me a lesson publicly... Arent you just asking for trouble? Even if you werent aware that I am the principal, the strength and scale of the Xuanxuan Faction was there for all to see. You should be counting your blessings that you werent mobbed to death! Even though Shen Jun and Liu Quan had meant him harm, they had already gotten what they deserved. In any case, he wasnt injured in the matter either. As such, Zhang Xuan was intending to turn down thepensation, but a thought that suddenly shed across his mind prompted him to ept the storage ring from Shen Wanting. He was no longer an ordinary student anymore but the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. If he didnt deal with someone who had attempted to provoke him promptly, that could potentially undermine the authority of the Master Teacher Academy. Furthermore, that would also be driving the two ns into a corner. Putting everything aside, just considering his current influence and standing, if others were to know that the Shen n and Liu n had once offended him, who would still dare do business with them? Everyone would avoid them like the gue! That was how society worked. Ones actions must be aligned with ones standing, or else there would only be chaos. After taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swiftly looked over the contents within and saw innumerable treasures. Just looking at the high-tier spirit stones by themselves, there were already more than five hundred of them. These two ns sure are generous! Zhang Xuan was astounded. This wasnt a small number of high-tier spirit stones. Even the Hongyuan royal family would have to tighten their budget significantly for the next few decades if they were to take out such a sum from their treasury. The fact that the two ns were able to fork out such a sum easily reflected the extent of their strong foundations. "The Shen n has businesses all over Hongyuan Empire, and they trade frequently with Qingyuan Conferred Empire as well. Over the years, they have umted great wealth, and in terms of liquid assets, perhaps even our royal family cantpete with them." Noticing Zhang Xuans astonishment, Shen Yuqing discreetly sent a message through zhenqi telepathy to him. They are even wealthier than the royal family? Zhang Xuan was truly shocked this time around. It was no wonder Shen Jun could afford to take out two high-tier spirit stones each for him and Luo Qiqi to serve as wee gifts. One must know that this was something that Xing Yuan and Yu Fei-er could not afford to do. So, it turned out that he was from a truly wealthy n; that exined everything! Since they specialize in running businesses, and they have connections with Qingyuan Empire, perhaps I can use their help. Recalling his previous intentions, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up. Currently, he was severelycking high-tier spirit stones. While he had obtained a huge pile of resources from the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, he didnt have the connections and means to sell them. However, if he could tap into the connections of the Shen n, it shouldnt be too difficult to sell his items. In any case, it would be far easier than fumbling his way around it alone. "I will be epting your items then!" Zhang Xuan nodded and put away the storage ring before turning his gaze back to Shen Wanting once more. "n Head Shen and n Head Liu, I happen to have something that I may require your help on." Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyans eyes lit up, and they quickly sped their fists and replied, "Principal Zhang, feel free to speak. As long as it is something within the means of our Shen n and Liu n, we will surely aplish it!" Their only fear was that Zhang Xuan would have nothing to ask of them. Only when the other party had a request to ask of them would they be able to forge a strong rtionship with him. "I believe you should have seen the situation at the inauguration ceremony back then. The beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge have gifted me quite some stuff, but I dont really need most of it. Since the both of your ns have vast business connections, are you interested in selling my items for me?" Zhang Xuan revealed his motive. "This... We are more than willing to!" Upon hearing the request, Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan couldnt help but burst into delight. Considering that huge profits were involved in this dealing, the fact that the other party was willing to leave this matter to them meant that he was willing cast aside their differences and trust them. "That is good." Zhang Xuan nodded as he passed a storage ring over. The items that the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had gifted him were in it. Even though these items were valuable, they werent of much use to him. It would be much better for him to trade them for high-tier spirit stones to cultivate instead. In any case, the two ns had their foundations rooted in Hongyuan Empire, so they wouldnt dare y any tricks with the Master Teacher Academy looming over them. "These items are highly sought after regardless of whether it is within Hongyuan Empire or the other empires. Principal Zhang, rest assured, we will surely sell all of it for you within two months!" Shen Wanting said confidently. Chapter 920: Returning to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Chapter 920: Returning to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Of the numerous treasures and ores in the Cloudmist Ridge, the most valuable one had to be the Cloudmist Flower. It was a raremodity that only grew in the Cloudmist Ridge, and even the Hongyuan royal family didnt have much of it. Thirty huge chests of high-grade Cloudmist Flowers... Without any doubt, the profits that one could derive from selling them would be nothing short of astronomical. Truthfully, gaining the rights to sell these items in ce of Principal Zhang was highly beneficial to the businesses of the two ns as well. Firstly, it would give an impression of a close rtionship between the Shen n and the Liu n with the new principal, and this would further enhance their prestige. Secondly, these valuable goods could help more people learn of their name, allowing them to expand their markets further. Even if they didnt receive a single spirit stone from the sale of the items, it was still a winning deal for them. Naturally, Zhang Xuan was also aware of these benefits as well. Nodding, he sped his fist and said, "I will be counting on you then." After chatting for a while to confirm the details regarding the sales of the goods, the four of them got up and bade farewell. Shortly after the few of them left, School Head Mo entered the room. "Principal Zhang, I have just finished making the arrangements. If you wish to take the 6-star master teacher examination, you just have to select a Conferred Kingdom and raise it into an empire within ten years to sessfully clear the examination! "Within ten years?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a smile. He wasnt intending to spend so long on the 6-star master teacher examination. "Regarding the Conferred Kingdom... Ill choose Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan said. So far, the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom was the only one he had been to. Back then, he had eradicated the royal family ruling the country and installed Mo Yu as its new empress. It had been half a year since then, and he was curious about how things were going there. This was a good opportunity to head over to take a look. "Alright!" School Head Mo nodded. "I will send a message to the headquarters now to have them dispatch a representative to Xuanyuan Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response. After reading the books in the Cultivation Compendium, he had gained a thorough understanding of the Empire Building test. While the Master Teacher Academy had the right to invigte 6-star master teacher examinations and bestow the 6-star master teacher emblem to those who cleared the examination, it didnt have the authority to overlook a major examination like Empire Building. This was also the reason School Head Mo had to liaise with the headquarters to have them dispatch a representative. The representative would first assess the Conferred Kingdom to confirm its existing rank and determine its eligibility to be used as the grounds for the test before the examinee was sent over to begin the test. Once the examinee felt that they had met the required criteria, the headquarters would dispatch another representative to confirm the results. This served to eliminate the possibility of cheating. "All in all, it should take around ten days for the representative to arrive at Xuanyuan Kingdom and inspect the area," said School Head Mo after calcting for a moment. "I think it should be fine for Principal Zhang to begin heading in ten days time." "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. In any case, he still had many Heavens Path techniques that he hadnt taken a look at. On top of that, there were also the libraries of many supporting upations in the Master Teacher Academy he hadnt browsed through, so he could make good use of the ten days to go through them. Thus, over the following few days, Zhang Xuan paid a visit to the libraries of the other schools whenever he found the time to do so. Very soon, the Beast Tamer School, Celestial Designer School, Painter School... He went through all of the libraries he hadnt been to before and collected their books in the Library of Heavens Path. When he wasnt collecting books, he would be spending his time going through and digesting thepiled books. By the ninth day, he finally managed to finish looking through all of them. Hisprehension of swordsmanship, spearmanship, fist arts, movement arts, and many other battle techniques had deepened considerably. Even though his cultivation had remained stagnant within this period, his fighting prowess had been raised immensely. If he were to meet Mu shis puppet once more, he could easily defeat him just by utilizing a single finger. For a Half-Saint primary stage to defeat a Saint realm 1-dan primary stage so easily, it would definitely scare many out of their wits! After aplishing all of that, on the veryst day, Zhang Xuan gathered Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan together and began lecturing them. The four of them had a very deep understanding of the fields they each specialized in, and their fighting prowess was outstanding among their peers. However, in Zhang Xuans view, they were still far too weak. He swiftly imparted the battle techniques he had justprehended to them and instructed them to study hard during his absence. After which, he leaped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast and began making his way toward Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. As he was going to be taking an examination, he didnt think that he should take his students along, especially since it would hinder their training. ... A light breeze blew amid the drifting white clouds. The Byzantium Helios Beast was flying straight toward Xuanyuan Kingdom whereas Zhang Xuan was currently standing within the Myriad Anthive Nest. The cultivation of the Myriad Anthive Queen had swiftly advanced to Saint realm 3-dan over just a few short days after consuming the blood essence it was given, thus bing even stronger than the Byzantium Helios Beast. With its current strength, as well as a steady supply of spirit stones and various resources going to it, the diameter of the nest had already expanded to three hundred meters, giving it space simr to that of a massive stadium. As the space in the Myriad Anthive Nest continued to expand, Zhang Xuan decided to put in the nine saint beasts had tamed at the Cloudmist Ridge as well. At the same time, he asked for some building materials from Yu Shenqing and had the nine of them work together to construct a residence. Even though it wasnt as exquisite as the manor he had in Hongyuan City, it was still pleasing to the eye andfortable to stay in. However, the reason Zhang Xuan had entered the Myriad Anthive Nest wasnt to rest in the residence. Instead, he walked to the center courtyard and examined the verdant seedling that had sprouted from the ground. The Bodhi Seed! Zhang Xuan had nted it within the Myriad Anthive Nest on the day he received it, but to the current day, it had only barely begun to sprout. Let me see if I can speed up its growth... It was only a seed previously, so Zhang Xuans means wouldnt work on it. However, now that a seedling had sprouted, he could finally start working on it! Zhang Xuan ced his finger on the seedling and began pumping Heavens Path zhenqi into it. At the same time, he also sprinkled a few droplets of Earth Vein Spirit Essence on it intermittently. Tzzzzzzz! The seedling absorbed the spirit essence and zhenqi swiftly, and it began to grow at a pace visible to the eye. Thebination of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and Heavens Path zhenqi was not only effective on spirit herbs but saint herbs as well. In less than an hour, it had already grown to around three-meters tall, and its trunk had widened to around the width of a human arm, too. While it was still significantly smaller than the Bodhi Saint Tree in the royal pce, Zhang Xuan had no doubt that it wouldnt take long before it surpassed thetter under his infusion of spirit essence and zhenqi. Retracting his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan took another look at his work and smiled in satisfaction. His soul had yet to reach Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, but with the aid of the Bodhi Tree and the Bluehorn Dragon Beast, he might be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to draw his soul out to cultivate, he suddenly heard the Myriad Anthive Queens voice echoing within the area. "Master, the Byzantium Helios Beast has suddenly stopped in midair. It seems like someone has blocked our passage!" "Blocked our passage?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He swiftly left the Myriad Anthive Nest to take a look. The Myriad Anthive Nest was a folded space, and with his current capability, he was still unable to perceive the happenings outside from within. However, as the creator of the folded space, the Myriad Anthive Queen was able to keep tabs on the surroundings of the nest and report any anomalies to him. Walking to window, Zhang Xuan saw Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin outside. "Zhang shi, we hope to follow you to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom to lend you a hand..." "How did you manage to catch up with me?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. It had been an hour since the Byzantium Helios Beast set off from Hongyuan City, and given its speed, there was no way the aerial spirit beasts that the others were riding on could catch up with him. Since that was the case, how had they gotten ahead of him? "We learned that Principal Zhang is going to take the Empire Building test in Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom, so we decided to wait for you here so that you wont be able to chase us away!" Hu Yaoyao replied with a smile. With her influence as the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, it wasnt too difficult for her to dig up this piece of information, especially since Zhang Xuan hadnt bothered to conceal the news. "Ah... Alright then." Seeing that the group before him was determined to tag along, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. As the Empire Building test was his 6-star examination, he wasnt supposed to engage the help of other master teachers. However, as long as it was nothing significant that would affect the whole situation, the others could still assist in misceneous matters. With their assistance, he should be able to clear the test faster than he had anticipated. "Lets go together then." Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan beckoned for the others toe over, and Luo Qiqi and the others leaped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast with delighted smiles. Before long, the group was on their way to Xuanyuan Kingdom once more. The four intruders, Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin, were top beauties of the Master Teacher Academy, and their presence felt as if spring had fallen within the stuffy room. As if flowers had bloomed in the area, a light fragrance drifted in the air, sending ones heart beating in excitement. However, it was a pity that Zhang Xuan was a blockhead, and his eyes saw nothing but cultivation and more cultivation. All that he spoke of with thosedies was regarding only cultivation as well. This left them extremely frustrated and helpless. But while the interactions were boring, Zhang Xuans knowledge and means were indeed far beyond them. Within just three short days of flight, all of them had managed to achieve a breakthrough. This was especially so for Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er. The rate at which they had advanced their cultivation was indeed astonishing, having reached Chrysalis realm primary stage. Zhang Xuan had focused his effort more on Hu Yaoyao, so thetter had made substantial improvements too. Even though she was still at Half-Saint primary stage, herprehension of cultivation and battle techniques had deepened significantly, enhancing her fighting prowess by at least twofold! With her current strength, it was doubtful whether Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xinbined would be a match for her. In fact, Zhang Xuan was confident that she could even stand her ground against the Half-Saint Lu Cheng too. Of course, if she wished to defeat thetter, she would still have to first fully digest what she had learned over the past few days and reinforce her cultivation further. Nevertheless, it was already unbelievable to her that she had gained such strength within just a few days. As for Dong Xin, Zhang Xuan had also offered her some pointers for her cultivation. While her improvement wasnt as substantial as Hu Yaoyaos, her fighting prowess had also been raised considerably. In truth, the four of them had tagged along, thinking of this as a leisure trip to Xuanyuan Kingdom. They hadnt expected to receive such a benefit on top of that, and they couldnt help but be excited by their new gains. While offering the others some guidance on their cultivation, Zhang Xuan had also spent his spare time reinforcing his Half-Saint cultivation further. As his cultivation usually came with a hugemotion and was quite an eye-catching, he didnt attempt to make any breakthroughs during the journey. Instead, he spent his time studying the books regarding painting, mechanisms, and battle techniques, and unknowingly, his state of mind seemed to have undergone an evolution too. It wasmonly said that painting would help to expand ones mind, bringing one enlightenment and calmness. At this very moment, Zhang Xuan had already achieved a proficiencyparable to a 7-star painter. What did that mean? As long as he had sufficient zhenqi in his body, with just a brush in hand, he could produce millions of spirit beasts and soldiers that could easily devastate a Conferred Kingdom. That was the fearsome might that a 7-star painter wielded! Beyond 6-star, all supporting upations, regardless of which, would be able to draw astonishing power that would be unwise for anyone to underestimate. ... Half a monthter... Standing by the windows, Luo Qiqi took a nce beneath and said, "The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is right ahead. Zhang shi, do you want to take a look?" "Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Sure. Lets descend to take a look!" It had been four months since he had departed from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Since he was passing by, he should naturally head down to take a look. After all, it was through the Master Teacher Tournament held here that he had gained the qualification to enter the Master Teacher Academy and be the esteemed person he was today. Chapter 921: Zhang Xuans Valiant Stature Chapter 921: Zhang Xuans Valiant Stature Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing themand, the Byzantium Helios Beast began descending to the ground, and before long, the group was already standing outside the square in front of the Alliance Head Residence. In that very square, he had shed with geniuses from over twenty other empires in the Master Teacher Tournament to vie for the right to enter the Master Teacher Academy. Even though it had only been a short few months since then, everything felt very nostalgic, as if it had happened a lifetime ago. Young and reckless then, he had defeated all of his opponents with overwhelming might, creating a legend in his wake... But now, he was much moreposed and mature. Taking a look at the massive square before her, Luo Qiqi asked in curiously, "Did Teachere from here?" In her view, her teacher was an incredibly talented person. Even among the younger generation of the Sage ns, there were very few who couldpete with him. It was truly hard to believe that such an outstanding figure came not from a prestigious n but from such a humble ce. This square wasrge, yes, butpared to the sacred mountains and blessednds that Sage ns dominated, it was nothing at all. Putting aside everything, even the spiritual energy in the air was extremely thin. A month of cultivation at the Master Teacher Academy could easily equal several years of cultivation here. Seemingly seeing through the thoughts Luo Qiqi harbored, Zhang Xuan simply replied with a silent smile. If he hadnt gained possession of the Library of Heavens Path, he would probably have idled his life away in the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, too. In life, however, there were no ifs. From the moment he gained possession of the Library of Heavens Path, his life had already changed. Leaving the Byzantium Helios Beast to wait in the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others began making their way through the street and toward the square. At this very moment, the square was bustling with a crowd. Many cultivators were staring intently at a massive statue erected at the center of the square with fervent gazes. "What are they doing?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The square was in proximity to the Alliance Head Residence and the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it had always been quiet. Why would a crowd suddenly gather here all of the sudden? Was there a riot going on? "Look, look! Thats Zhang shi!" "He is indeed dashing and handsome, just like how I dreamed he would be!" "Of course, Zhang shi is my idol, you know. The greatest wish in my life is to achieve a ten thousandth of his greatness!" "Hah, your idol? More like everyones idol! There is no one in this square who doesnt respect and admire Zhang shi!" "Indeed! I heard that Zhang shi has gone to the Master Teacher Academy. Ah, how I wish for him to return and conduct a lecture for us..." "Hearing Zhang shis lecture is the dream of countless in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance... Well, who asked you to be absent the previous time he held a lecture?" "Am I talking to you? ... Wait, I remember that you werent around for the lecture either, isnt that so?" ... Before even arriving at the square, Zhang Xuan could already hear the discussions of countless young men and women as they gazed toward the center of the square with eyes sparkling in admiration and fists clenched in agitation. Hearing the discussions of the crowd and noting the key phrase Master Teacher Academy, Luo Qiqi couldnt help but step forward and ask a young man, "Excuse me... May I ask, who is the Zhang shi you spoke of?" "You dont even know Zhang shi? Arent you too behind the times..." Shocked to hear that there was actually someone who hadnt heard of Zhang shis name, the young man turned around to reprimand the person who had asked the question. However, the moment he saw Luo Qiqis face, he abruptly froze, and his face flushed crimson in nervousness. "Ah... You were the one who asked the question? Zhang shis name goes by a single character, Xuan. He is the greatest master teacher to have walked out from our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in its entire history..." Luo Qiqis beauty was sufficient to make any man fall at her feet. To be able to speak coherently without stuttering in her presence, the young mans self-control was not bad. " Xuan 1 , as in the character synonymous with hanging?" Hearing that he was actually the man the crowd was talking about, a bizarre expression surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. After receiving the other partys confirmation, he couldnt help but ask, "Zhang Xuan, he... when did he be your idol?" It had already been several months since he had left, so any hype regarding him should have died down by now. Why would they still be talking about him? On top of that, idol? Greatest master teacher? What was going on? But as soon as Zhang Xuan asked that question, a loud bellow sounded from the distance. "Audacious! How dare you address Zhang shis name directly and speak such disrespectful words? Where did you find the guts to do so?" Following which, a young man strutted over proudly. With an appearance of sixteen or seventeen, the young man was dressed in extravagant clothes, and hemanded a powerful presence. With just a look, it was clear that he was a person of high standing. Due to his loud exmation, he immediately caught the notice of the crowd, and gazes swiftly turned to him to see what was going on. Their eyes only lingered on Zhang Xuan for an instant before turning to the four beautifuldies beside him. Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin... They were top-notch beauties; any man would smile even in his dreams if he could bring one of them home. For four to appear simultaneously and with a young man beside at that, it was no wonder they would spark the curiosity of the crowd. "The Eighth Prince is a well-known yboy. He must be trying to show off before those beautifuldies so as to win their fancy!" "But that young man was also asking for it. If he hadnt done anything, the Eighth Prince would have had no reason to start anything either. Yet, he was actually so brazen as to call Zhang shi by his name in public... I truly wonder where he found the guts to do so!" "Zhang shi is the idol of countless youths in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. This is especially so for the Eighth Prince; he views Zhang shi as a goal to strive for. Yet, that fellow actually dared to ask if the Xuan character referred to the one synonymous with hanging... Hanging your head! He sure doesnt know to watch his tongue; he deserves it!" "Who can he me when he is the one who is seeking death?" After learning what had happened, cold sneers emerged on the lips of the crowd as they watched themotion intently. The young man was the eighth son of Alliance Head Zhao, Zhao Feiwus younger brother, and he was only sixteen this year. Despite his young age, his reputation in Myriad Kingdom City was appalling. Lustful, domineering, arrogant, short-tempered... He hadmitted many atrocities in Myriad Kingdom City, disappointing his father and sister time and time again. A few months ago, however, after being reprimanded by his sister once more, he suddenly dered that he would take Zhang shi as his role model and cultivate diligently in hopes that he would be a powerful expert like the other party. Due to his great admiration for Zhang shi, he detested anyone speaking badly about thetter. Yet, the fellow before him actually asked if the Xuan character in Zhang shis name was the one synonymous with hanging. This was tant disrespect for Zhang shi! It was no wonder he flew to a rage. On top of that, the four beauties around Zhang Xuan reminded him of the yboy he used to be, and that further stoked his irritation. All of a sudden, someone amid the crowd eximed in astonishment, "Wait a moment... Is it just me, or does that young man look... a little familiar?" "I also think that he looks quite familiar, like I have seen him somewhere before. But I just cant put my finger on it." As soon as someone uttered those words, a few voices of agreement echoed among the crowd, and frowns began emerging on the faces of many. Rendered speechless by the explosive outburst of the young man before him, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. "Disrespectful? How was I disrespectful? Is the name Zhang Xuan not meant for anyone to speak of?" He had never thought that a day woulde when it would be a taboo for him to even say his own name. Faced with such a situation, he didnt know whether he shouldugh, cry, or rage. "Of course, it is not meant for anyone to speak of! It is one thing if you had been disrespectful on a normal asion, but do you know what day it is today?" The young mans eyes narrowed in hostility. "What day is it?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. So, whether he was allowed to call his own name was dependent on the day too? Hearing that the young man had no idea what day it was, the young man immediately erupted in fury. "Today is the day that Zhang shis sculpture was erected in this square! As a citizen of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you dont even know this? Have you been living under a rock?" The crowd was also perplexed by the reaction of the young man before them. Even if he didnt know what day it was, he should have noticed the crowd in the square! It was such an important asion for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet he actually said that he was unaware of it. Was he intentionally demeaning the alliance, or was this his way of expressing his dissatisfaction with it? "The day that Zhang shis sculpture was erected?" Stunned, Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze to the sculpture. He had only shot it a passing nce earlier, not thinking much of it. Taking a closer look now, he noticed that the man depicted in the sculpture was dressed in a master teacher robe. A hand of his was ced behind his back while the other hand was holding onto a brush. His eyes were directed toward the sky, as if peering through the fabric of the world itself. He carried a powerful disposition, which left one not daring to look at him directly. Beneath him, serving as his mount, was a phoenix with its wings spread, seemingly ready to soar into the sky and venture into the depths of heaven. Thats me? Zhang Xuans eyelids and mouth began twitching uncontrobly. Isnt he a bit... different! The sculpture in the square had a towering stature, and the material used was also extremely rare. It was an excellent work of art no matter which aspect of it one looked at it from, clearly havinge from a master sculptor... However, there were still some differences in his appearance, especially in his disposition. The sculpture felt too tall and majestic, which made it seem unlike him instead. Furthermore... a phoenix? When did he ride on such a thing? He had no recollection of taming a spirit beast or saint beast of this sort before! Of the savage beasts, spirit beasts, and saint beasts he had tamed, the only one that bore even the slightest resemnce to a phoenix would be Viridescent Eagle, but... how in the world did his Viridescent Eagle transform into a phoenix? To be soaring into the heavens atop of a phoenix, was that dignified poser really him? This was truly difficult to swallow. If the other party hadnt said that it was him, he would not have thought that it was modelled after him even if he were to stare at it for an entire day. When did he be so tall and dignified? Did they sculpt it ording to Kong shis standards? Otherwise, thatpassionate look in the eyes that seemed as if it could embrace the entire world... What the hell was that? Zhang Xuan wasnt the only one who was shocked by this. After seeing the sculpture, the eyelids of Luo Qiqi and the others also began jerking uncontrobly. This was even more so for Hu Yaoyao, who had experienced how formidable Zhang shi was personally. How could that shameless schemer have such a majestic and dignified sculpture in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? This was unbelievable! Suppressing the frustration he felt, Zhang Xuan asked, "Based on what I know, the Zhang shi you spoke of isnt dead yet, right? Why did you erect a sculpture of him all of a sudden?" Erecting a sculpture and building an ancestral shrine were things one would do only after the person in question was dead. Given that he was still alive, why were they doing this? "You dare to curse Zhang shi?" As soon as the young man heard those words, his body trembled in anger. "Zhang shis lecture has benefitted millions in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and all of us view him as our esteemed teacher... We have erected a sculpture of him so that we can pay respect to him. Do you have a problem with that?" "Lecture?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. It was at that moment that he suddenly recalled the lecture he had conducted right after the Master Teacher Tournament ended. At the very end, he even drew a phoenix and flew away on it... Was this sculpture modelled after that scene? If that was the case, that would exin the phoenix he was riding on. However, he only did it back then because he thought that it would look good and boost his reputation. Who could have known that the others would take it for real and sculpt him in such a manner? Wasnt this taking it too seriously? Zhang Xuan felt deeply distressed. Was he to tell them that he wasnt as great as they thought him to be? But that would be as good as pping his own face! However, if he chose not to say anything, he would feel ashamed for holding onto this undeserving title. Ah, what a dilemma! Chapter 922: Meeting Zhao Feiwu Once More Chapter 922: Meeting Zhao Feiwu Once More Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan decided it would be better not to say it anything. To a master teacher, on top of their ability to impart knowledge, reputation was extremely important as well. Since he had built up considerable prestige with his previous lecture, there was no reason for him to ruin it. After all, for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, his name could serve as a symbol to unify its citizens, as well as a powerful figure to deter conflict. Naturally, it would also be beneficial for him to have such a reputation as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, and it would aid in his 6-star master teacher examination as well. Seeing how the person before him was refusing to show the slightest respect to Zhang shis sculpture, even showing a conflicted expression as if to mock it, the young man furiously issued amand. "This fellow dared disrespect Zhang shi; I suspect that he is a spy from some foreign power. Men! Apprehend him and interrogate him well!" "Yes!" The guards following behind him swiftly rushed forward to encircle Zhang Xuan and the others. "I wasnt trying to be disrespectful..." Realizing that his exnation was unlikely to work, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He walked up to the young man, fondled his head, and asked with a smile, "Where is your elder sister Zhao Feiwu? Ask her toe over to meet me..." Was there something wrong with that fellows head, or was he simply that slow? The Eighth Prince of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had already ordered for his apprehension, but not only did the other party not show the slightest bit of fear, the other party had even walked forward to fondle his head. Not to mention, to directly call his sister by her name and order her to meet him... Unforgivable! "Audacious! How dare you call the alliance head by her name alone? Just how brazen can you get..." Roaring furiously, the young man could no longer hold himself back anymore and sent a fist straight toward Zhang Xuan. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didnt bother dodging at all. Instead, he pushed the other partys head lightly, and the other partys fist wasnt able to reach him at all due to the difference in arm length, thus rendering the prince powerless regardless of what he did. "What are the rest of you waiting for? Get him!" Seeing that his attack had been stopped in such a humiliating manner, the young man felt so enraged that he could lose his mind. He immediately issued an order to the guards furiously. It was also only after hearing the order that the guards jolted out of their dazed state. They immediately tried to rush forward to help, but to their horror, they found that they were unable to move their bodies at all, as if they had fallen into a marsh of some kind. The party behind that was Hu Yaoyao and the others. With their prowess, discreetly dealing with a bunch of guards who hadnt even reached Zongshi realm 1 was a walk in the park. "Oh? Zhao Feiwu became the alliance head?" Surprised, Zhang Xuan asked with a chuckle as he stared at the young man who was busy flinging his fists forward but was unable to hit him. From what he remembered, Zhao Feiwu was a knowledgeable and sharp-witteddy, but due to her affliction from birth, she wasnt able to cultivate. Even though Zhang Xuan had resolved her problem of being unable to cultivate before leaving, she should still be some distance away from achieving the strength required to be the highest leader of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! One must know that in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, without the strength of a Transcendent Mortal, it was impossible to be one of the top officials, let alone the alliance head! "Let me go, or else I will definitely have you killed!" the young man roared with clenched teeth, not bothering to answer Zhang Xuans question. "Forget it, I wont be able to get the full story out of you anyway; I will ask her personally then!" Knowing that things would only get moreplicated at this rate, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze toward the Alliance Head Residence and said, "Princess Feiwu, wont youe out to meet an old friend?" His voice wasnt loud, but with his prowess as a Half-Saint, his words still easily reached the ears of every single person in Myriad Kingdom City. "Zhang shi?" While others didnt think much of the voice, an excited voice sounded from within the Alliance Head Residence. Following which, Alliance Zhao Feiwu abruptly emerged from the residence on the back of an aerial spirit beast, heading toward the square. Even before the spirit beast could descend, the youngdy had already leaped down to the ground. She rushed forward excitedly, wanting to give the young man before her a warm hug. However, at the final moment, she hesitated and sped her fist instead. "Feiwu pays respect to Zhang shi!" "Zhang shi?" "For Princess Feiwu to act so respectfully toward him, could he be... that Zhang shi, Zhang Xuan?" "Now that you mention it, he does seem to bear some resemnce to the sculpture in the center of the square." "Its not just bear some resemnce; they are the same person! How could we have failed to recognize Zhang shi?" "He looks much more medio... magnificent than his sculpture!" "Indeed, magnificent is the word I was thinking too." ... Zhao Feiwus words and actions had caused a hugemotion in the square. Everyone turned to the young man at the center with eyes lit up in excitement. Even the Eighth Prince, who had just ordered for Zhang Xuans apprehension a moment ago, waspletely dazed, and he looked as if he was going to lose his mind. He had always regarded thetter as his idol, but to think that, not only would he fail to recognize the other party in person, he would even act so disrespectfully. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt of his actions. If only there was a burrow in the ground at this very moment, he would have dived right in. "Lets head to the Alliance Head Residence to speak!" Noticing the fiery gazes around them, Zhao Feiwu knew that they werent in a good ce to speak. Thus, she beckoned Zhang Xuan toward the residence. "Un." Nodding, Zhang Xuan and the others leaped onto the back of the aerial spirit beast and headed toward the Alliance Head Residence. Shortly after they left, a deafening uproar broke out amid the square, and it felt as if even the sky would fall under the din. "So that is Zhang shi..." "What a gentlemanly and cultured person he is! If I could marry him, my life will have been worthwhile even if I die the moment after!" "Marry him your head! Look at thedies beside him and Alliance Head Zhao Feiwu, which of them isnt a top-notch beauty? With your appearance, you probably arent even worthy of serving as his maid..." "Even if I cant be his maid, a night of pleasure is fine by me as well..." ... Some amid the crowd had their eyes glowing in admiration while others had gone green in envy, but there was palpable excitement in the air. Zhang Xuan had simply created far too many miracles. Bing the half-teacher of millions of experts, he had brought the Myriad Kingdom Alliance out of its many years of oppression from the neighboring empires. As news of his sudden appearance spread, the citizens of Myriad Kingdom City began crowding the streets, curious to see the form of the legendary genius. ... Oblivious to the chaos in the square, at that moment, Zhang Xuan was seated in a vast hall. Sitting not too far away from him was Zhao Feiwu, who carried a faint smile on her lips. Over the past four months since Zhang Xuan left, Zhao Feiwu had made considerable progress in her cultivation. She was still some distance away from reaching Transcendent Mortal, being still at Zhizun realm, but to have made such great progress within a limited period of time, she must have put in quite a bit of effort. Noticing Zhang Xuans thought, Zhao Feiwu exined, "Zhang shi, you left behind a cultivation technique manual for me before you left, and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, Fleeting Cloud Sect... all of these powers have been providing me resources for my cultivation unconditionally, so it is only natural that Ive made such progress within this period of time." "Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, Fleeting Cloud Sect... Those powers provided resources for your cultivation unconditionally?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. These sects had been the culprits behind the oppression of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for so many years, so why would they suddenly change their attitude all of a sudden, supporting her instead? "Thats right. They have only made a single request of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in exchange for their unconditional support, and that is for me to be the alliance head," Zhao Feiwu exined. After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately realized what was going on, and he couldnt help but shake his head. Back then, before the Master Teacher Tournament, he had once appeared before those powers in Yang shis form and killed the leader of the White Helios Sect, Bai Kaizhi, with a single book. That incident had probably instilled great fear into the leaders of the other powers. On top of that, he himself had also emerged as the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament and sessfully enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy. Even if the Master Teacher Academy was a distance away, it was inevitable that they feared he would return one day and exact vengeance on them, especially given what they had done in the past. After receiving news that he had close ties with Zhao Feiwu, they decided to fawn on thetter, probably in the hope that she could speak up for them should they fall into a dire situation. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan spoke. "Since those sects and powers are willing to forge a close rtionship with the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you should send a message to inform them that I will be staying at Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom for a period of time. During my stay there, I will be conducting public lectures, and if any of them are interested, they are free to join as well." Since these powers intended to express their goodwill to him through supporting Zhao Feiwu, he should reciprocate their goodwill. This was essential if the Myriad Kingdom Alliance hoped to enjoy peace for many years toe. Furthermore, what a Conferred Kingdomcked the most was a strong foundation. As just an individual, it would be difficult for him to build a strong foundation in Xuanyuan Kingdom by himself. The best way to do so was to draw more experts into the country. Their arrival would be closely followed by merchants, who would bring in a great amount of resources necessary for themon popce to advance their cultivation faster, thus enhancing the national power. "Alright!" Knowing the intentions behind Zhang Xuans instructions, Zhao Feiwu nodded with a smile. "I will also inform everyone in the alliance. You have many fans within the alliance at the moment, so they will surely follow you if they hear that you are heading to Xuanyuan Kingdom." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but burst intoughter. By this point, he had also figured out the reason the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had decided to erect his sculpture. His very existence served as a deterrent factor against the 27 other regional powers, preventing them from doing anything overboard. So, of course, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance would try to glorify him as much as possible. After chatting a while longer and learning that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had been faring well in recent times, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to rise and take his leave, Zhao Feiwu suddenly stared at him with deep anticipation. "Zhang shi, is it fine... if I follow you to Xuanyuan Kingdom?" "Arent you the alliance head at the moment? Are you allowed to leave your post?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I am only the alliance head in name at the moment. The one who is handling everything within the alliance is still my father," Zhao Feiwu replied. "I see. You should follow along too then; I will offer you some pointers with your cultivation whenever I have time. Even though its impressive that you have reached Zhizun realm within just a few months, its still insufficient to hold your ground against the many powers in the region! I will try to raise your cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan or 6-dan within this period of time," Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. In order to im the highest position of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance stably, one had to possess a cultivation of at least rifying Turbidity realm. However, to be a truly unrivalled existence in the region, one would have to be at Consonant Spirit realm or Cosmos Bridge realm. In the past, Zhang Xuan didnt have the power to achieve this. However, having reached Half-Saint and possessing many artifacts and pills in his inventory, it wasnt too difficult for him to raise Zhao Feiwus cultivation to such a level within a short period of time. "Thank you, Zhang shi!" Zhao Feiwus eyes lit up in excitement after learning that the other party would help her raise her cultivation. She didnt have much of an interest in amassing authority and power, but the fact that the other party was willing to help her showed that she meant something to him, and this left her heart tingling in joy. On top of that, as Zhang shi continued on his journey, the disparity in their strength would only continue to widen. At this rate, they would only be two individuals living in two different worlds, unable to reach one another. If she could grow stronger, that would mean that she would be inching even a step closer to him. Even if she couldnt catch up with him, at least the distance between them wouldnt be so great. After dealing with the affairs at the alliance and spreading the news out, Zhao Feiwu and the others got on top of the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast and began making their way over to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. Chapter 923: 6-star Master Teacher! Chapter 923: 6-star Master Teacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Two monthster, in the Elder Hall of the Master Teacher Academy, Mo Zhu, Zhao Bingxu, and the other school heads were seated around a table. Shortly after Lu Feng was stripped of his position as the head of the Apothecary School, Vice School Head Lu Qing had taken over his position. At the same time, Chen Chengxun had also stepped from his position as the head of the Formation Master School, and another vice school head had taken over it. In other words, all ten of the school heads were gathered together. "School Head Mo, how is Principal Zhangs Empire Building going?" Zhao Bingxu asked. Their principal taking the 6-star master teacher examination was a major affair for the Master Teacher Academy. As such, School Head Mo had been appointed to keep tabs on the matter so that they could respond should anything major ur. "Alright, allow me brief you all on the matter." School Head Mo stood up and began. "The Conferred Kingdom that Principal Zhang has chosen for Empire Building is... Xuanyuan Kingdom! It is a nation beneath the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, which is the vassal state of Tier-2 Huanyu Empire." Everyone nodded. To be honest... they hadnt even heard of Xuanyuan Kingdom before. That was how remote and backward it was. The Master Teacher Continent was simply toorge, and there were far too many kingdoms and empires for one to remember. Despite the vast knowledge that master teachers possessed, it was impossible for them to know all of them. They had still heard of Huanyu Empire, but they would hardly hear any news about nations beyond that, such as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, let alone Xuanyuan Kingdom. To a typical 6-star master teacher, it could be considered as a backward, undeveloped plot ofnd. "Principal Zhang arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom two months ago, but he didnt announce his arrival. Instead, he immediately headed to the local Master Teacher Pavilion." School Head Mo had kept a close eye on Zhang Xuans every single action, allowing him to exin everything in detail. "The local head of the Master Teacher Pavilion is a 3-star pinnacle master teacher known as Luo Qianhong. He once had a conflict with Principal Zhang, and Principal Zhang crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion as a result." "Crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Everyone was astonished to hear that. As master teachers, they understood the immense difficulty in crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion. Not only would one have to subdue every single master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would also have to face the wills left behind by preceding master teachers as well. Based on what they know, back when their principal was still at Xuanyuan Kingdom, he had only been a 2-star master teacher. To sessfully crash a Master Teacher Pavilion then, didnt that mean that he had been superior to 3-star pinnacle or 4-star master teachers despite only being at 2-star? "ording to the rules, Master Teacher Pavilion will have to unconditionally obey the orders of the master teacher who has sessfully crashed it. What did Principal Zhang order them to do after heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Wei Ranxue asked. Crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion was simr to a martial artist crashing a dojo. The loser would have to ept the punishment from the victor regardless of what it was. "Principal Zhang didnt order them to do anything. Instead, he held a lecture for them, and within three days, both the cultivation andprehension of the Way of Teacher of the master teachers in there were raised significantly. This was especially so for Luo Qianhong. Not only did he sessfully clear the 4-star master teacher examination within this period of time, he has even advanced to 4-star pinnacle!" School Head Mo said. "Within three days, he actually raised the capability of a 3-star pinnacle master teacher to 4-star pinnacle?" "Isnt this... a little way too fast?" The school heads were bbergasted when they heard the news. The reason it was hard for master teachers to advance their rank was because there were many aspects they had to improve in order to qualify for and clear each master teacher examination, such as their cultivation, eye of discernment, Soul Depth, and supporting upations. All of this require considerable time. For Luo Qianhong to advance from 3-star pinnacle to 4-star pinnacle with just three days of guidance, this rate of improvement was unbelievable! "Not only so, in the past, Xuanyuan Kingdom had a total of a dozen or so 3-star master teachers. However, after those three days, another eight of them has made a breakthrough to 4-star. Even though they are only at 4-star primary, that is still rather frightening!" School Head Mo said with a bitter smile. When he first heard this news, he could hardly believe his ears. Hed had to confirm the matter several times before he could finallye to a conclusiontrue geniuses were existences whom ordinary men like them couldnt hope to fathom. "So, all in all, Xuanyuan Kingdom has nine 4-star master teachers... That is a big step forward, that it is still insufficient for a kingdom to advance to an empire," one of the school heads remarked. It was true that the foundation required for a kingdom to advance to an empire was the Master Teacher Pavilion, but it would still take considerable time for the other aspects to rise up to the required level as well, such as the economy and the military force of the nation. With just a few 4-star master teachers, it was still infeasible to aplish Empire Building within a short period of time. It was for this reason that Empire Building was indubitably the hardest test of the 6-star master teacher examination. "Its indeed insufficient, but on the tenth day that Principal Zhang arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom, many master teachers and Transcendent Mortal experts from the surrounding Unranked Empire, sects, and powers suddenly came flooding into the nation, joining its ranks." "They joined Xuanyuan Kingdom?" "Many? How many people do you mean by that?" Everyone frowned. One of the school heads shook his head. "A Conferred Kingdom will at least have a poption of several hundred million, and the addition of a couple of master teachers and experts wont make much of a difference..." Experts had their own pride, so it was highly unlikely that they would lower themselves to join a lower-ranked nation. After all, that would be equivalent to regressing, and it would make it harder for them to advance their cultivation and capability as well. As such, in the school heads view, even if some of the experts and master teachers decided to join Xuanyuan Kingdom, it was unlikely that there would be too many of them. Even at most, there would only be dozens of master teachers and several hundred experts. However, such numbers were like a drop in the ocean for a nation with a poption of several hundred million, and their presence wouldnt make a significant difference. Empire Building required the raise in the overall prowess of the nation, the average cultivation of the entire popce. This was not something that could be achieved just by a couple of master teachers and expertsing in. "A couple of master teachers and experts you say?" Hearing those words, a bitter smile emerged on School Head Mos lips. "You are severely underestimating Principal Zhangs rallying ability in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! Within just ten days, more than three thousand 4-star master teachers and a hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal experts joined Xuanyuan Kingdom." "Three thousand 4-star master teachers?" "A hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal experts?" Everyone was dumbstruck. That number of master teachers and experts... Even an average Unranked Empire wouldnt have such numbers! "But the sudden arrival of so many experts in Xuanyuan Kingdom could potentially destabilize the nation and undermine the authority of the royal family. If they rise up and start a rebellion, how will the royal family quell the insurrection?" Jiang Qingqin asked with a frown. Even though he usually maintained a low profile within Hongyuan Empire, he was still aware of the bnce of power between the royal family, the officials, and the popce. Considering that the arriving experts were far stronger than the officials and the royal family, how could the nation impose theirws and govern them? Should they choose not to submit, would the nation have any way of dealing with them? One must know that in an average Conferred Kingdom, even the strongest old ancestor would only be at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, and the emperor would only be at Half-Transcension at most, usually. The sudden influx of over a hundred thousand experts was not necessarily good news for the country. "There is no need to worry about it; Principal Zhang already has everything thought out. After spending three days in the Master Teacher Pavilion, he spent the next seven days, before the influx of the master teachers and experts, in the Xuanyuan royal pce... Within the seven days, he raised Empress Mo Yus cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and the other officials who have a close rtionship with her have also reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan or 3-dan," said School Head Mo. To induce such an unbelievable increase in the cultivation of those within the Xuanyuan royal pce within seven days... They would have never been able to think this possible had it been in the past. However, after witnessing the hugemotion resulting from Principal Zhangs public lecture, how innumerable animals had made the breakthrough to be savage beasts, they hade to realize that whenever he was involved, miracles were nothing more than a normal urrence. School Head Mo continued his exnation. "Not only that, Principal Zhang also took more than a thousand of the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge with him, and each of them possesses a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 6-dan. He has instructed them to obey themands of no one but Mo Yu. With such a powerful hand, even an average Tier-2 Empire will dare not provoke Xuanyuan Kingdom, let more those cultivators..." "Over a thousand Transcendent Mortal 6-dan spirit beasts? Hahaha, only Principal Zhang is capable of ying such a big hand!" "Indeed, there is probably no one else in the world who can take out so many loyal spirit beasts so easily!" "With the royal family wielding such a powerful force, it could be said that the security of the nation is guaranteed." Everyone was astonished for a moment after hearing the news before nodding excitedly in approval. Typically speaking, an average beast tamer would only have a tamed beast or two, and considering the effort he would have had to put into taming them, it was impossible for him to give his tamed beasts away to another. However, their principal had made the hundred thousand spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge submit to him! As such, giving away a thousand weaker spirit beasts was truly nothing at all to him. But while it was nothing to their principal, it was of vital importance to Xuanyuan Kingdom. In the first ce, the lifespan of a spirit beast was far longer than that of a human. On top of that, the strength of each of them was far higher than the strongest expert in the kingdom. With them guarding the royal family, who would dare show the slightest disrespect to them? School Head Mo still wasnt finished. "Shortly after the influx of experts and master teachers into Xuanyuan Royal City, Principal Zhang conducted his first public lecture. In the lecture, his voice could be heard even from a distance of several hundred kilometers away, and the cultivators of the capital benefited greatly for his lecture, with over half of them achieving a breakthrough on the spot. On top of that, his Spirit Gathering Diction has caused spiritual energy to concentrate within Xuanyuan Royal City, not dissipating even after the end of the lecture, thus turning the entire area into a blessednd for cultivation." "Spirit Gathering Diction, Rain of the Heavenly Flowers... Principal Zhang does wield the capability to raise the cultivation of others swiftly. With this, many powerful cultivators will emerge in Xuanyuan Kingdom very soon. However, the strength of a nation lies not only within its cultivators, but the development of the upations as well," the head of the Painter School, Song Danqing, remarked. In assessing the overall strength of a nation, the average cultivation of the popce was only one of the factors involved. More important was the development and prosperity of the upations. National power covered not only potential military might but a nations economic development, culture, and the individuals standard of living too. Many of these factors were intricately tied with the upations within the nation. An empire, even if an unranked one, needed not only a powerful Master Teacher Pavilion, but the existence of a capable Painter Guild, Apothecary Guild, cksmith Guild, and such. Only then would they be able to attract and retain talents to further the prosperity of the nation. "Maybe you have been too busy recently, so you didnt notice it, but on the very day that Principal Zhang left Hongyuan City, the Shen n and Liu n of the Four Great ns announced that they would be establishing a trading branch in Xuanyuan Kingdom so as to expand their business there. As soon as that announcement was made, many huge merchants in the vassal states quickly made ns to enter Xuanyuan Kingdom as well. As a result, the number of businesses within Xuanyuan Kingdom at the current moment is on par with even some Tier-2 Empires. "As for upations, Principal Zhang spent the ten days imparting painting, pill forging, smithing, demonic tunes, and such upation skills to the locals, and this has caught the attention of many upation guilds. To date, another seven upation have already opened a branch in Xuanyuan Kingdom," School Head Mo said. After hearing those words, a school head couldnt help but mutter beneath his breath, "The average strength of the popce, military strength, economic development, and presence of upations are all in ce. Doesnt that mean that Xuanyuan Kingdom is already qualified to be an empire?" These were the main indicators to determine if a nation was qualified to be considered an empire. In less than two months, their principal had induced an overwhelming change within Xuanyuan Kingdom. Could it be that... he had alreadypleted the Empire Building test? School Head Mo nodded. "Thats right. Twenty days ago, the headquarters sent a representative down to check on the situation in Xuanyuan Kingdom, and the reason I have called for this gathering is to officially announce the result to you all. "Principal Zhang has sessfully cleared his 6-star master teacher examination, Empire Building, and thus, from this day forth, he is officially a 6-star master teacher!" Chapter 924: The Four Principals Chapter 924: The Four Principals Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He has already cleared the examination?" "In just two short months, he sessfully raised a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire?" "If I recall correctly, even the current record holder for our academy, Principal Mo Liuzhen, took three whole years, right?" "Two months... that is really way too fast!" The school heads couldnt help but be dumbstruck by the shocking revtion. They had no doubt that their principal would clear the Empire Building test, but they hadnt thought that it would be so fast! To clear it within two months, he had probably broken the record of the Master Teacher Pavilion! School Head Mo nodded. "Indeed, thats really fast! At the moment, Principal Zhang should be on his way back..." "That is good. At this rate, he should be able to make it for the Combat Master Selection," Zhao Bingxu said. "Indeed." As soon as the Combat Master Selection was brought up, grim faces immediately emerged in the room. The Four Great Master Teacher Academies would gather together for the Combat Master Selection once every hundred years, and while it might seem like nothing much on the surface, there was actually strong rivalries andpetition in the dark. If the principal could return in time, that would be for the best. "Over the past two months, our Martial Arts School has managed to sieve out the top twenty of each grade to participate in the Combat Master Selection," Xu Changqing said. The only requirement for the Combat Master Selection was superior strength. The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had been fighting against one another in a selection exercise over thest two months, and finally, the twenty strongest students of each grade to represent the academy and vie with the other three academies for the slots in the Combat Master Selection had been decided. Hearing that the results were out, Zhao Bingxu hesitated for a moment before asking, "How is the strength of our students?" "Judging from the previous Combat Master Selections, our students are still a little weak. I fear that not many of them will be selected." Xu Changqing sighed deeply. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had always been at the bottom of the Four Great Academies. In the ten thousand years since its establishment, only 327 people had seeded in bingbat masters. This meant that only three to four people, on average, were selected in the Combat Master Selection each time. Hearing that the situation was not really optimistic, Zhao Bingxu shook his head and said, "There are still a few days before the selection. Let us gather the students together and try pushing them onest time before the selection. Perhaps, we might get more of them in." "This is the only thing we can do now." The others nodded in agreement. The effects ofst minute training were usually minimal at best, but there was nothing else they could do at this point. The other Master Teacher Academies had 7-star master teachers to offer pointers to their candidates, and the resources they received from the Master Teacher Pavilion were also far greater. As such, most top geniuses would opt to enroll in the other three academies if they had the chance, leaving the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy with just the remaining ones. It couldnt be helped that they werent a match for the others. It was not sufficient to have good teachers. Without ample resources and talented students, it would be extremely difficult for the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to qualify in the Combat Master Selection. This formed a vicious cycle. After many years of being unable to achieve good results, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy received fewer resources from the Master Teacher Pavilion, and its reputation fell as well, thus resulting in the more talented master teachers shunning the academy, which lowered the performance of the academy even further. ... While the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy were discussing this matter, just outside Hongyuan City, a massive flying ship came to a halt. The entire ship was nearly eighty-meters in length, and it was more than ten stories tall. All of the required facilities were on it, and from afar, it looked extraordinarily extravagant. The front and the back of the ship were supported by eight saint beasts, each harnessing the Dragon Bloodline. Through perfect coordination among the sixteen saint beasts, they were able to bring the massive ship down without the slightest tremor. On the deck stood two elders, who gazed at the towering city walls beneath them with a smile. "Principal Wo, I am truly thankful for your Cloudcliff Flying Ship. Otherwise, it would have taken me a fair bit of effort to reach here so quickly!" the blue-robed elder standing on the left said as he stroked his beard. "It is only right for us, the Four Great Academies, to help one another. Besides, the Combat Master Selection is held at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and your Luoqing Master Teacher Academy happens to be en route from our Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, so its no trouble at all. This is also an ideal opportunity for our students to interact with one another and learn that the world is farrger than they thought so as to reduce theircency. Otherwise, if they stayed within the confines of the Master Teacher Academy, they would just think that they are the greatest in the world, and that contributes nothing to their growth at all," the gray-robed elder on the right replied with a smile. Both of these elders wielded the strength of a Saint, and the aura they emanated felt unfathomable, rendering one incapable of urately determining their strength. On top of that, there was an emblem pinned on their master teacher robes, on which, there were seven brilliantly shining stars. From this, it was clear that they were both 7-star master teachers. 7-star master teacher, this was a height that not a single person of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Master Teacher Pavilion had achieved. "Indeed. The crux to learning lies in knowing ones ignorance... The fact that these students are able to stand out among their peers in the academy and participate in the Combat Master Selection goes to show that they are incredible talents. Thus, it is inevitable that they will becent about their own abilities. As such, there is a need to have them know that there is always a mountain higher than the other, a person greater than himself. This will help them reach greater heights in the future." The blue-robed elder nodded. (The full phrase is that Logic that is not debated is weak, and knowledge that is unspoken is unclear.) After a moment of silence, Principal Wo asked, "Where is Principal Wu? We have already arrived, so why is he nowhere to be seen?" "Its not like you dont know about Wu Ran, that fellow. He is fixated on the insight that Kong shi left behind at the Saint Ascension tform, and he even became the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle. For that, he set forth several months in advance, so he should already be in the city by now!" the blue-robed elder replied. The blue-robed elder was the principal of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, Shen Pingchao, and the person he was speaking to was the head of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Wo Tianqiong. (Note: Wo Tianqiongs surname is supposed to be Wu as well, just like Wu Ran, but as both of them are Principal Wu, I tweaked the former a little to Wo so as to avoid confusion.) The person they were talking about, Wu Ran, was the principal of the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy, as well as the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle whom Zhang Xuan had met back on the Saint Ascension tform. Yunxu, Luoqing, Qingzhu, and Hongyuan. These were the Four Great Master Teacher Academies under Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Among the four, Yunxu ranked at the top whereas Hongyuan stood at the very bottom of the list. "Principal Wo, Principal Shen, my teacher, Wu shi, invites you over to meet him!" While the two of them were speaking, a middle-aged man suddenly descended onto the ship and sped his fist respectfully to them. "See, I told you, didnt I? That fellow is sure to have long arrived before us..." Shen Pingchao chuckled softly to Wo Tianqiong before turning to the middle-aged man and replying, "We will be heading over now." After which, he and Wo Tianqiong issued some instructions to the teachers behind them before following behind the middle-aged man and heading toward the depths of Hongyuan City. It didnt take them too long to arrive at a huge manor. As soon as they entered the main hall, they immediately saw Wu Ran seated within, elegantly and leisurely pouring hot water into a teapot. With just a nce, they could immediately tell that thetter was a skilled tea master. "You old fellow, you sure are fast! Did you invite the both of us over for tea? I will just say these words beforehand, if the tea isnt good, dont expect us to drink it!" Wo Tianqiong said with a smile. "Rest assured, I wont treat you to anything less than good tea!" Hearing those words, Wu Ran chuckled softly. "I had to pull some connections and pay a heavy price for this pot of tea, and I have been waiting for the both of you to arrive to share it with you." As Wu Ran spoke, he poured the tea within the teapot into the small teacups by the side and offered them to Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao. The duo took the teacups, but before they could take a sip, a thickyer of mist suddenly rose from the tea, lingering around the teacup, creating a dreamy haze around it. "What a beautiful cup of tea..." The eyes of the duo lit up in amazement. Putting aside the vor of the tea, just its presentation in itself already made it far superior to most teas. The driftingyer of mist shrouding the cup felt reminiscent of the thin mist that veiled the dawn river. Even before the consuming the tea, it had already induced rxation andfort within ones heart. "I wouldnt have it any other way! This pot of tea is made from the renowned Cloudmist Flower, produced exclusively in Hongyuan Empires Cloudmist Ridge, and it has cost me ten whole high-tier spirit stones! Furthermore, had I not pulled my vast connections, I might not have been able to purchase it at all. Even so, I was only able to obtain one liang of it. I couldnt bear to drink it all this while, deciding to wait for you two to arrive to share it with you," Wu Ran said with a smile. (One liang = 0.125 grams) "Just the aesthetics itself makes it well worth the price!" Wo Tianqiong smiled. "Let me try and see how it tastes!" Chuckling softly, he took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up in wonderment. "Good tea!" Beside him, Shen Pingchao also sipped the tea without any hesitation, and brilliant, astounded gleams swiftly appeared in his eyes. "Where did you purchase the tea from? Help me get some too..." "Get some too? If I were able to do so, I would have definitely bought ten jin on the spot..." (~5kg) "Then... sell that one liang of tea leaves you have procured to me. I will pay double the price!" Shen Pingchao said anxiously. He was also a person who savored a good tea. With just a sip of that marvelous tea, he had already fallen in love with it. "Dont even think about it, I wont sell it to you no matter what price you offer! Alright, lets get to the main business at hand." Wu Ran shook his head. "Have you heard of the news regarding the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?" Wo Tianqiong sighed deeply and said, "I did. He disappeared two years ago, and to date, it is unsure whether he is alive or dead. The top seat in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy should still be empty, right?" The principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were of simr standings, and they shared an amicable rtionship with one another. As such, it was impossible for them to be unaware of the disappearance of the old principal, and they had even mourned over that matter for quite a while. "You are right that the old principal went missing two years ago. However, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has already found a new principal!" Wu Ran replied. "Found a new principal? Have you looked into what kind of person he is?" Shen Pingchao asked. "Even without intentionally looking into the matters of the new principal, there is already plenty of news regarding him going around Hongyuan City. If I tell you his deeds, I bet you two will definitely have the shock of your life!" He had arrived in Hongyuan City just a few days ago, and considering that the news regarding the new principal was literally everywhere, it would have been hard for him not to know who the new principal was. "Have the shock of our lives?" Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao nced at one another in bewilderment before asking, "Is the new principal very famous? Could he be a representative dispatched from the headquarters?" "Of course not! The new principal is only in his early twenties, and he is a student who enrolled into the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy earlier this year. He goes by the name of Zhang Xuan!" Wu Ran said. "A student who enrolled into the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy this year?" "In his early twenties? Is this really urate?" The two principals were stunned, and they couldnt help but doubt their ears. Did the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy go insane all of a sudden? Or did they just give up on themselves? A fellow who was barely in his early twenties, inexperienced, and immature, and yet they had chosen him to be their principal? Was this for real? "Of course, this is urate! If you dont trust me, feel free to ask anyone in Hongyuan City!" Wu Ran replied with a bitter smile. "If you underestimate the new principal just because he is in his early twenties, you will be in for a great shock. I have heard a lot about him, and to date, I still find it all inconceivable." "Inconceivable? Interesting. Tell us!" Wo Tianqiong said. "Principal Wo, when you inaugurated back then, you also invited the predecessors and sought their recognition, right? How much of their recognition did you receive?" Wu Ran asked out of the blue. "I was ipetent, so I only received 45% of the predecessors recognition. Of the hundred principals in the history of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, I am only ranked seventh!" Even though Wo Tianqiong imed that he was ipetent, the slight hint of pride contained within his voice still betrayed his true thoughts. To receive a recognition of 45% among a hundred preceding principals meant that he had the recognition of more than forty of them. Evenpared to all of the preceding principals, his record was indubitably outstanding. After all, one only needed a recognition rate of 20% to clear this formality, and he had received more than twice that figure. Wu Ran turned to the blue-robed elder and asked, "What about Principal Shen?" "I only received 37% of the predecessors recognition, failing to get into even the top ten in the history of principals in the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy. I am truly ashamed," Shen Pingchao said. "45% and 37% are outstanding records, considering the difficulty of the formality. However, whenpared to the record of the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, they are indeed not worth mentioning!" Wu Ran said as he subconsciously shook his head. Disbelief was reflected in his eyes. The news he had received was simply so shocking that he found it simply impossible to ept. "You mean that... he has surpassed our records?" The two principals frowned. Chapter 925: Zhang Xuan Returns Chapter 925: Zhang Xuan Returns Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The formalities for the inauguration ceremonies of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were rather simr. It was not arrogance orcency, but their ability to impart knowledge and manage their respective Master Teacher Academies could be considered top-notch even whenpared to the preceding principals in the history of their academies. Yet, even with capabilities like theirs, they had only received 45% and 37% of their predecessors recognition. This fully reflected the difficulty of the formality. Even if a fellow in his early twenties were to start studying from his mothers womb, how capable could he possibly be? Could he really be more capable than them and have received an even higher recognition from the predecessors? "Surpassed? It is more like there is no basis forparison at all!" Seeing their expressions, how could Wu Ran be unaware of the thoughts going through the minds of his two old friends? He couldnt help but shake his head. "No basis ofparison? It cant be that... he has received a recognition rate exceeding 50%?" Shen Pingchao asked with a frown. Even at the limits of his imagination, he couldnt think of anyone achieving anything much more than that. Those who were chosen to be the principals of a Master Teacher Academy were the geniuses among geniuses, individuals who had contributed greatly to the academy in many ways. In the first ce, it was already unthinkable to have a student who had only just enrolled into the academy be the principal. Yet, could that student really have obtained more than half of the predecessors recognition? If that was the case, wouldnt the predecessors... be far toocking in their judgement? "Exceeding 50%?" Wu Ran shook his head. Noting Wu Rans response, Wo Tianqiong thought that the other party was denying the matter and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Just as I thought, how could a recognition rate of 50% be achieved that easily..." However, before Wo Tianqiong could finish his words, the other party spoke. "If it was only that much, I wouldnt have made such a fuss. The recognition rate that the new principal has achieved is... 100%!" "100%?" The two principals nearly spurted blood. You must be joking with us! Every individual had their own thoughts and preferences, and satisfying everyone, not to mention more than a hundred top-notch geniuses throughout history, was definitely impossible! This was the reason why over the years, despite the emergence of many outstanding principals, never had there been a person who had achieved a 100% recognition rate. Yet, a newly enrolled student who was barely in his early twenties had actually won the recognition of the hundred predecessors? "I know that the both of you wont believe it. However, this is the truth. There is no faking it." Wu Ran sighed deeply. When he first heard the news, his reaction had been just like the other two. His lower jaw had nearly dropped straight to the ground from shock. Had it not been for the hundred thousand witnesses present on the scene who could verify the matter, he would have definitely thought that it was a lie! "Since you are so certain of the matter, there should be no doubt." Knowing that his old friend wouldnt lie to him over such an important matter, Wo Tianqiong turned to look at him with a perplexed expression. "After inviting the predecessors to the ceremonial ground, we are only granted three sentences to speak. What did the new principal say in order to win the recognition of all of the preceding principals?" With his lips twitching uncontrobly, Wu Ran replied, "He didnt say anything much... Instead, he pummeled the wills of the predecessors instead!" "P-pu-pummeled?" Shen Pingchao and Wo Tianqiong staggered weakly. They had heard of principals uttering words to fawn on their predecessors, and they had also heard of principals bragging about their achievements in the hope of aweing them, but none had managed to achieve such outstanding results before. For pummeling to be so effective... When did the wills of the predecessors be socking in guts that they would submit to force? "Not only so, the new principal has also obtained theplete recognition of every single teacher and student in the Master Teacher Academy, thus sessfully forging the Impable Principals Seal. On top of that, during his public lecture, he induced the phenomenon of countless animals, regardless of species, be it donkeys, roosters, dogs, or cats, achieving a breakthrough to be savage beasts." Fearing that the two principals would suffer a mental breakdown, Wu Ran swiftly went through everything before they could properly muse over the implications of the matter, hoping to lessen the blow. "Impable Principals Seal..." "Countless animals achieving a breakthrough to be savage beasts..." Nevertheless, the blow still left the two principals dumbstruck for a very long time before they could regain their sanity. "Have you met the new principal?" "Not yet." Wu Ran shook his head. "When I arrived, I heard that he left around two months ago for his 6-star master teacher examination, Empire Building." "Two months? It seems like we wont have an opportunity to meet him then." "Indeed. Considering the difficulty involved in Empire Building, even if he is a truly talented individual, it will still take him a minimum of several years to seed." Hearing that the new principal was in the midst of taking the most difficult assessment for his 6-star master teacher examination, Shen Pingchao and Wo Tianqiong shook their heads in disappointment. "Several years? There is no need for that! Based on thetest news I have received... he has already cleared the test!" Wu Ran said. "Didnt you say that... he only left two months ago for the examination?" Wo Tianqiongs mouth twitched in astonishment. "Indeed. He cleared the test within two months, advancing a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire," Wu Ran replied with a nod. "..." The two principals. Just before heading there, they had still been discussing about how the students werecking worldly experience, and they should allow the students to interact with one another more so as to learn that there was a taller mountain, a person greater than themselves. However, after hearing all those words, they suddenly had a feeling that the ones who werecking worldly experience were them! It had been five hundred years since they had taken over as the principals of their respective Master Teacher Academies, and in the period of time, they had seen many different kinds of geniuses. However, they had never met one who could match that Principal Zhangs caliber! "In the Combat Master Selection, the ones who will be assessed are the students, not the principals. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy might have found an outstanding principal, but from what I know, the strength of their students is still not up to par. I guess we will see the true prowess of the new principal personally then!" "Indeed. While it is important for a principal to be a capable individually in order to win the respect of others, what is more important is his ability to bring the academy forward to greater heights. If he cant achieve that, then no matter how many predecessors recognize him or how advanced a Principals Seal he was able to form, they would merely be for show." Being the principal of the Master Teacher Academy wasnt a one-man show to disy the extent of ones capability. Rather, it was a responsibility to manage the academy effectively so as to maximize the potential of the students. If the students were unable to meet the benchmark, the principal would have failed their job regardless of how capable they were or how great a reputation they had rued. Utilizing all resources avable at hand to maximize the strength of the students, that was the core responsibility that a principal had. The Four Great Master Teacher Academies had always been in a state of rivalry, and they would be lying if they said that the emergence of such an outstanding principal in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy didnt leave them feeling pressured. At that moment, they had all made up their minds. They would have their students perform spectacrly in the Combat Master Selection so that everyone would learn that the pride of a principaly not in their own strength but the strength of their students. ... While an air of rivalry was brewing within Hongyuan City, Zhang Xuan was seated atop the Byzantium Helios Beast, on his journey back to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Empire Building was indeed worthy of its title as the most difficult 6-star master teacher examination test. Even with the means he had at hand, he had still found himself overwhelmed by the many things he had to do. Fortunately, his efforts hadnt been in vain. He had finally aplished the task at hand. Within the two months, using the five hundred high-tier spirit stones he had obtained from the Shen n and Liu n, he had also advanced his cultivation to Half-Saint pinnacle. The strength he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation had also increased from the initial 60,000,000 ding to 84,000,000 ding, granting him might superior to even the 75,000,000 ding that the average Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator wielded. With the rise in his strength, ordinarily speaking, taking into ount the 20,000,000 ding and 32,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and physical body cultivation respectively, the maximum strength he could harness should have been 136,000,000 ding, greater than a Saint realm 1-dan cultivator. However, things didnt go as nned. No matter how he cultivated, his strength just wouldnt break the 100,000,000 ding bottleneck, stopping right at 99,999,999 ding. It was as if the 100,000,000 ding was the manifestation of the difference between a Saint and a Transcendent Mortal. As long as he didnt achieve Sainthood, it would remain an unbreachable barrier. A ding of difference demarcated the gap between a deity and a mortal. However, even though Zhang Xuan was unable to wield strength exceeding 100,000,000 ding, the strong cultivation foundation that he had built up allowed him to crush even an ordinary Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage cultivator easily. More importantly, after the two months of cultivation, the zhenqi reserve he had in his body was so great that it would astound any cultivator. Using an analogy, if the zhenqi reserve of an ordinary Half-Saint cultivator was a small pond, his would be a massiveke, at least several dozen times greater than the former. In other words, if he were to release his zhenqi all at once, it would beparable to that of dozens of Half-Saint pinnacle experts. Just the notion of it in itself was fearsome. Naturally, he wasnt the only one to have achieved a breakthrough in the past two months. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er had sessfully advanced to Chrysalis realm pinnacle too. Dong Xin and Hu Yaoyao had also managed to match him, bing Half-Saint pinnacle experts themselves. To anyone else, this rate of cultivation was inconceivable and only existed in ones dream. However, after tagging along with Zhang Xuan for so long, the four of them seemed to think of it as something perfectly normal, and they even felt that they might have been cultivating a little too slow. In fact, were it not to reinforce their cultivation, they might have already achieved a breakthrough to Nascent Saint, swiftly approaching Saint realm! Under his guidance, Zhao Feiwu and Mo Yu had also reached Transcendent Mortal 5-dan. The Byzantium Helios Beast, which had been tagging along with them, through consuming the many inner cores stored in the Golden Beartiger Beasts storage ring, had also significantly advanced its cultivation, reaching Saint realm 2-dan advanced stage. The nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had also achieved breakthroughs as well, reaching Spiritual Perception realm. Two months was nothing to a cultivator, passing by with just the snap of a finger. However, it was within this seemingly short period of time that everyone around Zhang Xuan, be it beast or human, had made frightening advancements in their cultivation. At the same time, after three months of work, the Myriad Anthive Queen had expanded the Myriad Anthive Nest to around five hundred meters in diameter. The space had also be more stable, simr to a mini world. Many buildings had been constructed within, making it feasible to house several hundred or even a thousand men within. The nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge and the Byzantium Helios Beast usually lived in harmony in the nest, not interfering with one another. Zhang Xuans clone had also been cultivating its soul under the Bodhi Tree all along, and it had recently managed to achieve a breakthrough to Chrysalis realm. Speaking of which, Zhang Xuan, confident in his newfound strength, had challenged his clone to yet another battle, hoping to wash away the many humiliating defeats he had suffered at thetters hand. However, as soon as the battle started... just like the many times before, he was viciously pummeled into submission. For some reason, even though his clones soul cultivation hadnt increased by much within this period of time, the other partys strength had still grown by an even greater amount than his. Because of this matter, Zhang Xuan had been frustrated for a very long time beforeing to a realization. Perhaps, from the very start, his clone hadnt been able to utilize the full extent of the unbelievable strength contained within the Nine Hearts Lotus. However, over time, as thepatibility between his clones soul and the Nine Hearts Lotus increased, his clone would be able to draw more strength from the Nine Hearts Lotus, thus enhancing his fighting prowess. In other words, even if his clone didnt cultivate and spent its days sleeping idly, he would still disy a fighting prowess beyond ones imagination once thepatibility of his soul and the Nine Hearts Lotus became perfect! Of course, this realization sent Zhang Xuan into another downward spiral of unhappiness. Eventually, he could only sigh and ept it. It couldnt be helped. Since he wascking in innate talent, he could only make up for it through diligence. ... While Zhang Xuan was cultivating, Luo Qiqi suddenly entered the room and said, "Teacher, we have arrived at Hongyuan City. Shall we head straight to the Master Teacher Academy or..." "We have arrived?" Zhang Xuan stood up and took a look outside before saying, "Lets head to the manor first!" With School Head Mo and School Head Zhao in the Master Teacher Academy, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to worry about the matters there. For the time being, he was more interested to see how far Wang Ying and the others had progressed during his absence. He hadnt brought them to Xuanyuan Kingdom alongside him for two reasons. One, he had already taught them all they needed to know, so there was no need for them to tag along. Two, he wanted them to learn how to be independent. In a sense, this served as a test for them. He wanted to see how far they could cultivate on their own in his absence. In the end, they were the only ones who could dictate the route they wanted to take. He had been by their side, supporting them, ever since the start of their journey from Tianxuan Kingdom, and it was about time for them to learn how to advance on their own. "Alright!" Luo Qiqi nodded. Before long, the Byzantium Helios Beast began making its descend toward a resplendent manor in the middle of Hongyuan City. Chapter 926: Premature Commencement of the Combat Master Selection Chapter 926: Premature Commencement of the Combat Master Selection Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Zhang Xuan had been allocated a residence within the Master Teacher Academy with a good location and rich spiritual energy after bing the principal, he would still spend most of his time staying at the manor outside of the academy. In any case, the manor wasnt too far away from the academy, so he wouldnt be dyed much should any emergencies urred. Besides, it was much quieter than the residence in the Master Teacher Academy, and his students were living in the manor, too. Shortly afternding in the courtyard, Sun Qiang rushed forward and greeted him agitatedly. "Young Master, you are back!" Over the past two months, this fellow seemed to have gotten even rounder. His cultivation had advanced, but not by much. He had always been gluttonous andzy, and it seemed like, in Zhang Xuans absence, hed had his fair share of good food but neglected his cultivation. Knowing that the other party was unlikely to change, Zhang Xuan lectured him for a short moment before instructing, "Call Wang Ying and the others over." "Yes!" Sun Qiang replied before backing away. Not too longter, Wang Ying and the others walked into the main hall. Over the past two months, his direct disciples had made significant advances in their cultivation. It seemed like their progress hadnt slowed just because he wasnt by their side. Wang Ying had managed to reach Chrysalis realm primary stage whereas Zheng Yang and Liu Yang were at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle. Even though the cultivation of thetter two was slightly lower than Wang Yings at the moment, Zhang Xuan could tell that they were nearing their bottleneck and were likely to make a breakthrough very soon. Before Zhang Xuan departed, he had imparted the simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art to them and gave them many pills and other resources he had received from the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, which could help aid the advancement of their cultivation. As such, if their progress had been slow, they would have truly let him down. While the three of them had made significant advancement in their cultivation, Wei Ruyans cultivation had remained stagnant, still at Chrysalis realm primary stage as it was two months ago. However, this was within expectations too. Wei Ruyan had progressed simply far too quickly due to the nourishment from the massive umtion of medicinal energy in her body. While her cultivation was at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, it wouldnt be inurate topare it to a castle in the air. If she were to cultivate carelessly, it might lead to everything crumbling down instead. As such, before leaving, Zhang Xuan had left her a single goalto cultivate her way up from the very bottom, Fighter 1-dan, reinforcing every single realm of her cultivation thoroughly. Within two months, she had managed to cultivate up to Chrysalis realm primary stage. While her cultivation hadnt advanced at all, her foundation and fighting prowess had grown to be far greater than they had been when she first awoke. She was no longer the weak person whose cultivation was propped up by the mere consumption of medicine but a real Chrysalis realm cultivator both in cultivation and fighting prowess. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Unlike thezy Sun Qiang, at least his students were still reliable and didnt let him down. "At this moment, some of you are at Chrysalis realm primary stage while others are swiftly approaching it. Currently, there are two routes for you to choose from." Activating a formation to prevent any information from leaking beyond the walls, Zhang Xuan gazed at his students grimly. "I have two sets of cultivation techniques in hand. The first one will allow you to advance your cultivation swiftly, and it wont take you too long to reach Saint realm. "The second one will be significantly slower, and it will be difficult to cultivate too. However, if you seed, your fighting prowess will increase manyfold, granting you extraordinary might." The Saint Ascension Decipher was powerful, but the difficulty was steep as well. Without a resolute will, it would be impossible for one to reach the end of the path. Zhang Xuan had no intention of forcing his student into anything. Whether to cultivate the Saint Ascension Decipher or the ordinary Heavens Path Divine Art, he felt that this was a decision for them to choose for themselves. After a moment of silence, Wang Ying suddenly spoke up. "Teacher, I choose the second option!" "We also choose the second option!" Before long, the others also spoke in agreement. Having reached this point, an opportunity to increase ones fighting prowess manyfold didnte easy. They were reluctant to miss it. "Choosing the second option means that you will have to work harder and suffer more than anyone else, but even so, sess is not guaranteed at the end of the path... Have you considered this matter thoroughly?" Zhang Xuan warned grimly. Zhang Xuans students quickly replied. "We have made up our minds!" "Pain means nothing at all. As long as we can be stronger, we dont fear anything!" Seeing his students choosing the second option without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. "Thats good." From the very start, cultivation was a battle against the heavens, a tussle with fate. If they couldnt even find the courage for something like this, it was unlikely that they would be able to reach greater heights in the future even if they remained under his tutge. Zhang Xuan swiftly took out a few manuals of a simplified version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, which he hadpiled and copied earlier, and passed it on to his students. After which, he gave them some time to read and memorize the content before beginning to exin it thoroughly. The Saint Ascension Decipher was an extremelyplicated cultivation technique, and even he had struggled slightly toprehend it back then. If he didnt exin the content clearly and his students were toprehend it incorrectly, there was a good chance that a major problem might ur with their cultivation. Four hourster, after seeing that his students had a thorough understanding of the Saint Ascension Decipher, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He instructed his students to cultivate diligently and dismissed them before turning his sight back to Sun Qiang. "I believe you are well aware of the strength my teacher wields." "Yes!" Sun Qiang hurriedly responded with a nod. Even though he wasnt too sure how powerful the old master was, he was certain that thetter, at the very minimum, was an 8-star master teacher or even beyond, an existence that stood at the very top of the Master Teacher Continent. "Its good that you know. So long as he wishes, he could easily find 7-star master teachers or even 8-star master teachers to serve as his butler. If this is the limit of your potential, I think that it wont be long before my teacher changes his butler," Zhang Xuan said nonchntly. Against Sun Qiang, he could only be vicious. Otherwise, the other party would ck at every single opportunity he found. "Yes!" Cold sweat began trickling down Sun Qiangs back. In his period of time, the fawning of the Hongyuan Empire royal family and the gifts from the Shen n and the Liu n had all confused him, causing him to forget his priorities. It was only after hearing those words that it dawned on him that if he wanted to follow the young master and the old master, he would need to be more powerful. If he were tog behind the others, it wouldnt be long before he became worthless to the old master and the young master. Neither of them would spare him an additional nce. He clearly understood that without those two, he would be nothing more than an ordinary fatty. All of the prestige and wealth he enjoyed at the moment was just like the moon in ake, dissipating with a single touch. "You have been with me since Tianxuan Kingdom, and it is for your own good that I am saying these words. I hope that you know what is best for you. Alright, putting that aside for now, in the two months that I have been away, did anything happen?" After seeing that Sun Qiang understood his message, Zhang Xuan decided to stop there and asked about another matter instead. "Un. The head of the Shen n visited a while ago, saying that it was best for the Cloudmist Flower to be sold in small batches over time so as to fully capitalize on its reputation as a raremodity and maximize the profits from it. Thus, after some negotiation with them, we decided that we will release only ten jin of it every month in each empire..." Sun Qiang swiftly brought Zhang Xuan up to speed on the various business dealings. "Un, I will leave all decisions for that to you." Zhang Xuan waved his hand. He didnt possess the acute business sense that Sun Qiang and the Shen n had, so it was best for him to stay out of the matter and leave it to be professionals. "Alright. This is the first sum of profit from the sale of the Cloudmist Flower!" Seeing that the young master was uninterested in the details of the business, Sun Qiang spoke no more of it. Instead, he presented a storage ring to him. Taking it, Zhang Xuan took a look inside, and his eyes widened in shock. "So many?" A warm radiance emanated from a humongous pile of several thousand high-tier spirit stones within the storage ring. The spiritual energy that shrouded them felt so concentrated that it took ones breath away. "The profits we have earnt so far total to 3,327 high-tier spirit stones. The next sum should being in next month," Sun Qiang replied with a smile. "More than three thousand high-tier spirit stones..." Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He had spent so much effort beguiling others and taming beasts, but he had only earned a few hundred high-tier spirit stones to date. Yet, just by selling a small portion of the Cloudmist Flower, he had easily earned a profit many times greater than that. Somehow, it felt like his efforts in the past had been in vain. But nevertheless, he did need as many spirit stones as possible at the moment, so this was good news for him. Three thousand high-tier spirit stone might seem like a huge fortune, but it might not necessarilyst him till Saint realm 1-dan primary stage. Not to mention, his students had also begun cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, and their consumption of spirit stones would surely rise exponentially. On top of that, there was also the Byzantium Helios Beast and the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge. It could be said that high-tier spirit stones were disappearing in his household at every moment. Putting aside a few thousand, even several dozen thousand high-tier spirit stones wouldntst long in his household! In truth, while the Cloudmist Flower was valuable, it was still extremely difficult to sell it for such a price. Otherwise, the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge would have long initiated such a business. However, with the Earth Vein Spirit Essence being sapped dry and the mist shrouding the Cloudmist Ridge dissipating gradually, the conditions for producing Cloudmist Flowers were gradually deteriorating. As such, the Cloudmist Flower had be an exclusive and highly limitedmodity. On top of that, the Cloudmist Flowers on sale had a high maturity, and the Shen n had worked extremely hard on its marketing as well. Naturally, the price was driven up to an unbelievable extent. Sun Qiang pondered for a moment before saying, "Also, School Head Mo came by yesterday. It appears that several guests have arrived at the Master Teacher Academy, and they are looking for you!" "Looking for me? Who is it?" "It is the principals of the other three Master Teacher Academies. They seem to have arrived at Hongyuan City recently. They wish to discuss the Combat Master Selection with you," Sun Qiang reported. "They have arrived?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before recalling that the centennial Combat Master Selection was just around the corner. "I will return to the Master Teacher Academy now!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The Combat Master Selection was a huge event that urred among the Four Great Master Teacher Academies every hundred years; the pride and dignity of each and every academy was at stake. As the principal, this was a responsibility he couldnt shirk from. He swiftly left the residence and headed to the Elder Hall. Shortly after he walked into the room, he saw Zhao Bingxu rushing up to him with an anxious look on his face. "Principal Zhang, you are finally back. That is a huge relief..." Noticing that something was wrong with Zhao Bingxus state, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, "Did something happen?" "Reporting to Principal Zhang, Principal Wo Tianqiong from the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Principal Shen Pingchao from the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, and Principal Wu Ran from the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy have arrived at our academy. ording to the news we have received, the representatives from the Combat Master Hall will be arriving shortly after as well. School Head Mo is currently keeping watch, waiting to wee them in at any moment. I was also with him, but I rushed over as soon as I heard that you have returned," Zhao Bingxu said anxiously. "Isnt there some time before themencement of the Master Teacher Selection?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Back then, shortly after he returned from the Saint Ascension tform, the Golden Origin Cauldron had said that there were still three months before the Combat Master Selection began. Judging from that, there should still have been several days for him to prepare. Why would everyone arrive so quickly? "We just received news from the Combat Master Hall a moment ago that they received new orders from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters; the Four Great Master Teacher Academies are to finish the selection exercise within three days," Zhao Bingxu exined. "Such a rush?" Zhang Xuan was still intending to conduct a lecture for his academys candidates so as to raise their fighting prowess ahead of the selection, but who would have thought that the selection would begin shortly after his return? That was way too fast! "I am not too sure about the details, but the Combat Master Selection will bemencing very soon, so I have to ask Principal Zhang to head over!" Zhao Bingxu said. If Principal Zhang hadnt returned in time for the Combat Master Selection, they, as the Ten Great Master Teachers, would have had to overstep their authority to hold the fort in his absence. However, since Principal Zhang had returned just in time, it was only right for him to manage the situation personally. They had managed to find quite a handful of outstanding youths in the internal selection within the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but after seeing the candidates from the other three academies, they had no confidence whatsoever that their own candidates would be able to stand their ground against the others. There was a clear difference between their candidates and the others, and if things went as they expected, they would only have one or two candidates clearing the selection. "Lets head over to take a look." Nodding, Zhang Xuan and Zhao Bingxu swiftly made their way to the training ground. Chapter 927: I Will Give You Three Minutes Chapter 927: I Will Give You Three Minutes Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even before arriving at the training ground, Zhang Xuan and Zhao Bingxu could already see the massive crowd that had gathered in the area. Nearly every student in the academy had congregated, curious to watch the event. The bustle was evenparable to that on the day of the inauguration ceremony. The Combat Master Selection was a festive event that only happened once every hundred years. On this asion, one would be able to witness the strongest fighting power of their power ss, so there was no master teacher who would be willing to miss such an opportunity. It wasnt just the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy who were present, the master teachers from the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and even those from the surroundings empires were there, too, and each and every one of them had an excited expression that revealed their anticipation for the event that would ur very soon. "Even though the Combat Master Hall is just a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, being abat master grants one the opportunity to obtain even more resources, allowing one to cultivate faster than others. This is also the reason many hope to join their ranks," Zhao Bingxu said. Typically speaking,bat mastersmanded less prestige than master teachers. After all, as the military branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they specialized only in fighting, which meant that their capability in their supporting upations and their ability to impart knowledge, the very factors that gave rise to the master teachers prestigious standing in the world, fell beneath that of normal master teachers. However, if one could join the Combat Master Hall, the Master Teacher Pavilion would devote resources to groom them, thus allowing them to grow easier and faster than an ordinary master teacher. This was also the reason many master teachers desired to join their ranks. However, it was a pity that the requirements to be abat master were very demanding on onesbat talent. Out of ten thousand master teachers, there might not even be one who could meet the mark. Halfway through his words, Zhao Bingxu suddenly recalled the astounding battle talent that their principal possessed too, and he couldnt help but ask, "Principal Zhang, have you ever thought of bing abat master?" He might not have had much confidence in the students of their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but he had no doubt that their principal would qualify if he were to take the examination too. "Me? I have no interest!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Like Kong shi, his n was to study many upations and be a true master teacher who would spread his teachings across the world. Besides, if he were to be abat master who knew nothing but battle, how was he going to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison? As such, he didnt have much of an interest in bing abat master. "Thats a relief..." Zhao Bingxu heaved a sigh of relief. If their principal were to join the Combat Master Hall, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy would surely return back to the disunited and chaotic situation it had been in before. There was no way they would be able to find another principal who could win the recognition of every single preceding principal and held the respect and admiration of every single student and teacher. While they were speaking, they arrived at the training grounds, and the students who saw them hurriedly bowed respectfully. "Paying respects to Principal Zhang, paying respects to School Head Zhao!" "Principal Zhang has returned!" "I heard that the reason for Principal Zhangs absence was because he was challenging the Empire Building test of the 6-star master teacher examination. To have returned now, could it be that he has cleared the examination?" "Do you even need to ask? Of course, he must have cleared the examination! Given the prowess of our principal, taking a 6-star master teacher examination is nothing at all!" "Indeed! Putting aside the 6-star master teacher examination, even if he were to be a 7-star master teacher this very instant, I wouldnt be surprised at all..." ... The news swiftly rippled across the crowd, and it didnt take long for everyone present to learn that Zhang Xuan was at the training grounds. Their eyes couldnt help but light up in excitement. The emotion they harbored toward most elders was just deference for their power and authority, but toward the principal, who was younger than most of them, the emotions they felt were nothing but respect and admiration, and it was to the point where one could nearly call it blind faith. After witnessing their principal produce miracle after miracle, at this point, they wouldnt be too surprised regardless of what the other party did. Instead, they would just think of it as what ought to be the case. After gesturing with a nod at the hot-blooded students, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Zhao Bingxu and asked with a frown, "Where are other elders and the men from the other three Master Teacher Academies?" The ce was filled with students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and master teachers from the surrounding Master Teacher Pavilions, but not a single student or teacher of the other three Master Teacher Academies was anywhere to be seen. "They are currently on the flying ship." Zhao Bingxu pointed with a bitter expression. Tracing his finger, Zhang Xuan immediately saw a massive ship floating in the air, propped up by eight saint beasts both at the front and the back. Its sheer size was sufficient to block out most of the sky, and its very presence seemed to carry an indomitable air around it. Too preupied with the students on the training ground, Zhang Xuan had failed to notice the massive ship flying high in the sky instantly. Focusing his sight toward the ship, he soon noticed three old men standing on the deck with their hands behind their backs. Theymanded a grand air around them, as if conquerors who could shake the world with a wave of their hands. As for School Head Mo and the others, they were currently standing right in front of the three old men, seemingly negotiating with them. "They arenting down?" Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. To arrive at their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy but refuse to alight from their flying ship, this could be said to be disregarding the honor and prestige of their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. "School Head Mo is currently trying to invite them down, but considering how long it has been since then, it doesnt seem like its working." Zhao Bingxusplexion wasnt too good either. Instead of walking in through the entrance with their students as it should be for a formal visit, they had chosen to fly their ship all the way in instead. That was no different from barging into ones living room on a mount, and it was considered extremely disrespectful behavior. On top of that, the fact that School Head Mo and the others were speaking to them in front of the ship instead of on the ship showed that things werent going well on their end. "Tell them that I, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, invite them to the audience stand to spectate the Combat Master Selection," said Zhang Xuan. "Yes!" Zhao Bingxu nodded, but just as he was about to leave to ry their principals words, he hesitated for a moment and asked, "But... what if they still refuse toe down?" Considering that School Head Mo and the others had negotiated with the other party but to no avail, there was a good chance that the name of their principal might not work either. With a displeased frown, Zhang Xuan raised his fingers and said, "I will give them three minutes." "Three minutes?" Stunned, Zhao Bingxus lips twitched. Judging from their principals tone... it seemed like he was prepared to wreak havoc if needed to! But... of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, Hongyuan was the weakest. If they were to start something, the ones to ultimately lose out would indubitably be them too. Hesitating for a moment, Zhao Bingxu felt that he should advise their principal against that. "Principal Zhang, no matter what, they are still guests. If we make a move against them, others could easily find faults with us..." If the other party were to be pummeled at their doorstep, wouldnt they suffer the same fate when they arrived at the other partys doorstep a hundred yearster? "Make a move against them? You are overthinking it." Zhang Xuan shook his head and shot Zhao Bingxu a look of disdain. "We are master teachers, cultured individuals, so how can we resort to violence just because things dont go as we wish? Besides, the three principals are 7-star master teachers. Even if we wish to make a move against them, we have to be able to defeat them first!" As 7-star master teachers, even with the most conservative of estimates, they had to be at Saint realm 2-dan. Unless Zhang Xuan were to have the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Byzantium Helios Beast, and the Myriad Anthive Queen attack them simultaneously, it would be difficult for him to achieve victory. Besides, to resort to violence right from the start, how could the Master Teacher Academy lower itself to such brutish measures? As master teachers, they were all dignified members of society. Naturally, they should be using civilized means befitting their standing to deal with conflict! "Cough cough!" Feeling Zhang Xuans disdainful gaze on him, Zhao Bingxu couldnt help but feel an extremely stifled sensation in his chest. "Then... the three minutes you spoke of..." If it was another principal who had said that he was a cultured person, he would have believed it without any hesitation! But the man before him... he rummaged through everything in his brain but just couldnt find any reason to believe those words! Would a cultured person challenge another to a Physician Life-and-Death Duel without any hesitation? Would a cultured person reduce a huge chunk of the entire Physician School to ruins on a whim? Would a cultured person dismantle a puppet into its respective parts just because it wouldnt submit to him? Could anyone be less cultured than him? "Oh... What I mean is that if they are still up there by the end of three minutes, I will just have to use my own way to invite them down!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand leisurely. "Alright, just go ahead and do as Ive told you to." "Ahh... Alright then," Zhao Bingxu replied with an uneasy frown, apprehensive of what their principal would do. However, since their principal had already issued such an order, he would just have to do as instructed. Thus, he leaped up and made his way toward the flying ship. ... In the sky, School Head Mo and the others looked at the three old men and the many students behind them standing on the deck with looks of helplessness. Just as Zhao Bingxu had said, they had been negotiating with the other party for a very long time, but the other party just wouldnt go down. On top of that, as fellow master teachers, they couldnt possibly do anything that could be considered a breach of etiquette, thus resulting in the awkward standstill they were in. "Elders of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, you should return for the time being. We wont be sending you off," Wo Tianqiong said with a smile as he stroked his beard. "This..." Seeing that he was unable to convince the other party to alight from the ship, School Head Mo and the others sighed deeply. Just as they were about to give up and head down, they suddenly saw Zhao Bingxu flying up. "Principals, I am School Head Zhao Bingxu of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Our principal invites you and your students down for a gathering." Zhao Bingxu sped his fist respectfully. "Your principal has arrived?" The three principals immediately turned their gazes downward to catch a glimpse the legendary new principal that they had heard so many rumors about, but there were simply far too many people below; it was hard for them to find the other party, especially considering they knew nothing about the other partys appearance. "That is indeed the case." Zhao Bingxu nodded. "Since he is here, I wont make things harder for you all anymore. Ry our message to him. We will send our men down to participate in the Combat Master Selection when it begins. We wont cause any unnecessary dys, so he doesnt have to worry about that," Wo Tianqiong said. "This..." Seeing that the three principals had no intention of budging, Zhao Bingxu recalled their principals words, and the feeling of uneasiness he felt suddenly intensified. Anxious, he urged, "Principals, I think that it will be best for you to head down now. Our principal... doesnt have the best of tempers, and he has the uncanny ability to realize the seemingly unexpected and impossible. It wouldnt be good if some unhappiness were to arise among our academies out of this matter." Their principal hadnt said what he intended to do, but this only served to worsen Zhao Bingxus apprehension. His words were extremely earnest, but to the ears of those hearing them, it sounded as if he was threatening them instead. "Doesnt have the best of tempers? Unhappiness? Hah, he just became the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but his head is already in the moon?" Shen Pingchao was the first to re up. His face darkened as he said in displeasure, "A young man like him shouldnt getcent and think that he is the entire world just because he has achieved some aplishments of his own. Our Luoqing Master Teacher Academy does not belong to him, and there is no reason we should listen to his words! I will say this clearly, I wont be alighting from this ship today. What is your principal going to do about it, is he going to force me down from this ship?" "Principal Shen is right. If we refuse to alight from this ship, is your Hongyuan going to make a move on us? Tell your principal that youth is not a reason for recklessness. One must be absolutely careful with his words. I was still rather impressed with him after hearing about his feats, but to think that he would be such acent individual instead. You should start praying that his arrogance doesnt lead to Hongyuans downfall instead!" Flinging his sleeves, Wu Ran harrumphed with a livid expression. Bad temper? Unhappiness? Does that new principal really think that he can climb over our heads that easily? Even if some unhappiness does arise, with the three of our academies on the same side, the one to suffer will be you! "I... That isnt what I mean..." Not expecting his kind advice to be misunderstood in such a manner, Zhao Bingxu hurriedly tried to rify his earlier statement, but he just couldnt find the words to do so properly. In an instant, he panicked even more. Their principal had given him the time limit of only three minutes. Given the other partys personality, who knew what he would do? If he were to have dispatch all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge to encircle the flying ship and attack it, there would be an intense battle even before the Combat Master Selection began! If that was the case, the Four Great Master Teacher Academies would be aughingstock of the entire Master Teacher Continent! "That isnt what you mean? What else do you mean then? Why dont you tell us what your principal instructed you to tell us word for word then?" Gazing at Zhao Bingxu with eyes as sharp as an eagle, Wo Tianqiong could tell that the other party had words that he was hesitant to say. "Our principal..." Zhao Bingxu was conflicted, but he knew that it would onlyplicate matters if he were to continue hiding it at this point. Thus, gritting his teeth, he said, "He said that he hopes for you toe down within three minutes, or else... he will have to find other ways to resolve this problem..." "Three minutes?" Hearing those words, School Head Mo and the others nearly keeled over. Doomed... At this rate, a battle would really ur! Chapter 928: Masochists Chapter 928: Masochists Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Three minutes?" "Find other ways to resolve the problem?" "What an arrogant fellow! Fine, lets remain on this ship then. I sure would like to see how he intends to resolve this problem!" The three principals were also visibly stunned for a brief moment before theirplexions darkened even further. They had been wondering what words the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had instructed Zhao Bingxu to ry to them, but to think that this would be it! A newly inaugurated principal actually showed dared to speak to them, 7-star master teachers, so arrogant, devoid of any respect... You are asking for it! Since this is how arrogant you wish to y, fine! Four can y the game! Lets see what you can do about us then! "Principal Wo, Principal Shen, Principal Wu..." Seeing that the trio had already flown into a rage before he could finish his words, Zhao Bingxu felt extremely distressed. By saying that their principal had a bad temper, he was only intending it as earnest advice to the three principals out of goodwill. He hadnt expected that those words wouldplicate matters further. "Speak no more. Leave!" Wo Tianqiong waved his hands coldly. "This..." Seeing that their minds were made up, Zhao Bingxu could only shake his head. Together with School Head Mo and the others, they headed back to the training ground. Soon after the group from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy left, the three principals traded gazes and shook their heads. "That Principal Zhang of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy sure sounds like an interesting person." Shen Pingchao chuckled softly, the displeasure and anger on his face from before disappearingpletely. "Indeed. We intended to pose this flying ship as a test to see if he could resolve this problem perfectly, but from the looks of it... he sure is a hot-tempered person!" Wo Tianqiong sighed deeply. As 7-star master teachers and the principals of their respective Master Teacher Academies, it was natural that they knew how disrespectful their behavior was. The reason they did so nevertheless was not because they looked down on Hongyuan and wanted to provoke it, but because they wished to assess the capability of the newly-appointed principal for themselves and see how he would deal with such a difficult situation. In a sense, it could be seen as a test they were posing to the other party as veteran principals. After all, the principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were considered fellow peers, and they wanted to see if a twenty-year-old fellow was qualified to be one of their own. In truth, this problem also wasnt a difficult one to resolve. Going by normal conventions, as long as the other party had prepared a simple banquet for them and personally headed up to invite them down humbly, owing to the other partys sincere attitude, they would have had to drop their airs andply. Yet, that fellow had refused to lower his head, even threatening them with a time limit of three minutes, saying that he would take his own measures should they refuse toe down. He sure was arrogant! "It is not really a bad thing for a young person to be hot-blooded and arrogant, but too much of it will only impede his development!" Wu Ran shook his head. "In any case, this should do well to quell his arrogance. Hopefully, this will teach him that being talented shouldnt serve as a reason for him to behave haughtily!" "Thats right." Shen Pingchao nodded. "In truth, I am starting to feel a little curious as to the reason he dared utter such arrogant words. I wonder what his method of inviting us down will be." "Well, we will know soon enough." The trio nced at one another and chuckled softly. Barely after they had startedughing, a voice reminiscent of the chiming of bells sounded deafeningly in the air. "Moo!" It sounded like the roaring of thunder and the stampede of thousands of beasts at the same time. "What is that?" rmed, the trio straightened their postures, prepared to make a move if necessary. However, before they could even react, they suddenly noticed that the bodies of the sixteen saint beasts propping up the flying ship were sinking. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Before anyone could release a scream of agony, the ship abruptly descended with increasing momentum to the ground. The Cloudcliff Flying Ship was several dozen meters long, and it was dependent on the sixteen saint beasts to remain afloat in the air. With all of the saint beasts being incapacitated all of a sudden, it lost all of its support simultaneously and began on an unstoppable free fall downwards. "The Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons! That fellow used the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons to suppress the saint beasts! This is disastrous..." Exerting his zhenqi, Wo Tianqiong stopped in midair, but watching the flying ship fall beneath him, his mouth couldnt help but twitch uncontrobly. The saint beasts supporting the Cloudcliff Flying Ship were all saint beasts who possessed the Dragon Bloodline. Such saint beasts possessed extraordinary physical prowess, making their flight speed and endurance far superior to their counterparts. As such, they were the ideal candidates to drive the flying ship. If one had to pick a w regarding them, it would only be their natural deference toward those who possessed the Pureblooded Dragon Bloodline But Pureblooded Dragons had already disappeared from the world many years ago. As such, there should have been no one who could exploit this w, and it should have been safe for them to use those Dragon Bloodline saint beasts. Who could have known that the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons, something that everyone thought had gone missing many years ago along with the Pureblooded Dragons, would ring out all of a sudden! Wasnt it said that these notes could only be voiced by those of the Dragon Tribe? How could a human possibly voice it? Not to mention, with such astounding prowess that even these Saint realm beasts would sumb to it at that! But while he was in disbelief, he didnt just freeze on the spot. He swiftly gathered apressedyer of air beneath the Cloudcliff Flying Ship in order to slow its descent to a gradual halt. Shen Pingchao and Wu Ran also swiftly recovered from their shock and assisted him. The Cloudcliff Flying Ship might have been massive, but the strength of three 7-star master teachers was tremendous, too. Under theirbined efforts, they eventually managed to stop the descent of the flying ship safely in midair. However, barely after they had heaved a sigh of relief, yet another sound echoed from beneath. "Mou!" Hong long! The sound wasnt loud, but it carried great prating power, reverberating in the ears of all clearly. In an instant, the sixteen saint beasts, whose bodies had been stiffened immobile and tongues were hanging from their mouths from the earlier sound, suddenly went into a rampage and charged downward, tugging the flying ship that was connected to them by a harness along with them. Due to their furious charge, the massive ship, which had juste to a halt through theborious effort of the three principals, was suddenly dragged down once more. It was already sufficiently difficult to prop up that heavy flying ship, but with the incredible might of sixteen powerful saint beasts acting against them on top of that, there was no way the three principals could possibly hold on. Thus, the flying ship began falling once more. Hong long long... Boom! A huge cloud of dust rose up as the floating Cloudcliff Flying Ship crashed into the ground, creating a huge depression. The students, who had been standing on the deck, were forcefully thrown off the ship. Due to the massive impact from the crash, some of the students who possessed lower cultivation sustained severe injuries even before participating in the Combat Master Selection. Even those who had higher cultivation felt the zhenqi in their body going into disarray from the impact, and they couldnt help but be dumbfounded by the abrupt happenings. Not only were those from the three Master Teacher Academies stunned by the turn of events, even School Head Mo and the others, who had just returned to the ground, found their mouths twitching uncontrobly upon seeing this sight. They had thought that the time limit their principal hade up with was just for show, but who would have thought that he was really serious? Didnt the heritage regarding the tongue of the Dragon Tribe disappear a long time ago? Furthermore, to speak it with apparent fluency, just how did their principal learn it? At that moment, the three principals, who had been still standing grandly a moment ago, suddenly plummeted down from the sky andnded onto the deck of the ship. Dust cloaked their faces, leaving them in an indescribably unkempt state. School Head Mo and the others hurriedly asked, "Are you all fine?" The three principals had shouldered the weight of the flying ship and the rampaging might of sixteen saint beasts simultaneously, and even with their Saint realm 2-dan and 3-dan cultivation, it was still beyond what they could withstand. It was already fortunate that they werent too severely injured from it. Zhao Bingxu felt his head spinning furiously as he muttered beneath his breath, "Principal Zhang, is this what you mean by cultured?" The other party had just told him that he would resolve the matter in a mature manner befitting cultured individuals that master teachers should be... and barely a few momentster, such was the sight that had unfolded before him. Is this what you mean by cultured? Who in the world has ever seen a cultured man throwing his guests off from their flying ship, and on top of that... even crashing the other partys ship? Zhao Bingxu swiftly searched through the crowd for their principal so as to reason with him, to have him know that such actions were unconducive for the rtions between the Four Great Master Teacher Academies. However, when he found the young man he was looking, Zhang Xuan was standing right in front of the saint beasts that had been propping up the flying ship. Pilip! A series of punches and kicks, and in the next moment, the saint beasts released excited calls, and sixteen droplets of fresh blood flew out from their bee, headed toward the young man. Sealing of contracts, the saint beasts had acknowledged their new master! "The heck!" "Not only did our principal crash their flying ship, he even tamed their saint beasts?" The Ten Great Master Teachers werepletely dumbstruck by the inconceivable sight before them. "Alright!" Patting the dust from his hands, Zhang Xuan raised his hand, and the saint beasts swiftly undid the harnesses around their bodies and gathered in a neat line before him, as if soldiers forming up before theirmander. Each of their heads were tilted upward proudly, as if delighted with the new master they had acknowledged. Since they had refused toe down even after his invitation, he could only find another way to invite them down. In truth, Zhang Xuan had already noticed that the sixteen saint beasts possessed the Dragon Bloodline at first sight. Since that was the case, the solution couldnt have been any simpler. The Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons and a bout of taming did the job. Even though these sixteen were saint beasts, they only had the cultivation of Saint realm 1-dan primary stage. Given Zhang Xuans current strength and the fact that those saint beasts were still affected by the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons, it didnt take him too much effort to tame them. Since you were the ones who were being disrespectful first, there is no need for me to uphold etiquette with you. We can talk about it slowly after I tame these saint beasts of yours! "This..." Climbing up from the remains of the flying ship, Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. We were only trying to assess you to see how well you can adapt to difficult situations... Surely you didnt need to go so far as to destroy such a precious flying ship and steal those sixteen saint beasts. Not to mention, I had to serve those saint beasts the best food and drinks just to make them work for me. It is one thing for them to betray me, but what is with the proud look on their faces? Do you need to be so smug about taking that fellow as your master? They had heard that the other party often did things beyond ones expectations, but this... it was not just beyond expectations, it was beyondmon decency! "He is Principal Zhang? I see... I should have guessed it!" Contrary to the stifled looks on the faces of the other two principals, as soon as Wu Ran saw Zhang Xuans appearance, his body immediately began trembling in agitation. He had heard about the many incredible deeds of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academys new principal, but he had never seen the other party in person. Never would he have thought that it would be the young man who had pointed out the ws in Kong shis insight on the Saint Ascension tform and received Kong shis acknowledgement! Back then, when the young man abruptly disappeared, he had spent several days searching for him around the Saint Ascension tform but to no avail. Just when he thought that he had lost the opportunity to converse with that outstanding young man and learn from him... it turned out that the other party was the legendary principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! If he had known earlier, he would have definitely paid the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy a visit long ago. There were many lingering questions and doubts in his mind, which he wanted to consult the other party about! Back then, he had been thinking that it was impossible for such an outstanding young man to be buried amid the dusta true star would eventually outshine those around himand it seemed like that was indeed the case! As a person who had been acknowledged by Kong shi himself, earning the recognition of the many preceding principals was a piece of cake! The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Eventually, unable to hold himself back any longer, he rushed forward to the young man and greeted him. "Wu Ran of the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy pays respect to Zhang shi!" "It seems like we meet once again," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Yes!" Wu Ran sped his fist and nodded excitedly. "This..." The Ten Great Master Teachers and innumerable students nced at one another, overwhelmed with frenzy by the sight before them. Those principals, who had been standing haughtily on their flying ship a moment ago, refusing toply with School Head Mo and the others, had suddenly had such a huge change in attitude after crashing down, greeting their principal like a humble student... Could it be that these principals also suffered from the same affliction that gued the preceding principals, willing toply only after undergoing a round of pummeling? In other words... masochists? Chapter 929: Compensation Chapter 929: Compensation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Cough cough! So, you are Principal Zhang! I have heard much about you, and you are indeed an outstanding individual!" It took a long while before Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao flew over awkwardly from the rubble to meet Zhang Xuan. Had they known that it would end with such embarrassment, they would have just alighted from the ship immediately. After suffering such a heavy and embarrassing fall, the towering and otherworldly image they had built with great difficulty had shattered into bits too. "Junior Zhang Xuan pays respect to Principal Wo and Principal Shen!" Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. As a 6-star master teacher, he couldnt show any breach in etiquette toward a 7-star master teacher, or else the other party would be able to easily criticize his behavior. "As fellow principals, we can be considered peers, so there is no need to uphold such formalities with us. Principal Zhang, it was indeed impolite of me to drive my flying ship into your Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but... may I ask of you to return my saint beasts to me?" Wo Tianqiong asked with a livid face as he sped his fist. As an artifact, the Cloudcliff Flying Ship wasnt so fragile as to be destroyed with a single crash. While it did suffer a certain degree of damage, it was still within an eptable range and could be repaired. However, those saint beasts were valuable assets of their Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, and even with the great wealth they possessed, it would be a huge blow to lose them! Furthermore, without those saint beasts, how were their students and teachers supposed to return to the academy after the Combat Master Selection came to an end? Qingyuan Conferred Empire had vast territories, and the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were located very far from one another. Even on the Cloudcliff Flying Ship, it still took them more than a month to get there. If they were to travel on foot, those who hadnt reached Saint realm would probably first die of old age before returning back! With a conflicted expression, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, "It is not really a problem for me to return them to you, but..." "But what?" Wo Tianqiong asked. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan replied, "To be honest, for this Combat Master Selection, our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy invited top-notch gardeners to put up exquisite sights for those present to enjoy. For that, we purchased many valuable artifacts in order to bring out magnificent aesthetics worthy of the asion, and as a result, we are still knee-deep in debt at the moment. Yet, your flying ship has destroyed everything with its crash. Considering the wealth that your Yunxu Master Teacher Academy has, is it possible... for you topensate us for that? If you are willing to do so, I will surely return your saint beasts immediately!" The fall of the Cloudcliff Flying Ship had caused a huge depression in the ground, and many of the academys buildings had been reduced to rubble. "Top-notch gardeners? Exquisite sights? Valuable artifacts?" Wo Tianqiongs mouth twitched. It was not like he couldnt see the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy from his flying ship, and he knew that those were ordinary buildings. Furthermore, exquisite sights? Valuable artifacts? He had taken a look when the ship crashed to the ground, and the wreckage only covered an ordinary square and several streets. Despite knowing this, he had no choice but to go along with whatever the other party was saying since his saint beasts were being held captive by the other party. Thus, sping his fist, Wo Tianqiong asked, "May I know how much it will cost?" "I am not too sure about it either. As you all know, it hasnt been long since I became the principal, so I am not too sure about such matters either. Why dont I help you ask around?" Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan beckoned School Head Mo over and asked, "School Head Mo, I need you toe up with an estimate for the cost of repairing the buildings and artifacts that Principal Wos flying ship has destroyed." "Yes!" School Head Mo nodded before flying into the air to assess the damage. A momentter, he returned and informed Zhang Xuan through zhenqi telepathy, "Principal Zhang, the flying ship has destroyed a total of eight buildings and threekes. All in all, the reparation cost should add up to around... two high-tier spirit stones!" Even though it might seem as if high-tier spirit stones were not worth much, given the astounding pace at which Zhang Xuan was consuming them, their purchasing power was not to be scoffed at. The area that the flying ship had crashed into didnt have any important amenities, so two high-tier spirit stones was more than sufficient to repair them perfectly. "What did you say?" As if he couldnt believe what he had heard, Zhang Xuan eximed in shock as a frown surfaced on his forehead. "20,000 high-tier spirit stones? Are you sure that is sufficient to fix the amenities perfectly?" "20,000..." School Head Mo was dumbstruck by Zhang Xuans response. When did I say twenty thousand? I clearly said two high-tier spirit stones... "Those exquisite buildings were not only carefully built by the hands of top-notch masters, they are also symbolic of the sweat and tears of our predecessors, an important heritage of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! Its value is not something that can be measured with just money! Take a closer look beforeing up with another estimate. Dont worry, the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy is the leading academy of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies. Given their prestige and wealth, they wont stoop so low as to avoiding payment!" Zhang Xuan said. "Keng..." School Head Mos lips twitched. With a questioning tone, he asked, "Then... about 25,000? Or perhaps 30,000?" "Are you certain 30,000 is enough?" Zhang Xuan asked sternly. "30,000... does seem to be insufficient now that you mention it. How about 50,000?" School Head Mos eyelids were twitching uncontrobly as he spoke. "50,000? We need that many high-tier spirit stones to repair the amenities? Well, I guess that is to be expected. Those are the legacies that our predecessors have left in our hands, and we cant measure them with just mere money." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before turning an apologetic gaze to Wo Tianqiong. "Principal Wo, just as you have heard, the destruction the flying ship has caused to our academy is simply too great. We will require roughly 50,000 high-tier spirit stones in order to restore it to its original state." Hearing those words, Wo Tianqiongs eyelids twitched uncontrobly. Can you be any faker than that? Those lousy amenities of yours wont even cost five high-tier spirit stones to repair... but the price you are telling me is 50,000? Do you take me for a fool? However, he knew that the other party was intentionally hiking up the price in order to repay the favor. Well, he was indeed the one who had been disrespectful first. Sighing helplessly, Wo Tianqiong shook his head and offered apromise, "Cough cough. Principal Zhang, it was indeed discourteous of me to have my flying ship barge into the grounds of your academy. For this, allow me to earnestly apologize to you for my breach of etiquette. How about this, why dont you allow my Yunxu to repair your amenities for you? I guarantee that they will be exactly the same as before." Noting the other partys courteous attitude, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, "You are offering to repair our amenities for us? I cant expect Principal Wo to do that for us! However, it happens that our academy is stillcking a grade-7 Spirit Gathering Formation, so if Principal Wo is willing to have one set up for us, we will take care of the reparations ourselves." Bringing a massive ship to my academy, are you trying to put on airs before me? You should be d that I am willing to back down with just this. Otherwise, my airs would be able to easily crush you into the ground! "A grade-7 Spirit Gathering Formation?" Hearing those words, Wo Tianqiongs cheeks began to twitch. To set up a grade-7 formation, not only would one have to invite 7-star formation masters over, one would have to purchase grade-7 formation gs as well. Each one of those grade-7 formation gs cost a huge fortune, and to buy enough of them to construct a formation covering an entire academy and capable of operating for many years... The cost was nothing short of terrifying! But judging from the other partys expression, this seemed to be the other partys bottom line. If he were to turn this down as well, it was likely that he wouldnt be getting back his saint beasts. Sixteen saint beasts that possessed the Dragon Bloodline, that was a huge fortune to their academy! Furthermore, for them to be kidnapped before their eyes, that was a huge disgrace to the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy. He had to get them back no matter the cost! Thus, after a moment of hesitation, Wo Tianqiong finally clenched his jaw and replied, "Alright, I will agree to your request!" "Principal Wo sure is generous; you have my respect!" Zhang Xuan sped his fist politely before turning to the saint beasts behind him and flicking his wrists consecutively to return their droplets of blood, thus releasing their master-servant contract. "Alright, you are free now. You should return to Yunxu." Roar roar roar! Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the saint beasts howled indignantly, unwilling to part from him. As ones who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, they understood the significance behind the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragons. The person before them was very likely a transformation of a Pureblooded Dragon. It wasnt easy for them to take him as their master, and they took pride in the very fact. Yet, in the next moment, their contracts were dispelled, so it was natural that they would feel indignant. Seeing the reactions of those saint beasts, Wo Tianqiong gritted his teeth and promised, "If you return to Yunxu, I will double your provisions!" Roar! Hearing his promise, the sixteen saint beasts hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly returning back to the Cloudcliff Flying Ship, unhappy and disappointed. Watching this sight, Wo Tianqiong felt incredibly stifled within, and he had to calm himself for a long while before he could catch his breath. He had heard that Principal Zhang was a person who had the uncanny ability to realize the seemingly unexpected and impossible, and after seeing it in person, he couldnt help but fervently agree with it. Indeed, the other party was indeed so skilled at realizing the unexpected that he felt that he might die from stress if it were to happen a few more times. Just after he eased the pain in his chest, the young man opposite to him suddenly sighed deeply and said, "If you really wish to follow me, you can always secretly return after sending them back to Yunxu." Roar roar roar! The sixteen saint beasts immediately howled in frenzied delight. Wo Tianqiong suddenly felt the intense ache in his chest return, threatening to take his life away. What the heck is this? You cant do that! At this rate, I fear that I will die of rage even before the Combat Master Selection begins. He had been pumped up when he first arrived, thinking that with the experts Yunxu had, they would surely achieve unprecedentedly good results this time around. Who could have known that even before the Combat Master Selection had begun, he would already be done in badly by the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Just thinking about the matter left him incredibly frustrated inside. Driving his zhenqi to suppress the pain in his chest, Wo Tianqiong said, "Alright. Now that we have resolved this problem, lets talk about how we should proceed for the Combat Master Selection." "Indeed. The reason we are gathered here today is for the centennial Combat Master Selection, so we should get to the main topic at hand!" Shen Pingchao said. "Combat masters represent the top fighting power within the Master Teacher Pavilion, and they are the sharpest des that mankind has to fend off the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, we have to deal with this matter carefully." "That is a given." Zhang Xuan nodded. He had only given them a small punishment for their disrespect toward the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy previously. After that was settled, he would still have to coborate with them closely on the Combat Master Selection so as to not impede such an important matter. Putting aside the matter from before, Wo Tianqiong said grimly, "The slots for the Combat Master Selection this round have been doubled. On previous asions, only fifty students were epted over the five grades for the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, but this time around, they are epting a hundred!" "epting a hundred?" This was the first time Zhang Xuan was hearing about the slots for the Combat Master Selection, and he couldnt help but be astonished. Over the five grades, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had more than a hundred thousand students. Even though he wasnt too sure about the numbers for the other three Master Teacher Academies, considering their superior standing to Hongyuan, their numbers likely exceeded Hongyuans. In other words, using even the most conservative of estimates, out of a total of 400,000 students across the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, only a hundred people were epted into the Combat Master Hall once every century! In other words, the ratio was 1 in 4000! Furthermore, if they were to consider the norm of fifty slots, the ratio would rise to 1 in 8000. It was no wonder others viewed entering the Combat Master Hall as a great prestige, it was extremely difficult to join! "While the number of slots did increase, the selection has be stricter as well. I heard that there might even be life-and-death duels!" Shen Pingchao continued. "Life-and-death duels?" Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing those words. "Indeed. Unlike normal master teachers, the sole responsibility forbat masters is to fight and fend off the dangers threatening humanity. Without undergoing a life-and-death situation, how can they disy fighting prowess surpassing the ordinary?" Wu Ran said. Chapter 930: Impartation Ahead of the Battle Chapter 930: Impartation Ahead of the Battle Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Thats true." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Without undergoing the experience and fear from a life-and-death situation, it was difficult for one to sharpen their state of mind and maximize their fighting potential. Zhang Xuan might not have cultivated for long, but a crucial reason why he was able to attain the fighting prowess he currently possessed was due to the numerous life-and-death situations he had been in. There was no expert who had be strong without paying the corresponding price for it. Most master teachers were already skilled fighters themselves, and bing abat master meant being the cream of the crop among the master teachers. To be able to surpass the already powerful master teachers, it went without saying that one would have to put in much more effort than the others. Just taking Zhang Xuan for example, in order to attempt to cultivate a higher-grade Origin Core, he had spent two whole months only to cultivate from Half-Saint primary stage to Half-Saint pinnacle. If it had been an ordinary Heavens Path Divine Art, he would have already been a Saint realm expert by now. This was the amount of effort and hard work that one would have to put in! "May I know what form the Combat Master Selection will take? Have you heard any news about it?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I am not too sure about the details, but the norm is to conduct an elimination tournament among the candidates; the top fifty will be selected to join the Combat Master Hall." The rules of the selection might change each and every time, but the fundamental prerequisite to bing abat master would never change, and that was to possess fighting prowess superior to the otherpetitors! Regardless of how, under the circumstances that one didnt utilize any special artifact or tamed beast, as long as one was able to defeat the otherpetitors of the same grade, one would be the ultimate victor. "An elimination tournament..." Zhang Xuan nodded. That was indeed the most straightforward and fairest way to sieve out the strongest ones among the candidates, but its w was also apparent as wellthe lives of the candidates could potentially be put at risk. In an important selection like this, there was no room for holding back. Candidates would be forced to use their full strength, and casualties were inevitable under such circumstances. At this moment, Wo Tianqiong suddenly proposed with a smile, "Right, since the representatives from the Combat Master Hall have not arrived yet, why dont we have our candidates disy their prowess so that they can prepare themselves for what is toe? This way, they should be able to keep their nerve in the selectionter on and exert their greatest fighting prowess!" "Indeed. This will also give them a glimpse into the strength of theirpetitors as well." "It is important for master teachers to interact more with one another so that they can improve. If a person just keeps to themself, their worldly view will only be narrowed, thus limiting their growth!" Shen Pingchao and Wu Ran nodded in agreement. "That sounds good." With three of the principals expressing their approval for the matter, it wouldnt be good for Zhang Xuan to disagree. Besides, this would be good for Hongyuans candidates as well. They would be able to prepare themselves mentally for what was toe. Having received unanimous approval regarding the disy of power, the principals swiftly issued several instructions to their teachers, and before long, hundreds of students with cultivation ranging from Consonant Spirit realm to Chrysalis realm emerged from the flying ship. Just like the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other Master Teacher Academies had also selected twenty men for each of the five grades, meaning that there were a hundred candidates from each academy. The emergence of the three hundred geniuses from the three other Master Teacher Academies put a huge amount of pressure on the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began assessing them carefully. Each of them hadpact muscles, and their zhenqi was rich and condensed. They were definitely qualified to be considered experts among those of their cultivation realm. "School Head Mo, bring our candidates over," Zhang Xuan instructed. School Head Mo nodded, and not too longter, the hundred candidates the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had chosen appeared in the training grounds. This was the first time Zhang Xuan had seen the candidates of his academy, andparing them to the candidates from the other academies, he couldnt help but shake his head. The candidates from Hongyuan were of the same age range and cultivation realms as the other candidates, but in terms of disposition and richness of zhenqi, it was clear that they werecking. If they were to really fight in an elimination tournament, it was highly likely that only a pitifully small number of them would be able to clear the selection. It was no wonder even the Ten Great Master Teachers themselves had forgotten about a matter as major as the Combat Master Selection before, needing the reminder of the Golden Origin Cauldron. It seemed like the Combat Master Selection was indeed nothing much to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and on the contrary, it could even be considered a source of shame that no one was willing to speak about. As time passed, everyone had eventually forgotten about the matter. "I am a Grade-1 student from the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Wei Chang!" As the four hundred students participating in the Combat Master Selection settled down before a dueling tform, a student from the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy leaped onto the stage, and with a jerk of his arm, a powerful aura burst into the air. Perhaps due to the immense amount of zhenqi gushing through his acupoints, a whistling sound could be heard from his body. Despite only possessing the cultivation of Consonant Spirit realm, hemanded an aura that felt as though he could pierce through the heaven. "Powerful!" "Indeed! With such strength, there are probably very few Grade-2 students who can rival him..." "I definitely wouldnt be a match for him at all..." "Formidable! As expected of Yunxu, which is ranked first among the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, their students are indeed extraordinary!" ... Seeing Wei Changs disy of power, the Grade-1 students beneath the dueling tform couldnt help but show grim expressions. Despite being at Consonant Spirit realm too, the other partys strength was clearly far beyond theirs. Putting aside Grade-1 students like them, even Grade-2 students, Cosmos Bridge realm cultivators, would struggle to be a match for him. Just that single move had managed to strike fear in their hearts. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan frowned. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the disy of power, but this could easily create undue mental pressure on the rtively weaker Hongyuan candidates. It seemed like the other principals were trying to vie back some dignity after the fall. "I am a Grade-1 student from the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Lin..." "I am a Grade-1 student from the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy..." ... Soon, all of the Grade-1 students of the other three Master Teacher Academies had made their round on the dueling tform. Even though their cultivation was only at Consonant Spirit realm, the aura and disposition they exuded revealed a hint of the immense fighting prowess they could potentially disy. There were a couple who possessed unique constitutions, which easily granted them a might far greater than their peers when activated. They werentcking even whenpared to Wang Ying and the others when they had still been at Consonant Spirit realm. On the other hand, the candidates from Hongyuan were truly unimpressive inparison. Not only were their physical conditions beneath that of their opponents, even theirprehension of battle techniques was vastly inferior as well. If they were to fight the other candidates in a duel, it wouldnt matter much if they lost, but if things went wrong, they could stand to be severely injured. Of the twenty Grade-1 students selected, there were only one or two who could still stand their ground against the others. The rest stood no chance at all. But that was to be expected. It must have been at least three months since the other academies selected their candidates, and on the long journey to Hongyuan, they would have received the personal guidance from a 7-star master teacher as well. It would have been difficult for them to not have raised their fighting prowess in such a situation. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had only returned from Xuanyuan Kingdom not too long ago, and this was his first time meeting Hongyuans candidates, leaving him no chance to offer them his guidance. Given so, how could Hongyuans candidates possibly match up to the others? Even if School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others had guided them personally, limited by their eye of discernment and knowledge, their impartation would still be unable to match up to a 7-star master teacher. This... How can we win this? Zhang Xuan rubbed his temples in distress. Even before the selection had begun, the confidence of Hongyuans candidates had already been shattered to bits. Given their current state, they probably wouldntst several blows from their opponents in the duelter on. After which, the Grade-2, Grade-3, Grade-4, and Grade-5 candidates headed up to disy their strength, and the fighting prowess that Hongyuans candidates disyed was truly unsatisfactory. Of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, the candidates from Yunxu were the strongest. Each and every one of them was capable of challenging opponents beyond their cultivation, making them difficult adversaries to face. If only Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and the others hadnt achieved a breakthrough. He had offered his personal guidance to them, and after the duel they had with Wu Xu, their fighting prowess had soared significantly. If they were to be participate in the Combat Master Selection as well, there was a very good chance that they would have been able to win some slots for the Grade-5 ss. However, it was a pity that they had already achieved a breakthrough to Half-Saint, thus losing the qualification to do so. Zhang Xuan did conduct lectures for the Xuanxuan Faction from time to time, but as freshmen, their starting point was too low. Compared to the other seniors who had been in the academy for some time, their fighting prowess was stillcking. This was also the reason none of them had cleared the internal selections. After watching the power disy, Wu Ran remarked with a frown, "Principal Zhang, it doesnt look too good for your candidates." As a 7-star master teacher, it was apparent to him that the candidates from Hongyuan were considerably weaker than those from the other three academies. Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for Hongyuan to obtain a decent number of slots. "Un." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Turning to Wo Tianqiong and the others, he asked, "Since the representatives from the Combat Master Hall have yet to arrive, may I make use of this time to impart somebats insights to my candidates first?" "You wish to conduct a lecture for your candidates now?" Hearing his words, Wo Tianqiong and the others were taken aback. It was not to say that ast-minute impartation would bepletely useless, but considering that the representatives of the Combat Master Hall were going to arrive in two hours time, ording to the news they had received, its effectiveness would be minimal at most! "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. Considering the current condition of Hongyuans candidates, if he didnt do anything, even if the number of candidates that the Combat Master Hall epted was increased to two hundred or three hundred, most of their candidates would still be unable to clear the selection. Thus, the only thing he could do was impart somebat insights to them and hope that it would aid them in the duels toe. After a moment of hesitation, Wu Ran couldnt help but offer some advice. "Principal Zhang, there is no rule forbidding you from offering pointers to your candidates at this point, but if you lecture them now, I fear that it might confuse them and lower their fighting prowess instead!" The fact that these students had cleared the internal selection to be candidates for the Combat Master Selection meant that they possessed extraordinary aptitude for battle, and they had already forged their own fighting style. If Zhang Xuan were to attempt to correct their faults, it could mess up their fighting style, resulting in their moves bing chaotic, thus lowering their fighting prowess instead. Knowing that Wu Ran was advising him out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, "I understand, but I still need to give it a try." After which, he gathered the hundred candidates from Hongyuan and set up a barrier to iste the area, preventing anyone from peering in or hearing what was happening inside, before turning to face them. Gazing intently at the candidates, Zhang Xuan asked, "Are there any of you who are reluctant to be abat master?" Being abat master had its pluses, but there were still quite a number of master teachers whose interestsy not in that direction. "No!" The crowd shook their heads. Since they had participated in the internal selection and cleared it, they would have already long made up their minds. "Good. Since all of you intend to bebat masters, you are going to have to raise your fighting prowess to greater heights." Seeing that there was no one who was reluctant to be abat master, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes and said, "I will teach you a few insights and tricks that can raise your fighting prowess and grasp of battle swiftly. I hope that you can work hard and try toprehend them." At this point, it was already toote to reinforce their cultivation further. Since it was impossible to work on their cultivation, the only viable option was to raise theirprehension of battle techniques and grasp of battle. "Yes!" Upon learning that their principal was going to guide them personally, the eyes of the students couldnt help but light up. The confidence that had extinguished after witnessing the might of the candidates of the other academies had also reignited. They could still recall the hugemotion that had arisen from the public lecture their principal had made during his inauguration ceremony. Back then, his lecture had extremely been general so that it was applicable to teachers and students alike in the academy, but even so, it had still had such tremendous effects. Now that they were receiving the other partys guidance directly, what kind of effects would there be? Just the thought of it left them trembling in anticipation. Seeing the passionate eyes on him, Zhang Xuan knew that they were ready to learn. Without any hesitation, he began his lecture. "The crux of battle techniques lie in refining ones exertion of zhenqi, maximizing the strength one is able to disy. As such, if one wishes to further the prowess of their battle technique, they must possess a pure state of mind that will drive them forward courageously..." Chapter 931: The Representatives from the Combat Master Hall Arrive! Chapter 931: The Representatives from the Combat Master Hall Arrive! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhu Jian was one of the Grade-1 students chosen by School Head Xu Changqing to participate in the Combat Master Selection. Two years ago, Hongchi Empire had sent him to the academy to study. After the guidance of his teacher and the hard work he had put in for two years, he had finally reached Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, a step away from reaching Cosmos Bridge realm. In truth, he had already umted sufficient zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough three months ago. However, in order to participate in the Combat Master Selection, he had decided against it, choosing to further refine his Consonant Spirit realm cultivation instead. Through his hard work, he was able to almost reach the limits of what could be achieved in his realm. This was also the reason he had able been to emerge victorious in the internal selection with an outstanding result of being in the fifth ce. He had originally been an unfavored prince of Hongchi Empire, but if he could be abat master, he would surely stand out among the other princes. Even if he couldnt inherit the throne in the end, at the very least, he would be able to free himself from the scorn of others and be a respected figure in the royal family. He had thought that with his outstanding achievement of finishing fifth ce in the internal selections, he would be able to emerge victorious in the Combat Master Selection as long as he were to work hard. However, when he saw the power disy from the other three Master Teacher Academies, his heart had turned cold. Even though the candidates from the other academies were in Grade-1 as well, their strength was at a totally different level. Even without exchanging blows, he could clearly feel from the might the others emanated that he wouldnt even make it into the top forty with his current strength. Given that there were only twenty slots for each grade, it could be said that... it was hopeless for him. While the principal had said that he would conduct a lecture just to impart hisbat insights to them, he still didnt think a short two hours could cause any significant change in his strength. After all, cultivation was a process of umtion. It was infeasible to raise ones fighting prowess abruptly just by somest-minute training. Even if the knowledge that the principal was going to impart to them was profound and exquisite, allowing him to raise his fighting prowess up a notch, he had no doubt that he would still be utterly defeated at the hands of the experts from the other three Master Teacher Academies. The disy of power from the other candidates had utterly shattered his confidence. Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze back to the front. The principal was looking over with a kind gaze, and his warm voice echoed in his ear like heavenly music. He was exining the utilization of certain tricks and battle techniques inbat. Just by hearing a few words from him, the students could feel their zhenqi pulsating excitedly, wanting to practice as he had taught. Listening to the lecture, Zhu Jian was awed as well. It had to be said that the principalsprehension of battle techniques andbat had reached a masterful level, far more formidable than any master teacher he knew of. However, it was a pity that time was too short. Two hours was just insufficient to change anything. If only Principal Zhang had returned half a month earlier, there might still be hope of victory. Zhu Jian sighed deeply. If they had half a months time to ruminate over the principalsbat insights and incorporate them into their fighting style through practice battles, they might just have been able to make a massive improvement that could allow them to potentially achieve victory in the Combat Master Selection. However, now that they were only two hours away from the selection, what was the point? Shaking his head, Zhu Jian was thinking that he should just give up and listen no more when the eyes of a junior seated not too far from him suddenly lit up, seemingly havingprehended something. That junior raised his finger and tapped forward, and the glint of a sword materialized on the tip of his fingernail before falling straight to the ground, creating a huge depression. This is... Sword-Man Union? Zhu Jian narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He had sparred with this junior before, and the other party did possess quite a bit of talent in swordsmanship. Nevertheless, the other party had still been a huge distance off from matching up to him. Why would the other party... suddenly reach Sword-Man Union when he wasnt even close to it yet? Sword-Man Union, that was an extremely important demarcation line in swordsmanship. One who had achieved that realm would have their fighting prowess increased immensely! Even though the junior had only ranked tenth back in the internal selection, with the newfound prowess he had just obtained throughprehending Sword-Man Union, the other party would definitely be able to get into at least the top three should the internal selection be conducted once more! Frightening! Geji! Geji! While he was still trying to digest the shock from his juniors abrupt breakthrough, he suddenly heard another sound not too far away. It came from the creaking of bones and muscles, but the deafening loudness of the noise made it sound like the rumbling of thunder instead, and even the ground seemed to tremble under its sheer volume. This is... the sound of the Tigerhowl Adamantium Fist being cultivated to Major Aplishment! But when I crossed blows with that fellow just yesterday, wasnt his mastery of the technique... only at Novice level? Zhu Jians lips twitched as he felt his head spin in confusion, unable to make sense of what was happening around him. The person who had produced that loud creaking sound was a familiar face too. In the Grade-1 internal selection, the other party had ranked seventeenth. Just the day before, he had sparred with the other party, and the other partys mastery in his Tigerhowl Adamantium Fist had clearly been at Novice level, still a certain distance away from reaching Initiate. Ones mastery of battle techniques could be ssified into several tiers: Novice, Initiate, Minor Aplishment, Major Aplishment, and Consummation. How could that fellow, in the blink of an eye, make a breakthrough of three whole tiers and reach Major Aplishment in his mastery of the Tigerhowl Adamantium Fist? Wasnt that a little too exaggerated? Hu hu hu! However, that wasnt the end of Zhu Jians shock. Not too far away, zhenqi suddenly started gushing out of a young mans Taiyang acupoint, gathering atop his head in the form of a bizarre bird that seemed like it could soar into the sky at any moment. (The Taiyang acupoint refers to ones temples, which are located between the top of the ear and the eye.) With just a nce, Zhu Jian could immediately tell that this was another symbol of one achieving Major Aplishment in the mastery of a certain battle technique. Peng peng peng! Pah pah pah! Be it his front, back, left, or right, innumerable surges of zhenqi spurted chaotically within the area of the barrier. Almost every single student, after listening to the principals lecture, hadprehended something and achieved a breakthrough. The principals lecture... is that formidable? It was only at this moment that Zhu Jian realized that he was about to let the opportunity of a lifetime slip through his fingers. He swiftly suppressed the shock and iprehension in his mind to listen to the lecture carefully. It had to be said that the principals lecture was first-rate. The content gradually delved from the basics to theplex, and the essence regardingbat skills and battle techniques was carefully sieved out andid bare before everyone to see. Profound concepts that they struggled to understand normally were deciphered into simplenguage that they could easilyprehend and grasp. Just by listening to it for a short moment, Zhu Jian found himself falling into a deep trance, his attentionpletely absorbed by the words spoken before him. It was at this moment that he realized that, despite his many years of cultivation and studying of battle techniques, his understanding ofbat wasughably shallow. Aspared to what the principal was lecturing, it was indeed not worth a mention at all. ... Due to the barrier, it was impossible to see or hear what was happening inside. Thus, those who were outside were unaware of the innumerable breakthroughs in theprehension of battle techniques urring within. Seeing that their principal had gathered all of their candidates together to conduct a lecture, School Head Mo fell into a daze. "Isnt it a little toote for Principal Zhang to be conducting a lecture at this moment?" Based on the news he had received, the representatives of the Combat Master Hall would be arriving very soon. To be conducting a lecture now... wasnt it a little toote to be trying to hug the Buddhas leg? (Hugging the Buddhas leg: This is proverb referring to desperatest-minute attempts.) "It is indeed a little toote for that..." Zhao Bingxu shook his head. "The fighting prowess of a cultivatores from the umtion of cultivation and battle experience over a long period of time. Just a simple lecture itself cant possibly raise the students fighting prowess by much. It is probably ast-ditch attempt from Principal Zhang, but it doesnt seem optimistic..." Xu Changqing sighed deeply. It was not that they didnt believe in Principal Zhangs prowess, but there was a limit to a students ability toprehend. Within the span of two hours, no matter how profound or incredible a teachers lecture was, it would be futile if the students hardlyprehended a word of it! In fact, even if they were toprehend it, it was not guaranteed whether they would be able to utilize it effectively in a real battle or not. It seemed like their principal was still too young and naive. "Sigh, but it isnt as if we have any other solution in mind either. Lets just wait and see then..." Shaking his head, Zhao Bingxu fell silent. However, the worry in his eyes was unconceble. ... It wasnt just the Ten Great Master Teachers who didnt think Zhang Xuans efforts were appropriate. Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also shook their heads after seeing Zhang Xuans actions. Indubitably, impartation of knowledge was something that would benefit the students. However, whether it was effective or not was another question. Knowledge was something that had to be built up, tested, and reinforced over time. If a few lectures could easily raise a persons fighting prowess immensely, wouldnt that mean that just anyone could be an expert of the Combat Master Hall? Not even the Combat Master Hall had the capability to raise the prowess of their own members that quickly! Recalling Zhang Xuans identity, Wu Ran muttered meaningfully, "Perhaps... he is just reluctant to admit defeat!" One must know that he was an incredible genius who had the capability and courage to point out even Kong shis ws! It was natural that a person like him would be prideful. It was inevitable that he would find it hard to ept that his students were far weaker than the other candidates, and Wu Ran could empathize with such an emotion as well. However, it was futile. No matter how well the other party did for two hours, the only usible conclusion was failure! ... Oblivious to the thoughts of the others, Zhang Xuan was busy imparting the essence of the simplified version of the Heavens Path battle technique and hisbat experience to them in the most simplified exnation he coulde up with, not intending to keep anything from them. He was imparting the exact same knowledge that he had imparted to Wang Ying and the others, disregarding whether they were his direct disciples or not. "Speed is not everything inbat. The person who is able make his move faster than the other may not necessarily im the advantage in the battle. What is more important is to understand the intent and purpose behind your opponents move, because only through knowing that will you be able to prepare yourself and make countermeasures in advance..." Zhang Xuan spoke calmly, his tone carrying a unique rhythm to it that piqued ones attention. The Heart of a Teacher paired with his Soul Depthparable to a 7-star master teacher allowed the knowledge he exined to prate deep into the mind of the students, allowing them to understand just by hearing, aplish just by understanding, and master just by aplishing. The amount of spiritual energy in the surroundings is insufficient... As the students before himprehended the essence of his impartation, their zhenqi began to palpitate in excitement, and their mastery over their battle techniques rose swiftly. However, in face of such a situation, not only was Zhang Xuan not delighted, he even frowned instead. In order to master a battle technique, not only must oneprehend the essence of it, the zhenqi cirction pathway for it must also be paved entirely. Most powerful battle techniques had their own unique zhenqi cirction pathways, and if one didnt drive zhenqi through it often, it was extremely easy for it to be blocked. This was also the reason one was sometimes unable to fully execute a battle technique despiteprehending the essence of it. After all, not everyone possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi, which could travel through any meridian easily without being impeded. As such, the cultivation of battle techniques involved the driving of zhenqi as well, so naturally, one would have to consume spiritual energy as well. Considering that Zhang Xuans lecture had caused so many students to achieve breakthroughs one after another, the spiritual energy within the barrier was running low. If this continued, the students could very well find themselves being disturbed in the midst of theirprehension due to theck of spiritual energy to fuel their zhenqi cirction. Once that happened, it would be extremely difficult for them to return back to their state ofprehension once more. In a sense, this was simr to musing over ones sudden inspiration, where disturbance could break ones train of thought, causing one to lose their grasp over theirprehension. Narrowing his eyes, Zhang Xuan swiftly took out the Earth Vein Spirit Essence and flicked droplets of it from the tip of his finger to the acupoints of the students. While the spiritual energy within high-tier spirit stones was purer, it was more difficult to absorb, making it less effective inparison. At this point, he was running low on Earth Vein Spirit Essence, but this was a crucial moment, and he couldnt afford to hesitate. Tzzz! The students, who were in the midst of theirprehension, suddenly felt a resurgence of energy. Their understanding of their battle techniques swiftly deepened, and the meridians that had been closed previously also suddenly opened up entirely. Infused within the spirit essence wasnt just concentrated spiritual energy but a tinge of Heavens Path zhenqi as well. Under the effects of Heavens Path zhenqi, the students were able to ovee the previous blocks easily. "Hmm?" Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan was just about to continue his lecture when he suddenly frowned and look into the distance. Beneath the vast blue sky, a massive aerial saint beast could be seen whizzing through the air. In just a few moments, it was already floating right above the academy. The representatives from the Combat Master Hall are here. It has only been an hour though... Zhang Xuan had thought that he would have two whole hours to lecture, but just an hour in, the representatives of the Combat Master Hall had already arrived. "Alright, I shall end the lecture here!" Stopping his lecture, the students within the barrier gradually roused from their trance. After all of them had recovered, Zhang Xuan raised his hand and removed the barrier. With this, the Combat Master Selection... hadmenced! Chapter 932: The Selection Process Chapter 932: The Selection Process Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The saint beast was massive, more than a dozen meters long. It had a dark blue body, which contrasted with its fiery-red wings that harnessed zing mes. Before the saint beast even arrived, the crowd on the training grounds could already feel an incredible heat emanating from it. There were around a dozen men who stood on top of the saint beast, but as if they were rooted to the spot, their posture didnt budge in the slightest despite the movements of the saint beast. "The heat can be vividly felt even from such a far distance away... how can anyone ride on that saint beast?" Many master teachers were bewildered by the sight before them. Even from where they stood, the heat already felt unbearable. If they were to really sit on the back of the saint beast, wouldnt they be reduced to dried meat in an instant? "Furthermore... have you all noticed that there is no room on top of that saint beast?" someone amid the crowd eximed. It was then that everyone realized that the saint beasts back didnt have the usual room that would be attached for transportation purposes, so that the passengers could be avoid the wind resulting from the flight and travel infort. Without the room, it meant that one would have to stand without any support or protection from the mes on the saint beasts back. It might still be endurable for a short journey, but it would be nothing short of a torture for a long journey. Those who possessed weaker cultivation or minds would surely find themselves copsing under the ordeal. "This is a method used by the Combat Master Hall to temper their members. Even when travelling around, they are expected to continue their training," Wo Tianqiong muttered. "Indeed. The Combat Master Hall is extremely strict on its members, pushing them to cultivate at every possible opportunity, not allowing them to show the slightest bit ofziness. To them, even journeying can be used as a form of cultivation," Shen Pingchao said. After many years as the principals of Master Teacher Academies, they hade into contact with the Combat Master Hall on many asions, thus granting them a glimpse into the habits and behavior ofbat masters. It was due to their persistence in training that the members of the Combat Master Hall were able to grow so strong. "If I am not mistaken, that is the Saint realm 3-dan Inferno Phoenix Saint Beast, known to possess the bloodline of the Divine Phoenix. The temperature of the mes on its back is on par with that of earth mes, and if one can withstand the heat of the mes for a prolonged period of time, ones physical body will be enhanced significantly, and the purity of ones zhenqi will also be refined further," Wu Ran remarked. It was not sufficient for the members of the Combat Master Hall to possess superior talent; more importantly, they had to be able to devote their everything to their training! Looking at all of that, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but nod in agreement. Talent did grant one a starting line ahead of the others, but if one was unwilling to put in the hard work, one would never be able to get to the end. Taking him for example, even though the cultivation technique he practiced was the Heavens Path Divine Art, granting him a great advantage over other cultivators, he never allowed himself to ck in his cultivation. Everything that he knew he had to do, he would aplish with all of his effort, not allowing the slightest opportunity for a slip-up to ur. Hu! Amid themotion beneath, the aerial saint beast pped its wings and graduallynded on the training ground. Thirteen men dressed in master teacher robes leaped off the top of the aerial saint beast. Their master teacher robes were tight-fitting, as opposed to the loose ones that master teachers usually wore, and inscribed on the emblems pinned on their chests was a sword instead. Looking at it from afar, one couldnt help but feel the chilling aura of a sharp sword. The one who stood at the very center was a middle-aged man who seemed to be in his forties. He exuded an air of valiance, and the powerful aura he emanated revealed the immense strength he wielded. He was a Saint 2-dan realm expert, but his presence felt far more overwhelming than ordinary cultivators of his cultivation, reminiscent of an unsheathed sharp de. His cultivation might have been beneath Wu Ran, but there was little doubt that Wu Ran be the one to ultimately lose in a real duel. "Formidable!" Zhang Xuan remarked as he turned his gaze toward the other members of the representative party. Suddenly, he caught sight of two familiar faces, and his eyes lit up. They were Lu Cheng and Wu Xu, whom he had met in the valley back when he was attempting to pick the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. He had guessed that they werebat masters previously, and it seemed his deduction was spot-on. The duo felt very different from two months ago. Their cultivation felt significantly stronger, and their zhenqi seemed to be much purer as well. Wu Xu had even sessfully achieved a breakthrough from Chrysalis realm pinnacle to Half-Saint. Even though it hadnt been long since Wu Xu had made the breakthrough, the energy he harnessed within his body felt vast like the ocean, as if it was undepletable. It seems like my suggestion worked out for him, Zhang Xuan thought with a chuckle. Wu Xu had been intending to use the Scarlet Firefly Fruit to attempt a breakthrough previously, but Zhang Xuan had chosen to not sell it to him. Instead, he had sold the other party his Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Through making use of the easy absorbability of the spiritual energy harnessed within the Earth Vein Spirit Essence to fuel his zhenqi, he was able to build up the momentum required for a breakthrough and sessfully reached Half-Saint. "Zhang shi!" Just when he noticed the duo, the duo also noticed him and bowed respectfully. Combat masters tended to be arrogant due to their superior fighting prowess, but they shared great respect for experts stronger than them as well. Even though Zhang shi had only been at the Ethereal Treading realm, he had been able to subdue them easily. His fighting prowess had already way surpassed theirs, reaching a terrifying level. In face of such a genius, they dared not show the slightest disrespect to him. The four principals stood up and introduced themselves. "I am the principal of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Wo Tianqiong (... the principal of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, Shen Pingchao; ... the principal of the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy, Wu Ran; ... the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan). Pleased to meet you,bat masters!" The middle-aged man also hurriedly stepped forward and sped his fist respectfully. "I am a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, Zhuo Qingfeng!" Even though he was from the Combat Master Hall and possessed superior fighting prowess, the standing of the four principals was still above his, so he would still have to keep up with the formalities. "So, its Zhuo shi!" Wo Tianqiong chuckled. "I have long heard of you. A de to level three rivers, a breath to sweep nine provinces! Once, you pursued the Five Bandits of Qingyuan with a single sword in hand for ten years straight; in all that time, they didnt dare return to their den. That grand feat of yours has won the respect of this old man!" Hearing that the principal of the number one academy beneath Qingyuan Conferred Empire had heard of his name, Zhuo Qingfeng responded with a soft chuckle. "Principal Wo, you are too courteous. Those are just insignificant deeds!" "There is no need to be humble. The fact that you were able to be a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall is testimony to your strength." Wo Tianqiong stroked his beard with a smile. Knowing that Wo Tianqiong was only trading pleasantries to soothe the situation, Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a polite smile before getting to the matter at hand. "I had a message delivered to Principal Wo some time ago, so I believe everyone present should be aware of the changes in the slots by now!" "Yes, we have heard that the Combat Master Hall will be taking in a hundredbat masters in this selection," Shen Pingchao and the others replied. Wo Tianqiong had informed them of the matter some time ago. This was good news, since it meant that more of their students would be able to join the Combat Master Hall. "Indeed. However, I would first like to rify that this doesnt mean that our selection criteria will be any less strict, but instead, it will be even harsher than before!" Zhao Qingfeng said with a nod. "Harsher than before?" The few principals traded nces with one another, and Zhang Xuan stepped forward and asked, "May I know the format that the selection exercise will be in? How does the Combat Master Hall intend to conduct it?" "The norm in the previous few selections was to conduct an elimination tournament, where the candidates would duel one another, and the remaining fifty would be brought into the Combat Master Hall," Zhuo Qingfeng said. Wo Tianqiong and the others nodded. While the rules regarding the Combat Master Selection might differ from time to time, the crux of it still usually revolved around an elimination tournament between the candidates in the form of duels, and the remaining candidates would be brought into the Combat Master Hall. "Such a tournament format means that each candidate will have to fight several battles. Not only is it time-consuming, those who are injured in prior battles due to facing a stronger enemy will be unable to exert their full strength in the subsequent battles as well. As such, we have decided to try a different selection process this time around." The previous elimination tournament format aimed to sieve out the strongest ten from a total of eighty candidates from the Four Great Master Teacher Academies in each grade. In other words, each person would have to fight a minimum of three battles. Considering that the cultivation of every candidate was equal, every single battle would be tough, requiring each candidate to utilize their full strength in order to emerge victorious. By the time they finished the three rounds, most would already be a step into their grave. In fact, there were asions where a candidate who possessed the potential to enter the top ten was eliminated in the first round due to meeting an extraordinarily powerful opponent. Even on the off chance that the candidate won, they would still be eventually eliminated due to the severe injuries they had sustained early into the tournament. This wasnt just a loss for the Four Great Master Teacher Academies but for the Combat Master Hall as well. However, such had been the case for many years, so upon hearing that the selection format would be changed, Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran couldnt help but nce at one another in bewilderment. It was undeniable that an elimination tournament had its ws, but it was also one of the few methods that most cultivators viewed to be fair and could ept the results. If the new selection format wasnt viewed to be as fair as an elimination tournament, the candidates might find it hard to ept their elimination, and that could pose many problems as well. However, the trio didnt remain perplexed for too long. "The new selection format is simpler and faster. Instead of an elimination tournament among the candidates, the members of our Combat Master Hall will be the ones to fight and assess the capability of the candidates. If a candidate is able to withstand three blows from one of our members of the same cultivation, they will have cleared the selection!" Zhuo Qingfeng exined. "Three blows?" Hearing those words, Wo Tianqiong and the others frowned. While this selection process did sound much simpler, in truth, the difficulty had been hiked up. Others might have been unaware of the fearsome might that members of the Combat Master Hall possessed, but having served as the principals of their respective academies for many years, they knew very well that the prowess that eachbat master wielded could be considered invincible among those of their cultivation realm. The candidates they had chosen and trained were strong, but in a real duel against abat master, three blows... it was rather doubtful whether they would be able to withstand it or not. Noting the frowns on the principals faces, Zhuo Qingfeng assured, "Dont worry, I have already instructed them to standardize the force they use for each candidate, and I will also be keeping watching myself. There wont be any situation where abat master goes easy or makes things difficult for a specific candidate!" Hearing those words, Wo Tianqiong and the others replied with smiles, "We dont doubt the Combat Master Halls integrity." There was no reason for the Combat Master Hall topromise the credibility of their own selection exercise, so there was no need to worry about that. Waving his hand, Zhuo Qingfeng said calmly, "Since thats the case, let us start the selection right now so that we can end it as soon as possible!" "Alright!" At the other partys urging, the principals hesitated for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. After everything they had done to prepare their candidates for a battle against the other candidates, it turned out that the Combat Master Hall would be invigting the selection themselves, catching thempletely off-guard. While this selection format was rather unorthodox, it wasnt without its advantages. It was impossible for their candidates to defeat thebat masters, but if it was just three blows, considering the strength of their own candidates, they should still be able to grit their teeth and persevere to the end. "Xu Tai and Chen Zhu, you two will be assessing the Grade-1 candidates!" Zhuo Qingfeng instructed. "Yes!" Two young men sped their fists and stepped out from the group. Both of them looked to be around seventeen or eighteen, and their cultivation was equivalent to the Grade-1 students, Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. However, theymanded a threateningly sharp aura, which sent ones rm bells ringing. "Allow me to go first!" the young man on the left, Xu Tai, said to hispanion on the right, Chen Zhu, before leaping onto the dueling tform. Surveying the Grade-1 candidates standing beneath the dueling tform, he announced, "Any Grade-1 candidate who is able to withstand three blows from me will be deemed to have cleared the selection examination!" After saying those words, he flicked his wrist and wielded a sword. The cold glint reflected off the sword, inducing shivers in ones body. At the same time, his aura also began to surge. Despite being only at Consonant Spirit realm, his aura seemed to create a huge pressure that prated straight into ones soul. It felt that even a Cosmos Bridge realm would be unable to rival him. "Formidable..." "I thought that Yunxus candidates were plenty scary, but to think that thebat masters would be even more frightening! To be able to cultivate in the Consonant Spirit realm to such an extent... as expected ofbat masters!" "Indeed. Even with my Cosmos Bridge cultivation, I dont think that I would be able to defeat him..." Feeling the powerful air shrouding Xu Tai, everyones expression subconsciously tensed. Chapter 933: Zhu Jian Makes a Move Chapter 933: Zhu Jian Makes a Move Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Consonant Spirit realm, this was the realm where a cultivator would firste into contact with matters rting to the soul, as well as the first hurdle that one would face on the long journey to bing a true expert. Typically speaking, no matter how much a cultivator reinforced their cultivation, there was still a limit to the strength one could wield at Consonant Spirit realm. Yet, the aura of thebat master on the dueling tform felt heavy like a towering mountain, far surpassing the conventional boundaries of a normal Consonant Spirit realm cultivator. "Allow me to go first!" Amongst the crowd beneath, a masculine voice suddenly sounded, and a young man leaped onto the stage. "Its Zhao Zhongchuan of Yunxu! In the internal selections, he was ranked sixth!" "To be ranked sixth strongest in Yunxu, there is no doubt that he will be able to clear the selection!" "Indeed. This will also be a good opportunity for us to see the prowess of that Combat Master Xu so that we can prepare ourselves in advance!" "Un. It is a huge disadvantage to go first, given that one doesnt have concrete information on the opponents prowess yet. However, given Zhao Zhongchuans strength, it shouldnt be difficult for him to withstand three blows!" ... Upon seeing the young man, hushed whispers immediately spread beneath the stage. Many of the Grade-1 candidates were staring at the dueling tform intently, unwilling to miss a single second of the battle. Previously, Zhao Zhongchuan had disyed astounding prowess in the power disy, and even among all eighty candidates from the four Master Teacher Academies, he would easily rank within the top fifteen. In other words, even in the usual elimination tournament format, he would have been able to clear the Combat Master Selection. With such a powerful candidate going up first, the other candidates would be able to assess the full extent of the prowess that Xu Tai wielded so that they could possibly take precautions for their turn. Upon seeing Zhao Zhongchuan, Xu Tai flicked his sword slightly and asked nonchntly, "Where is your weapon?" Despite his overwhelming strength, he didnt show the slightestcency or underestimate his opponent. "Its here!" Flicking his wrist, Zhao Zhongchuan wielded a saber, and flicking it lightly, a powerful gust of wind whipped up in the surroundings. "Begin!" Knowing that his opponent was stronger than him, Zhao Zhongchuan immediately dashed forward to grasp the initiative so as to control the tide of battle. At the same time, he flung his saber furiously, and saber qi shot forth furiously from his de, filling the area several dozen meters ahead of himpletely with saber qi. "Not bad!" Wo Tianqiong had been slightly worried when he saw Zhao Zhongchuan volunteering to head up first. However, upon seeing this sight, he heaved a sigh of relief. This was the strongest technique that Zhao Zhongchuan had in his arsenal. Under its relentless attacks, even a Cosmos Bridge realm would have to back down for the time being or risk being fatally wounded. Knowing that the crux of the duely not in defeating his opponent but withstanding three blows, Zhao Zhongchuan didnt bother taking the risk to try out his opponent first, deciding instead to use his strongest move so as to suppress his opponent right from the start. From this, it could be seen that he wasnt an inflexible person. "Not too bad, but still too slow!" In face of the endless saber qi, Xu Tai didnt panic in the slightest. Instead, with a light chuckle, he suddenly made a swift maneuver, which made his figure disappear entirely from the spot. A momentter, he abruptly reappeared before Zhao Zhongchuan and did a light jab with his sword. Ding! Feeling a massive might gushing toward him furiously, sealing the movements of his saber, Zhao Zhongchuan was forced to retreat several steps, and a stifled sensation welled up in his chest from the abrupt termination of his battle technique. "Drats!" Seeing that the other party had managed to ovee his strongest technique with just a single jab, Zhao Zhongchuan was rmed. He immediately tried to retreat to a safe location to regain his footing in the battle, but a cold glint shed across his eyes, and all of a sudden, a bone-chilling sword was pressed right against his neck. With his sword pointed directly toward Zhao Zhongchuans neck, Xu Tai said impassively, "You have lost." "I... have lost?" Zhao Zhongchuans face turned pale. The other party had managed to corner him with just two moves, leaving him devoid of an opportunity to retaliate at all. If this had been a life-and-death duel, his head would have already rolled. "T-this..." "Zhao Zhongchuan has lost?" "If he could only withstand two moves, doesnt that mean that... there is no hope for us?" ... The faces of the crowd below turned grim. Zhao Zhongchuan was an existence who could be ranked in the top fifteen among the Grade-1 candidates, and yet, he had fallen within two moves. So, wouldnt that mean that the others stood less of a chance? "It seems like... the difficulty has indeed been heightened!" Wo Tianqiong clenched his fists tightly upon seeing this sight. He had thought that with the revised rules, it would be easier for all of the candidates to clear the selection. After all, it was only three moves! However, it seemed like he had underestimated the difficulty of the matter. Combat masters were simply too much stronger than the other cultivators of the same cultivation realm, to the point that it was despair-inducing. "How are we supposed to fight against that?" Zhu Jian muttered despondently. Zhao Zhongchuan was far superior to him in terms of zhenqi purity andplexity of moves, and yet, the other party had still been unable to withstand three moves from thebat master. If he were to go up, he had no doubt that he would be utterly defeated. It seemed like... his dream of bing abat master was going toe to a halt. "Let me give it a try!" At that moment, another young man leaped onto the dueling tform. Zhu Jian recognized the young man. Thetter was one of the top students from the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, having ced third in their internal selections. He had also participated in the power disy earlier, and his pair of golden and silver rings were capable of performing consecutive lethal attacks. With Zhu Jians current strength, even two of himbined wouldnt be a match for the young man. Ding ding ding! While Zhu Jian was still deep in thought, the duel on the tform began. This time, Xu Tai was the one to take the first move. With a flick of his sword, he charged toward the young man with furious momentum. It was as if Xu Tais movements were precisely measured with a ruler; there werent any excessive motions in his movements at all. In the first move, he urately breached the defense of the double rings his opponent had put up. In the second, he managed to get into close quarters with his opponent, and in the third, his sword urately pierced into his opponents chest. It wasnt too deep, but fresh blood still flowed profusely from the wound. "I admit defeat!" The face of the young man from Luoqing paled. Had the other party not gone easy on him and exerted just a bit more strength, he would have been a lifeless corpse by now. He had thought that he would have been able to stand his ground with his strength, but to think that... he hadnt been able to withstand three moves either. As the young man walked down the dueling tform, the atmosphere among the crowd suddenly grew extremely heavy. Everyone looked at one another with an awfulplexion. It was one thing for Zhao Zhongchuan to have losthe was only ranked fifteen among all of the candidatesbut the young man from Luoqing could definitely get into the top ten with his strength. Yet, to think that even he would be unable to withstand three moves. The difficulty of the test had far exceeded their expectations! Previously, there had been a few who were still harboring hopes that, as long as they were to grit their teeth and endure the three moves, they would be able to clear the test. But from the looks of it, such thoughts had been too naive. "Allow me!" Another candidate leaped onto the dueling tform. This candidate was skilled in defensive and evasive maneuvers, and as soon as the battle begun, he began skirting around the dueling tform, hoping to drag the battle beyond three moves. However, Xu Tai was far swifter than the candidate had expected. With just two moves, Xu Tai had already cornered him and knocked him off the dueling tform with severe wounds. This fellow sure is a difficult opponent to deal with. He has no particrly major ws that one can easily exploit against him, Zhang Xuan noted with a grim expression. As expected of abat master! Xu Tais speed, strength, and defense were nearly impable. Had Zhang Xuan faced him as a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator as well, he would have had to take at least a single move in order to defeat the other party! Fearsome! Considering how Zhang Xuan could easily rival opponents with cultivation far beyond his, it was indeed rare for him to require one whole move in order to subdue an opponent of the same cultivation realm. Of course, if he were to use the Eye of Insight or the Library of Heavens Path, he should have been able to destroy the other party in half a move. Soon, more and more candidates went up to the dueling tform, but each and every one of them were defeated. It was not until the tenth candidate that a person finally managed to withstand three blows with great difficulty. That candidate was ranked first within Qingzhus internal selection, and he was known to be invincible among the Grade-1 students. Yet, a person of his caliber had barely managed to clear the selection. Thebat master on the dueling tform, Xu Tai, was indeed a little, no, far too powerful. "Is there anyone else?" It didnt take long for the selection toe to a standstill. There were still many candidates who hadnt gone up yet, but after witnessing the fearsome prowess that Xu Tai possessed, they dared not stand up. "Candidates from Yunxu, Luoqing, and Qingzhu have stood up and faced me, but I dont seem to have faced any from Hongyuan yet. Is there anyone from Hongyuan who wishes to give a try? Or could it be that you dont even have the courage to do so? If thats the case, why even bothering for this Combat Master Selection?" Xu Tai sneered as he turned his sight toward the candidates from Hongyuans side. The candidates from the other three academies had already tried their luck, and it was only the candidates from Hongyuan who had remained motionless, none going up to challenge him at all. "This..." Hearing Xu Tais words, the faces of the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan flushed crimson in embarrassment. They knew full well where they stood. They wouldnt be a match for even Zhao Zhongchuan and the others, so they would only be making a fool out of themselves even if they were to head up. "Forget it, I will go. What else can happen other than defeat?" Seeing that no one was willing to make a move, Zhu Jian clenched his jaws and volunteered himself. In any case, the worst that could happen was a loss. Given that the other party had specifically named Hongyuan, if they continued to cower with lowered heads, they would only be sinners who had brought shame to the academy. They might be weak, but they mustnt be cowards! Stepping forward, Zhu Jian leaped onto the stage. "Not bad, it seems like you still have some guts." Xu Tai chuckled softly. "Take out your weapon!" "Weapon? There is no need for that. I shall face you with my bare hands," Zhu Jian replied with a shake of his head. His loss was already sealed, so there would be no difference whether he used a weapon or not. Since that was the case, he might as well save a bit of strength. "You arent going to use a weapon? I will just say this in advance, I wont go easy on you just because you are unarmed!" Seeing that his opponent wasnt intending to use a weapon, Xu Tai shook his head, but it seemed like he had no intention of casting aside his sword due to it. Instead, he flicked his wrist, and a piercing shrill echoed in the air. Tzz! Innumerable sword qi shed through the air, headed toward Zhu Jian. Xu Tai didnt go easy on Zhu Jian just because thetter was unarmed. Just as hed done with the other candidates, he went at thetter at his full strength right from the start. The sword qi harnessed a bone-chilling aura, which left Zhu Jians goosebumps standing on end before it could even approach, and his face paled in fright. He had witnessed the other partys swordsmanship several times in the previous battles, and he knew that even if he were to dodge this attack, the other party would swiftly follow up with another strike that would leave him cornered. Sighing deeply, he was just about to surrender and admit defeat when he suddenly recalled Principal Zhangs teachings. Since the worst thing that can happen is loss, why should I admit defeat? Perhaps, if I try a bit harder, I might just get lucky and clear the test... As soon as such a thought surfaced in his head, the various insights that Principal Zhang had just exined to him suddenly gushed into his mind like a torrent. The other partys sword is pure and earnest, seemingly havinge right from his heart. ording to what Principal Zhang said, in order to unravel such swordsmanship, I will have to examine him closely to assess the purpose and intent behind his swordsmanship, as well as the maximum might he can exert through it. I have already seen the maximum might of the other partys swordsmanship earlier, and the purpose and intent are clear, toohe intends to overwhelm me with his sword qi so as to limit my movements. If I counterattack, I will be falling into his trap instead. From the ssifications that Principal Zhang listed earlier, the aim of his swordsmanship is to force me to expose an opening, which he can then exploit against me. If I wish to unravel his swordsmanship... I will have to force him force him to err before me! These thoughts swiftly flowed into Zhu Jians mind. It might seemplicated, but everything came to him in just an instant. When Principal Zhang first exined those concepts, it had felt extremely abstract to him. However, utilizing them in a battle now, he suddenly realized that everything the other party had said was truly the utmost essence ofbat. With these realizations, the other partys profound swordsmanship, which he had been unable toprehend earlier, suddenly seemed as if it was nothing special at all. Everything was apparent to him, be it the direction of the other partys attack or his possible future maneuvers. It was as if all of its secrets had beenid bare to him. Principal Zhang said that the best way to deal with such a move is... Gritting his teeth, Zhu Jian faced the other partys swordsmanship without dodging at all. Instead, he squeezed his body together while directing his forefinger forward abruptly. Puchi! Zhu Jian felt as if his finger had managed to strike something, and in a moment of fluster, he hurriedly took a step back before taking a closer look at what had happened. It was only then that he realized that Xu Tai, whom he was fighting with, was lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back, spurtingrge mouthfuls of blood on the ground. "This..." Seeing the fellow, whom so many experts before had been unable to defeat, lying on the ground after just a casual finger jab from him, Zhu Jian was dumbfounded. At this point, there was only one thought in his mind... Is this a sham ident to scam me of my wealth? Chapter 934: Chen Zhu Chapter 934: Chen Zhu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It waspletely beyond Zhu Jians imagination that he would be able to defeat the other party. He had seen the other partys prowess clearly from below earlier, superior sword mastery paired with sharp and deadly moves. Even three of himbined wouldnt be a match for the other party! That was also the reason he had hesitated until the final moment before going up onto the dueling tform, and it was only upon recalling Principal Zhangs teaching that he counterattacked. Principal Zhangs lecture had covered how one could deal with a person whose strength, swordsmanship, and reflexes were nigh perfect. Back then, he had thought that he would never have an opportunity to encounter such a fearsome opponent, so he hadnt thought much of it. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that doing exactly as Principal Zhang had instructed would produce such miraculous effects! To incapacitate the opponent with a single finger... Was this for real? Wasnt this too easy? Was that fellow really the same formidable expert whom even Zhao Zhongchuan couldnt withstand three moves from? "H-h-h-how can this be? W-w-w-what happened?" "I have no idea too, but it seems like Combat Master Xu Tai has been defeated..." "So many experts who have gone before couldnt even withstand three moves from him, and yet, that fellow was able to defeat him?" "Arent the candidates from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy the weakest of us here? But this... What is this situation here?" While Zhu Jian had nked out on the dueling tform, the crowd below wentpletely mad. Each of them had their eyes bulging and lower jaws touching the ground, as if they had seen a ghost. It was just a moment ago that the Four Great Master Teacher Academies had conducted a power disy of their candidates, so everyone had a rough gauge of the strength of one another. The person who was standing on the dueling tform at this very moment, Zhu Jian, couldnt even be ranked amid the top fifty of the eighty of them. Yet, he had actually managed to subdue Xu Tai with a single jab? How could such a huge change in his fighting prowess suddenlye about? ... "You cheated!" After coughing several mouthfuls of blood, Xu Tai finally managed to catch his breath and recover. Standing up, he red coldly at the young man before him with savagery reminiscent of a ferocious beast. To think that he, an esteemedbat master, would be defeated by a person who was inferior to him on all aspects, be it zhenqi, strength, or reflexes... Not to mention, he had even been defeated by a simple finger jab. It was not difficult to imagine the indignation and rage he felt at that very moment. "I..." Zhu Jian was stunned. He had truly no idea how he could exin himself. Even he could not understand how he had managed to defeat the other party, so even he himself felt that he had cheated. But yet, it had indeed been a fair duel. Furthermore, he had gone empty-handed against an armed opponent, so in such a sense, his victory was indisputable. "Do you dare to have another match with me?" Xu Tai spat through gritted teeth. Zhu Jian hesitated for a brief moment before eventually nodding. "Fine." In truth, Xu Tai wasnt the only one who had such a thought in mind. Many of the candidates below also shared the same view as him. As such, even if Zhu Jian were to insist that he was the victor and win, his victory would be thought of as dishonorable. "This time, I wont go easy on you anymore..." Hearing Zhu Jian agreeing to the duel, Xu Tai roared furiously as his sword warped into a massive dragon, charging at Zhu Jian with astounding momentum. This battle technique was even more fearsome than the sword art he had executed in the previous duel. Even before the sword approached Zhu Jian, the dueling tform had already been torn apart by the sword qi emanating from it. In face of the other partys immeasurably powerful stab, Zhu Jian swiftly recalled the teachings from their principal. The situation is identical to before, and Principal Zhang has also exined the countermeasures to take when faced with such a move... As such, he nimbly twisted his body to the side before wielding his finger like a sword and stabbing toward a specific direction. Puchi! The finger, imbued with zhenqi, sunk deeply into flesh like a dagger. In the next moment, the majestic Xu Tai copsed to the ground once more. His face paled, andrge quantities of blood spilled from his mouth. In fact, his state seemed to be even worse than before, as blood spewed from his mouth profusely like a human fountain. In that moment, a wave of silence swept across the crowd, and not a person could speak a word. "He... was defeated again?" "He used his full might this time around, but he was still defeated in a single move. Could it be that Zhu Jian has been concealing his cultivation all along?" "I really cant tell. His move was simply too profound." The three champions of the Grade-1 internal selections of the other three academies nced at one another as cold sweat trickled down their cheeks. Previously, they hadnt even thought of Hongyuans students as opponents. They had thought that, considering the caliber of Hongyuans candidates, they wouldnt even im a single slot of the twenty. Yet, never had they thought that even a seemingly inconspicuous candidate from Hongyuan would be able to defeat abat master so easily. "You... You..." Struggling to his feet with difficulty, Xu Tai pointed a shaking finger at Zhu Jian furiously. He really couldnt ept his defeat! Even until this point, he still had no idea how the other party had managed to outmaneuver him. To think that abat master like him, an unrivalled existence among cultivators, would be defeated by an opponent of the same cultivation without knowing the reason behind it! This inconceivable situation left him extremely frenzied. Seeing that Xu Tai was unwilling to back down, Zhuo Qingfeng harrumphed coldly. "Xu Tai, that is enough! Dont you think that you have embarrassed yourself enough for today?" "Leader, I..." Xu Tai turned to Zhuo Qingfeng anxiously, unwilling to let this matter slide just like that. "That young man over there might not be able to measure up to you in terms of zhenqi and strength, but hisprehension of battle techniques and grasp over timing inbat are far beyond yours. That finger jab he executed might seem humble and unimpressive, but it is a move that can only be made with a deep understanding of your swordsmanship and zhenqi cirction!" With the sharp eyes that Zhuo Qingfeng possessed, he could easily see through the crux of the battle. "Using his finger as a sword, he was able to bait an opening out of you before exploiting it with impable timing. With just the eye of discernment he possesses, he is qualified to be abat master!" "Yes." Seeing that even his leader had spoken up for the other party, Xu Tai dared not argue any further. As such, he could only nod meekly and back down. "I... cleared the selection?" Zhu Jian had gone up to the dueling tform without harboring any hope of victory at all, so when he heard that he had cleared the selection, he could hardly believe his ears. "The criterion of our selection is for the candidate to withstand three moves from one of ourbat masters. Given that you have defeated ourbat master, who else should we clear if not you?" Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a kind smile. "Yes!" Excited, Zhu Jian nodded his head hurriedly before leaping off the stage. "Alright. Xu Tai, you should rest for a moment first. Chen Zhu, you will take his ce." Combat masters were powerful, but they werent unmatched in the truest sense. At the very least, when Zhuo Qingfeng was at Consonant Spirit realm, Xu Tai was no match for him at all. From time to time, there would be a formidable genius emerging from the Four Great Master Teacher Academies who would be able to defeat theirbat master. It might have been a rare sight, but it wasnt something too surprising. As such, Zhuo Qingfeng didnt think too much about it and instructed for the test to continue. "Yes!" Chen Zhu nodded before leaping up to the dueling tform. Gazing down on the crowd beneath, he said, "Is there anyone who dares battle with me? The same rules apply. As long as you are able to withstand three moves from me, you will be qualified to be abat master!" The weapon that Chen Zhu wielded was a sharp saber. Paired with his powerful aura and torrential zhenqi, the crowd couldnt help but shiver at the thought of the might he would be able to produce. Inparison to Tai Xu, this Chen Zhu seemed to be even stronger and scarier! "If I knew that he was so powerful, I would have gone up earlier..." "That wont make any difference. Even Zhao Zhongchuan was unable to withstand three moves from Combat Master Xu Tai, do you think that you would have been able to do better than him?" "I wonder who will be able to withstand three moves from him." ... Feeling the frightening strength that Chen Zhu emanated, apprehension swiftly swept across the faces of the crowd. Xu Tai was already a difficult opponent to deal with, and the substitution with the stronger Chen Zhu spelled nothing but disaster for the subsequent challengers. "Allow me!" A young man leaped onto the dueling tform. "Its the champion of Luoqings internal selection, Zhang Qingshan!" "Given his formidable might, he might just be able to withstand three moves..." Upon seeing the face of the first challenger, the crowd beneath immediately directed their gazes intently toward the dueling tform. Zhang Qingshan was the strongest expert of the Grade-1 students of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy. Even the Zhao Zhongchuan from before was no match for him at all. With him making a move, victory was almost assured. Hu hu hu! Amidst the discussion, the battle began. Zhang Qingshan split open his fingers and thrust his palm forward. A surge of zhenqi burst forth with the momentum of the relentless tide of a river. Had it been anyone else, they would have surely been torn apart in an instant by the rampaging surge of zhenqi. However, Chen Zhu was like a small boat amid the furious waves of the ocean; regardless of how violent the storm became, he was able to match its movement perfectly, thus avoiding the brunt of the force. In the blink of an eye, Chen Zhu had already used up two moves, and both parties were still equally matched. "How can it be that easy for you to withstand three moves from me?" Seeing that he had already used up two moves, Chen Zhu narrowed his eyes and harrumphed coldly. All of a sudden, the saber flew out of his hand and tore through space with speed reminiscent of a bolt of lightning. Hu! The saber was simply too fast. Before Zhang Qingshan could even react, he could already feel a fiery gale assaulting him from the front, threatening to split his body in half. "Crap..." Sensing the immense danger from the saber, Zhang Qingshan narrowed his eyes and retreated furiously. At the same time, he whipped out a sword from his storage ring in order to protect himself. Peng! The saber collided with the sword, and the overwhelming force resulting from the sh caused the ground beneath to be devastated. Under the massive might, Zhang Qingshans face reddened, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth as he flew out of the dueling tform and crashed heavily onto the ground beneath. "I lost? How could I have lost?" Lying on the ground, Zhang Qingshans face was as pale as a sheet of paper, unable to believe what had just happened. He was the number one expert of the Grade-1 students of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, and yet, despite his incredible fighting prowess, he had actually failed to withstand three moves from the other party. Having failed the Combat Master Selection, the overwhelming sense of defeat that weighed down on his heart left him incredibly stifled and frustrated. "Chen Zhu, what the hell are you doing! What did I tell you beforeing here? Didnt I tell you that secret art is forbidden?" Just as Zhang Qingshan was wallowing in despair from his defeat, Zhuo Qingfengs wrathful voice suddenly resounded deafeningly across the training ground. If it had been a normal sh, Zhang Qingshan would surely have been able to withstand the three moves easily. However, who could have known that his subordinate would break the rules and use a forbidden move in the crucial moment? "I..." Chen Zhus face reddened. Watching Xu Tais defeat with his own eyes had left his heart shaken. When he realized that he was unable to defeat his opponent within three moves, he had suddenly felt a surge of panic, whichpelled him to use his secret art. After lecturing Chen Zhu, Zhuo Qingfeng turned to Shen Pingchao and said, "My apologies, Principal Shen. My subordinate has made a huge mistake. Even though Zhang Qingshan of your Luoqing Master Teacher Academy has lost the duel, he does indeed possess the qualifications to be abat master!" "Thank you, Combat Master Zhuo." Hearing that his student was still able to qualify as abat master, Shen Pingchao heaved a sigh of relief and sped his fist in gratitude. Zhu Qingfengs actions were prompt and courteous, clearly having spared a thought for his honor. As such, he had to reciprocate with at least a word of thanks. After dealing with Zhang Qingshans matter, Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hand and said, "Lets continue the test!" Chen Zhu surveyed the surroundings haughtily and said, "Who else wants to try next?" Even though Zhang Qingshan had eventually been deemed to have cleared the test, thest saber that had sent Zhang Qingshan flying was simply so powerful that it had instilled apprehension into the hearts of the remaining candidates subconsciously. All those who had intended to go up a moment ago couldnt help but cower fearfully. Their strength and reflexes were nowhere near Zhang Qingshans level. If the other party were to use that powerful technique against them too, it would be hard to tell whether or not they would be able to counterattack in time. Most likely, they would suffer severe injuries, or even... be split in two! Chen Zhu turned his gaze toward the candidates from Hongyuan as he uttered coldly, "What? No one dares to challenge me? If I am not mistaken, so far, there has only been one candidate from Hongyuan, right? Is there anyone there who dares face me?" His good friend, Xu Tai, had been severely wounded by a student from Hongyuan, so he intended to exact vengeance for him, as well as to return honor to thebat masters. He wanted to make them know that even with just three moves, they,bat masters, were a force that the likes of them couldnt hope to match up to! "This..." Hearing Chen Zhu issuing them a challenge publicly, the candidates from Hongyuan nced at one another hesitantly. A momentter, a young man clenched his jaws and stepped forward. "I will face him!" Saying those words, he leaped onto the dueling tform. Someone amid the crowd shouted, "Zhu Xi, you finishedst ce in the internal selections! Arent you seeking death by going up at a tense moment like this?" Chapter 935: Crippling With a Kick Chapter 935: Crippling With a Kick Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There was a total of twenty Grade-1 candidates from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and Zhu Xi was ranked twentieth among them. In other words, he was Hongyuans weakest candidate. To make things even clearer, if the eighty Grade-1 candidates of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were arranged in terms of strength, he would be ranked eightieth. Even Luoqings champion of the Grade-1 internal selection had been sent flying with a saber, wasnt it practically suicide for a person as weak as Zhu Xi to challenge Chen Zhu? Everyone couldnt help but stare at him as if he was a fool. There were even a few who couldnt help but cover their eyes, unwilling to see the cringeworthy sight that would unfold very soon. "Forget it, I will have to go up sooner orter. It is just a question whether I lose now orter." Chuckling softly with an edge of despair in his tone, Zhu Xi leaped onto the dueling tform without any hesitation. In truth, from the power disy itself, he already knew that it was impossible for him to be abat master with his strength. But even if he were to lose, he couldnt allow anyone to think of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as a den of cowards! "Interesting. To think it would be weaker one who has more guts than the others. Very well! Just try to withstand one move from me, wont you?" Chen Zhu smirked coldly as he licked his lips. Driving his zhenqi, he flicked his saber, and the air whimpered loudly under the sheer pressure of his saber. "I also hope that I can withstand one move," Zhu Xi muttered before taking a deep breath. Flicking his wrist, he whipped out a spear as he tried to recall the knowledge that Principal Zhang had imparted to him earlier on. He had paid careful notice to the duel between Xu Tai and Zhu Jian earlier, and it seemed that thetter had used the techniques that Principal Zhang had taught them. Since the worst possible situation was just failure, he wanted to take a leap of faith and give it a try. "Begin!" As soon as the duel started, Zhu Xi immediately opened his eyes wide as he thrust his spear forward abruptly with great momentum. Principal Zhang has said that the greatest advantage of a spear lies in its reach. When against a shorter weapon, one should make full use of its advantage. An inch shorter, an inch riskier. 1 While the other partys saber does wield incredible strength, it iscking in reach. I can make use of this to draw in the opponent and make him lower his guard. As the words of their principal resounded in his mind, Zhu Xi pushed his spear forward furiously, creating afterimages after him. "Humph!" On the other hand, seeing Zhu Xis offense, Chen Zhu sneered coldly. With a sh of his saber, a furious burst of saber qi sliced the air before him in two to meet the spear ahead of him. Now is the time! Seeing that the other partys countermeasure was identical to how Principal Zhang had analyzed, Zhu Xis eyes lit up as he continued pushing his spear forward. At the same moment, he lifted his leg to kick the other partys groin. True strikes should always be fixed amid feints inbat. The furious charge of the spear made it seem as if Zhu Xi was intending to capitalize fully on the advantage resulting from the length of his weapon, but the true threat was actually concealed beneath thathis leg. Principal Zhang had once exined to them the variousmon ws a cultivator would tend to expose when executing certain moves. Considering the furious might that the saber in Chen Zhus hand wielded, it was apparent that the other party had focused all of his might on his upper body. Naturally, this meant that his lower body was open! Peng! The crisp sound of a foot sinking deeply into flesh was heard by all, and Chen Zhu instantaneously narrowed his eyes. "AHHHH!" He gasped in indescribable pain as his body instinctively leaped up as if shocked by lightning. After which... his entire body copsed to the ground, curled up like a shrimp. As this was the first time Zhu Xi had utilized Zhang Xuans teachings in battle, not to mention the overwhelming strength of the opponent he was facing, he had inadvertently used his full strength in the kick. Furthermore, the crotch was a huge weakness for any man. With that kick, Zhu Xi had nearly crippled Chen Zhu for life. "This..." Completely stunned, Zhu Xi scratched his head nkly. He had only intended to give it a try, thinking that the worst that could possiblye was defeat. He didnt really think that his kick would really be able to strike his opponents vitals and incapacitate the other party. Wasnt that fellow extremely powerful? How did he fall so easily to a kick from him then? Zhu Xi wasnt the only one who was surprised by this turn of events. The crowd below also stared at one another with eyes widened. Wasnt that Zhu Xi fellow the weakest of them all? Yet, the weakest one actually incapacitated Chen Zhu in just two moves? "T-this..." Even Zhuo Qingfeng himself had stiffened from shock. Others might not have been able to see through the profoundness behind the maneuver, but as a Hundred Men Commander among thebat masters, he was able to see through it clearly. Zhu Xi had exerted his full might in his spear, not holding back in the slightest. Facing such an attack, Chen Zhu had also instinctively focused his attention and strength on his upper body to fend off Zhu Xis spear. It was with such a set-up that Zhu Xi had been able to sessfully take Chen Zhu by surprise andnd his kick on thetters groin urately. But as easy as it sounded, it was not that easy to execute. Without a masterful grasp over onesbat timing, Chen Zhu would have surely noticed the kick in advance and dodged it easily. Even for a person with Zhuo Qingfengs mastery ofbat, he wouldnt have been able to exploit such a w against Chen Zhu either if he were to fight against thetter with his cultivation suppressed. For thest ranking candidate of Hongyuan to easily achieve a feat that even he was incapable of... what was going on? "You..." It took a very long time for Chen Zhu to recover. Getting back to his feet, he red at Zhu Xi with raging mes burning in his eyes. He had intended to exact vengeance for his friend, but who would have thought that an even more tragic plight awaited him? Zhu Xi scratched his head sheepishly. "I dont have any idea how I won either... Do you want to go another round?" It was just a few moments ago that he had received Principal Zhangs teachings, and there hadnt been sufficient time for him to fully make sense of them. In the battle, he had only executed the moves as Principal Zhang had taught him earlier, so even he himself was unsure of how he had managed to subdue his opponent. However, this feeling of victory was truly addicting. If the other party wanted to go another round, he was more than willing to apany him. In any case, this would be a good opportunity to practice and internalize Principal Zhangs teachings. "You are seeking death!" Seeing how the other party even had the audacity to challenge him after what he had done, Chen Zhus veins popped out from anger. With a deafening roar, he threw his saber out with astounding momentum. This was the very same secret move that he had used to defeat Zhang Qingshan earlier! With his strength augmented by the immense rage coursing through his veins, the flying saber seemed to harness far greater force than before. Slicing through the air furiously, it seemed as if it would have been able to tear apart even a mountain of metal in two easily. "Formidable..." Seeing the same move that had left him defeated being executed once more, Zhang Qingshans face paled in fright, and his body began to tremble uncontrobly. He couldnt help but imagine his plight had Chen Zhu executed the secret art against him with such force earlier. There was no way he could have gotten off that easily against that! Perhaps, he might have really been split in two by now! It seemed like the other party had gone easy on him in the duel. As expected, it is this move... Upon seeing the flying saber, Zhu Xi didnt panic. Instead, his eyes lit up. When he had witnessed Chen Zhu executing this move against Zhang Qingshan from below earlier, he had immediately analyzed it carefully with Principal Zhangs teachings out of curiosity, wondering if he could find a w in the technique. To execute this secret art, Chen Zhu had poured his full strength into his saber tounch a decisive blow against him. However, it was in the moment of a powerful offense that ones defense would be the weakest. As long as he was able to exploit this w against Chen Zhu, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to curb the other partys move. Thus, Zhu Xi raised his spear and jabbed it forward consecutively toward the empty air like serpents leaping at their prey. Ding ding ding ding! A series of crisp metallic reverberations rang out as the spear strikes urately struck the openings of the sabers strike. The saber did possess overwhelming momentum, but under the several hundred jabs from Zhu Xis spear, it was eventually worn out. Fending off strength with speed! This was also something that Principal Zhang had talked about in his lecture. Under the circumstances in which one was faced with overwhelming strength far beyond ones means, one could gradually wear their opponents might thin with continuous light jabs, thus making up for quality with quantity. Even a droplet of water could form a torrent if a sufficient number of them gathered! Zhu Xi was only intending on giving it a try, but who could have thought that he would actually seed! After neutralizing the might of the other partys spear, Zhu Xi charged forward and sent a kick right toward Chen Zhu, just like before! After executing such a powerful attack, Chen Zhu was in an extremely brief state of frailty, requiring a moment longer before he could regain his momentum. As the famed saying goes, while hes ill, go for the kill! Every opportunity in a duel only had a brief window to it, and naturally, Zhu Xi couldnt allow this chance to slip past his fingers. On the other hand, Chen Zhu had intended to decapitate Zhu Xi with his saber in his moment of wrath, but to his astonishment, the other party had actually managed to neutralize his attack easily and even sent yet another kick toward him. Horrified, Chen Zhu immediately conducted an evasive maneuver to the side, but he suddenly saw a palm erge before his eyes. The kick was a feint, and the true strikey in the other partys palm! Pah! Too preupied with dodging the kick, Chen Zhu had left his facepletely open. Under the massive force of the palm, his face immediately swelled up as his body tumbled backward uncontrobly. Zhu Xi had utilized his full strength in the palm strike. While his strength and zhenqi purity were beneath Chen Zhus, ultimately, he was still at the same cultivation realm as thetter, Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, and as a candidate qualified for the Combat Master Selection, he also wielded strength superior to ordinary Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivators. The strike knocked out more than a dozen teeth from Chen Zhus mouth, and he crashed headfirst into the ground beneath the dueling tform, his body convulsing uncontrobly. "I won..." Seeing that he had managed to defeat Chen Zhu once more, Zhu Xis eyes shone in excitement. Even though he had memorized every single word that Principal Zhang had said, he had never utilized his teachings in battle before, so he had been unsure of the might harnessed within them. It was only after using them against Chen Zhu that he realized... hell, those moves were truly convenient and exhrating! The feeling he felt at this very moment was as if he had gone to an examination knowing the answers and the detailed exnation behind them in advance. To think that even the loftybat masters would be nothingpared to Principal Zhangs teachings! "This..." "What is going on?" The many students, elders, and principals from Yunxu, Luoqing, and Qingzhu stared at one another, dumbstruck. If they could still reason Zhu Xis victory in the first battle as sheer luck, in the second battle, Chen Zhu had used his strongest technique but had been utterly defeated. It was apparent that there was something very bizarre going on. "Isnt that fellow the weakest candidate from Hongyuan?" "If even the weakest candidate from Hongyuan is able to defeat Combat Master Chen Zhu so easily, how strong must their strongest candidate be?" "I really cant begin to imagine that..." In the power disy earlier, they had clearly seen that not only did the students of Hongyuan possess cultivation inferior to them, theirprehension ofbat and battle techniques was also unimpressive. But why would they suddenly be so powerful as soon as the test started? It was as if someone else had taken their ces! This was simply too peculiar! "Be it Zhu Xi or Zhu Jian, their zhenqi and cultivation are far beneath Xu Tai and Chen Zhu, but they were still able to achieve victory easily. This only goes to show that theirprehension of battle techniques andbat sense have already reached an inconceivable level," Wo Tianqiong said with his eyelids twitching uncontrobly. He had also thought that Hongyuans results would be unsatisfactory after watching the power disy, but their results had truly exceeded everyones expectations. Even the few top candidates from his academy had been unable to withstand three blows from thebat masters, but the candidates from Hongyuan were actually able to defeat thebat masters easily. "Indeed." Shen Pingchao nodded with a deep frown on his head, unable toprehend what was going on. Under normal circumstances, a cultivatorsbat sense would usually be attributed to talent, especially considering how abstract a subject it was; there was no such thing as a solution tobat. It was one thing for a candidate with such incrediblebat sense to emerge from Hongyuan, but for two to appear simultaneously... The odds of it happening were too unlikely to just y it off as a coincidence. It took a while for Zhuo Qingfeng to finally recover, and with twitching lips, he announced loudly, "Zhu Xi... is the victor! I hereby announce that he has cleared he selection." "I seeded..." Zhu Xis eyes were gleaming in delight. He had already given up hope on the matter, but who would have thought that he would sessfully be abat master just by following Principal Zhangs teachings? "Un. The timing of your movements was extremely precise, allowing you to outmaneuver even Chen Zhu. Naturally, our Combat Master Hall wees someone as talented as you." Zhuo QIngfeng nodded. It was hard to believe, but facts were facts. From the very first time that Chen Zhu was kicked in his groin, he had already lost. The second round was no more than a farce. "Thank you, Combat Master Zhuo!" Zhu Xi hurriedly sped his fist and thanked Zhu Qingfeng. However, he suddenly realized something at that moment and asked, "If the two Consonant Spirit realmbat masters in charge of invigting the test of the Grade-1 candidates are injured, how... will the test proceed?" All in all, including Zhuo Qingfeng, there were thirteen men from the Combat Master Hall. Putting aside the Half-Saint Wu Xu and Lu Cheng, from Consonant Spirit realm to Chrysalis realm, there were twobat masters to invigte each of the five grades. But of the two Consonant Spirit realmbat masters in the party, one of them was still spurting blood after being struck by Zhu Jian, and the other one still had his face nted in the ground. There was no one else to assess the Grade-1 candidates! "This..." Seeing that it was unlikely for his subordinates to recover within a short period of time, Zhuo Qingfeng frowned as well. Chapter 936: How Can We Continue the Test? Chapter 936: How Can We Continue the Test? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had previously thought that twobat masters for each grade would be more than sufficient to assess all of the candidates. Who would have thought that the candidates from Hongyuan would wield the power to incapacitate his subordinates? In any case, it didnt seem like the test could continue on like that. After a moment of hesitation, Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hand and said, "Since that is the case... Xu Hong and Ye Jun, suppress your cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. You two will be assessing the Grade-1 candidates!" "Yes!" Two young man sped their fists and stepped forward. The both of them were at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, and in their eyes, one could vaguely see a bridge connected with the world. With just a look, it was apparent that they had immersed themselves within this cultivation realm for a very long time, and they wielded strength far superior to ordinary cultivators. Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hand, and the zhenqi from his body gushed out and shrouded the duo. Pilip! In just a few short moments, the cultivation of the duo plummeted to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. Wo Tianqiong frowned. "Combat Master Zhuo, wont having a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator fight against Consonant Spirit realm cultivators be equivalent to raising the difficulty of the test?" Even though the cultivation of the two Cosmos Bridgebat masters had been sealed, their reflexes andprehension of battle techniques were still not something that Consonant Spirit realm cultivators could match. That was a considerable hike in the difficulty of the test. "Dont worry, I will have them control their strength. As long as they keep their strength in check, the difficulty shouldnt be too different from before," assured Zhuo Qingfeng with a nod. Through limiting the fighting prowess of the two new invigtors, it was possible to maintain the difficulty of the examination. Wo Tianqiong was still slightly hesitant after hearing those words of reassurance, but eventually, he still nodded. "Un." Considering the current state of the two Consonant Spirit realm cultivators, there was no way that the test would be able to continue any other way. Whether he liked it or not, he had to ept it. Leaping to the stage, Xu Hong dered loudly as he scanned his surroundings, "I am Xu Hong, and I am now in charge of invigting the Grade-1 tests. As long as you can withstand three moves from me, you will have cleared the selection." "Allow me!" A young man amid the crowd stepped forward and leaped onto the dueling tform. Zhang Xuan recognized the young man. It was the champion of Yunxus internal selection, and the prowess he had shown in the disy earlier was amazing as well. He didnt disappoint in the duel as well. Against Xu Hong, even though he was being suppressed right the start, he still managed to withstand three moves and clear the selection. Upon seeing someone seed, others also went up the dueling tform enthusiastically. However, they didnt fare as well as him. Five challengers from Yunxu, Luoqing, and Qingzhu lost consecutively, and the situation fell into a standstill once more. "Ill go." Seeing that no one was going up, a young man from Hongyuan stood up and stepped forward. "Thats Zhao Chuan, who is secondst!" "I remember that fellow from the power disy. He is roughly equal to Zhu Xi in terms of strength!" "Un. I would say that he doesnt stand a chance with cultivation like his, but... there is just something a little bizarre about the students from Hongyuan!" "It isnt a little bizarre but very bizarre!" Upon seeing that another candidate from Hongyuan had gone onto the dueling tform, amotion broke out amid the crowd. Hongyuans performance in the power disy earlier had been unimpressive, so no one had thought well of them at all. Yet, who would have thought that they would be the dark horse of the selection round? So far, they had two candidates who had gone up and both of them had incapacitated abat master each. At this point, there was no one who dared make any guesses about the oue of the battle anymore. Hu! Zhao Chuan leaped onto the dueling tform. "Lets begin," Xu Hong said before charging forward with his fist. On the other hand, seeing that Xu Hong wasnt using a weapon, Zhao Chuan also decided not to wield one either. Clenching his fist, he rushed forward to face Xu Hongs punch with a kick. Peng! As the punch and the kick collided, Zhao Chuan instantaneously felt immense might overwhelming him, knocking him down onto the floor. Under the impact, his face paled, and a stifling sensation assaulted his chest. Without even withstanding a single move, he had been defeated. Hu! Seeing Zhao Chuans defeat, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like the situations before were indeed just exceptional circumstances. Not everyone in Hongyuan wielded such monstrous strength. Beneath the stage, Zhu Jian yelled anxiously upon seeing such a sight, "Zhao Chuan, what the hell are you doing? Have you forgotten Principal Zhangs teachings?" "Think about thebat techniques Principal Zhang has imparted to us and get it together!" Zhu Xi shouted as well. How could Zhao Chuan even think of going head-to-head with his opponent? In the very first ce, their greatest disadvantage against thebat mastersy in their inferior zhenqi and strength. Moreover, the other party was a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator who had his cultivation suppressed; the other partys control over his strength was surely to be far superior to theirs. If they wished to achieve victory, the only way was to make full use of thebat techniques that Principal Zhang had imparted to them. "Thebat techniques that Principal Zhang has imparted us?" Zhao Chuan muttered feebly as he struggled to his feet. He contemted over the content of Principal Zhangs lecture for a brief moment to allow the wisdom contained within it to wash over him before exhaling deeply and turning his gaze to Xu Hong once more. "There are still two more moves, right? Lets continue!" Seeing how that fellow, who couldnt even withstand a punch from him, wanted to continue the battle, Xu Hong couldnt help but sneer derisively at the other partys foolishness. "You are courting death!" With a swift step off from his current position, Xu Hongs figure disappeared from the spot, and several afterimages appeared on the dueling tform. Each of them had a concrete presence, which made it impossible for one to discern the real from the fake. Principal Zhang says that when facing a maneuver utilizing feints, one must not allow oneself to be blinded by the false grandeur put up by the opponent. There is a thin but clear line between truth and falsehood. No matter how powerful a battle technique may be, as long as one can find the point where truth and falsehood ovep with one another and focus ones attack on it, one will surely be able to neutralize the opponents attack. Hearing the shouting beneath the dueling tform, Zhao Chuan suddenly recalled these words from Principal Zhangs lecture. Even though Principal Zhang had only had an hour to lecture them, he had managed to cover a diverse range ofmonbat techniques. The opponent he was facing, Xu Hong, was able to produce numerous afterimages through capitalizing on his powerful movement technique, and with Zhao Chuans current limits, the only way he would be able to ovee such a profound movement technique was to find the point where truth and falsehood ovepped and exploit it. Focusing his gaze, Zhao Chuan stared at the other partys movements intently, and his eyes suddenly lit up. I found it! Zhao Chuan eximed internally in delight. Clenching his fists tightly, he charged right toward an afterimage opposite him and struck it decisively. Peng! It was a sound reminiscent of a fist sinking into a sandbag. Xu Hong had been moving at a speed so quick that one could hardly see him, but in that moment, his figure suddenly converged into a rapidly retreating figure, which crashed forcefully into the ground before he could even release a howl of agony, cking out. Zhao Chuans fist was directed at a point through which Xu Hong was unable to drive his zhenqi, thus inducing an energy bacsh within thetter. Not even a Cosmos Bridge realm expert would be able to withstand that. "I won?" Seeing Xu Hong fainting over, Zhao Chuans lips began trembling in agitation. Having faced the other partys punch head-on earlier, he had gotten a glimpse of the huge power difference between the two of them. Yet, just by following Principal Zhangs teachings, he had been sessfully knocked out the other party with just a single move. Wasnt this a little too good to be true? On the other hand, upon seeing this sight, Zhuo Qingfengs body began trembling in disbelief. It is one thing for your guys to knock out my Consonant Spirit realmbat masters, but to do the same to my Cosmos Bridge realm cultivators with their cultivation suppressed? Are you all actually experts disguised as Consonant Spirit realm master teachers? More importantly... you were beaten up helplessly like a dog on the first move, unable to put up a fight at all. Yet, on the second move, you were suddenly able to turn the tables and defeat mybat master so easily... Dont you think that you are changing too quickly? All of a sudden, Zhuo Qingfeng couldnt help but remember the shouting beneath the dueling tform right after the first move. "Just a moment ago, they mentionedbat techniques that their principal imparted to them earlier. What is going on?" At the same time, the same thought struck Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao, and they couldnt help but widen their eyes in astonishment. "Could the hour-long lecture that Principal Zhang conducted for them... have something to do with this?" They had been thinking that ast-ditch effort to enhance the students fighting prowess right ahead of the selection would have beenpletely futile, but who would have thought that Principal Zhangsst-ditch effort would not only be useful but extremely effective as well? If that wasnt the case, why would Zhao Chuan suddenly experience a burst in power that allowed him to knock out even the Cosmos Bridge realm Xu Hong after a reminder to follow thebat techniques imparted by their principal? "An hour-long lecture?" Hearing Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchaos words, Zhuo Qingfeng frowned. While it was indeed possible for formidable master teachers to impart the essence ofbat to their students, what could one possibly teach within the span of an hour? Perplexed, Zhuo Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before turning to the young man in front of him and instructing, "Ye Jun, you will head up to challenge the candidates from Hongyuan." "Yes!" Responding with a nod, Ye Jun leaped onto the dueling tform. This time, instead of issuing a challenge to all of the candidates of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, he turned to the candidates of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and challenged just them. "I will go!" One of the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan stood up. "Try to remember Principal Zhangs teachings. As long as you adhere to what he taught us, you wont lose," Zhu Jian quickly advised. "Un." After watching so many battles, that candidate had also realized that Principal Zhangs teaching was beyond ordinary. With a nod of his head, he walked up the dueling tform. With this realization in heart, his fight was significantly easier. Within two moves, he had already found Ye Juns w and crushed him with a palm, leaving thetter convulsing uncontrobly on the ground. "The knowledge that Principal Zhang imparted to us is really formidable." Seeing that yet another one of their own had cleared the selection to be abat master, even knocking out the invigtor while doing so, the other candidates of Hongyuan felt a huge boost of confidence. If they had still harbored any doubts regarding their principals teaching previously, after witnessing this, the apprehension they had felt vanished, leaving nothing but awe and admiration for their principal. Zhu Jian, Zhu Xi, and Zhao Chuan... As fellow Grade-1 students from Hongyuan, they were well aware of the strength that those three wielded. Under normal circumstances, putting aside defeating thebat masters, they wouldnt even have been able to match the top fifteen candidates from the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy. Yet, all three of them had managed to emerge victorious through utilizing the teachings their principal had imparted to them an hour earlier. It was inconceivable, but their principal had managed to make the impossible happen! "The heck... are they on drugs?" Looking at the two additionalbat masters lying on the ground, Zhuo Qingfeng felt as if the limit of his sanity was being challenged. A single person defeating a stronger opponent could be rationalized as extraordinarybat talent and luck. Two people was pushing it, but it might just have been overwhelming coincidence. But four people consecutively? It was apparent to all that all four candidates from Hongyuan were significantly weaker than their opponents, be it in terms of zhenqi, strength, agility, or reflexes. Yet, all of them had still been able to floor thebat master they were facing with ease as soon as they made a move. Were they hacking? Or could it be just as they had said, the hour of lecture really had such mystical effects? But if that was really the case, wasnt that lecture a little too fearsome? Unable to hold himself back, Zhuo Qingfeng turned his sight over and spoke with a questioning tone. "Principal Zhang, your students..." Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also turned their gazes over. They were also bewildered by the situation before them, and they direly wanted to know what was going on. "Oh. I lectured them onbat techniques for an hour just before the battle, so perhaps they might have been able toprehend some of it." Understanding the intention behind their gazes, Zhang Xuan nodded. Following which, helplessness and frustration surfaced on his face. "It really pains my heart to see them see that these fellows werent able toprehend the true essence of thebat techniques I imparted to them, using them crudely and sloppily." He felt that it was truly a pity that he only had only been able to lecture them for an hour. If only hed had another hour, he would have been able to reinforce their knowledge further. Perhaps then, their movements wouldnt have looked so cringeworthy to him. "Comprehend some of it? Pains your heart?" Zhuo Qingfeng couldnt help but shudder upon hearing those words. This is the freaking result of onlyprehending some of it? If they reallyprehend all of it, wont our entire Combat Master Hall be destroyed by your students? Furthermore, we have only tested four of your students so far and four of our invigtors have already been floored. How do you expect us to continue the test? Screw that! In any case, ourbat masters will lose anyway! And more importantly... pains your heart? Pain your ass! Your students were able to subdue mybat masters without even sustaining the slightest injury, and you say that your heart is in pain? The one who should be in pain is me, alright... Chapter 937: Stone of True Breath Chapter 937: Stone of True Breath Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Principal Zhangs lecture was actually that incredible?" Not only were Zhuo Qingfeng, Wo Tianqiong, and the others frenzied, even School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others were shocked silly. Having trained the candidates personally over the past few days, they knew each of their abilities very well. When they heard that the candidates would have to withstand three moves from thebat masters, they had already prepared themselves for theplete defeat of the Grade-1 candidates. Yet, all four of the challengers theyd sent up had actually sessfully gotten rid of abat master each. More importantly, the challengers were the weaker of the bunch. So... didnt that mean that every single one of their Grade-1 candidates would be able to clear the selection? If that was the case, the candidates from the other Master Teacher Academies could probably retire for the Combat Master Selection this time around now. Their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was going to take up all hundred slots for themselves! Even though they had long known that Principal Zhang was extraordinary, they had really never thought that it would be to such an extent! To allow their students to possess a fighting prowessparable tobat masters within an hour... Not even the word overpowered was worthy of being used to describe such a feat! "When the examination ends, I will have them copy down the content of Principal Zhangs lecture word for word..." Xu Changqing and the other school heads clenched their jaws in agitation. A lecture that could turn even their weaker candidates into nigh unparalleled experts in their power ss, just how profound and incredible could the content be? Just the thought of it could send excited goosebumps up their arms. While the copied words wouldnt be infused with the Impartation of Heavens Will, making the effects less pronounced aspared to being lectured by Principal Zhang, they had no doubt that it would be a great source of inspiration to help further their fighting ability. ... After taking some time to soothe the stifled sensation that he felt, Zhuo Qingfeng took a deep breath, clenched his jaws, and instructed, "Bai Quan and Huang Tao, the both of you shall suppress your cultivation and continue the examination!" Since his Cosmos Bridge realmbat masters wouldnt work, surely his Perfect Harmonizationbat masters should be able to do the job! "Yes!" the twobat masters replied in unison before stepping forward. After suppressing his cultivation, thebat master on the right, Bai Quan, leaped onto the dueling tform. This time, before he could even say anything, amotion broke out among the candidates at Hongyuans side. "Ill go!" "You are stronger than me, and there will be plenty of chances for youter on. You should let me give it a try first instead!" "Try your head, I will go first! You can try all you want after I am defeated!" "Do you take me for a fool? By the time you are done, that fellow will already be knocked out on the ground..." "Hey, you are older than me, right? Havent you learned anything about giving in to your juniors before? Where in the world has your decorum as a master teacher gone? Look at me, I am far younger than you, and my cultivation is beneath yours, dont you think that you should give way to me?" ... The crowd from Hongyuan argued with faces reddened in excitement. The candidates from the other academiesy low, not wanting to face a Perfect Harmonization realm invigtor who had his cultivation suppressed in fear of thetters strength. On the other hand, the candidates from Hongyuan looked like they had seen some kind of precious treasure, squabbling with one another vehemently as if afraid that the other party would steal it from their hands. Do you need to be so exaggerated and savage? On the dueling tform, Bai Quans face twitched upon seeing this sight, and he was so furious and frustrated that tears were already on the verge of spilling down his eyes. I am abat master, a figure whom none in the Master Teacher Continent dare look down on! Yet, in a duel against me, not only do none of you show any fear, you are even squabbling with one another to fight against me as ifdies in a wet market... This is intolerable! Bai Quan clenched his jaws so tightly that creaking sounds could be heard from his teeth. Arrogant, arent you all? I swear that I will beat deference deep into each of your bones! Hu! Just as he made such a vow in his heart, a young man leaped onto the dueling tform. The young man had a rather slim frame, and he was one of the weaker candidates from Hongyuan. Upon seeing the young man leaping up to the dueling tform, the crowd behind him revealed regretful looks. If they had known earlier this would happen, they would have just dashed up to the dueling tform instead of squabbling with one another. They were being too courteous with one another, which allowed that fellow to get ahead of them. "Damn it!" Seeing the disappointed looks on the faces of Hongyuans candidates, Bai Quan felt something in his mind snap. Frenzied, he roared furiously, "Come, show me your strongest move!" Hu! As he shouted, he drove his zhenqi furiously, drawing every ounce of strength he could draw from his current Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivation into his palm before thrusting it forward furiously. The resulting attack was extremely powerful, at least ten percent stronger than Chen Zhu when he was using his secret art. Bai Quans strength was far greater than the otherbat masters that hade before him; his moves were majestic andplex, and his reflexes were swift as well. However, it was as if the opponent he was facing could peer right through his offense. After trading two moves, his opponent found a w in his offense and sent a kick right toward it. After which... nothing. Bai Quan copsed under the kick, defeated! Before he lost consciousness, a stream of tears flowed down his cheeks. I really am abat master. I really was sent here to test these guys. Yet, to think that I would actually lose so tragically to one of them. Why does it feel as if I am the one being tested instead? You are the one who is supposed to survive three moves from me, but the one to copse within three moves ended up being me instead. Seeing that even Bai Quan had been defeated, Zhuo Qingfeng was just about to dispatch Huang Tao when Lu Cheng suddenly sent a zhenqi telepathy to him. "Leader, if this continues, I fear that we will all be floored before we can even finish assessing the Grade-1 candidates! Furthermore, that is just the least of our worries. If the reputation of our Combat Master Hall takes a blow because of this..." While others might be unaware of the uncanny things that happened around Principal Zhang, he was one of the few who had experienced it personally. To be able to defeat the Half-Saint pinnacle him with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, how could the students taught by such an incredible figure possibly be ordinary? Hearing Lu Chengs words, Zhuo Qingfeng rubbed his temples. The other party was right. Should they continue the selection as it was, it was indeed very likely for such a situation to ur. If thebat masters responsible for testing the candidates were all knocked out, how could they proceed with the examination? There was a strict deadline for the selection to bepleted, and Zhuo Qingfeng couldnt begin to imagine how he was going to exin this matter to the Combat Master Hall if he failed to finish the selection in time! For the ones testing to be knocked out by the ones who were being tested... How embarrassing was that? "Why dont we first assess the candidates from the other three academies first and leave Hongyuan to the veryst?" Lu Cheng suggested. Zhuo Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that seems to be the only thing we can do now..." If they were to continue assessing the candidates from Hongyuan, there was no doubt that more of theirbat masters would be incapacitated. Since that was the case, they needed to first finish assessing the other three academies before deciding on a measure to deal with Hongyuan. Having made up his mind, Zhuo Qingfeng immediately began making a series of arrangements. Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were displeased to hear that the candidates of their academies would be assessed first, but eventually, they still agreed to the arrangement. There was no way around it. Given the peculiar circumstances surrounding Hongyuans candidates, they would never be able toplete the selection in time should they continue as it was. ... It took eight hours to assess the all of the candidates, from Grade-1 to Grade-5, of the other Master Teacher Academies. Owing to the strong foundations of the other three academies, their candidates were indeed powerful. However, thebat masters were simply far too strong. Only twelve candidates had cleared the selection from the strongest academy, Yunxu, resulting in the lowest record in its entire history. The other academies fared even worse. Luoqing only had ten, and Qingzhu, eight. The other three academies had marched into the Combat Master Selection confidently, but their results were far from satisfactory. They hadnt thought that such a situation would ur, especially given the increased number of slots. "Only Hongyuan is left now..." After assessing the candidates of the other three academies, Zhuo Qingfeng finally turned his gaze back to the candidates of Hongyuan. Xu Tai, Chen Zhu, and the others had also recovered by this point, and they participated in the test as well. It didnt take long before they cked out once again under the insane fighting prowess of the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan. It seemed like the previous experience had made them more proficient at cking out. With just one move, thebat masters were already defeated. "This..." Seeing as his subordinates fall one after another, Zhuo Qingfengs face swiftly grew more and more livid as frustration and helplessness built up within him. They werent even done assessing the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan yet, and there were still another eighty from the other four grades waiting for their turn... At this rate, when could they finish their job? It was not as if they hade here in seek of a beating. For one of them to be knocked out in each duel, it sure was humiliating... Hesitating for a brief moment, Zhuo Qingfeng stood forward and proposed, "Principal Zhang, at this rate, we wont be able to finish the selection in time. Thus, I have a suggestion. As long as your candidates clear a certain test, I will take them in regardless of the limit of a hundred slots. Otherwise, I will just have to ask your candidates to conduct an elimination tournament among themselves to sieve out the required numbers to fill up the remaining slots." So far, a total of thirty candidates from the other three academies had cleared the examination, leaving behind seventy slots to fill. If the candidates from Hongyuan were able to clear that test, Zhuo Qingfeng would be able to make an exception and ept all one hundred candidates from Hongyuan if needed. Otherwise, Hongyuan would only be issued the seventy remaining slots, and the candidates would have to fight it out among themselves to determine who among them would be selected. Ultimately, the hundred slots could be considered as a guideline from the Combat Master Hall. If the hundred candidates from Hongyuan turned out to be true geniuses, it would be a blessing for the Combat Master Hall too if they could bring in all of them. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Zhuo Qingfeng and said, "Please speak, Combat Master Zhuo!" "Combat masters require not onlybat skills but zhenqi and strength superior to normal cultivators as well. This is a necessary requirement for them to be able toplement the otherbat masters in group battle and not be the baggage of the others," said Zhuo Qingfeng. Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also nodded in agreement. Combat masters could be considered as the military of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and the main purpose of their existence was to deal with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and any other existences that threatened mankind. Typically speaking, the battles they faced would be group battles instead of individual battles, thus requiring them to coborate with one another. No matter how high onesprehension of battle techniques was, if ones zhenqi and strength couldnt match up with onespanions, it was very likely that one would just end up dragging down the team eventually, especially in a prolonged battle. "I have borrowed a Stone of True Breath from the Combat Master Hall specially for this selection exercise. As long as one ces ones palm on it, it will clearly reflect the level of zhenqi and strength one possesses!" Zhuo Qingfeng said. "The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy have indeed achieved a frightening level ofprehension in theirbat skills, but their zhenqi and physical strength are stillcking. Under normal circumstances, one has to achieve a score of four on the Stone of True Breath in order to qualify as abat master. However, considering the unique circumstances surrounding Hongyuan, your candidates only have to achieve a score of two in order to clear the test!" There was a high threshold that one had to meet in terms of their zhenqi purity and physical strength in order to qualify as abat master, but there was something peculiar about the candidates from Hongyuan that necessitated special consideration. Their zhenqi purity and physical strength were clearly far beneath that of their opponents, but they had still been able to knock out their opponents easily. For geniuses of such caliber, even the Combat Master Hall headquarters would make special exceptions for them. There was indeed such a precedence as well. "A score of two?" Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. This was his first time hearing of the Stone of True Breath, so he had nothing to gauge what a score of two or a score of four meant. Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked, "Can you allow me to take a look at your Stone of True Breath?" "Sure!" Zhuo Qingfeng nodded before flicking his wrist, and a huge stone tablet around his height appeared before him. The stone tablet was grayish in color, but it emanated a beautiful light-blue hue around it. "Its indeed the Stone of True Breath... Incredible!" Wo Tianqiongs eyes lit up. "Principal Wo has seen the Stone of True Breath before?" Shen Pingchao asked in intrigue. "I have never seen it myself, but I have read of it in a book before. It is said that it harnesses the amazing ability to assess ones zhenqi purity and physical strength quantitatively. Just by cing ones hand on it and exerting ones zhenqi to the maximum, a number will surface. A number beyond two means that one possesses some talent, and a number beyond four means that the talent one harnesses far exceeds that of ordinary geniuses!" Principal Wo replied. "If thats the case... Will the level of ones cultivation affect the result?" Shen Pingchao asked. If ones cultivation affected the results of the Stone of True Breath, would it really be fair to assess ones talent using the same standards? "It is fine! The Stone of True Breath only assesses the purity of ones zhenqi and physical body strength. The assessment criteria it uses are, to a great extent, separate of ones cultivation," Principal Wo replied. While the two were speaking, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Stone of True Breath, and after examining it closely for a moment, he turned to Zhuo Qingfeng and asked excitedly, "Combat Master Zhuo, can I... give it a try?" Chapter 938: The Invincible Zheng Yang (1) Chapter 938: The Invincible Zheng Yang (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He didnt have an understanding of the Stone of True Breath at all, and the only way for him to get a clear gauge of the exact significance of a score of two and four was to try it for himself. "Principal Zhang, you want to give it a try yourself?" Beneath the dueling tform, the faces of School Head Mo and the others immediately paled. "NO!" They knew about the destructive tendencies of their principalanything that came into his hand would be destroyed in one way or another. Unless Combat Master Zhuo didnt want his Stone of True Breath, it was best not to let that God of Destructione into contact with it, or else it would be toote for regrets after the fact. Seemingly hearing the voices in the school heads hearts, Zhuo Qingfeng smiled courteously and said, "There is no need to trouble Principal Zhang with this. Chen Zhu,e over!" "Yes!" Chen Zhu nodded before swiftly heading toward the Stone of True Breath. He ced his palm on it, and a brilliant burst of light shed in the area. Following which, a number surfaced on the stone tablet5! "This means that Chen Zhus zhenqi purity and physical strength has exceeded the required standard of four," Zhuo Qingfeng exined. "Allow me to give it a try too!" Luoqings Zhang Qingshan, who had been defeated by Chen Zhus saber previously, walked over and ced his palm on the stone tablet as well. With a radiant sh of light, a number surfaced... 4.5! Even though it hadnt reached Chen Zhus level, it did meet the prerequisite to bing abat master. "Let me try it as well!" Zhu Jian stepped forward and ced his palm on the stone tablet. A glow of light followed, 2.1. "I am only 2.1?" Zhu Jians face twitched in horror. He was ranked fifth among the twenty Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan, but he had only managed to attain a result of 2.1. Didnt that mean that the other fifteen candidates behind him would struggle to even reach 2? It seemed like it would have indeed been impossible for him to be abat master were it not for Principal Zhangs impartation. "With this, I believe Principal Zhang should have gained some understanding of the Stone of True Breath!" Zhuo Qingfeng said with a smile. Through the results of the three people, it wasnt too difficult to roughly estimate the gauge for the Stone of True Breath. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded with a frown. Zhu Jians strength could be considered to be at the forefront of most of the candidates, but he had only been able to achieve a score of 2.1 on the Stone of True Breath. If the other candidates were to take this test as well, it was highly likely that more than half would not be able to reach 2. In other words, a minimum of forty candidates would be eliminated! Zhang Xuan contemted for a brief moment before eventually speaking up. "Combat Master Zhuo, is it possible for you to give me four hours? I wish to lecture my students for a moment first before allowing them to take the test!" "Four hours?" Hearing Zhang Xuans request, Zhuo Qingfeng was taken aback. Even if it was really possible to raise onesbat techniques in a short period of time, surely zhenqi and strength would require umtion over time! A four-hour lecture... What could it possibly do? Zhuo Qingfeng pondered for a moment before replying. "There is no need for that. It is already gettingte, so why dont we conduct the test in the morning instead? This way, you will get the entire night." Just assessing the candidates of the other three academies had taken eight hours, so by this moment, the sun had already set, allowing darkness to envelope the sky. In any case, he had been given three days toplete the Combat Master Selection, so there was no need for him to finish it on the first day. "That will be truly helpful, Combat Master Zhuo. You have my gratitude!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Be it the physical strength or the zhenqi purity of Hongyuans candidates, they were unimpressive. However, if Zhang Xuan had a night to lecture them, he was confident that he would be able to induce a metamorphosis in them. "This isnt anything much. It will also be a blessing to the Combat Master Hall if we can bring talented fresh blood in," Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a smile. "Thats good to hear. Pardon me, but I will be taking my leave in advance. School Head Zhao and School Head Mo, I will be troubling you to make suitable arrangements for the three principals and their students and Combat Master Zhuo and his subordinates. I have to make full use of the limited time to conduct a supplementary lesson for these fellows!" Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile before leading the candidates toward the Elder Hall. The Elder Hall had a formation to iste auras and a formidable Spirit Gathering Formation. On top of that, it was also spacious enough to house a hundred peoplefortably. After Zhang Xuan left, School Head Mo and the others quickly took Principal Wo and the others to a night banquet to wee them before eventually settling them into their amodation. ... After arriving at the Elder Hall, Zhang Xuan adjust the Spirit Gathering Formation set up in the room to maximize its effects before scattering five hundred high-tier spirit stones around the room. Hu! In the blink of an eye, the entire hall was already permeated with spiritual energy so concentrated that it caused the air to be viscous. Seeing that it had reached a satisfactory level, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. While raising ones physical strength and zhenqi purity might have been an arduous task for any other master teacher, that was not the case for Zhang Xuan. After collecting countless physical body cultivation technique manuals from the Cultivation Compendium, he had already perfected the first four levels of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body into Heavens Path tier, allowing one to cultivate them without the need for catalysts. As for zhenqi purity, even if it was impossible for the students to cultivate Heavens Path zhenqi like him, he could still impart a very, very simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art to them. It would be easy and fast for them to cultivate, and it would help to refine their zhenqi to make it purer and more condensed. "You all only have a nights time. How much you manage to improve will depend on your capability and diligence!" After settling everyone down, Zhang Xuan scanned the faces of the students for a brief moment before starting. "I will now impart a physical cultivation technique to all of you known as the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body..." Zhang Xuans voice was infused with the Impartation of Heavens Will, inducing the students to drive the zhenqi in their bodies as per his words. Wu Yangzis Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body was extremelyplicated, and even with the talents that these students wield, being the top twenty fighters in their respective grades, it would still require several dozen years of effort before they would be able to master it. As such, Zhang Xuan had simplified it through the Library of Heavens Path, making it significantly easier toprehend and cultivate. Immersed in their cultivation, the students physical strength began growing at an incredible pace. ... In the manor that King Huai had given Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang stretched his backzily as he walked out of his room. After a day of cultivation, he had finally managed to digest everything that his teacher had taught him, thus inducing a significant rise in his fighting prowess. Exhaling deeply, Zheng Yang suddenly recalled something and his eyes lit up. If I recall correctly, it seems like today is the day that the Combat Master Selection is held. It will be good to take a look! He had heard many things about the legendarybat masters, and rumor had it that they were capable of easily matching opponents with cultivation far higher than them. As such, he was curious to see how powerful they were. Zheng Yang took a look at Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyans room, and noting that they were still cultivating, he decided to head to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy alone. It didnt take him too long to arrive at his destination. By this moment, the sun had already set, and the night banquet was already over as well. However, there were still many students from Hongyuan walking around the academy with excited looks on their faces. Hongyuan had always been outdone by the other three academies in the Combat Master Selection. However, under the leadership of the new principal, they had finally managed to turn things around. In this Combat Master Selection, their candidates managed to defeat even thebat masters themselves, and this made them feel extremely exhrated. From the discussions of the students around, Zheng Yang was able to gain a rough idea of what had happened in the day, and he chuckled softly in response. Having followed his teacher from Tianxuan Kingdom, he knew that his teacher possessed astounding capability despite his young age. Putting aside defeating the rtively weaker invigtors of the Combat Master Hall, he wouldnt be surprised in the least if his teacher were to train a group of experts that could overthrow the entire Combat Master Hall. "Zhenqi purity and physical strength, these can only be umted through cultivating over a long period of time. Yet, that Principal Zhang actually thinks that he can raise the strength of his students through just a night of lecturing. He sure is delusional!" "Indeed. In order to raise our zhenqi purity and strength, we had to go through so much suffering and pain! For one, we had to endure the insufferable heat from the Inferno Phoenix Saint Beast on the journey here, but even so, we were only able to raise our zhenqi purity and strength by just a bit!" "Just because he achieved some sess in his lecture onbat techniques, he thinks that he is the chosen one or something. Just wait and see how he makes a fool out of himself tomorrow!" Walking along the street, Zheng Yang suddenly heard some irked voices. Turning his gaze over, he saw a few young men dressed in peculiar master teacher robes walking along the road with disdainful sneers on their faces. The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had humiliated their Combat Master Hall through and through. There was no way they wouldnt feel indignant about that! It was one thing to learn that Principal Zhang had raised the prowess of Hongyuans candidate through nothing but a lecture at the veryst moment, but for the other party to actually hope of raising the zhenqi purity and physical strength of the candidates in a single night... Wasnt that nothing but a daydream? Those were the foundations of a cultivator, umted only through diligence over time. If they could be raised that easily, they wouldnt have to be put through suffering after suffering in the Combat Master Hall. "These brothers over here, please hold it for a moment!" Hearing that those men were mocking his teacher, Zheng Yang frowned in displeasure. He immediately walked over and stopped them with his hand. "What is the matter?" The young men frowned. "Its nothing much. I just heard that the members of the Combat Master Hall possess superior strength, and I happen to be rather bored at the moment, so I wish to try your strength for myself to see if you are really as fearsome as the legends make you out to be!" Zheng Yang said calmly. "You dare stop us despite knowing that we are from the Combat Master Hall? You must be tired of living!" "To dare mock even us... Brat, you sure are arrogant, arent you?" These young men were already in a bad mood from the start, so upon seeing that even a youth around sixteen or seventeen dared to stop them to challenge them to a battle, they couldnt help but feel provoked and fly into a rage. They were the powerfulbat masters, existences who were respected regardless of where they went! Yet, putting aside how their members had easily been floored by the candidates of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, now, even a young child dared to behave so arrogantly before them. How could they possibly ept that? "Whether I am tired of living or not, you will know once you give it a try..." Zheng Yang smirked as he whipped out a spear and flicked it with astounding prowess. "Since you are the one who provoked us in the first ce, dont me us for getting nasty..." Seeing the other party whipping out his weapon, the faces of thebat masters turned livid as well. One of them stepped forward and flexed his arms. Thisbat master was at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, and he was in charge of assessing the Grade-4 candidates. With the frightening strength that he wielded, he had managed to subdue countless geniuses one after another in the selection earlier, instilling fear deep into their minds. Thebat master could tell that the young man before him possessed a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, so he decided to step forth to face him. As abat master, he was capable of challenging opponents with cultivation far higher than him. Given that the other party was only a cultivation stage stronger than him, it should be a walk in a park for him to defeat the other party. Whipping out a sword too, thebat master said nonchntly, while emanating a clear aura of confidence, "Make your move! I dont have any interest in bullying those weaker than me, so I will give you a three-move advantage!" "You want to give me a three-move advantage? There is no need for that! I will suppress my cultivation to that of your level!" Seeing that the other party was still oblivious to the plight he was in, Zheng Yang shook his head and suppressed his cultivation down to Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle. On the other hand, seeing how the young man who hade out of nowhere was so arrogant as to suppress his cultivation to face him, thebat master sneered coldly. "Hah, since you are that intent on meeting your maker, so be it!" Flinging his sword abruptly, an incredibly powerful shockwave swept through the entire area before him. Even though his cultivation was only at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, the might of this attack could easily leave Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts trembling in fear. "Humph!" Facing such an attack, Zheng Yang simply sneered coldly. Not bothering to evade at all, he raised his spear and steered it forward with ferocious might. Peng! As soon as the spear came into contact with the sword, thebat master was sent flying while coughing huge mouthfuls of blood. Chapter 939: The Invincible Zheng Yang (2) Chapter 939: The Invincible Zheng Yang (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What?" "Zhi Chen was defeated?" "Against a cultivator of the same cultivation realm, he was defeated in a single blow?" "Furthermore, the other party didnt use any battle technique at all. It was just sheer physical and zhenqi might." Upon seeing their ownpanion being defeated in a single blow, thebat masters, who had underestimated the young man before them a moment ago, couldnt help but clench their fists tightly with grim expressions on their faces. Even though the other party had reached an incredible height in his cultivation despite his young age, they had thought that he might just have been the offspring of a wealthy n who had raised his cultivation through consuming pills. Typically speaking, the fighting prowess of such individuals tended to be subpar. As such, they hadnt thought of the other party as much of a threat. However, watching as theirpanionwho was unrivaled in his power ssbeing defeated with a single jab of a spear and now lying severely wounded on the ground, they couldnt help but freeze in shock. Werent they,bat masters, unrivaled existences regardless of where they went? It was one thing for them to be outmatched by the candidates specially chosen by the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but for even a random young man they met on the street to defeat them easily as well... More importantly, unlike the candidates whom they had faced in the day, the other party hadnt utilized any exceptional battle technique or extraordinarybat sense to exploit their ws. Instead, he had defeated theirpanion with just sheer zhenqi and physical strength! In other words, they, who had gone through hellish training in order to enhance their strength, zhenqi, and reflexes, were being outmatched by the other party! "Damn it!" The severely wounded Zhi Chen pushed himself against the ground and got to his feet. He red at the young man before him hostilely with gritted teeth. It was one thing for him, as abat master, to be humiliated during the selection exercise in the day, but to be humiliated by a young fellow who hadnt even reached his twenties yet in the evening as well... This was intolerable, unbearable, and insufferable! Roaring furiously, Zhi Chen ignored the protests of hispanions and dashed forward with his sword. Driving his zhenqi to its limit, he exerted a rampaging storm of sharp sword qi. Hong long long! In an instant, the air was cut into shreds. Even though Zhi Chen was only at Ethereal Treading realm, he was capable of drawing forth a might that nearly no Chrysalis realm cultivator could withstand. "Humph!" Seeing his enemy fly into a rage, Zheng Yang simply smiled wryly. With this posture upright like a spear, Zheng Yang stood firmly, and with a cold harrumph, his spear shot forth once again. The brilliant glint of the tip of the spear streaked forward furiously as if a charging flood dragon. In just the blink of an eye, it had already appeared right before the opponent, giving him no time to react at all. "This... Impossible!" Zhi Chens body stiffened from fright upon seeing the spear materialize right before his eyes. By that point, it was already toote for him to dodge. A sharp pain pervaded his chest as he was struck by the tip of the spear. The next moment, he was sent flying through the air. Pu! Fresh blood spurted wildly from his mouth as his figure moved in a parab through the sky. The previous move had already left him severely wounded, and this strike had further aggravated his injuries, rendering him incapable of fighting. "You arent a match for me! Isnt there anyone stronger?" Ignoring the wounded Zhi Chen, Zheng Yang turned his gaze to the remainingbat masters. Seeing how the young man had managed to subdue theirpanion with a single move, the others dared not underestimate him anymore. With grim looks, they traded nces, and eventually, a young man amid them stepped forward. "I will be your opponent!" This young man possessed a cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle, and he had been in charge of assessing the Grade-5 candidates. The weapon he specialized in happened to be the spear as well. With his prowess with the spear, he had struck fear into hearts of the other three Master Teacher Academies candidates so deep that none dared step onto the dueling tform to face him during the selection. Stepping forward, the young man harrumphed coldly. "I will suppress my cultivation to battle you..." "Suppress your cultivation? There is no need for that! Show me what youve got instead!" Zheng Yang waved his hand nonchntly. After which, he raised his spear and drove it forward with astounding might. "Arrogant brat..." The other partys abrupt move had left him no time to suppress his cultivation at all. The young mans face darkened as he raised his spear to counterattack. Having devoted many years to the spear, the young man had long achieved the realm of Spear-Man Union. Jabbing his spear forward, innumerable afterimages of the spear swiftly appeared before him, forming a seemingly imprable wall that sealed the other party within it. "Excellent spearmanship! It seems like Chi Xiao has decided to go all out!" "Even our leader is full of praise for his spearmanship. That fellow is bound to lose..." "Hah, a mere Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator actually dared provoke us? He really should learn his ce!" ... Seeing the young man execute his spear art, the otherbat masters simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief. They knew full well how formidable theirpanions prowess was with the spear; even a Half-Saint would have to back down before his might! On the other end, the fellow theirpanion was facing was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage. As powerful as that fellow was, they couldnt see him taking this attack unharmed. Thebat masters watched intently to see how the other party would be utterly defeated before theirpanions spearmanship, but all of a sudden, the Chrysalis realm pinnacle Chi Xiao suddenly let out a stifled gasp before being sent flying into the distance. Just like the previous contender, Zhi Chen, he crashed to the ground and began spurting blood wildly. "This... How is this possible?" "Chi Xiao was defeated? And in one move at that?" Narrowing their eyes, everyones face warped in shock. They could still rationalize Zhi Chens defeat as the other partys advantage as a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator albeit suppressing his cultivation. But this time, the other party was weaker than Chi Xiao, but the other party had still managed to defeat him so easily. How was that possible? "Chi Xiao..." The otherbat masters hurriedly rushed over to help theirpanion up. In that moment, they couldnt help but notice the horror and disbelief in theirpanions eyes. "Are you fine?" Worried, they asked anxiously. Struggling to a sitting position, Chi Xiao urged through jaws clenched in pain, "Call... our leader here! I... am not a match for him." Taking a nce at Zheng Yang, the otherbat masters knew that it would be impossible for them to defeat him, given that even the strongest Chi Xiao wasnt a match for him. Thus, clenching their fists in frustration and anger, they turned around and left. ... The residences that School Head Mo and the others had prepared for the parties from the other Master Teacher Academies and the Combat Master Hall were clean and spacious. Special attention had to been given to their amodations so as to ensure that they would have afortable stay in Hongyuan. Seated in the vast main hall at this very moment was Zhuo Qingfeng, and Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were sat at the opposite end to him. After the banquet came to an end, there was nothing else for the three principals to do. As such, they decided to pay Zhuo Qingfeng a visit, hoping to trade their insights on cultivation, and it was fortunate that they did so. The conversation they had with the other party enlightened them greatly. As expected of a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall. His understanding of cultivation and mastery of battle techniques were far above even principals like them. Just from the knowledge he shared in itself, they could already imagine the fearsome strength he wielded. There was no doubt that he was capable of challenging opponents possessing a cultivation significantly greater than his, and it would be unwise to gauge him just by his cultivation realm alone. "The crux of cultivation lies in ones heart. As long as ones heart remains earnest, one will only continue to grow strong." Zhuo Qingfeng chuckled. "The main difference between us,bat masters, and you, master teachers, is that our hearts are solely devoted to furthering our fighting capability. On the other hand, you have to divide your attention between learning supporting upations and imparting your knowledge to the others as well. So, its only natural that we have an advantage in terms of fighting prowess." "Indeed." Wo Tianqiong and the others nodded in agreement. The main reason the fighting prowess of abat master was greater than most master teachers was because they had devoted all of their effort to enhancing their fighting prowess. On the other hand, due to the primary responsibility that a master teacher shouldered, they had to divert some of their attention into studying supporting upations and such so as to further their teaching capability. Naturally, with their attention divided between several matters simultaneously, it was impossible for a normal master teacher to match up to the specializedbat master in terms of fighting prowess. As the principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, they possessed exceptional standing and had ess to strong cultivation techniques as well. In terms of fighting prowess, they were superior to that of most master teachers. However,pared to Zhuo Qingfeng, they were still plentycking. As the saying goes, each field has its own experts. Not even master teachers could possibly be skilled at everything. ... At this moment, Wo Tianqiong suddenly thought of something and asked, "Combat Master Zhuo, do you think that Principal Zhangs lecture tonight will be able to induce significant improvement among his student?" Previously, Principal Zhang had said that he intended to conduct a lecture in order to raise his students zhenqi purity and physical strength. In Wo Tianqiongs view, it was something nigh impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, the peculiarity that had happened with Hongyuan earlier in the day left a bizarre feeling within him, prompting him to ask Zhuo Qingfeng about this matter. "Under normal circumstances, I would say that such a thing ispletely impossible. Just that... there is just something a little uncanny about Principal Zhang," Zhuo Qingfeng said with a frown. Had it been anyone else, he would have been certain that the other partys attempt to raise his students zhenqi purity and physical strength significantly over the course of a single night would have been nothing but daydreaming. However, given that it was Principal Zhang they were talking about, he dared not just to a conclusion so hastily. The other party was a person who could make his studentsbat prowess surpass even that ofbat masters within just an hours lecture; it would have been a mistake to gauge the other party by normal standards. "Un... I feel the same way as well," Wo Tianqiong said as he shook his head. Aspared to Zhuo shi, the feeling was even more vivid for him because he had personally seen the difference in the strength of Hongyuans candidates before and after the lecture. It was as if that fellow was someone whomon sense no longer applied to. "Actually, there is no need to for us to think too much about this. We will know the answer tomorrow morning," Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a light smile. Halfway through his words, however, a young man suddenly rushed into the room. It was the Cosmos Bridge realm pinnaclebat master, Ye Jun. As soon as he entered the room, Ye Jun began shouting. "Leader, bad news!" "Whats wrong?" Zhuo Qingfeng frowned. "Our men were walking around the academy just now when we suddenly encountered a young man who seems to be either sixteen or seventeen. The other party stopped us and challenged us to a duel... However, who could have known that none of us would be a match for him, resulting in theplete defeat of the team!" Ye Jun swiftly went through the events that had just happened. "A young man, only sixteen or seventeen, challenged you to a duel, and none of you are a match for him?" Zhuo Qingfeng had a look of incredulity on his face, as if he had heard a ludicrous joke. Who were they? Combat masters! An existence that was invincible in their power ss. Yet, they had actually suffered aplete defeat at the hands of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man? Was this for real? "Thats right. The other party is only at Chrysalis realm primary stage... Chi Xiao faced the other party with his full strength, but even he was sent flying with a single jab and suffered severe wounds," Ye Jun said. "A Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator actually defeated the Chrysalis realm pinnacle Chi Xiao? How can this be possible?" Zhuo Qingfeng widened his eyes in shock. If abat master were to lose to an opponent of the same cultivation realm, it could only mean that thebat master was still insufficiently skilled. However, to lose to an opponent of a lower cultivation realm... This was something that would really be worth looking into! "Leader, it is true!" Ye Jun replied affirmatively. "Who is that cultivator? Is he a master teacher from Hongyuan?" Zhuo Qingfeng questioned. "I am not too sure either. We were just walking along the streets when he suddenly stopped us, saying that he had heard of the strength thatbat masters wield and wished to challenge us. He first suppressed his cultivation to fight with Zhi Chen, but Zhi Chen was defeated in an instant. After which, Chi Xiao stepped forward to ept his challenge, but he wasnt a match either!" Ye Jun exined. "To be able to move freely around the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other party must be from Hongyuan. Lets go over and take a look..." Hearing about how two of his subordinates had been defeated so easily, Zhuo Qingfengs face darkened as he got to his feet. Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also traded nces among themselves before getting to their feet and following behind him. Before they had even made their way to the entrance of the courtyard, they heard several yells of agony. Rushing toward the voices, they soon saw the majesticbat masters who had easily subdued the candidates from the three Master Teacher Academies earlier in the day lying on the ground, spurting blood as if a fountain. A sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man was standing proudly in front of them with a spear in his hand, reminiscent of an indomitable God of War. "Even though I suppressed my cultivation, none of you were able to take an attack from me. Is this the strength of the legendarybat masters?" ncing at Zhuo Qingfeng, a wry smile emerged on the young mans face. "Seems like your reputation precedes you!" Chapter 940: The Invincible Zheng Yang (3) Chapter 940: The Invincible Zheng Yang (3) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "What did you say?" Hearing those words, thebat masters behind Zhuo Qingfeng flew into a rage. Even Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were stunned by the sight before them. For the powerfulbat masters to be easily defeated by an individual and even mocked that their reputation preceded them. Everything was happening right before their eyes; however, they couldnt help but wonder if they were in a dream. With a hand on his spear and the other behind his back, Zheng Yang remarked impassively, "Ive always wanted to know how powerfulbat masters are. It seems like this is all there is after all!" Honestly speaking, after all he had heard about thebat masters, he was indeed a little disappointed with what he was seeing. "What arrogant words!" Seeing a fellow who hade out of nowhere criticizing them arrogantly, Wu Xu bellowed furiously and stepped forward. "Do you dare fight me in a battle?" Wu Xu had already reached Half-Saint. Even though he was only at primary stage, his cultivation felt irrepressible like a relentless river. An ordinary Half-Saint pinnacle would be no match for him at all. "Is there any reason I wouldnt fight you in a battle?" Gazing at the other party provocatively, Zheng Yang raised his spear skillfully. "Good. I will suppress my cultivation and fight you then!" Wu Xu said as he flicked his wrist and took out a sword. Over the past three months, not only had he achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, hisprehension of swordsmanship had also deepened significantly. The current him was significantly stronger than back when he met Zhang Xuan at the valley. "Theres no need for that. A Half-Saint primary stage cultivator, it will just take me a single spear!" Chuckling softly, Zheng Yang leaped forward powerfully, bringing him before Wu XU in a single step. The spear in his hands burst forth with might reminiscent of a powerful dragon. "You are courting death!" Seeing that the other party actually daredunch such a simple attack that was devoid ofplexity and technique against him and intended to go head-to-head against him, Wu Xus face turned livid. No matter what, he was a Half-Saintbat master, an invincible existence among his peers. It would be difficult for a cultivator whose cultivation was lower than him to defeat him even when exploiting despicable tricks, and yet, the other party actually intended to face him head-on? That was no different from courting death! Harrumphing coldly, Wu Xus sword flew forth to strike the other partys spear, his movements also devoid ofplexity and technique. At the same time, he also pumped his zhenqi through his body at an incredible speed reminiscent of river water gushing out of a hole in a dam, augmenting the strength of his stab. Since the other party intended to face him head on, he would use his superior strength as abat master to make the other party understand howughable his action was. Peng! The sword came into contact with the spear. Wu Xu was thinking that the other party would surely be unable to withstand his overwhelming zhenqi and fall in defeat instantaneously, but in the moment that both weapons collided, he felt a might superior to even his own rushing at him like an overwhelming torrent. It was as if the other partys offense was a tsunami, devouring the river of zhenqi in his body in an instant. Deng deng deng deng! Overpowered, Wu Xu was forced to retreat eight steps consecutively. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his eyes revealed his disbelief toward the situation he was facing. That fellows strength is actually stronger than that of Wu Xu, who is a cultivation realm higher than him? How in the world did that fellow cultivate? Seeing such a sight, Zhuo Qingfeng and the others who were spectating the duel by the side were shocked. Combat masters were representative of the strongest fighting force in terms of physical strength and zhenqi in their respective cultivation realm... Yet, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man had actually managed to knock back Wu Xu when his cultivation was beneath thetter; this was too frightening! "Continue!" After knocking Wu Xu back, Zheng Yang roared grandly as he charged forward once more. At the same time, his spear shot forth and sealed everywhere Wu Xu could possibly evade to precisely. What swift and profound spearmanship that is... Zhuo Qingfeng narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Possessing great strength granted one an advantage, but if one was unable to utilize it skillfully, one would still be unable to pose a threat to ones enemy. This was simr to the duels between the candidates from Hongyuan and thebat masters earlier in the day; none of the candidates from Hongyuan possessed strength greater than their opponent, but they had still been able to subdue thebat masters they were facing with ease. Even if ones strength was inferior to ones opponent, one could still make up for it with skill, searching for the opponents weaknesses and exploiting them to achieve victory. As such, while Zhuo Qingfeng was astounded by the brute strength disyed by the young man before him, he had still thought that Wu Xu would still stand a good chance. However, he had never expected for the young man to possess exceptionalbat sense and precise control over his movements as well. That spear that burst forth was clearly a maneuver exploiting the ws in Wu Xus moves. It was aiming to seal the space around Wu Xupletely so that thetter would be swept into a momentum that would prevent him from executing any powerful battle techniques. Incredible strength and a profoundprehension ofbat... Just where did this fellowe from? Wasnt he way too terrifying? Peng peng peng peng! While Zhuo Qingfeng was still deep in thought, Wu Xu was already pushed into a corner. After retreating several steps, he finally reached his limits. His sword flew from his hand, flying several rounds in the air before stabbing into the ground a dozen meter away. On the other hand, he faltered to the ground with the opponents spear pressed against his neck. It was a chilling sensation, which prated down to his bone, and he felt as if a hole would be made through his neck at any moment. "I have lost..." Wu Xus body stiffened. He had never thought that after achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint, he would still be defeated by a Chrysalis realm primary stage young man so easily. "You are formidable. Why dont I be your next opponent?" Seeing that his friend had been defeated so utterly, Lu Cheng couldnt help but step forward and challenge the young man. "Lu Cheng, you arent a match for him." Zhuo Qingfeng ced a hand before Lu Cheng and shook his head With his eye of discernment, he was able to sense vividly how fearsome the young man before him was. Zhenqi, strength, speed, battle technique,bat sense... It was as if the young man before him was infallible; there was no apparent w that one could exploit against him! Lu Cheng had achieved a breakthrough to Half-Saint rather early on, and he was also the strongestbat master in the group he led. However, it was still clear as the day to him that Lu Cheng was no match for the other party. "Leader..." Lu Cheng turned to look at Zhuo Qingfeng anxiously. The other party had infringed on the dignity of thebat masters right to their face. If they didnt teach him a lesson, how could they possibly walk outside with their heads held high in the future? "I will fight him." Shaking his head, Zhuo Qingfeng stepped forward and looked at Zheng Yang. "I wont take advantage of you. I will suppress my cultivation down to your level." Hu! Right after saying those words, Zhuo Qingfengs aura weakened from the initial Saint 2-dan to Chrysalis realm primary stage. Even though he had suppressed his cultivation, his battle techniques,bat sense, and reflexes still remained the same. Even with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, his fighting prowess was still more fearsome than the Half-Saint Lu Cheng. "Lets begin." Zheng Yang nodded as he raised his spear. In an instant, his presence suddenly felt like a towering spear, as if he was a spear himself. The highest realm of Spear-Man UnionSpear-Man Convergence! On the other hand, with a grim expression on his face, Zhuo Qingfeng whipped out a sword and pointed it over as well. Hu! Knowing the fearsome strength that the young man before him wielded, Zhuo Qingfeng didnt hesitate to make the first move and dashed forward. His footsteps were incredible profound, and they carried a peculiar rhythm to them. Even when it seemed like he was right before Zheng Yang, if Zheng Yang were to attempt to attack him, he would realize that Zhuo Qingfeng was beyond his reach. "It is a formation... Combat Master Zhuo has fused his movement technique with a formation! The movements he is making are aligned with the steps required to form a certain formation!" Wo Tianqiongs eyes narrowed in rm. Even though it was not necessary forbat masters to study supporting upations, some would still choose to learn a handful ofbat-oriented ones so as to augment their fighting prowess. This was exactly what Zhuo Qingfeng was doing. Through harmonizing his footsteps with a formation, he was able to confuse his opponent with his movements, rendering them unable to determine the perfect time and position to strike. "This is indeed a fearsome move; even I wouldnt be able toe up with a countermeasure for it. Lets see how that young man deals with this," Shen Pingchao remarked. The movements that Combat Master Zhuo utilized was extremely unorthodox. It was difficult for him to see through it even with his current cultivation, so it seemed even less likely that the young man would be able to do so. If that young man failed to deal with this maneuver well, it wouldnt be long before he fell in defeat. "Humph!" Noticing the peculiarity of Zhuo Qingfengs move as well, Zheng Yang harrumphed coldly. Instead of dodging, he abruptly pushed his spear toward the ground. Hu! With the sharp glint of a spear charging forth, a huge crack of around ten meters in length emerged on the ground. Following which, the spear was levered up, and countless fragmented rocks and a cloud of dust rose into the sky. Upon seeing this sight, Wo Tianqiongs eyes lit up in awe. "He is... making use of the fragmented rocks to determine the other partys position? Smart move!" He had been wondering how the young man would attempt to cope with such a profound movement technique, and he was honestly impressed by the young mans wits for havinge up with such a simple solution to the matter. Zhuo Qingfeng had set up a formation with his leg movements so as to make his current location indeterminable to his opponent, and in a sense, it was even more fearsome than having to deal with afterimages. Yet, the young man had wisely chosen to strike the ground instead of attacking Zhuo Qingfeng directly, creating a cloud of dust in the surroundings. Regardless of howplicated Zhuo Qingfengs movement art was or which formation he had set up, one thing was for surethe dust would only fall on tangible objects. In other words, whatever the dust didnt cloak was all fake! With this simple maneuver, he had sessfully managed to ovee Zhuo Qingfengs movement art. Hu! It took a brief instant for the young man to find Combat Master Zhuos position amid the cloud of dust, and his spear pierced through the air to strike the other party. "Humph!" Seeing that the young man had managed to ovee his movement art so quickly, Zhuo Qingfengsplexion darkened. He swiftly raised his sword to counterattack. Ding ding ding! The sword came into contact with the tip of the spear. In that instant, Zhuo Qingfeng felt a dull pain in his chest, and he was forced several steps back. Astonishment couldnt help but fill his mind. To his horror, his zhenqi strength was far beneath that of the other party when they were both at the same cultivation realm. On top of that, he also realized that their zhenqi purities were atpletely different levels as well. For a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man to be so powerful... just who was his teacher? Hua hua hua! Zhuo Qingfeng had to swing his sword several times consecutively before he was able to neutralize the force from the other partys attack. Following which, he swiftly dashed forward to counterattack. However, to his shock, the other partys spear charged forth at a speed even faster than his sword, callously directed at his weakness. Left with no choice, he could only swiftly pull back his attack to fend off the other partys spear before attempting another one from another angle. However, the same thing only happened again and again. After trading eight blows in such a manner, Zhuo Qingfengs face paled, and his breathing became irregr. The other partys might was simply too great, and with each attack directed precisely at his weakness, he found himself gradually being overwhelmed. If not for his superior reflexes and nimble movements enabled by his Saint 2-dan cultivation, he had no doubt that he would have already been severely injured by now. "Stop! There is no need to continue the fight any longer. I am not a match for you." Leaping backward, Zhuo Qingfeng stepped out of the battle and sighed deeply. He hated to admit it, but the truth was the truth. Under the condition of equal cultivation realms, he was no match for the young man before him. The other partysprehension of battle techniques,bat sense, and even sheer strength were far beyond his. If an expert of the other partys caliber were to enter the Combat Master Hall, he had no doubt that that they would be able to obtain the seat of a Thousand Men Commander, or perhaps even a Vice Captain! Who would have thought that Hongyuan were concealing such an incredible genius among themselves? Unable to hold himself back any longer, Zhuo Qingfeng asked, "Are you student of Hongyuan as well? May I know who your teacher is, and whether you have any interest in joining our Combat Master Hall?" "I am not a student of Hongyuan..." Keeping his spear, Zheng Yang ced his hands behind his back and said nonchntly, "... but my teacher is Zhang Xuan!" Chapter 941: The Lecture Ends Chapter 941: The Lecture Ends Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Zhang Xuan? You are student of Principal Zhang?" Overwhelmed by agitation, Wo Tianqiongs voice sounded a little shrill. Wu Ran and Shen Pingchao had also stiffened in shock by the turn of events. Wasnt Principal Zhang only a Half-Saint cultivator himself? Yet, his student was already at Chrysalis realm and... was even capable of rivaling opponents stronger than himself, such that even a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall wasnt a match for him? It wasughable how they had thought that Principal Zhang was only skilled at impartingbat techniques but was unskilled in nurturing a students zhenqi and physical strength. It was only at this moment that they realized how ridiculous the notion was. How could a man capable of nurturing such a talented student possibly be simple? "Its no wonder he was able to solve the problem left behind by Kong shi. It seems like Principal Zhang is not only capable in his supporting upations butbat as well," Wu Ran remarked. Based on what he had seen previously, he also wouldnt be a match for Zheng Yang had the both of them been at the same cultivation realm. Since even the student was so formidable, wouldnt the teacher be even more powerful? Zhuo Qingfeng also had the same thoughts in mind, and he couldnt help but ask, "If thats the case, does that mean that Principal Zhang is even stronger than you?" "Compared to my teacher, I am like the light of a firefly against the zing sun, a raindrop before the vast ocean... Truly not worth a mention at all!" Speaking of his teacher, Zheng Yangs expression immediately turned respectful. "My only dream in my life is to attain a ten thousandth of the greatness of my teacher, and I will be satisfied." "T-this..." Zhuo Qingfengs body stiffened. If even a person of the young mans caliber hadnt even reached a ten thousandth of Principal Zhangs capability... just how powerful was Principal Zhang? "Are you willing to join our Combat Master Hall to be abat master?" Zhuo Qingfeng asked. Hearing those words, Zheng Yang shook his head. "I am not a master teacher, how can I be abat master?" Combat masters were the talented fighters sieved out from the master teachers. Given that he wasnt even a master teacher, how could he be qualified to join the Combat Master Hall? "It is true that the Combat Master Hall belongs to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but the examination for it differs from that of a master teacher. It doesnt matter whether one is a master teacher or not; the only prerequisite required to join is for one to possess sufficient strength!" Zhuo Qingfeng exined hurriedly. "Considering the nigh invincible strength you wield within your cultivation realm, such that even I am not an opponent for you, it shouldnt be too difficult for you to clear the examination." "You mean to say that... I can be abat master?" Zheng Yang was stunned. "Of course!" Zhuo Qingfeng nodded. "Considering your talent, you will surely receive the best resources if you join the Combat Master Hall. With your abilities, bing a Thousand Men Commander, Vice-Captain, or even a Captain isnt beyond reach!" There was a hierarchy within the Combat Master Hall as well, ranging from an ordinary member to a Captain. Zhuo Qingfeng himself was a Hundred Men Commander. "Furthermore, the resources avable at the Combat Master Hall are even greater than what Qingyuan Conferred Empire can provide. If you join its ranks, you wont have to worry about procuring resources anymore," Zhuo Qingfeng persuaded anxiously. Since even he was no match for the young man before him, it meant that the other party had already achieved strength equal to a Hundred Men Commander, and this was still given that the other party hadnt gone through the systematic training of the Combat Master Hall. If the other party were to be abat master, he had no doubt that it would just be a matter of time before the other party became the Combat Master Halls ace. He couldnt let a genius like that go. Noting the respect the young man had for his teacher, Zhuo Qingfeng continued his persuasion. "Besides. Principal Zhang is a master teacher. The only way for you to follow his footsteps is to be abat master. Otherwise, it will reflect badly on Principal Zhang if his direct disciple is only an ordinary cultivator..." "This..." Zheng Yang fell silent. Indeed. His teacher was moving too fast. His teacher wasnt just a master teacher but the principal of an entire Master Teacher Academy now, and he would only climb higher as time passed. If he were to remain stationary, it would only be a matter of time before the distance between them grew so big that his teacher was beyond reach. Furthermore, Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and Lu Chong had already gone out to seek their own opportunities, and they would only be stronger than ever when they returned. As a disciple of Zhangoshi as well, he couldnt and wouldnt allow himself tog behind. Without hesitating for too long, Zheng Yang nodded. "Alright, I am willing to join the Combat Master Hall. Where can I take the examination?" "I am not qualified to assess a person of your prowess, and given that you arent a master teacher, the procedures will be slightly more troublesome as well. Why dont I send a message to the Combat Master Hall to have them send a Vice Captain over to assess you personally? It wont take too long, around three days at most," Zhuo Qingfeng said. While fighting prowess was the only prerequisite to joining the Combat Master Hall, the Combat Master Hall was still a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it would be more troublesome for an individual who wasnt a master teacher to join it. Given Zhuo Qingfengs current standing, he was still unqualified to make the call. Thus, he could only report it upward so that they could send someone qualified over. "Alright, I will be waiting for the assessment in three days. However, I might not be the only one participating in the assessment!" Zheng Yang said. "You might not be the only one?" Zhuo Qingfeng frowned doubtfully, notprehending Zheng Yangs words. "I still have a senior and two juniors who are on par or even stronger than me. I hope that they can take thebat master assessment as well." Zheng Yang nodded. He hade here alone, but if Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan were to learn that they had the opportunity to bebat masters as well, they would surely be interested in taking the assessment. In any case, it would be best for him to alert the other party of this matter. "Even stronger than you?" Zhuo Qingfengs lips twitched in shock. He had thought that the reason the young man before him was so powerful was attributed mainly to his overwhelming aptitude forbat, and it was already very fortunate for a master teacher to ept a genius as talented as that in his entire lifetime. Yet, judging from the young mans words, it seemed like Principal Zhang not only epted him but many others as well... This was too ferocious! "Alright, I will agree to it!" It would benefit any organization to gather as many talents of such caliber as possible, so how could Zhuo Qingfeng possibly turn him down? Thus, he hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Un." Hearing that he had the other partys permission, Zheng Yang heaved a sigh of relief before bidding farewell and heading out. His purpose foring to the academy had just been to see the prowess of thebat masters, and now that he had seen it, honestly speaking... he was really disappointed. Knowing that the young man was Principal Zhangs student and couldnt possibly disappear out of the blue, Zhuo Qingfeng wasnt anxious at all. After the other party left, he sped his fist toward Wo Tianqiong and said, "Principals, pardon me, but I wont be able to apany you anymore. Farewell!" "Farewell!" Knowing that Zhuo Qingfeng was showing them the door, the three principals sped their fists in response and left. After they left, Zhuo Qingfeng took out his Communication Jade Token without any hesitation and reported everything that had happened back to the Combat Master Hall. ... Hu! Oblivious to the fact that his student had caused a ruckus at the amodation of thebat masters and defeated everyone there, at that moment, Zhang Xuan had finally finished lecturing the method of condensing ones zhenqi and the simplified version of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. Looking at the crowd busily cultivating before him, he heaved a sigh of relief. His lecture paired with his Impartation of Heavens Will had benefited the students greatly, and the several hundred high-tier spirit stones he had tossed into the Spirit Gathering Formation had also allowed them to make huge progress in their cultivation. It was just a single night, but the average fighting prowess of the candidates was raised by more than twofold. If only I had three days, I could reinforce their cultivation further, and they would be much stronger than this... Zhang Xuan sighed inmentation. While the content he lectured seemed to be simple on the surface, it was aligned with the essence of the world, so it was not that easy to grasp. It was only because of the exceptional talent of these hundred students that they were able to learn so quickly and make such massive improvements within a limited period of time. If they had been just an average student of the academy, they wouldnt have been able to make such considerable advancements in their cultivation even if Zhang Xuan had lectured them for three days straight. While talent didnt necessarily determine ones end point, the talented were still bound to learn faster than the untalented given the same lecture. Considering that these students were able to emerge as the top twenty of their respective grades in the Master Teacher Academy, which was overflowing with geniuses, it went without saying that each of them possessed amazing talent. But even so, a night of teaching had only given them a glimpse into what Zhang Xuan had tried to teach them. After the lecture came to an end, the students gradually awakened from their trance. Even though they werent too sure how strong they had be after the lecture, they could still vividly feel the devastating strength coursing through their bodies. And the one who had given them such power was the young man before their eyes! "Teacher!" The hundred students kneeled to the ground as they gazed at Zhang Xuan in admiration and respect. Regardless of whether the other party was willing to acknowledge them as his students or not, they would never forget the grace he had shown them. "Good. From today onward, you shall be my students." After all Zhang Xuan had imparted to them, even if the students still couldnt be considered his direct disciple, they could surely be considered his own students. As such, he didnt turn them down. "Yes, Teacher!" the crowd replied. Fearing that the students would be unable to exert their full strength due to their nervousness, Zhang Xuan offered some words of reassurance. "Alright. The day is up, and the Combat Master Halls assessment should be beginning very soon. Later on, as long as you exert your full strength, you should be able to clear the assessment with ease." In response, the students nodded in agreement. Leaving the room, they immediately noticed that the world outside had already brightened up. The warm sunlight that shone on their bodies felt veryfortable. It was already nearing the middle of the year, and summer was nearing its end. The morning sun wasnt particrly warm, but it was devoid of the slight frigidity typical of autumn. Arriving at the training grounds, they found that it waspletely packed with huge crowds just like the day before. A night was more than sufficient for the entirety of Hongyuan City to learn about the affairs that had urred the previous day. As such, even Emperor Yu Shenqing hade personally this time around to witness history being made in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Before Hongyuans party reached their allocated area within the training grounds, a young man suddenly walked up to Zhu Jian and asked with a smile, "How do you feel after a night of training?" It was the champion of Luoqings internal selection, Zhang Qingshan! He was one of the few who had cleared the selection yesterday and be a member of the Combat Master Hall. His question raised a ripple among the crowd as curious gazes swiftly turned over, desiring to hear Zhu Jians response. If an hour lecture from Principal Zhang could grant them astounding strength capable of subduing even thebat masters, how powerful would they be after a night of cultivation? Zhu Jian shook his head. "I am not too sure either." He was not being humble by saying these words. This was indeed how he felt at the moment. He had felt his zhenqi bing purer and more condensed after a night of training, and his physical body had strengthened significantly as well, but he would be entirely sure to what extent his improvement was until he tested it himself. "I see... Why dont I trade a simple punch with you using just our physical and zhenqi strength? We wont use any battle techniques. This way, we should be able to roughly gauge the extent of your improvement!" Zhang Qingshan said. From the assessment of the Stone of True Breath the previous day, it was shown that he had a score of 4.5 whereas Zhu Jian only had a score of 2.1, a significant difference between them. In other words, in a sh of brute strength, he would be able to overwhelm Zhu Jian easily. Through trading fists, they should be able to estimate where Zhu Jian roughly stood after a night of cultivation. "Alright!" Thinking that the idea was great as well, Zhu Jian nodded in agreement. Chuckling softly, he clenched his fist tightly and flung it toward Zhang Qingshan. "Hehe, be careful. My strength is no joke!" Seeing how candid Zhu Jian was, Zhang Qingshan chuckled in response and retaliated with a punch of his own. Peng! As the two fists collided, the smile on Zhang Qingshans face immediately stiffened as a jolt ran through his body. "Argh!" A piercing scream of agony escaped from his mouth as he flew rapidly into the distance, disappearing from everyones eyes. This strike had probably sent him several hundred meters away. "Hey, dont be in such a rush to fly away... I havent used my full strength yet." Zhu Jian scratched his head in embarrassment. "..." The dumbfounded crowd. Chapter 942: All Cleared Chapter 942: All Cleared Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It took quite a bit of time before Zhang Qingshan returned in an unkempt state. His face was bruised, and his hand was swollen. He looked nothing like the awe-inspiring number one expert of the Grade-1 students from yesterday! He had seen Zhu Jians prowess the day before, and while thettersbat techniques were incredible, his zhenqi and physical strength were severelycking. Under normal circumstances, even if he were to only use half of his strength, he would still have been able to crush the other party easily. Yet, despite using his full strength, he had still been sent flying with a punch. To make matters worse, it seemed like the other party hadnt even used his full strength yet. The more he thought about the matter, the more stifled he felt. He subconsciously turned his eyes to Principal Zhang, who was even younger than him, and admiration unknowingly seeped into his gaze. There was no doubt that the huge transformation Zhu Jian had undergone was a result of the overnight lecture. To induce such huge growth within an individual in just a single night... Just what in the world was being lectured? Zhang Qingshan wasnt the only one who harbored such thoughts. The others also swiftly realized the same thing, and they couldnt help but stare at the students of Hongyuan in envy. They had taken pride in the fact that they had been able to enroll within Yunxu, Luoqing, and Qingzhu, which were far more powerful than the bottom ced Hongyuan. However, after all that had happened, they couldnt help but feel like they had made the wrong call back then. Under the leadership and guidance of such a formidable principal, the students of Hongyuan would surely reach incredible heights in the future. Taking into sight the expressions of the crowd, Wo Tianqiong couldnt help but remark with a bitter smile, "Its fortunate that the Four Great Master Teacher Academies are located a significant distance away from one another. Otherwise, all of our students would probably be taken away by Hongyuan." "Indeed. In the past, I thought that the strength of an academy was determined not by an individual but the relentless diligence of the entire academy, be it the students, teachers, or the elders. However, after seeing Principal Zhang, Ive realized that that isplete baloney. With just his capability as an individual, he is easily prop up an entire Master Teacher Academy." Shen Pingchao sighed helplessly. "Back then, when mankind was suffering under the tyranny of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Kong shi single-handedly reversed the plight of mankind and ushered in an era of prosperity. We were still in the mindset that quantity is the key, and the more teachers there are, the better it will be for our academies. Yet, the other party was able to achieve everything alone. This is probably the difference between a real genius and run-of-the-mill geniuses like us!" Wu Ran nodded. Regardless of whether Principal Zhangs lecturing ability was really that frightening or not, it was a fact that Zhu Jian and the others had undergone a transformational change after listening to his lecture. This in itself was more than sufficient to boost the other partys reputation, granting him prestige far beyond them Should Zhang Xuan give the word, it was very likely that their students might withdraw from their academies and join Hongyuan. To think that their three Master Teacher Academies would end up in such an awkward position despite everything they had done, they couldnt help but feel stifled within. "The men from the Combat Master Hall has arrived..." As the three principals werementing over their positions, hushed whisperings suddenly spread throughout the crowd. Turning their gazes over, they saw Zhuo Qingfeng and the others walking toward the dueling tform. After a day of rest and recuperation, thebat masters had mostly recovered from the injuries they had sustained from Zheng Yangst night. Nevertheless, there were still visible bruises on their faces, which was unlike how they had been when they first appeared the day before. Their disposition seemed very different as well. Originally, they had arrived with their heads held high, not willing to spare a single nce for the others around them. An air of superiority had lingered around them, as if there was no one who could top them in the world. But today, their heads were hung in shame, embarrassed to meet anyones eyes at all. But this was to be expected. Reputed to be the pinnacle of fighting prowess in the Master Teacher Continent, those who could join the Combat Master Hall were the strongest among the master teachers. It was inevitable that they would think of themselves as superior to the students of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, and they had thought that serving as the invigtors of this selection would be a walk in the park. They would just have to show off their prowess to instill deference for the Combat Master Hall in the hearts of the students and charm a couple of female juniors while they were at it. Yet, instead of instilling deference, they were the ones who had been crushed instead. Just the sheer amount of blood they had spilled easily added to several jin, and ced side by side, it would surely be sufficient to circle around the academy. (One jin = 0.5kg) The Combat Master Selection had always been a tform for thebat masters to show off, but when it came to them, it became a tform for them to be pummeled instead, and it was the kind of pummeling where they werent able to find an opportunity to retaliate at all. How could they not feel embarrassed? There was even a point in time when they had wondered if they might have gotten things wrong, and if they were in fact the students from the Four Great Master Teacher Academies whereas the other students were the realbat masters. "There is no need to be depressed. True strength is something that is umted through diligence over a long period of time! The students from Hongyuan do possess formidablebat techniques, but without sufficient strength to back up their techniques, they will still find themselves overpowered easily by experts wielding vastly superior strength. As the saying goes, true strength tears through all techniques. That is not to say that technique is unimportant, but at the very least, the suffering you have undergone isnt in vain." Noticing the downcast atmosphere shrouding thebat masters, Zhuo Qingfeng offered a few words of constion. "The fact that you were unable to achieve victory only means that you havent been working hard enough in your cultivation and havent umted sufficient strength. We shall double your training when we return so that such a matter will never happen again!" "Yes!" Hearing Zhuo Qingfengs constion, thebat masters finally brightened up from their gloom. Indeed, true strength was capable of tearing through all techniques. As long as one could rue sufficient strength, all techniques would be worth squat! Seeing that his constion had managed to raise the morale of thebat masters, Zhuo Qingfeng heaved a sigh of relief. Following which, he turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and said, "Principal Zhang, lets begin the assessment." After which, he leaped onto the dueling tform and took out the Stone of True Breath with a flick of his wrist. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded before asking once more in confirmation, "As long as my students can achieve a score of two or above on the Stone of True Breath, they will have cleared the selection, right?" "Thats right." Zhuo Qingfeng nodded affirmatively. The conventional prerequisite for one to qualify as abat master was to achieve a score of four, but in special consideration of the overwhelmingbat prowess that Hongyuans candidates had disyed, they would only require a score of two in order to clear the selection. "Good. Alright, you should all head up!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan gestured for the candidates to head onto the dueling tform. The candidates nodded before forming a queue to walk toward the Stone of True Breath. The first in the line was Zhu Jian. He had been assessed by the Stone of True Breath the previous day, so the others had allowed him to head to the front of the queue so as to assess the changes he had undergone first. Upon reaching the Stone of True Breath, Zhu Jian ced his palm on it and began exerting his physical and zhenqi strength. Hu! There was a blinding sh of light before several numbers came into appearance6.5! "T-this... how is this possible?" "Wasnt his score only 2.1 yesterday?" "A nightlong lecture actually induced a threefold increase in his physical and zhenqi strength? Is that really a supplementary lesson they have gone through and not the blessing of the deities?" The numbers that surfaced on the Stone of True Breath had left everyone dumbstruck. A leap from the 2.1 yesterday to 6.5 today... The crowd couldnt help but think that their eyes were ying tricks on them. The ones who had suffered the greatest of blow were, naturally, thebat masters. Their bodies swayed weakly as they turned their gazes to Zhuo Qingfeng with tears glistening in their eyes. Didnt you just tell us that true strength is something that is umted through diligence over a long period of time? Didnt you just tell us that the suffering we went through wasnt in vain? An hours lecture granted Hongyuans candidates aprehension ofbat and battle techniques far surpassing what we have learned over many years of hard work, and a night of supplementary lesson has enhanced their zhenqi and physical strength exceeding what we have achieved from years of arduous and hellish training. Havent been working hard enough... Before Principal Zhang, does hard work even mean a thing at all? To think our years of effort cant evenpare to a lecture from Principal Zhang... "It could be just that Zhu Jian is an exception. It is impossible for everyone to have be as formidable as him." Noticing the looks from thebat masters, Zhuo Qingfeng hurriedly reassured them before turning his gaze back to the Stone of True Breath. Right after Zhu Jian was done with his assessment, another candidate stepped forward and ced his palm on the Stone of True Breath, and a brilliant sh of light shone. 6.1! Following which... 6.3! 6.2! 5.9! 6.7! ... Under this relentless wave of shocking results, it didnt take too long for the crowd to bepletely numbed. At this point, it couldnt have been clearer to them that Zhu Jian wasnt just an exception. The average prowess of Hongyuans candidates had indeed been raised. Thebat masters had already been no match for Hongyuans candidates on the grounds ofbat techniques before, and at this very moment, the other party had even raised their physical and zhenqi strength to be beyond theirs. In other words, they werepletely outmatched in all aspects! Thebat masters who had just barely stered the shattered pieces of their confidence back together suffered yet another heavy blow. Noticing the air of destion shrouding the guests from the Combat Master Hall, School Head Mo stepped forward and consoled, "Dont worry about it, such blows are daily urrences around our principal. It will be fine once you get used to it." "Indeed. Once you get used to it, you will start to think that anything our principal does is natural." Zhao Bingxu nodded in agreement. "..." Zhuo Qingfeng. "..." Thebat masters. "..." The three principals. Get used to it.... Just how heavy a psychological pressure were the elders and teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy put under for them to say such words! ... After a moment of heavy breathing to regain his calm, Zhuo Qingfeng finally soothed the frustrations in his heart and announced loudly, "I hereby announce that the hundred candidates from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy have cleared the assessment, and from this day forth, they are official members of the Combat Master Hall!" "Thats wonderful!" "All of our candidates have cleared the selection!" "For all one hundred to clear it simultaneously, we have definitely made history today." Upon hearing the announcement, a hugemotion broke out beneath the dueling tform as the faces of innumerable students of Hongyuan reddened in agitation. Their academy had always been inst ce in every Combat Master Selection. Over the course of ten thousand years, only 327 candidates had sessfully cleared the selection. Inevitably, this record had be the shame of the entire academy, be it the principal, elders, teachers, or students... But this time around, a hundred candidates of theirs had cleared the selection simultaneously, and that was three times the number of the other three academiesbined! They never could have imagined this to be possible in the past. "Principal Zhang, we wish to bebat masters as well. Can you conduct a lecture for us too?" "Indeed! I swear that I will surely work harder than the candidates to raise my fighting prowess so that I can go and y around in the Combat Master Hall." "Principal Zhang, please conduct a lecture for us." "Hahaha, the Combat Master Selection, is it? As long as Principal Zhang lectures us personally, it wont be too long before our entire academy is filled withbat masters!" ... Right after Zhuo Qingfeng made the announcement, loud cheers burst forth from the crowd. Countless students gazed at Zhang Xuan in agitation. Many of the top twenty candidates were friends or acquaintances of them, so they had a clear grasp of their strength. After witnessing the strength of thebat masters, they knew that it would be impossible for most of them to clear the selection under normal circumstances. Yet, with just two lectures from their principal, all of their candidates had managed to clear the selection. They might not be as talented as the top twenty, but if their principal were to lecture them more frequently, wouldnt they have the opportunity to bebat masters as well? Such a notion swiftly rippled through the minds of the student popce, and it grew from a spark to an unstoppable inferno. The Combat Master Hall was just a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but due to the overwhelming strength its members possessed, it was highly respected among all cultivators, and many sought to join its ranks. Even if they were uninterested in bingbat masters, there was no cultivator who would be willing to give up on such an ideal opportunity to raise their fighting prowess. "This..." Not expecting the student popce to react in such a manner, Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. "I do have the ability to raise your fighting prowess significantly, but not everyone will enjoy an improvement as great as the hundred candidates. However, if you are truly interested in listening to my teachings, I am more than willing to conduct a public lecture for everyone. However, whether or not you will be able to join the ranks of the Combat Master Hall will be dependent on Combat Master Zhuos call. If he is unwilling, there is nothing that can be done about it." Chapter 943: The Stifled Combat Masters Chapter 943: The Stifled Combat Masters Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan was well aware that his lectures had the ability to raise a persons strength swiftly. However, this was also dependent on the aptitude that each cultivator possessed. There were some who possessed mediocre talent inbat, and any effect that Zhang Xuans lecture would have on them would be minimal at best. Furthermore, in order to raise the zhenqi and physical strength of the hundred candidates swiftly, he had put in five hundred high-tier spirit stones to fuel their cultivation. On the other hand, there were a hundred thousand students in the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. There was no way he could fork out 500,000 high-tier spirit stones, and he couldnt afford to set up a Spirit Gathering Formationrge enough for all of them as well. Thus, it was clearly an infeasible notion to have the entire academy bebat masters. Besides, the Combat Master Hall also had limited slots. Whether one could join their ranks or not didnt hinge on him but the call of a certain middle-aged man seated not too far away. At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Zhuo Qingfeng to seek his opinion on the matter, only to see thetters face twitching uncontrobly with exasperation reflected in his eyes. Honestly, at this point, Zhuo Qingfeng felt as if he was on the verge of losing his mind. If Principal Zhang really did so, it probably wouldnt take long before the entire Combat Master Hall became a branch of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. "Cough cough." Suppressing his frenzy, Zhuo Qingfeng replied with forcedposure, "Principal Zhang, it would indeed be great for our Combat Master Hall to take in as many talents as possible. However, the responsibilities of a master teacher are far greater and nobler. It will be a great loss to mankind should most of the students of Hongyuan bebat masters." Naturally, the Combat Master Hall sought to take in as many talents as possible to bolster their forces. However, too many people and the resources would be spread thin, and that wasnt a good thing. This was just like how every nation needed an army to safeguard the interests of their people, and naturally, arger army would be preferred over a smaller one. However, if the nation were to recruit too many soldiers, that would put a stain on their finances, which could have been devoted to other purposes, causing the nation to lose out in the other aspects. Thus, bnce was necessary. This was also the reason there were limited slots to the Combat Master Selection each time round. If all master teachers were to bebat masters, who else would impart knowledge to the cultivators to encourage growth among the popce? If all were to devote their time to learning the art ofbat, wouldnt the whole world fall into chaos? "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. If he were to lose all of his students to the Combat Master Hall right after taking over the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... that was indeed not really good. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan spoke up. "Alright, I will hold a lecture among the official members of the Xuanxuan Factionter on, but no one is allowed to take thebat master assessment after that!" With his current capability, it would be difficult for him to induce significant growth among the entire student popce through a public lecture. However, if it was just the Xuanxuan Faction, that would still be possible. Furthermore, these men had been following him for a long time, and they were extremely loyal to him. They could be considered the foundation of his influence. Naturally, he would preferentially offer this opportunity to the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. This would serve as a reward to them, as well as an impetus to encourage loyalty among the students toward Hongyuan and him so as to further unite the academy. "Alright!" Hearing that the principal would be conducting a lecture for them, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction nodded their heads in excitement. Even if they were forbidden from taking thebat master assessment, it would still be great if their fighting prowess could rise considerably. Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hands and dered, "Alright, I hereby announce that the Combat Master Selection hase to an end! "In three days, there will be several non-master teacher candidates taking thebat master assessment here. Anyone who is interested is more than wee to spectate!" "Non-master teacher candidates will be taking thebat master assessment?" "Who?" "I have no idea as well..." The crowd was bewildered by the abrupt announcement. Zhang Xuan was also intrigued as well. He couldnt help but turn to Zhuo Qingfeng and ask, "May I know which geniuses will be taking thebat master assessment despite not being master teachers themselves?" "Cough cough!" Hearing Principal Zhangs question, Zhuo Qingfeng choked. "They are... your direct disciples, Principal Zhang!" "My direct disciples? You mean Wang Ying and the others? How do you know them?" Zhang Xuan was baffled. He had been in the middle of lecturing the candidates when Zheng Yang challenged thebat masters the previous night, so he was still unaware of the matter. "That... Last night, a direct disciple of yours named Zheng Yang came to challenge us, and none of us were a match for him in a battle of equal cultivation. Even I fell in defeat against him," Zhuo Qingfeng exined awkwardly. "That fellow... Preposterous!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was no wonder the members of the Combat Master Hall seemed a little deted and subdued earlier on. Having suffered such a heavy blow, it couldnt be helped that they were unable to ept it all of a sudden. Zheng Yang had indeed gone overboard this time around. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan attempted to console them. "There is no need for you to feel so dispirited over this matter. Zheng Yang is my direct disciple, and I have already taught him for around a year. I have been teaching him ever since he was at Juxi realm 1 , and he has gone through a lot since then. It is only normal that you werent able to defeat him!" It was still fine when Zhang Xuan hadnt spoken, but after hearing his words, thebat masters suddenly felt like keeling over. Are you saying that he has grown from Juxi realm to be a Chrysalis realm expert within just a single year, jumping over a dozen realms? And more importantly, despite his rapid growth, he is still able to harness power capable of matching cultivators beyond his cultivation realm? Why do we feel even more stifled after hearing your constion? Furthermore, what do you mean by it is only normal that you werent be able to defeat him? We arebat masters, the upation boasting fighting prowess far beyond ordinary master teachers! Knowing that he and his subordinates morale would only continue to decline if they were to continue hearing the fellows words, Zhuo Qingfeng hurriedly stood up and bade his farewell. "Alright, that will be all for today. I have to bring my subordinates away for their training now!" There was a kind of talent in the world that allowed one to pierce a persons heart deep with unintentional words. This was probably it. The other partys gaze and tone couldnt have been any more earnest, but why did it feel like their faces had been viciously pped by his words? We are also geniuses, you know... As Zhuo Qingfeng left, the otherbat masters hurriedly followed behind him, and it didnt take long for them to disappear into the distance. The other three principals also felt extremely stifled within, and they felt that they would only be embarrassed further were they to remain there. Thus, they quickly found an excuse and left hurriedly. Were it not to spectate the assessment that would ur three dayster, they probably would have marched up to the Cloudcliff Flying Ship and left that very instant. Seeing that the others had left, Zhang Xuan shook his head before getting up and heading toward the headquarters of the Xuanxuan Faction. By the time he arrived at the headquarters, the entire area was already fully packed. Zhang Xuan swiftly headed to the front and began his lecture. The content that he spoke of was identical to what he had imparted the other candidates, but this time, he didnt use the Impartation of Heavens Will, so the effects were significantly poorer. As such, most students werent able to achieve breakthroughs on the spot. Nevertheless, the students still benefited greatly from his teachings. Theirprehension of battle techniques andbat techniques grew significantly, and the new physical body cultivation technique and method to condense zhenqi they were imparted with had left them incredibly excited as well. The lecturested ten whole hours, until the sky had darkened once more. After resting for a brief moment, Zhang Xuan left the headquarters of the Xuanxuan Faction to seek School Head Mo. "Help me prepare. I intend to visit the Mausoleum of Principals," Zhang Xuan said. He could tell that Zhuo Qingfeng and the three principals were avoiding him like the gue, so there was no need for him to remain around to host them. In any case, it was a good time for him to pay the Mausoleum of Principals a visit so that he could procure the Lightning Resonance Rock required for his breakthrough from Half-Saint to Nascent Saint. His cultivation had already reached Half-Saint pinnacle, so it was about time for him to seek out the object to attempt a breakthrough. "I knew that you will want to pay the Mausoleum of Principals a visit very soon, so I applied for the artifact to help sever your soul from the headquarters as soon as I received news that you have cleared the 6-star master teacher examination, and it arrived a few days ago," School Head Mo replied with a smile. A while ago, when he had spoken to School Head Mo about wanting to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, the other party had told him that he would have to sever his soul and leave it on the Mausoleum Tablet. However, doing so forcefully would inflict significant harm on his soul and possibly reveal his identity as a soul oracle, so he had to borrow an artifact from the headquarters in order to do so, but the requirement to doing so was that he had to be a 6-star master teacher at minimum. At this moment, he had cleared the 6-star master teacher examination and sessfully procured the artifact as well, so it was about time for him to head over to take a look. "Great!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The duo headed toward the Mausoleum of Principals, and just as they arrived at the entrance, they met up with Zhao Bingxu, who passed the soul-severing artifact from the headquarters over to Zhang Xuan. "This is the Copper Bell. As long as you hold this artifact in your hand, it will automatically nourish your soul and sever a small portion of it safely," Zhao Bingxu exined. Examining the artifact in his hand, Zhang Xuan noted that it was a spherical bell around the size of his fist. Holding it in his palm, he immediately felt a warm surge of energy flowing into his soul, nourishing it. "This is indeed a good artifact." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. While it wasnt too difficult for a soul oracle to severe their soul, it was a daunting task for an ordinary cultivator and potentially extremely damaging as well. Zhang Xuan had been wondering before how the preceding principals had managed to leave their will behind without fail, and now, it seemed like this artifact was the real reason for that. After the soul was nourished, it would be severed and stored in the Copper Bell before being deposited into the Mausoleum Tablet. The Copper Bell served to minimize the effects of the Five Declines on the severed souls deposited in it, allowing it to exist for over ten thousand years without dissipating. "Principal Zhang, you should be able to open the entrance and enter the mausoleum with your Principals Seal. We arent qualified to apany you in, so we will be seeing you off here," School Head Zhao said with a smile. "Un." Nodding, Zhang Xuan took a look at the Mausoleum of Principals. It was located near the Elder Hall, built against a mountain. There was a massive Concealment Formation built around the Mausoleum of Principals, such that even the entire mountain had disappeared from view. Had the two school heads not brought him over personally, he never would have been able to find it. It seemed like the ce of rest for the generations of principals were viewed to be more important than even the Cultivation Compendium to the Master Teacher Academy. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out his Principals Seal and shed it in front of him. In an instant, a small passageway appeared in the formation, and Zhang Xuan made his way to it. Hu! The next moment, the world around him suddenly warped, and he found himself standing amid a lush mountain forest. The mountain wasnt too high that it was probably more urate to call it a hill. The scenery within the formation waspletely different to what he had seen on the outside. There was a road paved with bluestone tiles, and walking along it, Zhang Xuan soon found his passageway blocked by a massive stone tablet. It was roughly eighty meters in height and twenty meters in length. It was hard to tell what kind of material it was made from, but it carried a lofty and ancient air around it, as if one had walked into history. Is this the Mausoleum Tablet? Zhang Xuan wondered. Previously, School Head Mo had told him that to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, he would have to infuse a sliver of his soul into Mausoleum Tablet. Considering the sheer size and unique air shrouding the stone tablet, this was probably it. Circling around the stone tablet, Zhang Xuan could feel powerful soul energy being harnessed within the stone tablet, as if many souls were infused into it, giving it a formidable presence reminiscent of a heavy mountain weighing down on one. There is no doubt about it, this must be the Mausoleum Tablet... Zhang Xuan nodded. I should find Founder Mu Kais tombstone first and obtain the Lightning Resonance Stone before infusing my soul into the Mausoleum Tablet! Zhang Xuan had just obtained the Copper Bell, and it hadnt been long since his soul had started being nourished by it, so he was still incapable of severing his soul. Even though he had been told that he had to leave a sliver of will on the Mausoleum Tablet, he realized that he could proceed forward without doing so. Most likely, it would suffice as long as he were to do so before leaving. Thus, he circled around the Mausoleum Tablet and proceeded in. The Mausoleum of Principals was tranquil but solemn, leaving one feeling slightly pressured walking through it. Not too longter, Zhang Xuan finally caught sight of the first tombstone. Inscribed on it were the following wordsTombstone of the 103rd Principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. 103rd principal? Doesnt that mean that this is the grave of the old principal? But didnt he go missing before he could enter the Mausoleum of Principals? Why is his grave here? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Chapter 944: News on the Innate Fetal Poison Chapter 944: News on the Innate Fetal Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan was the 104th principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, so naturally, the 103rd was the previous principal, as well as the first master of the Byzantium Helios Beast. In other words, the old principal who he had heard so much about! ording to what he knew, the old principal had never been to the Mausoleum of Principals before he went missing, so how could his tombstone be here? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan headed forward to take a closer look. His tomb was constructed out of ordinary bluestone, typical of the normal tombs erected for cultivators, showing no hint of the prestigious standing that a principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy should have. Taking a look around it, Zhang Xuan soon found something amiss about it. He ced his hands lightly on a certain portion of the tomb and a mechanism whirred into action. Following which, an old voice sounded. It was a mechanical recording, simr to what Wu Yangzi had left in the underground chamber. "I am the 103rd principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqiu. I knew that it would be difficult for me to return alive back to the Master Teacher Academy from my expedition, so I selfishly entered the Mausoleum of Principals without telling anyone and built my own tomb, storing my personal clothes within so that at least I would have a resting ce after my death." (The Zhang is of a different character as Zhang Xuan.) The voice contained in the mechanical recording sounded nonchnt, but Zhang Xuan could hear a deep helplessness in it. It was easy to charge to ones death in a moment of hot-bloodedness but difficult to march to a despairing situation nonchntly. How wretched was it for a man to prepare for his own death in advance despite knowing that the path he was headed on to lead to certain doom? During his time in the Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan had learned a lot about the old principal from the mouths of others. All along, Zhang Xuan had thought that the old principal had fallen into a deste situation due to his failure to urately assess the risk of the ancient domain, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like hed been mistaken. To enter the Mausoleum of Principals in advance and erect a tomb for himself, the old principal must have known that there was a good chance he would lose his life in the expedition and prepared for his passing. The voice continued. "Being unable to leave behind my will to guard the academy is truly the greatest regret of my life! It is not that I am unwilling to do so, but the mission I have to undertake is far more important than that. I cant allow my soul to suffer the slightest defect for that willpromise the sess of my mission." The artifact to sever souls allowed a cultivator to sever his soul safely, but that would require a very long duration of nourishment. Otherwise, one would suffer considerable damage to ones soul. Only someone like Zhang Xuan, who cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art and possessed a soul farrger than the ordinary, could do so easily. Otherwise, not even a 7-star master teacher could do so. Sighing deeply, the voice carried on. "The fact that you are here means that you have be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Perhaps, we might even be old acquaintances. I hope that you can treat Byzantium Helios Beast kindly. Tell him that I have died honorably for the welfare of mankind, and I have no regrets in doing so, so do not grieve for me. Also, be wary of the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge." From the old principals point of view, there were only that few candidates in the Master Teacher Academy who were eligible to take over his position after his passing, and this message served to pass on his will to his sessor. The old principal probably couldnt have imagined that his sessor would have already resolved the two worries that he harbored in advance. Despite knowing that it was impossible for the mechanical voice to respond, Zhang Xuan still asked in a whisper, "What were you intending to do?" It was clear that the old principal knew that his undertaking would cost him his life, going to the extent of even erecting a tomb for himself in advance. To march on despite knowing that the path ahead led to the edge of a cliff... Just what was he intending to achieve? Was there something more to the expedition to the ancient domain? "What you probably know about me is that I have gone on a normal expedition to explore an ancient domain, but the truth isnt just so. I have found that the ancient domain harnesses secrets regarding Kong shi when he was younger, and it seems like even the poison masters were involved in the matter as well. The information I have at hand is too limited, and the only way I can uncover more is to head there myself. Furthermore, anything concerning the Worlds Teacher is not to be spoken of lightly, and there were certainpelling reasons as well, so I could only keep the news to myself." Zhang Xuan was taken aback as his body stiffened in astonishment. Secrets regarding Kong shi when he was younger? Poison masters were rted in the matter as well? Could it be... the Innate Fetal Poison? Based on what he knew, Kong shi had also suffered from the Innate Fetal Poison when he was younger, just like him, and only by sessfully bing a 9-star master teacher before thirty would one stand a chance of avoiding certain death. This was also the reason Kong shi had cultivated desperately when he was younger, not daring to stop in the least. A matter that concerned the secrets regarding Kong shis youth and the poison masters. After hearing such information in the old principals message, how could Zhang Xuan possibly remain calm? "If you truly wish to learn more about this matter, pay a visit to the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall. A word of warning, the location of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall is well-guarded, especially against master teachers. Even after devoting years to looking for it, I was still unable to urately pinpoint its location. However, based on my deductions, it seems to be in the vicinity of Jingyuan City. You should find a detailed map of the ancient domain that I seek to explore there. It is truly a pity that time is not on my side, not allowing me to prepare thoroughly before heading there." Detailed map? Zhang Xuan was bewildered for a moment beforeing to a realization. It was apparent that the ancient domain that the old principal hoped to explore was an extremely dangerous ce. If he had been able to obtain the detailed map of the location, his chances of survival would have been significantly higher. However, it seemed like something major had cropped up in the midst of his preparation, prompting him to swiftly organize an expedition to the ancient domain despite the risks. It seemed like the old principal wished that his sessor would be able to make ample preparations before deciding on whether to undertake the mission or not, so that his sessor wouldnt have to follow in his footsteps. "Alright, I can only tell this much to you. As for what to do, that will be up to you." The voice gradually faded into the tranquility of the forest, as if it had never appeared in the first ce. "Thank you." Even though the voice had only been a mechanical recording, Zhang Xuan still bowed deeply to the tombstone of the old principal. It was not out of gratitude toward the other party for giving him a hint regarding the Innate Fetal Poison, but out of respect for the other partys willingness to charge forward bravely for mankind despite knowing that it would lead to his demise. Knowing that the mission he was going to undertake was important, he even passed on the opportunity to leave behind his will in the academy so as to notpromise his mission! Such an attitude was reminiscent of the master teachers who had charged forth valiantly to fend off the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge back then. For their justice and faith, they had willingly put down even their own lives. Perhaps it was due to the sacrifice of these noble men that master teachers had been able to be the most prestigious and respected upation in the Master Teacher Continent. In face of the survival of the entire mankind, how could one back down in fear of harm? Shaking his head with a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the tomb once more. After confirming that there was no other mechanism or the sort, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward. Along both sides of the road were the tombs of the generations of principals, and inscribed on their tombstones were their deeds and experiences they had gone through. Taking a nce at each of them, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but sigh deeply. As noble and powerful as these men were, most of them didnt live to the end of their lifespan. Instead, most of them had died in battle against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Take the man who was renowned to possess the greatest talent of all principals of Hongyuan, Mo Liuzhen, for example, he had entered the Subterranean Gallery at one point of his life, only to never return. Arent the Otherworldly Demons very rare in the world? Why would so many generations of principals die in their hands? Zhang Xuan contemted silently. It had been a year since he had started journeying from Tianxuan Kingdom, and so far, he had only met a single living hybrid Otherworldly Demon, twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets, and the fragmented Vicious. Hadnt the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe beenpletely driven out of the Master Teacher Continent many years ago? But if that was the case, why would so many principals die at their hand? After ncing at another ten tombstones and receiving no exnation to his question, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be impossible for him to make sense out of this matter for the time being, so he decided to pay no heed to it. Forget it, I should obtain the Lightning Resonance Stone first. If I really have to face the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in the future as well, I should first raise my cultivation so that I can stand my ground against them. Founder Mu Kai was the first principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, so his tomb was located at the deepest region of the Mausoleum of Principals. After around ten minutes of walking, Zhang Xuan finally arrived before it. Compared to the others, Founder Mu Kais tomb seemed rather in. After kowtowing respectfully several times, he took out the special token he had obtained from Mu shis puppet and flicked it toward the other partys tomb. Kacha! As the token flew above the tomb, a loud buzz sounded as a certain formation was triggered, and a storage ring abruptly leaped out from the ground. Zhang Xuan beckoned with his finger, and the storage ring flew into his hand. He swiftly immersed his consciousness inside to take a look. There are so many treasures in here! There were many valuable ores and artifacts within the storage ring, and the Lightning Resonance Stone was within as well. These were probably the items that Founder Mu Kai had umted over his life. He had buried them in his tomb as a heritage to theter generations in the hope that it could help them in times of need. This reflected the care and concern he had for the Master Teacher Academy and mankind atrge, unable to put down his worries even after his death. "Thank you," Zhang Xuan whispered as he bowed respectfully to the tomb once more. Pocketing the token and the storage ring, Zhang Xuan turned around and began making his way out. Having obtained the Lightning Resonance Stone, it was about time for him to cultivate to Nascent Saint. It didnt take long for him to arrive at the entrance of the Mausoleum of Principals, where the Mausoleum Tablet was located. After a moment of silence, Zhang Xuan took out the Copper Bell. At this moment, the Copper Bell was still nourishing his soul. Its effects werent significant at the moment, but with sufficient time, he would be able to sever a portion of his soul safely. Forget it, I should just use the Soul Severing Method instead... Knowing that it would take a considerable amount of time in this manner before he was able to sessfully sever his soul, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sat on the floor. With a thought, he drew his soul out from his be. His soul was massive, around ten meters in height. Executing the Soul Severing Method, which he had learned from Mo Hunsheng, it didnt take long before an identical soul appeared beside him. "The Soul Severing Method indeed does inflict considerable harm to ones soul..." After severing his soul, Zhang Xuans main soul had diminished slightly in size, and he couldnt help but feel extreme fatigue guing his existence. Sighing deeply, he shook his head. Even though he had only severed a portion less than a tenth the size of his original soul, the aftereffects were still difficult for him to bear. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out of the fragmented soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast, which he had obtained from Vicious on the Cloudmist Ridge, and began absorbing it to nourish his soul. The reason Zhang Xuan had chosen to us the Soul Severing Method instead of waiting was because he knew that he could heal the damage sustained by his soul through such a method. The consciousness of the fragmented soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast had been wiped away by Vicious, so he could absorb it without fearing a bacsh. While Zhang Xuan was absorbing the fragmented soul to heal his damaged soul, his severed soul dived into the Copper Bell on its own ord. If there was no medium to house its severed soul, it would gradually be depleted under the effects of the Five Declines and eventually dissipate entirely. The Copper Bell served as such a medium, and the same had been done by the preceding principals as well. Once I fuse entirely with the Copper Bell, I will just have to enter into the Mausoleum Tablet, Zhang Xuans severed soul thought. ... Soon, as Zhang Xuans severed soul fused entirely with the Copper Bell, he heaved a sigh of relief and gradually flew up before entering the Mausoleum Tablet. Weng! As soon as the Copper Bell came into contact with the Mausoleum Tablet, Zhang Xuans severed soul immediately felt a powerful suction force drawing him in, causing him to disappear on the spot. The next moment, he was already floating within a sealed room. Rather than calling it a room, perhaps a cavern would be more exact. Zhang Xuans severed soul suddenly felt a familiar aura in his surroundings that left him with an overwhelming feeling of goosebumps. This... Isnt this the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons? The severed soul narrowed his eyes in astonishment as he froze on the spot. Chapter 945: Circumstances Shrouding the Mausoleum Tablet Chapter 945: Circumstances Shrouding the Mausoleum Tablet Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Currently stored within Zhang Xuans storage ring were twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious, so he was extremely familiar with this distinctive aura. As soon as he came into contact with it, he had no doubt that it belonged to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. But wasnt this the most sacrednd in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the resting ce of generations of principals? How could there be such overwhelming killing intent existent in here? The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was callous and brutal, feeding on humans. As such, they were the mortal enemies of the master teachers, such that it was impossible for both to coexist simultaneously. So, how could the aura of the Otherworldly Demons appear there? Astonished, Zhang Xuans severed soul quickly took a look around his surroundings. Judging from the cavern-like surroundings, it seemed like he was within the Mausoleum Tablet. The area was extremely spacious butpletely dark. There was no light or air in the area. It was impossible for any living beings to exist in this space. It seems like there isnt just killing intent in here. There is also a grand and righteous aura. Soon, Zhang Xuans severed soul noticed yet another aura lingering in the area. A grand and righteous aura, an aura distinctive of a master teacher. Looking around the spacious room, it didnt take long for Zhang Xuans severed soul to notice a massive abyss. It seemed like the killing intent hade out of this abyss. Surrounding the abyss were around a hundred different artifacts, which, simr to the Copper Bell, were used for severing and storing souls, and they were scattered in the area to form a formation. Counting them, there were exactly 102 of them. These are probably the wills left behind by the preceding principals, Zhang Xuans severed soul internally. The other principals had probably used these artifacts to sever and store a fragment of their souls before depositing them into the Mausoleum Tablet. However, these soul fragments were unlike Zhang Xuans, which had been severed through the means of the soul oracles. Their movements were limited to the artifact, and they were unable to leave it under normal circumstances, simr to a non-living being. Realizing something, Zhang Xuans severed soul was stunned. Could it be that... these soul fragments were left behind not only to assess the future generations of principals, but to... suppress? The feeling he received was that the grand and righteous auras of the preceding principals, along with the entire Mausoleum Tablet, were suppressing the killing intent contained within the abyss. Without a doubt, the primary purpose of the wills wasnt to assess the newer generations of principal but to stand guard here. It cant be that... this is the passageway leading to the otherworldly battlefield of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Hongyuan Empire couldnt be considered powerful inparison to the Tier-1 Empires around it, but it had still been chosen as the location to construct the Master Teacher Academy. Rumor had it that the reason for this was because a passageway leading to the otherworldly battlefield of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was located on this verynd. As such, the Master Teacher Academy had been built to protect mankind. Could it be that... this was it? Was this the passageway leading to the otherworldly battlefield? Was that the reason there was such concentrated killing intent within the abyss? Was the reason behind the existence of the Mausoleum Tablet and the deposition of the wills of the generations of principals in order to guard thisnd? If that were true, that would exin the reason behind the extreme security surrounding the Mausoleum of Principals, forbidding anyone but the current principal from entering. This was probably in order to conceal the existence of the passageway so as to prevent a pandemonium from urring. If thats really the case, the preceding principals are indeed figures worthy of respect. As the principals of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, they had protected the academy with their life when they were still alive, and even upon death, they still continued to guard it with their will. The contribution that master teachers had made to mankind was indeed immeasurable. Perhaps it was because of this spirit that master teacher possessed that the other upations viewed them with the utmost respect. Looking around, Zhang Xuans severed soul was soon able to confirm his suspicions. The killing intent emanated from the abyss was powerful, preventing any man froming close to it. Were it not for the formation set up using the artifacts and wills left behind by preceding principals, it could have built up and destroyed the Mausoleum Tablet, bringing a great cmity upon Hongyuan City. A grade-7 formation, and one that is set up skillfully at that... Zhang Xuans severed soul nodded in approval. The formation wasnt fixed in terms of power. It could be supported by any number of souls, and as the number of souls in the formation increased, the stronger the prowess of the formation. Principals Seals are embedded into the formation as well... The Principals Seal was an artifact forged out of the wills of students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, and it harnessed immense power within it. It was the most suitable artifact to be used to guard this passageway. After the principal of each generation died, the Principals Seal belonging to them would be used to augment the formation. It was due to this that Hongyuan Empire had been able to enjoy significant peace over the past ten thousand years, not threatened by the menace of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Sighing in awe, Zhang Xuans severed soul was just about to calcte where he should be positioned to maximize the force of the formation when he suddenly heard a deafening roar from the depths of the abyss before him. Hong long long! Hong long long! As if struck by a massive torrent, an incredible might jolted the entire Mausoleum Tablet, leaving it shaking uncontrobly, as if it would copse at any moment. Tzzzzz! Following which, Zhang Xuan felt an overwhelming surge of killing intent sting forth like a tsunami, attempting to charge through the formation blocking its path. Weng! The formation immediately lit up and suppressed the killing intent, but thetter seemed to only grow stronger with time. Like a weak trying to hold in a furiously thrashing fish, the formation seemed as if it would tear apart at any moment soon. At this rate, the formation wont be able tost much longer. Seeing the sight, Zhang Xuans severed soul frowned deeply as hisplexion darkened. He could easily assess the limit of the formation and the might of the killing intent with his eye of discernment, and while the formation was still holding back the killing intent for the time being, it was swiftly approaching its limit. This wont do! With a grim look, Zhang Xuans severed soul rushed up to the formation and swiftly assessed it with a glint in his eyes. Following which, he raised his leg and kicked a certain spot on the formation. Weng! Under his surge of soul energy, the formation emanated a brilliant glow as overwhelming energy suddenly burst forth from it. In an instant, the formation, which seemed as if it would copse at any time, suddenly stabilized. Hu hu! Ten minutester, the killing intent finally receded, returning calm to the Mausoleum Tablet. Hu! Zhang Xuans severed soul retracted his leg before heaving a huge sigh of relief. His kick had only served to heighten the prowess of the formation temporarily. It was fortunate that the onught of the killing intent hadnt continued for too long, or else the formation would still have eventually copsed despite his efforts. While, as a severed soul, he wasnt able to utilize the prowess of the Library of Heavens Path or the Eye of Insight, his sheer knowledge in the field of formations still allowed him to find the center of the formation and reinforce it. Why would there be such powerful killing intent in the abyss? Zhang Xuans severed soul frowned, notprehending the situation. Thus, he took a look around the many artifacts used to store the wills of the preceding principals, and soon, he stopped right before a certain artifact and ced his hand on it. Weng! The artifact was activated, and a soul appeared before his eyes. It was Founder Mu Kai. Founder Mu Kai looked at Zhang Xuan and thanked him gratefully. "Principal Zhang, thank you for your assistance. Were it not for your help, our many years of effort might have been for naught then!" Even though Founder Mu Kais will had been sealed within the artifact, he was still able to perceive the happenings around him. Had the new principal not made a move and salvaged the situation, it would have been impossible for them to fend off the burst of killing intent from the abyss, nullifying their years of effort. Zhang Xuans severed soul waved his hand to show that it was fine before asking, "That thing earlier... what is going on?" If the formation had been ced under such pressure all this while, there was no way it could havested so long. "Just as you have seen, our wills are here in order to guard the passageway between our Master Teacher Continent and the otherworldly battlefield. All along, it has been rather peaceful except for some slight emanations of killing intent that ur now and then. With the strength of the formation, it doesnt pose a threat at all... But for some reason, two years ago, killing intent suddenly started bursting out of the abyss like a deluge, simr to what you have just witnessed, once every day!" As he looked at the abyss with a grim expression, Mu shi said, "Initially, the deluge wasnt that powerful, and we could still handle it with our strength. However, over the past month, the deluge has been growing stronger and stronger, and even with each of us exerting our full might, we still found ourselves barely being able to cope. The one that happened today was even worse... Had you not arrived, even if the formation hadnt beenpletely destroyed, it still would have sustained significant damage!" "Two years ago?" Zhang Xuans severed soul asked with a frown. "Un." Mu shis will nodded. "Have you found the reason behind it?" Zhang Xuan asked. Mu shis will hesitated for a moment before replying. "Our wills have been fused into the formation, so we arent able to move easily. As such, we arent able to investigate what has happened. However, if I am not mistaken, something must have happened to the seal between the Master Teacher Continent and the otherworldly battlefield!" "Seal?" "The seal is not located here but in the depths of the Subterranean Gallery. It serves as the final barrier impeding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe from entering the Master Teacher Continent. Once it is breached, what we might be facing is full-blown war!" Mu shis will said grimly. There were several seals set up in the Subterranean Gallery connecting the otherworldly battlefield and the Master Teacher Continent, and the strongest of which was the one that had been set up by countless preceding master teachers in the depths of the passageway. That seal served as the final fortress of mankind to fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. "Principal Zhang, since you have sent your will in here, your main body must be around the area as well. Can you have your main body enter the Subterranean Gallery to take a look so that we can report the matter to the headquarters and have them prepare in advance? Otherwise, I fear that under the relentless deluges of killing intent, the formation might soon fall apart, and a cmity will befall mankind!" Mu shis will pleaded. Their wills had been fending off the killing intent for many years, resulting in their strength being gradually worn down over time. On top of that, having fused entirely with the formation, they were unable to move as well. Even if they wished to investigate the situation, they were unable to do so! Besides, if they were to leave, there would be nothing to stop the rampage of the killing intent should it strike once more, and that could potentially result in a cmity. "Enter the Subterranean Gallery?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Un. You just have to go in to take a look at the situation so that we can prepare in advance. Otherwise, should something worsee at us, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy could suffer a devastating blow!" Mu shis will said worriedly. Understanding the other partys worries, Zhang Xuans severed soul hesitated for a moment before asking, "How do I enter the Subterranean Gallery?" "Due to the overwhelming killing intent contained within the Subterranean Gallery, your soul wont be able to enter its depths. You will have to enter with your physical body!" Mu shis will said. "With the Principals Seal, you should be able to bring your physical body into this space. After which, I will open a temporary hole in the formation so that you can enter the Subterranean Gallery. This entrance is closest to the seal in the depths of the Subterranean Gallery, so it shouldnt take too long." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans severed soul frowned. He had long heard about the dangers lurking within the Subterranean Gallery, and if he were to enter it, there was a good chance that he would nevere out again. However, if he were to refuse to enter, he would be unable to determine the source of the deluge of killing intent. Furthermore, if something had really happened to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery and it copsed abruptly, the entire Hongyuan Empire would be devastated by the powerful forces of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. "I know that I am putting you on the spot, but... there is nothing else I can do!" Naturally, Mu shi also understood how dangerous the Subterranean Gallery was. To ask the other party to enter the Subterranean Gallery and check on the seal was almost no different from urging the other party to leap off a cliff. However, the fate of mankind and the future of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy were at stake. He had no other choice. With the protection of the Principals Seal, as long as Principal Zhang were to proceed carefully, he should be able to return safely. "Alright. Give me a moment, I willmunicate with my main body to have him enter!" Zhang Xuans severed soul nodded. Chapter 946: Entering the Subterranean Gallery Chapter 946: Entering the Subterranean Gallery Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing the severity of this matter, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, knew that he couldnt back down at this point. Thus, he quickly epted it. Back then, Kong shi had also ventured into the Subterranean Gallery thrice when he was younger. Zhang Xuan was curious to see what the passageway linking the Master Teacher Continent and the otherworldly battlefield was like as well. "I will be troubling Principal Zhang then." Mu shis will sped his fist and bowed respectfully. "It is only right that I do so!" Zhang Xuans severed soul nodded before quickly establishingmunication with his main body, which was currently cultivating outside. Not too longter, a silhouette emerged in the room. It was Zhang Xuans main body. Just as Mu shi had said, he was indeed able to enter the space by utilizing the Principals Seal. Aftermunicating with his severed soul, he was able to swiftly understand what had happened, and he quickly turned his eyes to Mu shi. "Open the formation for me, I will head down to take a look!" "Principal Zhang, be careful. It will suffice as long as you find out what is happening beneath. Even if you fail to do so, its no problem at all. We can slowly discuss the matter thoroughly toe up with a solution to this problem. No matter what happens, do not act recklessly. Great danger lurks within," Mu shis will advised. Investigating the seal was important, but Mu shis will knew that the man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher, a man who could very well shoulder the fate of humanity one day. Mankind couldnt afford to lose him. "Rest assured. I am a cowardly person, so I will make sure to steer clear of danger," Zhang Xuan replied with a chuckle. With his means, even if he couldnt defeat an opponent, he would still be able to escape easily. "Thats good." Receiving his promise, Mu shis will heaved a sigh of relief before returning back to his position. sping the area in front of him, he was able to create a hole in the formationrge enough for Zhang Xuan to pass through. Having studied the formation for more than ten thousand years, it was nothing but a walk in the park for him to create a hole temporarily while fending off the killing intent emanated from the abyss. "Farewell." Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and leaped into the abyss through the hole in the formation. Hu! His body disappeared in an instant. "Will he be in danger?" Right after Zhang Xuan disappeared, the silhouette of the will of another principal emerged before Mu shi. "Dont worry. Back then, Kong shi also entered the Subterranean Gallery when he was only at Half-Saint and returned safely. As a Celestial Master Teacher as well, Zhang shi will surely be able to resolve this crisis!" Mu shi reassured. "Lets hope that is the case." The other principal nodded, but a worried frown lingered on his face. There were many Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle experts who had entered the Subterranean Gallery, only to never return. Given that the other party was only a Half-Saint, would he really be able to return safely? He couldnt help but feel a little concerned. Noticing the other party principals expression, Mu shi shook his head helplessly. "There is no use worrying over this matter. You also know that we are swiftly approaching our limits. Over the past two years, we have depleted ourselves significantly, and our wills are already on the verge of dissipating. If we dont resolve this issue as soon as possible, I fear that... we might just bring an irreversible disaster on ourselves!" If he had a choice, he wouldnt have wanted to put Principal Zhang in danger either. However, extreme situations called for extreme measures, and there was nothing he could do. In the first ce, the severed souls they had left behind werent particrly strong, and fending off the many deluges of killing intent that hade over the past two years had worn them thin. Were it not for their unwavering wills tying them down, they might have already dissipated into nothingness. How else could they havested this long? "This is the responsibility he has to shoulder as a master teacher and the principal of the Master Teacher Academy; Principal Zhang knows this very well himself. Besides, for him to grow, his path cant be all smooth-sailing," Mu shi said. "Youre right." The other principal nodded in agreement before falling silent. Mu shi was right. Being a master teacher wasnt just about prestige, it was a responsibility. If he were to escape from even his own responsibility, how could he possibly grow to be a true master teacher? Principal Zhang might be young, but it seemed like he had a deep understanding of the mission he had to bear as a result of his position. ... This is the... Subterranean Gallery? Zhang Xuan felt his entire body tensing up for a moment before his body came to a halt. Straightening his body once more, he immediately scanned his surroundings and realized that he was standing amid a vast underground world. The entire area waspletely dark, devoid of any light. Unable to see the end of the underground world from where he stood, there was no way he could tell how vast and deep it was. Overwhelming killing intent permeated the area, creating a frigid and eerie atmosphere all around, rendering one unable to breathe normally. Had he not known in advance, he might have thought that he had fallen into an endless hell. Its no wonder no one is willing toe here. There was no master teacher who wouldnt show a hint of apprehension in his eyes when speaking of the Subterranean Gallery, and from the looks of it now, there was indeed a very good reason for it. This environment was indeed inhospitable. Just the killing intent drifting in the area could easily erode the minds of those with weaker cultivation realms over time. This was simr to when Hong shi had taken out an Otherworldly Demon during the Master Teacher Tournament. The examinees had found themselves pressured by the killing intent it exerted to the point that they dared not approach it. The killing intent felt even more intense and vivid than the one emanated by the Otherworldly Demon back then. It felt as if countless ferocious beasts were hidden amid the darkness, ready to pounce at one the moment one let ones guard down. If a 5-star master teacher who had never undergone special training to cope with such killing intent were to enter this area, they would surely start trembling uncontrobly from fright, unable to take a single step forward. If such killing intent were to reach Hongyuan City, it could easily cause a pandemonium that would lead to the deaths of at least 99% of its popce, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. He hadnt thought much about the significance of the presence of the Subterranean Gallery in Hongyuan City previously, but aftering here, he couldnt help but think about the usible dire consequences that could be realized should something go wrong. Such a concentration of killing intent had the ability of causing weaker cultivators to lose their sense of self and turn into killing machines. Were it to escape and permeate through the entire Hongyuan City, it could very well reduce the majestic city of a hundred million people into rubble within a very short period of time. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan dispelled the pressure from the killing intent entirely before taking a closer look at his surroundings. The scenery around him was monotonous, just patches of darkness everywhere. Even when using the Eye of Insight, he could only see several hundred meters away. It was difficult for him to determine his direction in this manner. Forget it. If I trace the gradient of the killing intent and head toward area with higher concentration, I should be able to reach the depths of the Subterranean Gallery. Considering that the other end of the Subterranean Gallery was the otherworldly battlefield, Zhang Xuan felt that he should be able to reach the depths of the Subterranean Gallery if he advanced toward areas with a higher concentration of killing intent. On top of the killing intent, there was also a bizarre demonic tune drifting in the area, beguiling souls within its reach. Those who possessed weaker minds could easily find themselves falling into a trance under its effects, and the affected could very well end up marching to their doom without even realizing it. It is no wonder Soul Depth is so important to master teachers. Had it been another cultivator possessing the same cultivation as me, it would still have been difficult for them tost too long in here! Zhang Xuan assessed the surroundings warily as he began journeying ahead slowly. With the omnipresent killing intent and demonic tune in the Subterranean Gallery wearing one down, those who had weaker minds could find themselves sumbing swiftly. Putting all else aside, even if another Half-Saint expert were to be here, he might find himself losing his mind if he were to stay here for an extended period of time. However, that was all ineffective against Zhang Xuan. With the Heavens Path zhenqi guarding his mind, he was impervious to all of it. After proceeding forward for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly stopped in his footsteps and frowned deeply. "Hmm? These are footsteps of Otherworldly Demons!" On the ground just ahead of him was a congregation of innumerable footsteps. Each of them was around a chi 1 in length. Zhang Xuan had seen Otherworldly Demons before, and their physique was significantlyrger than an ordinary human. Considering how deeply-imprinted andrge these footprints were, there was good chance that it was left by them. But... wasnt there a seal in the depths of the Subterranean Gallery to prevent Otherworldly Demons from entering here? How could there be Otherworldly Demons on this side? Wait... there are human footprints too! Walking along the trail of footsteps, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed the footsteps of several humans scattered sporadically around the area. On top of that, there were several signs that indicated that a battle had urred in the area. From the looks of it, it seemed like human cultivators had encountered the Otherworldly Demons, and a fight had urred as a result of that. Zhang Xuan knew that there were human cultivators in the Subterranean Gallery. From time to time, master teachers who found themselves stuck in a bottleneck for an extended period of time or were swiftly approaching the limit of their lifespan would choose to venture into the Subterranean Gallery, hoping that they might be able to find the impetus to push for a breakthrough or to make one final contribution to mankind before their passing. Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan studied the marks in the area and frowned. It doesnt seem like it has been too long since these marks were left behind. There is a significantly greater number of Otherworldly Demons aspared to master teachers. If I move quickly, I might still be able to save the master teachers! From the marks, he could tell that the human cultivators had been in a disadvantageous position in the battle. Overpowered, they had attempted to flee, but the Otherworldly Demons continued to pursue them. No matter what, I should head over to take a look first. As a master teacher, he couldnt sit idle while his fellow humans were being harmed by the Otherworldly Demons. Activating the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan stepped onto the air and advanced swiftly, following the footsteps. Having cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, the amount of zhenqi he had in his body had grown tremendously. Inparison to that, the depletion in maintaining his flight was insignificant. Concealing his aura and his presence, Zhang Xuans flew quickly with a sharp glint in his eyes. In such a dark area, any 6-star master teacher would be forced to proceed warily, especially given the presence of Otherworldly Demons in the area. However, Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight allowed him to easily see a significant distance ahead of him despite the darkness. Even if there were Otherworldly Demons ahead, he was confident that he would be able to spot the other party first. After flying for around an hour, there was still no one within Zhang Xuans sight. However, the marks on the ground were growing more concentrated, indicating that the battle between the escaping human cultivators and Otherworldly Demons was growing more and more intense. Most of the marks were fresh, meaning that he was already very close to them. Proceeding forward for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan soon felt a violent disturbance in the air. It seemed like a battle was ongoing just ahead. As Zhang Xuan approached the source of the disturbance, he sealed all of the acupoints throughout his body to conceal his presencepletely while gradually slowing down warily. After circling around a hill, he saw a group of Otherworldly Demons standing in front of him. This... Upon taking a look, Zhang Xuans eyelids began twitching uncontrobly. Rather than calling it a group, perhaps an army would be more appropriate. To his astonishment, there were more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons, and each of them possessed cultivation of at least Saint realm 1-dan. There were even a couple of Saint realm 2-dan experts among them. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had decided to conceal his aura so as to avoid notice. Otherwise, even with the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, Byzantium Helios Beast, Golden Origin Cauldron, and Myriad Anthive Queen, he would still be tragically defeated. A race designed for war, the Otherworldly Demons were granted superior strength at birth, and they were capable of even overpowering a saint beast of equal cultivation realm easily. Two hundred Saint realm Otherworldly Demons gathered together... Putting aside him, even a Saint realm 4-dan expert would struggle to cope with such a fearsome force! How could there be so many of them here? Zhang Xuans expression was grave. Two hundred Saint realm 1-dan and several Saint 2-dan Otherworldly Demons, while this force was insufficient to defeat the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, there was no doubt that they would bring catastrophic damage upon Hongyuan City if they were to sessfully charge through the formation! Where in the world did theye from? The deluges of killing intent striking the Mausoleum Tablet must have been a coordinated assault from this group. It would be impossible to produce a formidable force that could overpower the wills of the hundred preceding principals and their Principals Seals otherwise! Zhang Xuan realized. The might of the wills of more than a hundred preceding principals unified and enhanced by a grade-7 formation, further augmented by their Principals Seals, which harnessed the wills of several dozen million students and teachers throughout the history of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... yet, the formation had still shaken to the point of near copse! Without a doubt, this couldnt have been a natural urrence. The army of Otherworldly Demons before him had to be behind it. But who are they fighting with? Frowning, Zhang Xuan turned his sight toward the human cultivators shing with them. It was a group of elders donned in master teacher robes. They were clustered together with their backs against one another, and their bodies and robes werepletely dyed crimson with blood. In their eyes, one could see the stolidity of a man who had epted his death. They are 6-star pinnacle master teachers, Zhang Xuan noted. There were around forty of them. Suddenly, Zhang Xuan noticed a familiar figure. Hmm? Lu Feng? Chapter 947: Dont Have to Say Anything More! Chapter 947: Dont Have to Say Anything More! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As You Xus good friend, Lu Feng had caused Zhang Xuan a fair bit of trouble back in the Master Teacher Academy. However, with the revtion of Zhang Xuans identity, the grand appearance of Yang shi in the Elder Hall, and his confirmation as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy, Lu Feng had been punished, and he had disappeared from the academy. ording to School Head Mo, Lu Feng had voluntarily applied to head to the Subterranean Gallery in order to redeem himself, and it was very likely that he would never return. Back then, it had left Zhang Xuans in deep thought for a long while. Given howrge the Subterranean Gallery was, Zhang Xuan had thought that it was extremely unlikely for him to meet Lu Feng. Who would have thought that he would encounter the other party shortly after entering the Subterranean Gallery and find them cornered? At this moment, Lu Fengsplexion looked extremely pale and worn out, and the grandeur and authoritative air that had shrouded him back when he was the head of the Apothecary School had fadedpletely. His left sleeve, where his left arm should have been, was fluttering in the air, and there were many wounds on his body as well. Even though most of them had already closed up, the wounds were still rather ring and appalling to look at. Despite the heavy injuries Lu Feng had sustained, his eyes were sharp and calm, as if the battles with the Otherworldly Demons had brought peace to his mind. As a result of that, his Half-Spiritual Perception realm cultivation had been further reinforced, putting him on the verge of achieving a breakthrough. Despite the dangers of the Subterranean Gallery, it had allowed him to see past the trivialities of authority and power, thus broadening his mind. Putting aside Lu Feng, the other 6-star pinnacle master teachers also harnessed incredibly sharp auras that were on par with the vice school heads of the Master Teacher Academy. However, their ages were already beyond a thousand, and their bodies emanated an aura of deterioration, indicating that they were nearing the limit of their lifespan. asionally, there would be several master teachers who were nearing the end of their life applying to enter the Subterranean Gallery. Their purpose was simplethey hoped to use whatever they had left in them to y a few more Otherworldly Demons in hopes that it could prolong the peace that mankind enjoyed. I must find a way to save them, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Had it been before, in face of such overwhelming odds, he would never have put his life on the line to save a group of strangers. However, after all he had been through, he realized how much these master teachers had contributed to mankind. It was due to them putting their lives on the line that the Master Teacher Continent was able to enjoy many millenniums of rtive peace. The master teachers before him were figures worthy of his respect, and he couldnt bring himself to leave them in the lurch. Doing it forcefully wont work. Zhang Xuan frowned. Against more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons, even if he were to utilize all of the means he had on hand, it would still be impossible for him to save the master teachers. On the contrary, it might even anger the Otherworldly Demons and cause them to fight even more desperately. If that were to happen, he could very well only be hastening their deaths. As urgent as the situation was, he couldnt charge in recklessly. He needed toe up with a n first, a n that would allow him to eradicate the Otherworldly Demons and save the master teachers. After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a book. "Vicious, do you have any way to disguise me as an Otherworldly Demon?" Bypassing the encirclement of more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons discreetly to save the master teachers, such a feat was nigh impossible... unless he was an Otherworldly Demon! "You want to disguise as one of my tribesmen?" The heart in the book beat several times before replying. "Thats simple! Master, given that you have cultivated the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, you should be able to alter your height and weight at will. As for the killing intent, I can release it in your ce. It might be difficult for this disguise to fool the Otherworldly Demon Emperors, but it should be more than sufficient for this group of peons!" The most difficult aspect when disguising as an Otherworldly Demon was imitating their killing intent. As long as this problem was resolved, the other aspects regarding the outer appearance werent a problem at all. Zhang Xuan had already reached the Fourth Incandescence for the Quintuple Incandescence Golden body, allowing him to alter his muscles and bone structure at will. "Alright, I will give it a try." Hearing that it was feasible, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Using one of the puppets in his storage ring as a model, he began to warp his muscles and bones amid a series of cracks. In just two breaths, his appearance had already changed altogether. After which, he took off the clothes of his puppet and wore them. At this moment, he lookedpletely identical to an Otherworldly Demon in terms of appearance, such that even most master teachers would be unable to tell the difference. "Master, hide my finger in your hand, and I will exert my killing intent from within your body so that others wont notice it," Vicious said after seeing that Zhang Xuan was done with his transformation. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. Hu! A finger emerged from the Book of Heavens Path and fell on his hand. It fused into his skin and disappeared within. Following which, Zhang Xuan felt a unique energy flowing through his body, one that waspletely different from a cultivators zhenqi. This energy felt exceedingly violent, as if it would rip apart the world if it could. If one were toe into contact with this energy often, it would induce aggressive tendencies within one, making one crave war and battle. "This is the source of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes killing intent?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. It was no wonder the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was so belligerent. There was probably no one in the world who would be able to remain themselves after cultivating such zhenqi. "Un. We call this Zhenqi of ughter!" Vicious replied before asking with a doubtful tone, "Master, do you feel any difort driving the Zhenqi of ughter?" "Difort?" Zhang Xuan tried circting the Zhenqi of ughter through his body, and eventually, he shook his head with an excited glint in his eyes. "None at all. If any, I feel energized!" "Energized?" Vicious was stunned. Ordinary cultivators, even one who had reached Saint realm, were unable to withstand the Zhenqi of ughter. Yet, his master was actually able to drive it as he wished without feeling the slightest difort... and even feel energized at that. Wasnt his bodys ability to adapt a little too powerful? "Its good that you dont feel any difort!" Vicious heaved a sigh of relief. Having pledged his loyalty to Zhang Xuan, he had to ensure thetters safety. He was nning to withdraw his zhenqi if the other party felt any difort, but since there was no such thing, it should be fine. Knowing that Vicious was thinking about, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. "Un." Given that his body was even to harness the might of the Heavens Path zhenqi, what could the Zhenqi of ughter do? A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. Wait... since the Heavens Path zhenqi has the ability to imitate the attributes of other zhenqi, could it possibly imitate the Zhenqi of ughter too? He had always thought of the killing intent as an aura emanated by the Otherworldly Demons, but if its true form was a type of zhenqi as well, was it possible for him to imitate it? The Heavens Path zhenqi was an omnipotent zhenqi. Possessing no attribute, it was capable of fusing with the zhenqi of any other attribute and emting its properties. With such thoughts in mind, he began to warp the properties of the Heavens Path zhenqi in his body. His body jolted for an instant as the Heavens Path zhenqi began to seethe. A momentter, a powerful killing intent abruptly gushed into the air. It wasnt as powerful as the one originating from Vicious finger, but it was far purer and cleaner. Just as Zhang Xuan was delighted with his sess, he suddenly heard Vicious voice in his ear. "Grand Emperor... How is this possible? Master... are you an Otherworldly Demon in disguise?" "Grand Emperor?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before bursting intoughter. "An Otherworldly Demon in disguise? How is that possible?" It was not like the other party didnt know that he was a Celestial Master Teacher. How could he possibly be an Otherworldly Demon? "Otherworldly Demons are ranked in various strata ording to their bloodline. The Emperor Stratum has the purest bloodline, followed by the King Stratum, the Marquess Stratum, Noble Stratum, and finally, the Mortal Stratum. Each stratum is further divided into several sses, and the strongest one within the Emperor Stratum is the Grand Emperor ss," Vicious said. "The zhenqi that Master has just exerted is extremely pure, a trait distinctive of the Grand Emperor ss." "Grand Emperor ss?" Zhang Xuan blinked in astonishment. He had just casually emted the Zhenqi of ughter with his Heavens Path zhenqi, but to think that... it would actually be so formidable. "Yes!" Vicious replied respectfully. At the same time, he couldnt help but harbor some doubts regarding his masters identity. The other party was clearly a Celestial Master Teacher, and yet, putting aside how he didnt feel the slightest difort driving the Zhenqi of ughter, his body actually harnessed zhenqi exclusive to the Grand Emperor ss. Just how many more secrets was his master hiding? "If I am at the Grand Emperor ss, what about you?" Zhang Xuan asked. Given the extreme purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, it went without saying that his emtion of the Zhenqi of ughter would also be of the highest ss. However, judging from Vicious astonished tone, could this mean that he wasnt from the Grand Emperor ss? Wasnt he one of the strongest experts from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Otherwise, how could he have stood his ground against Kong shi? "I..." With a bitter smile, Vicious was just about to exin himself when he suddenly realized something and hurriedly warned Zhang Xuan telepathically, "Master, we have been discovered!" "We have been discovered?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze upwards. What he saw left his eyelids twitching uncontrobly, and he nearly fainted on the spot. Unbeknownst to him, fifty Otherworldly Demons were floating in the air above him, each of them exerting an extremely powerful aura. They had sealed the surroundings tightly with their Zhenqi of ughter, leaving him no opportunity to escape at all. Hadnt he concealed his presence well? How had he been discovered just like that? To have been encircled before he could initiate his n to save the master teachers... this sure was a huge failure! I must have failed to control my strength properly in the moment that I turned my Heavens Path zhenqi into Zhenqi of ughter, Zhang Xuan thought as his face twitched. As he had wished, his Heavens Path zhenqi had turned into the Zhenqi of ughter unique to Otherworldly Demons perfectly. However, he had failed to control his power for a brief moment, resulting in his killing intent bursting into the air. It was probably that brief moment that had betrayed his presence to the Otherworldly Demons. Hula! Just as Zhang Xuan was at a loss as to what he should do, the Otherworldly Demons in the sky finally got a clear look at Zhang Xuans face, and the tense atmosphere in the surroundings alleviated slightly. After which, a Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demon descended from the sky and went up to Zhang Xuan. "Who are you?" the Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demon asked questioningly. "Me?" It was only at this moment that Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled that he had already changed his appearance and was wearing the clothes of the Otherworldly Demons. An overpowering killing intent was emanating from his body, making it clear to anyone that he was an Otherworldly Demon. The other party must have thought that he was their tribesmen, but owing to his unfamiliar face, the other party still had to confirm his identity. "I am..." Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan prepared himself to make up a name so as to get over this matter. In any case, there were so many Otherworldly Demons about, so it was unlikely for the other party to recognize everyone. However, at that moment, a thought suddenly came to him. The next moment, he narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. Following which, the Zhenqi of ughter from Vicious finger burst forth. Hong long! While the killing intent emanated from his disguised Heavens Path zhenqi was pure, it was only at the level of a Half-Saint. On the other hand, the killing intent from Vicious finger was overwhelming and relentless, leaving one unable to determine how powerful he was, as if looking at a seemingly endless ocean. "Th-this..." Feeling that immense strength, the Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demons face paled, and his body stiffened. "I dont have to say anything more about my identity, right?" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan nced down at the other party impassively. Zhang Xuan currently held no intelligence on the current state of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at all. Vicious might know a thing or two, but his intelligence was already outdated by several dozen years. On top of that, his memories were fragmented, so it might not be safe to rely on it. While he could simply make up a name on the spot, there was a chance that things could go wrong too. For example, what if the name he came up with wasnt typical or was avoided by the Otherworldly Demons? If so, he would be ced in an extremely difficult position. Besides, even if he were to sessfullye up with a name and join the other partys group, it was unlikely that the other party would trust him enough to allow him to approach the master teachers. It would still be extremely difficult for him to save them. Thus, the best way was for him to assume an identity that the other party feared. Since the Otherworldly Demons were ranked ording to the purity of their Zhenqi of ughter, he could very well make use of it to instill fear in them. He was already proficient in it anyway. He had done it so many times that it came naturally to him. Dont have to say anything more about your identity? On the other hand, the Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demon was taken aback. I have never seen you before, so how am I supposed to know who the hell you are? Chapter 948: Master, I Am Tough! Chapter 948: Master, I Am Tough! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 However, the Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demon wasnt bewildered for too long. The zhenqi exerted by the other party was incredibly condensed and powerful, reminiscent of a towering mountain. Without a doubt, the other party had to be a King at the very least. Even if he didnt know who the other party was, one thing was for certainthe other partys standing was far above his. Seeing the other party stuttering in uncertainty, unsure of what was going on, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure and bellowed furiously, "You dont even know me? Men, drag this moron down and execute him!" "This..." This time, it wasnt just the Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demon who was stunned. The Otherworldly Demons in the area werepletely dumbstruck as well. To speak of beheading our leader like that, who the hell do you think you are? Which asylum did you run out from? "Could it be..." The Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demons was extremely frustrated, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. However, at that very moment, a thought flickered across his head and a certain name surfaced in his mind, and his face warped in astonishment. "Could you be... the Goldenleaf King?" Rumor had it that the Goldenleaf King was abative and vicious person, often assaulting others over the slightest verbal disagreement. He had never seen the Goldenleaf King before, having only heard of the other partys name. However, considering the pure energy the person before him was emanating, as well as his arrogant disposition, threatening to kill him despite having only met moments ago, he couldnt help but wonder if the other party was indeed him. "Humph, seeing how fast you reacted, I will let you off this time!" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan tilted his head up haughtily. "The leader of the 214th Squadron of Greenleaf King, Tong Yue, pays respect to Your Highness!" Upon seeing that he had identified the other party correctly, the Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demon, Tong Yue, heaved a sigh of relief before hurriedly kneeling onto the ground to greet the other party. After which, he couldnt help but ask doubtfully, "Our King has said that he will being over soon, and he asked us to make preparations. That is why we captured these master teachers in order to prepare the tributes to gather the required energy to break the seal for his arrival. But... how did youe over without any tribute?" It would be a lie if he said that he wasnt perplexed by the abrupt arrival of the esteemed figure before him. The areas of jurisdiction of their direct superior, Greenleaf King, and Goldenleaf King were extremely far from one another, so the both of them didnt have much contact with one another. Furthermore, the Greenleaf King had paid a heavy price using a special ritual in order to send them over one by one. It was only recently that the Greenleaf King had issued an order for them to hunt down master teachers and have them serve as tributes so as to allow him to bypass the seal ande over. They werent even done preparing for their own King toe over, but the Goldenleaf King was already here? What was going on? "What? Are you actually asking me to report my activities to you?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as his eyes narrowed menacingly. Emanating a wintry killing intent, Zhang Xuan berated condescendingly, "You disrespectful lowlife, are you asking to be killed right here, right now? Do you think that I dare not touch you just because you are the Greenleaf Kings subordinate?" "I..." Tong Yues body stiffened as cold sweat began trickling from his forehead. The other party possessed the bloodline of a King whereas he was just an ordinary soldier. Even if the other party were to kill him, he had no doubt that the Greenleaf King wouldnt speak up for him. This was the difference in their identity and standing! "I dare not!" Tong Yue swiftly kneeled to the ground fearfully, not daring to even breathe loudly. He had long heard that rules were mere words in the eyes of the Goldenleaf King, and there was nothing that the other party dared not do. He had always thought that it was just an exaggeration, but seeing it with his own eyes... the other party was indeed a madman. "That had better be the truth!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly before turning his eyes away from Tong Yue. He took a step forward before pointing at Lu Feng and the others and asking, "Whats with them?" "We were intending to capture this bunch and have them serve as tributes to break the seal for our Kings arrival," Tong Yue hurriedly exined. "Tributes? For the Greenleaf Kings arrival?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He wasnt too sure how it worked, but he was still able to get a rough idea as to what was going on from the other partys words. It seemed like he had arrived at a timely moment. Considering how fearsome the ordinary soldiers were, if an Otherworldly Demon King were to breach the seal ande over, wouldnt Hongyuan City be reduced to hell in an instant? Noticing the displeasure on the Goldenleaf Kings face, Tong Yues lips twitched as he quickly realized what was going on. Thus, he anxiously said, "We were intending to usher in our king, but since Your Highness is here, there is no longer any need for that. I will have these fellows killed this very instant." It took more than strength to be a Squadron Leader. Tong Yue wasnt a foolish person, and he was very sharp at reading the mood as well. While he had not heard about any grudge between the Greenleaf King and the Goldenleaf King, considering that the Goldenleaf King was already here, bringing the Greenleaf King here could be viewed as an attempt to undermine his authority, and that was no different from seeking death. Thus, he turned around to the Otherworldly Demons behind him and waved his hand. "Men, kill all of those fellows here!" "Yes, leader!" Upon hearing the order, the Otherworldly Demons began marching toward the encircled Lu Feng and the others with overwhelming killing intent. "Comrades, it seems like we might be meeting our end here." "From the moment I walked in here, I have never thought about leaving alive. So what if I meet my end here? Take one down, and I will have recouped my loss; take two down, and I will have profited!" "Haha,e! Let me give you a taste of your grandfathers strength!" "Even if I die, I will make sure to pull a couple of them down with me..." Seeing that the Otherworldly Demons were going to kill them, the master teachers trapped in the center roared inughter, seemingly devoid of any fear for their impending doom. Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, these 6-star pinnacle master teachers were either those whose cultivation had stagnated at a certain point or those whose lifespan had reached its limit. From the moment they stepped into the Subterranean Gallery, they had already prepared themselves mentally to meet their end. Having served as a master teacher for a lifetime, dying in the midst of battling the Otherworldly Demon could be considered a fine conclusion to the end of their journey. As such, they didnt feel fear when they heard that the other party was going to kill them. On the contrary, their fighting will red instead. What is there to rejoice about birth, what is there to fear about death? 1 Another Otherworldly Demon killed meant another step toward mankinds peace. Even if death was their end, they had no regrets. "You wretched things, the only reason you are still alive is because you were going to serve as tributes for our honored King. Now that our King is here, your existence serves no purpose anymore!" Tong Yue harrumphed coldly as he raised his hand. Hu! Many Otherworldly Demons raised their hands simultaneously as a devastating energy gathered among them. The energy gathered was so immense and destructive that if it were to be released, the already severely injured master teachers would die without fail. With a deep frown, Zhang Xuan bellowed loudly, "Hold it for a moment!" Hearing his bellow, the Otherworldly Demons, who were prepared tounch an attack, swiftly halted their movements. Tong Yue also turned a doubtful gaze to Zhang Xuan. The Goldenleaf King was known to be callous and vicious, never hesitating to im the life of another. This was precisely why Tong Yue was so fearful of him. So, why would the other party suddenly ask him to stop? "Spare them, I still have questions for them," Zhang Xuanmanded coldly. From his experience disguising as Yang shi, he had learned the art of feigning as an expert. On top of that, through Vicious powerful and devastating aura, he had already created a powerful first impression, which granted him more room to maneuver. "Yes!" Hearing that the Goldenleaf King had some questions for the master teachers, Tong Yue immediately waved his hands to gesture for the Otherworldly Demons to step down. Even so, the Otherworldly Demons didnt let their guard down. They continued to maintain their encirclement around the master teachers, ready to strike should any of them attempt to flee. "May I know what Your Highness intends to ask? I will immediately have my men interrogate them." Tong Yue turned to Zhang Xuan and sped his fist respectfully. A momentter, fearing that thetter would misunderstand, he quickly added, "These master teachers are obstinate fools. Without using some special means, it wont be possible to obtain urate intelligence from them!" It hadnt been long since he had arrived at the Subterranean Gallery, but he had alreadye into contact with many master teachers. Those fellows had an unyielding faith in their mission, making it nigh impossible to get any useful information out of them through a normal interrogation. How could a person who didnt even fear death sumb to an average interrogation? cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan replied haughtily as he gazed into the distance, as if contemting about the greater matters of the world. "There is no need for that. This matter involves confidential secrets that the likes of you arent qualified to know. You just have to find me a quiet ce for me to interrogate them privately!" In that moment, he exuded an unfathomable aura. "Yes!" Hearing that the other party wanted to interrogate the master teachers personally, Tong Yue hesitated for a moment before sping his fist. "Your Highness, our temporary camp is not too far from here. Why dont we head there to interrogate these wretched master teachers? This way, we will be able to prevent them from escaping as well!" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. He could tell that Tong Yue still harbored some reservations toward him, which was only natural given that he had appeared out of nowhere. At this point, it would be too unnatural if he tried to take them away willfully. He would have to bide his time and wait for an ideal opportunity to strike. Furthermore, his purpose there was to investigate the situation with the Otherworldly Demons and rid the threats that were lurking in the darkness. This was a good chance for him to scout the situation. "This way, please!" Nodding, Tong Yue hurriedly stepped forward and led the way. Without saying a word, Zhang Xuan stepped into the air and began following behind Tong Yue closely while asking Vicious discreetly, "The Goldenleaf King that he spoke of, have you heard of him before?" "How can I possibly know these juniors? Most likely, Tong Yue has never met that Goldenleaf King before and simply thought that you are him due to your pure and powerful zhenqi." At which, Vicious paused to ponder for a moment before continuing his exnation. "There is a very strict hierarchy among the Otherworldly Demons. The purer an Otherworldly Demons Zhenqi of ughter is, the higher their standing will be. My finger has just barely recovered and is still far from exerting the immense force it wielded back when I was at my peak. Nevertheless, the zhenqi it exerts is still far beyond the reach of mortals like them!" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded quietly. This was also what he thought as well. Vicious had been one of the strongest emperors of the Otherworldly Demon back when he was at his peak. Even if his finger was far weaker than it was back then, the purity of the energy it exerted was still far beyond the likes of those fellows. Furthermore, his disguise was also nigh perfect, so it shouldnte as a surprise that the other party would think of him as the Goldenleaf King or something. "With your current prowess, are you able to deal with those fellows?" Zhang Xuan asked. It wouldnt be safe to leave such arge group of Otherworldly Demons lurking in the Subterranean Gallery. If Vicious could destroy these fellows easily, he wouldnt have to go through too much trouble getting rid of themter on. "The most powerful attack I have at the moment is my killing intent. It is extremely effective against those of differing races, but against fellow Otherworldly Demons, I fear that its effectiveness will be negligible," Vicious said awkwardly. He had always boasted about how powerful he was, but in real times of need, he turned out to be useless. Having taken aback his finger, his fighting prowess had been enhanced considerably, allowing him to engage in physical fights. However, it would still be extremely difficult for him to stand his ground against so many opponents simultaneously. Furthermore, his strongest attack was his killing intent. It was indeed formidable against master teachers and saint beasts; those who were afflicted by it would find their bodies stiffening on the spot, rendering them powerless. However, against his fellow Otherworldly Demons, who cultivated the Zhenqi of ughter as well, his killing intent was nearly ineffective. "I see." Seeing Vicious denying the matter so quickly, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly as he muttered beneath his breath, "I was just thinking how formidable you are, but to think that you are nothing more than a solder spear 2 , useless in times to need..." Hearing those words, Vicious staggered and nearly burst into tears. Master, I am not a solder spear. I am tough, very, very tough... Chapter 949: Who Called for Me? Chapter 949: Who Called for Me? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the time that the duo spent talking, the other Otherworldly Demons subdued Lu Feng and the others and forced them to move along with them. From the very start, they were already depleted from the extended battle they had against so many Otherworldly Demons simultaneously, so they werent able to put up much of a fight. In fact, were it not for the fact that they were needed to serve as tribute to bypass the seal, they would have already been killed long ago. While they were attacked by the Otherworldly Demons, Zhang Xuan didnt bother saying anything or even spare a nce at them. Since Tong Yue thought that he was the Goldenleaf King, the other party wouldnt dare kill any of the master teachers, and as long as they were still alive, he would have a chance to save them. Proceeding ahead, it didnt take long before Zhang Xuan saw a vast area filled with massive buildings on the horizon. Innumerable buildings that extended for over several li were built against a mountain, concealed discreetly amid the darkness. A cold and sinister atmosphere drifted around those buildings, leaving one with a disturbing feeling within. Its so big? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The Subterranean Gallery was the passageway connecting the Master Teacher Continent to the otherworldly battlefield. Under normal circumstances, there shouldnt have been too many Otherworldly Demons lurking in the area. Yet, the buildings were extended over such an unbelievably huge area that it could even house several hundred thousand individuals simultaneously. Was it possible that a huge army of Otherworldly Demons had already breached the seal and was currently stationed in the area? If that was the case, Hongyuan Empire was truly deep in danger. It would already be difficult for Tier-1 Empire to hold its ground against two hundred Otherworldly Demons. If several hundred thousand were to pop out at once, probably even Qingyuan Conferred Empire would be shaken at its core. Following behind Tong Yue, Zhang Xuan discreetly activated his Eye of Insight to look into the interior of the buildings. To his relief, there werent any traces of life within. "Your Highness, this is the base we have built over the past two months, and it isrge enough to house tens of thousands of people within itfortably without any problem! There wont be any problem with the lodging once our great army arrives!" Tong Yue exined with a fawning smile. "Un." Deactivating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan directed a nod toward Tong Yue while heaving a sigh of relief inwardly. So, the buildings were just prepared by them in advance. For a moment, he had thought that they were already filled with Otherworldly Demons. From the looks of it, it seemed like something had happened to the seal. However, it hadnt reached the level where they could enter or leave freely. Based on Tong Yues words, he was able to deduce two things. Firstly, master teachers had to be offered as tributes for the Greenleaf King guy toe over. From the looks of it, the requirement for his crossing was significantly harsher than others. Secondly, the group he was with was likely the scouting party. Their main mission seemed to be to prepare for the arrival of the main army, such as building a base and finding ways to undermine the seal. Once they seed, it wouldnt be long before the great army of the Otherworldly Demons arrived. If that was the case, Hongyuan Empire would be in deep trouble. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan followed behind Tong Yue and descended among the buildings. There were significant differences between the Otherworldly Demons buildings and those constructed by humans, and it felt like they were carefully designed to enhance the concentration of killing intent in the area. If one were to cultivate the Zhenqi of ughter here, ones rate of cultivation would surely be much faster than normal. From the looks of it, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe wasntcking in talent either. At the very least, they possessed means that were on par with the humans formation masters. But that was only to be expected. If they hadnt possessed such immense strength, they wouldnt have been able to dominate the other races for so many years until Kong shis emergence. Tong Yue turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "I have long heard that Your Highness possesses a deep understanding of architecture and formations. Please do enlighten us if anything is inappropriate, I will have my men alter it immediately." "Its..." Zhang Xuan was just about to say that it was fine and that no changes had to be made when a sudden realization struck him, and he abruptly stopped halfway through his words. It seemed like Tong Yue was trying to sound him out to verify his identity. He had no way of telling whether the Goldenleaf King was truly skilled in the field of architecture and formations at all, so he had to be careful with how he answered this question. If he were toe up with a correct alteration but the Goldenleaf King turned out to be unskilled in the field, that would be as good as giving himself away. The same applied if he were toe up with an inurate alteration and the Goldenleaf King turned out to be unskilled... This was truly a huge trouble. That fellow sure was a sharp person,ying out a subtle trap for him so easily. If he were to give the wrong response, he could very well end up turning the two hundred Otherworldly Demons against him in an instant. On the other hand, if he were to refuse to respond, putting aside how the other partys suspicions of him would deepen, such attempts would alsoe time and time again at him, and it would only be a matter of time before he gave himself away. "Is that how you speak to your King as well?" Zhang Xuansplexion darkened in fury. Since it was impossible for him toe up with a correct answer to the question with any certainty, the only way for him was to change the subject. "I..." Noting Zhang Xuans fury, Tong Yues body immediately stiffened. He suddenly realized that the words he had spoken were slightly disrespectful, and his face paled in fright. As a lofty King, the other party would speak on his own ord if he wished to offer any words of enlightenment. Otherwise, it wasnt his ce as a subordinate to ask about it either. "Enough! I dont have time to waste my breath with you. Take those master teachers to a secret chamber and have your men stay away from the area. I dont want anyone within thirty meters of the chamber while I am interrogating them!" Zhang Xuan roared furiously, turning the other partys attention away from the previous subjectpletely. "Yes!" On the other hand, Tong Yue heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the Goldenleaf King had no intentions of pursuing the matter. He swiftly left the area to make arrangements, and sometimeter, he returned to the room. "Your Highness, I had my men imprison them in the hall just in front." "Good." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Your Highness, you must be wary. The humans are known to be cunning and scheming, and I fear that they might mean you harm," Tong Yue advised. "They are nothing but a bunch of puny insects! They wont be able to harm me even if I stand on the spot and let them attack!" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan sneered coldly as a powerful aura burst forth from him. "Yes!" Feeling the incredible power emanated by the other party, Tong Yues eyebrows shot up in rm. With the strength the other party had disyed, it would take nothing more than a finger for the other party to crush him. "Tell your men to steer clear. I will be right back!" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. "Yes!" Tong Yue nodded with a lowered head. It was only after the figure before him finally disappeared from sight that he finally turned around with a frown and bellowed, "Men!" A momentter, an Otherworldly Demon rushed in hurriedly and bowed. "Leader!" "You, head to the seal right now and check with the personnel stationed there if anyone had arrived today," Tong Yuemanded. "Yes!" The Otherworldly Demon quickly nodded before rushing out. The killing intent and prowess demonstrated by the other party was indeed on par with the Kings, but Tong Yue still felt that there was a need to verify this matter. Too much was at stake, and no mistake could be tolerated. ... In the hall, Lu Feng and the others were lying feebly on the ground, their bodies bound with heavy shackles. Their cultivation had also been sealed through special means. "It seems like we wont be getting out of this alive," one of the master teachers said with a bitter smile. "Indeed. The only regret I have is that I did not y more Otherworldly Demons." Another old man shook his head and sighed. "Dont you think that it is a little bizarre that they are keeping us alive to interrogate us? But regardless of what their intentions are, they sure wont be getting a single word out of me!" a master teacher spat through gritted teeth. The Otherworldly Demons and master teachers viewed one another as nemeses. It was perplexing that the Otherworldly Demons would keep them alive even though they served no value at this point. But even if they were to die, they would never allow themselves to be a traitor of mankind. One of the elders couldnt help but ask in curiosity, "Speaking of which... The reason we are here is because our lives are already approaching their limits, but Lu Feng, you still have many years ahead of you. Furthermore, you are the esteemed head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academys Apothecary School. Why would a person like youe to the Subterranean Gallery?" Hearing the question, the others also turned their gazes over. Under the furious pursuit of the Otherworldly Demons over the past few days, they hadnt had the luxury of time to chat with one another. At this moment, however, since their fate was already sealed, they wished to at least unravel this mystery before their deaths. Those who would descend to the Subterranean Gallery were those who had found themselves nearing the end of their paths. However, Lu Feng was not only the head of the number one school in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he was also at Half-Spiritual Perception realm, which meant that it was highly likely he could advance further to Saint realm 2-dan. Why would a person like him with such a bright future ahead descend into the Subterranean Gallery like them? "This is truly a long story! I can only say that I have erred..." Lu Feng shook his head. Had he not provoked Zhang Xuan, he wouldnt havended himself in such a state. "What happened? Did someone frame you?" Another master teacher couldnt help but ask. "I offended someone that I shouldnt have, so I voluntarily applied toe down here!" Lu Feng said. He had encountered many life-threatening situations since arriving here, but he didnt regret his decision at all. He was contributing to mankind back when he was an esteemed head of the Apothecary School, and he was also doing the same down here as well. The only difference was that he would die a silent and unsung death. "You offended someone?" The others were even more perplexed. Who in the world did the stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy, a powerful Half-Spiritual Perception realm expert, offend to have to be forced toe to these deste grounds? "Indeed, I offended a student." Lu Feng nodded. "A student?" The others were stunned. You are a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers and the stand-in principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! To be reduced to this state from offending a student... Just what kind of student wields such frightening power? An elder suddenly thought of something and asked, "Was it... an offspring from one of the Sage ns?" "No, he is just an ordinary student from Huanyu Empire," Lu Feng replied. "From Huanyu Empire?" The group stared at one another in bewilderment. A student from a Tier-2 Empire was actually able to force the stand-in principal to enter the Subterranean Gallery? What was going on? "I knew that you all wont believe me. To tell you the truth, I have been musing over this matter for the past few days, and I still feel as if I was dreaming!" Taking everyones expression into sight, a bitter smile surfaced on Lu Fengs lips. "Why dont I tell you about his deeds after entering the academy? You should be able to understand it after that." Shaking his head, Lu Feng began to recount the many things that had happened ever since Zhang Xuan enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy. As the matter regarding Yang shi concerned the privacy of a higher ranked master teacher, he neglected to mention him. "A twenty-year-oldd challenged Vice School Head You Xu to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, and thetter actually lost?" "His lecture actually caused all of the teachers and students to leave the Apothecary School? "He sessfully tamed a Saint realm 2-dan beast at his young age? "The Master Teacher Academys Golden Origin Cauldron acknowledged him as its master after he touched it?" ... Hearing about the various matters concerning Zhang Xuan had left everyone dumbstruck. Who could have imagined that a student could actually cause such a huge ruckus within several months of enrolling into the academy? Was this for real? "How did you end up offending a genius of such caliber?" one of the master teachers asked. Such a talent would eventually be the pride and honor of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Given so, Lu Feng should have been intent on getting on good terms with the other party. Why would he have a conflict with him instead? "It is because his talents are too formidable that I suspected that he is... a King of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Otherwise, how could a person that young gain such a deep understanding of so many supporting upations and wield such extraordinary strength?" At this point, Lu Feng shook his head bitterly and said, "Only a littleter did I realize how ridiculous my suspicions were!" From the moment he met Yang shi, he immediately realized how ludicrous his suspicions that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon King were. How could the student of a Celestial Master Teacher possibly be an Otherworldly Demon? This notion in itself was a huge joke! "Ridiculous? Why would it be ridiculous? If I was in your ce, I would have thought the same as well. After all, no matter how talented a person is, there is a limit to how much he can achieve within a limited period of time. Considering the vast knowledge he has disyed despite only being twenty, it is only natural for one to doubt his origins!" "I share the same thoughts as well." "You were sent here just because you doubted him?" The other master teachers frowned in indignation for Lu Feng. Wasnt it making a big fuss out of nothing to issue such a harsh punish to an esteemed head of the Apothecary School for something as minor as that? "You dont understand. Zhang shi is..." Seeing that the others had misunderstood what he was saying, Lu Feng shook his head and began to exin, but at that moment, the doors to the hall abruptly opened, jiya, and a head popped in through the crack of the door. A pair ofrge eyes stared intently at the master teachers. "Who called for me?" The bright smile on therge face looked extraordinarily unnerving. Chapter 950: Ingrate Chapter 950: Ingrate Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Called for you?" Looking at the Goldenleaf King, who was going to interrogate them, the mouths of the master teachers twitched uncontrobly. We were talking about the conflict between the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Lu Feng, who in the world called for you? Can you stop being so narcissistic? Lu Fengs eyes also began flying around the ce. Who in the world would call for you given that ugly face you have? Just as he was about to speak, the tall and ugly fellow walked over and said, "I was just thinking about how I should exin it to you all, but since you have already recognized me, I guess theres no longer any need." Walking up to the master teachers, the ugly fellow stretched his hands forward to release the shackles binding them. "What are you doing?" Everyone leaped in shock, rmed by the other partys actions. Exin? Recognized? Recognized your head! We are righteous master teachers! We have nevere into contact with any Otherworldly Demons before, so dont you act chummy with us! Who in the hell knows you? Seeing the master teachers acting warily around him despite clearly knowing his true identity, the Otherworldly Demon scratched his head in confusion. "What am I doing? How are you going to leave if I dont release your shackles?" Naturally, the Otherworldly Demon was Zhang Xuan in disguise. When he heard someone calling his name before entering, he couldnt help but feel a little perplexed. Thus, he pushed open the door to take a look, and when he realized that the one who was speaking was Lu Feng, he immediately realized what had happened. The other party must have recognized him and was currently exining things to the others in his stead. Why else would they have said his name in such a desperate situation? Even though he was perplexed as to how Lu Feng was able to recognize him, this did work in his favor. There was no time for him to exin, and he had no idea how to do so either! "Leave? What do you mean?" "If you wish to kill us, so be it! Dont even think that we will be so foolish as to fall for your ploy!" "Scram, the likes of you arent worthy of touching our shackles!" "We came to the Subterranean Gallery knowing that death will eventually befall us. Dont even think that you can win us over with such cheap ploys!" Seeing that the Otherworldly Demon was attempting to set them free, the group harrumphed coldly. Incongruous actions could only mean that treacherous intentions were hidden beneath the exterior. Just from the shameless face the other party had, they were certain that he wasnt a good person. To try to buy them over with such trivial acts, wasnt the other party looking down on the dignity of master teachers a little too much? Facing the looks of disbelief of the group before him, treating him as if he was a viin, Zhang Xuan eximed anxiously, "I am here to save you!" Werent you speaking up for me a moment ago? Why are all of you snubbing me now? "Save us? An Otherworldly Demon King like you would be so kind as to save us?" "To intend to win our hearts over using such a cheap ploy, arent you making light of us?" The master teachers sneered coldly. "I..." Not expecting to be misunderstood in such a manner, Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly before turning to School Head Lu Feng. "School Head Lu, even if they dont they believe me, surely you trust me, right?" As he spoke, his body jolted as his muscles began contracting with creaking sounds, reverting back to its original look. "I am Zhang Xuan." "Zhang Xuan?" Lu Feng was stunned for a moment before his eyes widened in astonishment, and his body stiffened in horror. His shock gradually turned into rage as he roared ferociously, "You... As I expected, you are an Otherworldly Demon King! I shall kill you right now!" Back then, Zhang Xuans teacher had offered an extremely rational exnation to the various peculiarities surrounding Zhang Xuan, and this had left Lu Feng feeling extremely regretful that he had nearly prematurely terminated the journey of a talented master teacher. Out of sheer remorse for his deeds, he had chosen to head to this wretchednd in hopes of repenting for his sin with his life. He had thought that this death would cleanse him of his sins, but who would have thought that just as he was on the brink of death, he would see an Otherworldly Demon King morphing into Zhang Xuans form! In other words, that fellow had deceived all of the school heads and him! "You have misunderstood." Zhang Xuan clearly hadnt expected that reverting back to his original form would deepen the misunderstanding the others had of him. Thus, he hurriedly exined, "I really am not an Otherworldly Demon. I am a master teacher, and I came here specially to save you all." Peng! But before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a powerful force sting toward him. Turning around, he saw an elder sending a kick toward his back. With a nimble side step, Zhang Xuan dodged the attack as his face darkened in displeasure. "What are you doing?" He hade here to save them out of goodwill, yet they had actually attempted to assault him from behind. They were getting overboard. It was fortunate that they were severely injured and their cultivation had been sealed, or else even Zhang Xuan would have had a tough time dealing with an abrupt assault from a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert. "I have long heard that the Otherworldly Demon Kings are able to disguise themselves as humans perfectly, such that even master teachers are unable to tell them apart. However, I truly never expected for one to actually sessfully sneak into the Master Teacher Academy and even be its principal!" one of the elders roared furiously. "Now that I know the truth, I will bring you down today even at the expense of my old life!" "We must kill him by all cost..." "As the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he has ess to countless secrets of mankind. If he reports them back to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind will be in peril." ... The many master teachers stood up and surrounded Zhang Xuan. Their eyes were crimson with rage, and if looks could kill, the man before them would have been torn to shreds that very instant. It had just been a moment earlier that they had wondered if that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon King, and the very next moment, a huge Otherworldly Demon morphed into thetters form. The truth couldnt have been any clearer to them at that very moment! It was one thing for an Otherworldly Demon to have infiltrated the Master Teacher Academy, but to be its principal on top of that... Who knew how many secrets of mankind he had leaked out to the Otherworldly Demons already? As master teachers, they would never be able to forgive themselves if he was allowed to do as he pleased. Lu Feng was also on the verge of erupting in anger. He had thought that Zhang Xuan, as the disciple of Yang Xuan, a Celestial Master Teacher, couldnt possibly be an Otherworldly Demon, but having seen the Otherworldly Demons obey his words and him morphing from an Otherworldly Demon into a human... To think that they, master teachers, would be made fools of by the Otherworldly Demons. Frustrated and furious, he clenched his fists tightly as his teeth creaked under the immense pressure of his clenched jaw. How he hated the fact that he hadnt been more forceful in exposing the other partys identity back then! If only that had been the case, perhaps they wouldnt have found themselves in such a disastrous situation. "You misunderstand; I am human!" Noticing the rage boiling amid the crowd, as if they were going to devour him whole, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked his wrist, and the Byzantium Helios Beast swiftly appeared before him. "You should recognize him, right? This is the righteous tamed beast of the old principal, the Byzantium Helios Beast. There is no way he could possibly submit to an Otherworldly Demon..." But before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Lu Feng abruptly stood up and roared, "Everyone, dont listen to him! Its due to this that I erroneously trusted him, thus bringing crisis upon the Master Teacher Academy. You must be daydreaming if you think that the same tricks will work on me once more!" Another two more master teachers stood up. "Indeed, we cant trust his words. I saw with my own eyes how hemanded the Otherworldly Demons previously!" "On top of that, the killing intent he exuded was condensed and powerful; at the very least, he must be a King among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Furthermore, I clearly heard with my own ears that the other Otherworldly Demons called him Goldenleaf King!" Facing the master teachers who werepletely convinced with their judgement, Zhang Xuansplexion turned incredibly ugly. Had their cultivation not been sealed, they would have surely pounced forward to kill him on the spot. What the heck was this? He had gone there to save them, and it was one thing for the other party to doubt his kind intentions, but to be misunderstood as an Otherworldly Demon on top of that... If they didnt believe him, there was no way he would be able to lead them to safety even if he were to free their shackles! The situation was truly getting out of hand. On top of that, it isnt safe for me to reveal my identity as a Celestial Master Teacher here. Zhang Xuan felt frenzied. There were simply far too many Otherworldly Demons in the area, and they had each reached Saint realm. If he were to attempt to reveal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, there was no doubt that it would catch their attention. If so, not only would he be unable to save the master teachers, he could very well die there as well. It was to conceal this news from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that he had chosen to keep it hidden as long as possible. Once news spread, endless trouble and assassinations would surelye his way. By then, not only him, but the safety of those around him would be at stake as well! However, if he didnt reveal this identity, it would be nigh impossible for him to reverse the prejudice these master teachers had of him and convince them to leave with him! Incredibly vexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Lu Feng and urged with a nearly pleading tone, "Lu Feng, I am really a master teacher. I havee here to save you." "I know that you are master teacher, but I also know that you are an Otherworldly Demon King!" Lu Feng sneered coldly. "Trying to deceive me once more? Dream on!" "I..." Seeing the sharp hostility in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel frenzied. Why did it seem like the situation was getting worse with his exnation? With these master teachers antagonistic against him, what was he to do? ... While Zhang Xuan was at a loss as to how he should rify the situation, in the main hall where Tong Yue was seated in, a silhouette shed across the room. The Otherworldly Demon that had left a while ago had returned hurriedly. "Leader... Our King has arrived!" "King? What King?" Tong Yue was taken aback by the abrupt news. "His Highness, Greenleaf King!" the Otherworldly Demon swiftly replied. "Greenleaf King? His Highness has arrived?" Tong Yue was astonished. They were subordinates of the Greenleaf King, and the reason they had captured those master teachers was to offer them as tributes to breach the seal so that their King coulde over. Who could have known their King would have alreadye over even though they hadnt done anything yet? "Thats right!" The Otherworldly Demon nodded. "Hurry up and bring me to him! I have to wee him." Not daring to hesitate in the slightest, Tong Yue quickly made his way out. Just as he arrived at the door, he saw the Greenleaf King walking in with another middle-aged man, chatting with smiles on their faces. Stepping forward, he kneeled onto the ground and bowed deeply. "Tong Yue pays respect to Your Highness!" The Greenleaf King smiled in satisfaction. "Un, well done. This base is indeed big enough to house an army of a hundred thousand!" The Greenleaf King boasted a physique evenrger than Tong Yue, and his face was pale and devoid of any facial hair. There was an air of valiance between his brows, which granted him an authoritative aura, reminiscent of a person who held great power. The killing intent that emanated from his body felt so concentrated that it seemed almost tangible. Just a look at him, and one would suddenly feel as if one had descended upon a harsh battlefield with death lingering just around the corner. "Your Highness, I am honored by yourpliments!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Tong Yue thanked him before discreetly turning his gaze to the middle-aged man beside the Greenleaf King. The other partys physique was slightly shorter and smaller than his Kings, but there was an air of coldness around him that left one shivering. The middle-aged man surveyed the surroundings for a moment before remarking nonchntly, "This base is indeed well-built, and it is located in close proximity to the seal. However, the mountains in the surroundings make it easy for enemy soldiers to conceal themselves in the area, and that will ce us in a dangerous position!" "This..." Unsure of the other partys identity, Tong Yue had no idea what to make of the other partys remarks, so he turned a doubtful gaze to the Greenleaf King to seek his opinion. "Yin Shou is an expert on this field, so worry not and heed his words!" the Greenleaf King said. "Yes!" Tong Yue turned to the middle-aged man, sped his fist, and bowed deeply. "Lord, may I know what kind of changes should be made?" "Simple. You just have to move these mountains away. The area within a hundred li radius of our camp should bepletely t so that we will have an unhindered view of the surroundings," the middle-aged man said. "Move these mountains away?" Tong Yues mouth twitched. The mountains within the Subterranean Gallery werent too tall, but they extended far into the distance. Even with everyone on the job, it would be an arduous task, requiring at least a month or two at the very minimum. "Send someone to do it and aplish it as soon as possible!" Noting the expression on Tong Yues face, the Greenleaf King chuckled. "Right, I forgot to introduce to you. Brother Yin possesses great fame, so you must have heard of him before as well. He is a member of our Ten Kings of Qingtian... "... the Goldenleaf King!" Chapter 951: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (1) Chapter 951: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Tong Yue was stunned for a moment before astonishment swept across his face. "Golden... leaf... King?" It was just a moment ago that one Goldenleaf King had arrived, so how could another one pop up all of a sudden? Was there more than one Goldenleaf King? That didnt seem likely. "Arent you going to pay respects to the Goldenleaf King? It has only been a short while; have you already forgotten your manners?" Seeing how his subordinate was staring intently at the Goldenleaf King with a shocked expression on his face, not showing the slightest politeness at all, the Greenleaf King frowned in displeasure. "M-my apologies, Your Highness! I was so shocked for a moment that I lost myself." Tong Yue hurriedly fell to the ground and kowtowed. "Shocked?" The Greenleaf King was perplexed. Tong Yue might not have been the strongest of his subordinates, but he possessed exceptional capability in getting work done. Otherwise, he wouldnt have dispatched the other party and entrusted him with the important responsibility ofying down the groundwork for their great army. For him to be so shocked as to even forget his bearings for a moment, just what could have happened? "I-its... Just a moment ago, a powerful tribesman arrived, and he imed to be the Goldenleaf King. As such, when I heard that this lord over here is the Goldenleaf King as well, I lost myself for a moment," Tong Yue quickly exined. "imed to be the Goldenleaf King?" The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King nced at one another and froze. The Goldenleaf Kings face darkened, and he took a step forward. "What do you mean? Are you saying that someone tried to impersonate me?" "This..." Tong Yue wasnt sure how he should respond. The Greenleaf King gazed at Tong Yue and demanded authoritatively, "What is going on?" "Reporting to Your Highness, the matter goes like this. Just a moment ago, when my men were in the midst of rounding up a group of master teachers, a tribesman appeared and imed that he is the Goldenleaf King. Currently, he is still in the opposite hall, interrogating those master teachers!" Tong Yue swiftly exined the matter anxiously. "imed that he is the Goldenleaf King?" "Interrogating those master teachers?" The two Kings frowned doubtfully. "Take us there. I would like to see the person who dares to impersonate me!" With a livid expression, killing intent began seething from the Goldenleaf King, ready to explode at any moment. To think that someone would be so brazen as to impersonate as him, an Otherworldly Demon King... Unforgivable! Tong Yue shot a discreet nce toward the Greenleaf King, and it was only upon seeing thetters nod that he began to lead the way. "Kings, this way please!" Barely after taking two steps, the Greenleaf King suddenly stopped and instructed, "Wait a moment, there is no need to rush into it. Tong Yue, have your men seal the surroundings first. Make sure to do it discreetly so as to not rm whoever is inside. We can head in after that is done." "Yes, Your Highness!" Tong Yue nodded. If what Tong Yue had said was real, it was very likely that the impersonator would have malicious intentions in mind. Naturally, they would have to apprehend him for interrogation so as to learn his aims. Tong Yue quickly took his leave before issuing several instructions to his men. Following which, the two hundred Otherworldly Demons from before swiftly moved out and encircled the hall that Zhang Xuan was in discreetly. The movements of these Otherworldly Demons were structured and orderly, sealing every single blind spot as they got into position. Putting aside Zhang Xuan, it would be nigh impossible for even a Saint realm 3-dan expert to escape from their encirclement. "Alright, lets go take a look!" Seeing that the preparations were ready, the Greenleaf King waved his hand, and the group swiftly made their way over to the hall. ... Seeing that none of the master teachers were willing to trust even a single word of his, Zhang Xuan waved his hand helplessly. "You might not trust me, but give this some thought. If I truly was an Otherworldly Demon King, would I waste my breath with you all here? I would have just dispatched my men to have all of you killed!" "You must be trying to obtain some crucial intelligence from us. You are trying to numb us with expressing goodwill!" a master teacher spat through gritted teeth. "Obtain crucial intelligence for you all?" Zhang Xuan shook his head in frustration. "I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, do you think that your standing can possibly be higher than mine? Do you actually think that I will need to pry words out of your mouth to obtain crucial intelligence? Just think about it!" "This..." Everyone was stunned as there was some logic to Zhang Xuans words. However, at that moment, Lu Feng roared, "Dont fall for his eloquence! Even as the esteemed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it is impossible for him to know everything! He must have captured us to learn about the secrets regarding the Subterranean Gallery." Once bitten, twice shy. He had suffered greatly due to the lies of the fellow before him once, and he would never allow history to repeat itself. "I concur; we shouldnt trust him! Those who arent our kind will eventually turn against us! If he isnt an Otherworldly Demon, why would he appear before us with such coincidental timing? How could he possibly have so many Otherworldly Demons obey his orders?" "The Otherworldly Demons are devious. He is bound to be up to something with this abrupt show of goodwill. We mustnt fall for his trap!" A few other master teachers roared indignantly. "You all..." Zhang Xuans eyes flew around the ce. He hade here to save them only to end up pleading to save them, and even at the end of it, they still refused to budge. The world was truly unbelievable. Unable to hold back his wrath anymore, Zhang Xuan snapped furiously, "Up to something... A bunch of frail elderlies, do you really think that you, who already have a foot in the grave, have anything I need?" The ages of these men added together amounted to several dozen thousand years. What could Zhang Xuan possibly hope to gain out of them? "We..." A master teacher was just about to refute Zhang Xuans words when the Byzantium Helios Beasts face suddenly darkened. "Master, bad news. We have been encircled..." Having reached Spiritual Perception realm, it was far more sensitive of its surroundings than anyone else in the hall. The movements outside was slight, but the Byzantium Helios Beast was still able to feel it vividly. "Encircled?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly activated his Eye of Insight and looked out of the window. amid the endless darkness, he could see many Otherworldly Demons positioned around the hall, sealing all possible routes of escape. Even though each of them had concealed their aura well, there was no doubt that the army would copse upon anyone who attempted to escape. What is going on? Zhang Xuans heart turned cold at that sight. Hadnt he convinced them that he was the Goldenleaf King just a moment ago? Why would they suddenly go so far as to encircle the surroundings, as if preparing to kill him? Zhang Xuan swiftly turned to the Byzantium Helios Beast and said, "You should return for now." With a nce, he could already tell that it was impossible to break through the other partys defenses and escape. "Yes!" The Byzantium Helios Beast nodded before returning to the Myriad Anthive Nest. After stowing away the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan began warping his physique once more to return back to the form of an Otherworldly Demon. Shortly after he was done, the doors to the hall opened from the outside, jiya, and three men walked in with wide strides. The one leading the way was Tong Yue, and the other two trailing behind looked rather unfamiliar. However, the energy coursing through their bodies felt powerful and relentless, creating a huge pressure on those facing them. Saint ream... 4-dan experts? Zhang Xuans face twitched as the hands hidden beneath his sleeves clenched tightly into fists. He had never expected to encounter a Saint realm 4-dan expert there. He had been thinking that even in the worst of situation, he would still be able to forge a bloody path out with the army he had. But with the emergence of experts of such caliber, this n had be infeasible. Knowing that he was cornered, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel anxious within. Nevertheless, he knew that it was precisely in such situations that he had to maintain hisposure and rationality. Driving his Soul Depth, he gradually regained himself. "Tong Yue, didnt I tell you not to have anyone disturb me? Do you really think that I dare not kill you?" With a livid face, Zhang Xuan red at Tong Yue with killing intent tinged in his words. He had no idea where he had erred for the other party to have seen through his disguise, but he could only follow through at this point. Otherwise, he could very well be killed on the spot. If only that bunch of dim-witted master teachers had been able to think rationally and do as he had said, they could have very well been out by now! Such a crisis wouldnt have urred either. "It is not that I wish to disturb you, but... our King and the Goldenleaf King has arrived, and upon hearing that you imed to be the Goldenleaf King as well, they instructed me to bring them here to meet you," Tong Yue replied. Your King? Goldenleaf King? Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the world spin around him and he nearly keeled over. Surely, I couldnt have been so unlucky, could I? I was only going to make use of the name for a brief moment, but the owner of the name just had to appear with such unholy timing. Did I offend the God of Fortune somehow? The previous time I feigned as the special envoy of the Poison Hall, the real special envoy also arrived shortly after I began, nearly causing my ship to capsize 1 . I thought that luck would return to me after that unfortunate event, but it seems like it has only gotten worse. This time, while I am pretending to be the Goldenleaf King, not only did the man himself appear, even the Greenleaf King came along with him as well... How could my luck be so poor at such a crucial moment? At this point, the Goldenleaf King stepped forward and bellowed with a livid face, "Who are you? Why are you making use of my name?" "Who are you?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he returned the question. With no other usible way out, he could only make this gamble. "I am the Goldenleaf King!" the Goldenleaf King replied furiously. "Audacious! Where the hell did you find the guts to impersonate me? Tong Yue, what are you waiting for? Take that man down!" Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously with a majestic wave of his hand. After which, he gracefully ced his hands behind his back and emanated a powerful aura, which hinted at iparable strength. "I am the Goldenleaf King!" After uttering those words, he warped his muscles to assume an appearance identical to the Goldenleaf King opposite to him. His previous appearance was modelled after his puppet. Since the real Goldenleaf King had arrived, it went without saying that he should adopt the same appearance as the other party. "You!" Seeing that the other party was not only making use of his name but had even morphed into his appearance right before his eyes, the Goldenleaf King felt so furious that he could explode. Can you be any faker? To morph into my appearance before everyones eyes, are you seriously taking everyone here to be blind? On the other hand, after changing into the Goldenleaf Kings appearance, Zhang Xuan said haughtily, "This is my original appearance. I only morphed my appearance because I didnt want to show my true face to others!" Seeing how the other party was so brazen as to fearlessly pose as the Goldenleaf King before the both of them, the Greenleaf King finally came to the end of his patience and snapped, "Who in the world are you? I have travelled through the seal along with the Goldenleaf King, so there is no mistake about his identity!" Naturally, he trusted the Goldenleaf King, who had travelled through the seal with him, more than a stranger who had seeminglye out of nowhere. "No mistake about his identity?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands in frustration and sighed deeply. With a look of pity, he said, "Greenleaf King, you are too naive! You should have taken a closer look at that fellow beside you before putting your trust in him. You might not know who the fellow beside you is, but I do! He once impersonated me in the past, and I taught him a lesson after I found out about it, but that cunning beast managed to slip away. I truly couldnt have thought that he would get to you. If only I knew, I would have killed him back then when I had the chance!" "What did you say?" Hearing the story get more and more preposterous, the Goldenleaf King felt so furious that killing intent seethed within his veins. It was one thing for that fellow to impersonate him, but to shamelessly im that he was the real one before him... Just where did the other party find his guts? Furthermore, I impersonated you? And you taught me a lesson? How can you lie through your teeth without your face reddening in the slightest? Where is your sense of shame? "Dont you know very well what I am saying?" Shaking his head with a deeply disappointed expression, Zhang Xuan bellowed wrathfully, "You beast, how could you betray my trust in you? I treated you like my own son, imparting my cultivation techniques and battle techniques to you just so that you could grow to be a decent demon. Yet, taking advantage of your deep knowledge of me and my techniques, you disguised as me and went around swindling others. You ingrate, show your true form!" After which, Zhang Xuan turned to Tong Yue and the Greenleaf King and sighed deeply. "To tell you the truth, he is actually a tamed beast that I raised. In our years together, he learned all of my habits and skills, which allowed him to pass himself off as me." "Tamed beast?" The Greenleaf King and Tong Yue were taken aback. Thetter couldnt help but ask, "Tamed beast? But our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe doesnt have any spirit beasts or saint beasts." Chapter 952: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (2) Chapter 952: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "No spirit beasts or saint beasts?" Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood. It wasnt easy for him to fabricate a passable story for this bizarre turn of events, and he was banking on it to convince the others that he was the real one. Upon hearing those words, he nearly burst into tears on the spot. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has no spirit beast or saint beast? What the heck is with that? Just what is with my luck today? "That is not important!" Despite feeling so stifled that his heart could explode, he didnt allow any of that to show on his face. Waving his hands nonchntly, he exined, "When I said tamed beast, what I am referring to is a junior who I have raised from young. I have always treated him like a close pet of mine, and over the years, I have put in much effort and many resources to groom him. Just that, who could have known that he would be such an ingrate, impersonating me andmitting atrocities in my name? I have truly kicked myself in my foot this time around!" "You are spouting nonsense!" the Goldenleaf King roared indignantly. You are the one who is a pet; your whole family are pets! Hong long! The Goldenleaf King roared furiously as he raised his hand. An immense might, which covered the entire skyline, burst forth from his palm, heading straight toward Zhang Xuan. He was truly pissed off this time around. He thought that he would be able to scare the impersonator silly by confronting the other party head-on, but who could have known that... that fellow would actually prattle on and on excitedly, to the point that he even became the other partys pet. This was truly his first time seeing someone as shameless as that fellow! To impersonate another so daringly before the person in question... this was truly an eye-opener for him! Sss! That powerful strike devastated even space itself, twisting and contorting it as if a piece of flimsy fabric. "How powerful..." "We are done for..." Upon seeing this strike, the many 6-star master teachers behind Zhang Xuan went pale with fear. As esteemed 6-star master teachers of the Master Teacher Continent, they were confident in their ability, thinking that they were at least on par with the Otherworldly Demons. However, after witnessing the might exerted by the Goldenleaf King, they couldnt help but feel a deep, instinctive fear that permeated their souls. There was a difference in their strength, one that was so huge that there was no basis forparison. If the strike were tond on them, they would surely die instantaneously. Not even the deities would be able to bring them back to life. "Hah, the dogs are biting one another? Good!" "Kill that fellow!" Two master teachers harrumphed coldly. However, the attack wasnt directed toward them, and they were more than d to see the Otherworldly Demons thinning their forces through infighting. It would be the best if they ripped one another apart. "To dare make a move against me, how dare you!" Not expecting the Goldenleaf King to attack him without any hesitation, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Not bothering to dodge, he lifted his finger and tapped into the sky. Hu! The speed of his finger wasnt fast, and it didnt seem to harness much might behind it either. However, a killing intent so powerful that it shook ones heart abruptly burst forth. From the callous killing intent, one could feel the majesty of an Otherworldly Demon King, and it seemed to suppress those who shared the same bloodline. The Greenleaf King narrowed his eyes in astonishment. "What pure Zhenqi of ughter..." As an Otherworldly Demon, he could clearly sense how powerful the other partys zhenqi was. The might the other party exerted was beneath that of the Goldenleaf King who first made a move, but to his astonishment, the other partys zhenqi purity was extremely high, even higher than his! In other words, the other party was of the King Stratum through and through, or even above him at that! Even if he isnt the Goldenleaf King, there is no doubt that he is another formidable King from somewhere else, the Greenleaf King thought. Otherworldly Demons were ranked ording to the purity of their Zhenqi of ughter. Considering that the fellow before him had zhenqi even purer than him, the other party was definitely a King as well. Even if he wasnt the Goldenleaf King, his standing was surely not beneath theirs in any way. But... why would a person of such standing impersonate the Goldenleaf King? Was there any need for him to do so? Hu! While the Greenleaf King was musing over the doubts in his mind, Zhang Xuans finger collided with the Goldenleaf Kings palm strike. In that very instant, a sh of light burst from his fingertip and formed a barrier. Formed of countless wills, the barrier of light was nigh indestructible, allowing it to neutralize the impact of the Goldenleaf Kings palm strike perfectly. Following which, the finger came into contact with the barrier, and astonishingly, the might harnessed in the finger was transmitted through barrier. Peng! Under the powerful impact, the Goldenleaf Kings face reddened as he was forced back several steps. It was direct sh of might, and he had even held the upper hand from being the first to strike. Yet, the other party had easily neutralized his attack and even sessfullyunched a counterattack against him. In other words, the other party was even stronger than him! Where did this freake from? "What a close shave!" In contrast with the Goldenleaf Kings astonishment, Zhang Xuan discreetly heaved a sigh of relief within. Possessing only the cultivation of a Half-Saint, there was no way he could stand against the might of a Saint realm 4-dan expert under normal circumstances. In that critical moment, he swiftly activated the Principals Seal. As an artifact made out of the wills of countless teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy, the absolute defense formed by the Principals Seal was difficult for even a Saint realm 4-dan expert to breach. After neutralizing the attack, he swiftly made use of Vicious finger to counterattack. Vicious was still a long way off from recovering to his peak, but in a direct confrontation, he was still able to hold his ground against a Saint realm 4-dan expert. However, it would be unsafe to use him too much. Once or twice, he could still feign it as his own attack. Too many times, and the other party could potentially realize that he was tapping into an external force. After knocking the other party back, Zhang Xuan bellowed angrily, "It is out of our past rtionship that I have spared you for so long. Are you really intending on killing your own master?" If the battle were to continue, he would surely lose. In such circumstances, there was only one thing he could doscare the other party out of his wits first! "Who the hell are you?" After trading a blow and knowing that the other party possessed strength on par with him, the Goldenleaf King knew that there was a chance he could lose if a fight were to ur between the both of them. Thus, he decided to talk it out first before deciding on the next course of action. "Like I said, I am the Goldenleaf King!" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the Greenleaf King and said, "It is pointless for us to continue arguing like this, we wont get anywhere. Why dont you be the judge and determine which of us is the real one?" "Me?" The Greenleaf King was taken aback. Like I just said earlier, you are the fake, and the one beside me is the real one. What else do you want me to judge? "Indeed. The real Goldenleaf King should have a deep understanding of his own cultivation ws, right?" Zhang Xuan asked. "That... of course!" The Greenleaf King nodded. Each cultivator would keep their cultivation ws a secret, telling no one about it for obvious reasons. If one of them could logically point out the ws in the Goldenleaf Kings cultivation, that would only go to say that he was the real Goldenleaf King. Even though the Greenleaf King was only an outsider and didnt have a thorough understanding of the Goldenleaf Kings cultivation, it wasnt an issue for him to determine whether the ws listed were correct or not based on his deep understanding of cultivation. Seeing through the Greenleaf Kings thoughts, Zhang Xuan said, "What I am proposing is simple. That fellow and I will tell you the ws in our cultivation, and you will be the judge to determine which of us is the Goldenleaf King. Naturally, the one who is more precise and urate can only be the real Goldenleaf King!" "You wish to list out the ws in your cultivation?" The Greenleaf King hesitantly turned to the Goldenleaf King. "Brother Yin..." The Goldenleaf King harrumphed. "Dont listen to his nonsense! I have cultivated my Grand Lunar Art to its very limits; there is no way there are any ws with it!" "There is no way there are any ws? What arrogant words! I did point out the various problems in cultivating the Grand Lunar Art to you back then, but I didnt point out the most fundamental issues with it, so its only natural that you are unaware of it! If you dare notpete with me, that can only mean that you are the fake. Greenleaf King, as you can see, the truth cant be any clearer. Have that imposter beside you apprehended!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "Me, a fake?" The Goldenleaf Kings face darkened. "Preposterous!" "If you arent a fake, why do you fear such a simple challenge? Of course, it goes without saying that the fake cant possibly know more than the original, so it is natural that you fear me," Zhang Xuan said. "This..." The Goldenleaf King hesitated. If it was anyone else, he would have charged forward and had the other party killed. However, from the previous blow they had traded, he could tell that the other party possessed extraordinary strength. Even if he were to use his full might, he might not necessarily be a match for the other party. If things went badly, he might even be severely injured. The most important issue at hand was to find out who the other party was and why the other party needed to impersonate him. After a moment of hesitation, the Goldenleaf King roared, "Fine, I will ept your challenge. If you lose, you had better spit out your true identity obediently." The cultivation technique that he cultivated, as well as the ws concerning it, were among the greatest secrets that he kept. He had never told anyone before, so he didnt believe that an impersonator could possibly know more than him. "I should be the one saying those words to you. Alright, lets begin. We will do it by sending a telepathic message to the Greenleaf King. You can start first." Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan gestured for the Goldenleaf King to go first. He might not be too confident about the other things, but in the field of identifying ws, he was definitely supreme! There was no way that the other party could know more than him. "Alright!" The Goldenleaf King harrumphed coldly before sending a telepathic message to the Greenleaf King. "That fellow is a little weird. My cultivation technique does have some ws, but there arent too many of them. I will tell you some of them. Later on, listen carefully to what that fellow says and repeat it all to me. I want to know what he cane up with." After saying that, the Goldenleaf King began to point out the various ws concerning his cultivation. There was no cultivator who didnt have any ws in their cultivation. The ones that the Goldenleaf King pointed out were the wsmonly found in cultivation techniques. It was nothing much even if others were to learn of them. After all, ones ws were often where ones mingmeny. There was no way a cultivator could allow another to learn of it. The reason he agreed to the challenge was to hear what the other fellow had to say. If the other party had a tight grasp over his ws as well, that would be truly scary! "Un." After hearing the Goldenleaf Kings piece, the Greenleaf King nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan. "Its your turn." "Alright!" Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what the other two had spoken about, he could tell that they were up to something from a momentary gaze they had shared. Nevertheless, he chose not to expose that and began sending a telepathic message to the Greenleaf King with a faint smile on his lips. "The cultivation technique I cultivate is the Grand Lunar Art, and it has been 1731 since I started learning it. So far, I have reached the 4-dan of the technique, and there is a total of seven major ws with it. "Firstly, this cultivation technique intensifies ones killing intent, making one more prone to violent outbursts. This is also the reason I often kill others in a moment of recklessness... "Secondly... "Thirdly..." ... Zhang Xuan swiftly went through the ws of the Grand Lunar Art. The ws that he listed were detailed, but just like the Goldenleaf King, he didnt reveal anything vital that couldpromise his safety. In other words, even if the Greenleaf King were to be aware of these ws, he would still be unable to exploit them to get the better of him. As Zhang Xuan spoke, the Greenleaf King couldnt help but widen his eyes in shock and disbelief. The words of the other party were simr to what the Goldenleaf King had told him previously, and it was even more detailed than thetter. It contained some details that made perfect sense with the cultivation technique if one were to analyze it as a whole. Could it be that... that fellow is the real Goldenleaf King? Doubts sprouted within the Greenleaf Kings mind. If the other party wasnt the Goldenleaf King, how could he have such a detailed understanding of the Grand Lunar Arts ws. After all, cultivating was an individual activity, and one wouldnt even share the details regarding it with ones closest friends or even ones spouse. Considering how the other party was able to speak of it so fluently without making any mistakes, it was truly hard to believe that he wasnt the Goldenleaf King. "Alright, this is all I have to say. You have heard us both out, so I believe that you should be able to easily tell which of us is the real Goldenleaf King." Zhang Xuan smiled calmly. "This..." the Greenleaf King hesitantly turned his gaze toward the Goldenleaf King beside him, only to hear thetter sending a telepathic message to him anxiously. "What did that fellow say?" "He said..." The Greenleaf King hesitated for a moment, but he still eventually chose to tell the Goldenleaf King everything that he had heard from Zhang Xuan. Hearing those words, the face of the Goldenleaf King paled, and his body stiffened. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a horrified expression. "Who the hell are you? How do you know so much about me?" Chapter 953: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (3) Chapter 953: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (3) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was no wonder the Goldenleaf King felt frenzied. The words that the Greenleaf King had just told him made him feel as if someone had patted him down head to toe, to the point that even the color of his underwear wasnt a secret anymore. For a person he had never met before to know so much about him... To make things worse, he didnt even know who the other party was! The immense fear he felt from this perplexing situation left him feeling incredibly frenzied. "Who am I? I am the Goldenleaf King!" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves in rage and bellowed. "Just stop that pointless struggle ande clean. Why are you impersonating me?" "Impersonating you? Damn you!" The Goldenleaf Kings breathing hastened. "Greenleaf King, like you have seen, my version is far more detailed than his." Paying no heed to the Goldenleaf King, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the Greenleaf King and said grimly, "However, there is no point pursuing this matter. At this rate, we will just beughingstock before this bunch of master teachers! Why dont we just do it this way then? I still have some business with them that isnt convenient for the rest of you to learn about, so allow me to finish interrogating them privately first. If you still harbor some reservations toward me, you can seal the areapletely so that no one will be able to escape. This mission was entrusted to me by the superiors, and it concerns a great secret of our race. It must be aplished regardless of the cost!" Zhang Xuans goal wasnt really to convince the others that he was the Goldenleaf King. It was infeasible to do so. After all, the real Goldenleaf King was standing opposite him. What he was aiming to do was stall for time instead. As long as he could confuse them sufficiently to buy some time alone with the master teachers, that would suffice. "You want to interrogate them privately?" The Greenleaf King frowned. "Rest assured, there are so many people stationed outside. There is no way they will be able to escape. After I am done with my interrogation, I wille out to match testimonies with you once more so as to prove my true identity!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually. "What is it that you wish to question them about? Why cant we remain here to listen in?" the Greenleaf King asked doubtfully. "Like I said, this concerns a great secret of our race! It is due to the great responsibility I bear that I paid a heavy price to bypass the seal in advance. None of you will be able to bear the responsibility should something go wrong in the mission and affect our great n!" Zhang Xuan said with a sharp glint in his eyes. "Dont listen to his nonsense! He is just changing the subject..." the Goldenleaf King argued. However, before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan turned around and red at the Goldenleaf King coldly, as if wanting to rip the fool before him into pieces. "Changing the topic? How dare you! For so many years, our tribesmen have suffered after that darned Kong shi drove us out. It wasnt easy for us to find an opportunity to rise up once more, and you... Let me just ask you this! If something happens, do you think that a mere King like you can face the consequences?" Under the great pressure from Zhang Xuans gaze, the Goldenleaf King stuttered, "I-I..." Back then, after their Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was driven out of the main continent by Kong shi, they had been forced into the sunless and sinister otherworldly battlefield. For many years, their tribesmen had viewed returning to the main continent as their ultimate goal. If he were to really mess up this matter, he wouldnt be able to pay for his sins even if he were to die ten thousand times over! Just as he was at a loss, the Goldenleaf King suddenly heard a telepathic message from the Greenleaf King. "Brother Yin, do you know who he is?" In the depths of his heart, the Greenleaf King still trusted the person that he hade here with. "I wouldnt be so frustrated if I knew who he is!" the Goldenleaf King cried in exasperation. After a moment of hesitation, the Greenleaf King said, "Forget it, lets just leave for now. In any case, those in the surroundings are our men, so there is no way he will be able to get away. If, on the off chance, his words are true, that will be an extremely heavy sin for us to bear. We cant afford to take the risk!" From the beginning to the end, he had never believed that Zhang Xuan was the real Goldenleaf King. However, the fact that the other party had been able to point out the Goldenleaf Kings cultivation ws and the incredibly pure Zhenqi of ughter the other party harnessed indicated that the other party was no ordinary figure. If the other party was an envoy dispatched by their superiors and had a mission at hand to aplish, they would be in deep trouble if they were to hinder his mission. "This..." The Goldenleaf King was in a dilemma. Doubts filled his mind. As angry as he was at being impersonated, considering the fact that the other party was able to maintain a fearless attitude before him and have such a deep understanding of him, it was very likely that the other party had some kind of backing. "Regardless of whether he has impersonated you or you have impersonated him, that is a matter we can resolve internally. As long as we have sufficient time on hand, it will be easy for us to resolve the issue. If it reallyes to it, we can have the both of you execute your strongest moves, and through the movements, we should be able to tell who the real one is!" the Greenleaf King said. "At least for the moment, I think we shouldnt interfere with the other partys mission. This could very well involve directions from the superiors, and we wont be able to bear the consequences if anything goes wrong." In the eyes of most Otherworldly Demons, they were esteemed Kings who wielded great power. However, they themselves knew that their standing was truly not worth a mention at all. Even within the King Stratum, they were among the weakest. "You are saying that we should leave for the time being?" the Goldenleaf King asked. "Indeed, I think that we should leave for the time being. Dont you specialize in formations? If you are still worried, you can set up a formation around the area so that they wont be able to escape. Once he is done with his interrogation, we can continue to decide how to deal with the matter. Dont worry, you came over with me, and I trust you more than that fellow!" the Greenleaf King said. The Goldenleaf King hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. "Alright then." What the Greenleaf King said made sense. In terms of zhenqi purity and strength, the other party was on par with or even superior to him. If they were to fall out and battle here, there was a good chance that they would end up harming the Otherworldly Demons in the area and destroy the base they had built painstakingly, thus affecting their great n. The superiors had paid an astronomical price for them to bypass the barrier. If they were to screw it all up over a minor matter like that, they would be the sinners of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! As the saying goes, ack of forbearance for the trivial can foil the greater scheme. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had waited far too long for this opportunity. They could not allow it to fail because of him. Upon seeing that he had the Goldenleaf Kings approval, the Greenleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. Turning toward Zhang Xuan, he sped his fist and said, "Since you are going to interrogate them, we will wait for you outside. Pardon us, but we can only give you an hour at most." "Un, thats fine." Nodding, Zhang Xuan turned around and waved his hands, indicating for them to leave. The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King nced at one another before making their way out. However, before they could get far, they suddenly heard the voice of an indignant master teacher from within the hall. "Didnt you say that you are principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan, in disguise and that you are going to set us free? When did you be the Goldenleaf King?" The one who spoke was Lu Feng. That fellow had a deep-rooted notion that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon. Knowing that it was impossible for him to kill thetter himself, he wished to make use of this opportunity to create a rift between the Otherworldly Demons so that they could destroy one another! You... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood and fainted. It hadnt been easy for him to dispel the doubts in the minds of those few, and sess was just around the corner. Yet, that fool had suddenly dumped this farce on him. Are you that intent to see me dead? As the previous head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy Apothecary School, how can you be so brainless? Zhang Xuan felt truly enraged by Lu Fengs foolish actions, but he could still understand the rationale behind why thetter would do so. It was just a moment ago that he had insisted that he was a master teacher, but in the next moment, he was suddenly trying to convince the others that he was the Goldenleaf King, and he had even produced a rtively convincing argument. In any case, that further convinced Lu Feng that he was indeed an Otherworldly Demon King, and this prompted him to make use of this ideal opportunity to stir internal strife between them. Zhang Xuan felt so vexed that he could explode, but he knew that this wasnt the time for him to lose his cool. Swiftly turning around, he saw that the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King had stopped in their footsteps and directed doubtful gazes his way. "Principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Zhang Xuan?" "Set them free? What is going on?" The duo stared at Zhang Xuan with sharp eyes, seemingly trying to peer through his disguise. "This..." Zhang Xuans body stiffened as his brain swiftly whirred into action. A momentter, he chuckled softly and calmly replied, "Indeed, I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan!" Chapter 954: Trust Zhang Xuan Chapter 954: Trust Zhang Xuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The principal of the Master Teacher Academy?" Hong long! Upon hearing that a human, the principal of a Master Teacher Academy at that, had actually snuck into their ranks, disguised as one of their own, the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf Kings faces darkened as a powerful force burst from their bodies. They eyed Zhang Xuan coldly like an eagle staring at its prey, seemingly prepared to make a move at any moment. From the very start, the other partys identity had been very dubious. If the other party was truly a master teacher, they would have to kill him on the spot. Ignoring the two who were going to make a move, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to Lu Feng and urged anxiously, "Indeed, I am Principal Zhang. Look, they are going to make a move on me, so you can believe me now, right? So, hurry up and tell me that thing! Are you really intending to take the secret to your graves?" "That thing?" Lu Feng was taken aback. From the start to the end, the other party had been speaking about how he wanted to rescue them. The other party hadnt said anything about that thing! "Allow me to introduce to you two!" Paying no heed to Lu Fengs dumbstruck expression, Zhang Xuan turned to the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King and said, "This is the stand-in principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, half 7-star master teacher Lu Feng..." "Stand-in principal?" The Greenleaf King and the Goldenleaf King nced at one another and frowned. "Indeed, I am Lu Feng! Kill me if you want to, but you wont be getting anything out of my mouth!" Lu Feng stood up and raised his gaze proudly. "What is a stand-in principal of a Master Teacher Academy doing here?" The two Kings were bewildered. "Kill you? Why would I kill you? I am here to save you! Didnt I tell you that I am your principal? Trust me!" Zhang Xuan said earnestly. The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King nced at one another before realization struck them, and they burst intoughter. "Hahaha! Indeed. I can testify that he is your principal!" "I can vouch for that, too. We have been doubting his identity from the start, and it seems like we have an answer now..." They had long heard of the obstinacy of the master teachers; not even death could pry open their lips. Most likely, the other party was trying to impersonate their principal in the hope of winning the other partys trust so as to uncover more of their secrets. In fact, it was a joke in itself for the other party to be the principal of a Master Teacher Academy. Would the principal of a Master Teacher Academy have such an appearance? Would the principal of a Master Teacher Academy wield such pure Zhenqi of ughter? What a joke! Besides, considering the lofty standing of the principal, why would he descend to the Subterranean Gallery and seek death? More importantly, given that Lu Feng was the stand-in principal, how could he possibly betray his own leader, uttering his name loud for them to hear? It was apparent that the other party was trying to sow discord among them! To try to use such poor deception on us? You are still too young, my boy! We are Otherworldly Demon Kings; it is ludicrous that you actually think such small ruses could work on us! Hearing the words from the two, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief within. "Look, even they have testified in my favor..." In the previous situation, it would have seemed suspicious no matter how he tried to exin it. Since that was the case, he might as well admit it candidly. This way, he would confuse them further, forcing them rethink the entire situation and fill in the incongruencies in the story with their rich imagination. It also happened that Lu Fengs identity was rather sensitive, and that worked in his favor as well. By dropping these hints, it wasnt too difficult for him to lead the other party on in the direction he wanted. From the looks of it, it was working pretty well. On the other hand, Lu Feng still had no idea that he had been used, and he bellowed at Zhang Xuan furiously, "Humph, you want me to believe you? Dream on." "Why are you just so stubborn? I have already proven my identity to you again and again, but you just wont believe it..." With a bitter sigh, Zhang Xuan nced at the two Kings and shrugged helplessly. The Greenleaf King harrumphed with a frown. "In my view, there is no need to go through so much trouble to get close to them. You should just burn them on the rack, and when their skin bursts open from the intense heat, toss them into the ice cavern. Repeat the cycle a few times, and there is no way they will be able to keep their spunk!" The Goldenleaf King also nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Such knaves should be dealt with severely to make them talk. What backbone or dignity? Those are nothing more than mere words. Just wear them thin for a few days, and I believe that they will spill everything out obediently!" "Un. If it doesnt work out, I will try your method." Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, "However, for the time being, I still have other methods to try. You should leave for now." "Alright!" The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King nodded before leaving the area. Jiya! The door closed, leaving Zhang Xuan alone with the other master teachers once more. "Kill us, mince us, do your worst! Just dont expect to get a word out of us!" "Indeed. We have already lived long enough anyway; the worst that can happen now is death!" "You must be dreaming if you think that we master teachers will to submit to you Otherworldly Demons!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to interrogate them, the master teachers stiffened their necks proudly. Master teachers could die, but they couldnt submit to another race! This was the bottom line in their hearts, as well as the dignity and honor they had lived by. Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Their attitude was indeed admirable, but he was really there to save them! After a moments hesitation, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, "I know that none of you believe me, but you should be well aware that there is only one fate awaiting you if you wait here. You will either die or suffer a fate worse than death. However, if you follow me, I can get you out of here. As for whether I am Zhang Xuan and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy or not, we can always talk about that once we are safe!" Seeing the sincerity in the other partys eyes, which contrasted deeply to the savagery reflected in the gazes of Otherworldly Demons, the master teachers nced at one another doubtfully. Seeing that the group was starting to waver, Zhang Xuan pushed on. "If I wanted to kill you, do you think that any of you would be able to stop me in your current state? Considering that I am Hongyuans principal, there is no need for me to interrogate you either. Is there any secret you have that is worth me going through so much trouble for?" "This..." The crowd fell silent. Even the hostile Lu Feng opened his mouth several times but didnt utter a word of protest. The other party was right. If he intended to kill them, there was no need for him to waste his breath on them. If he intended to procure valuable intelligence from them, he would have fared much better torturing them than acting chummy with them. Could the other party really be there to save them? "Even if you dont believe me, surely you recognize this, right?" Seeing that his words were finally working, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Flicking his wrist, a token appeared in his hand. Principals Seal! "This is... an Impable Principals Seal? How could that be possible..." Upon seeing the seal, Lu Feng was stunned. As Hongyuans previous stand-in principal, he was well-aware of the various tiers of Principals Seal. The token in the other partys hands was clearly the Impable Principals Seal of legend! It was said that only one who had gained the recognition of all the academys teachers and students could form it. Due to the impossibility in doing so, it had never appeared in history before. Yet, for it to appear in Zhang Xuans hands... How was that possible? "Impable Principals Seal? What does that mean?" The other master teachers werent too sure about the significance of it, so they nced at one another in confusion. "Its..." Lu Feng hesitated for a moment before exining everything to them. "It is a Principals Seal that is formed by earning the earnest recognition of every single teacher and student in the Master Teacher Academy?" "If he possesses the Impable Principals Seal, doesnt that mean that even all of the predecessors trust him? If thats the case, what right do we have to doubt him?" "Could he have killed the real Principal Zhang Xuan and stolen his token?" "Thats impossible! The Principals Seal is formed by gathering the wills of the teachers and students together for the principal. If the principal is killed, the gathered wills will begin to dissipate!" ... After hearing the exnation, everyones gazes turned to Zhang Xuan once more. Even though they still harbored some reservations toward him, they werent that resistant to the notion of following his orders anymore. "Time is not on our side, so I dont have the luxury to exin everything to you now. If you trust me, follow me and I will bring you out of here!" Seeing that the others didnt have as much hostility toward him anymore, Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly. "We only have one chance. Only by living on can you y more Otherworldly Demons in the future and protect mankind. Courage and righteousness are good traits, but only under the right circumstances. If you remain here, your blood will only be used as tributes by the Otherworldly Demons to bring even more of their tribesmen over!" "This..." Hearing those words, everyones faces froze. The other party was right. They had also heard that the reason the Otherworldly Demons had spared them thus far was to use them as tributes to bypass the seal so that more powerful Otherworldly Demons would be able toe over to this side. If they were to remain there, such would be the fate awaiting them. Not only would their sacrifice be in vain, they would have even potentially harmed more humans. The eldest master teacher of the group asked, "How do you intend to escape? We will listen to yourmands!" "Even if you are lying to us, it will still be much better than remaining here!" The other master teachers nodded in agreement as well. "Un, the n is simple. All I need you to do now is not resist, and I will bring you into a folded space," Zhang Xuan said. He had already given some thought to how he could escape with the master teachers. It would clearly be impossible to take them out of the Otherworldly Demons base discreetly given the security in the area. As such, the only way was to move them into the Myriad Anthive Nest and find a way to sneak out himself. "Alright!" The others were surprised when they heard that they had to enter a folded space, but knowing that time was limited, they hurriedly nodded. This was indeed the best solution they had at hand. "Alright,e in!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the Myriad Anthive Nest before extending his consciousness toward them. The other master teachers also ckened their mental guard, not resisting Zhang Xuans pull. Hu! With a light buzz, the room of forty or so master teachers vanished, entering the Anthive Nest. Returning the Myriad Anthive Nest to his storage ring, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was indeed frustrating to deal with those obstinate master teachers when they were against him, but ultimately, it was clear that their hearts were aligned with mankind, and the lengths they were willing to go for mankind was worthy of respect. No matter what, he felt that he should save them. Now... how do I get out? Having put everything into the Myriad Anthive Nest, all that was left was for Zhang Xuan was to find a way out of this ce. Taking a nce out through the windows, he saw that the two Kings were indeed guarding the area from the outside. On top of that, there were several additional formations set up around the area. Should Zhang Xuan attempt to leave the area abruptly without a valid reason, he could very well find himself lynched the next moment. I was able to persuade them to leave before through forcefully arguing my way through, but as soon as they notice that the master teachers are missing, they will surely realize that something is amiss and take me down! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. There was no way he could exin the disappearance of the master teachers to the two Kings, and there was no way the two Kings would believe him either. The only way he could survive in this situation was to flee discreetly, but... how could he flee given the tight guard ced around the hall? Eventually, Zhang Xuan came to a decision. Seems like I will have to rely on my means as a soul oracle! He had weighed his options, and it seemed like the best and possibly only way he could possibly get out of this situation was to flee in his soul form. Having made up his mind, he sat on the floor and drew his soul out from his be without any hesitation. After which, he stowed his physical body into his storage ring before discreetly carrying his ring to flee from the door. This was same as the situation back at the Cloudmist Ridge. Perhaps, through making use of the intangibility and invisibility of his soul, he would be able to sneak away discreetly. Life or death, it would hinge on this! Chapter 955: Raising the Strength of the Puppets Chapter 955: Raising the Strength of the Puppets Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Using the invisible and intangible properties of a soul, Zhang Xuan was able to carry the storage ring out through the cracks of the door discreetly by lying close to the ground. As soon as he floated out, he immediately saw many Otherworldly Demons guarding the area, maintaining an airtight defense in the surroundings. No matter which direction he left in, there was a good chance that he would be discovered. Zhang Xuan assessed his surroundings, vexed. It seems like these Otherworldly Demons are veterans of the battlefield. Only those who had frequented the battlefield and coborated with one another on multiple asions could form such a tight defense. On top of that, there were also defensive formations. It was no joke to say that not even a fly could hope to get in. It was no wonder the two Kings had allowed him to have some private time with the master teachers so easily. In the very first ce, they had absolute trust that both him and the master teachers couldnt possibly get away. Eye of Insight! Driving his Soul Depth, green lines began surfacing in Zhang Xuansposed eyes. Taking a look, Zhang Xuan smiled in relief. While the defense is so tight that no cultivator could hope to get in or out without alerting the Otherworldly Demons, it seems like the defenses were aimed toward corporeal beings. In my soul form, I should still be able to get out with rtive ease as long as I am careful. Special means had to be utilized to guard against souls, but it was apparent that such measures hadnt been set up in the area. After all, considering how long it had been since the soul oracles had gone missing, it would have been a waste of time and resources to do so. But if I just leave like that, will they think that I am too soft and weak? The fact that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had constructed a base in the Subterranean Gallery only went to show that they had malicious intentions in mind. Wouldnt it be unseemly for him, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, to leave just like that after discovering the enemys base? I took a careful look when I arrived, and it seems like this base is constructed in alignment to the Seven Profound Spiritual Light Formation. As long as I destroy the center of the formation, I can undo the formation. Even if they manage to avert the bacsh from the formation running amok, it will still make their hard work over all this time meaningless! Zhang Xuan thought as his lips crept up. While he wasnt skilled in building things, he was definitely the master of demolition! Even the Ten Great Master Teachers hadnt been able to stop him back when he was still in the Master Teacher Academy! Copsing these buildings was truly just a walk in the park for him. I should head over to take a look! Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings and confirmed the direction in which the center of the formationy before heading over. ... Shortly after Zhang Xuan left, the Goldenleaf King suddenly frowned. Noticing hispanions expression, the Greenleaf King asked, "Brother Yin, what is wrong?" The Goldenleaf King pondered for a moment before responding uncertainly, "I am not too sure, but for a moment, I thought I felt like something passed by me." He had an innate sensitivity toward his surroundings, allowing him to perceive the happenings around him vividly. For just a brief moment, he felt like something had passed right before his eyes, but when he attempted to take a closer look, he was unable to see anything at all. Of course, if he had swept the area with his Spiritual Perception, Zhang Xuans soul would have been in in view to him. However, maintaining ones Spiritual Perception around ones surrounding was extremely taxing on ones spirit. Even as a Saint realm 4-dan expert, it was impossible for him to maintain it for an extended period of time. It was precisely due to this opening that Zhang Xuan had been able to escape from the notice of the two Kings. It didnt take long before Zhang Xuan slipped out of the encirclement. Heaving a sigh of relief, he picked up the pace and continued to proceed ahead with his storage ring beside him. Soon, a majestic pce came into sight. There were considerable differences in the formations used by Otherworldly Demons and humans. Nevertheless, through his Eye of Insight and the Library of Heavens Path, these differences did little to impede Zhang Xuan. From the moment he arrived at the base, he had known that this pce was where the center of the formation was located. He carefully entered descended to the ground. In order to set up an airtight defense against him, nearly all of the Otherworldly Demons had been mobilized to guard the hall where he was supposed to be. As such, there was only a handful of Otherworldly Demons left to guard this important facility, thus allowing him to break in easily. These Otherworldly Demons hadnt reached Spiritual Perception realm yet, and they didnt specialize in the study of souls either. Furthermore, through the Eye of Insight, the ws in their defenses were as clear as day to Zhang Xuan, so he was able to sneak in without alerting anyone. The pce was vast, taking up an area of more than ten thousand square meters. The walls and the pirs within were inscribed with kinds of bizarre inscriptions, reminiscent of ancient runes. At the very center was a huge alter, which was roughly eight meters long. Realizing that he was unable to recognize the inscriptions after taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan asked Vicious telepathically, "What kind of inscriptions are these?" Vicious took a nce at it and replied, "These are runic inscriptions unique to the Otherworldly Demons. If inscribed in a specific manner, it has the effect of gathering spiritual energy, simr to the Spirit Gathering Formation of the humans." "Spirit Gathering Formation?" "Un. They are simr to some extent, but there are some differences between the two as well. A normal Spirit Gathering Formation only has the effect of gathering spiritual energy in a set area, but this runic formation has the effect of transforming the property of the spiritual energy to enhance the physical strength of Otherworldly Demons as well. It is somewhat simr to the formation that was inscribed in my underground chamber!" Vicious replied. "Enhance the physical strength of Otherworldly Demons? Does that mean that it can be used to recharge the Otherworldly Demon puppets?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Back in the underground chamber, he had seen how Vicious recharged the energy of the puppets. After taking control of those puppets, he had used them several times, and the energy within them was already almostpletely depleted. This was the reason he hadnt used them for such a long time. If he could recharge the energy of those Otherworldly Demon puppets, he would have another card to use against the Otherworldly Demons gathered in the area. "Under normal circumstances, it would be hard for outsiders to tap into the energy umted within the formation due to the restrictions inscribed into it. However, that isnt a problem for me. I can help recharge the puppets for you now if youd like," said Vicious. "Thats good." With a relieved smile, Zhang Xuan drew out the twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets along with his body from the storage ring and returned to his body. After which, raising his arm ahead of him, a finger flew out from his palm and flew into the air, emanating a dense killing intent abruptly. Feeling this immense energy, the puppets immediately kneeled down in deference. "Un." Harrumphing in satisfaction, Vicious began speaking in a bizarrenguage, and in response to that, the puppets formed a neat queue and began marching up to the altar in the center of the room. As the puppets reached the altar, the floating finger began drawing a series of bizarre runes in the air Weng! The air trembled slightly for a brief moment before spiritual energy began gushing into the pce like a rapid torrent, nourishing the puppet standing right before the altar. Geji! Geji! A sharp glint returned to the torpid eyes of the puppet as its strength was swiftly restored back to its peak. Incredible! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in awe. To his surprise, this method of infusing energy was even more effective and efficient than Cultivation Impartation 1 . From the looks of it, however, this method of infusing energy would likely only work on puppets. Had it been an ordinary cultivator instead, the cultivator would experience all of their meridians and acupoints rupturing apart within seconds under the vigorous infusion of violent energy and die on the spot. As fast as it was, it was beyond the limits of the body of a human cultivator. Perhaps due to prior experience, Vicious was extremely efficient. It didnt take too long for him to restore the energy within the twenty puppets. With their energy restored, the puppets emanated a powerful fighting aura, seemingly ready to face any opponent. It is a pity that they are too weak, possessing only the strength of a Saint realm 1-dan. They are a formidable force against normal opponents, but in the face of so many Otherworldly Demons, the aid they can provide is limited. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he shook his head. These fellows were only at Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage or pinnacle. Against an army of two hundred Saint realm 1-dan and even a few Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demons, they would be defeated in an instant. Suddenly, a thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Wait a moment... All along, I have been thinking of them as the moving corpses of Otherworldly Demons, and naturally, it is impossible for a corpse to cultivate and raise its strength. But if I think of them as just in puppets and modify their structure to make them more efficient... it should be possible for me to raise their fighting prowess swiftly! Due to the fact that the Otherworldly Demon puppets were forged from the bodies of real Otherworldly Demons, he had always regarded them as corpses whose cultivation had stagnated with their deaths. But if he were to view them as just puppets, if he could alter some of their mechanisms to make them more efficient, he would be able to raise their strength significantly. Back in the Mountain of Records, he had altered the puppet made of Principal Mo Liuzhens rib bone and raised its cultivation to Saint realm. If he could do the same to the Otherworldly Demon puppets as well, they could be a strong card to utilize against the Otherworldly Demon army! "ws!" Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath after having the Otherworldly Demons utilize their battle techniques. Immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, he began to browse through the ws in the Otherworldly Demon puppets. "The greatest ws in the Otherworldly Demon puppets are their crafting method and the materials used in their crafting. Wu Yangzi was renowned as the number one cksmith of Hongyuan Empire, but he was ultimately only a 6-star pinnacle cksmith. Otherwise, the Otherworldly Demon puppets could potentially achieve mightparable to a Saint realm 3-dan cultivator," Zhang Xuan muttered contemtively after reading the books. More often than not, ones smithing skills and the materials used were the main limiting factors to the prowess of an artifact, preventing it from reaching its maximum potential. This limitation could be fully seen in the Otherworldly Demon puppets. Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan was a little disappointed to learn that the limit of the Otherworldly Demon puppets was Saint realm 3-dan. He had thought that as long as he could perfect all aspects of the Otherworldly Demon puppets, he would be able to raise their strength to an unbelievable level. However, it seemed like he was thinking too much. Forget it, raising their cultivation to Saint realm 3-dan isnt too bad either, Zhang Xuan thought in constion. Even though the reality didnt meet his expectations, twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets were still a formidable force to reckon with. Of course, it still wouldnt be sufficient to deal with the army of two hundred outside. Putting everything aside, the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King were Saint realm 4-dan experts. Even with the numerical advantage, it would be difficult for the twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets to subdue them. At Saint realm, the advancement of each cultivation realm signified a vast difference in ones fighting prowess. This was particrly so for Saint realm 3-dan and Saint realm 4-dan. Forget it, I should raise their strength first before deciding on my next move. Having decided the source of the problem, Zhang Xuan walked up to the puppets and began striking them with his palm. Pilip! A series of crisp echoes sounded, and the aura shrouding the twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets suddenly became sharper and more fearsome. After he was done, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before saying with in exhausted tone, "Alright, you can infuse spiritual energy into them now." Had it not been for the many books he had gone through at the Celestial Designer School back then, which had given him a deep understanding of a puppets internal structure, he never would have been able to seed. Even so, by the time he was done modifying the puppets, he felt as if his soul had been sapped dry, and he could pass out at any moment. However, this was to be expected. After all, to perfect the many parts of the puppets, he couldnt afford to make any mistake in any of the steps. Furthermore, there were various differences in the form and smithing technique used for the twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets, so he had to make some alterations between them as well, thus furtherplicating the matter. As such, his mind had to operate at maximum capacity throughout the entire duration. Sitting with his legs crossed on the ground, Zhang Xuan took out the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast and began absorbing its energy to recuperate. Meanwhile, Vicious continued adjusting the runic inscriptions to fill up the strength of the newly-upgraded puppets. Even with their parts perfected, if the puppets didnt have sufficient energy in store, they would still be unable to exert the strength equivalent to a Saint realm 3-dan cultivator. This was just like a car; no matter how much horsepower it possessed, if it didnt have the required fuel to sustain it, it would be unable to drive it to the limit of its ability. It was fortunate that there was plenty of spiritual energy in the surroundings for them to tap into, so that didnt pose a problem. Hong long long! As spiritual energy was swiftly pumped into the Otherworldly Demon puppets, the pce began to shake violently as the inscriptions on the walls and pirs started to dim and peel off. At this point, Vicious suddenly said, "Master, it seems like there isnt sufficient energy here to use." Chapter 956: On the Verge of Tears, the Goldenleaf King Chapter 956: On the Verge of Tears, the Goldenleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Outside the hall in which the many master teachers had been imprisoned, the two Kings frowned as they stared at the room before them intently. "Why is there no movement inside at all?" the Greenleaf King asked with a livid face. They had been waiting outside for nearly an hour now, and they had expected to hear the sounds of fighting as the fake Goldenleaf King killed a few master teachers to establish his dominance over them. Yet, contrary to their expectations, there was nothing at all. It was as if the people inside had vanished altogether! "I also think that something is amiss here. Should we take a peek inside with our Spiritual Perception?" the Goldenleaf King asked. "That doesnt seem like a good idea. The other party is an expert who is on par with us, so checking on him with our Spiritual Perception would be rather disrespectful. Furthermore, if what he is doing truly involves confidential information for the superiors, this might bring trouble upon us," the Greenleaf King replied with a conflicted expression. If not for fear of thetters strength, he would have already checked on the situation within with his Spiritual Perception instead of waiting helplessly outside. "You are right." The Goldenleaf King nodded before falling silent. Boom! At that moment, the ground suddenly rumbled as an immense quantity of spiritual energy from the surroundings surged toward the pce at the center of the base. With an awful look on his face, the Greenleaf King quickly turned to the subordinate beside him and asked authoritatively, "What is going on?" "Reporting to Your Highness, the ruckus seems to be from the Pce of Runes." Tong Yue hurriedly took a look, and his face immediately turned ghastly white. The Pce of Runes was the center of their base. If something were to happen to it, all of the work they had done could very well be undone. Frowning in displeasure, the Greenleaf King spoke as the ground rumbled violently once more. "Pce of Runes? Lets go take a look!" Hu! A cloud of dust rose as smoke swiftly permeated the base. Following which, arge area of buildings began crumbling down as if a devastating avnche had swept through the area. All of the defensive formations that had been set up on them dissipated as if ice before a scorching sun. There were even some that exploded due to their energy running amok, severely wounding the unguarded Otherworldly Demons in the area. The formations were driven by the spiritual energy supplied by the Pce of Runes. If anything happened to the Pce of Runes, the other formations would be affected as well. The more powerful a formation was, the greater the bacsh when something happened to it. This was simr to a balloon filled with air. If the air within it were to be leaked all of a sudden, it could very well run out of control. "My buildings..." Tong Yue nearly burst into tears on the spot. Two months ago, the moment they had passed through the seal and entered the Subterranean Gallery, they had begun building this base. It had taken them a lot of effort and a great amount of resources in order to expand it to its current scale. Yet, for all of it to be reduced to rubble in the blink of an eye... He couldnt help but feel light-headed, and a stifling sensation welled up in his chest, causing him to spurt a huge mouthful of blood. On the other hand, watching the destruction unfolding before his eyes, the Greenleaf Kings body also twitched as he muttered, "The cause seems to be the depletion of spiritual energy in the Pce of Runes." With his eye of discernment, he could easily tell the cause of the destruction. However, the Pce of Runes was heavily guarded and reinforced with formations, so it should have been impossible for anything to happen to it in the first ce. Just as the Greenleaf King was bewildered by the situation before him, the Goldenleaf Kings face abruptly warped in shock as he eximed, "How could this be?" "What happened?" The Greenleaf King and Tong Yue turned their eyes over simultaneously. "Look at the hall in front of us!" The Goldenleaf King pointed forward with a pale face. Frowning, the duo turned their gazes in front, only to see that the hall before their eyes had copsed into a cloud of dust and rubble as well. "What is wrong? This hall was built using top-grade Bluemetal Stone and has been reinforced by many formations, but considering that most of the other buildings have copsed too... it shouldnte as any surprise that this building suffered the same fate," Tong Yue remarked, confused by the Goldenleaf Kings huge response to the matter. "Copse your head! Where is that fellow and the master teachers? Dont you think its weird how they didnte out when the entire hall is already in such a state?" the Goldenleaf King bellowed furiously. "This..." It was then that the duo realized, and their faces warped in astonishment. The Greenleaf King immediately activated his Spiritual Perception to peer into the rubble, and his body stiffened at the oue of the scan. Within the rubble, there was not a single living being to be sensed. It was as if that tribesman had vanished together with the many master teachers! "They are gone." The Greenleaf King turned to look at the livid Goldenleaf King with a look of horror. "Weve been had by that fellow. Hurry, head to the Pce of Runes!" the Greenleaf King roared after realizing what had happened, and together with the Goldenleaf King, they quickly rushed over. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the copsed Pce of Runes, and after a quick examination of the surroundings, their vision went dark. With their eye of discernment, they could easily tell that this wasnt an ident but a man-made incident. In other words, just a moment ago, someone had sapped the Pce of Runes dry of its spiritual energy and destroyed the inscriptions on the walls and pirs, resulting in the devastating copse. Otherwise, the Pce of Runes couldnt have been reduced to such a state even if an ident were to ur. "Master teacher! That fellow must be a master teacher!" The Greenleaf King clenched his fist tightly as the truth suddenly dawned on him. Except for a master teacher, it was impossible for an ordinary cultivator to tell that the Pce of Runes was the center of the entire base and destroy it so utterly. On top of that, the matter of the other party wanting some private time with the master teachers was extremely suspicious as well, especially given their disappearance shortly after. No matter how slow they might be, it was clear that the other partys purpose was not to interrogate them but to save them! The Goldenleaf King stepped forward and eximed in disbelief, "But how did they get away? The both of us have been keeping a close eye on the hall, and there were defensive formations set up around the area as well." To think that they, Kings of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Saint realm 4-dan experts, would actually be toyed with by another! Just the thought of it left them frenzied. "No matter how he got away, considering that he has just destroyed the Pce of Runes and that there is a huge group with him, he cant possibly have gotten too far away. Men,b the area! If you find any traces of him, immediately report back. By no means should you engage them recklessly!" the Greenleaf King instructed as he turned around. With so many old, weakened master teachers with him, he didnt believe that the other party could escape from them! "Yes, Your Highness!" Tong Yue and the others replied before scattering all around. "Damn it, damn it! Just who is that fellow!" After dispatching all of his subordinates, the two Kings clenched their teeth tightly together as immense rage coursed through their bodies. At this moment, a thought suddenly shed across the Goldenleaf Kings mind as he muttered contemtively, "If he is a master teacher in disguise... could he possibly be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy that they talked about earlier, Zhang Xuan?" Back then, the stand-in principal Lu Feng had said that the fellow had imed that he was Hongyuans principal, Zhang Xuan, but they had shrugged it off, thinking that this was a method used by their tribesman to win their trust. However, thinking back, that could very well have been the truth. "Zhang Xuan?" the Greenleaf King repeated meaningfully before nodding his head. This name was extremely foreign to them, but how could one who was able to be the principal of a Master Teacher Academy possibly be a simple figure? "We will know the truth after we capture and interrogate him. I swear that I will tear that fellow apart for this humiliation!" the Greenleaf King roared furiously, and his voice echoed clearly even from a very far distance away. ... While the two Kings werepletely furious, at a considerable distance from the copsed Pce of Runes, a storage ring fell from the sky, and shortly afterward, a figure appeared. The figure waspletely motionless for a brief moment before abruptlying to live. Hu! Exhaling deeply, the figure smiled in relief, revealing his shiny, white teeth. The figure was Zhang Xuan, who had just escaped from the Pce of Runes. Not bad. The puppets have reached Saint realm 3-dan, and they have been recharged as well. Even if I meet the Saint realm 4-dan Kingster on, I wont have to fear them. Even though the rapid depletion of the energy through the puppets absorption had caused the Pce of Runes to copse, it had helped to bolster his current fighting force significantly. With twenty experts to hold the ground, he would be able to fend off the Saint realm 4-dan experts. Even if he was unable to defeat them, he would at least be able to buy some time to escape. "Alright,e out!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan brought out the master teachers from his Anthive Nest. "Where are we? Have we escaped?" "This is the far south of the Subterranean Gallery; I have been here once before. We should be roughly two hundred li 1 away from the Otherworldly Demons base." "Two hundred li away?" ... After confirming their location, the master teachers swiftly assessed their surroundings. Realizing that there were no Otherworldly Demons around them, they turned to the figure before them with gratitude in their eyes. The young man wasnt lying; he was indeed there to save them. Noticing the gazes from the crowd, Zhang Xuan morphed from his Otherworldly Demon form back into his original appearance and switched to his master teacher robe. The six stars on the emblem pinned onto his chest gleamed brightly. "Zhang shi, thank you for saving our lives." An elder sped his fist, and the others behind him quickly followed suit. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. We are all master teachers, so its only natural to help one another in times of need." Zhang Xuan waved his hands to gesture that it was fine. These men were willing to put their lives on the line for the justice they held in their hearts. Zhang Xuan felt that such good men shouldnt be left in the lurch. Interjecting in the midst of the others words, Zhang Xuan said, "We still arent in a position to rest easy yet. Having sneaked out of their base right before their eyes, the Otherworldly Demons are surelybing the area frenziedly for us at the moment. It is only a matter of time before they find us here. For the time being, you should find a ce to rest and recuperate. Make sure to find somewhere secure so that you wont be found!" "Rest and recuperate? We cant!" One of the master teachers frowned. "The Otherworldly Demons have already begun building their base, and there are even two Otherworldly Demon Kings who have infiltrated the Subterranean Gallery. It is clear that they are up to something! We have to stop them, or else... I can hardly imagine the consequences myself!" The Otherworldly Demons had clearlye prepared. In such a situation, they couldnt afford to waste time to rest and recuperate. "Dont worry about that. I will deal with it." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. The reason he was there was to investigate and resolve the peculiarities happening with the Mausoleum Tablet. So far, he had only destroyed their base; the two hundred Otherworldly Demons were still alive and kicking. So, how could he leave yet? "You are going back alone? That wont do; it is too dangerous!" the crowd eximed in horror. "In your current states, even if you doe along, you wont be able to offer any help. What you need to do right now is recuperate from your injuries so that you can find the strength to battle with the Otherworldly Demons once more!" He knew that the master teachers were worried about him, but he still shook his head. It wasnt that he didnt trust the master teachers, but the force they were going against were simply too powerful. The master teachers couldnt possibly battle them in their current state. If they went with him, Zhang Xuan would have to divide his attention between the Otherworldly Demons and taking care of them. "This..." The faces of the master teachers reddened in embarrassment. The other party was right. Yes, they were 6-star pinnacle master teachers, but against more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons and two Saint realm 4-dan Kings, they werepletely powerless. "Zhang shi, we might not be powerful enough to defeat their army, but you cant possibly go there alone either! At the very least, we should be of some help to you. With ourbined strength, even if we cant wipe out their forces, we should still be able to deal significant damage to them!" "Indeed! There are more than forty of us here. If each of us kill an Otherworldly Demon, that will lessen the pressure on you significantly." "Allow us to go with you! As long as we proceed more carefully this time around, we wont be cornered by them as easily as before!" The crowd was still worried. Chapter 957: Breakthrough, Nascent Saint! Chapter 957: Breakthrough, Nascent Saint! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Since I was able to save you from their hands, that only goes to show that I have my own means to stay alive. Thus, there is really no need for you to worry. In the worst-case scenario, I will just flee from them!" Zhang Xuan said with a kind smile. "I know that you dont fear death, but that doesnt mean that you should throw away your lives like that. At the very least, you must make your lives count! I will go ahead first, and if I fail, you will have to serve as the final line of defense until help arrives. Otherwise, if those Otherworldly Demons charge out of the Subterranean Gallery, who knows how many lives will be lost?" "Ah..." The crowd fell silent. Indeed. Even if they didnt fear death, their deaths shouldnt be meaningless. They had to make it count every single bit it was worth. "Alright, we will listen to you and rest up first. Then, Zhang shi... you have to be careful, too! If it is really beyond our means, we will report to the headquarters and have them deal with this matter," an elder said. "Rest assured!" Zhang Xuan replied with a confident smile. "Un." At this moment, the master teachers couldnt help but recall the various miracles that the young man before them had produced, and all of a sudden, they couldnt help but feel that the situation wasnt as desperate as they thought. Considering how the other party had saved them despite the encirclement of so many Otherworldly Demons, it was clear that he possessed means far beyond them. Perhaps, he might just have a way to deal with the Otherworldly Demons. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something and asked, "Right, do you all have any formation gs or formation tes in your hands? The higher the grade, the better!" "Formation gs? Formation tes?" Everyone exchanged confused nces with one another. "I have a set of grade-6 formation gs here. There are 120 of them; you can use them to set up the Zhengyu Illusory Formation." "I have 81 of them here, you can use them to set up a grade-6 ughter Formation!" "Before I left, I bought a grade-6 pinnacle formation te. However, it is a Beguilement Formation, so I dont know how useful it will be in a battle." "I also have a grade-6 pinnacle formation te here." Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan needed formation gs and formation tes, the master teachers quickly took out whatever they had, and it didnt take long for a huge pile of items to appear before Zhang Xuan. These men knew that they would face great danger in the Subterranean Gallery, so they had exchanged all of their possessions for artifacts that would be useful in dangerous situations. Formation gs and formation tes were particrly useful in dealing with stronger enemies, so they had prepared plenty of those. Looking at the mountain of formation gs and formation tes before him, Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle, "Not bad, this is more than enough." As expected of 6-star pinnacle master teachers, they did have quite a lot of good items with them. Even though most of the items they had produced were grade-6, they were generally toward the higher end. With one swift motion, he stowed everything into his storage ring before sping his fist. "Farewell!" After saying those words, he turned around and left. But before he could get very far, a voice sounded from behind. "Principal Zhang, wait for a moment." He turned around to find that the one who had spoken was Lu Feng. His face was flushed crimson as he looked at Zhang Xuan. "Lu shi?" Zhang Xuan responded questioningly. "Principal Zhang, I... I wish to apologize to you for the matters that happened before. I hope that you can forgive me for my foolishness," Lu Feng said hesitantly. "Lu shi, theres no need to worry about that. As master teachers, it is our responsibility to guard against Otherworldly Demons; I dont me you for being too wary," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Thank you for your magnanimity." After a moment of hesitation, Lu Feng flicked his wrist and took out a round formation te. "This is a formation te that I obtained some time ago. Its a grade-7 Beguilement Formation; hopefully, it will be of some use to you." "Grade-7 formation?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he hurriedly took it. It was hard to tell what kind of material the formation te was made of, but it felt heavy. Inscribed on it was aplex inscription consisting of lines so fine that he could hardly see them even with his Eye of Insight. "The creator inscribed it carefully using their Spiritual Perception to check the formation te. It can exert an incredible might once activated, so it should do you well against the Otherworldly Demons. I happened to obtain it by some stroke of luck, and I havent been able to bring myself to use it," Lu Feng exined. "Inscribed using Spiritual Perception? No wonder!" Zhang Xuan nodded. A grade-7 formation te could only be inscribed by a 7-star formation master, and the prerequisite to bing a 7-star formation master was to possess the cultivation of a Saint realm 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm. Spiritual Perception was a method of perceiving the world through ones soul, allowing one to perceive the world with far greater sensitivity than with ones eyes. "Thank you!" Knowing that the formation te would be very useful to him, Zhang Xuan nodded in gratitude before stowing it into his storage ring. "Alright, I will be leaving now!" Stepping off, Zhang Xuan began charging ahead, and it didnt take long for him to disappear before everyones eyes. After he left, the master teachers turned their gazes to Lu Feng. "Is that man... really the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?" Till this point, the crowd could still hardly believe it. After all, the other party was simply too young. "Thats right." Lu Feng nodded. Previously, he had thought that the Ten Great Master Teachers nominating him to be a principal was a huge mistake, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like he was the onecking foresight. To be able to save them from the hands of so many Otherworldly Demons calmly and yet remain humble and not im credit for his work on top of that, it was doubtful that Principal Mo Liuzhen from back then would have been able to do the same. At the very least, he knew that he wouldnt have been able to do the same if in the other partys shoes. "He might very well be the most formidable principal that our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has ever had, ushering in an era of greatness for our academy," Lu Feng muttered to himself as he gazed in the direction that Zhang Xuan disappeared in. It was only after seeing what that young man had done that he realized how formidable the other party was. With such a great man earnestly putting his effort into the academy, how could the academy possibly not prosper? ... After proceeding ahead for a moment, Zhang Xuan stopped at a valley. I wont be their match at this rate. I have to find a solution... Even though he had twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets, it would still be difficult for him to stand his ground against more than two hundred Saint realm 1-dan and 2-dan Otherworldly Demons and two Saint realm 4-dan Kings. The situation wasnt in his favor. He had to find a suitable countermeasure that could wipe out the entire group in a single move so as to terminate any possible threat from them. I should first take a look at this grade-7 formation te. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the formation te that Lu Feng had given him and pumped his zhenqi into it furiously. Hmm? Nothing? Zhang Xuan frowned. Was the formation te spoiled? That wasnt it. "ws," Zhang Xuan muttered, and a corresponding book concerning the formation te appeared in his Library of Heavens Path. Upon taking a look, his face darkened, and he really wanted to hide somewhere in shame. It was fortunately no one had seen it, or else he would have really made a fool out of himself! It was not that the formation te was spoiled, but... his zhenqi wasnt strong enough to activate the formation te yet! His current zhenqi cultivation was only at Half-Saint pinnacle. Altogether, his fighting prowess was on par with a Saint realm 1-dan cultivator. He could easily drive a grade-6 formation te without trouble, but grade-7... That was clearly beyond his means! The Byzantium Helios Beast has reached Spiritual Perception realm, but as a saint beast, he is unable to activate a formation te. Less has to be said about the Golden Origin Cauldron, a Saint-tier artifact. Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. Perhaps... if I raise my cultivation to Nascent Saint pinnacle, with the sheer strength of the Saint Ascension Decipher, I might be able to exert powerparable to a Saint realm 2-dan cultivator and activate this grade-7 formation te! Since he was unable to activate the formation te in his current state, the logical thing to do was to attempt a breakthrough. It was fortunate that he had procured the Lightning Resonance Rock beforehand, which was required for his breakthrough to Nascent Saint. Alright, time to begin! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan leaped into the Myriad Anthive Nest without any hesitation. To attempt a breakthrough, he would require a quiet environment. Given that the Otherworldly Demons werebing the area to search for him, he couldnt possibly cultivate peacefully in the open. After entering the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan sat down beneath the Bodhi Tree and took out a pile of high-tier spirit stones with a flick of his wrist. The first batch of profits from the Shen n consisted of more than three thousand high-tier spirit stones. While he had used five hundred of them to raise the cultivation of the candidates for the Master Teacher Selection, he still had a sizeable amount of them remaining. At least for the time being, he didnt need to worry about having insufficient spirit stones. He casually took out a couple of formation gs and set up a Spirit Gathering Formation in the area. Spiritual energy was swiftly drawn from the high-tier spirit stone, creating a dense mist-like congregation of spiritual energy in the air. With all of the preparations ready, Zhang Xuan held onto the Lightning Resonance Rock tightly in his hands and closed his eyes to begin cultivating. Gugugu! Pure, condensed zhenqi coursed through his veins like a mighty dragon, pushing his cultivation further up. At the same time, every single pore of his body was greedily taking in the rich spiritual energy in the surroundings, as if a ravenous behemoth enjoying a luxurious feast. He had already reached Half-Saint pinnacle two months ago, but due to theck of the Lightning Resonance Rock, he had only been able to further reinforce his cultivation again and again. At this point, his desire for a breakthrough was already irrepressible, like an aridnd desiring for rain. With the Lightning Resonance Stone in his hand and the rich spiritual energy in the surroundings, Zhang Xuans aura swiftly went through a qualitative change, bing far sharper and more powerful than before. Geji geji! Absorbing the spiritual energy, Zhang Xuan swiftly converted it into zhenqi to knock at the bottleneck limiting his cultivation relentlessly, and eventually, the bottleneck began to loosen. Hong long! After some time, with a deafening buzz, he finally broke through the bottleneck. In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt his eyesight and hearing bing exceptionally clear, and his ability to analyze also became faster than ever. Nascent Saint, reached! Nascent Saint was the foundation to achieving a real breakthrough to Sainthood, the preparation to a cultivators metamorphosis of their level of existence. As such, there was a significant enhancement in ones zhenqi and soul. It might only have been a cultivation stage of difference between Half-Saint pinnacle and Nascent Saint primary stage, but this single hurdle signified the evolution of a fish into a dragon. 1 Furthermore, he cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, which made his zhenqi far more condensed and powerful than ordinary cultivators. At the same time, his zhenqi strength also advanced from the previous 84,000,000 ding to 90,000,000 ding! Continue! Even though he had achieved a breakthrough, he knew that it would still be difficult for him to drive his grade-7 formation te. Thus, Zhang Xuan continued with his cultivation. Having achieved the breakthrough, everything else was rtively easier. Four hourster, he managed to advance to Nascent Saint realm pinnacle. At the same time, the strength from his zhenqi cultivation had also exceeded the 100,000,000 ding mark, reaching 120,000,000 ding! More important, the Origin Core in his dantian had also assumed a perfectly round shape, emanating a brilliant light that seemed to indicate that a breakthrough was just around the corner. From the looks of it, it seems I have achieved a Second Grade Pinnacle Origin Core! Mu shi had put in so much time and effort to cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, but he had only seeded in forming a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan hadnt achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm yet, but he had already reached Second Grade Pinnacle. However, this was to be expected. Considering that he cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi, if he couldnt achieve this much, he could just knock himself dead with a blob of tofu. As long as I reinforce my Origin Core, its grade should continue to rise. It shouldnt be too difficult for me to achieve First Grade! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he hadnt spent so much effort and paid such a heavy price for nothing. As long as he could sessfully forge a First Grade Origin Core, his fighting prowess should increase considerably. Perhaps, he might even be a Celestial Saint. Of course, it would still take him quite a bit of effort to reinforce his Origin Core and condense it further. But I dont have the luxury to do that at the moment. For the time being, I should try activating the grade-7 formation! Knowing that he didnt have much time to spare, Zhang Xuan took out the grade-7 formation te once more. Chapter 958: Grade-7 Formation Plate Chapter 958: Grade-7 Formation te Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Holding the grade-7 formation te in his hand, Zhang Xuan began pumping his rich zhenqi into it. Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Different from before, the formation te began to tremble violently under the infusion of his zhenqi. Boom! A brilliant light burst into the surroundings, forming a sphere with a radius of several hundred meters. As the sphere expanded, mist started to appear within, shaping out an entirely different world, an extremely bizarre one. Putting aside anyone else, even he could easily lose his sense of direction within it. This is the grade-7 formation... Lu Xu Beguilement Formation? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Without activating the formation te, it would be hard for him to see through what kind of formation was inscribed on it. Even though the Library of Heavens Path did state the ws regarding the formation te, that was only limited to the material and the formation blueprint. Only by activating it and seeing it with his own eyes would he know what kind of formation it was and how powerful it would be. Lu Xu had been a skilled formation master five thousand years ago. Back then, while he was trapped amid a misty mountain range, he had suddenly found the inspiration to create this Beguilement Formation. Even though it was only a grade-7 intermediate formation, it could exert mightparable to an advanced or even pinnacle formation, such that even Saint realm 5-dan experts could potentially fall for its beguilement briefly. This was also the reason this formation was extremely famous, and there was a record of it in the library of the Formation Master School. It was also through the record in there that Zhang Xuan had learned about it. An idea popped into Zhang Xuans mind. His surname is Lu as well. Could Lu Xu possibly be Lu Fengs ancestor? However, knowing that this wasnt the time to be thinking about such misceneous matters, Zhang Xuan swiftly shrugged it off. In any case, with this formation, I will stand a significantly better chance of dealing with those Otherworldly Demons. Nevertheless, I still have to n my operation carefully first... With a surge in his cultivation and a formidable formation te in his hands, Zhang Xuans confidence was boosted. He left the Myriad Anthive Nest and returned to the Subterranean Gallery. Just like before, the area was still filled with killing intent and darkness. Contorting his muscles and bones, he turned into the form of an Otherworldly Demon he had seen previously before heading in the direction he escaped from previously. Before he could get far, he saw two Otherworldly Demons flitting in his direction. "Dont you think that it is weird? There are nearly forty of them, so how could they escape from our encirclement without the slightest trace?" "I also find it very weird. I was standing on alert the whole time, my both eyes staring intently at every movement around the hall. I am certain that not a person hase out from it, but the people inside just simply vanished into thin air. More importantly, we have already searched for such long a time, but there is not a person to be seen. Could it be that they were not master teachers we caught but ghosts?" The two Otherworldly Demons were chatting with one another as they scanned the ground from the sky. Not even the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King had been able to make sense out of Zhang Xuan and the many master teachers disappearance, let alone the rest of them. More importantly, it was inconceivable to them that so many people had been able to escape from right under their noses without them noticing anything at all. At that moment, they suddenly saw a tribesman flying toward them, and they frowned. "How is it? Did either of you find anything?" the tribesman asked them as soon as he noticed them. One of the two Otherworldly Demons couldnt help but ask doubtfully upon seeing the other party, "Hua Wu, werent you dispatched in another direction? Why are you here?" The two hundred or so Otherworldly Demons who had passed through the seal were from the same squadron, so they knew one another very well. They clearly remembered that the fellow before them had been dispatched in another direction, so why would he appear where they were? "Oh, I found a clue while searching there, and it was through tracing the clue that I got here!" Hua Wu exined. "Clue? What clue is it?" The eyes of the two Otherworldly Demons lit up. "Here it is..." Hua Wu flicked his wrist, took out a jade token, and passed it over. Curious, the duo hurriedly lowered their heads to take a closer look. However, before they could see what was written on the jade token, they suddenly sensed that two fists were heading right toward their heads. Hong long! The fists carried immense strength that threatened to st apart the air. The shock wave that rippled from the fist was so powerful that even the ground beneath was jolted apart. "You..." Knowing that there was something wrong with the other party, the faces of the two Otherworldly Demons darkened, and they hurriedly sent out a fist each to protect themselves. Peng! Peng! Four fists collided, and the two Otherworldly Demons felt a devastating might coursing through their bodies before they swiftly plummeted toward the ground. Boom! Their bodies formed two massive depressions in the ground. "Nascent Saint pinnacle, it is indeed as strong as I expected!" Hua Wu remarked as he descended to the ground. He then raised his leg and stomped on the heads of the duo who had sunk into the ground. Peng! Peng! Before the two Otherworldly Demons could process what was going on, their heads were crushed, reducing them to mere corpses. "Good!" Seeing how easily he had subdued the two Saint realm 1-dan Otherworldly Demons, Hua Wus eyes lit in excitement. Naturally, Hua Wu was Zhang Xuan in disguise. With the surge in his cultivation, he had wanted to try out how powerful he was at the moment. It was only after trying it that he realized how fearsome the Saint Ascension Decipher was. Putting aside those of a simr cultivation realm, even an Otherworldly Demon possessing a higher cultivation was no match for him at all! They werent even able to withstand a blow from him. Let me see what they have. Zhang Xuan grabbed the storage rings from the fingers of the two Otherworldly Demons and immersed his consciousness into them. A momentter, he shook his head. While these fellows possessed strengthparable to 6-star master teachers, their wealth was clearly nowhere near their master teacher equivalents. Adding up the both of their entire fortune, it wasnt even worth ten high-tier spirit stones! It is no wonder these Otherworldly Demons wish to invade the Master Teacher Continent. Most likely, the otherworldly battlefield iscking in resources as well. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tapped on the two bodies, destroyed them, and smoothed out the depressions in the ground. After all was done, he was prepared to set off and find his next target. However, at that moment, a thought came to his mind, and he morphed his appearance into one of the two Otherworldly Demons he had just killed. It was impossible for him to kill the two hundred or so Otherworldly Demons simultaneously, but it was still possible for him to dwindle their numbers bit by bit. In any case, he had plenty of time to spare, so he was in no hurry. After thoroughly preparing, he advanced ahead, and not too longter, he encountered two more Otherworldly Demons. Using the same method, he yed them easily. Most of the Otherworldly Demons who were outbing the area were only at Saint realm 1-dan. Given his current prowess, dealing with them wasnt a problem at all. Even without making use of his puppets, he could eliminate them easily. Proceeding forward like that, he arrived at the base an hourter. It had been entirely reduced to rubble, but a significant number of Otherworldly Demons were standing upon it, seemingly attempting to rebuild the base even though they knew what they were doing wouldnt amount to much. After all, they had spent nearly two months constructing the base. To restore it entirely within a short period of time waspletely impossible. The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King seem to be around here. Among the crowd, there were two extraordinarily powerful Otherworldly Demons floating in the air. It was the two Kings from before. At this moment, there was a deep frown on their foreheads, indicating their displeasure. "Reporting to Your Highness, there isnt any signs of the master teachers in this direction. "Reporting to Your Highness, there was nothing on my side either." "It is as if they have vanished into thin air, there is nothing over here either." From time to time, there would be Otherworldly Demons stepping forward to report the current situation to them. As Zhang Xuan had fled in his soul form, which was both intangible and invisible, he hadnt left any traces behind. It would take a miracle for these Saint realm 1-dan Otherworldly Demons to be able to track him down. "Damn it, how could forty people just vanish into thin air like that? Just what is happening?" "How did that bastard do it?" Not only were the Otherworldly Demons perplexed by the situation before them, even the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King were baffled as well. Around forty old, weakened master teachers, who seemed like they were on the verge of copsing, actually seeded in fleeing from right under the noses of two hundred of them, and they actually werent able to find anything at all. It was simply too inconceivable and eerie. At this point, the Goldenleaf King suddenly recalled the bizarre sensation he had felt while waiting outside the hall earlier, and he narrowed his eyes. "Could it be... the means of a soul oracle?" "Soul oracle?" the Greenleaf King replied doubtfully, unsure of what the Goldenleaf King was getting at. "Un. When we were guarding outside the hall, didnt I tell you that I felt something pass by us? I feel that he might have gotten away then. Think about it, to be able to escape right in front of our eyes without being discovered, there can only be one possibility... that fellow has utilized the means of a soul oracle!" the Goldenleaf King said. The Greenleaf King frowned. "Soul oracle? Didnt the Master Teacher Pavilion eradicate that upation because they pledged loyalty to us?" Soul oracle was a rather unorthodox upation in the Master Teacher Continent. Back then, they had pledged loyalty to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and after the Master Teacher Pavilion found out about it, the Master Teacher Pavilion hadunched a devastating assault to wipe them off the face of the world, terminating their heritage for good. But for a master teacher, who was most likely the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, to be skilled in the means of a soul oracle... that didnt sound too likely. "The heritage of the soul oracles has indeed disappeared from the face of the world, so I am rather puzzled by the situation, too. But other than that, I can think of no other possibility," the Goldenleaf King answered with a frown. While the duo was speaking with one another, a tribesman suddenly flew before them hurriedly and reported, "Your Highness... I think I found the trail of the master teachers!" "You found their trail?" Hearing those words, the eyes of the duo immediately lit up as they turned their gazes to the tribesman hurriedly. "Un. I found traces that are distinctive of the footsteps of humans, but I dared not follow them too far. Thus, I rushed back here to report the matter to you!" the tribesman exined. The Greenleaf King nodded. "Well done!" Considering that their tribesmen were only at Saint realm 1-dan, it was very likely that they would have been killed if they had attempted to follow the trail recklessly. "Which direction is it in? Bring us over to take a look!" the Greenleaf King swiftlymanded. "Its in that direction..." the tribesman replied. "Alright, we shall head over to take a look." Nodding, the Greenleaf King was just about to get that fellow to lead the way when the Goldenleaf King suddenly stopped him. "Wait a moment!" The Greenleaf King nced at hispanion in bewilderment. "Whats wrong?" "Have you forgotten about the bizarre means that fellow possesses?" the Goldenleaf King asked. "This..." The face of the Greenleaf King immediately tensed as he recalled how that fellow was even able to disguise as an Otherworldly Demon King. If the tribesman before them was that fellow in disguise, it was very likely that the other party was trying to lead them into a trap. "I will take a look!" Frowning, the Greenleaf King swiftly extended his Spiritual Perception to the tribesman before him. "Your Highness..." The tribesman also didnt expect that the two Kings would suddenly do this, and his face immediately paled with fright. The fists hidden within his sleeves tightened subconsciously. "He is..." After taking a closer look at the tribesman before him with his Spiritual Perception, the Greenleaf King was just about to speak when a loud explosion sounded. Boom! Mist swiftly pervaded the surroundings, shrouding a radius of several hundred meters around them. Tzzzzzz! Those who were trapped in the mist found themselves losing their ability to discern which direction they were facing altogether. It was as if their senses had been confounded all of a sudden, robbing them of the basic ability to perceive their surroundings properly. The Goldenleaf Kings eyes narrowed as his body stiffened in astonishment. "This is... a grade-7 Beguilement Formation!" Against a Beguilement Formation of such a high grade, even he would be unable to escape from it in the short term. He swiftly shot a nce toward the Greenleaf King beside him, only to find thetter had disappeared without a trace. He tried to look around him, but he found that his mind was aplete mess. He had already lost track of where he was. Chapter 959: Secret Code Chapter 959: Secret Code Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "No doubt about it, that tribesman is definitely that Zhang Xuan fellow in disguise!" At this point, everything was as clear as the day to the Goldenleaf King, and his face turned livid in rage. They had just been thinking about how they could capture that fellow, but who would have thought that he would appear before them, disguised as one of their own, to release this formation te on them? Had they been prepared beforehand, they might still have been able to destroy the formation with brute force in the moment that it was activated. However, with them standing within the activated formation, it wasnt as easy to do so anymore. They had to find the center of the formation first. "Humph! A grade-7 formation might be formidable, but I happen to be skilled in formations. I dont believe that I wont be able to unravel this!" The Goldenleaf King felt extremely furious, but he knew that it wasnt the time for him to lose his temper. Thus, he suppressed his anger and began to assess the formation calmly. Of the many Kings, he was the one who was the most skilled in the field of formations. This was also the reason he had been chosen to cross the seal. If the other party had used a grade-7 pinnacle formation to trap him, it would still have taken him a fair bit of effort. However, not only had the formation not reached grade-7 pinnacle, it had also been activated from a formation te instead of formation gs. It was impossible for a formation of such caliber to trap him! The Goldenleaf King flew in the direction that he perceived as upward, and a few breathster, he realized that his surroundings were stillpletely hazy. After which, he stopped and attempted to fly front, back, left, and right as well. "To be able to distort the surroundings and ones sense of direction to such an extent, this formation sure is formidable!" the Goldenleaf King remarked with a grim expression. Based on his analysis, the formation wasnt as simple as it seemed. He was confident that he would definitely be able to break apart the formation with time, but it would be extremely difficult for him to seed in the short run! "Argh!" The Goldenleaf King had just taken out apass, hoping to analyze where the Life Gate of the formationy, when he suddenly heard a scream of agony from the depths of the formation. Following which, the sound of an object crashing to the ground echoed loudly. "That fellow is assaulting our tribesmen?" The Goldenleaf King narrowed his eyes menacingly Beguilement Formations usually didnt wield the power to kill others, so being trapped within one wasnt a big deal. Furthermore, the formation that had trapped them was activated from a formation te, which was extremely taxing on the cultivators zhenqi. It might have been able to trap them for a short period, but once the other party ran out of his zhenqi, the formation would automatically be released, and the tables would be turned around. They would be at their full might, unharmed, whereas the other party would have experienced a dip in his fighting prowess from being sapped of his zhenqi. He had just been thinking that he could stall for time within the formation since it would be more disadvantageous for the other party the longer the battle continued. However, who could have known that the fellow would have the strength to attack their tribesmen while the formation was still activated! That fellow was courting death! With a leap, he immediately rushed in the direction of the scream, and as expected, he found a tribesman who had been killed with a single punch. The storage ring that should have been on the tribesmans finger was missing, presumably taken away. "Argh!" The next moment, another scream of agony was heard. Yet another tribesman had been done in. They had dispatched all two hundred of their tribesmen tob through the area to search for the master teachers, and those who were currently in the base were those who had returned after finding nothing at all. There were around fifty of them in total. From the looks of it, it seemed like that fellow was intending to wipe out all of the personnel they had stationed at the base. The price they had to pay in order to send these tribesmen over was unimaginablyrge. The loss of every single one of them was a huge price to pay, and yet, the other party intended to wipe out their forces. He was dreaming! Flicking his wrist, the Goldenleaf King took out a jade token. It was a Correspondence Jade Token, an artifact unique to the Otherworldly Demons. With it, he could easily sense the closest distressed tribesman to him and lend him his aid. Hu! The jade token flew from his hand, headed in a certain direction, and the Goldenleaf King hurriedly followed it. But by the time he arrived, there was nothing more than a mere corpse lying on the ground. The tribesman had already been killed. After seeing that, he immediately activated his Correspondence Jade Token once more, hoping to save the next one, but the other party was still a step faster than him. By the time he stumbled upon the eighth corpse of his tribesman, the Goldenleaf King was alreadypletely frenzied. Whenever he used the Correspondence Jade Token to seek the next distressed tribesman, he could sense from the jade token that the tribesman was still unharmed. Yet, no matter how fast he traveled, the distressed tribesman would be dead by the time he arrived. It felt like the other party was forever a step ahead of him no matter what he did, as if the other party knew of every movement that he was making. "To be able to maneuver around the formation so easily and hunt down our tribesmen, that fellowsprehension of formations is at least equivalent to the human standards of 7-star," the Goldenleaf King remarked with a darkened face, realizing how fearsome the opponent he was facing was. If that fellow was only able to activate the formation te but knew not of the internal functioning of the formation, he would have only been able to trap them but not maneuver around freely to y them. On top of that, it was clear that the other party was tracking his whereabouts through his formation. In terms ofprehension of formations, the other party could be said to be on par with him! Or perhaps... even superior to him! "Damn it! Youd better pray that you never fall into my hands, or else I will make you suffer a fate worse than death!" the Goldenleaf King spat furiously through clenched jaws. At that moment, he suddenly felt an overwhelming killing intent gushing into the air, following which, the sounds of battle drifted over. "Its the Greenleaf King!" The Goldenleaf Kings eyes lit up as he quickly rushed over. He had fought with that Zhang Xuan fellow when he was disguised back then, and thetter wielded strength on par with him. Given the strength of the Greenleaf King, he should be able to stall that Zhang Xuan fellow for a fair amount of time. As long as he could arrive on time and team up with the Greenleaf King to fight against that Zhang Xuan fellow, theirbined force would be more than sufficient to overpower the other party and kill him! Hu! In just a few moments, he arrived at the area where the fighting sounds originated from. The Greenleaf King was indeed shing with another fellow. The opponent that the Greenleaf King was facing was indeed the Otherworldly Demon who had released the formation while reporting the news to them. The both of them were incredibly powerful, raising powerful shock waves as they crossed hands. "Greenleaf King, I will help you!" Roaring furiously, the Goldenleaf King charged into the battlefield to aid hispanion. At the same moment, that Zhang Xuan fellow seemed to have noticed his presence and swiftly turned around to flee. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the depths of the Beguilement Formation. "Where do you think you are escaping to!" the Goldenleaf King roared as he prepared to give chase, but at that moment, he heard the voice of the Greenleaf King. "Dont! He is the one controlling the formation. We risk falling into his trap if we give chase recklessly!" The Goldenleaf King paused for a moment before realizing the same too and nodded in agreement. "Youre right." Turning around, he saw the Greenleaf King clutching his chest. There was a massive palm print of roughly two inches deep imprinted on the other partys chest, nearly crushing his heart. The Goldenleaf King was astonished. "You... How did you suffer such heavy injuries?" Given that his strength was roughly equal to that fellows, the Greenleaf King should have been able to at least stand his ground against the other party. Even if it had been an unexpected assault, it shouldnt have been possible for the Greenleaf King to have been so severely wounded. Had the palm print been just a little deeper, the Greenleaf King might already have died! "Cough cough! That fellow... he disguised himself as you... I let my guard down for a moment..." As he spoke, the Greenleaf King spurted a mouthful of blood as his face paled feebly. "He disguised himself as me?" Hearing those words, the Goldenleaf King clenched his fists tightly. Indeed, he had nearly forgotten that the fellow had the ability to disguise himself as one of their own wlessly. Back then, the other party had even been able to list the ws of his cultivation technique urately. If the other party had disguised himself as him, it was understandable that the Greenleaf King would unwittingly have let his guard down. "That fellow has the ability to morph his appearance at will, and he can even imitate the aura of ones weapon and soul, making him an extremely dangerous opponent. You must be careful as well!" the Greenleaf King advised. "Un." The Goldenleaf King nodded grimly. In the first ce, the limited visibility and inability to discern directions in the Beguilement Formation was already a huge handicap for them. The other partys ability to disguise himself as them only served to worsen the situation, making it difficult for them to trust one another. In other words, any single person he encountered could very well be that fellow in disguise. In a direct battle or even a sneak attack, given that their fighting prowess was near equal, he would at least be able to protect himself. But if it was an attack from an enemy disguised as a friend while his guard was down... even he couldnt say for sure whether he would be able to survive it or not. After a brief moment silence, the Greenleaf King sent a telepathic message over. "I need to recuperate for a moment, but we cant allow that fellow to continuing killing our tribesmen like that! You should head out to stop him first, and I will meet up with you once I have recovered. To prevent him from disguising himself as me, why dont we set a password? We will say the passwords when we meet, and if they tally, it can serve to verify our identities. Otherwise... it can only mean that the other party is that fellow in disguise!" "That is a good idea!" The Goldenleaf Kings eyes lit up after hearing those words. To better save their tribesmen, it would be ineffective and inefficient for them to remain together. But if they were to separate, that fellow could make use of this opportunity to disguise himself as the other to assault them. They needed an effective method to verify they were who they imed to be. "Un, you can decide on the password. You will say the first line, and I will return with the next. If I am unable to reply with the password, it can only mean that the fellow is disguising as me. If so, just sneak up on him andunch a fatal blow!" the Greenleaf King replied telepathically with a grim expression. "Very well!" The Goldenleaf King nodded. "How about this? I will say y all master teachers, and you will reply with the Demonic Tribe shall dominate! If I fail to say the password upon meeting you, you should just head straight up and deal a lethal strike!" "Alright!" The Greenleaf King nodded. "Its settled then." The Goldenleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. At that moment, another scream of agony was heard, and he quickly said, "I will head over to take a look. You must be careful!" "Dont worry. Having fallen for his ploy once, I wont be so foolish as to fall for it once more," the Greenleaf King replied confidently. The Goldenleaf King nodded before hurriedly leaving. Arriving at the origin of the scream, he found another dead tribesman, killed in the same brutal method as before. "No, this wont do. At this rate, our forces will be annihted. I have to undo the formation as soon as possible." Seeing how the formation was showing no signs of dissipating even after such a long period of time, it could only mean that the other party had plenty of zhenqi reserved. At this rate, they wouldnt be able to oust the other party. The Goldenleaf King couldnt help but frown in dilemma. "Where are you escaping to?" Just as the Goldenleaf King was beginning to devote himself to studying the Beguilement Formation, he suddenly heard a furious roar, and a figure abruptly rushed for him. Raising his gaze, he realized that it was none other than the Greenleaf King. At the same time, the Greenleaf King also noticed him and hurriedly asked, "Brother Yin, did you see anyone passing by here earlier?" "I didnt." The Goldenleaf King shook his head as he began to assess the Greenleaf King before him carefully. This Greenleaf King waspletely unharmed, the palm print that had struck his chest was nowhere to be seen. His sharp eyes were gazing at him intently, as if trying to peer through him. Without any hesitation, the Goldenleaf King immediately sent a telepathic message over. "y all master teachers!" "Indeed, we have to y all master teachers. There is no doubt now; that fellow is definitely a master teacher. He tried tounch a sneak attack against me earlier, but its fortunate that I reacted swiftly and dodged his attack!" The Greenleaf King waved his hand and harrumphed coldly. "At all costs, we must kill that fellow!" Upon hearing the Greenleaf Kings response, a sharp glint concealing deep killing intent shed across the Goldenleaf Kings eyes as he slowly walked toward the Greenleaf King. The Greenleaf King nodded earnestly. "Indeed!" "That fellow possesses fighting prowess on par with us. The only way we will be able to defeat him is to coborate with one another. I happen to have something here that might be useful in dealing with that fellow. Here, take a look at it," the Goldenleaf King said as he flicked his wrist and passed a jade token over. "What is it?" the Greenleaf King nced at the item in the other partys hand doubtfully. "It is..." Seeing that the other party waspletely unguarded, a savage glint glowed in the Goldenleaf Kings eyes as he roared, "Die!" The next moment, his fist crushed heavily into the body of the Greenleaf King! Hong long! Due to the close proximity and swift strike, by the time the Greenleaf King reacted, the fist was already right in front of his chest. "Brother Yin, what are you doing?" the Greenleaf King hollered with narrowed eyes as he hurriedly channeled all of the zhenqi in his body to protect his vitals. "What am I doing? Do you think that this wed disguise of yours will be able to fool me? Die!" Boom! An iparably powerful fistnded directly on the Greenleaf King. He felt a crushing pressure tearing through his chest before he was sent flying. Pu! Fresh blood spurted from his mouth. Chapter 960: Annihilation Chapter 960: Annihtion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Peng! The Greenleaf King crashed onto the ground, and his back tore a deep gorge of a dozen meters long on the ground. Following which, blood spurted from his mouth furiously. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, as if he had been depleted of his blood and vitality. He and the Goldenleaf King were cultivators with strength equaling one another. Thetter had struck him suddenly with his full might, and even though he had managed to remain alive through channeling his energy at the veryst moment, all of his organs had ruptured, leaving him in a state of near death. At this rate, it was likely that he wouldntst for too long. The Greenleaf King clenched his jaws tightly together and howled frenziedly, "Why?" He and the Goldenleaf King were both Otherworldly Demon Kings. While the both of them didnt have much interaction with one another, they were stillrades undertaking the same important mission for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Yet, in face of an enemy, thetter had actually attacked him instead of the enemy. Why? He just couldnt understand it. At this moment, a voice suddenly shouted, "Why? Because he is the master teacher in disguise! Greenleaf King, kill him! Otherwise, we might both end up losing our lives here!" Turning around, the Greenleaf King saw another Goldenleaf King standing right behind him. Following which, the second Goldenleaf King charged forward to attack the first Goldenleaf King ferociously with a finger jab. Hong long! A pure and concentrated killing intent crushed down on the first Goldenleaf King. On the other hand, the first Goldenleaf Kings face waspletely flushed. He opened his mouth several times, seemingly wanting to say something, but his voice just wouldnte out. "He is the master teacher in disguise?" "Indeed! That fellow disguised himself as me so as to conveniently attack the both of us! Help me, I cant hold my ground against him alone!" the second Goldenleaf King roared anxiously as he was pushed back under the retaliation of the first Goldenleaf King. Upon hearing the exnation and ncing at the two Goldenleaf Kings, how could the Greenleaf King still be ignorant to the situation? That Zhang Xuan fellow who had saved all of the master teachers was using the same ploy against him once again! How could he have been so foolish as to fall for the same trick twice? "So thats the case! Damn it..." Roaring angrily, the Greenleaf King ignited the blood in his body, and in an instant, his withered vitality was abruptly restored. Regaining his strength, he charged at the first Goldenleaf King, who had severely wounded him earlier. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Blood Ignition Art! Once activated, one would die without fail. But in the short period of time before then, one would obtain strength far beyond ones limits. Upon seeing the Greenleaf King using that move, the first Goldenleaf King immediately panicked. He quickly shook his head as fear and horror appeared in his eyes. However, his body had beenpletely suppressed by the other partys unbelievably pure killing intent, rendering him unable to speak for the moment. "Its toote for regrets. I will have you know that master teachers arent the only ones who are unafraid of death. For our ultimate goal, we, the Otherworldly Demons, are willing to give our all as well!" With a determined glint in his eyes, the Greenleaf Kings fist crashed down, like aet from the heavens, upon the first Goldenleaf King with a frenzied roar. On the other hand, the first Goldenleaf King struggled with all his might, but his body was temporarily immobilized under the powerful suppression of the second Goldenleaf King. Eventually, he wasnt even able to put up any defense against the immensely powerful strike of the Greenleaf King. Peng! Struck squarely in his chest, the first Goldenleaf King was sent flying while furiously spurting blood. He crashed heavily onto the ground before cking out altogether. It was impossible for him to hold his ground against the simultaneous assault of two equally powerful Kings. Pu! After activating the Blood Ignition Art and utilizing his ultimate strike, the Greenleaf Kings injuries aggravated further, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. His body copsed powerlessly to the ground as he gasped desperate for air, unable to speak a word. However, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. He knew full well how mighty his strike was. There was no way the other party could have survived after taking it head-on. At least he had killed that human principal before his death. His sacrifice was not in vain. However, in that moment, in his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the first Goldenleaf King struggling desperately to his feet with deep indignation in his eyes, as if unwilling to meet his end just like that. The body of the first Goldenleaf King trembled weakly as he stared at the second Goldenleaf King with a look of disbelief on his face and said, "Y-you... You are that human principal, arent you?" At this point, he finally understood everything. From the moment he saw the second him appear, he had already realized that something had gone really wrong and that he had fallen for that wretchs trap. From the very start, the very first Greenleaf King he had met was this bastard in disguise while the human he had been fighting against was his ally in disguise. Seeing the two of them shing, he had automatically assumed that the Greenleaf King before him was the real one. The setting of the password was also a scheme of the other party to make him mistake the real Greenleaf King to be a fake! Naturally, there was no way the real Greenleaf King could have been aware of the password. Thus, when he tried to challenge thetter with the password, thetter had been unable to respond. After which, when he made his move against the Greenleaf King, that fellow had appeared once more, this time disguised as him, to coborate with the Greenleaf King against him. Truly killing two birds with one stone! With just mere words and a Beguilement Formation, he had turned the both of them against one another, bing the victor of the battle easily! "Not bad, you are quite sharp after all!" The second Goldenleaf King chuckled as his appearance and physique warped into the form of a twenty-year-old human. Zhang Xuan! The two Kings were Saint realm 4-dan experts. Even with twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets and a grade-7 Beguilement Formation, it would still have been nigh impossible for him to achieve victory. After all, the Beguilement Formation only messed with ones sense of direction, but it couldnt iste sound. If he were to attempt to focus his attack on one of the Kings, the ruckus and disturbance in the spiritual energy would surely have drawn the other King in too. He would then have had to face two of them simultaneously, and the only possible conclusion in that situation was defeat. Thus, the best way was to make them turn against one another. The Beguilement Formation could confound ones senses, making it impossible for one to perceive ones surroundings clearly. Making use of this advantage, as well his and his clones ability to disguise themselves, he was able to convince the Goldenleaf King that he was the real Greenleaf King and turn the Goldenleaf King against the real Greenleaf King. Then, when the Greenleaf King was injured by the Goldenleaf King, the Greenleaf King would naturally think that thetter was him in disguise, especially considering what had happened earlier that day. It was not that the two Kings were fools, but Zhang Xuan had crafted each situation convincingly, manipting their current emotions and thoughts to nudge them to act. On top of that, his ability to wield the killing intent unique to Otherworldly Demons and almost perfect disguise made it even more difficult to guard against him. Even the smartest of people could have been easily tricked in the spur of a moment. "You..." The Greenleaf Kings face paled in horror, as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. At this point, seeing the second Goldenleaf King morphing into the form of a human, how could he still not understand what was going on? The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had spent an astronomical price to send the both of them over, but before they could even push their forces beyond the Subterranean Gallery, they had turned against one another due to the despicable schemes of the young man before him. The immense frustration he felt at that moment sent another spurt of blood gushing out of his mouth. "Even if I die, I will bring you down with me!" Roaring furiously with gritted teeth, the Greenleaf King struggled to his feet tounch a decisive blow against Zhang Xuan, but in that instant, an Otherworldly Demon puppet abruptly kicked his head before he could gather his strength. Peng! Completely unprepared, his body tumbled forcefully backward on the ground. That puppet only wielded the strength of Saint realm 3-dan, and under ordinary circumstances, it would not have been a match for him. However, with the severe injuries that he had sustained and the bacsh from activating the Blood Ignition Art, he was alreadypletely depleted on the inside, making him powerless to fend against the attack from the Saint realm 3-dan puppet. Lifting his gaze, he saw another dozen or so Saint realm 3-dan puppets encircling the Goldenleaf King tightly, pummeling thetter viciously, not giving him any chance to activate the Blood Ignition Art at all. It would have been difficult for them to deal with so many puppets even at their peak, let alone in their current situation. It didnt take long for the Otherworldly Demon Kings to be gasping weakly for air as they slowly fell into deaths embrace. "You despicable..." the Greenleaf King uttered weakly as he red ferociously at the young man before his eyes. To think that he, an Otherworldly Demon King, an existence possessing unparalleled power in his territory, would actually have been toyed with by a twenty-year-old brat like that! The overwhelming indignation that he felt left him so furious that he felt he might explode on the spot. Facing the Greenleaf Kings rage, Zhang Xuan simply gazed down on the other party coldly, his eyes devoid of anypassion or pity. "Despicable? As one who hasmitted countless atrocities and feasted on the blood and flesh of humans, do you think that you are in a position to call me despicable?" As a race who cultivated the Zhenqi of ughter and feasted indiscriminately on the blood and flesh of all other intelligent lifeforms to further themselves, it was just a matter of time before justice was brought upon them. "This is simply survival of the fittest. It is the honor of lowly lifeforms like you humans to be ingested by us!" the Greenleaf King replied coldly. "Honor?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan chuckled coldly. "I see. Since thats the case, why dont I offer you the same honor as well?" Zhang Xuan raised his hands andmanded, "Beat him to death!" Roar! The twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets immediately nodded upon hearing themand and beganunching another wave of vicious attacks against the two Kings. Pilip! Three minutester, the two Kings were lying powerlessly on the ground, devoid of any strength to retaliate anymore. Not only so, their dantians had been crushed as well, causing the immense strength that they had once harnessed to disappear without a trace. Gesturing for the puppets to stop, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and asked, "Alright, its time toe clean about how you managed to bypass the seal and get here, and what your motives are!" If he wished to kill the two Kings, there would have been no need for him to waste so much effort on them. The reason he had kept them alive was to interrogate them on this. "You want us to betray our tribesmen? Dream on!" the Greenleaf King spat coldly. "Our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe doesnt have despicable traitors who would sell out their kind for their own benefit!" the Goldenleaf King roared as well. After which, a fresh mouthful of blood abruptly spewed from the Goldenleaf Kings mouth as his eyes burst apart. Following which, his head slumped weakly to the side, and his body fellpletely motionless. "What?" Astonished, Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze toward the Greenleaf King, only to witness the same happening to thetter as well. "There was probably some kind of lethal poison ced in their teeth, which granted them instant death once activated. It is a countermeasure in case they were captured by the humans," Vicious exined. Zhang Xuan harrumphed in anger. "If you knew earlier, why didnt you tell me?" He had just been a step away from possibly acquiring the intelligence he needed, and yet, the two fellows had actuallymitted suicide before his eyes. How could he possibly not be angry at this situation? "I only recalled it just a moment ago," Vicious replied awkwardly. "Forget it!" Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan waved his hands in exasperation. As frustrating as it was, what was done was done. Besides, it wasnt guaranteed that he would have been able to pry open the mouths of those two. After all, those who were dispatched here could only have been the most loyal of the Otherworldly Demons, and it would have been difficult to obtain any crucial information from them. With his Soul Depth reaching a level equivalent to a 7-star master teacher, Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will was effective even on Spiritual Perception realm experts. However, against a Saint realm 4-dan experts like the other party, not to mention, ones with strong mental fortitude, it was impossible for his Impartation of Heavens Will to work. To be honest, even if the two Kings were still alive at this point, the chances to obtain any important information from them was extremely slim. "Alright. Kill all of the remaining Otherworldly Demons in the formation!" Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan issued an instruction, and the Otherworldly Demon puppets swiftly dispersed in all directions. Hu! Zhang Xuan walked up to the two Kings and took off their storage rings. Immersing his consciousness within the rings, he took a peek at the contents inside. S-so many treasures? Upon seeing what was within, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Chapter 961: Lu Feng and the Master Teachers Shock Chapter 961: Lu Feng and the Master Teachers Shock Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The storage rings of the two Kings could easily qualify as a treasure vault. Putting aside the many powerful weapons and potent pills, there were more than ten thousand high-tier spirit stones within! Most likely, these are the resources they were given for the mission, Zhang Xuan guessed. Given that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had paid a heavy price to allow two Otherworldly Demon Kings to bypass the seal and enter the Subterranean Gallery, there was no doubt that they were on an important mission. Naturally, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would have offered them the best resources so as to ensure that the mission would be sessful. However, it seemed like it had only ended up benefitting him. Their superiors probably couldnt have imagined that the many subordinates they had dispatched to the Subterranean Gallery would have been wiped out by a mere Nascent Saintd before they could achieve anything at all. "Hmm? What is this?" Flicking his wrist, a round tform appeared before his eyes. It was inscribed with innumerable unique runes that bore some resemnce to those he had seen back in the Pce of Runes. Vicious took a nce at it and said, "This is an altar!" "Altar? Could this be the artifact the Otherworldly Demons used to transport their tribesmen over?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Given the seal their predecessors had left in the depths of the Subterranean Gallery, it should have been impossible for the Otherworldly Demons to appear in the Subterranean Gallery. Yet, not only did they appear, there were so many of them on top of that. Could it be the effects of this altar? Vicious took a look at the runes on the altar and said, "That is unlikely. This altar is used for offering tributes to summon certain special items. It has little to do with spatial transportation." "Summoning certain special items?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He didnt have much of an understanding of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. After studying the altar for some time, he was still unable to make sense out of it, so he could only return it to his storage ring. After which, he rummaged through the items in the storage rings once more, and a pile of books appeared before his eyes. Upon ncing at them, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Are these... books on the study of souls? To his delight, the pile of books before his eyes were all rted to the cultivation of souls. Beyond Spiritual Perception realm, the importance of ones soul became more and more important. As Saint realm 4-dan experts, it was normal for these two to have a handful of books on the topic in their possession. After collecting them into the Library of Heavens Path with a nce, Zhang Xuan began to browse through the books. However, a frown soon emerged on his forehead. Something is wrong here. Didnt the soul oracles pledge loyalty to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe back then? It follows that the soul cultivation techniques that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe should be superior to those of mankind... but why are there so many mistakes in here? Those soul cultivation technique manuals were extremely wed, each of them having over several thousand mistakes. It was truly a wonder those fellows had managed to cultivate their souls safely. He had thought that the soul cultivation techniques of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would be far superior to those he could procure from the Master Teacher Continent, allowing him to advance his soul cultivation further through them. However, that clearly wasnt the case. If he were to cultivate using their soul cultivation techniques, even if his cultivation didnt go berserk, it would also be extremely weak, possibly copsing at any moment. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Perhaps it is due to humans and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe being of two different species, so the soul cultivation techniques do not ovep. This was the only logical exnation he coulde up with at the moment. During the time he spent studying the items within the storage ring, the puppets slew all fifty of the Otherworldly Demons trapped within the formation and returned with their storage rings in hand. Searching through them, Zhang Xuan gathered quite a few artifacts, spirit stones, and a handful of books regarding souls as well. After dealing with that, he calmly retracted the Beguilement Formation and had the puppets clear up the corpses of the Otherworldly Demons. After which, he assumed his disguise as the Goldenleaf King and stood on the spot. There were more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons, and he had only killed fifty of them thus far. There were still another a hundred and fifty or sobing the area. Since Zhang Xuan had begun making his move, he had to make sure to eliminate all of them to be safe. Standing on the spot, it didnt take long for the Otherworldly Demons to return one by one. Zhang Xuan had the Saint realm 3-dan puppets lying in wait in the surroundings, and the arriving Otherworldly Demons would be instantly killed and removed from the spot by them. Knowing that these ordinary soldiers couldnt possibly know anything about the secrets concerning the seal, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to interrogate them either. Within just four hours, the Otherworldly Demon scouting party waspletely annihted. I should take a look at the seal now... He had already found out where the seal was located from Lu Feng and the others earlier. After eradicating all of the Otherworldly Demons, he began making his way toward the seal. ... Hu! In a small valley within the Subterranean Gallery, a group of master teachers had removed their Concealment Formation with a sharp glint in their eyes. They were Lu Feng and the others. After the past few hours of recuperation, they had recovered most of their strength. There were some severe injuries that they couldnt resolve at the moment yet, but that couldnt be helped. "Since we have recovered considerably from our injuries, we should head over to help!" "Indeed, Zhang shi wont be able to deal with so many Otherworldly Demons alone. Even if he does possess some life preservation means, his true strength is still a little too weak. I fear that he might meet with danger!" "He risked so much in order to save us, so how can we simply watch idly as he braves through a dangerous situation alone?" "No matter what, we should head over to take a look first!" ... The master teacher stood up with a resolute gaze in their eyes. Zhang shi had willingly gotten himself in deep trouble in order to save them, not giving up on them despite the trouble they had caused him. How could they simply sit still, knowing that he was in a perilous situation? Seeing that everyone shared the same opinion, Lu Feng said, "Since thats the case, lets go look for him together." Even though he wasnt the eldest master teacher amid the group, he had the highest standing and strongest cultivation. On top of that, he was an old acquaintance of Zhang shi, so naturally, he had the greatest say as well. "Alright!" The crowd nodded as they took out their weapons and began making their way over to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes base. The further they flew, the stranger they found the situation to be. Eventually, a master teacher couldnt help but ask, "Weird, why is there no movement at all? Furthermore, did you all notice that the killing intent in the area seems to have thinned?" Each of them had been in the Subterranean Gallery for at least two months, so they had gained some understanding of itsyout. The killing intent within the Subterranean Gallery was known to be particrly concentrated in this area, creating a constant, heavy pressure on them. However, that pressure seemed to have weakened considerably, to the point where they could hardly feel it anymore. And more importantly, if Zhang shi had truly gone to eradicate the Otherworldly Demons in the area... how could there be no movement at all? Not a single Otherworldly Demon, who were supposed to bebing the area for them, was in sight. A slightly older master teacher of the group said, "There is something peculiar with the situation. Everyone, remain on guard!" The others nodded in response as they group carried on. Not too longter, they arrived at the base constructed by the Otherworldly Demons. They had tried to scout it on numerous asions, but each time, they would either be discovered or fall to its formation. Over the past two years, there were at least ten of theirrades who had died due to it. But at this very moment... there was not a person to be seen. More importantly, the grand buildings, which had once stood tall, had been reduced to rubble. "These buildings..." Everyone was dumbstruck. Scattering tob the area for clues, a master teacher suddenly shouted, "Come over, look! What is this?" Hearing his shout, the others hurriedly rushed over as well. On the ground before that master teacher was a puddle of blood that carried overwhelming killing intent,pletely different from the blood of a human. Lu Feng walked over and sliced the ground beneath the puddle of blood lightly with his finger. Hu! A bunch of corpses that were hidden in the ground came into appearance. Stacked on top of one another, there were more than two hundred on them. To the astonishment of the master teachers, even the strongest two Kings were among them. "T-this... they are all dead?" "Could it be that... Zhang shi actually killed all of them?" "How could that be possible? More than two hundred Saint realm 1-dan and two Saint realm 4-dan Otherworldly Demons... Even if all of the elders of the Master Teacher Academy were brought here, there is no guarantee that we could win. For a person to do it all alone..." ... Everyone was bewildered by the sight before their eyes. Having fought with the Otherworldly Demons on multiple asions, they knew full well how powerful they were. Even with the entire force of Hongyuan Empirebined, it would be difficult to achieve a victory against them. Yet, for Zhang shi to have annihted them singlehandedly... and within such a short period of time at that... How did he do it? "I can now confirm that he is indubitably Zhang Xuan; only he is capable of pulling off such inconceivable feats that others dare not even imagine," Lu Feng said with a bitter smile. If he had still harbored some doubts before, the sight before his eyes had vanquished all of them. He couldnt imagine anyone else in the world who could pull off such an unbelievable deed other than that unfathomable young man. With just a Perfect Harmonization to Ethereal Treading realm cultivation back then, he had been able to raise a huge ruckus in the Master Teacher Academy, unimpeded by anyone. Considering that he had already reached Half-Saint pinnacle at this point in time, it went without saying that those Otherworldly Demons couldnt have been a match for him. "ying so many Otherworldly Demons and foiling their ploy... the contribution he has earned from this deed is tremendous! We have to report this matter to the headquarters swiftly so that Zhang shis deeds will be not be buried," a master teacher said. "Indeed!" The others nodded in agreement. Protecting mankind from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe wasnt an individuals responsibility but the collective responsibility of the entire human race. A person who had killed so many Otherworldly Demons and foiled their plot would surely be generously rewarded by the headquarters. There was no one who could refute that. It was based on such impartiality that the Master Teacher Pavilion had been able to operate for several ten thousand years without its reputation being sullied. Lu Feng nodded. "Alright, I will report the matter then." ... While the master teachers were intending to report Zhang Xuans contribution to the headquarters, the person in question finally halted his footsteps. He had arrived at the very end of the Subterranean Gallery, where the barrier that severed the connection between the otherworldly battlefield and the Master Teacher Continent was located. From a distance away, one could see that it was a vast light barrier that stretched for several hundred kilometers, sealing the entire path, blurring whatever was on the opposite end. But walking up to the barrier, Zhang Xuan could still feel concentrated killing intent spilling forth from the other side from time to time, seemingly trying to rip apart everything. The cold aura within the Subterranean Gallery had probablye to be after innumerable years of such killing intent spilling over. This is the seal? Examining the light barrier before him, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but narrow his eyes in astonishment. It was even more formidable and sturdier than he had thought. For one of his strength, his attacks wouldnt even leave a mark on it. Such a powerful seal, how did the Otherworldly Demons and the Greenleaf King bypass it? Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be perplexed. He could still have understood it if the seal was worn out or damaged, but the seal before him felt powerful and wholesome. In other words, it wasnt damaged at all! How did the Otherworldly Demons manage to bypass it under such circumstances? Baffled, Zhang Xuan willed in his mind, ws! Chapter 962: Second Group from the Combat Master Hall Arrives! Chapter 962: Second Group from the Combat Master Hall Arrives! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. The seal had been whirring in action all along to fend off the killing intent from the otherworldly battlefield, so the Library of Heavens Path was able to peer into its ws easily. Flipping open the book, the knowledge contained within swiftly flowed into Zhang Xuans mind. The seal had been created by an expert known as Qiu Wu. Possessing an extremely deep understanding of space, Qiu Wu had designed the seal to sever the space between the two worlds, making it impossible for anyone to breach. Even a 9-star master teacher would find it extremely difficult to destroy the seal. This was also the reason it had been able to fend off the Otherworldly Demons for so many years. But nothing couldst forever. Even a seal as formidable as that would be worn out over tens of thousands of years. On top of that, the Otherworldly Demons had been striking it relentlessly over the years, whittling it down bit by bit. As a result, there were several weakened areas on the seal. Even so, not just anyone would be able to cross these areas easily. To order to pass, one would have to pay an extremely heavy price. With the knowledge Zhang Xuan possessed, however, he was unable to tell what that price was. There is only one way to stop the Otherworldly Demons froming over and resolve the threat once and for allrepairing the weakened areas and make them whole again. After studying the content of the book, Zhang Xuan lowered his head in deep thought. Through the Library of Heavens Path, he knew that even if he had killed the Otherworldly Demons who had bypassed the barrier for the time being, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would still be able to send more of their kind in by paying the price. There would be no end to this. The only way to resolve the problem for good was to repair the weakened areas. If it had been anyone else, they would have been helpless, even if they knew the root of the problem. However, Zhang Xuan was different. The ws of the seal were reflected clearly in the Library of Heavens Path. As long as he worked backward from the ws, he could easily deduce the method to repairing the seal. However... the amount of zhenqi required for this operation would be immense. Even as a Nascent Saint pinnacle expert who had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, the rich zhenqi he harnessed within his body was insufficient to repair the seal within a short period of time. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before making his decision. Forget it. Since Mu shi and the others have made this request of me, I should resolve it once and for all before heading up. This is for the welfare of mankind, too. After staying at Hongyuan Empire for four months, he had alreadye to bear deep feelings for it. On top of that, this was the home of the countless members of his Xuanxuan Faction. If he were to leave and the Otherworldly Demons were to breach the seal once again, it would be hard to say if they would be lucky to have this situation resolved so simply as it had been this time around. Since he was already there, he ought to make sure that he weeded out the problem at its root. Time to begin! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly leaped into action. He walked up to the seal and lightly ced his palm on an area where a w of the seal was located. Hu! In the next moment, with an abrupt jolt, his body entered the seal. This... Looking at his surroundings, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. This seal was an extremely skillful maniption of space. This was also the reason it was able to sever the connection between the Master Teacher Continent and the otherworldly battlefield. Intending to only repair the ws, Zhang Xuan hadnt thought that he would get to peer into the internal structure of the entire seal from within. The structure of the seal was built in a manner that was aligned with thews of space, reinforcing and stabilizing it further. It bears a striking resemnce to the Saint Ascension Decipher. Studying the internal structure with his Eye of Insight for a moment, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but clench his fists in excitement. To his astonishment, theyout of the seal, when studied carefully, bore an uncanny resemnce to the Saint Ascension Decipher, which he was cultivating at the moment, to the point where it could be said to be nearly identical. However, the structure in the seal was a little moreplex, and this enhancedplexity allowed the deciphers to be tied together in an even morepact manner. A thought emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. If I cultivate the Saint Ascension Decipher ording to this format, will it be stronger? There was no apparent w in his Saint Ascension Decipher, but it wasnt as grand and profound as the structure he was seeing before his eyes. If he were to alter his Saint Ascension Decipher ording to this, would it be even stronger? I should give it a try! Zhang Xuan began to make some calctions to determine the feasibility of the matter, and after confirming that there was no problem with it, he began to multitask. He used his zhenqi to further reinforce the weakened portions of the seal, while at the same time, sitting quietly on the floor to cultivate. Under the discerning glint of the Eye of Insight, the intricacies of the seals internal structure appeared clearly before Zhang Xuans eyes. Slowly, he turned his attention to his dantian and began rearranging the deciphers that he had constructed before. He didnt make any progress in his cultivation, but his Origin Core did be significantly more stable and stronger. ... While Zhang Xuan was cultivating in the Subterranean Gallery without any regard for time, the crowd that was guarding outside the Mausoleum of Principals was bing more and more anxious by the moment. "It has already been three days, why isnt Principal Zhang out yet?" School Head Mo asked as he paced around the area anxiously. "Could it be that something has happened inside?" Zhao Bingxu asked. School Head Mo hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Mausoleum of Principals is the ground where the preceding principals of our academy rest. Considering that Principal Zhang has gained the recognition of all our preceding principals, there shouldnt be a problem." But despite the words he spoke, he still couldnt help but feel worried and unnerved within. He had checked through the records, and it was said that the preceding principals would usually only spend a day in the Mausoleum of Principals. For their principal to spend three days inside... could something have gone wrong? "Cough cough, I am not worried that something will happen to our principal, but that... he might cause something in the Mausoleum of Principals that might cause the many predecessors... to be unable to rest in peace!" Zhao Bingxu replied with the corners of his mouth twitching. "Ah..." School Head Mo fell into a daze. Their current principal was a formidable young man, and he would have been perfect if not for his tendency to... be reckless at times. If their principal were to cause a devastating ruckus in the Mausoleum of Principals, how would they answer the many predecessors before them? School Head Mo rubbed his be as he said with uncertainty, "We cant interfere in what Principal Zhang does... In any case, he is the man who has received the approval of the wills of the preceding principals, so... he shouldnt mess around there." There was nothing they could do about the situation at the moment, especially since they couldnt enter the Mausoleum of Principals in the first ce. Even if they knew that something bad could very well happen, the most they could do at the moment was pray for the best. At this moment, Zhao Bingxu suddenly recalled something and asked, "Oh right, the men from the Combat Master Hall should have arrived by now, right?" "Combat Master Zhuo did say that thebat masters that will be assessing Zheng Yang and the others would be arriving in three days time back then, and it should be about time now. Lets head over to take a look!" "Un." Thus, the two school heads took one final hesitant nce at the Mausoleum of Principals before heading off to the Elder Hall. It was one thing if their principal wasnt around to wee the arrival of the representatives of the Combat Master Hall, but if even they werent around either, it would be a huge breach of etiquette on the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academys part. ... Outside the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, an aerial saint beast descended from the sky, and around a dozen cultivators began walking into the academy. They were dressed not in the robes of a master teacher or abat master but ordinary clothes. "Liao shi, I heard that Zhuo shi and the others came over to conduct the selection, but they ended up being utterly defeated by Hongyuans candidates. May I know if that is true?" a Chrysalis realmbat master walking in the middle of the group asked. "Un, that is indeed the news that we have received. It seems like Hongyuans candidates this year are exceptionally powerful. There is even one candidate who Combat Master Zhuo was unable to stand against when his cultivation was equal to the others! This is why he requested that we rush here to assess the candidate," the middle-aged man at the forefront of the group replied with a nod. That middle-aged man looked like he was in his mid-forties, and he exuded a vague but unfathomable aura, reminiscent of a majestic dragon lying dormant in wait. Just like Combat Master Zhuo, he was a Saint realm 2-dan expert as well. But while the two possessed equal cultivation, the middle-aged manmanded an aura that felt far more powerful and fearsome than Combat Master Zhuo. Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, Liao Song! The Chrysalis realmbat master harrumphed in disbelief. "I have checked the history of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and it has always been at the very bottom of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies. There were hardly any talents among them that met the requirement of the Combat Master Hall, so how could their candidates suddenly grow so strong as to defeat ourbat masters? Something feels amiss about the situation." Another young man nodded in agreement. "I also think that there is something weird about the situation." Of thebat masters behind Liao Song, three of them were at the Ethereal Treading realm, three of them were at the Chrysalis realm, three of them were at Half-Saint, and three of them were at Nascent- Saint; altogether, there were twelve of them. Each of these men were extremely strong. Their presence in itself carried a sharp edge that few would dare approach. It felt like each of them would be equal to Combat Master Zhuo were they to fight at the same cultivation realm. These young men were all Hundred Men Commanders of the Combat Master Hall! The Combat Master Hall ranked its members not by their cultivation but by their ability to disy strength beyond their current cultivation. Zhuo Qingfeng might have reached Spiritual Perception realm, but he was still only a Hundred Men Commander, possessing equal standing to these young men and a rank lower than Liao Song. "I also find that hard to believe. Ourbat masters are all top-notch geniuses sieved out from countless cultivators, and yet, all one hundred candidates chosen by an academy actually managed to clear the harsh selection? This is something unprecedented in the history of the Combat Master Hall! The reason I came here today is to verify this matter as well!" Liao Song said with a deep frown on his forehead. Honestly speaking, he also found it hard to believe the news that Combat Master Zhuo had sent to him. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was a weak institution that only had a candidate or two clearing each Master Teacher Selection. Yet, for a hundred people over the five grades to all clear the selection in this year... This notion in itself was inconceivable! The others nodded in agreement. While they were speaking, the group entered the academy. Raising their gazes, they saw innumerable students walking about with a spirited look in their eyes. "Ruohuan, I am still a little unsure about the maneuver that Principal Zhang lectured us on. Can you exin it to me?" On the training grounds alongside the pavement, a few students were gathered together in a group, seemingly conversing about their insights and learning from one another. "Its simple... Watch closely!" The young man named Ruohuan chuckled softly before raising his palm and abruptly striking forward. Hu! A series of sonic booms resounded deafeningly in the air as a gush of hot air currents sted into the surroundings. Under the immense pressure of the air currents, the bluestone pavement beneath the feet of the student began to crack. "What a powerful palm strike!" Thebat masters couldnt help but stop and narrow their eyes in astonishment. The palm strike seemed simple, but it took incredible skill in order to bring forth its strength to such an extent. They would have struggled to execute a palm strike of this caliber back when they were at the young mans cultivation realm. "Could this be the fellow who intends to participate in the selection?" one of the young men amid thebat masters asked. Even though the fellow on the stage was only at the Cosmos Bridge realm, the prowess he had exerted in that previous blow was definitely on par with a Hundred Men Commander. Most likely, he was the genius whom Combat Master Zhuo had spoken about. "That seems very likely. Liao shi, I hope to challenge him to a duel!" one of thebat masters said. After a moment of hesitation, Liao Song nodded and instructed, "Alright. However, make sure to go easy on him. If the other party is not the person in question and you end up severely injuring him, it will cause a great deal of trouble if Hongyuan report this matter to the headquarters." Every singlebat master was a top-notchbat genius, and naturally, ordinary master teachers were no match for them at all. If they were to go too far and injure the other party, the headquarters could punish them for abusing their strength. "Dont worry, I will be careful!" The young man smiled before leaped onto the training ground not too far away. "This friend over here, my name is Zhou Ye. I saw your palm strike earlier, and I am impressed by its might. If it isnt too much, I would like to have a spar with you. Of course, I will suppress my cultivation to Cosmos Bridge realm for the spar," the young man, Ye Zhou, said with a smile. Chapter 963: We Are from the Xuanxuan Faction Chapter 963: We Are from the Xuanxuan Faction Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sparring was not umon in the Master Teacher Academies. Frequently, there would be master teachers, who after receiving some inspiration or learning a new battle technique, would challenge a master teacher stronger than them so as to test out their skills and see where they stood. Facing the challenge from Zhou Ye, the young man named Ruohuan was taken aback for a moment before replying with a slight smile, "I am more than willing to." Nodding, Zhou Ye took a deep breath as he began suppressing his zhenqi. It didnt take long for his cultivation to reach Cosmos Bridge realm, the same as the opponent before him. Zhou Ye smiled. "It seems like that you are skilled in palm strikes, so I wont use a weapon either. Alright, lets begin!" After which, he flicked his wrist and charged forward with astounding speed. Despite having suppressed his cultivation to Cosmos Bridge realm, Zhou Yes movements were incredibly nimble, as if a specter flitting across the battlefield. It was difficult for his enemy to determine exactly where he would strike. "Not bad!" Ruohuans eyes lit up in excitement. He raised his palm and adeptly struck the area right in front of him. Principal Zhang had once said, if a cultivator panicked before aplex or foreign maneuver, he would be falling into his opponents trap. He would swiftly be pulled into his opponents momentum, and it would be extremely hard to turn the tables against his opponent by then. As such, against moves consisting of many feints, one had to study it closely to peer right into its essence. No matter howplicated the opponents moves were, there was a limited number of directions in which the opponent could strike from. The best way for one to deal with such a situation was to wait and adapt ordingly. "Not bad!" Seeing that the other party didnt make a reckless move out of panic, Zhou Yes eyes lit up in admiration. Just as the other party had thought, the motive of his move was to lure the other party into action. As soon as the other party moved, he would immediately find the w in the other partys movement and strike at it. Facing Ruohuans palm strike, Zhou Ye maneuvered nimbly to the other partys side and thrust his palm forward. He thought that as long as he exerted sufficient strength in this strike, he would be able to force the other party to admit defeat. However, before his palm couldnd, he suddenly felt a stifling sensation on his chest. Narrowing his eyes in rm, it was only in this instant that he realized the other party had already seen through his maneuver and ced a palm right in his path! In other words, the other partys initial strike had just been a feint to lure him in. As soon as he appeared to make his strike, the other party swiftlyunched an assault with the other palm. Peng! At this point, it was already toote to dodge. An immense pressure struck his chest and sent him flying from the training ground before crashing onto the street. "He subdued Zhou Ye in a single strike?" "Could that man really be the person we are going to assess?" "That is likely to be the case. Otherwise, how could he wield such great power?" The group from the Combat Master Hall leaped in shock at that sight. Liao Songs eyebrows also shot up in astonishment. He could easily tell from the previous battle that the fellow named Ruohuan was weaker than Zhou Ye in terms of zhenqi strength and reaction speed, but Ruohuan had still managed to easily achieve a victory against Zhou Ye. This showed that he possessed exceptional talent in the field ofbat. Most likely, Ruohuan was the genius that Zhuo Qingfeng had spoken of. Otherwise, how could he be so powerful?" At this point, Liao Song pondered for a moment before raising his hand and gesturing. "Hu Chen, go up and test him!" To confirm the matter, he would have to continue assessing the other party. "Alright!" Hu Chen nodded before leaping onto the training ground. "I am awed by your profound moves, so I would like to spar with you as well!" After saying those words, Hu Chen began suppressing his cultivation. "Fine by me!" Nodding, Ruohuan was just about to begin the fight when the young man beside him suddenly stepped forward and said, "Ruohuan, it is rare for us to have such easy opponents to practice with. Will you let me fight him instead? After all, I am the weakest of our group, and even after so long, I am still unable to fullyprehend the essence of Principal Zhangs lecture. This is a good opportunity for me to try my hand!" Hearing his close friend saying such words, Ruohuan smiled bitterly before nodding in agreement. "Alright then!" Due to hiscking aptitude forbat, this close friend of his had beengging behind the others. Due to the power gap between him and the other students, it was hard for him to learn anything in a battle against the others. Perhaps, if he could try his hand against this weakling who hade out of nowhere, he might receive an epiphany that could enhance hisprehension ofbat. Naturally, Ruohuan was the person who hade to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy along with Zhang Xuan from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Ruohuan gongzi. After training diligently recently, he had managed to advance his cultivation to Cosmos Bridge realm. Having journeyed with Zhang Xuan from back when they were still in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, he had received Zhang Xuans guidance on multiple asions, and this had helped to gain a deepprehension ofbat. On top of that, as one of the founders of the Xuanxuan Faction, he felt the dire need to work harder than anyone, or else he could very well be overtaken by others swiftly. Due to the great effort he had put in, he had managed to make tremendous progress in his eye of discernment and fighting prowess within this period of time. In his view, these opponents who had popped out of nowhere werent exactly weak, and their maneuvers were innovative and profound as well, butpared to the insights that Principal Zhang had imparted to them, there was nothing to fear from them. What Principal Zhang had imparted to them was the foundation ofbat, and no matter how grand or majestic a battle technique was, they were built on this very foundation. Ultimately, battle techniques were means to attack another, and as long as there was movement, there would surely be ws that one could exploit! Ruohuan felt that his close friend had everything he needed to achieve a victory, all he needed was to internalize Principal Zhangs teachings duringbat. "Easy opponents?" Hearing the conversation between the duo, Hu Chen nearly exploded out of sheer rage. Pal, open your eyes and take a close look! I am a Chrysalis realmbat master! I am suppressing my cultivation to battle with you! Yet, you said that I am an easy opponent... He wasnt the only who felt that way. The otherbat masters also nearly spurted blood after hearing those words. They had always been existences whose fighting prowess far exceeded their opponents. This was their very first time being looked down on by another like that. Abat master who couldnt hold back his rage anymore sent a telepathic message over. "Hu Chen, dont go easy on him!" "I understand!" Hu Chen replied as a savage glint shed across his eyes. He had been thinking that he would hold back a little if the other party couldnt cope so as to spare his dignity. But since the other party was acting so arrogantly, he didnt mind teaching him a harsh lesson. "Lets begin!" Hu Chen said as he beckoned his opponent. "Un." The young man on the opposite side nodded before stepping forward. "Principal Zhang has lectured us on the variousbat techniques in dealing with certain situations, but I am a little slow on the uptake, so... if I identally injure youter on, I hope that you can forgive me." "Cut with the nonsense,e!" Unable to take the nonsense his opponent was spouting, Hu Chen pushed his feet against the ground and charged forward as he got into the stance tounch a palm strike. His movements wererge and forceful, giving an impression that he could overwhelm anything in the world. Seeing Hu Chens move, the young man didnt flinch in fear. On the contrary, his eyes lit up as he yelled, "Good move!" After saying those words, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, he charged forward and faced Hu Chen directly with a fist. Boom! The fist and the palm collided, and Hu Chen suddenly felt a numbing sensation engulfing his arm before a massive force came crashing down on him with incredible momentum. Unable to withstand the massive force, his face reddened, and he was knocked flying. Peng! Just like the previous Zhou Ye, he tumbled across the training ground before his head was nted into the earth. If Hu Chen hadnt used his full might, the bacsh could have been considerably weaker, and he would have suffered less severe injuries. However, with both sides going at full force against one another, Hu Chens arm ended up being severely injured under the immense pressure from both ends. In his current state, it would be impossible for him to use his arm for the next five days at the very least. "This..." "In a direct sh of strength, Hu Chen wasnt a match for him?" Thebat masters were stunned. Liao Songs mouth began twitching as well. He had seen with his own eyes how Ruohuans zhenqi strength was far beneath that of his subordinate. Yet, the person who had sought him for guidance had actually sent Hu Chen flying with a single fist. This was way too incredulous! Just as the crowd was perplexed by the bewildering sight that had urred, on the stage, Ruohuan suddenly shook his head in disappointment and began lecturing the young man before him. "Didnt Principal Zhang emphasize that a battle isnt all about brute force? Technique, you need technique! How can you be so dimwitted?" Ruohuan gongzi was indeed very angry. That fellow had grasped the physical body cultivation technique and zhenqi condensing method imparted by Principal Zhang, but he had failed toprehend the more importantbat techniques. Precisely due to this, he lost every single battle against others. It wasnt easy for them to find a person with a weak understanding ofbat techniques for him to practice on, but... that fellow had still resorted to mere brute strength in the end! How could he be so dumb? "I..." The young man scratched his head awkwardly. "I saw him rushing straight at me, so I couldnt hold myself back, and... this just happened!" After which, he turned his gaze to thebat masters and asked, "Do any of you want to battle with me? I promise that I wont crush you with brute force this time around." "You..." Hearing the young mans words, thebat masters felt so enraged that they could lose their minds. This was the first time that someone had dared say that he wouldnt crush them with brute force... Arrogant, he was being way too arrogant! "Allow me..." Unable to tolerate this humiliation, anotherbat master stood forth. It was thest Chrysalis realm cultivator of the group. Thebat master swiftly suppressed his cultivation before beckoning with his hand. "Come!" "Alright!" The young man nodded, but just as he was about to make his move, another student by the side suddenly uttered in displeasure, "Zhao Qing, are you nning to hog them all for yourself? This is a rare opportunity to practice, so how can you be so selfish as to keep them all for yourself?" "I..." The young man scratched his head in embarrassment. "Enough. These friends over here arent too weak, and opportunities to spar with others donte easily. Zhao Qing, you should step down and let Song Ying have a go!" Ruohuan said. The young man, Zhao Qing, nced at thebat master in front of him with a look of disappointment before reluctantly nodding. "Alright..." "You..." At this point, thebat masters were already nearly on the verge of tears. What do you mean by not too weak? We are strong, alright? Just that... Looking at their two fallenpanions, they couldnt help but feel incredibly stifled within. For them to have been defeated so easily... Could they really still be considered strong? In the view of such powerful opponents, perhaps they were indeed only worthy of being not too weak! Clenching his jaws tightly in anger, thebat master said, "Cut the crap,e!" Walking onto the training ground, Song Ying took a look at his opponent before shaking his head in disappointment. "A perturbed mind, how can you fight in such a state?" "You..." Thebat master was provoked by Song Yings words, but he also knew that he had indeed allowed rage to cloud his mind, and he wouldnt be able to disy the full extent of his fighting prowess in this state. Thus, taking a deep breath, he suppressed the emotions deep in his heart before looking at his opponent once more. "Lets begin!" On the other hand, seeing his opponent suppressing his emotions so quickly, Song Ying was awed for a moment before nodding. "Alright." After which, he stepped off forcefully from the ground and charged forward. Peng peng peng peng! The duo began their sh. On the third blow, Song Ying managed to exploit a w in thebat masters movements and sent a forceful kick in. With a reddened face, thebat master was sent flying before crashing onto the ground. "This..." Seeing how three of their members were no match for the Hongyuan academys students, thebat masters couldnt help but nce at one another, bbergasted. They had thought that Zhuo Qingfeng had exaggerated the strength of Hongyuans candidates, making them out to be more fearsome than they were. However, after seeing them with their own eyes, they had no choice but to admit that Hongyuans students were indeed formidable. One of thebat masters couldnt resist asking, "Could you be the ones who will be participating in the Combat Master Selectionter on, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and the others?" "Zheng Yang? Liu Yang?" Hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi shook his head and said, "They are Principal Zhangs direct disciples, and they are at least a hundredfold stronger than the rest of us. How can we possibly be them?" "You arent? Then... could you all be among the hundred candidates who have cleared the Combat Master Selection this year?" Liao Song asked. "Amongst the hundred candidates?" Ruohuan gongzi shook his once more after hearing those words. "We are too weak, so we were unqualified to participate in the Combat Master Selection." Unqualified to participate in the Combat Master Selection? Liao Songs body staggered as a stifling sensation struck his chest. "Then, you are..." "We are from the Xuanxuan Faction!" Ruohuan gongzi replied earnestly, looking straight at thebat masters. "Our strength is nothing much. There are at least thirty thousand other members within the faction who possess fighting prowess on par with us!" Chapter 964: Progeny of Combat Chapter 964: Progeny of Combat Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Nothing much?" "There are at least thirty thousand other members who possess fighting prowess on par with you?" Thebat masters stared at one another, and they could each see the mental breakdown the others were suffering through their eyes. They had arrived proudly as invigtors, thinking that they were the pinnacle of fighting prowess in their respective cultivation realms. Yet, before they could even meet the talent they were supposed to assess, they were defeated by just a few students ying by the roadside! Must realitye crushing down on them so heavily like a sledgehammer? More importantly, it was one thing if there were only one or two of such experts throughout the entire academy. However, ording to the other party, this Xuanxuan Faction or something had thirty thousand people possessing such strength. In that moment, Liao Song could only feel his entire mind nking out, unable toprehend the meaning of those words. Despite being a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, he felt like Granny Liu paying a visit to the Grand View Gardens 1 . He couldnt help but doubt everything that he thought he knew, and even life itself! "What, you dont believe me?" Seeing the shocked expression on everyones faces, Ruohuan suddenly chuckled softly, and he gestured behind him. "It happens that the members of our Xuanxuan Faction have gathered over there. Why dont I take you over to have a look?" "Gathered?" "Un. Follow me!" Nodding, Ruohuan gongzi beckoned the group to follow him. Liao Song and the others exchanged nces with one another before hurriedly following behind him. Not too longter, they saw a huge group of people gathered in a massive square in front of them. They were gathered in groups, seemingly discussing something. From time to time, a couple of people would spar with one another. "Is that the fundamental fist art, Flood of the Grand River? Isnt it an extremely weak battle technique severelycking in strength? How did they manage to draw so much power from it?" "That is the Fallen Gale Sword Art, a Spirit intermediate-tier battle technique! I once attempted to cultivate that technique, but due to the excessiveplexity of the move and the limited prowess one can exert through it, I eventually gave up on it. Why does it seem to possess prowessparable to a Spirit high-tier battle technique in his hands?" "That fist art and movement art over there might be simple, but they are aligned with the very essence ofbat itself, making it extremely hard to guard against it. Even I would find it hard to withstand it if an opponent were to use such a powerful move against me in a battle!" "What is that move? Wait, arent those just a few basic maneuvers being chained together? Is it really possible to draw strengthparable to a Spirit high-tier battle technique just like that?" ... Upon seeing the offense and defense of the various sparring students, the cheeks of thebat masters began twitching uncontrobly. They hadnt fought any of the students here yet, but through their eyes of discernment, they could tell that they would wield fighting prowess on par with that Ruohuan person in a real battle. In other words, if their group were to be thrown amid the thirty thousand students gathered here, not only would they not stand out, they would even be among the very bottom of the group! Just what in the world was going on? They werebat masters, top-notchbat experts sieved out from countless other master teachers and cultivators! Unable to hold himself back anymore, Liao Song turned to Ruohuan gongzi and asked, "How did you gain such incredible fighting prowess?" "At the start, we were also just ordinary students. It was only after going through an entire afternoon of lectures from Principal Zhang that we gained such strength!" Upon speaking of Principal Zhang, Ruohuan gongzis eyes began gleaming with excitement and respect. He could still remember the exhration he had felt when he listened to Principal Zhangs teachings. During those lectures, he knew that if he could internalize everything that Principal Zhang was imparting to them, his fighting prowess would advance by leaps and bounds. It was as if the cultivators in the world could be divided into two categoriesthose who had listened to Principal Zhangs lecture and those who hadntand a huge, unbreachable rift stood between the two groups. This was precisely the reason countless students had knocked on the doors of the Xuanxuan Faction over the past few days, hoping to join the faction. However, so as to not undermine the academy through the faction, the faction had chosen to limit its numbers, and that had left countless extremely regretful that they hadnt joined back when they had been given the chance to do so. "An entire afternoon of lectures?" Liao Song was stunned. A mere afternoon of lectures was sufficient to make your fighting prowess rise to such an unbelievable extent? Are you joking with me? If ones fighting prowess could be raised so easily, doesnt that mean that the unimaginable suffering that we,bat masters, have been put through day after day has been in vain? "Indeed." Ruohuan gongzi sighed inmentation. "However, it is a pity that Principal Zhang is an extremely busy man. Otherwise, if he were to just hold a few more lectures, our fighting prowess would surely be much stronger than it is now." "Much stronger?" Liao Songs mouth began twitching once more. This group of students was already so powerful that even they,bat masters, were no match for them. If they were to get even stronger... that would be unthinkable! If so, wouldnt the existence ofbat masters be redundant? While Liao Song was still feeling incredibly stifled within, Ruohuan gongzi suddenly asked, "Right, who are you? Why did youe to the academy?" "We... we are... We came to find Combat Master Zhuo!" Liao Song had intended to say that they werebat masters, but in the end, he swallowed those words. "So, you are Combat Master Zhuos friends! Give me a moment, I will have someone show you to him." Coming to a realization, Ruohuan gongzi beckoned for a faction member over and instructed him to lead Liao Song and the others to Zhuo Qingfengs amodation. "Thank you!" Liao Song said before hurriedly leaving with his group, fearing that the morale would take another fatal blow if they were to remain there for a moment longer. Shortly after Liao Song and the others left, a student walked up and asked doubtfully, "Ruohuan, who are these people?" "I am not too sure either. I thought that they werebat masters initially, but after fighting with them, I am certain that isnt the case. After all, how couldbat masters, who devote their time and effort to furthering theirbat ability, be socking in terms ofbat sense? Forget it! As long as they arentbat masters, we can try to recruit them into the Xuanxuan Faction. I can tell that they are rather talented. If we train them for a few days, they could very well be a powerful addition to our group!" Ruohuan gongzi replied. "Our Xuanxuan Faction is currently only taking in talents. If they wish to join, we should put them through the examination first before deciding whether to ept them or not. If they cant even clear the examination, they are clearly unqualified to be esteemed members of our faction," the other student sneered. "That goes without saying. Our Xuanxuan Faction chooses its members very carefully. Their fighting prowess is still decent, but they seem to be a littlecking to clear our examination," Ruohuan gongzi said proudly. ... As the group ofbat masters followed behind the member of the Xuanxuan Faction, one of thebat masters couldnt help but turn to Liao Song and ask, "Liao shi, how are those fellows so powerful?" "I have no idea," Liao Song replied with a deep frown. All along, he had thought thatbat masters were the representation of the strongest fighting force in their respective cultivation realms. But after meeting the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, this long-established belief that he had held onto for many years had suddenlye crashing down! After a moments silence, Liao Song remarked deeply, "It is no wonder Zhuo Qingfeng had use here. There is truly something peculiar about this Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy." Even a few passers-by they had met on the street was capable of utterly overpowering them, leaving them incapable of retaliating at all. It was fortunate that they werent enemies, or else they might just have met their end there. "Combat Master Liao, youre here." Before entering the residence, Zhuo Qingfeng, who had heard of the news beforehand, had alreadye out to wee the group. Upon seeing Liao Song, a look of agitation immediately appeared on his face. However, a momentter, he realized that something was amiss with the group. Combat masters tended to carry a proud and might aura before others, but the group before him looked listless, as if eggnts battered by the cold 2 . "What happened to you all?" Zhuo Qingfeng couldnt hide his curiosity. "Tell me the situation with the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy." Liao Song didnt respond to Zhuo Qingfengs question. He couldnt help but remember the young man from before saying that the origin of their strength hade from an afternoon of lecture from their principal, so he requested more information from Zhuo Qingfeng upon seeing thetter. "You mean Principal Zhang? Alright..." Zhuo Qingfeng pondered for a moment before telling everything that he knew about Principal Zhang to Liao Song. "Just an hour-long lecture from that Principal Zhang, and ourbat masters were no match for Hongyuans candidates at all? A night of supplementary lesson, and Hongyuans candidates achieved zhenqi purity and physical strength far beyond ourbat masters?" Liao Song and thebat masters behind him felt as if they were listening to a ghost story. Their goosebumps rose up as horror surfaced on their faces. "Indeed!" Zhuo Qingfeng nodded with a bitter smile. "Oh right, Principal Zhangs four direct disciples have been waiting for you in the residence for some time now. I will be depending on you to assess themter on!" "Principal Zhangs four direct disciples? How strong are they?" Liao Song immediately asked. "I would say that they are invincible in their respective cultivation realms. At the very least, I am no match for them at all!" Zhuo Qingfeng replied. "Even you are no match for them?" Liao Song was astounded. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "If they are that strong, I think... we should assess them through the Dragon Gate Formation!" "Dragon Gate Formation? Isnt that our Combat Master Halls trial for the Progeny of Combat? Liao shi intends to... assess if they are qualified to be the Progeny of Combat?" Zhuo Qingfeng was astonished. "Indeed. Considering how Principal Zhang is able to raise the fighting prowess of the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to such a tremendous extent with just a few hours of lecturing, his direct disciples... might just be able to clear the Dragon Gate Formation. If they seed, we, as the ones who have found the Progeny of Combat, will gain significant authority and power within the Combat Master Hall!" Liao Song said. "This..." Zhuo Qingfeng fell silent. Indeed, if one were to view the Combat Master Hall as a n, the position of Progeny of Combat would be equivalent to the sessor of the n! In other words, as long as the Progeny of Combat matured, he would be the new head of the Combat Master Hall! Countlessbat masters drove themselves to the limits, hoping to be the Progeny of Combat, but it was a pity that it was simply too difficult. For three hundred years, the Combat Master Hall had gone without a Progeny of Combat or a hall master... Would Principal Zhangs direct disciples really be able to clear the trial? Even Combat Master Zhuo, who had tested Zheng Yangs strength personally, had no confidence whatsoever. The Dragon Gate Formation was difficult to the point that most would think it impossible to beat! If Principal Zhangs direct disciples were really able to clear the trial and be the Progeny of Combat, they, as the ones who had discovered the next Progeny of Combat, would have made a great contribution to the Combat Master Hall for finding its next leader. Naturally, their standing would rise, and they would gain ess to better resources as well. "We are unable to set up theplete Dragon Gate Formation, but we can emte a simplified version. As long as they seed in clearing this trial, we will be able to bring them back to the headquarters to apply for the real trial... Regardless of whether they seed or not, this will be something good for us!" Liao Song said. It would be best if Principal Zhangs direct disciples could be the Progeny of Combat, but even if they were to fail, their great talent ensured that they would rise to a position far higher than them if they entered the Combat Master Hall. Naturally, it would be wonderful if they could gain such powerful backing. Without hesitating for long, Zhuo Qingfeng replied, "Alright then. Lets have them challenge the simplified Dragon Gate Formation." "Un." Liao Song nodded. Having decided on this matter, thebat masters began making their way into the residence. Shortly after entering the residence, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and a few others stepped forward to wee them, followed by Wo Tianqiong, Wu Ran, and the others. So as to spectate the assessment, the other three academies had decided to extend their stay in Hongyuan. Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan were also in the residence, and they stood by the corner with an upright posture reminiscent of a sharp spear. "Allow me to make the introductions, this is the Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, as well as my senior, Liao Song! He will be in charge of Zheng Yang and the others assessment," Zhuo Qingfeng said. "Paying respects to Combat Master Liao!" The crowd sped their fists and greeted him. "Un, there is no need to stand on ceremony. If I am not mistaken, these four should be Principal Zhangs direct disciples who are participating in the assessment, right?" Liao Song shot an acknowledging nod to the crowd before turning to Zheng Yang and the others. "Thats right; we are students of Zhang Xuan!" Zheng Yang and the others nodded. "Indeed, impressive young talents," Combat Master Liao said with a smile. "I have already heard about your affairs from Combat Master Zhuo earlier, and I intend to have you challenge the Dragon Gate Formation trial!" "Dragon Gate Formation?" Zheng Yang and the others asked with a look of confusion. Wo Tianqiong and the others also didnt seem to have heard of the term before. "The name of the Dragon Gate Formation originates from the story about the carps leaping beyond the Dragon Gate 3 . As long as you can clear this trial, you will immediately rise to a position far beyond others and be one of the few powerhouses of the Master Teacher Pavilion or even the entire Master Teacher Continent!" Liao Song said. Chapter 965: Dragon Gate Formation Chapter 965: Dragon Gate Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Rise to a position far beyond the others?" "One of the few powerhouses?" The crowd couldnt help but frown upon hearing those words. The Combat Master Hall was indeed powerful despite being a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but for a single trial to shake the entire Master Teacher Continent, wasnt this too much of an exaggeration? Seeing the looks of disbelief on the faces of others, Liao Song exined, "I am not exaggerating when I say those words. Clearing the Dragon Gate Formation is no easy feat at all. The Combat Master Hall has innumerable outstanding youngbat masters, but in the past three hundred years, not a single person has seeded in clearing the trial. I believe this is more than enough to show how difficult it is. If any individual seeds in clearing the Dragon Gate Formation, the main headquarters of the Combat Master Hall will take them away and devote its resources to groom them. It will only be a matter of time before he bes one of the strongest figures on the continent!" "Not a single person has cleared the trial in the past three hundred years?" Everyone was astonished. The Combat Master Hall was an organization that gathered the greatestbat talents throughout the Master Teacher Continent, and its strength was irrefutable. Yet, for all the talents it had, none of them had actually seeded in clearing the Dragon Gate Formation? This was unbelievable! School Head Mo couldnt help but ask, "How does the Dragon Gate Formation work?" The others also turned their gazes over. Considering how exaggerated it sounded, the Dragon Gate Formation trial was bound to be something extremely difficult. Otherwise, it couldnt have stopped so manybat masters in their footsteps. "Simple. The Dragon Gate Formation is divided into three main sections, the Dragons Tail, the Dragons Back, and the Dragons Head. In each section, the challenger will have to face threebat masters! Of the threebat masters the challenger will be facing in the Dragons Tail, one will possess cultivation equal to the challenger, one a cultivation stage stronger than the challenger, and one two cultivation stages stronger than the challenger," Liao Song said. "Threebat masters? And their cultivations are getting progressively higher?" The crowd couldnt help but frown. Combat masters wielded the strength to challenge opponents stronger than them, making them nigh invincible figures within their own cultivation realms. To face three of such opponents at once, and two of them even being stronger than challenger by a cultivation stage and two cultivation stages... This was truly a frightening trial! "The same applies for the Dragons Back, just that the threebat masters are three cultivation stages stronger than thebat masters on the Dragons Tail. In other words, the three opponents which the challenger will be facing opponents will be three, four, and five cultivation stages stronger than him!" Liao Song exined. "Take Zheng Yang for example, given that his cultivation is current at Chrysalis realm primary stage, thebat masters he will be facing on the Dragons Back will be at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, Half-Saint primary stage, and Half-Saint intermediate stage!" "This..." Everyones face twitched in astonishment, and even Zheng Yang and the others couldnt help but clench their fists tightly. "Last but not least, on the Dragons Head, the challenger will face threebat masters that are six, seven, and eight cultivation stages stronger than them. Using Zheng Yang as an example once more, he will face opponents at Half-Saint advanced stage, Half-Saint pinnacle, and... Nascent Saint primary stage! "To clear the Dragon Gate Formation, one will have to defeat all ninebat masters. Thesebat masters will be a Hundred Men Commander at the very least, and what makes the trial even more difficult is that thesebat masters are skilled in coborating with one another. Thebined fighting prowess they disy will be far beyond what they can do individually. With my strength, I wouldnt be able to clear even the easiest Dragons Tail..." Liao Song said grimly. After hearing the rules, everyone fell silent. Honestly speaking, the trial was truly difficult. Each Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall wielded strength far beyond their cultivation realm, and to face three of them simultaneously, especially when their cultivation realms were equal or greater than one... That was impossible to seed! It was no wonder no one had cleared this trial in the past three hundred years! This trial was simply too difficult! Not even the powerful Captains of the Combat Master Hall would be able to clear it! "How is it? Do you want to give it a try?" After exining the Dragon Gate Formation, Liao Song turned his gaze to Zheng Yang and the others and asked. Instead of responding immediately, Zheng Yang and the others lowered their heads contemtively. Zhuo Qingfeng was a Hundred Men Commander himself, and having crossed hands with him, Zheng Yang knew how powerful the other party was. To have to defeat nine of such opponents consecutively, each one stronger than the other, and not to mention, having to deal with their coboration on top of that... The trial was indeed terrifyingly difficult! "To tell you the truth, the Dragon Gate Formation I am speaking about is only the simplified version. The Dragon Gate Formation at the headquarters requires the challenger to face the Dragons Pearl as well. At the Dragons Pearl, an incredibly powerful expert awaits," Liao Song said. The simplified version of the Dragon Gate Formation was usually used to assess ones qualification to face theplete Dragon Gate Formation. But even so, the number of people who had sessfully cleared the simplified version over the past three hundred years could be counted with ones fingers. In other words, of countless geniuses that had risen in the Combat Master Hall in the past three hundred years, less than ten had managed to clear the simplified version of the Dragon Gate Formation. This went to show how difficult it was. Soon, Zheng Yang raised his head and looked at Liao Song with a determined glint in his gaze. "I wish to give it a try." He felt that he had to give it a try. To be honest, he knew that he could easily grow to be one of the strongest experts on the continent following his teacher, but if he were to do so, he would only remain as excess baggage to his teacher. Throughout this journey, he had seen what his teacher had done for them. Advancing his cultivation from Fighter 1-dan to Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, he had used up many resources and innumerable spirit stones, and the amount of resources he would require would only increase exponentially after he reached Saint realm. As a student, it would be extremely unfilial of him to have his teacher continue bearing this burden for him! But if he were to try to obtain the resources required for his cultivation by himself, he didnt have the means to do so, and his teacher wouldnt allow it either. Thus, after much consideration, he felt that the best way was for him to enter the Combat Master Hall. As an organization that nurtured experts boasting the greatest fighting prowess on the continent, it possessed the best resources across the entire Master Teacher Continent. If he could be one of their members, he wouldnt be a burden to his teacher anymore. In fact, he might even be able to shoulder some of the heavy responsibilities that his teacher shouldered. Thus, despite the immense difficulty and danger of the trial, he felt that he had to do it! Just like how his teacher was willing to do anything for him, he was willing to do anything for his teacher as well! "You wish to give it a try? Very well!" Seeing that he had Zheng Yangs approval, Liao Song nodded with a smile. After which, he turned his gaze to Wang Ying and the others. "What about the rest of you?" Wang Ying and the others also raised their faces and replied, with resolute gazes, "We wish to give it a try as well!" They shared Zheng Yangs thoughts as well. Their teacher had simply done too much for them over the past few months. As students, they really couldnt bear to see him working so hard for them anymore. As such, they wished to be independent. Asbat masters, they would be able to make a name for themselves in the world. Perhaps, their teacher would be heartened to see this as well. There was no teacher in the world that didnt wish for their students to spread their wings and soar into the boundless skies. Seeing that Zheng Yang and the others had agreed to the matter, School Head Mo stepped forward and said, "Lets head to the sparring grounds then." "Alright!" Knowing that this wasnt the ce to fight, the others nodded, and the huge crowd began making their way to the sparring grounds. The sparring ground was packed to the brim. Hearing that this assessment would be far more difficult than the previous one, innumerable students had arrived earlier in the morning in order to im better positions to view the battle. The news had also spread far and wide over the past three days, and many experts from Hongyuan Empire and the neighboring empires had arrived to spectate this grand moment. They wished to see what kind of harsh assessment one who was not a master teacher would have to undergo in order to join the Combat Master Hall. As soon as Zheng Yang and the others arrived on the scene, a huge wave of cheers rippled through the crowd. "They are Principal Zhangs direct disciples? They look rather young." "Principal Zhang isnt very old either!" "Is it true that Principal Zhangs direct disciples are guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy?" "Indeed. Theirprehension of battle techniques has reached an unbelievably profound level." ... Many discussions could be heard beneath the stage. When the visiting experts learned that Zheng Yang and the others were actually guest elders in the Master Teacher Academy, they were stunned. There was no one in a Tier-1 Empire who was unaware of the significance of being a guest elder in the Master Teacher Academy. For young cultivators who werent twenty yet and werent even master teachers to be guest elders, just how powerful were they to have been awarded such prestige? "Principal Zhang and his students are truly legends..." "We really should keep our eyes wide open today. We could very well be witnessing the birth of a new legend today!" After listening about the affairs regarding Principal Zhang and his direct disciples, everyone fell silent. It was one thing for the teacher to be so formidable, but for his students to be so outstanding as well, this was truly amazing! "Alright, lets begin the Dragon Gate Formation!" Afterpleting all of the arrangements, Liao Song whistled, and the ninebat masters by his side leaped onto the stage in a winding formation, reminiscent of a massive dragon crouching on the ground, preparing to rise into the boundless sky at any moment. Pilip! With several crisp echoes, the ninebat masters swiftly suppressed their cultivation to the respective levels, ranging from Chrysalis realm primary stage all the way to Nascent Saint primary stage. "I am Liao Song, a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall. I request for the permission to set up the Dragon Gate Formation to assess candidates for Progeny of Combat!" After all was ready, Liao Song took out a token and flicked it into the air, following which the token floated above the grounds, and he began to speak grandly. Boom! Following which, spiritual energy began to gather in the surroundings as an immense power from very distantnds suddenly permeated the surroundings. "This aura... the Combat Master Hall headquarters? Just what is this Dragon Gate Formation for it to actually require the permission of the headquarters?" "I have no idea, but for it to require the headquarters permission, just like the Master Teacher Confrontation... It seems this is no ordinary assessment!" "Indeed. If the supervision of the headquarters is required to conduct this assessment, it can only mean that Combat Master Liao doesnt have the authority to conduct or judge this assessment!" The crowd beneath had no idea what the Dragon Gate Formation represented, but upon seeing Liao Songmunicating with the headquarters to request permission, their expressions swiftly changed to ones of astonishment. For an examination to actually require permission from the headquarters, just how difficult could it be? Hula! While everyone was still in shock, the spiritual energy from the heavens was suddenly reflected onto the ground, seemingly setting up some kind of peculiar formation. Under the effects of the formation, the ninebat masters were divided into three hidden portions, and the only part that was revealed at this moment resembled the powerful trail of a gigantic dragon. It felt as if a singlesh of the tail could cause stir up a powerful storm, and its presence felt incredibly pressurizing to those standing before it. "This is... the prowess of thebat masters has been enhanced by the formation?" The faces of Wo Tianqiong and the others twitched. The threebat masters in the Dragons Tail were already plenty formidable themselves. For them to be augmented by a formation on top of that, how was anyone supposed to defeat that? Putting aside a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator, even a Half-Saint would fall in an instant! "Zheng Yang... be careful!" Wang Ying said with a frown. "Dont worry!" Zheng Yang nodded. He took a deep breath before leaping up onto the stage. With a faint smile on his lips, he dered loudly, "I am the direct disciple of Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang! I will be challenging the Dragon Gate Formation!" Hong long! As soon as the deration was made, a ray of light shot down from the heavens, shrouding Zheng Yangs body, seemingly confirming his identity and strength. Soon, the verification wasplete, and the light faded. A huge word appeared in the sky. "Permitted!" Simr to the Master Teacher Confrontation, this battle would be supervised by the Combat Master Hall headquarters. Seeing that the headquarters had agreed to it, Liao Song heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Alright, you can begin now..." "Un!" Zheng Yang nodded as he flicked his wrist to take out a long spear. With a spear in his hand, his aura immediately changed. It became ferocious and powerful, reminiscent of a mighty tiger. A powerful surge of zhenqi emanated from his body, causing his hair to float in the air. In that moment, he bore some resemnce to an indomitable god of war. "How powerful!" Feeling that incredible aura, the faces of the nonchntbat masters turned grim. Even though the cultivation of the young man before them was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, the sheer might of his aura exceeded even that of a Half-Saint cultivator. "Come!" After sharpening his aura to its limit, Zheng Yang released a furious war cry as he dashed forward toward the threebat masters in the Dragons Tail. In an instant, his spear seemed to converge into a single spot of light as it burst ferociously toward his opponent. Boom! Amidst the incredible might of the spear, a huge shockwave rippled into the surroundings, and a deafening st reminiscent of the roar of thunder silenced the surroundings. Chapter 966: Zhang laoshis Students (1) Chapter 966: Zhangoshis Students (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Hah, do you think we will give you an opportunity to close in on us?" "Humph!" Seeing Zheng Yangs spear warping into a bolt of lightning, the threebat masters maintaining the Dragons Tail harrumphed coldly. They converged their zhenqi together, and in that moment, the spiritual energy within several dozen kilometers felt as if it had been absorbed cleanly by the formation, resulting in the surrounding air bing extremely dry and stifling. Following which, the gigantic Dragons Tailshed at an unbelievable speed toward Zheng Yang. Knowing that thebat masters would retaliate in such a manner, Zheng Yang stepped forcefully against the ground, creating a three cun 1 depression beneath him, and calmly executed a powerful flick to fend off the Dragons Tail. Tzz! As the spear and the Dragons Tail met one another, overwhelmingly powerful gales rippled forth from the collision with incredible momentum, causing the crowd beneath to squint their eyes before the strong winds. "Scram!" Widening his eyes, Zheng Yang roared as he pushed his spear forward with even greater force. Boom! Under the iparable might of his spear, the massive Dragons Tail was forcefully flicked up into the sky. With a single strike, he had overpowered the threebat masters and fended off the Dragons Tail! Pu! Pu! Pu! With the Dragons Tail being flicked away, the threebat masters each spurted a mouthful of blood as they hurriedly took a single step back. They raised their gazes to look at the young man before them once more, but this time, with incredulity etched into their faces. They had guessed that they might not be a match for Zheng Yang when they heard that Combat Master Zhuo wasnt a match for thetter, and the other party epting the challenge of the Dragon Gate Formation trial despite hearing of its difficulty showed his confidence. But... they never could have imagined that they would be overpowered in a sh of brute force! The other party had actually seeded in flicking the Dragons Tail away in a sh of brute force! And more importantly... this was only the first move, and they were already injured! How were they supposed to continue the battle? "The Dragon Gate Formation is supervised by the Combat Master Hall headquarters, so no cheating of any sort is allowed. He might have flicked away the Dragons Tail, but if he wishes to clear this section, he must defeat us!" one of thebat masters said grimly. So what if the other party had managed to flick away the Dragons Tail? The three of them were only lightly injured in the encounter. With thebined force of three Hundred Men Commanders, it was not entirely impossible for them to stop the other party! "Youre right!" Anotherbat master nodded in agreement as he prepared his stance. However, in that split moment, the weakest of the three, the Chrysalis realm primary stagebat master, was abruptly impaled by a spear in his shoulder and copsed to the ground. "His spear is so swift?" The other twobat masters narrowed their eyes in shock. They might have been talking, but they had been on guard all along, prepared to retaliate should Zheng Yang attempt anything. Yet, the other party had actually managed to breach their defense so easily and defeat one of theirrades. If they were to just speak a few more words, would their team bepletely annihted? "Humph!" But asbat masters who had braved through countless battles, as shock as they were, they didnt allow themselves to panic. Roaring furiously, the remaining twobat masters made their moves simultaneously. Their teamwork was seamless. One of them took care of the offense while the other one covered them both. Two men with four hands, there were far more maneuvers they could execute than their opponent. If their opponent couldnt deal with their attack promptly, he could very well find himself cornered. In face of the offense of the twobat masters, Zheng Yang raised his spear and pushed it forward to perform a pierce. Hu! Even before the spear reached its target, it had already devoured the spiritual energy in the surroundings to warp into a majestic dragon, threatening to devastate all in its path. Peng! The spear tip struck the sword of thebat master responsible for defense, and with a resounding metallic ng, thebat master felt his arm numbing under the immense force, and his purlicue 2 ripped apart ringly. The other partys attack was not only focused and powerful, it was also relentless like a river current. As powerful as his defense was, he still failed to fend off the other partys spear. Zheng Yang sessfully knocked away thebat masters sword, but he didnt push his spear on. This was because the attack of thebat master in charge of offense was already right before him. "Go!" Instead of dodging, Zheng Yang made a sharp swerve in the trajectory of his spear, sweeping it sideward in an arc toward the otherbat master. Peng! It struck the otherbat masters waist squarely. Before thebat master had any time to react, he was already sent flying under the immense might of the sh, spurting blood furiously as he flew through the air, eventually crashing to the bottom of the stage. Weng! After sending thebat master flying, Zheng Yang twisted his spear once more and drove it forward furiously, stopping it only right before the throat of thebat master in charge of defense. "We... have lost!" Feeling the cold killing intent from the tip of the spear, the sole remainingbat masters face turned ashen in despair. Of the three of them guarding the Dragons Tail, their opponent first move swiftly incapacitated the weakest of them with a swift pierce before turning the assault toward him. However, the assault turned out to be only a feint to draw in the attack of the otherbat master. While the otherbat masterunched his attack, the opponent swiftly turned his pierce into a sweep, catching the otherbat master off guard and knocking him off the stage, thus undoing their teamwork. With that, he was the only one left. There was no way he could win at this point anymore. "They lost, just like that?" "That Zheng Yang only used three moves..." "Indeed! To defeat the Dragons Tail in just three moves... that is too fearsome!" "Even though it was only three moves, did you notice how he was able to transition from a pierce into a sweep without any pause in between? Such an abrupt change in motion will cause the zhenqi in ones body to collide forcefully with one another... How strong is his body to be able to endure the bacsh without a problem?" "Youre right. This kind of forceful change in motion can easily result in ones meridians rupturing, but not only was he fine, his sweep was extremely powerful as well. This only goes to show that his body is powerful, his meridians are resilient, and his zhenqi is iparably pure. Without any of the three, it would be impossible to pull off such a stunt!" "If it was me, even without an opponent, I would have surely sustained severe internal injuries..." Upon seeing this sight, everyones faces paled in astonishment. Zheng Yangs movements seemed simple, but they were highly demanding on ones body, zhenqi, meridians, and reflexes. If any of those were to fail to meet the mark, not only would he have failed to achieve victory, he would even have sustained severe internal injuries on the spot. On top of that, it was apparent that he had grasped the flow of battle precisely to defeat the threebat masters of the Dragons Tail in the shortest time with the minimal depletion. This went to show that not only did he possess superior strength, hisprehension ofbat had also reached an unbelievable level. "Their loss was inevitable..." Liao Song shook his head. He had been thinking that it was unlikely for Zheng Yang to sessfully clear the Dragon Gate Formation, but after seeing this, he couldnt help but think that perhaps the young man before him might just be able to aplish this impressive feat that none had aplished in the past three hundred years. The threebat masters that Zheng Yang had faced earlier were his subordinates, and he knew very well how formidable their fighting prowess was when they coborated with one another. Yet, despite the augmentation from the Dragon Gate Formation on top of that, they hadnt been able to withstand three blows from him. The other partys strength was indeed fearsome. With his cultivation suppressed to be of an equal level to the other party, even three of him were unlikely to be a match for the other party. Hu! While the crowd below was still recovering from the shocking scene they had just witnessed, on the stage, Zheng Yang exhaled a mouthful of turbid air before he raised his gaze toward the Dragons Back and walked with widened strides. To the others, it might have seemed as if he had achieved an easy victory. However, he knew very well that it hadnt been as easy as hed made it out to be. Had he not internalized the essence of his teachers impartation, it would have been impossible for him to defeat thebat masters so swiftly. Even so, he still felt a stifling sensation in his chest and a sharp pain in his meridians, as if someone had attempted to rip them apart. Facing the Dragons Tail head on and the sharp change in his maneuver had caused him some injuries, but fortunately, they werent too serious. While walking forward, he drove his zhenqi in a way that his teacher had taught him to heal his injuries. By the time he was on his tenth step, he felt the stifling sensation in his chest alleviate, and his strength was restored back to its peak. Even though he had only cultivated a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art, his zhenqi did share some of the miraculous properties that Heavens Path zhenqi possessed. He could heal his wounds and stamina far swifter and more efficiently aspared to cultivators with other zhenqi. "Time to challenge the next opponents!" With his strength restored, Zheng Yang smirked as he drove his spear forward toward the threebat masters of the Dragons Back. Even the weakest of thebat masters of the Dragons Back had a cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle while the other two were Half-Saint experts. Theirbined fighting prowess was several times stronger than that of the Dragons Tailbat masters. Grasping the initiative, he pushed forcefully against the ground, and as if a bolt of lightning, he was already standing before the threebat masters in the blink of an eye. With immense force, he thrust his spear forward toward them. Seeing the abrupt burst of speed from Zheng Yang, Liu Yang couldnt help but turn to the youngdy beside him and ask, "Wang Ying, you imparted your movement technique to him?" "Un." Wang Ying nodded. Their teacher had only imparted the movement art to her, but as fellow disciples, they shared a close rtionship and often interacted and learned from one another. In those interactions, she had imparted the movement technique to Zheng Yang, and thetter had also imparted his spear art to her. However, it was a pity that Zheng Yangs talent in the field of movement arts was beneath hers. Nevertheless, he was still able to move at incredible speeds with it, making it was a powerful tool he could utilize in battle to catch his opponent off guard. Zheng Yangs spear was directed at the blind spot of two of thebat masters, catching them off guard. However, the remainingbat master was able to react swiftly, and he shed his sword toward Zheng Yangs back. At this point, it was already toote to retract his spear. Left with no choice, Zheng Yang twisted his body slightly and sent a punch toward his back. Peng! His fist collided with thebat masters sword, and the pale-facedtter was forced to retreat seven steps. Upon seeing this fight, Wang Ying nced to Liu Yang and asked with a smile, "You also imparted your fist art to him?" "Thats right." Liu Yang nodded. He had also imparted his fist art to Zheng Yang. In other words, thetter possessed a strong fist art, movement art, leg art, and spear art, granting him plenty of options to maneuver around in a battle. "It will be difficult for those three to defeat Zheng Yang," Wang Ying remarked with a meaningful smile. They knew very well how powerful the battle techniques that their teacher had imparted to them were, especially given that they had cultivated the techniques themselves. Just by learning a single maneuver in their battle technique, a cultivator could easily go unrivaled by any of their peers in the world. On the other hand, Zheng Yang had learned the full battle technique and achieved deep mastery in each of them. The threebat masters on the stage each possessed a higher cultivation than him, two of them even reaching Half-Saint, but it would still be difficult for them to defeat Zheng Yang. While his fellow disciples were conversing, on the stage, Zheng Yang was alternating his usage of fist art, spear art, and movement art, making it difficult for the threebat masters to defend against him. His fist was forceful, his spear was swift, and his movement art was unfathomable. Facing such powerful battle techniques, cold sweat began to trickle down the foreheads of the threebat masters as the pressure they felt grew progressively greater. "This wont do. At this rate, we will surely lose," one of thebat masters eximed. As they had suppressed their cultivation to the required levels as demanded by the requirement of the Dragon Gate Formation, their eyes of discernment andbat sense exceeded those that were typical of their current suppressed cultivation realm. Yet, despite utilizing all of their means, they were still unable to clinch the upper hand. On the contrary, if they were to make the slightest mistake, they could very well find themselves pierced by a sharp spear. The pressure they were under was so great that they felt like they were going to copse from it. The young man before their eyes was young, but his physical strength, zhenqi, eye of discernment, andprehension ofbat were clearly far above them individually. It was as if their opponent had no weakness that they could exploit at all! "Use our strongest move!" anotherbat master yelled as he swung the sword in his hands furiously. The immense zhenqi he exerted in the move formed a huge curtain in the air, looming above Zheng Yang like a huge wave that would soon crash down on him. Not wanting to be outdone, anotherbat master grabbed his spear tightly, imbuing it with a brilliant blue light. After which, he tossed his spear forward with astounding momentum, and in that instant, even the heavens seemed to have darkened in fear before its sharp tip, seemingly fearing that the spear would pierce a hole through it. "Dont forget that there is still me!" The thirdbat master leaped into the air and swung his gigantic hammer down furiously. In that moment, it felt like a massive pot lid had appeared above the stage, covering the entire area as it descended with frightening force. The teamwork of the threebat masters was seamless. Without evenmunicating with one another, they had each assumed a certain role in the attack, be it offense, defense, or sealing the opponents movement. In that moment, Zheng Yang fell into a perilous situation. Upon seeing that sight, the faces of School Head Mo and the others paled. "This is bad. They have devoted the maximum strength that they can draw from their current cultivation in that attack. I fear that Zheng Yang will be unable to survive the attack." If it had been them challenging the Dragons Back, it was unlikely that they would have been able to even withstand a single blow. It was truly not easy for a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth to have held on until this point. But facing such a dire situation, was it still possible for him to turn the tables and achieve victory? At this point, everyone felt as if their hearts were about to leap out of their throats. Chapter 967: Zhang laoshis Students (2) Chapter 967: Zhangoshis Students (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Humph!" Facing the devastating attacks all around him, Zheng Yang didnt panic. Instead, a smile crept onto his lips. "Finally!" He ignored the attacks and leaped into the sky instead. "What is he doing? He will only expose more openings in the sky and hasten his loss!" "If he attempts to escape at this point, he will only be cornering himself further! Is he trying to admit defeat?" "Even though he will be able to avoid the attacks for the time being through his move, he will only be exposing him to even more danger in a moment. This is truly a failed move." ... Amotion broke out amid the crowd. Zheng Yang had disyed incredible battle sense and outstanding maneuvers throughout the course of the battle, aweing everyone, so why would he make such a fatal w in this crucial moment? Chrysalis realm cultivators were incapable of flight, and if he had remained on the ground, he might still have stood a chance against thebat masters. The inability of Chrysalis realm cultivators to maneuver adeptly in the air only meant that he would be an easy target for his opponents to strike. Before innumerable shocked gazes, Zheng Yang moved horizontally in the air to dodge all of the attacks heading for him before charging downwards with his spear. "Is he... flying?" "How can a Chrysalis realm cultivator fly?" Everyone was stunned. Only a Half-Saint who had opened their Zhukong acupoint was capable of flying freely in the sky. The young man before them was just a Chrysalis realm cultivator, so how could he maneuver so freely in the air? Wang Ying chuckled. "It seems like Teacher has taught him the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps as well." Their teacher had been able to fly in the air freely despite being at Transcendent Mortal realm because he had cultivated this movement technique. Clearly, Zheng Yang had inherited that technique as well. "Zheng Yang is indeed rather sharp. He knows that under normal circumstances, he wouldnt be able to stand against their strongest moves. Thus, he chose to intentionally disy an opening to focus everyones attacks on him, but making use of the conventional notion that Chrysalis realm cultivators are incapable of flight, he caught them off guard and easily averted the crisis while turning the situation on them at the same time. Those three are done for," Liu Yang said with a smile. It was amon notion among cultivators that those beneath Chrysalis realm were weak in the air because they were incapable of flight, and it was making use of this notion that Zheng Yang had been able to earn an opportunity to strike. Before Liu Yang could finish his words, Zheng Yangs spear transformed into innumerable bursts of light that shot forth from the sky, barraging the threebat masters on the stage. Peng! Peng! Peng! Under the relentless assault, the faces of the threebat masters paled as they were knocked back, and two even fell straight off the stage. "It seems like I have won!" Holding his spear, Zheng Yang stood upright on the stage as he shot a sweeping gaze at his surroundings with an indomitable disposition. Many had thought that he would fall at the Dragons Back, but he had managed to clear it sessfully. After clearing this section, Zheng Yang didnt rush ahead. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the ground and swallowed a pill to recover his stamina and depleted zhenqi. Upon seeing his actions, the surroundings immediately fell silent so as not to disturb his recuperation. Beneath the stage, Liao Song clenched his fists tightly as his face reddened in agitation. The fact that Zheng Yang had sessfully cleared the Dragons Back bore testimony to his strength. As long as he trained diligently after entering the Combat Master Hall, he would surely be able to be a Captain at the very least in the future. To have discovered such an expert, he would surely be able to rise through the ranks. Even if Zheng Yang failed to clear the final Dragons Head, he would still benefit greatly from this matter. ... Zheng Yang rested for a whole hour before standing up. At this point, the energy coursing through his body had reached a new peak. As if a powerful storm had been raised within his body, the deep rumbling of thunder could be vaguely heard from within his body. With every step he took forward, the aura he emanated grew stronger and sharper by a bit. By the eighth step, a loud buzz sounded, and his cultivation advanced from Chrysalis realm primary stage to intermediate stage! "He is advancing his cultivation right before the battle?" Wo Tianqiong was astonished. He turned his gaze to Liao Song and asked, "Will thebat masters in the Dragons Head adjust their cultivation ordingly?" The opponents in the Dragons Tail, Dragons Back, and Dragons Head of the Dragon Gate Formation were scaled ording to the cultivation of the challenger. Given that Zheng Yang had achieved a breakthrough, would the opponents behind adjust the difficulty of the challenge ording to the present circumstances? "They wont. There is a time limit of two hours to the trial, and achieving a breakthrough within this limited time can be considered a method of adaptation by the cultivator. It wont cause any difference to the difficulty of theter trials," Liao Song replied. If a challenger was able to achieve a breakthrough within the duration of the Dragon Gate Formation, it would be attributed to the challengers own capability as well. As such, no adjustments would be made. Besides, a breakthrough by a cultivation stage wouldnt make much of a difference to the trial. After all, there was no way one could achieve a breakthrough by an entire cultivation realm within two hours! While they were speaking, Zheng Yang continued walking. By the eleventh step, he had already managed to reinforce his Chrysalis realm intermediate stage cultivation fully. Proceeding ahead, the zhenqi in his body began rumbling once more, just like before, and his aura continued to grow stronger. Boom! By the neenth step, he overcame his bottleneck and sessfully reached Chrysalis realm advanced stage! "This..." Everyones eyebrows leaped up. As cultivators, they had seen many breakthroughs throughout their lives, but they had never seen a person making consecutively breakthroughs so quickly! To make two breakthroughs while walking a little more than a dozen steps, this was inconceivable! On top of that, Zheng Yang was showing no signs of stopping yet. As he continued walking forward, the energy in his body continued to rumble furiously. By the time he reached the Dragons Head, his cultivation had already reached Chrysalis realm pinnacle! Wang Ying smiled. "Over the past few days, Zheng Yang has umted a vast amount of zhenqi, but he chose to suppress his cultivation until this moment. Finally, his hard work has paid off..." Back when Zheng Yang received news that he was going to take the assessment to be abat master, he worked harder than ever on his cultivation, but he chose to suppress it despite already being able to achieve a breakthrough. The purpose of it was so as to allow him to swiftly reach higher realms in the middle of a battle and catch his opponent off guard. Of course, the main reason he was able to do so was also due to the unique nature of the cultivation technique that his teacher had imparted to him. For normal cultivators, it would already have been incredible if they advanced a cultivation stage on the spot. Due to the capacity of their dantian, they were incapable of storing sufficient zhenqi to make multiple breakthroughs on the spot. "This move of his is not bad; he has lessened the gap between him and thebat masters in the Dragons Head. Perhaps I should try the same when I challenge the trialter on," Liu Yang remarked with a smile. Zheng Yang didnt rush to attack thebat masters of the Dragons Head. Instead, he flicked his wrist and popped a scarlet fruit into his mouth. "That is... the Scarlet Firefly Fruit?" Beneath the stage, Wu Xu and Lu Cheng recognized the item that Zheng Yang had just ingested, and their eyes narrowed in rm. Back then, they had gone to a valley in order to procure that fruit, only to leave empty-handed. All along, they had suspected that Zhang Xuan had taken it before them, and from the looks of it now, that was indeed the case. The Scarlet Firefly Fruit was known for its effect of enhancing a cultivators chances of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint. That fellow on the stage had already advanced his cultivation by three stages. It couldnt be that he still wanted to make the breakthrough to Half-Saint on top of that? There was huge gap between Chrysalis realm and Half-Saint. If one were to seed, there would be a qualitative leap in ones fighting prowess. By then, given hisbat capability, clearing the Dragons Head would be a walk in the park. Wu Xu and Lu Cheng werent the only one who noticed this. Havinge to the same conclusion as well, Liao Song bellowed, " Strike the army while its crossing the river! 1 " Hong long long! Upon hearing the bellow, the threebat masters in the Dragons Head immediately raised their weapons and charged at Zheng Yang. In any case, the other party was already in their area of battle, so it wasnt against the rules for them to make a move. "Hehe, it just so happens that I could use some help digesting this surge of energy. I will use you all to practice my spear!" Zheng Yangs eyebrows shot up as he raised his spear to retaliate. Typically speaking, the Scarlet Firefly Fruit would require at least two to four hours to digest, but if one were to be pressured in battle, the speed could be hastened significantly. Back then, during the Master Teacher Tournament in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang Xuan had used the same method to raise his Transcendent Mortal 4-dan rifying Turbidity realms cultivation swiftly. Under normal circumstances, it would be nigh impossible for Zheng Yang to defeat the Dragons Head. However, with the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, his chances would be boosted manyfold! And as expected, the more he shed with thebat masters, the greater the energy within his body became. In this moment, it was as if he had be a tireless machine of perpetual motion. Not only so, his cultivation was swiftly progressing to Half-Saint. After trading around a hundred blows, a crisp echo sounded from his body, and his fighting prowess suddenly went through a qualitative change and surged exponentially. Half-Saint, reached! Upon reaching Half-Saint, Zheng Yangs fighting prowess had more than doubled. With his newfound strength, the threebat masters of the Dragons Head whom he had struggled against just a moment ago were no longer a match for him. Within ten blows, he had already knocked them off the stage with his spear. Dragon Gate Formation, cleared! "He... really seeded?" Clenching his fists in agitation, Liao Song could hardly believe what he was seeing. A feat that countless geniuses in the Combat Master Hall had failed to achieve, and yet, this sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth who wasnt even a master teacher had actually cleared it so easily... This was inconceivable! "Cleared!" The will from the headquarters supervising the Dragon Gate Formation from the sky left behind this word before gradually fading. In other words, the result of this trial was recognized by the Combat Master Hall headquarters. In the future, if Zheng Yang were to head to the Combat Master Hall headquarters, he could challenge the Dragons Pearl directly without undergoing the previous three sections! While this wasnt theplete Dragon Gate Formation, over the span of the past three hundred years, there were less than tenbat masters who had sessfully cleared this trial. To be even more direct, at this very moment, Zheng Yang had already be a candidate to be the Progeny of Combat. Clenching his fists tightly, tears began to stream down Zheng Yangs cheeks. "I have seeded..." He was only an ordinary youth who had a passion for spearmanship. Had he not met his teacher, he probably would have remained in Tianxuan Kingdom his entire life, unaware of the greater world out there. His cultivation would have been capped at Tongxuan realm 2 , and he might have be a spearmanship teacher for other cultivators. He would have spent the hundred years of his life humbly and idly, achieving nothing significant at all, leaving nothing worthy of note when he was reduced to dust at the end of his life. It was his teacher who had changed his life, showing him that the world was greater than what he could see. It was his teacher who had brought him to where he was, reaching a height that he dared not imagine in the past. It was his teacher who had given him confidence and a goal, teaching him what he should fight for. Clenching his fists tightly, Zheng Yang made a vow. "Teacher, dont worry. I will surely advance further and further. I will make a name out of myself in the Combat Master Hall so as to not let you down!" As Zheng Yang walked down the stage, Liao Song turned his gaze to Wang Ying and the others. "Alright. Now that Zheng Yang has cleared the trial... do the rest of you still want to give it a try?" "Of course!" Wang Ying smiled. Even if she didnt be abat master, she wished to show the world her strength and bring glory to her teachers name! Wang Ying was just about to leap onto the stage when she heard a slightly soft and gentle voice from the side. "Senior, why dont you allow me to try first? I am the most junior of us, so if I am able to clear the trial, you will surely be able to do the same!" Turning around, she saw a pair of eyes looking at her with a brilliant gleam within. Wei Ruyan. Chapter 968: Zhang laoshis Students (3) Chapter 968: Zhangoshis Students (3) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "You?" Wang Ying frowned. Even though they were all direct disciples of Zhangoshi, Wei Ruyan had only joined two months ago, and the guidance she had received from Zhang Xuan was limited. A normalbat master assessment wouldnt pose much of a problem to her, but the Dragon Gate Formation was likely beyond her means for now. After all, even Zheng Yang had needed to use some tricks and put in quite a bit of effort before he could seed. If he hadnt suppressed his cultivation and pushed for a breakthrough in the midst of his battle, it would have been nearly impossible for him to defeat the Dragons Head. "Even though it hasnt been long since I came under Teachers lineage, I hope to give it a try," Wei Ruyan said resolutely. This wasnt a decision she had made on the spur of the moment but something she had decided upon long ago. Seeing that Wei Ruyan was determined, Wang Ying nodded. "Alright then. Be careful. If you find yourself in any danger, surrender immediately!" "Thank you, senior!" Wei Ruyan replied before leaping onto the stage. "Is thisdy... Principal Zhangs direct disciple as well?" Upon seeing Wei Ruyan going onto the stage, doubtful expressions surfaced on the faces of the students and teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang were guest elders in the academy, so it was natural that the students and teachers had heard of them. On the other hand, Wei Ruyan had never appeared in public before. Furthermore, she had a particrly weak physique, which indicated that she wasnt an active person, so was she really suited to challenge the Dragon Gate Formation? "I heard that she is a student that Principal Zhang epted two months ago!" "Two months ago? So short?" "Thats right..." Some who were aware of the matter whispered among the crowd, sharing the news around. Principal Zhang was formidable, but it seemed impossible, even for him, to train a student whom he had epted only two months early to a standard capable of clearing the trial. On top of that, Principal Zhang had been outside for most of the past two months due to his 6-star master teacher examination, only returning a few days prior. Even if he had made time for some lessons with Wei Ruyan, the amount of time they would have had together was still severely limited. Was that really sufficient for her to clear such a difficult trial? After all, the Dragon Gate Formation was at least tenfold more difficult than the Combat Master Selection before! After checking Wei Ruyans cultivation, Liao Song said, "Your cultivation is at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, so going by that, the opponents you will be facing will have cultivations ranging from Chrysalis realm pinnacle to Nascent Saint pinnacle!" Of the group who had assessed Zheng Yang, even though one had been impaled by his spear, there were still others who could substitute for the wounded. As for the others, while they had been wounded in the confrontation, those were just light wounds, and they had mostly recovered. It wasnt a problem for them to go another round. Thus, they were still able to make up the nine members required for the Dragon Gate Formation. "Alright." Wei Ruyan nodded. Had Zheng Yang not achieved the consecutive breakthroughs, she would have been the one with the highest cultivation among Zhang Xuans direct disciples. At the current moment, she was just a step away from reaching Half-Saint. An hourter, the preparation for the Dragon Gate Formation was finally done. Liao Song turned to Wei Ruyan and said, "Alright, you can begin!" Wei Ruyan nodded, and her eyes immediately turned grim. At the same time, her mind became incrediblyposed, unperturbed by anything in her surroundings. Tortured by her affliction for so many years, she had matured far beyond her age. In terms of mental resilience, even Lu Chong couldntpare with her. In face of difficult situations, she could maintain herposure and not panic. Hu! With the start of the trial, the threebat masters began to drive their zhenqi, and a powerful might burst forth from them, creating an immense pressure on their opponent. Wei Ruyan pushed her feet against the ground and dashed right toward them. "She isnt going to use any weapons?" Seeing Wei Ruyan rushing toward the Dragons Tail unarmed, the crowd couldnt help but frown. Even with a spear in hand, Zheng Yang had found it rtively tough to deal with the Dragon Gate Formation. Considering that Wei Ruyan was a delicatedy, how could she defeat the powerfulbat masters bare-handed? "She... just started cultivating two months ago, so she hasnt learned how to wield any weapons yet," Wang Ying exined with a bitter smile. "Just started cultivating two months ago?" Wo Tianqiong widened his eyes in shock. "Un. She has been ill from a young age, and it was only two months ago that our teacher sessfully treated her affliction and epted her as his direct disciple. It was then that she first started cultivating," Wang Ying replied. "She only started cultivating two months ago and is unable to use any weapon. How is she supposed to win like that?" Wo Tianqiong nearly fainted on the spot. They had all seen with his own eyes how fearsome the Dragon Gate Formation was. For a cultivator who had just started cultivating two months ago and couldnt even wield a weapon properly to rush right in... Are you here to y? Hearing those words, Liao Songs lips also twitched. The Dragon Gate Formation is a trial that countlessbat masters have challenged only to fail. Do you all really think that... it is that simple to clear? Peng! Peng! Peng! While the group was speaking, Wei Ruyan had already begun shing with the threebat masters of the Dragons Tail. Upon seeing their fight, Liao Songs cheeks began to twitch. "She... doesnt know any battle techniques?" To his astonishment, the youngdys movements were extremely crude, as if she had never learned even the most basic of fist arts before. She was simply iling her arms around erratically with all the strength she could muster, a clear indication of an amateur. Anyone who had learned the slightest bit of a battle technique would never utilize such crude movements! "Battle techniques... In the past two months, she has been busy reinforcing her cultivation, and Teacher also hasnt had any time to teach her a battle technique yet," Wang Ying said awkwardly. From the moment she woke up, Wei Ruyan had been a Chrysalis realm cultivator. But as strong as she was, her power was built up through the umtion of medicinal energy, an extremely unstable foundation. As such, their teacher had instructed her to start cultivating from the very bottom to reinforce her cultivation. Working diligently for the past two months, she had barely managed to reinforce her cultivation up to Chrysalis realm, so how could she have any time to learn battle techniques? Besides, their teacher had been extremely busy in the past two months, only meeting them on three asions to guide them in their cultivation. "She wasnt taught any battle techniques?" Hearing those words, Liao Song nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. "Given her state... you still allowed her to challenge the Dragon Gate Formation?" Arent you making light of the Dragon Gate Formation? Putting aside the fact that she is unable to use any weapon and hasnt learned any battle techniques at all, more importantly, she only started cultivating two months ago! To allow such an amateur to challenge the Dragon Gate Formation, arent you underestimating ourbat masters way too much? They were impressed by Principal Zhang because of his deep understanding of battle techniques andbat techniques. Those who had listened to his lecture had found their fighting prowess raised by leaps and bounds. However, even though Wei Ruyan was Principal Zhangs direct disciple, she had barely learned any of the basics! To challenge the Dragon Gate Formation like that... there was no doubt, she was bound to lose! The same thoughts also surfaced in the minds of Wo Tianqiong, Wu Ran, and the others, and they couldnt help but shake their heads. "Its fine. Since she wants to challenge the Dragon Gate Formation, so be it. Besides, it is not certain whether she will lose or not..." Contrary to the opinion of most, Wang Ying had a different thought in mind. The others might not have been aware of how fearsome Wei Ruyan was, but she was. Even if she were to fight against Wei Ruyan, she had no confidence that she would be able to achieve victory. Thebat masters on the stage were indeed powerful, but it was not entirely impossible for Wei Ruyan to defeat them. Her teacher had taught each of them ording to their own strengths. Since her teacher hadnt taught Wei Ruyan any battle techniques to date, naturally, that could only mean that there was no need to do so. Otherwise, given how the other students could easily bebat experts after an hour-long lecture, how could Wei Ruyan still bepletely ignorant of battle techniques? Noticing the confidence in Wang Yings voice, Liao Song shook his head. "I think you are being too optimistic. The strength of ourbat masters is no joke... Ah? What the heck!" He had just been about to advise the other party against the matter when he suddenly caught sight of what was happening on the stage with his peripheral vision and choked on his words. "What is going on? Why are yourbat masters... suddenly moving so slow as if they are drunk?" Not only was Liao Song astonished by what he saw, Wo Tianqiong and the others also widened their eyes in shock. At this moment, the threebat masters of the Dragons Tail were swaying weakly on their feet, and their movements were bing slower and duller by the moment. It was as if they had turned from energetic young men into frail elderly all of a sudden. "Isnt this cheating? Even if they wished to go easy on her, this is not the way to do so!" "Even I could clear the Dragon Gate Formation like that!" The crowd below were also bewildered by the situation on top. When they were facing Zheng Yang earlier, thosebat masters had disyed an indomitable aura that would instill fear into any opponent. Why had they suddenly be so soft all of the sudden, as if there was no strength within their bodies? Was it because their opponent was a beautifuldy? But this was a formal trial; they shouldnt have been going easy on the other party like that, especially not so openly! How brazen! After taking a closer look, Liao Song suddenly noticed something, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment. "They... are not doing this on purpose. It looks more like... they have been poisoned!" He knew full well that his men wouldnt ever go easy on an opponent just because she was a beautifuldy. There was only one possibility in this scenario, and that was that... they had been poisoned! But he had been watching the situation closely all along. From the start to the end, Wei Ruyan had been suppressed by their might, and there should have been no opportunity for her to poison them at all. Furthermore, the rules of the Dragon Gate Formation forbade the usage of poison in the trial. The headquarters had been supervising the duel from above, and if Wei Ruyan had indeed resorted to such underhanded tricks, they would have terminated the trial immediately. The fact that this hadnt happened only meant that Wei Ruyans act of poisoning her opponent was considered a part of her strength, and the duel waspletely fair and honest! But how could this possibly be true? Liao Song felt so frenzied by the absurd situation before him that he nearly tore his hair out. "We reminded Junior Ruyan to curb it, but it seems like it is futile," Liu Yang remarked with a bitter smile. They were all aware that Wei Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution, and this was also why they werent worried about sending Wei Ruyan up. Nevertheless, poison was still something typically shunned and feared on the Master Teacher Continent, so they had advised Wei Ruyan to keep her poison in check wherever possible. However, from the looks of it... they might have been underestimating the potency of Wei Ruyans unique constitution. Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution... It could be said that Wei Ruyans very existence was a lethal poison, be it her body or her zhenqi. Wei Ruyan had been trying to curb her poison consciously, but nevertheless, it was still able to easily render thebat masters, who possessed superior physical resilience, powerless. "Those three are going to lose..." Wang Ying nodded grimly, and before she could finish her words, Putong! Putong! Putong!, the threebat masters copsed to the ground with white foam trickling from their mouths. "First section, cleared!" With the three of them incapacitated, Wei Ruyan proceeded forward to the next section, the Dragons Back, without any hesitation. "Demoness, what kind of sorcery did you pull?" The threebat masters of the Dragons Back red at Wei Ruyan warily as if they were facing a powerful enemy, not daring to look down on her in the least. "Sorcery? I did nothing of the sort." Shaking her head, Wei Ruyan said, "Lets begin!" After saying those words, she immediately charged forward and shrouded the threebat masters with her zhenqi. Her attack was extremely crude, devoid of any technique at all, but the sheer potency of the poison contained in her zhenqi could easily fell any opponent that came into contact with it. Not even deities were an exception to the rule. This was also the reason the Innate Poison Body was such a feared existence in the world. Putong! Putong! Putong! Not too longter, the threebat masters of the Dragons Back fell to the ground with white foam flowing down their chins. In less than five minutes, a delicate youngdy, who had only cultivated for two months and had no knowledge of wielding a weapon or any battle techniques, had already cleared two sections. After defeating the threebat masters, Wei Ruyan moved on to the Dragons Head. Five minutester, the threebat masters of the Dragons Head were lying on the floor as well. They were indeed significantly stronger than Wei Ruyan, but in the face of the potent poison released by her, it didnt take long before they copsed to the ground, powerless. "She... really cleared the trial?" Having watched the entire scene, Liao Song was on the verge of tears. At this point, a certain thought surfaced in his mind, and he couldnt help but tremble. Could it be that the strength of theirbat masters was really a joke? Authors Note: The seventh arc, Zhangoshis Students , hase to an end. The next arc, Kong shis Warning, is about to begin, so look forward to it! Chapter 969: Returning to the Surface Chapter 969: Returning to the Surface Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had just said that theirbat masters were powerful, and the next moment, they had been utterly defeated by two youths. It was one thing for the young man, considering that he was strong, but the youngdy had only started cultivating two months ago,pletely ignorant of battle techniques. The moment they stepped into the academy, they had been subdued by ordinary students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. After which, the incredibly difficult Dragon Gate Formation, which only a handful of their countlessbat masters had cleared in the past three hundred years, ended up being ovee by two challengers consecutively. Honestly speaking, he was starting to doubt life itself. Principal Zhang, even if you are really formidable and powerful, surely you need not tear us apart so callously! It is one thing for you to be so powerful, but even students that you have casually taught are so formidable as well! What does that make usbat masters? Just as Liao Song was still feeling frustrated over the matter, Wang Ying suddenly spoke. "Combat Master Liao, it seems like... your men are unable to carry on with the next trial. What about the both of us?" It was then that Liao Song suddenly recalled that the ninebat masters on the stage were still unconscious from poison. In the past trials, it had always been theirbat masters knocking others unconscious. Yet, the other party had only sent two students up, and their men were already either knocked unconscious or severely injured. Liao Song couldnt help but feel his heart turn cold. He pondered for a moment before replying. "Our men need to rest for time being. We will resume the trial in three days! Just in case, we will bring in some morebat masters from the Combat Master Hall as well." There was nothing else he could do. His nine subordinates were clearly under the effects of a very potent poison. Even if he were to treat them right now, they would still need several days to fully recover to their peak. If their strength was alreadypromised before the start of the battle, the results of the trial would be inurate, and the headquarters might not be willing to recognize it. Since that was the case, it would be best to first rest for several days and request for more men to be dispatched to serve as back up. It couldnt be that the great Combat Master Hall couldnt even deal with a couple of students. "Alright!" After a moment of hesitation, Wang Ying nodded. Zheng Yang had seeded due to the preparation he had made beforehand, and Wei Ruyan had her unique constitution to fall back on. On the other hand, she and Liu Yang had neither of the two. If they were to depend solely on their strength, it would be too difficult for them to clear the trial. If they had three additional days, perhaps their teacher might have returned by then. They would be able to seek guidance from him, and their chances at clearing the trial would be significantly higher. It was not that their fighting prowess was beneath Zheng Yangs, but many of their moves and maneuvers had been exposed to thebat masters in the earlier fight, and thebat masters were bound to be guarded against them in future fights. Without the element of surprise, it would be hard for them to seed. On the other hand, seeing that Wang Ying had agreed to it, Liao Song heaved a sigh of relief. If the other party were to insist on challenging the trial that instant but they were unable toe up with the required numbers for it, that would be truly humiliating for the Combat Master Hall. "That was truly exciting!" "After watching such an incredible battle, I can pass away without any regrets!" "As expected of Principal Zhangs direct disciple, that Zheng Yang is indeed powerful!" "Of course! Just think about how formidable Principal Zhang is, how can his student be ordinary?" Only two trials had been held, and many people were unable toprehend the happenings in Wei Ruyans trial, but nevertheless, Zheng Yangs battle had still been incredibly exciting. The many cultivators who had travelled from far and wide to spectate the battle couldnt help but feel that their trip hadnt been wasted. They had managed to witness the birth of a new legend with their own eyes. "I wonder what the conditions are to bing Principal Zhangs direct disciple." "If it is possible, I would love to be his direct disciple, too." There were also quite a few among the crowd who began to contemte about how they could be Principal Zhangs direct disciple and ascend to the top in a single step. Even the candidates of the other three academies who had failed to clear the Combat Master Selection couldnt help but harbor such thoughts as they gazed at Zheng Yang with an excited gleam in their eyes. At this very moment, however, the man whom they wanted to acknowledge as their teacher was currently still within the depths of the Subterranean Gallery, seated within the seal with his eyes closed. After some time, he finally opened his eyes. Just a little more! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan got to his feet. The previous few days spent recultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, which had been modified ording to the structure of the seal, while repairing the seal had enhanced his strength by leaps and bounds. While his cultivation was still at Nascent Saint pinnacle, the same as before, the fighting prowess he could exert was far greater than before. At the same time, his Origin Core had also be even stabler and sturdier, revolving slowly within his dantian in the form of a golden sphere. At this point, he was already at the final step of his cultivation,cking just the final decipher. ording to Zhang Xuans deduction, he would need to take in vast amounts of spiritual energy as soon as this step waspleted, and that could destabilize the seal if he were to do it within. Thus, he decisively halted his cultivation. Hu! Zhang Xuan leaped out from the interior of the seal. The seal didnt pose much of an impediment to humans, but to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it was no different from a barrier severing space, making it nigh impossible for them to cross through it. Returning to the Subterranean Gallery, Zhang Xuan quickly found himself a safe location. Taking out his formation gs, he set up a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation with a snap of his fingers. After which, he took a seat at the center, tossed a few hundred high-tier spirit stones around him, and began to cultivate. With the spoils of war from ying the two hundred Otherworldly Demons and the profits he had obtained from the Shen n, he had nock of high-tier spirit stones at the moment. Besides, as long as he could raise his strength, there was no price too heavy to pay. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan opened his acupoints, and the surrounding spiritual energy immediately gushed into his body with furious momentum, creating a whirlpool of spiritual energy around him. The vast amount of spiritual energy was swiftly converted into zhenqi before being gathered together to be crafted into a decipher through a unique method, filling up thest remaining gap of the golden sphere. Hong long! After some time, with a resounding st, the spiritual energy in the Spirit Gathering Formation was abruptly dried out in an instant, and the hundreds of high-tier spirit stones were reduced to dust. Following which, Zhang Xuan felt his dantian jolt violently. The golden sphere underwent a metamorphosis as a deep shade of violet crept onto it. This violet Origin Core carried a weight reminiscent of an entire, granting one immense strength as it revolved slowly on the spot. What a powerful Origin Core... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he clenched his fists tightly in excitement. He could clearly feel his perception of the surrounding spiritual energy bing even clearer and more vivid, allowing him to tap into it and refine it into zhenqi far more efficiently. In other words, with this violet Origin Core, he could cultivate zhenqi far quicker and purer than before. Could this be... a First Grade Origin Core? Zhang Xuans eyes trembled in agitation. He had already achieved a Second Grade Pinnacle Origin Core before. While there was nothing detailed in the Saint Ascension Decipher about an Origin Core metamorphosing into a violet sphere, chances were that it was a First Grade Origin Core! In the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shi was the only one known to have sessfully formed a First Grade Origin Core. It wielded strength far beyond the others, and it was the key to bing a Celestial Saint! It is a pity that I am stillcking the catalyst artifact, or else I would be able to attempt a breakthrough to Saint realm on the spot. The more Zhang Xuan studied the violet Origin Core in his body and learned about it, the more impressed he felt. Currently, hisprehension of the Saint Ascension Decipher still had a few ws. He needed Scarlet Firefly Fruits for a breakthrough to Half-Saint, a Lightning Resonance Stone for a breakthrough to Nascent Saint, and the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence for a breakthrough to Saint realm. This artifact was only found in the depths of an earth vein, and it was even rarer than the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. Even despite the many treasures and huge fortune that he had umted, he had never seen the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence before. Without this catalyst artifact, he wouldnt be able to reach Saint realm. Seems like I can only search for it patiently. While Zhang Xuan did not have it, it didnt mean that Hongyuan Empire didnt have it. After leaving the Subterranean Gallery, he could take his time looking for it. If worst came to worst, he could always apply for it from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Having guarded mankind for several dozen millenniums, what artifacts would the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters possibly not have in their treasure vault? As long as one had an ample amount of contribution and wealth, one could exchange for anything existing on the Master Teacher Continent with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. I am done repairing the seal, and the invading Otherworldly Demons have been killed as well. It is about time for me to return. Getting to his feet, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily before storing the formation gs. After which, he took one more nce at the seal and heaved a sigh of relief. Over the past few days of hard work, he had mended the weakened areas of the formation perfectly. With that, it would be difficult for the Otherworldly Demons to breach it again, regardless of whatever means they had on their hands. It had been several days since he had gone down to the Subterranean Gallery, so it was about time for him to return. The conditions in the Subterranean Gallery was indeed harsh. Just the concentrated killing intent in itself would make it difficult for any ordinary cultivator to catch their breath. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan had still managed to make considerable gains in here. He had managed to advance his cultivation to Nascent Saint pinnacle and upgrade his Origin Core to First Grade, and these two gains were sufficient to make this trip worthwhile. Furthermore, his Saint 1-dan puppets had been upgraded to Saint 3-dan, and this represented more cards he could use to help himself out of dire situations. Flying back, Zhang Xuan didnt see Lu Feng and the others. He assumed that they had returned in advance after noticing that the threat from the Otherworldly Demons had been resolved, so he decided to head straight back. Soon, he reached the area that he had arrived at the Subterranean Gallery from and used his spirit tomunicate with the wills contained within the Mausoleum Tablet. Hu! A powerful suction force drew him in, and in the next moment, he was already standing back in the area within the Mausoleum Tablet. Mu shis will was waiting for him. He swiftly informed the other party about the situation in the Subterranean Gallery, and this left the other party astonished. "This seal was set up by one of Kong shis followers back then, and it has thews of space tied into it. It is impossible to damage it without the strength of one who has reached the pinnacle of Saint realm. The other side of the seal links to an otherworldly battlefield known as the Qingtian Battlefield. It is said that the strongest Otherworldly Demon within possesses the strength of Saint 5-dan. "Even Qingtian Conferred Empire would struggle to face an expert of that caliber. Fortunately, it is impossible for the Otherworldly Demons on the other side to breach the seal. This is also the reason the headquarters didnt station any personnel here. For them to be able to dispatch soldiers over to our side through certain means, that is truly unnerving!" "There is no need to worry. I have already repaired the damaged seal..." Zhang Xuan began to speak about what he had encountered over the past few days. Of course, the unique method he had used to repair the seal was conveniently attributed to Yang Xuan. Otherwise, considering his current cultivation, there was no one who would possibly believe that he had been able to repair the seal. "A person who is qualified to take a Celestial Master Teacher as his student cant possibly be someone simple. It is truly a pity that I am unable to meet your teacher and seek his guidance..." Mu shimented. After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Xuan managed to reassure the wills of the preceding principal that the problem had been resolved. After which, he left the Mausoleum Tablet before making his way out of the Mausoleum of Principals. As soon as he was out, he saw School Head Zhao and School Head Mo waiting for him outside with worry on their faces. Seeing their expression, Zhang Xuan frowned. "What is wrong?" "Principal Zhang... Why did it take you so long to return?" School Head Zhao asked. "After entering, I suddenly had a moment of inspiration, so I remained inside to make a breakthrough," Zhang Xuan replied with the excuse he had alreadye up with in advance. In order to avoid unneeded fear and panic, it was best for as few people as possible to learn about the matter regarding the Subterranean Gallery and the Otherworldly Demons. "Breakthrough?" School Head Zhao and School Head Mo traded a nce as their mouth twitched with uncanny harmony. "Is... the Mausoleum of Principals still well? How great is the destruction? Does it need fixing? Sigh, what is done is done. Principal Zhang, you dont need to me yourself for it." It seemed that nothing good had ever happened whenever their principal cultivated. Take the cksmith School for example, the Chamber of Earth me and Passageway of Records had ended up copsing due to him cultivating his physical body. "Destruction? me myself?" It was only at this moment that Zhang Xuan finallyprehended what the two school heads were worried about, and he couldnt help but fall speechless. For someone as reliable and dependable as him to be misunderstood like that... That was utter nonsense! Are the both of you fine? Are you really my subordinates? Chapter 970: Mu shi Returns Chapter 970: Mu shi Returns Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After exining for a very long time and emphasizing time and time again that the Mausoleum of Principals waspletely unharmed, the duo was still looking at him with a look of doubt. Eventually, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head in frustration and give up on the matter. It would suffice for him to know that he hadnt done anything wrong. For someone as upright and wless as him, the world would eventually return him justice. "Principal Zhang, in the five days you have been gone for, the personnel from the Combat Master Hall arrived, and Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan cleared their trial..." Putting aside the matter regarding the Mausoleum of Principals, School Head Mo quickly filled Zhang Xuan in on the matters that had happened over the past few days. At the end of which, Zhang Xuan gestured with a slight nod. As his direct disciple, it was within his expectations that Zheng Yang would be able to clear the trial. However, he hadnt really expected Wei Ruyan to be able to clear it as well. From the looks of it, it seemed like there was really nothing impressive about thebat masters! After asking about several problems concerning the academy and proposing various measures to deal with them, Zhang Xuan finally returned to his residence under the lead of the two school heads. As the principal, it would be a breach of etiquette if he didnt pay the guests from the Combat Master Hall and the three Master Teacher Academies a visit at least once in the duration of their stay. Thus, he had the servants to prepare a bath for him so that he could wash and tidy himself up to greet thebat masters. However, before he could do so, his butler, Sun Qiang, abruptly rushed into the residence with hurried footsteps. "Young Master!" Sun Qiang quickly ran up to Zhang Xuan upon seeing him. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan asked. Having followed him for some time, Sun Qiang was well aware that he hated trouble. As such, Sun Qiang would usually deal with most matters himself, not troubling him except for matters that were particrly important. Thus, for Sun Qiang to suddenly rush over with such an anxious look on his face, it could only mean that something severe had happened. "Young Mistress Ruyan, she... has fainted again!" Sun Qiang quickly reported. "Ruyan fainted?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. That shouldnt be! After being nurtured by the Bodhi Saint Tree, Wei Ruyans soul should have been no different from that of an ordinary person, significantly stronger and more resilient even. Her body had also been nourished by the Grade-7 Grand Intermittence Pill, restoring it back to full health. On top of that, she had also cultivated a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. For one who had the strength to defeat even thebat masters easily, why would she faint so abruptly? "I am not too sure about the reason behind it either. That day, when we returned to our manor after defeating thebat masters, she said that she felt unwell, and shortly after, she fell ill," Sun Qiang replied. "Lead me there!" Knowing that it would be impossible for him to determine the cause of Wei Ruyans illness just by listening to Sun Qiangs words, Zhang Xuan sped his fist to bid School Head Mo and the others farewell before heading hurriedly back to his manor. Entering Wei Ruyans room, Zhang Xuan saw that she was lying on the bed with a tight frown on her forehead, unconscious. Wang Ying was seated by the side of her bed, taking care of her diligently. There were various nts in the courtyard outside the room, but at this moment, they were all dry and withered, as if heralding the arrival of winter. "What is going on?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Teacher, you are finally back..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Wang Ying hurriedly stood up. Raising his hand to gesture that it wasnt the time for questions, Zhang Xuan hurriedly walked up to Wei Ruyan and ced his fingers on her pulse. A momentter, Zhang Xuans face turned grim, and he lifted his gaze and asked, "I need a detailed recount about the fight Ruyan had with thebat masters that day!" "Yes! That day, Junior Ruyan went onto the stage to battle, and through exerting her zhenqi, she poisoned all nine of thebat masters in the trial..." Wang Ying went through everything that happened that day without hiding anything. While School Head Mo and the others knew that Wei Ruyan had defeated thebat masters through using poison, they werent aware of her Innate Poison Body. As such, their exnation hadcked crucial details. On the other hand, Wang Ying was able to exin everything that had happened clearly, reconstructing the scene from back then perfectly. After finishing the recount, Wang Ying looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously and asked, "Teacher, how is she?" With a deep frown, Zhang Xuan replied, "It isnt anything severe. It seems like the might she exerted through the Innate Poison Body then exceeded her current limits, resulting in her loss of consciousness." Wei Ruyan possessed not only the Innate Poison Body but also the Poison Soul Constitution. It was so rare that one wouldnt find another like her throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent in the next several dozen millenniums! As long as she cultivated, the lethal poison contained within her zhenqi would be her strongest weapon against any foe! Under normal circumstances, once she awakened her unique constitution, her cultivation and fighting prowess would raise swiftly, easily surpassing all of her peers. However, there was a w to it. Every time she utilized the poison aura within her body, it would grow a little. The more she used it, the more poison aura she would umte. If she couldnt find a good method to deal with it, it could lead to a dangerous amount of poison aura umting in her body, causing her to lose control of her power. If so, she could very well suffer a bacsh and lose consciousness. This was the current situation she was in. Despite hercking strength, she had forcefully challenged the Dragon Gate Formation and exerted a strength beyond her physical limits. As a result, she had lost control over the poison aura within her body, causing a bacsh from her Innate Poison Body. Having only woken up two months ago, the only cultivation technique she had cultivated was a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. She had zero knowledge about the cultivation techniques of poison masters, so she had no way of clearing away the overwhelming quantity of poison aura umted in her. Naturally, this led to her difort and eventual loss of consciousness. "It is fortunate that she has very strong self-control. Otherwise, the entire Hongyuan City might be harmed due to the sheer prowess of her Innate Poison Body..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just the fact that the powerfulbat masters were unable to withstand her poison zhenqi went to show how potent her poison was. Had it not been for her determined will, suppressing the poison aura firmly even after losing consciousness, the poison aura could potentially have spread through the entire city via the wind and harmed countless innocent lives. It was also due to the difficulty in controlling the Innate Poison Body that the world had named it the Constitution of Disaster, leaving many fearful to approach. For one, despite trying her best to suppress her poison aura, the nts in the courtyard still withered during the corrosion of the poison due to their proximity to her, resulting in the sight Zhang Xuan saw before entering the room. It was fortunate that Wei Ruyan had cultivated the simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art, allowing her to conceal the unique properties of her Innate Poison Body perfectly. Otherwise, it could possibly have brought countless agents of righteousness to their doorstep, and that would have been troublesome to deal with. "Teacher, what do we do now?" Hearing the exnation, Wang Yings face paled. After witnessing the sheer prowess of Wei Ruyans unique constitution, she had envied the other party for a very long time. However, upon seeing this, she realized that, rather than a blessing, it was a curse. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. "I will try to neutralize of the poison aura within her body to alleviate the pressure on her body for the time being. However, to resolve the problem for good, I think that we might have to make a journey to the Poison Hall." Despite Zhang Xuans exceptional mastery in the Way of Medicine, it was still beyond his means to deduce a feasible method for Wei Ruyan to resolve the problem regarding her poison aura once and for all. The only people who could do so were probably the experts in the field of poisonthe Poison Hall. They had the most perfect heritage in the field of poison, as well as records regarding the Innate Poison Body. Perhaps, they might have a way for one to utilize the prowess of the Innate Poison Body without umting poison aura as well. "Poison Hall?" Wang Ying was taken aback for a moment before eventually nodding in realization. This seemed to be the only solution they had. Zhang Xuan ced his hand on Wei Ruyans pulse and slowly infused his Heavens Path zhenqi in thetters body. Time passed, but the frown on Zhang Xuans forehead only seemed to deepen further. He had thought that he could easily resolve the problem regarding the umtion of poison aura through neutralizing it with his Heavens Path zhenqi, but his thoughts had been too naive. The poison aura umted in Wei Ruyans body was fused together with her Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution. If he were to attempt to neutralize the poison aura forcefully, it might potentially cause significant harm to Wei Ruyans body and soul, or in the worst-case scenario, result in her demise! Another possible solution Zhang Xuan had thought of was to draw her poison aura out with his Heavens Path zhenqi. The chances of a fatality were lower in that case, but it would deal significant damage to her body as well. In other words, regardless of whether he chose to neutralize the poison aura or draw it out, it wouldnt be good for the unconscious Wei Ruyan. It seems like I can only hurry to the Poison Hall! Zhang Xuan tried to deduce other usible solutions, but none of them were feasible. Frustrated, he rubbed his be forcefully. Despite the many means as he had, his understanding of poison was still only at 2-star. On top of that, this was the first time he had encountered the Innate Poison Body. If there was no viable treatment method at the moment, he would have to head to the Poison Hall to collect books and rue more knowledge to work with. It just so happens that I was intending to make a trip to the Poison Hall myself soon. I should bring the matter forward then. Previously, in the Mausoleum of Principals, the old principal had left a message advising Zhang Xuan to pay a visit to the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, so he had been intending to pay it a visit when he had time to root out the underlying dangers threatening the academy. However, given that Wei Ruyan was in a perilous condition, he would have to bring this n ahead. "Sun Qiang, here is a thousand high-tier spirit stones. I need you to obtain as much information about the Poison Hall in Hongyuan Empire as you can, as fast as possible!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a pile of high-tier spirit stones and passed them over. Even though the old principal had said that the Poison Hall was likely in the vicinity of Jingyuan City, it would still be safer to verify the information first. Otherwise, he might end up making a wasted trip. "Young Master, there is no need to spend spirit stones on this matter. I can just ask the Shen n about this. They manage quite arge medicinal herb business, so it is very likely that they may have some news regarding the Poison Hall in Hongyuan Empire," Sun Qiang replied. As one of the Four Great ns of Hongyuan City, the Shen n had business dealings all over the empire. One of theirrgest businesses was the sales of medicinal herbs. If the Poison Hall wished to concoct poison, they would surely need some connections with medicinal herb dealers to procure the medicinal herbs they required. Perhaps, the Shen n might just have a rtionship of some kind with the Poison Hall in Hongyuan Empire. Had it been anyone else, and this included the old principal as well, it was unlikely that they would have been able to get information regarding the Poison Hall out of the Shen n. After all, the Shen n had a business to manage, and leaking information about the Poison Hall to others, especially master teachers, could very well sour their rtionship with the Poison Hall. However, Zhang Xuan was different. For one, the Shen n had already profited greatly from their dealings with him, and the potential he had shown thus far would make it worthwhile for them to risk getting on the wrong side of the Poison Hall for him. Thus, they were unlikely to hide the information regarding the Poison Hall from him. "Alright, go and ask them about the matter." Zhang Xuan nodded. In the field of maintaining interpersonal rtionships and business dealings, he was not a match for Sun Qiang. Thus, it was better to leave this matter to the other party. "Yes!" Sun Qiang nodded before backing out of the room. After he left, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask Wang Ying about the details regarding Wei Ruyans condition over the past two days when the ground abruptly trembled. The resounding chime of a bell boomed across every nook and cranny of Hongyuan City, seemingly summoning someone. "The Assembly Bell?" Standing up, Zhang Xuan frowned. The Assembly Bell was a bell that was used to gather master teachers together in times of emergency. Once it was tolled, all master teachers who heard it had to rush over regardless of where they were or what they were doing. Listening closely, Zhang Xuan noted that the sound originated from the Master Teacher Academy, and he couldnt help but be slightly bewildered. It had only been an hour since he had left the Master Teacher Academy, and the Assembly Bell had suddenly been rung. What could have happened within this short span of time? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a Communication Token appeared in his hands. School Head Mo had sent him a message. "Qingyuan Conferred Empire, 7-star high-tier Master Teacher Wu Rufeng and Master Teacher Mu Hong have arrived at the academy. Please return quickly." Mu shi has returned? Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of thought. Back then, when he discovered that You Xu had betrayed humanity, he entrusted thetter to Mu Hong to investigate the matter. For Mu Hong to have returned at this moment, it was likely that this meant that the other party had uncovered something regarding the matter. "I will head over right now!" Zhang Xuan replied through the Communication Token. After which, he took out a few grade-6 pills and fed them to Wei Ruyan. These pills served to suppress the poison aura within her body so that it wouldnt harm those around her indiscriminately. Following that, he issued some instruction to Wang Ying before finally heading out. It didnt take long for him to return to the academy. At this point, all of the students, teachers, elders, and even the master teachers of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion had gathered on the academys training ground, looking at one another with puzzled expressions on their faces, unsure of what was going on. Chapter 971: Dealing with You Xu Chapter 971: Dealing with You Xu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Principal Zhang!" As soon as Zhang Xuan arrived at the training grounds, School Head Mo and the others immediately walked up to him. Responding with a nod, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the stage and saw Mu shi and an elder standing on top. The elder beside Mu shi seemed to be in his fifties, and he possessed a powerful cultivation that felt as vast as the ocean, simr to the sensation he had felt from the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King back in the Subterranean GallerySaint 4-dan. Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm was also known as the Origin Soul realm. At this point, ones Origin Core would metamorphose from a core into the form of an infant. Upon reaching this realm, onesprehension of the world would deepen, and with each breath, one could take in the energy contained in the world and wield it for ones use. In Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm, a cultivators Origin Soul would evolve into a Primordial Spirit 1 . Any cultivator that had reached the Primordial Spirit realm was extremely difficult to kill due to the unique nature of their existence. This was also the reason Zhang Xuan had chosen to turn the two Kings against one another, inciting them to kill one another. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to eliminate all of the Otherworldly Demons in the Subterranean Gallery so easily. Surprisingly, the master teacher beside Mu shi had also reached such a level. Even in view of the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire, he could be considered one of the strongest experts. Why would a person as powerful as hime down to Hongyuan Empire? Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to School Head Mo. "This must be the person you told me about earlier, 7-star high-tier Master Teacher Wu Rufeng." "Yes." School Head Mo nodded. "He is the vice head of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He is an austere person who abhors all evil..." While School Head Mo was in the midst of introducing the man on the stage to Zhang Xuan, the person in question nced coldly downward with his hands behind his back. "School Head Mo, is your principal here yet? To keep all of us waiting like this, he sure knows how to put on airs!" Seeing that Wu shi already had a bad impression of him, a bitter smile crept on Zhang Xuans lips. Stepping forward, he bowed politely and said, "I believe... I am the principal who knows how to put on airs that you are speaking of." After receiving the news, he had needed to spend some time feeding Wei Ruyan some pills to stabilize her condition, so he had ended up arrivingte. Judging from the state of those in the area, it seemed like they had already been here for some time. "You are the principal here?" Wu shi took a nce at Zhang Xuan, and his eyebrows shot up. "Nascent Saint pinnacle? It seems like the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has truly fallen!" Coming from the headquarters, he had heard that the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had eventually inaugurated a twenty-year-old young man to serve as their principal, so he was curious to see who the other party was. But he hadnt expected that after arriving in the academy for some time, the other party would still be nowhere in sight. Even after ringing the Assembly Bell, the other party had only arrived around thirty minutester... More importantly, his clothes were stillpletely cloaked with dust... This was tant disrespect toward him! On top of that, the other party was only at Nascent Saint realm pinnacle, not even reaching Saint realm yet. A person with such weak cultivation had actually been inaugurated as the principal of a Master Teacher Academy? Wasnt this taking this matter way too lightly? Mu shi had left prior to the inauguration ceremony, so he was unaware that Zhang Xuan had tamed the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge. Furthermore, with other more important matters to attend to, Mu shi had neglected to inform Wu shi about the various outstanding aplishments that Zhang Xuan had aplished, which could easily dim the radiance of the preceding principals. "Wu shi..." Upon hearing those words, Mu shi quickly whispered to Wu shi in a hushed voice, "Zhang shi is a very talented individual, and he has the guidance of a very powerful teacher..." "Humph!" But before Mu shi could finish his words, Wu shi had already interrupted him with a darkened face. "Regardless of how powerful his teacher may be, he must be strong himself as well! "Enough, lets not waste our time on this matter any further. Principal Zhang, you are to write a reflective letter regarding yourck of respect and your mistakes, or else I will have you punished for your breach of responsibility." "Reflective letter?" Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. Those two words felt so far away... To think that a day woulde when a principal would have to write a reflective letter! But this fellow... To be going after him when he had barely arrived in the area, it was obvious that the other party was trying to establish his authority through him. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan had offended the other party in the past, but he hadnt even met the other party before! Why was the other party trying to pick faults with him? Zhang Xuan scratched his head and sighed deeply. If the other party was truly determined to find faults with him, perhaps he really should consider bringing out his puppets to teach the other party some respect first. "Wu shi..." While Zhang Xuan was still contemting the issue, Mu shi hurriedly said, "Principal Zhang was only inaugurated three months ago, and more importantly, he is the one who captured..." Interrupting Mu shis exnation, Wu shi waved his hands impatiently. "Enough! For a traitor to emerge from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he, as the principal, has a huge responsibility to bear. Hurry up and make the announcement, we still have more important matters to attend to afterwards!" "... Yes!" Mu shi could only nod in response to that. Sighing deeply, he surveyed the crowd for a moment before speaking. "Everyone, the reason we have gathered you here is to make an important announcement." "An important announcement?" The master teachers beneath the stage nced at one another in bewilderment. For two 7-star master teachers to specially make the trip down to Hongyuan Empire and assemble them all, the announcement that they had to make was bound to be significant. "Eliminating the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has always been one of the core responsibilities of our Master Teacher Pavilion, and most master teachers view it as their mission as well. However, just as there are those who embrace this mission, there are also those who attempt to undermine it for the sake of their own petty gains!" At this point, Mu shis face turned grim and austere. "If it was an ordinary cultivator who had betrayed mankind, as well as their kin and friends, in face of possible death, it would be abhorrent but understandable. After all, the fear of death is not something that just anyone can ovee. However, as master teachers respected by countless others, if we cant even hold onto our faith in dire situations, that is unforgivable! "To put it lightly, that is equivalent to losing our pride and dignity. To put it harshly, that is the betrayal of humanity!" Mu shis voice echoed resoundingly across the training grounds. "Betrayal of humanity?" "Thats indeed true. The respect that we, master teachers, are ordedes with a responsibility. We bear the mission of leading mankind through crises and toward prosperity. If we cant persist in our faith in times of trouble, who else will?" The many master teachers beneath the stage nodded in agreement. While enjoying the elevated standing and privileges that mankind had bestowed upon them, master teachers had to shoulder a responsibility equivalent to that. Mankind had to pay a heavy price to groom every single high-ranked master teacher. As such, the betrayal of a master teacher in times of crises was intolerable. "Silence! Today, I am going to talk about a certain master teacher who has betrayed mankind." Seeing that he had managed to draw everyones mood along with him, Mu shi waved his hands grandly and continued. "For his own safety, this man has disregarded the values that we, master teachers, embrace and plunged more than twenty 6-star pinnacle master teachers into a dangerous position. To date, we dont even know whether they are still alive or not! These twenty 6-star master teachers were hisrades and friends, but he abandoned them without the slightest bit of remorse. After the incident, he even dared to shamelessly return to the Master Teacher Academy and preach values to others, enjoying the resources and respect of others... How do you think we should deal with such a person?" "There is such a person among us? Kill him!" "His betrayal is an intolerable crime. There are no grounds for negotiation at all!" "To plunge more than twenty 6-star master teachers into a dangerous position, his crime is so great that even killing him several times over wont cleanse him of his sins!" "Mu shi, who is the person you are speaking of? Is he a teacher of our Master Teacher Academy?" ... Upon hearing the question, a huge uproar broke out beneath the stage. For the two 7-star master teachers to talk about betrayal and preaching morals, it was clear that the person whom they were going to judge was rted to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Instead of answering the crowds question, Mu shi flung his sleeves and said with his head held high, "Bring him in!" Shortly after those words were uttered, the cry of a saint beast sounded from the sky, and a Saint realm Tigereagle Beast swooped down. With a shake of its body, a human fell heavily onto the ground. "That is... Vice School Head You Xu?" "It is indeed Vice School Head You Xu! Could he be the traitor of humanity?" "Wasnt he taken away by Principal Zhang after losing to thetter in a Life-and-Death Physician Duel? Why is he here?" "In the past two years, he has remained cooped up within the Master Teacher Academy, devoting his time to nurturing medicinal herbs in his residence. How could he possibly have the opportunity to collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" "I have even attended his lessons before. Back then, when Principal Zhang challenged him to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel, I even felt great animosity toward Principal Zhang for a period of time." Upon getting a clear glimpse of the person who had appeared on the stage, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd. Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief. Three months ago, when Principal Zhang challenged You Xu, there had been quite a few who were sympathetic to You Xus plight, thinking that it was disrespectful for Principal Zhang to have challenged an esteemed elder regardless of how capable he was. Who could have thought that he would actually be a traitor of humanity? For the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to dispatch two 7-star master teachers over to announce this before them, they had to have concrete evidence on hand. There was no doubt about it anymore. "I believe all of you should know this man very well even if I dont say much about it!" Mu shi nced at the feeble You Xu copsed on the ground and harrumphed coldly. "Do you want to exin it to them yourself, or shall I have the Teacher Guilds Guild Letter do the job?" The Master Teacher Pavilion could be considered a subsidiary of the Teacher Guild. A Guild Letter from it wasparable to the imperial edict of an emperor. Any deration made through the Guild Letter would be automatically recorded into the records of the Teacher Guild and Master Teacher Pavilion, allowing all branches to browse through the information. To put it simply, if his crimes were to be indicted through the Guild Letter, it would be as good as being judged guilty before the world. There would be no possible redemption for him. "I..." You Xus lips quivered. If he were to admit it himself, only those who were present in the area would learn of the matter. But if a Guild Letter were to be issued, his misdeeds would be recorded in all of the Teacher Guild and Master Teacher Pavilion branches over the Master Teacher Continent, and his name would be spat at for countless years toe. Without hesitating for too long, You Xu nodded. "I will exin it to them." Since he had already long admitted to his crimes, there was nothing for him to hide anymore. "Alright then, go on!" Mu shi waved his hand disdainfully. "Yes." Gritting his teeth, You Xu began his exnation. "It is my fault. I was the one who ced our old principal into a dangerous position..." Soon, he swiftly repeated everything that he had confessed to Zhang Xuan back then. This time, his ount was even more detailed. By the time he finished his story, the master teachers assembled in the area already had their fists clenched tightly together, and veins popped from their temples. "Kill him!" "I truly didnt expect You Xu to be such a person. He is truly a ck sheep of the master teachers!" "It isughable that I attended his lecture and thought of him as a respectable elder. This is going to be the greatest stain on my life!" "Principal Zhang must have noticed that there was something wrong with You Xu, that was why he challenged thetter to a Life-and-Death Physician Duel so as to investigate his case and hand him over to Mu shi!" "Now that you speak of it, that does seem to be very possible. If not for Principal Zhang, we might still have been kept in the dark by that scoundrel!" ... All of the master teachers beneath the stage were enraged, and they roared furiously. Betraying mankind for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, obeying their orders to harm his ownrades, causing the old principal to go missing and the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to descend into chaos... Just as Mu shi had said, this was an unforgivable crime! "Since you have already admitted to your crime, I wont say anything else about it. Now, I shall announce the verdict made by the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion." Facing the enraged crowd, Mu shi took out a scroll and gently rolled it open. Hu! A brilliant sh of light burst in the air, and an emotionless voice reverberated in the air. "You Xu, for betraying mankind and harming his fellow master teachers, has infringed on the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion and transgressed the bottom line of a master teacher. For his crimes, he shall be stripped of his identity as a master teacher and beheaded to serve as a warning to others!" "Beheaded?" Upon hearing the verdict, You Xus face paled as he copsed weakly to the ground. As if having lost his soul, the light in his eyes vanished. Chapter 972: Seniority Chapter 972: Seniority Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing his state, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Since he knew that such fate would befall him, he never should have done what he did back then. It was only natural for mortals to fear death, but to collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was equivalent to giving up on the justice in ones heart. Justice and life, there was no saying which was more important. But since You Xu had made his choice, he would have to bear the price of failure. It is a pity that Wei Ruyan is unconscious at the moment and is unable to witness this. You Xu was the mastermind behind Wei Changfengs death, and as Wei Changfengs daughter, it was indeed regretful that Wei Ruyan was unable to witness the death of her enemy with her own eyes. This public execution served to indicate the Master Teacher Pavilions attitude toward all traitors. As this was a decision made by the headquarters, Zhang Xuan had no right to intervene. Besides, You Xu had already lived for long enough; it was about time for him to ept his punishment. ... After dealing with You Xu, Mu shi turned to the others and said, "The four principals, Combat Master Liao, Combat Master Zhuo, and fellow elders, the two of us havee down here today to discuss something with you. Please follow me!" "Yes." Nodding in response, the crowd followed Mu shi to the Elder Hall. In truth, he had been puzzled as to why the headquarters would dispatch two 7-star master teachers to Hongyuan Empire, not to mention, one of them was even at Saint realm 4-dan. If it was just to deal with You Xu, there was no such need. There was bound to be some other reason. Mu shi had stayed in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy from a fairly long period of time before, so he was rather familiar with the area. It didnt take long for the crowd to arrive in therge assembly room. After everyone got seated, School Head Mo activated the formation to iste the room. After which, Mu shi shot a sweeping gaze at the crowd before speaking. "The reason I had all of you gather here today is due to a piece of information we have received while interrogating You Xu." After saying that, Mu shi flicked his wrist, and a token appeared in his hand. The token was incredibly worn and damaged, and it seemed as if it would break apart at any moment. "I believe all of you should recognize this!" Mu shi said. "Is that a Principals Seal?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. The token might have been worn and damaged, but he could still clearly feel the reinforcement of countless wills within. It was simr to the Principals Seal in his possession, just that it looked a bit shabbier. "Indeed. This is a Principals Seal, the one belonging to the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqiu!" Mu shi exined. "The Principals Seal of our old principal? Could it be..." Upon hearing Mu shis words, School Head Mo was stunned for a moment before his face flushed in agitation. "He... is still alive?" School Head Zhao and the others also swiftly turned their gazes at Mu shi anxiously. While they had already recognized Zhang Xuan as the new principal, they had spent some time with the old principal and viewed him as a close friend. Thus, when they heard the news, they couldnt curb their agitation. "I cant say for certain whether he is dead or not, but someone forcefully sent this item out from the ancient domain," Mu shi replied grimly. "Forcefully sent this item out? What does that mean? Mu shi, can you exin it in more detail?" Zhang Xuan asked. Mu shi nodded as he recalled the matter. "After bringing You Xu back to the headquarters that day, we interrogated him and found the location of the ancient domain that the old principal had gone missing in. Thus, we dispatched some men to take a look. "However, when we arrived at the area where the ancient domain was located, we realized that it was located at an area with aplicated geographical terrain that seemed to obey some kind of rhythm. Based on our deduction, the ancient domain only opens at certain times, and once the moment passes, one can only wait for the next instance. While our men were calcting the ideal timing to enter the ancient domain, this token abruptly flew out of the ancient domain!" Hearing those words, School Head Mos face flushed in agitation. "Mu shi, are you saying that the Principals Seal flew out from the ancient domain that our old principal disappeared in?" "Thats right." Mu shi nodded. "Then..." School Head Mos breathing hastened. "Doesnt that mean that the Principals Seal was sent out by the old principal?" It had been only around three months since You Xu was captured, and the Principals Seal had been found. This meant that there was a good chance that the old principal was still alive at this point! Perhaps, he might have been trapped in a certain location of the ancient domain, unable to escape. That would exin why he had forcefully sent his Principals Seal out, hoping that aid would be sent for him. "I am not sure about the situation within the ancient domain. It could also be that the old principal might have released the Principals Seal two years ago, and it only appeared once more after sensing the aura of a master teacher in the vicinity!" Mu shi wasnt as optimistic about the situation as School Head Mo. "This..." Everyone fell silent. Mu shis words made sense as well. The Principals Seal was created by the gathering of innumerable wills, granting it a certain level of sentience. If the old principal had released it after sensing the grave danger he was in, instructing it to remain hidden and only appear in the presence of master teachers... That was a viable exnation as well. As such, the appearance of the Principals Seal wasnt sufficient evidence to determine whether the old principal was still alive or not. After a moment of hesitation, School Head Mo said, "Mu shi, where is the ancient domain that you spoke of? Can you tell us so that we can head over to take a look?" No matter what, the old principal had been a friend to them for several hundred years. Knowing that there was a possibility that the other party could still be alive, they had to take a look regardless of the situation. Otherwise, their hearts would never be at peace. "This is precisely the reason I gathered all of you here today." Mu shi looked at the crowd and said, "Based on our prior scouting, it is very likely that the ancient domain will open once more within a month. Thus, I hope to invite all of you to join the expedition. There are two main aims to this expedition. Firstly, we aim to find the old principal, and if he is still alive, we will attempt to save him. Secondly, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has been rather active recently, and we suspect that it might be closely tied to the ancient domain!" Upon hearing those words, School Head Mos eyes lit up, and he immediately replied without any hesitation. "We will join the expedition!" However, after saying those words, he realized that he was getting ahead of himself, so he hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Principal Zhang..." "School Head Mo is right. We have to go to the ancient domain to express the stand of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy," Zhang Xuan replied. Back at the Mausoleum of Principals, when he heard the message left behind by the old principal, he had already made up his mind to take a look at the ancient domain. The incident with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at the Subterranean Gallery only served to strengthen his determination. No matter what, he had to take a look. Otherwise, it would be hard for him to rest at ease. "Good. What about the others?" Seemingly having known that this would be the oue, Mu shi wasnt surprised in the least. He turned his gazes to the other three principals. "Since the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe is involved in this matter, it is only right for us to stand up and offer our help too!" Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran nodded in agreement. "How can our Combat Master Hall remain idle before such a situation?" Liao Song chuckled. "Good, we have everyone onboard then. In one month, we will meet up at the ancient domain. Allow me to make things clear first. This expedition to the ancient domain will be very dangerous, or else Zhang Yinqiu and the others wouldnt have fallen in it. Even our headquarters dont have much information about it at the moment. There is a very good chance that we might be unable to return from this expedition," Mu shi said. "We understand that." The crowd nodded. "Good. Its settled then..." Seeing that the crowd had agreed to it without any hesitation, Mu shi was just about to seal the deal when Wu Rufeng, who had been watching the situation by the side, abruptly spoke up. "Due to the dangers regarding the expedition to the ancient domain, the minimum cultivation to join the team is Saint realm. Since Principal Zhang is only at Nascent Saint, it will be best for you to sit out on this one. Otherwise, you will just end up dragging everyone down!" "Me?" Zhang Xuan frowned. His cultivation might only be at Nascent Saint, but if he were to exert his full strength, he could easily subdue a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle cultivator. Furthermore... he possessed many life saving means. To go a step further, even if everyone in this room were to attack him at this instant, he was confident that the side who would emerge victorious in the fight would be him. Despite knowing nothing at all, this fellow had said that he would drag everyone else down. Wasnt this 7-star high-tier master teacher being too presumptuous? Noticing the displeased expression on his Senior Uncles face, Mu shi sent a telepathic message over. "Senior Uncle, Wu shi... is a little supercilious, so do bear with him a little." "Supercilious?" "Indeed. Even though You Xus betrayal has nothing to do with Senior Uncle, you were reflected as the principal during the investigation, so... he felt that you have failed in your responsibilities because of the matter. Furthermore, your age and cultivation are indeed considerably low aspared to the other principals, so it cant be helped that he has a negative opinion of you," Mu shi exined. Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly with a bitter smile. It seemed like this fellow had been seated on a high position for far so long that he had be a little detached frommon sense. A subordinates fault, in a way, could be considered the fault of the leader as well... but You Xus betrayal had happened two years ago whereas it had only been four months since Zhang Xuan had enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy and met You Xu! It was one thing for him to not be rewarded for capturing You Xu, but to pin the me on him on top of that... Zhang Xuan couldnt help recalling a certain prevalent work culture in his previous world. Whenever a problem cropped up, the leader would capture a scapegoat to take the me so as to disy his authority and wisdom. At this moment, it seemed like he was that very goat! If it had been anyone else, there was no way they would have dared refute the usation from a 7-star high-tier master teacher. However, Zhang Xuan wasnt one to let others use him like that. He turned his gaze toward Wu shi and said, "You are Wu Rufeng, right?" "Audacious! How dare a lower ranked master teacher address a higher ranked master teacher by his name! Where are your manners?" Not expecting Principal Zhang to speak to him in such a manner, Wu shis face darkened. "Where are my manners?" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and gazed at Wu shi impassively. "May I ask, what is Wu shis rtionship to Mu shi?" With eyes narrowed menacingly, Wu shi harrumphed coldly. "Mu shi and I are both 7-star master teachers, so naturally, we are considered peers!" As fellow 7-star master teachers from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, they were naturally peers. "Peers? Good..." Following which, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Mu shi and asked, " Little Hong 1 , how do you address me?" "Senior Uncle!" Mu shi replied honestly. "You heard that. Since you and Mu shi are fellow peers, and he addresses me as his senior uncle, that goes to say that you are a generation younger than me. As so, is there any reason I shouldnt call you Wu Rufeng? Or... could it be that you dont think that it is sufficiently intimate for me to address you by your full name?" At which, Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before adding, "Since thats the case, what do you think of Little Feng?" Hearing the two words Little Feng, Wu shi nearly spurted blood and fainted on the spot. "You..." He hurriedly turned to Mu shi to see if thetter was speaking the truth. After all, it was illogical for a 7-star master teacher to address a 6-star master teacher as his Senior Uncle! Knowing what Wu shi intended to ask, Mu shi answered honestly, "Principal Zhangs teacher is my grandteacher, so going by seniority, he is indeed my senior uncle." "This..." Wu shis face turned livid. Etiquette and seniority were very important to master teachers. Principal Zhang might not have been anything much, but if his teacher was very senior, he would share a high standing as well. Just take Kong shis students for example, even if they werepletely ignorant and powerless, a 9-star master teacher would still have to humbly address them as senior! This was simply one of the rules. Wu shi had intended to teach the other party a lesson, but who would have thought that he would be the other partys junior all of the sudden? He couldnt help but feel incredibly stifled within. Chapter 973: Defeating Zhuo shi with a Single Finger Chapter 973: Defeating Zhuo shi with a Single Finger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "So, am I qualified to call you Wu Rufeng?" Zhang Xuan asked calmly. "I..." Wu shi wanted to refute those words, but unable to find a counterargument to that, his face turned redder and redder. Eventually, he waved his hand and said, "Relying solely on your seniority wont earn you the respect of anyone. What is more important is the contribution that you have made to the Master Teacher Pavilion and mankind. No matter how formidable your teacher may be, if you arent able to contribute anything to mankind, there is no way you can gain the respect of anyone. You cant possibly expect to rely on your teacher forever!" "Contribution?" "Indeed. Only those who work diligently to give back to mankind are truly worthy of respect!" Wu shi said with his head raised up high. A master teacher wouldnt gain the respect of others just because he was highly ranked or powerful. Take You Xu for example, he was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, as well as an esteemed vice school head of the Master Teacher Academy. But as a traitor of humanity, there was no way anyone would respect him. Looking at Wu shis proud demeanor and boastful tone, Zhang Xuan said, "Judging from your tone, you seem to have contributed a lot to mankind." "Indeed! I killed my first Otherworldly Demon when I was sixteen, and to date, I have in a total of 47 Otherworldly Demons at Chrysalis realm and beyond! All in all, I have umted a total of 22 Contribution Points for mankind!" Wu shi harrumphed proudly with an air of superiority and grandiose. "22 Contribution Points?" "Thats incredible!" "As expected of Vice Pavilion Master Wu. With that many Contribution Points, he is definitely ranked among the top in Qingyuan Conferred Kingdom!" "A 7-star high-tier master teacher sure is fearsome." ... Upon hearing those words, the eyes of Combat Master Liao, Combat Master Zhuo, Wo Tianqiong, and the others lit up in respect and admiration. Even School Head Mo couldnt help but be awed by it, and his impression of Wu shi changed as well. Uprehending of the significance of the numbers, Zhang Xuan turned to School Head Zhao Bingxu and asked, "22 Contribution Points? What does that mean?" Seeing that their principal wasnt too sure what was going on, Zhao Bingxu exined discreetly, "Killing an Otherworldly Demon counts as a contribution; saving mankind also counts as a contribution. Each contribution has its own extent of significance. In order to better measure contributions, the Master Teacher Pavilion has to quantify them." This was a system that was implemented only within the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and the Master Teacher Academy didnt abide by it. Thus, there werent any books regarding the topic in the academys libraries. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. ording to what he knew, it was possible to exchange ones contribution for artifacts at the Master Teacher Pavilion. If there was no method to quantify ones contribution, it would be hard to maintain the system efficiently. For one, it would be hard to determine if ones contribution was sufficient to exchange for an artifact. After all, the Master Teacher Pavilion couldnt simply give out rare artifacts to individuals who had barely done anything at all. Coming to that realization, Zhang Xuan continued his querying. "How are the Contribution Points derived?" Zhao Bingxu pondered for a moment before replying. "Regarding the distribution of Contribution Points, the Master Teacher Pavilion has a set of guidelines and regtions to determine how it should be tabted. I dont really know much about the details either, but... your previous aplishment of taming all of the saint beasts and spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, sparing mankind from an impending crisis... After we reported it to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, they tabted it to be worth around 5 Contribution Points!" "Only 5 Points?" Zhang Xuan was astounded. The Nine Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, and there were many other Nascent Saint, Half-Saint, and Chrysalis realm spirit beasts among them as well. He had tamed so many of them, but to think that they were only worth 5 Contribution Points... Considering that the other party had 22, that was indeed rather formidable. "Indeed. Even though the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge are violent, they stayed cooped up within the mountain most of the time, only raising beast stampedes once in a blue moon. Furthermore, the Master Teacher Academy is stationed there, which minimized the threat they posed. As a result, the contribution from your actions was perceived to be lower," Zhao Bingxu said a little awkwardly. He was a little surprised when he heard that Principal Zhang had only received this many Contribution Points after taming so many saint beasts and spirit beasts, so he had asked about the matter. That was the exact answer he had received. The extent of the contribution wasnt determined by how formidable ones feat was, but by how much one had actually contributed to mankind. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. The killings conducted by the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge was done extremely discreetly, such that even Zhao Bingxu and the others didnt know much about it. They also thought that those beasts had only camped on the mountain, rarely conducting any acts of aggression against humans. Due to the Bluehorn Dragon Beast and Vicious being involved in this matter, Zhang Xuan had instructed School Head Mo not to speak of this matter to another. Naturally, the headquarters were unaware of this matter, so the Contribution Points awarded to him were less than initially expected. "Wu shi, Senior Uncle is still young. Given his talent and capability, it is just a matter of time before he makes a great contribution to humanity. Besides, he was the one who captured You Xu and exposed his facade, ridding mankind of a ck sheep..." Mu shi tried to ease the tension in the room. He wasnt aware of the matter regarding the Cloudmist Ridge, but the capture of You Xu, a traitor of humanity, would surely count as Zhang Xuans contribution as well. "Capturing You Xu? Humph, does this contribution even add up to a single point?" Wu shi smirked coldly. "This... It happens to add up to a single point," Mu shi replied awkwardly. "Hehe!" Wu shi sneered coldly before turning to Zhang Xuan once more. "Principal Zhang, just as you can see, no matter how capable as your teacher is, you still need to depend on yourself to win the respect of others. You should just stay here! The expedition to the ancient domain will be extremely dangerous; we arent going there to y. There wont be anyone to take care of you; I fear that you might meet with danger if you head there!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Considering that he was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle, it was indeed very dangerous for him to head to an ancient domain where even a 7-star master teacher could possibly lose his life. It wasntpletely unreasonable for the other party to not want to bring him along. Just that... To just a persons strength solely by their cultivation, wasnt the other party jumping to conclusions a little too fast? With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan looked at Wu shi and chuckled softly. "Since that is the case... may I know if Combat Master Zhuo is qualified to join the expedition?" "As a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall and a Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm expert, Combat Master Zhuo is naturally qualified to join the expedition!" Wu shi replied. "I see..." Zhang Xuans lips curled up as he turned to Zhuo Qingfeng with a bright smile. "Combat Master Zhuo, are you free? It happens that I managed to achieve a breakthrough recently, and I would like to find someone to spar with." "You want to spar with me?" Zhuo Qingfeng was taken aback. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Since Principal Zhang is in the mood, I am more than willing to apany you!" Honestly speaking, after having two parties from the Combat Master Hall decimated by the students of the young man before him, he had been wanting to see the young mans strength for himself. However, it was a pity that the other party was often not around, so he hadnt been able to find an opportunity to do so. Since this was a rare opportunity for him to test the other partys strength, his interest was immediately piqued. In any case, no matter how formidable Principal Zhang might have been, he was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle. As a Saint 2-dan expert, he didnt think that he would lose to the other party! "Alright, lets begin!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile, and he took a nimble step to the center of the room. "You want to spar here?" Zhuo Qingfeng was taken aback. "If we fight here, wont the shockwaves of our battle cause this assembly room to copse?" As spacious as the assembly room seemed, if the might of his Saint realm 2-dan cultivation were to leak out, it could easily devastate the entire area. It would be embarrassing if he copsed the Elder Hall by ident. "Dont worry, there is no such risk. The battle will end quickly!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "End quickly?" A frown emerged on Zhuo Qingfengs face as hisplexion turned awful. "Since Principal Zhang insists on it, I wont stand on ceremony!" Zhuo Qingfeng flicked his wrist and took out a sword before harrumphing coldly. "Draw your weapon!" "Weapon?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There is no need to go through that much trouble. Lets begin!" After his Golden Origin Cores metamorphosis into a Violet Origin Core, the fighting prowess he could disy had been enhanced more than twofold. In his current state, even a Saint 2-dan opponent was nothing to him. "Dont me me if you get hurt then!" Seeing how the other party was even more arrogant than his student, refusing to even draw his weapon against him, Zhuo Qingfengs face turned incredibly livid. With a swift flick of his wrist, he charged forward to make the first move. This time, he didnt suppress his cultivation. Exerting the full might of a Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm cultivator, his zhenqi burst forth from his body and ravaged the surroundings. In an instant, a sound reminiscent of the crazy rumbling of thunder sounded. "How powerful..." School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others paled in fright. Even Wo Tianqiong and the others couldnt help but narrow their eyes in rm. While they did possess higher cultivation than Zhuo Qingfeng, in a true duel, they had no doubt that they would be the ones to be defeated in the end. Principal Zhang was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle, two whole cultivation realms weaker than Zhuo Qingfeng, so how could he possibly even stand his ground against thetter? With such thoughts in mind, everyone hurriedly turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter standing with aposed smile on his face against Zhuo Qingfengs powerful swordsmanship, clearly devoid of any intention to dodge at all. "Humph!" Realizing that he was being looked down upon, rage flickered across Zhuo Qingfengs eyes as he leaped forward to strike. A cold, sharp glint shed across the area before a sword whizzed right for Zhang Xuans chest, as if a venomous snake. Since this was a spar, Zhuo Qingfeng didnt intend tond a fatal blow. Nevertheless, if Zhang Xuan were to be caught in the attack, he would surely suffer severe injuries under the onught of the sharp sword qi and rampaging zhenqi, "Hehe!" Watching as the other partys sword swiftly approached him, Zhang Xuan chuckled. In the moment that the sword was just about to pierce his chest, Zhang Xuan raised two fingers and grabbed lightly. Weng! The astounding momentum of Zhuo Qingfengs sword came to an abrupt halt just like that. As if a snake grabbed at the neck, no matter how Zhuo Qingfeng tugged and pulled, his sword just wouldnt budge. "This..." Zhuo Qingfengs eyes narrowed in astonishment. Grabbing a sword empty-handed was no easy feat. To achieve this feat, one had to possess not only an outstanding eye of discernment and a precise grasp of timing inbat, but most importantly of all, formidable strength! As abat master, Zhuo Qingfengs strength was far greater than other Spiritual Perception realm cultivators. For his strongest sword art to be stopped with a simple pinch of two fingers... How could this possibly happen? In the midst of Zhuo Qingfengs shock, the young man opposite to him abruptly released his grip on the sword and flicked the de of it lightly. Boom! An immense might tore through the sword and struck Zhuo Qingfeng, forcing him to retreat eight steps. Every single step he took left a deep footprint in the ground. Yet, those eight steps were still insufficient for him to neutralize the relentless might from Zhang Xuans flick, so he chose to leap up in hopes that it could further thin the might. Peng! However, Zhuo Qingfeng was still underestimating the might of the flick. The leap he took sent him crashing straight into a pir in the assembly room, and with a reddened face, he spurted a mouthful of blood. It was only then that the might finally dissipated. Swiftly withdrawing his sword, Zhuo Qingfeng walked up to the young man before him and sped his fist. "Principal Zhang, thank you for going easy on me!" Had the other party not held back, he might have been smashed into a lump of meat paste earlier. It was no wonder Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were so monstrously powerful... It turned out that their teacher was a real monster! To think that a day woulde which he, a Saint 2-danbat master, would lose to a Nascent Saint. "You are being too kind." Zhang Xuans purpose was only to disy his strength. It would suffice to make in his point. After trading a few pleasantries with Zhuo Qingfeng, he turned to Wu shi and asked, "So, is someone of my strength qualified to join the expedition?" Chapter 974: Wu shis Embarrassment Chapter 974: Wu shis Embarrassment Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Witnessing that, Wu shis eyebrows shot up. "This..." For a Nascent Saint master teacher to defeat a Saint 2-danbat master barehanded... this was way too fearsome! On top of that, just a moment ago, he had mocked the other partys strength! Who could have thought that the other party would defeat Combat Master Zhuo the very next moment? This was a direct p to his face! "Based on the intelligence we have so far, there are many Otherworldly Demonic Tribe experts in the ancient domain. Even a 6-star pinnacle master teacher like You Xu was unable to stand his ground against them! What makes you so confident that you will be able to stand against them?" Wu shi ced his hands behind his back and gazed at Zhang Xuan coldly. With a challenging tone, he questioned, "Have you fought an Otherworldly Demon before? Do you know how fearsome they are? Have you even seen an Otherworldly Demon before?" "I..." Zhang Xuan was just about to respond, but the 7-star master teacher before them waved his hands again. "In my lifetime, I have personally fought and killed 52 of them. Not only are they powerful and capable of challenging opponents stronger than them, more importantly, they exude a heavy killing intent that renders it difficult for anyone to stand against them! "Against such enemies, possessing somebat prowess isnt enough. More importantly, you must have tremendous mental fortitude and determination. If you dont have those, you should just remain here." While Wu shi was indeed picking on Zhang Xuan, his concerns werent entirely illogical. Even if Zhang Xuan possessed strong fighting prowess and had the guidance of a formidable teacher, he was ultimately still a twenty-year-old young man. There were many geniuses who had lost themselves under the overwhelming pressure emanated by the fearsome Otherworldly Demons, resulting in unexpected situations. A mistake made by one wouldnt just affect the individual but the entire team. The expedition to the ancient domain was already dangerous as it was, and it would be unwise to bring in another unstable factor. Zhang Xuan could tell that Wu shi wasnt a bad person at heart. The other party had just been in a lofty position for too long, which made him obstinate about his views. Shaking his head, he began to exin, "Regarding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe..." Halfway through his exnation, however, an elder abruptly rushed into the room. "Principal Zhang!" The elder rushed forward and sped his fist. Noticing the peculiar expression on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Did something happen?" That elder hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Principal Zhang, School Head Lu... Lu shi seeks an audience!" Due to Lu Fengs conflict with Principal Zhang, he had almost had his license revoked. It was only known among a couple of people, but as an elder of the Master Teacher Academy, he had heard a thing or two about it. Without a doubt, there was bound to be some bad blood between the two of them. As such, he felt a little conflicted reporting Lu Fengs arrival to Principal Zhang. "Lu Feng?" Unaware of the elders thoughts, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment he chuckled softly. After leaving the seal, he had tried to look for them but to no avail. From the looks of it, they had managed to get out of the Subterranean Gallery safely. "Invite him in!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "Yes..." Seeing that Principal Zhang didnt get displeased over this matter, the elder heaved a sigh of relief before hurriedly leaving. Not too longter, the elder returned with an old man walking behind him. Who else could it be other than Lu Feng? The current Lu Feng no longermanded a sharp disposition about him. There was rity in his eyes, and he felt more mature and reliable than before. It seemed like the happenings in the Subterranean Gallery had evoked a significant change in his mental state. "Principal Zhang, you are fine! Thats good..." Seeing the young man sitting safe and sound in the middle of the hall, Lu Feng heaved a sigh of relief. While he had guessed that the other party would be fine after seeing the many corpses of the Otherworldly Demons, it was still a huge relief to see it with his own eyes. The other party had put himself in great danger to save them. If not for him, their entire team would have died. "Of course, I am fine. What about you? Have you all recovered from your wounds yet?" Zhang Xuan replied with a kind smile. "Thank you for your concern, we have recovered fully from our wounds. Principal Zhang, it was only through your courageous efforts that we were to survive that ordeal and avert a potential cmity. Please ept my gratitude..." After saying those words, Lu Feng prepared to kneel to the ground. "Lu shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony." Zhang Xuan hurriedly rushed forward to help him up. On the other hand, seeing the two men whom they had thought had great enmity between them speaking so amicably to one another, School Head Mo and School Head Zhao nced at one another in bewilderment. Unable to stand it any longer, School Head Jiang Qingqin asked, "What happened?" "Oh, it is like that!" Upon hearing the question, Lu Feng began to exin. "Five days ago, Principal Zhang went down to the Subterranean Gallery and saved all forty of us 6-star master teachers who were stationed there. At the same time, he personally slew more than two hundred Saint realm Otherworldly Demons, including two Saint 4-dan Kings. I have already reported this matter to the headquarters, and I just received a response from them. I was intending to report this matter to the Master Teacher Academy so as to not allow Principal Zhangs contribution to go unnoticed, but I didnt expect Principal Zhang to have already returned..." "Principal Zhang went down to the Subterranean Gallery?" "Saved forty 6-star master teachers?" "Slew more than two hundred Saint realm Otherworldly Demons, and this included their Kings as well?" ... Hearing those words, the surroundings immediately fell silent. Wu shi, who had just been authoritatively voicing his doubts about Zhang Xuans capability, widened his eyes and nearly fainted on the spot. He had just said that the other party hadnt even seen an Otherworldly Demon before, and this Lu Feng arrived a momentter to say that the other party had killed more than two hundred of them. Was this for real? One must know that even he, a Saint 4-dan expert, hadnt killed that many yet! And most importantly of all, there were two Kings among them! It went without saying that each of the Otherworldly Demon Kings possessed fearsome might. Even a Saint 4-dan master teacher like him would be no match for an Otherworldly Demon King. Yet, based on what Lu Feng was saying, it seemed like Principal Zhang had not only survived an encounter with them, but he had even killed two of them. Just the notion of it left his mindpletely nk. Wu shi turned to Lu Feng and asked grimly, "Is what you are saying true?" "It is the utmost truth; I can guarantee it with my life!" Lu Feng nodded. "Furthermore, the headquarters have already investigated and confirmed the matter after we reported to them, and they have already converted Principal Zhangs contribution into Contribution Points. The reason I am here today is to hand them over to Principal Zhang." After saying those words, Lu Feng flicked his wrist, took out a jade token with a faint yellow hue, and presented it to Zhang Xuan. "Principal Zhang, you faced great danger to y so many Otherworldly Demons and save us. We cant allow your deeds to go unnoticed. The headquarters made an evaluation based on the situation then and awarded you with 1211 Contribution Points." "O-one thousand points?" Wu shis body trembled, and he nearly spurted blood. He had in his first Otherworldly Demon when he was sixteen, and it had been several hundred years since then. He had never cked in his effort of hunting down Otherworldly Demons, but the Contribution Points he had rued over so many years only added up to 22 points. This should have been a record that any master teacher would feel proud of, and countless would gasp in wonderment at. So, he had used it to mock Principal Zhang, but who could have known that, in the blink of an eye, the other party would suddenly be awarded more than a thousand points? Could there be anything more exaggerated than that? Even if the other party had in more than two hundred Saint realm Otherworldly Demons and two Kings, it shouldnt have added up to that much! Wu shi wasnt the only one who harbored such doubts. The others in the room thought the same as well. As if having seen through their thoughts, Lu Feng exined, "These Otherworldly Demons entered the Subterranean Gallery through paying a heavy price to breach the seal between both worlds. They shouldered an important mission, and had they seeded, Hongyuan Empire could very well have faced extinction. Principal Zhangs act of ying them has effectively foiled their ploy, preventing them from carrying out a devastating massacre. This is a huge merit, and even a thousand Contribution Points can hardly match up to what he has done." "This..." Everyone pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. Indeed, ying a few hundred Otherworldly Demons couldnt exactly be considered a huge merit, but if one had foiled their ploy by doing so and saved countless lives, that would be a different matter. Paying no heed to the crowds shock, Lu Feng continued. "There is also one more matter that the headquarters have yet to confirm for the time being. However, they are already checking on it, and once it is confirmed, it could very well earn Principal Zhang tens of thousands or even a hundred thousand Contribution Points." "Tens of thousands or a hundred thousand Contribution Points? Just what kind of huge merit can earn one so many Contribution Points?" Mu shi asked in agitation. Even ying a Saint realm Otherworldly Demon might not even earn one a single point. Through this, it could easily be seen how difficult it was to earn Contribution Points. To earn a thousand Contribution Points out of the blue was already inconceivable. Just what could it be that could allow Principal Zhang to earn tens of thousands or a hundred thousand Contribution Points after confirmation? Mu shi wasnt the only one who was shocked by the matter. Wu shi, School Head Mo, and the others also had confused looks on their faces, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. "It is like this. We entered the Subterranean Gallery earlier and found that the seal severing the space to the otherworldly battlefield had been repaired. If I am not mistaken, that must be Principal Zhangs doing, right?" Lu Feng raised his gaze and looked at Zhang Xuan. "As long as the seal remained damaged, the Otherworldly Demon would have been able to continue their invasion. Thus, I spent a few days to fix the seal using a secret art that my teacher once imparted to me." Zhang Xuan nodded. "As I thought." Lu Fengs eyes lit up. Having stayed in the Subterranean Gallery for three months, he had already learned about the damage suffered by the seal. Knowing that this invasion wasnt an exception and there would be many more toe, he had prepared himself to spend his entire life fighting in the Subterranean Gallery to protect mankind. Yet, who could have known that when he took another look at it, it was alreadypletely repaired. Their group of master teachers had been together throughout the entire duration, and there was no way the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would shoot themselves in the foot. Thus, the only one who could have done it was Principal Zhang. Furthermore, the seal had aplex structure that even had thews of space tied into it. None of them had the ability to repair the seal either. However, if it was the miracle workshop, Principal Zhang, who had done it, then it would all make sense. That was why he was rather certain about the matter. Repairing the seal meant eliminating the possibility of an assault by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe through the Subterranean Gallery once and for all. This was an immenselyrge merit. Even a hundred thousand Contribution Points seemed meager inparison. As for what the oue would be, the headquarters woulde to a decision after they were done surveying the situation. "Doesnt the seal involve thews of space as well? Principal Zhang was actually able to fix it?" "If it is really true, Principal Zhang really has contributed greatly to mankind this time." "How did he do it?" Hearing the conversation of the duo, the crowd was stunned. The haughty and authoritative Wu shi from a moment ago looked as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. "Right. Principal Zhang, did you just return from the Subterranean Gallery? I have been keeping a close eye on the seal, and it was still damaged the previous time I was there," Lu Feng suddenly asked out of curiosity. He had gone to the seal to search for Zhang Xuan at one point, and it had still been damaged then. However, when he checked on it just a moment ago, it had already beenpletely repaired. "Un. I only left the Subterranean Gallery an hour ago," Zhang Xuan replied with a bitter smile. "Look, I havent even had a chance to change out of my clothes yet. "Shortly after I returned from the Subterranean Gallery after braving through danger to y a few hundred Otherworldly Demons and save Hongyuan Empire, the Assembly Bell chimed, so I had to rush over without any time to clean up or rest. Yet, I was actually used of showing ack of respect. Dont you think that is very absurd?" Hearing those words, Wu shis face turnedpletely red, and in that moment, he desperately wished that he could find a hole in the ground to hide in. Chapter 975: Zhang Xuan Wants to Organize an Exchange Visit Chapter 975: Zhang Xuan Wants to Organize an Exchange Visit Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 7-star high-tier master teacher, Wu shi was more than d to see talented fresh blood in the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, his rage at You Xus betrayal had given him a bad impression of the new principal, which was also the reason he had snubbed Zhang Xuan right from the start. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was also a little too young to have be the principal of a Master Teacher Academy. Achieving sess too early in life tended to result incency, and that could be a particrly dangerous trait for a master teacher. He felt that a little bit of suffering to quell the other partys pride and temper his state of mind could go a long way. He had thought that he would be able to easily make the other party learn that the world wasrger than he thought and that there was always a man greater than the other. Yet, he had be the one learning that there was a man greater than the other instead. Just the thought of it left him feeling stifled within. Wu shi shook his head with a bitter smile. It is no wonder he was able to be a principal at his age and win Mu shis praise and respect, inducing thetter to willingly address him as Senior Uncle. He sure isnt an ordinary person! He had always respected those who had made great contributions to humanity, and the young man before him had personally descended into the Subterranean Gallery despite his esteemed position as the principal and rescued forty 6-star master teachers, in hundreds of Otherworldly Demons, and repaired the seal. Any of those three were feats worthy of respect! Knowing all this, Wu shi decided to put aside his airs and apologized earnestly. "Principal Zhang, I shouldnt have jumped to conclusions without trying to understand the situation. I ask you forgive me for my previous offense!" Master teachers valued etiquette, and a mistake was a mistake. Even if he was a 7-star high-tier master teacher, it was only right for him to admit his mistake wherever he had erred. "Wu shi is being too polite; we are fellow master teachers working for mankind. Considering how dangerous the expedition will be, it is only right for you to act prudently." Zhang Xuan nodded. "I am d you didnt take it to heart." Wu shi also nodded. Putting aside the matter, he continued the discussion regarding the expedition. "Alright, since we have decided that everyone will be joining in the expedition, we shall meet in one month at Firesource City." "Firesource City?" "Un. Based on You Xus ount and the scouting done by our Master Teacher Pavilion, the entrance to the ancient domain is located in the vicinity of Firesource City," Wu shi replied. The map of Hongyuan Empire came into his mind, and Zhang Xuan asked to confirm, "If I recall correctly, Firesource City is located near the boundary of Hongyuan Empire, close to the Saint Ascension tform, right?" Due to the close proximity between Firesource City and the Saint Ascension tform, only a distance of several hundred kilometers, there were many pilgrims who would drop by for a short stay. As such, it had quite a prosperous economy. "Yes, it is a city close to the Saint Ascension tform," Wu shi replied. "The Saint Ascension tform is the ground where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, and the ancient domain is located close to it. Perhaps, there might be a connection between the two, but it is still too early to make any assumptions! We dont have enough information." "Un." The crowd nodded. Anything rting to Kong shi shouldnt be spoken of easily without any concrete proof. "Speaking of the Saint Ascension tform, I must speak about something that happened just a while ago." Wu shi chuckled softly as he turned his gaze to the crowd. "Kong shi left behind his writings on the Saint Ascension tform, and three months ago, someone actually uncovered the true meaning behind those words, causing a huge ruckus then! Honestly speaking, I would really love to meet the expert who received Kong shis acknowledgement. If possible, I would like to acknowledge him as my teacher and learn from him." As Wu shi spoke, the admiration in his eyes deepened. Halfway through his words, he suddenly noticed that Wu Rans face had reddened to the point that it seemed like it would blow up at any moment. Displeased with the other partys reaction, he frowned. "Principal Wu, is there something wrong? If I remember correctly, you are the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle, arent you? After so many years of research, you were unable to figure out the true meaning of Kong shis writing. Yet, someone else actually seeded in doing so... Dont you think that it is an incredible feat?" "Cough cough!" Wu Rans eyes flew around the ce. Unable to take it anymore, he said, "Wu shi, the expert who deciphered Kong shis writing... is right before you!" "Right before me?" Taken aback, Wu shis eyes widened in astonishment. "Who is it?" "It is... the person you said put on airs, Principal Zhang," Wu Ran said with aplicated expression. "Principal Zhang?" Wu shi staggered on the spot, and he nearly fainted from the heavy shock. You must be joking with me? A Nascent Saint actually managed to find mistakes in Kong shis writing? Zhang Xuan also felt a little awkward, not knowing what to make of the situation. "The person you are speaking of... does indeed seem to be me!" What is this? The man who put me down as if I was nothing a moment ago is actually saying that he wants to acknowledge me as his teacher. Sigh, these must be the problems that a person too outstanding faces all the time. What a dilemma! "For several dozen thousand years, everyone thought that there couldnt be a single mistake in Kong shis writing, so they cultivated strictly ording to it. You are the man who found the mistake in it and courageously questioned it publicly... T-this..." Wu shis lips trembled in frenzy. As a 7-star high-tier master teacher, he had thought that he would be able to easily teach the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy a lesson for hispse of responsibility regarding You Xus matter so as to send out a stern warning to him. Who could have known that he would be the one who was taught a lesson instead? For so many years, there had not been a person who dared doubt Kong shis words. Even thinking about it was sphemous to them! This notion had be far too ingrained in their minds to change. This was precisely why, when they heard that someone actually voiced doubts regarding the Kong shis writing in the Saint Ascension tform, they had been extremely shocked. This was equivalent to challenging a prevalent mindset that had dominated the Master Teacher Continent for many, many years, as well as challenging Kong shis authority. He had thought a person possessing the courage to do so would at least be a Saint 3-dan or 4-dan expert, a person who had a deep understanding of Sainthood. Who would have thought that it would turn out to be a twenty-year-old man whom he had just lectured a moment ago! It could be said that the shock the other party had given him today was far more than what he had suffered in his entire life. At this point, he felt that he should start rethinking life. Seeing how shocked the other party was, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Its nothing much. Kong shi was ultimately still a mortal. There is no mortal who doesnt make mistakes." There was no man in the world who was infallible, and Sages werent any exception to the rule! "Y-you..." Upon hearing these words, everyones face paled. Wu shi even hurriedly closed his palm to seal the surroundings with his zhenqi, fearing that those words would have been overheard by others. "Principal Zhang, Kong shi is the Worlds Teacher! His affairs mustnt be spoken of so lightly..." Noticing that their principal was unaware of the convention, School Head Mo hurriedly sent a telepathic message over to advise him. "Oh." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He had only just recalled a moment ago that in this world, a lower ranked master teacher was forbidden from speaking about the affairs of a higher ranked master teacher easily. It was also thanks to this very rule that no other master teacher dared to look into his other persona, Yang Xuan. As the Worlds Teacher, the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi was naturally an existence that one shouldnt speak lightly of. If it was found that Zhang Xuan had spoken of him disrespectfully, he would be criticized by many master teachers. In fact, it was not entirely impossible for him to killed on the spot for his rudeness. Those of the Master Teacher Continent had been brought up to respect their teachers, and the word teacher held an exceptional position in each of their hearts. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan still retained the modern thinking he had in his previous life, so it was only natural that many would find it hard to ept his different line of thoughts. It seemed like he really had to pay more attention to such matters in the future. Otherwise, if others were to use such an incident against him, he could be really put into a spot. "I apologize for my prior faux pas. Please do not take it to heart," Zhang Xuan apologized. School Head Mo quickly reacted with a soft chuckle. "Principal Zhang, what are you referring to? I didnt hear anything at all." "Indeed, we didnt hear anything either." The others nodded in agreement. Since it was a matter regarding Kong shi, it was best to y a fool and act as if they hadnt heard anything at all. Firstly, it was to avoid the fire from getting on them as well. Secondly, they could avoid offending the talented Principal Zhang. In order to alleviate the awkward atmosphere, Liao Song asked, "Principal Zhang, your other two students, Wang Ying and Liu Yang, intend to challenge the trial of our Combat Master Hall as well. When do you think it will be convenient for them? It will be best for them to do it as fast as possible so that we can return soon." "Lets hold the trial tomorrow then." At this point, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking once more. "Also... there is a faction in our academy known as the Xuanxuan Faction. If it is not too much trouble, I hope to bring them to your Combat Master Hall in the future so as to broaden their horizon. They will be able to interact and learn from one another." It was impossible to be an expert by cultivating in istion. The Combat Master Hall was filled with experts, and if the Xuanxuan Faction could interact with them, they would be able to broaden their horizons and learn about many new things. That would be beneficial to their growth in the future. Zhang Xuan had been contemting this issue for the past few days, and since Liao Song was there, it was a good opportunity to broach this subject. "Xuanxuan Faction, interaction..." Recalling what they had undergone two days ago, when they had just entered the academy, Liao Songs face paled and his heart jolted in terror. Even just hearing the word Xuanxuan could easily send shivers up his spine at this point. If it had been a normal interaction, it could be beneficial for the members of the Combat Master Hall as well. After all, everyone had their own unique interpretation ofbat, and perhaps the insights that the students had could serve as a source of inspiration for their members. However, it was the Xuanxuan Faction they were talking about here. If that group of tens of thousands of monsters were to visit their Combat Master Hall, would their members lose all faith and confidence? Looking at the deep frown on Liao Songs face, an expression that looked as if he had eaten two jin 1 of salted vegetables, Zhang Xuan asked worriedly, "Whats wrong? Am I putting you on the spot?" "Its not that..." Gritting his teeth, Liao Song said, "Its like this. Our Combat Master Hall branch is located in Qingyuan Empire, which is more than a months journey from here. The reason I was able to arrive quickly is because I was in proximity to Hongyuan City when I received Zhuo Qingfengs message. The ancient domain will be opening in a month. Why dont we talk about it once more after we survive the expedition?" Qingyuan Empire was a significant distance away from Hongyuan Empire. Even if one rode on a saint beast, it would still be a journey of many days. "Youre right. Since thats the case, why dont I just show you and your members to themter on so that you can interact with one another? Those fellows really can use some of your mens pointers. Also, this will also be a good opportunity for them to see the true experts in this world so that they dont becent!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile. The fellows of the Xuanxuan Faction had also listened to his lecture, but they hadnt really internalized his teachings through practicalbat yet. If they could spar with the experts of the Combat Master Hall, they would be able to improve by leaps and bounds. "Pointers? True experts?" Hearing those words, Liao Songs lips twitched, and he nearly cked out on the spot. We might be considered experts before others, but to the freaks of the Xuanxuan Faction... Expert your head! We werepletely crushed by the Xuanxuan Faction right after we entered the academy, so what pointers could we possibly offer them? You must be joking! "It is an interesting notion, but I think we will pass on it." Liao Song waved his hand and turned it down awkwardly. "Its just a normal interaction. Or does Combat Master Liao think that the students of our academy are too weak and are unworthy of your guidance?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. He was unaware of the traumatic experience that Combat Master Liao had gone through, and this was a rare opportunity for the Xuanxuan Faction to meet and interact withbat masters too, so he wanted to vie for this opportunity for his students. Besides, thebat masters specialized in fighting. Shouldnt they be eager to join in, especially since it was a rare chance for them to disy their skills? "Thats not it..." Liao Song waved his hands. "Its settled then! Its just a normal spar to learn from one another; nothing bad wille of it! However, I will have to ask yourbat masters to go easy on my students so as to not traumatize them too much," Zhang Xuan said affirmatively with a bright smile on his lips. "Alright then..." Looking at the sincere and earnest face, Liao Song could tell that the other party wasnt attempting to humiliate him. Left with no choice, he could only nod in agreement with despair reflected in the depths of his eyes. Well, on the bright side, the interaction could help to raise the fighting prowess of theirbat masters too if they could survive the ordeal... Chapter 976: Arriving at the Xuanxuan Faction Chapter 976: Arriving at the Xuanxuan Faction Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After confirming the matter with the other party, Zhang Xuan turned to Zhao Bingxu and instructed, "School Head Zhao, make some preparations. We shall construct a flying ship for our academy." Zhao Bingxu nodded. The construction of a flying ship was a huge project, but there were tens of thousands of students in the cksmith School. With all of them working simultaneously, it wouldnt take too long to finish it. The only reason Hongyuan still didnt have one to date was due to theirck of saint beasts to drive it. However, having tamed the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, as well as many other Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts, they had sufficient beastpower to drive the flying ship. Since Zhang Xuan intended to take the members of the Xuanxuan Faction to Qingyuan Empire to conduct an exchange with the Combat Master Hall, it was infeasible to fly them over on spirit beasts. Who knew how many trips it would take to fly them there and back? If they could obtain a flying ship, that would make things much easier. After settling the matter, the crowd chatted for a moment longer. "Firesource City is around a weeks journey away from here. The ancient domain hasnt opened yet, and there is no point in us arriving there too early either. Since thats the case, why dont we make our own preparations within this period of time and meet up at Firesource City when the timees?" Wu shi proposed. "Thats a good idea!" Voices of approval sounded among the crowd. Not only was it pointless for them to arrive at Firesource City earlier, they might also catch the attention of the Otherworldly Demons and prompt them to prepare in advance to deal with them, thus resulting in unneeded trouble. "Alright then, we will take our leave first." After saying so, Wu shi and Mu shi left the assembly room. As the other academies were too far away, Wo Tianqiong and the others decided to remain in Hongyuan for the time being. After arranging for School Head Mo to take good care of them, Zhang Xuan beckoned for Liao Song, Zhuo Qingfeng, and the otherbat masters to gather before bringing them to the Xuanxuan Faction headquarters. Before even arriving at their destination, they could already see plenty of people cultivating and practicing their battle techniques by the side. With just a look, rage bubbled within Zhang Xuan, and his face darkened in anger. Unable to take it any longer, he roared furiously, "Stop whatever you are doing ande over! What in the world are you all doing?" As the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction, he had great expectations for it. This was the reason he had lectured them tirelessly and even brought thebat masters over so that they could train with them. He had thought that his hard work would bear him some fruits, but when he came over, these fellows... Just what in the world were they practicing? Their movements were ck andcking force, and their timing andbat sense werepletelycking. It was as if someone had starved them for days! Were they trying to swat flies? "What in the world are they doing?" Hearing the bellow, Liao Song, Zhuo Qingfeng, and the others nced at one another, their eyebrows leaping up in astonishment. In their eyes, the battle techniques that this group of students had been practicing were already plenty fearsome. Why was the other party speaking as if they were making a huge mistake? Werent his expectations a little too high? At this point, Ruohuan gongzi, Song Chao, and the others rushed out to greet Zhang Xuan. "Principal Zhang." "What happened to what I taught you all before leaving?" Zhang Xuan roared furiously. What the heck is this? I put in so much effort into lecturing all of you, but what is it that you all are doing? How disgraceful! "We are... already practicing very seriously!" The faces of Ruohuan gongzi and the others reddened. "You call this practicing very seriously?" With a deeply disappointed look, Zhang Xuan pointed to the few students not too far away and said, "The Autumn Wind Heralding Rain you were practicing previously might look impressive, but it is, in truth, an utter joke! What do you need so many feints for? In the first strike, as long you were to just lower your palm by three inches, you would have already been able to fell your opponent!" After which, Zhang Xuan pointed to another student and said, "The Emerald Leaf Swordsmanship that you were practicing a moment ago is clearly an offensive move, but you actually practiced it as a defensive move! It would still have been fine if you actually managed to protect yourself well through that move, but as long as your opponent lowers their posture and attacks your lower body, what do you think will happen? "As for your Chaotic Demon Hammering Art, it might look powerful and grand on the surface, but in truth, you arent channeling your zhenqi into your strength well. If one were to find the point where your zhenqi intersects, even without making a move, just a sharp gaze in itself can potentially cause your zhenqi to fall into disarray, thus causing you severe injuries from the bacsh... "As for that..." Zhang Xuan pointed to another eight more students, and every word he spoke left the pointed student lowering his head in shame. They realized that all of the mistakes pointed out earlier had been covered in Principal Zhangs lecture back then, but they had somehow identally neglected it while practicing their battle techniques. Thus, upon hearing what Principal Zhang said, they could only lower their heads silently in shame. It was no wonder Zhang Xuan would get so enraged upon seeing them. He had imparted his knowledge unreservedly, and he had thought that after a few days of hard work, everyone would at least have been able to internalize 60% to 70% of what he had covered back then. However, from the looks of it, they didnt even manage to internalize 20%! For master teachers, wasnt their intelligence a little too poor? Of course, one thing that Zhang Xuan had failed to realize was that his breakthroughs and modification of the Saint Ascension Decipher in the Subterranean Gallery had enhanced his eye of discernment, deepening his understanding ofbat. As a result, he was noticing more mistakes in the students techniques than ever, and naturally, he thought that they hadnt made any improvements at all. "T-this..." Liao Song and Zhuo Qingfengs breathing hastened. Those movements were overwhelmingly powerful andpletely wless in their eyes, and yet, the other party had been able to point out fatal ws within them so easily. Wasnt his eye of discernment way too powerful? It was no wonder he was able to defeat a Saint 2-danbat master easily despite possessing only the cultivation of a Nascent Saint. Just his eye of discernment in itself was already far beyond what they couldpare with. At this point, one of his subordinates, Zhou Ye, sent a telepathic message to him. "Liao shi, since there are so many ws in their battle techniques and maneuvers, is it possible for us to exploit them to cleanse ourselves of our previous shame?" For a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall to be defeated by an ordinary student of a Master Teacher Academy so easily, it was natural that he would be frustrated and vexed. Over the days, this feeling only seemed to have deepened. Upon hearing that there were actually so many ws in the moves of the Xuanxuan Faction members, his eyes immediately lit up in excitement. "It is, but... I fear that it wont be as easy as you think to find their ws." Liao Song shook his head. As easy as Principal Zhang made it seem, even a person with his eye of discernment couldnt see through the ws in the maneuvers of those Xuanxuan Faction members, so he didnt believe that his subordinate would be able to do so either. How could one exploit a w they didnt even know of? "Then... what if we find the weakest of them to challenge? There are thirty thousand of them, so it is impossible for all of them to be powerful!" Zhou Ye eximed. "This..." Liao Song hesitated. The other party was right. Every person had varying levels of aptitude forbat. Even if they had all listened to the same lecture from Principal Zhang, what they were able toprehend and learn would inevitably be different from one another. Just as there were incredibly powerful cultivators among the thirty thousand members of the Xuanxuan Faction, there were bound to be weak ones as well. Take the few students whom Principal Zhang had berated earlier, this clearly showed that there were still many of them who werecking in one way or another. "Enough. What we should be thinking of is not to exploit their weaknesses to defeat them, but to reflect on and improve ourselves through them." Just after Liao Song had lectured the others, Zhang Xuan began the introduction. "I believe I need not introduce Combat Master Liao, Combat Master Zhuo, and the others. I have invited them here today to offer you some pointers. Make sure to learn diligentlyter on and dont ck off." "Yes!" The crowd nodded. "Combat Master Liao, these are the students I was talking about. I have only lectured them for an afternoon, so their fighting prowess isnt too impressive yet. Just do whatever you can, and it will be best if you can show them how powerfulbat masters are so that they could have a goal to pursue!" After introducing both sides to one another, Zhang Xuan smiled. "Ah..." Liao Song was just about to speak when Ruohuan gongzi abruptly walked over and greeted, "Liao shi, we meet once again." He was feeling a little embarrassed for pummeling the other party without knowing their identity. "Yes, indeed. We meet again." Liao Song nodded in response. "Alright, I will leave you all to it. I still have some matters to attend to, so I will be taking my leave first!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. Since there was still a months time before the ancient domain opened, he was intending to use this period of time to pay a visit to Jingyuan City to find the Poison Hall and resolve Wei Ruyans condition. But first, he would have to make sure that everything was in order so that he could leave in peace. Thus, he had brought thesebat masters over in the hope of tempering the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. If he could give them a glimpse of the strength of thebat masters, they could realize the gap between them and not embarrass them that badly when they went for the exchangeter on. On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to leave, Liao Song heaved a sigh of relief and sped his fist. "Farewell!" It would be best if the other party wasnt around. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing if theirbat masters were to be defeated by the other partys students after all that was said! "Un." Zhang Xuan turned around and flew toward his residence. In the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared from sight. Turning to the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, Liao Song sped his fist and smiled. "Pleased to meet you all. While Principal Zhang has asked us to offer pointers to you, what he truly means is for the both of us to learn from one another. We can spar with one another so as to deepen our understanding of battle techniques." Ruohuan gongzi nodded in agreement. It wouldnt do to just learn the theories ofbat. Only by the umtion of experience through practicalbat would one be able to improve. Zhou Ye stepped forward. "Leader, I would like to challenge an expert of the Xuanxuan Faction!" "Brother Zhou!" Ruohuan gongzi recognized the other party, and he greeted him with a smile. "I will help you find an opponent." While he had managed to defeat Zhou Ye back then, the other partys fighting prowess was still considerable. The members of the Xuanxuan Faction looked formidable on the surface, but just as what Zhou Ye thought, there was a significant gap in the fighting prowess among them. Not every single one of them was a match for thebat masters. "There is no need to go through that much trouble." Zhou Ye interrupted Ruohuan gongzi and asked with a smile, "Is it possible for me to select my own opponent?" If he wished to cleanse himself of his shame, he would have to select a weak opponent. Otherwise, if Ruohuan gongzi were to pick an opponent for him, he would only be defeated once more. "You wish to select an opponent yourself?" Ruohuan gongzi frowned. He could see through the other partys intention clearly, but after a moment of hesitation, he still nodded in agreement. "Feel free!" The purpose of this sparring session was to enhance their fighting prowess, not to vie for honor. Losing here was not a big deal. "Thank you." Hearing the other party agree to his request, Zhou Ye heaved a sigh of relief. He began scanning the crowd to find an opponent. The Xuanxuan Faction had more members than what one could see with a single glimpse. It wasnt very easy to determine the strength of an individual among the crowd from outside. A momentter, Zhou Yes eyes lit up as he pointed toward a certain figure. "I choose that person!" "You choose her?" Turning to look at the person whom Zhou Ye had pointed at, Ruohuan gongzis lips twitched. "Are you certain?" "I am!" Zhou Ye nodded. He had met a few of the male students of the Xuanxuan Faction, and he hadnt been a match for them. Thus, he decided to challenge ady this time around. Thedy he had chosen looked like she was in her early twenties, and she was extremely beautiful as well. At first sight, his heart was already moved. If he could defeat the other party and disy tremendous strength in the process, perhaps he might be able to win the other partys favor and capture her heart. More importantly, the other partys cultivation was equal to his, Chrysalis realm. This way, he wouldnt have to suppress his cultivation, allowing him to exert the full extent of his might. "If you are really certain, alright then..." Seeing Zhou Ye insisting on it, Ruohuan gongzi could only shake his head. He walked toward the youngdy and exined the situation. Thetter frowned for a moment before giving a nod of agreement and then walking to the nearby dueling ring. Leaping onto the dueling ring as well, Zhou Ye bowed gentlemanly and asked with a smile, "I am Zhou Ye. May I know how to address you?" "I am..." The youngdy looked at Zhou Ye and spoke with a nonchnt voice. "Yu Fei-er!" Chapter 977: Combat Masters Chapter 977: Combat Masters Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The youngdy whom Zhou Ye had chosen was none other than Yu Fei-er. She had been with Zhang Xuan for two months while he was undergoing the Empire Building test, cultivating diligently under the other partys guidance. To date, her cultivation had already reached Chrysalis realm pinnacle, and her fighting prowess was even more fearsome. The reason she had gone to the Xuanxuan Faction was to have a chat with Zhang Xuan, but who knew that thetter would just turn around and leave? She was already frustrated by this matter, so when she heard that someone was foolish enough to actually challenge her to a duel, she agreed to it. Having been brought up in a doting environment, Yu Fei-er tended to allow her emotions to dictate her actions. No matter who he was, as long as the other party had provoked her, she would pummel him unhesitatingly! She wasnt an official member of the Xuanxuan Faction, but given her close rtionship with Zhang Xuan, there was no one in the Xuanxuan Faction who considered her an outsider. "Yu Fei-er? What a beautiful name!" Zhou Ye remarked with a fine smile. "Lets begin!" Yu Fei-er couldnt be bothered to waste her breath with the other party, so she raised her hand coldly and beckoned for the other party to begin. "Sure, lets begin!" Zhou Ye nodded excitedly. With a confident glint in his eyes, he said, "Since we are only sparring, I think there is no need to use weapons. It will be bad if we identally injure one another. Dont worry, I will try my best not to injure you..." To be able to reach Chrysalis realm at such a young age, the other party was indubitably a talented individual. However, he, Zhou Ye, was not an easy opponent either! So what if she was from the Xuanxuan Faction as well? He might not be a match for Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and the others, but he didnt believe that he would lose twice to opponents who had only sat through an afternoon lecture from Principal Zhang. Hu! With such thoughts in mind, Zhou Ye stepped forcefully against the ground and began charging toward the youngdy. Driving his zhenqi furiously to gather his full strength, a loud rumbling reminiscent of thunder boomed from his palm. Upon seeing that sight, Liao Song nodded in approval. "Sevenstar Thunder Palm! Zhou Ye sure isnt going easy on the other party at all." Perhaps due to the loss he had suffered the previous time around, he didnt go easy on his opponent just because she was ady. Instead, he was proceeding more careful than ever. In the very first move, he had already executed his strongest attack. The Sevenstar Thunder Palm made use of seven acupoints on ones palm in order to construct the Sevenstar Formation to harness ones zhenqi with the might of thunder. It was a Spirit pinnacle battle technique, and even Half-Saint cultivators would have to flee before this technique, needless to say, a delicate youngdy like the other party. On the other hand, the unbelievably beautiful youngdy remainedpletely motionless on the spot, seemingly scared out of her wits by the incredible momentum of Zhou Yes attack. Frowning, Zhou Ye eximed in rm, "Be careful..." But before he could finish his words, the youngdy before him suddenly flicked the delicate sleeves of her robe. "What is she doing..." Just as Zhou Ye was perplexed as to why the other party would abruptly flick her sleeves in the middle of the battle, his entire body suddenly jolted. An unbelievable force reminiscent of a devastating hurricane was rushing right toward him. Hu! Before he could fully exert the might of the Sevenstar Thunder Palm, it was extinguished like a candle me amid a storm. Following which, he felt a dull pain in his chest, and with a cry of agony, he was knocked out of the dueling ring. Putong! He copsed on the ground. "This..." Liao Song and Zhuo Qingfeng nced at one another, and their bodies stiffened in astonishment. How could that youngdy possess such fearsome strength? They had once crossed hands with the members of the Xuanxuan Faction on a previous asion, and the opponents they had faced did possessbat sense far greater than theirs. But in terms of strength, theirbat masters had still held the upper hand. Yet, the sheer might from a casual flick of the youngdys sleeves had actually sent Zhou Ye flying... Just how powerful was she? This was way too exaggerated! After knocking Zhou Ye out, Yu Fei-er turned to Liao Song and the others and said, "Suppress your cultivation down to my level ande at me all at once!" She was already unhappy at having been deprived the opportunity of speaking to Zhang Xuan, and these fellows had actually provoked her at such a sensitive moment. They were simply courting death! Who of Hongyuan Empire didnt know that she, Yu Fei-er, had an explosive temper? She was never one to hold herself back. A bunch of punybat masters actually dared to provoke her while she was in a bad mood. If she didnt knock the teeth out of their mouths, her surname wouldnt be Yu! "What an arrogant woman. Allow me to teach her a lesson!" Hearing Yu Fei-ers words, a Chrysalis realmbat master couldnt stand it any longer and leaped onto the dueling ring. However, before he could evennd on the ground, a figure abruptly materialized before his eyes, and in the next instant, a palm struck his chest. Peng! Before he could even get onto the dueling ring, he had already been pounded into the ground, coughing huge spurts of blood. She had been listening to Zhang Xuans lessons every single day in the two months she had apanied him. The result of that was a tremendous surge in her cultivation, as well as a frightening growth in her fighting prowess. "Damn you!" Seeing how theirpanion had been knocked down before he could even get on the dueling ring, the otherbat masters were enraged. Roaring furiously, they suppressed their cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle and charged forward. "Why dont you try speaking with your fists instead of your mouth?" Paying no heed to the furious roaring of thebat masters, Yu Fei-er leaped forward and dashed into the midst of thebat masters. Pili p! Ten minutester, other than Liao Song and Zhuo Qingfeng, the remainingbat masters were lying on the ground with looks of despair in their eyes. Many of them possessed strength beyond Chrysalis realm, but with their cultivation suppressed to Chrysalis realm pinnacle, they found themselves being severely outmatched by the youngdy. In fact... they couldnt even withstand a single blow from the other party! The youngdy was indeed beautiful, but she felt like a rampaging dinosaur shaped in the form of a human. The overwhelming strength that she wielded was far beyond their means! Staring at his fallen subordinates, Liao Song clenched his fists tightly. "You arent an ordinary member of the Xuanxuan Faction, are you?" He had met the ordinary members of the Xuanxuan Faction, and while they werent weak either, they were nowhere as fearsome as the rampaging youngdy before his eyes. Evenpared to Zheng Yang and the others, she didnt pale far inparison. There was no way a single lecture or two from Principal Zhang could make her that powerful! With such thoughts in mind, Liao Song asked, "If I am not mistaken, you... are Principal Zhangs student, arent you? Otherwise, there is no way you can be that powerful..." "You are the one who is Principal Zhangs student, your entire family is Principal Zhangs students!" Triggered, Yu Fei-er bellowed furiously as she charged straight toward Liao Song. At this moment, the words that she dreaded to hear the most were that she was Zhang Xuans student. If such a rtionship between the both of them were to be affirmed, she would have to sever all of those thoughts of hers. Yet, that fellow just had to pick right at her wounds. Unforgivable! "You..." Not expecting the other party to fly into such a rage at a casual question from him, Liao Song nearly keeled over. He hurriedly dodged the attack and began suppressing his cultivation down to the other partys level. Shortly after he did so, he saw the youngdys palm raining down on him frenziedly. "Liao shi..." Upon seeing this sight, Zhuo Qingfeng couldnt help but turn his gaze away. No doubt about it, his old friend was in for a round of suffering. And as expected, five minutester... Liao Songs entire body was swollen red, and his face was ghastly paled. Even after suppressing his cultivation to Chrysalis realm, his fighting prowess was still on par with that youngdys. But... it was as if that youngdy hadpletely lost her rationality! Without any care or concern, she threw out blow after blow in quick session. Even with his strength, it didnt take long for him to sumb. It was fortunate that he had managed to protect his face right to the very end. Otherwise, he would have no face to face the others for many days toe. "Humph!" After venting her frustration, Yu Fei-er tilted her face upwards and harrumphed before turning around to leave. Right after she left, Hu Yaoyao walked into the headquarters with an expectant look. "Is Principal Zhang around?" "Principal Zhang isnt around, but the members of the Combat Master Hall are. Does Senior Hu want to try fighting them?" Ruohuan gongzi replied respectfully. "There arebat masters here? Sure..." A ravishing smile blossomed on Hu Yaoyaos lips. ... With thebat masters tempering the fighting capabilities of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, Zhang Xuan could finally put his mind to ease. He returned to the manor to take a look at Wei Ruyan. After confirming that he had managed to suppress the poison aura within her body for the time being, he heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he had Sun Qiang gather Wang Ying and the others. "Teacher..." Wang Ying and the others greeted upon seeing Zhang Xuan. "I am going to take Wei Ruyan to Jingyuan City to uncover the whereabouts of the Poison Hall. Here are several manuals containing the cultivation techniques andprehension of battle techniques I havepiled. Read through them quickly and voice whatever doubts you have regarding them now!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a few books and passed them over. On the way back from the academy, he had quickly penned down his newfoundprehension of the Saint Ascension Decipher and several new insights regarding battle techniques. He had no idea how long he would be gone for, so he decided to leave these items for them so that his departure wouldnt impede their cultivation. "Yes!" Wang Ying and the others nodded before hurriedly taking the books. The knowledge contained in the books was very profound, but having learned the Saint Ascension Decipher, it didnt take too long for them toprehend it. Within less than six hours, they had already gained a deep understanding of the material. Zhang Xuan also exined the parts that they were uncertain about in detail. By the time they were done, it was alreadyte at night. "Alright. Wang Ying and Liu Yang, you will be challenging the Dragon Gate Formation tomorrow, so make sure to internalize what I have taught you today," Zhang Xuan instructed. One of the reasons he was in such a rush to teach them was to prepare Wang Ying and Liu Yang for the Dragon Gate Formation. He had never seen it before, but after hearing Zheng Yangs ount on clearing the trial, he could tell that it wouldnt be easy. Wang Ying and Liu Yang had be his students rather early on, and they were diligent in their studies as well, but with their current strength, it would be difficult for them to clear such a difficult trial within two hours without resorting to special means like Zheng Yang. However, if they could further their cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher and deepen theirprehension ofbat, they could stand a pretty good chance. "Yes!" Wang Ying and Liu Yang nodded before turning their attention back to internalizing the knowledge they had just learnt. Some timeter, they finally managed to fully digest the new knowledge that their teacher had imparted to them, and their fighting prowess rose significantly. Getting to their feet, Wang Ying and Liu Yang turned to their teacher and dered confidently, "Teacher, we will surely clear the Dragon Gate Formation!" They hadnt been too confident about clearing the trial previously, but after digesting everything their teacher had just taught, they felt that they were ready to face it. Furthermore, they had also shared the battle techniques they had just learned with one another, thus granting them more cards to y against thebat masters. In their current state, they were confident of victory. "Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Taking a look out of the window, he saw that the sun had already risen; it was daybreak. "Alright, lets head to the academy now." Together with his two students, Zhang Xuan headed to the Master Teacher Academy, but barely after stepping through the entrance, School Head Mo suddenly rushed up to him with an anxious look on his face. "Principal Zhang! I just went to thebat masters amodation and... they are all gone! They have left without bidding farewell, leaving just a letter behind." "They have left?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Werent they going to assess Wang Ying and Liu Yang? Why would they suddenly leave overnight without bidding farewell? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan took the letter from School Head Mos hands and quickly scanned it. Chapter 978: Jingyuan City Chapter 978: Jingyuan City Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric There were only two lines of words on it, and the message was simple. It said that they still had something to do at the Combat Master Hall, so they had to take their leave in advance. They would meet themter on when the ancient domain opened. As for the reason for their departure, they hadnt said a word about that. After reading the message, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Werent they still doing fine yesterday, agreeing to a sparring session with the Xuanxuan Faction and saying that they would work together to improve collectively? Why would they suddenly leave in the blink of an eye? Why were the elders and master teachers whom he came into contact with always so unreliable? Despite having lived in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy for some time, they actually left without bidding farewell at all, as if there was some kind of monster chasing them behind their backs. This was really far too disrespectful of them. How did such awful and courteous person like him end up being surrounded by such a bunch of undependable acquaintances? Ah, how distressing... "Did anything happen in the Combat Master Hall?" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned to School Head Mo and asked. "That doesnt seem likely. I asked them about it through our shared mode ofmunication, and they said that they just had some private matters to attend to. As for what the private matter was, they werent willing to speak of it no matter how I asked them about it... Oh, right! Principal Zhang, when I returned yesterday night, I noticed that all of them were injured. Could it be rted to that?" School Head Mo pondered for a moment before replying. Earlier, while returning to his residence after finally having finished the matters at hand, he had happened to see Combat Master Liao and the others returning to their amodations with bruised faces and swollen cheeks. In order to avoid potential awkwardness, he had chosen not to ask about it. But thinking about it now, there was a very high chance that the two matters were rted. "Injured?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in bewilderment. Hadnt they gone to offer pointers to the members of the Xuanxuan Faction? How did they end up getting injured instead? "Forget it, theres no point thinking too much about the matter. We will know the truth when we ask them a monthter." Since thebat masters had already left, there was no point thinking about it. Besides, he didnt have the time and effort to deal with it either. After asking a few more questions and discussing the academys administrative issues with School Head Mo, he returned back to the manor and reminded Wang Ying and the others to work hard on their cultivation. When all this was finally done, he carefully ced Wei Ruyan into the Myriad Anthive Nest, got onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast, and began heading for Jingyuan City. The journey in search of the Poison Hall was going to be iparably dangerous, so he chose not to bring his other direct disciples along, and he didnt intend to tell anyone else about his whereabouts either. In any case, it would be much more convenient for him to move alone than in a group too. Jingyuan City was located at the extreme northeast of Hongyuan Empire, located in proximity to Hongyuan Empiresrgest ind sea. Aspared to Hongyuan City and Firesource City, it was rtively poorer and shabbier due to its remote location and cold climate all year round. As merchants rarely visited Jingyuan City, there werent too many people who knew of the situation there. The information that the Master Teacher Academy had on it was also rathercking. All that was known about it was that it was a small borderside city with frigid weather all year round. Considering the Poison Halls nature of building its branches in remote locations, there was indeed a good chance that the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall was located here. Of course, it was still too early to say for sure. While the old principal had put a lot of work into acquiring that intelligence, there was no guarantee that it would be definitely true. This was why Zhang Xuan had chosen to make haste. A month might have seemed like a long time, but given the secrecy shrouding the Poison Hall, it might not necessarily be sufficient. ... "My fame has grown considerably after bing the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. If I were to suddenly appear in Jingyuan City in my own identity, I could risk rming the Poison Hall..." Seated on the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast as he advanced towards the small city marked on the map, Zhang Xuan lowered his head contemtively. He was no longer the nobody he was back then. He was currently the esteemed principal of one of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies of Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and his standing was on par with a 7-star master teacher. The Poison Hall had always been in a tense rtionship with the Master Teacher Pavilion. If he were to recklessly barge into Jingyuan City and investigate the whereabouts of the Poison Hall, he could very well face grave danger when his identity was exposed. Thus, there was a need for him to don a disguise. After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan began to warp his muscles and bones. His facial features began to change from those of a twenty-year-old young man to a forty-year-old middle-aged mans, and his physique also grew much bigger than before. At the same time, driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, the aura shrouding him also began to change. It became a little violent and ferocious, unlike the restrained and low profile disposition he usuallymanded. In his current state, if he didnt explicitly state that he was Zhang Xuan, not even Wang Ying or his other direct disciples would be able to recognize him. The Heavens Path zhenqi allowed him to conceal his aura, and the Heavens Path Golden Body allowed him to alter his appearance freely. Considering that he was able to pass off as even an Otherworldly Demon with those two means, how difficult could it be for him to disguise as another human? The Byzantium Helios Beast flew ahead at full speed, and ten dayster, a city covered in snow appeared over the horizon. Looking at it from afar, it was significantly smaller than Hongyuan City. Nheless, aspared to Huanyu City and the Myriad Kingdom City, it was still of a sizeable scale. Many dull gray buildings were erected amidst a field of clear white snow, and they stretched all the way into the faraway distance. From above, the city resembled a tranquil ink painting. "It is already nearing the middle of summer, but thisnd is still covered in snow..." Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be awed by the work of nature. It was now the season when Hongyuan Empire would normally be covered by a lushyer of greenery. Yet, the city before him was freezing cold, leaving him feeling as if he had stepped into a different world. "You should get into the Anthive Nest first." Landing in a remote forest, Zhang Xuan had the Byzantium Helios Beast enter the Myriad Anthive Nest before making his way through the field of snow towards the city. The Byzantium Helios Beast rarely appeared in public view, but it was still best for him to remain hidden just to be safe. After paying the entrance fee of ten low-tier spirit stones, Zhang Xuan entered the city. Walking through the streets, Zhang Xuan thought, It wont do for me to search blindly through the city. I must find a guide to bring me around! The clues he had received thus far had pointed to Jingyuan City to be the most likely location where the Poison Hall was located, but there was no way he would be able to find its exact whereabouts easily. Back then, to enter the Red Lotus Ridge Poison Hall, he had to depend on the local Great Herb King to lead the way. Otherwise, there was a good chance he wouldnt have been able to find it even if he were to spend his entire life searching for it. This was also the main reason why the Poison Hall was able to preserve its lineage for so long despite its betrayal back then. After taking a look around the city, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed a bustling tavern not too far away. "Severing Sorrows Pavilion... Severing ones sorrows through joy and wine, a fine name indeed!" Chuckling softly, he made his way towards it. A tavern was usually the ce of gathering for those from all walks of life, making it an ideal location to scout out intelligence. Besides, after flying for more than ten days, Zhang Xuans mouth was already craving a bite of good food. It would be a good opportunity for him to let loose for a bit and try out the local delicacies. "Guest, this way please..." An attendant weed Zhang Xuan with a fawning smile. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded as he casually tossed a middle-tier spirit stone over. "Give me the quietest seat inside." "Sure thing!" The attendants eyes lit up as he hurriedly led the way, "I will bring you to your seat!" A middle-tier spirit stone was no longer of much value to Zhang Xuan, but to weaker cultivators or ordinary citizens at the lower end of the social stratum, it was a huge fortune. After settling down in his seat, Zhang Xuan casually ordered several of the local specialties before gesturing for the attendant toe closer. "This is my first time in Jingyuan City. If I need to gather some information, who would be the best person for me go to?" There was no way a humble attendant of a tavern could possibly have any substantial news about the Poison Hall, so Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to ask directly about it. Thus, he decided to ask for a reliable news source instead. The sale of information was always a lucrative trade regardless of location. It wasnt rare for cultivators to offer astronomical prices in exchange for vital information, so information brokers could always be found in most cities. "If you wish to gather information, the best ce to go is, without doubt, the [Inkcloud Quarter]! Theymand the most extensive intelligencework in Jingyuan City, and the information they provide is also the most urate of all..." the attendant said with a hushed voice. "Inkcloud Quarter?" "Un. Its the biggest marketce of our Jingyuan City. Not only do they sell artifacts, pills, and othermonmodities, but they also deal in information as well! Even intelligence on the Hongyuan royal family isnt beyond reach there! Just a while ago, someone had specially purchased intelligence on Princess Yu Fei-er, nning to head to the capital to propose to her..." Due to the generous tip Zhang Xuan had offered him earlier, the attendant was extremely friendly. "Propose?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Given Yu Fei-ers explosive temper, anyone who dared to propose to her would probably be pummeled to death on the spot. However, the fact that the Inkcloud Quarter had intelligence on Princess Yu Fei-er despite their long distance from the capital was a testimony to the capability of the Inkcloud Quarter. Zhang Xuan proceeded to ask about its location, and after learning that it wasnt too far away, he dismissed the attendant. Despite how remote Jingyuan City was, the food was excellent, and Zhang Xuan devoured it delightfully. After he finished, he got up and left for Inkcloud Quarter. Inkcloud Quarter was a massive market dealing in almost everything that one could think of it, be it paintings, ores, formation tes, or anything of the sort. There were several guards standing imposingly at the entrance, each of them exuding a powerful aura that deterred any potential troublemakers. They were all Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm experts. Such strength would definitely ce them amongst the ranks of the top experts of Huanyu Empire, and yet, they were serving as mere guards here. It seemed like there was indeed something extraordinary about Inkcloud Quarter. Walking in, Zhang Xuan found himself surrounded by vendors and huge crowds walking to and fro. It was extremely lively. Intelligence regarding the Poison Hall was definitely ssified, so it was impossible for the ordinary vendors around him to be selling such vital information. Thus, Zhang Xuan walked straight up to the front desk, and with a cold face, hemanded, "Get your manager here. I have something to ask him!" As he said those words, he lifted his forefinger. A surge of iparably sharp sword qi that sent shivers down ones spine flickered on the tip of his finger, revealing his Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivation. "Y-yes!" Seeing that the man before him was far beyond his means to deal with, the front desk receptionist hurriedly got up and left. Not too longter, he returned with a middle-aged man. "Esteemed guest, I am the manager of Inkcloud Quarter, Zhu Xiao. May I know what request you have of us?" The middle-aged man was a Half-Saint cultivator. While he was surprised by Zhang Xuans powerful aura, he was still able to retain hisposure as he maintained an attitude that was neither humble nor arrogant before him. "Arrange a quiet chamber for me. I have something important to talk about!" Zhang Xuan nced at Zhu Xiao nonchntly and said. "This way, please!" Without any hesitation, Zhu Xiao stepped forward and led the way. They quickly arrived at a private room. Zhang Xuan took a look around the area before nodding in approval. He really had to say that he was impressed by the extent to which the Inkcloud Quarter had gone in order to maintain the confidentiality of their dealings. There were all kinds of formations set up around the room, such that even if a battle were to ur within, those outside still wouldnt notice a thing. Its security was indubitably top-notch. "Are you satisfied with this room?" Zhu Xiao asked with a smile. "Not too bad." Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, he turned a sharp gaze towards Zhu Xiao and spoke, "I want intelligence on the Poison Hall. Offer a price!" "Poison Hall?" Zhu Xiao frowned. He shook his head and said, "Im afraid that I will have to disappoint you. We dont have any news on the Poison Hall here, so I will have to ask you to ask something else." "You dont have any news on the Poison Hall?" At this point, Zhang Xuan abruptly burst into a heartyughter. Flicking his wrist, he took out a pile consisting of more than a hundred high-tier spirit stones and asked, "Is this enough?" Upon seeing the huge pile of high-tier spirit stones, Zhu Xiaos eyebrows visibly shot up in astonishment despite his attempt to retain hisposure. Eventually, he clenched his jaws and replied, "My apologies, but this isnt a problem of money. Our Inkcloud Quarter truly doesnt have any news on the Poison Hall!" Paying no heed to the other partys words, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out another gleaming pile of five hundred high-tier spirit stones. In an instant, the spiritual energy in the air grew considerably more concentrated. "Is this enough?" "T-this..." Zhu Xiaos face paled. "This matter is already beyond my jurisdiction. I have to report it to my boss..." Chapter 979: Poisoning Chapter 979: Poisoning Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric He was only the manager of the Inkcloud Quarter. A trade which involved a humongous sum of several hundred high-tier spirit stones, there was no way he was qualified to make a judgement on this matter. "Go ahead!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. If it was that easy to uncover news on the Poison Hall, there was no way the old principal would have been unable to find it back then. Knowing that it would be a difficult fight, Zhang Xuan decided to throw out huge amounts of money out right from the start so as to force the other party to negotiate with him. Even if the other party really didnt have any concrete news on the Poison Hall, the Inkcloud Quarter, given its long establishment in Jingyuan City, should still have some clues regarding the matter. Had it been someone else, there would be no way they could tell whether the clues were true or not, thus making it potentially a futile attempt. However, it was different for Zhang Xuan. He could easily ascertain the authenticity of those clues and dig out the whereabouts of the Poison Hall with certainty, even if it was located beneath the ground. "Yes!" Zhu Xiao quickly rushed out of the room, headed for a vast room that stood at the heart of the Inkcloud Quarter. "Boss!" Stepping into the vast room, Zhu Xiao immediately sped his fist and greeted the middle-aged man before him. The boss of Inkcloud Quarter, Hu Yunsheng. A Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert! "Whats wrong?" Hu Yunsheng was in the midst of flipping through some documents when Zhu Xiao abruptly entered. Lifting his gaze, he asked calmly. "Boss, I just met with a guest earlier, and the other party requested to purchase... information regarding the Poison Hall!" Zhu Xiao reported. "Information regarding the Poison Hall?" Hu Yunsheng frowned. "Just do the usual, tell him that we have no such news and drive him away!" "I told him that that we dont have any news on the Poison Hall, but the other party immediately took out more than five hundred high-tier spirit stones and insisted on purchasing it! As such, I came over here to report the matter to you!" Zhu Xiao swiftly went through the details of the matter. "Five hundred high-tier spirit stones?" Hu Yunsheng narrowed his eyes in astonishment. The fact that even the esteemed school heads of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, be it School Head Mo or School Head Zhao, could only afford to take out a few dozen high-tier spirit stones at any point in time went to show just how huge a fortune it actually was. Five hundred high-tier spirit stones... Even the annual profits of the entire Inkcloud Quarter didnt amount to that! "Thats right!" Zhu Xiao nodded. "What kind of person is he?" Hu Yunsheng asked with a deep frown. Pondering for a moment, Zhu Xiao replied, "He seems to be in his forties. He is slightly stronger than me, possessing a cultivation of Nascent Saint pinnacle. As for his background, I am not too sure about that either..." "A Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator was actually able to take out five hundred spirit stones at once?" Hu Yunsheng could hardly believe what he was hearing. Even he didnt have five hundred high-tier spirit stones in his possession at the moment, so how could a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator possess such wealth? Could it be that the other party had originated from some powerful organization or affluent n? "Bring me over to take a look!" Hu Yunsheng stood up and said. "Yes... But boss, we really dont have much news regarding the Poison Hall at hand. If he were to insist on it, what should we do?" Zhu Xiao asked. Even within Jingyuan City, the Poison Hall was an existence shrouded in secrecy. As extensive as the intelligencework of Inkcloud Quarter was, they were still unable to uncover anything much about the Poison Hall, let more its whereabouts. "I will decide depending on the circumstancester on. If he has a powerful backing, I can consider handing over the information we have gathered on the Poison Hall thus far. However, if he is just an ordinary nouveau riche 1 ... there is no way our Inkcloud Quarter is going to let a fatmb who has wandered into our midst escape!" A cold glint shed across Hu Yunshengs eyes. Inkcloud Quarter wasnt just an ordinary business, it was the dominating power of Jingyuan Citys underworld as well. If the other party had a powerful backing behind him, he might still have to think twice before acting. Otherwise, for an ordinary Nascent Saint cultivator to hold so much wealth in his possession... he would really be letting himself down if he were to allow this juicy piece of meat to flee from his mouth! "This... But if he has so many high-tier spirit stones on him, even if he was a noveau riche, he would have surely recruited experts to protect him..." Zhu Xiao was still worried. Only with power would one be able to protect ones own wealth, this wasmon sense to all cultivators. For the other party to publicly unt his wealth without the slightest hint of fear, even if he didnt have any powerful n or organization backing him, it was almost certain that he must have prepared a hand in case such a situation arose. In other words, if they were toy their hands on the other party, it could possibly bring trouble upon Inkcloud Quarter. "Hehe, wasnt he looking into news concerning the Poison Hall? Surely it shouldnt be too surprising for him to be killed by the Poison Hall, right? As long as we were to conceal it well, we will be able to get away with it easily!" Hu Yunsheng sneered coldly. "This..." Zhu Xiao hesitated for a moment before nodding. That was indeed true. The Poison Hall was intent on concealing its whereabouts, so anyone who was seeking them could very well pose a threat to them... As long as they were to carry it out well, there would be no one who would suspect Inkcloud Quarter to be the culprit. "Alright, prepare the gourd of fine wine in our storage for our guest. Later on, pay careful attention and act on mymand!" Hu Yunsheng waved his hand and said. "Yes!" Zhu Xiao nodded before quickly rushing off. He returned a momentter, and the both of them made their way for the chamber which Zhang Xuan was currently seated at. "I heard that you are intending to purchase information regarding the Poison Hall?" Upon arriving in the room, Hu Yunsheng took a seat and began assessing the middle-aged man before his eyes carefully. The other partymanded a powerful aura, he was indeed a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator. However, his appearance was unfamiliar, probably not a local to Jingyuan City. There were only that many Nascent Saint cultivators in Jingyuan City and the surrounding cities. Inkcloud Quarter had a detailed profile on every single Nascent Saint expert in the vicinity, and there was none that matched the characteristics of the middle-aged man before him. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan replied impassively. Hu Yunsheng lowered his head contemtively for a moment before raising his gaze to say, "The Poison Hall is not only shrouded in secrecy, they are also known for being vindictive. If they were to find out that we have leaked their news, we might very well suffer their vengeance... May I know how I can address you, and what your motive for seeking the Poison Hall is? Pardon me for being a little wary over here, but we will have to take that into consideration beforeing to a decision." "I am Sun Qiang." Zhang Xuan replied. As the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, his real name was extremely well-known throughout Hongyuan Empire, so it would be unsafe for him to use it even when disguised. On the other hand, his butler, Sun Qiang, wasnt too well-known inparison. Even if the other party was aware of Sun Qiangs existence, the other party would just think that it was a coincidence. "Sun Qiang? Are you... from Qingyuan Citys Sun n?" Hu Yunsheng pondered for a moment before asking. "Thats not it." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Then... the descendant of the leader of Lofty Tiger Sect?" Hu Yunsheng continued. Zhang Xuan shook his head once more. "Then..." Hu Yunsheng consecutively asked about more than a dozen famous individuals and ns in Hongyuan Empire going by the surname of Sun, but Zhang Xuan shook his head at all of them. "Ask no more, I am just a normal, wandering cultivator. I have no particr background that is worthy of note. The reason why I am looking into the Poison Hall is due to some private matters that I have to settle. Dont worry, I wont implicate anyone in this matter, and I wont tell anyone that I have obtained my information from your Inkcloud Quarter!" Seeing that the other party was determined to dig up his background, Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently and said. "A normal, wandering cultivator?" Hu Yunsheng chuckled softly. "I see. Since Brother Sun has already said so, I wont waste your time any further. I have a few pieces of information regarding the Poison Hall, but they arent too detailed... Zhu Xiao, bring them over for Brother Sun!" "Yes!" Zhu Xiao nodded and got to his feet. Before he could walk out of the room, Hu Yunsheng suddenly issued another instruction. "Before you gather the documents, bring some fine wine and delicacies here first!" After which, Hu Yunsheng turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Brother Sun, it will take some time topile the information, so I will have to ask you to be patient. Meanwhile, allow me to interest you in some food and drink!" Not too longter, Zhu Xiao returned with a few tes of side dishes and a gourd of wine before leaving once more. "Brother Sun, please!" Chuckling softly, Hu Yunsheng poured a cup of wine and handed it over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan took the cup of wine and asked with an earnest smile, "May I know how I should address you?" "Ah, how could I have forgotten to introduce myself... My surname is Hu!" Hu Yunsheng said. "Hu? I happen to have a friend who goes by the surname of Hu as well, and she is as wily as a fox, making her a really difficult person to deal with. How good it will be if she could be as honest as Brother Hu..." Zhang Xuan spoke meaningfully. "Hahaha, the foundation of business lies in trust. How can I possibly run a business without being honest?" Without the slightest bit of embarrassment, Hu Yunsheng said. "Well said! If only there are more honest merchants like you out there in the world, the world will be a better ce! Cheers!" Zhang Xuan lifted his cup and gulped the wine down. "Cheers!" Hu Yunsheng chuckled softly as he brought the wine cup to his lips before cing it down once more. Seeing that Hu Yunsheng had only taken a sip, Zhang Xuan eyebrows shot up, " Brother Hu, arent you looking down on me 2 ?" "Of course not! I just have a lot of things to attend to, and alcohol doesnt go well with me. So..." Hu Yunshengs lips twitched for an instant before he hurriedly exined. "What do you mean by alcohol doesnt go well with you? As a businessman, you should be more decisive when you drink! Come, let me help you!" Grabbing Hu Yunshengs shoulder with his right hand and the wine cup with his left, Zhang Xuan chuckled as he lifted the cup up to the other partys mouth. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was actually going to force feed him, Hu Yunshengs face darkened in displeasure. "There is no need to trouble Brother Sun for this. I can do it myself..." "It is no trouble at all. We are brothers, there is no need to stand on ceremony..." Zhang Xuan said as his lips curled up into a bright smile. "I.." Seeing that the other party was intent on forcing that cup of wine into his mouth, Hu Yunsheng immediately drove his zhenqi to struggle himself free from the other partys grip and knock the wine cup away. To his horror, he realized that he was unable to move at all, as if someone had bound him tightly. The other partys zhenqi felt like unbreakable shackles on his body, rendering himpletely immobile. "This..." Hu Yunshengs eyes narrowed in rm as cold sweat trickled down his back. He had let his guard down, thinking that the other party was just a Nascent Saint cultivator. But upon feeling the astounding strength the other party was exerting, he immediately realized... How could a fellow possessing such strength possibly be a Nascent Saint? Even with his Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivation, he would only be utterly crushed in a fight! The other party had been feigning weakness all along to lure him in! Just where in the world did this fellowe from? To make things worse, the other party seemed to have noticed that something was wrong with his wine and was force feeding it to him... "Come, drink! There is no need to get courteous with me here!" In the midst of his shock, the wine cup was already right before his mouth. Without any time to react, the wine was already poured down his throat. "Cough cough cough!" Choked by the wine, Hu Yunsheng coughed so violently that tears began streaming down his face. It took a while before he could recover from it, but in the next moment, he saw the other party grabbing the entire wine gourd, and before he could say a word, the other party stuffed it into his mouth. Gudong, gudong, gudong! Wine flowed relentlessly down his throat, nearly taking his final breath away with it. That was wineced with lethal poison! Even if he had the antidote, his body would still suffer tremendous damage from drinking so much at once! Who could have known that in his attempt to hunt down a prey, he would be done in by his prey instead? Gugugugu! In just a few moments, with his mouth pried open by the other partys fingers, the entire gourd of wine gushed into his body. After forcing the wine down his throat, the other party finally released his grip and looked at him with a radiant smile, "How was the wine? Good?" "You..." Hu Yunsheng pointed a finger at Zhang Xuan with a face reddened with rage when a bout of sharp pain suddenly struck him. He hurriedly took out a pill and popped it into his mouth. After which, he red at the middle-aged man with killing intent ring from his eyes, "Who in the world are you?" "I am Sun Qiang. Didnt I tell you that earlier?" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. At which, he suddenly patted his face, and as if having just recalled something, he said, "Oh, I nearly forgot. I just added some extra ingredients to your wine, so it might be a little more potent than usual. You said that you dont do well with alcohol, so I hope that it isnt too strong for you..." Right after saying those words, Hu Yunshengs face paled and his entire body stiffened. Eurgh!, a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. "You poisoned me?" Hu Yunshengs eyes narrowed in horror. "You are a poison master?" Chapter 980: Sepulture Flower Chapter 980: Sepulture Flower Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric He had been keeping a close watch over the other partys actions while the poisoned wine was forced down his throat. From the very beginning, the other party had never touched the wine at all,ing into contact with the cup and gourd only. Considering the discreet poisoning method, there was no doubt that the other party was a poison master! More importantly, the poison was so potent that even a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert like him was rendered powerless. Without a doubt, the other party must be a 6-star poison master at the very minimum. For a poison master of your caliber to not even know the location of the Poison Hall... Were you intentionally doing this to teach me a lesson? It wasughable that he even tried to use poison against the other party... In the end, he ended up getting a taste of his own medicine... "Hah, why would I bother looking for the whereabouts of the Poison Hall if I wasnt a poison master?" Sneering coldly, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers andmanded, "Come, puke a mouthful out for me!" Zhang Xuan had known from the very start that the other party had poisoned the wine. Through driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, he was able to neutralize it easily. After which, he secretly infused two surges of Heavens Path zhenqi into the wine, thuscing it with lethal poison. Due to the incredible purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, it was capable of infiltrating any single acupoint and organ of a human body, making it nigh impossible to guard against it. Even with a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, the other party was stillpletely powerless against it. "AHHH..." Right after Zhang Xuan said those words, his zhenqi rampaged within Hu Yunshengs body and induced a scream of agony from him, followed by a spurt of a fresh blood. "Y-you... I will kill you!" With a pale face, Hu Yunsheng forcefully drove his zhenqi and charged at Zhang Xuan. As the boss of Inkcloud Quarter, he was an existence that even the city lord of Jingyuan City had to defer to. Yet, for him to actually be poisoned by a Nascent Saint, the immense fury coursing through his veins turned his face was red asva. He leaped forward vehemently and crushed his palm down upon Zhang Xuan. "You sure arent obedient at all. Come down!" Sitting idly in his seat, Zhang Xuan lifted his eyelid to nce at Hu Yunsheng idly before snapping his fingers once more. Pah! Before the palm could even strike, Hu Yunshengs entire body jolted as if he had been electrified. He crashed back down onto the ground, his body syed out as if a toad. "T-this poison... is sentient?" Hu Yunsheng gasped in disbelief. His body trembled uncontrobly upon the realization, and his face suddenly became ghastly pale. Poisons could be ssified into two categories, non-sentient and sentient Non-sentient poison was dangerous, but more often than not, they could be resolved by finding the correct antidote. On the other hand, sentient poison was capable of averting danger or even obeyingmands. It might not be possible for one to resolve the poison even with the antidote in hand. However, concocting a sentient poison was an extremelyplicated process. Just like gu, it had to be reared. Even at the bare minimum, one had to be an 8-star master teacher to be able to concoct it. Could it be that the middle-aged man before him was such a poison master? (Gu is basically a poisonous insect which can be nted into anothers body to create certain effects, such as forcing a person to love another, put one under great suffering, control the others mind, etc. It is moremonly associated to certain ethnic tribes in ancient China, and can be considered as abination of ck magic and poison.) But to be an 8-star master teacher, one had to possess a cultivation of Saint 6-dan at the very minimum! Every single person who had reached that level was a famed expert of the Master Teacher Continent, so why would such a person possiblye to such a remote little city in search of the local Poison Hall? In that instant, Hu Yunshengs heart trembled in trepidation as fear swiftly overwhelmed him. "Hehe!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly, not bothering to exin at all. He could control his Heavens Path zhenqi with his will remotely. As such, even though his zhenqi wasnt sentient, he could easily produce effects simr to one. But of course, this only applied at close distances. If he was too far away from the target, Zhang Xuans psyche would be unable to reach his Heavens Path zhenqi, thus making it impossible for him to control it anymore. A true sentient poison would be like his Innate Fetal Poison. It would be impossible to struggle free of it no matter where one went, rendering the afflictedpletely helpless before it. Realizing that there was no way he could stand up against the other party, Hu Yunshengs face reddened and paled intermittently, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth tightly and uttered, "I... admit defeat!" What else could he possibly do in this situation? He couldnt defeat the other party, and the poison he had sustained further worsened his position. At this point, his life and death hinged on the other partys whim. He thought that he had truly struck gold this time round, but in the end, it turned out to just be a bait to lure him in. Just the thought of it left him incredibly stifled within. "This is more like it..." Receiving Hu Yunshengs surrender, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. "I want to know everything you have on the Poison Hall." Hu Yunsheng gritted his teeth and replied, "Honestly speaking, despite the extensive connections that our Inkcloud Quarter has, it doesnt know much about the Poison Hall. They are an extremely careful bunch..." "You just have to tell me whether the Poison Hall is located in the vicinity of Jingyuan City." Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Hu Yunsheng nodded. "In the past few years, there have been quite a few people seeking the whereabouts of the Poison Hall as well, so I have been keeping a lookout myself too. Based on the information I have received so far, I am certain that it is in the Viridian Cloud Sea. However, I still dont have enough information to pinpoint the specific location. Furthermore, ording to what I have heard, it seems like it is impossible to enter the Poison Hall without a special token, even if one were to find the real location!" "Viridian Cloud Sea?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The Viridian Cloud Sea was thergest ind sea of Hongyuan Empire, spanning a distance of around several hundred thousand kilometers from one end to another. Vast and boundless, there were countless ferocious spirit beasts and saint beasts in its midst. Even a Saint 5-dan expert would hesitate to enter it. If the Poison Hall was in the midst of the Viridian Cloud Sea and was concealed by a formation, it was nigh impossible for one to find it without knowing the exact location. It was no wonder why the old principal was only able to track the Poison Hall down to Jingyuan City. It was indeed really well-hidden. "Yes. An elder of the Poison Hall unintentionally leaked the news while he was purchasing something at our Inkcloud Quarter a while back... Other than that, I really know nothing else other than that..." Hu Yunsheng said with a reddened face. Afflicted by the other partys poison, if he didnt receive the antidote soon, he could very well lose his life. However, he really didnt have the crucial information which the other party wanted to know. In truth, the news that the Poison Hall was located in the Viridian Cloud Sea... could be considered to bepletely useless. The Viridian Cloud Sea spanned over such a huge area, and it was teeming with countless saint beasts on top of that. Who could possibly have the strength and time tob the entire area? "Purchasing something at your Inkcloud Quarter?" Paying no heed to Hu Yunshengs worry, Zhang Xuan frowned at the few other words that the other party said instead. "What did the elder of the Poison Hall buy from you here?" "There was a hundred-year-old Sepulture Flower for sale in a previous auction we conducted. It is an extremely rare medicinal herb which serves as an excellent mediating factor in the concoction of many poisons, so it caught the attention of one of the elders of the Poison Hall... Eventually, he took it away at a very low price..." Hu Yunsheng said with a livid face. He had spent over a hundred high-tier spirit stones in order to obtain the Sepulture Flower, and he had expected to profit greatly from it... Yet, that Poison Hall elder actually poisoned more than a dozen of his subordinates, and even he himself was nearly afflicted as well. Left with no choice, he could only agree to selling it at a discounted price. It could be said that he had made a huge loss in that deal, and even a years worth of profits wasnt sufficient for him to cover that loss. This was precisely reason why Inkcloud Quarter rarely dealt in medicinal herbs anymore. The risk was simply too great. If poison masters were to willfully steal their medicinal herbs, there was nothing they could do about it. "Do you have any medicinal herbs that the Poison Hall will require in your Inkcloud Quarter? It will be best for it to have as high a maturity as possible so that it can lure their men over." After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan asked. Hu Yunsheng might have been unaware of the location of the Poison Hall, but the elders of the Poison Hall themselves were bound to know. It was entirely possible to use a medicinal ingredient they required to lure them out of their dens. As long as one of them were to appear, he could subdue the other party and force him to lead him to the Poison Hall. This way, the problem would be solved. While his understanding of poison was still only equivalent to that of a 2-star poison master, he possessed Heavens Path zhenqi, which could easily neutralize most poison. Even if a 7-star poison master were to appear before him, he had nothing to fear. But of course, anything beyond that could very well be beyond his means. Take the Innate Fetal Poison for exampleits ability to avert danger made it impossible for his Heavens Path zhenqi to do anything to it. It was not without reason that the poison masters could instill deep fear in the hearts of the cultivators of the Master Teacher Continent. They did indeed possess capability and strength rivaling their reputation. Had it not been out of fear of the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as the high difficulty and risk in pursuing the Way of Poison, there would indubitably have been a seat in the Upper Nine Paths for poison masters. "Medicinal herbs that the Poison Hall requires?" Understanding the other partys intention, an embarrassed look appeared on Hu Yunshengs face as he said, "Our Inkcloud Quarter hasnt taken in any medicinal herbs in recent years. Even if we do have a few, they are unlikely to be of much value and wont be sufficient to move the poison masters!" After the setback that he had suffered, he got a clear glimpse into how fearsome poison masters were. As a result, he had made up his mind to steer clear of the medicinal herb business. Otherwise, if a few more of such robberies were to ur, wouldnt his Inkcloud Quarter go bankrupt? "I see... Do you know what kind of medicinal herbs will be able to move the poison masters?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Based on what I know, the 7-star poison master examination requires one to concoct a poison capable of killing a Saint 2-dan expert, and such poisons usually require the Sepulture Flower... If anyone were to have a high maturity Sepulture Flower, it will surely draw many poison masters in! Just that... the Sepulture Flower is an extremely rare medicinal herb. To tell you the truth, it was a huge stroke of luck that we were able to obtain it thest time..." Hu Yunsheng said. "Sepulture Flower?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before sighing deeply. Back during his inauguration ceremony, the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge did give him quite a lot of medicinal herbs. However, there didnt seem to be any Sepulture Flowers amidst the pile. He also didnt recall seeing that medicinal herb amongst the various items he had collected thus far. It seemed like he would really have to go to some trouble to obtain the Sepulture Flower. "Since thats the case... I want you to make a public announcement saying that Inkcloud Quarter has recently obtained a 200-year-old Sepulture Flower, and it will be auctioned very soon. It will do as long as we are able to draw the poison masters in." Zhang Xuan said. His only goal was to lure the poison masters out, not to obtain a Sepulture Flower. The most important thing he had to do at the moment was to draw the other party out. Everything else could be decidedter on. "This... Even so, I fear that things might not go as nned! If a poison master doesnt utilize any poison, there is no distinctive trait to tell him apart from an ordinary cultivator. If they were to realize that the news regarding auctioning the Sepulture Flower is fake, they might not make a move, and there will be no way for us to confirm their identity." Hu Yunsheng said with a bitter smile. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding, "Youre right." Just like the soul oracles, poison masters were one of the most loathed upations on the Master Teacher Continent. As such, they would rarely disy their means publicly unless required, making it nigh impossible to identify them. He could only assess the information of a cultivator through the Library of Heavens Path after he had used a battle technique, so it would be futile if the poison master didnt use any battle technique. On top of that, there would surely be many people who would be at the auction. Sieving an individual or two out of a huge crowd was no easy task. "More importantly, if they were to abide by the rules and purchase the Sepulture Flower through the normal bidding process, that would ce us in a very bad position..." Hu Yunsheng continued. It was true that he was coerced to sell his Sepulture Flower at a loss to a poison master the previous time, but that could have been considered as an exception rather than the norm. After all, it was not like the Poison Hall was a band of heinous viins. If the other party were to purchase the Sepulture Flower honestly but they were unable to produce the medicinal herb... it probably wouldnt take long for the entire Inkcloud Quarter to be destroyed under the poison masters wrath. "Thats right..." Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. It seemed like his idea was not feasible. At that point, a thought came to Hu Yunsheng, and he said hesitantly,"Actually... there might be no need for us to feign it. The Sepulture Flower might be rare, but... I just recalled a person who could very well have it, and the maturity is bound to exceed a hundred years at that!" "Oh? Who is it?" Hearing that someone had the Sepulture Flower, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "I am not too sure what his name is, but he is a rather strange person. Everyone addresses him as [entric Old Man]. He is quite into herbology, and he has umted quite a few precious medicinal herbs. He also has quite a collection of artifacts as well. The Sepulture Flower which I obtained the previous time around came from him... If you were to find him, you might be able to find another Sepulture Flower." Hu Yunsheng said. Chapter 981: Eccentric Old Man Chapter 981: entric Old Man Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "entric Old Man? Where is he at? Bring me over to meet him!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Since there was someone who had the Sepulture Flower, all he had to do was to purchase it! There was no need for him to hesitate at all! "This..." Hearing those words, Hu Yunsheng smiled bitterly. "It isnt that easy! The medicinal herbs in his possession are not for sale. It is impossible to purchase them no matter how much money one had. On top of that, the entric Old Man has a very bad temper as well. There was once which the Jingyuan City Lord required a rare medicinal herb urgently, so he prepared a great amount of spirit stones that would suffice to buy three of that medicinal herbs at market price. Yet... he was thrown out the door before he could even speak a word..." "The city lord was thrown out? Is the entric Old Man very powerful?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The city lord of Jingyuan City had to be at least a Saint 1-dan cultivator at the very minimum. Yet, for the other party to throw him out the door... it seemed like the entric Old Man wasnt going to be an easy person to deal with. "His cultivation is on the same level as me, Saint 1-dan pinnacle. However, he has a Saint 2-dan tamed beast with him..." Hu Yunsheng replied. "He is a beast tamer?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even taming a saint beast weaker than one was already arduously difficult, but the entric Old Man was actually able to tame a Saint 2-dan beast despite only possessing a cultivation of Saint 1-dan. That was truly an impressive feat. One must know that no one, not even School Head Mo, in the Master Teacher Academy had managed to achieve this feat! Thus, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be bewildered as to why a talented figure like the other party would choose to reside at the remote Jingyuan City. "I am not too sure either, but that tamed beast obeys every single one of his words. If anyone tries to cause trouble, it would kick them out immediately. Even I dare not do anything to it..." Hu Yunsheng said. After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. Through Hu Yunshengs words, it could be seen that the entric Old Man was indeed a rather peculiar person. The entric Old Man was indubitably a huge hoarder of valuable artifacts and medicinal herbs. Typically speaking, hoarders umted their goods in wait for a hike in the market price so that they could profit off their collection. However, putting aside selling his collection, the entric Old Man didnt even allow guests to enter his residence! "Bring me over to take a look!" Regardless of how entric that fellow was, Zhang Xuan knew he would need to meet him. Otherwise, he wouldnt have anything to lure the poison masters in. In the ten days flight to Jingyuan City, Wei Ruyan remained unconscious throughout the entire duration. This went to say that her condition was steadily declining, and her life would be in grave danger if she wasnt treated soon. Time wasnt on their side, so Zhang Xuan had to grasp onto everything there was. "You still intend to look for him?" Hu Yunshengs face turned bitter. "There is no way he will let us through the doors of his residence, and he might even send his tamed beast after us..." The person before him had just arrived at Jingyuan City, so it was only natural that he knew not of how fearsome the entric Old Man was. On the other hand, he had experienced it with his own body. A person whom even the city lord was helpless before, what could they possibly do? Due to the many valuable artifacts and medicinal herbs that the entric Old Man possessed, he had tried to visit the other party to negotiate with him many times, but he would be thrown out each time without fail. "Its fine, I know what I am doing." Zhang Xuan replied. His current identity was that of a poison master and not a master teacher. He didnt need to abide by the troublesome rules that master teachers had to follow. When there is a will, there is a way. There was bound to be a way which he could obtain the Sepulture Flower from the other party. "Alright then." Seeing that the other party had his mind made up, Hu Yunsheng knew that it was impossible for him to convince the other party otherwise. His life was still in the other partys hand, so he could only agree to it. Just as the both of them walked out of the room, Zhu Xiao also happened to be seen walking towards them. At the moment that Zhu Xiao saw the both of them, he couldnt help but notice that not only was the middle-aged man was still alive, his boss was even walking subserviently behind the middle-aged boss. In that instant, disbelief covered his entire face. However, there was no way Hu Yunsheng could exin anything to Zhu Xiao at this moment, so he quickly instructed Zhu Xiao to look after Inkcloud Quarter before leading Zhang Xuan to the entric Old Mans residence. Had he not been poisoned, he could consider hinting Zhu Xiao to gather a few men and hide in the surroundings to prepare an ambush on Zhang Xuan. However, as long as he remained afflicted with the poison, he dared not to do so. Otherwise, he could very well die before making a move. Furthermore, even if an ambush was carried out, he had a feeling that his subordinates would be the one who would be lying on the ground at the end of it, poisoned. If poison masters could be killed that easily, the lineage of the Poison Hall wouldnt have persevered for so long. The residence of the entric Old Man was located not too far from Inkstone Quarter. It took only a brief walk before an average-sized residence came into sight. The entrance doors were tightly shut, and there was a que which stated that no guests were weed in the residence. The surroundings were cold and deste, not a single guard was in sight. There was no way one could tell that it was the home of an esteemed Saint realm expert just by looking at it. "Knock on the door!" Walking up, Zhang Xuan nced at Hu Yunsheng andmanded. "W-we are just going to knock on the door like that? Are you sure there is no need to prepare a visiting scroll?" Hu Yunsheng was taken aback. It was manners to present a visiting scroll ahead of ones visit to indicate ones identity and reason for the visit... Would they really be able to enter just by knocking like that? The other party was already a hot-tempered man. If they were to act so discourteously on top of that, wouldnt that just ce them in a worse position? "Just knock on the door." Instead of replying, Zhang Xuan urged Hu Yunsheng on with a smile. Be it whether the other party was entric or not, as long as he was human, he was bound to have desires and goals. As long as that was the case, he was confident that he would be able to persuade the other party to sell the medicinal herb to him. "Alright then..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan wasnt listening to his advice, Hu Yunsheng shook his head as he walked up to the door and knocked on it. Dong dong dong dong! The knocking sounds were particrly resounding in the quiet streets. Jiyaaa! Before the doors to the entric Old Mans residence opened, the doors to the residence opposite to it opened instead. Following which, an old man and a servant walked out. "There is no point knocking. The owner of that residence wont meet with you." ncing at the duo, the old man advised. "Wont meet with us?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Are you a subordinate of the entric Old Man?" "Of course not. I am just an admirer of his..." The old man waved his hands casually. "I see. Continue knocking!" Hearing that the old man had nothing to do with the entric Old Man, Zhang Xuan turned around andmanded Hu Yunsheng. "You..." Seeing how that fellow refused to listen to his advice, the old man frowned in displeasure. The face of the servant beside him also turned livid in anger. He walked up and red at Zhang Xuan furiously, "How dare you speak to our old master like that! Do you know who he us?" Zhang Xuan took a brief nce at the servant before turning his gaze away impassively, paying no heed to the other party at all. Who cares who your old master is! Do you know who I am? I am just afraid that your heart might not be able to take the blow! Dong dong dong! The knocking continued. Not expecting to be ignored, the servantsplexion turned awful. "Our old master is the head of the Physician Guild, Master Zhou Xuan!" "Zhou Xuan?" Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "Never heard of him before. Continue knocking!" "Yes!" Hu Yunshengs lips twitched. He didnt have much interaction with Zhou Xuan in the past, so he only felt that the other party looked familiar. However, upon hearing the introduction, it immediately came back to him. The head of the Physician Guild... Even the city lord would treat him with utmost respect, not daring to offend him in the slightest. Yet, this fellow actually disregarded him altogether... Just the thought of it left him frenzied. However, with his life in the other partys hand, he could only feign ignorance and continue knocking on the doors. On the other hand, both the servant and Zhou Xuan were leaping with anger. As the guild leader of the Jingyuan City Physician Guild, Zhou Xuans standing wasparable to the city lord... After all, all humans would eventually be wounded or fall ill at some point in their life. As such, while there were cultivators who dared to offend the leaders of the other guilds, there were none who were willing to get on Zhou Xuans bad side. Yet, this fellow actually disregarded Zhou Xuan, treating him as if he was air... "Didnt you hear my words? Our old master is a 6-star physician!" the servant said through gritted teeth. "I heard your words loud and clear. But the person I am looking for is the entric Old Man, not your old master!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. So what if the other party was a 6-star physician? Three months ago, a vice school head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, who was a 6-star pinnacle physician as well, attempted to take advantage of him, only to be nearly yed to his death. Given so, why should he have to fear the person before him? "You..." the servant nearly fainted from anger. 6-star physicians were esteemed individuals who were respected no matter where they went, and yet, this fellow actually... didnt care at all? Damn it! Did they not know what price they would have to pay for offending a physician? Just as the servant was about to say something more, Master Zhou Xuan suddenly raised his hand to stop him before walking forward, "This friend over here, I have no idea who you are, and it doesnt matter you know my identity or not. However, Senior entric Old Man is unwilling to meet any guests, so there is no point for you to continue knocking!" As the head of the Physician Guild, Master Zhou Xuan had met plenty of people in his time. Considering how the other party was able to remainposed even after learning his identity, it could only mean that the other party came from an exceptional background. Thus, instead of bellowing at the other party like how his servant did, he chose to take on a persuasive tone. "Unwilling to meet any guests?" "Thats right. Senior entric Old Man is a hot-tempered person, and he doesnt like to be disturbed. Even our city lord had to send in several visiting scrolls before paying a visit himself. Just a word of advice, you will fare better leaving for the time being and have someone deliver your visiting scroll in first. Otherwise, you will just incur the other partys ire by continue knocking here." Master Zhou Xuan said. What he said was true. The entric Old Man was a person who valued peace and didnt like to be disturbed. Even after seeking an audience for so many days, he still wasnt able to meet the entric Old Man. To walk straight up to the doors without even preparing anything, wasnt the other party just asking to be shut outpletely? "I see." Zhang Xuan frowned before shaking his head in frustration. "Since that is the case..." Zhou Xuan thought that after hearing his piece, the other party would turn around and back down for the moment to prepare his visiting scroll. Yet, the next few words he heard nearly left him keeling over. "... Hu Yunsheng, knock the door down!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand, as if he was just doing something insignificant. "Knock the door down?" Hu Yunshengs lips twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan shot a nce at Hu Yunsheng, and seeing the fear in the other partys eyes, he sighed deeply. "Forget it, I will do it myself!" Knowing that Hu Yunsheng dared not provoke the entric Old Man, Zhang Xuan walked up to the door himself and thrust his fist forcefully against it. Boom! How could a wooden door possibly be able to withstand his tremendous might? In just a mere moment, countless wooden fragments and splinters flew into the residence. The buzz from the previous explosion lingered in the air as a cloud of dust slowly drifted down. "This..." Seeing theck of hesitation in the other partys actions, a shiver ran through Zhou Xuans body, and he nearly cked out. I told you that the entric Old Man doesnt like to be disturbed, and yet, you knocked down the other partys door... Overwhelmed with anger, Zhou Xuans breathing hastened to the point that he could hardly catch his breath. Where in this world did this foole from? Initially, he also didnt pay much attention to the entric Old Man, thinking that the other party was just putting on airs. A personal visit from the Physician Guild should have other party rushing out to wee him. But there was one asion which he chanced on the other party treating a patient that changed his view of the other party entirely. He realized that the other party possessed a mastery in the Way of Medicine that was far beyond his... In other words, the entric Old Man was likely to be either a 6-star pinnacle or a 7-star physician! It was also for this reason that he rented the residence opposite to the Old entric Mans and delivered a visiting scroll over every single day. He hoped that he would be able to win the other partys favor and learn a hand or two from him. This was also why he ran out upon hearing that someone knocking on the doors of the entric Old Mans residence. He was hoping that he could possibly leave a good impression with the other party through this. But... he had already said all that should be said, so why was this fellow so foolish? To knock down the other partys door with a single fist... What were they to do now? No doubt about it, the entric Old Man was bound to be fuming! "Look, isnt the problem settled now? Alright, lets enter!" Ignoring the frenzied Zhou Xuan, Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually and walked in. Chapter 982: Green Spittle Poison Chapter 982: Green Spittle Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The residence wasnt too big, but an astounding amount of spiritual energy had gathered in the area. With just a nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that there was a Spirit Gathering Formation set up in the area. It was of a fairly high grade, grade-6 pinnacle at the minimum. Due to the presence of the Spirit Gathering Formation, the spiritual energy in the residence was several times more concentrated than that outside. The entire courtyard was densely filled with rare medicinal herbs, those which one would hardly see on the market. "Not bad!" Sweeping a nce at the surroundings, Zhang Xuan saw at least ten stalks of Saint herbs, and his eyes lit up in amazement. Even You Xu didnt have that many saint herbs in his garden back then. Jiya! While Zhang Xuan was still looking around, the doors to one of the rooms opened, and a haggard-looking old man appeared. Looking at Zhang Xuan and the others, he bellowed, "Who let you all in? How brazen!" He was fuming mad. After all, there wasnt a person in the world who wouldnt be furious when someone knocked down his door and barged into his residence... Could there be an even more arrogant act than that? "Senior, he was the one who forcefully charged in here. I didnt think that he..." Seeing that the entric Old Man was shaking with rage, Zhou Xuan hurriedly exined with quivering lips. He mustnt lose the good impression he had rued with great difficulty due to this! "Bluetigris Beast, send our guests out!" Paying no heed to what Zhou Xuan was saying, the entric Old Manmanded forcefully. H! Right after those words were spoken, a five-meters long saint beast emerged from the room by the side, and every step taken caused the ground to tremor violently. Blue Tigris Beast, a Saint 2-dan primary stage saint beast! Its fighting prowess was, at the very least, on par with the Byzantium Helios Beast. The incredible presence itmanded was pressurizing, leaving the faces of those standing before it paling and their bodies trembling. This was especially so for Hu Yunsheng. In his previous visits to this residence, he had been viciously pummeled by that huge fellow. Meeting the other party once more, he couldnt help but feel an innate fear towards it. On the other hand, Zhou Xuan subconsciously took several steps back. He knew that there was no way he could match a saint beast of such strength with his current cultivation realm. "Do you want to leave by yourself, or do you want me to reduce you to a lifeless corpse and toss you out?" The Bluetigris Beast red at Zhang Xuan with itsrge, menacing eyes. In face of the threat, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and replied, "What if I choose neither of the options?" "Why are you wasting your breath? Toss him out!" Waving his hands impatiently, the entric Old Man turned around and started walking back into his room. He had absolute trust in his tamed beasts capability, so he didnt think that there was a need for him to remain on the scene. Right after he turned his back around, he heard the furious roaring of the Bluetigris Beast. Following which, a powerful shockwave burst into the surroundings, leaving the ground shaking violently. An instantter, the sound of something being struck up into the sky echoed in the air. Boom! That somethingnded heavily on the ground, raising a cloud of dust in the courtyard. "Hmph, know your ce!" The entric Old Man nodded in satisfaction as he continued walking away. The Bluetigris Beast had always been known for its ferocity. Just by hearing the sounds, he could tell that that arrogant fellow had been floored. "Forget it, there is no need to go too far. Itll suffice to teach him a lesson, dont kill him by i-... Ah?" Shaking his hands, the entric Old Man turned around. Even though he didnt really care for the other party, a person who dared to barge into his residence couldnt possibly be of low standing. As a person who valued his peace, he didnt cause more trouble out of this matter than it was worth. However, before he could finish his words, the sight he saw left him body frozen in shock. It took a long time before he was able to utter any words at all, "W-what is going?" The scene before him waspletely different from the one he had imagined. The Bluetigris Beast should have been teaching the other party a lesson, but at this moment, it was lying right in front of the middle-aged man, licking the other partys palm fawningly, reminiscent of a loyal dog. What in the world is with this ridiculous sight before me? I told you to toss him out, not to please him! Are you my tamed beast or his? Uprehending of the situation before him, he turned his gaze to Zhou Xuan and the others, only to see the three of thempletely dumbfounded as well. Unable to take it any longer, the entric Old Man roared, "Bluetigris Beast, what are you doing?" This was truly uneptable. For his own tamed beast to defy his orders and please another man instead, he would be a hugeughingstock should this matter be known to the public! This was too humiliating! "Master, I..." The Bluetigris Beast turned around to face his master, but not knowing how it should exin the situation, it scratched its head with its massive paws in frustration. "Dont worry, allow me!" Smiling, Zhang Xuan walked up to the entric Old Man. His cultivation was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle, but his true strength was even beyond that of the Saint 2-dan Combat Master Zhuo Qingfeng. As powerful as the Bluetigris Beast was, there was no way it could be a match for him. After subduing it with a single strike, he was able to force it to obey his orders. He didnt tame the Bluetigris Beast as thetter already had a master, but it no longer posed a threat to him. "You are Senior entric Old Man, right?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I have a request to ask of you here. I wish to buy a Sepulture Flower from you. The higher the maturity it has, the better it will be." "You have a request to ask of me?" ncing at the shattered fragments of his doors and his fawning tamed beast, the entric Old Mans lips twitched uncontrobly. Is this how you make a request with others? To destroy my doors as soon as you arrive and even leave my tamed beast... in such a weird state... You are clearly not making a request with me but coercing me to submit! "You want to buy a Sepulture Flower from me? Sure, over my dead body!" With clenched jaws, the entric Old Man roared with a face reddened in anger. "Over your dead body?" Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before shaking his head helplessly. "Since you said so, I guess I have no choice then!" After saying those words, his eyebrows shot up and a powerful aura burst forth from him. In the next moment, he charged forward and thrust his fist with incredible might. Boom! In that moment, the entric Old Man couldnt help but feel as if a hurricane was headed in his way. He could tell that the other partys cultivation was clearly beneath his, but for some reason, the other partys strength and zhenqi purity was way out of his league. If that palm were to strike, he could very well be reduced to a b of meat. "Damn it!" The entric Old Mans face turned livid. Exerting the full might of his body into his legs, he hurriedly leaped backward, and his silhouette shed across space as if a streak of lightning. He was only at Saint 1-dan, but his movement technique was particrly profound. In the blink of an eye, he had already made a clean escape from Zhang Xuans palm strike. Fearing that the other party would continue his attack, he took this opportunity to leap backwards two more times to create a safe distance between them. It was only when he was nearly back-to-back with his residence did he finallye to a halt. "Ah?" Heaving a sigh of relief, he looked to his front and saw that the other party was still standing on the spot, seemingly not intending to continue his attack. The other partys hands were behind his back, and his head was tilted slightly upward, seemingly gazing deeply into the heaven. A light breeze blew, and the other partys robe fluttered slightly. In that instant, the entric Old Man couldnt help but have the impression that the middle-aged man before him was an unparalleled expert, and his face twitched slightly. Wasnt this change a little too fast? It was just a moment ago that the other party had charged at him ferociously, intending to send him into deaths embrace. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had already transformed into a transcendental expert who had seen through the vicissitudes of life... Even a professional actor couldnt possibly leap from role to role that quickly! He wasnt the only one who felt crazed by the sight before him. Even Zhou Xuan and Hu Yunsheng were dumbstruck as well. It seemed like the greatest strength of the fellow before them wasnt his strength but his ability to switch faces. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking or what he was going to do. "If you wish to kill me, so be it! Making fun of me? Dont even think about it!" The entric Old Man roared furiously. He felt that the other party was intentionally toying with him. The other party clearly had the strength to kill him and take the Sepulture Flower easily, but he wasnt making a move at all. "Making fun of you? You are misunderstanding me!" Zhang Xuan shook his head before continuing, "I would just like to say that it has indeed been hard on you to persevere for so many years under the agony of the [Green Spittle Poison] "Ah? Y-you..." Those words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the mes of anger burning within the entric Old Man. He weakly staggered two steps behind, only to find that he was already pressed against the wall of his residence. He opened his mouth to speak, but not a word woulde out from his throat. Disbelief could be seen in his eyes. Just like what the other party had said, he was indeed afflicted with the deadly Green Spittle Poison. It was only due to his extraordinary mastery in the Way of Medicine that he was able to survive for so long, but even so, he was swiftly approaching his limit... He had never told anyone about this matter before, and he was certain he had never met the middle-aged man before his eyes. So how could the other party tell with a single nce? He couldnt help but be dumbfounded. "Green Spittle Poison, a lethal poison contained within the saliva of the Saint 4-dan Green Spittle Snake. Even a Saint 4-dan cultivator could die in moments after being afflicted by it. If I am not mistaken, the reason why you are able to survive for so long is because you have consumed a Sevenflower Grass when you were younger, right?" Before he could ask about it, the middle-aged man had continued nonchntly. "I..." A shudder ran through the entric Old Mans body. The other party was right. He had indeed consumed a Sevenflower Grass by ident when he was seven. The Sevenflower Grass was a kind of slow-acting poison which gradually wore down ones body. But while it wasnt lethal in the short run, it could cause immense pain to the afflicted. It was for this reason that drove him to work frenziedly on the Way of Medicine, in hopes that he could cure himself one day. It had been many years since then, and very few of his peers knew of it. For the middle-aged man before him to know about it as well... could the other party be his old friend? Taking a closer look at the middle-aged man, he shook his head. Be it the other partys appearance or disposition, neither of them sparked anything in his mind. He was certain that he had never met the other party before. "Actually, it is not too difficult for me to deduce all of this. Those who have consumed the Green Spittle Poison will have a slight grayish hue over his body, and their iris will also turn grayish with a thin crimson line at the center, deeply resembling the eyes of a snake from afar. "But of course, those evidences are only sufficient for me to deduce that you are afflicted with the Green Spittle Poison. What that made me certain that you have consumed a Sevenstar Flower when you were younger is the slightly white hue at your fingertips instead of a grayish one. If I am not mistaken, you must have identally pricked yourself with the thorns of the Sevenstar Flower while picking it!" Zhang Xuan said. "This..." The entric Old Mans body shuddered once more. He was still too young back then, so there were several matters that he could hardly remember. However, under the other partys reminder, he did vaguely recall that his finger had been pricked by a Sevenstar Flower in the past. "The thorns of the Sevenstar Flower contains poison, but it happens to have the effect of neutralizing the venom of the Green Spittle Snake as well. Due to the both poisons shing in your body, you were able to avoid immediate fatality. However, it had also be the cause of your immense suffering as well... If I am not mistaken, every night, at the Zi hour, your body will suddenly swell up, and you will feel an unbearable itch in your bones, right?" Zhang Xuan continued. (2300 - 0100) The entric Old Mans body stiffened. Seeing the other partys expression, Zhang Xuan knew that he had already achieved his goal. With a bright smile, he said, "Alright. Shall we head to your room to discuss the sales of your Sepulture Flower now?" The entric Old Man hurriedly lowered his posture and invited Zhang Xuan in with a gesture, "Yes, of course! This way please!" "Senior..." Hearing the conversation between the both of them, Zhou Xuan waspletely bewildered. Subconsciously, he took a step forward, wanting to ask what was happening. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and prepare some tea for this venerable gentleman here!" The entric Old Man berated. Chapter 983: Curing the Poison Chapter 983: Curing the Poison Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric What the heck! Such ack of situational awareness, and you still want to take me as your teacher? Dream on! The entric Old Man clicked his tongue in displeasure. "..." Zhou Xuan was on the verge of tears. It was just a moment ago that you looked as if you were going to kill him. How am I to know that you would invite you into your residence as a venerated guest in the next moment? "What are you dilly-dallying about for?" As frustrated as Zhou Xuan was, he still turned to his servant andmanded him. "..." The servant. "Forget it, I will do it myself!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Xuan waved his hand. It would seem more sincere for him to do it personally. Thus, he quickly turned around and rush back to his residence. Paying no heed to Zhou Xuan, Zhang Xuan walked into the room and sat on the main seat. On the other hand, the entric Old Man sat by the side as he looked at Zhang Xuan respectfully. A moment of silence drifted in the room. Eventually, unable to hold himself back anymore, the entric Old Man, with deep anticipation in his eyes, began speaking with a very careful tone, "Elder, regarding my Green Spittle Poison..." Considering how the other party was able to see through so much of his affliction in a single nce, it was very possible that the other party just might have the remedy to it. To a person with such sharp eye of discernment, the other party was definitely worthy of being addressed as an elder! "Green Spittle Poison is a particrly troublesome grade-7 poison. Even a 7-star poison master will find it very difficult to cure it..." Zhang Xuan said. Hearing those words, the entric Old Mans face paled in despair. If even a 7-star poison master was unable to cure it, did it mean that there was no hope for his affliction? "However... I can cure it!" Zhang Xuan said. "You can cure it?" The entric Old Mans eyes narrowed. Clenching his fists tightly, many emotions flickered across his face, and eventually, he gritted his teeth tightly together and kneeled to the ground, "Elder, I beg you to save me!" He had been tortured under the tyranny of the poison for far too long, and his mind and body were already reaching their limits. If the other party could really save him, putting aside kneeling down, he would be willing to even be the other partys ve without any hesitation! Dangng! Just as the entric Old Man kneeled down, Zhou Xuan, who had just prepared the tea, entered the room and saw such an incredulous sight. Overwhelmed with shock, his grip on the tea tray loosened, and the teapot and teacups fell to the ground and shattered. He was truly on the verge of losing his mind. He knew very well how proud a person the entric Old Man was. He, the head of the Physician Guild, had paid respect to the other party for so many days, moving at the other partys beck and call as if a servant, and yet, the other party couldnt even be bothered to spare him a second nce. On the other party, that fellow had knocked down the entric Old Mans door and made his saint beast weird, but not only was the entric Old Man not angry, he ordered him to prepare tea... and even kneeled down to the fellow! This was way too mind-blowing! A person who could very well be a 7-star physician and had not the slightest bit of deference towards the city lords authority was actually kneeling on the floor to another man... Zhou Xuan felt as if worldly views had copsed in that instant, and that his mind was really going to blow up. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony, it is only a small matter!" Not expecting the other party to kneel down, Zhang Xuan shook his head and gestured for the other party to get back up. "Elder, I do happen to have a Sepulture Flower. It has a maturity of two hundred years. If you have a need for it, feel free to take it away with you..." At this moment, the entric Old Man suddenly recalled the request which Zhang Xuan hade with, so he quickly added. Zhang Xuan nodded. With this, his aim for paying a visit to the entric Old Man was achieved. "It is not difficult to resolve the Green Spittle Poison, but due to the long duration of your affliction, exceeding more than twenty years, the poison has already seeped deep into your bones and organs, making the situation even more tricky. The effectiveness of consuming an ordinary antidote will only be minimal at best. Thus, I am afraid that I might have to resort to some extreme means..." After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. "As long as my poison can be cured, I am willing to do anything at all!" The entric Old Man nodded resolutely. "Good!" Seeing that the other party was mentally prepared, Zhang Xuan nodded with an approving smile. After which, he flicked his wrist, took out a piece of paper and brush, and began writing out a prescription. "I need these medicinal herbs. The higher their maturity, the better it will be!" The entric Old Man took the paper and nced at the ingredient. A momentter, he nodded and passed the prescription to the nearby Zhou Xuan, "Prepare these medicinal herbs for me, and I can consider taking you in as my student!" "Yes!" Hearing those words, Zhou Xuans eyes lit up. Not daring to waste any time, he hurriedly rushed out of the room to prepare the stated medicinal herbs. "Prepare a huge pot. I will be putting the medicinal herbs and boil them... along with you." Zhang Xuan continued. "Boil them along with me?" The entric Old Mans eyebrows shot up. Given his cultivation, he wouldnt suffer any severe injuries froming into contact with scalding water. Nevertheless, it still wasnt a pleasant sensation to be boiled alive. "Indeed. You have been afflicted with the poison for far too long, and the huge amounts of medicinal herbs you have consumed over the years only serve to furtherplicate your condition. It is imperative to first boil out those worthless medicinal substances within your body before going ahead with the treatment!" Zhang Xuan exined. The entric Old Man nodded in realization. As physician, he was well aware of his own physical condition. The antidotes he had tried out over the past few years could easily fill several baskets, if not a cart. With so many medicinal substances ruing within his body, they could easily render even the real antidote ineffective. The purpose of the boiling process was to clear his body from the remaining medicinal substances, thus returning his body back to its original state. "After the medicinal substances have been boiled out of your body, consume this gourd of medicinal wine... With that, you should be cured of the Green Spittle Poison in your body!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a gourd and passed it over to the entric Old Man. Ordinary antidotes couldnt hope to seep deeply into the entric Old Mans organs and bones to cleanse him of the Green Spittle Poison. Thus, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to resort to his Heavens Path zhenqi. But of course, it was still necessary to condition the other partys body to its best state beforehand, or else he would require a colossal amount of zhenqi. After all, a lethal poison that was capable of killing a Saint 4-dan expert wasnt something that could be easily resolved with just a surge of two of zhenqi. "Thank you!" With gratitude gleaming in his eyes, the entric Old Man took the gourd. An antidote that could cure a grade-7 poison was surely worth far more than a Sepulture Flower, and yet, the other party actually gave it to him without any hesitation. "Elder, wait here for a moment. I will take the Sepulture Flower over right now..." After learning the treatment method, the entric Old Man immediately rushed out of the room, and not too longter, he returned with a jade box in his hands. Taking the jade box over, Zhang Xuan pried it open lightly and saw a pure white medicinal herb lying inside, reminiscent of a beautiful jade. It exuded a light fragrance which tickled ones nose. "Un." With a slight nod, Zhang Xuan passed the Sepulture Flower over to Hu Yunsheng and instructed, "Return to Inkcloud Quarter and prepare for its auctioning. I want the news that this medicinal herb was going to be auctioned to be known by the entire city..." "Yes!" Hu Yunsheng nodded before leaving with the medicinal herb in hand. After which, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and waited patiently. ... Two hourster. Zhou Xuan finally returned with the medicinal herbs required. Zhang Xuan swiftly arranged for them to be added into a huge pot to be boiled. When he gauged that the medicinal properties of the medicinal herbs had finally seeped sufficiently into the boiling water, he gestured for the entric Old Man to go into the pot. Tzzzzzzzzz! Before long, countless dark substances started emerging from the entric Old Mans pores, dyeing the clear water in the pot ink-ck. Zhang Xuan stepped forward and tapped his finger on several points of the other partys body. After which, he flicked his wrist and took out a bundle of needles. With a swift jerk of his hand, the needles flew out and pierced precise locations over the other partys body. Some timeter, after when the water in the pot had been switched several times, the entric Old Mans skin was finally rid of its grayish hue, returning to the original whiteplexion it had. Knowing that the first step of the treatment was done, Zhang Xuan indicated for the entric Old Man to drink the wine in the gourd. Not too longter, the grayish color in his eyes also began to disappear. Hong long long! By the time the crimson line disappeared, the entric Old Mans body finally ckened. In that instant, a powerful aura burst into the sky, and his initial Saint 1-dan cultivation abruptly surged at an inconceivable speed. "This..." Zhou Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief. Noticing the iprehension in Zhou Xuans eyes, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile, "The lethal poison in his body had suppressed his cultivation previously. Now that the poison is cured, naturally, he will be able to revert back to his true strength!" The reason why he was able to notice the entric Old Mans poison was naturally due to thetter executing a battle technique, thuspiling a corresponding book in the Library of Heavens Path. The book had introduced the problems which the entric Old Man was facing, but at the same time, it had also stated the other partys identity... Qingyuan Empire, 7-star pinnacle physician! How could a 7-star pinnacle physician possibly only possess a cultivation of Saint 1-dan? Most likely, the entric Old Man must have been poisoned by someone, but by some stroke of luck, he managed to survive the initial attempt on his life. However, with his body severely weakened by the effects of the poison, he was left with no choice but to lie low in a remote location! As years went by, the relentless assault of the poison gradually suppressed his cultivation, resulting in his current state. With the lethal poison resolved, his cultivation was no longer suppressed, thus reverting back to its original level. Boom! Tremendous energy was building within the entric Old Man, and before long, he surpassed his Saint 1-dan bottleneck and reached Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm! Shortly after, Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm! Two hourster, with a huge burst of energy, Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm! With his poison resolved, his cultivation finally returned back to its peak. "I..." Standing up, the entric Old Man felt the strength coursing through his veins, and his eyes couldnt help but redden. How many years had it been? For how long had he wished that he would be able to rid himself of his affliction and return back to his peak? Too much time had gone by, and his initial hopes were extinguished. He had already resigned himself to living his life quietly in this remotend. Who could have thought that a middle-aged man would abruptly enter his life and resolve his affliction for him? "Thank you for granting me a new life, elder!" The entric Old Man immediately got to his knees and thanked Zhang Xuan earnestly. He had kneeled earlier as well, but it was out of his overwhelming desire to be treated. This time, however, it was out of earnest respect and gratitude towards his savior. "You are wee." Zhang Xuan nodded. The entric Old Man was a physician, a man who had spent his life saving others from their anguish and sufferings. If it was within his means to do so, it was only right for him to save the other party. "The person who has poisoned you must be a poison master, right?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. The Green Spittle Poison was something which even 7-star poison masters would struggle to concoct. It was unlikely that anyone other than a poison master would wield such poison on him. "It is indeed the doing of a poison master. However... with my cultivation recovered, I will have him pay the price of his actions..." With a cold glint in his eyes, the entric Old Man clenched his fists tightly. "Un." Seeing that the other party was unwilling to speak any more on the matter, Zhang Xuan chose not to delve deeper into the matter either. "May I know how I should address elder?" the entric Old Man asked. A life debt had to be repaid. Yet, he didnt even know the other partys name even at this point in time. It was indeed embarrassing. "My name is Sun Qiang." Zhang Xuan said. "I see, so its Elder Sun..." Nodding, the entric Old Man flicked his wrist, took out a token, and handed it over to Zhang Xuan respectfully. "I happen to have some influence in the Qingyuan Empire Physician Guild, so if you were to face any trouble, do make sure to look for me with this token in hand. As long as it is within my means, I will make sure to aplish it for you..." "Alright." Taking the token, Zhang Xuan nodded. He would eventually have to head to Qingyuan Empire one day, and since the other party was willing to do him this favor, it would be fine to ept it. After all, there was no saying that there could be a day that he might need it. "Since your poison has been cured, I will take my leave now. Farewell!" Zhang Xuan felt that there was no reason for him to remain since the other partys poison had been cured, so he made his way out and headed to Inkcloud Quarter. Not too longter, before he could enter Inkcloud Quarter, he already saw Hu Yunsheng rushing out with a livid face. Thetter also saw him and immediately rushed up to him while eximing, "Elder, bad news..." Chapter 984: City Lord Chapter 984: City Lord Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Whats wrong?" Seeing the anxious look on Hu Yunshengs face, Zhang Xuan frowned. As the boss of a powerful organization, as well as a Saint 1-dan expert, there was no way the other party would panic over minor affairs. "I had my men spread the news regarding the auctioning of the Sepulture Flower across the city as soon as I returned to Inkcloud Quarter... However, an hourter, a group of men came and insisted on purchasing the Sepulture Flower ahead of the auction." Hu Yunsheng exined with a livid look. "Judging from how forceful they were acting, it seems like they are intending to force a trade." "Force a trade? Is the other party a poison master?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Werent poison masters the only ones who would be attracted by the Sepulture Flower? Was there some other use to it that he wasnt aware of? "They arent." Hu Yunsheng shook his head affirmatively. "How can you be that certain?" Zhang Xuan was surprised by the other partys firm response. After all, it should be impossible to identify a poison master when he wasnt using poison. As such, it was possible for anyone to be a poison master. Given so, on what grounds could Hu Yunsheng be so confident that the group of men who insisted on purchasing the Sepulture Flower werent poison masters? "This is because I know those guys who came over!" Hu Yunsheng replied. "They are City Lord Hong Jin of Jingyuan City and his guards!" "The city lord? What does he need the Sepulture Flower for?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The Sepulture Flower was needed by the poison masters to concoct poison, but why would a city lord require such an item? Not to mention, to go to the extent of forcing a trade for it... "I tried to sound him out, but he isnt speaking a word about it, so I am not too sure either. I have already told him that the item belongs not to Inkcloud Quarter but to you, and he is insisting on meeting you to negotiate now..." Hu Yunsheng said. "Bring me over." Zhang Xuan nodded. Regardless of why the other party needed the Sepulture Flower, this matter should indeed be resolved. Since the other party had requested to meet him, there was no reason for him to turn him down. Under Hu Yunshengs lead, he soon arrived at a rtively spacious room. An authoritative-looking middle-aged man sat majestically on the main seat in the room, exuding an air of superiority. Behind him were several armored guards which carried a powerful aura. They were all Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm cultivators. "City Lord Hong, this is the owner of the Sepulture Flower, Elder Sun Qiang!" Walking up, Hu Yunsheng sped his fist and introduced. The middle-aged man shot a nce at Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing that the other party was a mere Nascent Saint cultivator, he chuckled softly and said, "This friend over here, I wish to buy your Sepulture Flower. Give me a price!" Zhang Xuan was a little surprised by how direct the other party was. With a wry smile on his face, he asked, "What price can you offer me?" "A Sepulture Flower with a maturity of a hundred years is usually worth 80 high-tier spirit stones. Since yours has a maturity slightly higher than that, I will give you a hundred and throw in a Spirit high-tier weapon on top of that!" the middle-aged man said. Hearing the offer, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, "Dont you think your offer is a little low?" Putting aside the rarity of the Sepulture Flower, even the price at which Hu Yunsheng purchased his Sepulture Flower at back then was higher than the offer that this city lord was giving. The other party was indeed trying to force a trade here. "Audacious! It is your honor for our esteemed city lord to be interested in your item, you better know your ce!" a guard standing behind the middle-aged man bellowed loudly. "A hundred high-tier spirit stones and a Spirit high-tier weapon is the best price you will get for your Sepulture Flower. Even if you were to go through the auction, it is unlikely that you will be able to get anything higher. Furthermore, it is unsafe to keep such a valuable artifact with you. Listen to my advice and sell it." the second guard said. The devil and the angel; a threat and an advice... Ultimately, this was nothing more than a mere ploy for him to hand over his medicinal herbs obediently. Seeing through what the other party was ying at, Zhang Xuan burst intoughter and shook his head before saying, "Ten thousand high-tier spirit stones, and I will sell it to you straight!" "What did you say?" The eyebrows of the middle-aged man shot up. His offer was one hundred, yet the other partys offer was ten thousand. That was a tant disregard for his standing as the city lord! "Insolence! How dare you..." The first guard bellowed once more, but before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuans voice had already sounded once more. "Twenty thousand!" "Are you certain that you want to do this? I am only saying this out of concern for you, but..." the second guard said with a frown. "Thirty thousand!" Zhang Xuan dered. "You..." The middle-aged mans face reddened as his eyebrows knitted together tightly. In this moment, it felt as if his rage would burst forth at any moment. The other party clearly had no intentions of selling the Sepulture Flower to him, and from the looks of it, the other party also didnt care who he was either. "Friend, allow me to give you a word of advice. You are in Jingyuan City at this very moment. Regardless of who you are, you would do well to carry yourself humbly. Otherwise, you wont know what kind of trouble you will be bringing to yourself!" the middle-aged man harrumphed coldly with narrowed eyes. "Fifty thousand!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly and continued, unbothered by the threats the other party was making. Trying to throw your weight before me? Hah, heaven knows which sandpit you were kneading mud in when I was out posturing in the world! "Hmph, lets go!" Seeing how the owner of the Sepulture Flower wasnt willing to budge at all, the middle-aged man harrumphed coldly before walking out of the room. The moment he stepped out of the room, his face immediately turned livid with rage. "City lord, shall we dispatch our men to snatch the Sepulture Flower over?" The first guard nced at the room behind him coldly as he subtly pulled his thumb horizontally before his throata gesture to kill. "There is no need for that. I do need the Sepulture Flower, but since that fellow is going to auction it, theres no harm in going through the official process." A glint appeared in the middle-aged mans narrowed eyes. "I dont believe that there would be anyone in Jingyuan City who will dare bid against me!" "Indeed!" The eyes of the two guards lit up. Living in Jingyuan City, who would be so foolish to offend the city lord over a mere flower? As long as no one dared to bid against him, he could easily take down the flower at any price he wanted. By then, that fellow would be deeply regretting not selling the Sepulture Flower to him for a hundred high-tier spirit stones! "Lets go!" The city lord said before walking away with widened strides. ... "Elder, arent you being a little reckless offending the city lord like that?" Hu Yunsheng asked with a conflicted look on his face. "Its fine. It is one thing if he doesnt pull anything, but if he does, I dont mind recing him with someone else!" Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. With the influence and power he wielded at the moment, there was no need for him to lie low anymore. If the city lord knew what was good for him, he would do well to drop whatever malicious thought he had in mind. Otherwise, he didnt mind teaching the other party a lesson. As long as he gave Yu Shenqing a heads up, there was no one who would dare object to him changing a city lord or two. Or if it were toe down to it, he could even dispatch a few master teachers down to investigate this Jingyuan City Lord. A person who would force a trade on others was bound to havemitted plenty of atrocious deed during his rule. With those misdeeds the other party had done in the past, he could indict the other party and have him severely punished for his crimes. "Alright then..." Hu Yunsheng was still a little skeptical, but recalling the incredible prowess that the elder before him had disyed earlier in the entric Old Mans residence, he decided not to think too much into the matter. A short momentter, he continued, "I think there is a chance that the city lord might engage in bid rigging by scaring off the other bidders. If that were to happen, it might prove to be a little troublesome." "Scaring off other bidders?" "Un. Given his standing and influence, he could easily demand others not topete with him in the bidding of the Sepulture Flower. If so, I fear that the poison masters might be dissuaded from participating in the auction as well!" Hu Yunsheng replied. Inkcloud Quarter conducted auctions regrly, so he was rather familiar with the various ploys that bidders could use to undermine the auction system. It wasnt rare for those who wielded great authority and power to use their standing to force the other bidders to remain silent, thus obtaining the item at a discounted price. Despite having met with this situation several times, Hu Yunsheng was still unable to find any good solution to the problem. "This is simple. nt a person in the midst of the auction, and as long as that fellow dares to raise the price, have your man double the current price. Its my item anyway, so it doesnt matter even if the price hikes up to a million high-tier spirit stones." Zhang Xuan replied. "This..." Hu Yunsheng blinked his eyes in shock. To actually hike up the price of your own item, isnt it a little too shameless to do that... However, thinking about it, that was indeed a good idea to this situation. This idea was cheap, but that was precisely what they needed to choke the other party with anger and frustration! "Alright, go and make preparations. As long as I can uncover the location of the Poison Hall, I will resolve your poison." Zhang Xuan said. "Yes!" Hu Yunsheng nodded before taking his leave. Shortly after he left, Zhang Xuans body jolted slightly before vanishing on the spot. In the next moment, he appeared in the Myriad Anthive Nest. At this moment, the Anthive Nest had already been fully expanded. It had a length of five hundred meters from one end to the other, an incredibly vast space, and there were all sorts of buildings here and there, reminiscent of a massive vige. "Master!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the many tamed beasts within the Anthive Nest hurried forward and greeted him. Living within the Anthive Nest were the Byzantium Helios Beast and the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge. With this powerful force, he could easily wipe the remote Jingyuan City off the map without lifting a finger. "Cultivate hard. If I have time, I wille in to resolve the problems you face in your cultivation." Nodding at the various beasts, Zhang Xuan said. These saint beasts were a strong fighting force for him. As such, after cing them in the Anthive Nest, he had been lecturing them whenever he had time. Over the past two to three months, they had made significant advancement in their fighting prowess. Were it not for the inability of saint beasts to practice cultivation techniques, these fellows should have advanced their cultivation to an incredible level by now. After instructing the saint beasts to work hard in their training, Zhang Xuan headed towards a certain room. Within the room, Wei Ruyany peacefully with her eyes closed on a clean bed. As the goal of finding the Poison Hall was to resolve the poison aura in her body, naturally, Zhang Xuan had been bringing her around through the Anthive Nest. He ced his hand on the girls pulse, and a momentter, he heaved a sigh of relief. "It seems like she still can hold on for some time..." He hadnt found any good way to resolve Wei Ruyans dangerous umtion of poison aura, but through his means, he was still able to alleviate her situation temporarily and stabilize her condition. She was unlikely to wake up until her affliction was resolved, but at the very least, there was no threat on her life for the time being. "Thisss sure is pitiful..." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and shook his head. From her birth, she was tortured by her illness, putting her in great misery. It wasnt easy for her to grow to adulthood, but by the time she realized it, she had lost her closest kin, her father. It was no wonder why others called the Innate Poison Body Constitution of Disaster. It brought disaster not only to others but even to the person herself as well, depriving her of even a single day that was devoid of pain and suffering. After confirming that Wei Ruyans condition was still stable for the moment, Zhang Xuan headed to the specially-built training grounds and sat down there. It had been more than ten days since he had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle, and while he hadnt obtained the artifact required for his breakthrough to Saint 1-dan, he hadnt been cking on his training either. Every single day, he would make sure to spend some time on furthering his cultivation without fail. Under his persistent hard work, his zhenqi was getting more and more purer and condensed. Ever since reaching Half-Saint, he could feel that it was getting more and more difficult to make breakthroughs aspared to from before. In the past, the breakthrough of a realm only took two hours, but now, it was taking a few minutes more than before! "As expected, cultivating is not as easy as I thought..." Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed Cultivation was indeed a path fraught with difficulty. Without diligence and mental resilience, it was impossible to persevere on. Six hours passed in a sh. Making a quick calction, Zhang Xuan deduced that it should be night outside, and the auction should be starting soon. Thus, he backed out of the Anthive Nest. Shortly after he returned to his room, Hu Yunsheng walked in. "Elder, the auction will be starting soon..." "Un." Nodding, Zhang Xuan followed Hu Yunsheng towards the direction of the auction. However, before they could get to the allocated VIPpartment, he suddenly frowned for a moment before his footsteps came to aplete halt. Chapter 985: Pummeling Your Teacher Chapter 985: Pummeling Your Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Elder?" Noticing that Zhang Xuan had stopped his footsteps, Hu Yunsheng asked in surprise. "You can head on to thepartment first. Do as I have said earlier, make sure to take note of everyone who has bidded for the Sepulture Flower and record their names down. I have some matters to attend to at the moment. Dont worry, I will return quickly." Zhang Xuan instructed. "Yes!" Not daring to say anymore, Hu Yunsheng quickly nodded before proceeding ahead. Zhang Xuans frown didnt alleviate with Hu Yunshengs departure. On the contrary, it deepened. Turning around, he flitted away. Shortly after, he arrived at the entrance of the vast auction hall. The surroundings were filled with huge crowds, presumably here to participate in the auction. Scanning the area, Zhang Xuans eyes soon stopped on an average-looking middle-aged man. On the surface, that fellow seemed to be a Saint 1-dan primary stage cultivator who harnessed water attribute zhenqi, an unspectacr character in the greater scheme of things. However, for some reason, his presence left Zhang Xuan feeling a little uneasy. The same uneasy sensation that he had felt back at the Subterranean Gallery... "He is... an Otherworldly Demon!" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Having killed more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons in the Subterranean Gallery, he could vaguely tell how fearsome the person before him was. Despite the other party not exuding any killing intent at the moment, he felt an incredible pressure weighing down on him. Furthermore, his Principals Seal was trembling in agitation, seemingly about to leap out at any moment. Eye of Insight! Faint green lines appeared in Zhang Xuans ck iris. Taking a look once more, his intuition was spot-on. The other party was indeed an Otherworldly Demons. It was unknown what technique the other party used, but he was able to seal his immense killing intent entirely beneath ayer of water ripple, making it impossible for even the Saint realm cultivators around him from seeing through his true identity. Were it not for Zhang Xuan having shed with a huge number of Otherworldly Demons in the Subterranean Gallery, which granted him a deeper insight into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and his possession of the Eye of Insight, there was no way he would have known that the person before him was an Otherworldly Demon. "I cant see through that fellows strength..." Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. Due to the other partys unique disguising method, most perception methods were unable to work on him. The powerful Eye of Insight was able to see through the other partys true form, but it was unable to determine the other partys cultivation. But of course, it might also be because the other partys strength was far beyond him. However, the pressing question at hand was not how powerful that fellow was, but why would an Otherworldly Demon disguise himself as a human in the remote Jingyuan City and appear at the entrance of this auction hall? Did he intend to participate in the auction as well? Was the Sepulture Flower of value to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe too? "I cant allow him to enter the auction hall..." Stroking his lower jaw, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts. A Saint realm Otherworldly Demon suddenly appearing in a human city, there was bound to be some kind of ploy involved here. No matter what the other party was up to, he had to foil his ns. For one, he should hinder the other party from participating in the auction and obtaining what he wanted. "Just that... how should I do it without rming others?" Zhang Xuan frowned in frustration. They were right at the entrance of the auction hall at the moment. Regardless of whether he did it himself or dispatched his puppets to do it for him, it would cause a huge uproar. If things were to go badly, the auction hall might even be torn apart. Furthermore, if he were to corner the other party too far, the other party might be forced to utilize his means as an Otherworldly Demon to retaliate. If so, the realization that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe could be lurking within Jingyuan City would cause a huge pandemonium... An army of master teacher could very well be brought into Jingyuan City to investigate the matter, forcing the poison masters to lie low. By then, it would be nigh impossible for him to find any poison master to lead him to the Poison Hall. While deep in thought, he saw the disguised Otherworldly Demon following the bustling crowd into the auction hall. If he wanted to act, he would have to do it now. Once the other party was settled in the auction hall, it would be impossible to drag the other party out without causing a pandemonium, "There is no time to n anymore. I will just have to deal with whatever thates my way..." Knowing that he didnt have the luxury of time, Zhang Xuan dashed forward and blocked the disguised Otherworldly Demons path. "What are you doing?!" Seeing that someone had suddenly blocked his path, the disguised Otherworldly Demon frowned in displeasure. Hu! Following which, the two guards beside the disguised Otherworldly Demon stepped forward and drew their swords, seemingly ready to make a move should Zhang Xuan try anything funny. These two guards were Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts, but they werent Otherworldly Demons, just ordinary cultivators. "May I know why this friend over here is blocking my way?" Seeing that everyones gaze was drawn towards him, the disguised Otherworldly Demon waved his hands casually, indicating for the guards to step down before turning to Zhang Xuan. The disguised Otherworldly Demon knew that it was not to his advantage to draw attention towards himself. After all, it was more likely for his true identity to be exposed should he be ced under the spotlight. Moreover, disguised as a human in Jingyuan City, he had a mission to aplish as well. It wouldnt do to draw too many eyes upon himself at this moment. "The heaven isnt blind after all! After so many years, it has finally brought me to you!" Paying no heed the disguised Otherworldly Demons words, a look of extreme agitation suddenly surfaced on Zhang Xuans face as he rushed forward to hug the other party. Frowning, the Otherworldly Demon raised his palm and pushed Zhang Xuan away. "I am Sun Qiang! Dont you recognize me?" Being pushed away, Zhang Xuan looked at the disguised Otherworldly Demon anxiously and quickly introduced himself, as if worried that his old friend didnt recognize him. "Sun... Qiang?" The disguised Otherworldly Demon frowned. "Im sorry. You must have gotten the wrong person!" As an Otherworldly Demon infiltrating the Master Teacher Continent, how could he possibly have any acquaintances here? Just where in this world did this fool pop out from? "There is no way I could have gotten the wrong person!" Ignoring the other partys cold attitude, Zhang Xuan grabbed the other party arm in agitation and said, "We have grown up together, and I can still remember how arrogant you were when you were younger. Back then, after you managed to achieve a huge breakthrough in your cultivation, you viciously pummeled our teacher because you thought he was too nosey. In order to avenge your pet, you specially concocted a poison and killed a Saint realm expert. On top of that, you also studied the arts of the soul oracle and used your soul to conduct quite a few misdeeds. These memories are still very fresh in my mind, as if they had only happened yesterday. There is no way I can ever mistake you for another person!" "He pummeled his own teacher because he thought his teacher was too nosey? How can a person treat his teacher like that?" "Concocting poison to kill a Saint realm expert... He is a poison master?" "He learned the arts of the soul oracle? Didnt the soul oracles betray humanity for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe back then?" Hearing those words, the gazes from the crowd started to turn hostile. Those of the Master Teacher Continent were taught to respect their teacher and lineage from young. A person who betrayed his own teacher and lineage would be scorned by others for his entire life. More important, poison masters and soul oracles were upations that were scorned in the continent. It could already be said that it was very patient of them to not rush forward and pummel that person before them. "What nonsense are you spouting?" Seeing how a person he didnt recognize suddenly uttering such nonsense here, the eyebrows of the Otherworldly Demon shot up, and he nearly erupted on the spot, "I dont even know you!" If the crowd were to turn against him over this matter and his true identity was revealed in the process, how was he going to aplish his mission? Thus, he jerked his arm forcefully, knocking away the hand that was grasping him. You dont know me? Very well!" As if displeased by the other partys action of feigning ignorance, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, "Three years ago, when you were being pursued by your enemies and was on the verge of death, I was the one who saved you. If I remember correctly, your enemies managed to impale your left shoulder back then, and the wound should have left a scar. Since you said that you dont know me, do you dare to show your left shoulder to all of us right here to prove that I was lying?" "You..." The disguised Otherworldly Demon was stunned for a moment before clenching his fists tightly in frustration. His left shoulder had indeed been impaled by a special weapon three years ago. To this day, he still had yet to recover from it fully, and the wound had also left a permanent scar on his left shoulder. Due to the unique nature of the injury, he wasnt able to conceal it even when disguising as a human... As his wound had been concealed within his clothes all along, and he had never shown it to anyone before, not even his closest friend was aware of this matter. Where in the world did that fellow learn of this matter? "Why? You dare not show your shoulder right here? Well, of course you dont! Your injury was caused by a spear imbued with the fire attribute whereas the cultivation technique you practice is of the water attribute. As such, that wound has resulted in a permanent scar which you cant erase! On top of that, the encounter has also left a hidden trauma in your body. A surge of me zhenqi will relentlessly strike your Hunyin acupoint every full moon, leaving you in great agony... How is it? Is there any mistake in what I have said?" Zhang Xuan continued. "Y-you..." The disguised Otherworldly Demon was only astonished when the other party spoke about the scar on his left shoulder, but at this moment, he felt so crazed that his eyes were on the verge of popping from their sockets. The other partys description was spot-on. The scar on his left shoulder was indeed caused by a spear imbued with the fire attribute, and it was also true that he cultivated a water attribute cultivation technique. The matter about there being a surge of me zhenqi in his body torturing him every month was also correct... There was no mistake in the other partys ount at all! But he was certain that he didnt know the other party, and even if he did, he had never told anyone of the problems he was facing either... So how did this fellow find out? "You still dont remember me? Are you hiding something that makes it inconvenient for you to reveal your identity? Is that the reason why you are hiding from me?" Zhang Xuan continued. "Cough cough! Brother Sun Qiang, I finally recognize you now!" As that person spoke on, the gazes directed towards him was bing more and more peculiar. Fearing that his identity might just be dredged up should the other party continue speaking, the disguised Otherworldly Demon could only concede with a look of awkwardness. "Thats more like it! I knew that I couldnt have possibly mistaken you for anyone else! Here, this is the fine wine that you savor the most. If you still regard me as your brother, drink it!" Seeing the other party bending under the pressure from the surroundings, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a smiling face, he flicked his wrist, took out a gourd, and passed it over. "You want me to drink? Right here?" The disguised Otherworldly Demon was bbergasted. What is with the sudden jump in logic? Even if we are good friends, surely there is a time and ce to drink! We are right outside the auction hall, and there are so many people looking... You want me to drink right here? He wasnt the only one perplexed by Zhang Xuans abrupt words. The crowd was also baffled as well. "Why? You dont trust me? You think that there is a problem with the wine I am giving you? Sigh, you really should work on that skeptical personality of yours. Fine, I will drink first!" Shaking his head with a smile, Zhang Xuan uncorked the wine gourd, and an intoxicating fragrance drifted into the surroundings. Tilting his head upwards, he took a hearty gulp of the wine. After he was done, he passed it over to the disguised Otherworldly Demon, "Here you go!" "I think it will be better for us to drink another day. The auction is about to start, and I still have matters to attend to..." A stranger he didnt know was abruptly offering him wine out of nowhere. He would be lying if he said he wasnt doubtful. "That skeptical personality like yours sure is like the Otherworldly Demons, especially like that Qingtian something Waterleaf King..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Geji! As soon as the disguised Otherworldly Demon heard those words, his entire body stiffened. A hint of killing intent shed across his eyes. It might seem as if the other party was uttering nonsense, but the other party had managed to identify him urately! In other words, all of those that were spoken before was not a coincidence at all. The other party... knew who he was! Just that... he pondered for a while, but there was no one named Sun Qiang that he knew of. "Youre right! Good friends should indeed have a drink together. However, this isnt the ce to do so. Why dont we go to a tavern together and drink our hearts out?" Suppressing his killing intent, the disguised Otherworldly Demon chuckled amiably. In any case, if his identity was alreadypromised, there was only one thing that he could do... Find an opportunity to kill the other party! Otherwise, if he were to be exposed right here, he would be unable to aplish his mission. "You want to drink together at a tavern? Sure. However, you have to drink my wine first before I will go with you. If you arent even willing to reciprocate this kind gesture of mine, who knows whether you will be bringing me to drink or to theherworldter on? A person who has beat up his teacher surely has no qualms about killing his close friends too, right?" Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile. "You..." The disguised Otherworldly Demons face reddened. Chapter 986: Waterleaf King Chapter 986: Waterleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric One thing he could be sure at this moment was that the other party had already uncovered his identity. But... his disguise should have been wless! How could someone possibly see through it? Could it be that the other party possessed a cultivation more fearsome than him? "Of course not! If a sip of wine can ay your fears, I am more than willing to do so." With a light smile, the disguised Otherworldly Demon swiftly concealed his loss ofposure a moment ago. Taking the gourd from Zhang Xuans hands, he began assessing the wine carefully with narrowed eyes. For the other party to offer him a gourd of wine after uncovering his true identity, it was hard to believe that there was nothing wrong with the wine. Activating his Spiritual Perception, he swiftly swept through the contents of the wine, and the result left a deep frown on his forehead. The conclusion he received was that the gourd was filled with nothing more than ordinary wine. If there was anything peculiar about it, it was just that it was richly infused with spiritual energy. The disguised Waterleaf King hesitated for a moment, and eventually, he still felt that it was better to be safe than sorry. Thus, he passed the gourd back to Zhang Xuan, took out a jade bottle, and said, "Im afraid that I dont fancy the wine you brought too much. Lets drink mine instead." This bottle of wine was his personal possession, so he could be confident that there was nothing wrong with it. Lifting up the jade bottle, the disguised Otherworldly Demon was just about to uncork the cap and take a drink when Zhang Xuan suddenly stepped forward to grab the bottle, "You dont like the wine I brought you? Let me take a look at what you have in here then." After saying those words, Zhang Xuan uncorked the cap. The rich aroma of alcohol burst forth from the bottle. It was indeed far better than the wine he had in the gourd earlier. "Fine wine indeed! It is no wonder you arent interested in the one I have. Here!" Zhang Xuan took a swift nce at it before passing it back, not making any peculiar actions at all. "Un." Taking everything into sight, the disguised Otherworldly Demon heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that the other party hadnt done anything to the wine in the bottle. He took the bottle back from Zhang Xuans hand and took a sip from it. "Alright, shall we head to a tavern together and drink our hearts away?" the disguised Otherworldly Demon said with a smile. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Lord..." Seeing that the esteemed guest which they were supposed to be escorting leaving the area to drink with someone else, the two guards standing beside the disguised Otherworldly Demon nced at one another in confusion. Isnt he here to participate in the auction? Why is he leaving before the auction has even started? "The both of you can head in first. I will return swiftly." The disguised Otherworldly Demon waved his hand nonchntly. "Yes!" Seeing that the other party had already made up his mind, the guards hesitated for a moment before nodding. Even their master had to obey themands of the man before them, so naturally, they dared not to go against the other partys orders either. "Lets go!" Seeing that the other party was done, Zhang Xuan took the lead, and before long, they were out of Inkcloud Quarter. Walking along the streets, they soon arrived at a remote alley. Seeing that there was no one around, the Otherworldly Demon couldnt hold himself back any longer. Rushing forward to block Zhang Xuans path, he asked with a cold glint in his eyes, "Who in the world are you?" "Me? I am just an ordinary human. On the other hand... for an Otherworldly Demon like you to be walking in public disguised as a human, you sure are brazen!" At which, Zhang Xuans lips curled up, "Isnt that so, Waterleaf King?" "Y-you... Just who are you?" The disguised Otherworldly Demon raised his palm and closed it, and a torrent of zhenqi sealed the space in the surroundings. A powerful surge of killing intent burst into the area, and all a sudden, the entire street seemed to have turned into a living hell. From the moment he realized that the other party had uncovered his true identity, he had already decided to kill the other party. "Who am I?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You arent qualified to know who I am!" "Unwilling to speak? Fine by me too. I have no interest in learning a dead mans name either!" The Waterleaf King roared furiously as his ws swiped at Zhang Xuan with frightening swiftness. Hu! A burst of devastating zhenqi rose up like waves of the ocean. Under the tremendous might of the Waterleaf King, the streets creaked wildly, ready to copse at any moment. From the great strength that the Waterleaf King was able to harness, Zhang Xuan could tell that he was not at Saint 1-dan or 2-dan, but... 4-dan! Primordial Spirit realm! "You want to kill me?" Zhang Xuan stood calmly in face of the other partys attack, not surprised at all. Instead, he chuckled softly and said, "I am afraid that you dont have the ability to do so... Lie down!" Just like what he did back at Inkcloud Quarter, he snapped his fingers as he said those words. Padah! In the next moment, the powerful Waterleaf Kings body abruptly stiffened before crashing forcefully into the ground. The immense might he hadmanded a moment ago vanished like the receding tide. Lying on the floor, he coughed huge mouthfuls of blood. "Y-you... poisoned me?" In the narrowed eyes of the Waterleaf King, his disbelief was apparent. He had made sure to proceed warily, opting not to consume the other partys wine even after confirming that it hadnt been spiked. Yet, despite all of the preventive measures he had done, he still ended up being poisoned! "Of course! How can I deal with a powerful King like you without resorting to certain means?" Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Through his Eye of insight, he could only see that the other party was an Otherworldly Demon. He only managed to confirm the other partys identity through his Library of Heavens Path. His first gesture to hug the other party had forced the other party to drive his zhenqi to knock him away, and that had allowed him to apile a book on the other party in the Library of Heavens Path. To his astonishment, the disguised Otherworldly Demon was actually an Otherworldly Demon King like the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King whom he killed at the Subterranean Gallery previously... Waterleaf King! A powerful Saint 4-dan expert! For a powerful King like the other party to actually be hidden amongst the human popce... If he didnt stop the other party, it could very well end in a disaster! Even the utter destruction of Jingyuan City was possible! Even with Zhang Xuans current strength, it was unlikely that he would be able to fare well against the Waterleaf King. Relying on his Otherworldly Demon puppets was a usible option, but even if he was able to kill the other party through such a mean, it would still stir up a hugemotion which would hinder his goal of finding a poison master. To be safe, he chose to lure the other party to drinking his wine instead. Hidden within the wine was his Heavens Path zhenqi. With just a single thought from him, it could be instantaneously turned into lethal poison. The Waterleaf King was indeed smart, adamantly choosing not to drink his wine. However, even a person as wary as the other party couldnt have imagined that he would be able to poison the wine just by touching the jade bottle. Due to the incredible purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, it was able to seep through the miniature pores in the jade bottle. In the moment that Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle, he discreetly infused a few surges of Heavens Path zhenqi into the wine. Furthermore, the Heavens Path zhenqi would only appear as ordinary spiritual energy when scanned through Spiritual Perception. But of course, the main reason why he was able to get the Waterleaf King to put his guard down was because it was inconceivable! Even the most formidable of poison masters would have to use poison powder, gu insects, or something of that sort in order to poison another. For ones zhenqi to actually harness lethal poison... that was unthinkable! "You... I will bring you down with me!" Seeing the other party admit to it, the Waterleaf Kings face turned red. With a furious roar, he smacked his palm against the ground to push his body up and charged right towards Zhang Xuan. But before he could strike, Zhang Xuan uttered, "Down!" Boom! With a snap of the fingers, the Waterleaf King fell vertically from the sky andnded heavily on the ground. Cold sweat trickled from his forehead. At this point, the Heavens Path zhenqi had already infiltrated all of the acupoints and organs of the Waterleaf Kings body. With just a thought, Zhang Xuan would be able to kill him instantaneously. In terms of lethality, not even grade-7 poison couldpare to it. As powerful as the Waterleaf King was, he was alsopletely helpless before it. "What kind of poison is this?" Realizing that something was amiss, the Waterleaf King widened his eyes in horror. In order to ensure the sess of his mission, he had made sure to consume many antidotes beforehand so as to render them ineffective against him. Typically speaking, ordinary poisons should bepletely ineffective on him. It was one thing for him to have not noticed when he was poisoned, but to be unable to feel the poison when it was already in his body... that was really a little frightening. Could it be that he had already been poisoned by a 7-star poison master even before the start of his mission? But wasnt the most capable poison master in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall only at 6-star? Not responding to the other partys question, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and tapped on the other partys body several times, sealing his cultivation. He had already found the other partys weaknesses through the Library of Heavens Path, and his Heavens Path zhenqi had curbed the other partys movements. Thus, subduing the other party wasnt particrly difficult. After sealing the Waterleaf Kings cultivation, Zhang Xuan nced at the other partys mouth and abruptly closed his hand. In the next moment, a small pill flew out from the other partys mouth, and he caught it with a wax paper. "You..." Seeing the other party retrieving the pill from his mouth, the Waterleaf Kings face warped in astonishment. The pill was a final resort were he to captured by an enemy so as to prevent any secrets from leaking out. Other than the other Otherworldly Demon Kings who were carrying out simr missions as well, no one was aware of the existence of the pill... Just who was the person before him?! It was one thing to know his name, but how could the other party be aware of such a confidential secret as well? "You should know what to do now!" After destroying the poisonous pill in the wax paper, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the Waterleaf King. The Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King hadmitted suicide through that pill after he subdued them the previous time around. Unwilling to allow history to repeat itself, he was prepared this time around. "Speak! What is your purpose at Jingyuan City?" Zhang Xuan questioned grimly. "You want me to betray my tribesmen? Dream on!" The Waterleaf King gritted his teeth. "Refusing to budge? I see..." Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He ced his finger on the other partys body and began sending a surge of zhenqi into the other partys body. Tzzzzzzzzzzzzz! As soon as the zhenqi entered the Waterleaf Kings body, he immediately felt as if his entire body had been bitten by thousands and thousands of poisonous bugs, evoking an unbearable sharp pain throughout his body. If the pain had just been limited to his body, it would still have been tolerable for him. However, that surge of zhenqi which the other party infused into his body seemed to exert an overwhelming pressure on his soul as well, threatening to rip his soul apart. "You want me to submit to a lower lifeform like you? Impossible!" Clenching his jaws tightly to bear with the pain, the Waterleaf King roared furiously. In the next moment, his body abruptly bloated up with an inted balloon. "What?" Upon seeing the other partys state, Zhang Xuans face warped in shock. He quickly hastened the infusion of zhenqi, intending to suppress whatever the other party was about to do. However, in the next second, the other partys body abruptly began withering at a visible pace. Following which, a soul which bore the same form as the Waterleaf King flew out from the other partys be. "Is this a soul?" Feeling the powerful aura emanating from the soul, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before his eyes narrowed in rm. "No, it isnt just a soul. It is... a Primordial Spirit!" At Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm, a cultivator would have tempered his Embryonic Soul into a Primordial Spirit. Simr to the souls of soul oracles, Primordial Spirits were able to exist independently from the body. They could easily cover great distances within a short period of time, and they wielded the power to decapitate another with just a single thought. The Waterleaf Kings physical body and cultivation had been suppressed by his Heavens Path zhenqi, and in a moment of panic, he decisively abandoned his physical body and charged out in the form as his Primordial Spirit. However, a cultivators Primordial Spirit would still be in an unstable form before reaching Saint 5-dan. A forceful separation from the body before then could potentially cause the body to die, and it would be difficult for the unstable Primordial Spirit to survive for extended periods of time alone as well. "Even at the expense of my life, I will drag you down to theherworld with me..." Roaring frenziedly, the Waterleaf King charged at Zhang Xuan savagely. Under the current circumstances, it was unlikely that he would be getting out of here alive. Since that was the case, he could very well use apanion on his trip to theherworld! Despite the other partys mysterious means, he was only a Nascent Saint with a weak soul. As long as his Primordial Spirit were to charge into the other partys body, he would be able to tear the other partys soul into shreds easily! Hu! Before Zhang Xuan could react, the Waterleaf Kings Primordial Spirit had already slipped into his be, causing Zhang Xuans body to freeze altogether. After entering Zhang Xuans body, the Waterleaf King was just about to devour the other partys soul when he abruptly saw a mountain-like silhouette before his eyes. "Hahaha, I shall devour you whole... The heck, what is this?" The Waterleaf Kings eyes widened in astonishment. Chapter 987: City Lord Manor Chapter 987: City Lord Manor Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Without a doubt, an attack from a Primordial Spirit was extremely frightening. It could easily crush or even devour a soul. No matter how powerful ones defense was, it was extremely difficult to guard ones soul. This was precisely the reason why a Primordial Spirit realm expert was extremely frightening, far beyond that of an Embryonic Soul realm cultivator. When the Waterleaf King found himself poisoned and had his cultivation sealed, he knew that there was no way he would be getting out of here alive. Thus, he used a secret art to forcefully draw his Primordial Spirit out of his physical body, intending to devour the enemys soul whole as his final act of valor. But when he dived into the other partys body and saw the soul within, he nearly died of shock. The other partys soul was more than ten meters tall, and itmanded an aura of invible authority, reminiscent of the will of the heavens. Standing before it, he felt so pressured by the presence that it seemed like his mind would break at any moment. "How... how could this be possible? How could anyone possibly have such a huge soul?" The Waterleaf King couldnt help but fly into a hysteria. An ordinary Nascent Saint cultivator would have cultivated his soul, but it would only be at the elementary level of just being able to wield the power of the world. To make aparison, it should have been nothing more than an infant before his. But... what the heck was this? More than ten meters tall, reminiscent of a massive mountain... and more importantly, there wasnt the slightest bit of coldness or yin energy from it. On the contrary, it even carried a radiant tinge of lightning on it. Putting aside devouring that soul, it would be a huge blessing if he could avoid being devoured by it... Could it be that... the fellow before him wasnt a Nascent Saint but a Saint 5-dan or even 6-dan expert? Otherwise, how could he have such a powerful soul? He had thought that by going all out, he would at least be able to force the other party to pay a heavy price for his actions. Yet, who could have thought that the other partys soul was far stronger than his? There was no way he could match that monstrous thing before him! Why must reality be so cruel... "Flee!" Knowing that it was impossible for him to win, the Waterleaf King turned around and ran away without any hesitation. But before he could get away, his body suddenly froze. Following which, a massive hand wrapped around his waist, and no matter how he struggled, he couldnt break free from it. "Soul Search!" Grabbing the Primordial Spirit before him, Zhang Xuan uttered coldly. It would have been extremely difficult for him to kill a Primordial Spirit realm expert using normal means had the other party not attempted to infiltrate his body with his Primordial Spirit. However, since the other party had done so, the rest was simple. Flowing through his body was the incredibly powerful Heavens Path zhenqi, and on top of that, there was a Library of Heavens Path sitting within him. Even Vicious was no match for it, so how well could a mere Primordial Spirit possibly fare before it? In just an instant, the other party was already screaming in agony, as if he had been dropped in a pot of oil. "Young master, dont kill that fellow. Leave his Primordial Spirit to me, I have a use for it!" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to conduct a Soul Search, Vicious abruptly spoke up. "Leave his Primordial Spirit to you?" "Yes. Consuming the Primordial Spirit of an Otherworldly Demon King can help me recover faster..." At which, Vicious hurriedly added, "Dont worry, young master. I will make sure to squeeze everyst bit of information that you want to know from him!" "Alright then." Since Vicious had guaranteed it, Zhang Xuan nodded and passed the Waterleaf Kings Primordial Spirit over to him. Leaving Vicious to be, he returned his consciousness to his physical body. Exhaling deeply, it was only then did Zhang Xuan realize that he had broken out in cold sweat. In truth, he was truly in a perilous situation for a moment there. Had the Waterleaf King decided to sh with him directly instead of foolishly slipping into his body in hopes of killing him faster, there was no saying who would be the ultimate victor. While Zhang Xuans soul was indeed extremelyrge, it was still a little off fromparing up to a Primordial Spirit. After all, the difference between the twoy not just in their sizes but their level of existence as well. The only reason why Zhang Xuan was able to emerge victorious was due to the overwhelming advantage he wielded in his body. It seemed like he really had to be a little bit more careful when dealing with Primordial Spirit realm experts in the future. ncing at the corpse of the Waterleaf King, Zhang Xuan hooked his finger, and a storage ring flew into his grasp. Immersing his consciousness within, he saw a huge mountain of treasures within. There must be at least several thousand high-tier spirit stones within the pile. Most likely, he is on some kind of mission, just like the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King, thats why he has so many high-tier spirit stones on him... Zhang Xuan thought as his eyes lit up. Regardless of what the other partys aim was, he had definitely made a killing with this sum of high-tier spirit stones. He continued browsing through the other items in the storage ring, and there were a handful of secret manuals rting to the soul. However, just like those that the other two Kings had, their content was very bizarre and vague. Casually flipping through those secret manuals, he found himself unable to make sense out of them. At that moment, a thought suddenly shed across his mind. Compile! Compiling the soul cultivation technique manuals he had obtained from the three Otherworldly Demon Kings, a new book was formed. He flipped open the new book and began browsing through it. A momentter, his eyes lit up. "To think that it works..." He thought that due to the innate differences between humans and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, their soul cultivation techniques would be useless towards him. However, afterpiling many of them together, he realized that it was still possible to form a perfect Heavens Path Soul Art through it. "From the looks of it, even though the soul cultivation techniques of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe differs from that of the humans, they are headed towards the same destination and possesses simr effects..." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The original version of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes soul cultivation techniques was extremely bizarre. Based on his deduction, it was very likely that one could go berserk from cultivating it... However, thinking about it again, it might just be another different school of soul cultivation, one that was vastly different from that of the humans. There were many different schools to interpreting cultivation, but the ultimate destination was the same. Compile! Taking out the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan soul cultivation technique which Mo Hunsheng had given him back then, hepiled it together with the soul cultivation technique which he had justpiled earlier on. A momentter, a new book appeared before his eyes. Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuans lips curled up. He had finally perfected the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Heavens Path Soul Art! He had only cultivated his soul up to Transcendent Mortal 8-dan to date, and with this newlypiled Heavens Path Soul Art, he would be able to advance his soul cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, thus advancing his strength further. However, this isnt the time for that! Suppressing his urge to cultivate, Zhang Xuan cleared the corpse of the Waterleaf King before releasing the restraints in the surroundings and headed towards Inkcloud Quarter. After wasting so much time, the auction was bound to have already begun. The important matter at hand was to find the trail of the poison masters first. Right after stepping into the auction, before Zhang Xuan could make sense out of the situation in there, Hu Yunsheng had already rushed up to him. "Elder, the city lord has left the auction hall just a few moments ago!" "He left the auction hall?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. "Yes! Before the auction for the Sepulture Flower began, he suddenly turned around and left his VIPpartment. I thought that he might have some urgent matters to attend to and would be back very soon, but my men reported that he headed right back to the City Lord Manor. It seems like he has no intentions of participating in the auction anymore, but... I cant help but feel that something is amiss." Hu Yunsheng frowned doubtfully. That fellow was determined to obtain the Sepulture Flower previously, resorting to even forcing a trade with them. Yet, right before the auctioning of the Sepulture Flower, he suddenly turned around and left... This had left Hu Yunsheng baffled. Zhang Xuan was also rather perplexed by the situation as well. There was something really off about this matter. He had met the city lord for himself, and he could feel thetters determination in obtaining the Sepulture Flower... Thetter had alreadye to the auction hall, and it was just moments before the auction of the Sepulture Flower. Why would he suddenly give up at this point? "Could he be nning on snatching the Sepulture Flower?" Zhang Xuan asked. "It doesnt seem too likely considering that he returned back to his City Lord Manor... My guess is that there might be an abrupt situation that left him no choice but to return!" Hu Yunsheng pondered for a moment before replying. Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of deep thought before nodding, "I understand. For the time being, you should focus on running the auction and continue keeping a lookout for the poison masters. I will go and see what is going on with the city lord." The very fact that the city lord wanted the Sepulture Flower, which should have only been useful to the poison masters, had already rung some warning bells in his head. For the other party to suddenly leave so hurriedly at this moment, there was probably something even deeper to the matter. This was something that deserved looking further into. "Alright!" Hu Yunsheng nodded. "The City Lord Manor is well-guarded, and it will be dangerous to infiltrate it... Elder, do be careful!" He wasnt worried about Zhang Xuans safety, but there would be no one to cure his poison should something happen to thetter. "Rest assured!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. He might not be a match for a Primordial Spirit realm Otherworldly Demon, but those guards of the City Lord Manor could barely be considered a threat to him. "Un." Recalling that the middle-aged man before him was not only a powerful cultivator but a poison master as well, Hu Yunsheng heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. After which, he quickly pointed out the direction of the City Lord Manor and exined itsyout to the other party. As an intelligence agency, it was no surprise for Inkcloud Quarter to have detailed information about the blueprint and security of the City Lord Manor. Very soon, after Zhang Xuan gained a decent level of understanding regarding the City Lord Manor, he began making his way over. The City Lord Manor stood at the very heart of Jingyuan City, just a few kilometers away from Inkcloud Quarter. Flying under the cover of the night sky, it didnt take long for a vast manor toe into sight. Recalling the intelligence which Hu Yunsheng had supplied him earlier, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and easily found the openings in the defensive formations and patrols. It seems like that fellows intelligencework is pretty impressive after all! Zhang Xuan chuckled under his breath before making his way in. It was only due to the extreme secrecy the Poison Hall maintained that Hu Yunsheng was unable to obtain much news regarding it. As for the other matters, Inkcloud Quarters intelligencework was still of great use. With the intelligence Zhang Xuan had obtained beforehand, it didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to bypass the defenses of the City Lord Manor and arrive in the vicinity of the main hall, where the city lord resided. With a nimble leap, he hid amidst a huge tree in the courtyard and secretly peeked in. Following which, he saw the city lord pacing around the vast main hall nervously, seemingly waiting for something. The two guards that were with him were also standing on high alert, scanning their surroundings seriously. "The both of you are dismissed for the time being." The city lord waved his hand. "Yes, my lord!" The two guards left the main hall, and the room fell silent. The city lord continued pacing around the room nervously, and a momentter, a unique aura suddenly permeated the room. Following which, a silhouette abruptly appeared in the room. "Paying respects to the great lord..." Upon seeing the silhouette, the city lord heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly sped his fist. It seemed like this was the person he was waiting for all this while. "Un." The silhouette ced his hands behind his back and nodded nonchntly. "Lord, the auction for the Sepulture Flower you tasked me to purchase is about to begin..." The city lord said questioningly with a tinge of doubt in his voice. It was under the other partys orders that he was going to purchase the Sepulture Flower, but just moments before the auctioning of the Sepulture Flower, the other party abruptly summoned him back. He couldnt help but feel a little bewildered by the situation. "Something has happened..." Instead of responding to the city lords query, the silhouette said with a deep frown. "Something has happened?" The city lord repeated uprehendingly. "Un." The silhouette waved his hand, and just as he was about to speak, his eyebrows suddenly shot up. Turning his gaze in the direction where Zhang Xuan was hidden, he bellowed coldly, "Who is there?" Chapter 988: Lifebound Venomous Bug Chapter 988: Lifebound Venomous Bug Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Boom! Following which, a powerful might fell upon the entire courtyard, including the huge tree which Zhang Xuan was hidden in. Under the rampaging zhenqi, Zhang Xuan felt as if his body would be torn apart. "The other party has discovered me?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. He had made sure to conceal his presence entirely, sealing every trace of aura within his body. Even if one were to scan his area, he would only appear to be a non-living being. It was also out of confidence for his concealment ability that he chose to came here in his body instead of just his soul. Who could have thought that he would be discovered before he could do anything at all? Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, and just as he was about to show himself, he suddenly heard two powerful gust of wind behind him. Following which, two figures leaped into the courtyard. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like the other party wasnt referring to him after all. Both of the two figures were dressed in dark gray clothes. One of them had a towering physique and a snowy beard. He exuded a powerful aura which hinted at the incredible strength he harnessed. The other had a rtively small build, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes which made one instinctively realize that he wouldnt be an easy person to deal with. They were both Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts. The movement technique they used was rather umon, or at the very least, Zhang Xuan had never seen such a movement technique before. "Its you two?" Upon seeing their appearances, the eyes of the silhouette, which had been talking to the city lord, a moment ago lit up. "Indeed. And you must be the one who have been using all kinds of means to dig up news on us?" With a hostile gaze, the white-beard elder narrowed his eyes. They had found that someone had been trying to track them down over the past few days, so they decided tounch a pre-emptive strike first. Following the trails of the culprits, they eventually found themselves at the City Lord Manor. However, they didnt think that they would be discovered shortly after entering the manor. "Hahaha, I have searched far and wide for you but to no avail, but who could have thought that you will end up knocking on my doorstep instead? Since you are already here, dont even think about leaving anymore!" The silhouette sneered coldly as he spread his palm open and thrust it downward. Hong long! In the next moment, the air in the surroundings seemed to be have turned incredibly viscous, and an overwhelming aura crushed down on the entire manor. It seemed like a powerful formation had been activated. "Shit, it is a trap!" In that instant, the faces of the two men turned livid. It couldnt be clearer to them at this moment that the other party had intentionally lured them into this manor so as to trap them with the formation. "Hahaha, you realized it toote!" With a cold smile, the silhouette lifted his palm and thrust it forward forcefully. Boom! A powerful burst of might shot forth towards the taller man, tearing a long gorge of a meter in width along its path. Jiya, even the formation shook violently before that powerful might, ready to copse at any moment. "That silhouette man is a Saint 4-dan expert too?" On the tree, Zhang Xuans face turned grim. To his astonishment, the silhouette man was also a Primordial Spirit realm expert, just like the Waterleaf King. Even in Qingyuan Conferred Empire, Primordial Spirit realm experts were individuals who stood at the peak of the pyramid. Why would so many of them suddenly appear in a remote location like Jingyuan City? ws! Seeing that the other party was in the midst of executing his battle technique, Zhang Xuan willed without any hesitation, and a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. cing his fingers on the book, he swiftly flipped it open. "Violetleaf King, one of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings..." There was a short introduction at the front, followed by all kinds of ws afterwards. "Violetleaf King? He is one of the Ten Great Kings as well?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He didnt think that the silhouette man would also be an Otherworldly Demon King, just like the three fellows he had dealt with previously. He had already eliminated three of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings... If their leader were to learn about it, would the other party skin him alive? "Elder Xu!" While Zhang Xuan was astonished by what he was reading, the shorter of the two men hurriedly rushed forward with his palm raised, choosing to face the devastating attack in ce of the taller man. Boom! As the two mights collided, the face of the shorter man paled, and he was sent flying in the next moment. While in the air, blood spurted uncontrobly from his mouth. The powerful life force he harnessed a moment ago vanished instantaneously as if a popped balloon. By the time he crashed heavily onto the ground, the final breath had already escaped from his body. "He was actually killed in a single palm?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in astonishment. Upon reaching Saint realm, there would be a qualitative evolution in ones level of existence. Ones physical resilience would be enhanced significantly, allowing one to survive a greater extent of damage. The shorter mans cultivation was at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, and yet, he was killed on the spot with just a single palm... Was this the true strength of a Primordial Spirit realm expert? But thinking about it, that was to be expected! At Primordial Spirit realm, onesprehension of the world had already reached an unfathomable level. The reason why Zhang Xuan was able to kill three of them previously was through utilizing various different means to overwhelm them. In truth, not once had he shed with them at all. If he were to really engage a Primordial Spirit realm expert in a direct confrontation, not even five of himbined would even be sufficient to faze the other party! "Elder Xue!" Seeing that hispanion had been killed while trying to save him, the face of the white-bearded elder, Elder Xu, warped in fury. He turned his gaze towards the silhouette before him with killing intent raging in his eyes. Flicking his hand, he took out a small jade bottle and opened it. A ck-colored beetle with a golden hue on its mouth flew out from the bottle. Weng weng weng! The beetle was only around the size of a fingernail, but it flew at an incredible speed. Its fluttering wings produced a particrly unnerving sound. Biting his finger, Elder Xu dripped a droplet of blood on the beetle. Tzzzzz! Upon seeing fresh blood, the beetle excitedly opened its mouth and gulped it clean within two mouthfuls. Following which, a brilliant silver glow emanated from its body, as if a certain ability of it had been activated. "Could that be... a venomous bug?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had read quite a few books rting to poison back on the Red Lotus Mountain Range Poison Hall, and there were some records rting to poison masters nurturing venomous bugs using their own blood. Such bugs were capable to producing frightening poison whenever fed with human blood. "To possess a venomous bug... Could it be that the both of them are poison masters?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. His purpose foring to Jingyuan City was to find the Poison Hall, but to do so, he would require the guide of the poison masters. However, to conceal themselves from the Master Teacher Pavilion, the poison masters often moved in secrecy, never appearing in public view. As such, it was nigh impossible to find them. This was also the reason why Zhang Xuan could only resort to the Sepulture Flower to lure them in. Yet, who could have thought that he would meet them here... "From the looks of it now, it seems like the reason why the city lord is determined to obtain the Sepulture Flower is to lure the poison masters out as well..." At this point, Zhang Xuan also came to a realization as well. Judging from the current state of affairs, it seemed like the city lord was under themand of the Otherworldly Demon Kings, and he was acting on their behalf... But why would the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe be interested in finding the Poison Hall? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Xu, and a corresponding book on thetter materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. "The Grand Elder of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, 6-star pinnacle poison master..." The other partys identity was clearly written in the book. Just like what Zhang Xuan had guessed, the other party was indeed one of the elders of the Poison Hall. While Zhang Xuan was still analyzing the situation, the venomous bug finally had its fill of blood. With a light silver glow on its body, it flew straight for the Violetleaf King. "Do you really think that a mere Silverarmor Venomous Beetle will suffice against me? You sure are underestimating me..." Sneering coldly, the Violetleaf King raised his palm and struck at the beetle. H! An incredible surge of fiery zhenqi burst forth, threatening to burn the beetle down to ashes. However, thetter was simply too nimble. It dodged the Violetleaf Kings attack with ease and headed towards the aerial space right above him. With the fluttering of its wings, it scattered a pile of silver powder all around. "Hmph!" The Violetleaf King flung his sleeves and swept the silver powder away. At the same, he shot bursts of sword qi from his fingertips towards the beetle. Tzzzzz! The sword qi traversed through space at an incredible speed, but the beetle was even quicker. As it treaded around the bursts of sword qi, it continuously released a unique gas. Not too far away, the city lord inadvertently breathed in a mouthful of it. His face immediately paled, and his body began wobbling weakly before falling to the ground. Just by breathing in a mouthful of the gas, he was already incapacitated by the poison. "Not too bad, you do have some tricks up your sleeves!" Seeing the city lord falling to the ground, on the verge of dying at any moment, the Violetleaf Kingsplexion finally turned grim. With an abrupt twist of its body, it created a thin energy barrier around it, warding off the poisonous powder and gas from the beetle. "That venomous bug is formidable, but it is still impossible for it to defeat the Violetleaf King!" Looking closely at the battle, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even though his current strength was far beneath the Violetleaf King, he could still determine the flow of the battle precisely with his sharp eye of discernment. The venomous bug which Elder Xu had released was indeed formidable, unmatched by cultivators of the same cultivation as him. However, it was still a little too weak to poison a Saint 4-dan expert to death. Putting everything aside, just the fact that the Violetleaf King hadnt even used the prowess of his Primordial Spirit once ever since the very start of the battle clearly disyed the difference in the differing positions of both sides. Primordial Spirits were capable of conducting attacks on ones soul directly, and it was the strongest offensive mean of Saint 4-dan experts. On top of that, despite the potency of the beetles poison, it was unable to breach thetters defenses. With this, the victor of the battle was already clear. As expected, after seeing through the moves of the beetle, the Violetleaf King decided to end the battle there and then. With a light chuckle, a powerful force burst forth from his be, "Kneel down!" Boom! The voice was deafening, reminiscent of thunder. Upon hearing the voice, the flying beetle suddenly began wobbling unstably, as if intoxicated. Pu! Not too far away, Elder Xu also spurted a mouthful of blood, as if he had been struck by the soul attack as well. "Could it be... a Lifebound Venomous Bug?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. A Lifebound Venomous Bug could be considered as the clone of a poison master. By feeding a bug with ones blood essence frequently, one could infuse a portion of his soul into the bugs soul, thus further enhancing the strength of the bug and ones control over it. However, should ones Lifebound Venomous Bug die, one would incur severe damage or even die on the spot. "I see, no wonder your beetle is so formidable. So it is a Lifebound Venomous Bug..." Naturally, the Violetleaf King also realized the same. With a light chuckle, he swiftly grabbed it with his hand. Ji ji ji ji ji! The beetles movement was already hindered from the soul attack it suffered earlier, so it was unable to dodge from the Violetleaf Kings hand at all. Trapped, it struggled desperately, but it was unable to escape at all. "If you were a little stronger, this thing might still be able to threaten me. But in your current state, dream on!" The Violetleaf King flicked his finger lightly at the beetle, and under the impact, Elder Xu staggered weakly, and his face paled further. Poison masters may be formidable, and the poison they concocted were extremely difficult to guard against, but ultimately, Elder Xu was only a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator. It was too difficult a feat for him to kill a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon King. "Bring me to the Poison Hall, and I can consider sparing your life. Otherwise, I cant guarantee what will happen to you!" Grabbing the beetle tightly in his hands, the Violetleaf King looked at Elder Xu coldly, the killing intent in his eyes unconcealed. "This is a good opportunity for me..." Seeing that the Violetleaf King would make a move any time soon, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If he could save Elder Xu, he could very well earn thetters trust. If so, there would be a good chance he would be able to convince thetter to bring him to the Poison Hall. This was far more reliable than capturing a poison master and interrogating him. Just that... how could he save the other party from the hands of a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon King? A deep frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. Chapter 989: Poison Match Chapter 989: Poison Match Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric His current cultivation was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle. Even though he could subdue even Saint 2-dan cultivators easily due to the various means he possessed, he was still too weak from matching up to a Primordial Spirit realm opponent. If he were to intervene without a feasible n, there was a very good chance he could be killed. At the moment, the best weapon he had against a Primordial Spirit realm opponent was his Heavens Path zhenqi. If he could sneak his Heavens Path zhenqi into the other partys body and poison him, there was a good chance that he could emerge victorious in the confrontation. However, considering the alert state the Violetleaf King was in at the moment, it didnt seem like there was any good way to do so. "However, my goal is to save Elder Xu, not to kill the Violetleaf King. This will be significantly easier. As long as I can find a way to win the Violetleaf Kings trust, I should be able to find an opportunity to approach Elder Xu and take him to safety..." Zhang Xuan thought. The true difficulty in this missiony in winning Elder Xus trust... In truth, he could have easily stalled the Violetleaf King by sending his Otherworldly Demon puppets at thetter, thus earning him time to save Elder Xu. However, that would effectively dash his hopes of having Elder Xu bring him to the Poison Hall! Besides, the reason why he was able to defeat the three Otherworldly Demon Kings was because he had managed to catch them off guard. On the other hand, considering the coincidental timing which the city lord had returned, there seemed to be a very good chance that the Violetleaf King had somehow learned of the Waterleaf Kings death. If so, the Violetleaf King would surely be on his guard, making it hard for him to deal with the other party. "Wait a moment. Perhaps, I can try working on him from the Waterleaf Kings side..." A thought suddenly shed across Zhang Xuans mind. The Waterleaf King and the Violetleaf King were both members of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, and it was definitely no coincidence for the both of them to appear at Jingyuan City simultaneously. It was very likely that they were here for the same purpose. In other words, both of them were tasked with the mission of finding the Poison Hall. This would also exin why the Waterleaf King had headed to the auction hall to obtain the Sepulture Flower before being killed by him. "Alright, I should just give it a try then!" ncing at the situation beneath, Elder Xu was in a perilous situation; he could very well lose his life any moment now. Zhang Xuan knew that there was no time for him to think the matter through, and he had to act swiftly. Thus, he nimbly leaped back down to the ground. There was a formation around the courtyard which prevented one from entering and leaving. However, with Zhang Xuans deep understanding of formations, he was capable of treading in and out of the formation without alerting anyone. Very soon, he managed to sneak out of the formation. He swiftly warped his bones and muscles, transforming his appearance into that of one of the two guards that were by the Waterleaf Kings side back then. After that was done, he sped his fist and reported loudly, "City lord, bad news! The elder whom you have instructed us to protect has been killed! The culprit is a 7-star master teacher, and he is currently making his way here..." "The person who killed the Waterleaf King is a 7-star master teacher?" As those words were spoken, the formation surrounding the courtyard vanished, and a figure appeared before Zhang Xuans face. The figure was the Violetleaf King. He was still firmly holding onto the beetle in his hand, keeping Elder Xu in check. On the other hand, Elder Xu was lying feebly on the ground, severely wounded. Zhang Xuan was visibly surprised by the sudden appearance of the man before him before hurriedly nodding, "Yes, elder!" "What happened? Exin everything in detail to me!" the Violetleaf King ordered grimly. Asrades working on the same mission, he had a jade token which indicated the present condition of the Waterleaf King. Just a moment ago, the jade token shattered, which meant that something must have happened to the Waterleaf King. As such, he hurriedly returned back to the City Lord Manor and summoned the city lord back to have the other party look into the matter. Upon meeting the guard who had escorted the Waterleaf King to the auction, he couldnt help but question him anxiously. "Earlier, when the elder was going to enter the auction hall, someone iming to be his old friend stopped him and offered him a cup of wine. After chatting for a while, the elder proposed for the both of them to head to a tavern to have a drink together, and he ordered us not to follow him. As such, I am not too sure what happened afterwards. However, when I finally saw the elder once more, he was already dead. ording to the ounts from eye-witnesses, it was the doing of a 7-star master teacher..." Zhang Xuan had mixed the truth with falsehood, making it nigh impossible for the other party to ascertain the authenticity of his words in the short-term. And what Zhang Xuan was banking on was this short-term. As long as he could convince the other party of his identity, he would be able to slip into the manor and escape with Elder Xu. "7-star master teacher?" Finding no apparent ws in the other partys words, the Violetleaf King frowned. How could any 7-star master teacher appear in a city as remote as Jingyuan City? And why would the other party make a move against the Waterleaf King too? He was confident that there was no one who would be able to see through their disguise, not even 7-star master teachers. However... if the culprit wasnt a 7-star master teacher, considering the Waterleaf Kings strength, there was indeed no one in Jingyuan City who would be able to kill him. "I have no idea too!" Zhang Xuan said. "I only saw the elders corpse when I arrived, so I brought it over..." After saying those words, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the withered corpse of the Waterleaf King appeared on the ground. "This is... Ignition of Primordial Spirit? He attempted to forcefully withdraw his Primordial Spirit?" the Violetleaf King narrowed his eyes in rm. As a fellow Otherworldly Demon King, he could tell that the Waterleaf King had died due from using their secret art to withdraw ones Primordial Spirit forcefully. Once it was used, one would die without fail... Just how powerful an enemy did he encounter that he would have to resort to this? Could he have really met a 7-star master teacher? If that was the case, they would really be in deep trouble! It would be difficult for even him to escape from a master teacher of that caliber. "This wont do. I have to get the location of the Poison Hall out from that fellow right now!" rmed, the Violetleaf King dared not to waste any time. He hurriedly turned his gaze back to Elder Xu, but what he saw left a deep frown on his forehead, "What are you doing?" The guard, who had just reported the matter regarding the Waterleaf King to him earlier, had walked up to Elder Xu at some point in time, seemingly trying to help thetter up. "Nothing much. I just think that his wounds are a little severe, so I wondered if he needed any help..." Zhang Xuan replied with an awkward smile. "You are not needed here, back down!" Seeing how a guard dared to overstep his ce, the Violetleaf Kings face darkened. "Yes!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan took two steps backward while pulling Elder Xus body with him before abruptly stomping on the ground. All of a sudden, the paused formation whirred into life once more, bringing the thickyer of mist back around the courtyard. "What?" rmed, the Violetleaf King immediately rushed forward. However, he soon found himself lost within the formation which he could traverse through easily a few moments ago, as if someone had altered its structure. At this rate, that two fellows would escape before he was able to find them. In this instant, he realized that he had been tricked. The guard had used the Waterleaf Kings corpse to distract him. "Damn it!" With a savage look on his face, killing intent began spilling forth from the Violetleaf Kings body. In the blink of an eye, he reverted back to his Otherworldly Demon form. He thrust his palm forward and struck the formation. He was intending to break the formation down using brute force. With his prowess as a Saint 4-dan expert, destroying the formation of a grade-6 pinnacle formation posed no difficulty at all. ... Zhang Xuan took a nce at the overburdened formation around him before quickly turning to the debilitated elder before him and asked, "Elder Xu, are you fine?" "Who are you?" Elder Xu asked doubtfully. "I am a poison master, but this isnt a good time for us to talk about that. We have to escape right now, or else we might very well die here!" While speaking, the formation shook violently once more, seemingly on the verge of copsing. "Poison master?" Elder Xu frowned. However, after a brief moment of hesitation, he eventually nodded and said, "Indeed, this isnt the ce for us to talk. We can discuss about the matter once we get out!" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "I have been in the City Lord Manor for some time now, so I am rather familiar with itsyout and formations. Elder Xu, follow me!" After saying those words, he quickly rushed off in a certain direction. On the other hand, Elder Xu took out a pill and swallowed it. His ghastly paleplexion finally regained a slight red tinge to it. After which, he got to his feet and quickly followed the other partys footsteps. He did harbor some doubts towards the other partys identity as a poison master, but given the circumstances they were in, he had little choice but to follow him. The other party was his only hope out at the moment. Following behind the other party, they swiftly made their way out of the courtyard before skillfully maneuvering around the City Lord Manor. While making their way out, Elder Xu realized that not only did the other party have a deep understanding of theyout of the City Lord Manor, he had a frightening grasp of the formations in the area as well. With just a light tap or kick, he could easily activate the many unactivated formations throughout the manor, stalling the tightly-pursuing Violetleaf King. Not too longter, they managed to make their way out of the City Lord Manor. They swiftly flew away while keeping their bodies close to the surface. This would make it harder for the Violetleaf King to find them, thus buying them even more time to get to safety. After flying for around twenty breaths, they finally stopped before a vast building. "This is... Inkcloud Quarter?" Elder Xu was taken aback. He had long heard of the famous Inkcloud Quarter of Jingyuan City, and he had even been here quite a few times himself. They were still being pursued by their enemies, so why would the other party bring him here all of the sudden? "Our enemies control the City Lord Manor. If we were to escape right now, regardless of where we escape, it wont take long for their men to find and capture us, especially considering the state of injury you are in. Thus, it will be better for us to find a ce to hide and recuperate at first!" Noticing the doubts in Elder Xus eyes, Zhang Xuan exined. "Youre right." Elder Xu nodded in agreement. The other party was right. Jingyuan City was located amidst a snowy in, so there was no cover they could make use of beyond the city. If they were to attempt to escape now, it was very likely that they would be spotted by the men of the City Lord Manor. If so, there was a good chance they might find themselves cornered. On top of possessing a deep understanding of formations, the other party was a particrly intelligent person as well. With such thoughts in mind, he followed the other party into Inkcloud Quarter. Turning at several bends, he soon found himself standing before a chamber. The chamber was embedded with a formation that could iste all auras within. "This should help us hide from them for a while." Zhang Xuan said as he stepped into the chamber. This was the same ce where he taught Hu Yunsheng a lesson previously. Considering the borate security measures implemented on the chamber, it was the most apt for the current situation they were in. "Un." Elder Xu nodded as he entered the chamber. Instead of going straight into recuperating from his injuries, he turned his gaze towards Zhang Xuan instead, and with a sharp glint in his eyes, he asked, "You said that you are a poison master. Do you have an emblem to ascertain your identity?" Honestly speaking, it was a little hard for him to believe that the Nascent Saint cultivator before him had managed to save him from the clutches of a Saint 4-dan expert so easily. There was a chance that the both of them were in cahoots with one another, and they were intentionally putting up this show to convince him to bring them to the Poison Hall. "I dont have an emblem." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I have been studying poison by myself so far, so I havent taken any poison master examination yet..." "You havent taken any poison master examination yet?" Elder Xus face darkened. "Do you think that it is possible to study poison by oneself? You might be able to fool amateurs with those words, but do you honestly expect me to believe the words you are speaking?" To be a master in the Way of Poison, one would have to examine and study the properties of all kinds of poison. The slightest bit of mistake could lead to death, and even under the guidance of a teacher, it wasnt umon for poison masters to identally poison themselves to death. Yet, the fellow before him was saying that he had been studying poison by himself? He must be joking! "I knew that you wouldnt believe it..." Seeing the other partys expression, Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly and said, "Honestly speaking, there is no way I can really exin it to you... Since thats the case, why dont you have a poison match with me? If you were to win, it goes without saying that I will die in your hands. On the other hand, if I win, I hope that you can bring me to the Poison Hall so that I can officially take the poison master examination!" "You wish to have a poison match with me?" Elder Xu looked at the young man before him with narrowed eyes. In truth, the possession of an emblem wasnt a clear indicator of ones identity either. After all, the enemy could always kill a poison master and steal his emblem over. The only reliable method to identify a poison master was through his usage of poison! If the other party was really capable of wielding poison as a weapon, he had to be a real poison master. There was no way to fake that. "Alright then!" Elder Xu nodded. Chapter 990: Tastes Not Bad Chapter 990: Tastes Not Bad Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "How should we conduct the match? You can determine the rules!" Hearing the other party agree to it, Zhang Xuan said. Considering the other partys temperament, it was very likely that the other party wouldnt spill the location of the Poison Hall under threat, even if he were to have him killed. Besides, there was no way he could guarantee that the other party wouldnt give him a fake location to do him in. Furthermore, it was likely that he would require the Poison Halls help for Wei Ruyans condition. It was best for him not to get on bad terms with them. As such, the best way to go around doing so was to convince the other party that he was a poison master and have the other party bring him there personally. "Very well. In my current conditions, I am unable to concoct poison, but I do have a few poisons in my possession. I will allow you to pick from any of them, and if you are able to neutralize the poison contained in it, I will acknowledge that you are a poison master!" Elder Xu contemted for a moment before flicking his wrist, and eight different ceramic jars appeared before him." There were nobels on any of the jars, and each of them was thoroughly sealed. It was impossible to tell what was stored within from the outside. Nevertheless, through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to clearly sense the tremendous toxicity contained within each of the ceramic jars. It felt as if opening the seal on any of them could bring great bloodshed upon an area. Just like medicinal herbs, it was possible for potent poison to gain spirit. Once it was released, it could result in a devastating cmity if there was no antidote to curb it. This was precisely the reason why poison masters were feared by all other upations. "These are... grade-6 pinnacle poisons!" Zhang Xuan remarked. The poisons contained within the ceramic jars were very potent, only paling slightly inparison to the beetle from before. "Indeed, these are all grade-6 pinnacle poisons. You can freely choose from any of them. As long as you are able to concoct an antidote to one within two hours, I will acknowledge that you are a poison master!" Elder Xu said. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Without any hesitation, he picked up the first ceramic jar, opened it, and lowered his head to examine what was within. On the other hand, upon seeing Zhang Xuans movements, Elder Xus face darkened. Poison masters had a unique series of steps in order to assess a poison so as to avoid being poisoned themselves, especially when they were unsure about the nature of the poison. Yet, the fellow before him was clearly ignorant of it. To be smelling the content of the jars as if he was savoring good wine... Was he really that courageous, or did he have no knowledge of poison at all? Even a 3-star poison master would know better than to do something so reckless! Just as Elder Xu thought that the other party would be incapacitated by the poison gas emanating from the ceramic jars, he saw the other party pour out a pile of poison from one of the jars onto his hand and dabbed it with his finger. "..." Huge veins bulged out on Elder Xus temples. The other party was seeking death! Most grade-6 pinnacle poisons were capable of seeping through ones skin. If the poison were to seep into ones meridians and reach the organs, even a Saint 2-dan expert could potentially face fatality, let alone a Nascent Saint cultivator! Where in the world would one find another poison master assessing poisons in such a manner? If this was really how poison masters assessed poison, just how many of them would die each time the Poison Hall wanted to examine a new concoction or medicinal herb? Come a few rounds of that, and poison masters would have gone extinct themselves even without the master teachers making a move. Shaking his head, Elder Xu was wondering whether he should intervene and save the young man before him when the other party suddenly took out a white cloth and ced it neatly before his chest. After which, the other party adjusted his posture upright, reminiscent of a dignified gentleman preparing himself for his meal. Following that, he took out a spoon and scooped the poison powder on his palm before gracefully lifting it up to his mouth. Upon seeing this sight, Elder Xu nearly keeled over. He thought that it was already foolish for one toe into contact with poison bare-handed, but... consuming it directly? Are you tired of living? More importantly... that white cloth before your chest, the upright posture, and that spoon... What the heck are you doing? You are here to create an antidote to my poison, not to dine on it... Elder Xu couldnt help but feel his hair stand on end. He immediately flicked his wrist to take out the antidote so as to treat the other party, but before he could make a move, he saw the other party smack his lips before looking at him in discontentment, "Elder Xu, the poison you concoct is appalling. Its texture is disgusting, and the taste is truly horrendous. There is no one in the world who will be willing to try it a second time! Fail!" Hearing those words, Elder Xu nearly copsed to the ground. Brother, thats a poison over there, not food. You are supposed to die right after eating it... who in the world will be able to give it a second try? Fail... Fail your head! Those who have eaten the poison will be too caught up in the fear of imminent death, who would still have the energy to bother about the taste? Just as he was thinking whether the world had gone mad, the other party moved on to open the second ceramic jar, scooped out a spoonful of the poison within, and ced it in his mouth. "The taste is still eptable, but if you can stir-fry it for a little longer, the texture will be even better." After which, the other party moved on to the third jar. "This is a little too sweet. Did you add honey in there? Hai, I happen to really dislike honey. You should consider adding Chinese liquorice in ce of honey the next time you concoct it!" "This one will be better if you dissolve it in water. However, it will still be a little viscous and gooey, so you will have to pay more attention to its presentation to make it more appetizing. As for the taste, if you were to pair it with some barbecued meat and fine wine, I still might try eating one bowl. Anything more, and it might be a little too heavy. Personally, I dont really like to eat such gooey food..." ... After tasting each poison, Zhang Xuan would appraise it earnestly. "..." Elder Xu tugged at his hair in a frenzy. The grade-6 pinnacle poisons which he concocted were capable of killing even Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts easily, so how could the other party be eating them so leisurely, as if they were delicacies? Could his poisons have lost their effectiveness due to being stored for too long? "But that shouldnt be possible!" Perplexed, Elder Xu picked up a jar which the other party had eaten from previously, dabbed his finger in it, and ced it into his mouth. Pu! As soon as the poison seeped into his throat, he immediately spurted a mouthful of blood, and his body began trembling uncontrobly. A sharp pain tore through his entire body, and he felt as if all of his meridians had burst simultaneously. Astonished, he swiftly took out the antidote and swallowed it. It took a moment before the unbearable pain finally receded. With a twitching face, he turned his gaze towards the young man, who was still in the midst of tasting his poisons not too far away, with a look of daze. Very soon, the other party was done testing all eight jars of poisons. However, he still had a look of reverie on his face, as if he hadnt gotten enough of it yet. "How is it?" Unable to bear it any longer, Elder Xu asked. The other party nodded earnestly and replied, "As expected of grade-6 pinnacle poisons, their vors are indeed not bad. Right, for thest two poison, if you could make them a little crispier, the overall culinary experience for the diner could be elevated." "..." Elder Xus body stiffened. He had spent a lifetime of effort and devotion to concocting these poisons, and he thought that he had be an unrivaled force in Tier-1 Empires with them. Yet, who could have thought that they would end up being savored by a Nascent Saint cultivator as if they were desserts... not to mention, he was even criticized for thecking taste... The heck, these are really all lethal poisons that can kill any men easily! I really am a poison master, a very formidable poison master! I am not a confectioner... Ignoring the other partys sudden insanity streak, Zhang Xuan shook his head. In truth, he wasnt doing all of those actions intentionally. Due to his Heavens Path zhenqi, those poisons werepletely ineffective against him. It took a taste for him to realize that there were many ws with them that should be corrected. For one, since the poison was meant to be consumed, its vor should at least be good so as to lessen the pain of the victim before his death. "Cough cough. A-are you really fine? You ate so many poisons..." A whileter, seeing how the fellow before him was still relishing in the taste of his poisons, not showing the slightest sign of being poisoned, Elder Xu asked with twitching lips. "I am fine!" Zhang Xuan finally recovered from his trance. "How is it? Is this sufficient to confirm that I am a poison master?" "Of course! If this isnt sufficient to confirm that you are a poison master, nothing else can!" Elder Xu shook his head with a bitter smile on his lips. When he first heard that the other party had learned poison by himself, he thought that the other party was spouting nonsense. However, after seeing the other party devouring his poisons as if they were mere snacks, he immediately realized that he was mistaken. Possessing a physique that was immune to poison, the other party could test any poison out on himself without any fear. Given so, it was indeed possible for him to have learned poison on his own. "Im relieved. Alright, you should hurry up and heal your wounds first. Im afraid that we wont be able to hide from those fellows for too long here..." Seeing that the other party had finally acknowledged him, Zhang Xuan nodded and said. While this chamber was capable of isting aura, it wouldnt keep the Violetleaf King away from them forever. It was just a matter of time before he came knocking. They had to swiftly flee from Jingyuan City and head to the Poison Hall. "Un." Understanding that logic, Elder Xu nodded before taking out a couple of medicinal herbs from his storage ring and concocting it into a medicinal fluid. After he was done, he swallowed it. His means of dealing with his wounds differed significantly from those of physicians and apothecaries. Thetter aimed to nourish the deficiencies in ones bodies whereas the former utilized poison to stimte ones body, forcing ones zhenqi to circte faster and hasten the recovery. Two different methods with the same aims. It was impossible to say which was more effective than the other, but medicine strengthened ones core, allowing one to reach a greater height in the future. On the other hand, while poison might stimte ones body potential in the short-term, but it could very well hurt ones foundations, limiting ones future achievements. Seeing that Elder Xu needed some time to recuperate, Zhang Xuan silently left the chamber before reverting back to his form as Sun Qiang to look for Hu Yunsheng. "Elder, just a moment ago, the city lord has let out news that anyone who dares topete for the Sepulture Flower will be considered as an enemy of the City Lord Manor. As a result, no one dared to bid for it during the auction. Shall I conduct another round of publicity and hold the auction a few dayster?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Hu Yunsheng immediately reported with an awkward look. Due to the news released by the city lord, most of the interested buyers dared not make a move for fear of making an enemy out of the City Lord Manor. As a result, despite all of the other goods being sessfully auctioned off, the Sepulture Flower remained untouched by any... "Theres no need for that." Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Since he had already found a poison master, there was no need for him to auction the Sepulture Flower anymore. "Yes!" Hu Yunsheng nodded before passing the jade box containing the Sepulture Flower over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan took the jade box, and just as he was about to speak, a huge group of people suddenly walked over to them. The person leading the group was the person whom Zhang Xuan had just fled from at the City Lord Manor, the Violetleaf King. At this moment, the Violetleaf King had already reverted back to his human form. Without using the Eye of Insight, it was nigh impossible to see through his disguise. "Boss Hu, this is an esteemed guest of the City Lord Manor, Elder Violetleaf. Something very important to him has been stolen just a moment ago, and we suspect that the thief is hiding in Inkcloud Quarter. Thus, we hope to conduct a search here. I hope that you can cooperate with our investigation!" A guard walked over and sped his fist. "You wish to conduct a search in my Inkcloud Quarter?" Hu Yunshengs face darkened as a deep frown appeared on his forehead. In his view, the other party was simply making up a story to forcefully snatch the Sepulture Flower from them after failing to obtain it in the auction. "Indeed. I hope that you wont hinder our investigation efforts, or else we will have no choice but suspect that Inkcloud Quarter is colluding with the thief!" the guard spoke with a threatening edge in his voice. Hearing those words, Hu Yunsheng felt so angry that his entire face turned crimson with rage. The guard was tantly threatening him to his face! Yet, there was nothing he could do about the situation, so Hu Yunsheng fell silent, not knowing how he should respond. At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded. "Something very important has been stolen? Indeed, it is understandable why one would be anxious after losing something important to him. May we know what the item is? Perhaps, we might be able to offer some help to you!" Turning around, Hu Yunsheng saw Elder Sun Qiang speaking with an earnest smile on his lips. Chapter 991: The Crazed Violetleaf King Chapter 991: The Crazed Violetleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric His sincerity seemed to havee from the depths of his heart. It carried a natural charm thatpelled the trust of others, leaving others unable to doubt him. "The item is not important. What is more important is the two thieves who stole from the City Lord Manor. If they arent captured, what will be of the authority and dignity of Jingyuan City?" Seemingly infected by the earnesty of the other party, the guard replied. "Indeed! One who dares to steal from the City Lord Manor must be severely punished for his actions!" Zhang Xuan eximed vehemently in agreement. "However, I feel that it wont do for you to continue searching in such an open manner. If the other party is truly hidden here, he would have realized that you are in the vicinity and quickly make his escape. Why dont you allow Boss Hu to activate the formations in the surroundings first so that the enemy has nowhere to escape? This way, we will have all the time to search for the two thieves!" "This..." The guard dared not make a decision, so he turned his gaze towards the Violetleaf King to seek his approval. "Un." After a moment of hesitation, the Violetleaf King nodded in approval. "Those two fellows have a deep understanding of formations, so it will be best if you can activate the strongest formation of your Inkcloud Quarter. Otherwise, the both of them will still be able to get away easily!" That fellow who saved Elder Xu was able to alter and activate the formation in the courtyard within moments aftering into contact with it. This was a feat which even he was incapable of aplishing. From this in itself, it could be seen that the other party had a deep understanding of the Way of Formations. As such, it was unlikely that ordinary formations would be able to stop him. "Hes so formidable? I see... It is fortunate that I have a powerful formation te in my possession. I will activate it right now!" With a smile, Zhang Xuan said. "A formation te?" The Violetleaf King frowned. "Yes, I obtained it while I was on an expedition a while ago. Its a grade-7 formation, so I dont really have much of a chance to use it usually. Since the two scoundrels you speak of are so formidable, I feel that it will be safer to use it!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Grade-7?" The Violetleaf Kings eyes lit up. It would be difficult for even an expert of his tier to escape from a formation te of that grade. Who could have thought that the lowly Inkcloud Quarter would actually have such a treasure amongst them? It was no wonder they had so many treasures to auction! It really shouldnt be underestimated just because it was located in a remote city. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded as he flicked his wrist. A formation te appeared in his palm. Infusing zhenqi into it, a loud buzz sounded in the air as dense mist swiftly filled the surroundings. "Incredible!" The Violetleaf King nodded in approval. It was a simple Beguilement Formation, but it was extremely stable. Even if he were to exert his full strength, it would take at least ten minutes or so for him to break free. If it was used against a Saint 2-dan or 3-dan cultivator, there was no way the other party would be able to escape from it. After I capture those two fellowster on, I should grab this formation te as well... A cold glint shed across the Violetleaf Kings eyes. As an Otherworldly Demon, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for the humans. Once those two fellows were found, there would be no need for him to put up an appearance before the other party anymore. Naturally, the first thing he should do then was to get that formation te from the other party. If he had such a formation te back in the City Lord Manor, those two fellows wouldnt have been able to escape in the first ce. "This formation is not too bad. Alright, bring our men to search for them!" The Violetleaf King waved his hand and said. Under the effects of the formation, if those two escapees were really at Inkcloud Quarter, there was no way they would be able to escape. However... considering the thickness of the mist, there was no way their men would be able to maneuver around the formation easily. They would require a guide to bring them around. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded before instructing, "Hu Yunsheng, bring our friends from the City Lord Manor to take a look around. Right, bring some fine wine over as well. I will be sitting here with Elder Violetleaf here, awaiting the results of the search!" "Yes!" Even though Hu Yunsheng had no idea why Elder Sun Qiang was obeying the orders of the City Lord Manor, he could tell that the other party had an idea in mind. Thus, he nodded his head before leading the guards away. Where they advanced, the mist would automatically part, as if someone was leading them around. "It will suffice to find the two thieves as soon as possible. There is no need to prepare wine or that sort!" The Violetleaf King waved his hand impatiently. "That wont do! You are a person whom even our city lord has to address as elder, it is only right for us to offer a grand wee to someone as esteemed as you..." Zhang Xuan smiled courteously. As the person controlling the formation te, he could easily manipte where the guards were heading to with his thoughts, so he need not fear them finding Elder Xu. Not too longter, Zhu Xiao carried a tray of alcohol and side dishes in. "Elder, please!" Zhang Xuan poured a cup of wine out politely and offered it to the Violetleaf King earnestly. "Un." The Violetleaf King was initially reluctant to drink, but facing the other partys clear eyes and earnest gesture, he eventually nodded in agreement and took the cup. Even so, he still extended his Spiritual Perception to the wine to check on it. A momentter, he heaved a sigh of relief. A hint of embarrassment surfaced in his eyes. After checking on the content of the wine, he realized that there was no problem with it. The other party was earnestly offering him a cup of wine, but he actually ended up viewing the kind gesture with skepticism... Raising his gaze, he saw that the middle-aged man opposite to him had already gulped down the cup of fine wine before him. "Is the wine not to your liking? Men, bring us another bottle of..." Seeing that the other party wasnt drinking, Zhang Xuan asked worriedly. "There is no need for that!" The Violetleaf King raised his hand to stop the other party before gulping down the cup of wine heartily. In his view, it was a mere cup of wine, so there was no harm drinking it. Putting aside the fact that he had already ascertained that there was no poison contained within the wine, even if it had been spiked, with his powerful cultivation, he would surely be able to suppress it easily. "Good!" Seeing the Violetleaf King gulp down the wine, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "You are indeed straightforward, Violetleaf King, unlike that... what is his name called again? Yes, Waterleaf King! I had to speak until the point that my lips were about to crack before he was willing to take a single sip. He sure was a difficult person to deal with!" "Waterleaf King?" Hearing those words right after putting his wine cup down, the Violetleaf Kings eyes narrowed in astonishment. His face immediately turned grim, "Who are you?" Previously, the guards had only addressed him as Elder Violetleaf and not Violetleaf King. And more importantly... the other party actually spoke about the Waterleaf King! It wasnt too long ago that hispanion had been killed, and thinking back, it seemed like the guard that saved Elder Xu from before had said that hispanion was offered a cup of wine as well... Could there be some kind of link between the two? "Sit down, sit down. Theres no need to get too anxious over here. Worsee to worse, you will only be killed like the Waterleaf King. There is no need to make a huge fuss over something as small as this." Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchntly as he continued pouring two more cups of wine for the both of them. "You... Are you the one who killed the Waterleaf King? You are that 7-star master teacher?" Uponing to that realization, the eyes of the Violetleaf King narrowed, and all of a sudden, he realized that his entire body was drenched in cold sweat. If the other party was capable of killing the Waterleaf King, it went without saying that the other party had the ability to kill him as well. How could he have been so negligent as to allow such a powerful expert to get into proximity to him without him noticing? "7-star master teacher? You still cant tell at this point? I was the one who saved Elder Xu!" With a look of displeasure, Zhang Xuan began warping his muscles and bones, reverting back to the form of the guard from before. "Y-you... I will kill you!" Overwhelmed by fury and craze, the Violetleaf King roared furiously. He abruptly got to his feet and struck his palm at a downward trajectory towards Zhang Xuan, intending to smash the other party into the ground. To think that they, members of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, would end up being toyed by a human like that. The Violetleaf King felt so angry that he could explode. "Hai, youngsters nowadays sure dont know how to rein in their temper..." Seeing that the other party had made a move against him, Zhang Xuan shook his head sighed. In the next moment, the Violetleaf Kings face abruptly paled, and his body began trembling non-stop. Zhang Xuan didnt even move a single finger throughout the entire duration, but the other partys knee had already caved in, leaving him kneeling on the floor as huge mouthfuls of blood spurted from his mouth. Contained within the cup of fine wine was his Heavens Path zhenqi. After infiltrating into the Violetleaf Kings body, Zhang Xuan could turn it into lethal poison at his whim. "You poisoned me..." Uponing to a realization, the Violetleaf Kings body trembled non-stop with fear reflected in his eyes. "Of course. If I dont poison you, do you think that a Nascent Saint like me will be able to defeat you?" Hu! While speaking, he filled the two wine cups to the brim without spilling a droplet. "Nascent Saint? You are... a Nascent Saint?" The Violetleaf King could hardly believe his ears. He could still resign himself to his defeat had the enemy been a 7-star master teacher, but a Nascent Saint cultivator actually managed to poison him? How could this be? "Are you really unable to see through my cultivation?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Nascent Saint... Then how can you possibly kill the Waterleaf King? I dont believe you!" The Violetleaf King shook his head vehemently and roared furiously. Even if the Waterleaf King had been poisoned, he was still a Saint 4-dan expert. Considering that the Waterleaf King had gone to the extent of using their secret art to forcefully draw his Primordial Spirit from his body, it shouldnt have been difficult for him to kill the Nascent Saint fellow before his eyes. Even if that wasnt the case, the Waterleaf King should have been able to flee and alert him of the matter. How could he have been killed without letting out the slightest bit of news? "There is no need to get anxious here. The Waterleaf King isnt the only one. I have also killed the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King as well, so this is really nothing to make a fuss over. Dont worry, I will have you reunite with the rest of them very soon!" Lifting up a cup of wine, Zhang Xuan sipped on it before saying nonchntly. "You... Pu!" The Violetleaf Kings body staggered weakly. It was for certain that the Waterleaf King had been killed; he had seen the corpse personally. Yet, for the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King to be dead as well... the Violetleaf King nearly lost his sanity. Which of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings werent famous figures who had made a name for themselves? Putting aside a small Tier-1 Empire like Hongyuan, not even Qingyuan Conferred Empire would dare to underestimate them. Massacring an entire city might still be beyond him at the moment, but he could definitely cause devastating damage, and there would be no humans that could stop them. To think that after the heavy price the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe spent to send the four of them over, three of them had ended up dying without aplishing anything at all... Could this really be true? The Violetleaf Kings eyes flickered with fear. He knew that since the other party was able to name his otherrades, there was a good chance that it was true. Not daring to remain there for a moment longer, the Violetleaf King immediately turned around to flee. Goldenleaf, Greenleaf, and Waterleaf, none of these three Kings were any weaker than him. Yet, they ended up being killed in that Nascent Saint cultivators hands. The Violetleaf King didnt feel that he would be an exception. In any case, it would be best for him to flee and rethink his next move. The current situation was simply not to his advantage. As for his poison, he should be able to find a way to deal with it eventually... "Trying to flee? I have already set up a formation for you here. Dont you think its a little impolite of you to leave like that?" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan snapped his finger. In the next moment, the Violetleaf King, who had just barely begun flying, felt a sharp pain coursing through his entire body, causing him to convulse uncontrobly. In the next moment, he plummeted from the sky and fell back onto the ground. "If I cant get away, I will just have to bring you down with me!" Feeling the lethal poison tear his body apart, the Violetleaf King felt death slowly approaching him. Knowing that it was unlikely that he would be able to escape with his life today, he gritted his teeth in resolution and charged towards the middle-aged man before his eyes. Since he wasnt getting out of here alive, he decided to bring someone down with him! "Why do all of you like to resort to suicide attacks?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had already dealt with a couple of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, but all of them ended up resorting to a suicide attack in the end... They really could use some creativity! "You guys, go and dig out the pill in his mouth. After that, give him a good thrashing!" With a flick of his wrist, eight Otherworldly Demon puppets immediately appeared before his eyes before charging towards the Violetleaf King. "Those are Otherworldly Demons? No, they are puppets!" Seeing the eight figures charging towards him, the Violetleaf Kings body trembled. Shouldnt the privilege of being escorted by so many Otherworldly Demon puppets something that only Otherworldly Demon Kings possessed? Am I the Otherworldly Demon King, or you are? Why does it feel like... I ampletely alone in this world? Not even having a single subordinate or ally, what a cruel life I am living... Chapter 992: The Violetleaf King Submits Chapter 992: The Violetleaf King Submits Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Violetleaf King wasnt given much time to brood over his plight. Upon hearing the middle-aged mansmand, the Otherworldly Demon puppets had already charged forward. If it had been before, against these Saint 3-dan puppets, the Violetleaf King would still have been able to stand his ground. However, gued with lethal poison, he was barely able to fight at all. A few momentster, his entire face was filled with footprints, and his head had swollen up to the size of a ripe watermelon. Lying on the ground feebly, his breathing was weak, and it seemed like he would die at any moment soon. With the wine cup in his hand, Zhang Xuan walked up gracefully and nced down at the Violetleaf King, "Be my servant, and I can pardon you." With the experience from the previous Kings, it was indeed unlikely for any of the Otherworldly Demon Kings to submit to him. Nevertheless, it was still worth a try. Were he to seed, he would have a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon serving him. If so, he would have more cards to y should he find himself in dire situations. At the same time, he could also learn of the secret ns that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was up toWhy did they dispatch so many Kings over to the Master Teacher Continent? Why were they looking for the Poison Hall? "You... dream on!" Hearing that request, the Violetleaf King clenched his teeth furiously. To think that someone actually wanted to enve a respected Otherworldly Demon King like him... Intolerable! "Very well then!" Zhang Xuan turned his head around andmanded, "Continue beating him up!" He didnt have the slightest shred of goodwill or pity for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If the other party was unwilling to submit to him, he would just have to kill the other party. Peng peng peng peng! The Otherworldly Demon puppetsunched yet another tirade of punches and kicks, and it didnt take long before the Violetleaf Kings face to turnpletely pale. He was pummeled so badly that he couldnt even find the strength in him to talk. This time, Zhang Xuan had learnt from his previous lesson. He had sealed the other partys acupoint to ensure that he would be unable to draw his Primordial Spirit out. This way, the other party wouldnt be able to pose any threat to him. After pummeling for a while longer, Zhang Xuan noted that the Violetleaf King was just a step away from death, so he had his puppets pause for a moment before instructing, "Vicious, I will leave this fellow to you. You must uncover the motive behind the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe seeking out the Poison Hall from him..." Since Vicious seemed to have a way to deal with the Otherworldly Demon Kings, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to conduct Soul Search. After all, the other partys strength was far stronger than him, and conducting a Soul Search forcefully could very well wound his soul. "Dont worry, young master!" Vicious reassured. In the next moment, a finger abruptly materialized in the air and tapped on the Violetleaf Kings be. "This is... the aura of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor?" Sensing the strength exerted by the finger, the Violetleaf King suddenly felt a wave of helplessness. The finger before him emanated the aura that was exclusive to Otherworldly Demons, and the concentration of the killing intent emanated had most definitely reached the level of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor. An Otherworldly Demon Emperor actually acknowledged this young man as his master? "Dont kill me! I... I am willing to acknowledge you as my master..." The realization that an esteemed Otherworldly Demon Emperor had taken the young man before him as his master seemed to have struck a chord within his mind, bing the hammer which crushed the final shred of determination that he was firmly holding onto. All of a sudden, the idea of bing the other partys servant didnt seem to be as big as a deal as death. He knew that he would be branded as a traitor for acknowledging a human as his master, and he could very well suffer a death worse than death were he to be caught. However, he had no other choice. If he were to reject it, he knew that he would suffer the same fate which befell the Goldenleaf, Greenleaf, and Waterleaf King. On the other hand, if he were to submit, he might still have a chance to survive. "You wish to take me as your master?" Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. He didnt think that it was very likely to seed, so he was surprised when the Violetleaf King gave in. With a light chuckle, he nodded and said, "Offer your soul!" If he wished to gain absolute control over the other party, he would have to grasp the other partys soul in his hand. "Yes!" A bitter smile emerged on the Violetleaf Kings lips. Nevertheless, as one of the Kings of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had gone through many things in the past, allowing him to make crucial choices decisively. Since he had made his decision, he didnt hesitate for long before tearing a portion of his Primordial Spirit out and drew it out through his be to offer it to the young man before him. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan took in the portion of the Primordial Spirit and absorbed it into his soul. In an instant, every single thought in the Violetleaf Kings mind became apparent to him. As long as the other party were to even raise the thought of betrayal, he would be able to kill the other party in the blink of an eye. "What a powerful soul! Could it be that he isnt a poison master but a soul oracle?" On the other hand, the Violetleaf King was also astonished to sense the astounding strength which Zhang Xuans soul possessed. It was impossible for a Nascent Saint to possess such a powerful soul. The only usible exnation was that he was a soul oracle. Just that... didnt the soul oracles go extinct long ago? How did his new master obtain their heritage and cultivate his soul to such a frightening level? And more importantly, wasnt he a poison master? Was he practicing the two upation simultaneously? "Master, since I have already submitted to you, can you resolve the poison in my body now?" The Violetleaf King had many doubts in his mind, but he knew that this wasnt the time to ask them. With a bitter look on his face, he kneeled onto the ground and kowtowed deeply as he said. He had taken a look at the poison in his body earlier, and he realized that he had never seen such a poison before. None of the antidotes he had in his possession seemed like it would work on it. "Dont worry. Since you have submitted to me, i wont mistreat you!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Hong long! In the next moment, the Violetleaf King felt the lethal poison in his body working up once more. His face warped in horror, and he immediately started to plead for mercy. However, in the next moment, he realized that his wounds were beginning to recover under the nourishment of the lethal poison. "T-this..." The Violetleaf King was dumbfounded. An incredibly potent poison which even he was helpless before had turned into an unparalleled Saint recovery medicine in the blink of an eye! Poison in a thought, medicine in another, was the person before him an existence transcending a 7-star poison master? If that was really the case, that was really frightening! One must know that if a poison master of that caliber were to enter the otherworldly battlefield, the entire Qingtian Lineage might very well be wiped off the face of the world! In the midst of his shock, the Violetleaf Kings wounds had already recovered to a fair extent. It wasnt aplete recovery, but at the very least, it wouldnt affect his basic movements. Nevertheless, to be able to recover that quickly, the Violetleaf King was filled with awe and admiration for the young man before him. He kneeled to the floor and kowtowed once more, but this time, his feelings were earnest. "Master!" "Call me young master in the future." Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "Since you have already submitted to me, I will tell you my true identity. In truth, I am a... master teacher!" "M-m-master teacher?" Dumbstruck, the Violetleaf King nearly fainted on the spot. He had guessed that the other party could be a poison master or a soul oracle, but the other party was actually telling him that... he was a master teacher? When in the world did master teachers began cultivating their souls and immersing themselves in the study of poison as well? And more importantly, werent master teachers supposed to be upright and dignified figures who conducted themselves righteously and morally? When did they be so despicable and shameless, luring him into a scheme and doing him in so badly? Even if such a person was a master teacher, there was no way he could win the acknowledgement of his peers and the Master Teacher Pavilion! Just as such thoughts emerged in his mind, the young man before him continued speaking nonchntly. "I am the principal of Hongyuan Empires Master Teacher Academy." Pu! Unable to hold himself back anymore, the Violetleaf King spurted a mouthful of blood. As the passageway was linked to the Subterranean Gallery located in Hongyuan Empire, naturally, he understood the significance of being the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. He thought that the principal of a Master Teacher Academy should be a respected and austere old man. Yet, who could have thought that it would turn out to be a shameless and despicable youngd instead... More importantly, the other party was even skilled in the utilization of poison and soul arts, the very upations scorned by the Master Teacher Pavilion. Was the Master Teacher Academy blind, or did the eras fly too quickly by for him to catch up with thetest trends? "Alright, you should continue disguising yourself as a human!" Unaware of the other partys thoughts, Zhang Xuan instructed after he introduced himself. Due to being pummeled by his Otherworldly Demon puppets, the Violetleaf King inadvertently released his disguise due to the severe injuries he suffered, reverting back to his original form as an Otherworldly Demon. It was fortunate that they were within a grade-7 Beguilement Formation, so no one was able to see what was going on here. However, if the Violetleaf King were to walk out in such a form, it would indubitably cause a huge pandemonium. To be safe, it would be better for him to maintain his human disguise instead. "Yes!" The Violetleaf King nodded before reaching his hand for his chest. A brilliant sh of light shrouded his entire body, and a momentter, he reverted back to his human form. "You depend on this to disguise yourself?" Noting the other partys actions, Zhang Xuan was intrigued. Unlike him, the other party didnt depend on warping his muscles and bones to disguise himself. Instead, he made use of some kind of unique artifact. "This is a Button of Disguise which we obtained from offering a tribute to our Spirit God. As long as one possesses bloodline on par with an Otherworldly Demon King, he would be able to activate it and disguise himself impably as a human, such that even master teachers wouldnt be able to tell the difference!" the Violetleaf King replied. "Spirit God?" Noting the unfamiliar term, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. This was his first time hearing of such a being. "Yes, the Spirit God is a deity which our tribesmen worship. It is under the guidance of the Spirit God that we came here!" the Violetleaf King replied. "You are saying that... it is under the guidance of your god that you found the Master Teacher Continent?" All along, Zhang Xuan thought that the reason why the Otherworldly Demon was invading the Master Teacher Continent was due to a racial strife. However, from the looks of it now, the matter seemed to be deeply rted with the Spirit God the other party spoke about instead. "Yes, I also only heard of it from the Qingtian Emperor. However, those are matters which have happened ages ago, so there is no way to assess whether they are true or not. However, it is indeed true that we can earn generous rewards by tributing the souls and corpses of master teachers to the Spirit God, and this Button of Disguise was obtained through that method as well." the Violetleaf King exined. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. He knew that these matters were still too far away from him, so there was no point brooding over it, especially since the Violetleaf King werent too sure about them himself either. Thus, he decided to put the matter aside for the moment and continued his interrogation, "Why are you all looking for the Poison Hall?" If the goal of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was to devastate the human race, they could have just attacked the Hongyuan Empire straight. Why would they bother sending out two Kings and go through so much effort to find the Poison Hall? "Reporting to young master, we have found an ancient domain which might very well contain an artifact that can help us to break open the seal in the passageway... If we are able to obtain it, our tribesmen will be able to enter the Master Teacher Continent in droves and reim thend which we have lost!" the Violetleaf King exined. "However, that ancient domain is simply too dangerous. A few Kings which we have dispatched previously ended up being trapped within it, unable to escape even to date. After some investigation, we found out that there is a high chance that the Poison Hall may contain a detailed map of the ancient domain... Thus, Qingtian Emperor dispatched the both of us here to infiltrate the Poison Hall and secure the map!" "Map? Ancient domain?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Looking deeply into the Violetleaf Kings eyes, he asked, "Could the ancient domain you spoke of be at Firesource City?" The old principal had also been trying to uncover the location of the Poison Hall before he entered the ancient domain. Considering the words that the Violetleaf King had just spoken, could the ancient domain in the other partys mouth be the same one as he was thinking about? "Un, it is indeed in Firesource City!" the Violetleaf King nodded. The Violetleaf King instinctively wanted to ask how did his young master know about it, but recalling that the other party was the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, he immediately came to a realization. If the top brass of mankind didnt even have the sources to acquire such crucial news, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would have long breached the defenses of humanity and conquered the Master Teacher Continent. They wouldnt have been trapped in that wretchednd to date. "I see..." Upon hearing the other partys confirmation, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. If it was an artifact that could break the seal in the Subterranean Gallery open, that would exin why the old principal would head into the ancient domain despite knowing that it was very likely he would not be walking out of there alive. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to sessfully acquire that artifact, it would spell a huge cmity to mankind. Chapter 993: Heading to the Poison Hall Chapter 993: Heading to the Poison Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric After asking for a while longer, it seemed like the Violetleaf King didnt know anything much about the ancient domain in the Firesource City either. Seeing that it was impossible to obtain any more useful information from him, Zhang Xuan shook his head. At this point, Vicious had also managed to procure information out of the Waterleaf Kings Primordial Spirit, and the result was simr to what he had received from the Violetleaf King as well. They were only aware of the existence of the map, and everything other than them was vague. It was said that when the ancient domain first appeared two thousand years ago, many powers had attempted to vie over the possession of the map. Eventually, it fell into the hands of the Poison Hall. However, for some reason, the Poison Hall didnt dispatch anyone to search for it. On top of that, the Poison Hall had always been secluded from the rest of the world, so it didnt take long before the news regarding the map to fade from the minds of the world. It was only through a very thorough investigation did the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe learned of its existence. After much preparation, they finally found a perfect opportunity to dispatch two of their Kings out to search for the map. However, who could have thought that the two powerful Kings they sent would end up being done in by Zhang Xuan before they could even catch a glimpse of the Poison Hall. "What about the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King? What is their motive?" The motive of the Waterleaf King and Violetleaf King foring to Jingyuan City was to procure to map, so naturally, the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King had to be up to something as well. It was just that they were already killed before they could achieve anything, so up to this point, Zhang Xuan still had no idea what they were nning to do. "Their motive is to... kill the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, that is to say... you, young master. They hope to create chaos that can divert the attention of the Master Teacher Pavilion away from everything else..." The face of the Violetleaf King reddened as he spoke. "Kill me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He never expected that the goal of the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King was to deal with him. It was fortunate that he found them early, or else, if he were to find himself challenged by two Saint 4-dan experts out of the blue, there was a good chance that he might have just died then. He could already imagine what would happen if the two Kings and the two hundred or so Saint realm Otherworldly Demons were to appear at Hongyuan City. It would definitely stir up a huge mess, and even the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would be embroiled into the conflict. By then, there would be no one paying attention to the ancient domain, allowing the Otherworldly Demon to sneak the artifact away easily. "This..." Looking at the surprised on his young masters face, the Violetleaf King couldnt help but shake his headmentably. The Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King sure had died pitifully. They were dispatched to kill the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, only to end up being killed by their own target. On top of that, it turned out that their target didnt know anything about it at all. How indignant they would be if they were to learn of it in the afterlife! "It seems like their deaths arent unwarranted..." Zhang Xuan remarked meaningfully. What goes aroundes around. Those Otherworldly Demons in the Subterranean Gallery were nning to kill him, only to end up being killed by him instead. "I have a folded space. You should enter it for the time being!" After asking all of the questions guing his mind, Zhang Xuan ushered the Violetleaf King into the Myriad Anthive Nest. It took him a lot of effort before he could convince Elder Xu that he was a poison master. If the other party were to see him together with the Violetleaf King at this moment, the trust which he had cultivated painstakingly would shatter immediately, rendering his previous efforts futile. Thus, it was best for the Violetleaf King to remain hidden for the time being. Hu! After keeping the Violetleaf King into the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan tore away the grade-7 Beguilement Formation. At that point, Hu Yunsheng and the others hadnt gone far yet. He instructed for Hu Yunsheng to mobilize the troops of Inkcloud Quarter to take down the guards before writing a letter and arranging for it to be sent to Hongyuan City and its Master Teacher Pavilion. The collusion between the city lord of Jingyuan City with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was a matter for Yu Shenqing to frustrate over. It was the other partys call how he would deal with the traitor. Nevertheless, one thing was for sure. As long as this letter was sent into Yu Shenqings hands, that arrogant city lord would be a thing of history. Returning back to the chamber, Zhang Xuan noted that Elder Xus wounds had mostly recuperated. His condition was much better than before, but his face was still ghastly pale due to the immense damage his soul had sustained earlier. A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and he swiftly took out a beetle before passing it over, "I went to the City Lord Manor just a moment ago and retrieved this for you." The beetle was Elder Xus Lifebound Venomous Bug, and he had been feeding it with his blood essence for many years. It would be a huge loss to Elder Xu if he were to lose it, so Zhang Xuan had the Violetleaf King hand it over after thetter submitted to him. Thinking back, it seemed like the beetle was also the reason why the Violetleaf King was able to trace them down to Inkcloud Quarter so quickly. Otherwise, considering the huge size of Jingyuan City, there was no reason why they should conduct a search on Inkcloud Quarter first. "This..." Upon seeing the beetle, a look of agitation surfaced on Elder Xus face. He hurriedly took the beetle and replied, "Thank you!" This was his Lifebound Venomous Bug. If it were to die, he would definitely sustain heavy damage. He thought that it would be impossible for him to retrieve it after it fell into the hands of the Saint 4-dan expert. Yet, who could have thought that the man before him would actually risk his life to retrieve it for him! He couldnt help but feel touched by this gesture. "Are you injured anywhere?" Keeping the beetle, Elder Xu asked with a concerned tone. He had witnessed with his own eyes how fearsome that Saint 4-dan expert was. To steal something from the other partys grasp was a deed so difficult that he could hardly fathom it. "Rest assured, I am fine..." Zhang Xuan said with a gentle smile when his face abruptly paled, and his body staggered. Spurting a mouthful of fresh blood, Zhang Xuans body suddenly slumped weakly to the ground, as if having sumbed to the severe injuries it had sustained. "Ah! Are you fine?" rmed, Elder Xu hurriedly rushed forward to help Zhang Xuan. Deep worry could be seen arched in his brows. To actually put himself in danger to retrieve his beetle, how could he ever thank the other party for this? More importantly, the other party even imed that he was uninjured despite having sustained severe injuries for fear that he would worry... This was exactly the type of person which one should befriend and entrust ones back to! Elder Xu quickly took out a few recovery poison pills and fed it to Zhang Xuan. Seeing thettersplexion gradually recovering, he heaved a sigh of relief. "It isnt safe to remain here. We should leave quickly!" After recuperating for a moment, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply and said. Elder Xu nodded in agreement. Had the other party not gone to retrieve his beetle, that Saint 4-dan expert might have thought that the both of them had already escaped far and thin his forces tob the surroundings. But now... the other party definitely knew that they were still at Jingyuan City. With their search area reduced, there was a good chance that they could be found very soon. "How do you feel at the moment? Do you still need to rest for a while longer?" Elder Xu asked worriedly. While escaping was important, he couldnt allow the other partys injuries to worsen because of it. Otherwise, he would feel guilty for his entire life. "Its fine, my injuries are still within a tolerable range. Lets quickly leave this area first. I can slowly recuperate once we reach the Poison Hall!" Clutching his chest, Zhang Xuan spoke strenuously. "Alright then. Lets prepare to set forth!" The both of them swiftly nned their route before discreetly making their way out of the chamber. They proceeded stealthily towards the city walls, and not too longter, they managed to make their way out of the city gates. They stepped into the forest just beyond the city wall and descended into a mountainous valley. Soon after, a massive saint beast appeared before their eyes. "This is the saint beast of our Poison Hall. Elder Xue and I rode this when we came here earlier..." Speaking up to this point, Elder Xu fell silent for a brief moment as sorrow surfaced in his eyes. The Elder Xue whom he spoke of was the shorter fellow who was with him back in the City Lord Manor. In order to save him, the other party had stepped forward to face the Violetleaf Kings palm strike, resulting in his immediate death. "Elder Xue gave his life to save you. The best way you can repay his sentiments is to return to the Poison Hall safely." Zhang Xuan consoled. "Un." Understanding that Zhang Xuan was trying to console him, Elder Xu nodded and fell silent. The duo got on the saint beast and began making their way towards the Viridian Cloud Sea. The Viridian Cloud Sea was thergest ind sea of Hongyuan Empire, spanning a diameter exceeding a hundred thousand kilometers. There were many powerful saint beasts whose cultivation reached Saint 3-dan or 4-dan within the sea, making it an extremely dangerous area to explore. As a result, it had always been considered as one of the restrictednds to the cultivators. The saint beast they were riding on was a Saint 1-dan intermediate stage Stermored Winged Dragon. It wasnt particrly adept at speedy maneuvers, but its stamina was top-notch. After flying for half a day, they finally caught sight of the boundless sea. Staring into the distance, the beautiful blue sky and the emerald seawater seemed to close in on one another, creating a breathtaking painting which harmonized the beauty of heaven and earth as one. Gazing upon it at extended periods of time would widen ones mind, granting one greaterposure and a stronger disposition. "There are a total of 27 poison formations on the pathway to the Poison Hall. Even a Saint 3-dan cultivator could be easily poisoned to death if he were to attempt to infiltrate the Poison Hall recklessly." Within the wooden hut on top of the aerial saint beast, Elder Xu gazed down at the emerald seawater beneath and remarked. "27 poison formations?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. "Indeed. Furthermore, the poisonous formations are located around the dens of the Saint 3-dan saint beasts. Thus, if one were to attempt to avoid the poison formation, one woulde under their attack instead. As such, most of the cultivators who sought the Poison Hall ended up dying on the journey there. Even by conservative estimates, there are at least several hundred casualties each year." At this point, Elder Xu shook his head. "Several hundred casualties... each year?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Those who dared to venture into the Viridian Cloud Sea to search for the Poison Hall were bound to be not too weak themselves, reaching Saint realm at the minimum. Yet, there were actually a few hundred deaths of experts of such calibers each year... While this wasnt the direct doing of the poison masters, it was intricately tied to them. It was no wonder the upation was feared throughout the continent, it was indeed a powerful force that one should be careful around. "But considering how deeply hidden the Poison Hall is, how does it sustain its heritage?" Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Every upation needed influxes of new blood to pass down its heritage, but considering how deeply hidden the Poison Hall was, most people wouldnt even be able to find it. Given so, how could they pass down their wisdom to the next generation?" "Poison masters would usually venture into the world in search of talented individuals to take under their wing. There are also some who would adopt a lot of orphans and expose them to lethal poison from young, and only those who survive at the end of it are qualified to acknowledge the poison master as their teacher." Elder Xu exined. Zhang Xuan frowned. That was a method simr to raising gucing all of the venomous insects together, allowing them to fight it out. Eventually, the final survivor was the victor. As orphans, they were bound to have no experience with poison whatsoever. Exposing them to it abruptly was bound to give rise to casualties. How many lives would have to be lost in order to nurture just a handful of poison masters? "Given that you didnte from any particr lineage, how did you be a poison master?" After exining the matter, Elder Xu turned to look at Zhang Xuan and asked doubtfully. Even those who had inherited the lineage of a poison master was unable to achieve such high resistance to poison. On the other hand, the man before him had never been to the Poison Hall, and yet, he had achieved a feat which most poison masters were unable to aplish. Just how did he do so? "Actually... I have been to a Poison Hall before, but it isnt this one. It is a branch located in a remote location under Xuanyuan Kingdom called the Red Lotus Mountain Ridge... After I left the area, I began exploring the world, and by a stroke of coincidence, I happened to obtain a secret manual regarding the Way of Poison. Studying it carefully, I eventually became who I am today..." Zhang Xuan casually replied. If he were to say that he had nevere into contact with poison masters and yet achieved such mastery in the Way of Poison, the story would be too inconceivable for anyone to believe. Thus, he mixed truth and falsehood within the words, making it difficult for the other party to discern the authenticity of it. "A secret manual regarding the Way of Poison? To be able to grant you such astounding capability, it must be a rather powerful secret manual!" Elder Xuplimented before turning his gaze towards Zhang Xuan. "Will it be convenient for you to allow me to look at the secret manual you spoke of? Rest assured, I wont open it. I am just curious to see which master did the booke from!" "This..." Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He was just making things up on the spot, so how could he have any secret manual of that sort? But for the other party to be asking such a question... could it be that the other party still harbored doubts regarding his identity? Chapter 994: The Poison Master Examination Chapter 994: The Poison Master Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Its fine if it isnt convenient for you..." Noticing the look of distress on the other partys face, Elder Xu shook his head. "It is not that it is inconvenient, but that it isnt my ce to be spreading the heritage around... How about this? Why dont I detail the 1-star and 2-star fundamental knowledge to you instead so that you can fathom the origin of the secret manual through it?" Seeing that the other party was just posing it as a casual question and not to investigate his origins, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He didnt have the secret manual, and his knowledge of poison was still capped at 2-star. The only reason why he seemed fearsome in the eyes of the other party was due to his Heavens Path zhenqi, which granted him a nearplete immunity to poisons. As such, he could be considered to be an amateur to poison. Nevertheless, if it was just fundamental knowledge of 2-star and below, he was confident that there was no one who could rival him. "That would be great!" Elder Xus eyes lit up. Lineage was extremely important in the Master Teacher Continent, so it was indeed inconvenient for the other party to expose his heritage to an outsider. It was understandable why the other party was unwilling to speak any more about that. As for knowledge of 2-star and below, as it involved only the fundamental knowledge of poison, there was no harm to sharing them. "Based on the exnation of the book, poison can be viewed as a medicine of one kind as well. To put it simply, it is used toplement the Yin-yang and Five Elements of the human body. As long as one achieves a bnce in the Five Elements, one will be able to develop an immunity to all poisons..." Recalling the 1-star and 2-star Heavens Path Poison Art, Zhang Xuan began to speak. "T-this..." Elder Xu initially thought that there couldnt possibly be anything new to the fundamentals, but as he listened on, his face gradually warped in astonishment. Gripped by agitation, his entire body began trembling, and his breathing hastened. The other party had reshaped the understanding of poison through the concept of Yin-yang and the Five Elements, and through it, he was able to theorize the concept of poison immunity. It was possible to poison a person to death, but was it possible to poison the heavens to death? The fundamental knowledge that the other party spoke of was directed towards the very essence of poison itself. As long as one were to cultivate ording to it, it was almost certain that one would be able to forge the Poison Body. Even though it was already toote for him to switch his cultivation technique, he could already foresee the huge uproar it would cause in the Poison Hall should this piece of knowledge ever be made public. "Poison can be a tonic as well. It can save and can treat. As long as one were to use it well, it can definitely be a valuable tool to the world..." Zhang Xuan continued speaking. The more he listened, the deeper a trance Elder Xu found himself falling into. The main reason why poison masters were so widely feared was due to their ability to nt poison discreetly, making it extremely difficult for an average cultivator to guard against them. However, if their poison really could make a positive contribution to the world, just like what the other party had said, it might be possible for the Poison Hall to walk out of its istion and stand openly on the Master Teacher Continent once more. They coulde under the protection of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and they wouldnt be shunned and snubbed by the world as they were now. With such thoughts in mind, Elder Xu subconsciously turned to look at Sun Qiang with a look of agitation on his face. "Alright, this is all I have understood from it..." After casually sharing some of the knowledge of poison that he possessed, Zhang Xuan finally came to a halt. Lifting his gaze, he noticed that Elder Xu was looking at him with a fiery gaze. rmed, he quickly nced downward at his clothes, but... nothing was open! If nothing is open, what are you getting agitated over? It cant be that your sexual orientation has changed from listening to a lecture? It doesnt seem like there is any master teacher in the world who possesses such an ability! "Cough cough!" Noticing Zhang Xuans actions, Elder Xu knew that he had acted inappropriately for a moment there. He adjusted his expression before continuing with a grim look, "Poison Master Sun, the secret manual that you have is simply too astounding. It will be best for you to keep its existence hidden from the others, or else, I fear that... you might meet with danger!" Which poison master didnt dream of a body that boasted a high resistance to poison? Which poison master didnt hope to concoct an even more potent poison? If the other poison masters were to learn that the man before him had such a formidable secret manual in his possession, they surely wouldnt hesitate to resort to all kinds of underhanded means to obtain it, thus putting the other party in grave danger. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Unlike master teachers, poison masters had no regards for rules and morals. If they were to learn of the existence of the secret manual, they might even attempt to snatch it in broad daylight. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan had no fear. The main reason why he wanted to head to the Poison Hall was to collect books regarding poison and save Wei Ruyan. If the poison masters knew that was best for them, he could still consider getting along with them. Otherwise, he didnt mind teaching the other party the meaning of fear. After a moment of hesitation, Elder Xu added, "You should conceal your poison-resistant constitution as well. Make sure not to show it to anyone easily. Otherwise, you might be stoking their greed!" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. While he didnt possess the Innate Poison Body, his ability to neutralize most poisons was indeed something that would interest most poison masters, if not all. Others could very well go after him in hopes of uncovering his secrets and cultivating the same poison-resistant constitution for themselves. For this reason, it would be best for him to maintain a low profile at the Poison Hall. In any case, this happened to work in his favor. He was a humble person at heart, and he never liked to boast to others anyway. "I intend to take the poison master examinationter on at the Poison Hall, but Im not too sure how it is conducted there. Can you shed some light on the matter for me? Also, will I be able to ess all of the books in the Poison Hall if I were to clear the examination?" After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Xuan asked. His main goal at the Poison Hall was to collect all of the books on poison there, so naturally, that was also the matter that he was the most concerned about. "The poison master examination at our branch is slightly different from that of the others. Rather than the typical concoction of poison, the crux of our examination lies in... poisoning!" Elder Xu said. "Poisoning?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Indeed. The ability to concoct potent poison is formidable, but what that makes a truly great poison master is his ability to poison a person whose cultivation realm is equal or even greater than him discreetly!" Elder Xu exined. "Are you saying that the poison master examination wille in the form of a poisoning match?" "Thats right. For the 6-star poison master examination, the examinee will be challenging a 6-star poison master. The examiner would be fighting with his full strength as well, and if the examinee is able to wound the examiner through his poison, he would be considered to have cleared the examination!" Elder Xu exined. "But poison... it shouldnt be easy to control it inbat, right? What will happen if one side identally poisons the other to death?" Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. Precise control was required to wound an opponent without dealing lethal damage, and this was something extremely difficult to control inbat. Use too little poison, and it might end up being ineffective. Use too much, and one could identally kill ones opponent. Given so... wasnt it a little too risky to conduct such an examination? "If one were to be poisoned to death in the midst of the examination, it can only mean that he hasnt worked hard enough in his studies. He has no one but himself to me!" Elder Xu shook his head and sighed. "This is simply how things work here!" Not expecting that the poison master examination would be so risky, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. A momentter, he asked, "May I trouble Elder Xu to fill me in on the situation in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall?" At the current moment, he knew nothing about the Poison Hall at all. If he could learn a thing or two about it, he would be more well-prepared for whatever he would face there. "Of course, thats nothing much to ask of!" Elder Xu chuckled. "The Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall branch is, in fact, a grade-7 branch. We have a 7-star poison master as our hall master, and this means that it is possible to take the 7-star poison master examination at our branch. If one can defeat the hall master in a poison match, one will be qualified to be a 7-star poison master immediately. "Other than the hall master, the Poison Hall also has three 7-star vice hall master, as well as twenty-two 6-star pinnacle elders. Elder Xue and I are amongst the twenty-two 6-star pinnacle elders. "As for poison masters below 6-star, there should be at least several dozen thousand of them." Several dozen thousand?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. The utilization of poison could be considered to be an unorthodox art, so he thought that there wouldnt be too many poison masters in the world. Yet, who could have thought that just this single branch would have numbers nearly on par with the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! It was fortunate that they had chosen to iste themselves at Jingyuan City. Otherwise, their presence could easily bring unease or even chaos upon the entire Hongyuan Empire! "The Poison Hall is known for its Three Great Halls. The first hall is the Compendium Hall, which boasts a huge collection of books umted over the past ten thousand years. Most who wished to advance as a poison master would devote most of their time to studying the books in there. "The second hall is the Poison Experimentation Hall. Researching and practicing the concoction of poison requires a vast amount of medicinal herbs. If one were to work with real herbs each time, even a mountain of medicinal herbs could be easily depleted within days. Within the Poison Experimentation Hall is a unique formation which could urately simte the unique properties of each medicinal herb. Through experimenting with the herbs here, one could lessen the wastage of herbs! "Thest one is the Sparring Hall! Just like with most other upations, poison masters who have an irreconcble conflict with one another would head there and settle it through a life-and-death duel. While it was named the Sparring Hall, it was also the location where many poison masters had died!" Elder Xu shook his head. "Other than the Three Great Halls, there is also the Two Forbidden Grounds. One of them is the Mausoleum of Hall Masters. It is the location where the hall masters of every generation rested. Only the incumbent hall master was allowed to enter the grounds, and anyone else who tried to circumvent the rule would find themselves being poisoned to death! The other forbidden ground is the herb fields. nted in the fields are the medicinal herbs used in the Poison Hall, and they are strictly controlled. Anyone who needs any medicinal herb must apply for it beforehand. No one was allowed to enter it casually, or else death would be what they would face! "Other than that, there is nothing else. Given your strength and your immunity to poison, there should be nothing for you to worry about..." Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. 7-star poison master, Three Great Halls, and the Two Forbidden Grounds... Since he was intending to only go through the books of the Poison Hall, he would probably only pay a visit to the Compendium Hall and go nowhere else. "Actually, the Poison Hall isnt as frightening as others put it out to be. As fellow poison masters, everyone actually treats one another rather amiably... Not to mention, you are my savior on top of that!" Elder Xu said with a kind smile. The Poison Hall might seem like an iparably frightening existence in the eyes of others, but internally, they still got along with one another harmoniously. While fellow friends might asionally spike each others drinks or something, they would usually prepare the antidote beforehand, so no permanent harm would be done. Zhang Xuan continued asking on several matters concerning the Poison Hall, and Elder Xu, seemingly convinced that he was a real poison master, didnt hide anything from him at all. Half a dayter, Zhang Xuan finally gained a deep insight into the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall. While it was located within the territory of Hongyuan Empire, it was in truth thergest and most formidable Poison Hall in Qingyuan Conferred Empire. This was also the reason why there were multiple 7-star poison masters holding the fort there. The Poison Hall was also a really dangerous ce for the average cultivator. Not only were there poison masters and poisonous herbs, there were even poisonous worms, poisonous nts, and even the drinking water itself was poisoned... Had it been anyone else, Elder Xu would have surely made sure to warn them sternly beforehand. However, the man before him was no average cultivator. He was an existence who could munch on grade-6 pinnacle poisons as if they were mere snacks. In any case, he was certain that the other party couldnt possibly be poisoned to death, so there was nothing to warn him about. "Alright, we are arriving at the Poison Hall..." After flying for two days straight, Elder Xu abruptly stood up and pointed forward. Turning his gaze over as well, Zhang Xuan saw the boundless blue ocean with a brilliant sun hanging at the horizon. In the next moment, the saint beast twisted its body slightly, and the sight before him cleared up. A massive ind abruptly came into sight. To Zhang Xuans astonishment, the ind was actually concealed by a massive Hidden Formation. Had it not been for Elder Xu leading him here, it was very likely that he might have never found the Poison Hall. Chapter 995: Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall Chapter 995: Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The ind had a diameter of around a hundred kilometers. From afar, Zhang Xuan could see that it was filled with all kinds of towering nts, granting it a lush appearance. Surrounded by a massive formation, the spiritual energy within was particrly concentrated, and from time to time, one could see formidable saint beasts dancing in the air above. "To be able to conceal an ind with a diameter of hundred kilometers, the man who set up the formation must be at least a 7-star formation master!" Zhang Xuan noted in astonishment. He was currently a 6-star pinnacle formation master, but even so, a formation of such scale was still far beyond his means. Just how powerful must the senior who had built the Poison Hall here be? "The founder of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall wasnt only a 7-star poison master, he was a 7-star pinnacle formation master as well. Even so, he had still spent an entire fifty years to construct this massive Hidden Formation!" Noticing Zhang Xuans shock, Elder Xu exined with a smile. "Fifty years?" Zhang Xuans lips twitched in astonishment. Not even a single year had passed since his transcension until now. To spend an entire fifty years just to construct a formation... this was something that Zhang Xuan would never do. "Thats right. This formation taps on the volcano beneath it as its energy source, concealing the entire ind amidst the vast sea. If one couldnt locate the proper entrance, all one would see was just yet another plot of empty sea while flying over it." Elder Xu said proudly. "Over the years, many 7-star master teachers and formation masters had flew across thisnd, but none of them had noticed the Poison Hall here. It is due to this that the Poison Hall was able to retain itsplete heritage even after ten thousand years, never having suffered an attack before." "Incredible!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Activating his Eye of Insight, he assessed the formation before him. He had to admit that the design of the formation was indeed exquisite. The Hidden Formation was constructed through making use of the unique geographical advantage of the ind, making it perfectly harmonized with its surroundings. Even via his Eye of Insight, he could barely make out the existence of the formation. It would be hard for him to decipher the formation within a short period of time. If he really wanted to break the formation, it would take him around... ten minutes! A formation that would take him so long to decipher could already be considered to be extremely powerful. "Lets head down!" Noticing the stunned look in Zhang Xuans eyes, Elder Xu chuckled as he drove the aerial saint beast down upon the ind. Around ten minutester, theynded on a massive elevated tform. "Elder Xu!" A few youngsters rushed up to wee the returning Elder Xu. However, when they saw that it was a middle-aged man whom they had never seen before instead of Elder Xue who walked out of the wooden hut, they were bewildered for a moment. "Poison Master Sun here is my savior. Prepare an amodation for him." Elder Xu instructed. "I will be seeking an audience with the hall master now!" "Yes!" Hearing that the other party was Elder Xus savior, a gleam of admiration surfaced in the eyes of the youngsters as they nodded hurriedly. "Poison Master Sun, they will lead you to your amodation to rest. I need to meet the hall master first to report the happenings earlier at Jingyuan City to him." After which, Elder Xu took two steps forward before halting once more. Without turning his head around, he sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan, "The members of the Poison Hall could have a rather bad temper. However, they do admire the strong, so there is no need for you to hold back should anyone attempt to provoke you." "Got it." Zhang Xuan nodded. Considering that one of the elders of the Poison Hall was killed, this matter should indeed be reported to the hall master as soon as possible. And it went without saying that he had no intentions to be a samaritan should anyone try to step over his head too. "I will report your matter to the hall master as well and apply a slot in the poison master examination for you." Elder Xu added before hurriedly heading off. A momentter, he had already disappeared in the distance. "Poison Master Sun, this way please!" Seeing that Elder Xu had left, the youngsters stepped forward and gestured to Zhang Xuan. Without wasting a word, Zhang Xuan followed behind them. Shortly after leaving the elevated tform, a massive town unfolded before his eyes. Innumerable buildings of differing heights could be seen here and there. However, the architecture was rather ancient, seemingly having thousands of years to them. A bustling crowd moved to and fro the streets, doing everything that one could think of. In a sense, it was truly no different from a huge city. Walking amongst the crowd, Zhang Xuan could asionally see a light mist drifting out from the cracks in the windows and doors of several houses. It had a pleasant smell to it, but it seemed to fill one with lethargy, inducing one to a deep sleep. There was no doubt about it, the mist definitely contained poison. That wasnt the only peculiarity that Zhang Xuan noticed. From time to time, he would see poisonous bugs and snakes with bright, glistening colors ring at the passers-by with a menacing gaze, seemingly ready to strike at any moment. The faint-hearted would probably be frightened unconscious on the spot upon seeing this sight. "Dont worry, these poisonous snakes dont bite easily..." As if noting the apprehension on Zhang Xuans face, one of the young men exined with a smile. At that moment, however, a scream of agony suddenly sounded in front. A middle-aged man was running forward frenziedly, and taking a closer look, there was a poisonous snake hanging off his bottom. Its sharp fangs were sunk deep into the middle-aged mans flesh, refusing to let go no matter how forcefully the other party struggled. "Screw this shit, whose snake is this? If no one dares to own up, I will skin this bastard alive today!" Soon after, another bellow sounded from the crowd, "Try to eat my snake, and I will have you poisoned to death right here right now!" A figure flitted out from the crowd and began crossing hands with the middle-aged man who was bitten by the snake. "T-this... Its just a coincidence. These poisonous snakes and bugs are usually rather friendly..." Meeting with this sight right after saying that the poisonous snakes wouldnt bite, the young man scratched his head in embarrassment. He hurriedly tried to reassure the guest who he was escorting, "Even though these bugs might attack one another from time to time, there is no need to worry. We, poison masters, are a harmoniousmunity. We respect one another and promote neighborliness, so rarely will there be any fights breaking out!" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. However, before they could take another step forward, an even louder scream sounded. "Which screwed up bugger poisoned my pillow? You better pray that I dont find out who you are because you can be heck sure that I will skin you alive when I do!" Right afterward, a youngdy with a round face darted out from one of the doors. The youngdy had a beautiful figure, but her face was swollen as though a watermelon. There were even quite a few parts which had pus flowing out. Her appearance was truly as hideous as a zombie who had climbed out from its grave. "Which idiot spiked my porridge?" "To dare to nt a poisonous bug in my shoes, you must be tired of living!" "Stuffing medicine in my nostrils? You must be asking me to chop off your hands!" ... Such voices sounded relentlessly in the surroundings. Following which, one by one, victims whose appearances were disfigured in all kinds of ways rushed out from their rooms. The face of the young man who had just said that the poison masters promoted neighborliness reddened in awkwardness. "Cough cough. They are just jesting with one another, so you dont have to worry about that! They are just testing out the poisons that they have just concocted, so you can think of it more like a prank. Its really harmless actually..." "Harmless? Then, that is..." With a perplexed look, Zhang Xuan pointed in a certain direction. There, two poison masters who were fighting intensely with one another, seemingly unwilling to rest until one side had fallen dead. "..." The young man. After walking through the streets for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan gained an understanding of the prevalent culture in the Poison Hall. Unlike the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Poison Hall didnt have many rules. Whenever a poison master seeded in formting a new poison, they would usually try it on those around them. Appearances were something thatmonly changed within this city. A person could look this way yesterday but assume a vastly different appearance tomorrow. In fact, there had even been cases where ones gender had changed due to the side effect of some poison... In other words, your neighbor could very well be an elderly man today, a middle-aged man tomorrow, a ravishing youngdy the day after tomorrow, and perhaps even a monstrous behemoth the day after the day after tomorrow... But of course, if you were to ask the other partys name, you would find out that they were all the same person all along. It was just due to the consumption of bizarre poisons that resulted in the continuous warping of his form. "Its fortunate that they are all on this ind. If the poison masters were to do the same in Hongyuan City, it will only be a matter of time before they are pummeled to death..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was probably only on thisnd could they do something as ridiculous as this. Hongyuan City had a Master Teacher Pavilion and Master Teacher Academy to uphold order, and willfully poisoning another in such a manner was against the rules. Should one be caught doing so, even ten lives wouldnt be sufficient to amend for ones sin. How could Elder Xu bring himself to say with a straight face that the poison masters were an amiable bunch when such was the chaos here... To live in fear, not knowing who would poison one or who one would turn into the next day... This sure wasnt his definition of amiable! "Alright, Poison Master Sun. This is your amodation!" After walking a while further and seeing bizarre acts of all kinds, the young man finally came to a halt. Taking a look at his amodation, it was decently clean residence. While the building looked a little old, the surroundings were rather tranquil and peaceful. "Alright!" Knowing that he wouldnt stay here for too long, there was no need for him to get picky about it. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to push open the door to enter, a few young men suddenly walked over. "Li Yuan, this person looks very unfamiliar. I dont think I have seen him around before." "He is a guest whom Elder Xu just brought in from outside." Li Yuan, the young man who had brought Zhang Xuan over, replied. "Elder Xu brought him here? Could it be that he intends to take that person as his disciple? To be able to move that obstinate old fogeys heart, his talent must be spectacr. Let me see how capable he is..." the other young man chuckled. He snapped his fingers, and a surge of smoke suddenly gushed in Zhang Xuans direction. "Liu Xu, dont mess around. Poison Master Sun isnt Elder Xus disciple." Li Yuan exined. However, before he could finish his words, the smoke had already reached Zhang Xuan, giving him no time to stop thetter at all. Just as he was about to exim for the middle-aged man before him to be careful, he suddenly noticed a hint of a smile from the corners of thetters cheek. The next moment, his silhouette vanished like a phantom and materialized right before Liu Xu. Peng! The crisp sound of bones shattering echoed resoundingly in the air. Before Liu Xu could even cry in agony, he was already sent flying before eventually ending up being hung on the branch of a nearby tree, passed out. "Ah..." Everyone was dumbstruck. As fellow poison masters, if an individual were to be attacked by poison, he should retaliate in the same manner. Yet, this fellow actually sent the other party flying with a single punch... How violent! "You... As a poison master, how can you resolve matters with violence? Just how crass can you get?" A young man behind Liu Xu stepped forward and waved his hands righteously, "I shall challenge you to a poison duel right now. Do you dare to e..." But before he could finish his words, a foot was already nted in his face. Peng! Just like Liu Xu, before the young man could utter a word, he was sent flying and eventually ended up being hung on a nearby tree branch as well. "You..." The faces of the remaining young men warped in fury. Theirpanion had already challenged the other party to a poison duel, but the other party still continued to attack them with brute force. "Lets make a move together!" One of the young men eximed. Peng peng peng peng! ... A few breathster, the energetic young men from a moment ago were lying unconscious on the tree not too far away. "This..." Li Yuan and the others who had escorted Zhang Xuan over were bbergasted. Chapter 996: Sneaking In (1) Chapter 996: Sneaking In (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Ones ability to utilize poison had always been used to determine ones standing in the Poison Hall, so naturally, the duels conducted were usually centered around the utilization of poison as well. Yet, the fellow before them actually sent them flying with his fists and kicks without any hesitation... How could there be a person as violent as him? "Poison Master Sun, you... you are really too reckless!" Upon recovering from his daze, Li Yuan suddenly recalled a matter, and hisplexion darkened. "They are the subordinates of Senior Duan Ren, so if you were to injure them, thetter will surely be displeased..." "Indeed! Senior Duan has always been biased towards those whom he was close with, and he had an explosive temper as well. Those who had offended him never ended well..." Another young men added with an awful look on his face. Had Poison Master Sun held himself back, the most that could have happened was for him to be poisoned for a brief moment, and the matter could have passed just like that. Yet, Poison Master Sun actually beat the other party up to such a state... Senior Duan was bound to be displeased. If Senior Duan were to exact vengeance for his brothers, who could possibly stop him? "Senior Duan?" Seeing how frightened the young men were, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask curiously. "Senior Duan Ren is Vice Hall Master Ming Zhens direct disciple, and he is a 6-star poison master possessing the cultivation of Saint 1-dan advanced stage... He is considered the strongest poison master in his generation, and all of us have to address him respectfully as our senior. Liu Xu, whom you have just beat up, is his most loyal subordinate!" Li Yuan hurriedly exined. The hall master and the elders were the most senior generation in the Poison Hall at the moment, and their disciples and students were all considered to be in the second generation. But despite being in the same generation, Duan Ren was leading far in front of the others, to a point where the others could only look on in admiration. "A Saint 1-dan advanced stage 6-star poison master? Is he going to take it out on me just because of a subordinate?" Seeing how frightened the others were, Zhang Xuan shook his head. No matter how unreasonable the other party may be, surely he had to at least give some respect to Elder Xu! Elder Xu was amongst the most senior generation in the Poison Hall, and he was Elder Xus savior. Duan Ren might be arrogant, but as a junior, surely he wouldnt risk getting on Elder Xus bad side just over a mere subordinate? "Poison Master Sun, I am really not exaggerating the matter. There was one incident in the past where Liu Xu had acted disrespectfully to Senior Wu Haiyuan, so Senior Wu Haiyuan taught him a lesson. Upon learning of the matter, Senior Duan flew into a rage and poisoned him mute. Even to this day, Senior Wu Haiyuan is still unable to utter a single word..." With a tearful face, Li Yuan hurriedly exined. "Senior Wu Haiyuan is a 6-star poison master, and his cultivation has reached a staggering Saint 1-dan..." "Theres such a matter?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. With a doubtful look, he asked, "To offend a fellow 6-star poison master over a mere subordinate, isnt that very reckless of him?" It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan found it hard to believe this matter. He had taken a look a Liu Xu earlier, and thetter was only a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm cultivator. Most likely, he was only a 5-star poison master as well. There were plenty of those who could rival him easily in the Poison Hall, so it shouldnt be too difficult to find another person to rece Liu Xu as his subordinate. To offend a fellow 6-star poison master over this fellow... Wasnt Senior Duan needlessly bringing himself enemies for no good reason? "This..." Hearing those words, Li Yuan hesitated for a moment, and eventually, gritting his teeth tightly, he said, "As a neer, it is not surprising that you are unaware of it, but... Liu Xu isnt just Senior Duans subordinate. He is also Senior Duan... gigolo!" "Gigolo?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Senior Duan... is ady?" Gigolo referred to men who were financially supported by a woman to be her escort. Could it be that the Duan Ren person they had been talking about all along was ady? The other party had been addressing Duan Ren with he all along, so he had assumed that Duan Ren was a male. Perhaps he might have just misheard him. Nevertheless, considering how ugly Liu Xu was, just how bad could that Duan Rens eyesight be? "Senior Duan Ren... is a male!" Li Yuan said with an incredibly awkward expression on his face. "Due to consuming too much poison, his sexual orientation has changed as well..." "Cough cough!" Zhang Xuan choked on his saliva. He could have never thought that Duan Ren was a homosexual! However, thinking about it once more, it wasnt really too surprising. Poison masters spent their days alongside poison, and to concoct potent poisons, they might sometimes opt to try the poisons out of themselves... Putting aside changing ones sexual orientation, it wouldnt be impossible for one to fall in love with spirit beasts, saint beasts, trees, or even rocks and nts. Also, there were poisons which could induce hallucinations. Even though Liu Xu looked incredibly ugly to him, there was no saying that the other partymight be a huge beauty in Senior Duans eyes. "Thats right. Such situations arent too umon here. Senior Duan will surely fly into a rage if he were to learn that you have beat his gigolo up. If he were toe and get even with you... that will be a huge disaster!" Li Yuan said worriedly. There was no one in the Poison Hall who was unaware of how fearsome Senior Duan was. This was precisely the reason why no one dared to offend him. Yet, this fellow actually beat Liu Xu up to such a state without any warning... There was no way to resolve the conflict peacefully anymore. Even though Elder Xu could be considered to be a senior to Senior Duan, he was also only a 6-star poison master, so there wasnt too huge of a gap between their standings. Furthermore, thetter could very well be an elder if he could advance his capability a step further, thus putting the both of them on equal standings. "If he wishes toe for me, so be it!" Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan replied leisurely. What Senior Duan or something, he couldnt care less about it. If the other party intended to cause him trouble, he didnt mind releasing the Violetleaf King and stir up a huge mess within the Poison Hall. In any case, he had already found the Poison Hall, and the Compendium Hall was located just a walk away. There was no need for him to pretend to be a samaritan to a bunch of fellows who only thought about poisoning others every single day. "But..." Seeing howidback Zhang Xuan was, Li Yuan and the others nced at one another and smiled bitterly. They were at aplete loss as to what to do. At that moment, a young man with an incredibly awful look on his face walked over with widened strides. Upon seeing the young man, the faces of Li Yuan and the others immediately warped in fear, "Senior Duan..." Speak of the devil! The amodation prepared for Zhang Xuan might be peaceful, but there were still quite a handful of men in the vicinity when Poison Master Sun sent Liu Xu flying with a punch. News spread swiftly, and it didnt take long for Senior Duan Ren to learn of it and rush over. Doomed... It was already toote to escape at this point. Hu! Swiftly walking forward, Senior Duan Ren leaped up and carried Liu Xu down from the tree branch. He carefully fed thetter some pills with an frighteningly chilling look on his face. "Senior Duan, I challenged that fellow to a poison duel, but he assaulted me instead... I beg of you to redress my grievance!" Uponing to, Liu Xu raised his finger and pointed it at Zhang Xuan with gritted teeth. "Dont worry!" With narrowed eyes, Duan Ren stood up and red at Zhang Xuan coldly, the killing intent in his eyes ring furiously, "I will make him pay the price!" "Senior Duan, Poison Master Sun over here is Elder Xus savior..." Seeing that the situation was heading down a very dangerous path, Li Yuan clenched his jaws in determination before hurrying forward to exin. Elder Xu had entrusted the other party to them, so they had to take care of him well. If the other party were to be poisoned to death right after arriving at the amodation, they would have to take responsibility for his mishap as well. "Scram!" Duan Ren roared furiously. Deng deng deng deng! A powerful shock wave surged forth from Duan Ren. Li Yuans face paled, and he was knocked back eight steps before spurting a mouthful of blood. Possessing only the cultivation of Ethereal Treading realm, he waspletely no match for a Saint realm expert like the other party. I dont care how you are rted to Elder Xu or anyone else. Anyone who dares to hurt my man has to pay the price!" Duan Ren stomped forward and red at Zhang Xuan with wintry eyes. "I will give you two choices now. You can either kneel down and apologize to Liu Xu right now, and allow him to do whatever he wants to do to you, or I will make a move personally and show you what a living hell looks like..." There was no one who didnt know that Liu Xu was his gigolo, and yet, this fellow still dared toy his hands on his man. This was a tant disregard for him. If he didnt teach the other party a lesson, how was he going to establish his authority within the Poison Hall? "Interesting. What if I choose neither of them?" Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile. It was no wonder why Elder Xu said that the Poison Hall wasnt peaceful and told him to be careful. From the looks of it now, that was indeed the case. There were simply far too many fools who overestimated themselves here... He was nning to keep a low profile here, but looking at the other partys punch-seeking face... It seemed like he would be letting himself down if he didnt give it a good one! "Choose neither of them? You are seeking death!" With a fearsome roar, Duan Ren leaped forward, and with swiftness reminiscent of a streak of lightning, he appeared before Zhang Xuan at the very next instant. Clenching his fingers into ws, Duan Ren swiped at the middle-aged man before him. A powerful surge of zhenqi burst from his fingertips. At the same time, a unique powder cloaked the air before him. This powder was a lethal poison which he had spent great effort developing and concocting. Even a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert would sumb just bying into contact with a tinge of it. "Hah!" Facing the other partys surge of zhenqi and poison powder, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a pitying look in his eyes. Hu! He raised his palm and sent a direct p towards the other party, not even bothering to utilize any battle technique at all. Facing Zhang Xuans attack, Duan Ren sneered in disdain. However, in the next moment, his eyes abruptly narrowed in astonishment, and he hurriedly gathered the full strength in his body into his hands to block the seemingly simple p. However, he was toote. Just like Liu Xu, before he could even let out a scream of agony, he fell atop one of the tree branches and fainted. Zhang Xuans current cultivation might only be Nascent Saint pinnacle, but not even the Saint 2-dan Liao Song was a match for him. For this Duan Ren guy, a mere Saint 1-dan advanced stage, to challenge him, the other party was truly seeking death. It would take nothing more than a mere snap of fingers for hm to destroy the other party. "This..." The faces of Li Yuan and the others paled, and their bodies began shivering. This was way too frightening! They were well-aware of Senior Duan Rens strength, having witnessed it themselves. Paired with his poison, not even a Saint 2-dan primary stage cultivator would dare to fight him face-on. Yet, this Poison Master Sun actually knocked Senior Duan Ren out with a single p... Just how powerful could he be? "Alright, I will be heading in to rest now!" Couldnt be bothered to exin the matter to the others, Zhang Xuan waved his hand before shooting a nce at Li Yuan. "If anyone still wants to provoke me, make sure to report it to me beforehand!" Leaving those words behind, he stepped into the residence. "Yes..." With twitching lips, Li Yuan and the others quickly nodded. ... After entering the residence, Zhang Xuan closed the door and swiftly located the area where spiritual energy seemed to converge towards before taking a seat. "Since I am already at the Poison Hall, I should quickly finish reading the books and find a way to save Wei Ruyan. This matter mustnt be stalled for any longer!" Even though he had stabilized Wei Ruyans condition for the time being, every second wasted meant an additional second of danger for her. Since it was the Poison Hall that he was in, there was no need for him to bother about the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion. The important matter at hand was to swiftly finish reading those books and analyze a usible solution to treating Wei Ruyan. Hu! With a thought, Zhang Xuans soul slipped out from his body. He wouldnt be allowed to ess the books in the Compendium Hall until he took the poison master examination, so there was no way he could march there in his body openly. In any case, it was equally efficient for him to read in his soul form as well, so there was no need to dy this matter any further. With a slight movement, Zhang Xuan flew into the air. It was still the day, but as a practitioner of the Heavens Path Soul Art, he was unaffected by the yang energy of the sun rays. On top of that, after sharing soul essence with Wei Ruyans soul, his soul had gained a certain immunity to poison. As such, the poisonous gas shrouding around the ind waspletely ineffective towards him. After flying a decent altitude high, Zhang Xuan lowered his head to get a birds eye view of the entire city. "Elder Xu said that the Compendium Hall is one of the Three Great Halls of the Poison Hall. Naturally, it should be the highest and grandest building here..." Sweeping his surroundings with the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan soon caught sight of three particrly towering halls in the area. Chapter 997: Sneaking In (2) Chapter 997: Sneaking In (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The three halls were around seventy meters tall each, and they towered above the other buildings in the area, making them particrly conspicuous. "Poison Experimentation Hall, Sparring Hall, and Compendium Hall... The first two are areas where poisons are frequently utilized, so no matter how they are cleaned, there are bound to be traces left behind... As for the Compendium Hall, considering that it is a location where books are stored, the usage of poisons should be restricted there..." The Poison Experimentation Hall was a ground for poison masters to practice the concoction of poison. It was inevitable that there would be lingering traces of poison even if one were to attempt to neutralize it with the corresponding antidotes. The same applied for the Sparring Hall as well. As poison masters shed with one another, it was inevitable that poison would be spilled in the surroundings, leaving behind many unerasable scars on the building. Using this as a gauge, it shouldnt be too difficult to determine which was the Compendium Pavilion. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began to examine the Three Great Halls carefully. Under the sharp glint of his Eye of Insight, the interiors of the three halls appeared clearly before his eyes. Indeed, two of the halls felt incredibly turbid, as if they were gued with poison. "That should be the Compendium Hall then!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he immediately began heading to the cleanest hall of the three. The building was even taller than the other two, and the old scent of books seemed to linger around the building. There was a particrly powerful formation set up around it, making it difficult for anyone to enter without the possession of an artifact to bypass it. Upon seeing the formation, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. His current proficiency of formations was already on par with 7-star formation masters, and he possessed the Eye of Insight on top of that, Finding a w in the formation around the Compendium Hall to slip through it was an extremely easy task for him. With sharp eyes, Zhang Xuan examined the formation, and a momentter, he found a small gap in the formation. He swiftly slipped through it. While a soul was formless and intangible, making it impossible to perceive it with ones eyes or touch, it could disrupt the flow of spiritual energy in the air, thus betraying its presence. The interior of the formation happened to be rich in spiritual energy, which meant that Zhang Xuan would still have to proceed carefully within the formation. Advancing forward through exploiting the ws of the formation, it didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to arrive right before the entrance of the Compendium Hall. There were two Saint 1-dan poison masters keeping guard. Zhang Xuan quickly calcted an ideal route to take before sneaking past the both of them discreetly and slipping into the Compendium Hall through the gaps in the door. The first floor of the Compendium Hall was filled with many bookshelves with innumerable books shelved on top of them. Taking a swift nce, they were all regarding poison. "Deciphering the Way of Poison", "Qing Yuanzis 36 Art of Poison", "Neutralizing Poison Walkthrough", "Fundamental Theories to Poison Cultivation"... All kinds of books rting to poison could be seen ced all around the area, creating an amazing collection. These were the blood and sweat of innumerable poison masters ever since the establishment of this Poison Hall branch ten thousand years ago. They were intermixed with both the correct and wrong interpretation of poison. To others, they would dare not read all of them recklessly for fear that they might end up confusing themselves. However, such a problem didnt exist for Zhang Xuan. Sweeping his gaze across the room, Zhang Xuan swiftly found himself afortable position. Alright, time to begin! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan began sweeping through rows of books with his sharp eyes. Hula! Book after book was collected into the Library of Heavens Path. Throughpiling them together, a wless Heavens Path Poison Art was gradually being formed. Two hourster, all of the books on the first level had been swiped clean. "This is the 1-star Heavens Path Poison Art..." Zhang Xuan took a nce at thepiled book in the Library of Heavens Path before withdrawing his consciousness out and headed towards the second floor. Theyout of the Compendium Hall was simr to the libraries in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Each floor corresponded to a star each, and if ones rank hadnt reached the required level, one would be forbidden from essing the floor. While Zhang Xuan had alreadypiled the 1-star and 2-star Heavens Path Poison Art back at the Red Lotus Mountain Ridge Poison Hall, the collection of books here was clearly much greater and more varied. Since he was already at the Poison Hall, it would be best to collect all of them. He wasnt in a rush for time anyway. Besides, there was no saying that the method to saving Wei Ruyan would be contained in these seemingly unimportant books. As such, he dared not to get careless. Soon, he finished taking in everything in the second floor. After which, he moved on to the third floor. ... While Zhang Xuans soul slipped into the Compendium Library to browse through its books, a huge ruckus had broken out in the residence where his physical body was seated. Staring at the tree where Senior Duan hung, many poison masters trembled in fear. They had thought that the newly-arrived guest would end up being silently oppressed, but who could have thought that he was actually a rampaging dragon that devastated any who dared to provoke it! With just a single move, he had knocked out the strongest Senior Duan Ren amongst them! "Hurry up and report this to Vice Hall Master Ming..." Someone amongst the crowd shouted. "Alright!" A poison master replied before heading anxiously in a certain direction. Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen was a 7-star poison master, as well as Senior Duan Rens teacher. The reason why Senior Duan Ren was able to get away with acting so arrogantly in the Poison Hall was due to his backing. For Senior Duan Ren to be pummeled by a newly-arrived fellow... without a doubt, Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen would surely fly into a terrible rage. Rushing over, it didnt take long for the poison master to arrive at Vice Hall Master Ming Zhens residence. He tried to enter it, but someone blocked him at the entrance. "Vice Hall Master Ming is currently in a conference with the other elders. If you have something important to report, tell me and I will ry it to him instead." the guard spoke nonchntly. "Vice Hall Master Ming is in a conference?" Frowning, the poison master hesitated for a moment before he eventually made up his mind and reported, "Someone has pummeled and knocked out Senior Duan Ren!" "Someone has pummeled and knocked out Senior Duan Ren?" the guard was taken aback by the abrupt news. "Yes! The assant goes by the name of Sun Qiang, and he is a guest whom Elder Xu has brought in." The poison master revealed everything he knew, not daring to hide anything. "Alright, I got it. I will report it to Vice Hall Master Ming right now." The guard knew that Senior Duan Ren was a disciple which Hall Master Ming Zhen valued greatly and had high expectations of. In fact, thetter had been considering the matter of promoting Senior Duan Ren to be an elder of the Poison Hall as well, and it was likely that the motion would be proposed in the near future. Not daring to hesitate in the least, the guard hurriedly rushed in. A momentter, he returned and beckoned the poison master in, "Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen invites you in." Nodding, the poison master headed in. Not too longter, he arrived at the main hall. Upon seeing the impressive line up within, he couldnt help but cower in fear. Within the room wasnt just Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen but the other two vice hall masters too, as well as all of the 6-star pinnacle elders of the Poison Hall, with the exception of Elder Xu and Elder Xue. "What happened?" Upon seeing the poison master enter the room, Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen turned his authoritative gaze upon him and asked. Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen was a white-bearded old man who looked like he was in his sixties. His ck robe, paired with his sharp and chilling face, granted him a powerful presence which induced others to cower before him. "The matter is like this..." The poison master swiftly exined everything that he had seen earlier. "You are saying that the guest whom Xu You brought in has willfully injured Duan Ren?" Vice Hall Master Ming Zhens eyes narrowed in suppressed fury. "Yes..." The poison master nodded fearfully. "Very well! I have no idea where thatd came from, but how dare he cause trouble in the Poison Hall!" With a chilling glint in his eyes, Vice Hall Master Ming Zhenughed coldly. "Bring me over. I want to meet the audacious man who dared to make a move against my student!" "Yes!" Not daring to hesitate, the poison master hurriedly led the way. "Vice Hall Master MIng, since we are free at the moment, why dont we apany you there as well?" "Indeed. Normally, guests at our Poison Hall would be so nervous as to dare not utter a single word at all, yet, this fellow actually dared to make a move on our men. I sure would like to meet the amazing figure he is." The remaining two vice hall masters stood up simultaneously as well. "We are also interested to meet the person whom Xu You has brought back from his trip!" "How can I miss a matter as interesting as this?" ... The remaining twenty elders smiled with an interested gleam in their eyes. After spending so many years on this ind, rarely were there any matter that could interest the poison masters. Thus, upon hearing that an arrogant guest had visited their Poison Hall, they were eager to catch the drama that would unfold very soon. "Fine by me." Seeing that the two vice hall masters and the other elders wanted to tag along as well, Vice Hall Master Ming waved his hand casually before following the poison master, heading for Zhang Xuans residence. It didnt take him long to arrive at his destination. There, he saw his student and a few subordinates being hung pitifully atop a tree. Seemingly having suffered a heavy blow, his student had quite a few bones shattered, and his injuries were extremely severe. "Damn it!" With a livid face, Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen clenched his fists tightly together. The other party clearly knew that Duan Ren was his student, and yet, the other party still chose to deal Duan Ren such a vicious strike. This was a huge insult towards him as well. "Open the doors!" Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen beckoned for one of the elders to take care of Duan Ren before heading over to the residence door and harrumphed coldly. "V-vice Hall Master Ming... P-poison Master Sun said that..." Upon seeing the sudden arrival of so many vice hall masters and elders, Li Yuan and the others were scared speechless. With quivering lips, Li Yuan tried to exin the matter to them. "Do my words mean nothing to you?" Vice Hall Master Mings eyebrows shot up as he bellowed furiously. "No! Of course not..." Knowing that it would be unwise to challenge the authority of a vice hall master, Li Yuan could only obediently open the doors for him. He was intending to head in to inform Poison Master Sun Qiang of the matter in advance, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like he wouldnt get an opportunity to do so. "Hmph!" With a cold gaze, Vice Hall Master Min stepped into the residence, and the two vice hall masters and the other elders hurriedly followed him. They were interested to meet the person who dared to beat Duan Ren into the pitiful state he was in. After entering the residence, they soon saw a figure seated in the area which boasted the highest concentration of spiritual energy in the residence. His eyes were tightly shut, seemingly in the midst of his cultivation. "You are Sun Qiang?" Seeing how the other party was still in the mood to cultivate despite their arrival, Vice Hall Master Mings turned so dark that it seemed like ink would seep out from it. After saying those words, he waited for a while, but the fellow in front him still refused to open his eyes, as if they were non-existent. "Audacious! Do you know who I am?" Not expecting that a vice hall master like him would be snubbed so tantly, Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen felt so furious that he could explode. No matter, he was an esteemed 7-star poison master. It was one thing for the other party to not rise to his feets to wee him, but to be unwilling to even open his eyes, the other party was inconceivably arrogant! With so many people entering his residence and all the shouting that had gone on, he didnt believe that the other party would be oblivious to his presence! If this was the level of awareness he had, he would have long died in this world. There was no way he could have survived this long! Hu! Despite bellowing furiously, there was still no response from the other party. It was as if the person in front of him couldnt hear him at all. "You..." Raging with fury, Vice Hall Master Mings face flushed crimson. He had seen plenty of arrogant individuals in his life, but he had never one who dared to put on airs like that. Three vice hall masters and twenty elders, that was a line up that consisted of nearly the entire top echelon of the Poison Hall! Yet, despite calling repeatedly, the other party continued to sit nonchntly on the floor, not bothering to respond at all... "Audacious! Do you think that you can do as you please just because you have Xu Yous backing? Very well, I would like to see how Xu You can help you out of this situation today!" Unable to tolerate this tant disrespect any longer, Vice School Head Ming roared furiously as his zhenqi burst forth from him, ready to make a move. "Hahaha, Vice Hall Master Ming. How can you dirty your own hands teaching a person of this caliber a lesson? Allow me." At this moment, a chuckle sounded in the room, and an elder stepped forward. Chapter 998: The Invincible Zhang Xuan (1) Chapter 998: The Invincible Zhang Xuan (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Elder Huang?" Upon seeing who the one speaking was, Vice Hall Master Ming hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. It was indeed beneath his standing as a 7-star poison master, an esteemed vice hall master, to make a move against the guest of an elder. It would cast him under the suspicion of oppressing his juniors. As such, it would be best if Elder Huang was willing to make the move for him. Elder Huangs strength was not beneath Xu Yous, reaching Saint 1-dan pinnacle as well. At the same time, hisprehension of poison had also reached 6-star pinnacle. With such strength, it should be more than sufficient for him to teach this fellow a lesson. Upon receiving Vice Hall Master Mings permission, Elder Huang stepped forward and red at Sun Qiang with narrowed eyes, "Your name is Sun Qiang, isnt it? To keep your eyes shut even in all of our presence, you are truly presumptuous. However, it is presumptuous individuals like you who tend to have early deaths. I will give you three seconds to kneel down and apologize to Vice Hall Master Ming, and I can consider sparing your life. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty..." Three breathster, the other partys eyes were still tightly shut, as if he was dead. "I have already given you a chance, but you are the one who refused to grasp it. Very well, lets whether you boast strengthparable to the arrogance you are putting up!" With the other party ignoring him entirely, he seemed as if a clown speaking to himself in a mirror. Enraged, he raised his palm and struck it towards Zhang Xuan. Boom! An overwhelming surge of zhenqi burst forth from his fingers, and innumerable poison bits immediately shrouded the middle-aged man before him as if falling flower petals. Tzzzzzzz! Before the poison bits could evene into contact with the middle-aged man, the flowers and nts in the courtyard had already begun to wither, turning as ck as charcoal. "That is... A Smile of Liberation Powder?" An elder eximed in astonishment. A Smile of Liberation Powder was a poison specially concocted by Elder Huang. Just by a whiff, even a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert would die within a smile. Due to the frightening potency of the poison, it was deeply feared even amongst the upper echelons of the Poison Hall. "Not bad." Seeing that someone recognized the poison, Elder Huang nodded in glee. These poison bits were indeed his greatest masterpiece. Since the other party didnt know his ce, he would just have to ingrain it deeply into him! Hula! In just a few moments, the poison powder fell upon Sun Qiangs body, creating ayer of white kes reminiscent of snow. "A Smile of Liberation Powder can seep into ones body through the skin, so it is futile to hold ones breath. With so much of it on him, that fellow is a goner. Not even the deities will be able to save him at this point..." Upon seeing the sight, one of the elders shook his head and remarked. Putting aside breathing in such a potent poison, even just a single ke falling on one could easily lead to fatality. Considering that Elder Huang had thrown so many of it at once and even infused it with his zhenqi, the poison should have already seeped into the middle-aged mans skin. At this point, it was already toote to save the other party. "Wait a moment, something is wrong. Look!" Just as the crowd wasmenting over the imminent tragic death of the middle-aged man before them, another elder suddenly pointed forward and eximed. "Why does it seem like... nothing is happening to that fellow at all?" Hearing that question, everyone quickly turned their sights over. The person, who was seated cross-legged before them, was still in the same position as before, not moving in the least. His eyes were tightly shut, as if he was asleep. It was as if the A Smile of Liberation poison powder cast by Elder Huang waspletely ineffective against the person before his eyes. "Typically speaking, right after being poisoned by A Smile of Liberation, a persons body will start to convulse, his lips will uncontrobly curl upwards... Yet, this fellow is still showing the same nonchnt expression as before, as if his face has stiffened up... Elder Huang, could it be that your poison has lost its effectiveness?" Another elder couldnt help but ask. "This..." Hearing those words, Elder Huang hurriedly took a closer look at the other party. Even though the other party waspletely motionless, as a 6-star pinnacle poison master, he could still easily discern whether the other party was poisoned or not. A radiantplexion paired with smooth and supple skin... Not only did the other party show no signs of being poisoned, it seemed as if the other party had consumed some kind of incredible tonic, nourishing his body further... The heck! Cant you at least squeeze out the slightest hint of being poisoned for me? At the very least, make your face redden a little... Otherwise, how am I to face my fellow peers in the room? "It is no wonder why that fellow is so arrogant. He must have consumed the antidote beforehand! The more Elder Huang thought about it, the more furious he felt. "Since he doesnt fear poison, lets see if a mere Nascent Saint like him will be able to fend against my rampaging might!" Right after saying those words, he sent a powerful punch right towards Zhang Xuan! Elder Huang had no idea what kind of antidote the other party had consumed that actually rendered his A Smile of Liberation futile, but it was likely that he would only embarrass himself further if he were to continue using poison. Since that was the case, he felt that it would be safer for him to use brute force instead. He had to let the other party learn the price of acting arrogant! Hong long! The strength of a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator rampaged, and in an instant, a huge gust of wind was whipped up within the courtyard. The bluestone pavements on the ground creaked under the immense strain of the might, seemingly ready to shatter in innumerable pieces at any moment. "That fellow... still isnt going to open his eyes?" an elder eximed. Elder Huang was preparing his strongest technique, and the overwhelming zhenqi he exerted was so great that even his breathing had hastened... and yet, the target facing the attack, Sun Qiang, still refused to open his eyes. He remained motionless on the spot, not bothering to dodge or retaliate... Wasnt this going a little too far? Peng! The fist whichmanded iparable might fell upon Sun Qiangs face! Kacha! The sound of bones breaking echoed clearly within the room. Following which, everyone saw Elder Huang leaping backward furiously with his left arm clutching tightly onto his right arm. The unbearable pain in his arm left his face twitching uncontrobly, and tears glistened in his eyes. "This..." Everyone blinked their eyes in a daze, dumbfounded. Elder Huang had utilized his full strength to strike on the other partys face, and yet, without even scraping the other partys skin, his arm was broken instead... Was this for real? Was that fellow that thick-skinned? "Damn it, I will rip you into pieces!" Noticing everyones bizarre gazes on him, Elder Huang felt so embarrassed that he could die. Roaring furiously, he drew out a sword and charged at the fellow before him. "Elder Huang, you mustnt get reckless!" Upon seeing Elder Huangs actions, everyone was astonished. If that Sun Qiang fellow were to die under Elder Huangs poison, he could still justify it as having failed to control his poison properly. On the other hand, the drawing of his sword could be interpreted as an attempt to kill in the Poison Hall. If the deed was really done, there would be no backing out. Si! Blinded by his rage, Elder Huang couldnt hear anyones voice anymore. He hacked his sharp sword down upon the fellow seated before him furiously, intending to split the fellow before him into two. However, just as the sword was about tond, the other party suddenly raised his palm and struck upwards. Hong long long! The loud rumbling of a thunder resounded deafeningly in the courtyard. Elder Huangs sword qi dissipated entirely under the immense momentum of the palm strike, and in the next moment, his head was forcefully struck into his chest. Putong! Elder Huangs body fell lifelessly onto the ground, never to move again. "What?" "Elder Huang was killed in a single palm strike?" "That strike didnt just neutralize Elder Huangs attack, it rebounded Elder Huangs strength back upon him! Is that fellow really just at Nascent Saint?" ... Looking at the dead Elder Huang, everyones body stiffened. That was an elder, a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert! The other party was an existence who boasted equivalent strength to them, and yet... he was actually killed in a single palm strike... Just how powerful could that palm be? "He didnt even move the rest of his body at all, and his eyes had never opened at any point in time either..." A quivering voice sounded amidst the group. Hearing those words, everyone suddenly recalled the situation back then, and it seemed like Sun Qiang had been seated on the floor all along, moving only his palms. And more importantly... his eyes had never opened at any point in time! In other words... the other party hadnt even got serious yet! It was a casual palm strike to the other party, and yet, it was sufficient to im Elder Huangs life! "There is something really uncanny about this fellow. Nevertheless, we cant allow him to get away scot-free for killing Elder Huang. Lets attack him together, dont let him escape!" A person roared. In the next moment, the remaining neen elders swiftly flitted through the courtyard, surrounding Zhang Xuan tightly. The reason why they held themselves back a moment ago was because it would be unseemly for elders like them to make a move on the juniors, and there would be no way they could ount this matter to Elder Xu either. However, now that the other party had killed Elder Huang, there were no grounds for reconciliation anymore. Not even Elder Xu would be in a position to stop them anymore. "Indeed, lets attack him together!" "I sure do want to see if he is able to withstand by Yama Incapacitation Powder!" ... Hu! The neen elders struck simultaneously, and in an instant, the courtyard was suddenly filled with all kinds of poisonous mist. Several poisonous bugs and snakes leaped furiously towards Zhang Xuan, eager to sink their teeth into his flesh. With so many lethal poisonspounded together, even a Saint 2-dan primary stage expert would find himself sumbing to the poison within seconds. Yet, when the mist finally scattered slightly, everyone was shocked to realize that... the other party was stillpletely motionless, as if he couldnt even feel the poison around him. "The antidote that fellow took is too potent, our poisons arepletely useless against him... Lets just make a move on him straight. I dont believe that he will be able to withstand the attacks from all neen of us simultaneously!" Someone amidst the group bellowed, and the others nodded in agreement. Despite having utilized all of their strongest poisons simultaneously, that fellow wasnt wounded in the slightest. There wasnt even the slightest hint of anomaly on his face. This went to show that something was amiss. They had no idea how the other party managed to do it, but it seemed like poison waspletely ineffective against him. Since that was the case... they had no choice but to settle it with violence! Boom! Boom! Boom! Right after hearing that bellow, the neen elders charged straight for the middle-aged man seated at the middle. Feeling the overwhelming force that had gathered around him, the seated Sun Qiang seemed to have finally sensed that his life was in danger. Standing up, his figure flitted as if a streak of lightning, swiftly diving amongst the group. Rather than Nascent Saint, the agility of his movements was more like that of a Saint 2-dan expert. While threading nimbly amongst the many attacks headed for him, he retaliated with fists of his own as well. His punches seemed to be direct and straightforward, but for some reason, it seemed to be infused with somepelling force that prevented them from evading them. Peng peng peng peng! Every single punchunched would urately strike upon an elder, sending thetter flying away. The overwhelming strength that the other party exerted was far beyond what all of thembined could handle. On top of that, it wasnt just the other partys punch that they had to guard against. The other partys leg arts were formidable as well. His kicks were abrupt, swift, and precise, making it nigh difficult to guard against it. "H-h-his eyes... His eyes are still closed!" The longer the fight went on for, the more stifled the elders felt. Neen Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts had encircled a Nascent Saint cultivator and attacked him simultaneously, and yet, not only did the other party manage to remain unharmed before their assault, they even realized that they were gradually being suppressed... And most importantly of all, the other partys eyes were still shut! It was as if the other party was sleepwalking! All of his actions and movements seemed to be instinctive, derived solely from hisbat instincts! To be able to overwhelm the simultaneous assault of all neen of them just by hisbat instincts in itself... The elders felt as if they were going insane. The vice hall masters watching the situation also couldnt help but gape at the inconceivable situation. "We need to help them! The elders wont be able to hold on for much longer..." One of the three vice hall masters eximed. It was in consideration of their standing that they were unwilling to make a move earlier. After all, for 7-star poison masters like them to lower themselves to deal with a measly Nascent Saint cultivator was truly unseemly... However, at this point, they realized that if they didnt make a move soon, the neen elders could very well end up in the same state as Elder Huang. That would be a devastating blow to the Poison Hall. "Alright, lets go together..." Vice Hall Master Ming Zhens eyebrows shot up as he raised his palm and charged forward. Chapter 999: The Invincible Zhang Xuan (2) Chapter 999: The Invincible Zhang Xuan (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen was a 7-star primary poison master, and he possessed a cultivation of Saint 2-dan primary stage. Exerting his full might, an immense pressure fell from the heavens, crumbling the walls of the courtyard into dust. Seeing that Ming Zhen had made a move, the other two also stepped forward without any hesitation. Just like Ming Zhen, they were also Saint 2-dan primary stage cultivators which possessed astounding fighting prowess. With the three experts coborating with one another, an overwhelming force swept into the surroundings like a cmitous tide, destroying everything in its path. "What is going on?" Seeing the copse of the courtyard walls and sensing the fearsome shockwave that lingered in the air as a result of the fighting, Li Yuan and the others, who were still guarding outside at the moment, turned their eyes over, and upon taking a look, their faces began twitching uncontrobly. Wasnt Vice Hall Master Ming going to just get even with Poison Master Sun over this matter? Why would they suddenly start fighting like that? Not to mention... for the three vice hall masters and all of the elders to gang up against a mere Nascent Saint cultivator... Werent they being a little too shameless? "It seems like... Elder Huang has died..." A quivering voice sounded in the air. It was after hearing the voice did Li Yuan notice that an old man was lying on the ground with his head sunk into his neck, as if someone had smacked it in with his palm. It was an extremely eerie and bone-chilling sight. Without a doubt, that was definitely a fatal blow! "Most likely, they must have provoked Poison Master Sun, and out of anger, thetter ended up doing this..." Li Yuans heart jolted in fear as he continued staring intently at the situation. With the three Saint 2-dan vice hall masters joining the fray, the tables seemed to have been turned. Having to fend off more than 22 experts simultaneously, Poison Master Sun was ced under great pressure. With a forceful strike, Poison Master Sun knocked two of the elders who were engaging him at the moment before swiftly flicking both of his wrists. A spear appeared in his right hand and a sword appeared in his left. Hu! With a simple pierce, the spear whizzed across spear and appeared right before an elder. In the blink of an eye, the spear had already impaled the other partys throat. Under the immense force of the pierce, the lifeless body of the elder was sent flying out. Moving simultaneously along with the piercing spear, the sword in Zhang Xuans left hand moved in an elegant arc, and a sword qi harnessing the invible authority of the heavens abruptly burst forth. The elder who was standing to the left of Zhang Xuan hadnt expected that he would be able to effectively utilize both weapons simultaneously... Before he could react, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation strike his neck. In the next moment, as his head rolled off its base, a fountain of blood spurted forth from the neck of the decapitated body. "He is killing the elders..." A chilling sensation abruptly assaulted Li Yuan and the others, and they began shivering involuntarily. Each of these elders was reminiscent of transcendental existences to them, mighty figures whom they could never hope to equal... Yet, at this moment, it was as if someone had torn the veil of mystery and grandeur shrouding them. Like any other mortals, they were bleeding and dying... That powerful impact from the sight left their throat tensing up, rendering it difficult for them to breathe. "Doesnt it seem like... throughout the course of the entire battle, Poison Master Sun hasnt even opened his eyes once?" Someone amongst the group suddenly eximed in astonishment. After hearing those words, it suddenly dawned on Li Yuan and the others that that was indeed the case. From the start of the battle until now, Poison Master Sun Qiang had his eyes tightly shut, seemingly only retaliating instinctively to whoever who was attacking him. Every spear that whizzed forth would have the throat of an elder in its path. Every single sword sh would send an elder into deaths embrace... It was as if the other party was Yama 1 himself, an unstoppable force which they couldnt hope to stop no matter how they struggled. in just a few moments, another ten more elders were killed. "This wont do. If this goes on, all of the elders will be killed by that fellow..." Seeing the number of elders of the Poison Hall swiftly diminishing, Vice Hall Master Ming panicked. If this were to go on, in less than ten breaths, every single elder in the Poison Hall could very well lose their lives here! To think that a Nascent Saint cultivator would be able to im the upper hand while rivaling 22 Saint realm experts simultaneously and even kill ten of them consecutively... Just what kind of monster was he? "All elders, listen to mymand! Retreat to the backline, I, Vice Hall Master Ming, and Vice Hall Master Qian will deal with that fellow ourselves!" Realizing the same, another vice hall mastermanded with an authoritative voice. As there were too many people involved in the fight earlier, and most of them were their close friends on top of that, they were unable to exert their full might as Saint 2-dan cultivators for fear of harming them identally. What they had to do now was to have the other elders back out of the battle first so that the three of them could better coborate with one another to kill the fellow before them! "Yes!" Upon hearing themand, the remaining elders heaved a sigh of relief. They hurriedly leaped out of the battle with fear reflected in their eyes. Honestly speaking, there was really something unsettling about that fellow. It was one thing for the other party to be impervious to their poisons, their greatest weapon, but how could the other party wield such frightening physical and zhenqi strength as well? It was as if he was a gargantuan monster packed in the form of a human, wielding inhuman might in every single one of his strikes. Despite so many of them teaming up against him, he was still able to emerge unscathed and even kill more than ten of them so easily... Not to mention, from the start to the end, he had never opened his eyes at all! If he was already so powerful without his eyes, how frightening would he be when he opened them? If only they had known earlier, they would have never gotten involved in this matter... From the very start, this was a matter caused by the student of Vice Hall Master Ming. It had nothing to do with them, and they were supposed to be there as mere spectators... ... Right after the elders left, the three vice hall masters swiftly surrounded Sun Qiang. Driving zhenqi in their body to the limits, theyunched powerful blows one after another towards the other party. Hula! With thebined strength of three Saint 2-dan acting against him, a powerful force sealed the space around Zhang Xuan tightly, effectively caging him in. Despite being trapped, Zhang Xuan showed no signs of faltering at all. On the contrary, he seemed to be getting more and more powerful as the fight went on. All of a sudden, with a piercing shrill, the spear in Zhang Xuans right hand burst forth. Ding ding ding ding! The spear tip struck the walls of the cage forcefully. In the blink of an eye, cracks began appearing on the stable wall of zhenqi. Following right after, a sword sliced through the cracks in the wall. Hu! Just like that, the powerful Zhenqi Spatial Lock was sliced into two. Pu! Pu! Pu! Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen and the others spurted fresh blood simultaneously as horror surfaced in their eyes. For a Nascent Saint cultivator to tear apart the Zhenqi Spatial Lock set up by three Saint 2-dan experts so easily... the other partys strength had far exceeded their expectations! Furthermore, what was even more frightening was that the zhenqi harnessed by the other party seemed to have no bounds! Despite executing such powerful attacks multiple times within a short frame of time, the other party was still as vigorous as ever, as if those attacks hadnt depleted him in the least! Just how in the world did he do it? "Trinity of Heaven and Earth Formation!" Bellowing anxiously, Vice Hall Master swiftly flitted to the side and assumed a specific position. Hearing his words, the other two vice hall masters nodded and swiftly got into their positions as well. Trinity of Heaven and Earth Formation! This was a formation that could amplify theirbined fighting prowess. As long as they were to use it well, even a Saint 2-dan pinnacle expert would be no match for them! Hu! As soon as they got into position, their raging zhenqi began connecting with one another, forming something reminiscent of a metal chain. Seemingly sensing a threat from their movements, Sun Qiang took a step back and kept the spear in his hand with a flick of his wrist. Even so, his eyes still didnt open. "Go!" Tzzzzzz! With the formation augmenting them, the aura of the three vice hall masters surged. Drawing their swords, they flicked their wrists and sent innumerable surges of sword qi towards Zhang Xuan as they charged forward. However, before any of the sword qi could strike Sun Qiang, thetter abruptly leaped up and kicked thrice consecutively in the air. The three kicks didnt seem to have any particr rhythm to them, but yet, theynded urately in their path of movement. With just this simple move, their coborative offense was sent into disarray. "He... broke the Trinity of Heaven and Earth Formation?" Upon seeing this sight, the surviving elders narrowed their eyes in astonishment. The three kicks might seem to be random and illogical, but it had destroyed the tempo of the Trinity of Heaven and Earth Formation, thus effectively nullifying it! To be able to ovee such a formidable formation with just a couple of kicks, could it be that the other party possessed deep understanding in formations as well? It was one thing for the other party to be so powerful, but to have such a deep understanding of formations on top of that... how were they supposed to win against this freak? Not only would their formations bepletely ineffective against the other party, the other party could even utilize formations against them as well. The situation was very disadvantageous to them. Puhe! While the elders were still overwhelmed with shock, Sun Qiang, who was still surrounded by the three vice hall masters, abruptly swept his sword forth, severing Vice Hall Master Ming Zhens arm along with his entire shoulder. Blood immediately spurted frenziedly in the air. "AHHHHH!!!!" With a cry of agony, Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen hurriedly retreated backward with a pale face. At this point, he could no longer find the strength to fight on any longer. No matter how he thought about it, the situation was just inconceivable to him. How could the coboration of three Saint 2-dan experts fail to subdue a mere Nascent Saint cultivator? ... WIth the formation broken, there was no longer anything to fear from the trio anymore. Sun Qiang advanced towards the other two remaining vice hall masters. With the sword in his hand, he rendered thempletely incapable of retaliating, leaving them no choice but to retreat continuously. "Wait a moment... is it just me, or is Sun Qiangs offense always targeted towards the person who is attacking him at the present moment? As long as one were to stop his attack, he wouldnt pursue the other party any further..." All of the sudden, an elder suddenly eximed. "Now that you speak of it... that does seem to be the case!" Another elder nodded in agreement. Thinking back, as powerful as Sun Qiangs fighting prowess was, he didnt just attack any of them randomly. Instead... it seemed like his attacks were only focused on whoever that was attacking him! It was almost as if... he was moving on reflex... "Vice Hall Master Qian and Vice Hall Master Sun, stop attacking him! There is a very good chance that he will cool down once you stop your offense!" Upon realizing this point, one of the elders hurriedly shouted over. "Stop attacking him?" Hearing that shout, the two vice hall masters suddenly recalled the details of the battle and realized the same anomaly as well. With a frown, they leaped out from the area of battle. H! As soon as they leaped away, the other party, which was sending out innumerable lethal sword qi at them a moment ago, abruptly lowered his sword before keeping it with a flick of his wrist. Hu! Following which, he sat down cross-legged on the floor once more, paying no heed to the huge crowd around him at all. "This..." Seeing that the other party had finally stopped his offense, the duo heaved a sigh of relief. As the tension finally left their body, they realized that they werepletely soaked with cold sweat. Had it not been for that elder realizing the anomaly regarding the other partys attack, it would just be a matter of time before they were killed. For a Nascent Saint to kill a dozen Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts and corner three Saint 2-dan experts to the point where they could hardly catch a breath... Where did Elder Xu find this monster from? "It seems like... he was in some kind of trance due to his cultivation. Rather than attacking us consciously, it is a reflex action from his body in response to danger..." Vice Hall Master Qian remarked. "This..." Hearing the other partys exnation, everyone contemted for a moment before nodding in agreement. There was some sense in what the other party had said. From the start to the end, Sun Qiang had been sitting there silently. It was only upon their offense that he was forced to retaliate... Furthermore, throughout the course of the battle, he only retaliated against those who were attacking him at that moment. Those who had attempted to im his life ended up having their lives imed by him instead. Thinking about it now, it seemed they had only survived the ordeal because they had held back in their attacks... "If even his reflexes are so powerful... just how formidable will he be in a conscious state?" An elder trembled in fear as he spoke. Everyone fell silent. Reflexes were the instinctive reactions of a body in face of a certain stimulus. Actions made under such circumstances were devoid of consideration, so naturally, ones fighting prowess would be limited. Yet, under such a state, the other party was actually able to corner nearly all of the elders and vice hall masters of the Poison Hall... If that Sun Qiang fellow were to recover from his state of cultivation, wouldnt he be a huge threat to all of them? Who in the Poison Hall would be able to stop him? "Quick, call Elder Xu over!" Unable to stand it any longer, Vice Hall Master Qianmanded anxiously. "It seems like Elder Xu has gone to meet the hall master..." One of the elders replied. "Call the hall master here as well then!" Vice Hall Master Qian snapped. Gritting his teeth, he turned his gaze towards the dead elders by the side, and tears began streaming down his eyes. What the heck was this? When had their Poison Hall suffered such great grievances? Chapter 1000: My Precious Chapter 1000: My Precious Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In the residence where the hall master resided, Elder Xu was seated by the side with a slight smile on his face. "You are saying that it is due to a righteous poison master named Sun Qiang who saved you despite the dangers that you are able to return to the Poison Hall?" An old man seated opposite to Elder Xu asked. With an appearance reminiscent of a person in his sixties or seventies, the old man had an amiable smile on his face. Had one not known better, it would have been impossible to imagine that this old man was actually the head of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, a 7-star poison master! "Thats right. That Poison Master Sun is a very righteous person, and he possesses both courage and wits. If not for him, I would have died just like Elder Xue..." Elder Xus eyes gleamed in admiration and respect as he spoke about Sun Qiang. To be able to save him from the hands of a Saint 4-dan expert, the courage and wits that were required to do so was something that too few in the world possessed. "For a Nascent Saint to be able to face an expert of that caliber straight without faltering, he is indeed a rare talent. Alright, I shall approve of the matter. He will be given an opportunity to take the poison master examination to join our Poison Hall!" The old man stroked his beard as he said with a smile. "Thank you, hall master!" Elder Xu hurriedly stood up and sped his fist. With a look of confidence, he continued, "Rest assured, you wont regret the decision you made today. Poison Master Sun is definitely a trustworthy person whom we can leave our backs to!" "It is rare for you to offer such highpliments to someone. I will be looking forward to meeting Poison Master Sun then..." The hall master nodded. Halfway through his words, a person suddenly rushed into the room while eximing, "Hall master!" "Elder Feng, whats wrong?" Turning around, Elder Xu recognized the person to be a fellow elder of the Poison Hall, Feng Ping. However, the current Elder Feng was vastly different from how he was usually. His nose was crooked, his face was swollen, and his body was filled with many bloodstains. It was as if he had just undergone some kind of life-and-death situation. "Whats wrong? You still dare to ask me whats wrong?" Upon seeing Elder Xu, Feng Ping suddenly felt immense rage coursing through his body. Roaring furiously, he charged at Elder Xu, seemingly wanting to tear the other party apart. Were it not for Xu You bringing that fellow here, would their Poison Hall suffer such tragic casualties today? "Elder Feng, it is unseemly for an elder like you to make a move on your peers without any warning! Speak, what happened?" the hall master bellowed with a frown. "Hall master..." Upon hearing the bellow, Elder Feng hesitated for a moment before stopping. Clenching his jaws tightly together, he spoke indignantly, "Fourteen elders of our Poison Hall have just been killed! The only ones surviving are me, Elder Du, and four others. Even Hall Master Ming had his entire arm severed at the shoulder, and he is still in a precarious state at the moment..." "What? Fourteen elders have just been killed? Hurry up and exin yourself!" Shocked by the news, the hall master abruptly got to his feet and stared at Elder Feng with narrowed eyes. There were only a total of 22 elders in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall. It was just a moment ago which he had just received news of Elder Xues death... and in the blink of an eye, another fourteen elders were killed? These elders should have been in the Poison Hall, and for them to be killed... could it be that they have been invaded by enemies?" "The culprit is... the guest whom Elder Xu brought in, Sun Qiang!" Elder Feng spat through gritted teeth. "Sun Qiang? What happened?" Astonished, Elder Xu staggered. "This is what happened..." Elder Feng swiftly exined everything that had happened, including how Duan Ren had challenged Sun Qiang, Vice Hall Master Ming flying into a rage, as well as... how they encircled Sun Qiang, only to be killed themselves. "How could this be..." After hearing the exnation, Elder Xu suddenly felt the vision before him cking out. I know that I said that those within the Poison Hall respect the strong, and you dont have to show any mercy to them. But... you really dont have to go to the extent of killing fourteen elders of the Poison Hall! It was just a moment ago that I said that you are a righteous and trustworthy person, and in the next moment, you caused me such a trouble... How do you expect me to face the other party like that? "Lets go over and take a look!" Shooting a cold nce at Elder Xu, the hall master flung his sleeves before hurriedly following Elder Feng out. Naturally, Elder Xu had no choice but to tag along. Not too longter, they arrived at the amodation Elder Xu had prepared for Zhang Xuan, and it didnt take long for them to notice that the ground was filled with corpses. These men were Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts, masters of poison. Outside, they could easily rival three to four ordinary Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivators easily, and yet, within just a few moments... they had turned into cold corpses lying on the ground. Scanning the area, he soon caught sight of the culprit, Sun Qiang. Thetter was still seated cross-legged on the ground, cultivating with his eyes tightly shut, as if he had nothing to do with the horror that had just urred a moment ago. "Elder Huang, Elder Li, Elder Liu..." Looking at the corpses on the ground, the hall master felt a lump in his throat. Subconsciously, he clenched his trembling hands tightly into fists. These were the men who had apanied him for several centuries of his life, and yet, within just a few moments, they were ughtered clean by that fellow! More importantly, the culprit was still dared to cultivate fearlessly on the spot... Wasnt he snubbing their Poison Hall way too much! "Hall master, you must kill that fellow and avenge our brothers!" Vice Hall Master Ming rushed forward and pleaded desperately. He had already had his arm bandaged, and he had consumed some recovery medicine to alleviate his condition as well. However, the injury he had sustained was simply too severe that it was impossible for him to make a full recovery. To put it in harsh words, he had been crippled. "Hall master, that fellow is simply too arrogant. He doesnt even bother to open his eyes when he fights us. It will be a cmity to the Poison Hall if we were to leave such an imperious fellow lurking amongst us..." "We must kill him. Otherwise, how can we face our dead brothers? This is a matter regarding the dignity of our Poison Hall!" ... The other two vice hall masters and elders roared in agreement. As one of the most feared upations on the Master Teacher Continent, others would flee in fright whenever they appeared. When had they suffered such grievance such as to have fourteen of their elders killed by a fellow with his eyes closed? "Dont worry. No one has ever gotten away scot-free after causing trouble in the Poison Hall!" Waving his hand grandly, the hall master turned to Vice Hall Master Qian and instructed, "Apprehend Xu You and have him imprisoned. After I deal with this fellow, I will interrogate him personally!" "Yes!" Upon hearing the order, the elders hurriedly encircled Elder Xu to prevent him from escaping. "Hall master!" Not expecting the situation to unfold in such a manner, Elder Xu eximed in panic. Yet, there was nothing he could do in this situation. There was no way he could exin himself. Back when Poison Master Sun apanied him to the Poison Hall, the other party still seemed perfectly normal. Thinking back, the other party even promised him to keep a low profile... Yet, within the short span of time which he went to report something to the hall master, the other party actually killed fourteen elders... Is this your definition of low profile? You are clearly not here to take the poison master examination but to wipe our Poison Hall off the face of the world! But as stifled as he was, Elder Xu knew that he owed his life to Poison Master Sun. After a moment of hesitation, he still couldnt help but speak up, "Hall master, Poison Master Sun isnt the type of person to kill the innocent. There might be some kind of misunderstanding here..." "Seal his mouth!" the hall master roared furiously. Fourteen elders of the Poison Hall had been killed, and Elder Xu still dared to y this matter off as a misunderstanding. If a misunderstanding could justify this matter, what else in the world couldnt be justified? "Yes!" Vice Hall Master Qian nodded before walking up to Elder Xu. With a tap of his finger, he sealed Elder Xus ability to speak. Seeing that Elder Xu had been dealt with, the hall master finally turned his gaze back to the middle-aged man seated before him and spoke menacingly, "Sun Qiang, is it? To dare to venture alone to the Poison Hall to cause trouble, I have to admit that you do have guts. However... regardless of who you are or what you are here for, since you are already here, you need not think about stepping out of here alive!" Walking up to Zhang Xuan, the hall master tapped his finger lightly, and a row of beetles, roughly around the size of a fingernail each, flew forth. There were exactly nine of them. An old gold color shell on their back and wings that reflected sunlight off its body, they had a particrly disconcerting appearance. "Those are our hall masters Darkgold Venom Beetles!" "These beetles contain a lethal poison which can kill even a Saint 3-dan expert easily!" "Indeed. Our hall master had to pay a heavy price in order to nurture these Darkgold Venom Beetles. Just counting the saint herbs by itself, those beetles had already eaten more than a hundred of them... But fortunately, his investment paid off. It was arduous and expensive, but he managed to nurture nine of them!" "Each of these nine bugs is able to poison a Saint 3-dan expert to death individually. With the nine of them gathered, even a Saint 4-dan expert would have to flee in fear. To release all of them simultaneously... it seems like our hall master is truly enraged!" "That fellow is done for. Although I dont know what kind of antidotes he consumed to render all of our poisons ineffective, there is no way that it will be able to neutralize the Darkgold Venom Beetles of our hall master!" ... Upon seeing the hall master release his Darkgold Venom Beetle, everyones eyes lit up. Every single one of them had nurtured their own poisonous bug or snake at some point in time, but in terms of deadliness, there was none that coulde close toparing up to the hall masters Darkgold Venom Beetle. Just a single one was sufficient to poison a Saint 3-dan expert. It was no wonder why it would be an object of fear for many! Should the hall master intend to start a massacre, these nine Darkgold Venom Beetles could easily bring extinction upon the entire Hongyuan City. This was the frightening might of a 7-star poison master! In everyones view, regardless of how potent the antidote Sun Qiang had consumed was, the most he could do was to neutralize their poison powder. In face of a poisonous bug as formidable as the Darkgold Venom Beetle, there could only be one ouedeath! "Wuuuuuuuu!!!" Forming a stark contrast to everyone look of anticipation, however, was Elder Xus panicked muffled shouting. However, with his ability to speak sealed, he wasnt able to say anything at all, so he could only cry anxiously by the side. Ignoring the looks of amazement from the crowd, the hall master flicked his finger grimly, and nine droplets of blood flew forth. The nine Darkgold Venom Beetles swallowed a droplet each, and their colors grew even brighter. "Go!" With a furious bellow, the hall master pointed his finger towards Sun Qiang on the floor with killing intent seething in his eyes. Weng weng weng! Upon hearing themand, the nine beetles flew forward, and in the blink of an eye, they were already right before Zhang Xuan. Seemingly unaware of the dangers lurking around him, Zhang Xuan remained seated in the ground with his eyes tightly shut, not moving in the least. Hu! Seeing that the other party had no intentions of dodging, the hall master sneered coldly. He controlled the beetles remotely and had themnd all over Zhang Xuans body, be it his arm, neck, or legs, anywhere his skin was exposed. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The beetles bit down firmly, and venomous fluid flowed from the beetles mouth into Zhang Xuans body. "They have bitten him!" "As soon as the Darkgold Venom Beetle bites down on its target, venomous fluid will immediately flow from its mouth into the targets bloodstream, and within just three breaths, the target will meet his demise!" "To be bitten by all nine beetles simultaneously, it will be a miracle if he can even survive a single breath..." ... Everyone thought that the fellow would flee in fright after seeing the Darkgold Venom Beetles, but who would have thought that he would remain seated on the floor, allowing the nine beetles act as they pleased. With all nine of the beetles biting him simultaneously, not even the deities could possibly be able to save him anymore! Hu! Hu! RIght after biting Zhang Xuan, the nine Darkgold Venom Beetles flew up once more. However, before they could get far, their heads suddenly nted to the side, as if intoxicated. Padah! Padah! Padah! Following which, they abruptly fell to the grounds. Their legs twitched for a few moments before falling still altogether. Pu! The hall masters face paled, and blood spewed from his mouth. He staggered eight steps back before falling weakly to the ground. Raising his gaze, he looked at his fallen beetles with a look of horror. "My precious..." Chapter 1001: How Noisy! Chapter 1001: How Noisy! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric He had spent several centuries cultivating these nine Darkgold Venom Beetles, and he had spent an unimaginable wealth and fed it a vast amount of fresh blood before he could nurture them to maturity. In a sense, it was no joke to say that they were even more precious to him than his own son. And yet, in the blink of an eye, they had copsed to the ground, not moving at all. It took all of the mental resilience he had to not go insane in that moment. Seeing the hall master and the Darkgold Venomous Beetles state, the surrounding crowd nced at one another in bewilderment. "Are those Darkgold Venomous Beetles... poisoned to death by Sun Qiang?" "That fellow actually carries an even more formidable poison than that of the beetles?" "While attempting to poison that fellow to death, they ended up being poisoned to death instead..." ... After realizing what was going on, their faces warped in frenzy. Given their deepprehension of poison, it didnt take too long for them to uncover the true reason behind the beetles deaththey were killed by an even formidable poison than the one they carried! From the start to the end, the beetles had onlynded on Sun Qiangs body for a brief moment. Given so, no matter how inconceivable it was, there was only one possibility to the situation... The other party carried an even more fearsome poison in him! The other party had stood still for the beetles to bite him, but it ended up being the beetles who were the ones who died instead... The spectators couldnt help but feel frenzied by the sight. This was the Poison Hall, the ground where all of the top poison users of Hongyuan Empire, or even the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire, were at. And yet, the precious poisonous beetles of the hall masters ended up being poisoned to death? It was truly a huge irony! "I will kill you!" the hall master bellowed with utmost rage. At this moment, the hall master bore no semnce to the elegant and dignified old man he was before. His eyes had turned red in delirium, and it seemed like he would not rest until he ripped the fellow before his eyes apart. However, that was to be expected. The Darkgold Venom Beetles were his Lifebound Venomous Bugs, and their deaths didnt just signify that the staggering amount of resources he had devoted to cultivating them had gone to waste. More importantly, it had caused a huge trauma to his soul, causing his cultivation to plummet. He was a powerful Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivator before, but at this moment... it would already be a huge blessing if he could exert the might of a Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivator. Boom! Since even the Darkgold Venom Beetles were unable to poison the other party to death, the hall master knew that the other poisons he had in his possession were unlikely to work as well. Roaring furiously, his zhenqi flurried, forming a massive palm in the sky that struck down with imposing momentum. But before the palm could strike Sun Qiang, thetter abruptly stood up, and with his eyes still closed, he flicked his wrist and whipped out a spear. In an instant, his aura changed. It was even more fearsome than Zheng Yang back then. With a spear in his hand, his presence felt as if a majestic dragon amongst the clouds, dominating the world with its fearsome might. Hu! He tossed the spear upwards with incredible might, and the two forces shed with one another in the sky. A huge shockwave burst forth from the collision, forcing Zhang Xuan to take two steps backward. After which, with a forceful step, he leaped upwards to grab his spear before directing it down towards the enemy. In this instant, it felt as if the line between spear and man had been thinned. The spear was part of the man, and the man was part of the spear as wellSpear-Man Union. Immense zhenqi was channeled into the spear, and it was further augmented with the iparably powerful physical strength which Zhang Xuan possessed. Even before his spear could reach the other party, the bluestone pavement on the ground had already burst open. The ground where the hall master stood abruptly copsed inward, creating a huge depression. "Damn you!" Bellowing furiously, the hall master charged up furiously to face Zhang Xuan. Had it been under normal circumstances, as powerful as the other party was, he was confident that he would have been able to subdue of even kill the other party easily with his Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivation. However, all nine of his Lifebound Venomous Bugs had just been killed. Both his body and his soul had sustained severe damage, preventing him from even exerting a tenth of his original strength. shing directly with the other party, he gradually felt that he was being overwhelmed. But... the enemy was only a Nascent Saint! "I dont believe that I cant kill you!" Bellowing furiously once more, the hall master drove his zhenqi to the limits, such that it was beginning to release gulu gulu noises, reminiscent of boiling water. Boom! As the spear tip and the palm collided with one another, a loud explosion sounded. The sheer force emanated from the collision reduced all building in an area of several hundred meters into dust. The poison masters who had been hanging around the corner to watch the show suddenly felt an immense threat on their life, and they hurriedly retreated in fear, not daring to stand close. Pu! The closed eyes Sun Qiang seemed to be unable to withstand the full might of the hall master. Spurting a mouthful of blood, he was sent flying before crashing heavily onto the ground. The cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher did granted Zhang Xuan the strength to challenge opponents beyond him, but there was a limit to it... the strength harnessed by the hall master was simply too great. He was no match for it at all. But of course, if his soul was in his body at this moment, he would have been able to use the Library of Heavens Path to peer through the other partys ws and design abat strategy to corner the other party. However... having only his reflexes to rely on at the moment, he could only sh face to face with the other party, and that clearly ced him in a very disadvantageous position. "Die!" After knocking Sun Qiang flying, the hall master rushed forward to pursue him. From the previous collision, he had gained a rough gauge of the other partys strength, The other party was indeed formidable for a Nascent Saint, butpared to him, the other party was stillcking a little. As long as he were to push on forcefully, not giving other party an opportunity to catch a breather, he would surely be able to corner the other party and kill him! Hu! Sensing danger from the man before him, Sun Qiang seemed to have gotten apprehensive. Tossing the spear in his hand out towards the hall master, he hurriedly turned around and fled. In the blink of an eye, he was already a few hundred meters away. "Where do you think you are escaping to!" Not expecting the other party to have no principles at all, fighting arrogantly with his eyes closed a moment ago only to be fleeing shamelessly a momentter, the hall master bellowed angrily. He quickly charged forward and sent another palm strike at the other party. Hong long! The overwhelming might of the palm smashed a huge depression into the ground. However, the other party was simply too nimble, evading his attack with ease. "Stop him!" Seeing the other party getting faster and faster, the hall master knew that he wouldnt be able to keep up with the other party given the severe injuries his body had sustained. Thus, he turned around andmanded. "Yes!" Not daring to hesitate, the elders and the vice hall masters hurriedly rushed forward to pursue Sun Qiang. With great speed they pursued the other party, but the other party was even faster. On top of that, he was darting around randomly with his eyes closed. As a result of that, he was crashing forcefully into everything in his way, knocking down buildings of all sorts. In just a few moments, the entire ind was cloaked in a massive cloud of dust. Even the ancient buildings which had stood proudly for innumerable years as the heritage of the Poison Hall hadnt been spared from the destruction. Looking at how the heritage which the predecessors had entrusted to his hands been devastated by the fellow before him, the hall master felt as if his head was going to split apart. Flicking his wrist, he whipped out a token and infused zhenqi into it. The token gradually rose to the air, and seeminglymunicating with some kind of unique power, it emanated a blinding radiance. "I am the 30th Hall Master of the Poison Hall. Imand for the activation of the Great Guardian Formation..." Hong long long! As the voice sounded, the light radiated by the token grew brighter and brighter. The massive formation which hid the entire ind seemed to have been awakened by some kind of unique power, and it gradually whirred into action. The formation of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Halls founding ancestor was not only able to hide the ind, it could also corner and poison to death any invaders of the ind easily! The fellow was willfully causing destruction as he escaped. If he was left to be, the innumerable years of Poison Halls heritage could very well be destroyed. Weng! As the formation came to live, a powerful might burst towards the escaping Zhang Xuan not too far away. H! The power of the formation was omnipresent on the ind, and it fell at a speed too fast for Zhang Xuan to dodge. In an instant, his movement had beenpletely sealed, as if a cage had been constructed around him. "Hmph, lets see how you can escape from this!" Noting the tremendous strength of the formation, the eyes of the hall master lit up as he hurriedly made his way over. However, before he could rush up to the other party, the trapped middle-aged man seemed to have suddenly received an epiphany as a look of realization crept onto his face. After which, he took a few steps back within the seal and stomped his feet forcefully. Kacha! The seal immediately broke. After which, the middle-aged man raised his right hand and grasped the air abruptly. Hu! Following which, the token before the hall master suddenly seemed to run amok, and it flew straight into the other partys hand. "What?" Widened his eyes in shock, the hall master was horrified. To break the seal and snatch the token from his hands so easily, there could only be one possibility... The other party had a thoroughprehension of the massive formation around the ind and was aware of the ws regarding it. By exploiting its ws, the other party had stolen the controlling rights over the formation from him! But... how could this be possible? Back then, the founding ancestor had spent many years studying the blueprint and the geographical terrain of the ind, reworking it again and again, each time bringing it a step closer towards perfection, before he finally set up the formation. There were quite a number of predecessors who were proficient in the Way of Formations as well, but even they were unable to grasp the entirety of the formation... The fellow had been here for less than a day, and he had already made sense of it and found its ws? Just how in the world could such a thing happen? As astonished as the hall master was, he moved swiftly to wrestle control over the token, which served as the key to controlling the formation. However, in the next moment, the middle-aged man, with his eyes still closed, abruptly flicked his wrist. Hu! An incredible force assaulted the hall master, causing his body to stiffen all of the sudden... With the control of the formation in the middle-aged mans hand, the other party had called upon the power of the formation to seal his movements, returning the favor to him. "Damn it!" With eyes zing with fury, the hall master exerted his full strength to struggle free of the formation. But before he could do so, a foot suddenly arrived right before his face. Peng! Cling cling cling! Under the impact of the kick, several of the hall masters teeth fell to the ground, and blood trickled down his nose and mouth. "Sun Qiang, how dare you strike me? I will tear you apart..." the hall master roared furiously. Yet, before he could finish his words, the other partys punches and kicks fell in rapid session on him, effectively silencing him. Pilip! Within just ten breaths, the hall master had already sustained at least forty fists and sixty kicks, leaving his dignified face distorted in an almostical manner. If thrown out onto the streets, there was no one who would dare believe that he was the amicable hall master. Under normal circumstances, even if he was unable to kill the other party, the other party wouldnt be able to harm him easily either. Who could have known that his decision to draw upon the formation to corner the other party would backfire on him instead? He ended up handing power over to the other partys hand, giving the other party an opportunity to pummel him viciously. At that moment, the hall master felt so frustrated that he felt like his mind was going to explode. He was the head of the Poison Hall, the most powerful and authoritative man of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall! Yet, for his formation to be used against him like that, what the heck was this... Why did it feel like the other party was the hall master instead whereas he was the invader? "Hall master..." The elders and vice hall masters who had rushed over to help arrived at this moment. Upon the hall master being on the verge of death from being pummeled by Sun Qiang, they scratched their heads in bewilderment, not knowing what they should do. They thought that with the hall master making a move himself, victory would be theirs to clinch. They would be able to get even the other party and vie back their dignity. Yet, who could have thought that their hall master would first have his Lifebound Venomous Bugs being poisoned to death first before being pummeled so pitifully... "Retract your killing intent towards Sun Qiang! Otherwise, he will kill you..." Noting that the hall master was on the verge of death, an elder suddenly recalled the situation earlier and shouted. "Retract my killing intent?" The swollen-faced hall master had no idea how that would aid him in his current plight, but there must be a rationale for that elder to utter such words. Thus, suppressing his rage, he attempted to quench the killing intent he had for the other party. Right after doing so, Sun Qiang indeed came to a halt. He sat down on the ground not too far away and continued to cultivate. From the start to the end, he had never opened his eyes, not even for an instant. It was as if everything he had done thus far was a product of his sleepwalking. "This... What is going on? I was actually pummeled by a sleepwalking person?" The eyes of the hall master reddened in indignance. As the head of the Poison Hall, it would be one thing for him to be pummeled by an expert, but the other party was just a Nascent Saint, a sleepwalking one at that! What a farce this was! ... At this moment, Zhang Xuans soul had just finished collecting the books on the third floor of the Compendium Hall. Sensing a torrent of spiritual energy gathering outside, as if a formationing into life, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. After which, the deafening ruckus of innumerable buildings being copsed reverberated relentlessly in the air. Eventually, Zhang Xuan snapped in annoyance, "How noisy! Cant they quieten down a little? I am trying to read here!" Chapter 1002: Irreconcilable Chapter 1002: Irreconcble Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuan was seething with anger. Where was he? The Poison Hall! A ce isted from the world, filled with countless formidable poison masters... Shouldnt it be an extremely peaceful ce where everyone diligent strove to create the best poison they could? Dangng!, hong long!, boom!... Just what the heck were those? It was not as if they were some kind of demolitionpany... All he wanted was some peace so that he could finish reading all of the books in a single go... But with such noise, how was he supposed to do so? Seriously, did the poison masters know no civility at all? That was really too much! He would really need to talk to Elder Xu about this matter so that he could enforce some order around here. "Forget it, I will just have to tolerate it for this period of time!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. In any case, he was just a guest. He would have to leave very soon, so all he had to do was to tolerate the incivility of those poison masters for the time being. Having collected the books in the first three floors into the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuansprehension of poison had reached 3-star pinnacle. Even though the books were rich in content, there was nothing much regarding the cure for the Innate Poison Body. Most of the books that touched on it only introduced it as an extremely fearsome constitution. It rarely appeared in the world, perhaps not even once in ten thousand years, but the moment it did, a devastating cmity could possibly befall on the world. ording to the records, the founder of the Poison Hall possessed the Innate Poison Body as well. There was an incident where the founder of the Poison Hall had shed with Kong shi, and even thetter had to tread carefully around it, fearful of its might. "There is nothing at the moment, but I might be able to find a solution once I go through the books in the higher floors..." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he consoled himself. However, considering how noisy it was, it was unlikely that he would be able to make much progress. Thus, he decided to leave for the moment and returnter on. Thus, he returned back to the first floor and slipped past the two guards at the entrance, leaving the Compendium Hall. However, just as he was about to return back to his residence, he couldnt help but freeze at the sight before him. The dignified and stately buildings four hours ago had been reduced to rubble. Within an area of several dozen kilometers, there was not a person to be seen at all. "T-this..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. Through his eyes, he could tell that this was caused by a battle between experts. But shouldnt the battles be limited to the Sparring Hall? Why would they start fighting in the midst of the city instead? Look at what they had done to the beautiful city... "They are indeed uncivil, these buildings have been around for several thousand years! To fight in the middle of the city, dont they know that these are important heritages that we have to protect?" Zhang Xuan muttered as he shook his head. The poison masters sure arecking decorum. Just look at the master teachers; even to hold a life-and-death duel, they would apply for permission with the headquarter first before deciding on the format of the duel. Yet, this... to start fighting in the middle of the city, reducing so many beautiful buildings into rubble... It is really hard to fathom how a human could be so inconsiderate. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began flying back to his residence. However, before he could get far, he suddenly realized something. He hadnt really noticed it due to the formation around the Compendium Hall earlier, but now that he was finally out, he suddenly found that his physical body... had changed locations. It wasnt in the amodation which Elder Xu had provided for him anymore. "What is going on?" A look of wariness slipped into Zhang Xuans eyes. Typically speaking, his physical body should remain in the residence, not moving at all. For it to be somewhere else instead... Did someone make a move on him? If so, that would be really bad. His physical body had already acquired the ability of Mind of Void, granting it the ability to act reflexively to avert danger, but... if the enemy was an expert, such as the hall master or vice hall master of the Poison Hall, he would still be in grave danger. After all, they were 7-star poison masters. Inparison, his Nascent Saint cultivation body was truly too weak. If he were to returnte and find his physical bodypletely crippled, it would be toote for tears. Anxious, he immediately charged in the direction where his physical body was. Before long, he saw his physical body seated on the floor, not moving in the least. Opposite to it stood a disfigured old man, who was currently looking at his physical body with malicious intents in his eyes. "Its fortunate that I returned in time..." Seeing that his physical body was safe, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As he quickly slipped back into his body, he couldnt help but realize something. The area where his physical body was sitting at... wasnt it the center of the destruction? Could it be that all of the destruction throughout the city was caused by him? But that shouldnt be! His physical body did have the ability to retaliate and flee in face of danger, but it had always been rather reliable. At the very least, he trusted it more than his clone and Vicious, and it had never caused him any trouble before... If he was truly the culprit behind the damage, how was he going to exin this to Elder Xu? With such thoughts in mind, his soul swiftly harmonized with his body, and his eyes slowly opened. "He is awake!" "Un, he really is awake..." "He is already plenty formidable with his eyes closed. With his eyes open now, there would surely be no one who will be able to stop him... Are we going to meet our doom here?" ... Seeing the other party open his eyes, amotion broke out in the surroundings. Many faces paled in fright. Even with his eyes closed, the other party was able to kill fourteen of their elders and pummel the hell out of their hall master... Now that his eyes were opened, would he massacre their Poison Hall clean? "Y-you..." Upon seeing Sun Qiang open his eyes, the hall master cowered in fear. Everything that had happened had dealt a deep trauma to him, causing him to feel innate fear towards the middle-aged man before him. "Cough cough, where am I? What... what is going on?" Looking at everyones frightened look, as if he was a lunatic that hade out from a horror movie, Zhang Xuan felt a little stifled within. With a bewildered look, he gazed at the crowd around him. All I have done is to leave for a short moment to read some books... What in the world happened in between? For so many of you to be surrounding me, and not to mention, the frightened look on your faces... "Where am I? What is going on?" Hearing those words, the hall master spurted yet another mouthful of blood. The heck! The other party really was sleepwalking! While other Saint 3-dan cultivators were being overwhelmed by Saint 4-dan and 5-dan experts, he was being done in by a sleepwalking Nascent Saint cultivator... Just the thought of him left him feeling suffocated within. To end up in such a plight despite being the head of the Poison Hall, it sure was embarrassing. "Calm down, dont get agitated. I just woke up from my cultivation, so I am not too sure what is going on here. Why dont you fill me in on the details?" Seeing the disfigured fellow before him spurting blood out of agitation after seeing him waking up, Zhang Xuan hurriedly consoled. "You... Puu!" Agitated? Agitated your head! Not too sure what is going on? Can you get any more shameless than that? All of this had been done by you! The reason why I have spurted blood is due to your pummeling! After taking advantage of us like that, you are going to shirk responsibility just by saying you dont know what is going on? Due to the intense fluctuations in his emotion, the hall master spurted yet another mouthful of blood. He felt so furious that it felt like mes could burst forth from his eyes. "You arent too sure what is going on? You have fought with the hall master and came all the way here, destroying countless buildings on the way... You are unaware of all of that?" Seeing that the other party didnt seem to be feigning ignorance, an elder bucked up his courage and asked carefully. "I fought with the hall master?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in confusion. "Who is your hall master? I have never met him before, so how could I have fought with him? Could there be a misunderstanding somewhere..." On the way here, he had heard from Elder Xu that the head of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall was a 7-star poison master, a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert who boasted incredible fighting prowess. Against ordinary Saint 2-dan experts, his physical body, driven by the Mind of Void, might still be able to achieve victory. However, against a Saint 3-dan expert... his physical body would be crushed instantly! Apletely one-sided fight couldnt possibly be called a battle, and it couldnt havested so long as to cause such devastating damage to the city. Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the disfigured fellow before him abruptly stood up furiously and hollered, "I am the hall master!" "You?" Zhang Xuan leaped in horror. When he saw that disfigured fellow, he thought that the other party was just a random passer-by watching themotion... Never once had he considered the possibility that the other party might be the strongest expert in the Poison Hall! "I was the one... who injured you?" Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He actually reduced a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert to such a tragic state? Could it be that... the strength of his Mind of Void had been enhanced somehow? "You..." The hall master was on the verge of erupting. "I am truly apologetic. I was in a unique cultivation state earlier, and everything I did is only out of my reflexes... I truly have no idea what is going on!" Knowing that it was likely that he would only worsen the conflict if he were to dwell on the matter, Zhang Xuan hurriedly apologized. He was here to learn, not to make enemies. What he had to do at this moment was to find out what had happened so as to find out if there was anything he could do to salvage the situation. After all, he had promised Elder Xu that he would keep a low profile, and such was his intention as well. As far as it was possible, he hoped to resolve this matter peacefully. "You... really dont know?" Seeing the other party emphasize again and again that he was unaware of the happenings, the elders and vice hall masters nced at one another with a hint of doubt in their eyes. Thinking back, the other party had never opened his eyes throughout the entire incident. It was as if he was sleepwalking, his body moving on reflex only to retaliate against those who were making a move against him... Could it be that this really wasnt an intentional act on his part, but just his reflexive action? But if that was really the case, it would portray the Poison Hall out to be a clown instead. The other party hadnt used his full strength throughout the entire course of the matter, relying solely on his reflexes, and yet, by the end of it, the Poison Hall was already on the verge of copse... If others were to learn of the matter, their Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall would be a hugeughingstock! "I really have no idea!" Zhang Xuan shook his head affirmatively. He was indeed confused by everything that was around him at the moment. His physical body possessed no consciousness whatsoever while his soul was out, so he was dumbstruck by the abrupt situation he found himself in as well. "Its like that. You were in your courtyard cultivating, and Vice Hall Master Ming... who is the teacher of Duan Ren whom you have beaten up earlier, barged into your residence to exact vengeance for his disciple. Yet, who knew that you would disregard his existence entirely... As such, he began making a move on you..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan didnt seem to be lying, the elder began to fill him in on the matters that had urred. "S-so... I was the one who caused all of this?" Zhang Xuan widened his mouth in shock, and his eyeballs nearly bulged out to the ground. He was only off for a moment to collect some books for Wei Ruyan... Who could have known that his physical body would kill fourteen elders of the Poison Hall, cripple a vice hall master, pummel the hall master, and destroyrge swathes of the Poison Hall within that short timeframe... It seemed like... he was really in deep trouble this time around! "Indeed, you were the one who did it!" The elder nodded. "I..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head helplessly. His original intention was indeed to collect all of the books in the Poison Hall quietly and leave as soon as possible. Who could have thought that his physical body would ce him in such deep trouble in a crucial moment like this... Doomed! If he had only pummeled the hall master, he could still find an excuse to put a lid on the matter and resolve the matter peacefully with a shake of the hands and apensation of a couple of high-tier spirit stones... But he had killed fourteen elders and destroyed innumerable precious heritage buildings of the Poison Hall... Not to mention, he had even poisoned the other partys precious to death... Even if he were to take out everything he had, there was no way he couldpensate for that! At this point, this could already be deemed as an irreconcble grudge... "This wont do. If I were to leave this matter be, there is no way they will allow me any chance to browse through the books in the remaining four floors... Furthermore, there is no saying that I might require the help of the poison masters to resolve Wei Ruyans Innate Poison Body, so I cant fall out with them now..." A deep frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. Chapter 1003: I Am Your Founder Chapter 1003: I Am Your Founder Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric His goal ofing to the Poison Hall wasnt to make a name for himself or to battle with the poison masters. It was to save Wei Ruyan, who was gued by the Innate Poison Body. Yet, before he could finish reading their books, his body had already killed fourteen of the other partys elders and left the hall master in such a state... If Wei Ruyans treatment were to be dyed due to this, how could he face her deceased father? It was not that he didnt consider letting his clone out to rece his physical body, but his clone was even more unreliable than it. If he were to let it out, there was a good chance that all of the elders, vice hall masters, and even the hall master himself might have been dead by now. As for letting out the Violetleaf King and the Byzantium Helios Beast... considering that Zhang Xuan hade alone, it would be difficult for him to exin the additional guests. Since the Poison Hall had isted itself on and ind in the midst of the Viridian Cloud Sea, even going to the extent of casting a huge Hidden Formation over the ind, it was natural that they didnt wee guests. If it was found that he had brought others in on his own ord, it might strain his ties with those of the Poison Hall. He had thought that since he was only out to study for a brief moment, considering his identity as Elder Xus guest, no one should dare to cause him trouble. That was also the reason why he had chosen to left his body in the room, or else his sudden disappearance would be hard to exin as well. Who could have thought that his careful considerations would end up resulting in this huge conflict? Looking at the raging poison masters before his eyes, Zhang Xuan felt his hair stand on ends. If everything were to fail, perhaps he could release the Violetleaf King and the Byzantium Helios Beast to help rid society of this poisonous tumor? As soon as this dangerous thought popped into Zhang Xuans head, he hurriedly shook it off. He was a master teacher, not a butcher. Even though poison masters were generally snubbed in society, they hadnt caused any significant damage or harm to others. Not to mention, it would be utterly wrong to stereotype poison masters just by their upation. Putting aside morals, he wouldnt be able to even get past his own conscience. After contemting for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked, "May I know where Elder Xu is?" Under such circumstances, he could only rely on a familiar face to speak up on his stead and mediate this situation. "Elder Xu has brought a threat amongst us, resulting in the death of our elders. For his betrayal of the Poison Hall, I ordered my men to apprehend him. He shall be dealt with shortlyter!" Hearing Zhang Xuans question, the hall master replied through gritted teeth. Had it not been for Elder Xu bringing this man of unknown background here, their Poison Hall wouldnt have suffered such staggering losses. Regardless of how they dealt with Sun Qiang eventually, Elder Xu must be punished for his actions! "Betrayal of the Poison Hall? T-this... Elder Xus loyalty to the Poison Hall is clear for all to see! Dont you think that its a little too extreme to make such a decision?" Zhang Xuan stood up in agitation and hurriedly spoke up for Elder Xus behalf. It was one thing for the other party to hold him ountable for this matter; after all, it was a fact that his physical body did cause devastating damage to the Poison Hall. But... Elder Xu had nothing to do with it! The other party deeply trusted him and even offered him advice out of concern, fearing that he might meet with danger in the Poison Hall. If the other party were to be implicated by his actions, he would be guilt-ridden. "You are indeed strong, but we cant the deaths of so many of our elders to go unavenged. Even if our Poison Hall has to fight down to the veryst man, we wont back down!" the hall master roared furiously. At this point, it didnt matter whether the other party had done it unintentionally due to his sleepwalk or not anymore. The deaths of the elders had already created an irreconcble grudge between them, and this was not something that could be resolved without spilling blood! There was no way the Poison Hall could let the murderer of fourteen of their elders get away scot-free. The other party might be a powerful adversary, but the Poison Halls dignity was at stake! They couldnt let the reputation of the Poison Hall copse in their generation, or else they wouldnt be able to face their predecessors! "Men, bring Xu You up here. We will first execute him before dealing with this fellow!" Waving his hand, the hall master bellowed. "Yes!" The elders hesitated for a moment before two of them flew away. A short momentter, they arrived with Elder Xu locked between them. Looking at the destruction around the Poison Hall, Elder Xus lips quivered as self-reproach crept into his eyes. In his view, if he hadnt brought Sun Qiang over, such a matter wouldnt have happened. At this point, he couldnt help but wish that the man who had died back then was him and not Elder Xue! "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" the hall master asked coldly.. "I..." Elder Xus body stiffened. A momentter, he sighed deeply and said, "For causing such deep trouble, I am willing to ept any punishment..." It was due to his inability to discern people properly that resulted in such a situation. Even a thousand deaths wouldnt absolve him of his sins. "Its good that you admit to your crimes!" Turning his face away from Elder Xu, the hall mastermanded, "Execute him!" In truth, he also didnt want to execute Elder Xu. After all, they had spent centuries together with one another. However, if he didnt do anything after all that had happened, he could very well lose the hearts of the poison masters. As the head of the Poison Hall, this was a painful decision that he had no choice but to make. "Yes!" The other elders nodded before turning their gazes to Elder Xu with aplicated expression on their faces. "Theres no need for you all to make a move. I will do it myself..." As old friends, Elder Xu couldnt bear to allow his friends to bear the burden of killing him. Thus, gritting his teeth, he began channeling his zhenqi, intending to direct them towards his heart to crush it. However, before he could do so, Sun Qiangs voice sounded. "Wait a moment." Lifting his gaze, he realized that, at some point, the anxiety on Sun Qiangs face had been reced with absoluteposure. His head was slightly tilted upwards, and his hands were ced behind his back. With an air of majesty around him, he gazed deeply into the sky. "Since it has gotten down to this, there is no need for me to conceal my identity as further..." "Identity?" Everyone frowned in bewilderment... The hall master also couldnt help but turn his gaze over, curious to see what that fellow was up to. "Indeed!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan continued with a calm but powerful voice. "Do you know what kind of constitution the founder of the Poison Hall has?" "Our founder possesses the Innate Poison Body, fearing no poison in the world. It is due to this that our founder was able to create the Poison Hall and bring it to glory..." Not knowing what the other party was up to, the hall master replied. He strongly desired to kill the fellow before him, but considering thetters strength, he knew that there was no way he could win without careful preparation. Thus, he could only rein in his rage for the time being. As a poison master, he wasnt foreign to the matters surrounding their founder. "Indeed. It is the Innate Poison Body!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Then, do you know why the poisons you have used against me ispletely ineffective?" "This..." The crowd fell silent. In truth, this was also something which they were perplexed about. To be able to neutralize all of their poisons and even the hall masters beetles, could there really be such a powerful antidote in the world? "Could it be... Could it be that you also possess the Innate Poison Body?" The hall masters body stiffened as he turned his gaze over. The other party first spoke about the founder of the Poison Hall before pointing out how he didnt fear poison... Clearly, he was trying to drive at something! "No, I dont." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You dont?" The crowd nced at one another, speechless. If you dont possess the Innate Poison Body... what the hell are you spouting all of those crap for? "To be more exact, I am not too sure either. Its just that whenever I start cultivating, I will fall into a peculiar state. It would be as if another soul has taken over my body, leaving me unable to control my actions. In that state, I will bepletely immune to all poisons, simr to that of the Innate Poison Body..." Zhang Xuan said. "Another soul has taken over your body?" "Completely immune to all poisons?" Everyone was dumbfounded. Are you trying to tell us a horror story here? "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. "I know that what I am saying might sound ridiculous, and I dont me you for not trusting you. However, this is the truth... Previously, when I fought with you all, despite the dangerous situation I as in, I didnt open my eyes at all, right?" Hearing those words, the crowd nodded. Indeed. The other party hadnt opened his eyes once in the duration of the entire battle, as if he was sleepwalking. "In truth, it is not that I didnt want to open my eyes, but that my body was being controlled by another will... And if I am not mistaken, the will is the founder of the Poison Hall!" Zhang Xuan said. "There is another will inside your body... the founder of the Poison Hall?" "You must be joking!" Everyone frowned. The founder of the Poison Hall was a figure who shared the same era with Kong shi, and it had been several dozen thousand years since then. There was no way the other party could still be alive at this point, so how could the other party possibly possess this fellow here? "I know what I am saying might sound ridiculous, but such is the truth. Since that is the case, why dont I continue cultivating and allow him to control my body? Perhaps, he could answer the doubts you have!" Shaking his head, a look of difficulty surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his jaws in determination and sat cross-legged down on the floor. Hong long! As soon as he sat down, everyone immediately felt the formation surrounding the entire ind buzzing into life, seemingly driven by someone. Following which, Sun Qiangs eyes slowly opened, and a heavy and ancient voice came out of his mouth, "Why? Are you doubting my identity?" The voice was very different from the tone which Sun Qiang took earlier. It harnessed domineering authority which exerted immense pressure on ones soul. While it wasnt as intense as the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons, there was no doubt that ones soul could shatter if ced under such pressure for extended periods of time. Upon hearing the voice, everyones eyes narrowed in astonishment. Be it the voice or the aura, it was vastly different from the Sun Qiang from a moment ago. Without a doubt, they were twopletely different people! Furthermore, the aura emanated felt ancient, reminiscent of someone who had lived through many eras. "Elder, you said that you are our founder... but do you have any evidence to prove so?" With cold sweat trickling down his forehead, the hall master gritted his teeth and asked respectfully. "Are you saying that I need to prove myself to you? Who do you think you are?" the seated Sun Qiang uttered coldly. "Its not that we are doubting elders identity, but... our founder has disappeared from the world for more than several dozen years, so its really difficult for us toprehend how you can be sharing a body with this person over here..." the hall master replied hurriedly. "Hmph, I shall give you the benefit of the doubt and pardon you this once!"Sun Qiang harrumphed coldly. At this point, he paused for a moment, seemingly reminiscing the sorrows of the past before continuing, "In truth, I am only a remaining soul fragment of my former self. It is out of sheer coincidence that I managed totch myself onto a Seven Hearts Lotus and survived. It is Sun Qiang over here who found the Seven Hearts Lotus and brought me out of the ancient domain I was in. "Eventually, Itched myself to his body, but I am only able to appear while hes cultivating... Otherwise, do you think that a mere Nascent Saintd will be able to see through this formation, remain impervious to all poison, and defeat you all easily?"Sun Qiang harrumphed. The hall master was stunned. To be honest, even at this point, he still could hardly believe that he had lost to Sun Qiang. He could tell that the other party was indeed only as Nascent Saint, so how could a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert like him lose to the other party? Even if his Lifebound Venomous Bugs had been killed, resulting in a significant decline in his strength, he was still able to draw forth mightparable to a Saint 2-dan pinnacle! For a Nascent Saint to be able to stand toe-to-toe with him... Not once in his long life had he ever met such a formidable genius before! But what was the most frightening of all was that the other partys zhenqi seemed to be endless. After killing fourteen elders, wounding a vice hall master, and fighting with him for so long, the other party didnt seem to be weakened in the least... That waspletely inconceivable! And on top of that, the other party waspletely immune to poison! Not only was the other party fine after being bitten by his Darkgold Venom Beetles, the other party even managed to poison his beetles to death instead... There was something clearly very peculiar about this situation. Not to mention, there was still the matter concerning the formation... To be able toprehend and even wrestle control over the formation from him, that was definitely not a feat a Nascent Saint cultivator was capable of. "Elder, is there any concrete evidence you can provide to prove that you are indeed the soul fragment of our founder?" the hall masters asked doubtfully. This was a matter concerning their founder, and as the hall master of this Poison Hall branch, he had to deal with this matter prudently. "Hmph, if it was just me, I would have killed all of you without any hesitation for doubting my words... You are fortunate that Sun Qiang is unwilling to see any more bloodshed and advised against it, so I will overlook this matter!" Sun Qiang harrumphed coldly. "The founder of the Poison Hall possesses not only the Innate Poison Body but the Poison Soul Constitution as well... As poison masters yourselves, surely I need not say anything more on how one can verify the Poison Soul Constitution?" Chapter 1004: Paying Respects to the Founder Chapter 1004: Paying Respects to the Founder Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Poison Soul Constitution?" The hall master paused for a moment before nodding. The Poison Soul Constitution, as the name suggested, meant that ones soul waspletely immune to poisons of all kinds. For several dozen millenniums, ever since the passing of the founder of the Poison Hall, there had never been another person in the world with such a constitution. If they could confirm that the fragmented soul did possess such a constitution, they could confirm that the other party was indeed the founder! Even if that wasnt the case, an individual who possessed such constitution would surely be bound to advance to unprecedented heights in the future. It was just a matter of time before the other party became a 9-star poison master and made a mark for himself in the world. With such thoughts in mind, the hall master didnt hesitate for too long before flicking his wrist to whip out a jade bottle. This jade bottle was slightly different from the other bottles which he used to store his poisons. It was roughly the size of his palm, and there were bizarre inscriptions carved on its exterior. The body of the closed eyes Sun Qiang stiffened for a brief moment upon seeing the bottle, seemingly noticing something unbelievable. However, this anomaly only surfaced only for an instant. Before anyone could notice it, he had already reverted back to his impassive state. "This is a poison which can easily exterminate a soul, the [Emerald Serenity Jaundice Poison]! It is concocted out of the killing intent of Otherworldly Demons and many precious herbs. It was left behind by one of the predecessors of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, and it is powerful enough to even eradicate a Saint 4-dan experts soul easily. Even with my current proficiency, I am unable to concoct such a medicine." the hall master exined. "If you truly possess the Innate Poison Body, you will surely be able to consume the poison without suffering the slightest damage." There was only one way to ascertain whether an individual possessed the Poison Soul Constitution or notthe consumption of poison. As long as the other party was fine after the consuming the lethal poison, it would mean that the other party wasnt lying. On the other hand, if the other were to die after consuming the poison, it would mean that they have sessfully avenged the deceased elders of the Poison Hall. In a sense, the hall master and the others had nothing to lose from this. "Very well."Sun Qiang nodded. With a hook of his finger, the jade bottle flew into his hands. Without any hesitation, he uncorked the bottle, and a gush of malicious intent burst forth from it. It pierced right into ones mind, raising a violent storm in ones head. The hall master and the others hurriedly turned their gazes over and noted that Sun Qiang didnt show the slightest hint of weakness under the assault of the poison aura. Not only so, his face was gradually growing redder and redder, as if he had just consumed some extremely nourishing substance. It was as if what he had been exposed to wasnt poison but a heavenly tonic instead. "Legend has it that those who possesses the Innate Poison Body are able to advance their cultivation by consuming poison. As long as there is a sufficient supply of poison, ones cultivation and fighting prowess can be raised by leaps and bounds within a short period of time... Could the rumors be true?" an elder mumbled in astonishment. The Innate Poison Body was extremely rare in this world, such that it was considered to be something that only existed in the legends. However, there were some rumors and records regarding it within the books. It was said that those who possessed the Innate Poison Body were able to derive power froming into contact with lethal poison that could kill others easily, and as such, they were the most suited to be poison masters. That was also the reason why many poison masters hoped to obtain such a constitution as well. However, the Innate Poison Body was only effective on ones body whereas the Emerald Serenity Jaundice Poison was something that assaulted the soul. For the other partys soul to not be wounded but instead nourished by it, that reflected a lot... There was little doubt about it at this point, the other party did possess the Poison Soul Constitution! A person who possessed such a constitution and was capable of peering through the secrets regarding the great protective formation of the Poison Hall with a nce and challenging experts far stronger than him... Even if the fellow before him wasnt the founder, it was almost certain that there were intricate ties between the both of them. "Is this enough evidence for you?" Just as the hall master was deep in thoughts, Sun Qiangs voice sounded once more. "I..." The hall master was still slightly hesitant. It was certain that the other party possessed the Poison Soul Constitution, but to say that he was the founder of the Poison Hall... this entire matter was still a little too ridiculous for him to believe. "Why? You still dont believe me? If not for Sun Qiang begging me earnestly for me to spare you, I would have all of you killed right here and now for your insolence!" Hong long! With a furious bellow, an iparably powerful aura burst forth from Sun Qiangs body. In that instant, the man before them suddenly felt like a divine being, an existence that was invible by any mortal. The divine aura emanated by the other party erased all lingering doubt in the hall masters mind. Without any hesitation, he kneeled to the floor and kowtowed, "Hongyuan Empire Poison Halls hall master, Ruo Qingyuan, pays respect to the founder!" In the fight earlier, it was apparent that none of them was a match for the other party... Wielding such overwhelming advantage over them, the other party could have just ughtered them clean. There was no need for the other party to waste words exining to them at all... Perhaps, the founder might have really managed to survive through the ages by hiding a fragment of soul within a Seven Hearts Lotus! Perhaps, the person before them was really their founder! Having reasoned all of this out, the hall master couldnt help but tremble in agitation. For the founder to actually appear here... if the other party were to just offer them a bit of pointers, their fighting prowess would surely be able to soar by leaps and bounds! It wouldnt be long before the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall was brought to greatness! Without a doubt, this was a great opportunity to him. "Hmph, it seems like there is some hope for you after all!" Seeing that the other party finally admitted his identity, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Without opening his eyes, he lifted a finger and pointed at himself. With a grim face, he continued, "Sun Qiang over here is my savior. If not for him, my soul could have perished long ago. Thus, all of you here shall obey his words in the future. Take hismands to be those of my own as well. Anyone who dares to disobey him... dont me me for not having mercy on you!" "Yes!" Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan and the other elders hurriedly nodded. Who would dare to disobey a direct order from the founder? "Also, I was the one who killed those elders and wounded Vice Hall Master Ming. If you wish to exact vengeance, you are free toe at me!" Zhang Xuan continued. "I dare not to..." Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan quickly shook his head fearfully. "Vice Hall Master Ming and the others are at fault for offending you, they only have themselves to me for their own fate. We dare not to exact vengeance for them!" "Hmph, I doubt you would dare!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as his voice gradually echoed into silence. A momentter, his eyes slowly opened once more, and his confusion was reflected clearly in his eyes. It was as if he waspletely unaware in everything that had happened before, "What just happened? Hall master, I plead with you not to make things difficult for Elder Xu. He is really not to me for this matter, all he did was to bring me here..." Noting the look of bewilderment on Zhang Xuans faces, everyone immediately realized that the founders soul had gone dormant once more. Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan hurriedly sped his fist and said, "Poison Master Sun, please dont worry. Our founder has already exined the situation to us. Elder Huang and the others have shown tant disrespect to our founder, and they deserve the fate that fell upon them. On the other hand, for bringing our founder back to us, not only has Elder Xu not sinned, he is even a meritorious subject of our Poison Hall. Naturally, we will reward him generously! From today onward, he shall rece Ming Zhen as the vice hall master of the Poison Hall..." "Vice hall master?" Elder Xu was stunned to hear the abrupt news. He hurriedly shook his hand and said in a fluster, "Hall master, I am unqualified to assume such a position!" He was only a 6-star pinnacle poison master, and the minimum rank one needed to have to be the vice hall master was 7-star. If he were to be promoted haphazardly like that, the others would surely voice theirints, "Dont worry, they wont dare to do anything with me here. You are more than qualified to assume this role, so dont turn it down anymore!" Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan waved his hand. The merit for escorting their founder back to the Poison Hall was immeasurable. Besides, they were still hoping to depend on Elder Xu to speak well of them before the founder on their behalf. Perhaps, their founder might just offer them some pointers on the Way of Poison under Elder Xus coaxing... "Alright then..." Seeing the other party insisting on it, Elder Xu eventually nodded in agreement. He turned his gaze towards Sun Qiang once more, and this time, his eyes were filled with admiration. This exined the other partys inconceivable immunity to and incredibly profound knowledge regarding poison! With just a short lecture, the other party was able to show a veteran poison master like him a whole new perspective towards the interpretation of the Way of Poison... The other party was indeed lucky to have the founders fragmented soul in his body. Very few in the world would meet with such fortuitous encounter in their life. "It seems like I managed to get past them for the time being..." Seeing that he had managed to convince everyone of his new identity, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned his gaze towards the words on the bottle in his hand once more, and his eyebrows shot up once more. Gesturing for the Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan toe over, he asked, "Hall master, do you know whatnguage are these words in?" The inscriptions on the jade bottle of the Emerald Serenity Jaundice Poison was extremely familiar. He had seen words identical to them beforethe map which Wu Yangzi had left behind! This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan was shocked when he scanned the bottle with his soul earlier. Unable to hold his intrigue back any longer, he asked about it. "These inscriptions? I have no idea as well... Two thousand years, a hall master of our Poison Hall found an ancient booklet from an ancient domain, and the content of the booklet happens to be written in this verynguage. Due to our inability to interpret it, we were unable to figure out what it means... However, by a stroke of coincidence, we found that these words are exceptionally effective in sealing malicious intents and that sort. Thus, we began using it as a seal in the Poison Hall..." Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan replied. "Ancient booklet? Sealing malicious intent?" Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. He had seen the same words on the map Wu Yangzi left for him... Were the purpose of those words to seal malicious intents as well? "Is that ancient booklet still around? Is it possible for you... to allow me a look?" After pondering for a while, Zhang Xuan was still unable to make sense of the situation. Thus, he decided to ask for the ancient booklet to take a look at it. As there was no error in the coordinates andbels on the map, there was no particrly useful w reflected in the Library of Heavens Path. However, if he could obtain the booklet with the other party spoke about, he just might be do a cross reference between the two and decipher bits of thenguage. Furthermore, two thousand years ago... That coincided with the timing which the map of the ancient domain first appeared, ording to what the Violetleaf King said. Could there be a connection between the two? "Ancient booklet... Back then, many elites of the Poison Hall lost their lives to acquire that booklet. The hall master back then felt that the booklet was inauspicious, so he ordered for it to be buried with him upon his death..." Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan shook his head. "The ancient booklet is buried?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "May I know where it is at the moment?" "It is in the Mausoleum of Hall Masters..." Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan replied. "I see." Hearing that it was located in one of the forbidden grounds of the Poison Hall, Zhang Xuan decided to ask no further. If he were to ask too much about the matter, he just might incur the other partys suspicions. After questioning everything there was to questioned, Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan ordered his men to swiftly prepare a new amodation for Sun Qiang. As for the matter regarding the poison master examination, considering that the other party was able to even poison his Lifebound Venomous Bug to death, there was no longer any purpose to the examination. Thus, he helped the other party apply for the 7-star poison master emblem straight. "I will be heading to the Compendium Hall to study for a while..." Considering Zhang Xuan had received his 7-star poison master emblem and his identity as the founder, there was no longer for him to sneak into the Compendium Hall anymore. With the current esteemed standing he had, he could just walk in openly. "Yes!" Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan and the others didnt dare to voice any word of objection. They escorted the other party to the entrance of the Compendium Hall, and after seeing the other party entering the premises, they nced at one another meaningfully. "Vice Hall Master Xu and the others, follow me to my residence for a while." "Un!" The others nodded. Not too longter, they arrived at a courtyard. Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan activated a formation to iste their auras before looking deeply at the crowd. "Everyone, what are your views on the matter today?" "Since we can confirm that the soul in Sun Qiangs body does indeed possess the Poison Soul Constitution, we can be certain that there is an intricate link between him and our founder." "Indeed, that is the Poison Soul Constitution we are talking about! Other than our founder, there has never been another person in the one known to possess such a constitution!" The other elders nodded in agreement. They had a deep trust in Sun Qiangs identity as the founder of the Poison Hall. "Vice Hall Master Xu, what are your views on this matter? Can you share the details of how you met Poison Master Sun with us so that we can analyze the matter?" Hall Master Ruo Qingyun asked. Chapter 1005: Envoy From The Poison Hall Headquarters Chapter 1005: Envoy From The Poison Hall Headquarters Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Vice Hall Master Xu You nodded as he went through what he had gone through with Zhang Xuan in detail. "You are saying that... a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon has appeared in Jingyuan City? He tried to kill you, but it was Poison Master Sun who got you out?" Everyone was astonished to hear the news. Otherworldly Demons possessed exceptionally strong fighting prowess, and this was even more so for a Saint 4-dan one. For Sun Qiang to put himself in grave danger to save Xu You... Just this courage itself was something they couldntpare with. "Not only so, Poison Master Sun has also imparted me some foundation to utilizing poison on our way here, but due to its profoundness, I was unable to remember too much of it. However, if I could just internalize the small portion which I have remembered, I would surely be able to make huge progress in the Way of Poison..." Xu You couldnt help but say. "Share it with us..." Hearing that their founder had actually imparted some of his teachings to Xu You, looks of envy surfaced on everyones faces. Without hiding a thing, Xu You began reciting everything that he remembered. By the time he was done reciting, everyone around him had their faces reddened in agitation, their clenched fists trembling uncontrobly beside them. Just like what Xu You had said, even though the content only touched on the foundation, it was directed straight towards the essence of the Way of Poison. Listening to it had left them with a feeling of enlightenment. "Theres no doubt about it anymore. That soul is definitely our founder... Other than him, there is no one else can possesses such a deep understanding of poison..." After a moment of discussion, Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan nodded affirmatively. Even though Zhang Xuans argument was convincing, and he had believed most of it, he still couldnt help but hold some reservations regarding the issue due to the sheer incredulity of it. However, after hearing Vice Hall Master Xu Yous exnation, the final reservations he held were vanquished. Only the real founder of the Poison Hall could possiblymand such deep understanding of the Way of Poison, interpreting the most basic cultivation technique in such a profound yet direct manner. "Alright, have our men quickly repair the demolished buildings. As for Duan Ren and Ming Zhen, have them executed for daring to provoke our founder!" Having confirmed his doubts, Ruo Qingyuan issued several orders. "Yes!" The crowd nodded in agreement. It was one thing for Ming Zhen and Duan Ren to embarrass themselves, but to implicate so many of them into it as well, unforgivable! "Alright, we will stop right here today. Vice Hall Master Xu, you should wait outside the Compendium Hall. Once Poison Master Sun is done reading, call me over immediately..." Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan instructed. "Alright!" Xu You replied. Just as he was about to stand up and get moving, a frown suddenly appeared on Hall Master Ruo Qingyuans face. Thetter flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token appeared in his hands. The jade token was emanating a warm glowsomeone had just transmitted a message over. Taking a nce at it, Ruo Qingyuans eyes lit up, and he hurriedly got to his feet, "An envoy has arrived from the headquarters!" "The headquarters have sent an envoy over?" Everyone was astonished. "Indeed. ording to the information I have just received, they are two 7-star pinnacle poison masters, and they are about to arrive. Lets head over to wee them." After saying those words, Ruo Qingyuan quickly left his residence. Not daring to hesitate in the least, the others also swiftly followed suit. Not too longter, at the elevated tform where Vice Hall Master Xu and Zhang Xuan hadnded from their aerial saint beast earlier, the crowd saw a gap appearing in the formation momentarily, and a massive saint beast flew over steadily. Standing proudly on the saint beast were two elders. Even beforeing close, they were already emanating a formidable pressure that forced others to lower their heads before them. 7-star pinnacle poison masters, Saint 4-dan experts! "Poison Master Bai, Poison Master Hai..." Upon seeing the appearance of the duo before him, Hall Master Ruo Qingyuans eyebrows shot up, and he hurriedly sped his fist and greeted. The Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall was well hidden from the rest of the world, but it still maintained intimate rtions with the headquarters above it. Poison Master Bai Ting and Poison Master Hai Mingjin were extremely formidable figures in the headquarters, and considering their fame, it was only natural for Ruo Qingyuan to have heard of them as well. Poison Master Bai waved his hands as hended from the saint beast, and after scanning through the crowd, he frowned, "Where is Hall Master Ruo? He isnt here to wee us?" "Cough cough... I am Ruo Jingyuan!" Ruo Jingyuan said awkwardly. Disfigured from Zhang Xuans pummeling, even his wife and parents might not recognize him, let more these two! "You..." Poison Master Bai nced at Poison Master Hai, only to see thetters mouth twitching uncontrobly as well. With a frown, he asked, "Hall Master Ruo, what happened to you?" One must know that Ruo Jingyuan was a 7-star poison master like them! Even though the other partys fighting prowess was slightly below theirs, there would still be very few in Qingyuan Conferred Empire who could match him. For an expert like him to be pummeled to such a state in his own base, just what in the world could have happened? Astonished, they subconsciously turned their gazes to the elders, and what they saw caused their eyelids to twitched as well. They had only made a sweeping nce earlier, but taking a closer look, they realized that every single one of them was injured. There was only one amongst them who could be considered to be fine. "This... It is a long story. Anyway, for the both of you to arrive personally, could it be that the headquarter has orders for us?" Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Ruo Qingyuan turned to the duo and asked. It was not that he was intended to hide it from the other party, but it was simply too embarrassing! "Two thousand years ago, did your branch obtain a booklet from the ancient domain in Firesource City?" Seeing that the other party was unwilling to speak too much about it, Poison Master Bai also decided not to pursue the matter, considering that it was likely to be a private matter amongst them. Thus, he got straight to the matter at hand. "Indeed!" Ruo Qingyuan nodded. Poison Master Sun had just asked him about the booklet, so naturally, he still remembered it clearly at the moment. "Thats good. The headquarter has sent us here to retrieve this booklet." Hearing that the booklet was indeed here, Poison Master Bai heaved a sigh of relief and said. "Retrieve?" Not expecting the headquarter to go to the extent of dispatching two 7-star pinnacle poison masters over just to obtain a single booklet, Ruo Qingyuan was stunned for a brief moment before he could reply. "The booklet is currently ced in the Mausoleum of Hall Masters. If the both of you arent in a hurry, allow me to invite you to take a seat at the main hall first..." The booklet served no particr purpose here. If the headquarters wanted it, he had no qualms about giving it to them too. However, right after Ruo Jingyuan said those words, he noticed unnatural looks on the faces of Vice Hall Master Xu and the others. One of the elders hesitated for a moment before sending a zhenqi telepathy over, "Hall master, our main hall has been destroyed..." The main hall was one of the unfortunate casualties of the devastating destruction earlier as well. Honestly speaking, the two envoys had really arrived at a bad timing. It was embarrassing that they had nothing seemly to show them after what that had happened. "Ah..." Upon the elders reminder, Ruo Qingyuan suddenly recalled the matter and said, "Allow me to bring the both of you to my residence to rest then..." "Your residence?" Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai frowned. If they hade here as visiting guests, there would be no problem for them to head to be hosted in Ruo Qingyuans residence. However, they hade in the capacity as envoys of the headquarters this time around, and it was only right for them to be treated as esteemed guests. What was the other party thinking to invite them to his residence instead of the main hall?" "Allow me to apologize for our discourtesy, but there has been some unforeseen circumstances in the Poison Hall that will make it inconvenient for me to invite you to the main hall... " Noticing the displeased looks on their faces, Ruo Qingyuan shook his head with a bitter smile. "You will understand very soon..." To be honest, he really had no idea how he should approach the subject. Flying the way back to the city, it didnt take long for the two poison masters from the headquarters to notice the heap and heap of rubbleid all around the half-copsed city. They couldnt help but exchange dazed nces. "This..." Poison Master Hai pointed at the devastation before him, not knowing what he could say. They were in the Poison Hall, and everyone in here should be their own men. How did such a tragic fate befall it? "Hai, this matter is really the humiliation of our Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall..." Ruo Qingyuan said. As the hall master of the Poison Hall, it was indeed embarrassing for him to have allowed it to have fallen to such a state. Had he not been so reckless then and waited for the other party to exin the situation, such a sight wouldnt have urred, and he wouldnt be making a fool of himself before the envoys of the headquarters at this moment. "What happened?" ncing at the bruised elders and hall masters, and turning his gaze to the rubble all around him, Poison Master Bai couldnt help but ask. "Its like that..." Knowing that it was impossible to hide such a huge matter, Ruo Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before revealing everything that had just happened. "What did you say? Our founders soul is deposited on the body of someone named Sun Qiang?" Upon hearing the question, Poison Master Bai frowned, "Thats impossible! The founder of our Poison Hall, otherwise known as the [Poison Supremacy], was actually a woman. Back in that era, people used to call her the Fairy of Poison, so how could she possibly have a male voice? Besides, her entire soul had dissipated in that tragic battle back then, so it is impossible for her to have left a fragment of her soul in a Seven Hearts Lotus. No doubt about it, he is definitely a fake!" "Our founder... is a woman?" Ruo Qingyuan was taken aback. There were indeed many stories regarding the founder of the Poison Hall going around, but honestly speaking... he was indeed unsure whether the other party was a male or a female! "Indeed. I havent really read any books regarding our founder, but I heard it from an 8-star poison master before. It is said that there is also sculpture of her created by her disciple in the headquarters... To possess a male body and speak in a male voice at that, there is no doubt about it. He is definitely a fake!" Poison Master Hai said grimly. "But... the Emerald Serenity Jaundice Poison was indeed ineffective against him! Furthermore, his body possesses inconceivable immunity towards poison as well..." An elder couldnt help but exim. "As formidable as the Emerald Serenity Jaundice Poison is, there are still many ways that one can neutralize it! For example, I have a Heavenly Aroma Detoxification Pill here left behind by an 8-star poison master. Once consumed, one will gain perfect immunity to any grade-7 poison and below..." Poison Master Bai replied. "Besides, there are also many medicinal herbs and nts in nature that possesses the ability to neutralize poison. Putting everything aside, the Bodhi Saint Tree of the Hongyuan Empire royal family can bear a Bodhi Fruit, which when consumed, grants one near perfect immunity to poison of grade-7 and below, and this is including poisons directed to the soul too!" "This..." Ruo Qingyuan was taken aback. They were both 7-star poison masters, but the other party were from the headquarters, and their eye of discernment and knowledge were beyond him. "So... you are saying that he is very likely to be a fraud?" the elder from before asked with a deep frown. "That is not necessarily so... there are some parts to the story which I am still unable to make sense of. Despite being at Nascent Saint, that fellow already possesses strength which none of you are able to rival. On top of that, for him to bepletely fine after being bitten from your Darkgold Venom Beetle and even poison them to death at that... that is a feat beyond my means as well. Most likely... the other party is on par with an 8-star poison master at minimum! But if that is truly the case, there would be no need for the other party to make up such lies..." Poison Master Bai shook his head. He felt that there was something amiss with that Sun Qiang fellow saying that the founder had possessed his body, but there were still various aspects to the matter which he couldnt make sense of it to refute the other partys im entirely. What was the most bewildering was that the other party actually had no request whatsoever! If the other party was intending to pull off something, he would have already attempted to use his standing to force the Poison Hall toply with hismands. It was impossible that he would feign that he was the founder of the Poison Hall just to read some books! "You said that the Sun Qiang person is still in the Compendium Hall at the moment?" After some contemtion, Poison Master Bai was still unable to make sense of the situation. Thus, after some contemtion, a glint flickered across his eyes, and he said, "Why dont I help you test his mastery of poison? If hes truly the founder, he should be fine after it. Otherwise, for feigning the founder, he deserves death!" "This..." Ruo Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright!" Chapter 1006: Poison Master Bai Visits Chapter 1006: Poison Master Bai Visits Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Walking into the Compendium Hall, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. It was not that he wanted to disguise himself as the founder of the Poison Hall, but the situation back then had left him with no other choice. If he hadnt said that, Elder Xu might very well have lost his life. At the same time, he would have also fallen outpletely with the Poison Hall, never to reconcile with one another. While it was wrong for him to have fooled the other party like that, at the very least, he did manage to resolve the problem perfectly. Not only so, he had even been given ess to the Compendium Hall as well. Speaking of disguising as the founder of the Poison Hall, it was really fortunate he had the Violetleaf Kings Button of Disguise with him. It was due to such an artifact that he had been able to disguise Vicious powerful killing intent as the aura of a powerful human, making Ruo Qingyuan and the others not dare to doubt him. Otherwise, everyone would immediately have realized that Vicious was an Otherworldly Demon, and instead of instilling deference into them, he would only have further worsened the conflict. However, the effects of the Button of Disguise were still rathercking aspared to that of Kong shis writing. It was sufficient to fool a poison master, but it would have been hard to do the same before the discerning eyes of a master teacher. But still, they will probably figure it out soon enough. I should quickly finish reading through my books first! While Zhang Xuan did manage to scare the others for the time being, there were many parts of his story that didnt make sense if one were to think deeper into it. The urgent matter at hand was for him to quickly finish reading the books. As soon as he found a way to resolve Wei Ruyans condition, he would be able to leave the Poison Hall. This way, the matter could be resolved entirely. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to the fourth floor without any hesitation. The books on this floor was clearly fewer than that in the third floor. However, the content harnessed within them was far more profound, reaching the level of a 4-star poison master and beyond. Scanning his gaze over the rows of bookshelves, Zhang Xuan collected the books into his Library of Heavens Path and converted them into his own knowledge. The more books he collected, the deeper his understanding of poison became. Within less than two hours, he finished reading through everything on that floor. Thus, he moved on to the fifth floor. The books on the fifth floor was targeted toward 5-star poison masters, and the number of books was significantly smaller than that of the previous floor once more. Within less than an hour, Zhang Xuan had already managed to collect everything in the room. Still nothing at all? After scanning through the books on the fifth floor but still finding no useful news regarding the Innate Poison Body, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but panic. There were only seven floors to the Compendium Hall, and being at the fifth, he had already covered more than half of the knowledge harnessed in there. Yet, there was still no clue whatsoever. Could it be that the solution to the Innate Poison Body couldnt be found here either? If that was the case, it would truly be a cmity! While Wei Ruyans condition was still stable at the moment, there was no knowing if she could hold on long enough for Zhang Xuan to take her to a higher ranked Poison Hall. Knowing that it was pointless to panic, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress before moving on. Forget it, I should just continue for now. If there is still nothing after I go through thest two floors, I will just have to think of another solution. The books on the sixth floor numbered less than ten thousand. Zhang Xuan walked slowly along the bookshelves, taking in everything in sight. Just as he had finally finished taking everything in and was just about to head to the next floor, jiya!, the door to the room abruptly opened, and a figure walked in. The other party was an old man who seemed to be in his sixties. He had a snowy white beard and wrinkly face, but his eyes had a sharp glint, reminiscent of an eagle. His clothes were in and unimpressive, and he didnt don a poison master emblem on his chest, making it impossible to determine his rank. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan paid the other party no heed and headed straight for the stairs toward the seventh floor. At that moment, however, Zhang Xuan abruptly heard Vicious voice in his mind. "Master, that person is even stronger than Ruo Qingyuan. His cultivation has most likely reached Saint 4-dan..." "Saint 4-dan? A 7-star poison master?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Wasnt the strongest man in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall Ruo Qingyuan? Considering that Ruo Qingyuan was only at Saint 3-dan himself, where in the world did this Saint 4-dan pop out from? At Saint 4-dan, the other party possessed might that wasparable to the Violetleaf King! "Thats right. He might have concealed his cultivation well, but there is no way he can fool my eyes!" Vicious said discreetly. After swallowing the Primordial Spirit of the Waterleaf King, Vicious had recovered yet another portion of his cultivation, allowing him to see through the old man without the other party noticing his presence. Frowning deeply, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt extremely wary of the old man before him. For a Saint 4-dan to walk in here abruptly... What is he up to? Zhang Xuan was considering whether or not he should toss the Violetleaf King and Otherworldly Demon puppets out to take the initiative and preemptively subdue the other party when he suddenly thought of something, and he came to a halt. For an expert of the other partys caliber to appear here, there was no way the other party was here to read books or to roam around. No doubt about it, the other party was here to find him. The reason the other party walked around the area instead of making a move on him directly showed that the other party wasnt intending on provoking him. Instead, the other party was trying to sound him out, possibly out of doubt of what he had just said! If the other party was only attempting to sound him out, there would be no need for him to bring the Violetleaf King out. Otherwise, if he created a huge ruckus, he would only undo all the effort he had just put into appeasing the Poison Hall. On top of that, if the books on the seventh floor were to be destroyed in the midst of the fight, he would only be making things even more difficult for himself. A Saint 4-dan expert has already forged his Primordial Spirit, so it wont be that easy for me to fool him... Naturally, it would be best if Zhang Xuan could resolve this issue silently. However, there was no way fooling an expert as powerful as the other party could be an easy task. His im that he possessed the Poison Soul Constitution was backed by the fact that he had been able to survive the Emerald Serenity Jaundice Poison, making Ruo Qingyuan and the others unable to doubt him. However, such a trick wouldnt work on a Primordial Spirit realm expert. One who possessed a Primordial Spirit could peer into the soul of another directly to assess it. Zhang Xuan had only gained considerable immunity to poison due to the exchange of soul essence with Wei Ruyan; he didnt possess the real Poison Soul Constitution. Thus, if the other party were to check his soul, it was very possible that he could be exposed! Thus, the most important matter at hand was for him to prevent the other party from checking his Primordial Soul! But how could this be done? ... While Zhang Xuan was in deep thought, the old man was also assessing him with a deep gaze. The middle-aged man in front of him was indeed only a Nascent Saint cultivator. There was nothing particrly special about him, and his appearance was also so-so, perhaps looking a little repulsive even. It was truly a wonder to him how Ruo Qingyuan and the others had been fooled so easily, entirely convinced that the other party carried the soul of the founder within him. Just as the old man was just about to speak, the fellow before him abruptly rushed forward, heading toward a shelf of books. "Hmm?" The old man frowned. Could it be that the other party had noticed that he was concealing his cultivation, and feeling threatened, he was trying to escape as far as he could? If that was the case, it would truly be a disaster! Furthermore, judging from the speed, if the other party were to really crash into the shelf, the books might just be utterly destroyed under the impact! Those books were the crystallization of the knowledge of countless preceding poison masters in the Poison Hall, so how could he allow them to be destroyed before his eyes? With a grim look, the old man drove his cultivation as he rushed forward, preparing to grab the other party to stop him. However, the other party abruptly came to a halt right before the bookshelf. The next moment, he sat down on the floor and began meditating, seemingly going into a state of cultivation. Cultivation? The old man was bewildered. It was just a moment ago that the other party had rushed forward as if a lunatic, seemingly intent on destroying the books before him. Yet, the next moment, he had abruptly sat down to cultivate? How could a person be so fickle-minded? The old man was Poison Master Bai Ting from the headquarters. After learning that the person who had impersonated the founder was currently in the Compendium Hall, he had ordered Ruo Qingyuan and the others to guard outside while he made his way in alone. Just as he was thinking about how he should sound the fellow sitting on the floor out, a calm voice suddenly came from the other party. "What do you see?" Bewildered by the sudden words, Poison Master Bai nced either side of him, and after confirming that there was no one else around, he confusedly pointed a finger at himself and asked, "Are you talking to me?" The middle-aged man before him nodded. Uprehending of what the other party was driving at, Poison Master Bai hesitated for a moment before replying. "Other than books, I dont think that there is anything else here?" They were in the Compendium Hall, so naturally, there were only books and bookshelves around them. What other answer was the other party expecting to hear? The middle-aged man before him sighed woefully, seemingly disappointed by the answer he had received. "I thought that a 7-star pinnacle poison master, a Saint 4-dan cultivator, might have a different view than the others. But from the looks of it... you are no different from them." "Y-y-you... You can see through my cultivation?" Poison Master Bai narrowed his eyes in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. He had concealed his cultivation, and he hadnt brought his emblem with him either. On the surface, he was no different from an ordinary 6-star poison master. Yet, the other party was able to see through him despite having his back against him... This was truly a little hard for him to believe. "Merely Saint 4-dan, what is there not to see through?" Harrumphing coldly, the middle-aged man looked at the bookshelves before him with his eyes closed and said meaningfully, "These arent books but knowledge. However, it is a pity that the writers have twisted my heritage into something so unseemly." "Your heritage?" Poison Master Bai frowned. "Un." The middle-aged man nodded lightly before sighing deeply once more. "Do you know why you are unable to achieve a breakthrough despite having remained at 7-star pinnacle for so long? The Starweaving Art is indeed a powerful cultivation technique, but it is a pity that an ident you made in the midst of concocting poison has resulted in theplete sealing of one of the Yuanshen acupoints. As a result, you arent able to knock it open no matter how you try. Truly, a pity." "Y-you... know that I cultivate the Starweaving Art?" Poison Master Bais body stiffened in astonishment. He hade here to sound the other party out, but, before he could say a word, the other party had already uncovered his secrets. It was no wonder he was horrified. The Starweaving Art that he cultivated had been created by an 8-star poison master. Back when he was younger, he had obtained it coincidentally during a mission. He had thought that with such a powerful cultivation technique in hand, he would surely be able to advance to be an 8-star poison master very soon; he had never thought that he would end up being trapped at 7-star pinnacle for several centuries. As for the reason he was unable to make an advancement even after such a long time, it was exactly as the other party had said. A mistake he had made in the midst of concocting poison had ended up harming his foundation, resulting in his Yuanshen acupoint being sealed. No matter how hard he tried to break it open, it simply wouldnt budge. It didnt work even when he was younger, and to date, he was only a hundred years or so away from the end of his lifespan. Most likely, a breakthrough in his lifetime was impossible! This was something that he had hidden deep within his heart, never sharing it with anyone. Even Poison Master Hai, the other envoy who had apanied him here, wasnt aware of it. Yet, the middle-aged man before him was actually able to see through it in an instant. Such an eye of discernment... Could the other party really be the founder? After all, not even an 8-star poison master possessed such sharp eyes! "The core of the Starweaving Art lies in its breathing technique. Breathing reminiscent of weaving, guided by the stars. With the poison serving as the nourishment and the stars as the medium, the intent is to weave ones zhenqi through ones body like a thread. Yet, you chose to scatter the thread across your entire body, eventually resulting in the sealing of your Yuanshen acupoint... It will truly be a miracle if you sessfully achieve a breakthrough!" Shaking his head in disappointment, the middle-aged man sighed deeply, seeminglymenting over the mistakes made by a junior who had gone astray. "I..." With cold sweat trickling down his head, Poison Master Bai was at a loss for words. To be able to tell the problems in his cultivation with a nce and point out the core of the Starweaving Technique... This was no longer something that could be exined with just eye of discernment! One had to have an inconceivably deep understanding of the Way of Poison in order to achieve this! Even the hall master of the branch he was in was incapable of achieving this feat! Paying no heed to the other partys shock, the middle-aged man continued. "There is no need to get anxious. Truthfully, despite the failure in the concoction of your poison and your mistaken interpretation of your cultivation technique, your Yuanshen acupoint still shouldnt have been sealed so tightly. If I am not mistaken, the reason your cultivation has stagnated entirely is due to a betrayal from someone, am I right?" "You..." In that instant, Poison Master Bais eyes nearly plopped onto the ground. Unable to retain hisposure and bearings as a 7-star poison master any longer, he stuttered, "H-how did you know?" Chapter 1007: Beguiling Poison Master Bai Chapter 1007: Beguiling Poison Master Bai Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back when Poison Master Bai was younger, he had indeed suffered the betrayal from another. It was a brother whom he had trusted deeply. gued with envy after learning about the existence of the Starweaving Art, the other party had discreetly switched a medicinal herb that he had prepared for the concoction of an extremely difficult pill, resulting in him being severely wounded in the affair. Not only so, the other party had even assaulted him while he was at a crucial stage in his cultivation, and that incident had nearly left him dead! Even though he had exacted vengeance after he recovered, poisoning that wretched scoundrel to death with his own hands... the damage caused to his body was already irreparable. It was due to such a wound that he had been trapped at the Primordial Spirit realm for so long, unable to achieve a breakthrough. This matter had be a huge regret in his life. It was also due to this incident that he had remained guarded toward everyone before him, never daring to let loose before anyone for fear of being betrayed once more... So how did the middle-aged man before him learn of the matter? "When you made a move against me earlier, your zhenqi stopped right before your Yunmen 1 acupoint. This shows that there is a blockage there that you are unable to pass through. That acupoint isnt a particrly difficult one to break open, and for a condition like yours to ur, it typically means that one has been injured in the past or that... he is suffering from a mental trauma!" Without opening his eyes, the middle-aged man continued speaking calmly. "As for your inability to achieve a breakthrough... While you did conceal your Primordial Spirit well, I can still see it as clear as day. It is extremely powerful, and under normal circumstances, you should have been able to draw it out from your body long ago to soar into the skies. Yet, there isnt the slightest hint of zhenqi in your Yuanshen acupoint. This suggests that your Yuanshen acupoint is tightly sealed. At the same time, the zhenqi flowing through your body is very distinctive, possessing a thread-like form. Given all that, it wasnt too difficult for me to deduce the entire story!" "Just by driving my zhenqi a bit... you were able to tell so much?" Poison Master Bai felt his throat running dry. As a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, he had seen plenty of people who possessed astounding eye of discernment and powerful means that werent beneath those of a 7-star master teacher at all. But... to be able to see through so much in just an instant, that waspletely unbelievable. He had never seen something like this before! More importantly, the other party had never opened his eyes throughout the entire process, keeping his back toward him. This wasnt something that could be described as frightening anymore; it was horrifying. "It doesnt matter how I see through it; the issue is you. The reason you are unable to achieve a breakthrough is due to yourck of confidence. Without confidence, nothing else will fall in ce! How about this? Since you are a 7-star pinnacle poison master, your ability to utilize and discern poison shouldnt be too bad... Let me give you a test." At this point, the middle-aged man chuckled softly, and hu!, a gourd slowly floated over toward the Poison Master Bai. "Look and see if there is poison in here." "In here?" Perplexed, Poison Master Bai uncorked the gourd, and an aromatic fragrance gushed toward him. He extended his Spiritual Perception into the gourd, and a momentter, he shook his head and said, "It doesnt have any poison..." Through checking with his Spiritual Perception, he could tell that even though the wine did contain a higher concentration of spiritual energy, it didnt contain any poison. "Do you dare have a sip?" the middle-aged man asked. "This..." Hearing those words, Poison Master Bai froze. He could confirm that the wine in the gourd wasnt poisoned, but he was still fearful to drink it. "To doubt even your own judgement, how far can you reach with such a state of mind? It seems like... that is all there is to a 7-star pinnacle poison master!" The middle-aged man shook his head in disappointment. On the other hand, Poison Master Bais face reddened in shame. "You might think that your greatest problem came from your friends betrayal, but that isnt really so. What that is truly limiting you is your inability to trust even yourself! Whenever you saw your Yuanshen acupoint firmly shut even after several attempts to knock it open, you decided for yourself that it is impossible to seed and chose to give up. Without the confidence to persevere and take the final step, how can you achieve greater heights?" the middle-aged man asked. "I..." Poison Master Bai was rendered speechless. The other party was right. Due to that matter, he had be deeply suspicious of others. As time passed, his suspicions deepened, and eventually, he even began to doubt himself. "Since you have already confirmed that there is no poison, why wont you drink it? Do you fear that your judgement isnt urate, or do you fear death?" the middle-aged man said deeply. Facing the other partys questions, Poison Master Bais face paled as his body trembled uncontrobly. A momentter, he raised his head and looked at the other party earnestly. "Elder, what should I do?" Regardless of whether it was the other partys eye of discernment or understanding of poison, they were far superior to his. Even if the other party wasnt the founder, there was no doubt that the other party was his senior in the Way of Poison. Thus, there was nothing wrong with calling the other party elder. "You need to break the shackles of doubt in you." With a high and mighty attitude, the middle-aged man spoke affirmatively. "You need to trust your own judgement and drink this gourd of wine. This is the only way for you to vanquish the doubt you have in yourself!" Hearing those words, Poison Master Bai hesitated. But a momentter, he clenched his jaws tightly and nodded. "Indeed. If I have deemed the wine in the gourd to be devoid of poison, what do I have to fear?" Since he had already affirmed it himself, why shouldnt he drink it? Even if he were to be poisoned, he still had the Heavenly Aroma Detoxification Pill with him. That should suffice to deal with everything. With such thoughts in mind, he uncorked the gourd without any hesitation, and Gudong! Gudong!, he drank severalrge mouthfuls of wine. In that instant, he felt everything he had suppressed deep in his heart being liberated all of a sudden, and a look of delight surfaced on his face. He couldnt help but exim, "Excellent wine!" Due to be betrayal he had suffered once, he didnt trust any outsiders or even himself at that. Such a problem had gued him for the longest of time, but at this instant... he felt like he had been saved by the other partys gourd of fine wine. "Elder, thank you for your advice!" Poison Master Bai bowed deeply. Regardless of whom the other party was, he was still thankful to the other party for dispelling his inner demons. "Do you believe that I am your founder now?" the middle-aged man asked. "I..." Poison Master Bai was immediately sank into an awkward position. The reason for his arrival there was to investigate the other partys identity. Yet, he had been exposed from the moment that he stepped through the door, rendering everything he had nned futile. "Elder, both your eye of discernment and understanding of poisons are things that I am unable to match. However, it is still very difficult for me to believe that the soul of the founder is in you. On top of that, this matter has huge implications as well... If it is convenient for you, can you allow me to use my Primordial Spirit to peer into your soul? Once I confirm that you possess the Poison Soul Constitution, I will kowtow and ask for your forgiveness!" Poison Master Bai hesitated for a moment before saying. He was already eighty percent convinced that the other party was the founder, but he still needed to verify it directly in order to dispel his doubts. After all, he knew for a fact that the founder was ady, and the person before him was indubitably a male. Instead of responding to his question, the middle-aged man waved his hand and said, "The Innate Poison Body is also known as the Constitution of Disaster. Wherever one went, lethal poison followed. You should have heard of this matter before." "Yes!" Poison Master Bai nodded. As a 7-star pinnacle poison master, he was naturally aware of the various details concerning the Innate Poison Body. The Constitution of Disaster did grant one perfect immunity to poison, but if it wasnt suppressed properly, lethal poison will leak from ones body, bringing great disaster upon ones surroundings. "I might just be a fragmented soul, but the essence of my constitution remains. Even though Sun Qiang, whom I have deposited my soul in, does possess a strong aptitude toward poison, he is still unable to contain the prowess of my soul. As a result, the moment I entered this room, it became permeated with lethal poison. Naturally, you were also poisoned the moment you stepped in as well," the middle-aged man said. Poison Master Bai was taken aback. "Poisoned?" When he assessed the wine in the gourd using his Spiritual Perception earlier, he had also caught a glimpse of the surroundings. There was clearly no poisonous air or powder in the area! Besides, if he had really been poisoned, how could he possibly be unaware of the matter? He didnt feel anything at all, so how could he have been poisoned just like that? "You dont believe me?" The middle-aged man chuckled softly. "It is not that I dont trust elder, but... I have spent my entire life around poisons, and I dont think that there is poison in here!" Poison Master Bai assessed the surroundings once more and shook his head. "You dont think that there is poison here?" The middle-aged man burst intoughter before eventually sighing. "If the poison aura emanated by the Innate Poison Body could be discovered by another that easily, how could I have be the founder of the Poison Hall, initiating an upation that even Kong shi was fearful of?" After saying those words, the middle-aged man snapped his fingers. Padah! Right after the sound echoed around the room, Poison Master Bai suddenly felt his entire body stiffening up. It felt as if a lethal poison that hadin dormant in his body all along wasing to life under the other partys control. His face paled, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. Horror and fear were reflected in his eyes. He had been proceeding carefully ever since he entered the room, so how could he have been poisoned? Could it be that... just as the other party said, those who possessed the Innate Poison Body would cause a cmity wherever they went, and even poison masters were no exception to the rule as well? After retracting his poison, the middle-aged man asked nonchntly, "Do you believe me now?" "I... I believe you!" Poison Master Bai nodded vehemently. If hed still had his reservations a moment ago, at this point, he no longer had any doubts. As a 7-star pinnacle poison master, he actually didnt even realize it when he was already fatally poisoned. Without a doubt, the other partys ability to utilize poison was far above his! More importantly, he could sense that the poison had seeped into even the narrowest of acupoints in his body. Therefore, there was no way he could dispel it, not even with the Heavenly Aroma Detoxification Pill he had in his possession! To remain unaware despite being fatally poisoned andpletely helpless before it after learning of the matter... This was the fearsome power that one of those possessing the Innate Poison Body harnessed! "7-star Poison Master Bai Ting pays respect to the founder!" Having confirmed the matter, there was no longer any need for Bai Ting to ascertain the other partys identity through his Primordial Spirit anymore, and he dared not do so either. He hurriedly kneeled on the ground and paid his respect to the other party. "Rise." The middle-aged man waved his hand. Naturally, the middle-aged man was Zhang Xuan, who was disguised as Sun Qiang at the moment. Knowing that the fellow before him was a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, he knew that it was impossible for him to make the other party submit with just a few words. Furthermore, if the other party were to still doubt him after he had exined himself and attempt to assault him while he was unguarded, there was a good chance that he might have been killed before he could even bring the Violetleaf King out. For his own safety, he felt that he had to poison the other party first. Thus, he intentionally feigned that he was knocking into the bookshelves so as to lure the other party to driving his zhenqi. Through doing so, he could use the Library of Heavens Path to determine the other partys ws and use his sharp tongue to scare the other party. In a shocked state, it was inevitable that one would be unable to make the most rational of decisions. Through exploiting the weakness in the other partys heart, he was able to convince the other party to drink the wine. As for everything else about the Innate Poison Body he had mentioned earlier, they were all lies. Even though Wei Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Body, due to the limitations of her cultivation, it was difficult for her to even kill a Saint realm expert, let alone a Saint 4-dan expert like the other party. Needless to say, Zhang Xuan didnt possess such a mystical ability either. The reason the other party had been poisoned was due to the gourd of wine that the other party had drunk earlier. Of course, until Poison Master Bai had an opportunity to think this matter over, it wasnt too difficult for Zhang Xuan to mislead the other party into believing that he had been poisoned due to prolonged contact with the Innate Poison Body. As a result of that, the other party would fear him and not dare to pull anything before him. Seeing that he had managed to win the other party over, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After a short moment of contemtion, he said, "As a result of the fragmentation of my soul, my strength is far from what it used to be, and I have lost most of my memory as well. I am unable to contain the poison aura within me any longer, and there is a good chance that it might act up very soon. Are you aware of any solutions to resolving this problem?" Chapter 1008: Wei Ruyan’s Treatment Method Chapter 1008: Wei Ruyans Treatment Method Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Even after reading to the sixth floor, Zhang Xuan was still unable to find a solution for Wei Ruyans Innate Poison Body. ording to the introduction on Poison Master Bai in the Library of Heavens Path, it was reflected that the other party was a 7-star pinnacle poison master from the headquarters. Given so, the other party had ess to knowledge greater than what was contained in this Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, so he might know some secrets regarding the matter. Besides, it was normal for a soul to suffer from memory loss if it were to be fragmented or exist for too long. Putting aside everything else, Vicious was in the same state as well. This point would serve to bring greater credibility to his argument, making it easier for him to win the trust of the other party. And as expected, upon hearing those words, Poison Master Bai suddenly had an epiphany. Nodding, he contemted for a brief moment before saying, "I have heard of those possessing the Innate Poison Body losing control of their strength and bringing cmity on the world before... However, I am not too sure how it can be suppressed either. However, Poison Master Hai has read some rted materials, so he might know a thing or two about the matter." "Poison Master Hai?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. Could it be that the other party wasnt the only envoy from the headquarters? The Library of Heavens Path could only reflect the ws of the individual which it came into contact with. As Poison Master Hai had never entered the Compendium Hall, Zhang Xuan had no chance to learn of the other partys existence either. "Poison Master Hai is mypanion who has apanied here. He is a 7-star pinnacle poison master as well, and he has read many books regarding you. Perhaps, he might have a solution towards this problem!" Poison Master Bai exined. "How many people from the headquarters havee here with you?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. "Its just the both of us!" Poison Master Bai dared not lie to the founder of the Poison Hall. "Just the both of you?" Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief internally. If it was only the both of them, this matter would still be under his control. He had already beguiled one over, so as long as he were to push a little harder, he should be able to win the trust of the other easily too. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan whipped out a gourd of fine wine and passed it over, "Invite him here. Tell him that this gourd of wine is a treat from me!" "You are treating Poison Master Hai to a drink?" Poison Master Bai was perplexed. "Indeed. There are some medicinal herbs contained within the medicine which might prove to useful to you all in furthering your cultivation." Zhang Xuan nodded with an empathetic look, seemingly showing earnest concern for his junior. "It is useful in furthering ones cultivation? Then why would I..." Poison Master Bia was taken aback. "Are you wondering why the wine is ineffective on you even though you have drunk it?" Seemingly seeing through the other party thoughts, Zhang Xuan said. "This..." Having his thoughts pointed out, Poison Master Bais face flushed in embarrassment. He had already drunk the wine, but he hadnt felt any boost in his cultivation at all. However, as a junior, he wasnt in a position to question the other partys decisions. "All medicinal herbs only work upon reaching a certain dosage. You have only drunk two mouthfuls, so naturally, the effects on you are minimal. As long as you drink a few more mouthfuls, the effects will be apparent to you." Smiling, Zhang Xuan adopted an unfathomable image. "Drink a few more mouthfuls?" Poison Master Bai was taken aback for a moment before nodding in agreement. Indeed. Most medicinal herbs only worked their wonders after reaching a certain dosage. Considering that Zhang Xuan had only drunk two mouthfuls, it was inevitable that the effects would be not apparent. With such thoughts in mind, he raised the wine gourd, which the other party had passed him a moment ago, and lifted it up. Gudong! Gudong!, the other party drank more than a dozen mouthfuls. For one of their cultivation realm, as long as they didnt intend to get drunk, ordinary alcohol were ineffective on them. After drinking, Poison Master Bai closed his eyes. As expected, a surge of warm energy began flowing out from his abdomen, headed towards his Yuanshen acupoint. For several centuries, he had used all kinds of methods to attempt to break open his Yuanshen acupoint, only for his efforts to end in futility eventually. At this moment, when he felt the surge of warm energy flowing over, he began drawing the strength within his body towards the Yuanshen acupoint too. With a light knock, jiya, the seal on his Yuanshen acupoint actually shook. "This..." Poison Master Bais breathing hastened, and he nearly leaped up in agitation. For someone of his level of cultivation, it was apparent what the shaking meant. The seal of his Yuanshen acupoint was loosening! In other words, as long as he were to persevere on in the future, there might be a chance that he would be able to knock it open! To think that a gourd of fine wine would actually achieve what his centuries of effort was unable to do, wasnt this wine a little too formidable? "Is it effective?" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan spoke in a leisurely yet unfathomable voice. "Thank you, founder!" Poison Master Bai replied in agitation, awed by what he had just experienced. After feeling the benefits the fine wine had towards him personally, he harbored no longer any doubts towards the gourd of wine anymore. "Alright, you can leave now. I will be heading to the seventh floor now. Have Poison Master Hai drink the wine and look for meter on." Seeing that he had won the other partys trust, Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually and dismissed the other party. "Yes!" Hurriedly nodding, Poison Master Bai left excitedly. To him, this journey had brought him great rewards. Not only was he able to ascertain Sun Qiangs real identity, he was even able to reignite his confidence and obtain a mystical gourd of wine from the founder which could very well be the key for him to achieve a breakthrough in the future. After sensing that the other party had left, Zhang Xuan waited for a moment longer before opening his eyes and standing up. Beguiling a 7-star pinnacle poison master was no easy task, but it was fortunate that everything had gone smoothly. The reason why he was able to fool the other party wasnt because the other party was too foolish, but that the effects of the Library of Heavens Path and Heavens Path zhenqi were simply too inconceivable, and Zhang Xuan had utilized them perfectly to catch the other party off guard. On top of that, disguise had always been his forte. If he wished to, not even a 7-star master teacher could see through his disguise. Fooling a 7-star poison master wasnt anything much inparison! "Alright, hurry in..." Knowing that it would take some time before Poison Master Hai arrived, Zhang Xuan decided to head straight for the seventh floor to gather the books first. The books on the seventh floor were clearly much fewer, consisting of around a few thousand books. With a quick sweep of his gaze through the room, he collected all of them into his head. After which, he sat onto the floor and began scanning through all of the books he had just collected. Not too longter, he shook his head with disappointment on his face. There were at least a dozen books which had records on the Innate Poison Body, but they were extremely vague. Most of them only borated on how powerful the constitution was, but there was nothing about how one could control the poison aura and prevent it from leaking into the surroundings. In other words, even after reading all of the books, he still hadnt found a solution to resolving Wei Ruyans present condition. "It seems like it will be impossible for me to find a solution directly through the records. I will just have to research it on my own..." Even though Zhang Xuan was disappointed, the didnt despair. With all of the books regarding poison in the Library of Heavens Path, there was no doubt that hisprehension of poison could reach at least 7-star pinnacle after he studied all of them, putting him on par or even beyond Poison Master Bai. With such deep mastery in the Way of Poisons, he would be able to deduce usible treatment methods for Wei Ruyans condition. But of course, to internalize all of the knowledge he had learnt and raise his understanding of poison from 3-star to 7-star, it would take several hours. Before then, he should listen to whatever Poison Master Hai had to say first. Thus, Zhang Xuan sat down and began to wait. Not too longter, Poison Master Bai returned with an old man following behind him. The old man was even taller than Poison Master Bai, and the aura around him was overwhelming. He was a powerful Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert as well. At this moment, the other party was looking at him deferentially, without much of a doubt in his eyes. Most likely, he must have already heard about the matter from Poison Master Bai. It seemed like the other party had deep trust in Poison Master Bais judgement. This was definitely for the best. He would be spared from the effort of putting on another act to convince the other party to submit to him. Walking up to Zhang Xuan, Poison Master Hai bowed deeply and said, "I have indeed read on a book that those possessing the Innate Poison Body can bring disaster to those around them, and vaguely, I recall seeing the treatment method for the issue on the same book as well! "The treatment will require the cooperation of many poison masters. A unique formation will be set up to convert the poison aura umted within the hosts body into energy which one could utilize to achieve a breakthrough... If the treatment were to seed, not only would the host be able to resolve the threats of the Innate Poison Body, one would also be able to advance ones cultivation by leaps and bounds!" "Unique formation?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Do you know what kind of formation it is?" "I am not too sure about it myself either. However, those of the headquarters are bound to have heard of it. Also, if I were to recall correctly, the coboration of 8-star and even 9-star poison masters would be required in driving the formation!" Poison Master Hai said with a frown on his forehead. "The coboration of 8-star and 9-star poison masters..." Zhang Xuansplexion darkened as a dark shadow gloomed over his eyes. Putting aside the fact that he had nowhere to find such powerful poison masters, even if he were to find one, there was no way he would be able to beguile the other party into helping him given his current strength! What founder or that sort, those were all nonsense! It was only through using the information detailed in the Library of Heavens Path that he was able to induce Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai to believe in him. Such a method wouldnt work on true experts, no matter how well his acting was! "Yes!" Poison Master Hai nodded. "Only a poison master of that caliber would be able to gather the poison aura emanated by the Innate Poison Body andplement it with various poisons so as to concoct it into something that could raise the hosts cultivation swiftly. Once the process seeds, breakthroughs will be as easy as drinking water, and the day that you return to your peak state wont be too far away as well." "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though he hadnt internalized all of the books in the Library of Heavens Path yet, he had already browsed through all of the books regarding the Innate Poison Body amongst them, granting him a deeper understanding of the matter. With the steady consumption of poison, those possessing the Innate Poison Body would find it harder and harder to suppress the poison aura within their body. However, if there were poison masters in the area who could gather all of her poison aura together and refine it with various medicinal herbs, it could indeed be a powerful force that would allow one to achieve breakthroughs at an astounding pace. At this point, Poison Master Hai suddenly looked at Zhang Xuan hesitantly and asked, "Founder... Are you intending on using this body to regain your strength?" "Whats wrong?" Noticing the peculiar edge in the other partys tone, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Its nothing much, but... founder, arent you a female? Why are you using a male body instead..." Poison Master Hai said awkwardly. "Female?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He knew that the founder of the Poison Hall did possess the Innate Poison Body, but thinking back, he had indeed never heard whether the other party was a male or a female... No wonder Poison Master Bai would doubt his identity! "Wait, if the founder of the Poison Hall is truly a female, this will make things even more convenient for me..." A thought shed across Zhang Xuans mind, and his body began trembling in agitation. Previously, he had been thinking about how he could bring Wei Ruyan into the picture without incurring the other partys doubts. However, if the founder was a female, this would make things convenient for him. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan nced at the duo. Even though his eyes were closed, Poison Master Hai still felt as if there were a sharp pair of eyes gazing on him. "I am indeed a female. It is out of no choice that I ended up depositing my soul on Sun Qiangs body. However... I have already found a body thatplements my soul perfectly. However, due to certain circumstances, I will lose consciousness once I enter the body, thus losing control of the power in my body as well... This is the reason why I came to the Poison Hall in seek of help!" "You have found a body thatplements your soul?" Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai nced at one another, surprised by what they had just heard. "Indeed. Not only so, my soul is currently very weak. Once I were to possess the body, it is very likely that I will lose all memories. Unless I were to return back to my peak state, otherwise the other party will still be the leading consciousness. As such, I have been hesitating, not daring to make a move easily!" Zhang Xuan sighed. "This..." The two poison masters frowned deeply. They had never thought that there would be such extenuating circumstances surrounding this matter. However, considering how their founders soul had suffered the batter of time for several dozen millenniums, it wouldnte as a surprise regardless whatever state it was in. Chapter 1009: Making Arrangements for Wei Ruyan Chapter 1009: Making Arrangements for Wei Ruyan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Actually, it does not matter whether you are able to return to the body of a female or not," Poison Master Bai persuaded. As long as one was able to continue living, what did gender matter? Besides, there were plenty of poison masters in the Poison Hall who had their gender mixed up. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Thats what I thought at the start as well. However, this body is notpatible with my Poison Soul Constitution. At this rate, I will gradually grow weaker, and it wont take long before I ampletely dead. Thus, regardless of whether I will lose my memory because of the possession or not, this is something that I will have to do. This is... my only opportunity!" Based on what Poison Master Hai had said, it was apparent that he would require the help of the Poison Hall headquarters to help resolve Wei Ruyans condition. However, the Poison Hall was ultimately different from the Master Teacher Pavilion. If he were to send her there without any arrangements beforehand, there was a good chance that things could go awry. After all, the Innate Poison Body was simply too fearsome. It was only a matter of time for a person of such a constitution to rise to the position of the head of the Poison Hall. However, how could the incumbent hall master be willing to relinquish his power so easily? In order to prevent any idents from happening, Zhang Xuan felt that it would be safer to give her a formidable identity first... the founder of the Poison Hall! With such an identity protecting her, even the incumbent hall master would not dare touch her! But of course, it was likely that Wei Ruyan would be unable to follow up with his lie once she woke up, so there was a good chance that she might inadvertently leak the truth. As such, he had made sure to tell them in advance that she would lose her memory. As for the founders memory returning after returning to her peak state... Once Wei Ruyan achieved such strength, whether she had really recovered her memory or not... who would dare to utter a word against her? Knowing that the founder was bound to have a mission for them, considering how the other party had gone through the effort of exining this matter to them, Poison Master Bai looked at her and asked with a determined glint in his eyes, "Founder, is there anything that you need us to do? As long as it is within our means, the both of us will even brave the fires of Hell to aplish it for you!" Poison Master Hai also nodded grimly in agreement. At this moment, Zhang Xuans standing in the hearts of the two wasparable to what Kong shi was in the hearts of the master teachers. To be able to work for her was their greatest pride, and they wouldnt back down even in the face of death. "I dont need you to brave the fires of Hell for me. However, I do have something that I need you to help me with." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment as he gazed at the duo before continuing. "I will be moving my soul into the body of a girl I have already prepared beforehand, but as soon as I do that, I will fall into an unconscious state. If... it is possible for the both of you, I hope that you can take me back to the Poison Hall headquarters and help me regain my strength as soon as possible!" "This... Founder, rest assured. We will definitely aplish it for you!" They had been wondering what she would ask for, but upon hearing that this was the other partys request, the two poison masters nodded. If the headquarters were to learn that they had found the founder and brought her back, they would surely be handsomely rewarded for their immense contribution to the Poison Hall. Thus, it could be said that this job was not only not a hassle, it could even be considered a huge opportunity for them. "Dont be fooled into thinking that this will be an easy task!" But seemingly having seen through their thoughts, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "After I sessfully possess the other partys body, my soul will fall into aa. This means that I will continuously emit a poisonous aura around me. If you remain in close proximity to me, there is no doubt that you will be heavily poisoned as well!" With grim looks on their faces, the duo straightened their posture and swore solemnly, "As long as it is amand from you, we will definitely aplish it even if death is what we will face!" While poison masters were not as concerned with rules and principles as master teachers, they would go to any lengths to protect their lineage and dignity. "Dont worry, you wont face death. I will forge some pills tonight for you to ward off the poisonous aura. Once you feel like you are going to sumb to the poisonous aura, swallow one, and it should be able to neutralize the poisonous aura umted in your body thus far." After which, Zhang Xuan paused for a brief moment before adding, "Also, I will be imparting an even more profound poison cultivation technique and poison art to you. At the same time, I will think of a way to help the both of you achieve a breakthrough to Saint 5-dan." "Thank you, Founder!" With their eyes widening and breathing hastening in agitation, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai hurriedly sped their fists and bowed deeply in gratitude. Who was the person before them? The founder of the Poison Hall! The other party was the person who had founded the Poison Hall, leaving behind the heritage of the poison masters. For them to actually be so privileged as to receive the guidance from a figure like the other party directly... this was something they could never have dreamed of! "There is no need to get happy too early. To obtain my heritage, you will have to acknowledge me as your teacher. Also, in order to ensure that no idents ur, I will have Sun Qiang control your souls. If you intend me any harm, death will fall swiftly upon you!" Zhang Xuan continued gravely. This was not a matter of whether he trusted the other party or not. He had to ensure that not the slightest harm came to Wei Ruyan! As the saying goes, ayer of skin conceals a humans heart. Furthermore, a constitution as rare as the Innate Poison Body was surely desired by many. Thus, Zhang Xuan felt that while it was imperative to offer them some benefits to them to win their loyalty, he had to also prepare some measures to ensure that the other party didnt betray him. Knowing what the founder was worrying over, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai sped their fists and dered affirmatively, "Founder, rest assured. Our loyalty toward you is unwavering!" Bing the disciple of the founder was, for a poison master, simr to bing the disciple of Kong shi. They would possess a standing above countless poison masters, such that even if they were to encounter 9-star poison masters, the other party would have to behave obediently before them, not daring to offend or disrespect them in the least. "There is no need for you to give me your answer that quickly. I will give you some time to consider the matter. You can give me your response at midnight today," said Zhang Xuan with a casual wave of his hands. "This... Yes!" The duo nced at one another before nodding. "Alright. For the time being, I dont wish for anyone to learn of my matter, so make sure you keep your lips sealed. Otherwise, if the poison on the both of you isnt neutralized in time, I can promise you that you wont live past tomorrow!" Zhang Xuan said with a cold harrumph, his voiceced with threat. The two poison masters sped their fists and replied hurriedly. "Founder, rest assured. Not a word of this matter wille from our mouths!" "Un. You are dismissed!" After saying his piece, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and fell silent. Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai turned around and left. After the both of them left, Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes once more. If the both of them could achieve breakthroughs and be 8-star poison masters, Wei Ruyan would be in a much safer position in their care. After sorting out the books in his head andpiling them into the respective Heavens Path Poison Art manuals, Zhang Xuan slowly made his way out of the Compendium Hall. At this moment, Elder Xu, Ruo Qingyuan, and the others were waiting outside. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had left the Compendium Hall, they hurriedly ryed orders to their men to prepare a banquet to host him. After feasting at the banquet, Zhang Xuan was shown to a new, grander amodation. As soon as he was left alone, he entered the Myriad Anthive Nest and began reading through the Heavens Path Poison Art. The reason he had told the other party to return at midnight was because he hadnt internalized these books yet. There was no way he could offer guidance to the both of them in his current state. Starting from the 3-star Heavens Path Poison Art, he gradually moved on to the 4-star, 5-star... Cultivating as he read, his understanding of poison widened and deepened significantly. After some time, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas. A sharp but sinister shimmer flickered across Zhang Xuans eyes. Immense knowledge regarding poisons ranging from 3-star to 7-star was now imprinted deeply in his brain, bing his own capability. At this moment, in terms ofprehension of poison, even Poison Master Bai would be no match for him. He might even be a match for some 8-star poison masters! Of course, due to hiscking cultivation, it would be impossible for him to take the 8-star poison master examination at the moment. In fact, even the 7-star emblem, which Ruo Qingyuan had applied for on his behalf, was only at quasi 7-star. While poison master was considered a Lower Nine Paths upation, there was still a strict cultivation requirement on rank promotion, just like most Upper Nine Paths upations such as master teacher and beast tamer. To be a real 7-star poison master, ones cultivation had to be at Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm at the very minimum. To be an 8-star poison master, the requirement was for one to possess the cultivation of Saint 5-dan. This was a fixed requirement, and there was no one who had the authority to alter the rules. However, Zhang Xuan wasnt bothered by his poison master ranking. The main reason the Poison Hall was so strict on the cultivation requirement on rank promotion was due to the risks in concocting higher-grade poisons. Without a sufficiently high cultivation, a poison master could very well injure themself or die as a result of attempting to concoct something beyond their current strength. However, possessing the Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan was impervious to all poison, so such a problem didnt apply to him. Of course, this didnt mean that cultivation wasnt important to a poison master who was impervious to poison. Even if a poison master could concoct the most potent poison in the world, if they werent strong enough to nt the poison on their opponent, it would be futile too. Taking the current Zhang Xuan for example, the Heavens Path zhenqi was indubitably an extremely frightening poison. However, to poison a Saint 4-dan expert to death, he still had to rely on disguising himself and tricking the other party to consume it of their own ord. With his current strength, it was impossible for him to beat his zhenqi into his opponents body directly. This was also why it was still very dangerous for him to confront a Saint 4-dan directly. Just the ability to concoct poison wasnt enough. Being able to utilize it against ones opponent to subdue him was what made a true expert! Despite everything I have learnt, I still cannote up with a treatment method to resolve Wei Ruyans condition. However, with my current means, I should still be able to stabilize her condition for around half a year to a year. With this period of time, it should suffice for her to make the journey to the Poison Hall headquarters! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even though the Heavens Path Poison Art he hadpiled from the books in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall contained iparably deep and profound knowledge, greatly benefiting him, it still didnt grant him the capability to solve theplications regarding the Innate Poison Body. However, while he was unable to cure the root of the problem, he was more than capable of dying the worsening of the condition. Standing up, Zhang Xuan walked up to Wei Ruyan. He began driving the Heavens Path zhenqi in his body, turning it into lethal poison. It was futile to deal with the Innate Poison Body using nourishment medicinal herbs that reinforced ones foundation. The only thing that worked was poison! Back then, Wei Changfeng had been aware of the details regarding the matter, and Wei Ruyans unique constitution hadnt awakened entirely either, so no one was any wiser about her condition. Out of concern for his daughters condition, Wei Changfeng had been feeding her all kinds of medicinal herbs ever since she was young, but this had only served to worsen her affliction. Had Wei Ruyan not met him, she would have long sumbed to her affliction. Taking a deep breath, a grim look surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes. Maneuvering his fingers adeptly as if he was ying the pipa 1 , he nimbly shot surges of his lethal Heavens Path zhenqi into each and every acupoints all over Wei Ruyans body. Shortly after these surges of zhenqi seeped into Wei Ruyans body, her pale face began to gradually regain a slightly red glow. Even though she was still unable to regain her consciousness, she was finally in a safe and stable condition, at least in the short-term. Knowing that the other party would be fine for around a year, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a thought, he drew his soul out of his be. "Soul Guiding Art!" After which, his massive soul began forming several hand seals, and before long, he seeded in severing a fragment of his soul. That fragmented soul dove straight into Wei Ruyans be. This student of his had been ill as long as she could remember. Living under the protection of her fathers wings, she had an innocent personality that was incapable of scheming against others. If she were to head into the Poison Hall headquarters, a ce where even master teachers would tremble in fear before, without any protection, she would surely have ayer of her skin shed at minimum. Thus, after much consideration, Zhang Xuan decided to leave a fragment of his soul with the other party to assist her in times of need. After that was done, he fell into deep contemtion once more. He hesitated for a brief moment before eventually taking out the only golden page that he had left. With a tap of his finger, he sent it into the other partys be. This was the golden page that had formed when School Head Jiang Qingqin acknowledged him as his teacher. All along, he couldnt bring himself to use it. However, if it could be exchanged for the safety of his student, he was more than willing to do so. After doing so, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before moving his soul back into his physical body. What Zhang Xuan had left was just a mindless soul fragment made up purely of intent, on top of which, there had been an exchange of soul essence between the both of them before. As such, Wei Ruyans body didnt instinctively reject Zhang Xuans soul fragment. It dove into the other partys mind, hiding itself in the depths of the other partys consciousness. Even the strongest of person wouldnt be able to sense the presence of his soul. In fact, as long as Zhang Xuan willed it so, this student of his wouldnt be aware of the matter either. The concern that a teacher had for their students need not be made known to the student. The only thing that teachers expected from their students was for them to better themselves, and that was why they could push on despite being misunderstood or unappreciated by their students. As long as their efforts could help thetter and help them achieve greatness, they would feel relieved and ddened from the bottom of their hearts. This was not foolishness. This was because there was a single belief that was even heavier than the greatest of mountains in the world driving them... They are teachers! Chapter 1010: Death of the Hall Master Chapter 1010: Death of the Hall Master Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Being a teacher was a responsibility, as well as a set of principles that one had sworn to abide by. From the moment heprehended the Heart of the Teacher, the true meaning of being a teacher had been imprinted deep in Zhang Xuans mind, and he had never forgotten about it, not even for the briefest moment. And at this point, he had indeed disyed it through his own actions. To his direct disciples, he would impart whatever he felt would benefit them without any reservations 1 , achieving the true essence of selflessness in teachings. After settling Wei Ruyan, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out two bottles of foundation reinforcing nourishment pills. With a tap of his finger, he infused several surges of Heavens Path zhenqi into it. Typically speaking, the consumption of these pills shouldnt have any effects on a Saint 4-dan expert. However, with his Heavens Path zhenqi infused into it, it was no longer an ordinary pill; it had be a divine medicine that could cure any injury and neutralize all poisons. Furthermore, as the zhenqi was deposited into a nourishment pill, it would be nurtured by it, thus allowing to exist for extended periods of time outside of Zhang Xuans body without dissipating. This was dissimr to when he infused his Heavens Path zhenqi into a wine gourd. Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Each jade bottle has ten pills. It should be enough for the duo to make the journey to the Poison Hall and ovee whatever challengese their way! These pills were prepared for Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai. Since Zhang Xuan had decided to have them protect Wei Ruyan, he had to ensure that they wouldnt be poisoned to their deaths. After doing all of that, Zhang Xuan took out an empty book and brush, and wrote out a manual on a simplified version of the Heavens Path Poison Art. After which, he contemted over Poison Master Bais condition for a moment and tailored a unique form to resolve the issues the other party was facing. Only then did he finally back out from his Anthive Nest and return to the courtyard of his amodation. With everything he had been up to, it was already night by the time he returned. Despite the immense quantity of zhenqi he wielded, he still couldnt help but feel exhausted. Sitting on the ground, he drove the Heavens Path Divine Art for several cycles before he finally recuperated from his weakness. Shortly after he was done, he heard knocking at his door. It was midnight! "Come in." Right after those words were spoken, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai pushed the door open and walked in. Kneeling on the ground, they began speaking with unwavering resolution in their eyes. "Founder, we have made up our minds. We are willing to undertake this mission!" "Un. Since you have decided to aid me, I wont treat you poorly!" Zhang Xuan nodded, having known already that the other party would make such a choice. He epted the parts of their souls they had offered before flicking his wrist to whip out the pills and cultivation technique manuals that he had prepared beforehand. As soon as theyid their eyes upon the manuals, the breathing of the duo hastened. As Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts who had been cultivating poison cultivation techniques ever since they were young, they could tell that despite the simplicity of the secret manual before their eyes, it was directed toward the very essence of the Way of Poison. If they were to follow the manual, it would be a walk in the park for them to sessfully concoct and control a grade-8 poison! Of course... the prerequisite was that he had to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation first! "Bai Ting, this is the cultivation technique I have specially prepared for you beforehand. It can help you resolve the problem of your blocked Yuanshen acupoint. Cultivate strictly to it, and you will be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon!" After saying those words, Zhang Xuan passed a secret manual over. Without a Saint 4-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, he couldnt impart a cultivation technique to the other party and allow him to achieve a breakthrough immediately. However, through the Library of Heavens Path, he could still analyze the other partys ws and design a solution to resolving the issue. In simple terms, the secret manual that he had just passed to Poison Master Bai didnt contain a cultivation technique but a treatment method tailored to the other partys condition. As long as the other party cultivated ording to the manual, the issue of his sealed Yuanshen acupoint would be resolved. Once that impediment was gone, considering the massive umtion from cultivating diligently over many years, the other party would be able to achieve an instantaneous breakthrough. After instructing Bai Ting to cultivate it properly, Zhang Xuan turned to Poison Master Hai and said, "Hai Jinming, execute a fist art!" Knowing that the other party was going to offer him personal guidance too, Hai Jinming hurriedly executed a battle technique. A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. After studying it carefully, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion to deduce a feasible solution before imparting it to the other party verbally. As he was facing the duo with his eyes closed, it would be troublesome for him to write it down on paper. Thus, he decided to impart it verbally instead. On the other hand, after hearing the content that Zhang Xuan was speaking of, Hai Jinming couldnt help but be astonished and impressed at the same time. Just a single fist, and the other party was already able to see through the ws and problems in his cultivation. In less than an incenses time 2 , the other party had already tailored a cultivation technique. Most probably, only the founder of the Poison Hall, who had been able to stand toe-to-toe with Kong shi in battle, would be capable of such an incredible feat! Boom! Before the sky even lit up, a resounding buzz echoed in the air. Bai Tings body jolted, and an immense Primordial Spirit floated out from his body, bringing radiance to the surroundings. Its presence carried a domineering pressure on those standing before it. Saint 5-dan, Leaving Aperture realm! Leaving Aperture realm was the cultivation realm where a cultivator would be able to draw their Primordial Spirit out through an aperture in their body and roam the world freely. Even if their body were to meet with demise, they would still be able to exist as a Primordial Spirit. While the cultivators lifespan would be significantly reduced existing in such a form, it was nevertheless an extremely incredible ability. More importantly, ones Primordial Spirit would be further aligned with nature and the world, allowing it to draw even greater fighting prowess. Every single cultivator who had reached this level wielded destructive fighting prowess that instilled deference and horror in others. It was also the fundamental requirement to reaching 8-star in most upations, thus standing among the ranks of the top of the continent. Not too long after Poison Master Bai made a breakthrough, the surrounding spiritual suddenly flurried once more, and Poison Master Hais Primordial Spirit broke out from his body as well. After cultivating the method that Zhang Xuan had tailored specifically for them, they were able to achieve breakthroughs back to back. Retracting their Primordial Spirits back into their bodies, they walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply. At this moment, they were left with nothing but deep respect for the other party. Even 9-star poison masters would be unable to resolve their conditions so easily and allow them to achieve a breakthrough so quickly, but the person before them had actually managed to achieve such a feat. Who else could the other party be other than the founder? "Alright, stand guard for me outside. Dont allow anyone to interrupt me, and you arent to peek either!" Ignoring the looks of admiration of the duo, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "Yes!" The two poison masters quickly backed out of the room. After which, Zhang Xuan swiftly set up an istion barrier to prevent anyone who peering in before putting Wei Ruyan out. After which, he waited patiently for daybreak before removing the formation and indicating for Bai Ting and Hai Jinming to enter. "Poison masters!" At this moment, even though Zhang Xuan still looked the same as ever, his cultivation and aura were only at the level of a Nascent Saint. At the same time, his eyes were also filled with innocence and purity, devoid of the domineering air of a conqueror from before. Knowing that the soul of the founder had already left his body, the duo sighed internally as they sped their fists to greet the man before them. "Un. This is her... new body. You must make sure to aplish the mission she has assigned to you!" Zhang Xuan said as he gestured toward Wei Ruyan. "Rest assured, we will definitely have it done!" Nodding, the duo turned their gazes to Wei Ruyan, and a momentter, their faces reddened in agitation. "C-could it be... this youngdy possesses the Innate Poison Body?" "There is no doubt about it! Otherwise, there is no way she would be able to contain the poisonous soul of our ancestor!" At this moment, Wei Ruyans constitution had already been awakened, and she was continuously emanating a poisonous aura. As 7-star pinnacle poison masters, it was natural that they were able to recognize it. They had been thinking that their founder had been forced to choose a random body to contain her soul, but who would have thought that thetter would have actually managed to find an Innate Poison Body! They could already imagine the great heights the Poison Hall could very well be brought to under the leadership of the powerful founder. Gone would be the days where they were forced to hide in the shadows of the world, as if rats scampering on the streets. "Founder has said that you should leave this area and head to the Poison Hall headquarters as soon as possible. While her possession was sessful, she has fallen into a deepa as a result of that. She must be treated as soon as possible, and not even the slightest dy is eptable!" Zhang Xuan instructed grimly. Poison Master Bai nodded. "Our purpose here is to obtain a booklet from two thousand years ago. We have already instructed Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan to fetch it yesterday, so it should be arriving very soon. As soon as we obtain that item, we will leave immediately!" Fetching the booklet from the Mausoleum of Hall Masters shouldnt take too much effort, so it was unlikely that it would take too long. "Booklet?" Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful look. "Un. It is a booklet regarding an ancient domain in Firesource City. There are rumors going around saying that it will open very soon. Thus, the headquarters sent us here to procure it in the hope that we might find something from it!" Poison Master Bai said. Even though the founders soul was no longer in the other party, their souls were still under the other partys control, so they dared not conceal anything from the other party. The booklet is concerning an ancient domain in Firesource City? Could it be... the map? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. A while ago, he had heard from a message left behind by the old principal in the Mausoleum of Principals that there was a map of the ancient domain that was in the hands of the Poison Hall. It seemed like these two poison masters were here for it as well. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan asked, "Regarding the booklet you are speaking of, can you allow me to take a look at it after you obtain it? I wont even touch the booklet open, if that bothers you!" As long as it was a book, the Library of Heavens Path could replicate it perfectly just byying his eyes on it. Even touch wasnt required anymore. "Of course..." Poison Master Bai nodded. The other party was a poison master as well, not to mention, he was also the first body that the founder had possessed. Besides, his life was held in the other partys hands. Putting aside taking a look at the booklet, even if the other party wanted to take it away, he wouldnt dare object to it. "You have my gratitude." Smiling, Zhang Xuan was in the midst of his words when the ground abruptly shook violently. A dull rumbling echoed in the distance, as if something had copsed. "What is happening?" rmed, the trio hurriedly flew out of the room and turned their gazes in the direction that the uproar hade from. Taking a closer look, they noticed that a powerful shockwave had emanated from a mountain not too far away. It seemed like there were two powerful experts shing with one another. "That is the might of a Saint 4-dan expert," Poison Master Bai remarked with a deep frown. "That is... where the Mausoleum of Hall Masters is! Quick, lets head over to take a look!" The strongest expert in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall was Ruo Qingyuan, who only possessed the cultivation of Saint 3-dan pinnacle. For the might of a Saint 4-dan to burst forth in the Poison Hall, it was apparent that something must have happened! And most important of all, the ruckus originated from the Mausoleum of Hall Masters! That was where the booklet was stored! Sou! Sou! Sou! With iparably fast speed, it took merely the blink of an eye for them to arrive at the Mausoleum of Hall Masters. At this moment, the entire building had already copsed. Vice Hall Master Xu and the others were standing not too far away with anxious looks on their faces. "What happened?" Poison Master Bai asked. "Reporting to Poison Master Bai, I am not too sure either. Last night, our hall master said that he was going to the Mausoleum of Hall Masters to retrieve something, and he instructed us to wait here. But despite waiting for so long, he still hasnt returned yet," Vice Hall Master Xu said with dread. "He still hasnt returned yet? There is no doubt about it, something must have happened to him. Lets hurry in to take a look!" Frowning, Poison Master Bai rushed into the Mausoleum of Hall Masters without any hesitation. Poison Master Hai and Zhang Xuan followed closely behind. Upon seeing them enter, Vice Hall Master Xu and the others hesitated for a moment before clenching their jaws and following them in as well. ording to the rules, the Mausoleum of Hall Masters could only be essed by the incumbent hall master of the branch. Despite being esteemed elders, they were unqualified to enter the premises. However, in the face of such a major crisis, they could only forgo conventions for the time being. Upon entering, the elders noted that the entire mountain slope was filled with towering and majestic tombs, and the hall masters of each generation were buried in each of them. Inscribed on the tombstones in front of the tombs were the outstanding contributions they had made to the Poison Hall. Not too longter, they caught up with Poison Master Bai, Poison Master Hai, and Sun Qiang. At this point, they had alreadye to a halt. Standing right before a huge depression, the trio had an awfulplexion on their faces. Following the gazes of the trio, Vice Hall Master Xus eyes narrowed in astonishment as his face turned ghastly pale. "Hall Master..." At the very center of the depressiony Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan, his body crimson with fresh blood. Quickly flying over to help the Ruo Qingyuan up, Vice Hall Master Xu realized that the other party had already stopped breathing. Judging from the other partys injuries, it seemed like he had been killed with a single palm strike. In fact, it seemed like the huge depression in the ground had been caused by the same palm strike. "Our hall master... is dead?" The faces of the many elders paled in horror. Chapter 1011: Earthleaf King Chapter 1011: Earthleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At this very moment, Ruo Qingyuans heart had already stopped. His already wounded body was withered, creating the impression that his skin was just clinging off his bones. His eyes were bulging from their sockets, as if he had witnessed something horrifying. His right fist was tightly clenched around a bottle of poison, but it seemed like he hadnt had a chance to use it before he was killed. "Is that it?" Gazing at the scene from above, Poison Master Bai seemed to have noticed something from examining the corpse, so he turned to Poison Master Hai to seek his opinion on the matter. "Yes, it seems so..." Thetter nodded his head grimly. "Exactly what I thought!" Poison Master Bai narrowed his eyes, and with a tone that felt as sharp as a knife, dripping with bone-chilling killing intent, he spat, "The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe..." Upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. "You are saying that... Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan was killed by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" While the reputation of poison masters wasnt good, they hadnt sided with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe entirely back during the war, and they hadnt been in contact with them ever since. Otherwise, no matter how deep the Poison Hall had hidden, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely have found and eradicated thempletely. Considering that they hadnt been in contact, it was bizarre that an Otherworldly Demon would suddenly appear here and even kill a hall master. What was going on? Furthermore, hearing the other partys tone, it seemed as if they had already confirmed the matter. Poison Master Bai nodded as he exined, "Hall Master Ruos corpse is withered; this shows that his blood essence has been sapped dry. That is an ability that only the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possesses." "His blood essence was sapped dry?" Activating his Eye of Insight, he turned his gaze toward Hall Master Ruos corpse once more to examine it, and hisplexion turned incredibly awful. Just as the other party had said, the hall masters blood essence had indeed been devoured by something. It was extremely horrifying. Blood essence was the foundation of a humans vitality. For it to have been forcefully sapped dry, the excruciating pain that Hall Master Ruo had suffered in the process was unimaginable. This was an extremely vicious method of murdering another! "This is the offensive means of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. While he had faced quite a number of Otherworldly Demons to date, more often than not, he had been able to kill his opponent before the other party had been able to make a move against him. As such, he didnt really have much of an understanding regarding the callous means utilized by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, in the moment that he saw the corpse of Hall Master Ruo, he finally understood why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was so deeply feared by all of the races, including the humans. To sap all of a persons blood essence was no different from eradicating ones existence. No proficiency in the Way of Medicine could bring back a man who had lost his blood essence. A thought shed across Poison Master Bais mind, and he eximed in astonishment, "The Otherworldly Demons must be here to snatch the booklet!" For an Otherworldly Demon to have struck the moment Ruo Qingyuan entered the Mausoleum of Hall Masters to retrieve the booklet... it couldnt possibly have been a coincidence. Hearing Poison Master Bais analysis, Poison Master Hai nodded grimly in agreement as a sharp glint shed across his eyes. "Considering that we heard Ruo Qingyuans voice not too long ago, it is apparent that it hasnt been long since he was killed. Most likely, the murderer should still be in the vicinity. If we give chase right now, we might still be able to catch up with that scoundrel." Right after saying those words, Poison Master Hai immediately scanned his surroundings with an intent gaze, seemingly trying to make out the location of the fleeing Otherworldly Demon. A momentter, he shook his head helplessly. The Otherworldly Demon might have fled hurriedly right after killing Hall Master Ruo in a single strike, but he had also made sure to erase his trail so that no one would be able to follow him easily. Considering how big the ind was and how powerful the Otherworldly Demon seemed to be, it would be impossible for them to catch up with the other party if they were to get the direction wrong at first. "Let me take a look!" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he began scanning the surroundings. They had rushed over at top speed right after hearing themotion, but typically speaking, there shouldnt have been time for the Otherworldly Demon to get too far away. As long as the Otherworldly Demon hadnt left the ind yet, it would be possible to catch up with and subdue the other party with the strength that Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hais possessed, allowing them to exact vengeance for Hall Master Ruo. Studying the depression carefully with the Eye of Insight, it didnt take long for a faint trail to appear in Zhang Xuans sight. "The Otherworldly Demon went that way!" Zhang Xuan pointed. "That way?" Upon seeing the direction that Zhang Xuan was pointing at, Poison Master Bai and the others couldnt help but be perplexed. The direction pointed was the very direction they hade from. On their way to the Mausoleum of Hall Masters, they hadnt seen anyone escaping. Furthermore, considering that they were in the base of the Poison Hall, shouldnt the assassin have been trying everything in his means to escape at this very moment? To be heading to the heart of their base at this very moment instead of fleeing, wasnt the other party courting death? It was not that they were unwilling to trust this Sun Qiang person, but without the will of the founder, the other party was a mere Nascent Saint cultivator. It was indeed a little difficult to believe that he was capable of tracking down the trail of a Saint 4-dan expert when even a Saint 5-dan expert like Poison Master Hai was helpless before the matter. "Follow me!" The booklet could very well disappear forever should they allow the murderer to escape with it. Knowing that there was no time for an exnation, he hurriedly beckoned the others to follow him before flying in the direction of the trail. Seeing how affirmative the other party was, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai decided to toss aside their doubts for the moment and hurriedly pursued Sun Qiang. Not too long after leaving the Mausoleum of Hall Masters, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt. He scanned his surroundings carefully, and a deep frown emerged on his forehead. The Otherworldly Demon was extremely cunning. There had still been a trail a moment ago, but it had abruptly disappeared at this point. Even through his Eye of Insight, there was no sign of the other party anywhere. However, this sufficed to show that the Otherworldly Demon didnt have any time to get away yet and could very well be hiding in the area. "Where is he?" The surroundings were mainly t. There were a couple of low-lying buildings and misceneous nts scattered around the area, but from the sky, it was possible to catch a birds eye view of everything easily. If the other party was truly in the area, there was nowhere he could hide himself. "Unless..." Zhang Xuan lowered his head as his eyes narrowed. Since the other party was neither in the sky nor on the ground, that only left a single possibility... the other party was underground! However, there was not a hole to be found on the ground. There didnt seem to be any way they could get into the ground to pursue the other party. Noticing Zhang Xuan directing a doubtful gaze on the ground, Poison Master Bai walked up to him and asked, "What? Are you suspecting that the Otherworldly Demon is hiding underground?" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "The trail ends right here. Other than underground, I cannot think of anywhere else." "This isnt a difficult problem to resolve. To know whether the other party is underground or not, we just have to check it a little," Poison Master Bai replied. In the next moment, a brilliant glow emanated from his Yuanshen acupoint as a figure that shared the same facial features as Poison Master Bai slipped out from it. Separation of the Primordial Spirit from the physical body! With a light movement, Poison Master Bais Primordial Spirit slipped into the ground and disappeared from sight. Primordial Spirits were simr to souls in many ways. Unlike physical bodies, they were capable of warping their form freely, allowing them to pass through most impediments easily. As tough as the ground was, there were still small pores in between that allowed a Primordial Spirit to slip in easily. Hong long! Not too long after Poison Master Bais Primordial Spirit descended into the ground, the crowd suddenly felt the earth beneath their feet shaking violently. Following which, a figure abruptly burst out with a resounding explosion. "Where do you think you are escaping to?" As soon as that figure appeared, Poison Master Hai responded swiftly and charged up with a deafening bellow. Gathering immense strength in his hands, he formed a massive palm, which tore down the buildings and trees in the surroundings before it could even strike the ground. At this moment, Poison Master Hai was already a Saint 5-dan expert. Even the most casual of actions from him wielded the strength to move mountains and split oceans, making it hard for anyone to stand against him. Hu! Upon seeing the devastating attackunched by Poison Master Hai, the figure knew that he would surely die if he were to be struck by the attack. Thus, he curled himself into a bundle in the sky and descended like a streak of lightning back to the ground. The speed he was moving at was even faster than when he had leaped out from the ground earlier. H! Falling toward the ground at such unbelievable speed, everyone thought that the figure would surely incur severe injuries upon impact. Yet, contrary to all expectations, the figure disappeared into the ground as if a water droplet falling into a pile of sand, disappearing within the soil in the blink of an eye. "This is... the Art of Earth Traversing!" Poison Master Hai eximed in shock. His strike had created a huge hole in the ground, but the enemy was nowhere to be seen. rmed, his eyes narrowed warily. "Art of Earth Traversing?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully, having never heard of the name before. "It is an ability that runs through a unique bloodline that grants ones body the ability to travel freely underground just like a Primordial Spirit, never hindered by anything in ones path." After swiftly exining the matter to Zhang Xuan, Poison Master Hall bellowed loudly, "Bai Ting, you chase him beneath. I will wait above and strike him as soon as he surfaces. No matter what, we cant allow that fellow to escape!" "Alright!" Beneath the ground, Poison Master Bais voice sounded. Moving in the form of his Primordial Spirit, he could travel freely through the pores of the earth. With two Saint 5-dan experts coborating with one another, one working on the surface and the other one beneath the ground, it would be impossible for the enemy to escape even if he possessed the ability to traverse through earth freely! Boom boom boom! A series of intense tremors struck the area, and various buildings in the area fell easily as if they were simply piles of hay. Examining the situation from the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others couldnt help but feel as if there were two mighty dragons shing with one another beneath the ground, creating huge shockwaves through the ground with each blow they traded. Huge cracks emerged on the surface, and they swiftly crept along the surface, covering more and more ground. A turbid gush of smoke burst forth from a couple of these cracks, and the temperature in the area rose. Soon, the smoke dissipated to reveal flurryingva within the cracks. Poison Master Bai had barely made the breakthrough to Saint 5-dan just a moment ago, so he was still unable to control his strength perfectly. It was one thing to battle in the sky, but to sh beneath the ground... This was indubitably bringing a catastrophe upon the Poison Hall! If the battle between Zhang Xuans physical body and Hall Master Ruo had resulted in the loss of precious historical architecture of the Poison Hall, the battle between Poison Master Bai and the Otherworldly Demon would be no different from bringing utter ruination upon the Poison Hall! The trembling earth felt as if a massive beast hade to life, reducing innumerable exquisitely designed buildings to rubble. Sou! After a long period of time, a figure finally darted out of the earth once more. This time, his movement wasnt as nimble as before. As soon as he appeared, he spurted a mouthful of blood, and he crashed heavily to the ground. Poison Master Hai, who had been waiting patiently outside for the prey to be driven over to his side, swiftly spread open his fingers and grabbed forward. Numerous surges of zhenqi crossed with one another to form a firm cage around the figure, sealing the other partys movements. "As expected, it really is an Otherworldly Demon!" At this point, Zhang Xuan finally got a clear look at the other partys appearance, and a deep frown surfaced on his forehead. The other party bore some semnce to the Goldenleaf King and the other Otherworldly Demon Kings he had killed before. On top of that, the other party emanated a sharp aura, which clearly revealed his Saint 4-dan cultivation. The Violetleaf King discreetly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan discreetly from the Myriad Anthive Nest. "Young Master, that person is the Earthleaf King! He is also one of the Ten Great Kings of our Qingtian Lineage. His fighting prowess might be beneath mine, but he possesses the ability of earth traversing, allowing him to easily escape from any crises. He is our most capable scout!" The Violetleaf King was a Saint 4-dan expert, so as long as Zhang Xuan permitted him to, the other party could easily extend his Spiritual Perception beyond the Myriad Anthive Nest to detect what was happening in the area. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask, "Earthleaf King? Another one of the Ten Great Kings? Why would he be here?" He seemed to be meeting the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage everywhere he went. So far, he had already encountered half of them, and he had sessfully killed or forced them to submit to him thus far. Honestly speaking, had Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai not made a breakthrough to Saint 5-dan, there was no way they would have been able to capture the other party, considering the other partys ability to travel freely underground. After a moment of contemtion, the Violetleaf King revealed his deduction. "My guess is that the Qingtian Emperor didnt feel secure entrusting the vital mission of acquiring the map to me and the Waterleaf King, so just to be safe, he secretly sent the Earthleaf King over to carry out the mission should the both of us fail. Most likely, the fellow must have followed you and Elder Xu here!" The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was unaware of the location of the Poison Hall, or else he and the Waterleaf King wouldnt have resorted to ordering the city lord to search for the Sepulture Flower all around the city to lure an elder of the Poison Hall to them. Thus, for the Earthleaf King to suddenly appear in the Poison Hall, chances were that he had been trailing them all along. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Thats not necessarily so. I think that it is more likely that he might have gotten into the Poison Hall by following Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai." Knowing that the Otherworldly Demons were after the map as well, Zhang Xuan had made sure to proceed very carefully when he left Jingyuan City. If there had been someone following him, he would have surely noticed it. On the other hand, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai probably didnt think that there would be anyone following them, thus creating an opening for the Earthleaf King to exploit. Had it been anyone else, the powerful formation of the Poison Hall would have surely kept them at bay. However, considering that it was the Earthleaf King who was skilled in the Art of Earth Traversing they were talking about, the other party just might have been able to burrow his way through the formation with rtive ease. After making his way into the Poison Hall, the Earthleaf King had been camping underground, not daring to make a reckless move in fear of the retaliation of the Poison Hall. It was only when he heard that Hall Master Ruo was going to acquire the booklet alone that he secretly followed the other party, striking the moment that the other party took out the booklet. Based on what he had nned earlier, he had thought that he would surely be able to get away easily with his ability to traverse through earth. Yet, who could have thought that Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai would suddenly make breakthroughs overnight, thus granting them the strength to corner him, rendering him incapable of escaping. Chapter 1012: Hu Yunshengs Horror Chapter 1012: Hu Yunshengs Horror Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It might soundplicated, but it wasnt too difficult to deduce the series of events after learning of the other partys identity. While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of conversing with the Violetleaf King, Poison Master Bais Primordial Spirit returned to his body before walking up to the Earthleaf King. With a tap of his finger, a unique poison seeped into the other partys body. After which, with a wintry face that was devoid of the slightest warmth, he bellowed, "Who sent you here?" "This is bad!" Seeing Poison Master Bai forcefully interrogating the Earthleaf King, Zhang Xuans face immediately warped in horror, and he hurriedly rushed forward to stop the other party. However, it was already toote. The trapped Earthleaf King forcefully mped his jaws together, and his face immediately turned extremely red. "Hahaha, you have fallen for our ploy..." Right after saying those words, the Earthleaf Kings head fell powerlessly to the side. Fresh blood spurted from his every orifice as his breathing came to a halt. Just like the Goldenleaf King and the Greenleaf King, the Earthleaf King also had a pill that contained lethal poison in his mouth. So that they wouldnt find themselves in a position where they had no choice but to spill the secrets of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they would bite down on the pill andmit suicide were they to be captured. Right after learning of the assants identity, Zhang Xuan had busied himself trying to deduce how the other party had managed to sneak into the Poison Hall, hoping to make sense of the story. However, he didnt think that Bai Ting would use poison against the other party while his attention was away, and that became the final push that forced the Earthleaf King tomit suicide. By the time he realized, it was already toote to intervene. The poison was extremely potent, and it brought about near immediate death to the Otherworldly Demons. Even with Zhang Xuans 7-star proficiency in the Way of Medicine, there was no way he could bring the already deceased Earthleaf King back to life. "He said that we have fallen for his ploy?" Poison Master Bai scoffed coldly, thinking nothing of the other partys words. It mattered not to him whether the other party had died here or not as long as the booklet he needed to procure for his mission was still around. Walking up, he took the other partys storage ring and searched its interior, but soon, hisplexion became incredibly awful. Noticing Poison Master Bais expression, Poison Master Hai asked worriedly, "Whats wrong?" "The booklet isnt in here!" Poison Master eximed anxiously. "It isnt in there?" Poison Master Hai was astonished. It was just a moment ago that the Otherworldly Demon had killed Hall Master Ruo and stolen the map, and the both of them had swiftly coborated with one another to capture him shortly after. Given the short span of time between both events, there shouldnt have been any chance for the booklet to have left the other partys possession. "Damn it, we have really fallen for their ploy! This fellows goal was to lure us away!" Clenching his teeth tightly together, regret could be seen in the depths of Poison Master Bais eyes. Poison Master Hai and the others werent fools either. They immediately realized what was going on after hearing those words. It seemed like the one in charge of stealing the booklet was someone else. This fellow was probably intending on giving himself away from the very start even if Zhang Xuan hadnt found his trail so as to draw all attention to him, thus creating an opportunity for hispanion to escape. It had been ten minutes since the incident urred, and if it was exactly as Poison Master Bai thought, the Earthleaf Kingspanion should have already gotten away from the Poison Hall by now. Once he entered the surrounding sea, it would be impossible to track him down anymore. Naturally, it didnt take long for Zhang Xuan toe to the same conclusion as well. Just as hisplexion turned awful, the Violetleaf King suddenly eximed with a trembling voice, "The culprit is probably... the Skyleaf King!" "Skyleaf King?" "Yes, he is the strongest of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, as well as the one who boasts of the most brilliant mind of us all! His cultivation has reached Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. He is the only one of us all who possesses the ability to enter and flee discreetly from the Poison Hall," the Violetleaf King exined. "Leaving Aperture realm primary stage?" Zhang Xuans face turned livid. If that truly was the case, there was a really good chance that their deduction was true! An expert of the Leaving Aperture realm could easily hide his physical body outside the ind and sneak in with only his Primordial Spirit. Right after obtaining the map, the other party could swiftly flee without anyone noticing. Furthermore, in the form of a Primordial Spirit, the other party could move at an incredible speed, such that even a Saint 4-dan aerial saint beast would find it hard to catch up. Not expecting for there to be such an expert among the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, Zhang Xuan hadnt thought of the possibility that his Eye of Insight might currently be too weak to uncover the enemys trail. This had resulted in an opening for the enemy to exploit. It seemed he would have to be more careful in the future. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan asked, "Who else is among the Ten Great Kings, and how powerful are they?" Even though he had already taken down half of the Ten Great Kings, he still didnt have a concrete idea of who or how powerful they were so far. It sure was stifling for him to still know next to nothing about the opponents he was facing. Of course, if the Qingtian Emperor were to learn of Zhang Xuans current thoughts, he might just very well spurt a mouthful of blood on the spot. Of his ten most capable subordinates, four of them had been killed through a scheme of some kind and one had ended up submitting to the enemy... and yet, the culprit behind all of it actually knew nothing about them at all. If the culprit could already do this much despite knowing nothing about them, just what kind of cmity would befall them once the other party knew everything about them? "The Goldenleaf, Greenleaf, Waterleaf, and Earthleaf are already dead. Other than me, the Skyleaf, Jadeleaf, Windleaf, Stoneleaf, and Fireleaf are still remaining. Of them, the Skyleaf King is the strongest of us all, and he is the head of the Ten Great Kings as well. The Jadeleaf King holds the title of being the second strongest of us all, possessing a cultivation of Half-Leaving Aperture realm. Following on are the Windleaf King, Stoneleaf King, and Fireleaf King. Each of them wields incredible might that is far beyond the rest of us. As such, they are known as the Upper Five Kings whereas the rest of us are known as the Lower Five Kings." Without any hesitation, the Violetleaf King spilled everything he knew about the Ten Great Kings. After hearing the news, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Just dealing with the Lower Five Kings had already exposed him to grave danger on multiple asions, but who could have thought that there would still be an Upper Five Kings above them. From the looks of it, they were determined to obtain the item in the ancient domain. Considering that they had even sessfully obtained the map, there was a good chance that the humans would be ced in grave danger once the ancient domain opened once more. Forget it, I will just have to deal with whateveres my way! There was no way Zhang Xuan could have predicted such a twist in the situation. At this point, there was nothing he could do anymore. The Skyleaf King had more than sufficient time to make his escape, making it nigh impossible for them to locate the other party. Taking a step back, even if they were able to find the Skyleaf King by some stroke of luck, there was no way that Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai, who had just made a breakthrough and hadnt had the opportunity to reinforce their cultivation yet, could be a match for the other party. Less had to be said about Zhang Xuan himself. With the Violetleaf King and the Otherworldly Demon puppets, he might still be able to subdue a Saint 4-dan expert. But against a Saint 5-dan expert... the wisest decision he could possibly make in such a situation was to flee as far as he could. Leaving Aperture realm experts were capable of fighting with their Primordial Spirits, which made them very difficult opponents. Not only were Primordial Spirits capable of flitting through space at incredible speeds, they also wielded immense strength that made it impossible for normal cultivators to match them. Without reaching Saint 5-dan himself, it was impossible for any cultivator to face an expert of that caliber! Master teachers prided themselves on their ability to match opponents stronger than them due to their discerning eyes, but the Leaving Aperture realm was too huge of a rift to bridge. The differences between a physical body and a Primordial Spirit were reminiscent of that between a mortal and a deity, a gap that could never be bridged. Take Zhang Xuans current situation for example, despite having yet to reach Saint realm, he was able to defeat Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm experts, cultivators of two whole cultivation realms higher than him. The capability to rival opponents stronger than himself wasnt too umon for those beneath Saint 5-dan, albeit it was often not as exaggerated as in Zhang Xuans case. However, even if a genius of such caliber were to reach Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it was unlikely that he would be able to match an ordinary Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator. Not to mention, a Leaving Aperture realm expert could flee with their Primordial Spirit even if they were no match for their opponent. Those whose cultivation had yet to reach Saint 5-dan had no way of catching up at all. Putting everything aside, just the ability to travel through the ground, those who hadnt reached Leaving Aperture realm, with the exception of those who possessed unique bloodlines like the Earthleaf King, were incapable of doing such a thing. On top of that, Primordial Spirits need not breathe. This meant that they could enter ces with harsh conditions without fear, such as venturing into the depths of the ocean, a feat that those bound by their bodies would never be able to achieve. While Zhang Xuan was conversing with the Violetleaf King, Poison Master Bai turned a grim look toward him and said, "The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has stolen the booklet and killed Hall Master Ruo on top of that. This matter must be reported to the headquarters immediately. Poison Master Sun, the both of us will be taking our leave first!" Clearly, they also knew that it was unlikely that they would be able to find the other party. It would only be a waste of time if they continued searching the area. Thus, they felt that it would be much better for them to send the founder, who was in a dangerous position at the moment, back to the headquarters first. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The hall master of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall had been killed; such a huge organization couldnt go without a head for too long. Thus, the crowd unanimously voted Vice Hal Master Xu as the new hall master. Zhang Xuan handed the Sepulture Flower over to Vice Hall Master Xu and offered him guidance on the concoction of grade-7 poisons so that thetter could make a breakthrough to be a 7-star poison master. After all was done, he heaved a sigh of relief. With his aim at the Poison Hall aplished, there was no longer any need for him to remain in the area. Thus, he stood up and bade everyone farewell before leaving with Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai. The aerial saint beast that Poison Master Bai travelled on was extremely swift. In less than a day, Zhang Xuan had already returned to Jingyuan City. After alighting from the saint beast, Zhang Xuan made the two poison masters promise him once more that they would put everything they had into protecting Wei Ruyan before he was willing to let them leave. Students would eventually leave their teachers; Wei Ruyan was no exception to the rule. Even the most ferocious of eagles would never be able to mature if it were to live under the protection of another its entire life, deprived of the opportunity to fly independently in the azure sky. It was the same for students. This was precisely the reason Zhang Xuan had allowed his students to leave him one after another despite his reluctance. First Zhao Ya and Lu Chong, followed by Yuan Tao, and now, it was Wei Ruyans turn. Zheng Yang would also likely head to the Combat Master Hall eventually, which meant that five out of his seven direct disciples had already left him. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan made his way back into Inkcloud Quarter once more. It didnt take him long before he met Hu Yunsheng, and thetter informed him that the Master Teacher Pavilion and Hongyuan royal family had already dispatched some men the previous day to seal the City Lord Manor for investigation purposes. It turned out that the city lords only son was held hostage by the Otherworldly Demons, leaving the city lord no choice but to obey theirmands. Nevertheless, it was unpardonable for a human to serve an Otherworldly Demon to deal with his own kind regardless of the reason. As such, the guards had apprehended the city lord, and they were currently in the midst of transporting him back to the capital, where he would be judged by Yu Shenqing personally. Upon hearing this news, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but sigh again. A human really shouldntmit evil, no matter how small a sin it was. Often, it was a single wrong step that eventually led to an endless downward spiral into the abyss. After settling the Heavens Path zhenqi lying dormant in Hu Yunshengs body, Zhang Xuan stood up and bade farewell. Upon finding a rural area, he summoned the Byzantium Helios Beast from the Anthive Nest and adeptly leaped onto its back. With a light stomp of his feet, the Byzantium Helios Beast soared into the sky, making its way straight toward the Master Teacher Academy was. "Byzantium Helios Beast... A Saint realm Byzantium Helios Beast?" Watching as Zhang Xuan depart from the distance, Hu Yunshengs body abruptly froze. In that moment, a multitude of information shed through his mind, nearly exploding it. Having never seen his boss acting with such indecorum before, Zhu Xiao asked doubtfully, "Boss, whats wrong?" While Byzantium Helios Beasts were indeed rarely seen in the world, there were still a couple of them in Hongyuan Empire. Noticing Zhu Xiaos doubts, Hu Yunsheng replied with a bitter smile, "Its true that a Byzantium Helios Beast is an extremely rare tamed beast, but... there is only one Saint realm Byzantium Helios Beast in the whole of Hongyuan Empire!" "Only one?" Zhu Xiao was taken aback. "Boss, could it be that you have already deduced Elder Suns real identity?" "If my guess isnt wrong, the current form he is assuming is a disguise. His real name is... Zhang Xuan!" Hu Yunsheng replied. "Zhang Xuan?" Zhu Xiaos body stiffened as his face turnedpletely pale. "You are talking about the newly-appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Principal Zhang?" As an intelligence agency, Inkcloud Quarter had a lot of information regarding Zhang Xuan. Even Zhu Xiao had heard of the legends of that Principal Zhang and viewed thetter as a role model whom he would strive towards. "Un, thats him." Hu Yunsheng nodded. "I just recalled that Principal Zhang has a butler called Sun Qiang. Furthermore, for the Master Teacher Pavilion and the royal family toe so swiftly to deal with the city lord... ording to internal news, it seems like the order to do so hase directly from Principal Zhang. Putting together all of this, I would really have to be a fool to still not figure out the other partys identity!" "This..." At this point, Zhu Xiao finally realized as well. It truly felt like a dream. To think that Principal Zhang would personallye to Jingyuan City and even visit their Inkcloud Quarter... "Wait a moment, Boss. If I recall correctly, you attempted to kill the other party to steal his wealth back then..." Recalling that matter, Zhu Xiao hurriedly turned his gaze toward Hu Yunsheng, only to see thetters face turningpletely pale as veins popped out by his temples. "If you dare speak of this matter to another soul, I will definitely hunt you down and kill you!" Thinking about the matter again, Hu Yunsheng couldnt help but feel fearful. Who would have thought that he would actually end up trying to rob the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Wasnt this no different from courting death? It was fortunate that the other party was a master teacher, a reasonable person. Otherwise, he might very well have be a corpse already. Chapter 1013: Luo Ruoxins Request Chapter 1013: Luo Ruoxins Request Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A brilliant sun hung brightly above, and a warm breeze caressed the world. After flying for roughly ten days on the Byzantium Helios Beast, the massive outline of Hongyuan City gradually came into view. Within the ten days, Zhang Xuan had managed to internalized all of the knowledge he had learned from the Poison Hall and fused it with his current fighting style. At the same time, he had also cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher to its very peak, just a step away from breaking through to the Saint realm. However, it was a pity that the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence was nowhere to be found at the moment, or else he would have long made a breakthrough. I should get Sun Qiang to look into the matter... In terms of logistical efficiency and intelligence gathering, he was nowhere on par with Sun Qiang. Thus, it was reassuring to leave it in the hands of thetter. As long as he could find the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he would be able to push for a perfect breakthrough to Saint realm, thus inducing a huge leap in his fighting prowess once more. By then, regardless of the dangers that lurked in the ancient domain, he would surely be able to deal with them easily. Not too longter, right after the Byzantium Helios Beastnded in his manor, Sun Qiang rushed up to Zhang Xuan and reported, "Young Master, Young Master Zheng Yang has been taken away..." "Taken away? By whom?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. "Its Combat Master Liao from the Combat Master Hall. He says that he will take Young Master Zheng Yang to participate in the Progeny of Combat Selection, or else this matter might end up being pushed a year back," Sun Qiang replied. "Progeny of Combat Selection?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Yes. This is the letter that Young Master Zheng Yang left for you..." After saying those words, Sun Qiang passed a letter over. With aplicated look on his face, Zhang Xuan opened the envelope and saw a note filled with words within. It didnt take long for him read through the entire note, and at the end of which, he couldnt help but sigh deeply. Combat Master Liao had reported the matter concerning Zheng Yang to the headquarters, and the headquarters had instructed him to bring Zheng Yang to them at any cost to participate in the Progeny of Combat Selection. If Zheng Yang cleared the selection, he could very well inherit the heritage of the Combat God and be the next head of the Combat Master Hall! The founder of the Combat Master Hall had been a direct disciple of Kong shi, and out of respect for the overwhelming strength he possessed, those of the Master Teacher Continent had given him a nicknameCombat God! As long as one cleared the Progeny of Combat Selection, one would be qualified to inherit his heritage and be one of the strongest experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion or even the entire Master Teacher Continent. It looks like he has found his own path... To have sent two of his students away within just a short period of ten days, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a little lonely within. Nevertheless, he still felt ddened for them. After all, they couldnt possibly remain his students for their entire lives. They would eventually have to find their paths to tread on. If Zheng Yang could be the Combat God of this generation, the head of the Combat Master Hall... at the very least, this would mean that his teachings hadnt been in vain. As Zheng Yangs teacher, Zhang Xuan would be more than delighted to see that. Forget it. After I am done dealing with the matters concerning the ancient domain, I should bring the members of the Xuanxuan Faction to Qingyuan Conferred Empires Combat Master Hall for the both to interact and learn from one another. I should be able to receive updates about Zheng Yang there. With a smile, Zhang Xuan tossed aside the loneliness he felt within. He had already promised Combat Master Liao and the others that he would take the members of the Xuanxuan Faction for a visit to the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall once they settled the affairs regarding the ancient domain at Firesource City. While the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall was only a branch, it was still possible to gather some news regarding Zheng Yang from there. "Is there anything else other than that?" "Young Master, the head of the Formation Master School and cksmith School took 10,000 students from their respective schools each to Firesource City for a mission. They set forth roughly five days ago!" Sun Qiang reported. "Firesource City? Mission?" Zhang Xuan frowned. It wasnt anything much for the other school heads to head to Firesource City in advance, but... due to the great implications tied in with the ancient domain, there was a need to keep the matter confidential. To mobilize twenty thousand students from the Master Teacher Academy there despite so... could it be that there had been some kind ofpelling situation in Firesource City that warranted aid? Due the grave importance of the matter, even Sun Qiang wasnt qualified to learn more about the matter. In fact, it was likely that even the students who had set forth to Firesource City were unaware of what they were going to do either. "Is there anything else?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. "Also... Luo Ruoxin has visited here twice in your absence. It seems like she has an important matter to ask of you," Sun Qiang reported with a peculiar look on his face. Having followed the young master from the start of their journey at Tianxuan Kingdom, they had encountered plenty of beautifuldies, each possessing their own unique charm. Yet, not once had the young master granted them any preferential treatment or behaved differently around them, except for this Luo shi! Speaking of which, there was also something bizarre about Luo shi as well. No cultivator was uninterested in his young masters teachings, but this Luo shi was really the first. The way she acted around the young master showed that she only regarded thetter as another ordinary cultivator. This in itself was truly perplexing. "She came over to find me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Luo Ruoxin was the only woman who had ever touched his heart, be it in his previous life or his current one. There had been many problems cropping up one after another, and he had been busy trying to deal with them, resulting in the both of them not meeting one another for a considerable period of time, but his heart still couldnt help but thump in anticipation upon hearing her name. This waspletely different from how he felt around Yu Fei-er and the others. "Yes. As she is young masters good friend, I dared not probe further into it." Sun Qiang nodded. "Its fine. I will pay her a visit to ask her about itter on," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. After confirming that there was nothing else to tend to, Zhang Xuan got up and made his way right toward the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Not too longter, hended at Luo Ruoxins residence. Standing before the entrance of Luo Ruoxins residence, he quickly tidied his clothes. After which, he took out a mirror and saw a handsome face staring back at him. Nodding in satisfaction, he knocked on the door. "Luo shi, I am Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan said, transmitting his voice into the residence through his zhenqi. The pleasant voice of a female replied, "Come in!" Walking into the residence, Zhang Xuan saw Luo Ruoxin standing not too far away. Just like always, her presence felt calm and serene, reminiscent of a still painting. Surprisingly, there was another man standing not too far away from herMu Yuan. After agreeing to meet at Firesource City back then, Mu shi had left together with Wu shi to return to Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Zhang Xuan didnt think that he would meet the other party here. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mu shi eximed anxiously, "Senior Uncle, you came at the perfect time. Help me talk some sense into Luo shi; she is insisting on following us to Firesource City as well!" "You wish to go to Firesource City as well?" Taken aback, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the youngdy before him. "Un." Luo Ruoxin nodded with a slight smile on her lips. "With all of the mysteries surrounding the ancient domain, as a master teacher, I should also go and check it out as well." "But... we know next to nothing about the ancient domain! Even Wu shi wont be able to guarantee your safety," Mu shi said worriedly. Back then, the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had ventured into the ancient domain together with a team he had assembled, only to disappear from the face of the world. On top of that, the Qingyuan Master Teacher Pavilion had no records about the interior of the ancient domain at all, so there was no saying what dangers were lurking in the depths of the ancient domain Not to mention, they had recently received news that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was involved with the ancient domain as well. It could be said that this expedition into the ancient domain would likely result in great casualties. Given Luo shis noble standing, there was no way he could take responsibility should anything happen to the other party. While speaking, Mu shi was blinking frantically at Zhang Xuan, attempting to signal to thetter that he wanted help persuading Luo shi against it. With such obvious gesturing, he thought that his senior uncle would surely receive his signal. Yet... "Thats great, lets head there together then!" Zhang Xuan eyes gleamed in excitement. It just so happened that he had been searching for an opportunity to spend some time with Luo shi when such a news came his way. It was as if even the heavens were on his side! "Senior Uncle..." Mu shis vision darkened, and he nearly fell to the ground. To say such words after I have gestured so clearly for you to help me persuade her against it, dont you think that you are a little too shameless? Even if you like Luo shi, at least be a little more reserved about it! To make it so obvious for everyone to see... dont you think that it is unbefitting of your standing as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? "Its fine! How can a master teacher grow if they attempt to avoid every single danger thates their way?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands leisurely. "Besides, I will be around to protect her, so there is no way anything bad can happen!" "..." Dark lines streaked across Mu shis face. You are the very reason that I am feeling very unsettled about this expedition! Look at all of those ridiculous things you have done in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy; it is as if trouble chases you wherever you go. If only I knew that you were so unreliable, I would have never asked for your help! Just as Mu shi was about to argue back, Luo Ruoxin waved her hands and said, "Zhang shi is right. Mu shi, theres no need to persuade me anymore; my mind is set." "... Alright then." Seeing that there was no way he could convince the youngdy before him otherwise, Mu shi shook his head helplessly. Seeing that Mu shi had given up on the matter, Luo Ruoxin turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Since you are back, lets set forth as soon as possible." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Alright, lets set forth now." There wasnt anything major in the Master Teacher Academy at the moment, and even if there was, School Head Mo and the others were more than capable of dealing with it themselves. Besides, there were only around eight days to the date on which they had agreed to meet at Firesource City. If they didnt set forth soon, it was likely that they would be unable to make it in time. As Zhang Xuan often journeyed around, his necessities were neatly packed in his storage ring at all times, so there was no need for him to make any preparations. Mu shi swiftly called for his aerial spirit beast, and before long, the trio was on their way toward Firesource City. Sitting in the wooden hut atop the saint beasts back, Zhang Xuan turned to Mu shi and asked, "I heard that Zhao Bingxu and the others have brought quite a number of our students over to Firesource City. Did something happen?" Sun Qiang might not have been qualified to learn about the details of the matter, but as one of the leaders of the expedition team, Mu shi definitely knew something about it. "Something did happen," Mu shi said grimly. "Not too long ago, the seal leading to the ancient domain suddenly grew unstable, and it seems like it could copse at any moment. As such, School Head Zhao lead the students over in the hope that they could stabilize the formation and buy some time until the seal finally opens once more." "How did such a matter ur?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. When the ancient domain appeared two years ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion did send some men to investigate it, and there hadnt been a problem then. Why would the seal be destabilized all of a sudden? "I am not too sure about the details either, but my guess is that the Otherworldly Demons are involved in this matter!" With a deep frown on his forehead, Mu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing. "ording to reports from the local master teachers, there have been Otherworldly Demons sighted in the vicinity of the seal. Eyewitnesses imed that they were carrying some kind of artifact with them, and they loitered around the area for a brief moment before hurriedly leaving. Shortly after they left, the seal suddenly destabilized." "Artifact? Could it be a booklet?" Zhang Xuan frowned. The booklet that the Skyleaf King had stolen from the Poison Hall was said to havee from the ancient domain within the seal. For Otherworldly Demons to appear around the seal and destabilize it at this moment, could both matters possibly be rted to one another? The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more convinced he was of the matter. As a Saint 5-dan expert, the Skyleaf King was capable of flying at speeds far greater than he could. While it had taken Zhang Xuan roughly ten days to travel from Jingyuan City to Hongyuan City, it was likely that the Skyleaf King wouldnt even require five days to travel from the Poison Hall to Firesource City. Furthermore, in hismunications with the Violetleaf King, he had learned that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed exceptional spatial means. Just take the altar that Zhang Xuan had found from the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King for example, it was capable of transporting and receiving items remotely. "Booklet?" Not expecting to hear such a question, Mu shi was stunned for a moment before replying with a light chuckle. "That is impossible. How can a booklet possibly wield the power to destabilize the seal?" In his view, books were only meant to store and impart knowledge. An artifact that could destabilize a powerful seal, which even they were helpless before, was bound to be an incredibly powerful one. So how could it possibly be a mere booklet? Seeing that the other party didnt believe him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and fell silent. At this point, that was only a hypothesis on his part. It would still require confirming after they arrived at Firesource City. Recalling the order received from the headquarters not too long ago, Mu shi said, "Oh, right! Senior Uncle, Wu shi wont be taking charge of the expedition into the ancient domain. Instead, the Master Teacher Pavilion has appointed a 7-star pinnacle Formation Master, Han Xu, as the expedition leader. The Master Teacher Pavilion has ordered for everyone involved in the expedition to follow hismands after entering the ancient domain, and no one is to move around recklessly so as to avoid undue trouble!" Chapter 1014: Firesource City Chapter 1014: Firesource City Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The expedition to the ancient domain had implications that could very well affect the entire human race, so the Qingyuan Master Teacher Pavilion took the matter very seriously. Not only did they dispatch Wu shi, they had also engaged the help of 7-star pinnacle Formation Master Han Xu to aid the team in breaking the seal and leading them through the ancient domain. Mu shi knew that even though his senior uncle was a very capable man, the other party was also a very gutsy and decisive person, never hesitating to do whatever that he thought was right. Fearing that some unneeded trouble might arise due to his senior uncles obstinate personality, he felt that he should warn the other party in advance. "Dont worry." Zhang Xuan nodded reassuringly. Seeing the confident smile on Zhang Xuans face, Mu shi wasnt too sure how he should respond. He subconsciously shot a nce at Luo Ruoxin and saw a slight smile of helplessness on thetters face, seemingly untrusting of Zhang Xuans words as well. But thinking about it, it was no wonder Luo Ruoxin felt that way. Back then, when she brought Zhang Xuan to the Saint Ascension tform, she had warned him to remain respectful. But in the end, he had still copsed the other partys cliff face, and if not for Kong shi speaking up in that crucial moment, he might very well have been pummeled to death on the spot. Sometimes, that fellow possessed astounding talent and wits, such that one couldnt help but be impressed with him. At other times, he behaved so doltishly that it was nearly adorable. The trio began chatting casually. In the midst of their conversation, Zhang Xuan asked a few more questions about the ancient domain, and upon learning that it likely had ties with Kong shi, he couldnt help but feel a surge of agitation. Back at the Saint Ascension tform, Zhang Xuan had asked Kong shi personally about the Innate Fetal Poison and confirmed that thetter had suffered from the same affliction back then as well. If this ancient domain had ties with Kong shi, perhaps he might be able to uncover something more about the Innate Fetal Poison. Amidst the conversation of the trio, the aerial saint beast traversed swiftly through the sky. Five dayster, Firesource City finally came into sight. Looking at the city, which emanated a reddish hue beneath the radiant rays of the sun, Mu shi said, "Due to the geographical location of Firesource City, its weather is exceptionally hot. To make things worse, it is currently summer here as well. It would probably be unbearable for anyone who isnt a cultivator to live here." "It is indeed really hot here!" Feeling the incredible heat in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The ce he had visited just a few days ago, Jingyuan City, waspletely filled with snow, battering passers-by with its bone-chilling frost. "Even though the Saint Ascension tform isnt too far away from here, there sure is a vast difference in the temperature," Zhang Xuan remarked. The Saint Ascension tform, which he had visited with Luo Ruoxin back then, wasnt located too far away from Firesource City, just a few hundred kilometers away. Yet, the weather there was perfectly normal, devoid of the blistering heat here. "The Saint Ascension tform is where Kong shi became a Celestial Saint. It is a ce blessed by the heavens, so naturally, the weather there is mild. On the other hand, Firesource City has quite a few active volcanoes around it, so it is inevitably gued by such a hot weather," Mu shi exined. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had a map of Hongyuan Empire in the Library of Heavens Path, so he was very familiar with the geography of the area. To be named Firesource, the source of mes... It wasnt any surprise that the city would be gued with unbearable heat. Luo Ruoxin couldnt help but ask, "Given the unbearable heat guing the area, why was a city constructed here? Why do so many people still continue to live in the area?" A ce filled with many active volcanoes that could erupt at any moment, as well as the sweltering weather, why would people still live in the area? Before Mu shi could speak, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and replied, "As hot as the local weather is, it happens to be a suitable climate for growing nts that thrive in a torrid climate. Take the Witherleaf Grass for example, it is known for the withered look of its leaves throughout its growth, and it is able to mature even without water. A single stalk of Witherleaf Grass can easily fetch the price of a high-tier spirit stone in the market." "Its so expensive?" Luo Ruoxin was taken aback. A single high-tier spirit stone was more than sufficient for a normal person to live in luxury for their entire life. For a single stalk of a medicinal herb to be worth such a price, it was no wonder so many people were willing to endure the unbearable weather and live here. Zhang Xuan had not finished his exnation. "Not only so, there are also quite a few rare spirit beasts and saint beasts living in the area. They can fetch a high price when sold. Besides that, there are also several deposits of valuable ores in the area!" Having read all of the books in the Master Teacher Academy, he boasted an even greater understanding of Hongyuan Empire than most master teachers who had grown up here. "I see..." Luo Ruoxin nodded in realization. There was bound to be a reason for amunity to gather and a huge city to be constructed in the area. Hearing the other partys introduction, Mu shi nodded in approval. "Senior Uncle sure is knowledgeable!" While his senior uncle might be unreliable at times, the vast knowledge he possessed was truly praiseworthy. Be it information regarding culture, geography, or upations, everything seemed toe to him at a single thought, leaving others with nothing but admiration for him. It was due to this that the school heads had elected him to be the leader of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, which boasted a heritage of ten thousand years. "Its nothing much!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "There is still some time before the seal opens, so why dont we meet up with the others at the local Master Teacher Pavilion first?" While the trio had been speaking, the saint beast had arrived in the airspace above the city. It gradually descended, and before long, itnded right before a towering building. The Master Teacher Pavilion! This city was significantlyrger than Jingyuan City, and its poption density was also greater than thetter. As such, the Master Teacher Pavilion had constructed a branch in the area. However, it was significantly weaker than the Master Teacher Pavilion in Hongyuan City, and the pavilion master only possessed a cultivation of Saint 1-dan intermediate stage. Shortly after walking in, a middle-aged man walked over to wee them. "Paying respect to Mu shi!" "Un. Where are Formation Master Han Xu, Wu shi, and the others? Bring us to them," Mu shi replied with a smile. "Wu shi and the others have already left for the Swallow Embracing Mountain. They departed two days ago!" the middle-aged man hurriedly replied. "They have already left for the Swallow Embracing Mountain?" Mu shi was taken aback. "Shouldnt there be a few more days before the seal opens? Why did they head over so early?" "I am not too sure. They only instructed me to remain here to urge the arriving master teachers to head toward the Swallow Embracing Mountain as fast as possible!" the middle-aged man replied. "Understood." Mu shi nodded before turning his gaze toward Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin. "If even Wu shi and Formation Master Han Xu have made their way over, it is very likely that the situation with the seal might have worsened. Lets quickly head over to take a look and see how we can help them!" "Un." Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin nodded before getting atop the aerial saint beast once more. "The seal to the ancient domain is not located within the city but in the depths of the Swallow Embracing Mountain, which is around three hundred kilometers away, on top of a massive active volcano. Due to the searing temperature, barely anyone goes there..." Seated within the room on the back of the aerial saint beast, Mu shi filled the duo in on the situation regarding the seal. Simr to the ind on which the Poison Hall was located, the seal to the ancient domain was also constructed on top of an active volcano. The massive formation that made up the seal was driven by the ravaging energy contained within the volcano. If those who didnt have aprehensive grasp of the formation were to attempt to break open the seal forcefully, there was a high chance that the entire mountain might copse instead, causing the entrance to the ancient domain to disappear for good. As such, not even the experts from the Master Teacher Pavilion dared to tamper with it. Until the seal opened of its own ord, they could only wait patiently. It didnt take too long for Zhang Xuan and the others to cover the three-hundred-kilometer journey to the seal. In less than ten minutes, a towering mountain peak, several thousand meters high, appeared majestically before their eyes. However, the entire mountain seemed to be absent of life; all they could really see on it were crimson stones. Even beforeing close to the mountain, they could feel a searing sensation licking their skin. Flicking his wrist, Mu shi took out two pills and passed them over. "This is the Heat Cleansing Pill. Swallowing it will grant you some immunity against fire poison 1 , sparing you from harm!" While it wouldnt be too difficult for them to withstand such searing heat given their current cultivation, if they were to stay in such conditions for an extended period of time, the fire poison would still assault their bodies, causing them great suffering. In order to prevent such a situation from urring, half a month ago, the newly-appointed School Head Zhou of the Apothecary School had tasked his students with mass producing Heat Cleansing Pills for the expedition members. The production method for the Heat Cleansing Pill wasnt tooplicated; most 4-star apothecaries were able to forge it. Its ingredients were mainly cooling in nature, thus granting it exceptional effectiveness in relieving heat-rted afflictions. "Thank you!" Possessing the Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan didnt even fear lethal poison, so naturally, heat poison couldnt possibly faze him in the least. Nevertheless, this was a token of goodwill from the other party, so he couldnt bring himself to reject it. Taking the pill, he opened his mouth and swallowed it. As soon as the pill slid down his throat, a cooling sensation permeated his entire body, leaving him feeling as if he was standing before a refreshing spring breeze. The heat around him seemed to have vanished altogether. "This... This isnt an ordinary Heat Cleansing Pill?" Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. While it seemed no different from a typical Heat Cleansing Pill on the surface, the effectiveness of it was clearly far greater than an average pill. "I forged it personally out of the various medicinal herbs I picked a while ago," Mu shi replied with a smile. "No wonder!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Mu shi was a 7-star master teacher, and apothecary was one of his supporting upations. It was only natural that a grade-4 pill forged by a 7-star apothecary would have outstanding effectiveness. The aerial saint beast advanced swiftly, and not too longter, the group arrived at the peak of the Swallow Embracing Mountain. Gazing downwards, they saw a humongous hemispherical depression beneath them. Countless students were seated cross-legged along its perimeter, infusing zhenqi relentlessly toward a specific location. Their bodies werepletely drenched in sweat, but that didnt prevent more from trickling down their faces. "They are trying to stabilize the seal," Mu shi remarked grimly. From the looks of it, the situation with the seal was far more precarious than they had thought. Otherwise, they wouldnt have mobilized so many people simultaneously to stabilize it. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Those are the ten thousand students from the Formation Master School." The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy were dressed in a unique robe, so it wasnt too difficult to recognize them. Hu hu hu! Just as the students stabilizing the seal were about to reach their limits, another group of students suddenly rushed forward and swiftly ced formation gs that they had just smithed a moment ago on specific locations. These new gs couldnt alter the structure of the seal in any way, but it could stabilize it temporarily. They were the students from the cksmith School. The students from both schools worked together with excellent teamwork, their movements both swift and fluid. It was apparent that they had repeated this set of movements multiple times over the past few days. However, despite thebined efforts of the twenty thousand students, a powerful energy still continued to rage within the hemispherical depression below, seemingly ready to explode at any moment. Frowning, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and took a look. After examining it for a moment, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. What aplicated formation this is. Hisprehension of formations was on par with most 7-star formation masters, and yet, he still found it rather difficult toprehend the entire structure of the formation. The sheerplexity of the formation was enough to leave him slightly light-headed. No, it doesnt really look like it... The more Zhang Xuan looked at it, the more perplexed he felt. The structure he was looking at seemed like a formation, but there was something rather different about it at the same time. Even though the seal was unstable, it was still dormant, not yet activated. As such, Zhang Xuan couldnt use the Library of Heavens Path to assess the situation concerning the formation. With his current understanding of formations, even with the Eye of Insight, it would likely take at least several months for him to make sense of it. If it was truly a formation, there was no doubt that it was beyond grade-7! A formation that was beyond grade-7... No wonder no master teacher from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion dared tamper with it! It was already far beyond their scope of understanding. Hu hu hu! While Zhang Xuan was busy assessing the depression, Mu shi carefully controlled his aerial spirit beast tond gently on the ground. Afternding safely, before the trio could walk up to the hemispherical depression, Wu shi walked over and said, "Zhang shi, Luo shi, and Mu shi, you are here!" Chapter 1015: I Can Give It a Try Chapter 1015: I Can Give It a Try Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Wu shi!" The three of them sped their fists to greet the other party. "What is the current situation here?" Zhang Xuan got straight to the point. "Half a month ago, the seal suddenly became unstable. Even so, with the forces that we have, we were still able to stabilize it easily. But two days ago, the seal suddenly began shaking intensely, threatening to copse at any moment. Despite devoting all of our men to stabilizing the seal, we are barely hanging on at the moment. At this rate, it wont be long before the situation exceeds our control!" Wu shi nced at the hemispherical depression with a worried frown. "Exceeds our control?" "Indeed." Wu shi nodded. Just as he was about to exin the matter, a deep rumbling reminiscent of thunder suddenly reverberated from the ground below. Like the cry of a behemoth or the roar of a massive dragon prowling beneath the mountain range, it seemed like a fearsome being would suddenlye to life and massacre everyone present. "What is that?" The faces of Zhang Xuan and the others warped in astonishment. That deep rumbling sounded like the source of a devastating cmity of some kind. Before such overwhelming force, the strength of humans felt pitifully insignificant inparison. It felt like no amount of effort would stop the destruction from crashing down on them, devouring them all. "Weve looked into the matter, and it seems like that sound originates from the other side of the seal. There is no way for us to find out for sure what is going on within at the moment, but at this rate, it wont be long before the entire seal copses. Once that happens, be it the ancient domain or Firesource City, they will be reduced to ashes!" Wu shi said worriedly. If the seal was destroyed, it could very well result in the rampaging energies within the volcano running amok, thus inducing a massive explosion. The Swallow Embracing Mountain was only three hundred kilometers away from Firesource City. At such a short distance away, there was no doubt that Firesource City would be devastated by the massive explosion as well, killing even Saint realm experts that stood in its path. Far too much energy had gathered beneath the volcano over the years, to the point where no human could withstand it! Hong long long! While they were speaking, the rumbling grew louder and louder. The ground began shaking violently, and a scorching burst of air gushed up from the depths of the seal. In an instant, over half of the formation gs that had just been nted a moment ago were jolted out of the ground. The students of the Formation Master School, who were sitting before the hemispherical depression to stabilize the seal, instantly looked weakened, and a few hundred of them were abruptly sent flying from the spot. Huge mouthfuls of blood spewed from their mouths. A new group of students hurried forward to fill the gaps left behind by the casualties. Exerting the full extent of their cultivation, they tried their best to stabilize the seal, preventing it from copsing. "What an incredible force..." Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuans face paled. The might gushing out from beneath was far beyond his expectations. Even the coboration of multiple Saint 5-dan experts might not be able to suppress it. Even with so many students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy infusing their power into it, they were still barely holding on. Before such immense power, putting aside entering the ancient domain, he would be reduced to dust by the powerful force before he could even get close to the seal! Before, he had been thinking that no matter how dangerous the ancient domain was, as long as he were to rely on his Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path to assess the situation ahead of him, he would be able to avert danger with rtive ease. But from the looks of it now, his thoughts had been too naive! Even the dangers lurking outside the ancient domain were far greater than he had expected. The slightest mistake could easily result in death! At this moment, a loud bellow was heard throughout the area. " Team A, guard the Gen. Team B, guard the Xun. Team C, guard the Qian. 1 As for the other teams, remain where you are and continue infusing your zhenqi into the seal!" Following that, an elder flew into the sky and stood above everyone else. A massivepass floated before him, which he used to make calctions as he continued issuing orders here and there. Hearing his instructions, the students beneath hurriedly moved in the teams they had formed before and carried out the instructions demanded of them. Following which, innumerable surges of zhenqi poured forth, converging at the very center of the depression. In that moment, it looked as if someone had set off a massive firework. Under the influx of zhenqi, the fortified seal slowly calmed down. At the same time, the rumbling beneath the ground also gradually quietened down, as if being forcefully suppressed. After studying the situation for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed something, and a deep frown arched between his brows. "Wait a moment... If the seal is fortified in such a manner, how can it be openedter?" This method of reinforcing the formation was indeed effective in coping with the assault of the fearsome force from below, bringing safety back to the area. However... there was a major problem with this solution! The fortification of the seal meant that it would be harder for them to open the seal and enter the ancient domain. In fact, if this continued, it might be entirely impossible to do so! ording to their previous estimates, the seal was likely to open within two to three days. However, if they were to continue reinforcing the seal in such a manner, putting aside three days, the seal might not even open within the next three years! "Indeed, but theres nothing we can do about this situation. If we leave the seal be, the volcano will explode without a shred of doubt. Not only will the ancient domain be destroyed, the entire area, including Firesource City, will be devastated as well." If they had a choice, they obviously wouldnt fortify the seal. But if they didnt do so, the ancient domain would bepletely destroyed, making it impossible for them to enter! Besides, considering how vtile the immense energies that had umted beneath the volcano were, who would dare enter even if it was possible to do so? After all, there was no one who could guarantee that the volcano wouldnt act up while they were within! Once that happened, they could very well be torn to shreds by that overwhelming force! "Is there really no alternative solution other than to fortify the formation?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "There is, but... it simply isnt feasible!" Wu shi shook his head. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Wu shi and said, "Tell me about it." The situation was already as bad as it could get. At this point, they had to try everything that they could. "The seal is simr to a cover that suppresses the violent energies raging beneath the volcano. Using a metaphor, the current situation is simr to that of a balloon. Initially, when the energies attempting to burst out from beneath werent too great, the seal was still able to keep them in through its sticity," Wu shi exined. "However, as more and more energies umted, the seal rapidly found itselfing to its limit, putting it under threat of exploding altogether! Through reinforcing the seal, we are effectively bringing the breaking point of the seal higher, allowing the seal to withstand the rampaging energies by a greater degree. "However, no matter how much we fortify the seal, as long as the energies beneath the ground continue to umte, the seal will eventually reach its limit. In a sense, we are only pushing back the inevitable. Unless we resolve the root of the problem, the umtion of energies below, there wille a day when the seal exceeds its breaking point and bursts!" Hearing the other partys exnation, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The metaphor the other party used was a fitting description of the current situation they were in. The root of the problem was still the umtion of energies beneath the ground. The fortification of the formation only served to rein the rampaging energies in for the time being; it wasnt a long-term measure. In fact, the longer the energies were suppressed, the greater the umtion of energies, resulting in the eventual explosion being more devastating than it already was. To make an analogy, it was simr to constructing a dam to prevent a flood. The more water it kept at bay, the higher the water level would be, and the greater the pressure the dam would be put under. When the dam eventually copsed, the flood woulde crashing down with far greater momentum than it originally would. If something simr were to happen here as well, it would spell a great cmity. "The other solution we have thought of is to dispel the energies umted below directly. It would solve the root of the problem, but... before the seal is opened, there is no way we can venture below to identify the cause of the umtion of energies and resolve the issue. On the other hand, the moment the seal is opened, the umted energies will surely burst forth, resulting in a catastrophic explosion." Wu shi shook his head with a bitter smile. This was a paradox. To dispel the energies, they would have to break open the seal and enter the other side. But the moment this was done, an explosion would burst forth, annihting everything in the area. "This..." Zhang Xuan and Mu shi nced at one another and shook their heads helplessly. Wu shi was right; this was indeed an irresolvable problem. Despite knowing the dangers of fortifying the seal continuously, they had no choice but to do it. At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something and asked, "I heard from a master teacher stationed in the Master Teacher Pavilion that just before this problem urred, Otherworldly Demons were spotted to be lurking around the vicinity. Is this true?" "Thats right!" Wu shi nodded. "The Otherworldly Demons didnt remain in the area for long before fleeing. We have no idea what they did in the short period of time that they were here, but the seal suddenly grew unstable. It was still rather manageable at the start, and we were able to easily suppress it with just a couple of us in the area. However, as time ticked by, the instability worsened, and eventually... as you can see, even with thebined might of twenty thousand students, we are barely holding on!" "They didnt remain in the area for long before fleeing?" Zhang Xuan repeated Wu shis words contemtively and fell into a moment of thought. A momentter, he asked, "Who was the one who spotted the Otherworldly Demons?" "It was an ordinary 4-star master teacher. He was stationed as a sentry in the area when it happened," Wu shi replied. "An ordinary 4-star master teacher would only possess a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, and yet... he noticed the movements of the Otherworldly Demons?" Zhang Xuan remarked with a tinge of bewilderment in his tone. He had encountered many Otherworldly Demons who had passed through the seal for the ancient domain, and even the weakest of them was a Saint 1-dan. How could an ordinary 4-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivator, notice them but still remain alive at this point? Given the vast disparity in cultivation, it was inconceivable to think that the Otherworldly Demons hadnt noticed the presence of the 4-star master teacher. "Dont worry, that master teacher is definitely trustworthy. There is no way he could have betrayed mankind," Wu shi hurriedly added. "I am not suspecting that 4-star master teacher of colluding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Halfway through his words, the ground suddenly began to rumble once more. "Initially, the energies would only act up once every four to six hours. However, the intervals between each surge has been decreasing swiftly, and at this point, it is less than ten minutes," Wu shi said. Two days ago, due to the lower frequency of the rampaging energies acting up, their forces were still able handle it with rtive ease. However, with an assaulting once every ten minutes, everyone was already on the brink of copse! "My students wont be able to hold on for too long at this rate," Zhang Xuan said with a livid face. Twenty thousand of his students were currently standing atop the Swallow Embracing Mountain, and a significant proportion of them were from the Xuanxuan Faction as well. An assault once every few hours was still within their means, but one that urred every ten minutes... They would be pushing themselves to the limits! At this rate, they might very well end up pushing themselves too far and incur permanent damage to their foundations, resulting in a steep decline in their cultivation. "I know, but there is no better solution at the moment." Wu shi sighed in frustration. At this point, Luo Ruoxin suddenly spoke up. "Since it is just a matter of time before the energies burst forth, why dont you just create an opening to guide the rampaging energies out instead? This way, you should be able to resolve the root of the problem as well." "Create an opening? It is not that we havent considered such a solution before, but given the overwhelming energies that have umted at the moment, if we create an opening at the wrong location, it could end up bing a trigger for an explosion instead. The seal would be torn apart, and in the worst-case scenario... we could all die!" Wu shi said. Using the same balloon analogy, a balloon that expanded continuously would burst eventually. To prevent such a situation from happening, one could poke an opening in it to release the umted air gradually. However, this was easier said than done. If one were to create an opening at the wrong location, it could very well be a trigger that would cause the balloon to explode instantaneously. All of the master teachers that were currently standing atop the Swallow Embracing Mountain would be reduced to ashes. As such, how many openings to create and where the openings should be made were very important questions to consider. A mistake made in either of the two could spell their demise. Even with 7-star master teachers and 7-star formation masters among them, they werent confident enough to take such a risky action. "So, we just have to find the most suitable locations to release the built-up energies?" Hearing the conversation between the two, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up. With a look of excitement, he said, "Regarding that matter... perhaps I can give it a try!" Chapter 1016: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Seal (1) Chapter 1016: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Seal (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As long as he could activate the formation, he would be able to find the ws in it through the Library of Heavens Path. That would be even more urate than anypass that one could find. It was nigh impossible for others to find the precise location of where the openings should be made, how big the openings should be, and how much strength one should exert in opening it. However, that happened to be the easiest thing in the world for Zhang Xuan. "Give it a try?" Wu shi shook his head. "I know that Principal Zhang possesses extraordinary talent in the field of formations, but the implications are simply too great. Failure is not an option for us, so you mustnt act recklessly!" Failure would spell the instantaneous explosion of the volcano, and that would reduce all of them to ash. This was noughing matter, and it was definitely not something that one should give a try. "I know." Nodding in agreement, Zhang Xuan was just about to exin himself when a voice from the sky harrumphed coldly. "Give it a try? Humph, can you bear the responsibility if something goes wrong? For a person as young as you to speak such big words, what is the world bing?" Hong long! An elder bellowed coldly as he descended from the sky, heading toward the group. He was the 7-star pinnacle formation master who had been busy taking control of the situation to fortify the formation, Han Xu! His face looked withered from the fatigue he had umted over the days, but at this moment, not even his exhaustion could conceal the sharp coldness and displeasure he was directing toward Zhang Xuan. "Guild Leader Han... Allow me to introduce you!" Wu shi hurriedly stepped forward to resolve the air of awkwardness drifting between them. "This is the newly-appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan. This youngdy over here is Luo shi. As for Mu shi over here, I dont think that I will have to introduce him since you are old friends with him. Principal Zhang and Luo shi, this is the head of our Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild, Han Xu!" "You are Zhang Xuan?" Hearing the introduction, Han Xu turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "I have heard of you. To be able to be a 6-star formation master at such a young age, you are indeed an outstanding talent. "However... as a master teacher, you must speak with prudence. Recklessness is the mostmon cause of the downfall of young talents. Everyone here knows that releasing the built-up energies within is a far better solution that forcefully stopping it, but do you know what the consequences of failure are? Not only will we die, everything within a radius of a thousand kilometers from here will be eradicated. Countless lives will vanish in an instant... Are you certain that you can shoulder such responsibility?" Knowing that the other party was only berating him because the other party thought that he was taking such a grave matter lightly, Zhang Xuan quickly exined himself with a smile. "Guild Leader Han, you have misunderstood what I am saying. When I said that I would give it a try, I meant that I will do so only after I am entirely confident of sess. Naturally, I dare not fool around with so many lives at stake!" "How arrogant!" Yet another middle-aged man walked over with a disdainful look on his face. "This seal before us may very well be a grade-8 formation or even higher than that. My teacher and I have analyzed it for more than two days now, but we are still unable to find a foolproof way to release the energies within the seal without triggering an explosion. Yet, without even taking a look at the formation, you are saying that you are confident of sess? As the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, dont you think that you are being a little too arrogant here?" The middle-aged man harnessed immense strength within him, such that even his very presence could exert great pressure on those looking at him. Saint 3-dan, Embryonic Soul realm! The Embryonic Soul realm was also known as the Origin Soul realm. In this cultivation realm, ones Origin Core would metamorphose into the form of a human, pushing one a step further toward the Primordial Spirit realm. Cultivators at the Embryonic Soul realm possessed incredibly powerful souls, allowing them to subdue cultivators far weaker than them with just the pressure exerted through their presence itself. "Cough cough. Zhang shi, this gentleman over here is Guild Leader Hans student, 7-star Formation Master Liu Mo!" Not expecting the casual words from Zhang shi to cause such a fallout, Wu shi awkwardly attempted to remedy the situation. For the past two days, Guild Leader Han and his student had put in a lot of effort to find a suitable node where they could release the energies. For this, they hadnt rested for even a single moment, but they were still unable to find a node that they were entirely confident was safe to open. They were already cranky from the frustrating situation before them, but a fellow actually came by at such a moment and arrogantly said that he would give it a try, as if it was something that could be resolved very easily. In that instant, the frustration that had umted in them over the past two days was ignited into zing rage. "Liu Mo?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Never heard of you before." He had never been to Qingyuan Empire before, so naturally, he knew nothing about the guild leader or formation masters in the Formation Master Guild there. Under normal circumstances, he wouldnt have pointed it out in view of the other partys pride. However, since the other party was behaving in such a manner, he couldnt be bothered to act courteously with the other party anymore either. "You..." Not expecting the other party to retort to his words, Liu Mo flung his sleeves furiously and harrumphed. "It doesnt matter whether you heard of me or not. I am an ordinary formation master in the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild anyway." "You are misunderstanding my words, I am not just referring to you!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan looked at the other party earnestly and added, "I am saying that I have never heard of Guild Leader Han as well!" "You..." Nearly exploding with fury, Liu Mos face turned crimson. Guild Leader Han also nearly spurted blood on the spot. Even though he, Han Xu, couldnt say that his name was known throughout the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire, he had at least been rtively well-known for several centuries now. Each year, there were countless master teachers who wishede under his lineage in hopes of studying the Way of Formations from him. Yet, this fellow before him had actually shot him down along with his student. Yet, he simply couldnt re up over this matter, or he would risk appearing petty. He felt so stifled that he could tear his hair out in frenzy. Hearing the conversation between the two, Luo Ruoxin couldnt help but chuckle. To bicker with this fellow... You will be the one spurting blood in the end! This fellow is one who doesnt care about conventions or rules, a person who dares to even insult Kong shi! To think that you can win against someone like that is indubitably a gross overestimation of yourself! Waving his hands leisurely, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back before taking a step forward. "Alright, there is no need to get so agitated just because I dont know about you. As the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, I have many things on my agenda. I dont have time to find out the names of every singled whoes my way!" He gazed deeply into the massive depression before him for a moment before saying, "Wu shi, prepare a formation g for me. It will best if its a grade-7 pinnacle formation g!" "This..." Wu shi was conflicted. Seeing that the other party was intent on creating an opening to let out the energies, Liu Mo immediately stood up and roared furiously, "Hold it right there! Do you really intend to bring so many people down with you?" Did that fellow know what kind of risk he was putting everyone under? He and his teacher had spent two days assessing the formation, but even they couldnt be entirely certain of their conclusion. Out of fear of the devastating explosion that could ur were they to fail, they dared not to even test it out. Yet, the other party had been here for only ten minutes, and he was already eagerly trying to create an opening in the seal. There are more than twenty thousand master teachers up here! Even if you are tired of living, you need not bring everyone down with you! While the other principals were doing their best to ensure the safety of their students, this lunatic was trying to have his students buried with him. To act so recklessly without getting a clear view of the situation, just how in the world did such a fool get nominated as Hongyuans principal? "You are thinking too much... The reason the both of you arent able to find the correct node to open the formation at, even after two days of effort, isnt because you arent working hard enough but because you are fools! Naturally, I wont be the same as you two!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan ignored the two and walked up to the depression. "Principal Zhang!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the many students guarding the depression hurriedly stood up and looked at him with gazes of admiration. "Un. You have all worked hard." Zhang Xuan nodded. "It is our responsibility to work for the welfare of mankind," the students hurriedly replied. Seeing the other party walking up to the seal, Liu Mo turned to look at his teacher anxiously. "Teacher, we mustnt allow that fellow to fool around!" "Dont worry, it is not that easy to find a node. Even after two days of effort, we were only able to deduce five usible nodes. There is no way that he will be able to find one that easily!" Guild Leader Han shook his head. Honestly speaking, he didnt think that Zhang Xuan would be able to even deduce a usible node that the energies could possibly be released from. After all, even a 7-star pinnacle formation master like him was unable to find it even after two days of effort, so how could a 6-star formation master possibly seed? "But... I fear that he would recklessly create an opening in the seal despite his ignorance! If he gets it wrong, a cmity could very well befall us," Liu Mo said anxiously. "Dont worry, even after he finds a node, he will need some time to create an opening to draw the energies out. We will have more than sufficient time to stop him." Guild Leader Han waved his hands confidently. "Ah... I was too rash!" Hearing those words, Liu Mo heaved a sigh of relief. Indeed, finding a node required time, and creating an opening to channel the energies out required time as well. As esteemed figures, there was no need for them to fall out at this point yet. If the other party really intended to create an opening in the seal, it wouldnt be toote for them to stop it then. "Un. I have heard a lot about this Principal Zhang, and it seems like he possesses extraordinary talent in the Way of Formations. It is a pity that he is still too young and reckless. However, this will be a good experience for him. Youngsters like him have to meet with a few failures before they learn that the world is far greater than what they can see. The Way of Formations is an extremely profound art. It is not something that someone who has just barely gotten a glimpse of it should speak lightly about!" Guild Leader Han chuckled. "Let him give it a try first. Once he fails to find a node, he will realize his own ignorance." "Yes!" Hearing those words, Liu Mo couldnt help but direct a gaze of admiration toward his teacher. Do you see this? This is what a true master is like! Despite having been insulted by another, he is still thinking in the other partys stead. Ignoring the conversing duo, Zhang Xuan began assessing the seal before him carefully. Green lines gathered within his ck eyesEye of Insight. This isnt working. This formation is too profound for my current eye of discernment and knowledge; I cant make sense out of it at all. Zhang Xuan shook his head. If it had been any other formation, even if it was a grade-7 pinnacle formation, with his Eye of Insight and hisprehension of formations, he would surely have been able to find its ws and decipher it with sufficient time. But the one before him left himpletely clueless. I will have to use the Library of Heavens Path for this one. Sighing deeply, a frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. But to use the Library of Heavens Path, I will have to find a way to activate the formation. I wont be able to find its ws in its current dormant state. Frustrated, he pinched his be with his fingers. The Library of Heavens Path could onlypile a book on a formation when it was active. Even though the seal covering the ancient domain was suppressing the rampaging energies beneath it, it was actually still dormant. With the formation in such a state, Zhang Xuan wouldnt be able topile a book on it even if he were to scream ws!. He would have to activate the formation, but... how could he do so? Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. ... "He isnt using apass at all? To be neither assessing the geographical terrain nor the flow of spiritual energy in the air... Does this fellow even know the first thing about formations?" Liu Mo had been keeping a close eye on the arrogant Principal Zhang, wanting to see how the other party would find a node after bragging so much. However, he only saw thetter standing in a daze before the depression, pinching his be in frustration. For the other party to not take out hispass or even take a sweeping nce to assess his surroundings... How in the world would one assess a formation like that? "Perhaps this might be a unique method he has learned somewhere." Guild Leader Han was also bewildered by the sight before him. "Lets hope that is the case... W-wait a moment. What is he doing?" Just as Liu Mo nodded in agreement, he suddenly caught sight of Principal Zhangs actions, and he nearly fainted from sheer shock. The other party had hesitated in front of the depression for a brief moment before abruptly lifting a massive boulder and tossing it into the depression. Chapter 1017: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Seal (2) Chapter 1017: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Seal (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 All kinds of defensive formations had been set up in the depression. Tossing a boulder over could be considered an attack, and it could very well incur the seals retaliation. While the other formation masters were relying on theirpasses to search for the crux of formidable formations to decipher them, this fellow had actually tossed a boulder in. This was no longer an attempt to decipher the formation but one to activate it! Even while the seal was dormant, the twenty thousand of them here coupled with two powerful formation masters were already finding it hard to stabilize the seal. If it were to be activated, wouldnt it cause a huge cmity? Just what was in the mind of that fellow? Was there a loose screw in there or something? Otherwise, how could he make such a foolish decision? He was a 6-star pinnacle formation master, but he was making an error that even an apprentice formation master would know better than to do! Stifled, Han Xu and Liu Mo hurriedly rushed forward to stop the other party, but it was already toote. The boulder plummeted into the formation and came into contact with the seal. However, it didnt induce a change in the seal. Seeing that nothing had happened, Liu Mo heaved a sigh of relief. "That was a close one! It seems like the seal only reacts to living beings, so it wasnt activated aftering into contact with the boulder. Otherwise, I cant even begin to imagine what would have happened." The seal was intricately linked to the rampaging energies that had umted beneath it. Once activated, there was a good chance that it could cause a disturbance in the energies below and cause them to act up once more, thus bringing more work to the already exhausted students. In the worst-case scenario, it might even induce an explosion on the spot. After the fellow tossed the boulder in, he had suddenly fallen still. As a 6-star pinnacle formation master, he must have realized how risky his previous action was and was trembling fearfully at the thought of what could have happened. Just as Liu Mo thought the other party would give up, the other party abruptly beckoned with his hand, and one of the students of the Hongyuan Master teacher Academy rushed over. The other party leaned forward and whispered a few words into the other partys ears. A grim expression immediately surfaced on the students face. Without any hesitation, he bellowed loudly and jumped straight into the depression, heading toward the seal. Pu! Not expecting that the other party would disregard his own students welfare and send him to his death, Liu Mo felt so stifled that he nearly fainted on the spot. That fellow was a fool, but to think that his student would be even more foolish! To charge in like that... It was possible to activate the formation in such a manner, but the instant the formation came to life, that student would die! "Preposterous!" While Liu Mo was shocked by the sight before him, his teacher waspletely enraged by the scene. While others regarded their own students as their own children, protecting and caring for them, this fellow actually sent his student into the depression to test out the seal. To recklessly ce his student in such danger, just how much more ridiculous could he get? "Stop right there!" Bellowing furiously, Han Xu was just about to rush up to stop them when Zhang Xuan abruptly stretched his hand forward and grasped tightly. His zhenqi shot forth like a rope, swiftly wrapping around the student who had just jumped into the depression. Just as he was about toe into contact with the seal, the zhenqi rope wrapped around the student abruptly pulled him back, dragging him out of the depression at an incredible speed. At the same time, the seal seemed to have sensed the presence of life, and brilliant radiance flickered from it. However, contrary to Han Xus previous worry, the activation of the seal didnt cause the explosion of the energies below. Instead, the formation whirred into action for a short moment before slowing to a stop, as if its activation wasntplete. "What precise control..." Guild Leader Han Xus face warped in astonishment. To be able to pull his student back in the very instant that the other party came into contact with the seal required an extremely deep understanding of the seal and very precise calctions of the positioning and velocity of his student! Even the slightest centimeter of difference could either cause the formation topletely activate and devour the student or the formation to not sense the student altogether and result in nothing happening at all. Of course, after the past two days of studying the formation, he was also capable of achieving the same feat. What truly left him astonished was the impressive teamwork and deep trust between the student and Principal Zhang! Had there been the slightest difference in the action just a moment ago, the oue could very well have been vastly difference. For the student to remainpletely still while falling into the depression, not struggling in the slightest, it could only mean that he hadplete trust in Principal Zhang. Furthermore, for the student to jump without any hesitation just because Principal Zhang told him to... If Han Xu were to issue the samemand to Liu Mo, thetter was unlikely to do the same. It was not that Liu Mo didnt trust him, but there was a clear line of difference between trust and blind faith. After the student was retrieved, Principal Zhang froze on the spot once more, seemingly falling into a daze. A momentter, he turned around. "Wu shi, are you done preparing the grade-7 pinnacle formation g yet?" After a moment of hesitation, Wu shi flicked his wrist and passed a formation g over. "Here it is." On top of being a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, he was a 7-star formation master as well. While his proficiency as a formation master was beneath that of Guild Leader Han, he still had a couple of grade-7 pinnacle formation gs in his possession. "Un." Taking the formation g, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Without any hesitation, he stomped on the ground and flew into the air, heading toward the airspace right above the depression. Driving his zhenqi, he grasped his formation g tightly, seemingly searching for a node to nt it into. "That fellow has gone bonkers! Liu Mo, hurry up and stop him!" Seeing that Principal Zhang was going to try creating an opening without even discussing the matter with them, Guild Leader Han nearly died of shock. He had seen reckless people in his lifetime, but never had he seen someone as reckless as that! Even if you have confirmed a node to nt your formation g into, you should at least discuss the matter with us! To rush right over without saying a word at all... Are you really that confident that your judgement is correct? You must know that if you err, it wont just be the twenty thousand master teachers on the Swallow Embracing Mountain who will pay for your mistake. It will be all living beings within a radius of a thousand kilometers! This is truly making light of the matter! "Yes!" Hearing his teachersmand, Liu Mo immediately flitted right toward Zhang Xuan. At this moment, he was also extremely enraged by the impetuous actions of the other party. If he could, he really would tear the self-important fellow before him into pieces! Hu! Liu Mo thrust his palm forward, and a powerful burst of zhenqi shot forth from his hands. In that instant, it seemed as if even the world had dulled before his powerful might as a Saint 3-dan cultivator. "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan was in the midst of searching for a node to stabilize the formation, but before he could make a move, he suddenly found that Liu Mo hadunched an attack against him. His eyebrows immediately shot up in displeasure. This fellow... just what kind of insanity streak was he on? They had only had a small verbal conflict earlier. As a 7-star formation master, surely he didnt need to be so narrow-minded! But since the other party had already made his move, he couldnt possibly sit idly and allow the other party to do as he pleased. With a deep frown, Zhang Xuan retaliated with a palm on his own. Hong long! Zhang Xuans palm carried immense strength as well. shing squarely with the other partys palm strike, a deafening explosion resounded in the air. Surprisingly, they were actually equally-matched. "What powerful strength!" Liu Mo narrowed his eyes in rm. Even though he had used less than a tenth of his strength to stop the other party, the fact that the other party had been able to parry his blow so easily went to show that the other party wasnt just an ordinary Nascent Saint! With such strength, the other party was already on par with most Saint 2-dan cultivators! Geji! Geji! Liu Mo began gathering his strength once more tounch yet another attack at Zhang Xuan so as to force him to back down, but at that moment, a shrill sound abruptly echoed in the air. Following which, the deep rumbling of thunder suddenly boomed beneath the ground, threatening to burst forth at any moment. "This is bad, the rampaging energies are going to strike again..." Liu Mos eyes widened in fear. The rampaging energies struck once every ten minutes. Clearly, ten minutes had just passed, and it was ready to strike once more. Liu Mo clenched his teeth tightly and roared furiously, "Stop what youre doing right there! If you dont wish to kill everyone here, youd better stop moving right now!" He knew full well that the rumbling heralded another burst of rampaging energies. It was already difficult for their group to withstand the burst as it was; if anything were to happen at this moment, their entire group might just be decimated! Knowing that he had to stop Zhang Xuan at all costs, his hand darted swiftly toward the other party. This was the most powerful attack he had. As soon as his hand wed forward, the air surrounding the Swallow Embracing Mountain suddenly seemed to gather together, causing the flow of spiritual energy to halt. Seeing that Liu Mo was making a move against him once more, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. What is that fool trying to do? Once the current wave of rampaging energies burst forth, the entire seal would be jolted, resulting in a slight deviation in the calctions he had made with great difficulty. Due to the precarious situation of the seal, even the slightest deviation in the force and positioning when creating the opening could result in a vastly different oue. As such, there was no room for error at all. He had just managed to find the correct node, and all he had to do at the moment was nt the g, then the crisis would be averted. Yet, this fellow had caused trouble at this crucial moment. Truly, there was nothing worse than a pig-like teammate! No, this wont do. The energies below are about to burst forth, and once it does, I will have to redo my calctions right from the start once more, Zhang Xuan thought anxiously. But this fellow is far stronger than me. I was only able to withstand his assault earlier because he underestimated me and didnt use his full strength. Now that he is putting his entirety into attacking me. He wont be able to kill me, but to dodge his attacks while sessfully nting the formation g into the node will be practically impossible. The nting of the formation g should have been something that only took an instant, but the matter had beenplicated with that fellow causing trouble. The other party was a Saint 3-dan cultivator. Even with Zhang Xuans superior fighting prowess that allowed him to rival opponents stronger than him, he was still hardly a match for the other party. "Since thats the case... pardon me!" Knowing that he couldnt afford to be tied down by the other party at this crucial moment, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes and bellowed loudly, "The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, listen to mymand. Beat the living hell out of that fellow!" "Yes!" Upon hearing their principalsmand, the twenty thousand students simultaneously released a war cry as they raised their palms together. Hong long! Individually, these students werent too powerful; a huge proportion of them were only at the Cosmos Bridge realm and Perfect Harmonization realm. However, when their strength was put together, they were a sight to behold. Twenty thousand surges of zhenqi gathered together as one, forming a massive dragon that charged furiously toward Liu Mo. Under the overwhelming might produced by the coborative strength of the students, even the surrounding space began to distort under the pressure. "This is bad..." Not expecting the other party to order all of his students tounch an attack against him, Liu Mos face turned ashen. He could already hardly fend for himself at this point, let alone persist in his attack against Zhang Xuan. Thus, he hurriedly retracted his palm and redirected his might toward the massive dragon headed toward him. The next instant, the moment the two forces collided, Liu Mos figure was rocketed backward as if a cannonball, spewing out huge mouthfuls of blood in the midst of his flight. Even a Saint 5-dan expert would have no choice but flee in the face of thebined might of the twenty thousand students, let alone him! "Good!" Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He could tell that his students had held back in their attack so that the other party wouldnt suffer any life-threatening damage. With the hindrance resolved, Zhang Xuan hurriedly aimed the formation g in his grasp toward a certain location, preparing to throw it in. "Hold it right there!" But before the formation g could leave his grasp, he heard another bellow. ncing over, Zhang Xuan saw Guild Leader Han charging toward him as well. Hong long long! While Guild Leader Han made his move, the rumbling beneath the ground grew more and pronounced, heralding the imminent arrival of a devastating force. Knowing that it would be toote if he didnt make a move soon, Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously once more. "Beat him down as well!" "Yes!" All of the students nodded simultaneously as they gathered their strength together once more, ready to strike down the lone figure in the air. "You all dare..." Guild Leader Hans face turned livid. He might have been a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, but he was still unable to withstand the simultaneous attack from twenty thousand students. Clenching his jaws tightly, he roared indignantly, "I am trying to save you all! If your principals gnds, all of you will be goners..." Hong long! But before he could finish his words, a powerful burst of radiance struck him. The vision before him darkened before he was rocketed into the distance, simr to Liu Mo. His body crashed heavily into a cliff face some distance away, and the impact cloaked his entire body with ayer of dust. Chapter 1018: Theres No Need to Tense Up; It Will Be Over Once I Put It in a Little! Chapter 1018: Theres No Need to Tense Up; It Will Be Over Once I Put It in a Little! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Guild Leader Han was on the brink of madness. He just couldnt understand why these students had so much trust in that unreliable principal of theirs. No matter what, he had spent the past two days working closely alongside them asrades, and a bond of camaraderie had been forged between them. Under normal circumstances, even if it was at themand of their principal, shouldnt they have at least hesitated before attacking him? Yet, without even bothering to spend time thinking the matter through, they had gathered their strength together and sent him flying. This was no longer obedience; it was more like they were Principal Zhangs devout followers! He had even informed them that they might very well lose their lives should their principal identify the wrong node, and yet, their attack hadnt even wavered in the slightest. What did this signify? It meant that they were all willing to stake their entirety on the twenty-year-old youth before him without any hesitation. Even if the other party was their principal, surely they didnt need to trust him so much that they even abandoned theirmon sense! This was truly one of the most entric bunch of students he had ever met! Struggling up from a pile of fragmented rocks, he turned his gaze toward the sky once more and saw that the formation g had already left Zhang Xuans hand, headed toward a node. "Were doomed." Guild Leader Hans eyes were zed with hopelessness. It happened that he had done the calctions for the node that the other party was throwing at as well, and it was a point where the energies were the most vtile. If a formation g was thrown into that point, not only would it not alleviate the situation, it would even induce an explosion with utmost certainty. Who could have thought that he, Han Xu, despite the great fame and achievements he had rued in his lifetime, would end up dying in such a manner, dragged down by an impertinent fellow who obstinately drove them down the path of demise? Just the thought of it left him feeling incredibly stifled, and he couldnt help but wallow in self-pity. Boom! The next moment, the rampaging energies beneath the ground finally gathered sufficient momentum to burst forth. Weng! The ground began to tremor with astonishing intensity. Caught off guard by the sudden shaking, a couple of students standing by the edge of the depression lost their bnce and fell to the ground. Upon seeing such a sight, fear surfaced in the eyes of Wu shi and the others. "It seems like this burst is far stronger than the ones before." Guild Leader Hansplexion turned incredibly awful as he shook his face in disbelief. This burst of energies was clearly many times stronger than the ones before. The seal suppressing the burst of energies distorted menacingly under the immense pressure, as if it would be torn to shreds at any moment. Even if every single person present were to devote their full strength to reinforcing the seal, it was still utterly impossible for them to suppress this burst of energies. Just what in the world happened? Why would there suddenly be such a powerful burst of energies? "Its over..." Guild Leader Han despaired. They had barely hung on even when dealing with the weaker bursts of energies previously, so against such devastating force... Without a doubt, there was no way the seal could withstand this. The immense might would tear through the seal, inducing a massive explosion that would reduce everything within several thousand kilometers to dust! Just when he thought that all hope was lost, Principal Zhangs voice suddenly sounded from above. "Here, here. Theres no need to tense up; it will be over once I put it in a little!" Right after those words were spoken, the formation g flew forward at an even greater speed, stabbing right into the node the other party had identified beforehand. Hu! As soon as the g came into contact with the node, the imminently-exploding seal suddenly lost its ferocity, as if a wolfhound whose tail had been stepped on. With a pop, it abruptly calmed down, bing as gentle as the cid waters of a roadside puddle. Following which, a deafening st sounded from the node, and an immense st of energies burst toward the heavens. It was as if a hole had been pricked into a balloon, and the vast amount of gas trapped within, upon finally finding an escape route, hurriedly charged out of it. Due to the powerful st, it felt as if the sky was going to be severed into two. "This... the crisis has been resolved?" Guild Leader Hans body stiffened from shock. Unable to believe what he was seeing, he rubbed his eyes forcefully. Wasnt that node the area where the energies were the most vtile? How could the energies be released so smoothly right after the formation g was nted into it? Guild Leader Han wasnt the only one who was perplexed by the situation before him. Liu Mo, who had only just returned from his long flight, was dumbfounded by what he saw right after his return as well. Without using apass or studying the terrain, the other party had simply picked up a formation g and thrown it randomly... and the rampaging energies had been released just like that? Is there really such a maneuver in the Way of Formations? Why am I unaware of it even after studying formations for so many years? Liu Mo couldnt help but turn his eyes toward the students below, only to see them gazing at the sight before them with perfect nonchnce, as if knowing that their principal would be able resolve the rampaging energies easily. He and his teacher had spent two whole days working on the formation, only to remain nearly as clueless as they had been at the start. On the other hand, the other party had casually nted a g a few minutes after he arrived, and the crisis was resolved. Could it be that when the other party said that they were dumb earlier... it wasnt intended as an insult toward them but a simple fact? Just as Han Xu and Liu Mo were feeling deeply stifled within, they saw Zhang Xuan slowly descending from the sky before eventually stopping before his students. "You have worked hard for the past two days. The problem here has been resolved, so quickly return and have a good rest!" "Thank you, Principal Zhang!" "I knew it; there is nothing in the world that Principal Zhang cant possibly resolve!" "Guild Leader Han was prattling on about being a 7-star pinnacle formation master or something a while ago, but from the looks of it now, it doesnt seem like he is anything much." "Well, it is usually the incapable who find a need to boast about their own abilities. Look at our Principal Zhang, despite the great capabilities he possesses, has he even bragged about them even once?" "Indeed! Principal Zhang is simply too humble. I must learn from his example..." ... Hearing the confirmation from their principal that the crisis had been resolved, a hugemotion broke out amid the crowd. Many faces reddened in agitation, and a huge number of students hurriedly sat onto the ground and began driving their cultivation technique to recuperate from their weakness and fatigue. Two days of intense work had depleted them greatly, and quite a number of them had sustained significant internal injuries as a result. However, it was fortunate that there was nothing too severe. With sufficient time, they would all be able to make a full recovery. While the students were recuperating from their exertion, Zhang Xuan carefully assessed the condition of each individual student. Upon seeing any student whose injuries were too severe, he would step forward and treat them personally. "No wonder... This exins why the students have unconditional trust in him, entrusting themselves to him without any hesitation at all. They dont just regard him as their principal, but their teacher, friend, andrade as well..." Witnessing this scene, Guild Leader Han and Liu Mo smiled bitterly. At this moment, they finally understood why the students had chosen to trust Zhang Xuan over them in the crucial moment. As a principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other partys standing could be said to be even above theirs. Yet, such a figure was taking care of 4-star and 5-star master teachers meticulously without the slightest hint of impatience. Just this in itself was something that most werent able to do. "Alright..." After confirming that his students were fine, Zhang Xuan returned to where Wu shi and the others were standing. He turned his gaze toward Guild Leader Han and Liu Mo and sped his fist hurriedly. "Please do pardon my previous insolence. It was a critical situation then, and I feared that any dy could result in a disastrous oue." "Principal Zhang, there is no need to apologize to us. We are the ones who have acted rashly." Guild Leader Han and Liu Mos faces flushed crimson. If there was a hole in the ground at this moment, they would have surely leaped in without any hesitation. Their intentions had been out of goodwill; a mistake in that situation could have easily resulted in a disastrous oue. Yet, they had nearly caused everyones death due to their ipetence. The guilt that they were feeling at this moment weighed down on them heavily. It was fortunate that Principal Zhang had decisivelymanded his students to knock them down in that moment, not bothering with etiquette. Otherwise... they would have gone down in history as sinners. "It will take some more time for the energies to be released, and the seal isnt going to open anytime soon. Since thats the case, why dont we return to Firesource City for the time being and await the arrival of those from the Combat Master Hall?" Zhang Xuan proposed. While the situation with the seal had been resolved, it would still take some time before they would be able to enter it. For one, it would take at least two to three days for the immense buildup of rampaging energies beneath the seal to dispersepletely. Furthermore, the members from the Combat Master Hall and the other three Master Teacher Academies hadnt arrived yet. To maximize the expeditions chances of sess, it would be best for them to venture in only after the full team had arrived. "Alright." Nodding, the crowd got onto an aerial saint beast and flew back to Firesource City. Zhang Xuan and the others were settled into a huge manor that the regional Master Teacher Pavilion owned. As for the twenty thousand students, Zhang Xuan arranged for School Head Zhao and the others to take them back to the academy. Threats were bound to be lurking throughout the ancient domain, and it would be too dangerous for the students to join the expedition as well. A dayter, the principals and elders of the other three Master Teacher Academies, as well as those from the Combat Master Hall, finally arrived. Liao Song had escorted Zheng Yang to the Combat Master Hall headquarters and hadnt returned yet. However, two Saint 3-dan pinnacle Thousand Men Commanders had been dispatched instead. "You are Principal Zhang?" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, one of the two Thousand Men Commander immediately emanated a deep aura of hostility. He had heard about the Combat Master Halls tragic defeat in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and he also knew that even though the cultivation of the young man before him was at Nascent Saint, his true fighting prowess was far greater than evenbat masters like them. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Do you dare have a match with me?" the Thousand Men Commander challenged. "A match?" A troubled look surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. All he wanted to do was keep a low profile and peacefully remain as the dashing young man he was in the background, was that really that much to ask for? Being too outstanding sure was tiring! "Indeed! Do you dare ept my challenge or not?" The Thousand Men Commander eyed Zhang Xuan provocatively. "It is the first time we are meeting, and it wont do for us to sour our rtionship with a match like that. Why dont you allow me to treat you to a drink instead?" Zhang Xuan took out a wine gourd and offered it to the other party earnestly. However, the Thousand Men Commander shook his head and harrumphed coldly. "You dont want to ept my challenge? Very well. I will find a way to show you that the Combat Master Hall isnt an organization that anyone can humiliate!" After which, he turned around and left. Through asking around, Zhang Xuan learned that the name of the Thousand Men Commander was Feng Xun, and he was one of the more probat members of the Combat Master Hall. When he heard that thebat masters who had gone to Hongyuan to assess the potential candidates had been thrashed instead, he couldnt help but feel great hostility toward the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Ever since then, he had been wanting to spar with Zhang Xuan to regain the Combat Master Halls dignity. The other Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall went by the name of Jiang Yuan, and while he looked amicable on the surface, his eyes were filled with fighting will as well. Combat masters had always been synonymous with the word invincible, and yet, they had actually suffered multiple setbacks when facing the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. As Thousand Men Commanders, they viewed it as their responsibility to recover the dignity of the Combat Master Hall. Mu shi walked up to Zhang Xuan and exined, "Senior Uncle, our Qingyuan Conferred Empire has dispatched four men for this mission; me, Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and Liu Mo. As for the Combat Master Hall, other than Feng Xun, Jiang Yuan, and Zhuo Qingfeng, there are another twelve morebat masters. Last but not least, for the three Master Teacher Academies, the three principals havee with two elders each, making up nine people in total. All in all, our expedition team has a strength of around thirty or so." "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. Initially, Zhao Bingxu and the others had wanted to join the expedition team as well, but Zhang Xuan hadnt agreed to it. The ancient domain was lurking with danger. Should something bad befall him, the Ten Great Master Teachers should at least be around to take care of the academy, or else it would fall into chaos. "ording to my calctions, the ancient domain will open tomorrow. We will be setting forth tomorrow morning," Mu shi said. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded. After bidding Mu shi farewell, Zhang Xuan returned to his residence, and just as he was about to rest, he noticed Luo Ruoxin sitting on one of the stone seats in his courtyard. Her right elbow was pressed against the stone table, her right fist supporting her head. A contemtive look was on her face, but it was impossible to tell what she was thinking of. Chapter 1019: Holding Hands Chapter 1019: Holding Hands Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 She seemed to be a little out of it, such that she didnt even notice when Zhang Xuan walked over. The brilliant moon cast a pale glow upon her body, making her appearance reminiscent of an ethereal fairy who could fly away in the next moment. "To daze off like that, what are you thinking of?" Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. "Nothing much..." Recovering from her daze, Luo Ruoxin shook her head. Standing up, she nced at the brilliant moon and asked, "Will you apany for a walk outside?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback by the request for a moment before delight captured his entire face. Without a seconds dy, he replied excitedly, "Of course, it will be my pleasure too!" Seeing the other partys excited expression, Luo Ruoxin shook her head with a helpless smile. "Do you disy your emotions explicitly in everything else you do as well?" Most people would usually try their best to conceal their delight before her, wanting to appear dignified and cultured. Yet, this fellow was theplete opposite. He was candid and straightforward, doing whatever was on his mind without any worry at all. His carefree personality sure was enviable. "I..." The abrupt question left Zhang Xuan a little nervous. "Actually, I have been concealing something all this while..." "Oh?" Hearing those words, Luo Ruoxins interest was piqued. Turning her beautiful eyes to him, she said, "Tell me about it!" "To be honest, I am a peaceful person who prefers to maintain a low profile, but things somehow never go the way I want them to..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Low profile?" Seeing how earnestly the other party was saying those words, Luo Ruoxin burst intoughter. The forlorn expression on her face from a moment ago vanished from sight, and she couldnt help but remark, "You sure have concealed it well; I couldnt tell at all!" No matter where that fellow went, he was always the brightest star in everyones sight. There couldnt be anyone that was even more high profile than him... and yet, at this moment, he was actually saying that he was a peaceful person who preferred to maintain a low profile? Where was his face? She would usually be repulsed by such shamelessness, but for some reason, she didnt have such a reaction toward the young man beside her. On the contrary, being alongside the other party left her feeling very rxed, bringing her tranquility. At the other partys reaction, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I knew that you wouldnt believe me!" He was truly a low-profile person in the depths of his heart, but fate just loved to y tricks on others. Too outstanding, he shone brightly like a firefly in the dark no matter where he went, unable to conceal his glow no matter what he did. "Hahahaha!" Seeing the other partys serious response, Luo Ruoxin couldnt help but chuckle once more. Beneath the night sky, amid chatter, the duo walked out of the manor they were staying in. The onset of the night had brought the scorching temperatures down considerably. Tempted by the cooling weather, those who had been hiding in their homes before stepped out of their doors, filling the streets with a huge crowd. Zhang Xuan had no idea what kind of method Luo Ruoxin used to disguise herself, but despite her beautiful appearance, she didnt seem to stand out from the crowd. As such, while there were exmations of marvel from time to time, they didnt catch too many eyes. After walking a distance, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt and pointed forward. "Due to the peculiar climate of Firesource City, it has many unique delicacies that cant be found anywhere else. There is a tavern just ahead, so why dont we rest there for a moment and try out their local cuisine?" Luo Ruoxin nced ahead and saw a grand building. Above the entrance of the building hung a que with three words on it: Dream Reminiscence Tavern. "Life, a reminiscence of a dream. A lifetime of haste and worries, perchance better spent merrymaking with wine... What a poetic name!" Luo Ruoxin remarked meaningfully. The interior of the tavern was extravagantly designed, but it had a warm atmosphere as well. The attendants that were moving around the ce possessed a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan at the very least. With just a look, it was apparent that the tavern was anything but simple. "Guests, this way please..." An attendant weed them before settling them into a table for two by the window. Zhang Xuan shot Luo Ruoxin a nce, and only after confirming that thetter wasnt unhappy with this arrangement did he heave a sigh of relief and sit down. "Bring us a te of all of your specialties please." "Sure thing!" The attendant hurriedly left, and before long, a huge array of delicacies and a bottle of fine wine were spread out grandly on the table before them. Zhang Xuan had to admit that the food and wine in this tavern were indeed excellent. The earth mes that Firesource City was rich in didnt just bring about superior weapons, it was also the key to the exceptionally fragrant wine they produced in the region. Just a single sip could make one addicted to it, craving more. "This Golden Lake Carp is a unique species found only in the Golden Lake on the Swallow Embracing Mountain. It only reproduces once every ten years, making it very short in supply. It has no scales, and its flesh is particrly fresh too. It is best when steamed with yellow wine..." "This is the liver of the Blue Sparrow. Just steam it with a slight touch of sesame oil, and it will be ready to be feasted upon. This dish is not only rich in spiritual energy, its taste is also top-notch..." "This is the famous Greentip Bamboo Meat of Firesource City. Its main ingredient is Greentip Bamboo, a nt that only grows in Firesource City. Once heated up, it will gain a texture reminiscent of bacon, giving a nice crisp to it..." Zhang Xuan introduced the various dishes as they feasted on the food before them. With just a taste, he couldpile a book on each of them in the Library of Heavens Path. Putting aside introducing the dishes, he could easily point out dozens of ws in the cooking without repeating any points. "You are a gourmet?" Luo Ruoxin was surprised to hear the other partys detailed introduction of the dishes. Despite the young age of the man seated before her, he possessed strength far beyond his age, and his mastery of his supporting upations was also formidable. It was almost as if there was nothing in the world that he was incapable of. This was especially so for gourmet. It was one of the most inconspicuous upations of the Lower Nine Paths, and they would usually only be responsible in trying out new dishes and introducing them to noble personages. As such, they didnt have much standing. Thus, she couldnt help but be perplexed that the principal of a Master Teacher Academy would actually spend his time on studying it as well. "I happen to have read some books on them in the past, so I do know a little bit here and there," Zhang Xuan exined. "Impressive, you sure are well read," Luo Ruoxinplimented. A stark contrast to Zhang Xuan wolfing down the food without the slightest bit of elegance, Luo Ruoxin ate gracefully in small mouthfuls. Her subtle mannerisms hinted at the fine upbringing she had. ... After having their fill of good, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Ruoxin and said, "If you have anything on your mind, perhaps speaking of it will make you feel better. My cultivation might be low, but I am still capable of resolving most problems." He could tell that the other party had some troubles on her mind, and that was also why he had been jesting around, hoping to put the other party in a better mood. However... it seemed like his efforts werent really paying off. "Its nothing much..." Luo Ruoxin paused for a brief moment before shaking her head. "Its just that I have met with some matters recently that made me a little homesick." "Homesick? You... Are you really from one of the Sage ns, the Luo n?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. There had been many rumors regarding Luo Ruoxins true identity going around the Master Teacher Academy, the notable ones being that she was from the esteemed Luo n. Otherwise, it didnt make sense for even a 7-star master teacher like Mu shi to treat her so respectfully. "Sage n?" The youngdy shook her head with a smile, neither admitting nor denying it. Instead, she looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, "What about your family? Where are they? I havent really heard you talking about them before." Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to speak of the matter, Zhang Xuan decided not to ask too much about it either. "I dont have any family members. I am an orphan." "An orphan?" Luo Ruoxin was slightly stunned by the response. "Un, I did not have any kin while growing up," Zhang Xuan said. He had never met any of his kin after transcending from Earth. Not only so, his previous self also had no recollection of the sort. It was through great hard work that his previous self had managed to be a teacher of Hongtian Academy, but even so... he had ended up causing his students cultivation to go berserk and nearly had his license revoked! "Im sorry, I didnt mean to bring it up," Luo Ruoxin hurriedly apologized. "Its fine; I am already used to it. Im quite happy with my situation. I am able to travel wherever I want to freely without any care in the world!" Zhang Xuan chucked. In a sense, he also liked his current lifestyle as well. Journeying through the world freely, there was nothing to tie him down other than the couple of direct disciples he had. "You sure are optimistic..." Luo Ruoxin could see in the other partys eyes that he was indeed enjoying the current life he had, and she nodded in approval. Without any backing or connections, he had been able to rise to the position of the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy by the time he was twenty through his own hard work. While other party might seem unreliable at times, there was no doubt that he was a person worthy of respect. Just by the unconditional trust the students had in him and the unwavering loyalty the academy elders showed him... all of this was testimony to his outstanding capability. As long as he was around, even the most impossible of tasks could be resolved easily. There were plenty of outstanding figures around her, and most of them were far stronger than the young man before her when they were at his age. However... that was due to their high starting point. Were they to start from the same origin, there would probably be less than a handful who could catch up to him! To reach Nascent Saint pinnacle at such a young age and be the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, winning the unwavering loyalty of the students and acknowledgement of the world... his charisma was something that very few could match. What particrly stood out was the other partys mental resilience. Even in the face of a crisis, he could retain hisposure and resolve it perfectly. As long as he was given time to grow, there was no doubt that he would achieve great things in the future. Unknowingly, Luo Ruoxins view of the young man before her had changed tremendously. In the past, she had only felt a peculiar intimacy toward him. However, as time passed, she had gradually realized that he possessed a radiance unmatched by anyone else in the world, leaving the others paling inparison. Her eyes couldnt help but be drawn to him. Unknowingly, the young man had stoked a peculiar sentiment within her. It was just a sliver at the moment, but it was something that had never happened before. "Lets return." After chatting for a while longer, they began making their way back to the manor. The brilliant moon hanging high in the night sky drew out long, slender shadows behind the both of them. A light breeze blew, and the faint fragrance of the youngdy drifted in the air. It was afortable scent. Zhang Xuan had never felt so tranquil before in his life. His hand stretched forward and touched the back of the youngdys hand. It felt soft and smooth, reminiscent of cotton. Luo Ruoxins body stiffened slightly as she instinctively retracted her hand and hugged it before her chest. With a reddened face, she eximed, "I will be going on ahead first!" After saying those words, she rushed off. In an instant, she had already disappeared from view. "Shes gone," Zhang Xuan remarkedmentably. pping his forehead, he shook his head in utmost regret. "Why did I have to do that?" If he hadnt reached out for her hand, he could still have been walking with her. Perhaps, they could have chatted a little longer. If the other party were to me him for this matter, would they be unable to remain friends? How could he have been so foolish! Vexed, Zhang Xuan decided to just assess the other partys attitude tomorrow morning before deciding what he could do. Hopefully, if the other party wasnt too angry, he could just feign ignorance and get along with her as if nothing had happened. Shaking his head, he was just about to make his way back to the manor when a sound suddenly echoed from the depths of the alley. "Farewell, my kin and my friends. I have truly brought all of you great shame!" Perplexed, Zhang Xuan walked over and saw a man in his early thirties kneeling before the entrance of a residence, grieving sorrowfully. His body was covered with fresh blood, and his face was cloaked with ayer of dust, giving him an unkempt appearance. It was likely that he had just survived some kind of dangerous situation. "Farewell!" After kowtowing a few more times, the middle-aged man stood up. He flicked his wrist, and a sword appeared in his hands. He ced it against his neck as he prepared to slit his throat. He ismitting suicide? Not expecting to meet with a person trying to end his life while walking along the streets, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked his finger. Weng! A burst of light shot forth, and the sword was struck out of the mans grip. It pierced deeply into a nearby wall, vibrating endlessly. Chapter 1020: Violetgilt Metal Chapter 1020: Violetgilt Metal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Having his sword abruptly knocked flying, the middle-aged man was taken aback. He hurriedly turned his head around and saw a young man walking over. "Even ants struggle to continue living, so why do you seek the end?" Zhang Xuan said. Walking closer, he noted that the middle-aged man possessed a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan primary stage. With such strength, he could definitely be considered as an expert in Firesource City. "I appreciate elders concern, but I desire nothing more than death..." Knowing that a person who could flick his sword off his hand from a distance away was bound to be far stronger than him, the middle-aged man replied respectfully, not underestimating the other party just because of his young age. Nevertheless, there was still a forlorn gaze in his eyes. "To be able to cultivate to a level likes yours before thirty, you are quite an outstanding genius. What is it that left you in such deep despair, such that even living has be a chore to you?" Zhang Xuan asked, intrigued. Even with the rich resources in Firesource City, a person who could reach Transcendent Mortal 9-dan before thirty could be considered to be an outstanding genius. A person as talented as the other party had a bright future ahead of him, so why was he attempting to end his life? "I really cant bring myself to continue living any longer..." The middle-aged man shook his head. "In Firesource City, and rich in earth mes, the most respected upation is cksmith. From seven, I have been studying under Grandmaster cksmith Sun Jin as an apprentice. I thought that I would eventually be epted as his student and rise to great heights... but who knew that I would fail the cksmith examination for ten years consecutively! For twenty-four whole years, I have remained as a mere apprentice... A person as dull-witted and incapable as me doesnt deserve to live. I have truly brought shame to my family members and the upation..." "You have been an apprentice for twenty-four years?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "So... you arent even a 1-star cksmith at the moment?" Going by the ranking standard, a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert should have been a 5-star pinnacle cksmith at the minimum. Yet, to still remain as an apprentice... Was this for real? Could there really be such an untalented person in the world? "Un. Every time I attempt to forge a weapon, I will find myself being unable to control the temperature of the earth mes well, resulting in the metal ingot going to ruins... After the previous examination I had, my teacher finally couldnt stand in ipetence any longer and evicted me from his lineage. My family members are still anticipating the day which I be a cksmith and bring glory to our family name, and yet, I ended up letting all of them down instead. What rights do I have to face the world..." The more the middle-aged man spoke about his matter, the more depressed he became. Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised. A Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert had been studying smithing ever since he was seven, and yet hadnt cleared the 1-star cksmith examination even after twenty-four years of effort? No matter how untalented the other party was, surely it couldnt possibly be to such an extent? If that was true, it wouldnt be too hard to imagine the despair the other party was feeling. "But just what could have happened for him to be unable to clear even the 1-star cksmith examination?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. It might be challenging for a Tongxuan realm 1 cultivator to clear the 1-star cksmith examination, but as a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert, a person who had cultivated his soul and was capable of precise movements, how could the other party be incapable of smithing a Mortal-tier weapon and qualify as a 1-star cksmith? "I have no idea as well. Somehow, I am just unable to sessfully smith a weapon." the middle-aged man shook his head. His multiple failures in the examination had sapped him of his confidence. "Unable to smith a weapon?" Perplexed, Zhang Xuan looked at the middle-aged man before him with a frown and asked, "Can you smith the most basic weapon you know of for me?" To think that a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert would be incapable of clearing even a mere 1-star cksmith examination, this was something that waspletely inconceivable to Zhang Xuan. It was simply ridiculous, there was no one out in the world who would dare believe this to be true. "Elder, thank you for saving my life, but I have already made up my mind. Even if I were to smith that weapon, it wont change my mind. A person as useless as me will be better off dead!" the middle-aged man bowed deeply and said. "There is plenty of time for you to seek the end, there is no need to rush into it now. I happen to be a rather experienced cksmith myself, and I am intrigued by the problem you are afflicted by. Perhaps, if you show me your smithing process, I might just be able to identify the root of your problem and help you resolve it." Zhang Xuan said. If the other party was determined on attempting suicide, there was nothing he could do about it. However, the fact that a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan was unable to qualify as a 1-star cksmith after so many years of effort was bewildering to him, and he felt that there was a need to get to the bottom of it. "This..." The middle-aged man hesitated. "Since you are going to end your life anyway, it shouldnt matter, right? It wont be toote for you to do whatever you want to after I fail." Zhang Xuan smiled. "... Very well then." The middle-aged man nodded. Indeed. Since he was going to end his life, what did he have to lose? "There is a chamber which I use for smithing weapons not too far away. All of the required items for smithing are there, so lets head over." After saying these words, the middle-aged man led the way ahead. Not too longter, they arrived at a rather small chamber. The chamber had everything that a cksmith would need, be it earth mes or cauldron. There was a rack ced alongside one of the walls which was filled with a lot of ores. There were a couple of them that were extremely rare, such that it would be difficult to find them in the market. Despite the middle-aged mans low proficiency in smithing, it seemed like he was quite a collector of ores. Assessing the area, Zhang Xuans gaze suddenly fell on one of the ores, and his eyelids began twitching in shock. "Is that... Violetgilt Metal?" Violetgilt Metal was an extremely rare ore which could be infused into certain types of weapons to boost its might. "Using this ore and a smithing technique thatplements it, I will be able to induce a breakthrough in the Golden Origin Cauldron!" Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in agitation. Having made a promise to the Golden Origin Cauldron back when thetter first submitted to him, he had been looking into the various methods of raising its strength. However, due to theck of required ores, he had no choice but to put off the matter aside again and again. Who could have thought that he would find the required ore here? "I am going to start." Oblivious to Zhang Xuans astonishment, the middle-aged man said nonchntly before walking up to his weapon cauldron. Driving his zhenqi, his hand grasped forward to draw the earth mes from the ground. A searing ze surged into the chamber, and under the overwhelming heat, the chamber walls glowed crimson. The middle-aged man flicked his wrist and took out a metal hammer. After which, he grabbed a piece of iron and ced it into the cauldron. A few momentster, after the iron had softened under the intense heat, he began to hammer it. Ding ding dang dang! Under the powerful hammering, it didnt take long for the iron ingot to be shaped into a sharp sword. Zhang Xuan had to acknowledge that the middle-aged man had reached an incredible mastery in his forging skills, superior to even a 6-star pinnacle cksmith like him. Soon, after the shaping of the weapon was finally forged, the middle-aged man extended his hand forward once more, intending to draw earth mes to temper the weapon. Yet, at this moment, the earth mes suddenly ran out of control. It rushed forward with astonishing ferocity, reducing the freshly forged weapon back into a pile of metallic fluid, thus rendering his previous efforts futile. "Failure again... I knew that I couldnt possibly seed..." Sighing deeply, despondency surfaced in the middle-aged mans eyes. He couldnt help but wish for a miracle to happen each time he forged. Perhaps, he might just seed this time. Yet, like many times before, his prayers hadnte true. "This..." In contrast to the middle-aged man despondency, Zhang Xuan frowned after seeing the other partys smithing process. With his eye of discernment, even without the Library of Heavens Path, he was still able to easily see through the issues in the other partys smithing. There wasnt any significant mistake in the other partys forging, but as for the tempering... It appeared that there was a conflict between the other partys zhenqi and the earth mes, resulting in the other partys inability to control the earth mes. As a result, the earth mes ended up running out of control, devouring the forged weapon clean... To put it in other words, the issuey in not what the other party had done but the internal condition of his body. The zhenqi in the other partys body happened to have an attribute that was at odds with the earth mes, causing the earth mes to run amok. This was also the reason why the forged weapon ended up bing a pile of metallic liquid when he attempted to temper it, rendering his efforts futile. "Surely a 6-star pinnacle cksmith should be able to tell that there is a conflict between his zhenqi and the earth mes?" Zhang Xuan frowned. What that had left Zhang Xuan baffled wasnt how difficult it was to discern the middle-aged mans problem but how easy it was to do so. It was understandable that the middle-aged man wasnt aware of it as he wasnt even a 1-star cksmith yet, thus he wasnt qualified to ess books beyond that of an apprentice. However, there was no way a 6-star pinnacle cksmith could be oblivious to it. It was fundamental knowledge for them! But if so, why didnt the Sun Jin person whom the other party spoke about inform the other party of the matter? Why didnt he try to correct the other partys w? "Wait a moment..." As Zhang Xuan contemted over the matter, his eyebrows suddenly leaped up. The reason why a conflict would ur was due to ones cultivation technique being ipatible with the earth mes, but if the middle-aged man had started learning smithing from that Sun Jin person ever since he was seven, how could he still suffer from such a fundamental issue? "Unless it was done on purpose..." Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed into slits. Given the circumstances surrounding the middle-aged man, the only possible reasoning for such a situation was that someone had intentionally taught him the wrong cultivation technique from the start. But... what did that person have to gain from teaching him the wrong cultivation technique? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan scanned the room to see if he could find any clues when a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. Turning to the middle-aged man, he asked, "Are you the one who found these ores?" "Thats right." The middle-aged man nodded, slightly baffled by Zhang Xuans abrupt question. "Due to the high concentration of earth mes around Firesource City, there are plenty of ores in the area... Through the natural affinity between the ores and my zhenqi, I am able to locate them quite easily." "Natural affinity between the ores and your zhenqi?" "Thats right. Our cultivation techniques are imparted by Sun Jinoshi. As long as we cultivate hard, we will gain a keen sensitivity towards ores, allowing us to find them easily..." The middle-aged man nodded. "We? Are there many who cultivate the same cultivation technique as you?" Zhang Xuan asked. The middle-aged man contemted for a brief moment before replying, "There are. There are around thirty apprentices who had studied alongside me back then. However, most of them were devoured by the earth mes while searching for ores, so there are only me and another one left." "Is the other surviving person unable to be a cksmith as well?" As if havinge to a realization, Zhang Xuan asked grimly. "Thats right. Hes a year older than me, and unable to stand the shame from consecutive failure, he eventually sumbed to the pressure and ended his lifest year..." Recalling the fate of hispanion, the middle-aged man shook his head and sighed. To be unable to qualify as a cksmith even after studying for so many years, it wasnt too difficult to imagine how despondent the other party must have felt. "Committed suicide?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. He took a sweeping gaze around the room before asking, "Then... where do the ores you collect go to? Surely there should be more than this?" Since the middle-aged man had an uncanny ability to locate ores, he must have found many of them in the past twenty-four years of his life. He should have collected far more ores than those present in the room. "I did collect quite a lot, but most of them have gone to Sun Jinoshi as tuition fee. He has taught me ever since I was young, imparting me much valuable knowledge. Even though I was still unable to be a cksmith in the end, I am still deeply indebted to him. It is only right that I pay tuition fee to him." the middle-aged man replied. "Tuition fee?" I see, I finally get it!" Having finally made sense of the entire story, a chilling glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. In that instant, his face turned terrifyingly cold. Chapter 1021: The Despicable Sun Jin Chapter 1021: The Despicable Sun Jin Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan confirmed that that cksmith Sun Jin whom the other party spoke of had never intended to take the middle-aged man as his disciple in the first ce. From the start to the end, that Sun Jin fellow had only regarded the other party as a mere tool for procuring ores! In the gaps between the tectonic tes, valuable ores were usually produced alongside earth mes. As such, in ces where earth mes could be found, there were bound to be plenty of valuable ores as well. That Sun Jin fellow had intentionally made the middle-aged man cultivate a zhenqi that was at odds with the earth mes, thus making it easier for the other party to sense areas rich in earth mes. But cultivating such a cultivation technique meant that thetter would be unable to control the earth mes, making it impossible to smith! In other words, Sun Jin had never intended to allow the middle-aged man to be a cksmith! Working as a cksmith might have been lucrative, but selling those ores was even more so! For a teacher tomit such an atrocity... Zhang Xuan was enraged. It was one thing if he had never encountered it, but now that he had, there was no way he could let the other party off! ck sheep like this had to be weeded from society! Even though the other party wasnt a master teacher, he had assumed the name of a teacher to intentionally misguide others. This waspletely uneptable! The thirty apprentices who hade under Sun Jins tutge alongside the middle-aged man had thought that they could rise to glory with a great 6-star cksmith teaching them personally. Yet, due to Sun Jins misguidance, their dreams had been shattered. Most of them had ended up dying while searching for ores for him, and even the fortunate survivor had ended up ending his life from the sheer despair of being unable to be a cksmith. To Sun Jin, they were probably just disposable pawns. As mere apprentices, they werent qualified to learn his true teachings. Thus, their inability to be cksmiths didnt harm his reputation by too much. On the contrary, the others might even think that it was those apprentices who werezy and incapable, being unable to achieve anything despiteing under the tutge of an esteemed 6-star pinnacle cksmith. Most likely, it was such overwhelming criticism that eventually pushed the middle-aged man to take the final step. Had Zhang Xuan not heard of it himself, he would never have dared believe that there could be such a contemptible individual in the Firesource City cksmith Guild. Those who imparted their teachings and dispelled the doubts of others were granted the noble title teacher. As an esteemed cksmith, an Upper Nine Paths upation, if Sun Jin had attempted to search for mercenaries to gather ores for him, he would surely have been able to do so easily. Just that, being found doing so could possibly sully his reputation, and the profits he stood to earn would be significantly lower as well. Whereas, by epting a few apprentices and pretending to be a teacher to them, their act of gathering ores for him could be justified as filial piety, allowing him to take them for free without suffering the condemnation of others. On top of that, he could also conveniently toss them aside once he was done with them, and this was indeed what he had done. "Despite studying under a 6-star pinnacle cksmith for so many years, I am still unable to smith even the most basic Mortal weapon. No matter where I go, I am viewed with disdain by others, such that even my family members were mocked due to my ipetence. If all my existence does is bring shame to others, I might as well end my life right here, right now!" Seeing the elder before him fall into deep contemtion, the middle-aged man thought that the other party wasnt able to find a solution to his problem as well, and disappointment crept into his eyes. It was one thing if he was the only one being mocked, but for his family members to have to face mockery from the public due to him... this was something that he couldnt ept! Seeing that the middle-aged man had lost all fighting will within him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and consoled him. "Theres no need to get so downhearted. I have already identified the root problem as to why you are unable to smith. As long as you trust me, I will help you resolve your problem. Not only so, I will help you advance to be a 5-star or even a 6-star cksmith!" But as much as those words were constion, they werent lies. He did possess the ability to do so. It might have been difficult for others to alter a cultivation technique, but with the sharp eye of discernment and vast knowledge that Zhang Xuan possessed, creating a new cultivation technique to resolve the ws of the current one that the other party was cultivating wasnt entirely impossible. Of course, Zhang Xuan had to first find out what kind of cultivation technique the middle-aged man was cultivating first. Zhang Xuan had used his Eye of Insight to carefully assess the middle-aged man when he smithed earlier, and it seemed like the cultivation technique that the other party had been taught was iplete. As the information he received he wasntplete, he had to obtain the full copy so as to ensure that nothing would go wrong. "Be a 5-star or 6-star cksmith?" The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment after hearing those words before shaking his head, and the disappointment in his eyes deepened further. He had thought that, considering the immense capability that the elder before him had disyed, the other party might have had a way to resolve his problem. Yet, who could have known that the other party would end up spouting such nonsense? A person who was incapable of even smithing the most basic Mortal-tier weapon, how could he possibly ever be a 5-star or even 6-star cksmith? Wasnt this a mere daydream? The middle-aged man turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan and spoke with an immensely weak and bitter voice. "Do you find my plight very hrious? Are you here to make a mockery of me before I end my life?" "Make a mockery of you?" Zhang Xuan hadnt expected to hear such words from the other partys mouth, and he was dumbfounded for a moment. However, it didnt take him long to understand the rationale behind the other partys words. To tell a man who had failed the 1-star cksmith examination for twenty-four years straight that he could be a 5-star or 6-star cksmith, it was no wonder the other party would think that he was mocking him. Without exining anything, Zhang Xuan spoke with a confident smile on his face. "Dont worry, I dont have the habit of making empty promises. I mean what I say." If it still didnt work out at the end, he could always just destroy the other partys cultivation and impart a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art to him. Even though the middle-aged man was at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, even if he started cultivating from scratch, it wouldnt take too long. "You mean what you say? A feat that even Sun Jinoshi is unable to achieve, how do you expect me to believe you? Are you really a cksmith?" A hint of doubt surfaced in the middle-aged mans eyes. Any cksmith would understand the difficulties in advancing through the ranks, and yet, the other party spoke of reaching 5-star and 6-star as if it was a mere walk in the park. Wasnt that clearly boasting? "Of course!" Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out his cksmith emblem, and six brilliant stars shone brightly on it. "You are a... 6-star cksmith?" The middle-aged man was stunned to see the emblem, but a momentter, he shook his head and said, "I dont believe you. There is a chance that the emblem might belong to someone else, or it might even be a fake altogether. Unless you smith... a Spirit pinnacle weapon before my eyes, you wont be able to convince me that you are a 6-star cksmith!" It was inevitable that the middle-aged man would be skeptical of Zhang Xuan. All of the 6-star cksmiths he had encountered were at least in their fifties, so it was hard for him to even fathom that a young man in his twenties could possibly reach such a height. "This..." Zhang Xuan was slightly stunned by the other partys sudden request. He had received his cksmith emblem fair and square through an examination at the Master Teacher Academy. Naturally, it was nothing much for him to show his ability to the other party. What he had to do now was to win the other partys trust first. Otherwise, if the other party were to insist on ending his life, there would be nothing he could do. "Why? You arent able to smith anything at all? So, the words you have said are all lies to console me?" Noting Zhang Xuans hesitation, the eyes of the middle-aged man turned despondent. "Of course not, smithing a weapon means nothing to me!" Seeing that he could very well lose the other partys trust if he didnt show his ability, Zhang Xuan replied with a slight smile and stepped forward. "Allow me to use your ores!" Saying that, Zhang Xuan walked up to the rack by the wall and casually selected four different ores before tossing them into the cauldron not too far away. After which, he drove his zhenqi, and the earth mes immediately surged up, scorching the four ores crimson. In just a moment, they began melting. The impurities contained within the ore were burned away, leaving behind the refined metal glowing brilliantly within the cauldron. The four ores were extremely raremodities in the world, each of them worth a fortune. Probably, only in a ce like Firesource City could one take out all four of them so easily. Through skillfully maneuvering his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan slowly pushed the four ores together, fusing them. As he did so, he turned to the middle-aged man with a slight smile on his face and said, "The easiest segment in smithing a weapon is the forging 1 phase. This phase happens to be the most time-consuming as well, so I will just skip that." As he spoke, Zhang Xuan gathered zhenqi at the tips of his finger and abruptly shot it into the searing earth mes. The freshly fused alloy flew out of the cauldron and into a quench 2 bath not too far away. Tzzzzzzz! Smoke puffed into the air. Shortly after, Zhang Xuan raised his hand and grasped; a huge lump of metal appeared before his eyes. "This is... a weapon?" Looking at the metal lump, the middle-aged mans lips twitched uncontrobly. Putting aside mere apprentices, even a pig could probably forge something way better than that. With a bizarre look on his face, the middle-aged man casually took the weapon, intrigued by the monstrosity that the other party had smithed. The next moment, however, his eyes narrowed in astonishment. His proficiency in smithing wasnt too high, but having pursued a 6-star cksmith for more than twenty years, he still possessed a decent eye for weapons. As ugly and revolting as the metal lump looked, there was no doubt that it was a Spirit pinnacle weapon. To casually pick up a few ores and forge a Spirit pinnacle weapon within less than a minute... What kind of frightening ability was this? If he could smith such a powerful weapon without paying any heed to the meticulous details, once he got serious... what kind of formidable weapons would he be able to smith? "I apologize for doubting you!" The middle-aged man hurried forward and kneeled onto the floor. At this moment, he felt nothing but awe and respect for the other party! "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though he was a real 6-star pinnacle cksmith through and through, his ability was limited to only refining the ores and quenching. As for the most basic forging... it was regrettable, but he knew nothing about it at all. As a result, all he could forge at the moment were metal lumps. Anything moreplicated than that was beyond his capability. Nevertheless, that was more than sufficient for him to gain the other partys trust. Seeing that he had won the other partys unreserved trust, Zhang Xuan said, "Alright. Now that I have verified my identity to you, you should be willing to listen to my instructions now, right? If it works out, not only will you be a full-fledged cksmith, the facade of a certain hypocrite will be unmasked as well!" "The facade of a certain hypocrite will be unmasked?" The middle-aged man couldntprehend the nuance of these words. "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded. "May I know where the cksmith Sun Jin you spoke of is the moment?" "He... He should be at the cksmith Guild," the middle-aged man replied. "Bring me to him. Later on, regardless of what I say or do, I want you to remain silent by the side. Dont interject, and act only on mymand," Zhang Xuan instructed. As the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, he couldnt allow poisonous tumors like Sun Jin to continue their tyranny. He had to expose the other partys misdeeds publicly, or else who knew how many more people would end up in the same pitiful plight as the middle-aged man before him? On top of protecting humanity, master teachers had the duty to protect the sanctity of teaching. The solemnity of lineages mustnt be undermined by a couple of ck sheep in society! "Yes!" The middle-aged man nodded. Just as the other party had said, as a person who was already prepared to die, what else did he have to fear? Perhaps, just perhaps... if the young man before him really could bring a miracle to him and resolve his problem, he could finally be freed from the abyss of despair that he had been gradually sinking deeper and deeper into over the years. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to walk out of the room, he suddenly halted and pointed toward the Violetgilt Metal on the rack. "Bring this ore with us. We will use itter!" The middle-aged man nodded and stowed it in his storage ring before leading the way to the cksmith Guild. With the cksmith Guild located just three streets away, it didnt take the duo too long to arrive at their destination. Darkness had already set upon the sky of Firesource City, but as the base of operations for the most popr upation in the city, the cksmith Guild was still brightly-lit, and huge crowds walked in and out of its entrance. Chapter 1022: Causing Trouble Chapter 1022: Causing Trouble Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 When they reached the guilds entrance, the middle-aged man fell silent for a brief moment before saying, "Sun Jinoshi is one of the most capable cksmiths in the guild, and he has many disciples and followers. As a mere apprentice, an evicted one at that, I have no right to bring you to him." Due to the rich earth mes around Firesource City, cksmiths and apothecaries were particrly respected in the region. In a sense, they could be considered nobles there, existences whom the average civilians could never hope to make an appointment with. This was especially so for a cksmith of Sun Jins caliber. "You have no right? Dont worry, I will bring you right to him!" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan swiftly uncovered Sun Jins location before leading the way over. The Firesource City cksmith Guild was bustling. The main hall was packed with sellers and buyers of weapons alike. 1-star and 2-star cksmiths were serving as attendants in the area, attending to the customers and bringing about order to the crowd. After walking for a while, they soon arrived before a rtively vast room. Just as they were about to make their way in, two 4-star cksmiths walked up to them, and upon recognizing the middle-aged man following behind Zhang Xuan, they sneered coldly. "I was just wondering who this is. Isnt this our great Song Zhen, who still remains as an apprentice even after twenty long years? What? Are you unwilling to give up, so you wish to give it another try?" "It doesnt matter. No matter how many times you take the examination, trash is trash; you cant change your nature regardless of how much you try!" Disdainful smiles were stered on the faces of the duo. Clearly, they were well aware of the affairs surrounding the middle-aged man. "I..." Hearing the sneers, the face of the middle-aged man, Song Zhen, paled. He opened his mouth to speak, but eventually, he closed it without saying a word. "Alright, you should stop making a fool out of yourself here and scram. Our teacher has no intention of meeting you, so it doesnt matter how many times youe here!" One of the two 4-star cksmiths waved his hands impatiently. Song Zhen was about to exin the situation when Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his hand, stopping him. After which, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the duo and said, "He isnt the one who wants to meet your teacher; its me. Get Sun Jin out here to receive me!" "You want our teacher to receive you? Who do you think you are?" Hearing the arrogant words spoken by the young man before him, one of the 4-star cksmiths guarding the door harrumphed coldly, the disdain in his eyes reflected clearly for all to see. Given his teachers standing, even the city lord of Firesource City had to submit a visiting scroll in advance before paying a visit. Yet, this twenty-year-old fellow actually dared to speak such haughty words, wanting his teacher to receive him. The ignorant sure were fearless! "I will give you three counts to get out of my way, or else I will toss you out myself!" The other cksmith threatened menacingly. Seeing that the duo wasnt nning on letting him enter, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "Since he has no intentions on receiving me, it seems like I will just have to go in by myself." Right after saying those words, Zhang Xuan turned his eyes away from the duo and began making his way into the room. As the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, not even a 7-star master teacher would dare to keep him waiting outside. Seeing that the young man was trying to barge in forcefully, the faces of the two 4-star cksmiths warped in astonishment. "Audacious! What are you trying to do?" They hurried forward to block the young mans path as they raised their palm, prepared to make a move. However, before they couldunch their strike, an overwhelming might crashed down upon them. Peng peng! The duo was knocked flying simultaneously before crashing heavily into the wall. Their faces reddened, and fresh blood spewed from their mouths. With just a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that this wasnt the first time that the two 4-star cksmiths had oppressed others. Toward such people, he had no intention on holding back at all. With a simple exertion of his zhenqi, the duo was already severely wounded. The two of them were only at Cosmos Bridge realm, so it was only natural that they wouldnt even be able to withstand a simple exertion of zhenqi from Zhang Xuan. Struggling to his feet, one of the 4-star cksmiths eximed, "Someone is trying to barge in forcefully!" His voice was very loud, and it swiftly resounded through the main hall of the cksmith Guild. "Someone is trying to barge in? What is going on?" Countless pairs of eyes turned toward them. However, Zhang Xuan paid those curious gazes no heed at all, proceeding in with an impassive look on his face. Song Zhen had thought that the other party was paying a visit to the cksmith Guild to find a solution to his problem, but who could have known that the other party would forcefully barge in in such a manner? Horrified, he couldnt help but cower in fear. However, after a moment of hesitation, he clenched his jaws in determination and decided to follow behind the other party. No matter what, it was apparent that the other party was doing it for him, so how could he back away at this moment? On the other hand, noting that Song Zhen had decided to follow behind him, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Even though he was determined on bringing judgement upon Sun Jin today, it could pose some trouble to him should Song Zhen choose to back down at this crucial moment. "Trying to barge into our cksmith Guild? You are seeking death!" "Quick, stop that fellow!" Hearing the shouting from the 4-star cksmith, seven middle-aged men within the room hurried forward to surround Zhang Xuan. Dressed in their cksmith robes, there were either four or five gleaming stars on the emblems pinned in front of their chests, indicating their ranks. Without any hesitation, they drew their weapons andunched an assault at the two intruders. As the upation that was second only to master teachers in Firesource City, cksmiths had their pride and dignity to uphold. Any action that undermined the prestige of the cksmith Guild had to be dealt with sternly to show others that cksmiths werent to be trifled with. Thus, upon hearing that someone was forcefully barging into the cksmith Guild, their first thought was to apprehend the other party before anything else. Seeing the seven middle-aged man assaulting him without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan sneered coldly, "Noisy!" Without even shooting them a nce, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and continued walking forward. Peng peng peng peng! The crowd who had rushed forward to attack him were all knocked back. The stronger the attack was, the more forceful the counterattack against them was. Under the immense impact, their faces paled, and blood spurted from their mouths. As 5-star cksmiths, their cultivation had already reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan or 9-dan. Yet, despite their strength, they had still been sent flying just like that, as if saying that they werent even qualified to be considered an opponent to Zhang Xuan. Seeing the entire sight from behind, Song Zhens face paled in astonishment, and his body began trembling. Back when the other party flicked away the sword in his hand, he had already known that the other party was a powerful expert. However, he didnt think that the other party would be so fearsome! The strongest expert he had met ever since he was young was the guild leader of the cksmith Guild. Yet, to his shock, he realized that the young man before him seemed to be even stronger than the guild leader of the cksmith Guild! "Quick, someone is trying to barge in..." Hula! Right after the seven of them fell to the ground, another group of men rushed in. They were all 5-star cksmiths as well, and as soon as they entered the room, they immediatelyunched a torrent of attacks toward Zhang Xuan. However, just like before, the attacks werepletely ineffective. A momentter, they were left lying on the ground as well. After striking down three waves of guards, the duo finally arrived at the lounge. "Song Zhen, what do you mean by this?" Right after stepping into the lounge, they saw an old man ncing over in their direction with fury zing in his eyes. There were two 6-star cksmiths standing beside the old man. "I..." Upon seeing the old man, Song Zhens face paled. As if the other partys authority had been marked deep into his bones, he found himself unable to speak a word at all. "We dont mean anything much; we are just here to ask if you manage to sleep well at night. You filled your apprentices with hope, only to usher them toward despair. Dont you feel the slightest guilt within you?" Zhang Xuan walked straight toward the main seat in the lounge before turning a heavy gaze toward the old man. The old mans cheeks twitched slightly, and with a face livid with rage, he bellowed, "Who are you? This is the cksmith Guild, not a ce where you can fool around!" "Fool around?" Zhang Xuan shook his head with a wry smile before turning a sharp gaze toward the old man. "I am here to return justice to Song Zhen!" One of the 6-star cksmiths standing beside the old man stepped forward and sneered coldly. "Return justice to Song Zhen? What justice does he need? Despite studying under Sun Jinoshi for more than twenty years, he hasnt even managed to clear his 1-star cksmith examination yet. What justice does that trash need? Its only because of Sun Jinoshis magnanimity that he was allowed to remain here for so long. Otherwise, the cksmith Guild would have long chased scum like him out of its doors!" The 6-star cksmith seemed to be in his early forties, and he possessed a cultivation of Nascent Saint as well. The gaze that he directed toward Song Zhen was filled with mockery and disgust. "I am talking to Sun Jin, who do you think you are to interject in our conversation?" Zhang Xuans face darkened. "Kneel down!" Kacha! All of a sudden, the 6-star cksmith felt an immense might crushing down on him. Without any time to react at all, his knees caved him, leaving him kneeling helplessly on the ground. "How dare you cause trouble here? Who in the world gave you the guts to do so?" Seeing hispanion being forced to kneel on the ground, the other 6-star cksmith flew into a rage. Bellowing furiously, he whipped out a sword and charged right toward Zhang Xuan. As the sword pierced through the air, a freezing gust of wind seemed to permeate the entire room. Even though the 6-star cksmith only possessed a cultivation of Saint 1-dan primary stage, the sword in his hand had reached the level of Spirit pinnacle! Through the augmentation of his sword, even a Saint 1-dan intermediate cultivator would find it hard to stand against him. Facing the other partys ferocious assault, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger casually, and the sword immediately flew out of the other partys hand. In the next moment, the sword flew into his hands, and with a resounding ding!, the sword had acknowledged its new master. Pu! Seeing his personal weapon taking another man as its master, the face of the 6-star cksmith turned ghastly pale, as if he had seen a ghost. Stifled by the sight he had just seen, a huge mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. "Who in the world are you?" Seeing how the young man was able to incapacitate one of his students with a word and have a Spirit pinnacle weapon acknowledge him as its master with a flick of his finger, Sun Jins face finally turned grave. "Like I said, I am here to return justice for Song Zhen." Zhang Xuan turned his cold gaze toward Sun Jin. "Do I really need to point it out explicitly to you?" "I have taught Song Zhen for more than twenty years, and yet, he still wasnt able to be a 1-star cksmith. What business is it of mine that his talent is mediocre?" Sun Jin spat through gritted teeth. "You are saying that it has nothing to do with you?" Picking his ear leisurely, a look of disappointment surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. "I dont like to hear those words. Tell me the truth." "You..." Seeing that the other party wasnt about to let the matter rest easily, veins began popping out of Sun Jins temper. With a frown of displeasure, he harrumphed. "What I said is the truth. There is nothing I can do about hisck of talent. If you dont believe me, you can ask Song Zhen about the matter yourself. A person who cant even smith a Mortal-tier weapon, what can I possibly do to help him?" "It seems like speaking the truth is something very difficult for you. Since thats the case, why dont I share something with you? Perhaps it might help you jot your memory..." Gazing deeply at Sun Jin, Zhang Xuan said calmly, "The cultivation technique he practices is suited for finding ores, but it happens to be in conflict with earth mes, thus making it impossible for him to smith. Can you tell me what is going on here?" "This..." Sun Jin was astonished to hear those words, but he didnt allow it to show on his face. Nevertheless, his fists couldnt help but clench tightly behind his back. "He is just an ordinary apprentice; how would I know what kind of cultivation technique he practices? Do you expect a 6-star pinnacle cksmith like me to bother myself with even the cultivation technique of a mere apprentice?" "You..." Those words seemed to have triggered an explosion in Song Zhens face. With a face scarlet with agitation, he eximed, "But you were the one who imparted my cultivation technique to me! You even offered me many pointers so as to ensure that I wouldnt err... How can you possibly be unaware of it!" Chapter 1023: Twisted Chapter 1023: Twisted Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The cultivation technique that he practiced had been personally taught to him by Sun Jin. Every time he met with a problem in his cultivation, Sun Jin would always step in personally to guide him. This was also the reason he was extremely grateful to the other party, and he felt deeply guilty that he had brought shame to the other partys name. That was also one of the major contributing reasons he had eventually decided to end his life. Yet, why was the other party denying it now? "Nonsense!" Sun Jin flung his sleeves and harrumphed coldly. "You arent my direct disciple or even my student, you are just a mere apprentice. Who do you think you are for me to impart a cultivation technique to you and even personally guide you along?" "I..." Song Zhens body shook in disbelief. He wanted to scream that what he had said was the truth and that he wasnt lying. Yet, he wasnt able to find any way to refute the other partys words at all. Back then, when he first learnt that cultivation technique, the other party had told him that it was a very formidable technique and that others might attempt toy their hands on it should they learn of its existence. As such, he had hidden the nature of his cultivation technique very well for the past twenty-four years. Who could have known that it was a trapid by the other party from the very start? At this point, there was no way he could exin it anymore. After all, given his identity, it was indeed irrational to think that a 6-star pinnacle cksmith would devote time to guiding him personally. "I have taught you for more than twenty years, and this is how you return my kindness? To actually bring someone over to injure my disciples... Song Zhen, I must have been blind to have taken you in back then!" Sun Jin bellowed furiously. "You are going overboard with your acting." Seeing how the other partys disposition was growing stronger and stronger with each word spoken, as if he was the one who had the moral high ground, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the table beside him impatiently. "Since you are unwilling to speak the truth, I guess Ill just have to find some other way to get it out of you." After saying that, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger. Peng! As if struck by a sudden streak of lightning, Sun Jins figure retreated swiftly into the distance before coughing violently on the ground, and fresh blood spouted from his mouth. "You..." Not expecting the other party to make a move against him, overpowering him with a mere strike of his finger, Sun Jins body trembled in disbelief. Arrogant! The other party was too arrogant! This was the cksmith Guild they were in! To barge in and attack him fearlessly, did the other party think that the cksmith Guild was just for show? Wiping his finger on his sleeve, as if disgusted by how dirty it was, Zhang Xuan gazed down coldly upon the fallen Sun Jin. "How about it now? Do you recall anything yet?" "You..." Sun Jin clenched his jaws tightly as his face flushed crimson. Knowing that he couldnt admit to the matter at any cost, he bellowed back, "All that I have said is the truth!" "The truth?" "Thats right! Hes just a mere apprentice, a person who hasnt even qualified as a 1-star cksmith yet. How can he be qualified to have me lie for him?" At this point, a look of savagery surfaced in Sun Jins eyes as he roared, "And you! Regardless of who you are, to dare to act so arrogantly in the cksmith Guild, I have to say, you are a goner!" Had Zhang Xuan not known about Song Zhens affairs in advance, he might very well have fallen for Sun Jins act. However, having learned of the atrocities that Sun Jin hadmitted over the years, he didnt have the slightest shred of pity for the other party. Shaking his head in disappointment, he said, "It seems like you are unwilling to speak after all!" To be honest, Sun Jin was indeed a very crafty person. Knowing that he would be severely punished if he were to be caught misguiding his apprentice, he had prepared in advance so as to absolve himself of any me. As long as he refused to admit that he had taught Song Zhen his cultivation technique, there was no one who would be able to do anything to him. After all, the previous batch of apprentices whom he had imparted the cultivation technique to had nearly died out. There was nothing that the other party could possibly find to utilize against him. But while such a mean might be effective in fooling others, there was no way it would work on Zhang Xuan. If he really wanted the other party to speak, he could easily find several dozen methods to do so. The only reason he hadnt done so was give the other party an opportunity. "What I am saying is the truth," Sun Jin insisted adamantly, but before he could finish his words, he felt another aching sensation at his chest, and he was sent flying once more. The injuries he had sustained this time around was even more severe; it felt as if something had mashed his internal organs together. Hey weakly on the ground, unable to get back up. "How is it? You still cant remember?" Zhang Xuan asked. "It will make no difference even if you kill me. If you dare kill me, you will definitely be chased to the end of the world by the cksmith Guild," Sun Jin roared angrily. He knew deeply that he couldnt admit to it. The moment that he did so, he could very well be sentenced to death by the guild. On the other hand, if he were to deny it vehemently, there would be nothing the other party could do, having no evidence on hand. "Since you desire to die, allow me to grant your wish!" Zhang Xuan flicked his finger once more, and a surge of sword qi flew toward Sun Jin. "Hold it right there!" At this instant, a loud bellow sounded, and three white-bearded elders entered the room. Upon seeing the surge of sword qi, they hurriedly rushed forward to deflect it. Dressed in conventional cksmith robes, there was an emblem with six gleaming stars pinned on the chests of each of the three elders. With the three of them making a move simultaneously, a powerful might reminiscent of the relentless currents of a river burst forth. Boom! The two forces collided, cancelling one another out. The eyebrows of one of the elders shot up, and a powerful air of authority exuded from him. Stepping forward, he red at Zhang Xuan with wrathful eyes. "This friend over here, to barge in here and severely wound one of my elders, are you belittling us, or does the cksmith Guild mean nothing to you?" Upon seeing the elder, Song Zhen hurriedly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. "H-he is Guild Leader Zhong..." "Guild Leader Zhong?" "Un, Guild Leader Zhong Mingchun. He is a Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert, as well as a 6-star pinnacle cksmith. His strength is even superior to the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it is no joke to say that he is the strongest expert of our Firesource City," Song Zhen exined anxiously. Due to its unique geographical terrain, the cksmith Guild and Apothecary Guild had developed to be far more prosperous and stronger than the other upations. As a result, the head of the cksmith Guild was even stronger than the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Now that an expert of Guild Leader Zhongs caliber had gotten involved in this matter as well... how were they to resolve this issue? Before Zhang Xuan could say a word, Sun Jin had already climbed to his feet and eximed furiously, "Guild Leader Zhong, save me! He actually dared to make a move against me. This ispletely preposterous; he does not care about thew at all. A person like him must be killed, and his corpse must be incinerated with the earth mes so as to serve as a warning to others." "I am a cksmith myself, so naturally, I have no thoughts of belittling the cksmith Guild!" Paying no heed to Sun Jin, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out his 6-star cksmith emblem. "You are a 6-star cksmith?" Upon seeing the emblem, Guild Leader Zhong frowned. A momentter, he spoke with a grim voice. "Even if you are a 6-star cksmith, any grudges you have with Sun Jin should be resolved through the headquarters. If you had applied for a Life-and-Death Duel beforehand, there would have been nothing that we could have said about the situation. However, to barge into our guild and harm one of our men, there is no way you are getting out of here alive today. Set up the formation!" Right after saying those words, Guild Leader Zhong waved his hand. Hula! The two elders beside him immediately rushed into their positions, forming a unique formation around Zhang Xuan. "I have already told you my identity. As the guild leader, instead of investigating the situation, you chose to set up a formation to deal with me instead. Dont you think that you are being a little too hasty here?" He had already revealed his identity as a 6-star cksmith, and yet, the other party still unhesitatingly chose to make a move against him. After all of the talk about rules and order, the other party was still siding with his own men! "Take down that insolent fellow first before we talk about the matter!" Ignoring Zhang Xuans words, Guild Leader Zhong bellowed furiously before raising his palm and charging forward. Hong long! As Guild Leader Zhong made his move, the other two elders also raised their palms. The three surges of zhenqi formed a unique formation that shrouded the entire lounge. Under the effects of the formation, the three of them could transmit their powers to one another freely, allowing them to practically double the strength of an individual among them in an instant. Guild Leader Zhong might only have been at Saint 1-dan pinnacle a moment ago, but with the other two elders infusing their strength into him, he had gained the power to face even a Saint 2-dan primary stage cultivator face-on. Taking a nce at the formation, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Three Stars Violetmoon Formation?" As a 6-star pinnacle formation master, he saw through the other partys seemingly profound formation with a single nce. The Three Stars Violetmoon Formation had been created by a Saint realm formation master two thousand years ago. Requiring three men for it, the formation served to create a remote connection between the trio, allowing them to put their strength together and exert a might far greater than a normal coboration among them. For Guild Leader Zhong and the two elders to go all out and utilize such a formation right from the start, they must have felt threatened by his strength. "If you know of the formation, you would do well to raise your hands and surrender peacefully. Perhaps, I can consider sparing you this once. Otherwise, today shall be the day of your death!" Zhenqi rumbled in Guild Leader Zhongs palm, threatening to burst forth at any moment. "Day of my death?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, his face reflecting the deep disappointment he had in the other party. "Despite serving as the guild leader, you are unaware of the atrocitiesmitted by your own subordinate, allowing him to bring harm upon many budding cksmiths. Not only so, you jump swiftly to conclusions, choosing to turn against me to protect your own subordinate without investigating the matter. It seems like its about time to clean up the Firesource City cksmith Guild!" Even if Guild Leader Zhong wasnt able to see through the anomaly in Song Zhens cultivation technique in a nce like Zhang Xuan had, he should have at least noticed or heard something about the huge reserve of ores that Sun Jin had amassed over the years. That should have been enough to send warning bells ringing in Guild Leader Zhongs mind to investigate the matter! Regardless of whether Guild Leader Zhong was intentionally covering for Song Zhen or hadnt noticed it in the first ce, there was one thing that was certainhe had seriously failed in his responsibilities as a guild leader, and he had to be punished for that. "We can talk about that once you survive our attack!" On the other hand, seeing how the other party was uttering such big words even when death was imminent for him, Guild Leader Zhong harrumphed coldly. Stepping forward, a powerful aura reminiscent of an imposing dragon burst forth from him, and a huge congregation of energy exploded out. Boom! That huge congregation of energy swiftly warped into a massive sword as it bolted toward Zhang Xuan with unbelievable speed. Song Zhens face paled in fright, and he eximed anxiously, "Be careful!" The might gathered within the massive sword felt so great that it seemed as if it could even split the world in two. Not even a Saint 2-dan expert could possibly stand against such immense force. It was for his sake that the other party hade here. If the other party were to be killed because of him, he would feel guilt-ridden for life. Clenching his jaws in determination, Song Zhen was just about to charge forward to take the attack in Zhang Xuans stead when the other party abruptly grabbed the teacup on the table beside him and poured its contents forward. Weng! The next instant, the massive sword of zhenqi abruptly swerved upward. Boom! The sword tore through the roof, leaving debris and dust scattering all around the lounge. He actually deflected that attack with a single cup of tea? This... Unable to believe his eyes, Song Zhen rubbed his eyes forcefully, seemingly trying to check if he was dreaming. The trio had brought out the might of the Three Stars Violetmoon Formation perfectly, such that even Saint 2-dan experts would have had no choice but to flee before that overwhelming strength. Yet, that fellow had actually deflected that powerful attack with just a cup of tea? Just how in the world did he manage to do it? As much as Song Zhen was astonished, Guild Leader Zhong and the others were bbergasted by the ludicrous sight before them as well. To redirect the might of their formation with just a cup of tea, that was something that had exceeded the scope of their imagination. Inconceivable! "There is something bizarre about that fellow. Lets use our strongest move!" Guild Leader Zhong roared furiously. In the next instant, the three elders drew their swords. Three chilling gleams shed through the air, heading right for Zhang Xuan. This is bad. Upon seeing Guild Leader Zhong and the other two elders drawing their swords, Song Zhens face turned as pale as a sheet of paper. It was apparent that Guild Leader Zhong and the others were enraged, and they were nning to kill Zhang Xuan! He hurriedly turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan anxiously, only to see thetter frowning in displeasure. "Are you done yet?" After saying those words, he stood up and lifted the chair beneath him with a single hand before walking forward with widened strides. A chair...? Seeing Zhang Xuans actions, Song Zhen nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Of your three opponents, two are wielding Spirit pinnacle swords and thest one has a Half-Saint sword in hand. Yet... you are going to face them with just a chair? Do you think that this is a street fight? How in the world do you expect to win with such a weapon in hand? Chapter 1024: You Are Principal Zhang? Chapter 1024: You Are Principal Zhang? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not only was Song Zhen frenzied by the sight before him, the mouths of Guild Leader Zhong and the others were also twitching uncontrobly, and they felt as if their minds were about to blow at that sight. It was indeed true that the chairs of their cksmith Guild were extremely expensivemodities, made out of superior materials, but even so... it was still just wood! Perhaps it might have been a decent weapon in a street fight against ordinary humans, but to use it to deal with their Three Stars Violetmoon Formation was a tant insult to them! Gritting his teeth tightly, Guild Leader Zhong harrumphed coldly. "Since you are courting death, dont me us when you get hurt!" Flicking his wrist forcefully, a sword qi reminiscent of a relentless waterfall flowed forth. Hu! In the blink of an eye, Guild Leader Zhong had already executed his strongest sword art. Half-Saint battle technique... Knots of a Thousand Threads! As if two interweaved webs, a thousand knots there are in my heart! 1 This battle technique was created by a lovesick swordmaster a thousand years ago. The main aim of the sword qiy not in killing but coiling. Once struck by this technique, one would feel as if one had fallen into a marsh, unable to struggle free. With Guild Leader Zhongs current strength,plemented by the effects of the formation, not even a Saint 2-dan intermediate stage cultivator would be able to deal with it easily. It seemed like he was aware that ordinary means wouldnt be effective on the other party, considering the other partys extraordinary strength and deepprehension of formations. As such, he had decided to use his strongest means in the hope of taking down the other party swiftly. H! The sword qi swiftly formed circle after circle. Once trapped within, even the most formidable of experts would have to suffer a fair bit to break free. Yet, the young man before him didnt seem to be aware of the danger ahead of him. Holding the leg of the chair, he continued proceeding forward fearlessly. "You came!" Guild Leader Zhong sneered. Tzzzz! With a skillful flick of his sword, the sword qi instantaneously surrounded Zhang Xuan. I seeded? Guild Leader Zhong nearly leaped up in excitement. He had only intended to use this technique to harass the other party, hoping to uncover the full extent of the other partys strength through it. Yet, who knew that he would sessfully coil his sword qi around the other party so easily? So far, he had never encountered a cultivator who could break free from his Knots of a Thousand Threads before! Delighted, Guild Leader Zhong had just started thinking about how he should deal with the other party when the person who should have been trapped within his Knots of a Thousand Threads abruptly vanished, causing his sword qi to end up coiling around nothing. The next moment, the other party abruptly appeared right before him, and the blunt, squarish edges of the wooden chair came crashing down forcefully on his head. "I..." Guild Leader Zhongs body stiffened. Before he could make sense of what had just happened, a sharp pain abruptly assaulted his face. Peng peng peng peng! Despite the weak material used to make the chair, it had been reinforced by the other partys zhenqi, making it as tough as steel. In the blink of an eye, his face was alreadypletely soaked in blood. "Wait a moment..." The other two 6-star cksmiths who had been fighting alongside Guild Leader Zhong were also frenzied by the sight before them. They had gone to the extent of utilizing a coborative formation along with their strongest attack, and yet, they had still ended up being pummeled by the other party. More importantly... it was one thing if the other party had wielded a powerful weapon, but he was only equipped with the chair he had been sitting down on a moment ago! Just the thought of the current situation left them feeling so stifled that they could spurt blood. It was not much of an issue that he had been pummeled by an expert, but if the other cksmiths were to learn that their guild leader had been viciously pummeled by a person wielding with a chair, they would be theughingstock of the entire Firesource City! As such, the two elders hurriedly charged forward to save their guild leader. The zhenqi in their bodies surged furiously as they drew out two white streams of silk-like sword qi. However, before their attack couldnd on the young man, the sight before them abruptly darkened. All of a sudden, they found a chair headed right toward their faces as well. Pilip! Zhang Xuan swung his arm relentlessly, bringing the chair down upon the trio before him. They sure were shameless. It was out of concern for their dignity that he had held himself back, but those three were so thick-skinned that they didnt know when they would stop. What formation, strongest attack, and sword art? Shouldnt they have realized that it was futile by now? Even a Saint 2-danbat master wasnt a match for him; what could three Saint 1-dan fellows do? Putting aside setting up a formation, even if they were to bring their entire extended family over, they would still not have been a match for him! After two minutes of merciless pummeling, the three most esteemed cksmiths in the guild were eventually left lying on the ground, bruised all over. "This..." Sun Jin was dumbfounded, unable toprehend what had just happened. He had thought that, with the guild leader and the two elders making a move simultaneously, they would surely have been able to subdue the other party easily. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect to see the other party easily suppressing the trio with just a chair in hand. For a chair to actually overwhelm a Half-Saint weapon, just what was this? "Alright!" After giving the guild leader and the two elders a harsh beating, Zhang Xuan finally ced the chair down and sat down on it once more. "Are you willing to listen to my words now?" "You... Who in the world are you?" Not expecting a twenty-year-old young man to actually possess such astounding prowess, Guild Leader Zhong clenched his jaws tightly and roared, "Barging into the cksmith Guild and beating up the guild leader and elders, I have already reported this matter to the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Be prepared to face the wrath of Pavilion Master Feng!" The Master Teacher Pavilion was in charge of maintaining the security and order of the region it was stationed in. Regardless of the identity of the young man before him, his act of barging into the cksmith Guild and intentionally wounding its members had already infringed upon the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion. The other party would have already gotten away by the time the personnel from the cksmith Guild headquarters arrived to deal with this matter. However, there was still the Firesource City Master Teacher Pavilion located not too far away, and once they learned of the matter, they would surely rush over at top speed. While many had viewed him to be the strongest expert in Firesource City, Guild Leader Zhong knew that that was far from the case. In terms of fighting prowess, there was no doubt that Pavilion Master Feng was above him. On top of that, for some reason, many experts had gathered in the regional Master Teacher Pavilion in recent days. Once they dispatch their forces, they would surely be able to apprehend that fellow and teach him a lesson that he would never forget. "Pavilion Master Feng? You are talking about Feng Yihui?" Zhang Xuan asked with an ironic smile on his lips. "Thats right!" Guild Leader Zhong roared affirmatively. The head of the Firesource City Master Teacher Pavilion, Feng Yihui, was his close friend, and they had known one another for more than a hundred years now. As soon as he learned that someone had barged into the cksmith Guild, he had immediately sent a message to inform the other party. Judging from the amount of time that had passed, the other party was due to arrive very soon. All he could do now was pray for Pavilion Master Feng to arrive as soon as possible so as to back him up. However, at that moment, the young man before him abruptly turned his gaze outside and said, "Pavilion Master Feng, you have been watching thismotion long enough. Isnt it about time youe in?" "Watching thismotion? Pavilion Master Feng... has already arrived?" Gedeng! An ominous premonition struck Guild Leader Zhongs heart. He hurriedly turned his head and saw an old man walking over with an awkward look on his face. "Zhang shi!" Upon walking into the room, the old man bowed deeply to the young man first before turning his gaze toward him. "Guild Leader Zhong..." This old man was the head of the Firesource City Master Teacher Pavilion, Feng Yihui. Upon receiving his old friends call for aid, he had immediately rushed over as soon as he could, fearing that the other party might have been in danger. However, when he arrived at the doorstep, he had realized that the so-called intruder was actually Principal Zhang, and he had immediately halted his footsteps. Principal Zhang was a 6-star master teacher like him, but as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, his standing was a tier above his,parable to 7-star master teachers. Naturally, he didnt have the right to question the other partys actions. As such, even when he saw Guild Leader Zhong being viciously pummeled by a chair, he had continued to hide outside, not daring to step in to intervene. However, he hadnt expected that Principal Zhang would actually notice his presence. With his presence exposed, he had no choice but to walk out awkwardly. "Zhang shi? He is... a master teacher?" Noticing how respectful Pavilion Master Feng was when he greeted the other party, Guild Leader Zhongs heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly turned his gaze toward the young man. Didnt the other party say that he was a 6-star cksmith? Why did he be a master teacher all of a sudden? On top of that, for Pavilion Master Feng to treat the other party with such respect... Zhang shi... "C-c-could you be... the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan?" Guild Leader Zhongs eyes widened in astonishment as realization struck him. He had no idea whether Principal Zhang was at Firesource City or not, but he was aware that there were twenty thousand students from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy who were in the midst of a mission there at the moment. Of the twenty thousand students, ten thousand of them had cksmith as their main supporting upation, and they had just requested a substantial sum of smithing resources from them just two days ago, so naturally, he was aware of the matter. Considering that there were twenty thousand students there, it wouldnt be a surprise if the principal was here as well! "Indeed, I am Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Principal Zhang? Song Zhens body stiffened in disbelief when he heard those words, and soon after, his eyes turned fiery with agitation. It hadnt been long since Principal Zhang had been inaugurated as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but his name was already well-known throughout the entire Hongyuan Empire. Even the citizens of a ce as remote as Firesource City had all heard of his name. For such a legendary figure to say that it was possible for him to be a cksmith... Perhaps, there just might be hope for him! Forming a stark contrast to Song Zhens excitement was Sun Jins look of horror. His eyes narrowed in disbelief as a feeling of weakness assaulted his entire body. If the other party had only been a cksmith, he might just have been able to deny it to the very end. But if the other party was a master teacher... it was doubtful that his strategy would be able to work! The discerning eyes of the master teachers were not something that could be fathomed throughmon sense, and the Master Teacher Pavilion possessed incredible means that would make it nigh impossible for anyone to lie to them! Not to mention, Zhang Xuan was the cream of the crop among the master teachers, a true legend! Guild Leader Zhongs face had paled with fright, but after all that had happened, he was reluctant to give up. "Even if you are... the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, surely it is against the rules for you to barge into the cksmith Guild and assault our men..." Even if the other party had a standing higher than his, to barge into their base and wound so many of their men, surely the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt condone such actions! "Rules?" Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan rose from his seat. Commanding the authority and disposition of a principal, he said, "Only those who abide by the rules deserve to be protected by the rules!" "Only those who abide by the rules deserve to be protected by the rules?" Guild Leader Zhong was baffled by Zhang Xuans words. "When has our cksmith Guild broken the rules?" "Song Zhen,e over!" Zhang Xuan turned to the middle-aged man by the side and beckoned him over. "Yes!" Nodding, Song Zhen hurried forward. "Exert your zhenqi," Zhang Xuan instructed. Song Zhen nodded before driving his zhenqi. The next moment, a heavy aura permeated the entire room. "Th-this type of zhenqi..." Guild Leader Zhongs eyes widened in bewilderment before they abruptly narrowed in realization. As a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, he could tell with a single nce what attribute the other partys zhenqi was and whether itplemented the earth mes or not. It was apparent that, with the middle-aged mans zhenqi, it was impossible for him to be a cksmith. Seeing that Guild Leader Zhong understood what he was getting at, Zhang Xuan turned to Song Zhen and urged him on. "Tell your story to Guild Leader Zhong over here!" "Yes." Song Zhen nodded. "I was one of cksmith Sun Jins apprentices, and I have been learning smithing ever since I was seven. The cultivation technique that I am practicing has been taught by him..." Without hiding anything, he repeated everything that he had told Zhang Xuan previously to Guild Leader Zhong. Even though he still wasnt too sure what was going on, he knew that Principal Zhang was doing all of it for him, and he trusted the other party as well. "He imparted such a cultivation technique to you, and yet, he still urged you to take the cksmith examination? How is this possible? Unless..." Right after hearing Song Zhens words, Guild Leader Zhong face turnedpletely pale. With a face as cold as the biting frost of a winter night, he turned to look at Sun Jin. Chapter 1025: Master Teachers Arent to Be Deceived! Chapter 1025: Master Teachers Arent to Be Deceived! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, if Guild Leader Zhong still couldnt understand what was happening after hearing so much, he might as well just end his life then and there. However, while doubts had sprouted his heart, he still couldnt really believe that Sun Jin wouldmit such atrocities. Sun Jin was the elder he favored the most, and he had even intended to pass down his position as the guild leader to him. Why would the other partymit such foolishness? However, the truth was alreadyid clearly before him, and he had no choice but to face it. There was no way the principal of a Master Teacher Academy would barge into the cksmith Guild and cause such an uproar without investigating the matter properly. "What is going on here?" Gritting his teeth coldly, Guild Leader Zhong questioned the fellow in front of him. He really wanted to skin the other party alive at this moment. If this matter was indeed true, not only would Sun Jin be disgraced, the headquarters would also make an example out of the Firesource City cksmith Guild to warn other cksmiths from engaging in such immoral actions. As the guild leader, he would have to bear the criticisms from the public for his neglect of responsibility, perhaps even going down in historical records for his ipetence! "I..." Sun Jins lips twitched uncontrobly as he tried to exin. "Guild leader, I didnt do it! I really dont know what is going on!" "You dont know what is going on?" A sharp glint shed across Guild Leader Zhongs eyes. "You should know full well the consequences of lying to a master teacher. Come clean now, and I might still be able to plead on your behalf. Otherwise, once your sins surface, I wont be able to say a word even if Principal Zhang has you executed at this very moment!" Master teachers werent to be deceived! If one were found lying to a master teacher in the midst of an investigation, their sins would engender far graver consequences. Not only would the person in question be executed on the spot, even their kin and students might be implicated, possibly being barred from joining any Upper Nine Paths upations for their entire lives! This wasnt the rule set by the Master Teacher Pavilion but a joint agreement made by the various upations. This was something they had decided upon out of respect for the Master Teacher Pavilion due to their contributions to the world. If one would deceive even the teachers, they had already lost their principles. A person who lived by no principles would only eventually be a disaster for society! "I..." Sun Jins face paled, and his body began trembling non-stop. It went without saying that he was aware of such a rule as well, but there was a spark of hope in the depths of his heart. Perhaps, if he could drag things out and the other party was unable to find any concrete evidence of his wrongdoings, he might just be acquitted of his sins. "Is there nothing that you want to say?" Guild Leader Zhong bellowed as the disappointment in his eyes deepened. From the moment that Sun Jin hesitated, the truth was already apparent to him. If Sun Jin had really done nothing of the sort, he would surely have fought hard for his innocence. There wouldnt have been a look of dilemma on his face. A slight gesture, but it spoke a thousand words. Havinge to the same conclusion as well, Pavilion Master Feng Yihui harrumphed coldly by the side. "Dont harbor hopes that the Master Teacher Pavilion will let this matter pass just by dragging things out. Do you honestly think that the Master Teacher Pavilion would be so ipetent as to be unable to uncover the truth of a matter as simple as this?" He felt that this matter was a failure on his part as well. Such an atrocity had beenmitted in his area of jurisdiction, and yet, he was actually ignorant of it. In the end, it even required Principal Zhang, who had barely arrived a few days ago, to point the matter out and resolve it. Having his thoughts being voiced, Sun Jins body froze in horror. His lips pursed tightly together in fear. Indeed, as long as the Master Teacher Pavilion put its mind into it, there was nothing that it couldnt uncover. Many years might have passed after what he had done, but the family members of the thirty apprentices he had taken in back then were still around. He was only able to get away with it thus far due to theck of attention on the humble apprentices in the cksmith Guild. However, if a thorough investigation were to be conducted, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be able to find evidence of his wrongdoing. An apprentice failing the cksmith examination for many years might be attributed to hisck of talent, but for it to happen to thirty apprentices... even a fool could tell that something was wrong with it. Moreover... Gathering his zhenqi in his left hand, he discreetly reached out for the storage ring on his right hand, intending to forcefully destroy it. However, before he could seed, a powerful surge of sword qi shed across his eyes. Hu! The right hands middle finger was severed from the major knuckle, and the storage ring fell to the ground as well. "If I am not mistaken, the cultivation technique that he had imparted to Song Zhen is in here!" Zhang Xuan said coldly. "Ill check it right now!" Guild Leader Zhong walked forward and picked up the storage ring on the ground. With a surge of zhenqi, he erased the Soul Imprint on the storage ring before immersing his consciousness into it. A momentter, a book suddenly materialized in his hand. Flipping it open, his face gradually grew darker and darker, to the point that it seemed as if he might just explode on the spot. With gritted teeth, he passed it over to Song Zhen by the side. "Is this the cultivation technique that you practice?" Song Zhen took the book and browsed through it. A few momentster, he nodded. "Thats right. This is the cultivation technique that he imparted to us back then!" Holding the book tightly in his grasp, Guild Leader Zhong turned his gaze back upon Sun Jin. "Is there anything else that you have to say for yourself?" "I..." Knowing that he was done for, Sun Jins knees fell onto the ground in despair. It might have been possible for him to argue his way out of this a moment ago, but with that cultivation technique manualing to the surface, there was no way he could do so anymore! That was irrefutable evidence of his wrongdoing! "Greed blinded my eyes. I thought that if I could find a way to procure the valuable ores lying all around Firesource City, I would be able to rue a huge fortune for myself. Even if I were to retire in the future, I will be able to enjoy a life of luxury." "For your life of luxury, you cast aside your morals and harmed so many innocent young children. How dare you call yourself a cksmith? How dare you call yourself a teacher?" Guild Leader Zhong roared vehemently. While cksmiths werent master teachers, they had their own heritage that they passed down from generation to generation as well. As such, teaching was something they viewed with solemnity and sanctity as well. Yet, the fellow before him had actually used nurturing the next generation as an excuse tomit grievous atrocities. This was going beyond the ethical bottom line of all cksmiths! With a tap of his finger, Guild Leader Zhong sealed Sun Jins cultivation before turning to Zhang Xuan and Feng Yihui, saying, "Principal Zhang, Pavilion Master Feng, it is me putting my trust in the wrong person and failing to keep my subordinate in check that allowed for atrocities. I shall resign from my position as the leader of the cksmith Guild and spend the rest of my lifepensating the families of the thirty deceased apprentices." As the leader of the cksmith Guild, it was a huge breach of responsibility of his that Sun Jin had been able to act as he pleased for more than two whole decades, harming not only Song Zhen but many more apprentices as well. Even though those apprentices had long passed away, they were bound to have kin and friends still living. To make up for his failure, he had decided to dedicate his entire life to making up for this mistake. "You arent the perpetrator, but you do have a heavy responsibility to y in this matter!" Zhang Xuan said with his hands behind his back. While the crime had not beenmitted by Guild Leader Zhong, it was a fact that he was the one who had failed to notice Sun Jins misdeeds and granted him the authority of an elder. The greater power that Sun Jin wielded had made it even more difficult for anyone to stand up against him, thus emboldening him to harm even more people. For one, there was no way Sun Jin could have been able to hide the deaths of so many of his apprentices if not for the power granted to him. In this sense, Guild Leader Zhong wasnt free from me either. "I understand. It is a pity that there is nothing I can really do to make it up to them." After saying those words, Guild Leader Zhong shot a nce at Song Zhen and sighed wearily. Putting aside the deceased apprentices, even for the middle-aged man before him, there was nothing he could do that could salvage the damage done to him. The cultivation technique that the other party practiced was fundamentally at odds with the earth mes. Even as a 6-star pinnacle cksmith, there was nothing he could do that could change that. "That might not necessarily be so..." Noting Guild Leader Zhongs gestures, Zhang Xuan could somewhat fathom a guess on what the other party was thinking about. Walking up to Song Zhen, he stretched out his hand and said, "Pass the book to me for a moment." "Yes." Nodding, Song Zhen respectfully passed the cultivation technique manual that had just been procured from Sun Jins storage ring to Zhang Xuan. Taking the book, Zhang Xuan casually flipped through it before lowering his head contemtively. A momentter, he took out a book and a brush and began writing swiftly. A few momentster, he had already written out a brand-new cultivation technique. He passed it over to Song Zhen and said, "Cultivate ording to the method written here." By this point, Song Zhen had already made sense of everything that had just happened. The gaze that he directed toward Sun Jin was devoid of the respect it had before, reced with endless hostility. It was with a heart filled with hope that he had be the other partys apprentice. For more than twenty years, it was the hope that he harbored that drove him on, allowing him to persevere through even the toughest of times. However, the more hope one harbored, the greater the despair upon failure. When Song Zhen took the book from Zhang Xuans hands, his mind waspletely nk. He was very grateful toward Principal Zhang for bringing him justice, but having the goal that he had spent his entire life striving for being deemed impossible all of a sudden had left himpletely lost. He had no idea what he should do from there onward. "I have said that I will make you a cksmith. I never renege on my promises." Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "Once you are done cultivating the cultivation technique I have written down, you will be ready to take the 5-star or even the 6-star cksmith examination!" "5-star? 6-star?" Song Zhen was bbergasted by what he was hearing. He dared not believe what Zhang Xuan had said to be true. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. Song Zhen hurriedly flipped open the book in his hand. The faint aroma from the slightly damp ink and the elegant calligraphy, which seemed as if they would leap out from the pages at any moment, calmed his unsettled mind. It didnt take him too long to finish reading through the entire book. By the time he was done, his body had already gonepletely still, unable to believe what he had just seen. The fact that he had attained the incredible strength of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan in his thirties without the guidance of a master teacher was testimony to the incredible talent he possessed in cultivation. Even though he had only swiftly browsed through the manual once, he could already imagine the frightening might one could potentially harness after mastering it. Not only would it resolve the conflict between the attribute of his zhenqi and the earth mes, it would even bring his cultivation to greater heights! Seeing the daze Song Zhen was in, Zhang Xuan urged him on with a smile. "You should start cultivating now!" "Yes!" Without any hesitation, Song Zhen hurriedly sat onto the floor and began cultivating ording to the method recorded on the book. After Song Zhen began cultivating, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward Guild Leader Zhong and said, "I will need to trouble you to find three grade-6 pills for me. They are namely the Bone Reinforcing Body Tempering Pill, Great Reversal Meridian Reconstruction Pill..." As Song Zhen had practiced the cultivation technique from Sun Jin for more than twenty years now, it was no easy feat to alter his meridians and change the attribute of his zhenqi. Just the cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan had tailored for him wouldnt suffice to make him a cksmith. It was necessary toplement the cultivation technique with some pills as well. Reconstructing the meridians to change the attribute of a zhenqi that was at odds with the earth mes previously toplement it instead was a feat that would have been impossible for anyone else to pull off. Only he, who cultivated the perfect Heavens Path Divine Art, was capable of calcting a method that could resolve the issue. "These pills might have been difficult to find anywhere else, but they arent too umon in Firesource City. I will get it done right now!" Guild Leader Zhong said before rushing off. A city built on and rich in earth mes, cksmiths and apothecaries there possessed an inherent advantage given the nature of their craft, thus making them the most popr upations in Firesource City. Furthermore, there were many precious medicinal herbs in the area. So, pills that would have been difficult to find anywhere else could easily be found within this city. It didnt take too long for Guild Leader Zhong to return with the three pills Zhang Xuan spoke of. Zhang Xuan passed the three pills to Song Zhen and gave him specific instructions on when he should consume them while cultivating. An hourter, a resounding buzz suddenly sounded from Song Zhens body, and his aura abruptly surged. Within this short period of time, not only did he manage to change the attribute of his zhenqi, he had even seeded in achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint! Chapter 1026: Reforging the Golden Origin Cauldron Chapter 1026: Reforging the Golden Origin Cauldron Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Miracle! It is indeed a miracle!" Guild Leader Zhong muttered with a face dazed with astonishment. With just a cultivation technique and three pills, a person had actually managed to change the attribute of his zhenqi and achieve a breakthrough while he was at it. This was already a feat that could be considered a miracle! Despite witnessing the entire process with his own eyes, he still couldnt help but feel as if he had been dreaming. The matter was just too inconceivable for him. "This is the prowess... of Principal Zhang?" Pavilion Master Feng was also shocked beyond words. As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed an eye of discernment far superior to those of his peers. Naturally, he could also tell how valuable the cultivation technique that had been imparted to Song Zhen was. To create such a formidable cultivation technique within moments and give it away unreservedly to another... This was how a true master teacher should act! Here was a role model that all master teachers should strive to be like! It was no wonder he could be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy at such a young age and win the respect and admiration of all elders and students. Indeed, there was no mediocre man beneath a true legend. "Thank you, Teacher!" Song Zhenpleted his cultivation while the duo was still overwhelmed with shock, and he hurriedly rushed up to Zhang Xuan and kneeled before him respectfully. At this moment, he was filled with nothing but gratitude and admiration for the young man before him, such that he would even end his life without any hesitation at a word from the other party. "I am not your teacher, so there is no need for you to be so courteous around me." Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "You have taught me such a valuable cultivation technique and given me the strength to continue living on. You are the only teacher I will acknowledge in my life, and this wont change until death!" Kneeling on the ground, Song Zhen kowtowed several times with unshakable resolve in his eyes. Without the other party, he would have been nothing more than a cold corpse lying in an alley. His family would still have been mocked by others for his ipetence. Sun Jin would still have been the high and mighty elder he was, and the atrocities he hadmitted would eventually have been buried amid the dust of history. Perhaps, countless other apprentices who had harbored hopes as great as his would have ended up walking in the same footsteps as him as well. Principal Zhang hadnt just taught him a cultivation technique; he had changed his life. Even if the other party was unwilling to take him in as his student, he would still view the other party as his teacher, and this wouldnt change until death. Seeing the determination in the Song Zhens eyes, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded in agreement. "Very well then. I cant take you in as my direct disciple, but since the workings of fate have brought us together, I shall take you in as my cksmith student." To ept a direct disciple was a heavymitment. Song Zhen might have been extremely talented, but Zhang Xuan valued character far more than anything else. Given how short a time he had spent with the other party, it was still too early for something like that. Nevertheless, it was fine for him to take the other party in as his cksmith student. After all, the responsibility of a master teacher was to spread their knowledge across the world, so it wasnt rare for master teachers to have innumerable students. In a sense, this was simr to his rtionship with the members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well. Thus, it wasnt anything much for Zhang Xuan to take Song Zhen in as his student Hearing those words, Song Zhen hurriedly kowtowed earnestly in agitation. "Thank you, Teacher!" Seeing such a sight, looks of envy surfaced on the faces of the cksmiths gathered around the area, and this was no exception even for the elders and Guild Leader Zhong as well. It was apparent that Principal Zhang possessed an unfathomable understanding of smithing. One who was able to be his student, even if just in name, would surely have a boundless future ahead of them. Ignoring the looks from the crowd, Zhang Xuan said with a smile, "As your cksmith teacher, it would be unbing of me if I didnt do something for you." Flicking his wrist, a massive cauldron fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. "This is the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, a Saint low-tier artifact, the Golden Origin Cauldron! I intended to reforge it once more... but since you are my student, I will be leaving this job to you. This experience should do you much good in your future endeavors as a cksmith, and even bing a 7-star cksmith shouldnt be a problem to you in the future!" "You want me to reforge a Saint low-tier artifact? T-t-this... But I am only an apprentice! I have never sessfully smithed a Mortal-tier weapon before; I cant possibly take on such a heavy responsibility." Song Zhen was scared out of his wits. The other cksmiths in the room, including Guild Leader Zhong, also nearly fainted from the sheer ridiculousness of what they were witnessing. A Saint-tier artifact was something that only 7-star cksmiths were qualified toe into contact with. Being able to work with one would indeed allow one to make huge progress as a cksmith, be it in terms of skill or state of mind. This was especially so for 6-star pinnacle cksmiths. This experience might very well have opened a brand-new window for them into smithing, thus bing the impetus for them to make a breakthrough. But... to allow an apprentice who hadnt even seeded in smithing a Mortal-tier weapon before to work with it... Was the other party really not afraid of breaking the Saint Guardian Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? "Master, you cant be serious..." Not only were the crowd acting in such a manner, even the Golden Origin Cauldron itself was on the brink of tears. "Actually... I think that my current cultivation is wonderful as it is; there is no need for me to make another breakthrough." It did want to make a breakthrough, but only if it was done through its masters hands would it be able to rest assured. To allow a fellow who has never sessfully smithed a weapon in his life to work on it instead... What the heck is that? Did I do something that so greatly offended you recently that you had to find such a reason to do me in? "Enough! What is with this nonsense that you are spouting?" Paying no heed to the horrified Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Even though his current mastery as a cksmith was indeed at 6-star pinnacle, the reforging of the Golden Origin Cauldron didnt just involve refining and quenching. More importantly, the Violetgilt Metal would have to be smithed into the Golden Origin Cauldron, a task that involved forging. And that happened to be something that he wasnt good at. If he were to really attempt to reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron before so many formidable cksmiths, not only would it be embarrassing for him, the Golden Origin Cauldron could very well be hammered out of shape in his hands, possibly bing an unseemly b of metal! While Song Zhen was only an apprentice, Zhang Xuan could tell through how the other party forged his sword earlier that he had all of the basics down. Perhaps it was due to his inability to handle mes, Song Zhen seemed to have focused all of his efforts in refining his forging skills, granting him a forging mastery that was on par or even superior to most 6-star cksmiths. Without a doubt, the other party was the ideal candidate to smith the Violetgilt Metal into the Golden Origin Cauldron! With this sess, Song Zhen would be able to gain a deep insight into smithing. It would only be a matter of time before he became a 6-star cksmith or even beyond that. Through this, not only would Zhang Xuan be able to avoid any embarrassment due to his inability to forge weapons, he would also be able to portray himself as an unfathomable expert, thus deepening the respect others had for him. More importantly, he could temper this newly-epted student of his while he was at it. In a sense, it was like killing three birds with one stone, so why not? "Yes..." Seeing that his teacher had gotten angry at his hesitance, Song Zhen dared not say any more. Nodding, he plucked up his courage and walked over, facing the Golden Origin Cauldron with an ashen face. On the other hand, the Golden Origin Cauldron was shaking uncontrobly, devoid of the haughtiness and arrogance it usuallymanded when it crushed Saint realm experts. Its three thick legs were trembling so much that it seemed as if they would cave in at any moment. Seeing the states that the man and cauldron were in, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Without wasting any time, he began issuing instructions. "The reforging of the Golden Origin Cauldron is an extremely important task. I will be issuing you instructions, so make sure to follow them carefully. There is no room for mistakes here!" "Yes!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan would be guiding him along, Song Zhen heaved a sigh of relief. "Take out the Violetgilt Metal I had you bring along earlier, you will need it in the forging process..." After the preparations were done, Zhang Xuan began issuing more detailed instructions to Song Zhen. "First, ce the Violetgilt Ore into the cauldron and drive the earth mes with your zhenqi for thirteen breaths so as to melt it. Thirteen breathster, ce the Golden Origin Cauldron inside and begin fusing the two together. Twenty-seven breathster, take the resulting alloy out and use the Thousand Metal Forging Technique to hammer the Golden Origin Cauldron 184 times, not one more, not one less. Make sure to hammer it all over, and every strike must consist of only 80% of your full strength..." Instead of using zhenqi telepathy, Zhang Xuan said the instructions out loud. Hearing the instructions, the cksmiths in the area nced at one another with shocked faces. They had thought that the instructions that Zhang Xuan would be issuing Song Zhen would be simple, basic ones. However, after hearing those words, they realized that they had been utterly wrong. Never in the world had they seen such precise smithing before! How in the world could the other party issue such detailed instructions? That would require a thorough understanding of the Golden Origin Cauldron, Violetgilt Metal, and even the properties of the earth mes! Not just that, the other party had to know Song Zhens capability and strength inside out! This wasnt something that could be achieved with just outstanding eye of discernment alone. The sheer number of calctions required in doing so were bound to be at a fearsome level as well! "Yes!" Hearing those words, Song Zhen suddenly had a feeling that his teacher might have calcted the entire smithing process from the start to the end, and he couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief. Swiftly memorizing what was being said, he grabbed the Violetgilt Metal ore by the side and tossed it into the cauldron. In the cksmith Guild, there was no nearly no room that didnt have a formation that was connected straight to the earth mes beneath the ground. Driving his newfound strength as a Half-Saint, mes surged from the ground, and before long, the Violetgilt Metal had melted. Following which, Song Zhen ced the Golden Origin Cauldron inside... All kinds of procedures were carried out strictly to Zhang Xuans demands, without the slightest deviation. "Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. As he had expected, the other partys mastery in forging had indeed reached the level of a true master. Even most 6-star pinnacle cksmiths would struggle to match him. His twenty-four years of hard work hadnt been futile. It was only due to his unyielding perseverance even in the face of failure that he had managed to achieve such a level of skill. An hourter, a resounding chime reverberated from the Golden Origin Cauldrons body, and its Saint low-tier prowess began rising steadily. At that moment, an overwhelming aura burst into the surroundings, forcing the surrounding spectators to retreat continuously. Hu! A few momentster, the aura was reined back in. The Golden Origin Cauldron carried a lofty air around it and a brilliant glow. "Saint intermediate-tier artifact? Good job!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. With just a look, he knew that he had made the right call. The current Golden Origin Cauldron had managed to fuse perfectly with the Violetgilt Metal, reaching the level of a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, granting it strength on par with Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts! If he were to meet the Goldenleaf King and the others once more, he would easily be able to subdue them with just a devastating crush from his cauldron! With this, the days when he would have to go through so much effort talking others into drinking his wine were finally over! "I am still alive? Not only am I still alive, my cultivation has risen as well? Wonderful!" While Zhang Xuan was feeling d, the Golden Origin Cauldron began pouncing about excitedly. With a mere apprentice cksmith working on it, it had thought that certain doom was awaiting it. Who could have known that, not only would the smithing be sessful, its cultivation would even rise by a greater extent that it had initially envisioned? At this moment, it was so happy that it could hug Song Zhen and give him a good kiss. "Teacher..." At the same time, Song Zhen also hadnt expected that he would seed. An agitated glint rippled in his eyes, revealing the immense joy and delight he felt from his sess. While a huge reason for his sess was due to his teacher guiding him along step by step, this experience had still given him a deep insight into smithing. As long as he could raise his cultivation to the required level, the 7-star cksmith examination wasnt beyond reach! It could be said that... this single experience had built his foundations in smithing. As long as he continued working hard, his future aplishments would be boundless! In order to give him such an experience, his teacher had unhesitatingly entrusted the Saint Guardian Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to him. To have such deep trust in him... this favor was something that he would never be able to repay in his lifetime! "Alright. As long as you internalize this experience, you should be able to advance to great heights as a cksmith in the future." With a grab, Zhang Xuan returned the Golden Origin Cauldron to his storage ring before waving his hand. "Pavilion Master Feng, I will be taking my leave first. I will be counting on you to take care of the other matters here!" After saying those words, he turned around and walked away. Before long, he had already disappeared from view. Departing with a fling of the sleeves after the job is done, asking for nopensation in return for his efforts... This is a true master teacher! Seeing how Zhang Xuan departed without the slightest hesitation, such thoughts emerged within the minds of the remaining crowd. Chapter 1027: I Went Easy On You Just Now! Chapter 1027: I Went Easy On You Just Now! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Right after leaving the cksmith Guild, Zhang Xuan smiled softly. He had only intended to prevent an innocent life from being lost, but who knew that he would end up managing to fulfil his promise to the Golden Origin Cauldron while he was at it, rising its cultivation significantly? On top of that, he had even found himself a talented cksmith student. It could be said that the trouble he had gone through was well worth the rewards. As for how Sun Jin would be dealt with, that had nothing to do with him. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that Sun Jin would have to pay a heavy price for the sins that he hadmitted. The death penalty would likely be on the table. As much as Zhang Xuan hated to kill, he felt that there was no need to show mercy to those who trampled on their own students in the hope of elevating themselves. Back when Zhang Xuan first arrived in the world, he had nary a care in the world. As long as a matter was none of his business, he would view it with perfect nonchnce, never involving himself in anything that would spell trouble. However, after everything he had gone through, he had already be a true master teacher at heart. He had begun to understand the heavy responsibilities that he bore, and he intended to live up to them as well. At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled what had happened earlier in the night. Right, I wonder if Luo shi is angry at me. I should rush back to take a look. He pped his forehead in distress before hurriedly rushing toward Luo Ruoxins residence. It had not been easy for him to close the distance between the both of them, and he didnt wish for them to return to square one due to this matter. He should have held himself back the previous night! Why had he been so brazen as to hold the other partys hand? Hopefully, the other party wouldnt me him for this matter. With a conflicted mind, Zhang Xuan hurried his footsteps, and before long, Luo Ruoxins residence was within sights. Before he could arrive at the entrance, he saw a young man walking straight toward him. It was the battle fanatic Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall who had challenged him earlier in the day, Feng Xun! Caught up over the Combat Master Halls loss to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other party had been trying to challenge him for a while now, and that had left him deeply troubled. As such, upon seeing Feng Xun walk over, Zhang Xuan immediately tried to find a ce where he could hide. However, before he could do so, the other party had already caught sight of him and immediately rushed up, his eyes zing with fighting will. "Principal Zhang, do you dare have a match with me? I will suppress my cultivation to that of your level!" Feng Xun challenged with a loud voice. "I..." Zhang Xuan was conflicted. He had intended to quickly find Luo Ruoxin to apologize to her, but judging from how Feng Xun was acting, it was apparent that the other party wasnt going on allow him to pass if he rejected the duel. Out of consideration for his standing, the other party had not forced the matter the previous time. However, for some reason, the other party was extremely insistent on having their duel this time round. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan relented. Waving his hand, he said, "Very well. If you suppress your cultivation, I will have a duel with you. However, it will just be a friendly spar." Considering how determined the other party was, he knew that it was only a matter of time before this duel would be held. "Good!" Receiving the other partys agreement, Feng Xuns eyes lit up. He swiftly suppressed his cultivation from Saint 3-dan pinnacle to Nascent Saint pinnacle. Hong long! Amidst a powerful gust of wind, he charged right toward Zhang Xuan. ... Rewinding back to the moment when Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin separated... With a face tinged with redness, the youngdy hurriedly returned to her residence. She had lived by herself from a very young age, and never once had she reallye into contact with a man before. As such, when she was touched by the other party, she flew into a fluster. After walking a distance away, she turned around to take a look, only to find that Zhang Xuan had not followed her. A frown of displeasure emerged on her face. This was her first time meeting someone that dense! She was embarrassed by the touch, not angry! Those who had the slightest bit of emotional intelligence would know that this was the moment to rush up to apologize. This was the perfect opportunity for the other party to get closer to her, and she could also use the chance to resolve the awkwardness from before. Yet, that fellow... had actually disappeared from sight? That pig-headed fool! It was only a ten-minute walk from the tavern where they had eaten earlier, and yet, despite waiting for two whole hours, the other party was still nowhere to be seen. Rage dyed her face a shade of pink. Giving up on waiting for the fellow, Luo Ruoxin returned to her residence, only to see Mu shi waiting outside for her. "Luo shi!" "Un. What is the matter?" Luo Ruoxin frowned. Mu shi hesitated for a brief moment before speaking. "Its like this. I have just received news that there could very well be Otherworldly Demon Kings in the ancient domain, so... Luo shi, wont you consider backing out of the expedition team?" "Are you trying to order me?" Luo Ruoxin asked with a cold face. "I-I dare not!" Mu shi was horrified. "That had better be true!" Luo Ruoxin waved her hands coldly as she walked past Mu shi to open the doors to her residence. However, flurried footsteps sounded at that moment, and turning around, she saw a young man heading toward her. It was Feng Xun from the Combat Master Hall. From the moment he first met Luo Ruoxin, he had been already spellbound by her beauty. He had been trying to find a way to get close to her, but the other party had never granted him such an opportunity. However, with the ancient domain opening tomorrow and knowing that he could very well lose his life within, he eventually built up his courage and rushed over. Seeing the youngdys silhouette, Feng Xun yelled, "Luo shi..." Luo Ruoxin had disguised herself, and Feng Xun didnt wield the power to see through it either. Nevertheless, she was still an outstanding beauty even with her disguise on, possessing grace that was on par with Hu Yaoyao and the others. It was no wonder Feng Xun found himself mesmerized by her. "I have something that I wish to say to you!" Feng Xun eximed. Luo Ruoxin turned around and said, "Say your piece." "Right here?" Feng Xun nced at Mu shi and his surroundings awkwardly, unsure of what he should do. On the other hand, seeing that Feng Xun wasnt saying a word, Luo Ruoxin couldnt be bothered either. Turning around, she opened the door and stepped into her residence. "W-wait a moment! I will speak! I will speak!" Knowing that he might not have another opportunity, Feng Xun gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "From the moment I caught sight of you, I was already enchanted by your charm. Luo shi, wont you walk down the long path of cultivation alongside me?" Feng Xun had a straightforward personality, and he didnt like to hide anything inside of him. Thus, his words were very direct as well. "Send our guest off!" Luo Ruoxin had been wondering what important matters the other party was going to speak of when she heard those words. She waved her hand before turning around to return to her residence. "Luo shi, I havent finished my piece yet..." Not expecting the other party to leave without giving him a proper reply, Feng Xun hurriedly rushed up. However, before he could follow the other party into the residence, Mu shi had already blocked his way. "Combat Master Feng, please return for now!" "I..." Feng Xun panicked. Noting that Feng Xun was unwilling to give up, Mu shi frowned in displeasure. "Luo shi has already made her stand very clear by turning you away at the door." Those words were like a pail of cold water, extinguishing the mes in Feng Xuns heart. Indeed. He had already made things very clear, but the other party was still unwilling to allow him to enter. This was already a direct response to his confession. He would only be embarrassing himself further by pestering the other party. "Pardon my disturbance..." Understanding this much, Feng Xun trudged away with a disconste look on his face. However, before he could get far, he saw Zhang Xuan rushing over in his direction. That fellow seems to be rather close with Luo shi... Could she have rejected me because of him? Such an idea suddenly popped into Feng Xuns head, and it swiftly grew and consumed his mind. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he rushed over to block Zhang Xuans path, thus resulting in the current situation. ... Naturally, Zhang Xuan was unaware that the reason the other party was confronting him. Seeing the other party suppressing his cultivation to his level, he couldnt help but feel slightly embarrassed. To be facing the other party with his cultivation suppressed to the same level as him... Wasnt that as good as bullying the other party? But in any case, that fellow was the one who had proposed it. After a short internal struggle, Zhang Xuan felt that he should be magnanimous and go along with the other partys demand instead. "I will bring you down!" Roaring coldly, Feng Xun raised his fist and rushed forward. He had already heard from Liao Xun and the others that the young man before him possessed an unfathomable level of mastery in battle techniques. Thus, he decided to exploit his greatest expertise right from the startspeed! Of the martial arts in the world, none were infallible... except for speed! Speed happened to be what he specialized in, and as long as he made full use of it, given his superiorbat instincts, he didnt believe that he wouldnt be able to defeat the other party! Hu! Carrying immense pressure that threatened to burst even the air, his fist arrived before Zhang Xuan in the blink of an eye. He had thought that his amazing speed would leave the other party flustered, but to his shock, the other party... was stretching his backzily! In the crucial moment of a battle, instead of dodging or retaliating, you are choosing to stretch your backzily instead? What do you mean by that? Despite being bewildered by the nonsensical action before him, Feng Xuns fist didnt have the slightest intention of halting at all. However, before his fist could arrive at its target, the other party suddenly stopped stretching his back, and a palm abruptly flew toward him, as if striking down a pesky fly! Padah! He was sent tumbling into the distance. Under the immense might of the p, his face immediately bruised red. Truthfully, in the moment he had seen the p, he had already begun carrying out evasive maneuvers. Yet, no matter what he did, he simply couldnt get himself out of the trajectory of the p, as if there was somepelling power that drew the other partys palm to his face. "Damn it!" For abat master like him to be struck flying with but a p, it wasnt too hard to imagine the immense frustration he must have felt. He immediately got back to his feet, intending to charge over to return the favor, but at that moment, the other party waved his hand in exasperation and said, "Why dont we just let this matter go? There is really no need for us to fight..." "How can we end this duel without determining the victor?" In Feng Xuns eyes, it seemed like Zhang Xuan was trying to have mercy on him, and that left him even more enraged. With a furious roar, he charged forward once more. The next moment, his neck was caught by the other partys left palm, and a right palm struck his face relentlessly. The next, next moment, Feng Xun was lying on the ground, and the other party was sitting on his back. Both fists of the other party rained down on him, as if a cotton farmer scutching 1 a bed of cotton. The next, next, next moment, the talentedbat master was lying on the ground, clutching his head tightly to his body. The other party was standing before him, kicking him mercilessly. ... "Lets just end it here. I think this should be sufficient to consider it your loss..." Ten minutester, seeing how Feng Xun waspletely bruised from head to toe, Zhang Xuan couldnt bring himself to strike anymore. He had already gone easy on the other party, but the other party was simply too weak. There wasnt the slightest feeling of aplishment he felt from pummeling the other party. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan walked past Feng Xun, and after knocking on the door, he entered Luo Ruoxins residence. The youngdy hadnt rested for the night yet. She was standing in the main hall, deeply contemting something. On the other hand, Mu shi was standing at an area not too far away from her with his head lowered respectfully. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Just now, I..." "Please leave. I intend to rest now." Luo Ruoxin waved her hand coldly. "Erk..." Seeing how he was evicted right after arriving, Zhang Xuan was at aplete loss as to what he should do. His eyes couldnt help but swim toward Mu shi. After a moment of hesitation, Mu shi coughed slightly before offering a friendly warning. "Senior Uncle, Feng Xun was chased away right after he confessed just a moment ago. Luo shi isnt in a good mood at the moment..." "Confessed?" A deep frown appeared on Zhang Xuans forehead. "Thats right." Mu shi nodded. "Pardon me for a moment, I have some matters that I have to deal with right now." Turning around, Zhang Xuan left Luo Ruoxins residence. "Matters that you have to deal with right now?" Mu shi was stunned. "Un. I just had a spar with Feng Xun, but thinking back, I think that it was disrespectful of me to have gone easy on someone who has challenged me so earnestly. I should at least give him a taste of the full extent of my might." Shortly after Zhang Xuan left, screams of agony from a certain talentedbat master resounded in the night. Feng Xun had just been viciously pummeled, such that he could hardly bring himself to his feet to leave. How could he possibly be a match for the energetic Zhang Xuan? "I didnt see anything," Mu shi mumbled beneath his breath, and he averted his gaze. On the other hand, the eyes of the youngdy not too far away curled into beautiful crescents. "Pfft." A chuckle escaped her lips. Chapter 1028: Opening of the Ancient Domain Chapter 1028: Opening of the Ancient Domain Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At this moment, the thought of ending his life shed through Feng Xuns mind. He had thought that the other party had already exerted the full extent of his strength in the duel they had just a moment ago, but he realized that the other party hadnt even disyed a fifth of his true might. In other words, with just a small portion of his strength, the other party was already able to crush him easily. Yet, somehow provoked by something, the other party was going all out against him at this very moment. Without a doubt, there was no way he could withstand the other partys strength. Under the vicious pummeling, he found that even his desire to live had been beaten out of him. Honestly speaking... What the heck is this? Didnt you say that it was just a friendly spar? On top of that, you had already won earlier... To rush back here to pummel me once more, what is going on? Seeing how the other party was continuing to pummel him, Feng Xun couldnt stand it any longer. Releasing the cap on his cultivation, he raised his cultivation to Saint 1-dan. The oue was that... there was no difference at all. He was still getting pummeled without fail. What left him on the verge of spurting blood was that the other party didnt seem to have even noticed that his strength had increased! Clenching his jaws, he raised his cultivation up to Saint 2-dan, but... the oue still wasnt any different. He was still getting pummeled viciously! He was a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, a top-notch genius who boasted the greatest fighting prowess among his peers. He could knock down even opponents stronger than him, and yet... even when his cultivation was two realms stronger than the fellow before him, he was still no match for the other party at all. The crushing blow to his pride left him on the verge of insanity. Forget it, to hell with my pride and dignity... With a look of savagery, Feng Xun cast away his final shred of hesitation and released his full might. With the entirety of his strength as a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert released, an incredible force burst forth from him, rattling even the sky. "I will make you pay the price for your insolence..." Roaring furiously, he raised his fist to strike the other party, but before he could do so, the sight before him turned dark. A leg had already arrived in front of his face. Putting aside the immense strength that the kick harnessed, it was even aimed toward one of his cultivation mingmen. Barely a moment after he had roared excitedly, he was already back to convulsing powerlessly on the ground. In that instant, an epiphany struck him...Treasure your life, distance yourself from Zhang Xuan! He carried the reputation of a genius as well, but he didnt evene close to the level of the young man before him; there was a world of difference between their capabilities! It was no wonder his direct disciple was qualified to challenge the Progeny of Combat Selection, and even a feeble-looking student whom he had barely begun teaching could floor the members of their Combat Master Hall. The young man before him was a true monster! After knocking Feng Xun out, Zhang Xuan finally seeded in venting the frustrations within him. Stretching his backzily, he felt refreshed once more. Turning around, he returned to Luo Ruoxins residence. However, before he could enter the residence, he saw Mu shi walking out from the doors. "Senior Uncle, Luo shi has already retired for the night. She has said to leave whatever you have to say until tomorrow." "Ah..." Hearing that Luo Ruoxin didnt intend to meet him, Zhang Xuan could only return to his residence while scratching his head. The night felt exceptionally long. When dawn arrived, everyone was already gathered in the main hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion. After a night of recuperation, Feng Xun had mostly recovered from the pummeling he had suffered the previous night, but the swelling all over his body hadnt disappeared yet. Upon seeing Feng Xuns current state, the leader of the expedition, Guild Leader Han, asked worriedly, "Combat Master Feng, what happened? Can you still join the expedition in your current state?" The other party had been fine the day before, so how did he end up in such a state overnight? Feng Xun hurriedly waved his hands. "Im fine; I only met with some problems in my cultivationst night. I have already taken some medicine, so it wont pose any trouble." To challenge a Nascent Saint and end up being pummeled badly instead... Even if someone were to threaten him with a knife on his throat, he would still be too embarrassed to admit it! "You met with some problems in your cultivation?" Guild Leader Han shook his head. He was not a master teacher, but that didnt mean he was a fool. How could someone end up with swelling all over his body from cultivation? It was apparent that he had been beaten up! Nevertheless, since the other party was unwilling to speak, he wasnt interested in prying any further either. Thus, he quickly scanned through the crowd before nodding. "Alright. Since everyone is here, lets head over!" The seal to the ancient domain was about to open, so it was time for them to set off. Riding on the back of the saint beast, Zhang Xuan secretly sneaked Luo Ruoxin a peek. Noting theposed look on the other partys face, seemingly not ming him for the matter yesterday, he heaved a sigh of relief internally before heading up to her. "Luo shi, there are many dangers lurking in the ancient domain. Why dont we team up together so that we can look after one another?" "Sure." Luo Ruoxin nodded. "Thats great!" Taking Luo Ruoxins eptance of his request as a sign to indicate that she wasnt angry at him, Zhang Xuan let out another sigh of relief. A few minutester, the massive Swallow Embracing Mountain came into sight once more. The crowdnded on the ground. The seal didnt seem to be much different than how it had been a few days earlier. The g that Zhang Xuan had nted in the ground was still sitting quietly amid the formation, and surges of powerful energy were being released into the surroundings. "ording to my calctions, the seal will be opening today. However, I am not certain of the exact timing, so we will have to wait patiently," Guild Leader Han exined. To be able to calcte the day of the opening of such a powerful seal was already an incredible feat in itself. To calcte its timing on top of that would be demanding too much from Guild Leader Han. Understanding this fact, the crowd waited patiently on the spot. Around two hourster, some changes began urring to the mist-like seal. The entire depression first turned crimson with a seven-colored bridge abruptly materializing before everyones eyes. "Its opening!" Upon noticing the changes, the eyes of the crowd lit up. Guild Leader Han stepped forward to assess the situation in front for a moment before turning around to brief the crowd on the happenings. "That seven-colored bridge is the key to entering the seal. It will only appear for around fifteen minutes, so we should quickly enter!" After saying those words, he took the lead. The others quickly followed suit. While the seven-colored bridge was made out of the energy harnessed by the formation, it didnt feel unsteady or wobbly in the least. On the contrary, it was exceptionally sturdy. Walking on it felt no different from walking anywhere else; it didnt feel dangerous at all. Following behind the crowd, Zhang Xuan stepped onto the seven-colored bridge. The scenery around him, an azure sky with fleeting white clouds apanied by a verdant mountain and an emeraldke, formed a stark contrast to the world beneath his feet, a dark abyss with asional bursts of searing currents. Such vastly different existences ced together formed quite a mystical sight, leaving Zhang Xuan feeling as if he was standing on the intersection between two worlds. To construct such a sturdy bridge out of emptiness, the person who created the ancient domain sure is fearsome, Zhang Xuan remarked internally. Zhang Xuan was also capable of constructing a bridge that one could walk on out of his zhenqi, but to do so through a formation... that was far beyond his current capability. It wasnt just him; even 7-star formation masters would be incapable of such a feat. It seemed like Zhang Xuans prior guess was right. The elder who had left behind the ancient domain was, at the very least, an 8-star formation master! It was no wonder the old principal was so wary, leaving even a tombstone behind for himself in the Master Teacher Academy out of fear that he would never return. Eye of Insight! While Zhang Xuan proceeded forward, he focused his eyes toward the very end of the bridge. Over there, a seven-colored light barrier was positioned perpendicrly to the bridge. Crimsonva flurried beyond the barrier, generating an immense amount of heat that seemed as if it would reduce any man to ash. After studying it for a moment, Zhang Xuan frowned. The structure of the light barrier... there is some resemnce to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel that there was something uncanny about the light barrier, so he took a closer look. To his astonishment, he realized that it was nearly identical to the seal he had seen in the Subterranean Gallery, the only difference being that the one before him was a simplified version. Nevertheless, it still harnessed incredible power that prevented anyone from barging through it forcefully. As long as it didnt open up, it would be impossible for anyone to enter. Otherwise, the seal in the Subterranean Gallery wouldnt have kept the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at bay for several dozen millenniums either, only allowing a few small fries to slip through its defenses asionally. Before long, following the crowd in front of him, he arrived before the light barrier. By this point, the others had also caught sight of the scenery thaty ahead of the light barrier, and their faces paled in horror. "Its nothing butva in front! It cant be that... the ancient domain lies in the midst of theva?" one of the master teachers of the expedition eximed in shock. With the temperature of theva, even metal would melt in moments upon contact with it. Even though most members of the expedition had already reached Saint realm, they still dared not enter such a ce haphazardly. "The details I know about the ancient domain are severely limited. The only way we can find out is to explore it ourselves." Wu shi shook his head. "Then..." "Dont think too much about it. Since we are already here, lets just go in and take a look!" Wu shi said. However, there was still some hesitation on the faces of those around him, so after a moment of contemtion, he stepped forward and said, "How about this? I will try it out first, and if I meet with any danger, you all should evacuate the area quickly." On top of being the highest-ranked master teacher among the group, he was the strongest one as well. In face of danger, he was obliged to step forward to protect the others. If even he was unable to face whatever dangersy within theva, it was unlikely that the others would be able to either. After saying those words, Wu shi channeled his zhenqi out from his acupoints and wrapped his body with it. Once that was done, he charged straight through the light barrier. Hu! Without the slightest impediment, hu!, Wu shi slid through the light barrier and disappeared from everyones sight. A few momentster, Wu shis silhouette emerged once more. His figure was a little indistinct and vague, but his gesture was most certainly beckoning them over. Most likely, there was no danger within. "Lets enter," Guild Leader Han said before stepping through the light barrier. Zhang Xuan followed suit as well. The light barrier felt slightly viscous, reminiscent of the surface of water. Stepping through it, it was as if he had stepped into another world. Intense heat, as if omnipresent, assaulted him from all directions relentlessly, leaving his skin with a slightly stinging sensation. Gazing downward, he realized that a ten kilometers wide enormous volcano vent stood beneath him. From time to time, mes would burst forth, threatening to devour the group whole. Is the ancient domain really beneath theva? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had imagined that there would be some kind of passageway beyond the light barrier to lead the group into the ancient domain, but to his bewilderment, there was nothing butva around him. If the ancient domain was truly located beneath theva, this expedition would be far more dangerous than he had previously imagined. Putting aside the searing heat harnessed in theva, just its sheer scale of theva pool and the inability to see past the opaqueva made it extremely usible that one could lose their way within, possibly never returning at all. "Where do we go?" The first person to enter, Wu shi, turned to Guild Leader Han with a deep frown on his face. The other party was a formation master; perhaps, there might be some kind of formation hidden in the area that they were supposed to utilize to enter the ancient domain. "Let me take a look." Nodding, Guild Leader Han took out apass and paced around the massive vent of the volcano. Gradually, the frown on his forehead deepened. "The spiritual energy current in this area is extremely stable; there is no formation hidden in the area. It seems like we can only slowly explore the area to find the entrance." "Explore the area?" Looking at theva pool, which boasted a diameter of ten kilometers, the lips of the crowd twitched uncontrobly. How were they supposed to explore the area? Were they to dive into theva? Even if their bodies could endure the heat, their clothes couldnt possibly do the same! A bunch of 6-star and 7-star master teachers andbat masters walking past one another stark naked... The image was so beautiful that it was more likely that they would die of embarrassment before they found the ancient domain! Realizing the same, Zhang Xuan subconsciously turned his gaze toward Luo Ruoxin. With a deeply conflicted expression, he mumbled unknowingly beneath his breath, "If her clothes were to be burnt as well, should I look... or not look?" Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought over the serious problem he was facing, he suddenly heard a feminine voice quivering with rage beside him. "You... What kind of nonsense are you thinking about?" Chapter 1029: The Fearsome Lava (1) Chapter 1029: The Fearsome Lava (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Turning his gaze over, he saw Luo Ruoxins face flushed crimson, seemingly ready to explode at any moment. While others were thinking about how they should find the entrance to the ancient domain, that fellow was assessing her from head to toe. With a look, it was apparent that he was thinking of nothing good! "Cough cough!" Not expecting that the other party would catch him contemting over an issue as serious as that, Zhang Xuan choked on his saliva. Posturing himself upright, he replied with a dignified tone, "I was just thinking that our line of thought might have been wrong in the start. Considering howrge theva pool is, I dont think that we are meant to search every inch of it. So, I have been thinking that it might be a trial from the master of the ancient domain instead." "A trial?" Realizing that she had misunderstood Zhang Xuan when he was contemting over such serious issues, Luo Ruoxin couldnt help but feel a little embarrassed. "Thats right!" Standing in midair, Zhang Xuan nced at theva pool before him and gestured grandly. "If the master of the ancient domain didnt intend for anyone to enter thend he had created, he wouldnt have constructed his formation so that it opened up once in a while, allowing others to enter. Since he has done so, I think that could be taken as a sign that the ancient domain is something that he intended to leave for theter generations, and theva is most likely the first trial that those who seek the ancient domain have to undergo. Only those who manage to clear this trial will be able to advance further in." "This..." Luo Ruoxin pondered over Zhang Xuans words for a moment before nodding in agreement. Zhang Xuans words made perfect sense. A formation master who could create such a powerful seal couldnt have possibly made the grave mistake of having the seal open every now and then. In other words, it was likely that the opening of the seal was an effect that the master of the ancient domain had intended right from the start. Luo Ruoxin turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Then... are you able to deduce the intention behind this pool ofva? That will likely be the key that leads us to the true entrance of the ancient domain." "I am still in the midst of figuring that out," Zhang Xuan replied calmly as he secretly heaved a sigh of relief within. It was fortunate that he had reacted swiftly. Otherwise, if the other party were to learn of his thoughts, she might very well have strangled him to death on the spot. Forget it, I should put those thoughts aside for the moment. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tossed aside the misceneous thoughts in his mind and began assessing the situation before him. Theva beneath flurried furiously, reminiscent of boiling water. Even without approaching it, one could still vividly feel the intolerable heat that it emitted, seemingly attempting to roast one alive. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began studying the area carefully. Unfortunately, the vent of the volcano was filled with a thickyer of smoke puffing up, simr to that of a sauna room filled with steam, making it difficult for one to see through it. After scanning the area, Zhang Xuan found no trace of any formation at all. In fact, even the flow of spiritual energy was indistinct to him here. Could the ancient domain be within a folded space? Frowning, Zhang Xuan was just about tomunicate with the Myriad Anthive Queen to have thetter search the area when he suddenly heard a voice. "This doesnt seem to be ordinaryva..." Turning his gaze toward the source of the voice, Zhang Xuan saw Wu shi and Guild Leader Han standing side by side. At this moment, thetter had an astonished look on his face, as if he had noticed something bewildering. The others in the area had also noticed the anomaly with Guild Leader Han, and they turned perplexed looks toward him as well. "Take a look!" As he said those words, Guild Leader Han flicked his wrist, and a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon appeared in his grasp. With a swing of his arm, the weapon flew straight toward theva. Putong! As soon as the weapon came into contact with theva, a sizzling sound immediately echoed loudly in the air. Within just a few moments, it had already been reduced to liquid, disappearingpletely from sight. "Theva... is able to melt even a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon?" Everyone was petrified by what they had just seen. While they knew that venturing into the searingva would be dangerous, they had thought that they would at least be able tost for a decent period of time without sustaining any damage with their Saint realm cultivation. However, upon seeing this sight, they realized that they had been severely underestimating the dangers of theva! The head of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Wo Tianqiong, hesitated for a brief moment before eximing in astonishment, "That is... Earth Core Lava!" "Earth Core Lava?" The term was foreign to the crowd, so they directed questioning gazes toward Wo Tianqiong, gesturing for him to continue on. "I have read books on volcanoes in the past, and it is stated that the temperature ofva grows higher and higher the deeper one goes. Of them, theva that boasts the greatest heat is the Earth Core Lava. With just a single drip, it can melt Spirit-tier artifacts and even Saint-tier artifacts! While the one before us doesnt harness as much heat as that, it is clear that the heat it possesses is far beyond that of ordinaryva. Most likely, what lies on the other side of theva pool isnt the ancient domain but an earth core!" Wo Tianqiong analyzed. "This..." The crowd frowned. "Regardless of whether that is true or not, we will know once we take a look!" Wu shi said. "You all wait here for a moment; I will head down to take a look." "Given how hot theva at the surface is, the heat you will have to face beneath is bound to be even more frightening. Will you be fine?" Guild Leader Han asked worriedly. "I ran a rough calction earlier, and with my current cultivation, I should be able to venture around a hundred meters in. Dont worry, I will rush out the moment I sense any danger." Wu shi nodded grimly. "We will be stuck here if we dont try to do anything. At this rate, it is just a matter of time before we sumb as well." While they were flying above the vent, cing them some distance away from theva, the heat that they had to endure was still considerable due to the seal above them locking the heat in. For the time being, they were still able to endure it through their zhenqi, but it would only be a matter of time before they ran out of zhenqi and sumbed to the heat. "Youre right. Be careful then..." Knowing that Wu shi was right, Guild Leader Han hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Un, I will be fine," Wu shi replied with a smile. The next moment, his face suddenly turned grim as he drove the zhenqi in his body furiously. An incredible aura burst forth, and it warped into the form of a majestic dragon. Then, his figure abruptly dashed downward, heading toward theva. Hu! Parting theva beneath him with forceful might, Wu shi dived in. "Ah..." Zhang Xuan hadnt expected Wu shi to move so quickly. He had intended to persuade thetter against it, given the unknown dangers that could have been lurking beneath theva, but he had been a little too slow. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to swallow his words. Perhaps, this might be for the best. He still hadnt made sense out of the situation yet, and perhaps Wu shi might be able to uncover new clues for them. Gugugugu! It took only an instant for theva to fill the opening that Wu shi had made earlier. Nevertheless, the bubbles that surfaced continuously indicated that there was someone moving beneath the surface. Seeing the sight below, abat master couldnt help but ask worriedly, "Will he be fine?" "On top of being a Saint 4-dan expert, Wu shi is also a capable master teacher who possesses many means. Even if he meets with danger, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to flee back up," Guild Leader Han replied after a moment of hesitation. To reassure the others, his words were confident. However, he was still unable to fully conceal the worry in his eyes. Clearly, even he had no way of saying for sure whether Wu shi would be fine or not. "Dont worry, Wu shi might not be strongest cultivator of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, but he is definitely the one who wields the most life preservation means. This is also why our Master Teacher Pavilion decided to dispatch him for this expedition," Mu shi said with a smile. "Life preservation means?" Everyone was bewildered. "Indeed. Wu shi cultivates a unique movement technique known as the Star Weaving Steps. Through it, he can move at speedsparable to even Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm experts. While it does deplete his zhenqi swiftly, there is no doubt that it is an invaluable asset in times of danger! "As searing as theva beneath is, with Wu shis strength and means, escaping safely shouldnt be a problem for him. Besides, since the master of the ancient domain has left a Life Gate on the seal for us to enter, it didnt make sense for him to try to kill us right afterwards." The eyes of the crowd lit up in realization, and they heaved a sigh of relief. Indeed! If even a 7-star pinnacle master teacher would be scorched to death right after entering theva, wasnt this ancient domain a little too difficult? If that was the case, how could You Xu have gotten out alive? Besides, there was no reason for the elder who had created the ancient domain to design it in such a manner if he was just trying to kill them. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The other partys thoughts were simr to his. Since the master of the ancient domain had left a visible opening to the ancient domain, it was clear that they intended for others to enter it. The trials were dangerous and difficult to clear, but there would definitely be a solution. Hu! Around eight minutester, just when everyone was starting to panic, a loud explosion sounded from theva, and a figure darted back up. "Wu shi..." The crowd hurriedly turned their gazes over, and upon seeing what was before them, their eyebrows leaped up in astonishment. Wu shi was in apletely different statepared to before he entered theva. The clothes on his body had disintegrated, leaving him stark naked. If not for the massive dragon he had formed using his zhenqi that was concealing various parts of his body, he might have just died of embarrassment on the spot. However, his clothes being reduced to ash was just the least of the worries. More importantly, his face waspletely pale, and he was panting heavily, as if he had just fled from something extremely fearsome. There were even some portions of his skin that were charred ck, creating a particrly gruesome sight. Guild Leader Han hurried forward and asked, "What happened?" On the other hand, Wu shi swiftly swallowed a pill to recuperate his zhenqi before putting on another set of clothes from his storage ring. "The temperature within theva is higher than I thought," Wu shi exined with a bitter smile. "I swiftly ventured downward as soon as I entered. I thought that with my stamina and zhenqi, reaching the hundred-meter mark wouldnt be an issue for me. However... the temperature increased faster than I thought it would. By the time I reached the thirty-meter mark, I could already feel myself approaching my limit. The rate at which my zhenqi was depleting from fending away theva was already double the rate when I was at the surface! "With great difficulty, I managed to reach the forty-meter mark. However, by then, my zhenqi had already depleted by half. Knowing that it would be difficult for me to return if I were to venture any deeper, I decided to turn around at that point and rush back. Nevertheless, I still nearly depleted my zhenqi and died inside!" "Even you were only able to reach the forty-meter mark?" Wo Tianqiong was astonished. Wu shis strength was the greatest of them all, and yet, he had only been able to venture forty meters deep into theva. Through this, it wasnt too difficult to imagine how fearsome theva was. "Did you notice anything?" Guild Leader Han probed. Wu shi shook his head. "It is nothing butva below; I wasnt able to see anything at all. Furthermore, there was a powerful pressure crushing down on me below, limiting my Spiritual Perception to only ten meters. Anything more than that is beyond my means. I tried to peer downward when I was at the forty meters mark, and based on what I saw, it seems like there is still a very long distance away before reaching the end of theva." "Your Spiritual Perception can only extend to ten meters?" "There is still a long distance away before reaching the end?" The faces of the crowd warped in horror. Wu shi was the one who possessed the strongest cultivation in the expedition team, and even Guild Leader Han wouldnt be a match for him. Yet, an expert of his caliber could only extend his Spiritual Perception ten meters into theva. Just how long would it take for them to scan the enormous volcano that had a diameter of ten kilometers? Furthermore, if the entrance of the ancient domain was truly located within theva... would they really be able to enter it? "Indeed. When I was at the surface, my Spiritual Perception could still extend several hundred meters away. However, the deeper I went, the greater the constraint on my Spiritual Perception. Eventually, when I reached my limit, forty meters deep, I could only extend it ten meters." Wu shi shook his head. "If you could only persist for forty meters, and there was still a long distance to go before reaching the other side... how are we going to find the entrance to the ancient domain like that?" The crowd nced at one another with helpless looks on their faces. After waiting for the opening of the seal for so long, were they going to be stuck right before the entrance, unable to do a thing at all? Just as everyone was overwhelmed with despair from being unable to venture any further, someone among the crowd suddenly shouted, "Sh*t, the opening to the seal has closed up, too!" Everyone hurriedly turned around to take a look, only to see that the light barrier had reverted back to its initial white color. The seven-colored bridge from a moment ago had also vanished from sight, as if signifying theplete closure of the seal. Chapter 1030: The Fearsome Lava (2) Chapter 1030: The Fearsome Lava (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 One of the master teachers tried to pass through the light barrier as he had done before, but as if ramming into a wall of concrete steel, he was knocked back by a powerful might. "This..." The eyes of the master teacher narrowed in disbelief. "How are we to leave now?" He wasnt the only who reacted in such a manner. There were also several other master teachers who rushed up to the seal to try it too, and upon realizing that they were unable to pass through it as well, their faces paled in horror. Passing through the seven-colored light barrier from before had been extremely easy for them. It was just like diving into water, not impeding them at all. However, the current white, misty barrier before them was like a thick block of steel in their path; no matter how they rammed at it, it just wouldnt budge. In other words, they werepletely trapped! If they couldnt find the way to advance into the ancient domain, they would be trapped there with theva until the next opening of the seal, provided they could survive till then. "No wonder you told us that we might face great peril in the expedition, the ancient domain is indeed fearsome," one of the master teachers muttered to himself. Before they joined the expedition, Wu shi and the others had repeatedly warned them that great perily in the expedition of the ancient domain, and they could very well meet their death there. Back then, they had thought that it was just an exaggeration, and they had not thought much of it. In the end, before they had even entered the ancient domain, they had already found themselves helplessly lost. If that was the case, it was difficult to imagine the sheer extent of danger they would face in the ancient domain. Guild Leader Han shook his head and said, "I said earlier that the seal would close within fifteen minutes. It is impossible to open it once more. The only choice we have now is to trudge forward! "It is pointless to dwell on this matter anymore. All of us joined this expedition knowing that we would face such dangerous situations. At this point, the only thing we can do is find the entrance to the ancient domain." "Un." The crowd nodded. Having been warned of the dangers from participating in the expedition, most of the expedition members had already prepared in case something unfortunate befell them in the midst of exploring the ancient domain. Since it was already impossible for them to back out at this point, they could only muster their courage and advance forward. Understanding the same logic, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to theva. At the same time, he forged a remotemunication with the Myriad Anthive Queen. Before long, the Myriad Anthive Queen replied, "Master, there is no folded space in the area. Even if there is one, it is most likely beneath theva, where I am unable to sense it." "There is no folded space in the area?" Zhang Xuans expression turned stern. Could it be that the entrance to the ancient domain reallyy beneath theva? But even Wu shi was unable to venture too far down, let alone them! It was only the entrance of the ancient domain they were at, surely it wasnt designed to be so difficult? If that was truly the case, how did the old principal and his team managed to enter the ancient domain back then? It is a pity that I failed to obtain the map form the Poison Hall, or else we wouldnt be in such a helpless position now. Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. If he had managed to obtain the map, he would have been able to find the route in easily. He wouldnt have been in such a difficult position at the moment. Forget it, there is no point brooding over it now. I should try to use the Library of Heavens Path and see if I can find anything instead. Tossing away those negative thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan descended toward theva. As theva was a non-living object, it couldnt possibly utilize battle techniques or that sort. Thus, the only way to make the Library of Heavens Path topile a book on it was through touch. Seeing Zhang Xuan flying toward theva, Mu shi couldnt help but exim in shock, "Senior Uncle, what are you doing?" Knowing that he couldnt reveal the matter regarding the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, "I am just taking a closer look at theva." A momentter, he was standing right above theva. An intense wave of heat assaulted him, prating through his skin to sear even his bones, seemingly intent on reducing him to a crisp. Scorching! Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. It was no wonder Wu shi was only able to venture forty meters in. The temperature in the area was far more frightening than he could have imagined. Even if he were to exert his full strength, thirty meters would probably be his limit. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan expelled the heat out of his body before extending his hand toward theva. ws! Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. "Thisva is made out of rocks melted under the heat of the earth mes. It harnesses great heat within. It is made out of Bluedark Rock, Granite, Lapis, and many other minerals. Once solidified, it is an ideal material to construct a house..." Upon reading the description in the book, Zhang Xuan staggered and nearly fell to the ground. Construct a house... Construct your head! That is not what I want to know, alright? As stifled as Zhang Xuan felt within, it was somewhat within his expectations. The Library of Heavens Path could only analyze the very item that he was touching at that instant and reveal its details. This was simr to the many times he had attempted to collect multiple books into the Library of Heavens Path simultaneously through touching the bookshelves, only to receive information on the material of the bookshelf instead. Simrly, touching theva only reflected the unique properties of theva and not the ws of the entire volcano. In other words, the seemingly omnipotent Library of Heavens Path was useless in this situation. What could he do? Rubbing his be in frustration, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to return to the others. Seeing that even the miracle-producing Principal Zhang had been forced to retreat helplessly from theva, disappointment surfaced in the eyes of Guild Leader Han. Sighing deeply, he instructed, "If ites down to it, we will just have to allocate a region to each person and explore theva pool bit by bit. Since the seal can be opened, I figure that the ancient domain shouldnt be located too deep into theva. As long as we work together, we should be able to find some clues about the ancient domains location!" "Explore theva pool bit by bit?" With grave expressions, the crowd nodded. This was the only measure they could take at the moment. Since there was no formation or anything hidden above theva, there was a very good chance that the ancient domain was hidden beneath theva. With no other alternatives at that moment, they could onlyb theva inch by inch, praying that they would find something soon. "If... the ancient domain is located beyond forty meters beneath the surface of theva, what should we do?" the head of Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, Shen Pingchao, asked with a deep frown. Upon hearing those words, the crowd couldnt help nod in agreement as well. Since even Wu shi was only able to reach forty meters deep, there was no way they could go beyond that. It would be great if they could find the ancient domain within the top forty meters of theva, but if it was located beneath that point, there was no way they would be able to find it! At this point, Luo Ruoxin spoke up as well. "Combing the area isnt a feasible solution." Guild Leader Han turned to Luo Ruoxin and asked, "Oh? Does Luo shi have a suggestion to offer?" "Just as the others have said, if the ancient domain is located more than forty meters beneath the surface of theva, there is no way we will be able to find it. Furthermore, considering the sheer scale of theva vent and how there are only thirty of us here, how long do you think it will take us to finishbing the area?" Luo Ruoxin said with a frown. "This..." Guild Leader Han was stumped. While most of the expedition members did possess Spiritual Perception, Wu shi had said earlier that its range of effectiveness would gradually bepressed the further one delved into theva. Furthermore, they would be unable to stay within theva for extended periods of time either. At this rate, they would probably run out of zhenqi and sumb to the heat before they were able to find the ancient domain. "What should we do then?" one of the master teachers asked. "I am not too sure either. However, since the master of the ancient domain left a Life Gate in the seal for others to enter, there is bound to be a route that we can take; it is just that we havent thought of it yet. As the saying goes, the sharpening of the axe is the key to woodcutting 1 . Instead of fumbling around, it would be better for us to first identify our goal before making a move. That should heighten our chances of sess," Luo Ruoxin said. The crowd nodded in agreement. She was right. Spreading their thin in hopes of striking lucky was a luxury they couldnt afford. The circumstances they were in were simply too poor. Persisting for an hour, two hours, or ten hours was still doable for them. However, beyond a day, the fire poison would probably start to set in. Two days, and they would already be too feeble from the constant assault of the heat to search the area, and it wouldnt be too long before they were reduced to dried meat. "Indeed. We have to first have a concrete idea in mind before carrying it out." Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned his gaze back to theva once more. The volcano vent was circr in shape, and at irregr intervals, a powerful spurt ofva would burst forth and strike the seal above them, creating a deafening explosion. It was fortunate that they had released the energies umted in the seal before, or else there was no doubt that the powerful spurt ofva would have induced a huge explosion within here. A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans head. Could the key be rted to... the strength of theseva spurts? He was certain that the old principal and You Xu didnt have to go through so much effort to enter the ancient domain. Based on You Xus testimony, the group back then had encountered an energy storm as soon as they stepped through the light barrier, and it was then that You Xu had been swept into an unknown area and met with the Otherworldly Demons. Energy storm... In other words, when they first entered, the seal was permeated with an overwhelmingly powerful force. Could the energy storm have been referring to the energies released during the opening of the seal? If that was the case, it would mean that, while his earlier release of the energies had made the insides of the seal significantly safer, it had also effectively terminated their route to the entrance of the ancient domain. Wait, if that is the case... does it mean that the area where the energies would have burst forth from during the opening of the seal is the area where the entrance of the ancient domain is located? If You Xu wasnt lying, that could very well be the case. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his gaze toward theva to examine it closely. Coincidentally, a burst of energy surged forth from theva at this moment. It came into contact with the area where his formation g was nted previously, and it disappeared without a trace. The point where he had nted the g was where the greatest opening of the seal was located, and it prevented any energies from building up within the seal. As a result, theva was rtively calmer, such that he had even forgotten about this matter himself. I should give it a try! Zhang Xuan nodded in resolution. Regardless of whether his conclusion was correct or not, the only way he could know for sure was to test it out personally. And honestly speaking, he couldnt think of anything else other than that. The Library of Heavens Path doesnt work on theva, so the only way I can really check on it is to venture in. Wu shi is still in the midst of recuperating from his previous exertion, so I can only do it personally! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a huge cauldron appeared before him. The Golden Origin Cauldron! With the previous breakthrough, that fellow had already be a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, granting it strength on par with Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts. While its fighting prowess might pale inparison to veteran experts like Wu shi, in terms of resistance to heat, thetter definitely came nowhere close to matching it. The abrupt action from Zhang Xuan drew gazes from the crowd to him. Upon taking a look, they couldnt help but freeze in astonishment. "The Golden Origin Cauldron... has be a Saint intermediate-tier artifact?" Most of them were aware of the existence of the famed Guardian Saint Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but ording to what they knew, it should only have been a Saint low-tier artifact. When did it advance to intermediate-tier? There might only be a minor tier difference between low-tier and intermediate-tier, but the power disparity between the two was immense, as if the gap between heaven and earth. "A cksmith student whom Master took in on a whim yesterday night helped reforge my magnificent body, and in the midst of doing so, I advanced to intermediate-tier. What? Are you all envious?" Seeing the shocked gazes directed toward it, the Golden Origin Cauldron burst into heartyughter, and with tant glee in its voice, it continued boasting. "There is really no need for you all to envy me. It is only due to my outstanding talent that I am able to achieve breakthroughs so easily. The likes of you cant possibly hope to emte my greatness." Chapter 1031: Entering the Lava Chapter 1031: Entering the Lava Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Shut up!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Roger that!" Hearing the bellow from its master, the Golden Origin Cauldron immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word. Even though it had halted its words halfway through, the content that it had revealed thus far was more than enough for the others to make sense of the situation. Their gazes couldnt help but drift to Zhang Xuan. "Took in an apprentice as his cksmith student on a whim?" "Reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron? Principal Zhang, what is going on?" As a Saint low-tier artifact, it would at least take the strength of a 7-star cksmith to reforge it and raise its grade. Yet, an apprentice that he had taken in as his cksmith student on a whim had actually reforged it? What was going on? A cksmith apprentice... was someone who hadnt even passed the 1-star cksmith examination yet, right? How could such a person help to reforge a Saint low-tier artifact? "Last night, I met an apprentice who was trying to end his life..." Noting everyones gaze on him, Zhang Xuan began exining the matter that had happened the previous night. It was no secret anyway, so there was no need for him to hide it. "An apprentice who couldnt even smith a Mortal-tier weapon was actually able to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron with just an hour of guidance from you?" "T-this... Surely that is impossible." Hearing the story, the crowd felt incredibly frenzied. To actually guide an apprentice in reforging his Saint low-tier artifact... Just how confident did one have to be to dare do such a thing? Just how deep of an understanding of smithing did one have tomand to be capable of pulling off such a feat? "I have long heard that Principal Zhang possesses incredible smithing mastery, but this... it seems like I have still been underestimating him." "Indeed. Just by this feat alone, it can be seen that his grasp over smithing is on par with 7-star pinnacle cksmiths." "How can we ever expect to match up with that?" The principals of the other three Master Teacher Academies couldnt help but sigh bitterly at this point. They had learned from Zhao Bingxus words that the young man before them possessed an astounding mastery of smithing. All along, they had thought that 6-star pinnacle would be the cap, especially considering the other partys young age. However, upon hearing this, they realized that they had been taking Zhang Xuan too lightly. One must know that even a real 7-star pinnacle cksmith couldnt possibly guide an apprentice into sessfully reforging a Saint low-tier artifact! Different from what the others were focused on, Luo Ruoxin looked at the young man before her with widened eyes and asked, "You... After parting from me, you saved a person and tore away the hypocritical mask of an elder of the cksmith Guild?" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Un. I was intending to follow you after you left, but it was then that I saw someone attempting to end his life. It was due to this incident that I eventually camete!" "I see..." Luo Ruoxin shook her head helplessly. She had thought that the other party was pig-headed when he didnt pursue her the previous night, and she had even flown into a rage over it. However, it seemed like she had misunderstood the other party. As a master teacher, protecting the sanctity and dignity of teaching was clearly more important than ones own personal matters. Nevertheless, despite knowing that he had been misunderstood, he didnt use this matter as an excuse to justify himself. Had it not been for the Golden Origin Cauldron bragging about the matter, she would probably have remained ignorant of it. His character was truly worthy of respect. Not dwelling on the matter, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and exined, "I am guessing that the ancient domain might be located at the crux of where the energy is being released from in theva. Thus, I intend to head in to take a look." "The crux of where the energy is being released from?" The crowd frowned. "Considering the rampaging energies that are bound to be at the crux, even if there is a formation or folded space there, it would have been destroyed long ago. How could the ancient domain possibly be constructed there?" Guild Leader Han remarked. He had taken that point into his analysis as well, and it was also the first possibility that he had eliminated. The energies that had umted in theva were so great that should an explosion ur, everything within a radius of a thousand kilometers would be reduced to ashes. Under the constant assault of such a powerful force, even the stablest of folded spaces or formations would have been destroyed long ago! "I cant deny that, but the very energy that could be used to destroy the formation could also be used to sustain it! There are strengths and weaknesses to it, and with our limited understanding of formations, there is no way we can make a conclusive judgement on the matter. The only way to find out is to head down ourselves," Zhang Xuan replied with a wave of his hand. "This..." Guild Leader Hans mouth opened to refute Zhang Xuans words, but to his surprise, he found that the other partys words were logical as well. As the saying goes, water can float a boat or sink it. A powerful might could destroy the formation, but if a formation master could tap into it well, it could also be a powerful source of energy that further reinforced the might of the formation. Of course, that would be a matter for higher ranked formation masters to frustrate over. With their current level of proficiency, it was still too far away for them. "Alright, I will be going in to take a look!" After exining the matter, Zhang Xuan beckoned the Golden Origin Cauldron over and leaped into its body. With the massive size of the Golden Origin Cauldron, it could easily house three to four people in it without trouble. Thus, Zhang Xuan could hide within it while exploring the depths of theva. Zhang Xuan did consider sending the Golden Origin Cauldron alonethat would have been much safer for himbut considering the unreliable nature of the cauldron, it was questionable whether it would be able to provide him with any useful information or not. Thus, he decided to make the trip down personally. Seeing Zhang Xuan leap into the cauldron, Luo Ruoxin couldnt help but exim worriedly, "Be careful!" "Un." Zhang Xuan shed Luo Ruoxin a smile before fully entering the Golden Origin Cauldron. "Here I go!" With an excited exmation, the Golden Origin Cauldron began charging toward the area where the energies in theva were originating from. The previous st of energy had just urred a moment ago, and judging from the past urrences, there would be a ten minutes interval before the next one. He could make use of this interval to dive in. Otherwise, if they were caught in the explosion, it was questionable if the Golden Origin Cauldron would be able to take the impact. Gugugugu! As soon as the massive cauldron descended into theva, bubbles began popping up at the surface. Seated within the cauldron, Zhang Xuan felt heat assaulting him from all directions. The Golden Origin Cauldron was a weapon cauldron, specially forged to retain heat so that it could melt even the most durable of metals. Given so, it was inevitable that heat would seep into the cauldron from the surroundings. While Zhang Xuan wouldnte into direct contact with theva by hiding within the Golden Origin Cauldron, given the sealed environment that he was in, the heat he would have to endure was nowhere beneath the heat outside. Zhang Xuan began driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, and the heat assaulting him alleviated significantly. A momentter, he stood up and said, "Ding Ding, stop!" "Here?" The Golden Origin Cauldron was taken aback. They had barely entered theva, not having even ventured ten meters deep. To stop at this point... why? "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "There is no need to go too deep... Wait here for me!" After saying those words, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul from his be and slipped into theva. While the Golden Origin Cauldron had raised its cultivation significantly, its limit was unlikely to be much more than forty meters. Furthermore, it was also doubtful if he would be able to tolerate the heat while hiding within the Golden Origin Cauldron if they were to venture too deep. In truth, the reason he had gotten the Golden Origin Cauldron to enter theva with him was to protect his physical body. His true goal was to venture in theva with his soul! Due to the intangible nature of souls, while his soul would still be affected by the immense heat of theva, the extent to which he was affected was significantly lower aspared to that of his physical body. Furthermore, he could also move freely around the area without being affected by the crushing pressure of theva, allowing him to dive deeper and possibly uncover more secrets. Indeed, it is as I expected! By entering theva, not only is my soul undamaged by the heat, I can even absorb the surrounding energy to strengthen it! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. As his soul was cultivated through the Heavens Path Soul Art, he didnt suffer from Searing Yang Decline like other souls would, making him near impervious to heat. Had it been any other soul oracle, putting aside entering theva, their soul would have already dissipated into nothingness just from the heat inside the cauldron! This heat is ideal for refining weapons and ridding the impurities within. Could it be used to temper my soul too? While a soul was intangible, just like Primordial Spirits, they were very much existent in this world. Since this heat could refine weapons, perhaps it could refine a soul as well? I should give it a try. Thus, leaving his soul floating freely in theva, he began absorbing the heat from the surroundings slowly. Tzzzzzzz! A searing surge of energy began gushing into Zhang Xuans soul. Under the tempering of the intense heat, his soul began to growing stronger and stronger. Just like he had imagined, the impurities contained within his soul was also being expelled continuously. As I expected, it works! He had been thinking that his soul was a little too bloated all along, making it a little troublesome for him to squeeze into his body. He had been wanting to refine it for a while now, but he hadnt been able to find a way to do so. The immense heat within theva happened to be an ideal opportunity for him to do so. However, this isnt the time for me to cultivate yet. While my soul might be unaffected by the burst of energies that ur once every ten minutes, the same cannot be said about the Golden Origin Cauldron. There is a chance that it could be sted away by the sheer might of it, and that will pose significant trouble to me. Even though Zhang Xuan wanted to cultivate and temper his soul, he knew that this wasnt the right time for him to do so. Thus, he stopped what he was doing and began diving further into theva. The most important thing for him to do at the moment was find the entrance to the ancient domain. As for cultivation, he would have plenty of opportunities to do soter on. Just as Wu shi had said, the temperature grew higher and higher the further he ventured downward. Every ten meters he descended, the heat in the surroundings intensified significantly. ording to my calctions, the limit for Saint 1-dan cultivators is ten meters, the limit for Saint 2-dan cultivators is twenty meters, so on and so forth. As a Saint 4-dan expert, the limit for Wu shi is forty meters. Anything further is beyond his scope of abilities! Zhang Xuans soul ventured downward swiftly. In just a few breaths, he had already reached the forty-meter mark. Upon sensing the change in the temperature at this boundary, he came up with a deduction. The forty-meter mark sure is warm. Even in my soul state, it is still a little hard to bear. The previous thirty meters had not posed much of a threat to his soul, but as soon as he reached the forty-meter mark, the heat around him suddenly intensified greatly. The relentless assault of zing heat was difficult for even his soul to withstand. Continue on! Driving his Heavens Path Soul Art to alleviate the heat, Zhang Xuan broke the forty-meter mark and continued diving deeper. As soon as he treaded beyond the forty-meter mark, he suddenly felt as if he had been thrown into a pot of oil. Despite the superior durability of his soul, it still began distorting out of shape under the assault of the overwhelming heat, seemingly ready to dissipate very soon. Zhang Xuans face darkened. This isnt working. This is a region that only Leaving Aperture realm experts are able to enter. Even in my soul form, I am already at my limit. He had been thinking of venturing deeper in theva by utilizing the inherent advantage of his souls resistance to heat. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like he had underestimated how hot theva was. Considering how even a Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm master teacher had nearly sumbed at the forty-meter mark, it was already rather incredible that his Transcendent Mortal 9-dan soul coulde this far as well. Enduring the pain, Zhang Xuan tried to trudge on forcefully, but upon crossing the fifty-meter mark, he felt that his soul was starting to dissipate. He was at his limit. An increase in temperature signified an increase in the activity of a material at its fundamental level, thus making its existing structure unstable. This was simr to how solid weapons melted into metallic fluids under intense heat. Souls couldnt exactly be considered a material, but when the temperature grew too high, even space itself would be unstable, let alone a mere soul. rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly retreated back to the fifty-meter mark, and only then did he finally feel the dissipation of his soul stopping. At this point, he couldnt help but frown in distress. I have already reached the fifty-meter mark, but the ancient domain is still nowhere to be seen. Could it be that my deduction is wrong and it is not located here? He hade this far, but there was nothing to be seen. The only thing that was notable was the progressively increasing temperature. Just as Wo Tianqiong had said earlier, he was probablying close to the Earth Core Lava. At a ce as warm as that, even formation gs would melt and folded spaces would copse. Could he really have been wrong? While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of contemting, a rumbling suddenly echoed from beneath like a huge machineing into life. With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan saw an immense energy sting straight in his direction. Sugar! Why did the energies burst prematurely this time around? This is bad, really bad... Chapter 1032: Great Heaven Reversal Formation Chapter 1032: Great Heaven Reversal Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That force was powerful and ferocious. Reminiscent of a rampaging tsunami, before Zhang Xuan could do anything, it was already right before him. He hurriedly turned around to flee, but right when he was about to do so, the ferocious energy tore a line right through theva, and at the very end, rows after rows of buildings came into sight. In that moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was seeing a mirage. It is indeed below theva. Barely after this thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, he felt an overwhelming force crushing down on him. Unable to withstand it, he ended up tumbling his way up. Hong long! Following which, he saw the Golden Origin Cauldron, swept by the immense force, sting forcefully out of theva, striking heavily onto the seal. A resounding chime reverberated in the air. It was fortunate that the fellow had advanced to Saint intermediate-tier earlier, and he had released the umted energies beforehand. Otherwise, this single strike could have killed both the Golden Origin Cauldron and his body within. "Principal Zhang!" "Zhang shi!" "Senior Uncle!" Seeing the Golden Origin Cauldron being knocked out by the violent spurt ofva, the crowd that had been waiting outside for Zhang Xuan leaped in shock. They hurriedly rushed toward the Golden Origin Cauldron to check on their condition. This is bad! Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in rm. Only his physical body was in the cauldron at the moment. If he attempted to return under such conditions, the master teachers, with their superior eyes of discernment, would surely notice that he was a soul oracle. Once that happened, he would be in deep trouble! If it was discovered that the esteemed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy practiced the arts of the heinous soul oracles, how would others view him? But if his soul didnt return to his body, his body would remain cold and lifeless, no different from a corpse. If those fellows thought that he had died and attempt to cremate him... it would be toote for tears then! To make matters worse, his body possessed the ability of Mind of Void. It would react instinctively before danger, so if any of them tried to cremate him, his body would immediately move to stop them. If his body were to end up killing a couple of them in that state... Zhang Xuans head was already hurting just from thinking of it. Anxious, he was considering if he should just try his luck and charge out of theva. Perhaps, he might be able to return to his body before anyone noticed him. However, in the end, he changed his mind and sent a telepathic message to the Golden Origin Cauldron instead. Wu shi and Guild Leader Han were Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm experts. With a sweep of their Spiritual Perception, they would immediately notice the peculiar nature of his soul. Given so, the best and safest solution at hand was to have the Golden Origin Cauldron return to theva. "Ding Ding,e back!" "No way, its too dangerous down there..." The Golden Origin Cauldron shivered in fear. You must be joking! Just staying down there for a few minutes nearly made my magnificent body shatter into bits. There is no way I am going to be so foolish as to go down once more tomit suicide. On the other hand, seeing how a weapon cauldron was actually so fearful of death, Zhang Xuan felt so enraged that his lungs could burst from sheer fury. What the heck is this? There are so many humans here who dont fear death, and yet, a Saint artifact like you ended up being the one who treats your life most precious. Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. "As long as youe here, I will find a way to raise your cultivation to Leaving Aperture realm!" Left with no choice, Zhang Xuan could only attempt to lure it in with benefits. While the Golden Origin Cauldron was fearful of death, it did have unquestionable loyalty to him. At times like this, if he could blind its fear with greed, it would be willing to do as he said. "Leaving Aperture realm? Really?" The Golden Origin Cauldron leaped up in excitement. There was a significant difference between the Leaving Aperture realm of Saint-tier artifacts and that of humans. While humans gained the ability to draw out their Primordial Spirit and exert overwhelming might, Saint-tier artifacts would have their spirits refined to a levelparable to Primordial Spirits. While its spirit would still be unable to leave its body and travel freely, it would gain the ability to control its form and sprout arms and legs. Well, the sight of it was indeed rather bizarre and hideous, but nevertheless, it was a huge evolution for Saint-tier artifacts, a step toward them bing independent beings. "Dont worry, I always mean what I say!" Zhang Xuan said. Raising the cultivation of a Saint-tier artifact wasnt easy, but it wasnt entirely impossible. He still had the ck Goldcrystal Ore that he had obtained from the treasure left behind by Wu Yangzi. As long as he could fuse it into the Golden Origin Cauldrons body, he should be able to raise its cultivation further. However, there were great difficulties in doing so as well. He would have to melt the ck Goldcrystal Ore entirely in order to fuse it perfectly with the Golden Origin Cauldron, but ordinary earth mes werent capable of doing so. It was unknown if even theva deeper beneath would be sufficient to do the job. "Alright then!" Receiving Zhang Xuans word, the Golden Origin Cauldron dived back into theva with a piercing shrill before the other master teachers could surround it. "This..." Seeing how the Golden Origin Cauldron was moving around boisterously, charging back into theva right after being sted out of it a moment ago, they couldnt help but fall into a daze. Putong! After the Golden Origin Cauldron entered theva, Zhang Xuan hurriedly slipped back into his body before flying out of the cauldron to appear before everyone else. "Zhang shi, are you fine?" the crowd asked worriedly. "Im alright!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "When venturing below earlier, I saw quite a few buildings below. If I am not mistaken, the ancient domain is really right beneath there!" "How deep is it?" Wu shi asked. "This..." After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan replied, "I am not too sure, but I estimate it to be around a hundred meters deep!" Even though he had only caught a glimpse of it, it wasnt too difficult for him to estimate a distance with his sharp eye of discernment. "A hundred meters?" The faces of the crowd warped in horror. Wu shi had nearly died from trying to dive forty meters deep; a hundred meters was clearly an impossible mission for them! If that was where the ancient domain truly was, then it made no difference to them at all, since there was no way they were going to be able to ess it. "Do you have any idea how we can reach it?" Wu shi asked Guild Leader Han, only to see thetter shaking his head with a bitter smile. Even he had no way of venturing a hundred meters deep into the ancient domain. At this moment, Zhang Xuan spoke hesitantly. "I do have an idea in mind..." "Oh?" Many pairs of eyes immediately gathered on him. "Thatva spurt earlier is extremely powerful. At its full force, it is capable of parting theva, creating a temporary passageway that we can pass through. That was also how I managed to see the buildings below as well. We could make use of this passageway to slip into the ancient domain!" Zhang Xuan said. The passageway only opened up for a brief moment, but as long as they made ample preparations beforehand and charged in swiftly, it was entirely possible for them to pass through it! "It is not a bad idea, but... I fear that it might be unfeasible!" "Indeed! Just think of how powerful theva spurt was; even the Golden Origin Cauldron was knocked out of it. To attempt to travel against that overwhelming force... that is an impossible feat!" Guild Leader Han and Wu shi nced at one another and shook their heads. The idea was not bad, possibly the best one they had so far, but it was a pity that it couldnt possibly be executed. In the face of the powerful surge of energies from beneath, they would already be considered lucky if they werent torn to shreds from facing it head on. To attempt to travel a distance of a hundred meters against it... that was clearly an impossible feat. Taking a step back, even if it was possible, it was likely to take up considerable time. If theva were to cave in on them while they were in the midst of traveling downwards, they would, without the slightest doubt, die there and then. "You are right in saying that traveling against that burst of energies is nearly impossible... However, what if we were to follow the burst of energies instead?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Follow the burst of energies?" The crowd couldntprehend what Zhang Xuan was driving at. That burst of energies originated from the depths of theva, and it was headed up toward the seal. How were they supposed to follow the burst of energies down when they were traveling in the opposite direction? Abruptlying to a realization, Guild Leader Han asked, "Does Principal Zhang mean to gather the energy from the burst of energies through a unique formation and rebound it downward?" "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded. Guild Leader Han frowned. "But... that poses its dangers as well. Given how powerful that burst of energies is, if we fail to gather it well, it could very well result in a devastating explosion." "Gather the energy from the burst of powers through a unique formation?" "Rebound it downward?" Hearing the conversation between the two, the crowd finally understood what was going on, and grim expressions surfaced on their faces. They had witnessed the might of the burst of energies from theva with their own eyes; it was overwhelmingly powerful. To gather it together and redirect it downward into theva... it would be fine if they seeded, but if they failed, considering the vtility of the energies contained within the burst, it could very well lead to a devastating explosion that would kill them on the spot. "Do you have any other ideas then?" Zhang Xuan asked. "I..." Guild Leader Han froze. Considering that theva was at least a hundred meters deep, there was indeed no easy way they could bypass it. The idea proposed by Principal Zhang could very well be the best one they had. "The seal has already closed, so we cant back out anymore. If we fail to enter the ancient domain, death is the only possible oue. Since we are already cornered as it is, why dont we take a gamble?" Zhang Xuan said. The crowd nodded in agreement. There were no other alternatives; they could only give it a try. They wouldntst long if they didnt do anything. "What do we do then?" Having joined the expedition knowing that they might very well face death, it didnt take long for the group to make up their minds after some discussion. They hurriedly turned their gazes toward Zhang Xuan for instructions. "Simple. Firstly, I need all of the grade-7 formation gs that you have. After that, pay close attention to mymands and move when I tell you to. We will be entering the Golden Origin Cauldron and charging through theva pool in it," Zhang Xuan said. As a Saint-tier artifact, the Golden Origin Cauldron was capable of expanding its size to a certain limit. At itsrgest, it could easily house thirty men without its insides getting too cramped. Considering how there was a significant disparity in the flying speed of the expedition members, it would be best for all of them to advance together within the Golden Origin Cauldron instead. Firstly, it would be safer. Secondly, they would be able to travel faster this way as well. "Alright!" Hearing the arrangements, everyone nodded in agreement. There were quite a few grade-7 formation gs among the expedition members, especially with Guild Leader Han. All in all, Zhang Xuan gathered roughly five hundred formation gs, and he couldnt help but nod in satisfaction. It would probably be enough with so many of them. The most important matter at hand was to find out how he could set up a formation that was capable of gathering and harnessing rampaging energies within it. Considering the strength of the rampaging energies, the grade of the formation could not be too low. To be safe, the minimum requirement for it was grade-7 pinnacle. "Guild Leader Han, you are the head of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Formation Master Guild. Do you happen to have any formation books and blueprints on you?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Formation books and blueprints? I do have quite a few of them." Guild Leader Han couldnt help but be taken aback by Zhang Xuans request. They were already going to set up the formation, so why was the other party suddenly asking him for books at this moment? "I need to borrow them for a moment." Then, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said, "If anyone else has any books regarding formation, pass them over to me as well. The formation that I am going to set upter will determine our life and death, so I dare not take it lightly. Thus, I hope to do somest-minute reading in hopes of heightening the chances of sess!" "Alright!" Knowing the importance of the matter, the other master teachers hurriedly took out all of the books regarding formations that they had on them and passed them over. As expected of the head of a Formation Master Guild, Han Xu did have a lot of books on him. Just the number of 7-star formation master books that he alone possessed was more than several thousand. Paired with those from the others, there were around ten thousand of them in total. Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned through the books with his eyes, collecting them into the Library of Heavens Path andpiling them to form a Heavens Path Formation Art. While his consciousness was immersed within the Library of Heavens Path, trying to take in the vast knowledge contained in the 7-star Heavens Path Formation Art, his body was flipping through those books one after another, acting as if he was studying them carefully. Two hourster, he had finally seeded in internalizing the 7-star Heavens Path Formation Art. "Alright, I am done studying. You can take back your books now!" Zhang Xuan said. After which, he closed his eyes and began making calctions. Very soon, a formation surfaced in his mind. Having studied the 7-star Heavens Path Formation Art, it went without saying that hisprehension of formations had reached the level of 7-star pinnacle, perhaps even being on par with some 8-star primary stage formation masters. With his current proficiency in formations, it wasnt too difficult for him to identify a fitting formation for the geographical terrain he was in. The best formation to use in this situation is the grade-7 pinnacle Great Heaven Reversal Formation. However... Zhang Xuan frowned. The formation is highly demanding on ones soul. I am unable to set it up with my current strength. Based on his calctions, the current problem that they were facing could be perfectly resolved by setting up a Great Heaven Reversal Formation. However, there was an issue with that. Due to theplexity of the formation, the soul of the formation master had to have reached a certain level before they could set it up. However, his soul cultivation was only at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan at the moment, a long way off from being able to set up the formation. I wont be able to set up the formation, unless... I can advance my soul cultivation further. Chapter 1033: The Appearance of the Ancient Domain Chapter 1033: The Appearance of the Ancient Domain Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 His soul cultivation was only at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan at the moment. Being a soul oracle, his soul was indeed significantly stronger than most Saint realm cultivators, but it was still far too weak from being able to set up the Great Heaven Reversal Formation. As a grade-7 pinnacle formation, it was designed with the capabilities of a Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm expert in mind. While Zhang Xuans soul possessed simr capabilities with a Primordial Spirit, it was a pity that his soul was still too weak at the moment. Unless... he could raise the cultivation of his soul! Of course, there was Guild Leader Han around, and there was no doubt that he did possess a sufficiently strong soul to set up the Great Heaven Reversal Formation. However, the situation was a little different here. The formation gs had to be nted near theva, but this meant that the formation gs would be at risk of melting. As such, the formation had to be set up swiftly just a few moments before the burst of energies. On top of that, the activation of the formation also had to be spot-on, with only just a single second of error allowed. These two feats were something that Guild Leader Han was incapable of. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan would only have perfect control over the formation if he were to set it up himself. If the slightest error urred, the burst of energies could end up missing the ancient domain, thus causing his efforts to end in vain. Perhaps, they might even lose their lives due to it. Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd and said, "I have already thought of how it could be set up, but I need to make some preparations. I will be entering theva with Ding Ding to calcte the positioning of the gs. I might end up staying down there for quite some time, but I wont be in any danger, so theres no need to worry!" He was intending to enter theva to cultivate his soul, so it was likely that it would take a fair bit of time. Thus, there was a need for him to inform them in advance lest they dive down to look for him out of worry. That could end up being troublesome for him. The crowd nodded. After some discussion, Zhang Xuans body entered the Golden Origin Cauldron once more, and thetter plopped forcefully into theva. The area that was chosen this time around was some distance away from the area where the burst of energies was triggered, so they wouldnt be in any danger. Just like the before, the Golden Origin Cauldron stopped at around the ten-meter mark to hide from the Spiritual Perception of others. Right after all preparations were done, he was just about to draw out his soul when a thought shed across his mind. Hu! An identical figure appeared in the cauldron. His clone! This ce had the unique ability of refining ones soul, so it was a good opportunity to his clone to raise his strength as well. Aftermunicating for a bit, the clone also learned about the current situation, and his eyes lit up in excitement. Hu! His clone drew out his soul as well and said, "I will be going down to take a look!" After saying those words, he dived down into theva right away. Seeing how swiftly that fellow ran away, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He quickly dived down into theva with his soul as well. With his previous experience, he headed all the way down. Twenty meters, thirty meters, forty meters... In the blink of an eye, he reached the fifty-meter mark. The higher the temperature, the greater the refining effect on ones soul. While the heat was rather unbearable for his soul at the fifty-meter mark, it allowed his soul to grow at the fastest rate possible as well. Wheres my clone? Coming to a halt, Zhang Xuan was just about to begin cultivating when he suddenly realized that the fellow who had left ahead of him was nowhere to be seen. He quickly took a look around him, and only then did he realize that the other party had dived right down to the sixty-meter mark and was currently cultivating with his eyes tightly shut. The searing heat in the surroundings flowed into the other partys soul, refining it further, resulting in his aura growing stronger and stronger. He was actually able to reach the sixty-meter mark? Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. The soul of his clone hade from the same source as him. Despite using his full strength, he was only barely able to reach the fifty-meter marks. On the other hand, his clone was actually able to reach sixty meters. Treating Wei Ruyan has depleted a fair portion of my soul essence, and the deposition of a fragment of my soul into the Mausoleum Tablet resulted in significant depletion as well. That fellow has been a little stronger than me from the start, and those incidents have only served to widen the gap between us. Soon, Zhang Xuan managed to make sense out of the situation, and he couldnt help but sigh gloomily. While he had recovered from those depletions eventually, his soul didnt manage to return to the wholesome state it had been before. It was due to this that his clones soul was able to progress way further than him. Staring at his clone, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders. No, this wont do. I have to hurry up and cultivate. Otherwise, how embarrassing it will be if I cant even match up to my clone? While the others were busy dominating their clones, he was being dominated by his clone. This was uneptable! Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on driving his Heavens Path Soul Art, and the heat from the surroundings began to flow into his body. The searing heat gradually tempered his slowly dissipating soul, making it more condensed and powerful. Gugugu! Previously, in the Subterranean Gallery, Zhang Xuan had already gathered the soul cultivation techniques of many Otherworldly Demons topile the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Heavens Path Soul Art, allowing his soul energy to reach 34,000,000 ding. Under the refinement of the intense heat, his soul, which wasrger than ten meters, was gradually beingpressed, but the might it wielded was rising swiftly. 35,000,000 ding! 36,000,000 ding! 37,000,000 ding! ... As time passed, the rate at which his strength rose increased faster and faster, and his aura was growing more powerful and heavier as well. Kacha! After some period of time, his soul finally broke through its limit and advanced from Transcendent Mortal 9-dan to Half-Saint. I made a breakthrough? Zhang Xuan was astonished. As he hadntpiled the Half-Saint Heavens Path Soul Art yet, he had thought that it should be impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough. Yet, who would have thought that he would be able to do it through the sheer heat of theva? It seemed like gauging the strength of a soul by its size wasnt the way to go. What was more important was to refine it. The higher the purity of ones soul, the more nimble and powerful it would be. In a sense, this was simr to zhenqi as well. After achieving a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan felt refreshed. Lowering his head to take a look, he noticed that his clone had already achieved a breakthrough. Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like the other party had even reached Half-Saint intermediate stage. Humph! Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan began flying over to the sixty-meter mark. Previously, when he attempted to head toward the sixty-meter mark, he had felt a powerful strain on his soul, as if it would be torn apart at any moment. However, with the refinement of his soul, his soul had be far more durable than before, allowing it to withstand the intense heat easily. Continue! Knowing that the only way he could catch up with his clone was to be strict with himself, Zhang Xuan didnt stop at just the sixty-meter mark. Instead, he proceeded on to the seventy-meter mark. Upon reaching the seventy-meter mark, he felt his soul quivering once more as a powerful force threatened to rip his soul apart. Not daring to advance any further, Zhang Xuan sat down and continued refining his soul. With the enhanced rate of refinement due to the stronger heat from the surroundings, Zhang Xuan was growing stronger at a rapid rate. At the same time, his soul managed topress down to ten meters. If I canpress my soul below ten meters, my strength will surely be enhanced significantly. The ten-meter mark was a significant demarcation point for a soul. Back then, he had identally crushed the Huanyu Empires Cleansing Lake in an attempt to break through that bottleneck. If he could use the heat topress his soul below ten meters at this point, not only would it be easier for him to slip back into his body, his strength would also be boosted significantly. As the searing heat circted through his soul to refine it, Zhang Xuan felt as if someone had ced him amid the inferno of hell. The excruciating pain that he was suffering at the moment was so unbearable that he felt as if he could pass out at any moment. However, clenching his jaws, he forced himself to hold on. Some timeter, a loud buzz sounded from his soul. His soul had beenpressed back below ten meters, and his cultivation had also reached Half-Saint intermediate stage. I seeded! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He instinctively turned his gaze upward to take a look, but he realized that his clone wasnt there. Thus, he turned his gaze downward, and he realized that the other party, at some point, had overtaken him and arrived at the eighty-meter mark. The other partys eyes were closed, deep in cultivation. The size of his soul was only at nine meters, an indication that he had reached Half-Saint advanced stage. That fellow... Not expect his clone to be even faster than him, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a little anxious. He hurriedly dived further down as well. Havingpressed his soul back within the ten-meter mark, he was able to pass through the eighty-meter mark without any trouble. Advancing ahead, Zhang Xuan went straight to the ny-meter mark before he stopped to cultivate. This time, the rate at which his soul was being refined was extremely fast. Within just ten minutes, his soul had already beenpressed down to nine meters as well. Knowing that his clone was bound to be faster than him, Zhang Xuan didnt bother sneaking the other party a nce anymore. Instead, he chose to focus all of his attention on his cultivation and continued on. Twenty minutester, his soul reached eight meters, and his soul cultivation also reached Half-Saint pinnacle, ready to achieve a breakthrough at any moment. At his current level, the heat at the ny-meter mark was no longer sufficient for him. Thus, he dived further down, and as he had expected, his clone was already at the hundred-meter mark. At this moment, the other partys cultivation was also at the same level as his, Half-Saint pinnacle. However, instead of cultivating, the other party was gazing downward, seemingly assessing something. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan headed up to his clones side and looked down as well. What he saw left him slightly stunned. There was nova beneath the hundred-meter mark. Instead, there was a massive barrier with innumerable buildings constructed within it, simr to what Zhang Xuan had seen earlier. Is this the ancient domain? It is indeed below theva! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He had only gotten a glimpse of it earlier, so he had not been able to confirm whether what he had seen was only a mirage or not. However, with this, the doubts that he had been harboring before had finally been entirely dispelled. The ancient domain they were looking for was indeed at the bottom of theva. But... given how deeply hidden this ce was, how in the world did the old principal and the others manage to get in back then? Zhang Xuan touched the barrier, and it felt extremely sturdy, just like the white mist barrier of the seal above. In its unopened state, it was impossible for him to break through it. Floating along the seal, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up in rm. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Within the seal, there were several Otherworldly Demons that were advancing alongside the buildings. Naturally, they were unable to sense the two souls spying on them from beyond the barrier. These Otherworldly Demons each possessed a cultivation of Saint 1-dan, and the killing intent that they exuded was strong enough to leave any man petrified in fear. What are they up to? Zhang Xuan frowned. In order to reach the bottom of theva, their group had to go through so much trouble, constructing the Great Heaven Reversal Formation to redirect the force of the burst of energies back downwards, in order to pass through theva. Yet, this bunch of Saint 1-dan Otherworldly Demons had actually been able to enter the ancient domain? How? And what were they up to? After making a few turns, the Otherworldly Demons soon arrived at a rtively small square in the midst of all of the buildings. At the center of the square was a square altar with a massive closed door on top. There was an exceptionally sturdy seal, driven by some kind of power, cast over the entire structure. Dozens of Otherworldly Demons were scattered around the structure, attempting to break open the seal. Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the door at the center, and he immediately felt a devastatingly powerful heat being emanated from the depths of the door. Even in his current state, he could very well be reduced to cinders if he were to attempt to go close to it. What pure energy! Could it be that theva in the surroundings was caused by the heat emanated from the door? Due to the extraordinary heat of theva, their group had been thinking that theva was linked straight to an earth core, where the Earth Core Lava could be found. However, from the looks of it, their deduction was wrong. Most likely, the hundred meters ofva was likely the product of that door! Hula! While Zhang Xuan was still taken aback by this shocking discovery, a towering Otherworldly Demon that possessed an astounding cultivation of Saint 4-dan suddenly walked into the square. At hismand, the surrounding Otherworldly Demons roared furiously and beganunching a powerful wave of attacks on the seal. Hong long! A brilliant glow shone from the door, and a powerful burst of energies sted up. At the same time, the seal grew slightly thinner. That burst of energies... Zhang Xuans face darkened. That was the very same burst of energies that had left them deeply troubled but they were nning to make use of! Chapter 1034: Crushed to Death Chapter 1034: Crushed to Death Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To think that the devastating might that threatened to decimate everything within a radius of thousand kilometers would have originated from there! Who would have thought that it was a result of the Otherworldly Demons attempt to break the seal? It was no wonder the burst of energies abruptly started acting up a few days ago. Most likely, those fellows had been trying to break the seal since then. He recalled what he had heard from Mu shi and Wu shi, about how a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan master teacher keeping watch over the area noticed an Otherworldly Demon loitering around the seal. That matter had left Zhang Xuan perplexed for some time, but upon seeing this sight, everything suddenly came together like pieces of a puzzle. Most likely, the Otherworldly Demons knew that their attempts to break the seal would result in the umtion of energies within the area, and naturally, if an explosion were to ur as a result of it, they would be the first ones to be annihted, standing at the very center of the st. Thus, they intentionally let out news to the local Master Teacher Pavilion regarding their activities in the area before continuing their attacks. Naturally, when the local Master Teacher Pavilion learned about the problems urring with the seal, they would have no choice but to step in and intervene. While their efforts did save countless lives living in the area, it would be doing the Otherworldly Demons a huge favor as well. This also exined why the interval between each burst of energies was irregr as well. To break the seal, the Otherworldly Demons wereunching their attacks in waves, taking a short breather in between so as to recover their strength. Naturally, the short breather that they took couldnt possibly be exactly the same each time around. If thats the case, it means that the Otherworldly Demons have a way to effectivelymunicate with their fellow brethren remotely, Zhang Xuan analyzed grimly. If that was truly the case, their expedition to the ancient domain would be more dangerous than ever. The Otherworldly Demons that were attempting to enter the ancient domain at the moment might have been able to liaise with those who had entered two years ago, along with the old principal. That would mean that the other partymanded greater intelligence regarding the ancient domain than their expedition team. After taking a look, Zhang Xuan finally understood what was going on, and a bitter smile surfaced on his lips. If the Otherworldly Demons hadnt attacked the seal, the heat emanated by the door would have gradually umted, and eventually, it would have grown too powerful and induced an energy storm that would part theva above it, creating a natural passageway straight into the ancient domain. It is likely that the old principal made use of this energy storm to enter the ancient domain. In the end, the reason they werent unable to find the ancient domain wasnt because they had found the wrong ce but due to his formation g releasing all of the energies umted within the seal! If he hadnt made a move a few days ago, the Otherworldly Demons might very well have stopped their attacks due to fears that they would die from the explosion. When the seal eventually opened, they would have been able to enter the ancient domain with ease through the energy storm. They would have been spared a great deal of trouble. What the heck was with that! Forget it, I should return to set up the formation now. Having made sense out of what was happening, there was no point in Zhang Xuan remaining there. Thus, he beckoned to his clone before diving back up to where the Golden Origin Cauldron was. It had been roughly been four hours since he had entered theva to cultivate, and the others were likely worried sick about him by now. This time, his clone was extremely obedient, not causing any trouble at all. After returning his clone to the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan had the Golden Origin Cauldron surface. Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, the master teachers andbat masters outside were indeed very worried about him. His emergence from theva left all of them heaving huge sighs of relief simultaneously. Zhang Xuan scanned the crowd and said, "I am finally done scanning the geographical terrain below, so it is time to start setting up the formation. Everyone, prepare yourselves! Enter Ding Ding and await mymand. Once we seed, we will set forth immediately!" Knowing how important the matter was, the crowd nodded grimly. "Alright!" Hu! With a loud bellow, the Golden Origin Cauldron expanded itself to tenfold its previous size, around twenty meters wide. The crowd hurriedly got within it. Instead of entering the Golden Origin Cauldron like the others, Luo Ruoxin headed toward Zhang Xuan and said, "I wont be going in; I will apany you outside." "It will be safer for you to get into Ding Ding. I fear that you might meet with danger following behind me." Zhang Xuan frowned. If something happened, at least the Golden Origin Cauldron could bear the brunt of the blow. If Luo Ruoxin remained outside, she would be potentially exposing herself to grave danger. Furthermore, if she couldnt keep up with the group and theva caved in on her... "Dont worry, I still have a couple of life preservation means up my sleeves," Luo Ruoxin said with a light smile. "... Alright then." Seeing how confident Luo Ruoxin was and recalling how she could very well be an offspring of the Luo n, one of the Sage ns, Zhang Xuan relented. "Ding Ding, listen to mymand. When I order you to set forth, you are to move immediately. There mustnt be the slightest bit of hesitation from you!" Zhang Xuan turned around tomand the Golden Origin Cauldron before flying up to the area right above where the burst of energies was headed towards. It had already been around eight minutes since thest burst of energies, so the next one was due soon. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out more than a hundred formation gs, and they floated right before him. Activating his Eye of Insight, he stared intently at theva beneath him, waiting for the right moment to move. Boom! A momentter, theva beneath began to flurry. A sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he flicked his wrist, and the formation gs swiftly flew down into their respective positions. "Activate!" While standing in midair, Zhang Xuan stomped his feet, and powerful gusts of air spread into the surroundings like water ripples. Weng! A massive formation instantaneously came to life. Hu! The moment that the formation was activated, theva beneath finally couldnt house the burst of energies anymore. As if a scissors tearing across a piece of silk, a massive rip appeared in theva as the burst of energies headed right toward the massive formation. Hong long long! The instant that the burst of energies collided with the formation, it was absorbed and umted within the formation. The Great Heaven Reversal Formation, when used in battle, had the effect of blocking the opponents attack and returning it back at thetter. When utilized well, it could return the attack back at ones opponent without any loss of energy. In other words, on top of being a defensive formation, the Great Heaven Reversal Formation had offensive means as well. Of course, that was easier said than done, and the formation had its limits, too. For one, if the absorbed energy was beyond the durability of the formation, the person who set up the formation could very well suffer strong bacsh and possibly die on the spot. Seeing how the absorption of the power contained in the burst of energies hadnt resulted in the shattering of the Great Heaven Reversal Formation, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. In truth, he had not been too sure if the formation would be able to withstand the immense might contained in the burst of energies either. It was fortunate that he had learned the 7-star Heavens Path Formation Art earlier. Otherwise, even if it was Guild Leader Han setting up the Great Heaven Reversal Formation, the imperfections in setting it up could have resulted in the other partys formation being unable to withstand the violent burst of energies. Worried, the crowd in the Golden Origin Cauldron had been keeping an eye on the situation outside with their Spiritual Perception, and upon seeing this sight, Guild Leader Han couldnt help but narrow his eyes in shock. Principal Zhang sure has a deep understanding of formations! His initial n had been to have Zhang Xuan hide within the Golden Origin Cauldron while he set up the Great Heaven Reversal Formation. However, upon seeing this sight, he felt relieved that he had decided to go with Zhang Xuans call instead. If he had obstinately chosen to take on the task himself, not only would the expedition team have failed to get into the ancient domain, he could very well have died from the bacsh as well. Even though the Great Heaven Reversal Formation was a grade-7 pinnacle formation, the other party had managed to set it up so perfectly that it harnessed prowess on par with a grade-8 formation. There was not the slightest w that he could see in itnot only was it perfectly harmonized with his surroundings, it was even further reinforced by the heat of theva beneath, granting it unimaginable prowess. Amidst his shock, the burst of energies finally calmed down, and the formation was done charging up as well. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he flicked out a formation g, and he tossed it forward powerfully. Tzzzz! Just like how he dealt with the huge umtion of energies within the seal a few days ago, the formation g struck an opening of the Great Heaven Reversal Formation, and an inconceivably massive burst of might sted forth along the formation g. BOOM! Under the incredible might of the st, a huge opening was ripped through theva. " Go! " Knowing that this was their chance to head through, Zhang Xuan bellowed loudly, and the Golden Origin Cauldron hurriedly dashed into the opening. Zhang Xuan swiftly shot a nce at Luo Ruoxin before dashing into the opening as well. Knowing that the passageway through theva would only remain open for a brief moment before closing in on them, he executed the Heavens Path Movement Art and darted forth at the fastest speed possible. Over the past few months, he had been trying to merge the Heavens Path Movement Art together with the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, and just a few days ago, he had finally managed to do so perfectly. With the strengths of the two techniques merged together, Zhang Xuan was able to move as swift as a streak of lightning, allowing him to keep up even with the Saint 4-dan pinnacle Golden Origin Cauldron. Luo shi... Fearing that Luo Ruoxin might have been unable to catch up, Zhang Xuan turned around to take a look, only to see her only around three to four meters behind him. No matter how fast he traveled, the distance between them didnt seem to lengthen at all. As expected of an offspring of a Sage n, her speed sure is fearsome! Zhang Xuan nodded in awe. Honestly speaking, even up to this point, he was still unable to discern how powerful the youngdy behind him was. Nevertheless, considering how the other party was able to keep up with his Heavens Path Movement Artand judging from her leisurely look, it seemed like she wasnt anywhere close to exerting her full strength yetthere was no doubt that she was an expert. Boom! The Golden Origin Cauldron and Zhang Xuan passed through the hundred meters ofva in the blink of an eye. With a resounding crash, theynded in the ancient domain. "Everyone, hurry out! There are Otherworldly Demons in the area, so be careful!" Zhang Xuan roared deafeningly as he quickly took his stance in front of Luo Ruoxin. Based on what he had seen earlier, there were dozens of Otherworldly Demons in the area. While most of them were only at Saint 1-dan, there were quite a number of them around, so it was still imperative that they remained careful. If the Otherworldly Demons were to attempt tounch an assault on them at this moment, their unprepared expedition team could potentially suffer quite a few casualties. "Otherworldly Demons?" The crowd hurriedly flew out of the Golden Origin Cauldron and swiftly put up a defensive formation, assessing their surroundings warily. However, with a look, they couldnt help but fall into a daze. Wu shi looked at Zhang Xuan with a doubtful look on his face. "Principal Zhang, is this the ancient domain you spoke of? Shouldnt it be filled with buildings? Why is it... all rubble?" "Rubble?" Zhang Xuan was surprised by the question. He quickly took a look at his surroundings as well, and just as the other party had said, the exquisite buildings that he had seen just a moment ago had copsed into rubble. Huge puffs of white smoke were rising from them, indicating that they had just fallen a moment ago. "Could it be that... the Otherworldly Demons knew that we wereing, so they decisively chose to destroy the ancient domain in advance?" Zhang Xuan remarked. "Cough cough..." Seeing Zhang Xuans incensed look, Guild Leader Han said awkwardly, "They werent the ones who destroyed it. Rather... it seems like the impact of the rebounded burst of energies was too great, to the extent that it not only tore theva apart but jolted the ancient domain into the current state it is in as well." The rebounded st generated by the Great Heaven Reversal Formation was so great that it had ended up devastating the ancient domain as well. "I was the one who did it?" Zhang Xuans lips twitched in embarrassment. He had been praising his clone a moment ago for not causing any trouble this time around, but who would have thought that he would end up causing trouble instead? What the heck was this? "Right, where are the Otherworldly Demons? Did they flee?" Embarrassed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly changed the topic. Recalling those fellows that he had seen earlier, he quickly scanned his surroundings, but in that moment, a sheepish voice sounded in the air. "Master, I think that... I might have identally... crushed them." Chapter 1035: Cinque Sun Branch Chapter 1035: Cinque Sun Branch Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Crushed them?" Shocked, Zhang Xuan hurriedly looked beneath the Golden Origin Cauldron, and there, he saw a pile of ttened Otherworldly Demons. Most of them were at Saint 1-dan, but there was a slightlyrger figure who had reached Saint 4-dan. Nevertheless, unable to stand being crushed by the Golden Origin Cauldron, he was still reduced into meat paste. His entire body was stered strongly to the ground, unable to torn off it. Seeing that the Golden Origin Cauldron was still lyingfortably on a pile of carcasses, Zhang Xuanmanded impatiently, "Hurry up and move away!" "Yes!" The Golden Origin Cauldron hurriedly leaped away. Zhang Xuan began tabting the number of carcasses in the area, and it tallied with the number of Otherworldly Demons he had seen earlier in his soul form. Those fellows probably couldnt have imagined that the burst of energies would suddenly be rebounded on them, severely injuring them. After which, before they even attempted to escape, an enormous Golden Origin Cauldron fell upon them, crushing them to their deaths. In a sense, their deaths were quite tragic. Well, at least they died quickly, so they didnt suffer too much. Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. I was intending to capture one of them to find out how they managed to enter the ancient domain, and what that door over there is, but this... How am I to interrogate them now? Not only did the rebounded st from the formation destroy the entire ancient domain, the Golden Origin Cauldron had even crushed all of the Otherworldly Demons to death. Without any intelligence to work with, how were they supposed to advance? After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message into the Myriad Anthive Nest. "Violetleaf King, do you recognize this fellow?" The Violetleaf King swiftly swept the surroundings with his Spiritual Perception before responding. "Young Master, I am not too sure about those Saint 1-dan peons, but that Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon is one of the Upper Five Kings, the Fireleaf King!" "Fireleaf King?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. To think that the esteemed Fireleaf King of the Five Upper Kings would end up being crushed to death like cannon fodder, not even given the chance to speak a line at all. Wasnt this a little too pitiful for him? "Indeed. The Fireleaf King has the ability to control heat and mes. In an environment such as this, he would have been able to disy prowess far beyond that of a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert. How did you manage to kill him?" the Violetleaf King asked in surprise. The Upper Kings were not only strong, each of them also possessed their own unique secret art. For the young master to have killed one of them and yet be unaware of his identity... the Fireleaf King sure was pitiful. Thinking about it, it seemed like the young master had already defeated six of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage so far. He really was the nemesis of the Qingtian Emperor. "Ah, it was an ident..." Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Since the other party was already dead, there was no point thinking too much into it. With a grasp, Zhang Xuan took the storage rings of the Otherworldly Demons and scanned through their contents carefully. However, there was no useful information to be found. Thus, he turned to the crowd and said, "The buildings might have copsed, but there might still be useful items lying around. Lets trybing the area and see if we can find anything." While the ce had been mostly reduced to rubble, there were still some parts of it that were intact and discernible. If the old principal and the others had been here before, they might be able to find clues on them. "Un." The crowd nodded before scattering into the area. Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was standing still on the spot, Zhang Xuan turned to her curiously and asked, "You arent going to look around?" "If there is anything of use, the Otherworldly Demons will have long found and taken it!" Luo Ruoxin shook her head and said, "Since all of the Otherworldly Demons were gathered here when they were killed, there is no doubt that there is something amiss with the door. We might not have even entered the real ancient domain at all." "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback before nodding in awe. As expected of an expert from a Sage n, her eye of discernment was indeed extraordinary! If they were already in the ancient domain, the Otherworldly Demons wouldnt have been wasting their effort trying to destroy the seal on the door. Besides, even if there were some treasures of the ancient domain lying around the area, the Otherworldly Demons would have long swiped them clean and stored them in their storage rings. They couldnt possibly have left them behind for others to take. As expected, it didnt take long for the others to return empty-handed. Wu shi walked up and said, "The ancient domain is constructed within a cavern, and it is only roughly several hundred meters wide. We have searched around the area, but there is nothing at all. Should we try searching once more?" After four hours of recuperation, he had already recovered to his peak condition. He could easily get a clear picture of the entire ancient domain by scanning it with his Spiritual Perception, and if there was anything to be found, he would have surely found it regardless of whether it was hidden beneath the rubble or not. Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan said, "I see. There should be no need to search any further. If I am not mistaken, the secret should lie in this door over here!" Hearing those words, the crowd turned their attention toward the door. The door wasnt toorge, roughly five meters tall and wide. It was covered by a seal, and from time to time, it would emanate a fearsome heat, making it difficult for anyone to approach it. "Back when we charged through theva, I noticed that the Otherworldly Demons had been attacking the seal, seemingly trying to open it," Zhang Xuan exined. He couldnt say that he had seen it with his soul, so he could only justify it by saying that in such a way. "Attacking the seal?" Wu shi repeated with a frown. Raising his palm, he stepped forward and struck the seal. "Dont!" Noting Wu shis action, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt his hair stand on end. He hurriedly yelled for the other party to stop, but it was already toote. Thus, he could only quickly bellow, "Everyone, get back!" After saying those words, he anxiously retreated from the door. Noticing the peculiar state that Zhang Xuan was in, the crowd quickly backed away as well. Not longter, the seal emanated a brilliant light, and a powerful burst of energies sted upward, tearing through theyer ofva above them. However, not too longter, the powerful burst of energies abruptly returned, striking the area where they had been standing a moment before. The ttened carcasses lying on the ground were knocked into the air forcefully like rubber balls, and under the ravaging might of the burst of energies, their bodies were torn to shreds, inducing a rain of flesh and blood in the area. "This..." Upon seeing this sight, everyone couldnt help but wipe the cold sweat off their forehead. This was especially so for Wu shi. Had Principal Zhang not reacted swiftly and instructed the others to back away, the weaker members of their expedition could very well have suffered grievous wounds from the earlier shockwave. He had thought that it was just an ordinary seal, but who would have thought that it would induce such a powerful burst of energies? More importantly... there was still the Great Heaven Reversal Formation that Principal Zhang had set up previously. Any energy that they released from below would be returned back to them at full might. Just the thought of it was sufficient to send shudders down their spines. "Not only is the seal sturdy, we will even have a rebound from the burst of energies each time we attempt to attack it. How are we supposed to break the seal like that?" The crowd warily returned back to the door before staring at one another hesitantly, unsure of what they should do. There was nothing else in the area, and the only thing they had was the door. If the ce they were currently in wasnt the ancient domain, it was very likely that the door was the entrance to the ancient domain! But... given that they werent able to shake the seal in the slightest, how should they proceed? If they were to strike it, it would generate a burst of energies that would eventually rebound back onto them. In a sense, the current situation they were in was even harder to resolve than the one before. "Those Otherworldly Demons were here for some time, but they were still unable to find an alternative solution to the problem. It wont be easy for us to do so either." "Considering the rate at which the seal dissipates with each strike, it will at least take several days of effort to break it open." Just thinking how they would have to face a few days of rebounds from the burst of energies left the entire expedition team trembling in fear. After a moment of discussion, the expedition team was still unable to find a solution to the problem. Thus, Guild Leader Han turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Principal Zhang, do you have an idea in mind?" After everything that they had been through, everyone had deep respect and admiration for the young principal. Even Guild Leader Han had no choice but to admit that the other party was far more knowledgeable and wiser than him. Zhang Xuan frowned. "Allow me to contemte for a while." Under normal circumstances, as long as he could approach the door and touch the seal, he could resolve the problem easily. However... the heat that was emanating from the door was simply too great, such that he couldnt hope to get close to it with his current strength! The seal was currently inactive, and Wu shis earlier strike hadnt activated it either, only jolting it. As such, he was unable topile a book on it. At the same time, his Eye of Insight wasnt strong enough to see through the door either. Let me see if I can get close to the door. Clenching his jaws, Zhang Xuan tried to walk over. As long as he could do it, he would surely be able to find the ws of the seal through the Library of Heavens Path and resolve it. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi as he proceeded forward, Zhang Xuan still felt searing heat assaulting him relentlessly, causing sweat to rain down his forehead. Hu! Eventually, he came to a halt. Lifting his gaze, he found that he was still twenty meters away from reaching the door. There was no way he could touch it from that distance. Even though he had refined his soul earlier, it had done nothing to enhance his zhenqi and the resilience of his physical body, so his bodys ability to fend off heat was still the same as ever. My physical body is still a little too weak. If only I could cultivate it now and strengthen it. Zhang Xuan sighed. It was indeed possible for his soul to touch the door, but putting aside the fact that he could not do so in front of so many people, he wouldnt be able topile a book through the touch of his soul either. His zhenqi cultivation was already at Nascent Saint pinnacle, and he needed the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence to achieve a breakthrough. Thus, the only way out was to find a way to enhance his physical body so that he could quickly touch the door andpile a book on the seal. With such thought in mind, Zhang Xuan returned to the crowd and asked, "Does anyone here have a Cinque Sun Branch?" "Cinque Sun Branch? Are you referring to a branch of the Cinque Sun Tree that only survives in extremely arid climates?" Wu shi frowned. The Cinque Sun Tree was an exceedingly rare nt that only lived in areas rich in earth mes. It needed to be exposed to sunlight for long hours each day, and if it came into contact with the slightest bit of rainwater, it would immediatelybust and turn to ash. Due to this bizarre property, Cinque Sun Branches were even rarer than Saint artifacts. "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded. A Cinque Sun Branch was the final artifact required to cultivating the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. As long as he could find one and absorb the aura of the sun sealed within it, he would be able to finally achieve Consummation 1 in this physical body cultivation technique! It might only have been a single stage of difference between the Fourth Incandescence and the Fifth Incandescence, but it signified the difference between Major Aplishment and Consummation. Upon reaching this stage, the five incandescences would finally form aplete system within the body, creating a cyclical rtionship, thus enhancing the prowess that ones physical body could exert manyfold. Upon reaching this level, one would be able to crush Saint 2-dan experts such as the Byzantium Helios Beast with just the sheer prowess of ones physical body. "The Cinque Sun Branch is an extremely rare medicinal herb, but I have to say that you are really lucky. Just a few days ago, when I was looking through the market of Firesource City, I happened to find one and bought it. This should be it, right?" With a chuckle, Guild Leader Han flicked his wrist and passed over a wooden branch that was almost as thick as an arm. The area around Firesource City happened to have the climate suited for Cinque Sun Trees to grow, so it would pop up in the market from time to time. Guild Leader Han happened to spot one while loitering around the market, and thinking that he could resell it elsewhere and earn a huge profit, he had decided to buy it. Chapter 1036: Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, Fifth Incandescence Chapter 1036: Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, Fifth Incandescence Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Indeed, thats it!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. The wooden branch in the other partys hand wasnt toorge, but reminiscent of charcoal, it emanated intense heat. There was no doubt about it; it was a Cinque Sun Branch! He had casually asked for it, but who knew that Guild Leader Han would really have one in his possession, and such arge one at that? It was definitely enough for him to cultivate the Fifth Incandescence! "How much does it cost? I will buy it from you!" Zhang Xuan asked as he took it. When he took the formation gs from the others earlier to help everyone pass through theva, it could be considered to have been a public matter with everyones interests at stake, so it was fine for him to not pay for it. This time around, however, he was intending to use the Cinque Sun Branch to cultivate the Fifth Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body and raise the prowess of his physical body. This was a private matter, and thus, it was only right for him to pay for it. "This... We are venturing into the dangerous ancient domain together, and it is only right for us to help one another. How can I charge you for this?" Guild Leader Han shook his head. As valuable as the Cinque Sun Branch was, it was only a material possession. Other than to sell it for a couple of spirit stones, it was of no use to him. If the other party could use it to break the seal on the door and bring them into the real ancient domain, he could consider the item to have been put to good use. "Those are two different matters and should be kept separate. If you dont ept my payment, I wont be able to ept the Cinque Sun Branch at ease." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "This..." Knowing that master teachers were obstinate about their own values, Guild Leader Han knew that it would be improper for him to insist on the matter. Thus, he could only shake his head with a bitter smile and say, "I bought the branch at two hundred high-tier spirit stones, so I will sell it to you at the same price as well." "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded and passed two hundred high-tier spirit stones over. With the profits from the sales of the Cloudmist Flowers and the fortune he had procured from emptying out the storage rings of the Otherworldly Demon Kings that he had subdued thus far, he had more than ten thousand high-tier spirit stones with him at the moment. This bit of money was nothing to him. Guild Leader Han epted the spirit stones with a helpless expression on his face, but his admiration for the young man couldnt help but deepen. Putting aside Zhang Xuans incredible knowledge on formations despite his young age, his self-discipline was truly admirable. He had a clear idea of what should be done and what should not be done, and he didnt allow greed to blind him. A principled person like him was a true blessing to mankind, and there was no doubt that he would eventually go on to achieve great things in the world. The other master teachers nodded in approval at that sight. The young man before them was truly the embodiment of the word upright. It was no wonder he had be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy at such a young age whereas they had still been humble nobodies at his age. Just the thought of it left them reddening in embarrassment. This was especially so for Liu Mo 1 . If only there was a hole in the ground, he would have dived in without the slightest hesitation. Back when he first met the young man, he had thought that the other party was too arrogant, and he had even berated the other party for it. Yet, not only did the other party manage to resolve the problem with the seal, the other party was even the one who led them through theva. His capability was truly something that Liu Mo could never hope to match up with. If the other party was the brilliant moon in the sky, Liu Mo was the humble dirt on the ground; that was the vast, unbridgeable distance between them. "I am going to cultivate using the Cinque Sun Branch now, so please do make use of this time to rest and recuperate. The seal could very well be the path to the ancient domain, and it is unknown what kind of peril we will face there. To heighten our chances of survival, we should ensure that we are in our peak state so that we are ready to face any dangers thate our way," Zhang Xuan said. The crowd nodded. After which, Zhang Xuan headed to a quiet corner of the rubble and sat down. Holding the freshly obtained Cinque Sun Branch in his hands, he drove his zhenqi and began cultivating. Boom! The energy within the branch flowed through his meridians and nourished every single cell, inducing a qualitative evolution in his body. The Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body served to strengthen the vitals of ones body and, through doing so, enhance the strength that one was able to exert. Having patched up the ws of the Quintuple Incandescence Body, it had be a Heavens Path cultivation technique. Naturally, he was able to cultivate the Fifth Incandescence swiftly without any problems. The immense energy flowing through his meridians stimted his entire body, such that even his blood began to metamorphose as well. Two hourster... A resounding echo sounded from his body as the five incandescence in his heart, lungs, spleen, liver, and kidneys came together to form a smooth cyclical flow. A brilliant light shone from Zhang Xuans body, and in that instant, it felt as if his body had be indestructible. At the same time, Zhang Xuans physical appearance changed slightly as well. His height grew slightly taller, his shoulders became slightly broader, and his waist grew slightly slimmer, forming a perfect streamline figure. Feeling the power flowing through his body, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and clenched his fists tightly together. Wonderful! With the sheer might of his physical body in itself, the current him could kill Saint 2-dan experts easily. In terms of resilience, his body was alreadyparable to a Saint artifact! A Saint low-tier artifact to be exact, but nevertheless, it was still extremely fearsome. Should someone attempt to hack the cier Rain Sword down on him right now, there was no doubt that it was the cier Rain Sword that would shatter. In fact, even if he were to go head-to-head with the Golden Origin Cauldron, he wouldnt lose by much. It could be said that the current him was no different from a human-shaped weapon. Even without a weapon in hand, he was still capable of causing devastating damage. Hu! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan swiftly concealed the changes in his body and stood up. It was inconceivable for ones body to grow so much stronger with just a short moment of cultivation. There was no such thing as being too careful. In order to avoid any unnecessary trouble, it was still best for him to maintain a low profile. Lowering his gaze to take a look, he noted that the energy contained within the Cinque Sun Branch was nearlypletely depleted. Stowing it in his storage ring, he stood up and returned to the door. Before he could even reach the door, he saw the crowd sitting in a straight line before the door, creating a rather bizarre sight. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, thebat master at the very back stood up and greeted him. "Principal Zhang, you have returned." "What are you doing?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. If you want to cultivate, so be it. But to be sitting in such a neat line as if you are queuing up at the cafeteria for food... What the heck? "Ah, its like this. Earlier, Wu shi realized that it is possible to use the heat released by the door to refine ones zhenqi and make it even purer. Thus, we began cultivating using it. However, due to our differing tolerance to heat, we can only select positions that are suited to us," thebat master exined. "Differing tolerance to heat?" Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. The fact that the sheer heat emanated from the door could melt the rocks within a hundred meters intova clearly showed how fearsome it was. The extreme conditions produced by the door were indeed very suitable to refine ones zhenqi. However, just as the other party said, everyone had a differing tolerance to heat. It was just like how his soul could only advance fifty meters at the start, but after cultivating for a bit, he was able to advance further and eventually reach the hundred-meter mark. "Indeed. The few of us can only cultivate at a distance of forty meters away from the door, or else our cultivation could very well go berserk. Speaking of which, Wu shi and the others sure are fearsome. They are actually able to stand the heat at fifteen meters away," said thebat master as he shot a nce at the few figures in front with admiration gleaming in his eyes. Zhang Xuan nodded. "To be able to withstand the heat at fifteen meters away, it seems like their physical bodies, souls, and zhenqi are pretty strong." Zhang Xuan had only been able to reach twenty meters away from the door himself when he tried earlier. The fact that Wu shi and the others were able to reach fifteen meters away was indeed incredible. Thebat master suddenly recalled a matter and asked, "Right, Principal Zhang, didnt you leave to cultivate? Are you already done?" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright, Ill leave you to cultivate here." After saying those words, Zhang Xuan began walking forward. In the blink of an eye, he was twenty meters away from the door. At this moment, only Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, Feng Xun, and a couple of others were in front of him. Even Wo Tianqiong and the other principals were behind him at the moment. "Principal Zhang... walked over there just like that? Wasnt he unable to hold on earlier?" Seeing how the young principal casually proceeded toward the twenty meters mark as he nodded at the other master teachers andbat masters while passing by them, gesturing for them to remain seated and continue with their cultivation, the lower jaws of thebat master nearly fell to the ground. At the same time, Feng Xun, who was seated at the neen-meter mark, saw Zhang Xuan walk past him with a smile on his face, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He was a Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivator, a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, anding to the neen-meter mark had nearly cost him his life. He had needed to sit down immediately to cultivate so that he could neutralize the fire poison in his body. Yet, that fellow was walking past him casually with a bright smile on his face, as if he was just wandering the streets, not pressured by the heat in the least. Did he have to be so exaggerated? Wondering how far the other party would be able to proceed, Feng Xuns gaze followed Zhang Xuan, and before long, he saw thetter walk up to Wu shi and begin chatting with him. "Wu shi, there is no need to get up. I am just heading over there to take a look, so do continue with your cultivation. Theres no need to stand on ceremony." Following which, the other party continued proceeding forward with a smile on his lips. Fourteen meters, thirteen meters, twelve meters... In the blink of an eye, he was already within ten meters of the door. The searing heat induced a sizzling sound from his clothes, which were seemingly ready to break apart at any moment. Yet, Zhang Xuan continued walking forward with the same bright smile from before, as if he waspletely impervious to the heat. "This..." This time, Feng Xun wasnt the only one who was shocked silly. Even Wu shi and Guild Leader Han ended up trading shocked nces with one another, and their mouths began twitching from the sheer ridiculousness of the sight before them. Fifteen meters already left them feeling as if their bodies were going to rip apart, and that fellow had actually managed to walk within ten meters. On top of that, his face even had a smile stered on, as if it was nothing at all. That monster... Eight meters, seven meters, six meters... As the other party slowly proceeded closer to the door, his eyebrows inadvertently shot up, seemingly starting to feel the pressure. Hong long! Zhenqi abruptly burst forth from the acupoints of the other party, wrapping his body. Upon seeing this sight, Wu shi gulped. "He is only using his zhenqi when he is five meters away from the door? Just how powerful is his physical body?" When Zhang Xuan walked leisurely past him, seemingly unfazed by the heat, he had thought that the other party was just putting on an act. However, seeing that the other party was only driving his zhenqi when he was five meters away from the door, he realized that he had been sorely mistaken. The other party was truly unfazed by the heat! But still, to only have to drive his zhenqi when he was within a five meters radius of the door... wasnt his physical body a little too strong? Could the other party have gone away to cultivate his physical body? But... it wasmon knowledge that the physical body was the most difficult of all to cultivate! How did he manage to make such a huge breakthrough in his physical body cultivation within just two hours? Amidst his shock, he saw Principal Zhang walk all the way up to the door, raise his hand, and ce it on the door. After that, he abruptly retreated eight steps beforeing to a halt. He closed his eyes, seemingly musing over something. A momentter, he opened his eyes once more, and with a deep frown, he stared at the door ahead of him with a peculiar expression on his face. "This... how is it possible?" Chapter 1037: The Frenzied Luo Ruoxin! Chapter 1037: The Frenzied Luo Ruoxin! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Noting the peculiar expression on Zhang Xuans face, Wu shi couldnt help but ask, "Principal Zhang, is there something wrong with the seal?" In his view, Principal Zhang was a person who would retain hisposure even if the world was about to copse on them. Yet, for him to show such an expression at this moment... something huge must have happened! "Oh, its nothing much. I just find it a little weird..." Zhang Xuans words petered out into silence, seemingly not intending to say anything more about it. He walked to a distance of forty meters away and beckoned everyone over. "Everyone, halt your cultivation for just a moment. Lets discuss how we should break the seal and enter the door." Hearing those words, the crowd hurriedly rushed over with eyes lit up in excitement. "Principal Zhang, have you found a way to ovee the seal?" "I did manage to find a way, but..." Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan had no idea where he should start from. What he had just seen was simply too inconceivable for anyone to believe to be true. Thus, he decided to just get straight to the point. "Do any of you have the Spirit Solution of Vigor with you?" "Spirit Solution of Vigor?" Everyone nced at one another in astonishment, not knowing why Zhang Xuan was asking such a thing. Spirit Solution of Vigor was the academic name for the urine of saint beasts so that it didnt sound as crass. Usually, cultivators would take some when they travelled so that they could demarcate a zone to prevent spirit beasts from harassing them at night. Back when Zhang Xuan challenged You Xu to a Physician Life-and-Death Duel, he had forced You Xu to drink it, leaving him feeling so indignant that he nearly spurted blood. "Considering how old the ancient domain will be, I assumed that there wouldnt be any saint beasts and spirit beasts, so I didnt bring any along with me." "Same as well. I usually bring some with me, but as I grew stronger, I found that the asions I needed any were growing fewer and fewer. Furthermore, it feels a little crass to have such an item in my storage ring, so I threw it away!" "We of the Combat Master Hall never use such a thing. If spirit beasts dare to engage us, we just ughter them. As long as enough blood is shed, the others know better than to provoke us." ... The crowd shook their heads. Those who had participated in the expedition were all respectable individuals; Han Xu was the head of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild; Wu Rufeng and Mu Yuan were 7-star master teachers; Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were the principals of Master Teacher Academies. Given so, they would never keep something as crass as the urine of saint beasts in their storage rings. As for the Combat Master Hall, they didnt have the habit of bringing the Spirit Solution of Vigor with them. Thus, it turned out that there was no one in the expedition team who had it! "None of you have any?" Zhang Xuan pinched his be before turning to Luo Ruoxin. Noting Zhang Xuans gaze on her, the youngdy snorted, "I dont have any either!" "I see. Since no one has any with them..." Zhang Xuan shook his head regrettably before taking out a pile of pots, bowls, gourds, and woks and saying helplessly, "We will just have to do it ourselves." Pu! Everyone staggered weakly and nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. From searching for the Spirit Solution of Vigor to having us produce it ourselves... What the heck is with this twist? Furthermore, we are all respectable figures! To urinate like that... Everyone felt like their mind was going to blow from the sheer insanity of the situation they were facing. Ignoring the conflicted faces around him, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, "Hurry up. Also, we will need as much as possible. Whether we can break the seal or not will depend on how much you are able to produce!" "I..." In that moment, everyone felt like crying. "Alright. Gauge your own personal circumstances and grab a tool that is the most suited for you," Zhang Xuan said as he gestured at the pots, bowls, gourds, and woks beside him. He had obtained all of those from the storage rings of the Otherworldly Demons. Those were probably the tools that they used to cook, and they were exceptionally clean, making them ideal containers to store their urine. "Alright then..." Seeing the earnest look on Zhang Xuans face, the crowd could tell that he wasnt just trying to make fun of them. Thus, after exchanging nces, they eventually nodded before grabbing an item each with gritted teeth. Hu hu hu! In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from sight. There was no way they were going to urinate in front of so many people; it was too embarrassing! Soon, only Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin were left in the square. Seeing that the youngdy hadnt taken anything yet, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before picking up a cup from the ground. "Cough cough. This is for you." "You..." Luo Ruoxins teeth were gritted so tightly together that it seemed as if they were going to chip from the immense pressure between them. She red coldly at the fellow before her, tempted to kill him with a single p. "Whats wrong?" Noticing Luo Ruoxins look of displeasure, Zhang Xuan panicked. "Is it too small? Then... what about this?" After saying those words, Zhang Xuan hurriedly passed a huge pot over. "Scram!" Luo Ruoxin bellowed furiously, nearly driven insane by Zhang Xuans actions. She had always been considered a goddess regardless of where she went, an existence whom others looked up to. Yet, this fellow actually passed her a cup... And, as if that wasnt bad enough, he even tried to pass her a pot afterwards! Are you trying to say that I will be able to fill that huge pot up? Shall I show you what hell looks like? Not expecting the other party to snub his goodwill and even bellow at him to scram, Zhang Xuan pouted in indignation. "If you are unwilling to do it, so be it. There is no need to get angry over it..." "You..." Luo Ruoxin felt the final string of rationality in her mind threatening to snap. In her entire life, she had never gotten emotional over anything, as if a spectator of the world or a still painting. However, ever since she met this fellow, she had found all kinds of emotionsing to her. It was as if someone had vanquished the silence from her life. "Alright, alright. Ill leave." Seeing how Luo Ruoxin would erupt if he said a word more, Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned around and fled. However, even after Zhang Xuans departure, Luo Ruoxin still felt the mes of anger burning intensely within her, unable to be quelled without a good beating of him. While she was considering whether or not she should catch up to fellow back and give him a piece of her mind, she suddenly heard a distressed voice from not too far away. "I dont have anything to pee out of! What do I do? Can anyone help me?" Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze over and saw the Golden Origin Cauldron looking around anxiously, seemingly looking for help. "Dont leave! Wont any of you aid me? Or, Master, can you smith one for me?" "..." Dark lines streaked across Luo Ruoxins face. Just what kind of people had she gotten involved with? ... Oblivious to the reason behind the youngdys rage, Zhang Xuan found himself an isted area as well. However, at this moment, a thought shed across his mind, and he pped his forehead in realization. How could I have been so silly? The next moment, he disappeared from the spot and entered the Myriad Anthive Nest. Floating in midair, Zhang Xuan loudly bellowed, "All of you,e over!" Hu hu hu! In the blink of an eye, all of the saint beasts within the Myriad Anthive Nest flew over. Knowing that the ancient domain would be dangerous, he had made sure to bring a few more saint beasts with him when he returned to the Master Teacher Academy. Taking into ount the Byzantium Helios Beast and the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge as well, he had more than several dozen saint beasts in the Myriad Anthive Nest in total. "I need all of you to urinate for me!" Saying those words, Zhang Xuan passed a pile of pots toward the beasts as well. "Roar?" "Roar!" The beasts were bewildered by the abruptmand, but considering that the other party was their master, they dared not act against hismand. Thus, they took arge pot each and turned around. In an instant, an overwhelming stench filled the Myriad Anthive Nest. A few momentster, the beasts returned with huge pots in their hands, each weighing ten jin 1 at the very minimum. Quite a number of these saint beasts had massive physiques, boasting both heights and lengths of several meters. Naturally, the amount of urine they released was also proportionate to their size. "Not bad!" Seeing how the bunch of fellows didnt disappoint, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. With a swift movement, he poured all of the Spirit Solution of Vigor together into a massive pail. All in all, it weighed more than two thousand jin! "Alright, you all can get back to whatever you were doing previously!" Zhang Xuan dismissed the saint beasts with a wave of his hand before leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest. Returning back to the door, he noted that there were quite a few people who had returned. Most of them were from the Combat Master Hall. "Here is what you needed!" Feng Xun harrumphed as he passed a pot over. The others also hurriedly did the same as well, but the quantity wasnt a lot. The ten or so members of the Combat Master Hall had only produced around half a pot in total. "So little?" Zhang Xuan nced at the pot before turning his gaze back to the powerful-looking members of the Combat Master Hall with a deep frown. So many lively young men, and yet, this was all they could produce? Recalling how badly he had been pummeled, Feng Xun suddenly felt a surge of rage andshed out. "Little? What about yours? Why dont you bring yours out to show us then?" "I..." Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when Wu shi, Mu shi, Wo Tianqiong, and the other master teachers flew over. Their faces were all reddened in embarrassment. Putting theirs together, they realized that their amount didnt evene close to thebat masters. "This..." Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a surge of helplessness. It was fortunate that he was sharp enough to think of a backup n, or else, with that pitiful amount that all of them had produced, it wouldnt even be enough to water a nt, let alone break a formation. "Forget it, the amount you all have is too little. Lets use mine instead!" Seeing how the amount from everyonebined did not even add up to a single pot, Zhang Xuan shook his head and tossed it aside casually. Feeling humiliated by Zhang Xuans words, Feng Xunshed out furiously. "Use yours? Can yours be more than all of usbined?" "This is mine." Boom! A massive wooden pail weighing over two thousand jin 2 fell onto the ground, raising a cloud of dust in the air. Pu! "How is that possible?" Seeing the massive pail, the eyes of thebat masters and master teachers couldnt help but fly around the ce, frenzied by what they were seeing. Even if your dder is big, surely there should be a limit to it. With so much water, it could easily drown you several times over. How in the world did you manage to find so much water within you? The one who took the heaviest blow from this matter was naturally Feng Xun. He felt blood gushing up his throat once more. Just how in the world did you manage to pull this off? It is one thing for you to be strong, but to be able to urinate so much... is there a folded space in your dder? If we had known that you were able to produce so much, we wouldnt have bothered going through all the trouble! "Alright, Im going to break the seal now." Ignoring the looks on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan raised the pail with his hand, and with a step, he flew into the sky, heading for the seal. On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Xuan was about to break the seal, the others quickly snapped out of their frenzied states and hurriedly turned their gazes toward the door. They had studied the seal carefully earlier, but they had not been able to find any other method to break it. Even the Otherworldly Demons that hade before them had been left with no choice but to resort to brute force, attacking it relentlessly. Yet, Principal Zhang was actually able to find a solution just by touching it, instructing them to gather their urine right afterward. Everyone was curious to see just what the method of breaking the seal was for it to require urine. Hu! Before everyones gazes, Zhang Xuan arrived directly above the door, and with a grim look, he tapped on the bottom of the pail. Boom! A huge hole immediately appeared in the pail, and the content stored within fell toward the seal. Tzzzzzzzz! As if sulfur meeting metal, upon contact with the seal, a sound of corrosion immediately sounded from the seal. In an instant, the iparably sturdy seal dissipated into nothingness. Chapter 1038: How Big! Chapter 1038: How Big! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This" Taking the scene into sight, Guild Leader Han suddenly thought of something, and his eyes narrowed. With a quivering voice, he said, "I''ve got it" "Got it?" "What''s going on?" Seeing that Guild Leader Han had managed to make sense out of what had just happening, the confused crowd immediately turned their gazes to him. Even the full might attack from the Saint 4-dan Wu shi had barely fazed that seal, so why would pouring a little of that kind of stuff dissipate it? "If I am not mistaken, the seal is probably of pure yang attribute, which makes it extremely vulnerable to contamination and water. If it was only in water, the seal wouldn''t have fallen apart that easily. But if one were to use the Spirit Solution of Vigor, it would curb the pure yang attribute of the seal, resulting in its swift dissipation," Guild Leader Han exined. "Do formations of pure yang attribute have such properties? Why haven''t I heard of it before?" Wu shi frowned. He had met quite a few pure yang formations before, but he had never heard that they could be destroyed so easily with urine. If that was truly the case, wouldn''t the existence of such formations bepletely meaningless? "Ordinary pure yang formations don''t have such a property, but if it is a perfected pure yang formation, that would be a different matter. Actually, most formations are vulnerable to contamination. For example, there are reports of a group that was trapped in a Confinement Formation for an extended period of time, unable to break out. However, when one of thedies in the group gave birth 1 , the spiritual energy powering the formation abruptly dispersed, resulting in the copse of the formation!" Guild Leader Han said. "That" Mu shi nodded in agreement. "I think I have heard of such a matter as well." It was due to this that there were those who used the blood released by a pregnant woman during childbirth to forge artifacts to destabilize and destroy formations. After exining the matter, Guild Leader Han couldn''t help but nce at the young man not too far away and remark meaningfully, "But to be able to tell the ws of the seal with just a single look, Principal Zhang''sprehension of formations has reached an astounding level." In truth, breaking a perfected pure yang formation wasn''t as easy as just pouring the Spirit Solution of Vigor on it. If one failed to find the crux of the formation and weaken it with the Spirit Solution of Vigor right from the start, not only would one be unable to break the formation, the formation might even retaliate. Taking the seal for example, judging from how it would release a burst of energies whenever it came under attack, it seemed like it had been built with the ability to retaliate against any attacks. Haphazard movements against it could potentially put one in danger. While Principal Zhang''s actions seemed simple, simply pouring the pail of Spirit Solution of Vigor over the seal, in truth, the height at which the pail was at, the force that its contents fell on the seal with, and the area where its contents wouldnd all of these had to be precisely calcted, not the slightest margin of error would be tolerated. It was extremely challenging on one''s control. Most probably, only that monster was able to think of such a method to ovee the formation and even seed on his first try. One of thebat masters couldn''t help but ask, "But such a bizarre method of oveing the seal how did the old principal and the others manage to enter back then? Were they really able to think of the same solution as well?" The others were also puzzled by this bewildering fact. It was apparent that such a bizarre method could only be thought of and pulled off by the seemingly omnipotent Principal Zhang. Considering the straightforward and austere personality of the old principal, Zhang Yinqiu, there was no way he would ever have thought of or even tried such a method. After contemting for a brief moment, Guild Leader Han said, "I am not sure how they got in, but it is likely that they might have possessed some information that we are unaware of, or perhaps they were in possession of a key that allowed them to bypass the seal!" Most ancient domains were built with the welfare of theter generations in mind. As such, they often came with a key or a unique artifact that granted those in possession of it to bypass the various traps and formationsid all across the ancient domain. "That might very well be the case." The crowd nodded in agreement. Indeed. Had it been not for Principal Zhang''s help, they could very well have been still stuck at the trial above,pletely helpless as to how they should proceed. It was hard to imagine that the old principal and his team could fare better than them without a key in hand. Geji! Geji! While they were talking, the wooden pail had finally been emptied, and the seal began to shatter. A momentter, the massive door opened up before everyone''s eyes. "We can enter now!" Seeing that the door had finally been opened, Zhang Xuan tossed his wooden pail to the side and heaved a sigh of relief. Through the ws listed in the Library of Heaven''s Path, Zhang Xuan had learned that the formation was a perfected pure yang formation, which made the Spirit Solution of Vigor a perfect counter it. It was with this knowledge in mind that he had formted such a daring n, but who would have thought that it would actually work? "Alright!" The crowd nodded before quickly moving toward the door. Wu shi was still the first to lead the way, and only after confirming that there was no danger inside did he beckon the others over as well. The area outside the door was iparably hot, but upon stepping into the passageway within the door, the heat seemed to have disappeared all of a sudden. On the contrary, there was even a cooling breeze on the other side of the passageway, as if everything they had experienced just a moment ago was an illusion. Bewildered by the abrupt changes in his surroundings, one of thebat masters asked, "Was it just my imagination?" Given how the heat had been emanated from the door, they had thought that the other side of the door would have been so iparably hot that it would be unbearable. Yet, it waspletely different from what they had expected. Not only was it not hot, it was even cooling? Was everything that they had just undergone a moment ago nothing more than a figment of their imagination? That would truly have been eerie! "Don''t panic. Our previous experiences with the intense heat and theva were real, and what we are feeling at this very moment isn''t an illusion either!" Guild Leader Han said in assurance. "It is very likely that there is a formation set up around here that allows one to alter the temperature of the surroundings freely. It is simr to the ones used in Formation Master Guilds, albeit a more extreme version." Most Formation Master Guilds had a formation that controlled the conditions within it, such as the temperature, so as to create afortable environment for the formation masters to work in. One reason there would be such a steep difference in the environment could be due to a simr formation being set up within the door. "That''s indeed possible" Hearing the exnation, the crowd nodded in agreement. Even though it was inconceivable to them that one could induce such a steep change in the surrounding temperature through just a formation, they also knew that the person who had left behind the ancient domain had been an expert far beyond their caliber, so it was unwise to gauge the other party by their standards. After all, their experiences were limited by their cultivation, so what might have seemed unbelievable to them might not necessary be impossible. Principal Zhang oveing the seal with the Spirit Solution of Vigor was one example of that. "It isn''t a formation." At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded. The one who had spoken was neither Wu shi nor Zhang Xuan, but the reticent Luo Ruoxin. "What else can it be if not a formation?" Noting Luo Ruoxin''s confident tone, the crowd couldn''t help but feel a little bewildered. "It''s a type of spatial maniption!" Luo Ruoxin replied. "Spatial maniption?" The crowd nced at one another, unable toprehend what had just been said. "It is simr to the concepts used in storage rings. Stepping across the door has already brought us to another dimension, and it goes without saying that the environment will bepletely different from before. The only reason you didn''t notice it is due to the seal cast over the door," Luo Ruoxin said. "We are in another dimension?" The bodies of the crowd jolted in astonishment upon hearing those words. A formation was still a concept that was rtable to the crowd, but thews of space were beyond theirprehension. For the elder who had left behind the ancient domain to be able to manipte even space itself, just how powerful an expert was he? "It is said that Saint 9-dan experts are capable ofprehending thews of space, allowing them to set up folded spaces that are capable of sustaining life. Could it be that the master of the ancient domain has reached such a level as well?" Wu shi muttered with fists clenched in agitation. As a 7-star high-tier master teacher, he was privy to some information regarding the top echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. As rare as Saint 9-dan experts were, there were still some books regarding them in the Master Teacher Pavilion that others could learn from. Experts of that caliber were already far beyond their reach, existences that they could barely fathom. Even a mechanism or formation that they set up on a whim could easily blow their minds. Hearing those words, Luo Ruoxin shook her head with her eyes lowered slightly. It was hard to tell whether that gesture was directed toward Wu shi''s response or a contemtive gesture on her part. Only Saint 9-dan experts are capable ofprehending thews of space? Zhang Xuan blinked in astonishment. In truth, he hadn''t thought that spatial maniption would be such an advanced ability. He had once entered a folded space back at the Saint Ascension tform, and he had even ordered the Myriad Anthive Queen to assimte it into her nest. If that was the case, did it mean that the ce had been left behind by a Saint 9-dan expert as well? Back then, Kong shi had only achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm, so it was impossible for him to have set it up himself. That would mean that there was already a loyal Saint 9-dan subordinate following him even back then. However, considering the incredible prowess and the unique charisma that Kong shimanded, it would not have been too difficult for him to take in a couple of followers who boasted strength greater than him. Back then, when I first met Luo Ruoxin in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy during the public lecture event, she was able to maneuver through the bustling crowd without anyoneing close to touching her at all. That seems to have been spatial maniption as well. Such an idea emerged in Zhang Xuan''s mind, but he soon shook his head with a bitter smile. No, that should be impossible. She''s only a 6-star master teacher, so even if she is stronger than me, she can''t possibly be too far ahead. It is probably some kind of secret art or unique artifact. Having read all of the books in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan had learned that the Master Teacher Continent was filled with all kinds of wonders. On top of unique constitutions that could emerge randomly among fortunate individuals from time to time, there were also formidable ns who possessed special bloodlines. Through the power of their bloodline, they could draw forth exceptional strength that had the potential to exceed any battle techniques in the world. This was also the reason the Sage ns wielded immense power in the Master Teacher Continent, with only few daring to oppose them. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Ruoxin and asked, "How can you be certain that it isn''t a formation but a type of spatial maniption?" Hearing those words, Wo Tianqiong and the others turned their gazes over as well. Concepts rting to space were extremely profound, far beyond what they couldprehend at their current level. Luo Ruoxin pointed a finger forward and said, "That''s simple. Just look ahead and you will know." The crowd hurriedly turned their eyes over, and at the other end of the passageway they were currently in, the scenery abruptly changed. Meandering mountains that stretched into the horizon were filled with lush greenery. The air wasfortable, very different from the warm and dry environment around Firesource City. It was as if they had stepped into an entirely different world. "Is this a folded space? It''s massive!" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had encountered quite a few folded spaces so far, and he even possessed a decent-sized one himself. However, one asrge as the one before him he had never thought that it would be possible for a folded space to be thatrge, let alone see one! He had thought that his folded space was already rather incredible to span several hundred meters from one end to the other, but the one before him could house mountains and rivers that extended to the horizon. Frightening! Therger a folded space was, the greater the pressure it would face from the external world, thus making it less stable. How in the world did the master of the ancient domain manage to create and maintain such arge folded space? Just as Zhang Xuan waspletely astounded by the sight before him, Guild Leader Han''s voice suddenly sounded at that moment. He quickly turned his gaze toward thetter, only to see thetter''s bodypletely stiffened in shock. "No, this isn''t a folded space; this is a Spatial Formation!" Chapter 1039: Unbounded Voyager (1) Chapter 1039: Unbounded Voyager (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Spatial Formation?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. He had heard of Confinement Formations, Illusory Formations, and ughter Formations, but a Spatial Formation... How was it different from folded spaces? "Spatial Formation refers to the construction of space within a formation itself. Its stability is inferior to folded spaces, but its structure is more suited to contain other formations within it. In other words, there could be many ughter Formations, Beguilement Formations, Illusory Formations, and the sort hidden within it, making it extremely dangerous. Often, those who step into Spatial Formations arent even aware of it themselves," Guild Leader Han said with a trembling voice. As a 7-star pinnacle formation master, he knew how fearsome Spatial Formations were. Those who stepped into one would find their minds being led on by the distorted spatialws within it, making it impossible for them to escape it. More importantly, it was possible that there could be other formidable ughter Formations or the sort hidden within the Spatial Formation, making it extremely dangerous for even the strongest of experts. As long as one hadnt reached Saint 9-dan, it would be near impossible to ovee it. After hearing those words, the crowd couldnt help but frown. They didnt fullyprehend how frightening Spatial Formations were, but for theposed Guild Leader Han to show such a response, there was no doubt that they were something extremely frightening. "What if we were to destroy the Spatial Formation?" Zhang Xuan asked. Regardless of how formidable a formation was, there was nothing that couldnt be ovee with a kick from him. There was really no need for the other party to be so worried over this matter! "Putting aside the fact that it is near impossible to destroy a Spatial Formation, unless you are capable of surviving the shattering of space, it would be wiser for you not to do," Guild Leader Han said. Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon hearing those words. The shattering of space was not something that he could withstand even if he were to raise his cultivation by seven realms at this very instant. In shattered space, even a Primordial Spirit would be torn to shreds in an instant! How could beings who existed in space possibly survive in the absence of it? To make an analogy, what would hairtch onto in the absence of skin? "Indeed! This is precisely why we can only advance along the path that the creator of the Spatial Formation has determined step by step." At this point, Guild Leader Hans voice suddenly grew grim. "At this point, I believe that we can say that we are already in the ancient domain. Every step that we take from this point onward will be fraught with dangers." "Fraught with dangers..." Those words left the crowd with grave expressions on their faces as well. It was indeed very difficult for them to bypass the first two trials that they faced, but at the very least, it couldnt really have been considered dangerous. For the first trial, even if they had not passed through theva to reach the area beneath it, they would have been in no immediate danger for the time being. As for the second trial, as long as they didnt attack the seal, it would have been possible for them to have survived in the area for several years without trouble. But at this point, Guild Leader Hans words seemed to be indicating that danger was lurking everywhere around them. Regardless of whether they chose to move or remain stationary, to take on a passive approach or explore actively, danger could still spring forth at any moment. They were going to face the true trial of the ancient domain from this point on. "Since we are already here, we can only look forward and deal with whateveres our way. If we are really in the ancient domain now, Zhang Yinqiu and the others should have passed through this area as well. As long as we can find a way to trace their route, we should be able to steer clear of most danger!" Wo Tianqiong said. "Youre right!" Others quickly voiced their agreement. They had already prepared themselves for death when they made the decision to join the expedition back then. If they were truly already in the ancient domain, they should be d that they were on the right track. "Zhang Yinqiu and the others came by two years ago, so any traces they have left behind should have been erased by now. However, since he was able to send his Principals Seal out, there is a good chance that he is currently trapped at a certain part of the ancient domain. If that deduction holds true, we should be able to find something while advancing ahead," Wu shi said as he took the lead. There was no one who could say for sure at this point whether the old principal was dead or not. However, given that thetter had been able to send his Principals Seal out, there was a good chance that he was still alive at this point. If so, he would have surely left some traces behind so that they could find him. Otherwise, there would have been very little meaning to him sending a help signal to them. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded as he activated his Eye of Insight to examine his surroundings. A momentter, he couldnt help but shake his head. Regardless of whether they were in a Spatial Formation or a folded space, there was one thing for surethe person who had created the ancient domain possessed a cultivation far greater than his. The vast disparity in strength made it impossible for him to discern anything even through the powerful Eye of Insight. ws! Zhang Xuan willed. A momentter, he shook his head once more. The Library of Heavens Path could onlypile a book on the items that he was in contact with or were currently active. While the Spatial Formation was a formation as well, as the mountains and rivers in his surroundings werent the direct manifestation of the Spatial Formation, he was unable topile a book on it in the Library of Heavens Path. The only way he could do so was probably only if he could get an overview of the functioning of the entire Spatial Formation. This was simr to how he couldnt possibly use the sunrise and sunset or the changing weather topile a book regarding the ws of the Master Teacher Continent. Even the overpowered Library of Heavens Path couldnt work its wonders against something as expansive as the Spatial Formation they were in. It seems like we can only proceed forward a step at the time. Seeing that there were no shortcuts he could take, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply in frustration before following behind the crowd. Honestly speaking, the Spatial Formation was truly incredible. Had they not known that they were deep underground, beneath a hundred meters ofva, they might have really thought that they had entered a warm mountain range in the midst of spring. Surrounded by lush green nts, the crowd couldnt help but forget the fear of being within an ancient domain. Slowly, a feeling of leisure crept upon them. A light mountain breeze blew, and the leaves rustled under its tugging. Such natural call of nature left them feeling incredibly rxed, as if they had entered a utopia free of hardship and struggles. "It doesnt seem like there is any danger around?" "Indeed! Not only so, the area is also very rich in spiritual energy. If the dayes when I wish to retire and back away from the material world, I think I would want to live here!" "This is indeed a good environment, very suited for cultivating ones heart..." ... The leisurely atmosphere in the air made thebat masters and master teachers a little more talkative than usual. Previously, when Guild Leader Han spoke about how there might be dangers pouncing on them at every step, they had been scared out of their wits. But when they began making their way through the Spatial Formation, they realized that it was far from what Guild Leader Han had said. Rather than threatened, they felt calm and peaceful. They couldnt help but desire to live in a ce as peaceful as this for the rest of their lives. Hearing those words, a thought suddenly sprouted within Guild Leader Hans eyes, and sharpness abruptly returned to his zed eyes. "No, something is wrong. Everyone, stay alert! We are already under attack!" One of thebat masters chuckled. "We are under attack? Guild Leader Han, you must be joking! Im sure that we will know if we are under attack!" Anotherbat master nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I think Guild Leader Han is just being a little too apprehensive. There is no way so many of us wouldnt notice it if we are being attacked!" As veterans of the battlefield, they were conditioned to instinctively retaliate toward any offense directed at them. If there was truly an attack against them, they couldnt possibly still be in the leisurely state they were in at the moment. "An attack that is unnoticeable is the most fearsome of all!" Guild Leader Han eximed lividly. If it was a direct attack, they would at least still have been able to put their lives on the line and fight their way out. What was truly frightening would be when one didnt even realize that one was being attacked. As if frogs being cooked in warm water, they wouldnt even notice what was happening to them until their moment of death! "Did Guild Leader Han notice something?" Wu shi asked. "Did you notice how our wariness has ckened ever since we entered this ancient domain? In our current state, there is no way we will be able to put up any defenses should danger abruptly spring on us!" Guild Leader Han said. "More importantly... did you notice that we have already been walking for some time now? Yet, the end is nowhere in sight. It is as if there is some kind of power pulling us along, making us walk for all eternity toe! There is something really amiss with the situation here." "This..." Wu shi was taken aback. Now that the other party had pointed it out explicitly to him, he also realized that there was something very wrong with the situation as well. In the first ce, it was bizarre that they would be in such a leisurely state, neglecting to even put their guards up, considering the fact that they were venturing into uncharted territory. As veteran master teachers andbat masters, there was no way they would make such an elementary mistake. Pu! While the duo was still speaking, a peculiar sound echoed clearly ahead of them. Turning their gazes over, they saw that the face of thebat master who had just said that Guild Leader Han was being too apprehensive had turned ghastly pale, and blood was streaming down the corner of his mouth profusely. Yet, a smile remained stered on his face as he trudged forward resolutely. "This..." That fellow was clearly in a bad state, his face turning paler at a visible rate as blood rained down his chin, but his lips were still curled up into the most peaceful of smiles. This sight left goosebumps rising on the hands of the duo. It was simply too eerie! As knowledgeable and well-read as they were, they had never encountered something as sinister as this. After taking a look, Wu shi observed with an awfulplexion, "His current state is caused by exhaustion. His zhenqi has about to be depleted clean, and his stamina is swiftly approaching its limits." As a 7-star master teacher, it wasnt too difficult for him to discern the source of injury of thebat master. But... it hadnt been long since they had started walking? Combat masters were renowned for their astounding endurance in battle, and yet, that fellow was already at his limits after such a short walk? Guild Leader Han couldnt help but be deeply perplexed by the bizarre matter. At this moment, Wu shi suddenly eximed, "Guild Leader Han, take a look at your dantian!" "Dantian?" Taken aback by the abrupt words, Guild Leader Han hurriedly looked into his internal state, and what he saw left his eyes narrowing uncontrobly. To his astonishment, the overwhelming zhenqi that he possessed had nearly been depleted as well. If one were topare a cultivators dantian to ake, his would be one that had dried up to the point where one could already see the seabed. "My zhenqi... How has it been depleted so quickly?" Guild Leader Hans body trembled in shock. As a 7-star pinnacle formation master, a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, he was one of the strongest in the expedition, and he boasted the greatest zhenqi capacity as well. Putting aside walking, he could easily fight for four hours straight without being depleted. But this... he had only walked for a short whilethey werent even flyingand yet, his dantian was nearly empty. What was happening? This was really frightening! Pu! Pu! Pu! While Guild Leader Han was astonished over his internal state, the sound of someone spurting blood echoed around them once more. A few morebat masters who had a lower cultivation began spewing blood, and even Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran had pale faces, and veins were popping from their temples. It looked like they were on the verge of running out of strength and copsing. This was exceptionally apparent for Wo Tianqiong, whose hair was turning white as well due to exhaustion. In this moment, it looked like he had aged by more than ten years. "This..." Guild Leader Hans body shook fearfully as he turned a horrified nce toward Wu shi. He knew that the Spatial Formation would be fraught with dangers, but he didnt expect such a thing to happen. In fact, he wasnt able to make sense out of what was happening either. "I have no idea whats going on." Wu shi shook his head, too. It was always difficult for those who were trapped within the box to obtain a clear view of their current situation. Despite the many books they had read, they were still unable toprehend the bizarre situation they were in. At this moment, Zhang Xuan spoke. "It is probably the sound of the breeze in the mountain. It is cing us into a trance in which our bodies deplete zhenqi faster than normal, and even our life force is gradually being sapped as well. If we dont find a way out of this situation, we will only continue walking tirelessly forward until we finally exceed our limits and die!" The duo hurriedly turned their gazes over, only to see the young man with a deep frown etched on his forehead, seemingly deep in contemtion over something. Chapter 1040: Unbounded Voyager (2) Chapter 1040: Unbounded Voyager (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Sound of the breeze?" Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and the others were stunned before turning to look at their surroundings. The sound of the breeze was extremely light, mixed in with the rustling of the leaves. Previously, they had thought that it sounded calm and peaceful, putting them in a state of tranquility. Listening to it once more, however, they thought that it sounded sinister, and they couldnt help but tremble in fear. "Lets try sealing off our hearing," Guild Leader Han said. But even after the both of them did so, the wind continued to whistle right in their head, keeping them tightly under its control. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sent a telepathic message to them. "Its futile. The sound of the breeze is a type of demonic tune. Even if we seal our sixth sense, it will still travel to our soul directly, making it impossible to fend it off." If it was possible to seal of demonic tunes just by covering ones ears, it wouldnt have been worthy of the adjective demonic, let alone exist as a unique upation that had been passed down for more than several dozen thousand years. The duo released the seal on their hearing and asked anxiously, "Then, what do we do?" Unable to ward off the demonic tune, they would be trapped in this hell of perpetual movement. It had not been easy for them to get into the ancient domain; were they really going to lose their lives at the very start? "Principal Zhang... since you were able to sense that its a demonic tune, do you have a solution for it?" Wu shi asked anxiously. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan replied, "This is the demonic tune from an 8-star demonic tunist; even I can only barely ward it off myself. If we intend to pull the others out of their trance, we will have to ovee the demonic tune with one of our own as well!" He had noticed the demonic tune the moment he entered, and through hisprehension of demonic tunes and his Heavens Path zhenqi, he was able to ward it off himself. However, he hadnt found a feasible to quell the demonic tune yet. There didnt seem to be any other way of going about doing it other than to overwhelm the sound of the breeze with his music, but to do so, he would have to achieve the level of proficiencyparable to an 8-star demonic tunist! "Ovee the demonic tune with one of our own?" The faces of the duo paled. Where were they going to find an 8-star demonic tunist from out of the blue? If they had a person of such capability in their ranks, the members of the expedition wouldnt have fallen into a trance in the first ce. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "This demonic tune should be around the level of 8-star primary, or else your Primordial Spirits would have been affected by it as well, causing you to be unaware of your injuries like the others. However, my level of proficiency in demonic tunes is only at 6-star pinnacle at the moment. Even if I use my full strength, I wont be able ovee it." The sound of the breeze was equivalent to the ying of an 8-star primary demonic tunist, or else there was no way Guild Leader Han and Wu shi would have been able to retain their consciousness before the sound. Nevertheless, it was still at a level that Zhang Xuan couldnt stand against; his current strength was still too weak. "What do we do then?" "Do any of you have 7-star demonic tunist books?" Zhang Xuan asked. If he could gather sufficient 7-star demonic tunist books topile the 7-star Heavens Path Demonic Tune Art, he would be able to face off with the 8-star primary demonic tune easily. "7-star demonic tunist books?" Guild Leader Han and Wu shi traded gazes before shaking their heads simultaneously. One of them was a formation master whereas the other was a master teacher. While Wu shi had seven 7-star supporting upation, it happened that demonic tunist was not one of them. As such, he didnt have such books with him. "That will make things even more troublesome then." Zhang Xuan frowned. If he couldnt raise his capabilities as a demonic tunist, it would be extremely hard for him to suppress the demonic tune. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "Why dont we do this? The both of you try to take care of the group here, make sure that they dont overexert themselves. If they are really reaching their limit, feed them a pill or something so as to replenish their zhenqi and stamina. Meanwhile, I will be trying to find the source of the sound. If I am able to find it, I might just be able to resolve the problem." Since it was impossible for him to ovee with brute force, he would just have to search for the origin of the sound. Perhaps, he might be able to find a w regarding it there and destroy it at its source. "Un. We will be troubling Principal Zhang then." The duo bowed deeply. Left with no other alternatives, this was the best option they had. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony." Zhang Xuan hurriedly helped them up before rushing in the direction where the sound of the breeze seemed to havee from. The sound of the breeze was extremely faint, but there was a certain quality to it that left one feeling as if the world was spinning should one attempt to focus ones hearing on it. Had it not been for Zhang Xuan refining his soul further through theva, he might have sumbed then and there. Still feeling a little worried, Zhang Xuan took a nce backward and saw Wu shi and Guild Leader Han feeding a few of thebat masters who had just spurted blood earlier several pills, and their paleplexions alleviated considerably. While the demonic tune causes a cultivator to deplete their zhenqi and stamina unnecessarily, it isnt really that dangerous. As long as the others are able to consume pills in time to replenish their energy, they should be able to hold on for quite a while, Zhang Xuan noted. Even so, they were still marching forward uncontrobly, as if puppets on a string. At this point, they had also realized something was amiss, and they attempted to struggle against it as well. However, their efforts werepletely futile. To bepletely helpless despite knowing that one was headed toward danger, unable to escape or retaliate... It was due to this that demonic tunists were so feared throughout the Master Teacher Continent, such that even the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had a specialized school devoted to the upation. After flying for around half an hour, Zhang Xuan came to an abrupt stop and frowned. He had flown several hundred kilometers, and yet, he realized that there was no change in the breeze sound at all. This meant that he wasnt even close to finding its source. Wasnt the area of the sound a little too vast? Taking himself as an example, the demonic tunes he yed could ce anyone within a radius of several hundred meters into a trance, and anything beyond that would be extremely strenuous and difficult for him. Even for an 8-star demonic tunist, it was unimaginable that the other party was capable of ying music that could span over a radius of several hundred kilometers! If that was the case, wouldnt an 8-star demonic tunist be able to ce several hundred million men into a trance simultaneously just by ying within the capital of any empire? Not even master teachers wielded prowessparable to that! At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a certain urban legend from his previous life known as the supernatural wall 1 . Could this be the work of the Spatial Formation? I am certain that I have been walking in a single direction, but somehow, it seems as if I have been walking in circles, making no progress whatsoever. Could it have been that his senses had been distorted to make him walk in endless circles? In truth, such happenings werent too rare in formations either. Many Beguilement Formations had the effect of messing with a persons sense of direction or even thepass in their hands. They might be thinking that they were headed east, but in truth, they were headed in an entirely different direction. Since this area has the effect of confusing ones sense of direction, I should set up a formation to help me with my directions. Frowning, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a couple of formation gs. He might have been unable to oppose the sound of the breeze with his current mastery of demonic tunes, but his proficiency in formations had already reached 7-star pinnacle. He could easily set up a formation that could help him navigate his way through the Spatial Formation. Many formations shed through Zhang Xuans mind, and before long, a certain blueprint stood out. With a smile, he flicked his wrist. Hu! The formation gs immediately scattered from his hands,nding in specific positions. Weng! With a buzz, the formation came to life. Standing in the middle of it, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes. Zhang Xuan smirked. As I thought! My sense of direction has indeed been distorted! Through the formation, he could instantaneously tell that the direction he had been heading in previously was leading him in endless circles. It seemed like the demonic tune wasnt the only thing that one had to be aware of in the Spatial Formation. If he hadnt noticed the issue with his sense of direction, he might very well have ended up walking for an eternity without walking out of the formation. The old principal and the others should have taken the Direction Probing Needle, which Wu Yangzi forged all those years ago, with them. While the Direction Probing Needle isnt a saint artifact, it is exceptionally effective in identifying directions. Most likely, it was due to such an artifact that they were able to find their way out of this Spatial Formation, Zhang Xuan thought. It was apparent that the old principal had gotten out of the Spatial Formation. Otherwise, he would have reduced to bones long ago, and it would have been impossible for him to send out the Principals Seal either. Considering how they were able to find their way out despite possessing a cultivation far lower than Wu shi and the others, it was certain that they had some kind of valuable artifact on them. After reading through the many books in the cksmith School, Zhang Xuan was aware that there was a treasure that Wu Yangzi had deposited in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy known as the Direction Probing Needle! It was a unique artifact that had been forged out of the elusive Direction Probing Wood. It couldnt be considered a saint artifact, but in the field of finding directions, there were barely any situations where it would fail. However, it wasnt often that one would be in a situation that required such a tool, and Wu Yangzi didnt think that he would need it either. Thus, he had decided to donate it to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Before heading to Firesource City to meet the others, Zhang Xuan had visited the treasure vault of the academy, but he didnt find the Direction Probing Needle in there. Most likely, the old principal had borrowed it for the exploration of the ancient domain. It was also fortunate that he had done so as well. Of course, how long they took to clear the ancient domain was another matter entirely. Considering the limitations of the old principals cultivation, it should have taken him a while to snap out from the trance of the demonic tunes, and he probably needed a little more time to realize the peculiarity regarding the Spatial Formation. In any case, Zhang Xuan didnt think that the old principal and his expedition team would have been able to resolve the matter as quickly as he did. After all, even Wu shi only realized that there was something amiss but couldnt pinpoint what it was back then. Zhang Xuan was the only one who had been able to see everything clearly due to his imperviousness to demonic tunes. After confirming the direction, he leaped out from the formation and began flying in the direction he had identified via his formation earlier. However, after flying roughly ten kilometers, he suddenly felt that he might have deviated from his original path once more. Thus, he quickly set up the same formation once more and swiftly found the correct direction before proceeding ahead. After repeating the same cycle thrice, he finally found a massive stone tablet of three meters tall and two meters wide towering before him. It had a slightly pale exterior that seemed to hint at the long history behind it, battered by the wind and rain alike for many years. It was vibrating gently, emitting a pleasant sound that intoxicated minds. Walking up to it, Zhang Xuan saw three massive words inscribed majestically on it. The Unbounded World? Zhang Xuan frowned. Gazing further down, he noticed several lines of smaller words written beneath the three massive words. All who enter the Unbounded World will be ced under the effects of a demonic tune, falling into a trance. Only those with the most resolute of minds will be able to break free of the trance and forge a path through this maze that I have built. Those who are capable of breaking free of the demonic tunes and find their way here within three days will be bestowed with my secret art. Those who manage to do so within ten days will be granted a life-changing encounter. Those who exceed ten days, I can only say that your aptitude iscking. Since it is fate that you managed to find this tablet, allow me to advise you to leave thisnd as soon as possible! After reading the words on the tablet, Zhang Xuan blinked vacantly. From the point that I stepped through the door till this moment, I think... it hasnt even been an hour yet. To bestow a secret art upon those who manage to find this tablet within three days, isnt this test a little too easy? Surely, there cant be any who are so foolish as to not realize that something is amiss even after three whole days, right? Zhang Xuan thought as he turned his gaze further lower down the stone tablet. Several words in a different handwriting from those above came into sight. I, Zhang Yinqiu, together with my team, was lost within thesends for around half a month. With my humble capabilities, I dare not expect to earn anything out of this ancient domain. All I hope is that I arrived in time to stop the Otherworldly Demons. The old principal was lost in the Spatial Formation for more than half a month? Zhang Xuans lips twitched awkwardly. Who would have thought that there are really people that foolish? Chapter 1041: Secret Art Chapter 1041: Secret Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In Zhang Xuans opinion, the moment that something happened to one of the expedition members while walking in the Spatial Formation, the group should have immediately realized that something was amiss. From that, it shouldnt be too difficult for them to deduce that they had been assaulted by demonic tunes. Through some trial and error, no matter how foolish they were, two to three days should have been more than sufficient for them to get to the stone tablet. Yet, who would have thought that the old principal would actually take more than half a month to get here? Werent they a little too dimwitted to take that long? Perhaps, it was due to the limitations of their cultivation. After all, even Principal Wo Tianqiong and the others were stuck in a trance for quite some time themselves, unaware of the changes in their surroundings. After some contemtion, Zhang Xuan came up with a possible exnation. Most of the expedition members that the old principal had brought along were the elders of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Saint 1-dan cultivators. Even the strongest of them all would only have been at Spiritual Perception realm. So, it was likely that they had been in the same position as Wo Tianqiong and the otherbat masters. As soon as they arrived, they were already put into a trance, making them unaware of their surroundings or even the state that they were in as well. In such a situation, it would have been a huge blessing if they knew that they should consume a pill to replenish their energy, let alone uncovering the secrets of the Unbounded World. But since the old principal has left his words here, it goes to show that he has managed to walk out of this area alive, Zhang Xuan noted. This was the first trace of the old principal that they had encountered so far after all of the dangers they had been through, and with this, they could be entirely certain that they were on the right path. It is written on the stone tablet that anyone who manages to reach this point within three days will be bestowed with a secret art. Lets see what kind of secret art I will get. Knowing that it was more important to focus on what was ahead of him at this moment, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the stone tablet. The stone tablet was made out of some kind of particrly heavy material, nting it firmly in ce. Circling around the stone tablet, he swiftly noticed a groove on it that one could ce ones palm in. It felt as if some kind of unique power woulde to life just bying into contact with it. To be careful, Zhang Xuan closely examined the stone tablet, and only after verifying that there were no dangers regarding it did he finally heave a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, he still prepared several defensive measures before finally reaching out to ce his palm on the groove. It couldnt be helped. They hadnt gotten a grasp on the identity or personality of the master of the ancient domain yet, so it was still best to remain on guard. Weng! As soon as his palm came into contact with the groove, a brilliant sh of light burst into the air, and the seemingly omnipresent demonic tune abruptly came to a halt. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With the halting of the demonic tune, the other members would finally be free from the effects of the demonic tunes, and the depletion of their zhenqi and stamina should havee to a stop, putting them out of harms way. Jiyaya! The stone tablet suddenly jolted once more, and as if some kind of unique mechanism or formation hade to life, a loud hu! sounded. Following which, a figure came into appearance. The figure was an elder with white hair and a beard. Despite being a mere fragmented soul, he emanated a sharp aura that exerted immense pressure upon ones psyche. Wariness immediately surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes as he took a step back. Powerful... The elder was only a mere fragmented soul at the moment, on the verge of flickering out of existence after the passing of innumerable years. However, if the old elder were to make a move against him at this moment, there would still be nothing Zhang Xuan could do about it. Even as a fragmented soul, the elder wielded absolute power that Zhang Xuan could never hope to rival in his current state. There was no doubt that the elder had at least been a Saint 5-dan expert back when he was still alive. Otherwise, there was no way the other party could have left him feeling so apprehensive. "Theres no need to tense up, I mean you no harm. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the master of this ancient domain." Seemingly noticing the wariness in Zhang Xuans eyes, the figure smiled. The elder spoke in an approving tone. "Considering how you were able to see through my trap and find this location so quickly, your mental resilience and eye of discernment are far superior to others. There is no doubt that you are qualified to learn my secret art!" He had set the time limit to be three days, but the other party had spent no more than an hour to ovee his traps and find this stone tablet. Such an aplishment was beyond his expectations. With his hands behind his back, the elder said, "As a fragmented soul, I wont be able to remain here for long. So, hurry up and acknowledge me as your teacher!" "Acknowledge you as my teacher?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Indeed. If you wish to obtain my heritage, you have to be part of my lineage. Otherwise, how can I impart my secret art to you?" the elder replied with a nod. Lineage was extremely important when it came to the impartation of techniques. It was improper to learn the secret arts of another without bing the other partys student. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but hesitate. "This..." In his long journey, he had never acknowledged anyone as his teacher before. Even Kong shi had ended up being rejected by him. Thus, he couldnt help but feel extremely reluctant to acknowledge a person from a shady background and whose name he didnt even know as his teacher. Noticing Zhang Xuans conflicted expression, the elder asked in astonishment, "What? Are you unwilling?" Back when he was alive, the line of people who were queuing up to be his student could easily have circled a city many times over, and yet... he was offering to take the other party as his student so as to pass on his secret art, and yet, the other party was still hesitating. He couldnt help but find this situation unbelievable. After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan replied, "It is not that I am unwilling, but I already have a teacher of my own. Without his permission, it would be improper of me to take another man as my teacher." He had created the identity Yang Xuan to make things convenient for him, so naturally, he had no qualms about bringing it out in this situation either. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans worries, the elder chuckled softly. "It is impossible for a person to acknowledge only a single person as their teacher throughout their entire life. Even Kong shi acknowledged many teachers back then. This isnt something you need to worry about!" Even though Kong shi was the Worlds Teacher, he had not been born almighty. It was through the umtion of experiences and knowledge that he had eventually be the great man that he was. Naturally, it went without saying that he had taken many people as his teacher over the course of his journey as well, learning from their strengths to better himself. Since that was the case for him, it should have been even more so for others. There was really no need for others to hesitate over such a matter. "Elder, your words ring true. I was being too obsessed with appearances." Zhang Xuan nodded. A momentter, with a light smile, he continued. "I am willing to acknowledge you as my teacher, but is it possible for you to demonstrate the secret art that you are intending to impart to me first?" "Thats not a problem," the elder replied. It was normal for a student to want to see how powerful the teacher was before acknowledging the other party. After all, there was no one who would wish to acknowledge someone who was less skilled than them as their teacher. If he could win the other partys admiration, the other party would be more willing to acknowledge him as his teacher. While such a request could be seen as a challenge toward his authority, considering that many years had passed since then and he hadnt revealed his identity either, it wasnt too surprising that hed asked such a thing of him. The elder ced his hands behind his back, and a strong air of confidence and indomitability burst forth from him. "The secret art that I am going to impart you is a movement technique known as the Unbounded Voyager. There is a total of five dans to it, and if you cultivate it to Consummation, you will be able to disregard the confines of space itself and travel to wherever you want to in the shortest time possible!" "Unbounded Voyager?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He had never heard of this movement technique before, but just from the majestic name alone, he could tell that it was an extremely fearsome move. No wonder this Spatial Formation was known was the Unbounded World. Most likely, on top of assessing a cultivators mental resilience, it also served to examine their understanding of space and direction as well. Only those who possessed superior aptitude would be able to sense that something was amiss and find a solution to reach the stone tablet. And truthfully, if not for Zhang Xuans enhanced senses from cultivating the Heavens Path techniques, it would have been difficult for him to notice that something was amiss. "Indeed. Barriers there may be between the heavens and earth, but the true voyager treads unbounded. If one wishes to learn the most advanced of movement techniques, they must abandon the boundaries they limit themselves by. Only when ones heart is unbounded can one travel unrestrained throughout the world," the figure said calmly. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. This was simr to how true swordsmanship, at its very core, was devoid of any maneuvers. To be limited by ones maneuvers signified that one was still stuck at the elementary level of swordsmanship. True secret arts were techniques that had already surpassed the level of fixed maneuvers. Even though Zhang Xuan had never seen the Unbounded Voyager before, he could tell just from those words alone that it was an extraordinary technique. "Since you wish to see it, allow me to enlighten you!" Noticing the young mans astonishment, the elder knew that he had already seeded in winning the other party over, and a smile surfaced on his lips. Hu! There was no apparent movement at all, but the elder simply vanished on the spot. In the next moment, he was already several kilometers away. How swift! Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. He had been unable to follow the other partys movements with his eyes at all; it was already at a levelparable to teleportation! As powerful as the Heavens Path Movement Art was, it appeared as slow as a snail inparison to the Unbounded Voyager. Of course, it didnt mean that the Heavens Path Movement Art was an inferior technique. Rather, it was solely due to the huge difference in the tiers of both techniques. The Heavens Path Movement Art he was still cultivating at the moment waspiled based on the fundamental movement techniques that he had collected so far, and it hadnt even reached Saint-tier. It was understandable that it was weaker than the Unbounded Voyager. Hu! While Zhang Xuan was in shock, the figure in the distance suddenly blurred, and in an instant, it abruptly returned to where it had been before. It was as if the elder had never moved in the first ce, and the figure in the distance had just been a product of his imagination! "Are you willing to learn it?" the elder asked with a chuckle. Back then, even Kong shi had been filled with praise for this movement technique of his. He didnt believe that there was anyone who could reject it. "Your movement technique is indeed incredible, but..." Halfway through his words, Zhang Xuan suddenly paused, seemingly hesitating over something. "But?" The elder frowned. "There are a few ws with it thatpromise its strength," Zhang Xuan replied with a conflicted expression. "ws? What arrogance! Someone of your strength is actually able to discern ws in my movement technique?" Not expecting the young man before him to be so arrogant, the elder waved his hand in displeasure. Paying no heed to the elders rage, Zhang Xuan began speaking. "Firstly, when you were moving earlier, even though it happened so swiftly that it was hardly discernible, if I am not mistaken, you utilized zhenqi threads to facilitate the movement. "The concept behind the technique is simple. It is to first thread ones zhenqi to the area where one intends to move to before dragging ones body over like a puppet. This allows one to move from area to area with inconceivable speed, such that it is almost at the level of teleportation, but it has a major w as well. If an enemy were to notice the secret behind the technique and sever the thread beforehand, it could lead to one travelling to an unexpected area instead. Should such a scenario ur in battle, it could end up leading one to expose a fatal weakness to ones enemy. "Secondly, the technique is extremely demanding on ones zhenqi. While it does allow one to escape a fatal situation and flee to a safe location temporarily, the huge depletion of zhenqi resulting from it might deprive one of the ability to stand against ones enemy. Furthermore, if ones zhenqi were to run dry from the execution of the technique, it wouldnt take long for ones enemy to catch up, thus cing one is an extremely dangerous position. As such, it is not a technique that one can frequently use in battle. "Thirdly, moving at such speed is highly strenuous on ones body. You are able to do it easily because you are currently in the form of a soul, making you unaffected by the limitations of a body. On the other hand, a normal cultivator will require at least a body with the resilienceparable to a Saint-tier artifact before they can exert the technique without any incurring any injuries. How powerful must one be to obtain a physical body on par with Saint-tier artifacts? Do you have a physical body cultivation technique that can raise ones physical body to Saint-tier? If you dont have any... is there any meaning in learning this movement technique?" "You..." The elder had not paid the other party much heed at the start, but after hearing those words, his expression changed. Chapter 1042: Acknowledge Me as Your Teacher and I Will Teach You! Chapter 1042: Acknowledge Me as Your Teacher and I Will Teach You! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There were no mistakes in what the other party said at all. The first two ws were still not much of an issue. It wasnt easy for the crux of the Unbounded Voyager to be found due to its sheer speed, and if it was utilized well in battle, it could be a powerful weapon to catching ones opponent off guard. However, the third problem was indeed an issue that had been guing him for much time. The reason he had been able to cultivate the movement technique was due to the unique bloodline that flowed through his body, granting him a body superior to the others. Even without cultivating his physical body, he could still easily execute the technique without suffering any damage. However, the same could not be said about others. The Unbounded Voyager was a powerful movement technique, but it was impossible to master without a powerful body to withstand its overwhelming prowess. If one were to attempt to cultivate it forcefully, one might end up incurring devastating damage to ones body instead, resulting in a steep decline in ones cultivation. However, this was a problem that only those who had started cultivating the Unbounded Voyager would understand. For the other party to be able to discern such a problem with just a nce, wasnt his eye of discernment a little too formidable? Was he really just a Nascent Saint? On the other hand, noticing the expression on the elders face, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Even without utilizing his Library of Heavens Path, he could still easily find numerous ws in the other partys movement technique. In fact, back when he first cultivated the Heavens Path Movement Art, he had met with the same problem as well. Due to thecking resilience of his physical body, his body was nearly torn apart from the astounding speed he was traveling at. It was even more so for the Unbounded Voyager. Moving at the speed nearlyparable to teleportation, if ones physical body didnt meet the prerequisite, one would suffer devastating damage just by executing the technique. In the end, after everything the other party had said, the technique was only feasible when paired with exceptional zhenqi capacity and an incredibly resilient body, or else it would only end up hindering one. Of course, if one could meet the two prerequisites for the technique, the Unbounded Voyager could be a powerful trump card in battle, allowing one to be invincible within ones cultivation realm. As such, there was no way Zhang Xuan was going to let such a valuable technique slip through his fingers. But for him to acknowledge another man as his teacher, impossible! "How is it? Is there a mistake in what I have said?" Smiling, Zhang Xuan turned to the elder with a glint in his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, the elder replied, "There is indeed nothing wrong with what you have said. That is also the reason I only impart this technique to those who possess superior aptitude. The fact that you could pass through theva, as well as approach the seal outside and destroy it, shows that your physical body has already reached an incredible level. On top of that, your ability to find this stone tablet within the allocated time limit also shows that you possess a powerful soul and a vast capacity of zhenqi. Since that is the case, you have already met the prerequisites for the cultivation of the Unbounded Voyager. The issues that you have stated arent problems for you." Be it theva or the seal, they were trials that he had left behind to test those who entered the Spatial Formation. Since the other party hade this far, it meant that the other party had already met the basic requirements for the cultivation of the technique. As such, the ws that the other party had mentioned werent issues either. "I do possess the required ability to cultivate the Unbounded Voyager. Its just that... I happen to wield the ability to improve the Unbounded Voyager and make it even stronger. Are you willing to listen?" Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. "Improve the Unbounded Voyager? Impossible!" The elder shook his head. His cultivation had reached an astounding level before his death, but even so, he had still been unable to find a way to advance the Unbounded Voyager. How could the mere Nascent Saint before him possibly possess the ability to do so? "Theres no need to rush into denying the matter. Why dont we do this instead? Allow me to take a peek at the Unbounded Voyager cultivation technique, and I will point out the ws in it for you. You can make your choice after hearing my analysis and see whether there is a mistake in it or not," Zhang Xuan said. "Im fine with that. In any case, I was intending to pass down the secret art to you anyway, so its not a problem. However... I am only a fragmented soul, and the time I have is severely limited. It is probably going to be several hours before you are done reading, and I dont think that I canst until then," the elder said. The aim of leaving behind his ancient domain was to pass down his cultivation technique to theter generations, and the young man before him was a person who had passed his trial. Naturally, he would impart the Unbounded Voyager to the young man. However, the Unbounded Voyager was an incredibly profound technique that even the most talented of people would at least require several hours before they could finish reading the entire book, let alone find the ws in it! As a fragmented soul, the time he had left was sorelycking. Chances were that he would dissipate before the other party even finished browsing through the book, making it impossible for him to verify the authenticity of the other partys words. "I dont need several hours. As long as you can allow me a look at the cultivation technique, I will be able to find the ws in it for you within a minute!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "A minute?" The elder stared at the young man before him doubtfully. After a moment of hesitation, the elder flicked his wrist, and a series of words reminiscent of the Milky Way abruptly materialized in the sky. It was the manual for the Unbounded Voyager. Sweeping through it, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be astonished. Just as the other party had said, there were five dans to the technique, and each dan represented a realm. Even if he just cultivated the 1-dan to Consummation, the speed that he could travel at would increase by leaps and bounds. That meant that he would be able to disy a far greater fighting prowess than before as well. As astonished as Zhang Xuan was, he didnt allow it to show on his face. Exhaling deeply, he turned to the elder and remarked with a light smile, "This Unbounded Voyager is indeed a formidable technique, but... if I am not mistaken, there should be nine ws in it, right?" "You..." Shocked by Zhang Xuans words, the elder began trembling uncontrobly. Back then, he had asked Kong shi to evaluate this movement technique of his, and thetter did mention that there were nine ws with it as well. However, instead of correcting the technique for him, Kong shi had only pointed them out to him and asked him to think of a way to resolve them himself. When he opened the ancient domain, his strength hadnt reached its peak yet, and he had yet to find a way to resolve the issues in the Unbounded Voyager. Thus, he could only leave the wed movement technique behind. Who would have thought that the person he was intending to pass the movement technique down to would be able toe to the same conclusion just by taking a glimpse at the manual? Wasnt his eye of discernment way too terrifying? "Firstly, in the cultivation of the 1-dan, when driving ones zhenqi through the Bimen acupoint, it will produce an effect of temporary blindness. With a bit of bad luck, it is possible that one might even lose ones sense of sight permanently. Am I right?" "This... Youre right." After a moment of hesitation, the elder nodded. That was exactly what Kong shi had said to him back then! Back when he had just started cultivating the Unbounded Voyager 1-dan, he had indeed encountered signs of losing his sense of sight. It was fortunate that Kong shi had saved him then and resolved his trauma. Zhang Xuan continued. "The reason for the urrence of such a situation is due to the zhenqi threads passing through the Mingmou acupoint. There are some problems with the cirction pathway of the technique, and as long as the correct pathway isnt found, such a situation will ur." The Library of Heavens Path couldnt correct the ws by itself and provide him with a wless Unbounded Voyager. Nevertheless, just by pointing out the ws alone, he could still easily win the other partys trust. Without giving the other party any time to recover from his shock, Zhang Xuan pushed on. "The second w is also within the cultivation of the Unbounded Voyager 1-dan. During the cultivation process, it must bepleted within a single breath. If one were to run out of zhenqi in the process and fail to push into the Shenxing acupoint, there is a good chance that one might be paralyzed for life..." The crux to the incredible speed of the Unbounded Voyagery in the opening of the Shenxing acupoint. However, the acupoint was located at the center of ones feet, and it was an extraordinarily difficult acupoint to open. It was highly demanding on the purity and quantity of zhenqi one harnessed. The slightest deviation that urred in this stage could result in full body paralysis! Even though he had been spared from that unfortunate oue back when he was cultivating it, a couple of students he had eptedter on werent as lucky as him. Instead of mastering the technique, they had ended up losing their ability to walk instead. All along, he had thought that it was due to his students weak body andcking zhenqi. He had thought that, as long he could find someone who possessed a bloodline as powerful as his, the problem could be averted entirely. However, at that moment, the young man was saying the very same words that Kong shi had told him back then, and this left him thinking that the matter might not have been as simple as he thought it was. "The third w is in the Unbounded Voyager 2-dan. While cultivating that realm, the driving of ones zhenqi through that point could lead to the breeding of Inner Demons..." "The fourth w lies in the 3-dan..." "The fifth w..." ... In a single breath, Zhang Xuan spilled out the nine ws in the Unbounded Voyager in detail. These were all reflected in the Library of Heavens Path, so he only had to read them out ordingly. "... and these are the nine ws that I have identified. Is there any mistake with my analysis?" "T-this..." The elder trembled uncontrobly as he retracted the words in the sky before nodding. "There is no mistake at all. Your analysis is correct!" At that moment, there was no word that could possibly describe the immense shock he was feeling. The manual for the Unbounded Voyager consisted of over ten thousand words, and the meaning behind them was extremely profound as well. Even he would have needed several hours before he could fully make sense out of the entire manual. Yet, with a simple nce, the other party had been able to point out the ws in it, and it was exactly the same as what Kong shi had said back then. His eye of discernment was truly frightening! His talent was nowhere beneath that of Kong shis! "Do you believe that I can improve the Unbounded Voyager for you now?" Zhang Xuan said. The elder was conflicted for a short moment before eventually nodding. "... I do." Judging from how the other party was able to point out the ws in the Unbounded Voyager with just a nce, it wouldnt be too difficult for him to correct them and bring it a step closer to perfection. "Good. Right, there is something that I want to ask you. Did a group of master teachers pass by this area two years ago? May I know if they are still living?" Zhang Xuan asked. "There was indeed a group of master teachers who passed by this stone tablet two years ago. However, as they didnt find the way out of the Unbounded World in the allocated time, I didnt impart my secret art to them, simply sending them away. However, they didnt listen to my advice and chose to continue onward. As this soul of mine is bound here, I am not too sure about how they fared in theter trials," the elder replied. Despite being a soul fragment of the ancient domains master, he was effectively no different from a puppet that had been left behind to stand guard in the Unbounded World. Anything beyond this trial was outside his scope of authority, so he had no way of peeking and learning about it. "Alright then." Hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and nodded. He had thought that he could receive some vital news from the other party, but it seemed like he could only take one step at a time. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was about to turn around and leave when the elder behind him suddenly spoke up. "Since you know the way to perfecting the Unbounded Voyager, can you share it with me?" This question had been guing him for the longest time. As he had been left behind in the Unbounded World before these problems could be resolved, he had never had a chance to learn of the solutions to resolving the problems. While the time he had left was limited, if he could learn of the correct cultivation technique before his dissipation, his life wouldnt have been spent in vain. If this final regret of his could be resolved, he wouldnt mind even if he were to dissipate then and there! Halting in his footsteps, Zhang Xuan turned around and asked, "You wish to know how to resolve the ws of the Unbounded Voyager?" "Thats right!" The elder nodded. "If you can enlighten me, I will be extremely grateful to you!" Since the other party had been able to see through the ws in his cultivation technique with just a single look, he dared not pull his weight and say words about how he was going to impart the Unbounded Voyager to the other party anymore. Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back, and an indomitable aura burst forth from him, as if a deity that had descended from the heavens. "Acknowledge me as your teacher, and I will impart it to you!" Chapter 1043: Field of Lightning Chapter 1043: Field of Lightning Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "..." The elder staggered. For a moment there, he nearly dissipated on the spot. The reason he had left his fragmented soul behind was to ept new students so as to pass down his secret art to theter generations, not to acknowledge other people as his teacher! Yet, not only did he fail to score himself his student, the other party was even intending to take him on as a student. The immense frustration that he felt left him feeling like he was going to explode on the spot. But thinking back, he was the person who had said If you wish to obtain my heritage, you have to join my lineage. Otherwise, how can I impart my secret art to you? Now that he wanted the other party to impart the perfected Unbounded Voyager to him, it went without saying that the same rules should apply as well. Why should the other party teach him otherwise? "Alright, I was being too superficial then..." Shaking his head, the elder decided to ask no more. Turning his gaze to Zhang Xuan, he said, "The true ancient domain lies beyond me, and you will face far greater danger than this. I wish you the best in your journey." After saying those words, the silhouette of the elder began to fade. Normally, the other party should have been able to maintain his existence for some time. However, after suffering the heavy blow from Zhang Xuan, the other party found himself unable to hold on any longer. Hu! The elder vanished from sight, and cracks swiftly crept across the stone tablet before him. Kacha, kacha! In the blink of an eye, it had already copsed into a pile of rubble on the ground. "You havent told me what your name is..." Not expecting the other party to vanish so abruptly, Zhang Xuan was dazed. In truth, when he said that he could correct the ws of the Unbounded Voyager and improve it, it had been nothing more than a ploy to lure the other party into taking out the manual. The movement techniques that he had collected thus far were simply too weak; it was impossible topile them with such an advanced technique. As such, even though Zhang Xuan could easily point out the ws regarding the Unbounded Voyager, it was impossible for him to correct them. Seeing how earnestly the other party was seeking guidance from him, he had no choice but to use the other partys words against him. Who would have thought that the other party would vanish shortly after he finished saying those words? He had received the other partys Unbounded Voyager manual, but in the end, he realized that he didnt even know the other partys name. Facing the shattered stone tablet before him, Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. "Elder, thank you for your movement technique. I will surely bring it glory so as to not let you down!" No matter what, the other party deserved an earnest bow from him. This Unbounded Voyager might be powerful, but I am still unable to cultivate it yet. After paying his respects to the elder, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the movement technique that he had just obtained, and he couldnt help but shake his head helplessly. His zhenqi and physical body did meet the required mark, allowing him to execute the technique without his zhenqi running dry or his physical body being strained beyond its limit. However, there was another issue that Zhang Xuan was particrly concerned with... there were simply too many ws with the technique! He really couldnt bring himself to practice such a wed technique. Just the w in the first dan of the movement technique could potentially deprive him of his vision. He didnt wish to be blind from practicing this technique. It seemed like he would really have to find higher tier movement technique manuals topile together with the Unbounded Voyager so as to perfect it when he got out. In any case, the Heavens Path Movement Art was sufficient for the time being, so there was no need for him to take the risk. Alright, I should return first. Since the sound of the breeze has stopped, they should have all recovered from their trance too. I should head back to find them now. Putting aside the Unbounded Voyager for the time being, Zhang Xuan turned around and returned in the direction he hade from. The other expedition members had been under the control of the demonic tune previously, but with the disappearance of the sound of the breeze, they should have recovered from their trance. Along the way, he took back the various formations he had set up on the way to point out the direction for him, and not too longter, he finally returned to where he had parted with Wu shi and the others. Taking a look at the surroundings, he couldnt help but frown grimly. There was not a person in sight, but the entire area was a mess. Innumerable depressions could be seen all around, and fresh blood was scattered here and there. It seemed as if a ferocious fight had just happened in the area. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. What happened? Wu shi and the others were Saint 4-dan experts. What kind of danger could they have encountered that would result in such an intense battle, such that they wouldnt even have the time to leave a message or the sort for him? Eye of Insight! Knowing that the expedition team might have met with danger, Zhang Xuan dared not hesitate. He swiftly scanned his surroundings carefully, and before long, a faint trail appeared before his eyes. Follow it! Zhang Xuan immediately tracked the trail with hastened footsteps. The Otherworldly Demons? Not too longter, he stumbled by yet another battlefield. This time, not only was there the blood of humans, there were also the carcasses of two ughtered Otherworldly Demons. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. This is bad... It might have taken some time for others to analyze the carcasses to deduce the power level of the Otherworldly Demons before their deaths, but as one who possessed the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could do it with just a swift nce. He could tell that the two deceased Otherworldly Demons were Saint 3-dan experts! With such strength, the duo could be considered experts even among the Qingtian royalty. Hu! With a thought, the Violetleaf King appeared before Zhang Xuan. "Do you recognize these two fellows?" Zhang Xuan asked gravely. Based on previous experiences, it was apparent that the Qingtian royalty had set their eyes upon the ancient domain as well. Thus, it was safe to assume that any Otherworldly Demons that appeared were rted to the Qingtian royalty. The Violetleaf King examined the two carcasses in front of him for a brief moment before turning to Zhang Xuan to report. "Reporting to Young Master, I dont know those two. However... judging from their features, they are most likely the subordinates of the Stoneleaf King!" "Stoneleaf King?" Zhang Xuan frowned. That was the Otherworldly Demon King who was ranked fourth of the Five Upper Kings! "The Stoneleaf King is known for his superior physical body. When his cultivation technique is active, his entire body will gain toughnessparable to the strongest granite in the world, granting him foolproof defense! Considering how the skin of these two Otherworldly Demons is dry and rough, it appears that they have practiced a simr cultivation technique to that of the Stoneleaf King, so it is very likely that they are his subordinates," the Violetleaf King analyzed. Zhang Xuan nodded. Back when he examined the duo with the Eye of Insight, he did notice that their skin was a little cracked and grayish, reminiscent of a stone. He had thought that it might have been a result of the poor environment they had grown up in, resulting in the aged appearance of their skin. However, judging from the Violetleaf Kings words, it appeared that it was the result of the practicing of some kind of unique cultivation technique. After understanding what was going on, the Violetleaf King remarked, "The Stoneleaf King is a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, and he boasts indomitable physical prowess. Even I dare not stand up against him as an enemy. I fear that it will be extremely dangerous for Wu shi and the others to face him!" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a little apprehensive at those words. Not daring to waste any time, he hurriedly followed the trail forward. Hong long long! Proceeding forward for a while longer, a rumble abruptly sounded from the front. Gazing ahead, Zhang Xuan saw that the area in front of him was filled with dark, ominous clouds. Innumerable streaks of lightning shed furiously across the area, and the deafening rumbling of thunder roared ceaselessly in the air. The Spatial Formation they were in had conditions that deeply resembled those of the external world. There were varying seasons and weather conditions, and naturally, there was spring lightning 1 as well. Seeing that the trail led into the field of lightning, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but frown. They are in there... The spring lightning before him was extremely fearsome; just a brief moment of carelessness could easily result in one being struck to death. Under normal circumstances, he would surely have fled as far away as possible, not daring to get close at all. Yet, the expedition team had actually dared to step into such treacherousnds. It seemed like the danger they were facing was far greater than he had imagined. I really should have left the Golden Origin Cauldron with them, Zhang Xuan thought in self-reproach. He thought that the only danger that the crowd would face in the Unbounded Formation was from the sound of the breeze, so he didnt bother leaving the Golden Origin Cauldron behind to protect them. Yet, who would have thought that they would end up encountering Otherworldly Demons? "Young Master, the lightning is very dangerous. Are you really intending to enter?" The Violetleaf King couldnt help but cower at the field of lightning. "You should enter the Myriad Anthive Nest for the time being!" Knowing that an additional member would just mean an additional target for the lightning to strike, Zhang Xuan had the Violetleaf King return to the Myriad Anthive Nest. Just as he was about to step into the field of lightning, a thought surfaced in his mind, and he halted. He quickly searched for a discreet area where he could hide at and sat down cross-legged. After ensuring that there was no one in the vicinity, he drew his soul out from his be. If the expedition team was truly being pursued by the Otherworldly Demons, he had to get to them quickly to save them. If he attempted to enter with his physical body, there was a good chance that the lightning could be drawn to him, resulting in his advancement being slowed significantly. Thus, it would be much safer and faster to head in with his soul. His soul was intangible and possessed no attribute, so as long as he didnt intentionally show himself, the lightning wouldnt be able to notice him. Zhang Xuan swiftly stowed his physical body into the Myriad Anthive Nest as well before cing it into his storage ring. After which, holding onto the storage ring with his soul energy, he dived into the field of lightning. Tracing the trail on the ground with his Eye of Insight, he swiftly proceeded forward. The trail had mostly been erased by the force of the lightning, making it impossible for even a 7-star high-tier master teacher like Wu shi to trace it. It was only due to Zhang Xuans extraordinarily sharp eyes that he was still able to follow it. After flying for a while, Zhang Xuan felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy ahead of him. The lightning streaks seemed to concentrate right ahead, and amid their thunderous roars, he could barely make out the din ofbat. Rushing forward, Zhang Xuan soon found an extremely ancient city at the very center of the lightning. Within the city, the lightning seemed to have weakened considerably. Two groups were currently shing with one another intensely within the ancient city. Wu shi and the others were seated cross-legged on the ground, their faces pale from the injuries they had sustained. On the other hand, there were eight ferocious-looking Otherworldly Demons surrounding them. "Violetleaf King, is the Stoneleaf King among the group there?" For Wu shi and the others to be left in such a state, their opponent was definitely no pushover. Knowing that he couldnt act recklessly at such a moment, Zhang Xuan hurriedlymunicated with the Violetleaf King in the Myriad Anthive Nest in hopes of obtaining more intelligence regarding the enemy forces. After taking a look, the Violetleaf King replied telepathically, "Young Master, the Stoneleaf King isnt among the group. The eight Otherworldly Demons over there are likely his subordinates. Even so, they boast superior defense and are unafraid of death, making them fearsome adversaries." "The Stoneleaf King isnt there?" Hearing that the Stoneleaf King wasnt amid the group, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly slipped his soul back into the Myriad Anthive Nest and returned back to his body before silently reappearing on the spot. He was the only reinforcement the expedition team had at the moment. If he wanted to save them, he would have to defeat all of the Otherworldly Demons in a single sweep. Otherwise, if the enemy were allowed time to regroup and encircle them once more, he could very well be ced in a very dangerous position. Zhang Xuan summoned the Golden Origin Cauldron out and instructed it grimly, "Ding Ding, you will be attacking with me in a moment." "Young Master, rest assured. I will reduce that bunch to cinders!" the Golden Origin Cauldron dered confidently. It had always loved fighting, but it was a pity that it didnt have many opportunities to do so. This was a rare chance for it to go all out, so how could it let such an opportunity slip through its fingers? "Alright. Move!" Identifying the best possible timing to strike, Zhang Xuanmanded the Golden Origin Cauldron before dashing forward. Executing the Heavens Path Movement Art, he charged right up furiously and rammed forcefully into an Otherworldly Demon. His physical body was currently on par with Saint low-tier artifacts. The sheer force he harnessed in his ram was far greater than the might of any weapon that he could wield. Peng! The Otherworldly Demon that he struck was immediately killed on the spot. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to turn around andunch an attack toward the next enemy, he suddenly heard cries of agony behind him. Ahhhh! Turning around, he saw that the Golden Origin Cauldron, with its size erged to its maximum, had fallen down upon the remaining seven Otherworldly Demons, crushing them into meat paste. Even in the moment before their deaths, the seven Otherworldly Demons had dazed looks on their faces, not knowing what was happening at all. That is too savage. Stunned, Zhang Xuan didnt even notice that his mouth was wide open. He had thought that it was already very formidable that he could ram an Otherworldly Demon to death with his body, but who could have known that Golden Origin Cauldron would top his feat? It was as if what he had done was nothing more than childs y. Chapter 1044: Ancient Sage Qiu Wu Chapter 1044: Ancient Sage Qiu Wu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Several minutes earlier... Seated on the floor, the pale-faced Wu shi said, "I never thought that I, Wu Rufeng, would end up dying under the encirclement of a bunch of Saint 3-dan Otherworldly Demons." In this moment, his confident eyes were filled with nothing but despondence. Shortly after the demonic tune was finally dispelled, they encountered this bunch of Otherworldly Demons. Under the torture of the demonic tunes, their expedition team had been severely depleted of their zhenqi and stamina, such that even walking was difficult for them. In their current state, there was no way they could withstand the ferocious assault of the Otherworldly Demons. They had been left with no choice but to try their best to flee while fending off the Otherworldly Demon. Through pushing himself to his limit, Wu shi had managed to y two of the Otherworldly Demons, but in the end, he had ended up being severely wounded by a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon shortly after. Even though they had already prepared themselves to face death in the exploration of the ancient domain, they hadnt even met the shadows of Zhang Yinqiu and the others yet! How could he die when he hadnt even managed to aplish anything yet? More importantly, as a 7-star high-tier master teacher, he felt like it was a great humiliation to die at the hands of the Otherworldly Demons. "If we really cant hold on any further, lets just explode our cultivation. I dont want to die and have my corpse tarnished in their hands!" If his corpse were to be used by the Otherworldly Demons as a tribute for them to gain even more power, there was no way he would be able to rest in peace. Instead of being humiliated in such a manner, he would rather implode himself, and perhaps, he might be able to bring some enemies down with him, bringing some value to his death. With gritted teeth, the rest of the crowd nodded in agreement. "Very well!" The ones present in the area came from various walks in lifemaster teachers,bat masters, and formation masters. However, they shared amon trait; they were all humans. "Farewell, my friends and family. Farewell, the Master Teacher Pavilion. Farewell, mankind. I apologize for being unable to aplish my mission." Sighing deeply, the crowd was just about to give up their struggles and explode their cultivation when they suddenly saw a figure heading toward them. "Principal Zhang?" Upon seeing the other partys appearance, everyone couldnt help but clench their fists tightly, and their faces reddened in agitation. They had thought that they were doomed, but who would have thought that Principal Chang would arrive at the veryst moment? Without utilizing any techniques, Zhang Xuan charged right into the fray. With just a single ram, he had already knocked an Otherworldly Demon into meat paste. The Golden Origin Cauldron was even more formidable. It expanded until it was several dozen meters wide and plummeted down upon the Otherworldly Demons from the sky, smashing seven of them in a single breath. The Saint intermediate-tier Golden Origin Cauldron wielded fighting prowess on par with a Saint 4-dan pinnacle cultivator, and the Otherworldly Demons surrounding them were merely at Saint 3-dan. There was no way they could possibly withstand its strength. "Dont kill them fir..." Zhang Xuan tried to stop the Golden Origin Cauldron, but before he could finish his words, he realized that the group of Otherworldly Demons were already all dead. Thus, the rest of the words ended up being choked in his mouth, unable to be spoken. He had been nning on keeping one of them alive for interrogation, but who could have known that the Golden Origin Cauldron would move so quickly? Barely after he had defeated his first one, the other party had already ended the remaining ones, not allowing him any time to stop it at all. "Forget it..." Zhang Xuan shook his head before walking up to the expedition team. "How are you all feeling?" With his eye of discernment, he could tell that their injuries were rather significant. It would take quite a bit of effort to heal them. "Thank you for saving our lives..." After expressing their gratitude to Zhang Xuan, the members of the expedition team hurriedly took out recovery pills from their storage rings and swallowed them. The injuries they had sustained were so severe that they could only afford to utter a word of thanks before rushing off to recuperate. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan knew that they had their own recovery means, so he chose not to interfere too much either. Gazing at the crowd from his position, his frown couldnt help but gradually deepen with impatience. Wu shi was the first one to recover to a decent extent from his injuries, and he slowly opened his eyes. It was due to them being assaulted by the Otherworldly Demons while they were in a deeply weakened state that they had fallen so easily. Had the expedition team been at its full strength, they would have been able to deal with the enemy easily even if there were two Saint 4-dan experts on the other side. "What happened?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Its like this. Not too long after Principal Zhang left, we were encircled by the Otherworldly Demon..." Wu shi began going through the situation back then in detail. After learning of the ins and outs of the situation, Zhang Xuan realized that the Otherworldly Demons who had left the expedition team fleeing frantically werent as scary as he had imagined, and he heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he couldnt help but ask, "Where is Luo shi? Why isnt she with you?" Zhang Xuan had been looking out for her ever since he arrived, but it was apparent that Luo Ruoxin wasnt among the expedition team. That was also the reason he was feeling deeply worried. "As soon as the demonic tune vanished, Luo shi seemed to have noticed something, so she left the expedition team to take a look. As for exactly where she went, we arent too sure either," Wu shi replied. Luo Ruoxin had left right after the demonic tune vanished, and just barely two minutes after her disappearance, the Otherworldly Demons had suddenlye to attack. If she had been around, perhaps the expedition team wouldnt have faced such a crushing defeat. "You arent too sure either?" Zhang Xuan frowned. She couldnt have encountered Otherworldly Demons in the midst of her journey either, could she? Even the entire expedition team had nearly been wiped out from facing them, so how could she possibly withstand their prowess alone? "Wait a moment. You said that a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon attacked you earlier, where is that fellow now?" Earlier, Wu shi had mentioned that there was a powerful Otherworldly Demon that had severely wounded him earlier. Otherwise, with the powerful Wu shi holding the fort, they wouldnt have lost so tragically. If Zhang Xuans guess wasnt off, that Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon should have been the Stoneleaf King. But... why wasnt he here at the moment? Could it be that he had found the whereabouts of Luo Ruoxin and gone off to pursue her? This time, it was Guild Leader Han who replied. "Shortly after entering this ancient city, he gave his subordinates some instructions and left the area hurriedly. It seemed like he was going to find some kind of treasure hidden within the field of lightning urgently." After a moment of recuperation, Guild Leader Han had recovered a fair bit as well. While the wounds he was carrying at the moment were still rather severe, he was out of danger for the time being. He left to find some kind of treasure? Anything is fine as long as hes not going after Luo Ruoxin. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and instructed, "Ding Ding, stay here to protect the others. I am going to look for Luo shi first." No matter what the Stoneleaf King was up to, Zhang Xuans priorities were clear. There was nothing more important than Luo Ruoxins safety to him. After leaving the expedition team, Zhang Xuan swiftly left the field of lightning in his soul form and searched around the area. Not too longter, he managed to find a trail. Following the trail, he eventually found a youngdy standing before a shattered stone tablet with a contemtive frown etched on her forehead. Zhang Xuan hurried forward to ask, "Are you fine?" Upon seeing him, Luo Ruoxin chuckled and replied, "I am fine. Whats wrong? Did something happen?" "Wu shi and the others met with some trouble..." Zhang Xuan quickly filled Luo Ruoxin in on the happenings in her absence. "They came under the attack of the Otherworldly Demons?" Luo Ruoxin harrumphed coldly. "Those scoundrels! They must have followed us in." As the seal outside had been broken, the door could no longer keep anyone out. The Otherworldly Demons had probably gotten into the ancient domain by following them discreetly. Zhang Xuan nodded as well. Luo Ruoxin pointed at the rubble in front of her and asked, "Are you the one who destroyed the stone tablet?" "This..." Zhang Xuan was slightly embarrassed. While he hadnt destroyed the stone tablet with his own hands, its destruction could be attributed very directly to him. It wouldnt be too far-fetched to say that he was the culprit even. "There is something weird with the stone tablet. Did you realize that it is made of the same material as the inscribed cliff face on the Saint Ascension tform? Furthermore, this Spatial Formation deeply resembles the folded space that Kong shi left his scroll in back then," Luo Ruoxin said contemtively. "This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned. Now that the other party mentioned it, he realized that there was indeed a deep resemnce between the two. Simr materials being used could be attributed to the close proximity between the Saint Ascension tform to this ancient domain. The cliff face was indeed a material that boasted a greater longevitypared to the others, so it wasnt too surprising for the master of the ancient domain to select it. But the resemnce between both spaces was too much to pass off as a mere coincidence. Could this ancient domain... really be rted to Kong shi? Zhang Xuan thought. There were quite a few people who had deduced that there might be a connection between the two since they were rather close with one another, but due to the silent restraint on the discussion of Kong shis affairs, they dared not talk too much about it. "No, thats not it... I was the one who activated the stone tablet, and the elder who appeared wasnt Kong shi..." Zhang Xuan said. The elder who appeared earlier had imed that he was the master of the ancient domain, but his appearance and gestures werepletely different to Kong shis! Hearing that it was Zhang Xuan who had activated the stone tablet, Luo Ruoxin hurriedly turned her gaze over. "What was that elders name?" "His name? He didnt tell me... However, he did impart a movement technique to me that goes by the name of... Unbounded Voyager!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Unbounded Voyager? Could it be..." Luo Ruoxins eyes lit up as a thought came to her mind. Noting Luo Ruoxins reaction, Zhang Xuan asked, "You have heard of that movement technique before?" "If the movement technique you have been given is truly Unbounded Voyager, then the person you met was most likely Ancient Sage Qiu Wu!" Luo Ruoxin replied. "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "I think I have heard of that name before... Wait! He is the expert who created the seal in the Subterranean Gallery beneath the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" Back then, to repair the seal, Zhang Xuan hadpiled a book on the seal, and from it, he had learned that it had been created by an expert who went by the name of Qiu Wu. Could it be that... the elder who intended to ept him as his student was a fragmented soul of that expert? Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shudder at the notion, and cold sweat broke out all over his body. An expert that was able of creating a seal that even 9-star master teachers were incapable of breaking open... And he actually tried to take the other party in as his student... How could he have been so brazen? It was fortunate that the elder hadnt gotten angry over the matter, or else, even as a fragmented soul, the other party would still have been more than capable of destroying him. "Un. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu possesses a deep understanding regarding thews of space. Most of the seals to the otherworldly battlefields were set up by him!" Luo Ruoxin nodded. "While Ancient Sage Qiu Wu wasnt Kong shis student, he was one of Kong shis staunch followers. Possessing an unfathomable cultivation, he stood beside Kong shi no matter where thetter went. On the surface, it might have seemed as if their rtionship was that between a master and a servant, but in truth, they were close like brothers. Even the 72 Sages who inherited Kong shis heritage had to respectfully address him as Senior Uncle Qiu Wu 1 !" "Senior Uncle Qiu Wu?" "Indeed. Qiu Wu has devoted his life to following Kong shi, and back then, in order to fend off the offense of the Otherworldly Demons, he used his own body as the catalyst for a seal so as to stop the enemy in their tracks, thus buying precious time for the human race. Among the respected predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, his contribution is definitely ranked within the top five!" Admiration and respect couldnt help but surface in Luo Ruoxins eyes as she spoke of Qiu Wu. "That is the reason many of theter generations respected him deeply. Putting everything aside, just Pavilion Master Gou of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion is one of his most fervent fans... Zhang shi, whats wrong?" At this point, Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze over and noticed that, at some point in time, Zhang Xuan had copsed weakly to the ground with a look of despair on his face. It was as if someone had pped him hard on his face, and he looked so vexed that he was about to cry. Chapter 1045: Soul Tempering Through Lightning Chapter 1045: Soul Tempering Through Lightning Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Its fine..." Zhang Xuan struggled to his feet, but his entire body still felt limp and weak. He had actually tried to make an expert like Ancient Sage Qiu Wu acknowledge him as his teacher. It was fortunate that no one else knew, or else Wu shi and the others might just have pummeled him to death! "Just a moment ago, I sensed a powerful fragmented soul that harnessed an ancient aura in the area, so I hurriedly left the expedition team to rush over. However, it abruptly vanished before I could reach here. It turns out that it was Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Have you mastered his Unbounded Voyager yet?" Luo Ruoxin asked. "I havent learned it yet..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You havent learned it? Well, I have read some records regarding the Unbounded Voyager, and it appears that the movement technique is highly demanding on ones physical body and zhenqi. It is not something that can be mastered easily, so theres no need for you to rush into it." Noting the crestfallen look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Ruoxin thought that he was feeling down because he hadnt managed to master it, so she attempted to console him. "Un." Knowing that there was no way he could exin the matter either, Zhang Xuan nodded with a bitter smile. Luo Ruoxin continued. "The Unbounded Voyager can definitely be ranked within the top three movement techniques on the Master Teacher Continent, so you must take caution when using it publicly. Otherwise, if others were to notice it, you might end up bringing trouble upon yourself." While master teachers were bound by rules, sometimes, in face of an unparalleled treasure, greed could be a sufficiently powerful force for them to cast aside their morals. Using the current Zhang Xuan as an example, it was not that there wasnt anyone who was tempted to obtain his cultivation technique and battle techniques, considering the incredible fighting prowess he wielded. The only reason no one had done so thus far was due to their fear of Yang shi and the Master Teacher Pavilion! Had it not been for Yang shis asional appearances reminding everyone that he had the backing of a fearsomely powerful teacher, he could have already been taken down long ago and forced to spill all of the secrets he had. Such was the case for the Unbounded Voyager, too. Not only was it powerful, it was also a part of the legendary Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage. Once news that Zhang Xuan was in possession of it spread... perhaps master teachers might still hold themselves back, in consideration of their standing, but the same couldnt be said about the other unaffiliated cultivators or those from other upations. It was for this very reason that Zhang Xuan had been so fixated on the idea of maintaining a low profile. As the old adage goes, better safe than sorry. "Thank you for your reminder, I will take note of it!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Un. Since Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has appeared once, it is very likely that we will have many more opportunities to meet himter on. For the time being, lets hurry back to where Wu shi and the others are. If the Stoneleaf King you spoke of goes back to them, they will be in grave danger," Luo Ruoxin said. "Yes, youre right. We will still have plenty of chances to meet him in the future. Alright, lets go!" Zhang Xuan was still feeling deeply guilty over the words that he had spoken. Upon hearing that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would very likely appear again in the future, he heaved a sigh of relief. Indeed, the elder whose dissipation he had induced was just a fragmented soul. They were bound to meet more as they travel through the ancient domain. At the very most, he would just have to apologize to himter on. The urgent matter at hand wasnt for him to be conflicted over such trivialities but to advance deeper into the ancient domain, find the old principal, and foil the ns of the Otherworldly Demons. He would only be truly letting down Ancient Sage Qiu Wu if he allowed the Otherworldly Demons ploys in the ancient domain to seed. Without any hesitation, the duo began heading toward the field of lightning. Hong long long! Before they could evene close to the field of lightning, they could already hear the domineering thunder roaring in the distance, as if some kind of powerful force was trying to rip the world into two. Soon, arriving before the field of lightning, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. The field of lightning had been plenty frightening when he first arrived as well, but the sight before him at that moment was a true catastrophe. To make aparison, the field of lightning had intensified from a drizzle into a heavy downpour. Countless streaks of lightning assaulted thend relentlessly with frightening concentration, turning the ground pitch ck. It was as if someone had carried out an entire stretch of hell and shifted it here, leaving others to keep a distance away from it fearfully. What happened? Why did the lightning suddenly run amok? Zhang Xuan was deeply anxious and worried. Wu shi and the others hadnt recovered from their injuries yet! In face of such a powerful lightning storm, they could very well be in danger! Just what could have happened for the rtively calmer field of lightning to abruptly go berserk? "How do we enter?" Zhang Xuan frowned in vexation. When the lightning had been sparser, he had still been able to evade them easily using his soul. But with the lightning bing so frighteningly concentrated, drowning the entire area, no matter how fast his reaction speed was, there was no way he could avoid every single one of the lightning! He would be reduced to cinders before he could even get in! "The lightning is far too concentrated; it wont be feasible for us to charge in forcefully." Luo Ruoxins eyebrows were also knitted together. She was also unable to think of a workable solution to get into the field of lightning at the moment. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before turning to Luo Ruoxin and saying, "You should enter the Myriad Anthive Nest for the moment. I will try to think of a way to get through the field of lightning." She had been with him when the Myriad Anthive Queen consumed the folded space at the Saint Ascension tform, so it was no secret to her. After slight hesitation, Luo Ruoxin nodded. "Alright then. You have to be careful." "Un." After having Luo Ruoxin enter the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan attempted the same ploy he had utilized before. He drew his soul out from his body and charged in. Before such violent lightning, it wouldnt take long for even his Saint low-tier physical body to be reduced to a lump of meat. It would be far safer for him to enter in his soul form. Due to the intangible nature of souls, it could ward off most of the energy from the lightning, thus minimizing the danger that one would face from it. Hong long! As soon as Zhang Xuan entered, several bolts of lightning immediately fell from the sky and struck his soul squarely. In an instant, his soul stiffened entirely, and a piercing pain threatened to tear him apart. "Yowch..." Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth forcefully to endure the excruciating pain his soul was put under. It was fortunate that he cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, so his soul was devoid of the yin attribute. Otherwise, considering the vulnerability of the yin attribute to lightning, his soul might have just dissipated then and there. Nevertheless, as if he had been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts 1 , he felt like innumerable steel needles were piercing into his soul. The sheer pain he was put under pushed his mind to its very limit, and he felt as if he could faint on the spot. At this rate, I think that I will die of pain before I can persevere up to where Wu shi and the others are, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. He had strong mental resilience, granting him great tolerance to pain. Nevertheless, the excruciating pain from the lightning striking down on him relentlessly still left him feeling as if he would faint at any moment. He was still a distance away from the ancient city where Wu shi and the others were. He really couldnt imagine himself moving his soul over under such circumstances. I dont have a choice at the moment. I will have to deal with the pain no matter how unbearable it is. If I am already in such a state despite my soul form, Wu shi and the others must be in an even worse position than I am.] Zhang Xuan clenched his jaws tightly. Wu shi and the others were currently located at the very heart of the field of lightning, and there was no doubt that there were in grave danger at the moment. He had to save them as quickly as possible. Thus, fueled by determination, he continued trudging forward. Pilip! Despite the intangible nature of souls, the lightning that fell from the sky was simply too concentrated, making it impossible for him to avoid it altogether. He had advanced less than a hundred meters into the field of lightning thus far, but his soul had already been struck at least five hundred times by the lightning. Gradually, Zhang Xuan found his mind withering away under the immense pain. Knowing that it was impossible for him to force a path ahead, he was just about to give up and leave for the time being to decide on another course of action when he suddenly noticed something, and his eyes widened in astonishment. T-this... Overwhelming agitation struck Zhang Xuan abruptly, causing even his soul to distort from the sheer intensity of his emotions. The Innate Fetal Poison actually fears the Power of Lightning! It is being forced to congregate at one location, Zhang Xuan thought in shock as he looked inwardly at the current state of his soul. That iparably haughty Innate Fetal Poison, which had wreaked havoc in his soul previously, was currently gathered together, seemingly apprehensive of the Power of Lightning that had gathered around his soul. It was shaking fearfully by the corner, not daring to move in the least. The amalgamation of his soul essence with Wei Ruyans had granted his soul properties reminiscent of the Poison Soul Constitution, and that had helped him to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison considerably, forcing thetter to lie low for the time being. However, he knew that this was only a temporary measure. Given sufficient time, the Innate Fetal Poison would still find an opportunity to strike back. But... at this moment, the Innate Fetal Poison was so frightened by the Power of Lightning that it had withdrawn entirely from the other portions of his soul, congregating together in just one location. If that was the case... was it possible for him to use the Power of Lightning to destroy the Innate Fetal Poison once and for all? If he were to seed, he could permanently rid himself of the ticking time bomb within him, and long gone would be the days where he lived fearfully for his life! Since you are frightened of lightning, let me absorb some more and give you a good treat! With that thought in mind, Zhang Xuan forcefully suppressed the vertigo he was experiencing to calm his mind. After which, he began to actively absorb the lightning that he had been trying so hard to ward off a moment ago. Since I am able to absorb even the heat of theva, the same should apply for lightning as well. If the heat contained within theva could be used to refine his soul, perhaps lightning could have the same effects as well... Gathering his concentration, he opened up all of the acupoints throughout his body and began driving the Heavens Path Soul Art. Even though he still didnt possess the Half-Saint Heavens Path Soul Art yet, the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Heavens Path Soul Art was still sufficient for him to utilize the surrounding lightning to refine his soul, making it even more condensed and heavier. Tzzzzzzzzzzz! Drawn in by Zhang Xuan, the Power of Lightning gathered around his soul in the form of innumerable little lightning snakes. It had only been a stabbing pain before, but at that moment, he felt as if someone had plunged his soul into a wok of boiling oil; there was not a single portion of his soul that wasnt hurting. " Ahh! " Feeling as if a devastating force was ripping through his body, Zhang Xuan let loose a deafening bellow. If it had been anyone else, they would have long sumbed. However, as a practitioner of the Heavens Path cultivation techniques, his physical body and soul carried the invible disposition of the heavens, granting him superior resilience to the forces of nature. On top of that, his transcendental state of mind also helped his mind to remainposed and rational before the immense pain, thus allowing him to forcefully retain his consciousness. Geji! Geji! Driving the little lightning snakes through the meridians of his soul via the Heavens Path Soul Art, Zhang Xuan soon realized, to his delight, that despite the unbearable pain he was suffering, the Innate Fetal Poison had been forced to congregate closer and closer together, seemingly being backed into a corner, and the size of his soul was alsopressed further as well. With just a single cirction of the little lightning snakes, the height of his soul had been reduced from 8 meters to 7.9 meters. Not only so, after absorbing the Power of Lightning, he realized that his resistance to lightning had also been boosted significantly. The prating pain he felt seemed to feel a little less unbearablepared to before. Continue! Zhang Xuan knew that, if he couldnt withstand the lightning, it was very likely that he would pass out first before he could save Wu shi and the others. Thus, he decided to cultivate his soul first. Hu hu hu! The raging lightning continuously seeped into his soul, condensing his soul further and further. It was still unbearable at the start, but as his soul absorbed the Power of Lightning and grew stronger, the excruciating pain caused by the lightning also began to dull. Hong long! After some time, with a furious roar, his soul advanced from Half-Saint to Nascent Saint, and its height also reduced from eight meters to seven meters. Alright, I should head over to save Wu shi now! Zhang Xuan knew that the lightning from the surroundings couldnt knock him out anymore, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly got to his feet and flew into the distance. He could still cultivate his soul further by tapping into the Power of Lightning, but the urgent matter at hand was to save Wu shi and the others. If he were to waste any more time, they could very well have lost their lives before he even arrived. Fazed by the immense power of the lightning no longer, Zhang Xuan was able to travel extremely swiftly. Within just a few dozen breaths, he arrived at the area where he had met Wu shi and the others before. After a look at the area, he couldnt help but frown. The entire area had been devastated by some kind of powerful force, and Wu shi and the others, who had still been recuperating a moment ago, had vanished from sight. Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. Could it be that... the Stoneleaf King has returned for them? Chapter 1046: Lightning Elemental Orb Chapter 1046: Lightning Elemental Orb Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Under normal circumstances, considering how concentrated the lightning was, it was impossible for Wu shi and the others to flee from the field of lightning. Yet, at this moment, they had vanished from sight. That could only mean one thingthe Stoneleaf King had returned, and he had assaulted the expedition team! However, that thought only remained in Zhang Xuans mind for a moment before being rejected. Wait a moment... Ding Ding might be unreliable at times, but its fighting prowess is not one to be underestimated. As long as the opponent hasnt reached Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm, it shouldnt be possible for the other party to defeat it. They should be fine under its protection! Furthermore, I havent been gone for too long. Even if Ding Ding is no match for the enemy, it should still be able to hold on for some time. Furthermore, considering the ridiculous concentration of the lightning falling around the area, no matter how formidable the Stoneleaf King may be, theres no way that he will able to withstand it. It would be difficult for him to even protect himself at the moment, so how could he have the chance to harm Wu shi and the others? The Golden Origin Cauldron was a Saint intermediate-tier artifact. Even though it was only capable of ramming itself into others without anyone controlling it, thus severely limiting its fighting prowess, it should have been more than capable of keeping the Stoneleaf King away from the others! Not to mention, it would have been difficult for even the Stoneleaf King to survive the violent assault of lightning, let alone kill others. "Hmm?" Guessing that the Stoneleaf King hadnt returned yet, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before turning his gaze back to the rubble. Since Wu shi and the others hadnte under the assault of the Otherworldly Demons, the chances would be that they were currently hiding. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan soon realized that something was amiss, and he chuckled softly. Beneath the rubble of the ancient city, the dirt on the ground was fresh. If his deduction was not off, it was likely that Wu shi and the others were hidden underground. Due to the unique constitution of humans, they would likely have drawn lightning to them had they stood above ground. As such, it was much safer for them to hide underground. That was indeed a good move on their part. Hu! Taking his body out from his storage ring, Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his body, and with a st of zhenqi, he knocked away the surrounding rubble and began burrowing into the ground. As expected, shortly after he burrowed into the ground, the intensity of the lightning strikes weakened considerably. At a depth of around eight meters underground, he saw the top of massive cauldron beneath him. The Golden Origin Cauldron had expanded to its maximum size of around thirty meters wide. There was no one outside the cauldron, which meant that everyone was likely hiding within it. "You are injured?" Zhang Xuan was just about to pry open the cauldron lid to see how the others were doing when he realized that the aura of the Golden Origin Cauldron was extremely weak. It seemed to have sustained severe injuries. "Young Master, you are here..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the Golden Origin Cauldron responded with a relieved but feeble voice. "They are all fine." "What happened?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "The lightning was too strong; the others werent able to withstand it at all. I tried to save them, so I expanded my body to its maximum size to take the attacks in their stead. I feel very tired. I want to rest now," the Golden Origin Cauldron said weakly. Seeing the Golden Origin cauldron in such a state, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but clench his fists tightly together. To expand to over thirty meters wide in the face of such concentrated lightning, it was no wonder the Golden Origin Cauldron had ended up in such a state. As a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, the lightning wouldnt deal too much damage to its body. However, the same could not be said about its spirit. From the very start, souls and spirits were exceptionally weak against lightning. While the Golden Origin Cauldron had managed to save the expedition team, its spirit had ended up being severely wounded by the relentless lightning strikes. As such, its consciousness was starting to fade. "I will impart a cultivation technique to you right now, so try to cultivate it. You mustnt fall asleep at this point!" Knowing that the Golden Origin Cauldrons spirit could very well die were it to fall asleep at this moment, Zhang Xuan panicked. He hurriedly flicked his wrist and passed a cultivation technique manual over. It was a method to temper ones soul. While he was unsure whether it was effective against spirits or not, he didnt have any better alternatives at that moment. While the Golden Origin Cauldron was rather rowdy and unreliable at times, there was no doubt about its loyalty. Not to mention, it had onlynded itself in its current state due to his order to protect the others. He couldnt allow anything to happen to it! "Alright... I will cultivate it when I have time... Young Master, I might fear death, but I am not coward..." The Golden Origin Cauldrons voice slowly trailed off, and eventually, it fellpletely silent. "Ding Ding!" Zhang Xuan shouted in rm, but the other party had already fallen asleep. From the very start, the Golden Origin Cauldron had already been at its limit. It had been forcing itself to hold on until Zhang Xuan arrived. "You arent a coward; you are a hero," Zhang Xuan muttered softly to the Golden Origin Cauldron as he gritted his teeth tightly together. "Dont worry, I will save you." The Golden Origin Cauldron might only have been an artifact, a very cowardly one at that, but in the crucial moment, it had still leaped in without any hesitation, choosing to sacrifice itself to protect the others. Zhang Xuan had already promised to raise its cultivation to Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm. He couldnt just allow the Golden Origin Cauldron to remain in aa like that. No matter what, he had to save it and fulfill its wish! Staring at the Golden Origin Cauldron for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply, his voice tinged with helplessness, before he pried open the lid and entered it. "Principal Zhang, you are back!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Wu shi and the others hurriedly got to their feet and greeted him. Under the protection of the Golden Origin Cauldron, they had been spared from the frenzied rampage of the lightning. On top of that, after recuperating from their injuries for some time, they had recovered considerably. "Un. What happened? Why did the lightning suddenly run amok?" Zhang Xuan asked. He had gone off to find Luo Ruoxin, so he wasnt too sure about the situation within the field of lightning. On the other hand, the expedition team had been at the center of the field of lightning when it all happened, so they would have a clearer understanding of the matter. "It should be rted to the Stoneleaf King that you spoke of. Perhaps, in the midst of searching for his treasure, he might have identallye into contact with something that resulted in the abrupt intensification of the lightning!" Wu shi deduced. They had been discussing the matter a while ago, and this was the exnation that they found the most viable. Otherwise, a field of lightning of such size couldnt possibly change all of a sudden, sending so many streaks of lightning down from above. "That might very well be the case." Zhang Xuan nodded. Indeed! Previously, the Saint 4-dan Stoneleaf King had said that he was leaving to find some kind of artifact, but in the end, not too long after he had left, such a situation had urred. There was bound to be a connection between the two matters. "In which direction did the Stoneleaf King leave?" Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes. Had it not been for that fellow, the Golden Origin Cauldron wouldnt have fallen unconscious. No matter what, he had to exact vengeance! Besides, regardless of what the artifact that the other party was seeking, it could only spell a cmity for them. Even at the cost of his life, he had to stop the other party! Wu shi pointed and said, "He headed into the depths of the ancient city." They were currently at the outskirts of the ancient city, and they had seen the Stoneleaf King heading toward the very center of the ancient city back then. "I will head over there to take a look. You should all continue recuperating here for the moment," Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Feng Xun stood up and said, "Principal Zhang, I will follow you. The Stoneleaf King is extremely strong; you wont be able to deal with him yourself. Also, I have a unique method that allows me to track down Otherworldly Demons." He had only been unable to fight due to his zhenqi and stamina being sapped dry by the earlier demonic tune. During the battle with the Otherworldly Demons, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han had fought hard to protect the other expedition members, so he had not suffered severe injuries. Thus, after a moment of recuperation, he was already back to his peak state and ready to fight once more. "Alright." Seeing that Feng Xun was in a good state, Zhang Xuan nodded. Combat masters should charge bravely ahead without allowing their fear of death to get in their way. To ask them to cower in the face of an enemy was no different from challenging their faith. Furthermore, even though Feng Xun had been badly pummeled in the battle against him, that was only due to thetter suppressing his cultivation. If thetter used the entirety of his Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivation, there was a good chance that he could be a match for even the Stoneleaf King. The ability of thebat masters to rival opponents stronger than them wasnt for show. Not to mention, Feng Xun also possessed certain means to track down Otherworldly Demons. While the Eye of Insight was also capable of tracking down the trail of Otherworldly Demons, the problem with that was that most of the traces of the trail had dissipated under the frenzied lightning strikes. Instead of struggling to find a nearly invisible trail, he might as well bring Feng Xun along instead. This would also be a good opportunity for him to see what means thebat masters possessed. A few otherbat masters and master teachers also expressed their interest to tag along as well, but Zhang Xuan turned all of them down. Firstly, thosebat masters and master teachers hadnt fully recovered yet, so they were unlikely to be much of a match for the Stoneleaf King in their current state. Secondly, they had to protect some of the weaker and more severely injured expedition members as well. Otherwise, if the Stoneleaf King were to find their hiding spot before the exploring party found him, the others would be powerless to stand against him. To be safe, it was better to have Wu shi and Guild Leader Han remain with the rest of the expedition team. Knowing the concerns that Zhang Xuan had, the others eventually relented. They hurriedly turned their attention back to recuperating from their injuries and depletion so that they could return to their peak state as soon as possible. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan burrowed through the soil with Feng Xun and returned to the surface. The rampage of the lightning had alleviated considerably in the time that he had spent underground. Even without resorting to his means as a soul oracle, he would still be able to avoid the lightning easily and travel through the field of lightning safely. Heaving a sigh of relief, he began heading toward the center of the ancient city. Proceeding in, the lightning seemed to grow sparser and sparser. It was as if the ancient city harnessed some kind of unique power that prevented the lightning storm from wreaking havoc within. However, while the lightning had decreased, the Stoneleaf King had used some kind of means to conceal his trail entirely. Even while using the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan found himself losing sight of the other partys trail. "Let me take a look." Coming to a halt, Feng Xun flicked his wrist, and a unique artifact reminiscent of apass appeared in his hand. He bit his finger and dripped a droplet of blood on thepass. Weng! The artifact whirred into action, and the needle on thepass pointed toward a certain direction. "That way," Feng Xun said. "What is this artifact? It is able to discern the route that the Otherworldly Demons have passed through?" Zhang Xuan asked in curiosity. This was his first time seeing that artifact. "This is the Undefiled Mirror. It is particrly sensitive to fresh blood and killing intent. Due to the Zhenqi of ughter that the Otherworldly Demons cultivate, killing intent is bound to linger in areas where they have passed by. This Undefiled Mirror serves to find the trail of killing intent, thus leading one to the Otherworldly Demon himself. Of course, the killing intent left behind by the Otherworldly Demons will eventually fade with time, so the effectiveness of the artifact will be very poor beyond the four-hour mark," Feng Xun replied. "Undefiled Mirror?" Zhang Xuan nodded. The main purpose behind the existence of thebat masters was to stand against the Otherworldly Demons. It seemed like the Undefiled Mirror was specially crafted to track down fleeing Otherworldly Demons. The duo hurried in the direction pointed out by the Undefiled Mirror. Every once in a while, Feng Xun would take out the Undefiled Mirror to ascertain their current location once more. After repeating the process several times, the duo soon found themselves standing before an old and tattered residence that stood at the very heart of the ancient city. "Be careful!" Knowing that the Stoneleaf King was very likely to be within the residence, the duo nced at one another before flying into the residence discreetly. The courtyard of the residence had beenpletely destroyed. A towering Otherworldly Demon was currently seated at the centermost seat. Zhenqi gushed frenziedly out of his raised hands, seemingly attempting to defend himself against some kind of power. In front of him, there was a rtivelyrgeke, and a deep blue sphere, which was around the size of a fist, revolved continuously. The zhenqi exerted by the Otherworldly Demon was directed right at the sphere, seemingly attempting to suppress the power within it. Chapter 1047: The Fearsome Stoneleaf King Chapter 1047: The Fearsome Stoneleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hong long! As powerful as the Otherworldly Demon was, the orb wasnt any weaker either. It revolved abruptly, seemingly trying to struggle free of the other partys control. In the next moment, a deep blue sh of light surged into the heavens, and an explosion reverberated shortly after as countless streaks of lightning raged in the surroundings. It was as if the lightning all around them was controlled by the orb. "The orb is controlling the lightning in the surroundings? Could it be... the Lightning Elemental Orb?" Feng Xun narrowed his eyes at the sight, and he anxiously sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. "Lightning Elemental Orb?" Hearing that name, Zhang Xuan frowned deeply. Having read all of the books in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he was rather well-versed with the names of various famous artifacts. However, he had never heard of the Lightning Elemental Orb before. "It is a lightning attribute artifact. Just like how spirit stones harness spiritual energy, the Lightning Elemental Orb harnesses an immense amount of lightning energy. Once released, it could easily cause devastating damage, making it an extremely fearsome artifact," Feng Xun exined apprehensively. A momentter, a doubtful look surfaced on his face as he added, "But the Lightning Elemental Orb is only produced in areas where the Power of Lightning gathers in great amounts. In terms of rarity, it is probably even lessmonly seen than a 9-star master teacher, making it an extremely elusive artifact. Why would it appear here?" "That orb over there is that valuable?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. He had never heard of the Lightning Elemental Orb before, so he didnt know how valuable it was, but he did know how elusive 9-star master teachers were. Even taking the entire Master Teacher Continent into ount, it would be hard to find more than a handful of them. For the Lightning Elemental Orb to be as rare as 9-star master teachers, it was really way too scarce! "Putting aside the fact that it wields the Power of Lightning, more importantly, what makes it extremely valuable is the fact that it is the ideal medium to serve as the core of any lightning attribute formations!" Feng Xun said. "It wields a very simr function to a formation te. Gaining possession of it is equivalent to taking control of a powerful formation, allowing one to call forth the great might harnessed within it anytime, anywhere!" A thought suddenly shed across Zhang Xuans mind, and he asked in astonishment, "Wait... Does that mean that the field of lightning here is a formation too?" "That must be the case. Despite theck of a formation master controlling the formation, the field of lightning is still able to easily exert fearful might. Just by that in itself, we can verify that it is a grade-8 formation at the least. If the Stoneleaf King seeds in taking control of the Lightning Elemental Orb, we will be ced in a very dangerous position. By then, even with Wu shi and Guild Leader Hans mightbined, we wont be able to stand a chance against him!" Feng Xun eximed with a pale face. "This..." Zhang Xuans body tensed up. As one who had suffered the battering of the lightning, he knew very well how fearsome the formation was. Had it not been for his means as a soul oracle, he would not have been able to make his way through the field of lightning at all in the first ce. Furthermore, this was under the circumstances that the formation was still uncontrolled by anyone. Should the Stoneleaf King gain ownership of the formation and drive the Power of Lightning harnessed within it against them... there would be no one who could stand against him. They would all, most likely, lose their lives. The sudden intensification of the lightning earlier must be a result of that fellow attempting to gain control of the Lightning Elemental Orb as well, thus causing a disturbance in the formation, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. The Lightning Elemental Orb wielded the ability to control the massive lightning formation spread out across the area. Most likely, the Stoneleaf Kings attempt to gain control over the orb must have triggered its retaliation, resulting in the concentrated streaks of lightning falling from the sky earlier, nearly causing the death of the expedition team. If even just the instinctive retaliation of the Lightning Elemental Orb was that powerful, the might that one could potentially wield from gaining full control over it was truly unimaginable. With an awfulplexion, Zhang Xuan discreetlymunicated with the Violetleaf King in the Myriad Anthive Nest and swiftly received a clear answerthe towering Otherworldly Demon in front of him was indeed a member of the Upper Five Kings, the fourth ranked Stoneleaf King! It was no wonder the other party dared to touch and attempt to manipte an artifact as powerful as the Lightning Elemental Orb! "We must stop him regardless of the cost! Otherwise, it will be nigh impossible to deal with him," Feng Xun said with tightly-clenched fists. He had witnessed the battle between Wu shi and the Stoneleaf King earlier, and thetters strength was truly formidable, such that even he wouldnt be a match for thetter in his peak state. If the Stoneleaf King were to sessfully gain control of the Lightning Elemental Orb on top of that, they wouldnt stand a chance at all! By then, their entire expedition team could very well end up being wiped out here. "Indeed. He hasnt seeded yet, so we might still have time to stop him." Understanding Feng Xuns worries, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Un." Feng Xun nodded grimly. He was just about to propose a n for them to act on when a warm blue glow abruptly burst forth from the Lightning Elemental Orb. The eye of the Stoneleaf King immediately lit up, and his hand swiftly reached forth to grab the orb. H! The orb began flying toward the Stoneleaf Kings hands. "Theres no time, move!" Seeing this sight, Feng Xun hurriedly flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword before disappearing in a sh. In the next moment, his sword was already right behind the Stoneleaf Kings heart, seemingly going to impale thetters chest. In his view, the Stoneleaf King had already seeded in taming the Lightning Elemental Orb. Once the orb fell into the other partys hands, the other party would wield endless Power of Lightning. At that time, they would be utterly doomed. "Hold on for a moment..." On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was shocked to see Feng Xun charging forward without even discussing a n with him. He hurriedly shouted while rushing forward, prepared to back Feng Xun up should the situation turn awry. While the Stoneleaf King gaining possession over the Lightning Elemental Orb would put them at a greater disadvantage, it didnt necessarily mean that things werepletely hopeless for them. As long as they were to remain patient, they would surely find an opening in the other party that they could exploit to achieve victory. Even if it was to stop the Earthleaf King from gaining possession of the Lightning Elemental Orb, rushing forward without a concrete n in mind was just in recklessness, and it would only ce them in a worse position. Hong long! Feng Xun wasnt a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall for nothing. Having achieved Sword-Man Union, his de waspletely harmonized with his entire being. His sword pierced forward with astounding speed and might reminiscent of a fallinget, such that even a Saint 4-dan expert would not dare face his attack head-on. "Hmm? You arent dead yet?" On the other hand, the Stoneleaf King, who was in the midst of taming the Lightning Elemental Orb, suddenly felt a powerful killing intent behind him. Swiftly turning around, he saw Feng Xun, and his eyebrows shot up as he sneered, "Imbeciles. You could have taken this opportunity to flee as far as you could, but you foolishly chose to challenge me head-on. Since you are so eager to seek death, I shall ede to your request!" After saying those words, the Stoneleaf King didnt bother to dodge. His right hand continued grasping firmly onto the Lightning Elemental Orb to tame it while his left hand burst forward with astounding might. Hong long! With a powerful st of zhenqi, the Stoneleaf Kings left hand collided forcefully against Feng Xuns stab, and as if a metal hammer crashing into a porcin vase, Feng Xuns sword shattered into innumerable fragments. Peng! The remaining force struck Feng Xun squarely in his chest, sending him crashing heavily onto the ground as blood spewed wildly from his mouth. There was simply too huge a gap in strength between the two of them. With just a single strike, Feng Xun was sent flying. Hes really strong! Zhang Xuan eyes narrowed in rm. He had encountered six of the Ten Great Kings, and most of them had ended up dying by his hand. Despite all of them being Saint 4-dan experts, there was a huge gap between them and the Stoneleaf King. It was no wonder the Violetleaf King was so fearful of the Five Upper Kings, trembling non-stop upon hearing their names. They were indeed a force to be reckoned with. However, regardless of how powerful the Stoneleaf King was, it was already toote for Zhang Xuan to back down at this point. He had no choice but to fight. Wielding the cier Rain Sword in his hand, he flicked it in a beautiful arc before abruptly driving it forward with a powerful lunge. It was simr to Feng Xuns attack, just that... his target was not the Stoneleaf King but the Lightning Elemental Orb in thetters hand. The most important matter at hand was to stop the other party from sessfully taming the artifact. Considering the other partys superior physical resilience, it was unlikely that any attack directed toward the other party would work in the short-term. On the other hand, perhaps if he were to direct his attack toward the Lightning Elemental Orb at this moment, there could be a chance that he would be able to catch the other party off guard and seed. Wuuuuuuuuu! Zhang Xuan had devoted the entirety of his strength into this single lunge, pushing his physical strength, zhenqi, and soul energy to their limits. The sheer might behind the lunge caused space itself to moan under the immense pressure, as if it would be torn apart from it This was probably the strongest sword art he had ever executed. It was on par even with Feng Xuns previous attack. "Humph, you think that such puny tricks will work against me?" Seeing through Zhang Xuans intent, the Stoneleaf King narrowed his eyes menacingly. Without moving much, he raised two fingers and flicked it lightly. Peng! A sharp pain assaulted Zhang Xuans purlicue 1 , and the cier Rain Sword in his hand abruptly flew out of his grasp, stabbing into a wall not too far away. On the other hand, just like Feng Xun, Zhang Xuan was forcefully knocked to the ground. It took a forceful push against the ground before he was able to regain his bnce. In that moment, grimness could be seen in his eyes. The Stoneleaf Kings strength was more fearsome than he had thought. He had already used his full strength, but he had been unable to withstand even a simple flick from the other party. Instead of advancing toward the Stoneleaf King once more, Zhang Xuan retreated slightly as he hurriedly immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path to check on the bookpiled on the Stoneleaf King. He had managed to force the other party to execute a battle technique in the sh earlier, thus allowing him topile a book on the other party in the Library of Heavens Path. "The Stoneleaf King is one of the Upper Five Kings of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, and he possesses a cultivation of Saint 4-dan pinnacle. He has a particrly powerful physical body that grants him superior defense... ws: No.1, there is ack of zhenqi in his be whenever he drives his cultivation technique. No.2, due to his inability to circte zhenqi through his armpit, the region is soft and vulnerable..." Soon, Zhang Xuan finished reading through the entire book. However, instead of being delighted, hisplexion turned even more awful. The Library of Heavens Path did list the Stoneleaf Kings openings, but the be and the armpits... Those were the most well-guarded of all ces, making it nigh impossible to breach their defenses! On top of that, he had to get into close quarters with the Stoneleaf King in order to attack those locations, but the other party could easily knock him back before he could even get within two zhang 2 of the other party. It waspletely useless knowing those ws! Boom! Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded. Following which, the Stoneleaf King raised his left palm and smacked it down. A massive palm print that covered a region stretching over several dozen meters covered the area above him and Feng Xun. Before the palm print could even fall on them, the immense pressure it exerted had already made their breathing hasten. With just one look, it was apparent that the palm strike was not something they could withstand with their current strength. "This is really bad!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly executed the Heavens Path Movement Art and dashed out. Peng! However, before he could get out of the area of the palm strike, an immense might struck his back forcefully, pushing him through eight walls consecutively before he finally came to a halt. Yet another mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth. Zhang Xuan struggled to his feet with a mix of shock and relief in his eyes. It was fortunate that he had cultivated his physical body earlier, or else the palm strike could havended a fatal blow on him. Even though he had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and had made significant advancements in his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation recently, he was still too far off from matching up to the strength of a true Saint 4-dan expert. Four realms of difference in cultivation was simply too huge of a gap to be bridged. Where is Feng Xun? Zhang Xuan anxiously scanned his surroundings before seeing Feng Xun climbing out from some nearby rubble in an unkempt state. The other partys face was pale, and the front of his clothes had been dyed crimson with blood. Clearly, the other party had suffered far severer wounds than he had. While Feng Xuns fighting prowess was above Zhang Xuans, his ability to flee in desperate situations seemed to be slightlycking. Unable to get away in time, he ended up suffering a huge proportion of the palm strikes might. Were it not for his superior physical body, zhenqi, and soul as abat master, he could very well have died from the strike. Even so, his entire body had be limp from the strike. Multiple bones had shattered due to the powerful impact, rendering him incapable of movement. "This is the end!" While continuing to tame the Lightning Elemental Orb with his right hand, the Stoneleaf Kings left palm struck once more. His movements seemed light and flimsy, seemingly devoid of strength, but Zhang Xuan knew that should the palm strikend, Feng Xun would die without fail. Thus, he hurriedly charged toward Feng Xun in an attempt to save thetter. Despite the previous conflict between the both of them, they wererades working toward the same goal at the moment. He couldnt just watch the other party die before his eyes. Hu! Driving his Heavens Path Movement Art to its very limits, he appeared before Feng Xun in the blink of an eye. He hurriedly grabbed thetter and attempted to flee from the spot, but in that moment, he realized that it was already toote. The Stoneleaf Kings palm was already right above him. Vicious! Zhang Xuan bellowed in his mind, and in the next moment, powerful killing intent abruptly burst forth from his body. Even though Vicious killing intent wasnt too effective on fellow Otherworldly Demons, it could still disrupt the other partys attack for a short moment, thus possibly winning them some time to flee. As Zhang Xuan had expected, upon feeling the powerful killing intent emanated by the young man before him, the Stoneleaf King was stunned momentarily. His palm strike also hesitated for an instant. Hu! In the brief moment he had bought for himself, Zhang Xuan sessfully pulled Feng Xun out of the palm strikes area of attack. Chapter 1048: He is a Celestial Master Teacher! Chapter 1048: He is a Celestial Master Teacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Boom! The ground trembled, and countless houses copsed. A massive palm was abruptly imprinted into the ground, cloaking everything in the area with dust. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had reacted swiftly and had Vicious attack in his stead. Otherwise, the both of them would have surely been reduced into meat paste from the sheer force of that strike. "How could he be so powerful?" Looking at the devastating damage before his eyes, Feng Xuns eyes were filled with disbelief. As the Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, he could even an average Saint 4-dan master teacher easily. Yet, it was as if the Stoneleaf King before was an unshakeable mountain, an existence that towered far beyond them... Could the other party have held back in the fight against Wu shi? But that didnt make any sense? Why would the other party hold back against them? "He must have seeded in taming the Lightning Elemental Orb for his own use. It was through tapping into the power of the orb and the massive formation around us that he was able to wield such overwhelming might!" Feng Xuns eyes widened in horror. After everything he had done to stop the Stoneleaf King from taming the Lightning Elemental Orb, his efforts ended up in vain. It didnt seem like the other party had gained total control over the orb yet, but it should already be at around seventy percent, sufficient for him to tap into its power. With the augmentation from the might of the orb and formation, it was hard to say whether even a Saint 5-dan expert would be able to stand against the current Stoneleaf King, let more them! "Who are you?" Feng Xun wasnt the only one who was shocked. The astonished Stoneleaf King also hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan to reassess him carefully from head to toe. The killing intent which the young man had emanated previously possessed a fearsome level of purity which was on par even to his own. For such pure killing intent to appear on a human brat... this was inconceivable! "Go!" With Feng Xun around, Zhang Xuan knew that it could lead to manyplications if he were to speak too much about the matter here, so he quickly pulled Feng Xun away and fled. The Stoneleaf King before him was simply far too much stronger than the Violetleaf King, Goldenleaf King, and the others. It was impossible for the both of them to stop the other party with their limited strength. Rather than to fight to their deaths here, it would be better for them to escape for the time being, regroup with the others, and find another opportunity to strike down the Stoneleaf King. "Trying to flee? Do you honestly think that you can get away from me?" the Stoneleaf King harrumphed coldly as he raised his hand and abruptly closed it into a fist. Hu! In the next moment, several bursts of lightning gushed down from the heavens, forming a tight cage that sealed the duo within. "We are trapped..." Zhang Xuans heart turned cold. Judging from the intensity of the lightning, if they were to attempt to charge out of the lightning cage forcefully, the chances were that they would be reduced to ashes on the spot. The other party had already gained the ability to control the Lightning Elemental Orb and the lightning formation. As long as they remained within the area of the formation, they would be unable to Stoneleaf King. "Principal Zhang, our Combat Master Hall has a secret art that allows me to boost my speed by twofold for a short period of time. I will use it to buy some time for youter on, so make use of the opportunity to flee." After a moment of hesitation, Feng Xun got to his feet and said grimly. "Boost your speed by twofold? Will you still have the strength to escape after the duration of your secret art ends?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Secret arts that granted one massive boosts in physical capabilities often brought about devastating trauma to ones cultivation foundation and physical body. Even if one were to manage to kill ones enemy using the secret art, the chances were that one wouldnt live too long after that either. Instead of replying to Zhang Xuans question, Feng Xun chuckled softly and said, "Principal Zhang, to be honest, I have disliked you from the first time I met you. Your students have brought great dishonor to the Combat Master Hall, and I have been trying to find an opportunity to get even with you over that. Its a pity that I have yet to seed. "As much as I hate to admit it, the potential that you hold within you is far greater than mine. It is just a matter of time before you be a great asset to mankind! It is depressing to speak of this, but your life is worth more than mine! "But its fine. If my sacrifice can bring about to brighter future for humanity, I will dly do it. Later on, I will open up a gap in the lightning cage, so make use of the opportunity to flee as far as you can... No matter what, you must survive this ordeal!" "Flee?" Not expecting Feng Xun to be able to cast aside his differences in the crucial moment and work for the collective welfare for mankind, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel touched within. He nodded and replied, "Alright." "Good. Lets begin then!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to the n, Feng Xun heaved a sigh of relief. In the next moment, his aura abruptly surged. Hong long! His aura swiftly reached its peak, and just as he was about to activate his secret art, he suddenly felt a forceful blow at the back of his head. His vision before him abruptly darkened, and his body slumped weakly onto the ground, fainted. "We wont be able to get away even if you were to use your secret art. Pardon me..." Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Feng Xuns n was probably the best n they had at hand, but... it still wasnt good enough. Even if the other party seeded in intercepting the Stoneleaf King and bought sufficient time for him to escape, there was no way he could escape given the sheer size of the lightning formation. As long as he remained in the lightning formation, the Stoneleaf King would surely be able to hunt him down. Furthermore, if he were to flee by himself, the next victims would be Wu shi and the others. Given the current circumstances, fleeing was no longer an option anymore... As Zhang Xuan and Feng Xun had beenmunicating with one another through zhenqi telepathy, the Stoneleaf King was unaware of the conversation between them. Thus, when he saw Zhang Xuan knocking Feng Xun out, he couldnt help but be bewildered by the abrupt turn in events. "Stoneleaf King, it has been long since west met. You asked who I was previously, right? Let me answer your question right now. Its me..." After knocking Feng Xun out, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze towards the Stoneleaf King and chuckled softly. Geji, geji!, creaking sounds began echoing from his body as a token in front of his chest glowed brilliantly. As if his disguise had been released, he began to grow taller and bigger. A pure and condensed killing intent began drifting into the air, sending chills down the spines of others. "Violetleaf King?" Upon catching sight of the other partys appearance, the Stoneleaf King was stunned for a moment. "Its me." Zhang Xuan nodded. It was hard to tell whether the Stoneleaf King was aware of the deaths of the other Otherworldly Demon Kings, so it wouldnt do to impersonate them. The Violetleaf King was still alive and was currently in his Myriad Anthive Nest, so impersonating as the Violetleaf King was the safest option at hand. Besides, he also had the deepest understanding of the Violetleaf King, so it was easier for him to disguise as thetter as well. "You and the Waterleaf King have been dispatched to carry out a mission, but we suddenly lost contact of you. What happened?" the Stoneleaf King asked with a darkened expression. That fellow and the Waterleaf King had been tasked to find the map at the Poison Hall, but the Soulbound Token of thetter shattered all of the sudden. The Soulbound Token of that fellow remained intact, butmunications from him abruptly halted. Everyone thought that he might have been taken hostage somewhere, but who could have thought that he would appear here out of the blue? "Like you have seen, I have concealed my appearance to blend in with the humans and earn their trust. If I were to be caughtmunicating with the rest of you, my efforts could have very well be undone..." Zhang Xuan replied. "Blend in with the humans?" the Stoneleaf King frowned. He immediately extended his Spiritual Perception to cover the Violetleaf King. Honestly speaking, it was suspicious that the Violetleaf King, who had gone missing for more than half a month now, would suddenly appear here. There was a need to look carefully into this matter. Taking a close look, there wasnt the slightest problem with the Zhenqi of ughter in the other partys body. In other words, the person standing before him was indeed the Violetleaf King. "Un. I happened to chance upon a huge secret of the humans. If it turns out to be true, it could spell annihtion for our kind... Thus, I dare not to act recklessly. To be absolutely certain, I decided to disguise myself as a human to mix in with the rest of them." Zhang Xuan knew that the Stoneleaf King was secretly examining him with his Spiritual Perception, but he made no attempts to hide from it at all. Instead, with a deep, worried frown furrowed between his brows, he replied with a hushed voice. "Annihtion for our kind?" Retracting his Spiritual Perception, the Stoneleaf King shook his head and said, "You must be joking! Even with the incredible strength that Kong shi wielded back then, he only seeded in driving us out of the Master Teacher Continent! Just what could possibly happen that would result in an annihtion of our kind?" On top of being the leader who had united mankind and founded the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi possessed frightening strength as well. But while none of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was able to match him, they were eventually only driven out of the Master Teacher Continent. As such, how could the learning of a mere secret determine whether their kind would be annihted or not? This was just fear mongering! "I didnt believe it at the start either, but... I can swear on my life that it is the absolute truth!" Zhang Xuan said grimly. No matter how well he disguised himself as the Violetleaf King, it was hard to ensure that he wouldnt be seen through by the Stoneleaf King. In the first ce, it was already suspicious for him to appear in the ancient domain. The best way to resolve this issue was to redirect the other partys attention to something else... If he could put out big news one after another, the other party would be too shocked to doubt his identity any longer. "Truth? Can you prove it?" Noting the conviction in the Violetleaf Kings voice, the Stoneleaf King asked with a frown. To be honest, at this point, he still didnt believe that the person before him was the Violetleaf King. Nevertheless, this didnt hinder him from listening to the other partys news. "Have you heard of Celestial Master Teacher?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Celestial Master Teacher?" The Stoneleaf King was taken aback for a moment before his eyes narrowed in astonishment. "Of course I do! Kong shi was a Celestial Master Teacher himself. As one who has received the acknowledgement of the heavens, a Celestial Master Teacher is a truly indomitable existence. Could it be..." "Indeed... I went to the Poison Hall to carry out my mission, but by a stroke of coincidence, I happened to find a Celestial Master Teacher. Thats the reason why I suddenly changed my course of ns and disguised myself as a human to blend in with them!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "How could that be possible? ording to our sources, Kong shi has been the only one in history to be conferred as a Celestial Master Teacher. There has been none after him who has achieved the same feat, not even his direct disciples, the 72 Sages... Where did you hear the news from?" The body of the Stoneleaf King stiffened. He couldnt believe his ears. If a Celestial Master Teacher had really appeared amongst the humans, that would be truly a huge disaster for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If that individual were to be allowed to grow to be another Kong shi, they might really well meet with annihtion. Back then, it was under Kong shis leadership that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe took a heavy blow and was forced out of the Master Teacher Continent. It took them several ten thousand years of rest before they managed to recover from the damage they had suffered then. If another Kong shi were to appear amongst the humans... They would truly be unable to make aeback anymore! While the past several ten thousand years of recuperation had allowed them to recover from the blow they had suffered back then, the mankind had also furthered its strength through the Master Teacher Pavilion, making them stronger than ever. "There is no mistake with the news. Furthermore... I have been following behind the Celestial Master Teacher all along and intentionally lured him here..." Zhang Xuan said. "Lured him here?" The Stoneleaf King nced at the fainted Feng Xun as he asked doubtfully, "Are you saying that... he is the Celestial Master Teacher?" "Indeed, thats him!" Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively. "This..." the Stoneleaf King frowned, skeptical of Zhang Xuans words. While thatbat master possessed the ability to rival opponents with cultivation beyond his, he seemed to be a rather reckless person. This was unlike how Celestial Master Teachers were depicted in the legends. "Why? You dont believe me?" Zhang Xuan burst intoughter before saying, "Our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe must have certain ways to verify the identity a Celestial Master Teacher. If you dont trust me, you can verify it yourself!" "There are indeed methods to verify that one is Celestial Master Teacher..." The Stoneleaf King frowned. "However, it will be a little troublesome to do so..." "This bit of trouble means nothing. What is more important is that we verify his identity. Once it is proven that he is a Celestial Master Teacher, we should find ways to bring him over to our side. With his strength, our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will grow stronger and stronger. With the immense contribution we have made, we will surely go down in history as meritorious subjects!" Zhang Xuan persuaded. "Youre right..." The Stoneleaf King nodded. He hesitated for a moment longer before eventually nodding, "To test for the identity of a Celestial Master Teacher, we will require the help of the Windleaf King. Hes the only one who wields such capability. Once hees over, we will be able to verify whether the man you spoke of is truly a Celestial Master Teacher or not!" Chapter 1049: An Alliance of Blood Chapter 1049: An Alliance of Blood Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "The Jadeleaf King?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. That was the third strongest expert of the Five Upper Kings! Who could have thought that such a powerful figure would be here as well? Just a Stoneleaf King had nearly caused their entire team to be wiped out. How was he supposed to deal with the even stronger Jadeleaf King? However, given his current identity as the Violetleaf King, there was no way he could turn down the request. Besides, since the other party was in the ancient domain as well, it was only a matter of time before they encountered one another. If he could meet the other party in advance, perhaps he could gather some intelligence and formte a n to deal with the other party. "Hes in the vicinity. I will call him here right now..." Flicking his wrist, the Stoneleaf King whipped out a Communication Jade Token and casually wrote a few words on it, sending a message over. After that was done, he suddenly turned his gaze back towards Zhang Xuan with a doubtful expression. "If this human is really a Celestial Master Teacher, how could he appear here? Not to mention, how could you have possibly managed to uncover his identity?" Clearly, the Stoneleaf King was still a little iffy the ims made by the fellow before him. It was also no surprise that he would be feeling so skeptical about the matter. The Violetleaf King had disappeared an entire half a month before abruptly vanishing. On top of that, the other party had made a move against him while the other party was disguised as a human... There were far too many doubtful points regarding the issue. Not to mention, there had only been a single Celestial Master Teacher in the world so far, and many millenniums had passed without anyone reaching the same height. If another Celestial Master Teacher were to appear, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely ce that person under the tightest of protection. It was inconceivable that the Violetleaf King was able to uncover a Celestial Master Teacher that easily and even lure the other party into a dangerous ce like this. "Now that I think of it, its truly a huge coincidence. The Celestial Master Teacher didnte from any Sage n or the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarter. Instead, he originated from a measly Unranked Kingdom, slowly making his way up through the ranks..." Without any hint of embarrassment, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and said. "In order to avoid unneeded trouble, he has been concealing his identity all along. In other words, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarter is aware of the appearance of that person. Its only through a series of coincidences that I found out about his identity. Back when I was looking into the whereabouts of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City, I saw him undergoing the acknowledgement by the heavens, and it was only through that that I was able to ascertain his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher!" "You are saying that... you happened to chance upon him receiving the acknowledgement of the heavens?" the Stoneleaf King asked in disbelief. "Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Then... what kind of sight is it?" the Stoneleaf King asked in curiosity. "A unique aura, powerful and invible, would descend from the heavens and surround the person. Before this aura, all master teachers would be forced to bow down to the person and acknowledge his identity and standing. At the same time, many bizarre phenomena would ur, such as the Trembling of the Myriad Tablets and so..." Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. As someone who had undergone the acknowledgement ceremony thrice, he was extremely clear of the various happenings that would ur in the process. "It does seem like the acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher..." After hearing Zhang Xuans ount, the Stoneleaf King slowly nodded in agreement. He had never seen the phenomena associated with the acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher before, but he had heard of the various legends rting to it. The descriptions he had heard didnt differ much from the scene depicted by the Violetleaf King. It seemed like there might be some truth to the Violetleaf Kings words. Even if the man lying on the ground wasnt a Celestial Master Teacher, there was a good chance that he was closely rted to the matter. "The merit from capturing a Celestial Master Teacher and handing it over to the royalty is immeasurable..." At this point, the Stoneleaf King couldnt help but ponder over the implications of the matter. It went without saying how important a Celestial Master Teacher was. If the news was true, the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would go into a frenzy! Just through this itself, he would surely be able to earn the favor of the elders. Through their guidance, even if he couldnt advance to the Emperor Stratum, he would still be able to easily reach the pinnacle of Saint realm! But to ensure that he would be entitled to all of those valuable resources, he would have to make sure that the merit only went to him and him alone. At the current moment... it seemed like he had practically done nothing at all! After all, it was the Violetleaf King who had lured the Celestial Master Teacher into the ancient domain. "Should I just kill this fellow straight? Thats the only way I can im full credit of the matter. In any case, he has disappeared for quite some time, so who would know whether he had betrayed the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe or not? As long as I move fast and clear up his corpse, theres no one who would suspect me..." A sharp glint shed across the Stoneleaf Kings eyes as he shot a discreet nce towards the Violetleaf King. While they were part of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, they didnt share any camaraderie amongst them. On the contrary, there was even strife rivalry amongst them. The Qingtian Lineage allocated resources based on contribution, and considering the scarce resources in the otherworldly battlefield, he had been long wishing for his fellow Kings to drop dead. This was precisely the reason why he didnt feel the slightest sympathy or sorrow when he heard that the other Kings had been killed, and he didnt bother to track down their murderer either. Instead, he was secretly delighted over the matter even! "I am the one who brought that human here, and I know everything about him. Furthermore, after the time we have spent together, he already regards me as his true friend... If you were to kill me, not only will you be unable to make him submit to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, you might even be setting up a powerful enemy for yourself in the future!" Noticing the Stoneleaf Kings killing intent, Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile. He had already heard of the rtionship amongst the Ten Great Kings from the Violetleaf King. To put it in a phrase, it was every man for himself. Given so, it wasnt too surprising that the Stoneleaf King would want to snatch a merit asrge one concerning a Celestial Master Teacher. "Violetleaf King, you must have misunderstood me... Since you were the one who found him and brought him here, it goes without saying that the merit should go to you? How could I possibly think of snatching the merit from you?" the Stoneleaf Kingughed dryly as he swiftly concealed the ferocity in his eyes. However, his right hand continued grasping the Lightning Elemental Orb firmly, seemingly ready to make a move at any time. "Theres no need for us to put up such facades before one another. If I had the power to do so, I would have just taken him away right here, right now. I wouldnt have revealed his identity and wasted so many words with you." Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Just a word of advice, but you should hold back any intention you are harboring against me for the moment. Otherwise, if this human were to die, it will be impossible to verify his identity. Even if you were to send him back to our tribe, you wont be able to get anything good out of this." "This..." Hearing those words, the Stoneleaf King hesitated for a moment before finally loosening his tight grip over the Lightning Elemental Orb. "Very well, I wont make a move against you." The other party was right. They could im that the human was a Celestial Master Teacher for all they wanted to, but if they couldnt substantiate their im with evidence, it would be all for naught. In other words, the human would be worthless to them. "You wont make a move against me? I dont believe you. I want you to swear on that to the Spirit God!" At this point, Zhang Xuans face abruptly turned grim as he spoke. "You want me to swear to the Spirit God?" the Stoneleaf King frowned. "Indeed. If you swear that you wont make a move against me, I will say that we have discovered and captured the Celestial Master Teacher together when reporting the matter to the elders." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Oh?" the Stoneleaf King frowned. It went without saying that it would be best for one to im sole credit for the matter. After all, an additional person in the picture meant less soup to go around. "I know that the strength I wield is insignificant amongst the Ten Great Kings. If anyone were to make a move against me to snatch the merit from my hands, there will be nothing I can about it. Furthermore, the merit for capturing a Celestial Master Teacher is too great, I dont think that I will be able to swallow the rewards of it alone. It will be much safer with someone on the same boat... So, why not?" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "This..." the Stoneleaf King fell into deep contemtion. The Violetleaf King was right. As the saying goes, the tree that rises above the forest will be torn down by the gale. Given the Violetleaf Kings current strength, there was no way he would be able to ward off those who intended to snatch the merit or rewards from his hands. Through extending an alliance to him, the Violetleaf King would be in a much safer position. In other words, the Violetleaf King would be dependent on him for protection and wouldnt betray him for the time being. But more importantly than that, he was stronger than the Violetleaf King. It wouldnt be toote for him to find a way to deal with the other party after the tribe affirmed the Celestial Master Teachers identity and distributed the rewards. "What do I have to do to gain your trust?" Havinge to a decision, the Stoneleaf King turned to Zhang Xuan and asked. "Simple. I have a gourd of wine here. We shall first have a toast of blood 1 to seal our alliance before swearing to the Spirit God that neither of us will harm the other. Thats the only way that I will be able to trust you!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of fine wine. "A toast of blood?" the Stoneleaf King was a little hesitant after hearing those words. "Indeed. I advise you to quickly make your decision. Once the Jadeleaf King arrives and learns of the matter, I fear that he will attempt to kill the both of us..." Zhang Xuan said. Greed brought out the darkest shadows hidden within ones heart. Even master teachers were no exception to the rule, let more the unprincipled Otherworldly Demons. Were the Jadeleaf King were to learn that the person before them was a Celestial Master Teacher, there was a very good chance that the other party would attempt to silence them so that he could im full credit over the matter. And more importantly, if the Violetleaf King were to choose to side against the Jadeleaf King at that point, he would be ced in a very dangerous position... "Alright, Ill agree to it!" the Stoneleaf King made his decision. The personalities of the Ten Great Kings was no secret, and the Jadeleaf King was particrly renowned for his greed and cruelty. He could indeed see the other party killing his own brethren to fulfill his desires. And given the Jadeleaf Kings strength, it would be hard for them to match the other party even with theirbined strength, let more alone! "Lets begin then!" Seeing that he had the other partys agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded. He slit an incision in his finger and dripped a few droplets of blood into the gourd of wine. After shaking it slightly to mix his blood into the wine, he tossed it over to the Stoneleaf King. Catching the gourd, the first thing the Stoneleaf King did was to extend his Spiritual Perception towards the wine. After confirming that there was nothing else mixed into the wine, he was finally able to ay his worries. Biting his finger, he dripped a few droplets of blood into the wine as well. "Good. Lets drink it!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said. "Very well!" The Stoneleaf King lifted the gourd to his mouth, and just as he was about to drink it, a thought that suddenly surfaced in his mind made him halt his action. "You go first!" With just a nce at the other partys face, Zhang Xuan could instantly tell what the other party was worried about. He took the gourd of wine from the other partys hands and took two hearty gulps of it. On the other hand, seeing that the Violetleaf King was fine after drinking the wine, the Stoneleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. He took the wine and drank several mouthfuls of it as well. After which, he raised his palm up to the sky and vowed, "I, the Stoneleaf King, swear to the Spirit God that I shall honor my alliance with the Violetleaf King. We shall stand aside one another through adversities as brothers, never to betray the other..." "I, the Violetleaf King, swear to the Spirit God that I shall honor my alliance with the Stoneleaf King..." Seeing that the Stoneleaf King had made his vow, Zhang Xuan hurriedly followed suit. He was swearing in the Violetleaf Kings name anyway, there was no need for him to hesitate. "Since we are now allied with one another, I hope that we can team up against the Jadeleaf King should he try to pull off anything funny." Zhang Xuan turned to the Stoneleaf King and said. "Dont worry!" the Stoneleaf King reassured. Amongst the Ten Great Kings, the Jadeleaf King was the only one who had an artifact that could possibly verify the identity of a Celestial Master Teacher. If it wasnt for that, there was no way they would have invited the other party over! "Once we verify that this human is a Celestial Master Teacher, the Jadeleaf King could attempt to snatch him from our hands or even make a move against us. So, pay close attention to me and act on mymandter on..." After a moment of thought, the Stoneleaf King turned to the Violetleaf King and instructed. While he still didnt have unreserved trust towards the Violetleaf King, at the very least, they had already sworn to the Spirit God in their names. Naturally, he was also more inclined to trust thetter instead of the Jadeleaf King. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I will try to sound him outter on after we confirm this humans identity. If he were to make a move against me, I hope that you can immediately step forward to y him. We are on the same boat right now, and we will either float together or sink together." "Un." the Stoneleaf King nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, a huge gale of wind abruptly blew in the surroundings. In the distance, a towering figure could be seen flying over. "Stoneleaf King, dont you know that I have better things to do? Why are you calling me over in such a hurry?" Hu! A powerful Otherworldly Demonnded on the ground before them. Chapter 1050: Jadeleaf King Chapter 1050: Jadeleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Otherworldly Demons height and aura paled inparison to the Stoneleaf King, but there was a look of utmost coldness in his eyes. His skin was smooth like jade, and the intervals between his breaths were extremely longa sign of his deep cultivation. "Young Master, hes the Jadeleaf King!" the Violetleaf King anxiously sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan with a quivering tone. "He cultivates the Broken Jade Technique, and not only does he possess a powerful physical body, his Primordial Spirit wields frightening strength as well. His cultivation has also reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm..." "Half-Leaving Aperture realm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Turning his gaze back to the Otherworldly Demon who had just arrived, he noticed that there was an inconspicuous gleam at the other partys be. It seemed as if the other party was just a step off from freeing his Primordial Spirit from the constraints of his body. Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm; the term Leaving Aperture referred to the Primordial Spirit fleeing from an aperture in the body and soaring freely in the heavens. In such a form, a cultivator would be more closely aligned with the world, allowing to draw forth more power from his surroundings to exert far greater fighting prowess. The gap between Primordial Spirit realm and Leaving Aperture realm was a major demarcation line. Take the current Zhang Xuan for example, if he could catch a Primordial Spirit realm expert off guard, he would still stand a chance to y thetter. However, if he were to encounter a Leaving Aperture realm expert, the only viable course of action he could take was to flee as far as he could. Even a breakthrough to Saint realm wouldnt grant him the strength to face Leaving Aperture realm experts! While Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivators had yet to wield the devastating strength that true Saint 5-dan experts possessed, they still werent existences that could be killed with simple physical attacks. It was no wonder why the Violetleaf King was so fearful of the Jadeleaf King. Even inparison to the Stoneleaf King, the strength that the Jadeleaf King wielded was frightening. "I miscalcted. I should have ryed information regarding the Qingtian Ten Great Kings to the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and have them dispatch more powerful master teachers over..." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Given that he had killed quite a few Otherworldly Demon Kings himself, and considering the fact that the seal had been closely guarded by the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan thought that it should have been impossible for Otherworldly Demons to enter the ancient domain. Thus, he didnt think much of the matter. The most powerful experts they had at the moment was Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, Mu shi, and Feng Xun. However, even they were a far distance away from matching up to a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert. It could be said that the overall prowess of their expedition team was on a different level from that of the Ten Great Kings... If only he knew that there were such powerful enemies lurking in the ancient domain, he would have definitely requested for the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to dispatch more powerful master teachers over. While it was only a branch, they should have quite a few Saint 4-dan pinnacle master teachers. "Forget it, its toote for regrets now. I should focus on whats before me now..." A moment after the thought surfaced in his mind, Zhang Xuan tossed it aside decisively, not allowing it to bother him. There was no point thinking about what he could have done better back then. In any case, he did manage to kill six out of the ten of them. If he were to work a little harder than before, the remaining four should still be doable! "Theres an urgent matter which I require your help on." the Stoneleaf King stepped forward and said. "Hm?" the Jadeleaf King looked at the Stoneleaf King questioningly. "Its like that. ording to the sources we have received, that human lying over there is said to be a very noble existence amongst mankind. Thus, we hope that you can help us verify his true identity!" the Stoneleaf King pointed to Feng Xun and said. The Stoneleaf King decided not to speak about the matter concerning the Celestial Master Teacher first. At the current point in time, it was best not to reveal too much first. "Verify his true identity?" the Jadeleaf King asked as he turned his gaze upon Feng Xun. "Judging from his clothes, he should be abat master. Does he possess some other identity? Also... Violetleaf King, why are you here?" After saying those words, the Jadeleaf King turned a piercing gaze towards Zhang Xuan. "Its like that..." Zhang Xuan repeated the same lie that he had told the Stoneleaf King. However, he also chose neglected to mention the words Celestial Master Teacher as well. "You are saying that in order to track down that noble existence amongst mankind, you chose to blend in together with them so as to lure the other party here?" the Jadeleaf King asked with a frown. A momentter, he nodded slightly and said, "Very well then. Let me see just what kind of existence this human is for you to go so far for him. If he is really as noble as you put him out to be, I will help you report this matter to His Majesty on your behalf and beseech him to reward you generously!" After saying those words, the Jadeleaf King whipped out an altar. It was different from the one which Zhang Xuan had procured from the Violetleaf King. Bronze andrge, it was filled with many bizarre inscriptions that could send ones head spinning with just a look. "That is the Immacte Jade Altar that only the Jadeleaf King possesses. Of the Ten Great Kings, the Qingtian Emperor only bestowed it upon him... Through this altar, one can summon the Spirit God to ascertain a persons true identity and verify the authenticity of their words!" the Violetleaf King informed Zhang Xuan telepathically. "The Qingtian Emperor bestowed it only to the Jadeleaf King?" the Jadeleaf King was neither the strongest or the weakest of the Ten Great Kings. Why would the Qingtian Emperor make such an exception for the other party? "The Jadeleaf King lords over the Hall of Crime, and he is in charge of interrogating and punishing all criminals of the Qingtian Lineage..." the Violeleaf King exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. As one who was in charge of interrogation and punishment, it was important for the Jadeleaf King to possess such an ability. Otherwise, it could cause great disorder in their judicial system. Taking a closer look at the altar, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel a little confused. Somehow, he just couldnt make the association between the ability to discern a persons identity together with an altar. His confusion didnt remain for too long. In the next moment, the Jadeleaf King whipped out a couple of tributes and ced it on the altar. The altar released a dim glow which consumed the tributes with a zing me. Following which, a sacred white glow suddenly fell upon him and Feng Xun. Seeing how the Violetleaf King was covered amidst the glow as well, the Jadeleaf King frowned. The Stoneleaf Kingsplexion wasnt too good either, and he bellowed, "Violetleaf King, we are in the midst of verifying the identity of that human. You should step aside for the moment." "Dont worry, my presence here wont affect the results. I caught this fellow with my own hands, so I want to see for myself just who he is..." Zhang Xuan replied. He wasnt too sure how the other partys verification technique worked, but if one thing was for sure, Feng Xun definitely wasnt a Celestial Master Teacher. If he were to step away from the glow, there was no doubt that the white glow wouldnt be able to pick up anything at all. Standing within the white glow could potentially reveal his identity, but Zhang Xuan was confident in his ability to maintain his disguise while revealing the presence of the Celestial Master Teacher amongst them. And of course, the revealed Celestial Master Teacher would be Feng Xun as well. "Anything that pleases you!" Seeing the wariness in the Violetleaf Kings eyes, the Stoneleaf King thought that the other party was afraid that they would steal his prey, so he could only shake his head helplessly. "Ill continue then." the Jadeleaf King said as he continued cing more tributes on the altar. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan discreetly tapped his leg on Feng Xuns back and infused the aura unique to Celestial Master Teacher into thetters body. This aura was the distinctive mark of a Celestial Master Teacher, but if it wasnt driven, it would be impossible to notice it either. It was through this means that Zhang Xuan dared to say that Feng Xun was a Celestial Master teacher without fear. Weng! The glow surrounding the duo gradually grew brighter and brighter. Zhang Xuan was still unable to notice anything special, but the Jadeleaf Kings already had a frown deeply etched on his forehead. "Theres indeed something bizarre about that persons identity..." After saying those words, the Jadeleaf King continued cing a few more treasures on the altar. The tributes that were previously ced on top of the altar had already been burned dry. On the other hand, the Stoneleaf King couldnt help but tighten his fists upon the sight. While Zhang Xuan might not have much of an understanding regarding the workings of the Immacte Jade Altar, as one of the Upper Five Kings, he had a rough conceptualization of how it worked. The more tributes required for the altar, the higher standing the other party possessed. After refilling the tributes time and time again, the white glow of the tribute finally gathered together as one to form four huge wordsAcknowledged by the Heavens! "As expected!" Upon seeing the words, the eyes of the Stoneleaf King reddened as his breathing hastened. It seemed like the Violetleaf King wasnt lying. The human lying not too far away was indeed a Celestial Master Teacher just like Kong shi! As long as he handed that human to the elders, his standing would soar through the ranks. "Acknowledged by the Heavens... He is a Celestial Master Teacher?" At the same time, the eyes of the Jadeleaf King also began burning with greed. As the third strongest expert of the Five Upper Kings, he was well aware of the significance of these four words. "That exins why these two fellows were in such a rush to find me... So they have caught themselves a huge fish..." the Jadeleaf King clenched his fists tightly in agitation. "Jadeleaf King, this human was captured by me and Stoneleaf King. Since we have verified his identity, we intend to return to the tribe this instant to hand him over to the elders!" Seeing that his n had seeded, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As innocent as those words sounded, it was intended to strike a stake between the rtionship of the Stoneleaf King and the Jadeleaf King. By mentioning that he had worked with the Stoneleaf King to capture the Celestial Master Teacher before adding that they intended to return to the tribe right now, that was as good as saying that they didnt intend to give the Jadeleaf King a share of the credit! "This..." Hearing those words, the Stoneleaf Kings face immediately warped in horror. He too understood the significance of those words. It was a given that they would have to return to the tribe to hand the Celestial Master Teacher over to the elders, but... surely the Violetleaf King didnt have to point it out at this instant? Those words were as good as saying that they were intending to keep the benefits of this matter all to themselves. And as he had expected, the Jadeleaf Kingsplexion immediately turned awful. Following which, his lips curled up to reveal a smilepletely devoid of warmth, "We havent aplished the mission entrusted to us by His Majesty yet. Dont you think that it is inappropriate for you to leave right now?" "Inappropriate? Why would that be so? Dont worry, we wont implicate the other Kings in this matter. We will take full responsibility for this matter. We are willing to ept any punishment His Majesty ords us due to this matter..." Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. Hearing those words, the Stoneleaf King nearly fainted on the spot. At this juncture, they should be trying their best to soothe the other partys rage by emphasizing that the merit of capturing the Celestial Master Teacher belonged to everyone... And yet, that fellow actually said that the other Kings wouldnt be implicated in this matter at all... Were there any better words to provoke the Jadeleaf King than that? "Jadeleaf King, thats not what he means..." The eyelids of the Jadeleaf King began twitching uncontrobly, and he hurriedly rushed forward to exin. However, halfway through his words, the red-faced Jadeleaf King interjected, "Is that your opinion on this matter as well?" "Of course, I have already discussed this matter with the Stoneleaf King! If you back down at this point, we can still consider letting you off. However, if you dare toy your hands on our merit, we dont mind ending your life right here!" Zhang Xuan replied ferociously, seemingly desperate to protect his merit. Right after hearing those words, the Stoneleaf Kings body staggered, and he nearly cked out on the spot. When in the world did I say those words? You said that you were going to sound him out, not to taunt him! Are you a three-year-old kid? Dont you know how to hide your intentions? To voice it out right before the other party... you are dragging the both of us down to our graves! "Good. Very good! It has been many years since anyone dared to threaten me like that..." With teeth gritted tightly in rage, the Jadeleaf King stared at the duo before him with killing intent raging in his eyes. "Jadeleaf King, its not what you are thinking! We have captured the Celestial Master Teacher to..." While cursing the Violetleaf King for being an ipetent ally, the Stoneleaf King hurriedly tried to exin the matter so as to calm down the situation when a groan suddenly sounded from not too far away. Ahhhhh! The human who was lying on the ground, Feng Xun, had woken up. Rubbing his head, he slowly got up with a dazed look in his eyes. "Whats going on? What Celestial Master Teacher?" In his groggy state, Feng Xun heard a particrly striking phrase and subconsciously asked about it. Chapter 1051: Killing One Another Chapter 1051: Killing One Another Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Feng Xun had only been temporarily knocked out by Zhang Xuans palm. As abat master who possessed a huge reserve of zhenqi and a powerful body, it was natural that it wouldnt take him too long to recover. His head was still spinning from the earlier impact, and in his moment of daze, he heard the words Celestial Master Teacher, so he instantaneously assumed that he was in a safe location. As such, he let his guard down and allowed words to spill out from his mouth. "Its good that you have woken up." Seeing that the human had woken up, the Stoneleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. He was about to grab the other party to force him to spill out some words so as to alleviate the current situation when the Violetleaf King abruptly sent a foot into the other partys face. Peng! The foot struck Feng Xuns head squarely, and before thetter could even process what was going on, he had already fainted once more. "Ah?" The Stoneleaf King was stunned. Didnt you say that the both of you have a rather close rtionship with one another? Why did you look as if... you were kicking a stray animal? Paying no heed to the knocked-out Feng Xun, the Jadeleaf King red at Zhang Xuan and spat, "End my life? You two?" "Indeed, the two of us will suffice to deal with you! Since we have confirmed this humans identity, you no longer possess any value to us!" Zhang Xuan replied haughtily. "If you continue to live, you will only spread word of this matter and endanger us. Thus, Stoneleaf King and I have decided that as long as you join our alliance and swear not to speak of this matter to any soul or try to steal our merit, we will spare you this time around." "Wonderful..." Seeing how the Violetleaf King was getting more and more arrogant, not showing the slightest respect toward him, the killing intent in the Jadeleaf Kings eyes intensified. "Since you wish to kill me, its only right for me to return the favor to you!" Boom! Right after saying those words, a powerful palm strike flew right for the Stoneleaf King. In the Jadeleaf Kings view, the Violetleaf King posed no threat at all. The one whom he should be wary of was the Stoneleaf King. "Listen to me..." Seeing that the Jadeleaf King waspletely enraged by the Violetleaf Kings words, the Stoneleaf King anxiously tried to exin himself. However, before he could even finish his words, the Violetleaf King had already interjected with a loud bellow by the side, "Old Stone, quick, move ording to our n! Otherwise, we might very well die here!" The Stoneleaf King nearly went insane from anger. n? When have we decided on a n? I only told you to follow mymands if the Jadeleaf King intended to make a move against us. Yet, before the Jadeleaf King even did anything, you went full out trying to provoke the other party. Just how in the world did I get myself stuck with an ally like you? Furthermore, Old Stone? Stone your head! My surname is not Stone, alright? However, he knew this wasnt the time for him to get into a conflict over the matter. It was apparent that the Jadeleaf King had already made up his mind to kill them. If he didnt fight back, he might just end up losing his life here. Thus, clenching his fists, the Stoneleaf King twisted the Lightning Elemental Orb in his hand, and a thick congregation of lightning fell from the sky. Hong long! It collided with the Jadeleaf Kings palm strike, and a huge shockwave burst into the surroundings, copsing innumerable ancient buildings. The two powerful forces were equally matched, and they ended up neutralizing one another. "And here I was wondering where you found the guts to stand up against me. So, you have to managed to tame the Lightning Elemental Orb and gained control of this lightning formation. However, if you think that you can kill me like that, you are dreaming!" Seeing that his attack had been struck down by the other partys lightning, the Jadeleaf King bellowed furiously as he whipped out a long saber. Hu! He flicked the saber, and a vacuum cut through the air. With just a single strike, the Jadeleaf King had seeded in tearing a rift between the heavens and the earth. As if isted from the world, the lightning, which had been descending furiously toward him earlier, suddenly found itself unable to enter the area. While the Stoneleaf King had tamed the Lightning Elemental Orb, he had only gained control over a small portion of the field of lightning. Due to the limits of his cultivation, he was unable to bring forth its full might. He could easily devastate any cultivator weaker than him with it, but against a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert like the Jadeleaf King... it was still a littlecking. "I was indeed not a match for you in the past, but times have changed. Who knows? You might be the one who falls in the end." Even though the Jadeleaf King had managed to fend off the first wave of lightning, the Stoneleaf King didnt despair. Instead, driving the Lightning Elemental Orb in his hands, he called forth another wave of lightning. Hu! The sky abruptly grew darker, and the rumbling of the thunder sounded more fearsome than ever. In the blink of an eye, the lightning shattered the vacuum that the Jadeleaf King had formed with his saber qi and appeared right above the Jadeleaf Kings head. Upon seeing the lightning above him, the Jadeleaf King didnt choose to flee immediately. Instead, an illusory figure appeared behind his back. At Half-Leaving Aperture realm, while ones Primordial Spirit was still unable to free itself fully from the confines of the body, it could still escape from the Yuanshen acupoint and form something like an avatar, enhancing the strength that one could call forth significantly. As expected, as soon as the illusory figure materialized, the space surrounding them was sealed off all of a sudden, trapping the Stoneleaf King and Zhang Xuan like animals in a cage. The furious streaks of lightning struck relentlessly on the cage, but the lightning was unable to breach it at all. "Die!" After doing that, the Jadeleaf Kings eyebrows shot up. He raised the saber in his hand and hacked it down upon the Stoneleaf King. On the other hand, the Stoneleaf King knew that he wouldnt be able to match the Jadeleaf King without the augmentation of the lightning formation, so he began to panic. He quickly whipped out a long spear to face the Jadeleaf Kings saber while shouting, "He is using his Primordial Spirit to seal the surrounding space. He can only sustain this state for a very short period of time, and it will be highly damaging to his Primordial Spirit. This is the perfect opportunity to bring him down, attack!" It would be difficult for him to stand against the Stoneleaf King alone, but with the Violetleaf Kings assistance at this moment, he should be able to corner the Jadeleaf King through a pincer attack. The sealing of space through ones Primordial Spirit was a powerful technique, but it was incredibly depleting as well. Furthermore, his lightning was also striking the seal ferociously, so no matter how powerful the other party was, he couldnt hold on for too long. With his full might, the Stoneleaf King barely seeded in withstanding the Jadeleaf Kings assault. At that moment, he couldnt help but realize that the Violetleaf King had yet to make a move despite it being the perfect opportunity, so he quickly turned his gaze over to see what was wrong. That nce left him nearly spurting blood. That fellow was looking at their battle by the side with his hands crossed, seemingly not intending to help at all! In this instant, the Stoneleaf King suddenly came to a realization. Damn it, I fell for that fellows ploy. From the very start, the Violetleaf King didnt intend to coborate with him! The entire matter was a ploy to have him and the Jadeleaf King kill one another. The previous vow had only restrained the other party from making a move against him, so it wasnt against the rules for the other party to have the Jadeleaf King deal with him. Furthermore, no matter who died in the fight, the surviving side would still have to let him live for the time being in order to ensure that the Celestial Master Teacher remained under control. In other words, that fellow would be the ultimate victor of the fight regardless of who won! What a fearsome scheme. This wont do. I cant let that fellow seed! Understanding this, the Stoneleaf King quickly sent a telepathic message to the Jadeleaf King while fending off thetters attacks. "Jadeleaf King, dont fall for that fellows tricks! He is trying to turn us against each other and have us kill one another." "Have us kill one another?" Seeing that there was room for negotiation, the Stoneleaf King heaved a sigh of relief as he quickly replied, "Thats right! The merit from finding the Celestial Master Teacher is huge; it is more than sufficient for the three of us to share it. Theres no need for us to turn against one another over such a small matter." "Hmm..." Pondering over the Stoneleaf Kings words, the Jadeleaf King was about to reply when he suddenly felt cold killing intent behind him. Unknowingly, a sword had emerged behind him, and it was aimed straight for one of his ws, making it hard for him to deal with it. Hu! The Jadeleaf King quickly leaped aside to dodge the attack, but even so, the sword still managed to leave a deep sh on his back, causing him grievous injuries. Crimson blood flowed down his back profusely. Turning around, he saw the Violetleaf King retreating several dozen meters away with his sword tightly in his grasp, fleeing out of his attack range. There was an excited gleam in the other partys eyes as he shouted, "Old Stone, you were right! That spot is indeed his mingmen." "Damn it!" the Jadeleaf King bellowed furiously. He had thought that there was some truth to the Stoneleaf Kings words, but who would have thought that it was only a ploy to distract him while the Violetleaf Kingunched an assault on him? With a frenzied cry that was overflowing with fury, he sent a palm strike toward Zhang Xuan while bringing his saber down upon the Stoneleaf King simultaneously. "I..." Not expecting that the Violetleaf King to leap into battle right when he was about to convince the Jadeleaf King, the Stoneleaf King felt incredibly stifled and crazed within. Never in his life had he encountered anyone who was so shameless! How can you make me take responsibility for the trouble you have caused? Thats really too much! Furthermore... turning his nce over, he realized that the Violetleaf King was already standing a safe distance away from the Jadeleaf King afterunching his assault. The other partys arms were crossed before his chest as he watched upon themotion with a look of interest. Feeling so indignant that he could spurt blood, the Stoneleaf King knew that it was futile for him to attempt to exin himself to the Jadeleaf King anymore. He had already lost thetters trust for good, so he could only grit his teeth and focus on the battle. Boom boom boom! Even though the Jadeleaf King possessed higher cultivation than the Stoneleaf King, the Stoneleaf King was able to even the ying field with the powerful Lightning Elemental Orb in his hands and his superior physical defense. On top of that, the Violetleaf Kings previous assault had dealt significant damage to the Jadeleaf King, so the both parties found themselves evenly matched for the time being. However, the devastating shockwave that emanated from their powerful shes caused the entire ancient city they were in to copse uncontrobly, forming rubble all around. Incredible... Seeing the strength the battling duo wielded, Zhang Xuan gave them a huge thumbs up. No wonder they were the Five Upper Kings, the fighting prowess that they possessed was indeed frightening! With Zhang Xuans current strength, he could easily decimate any Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivator. However, against experts of the Stoneleaf King and Jadeleaf Kings caliber, the only option for him was to flee as far as he could. Putting aside battling them, even the shockwaves emanated by their fight were hard for him to bear. As time passed, the battle between the both of them intensified. Logically speaking, with the Stoneleaf Kings superior defense and control over the powerful lightning field, the Jadeleaf King should have fallen already. Yet, the both sides were still fighting on equal grounds. Nevertheless, it was apparent that the Stoneleaf King held the decisive advantage in the battle. With the lightning formation in his hands, he was able to send wave after wave of powerful strikes at the Jadeleaf King relentlessly, causing injuries to gradually umte all over the Jadeleaf Kings body. Without a power source like the lightning formation to fuel his attacks, the Jadeleaf King found his stamina and zhenqi depleting swiftly as well. "Damn all of you... Even if I have to die, I will bring the both of you down with me!" Knowing that he would only be killed at this rate, the Jadeleaf King roared furiously as immense power burst forth from his body. The illusory figure behind him suddenly grewrger, and finally, as if breaking past its bottleneck, it freed itself entirely from the body. That... He drew his Primordial Spirit out from his body forcefully! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. Back then, he had encountered such a situation with the Waterleaf King as well. Back then, in a moment of rage, the Waterleaf King had used a secret art to draw out his Primordial Spirit to attack him. However, it was a pity that the other party had chosen the wrong method of attack, resulting in his failure! Currently, the Jadeleaf King was steadily umting injuries, and he knew that he would be killed eventually. Thus, he decided to go all out and use the secret art to draw his Primordial Spirit from his body. Using the secret art, even if he were to survive the side effects, he would sustain permanent damage, and his cultivation would decline sharply. However, one thing was for surehe would surely be able to kill the darned duo before him. If the Stoneleaf King is killed, it is unlikely that I will be spared... I should find a ce to hide in first. Considering the drastic side effects that came with the utilization of the secret art, Zhang Xuan knew that the Jadeleaf King was already determined to kill the both of them, and he couldnt help but frown. This situation wasnt advantageous for him. He had intended to spectate the battle from afar, but if the Jadeleaf King were to be desperate and go after him right before his death, that would be disastrous. Thus, Zhang Xuan immediately got up and prepared to flee from the battle. At that moment, however, a figure gradually rose from the ground. As that figure rose, he shook his head vehemently to shake out the grogginess in his mind. That figure was Feng Xun. Due to his powerful constitution, his ability to recover was truly incredible! "What is going on? Where am I?" Feng Xun mumbled in confusion beneath his breath. Just as he barely opened his eyes, he saw a brick heading right toward his face. Padah! With his eyes rolling up, Feng Xun fainted once more. Chapter 1052: Fudging Chapter 1052: Fudging Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was not convenient to allow Feng Xun to see the current sight before him. Otherwise, how could Zhang Xuan exin how he was able to disguise himself as an Otherworldly Demon and have the Stoneleaf King and Jadeleaf King fight against one another? Not to mention, even if he coulde up with an exnation, it was another matter whether Feng Xun would trust him or not. After all, anything concerning the Otherworldly Demons required caution. Thus, the most effective method to use at this point was to just knock the other party out. It was simple, efficient, and effective. There was no point going to so much trouble when there was such an ideal solution. Besides, the bricks from the copsed buildings all around him only seemed to be further tempting him into it. Zhang Xuan subconsciously lowered his gaze to shoot a nce at Feng Xun, and he saw thetter lying on the ground with his face still twitching uncontrobly. It was as if he was unable to believe that a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall like him would end up being knocked out three times consecutively. Furthermore, it seemed to be getting more and more humiliating each time. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the duo fighting in the sky, and his eyebrows shot up. After the Jadeleaf King drew out his Primordial Spirit, the Stoneleaf King immediately fell into a disadvantage. Despite the superior defense that the Stoneleaf King possessed, it took mere moments for the Jadeleaf King to inflict injuries all over his body and even sever his arm, causing the Lightning Elemental Orb to fall to the ground. Fresh blood trickled profusely down his body, and his face turned pale. It seemed like the Jadeleaf King had realized that the key to the Stoneleaf King powery in the Lightning Elemental Orb. Without the augmentation from the lightning formation, there was no way the Stoneleaf King could stand against him. "Lets die together then!" Suffering grievous wounds, the Stoneleaf King knew that he couldnt stand against the Jadeleaf King in his current state. Thus, with a furious roar, he also utilized his secret art and drew his Primordial Spirit out. The Stoneleaf King didnt possess a cultivation as high as the Jadeleaf King. Even after drawing his Primordial Spirit out, the Jadeleaf King could still live by finding a suitable body to house himself in, but the same option wasnt open to the Stoneleaf King. Thus, this could be considered a suicidal attack by him. Hong long long! The two powerful Primordial Spirits began shing with one another, and the intensity of the battle was hiking up as time passed. Zhang Xuan surveyed his surroundings, only to note that the surroundings had really beenpletely sealed. Thus, he could only shake his head helplessly. Given the current circumstances, there was no way he would be able to escape. Even if he chose to hide in the Myriad Anthive Nest, he wouldnt be able to hide the nest itself. With just a scan from their Spiritual Perception, he would be found in an instant. By then, he would bepletely cornered, putting him in an even worse position. Zhang Xuan frowned. If the Stoneleaf King wins, I can just poison him to death. However, if the Jadeleaf King wins, I will be in deep trouble. A battle at such a level was something he couldnt hope to intervene in with his current strength. If he forcefully got involved, he would be killed before he could even do anything. If the Stoneleaf King won, he would still hold the initiative. However, if the Jadeleaf King won, considering what he had done to the other party previously, there was no way the other party would let him off. Taking another look at the battle, he saw that the Stoneleaf Kings Primordial Spirit was being overwhelmed by the Jadeleaf King, forced to retreat again and again. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Stoneleaf King lost. I really miscalcted... Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. As expected of the third strongest expert of the Ten Great Kings. Even with the Stoneleaf King in control of the lightning formation, it seemed like the one who would emerge victorious in the end was still the Jadeleaf King. What should I do? Seeing that the Stoneleaf King was on the verge of sumbing to the Jadeleaf King, Zhang Xuan paced around worriedly. However, in that moment, he suddenly caught sight of a certain figure not too far away. After drawing his Primordial Spirit out, the Jadeleaf King had left his body lyingpletely unguarded by the side. He likes to draw out his Primordial Spirit, doesnt he? Hehehe... With a sinister chuckle, Zhang Xuan walked over to the Jadeleaf Kings body. Zhang Xuan had to admit that the fellows Broken Jade Technique was indeed rather powerful. It had granted his body exceptional durability and sturdiness. While it was not on par with the Stoneleaf Kings, it was plenty fearsome. Drawing the cier Rain Sword, Zhang Xuan hacked down forcefully on the Jadeleaf Kings body, but to his astonishment, he was unable to breach the other partys defense. It seemed like the Jadeleaf King hadnt left his bodypletely unprotected after all. He seemed to have used some kind of powerful secret art to reinforce his bodys defense before drawing his Primordial Spirit out. Next, Zhang Xuan tried to ce his finger on the Jadeleaf Kings acupoints to infuse his zhenqi in, but a short momentter, he shook his head. The Jadeleaf Kings body was wholesome like jade. With Zhang Xuans current strength, he was unable to force his zhenqi into the other partys body to poison him. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a pile ofva appeared before him. Previously, when he was passing through theva, he had taken the opportunity to secretly store some of it in his storage ring, thinking that he could utilize the heat to smith better weapons. It was good that he had done so, because it happened that he had a good use for it at this very moment. With another flick of his wrist, he threw theva right at the fellow before him. Tzzzzzzzzz! As soon as theva came into contact with the other partys body, the sizzling sound of corrosion immediately echoed loudly in the air. The body, which even the cier Rain Sword was unable to cut through, began melting. Not bad... Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Honestly speaking, even when stored within the storage ring, theva would still cool down very soon. Thus, it was good that he could find a use for it now. As powerful as the body of the Jadeleaf King was, it still paled inparison to theva at a hundred meters deep in theva pool. "You..." On the other hand, the Jadeleaf King seemed to have noticed something from above, and ncing downward at his body, he nearly spurted blood and died on the spot. As he had yet to fully reach Leaving Aperture realm, it was highly damaging for him to force his Primordial Spirit out of his body. However... as long as his physical body remained unharmed, he could still return to it. He would have faced a sharp decline in his cultivation from doing so, but at the very least, he would still have been able to live. Yet, who could have known that someone would attempt to burn his body? That was equivalent to having ones home burned down by an arsonist! His Primordial Spirit no longer had a ce to return to anymore! "You scoundrel!" the Jadeleaf King spat in anger. In his moment of daze, the Stoneleaf King managed to get a few attacks in, which nearly caused his Primordial Spirit to dissipate. "I will deal with you first before killing that fellow." As angry as the Jadeleaf King was, he knew that he wouldnt be able to get even with the Violetleaf King without dealing with the Stoneleaf King first. Thus, with a furious roar, he charged forward andunched a frenzied wave of attacks on the Stoneleaf King. Boom boom boom boom! Deafening explosions reverberated across the horizon, and the spiritual energy within a radius of several dozen kilometers was disrupted by the intense battle. Not too longter, the Stoneleaf Kings Primordial Spirit finally dissipated under the relentless assault of the Jadeleaf King. The dissipation of ones Primordial Spirit was equivalent to theplete destruction of ones soul. In such a state, not even a deity could save one. The reason the Stoneleaf King was ranked fourth among the Five Upper Kings was due to the immense strength his physical body possessed. However, having focused too much of his efforts on developing his physical body, his Primordial Spirit had ended up being slightly weaker than his peers. As such, the only usible conclusion in a sh with the Jadeleaf King was his defeat. Of course, considering the situation back then, the Stoneleaf King had no choice but to pit his Primordial Spirit against the Jadeleaf Kings too. His limbs had been severed, and his physical body had sustained grievous injuries. If he hadnt drawn his soul out using his secret art, he would have died as well. The only difference was how long it took. "Its your turn..." After ying the Stoneleaf King, the Jadeleaf King immediately turned to the culprit who had reduced his physical body into a puddle of goo. With a furious roar, he charged forward. "Kill me, and I will kill this Celestial Master Teacher!" Zhang Xuan quickly held Feng Xun up and ced thetter before him. "Think about it. As long as he remains alive, you can hand him over to our tribe. With the contribution you earn from that, finding a new body for you to possess and regaining your strength will be a walk in the park." At this moment, this was the only leverage he had over the Jadeleaf King, as well as the only card he could y. The Jadeleaf King was tempted to skin the fellow before him alive, but there was sense in the other partys words. If the Celestial Master Teacher were to die, the battle that he had fought would have been for naught. After all he had been through, this was an oue he couldnt ept. "Do you think that I will trust you?" Forcing himself to remain calm, the Jadeleaf King red at the Violetleaf King with wintry eyes. If not for the other party, he wouldnt have ended up fighting with the Stoneleaf King,nding himself in such a pitiful state. He had decided that from this point on, he wouldnt believe a single word that the other party said... including even punctuation! Holding Feng Xuns neck tightly, Zhang Xuan gazed at the Jadeleaf King nonchntly. "It doesnt matter whether you trust me or not. However, there is one fact that you have to acknowledge. If this human dies, you wont be able to obtain anything." "Youre right. If he dies, I wont be able to obtain anything. However, without a body, I wont be able to live for long either. Since the eventual oue is death anyway, dont you think that I will be better off finding anotherpanion to apany me on the journey to hell?" the Jadeleaf King spat coldly. If he had reached Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm, his Primordial Spirit might still have been able to survive outside of his body. However... he had used his secret art to escape from the confines of his body, and that had dealt heavy damage to his Primordial Spirit. If he couldnt find a body to house his Primordial Spirit soon, it wouldnt be long before he breathed hisst. This was simr to how an infant that was born after forty weeks of pregnancy was the healthiest. If one were to attempt to conduct a caesarean delivery prematurely, it could potentially be damaging to both the mother and the child. Such was the same for the Primordial Spirit as well. At Half-Leaving Aperture realm, a cultivator would have already opened their Yuanshen acupoint, the pathway for the Primordial Soul to escape from the confines of the body. They still couldnt draw it out, not because it was impossible to do so, but because their Primordial Spirit wasnt strong enough for it yet. Such was the case for the Jadeleaf King. His Primordial Spirit was still too weak to sustain itself, so he needed to find a body to nourish it. At the current rate, his Primordial Spirit would slowly wear thin and eventually dissipate. In a sense, this was simr to the woes faced by soul oracles, the only difference being that the time soul oracles had was significantly shorter. "Without a body? Isnt the Stoneleaf Kings body lying right over there? You can possess it!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile. "You..." the Jadeleaf Kings eyes were cier cold. "There is a fundamental difference in the cultivation techniques we practice, so if I possess his body, I will be in constant anguish and suffering." "This..." Zhang Xuan rubbed his lower jaw with a frown. "I see. That makes things a little troublesome." Despite hisck of understanding of Primordial Spirits, through his extensive knowledge of souls from the heritage of the soul oracles, he knew that the other party was speaking the truth. It was true that the Jadeleaf King would be able to survive by possessing the Stoneleaf Kings body, but due to the fundamental differences in their cultivation techniques and constitutions, not only would he suffer a steep fall in his fighting prowess, he would be in constant misery as well. "Right!" Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate for long before pping his head in realization, seemingly having thought of something. "Why didnt I think of it earlier? I happen to have specially crafted a puppet not too long ago, and since it is attributeless, there is no way it can sh with your cultivation technique. Why dont you enter it to recuperate for the time being? Once we bring the Celestial Master Teacher back to our tribe and receive the reward, you will surely be able to make the breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, and by then... it wont matter whether you have a body or not!" "Puppet?" The Jadeleaf King frowned. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked his wrist, and a huge Otherworldly Demon puppet appeared before his eyes. It was one of the puppets that he had taken out of the underground cavern where Wu Yangzi had been imprisoned. After resolving the ws in its structure, it wielded prowessparable to a Saint 3-dan cultivator. "This is forged out of the body of an ordinary tribesman, so it is attributeless. It doesplement with my Primordial Spirit fairly well." The Jadeleaf King took a look at the puppet and hesitated. The puppet had been forged using the living body of an Otherworldly Demon, and it was driven by a reserve of spiritual energy at its core. While it was weak, its strengthy in that it was attributeless, so it was a better fit with his Primordial Spiritpared to the Stoneleaf Kings body. Naturally, this also meant that he could disy greater fighting prowess within the body of the puppet as well. "To tell you the truth, you have nothing to earn from killing me. In the first ce, the one who tried to kill you wasnt me but the Stoneleaf King. Besides, given the limited strength I wield, theres no way that I will be able to harm you!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "It took me a great amount of effort to forge this puppet, and I was intending to use it to craft a clone. However, since you require it, I will give it to you to serve as a temporary body. Once we return to the tribe with the Celestial Master Teacher, everything can be resolved easily." Saying so, Zhang Xuan patted his puppet fondly, seemingly a little reluctant to part with his treasure. Chapter 1053: Slaying the Jadeleaf King Chapter 1053: ying the Jadeleaf King Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Humph!" The Jadeleaf King harrumphed coldly as he swiftly analyzed the situation he was in. His physical body had been destroyed, and if he were to attempt to kill the Violetleaf King, the Celestial Master Teacher would surely die as well... and once that happened, there would be no hope for him. Just like what the other party had said, as long as he took the Celestial Master Teacher back to the tribe, he would be entitled to all kinds of rewardsthe strengthening of his Primordial Spirit, the heightening of his cultivation, or even obtaining a powerful body would be avable options for him. I should just agree to his demands first. The most important thing for me at the moment is to remain alive. In any case, the journey back to the tribe will be a long one, so there will be plenty of opportunities for me to kill him while his guard is down. Gradually, a n surfaced in the Jadeleaf Kings mind. During the long journey back to the tribe, it was inevitable that the Violetleaf King would lower his guard from time to time. As soon as that happened, he would be able to strike and rid that despicable scoundrel before him. That way, he would be able to exact vengeance withoutpromising the safety of the Celestial Master Teacher before him. This would not be an ideal moment for him to make his move. The Violetleaf King was clearly guarded, and if he were to make a reckless move, he would be the one to lose out in the end. In his Primordial Spirit form, he was indeed powerful. However, he could not maintain this state for too long. "Allow me to take a look at your puppet." After a moment of contemtion, the Jadeleaf King flew over to the puppet and began examining it closely with his Spiritual Perception. To his surprise, the puppet was extremely well-made. While the materials used for it were low quality, the craftsmanship did well to maximize its strength within its constraints. The puppet might have been a little weak, but onceplemented with his Primordial Spirit, it would still be able to disy considerable fighting prowess. It would not match up to his prior strength, but it would be more than sufficient to deal with a mere Violetleaf King. After making such calctions, he examined every aspect of the puppet carefully, and after confirming that there were no traps hidden within it, he heaved a sigh of relief. Hu! With a swift movement, his Primordial Spirit dived into the puppet. A momentter, he opened the puppets eyes and began moving his new limbs. He turned his gaze toward the Violetleaf King and said, "Alright, you should be able to release the Celestial Master Teacher now, right?" "Of course!" Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan tossed Feng Xun casually to the ground. Due to the heavy impact Feng Xun had suffered from the brick, he still had not woken up. The Jadeleaf King was stunned. He released the human just like that? He had expected the other party to continue holding the Celestial Master Teacher hostage so as to ensure his own safety. To obediently release the Celestial Master Teacher at hismand... was the other party really not afraid that he would im his life? "Fool! You are asking for death!" Regardless, this was a good opportunity to strike. The eyes of the Jadeleaf King lit up as he swiftly pulled the unconscious Celestial Master Teacher behind him to protect thetter. At the same time, he charged forward tounch a devastating attack on the Violetleaf King. After how the Violetleaf King had made a fool out of him, how could he, the proud Jadeleaf King, possibly allow the other party to continue existing in the world? "Jeez. I have already offered you a chance to continue living, but you just dont know how to treasure it." Seeing the Jadeleaf King charging ferociously toward him, the Violetleaf King shook his head calmly and sighed. Instead of making any attempts to dodge of counterattack, he lifted his hand casually and snapped, "Down!" Kacha! The charging Jadeleaf King abruptly felt a surge of intense pain assaulting him, causing his body to stiffen on the spot. Putong! The momentum from his previous action dragged him onto the ground. The Jadeleaf King narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "You... Youced the puppet with poison?" In just a mere instant, he understood why the other party dared cast aside the only leverage over him without any hesitation. It turned out that the puppet had been poisoned! Furthermore, for a Primordial Spirit as powerful as his to sumb to it, it was apparent that it was an exceptionally potent poison. "You are quite smart. If you pledge loyalty to me and obey every single one of mymands without any hesitation, I can spare you!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. He had already foreseen this from the moment he took his puppet out. Previously, when he was tapping the puppet fondly, he had discreetly infused his Heavens Path zhenqi into it. His Heavens Path zhenqi had no particr attribute, so even if the Jadeleaf King noticed it, he probably only thought that it was the innate power that the puppet harnessed, so he didnt pay it any heed. In other words, from the moment that the Jadeleaf King sent his Primordial Spirit into the puppet, he was already doomed. "You want me to pledge loyalty to you? Dream on!" the Jadeleaf King roared furiously as his Primordial Spirit charged toward the acupoint that he had entered the puppet from. Since he was able to enter the puppet, naturally, he should be able to leave as well. "You might have been able to enter the puppet easily, but it wont be that easy for you to leave it!" Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile. The Jadeleaf Kings heart turned cold upon hearing those words. He realized that every single acupoint on the puppet had been sealed by a unique zhenqi. Even with the overwhelming strength that hemanded, he found that he was unable to break out. All of his escape routes were sealed; he was trapped. Despite all of the precautions that he had taken, he had still ended up falling for the Violetleaf Kings ploy. Stifled, the Jadeleaf King nearly spewed a mouthful of blood, but there was no blood within the puppet for him to spew. The more he thought about the matter, the more despaired and frightened he felt. Even though the fellow standing before him being weaker than him, he found himself feeling deeply terrified of the other party. Preying on the weaknesses in his mind, the other party had managed to turn him against the Stoneleaf King and nearly had him killed. Even after he emerged victorious in the fight, it turned out that the other party had already prepared a subsequent measure to deal with hima puppetced with lethal poison. Had the Violetleaf King been such a formidable figure all along? Or could it be that... Suddenly, a possibility surfaced in the Jadeleaf Kings mind. "You arent the Violetleaf King!" "Not bad at all, you do have some wits. At the very least, you came to the truth right before the end." Zhang Xuan chuckled as he began morphing his body back amid cracking sounds. Geji! Geji! A momentter, he reverted back to his original appearance. The Jadeleaf King narrowed his eyes in shock. "You are a human? Wait, could it be... you are the real Celestial Master Teacher?" Celestial Master Teacher, an existence that even the heavens had acknowledged. How could a person who had been acknowledged by the heavens possibly be so useless as to be captured that easily and be knocked out time and time again? Not to mention, recalling how the Violetleaf King had, for some peculiar reason, insisted on standing beside the other human a moment ago... the truth could not have been clearer to him at this moment. "Ill give you some time to think about it. Be my servant, and you will be able to avoid death," Zhang Xuan said impassively, choosing not to respond to the Jadeleaf Kings doubts. The implications that came with his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher was simply too great. Even the notion of revealing it to the Master Teacher Pavilion left him feeling deeply apprehensive, so how could he be willing to speak of it to an Otherworldly Demon? "You want me to be your servant? Dream on! But... to have lost to a Celestial Master Teacher like you, I admit my defeat!" the Jadeleaf King sneered coldly before shaking his head despondently. Following that, a golden fluid suddenly flowed from the puppets eyes before the puppet fell heavily to the ground. "You..." Zhang Xuan quickly rushed up to the puppet, only to realize that the Primordial Spirit within had already dissipated. Trapped within the puppet, the Jadeleaf King was unable to escape nor explode his Primordial Spirit. At the same time, he was also unwilling to bow to a human. Thus, he had chosen to end his life! "Decisive and very loyal to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well," Zhang Xuan remarked. Choosing to end his life knowing that he had been cornered, it seemed that despite being greedy and vicious, the Jadeleaf King was deeply loyal to his kind. Just that... it sure is a huge waste of my puppet! Looking at the lifeless puppet lying on the ground, Zhang Xuan felt his heart ache. The Jadeleaf Kings Primordial Spirit was simply too strong. While he had been unable to explode his Primordial Spirit, the energy that was released with his suicide still resulted in the destruction of the puppets internal structure, resulting in it being effectively crippled. After all the trouble he had gone through to raise it to Saint 3-dan... However, these two Kings do have quite a few treasures with them. Putting everything else aside, just the saber and spear they have in their possession are at Saint low-tier. Well, they are only at low-tier, but thats not too bad either... Given Zhang Xuans proficiency in smithing, it seemed like it would be... impossible for him to fix the puppet. Fortunately, the wealth that the two Kings possessed was more than enough to make up for the loss of his puppet. On top of the Saint low-tier sword and spear, the Jadeleaf King had the bizarre altar and innumerable tributes. Those might just prove useful at some point in time. I should just take everything first. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan grabbed the storage rings of the duo before heading toward the Lightning Elemental Orb on the ground. The orb was initially in the Stoneleaf Kings possession, but after the Jadeleaf King mercilessly severed his arm, the orb ended up falling to the ground. At the current moment, it was emitting a dim light. Stopping before the orb, Zhang Xuan squatted down and reached out to grab it. Bzzzzzztttt! Before his hand could evene into contact with the orb, a searing pain assault his palm. Countless mini streaks of lightning burst toward him, attempting to burn him to cinders. Upon seeing the sight, Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. He hurriedly leaped aside to avoid the attack. The Lightning Elemental Orb was indeed powerful, but with his current strength, even getting close to it was difficult, let alone taming it. Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. But it would be extremely wasteful of me to leave an artifact as powerful as this lying here. It was one thing if he had not seen it, but now that he had seen it and it was within reach, would he not be letting himself down if he did not im it for his own? Perhaps I could try that... After a moment of thought, his eyes suddenly lit up. cing the body of the Stoneleaf King before him, he slowly advanced toward the Lightning Elemental Orb. Bzzzzt! Sensing the approach of a lifeform, the Lightning Elemental Orb immediately sent innumerable streaks of lightning toward the invader who was trespassing on its territory. However, it was all perfectly warded off by the Stoneleaf Kings body. In a few moments, Zhang Xuan was already standing right before orb, and with a swift movement, his hand reached out and touched it. Kacha! Right after Zhang Xuan muttered ws in his mind, he was abruptly sent flying by a powerful surge of electricity. His body stiffened, and smoke drifted from his hair, which was standing on end. At the same time, his clothes were also ripped into tatters from the surge of electricity, creating quite an unkempt look. This... Isnt the Lightning Elemental Orb a little too powerful? It took a long while before Zhang Xuan could recover from his daze. It was fortunate that his soul had been tempered by the lightning previously and his body had achieved the level equivalent to a Saint low-tier artifact. Otherwise, that burst of lightning could have easily left him bedridden for several days. Alright. Let me see if theres any way I can tame it with my current strength, Zhang Xuan thought as he turned his consciousness toward the Library of Heavens Path. In the momentary touch back then, he had managed to achieve his goal andpile a corresponding book regarding the Lightning Elemental Orb. And as expected, with just a thought, a book began flying over from one of the shelves, and itnded right in Zhang Xuans hands. He flipped it open casually. "Lightning Elemental Orb, an artifact produced in regions where the Power of Lightning umtes. It can be used as the cornerstone of lightning attribute formations, as well as a tool to control them..." The content within the book flowed into Zhang Xuans head swiftly, and within just an instant, he had already found out what the ws of the Lightning Elemental Orb were. So thats the case... I should be able to tame it even with my current strength. However, it will still be difficult for me to drive it unless I reach Primordial Spirit realm. After understanding the situation concerning the Lightning Elemental Orb, Zhang Xuan shook his head with bitterly. Just as he had guessed, the field of lightning was indeed a grade-8 formation. As such, it could only be controlled via ones Primordial Spirit. Even if he could sessfully tame the Lightning Elemental Orb, it would still be impossible for him to use it to gain control over the lightning formation. Forget it, I should tame the Lightning Elemental Orb first and think about everything elseter... Casting the dilemmas in his mind aside, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the Lightning Elemental Orb once more. He might have been unable to use it at that moment, but there would surely be a day when he would be able to wield it. A grade-8 ughter Formation... that was a treasure that countless cultivators would love toy their hands on! Chapter 1054: Black Sandstorm of Oblivion Chapter 1054: ck Sandstorm of Oblivion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If I wish to tame the Lightning Elemental Orb, I will first have to use my zhenqi to nourish it. After reading the details regarding the orb in the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan had already gained a thorough understanding of its strengths and ws. Forcefully taming it was not a feasible solution, especially considering the limits of his current strength. Thus, he could only nourish it slowly, just as the Stoneleaf King had done earlier. Raising his hands, he began sending out surges of zhenqi from his palm toward the Lightning Elemental Orb from a distance away. Weng! Sensing zhenqi encroaching on its territory, the orb began revolving as it emitted a deep blue glow. In an instant, countless streaks of lightning fell from the sky. Zhang Xuan swiftly lifted the Stoneleaf Kings body above him to fend off the lightning. Unfortunately, Feng Xun, who was lying not too far away, wasnt so lucky. Two streaks of lightning breached the lingering seal that the Jadeleaf King had set up previously and struck his body, causing it to convulse with even greater intensity than before. It was fortunate that the seal had neutralized most of the energy contained in the lightning, or else those two strikes could have imed Feng Xuns life. I must proceed a little more carefully... Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. He quickly calmed himself down before gathering his zhenqi to infuse it over once more. This time, he proceeded a little more carefully and slowly, and it did not induce any retaliation from the Lightning Elemental Orb. Around twenty minutester, delight covered Zhang Xuans face. With just a wave of his hand, the Lightning the Elemental Orb gradually flew toward him. After twenty minutes of effort, he had sessfully managed to tame it! It sure is a powerful artifact... Holding the sphere in his palm, Zhang Xuan could feel the immense power contained within, and his eyes lit up in excitement. Just as he had deduced before, the Lightning Elemental Orb was the key to controlling the lightning formation. While he was unable to drive it due to hiscking cultivation at the moment, fortunately, it was still within his means to restrict the lightning formation to within the orb. Taking a deep breath, he raised the Lightning Elemental Orb in the air and began driving his zhenqi into it. "Return," Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath. Hula! Countless streaks of lightning in the surroundings began flowing toward the Lightning Elemental Orb like countless streams converging into the vast ocean. "Mmm?" At this moment, Feng Xun regained consciousness once more. Upon seeing the sight before him, his eyes widened in astonishment, and his body began trembling in fear. The sight before him was simply too frightening. A fellow who had nearly been charred ck from a lightning strike was raising his hand before him, and countless streaks of lightning were converging in his direction, seemingly attempting to tear him apart. Is this hell, or am I dreaming? That man... Principal Zhang? Taking a closer look, Feng Xun realized that the charred ck fellow was none other than Zhang Xuan! Suddenly recalling the situation that they were in, he quickly scanned his surroundings, and soon, he saw the Stoneleaf Kings body lying right beside Zhang Xuan, not moving or breathing in the slightest. Principal Zhang managed to kill the Stoneleaf King? Feng Xun could hardly believe his eyes. It was only in this instant that he confirmed that he wasnt dead yet. Before he was knocked out, he had shed face on with the Stoneleaf King, and thetter had been so powerful that he had been defeated within a single encounter. Yet, after regaining consciousness, he suddenly found the carcass of the Stoneleaf King lying cold on the ground... Just what in the world happened while he was out? What did Principal Zhang sacrifice in order to kill the Stoneleaf King and save him? More importantly... while he was not dead, why was his body convulsing uncontrobly? Furthermore, that dull pain that was constantly assaulting his head... just who was the scoundrel who had knocked him out time and time again? Pondering over the matter for some time, Feng Xun was still unable to make sense of the situation, so he gave up on it altogether. Turning his attention back to the charred ck fellow, he couldnt help but feel deeply touched within. Back then, he had attempted to teach the other party a lesson to bring honor back to the Combat Master Hall, and yet, the other party was still willing to cast aside their differences and save him in this crucial moment. Just recalling what he had done previously left him deeply ashamed. He really did not know how he should face the other party after that. It was no wonder Luo Ruoxin had chosen the other party over him. If he were Luo Ruoxin, he would have made the same decision as well! Hu! Not too longter, the lightning in the sky was finally contained within the Lightning Elemental Orb, and Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, he stowed the orb back into his storage ring. Stretching his slightly stiffened body, he was just about to drive hid zhenqi to recuperate from his injuries when he saw Feng Xun walking up to him. "Principal Zhang, you have my deepest gratitude for saving my life." Feng Xun bowed down deeply. Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hand in embarrassment. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony." While he had only done it due to thepelling circumstances then, it was a fact that he had knocked the other party out thrice and electrocuted him once. Even at this moment, the other partys body was still convulsing non-stop. That was probably an aftereffect from the brick smash and electrocution. If the other party were to learn of this matter, would the other party rip him apart then and there? Forget it, what the other party did not know would not hurt him. It would not be good for them to sour their camaraderie over a trivial matter like this. However, just because Zhang Xuan did not speak of it, it did not mean that Feng Xun was not going to broach the subject. "Principal Zhang, I would like to ask, did the Stoneleaf King make a move on me while I was unconscious? Somehow, there is a dull pain at the back of my head..." "That... Thats not important at all!" With twitching lips, Zhang Xuan hurriedly shook his head. "Lets return now. Wu shi and the others should have recovered by now..." With the lightning formation back in the Lightning Elemental Orb, the sky gradually cleared up. Not too longter, they arrived at where Wu shi and the others were hiding. At this moment, they had already left the insides of the Golden Origin Cauldron. Taking a look at the unconscious Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan heaved a deep sigh before stowing it back into his storage ring. While he had seeded in waking up Lu Chong and Wei Ruyan, the situation was slightly different for the Golden Origin Cauldron. As an artifact, its spirit was fundamentally different from that of a humans soul, so the means that he had utilized previously would bepletely ineffective on it. He would have to find a higher tier cksmith Guild and gather the books there to find a solution for it. "Principal Zhang has managed to kill the Stoneleaf King..." Returning to the crowd, Feng Xun shared the joyous news with the expedition team. In an instant, bbergasted looks surfaced all around them. Even Wu shi had been unable to stand against the Stoneleaf Kings strength back then, and yet, Zhang Xuan had actually seeded in killing thetter and even resolved the lightning formation. This was truly inconceivable. They could not help but turn to look at Zhang Xuan with gazes of admiration. Zhang Xuan had initially intended to exin the situation to them, but eventually, he decided against it. It was hard to exin how he managed to turn the Jadeleaf King against the Stoneleaf King, so revealing this matter could potentially bring him significant trouble. Since that was the case, he might as well remain silent about it. "Most of you havent recuperated fully from your injuries yet, and the path ahead is bound to be more dangerous than ever." Noting that there were still quite a few people who were severely wounded, Zhang Xuan proposed, "Why dont we just rest here for the night? We can proceed after we have fully recovered." After what they had been through, the expedition team also knew that the ancient domain was filled with danger at every corner, and they would have to be in their peak state if they wanted to remain alive. Thus, they nodded in agreement and sat back down to recuperate from their injuries. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan found an opportunity to head to a remote location alone to let Luo Ruoxin out while entering the Myriad Anthive Nest himself. Hu! The Lightning Elemental Orb appeared in his hand. With a thought, he drew his soul out from his be before grabbing the Lightning Elemental Orb. Previously, he had used the lightning formation to temper his soul, and the effects had been considerable. Since he had obtained the Lightning Elemental Orb, the very core of the lightning formation, and he had some time on his hands, it was a good opportunity for him to cultivate and advance his soul cultivation. Gazing at the condensed lightning packed into the orb, Zhang Xuan grasped the orb tightly with his soul before driving the Heavens Path Soul Art. Tzzzzzzzzzzz! Streak after streak of lightning began surging out from the Lightning Elemental Orb and into his soul, tempering it. An hourter, his soulpressed down from seven meters to six meters, and his soul cultivation advanced up to Nascent Saint intermediate stage. Two hourster, his soul waspressed down to five meters, and his soul cultivation had reached Nascent Saint advanced stage. Four hourster, his soul was four meters, and his soul cultivation was at Nascent Saint pinnacle! While his soul had grown smaller, the soul energy within was purer than ever. On top of that, it was imbued with the Power of Lightning, giving it an incredibly powerful presence. With just his soul cultivation alone, he could probably defeat a Saint 2-dan pinnacle expert. My soul, body, and zhenqi cultivation have reached Nascent Saint pinnacle. After cultivating for a while longer, Zhang Xuan realized that if he were to continue tempering his soul without any subsequent cultivation technique, he could very well face unexpected problems in his soul cultivation. Thus, he returned his soul back to his body, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Within less than a single day after entering the ancient domain, he had managed to raise his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation to Nascent Saint pinnacle. This expedition had truly been a fruitful one for him. If it had been anywhere else, who knew how long it would have taken him to achieve this feat? "Here, the Lightning Elemental Orb is an extremely powerful artifact for cultivating ones soul. You should cultivate a bit as well!" After advancing his soul cultivation, Zhang Xuan tossed the Lightning Elemental Orb to his clone before leaving the Anthive Nest and returning back to the expedition team. After a period of rest, the expedition members had mostly recovered from their wounds, and they exuded an aura of vigor. "Lets continue our journey!" Wu shi said, and the expedition team swiftly got up and began making their way forward. The route ahead of them mainly consisted of a barren in. After walking some distance, Wu shi suddenly came to a halt. He turned to the young man beside him and asked, "Principal Zhang, does this look familiar to you?" As he said those words, he pointed to the area just ahead of him. Embedded in the ground was a sword. Forcefully snapped by something, only the top half of it was left. Taking a closer look at the surroundings, there were some marks of battle around them. Some parts were buried under ayer of dirt, but it was still easily discernible. "No, I dont think I have seen it before..." Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just like the cier Rain Sword, the sword pierced in the ground had reached Half Saint as well. However, its appearance was unfamiliar to Zhang Xuan, and he was certain that he had never seen it before. Wo Tianqiong walked over and remarked, "That is Zhang Yinqius weapon. He used it once in a duel with me." As the principal of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, he had rather close ties with the old principal, and they had often met one another. As such, he was well aware of the weapons in the old principals possession. "It belongs to the old principal?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Yes, thats definitely his weapon!" Wu Ran and Shen Pingchao stepped forward and nodded in agreement. "Since the old principals weapon has fallen it, it means that his expedition team must have walked down this route as well... Lets move on!" The eyes of the crowd lit up in excitement. This was the first time that they had found traces of the old principal after entering the ancient domain, and they could not help but feel a little agitated within. They hastened their footsteps, but it did not take long before they stopped once more. Ahead of them was a massive sandstorm. What was particrly eerie about it was that the sandstorm was pitch-ck. Without even approaching it, the crowd could not help but feel shivers running down their spines. "Whats that?" "I have no idea either..." Even though they did not recognize what the ck sandstorm ahead of them was, they could feel the sheer power that was harnessed within it, and it left them feeling deeply apprehensive. After a moment of silence, Wo Tianqiong suddenly spoke up with an awful look on his face. "That is the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion!" The crowd frowned in confusion. "ck Sandstorm of Oblivion?" "Un. It is an extremely dangerous sandstorm that possesses extraordinarily potent corrosion capability. Any existence that steps into it will be swiftly reduced into nothing." After a moment of hesitation, Wo Tianqiong continued. "If you dont believe me, take a look at this..." After saying those words, he whipped out a Spirit pinnacle sword and tossed it into the sandstorm. Tzzzzzz! As soon as the sword was tossed into the sandstorm, innumerable ck spots appeared on it, as if it was rusty from being soaked in rainwater for many days. After which, with a swift wave of his hand, Wo Tianqiong retrieved the sword with his zhenqi. He flicked on it lightly. Kacha! The iparably sturdy Spirit pinnacle sword immediately shattered into innumerable pieces. "This..." The faces of the crowd distorted in horror. Spirit pinnacle weapons were rare even among Tier-1 Empire, and yet, it did not even survive more than a few breaths within the sandstorm before being torn to pieces. Wasnt the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion a little too frightening? "Is there any way that we can bypass this sandstorm?" one of thebat masters asked with a frown. Guild Leader Han took a closer look at the sandstorm, and he shook his head bitterly. "Im afraid that is impossible..." Chapter 1055: Luo Ruoxins Suggestion Chapter 1055: Luo Ruoxins Suggestion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Impossible?" The crowd turned their gazes over. "Since the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion stands in our path, it is likely that it is a trial that we are supposed undergo. If we do not clear this, we will only be able to loiter around the outskirts of the ancient domain, unable to enter its depths," said Guild Leader Han. "Un." Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. That was indeed the case. Through the past experiences, he hade to realize that the ancient domain was built in a way such that only one who had cleared the trial before them could activate the formation that led to the next level. If there was no one among them who could clear the trial, they would be stuck on the spot. As that was the fundamental design of the ancient domain, there was no way to circumvent the trials through wits. Not to mention, the person who had designed the ancient domain was most likely Ancient Sage Qiu Wu himself. How could an expert of his caliber possibly leave behind any openings that they would be able to exploit? Taking a step back, even if there was truly an opening they found that they could exploit, it was more likely that it would be a trap created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. For breaking his rules, they might find themselves being ced through an even harsher trial than the one before them. "Based on the traces, it is certain that Zhang Yinqiu and the others must have stepped through the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion as well. But... how did they do it?" Wu shi surveyed the surroundings for a moment before frowning deeply. Since the old principals sword had been found alongside marks of battle in the vicinity, it was apparent that the old principals expedition team had passed through the area they were in. But the sandstorm before them was a terrifying existence that could corrode even Spirit pinnacle weapons! How could any cultivators survive within it? Even if one could withstand the sandstorm for a short moment, who could say for sure how far the sandstorm spanned? No matter how he looked it, it seemed like it was nigh impossible to clear this trial! Paying no heed to the anxiety of the crowd, Zhang Xuan began assessing the sandstorm before him carefully as well. The ck Sandstorm of Oblivion was simr to the field of lightning that he had encountered beforeit was a formation as well. However, just like before, as the area it spanned was simply too big and his cultivation was too low, he was unable to break the formation even with the knowledge of its ws. A momentter, he shook his head helplessly as well. The conclusion that he hade to was the same as Guild Leader Hans. There was no way for them to advance forward other than to brave through the ck sandstorm! While the crowd were conflicted and distressed over their present circumstances, Luo Ruoxin suddenly spoke up. "Have you all thought about how we encountered quite a few Otherworldly Demons in the previous trial, but here, there is not a single one to be seen? If my conjecture holds true, we could have been heading in the wrong direction all along." "We have been heading in the wrong direction all along?" asked one of the master teachers, unable toprehend what Luo Ruoxin was driving at. "Thats right. We have been chasing after the trial left behind by Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu, but... if the Otherworldly Demons are already ahead of us, the trail that we see before us might not necessarily be authentic. If thats the case, shouldnt we search for the Otherworldly Demons trail instead? There is a good chance that it will be safer that way." Luo Ruoxin presented her analysis. "That..." The crowd was taken aback by those words. "Indeed, Luo shis words make perfect sense!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. As one of the central goals of their expedition was to find the whereabouts of the old principal and save the other party if he was still alive, they had been on the lookout for the old principals trail all along, thinking that it would lead them to the old principal. It was a logical deduction, but if the Otherworldly Demons had intentionally scattered the old principals possessions around toy a trap for them... they could very well have been headed toward grave danger! So far, he had managed to tame one and kill seven of the Ten Great Kings of Qingtian Lineage, but the two remaining Upper Five Kings would be far more difficult to defeat. Even though he had missed the most powerful Skyleaf King at the Poison Hall, he had heard that thetter was a true Leaving Aperture realm expert, an existence beyond their current means to deal with. Typically speaking, after obtaining the map in the Poison Hall, the Skyleaf King should have entered the ancient domain. Yet, he hadnt seen any trace of the other party ever since he entered the ancient domain. Considering how the Skyleaf King could have dealt with them easily but had yet to do so... Perhaps, by using the map in his hand, the other party had managed to enter the ancient domain before them and was currently ahead of them. If so, the path that the other party had taken was bound to be the safest! "Let me take a look..." Flying into the air, Zhang Xuan began assessing his surroundings carefully with his Eye of Insight. Previously, he had been too concerned with finding the old principals trail, so he had not noticed anything else. However, taking a closer look around them, he swiftly found that there were indeed quite a few suspicious details. A group of Otherworldly Demons had passed through thend they were currently on just a few hours ago. Zhang Xuan descended to the ground and requested, "Feng Xun, I need to borrow your Undefiled Mirror!" The Otherworldly Demons had intentionally concealed their trail, and due to his lower cultivation, there was a limit to what his Eye of Insight could see as well. He could barely make out that others had passed through the area a few hours ago, but he could not discern for sure the direction they were headed in. If it was just a few hours, the Undefiled Mirror of the Combat Master Hall should still be able to work its wonders. "Un." Nodding, Feng Xun passed the mirror over and swiftly filled Zhang Xuan in on how the mirror should be utilized. Following Feng Xuns instructions, Zhang Xuan bit his finger and dripped a droplet of blood on the Undefiled Mirror. Weng! An arrow surfaced in the Undefiled Mirror, and after flickering for a brief moment, it pointed toward a certain direction. After walking in the direction pointed out by the Undefiled Mirror for some time, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt. Turning to face the crowd behind him, he said, "The direction pointed out by the Undefiled Mirror indicates that they have entered the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion through here." "They entered through here? Are they unafraid of the might of the sandstorm?" one of thebat masters asked in bewilderment. "I dont have an answer to that either." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Through the Undefiled Mirror, they could confirm that the Otherworldly Demons did enter the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion through the area. But after careful examination, Zhang Xuan discerned that the area before him wasnt a location where a w of the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion could be found. The sandstorm was still as fearsome as ever, so it was perplexing to him why the Otherworldly Demons would choose to enter from this point. At that moment, Wu shi stepped forward and said, "Let me give it a try. Perhaps, there might be a hidden passageway amid the fearsome sandstorm." Guild Leader Han pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement to Wu shis decision. "Be careful." What Wu shi had suggested was something that often urred within formations. There were many formations where the Life Gate was hidden in the most perilous of locations, unable to be detected through any means except by stepping into it personally. "Un." Wu shi nodded. Taking a deep breath, he drove his zhenqi, and silver armor gradually materialized around him. Saint-tier battle technique, Silver Armor of the True Dragon! It was his strongest defense battle technique, and it granted him an all-around defense as well. As such, it was the ideal shield to fend off the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion. He took a step in. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! As soon as he stepped into sandstorm, a deafening ruckus reminiscent of a violent storm mercilessly battering a banana tree 1 filled the air. Barely after taking eight steps forward, Wu shi face paled, and he hurriedly rushed back out. As soon as he left the perimeter of the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion, his zhenqi armor immediately cracked before dissipating entirely. His face was entirely pale, and his footsteps were unstable. He hurriedly sat down to condition himself. After a moment of recuperation, Wu shi turned the crowd and shook his head. "This wont work at all. Not only is the sandstorm no weaker than where we were previously, it is even stronger! There is no way we can pass through this." The amount of zhenqi one had to exert to fend off the sandstorm was immense. He could at least enter forty meters deep into theva, but here, eight steps were already his limit. "This is bizarre. How did the Otherworldly Demon manage to get in unharmed?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Even if the Skyleaf King and the Scarletleaf King were the two strongest experts of the Ten Great Kings, surely it should have been beyond their means to step right into the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion without getting injured? It did not make any sense! "Perhaps... they used some kind of artifact to ward off the sandstorm!" Guild Leader Han suggested. "Artifact?" "Un. As powerful as the sandstorm is, there are still artifacts out there that can fend it off. For one, if we had a Saint high-tier artifact here with us right now, we would be able to run right in without any fear of getting injured," Guild Leader Han said. The ck Sandstorm of Oblivion was a terrifying existence against Spirit pinnacle and even Saint low-tier artifacts, but even it could do nothing to faze the powerful Saint high-tier artifacts. If they had an artifact of that caliber, they would not have needed to bother with finding the Life Gate of the formation at all. They could easily have run right through the sandstorm. "Saint high-tier artifact... Where are we supposed to find that?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Despite going through a wless reforging session, the Golden Origin Cauldron barely met the mark as a Saint intermediate-tier weapon. Given so, it was not too hard to imagine how difficult smithing a Saint high-tier artifact would be. In fact, it could be said that it was an impossible feat for anyone who had not achieved the proficiency equivalent to an 8-star cksmith! Luo Ruoxin examined the situation for a moment before saying calmly, "Actually, aside from Saint high-tier artifacts, there are some unique artifacts that might work particrly well against the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion as well. Considering how the sandstorm carries the property of corrosion, it would be hard for most physical artifact to withstand its might. However, it would be a different story for soul-type artifacts. Souls are impervious to the corruption caused by the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion, so through the soul energy that soul-type artifacts emanate, it should be possible to keep the sandstorm at bay." As one who could very well be the offspring of a Sage n, it was not surprising for her to be well-versed in such knowledge. "Soul-type artifacts? But such artifacts are harder to find than Saint high-tier artifacts," abat master remarked. As long as a decently proficient cksmith had sufficient materials at hand, smithing a Saint high-tier artifact would not be a problem. However, the same could not be said about a soul-type artifact. Most of the soul-type artifacts in cirction were formed by the workings of nature due to the immense difficulty in smithing them. In fact, cksmiths who were capable of smithing soul-type artifacts possessed an extremely high standing in society,parable to an equivalently ranked master teacher or even above that. "Indeed! Its simply too difficult to find soul-type artifacts. We dont even have a single one of those in our Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion!" "The same for our Yunxu Master Teacher Academy as well..." The crowd nodded in agreement. Even if soul-type artifacts could really be used to fend against the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion, it was still futile if they did not have one in their possession. "I heard that the Hongyuan royal family has a soul-type nt known as the Bodhi Saint Tree. If only I knew that we would encounter such a trial in the ancient domain, I would have surely borrowed it from them in advance." Mu shi sighed deeply inmentation. "How could we have possibly known that there would be so many peculiar formations in the ancient domain?" Wu shi shook his head. "Actually, that probably wouldnt have worked either. Ive heard that the Hongyuan royal familys Bodhi Saint Tree is dying, so it probably wouldnt be strong enough to ward off the sandstorm either. Besides, its the very foundation of the strength of their royal family, so theres no way that they would have willingly lent it to us," Wo Tianqiong said. "Indeed. How could they be willing to lend us something that directly concerns the survival of their monarchy? Unless we were to snatch it forcefully or offer them something equivalent in value to it, there is no way that it would have worked!" Before the group could finish letting out their regrets, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke with a dazed look on his face. "What did you say? The Bodhi Saint Tree would work as well?" "Of course! While its not a soul-type artifact, its still a soul-type nt. Naturally, it will still emanate soul energy, thus helping us fend off the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion!" Guild Leader Han replied. He was just about to continue speaking when the young man before him suddenly flicked his hand, and a giant tree appeared on his palm. "Will this work?" "That is... a whole Bodhi Saint Tree?" The crowd was dumbfounded. "Principal Zhang, did you... ransack the Hongyuan royal family?" Chapter 1056: Trap Chapter 1056: Trap Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Anyone who had visited Hongyuan City in the past would know the significance of the Bodhi Saint Tree to the Hongyuan royal family. It was the very foundation of the Yu ns rule. As such, they were reluctant to allow anyone toe close to it, let alone borrow it. Given so, it was no wonder their thoughts would wander when they saw Zhang Xuan taking out an entire Bodhi Saint Tree with a casual flick of the wrist. "Of course not! I nted the tree myself..." Not expecting the crowd to have such wild imaginations, Zhang Xuan was at a loss for words. Naturally, the Bodhi Saint Tree in his hand was not the one from the royal pce but one that he had nurtured himself through the Bodhi Seed. He had been cultivating it in his Myriad Anthive Nest all along, and he was just retrieving it from there. After hearing that Zhang Xuan did not forcefully snatch the Bodhi Saint Tree, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. They were afraid that this would cause a conflict between the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hongyuan royal family. After the initial shock, a wave of excitement gradually spread across the crowd as they realized that they might have found the key to crossing the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion. Wu shi stepped forward and said, "Let me give it a try and see if its effective." So far, it was still nothing but a hypothesis that a soul-type artifact would be able to fend off the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion. It still required some testing to confirm whether it would work or not. Wu shi took the Bodhi Saint Tree from Zhang Xuans hand, and driving his zhenqi, he propped the massive tree up and held it over his head. After which, he infused a surge of soul energy into the tree trunk, and the tree swiftly emanated a warm andfortable glow. The Bodhi Saint Tree did not just have the ability to nourish souls. It could also draw forth a peculiar strength if one infused ones soul energy into it. After the preparations were done, Wu shi began making his way toward the ck sandstorm. Under the embrace of the warm glow of the tree, Wu shi stepped into the violent ck sandstorm. This time, he was not battered by the sandstorm. The warm glow had neutralized the sandstorm that was heading his way. What Luo Ruoxin had said was true, soul-type artifacts were indeed effective against the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion! "This is wonderful!" "The Otherworldly Demons must have prepared a soul-type artifact in advance knowing that there was such a trial, thus allowing them to walk straight through the sandstorm without any trouble." "With this, we will be able to pass through the sandstorm easily as well." The eyes of the crowd lit up at that sight. At the same time, a mystery that had been guing Zhang Xuans mind suddenly unraveled before his eyes. He had been wondering why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would go to the trouble of instructing You Xu to poison the Hongyuan royal familys Bodhi Saint Tree. Back then, it seemed like an excessive actionit was not like the Hongyuan Empire posed a significant threat to them. However, from the looks of it now... it seemed that they were just taking precautions. As long as the Bodhi Saint Tree died, the master teachers would be helpless before the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion. They would be left standing helplessly at the starting line,menting their helplessness. However, despite all of their calctions, they had failed to factor in Zhang Xuans involvement. Who would have thought that someone would actually seed in reviving the Bodhi Saint Tree and obtain the Bodhi Seed? Not to mention, to cultivate the Bodhi Seed into the mature Bodhi Saint Tree within such a short period of time... Somehow, the aid that he had provided to the royal family back then ended up helping him in this crucial moment. While he was deep in thought, Wu shi had finally returned from the ck sandstorm. At this moment, he did not look as excited as the others did. With a pale face, he ced the Bodhi Saint Tree back down onto the ground. Facing the crowd with a bitter smile, he said, "Infusing soul energy into the Bodhi Saint Tree does allow us to fend off the sandstorm, and the area of effect of the glow is sufficient for all of us to pass through simultaneously... However, this depletes soul energy simply far too quickly. Even with my current strength, I can only progress around a hundred meters before being sapped dry." "A hundred meters?" The crowd frowned. From the looks of it, the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion covered at least several kilometers. As a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert, Wu shi possessed the strongest soul of their expedition team. If even he only had sufficient soul energy to fuel the Bodhi Saint Tree to travel a hundred meters, there was no way they would be able to get to the other side. It was not easy for a member of their expedition team to possess a soul-type nt, and they had also verified that it was effective against the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion. Were they really going to stumble here just because they did not have sufficient soul energy to push on? "Let me give it a try..." Zhang Xuan took the Bodhi Saint Tree and propped it up above him. After which, he sent a surge of rich spiritual energy into it. After roughly gauging the rate of depletion of his soul energy, Zhang Xuan smiled and said, "Everyone, gather under the tree. Make sure not to wander off!" Right after saying those words, he began making his way toward the ck sandstorm. The crowd nced at one another with conflicted expressions, but considering how confident Zhang Xuan was, they swiftly made up their minds and followed suit. As soon as they stepped in, they could feel the cmitous power of the ck sandstorm sweeping toward them, desiring to devour their existences whole. But when it came into contact with the warm glow of the Bodhi Saint Tree, the ck sandstorm seemed to dissipate with a flicker. Seeing that the sandstorm was unable to make its way through the Bodhi Saint Trees defenses, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before proceeding forward. Due to the intangible nature of souls, it was often viewed a far less effective defensive means aspared to utilizing ones zhenqi or physical body. Yet, to think that it would be the key to fending off the devastating sandstorm before their eyes... A cyclical bnce of power, the world sure worked in wondrous ways. As Zhang Xuan marched forward, he discreetly sneaked a peek at the youngdy not too far away from him. Luo shi seems a little too knowledgeable... Is she really just a 6-star master teacher? Be it seeing through the Spatial Formation or figuring out that soul-type artifacts could fend off the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion, those were things that even Wu shi and Guild Leader Han were ignorant of! And yet, Luo Ruoxin seemed well-versed in such matters. The depth and breadth of her knowledge was truly astonishing. Is this the capability that the offspring of Sage ns wield? If that is truly the case, it was the right call to have Yuan Tao return to his n, Zhang Xuan thought. He had been a little reluctant to part with Yuan Tao back then, but it seemed like that was for the best. Not only would thetter be able to awaken his Emperors Bloodline swiftly, his fighting prowess would also rocket. Under the protection of the Bodhi Saint Tree, the crowd advanced steadily without any worries. However, after walking for some time, they gradually noticed that something was amiss, and shocked gazes were beginning to gather upon the young man before them. So far... they should have already traveled around three hundred meters? And yet, the fellow before them did not seem to be exhausted in the least. In fact, he even had the leisure to allow his mind to wander, not even slightly strained by his exertion. Werent the reserves of his soul energy a little too big? This was especially so for Wu shi. At this point, his lower jaw was already on the verge of falling to the ground. He had personally experienced the fearsome power of the ck sandstorm himself, and it had caused his soul energy to deplete even before he could get far. On the other hand, Principal Zhang had extended his glow to cover everyonea significantlyrger rate of depletion aspared to hisand they had already traveled for more than three hundred meters now, and yet, the other party did not seem fatigued in the slightest. It was truly hard for him to believe that a Nascent Saint possessed even greater soul energy than a Saint 4-dan expert. That fellow is a true monster, Wu shi thought bitterly. To think that he had intended to leave such a formidable figure out of their expedition team at one point in time... Now that he thought of it, he could not help but feel deeply ashamed of his ignorance then. It was fortunate that he had eventually chosen to bring the other party along, or else they probably wouldnt even have passed theva at the very start, let alone reach this point. If I can only persist till a hundred meters, even if hes blessed with an innately powerful soul, five hundred meters should be his limit. Thus, as they advanced forward, Wu shi kept a close eye on the young man before him, prepared to make a substitution should thetter run out of strength. Yet, they trod past the five hundred meters mark, and there were still no signs of exhaustion on the Zhang Xuans face. It seemed as if the depletion of his soul energy that he had incurred so far was not even worth mentioning! 600 meters! 800 meters! 1,000 meters! It did not take too long for them to travel a whole 5,000 meters. Walking at the very front, Zhang Xuan still had the same nonchnt expression on his face, as if the depletion of his soul energy was insignificant. Not only so, his footsteps also seemed to be getting lighter and lighter... Wait a moment, h-he... he cant be cultivating while walking, can he? Wu shi eyes nearly bulged out from his eyes. A rate of depletion that even he was unable to withstand, and yet, the other party could easily bear it and even cultivate while he was at it. Monster! That freaking monster! Forget it. If I continueparing myself with him, it is just a matter of time before I die of despondency. Consoling himself that the young man before him was an anomaly, Wu shi was finally able to soothe the turmoil in his heart. With Zhang Xuans seemingly endless supply of soul energy, the end of the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion was soon in sight. There, a beautiful and resplendent manor reminiscent of a celestial pce could be seen. Floating before an enormous waterfall, it left the crowd feeling as if they were stepping into a heavenly realm. "How is that done?" Feng Xun widened his eyes in disbelief. A cultivator had to reach Saint realm before they could free themself from the shackles of gravity and soar in the sky. Yet, for an entire pce to be floating in midair, creating such a mystical and wondrous sight... Just how powerful was the person who had achieved such a feat? This was too exaggerated! After a moment of pondering, Guild Leader Han said, "It is a clever maniption of space. Even though it seems like it is floating in midair to our eyes, its true form could be something very different from that." Hearing those words, the crowd slowly nodded. Limited by their experiences and knowledge, it was extremely difficult for them toprehend advanced formations. What seemed bewildering and inconceivable to them could very well be realized at a higher level. "This is probably the core of the ancient domain. Lets hurry over to take a look!" Wo Tianqiong said with a ddened smile. They had ovee numerous trials in order to reach that point. Surely, they should have been nearing the end by now. "Alright!" The spirited crowd quickly made their way over to the celestial pce. Not too longter, a massive heavenly gate that carried an air of divinity appeared before their eyes. Stepping through it, they immediately felt rich spiritual energy gushing in their direction. Stepping into the celestial pce, Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. "Why do I feel like there is something peculiar about this ce?" While the entire building was shrouded in an air of divinity, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel that there was something off with the ce. "Peculiar? Principal Zhang, it must be your imagination this time around..." Laughing heartily, Wu shi was just about to continue speaking when the ground abruptly jolted beneath them. In an instant, the resplendent celestial pce seemed to have suddenly turned into a living hell. An air of destion swiftly permeated the area. Sou sou sou! An overwhelming aura of maliciousness swept across their surroundings like a raging storm. Following which, surge after surge of sword qi burst forth, weaving a huge that left them trapped like insects in a cage. Wu shis eyes narrowed as he hurriedly bellowed, "Damn it, its a formation trap by the Otherworldly Demons!" Only the Otherworldly Demons could possibly release such a sharp and cold aura of maliciousness! Peng peng peng peng! In the next moment, three Nascent Saintbat masters were sliced into pieces under a simultaneous burst of sword qi. Even Feng Xuns shoulder was wounded by the sword qi, causing a stream of crimson blood to flow down his arm. The formation had changed so swiftly that there were already casualties even before they could process what was going on. Swiftly recovering from his daze, Guild Leader Han quickly roared, with veins popping from his temples, "Defense!" "Yes!" In that instant, they all realized that they had fallen into a trapid by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. They swiftly drew their weapons and drove their zhenqi. Ding ding ding ding! No matter what, their expedition team was still made up of elite master teachers andbat masters. Even though they had been caught off guard, the fighting prowess they wielded as a whole was still spectacr once they got back on track. With their collective might, the sword qi aimed toward them was easily deflected away. "To be able toe here so quickly, I must say that you are not too bad. However, Im afraid that this ce will be your burial ground..." At this moment, a cold and eerie voice sounded in the air. Following which, the horrified voice of the Violetleaf King sounded in Zhang Xuans ears. "Scarletleaf King..." Chapter 1057: Illusory-Slaughter Formation Chapter 1057: Illusory-ughter Formation Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Scarletleaf King? The one who is ranked second of the Upper Five Kings?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes warily. Having witnessed the power wielded by the Jadeleaf King and the Stoneleaf King, Zhang Xuan had been feeling a little apprehensive about facing the two strongest experts of the Upper Five Kings. Who knew that he would meet one of them in such a situation? "Who are you? Stop putting up a farce and get out here!" While Zhang Xuan wasmunicating with the Violetleaf King, Wu shi scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes reminiscent of a hawk. In the next moment, seemingly having confirmed the location of the enemy, his eyebrows shot up and the sword in his hand flew forth amidst a resounding battle cry. Hu! A powerful st of sword qi burst forward with swiftness reminiscent of a shooting star, tearing a vacuum through the air. Uponing into contact with the wall, it immediately ripped out a massive hole. "Strong!" This was the first time Zhang Xuan was seeing Wu shi fight for real, and the fighting prowess that thetter wielded was indeed formidable. Along the route, the 7-star high-tier master teacher had either been injured or was on the way to bing injured, leaving Zhang Xuan with a notion that the other party was unworthy of his rank. However, the astounding might that the other party wielded in this very moment dispelled whatever doubts he harbored regarding the other party. It still couldnt match up to the Primordial Spirit Jadeleaf King, but it was definitely on par with the Stoneleaf King. If both were to sh with one another at full strength, there was no saying who would emerge victorious! Boom! Upon striking through the wall, the sword qi abruptly exploded, causing the building in front of them to copse entirely, raising a huge cloud of dust. However, there was not a figure to be seen. "Theres no one there?" Not expecting that he would make apse in his judgement, Wu shis face darkened as he hurriedly scanned his surroundings once more warily. "Hahaha, you wish to challenge me? You are still far too young for that!" that voice sounded once more. Hu! Halfway through those words, Wu shi had already made a move once more. This time, his movement was even swifter. His sword blurred into a series of afterimages as it crept past several hundred meters in just the blink of an eye before being brought down powerfully. BAM! As if slicing through tofu, a giant tear ripped its way through the buildings, parting the area into two distinct halves. However, just like before, there was still not a single silhouette to be seen. It was as if the person who had just spoken didnt exist at all. "Dont waste your efforts. Even if you were to tear the whole ce down, you still wont be able to find me!" the Scarletleaf Kingughed heartily upon seeing Wu shis futile struggling. Hu! Right after saying those words, the copsed buildings abruptly joined back together with one another, as if time had been rewound. In the blink of an eye, it was already reverted back to its original state. "T-this... How can this be possible?" The eyes of the crowd narrowed in disbelief at the ridiculous sight before them. With their own eyes, they had seen how the powerful might of Wu shi devastated the buildings. How could they possibly recover in the blink of an eye? Furthermore, it was a perfect recovery. The buildings had been reverted to the form identical to how they were in when they first entered! "We must have stepped into some kind of powerful formation..." Wu shi remarked warily. The crowd nodded. "Could we be in an Illusory Formation?" Wo Tianqiong asked. He had taken formation master as one of his supporting upations as well, but the sight before his eyes was simply too bizarre. It was difficult for even him to confirm what was going on. "Yes, we should be in an Illusory Formation." Guild Leader Han nodded. "Most probably, we have already sumbed to it when we first entered. In other words, everything that is before us in this instant is fake! It wont make any difference no matter how we attack them!" "It wont make any difference?" "Un. Think about it this way. No matter whether those buildings are copsed or standing, they are still part of an illusion, so it wouldnt make any difference to the current plight we are in. As long as we are unable to see through the essence of the formation, we will be stuck in this illusion forever, unable to escape..." Guild Leader Han exined with his fists clenched tightly in nervousness. "This..." Hearing those words, the bodies of the crowd tensed up. If they were truly in an Illusory Formation, wasnt the image before them a little too realistic? They could be considered as elites amongst the master teachers andbat masters, and every single one of them possessed superior eyes of discernment. Yet, for none of them to be unable to discern that they had fallen into an illusion before... Just the thought of it left chills running down their spines. Was this the strength that advanced formations wielded? It was already extremely difficult for them to escape from a realistic Illusory Formation, but to make things worse, it seemed like it was under someone elses control... Would they really still be able to escape from it? "This..." Zhang Xuans face turned grim as well. He did notice that there was something amiss when he first stepped into the celestial pce, but even he hadnt noticed that they were in an illusion! With a thought, he activated his Eye of Insight and scanned his surroundings. However, the buildings around him still looked the same as ever, there was no difference from before. All of these buildings... are real? Does that mean that we arent in an Illusory Formation? Zhang Xuan was bewildered by the conflicting conclusions before him. The Eye of Insight could see right into the crux of anything. If they were truly in an Illusory Formation, he should be able to see through it via the Eye of Insight easily! How could he have not sensed anything at all? No, thats not right. Perhaps the formation is too advanced for me at the moment. Due to my low cultivation, I am still unable to see through it via my Eye of Insight... Zhang Xuan reasoned. The Eye of Insight was indeed powerful, but it was limited by his own cultivation. He couldnt see through anything that was too far beyond him. Take for example, if an 8-star master teacher were to walk past him disguised as a passer-by, he wouldnt be any wiser even if he were to scan the other party with his Eye of Insight. This seemed to be the case for the Illusory Formation as well. Most likely, it is a massive formation like the lightning formation and the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion! Zhang Xuan thought. Larger formations were not only more powerful, it also made it more difficult for others to analyze and discern it as well due to the sheer scale of it. It was probably because of this that the entire expedition team failed to notice that they had stepped into a formation itself. Knowing that the formation was beyond the means of his Eye of Insight to analyze, Zhang Xuan deactivated his Eye of Insight. After which, turning his gaze to his surroundings, he muttered silently, "ws!" While the Eye of Insight might be unable to see through the formation around him, it shouldnt pose a problem to the Library of Heavens Path. Hu! With a jolt of his mind, a book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan hurriedly immersed his consciousness in and browsed through the book. "The 172nd Door, a segment of arger formation. There are eight ws in total. No.1,..." After reading through the book, Zhang Xuans face darkened. The Library of Heavens Path was indeed unaffected by the tier of the formation, but... the formation was simply too huge! For one, the area that they could see was only one small portion of its entirety. ording to the book, it was the 172nd Door, which meant that there should be at least 171 doors identical to the one they were in, or even more! For there to be so many doors... it would still be fine if they were to step into a Life Gate, but what if they were to identally enter a Death Gate? They might just lose their lives before they know it! The formations that I have encountered so far operated as a whole, so the Library of Heavens Pathpiled a book on the entire formation even when I am just viewing a small portion of it. However, this Illusory Formation seems to be made up of innumerable smaller formations, and these smaller formations can be activated individually. In other words, the formation is only active in areas where it perceives the enemies are at. As such, not even the seemingly omnipotent Library of Heavens Path is able to discern the entire situation of the formation... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together as he analyzed the current situation they were in. The current Illusory Formation they were trapped in was segmented into many doors, and it seemed like only certain portions of the formation were activated at the current moment. As such, the Library of Heavens Path viewed the current door they were in as a system by itself and analyzed the door only. If Zhang Xuan wanted the Library of Heavens Path to analyze the entire formation, he would have to get an overhead view of the entire formation. As long as he remained trapped within it, he would be unable to see through the crux of the Illusory Formation through the Library of Heavens Path and determine the most suitable path to escaping from it. In other words... he wouldnt be able to bank on the Library of Heavens Path to deal with the current formation he was in unlike previous asions! Hula! Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted over the situation before him, a sound reminiscent of a powerful gust of wind echoed in the surroundings. In the next instant, innumerable sword qi abruptly shot forth from all around them. As if a rain of arrows from thousands and thousands of soldiers, the burst of sword qi sealed the space around them perfectly. The slightest wrong movement they made could very well result in them being sliced into innumerable pieces. "Everyone, be careful! This isnt just an Illusory Formation but an Illusory-ughter Formation!" Guild Leader Han shouted. Illusory Formation could only induce hallucinations in the minds of those trapped within it, cing them in a distraught state, so the formation in itself didnt pose a threat to those trapped within it. However, an Illusory-ughter Formation was a formation which harnessed the functions of both an Illusory Formation and a ughter Formation simultaneously. Not only would ones mind be sent into disarray, one would even have to face all kinds of attacks. If one were to get careless within it, one might just end up losing his life. "Illusory-ughter Formation?" Everyones faces turned grim. They swiftly drove their zhenqi, preparing themselves to fend off the wave of sword qi headed towards them. Zhang Xuan was also about to make a move as well when he heard Feng Xun bellowing at the moment, "Combat masters, the ck Tortoise Sword Formation!" "Yes!" The remaining ninebat masters quickly stepped forward before brandishing their words simultaneously with incredible harmony. Hula! Swiftly, a spherical barrier reminiscent of a tortoise shell formed around the expedition team. Ding ding ding ding! Reminiscent of rain pattering down on a gazebo, the sword qi striking the barrier created a deafening reverberation but none was able to bypass its defense. "What an incredible sword formation!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in awe upon seeing the sight. Thebat masters werent too powerful individually, but the synergy in their teamwork was incredible. Their perfect coboration in the ck Tortoise Sword Formation had allowed them to deflect every single one of the sword qia feat which even Zhang Xuan didnt think that he would be able to achieve. Hu! After a wave of sword qi, the surroundings abruptly fell silent. Thebat masters withdrew their weapons as they surveyed their surroundings carefully. "Dont worry, it isnt possible for such attacks to beunched endlessly..." Guild Leader Han said. It went without saying that each wave of offense would sap the energy reserves within the formation. Without an endless supply of energy, there would eventuallye a point where the formation would run out of energy altogether. H! Right after saying those words, yet another wave of sword qi flew towards them. Thebat masters hurriedly put up their formation and deflected the sword qi once more. Taking the scene into sight, Wu shi frowned. Scanning his surroundings, he dered loudly, "See, your formation ispletely useless against us. Why dont you muster the guts to get out here and face me in a proper fight?" At this moment, they were in the open whereas their enemy was hidden in the dark. It was an extremely disadvantageous position for them. If they could lure the enemy out of his hiding spot, regardless of whether they would be able to kill the other party or not, it could at least lessen the dangers they would face. "You want me to face you in a proper fight? Hahaha! Sure, escape from here and I will fight you all you want!" the voice burst intoughter, not falling for Wu shis provocation at all. Hu! The air abruptly tensed up, and yet another wave of offense flew towards the expedition team. This time, it wasnt sword qi but saber qi. Saber qi possessing less prative powerful than sword qi, but it harnessed far greater might. Under the furious assault of saber qi, the expedition team found their arms numbing from the powerful impact. However, the ck Tortoise Sword Formation set up by thebat masters was truly a force to be reckoned with. Once again, it sessfully stood its ground against the wave of offense. After three consecutive waves of saber qi, the surroundings fell silent once more. A short momentter, a leisurely zither melody began sounding in the surroundings. The sound didnt just linger by their ears, it seemed to resonate with their souls as well. "This is... demonic tune!" The faces of the expedition team warped in horror. They had also faced a demonic tune attack back at the Unbounded World, and they were nearly wiped out due to it. It was even worse this time around. They were already in a perilous position, and if they were to fall into a trance under the effects of the demonic tunes, they might just very well lose their lives here. "What do we do?" The crowd immediately sealed their six senses, but they found that they were unable to iste the sound at all. Horrified, their faces paled in anxiety. Under such circumstances, a demonic tune attack was indeed far more effective than a physical attack. "AHHHH... I CANT HOLD ON ANYMORE..." Suddenly, abat master let loose a ferocious roar before abruptly charging forward. He began hacking the sword in his hand around him frenziedly, as if possessed. "Hu Chen!" Upon seeing thebat master abruptly rushing out of the formation, Feng Xun immediately roared in rm. He hurriedly rushed out to drag the other party back into the formation, but in that moment, a sound reminiscent of a powerful gust of wind echoed once more. Hla! Innumerable sword qi burst forth, and before Hu Chen could even react, he was already sliced into many pieces, and his corpse fell heavily onto the ground. Puhe! Puhe! With Hu Chen missing, a huge opening appeared in the ck Tortoise Formation. Sword qi managed to bypass the formation through the openings and struck the legs of twobat masters. Crimson blood trickled down their legs and dripped to the ground from their feet. "Everyone, retreat!" Bellowing loudly, Wu shi stepped forward, and with a powerful sh, he eradicated all of the sword qi in the surroundings. After that was done, he turned back to the crowd and said, "Hurry up and treat the casualties, we dont have much time!" "Alright!" Nodding, Feng Xun quickly rushed up to his wounded subordinates to treat their wounds. Chapter 1058: You Are the Skyleaf King (1) Chapter 1058: You Are the Skyleaf King (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Right after they were done treating the casualties, the demonic tune sounded once more. This time, the zither sound carried an alluring melody that bewitched ones mind, causing ones thoughts to run amok. "Damn it, its a type of Beguilement Tune..." Zhang Xuans face darkened. Just like formations, demonic tunes could be ssified into many categories, too. Beguilement Tune, Illusory Tune, Heavy Tunes, Cacophonous Tune... Of them, Beguilement Tunes were the most widely feared due to their ability to control the minds of others. In a sense, it worked in a simr manner to the Impartation of Heavens Will. If a cultivator sumbed to it, they might very well end up doing something beyond their control... and this included self-harm and suicide! There had once been a Zither Demon who used such a demonic tune to massacre an entire city. This was also one of the reasons the upation was given the prefix of demonic. As a 7-star demonic tunist, Zhang Xuan naturally understood how fearsome such a demonic tune could be. The tune that was currently being yed had a particrly alluring quality to it, making it extremely easy for an individual to lose themself in it. Once they sumbed to the music, they would bepletely oblivious to the happenings around them, making them vulnerable targets. If so, their entire expedition team could very well be wiped out there. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan swiftly flicked his wrist and whipped out a zither. Driving his zhenqi, his fingers nimbly swiped over the strings. Dong dong dong! A powerful sound reminiscent of the chiming of a massive bell or the rumbling of thunder boomed by everyones ears. The current situation was different from the one back in the Unbounded World. Zhang Xuan failed to notice the whistling of the wind earlier, and by the time he was aware of the matter, the entire expedition team was already deeply fixated into it. Under that circumstances, given hiscking proficiency in demonic tunes, it was impossible for him to undo its effects with his demonic tunes. If he were to attempt to do so forcefully, it could result in a rebound, inflicting grievous wounds to the others instead. However, the current situation was that the demonic tune had only started ying a moment ago, and the crowd had not sumbed to it yet. Thus, it was easier for him to deal with it. As expected, under the loud cacophony, the crowd staggered slightly, and fresh blood spurted from their mouths and noses. They were slightly injured by the rebound between the sh of both tunes, but Zhang Xuans tune did effectively jolt them back to attention. "We will die if we remain here. Follow me!" Roaring loudly, Zhang Xuan identified a direction and headed over. Even though he had no idea where the 172nd Door was located rtive to the entire formation, there was one thing certain here. If they remained there, they would only gradually umte injuries. Pushed to their limits, they might very well have ended up sumbing like Combat Master Hu Chen earlier, rushing out of the formation in a craze only to be ughtered by the many burst of sword qi. No doubt, the other doors were bound to be dangerous as well, but remaining where they were wasnt an option either. It was a risky gamble, but they had no choice but to take it. Understanding that as well, the crowd followed closely behind Zhang Xuan. Each grasping a sword tightly in their hands, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han surveyed their surroundings cautiously, ready to retaliate should they be attacked. The both of them were Saint 4-dan experts who had already forged their Primordial Spirits. With their prowess, they could easily fend off the barrage of sword qi in moments of crisis. Ding ding ding ding! While proceeding forward, another burst of sword qi assaulted the crowd. However, with the two experts moving simultaneously to fend off the offense, the crowd managed to ovee it sessfully and leave swiftly. After crossing two wide corridors, Zhang Xuan took a look around him before frowning. A momentter, he abruptly dashed right into the wall ahead of him. Just as the crowd was bewildered by Zhang Xuans sudden action, the wall suddenly copsed to reveal a huge courtyard. Walking into the courtyard, the sound of the demonic tunes abruptly vanished, as if they had bypassed the demarcated zone of its area of effect. At the same time, the ferocious onught of sword qi stopped as well. It was as if the relentless assault against them had never happened at all. "The onught of the sword qi has vanished, and the zither sound has stopped as well." "Did we manage to flee from the Illusory-ughter Formation?" Wo Tianqiong and the others could not help but ask with a hint of hope in their voices. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Thats not it; we are still in the formation. Its just that the formation is divided into many smaller ones, and we have escaped from one into another." Grade-8 formations were not grade-8 formations for nothing. If it was that easy to escape from it, he would not have been so helpless before it in the first ce. Not to mention, there was still a Scarletleaf King camping outside the formation, waiting to prey on them. After learning of the current situation, the expressions of the crowd tensed. They thought that they might have finally gotten out of danger, but it seemed like they were being too optimistic. "Theres no need to worry. It seems like we have reached a safe zone for the time being." Noting the low morale among the group, Zhang Xuan consoled them with a smile before turning his gaze toward the surroundings. The courtyard they were in wasrger than the previous one, and there was a door in all four directions: north, south, east, and west. At this moment, the wall that they had crashed through to enter the courtyard had also mended itself as well. Had they note through it previously, it would have been impossible for them to tell that there was a path beyond the wall as well. "Where do we go now?" In any case, they could not return the way they hade, or else they would bepromising their safety. But of the four doors... which one should they choose? "Principal Zhang..." The gazes of the crowd naturally gathered upon Zhang Xuan. Most of the dangers they had been put through had been resolved by the young man before their eyes, and unknowingly, the expedition team had begun to subconsciously look toward him for support. "I am not too sure either..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. The formation in the current area they were in had not been activated yet, so he was unable to form a corresponding book on it in the Library of Heavens Path. As such, he was also unsure about its ws and where he should head to. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "You all wait here for a moment; I will try one of them and see whats on the other side." For the time being, he should focus his attention on activating the formation so that he couldpile a book on it. Just waiting there and praying for something to happen would not work. "Alright." The crowd nodded. Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and randomly chose a direction to head to. Just as he was about to head over, jiya!, the door before him suddenly began to creak open. H! As soon as the door opened, a de of wind abruptly burst forth, slicing the air in two. Noticing that something was amiss, Wu shi bellowed quickly, "Everyone, duck!" "Its just a de of wind; theres no need to worry. I can deal with it easily..." One of the elders of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy did not think much of it, and with a casual smile, he whipped out a massive axe and aimed it right at the wind de. Hu! With incredible force, the massive axe hacked down upon the de of wind. To the astonishment of the crowd, the massive axe was sliced apart without posing the slightest bit of hindrance to it. Before the elder could even react, his palm along with his body had already been severed into two. "What!" Cold sweat gushed down the bodies of the crowd. This was especially so for Wo Tianqiong. He nearly fainted on the spot. Others might have been unaware of it, but he knew full well that the axe wielded by the elder could easily be ranked among the top of Spirit pinnacle weapons. Such a powerful weapon, and yet, it did not evenst a split second before the de of wind. That was too fearsome! "The de of wind doesnt just slice through air, it slices right through space as well," Guild Leader Han eximed as he hurriedly ducked down without any hesitation as well. To the naked eye, it might have seemed like there was nothing special about the de of wind other than being exceptionally sharp. However, Guild Leader Han had scanned the de of wind with his Spiritual Perception, and to his shock, he found that his Spiritual Perception was not able to pass through the area where the de of wind had cut through for a brief instant. In other words, there was a split moment when the space above and below the wind de had been severed! Hu! The de of wind flew past everyones head, and the sharp shrill of the air in the moment that it did so left everyones body covered in goosebumps. Zhang Xuans body was alsopletely stiffened, not daring to move at all. Even though his body had reached the level of a Saint-tier artifact, he had no doubt that he would be unable to stand his ground against such a bizarre de of wind. All in all, it would still be wiser for him to remain cautious. Jiya! Right after the de of wind flew past them, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Just when they thought that they had finally bypassed the danger, the door behind them suddenly creaked open, and another de of wind swept over at a diagonal angle. "Drat!" Just one de of wind had nearly scared their souls out of them. How were they supposed to deal with two simultaneously? However, it seemed like their nightmare had just barely begun. The two remaining doors also opened, and yet another two des of wind burst forth from them at differing angles. It was keenly aimed to seal the path of escape of the crowd. "This wont do. We might still be able tost in the short-term, but at this rate, it will only be a matter of time before we are killed," Wu shi said anxiously. Even though they could still dodge the des of wind by dodging, there was no knowing if each door could send out multiple des of wind at once. If so, they could be in a very dangerous position... perhaps even more than the area they were in previously! "This way!" Knowing the danger they were in, Zhang Xuan hurriedly found a w and took the lead while beckoning the others along. The crowd immediately followed him. Not too longter, they arrived at yet another courtyard. There was a bizarre formation set up in the courtyard as well. However, it wasnt des of wind but traps this time around. They finally escaped from it after great difficulty, but unfortunately, another master teacher ended up meeting his end there in the process of doing so. Proceeding ahead, the crowd entered two more courtyards and suffered another two casualties before finally arriving at a rtively smaller courtyard that didnt seem to have any mechanisms to it for the time being, so they decided to take a momentary breather there. By this point, all of their faces had turned pale, and they were breathing heavily. It had only been a few minutes since they entered the celestial pce, but fourbat masters and four master teachers had already met their ends. This was a casualty greater than what they had suffered from the total of the previous few trials. The crowd could not help but fall silent at that thought. "It seems like we are only barging from one formation into another. At this rate, we will all die here," Guild Leader Han said with a worried frown. The crowd nodded in agreement. There were too many smaller formations within the celestial pce, and the end was nowhere in sight either. At this rate, their numbers would only gradually thin out, and the position they were in would only further worsen. If each formation they bypassed would result in a death toll of one or two people, considering how there were only around twenty of them left, their expedition team really could end up being annihted here. "What do we do?" the crowd asked worriedly. "The strength of a formation depends on the person controlling it. Otherwise, the prowess that it can exert will be severely limited. The reason we keep encountering danger is very likely due to the Otherworldly Demon from before pulling strings from the shadows. If we can find the Otherworldly Demon and kill him, we should be able to escape from the formation rtively easier!" Guild Leader Han said. If there was no one driving the formation, this trial would have been somewhat simr to the Unbounded World and the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion. It would still have been dangerous, but the formations would only have been capable of carrying out routine and predictable tasks. As long as they could get the hang of it, they should have been able to bypass the formations with ease. "Guild Leader Han is right. What we should aim for at the moment is to y the Scarletleaf King!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Currently, they were in the open, and the enemy was in the dark. It was obvious that the enemy had been tracking them and activating the regional formation of where they were at any given moment to deal with them. "Scarletleaf King?" the crowd asked with a frown. "Un. The voice that spoke to us earlier is ranked second among the Ten Great Kings of Qingtian, and he is known as the Scarletleaf King. In terms of fighting prowess, he is above even the Stoneleaf King!" Zhang Xuan exined. Wu shi frowned. "I have read records on the Qingtian Lineage; it is a faction of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. They have quite a few experts who are collectively known as the Ten Great Kings. Of them, there are some bestowed with the title of the Five Upper Kings due to the superior strength they wield, and they are namely the Skyleaf King, Scarletleaf King, Jadeleaf King, Stoneleaf King, and Fireleaf King." As a master teacher of the Qingyuan Master Teacher Pavilion, he had some understanding of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe powers in the region. Every single one of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage possessed astounding power, and none of them were figures who could be dealt with easily. Right after Wu shi said those words, the eerie voice from before sounded in the air once more. "Not bad, it seems like you still have some self-awareness... Hehehe!" Chapter 1059: You Are the Skyleaf King (2) Chapter 1059: You Are the Skyleaf King (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Scarletleaf King?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Indeed, its me. To be able to recognize me by my voice... You are the one who killed those two fools, Stoneleaf King and Jadeleaf King, am I right?" the voice sneered coldly. In the next moment, Zhang Xuan felt his body tensed up. As if a poisonous viper was eyeing him, his body suddenly jolted in rm. It is the pressure from the other partys Primordial Spirit... Zhang Xuan thought as sweat trickled down his cheeks. It was not even close to the other partys full strength, but it could already vanquish all thought of retaliation in his mind. Zhang Xuan swiftly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi, and only then did he feel the pressure alleviating significantly. Clenching his jaws, he scanned his surroundings and spat, "Indeed. I was the one who killed them. Are you intending to avenge them?" The Scarletleaf King was truly well-hidden. Even when using the Eye of Insight to scan the area, he found that he was not able to find the slightest clue about the other partys whereabouts. "Avenge? Why should I? The fact that they were killed by a Nascent Saint in the first ce shows that they are not qualified to serve as Kings. Worthless flies like them are better off dead!" the Scarletleaf King sneered coldly. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was cold-blooded by nature. The only thing that tied them together was their allegiance to the Emperors. Other than that, even if theirpanions were to die before their eyes, they would not be fazed in the slightest. "Since you were able to kill them so swiftly, such that they didnt even have any time to send a message to us, that goes to show that you are quite a figure yourself. It would be a pity to kill you so quickly." The Scarletleaf King chuckled. "Why dont we y a game instead?" "y a game?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The others were also bewildered by the Scarletleaf Kings sudden proposal. "Indeed. The rule of the game is simple. Arent you all trying to escape from this ce? I have five clues here, and as long as you can obtain all of them, you will be able to escape from the formation easily and meet with my real self!" the Scarletleaf King said. "Five clues? Hah, you wont be handing them to us on a silver tter, will you? What is the price?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. "Sharp, it is so much more convenient to negotiate with smart people like you!" The Scarletleaf King chuckled softly before saying, "The way to obtain the clues is simple. Kill one master teacher, and I will give you the first clue. Kill another two more, and I will give you the second. Kill another three more, and I will give you the third... so on and so forth. So, as long as you kill fifteen master teachers, you will be able to receive all of the clues and escape from the formation safely!" "You want us to kill our ownrades?" Zhang Xuans face turned livid. There were only thirty of them at the start, and eight of them were already dead, so there were only twenty-two of them remaining. If they were to kill another fifteen... their expedition team would be pretty much wiped out! How vicious! The expedition team was also exhausted both physically and mentally from stumbling into dangerous formations one after another. The more time that passed, the more desperate the crowd would be. Perhaps, it might reallye to a point where members of the expedition would attempt to kill one another or sacrifice themselves over the matter. The Scarletleaf King was preying on their weakened minds to turn the expedition team against one another while sitting out on the fight himself. A devious and scheming mind, it wouldnt be easy for them to outmaneuver a person like that. "Indeed. You are a smart person, so you should know what is best for you in this situation. Even if you reject my offer, its just a matter of time before all of you are wiped out by the formation. At the very least, if you choose to y along with me, you might still have a chance to meet me and avenge the others!" the Scarletleaf King replied leisurely. "Despicable!" Hearing those words, the faces of the crowd reddened in anger. Just as the other party had said, if they continued barging through the formations, it would just be a matter of time before they were killed. Only with the clues would there be a hope for them to escape from the darned formation and avenge theirrades. "He is trying to create a rift among us! If we do so, what will be the difference between us and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? What rights will we have to call ourselves master teachers?" Wu shi bellowed in an attempt to calm the wavering minds. They were truly in a very disadvantageous position at the moment. With a bleak hope of escaping from the formation themselves, they had to make a decision. Should they persist with their principles or take the pragmatic way out? "Right, I forgot to tell you. No matter who does the dirty job, as long as fifteen people within the expedition team die, I will give you the clues." At this point, the Scarletleaf King burst into a heartyughter before continuing. "Make your decision quickly! I will give you two hours to decide. Hehehe! I am looking forward to your response..." The piercing voice by their ears gradually drifted off, as if signifying that the Scarletleaf King had retracted his attention from them. Wu shi extended his Spiritual Perception to his surroundings before turning back to the crowd and said, "He seems to have left." "What do we do now?" Wo Tianqiong asked with a conflicted frown. The others instinctively turned toward Zhang Xuan for directions. It did not seem like a feasible solution for them to push their way through, but... were they going to start killing one another as the other party demanded? "Dont listen to the Scarletleaf Kings words, his very motive is to turn us against one another. It is even more so in such situations that we have to stand united!" Zhang Xuan surveyed the crowd and spoke forcefully. "Indeed. Think about it. Even if we survive from killing one another, it will eventually give birth to inner demons deep in our hearts, hindering us from furthering our paths. In the worst-case scenario, the other party might even use it to leverage control over us afterward," Mu shi added. "To be honest, there isnt much of a chance that we will be able to get out of here alive!" At this point, Wo Tianqiong abruptly interjected into Mu shis words. "As long as you sessfully kill the Scarletleaf King and avenge Elder Feng and the others, we are more than willing toy down our lives for you!" "Indeed. From the very start, we knew that we could meet our end in the ancient domain. Since its only a matter of time before we sumb to the formation, Id very much rather sacrifice myself so that the rest of you can safely find a way out of here!" Wu Ran said. "I share the same opinion with the others. Our deaths are nothing, but nothing can be allowed to happen to Principal Zhang and Wu shi. The both of them are the hopes of our expedition team. Only with them around will we have a chance to escape from here and y the wretched Scarletleaf King!" Feng Xun nodded. Those words swiftly won nods of approval from the crowd. Their line of thought was simple. Fifteen casualties was not a small price to pay, but at the very least, some of them would be able to get out of there alive. That was much better than the expedition team being entirely annihted within the formation. "I am touched by your sentiments, but... can we really trust the Scarletleaf King to keep his word and give us the clues? Furthermore, can the clues he gives us really lead us out?" Zhang Xuan said grimly. They were willing to selflessly put themselves on the line to forge a route for the others to advance on. But the problem was that... their sacrifice could turn out to be futile in this case! Taking a step back, even if the Scarletleaf King really gave the clues to them, allowing them to escape from the formation, as master teachers, there were simply some principles that they would have to hold on to, even at the cost of their life. They would not sacrifice others for their own welfare! Otherwise, what would be of the faith they had held onto dearly as master teachers all this while? "What do we do then?" The crowd also understood the logic behind Zhang Xuans words, but... after seeing so many of theirrades dying one after another, they simply could not stand it anymore. It was out of desperation that they chose such an extreme course of action. Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly. "I have no idea..." At this point, he had no idea how the formation operated or where the Scarletleaf King was. Without such vital information, there was no way he could formte a feasible n to help them get out of their current situation. "You dont know?" Seeing that even Zhang Xuan was helpless before their current situation, the faces of the crowd sank as if deted balloons. In their journey together, Zhang Xuan had ovee obstacle after obstacle easily, and it felt as if there was nothing in the world that could stump him. At this point, seeing how even the most capable individual among them was helpless, they suddenly felt deeply lost. "I cant stand it anymore! Didnt the Scarletleaf King say that it will suffice as long as fifteen of us die? Just make sure to avenge me when the rest of you escape from here!" After a long moment of silence, a loud bellow abruptly sounded. Unable to take it any longer, abat master raised his sword to end his life. "Hold it right there!" Not expecting that someone would still attempt tomit suicide after he had alreadyid everything out so clearly, Zhang Xuan frowned deeply as he flicked his finger. Ding! A surge of zhenqi knocked out the sword in thebat masters hand. Wu shi also swiftly stepped forward to seal the other partys cultivation. The problem they were facing at the moment was not an issue that could be resolved with just the sacrifice of others. They could not just stake their lives on the integrity of the Scarletleaf King, if he had any at all. That would be utter foolishness! They had to think of another n. "Dont stop me! Let me die..." thebat master continued bellowing loudly. The sealing of his cultivation did not seem to have dispelled thebat masters intention of ending his life at all. "Since you arent going to allow us to end our lives, allow me to do the job then..." Almost immediately after they managed to settle the issue with thebat master, another roar sounded, and a master teacher stepped forward tounch an attack toward thebat master beside him. "Humph!" Seeing the act of aggression by the master teacher, Feng Xun flitted forward and kicked the master teacher away forcefully. Peng! With a spurt of blood, the master teacher crashed heavily onto the ground, sustaining severe injuries. "Feng Xun, what are you doing?" Shen Pingchao hurriedly rushed down to help the wounded master teacher up before ring at Feng Xun wrathfully. The wounded master teacher was an elder of their Luoqing Master Teacher Academy. "What am I doing? For daring to assault our men, you should be d that I didnt kill him on the spot!" Feng Xun roared angrily back. Theirbat masters had been standing on the spot, doing nothing at all, when the master teacher suddenly stepped forward to assault them. Had he not made a move, theirbat master could have very well died! Yet, the other party was still asking what was he doing? He must be joking! "I reckon that you are just finding an excuse to make a move against us. Since thats the case, why dont you start with me?" Shen Pingchao harrumphed coldly. "Youd better not piss me off. Throughout this entire journey, your men have been nothing but a huge burden, and I have been wanting to give you a piece of my mind..." Feng Xun sneered coldly. Not expecting the expedition team to end up arguing with one another while in such danger, Wu shi roared angrily, "Enough! "We are all master teachers andbat masters! While we havee to this ancient domain with the conviction toy down our lives for our mission, it would be utterly foolish to turn against one another under the provocations of an Otherworldly Demon. If that happens, how are we going to face our predecessors? How are we going to face Kong shi?" "Humph!" Hearing Wu shis lecture, Feng Xun and Shen Pingchao nced at one another before turning away angrily. For the time being, they chose to suppress their rage. "Alright, take a deep breath and cool down first. For the time being, lets discuss how we can escape from here," Guild Leader Han said. "How can we escape from here? This formation has aplexyered design with traps lying in wait at every turn. Furthermore, even if we manage to escape from the formation, will we be a match for the Scarletleaf King?" Feng Xun said with a deep frown. "I fought with the Stoneleaf King myself, and even if Wu shi utilizes his full strength, he will only be an equal to the Stoneleaf King... Considering the greater strength that the Scarletleaf King harnesses, I dont think that we stand a good chance of getting out of here alive." "I still think that we should sacrifice fifteen among us to obtain the other partys clues. As long as we preserve the strongest of our forces, we should still be able to match the Scarletleaf King. Otherwise, who knows how many of us will die within this formation?" the other Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, Jiang Yuan, said. "But if we do so, we will be ying right into the Scarletleaf Kings hands..." Wu shi frowned. "ying right into the Scarletleaf Kings hands? You might be right, but do we have another choice? To tell you the truth, I am very certain that there is a spy among us. Otherwise, how could the Otherworldly Demons have such a tight grasp of our movements? How could they remain constantly ahead of us? Dont you think that its too much to consider it a coincidence?" Jiang Yuan said. "Spy? How is that possible? We are all master teachers, so how could there possibly be any traitors among us?" Wu shi shook his head. "You Xu was also a master teacher himself, but didnt he betray mankind eventually?" Jiang Yuan pointed it out coldly. "This..." A conflicted expression surfaced on Wu shis face. Frowning, he turned to Jiang Yuan and asked, "Jiang shi, for you to speak such words, could it be that you have noticed something?" "I did notice a few things that are amiss with the situation..." Jiang Yuan harrumphed coldly before turning to Luo Ruoxin with a sharp glint in his eyes. "Luo shi, there are a few questions that I would like to ask you." Luo Ruoxin frowned. "Go ahead." "When we first entered the ancient domain, even Wu shi and Guild Leader Han did not notice that it was a Spatial Formation, but somehow, you were able to tell with just a nce. "In the Unbounded World, all of us were bewitched by the demonic tune and suffered significant depletion in our stamina and zhenqi, but somehow, you were the only one who remained rtively unharmed. Not only so, shortly after you left, our expedition team immediately came under the assault of the Otherworldly Demons. "For the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion, none of us were aware that soul-type artifacts have the ability to fend off the corrosion, but somehow, you knew full well about it. In fact, thinking back, you were the one who told us to follow the footsteps of the Otherworldly Demons... but look at this. We ended up walking right into their trap!" Jiang Yuan sneered coldly. "How do you intend to exin this?" "Now that he has pointed that out, it does indeed seem a little fishy..." "Indeed, isnt everything that has happened a little too coincidental? There is something wrong with this Luo shi!" "At the very start, I thought that it was weird that Luo shi would request to join the expedition at the veryst minute. Now that I look at it, there is indeed something deeper to it..." "Lets see how she responds to that..." Hu! Right after hearing Jiang Yuans analysis, the faces of the crowd immediately darkened. They quickly stepped away from Luo Ruoxin, isting her. "You think that I am a spy?" Not expecting the other party to suddenly point his finger at her, Luo Ruoxin frowned in displeasure. "Indeed. Disguising yourself as one of our own, you slowly led us into trap after trap. We sure were fools for listening blindly to your words. Of the Qingtian Lineage, there is only one who possesses such wits and capability. If Im not mistaken..." Jiang Yuan red at Luo Ruoxin sharply as he said, "You are the Skyleaf King!" Chapter 1060: Jiang Yuan Chapter 1060: Jiang Yuan Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Skyleaf King? Shouldnt the Skyleaf King be a male?" "Indeed! From what I know, the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage are all men..." Since the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage were all men, how could the Skyleaf King be a female? "Who says that the Skyleaf King cant be a woman?" Jiang Yuan interjected. "The Skyleaf King has always been an enigma to the Master Teacher Pavilion. All we know is that she exists, but none of us have met her before. So, how can you be certain that the Skyleaf King is not a woman? Besides, even if the Skyleaf King is a man, given that he has already reached the Leaving Aperture realm, it should be easy for someone of his prowess to possess the body of a human and mix in among us!" "This..." Hearing those words, the crowd clenched their fists tightly as they directed wary gazes toward Luo Ruoxin. Indeed, a cultivator who had reached the Leaving Aperture realm was capable of drawing their Primordial Spirit out of their body. On top of harnessing immense strength and the freedom of movement, they were capable of possessing the bodies of others as well! Furthermore, unlike soul oracles, they wouldnt suffer from the Possession Decline either. At most, their Primordial Spirit would just be ipatible with the body they were in, causing them to be unable to draw out their full strength! It could be said that... if the Skyleaf King had truly possessed Luo Ruoxin, no one would be any the wiser, and this was including even Wu shi! Recalling Luo Ruoxins actions, while she had not spoken much after entering the ancient domain, every word that she had spoken was of the utmost importance to the progression of their journey. No matter how knowledgeable a twenty-year-old woman was, could she still be more well-read than Wu shi and Guild Leader Han? Could she have really been possessed by the Skyleaf King, intentionally using her words to lead the crowd from one trap into another along the journey? Wu shi was just about to say something when he suddenly paused for a brief moment. Frowning deeply, he turned to the youngdy and said, "This... It would be best for you to exin this matter!" To be honest, Jiang Yuans analysis did make sense. There were indeed several doubtful aspects about the youngdy before them. While Luo Ruoxin did have a close rtionship with Mu shi, whose rmendation had allowed her to join the expedition team, up to this point, Wu shi still had no idea how powerful she was. Even with eye of discernment of his level, he was unable to see through the youngdy. Despite being doubted by everyone else, Luo Ruoxin did not bother to exin herself. Instead, she shook her head before asking, "Is that what all of you think?" "Y-you... You cant really be an Otherworldly Demon in disguise, can you?" Feng Xuns face paled as he backed away fearfully. Had he actually fallen in love with an Otherworldly Demon, and one who could very well be a man? Just the thought of it left his hair standing on ends, and he felt like puking! Seeing Feng Xuns response, Luo Ruoxin could not help but shake her head with a wry smile. That fellow imed that he liked her, but in crucial times such as this, he didnt have the slightest trust in her. Sighing deeply, Luo Ruoxin was just about to speak when a towering back suddenly appeared before her. "Enough!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Turning around to shoot a nce at the youngdy before him, he said, "I believe that she isnt an Otherworldly Demon, and she isnt being possessed by anyone either!" Luo Ruoxin looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, "You trust me?" "I do." Zhang Xuan said with a smile. There was earnestness in his eyes that could not possibly be faked. "Dont worry. No matter what others say, I will always stand by you!" Of the entire expedition team, he was the one who hade the closest with this youngdy. Along the way, thetter had been walking alongside them quietly, rarely allowing anything to bother her. If she was truly the Skyleaf King, considering the strength that she possessed, the expedition team would have been wiped out long ago. There was no need for her to go the extra mile to disguise herself. Seeing that the other partys eyes were clear, devoid of the slightest hint of doubt, Luo Ruoxin could not help but feel a warmth in her heart. "What he said is true. The Otherworldly Demons attacked right after I left, and I was also the one who rmended following the Otherworldly Demons trail before we stepped into this trap. Theres no way I can refute those ims, so why do you still believe me?" "Must there be a reason for trust?" Staring deeply into Luo Ruoxins eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "I will trust you no matter what you do. Dont worry, you dont have to say a word. I will resolve this matter for you!" After saying those words, Zhang Xuan turned around and said, "I am willing to use my life to guarantee that Luo shi isnt the Skyleaf King or an Otherworldly Demon!" "Use your life to guarantee? Principal Zhang... you have to reconsider it! What Combat Master Jiang said isnt without sense..." Wu shi hurriedly tried to persuade him. "Indeed, Principal Zhang. Theres something amiss about Luo shi..." The others also chirped in anxiously. Principal Zhang was a person whom they deeply trusted and admired. Why would such a formidable master teacher end up falling before the skirt of ady? Seeing Zhang Xuan stepping forward to protect Luo Ruoxin, Jiang Yuan said with a deep frown, "It is due to Principal Zhang that we are still alive right now and have managed toe so far. If Principal Zhang truly intends to protect her, there is nothing I can say. However... if she truly is the Skyleaf King, not only will all of us die here, more importantly, our mission to find Zhang Yinqiu and the others will fail as well. The reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion could very well be sullied due to this matter!" Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves and harrumphed coldly. "I know what I am doing. I dont need you to teach me what to do!" "You..." Not expecting the amiable Principal Zhang to suddenly disregard him altogether, Jiang Yuan clenched his fists tightly. "Stop with your pathetic efforts to sway others; theres definitely nothing wrong with Luo shi. Instead, the one who has something wrong is you, Combat Master Jiang!" Zhang Xuan gazed upon Jiang Yuan coldly. "Theres something wrong with me? What could there possibly be wrong with me?" Jiang Yuan shook his head. Throughout the entire journey, he had not spoken a word at all, and he had not given the wrong direction either. How could he be a spy for the Otherworldly Demons? At the same time, the crowd was also perplexed to hear Zhang Xuans abrupt usation. Instead of replying to Jiang Yuans words, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said, "We have passed through many courtyards so far, and every single one of them has a formation that triggers as soon as we enter. I believe every single one of us here should have a deep impression of this matter." "Un." The crowd nodded. They had met many perilous situations ever since entering the celestial pce. Each time, they would barely escape with their lives. Even when theirpanions died right before their eyes, they did not even have the time to collect their corpses so as to give them a proper burialter on. "Every single courtyard that we enter poses a threat of its own... but did you notice that despite having entered this courtyard for some time, nothing has happened at all? Other than the words that the Scarletleaf King said before leaving, it doesnt seem like anything has happened at all, right?" Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd and said, "Dont you think that its bizarre?" "This..." The crowd fell silent. Just as the other party said, the courtyards that they had been through thus far had been extremely dangerous, and the slightest carelessness could have resulted in their deaths. However, they had already been in the current courtyard for more than twenty minutes, but nothing had happened at all. Initially, they thought that it might just have been a safe zone, but thinking deeper into the matter at this moment... was it really possible for there to be a safe zone in this massive formation? "Isnt it just because the Scarletleaf King didnt activate the formation? He has probably just changed his ns and is trying to have us kill one another instead..." one of thebat masters said. "Youre right in saying that he is trying to have us kill one another, but... I can tell you that the formation in this courtyard has already been activated!" Zhang Xuan said. Guild Leader Han was taken aback by those words. "You are saying that... we are currently standing amid an activated formation at this very moment?" As the head of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild, a 7-star pinnacle formation master, if a formation had truly been activated where they were standing, he should have noticed it! "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded grimly. "There is a formation in this courtyard, and it has already been active for some time. In fact, we are currently under its effects!" "This..." Everyone nced at one another with bewildered expressions. They might not have been as skilled as Guild Leader Han in the field of formations, but as master teachers andbat masters, they should still have been able to discern whether they were in a formation or not. Their surroundings werepletely silent, and there was not the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy to be felt. Given so, how could they possibly be standing amid an activated formation? At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Shen Pingchao and asked, "Principal Shen, may I ask how Elder Gan usually conducts himself in the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy?" The person whom Zhang Xuan addressed as Elder Gan was the master teacher who had charged forward previously to kill thebat masters. "Elder Gan is a true master teacher through and through. Due to his amiable and patient personality, he is well-received by the students..." Shen Pingchao wasnt sure why Zhang Xuan would ask such a question, but he still answered it earnestly after pondering over it for a moment. Normally speaking, Elder Gan could not even bring himself to reprimand students who had erred, thus earning him a good reputation within the Master Teacher Academy. It was also in view of this that Shen Pingchao was extremely protective of him... As such, he was willing to stand up against even Feng Xun for Elder Gans sake. Seemingly knowing that Shen Pingchao would respond in such a manner, Zhang Xuan asked calmly, "An amiable and patient teacher suddenly raised his sword to kill another... Dont you think that its a very bizarre situation in itself?" "This..." The crowd was stunned by the questioning. Guild Leader Han suddenly thought of something, and he immediately asked with a grim look, "Could it be that... there is some kind of special formation in this courtyard that interferes with our thoughts and emotions, causing us to be more hot-tempered than usual?" "Indeed. That is precisely why the Scarletleaf King chose to appear right at this moment, saying those words so as to nt a seed in our minds. After which, he secretly activated the formation to affect our emotions... Have you all realized that, within just a short twenty minutes, we have be more violent-tempered and irrational than before?" Zhang Xuan posed. The crowd was rendered speechless. That was indeed the case. Previously, when they were in the other courtyards, they would still proceed as carefully as they could so as to reduce their casualties. Yet, after entering the current courtyard, they realized that the thought that had been dominating their minds was how they could kill others ormit suicide so as to make up for the required fifteen slots! Thinking back, their thoughts had truly been irrational. It was due to such thoughts that resulted in the conflict among them. After hearing those words, Feng Xun and Shen Pingchao nced at one another as cold sweat drenched their backs. Had Wu shi not stopped them previously, they might have ended up doing something unforgivable to the other party! "Everyone ended up sumbing to it, and not even Combat Master Feng Xun was an exception..." At this point, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward Jiang Yuan. "I am just curious to know how the great Combat Master Jiang managed to avoid the effects of the formation and even rationally argue that there is a problem with Luo shi and that she is the Skyleaf King?" "Indeed! Could it be that you arent affected by the formation?" Innumerable gazes immediately turned toward Jiang Yuan. "I..." Jiang Yuan eyebrows shot up inconspicuously for a short moment before sneering coldly. Shaking his head, he said, "Principal Zhang, please dont change the topic at hand. I might be unaffected by the effects of the formation, but the same goes for you and Luo shi, isnt that so? Each of us has differing experiences and encounters in life, and thus, our personality and mental fortitude are different. You cant cast doubt on me just because I am different from the others, right?" "You are right. Just the fact that you are unaffected by the formation isnt enough evidence to suspect you..." At this point, Zhang Xuan looked at Jiang Yuan with an enigmatic smile. "But both you and Feng Xun are Thousand Men Commanders of the Combat Master Hall. The both of you are equal in terms of standing, but throughout the entire journey, you have hardly spoken a word. It is as if you do not exist at all. Even when your subordinates were attacked, you acted as if it had nothing to do with you at all. Dont you think that you are being a little too... impassive?" Chapter 1061: The Skyleaf King Appears Chapter 1061: The Skyleaf King Appears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "This..." "Indeed, how can he still remain calm before such a situation?" Zhang Xuans words raised many doubts in the minds of others. Despite being a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, Jiang Yuan had been extremely silent throughout the entire journey, standing impassively by the side even when the otherbat masters met with danger. Had it not been for him standing up a moment ago, the crowd might have forgotten about his existence. Jiang Yuans face turned livid for a moment before he waved his hands nonchntly. "The requirement of being abat master is to remainposed even when the sky falls. Furthermore, given how dangerous the situation is and myck of understanding of formations, I feel that its not my ce to speak up, or else I might cause others more trouble. You cant be suspecting me of being a spy just because I have been silent all this while, can you?" "There are many people who have remained quiet all this while just like you, such as Formation Master Liu Mo. You are right in saying that being silent isnt enough evidence to doubt you." "Then..." Jiang Yuan frowned doubtfully, unsure of what Zhang Xuan was getting at. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans lips curled up. "Dont worry, I just want to ask you a very simple question. Can you list the names of thebat masters who have sacrificed themselves here?" "I..." Jiang Yuan was stunned. Other than Jiang Yuan, Feng Xun, and Zhuo Qingfeng, there were another twelvebat masters in the expedition team. All in all, there were only fifteen of them. Due to the strict discipline that the Combat Master Hall expected of its members, the four of them hadnt really spoken much throughout the entire duration. There was also no one who actively tried to speak with them, so not even Zhang Xuan was aware of their names. But as a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, the direct superior of thosebat masters, Jiang Yuan should have been well aware of their names! "What? You cant even name your own subordinates?" Zhang Xuan mocked coldly. "Combat Master Jiang, whats wrong?" Feng Xun was taken aback. Coming from the same Combat Master Hall, he knew that two of the deceasedbat masters had been trained by Jiang Yuan personally. Yet, to be unable to name even those two... that was truly extremely suspicious. The others hurriedly stepped back as they turned doubtful looks toward Jiang Yuan. The situation concerning Luo Ruoxin could still be passed off as coincidence, but for Jiang Yuan to be unable to name his own subordinates... that could not be exined! Jiang Yuan opened his mouth several times, but not a word came out of his mouth. Theposure of his face gradually eroded before eventually forming a sneer. "You are indeed very smart... Very well, since you have noticed me... I guess this is the end of our game!" Boom! Shortly after those words were spoken, a powerful aura burst forth from Jiang Yuan. It exerted an incredible pressure on those around him, leaving them feeling suffocated within. "He is at the Leaving Aperture realm..." Wu shis narrowed in astonishment. He hurriedly stepped in front of the crowd while driving his zhenqi to its maximum might, ready to make a move at any moment. Just by the aura exuded by the other party, he could tell that the other party was a true Leaving Aperture realm expert, an existence that was far stronger than him. "Do you think that you will be able to stop me?" Jiang Yuan sneered coldly as he raised his finger and tapped the space in front of him lightly. Peng! Before Wu shi could react, he was sent flying before crashing heavily into a wall. Leaving Aperture realm primary stage and Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it was just a gap of two cultivation stages, but the difference between the two was like the gap between heaven and earth. "Everyone, be careful! He is the Skyleaf King!" Wu shi roared anxiously. Even though the other party had only used his Primordial Spirit in the attack, Wu shi could still feel overwhelming killing intent from it. Of the Qingtian Lineage, the only one who could possess such immense strength was the legendary Skyleaf King! "Skyleaf King?" The bodies of the crowd immediately tensed up. They hurriedly raised their weapons as they eyed the person before them warily. They knew that they would not be a match for the other party, but they had no other choice at the moment. It was impossible for them to escape from a true Leaving Aperture realm expert, so the only choice they had was to face the other party. "Hah, a bunch of weaklings!" Facing the attack of the crowd, Jiang Yuan stepped forward calmly before abruptly thrusting his palm forward. Boom! A great pressure fell upon everyone in an instant, leaving them feeling as if the world was crumbling around them. Upon reaching the Leaving Aperture realm, ones Primordial Spirit gained the ability to move even the power of nature itself. The members of the expedition team were by no means weak, but they were still far from matching up to such strength. "Humph!" After holding everyone in ce, Jiang Yuan flicked his finger forcefully. Sou sou sou sou! The weapons in everyone hands immediately flew out of their grasps with such great force that their fingers began bleeding. "I will block him. The rest of you, run!" Realizing that they would not be a match for the other party even with their strengthbined, Wu shi roared furiously as he flew toward thetter. Saint-tier battle technique, Ovepping Waves Furious Gale sh! shing his sword furiously, Wu shi sent burst after burst of sword qi toward the other party, reminiscent of the relentless waves of the ocean. Even the surrounding air seemed to have been ripped apart by the motion, creating a huge gorge on the ground. "Interesting..."Jiang Yuan chuckled softly as he raised his hands. As if ying cats cradle, he struck the sword qi with his little finger, followed by his ring finger, middle finger, forefinger, and his thumb. Every single strike would dissipate the sword qi slightly, and after a few strikes, the furious might of the Ovepping Waves Furious Gale sh had already been neutralized entirely. "That is the Saint-tier battle technique Wind Treading Fingers! Isnt he the Skyleaf King? How is he able to utilize the techniques of the Combat Master Hall?" Feng Xun uttered in disbelief. The technique the other party was utilizing was actually a move of the Combat Master Hall, Wind Treading Fingers! "The Skyleaf King hasnt really imed Combat Master Jiangs body for his own. Instead, he is only controlling thetters soul. In other words, Combat Master Jiang is still alive," Zhang Xuan said with a frown. "Combat Master Jiang is still alive? Principal Zhang, I beseech you, please save him!" Feng Xun pleaded anxiously. Jiang Yuan was a very close friend of his, and they had braved through many battles together. In the journey through the ancient domain, he had been so concerned with the happenings around him that he did not even notice that his close friend had been possessed by the Skyleaf King. No matter what, he was determined to save him! "Un, we definitely have to save Combat Master Jiang, but there are two things that I am still unable to make sense of for the moment," Zhang Xuan said as he stroked his lower jaw. With his current strength, he would not be able to interfere in the fight between Wu shi and the Skyleaf King. Thus, he decided to focus his attention on analyzing the situation first. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still contemting in such an urgent situation, Feng Xun urged anxiously, "Theres no time to think anymore! I fear that Wu shi will break Combat Master Jiangs physical body at this rate. If so, we wont be able to save him even if we do manage to force the Skyleaf King out of his body!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the battle. By that point, Guild Leader Han and Mu shi had joined the battle as well. The Skyleaf King was powerful, and Wu shi alone was not a match for him. However... with the three of them coborating with one another, they were gradually gaining the upper hand. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. I didnt think that the three of them will be able to pull off such a powerful formation together... Individually, Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and Mu shi were far from a match for the powerful Skyleaf King. However, when their powers werebined through an offensive formation, they were actually able to exert a fighting prowess far beyond their individual limits, allowing them to gain the upper hand even against an opponent as powerful as the Skyleaf King. No, something is amiss. Even if the Skyleaf Kings strength is diminished due to ipatibility with Combat Master Jiangs body, it does not make sense for him to have weakened so much. When a Leaving Aperture realm expert possessed the body of another, their strength would be reduced. Even so... the strength that they wielded would still be far beyond what Wu shi and the others could withstand. Yet, the Skyleaf King was gradually being forced back. The situation did not add up. "You are courting death..." After retreating for a few steps, Jiang Yuan suddenly came to a halt. With reddened eyes, he roared furiously as a Primordial Spirit escaped from his be. Hong long long! As soon as the Primordial Spirit appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy began gathering together to form a giant that carried destructive might and aura at a wave of its hands. Hu! With a simple palm strike, the formation formed by Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and Mu shi was unraveled. A few more strikester, the trio was unable to withstand the incredible might of the Skyleaf King and sustained significant damage, spewing blood from their mouths. "Hold it right there!" Noting that the trio was in a dire position, Feng Xun quickly rushed forward to their aid. "Heh!" The Skyleaf King sneered coldly as he raised his finger to flick Feng Xun. Peng! A single strike, and Feng Xun was sent flying as well. Despite being a Saint 3-dan pinnaclebat master, he was still a long way from matching up to the Saint 5-dan Skyleaf King. "I got it!" Watching as Feng Xun was knocked flying, a thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind as his eyes lit up in excitement. pping his thigh excitedly, he turned around and instructed, "Everyone, I need some time. I will have to ask you to hold him back for a short moment..." Hearing those words, the crowd nodded before gathering zhenqi on their palms and directing it toward the Primordial Spirit in the sky. They knew that they would not be a match for the Skyleaf King, but they trusted Zhang Xuan deeply. They knew that thetter had his reasons for issuing suchmands, so they immediately acted on it. While the others were holding back the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan rushed up to Jiang Yuans body and punched him in his face. Peng! As the Skyleaf King had departed from Jiang Yuans body, and Jiang Yuans soul had not regained control of his body yet, the body waspletely vulnerable at the moment. Unable to withstand Zhang Xuans attack, it was immediately sent flying into the distance. "Principal Zhang!" Feng Xun, who had just barely gotten back up to his feet, saw the sight, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. It was just a moment ago that you said that Jiang Yuan was still alive, but a momentter, you suddenly began pummeling Jiang Yuan viciously. Do you have some kind of deep-seated hatred toward him that you are so anxious to send him off to his death? Peng peng peng peng! Paying no heed to Feng Xuns shout, Zhang Xuan walked up to Jiang Yuan and struck the back of his head forcefully once more. Feng Xun was about to rush up to stop Zhang Xuan when the sight before him abruptly left him with a feeling of dj vu, and he froze on the spot. That movement... why does it feel so familiar? Certain memories seemed to flicker across the back of his mind, and he felt as if... he had encountered such a scene before. Furthermore, a dull pain was starting to creep to the back of his head as well... However, that sensation vanished in an instant, and he did not have the time to devote any thoughts to it either. He continued rushing toward Zhang Xuan to stop thetter, but in a casual nce upwards, he saw the Primordial Spirit of the Skyleaf King shaking unstably as horror surfaced in his eyes. "What are you doing?" the Skyleaf King roared furiously as he raised a hand toward Zhang Xuan to grasp him. However, before the hand could reach, Zhang Xuan had already sent another punch into Jiang Yuans body. The Primordial Spirit jolted once more, and it nearly fell from the sky this time around. Upon seeing this sight, Feng Xun and Wu shi nced at one another as a look of delight bloomed on their faces. "Could it be that... attacking Combat Master Jiangs body will affect the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit as well?" "Principal Zhang, allow me!" Feng Xun rushed right up toward Jiang Yuan and sent a punch toward where Zhang Xuan had struck earlier. Hu! Just as they had anticipated, the Primordial Spirit in the sky jolted yet again, as if having sustained severe damage. "Help me control that fellow. There are some questions that I need to ask him..." Passing Jiang Yuan into Feng Xuns arms, he flew to Wu shis side and looked up toward the Primordial Spirit in the sky. "Principal Zhang, what is going on?" Wu shi and the others asked doubtfully. Both he and Guild Leader Han were nearing Leaving Aperture realm, but they had never heard that a Primordial Spirit would be affected by attacks directed toward its body... not to mention, a possessed body at that! "I will exin the situation to youter on." Zhang Xuan waved his hand before turning his attention back toward the Skyleaf King. "Skyleaf King, there are some things that I just cant understand no matter how I ponder over them. Why are you going to the extent of paying such a heavy price just to conceal yourself within Combat Master Jiangs body?" Chapter 1062: Him! Chapter 1062: Him! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Skyleaf King harrumphed. "A clever man you are indeed. Within such a short period of time, you managed to clearly identify my weakness." Halfway through his words, however, Feng Xun suddenly struck the back of Jiang Yuans head out of excitement, and the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit jolted violently, nearly copsing back to the ground. "There is no way I could have missed it. Under normal circumstances, it should be impossible for you to execute the battle techniques of the original host, but you still managed to pull it off. That means that you have only exerted dominance over Combat Master Jiangs soul temporarily instead of wiping it out entirely. From this, it can be deduced that your strength is currently severely limited," said Zhang Xuan. "I see. How could I have missed that?" Guild Leader Hans eyes lit up as a thought came to his mind. "Whats happening?" Wu shi asked in bewilderment. "This involves a huge secret regarding how Leaving Aperture realm cultivators possess others. Under normal circumstances, the possessor should only be able to utilize battle techniques that they are skilled at, but previously, Combat Master Jiang managed to execute the Wind Treading Fingers. This goes to show that his soul is still around, just that it has only been suppressed for the time being. "As powerful as a Leaving Aperture realm cultivators Primordial Spirit is, it is still extremely dangerous for him to attempt to control another soul in its own body. In its home ground, the opposing soul has a significant advantage against the Primordial Spirit. Even if it is unable to defeat the Primordial Spirit, it will still be able to keep it upied, resulting in a significant decline in thetters fighting prowess!" Guild Leader Han exined. As his real cultivation was slightly higher than Wu shis, he also had a greater understanding of the Leaving Aperture realm than thetter. "Then... why would the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit be injured while attacking Combat Master Jiangs body?" Wo Tianqiong asked with a frown. The others also turned perplexed gazes toward Guild Leader Han. Since the Skyleaf King was only possessing Jiang Yuans body, there should have been no connection between the two. Not to mention, even if it was the Skyleaf Kings own body there, such a sight still should not have urred. After the Primordial Spirit left the body, the body should have been nothing more than a corpse, so killing it would not have affected the Primordial Spirit in any way. This was just like how even though Zhang Xuan had melted the Jadeleaf Kings body down, the Jadeleaf Kings Primordial Spirit had remained unfazed by the matter, not injured or weakened in any manner. "This..." Guild Leader Han frowned deeply in contemtion before eventually shaking his head. "I am not too sure about the matter either." Honestly, when he saw the Skyleaf King jolting as Jiang Yuans body was being struck, he was baffled as well. "Its simple!" Hearing their conversation, Zhang Xuan smiled. "The Skyleaf King definitely wields sufficient strength to kill Jiang Yuans soul before possessing him, but he didnt choose to do so because it would have made it difficult for him to conceal the malicious aura of his Primordial Spirit and emte Jiang Yuans aura. Otherworldly Demon Kings harness powerful killing intent in their bodies and souls, so if the Skyleaf King had truly possessed Combat Master Jiang, we would have noticed it swiftly." The crowd nodded. The Zhenqi of ughter that the Otherworldly Demons cultivated granted even their souls deep killing intent, thus making their presence very noticeable. "In order to avoid our notice, the Skyleaf King was unable to utilize any normal possession means. Thus, the only option he was left with was the Coexistence of Souls. This secret art would allow his Primordial Spirit to take control of Combat Master Jiangs body while emanating only thetters aura, making it difficult for others to notice his presence. However, the problem with that was that if Combat Master Jiangs soul were to be struck, he would suffer damage as well." Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze to the figure in the sky and asked, "Am I right?" "Not bad, but do you think that you can subdue me with just this? You are too na?ve." The Skyleaf King was about to continue speaking when he suddenly felt a splitting pain, and its body jolted yet again, stifling his words. Lowering his gaze, he saw Feng Xun striking the back of Jiang Yuans head relentlessly, as if trying to vent his frustration. "You..." The Skyleaf King felt so furious that he was on the verge of erupting. At that moment, Zhang Xuan spoke once more. "Theres just onest problem that I have been unable to make sense of. Just what is in our expedition team that would lead even the great Skyleaf King to willingly sever his Primordial Spirit and suffer a sharp decline in his cultivation just to infiltrate our group?" "Sever his Primordial Spirit?" Everyone was stunned. "This Primordial Spirit isnt the Skyleaf King himself but a portion that he severed. Otherwise, how could the number one King of the Qingtian Lineage only wield such strength?" Zhang Xuan said. He had seen the Half-Leaving Aperture realm Jadeleaf King drawing his Primordial Spirit out to battle against the Stoneleaf King, and the strength that he had wielded was truly spectacr. There were very few who would have been able to stand in his way. Considering that the Skyleaf King was a full-fledged Leaving Aperture realm expert, how could he only wield that little strength? Furthermore, there was no way a person as cautious as the Skyleaf King would fuse his entire Primordial Spirit with Jiang Yuan. If he were to do so, wouldnt that be equivalent to entrusting his life to Jiang Yuan? Thus, from these two points, he could deduce that the Primordial Spirit within Jiang Yuans body was not the Skyleaf King himself but just a portion that he had severed. "Just a severed portion of his Primordial Spirit already wields so much strength?" The crowd was horrified. With just this small portion of his Primordial Spirit, he had managed to grasp control of Jiang Yuan and nearly decimate their entire expedition team. Wasnt the Skyleaf King a little too frightening? Seeing how the young man below was able to even guess this, the Skyleaf King was slightly surprised. A momentter, he sneered coldly and said, "You are indeed a smart person. Since thats the case, I shant beat around the bush either. Hand the item over, and I will spare your lives..." He was just about to add a few more threats when his Primordial Spirit jolted yet again and plummeted eight meters from the sky. He turned his gaze toward Feng Xun, who was still busy hammering Jiang Yuan, and roared with clenched jaws, "What the heck are you doing? Stop it!" "Ah?" Hearing the loud bellow, Feng Xun was stunned for a moment. However, after realizing that the one speaking was the Skyleaf King, he went to turn back around to continue when he saw Zhang Xuan shaking his head at him. "Alright, you can stop for the time being. There are a few questions that I need to ask him." "Alright!" Feng Xun nodded as he gazed as Jiang Yuans body reluctantly. With Feng Xun finally halting his disruptive behavior, the Skyleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. Turning his gaze back to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Alright, lets cut the crap. Hand over the map in your possession!" "Map?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Didnt you snatch it from the Poison Hall?" The Skyleaf King clearly had the strength to kill all of them, so the fact that he was willing to sever his Primordial Spirit just to infiltrate their ranks was bewildering in itself. At this moment, hearing him suddenly speak about a map, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel even more perplexed. He had indeed heard that there was a map on the ancient domain, but wasnt it snatched away by the Skyleaf King back at the Poison Hall? After going through all the effort to infiltrate the Poison Hall, he had ended up obtaining nothing at all. That had left him feeling quite disappointed for some time. "The portion that I have obtained only consists of the introduction of the ancient domain, and its written in thenguage of the ancient gods at that. There is no way that I can read that." The Skyleaf King harrumphed coldly. "Without a doubt, the real map was taken away by Wu Yangzi two thousand years ago. It must be in one of your hands!" "It was taken away by Wu Yangzi?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a brief moment before a thought abruptly came into his mind. Lifting his gaze to face the Skyleaf King once more, he said, "Elder Wu Yangzi was kidnapped by your Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, imprisoned till the day of his death. If he really had the map in his possession, it would have long fallen into your hands. Feng Xun, since that fellow is ying games with us, pummel him to his death!" "Sure thing!" Feng Xun excitedly nodded before sending fist after fist into Jiang Yuans body once more. Pilip! Under the barrage of fists, the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit jolted ceaselessly. Overwhelmed with rage, the Skyleaf King narrowed his eyes furiously and roared, "I will remember this! Zhang Xuan, is it? Youd better pray that you dont meet me in the future, or else I will tear you to pieces!" After saying those words, the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit dashed toward the sky before vanishing from everyones view, as if it had never been there in the first ce. Upon seeing the Skyleaf King escaping, Wu shi and the others hurriedly prepared themselves to give chase, only to see Zhang Xuan waving his hand to stop them. "Dont bother. Even when significantly weakened, he is not an opponent whom we can deal with easily. Furthermore, we are still in the formation, and danger lurks all around us. We cant discount the possibility that he might intentionally lead us into a trap." Knowing that he would die if the situation continued, the Skyleaf King had forcefully undone the Coexistence of Souls despite the great damage he would sustain from doing so and fled swiftly. While the Skyleaf King would be significantly weakened from this course of action, he would still be a difficult opponent to deal with. It would be unsafe for them to face the other party now that they did not have Jiang Yuans body to keep the other party in check. Knowing that what Zhang Xuan said was true, Wu shi and the others gave up on pursuing the Skyleaf King as well. "Principal Zhang, how did you notice that Combat Master Jiang has been possessed by the Skyleaf King? It shouldnt be possible to tell that much by his silence, right?" Guild Leader Han asked curiously. While Zhang Xuan had reasoned the matter out with Jiang Yuans silence, he could not help but feel that there was something deeper to it. "Its simple. It should only be known among our expedition that I have killed the Stoneleaf King, but somehow, the Scarletleaf King was aware as well. The fact that he was able to pinpoint me even though my cultivation is only at Nascent Saint was very suspicious in itself. This hinted at the possibility that there was a spy among us who leaked the news to him. Furthermore, the fact that he was unfazed by the formation and his attempt to sow discord among the group at this moment... All of this speaks for itself!" Zhang Xuan replied. Just as Guild Leader Han had guessed previously, the two points alone were not sufficient to deduce that Jiang Yuan had been possessed by the Skyleaf King. However, if they were to consider what the Scarletleaf King had said previously as well... it would all fit perfectly together. "I see..." The crowd turned toward Zhang Xuan with looks of admiration. They did not even notice such minute details, and yet, the young man had actually been able to deduce so much from them. His capability was truly worthy of respect. "What do we do now?" Wu shi asked. While they had resolved the threat from the Skyleaf King, they still had not seeded in escaping from the formation yet. "For the time being..." After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when something caught his eye. "Cough cough. Feng Xun, thats enough. You dont have to hit him anymore. The Skyleaf King has already escaped, so theres no point in you beating Combat Master Jiang now." Everyone quickly turned their gazes, and it was only at this moment that they noticed that Feng Xun was still attacking Jiang Yuans head relentlessly, sending punches fully packed with power one after another. His attacks were very precisely controlled to maximize pain without inducing lethality. Feng Xun recovered from his trance, and he scratched his head awkwardly. "He has already escaped? I thought that... there was still a portion of the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit lingering within Combat Master Jiang, so I was trying to help expel it from his body." "Since he chose to escape, he must have thoroughly severed the connection between him and Combat Master Jiangs soul beforehand." Zhang Xuan shook his head and said. After which, he walked up to Jiang Yuan and ced his hand on thetters wrist. A momentter, he whipped out a jade box, and in one smooth motion, he ced dozens of needles into thetters head. No matter what, Jiang Yuan was only a victim of this matter. It would be for the best if he could be saved. Under the control of Zhang Xuans zhenqi, the needles revolved on the spot. A momentter, Jiang Yuan slowly opened his eyes. Boom! At the same time, his aura abruptly surged. In an instant, he had actually made the breakthrough from Saint 3-dan pinnacle to Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm! "A portion of the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit was fused with Combat Master Jiangs soul, and it ended up serving as nourishment for Combat Master Jiang after the Skyleaf King severed the connection between the both of them. That eventually served as an impetus for Combat Master Jiangs breakthrough. In a sense, this matter can be considered a blessing in disguise," Zhang Xuan exined. The Skyleaf King was a Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm expert, so even a small portion of his Primordial Spirit harnessed a massive amount of energy. Given how Jiang Yuan had managed to devour it, it was within expectations that he would enjoy a surge in his cultivation. "Where am I? Why does my head hurt so much? Who was the one that beat me?" Having just woke up from hisa, Jiang Yuan fondled the back of his head, and he scanned his surroundings in confusion. "Him!" Everyone pointed their finger toward Feng Xun. "..." Feng Xun Chapter 1063: Zhang Xuans Confession Chapter 1063: Zhang Xuans Confession Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After being pummeled so badly, how could Jiang Yuan hold himself back after learning who the culprit was? Without any hesitation, he charged right up to Feng Xun. Granted that it was in a moment of danger that Feng Xun had done so, but Jiang Yuan was still unable to quell the rage in his heart without returning the favor! Jiang Yuan had achieved a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm, so naturally, Feng Xun could not possibly be a match for him. As a result, he was pummeled mercilessly. Unable to stand it any longer, he quickly looked to others for help. "Principal Zhang, Wu shi, save me!" However, Wu shi, Zhang Xuan, and the others simply averted their gazes, as if they hadnt heard the pleading at all. "This formation sure is difficult to decipher!" "Indeed. If we can find a way to decipher it, we will be able to escape from here." "Isnt the weather great today?" "A cloudless sky with a nice breeze, the perfect weather for an expedition!" Save you? You must be joking! You sure had your fair share of fun when you pummeled him earlier, shouldnt you let Jiang Yuan vent his frustrations on you too? Otherwise, that would be really unfair for him, dont you think? After a session of pummeling, Jiang Yuans anger was finally quelled. By that point, Feng Xuns head was alreadypletely swollen, a truly hideous and miserable sight. Seeing the state that Feng Xun was in, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly lit up as an idea came to his mind. "Right! Why didnt I think of it previously? We might be unable to break the formation, but we can always have the Scarletleaf King do it for us!" "Have the Scarletleaf King do it for us?" The crowd was taken aback. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked his wrist, and a bundle of formation gs appeared in his grasp. Previously, Guild Leader Han and the others had given him a handful of grade-7 formation gs, and he still had quite a number of them remaining. "Go." With a formation blueprint in his mind, Zhang Xuan muttered softly, and the formations gs swiftly flew forth from his hands. Currently, Zhang Xuan already possessed capabilities on par with a 7-star pinnacle formation master. Even though he could not set up most grade-7 pinnacle formations due to hiscking cultivation, setting up ordinary grade-7 formations was still very well within his means. As soon as the formation gs got into position, Zhang Xuan stomped his feet forcefully on the ground. Weng! The formation came to a life, and a cloud of white mist swiftly shrouded the crowd. "Principal Zhang, are you intending on concealing us in a formation so as to lure the Scarletleaf King over?" Guild Leader Hans eyes suddenly lit up upon realizing what Zhang Xuan was trying to do. One of the main reasons why they were in such a disadvantageous position within the formation was because they were in the open whereas the enemy was hiding in the shadows. This allowed the enemy tounch wave after wave of attacks against them through controlling the formation, and they werepletely helpless to retaliate against it. However, with a grade-7 formation hiding their trail, the enemy would be unable to see them. This would level the ying field, making it harder for the Scarletleaf King to harm them through the formation. Perhaps, this might even be the impetus for turning the tables on the Scarletleaf King. Of course, that was easier said than done. As a 7-star pinnacle formation master, he knew full well the intricacy behind pulling that feat off. To set up an inner formation within arger formation was exponentially more difficult because one would need to have a near perfect understanding of therger formation, as well as the various transformations it could pull off. Otherwise, if the conditions in therger formation changed, the inner formation could very well unravel by itself. Even the most talented of formation masters wouldnt dare dream of attempting it. In all likelihood, only a monster like Principal Zhang could truly pull it off. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded in response to Guild Leader Hans words. Upon hearing the confirmation, the crowd also finally noticed what Zhang Xuan was up to, and their eyes lit up in excitement. Only Feng Xun was standing by the side with a dumbfounded look on his face. So, this is what you have been thinking of while watching Jiang Yuan pummel me viciously? "With this formation to conceal our trail, we dont have to worry abouting under the Scarletleaf Kings attack for the time being. Lets rest while we can and recuperate," Zhang Xuan instructed. Ever since entering the celestial pce, they had been leaping from one crisis into another. By this point, both their minds and bodies werepletely exhausted. "Alright!" Nodding, the crowd took a seat on the ground before whipping out several recovery pills and spirit stones to recuperate. Seeing that they were finally out of danger for the time being, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to check on another one of his hypotheses regarding the formation they were trapped in when he suddenly caught a whiff of a fragrance. Turning around, he saw Luo Ruoxin walking up to him withplicated emotions in her eyes. She hesitated for a brief moment before speaking softly. "Thank you." Knowing that Luo Ruoxin was thanking him for the previous matter, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" He knew from the very start that Luo Ruoxin was not the Skyleaf King, and all he did was to speak of the truth as well. Shaking her head, Luo Ruoxin said, "No, what I mean is thank you for believing me." At this point, the youngdy seemed to have thought of something, and a forlorn look crept onto her face. However, that look only surfaced for a moment before vanishing. Stretching out her hand, she continued. "If you wish to break this formation, I might be able to offer some help." "Oh? You know of this formation?" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "I dont, but I do have an idea in mind. This formation is made up of many smaller formations, and if we attempt to find a way out by barging our way through the smaller formations, it is likely that we might find ourselves running in circles, unable to find the exit no matter which direction we take. To escape from a formation of this design, the best way is to leap out of the formation!" Luo Ruoxin said. "Leap out of the formation? How can we leap out of it?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. He also understood that logic as well. If he knew how to leap out of the formation, he would have long led the expedition team out. The Library of Heavens Path could only reflect the ws of the smaller formation within the door that he was presently in. It was unable to analyze the overallyout and workings of therger formation, and without sufficient information, Zhang Xuan was unable to deduce a feasible way to leap out of the formation. "We have been through quite a few courtyards, and every single one of them is around several hundred meters wide. Judging from the size of the celestial pce from the outside, even if we have not leaped out of it yet, we should be nearing its edge by now. However, even if we barge through a few more courtyards, chances are, we will still find ourselves within the formation. Dont you think that it is perplexing?" Luo Ruoxin queried. "This... You are saying that the formation also harnesses thews of space as well?" Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. Indeed! Judging from the distance, they should have already escaped from the celestial pce by now. Yet, for the end to still be nowhere in sight, there was only one possibility... Spatial Formation! "Youre right! Why didnt I think of it? Ancient Sage Qiu Wu is highly skilled in spatial maniption, and it is also due to his skill that the seals he set up in the Subterranean Gallery have been able tost for so many years. Furthermore, we encountered a Spatial Formation right after we entered, so I should guessed it." Zhang Xuan smacked his face in realization. Considering Ancient Sage Qiu Wus expertise in spatial maniption, he should have long guessed that the formation that they were trapped in harnessed thews of space as well... How could he have neglected something that was so apparent? Excited, Zhang Xuan leaped forward to peck the youngdy on the cheeks beforeughing heartily. "Your words have truly opened my eyes. Thank you, Ruoxin. You are really the love of my life!" "You..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to suddenly make a move on her, Luo Ruoxin eyes widened, and a crimson blush spread across her face. That fellow looked quite honest normally, so why would he... he... "Im not going to bother with you anymore." Luo Ruoxin turned around and walked away. It was after walking a distance away that she realized her face was burning red. "I..." It was in a moment of excitement that Zhang Xuan had acted like so, and it was only after Luo Ruoxin left that he realized what he had just done. His face reddened in embarrassment, but touching his lips... he could still feel a soft, supple sensation. Will she really ignore me from now on? As someone who had no experience with romance whatsoever, Zhang Xuan could not help but panic upon hearing those words. In this moment, he seemed nothing like the valiant man who faced the Skyleaf King squarely a moment ago. However, he knew that this was not the moment for him to be troubled by such affairs either. He drove his Soul Depth to calm his mind before flicking his wrist, and the Myriad Anthive Queen appeared before him. He knew next to nothing about Spatial Formations, but the Myriad Anthive Queen had been born with the innate ability to manipte space. Perhaps, under thetters lead, they just might be able to find an escape route. Thus, he swiftly informed the Myriad Anthive Queen of their current plight. The Myriad Anthive Queen nodded before lying on the ground to sniff the surroundings. In truth, while the Myriad Anthive Queen possessed an inherent ability to manipte space, it actually did not have much of an understanding regarding thews of space. To make an analogy, it was just like how bees instinctively knew that they had to build honebs with hexagonal shapes because it was the most efficient geometry to use, but that did not necessarily mean that they were skilled architects! After sniffing for a moment, the Myriad Anthive Queen stood up. "Master, we are indeed within a folded space. I think I can find the way out of here." "Wonderful!" Hearing that the Myriad Anthive Queen indeed knew the way out, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He hurriedly turned around to inform Wu shi and the others telepathically. Very soon, everyone had gathered together discreetly. As veterans who had braved through many battlefields, they knew how to make use of their resting time efficiently. Even though it hadnt been long since they started recuperating, they had already recovered roughly half of their strength. "Everyone, follow the Myriad Anthive Queen closely. Make sure not tog behind!" Zhang Xuan instructed sternly before walking over to Luo Ruoxins side. Noting that the youngdy was not intending to shun him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Lets head over as well!" Saying those words, he reached out to grab the youngdys hand. "You..." The youngdy instinctively tried to pull her hand back, only to realize that the young mans grasp was growing tighter and tighter. She could not help but frown. Just because she had not reprimanded him, he was getting more and more overboard. As this thought shed across her mind, she made up her mind to retract her hand forcefully and teach the young man a lesson. However, before she could do anything, the young man suddenly spoke. "In the Verdant Mountain of Huanyu Empire, I met you for the first time. You were standing quietly before a waterfall, reminiscent of a beautiful ink painting. It was in that instant that I realized that I have a goal in life. "When I saw that you were going to be attacked by the spirit beasts, I couldnt stop my feet from heading toward you. After we managed to flee from the spirit beasts, I suffered a rebound in my soul and fell unconscious, and you were the one who saved my life. But by the time I woke up, you had already left. I had no idea who you are or where you came from, and I thought that I would never meet you again. A feeling of emptiness struck me at that moment, and I felt as if I had lost something very precious to me. "Thus, when I met you once more in the Master Teacher Academy, I felt as if my heart was going to explode. I knew that I had to ask for your name, or else I might regret it my entire life..." Recalling the times together with the youngdy, a sweet smile gradually surfaced on Zhang Xuans lips. He had met many charming women ever since his reincarnation. Some were graceful, some were gentle, some were domineering, some were adorable, and some even harbored some feelings toward him. But for some reason, only the youngdy before him was able to evoke such emotions and nostalgia in him. He knew that she was very important to him, and he did not want to miss his chance! "We visited the Saint Ascension tform together. Even though we managed to meet Kong shi and obtain the scroll that he wrote personally, my greatest gain from that trip was actually the time that I was able to spend with you. In those days, whenever I opened my eyes after I was done cultivating, I would always see you seated serenely not too far away. In those days, we spent our time chatting with one another and discussing the ws and strengths of cultivation techniques. To tell you the truth, I really wished that time could have stopped forever then. "Do you know how happy I was when you said that you wanted toe to the ancient domain as well? Everyone said that it is an extremely dangerous ce, and we might very well lose our lives here. But as long as I could be together with you, I would be willing to brave through any danger. "It was in that moment that I finally realized my feelings for you. I really want to be with you. I want to spend an eternity with you." Turning toward the youngdy beside him, determination gleamed in Zhang Xuans eyes. "Ruoxin, wont you allow me to continue holding your hand as we tread down this long journey together?" Chapter 1064: You Are a Good Man! Chapter 1064: You Are a Good Man! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Up to this point, he still did not know the true background of the youngdy before him, and the other party had never mentioned it to him. However, despite having encountered many people in the midst of his journey, his heart had only leaped for the youngdy before him. It was embarrassing for him to say such words, but he did not want to let her slip past him just because of his own embarrassment. "I..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to suddenly say such words, Luo Ruoxins body tensed up. "I-I need to consider..." "Feel free to consider all you want. In any case, just know that I wont be releasing your hand." Grasping the youngdys hand firmly as if guarding his most precious treasure, Zhang Xuan smiled. Not expecting the fellow to refuse to release her hand, Luo Ruoxins face turnedpletely red. She tried to tug back her hand, but her action only caused the young man to further tighten his grip. "You... Let go!" "I wont. Once I let go, you will start avoiding me," Zhang Xuan said determinedly. "I promise that I wont avoid you, alright? Let go..." Luo Ruoxin looked at her surroundings anxiously, only to realize that the master teachers and the Myriad Anthive Queen had already departed and were nowhere to be seen. Within the mist, there were only the two of them. The realization of that caused her face to redden further, and she dared not look up anymore. "I wont!" Zhang Xuan replied resolutely. There was a brief moment of silence. Luo Ruoxin slowly looked up, and seeing the other partys earnest and unwavering eyes, she suddenly felt a surge of warmth. "You are... a good man." "I am not a good man. I am a baddie, a big baddie!" Zhang Xuan quickly refuted those words. He did not confess just to be given a good man card 1 ! "Pffft!" Luo Ruoxin burst intoughter, and in an instant, the awkwardness between them vanished. That fellow sure was... While others were trying to show the best side of themselves in their confessions, that fellow was adamantly insisting that he was a baddie. Where in the world could one find another who confessed in such a manner? That silly man! Shaking her head, Luo Ruoxin said, "Let go." "I wont let go, not even if you beat me up!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Unless you ept my confession!" "You... How can you be so unreasonable?" Luo Ruoxin said in agitation. "I am just that unreasonable. No matter what, unless you agree to my confession, I will never let go!" Zhang Xuan said adamantly. He could tell that the youngdy did not dislike him. Since that was the case, he wanted to push the matter through. Otherwise, if he were to miss this opportunity, who knew when the next one woulde his way? "You..." Luo Ruoxin did not think that Zhang Xuan would be so shameless. In that moment, she could not even tell whether she wanted tough or cry. Several thoughts shed across her mind, and her face sunk a little. "I dont dislike you, but... I have my difficulties. If you were to choose me, you will be put through much suffering, and even so, we might still not end up together. Despite knowing this, are you still willing to tread down this path?" "I am!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "All along, you have never said a word about your identity, and you have never revealed your true strength either. I know that you have your own considerations for doing so, so I wont ask you to tell me everything. However, I hope that you can trust me on this. I wont allow anyone to get in our way. Even if the world stands in our way, I will shatter the heavens into pieces!" Be it in his previous life or his current one, he had never been one to look back after making up his mind. This was the belief that he had lived by. It was either he chose to stay out of it altogether, or else he would persist with his decision and walk it to the very end! Even death would not change his mind! It was also with this belief that he managed to advance from an ordinary teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom to a 6-star pinnacle master teacher and the principal of a Master Teacher Academy within less than a year, bing a figure respected and admired by many. "You..." Despite theck of contemtion from Zhang Xuan before his response, his words were filled with utmost resolution and earnestness. Luo Ruoxins eyes could not help but redden as sweetness spread from her heart. She halted for a brief moment before nodding her head slightly. "Alright, I will tread down this long journey along with you..." So what if the future is unknown? So what if the road ahead is filled with thorns? As long as I have yourpany while walking down this road, it will suffice! Even if the road leads to the edge of a cliff, even if our paths must diverge at the very end... at the very least, we have faced the world together. "Really?" Hearing Luo Ruoxins response, Zhang Xuan was stunned. For a long moment, he could not believe ears. Then, all of a sudden, he leaped up and held the youngdy up in his arms as he spun her around twice on the spot. "Really." Seeing how the young man before her was acting so childishly, Luo Ruoxin chuckled softly. Having ced aside her worries, she decided to look straight ahead. There was no point worrying about the future now. They would just have to deal with it when it came their way. The young man had said that he had fallen in love with her the first time he met her, but the same could be said about her as well. The first time she met him, she felt that something had struck a chord in her heart. Those spirit beasts hade to repay her kindness, but he thought that they had intended her harm. Despite possessing unspectacr strength, he had still rushed right in and forcefully dragged her away to flee. Truly, his silliness was a little adorable. After that, they had been through all kinds of experiences together, such as going to the Saint Ascension tform together and meeting Kong shi. There were so many others whom she could have found to apany her there, but she had found herself looking toward him instead. Who could say whether it was that little desire in her heart that swayed her decision? Having said everything that she wanted to say, she felt an incredible feeling of lightness and happiness. Chuckling, Zhang Xuan carefully ced the youngdy down. "Alright, lets proceed ahead. Otherwise, we might not make it in time." The Myriad Anthive Queen had already found the exit and was in the midst of leading the others over. If they were to continue dilly-dallying, they might just end up trapped there forever, unable to escape. "Un." Luo Ruoxin nodded. Grasping onto the hand of the youngdy tightly, Zhang Xuan led Luo Ruoxin forward with widened strides. He was the one who set up the formation, so he could easily sense where the others were heading. After circling a few rounds on the spot, an object that resembled a door came into sight. It was the exit that the Myriad Anthive Queen had found and torn open. The duo quickly stepped into it. Hu! A momentter, a massive waterfall appeared before their eyes. Swiftly turning around, they saw the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion ravaging behind their backs. They had returned to the entrance of the celestial pce. "We have managed to escape from the formation!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. Even though he had deduced it to be a feasible solution, he had not been entirely sure that it would work. It was only when they finally got out that the burden weighing down on his heart finally lifted, and he heaved a sigh of relief. The formation within the celestial pce was simply too powerful, such that even he was helpless before it. "Wait a moment, the celestial pce isnt real?" "That... Youre right! Why didnt we notice it before?" ... Shocked voices sounded from Wu shi and the others. They had left the formation earlier than Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin, and they were currently staring at the celestial pce with a bbergasted look. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan also lifted his gaze to look at the celestial pce, and what he saw left himpletely stunned. Just like before, the celestial pce was still floating right before the massive waterfall. However, unlike what they saw before, it was currently hung on the top of the cliff together with the waterfall, as if an oil painting. "The celestial pce is actually... a painting? In other words, we were inside a painting earlier?" Zhang Xuan widened his mouth in shock. "Legend has it that upon reaching the very peak, a painter is able to create a world within their painting, and the lifeforms they can depict are able to reproduce and further their kind, just like humans. I always thought that it was just an exaggeration, but to think that it would actually be true..." Guild Leader Han gulped down a mouthful of saliva. "Indeed. If I had not witnessed this with my own eyes, I never would have believed that this would actually be possible," Wu shi said hoarsely. As a 7-star formation master and 7-star master teacher, there was no doubt that they were knowledgeable. Yet, upon seeing the painting of the celestial pce, they could not help but disy expressions reminiscent of a child seeing the world for the very first time. "Look, is that the Scarletleaf King?" someone among the crowd suddenly eximed with a hushed voice. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over, and as expected, he saw a figure sitting on a stone pir above the waterfall with his eyes tightly closed, seemingly searching for something. Gazing at the Scarletleaf King, who sat motionlessly on the stone pir, a thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuan. The formation that I have set up has obstructed his vision and Spiritual Perception. Perhaps, he still doesnt know that we have already escaped... The formation within the celestial pce was at least at grade-8. Even if the Scarletleaf King was able to gain ownership of it, it would still be extremely difficult for him to fully control with his Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivation. As such, it would be extremely difficult for him to kill the entire expedition team just by himself. It was for this reason that he had intentionally tried to turn them against one another so that they would diminish their own forces, making it easier for him to deal with them. Zhang Xuan turned around and addressed the crowd. "He hasnt noticed us yet. Lets quickly find a ce to hide first. I will try to approach him and see if I can find an opportunity to kill him." "Principal Zhang, well go along with you!" Wu shi and Guild Leader Han stepped forward and volunteered themselves. They were the two strongest experts of the expedition team, and if anyone among them could match the Scarletleaf King, it could only be them. "Theres no need for that. I have a n in mind, so it wont be convenient for me to bring you with me. Dont worry, if I am unable to hold on anymore, I will definitely call the both of you over!" Zhang Xuan replied. The Scarletleaf King was bound to be even stronger than the Jadeleaf King. If he became desperate, even with thebined strength of Wu shi and Guild Leader Han, it was hard to say whether they would be a match for him. Since that was the case, it would be best for him to avoid a direct encounter. This way, the risk could be minimized, and there would be more room for him to maneuver around as well. Wu shi and Guild Leader Han knew that the young man must have had an idea in mind to say such words. Thus, after a brief moment of hesitation, the both of them nodded. "Alright then." "Be careful!" Luo Ruoxin said. Zhang Xuan directed a confident smile at Luo Ruoxin before leading the expedition team to a safe hiding ce some distance away. After settling everyone down, he left the group to find a remote ce. Geji! Geji! In a few moments, he turned into the form of the Violetleaf King. Not even Feng Xun was aware that he had turned the Jadeleaf King against the Stoneleaf King after disguising as the Violetleaf King. Naturally, Jiang Yuan was unaware of the matter as well, and so was the Scarletleaf King. As such, disguising as the Violetleaf King would be the ideal way to catch the Scarletleaf King off guard. Hu! Flying ahead, Zhang Xuan soon arrived in the vicinity of the stone pir where the Scarletleaf King was. He quickly used his Eye of Insight to scan the area. Just as he had deduced, the stone pir was indeed the core of the celestial pce. The person on top of it would gain control of the massive formation within the celestial pce. "Violetleaf King? Why are you here?" Just as Zhang Xuan was still surveying the surroundings, the Scarletleaf Kings voice suddenly sounded. "Reporting to the Scarletleaf King, while conducting the mission entrusted to me by His Majesty, I uncovered vital intelligence in the Poison Hall. In order to avoid rming anyone, I could only lie low and observe quietly from the dark. Finally, my efforts paid off, so I quickly rushed here as fast as I could!" Zhang Xuan said. "Vital intelligence? What kind of vital intelligence?" the Scarletleaf King asked. In his view, while the expedition team had used a grade-7 formation to conceal their trail, it was not a matter of great concern at all. In any case, it was impossible for them to escape from the painting without knowledge of thews of space, so he did not even think of doubting the authenticity of the Violetleaf King before his eyes. Zhang Xuan carefully scanned his surroundings before whispering in a lowered voice, "It is regarding the map." "It is regarding the map?" The Scarletleaf King narrowed his eyes before leaping up in agitation. "Where is it?" "Calm down for a moment and allow me to finish speaking first. Based on the news that I have received, the booklet obtained by the Skyleaf King is only an introduction and not theplete map of the ancient domain. It is said that the real map was taken away by Wu Yangzi more than two thousand years ago," Zhang Xuan said. "Youre right. The Skyleaf King has already learned of this matter from the mouths of Zhang Yinqiu and the others!" Seeing that his intelligence was the same as what the other party had, the Scarletleaf King nodded. Zhang Xuan heart jolted, but not the slightest hint of it could be seen on his face. Instead, with a curious look, he asked the Scarletleaf King, "Zhang Yinqiu? That old principal of the Master Teacher Academy... isnt dead yet?" The Scarletleaf King shook his head. "Of course not! That fellow is currently trapped at the deepest region of the ancient domain together with the Skyleaf King and the others. Without the map, no one is able to enter or exit, so they can only bide their time there." "The Skyleaf King is trapped in the ancient domain? Then, in the Poison Hall..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Didnt the Skyleaf King just head to the Poison Hall a while ago? Furthermore, they had just met several minutes ago. If even a severed portion of his Primordial Spirit could escape from the ancient domain, surely the Skyleaf King himself should have been able to do so! "The Skyleaf King knew that he would face grave danger here, so two years ago, before he entered the ancient domain, he left a portion of his soul outside. Firstly, it was to ensure his survival even if his main Primordial Spirit dies within the ancient domain. Secondly, it also serves as an effective medium ofmunication to the rest of us. Most of the intelligence that we have originates from him," replied the Scarletleaf King. Chapter 1065: The Scarletleaf King Coughs Blood Chapter 1065: The Scarletleaf King Coughs Blood Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I see..." Hearing that exnation, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. No wonder! He had been wondering why the Skyleaf King would choose to send his severed Primordial Spirit after them when it would have been safer for him to do it personally, especially for something as important as the map. It turned out that it was not that he did not want to do so, but he could not! Trapped in the depths of the ancient domain, he had no choice but to leave this job to his severed Primordial Spirit. A thought came to Zhang Xuans mind. Having reached the Leaving Aperture realm, the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit is capable for existing for extended periods of time outside of his body. However, that is not the case for the severed Primordial Spirit. Inevitably, it is weaker and unstabler than aplete Primordial Spirit, so it is incapable of surviving independently for too long a period of time. Perhaps, the severed Primordial Spirit was hiding in the Earthleaf Kings body back then. It was possible for the Primordial Spirits of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators to survive independently, but the same could not be said for severed ones. Most likely, the Skyleaf King had sneaked into Jingyuan City while possessing the Earthleaf King. Later on, when the severed Primordial Spirit realized that what he had received was only an introduction and not the full map, he decided to possess Jiang Yuans body and infiltrate the expedition team. He deeply believed that the map was within the expedition team, and he was hoping to steal the map once it appeared. If not for that reason, the severed Primordial Spirit would have probably killed them long ago when it had the chance to do so. After finishing his story, the Scarletleaf King looked at the contemting Violetleaf King and asked, "So, where is the map?" "ording to what I know, it seems like the map is in the hands of that fellow who goes by the name of Zhang Xuan!" replied Zhang Xuan. "Zhang Xuan?" The Scarletleaf King shook his head. "The Skyleaf King has been paying close attention to him, and while that fellow has many tricks up his sleeves, it is unlikely that the map is in his hands. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been trapped in the celestial pce in the first ce!" While that Zhang Xuan had been able to lead the expedition team through trial after trial, it was mainly through his wits. It was unlikely that he had the map on his map. Otherwise, he would have long reached the depths of the ancient domain! Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, "He doesnt know about the map, but the map is definitely in his hands!" "Oh?" the Scarletleaf King frowned in iprehension. "That fellow managed to obtain Wu Yangzis inheritance, and the map was within it as well. However, as he could not understand thenguage of the ancient gods, he was unable to make sense of it, so he was unaware of the ties between it and the ancient domain. As such, he ended up not using it at all," Zhang Xuan exined. "This..." The Scarletleaf King was taken aback. He had never considered such a possibility. The Scarletleaf King pondered for a moment before asking, "Where did you obtain this information?" "I infiltrated the ranks of the humans a while ago and headed to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to confirm this matter. I am very certain of the intelligence I have procured!" Zhang Xuan said confidently. "What you said isnt entirely impossible..." The eyes of the Scarletleaf King lit up. "If what you say is true, I will report your contribution to His Majesty and request that he reward you handsomely! Alright, wait here for a moment. I will rip apart the formation that fellow set up and apprehend him..." "Wait a moment," Zhang Xuan hurriedly interjected. "Even though I am certain the map is in Zhang Xuans hand, I cannot confirm where he ced it or whether it is with him at the moment or not. After all, he is unaware of the ties between the map and the ancient domain, so it wont be odd if he chose to leave it in his academy." "Hmm..." The Scarletleaf King mused over those words. The Violetleaf King was right. If that Zhang Xuan fellow was unaware of the connection between the map and the ancient domain, given the dangers of the ancient domain, he might have chosen to leave it behind in the Master Teacher Academy so that it could be passed down to others even if something were to happen to him. If so, that would be a huge trouble. "Why dont we do this instead? Doesnt the Skyleaf King have the introduction to the ancient domain? I think we can use it to obtain the true map," Zhang Xuan suggested. The Scarletleaf King frowned. "Use it to obtain the true map? How?" If there was such a convenient method, they would have long used it. "Sage ns possess certain means to find their lost kin through resonance in their unique bloodline. Since the introduction and the map are both written using thenguage of the ancient gods, I believe that it might be possible to induce a resonance between the two and find the map. It is because of this that I went to the effort of looking up and learning one such secret art back when I was at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. As long as I am in physical contact with the introduction, I am confident that I will be able to locate the whereabouts of the map!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Resonance in their unique bloodline... I did hear that there was such a thing among the Sage ns. Well, I am a little doubtful as to whether the technique can be extended toward the introduction and map, but there should be no harm giving it a go." The Scarletleaf King frowned for a moment before eventually nodding. Flicking his wrist, he passed a jade box over and said, "Here is the introduction to the ancient domain. The Skyleaf King left it with me earlier on." As the Skyleaf King had chosen to possess Jiang Yuans body, naturally, he could not have kept the introduction with him. Thus, he had chosen to entrust it to the second strongest member of the Ten Great Kings, the Scarletleaf King. "Alright." Taking the jade box, Zhang Xuan opened it lightly and took a look inside, and his eyes lit up. There was an ancient book within that deeply resembled the map he had received from Wu Yangzis inheritance. There was no doubt that they hade from the same origin. Zhang Xuan lightly ced his finger on it, and the knowledge harnessed within it immediately surged into his mind. It was written in the same iprehensiblenguage used for the map, making it nigh impossible to understand what was being written within. I should be able to find a thing or two by examining it closely. The introduction had quite a few ws reflected, and byparing the words, he would be able to understand some of the content. However, he knew that this was not the time to do so. Casually closing the jade box, Zhang Xuan turned to the Scarletleaf King once more and said, "Actually... to use the secret art, I will have to set up a grade-7 pinnacle formation. As you know, my understanding of formations is far beneath yours, so I might require your helpter on..." "Set up a formation? Alright." The Scarletleaf King nodded. Just by how the Scarletleaf King was able to control the massive formation in the celestial pce showed that he had a deep understanding of formations. "Un. I will tell you where the gs should be positioned. I will have to trouble you to help me set it up," Zhang Xuan said as he retrieved a couple of grade-7 formation gs from his storage ring. "Alright," the Scarletleaf King replied as he took the formation gs from Zhang Xuans hands. "30 meters to the left, at the Jiaxu position. After that, 27 meters to the right, at the Hangu position..." Zhang Xuan began reciting. The terms that he was using were precise terminologies often used by 7-star formation masters. Those who had some mastery in formations would know of them. Hearing the Violetleaf King listing out the precise positionings of the formation gs, the Scarletleaf King could not help but be impressed. Driving his zhenqi, he carefully nailed each and every one of the formation gs in ce. Halfway through the construction of the formation, the Scarletleaf King suddenly noticed something, and he frowned. "Wait a moment, something is wrong. Why does this formation resemble a ughter Formation?" Even though the formation that the Violetleaf King was asking him to set up was foreign to him, through his deep understanding of formations, he was still able to deduce its core function, and it appeared to be a ughter Formation! Werent they going to set up a formation to find the map? Why were they constructing a ughter Formation instead? In that instant, doubts filled the Scarletleaf Kings mind. "ughter Formation? How could that be? Scarletleaf King, you are worrying unnecessarily. While the formation might resemble a ughter Formation, you will soon notice that it is something else entirely once it is activated." "Something entirely else? This setup can be nothing but a ughter Formation! These three formation gs serve to draw in the handle of the Big Dipper whereas these positions serve to trigger the Malignant Star." The Scarletleaf King frowned. "Once trapped within it, not even a Half-Leaving Aperture realm would be able to escape from it easily." "If you look at from that perspective, it does resemble a ughter Formation. However, if you look at it from below, it will be an entirely different sight altogether. This is also where the brilliance of the formation lies. If you dont believe me,e here and take a look!" Zhang Xuan moved to the center of the formation and ced a formation g there before beckoning the Scarletleaf King over with a smile. "Un." the Scarletleaf King was perplexed by what the Violetleaf King was up to, but he still moved toward thetter nevertheless. In any case, the Violetleaf King was there as well, and the formation was still iplete, so it was impossible for the other party to activate it and use it against him. "Stay here and dont move. Look in that direction... Thats right... Alright, I am going to move the formation gs right now, and once you see it, you will understand the profoundness of the formation..." Seeing that the Scarletleaf King had gotten into position, Zhang Xuan slowly backed away and flew up while shouting, "Make sure not to move. If you move, you wont get a clear glimpse of what that is going to happen. Yes, its that direction..." Before finishing his words, he had already whipped out several more formation gs, and the formation gs abruptly burst forth in multiple locations. "That is... Hundred gs of Void Sealing? You arent the Violetleaf King! Who are you?" The Scarletleaf King was standing still on the ground, waiting for whatever the Violetleaf King was going to show him when he suddenly noticed the formation gs in thetters hand flying in multiple directions. His eyes immediately narrowed in wariness, and zhenqi burst forth from his body. At this point, it was apparent that something was amiss. Hundred gs of Void Sealing was a technique that allowed formation masters to swiftly set up a formation so that it could be instantaneously utilized in the midst of a battle. However, it was an advanced ability that only 7-star formation masters could possibly pull off. Considering how the Violetleaf King didnt specialize in formations, how could he possibly be capable of using it? Obviously, the fellow before him was not the real Violetleaf King! Sou sou sou sou! He immediately stepped against the ground to leap toward the fake Violetleaf King to end his life, but in that instant, thetter abruptly stomped his leg lightly. Hong long! The formation came to life, and tides of sword qi immediately came surging in his direction. "You..." The Scarletleaf King narrowed his eyes in horror, unable to believe what he had just seen. As a 7-star pinnacle formation master, he was capable of pulling off the Hundred gs of Void Sealing as well. However... to be able to activate a formation with just a stomp of his feet, how did the other party manage to do it? It was inconceivable! Him willingly stepping into the formation in the first ce was based on the notion that there was no one in the world who could activate a formation so quickly. Even if the Violetleaf King meant him harm, he should have been able to escape in time. Yet, who could have known that not only was the other party capable of pulling off the Hundred gs of Void Sealing, he could even activate the formation so swiftly, leaving him no time to escape at all? Peng! Before he could react, he was already struck in his chest by the sword qi, and blood gushed forth from his wounds. He had managed to prevent the sword qi from wounding his vitals, but he was left in a terribly unkempt state. Hisposure had disappeared without a trace. Gritting his teeth, the Scarletleaf King roared furiously, "Who in the world are you?" To think that the second strongest expert of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings would end up being fooled by another like that! So much rage was coursing through the Scarletleaf Kings veins that he felt as if he could explode at any moment. "Who am I? I am the person whom you are trying to kill!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he reverted back to his original appearance. "You are... Zhang Xuan? But... that killing intent... how did you..." The Scarletleaf King was so shocked that he found himself unable to speak coherently. Humans were unable to cultivate the Zhenqi of ughter, so how could the other party emanate killing intent like them? Not to mention, the purity of it was even on par with Otherworldly Demon Kings like them! At this moment, the Scarletleaf King suddenly thought of something else, and his body shook. "You... You killed the Violetleaf King?" Right after saying those words, the young man outside of the formation stroked his lower jaw in embarrassment and said, "That... It isnt just the Violetleaf King. Other than you and the Skyleaf King, the remaining members of the Ten Great Kings have all died by my hand!" "Pu!" The Scarletleaf King spurted blood. Chapter 1066: Fusing the Maps Chapter 1066: Fusing the Maps Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage had all reached Saint 4-dan at the very minimum, and they were existences who could individually cause a great cmity anywhere, even in Qingyuan Conferred Empire. With the Ten Great Kings moving in this operation, he had thought that they would be able to snitch the ancient domain easily and inflict great damage upon Qingyuan Conferred Empire while they were at it. Yet, eight of the Kings had died before they could even cause the slightest stir. They thought that the Master Teacher Pavilion or Combat Master Hall might have caught wind of their movements and dispatched experts to eliminate them, thus resulting in their deaths. But who knew that they were killed by a mere Nascent Saint master teacher? The more the Scarletleaf King thought about the matter, the more stifled he felt. It is fortunate that the Qingtian Emperor was unaware of this matter! If he were to learn of it, would he faint from anger on the spot? Just what kind of grudge did the other party have against them, to be hunting down their Ten Great Kings one after another? I dont want to explore the ancient domain anymore. I want to go home... The Scarletleaf King felt deeply dismayed, but the situation did not allow him any time to wallow in his emotions. He was the one who had set up a huge portion of the grade-7 pinnacle formation, so he fully understood the might that it wielded. Even with the means that he possessed, he knew that he would notst for long against the might of the formation. He had to escape as soon as he could. At that moment, however, the voice of the young man sounded from above. "Guild Leader Han,e over here and control the formation. Kill that fellow as fast as possible..." Right after those words sounded, the might of the formation suddenly intensified, as if it was driven by some greater power. "You..." The face of the Scarletleaf King paled. While he was the one who had set up the formation, he was not too familiar with its entireyout and its various transformations. It would take at least an hour before he could find the Life Gate and escape. As the other party was only at Nascent Saint, it would have been extremely strenuous for him to drive a grade-7 pinnacle formation. Given so, the Scarletleaf King would still have been able to cope for the time being. However, if it was Guild Leader Han who was driving the formation, he might really just meet his end there! On top of being a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, that fellow was the head of a Formation Master Guild, a true expert of formations! With the formation being controlled by such a skilled and powerful individual, his chances of escaping were as good as null! While the Scarletleaf King was despairing, outside the formation, the eyes of Guild Leader Han and the others were gleaming in excitement. When they heard Zhang Xuans shout, they immediately leaped out of their hiding spots and dashed toward the waterfall. As soon as they arrived, they found the Scarletleaf King trapped within an extremely powerful ughter Formation! With the sheer might of the ughter Formation, they could easily kill the Scarletleaf King as long as they were to control properly. While driving the formation, Guild Leader Han couldnt help but turn to Zhang Xuan and ask, "Principal Zhang, if I am not mistaken, this formation should be at grade-7 pinnacle, right? Were... were you the one who set it up?" Out of fear that they would be noticed by the Scarletleaf King, they had chosen to hide quite a distance away, so they were unaware of how Zhang Xuan had managed to deal with the Scarletleaf King. The ughter Formation before him could be considered one of the stronger ones even among the grade-7 formations, and even with his proficiency of formations, it would have taken him an extremely long time to set up it perfectly. Principal Zhang was only a Nascent Saint, so how could he have done it so quickly? The humble Zhang Xuan shook his head, not taking credit for what he had not done. "I wasnt the one who set the formation up. The Scarletleaf King was the one who did it..." "The Scarletleaf King?" The crowd was dumbfounded. To set up a formation just to trap himself in... Was that fellow sick in the mind? "Perhaps he might have grown tired of the vicissitudes of life, so he wanted to seek an end... Who knows what could be going through the minds of those Otherworldly Demons?" Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. He could not talk too much about how he had managed to trick the Scarletleaf King as it would be difficult to exin how he had managed to disguise as the Violetleaf King. Leaving Guild Leader Han and Wu shi to drive the formation, Zhang Xuan retreated to the back of the crowd to find a remote ce to sit down. After which, he immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path to carefully examine the booklet containing an introduction of the ancient domain, which he had just obtained from the Scarletleaf Kings hands. The booklet was also written in thenguage of the ancient gods, as the Scarletleaf King had imed, so he could not understand a single character. However, he could roughly tell that there were quite a few words that were simr to the one written on Wu Yangzis map. Flicking his wrist, an ancient sheet of goatskin appeared in his hands. On it was a map that wasbelled with all kinds of bizarre words. Studying the map carefully, Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. There is nothing simr between what is depicted on the map and the geographical terrain of the ancient domain. While he could not recognize the words written on the goatskin, he could still interpret the geographical terrain on it... but there was not the slightest semnce to the ancient domain they were in! It was also for this reason that he did not think that there was a connection between the map and the ancient domain. The map should be several dozen millenniums old by now. Could it be that the world has changed since the crafting of the map, resulting in its geography changing entirely? Zhang Xuan hypothesized. Continents and oceans persisted through the ages, but they were not unchanging. They would gradually be reshaped with the passing of time or a major natural disaster. Could that have happened to the ancient domain as well? That thought did not persist for too long before Zhang Xuan shook his head. That isnt right. We are in a folded space, and there are no tectonic tes or natural disasters that could cause such a significant reshaping of the geographical terrain. Different from the external world, folded spaces were unaffected by the changes of nature. Furthermore, the ancient domain mainly consisted of formations, so even if there were changes over time, it couldnt possibly have been so thorough such that there wasnt the slightest resemnce. "Hmm..." Frowning deeply, Zhang Xuan continued staring deeply into the goatskin and the booklet, and all of a sudden, he seemed to notice that there was something very simr about the two. A thought came to his mind, and he ced both items together. Weng! With a soft buzz, the map and the booklet fused together, and in the blink of an eye, a new goatskin map appeared before Zhang Xuan. This... The map was actually divided into two? It was no wonder he could not understand either part of it individually. It turned out that they were each just a half of the full map. Lifting the newly-formed goatskin up, he noticed that the features of the map had changedpletely. At some point, Feng Xun had walked up behind him, and pointing at the features on the map, he could not help but exim in astonishment, "Isnt that theva from the very start? And that is the Unbounded World, the lightning formation, and the ck Sandstorm of Oblivion!" "Un." Even without Feng Xun pointing them out, Zhang Xuan could tell with his own eyes. The newly-formed goatskin map contained vivid images of the various features of the ancient domain, so much so that it looked as if the entire scenery had been brought to life. "This red line... is the correct path? There is actually such a road? Why didnt we notice it before?" Feng Xun remarked. After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw a faint red line leading from theva all the way through the ancient domain. Zhang Xuan shook his head. "The red line is indeed the correct path through the ancient domain, but most likely, it wouldnt have appeared in the first ce if we didnt have the map in our possession." If they had theplete map before entering the ancient domain, they would have been able to advance along the pathid out by the red line safely without encountering any danger. It was not that they were not sharp enough to notice the existence of a safe path, but that the path would not have appeared in the first ce without theplete map in hand. This was probably another maniption of thews of space, so he couldnt say for sure how it worked either. Tracing the map, they soon saw the celestial pce. "So, the crux of the ancient domain lies just beyond the waterfall..." After confirming the direction and road, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Standing up, he turned to Guild Leader Han and the others. With Guild Leader Han and Wu shi working together to drive the grade-7 pinnacle ughter Formation, it did not take them too long to kill the Scarletleaf King. If the Fireleaf King was pitiful for being crushed to death by the Golden Origin Cauldron before he could do anything, the Scarletleaf King definitely topped that. To be killed by the formation that he had constructed himself... the second strongest expert of the Ten Great Kings sure died an indignant death. In any case, after dealing with the Scarletleaf King, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. "Lets go. Now that we have the map in hand, we should be safe," Zhang Xuan said with a smile. After which, he raised his hand, and the goatskin map in his hands flew into the air before forming a rainbow bridge that bypassed the celestial pce, leading straight into the depths of the waterfall. "Lets go!" Beckoning the others along, Zhang Xuan took the lead and stepped onto the bridge. A momentter, he recalled something, and with a grasp, he retrieved the formation gs used for the ughter Formation, stowing it into his storage ring. At the same time, with a slight flick of his finger, the Scarletleaf Kings storage ring fell into his hands. The second strongest expert of the Ten Great Kings should have quite a few good items in his possession. It would have been a waste to leave it there. Advancing along the bridge, they soon bypassed the celestial pce and stepped through the waterfall. Back then, they noticed that the waterfall and the celestial pce were actually a massive painting. Walking past it, the scenery abruptly changed, and a massive pce came into sight. "What concentrated spiritual energy..." Upon stepping in, Zhang Xuan felt his pores widening as his zhenqi pulsated in excitement. The spiritual energy contained within the pce was truly concentrated, to the point that it felt as if it would condense into water at any moment. If one were to cultivate there, one would be able to advance ones cultivation swiftly even without using high-tier spirit stones. "Is that... carved using spirit stones?" After taking a few steps forward, the breathing of the crowd suddenly hastened. Ahead of them was a massive tablet, which emanated a brilliant glow. Astonishingly, it was actually carved out of a massive high-tier spirit stone! "Is there such a huge spirit stone in the world?" Everyone gulped down a mouthful of saliva. Even Zhang Xuans eyes were widened. The tablet was six meters tall, two meters wide, and half a meter thick. Such a massive tablet was actually made solely out of high-tier spirit stones. It was truly a shocking sight. Even thergest high-tier spirit stone he had seen thus far was only the size of a babys fist, but this sculpture should easily weigh more than a ton. If it were to be divided into the standard size of a spirit stone, how many pieces would it be? A few hundred thousand? A few million? To encounter something as extravagant at this barely after walking into the pce... Just what kind of treasures would be hidden within? "Qiu Wu Pce... Could the creator of this ancient domain be Ancient Sage Qiu Wu?" Upon seeing the words carved on the tablet, Wu shis eyebrows leaped up in astonishment. Zhang Xuan swiftly turned to look at the tablet as well, and carved on it were threerge words, Qiu Wu Pce. The handwriting was identical to the one within the manual of the Unbounded Voyager. "It seems like it was indeed left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu." Zhang Xuan shot a nce toward Luo Ruoxin, and both of them nodded harmoniously. It was just a deduction they made earlier, but at this point, they could be absolutely certain of it. Chapter 1067: The Depths of the Ancient Domain Chapter 1067: The Depths of the Ancient Domain Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? Who is he?" one of thebat masters asked. As this matter concerned ancient history, other than master teachers, there were very few who knew much about him. "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was one of Kong shis followers. He apanied Kong shi into many battlefields and ughtered innumerable Otherworldly Demons. Possessing a cultivation surpassing Saint 9-dan back when he was still alive, he was one of the most esteemed and respected ancient sages in the history of the Master Teacher Pavilion," Wu shi exined. "Kong shis follower?" "Beyond Saint 9-dan?" Those who were not aware of it previously were astonished. Putting everything else aside, just that description was sufficient for the crowd to imagine Ancient Sage Qiu Wus standing. As one who stood beside Kong shi, he must have had many opportunities to receive Kong shis guidance, so he was bound to have been far stronger than those of the same cultivation realm. Not only so, he was even an expert surpassing Saint 9-dan. It was no wonder the ancient domain that he built was so fearsome, such that it nearly annihted their entire expedition team! "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu is not only strong, he also contributed greatly to humanity as well. The seals that ward off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in the Subterranean Gallery were all constructed by him. Even the head of our branch, Pavilion Master Gou, is a loyal fan of his. If he knew that this ancient domain was created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, he surely would havee here personally," Wu shi said. "With his overwhelming strength, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was able to keep the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at bay for so many millenniums. He is indeed one of the most outstanding predecessors of our Master Teacher Pavilion." "Indeed. His aplishments are only second to the great Kong shi." ... Upon hearing of the deeds of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, the eyes of the crowd lit up in reverence. The main responsibility ofbat masters and master teachers was to protect mankind from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Were it not for Ancient Sage Qiu Wus seals, mankind wouldnt have possibly been able to enjoy such a long period of peace. They had thought that the ancient domain had been left behind by a normal Saint realm pinnacle expert, but who would have thought that it was actually someone as great as Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! "If there is a sculpture of Elder Qiu Wu within this ancient domain, I will definitely kowtow to him to pay my respects," Feng Xun said in agitation. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was figure whom he deeply respected as well, and he had never imagined that a day woulde when he would have the privilege of entering the ancient domain left behind by the other party! "Me too..." The otherbat masters also nodded in agreement. "Since Elder Qiu Wu has left behind such a massive ancient domain, he must have left his will somewhere as well. Lets continue advancing ahead. ording to what the Scarletleaf King said, the old principal and the others arent dead yet, they are just trapped at the moment. However, it appears that the Skyleaf King is also trapped together with them, so lets hurry over in case any mishap urs," said Zhang Xuan, holding back his urge to dig up the tablet and put it in his storage ring. As valuable as the tablet was, considering the look of reverence that the master teachers andbat masters were directing toward it, if he were to take it, they would definitely pit their life against him. Thus, after careful contemtion, he decided to drop the idea. "Alright!" Nodding, the crowd continued walking forward. Barely after taking a few steps, the eyes of abat master suddenly lit up as he pointed at the ground beside him excitedly. "Look at this!" Following the direction that thebat master was pointing in, there was a spear deeply lodged into the wall. Only a half of it was revealed outside. Wu shi walked over and gently pulled the spear out from the wall. "This is... a Half-Saint weapon?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. Just like the cier Rain Sword, the spear was actually at Half-Saint tier as well! Such weapons were rare even in Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Yet, in the ancient domain, it was casually tossed along the road as if it was nothing more than trash. This level of extravagance was really terrifying. "Theres one over there as well!" In the midst of his shock, another shout sounded from the side, and following which, a Half-Saint sword was retrieved from the wall on the other side. "Theres one here too..." "This one over here is a Saint low-tier artifact..." Advancing ahead, more and more shocked exmations sounded. Before long, everyone had a weapon that was of at least Half-Saint tier in their hands, and a couple of luckier ones even managed to obtain Saint low-tier weapons. Saint low-tier, that was the tier which the Golden Origin Cauldron had been in before being upgraded. For a weapon of that level to be tossed casually around was truly bewildering to the crowd. "The spirits within these weapons seem to have dissipated after suffering heavy blows. While these Half-Saint and Saint low-tier weapons possess outstanding sharpness and durability, they wont be able to exert their full prowess without any spirit within them," Wu shi remarked after taking a look at all of the weapons. While these weapons were extremely high-tiered, they were devoid of spirit, and that would result in a significant reduction in their might. "Its not that the spirits have dissipated after suffering heavy blows but that they have been worn out by the passing of time." The spirits within weapons enjoyed a greater longevity than humans, but they still suffered from Senescence Decline. As time passed, the spirit would still gradually erode. There was nothing in this world that couldst for an eternity. The only reason the Golden Origin Cauldron could survive several millenniums was because it had spent most of its time in hibernation, and this had helped it to reduce its Senescence Decline. Such knowledge involved the intricacies of the soul, so most master teachers werent aware of it either. "Alright, lets continue moving on..." After stowing the weapons into their storage rings, Zhang Xuan and the others continued forward. Along the way, they found quite a few medicinal herbs and artifacts too. However, just like the weapons from before, their spirits had eroded, resulting in their diminished effectiveness. Even so, they would be able to fetch quite a fortune when sold, so the expedition team still collected them. It was hard to tell whether it was due to them treading on the safe path or the final passageway was supposed to be like that, but they did not encounter any danger along the path. After walking for some time, a vast square appeared before their eyes. The square was filled with many depressions and debris. There were also dozens of corpses scattered around the area. "There was an intense fight here." The crowd narrowed their eyes in rm. Walking up one of the corpses, Wo Tianqiong eximed in rm, "This is... Vice Principal Mu Renxu of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqius close aide!" Upon reaching Saint realm, ones physical body would gain extraordinary resilience, so it would not dpose as easily. As such, even though it had been quite some time since Mu Renxus death, his body still looked no different from how it was when he was alive. "Vice Principal Mu Renxu?" Zhang Xuan asked as he walked over. He had read about the other party through the records stored in the academy. On top of the principal, Zhang Yinqiu, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had four other vice principals. However, all of them had followed Zhang Yinqiu into the ancient domain and never returned. It was also for this reason that Lu Feng was able to serve as the stand-in principal for the past two years. Mu Renxu was known to be the strongest among the four vice principals. Who would have thought that he would lose his life here? After searching the area for a while and not finding Zhang Yinqius body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had never met the old principal before, but there was a painting of thetter in the academy records, and none of the dozens of corpses fit the description. "There are the corpses of 13 master teachers and 21 Otherworldly Demons here!" Wu shi said with a sigh after tallying the numbers. All thirteen of them were 6-star master teachers, but they had ended up dying silently in the ancient domain. This was a huge loss to both the Master Teacher Academy and the Master Teacher Pavilion. "The fight must have been intense," Zhang Xuan remarked solemnly. He could not help but recall the tombstone that Zhang Yinqiu had left for himself in the Mausoleum of Principals. Those who came with him would have surely known the great dangers of venturing into the ancient domain as well, but they had still chosen to join the expedition anyway. Their selflessness was truly worthy of respect. "Lets take them back with us. They might have been unable to return to the Master Teacher Academy when they were still alive, but at the very least, they should be granted a peaceful rest within the academy after death." Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan carefully ced the corpses of the master teachers within his storage ring. After what they had done for mankind, their corpses could not be left exposed in the open. The least he could do for them was bring them back home and give them a proper burial. After Zhang Xuan was done collecting the bodies of the fallen master teachers, Guild Leader Han looked around his surroundings and asked, "But why would they be fighting here? And where did the rest of them go?" "I am not too sure, but my guess is that Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu must have found out that the Otherworldly Demons were nning to enter the ancient domain, so he swiftly gathered an expedition team and entered the ancient domain as well. Eventually, they ended up encountering one another here, and a bitter fight ensued," Zhang Xuan said. Based on the words left behind by Zhang Yinqiu in the Mausoleum of Principals, he had only chosen to enter the ancient domain because there were no alternatives before him. From this, it could be deduced that the Otherworldly Demons must have learned of the ancient domain in advance, and Zhang Yinqiu was trying to stop them. Of course, that was still only a deduction on Zhang Xuans part. They would have to hear the story from the person in question in order to confirm what had happened back then. "Everyone,e here..." At that moment, a master teacher suddenly shouted. Everyone quickly turned their gazes over, only to see the master teacher examining a massive boulder in the square with a perplexed look. The master teacher was one of the elders from the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy. Hisbat ability was so-so within the expedition team, but he was an extremely meticulous person. The crowd quickly walked over to the boulder, and after taking a closer look, frowns emerged on their faces as well. There was a palm print on it. It was hard to tell whether it was left behind in the midst of the fight or by the creator of the ancient domain. "That is the switch to trigger a mechanism in the area. I saw a simr one in the Unbounded World," Zhang Xuan remarked. Back when he was in the Unbounded World, he had seen something simr. Rather than a palm print, it was probably more exact to call it a groove. As long as one put their palm on it and infused zhenqi into the groove, it would trigger some kind of mechanism in the surroundings. Most likely, it had been left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. "A switch?" Wu shi examined it carefully before nodding. "Stand back, Ill give it a try..." There was no saying what could happen once the switch was triggered, so it was best to take caution. Everyone quickly stepped back as they prepared their defenses. With a grim expression, Wu shi ced his palm onto the groove. Weng! A buzzing sound echoed, and the wall ahead of them abruptly burst open, revealing nine identical round doors, each around the height of a human. Within each round door was an aura vaguely resembling what they had felt before stepping into the Unbounded Worldfolded spaces. Seeing that there was no danger, the crowd slowly walked up to the doors with bewildered expressions. "There are so many choices?" "Nine is the limit of a number. The nine doors probably represent the extremities," Guild Leader Han exined. The crowd nodded. Nine, the limit of a number, as well as the number derived from the Six Yin-Yang Three-Three Derivation. In this world, there were many things in nature that were n. For example, Fighter 9-dan, Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, Saint 9-dan. Nine heavens, nine provinces, nine trials, nine realms, nine dragons, nine bestowments... "Nine doors, that is probably just like the formation. There is life and death, panorama and fright. Which one should we choose?" abat master asked. 1 "This..." Having no answer to the question, Guild Leader Han subconsciously turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1068: The Ancient Sage Appears Chapter 1068: The Ancient Sage Appears Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Every formation was bound to have at least eight doors: the Origin Gate, Hibernation Gate, Life Gate, Impair Gate, Panorama Gate, Death Gate, Closed Gate, and Fright Gate. Depending on which gate one encountered, one would face a different fate. Perhaps it would be life, perhaps it would be death, perhaps it would be escape, perhaps it would be eternal incarceration. One wrong move could mean the end. It was due to this that few dared to move recklessly within a formation. Otherwise, one wrong step and they would face confinement or even death! At this moment, there were nine doors before them. It wasntpletely aligned with the Eight Gates, but it was sure to be bound by the same rules. Thus, they dared not enter any of them recklessly. Noting Guild Leader Hans actions, the others also turned their gazes toward the young man as well. Seeing that all eyes were gathered on him, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Those before him were all esteemed master teachers and formation masters, existences who were deeply feared and respected. Yet, all of a sudden, in this trip to the ancient domain, they seemed to have suddenly lost their backbones and ended up relying entirely on him. Every time they were stuck in a dilemma, they would end up turning to him for instructions. He wasnt omniscient, alright? He didnt have the answer to every single question in the world. There were things that he was incapable of as well. Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Guild Leader Han said with a smile, "Principal Zhang, in the journey, you have disyed an understanding of formations and an eye of discernment far superior to ours. We trust you, and we will enter any door that you point out!" "Indeed, we trust you!" "We dont have much of an understanding of formations, so we arepletely helpless before this. You are probably the only one who can lead us into the correct door!" ... Everyone began speaking up. Seeing their attitude, Zhang Xuan knew that he would be unable to turn the matter down, so he eventually relented with a nod. "I will give it a try!" After saying those words, he activated his Eye of Insight and began observing the doors carefully. From experience, he knew that the Library of Heavens Path would only reflect theposition and structure of the doors instead of informing him whether it was safe inside or not. In such situations, it would be better for him to rely on his Eye of Insight. "Hmm?" After taking a look around him, his gaze soon stopped before a door. He lowered his head to take a closer look at the ground before the door. Perplexed, the crowd rushed over and saw a smear of blood on the ground. As too much time had passed, it had already dried up, so it was not overly conspicuous. Wu shi frowned. "It seems someone left it behind intentionally." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The bloodstain had not been left behind by blood dripping from someones wound. Instead, someone had intentionally left a mark here so as to serve as a hint to thoseing afterward. Frowning deeply, Zhang Xuan continued staring intently at the bloodstain. As lines of insight swam within his eyes, a scene of when the bloodstain first appeared seemed to vaguely reconstruct before his eyes. Zhang Xuan stood up and said, "This bloodstain was left by Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu. This is the door that he entered!" "Lets enter this door then!" Guild Leader Han said. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. Their main goal at hand was to find Zhang Yinqiu and the remaining survivors. Since thetter had chosen to enter this door, it went without saying that this was the door they should head into as well. Furthermore, one thing to note was that while they had encountered so many life-threatening dangers on their journey through the ancient domain, such that their expedition team could have been easily wiped out in any phase, the old principals team seemed to have breezed through the trials without facing much trouble despite the rtively lower average cultivation of his team. Most likely, he must have known about the secrets of the ancient domain beforehand. Thus, following in his footsteps should lead them to safety. "Alright!" Wu shi began leading the way forward, and the crowd followed closely behind him. As soon as they stepped through the door, the scenery before them immediately changed. A small garden filled with a field of resplendent flowers appeared before their eyes. A slight fragrance drifted in the air. Everyone was taken aback. They had thought of many possibilities before stepping through the door. Perhaps they might meet grave danger. Perhaps they might find themselves forced to face some kind of incredibly difficult trial. But one thing they had not thought was that they would end up walking into a seemingly ordinary flower garden. "Look..." Abat master pointed toward the center of the flower garden. A massive sculpture of an old man dressed in a master teacher robe towered there. Forged out of some kind of unique material, the sculpture was extremely lifelike, giving one the feeling as if it would start moving at any moment. "Its Ancient Sage Qiu Wu..." Upon seeing the other partys appearance, Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. It was the old man who had wanted to take him in as his student! "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu?" Upon seeing the sculpture, the eyes of Feng Xun and the others immediately lit up. They hurriedly rushed forward and kowtowed deeply to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu in reverence. This was the man whose seals had brought several dozen millenniums of peace to mankind. Most definitely, he was a man who was worth their respect. Wu shi and the others also quickly bowed down as well. Seeing how earnestly the others were paying respects to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little awkward. It was not too long ago that he had offered to take the other party in as his student. If the group over were to learn of this matter, would they pummel him to death? Boom! All of a sudden, the ground began shaking, and the sculpture wobbled along with it. A bright glint shed in the eyes of sculpture. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu wasing to life! Upon seeing this sight, Wu shi, Feng Xun, and the others were startled. They quickly lowered their bodies fearfully. Zhang Xuan was initially taken aback by the situation as well, but after taking a closer look, he heaved sigh of relief. Its not Ancient Sage Qiu Wuing back to life. Theres a will infused within the sculpture. The current situation was simr to how Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul first appeared in the Unbounded World. There was the same authoritative aura and immense pressure that he felt from before. It was probably a phenomenon that would ur whenever the other partys fragmented soul awakened. That was to be expected. After all, how could a man who had already died several dozen millenniums ago possiblye back to life? Most likely, the kneeling crowd must have triggered some kind of mechanism which awoke the will within the sculpture. Since there was a will hidden within the sculpture, it meant that they had chosen the right door to enter. Hu! The sculpture opened its eyes and gazed down upon the kneeling crowd before him, and with an impassive voice, he said, "I am Qiu Wu. You should have already learned that by now." Just like before, his voice had an ancient quality to it, reminiscent of one who had lived through history. "Paying respects to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu!" Hearing the other party acknowledging his identity, the crowd could not help but tremble in excitement. That was a figure who had stood as an equal with Kong shi back in that legendary era. He was an ancient sage, one of the most renowned master teachers in the world. Countless viewed him as their idol and role model! Seeing the respectful attitude of the crowd, the sculpture nodded slightly before continuing. "The fact that you were able toe to this point shows that your mental resilience and judgement are top-notch. I will just skip with all of the pleasantries and conduct a trial to assess your wisdom. I will ept those who are able to clear the trial as my students, and they will be entitled to my heritage. As for those who are unable to clear the trial, I can only have you remain here so as to prevent word from leaking. Is there anyone who wishes to give it a try?" This Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was the exact same as the one whom Zhang Xuan had encountered in the Unbounded World. Without the slightest dawdling, he revealed his intentions and got straight to the matter at hand. "A trial to assess our wisdom?" "Entitled to... elders heritage?" Everyones breathing quickened. Putting aside how Ancient Sage Qiu Wus cultivation had already achieved a level beyond Saint 9-dan, just his grasp over space itself was something that most 9-star master teachers couldnt evene close to matching. If they could receive his heritage, they would surely rise through the ranks, and it would only be a matter of time before they scaled to the peak of the continent. "Indeed. Talent and mental fortitude allow a cultivator to emte the sesses of the predecessors and achieve the same level of strength as them. However, it is only wisdom that allows one to create that which is unique to them and create their own schools of cultivation. Perhaps... they might even be able to surpass the countless geniuses that came before them. ept the trial, and you will be granted a chance to join my lineage. Otherwise, turn around and leave my Qiu Wu Pce!" the sculpture said. "This..." The crowd did not rush into making a decision. Instead, they looked at one another with grim looks on their faces. Of course, it would be for the best if they could obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage. However... considering the difficulty of the trials they had been through thus far, the final trial was bound to be something nigh impossible for them to clear. If they were to fail the trial, they would be trapped in the Qiu Wu Pce, unable to leave. Seed, and they would attain power and glory. Fail, and they would be damned. "Zhang Yinqiu and the others must have decided to take the trial. That should be why they ended up being trapped within Qiu Wu Pce," Wu shi remarked. That would exin why the old principal had disappeared for two years. As one who had managed to be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it went without saying that Zhang Yinqiu was a man who possessed great wisdom. On top of that, he also had quite a few vice principals and elders by his side. Every single one of them was an outstanding talent in their own right, but despite two years passing, they were still trapped within Qiu Wu Pce. This was a clear indication of how difficult the trial was. "But even with the risk of being trapped within the Qiu Wu Pce, I still must undergo the trial. This kind of opportunity is too valuable for me to pass!" Feng Xun said with determination. "Indeed. For an opportunity to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage, I am willing to brave through even death itself!" Jiang Yuan and the others nodded in agreement. Combat masters were trained to charge through all adversity with a relentless and fearless attitude. The heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was a treasure that countless master teachers dreamt ofying their hands on. If they failed the trial, they only had their own weakness to me. "I will participate in the trial!" "Me too!" ... Wu shi, Mu shi, Wo Tianqiong, and the others nodded affirmatively as well. As master teachers, how could they give up on an opportunity to obtain the heritage of the venerated Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? It was not just about the cultivation technique, but their pride and honor as well. "Wait a moment, something is not right here. I can understand why the old principal would have been trapped within Qiu Wu Pce for failing the trial, but why would the Skyleaf King be trapped within too? Are Otherworldly Demons allowed to undertake the trial as well?" While the others were making their decisions, at the very back of the crowd, Zhang Xuan abruptly spoke up with a deep frown. Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage was greatly tempting to him, but it wouldnt really be a huge loss even if he didnt obtain it. For one, he had seen the other partys Unbounded Voyager, and while it was indeed strong, it had plenty of ws as well. To risk his future over a wed secret art... it just was not worth it! After all, the most urgent thing for him at the moment was to be a 9-star master teacher before thirty. Otherwise, the only thing that would be awaiting him was death! As such, he did not spare much thought to whether he should undertake the trial or not. Instead, he found himself wondering a very different issue insteadif Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu was truly trapped within the Qiu Wu Pce, why would the Skyleaf King be trapped as well? Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had constructed many seals in his lifetime to seal the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe out of the Master Teacher Continent, and eventually, he had even lost his life in the midst of battling them. Through this, one could easily sense the hostility that he harbored toward the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. With his sculpture and fragmented soul standing guard here, how could the Otherworldly Demons possibly be given a chance to undertake the trial and im his heritage for themselves? "Could it be that... this fellow is a fake?" Zhang Xuan frowned. There was a total of nine doors outside, and each of them probably led to a different oue. For this fellow to suddenly appear and im that he would be passing down his heritage to them... Wasnt it a little too easy and convenient? Zhang Xuan could not help but be deeply skeptical of the situation before him. The sculpture spoke once more. "Most of you should have made up your minds by now. Make your decisions!" "Yes!" Wu shi and the others stood up, and with unwavering resolution in their eyes, they began marching forward. Of the twenty-two of them remaining, other than Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin, the rest had actually decided to take the trial! "Wait a moment!" Seeing that they were going to enter, Zhang Xuan bellowed loudly to stop them. "Whats wrong?" Surprised by Zhang Xuans sudden outburst, Wu shi and the others hurriedly ced a finger to their lips to gesture for him to quieten down. It was extremely disrespectful to be shouting so loudly before an elder as venerated as Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! "Its nothing much. I am just deeply perplexed..." Frowning, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger at the sculpture. Chapter 1069: Would You Believe Me? Chapter 1069: Would You Believe Me? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! A powerful surge of sword qi burst toward the sculpture with astounding sharpness, severing the air in two. Even Spirit pinnacle artifacts would have been destroyed in the face of that sword qi. Upon seeing this sight, the bodies of Wu shi and the others jolted, and they nearly fainted on the spot. That is Ancient Sage Qiu Wus sculpture, and there is even his consciousness within it. To make a move against him without any warning beforehand, are you insane? rmed, Wu shi hurriedly rushed forward, and with a slight wave of his hand, he easily dispelled the sword qi. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and asked with a deep frown, "Principal Zhang, what are you trying to do?" "Nothing much. I just think that there is something wrong with this fellow, and I want to test him!" Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. He did not think that Wu shi would rush back so anxiously to deflect his sword qi. "Test him?" Hearing those words, the crowd nearly fell to the ground in fear. Who was the man standing before them? Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! A legendary expert who stood as Kong shis equal, and Zhang Xuan actually wanted to test him? "Principal Zhang, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu is a respected elder of our Master Teacher Pavilion. It is a deeply insolent act to raise ones hand against him!" Guild Leader Han anxiously sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. The hierarchy of seniority was an order that the Master Teacher Continent operated by. Students were not to raise their hands against their own teachers, let alone a venerated elder like Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! Even if Zhang Xuan wanted to go on an insane streak, he should first have looked at the asion. If it were made known that he had attacked Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, he could very well be an enemy of all master teachers on the continent! "This..." Seeing the anxious looks around him, seemingly tempted to bind him to prevent him from recklessly attempting any more foolishness, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He knew that Wu shi was right. His actions were indeedcking consideration. No matter what, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was one of the strongest master teachers in history, a figure who had once fought alongside Kong shi. Even if the other party was a fake, it would still be very reckless of him to make a move against the other party. However, if he could not force the other party into executing a battle technique, he would be unable to use the Library of Heavens Path topile a book on the other party and confirm his identity. Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted over what his next course of action should be, the sculpture suddenly turned toward him and frowned. As Zhang Xuan had been standing at the very back all along, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had not noticed him. However, now that he had a clear glimpse of the other partys appearance, his eyelids immediately began twitching as he let loose an unintentional exmation. "Its you?" "You recognize me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback as well. The sculpture harrumphed coldly. "A person who listed the ws in my Unbounded Voyager and spoke such words to me, how could I not recognize you?" "You possess the memory of what happened in the Unbounded World?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. Doomed... He really made a mistake this time around. Since the other party was aware of what had happened in the Unbounded World, it could only mean that the fragmented soul before him belonged to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu as well. Otherwise, he could not possibly have known about the Unbounded Voyager. Did he really guess wrongly? "I am able to ess the memories of my fragmented soul in the Unbounded World. He could have survived for at least two more days, but with mere words, you actually managed to dipose his psyche, causing him to dissipate on the spot. Are those in the current generation really that formidable?" the sculpture replied. The fragmented soul deposited in the Unbounded World only served one aimto find a fitting sessor, take them in as his student, and impart the Unbounded Voyager to them. Eventually, the fragmented soul did manage to find a fitting sessor, but not only was the other party unwilling to be his student, the other party even scorned the Unbounded Voyager for having too many ws. What was even worse was that the other party even attempted to take him in as his student. Having suffered this series of blows, it was no wonder his fragmented soul dissipated! "Dipose his psyche?" "Principal Zhang... has met Ancient Sage Qiu Wu before?" Hearing the conversation between the two of them, the crowd nced at one another with confusion in their eyes. Just what in the world did Principal Zhang say that diposed the psyche of even the great ancient sage from the same era as Kong shi, causing his fragmented soul to dissipate on the spot? "Those words slipped out of my lips unintentionally. Allow me to earnestly apologize to elder right here." With a reddened face, Zhang Xuan hurriedly sped his fist. He had only said those words to change the topic back then. He had not really thought that it would end up like that. "Theres no need for you to apologize, what you said is true. The Unbounded Voyager is an advanced movement technique, but it isnt perfect. Back then, Kong shi also said the exact same words to me," the sculpture replied without the slightest hint of anger. Even though the cultivation of the young man before him was not too high, his eye of discernment was truly extraordinary. Despite having lived so many years, the young man was the second person who had managed to point out all of the ws in his Unbounded Voyager in a single breath. "The duration that I can remain conscious for is limited. If you wish to obtain my heritage, move on. You mightmand a deep understanding of movement techniques, but I have created my own unique school in the field of spatial maniption. It wont be easy for you toprehend it," the sculpture remarked confidently. In the field of spatial maniption, not even Kong shi was close to a match for him. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the number one expert in the field back in his era. Thus, he had absolute confident that he would not be bested in this field. The fact that the young man before him was able to see through the ws in the Unbounded Voyager in a single nce showed that he possessed a deep aptitude in battle techniques. However, it would not be easy for him to achieve the same sess in the field of spatial maniption. There was no such thing as a perfect human being who was knowledgeable about everything. After all, there was only one Kong shi. "Understood. Elder, I have a doubt in my mind, and I hope that you will be able to enlighten me," Zhang Xuan said with a nod. "Speak!" Thinking that it would be improper for him to ask Ancient Sage Qiu Wu directly whether he had allowed an Otherworldly Demon to take the trialafter all, that would be equivalent to questioning thetters loyaltyZhang Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking. "A senior of mine entered the ancient domain around two years ago, and there should be a powerful Otherworldly Demon pursuing them from behind. Based on what we know thus far, it seems like they are trapped in Qiu Wu Pce, unable to escape. May I ask if they managed to clear your trial?" "There was indeed a group who arrived at my Qiu Wu Pce two years ago, and there were some Otherworldly Demons among them as well. However, they didnt choose this door," the sculpture replied. "They didnt choose this door?" Zhang Xuan had not expected to hear this response. That did not make sense. Since the old principal had marked this door, this should have been the door he entered as well. Why would he not have entered this door? "Indeed. They took a detour around the nine doors and advanced straight ahead, so they are currently trapped within the Saint Ascension Hall," the sculpture replied. "Saint Ascension Hall?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin nced at one another, and they could see the bewilderment in each others eyes. In the first ce, the ancient domain was not located too far away from the Saint Ascension tform, and for there to be a Saint Ascension Hall within here as well... Could there really be a connection? "Un." The sculpture nodded. "That is a gift that Kong shi left for theter generations. Of course, if you wish to head there, you have to clear my trial first. Otherwise, if you head straight there like they did, you will only be trapped like the rest of them, unable to leave for all eternity!" "This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. If the old principal had headed straight to the Saint Ascension Hall, why did he leave a mark before this door? The more he contemted over the matter, the more perplexed he felt The sculpture looked at Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin and said, "Now that I have answered your question, its time for you to make your decision, too. My trial wont be easy, but the rest of them still decided to challenge it. What about you two?" They were the only ones who had not expressed their decision yet. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "I... wish to undertake the trial!" Since he had already confirmed that Zhang Yinqiu and the others were currently in the Saint Ascension Hall, he would have to clear the trial in order to get to them. Otherwise, if they were to head there in through the same route that Zhang Yinqiu and the others took previously, they would only end up being trapped in there as well. Besides, it would be a delight to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage. Take the Unbounded Voyager for example, while it had plenty of ws at the moment, once he found sufficient high-tier movement techniques topile together with it and perfect it, the prowess it harnessed would be frightening. Once that happened, Zhang Xuans fighting prowess would be raised by leaps and bounds in a single breath. Just by mastering the Unbounded Voyager 1-dan, he would be able to easily escape even from the real Skyleaf King. He would not be as powerless as he was before. Luo Ruoxin shook her head. "I wont be entering." "You arent going to enter?" Zhang Xuan was startled. He did not think that Luo Ruoxin would make such a decision. "Un. I have my own heritage. Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage is great, but its notpatible with me. Instead of wasting my effort inside, I think I will just wait outside for all of you," Luo Ruoxin exined with a smile. "I see... Alright then." Zhang Xuan nodded. Luo Ruoxin was right. Those who possessed unique constitutions or bloodlines could often only practice specific types of cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Take Zhao Ya for example, before meeting Zhang Xuan, she had practiced the White Jade Pure Maiden Skill, which was deeply ipatible with her Pure Yin Body. As a result, not only did her cultivation stagnate, it had even resulted in great suffering for her. "Dont worry about me, you should go ahead with the trial. Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage is very valuable. It will definitely be beneficial to you if you can learn it!" Luo Ruoxin said. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Ill go in and take a look. Dont worry, Ill surely clear the trial!" He had no idea what the trial would be on, but he had absolute confidence that he would be able to clear it. Hearing those words, Luo Ruoxin nodded with a smile. "Good luck." Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan began walking toward the door behind the sculpture along with Wu shi and the others. Hu! In just a few moments, they disappeared from sight. ... A momentter, Zhang Xuan and the others found themselves standing within a courtyard, and a row of stone tablets stood before them. There were around twenty of them in total, and they formed a circle around the crowd. Each of them was densely inscribed with all kinds of characters. Knowing that they were already within the trial, Wu shi, Feng Xun, and the others dared not dawdle. They quickly rushed forward to examine the stone tablets. A quick sweep of the tablets left each of them with bizarre expressions on their faces. It was not that they were unable to learn whatever was on top of the stone tablets, but that... they could not even understand it. The inscriptions on the stone tablets consisted of words from many differentnguages. There was thenguage that they used, the Ancient Beast Language, and even the words of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Dozens ofnguages were inscribed side by side one another on the stone tablets, making it nigh impossible for one to decipher it. "Near, qing, hua, sheng, break, ming, xiao... This... How are we supposed toprehend this?" Wu shi happened to know quite a fewnguages and could read some of the inscriptions, but the words did not string together to construct a proper sentence, and this left himpletely bewildered. He had no idea how he was supposed to interpret the inscriptions. Perplexed, he turned his gaze toward the others, only to see Feng Xun, Wo Tianqiong, and the others with equally confused expressions on their faces. He shot a nce at Zhang Xuan and saw that thetter had a baffled look as well. They thought that the trial to assess their wisdom would require them to learn a particrly profound cultivation technique, as such events trials usually went, but... they could not even read the stone tablets! How were they supposed to clear the trial? They had already guessed that a trial from Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would be anything but easy, but who knew that it would be so bewildering? Wu shi continued examining the stone tablets before him, but nothing came to him. Unable to stand it anymore, he headed over to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Principal Zhang, have you discovered anything yet?" If any of them was capable ofprehending the secrets behind the stone tablet, it could only be the young man before him. "Not yet..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. To be honest, he was also at aplete loss as well. Recalling the conversation between Ancient Sage Qiu Wu and Zhang Xuan earlier, Wu shi couldnt help but ask, "Didnt Ancient Sage Qiu Wu praise you earlier for your deep understanding of battle techniques? Since you were able toprehend his other battle technique, this shouldnt be too much trouble for you, right?" Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly. "I only happened to sessfully decipher his movement technique, but this... I really have no idea whats going on." At this point, Feng Xun walked up to them and said, "Its already a formidable feat for you to have been able to decipher his movement technique, so you dont have to feel dismayed. Right, Principal Zhang, what did you speak to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu about for him to remember you so clearly?" Hearing that question, everyone quickly turned their gazes over as well. In truth, this was also a matter that they had been very curious about. Words that could make a fragmented soul of an ancient sage who had lived for several dozen millenniums lose hisposure and dissipate... Just what could they be? Seeing that everyone was looking at him with eyes gleaming with curiosity, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "If I were to say that I tried to take Ancient Sage Qiu Wu as my student... would any of you believe me?" Chapter 1070: Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm Chapter 1070: Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "ept Ancient Sage Qiu Wu as your disciple?" The lips of Wu shi and the others twitched for a moment first before they quickly shook their heads. They didnt think that Zhang Xuan was being serious. They felt that it was inconceivable that anyone would dare speak words like that. After all, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was an expert that stood beside Kong shi in that chaotic era. Even the current head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a true 9-star master teacher, would have to respectfully address him as elder, not daring to show the slightest discourtesy towards him. Yet, Zhang Xuan actually said that he attempted to ept the other party as his student? If he were to really dare to utter such words, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would probably have him killed in a single p. Through everyones expression, Zhang Xuan could tell that they didnt believe him. He knew that this would happen. Nevertheless, he couldnt be bothered to exin either. It was his intention to keep a low profile anyway, so this was for the best. "Lets continue examining the stone tablets. Since this is part of a trial, theres bound to be a solution to it." Not wanting to dwell on that topic, Zhang Xuan waved his hand as he turned his attention back to the stone tablets before him. Through his Eye of Insight, he could tell that there was nothing special about the material of the stone tablets before him. They were just ordinary boulders, and the only exceptional quality about them was just their durability. In other words, the crux to the stone tablet had to be the inscriptions on it. Just that... there were simply too manynguages on the stone tablets! Furthermore, even if they managed to trante it, they didnt form proper sentences, making it impossible to figure what they meant. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and ced his hand on the stone tablet. Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan swiftly flipped it open. "Ashened Stone Tablet, inscribed by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. It contains theplete form to cultivating the [Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm]. There are 27 ws regarding the inscribed battle technique: No.1, the effectiveness of the battle technique is highly dependent on the state of mind the cultivator is in. As such, the cultivator will have to ready his emotional state before the battle, or else he will be unable to disy the full prowess of the technique. This makes it highly ineffective in abrupt situations. No.2, it has a high requirement of ones zhenqi..." Detailed on the book were the many ws of the battle technique. "As expected, it is a battle technique!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It seemed like Ancient Sage Qiu Wu wasnt lying to them. The stone tablets were indeed a kind of trial. Soon, after he was done reading the book, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He did get the name of the battle technique, and he had a thorough understanding of its ws as well, but... he still couldnt understand the battle technique manual! Knowing the ws but not the technique itself was like having a remedy in hand but not knowing what illness it applied to... It did nothing to help the situation that they were in! He had to think of a way to understand the words on the stone tablet so that he could obtain the battle technique. Thus, retracting his consciousness from the Library of Heavens Path, he continued examining the stone tablets before him intently. The same seemingly meaninglessbination of characters came into sight, leaving his eyes hurting a little. Those words just simply didnt form something coherent together! "Wait... Even though I am unable to understand the words on the stone tablet, perhaps I might be able to trante it throughpiling it together with other books..." Suddenly, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as a thought came into his mind. If he were to go about it the normal method, it was likely that he would first have to trante the many differentnguages on the stone tablets into a singlenguage first. However, just that step in itself would likely take up a significant period of time. Furthermore, given that it was a trial of wisdom, it definitely wouldnt be as simple as simply tranting the words. There were bound to be many stumbling blocks waiting ahead of him. Instead of going through the trouble, wouldnt it be much simpler if he could justpile the other palm art manuals with it? With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and asked, "Do you have any palm art manuals in your possession? Can you allow me to take a look at them?" "Palm art manuals?" The crowd was perplexed by Zhang Xuans sudden request, unsure of what he was up to. The urgent matter at hand was to figure out what the trial was through deciphering the stone tablets which Ancient Sage Qiu Wu left behind. Why was the other party asking for palm art manuals all of the sudden? "I have quite a few here with me. I copied them from the Palm Hall of our Combat Master Hall branch just a while ago!" Jiang Yuan said as he flicked his wrist, and a stack of over several hundred books appeared before his eyes. While the was perplexed by what Zhang Xuan was up to, he knew that thetter wasnt one to make a request for no reason. As the warriors of the Master Teacher Pavilion,bat masters devoted much of their time to studying all kinds of battle techniques. As such, every single one of them had a huge collection of battle techniques in their storage rings. "I have some over here too!" Feng Xun flicked his wrist and took out a bunch too. Before long, thebat masters had already whipped out more than three thousand palm art manuals. "I dont have as many palm art manuals as they do, but mine are of rtively higher tier..." With a smile, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han took out roughly a dozen booksbined. Most of the palm arts detailed in the dozen books had already reached Saint low-tier, making them exceptionally valuable. Nevertheless, since Zhang Xuan said that he needed it, they took it out without any hesitation. "Thank you..." Zhang Xuan nodded as he quickly collected those books into the Library of Heavens Path. "Compile!" Zhang Xuan muttered softly. Hu! Countless books flew together and merged together with the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palms manual. Hu! A brand new book appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. He reached forward to grab it before swiftly flipping it open. "As expected, quite a few ws of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm have been resolved..." Sweeping through the contents, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Just like what he had guessed earlier, theption of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm manual with the other several ten thousand palm art manuals he had in the Library of Heavens Path had the number of ws sessfully reduced from the initial 27 to just 9. Considering that the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm was an extremely advanced palm art, it was inevitable that the books he had collected thus far wouldnt be sufficient to perfect it. In truth, it was already a huge blessing that they were able to resolve 18 of the ws. "Let me see if I can cultivate it..." Zhang Xuan took a quick look through the newlypiled manual, and eventually, he shook his head in disappointment. Even though it was very close to being a Heavens Path battle technique with only nine ws remaining, some parts of it were still gibberish. To be more exact, the portions which had been corrected by theption of the other books were readable, there was no problem interpreting them, but the wed portions still remained the jumbled mess ofnguages they were. "Let mepare the readable portions with the stone tablet and see if I can decipher it..." Memorizing the parts which had been tranted perfectly, Zhang Xuan began examining the corresponding portions of the text on the stone tablets, only to realize that he was as confused as before. It was as if the two werepletely unrted to one another! Somehow, he felt like a student who had the model answer in hand but was still unable toprehend the question. After studying the stone tablets for a while longer, Zhang Xuan mumbled with a conflicted expression, "These words dont seem to have anything to do with battle techniques..." All along, he had been able to find the ws of any battle technique easily through the Library of Heavens Path and shock others. Yet, despite having the model answer in hand, he still couldnt understand what was on the stone tablet at all... it was extremely frustrating. "It has already been four hours now... Should I just use the eighteen resolved ws to see if I can clear the trial with just that?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his be as he thought. Typically speaking, the requirement for clearing the trial was for him to learn the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, but there was nothing he could do if the stone tablets made perfectly no sense to him... Perhaps, if he were to submit the eighteen resolved ws, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu might not think too much into the matter and clear him for the trial? With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan stood up to call for Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, but in that moment, he caught sight of a certain inscription by the corner of a stone tablet in his peripheral vision. These inscriptions were made up of thenguage of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. They made no sense when read as a whole, but in the moment which Zhang Xuan stood up, the inscriptions seemed to have danced slightly. It was a simr feeling to what he felt from the inscriptions carved by the Greenleaf Kings subordinates back in the Subterranean Gallery. "Could it be that... we arent supposed to regard these inscriptions as words but figures instead?" Suddenly, such a thought came into Zhang Xuans mind. If the inscriptions were truly just words, he should have been able to decipher them by matching the tranted content in his Library of Heavens Path with the stone tablets, but that didnt work out. However, if they were figures, it would all make sense! With a sharp glint in his eyes, Zhang Xuan began examining the stone tablets before him closely once more. This time, with his focus on the form of each inscribed word, they suddenly seemed to float out of the stone tablet before his eyes and string together as one. Taking a closer look, he realized in astonishment that it was drawing out a zhenqi cirction pathway. "Let me try cultivating it..." After gaining a thorough understanding of the various zhenqi cirction pathways of the battle technique, Zhang Xuan began driving his zhenqi through his body in the same manner reflected on the stone tablets. Geji! Geji! With the overwhelming might of the Heavens Path zhenqi, the acupoints along the zhenqi cirction pathway were opened instantaneously. Whenever Zhang Xuan encountered wed sections of the technique, he would utilize the correct version which he hadpiled in the Library of Heavens Path previously instead. Cracking sounds echoed relentlessly from Zhang Xuans body. "So this is how the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm should be cultivated..." Soon, after driving his zhenqi a cirction through his body, he had finally managed to master the palm art. As there were too many ws in the palm art, Zhang Xuan ended up being unable topile it into a Heavens Path battle technique, leaving it only at Saint intermediate-tier. Nevertheless, it was still an advanced battle technique that was far beyond the means of ordinary Nascent Saints to cultivate. In fact, it would be difficult for even Saint 4-dan experts to grasp the technique. However, Zhang Xuan was an exception as he had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher previously. The zhenqi which he harnessed within his body was boundless like the vast ocean, granting his sufficient energy to execute the technique. At the same time, the exceptionally pure Heavens Path zhenqi was able to reach and open up even the smallest meridians within his body. As such, he actually seeded in cultivating the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm to Minor Aplishment! The cultivation of battle techniques could be divided into Novice, Initiate, Minor Aplishment, Major Aplishment, and Consummation. "With so many ws remaining in the palm art, itll suffice for me to cultivate it to Minor Aplishment. I should find an opportunity to head to the Palm Hall of the Combat Master Hall to find more books to perfect the technique into a Heavens Path Palm Art before cultivating it further..." Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan stood up. There were simply far too many ws in the palm art. It was fortunate that the ws had only weakened the might of the palm art and increased the depletion of zhenqi required in its execution instead of inflicting permanent harm on his body like the Unbounded Voyager. Otherwise, he would have never cultivated it. "Its really too crude..." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. This must have been the most wed battle technique that he had practiced ever since he started cultivating. He couldnt help but shake his head at this great embarrassment. "Principal Zhang, how is it?" Noting that Zhang Xuan seemed to have dawned on something, Wu shi and the others hurriedly turned their gazes towards him. After studying the stone tablets for some time, they had seeded in tranting quite a few portions of the stone tablets and gathered some insights of their own. However, the stone tablets still remained as much of an enigma to them as before. "The battle technique contained within the stone tablet is a palm art. I have managed to decipher and grasp it..." Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. "A palm art?" "You managed to grasp it?" Everyone was stunned. While all they could see were a bunch of jumbled up words, the young man before them had already managed to decipher the text and even sessfully grasp it... Wasnt his wisdom a little too earth-shattering! "A palm art? You have managed to decipher and grasp it?" Hong long! Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when the ground suddenly rumbled deafeningly. Taking a look, he saw that Ancient Sage Qiu Wus sculpture had leaped into the courtyard and was currently staring at him with a perplexed look in his eyes. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu knew how difficult the trial he had left behind was. Even the most talented of his students required at least several months in order to decipher the secret behind the stone tablets. Yet, the young man actually managed to grasp the palm art he had left behind in less than six hours? Was it really possible for a human to have such high wisdom? Chapter 1071: Crossing Palms Chapter 1071: Crossing Palms Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. "If I am not mistaken, the name of your palm art is Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm!" The sculpture widened his eyes in astonishment. "You... know the name of the palm art?" He had only recorded the zhenqi cirction pathway of the palm art in the form of figures on the stone tablets; nowhere on the stone tablets was the name of the palm art stated. Just where in the world did that fellow learn of the name? "This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before his eyebrows shot up. It suddenly dawned on him as well that the name of the palm art was not stated anywhere on the stone tablets. Even though he had practiced the battle technique, he would only know that it was a palm art and not what palm art it was. "Elder, I happen to have read some of your records and learned that you have a powerful palm art named Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, which has been lost with time. While practicing the palm art recorded on the stone tablets, I realized that it is very simr to the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, so I deduced that this palm art might be it," Zhang Xuan replied. One thing was for sure, he could not reveal the details concerning the Library of Heavens Path. Whether the other party believed him or not, that was not his concern anyway. The sculpture was stunned. "You have read some of my records?" You did not seem to have read my records when I tried to take you in as my student back in the Unbounded World though... Nevertheless, he knew that there was no point pursuing this matter. Thus, the sculpture turned to Zhang Xuan once more and asked, "You said that you not only deciphered the palm art, you have even grasped it as well, correct?" "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The sculpture shook his head. "You would have cleared the trial just by deciphering the palm art. But to practice it as well... Reckless, you are really too reckless!" He was the one who had created the palm art, so he knew full well how difficult it was to practice the technique. Even the strongest among their expedition group, the Saint 4-dan pinnacle master teacher, would not have sufficient zhenqi to practice the technique. For a Nascent Saint to try it out... wasnt he just asking for trouble? "This fist art has reached Saint intermediate-tier, and it would be difficult for even Saint 5-dan experts to master the technique. Those whose cultivation dont meet the mark will only injure themselves by practicing it. Back when I first created the technique, it took an entire year and three months just to achieve Novice mastery, three years to reach Initiate, and Minor Aplishment... nearly eight years! Of my disciples, even the most talented of them took forty years in order to reach Minor Aplishment!" the sculpture said as he reminisced about the past. It had not been easy even for him, the creator of the fist art, to master it. Just reaching Minor Aplishment had taken him twelve whole years. His students had fared much worse than him, such that they were not even worth mentioning. Just from that alone, it could be seen how difficult it was to learn the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm. "You must have given up after realizing that it will be extremely difficult for you to grasp the technique with your current cultivation, right? Thats the right way to go. Without my guidance, there is a good chance that you might end up cultivating it incorrectly, and that could lead to disastrous consequences..." Before he could finish his words, the young man before him scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "While practicing the technique earlier... I think that I identally reached Minor Aplishment." "You identally reached Minor Aplishment?" The sculpture shook wildly, and it nearly burst apart on the spot. It was just a moment ago that he said that he, despite being the creator of the palm art, took twelve years to reach Minor Aplishment. How long had it been since the young man before him started practicing it? Even assuming that the other party had deciphered the stone tablets as soon as he arrived, he would still only have had around six hours to practice the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Art... And yet, Minor Aplishment? Was he for real? "Indeed. To be honest with you, your Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm is indeed very strong, but its a pity that it simply has too many ws." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. "Its really distressing for me to practice a technique like this." "You!" As soon as the sculpture heard those words, he nearly fainted from rage. Back in the Unbounded World, that fellow directed those words to another one of his soul fragments, and eventually, that fragmented soul ended up losing itsposure and dissipated. And now... he was off again! Just what did I do to offend you? If its so distressing for you to practice my technique, why the heck did you cultivate it to Minor Aplishment? "You said that you cultivated it to Minor Aplishment?" Frowning, the sculpture nced at Zhang Xuan and said, "It is possible for me to gauge if you have learned my palm art correctly and how deep your mastery of it is through the might you exert with it. How about this? Ill suppress my cultivation to Nascent Saint and execute my Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm at Minor Aplishment mastery, and as long as you can withstand my attack, I will acknowledge that you have indeed grasped the essence of my palm art!" There was probably no one who could remain calm after having his capabilities doubted by a mere Nascent Saint cultivator multiple times. It was not the first time that the young man before him had said such words. Thus, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu decided to teach the other party a lesson so as to make him learn that there was a greater world beyond the world he saw. Otherwise, with such acent attitude, the other party would not go far in life, and that would truly be a huge loss to mankind. "This..." Hearing that the other party intended to cross palms with him, Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment. "You are able to execute battle techniques despite being a sculpture?" "Of course! I might only be a sculpture at the moment, but through my fragmented soul, I am still able to easily utilize strengthparable to a Nascent Saint!" the sculpture replied before raising his palm. An indomitable aura immediately permeated the area, exerting an incredible pressure on all lifeforms standing in the vicinity. "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was already a renowned top-notch expert in the Master Teacher Continent before he joined Kong shis ranks. He was known to be a peerless existence even among those who had reached the same height in their cultivation as him. Even if Ancient Sage Qiu Wu suppresses his cultivation to Nascent Saint, theres no way Principal Zhang will be able to take his palm!" "Thats a definite. After all, the palm art was created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, and he has practiced it for innumerable years. On the other hand, Principal Zhang has barely had six hours to grasp the technique. Within such a short period of time, no matter how talented he may be, how much could he possibly haveprehended?" "Indeed, there is simply too huge a difference between the both of them; Principal Zhang doesnt stand a chance." ... Upon seeing this sight, Wu shi and the others shook their heads. In their view, there was no way Zhang Xuan stood a chance against Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. One had barely cultivated the technique for six hours whereas the other had years of experience. Not to mention, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was one of the strongest experts in the continent. Even with his cultivation suppressed to Nascent Saint as well, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to be able to match him. "This..." Seeing how adamant the other party was on the matter, Zhang Xuan could only relent with a nod. "Alright then." To be honest, even though he had said that he had practiced the palm art, he had not had an opportunity to execute the technique yet. All he had done was drive his zhenqi through the cirction pathway as stated in the palm art manual. This spar would serve as a good opportunity for him to gauge the strength harnessed within the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Art. If it was still decently powerful, he could consider using it in future battles. "Lets begin then!" the sculpture said as he thrust his palm forward with overwhelming momentum. Boom! A devastating aura that was reminiscent of innumerable heavenly demons descending upon thends pervaded the surroundings. It exerted a crushing pressure not only on ones physical body but on ones soul as well. The prowess of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm did not just lie in its physical might but its ability to assault souls and Primordial Spirit as well. This was precisely why it was extremely well-known back in the ancient era despite only being a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique. "How strong..." "Despite standing such a long distance away... Even though the attack isnt directed toward me, my body still instinctively stiffened in fear, rendering me incapable of retaliating at all!" "As expected of a battle technique created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! If I could master it, my fighting prowess would surely be enhanced by at least twofold!" "This palm art requires the user to infuse their soul energy into the palm strike as well in order to bring forth the immense might it harnesses. It wont be easy to grasp it." ... Feeling the might of the palm art, Wu shi and the others found their bodies stiffening uncontrobly, and their faces paled in astonishment and fear. It was simply too powerful! To be honest, the sculptures movements were not fast, and there was not anything particrly profound about it either. Yet, it harnessed a might that left one feeling deeply helpless before it, both physically and mentally. This was a sensation that none of the battle techniques they had cultivated could ever hope to evoke in their opponents. Truly terrifying! "No wonder Ancient Sage Qiu Wu said that the palm art wont be easy to practice, I can now see why. I wonder how deep a mastery Principal Zhang has achieved in the technique," Wu shi said. The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm had already transcended the level of being a mere maneuver involving the use of ones palms. In order to execute the technique, ones spirit, psyche, and mind had to be perfectly aligned with ones movements. Without years of training, it would be impossible to pull it off. As talented as Principal Zhang was, he was simply too young. The experience he could have rued would inevitably be terribly limited. As such, it was truly unlikely that he would be able to grasp the very essence of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Art. The reason most cultivators chose to journey through the world to experience the many facets of life, be it joy, anger, sorrow, or envy, was to temper their state of mind, making it more wholesome and resilient. There were also many cultivation techniques and battle techniques that were built upon such experiences, and without personally going through those experiences, it would be difficult for one to grasp its essence. With such thoughts in mind, Wu shi could not help but turn his gaze toward the young man in question, only to see the young man standing calmly with his hands behind his back, not in a rush to prepare his defense. He nced at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking about, but unspeakable sorrow was reflected in the depths of his eyes. Perhaps his lover had left him behind, or maybe his kin or a close friend had passed away before his eyes, but in that moment, he exuded a forlorn aura that felt as if the whole world had abandoned him. Wu shi narrowed his eyes before eximing in shock. "That is... a terpsichorean art?" It was just a simple posture, but it emanated deep sorrow that spectators could vividly feel with their entire existence. This was no longer just a state of mind but a technique involving the soul as well. "Terpsichorean art? I thought that terpsichorean arts utilize dance in order to assault ones opponents?" Feng Xun asked in confusion. In his view, terpsichore was an upation that put others in a trance through their resplendent clothes and graceful movements. Due to the nature of the upation, it was usually practiced only by females. How could Principal Zhang be a terpsichore as well? Not to mention, even if he was a terpsichore, all he was doing was standing still in his in and unspectacr master teacher robe. How could something like that be considered a terpsichorean art? "Its true that most terpsichores utilize dance as a medium tounch soul attacks against their opponents. However... its said that if one achieves a deep mastery in terpsichorean arts, one will be able to put others into a trance even with the simplest of gestures. Even though Principal Zhang isnt moving, Im certain you can feel your soul resonating with his state of mind..." At this point, Wu shi raised his finger and pointed. "Look at them..." Feng Xun turned his gaze over and saw that thebat masters behind him had their emotions deeply moved by Zhang Xuan, and tears were flowing uncontrobly down their faces. "This..." Feng Xun narrowed his eyes in shock. He thought that it was already an amazing feat for Zhang Xuan to possess a deep understanding of formations and wield strengthparable to his. Who would have thought that he possessed such fearsome means to deal with the soul as well? Even though thebat masters behind him only possessed cultivations of Saint 1-dan and Saint 2-dan, they were all experts who were capable of easily rivaling opponents far stronger than them, so it would be a huge mistake to measure them solely based on their cultivation realms. Furthermore, they had also undergone training to temper their souls and fend off soul attacks. Yet, with just a nce, they had all sumbed to Zhang Xuans terpsichorean art,pletely helpless to retaliate. In that moment, Feng Xun felt his goosebumps rising all over his skin. "Look, its starting!" Amid his shock, Wu shi suddenly eximed loudly, jolting him back from his daze. He hurriedly turned his gaze over and saw Principal Zhang rising his palm lightly to face the sculptures strike squarely. His movements could not have been considered fast, and there was nothing elegant or impressive about them either. It resembled nothing but a simple push, and yet, it left the crowd feeling as if they were standing atop a small boat amid a violent storm in the ocean. In that instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to have morphed into a gigantic heavenly demon, and his presence crushed their souls so tightly that none of them could even gather the slightest courage to stand against him. "Hmm?" Noticing the abrupt change in the young mans disposition, the sculptures initial calm expression turned slightly grave. Frowning deeply, he infused more strength into his palm strike. Peng! The two palms finally collided with one another, and an incredible shockwave surged into the surroundings. Sou! Before the sculpture could even process what was going on, he was sent flying into a stone tablet and shattered into pieces. Everyone was dumbfounded. "This..." "The same cultivation realm, the same palm strike, and the same level of mastery... and Principal Zhang was still able to defeat Ancient Sage Qiu Wu in a single strike?" Chapter 1072: Ancient Sage Qiu Wu Dissipates From Shock... Again Chapter 1072: Ancient Sage Qiu Wu Dissipates From Shock... Again Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 None of them had doubted that Principal Zhang was going to be sent flying from Ancient Sage Qiu Wus palm strike, but the situation ended up being theplete reverse. The expert who had stood beside Kong shi for many years ended up being instantly destroyed instead! More importantly, the fellow who had instantly destroyed him had done it using his palm art after practicing it for barely six hours! "How in the world can I ever match up with that monster?" Feng Xun, whose hair had been devastated by the shockwave, was on the verge of tears. Even though he had lost to Zhang Xuan the previous time around, he had been able to ept his loss calmly because he thought that as long as he cultivated diligently after returning to the Combat Master Hall, he would eventually be able to return the favor and cleanse himself of the humiliation. However, after witnessing the insane might that Zhang Xuan was able to exert on a whim... he should just abandon all hopes of that then and there. Otherwise, he would only be treading down a path where he would suffer blow after blow until insanity finally consumed him. "You... Are you sure that you have only reached a mastery of Minor Aplishment?" Just like the shocked crowd, the sculptures head rose from its destroyed remains and stared at Zhang Xuan, bbergasted. The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm was a technique that he had created after long years of studying and experimentation, and he thought that no one would be able to top him in it. Yet, he was still sent flying so easily. How could the might wielded by the other partys attack be so much greater than his? "Un, it is only at Minor Aplishment!" Zhang Xuan had never used the palm art before, so he had not thought that it would be so powerful either. If he had known earlier, he would have made sure to hold back so that he did not destroy the other partys body. He could not help but feel a little embarrassed. "There were too many ws in the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm previously, so I altered it slightly. I really did not think that it would be so powerful. My sincere apologies..." The sculpture widened his eyes in shock. "Altered? You altered my palm art?" In just six short hours, not only did that fellow decipher the battle technique he had left behind and practice it to a mastery of Minor Aplishment, he even... thought that it was too weak and modified it. Man, you are really heading for the stars! "Un. Your Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm is a decent palm art indeed, wielding considerable strength. However, it is simply riddled with too many ws; there are exactly 27 of them! Due to the limitations of my shallow knowledge, I was only able to resolve 18 of them, so there are still 9 remaining, which I cant find a solution to at the moment." Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. If he had sufficient palm art manuals at hand, he never would have practiced such a wed palm art. Just thinking about it was sufficient to leave him deeply frustrated. Hu! The sculpture was in the midst of regathering his shattered body when he heard those words, and he shook intensely, nearly shattering once more. Shallow knowledge... And furthermore, what is with that frustrated look on your face? Will you die if you stop showing off for a while? It is a fist art I created, and even I was unable to correct it any further. With just a look, you were able to resolve two-thirds of the remaining ws, and you call that having shallow knowledge? If thats considered as shallow, should I just end my life right here and right now? It is a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, and you actually feel frustrated from practicing it. I am the one who should be frustrated! Due to the intense fluctuations in his state of mind, more and more cracks began appearing on the regathering sculpture. He had left behind his ancient domain to find himself an outstanding student to pass down his heritage so as to return glory and honor to his lineage. Who would have thought that instead of disying his awe-inspiring might as an esteemed elder, he ended up suffering blow after blow instead? Suppressing his vexed emotions, the sculpture asked, "Which 18 ws did you alter?" Given that they were at the same cultivation realm using the same palm art with the same level of mastery, the fact that the might harnessed by the other partys palm was far greater than his went to show that the other party had sessfully improved his palm art. As the one who had painstakingly created the technique, it was natural that he wanted to know what mistakes his palm art had. "You wish to know? I can teach you!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Kacha! A huge crack appeared on the sculpture, and Ancient Sage Qiu Wu felt a sharp pain assaulting its chest. "Theres no need for it..." As much as he wanted to know where he had gone wrong, he did not think that he could take it if the other party were to ask him to acknowledge him as his teacher once more. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Its actually quite simple. The first w is that when ones zhenqi is directed toward the Spiritual Sea..." Zhang Xuan began exining the ws. As he did not have sufficient advanced movement arts to fuse together with the Boundless Voyager, he only knew of its ws and not how they should be resolved. As such, he was unable to respond to the other partys query back then. However, for the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, he already had the solutions for those eighteen ws, so it was not a big deal for him to recite them to the other party. Kacha! Kacha! Hearing those words, more and more cracks appeared on the sculpture. Too overwhelmed with shock, it seemed to be at the limits of its endurance. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had only left a sliver of his soul in the ancient domain. Furthermore, with the passing of innumerable years, his fragmented soul had already grown incredibly weak and unstable. As such, after suffering consecutive traumas from Zhang Xuan, he was already nearing the point of dissipation. It was not that his mental resilience was too weak, but the fellow before him was simply too exaggerated. To his shock, the 27 ws listed were also identical to what Kong shi had said back then. Kong shi had not solved them for him back then either, tasking him to find a solution himself. Zhang Xuans words had truly enlightened him. The ws of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm were an issue that had gued his mind for a very long time, and learning the solutions to them had left him feeling as if he would be content even if he were to die at that very instant. His mind inadvertently ckened, and that singlepse in concentration triggered the start of his dissipation. "... These are the eighteen ws that I have altered. As for the remaining nine, theres nothing I can do about them at the moment." Very soon, Zhang Xuan was done reciting the portions of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm that he had corrected. Raising his gaze, he looked at the sculpture once more, and his eyes immediately widened in horror. "Ah! What... happened to you?" The sculpture, which had been trying its best to regather its body earlier, suddenly copsed onto the ground as if a b of mud. Even the previously intact head waspletely covered with cracks, reminiscent of a spider web. It looked as if it was on the verge of shattering altogether. "I see, I see... So, all along, I have been practicing it in the wrong manner. It is no wonder I was unable to reach greater heights despite many years of hard work." Seemingly oblivious to Zhang Xuans words, the sculpture muttered in a daze beneath his breath, and more and more cracks crept across its head. After a momentarymentation, the sculpture raised his gaze and looked at Zhang Xuan. "Thank you for your guidance. Not only did you manage to decipher my palm art, you even altered it to such perfection. You have cleared my trial, and you are qualified to obtain my heritage. My heritage is... is... is..." Halfway through his words, however, a loud kacha! sounded. Hu! The sculptures head shattered. Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck. He hurriedly rushed forward in an attempt to piece the sculptures head together, but upon contact, the shattered fragments were reduced to dust. The fragmented soul deposited within it had already vanished. "You havent said what your heritage is!" Zhang Xuans body trembled in anxiety as he nearly spewed blood. Isnt this Ancient Sage Qiu Wu a little too unreliable? Didnt you say that anyone who cleared your trial will be entitled to your heritage? So, how can you shatter before revealing what your heritage is? Heck, this is too much! He was not the only one who was feeling frenzied by the turn of events. Wu shi and the others also had their eyes widened in shock, and they nearly burst out crying. After going through so much trouble, just when the heritage seemed to be within reach... the will of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu ended up being so heavily traumatized by Principal Zhang that he dissipated on the spot before managing to utter a word about the heritage. At this moment, they felt as if someone had taken a treasure that was right before their reach and tossed it into the ocean! What the heck was with that? Moments earlier, they had still been thinking that it was a good thing that they entered the ancient domain together with Zhang Xuan. His talent, sharp wits, andprehension of formations were top-notch, and they felt that they would be safe following behind him. If the expedition team were to obtain something good in the ancient domain, they would at least gain a share of it as well. However, at this moment, it dawned on them that they were gravely mistaken! Now that even Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul was traumatized to the point of dissipating on the spot, the heritage had disappeared for good. In other words, there was not even a morsel left for them anymore! "This... Perhaps his time was up, so the sculpture ended up shattering apart." While the crowd was feeling depressed by the situation before them, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up with an apologetic look. "Even though we did not manage to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage, we still have the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm. Mastering it should induce a significant rise in your individual fighting prowess." "Un." The crowd nodded. There was no way around it anymore. Since Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul had already dissipated, who else would possibly know what the heritage was and where it could found? There was no point brooding over it anymore. At the very least, they still had a powerful palm art left. With this thought in mind, the crowd turned to the stone tablet once more, but a familiar, crisp sound echoed yet again. Kacha! Kacha! Innumerable cracks crept across all of the stone tablets with an unstoppable momentum. Guild Leader Han was the first to realize what was going on, and he quickly exined to the dumbfounded crowd, "These stone tablets have long exceeded their lifespan. It was only with the reinforcement of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul that they were able to hold on for so long. With the dissipation of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul, they are rapidly deteriorating as well..." However, before he could finish his words, the ground suddenly began shaking intensely as well. It felt as if the countdown to the utter destruction of the folded space had just begun ticking. "Lets quickly leave! Just like the stone tablets, the folded space for the trial was held in ce by Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul as well. We have to get out of here as soon as we can." Right after saying those words, Guild Leader Han hurriedly rushed off, leading the way forward. Knowing that any dy could result in them being trapped eternally within this copsing folded space, they hurriedly followed Guild Leader Han as well, not daring to hesitate. Zhang Xuan also stuck close to the group. Not too longter, they returned back to the flower garden, only to see that Luo Ruoxin was no longer around. They quickly rushed back the way they hade from, and right after they stepped out from the door, the nine doors behind them abruptly copsed before vanishing altogether. It was as if what they had gone through earlier was only a mere dream. "This..." The crowd looked at one another, and cold sweat gushed down their backs. It was fortunate that they had cleared the trial, thus causing the seal that prevented them from leaving to copse. Otherwise, they might have just disappeared along with the folded space. That was really a close shot! "Where is Ruoxin?" Zhang Xuan asked as he scanning his surroundings anxiously. She was not in the flower garden earlier, so why was she not outside either? Worried, Zhang Xuan was about to use his Eye of Insight to track Luo Ruoxins whereabouts when he suddenly saw thetter flying back from the distance. Luo Ruoxinnded before him and asked, "How was it? Have you obtained the heritage?" "Cough cough... We didnt obtain the heritage. Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul ended up dissipating after being traumatized by Principal Zhangs words before he could even present us with the heritage," Mu shi exined awkwardly. "Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul dissipated?" Luo Ruoxin turned a curious gaze to the young man before her. "I..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head, not knowing how to respond to her gaze. All he had done was to share the alterations he had made to the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm with the other party. It was not like he had said anything much. How was he to know that the other party would be so trauma-prone? To think that he was even known as an ancient sage... "This is the manual of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm that I altered earlier. Feel free to cultivate it. Consider itpensation for joining the expedition to the ancient domain." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan began writing down a copy of his corrected Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm manual before passing it over to the crowd. Regardless of whether Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had dissipated due to his words or not, it was a fact that he had prevented the others from obtaining the heritage. The least he could do was offer the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm manual to them aspensation. "Thank you..." The eyes of the crowd lit up in agitation. Wu shi flipped open the manual, and the others quickly turned their eyes over. Not too longter, they were done going through the secret manual, and they could not help but turn their gazes toward the young man before them with horrified looks. "Principal Zhang... is this really the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm? Did you really achieve Minor Aplishment in it within just six hours of practice?" They gulped subconsciously. Without a doubt, the palm art was indeed very powerful. However, it was for the very same reason that mastering it was an extremely difficult feat as well. Putting everything else aside, even if a 7-star high-tier master teacher like Wu shi were to devote his effort to the technique, it would at least take ten years for him to achieve Novice mastery, let alone Minor Aplishment. Yet... such a difficult battle technique, and the fellow before them had actually managed to achieve Minor Aplishment within just six hours. Furthermore, he was able to harness greater strength than Ancient Sage Qiu Wu when both of them were at the same cultivation. Just how in the world did he do it? It was no wonder Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul ended up being traumatized to the point of dissipation. If it had been them, they would have reacted in the same manner as well! Thinking back, his previous im of saying that he had attempted to ept Ancient Sage Qiu Wu as his student is likely true as well... That freak! the crowd thought in their minds. Chapter 1073: Meeting the Skyleaf King Once More Chapter 1073: Meeting the Skyleaf King Once More Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuan watched as the crowd cultivated the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, but even after a while had passed, none of them was able to reach Novice mastery. He couldnt help but shake his head at that sight. While he had altered eighteen of the palm arts ws, there were still nine more to go. As such, practitioners of the technique would still require a vast amount of zhenqi in order to execute it. The members of the expedition team werent weak either, but unlike Zhang Xuan, they hadnt cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and werecking inparison. It couldnt be helped that they wouldnt be able to master the technique in a moments time. As the saying goes, even the most capable of housewives are unable to prepare a meal without ingredients. No matter how good a teacher Zhang Xuan was, there was nothing he could if the crowds zhenqi capacity and purity werecking. "I am heading to the Saint Ascension Hall to find the old principal. Is there anyone who wishes to tag along?" Knowing that they wouldnt make much progress at this rate, Zhang Xuan spoke up and said. In any case, he had already imparted theplete Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm to them, so how far they could take the palm art to would depend on their own aptitude. Previously, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had said that the old principal and the Skyleaf King had gone into the Saint Ascension Hall. If they intended to save the old principal, they would have to head there as well. "Lets go there together!" Wu shi and the others replied with a nod. They had already memorized the form to the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, so it was pointless for them to hang around the area anymore. It would be better for them to quickly find Zhang Yinqiu and the others and get out of the ancient domain. "Where did you go earlier?" As the group headed forward, Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered how Luo Ruoxin had left for a brief moment in their absence, so he sent a telepathic message over to ask out of curiosity. "I just wandered around the area to take a look..." the youngdy replied with a smile. "I see..." Seeing that the other party was unwilling to speak, Zhang Xuan chose not to press any further too. Following the markings on the map, it didnt take long for the crowd to arrive before a grand pavilion. There was no que above its entrance to indicate its name. Shrouded by mist, it emanated an aura of divinity. Taking a closer look, Guild Leader Han remarked with a grim expression, "Theres a particrly powerful formation constructed around the area. Those who enter might find themselves unable to leave anymore. How about this? Why dont I, Wu shi, and Principal Zhang enter to take a look first? The rest of you should just wait outside for the moment!" The pavilion had an illusory presence that felt as if it was concealed amidst the voidit was apparent that it was shrouded by a massive formation. Furthermore, recalling what Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had informed them earlier regarding the Saint Ascension Hall, there was very high chance that they might end up being stuck within. Given so, there was no need for all of them to undertake the risk together. "Wu shi, none of us here fears death..." Feng Xun said with a grim expression. "Its not a problem of whether you fear death or not, but that it will be the end of us all if we were to be trapped within the Saint Ascension Hall together. For the time being, itll be better for the rest of you to stand guard outside. If we arent out by three days, we may require you to seek help for us." Wu shi said grimly. "Alright then..." Feng Xun and the others hesitated for a while before nodding reluctantly. "You should wait outside as well. Dont worry, Ill be fine..." Zhang Xuan looked at Luo Ruoxin and smiled. He had no idea what would happen within, but there was no doubt that great dangery within. He didnt want the other party to undertake the risk as well. "Lets go together. At the very least, we will be able to look out for one another." the youngdy said. "But..." Zhang Xuan was nning to dissuade Luo Ruoxin, but upon meeting thetters resolute gaze, he hesitated for a brief moment before eventually nodding. "Alright. However, you must be very careful after we enter. No matter what happens, your safetyes first!" With a light smile, Luo Ruoxin nodded. Afraid that the escaped fragmented Primordial Spirit of the Skyleaf King would endanger the lives of the remaining group, Zhang Xuan had Guild Leader Han to construct a grade-7 pinnacle ughter Formation to protect the surroundings. Only after that was done did they step into the pavilion. The formation constructed around the pavilion worked in a simr fashion to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery in the sense that it was unidirectional. One would face no impediment entering the pavilion, but after stepping in, the formation would turn into an unbreakable wall confining them within. "We are indeed trapped inside..." Upon walking into the pavilion, they could feel that the space behind them was sealed up, and they nced at one another with grim expressions. They quickly scanned their surroundings, and after realizing that there was no apparent danger in the area, they heaved a sigh of relief before advancing ahead. The first floor of the pavilion was extremely vast. There were several rows of stone tablets, and every single one of them was densely inscribed with words. "These are... insights to achieving a breakthrough to Saint realm?" Taking a closer look and realizing what the content inscribed on the stone tablets were, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin traded surprised gazes. They had seen the words on the stone tablets before. They were identical to the insights inscribed on the road up the mountain leading to the Saint Ascension tform! "It seems like the Saint Ascension Hall does have a close connection to the Saint Ascension tform..." Simr names and stone tablets with identical contents, that was far too much to pass off as a coincidence. Wu shi and Guild Leader Han seemed to have been to the Saint Ascension tform before as well, and when they saw the content on the stone tablets, they were stunned for a brief moment as they frowned in bewilderment. Proceeding ahead, they were about to enter the second floor when a surge of sword qi suddenly flew for them from the depths of the Saint Ascension Hall. Boom! Wu shi and Guild Leader Han immediately drove their zhenqi to the maximum and rushed forward to face the sudden assault of sword qi. Even without a formation between them, they were still able to synergize their strength together to produce a might far greater than what they could achieve individually. Peng! Upon collision with the sword qi, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han were immediately forced back several steps as their faces paled. "Its the Skyleaf King..." Zhang Xuan eximed. To overwhelm thebined might of two Saint 4-dan experts with just a sword qi in itself... The only one who was capable of this feat was only the Skyleaf King, whom was trapped in the Saint Ascension Hall as well. "Hehehe, not bad! Zhang Xuan, I might not have been able to done anything to you if you hadnt entered the Saint Ascension Hall. But since you chose toe in, dont even dream about getting out of here alive!" With a cold harrumph, the Skyleaf Kings voice echoed deafeningly throughout the Saint Ascension Hall. In the next moment, a towering figure slowly walked out from the depths of the pavilion. Unlike the Primordial Spirit whom they had seen before, the Skyleaf King before them possessed a tangible body. He had a tall stature which towered over even the Scarletleaf King and the Stoneleaf King. "You recognize me? Then, that fragmented Primordial Spirit..." Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before realizing that the fragmented Primordial Spirit must have reported the happenings back to the Skyleaf King through some unique means. Or perhaps, the fragmented Primordial Spirit might have even flown back in to fuse back together with the Skyleaf King. "Since you are so audacious as to harm my Primordial Spirit, Im going to make sure that you suffer a fate worse than death!" Sneering coldly, the Skyleaf King raised his finger and flicked it lightly towards Zhang Xuan. rmed, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han hurriedly rushed forward to cover Zhang Xuan, driving their zhenqi to its capacity to fend off the Skyleaf Kings attack. Peng! Peng! With two dull thuds, the duo was sent flying. They were top-notch experts even when taking the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire into ount, but their cultivation was still a step away from matching up with the Skyleaf King, and this single step produced a world of difference in their fighting prowess. "Principal Zhang, run away!" Wu shi forcefully twisted his body so as to regain his bnce andnd back onto the floor, but the rebound from doing so caused a spurt of blood to spew from his mouth. Knowing that it would be difficult for them to fend off the Skyleaf King, Wu shi bellowed. Even before the other party had drawn out his Primordial Spirit, the both of them were already no match for him. If the other party were to really use his full strength, they could be annihted in an instant! "Run away? Are you really that delusional as to think that you can still run away at this point?" the Skyleaf King burst intoughter as he grasped at the space before him. Hu! In an instant, a powerful force shrouded the entire hall, sealing all paths of escape for them. "This is truly bad..." Not expecting that they would meet with a fully-powered Skyleaf King right after entering the Saint Ascension Hall, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. The other party was already guarded against him, so it would be impossible for him to beguile the other party to go along with his flow anymore. At the same time, fighting the other party face-on wasnt an option either. Were they really going to meet their end here? "Break!" Raising his palm, he executed the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, directing it towards the seal which the Skyleaf King had just set up. Weng! Simr to the surface of ake, upon striking on the seal, the force rippled on it for a moment, but it didnt break it apart. Instead, a force suddenly surged back towards Zhang Xuan, forcing him to retreat several steps back. "This is a secret art which I havee up with in the two years I was trapped here. Not even a Saint 5-dan expert will be able to break it open, so do you think that a Nascent Saint cultivator like you will be able to do so?" Noting Zhang Xuans actions, the Skyleaf King scoffed coldly. Guild Leader Han and Wu shi and stood up and attempted their strongest battle techniques against the seal, but it waspletely ineffective as well. "I still need toprehend those stuff that Kong shi left behind, so I have no time to be idling here with you. Lets end this quickly." Gazing upon the group coldly, the Skyleaf King raised his finger and shot a burst of sword qi towards them once more. This time, the might harnessed within the sword qi was greater than the ones before. It was directed straight towards Zhang Xuan, and if it were to strike, not even a deity would be able to bring him back to life. "It wont be easy to get out of here alive..." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He wasnt even a match for a fragment of the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit, let more the other party at full strength. Furthermore, it seemed like the other party had also advanced his cultivation a fair bit over the past two years, cing them in an extremely disastrous position. Nevertheless, he wasnt one to give up without a fight. Just as he was about to let his clone out to withstand the might of the sword qi, a brilliant radiance suddenly burst in the area. A loud buzzing sound reverberated before a thickyer of mist abruptly set into the area. "Its a grade-7 pinnacle formation te..." Only a grade-7 pinnacle formation te could produce such a thickyer of mist which even Saint realm experts couldnt peer through in an instant. But... grade-7 pinnacle formation tes were incredibly rare, such that even Guild Leader Han didnt have any of it. Why would it suddenly appear here? "Everyone, follow me..." Just as the crowd was feeling deeply perplexed, a voice abruptly sounded in their ears. Following which, the silhouette of an elder appeared before their eyes. "That is... Vice Principal Ji Yan?" Upon getting a closer glimpse of the other partys appearance, Wu shi couldnt help but exim. "Im indeed Ji Yan. Wu shi, please follow me..." the elder nodded hurriedly as he gestured forward. "Alright!" Nodding, Wu shi beckoned for the others to follow them closely before heading in the direction gestured by the elder. "Vice Principal Ji Yan?" Hearing the conversation between the duo, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. Just like the previous Vice Principal Mu Renxu, the elder before him was a vice principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well. The other party had entered the ancient domain together with Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu back then, and one way or another, they had managed to survive til now. "His cultivation..." While following behind the group, Zhang Xuan discreetly sneaked a peek at the elder, and his eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Vice Principal Ji Yan should only possess a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle two years ago, just like Vice Principal Mu Renxu and the others. Yet, at this moment, his cultivation was already at Saint 4-dan, on par with Wu shi and Guild Leader Han! To leap three realms within just two years, and in Saint realm at that... This was too exaggerated! "Your strength..." Having noticed the anomaly in Vice Principal Ji Yans strength as well, Wu shi couldnt help but ask. "The spiritual energy in here is significantly more concentrated aspared to the external world, and Kong shi has also left behind a fair bit of treasures. On top of that, we had to pit our wits and strength against the Skyleaf King day after day in the past two years, so we would have long died if we hadnt managed to grow that quickly..." Vice Principal Ji Yan replied with a bitter smile. Noting a particr word in Vice Principal Ji Yans words, Zhang Xuan asked, "How many people are left in your group?" The expedition team which the old principal had brought into the ancient domain back then consisted of roughly a group of thirty. Considering how there were roughly a dozen corpses outside, there should be at least seventeen or eighteen of them survivors remaining. "There are less than three of us remaining..." Vice Principal Ji Yan sighed deeply. "Less than three of us?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the response. There must be either two or three of them remaining in the group. What did less than three mean? Could there be two and a half of them remaining? Chapter 1074: We Cant Escape! Chapter 1074: We Cant Escape! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "You will know once youe along with me..." Noting the perplexed looks on the faces around him, Vice Principal Ji Yan shook his head bitterly and replied. Traversing through the mist, they soon arrived at a certain room. There were all kinds grade-7 pinnacle seals and traps lying all around the area. Even for an expert of the Skyleaf Kings caliber, there was no doubt that he would be torn into shreds if he were to be trapped within them. Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Judging from the current situation, it seemed like the Skyleaf King wielded the absolute advantage within the Saint Ascension Hall. Unable to stand up against him, they could only remain within this room and set up formations and traps so as to fend off the other party. Pushing open the door and entering, the room was only roughly several dozen square metersrge. There wasnt a single window within the room, and the only source of light within it was the dim radiance of a Night Illumination Pearl. Leaning against the wall was an old man whose both legs and right arm had been severed. Nevertheless, upon seeing the group which had returned, he hurriedly flew up and rushed towards them with eyes filled with disbelief. "Vice Principal Ji, this..." For the past two years, they had been the only humans within the Saint Ascension Hall. Thus, it wasnt too difficult to imagine his imagination upon seeing Zhang Xuan and the others. "Vice Principal Tan, this is Wu shi from Qingyuan Conferred Empire." Vice Principal Ji Yan introduced. "Vice Principal Tan? You are Tan Qing from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?" Finding the name familiar, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, and a figure abruptly surfaced in his mind. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had a total of four vice principals, and Mu Renxu, Ji Yan, and Tan Qing were three of them. "Thats indeed me..." Tan Qing nodded. With a perplexed look, he turned to Ji Yan and asked, "May I know how I should address these master teachers?" "This... Actually, I encountered them while they were being pursued by the Skyleaf King, so I quickly saved them and led them back here. I havent really gotten a chance to ask them for their names yet..." Vice Principal Ji Yan replied. As the situation was very precarious earlier, there wasnt any time for them to introduce themselves to one another. As such, he wasnt too sure whom the other three beside Wu shi were either. "This young man over here is the newly-appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang shi. This youngdy is Luo Ruoxin, Luo shi. Last but not least, this elder is the head of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Formation Master Guild, Han Xu." Wu shi swiftly introduced the group. "Newly-appointed principal?" Upon hearing the introduction, the eyes of the duo quickly turned to Zhang Xuan, and a deep frown appeared on their foreheads. They werent able to report the matter to the headquarters before heading to the ancient domain due to the urgency of the matter back then, so their abrupt disappearance was bound to create some chaos in the leadership of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. It was understandable that they would attempt to elect a new principal as soon as possible in order to stabilize the situation, but still, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was still one of the Four Great Academies... How could they allow a mere Nascent Saint cultivator, not to mention such a young child, to be the principal? Werent they making too light of Hongyuan? "Principal Zhang might be young, but he possesses extraordinary capabilities. Its due to him that we were able to advance through the ancient domain safely!" Noting theplicated looks on the duo, Wu shi could tell what they were thinking, so he hurriedly stepped forward to speak on Zhang Xuans behalf. To be honest, Zhang Xuan was simply too young that it was inevitable that others would doubt his capabilities. Even he himself had doubted the legitimacy of the other partys inauguration as the principal back then, let more the duo before him. "... Youre right. How could a person who was able to venture so deeply into the ancient domain possibly be someone ordinary?" After hearing Wu shis words, the duo pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. They had experienced the brutality of the Qiu Wu Pce firsthand, so they knew very well the dangers that lurked all around. Without outstanding capability, it was impossible for one to venture safely from the entrance to this point. Not to mention, even a person as esteemed as Wu shi had chosen to speak on the behalf of Zhang Xuan. Scanning the room, Zhang Xuan realized that a certain person was nowhere to be seen, so he asked with a perplexed frown, "Where is Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu?" Since the two vice principals were still alive, the old principal who had just sent the Principals Seal out shortly before should still be alive as well. Why wasnt he anywhere to be seen? Not to mention, Vice Principal Ji Yan had earlier replied his question with not a two but a less than three... "Principal Zhang Yinqiu..." Ji Yan and Tan Qing nced at one another as the light in their eyes dulled. After a moment of silence, Ji Yan was the one who spoke up, "Hes already dead..." "Dead? But Vice Principal Ji, didnt you say earlier that there were less than three of you remaining? There are only two of you here..." The one who spoke this time around was Guild Leader Han. Clearly, he had also noticed the anomaly in Vice Principal Jis words earlier. If there were only two of them remaining, an ordinary person would respond with a two. However, Vice Principal Ji Yan had replied with a less than three instead... There was bound to be a deeper reason behind it. There was no way a 6-star pinnacle master teacher would make such an elementary verbal mistake. "Indeed. There is still one more person other than us around, and he is Principal Zhang Yinqiu. However, the current state he is in... Its truly no different from being dead... However, he isnt here at the moment. I can only bring you to meet him within a specific timing!" Vice Principal Ji Yan exined. "No different from being dead?" Wu shi and the others nced at one another in bewilderment, unsure of what the two vice principals were driving at. However, looking at the duo, it seemed like they were reluctant to speak of it anymore, so they decided not to probe too deep at the moment as well. After a momentary pause, Wu shi turned his gaze over and asked, "What happened two years ago? Why didnt you report the matter to the headquarter?" In truth, Wu shi wasnt the only one who had been pondering over this question. Even Zhang Xuan found the matter incredulous as well. Considering how the old principal had erected a tomb for himself in the Mausoleum of Principals, there was no doubt that he was aware that the dangers lurking in the ancient domain were far beyond his means. Given so, the logical course of action should be to report the matter to the superior Master Teacher Pavilion. So, why did he remain silent on the matter, choosing to assemble an expedition team out of his own academy instead? "Its not that he doesnt want to report the matter to the headquarter, but that there was no time for it!" Vice Principal Ji Yan shook his head with a bitter smile. "Wu shi, you are quite close with Principal Zhang Yinqiu, so you should be aware that he idolizes Elder Wu Yangzi a lot. The greatest interest in his pastime was to explore the history of Elder Wu Yangzi and investigate his disappearance... Under his relentless efforts, he eventually found some intelligence and an important artifact concerning the ancient domain. His immediate response was to report the matter to the headquarter, but somehow, the news managed to travel to the ears of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe before he could do so. In the end, not only did the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe manage to dupe the important artifact away, they even managed to learn of the deeper secrets concerning the ancient domain... "Shortly after, he learned that the ancient domain was on the verge of opening, and there was no time to be lost. Thus, he gathered all of us overnight and rushed over as soon as possible!" Vice Principal Ji Yans exnation only served to deepen the frown on Wu shis forehead, "Zhang Yinqiu has a Communication Jade Token connected straight to the headquarter. As long as he wishes to, he could inform the headquarter of the matter any time he liked. It wouldnt have dyed him by too much... So why didnt he do so?" It wouldnt take more than ten breaths for Zhang Yinqiu to construct a message to the headquarter to inform them in detail of the entire incident! For a person who gathered an expedition team overnight and rushed right towards the ancient domain... Surely sending a message shouldnt be too difficult? iming that there was no time for it was truly a poor excuse! "If I am not mistaken, instead of saying that the news traveled to the ears of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, perhaps it might be more urate to say that they had insider news on the matter? In other words, a spy of the Otherworldly Demon had intercepted the message before it reached the headquarter, and that spy happens to be from the headquarter as well, and this left Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu deeply distrustful of the headquarter... Am I right?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before stating his deduction. Since Zhang Yinqiu didnt send out the message to the headquarter to inform that of the matter, that could only mean that there was something preventing him from doing so. "This... Zhang shi is indeed astute. Its indeed as you have said..." Hearing those words, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing couldnt help but nod their heads in awe. To be able to deduce this far based on the nuances of their words, this young Zhang shis discernment ability was truly outstanding. It was no wonder why he was eventually elected to seed Principal Zhang Yinqiu as the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. "Spy? From the headquarter?" Wu shi was stunned for a moment before he clenched his fists tightly together. He was a smart person as well, and it didnt take him too long to figure out what was going on. In the first ce, Zhang Yinqiu didnt have much of an understanding of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, when he was duped of the important artifact and intelligence from a fake master teacher from the headquarter, he became deeply apprehensive. He didnt know whom he could trust, so eventually, he didnt send out a message at all. Perhaps Zhang Yinqiu was intending to pay a visit to the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to inform them of the matter personally, but he abruptly received news that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was about to enter the ancient domain. Left with no choice, he could only assemble an expedition team by himself and head in personally, and eventually... none of them managed to return back. "Who is it?" Wu shi eyes narrowed menacingly. He knew all of the master teachers in the headquarter, so who in the world could the spy be? "We are all trapped here, so its meaningless even if we were to reveal the name to you now..." Vice Principal Ji Yan shook his head in disconstion. It was not like any one of them could escape and apprehend the spy, so what was the point of them speaking about the matter at the moment? Since that was going to be the case, they might as well just remain silent, so as the very least, there would be one less frustration for them to bother about. "Is it really impossible to escape from here?" Guild Leader Han asked. "Un. Im sure you should have seen the seal outside. Its constructed in a manner that makes it unidirectional, only allowing one to enter but not to leave. It is most probably set up by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu himself, so... unless one were to obtain his heritage andprehend the secret behind the seal, otherwise it will be impossible to escape from here!" Vice Principal Tan Qing shook his head. At this moment, he suddenly recalled a matter, and he looked at Wu shi and the others and asked with a gleam of hope in his eyes, "Right! Back then, the Skyleaf King was tight on our trail, and we werent able to shake him free. As such, we could only escape here directly. However, on your journey here, you should have noticed the door leading to Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage, right? How is it? Did you obtain the heritage?" "This..." Hearing those words, a look of awkwardness surfaced on the faces of Wu shi and the others. They did manage to enter the correct door, they sessfully met Ancient Sage Qiu Wus sculpture as well, and they even cleared the trial smoothly... But, they still failed to obtain the heritage! Would the two vice principals believe them if they were to tell them of such a bizarre matter? "Whats wrong? Could it be that... you didnt notice the mark Principal Zhang Yinqiu left behind?" Noticing the peculiar expressions on the faces around him, Vice Principal Ji Yan couldnt help but ask. The mark was very apparent, so surely master teachers of their caliber should have noticed it easily! "You were indeed the ones who had left the mark behind! But since you know that the heritage lies within the door, why didnt you enter to take a look?" It was Guild Leader Hans turn to be perplexed this time around. Since the mark was left behind by them, it should be apparent that they had opened the doors and confirmed the correct one to advance to. Since that was the case, why didnt they enter it? If they had chosen to enter it, the Skyleaf King could have died under the might of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. "Back then, we did manage to trigger the mechanism in the square that causes the nine doors to appear... However, shortly after we confirmed the right door, before we even had the opportunity to check it out, the Skyleaf King arrived at the square as well. The implications of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage is simply too great. If the Skyleaf King were to obtain it, it could be a cmity for the entire mankind! We cant afford to take such a gamble, and we dare not to either! Thus, Principal Zhang Yinqiu secretly left a mark on the door before rushing over here. Having a skeptical personality, even though the Skyleaf King saw the nine doors, he dared not to enter to check them out either for fear of it being a trap, so he continued pursuing us instead. Eventually, all of us ended up here..." Vice Principal Ji Yan recounted the situation back then. His words and description were nonchnt, but Zhang Xuan and the others could feel how intense the situation was back then. The fact that Vice Principal Mu Renxu had lost his life in the square, and the others had to flee without having an opportunity to collect his corpse went to show how dangerous the situation was back then. "By the time we entered the pavilion, we were already all exhausted. Even though we managed to ughter all of the Otherworldly Demons aside from the Skyleaf King remained, we also suffered great casualties in the process, to the point that we are the only survivors of the initial expedition team... It is fortunate that the terrain within here isplicated, thats why we were able to survive til now. Otherwise, we would have sure been wiped out long ago..." Vice Principal Ji Yan sighed. "I see!" The crowd nodded in response. They had all experienced the fearsome might of the Skyleaf King themselveseven a coboration between the powerful Wu shi and Guild Leader Han wasnt sufficient to match him. Considering how Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing were only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle back then, it wasnt difficult to imagine how helpless they would have been. It had truly been difficult for them to have survived two years while being trapped with the Skyleaf King. "Right, you still havent told us whether you have managed to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage or not?" After exining the matter, Vice Principal Ji Yan asked once more. This matter involved whether they would be able to escape from here or not, so he was determined to rify this matter. "This... We managed to clear the trial, but before Ancient Sage Qiu Wu could reveal to us what his heritage was, his fragmented soul had already dissipated after suffering multiple traumas from Principal Zhang!" After a long moment of silence, Wu shi finally spoke up. Chapter 1075: Celestial Saint? I Can Give It a Try Chapter 1075: Celestial Saint? I Can Give It a Try Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Dissipated... after suffering several traumas? What do you mean?" Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing were stunned, unable to process what they had just heard. If the other party were to say that they failed to find the correct door or that they did not even trigger the mechanism that induced the appearance of the nine doors in the first ce, they would still be able to understand it. But... to dissipate Ancient Sage Qiu Wus soul by traumatizing him... Why did it sound so profound that they could not understand a word of it? May I trouble you to rify the matter a little more? Noticing the two bewildered faces before him, Wu shis face reddened. He really had no idea how he was supposed to exin the matter to them, so he turned to Guild Leader Han for help. "I think itll be better for you to say it instead..." "Alright. The situation is like this..." With a deep sigh, Guild Leader Han contemted over his choice of phrases before he began recounting the matter. "You are saying that... Zhang shi managed to see through the ws in Ancient Sage Qiu Wus palm art? Not only did he manage to practice it to a mastery of Minor Aplishment, he even corrected it on top of that?" "Not to mention, he offered to take Ancient Sage Qiu Wu in as his student?" The two vice principals widened their mouths in shock, and they nearly cked out on the spot. Surely, they must have been listening to a fictional story! How could there be such a ridiculous master teacher in the world? That was Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! All who had heard of his affairs would revere him like a deity, not daring to even breathe loudly before him. Yet, that fellow actually offered to take Ancient Sage Qiu Wu in as his student? Do you not understand the meaning of what taking a person in as your student means, or are your guts so inted that even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu means nothing to you? "Cough cough..." Noticing the shocked gazes of the duo on him, Zhang Xuan quickly exined himself. "All I did was share the ws of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm with Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. I didnt expect that he would be so brittle, copsing at the slightest trauma. Jeez, he really does need to temper his mind a little more." To be honest, he also did not intend for such a situation to happen. It was not as if he had done it intentionally. "Brittle?" "Temper?" The duo was renderedpletely speechless by Zhang Xuans words. One of the most renowned Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a figure who had stood alongside the Worlds Teacher through numerous crises... It was already a blessing that he did not die from anger from having a several-dozen-millenniums-younger junior like Zhang Xuan attempting to take him in as his student, and yet, the young man expected him not to be traumatized by the matter? Not to mention, he altered the prided palm art that the other party created on the spot, strengthening it significantly. The fact that Qiu Wu was still able to talk to him after that was already testimony to his incredible mental resilience. A momentter, Vice Principal Ji Yan shook his head with a bitter smile. "So, you didnt receive the heritage either... It seems like we really wont be getting out of here today..." A treasure trove was right before them, but that fellow ended up pushing it right off the cliff. How in the world did such a ridiculous master teacher be their new principal? They were really starting to worry for the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academys future. But in any case, without the heritage, they would not be able to escape from the ce either. Their worry would not change a thing at all. They were still hoping that those who had received their news woulde to their rescue, but from the looks of it... their expectations might have truly been a little too high. Paying no heed to the disappointed looks around him, Zhang Xuan asked, "What exactly is the Saint Ascension Hall? How is it rted to the Saint Ascension tform?" Saint Ascension Hall and Saint Ascension tform... Given how simr their names were and that they were both rted to Kong shi, it was hard to believe that there was no rtion between the both of them. "Theres indeed a rtionship between the both of them. If Im not mistaken..." Vice Principal Ji Yan began to reply, but before he could finish his words, the ground suddenly began trembling intensely, and it felt as if the pavilion would cave in on them at any moment. rmed, Wu shi and the others asked anxiously, "Whats going on?" Vice Principal Ji Yan seemed to be very used to the trembling, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, "This happens every single day at irregr intervals... Lets go, Ill bring you to meet Principal Zhang Yinqiu. However, just a word of warning, we will only have an incenses time. We will have to return here before then, or else we will face grave danger like before." "Meet Principal Zhang Yinqiu?" The crowd was stunned for a moment before nodding. "Alright!" "Lets go!" Without wasting any more time on words, Vice Principal Ji Yan led the way forward. As Vice Principal Tan Qing had lost three of his limbs, and there were several ces where he would be unable to fly, he decided to remain behind. Bypassing the many formations and traps outside, the group headed straight forward, and before long, they arrived at the very top of the Saint Ascension Hall. The roof of the Saint Ascension Hall was t, and at the very center, there was a round tform, which emanated a brilliant glow. The previous tremor seemed to have originated from the energy released by the round tform. "This is..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The round tform before him was identical to the one that had appeared after the cliff face on the Saint Ascension tform copsed previously. Back then, after he had pointed out the ws in Kong shis writings, the cliff face broke apart, and a round tform emerged from within. Standing above it, he and Luo Ruoxin had ended up being transported into a folded space. Back then, he had thought that the round tform was the ce where Kong shi had seated when he ascended to be a Celestial Saint. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like he was mistaken. Noticing Zhang Xuans confusion, Vice Principal Ji Yan exined, "Indeed. This is real Saint Ascension tform that Kong shi left behind when he ascended to Sainthood. The one outside is nothing more than an imitation..." "This is the real Saint Ascension tform?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. The conferment of a Celestial Saint was not a small matter. Thends where the conferment urred would surely be suffused with the energy of the world, so how could there only be a few halos here and there? Furthermore, how could such an importantndmark be left open on the top of a mountain, not fearing that it would be found by anyone? Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began examining the Saint Ascension tform carefully. There a peculiar sheet of light covering the top of the round tform, and ripples of energy were flowing on top of it. The ripples of energy seemed to carry an extraordinary quality to nourish the Saint aura within one. It felt like one could advance ones cultivation significantly just by taking in a whiff of it. "Even a sliver of energy emanated from a Celestial Saint is a great nourishment to ordinary cultivators like us. It is due to it that I was able to advance my cultivation so quickly," Vice Principal Ji Yan said. The others nodded in agreement. The energy emanated by the round tform felt warm, as if one was bathed amid sacred light. Even though it had not been long since Wu shi and the others had arrived in the Saint Ascension Hall, they could feel that their thought process had quickened significantly, and the cells in their bodies had grown more vigorous as well. Under such circumstances, their rate of cultivation would be enhanced immensely. As long as ones talent was not too bad, advancing three realms within just a short two years under such circumstances was entirely possible. At this point, Vice Principal Ji Yan stepped forward, and pointing to an area not too far away from the round tform, he said, "Principal Zhang Yinqiu is here..." Taken aback, the crowd hurriedly turned their gazes over, only to see a statue standing in the direction Vice Principal Ji Yan pointed out. The statue was extremely lifelike, and it bore a striking resemnce with the paintings of Zhang Yinqiu within the Master Teacher Academy. A calm voice suddenly came from the statue. "Wu shi? You are here..." To their astonishment, just like the situation with Ancient Sage Qiu Wu earlier, the statue had opened his mouth and begun speaking. "Zhang Yinqiu, why would you..." Seeing the plight his old friend was in, Wu shi could not help but feel a dull ache in his heart. It was no wonder Vice Principal Ji Yan said that there were less than three of them remaining. The fact that Zhang Yinqiu was still able to speak and recognize them meant that he still retained consciousness, so he could not be considered dead yet. But... trapped within a lifeless statue, could he really be considered alive? "In the midst of saving us, Principal Zhang Yinqius body was destroyed by the Skyleaf King. By a stroke of luck, the Saint Ascension tform suddenly whirred into action at the moment, and under the nourishment of the sacred light, his soul managed to avoid dissipation, and he ended uptching onto a statue in the vicinity. Even though he retained his consciousness, he is unable to move or leave the premises," Vice Principal Ji Yan exined. The situation back then had been extremelyplex. Principal Zhang Yinqius physical body had been forcefully destroyed by the Skyleaf King, and just as everyone thought that he would have died, the Saint Ascension tform that Kong shi had left behind suddenly worked its miracles. Under the warm glow of the sacred light, his soul managed to survive despite having lost its body, and he eventually ended uptching onto a nearby statue for survival. As time passed, the statue began shaping itself into him. However, he was still unable to move at all. All he could manage to do was stand quietly and await the end of time. Honestly, there truly was not much difference from death. Realization suddenly struck Zhang Xuan. The contract between the old principal and the Byzantium Helios Beast wasnt a soul contract but a blood contract. Given that the old principals physical body was destroyed, the contract between them was naturally dispelled as well. That exins why I was unable to tell whom his master was through the Library of Heavens Path. Most of the saint beasts and spirit beasts he had tamed were contracted to him via a soul contract. Such a contract would ce the souls of the tamed beasts under his control, thus making it impossible for them to betray him. Naturally, most saint beasts and spirit beasts would notmit to such a disadvantageous contract to them unless they were forced into a corner. Thus, the norm was to establish a blood contract, and that was also the type of contract between the old principal and the Byzantium Helios Beast. While blood contracts would grant the master a certain degree of control over their tamed beast, unlike soul contracts, the rtionship would be automatically dispelled once the physical body of the owner died. It was also due to this that the Library of Heavens Path did not reflect the old principal as the Byzantium Helios Beasts master, thus resulting in the huge farce back then. Seeing the sorrowful faces all around him, as well as the pale face of his old friend, Principal Zhang Yinqiu said with a smile, "Dont worry, this is actually not too bad. At the very least, Im still alive..." Being trapped in a statue was not something that he desired, but at the very least... it was better than having his soul dissipated entirely. After consoling the crowd for a while, Zhang Yinqiu asked, "Since you were able toe this far, Im sure you should have seen the marks I left behind. Did you obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage?" As long as they had obtained the heritage, they would be able to finally escape from the Saint Ascension Hall for good. Zhang Yinqiu himself would not be able to leave the area, but at the very least, Ji Yan and Tan Qing would be able to get away, thus preserving some strength for the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. "They didnt manage to obtain the heritage..." Ji Yan quickly filled Zhang Yinqiu in on the matter. "You..." Upon hearing the exnation, Zhang Yinqius eyes widened in shock. He looked at Zhang Xuan was if he was seeing a ghost. Many words lingered at the tip of his tongue, but eventually, he said helplessly, "Without the heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, itll be impossible for us to leave. Unless one of us can receive the acknowledgement of the heavens and be conferred as a Celestial Saint, we will be trapped in here for life!" "Conferred as a Celestial Saint?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Un. The Saint Ascension Hall contains the true Saint Ascension tform, as well as innumerable insights from other cultivators when they achieved Sainthood," Zhang Yinqiu said. "All of this is just for a single aim... Kong shi is hoping to raise another Celestial Saint among theter generations! As long as one can achieve a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension tform and be a Celestial Saint, the seal surrounding the Saint Ascension Hall will fall apart immediately!" Upon hearing the conditions to leave, a bitter smile emerged on the lips of Wu shi and the others. "Thats impossible..." "Indeed, how could that possibly be done?" In the whole of history, only Kong shi had managed to receive the acknowledgement of the heavens and be conferred as a Celestial Saint. This was clear proof of how difficult the feat was, so how could they possibly hope to emte that? Ji Yan sighed. "When we joined this expedition, we resigned ourselves to death and made arrangements ordingly. Its already a blessing of the heavens that we are still alive at this point." "Actually..." Noting the air of destion among the crowd, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before looking at them. "A breakthrough to Celestial Saint, I can give it a try!" Chapter 1076: He Slaughtered Nine of Them Chapter 1076: He ughtered Nine of Them Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "You?" Hearing Zhang Xuans interjection, everyone paused for a moment. All of them looked at him as if they were looking at a fool. "Cough cough!" Unable to stand the awkward silence that drifted in the air, Wu shi coughed loudly before continuing on, "Principal Zhang, I know that you possess superior talent, and you have a unique interpretation to cultivation. However... Celestial Saint is not something which anyone can just be. In fact, it could be said that it is impossible for anyone to seed!" "Indeed. I have specially looked into the process how Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, traveling to the Saint Ascension tform myself and flipping through many records. Based on my deduction, the first requirement to bing a Celestial Saint is to be a Celestial Master Teacher. Only when the heavens recognize your upation will you be qualified to be a Celestial Saint. Other than that, you must also practice a peerless cultivation technique which grants you iparably condensed zhenqi. That is the basic requirement for you to knock on the doors of the world and rid yourself of all impurities, thus stepping on the path to unparalleled greatness!" Hearing Zhang Xuan speaking such words, Zhang Yinqiu couldnt help but offer a word of advice as well. "The fact that you are able to decipher the secret hidden amidst Ancient Sage Qiu Wus palm art shows that you have an exceptional understanding of battle techniques. Also, considering how you were able toe so far through the ancient domain despite only being a Nascent Saint, you must possess an extraordinary cultivation technique as well. However, just that in itself wouldnt suffice for you to be a Celestial Saint!" "Ascending to Sainthood is no childs y. Throughout history, how many geniuses do you think have emerged amongst the Sage ns and the Combat Master Hall? Yet, for several dozen millenniums, there was not a person who was said to have seeded in bing a Celestial Saint. This goes to show how difficult it is. Principal Zhang, you can give it a try, but you really shouldnt put too much hope into it..." Guild Leader Han said with a bitter smile. There was not a person who thought well of Zhang Xuan. "This... Alright then!" Zhang Xuan was considering on whether he should reveal his identity, but eventually, he chose to shake his head and remain silent. In truth, while he was a Celestial Master Teacher and he had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, he was still unsure whether he would truly be able to be a Celestial Saint either. He didnt want to give them false hope only to have it shattered eventually. Besides, he was a humble person at heart, and boasting about his own achievements wasnt something that a person like him would do anyway. "Un. Its good that you have managed to think it through. Bing a Celestial Saint is no easy task. Of course, itll be best if one of us seeds in doing so, but otherwise, theres no need to get too disappointed either..." Vice Principal Ji Yan nodded. He was just about to continue speaking when theyer of light atop the round tform abruptly wavered, and gradually, it began dimming. Upon seeing this sight, Vice Principal Ji Yans face immediately turned grave. "Times up, everyone. We have to leave quickly. Principal Zhang Yinqiu, we will visit you again tomorrow..." After saying those words, Vice Principal Ji Yan quickly led the group down. Seeing how anxious Vice Principal Ji Yan was, the crowd quickly followed behind him. Not too longter, they finally returned to the narrow room they were in previously, and only then did Vice Principal Ji Yan heave a sigh of relief. "Whats going on? Why do we have to rush back so anxiously?" Wu shi couldnt help but ask. "Didnt I say earlier that we only have an incenses time?" Vice Principal Ji Yan asked. "Un." The crowd nodded. The other party did say such words before. "For nearly a year now, the Saint Ascension tform has been releasing a brilliant glow every single day. During the period of time which the Saint Ascension Hall is permeated by the light, the Skyleaf King would have no choice but to remain in his hiding spot, not daring to move in the least. Otherwise, he would risk being burned by the sacred light and suffer severe damage to his Primordial Spirit. We have been making use for this period of time to explore the Saint Ascension Hall... However, the light will only remain for roughly an incenses time, and once it retreats, the Skyleaf King will rush out and ughter any of us who is still loitering vulnerably in the area!" Vice Principal Ji Yan exined. Everyone came to a realization. This exined why Vice Principal Ji Yan was so anxious when he saw that the sacred light as about to die out. If the Skyleaf King were to assault them before they made their way back to the room, they would have been in grave danger. "I was wondering why the rest of you are able to make such a great advancement in your cultivation realm over the past two years whereas the Skyleaf King still remains in Leaving Aperture realm primary stage... It seems like the sacred light that you have spoken of does y a huge role in this matter!" Wu shi remarked in realization. "Youre right. Master teachers are able to raise their cultivation by absorbing the sacred light, but Otherworldly Demons arent able to do the same. As such, the Skyleaf King hasnt been able to grow as quickly as the rest of us. However, he has conquered the entire Saint Ascension Hall for himself... Back then, probably in order to ensure that there would be at least one amongst theter generation who would be able to be a Celestial Saint as well, Kong shi had left behind quite a fortune behind, but it is currently being dominated by the Skyleaf King! Over the past two years, even though he hadnt achieved a breakthrough yet, his Primordial Spirit has been getting more and more powerful. With our current strength, we wont be able to deal with him." Vice Principal Ji Yan shook his head. "You said that the Saint Ascension tform only began releasing a brilliant glow every single day within the past year? Does that not happen in the past?" Zhang Xuans focus was a little different from the others. He was more interested in the Saint Ascension tform. "A year ago, the Saint Ascension tform was still rather normal. While it would emanate sacred light from time to time back then, the intensity was nothing close to what we saw previously, and its frequency was irregr as well. Its only around the end of the eighth monthst year that it suddenly began releasing huge bursts of light, as if heralding the arrival of a certain someone. Well, I dont really know the details myself either..." Ji Yan pondered for a moment before replying with a nod. Trapped within the Saint Ascension Hall, where the concept of day and night didnt exist, they were gradually losing their grasp over time. Nevertheless, as master teachers, they were still able to fathom a rough guess "Who could it be waiting for? Kong shi?" Right after saying those words, Guild Leader Han shook his head with a helpless smile. Kong shi had gone missing several dozen millenniums ago. Even the 72 Sages knew not about his whereabouts, let more the others. It was inconceivable that he would return all of a sudden after so many years. "Not even Saints possess a longevity of several dozen millenniums, so I dont think its possible that the Saint Ascension tform is waiting for Kong shi. Perhaps, you might have triggered some kind of mechanism within the Saint Ascension Hall after arriving here, thus resulting in the emanation of sacred light every day..." Wu shi remarked. "That might be the case..." Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing nodded. Limited by their strength and eye of discernment, there were many things that were beyond their understanding. Putting everything aside, they had no idea where the sacred light emanating from the Saint Ascension tform hade from. It was also inconceivable to them why it could keep the Skyleaf King at bay while benefiting the master teachers. "Alright, lets not talk about this matter anymore. Those are simply too far away from us at the moment, so theres no point discussing it. Vice Principal Tan Qing, I have a Grand Intermittence Pill here. Give it a try, perhaps it could resolve your current condition..." Shaking his head, Wu shi turned to Vice Principal Tan Qing and whipped out a jade bottle. At this moment, Vice Principal Tan Qing had both of his legs and right arm severed, crippling his movements. Only the legendary grade-7 Grand Intermittence Pill, said to be able to induce the regrowth a severed limb, would have a chance to resolve his condition. Back then, Zhang Xuan had also had a Grand Intermittence Pill forged for Wei Ruyan in order to restore her physical health. "Thank you, Wu shi!" Upon seeing the pill, Vice Principal Tan Qings eyes lit up in excitement. He had already spent two years as a cripple, and there was no way he could turn down an opportunity to regrow his severed limbs. He swiftly took the jade bottle and corked it open. There was exactly one Grand Intermittence Pill inside, but its tier wasnt too high, having only achieved Formation. Consuming the pill, an incredible surge of vitality immediately gushed through his body. In that instant, Vice Principal Tan Qing felt an incredible itch overwhelming his body. The severed stumps of his limbs began to slowly grow out, but before they could formplete limbs, everything abruptly came to a halt. Vice Principal Tan Qing shook his head bitterly and said, "The Grand Intermittence Pill can indeed resolve my condition, but the tier of the pill here is simply too low. Furthermore, as my limbs were severed by the Skyleaf King, there is still some of his killing intent lingering there that hinders the regrowth of my limbs... It seems like I wont be able to recover for the time being..." The Grand Intermittence Pill contained an immense amount of vitality that allowed for the regrowth of a limb, but Vice Principal Tan Qing was simply too severely wounded. A single pill wouldnt suffice for his recovery. "That... I only have one pill here..." Wu shi frowned. The Grand Intermittence Pill was extremely valuable, such that it would be extremely difficult to find even one of it in the markets of Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Even Wu shi had to pay a heavy price in order to procure one, and he hadnt too willing to use it due to its immense value. However... who could have thought that even the seemingly miraculous pill wouldnt be enough to bring about Vice Principal Tan Qings recovery? "I have forged the Grand Intermittence Pill before. If we have sufficient medicinal herbs here, we can try forging it..." Zhang Xuan said. "Forge it right here?... I should have most of the medicinal herbs required for its forging within my storage ring at the moment, but... I am stillcking the main ingredient, Grand Intermittence Grass." Wu shi said with a frown. "Grand Intermittence Grass is simply too rare, I dont have any of it here either..." Guild Leader Han shook his head. Zhang Xuan could only smile bitterly upon seeing this sight too. The Grand Intermittence Grass was a rather elusive medicinal herb. Back then, he had to specially apply for one from the Qingyuan Empire Apothecary Guild in order to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. Even though he had obtained quite a few good stuff from ying the Otherworldly Demon Kings, there wasnt any Grand Intermittence Grass in their storage rings. "Actually, there is a Grand Intermittence Grass right in this Saint Ascension Hall!" At this moment, Vice Principal Ji Yan suddenly spoke up. "Theres one here?" The crowd was taken aback. "Un. Didnt I say earlier that Kong shi has left quite a fortune behind here so that those of theter generations can sessfully achieve a breakthrough to be a Celestial Saint? It happens that there is a Grand Intermittence Grass amongst the fortune he has left behind... Back then, I secretly sneaked into the area to take a look, so I am confident of it. However, the area is currently dominated by the Skyleaf King." Vice Principal Ji Yan said. "This..." Hearing those words, bitter smiles emerged on the lips of the crowd. If the Grand Intermittence Grass was just lying around the area, they could still secretly head over there while the Saint Ascension tform was emanating its sacred light and retrieve it. However, if the Skyleaf King were to keep it with him... it would nigh impossible for them toy their hands on it. "Regarding the fortune you spoke about, where is it stored? I can secretly head over to take a look. If I could sneak away the Grand Intermittence Grass while I am at it, Vice Principal Tan could be relieved from his suffering." Zhang Xuan said. Hearing those words, Wu shi and the others frowned, "Thats too dangerous, the Skyleaf King is bound to be in the vicinity. Lets think of another way instead!" "Indeed. The Skyleaf King is a Leaving Aperture realm expert, so theres no way you will be able to stand against him. Furthermore, just like us, hes bound to have installed all kinds of formations and mechanisms in his base so as to prevent us from assaulting him while his guard is down. If you were to head over recklessly and get caught in one of his traps, theres no way that we will be able to save you..." Vice Principal Ji Yan added. "Dont worry, I have my means. Besides, I will just be taking a look. I will only grab the Grand Intermittence Grass if I spot an opening, or else, I will return straightaway. Rest assured, I am not so foolish as to challenge the Skyleaf King head on..." Zhang Xuan said. "This..." The crowd nced at one another hesitantly. Wu shi opened his mouth once more to dissuade Zhang Xuan from the matter, but before he could speak, Zhang Xuan had already interjected, "Dont worry. Even if I am captured by the Skyleaf King, I do have some means of my own to escape from him!" "... Alright then." Seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was, Wu shi eventually relented. ... "Alright, I will be heading out first then..." After Vice Principal Ji Yan pointed out the directions, Zhang Xuan left the room with a reassuring smile, and after making a few turns, he disappeared from everyone elses eyes. "This... Wu shi, its too reckless to have him go on his own. He cant possibly deal with the Skyleaf King himself!" Vice Principal Tan Qing couldnt help but speak up worriedly. He didnt want others to lose their life in the midst of saving him. Vice Principal Ji Yan also shared the same thoughts as well, and he couldnt help but pace around the room anxiously. "Well, I do think that its a little reckless as well, but... if you were to know about Principal Zhangs aplishments in his battles with the Otherworldly Demons, you will probably think that he just might seed as well!" Knowing that they would respond in such a manner, Wu shi replied. "Aplishments? What aplishments?" The duo looked at him curiously. "Since you have been together with the Skyleaf King for so long, I believe that you should have heard of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, right?" Wu shi asked. "Of course. They are said to be experts on par with the Skyleaf King. Every single one of them wield incredible strength that could easily devastate any Tier-1 Empire. They are truly frightening existences!" Vice Principal Ji Yan nodded. "Indeed. Most of them possess strength on par with me, some superior even. But singlehandedly, Principal Zhang..." At this point, a helpless look appeared on Wu shis face as he continued. "... managed to ughter the other nine of them!" Chapter 1077: Yo Chapter 1077: Yo Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He managed to ughter the other nine of them?" "Are you sure you arent messing with us?" Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing widened their eyes in shock. Over the past two years, they had pitted their wits, courage, and strength against the Skyleaf King day after day, and they were on the verge of being driven mad from all of that, but they were still unable to faze thetter in the slightest. On the contrary, the number of master teachers on their side was slowly growing fewer and fewer, such that only the both of them were left. Yet, that fellow, a Nascent Saint cultivator, encountered the remaining nine of the Ten Great Kings and managed to ughter all of them? Was that for real? "Not only so," Wu shi continued, "on one asion, the Skyleaf King was hidden a fragment of his Primordial Spirit among our expedition team, and he ended up nearly being crippled by Principal Zhang." "Thus, I feel that as long as he proceeds carefully, it might just work out. In fact... I am wondering that if we ce him and the Skyleaf King in the same room, would he just happen be the one to walk out from the room alive?" "This..." For a very long time, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing found themselves unable to speak a word at all. They nced at one another for a very long while before they finally found their words once more. "Just what kind of principal did the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy nominate this time around?" All this while, due to Zhang Xuans young age, they had thought that it was infeasible for him to be the principal. After all, there were bound to be more experienced and qualified master teacher who could hold the fort much better than him. However, after hearing thetters aplishments... Probably not even Zhang Yinqiu could match up to thetter. ... While the crowd were still in the midst of a shock in the small room, Zhang Xuan had already arrived at the vast lobby of the Saint Ascension Hall. There is no doubt that I will be found if I head there in my current form. I should switch to my soul instead. With a swift movement, Zhang Xuan found a remote corner before drawing his soul out from his be. After which, he stored his physical body in the Myriad Anthive Nest before cing the Anthive Nest into his storage ring. If he were to head there with his physical body, it would be very easy for the Skyleaf King to notice him, and it would be difficult for him to escape as well. He would be in a much safer position in his soul form. At Leaving Aperture realm, the Skyleaf Kings Spiritual Perception was probably strong enough to easily discern everything in his surroundings, but Spiritual Perception wasnt an ability that one could constantly maintain. As the saying goes, even the wary tiger asionally rests. As long as Zhang Xuan sneaked in while the other party had his guard down, it would not be too difficult for him to sneak the Grand Intermittence Grass away. Thus, Zhang Xuans soul began discreetly heading to where Vice Principal Ji Yan had pointed out earlier. Not too longter, a chamber appeared before his eyes. Just like the room that Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing dwelled in, the chamber had all kinds of grade-7 formations constructed around it. If an ordinary man were to step into it, he would find himself losing his sense of direction in an instant. However, Zhang Xuan was a 7-star pinnacle formation master himself. Asplex as the formations were, they were not sufficient to keep him at bay. After maneuvering nimbly around the formations, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at the entrance of the chamber. He secretly took a peek in. The chamber was extremely spacious, and it was permeated with concentrated spiritual energy. Innumerable treasures wereid out neatly around the room, reminiscent of a massive treasure vault. Most of them were medicinal herbs, pills, books on how to achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm, and the sort. Inparison, there were very few weapons in the chamber, or perhaps even none at all. It seemed like Kong shi had really put quite some effort into preparing the room so as to ensure that theter generations would have a Celestial Saint of their own as well. The Skyleaf King actually isnt around... Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the room, and upon realizing that the Skyleaf King was nowhere to be found, his eyes lit up in excitement. I should move quickly! Zhang Xuan was still in the midst of thinking up a countermeasure for how he should enter the room if the Skyleaf King was within. However, since thetter was not around, there was no need for him to restrain himself. Grabbing his storage ring tightly, he carefully entered the chamber in his soul form. Medicinal herbs took up the bulk of the treasures within the chamber. All in all, there were at least several hundred types of saint herbs within the room. Despite being stored in the chamber for innumerable years, they had not lost their medicinal properties as a result of ageing. Instead, under the nourishment of the concentrated spiritual energy in the area, they were bing more and more potent! However, one thing that Zhang Xuan swiftly noticed was that there was a unique formation sealing away every single one of the medicinal herbs, preventing anyone froming into contact with them. Its no wonder the Skyleaf King didnt store the medicinal herbs into the storage ring. He probably has no way of breaking these seals, Zhang Xuan thought internally. The seals were built in a manner simr to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery. Master teachers could pass through the seal with rtive ease, but Otherworldly Demons werent able to do the same. In other words, despite having guarded the chamber and watching over these medicinal herbs for two years, the Skyleaf King was still unable to obtain a single one of them. Otherwise, even with the suppression from the sacred light, he still should have made significant advancement in his cultivation through consuming the precious medicinal herbs in the room. If I wish to obtain the medicinal herbs, it will need to be in my body. Thus, Zhang Xuan swiftly drew his physical body out from the Myriad Anthive Nest before returning his soul to it. He stretched his stiffened body for a while before turning his gaze toward the medicinal herbs and books around him. Most of the books detailed the various methods of how one could achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm. He had already collected many of those andpiled a correct version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, so there was no need for him to collect any more of them. Saint Void Heart Grass, Heavenly Dragon Flower, Woodscent Stalk... While these medicinal herbs arent particrly high-tiered, they possess the ability to induce a metamorphosis of ones soul and physical body, thus making them ideal medicinal herbs to push for a breakthrough to Saint realm. After a swift scan around the chamber, Zhang Xuan nodded. The medicinal herbs within the room were all useful in one way or another in achieving a breakthrough to Saint realm. It was probably with the differing needs that different cultivators would have when attempting a breakthrough in mind that Kong shi prepared an entire room of medicinal herbs within the Saint Ascension Hall. Soon, a certain medicinal herb appeared in Zhang Xuans sight. As expected, theres indeed the Grand Intermittence Grass here! The Grand Intermittence Grass could nourish a persons vitality. If paired with suitable medicinal herbs, it could metamorphose a cultivators physical body into the flesh of a true Saint. That being said, it would be rather extravagant for one to use such a precious medicinal herb for a breakthrough to Saint realm. I should quickly take it first. With a swift movement, Zhang Xuans hand reached for the seal to grab the medicinal herb. Weng! As soon as his hand came into contact with the seal, he immediately felt a powerful force pushing him back, stopping his hand from stretching any further in. If he could not touch the Grand Intermittence Grass, he would be unable to store it within his storage ring. If so, he would have made a wasted trip. Humph, I dont believe that I cant ovee a mere seal! Seeing that the seal only served the purpose of hindering his movements, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he increased his strength, causing his muscles tighten. Geji! Geji! The seal dented inwards like a crushed ball, and the deeper the dent, the greater the resistance Zhang Xuan felt. Thats weird... Despite increasing the strength exerted several times, such that his zhenqi and physical strength were already pushed to their limits, he was still unable to touch the Grand Intermittence Grass. Frowning, Zhang Xuan was just about to retract his arm and try again when he realized that the seal had bound itself tightly to his arm like glue. No matter how he struggled, he could not free himself from it. What a bizarre formation... Zhang Xuan did not know whether he should cry orugh in this situation. Other formations were dangerous and lethal, but this seal... when he tried to push his arm in, it tried its hardest to keep him out. Yet, when he tried to retract his arm, it ended up sticking onto him, not allowing him to leave. Given the current situation, it seemed like he would be trapped until he sessfully retrieved the Grand Intermittence Grass. Soul! Since his zhenqi and physical body were not sufficient for him to reach the medicinal herbs, he had no choice but to drive his soul energy as well. Weng! As Zhang Xuan further increased the force he exerted, energy ripples spread across the seal as it gradually grew more and more dented. Zhang Xuans zhenqi cultivation had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle, his physical body had achieved the Fifth Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and his soul had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle as well after being nourished by the Lightning Elemental Orb. With the three powerful sources of strength stacking upon one another, not even a Saint 3-dan expert would be able to stand their ground against him. Jiya! Go in! Due to Zhang Xuan driving his zhenqi too quickly, steam was rising from his head. There was a brief standstill between Zhang Xuans hand and the seal as the both sides depleted the strength of one another. Eventually, after two minutes, Zhang Xuans hand finally overcame the seal and touched the leaf of the Grand Intermittence Grass within. Hu! He swiftly stowed it into his storage ring. Hu! As soon as the medicinal herb was stored into his storage ring, a loud popping sound echoed from the seal as it abruptly vanished from sight. It was as if the seal had be worthless with the disappearance of the medicinal herb inside, so it chose to dissipate of its own ord. While Kong shi has left behind a huge collection of medicinal herbs for theter generations, it seems like he has set up a trial around them so that they would only be used by those who are qualified. Without sufficient strength, its impossible for one to retrieve the medicinal herbs. If Im not mistaken, the seal automatically adjusts its durability ording to the cultivation realm of the person attempting to retrieve medicinal herb, so it would be nigh impossible for cultivators who are beneath or beyond Nascent Saint to obtain it. This serves as a measure to ensure that the medicinal herbs would be used for breakthroughs to Saint realm, as well as to ensure that the Nascent Saint cultivator retrieving and using the medicinal herb is qualified to be conferred as a Celestial Saint! Zhang Xuan thought as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead. As expected of the Worlds Teacher, he sure had everything well thought out. It seemed like Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing were unaware of this matter, which resulted in them attributing the Skyleaf Kings rise in strength to the medicinal herbs. Speaking of which, the Skyleaf King sure was pitiable. Despite having so many valuable medicinal herbs around him, he was not able to obtain even a single one of them. It would be good to obtain all of these medicinal herbs, but... its simply too difficult to draw them out. Itd be best for me to leave with just the Grand Intermittence Grass for the time being. Otherwise, once the Skyleaf King returns, Ill be in deep trouble, Zhang Xuan thought as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas. Of course, it would be for the best if he could obtain all of the medicinal herbs in the room, but that would be extremely dangerous as well. He dared not imagine what would happen if the Skyleaf King were to return while he was in the midst of retrieving one of the medicinal herbs. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned around, and just as he was about to leave the room, his eyes suddenly fell upon a certain peculiar object. It was a gel-like fluid that emanated a radiance of seven colors. Flowing slowly within the seal that it cased in, it exuded a peculiar aura that seemed to draw him in. T-this... Could it be... Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence? Zhang Xuans breathing hastened as his entire body stiffened in shock. His Saint Ascension Decipher required onest artifact for him to achieve a breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm, and that was the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence. After browsing through innumerable records, he had learned that the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence only sprouted in the very depths of the earth veins, making it an extremely raremodity, such that even the author of the book had not seen it before. As such, there were no descriptions on the artifact in the book. Even so, he felt a peculiar feeling of intimacy to the seven-colored fluid. Furthermore, considering that it had been left behind by Kong shi himself... Without a doubt, it was definitely the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence! With this, I should have no trouble bing a Celestial Saint... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Without any hesitation, he dashed forward and reached his hand into the seal. This was an artifact that he had to obtain regardless of the cost. He had already been at Nascent Saint pinnacle ever since he left the Subterranean Gallery, and it had been a long time since then. As long as he could assimte the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he would finally be able to reach Saint realm! Geji! Geji! Driving his zhenqi, physical strength, and soul energy to their limits, the seal casing the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence immediately dented inwards. "Humph, for pesky rats, you sure scrambled fast! Zhang Xuan, youd better pray that you dont meet me ever again, or else I will tear you apart into innumerable shreds..." Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of pushing his hand into the seal to obtain the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, a cold harrumph abruptly sounded outside. Following which, a towering figure walked into the chamber. The Skyleaf King. He pushed open the door while mumbling furiously beneath his breath. As soon as he got into the room, he immediately noticed that something was amiss. Scanning the room swiftly, he found a hand plunged right into one of the seals, and attached to the hand was a young man who was trying his best to struggle free. "You..." Many emotions flickered across the Skyleaf Kings face. From the initial bewilderment, it slowly warped into shock before eventually turning into rage. Clenching his fists tightly, he was just about to rush forward to make a move when the young man suddenly raised his free hand and waved. "Yo!" Chapter 1078: Pose, and You Will Be Struck by Lightning Chapter 1078: Pose, and You Will Be Struck by Lightning Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Actually, Zhang Xuan was also having a mental breakdown at that very moment. He had not thought that the Skyleaf King would walk in on him. With his hand trapped within the seal, he could not leave even if he wanted to. It was truly an indescribably awkward situation. "Yo?" Hearing the other partys bizarre greeting, the Skyleaf King was taken aback. Upon seeing him, not only did the other party not flee from fright, he was even speaking some kind of weirdnguage to him. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation left him slightly dazed. However, it took only a blink of an eye for him to recover from it. "You are trapped within the seal? Hahaha! It seems like even the heavens are on my side!" Not only did that fellow foil his n, the fellow had even humiliated him, the first King of the Qingtian Lineage! Ever since then, he had been wanting to exact vengeance. He had thought that the other party would surely coop himself up in the small room like the other pesky master teachers, and if that was the case, there would truly have been nothing that he would have been able to do. However, who would have thought that the other party would be so foolish as to wander right into his base! He truly must have been eager to seek death! He had studied the seals for two whole years, and he knew that once a hand touched the seal, it would be impossible to extract it unless one were to obtain the artifact within it. Judging from the other partys current state, he must have been trying to retrieve something but got stuck in the midst of doing so. "Hahaha! Since you are already here, why dont you just remain here for good!" With his eyes glowing in excitement, the Skyleaf King reached out to grab Zhang Xuan. But before his hand could reach the other party, the young man suddenly spoke up. "Hold it a moment..." "Why? Are you going to plead for mercy now? Let me tell you this straight, its toote for that!" Knowing how scheming the young man before him was, the Skyleaf King formed a massive palm with zhenqi and directed it straight toward the other party. As a Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm expert, he wielded astounding strength. Even with thebined prowess of Guild Leader Han and Wu shi, they would still be beaten into a lump of meat before the palm strike, let alone Zhang Xuan. "Plead for mercy? You must be joking! Do you think that Ill plead for mercy with a lowly figure like you? Do you know who I am?" Zhang Xuan looked at the Skyleaf King fearlessly as an aura of majesty flowed from him. "Who are you? You are the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the only one in history to have received the recognition of everyone within the academy. As long as I devour you whole, I will surely be able to achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation and escape from this darned ce!" the Skyleaf King roared furiously as a savage glint shed across his eyes. Otherworldly Demons were able to raise their cultivation through devouring the flesh of master teachers. Back then, Vicious phnge 1 had fed off the bodies of the master teachers that the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had offered him, and through doing so, he was able to regain his strength and regrow his flesh. The higher ranked and more talented a master teacher was, the more an Otherworldly Demons cultivation would grow by consuming him. For a very long time now, the Skyleaf King had been wanting to kill Zhang Xuan and devour him. Since Zhang Xuan had trapped himself within his base, how could he possibly allow this delicious prey to escape from him? "Audacious!" Zhang Xuans face darkened. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, he swiftly converted it into the chilling Zhenqi of ughter unique to Otherworldly Demons. Within the blink of an eye, a powerful aura burst into the surroundings. "I am..." Pilip! Before Zhang Xuan could finish speaking, a powerful current of electricity abruptly ran through the hand that was trapped in the seal. In just a brief moment, his entire body was charred ck from the powerful lightning current. His entire body stiffened under the electrocution, and his hair also stood up from the lingering static electricity. If not for his body having achieved durabilityparable to a Saint low-tier artifact, he might have just died then and there. Zhang Xuans eyes flew around the ce, and he nearly burst into tears. All he wanted to do was pose for a bit so as to fool the Skyleaf King, was it really that big a crime? To actually be electrocuted over such a small matter... As stifled as Zhang Xuan felt, he swiftly understood what was going on. Just as he had guessed previously, Otherworldly Demons were indeed unable to retrieve the artifacts within! The moment he converted his Heavens Path zhenqi into Zhenqi of ughter, the seal assumed that an Otherworldly Demon was attempting to breach its defenses, so it immediately sent a powerful electric shock over. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had converted his zhenqi back as soon as he noticed that something was amiss, or else even his Saint low-tier body would not have been strong enough to survive a sustained electric shock of that intensity. How embarrassing it would have been if he had die from an electricity shock while he was in the midst of posing! "You..." The Skyleaf King was just about to make a move when he suddenly saw Zhang Xuan being charred ck before his eyes, and he froze in shock. For an instant, he vividly felt a killing intent being emanated from the young man before him. It was weak, but it was even purer than his own. Furthermore, he was even electrocuted by the seal on top of that. Could it be that... the young man before him was not a master teacher but one of their tribesmen? "Cough cough, you should know my identity now, right?" Exhaling a mouthful of white smoke, Zhang Xuan turned to the Skyleaf King and spoke confidently. "You are also an Otherworldly Demon as well?" The Skyleaf King frowned for a moment before a glint flickered in his eyes. "No, thats not right. You are a master teacher. How could a person who has received the acknowledgement of so many master teachers possibly be an Otherworldly Demon? Ah! You must have killed the Scarletleaf King and the others and drawn the Zhenqi of ughter from their bodies through some secret art. Do you think that you can beguile me through a cheap ploy like that? Dream on!" Boom! The Skyleaf King immediately gathered his strength once more andunched a palm strike against Zhang Xuan. It was not without reason that he had managed to surpass innumerable Otherworldly Demons to be the number one expert of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings. He was indeed not as easily fooled as the other Kings. While the Zhenqi of ughter was unique to the Otherworldly Demons, it was not entirely impossible for the fellow before him to have extracted the Zhenqi of ughter from the other Kings and stored it within his body so as to disguise himself as their tribesman. Back then, a certain master teacher had used such a method to deal a crushing blow to them. "You said that I killed the Scarletleaf King? Hahaha! You were fooled by that as well? That was just a ploy that I used to fool them. Take a look at who is this..." Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a figure appeared beside him. The fellow had a towering stature and a powerful body. Upon seeing the Skyleaf King, the fellow smiled and said, "Its me..." He was the Scarletleaf King! "You arent dead yet?" Seeing how the young man trapped in the formation had dragged out a living Scarletleaf King, who should have been ripped into pieces within a grade-7 pinnacle ughter Formation, the Skyleaf King found himselfpletely lost for the first time. What was going on? Back then, even though his fragmented Primordial Spirit had suffered a heavy blow, he did not leave the premises immediately. With his own eyes, he had watched the Scarletleaf King being tricked by the young man, and trapped within the formation that he constructed himself, he was torn into innumerable pieces. How in the world... did hee back to life? "No, something is wrong. The Zhenqi of ughter within your body does not belong to the Scarletleaf King. Furthermore, your cultivation... isnt right either..." After a moment of bewilderment, the Skyleaf King swiftly found a few points that were off about the Scarletleaf King before his eyes. The Scarletleaf King before him did harness Zhenqi of ughter as well, but it had an ancient quality to it. This was at odds with the cultivation technique practiced by the Scarletleaf King. More importantly... there was a significant difference in their cultivation as well. The Scarletleaf King before him was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle, not having even reached Saint realm yet. One should know that the Scarletleaf King was a true Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert! "In order to fool those master teachers, I had no choice but to take a fatal blow. As a result, my cultivation ended up suffering a temporary decline. Well, if you still dont believe me, surely you should recognize this guy, right?" the frowning Scarletleaf King exined. There was a momentary blur before the Skyleaf Kings eyes, and another figure abruptly materialized in the chamber. It was the missing Violetleaf King. "Paying respects to the Skyleaf King!" The Violetleaf King hurriedly sped his fist and bowed deeply. The frown on the Skyleaf Kings face deepened. There was nothing wrong with the Violetleaf King before his eyes. The other partys cultivation realm and aura were exactly how he remembered them to be. For both the Scarletleaf King and the Violetleaf King to be with him... could Zhang Xuan really be one of their tribesmen? While it looked as if he had killed the Ten Great Kings on the surface, he was, in fact, saving them all? Recalling the incident from before, the Skyleaf King asked doubtfully, "No, thats not right either. If you are truly one of our tribesmen, why would you reveal my hidden identity to those master teachers?" His fragmented Primordial Spirit had been hiding within Jiang Yuan all along, and with his secret art, no one would have noticed him. Yet, the other party forced him out of Jiang Yuans body and put him through great suffering! If the other party was truly an Otherworldly Demon, why would the other party have betrayed him? Not even Feng Xun, Jiang Yuans closepanion, had noticed the anomaly! "It was all to obtain the trust of those foolish master teachers so that I could obtain the map!" Zhang Xuan replied with a leisurely wave of his hand. However, as his entire body was still charred from the previous electrocution, his leisurely movement looked sinister instead. "You have obtained the map from them?" The Skyleaf King was taken aback. "Indeed. Its in my hands right now!" Zhang Xuan nodded, and he flicked his wrist. A map appeared in his hand. "It really is the map..." Feeling the unique aura that emanated from the ancient goatskin resonating with the entire Qiu Wu Pce, the eyes of the Skyleaf King lit up. The map had a distinctive quality reminiscent to the booklet that contained the introduction to the ancient domain. There was no doubt about it, it was the real map! The Skyleaf King reached out to take the map in agitation. "Can you let me take a look?" Hu! With another flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan returned the map into his storage ring and shook his head. "With this, you should know who I am, right?" "This..." Seeing Zhang Xuan keeping the map, the Skyleaf King was stunned for a moment before asking with a deep frown, "Who in the world are you?" All of the evidence suggested that the young man before him was an Otherworldly Demon, but... he did not know of any figure within the Qingtian Lineage who possessed such pure Zhenqi of ughter. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "Its not convenient for me to tell you who I am at the moment. You just have to know that the Qingtian Emperor dispatched me to assist you in this mission." "His Majesty sent you here to assist me?" the Skyleaf King assessed the fellow before him once more. The zhenqi in his body felt upright, and the faint air of a master teacher lingered around him. No matter how he looked at the fellow before him, the other party did not seem to have anything to do with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. "Indeed. Alright, I will have to obtain this artifact now, so stand back a moment. I will talk to you once Im done..." Seeing that he had finally convinced the Skyleaf King a little, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he pushed his other hand further in to touch the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence. "Obtain the artifact?" The Skyleaf King was stunned for a moment before a ferocious glint shed through his eyes. "Do you think that you can fool me with your cheap acting? Tell me, who are you?" "Fool you? Why would you think that Im trying to fool you?" Seeing how the other party was still reluctant to believe his words, Zhang Xuan felt a little headache. If it had been any of the other Kings, they would have been sold by now. Yet, the Skyleaf King just would not believe him despite all of the evidences he had produced. Wasnt he being a little too skeptical? "I have no way of ascertaining who you truly are, but the seal that Kong shi left behind is surely able to do so! If our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe truly had a way to bypass Kong shis detection, we wouldnt have been in vulnerable position all along." Sneering coldly, the Skyleaf King gathered his zhenqi within his palm once more, ready to make a move. The fact that the fellow was only electrocuted once while his hand was stuck within the seal was conclusive evidence that the other party wasnt an Otherworldly Demon at his core. Without a doubt, he was a fake! "You..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately panicked. "Exposed, huh? Regardless of whether you are truly a human or an Otherworldly Demon, you wont be getting out of here alive today!" With a cold sneer, the Skyleaf King raised his palm to bring it down upon Zhang Xuan. At that moment, however, he suddenly felt a splitting pain cutting into his head. Peng! His head abruptly burst apart, and his body was sent crashing into a nearby wall before copsing back to the ground as if a lump of mud. The Scarletleaf King pped his hand as the muscles throughout his body warped back into Zhang Xuans appearance. "I told you from the start, we could have just killed him with a single punch. There was no need to waste your breath. You sure like to create more trouble for yourself, dont you?" Chapter 1079: What Are Those Things? Chapter 1079: What Are Those Things? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Naturally, the Scarletleaf King was Zhang Xuans clone. His clone and he were mentally connected, so they could easily transmit their thoughts to one another. Earlier, in order to fool the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan had instructed the other party to morph into the Scarletleaf Kings form. As his clone cultivated a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art, he was unable to fully disguise his zhenqi to that of the Scarletleaf King nor conceal his level of cultivation perfectly, thus resulting in the Skyleaf King seeing through his clones disguise easily. Back then, his clone had said that they shouldnt waste their time with the Skyleaf King, and they should just end him with a single punch. However, Zhang Xuan felt that there was too huge of a disparity between their strength, so it was best for them not to move recklessly. Even so, his clone still ended up striking the Skyleaf King anyway. It was truly fortunate that the Skyleaf King hadnt really thought that anyone would be so brazen as to attempt an assault on him, and his clone also moved at a speed beyond the Skyleaf Kings expectations, so... the Skyleaf King ended up being struck in the head and died just after a single punch. Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but fall in a daze. The Skyleaf Kings strength was centered on his Primordial Spirit, making his physical body significantly weaker inparison, but nevertheless, he was still a Leaving Aperture realm expert. With his body reinforced by his powerful zhenqi, it would be difficult for anyone wielding strength beneath Saint 4-dan to inflict harm to him, even with a sessful surprise attack. Yet, his clone actually managed to destroy the other partys head with a single punch. That was far beyond the might that he harnessed within his physical body, zhenqi, and soulbined! If he were to challenge his clone in his current state, there was no doubt that he would be utterly destroyed! Was that fellow really still his clone? To think that his rate of cultivation and fighting prowess would end up being so far beneath his own clone... At this rate, he dared not im that he was a genius anymore. "How did you be so strong?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. The gap was between them wasnt that huge previously. At the very least, he was still able to stand his ground against his clone to some degree in the past. But if he were to sh with his clone once more in thetters current strength... just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine! Could it be that his rate of cultivation was actually really slow? "You gave me the Lightning Elemental Orb not too long ago. I thought that it was quite useful, so I absorbed it a little..." his clone began exining with a proud look on his face when a loud explosion suddenly sounded from behind. Following which, a furious roar echoed resoundingly within the chamber. "Shit, the Skyleaf King is a Leaving Aperture realm expert! Even with his physical body destroyed, his Primordial Spirit would still be intact..." Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the distinctive traits of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators, and his eyes widened in horror. Leaving Aperture realm cultivators were capable of drawing their Primordial Spirits from their physical bodies and operate independently from it. Even if their physical bodies were to be destroyed, it wouldnt affect their fighting prowess by much. Since the Skyleaf King was a true Leaving Aperture realm expert, the same applied to him as well. In other words, they werent out of danger yet. If anything, they were in greater danger than before. While Zhang Xuan was speaking with his clone, his hand hadnt been idling about. Noticing the urgency of the situation, he immediately drove his zhenqi, physical strength, and soul energy to the maximum, such that he could feel a sharp pain acting on his meridians and muscles as they were pushed to the verge of tearing apart. Kacha! The seal dented deeper and deeper inwards, and eventually, Zhang Xuans finger finally came into contact with the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence. He quickly kept it into his storage ring. Hu! The seal swiftly dissipated, freeing his hand. "I will kill you!" Hla! Along with a furious roar, a Primordial Spirit flew over with reddened eyes. Even without making a move, just the pressure it was exerting already left one feeling as if the world was being torn apart. "Strong..." Zhang Xuans heart turned cold. Even though he had encountered and even fought with a handful of Primordial Spirits in the past, none of them could begin topare up with the one standing before him at this very moment. If the Primordial Spirit of the Jadeleaf King could be said to be a ferocious cat, the Skyleaf King would definitely have to be a ferocious tiger. They werent even at the same level! Just by the pressure itself, he could already tell that even with ten of himbined, he still wouldnt be a match to the other party. "That fellow really only knows how to cause trouble, I should never let him out again... If he hadnt destroyed the Skyleaf Kings head, I might still be able to stall for some time. But this... What should I do..." With his life hinging on a thin thread, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with anything else anymore. He swiftly rushed for the exit as he cursed his clone in his mind. Had his clone not acted so recklessly and destroyed the Skyleaf Kings head, the Skyleaf King also wouldnt have gotten so furious. He had only barely managed to flee from the seal, but at this rate, it wouldnt be long before he was captured by the Skyleaf King once more. "Clone, you were the one who caused this trouble. You should take responsibility and fend him off..." Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously, but before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw something that caused his eyebrows to shoot up, "Hey, dont go! Wait a moment..." With a speed even faster than him, his clone had already dashed out of the room, leaving only his back visible to him. Who could have thought that his clone would actually be so disloyal, fleeing at a speed even faster than him? Zhang Xuan nearly died from sheer anger on the spot. He had known all along that his clone was not a reliable teammate, but he had never thought that it would be to such an extent... However, this wasnt a moment to dwell about the matter. Knowing that he would die if the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit were to catch up with him, he quickly flicked his wrist, and the Lightning Elemental Orb appeared in his palm. That was currently the strongest trump card he had at the moment. As long as he could activate it, he would be able to generate a field of lightning, which could possibly stall the Skyleaf King for some time, thus opening a small window for him to escape. That being said, it was nigh impossible for him to activate the Lightning Elemental Orb given his current level of cultivation, but considering the current circumstances, he had no other choice but to give it a try. "Lightning..." Grabbing the orb tightly, Zhang Xuan infused zhenqi into it furiously. Halfway through his words, a loud kacha! sounded, and the orb was reduced to dust. "..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. He was still thinking how his clone had gotten so powerful within such a short period of time... It turned out that he had fully absorbed the lightning harnessed within the Lightning Elemental Orb dry, emptying out the precious artifact! "Damn it..." Realizing that he had lost his greatest trump card, Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. Watching as how the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit was swiftly catching up to him, he felt despaired. He was just about to give himself up to deaths embrace when he suddenly felt a burst of wind rushing past him. He turned around to take a look, and to his shock, the Skyleaf King had ran straight past him, as if the other party hadnt seen him at all. "Ah?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. As arge figure standing in the middle of the room, there was no way that the Skyleaf King would have missed him. So... why did the Skyleaf King run straight past him? Nevertheless, since the Skyleaf King had chosen to overlook him, Zhang Xuan grasped the opportunity and swiftly kept the Violetleaf King back into the Myriad Anthive Nest before rushing out of the chamber. Stepping out of the chamber, he saw his clone facing the Skyleaf King with a mocking look on his face not too far away. His clone wagged his finger provocatively while speaking in a resounding voice, "If you really think that you can defeat me,e at me then!" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. "Could it be that... after absorbing the Lightning Elemental Orb, my clones cultivation has already reached Leaving Aperture realm and could defeat the Skyleaf King? If thats the case, I wont need to escape anymore..." Zhang Xuan had thought that his clone was being disloyal for running away, but it turned out that the other party was actually luring the Skyleaf King out to face thetter one on one... From the looks of it, his clone seemed to have gained the ability to defeat the Skyleaf King face on. There was no need for him to worry anymore. "Youre courting death..." the Skyleaf King roared as he flung a fist forward furiously. The clone also swiftly retaliated with a punch of his own. "My clone is actually facing the Skyleaf King head on?" Seeing how his clone was valiantly charging at the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes wide to see who would emerge victorious from the sh, only to see that before his clones fist could evene close to connecting with the Skyleaf King, the Skyleaf Kings fist had already fallen on his head. Padah! His clones head was knocked t. Pu! Zhang Xuans eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, and he almost cked out on the spot. Arent you supposed to be powerful? To be destroyed within just a single blow... Where in the world did you find the courage to behave so arrogantly before the Skyleaf King? "He is intentionally luring the other party so that I can escape..." Zhang Xuan was dazed for a moment before realization came to him, and he couldnt help but feel a little moved. Despite how his clone usually acted, it seemed like he was still a trustworthy ally during crucial moments! Deciding not to waste the other partys selfless sacrifice, he quickly dashed away. Reanalyzing the situation, while his clones fighting prowess had increased significantly after absorbing the energy within the Lightning Elemental Orb, he was still far from matching the Skyleaf King. The only reason why his clone had challenged the Skyleaf King so arrogantly to his face was so as to vie some time for him to get away. What a noble clone! At this moment, Zhang Xuan felt deeply embarrassed that he misunderstood the kind intentions of the other party... With reddened eyes, he swiftly dashed back towards the room where Wu shi and the others were at. Barely after he took three steps, a figure with a ttened head abruptly sprinted past him while shouting, "Main body, you will have to deal with him yourself, I am not a match for him... Also, Skyleaf King, you should stop pursuing me. Hes the real Zhang Xuan, I am only a clone..." "..." Zhang Xuans body shook as he spurted blood. So, in the end, the fellow was just trying to posture but it ended in a failure... Zhang Xuan swiftly took a nce behind him and saw that the Skyleaf King was looking at him with reddened eyes. "Donte for me, hes the real Zhang Xuan, I am just a clone... When have you seen a clone escaping faster than the main body?" Zhang Xuan immediately backed away fearfully. "I will kill you first before killing him..." With a look of savagery, the Skyleaf King roared angrily as he rushed towards Zhang Xuan. Hu! An incredible might tore through the air, but surprisingly enough, despite standing before such devastating might, Zhang Xuan didnt show the slightest hint of panic. Instead, his lips curled up into a faint smile. "You want to kill me? Give it your best shot then!" the young man replied calmly as he stomped his feet on the ground. Weng! With a loud buzz, the formations that were set up around the chamber came to life. In the blink of an eye, a denseyer of mist shrouded the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit. Zhang Xuan had already examined the formation closely when he first arrived, and with his clones help, they were able to sessfully lure the Skyleaf King into the formation and trap him within it. "Hes the one who had set up the formation, so theres no way the formation can kill or trap him for too long. Lets go!" While Zhang Xuan was able to activate the formation to trap the Skyleaf King temporarily, given the Skyleaf Kings deep understanding of those formations, it would be nigh impossible for him to kill the other party through it. Thus, he chose to make use of this opportunity to swiftly return back to where Wu shi and the others were instead. "I will kill you!" Geji! Geji! Shortly after Zhang Xuan left the formation, a series of loud explosions sounded behind him. The formations trapping the Skyleaf King had been torn into pieces. Those grade-7 pinnacle formations could easily trap Vice Principal Ji Yan and the others, but against the Leaving Aperture realm Skyleaf King whomanded a thorough understanding of them, it could only barelyst for a few moments. On top of that, the formations required a person of sufficient strength to drive it in order to draw out its true strength, but Zhang Xuans Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivation wasnt insufficient for him to drive a grade-7 pinnacle formation properly. "Run!" With the formations being torn apart, Zhang Xuan knew that he would be killed if the Skyleaf King caught with up. Thus, he pushed his body to its limits and dashed forward as fast as he could. ... "What an incredible pulsation of energy... This is bad. The Skyleaf King must have noticed Principal Zhang, and the both of them have started fighting with one another!" The crowd, who were resting within the small room, felt an intense disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy, and their eyes narrowed in rm. "Lets go out to take a look..." Wu shi said anxiously before taking the lead to head outside. The others quickly followed suit, and not too long after leaving the room, they saw a monster with a ttened sheet dangling on his neck sprinting over. Behind him was a person whose entire body was charred ck and hair was standing on end. "What are those things?" The crowd was horrified. Chapter 1080: I Want to Become a Celestial Saint! Chapter 1080: I Want to Be a Celestial Saint! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Due to the hugemotion outside, everyone thought that the Skyleaf King had noticed Zhang Xuan and a battle had broken out among them. Yet, when they headed out, they found two monsters running in their direction instead. What was going on? Werent they the only ones in the Saint Ascension Hall? "Wait... No, those are not monsters. Take a closer look, the charred man behind is Principal Zhang!" Guild Leader Han suddenly noticed something, and he gulped subconsciously. "Look at his clothes, they are identical with Principal Zhangs. Its just that... he seems to have been struck by lightning?" "Youre right, hes Principal Zhang! But if thats the case... whos the t-faced fellow in front?" Wu shi asked in bewilderment. The fellow with the ttened face in front was dressed in the same clothes as Principal Zhang, and their figures were identical as well. But... surely a person whose face had been crushed t should have died, so how could he still be running about? Not to mention, the speed he was running at was astounding at that! Even Principal Zhang was unable to keep up with him... "I will kill you all..." Just as Guild Leader Han and Wu shi were perplexed by the bizarre situation, a towering Primordial Spirit suddenly appeared around the bend behind the duo. While chasing the duo, the Primordial Spirit wasunching attack after attack, causing huge palm prints to appear on the ground amid intense tremors. "Thats the Skyleaf King? He has drawn out his Primordial Spirit? This is really bad; we must quickly move to save them!" Upon seeing this sight, Wu shi and the others did not have the luxury of time to slowly figure out who the duo was anymore. They quickly drew their weapons and rushed forward to save them. Hu! "Rise!" Along with Wu shis bellow, the swords in everyones hand gathered together to form a grand rain of swords directed toward the Skyleaf King. "How dare you hinder my path? Scram, or else Ill im your lives!" Roaring frenziedly, the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit burst forth to deflect the rain of swords with a powerful p. Deng deng deng deng! The incredible might of the Skyleaf Kings p caused Wu shi and the others to retreat eight steps. That single strike had left their zhenqi running in disarray, and their faces paled from the impact. Even before the Skyleaf King had drawn out his soul, they were already no match for him. Given that the Skyleaf King had gone on a rampage, drawing out his Primordial Spirit to face them, they stood even less of a chance. Nevertheless, even though their attack did nothing to injure the Skyleaf King, they did seed in slowing down the Skyleaf Kings advancement, thus buying Zhang Xuan and his clone sufficient time to reach them. "Quick, get back into the formation..." Knowing that the crowd could very well lose their lives if they were to sh with the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan hurriedly shouted as he continued rushing toward the formation. The crowd also knew that they did not stand a chance against the Skyleaf King with their current strength either, so they hurriedly stepped back into the formation. The moment Zhang Xuan managed to reach the formation, he heaved a huge sigh of relief. Turning his gaze to the figure with a ttened face not too far away, his eyebrows shot up in displeasure. If not for the fact that he did not stand a chance against his clone, he would have taught thetter a lesson. In the first ce, his clone was the one who had acted recklessly andnded both of them in trouble. Despite that, not only did his clone not offer himself to save him, the main body, he even fled faster than him. "You should return back to the Anthive Nest first; I will settle this with youter..." Knowing that this was not the time to be fussing over such matters, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and had his clone return to the Myriad Anthive Nest. Weng! Right after he did that, a light buzz sounded. Vice Principal Ji Yan had already sessfully activated the formation, and a brilliant light shrouded the area. They had set up this formation in order to fend off the Skyleaf Kings assault, and after numerous uses over the past two years, they were already very familiar with it. As such, they were able to activate it instantaneously. Being blocked outside the formation, the Skyleaf King furiously roared, "Damn you! Damn all of you..." Shortly after, the crowd heard a loud thud on the formation. An intense force reverberated through the formation, threatening to shatter it apart. "We wontst long at this rate." After several strikes from the Skyleaf King, the face of the one driving the formation, Vice Principal Ji Yan, nched, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. It was not like the Skyleaf King had never attempted to breach the defenses of their formation before, but this was the first time he hadunched such frenzied attacks. If it continued, it was just a matter of time before the formation broke apart. "There are only the few of us around here, so originally, the Skyleaf King wouldnt kill us before finding a path to escape. After all, the chances of finding a usible escape path are greater if there are more of us around. For him to suddenly go into a rampage... Zhang shi, just what did you do?" Vice Principal Tan Qing frowned as he turned his gaze toward the charred young man not too far away. Just how in the world did he manage to provoke the Skyleaf King into drawing out his Primordial Soul and rushing at them as if he had gone berserk? "I... All I did was destroy his body," Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. His clone could hide back in the Myriad Anthive Nest after causing so much trouble, but he couldnt do the same. In the end, he was the one who had to clean up the mess made by the other party. The more he thought about it, the more exasperated he felt. "Destroy his body?" You mean... you killed his physical body?" Everyone was stunned. They were still thinking that it was ridiculous for the Skyleaf King to go so far as to chase Zhang Xuan in his Primordial Spirit just because he had stolen a stalk of Grand Intermittence Grass from him. But who would have thought that Zhang Xuan actually destroyed the other partys physical body! Leaving Aperture realm cultivators were capable of surviving as Primordial Spirits, but they would still have to take good care of their own body as it was the resting ce for their Primordial Spirits, and it was also the foundation for them to further their cultivation. Given so, there was no one who wouldnt go into a frenzy after having their body destroyed! "I also didnt notice it. It was an ident, really!" Seeing the horrified expressions on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan quickly exined himself. If he had managed to stop his clone from acting so recklessly back then, they would not have been ced in such a desperate situation. "ident..." Everyones face reddened in frustration, and if they could, they would have really liked to give the fellow before them a good pummeling. In the first ce, it is already tough enough for a Nascent Saint cultivator like him to destroy the body of a Saint 5-dan expert... and he was saying that it was all an ident? If that was the result of an ident, wouldnt the world be destroyed if he acted intentionally? Taking a few deep breaths, Guild Leader Han suppressed the vexed emotions in his heart and spoke grimly. "Forget it, this isnt the time to be thinking about that. We have to find some way to stabilize the formation quickly, or else we might all lose our lives here..." He was the head of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Formation Master Guild, and hisprehension of formations was extremely deep. He could tell that while the formation was still managing to keep the Skyleaf King at bay temporarily, the situation wouldntst for too long at the current rate. To prevent that, all of them would have to devote their strength to reinforcing the formation together. "Alright!" Knowing the urgency of the situation, the others quickly nodded. "Wu shi, head to the Qian position and stand guard there. Luo shi, head to the Zhen position..." Guild Leader Han quickly distributed various roles among the group. He had been studying the formation ever since he arrived at the room, so he had an idea of where the weaknesses of the formation were located. Noting that there was nothing wrong with Guild Leader Hans deployment, Zhang Xuan decided to just follow his instructions. Hong long! As everyone infused their zhenqi into the formation simultaneously, the formation seemed to have stabilized significantly, alleviating the tremors. "Damn it..." Noting the changes in the formation, the Skyleaf King quickly realized that he wouldnt be able to breach the formation even if he exerted his full strength. Trembling with rage, he roared, "Since you wish to coop in your hole like tortoises, I will crush that statue!" Hu! Shortly after those words were shouted, everyone felt the immense pressure acting on them disappearing. It seemed the Skyleaf King had left. "He has gone to deal with Principal Zhang Yinqiu! What do we do?" Stepping out of the formation, the group realized that the Skyleaf King had indeed left. Realizing what the other party was going to do next, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing could not help but panic. Clearly, the statue referred to the old principal beside the Saint Ascension tform. The old principals soul was currently sealed within the statue, so he could not flee even if he wanted to. Faced with the Skyleaf King, the only usible fate for him was death! Even though the old principal was currently trapped within a statue, he had consciousness and was capable of speaking. Surely they couldnt watch idly as their closerade was killed by the Skyleaf King? "What else can we do? We can only save him!" Wu shi replied gravely. "But... theres no way we will be able to stop the Skyleaf King!" Vice Principal Tan Qing said worriedly. The Skyleaf King was simply too powerful. Even with their mightbined, they were still no match for the other party. If they were to rush over recklessly, not only would they be unable to save the old principal, their team might even be wiped out at that. "Im sorry, but I cant simply watch idly as arade dies right before my eyes. Even at the expense of my life, I want to at least try to save him. Master teachers never abandon their own brethren!" Wu shi clenched his fists in agitation. "It goes without saying that we share the same feeling as well, but... what can we do?" Vice Principal Tan Qing shook his head and sighed deeply. "It was in order to save me that Principal Zhang Yinqiunded himself in such a state. If we charge in recklessly and lose our life in the midst of saving him, we will only be undermining the sacrifice he made for us! He would surely me us for acting foolishly!" Having followed Zhang Yinqiu for many years, Vice Principal Tan Qing had a clear grasp of the other partys temperament and character. Unmarried, Zhang Yinqiu had devoted his entirety to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and his responsibilities as a master teacher. Even if they were to seed in saving Zhang Yinqiu at the expense of their own lives, they would only make the other party guilt-ridden for being a liability to the team. "Is there any way we will be able to defeat the Skyleaf King?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. "There is a way. As long as someone achieves a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension tform, we will be able to call forth the energy within it and enter a temporary state of invincibility. With the temporary state of invincibility, we will be able to overwhelm the Skyleaf King easily!" Vice Principal Ji Yan said. "Temporary state of invincibility?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Indeed. We have been studying the stone tablets on the first floor over the past two years, and ording to the records left behind by Kong shi, if a cultivator sessfully bes a Celestial Saint, a burst of sacred light will descend from the sky. At the same time, the energy harnessed within the Saint Ascension tform will be infused into the cultivators body. As the energy harnesses the authority of the world, not even 9-star master teachers will be able to stand their ground before it!" Vice Principal Ji Yan replied. In the two years that they were trapped in the area, other than pitting their strength and wits against the Skyleaf King, they had also been looking into how they could escape from the Saint Ascension Hall as well. As such, they had been looking around the area whenever they had chance to do so, and they had managed to find quite a few records that were rted to the Saint Ascension tform. At this point, it seemed like there were only two solutions to escape from the Saint Ascension Hall. Firstly, obtain the heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Secondly, be conferred as a Celestial Saint on the Saint Ascension tform. The first solution was no longer feasible. The fragmented soul of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had already dissipated from being excessively traumatized, so there was no way they could obtain the heritage anymore. In other words, their only hopey in the second solution. "Thats as good as not saying anything at all... Celestial Saint? How could it be that easy!" Wu shi shook his head. Shortly after hearing those words, the young man stepped up, and with determination in his eyes, he said, "How about this? Lets head to the Saint Ascension tform, and the rest of you will try to find ways to stall the Skyleaf King so as to prevent him fromying his hands on the old principal. In the meantime, I will attempt to achieve a breakthrough to Celestial Saint on the Saint Ascension tform!" Since he had already obtained the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he was ready for a breakthrough to Saint realm! With his powerful umtion and deepprehension of the Saint Ascension Decipher, there was at least an 80% chance that he could be a Celestial Saint! At this moment, it seemed to be the only usible way to stop the Skyleaf King and save the remaining soul of the old principal! "Bing a Celestial Saint is not as easy as you think it is. You really should drop the idea..." Seeing how the other party raised the topic once more, Vice Principal Ji Yan frowned in displeasure. He had already told the other party about the matter previously, and it was only out of politeness that he had not hurled criticisms at him. And yet, the other party was going on about it once more. Do you think that Celestial Saints are like cabbages in the market, avable upon demand? Stop overestimating yourself! The displeased Vice Principal Ji Yan was just about to continue when the presence of the young man before him abruptly changed, and an invible aura abruptly burst forth from him. Hong long! That aura created a warm glow around the young man, portraying him as a deity. "This... This is... Celestial Master Teacher?" Upon sensing the aura, Vice Principal Ji Yans criticisms were stifled in his throat. His eyes narrowed, and his body stiffened. Chapter 1081: Exchange Chapter 1081: Exchange Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was previously said that the requirement to bing a Celestial Saint was to be a Celestial Master Teacher. But other than Kong shi, there was not a single person in the entire Master Teacher Continent who had managed to receive the acknowledgement of the heavens and be a Celestial Master Teacher. As such, they had always thought that it was all a pipe dream, a solution that could nevere to be. Thus, when they felt the aura the young man before them was emanating, they fell into a daze. Zhang shi was actually a... Celestial Master Teacher? Vice Principal Ji Yan was not the only one who reacted in such a manner. Other than Luo Ruoxin, the remaining members of the group also had their mouths widened in shock, as if they had seen a ghost. They knew that Zhang Xuan was a person who possessed unparalleled talent and outstanding leadership, but who would have thought that he was actually a real Celestial Master Teacher? It was no wonder Ancient Sage Qiu Wu dissipated in shame! His standing could be said to be on par with even Kong shi himself! Retracting the aura around him, Zhang Xuan turned to Vice Principal Ji Yan and asked, "So, am I qualified to be a Celestial Saint?" "O-of course!" Vice Principal Ji Yan hurriedly replied with quivering lips. At this point, how could he dare say no? If even Celestial Master Teachers were unable to be Celestial Saints, it would be impossible for anyone else to do it. Seeing that he had managed to convince everyone, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Lets move quickly then. Otherwise, once the Skyleaf Kingys his hands on the old principal, itll be toote for regrets." If the group continued dawdling around due to theirck of confidence in his ability to be a Celestial Saint, the old principal would probably be dead before they could take any concrete action. With a life at stake, he could only reveal his identity so as to win them over. Besides, once he became a Celestial Saint, the others were bound to learn about his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher as well. Since that was going to be the case, it made no difference whether he revealed it to them now orter. And judging from the crowds reaction, it seemed like he had made the right call as well. "Alright, lets set off right now!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright!" The crowd quickly made their way toward the roof of the Saint Ascension Hall once more. The Saint Ascension tform was not releasing any sacred light at the moment, so the Skyleaf King could ess the area freely as they wished. They would have to make haste. Hong long! As soon as they arrived at the rooftop, they saw the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit grabbing the old principals soul. The statue thetter was housed in before had already been reduced to fragments. Upon seeing the crowd, the old principal immediately eximed anxiously, "Donte over, I am already a dead man. Theres no need for you to make unnecessary sacrifices for me." Even though he had never cultivated soul arts before, his soul was still able to stabilize significantly due to the sustained nourishment from the sacred light over time. As such, the destruction of the statue did not dissipate his soul instantaneously. "Shut up!" With a tap of the Skyleaf Kings finger, the old principals voice immediately vanished. With a cold gaze in his eyes, the Skyleaf King turned to the crowd and said, "I thought that master teachers were all spineless cowards who feared death. What a surprise!" Seeing that Zhang Yinqius soul was tightly grasped in the Skyleaf Kings hands, Vice Principal Tan Qing clenched his jaws and said, "Let go of our principal! As the leader of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, a Leaving Aperture realm expert, dont you think that its beneath you to deal with a powerless soul?" "Beneath me? Hah! If it wasnt for that, do you think that this fellow would have been able to live to this day?" the Skyleaf King replied with ferocity. Trapped within the statue, Zhang Yinqiu was unable to leave the rooftop of the Saint Ascension Hall at all. There were various intervals in which the Saint Ascension tform did not emanated sacred light, and the Skyleaf King could have easily made use of such intervals to kill Zhang Yinqiu. The reason he had not done so was out of consideration of his standing, and just as Vice Principal Ji Yan and the others had guessed, it would also be harder for him to find a way to escape if all of the master teachers were killed. Furthermore, Zhang Yinqiu posed no threat at all, and in his current form, living would only be more painful than death. "What do we have to do for you to release the old principal?" Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Judging from how the Skyleaf King had yet to make a move after all this while, it was apparent that he was intending to use Zhang Yinqiu as leverage to negotiate with them. "Simple! Hand over that fellow who beat me up along with the map, and Ill let him go. Otherwise, you will have to watch helplessly as his soul dissipates into nothing!" As the Skyleaf King spoke about the person who had beaten him up, his voice grew visibly colder and angrier. This was the first time that someone had sessfully managed to pull off an assault against him since bing the number one expert of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings. To make matters worse, his head was utterly crushed, thus rendering his physical bodypletely useless. Just the thought of it left him so furious that he could explode on the spot. "The fellow who beat you up?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes nkly. He had thought that the Skyleaf King would use Zhang Yinqiu as a leverage to im his life, but who could have known that his hatred for his clone far exceeded his... But thinking about it, that was to be expected. After all, his clone had destroyed the other partys body in a single hit, so it was only natural that the other party was filled with antagonism for his clone. "Indeed. Hand that fellow over with the map, and I will release Zhang Yinqiu!" the Skyleaf King nodded. "Very well. We can hand them over to you, but you must swear to the Spirit God that not only will you not kill the old principal, you are also not toy your hands on us in the next twenty-four hours!" Zhang Xuan said. "Otherwise, if you go after us right after we save the old principal, that would render the exchangepletely meaningless!" Considering that Zhang Xuan had the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence in his hands, it would not take long for him to achieve a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension tform. As long as he could prevent the Skyleaf King from attacking them for the time being, he would be able to sessfully be a Celestial Saint and y thetter. The Skyleaf King was taken aback. "You know of our Spirit God?" Swearing to the Spirit God was an extremely sacred and solemn ritual of their Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. A vow that was sworn to the Spirit God could not be broken, or else the Spirit God would im ones soul as forfeit. "Why? You dare not agree to our request? Thats fine as well, but you need not dream about obtaining the map either; lets all die here together. Were all trapped here anyway, so its only a matter of time before you join us in the underworld!" Noting the Skyleaf Kings hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately pushed his case on to topple the scales in his favor. The Skyleaf King contemted for a long while before he eventually nodded. "Alright then, I will make a vow to the Spirit God!" "Lets begin then." Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out an altar of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It was the one that he had obtained from the hands of the Jadeleaf King. Seeing how thorough Zhang Xuan was, the Skyleaf King realized that it would be impossible for him to dupe the other party, and he sneered coldly, "You sure are well-prepared, arent you? Fine, I shall make a vow to the Spirit God here!" Hong long! Innumerable treasures appeared on top of the altar, and as the Skyleaf King began speaking in a foreign tongue, the items began burning up. Geji! Geji! All of a sudden, the sky suddenly turned pitch-ck, and a massive door materialized right above him. Everyones body stiffened in the presence of the door. There was an inconceivably powerful aura that was being emanated from within the door. Before such massive power, it felt as if even cultivators of their strength could be torn into shreds with just a mere thought. Standing before such power, Zhang Xuans heart also skipped a beat. Back then, the Jadeleaf King had only utilized the altar to verify Feng Xuns identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, so the door had not appeared. He had not thought that the Skyleaf Kings vow would call upon such a fearsome existence. Hu! The door slowly opened, and a silhouette came into view. It was a mere silhouette, but its very presence left the crowd feeling as if their souls would burst at any moment. If the existence were to really descend upon thisnd, would the Master Teacher Continent be destroyed? Inside the door waspletely dark, making the silhouette extremely vague. However, through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was still able to catch a decent glimpse within the door, and a deep frown emerged on his forehead. That silhouette... Where have I seen it before? However, before he could give the matter much thought, the Skyleaf King suddenly began making his vow, dragging Zhang Xuans attention away from the silhouette. "I, the Skyleaf King, vow in the name of the Spirit God that as long as I am given the map and the offender who destroyed my body, I will immediately release Zhang Yinqiu and not harm him and hisrades within the next twenty-four hours. If I ever break this vow, may the Spirit God im my life and soul as forfeit." Hu! Right after those words were spoken, a brilliant ray of light burst forth from within the door and fell right on his head, entering his mind. It seemed to be confirmation that the Spirit God had epted the vow. Hu! After that was done, the door slowly dissipated from existence. With a slightly pale look on his face, the Skyleaf King turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "How is it? I have already made my vow, so can you believe me now?" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to take out his clone and map when Wu shis voice suddenly sounded in his ear via zhenqi telepathy. "Something is not right; everything seems to be proceeding too smoothly. Dont you think that the Skyleaf King has epted our request too quickly? He even willingly made a vow to the Spirit God at our request. Could there be a trap somewhere?" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Theres definitely a trap somewhere..." Given the Skyleaf Kings superior cultivation, he was in an advantageous situationpared to them. Yet, he still chose to ept to their terms without much hesitation or bargaining. It was truly hard to believe that the other party was not up to something given this bizarre situation. "Then..." Wu shi frowned. "The old principal is currently in his hands, so we have no other choice but to go along with it. Besides, he might have his trap, but we have our own trump card as well. As long as we can stall for some time, I will be able to sessfully be a Celestial Saint and y him, thus resolving any the situation once and for all," Zhang Xuan replied telepathically. Considering that they were in a disadvantageous situation, it was already a huge blessing that the Skyleaf King was willing to ept their terms. Even if there was trap hidden somewhere, they had no choice but to leap right into it. "This..." Knowing that the Skyleaf King was definitely up to something, Wu shi felt a little reluctant to go ahead with the n. However, he also understood that there was no other path they could take at the moment. If the Skyleaf King really made a move against them, they would not be able to stop him. "Hurry up, dont test my patience. Where is that fellow and my map?" the Skyleaf King said impatiently. "They are over here..." Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and his clone appeared beside him. Since his clone was the one who hadnded them in the current predicament, it was only natural that he should take responsibility for the matter as well. In any case, his clone was forged out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, so even if he were to be pummeled into a t pancake, even with the incredible strength the Skyleaf King wielded, Zhang Xuan did not think that the other party was capable of killing his clone. At this moment, his clone had already recovered from his ttened face. In order not to shock the others too much, Zhang Xuan had his clone alter his appearance to that of Sun Qiangs in the Anthive Nest beforeing out. "Hes the fellow whoid his hands on me earlier?" Seeing a fatty whom he did not recognize appearing before him, the Skyleaf King frowned doubtfully. "Indeed. Hes capable of disguising himself. He was the one who disguised himself as the Scarletleaf King earlier, too," Zhang Xuan replied. "Very well..." With hatred and wrath in his eyes, the Skyleaf King raised his hand, and an immense might immediately wrapped itself around Zhang Xuans clone. With a powerful tug, the Skyleaf King pulled the clone over to his side, holding thetter hostage. After grabbing hold of his clone, the Skyleaf King did not rush to exact vengeance on him. Instead, he turned to Zhang Xuan once more and asked, "What about the map?" "Its over here!" Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand, and an ancient goatskin sheet materialized above his palm. Floating calmly, it emanated an historic air around it. Honestly speaking, the map was not much use at all. So far, all it had done was form a rainbow bridge that allowed the expedition team to bypass the celestial pce and enter the Qiu Wu Pce. If the Skyleaf King really wanted it, there was no harm in handing it over to him. "Give it to me..." A look of fiery desire swiftly flickered across the Skyleaf Kings eyes as he anxiously stretched his hand forward. "Alright." With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan passed the map over to the Skyleaf King. "Wu! Wuwuwu! Wuwuwuwu..." Seeing that the map was about to fall into the Skyleaf Kings grasp, the silenced Zhang Yinqiu panicked. He tried to say something, but the binding that the Skyleaf King had cast over him prevented him to speaking a word. "Good! Alright, Ill return this one to you then!" With a light push, the Skyleaf King tossed Zhang Yinqius soul toward Zhang Xuan and the others. Zhang Xuan and the others hurriedly rushed forward to catch Zhang Yinqius soul, and Wu shi quickly relieved Zhang Yinqiu of his bindings. As soon as the binding was released, Zhang Yinqiu immediately said anxiously, "The map concerns the possession of the ancient domain; we cannot let him gain possession of it!" "Hahaha, its toote!" Standing in midair with the map in his grasp, the Skyleaf Kings excited voice boomed in the area, and the Saint Ascension Hall abruptly began shaking intensely. Chapter 1082: You Are Blocking Me from Watching Zhang Xuan Pose Chapter 1082: You Are Blocking Me from Watching Zhang Xuan Pose Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom! With a smooth motion, the map in the Skyleaf Kings grasp opened up, and the Saint Ascension Hall suddenly began shaking intensely. In fact, the shaking seemed to extend to the Qiu Wu Pce and even beyond. An enormous power seemed to be gushing from the depths of the ground, and it felt as if something frightening was about to surface. Feeling the powerful aura, everyones face warped in horror. The aura was simply too powerful. The Skyleaf King was already an opponent that was nigh impossible for them to deal with previously, but before this aura, they felt that they did not even stand a sliver of chance. Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. "This is... the aura of the Subterranean Gallerys seal?" He had felt such a sensation from the seal in the Subterranean Gallery before. Vast and powerful, it felt like something no being could never hope to stand against. Geji! Geji! The aura grew more and more powerful, and eventually, at the summons of the map, a massive sphere slowly burrowed out of the ground. Simr to a crystal ball, the sphere was transparent. Zhang Xuan could not tell what it was made of, but the sheer power harnessed within it could easily crush all of them. Seeing the abrupt twist in circumstances, Wu shi hurriedly asked, "Zhang Yinqiu, what is going on?" "Its the map!" With a pale face, Zhang Yinqiu spoke with despair in his eyes. "Map? Doesnt the map only serve to point out a safe path through the ancient domain?" Wu shi asked with a frown. They had seen the map when Zhang Xuan had it, and all it had done for them so far was create a bridge that led them into the true Qiu Wu Pce. Other than it, it seemed to serve no practical purpose at all. "Point out a safe path?" Zhang Yinqiu shook his head. "Its far more important than that. That map is actually the key to Qiu Wu Pce! Inscribed on it are the words of the ancient gods and a unique Spatial Formation. Once it fuses with the sphere, the map will be able to store the entire Qiu Wu Pce within it!" "Store the entire Qiu Wu Pce within it?" The crowd was startled. "On your way here, you must have realized that Qiu Wu Pce is actually a folded space. The sphere over there is the core of Qiu Wu Pce, it serves to regte the energy within it and stabilize the space. "The map serves as the key to controlling the sphere. Once the sphere fuses together with the map, the entire Qiu Wu pce will be a painting, simr to the celestial pce outside. If that happens, not only will the Skyleaf King gain possession over all of the treasures that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu and Kong shi have left behind, we will also be trapped within the painting, and the Skyleaf King would be able to deal with us as he please!" Zhang Yinqiu said anxiously. "This..." Everyones body jolted in shock. The reason they were so helpless before the Scarletleaf King back when they were within the celestial pce was because they were trapped within the painting whereas the Scarletleaf King was outside the painting. The old principal was right. Once the Skyleaf King sessfully fused the sphere together with the map, the entire ancient domain would be his to control. If that truly happened, they would be in deep trouble. "Back then, on top of leaving behind his heritage for master teachers, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has also created the map and entrusted it into trustworthy hands so that those who require its strength would be able to use it in times of crisis. Those who possess the map can fuse it together with the sphere, and that would grant themplete control over Qiu Wu Pce. "If the Skyleaf King truly gains possession of Qiu Wu Pce, even without the heritage, he would still be able to analyze and reverse engineer the structure of the seal. Once he seeds, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will be able to send their armies into the Master Teacher Continent, and mankind will be in for a tough fight. It is also for this reason that I rushed over as fast as I could to stop him, having thought that the Skyleaf King had already obtained the map." Upon hearing those words, everyone came to a realization. Previously, Zhang Xuan had been thinking that since it was impossible for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage, why did the old principal and the others still charge into the ancient domain to stop them despite knowing the huge risks it posed? At this moment, everything was finally clear to him. "What do we do now?" Wu shi asked worriedly. They were currently in a race against time. If the Skyleaf King seeded in fusing the sphere with the map, mankind could very well be facing a cmity on an unprecedented scale. "Theres only one thing we can do nowstop the map and the sphere from fusing together!" Zhang Yinqiu said grimly. "Alright!" everyone replied grimly. "Principal Zhang, you should go and attempt for a breakthrough first. Leave the Skyleaf King to us!" Wu shi said. "Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded. He knew that given his current strength, he would not be of any help for the others in their fight against the Skyleaf King. Since that was the case, it was better for him to focus on achieving a breakthrough. Once he seeded, the current adversity they were in could be resolved easily. Not expecting the Nascent Saint cultivator to be thinking about breaking through at such a crucial moment, Zhang Yinqiu could not help but frown. "Breakthrough? Even if a Nascent Saint achieves a breakthrough to Saint realm, it still wont make a difference to the current plight we are in." "Dont worry, Principal Zhang Yinqiu. Its not any ordinary breakthrough that hes going for," Wu shi replied with a soft chuckle. After which, he took in a deep breath, and his eyes suddenly grew solemn. With an abrupt leap, he charged swiftly toward the Skyleaf King as if a streak of lightning. Tzz! Knowing that his opponent wielded strength far beyond him, Wu shi used a secret art right from the get-go, forcing his body to exert a might far beyond his current limits. "Wait for me!" Guild Leader Han also swiftly leaped up to support Wu shi. In an instant, the two Saint 4-dan experts immediately began shing with the Skyleaf King. Had it been any other asion, the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit would be more than able to subdue the both of them with a single palm strike. However, at that moment, he had to devote a portion of his strength and focus to facilitating the fusion of the map and the sphere, so his strength had been reduced significantly. As a result, a stalemate had actually arisen from their sh. "Not any ordinary breakthrough that hes going for?" On the other hand, Zhang Yinqiu knew that he would not stand a chance against the Skyleaf King in his current form, so he turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan doubtfully instead. Just what kind of breakthrough was thetter going to achieve for Wu shi to say such words? However, this doubt did notst for too long in his mind, as he soon saw Zhang Xuan walking toward the Saint Ascension tform. The Saint Ascension tform was protected by an extremely powerful seal, making it nigh impossible for anyone else to approach it. Yet, for some reason, the seal disyed an exceptional intimacy toward Zhang Xuan, opening up a path for him to pass through without any hesitation. A thought surfaced in Zhang Yinqius mind, and his eyes widened in shock. The seal opened up for him? Could it be... Could it be... Celestial Master Teacher? In terms of their understanding of Qiu Wu Pce, there was no one there who could rival Zhang Yinqiu. There was only one possibility for the seal to open up a path voluntarily for one to pass throughthe person had met the requirements to be a Celestial Saint. In other words, the young man before him was actually a Celestial Master Teacher! Hong long! Before his shocked gaze, the young man before him took a seat on top of the Saint Ascension tform. With a flick of his wrist, a seven-colored fluid materialized before the young man. "That is... the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence!" Zhang Yinqiu eximed. As rare as the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence was, it had a rather distinctive and unique appearance. Those who had heard of it before could easily recognize it. On the Saint Ascension tform, Zhang Xuan held the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence in one hand while tapping on it lightly with the forefinger of his other hand. In the next instant, the seven-colored energy harnessed within the fluid swiftly seeped into the many acupoints throughout his body. Geji! Geji! A resounding echo sounded, and Zhang Xuans aura began surging swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he had already ovee the limitations of Nascent Saint pinnacle, heading toward a far greater level. Such incredible power... Is he really just attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm? Zhang Yinqiu gulped subconsciously as he stared at the sight before him fixedly. Even though the young man before him was only attempting a breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm 1-dan, the aura that he was emanating felt profound and unfathomable, as if one was staring into the deep abyss. Zhang Yinqiu had once witnessed a Saint 2-dan achieving a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan, but it paled greatly inparison to what was happening before him. If anything, they were not even on the same level! Zhang Yinqiu could hardly believe his eyes. Is he really trying to be a Celestial Saint? The fact that Kong shi had made such preparations within the Qiu Wu Pce showed that he had no doubt that there would surelye another Celestial Saint after him, but even so, Zhang Yinqiu still found it hard to believe that anyone could seed in aplishing that seemingly impossible feat. After all, there was only one Kong shi in the world. None could rece him; none could match up to him. Had the world not had Kong shi, the ancient times would have been bleak like the onset of a long night! "Hes definitely going to. After all, that fellow knows of nothing but showing off." While Zhang Yinqiu was still caught in his state of disbelief, a slightly sour voice sounded beside him. Turning around, he saw that the fatty who had been exchanged for him had, at some point in time, taken a position beside him, his eyes fixated on the young man on the Saint Ascension tform as well. There was a deeply displeased look on his face, seemingly angered by the fact that the limelight had been stolen by the other party. "You... You are bleeding from your seven apertures 1 ..." Upon seeing the state that the fatty was in, Zhang Yinqius lips began twitching uncontrobly. If anyone were to bleed from their seven apertures as profusely as the fatty was at the moment, they would surely have died near instantly. Yet, the fatty seemed to bepletely unfazed by it. He continued looking at the young man on the Saint Ascension tform with his teeth gritted in envy. "Oh, its actually nothing much once you get used to it," the fatty replied nonchntly. "You can actually get used to bleeding from your seven apertures?" Zhang Yinqiu nearly fainted on the spot. Just where in this world did this monstere from? While others were dying due to bleeding from their seven apertures, this fatty was saying that it was fine once one had gotten used to it. "No, its not just that..." With twitching lips, Zhang Yinqiu continued speaking. "Theres a sword stabbed into your back... I think it has pierced through your heart..." If the fatty was only bleeding from his seven apertures, he would not have been so surprised. However, there was a sword plunged into his back, and judging from the angle, it had pierced right through the fattys heart. Was he really still fine despite being in such a state? "Pierced through my heart?" Perplexed, the fatty nced downward and saw the tip of a sword protruding from the front of his chest. His eyebrows shot up before replying nonchntly, "Oh? I wouldnt have noticed it if you hadnt said so. However, thats not really an issue to be concerned over. Itll be fine once I pluck it out!" After saying those words, the fatty bent his hand in an inconceivable angle to grab the sword behind his back and extract it. Tossing the extracted sword nonchntly on the ground, he said, "There, its done!" "I..." Zhang Yinqiu waspletely frenzied. The insanity that he had just witnessed made him feel as if the world had gone mad. Just what in the heck was the monster before him made of? How could he still be living despite being in such a state? "Curses! You sure are resilient, arent you? Lets see if this can kill you!" While Zhang Yinqiu was still overwhelmed by his shock, a wrathful bellow sounded from the sky. The next moment, the Skyleaf King threw a powerful palm down toward the fatty. Kacha! In the blink of an eye, the fatty was reduced to a t lump of meat, glued to the ground. " Ahh! " Horrified, Zhang Yinqiu subconsciously took numerous steps back with a pale face. It was just a moment ago that he was still speaking to the fatty, but thetter was suddenly reduced to a lump of meat the next moment. The striking visual was something that was hard for him to ept in a moment. "This young brother over here, rest assured. Even at the cost of my life, I will exact vengeance for you..." Zhang Yinqiu said solemnly before turning his gaze toward the Skyleaf King with eyes reddened in killing intent. However, before he could even finish his vow, an impatient voice sounded from the ground. "What the heck are you mumbling there? Hurry up and step away, you are blocking me from watching Zhang Xuan pose." rmed, Zhang Yinqiu lowered his head, only to see that two eyes were staring at him impatiently from the lump of meat on the ground. Chapter 1083: Celestial Saint Ordeal Chapter 1083: Celestial Saint Ordeal Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Ah..." Leaping up, Zhang Yinqiu nearly fainted from shock. If the other party was still living despite bleeding from the seven apertures and taking a sword to the heart, he could at least still reason it as the other party possessing a secret art of some sort which allowed him to shift his heart away from its original position... But how could a person who was smacked into a lump of meat possibly still be living?! More importantly, you said that I was blocking your path? Just how concerned are you with Zhang shis posing, no, attempting a breakthrough that you are still so fixated on watching it despite being in such a state? Just as Zhang Yinqiu was rendered at aplete loss of words, another surge of sword qi shed across the air. The Skyleaf King seemed to have noticed that the fellow was still alive andunched another wave of attack over out of fury. Kacha! Under the immense might of the Skyleaf King, the lump of meat was immediately split into two lumps as it wriggled relentlessly on the ground. "Y-you... You should be dead this time around, right?" With quivering lips, Zhang Yinqiu couldnt help but ask. "Youre the one who is dead, your entire family is dead!" the two lumps of meat refuted furiously. After which, the two eyeballs on them turned towards the Skyleaf King and spat, "Its only out of consideration for your dignity that I chose to feign death here, and yet, you just have to persistentlye for me time after time again... You are just asking to die, arent you?" Hong long! The two lumps on the ground merged back with one another, and in just a few moments, he had already reverted back to his original appearance as a fatty, as if he hadnt been injured in the first ce. With a furious roar, he charged towards the Skyleaf King in the sky. Just like that, Zhang Xuans clone joined the fray as well. However, it was apparent that the strength of Zhang Xuans clone was far from matching up to the Skyleaf King. Shortly after leaping up, he was knocked back down into the ground with a single p, reduced to a lump of meat once more. This time, before Zhang Yinqiu could even express his grief, the lump of meat gathered again once more and continued shing with the Skyleaf King. "This..." Not only was Zhang Yinqiu dazed, even Wu shi and Guild Leader Han were stupefied as well. Wasnt Principal Zhangs friend a little too absurdly resilient? It was as if his body was made of rubber, and nothing could faze him at all... How in the world did he manage to cultivate a body like that? A momentter, Wu shi recovered from his shock and bellowed, "Lets go all out. We just have to keep him stall him for a while..." There wasnt any time for them to be surprised at the moment. No matter the cost, they had to prevent the Skyleaf King from sessfully fusing the map and the sphere together. If the Skyleaf King were to seed, they would all lose their lives here. The coborative offense carried out by the numerous Saint 4-dan experts brought forth a furious barrage of sword qi and zhenqi. Devastating shockwaves rippled into the surroundings, inflicting havoc upon everything that stood in its path. With an indestructible monster joining the battle, Wu shi and the others were able to remain unharmed under the Skyleaf Kings attacks for the time being. Seeing that the situation over there was stable for the time being, Zhang Yinqiu turned his sight back to the young man on the Saint Ascension tform and saw that the energy within his body was still increasing ceaselessly, as if the power he harnessed within his body was boundless. "Just how much energy does he have in his body..." Zhang Yinqiu couldnt help but be astonished. Any Nascent Saint cultivators in his ce would have already expended their zhenqi by now and withered into dried jerky. Yet, the young man seemed to bepletely unfazed by the massive energy consumption he was making! Just in terms of zhenqi reserve in itself, even ten of him in his peak state couldntpare to the young man. After watching the situation for a while, Zhang Yinqiu determined that they were still doing fine for the time being, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to turn his gaze back to the battle in the sky when he caught sight of a beautiful silhouette not too far away, and he frowned, "Luo shi, why arent you participating in the battle too?" The beautiful master teacher who hade along with Wu shis expedition team, Luo shi, was currently standing nonchntly on the spot, as if the battle that was going on in the sky had nothing to do with her. "I need to protect Zhang Xuan." Luo shi replied calmly. "Hes just attempting a breakthrough. With the protection of the Saint Ascension tform, he cant possibly be in any danger..." Zhang Yinqiu frowned. Even if your cultivation might be beneath the others, given that everyone else was putting their life on the line, shouldnt you at least be doing something? To say that you are protecting Zhang shi... Zhang shi is just attempting a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension tform, what could possibly happen to him? Hong long! Before Zhang Yinqiu could finish his words, the deafening rumbling of thunder abruptly sounded in the sky above. All of a sudden, pitch-ck clouds appeared in the sky right above the Saint Ascension tform, and the destructive lightning energy harnessed within them threatened toy waste to everything beneath it. "That is... the Leaving Aperture Ordeal? How can it possibly appear here?" Zhang Yinqiu widened his eyes in shock, and he nearly keeled over. It was said in the legends that when a Primordial Spirit realm cultivator attempted a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, he would have to undergo a lightning ordeal. The trial would temper ones Primordial Spirit, making it more resilient. It was a necessary requirement for the Primordial Spirit to be able to exist independently of the body without dissipating... In a sense, it could be considered as a life-and-death trial in order to ascend to higher ranks. It was for this reason that even though there was only a small gap between Primordial Spirit realm and Leaving Aperture realm, there was a world of a difference in both of their fighting prowess. Only upon reaching Leaving Aperture realm could one be considered to have reached the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. However, clearing the Leaving Aperture Ordeal was no easy feat. There were many Primordial Spirit realm experts who would suppress their cultivation for several centuries for fear that their Primordial Spirit would dissipate under the devastating might of the lightning. This resulted in a disproportionately low number of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators aspared to Primordial Spirit realm cultivators. Considering that Zhang shi was a Nascent Saint cultivator attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm, why would he be put through such a fearsome heavenly ordeal? "Everyone wishes to be a Celestial Saint, but without sufficient strength, how could one obtain the acknowledgement of the heavens?" Luo shi remarked nonchntly before taking a step forward. She nced at the ominous clouds that shrouded the sky as she clenched her fists tightly together. "A requirement to bing a Celestial Saint... is to prematurely undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal?" Upon hearing those words, Zhang Yinqiu gulped. He was incapable of sweating as a mere soul, but at this moment, he felt as if his back was drenched with cold sweat. Leaving Aperture Ordealthis was a trial which innumerable Half-Leaving Aperture realm in history had lost their life to. Given that Zhang shi was only a Nascent Saint cultivator, how could he be able to endure it? Putting everything aside, Zhang Yinqiu could tell that even in his peak state, his body and soul would still dissipate at first encounter with the overwhelming lightning energy gathered in the sky above. "This is not the Leaving Aperture Ordeal but Saint Ascension Ordeal! Those who wish to ascend to a Celestial Saint has to first undergo a trial to prove that they are worthy of bing one..." Luo Ruoxins voice was impassive, but she was unable to conceal the deep worry in her eyes. "He must ovee the heavenly ordeal with his own strength. We can only pray the best for him..." "Saint Ascension Ordeal?" While the others were shocked by the sudden arrival of the lightning clouds, on the Saint Ascension tform, Zhang Xuan also came to realize what was going on, and a frown appeared on his face. It was no wonder why no one had seeded in bing a Celestial Saint in the past several dozen millenniums! There were bound to be a handful of astounding geniuses who were able toprehend the secrets behind Kong shis cultivation technique as well, but one who wished the don the crown had to bear the weight of it. Those who wished to be a Celestial Saint had to undergo the Saint Ascension Ordeal to prove their worth! There was no way he would be able to ovee the lightning ordeal easily. "Come!" Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to avoid the lightning ordeal, and the only way he could seed was to face it straight on. Thus, gritting his teeth tightly together, he opened up his pores, and spiritual energy in the surroundings began rushing into him like a whirlpool. At the same time, he lifted his gaze and stared right into the dark clouds above. Hong long! Seemingly sensing Zhang Xuans battle will, the lightning clouds in the sky couldnt hold themselves back any longer. A thick streak of lightning burst from the sky, headed towards the young man seated in the middle of the Saint Ascension tform. If one had to make aparison between the field of lightning from before to the thick streak of lightning headed towards Zhang Xuan at this instant, it would be reminiscent of a young sprout standing before a towering, ancient tree. The both of them werent even close to being at the same level at all! Before the lightning could even reach him, Zhang Xuan could already feel an incredible force threatening to eradicate his body and dissipate his soul. He felt that if his cultivation had been any lower, he wouldnt stand a chance against the streak of lightning at all. "The Saint Ascension Ordeal is divided into the Soul Ordeal, Body Ordeal, and Heart Ordeal, and each of them is more difficult than the previous..." Luo Ruoxin said with a slightly anxious edge to her tone. It was impossible for others to intervene in this kind of ordeal. Not only would it not do any good, it might even trigger the wrath of the heavens, inducing the heavens to bring forth greater destruction to the world. "Soul Ordeal?" Hearing Luo Ruoxins words, Zhang Yinqiu frowned. He had learned a little about the process of bing a Celestial Saint through the writings left by Kong shi around the Saint Ascension Hall. He thought that he had already grasped a thorough understanding of the matter, but at this moment, he realized that what he knew paled far inparison to the youngdy before him. "The Soul Ordeal is the very first trial of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, and it ces the cultivators soul through the tempering and cleansing of lightning. The slightestpse in concentration in this phase can easily lead to ones soul dissipating entirely." Luo Ruoxin exined. "The soul has to undergo the cleansing of lightning?" Zhang Yinqiu shuddered in fear. As he was currently in soul form, he could vividly understand how much souls feared lightning. Lightning was the natural nemesis of all souls. Putting aside a lightning streak as thick as the one in the sky, even just the slightest electricity was unbearable to a soul. "Zhang shi... I can only pray the best for you now..." Zhang Yinqiu said as he looked at Zhang Xuan intently. Hu! As soon as the lightning seeped into Zhang Xuans body, he immediately felt a burning sensation in his soul, as if someone had lit an inferno within it. His condensed soul immediately began flickering unstably, and it seemed as if it might dissipate at any moment. "Pain..." Zhang Xuans face paled. The burning sensation came from the very depths of his soul, and it was so excruciating that he felt as if he could lose his mind at any moment. It was fortunate that he had tempered his soul through theva and field of lightning while he was making his way through the ancient domain, or else his soul might have already dissipated by now. "It seems like the various trials outside arent chosen by random. Kong shi has intentionally designed it to temper theter generations so as to prepare them for a breakthrough to Celestial Saint..." While enduring the excruciating pain of the lightning, an epiphany suddenly came to Zhang Xuan. Throughout the journey, he had been wondering what the purpose of setting up theva and the field of lightning was. If it was to fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it didnt make sense why masters teachers were impeded by them as well. Looking back, it seemed like everything was for the purpose of tempering the soul so as to make it sufficiently resilient to ovee the Soul Ordeal. Tzzzzz! As the lightning energy raged within Zhang Xuans body, his soul shattered into fragments before reforming once more. It was fortunate that the process was urring within his body, or else his fragmented soul would have long dissipated in the world. Under the intense pain from the rampage of the lightning energy, Zhang Xuan felt his consciousness slowly growing hazy. He hadnt expected bing a Celestial Saint to be easy, but he didnt think that it would be so frightening either. That kind of intense pain left him feeling as if every inch of his soul was being slowly cut apart before being sewed back together. "Endure! I must endure it... Since Kong shi was able to do it, why cant I?" Zhang Xuan thought as he clenched his jaws tightly in determination. Kong shi was mortal just like any of them. If Kong shi could clear the trial, why couldnt he? After all the effort he had put into cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, he would be letting himself down if he couldnt even endure this much pain! Geji! Geji! With the further reaffirmation of his resolution, even though the lightning energy coursing through his body was still as painful as ever, it didnt seem as insurmountable and fearsome as before anymore. "It looks like he has cleared the Soul Ordeal..." Upon seeing this sight, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief. In the next moment, however, she frowned worriedly once more and said, "The Body Ordeal is a trial which assesses not only ones physical body but ones grasp over zhenqi and cultivation as well. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong there..." As the Body Ordeal consisted of more aspects, it would be more difficult to ovee it than the previous Soul Ordeal, and the cultivator would be put through a greater deal of suffering as well. The lightning streak in the Soul Ordeal was fearsome, but as long as the cultivators soul remained within his body, he wouldnt be in too much danger as long as he didnt sumb to the pain. However, the same couldnt be said about the Body Ordeal. If the cultivators body were to becking in the slightest, he could very well be reduced to ashes on the spot. Kacha! After a long moment of gathering energy, the second streak of lightning finally burst forth. It was much thicker than the first streak of lightning, roughly the size of the trunk of an ancient tree. It descended to the ground with a force which seemed as if it could tear even the Saint Ascension tform into shreds as well. "You might be able to call forth the lightning ordeal, but do you think that I will allow you to be a Celestial Saint that easily?" At this moment, the Skyleaf King had finally shaken free from Wu shi and the others encirclement. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had sessfully ovee the Soul Ordeal, his face turned livid. Raising his palm, he sent a powerful strike right towards Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1084: I Am a Really Good Teacher! Chapter 1084: I Am a Really Good Teacher! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! The spiritual energy from the surroundings converged together to form a massive palm print, which was then sted toward Zhang Xuan with astounding force. If he were struck by the palm strike, there was no doubt that he would die there and then. "Skyleaf King, your opponent is me!" rmed, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han hurriedly rushed forward to defend Zhang Xuan from the palm strike. Not expecting there to be such an abrupt twist in events, Luo Ruoxins face darkened as she shouted hurriedly, "Dont rush over!" However, it was already toote. Wu shi and Guild Leader Han had already stepped into the perimeter of the lightning ordeal. Pumping their zhenqi furiously, they were able to barely deflect the powerful palm strike that the Skyleaf King had sent over. However, in the next moment, a deep rumbling sounded from above, and the dark clouds abruptly expended more than twofold. An even more astonishing amount of lightning energy was gathering within the dark clouds, preparing tounch a lethal strike upon its target. Upon seeing that sight, Zhang Yinqius face paled. "What happened?" Why would there suddenly be a rise in the difficulty of the lightning ordeal? The previous streak of lightning was already something that even Zhang Xuan could hardly withstand, so if it were to grow stronger... "The Saint Ascension Ordeal alters its difficulty ording to the strength of the cultivator. As Wu shi and Guild Leader Han stepped into the vicinity of the lightning ordeal, the lightning ordeal mistakenly thought that Zhang shi has achieved a breakthrough, so its sending down an even stronger streak of lightning for him to deal with," Luo Ruoxin exined with a pale face. "What should we do then?" Zhang Yinqius body shook in shock. "Theres nothing we can do; we cant interfere in the matter." Luo Ruoxin gritted her teeth. "The more we try to help, the more formidable the lightning ordeal that Zhang shi will be put through..." Kacha! Before she could finish her words, the ck clouds finally finished charging up, and the lightning grew two timesrger in the blink of an eye. Hong long! From the first streak of lightning, Zhang Xuans entire body was already charred ck. With the descend of the second streak of lightning, he felt as if a force was tearing his entire body apart. Pu! Fresh blood burst forth from his mouth as his veins ruptured from the lightning energy rampaging through his body. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was dyed crimson. "Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!" Muttering softly, the insides of Zhang Xuans body began glowing brilliantly as he drove the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to its very limits. The second streak of lightning was the Body Ordeal, so he only had his strongest physical body cultivation technique to rely on to fend off the lightning. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Under the relentless assault of the lightning from above,yer afteryer of radiance shimmering around him broke one after another. As if his body was made of ceramic, cracks began appearing on his skin, and blood flowed profusely out of those cracks. How could the lightning be so powerful? Zhang Xuan eximed within his heart. Even though the previous Soul Ordeal was unbearable, it had not been beyond his limits. On the other hand, the Body Ordeal he was going through was simply too powerful. Despite having cultivated his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to its pinnacle, facing the lightning, he felt like an egg being smashed by a hammer. There was no way he could win at this rate. Geji! The cracks on his body grewrger and more numerous, and the lightning energy engulfed his entirety. In that moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if his head and four limbs were torn apart by five horses heading in different directions. Its not just five horses. Its a hundred of them, a thousand, ten thousand... The lightning energy felt like ten thousand horses tugging every part of his body. It was as if it would not rest until he was reduced to ashes. I cant hold on any longer. The zhenqi in his body swiftly flowed to fend off the lightning energy, and it managed to fend off the devastating lightning energy for nine whole breaths. However, on the tenth breath, he finally came to the limit of his strength, and the lightning energy broke through the defenses of his zhenqi. Even though he cultivated the peerless Heavens Path Divine Art, the lightning ordeal he was currently going through exceeded his limits. He could not hold on any longer. This wont do. If this continues, I will surely die. So what if you are a lightning ordeal? I dont believe that you dont have ws! Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan turned a cold gaze toward the dark clouds in the sky. You might be a powerful force of nature, but nothing in this world is perfect. As long as you have ws, I will be able to exploit them to tide me through this crisis! With a nce, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open. Hu! A series of words appeared in his head. "The second phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, Body Ordeal. Through gathering the Power of Lightning, it devastates the cultivators physical body and zhenqi through the destructive might harnessed within it. ws: No.1, the nature of the lightning makes it highly destructive against material beings, but it inflicts minimal damage on immaterial beings like souls. It is considered a physical attack..." Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. It inflicts minimal damage on souls? His soul was still weakened from the previous Soul Ordeal. If the lightning within the Body Ordeal was ineffective against his soul, he could very well absorb it with his soul. "Come out, my soul!" With a roar, his soul swiftly slipped through his be, and opening his mouth wide, he devoured the lightning that was still descending from the heavens. Due to the overwhelming radiance of the lightning, no one saw his soul. They merely thought that he had used a secret art of some sort. Tzzzzzzzzzzz! As if a potent tonic, the devoured lightning was swiftly processed into soul energy, erging his soul once more. When the lightning coursed through Zhang Xuans body and exploded, it caused his body to be inted to its limit, seemingly threatening to burst it apart. However, when it came to his soul, while it had simr effects, all it had done to its soul was only to make it slightly more condensed. That was not much of a threat at all. Before long, his soul was finally done absorbing the energy harnessed within the second streak of lightning, and his soul reverted back to its initial size of ten meters. While the quantity of his soul energy had increased, its purity did not take a dip at all. If anything, it seemed to be even more fearsome than before. This... Does this mean that I have cleared the second phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal? Swiftly returning his soul back to his body, Zhang Xuan looked up and saw that the second streak of lightning swiftly weakening before eventually clearing altogether, and he heaved a huge sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had swiftly analyzed the ws of the Body Ordeals lightning with the Library of Heavens Path, or else his body might have sumbed to it and turned into meat paste. Hong long long! With the conclusion of the second streak of lightning, thunder began rumbling in the dark clouds above once more as the third streak of lightning threatened to fall. This time, the rumbling was clearly much louder, and the sheer size of the lightning spanned a diameter of a meter. It was as if it was determined to tear Zhang Xuan apart. Kacha! It finally descended down into the world. "Die!" In that moment, the Skyleaf King flicked his finger toward Zhang Xuan, and a surge of sword qi flew over. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had managed to clear the second phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, he felt deeply threatened. Thus, he intended to kill Zhang Xuan once and for all before the final streak of lightning descended. Otherwise, if the humans were to usher in another Celestial Saint, that could very well be a catastrophe for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, even though it was only a single flick of the finger, that surge of sword qi actually harnessed the full strength of his body. Luo Ruoxins eyes narrowed upon seeing that attack. She began to move forward to protect Zhang Xuan, but before she could do so, a figure suddenly appeared right before her. Puchi! That sword qi tore a huge hole through the figure, but it was eventually still stopped before it could reach Zhang Xuan. Upon seeing that sight, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief and stopped. The figure was none other than Zhang Xuans clone. The Skyleaf King had provoked them far too many times that even someone asposed as the clone could not hold himself back anymore. "How dare you attack my main body? You must be tired of living!" With a furious roar, the aura of Zhang Xuans clones body surged furiously, and with a hu!, he leaped right up to the Skyleaf King in the air. "You..." Not expecting the other party to charge right up to him without any fear for his life, the Skyleaf King was stunned for a moment before sending a palm strike downward. Kacha! Struck by the palm strike, Zhang Xuans clone was reduced to a pancake once more. Nevertheless, it did not erode his fighting will in the least. He continued to dash forward furiously despite the unseemly form he was in, determined to bring down the Skyleaf King. Tz tz! The next moment, a ferocious might struck the Skyleaf King, causing his Primordial Spirit to dissipate slightly. "Damn it!" Not expecting the other party to risk his life tounch such desperate attacks against him, the Skyleaf Kings face turned livid with rage. Honestly speaking, he was getting vexed at dealing with the fellow before him. It was as if the fellows body was indestructible! No matter what kind of attacks heunched against the fellow, thetter would always be able to morph back into his original shape a momentter and continueunching frenzied attacks against him. He truly had no idea how he should deal with such an opponent. No, this wont do. Its pointless for me to engage them in conflict. As long as I can fuse the map and the sphere together, I will be able to gainplete control over the Qiu Wu Pce. By then, even if Zhang Xuan sessfully bes a Celestial Saint, he will still be trapped in my grasp, the Skyleaf King thought as he dodged the clones attack. As a Primordial Spirit, he dared not approach Zhang Xuan in close quarters due to the overwhelming lightning energy that had gathered around him, so he had been trying tounch long-range attacks instead. However, it had not been too effective as the others had been trying their best to intercept his attacks. Not to mention, there was even a seemingly indestructible existence among their ranks that was guing him. At this point, he had already realized that it was unlikely that his attacks would reach Zhang Xuan. Thus, the best option he had was to quickly fuse the map and the sphere together. As long as he could gainplete control over the Qiu Wu Pce, he would be able to destroy the group before him easily, even if they did have a Celestial Saint among them! "Scram!" With a furious roar, the Skyleaf King knocked the clone away before cing one of his palms on the sphere to forcefully push it against the map, hastening the fusion process. Weng! A loud buzz sounded as the map and the sphere fused with one another. "Quick, we have to stop him!" Zhang Yinqiu eximed in a panic. Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and Vice Principal Ji Yan dashed over, but before they coulde close, they were already knocked back by a flick of the Skyleaf Kings hand. As the battle continued, it was apparent that the Skyleaf King held the advantage in terms of stamina. On top of that, the rest of them had sustained considerable injuries over the course of the battle, resulting in a significant decline in their fighting prowess as well. As a result, they found themselves gradually bing less and less able to stop the Skyleaf King. "We are doomed." Seeing that the map and the sphere were close to being fully fused with one another and the shaking of the Qiu Wu Pce had stopped as well, Zhang Yinqius face paled in horror. It seemed like they hade to the end of the route now. There was nothing they could do at this point anymore. "We can only pray that Zhang shi sessfully bes a Celestial Saint. If he can achieve a breakthrough, we might still stand a chance at reversing the current situation," Zhang Yinqiu muttered as he turned to look at the young man on the Saint Ascension tform. At this moment, Zhang Xuan was currently facing the final phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, the Heart Ordeal! This was known to be the hardest trial to ovee, and its dangers far exceeded the previous two. "It wont be easy to ovee the Heart Ordeal. Inner Demons will sprout within ones mind and assault ones weaknesses. Even the strongest of experts will find it hard to withstand the beguilement of the Inner Demons. Lets hope that he can endure it!" Luo Ruoxin said with a worried frown on her forehead. Zhang Xuans sessful clearance of the first two trials had done little to alleviate her worries. If Zhang Xuan were to fail this trial, his consciousness could be wiped out, resulting in hisplete death. It was known among cultivators that tempering ones body was easy, but tempering ones mind was difficult. Countless talented cultivators in history had died not in the midst of battle but against the Inner Demons that had sprouted in their minds during cultivation. Oblivious to the happenings outside, in that very instant, Zhang Xuan found himself sinking into a unique state of mind. As thick as the lightning streak for the Heart Ordeal was, it did not inflict the slightest pain on his body. Instead, it brought his consciousness into and ofplete darkness. Alone and lost, he found himself unsure of where he hade from and where he should head to in the future. Aimlessly, he walked within the seemingly boundless world of darkness. No directions and no goal, he found himself sinking deeper and deeper into confusion. Where am I? Where do I have to go? Zhang Xuan thought in a daze. Boom! In the midst of his confusion, apletely dark existence reminiscent of a devil suddenly materialized before his eyes. With an alluring voice, he said, "The cultivation technique that you have cultivated so far is wed! If you continue down this path, death is the only thing you will find at the end of the road..." "wed?" Even in his dazed state, Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words. Then, his dazed eyes opened wide on reflex as he replied, "For you to say that the cultivation technique I have cultivated is wed, it seems like you must have a seriously wrong interpretation of cultivation. How about this, why dont you be my student, and I will give you some guidance? Dont worry, I am a very good teacher!" "..." Inner Demon. Chapter 1085: Luo Ruoxins Strength Chapter 1085: Luo Ruoxins Strength Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Inner Demon was on the verge of tears. All along, he had been the one to break the mental resilience of others, causing them to doubt themselves so as to create an opening in their state of mind. Using this opening, he would devour the cultivator whole. Yet, against this fellow, he didnt even have the time to finish his words before the other party suddenly offered to be his teacher. That was not ying by the rules! I am an Inner Demon, alright? I am here to beguile you, not to be beguiled by you! Suppressing the exasperated emotions within him, the Inner Demon continued speaking with the same alluring voice as before. "Cough cough! As I was saying, there is a huge problem in your cultivation at the moment. If that wasnt the case, how could someone as talented as you, the first one toe close to being a Celestial Saint, possibly be put through so much pain? Just put your trust in me, and you will be able to unleash the full extent of your potential." His voice had a certain quality that drew others into a trance, making him even more fearsome than a demonic tunist. "I get what you are saying, but you are the one who is severely misunderstanding something here. The fact that your cultivation technique is different from mine is sufficient evidence to say that you have a huge w in your cultivation. If you dont believe me, why dont you try executing a battle technique? I will analyze your situation for you." Waving his hand nonchntly, Zhang Xuan eyes remained perfectly clear, unaffected by the Inner Demons beguilement. Had the other party attempted to beguile him using another topic, there was no saying whether he would have fallen for it or not. However, to attempt to make him doubt his cultivation technique... He was a person who could even make Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul dissipate in embarrassment, so how could a mere Inner Demon shake his faith in his cultivation technique? Peng! Before Zhang Xuan finished his words, the Inner Demon vanished on the spot with a loud pop. Since it was unable to beguile Zhang Xuan, its raison dtre had already vanished. As such, it could only vanish into nothing. Before its disappearance, it was actually suffering a mental breakdown within. How in the world did he meet with this kind of a cold and impassive figure? If he had a choice, he would never go there again. Wuuuuu... I want to go home... Zhang Xuans battle with the Inner Demon had onlysted a moment. To the eyes of outsiders, they had only seen a thick streak of lightning falling upon Zhang Xuan. The thick streak of lightning did not seem to have caused any damage to himhe had not spurted blood nor trembled in pain. His body had simply jolted abruptly for a moment before falling still. The next moment, a ray of golden light abruptly burst down from above, and innumerable flowers formed of Origin Energy fluttered in the air. Luo Ruoxin was dazed for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. "This... He has already cleared the Heart Ordeal? But... how did he do it so quickly?" The Heart Ordeal was the most difficult phase in the Saint Ascension Ordeal, so Luo Ruoxin had been clenching her fists tightly in anxiety, worried that he would not be able to ovee it. Yet, who would have thought that just a brief instant after the lightning fell on Zhang Xuans body, he cleared the ordeal? This was too shocking! Hu! As the flowers of Origin Energy fell to the ground, the dark clouds in the sky gradually cleared, and a pir of pure white radiance descended from the sky. It was as if someone had broken a hole in the sky, causing energy to leak from the heavens. Shrouded amid the white radiance, the injuries that Zhang Xuan had sustained previously were healing at a visible pace, and his aura was also growing stronger and stronger with every passing second. Upon seeing this sight, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief before stepping forward. Shortly after clearing the Saint Ascension Ordeal was the period when Zhang Xuan would be the most vulnerable. Even the slightest damage inflicted in this moment could im Zhang Xuans life. Within this span of time, she would have to make sure to guard him tightly so that no one couldy even a single finger on him. "The descent of sacred light... Zhang shi has managed to be a Celestial Saint!" With reddened eyes, Zhang Yinqius tightly clenched fists finally opened up as the tension left his body. With this, they would finally be able to defeat the Skyleaf King! However, in that solemn moment, a frenziedughter sounded. "Hahaha... I have finally seeded..." Following which, the ground suddenly began trembling intensely. It was not just limited to the Saint Ascension Hall; it felt as if the entire Qiu Wu Pce wasing to life. The Skyleaf King raised his hand, and a map gradually floated toward him. In that moment, everyone suddenly felt a restraint acting upon them, as if they were going to be trapped within the painted world once more. "Its over..." In this moment, everyones heart turned cold. Zhang Xuan had managed to clear the Saint Ascension Ordeal, but he still required some time before he could be a Celestial Saint. If the Skyleaf King managed to escape from the Saint Ascension Hall, their n to defeat him would end in failure. Instead, trapped within the painting, they would be easy prey that the Skyleaf King could pick on at his whim. However, they had already expended all of their zhenqi in the previous fight, and they were unable to stop the Skyleaf King anymore. Just a step away from sess, who would have thought that they would be outdone at this critical moment? "Hahaha, its my victory! What Celestial Master Teacher or Celestial Saint, it makes no difference at all! You will only end up dying at my hands like the other ants." Having seeded in gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Pce, the Skyleaf King could no longer hold back the agitation in his heart. With a furious roar, he turned his sight toward the crowd. They had humiliated him again and again over the past few days, and he had finally found an opportunity to return the favor. Boom! Raising his palm, he sent a powerful palm strike toward the young man seated on the Saint Ascension tformZhang Xuan. That was the fellow whom he harbored the greatest hatred towards. Not only did he attempt to steal something from his living quarters, he even had his ally destroy his physical body. No matter what, the Skyleaf King was determined to end his life right there and right then! Hu! There wasnt anything extraordinary about the strength of the palm, but for some reason, it was able to tear through even space itself, opening up a ck rift in its trajectory. Gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Pce was equivalent to bing the new master of the folded space. In other words, the Skyleaf King wielded absolute authority over the ancient domain. Within this space, even if his opponent possessed far greater strength than him, he would still be able to crush the other party easily. "Damn it!" With a furious bellow, Zhang Xuans clone rushed forward to stop the palm strike. However, upon contact with the ck rift, he was immediately ripped in two before falling back to the ground. An ability that could even sever space was far beyond what Zhang Xuans clone could deal with at the moment, even after his abilities were augmented from absorbing the entire Lightning Elemental Orb. "Its over..." Seeing how powerful the Skyleaf Kings attack was, everyone felt their heart turning cold in despair. Who would have thought that the only Celestial Saint after Kong shi would actually die in such a manner? Just as everyone thought that it was Zhang Xuans end, the youngdy who had been standing guard beside the Saint Ascension tform all this while, Luo Ruoxin, suddenly raised her gaze to look at the Skyleaf King with a frown of displeasure on her face. "Humph!" She flicked her hand lightly. Kacha! The iparably powerful palm strike suddenly stopped in midair before dissipating entirely. In the following moment, the Skyleaf King suddenly found his Primordial Spirit beingpletely immobilized in midair, as if an ancient insect trapped within a fossil. Even the gleeful look from before had frozen on his face. Unable to believe what was happening, the Skyleaf King roared fearfully, "How can this be possible? Y-you... Who the hell are you?" He was not too sure how powerful he had be after gaining control over the Qiu Wu Pce, but one thing was for certaineven a Saint 7-dan cultivator would have been killed before the palm strike he hadunched earlier. Yet, with a casual flick of her hand, the youngdy had actually dissipated his attack and sealed his movementspletely... Just how powerful was she? If she was so powerful, why hadnt she made a move from the very start? "As long as I am here, none of you willy a finger on him." Completely disregarding the Skyleaf King, Luo Ruoxin ced her hands behind her back and made a cold deration before turning back to Zhang Xuan once more, perfectlyposed. The rest of you can fight to your deaths all you wish, but I will not allow a single one of you to hurt him! "This..." The faces of Wu shi and the others paled upon witnessing that scene. They had traveled through the ancient domain with the youngdy, and not once had they noticed anything extraordinary about her. Who would have thought that she was actually such a powerful expert? It was truly bewildering. "Can you see through her cultivation?" Guild Leader Han asked Wu shi discreetly. With a bitter look on his face, Wu shi shook his head. With his strength and eye of discernment, he was actually unable to measure the depth of the strength of the person standing before him! In other words, the other party was much, much stronger than him, achieving a level that was beyond his understanding. "But if she possesses such powerful strength, why didnt she save us back at the celestial pce? Why did she watch nonchntly as we lost so many friends?" Guild Leader Han gritted his teeth in indignation. "To an expert of her caliber, our existences might very well mean nothing at all." Wu shi sighed deeply. "Perhaps, in the very first ce, the reason she chose toe to the ancient domain was Principal Zhang." Even though he had not had much interaction with the youngdy, he could tell through the nonchnt eyes of hers that she was not one who concerned herself deeply with those around her, much like an observer watching amotion impassively. It was only in affairs regarding Principal Zhang that the air of nonchnce around her would be broken temporarily. How could a person like that possibly do something excessive as to save them? Besides, the celestial pce was intended to be one of the trials set by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. If she had made a move then, there might have been unforeseen circumstances. "This..." Guild Leader Han was rendered speechless. Indeed. As a cultivator advanced their cultivation andprehended the essence of the world, life and death would gradually unravel before their eyes as an inevitable state of life. It was simply a natural cycle of the worldlife was not something to be celebrated, and death was not something to grieve over either. Considering how Luo Ruoxin did not owe anything to them, she had no reason to interfere and save them either. Otherwise, she might end up finding herself being restrained by the rules of the world. The higher ones cultivation became, the more fearful one would be of the heavens. "Besides, its not like she hasnt done anything at all. She was the one who had been dropping us hints all along, and due to that, Jiang Yuan even used her of being the Skyleaf King," Wu shi said. After a long moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Han finally nodded in response. "Youre right." While Luo Ruoxin had not helped them against the Otherworldly Demons, her advice had yed a crucial role in helping them through the ancient domain. If not for her, they would not have been able to bypass the ck Sand of Oblivion or escape from the celestial pce back then. Upon understanding all of that, Guild Leader Han was finally able to let go of some of the frustration he felt within. ncing at thepletely immobile Skyleaf King, he could not help but ask curiously, "To be able to seal the movements of the Skyleaf King so easily... how powerful do you think she is?" "I think that she could very well be..." At this point, Wu shis face turned extremely grim. "... a 9-star master teacher!" Chapter 1086: You Are Kong shi? Chapter 1086: You Are Kong shi? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "9-star master teacher?" Guild Leader Hans mouth twitched uncontrobly as his lower jaw ckened in shock. There were not many 9-star master teachers even throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent, and every single one of them could cause the Master Teacher Pavilion to tremble with just a stomp of their feet. How in the world had a figure like that ended up joining them in their expedition? Furthermore... how could she be so young? Guild Leader Han couldnt help but ask, "Arent you overestimating Luo shis capabilities a little too much?" It was true that Luo Ruoxins strength felt unfathomable to them, so he would not doubt it even if Wu shi said that she was a Saint 7-dan expert, but... 9-star master teacher? It would be no joke to say that 9-star master teachers were old monsters who had dominated their own sphere of influence for countless years. How could such a youngdy possibly be a 9-star master teacher as well? "You think that I am overestimating Luo shi capabilities? To tell you the truth, I think that I might even be underestimating her! This folded space was left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, and by gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Pce, its not wrong to say that the Skyleaf King inherited his heritage. The fact that Luo shi was able to subdue him despite being within the Qiu Wu Pce so easily shows that her true strength doesnt pale much inparison to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. What else could a person who wields that much strength be if not a 9-star master teacher?" Wu shi exined. At this moment, Guild Leader Han suddenly recalled something and said, "This... Alright, what you said does make sense, but... if I recall correctly, there are some artifacts that can produce effects simr to this when driven by one possessing a unique bloodline. If I recall correctly, the Sage Luo n possesses one such artifact. "Simr to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, the founder of the Luo n is also known for his prowess in spatial maniption. The Dimension Silencer that he left behind does have the ability to manipte space, but... it requires one to possess a very pure bloodline in order to drive it..." Wu shi nodded slightly before suddenly falling into a daze upon realizing what Guild Leader Han was getting at. "You are trying to say that... Luo Ruoxin... is the young princess of the Luo n?" Seemingly in possession of some insider information, Guild Leader Han exined, "Indeed. If I recall correctly, the young princess of the Luo n is at a simr age as well. It is said that she seeded in awakening her bloodline when she was only three, and she is known to be the offspring with the purest bloodline in the several dozen millennia history of the entire n with the exceptional of the founder himself. She immediately received the acknowledgement of the Dimension Silencer and gained possession of it." "Un, I have heard the same as well. Its said that despite her young age, the young princess possesses cultivation far superior to her peers, and her beauty is also matchless as well. However, it seems like due to that certain matter, she ended up falling out with her n and left home." Wu shi nodded. "Now that you speak of it, it does seem very likely for Luo Ruoxin to be the young princess of the Luo n. With the Dimension Silencer and the sheer purity of her bloodline, even a true 9-star master teacher would have to tread carefully around her." "Indeed! That would also exin her extensive knowledge of the ancient domain. If I recall correctly, the Luo n is ranked among the top ten of the Sage ns, right?" Wu shi nodded. "Youre right. It can stand its ground even in the face of behemoths like the cier in Court..." While the duo wasmunicating telepathically, the person they were discussing, Luo Ruoxin, continued standing in front of Zhang Xuan quietly. She watched as his aura grew stronger and stronger, and eventually, when he finally managed to break through his bottleneck as a Nascent Saint, she heaved a sigh of relief. At this moment, Zhang Xuan was indeed unaware of the happenings outside. The sacred light that had gathered around him was warm andfortable, putting him in a state of rxation. At the same time, it also nourished his body, zhenqi, and soul. Driving the Heavens Path Divine Art, his cultivation surged ceaselessly. As if a Taotie 1 with an insatiable appetite, he greedily consumed the sacred energy around him. Saint realm 1-dan primary stage! Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage! ... In less than two hours, his cultivation had already reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle! Hu! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. So far, he had only managed to form the Saint 1-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, so he was unable to cultivate any further than that. Taking an inward look at the current state of his body, Zhang Xuan could not help but tremble in agitation. As expected of Celestial Saint... My Origin Core has already exceeded First Grade, achieving the level of Perfection! Even before bing a Celestial Saint, Zhang Xuan had already managed to raise the tier of his Origin Core to First Grade. However, after being acknowledged as a Celestial Saint, he found his Origin Core being further enhanced to a tier that far exceeded the level of First Grade, achieving a height that could only be described by the word perfection. It seems like Kong shis Origin Core wasnt at First Grade either. He should have achieved the level of Perfection as well. Having be a Celestial Saint himself, he instinctively understood that Kong shi must have gone through the same process. Of the three phases of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, the Body Ordeal destroyed the Origin Core within ones body before reforming it with sacred energy, thus inducing a breakthrough in its tier, reaching a level far beyond what ordinary cultivators could ever achieve. My cultivation is at Saint realm 1-dan, but my true fighting prowess should beparable to a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert. With my current strength, I should be able to easily defeat Feng Xun at peak condition! Zhang Xuan thought in excitement. He had only defeated Feng Xun previously due to thetter suppressing his cultivation initially, so he had been able to grasp the momentum of the battle right from the start and overwhelm the other party. But now... having reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle, even if Feng Xun were to go at him at his full strength, he would still be able to subdue him easily. As for Saint 4-dan cultivators... considering how Primordial Spirits were involved in the equation, the situation would be a little uncertain. In order to face Primordial Spirit realm experts head-on, he would have to advance his soul cultivation first! But the heritage of soul oracles that he had obtained was only up to Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, so it would be hard for him to progress any further than that. It seemed like he would have to find some time to visit the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles that Mo Hunsheng had mentioned earlier. It would also be a good opportunity to check up on Lu Chong and see if he was facing any problems with his cultivation. Hu! Zhang Xuan stood up. "You have awakened," Luo Ruoxin said. "How are you feeling?" "Not too bad!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Turning his gaze upwards, he could not help but be startled by what he saw. "What happened to the Skyleaf King?" The Skyleaf King was frozen in the sky with a gleeful look on his face, not moving in the slightest. Despite his facial expression, fear could be seen in the depths of his eyes. "He attempted to assault you, so I taught him a lesson," Luo Ruoxin replied nonchntly, as if she had just aplished something insignificant. "You taught him a lesson?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. He knew full well how powerful the Skyleaf King was, so for Luo Ruoxin to be able to subdue thetter so easily... Just how powerful was she? In that moment, Zhang Xuan felt like he had gotten a glimpse into why Luo Ruoxin had said that it would be difficult for them to get together. Considering her strength, he was indeed a little too weak to stand by her side. Having be a Celestial Saint, he had thought that he would at least be able to stand unrivalled among his peers. However, when he saw that Luo Ruoxin, who was around the same age as he was, possessed the strength to subdue the Skyleaf King so easily, the pride he was feeling a moment ago vanished without a trace. No matter how fast his cultivation speed was, it had only been a single year since he started rising through the ranks. Given the sheer size of the Master Teacher Continent, the odds were that there were a significant number of astounding geniuses of his age group who possessed cultivation far surpassing him, especially among the offspring of the Sage ns. This further affirmed his previous thoughts. There was always a mountain higher than the other in the world, so he had to maintain a low profile. Otherwise, he might just end up dead without realizing what hade his way. "This fellow has tried to kill me time and time again. Allow me to return the favor to him first." Smiling at Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the Skyleaf King with a ferocious glint in his eyes. Vice Principal Ji Yan was right. Having just be a Celestial Saint, he was still able to tap into the vast energy within the Saint Ascension tform to exert strength beyond his current capabilities. The Skyleaf King might have been a powerful Leaving Aperture realm expert, but with the current strength which Zhang Xuan wielded at his disposal, he was confident that he would be able to defeat the other party easily. Hu! With a snap of Luo Ruoxins finger, the seal around the Skyleaf King was finally released. Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and an overwhelming surge of sacred energy immediately crushed the Skyleaf King against the ground. "You..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to be so formidable all of a sudden, the Skyleaf King widened his eyes in fear. Realizing that the odds were severely against him, he immediately gathered every ounce of strength he had and attempted to flee. Having fused the map and the sphere together, he had managed to gain control of the Qiu Wu Pce. With the possession of such strength, he thought that he had finally reached the peak of his life. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself at risk of being knocked down from the peak. "Trying to flee? Humph!" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes menacingly as he raised his palm furiously. Through telepathy with his clone, he had already learned what had happened while he was on the Saint Ascension tform. Kacha! The Skyleaf King cried in agony as he fell back to the ground once more with his Primordial Spirit convulsing uncontrobly. Given Zhang Xuans current state, the Skyleaf King might not necessarily have been a match even while utilizing the strength of the Qiu Wu Pce, so how could he possibly withstand Zhang Xuans attack when all that was on his mind at that moment was to flee? A momentter, the Skyleaf King was tossed into the Saint Ascension tform. Exposed directly to the brilliant radiance of the sacred light, he screamed frenziedly in agony as he struggled desperately. As time passed, his screaming gradually quietened down until it eventually settled into silence. Hu! Zhang Xuan grasped forward, and a bundle of pure energy from the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit appeared in his hands. The sacred light of the Saint Ascension tform had the effect of destroying the consciousness of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. After being exposed to it for an extended period of time, the Skyleaf King had already lost his sense of self, turning into nothing more than a bundle of pure energy. "Clone, you have done well this time," Zhang Xuan said with a smile before flicking his finger, and half of the bundle of energy flew into his clones body. Geji! Geji! After absorbing the bundle of pure energy, his clones aura began surging steadily. His clones strength was mainly derived from the Nine Hearts Lotus, so there was no need for him to cultivate at all. As long as his soul grew stronger, his fighting prowess would grow as well. Absorbing only half of the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit, even if his clone was unable to reach Leaving Aperture realm, it should sufficient to grant him strengthparable to a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator. Pairing that with his indestructible body, he would be a match for even a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator! "I am very grateful to the rest of you as well." Zhang Xuan turned to Wu shi and the others with a smile. He divided the remaining energy bundle into several portions, and with light flicks, he directed them into their heads. "Thank you, Principal Zhang!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan had just offered them a hard toe by opportunity to push for a breakthrough, Wu shi and the others uttered their thanks before quickly sitting down to cultivate. Boom! Not too longter, Guild Leader Han was the first to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm. Shortlyter, Wu shi followed suit. As for Vice Principal Ji Yan and the others, while their improvements were not as exaggerated, they still managed to reinforce their Primordial Spirit realm cultivation significantly. All in all, the Skyleaf Kings Primordial Spirit had managed to induce a substantial advancement in everyones cultivation. Feeling the raging power flowing through their body, everyone bowed deeply in gratitude. "Principal Zhang..." Zhang Xuan turned to look at them with a solemn expression. "I hope that all of you will keep the matter of me being a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint a secret." For the time being, it was still better for him to keep this matter a secret. Otherwise, it could very well induce widespread fear among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, thuspelling them into extreme actions. If so, his life could be in grave danger. More importantly... low profile, low profile, and low profile! Important matters had to be repeated thrice. "Dont worry, our mouths are sealed!" Wu shi and the others replied earnestly. A matter concerning a Celestial Master Teacher and Celestial Saint had already far exceeded their jurisdiction. It was something that could very well affect the future of mankind, so they dared not speak of it lightly. Hearing their guarantee, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "You have my gratitude for this matter!" After which, he flicked his wrist and tossed a bundle of Grand Intermittence Grass over. "Wu shi, I will leave it to you to forge a Grand Intermittence Pill to heal Vice Principal Tan Qing. For the time being, I intend to study the map and the sphere carefully to see if I can find a way to revert the old principal back to his original form." "Alright!" Grabbing the Grand Intermittence Grass, Wu shi nodded. Apothecary was one of his supporting upations. While it was not the one that he was the most proficient in, he was at least sufficiently skilled to forge a Grand Intermittence Pill. Hu! After he was done making arrangements, Zhang Xuan headed straight up to the sphere and ced his palm on it. A momentter, his eyes narrowed in shock. "You are... Kong shi?" Chapter 1087: Kong shis Warning Chapter 1087: Kong shis Warning Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan could see a tall figure reflected within the sphere. Dressed in a tall cor and a long robe, the figuremanded a divine aura that seemed to harmonize with his. Instinctively, he realized that the figure within the orb was a person who had been recognized by the heavens as well, a Celestial Saint and a Celestial Master Teacher. There was only a single person in history who had achieved such a featKong shi. Hu! As soon as the thought emerged in his mind, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a powerful suction forceing from within the sphere. His consciousness was forcefully dragged out of his body and into the sphere. Swiftly scanning his surroundings, he found that he had entered yet another folded space. It was not toorge, around several dozen meters in diameter. Perhaps due to being coarsely made, the folded space was devoid of anything. All that could be seen was white space. Except for a figure standing in front of him. Assessing the figure before him carefully, Zhang Xuan could not help but frown in intrigue. "Kong shi, why are you..." The previous time he met Kong shi at the Saint Ascension tform, thetter was young and dashing, exuding a refreshing aura of youth. But the figure standing before him at this moment... his face was slightly bruised, and the long robe he donned was a little dirty. Summarizing it with a single word, unkempt. It was as if... someone had beat him up? But... beat Kong shi up? How could that be? He probably left behind his will shortly after he sessfully became a Celestial Saint, Zhang Xuan deduced. Having just undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal himself, while Zhang Xuan had already made a full recovery with the nourishment of the sacred energy, his body and clothes were still stained with dirt and blood. In that sense, he was in an even more unkempt state than Kong shi. That was probably what had happened to Kong shi as well. It might only have been a lingering will, but it had assumed the same untidy look that he had back then. Perhaps it was to serve as a reminder to theter generations about the callousness of the Saint Ascension Ordeal? Waving his hand, Kong shi said with a grim expression, "I dont have much time here." Zhang Xuan nodded in response. "If Im not mistaken, you are also gued with the Innate Fetal Poison, right?" Kong shi asked with a keen look in his eyes. "Y-yes, thats right!" Hearing Kong shi raise the matter, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. Staring at Kong shi intently, he asked, "How can I resolve the Innate Fetal Poison? I beseech you to point a way out for me..." He had intended to pose this question to Kong shi the previous time he met him, but the other party only left him with a "I am not alone in my path" and a heartyugh before disappearing. Since Kong shi himself was raising the topic this time around, he would finally be able to resolve the issue once and for all. As long as he could free himself of the Innate Fetal Poison, he would not have to charge forward so anxiously anymore. The nervousness that he was constantly gued with could finally be put to rest as well. "Well talk about thatter. I have more important matters to entrust to you at the moment." Kong shi shook his head before continuing. "The fact that you were able to ascend to be a Celestial Saint means that you are following the same path as me. Since thats the case, you are bound to find yourself faced with great trouble in the future. Thus, I want to offer you some advice here. In order to free yourself from destiny and reach a greater height, you will have to forge your own path. Walking down a path paved by the wisdom of your predecessors can allow you to grow swiftly, but it will also limit your scope and potential!" "Forge my own path?" Not expecting Kong shi to say such words out of nowhere instead of telling him the cure for the Innate Fetal Poison, Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered. "Indeed." Kong shi nodded. "You should have heard that I am in possession of a certain artifact known as the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, right?" Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was an unparalleled artifact that Kong shi wielded. Back then, it was using this artifact that he had been able to suppress the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and drive them out of the Master Teacher Continent. However, that artifact had vanished along with Kong shi, and its whereabouts were aplete mystery to everyone. "The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn concerns the future of mankind. Since you are in the same plight as me, theres a very good chance that you will be able to drive it as well. By no means should you allow it to fall into the hands of others; this is very important, so remember this! Also, you have to make sure to be wary of..." Kong shi spoke with an extremely urgent tone, as if there was something that Zhang Xuan had to aplish urgently. As Kong shi spoke, he slowly raised his palm. However, before he could finish what he was about to say or do, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard a worried voice. " Zhang Xuan, are you alright?" Zhang Xuans body jolted as his consciousness returned to his body. Opening his eyes, he saw Luo Ruoxin standing before him with worry in her eyes. Most likely, she must have noticed that his consciousness had been drawn out from his body, and worrying that something bad might have happened, she rushed over to check on him. Zhang Xuan reached forward to squeeze the youngdys hand as he replied with a smile, "I am fine." He had already heard about how Luo Ruoxin had protected him from the Skyleaf King in the midst of his breakthrough. Even if her cultivation was far greater than his, even if her identity was aplete enigma to him, even if the path ahead was going to be tough, he had no intention of giving her up at all. "Its good that youre fine." The youngdy heaved a sigh of relief before shing him a smile. "Give me a moment, I need to check on the sphere first," Zhang Xuan said before turning his attention back to the sphere. A momentter, a helpless expression surfaced on his face. Within the short span of time while he was conversing with Luo Ruoxin, Kong shis will had already disappeared without a trace. It was as if his previous encounter with Kong shi had been a fleeting dream. Zhang Xuan scratched his head frenziedly. Considering how Kong shi founded the Master Teacher Pavilion and is a figure who is deeply respected by countless master teachers, I thought that he would at least be more reliable than that. To disappear in the middle of his words, he is just as unreliable as my clone... All he wanted to do was learn the cure to the Innate Fetal Poison, and yet, despite encountering Kong shis will twice, the other party had ended up speaking aboutpletely useless matters instead. Just the thought of it left him deeply stifled. You told me to seek out the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, but I dont even have the slightest clue where it will be. How can I possibly find it and prevent it from falling into the hands of the others? Furthermore, who or what are you asking me to be wary of? Look at Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! Despite being traumatized by me, he was at least able to finish most of what he wanted to say before dissipating. As the Worlds Teacher, arent you a little too weak? Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. It seems like Kong shi left behind his will shortly after he became a Celestial Saint, so his strength was nowhere on par with Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. But still, for his will to be unable to sustain itself long enough to finish his words... It had not been easy for him to have an opportunity to meet Kong shi, and he had intended to uncover the secret to resolving the Innate Fetal Poison from thetter. Yet, due to Kong shis limited time, he ended up missing this chance as well. Forget it... Knowing that there was no point brooding over the matter, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much about it. Ultimately, Kong shi had only been a Saint 1-dan cultivator when he left behind his will. The very fact that he could sustain himself for more than several dozen millenniums and speak with him was already an incredible aplishment in itself. Even if Kong shi was the Worlds Teacher, he was asking a little too much of the other party here. It seems I only have myself to rely on for the Innate Fetal Poison, Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his be. Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze to the sphere and thought, For the time being, I should cultivate this sphere first! At this point, the sphere had already fused perfectly with the map, forming something simr to a globe. The various trials that they had encountered on the journey through the ancient domain could be seen on the globe. Extending his consciousness into it, Zhang Xuan could feel the entire folded space being right at his fingertips. He could tell that as long as he cultivated the sphere, he would be able to gain control of the entire Qiu Wu Pce and obtain astounding strength. Carefully cing his hand on the sphere, he began to infuse zhenqi into it. Geji! Geji! The following moment, Zhang Xuan could feel his will gradually spreading across the sky of the Qiu Wu Pce. Be it the Unbounded World, the ck Sand of Oblivion, or the floating celestial pce, everywhere that he had been to appeared before him more vividly than ever. In fact, he found that with just a single thought, he could easily alter the formations throughout the entire folded space, be it to intensify them or to calm them. As expected! Cultivating the sphere grants me control over the Qiu Wu Pce, Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. At the same time, he also found that he could store the entire folded space within the sphere at his whim. In other words, one who had imed possession of the sphere would be able to take the Qiu Wu Pce anywhere they went and enter it whenever they wanted. Upon realizing this, Zhang Xuans heart began leaping in excitement. As the fragmented souls of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had already dissipated, there was no way for him to im the other partys heritage anymore. However, if he could take the Qiu Wu Pce away with him and examine it carefully, he would definitely be able to advance his understanding of space significantly! This could prove vital to him in advancing his cultivation in the future. Zhang Xuan continued infusing his zhenqi into the sphere, cultivating every single portion of it. After an unknown period of time, he opened his eyes once more. He had finallypleted cultivating the key to controlling the Qiu Wu Pce. Hu! With a flick of his hand, he stowed the sphere into his storage ring. Hu! Shortly after stowing the sphere, he found the sacred energy that had augmented his fighting prowess earlier vanishing altogether, and his strength reverted back to Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Kacha! As if being drained of its energy, the Saint Ascension tform split in two down the middle, and the divine aura that had shrouded it earlier dissipated without a trace. Seeing how the divine tform a moment ago had been reduced into an ordinary stone tform, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even if I tossed this thing out into public, I doubt anyone would believe that Kong shi and I ascended to Celestial Saint on top of it. Having aplished its raison dtre, the Saint Ascension tform no longer had any reason to continue existing. Tossing aside the misceneous thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan turned around to face the others. Wu shi was still in the midst of forging the Grand Intermittence Pill. There were quite a few errors in his forging technique, but through his sharpened senses as a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert, it would not be too difficult for him to sessfully forge a Grand Intermittence Pill. Meanwhile, Guild Leader Han and the others were in the midst of recuperating from the battle and reinforcing their cultivation. Seeing that they did not require his help, Zhang Xuan turned to the idle Luo Ruoxin and said, "I just met Kong shi." Hearing those words, Luo Ruoxin nodded with a smile and said, "This is the ce where he truly ascended to Celestial Saint, so its perfectly normal for him to have left his will here!" "Indeed. He advised me to forge my own path forward instead of blindly treading down the path paved by the wisdom of my predecessors." After musing over the advice Kong shi had given him, Zhang Xuan found that there was some sense to what the other party had said. Ever since he started cultivating, he had been relying on the Library of Heavens Path topile the Heavens Path Divine Art for him. He had never tried to think deeper into the Heavens Path Divine Art, and he had never attempted to innovate either. In a sense, he was indeed blindly treading down the path paved by his predecessors. Luo Ruoxin nodded. "Kong shi is right. In cultivation, it is of the utmost importance that one finds a path that belongs solely to oneself." "It seems like I cant cultivate as I did before..." As the Worlds Teacher and the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi must have noticed something peculiar for him to say such words. Thus, Zhang Xuan knew that he could not take the other partys words lightly. "I know that itll be difficult, but to be a true expert, it wont do for you to not have something of your own!" Luo Ruoxin said. "However, theres no need for you to rush into it at the moment. As long as you continue searching, you will surely be able to find your own path eventually!" "Youre right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. In cultivation, one could only take a step at a time. At the very least, he had ovee one of the greatest hurdles ahead of him and sessfully taken the first step into Sainthood. No matter how difficult the path in the future would be, he was confident that he would eventually stand at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent! Holding the youngdys hand tightly within his, Zhang Xuan dered with unwavering determination, "Ruoxin, rest assured. No matter what kind of difficulties we face in the future, I will surely stand by your side until the very end!" Chapter 1088: Luo Ruoxin’s Identity Chapter 1088: Luo Ruoxins Identity Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Wu shis proficiency as an apothecary was still decent, so not too longter, he seeded in forging the Grand Intermittence Pill. It was hard to tell whether it was due to the rise in his cultivation or the incredible maturity of the Grand Intermittence Grass using in the forging, but a total of five Grand Intermittence Pills were produced from that single cauldron. Vice Principal Tan Qing had to consume three of them before his severed limbs finally recovered back to its original state, granting him the ability to move once more. "Old principal, you are currently a long way from reaching Primordial Spirit realm, but your soul does possess exceptional resilience due to being bathed in the sacred light for two years. Why dont I impart to you a soul cultivation technique first so that your soul can enter this puppet for the time being? Meanwhile, I will try to find a way to forge a new body for you!" Walking up to Zhang Yinqiu, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out an Otherworldly Demon puppet. Zhang Yinqius soul was far more resilient than ordinary souls due to it being nourished by the sacred energy lingering around the Saint Ascension tform for two years. While his soul couldnt bepared to Primordial Spirits, it was still capable of existing outside of its body for an extended period of time. As long as Zhang Xuan forged him a fitting body within this period of time, he would be able to live on like an ordinary human without any problem. "This is... an Otherworldly Demon puppet?" Upon seeing the form of the puppet, Zhang Yinqiu immediately shook his head. He had devoted his life to fighting against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so how could he possibly allow himself to possess the body of an Otherworldly Demon puppet? "Back then, Grandmaster Wu Yangzi used the flesh of the Otherworldly Demons to forge these puppets. These are the very pinnacle of his craftsmanship!" Knowing that Zhang Yinqiu revered Wu Yangzi, Zhang Xuan quickly added. "You are saying that... these puppets are personally forged by Grandmaster Wu Yangzi?" Zhang Yinqiu widened his eyes in shock before hurriedly turning his gaze towards the puppet. His admiration for Wu Yangzi came from deep within his heart, and it was due to that that he was able to uncover so much information regarding the ancient domain while investigating Wu Yangzis case. After examining the Otherworldly Demon puppet for a while, he couldnt help but nod in admiration at the exquisite craftsmanship. However, he still eventually shook his head and said, "No matter what, I am still a master teacher. To live on using the flesh and blood of an Otherworldly Demon... I really cant do it!" "Master, you arent dead!" Just as Zhang Yinqiu was about to turn down Zhang Xuans goodwill, an agitated voice suddenly sounded. Zhang Yinqiu raised his head and saw a massive ape-like saint beast diving towards him with teary eyes. "Byzantium Helios..." Upon seeing the saint beasts appearance, Zhang Yinqius eyes also reddened. That saint beast was his tamed beast, the Byzantium Helios Beast! Both the master and the subordinate thought that they were bound to be divided by life and death, and they hadnt really thought that a day woulde where they would be able to meet one another again. "Master, I really miss you..." the Byzantium Helios Beast kneeled down and hugged Zhang Yinqiu. Tears streamed freely down his face, and in this moment, he bore no resemnce to the austere Guardian Saint Beast of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy whom everyone knew of. "It seems like the old principal truly means a lot to him..." Seeing the state of the duo, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. It was apparent from the Byzantium Helios Beasts reaction that he truly missed the old principal. No matter what, they had still spent several centuries together, and the connection between them wasnt something that could be reced that easily. Thus, with a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan returned the soul which the Byzantium Helios Beast had offered to him previously. "Principal Zhang..." Noting the return of his soul tribute, the Byzantium Helios Beast quickly turned his gaze towards with young man with a look of disbelief in his eyes. "From today onward, you will be free to make whatever choices you want. If you like, you can remain as the old principals tamed beast." Zhang Xuan said with a smile. To be honest, given Zhang Xuans current strength, it was also pointless to attempt to retain the Byzantium Helios Beast by his side either. Since that was the case, he might as well grant the other party freedom so that the other party could remain by Zhang Yinqius side. "Thank you, master..." the Byzantium Helios Beast kowtowed to Zhang Xuan in gratitude. If not for the young man before him, he might very well never meet with the old principal ever again. "Zhang shi, I have made up my mind. I will enter the Otherworldly Demon puppet for the time being. Previously, I have nothing to hold me back. You have already be the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and I believe that it will be brought to greater heights under your leadership. Thats why I thought that it would have been better for me to die gracefully than to grasp so hideously to life..." At this point, the old principal looked at his saint beast and smiled, "However... after seeing him, I found motivation within me to continue living!" Zhang Yinqiu was a man who had devoted his entirety to the Master Teacher Academy, so till this day, he was still without a wife and offspring. On top of that, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had already found an incredibly talented individual to take over his ce, so he thought that his existence served no purpose anymore. Yet, upon seeing the fondness that the Byzantium Helios Beast had for him, he realized that there were still much more he could do. It was still too early for him to rest. Sometimes, a person didnt just live for himself but for others as well. "Alright!" Hearing his agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded. Reaching forward, he imbued Zhang Yinqius soul with a unique energy and escorted him into the puppet. Hu! A few momentster, the puppet opened its eyes. The Otherworldly Demon puppet didnt look particrly impressive on the surface, but it was still a true Saint 3-dan expert. In possession of such a body, Zhang Yinqius fighting prowess was significantly enhanced. After dealing with Tan Qing and Zhang Yinqius affairs, Zhang Xuan led the group towards the entrance of the Saint Ascension Hall, where the seal stood. With a snap of his finger, the sphere appeared once more. And with another flick of his finger, an opening appeared within the seal. "Alright, lets go." The group walked out, and before long, they met up with Mu shi, Feng Xun, and the others, who were waiting outside for them. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan and the others had returned safely together with Vice Principals Tan Qing and Ji Yan, a wave of cheerings broke out amidst the crowd. Since the aim of their mission had been met, they decided to head out of the Qiu Wu Pce. Thus, Zhang Xuan raised the sphere up high, and a brilliant radiance shrouded the crowd. Hu! In the next moment, the crowd found themselves standing on the volcano on top of the Embracing Swallow Mountain. Having finally managed to escape from the ancient domain, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile, he flicked his wrist, and a pile of treasures appeared before him. "Everyone, here are the treasures contained in the storage rings we have obtained thus far from killing the Otherworldly Demon Kings in the midst of our expedition. Since we have managed to get out from the ancient domain alive, its only natural that we should split the spoils of war amongst ourselves!" As valuable as the treasures from the Skyleaf King, Scarletleaf King, and the others were, it was with the coborative effort of the entire expedition team that he was able to defeat them. Previously, when they were still in the ancient domain, it was unsure whether they would be able to escape with their life or not, so it made no difference whether they divided the spoils amongst themselves or not. However, since they had managed to ovee the ancient domain safely, it was only right for them to do so now. "This..." "Principal Zhang, you were the one who killed the Skyleaf King and the others. We cant possibly take these items..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to take out everything within the storage rings, everyone was startled. They couldnt help but feel a little moved by his generous gesture. In the depths of their hearts, they knew that it was thanks to the young man before them that they were able to defeat the Otherworldly Demon Kings and escape from the ancient domain alive. Throughout the whole expedition, they hadnt aplished anything much, so they felt embarrassed to take the items before them. "We have entered the ancient domain as an entire team. Without the rest of you, I might not have been able to survive till now either, so theres no need to feel embarrassed..." Zhang Xuan smiled. Upon bing a Celestial Saint, his state of mind had changed as well. As valuable of these artifacts were, it would be put to better use if it could raise the cultivation of more people. That would be far better than him monopolizing it alone. "Alright then. We will be graciously epting your gifts then..." Seeing that Zhang Xuans mind was made up, the crowd decided not to turn him down any longer. Even after splitting the treasures amongst themselves, the gains of every individual was still very substantial. The expedition team left Zhang Xuan with a huge bulk of the treasure, but these were of not much use to him anymore. After all, his greatest gain in the ancient domain was gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Pce! Hu! With a twist of the sphere, the folded space which the ancient domain was located in was secretly transferred to the surface of the sphere. From afar, it looked as if a map was inscribed onto the sphere. After dividing the treasures, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han walked up to Zhang Xuan, and Wu shi said, "Principal Zhang, since this matter has been settled, we will be heading straight back to the Qingyuan Conferred Empire to report. Thus, we will be bidding you farewell here..." "Alright. May we meet again in the future." Zhang Xuan nodded. "Before we leave, we would like to have a private chat with you. Is that fine with you?" Wu shi sent a telepathic message over. "Alright." Zhang Xuan replied. With a grasp of his hand, he created a seal around him to prevent anyone from listening in. After which, he turned to the duo and asked, "May I know what matter it is that you would have to keep it away from the ears of the others?" Wu shi and Guild Leader Han nced at one another hesitantly before Guild Leader Han stepped forward to speak, "Actually, it isnt anything much, but theres just one matter which... we would like to advise Principal Zhang on!" "Advise?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Just what kind of matter could it be for the both of them to offer him an advice privately? "Ill get straight to the point then. Based on our observations over the past few days, I believe that Principal Zhang is interested in courting Luo shi, right?" After a moment of silence, Wu shi said. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. It was perfectly normal for a gentleman to court ady, there was no need for him to deny the matter before others. Not to mention, thedy was the only person whom he had found his heart beating for, and he had intended to spend his entire life together with her. "Then... Are you aware of Luo shis background?" Wu shi asked. "This... Based on what I have heard so far, it seems like shes rted to Sage Luo n?" Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking. "That is indeed what the both of us have deduced as well. In fact, we believe that there is a very good chance shes the young princess of the Luo n!" Wu shi revealed his deduction with a grim expression. "Young princess?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Un. The young princess is known to have the purest bloodline in the Luo n ever since the time of the founder. Not only does she possess unparalleled talents, its said that she has also inherited the supreme artifact of the Luo n as well, the Dimension Silencer..." Wu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Sage ns pay particr heed to the purity of their bloodline, and as such, the choice of partner is extremely important to them. Not to mention, she is in possession of the most important artifact of the Luo n... So, under normal circumstances, its impossible for her to be wedded to any outsiders!" "This..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "If shes not allowed to be wedded to outsiders, is she to remain single for life?" "For those whose bloodlines are of average purity, it wouldnt matter whether if they were wedded to outsiders or not. But for those whose bloodlines are as pure as the young princess of the Luo n... it would be difficult!" Wu shi shook his head. "Even if she were to get married, it would very likely be a matrimony amongst Sage ns!" "Matrimony amongst the Sage ns?" "Indeed. The cultivation techniques of Sage ns mustnt be leaked to outsiders at any cost, so those of the Sage ns often opt to marry amongst themselves. Furthermore, if one marries to another whose bloodline is as pure as one, there will there be a greater chance for the offspring to possess equivalent or greater talent... Thus, I fear that your wish to get together with her will be fraught with difficulties. It is an arduous path you are treading on!" Wu shi hesitated for a moment before he replied. He was not opposed to the both of them getting together, but he felt that there were some things which Zhang Xuan should know beforehand. It was simply not that easy to wed the daughter of a Sage n. "More importantly... ording to what I know, the young princess of the Luo n is already betrothed to an offspring of a very powerful Sage n! It is also for this reason that the young princess fled from the n, and to this date, no one knows where she is..." The one who spoke this time around was Guild Leader Han. After having guessed Luo Ruoxins identity, the various rumors he had heard regarding her surfaced in his mind. While it was only secondhand news, so there was a good chance it was unreliable, he still felt that it was important to inform Zhang Xuan of it. If Zhang Xuan really wished to get together with Luo Ruoxin, he would not only have to go against the Luo n but the other Sage n which Luo Ruoxin was betrothed to. Since they had braved through danger together, he mustnt allow Zhang Xuan to dive into the matter without understanding the risks. "Betrothed to an offspring of a very powerful n? What n is it?" Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. "It is a n which shares the same surname as yours!" At this point, Wu shi paused for a moment before continuing on. "Zhang n of the Sage ns!" Chapter 1089: Not Even Able to Withstand a Single Blow Chapter 1089: Not Even Able to Withstand a Single Blow Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Zhang n?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Indeed. Even amongst the Sage ns, the Zhang n is ranked in the top three. It would be no joke to say that they are one of the strongest ns throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent. Their inner disciples, consisting of those who possess bloodline of superior purity, can easily reach Saint realm by sixteen and Leaving Aperture realm experts by twenty! If aparison must be made, the strength of the Zhang n is definitely above that of the Luo n!" Wu shi remarked. "The Zhang n is so formidable?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. "Indeed. If you really wish to court Luo shi, theres a good chance that you will find yourself standing against these two ns. But of course, given Principal Zhangs talents, its only a matter of time before you are able to surpass the Sage ns. However, before then, itll be best for you to lie low. After all, your standing as a Celestial Master Teacher and Celestial Saint is simply too astounding. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to learn of this matter, they could very well dispatch the full might that they had at their disposal to destroy you, and that would put you in peril. Furthermore, you shouldnt take it for a given that all master teachers are willing to side with you. Alright, thats all that we wish to talk about. Well leave it to you to decide the path you wish to walk down!" Wu shi smiled. "If you really wish to stand against the two Sage ns, feel free to approach us for help. No matter how difficult the task may be, we are willing to stand behind you!" "Indeed, Principal Zhang. Regardless of your choice, we will back you unconditionally!" Guild Leader Han added. As long as the young man before them didnt meet his end prematurely, there was no doubt that he would eventually achieve great things. As powerful as the Sage ns may be at the moment, give it a few hundred or a thousand years, and they would surely be nothing before the eyes of this young man. But at the moment, without sufficient strength, it was still best for the other party to lie low. Otherwise, great trouble could very well ensue. "You have my gratitude!" Understanding that the both of them were only saying those words to him out of concern, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and thanked them. He knew that Luo Ruoxins background was bound to be atypical, but who knew that it would be thatplicated? It was no wonder why she was reluctant to ept him and had even warned him against it. If the opponent was going to be two Sage ns, one would indeed have to stop and think twice. "Principal Zhang has always been a wise and reliable figure, so I believe that you will be able to make the right decision yourself. Thus, we wont say any more than that. We will be waiting for your arrival at Qingyuan Conferred Empire, so til then, farewell!" Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, Mo shi, and the others sped their fists and took their leave. "Principal Zhang, we are returning straight to our academies as well. Before we leave, we would like to express our earnest gratitude to you. Its due to your leadership that we are able to ovee the ancient domain safely..." Wo Tianqiong and the others also walked over and bade their farewells. "Principal Zhang, we will be returning to the Combat Master Hall now. We will make preparations for the arrival of your students for the exchange!" Jiang Yuan, Feng Xun, and the others from the Combat Master Hall did the same too. Very soon, everyone went on their own ways, leaving behind just Zhang Xuan, Zhang Yinqiu, Ji Yan, Tan Qing, and Luo Ruoxin. "Alright, lets return to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!" Thus, the group began making their way back. "Zhang shi, I heard from Feng Xun earlier that the students of our academy are intending to head to the Combat Master Hall for an exchange? May I ask what is the matter about?" Standing atop the back of the saint beast, Zhang Yinqiu hesitated for a moment before walking up to Zhang Xuan to ask. Exchangethis was something usually conducted amongst powers of equivalent strength. For one, it was not umon for the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to bring their students to Yunxu, Luoqing, and the other Master Teacher Academies so that they could learn from one another. But the Combat Master Hall... One must know that thebat masters were existences capable of rivaling opponents who surpassed their cultivation realm. To bring their students there for an exchange... How was that any different from asking for a beating? "When I was still a student, I established a student faction known as the Xuanxuan Faction, and I have specially conducted a few lessons which brought about a substantial rise in the overall fighting prowess of the students. I know that the Combat Master Hall is powerful, but I think that this is a good opportunity for them to see the world." Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "But even if you have specially conducted a few lessons, our students are still bound to be far from matching up to the geniuses of the Combat Master Hall..." "Thebat masters are simply too powerful. While it does broaden their horizon, I fear that it would end up as a crushing blow to the confidence of our students, and that would impede their further growth..." Hearing those words, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing couldnt help but shake their heads. It seemed like Zhang shi was still too young. As a Celestial Saint, it was natural that he could defeat Feng Xun and the others as easily as if dicing vegetables on a chopping board. However, their students were just ordinary humans. How could they be able to match up to the likes of the Combat Master Hall? If they were to really head there for an exchange, wouldnt they simply lose all of their confidence? "Dont worry, I have already given them a heads up. In this exchange, it doesnt matter whether they win or lose. What is more important is for them to know that theres a mountain beyond the other, as well as to give them a goal to strive for!" Zhang Xuan replied. "This... Alright then!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan knew what he was doing, the crowd decided to go along with his decision. The aerial saint beast traveled at an incredible speed, and within just a few days, the massive Hongyuan City had alreadye into sight. "The rest of you can return to the Master Teacher Academy first. I intend to take a brief stop at my manor first..." Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bade Zhang Yinqiu and the others farewell. Before returning to the Master Teacher Academy, he wanted to first see how Wang Ying and the others were faring on their cultivation. As for the academy, there was School Head Mo and the others standing fort, so it was unlikely for anything to go wrong there. Besides, with the return of Zhang Yinqiu and the two vice principals, they were bound to have much to talk about, so Zhang Xuan felt that he should leave them to be. Returning back to the manor, Zhang Xuan noted that Wang Ying and Liu Yang had made substantial advancement in their cultivation in his absence. They had started to cultivate the Saint Ascension Decipher, and their zhenqi had grown more condensed and substantial, granting them far greater fighting prowess than before. Zhang Xuan divided the various treasures he had obtained from the ancient domain amongst them before calling Butler Sun Qiang over. In the ten days of absence, Sun Qiang seemed to have grown even fatter. However, his cultivation remained the same as beforea clear sign that his heart was not on cultivating at all. Naturally, Zhang Xuan gave him a goodshing yet again, but judging from past experience, it didnt seem likely that it would work. Perhaps it was due to how reliable and driven his students were that the world gave him such a worrying butler for him to fuss over. While Zhang Xuan was offering his students pointers and teaching his butler a lesson, Zhang Yinqiu and the others finally returned back to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. "Even though Zhang shi is an incredible genius, hes still a little too young andcking in worldly experience. It is truly reckless of him to propose an exchange between our academy and the Combat Master Hall... I honestly think that hes making too light of the matter!" "My sentiments exactly. Which of thebat masters arent top-notch geniuses, invincible existences within their own cultivation realm? If our students were to sh with them, theres a good chance that instead of motivating them, it would end up eroding their confidence and drive!" Zhang Yinqiu, Ji Yan, and the others sighed. Fighting a rival of the same strength as one could motivate one to strive harder so as to ovee the rival. However, when the gap between both parties was too great, it would only cause one to despair and fall into despondency instead. This was simply how the human mind worked. "How about this? Lets first pay that Xuanxuan Faction which he talked about a visit first, and in the midst of doing so, we can warn them about the strength of the Combat Master Hall once more. At the very least, if we prepare them for what that is about toe mentally, itll cushion the trauma that they would sufferter on!" After a moment of silence, Vice Principal Ji Yan said. "Indeed. We should emphasize to them that the exchange with the Combat Master Hall serves to show them what the peak fighting prowess within their individual cultivation realms are, and they should lower their positions beforehand so that they wouldnt be too dismayed by theirck of strength." Vice Principal Tan QIng nodded in agreement. Before long, the trio had already made up their minds. Considering that Zhang shi was currently the principal and he had already confirmed an appointment with the Combat Master Hall, it would be improper for them to attempt to veto his decision at this point. That would be undermining his authority and that of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. However, the least they could do was to give the students a heads up of what that was about toe and inform that they were visiting the Combat Master Hall to study and not to challenge them. If they could ready their mindsets beforehand, the students wouldnt be too affected by the disparity in their fighting prowess. "Alright, lets go over then!" They had learned about the location of the Xuanxuan Factions headquarter from Zhang Xuan on the journey here, so it didnt take long for them to arrive at their destination. As Zhang Yinqiu was currently possessing the body of an Otherworldly Demon puppet, he chose to remain on the back of the aerial saint beast. On the other hand, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing leaped down the aerial saint beast and walked towards the headquarter. However, before they could get past the entrance, they were already stopped by several students. "May I know whom you are looking for?" one of the students asked. "I am here to look for the person-in-charge for the Xuanxuan Faction..." Vice Principal Ji Yan was slightly surprised to see that the students didnt know who he was, but nevertheless, he still replied politely. As most of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction were freshmen of the same batch as Zhang Xuan, they had never really seen the two vice principals before as the both of them had gone missing in the ancient domain two years back, so they were unable to recognize them. "The person-in-charge? Alright, Ill invite him over right now..." While the student didnt recognize the two vice principals, he did notice that the two elders carried an extraordinary air of authority around them. Thus, he quickly left without much hesitation, and before long, he brought Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao back with him. The both of them were the founders of the Xuanxuan Faction, so naturally, they were their de facto leaders when Zhang Xuan wasnt around. "May I know the reason for the arrival of our guests?" Seeing that the two elders possessed strength far beyond them, Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao exchanged swift gazes before sping their fists respectfully. "I heard that you intend to visit the Combat Master Hall for an exchange?" Not bothering to beat around the bush, Vice Principal Ji Yan got straight to the topic at hand. "Theres indeed such a matter. This is also the reason why the members of the Xuanxuan Faction has been working hard recently so as overwhelm the Combat Master Hall with our prowess and teach them a lesson!" This matter was no secret. There was no one in the academy who was unaware of the matter, so there was no need to hide it from the two guests either. "Overwhelm the Combat Master Hall?" "Teach them a lesson?" Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing exchanged gazes, and the knit between their eyebrows tightened. Are you honestly telling me that you intend to teach that bunch of monsters from the Combat Master Hall a lesson? Do you have a death wish? Truly, the ignorant knows no fear! After a moment of silence, Vice Principal Ji Yan spoke up, "How about this? If youre that confident in your ability, why dont the both of us suppress our cultivation to your level and have a match with you?" "You want to have a match with me?" "Thats right. Those from the Combat Master Hall possesses strength far superior to their counterparts, so it wont be easy for just anyone to defeat them. If you can defeat us when our cultivations are suppressed, it wont be an issue for you to face the Combat Master Hall. Otherwise... I hope that you can head there with the intention to learn from them instead!" Vice Principal Ji Yan said. "Very well, I understand your sentiments. We, of the Xuanxuan Faction, wont bully you either..." Hearing the proposal made by the two elders, Ruohuan gongzi hesitated for a moment before turning his gaze towards a student who was sweeping the area not too far away. "You,e over here! Spar with these two elders for a while. Make sure to go easy on them so as to not hurt them..." "..." Ji Yan and Tan Qing. Seeing how that fellow, instead of sparring with them himself, ordered a student sweeping the area to fight with them instead, even instructing thetter to go easy on them... the two vice principals nearly exploded on the spot. "Are all of the freshmen as arrogant as you? Very well, I sure am interested to see how powerful you are!" Clenching his jaws tightly, Ji Yan suppressed his cultivation to the same level as the sweeping student before beckoning with his hand, "Come!" ... "Master, Vice Principal Ji has begun fighting with a student..." In the air, the Byzantium Helios Beast informed the old principal. "Dont worry, the both of them know what they are doing. They wont go overboard..." Zhang Yinqiu replied with a reassuring smile. He was just about to continue speaking when a gust of wind suddenly blew in the surroundings. Shortly after, he saw Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing flying over. To his astonishment, the two Primordial Spirit realm experts had the mark of a broom imprinted firmly on their faces, and their clothes were soiled with dust and mud as well. "What happened?" Zhang Yinqiu couldnt help but ask. "We were defeated..." The duo replied with unspeakable embarrassment on their faces. "The both of you were defeated?" Zhang Yinqiu widened his eyes in disbelief. Two powerful vice principals actually got pummeled? How was that possible? Seeing the incredulous expression that Zhang Yinqiu had, the faces of the duo reddened further as they added, "We werent able to even withstand a single blow..." Chapter 1090: Poison Hall Headquarters Chapter 1090: Poison Hall Headquarters Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Just recalling the offense of that sweeping student left the two vice principals on the verge of tears. He was simply too powerful! It was as if he could peer right into the ws of their movements. No matter how they attempted to dodge, the broom would urately fall on their faces without fail. Were it not for the fact that they possessed superior physical resilience as Primordial Spirit realm experts, they would probably have ended up bedbound! Initially, they had thought that the sweeping student might just have been a hidden expert of the Xuanxuan Faction, so indignant with their loss, they had chosen another opponent to fight against. Yet, they actually lost even more tragically! To think that they would be no match for the students when in the same cultivation realm! "Zhang shi said that... he conducted a few lessons for them?" Seeing the pitiful plight that the two vice principals were in, Zhang Yinqiu suddenly recalled what the young man had said earlier, and his lips started quivering wildly. Just what in the world did Zhang shi teach them for the students to be so powerful? Unable to take it any longer, he turned his gaze toward the Byzantium Helios Beast. "Principal Zhang did conduct a few lessons for the students, but as for the exact details... I am not too sure about them either." the Byzantium Helios Beast shook his head. He had spent most of his time in the Myriad Anthive Nest cultivating, so he was not too sure about the happenings within the academy. "Never mind, lets find Mo Zhu and the others!" Seeing that the Byzantium Helios Beast wasnt too certain on the details either, the trio hurriedly headed toward the Elder Hall. Not too longter, they met Zhao Bingxu, Mo Zhu, and the others. The school heads were agitated to meet them once more, and the trio ended up exining what had happened to them in the ancient domain. It took quite a while before the trio was finally able to pose the question that was on their mind. "Ah. We had the Combat Master Selection not too long ago, and the Combat Master Hall ended up sending two parties to assess our students. However, they were defeated so tragically that they werepletely sapped of their confidence. In fact, they even fled overnight just a day before they were supposed to fight with Principal Zhangs direct disciple, not bothering to bid any of us farewell beforehand..." School Head Mo swiftly brought Zhang Yinqiu and the others up to date on recent matters. "Are you certain that it isnt our students who were sapped of their confidence?" The trio was frenzied by what they were hearing. Just what in the world had happened to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy in the two years that they were trapped in the ancient domain? "Not only so, Principal Zhang also managed to tame all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge, and he has distributed them among the students of the Beast Tamer School. Currently, just counting the number of Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beasts, we have more than twenty thousand of them. Also, Principal Zhang has conducted a few public lectures from time to time, and those have induced at least a twofold rise in the overall fighting prowess of our students..." Seemingly oblivious to the shock the trio was going through, School Head Mo continued exining the various changes in the academy nonchntly. The more he spoke, the stiffer the bodies of the trio became. Eventually, before School Head Mo could finish his piece, the trio was alreadypletely petrified. It was just a moment ago that they had been worrying that Zhang shi was too young and inexperienced to manage the academy, but at this moment... they realized that they were the ones who were too inexperienced to manage the academy. To think that they had even doubted the other partys capabilities, it sure was a huge farce. ... Ten dayster, Zhang Xuan stood on the deck of a massive ship, looking ahead into the distance. Within thepartments of the ship housed the tens of thousands of Xuanxuan Faction members, and the heart of every single one of them was leaping in excitement. They could not wait to cross blows with thebat masters with their refined skills. Over the prior ten days, Zhang Xuan had conducted another five lessons for them before packing them into the ship to set forth for Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Due to the enormous size of the ship, they had to find dozens of saint beasts before they were able to take off. For the exchange with the Combat Master Hall, Zhang Xuan had only brought School Head Mo and Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan with him. Zhang Yinqiu, Ji Yan, and Tan Qing, seeing that there would likely be no problem with the exchange, chose to remain behind at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to manage the matters there. In truth, as Zhang Xuan knew that he would have to continue charging ahead in order to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison, as well as to get together with Luo Ruoxin, it was very unlikely that he would be able to spend much time in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy in the future. In fact, there was a good chance that he would not return there after heading to Qingyuan Conferred Empire, at least not in the short run. Thus, he had attempted to return the position of principal to Zhang Yinqiu. However, thetter just would not agree to it no matter how he tried to convince him. Zhang Yinqiu was deeply concerned by the state he was in. He felt that if an iplete person like him were to be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it might undermine its prestigious name. As such, Zhang Xuan could only continue holding onto his title as the honorary principal. But of course, all of his responsibilities as the principal were still entrusted to Zhang Yinqiu to handle. In the past ten days, Zhang Xuan had also paid a visit to the cksmith Guild to browse through their books in hopes of finding a way to heal the Golden Origin Cauldron, but it was a pity that the smithing mastery within the Hongyuan City was deeply limited. He had found a way to give birth to a new spirit within an existing artifact, but waking up a dormant one was proving to be far more difficult than he had anticipated. It was to save them that the Golden Origin Cauldron had ended up falling into the state it was in, so Zhang Xuan could not allow it to die just like that. After careful contemtion, he decided to pay a visit to Qingyuan Conferred Empire to study more advanced smithing techniques before making a move. ... Looking at the fleeting white clouds and feeling the raging wind before his eyes, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. The day before their team set forth, Luo Ruoxin had paid a visit to him and informed him that she still had matters to attend to, so she had to leave Hongyuan Empire for the time being, and she would not be able to meet him in Qingyuan Conferred Empire either. As reluctant as Zhang Xuan was, he could only nod in agreement. In any case, since he had already learned of her true identity, he did not need to worry about being unable to meet her in the future. There was one thing that Wu shi had said that he agreed deeply withhis current strength was still insufficient to go against the Sage ns directly. If he wanted to be together with Luo Ruoxin, he would have to work a lot harder. "Zhang shi... this is a gift that my father and King Huai prepared for you. Fearing that you would be reluctant to ept it, they told me to hand it over to you only after we left Hongyuan City!" A crisp voice came from behind him, and Yu Fei-er walked up to Zhang Xuans side. For the exchange at the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and she had tagged along as well. They were considered members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well, so they had been allowed to join the trip. "Gift?" Not expecting Emperor Yu Shenqing and King Huai to prepare something for him, Zhang Xuan took the storage ring from Yu Fei-ers hands. "Knowing that Zhang shi is proficient in the art of smithing and pill forging, they have prepared some ores and medicinal herbs within the ring. They arent particrly valuable or rare, but they have prepared many portions of them so that you need not fret about being short of ingredients!" Yu Fei-er said with a smile. As the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan was bound to have a bright future ahead of him. Naturally, Yu Shenqing and the others were reluctant to let go of this huge tree. "Actually, I am the one who should be thanking your father!" Knowing their intentions, Zhang Xuan decided to ept the gift graciously. Thinking back, had Yu Shenqing not given the Bodhi Seed to him, which he had used to grow a Bodhi Saint Tree within his folded space, there was a good chance that they would have been unable to ovee the ck Sand of Oblivion in the ancient domain! He had been too busy over the past ten days, so it had slipped his mind to extend his gratitude to Emperor Yu Shenqing for the matter. Choosing not to delve too much into this topic, Yu Fei-er looked at Zhang Xuan with a heated gaze. "Zhang shi, I have recently met with some troubles in my cultivation. May I ask you to give me some pointers?" "Of course..." Zhang Xuan nodded. While he was offering some pointers to Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and the others also dropped by. Thus, he decided to share the recent insights he had regarding cultivation with them as well. After receiving the warning from Kong shi, he had not rushed into cultivating for the past few days. Instead, he had been thinking about the path that he intended to head down. While he hadnt managed to create any formidable cultivation technique or battle technique, he did reinforce his cultivation further, allowing him to tap into his newfound strength more smoothly. His insights were profound yet concise, making them valuable pointers to any cultivators. Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, and Hu Yaoyao benefited greatly from his teachings. A month passed in a sh. The threedies advanced substantially in their cultivation within that period of time. After three months of cultivation, Yu Fei-er had managed to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint pinnacle, and Hu Yaoyao had managed to reach Nascent Saint pinnacle. Of course, the one who had made the greatest advancement within that period of time was none other than Luo Qiqi. Two months ago, her cultivation had still been at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, simr to Yu Fei-er. However, within this short period of time, she had managed to advance her cultivation to Saint 1-dan pinnacle, putting her on par with Zhang Xuan! Even Zhang Xuan could not help but be astonished by the rate at which she was advancing her cultivation. It seemed like she was indeed a person of great talent. Her recent improvement was not just limited to her cultivation; her mastery at pill forging had also made significant progress as well. With her current proficiency, she could probably forge any grade-7 primary pill easily. While the three of them were improving at light speed, Zhang Xuans two direct disciples, Wang Ying and Liu Yang, werent cking either. Within a span of two months, Wang Ying had managed to advance from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Nascent Saint pinnacle. It was the same for Liu Yang as well. It was due to them cultivating a simplified version of the Saint Ascension Decipher that their cultivation was not advancing too quickly. If it had been an ordinary Heavens Path Divine Art, they would have long reached higher realms. On the other hand, Sun Qiangs progress was still the slowest of them all as his heart was not in cultivating. Nevertheless, with Zhang Xuans spot-on guidance, as well as the vast resources he had avable to him, his progress was still much faster than the normal students of the academy. At this moment, he had already reached Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, just a step away from Chrysalis realm. After a month of cultivating, Zhang Xuan had fully reinforced his Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivation. Even though he had not achieved a breakthrough, his true fighting prowess could already be said to be invincible among all cultivators beneath Primordial Spirit realm. More importantly, he had found that his Soul Depth had also increased quite a bit after the Saint Ascension Ordeal, rising from the initial 21.1 to 23.1. The difficulty in raising ones Soul Depth was not constant. Instead, just like cultivation, it became increasingly harder to raise ones Soul Depth the higher it was. Raising ones Soul Depth from 1.0 to 3.0 wasnt difficult, but raising it from 21.1 to 23.1 required at least several dozen times the effort required for the former. Even so, if not for the Heart Ordeal being too easy, the growth of Zhang Xuans Soul Depth would surely have been more than that. As Zhang Xuan had spent most of the journey cultivating, he did not converse much with others. After an entire month of traveling, a humongous city finally came into sight. The capital of Qingyuan Empire, Qingyuan City! ... As Zhang Xuan and the others arrived at Qingyuan City, Poison Master Bai Ting and Poison Master Hai Mingjin finally arrived at the Poison Hall headquarters with Wei Ruyan. Chapter 1091: Tome of Poison Legacy Chapter 1091: Tome of Poison Legacy Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The headquarters of the Poison Hall was located amid a massive mountain range. Unlike the other branches, which were concealed by formations, it was an enormous city that extended for several thousand kilometers, exposed in the open. It had an economy of its own, producing and selling its own resources, reminiscent of a mini kingdom. Upon seeing the majestic city before his eyes, Bai Ting couldnt help but remark, "It is said that vast majority of the mountain range has beenced with lethal poison, and any personnel who isnt a poison master of the Poison Hall would be swiftly poisoned to death. As such, there is no need for the headquarters to conceal itself from the eyes of the world at all." The Poison Hall was a feared existence throughout the Master Teacher Continent. Thus, for safety considerations, most branches were concealed within a formation so that the other upations would not be able to find it. However, it was different for the headquarters. It was in in sight amid the mountain range, not concealed by any formation at all. Nevertheless, due to the fact that the mountain was filled with countless poisonous worms and venomous beasts, anyone who wished to enter the Poison Hall headquarters would have to pay a heavy price. This was also why, even though the location of the Poison Hall headquarters wasmon knowledge, no one dared to make a move on it. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion would have to think thrice beforeunching a crusade against it. "I wonder if the day wille when poison masters are able to walk beneath the light once more, just like the other upations..." Hai Mingjin sighed as he shook his head bitterly. Even though the headquarters were built in the open, it still had to be constructed in the depths of a mountain, different from the other upations, which were located in prosperous and majestic cities. The cold and sinister image of poison masters was simply too deeply imprinted into the minds of the popce, causing them to be fearful of poison masters. Such a point of view was not something that could be changed easily. "I also hope that such a day will eventuallye. Fortunately, it seems to be within sights!" ncing at the youngdy behind whom he had carefully embraced with his zhenqi, a gentle smile surfaced on Bai Tings face. Ever since leaving Jingyuan City, they had flown for nearly two months without rest, but the youngdy still showed no signs of awakening. Furthermore, the poisonous aura that was emanating from her body only seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. Were it not for the antidotes that she had provided them back when she was still conscious and disguised as Sun Qiang, even with their incredible resistance to poison as 7-star pinnacle poison masters, they would have already been poisoned to death by now. For the mere aura she emanated passively to be intolerable for poison masters of their strength, the Innate Poison Body sure was fearsome! Unique constitutions were something that came innately with ones birth, so there was nothing they could say about that. However, what had truly impressed them was the deep level of understanding the founder possessed regarding the use of poison. On their journey to the Poison Hall headquarters, they had been musing over the poison knowledge that the founder had imparted to them previously. The deeper they delved into the knowledge, the more fearsome they realized that the founder was. It could be said that the knowledge that they had gained over the past two months was far more than what they had learned in the previous several dozen years! On top of that, the antidote that they had been given was truly miraculous. It was no joke to call it the antidote to all poisons! Not only was it able to neutralize the poison emanating from the youngdy, it could even curb the toxins from the poisonous worms and venomous beasts on the mountain range! A few days ago, Bai Ting had been bitten by a poison worm, and they had thought that he was a goner. However, shortly after consuming the antidote, he managed to make a full recovery from the poison! To think that a simple pill would actually be effective against a myriad of poisons... Even though they were seeing it with their own eyes, they still couldnt help but find it inconceivable! If not for the antidotes that they were given, they would have probably died multiple times before they coulde to this point. "As long as the founder awakens and regains her full strength, it wont be difficult for us to win the acknowledgement of the other upations. The Poison Hall has never suffered from ack of experts, but its a pity that none of them are willing to submit to the other, so they end up building and ruling over their own factions instead. This has led to the Poison Hall being severely segregated, and we are unable to stand our ground before the other upations. As a result, we have been forced to hole up in remote ces, unable to stand in the light." Recalling the various happenings in the Poison Hall over the past few centuries, Hai Mingjin couldnt help but sigh. Truthfully, the Poison Hall did not start out in such a manner. At the very start, they shared the sunlight along with the other upations, and poison masters didnt have to hide their identity from the others out of fear. The Poison Hall had ended up in its current plight was because there had been no single poison master who was outstanding enough to take over the position of the head of the Poison Hall after the passing of their founder. As the rules governing the Poison Hall were not as strict as that of the other upations, it was not umon for poison masters to kill one another. Furthermore, they had no particr standard to the disciples that they epted, thus resulting in there being both kind-hearted individuals and evildoers amid their ranks. Due to such circumstances, the strength of the Poison Hall had been on a constant decline, thus resulting in the current plight it was in. If there was a person whom everyone in the Poison Hall was willing to recognize and submit to, their plight could very well have been very different. Perhaps, they might even have reached the same level of prosperity as they had achieved back then. "Lets not get ahead ourselves for the time being; the current Poison Hall seems to be very different from how it used to be. I have informed my teacher about my arrival in advance, and out of safety considerations, I decided not to inform my teacher about the founder. Even so, my teacher still told me to be very careful when heading over and that I should make sure not to catch anyones attention. It appears that the Poison Hall is currently caught in an intense faction rivalry, and even my teacher is helpless to stop it." Bai Ting sighed. "Your teacher? Do you mean Myriad Poison Eminence, Lin Jianghai?" Hai Mingjin asked. Even though Bai Ting was his close friend and they had bothe from the same Poison Hall, the other party had never really told him about his heritage before. He had only managed to fathom a guess from the other partys poison arts. "Indeed, my teacher is Poison Master Lin Jianghai. I have studied under him for thirty years, but due to mycking talent, I was unworthy of inheriting the essence of his heritage. Otherwise, I would have been an 8-star poison master by now." As soon as Bai Ting spoke of his teacher, his voice immediately became very respectful. He felt deeply indebted to his teacher. Without his teacher, he would not be. Even if he was not his teachers direct disciple, the debt that he owed his teacher was still something that he could not hope to repay in his lifetime. Recalling the various information concerning the Poison Hall headquarters, Hai Mingjin could not help butment. "The Poison Hall headquarters consists of the Two Guardians, Four Eminences, Twelve Poison Kings, and 72 Tier-1 Hall Masters. Even the weakest of these experts is at 8-star pinnacle. The Myriad Poison Eminence is ranked in the middle of the Four Eminences, and even the weakest of his direct disciples is an 8-star poison master. Those who manage to be his disciple are the most outstanding of all poison masters, and they are deeply envied by others!" Even though he was only a 7-star pinnacle poison master, he had been looking forward to visiting the headquarters, so he had read quite a few books regarding it. As such, he had a rough idea regarding the various powers within the headquarters. As there had not been a single poison master who could win the respect of everyone else, the seat of the hall master had been empty for countless years. The affairs within the Poison Hall were basically dealt with by the Four Eminences, and as for the Two Guardians... they often spent their days wandering thends, so it was extremely hard to contact them. Even the poison masters of the headquarters had rarely seen them around. As such, the Four Eminences were known to be the pinnacle of authority and power within the Poison Hall. As one of the disciples of the Myriad Poison Eminence, even if Bai Ting was not a direct disciple, he was still allowed to travel in and out of the Poison Hall headquarters freely. Otherwise, given that both of them were mere 7-star poison masters, they would have been shut out at the entrance. "Alright, lets hurry up and enter the city. The poison aura within the founders body is running out of control. If we dont suppress it soon, I fear that her life might be in danger!" Bai Ting urged before proceeding ahead with Wei Ruyan. The city in the Poison Hall headquarters was not any much different from the capitals of the kingdoms and empires outside. On top of poison masters, there were also ordinary civilians walking around. Walking through the city, Bai Ting and Hai Mingjin could not help but nce at one another in confusion. Usually, the main streets should have been bustling with life, but there was not a single soul in sight. Shops at both ends of the streets were tightly shut, and there were no vendors or anything of that sort. It was cold and deste. Did something happen? But that should not have been the case! If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to make a move on the Poison Hall headquarters, it would have surely caused a hugemotion throughout the Master Teacher Pavilion, and they could not possibly have been unaware of the matter. So, that was unlikely to be the case. But... other than the Master Teacher Pavilion, what else could sap the life out of the massive Poison Hall headquarters? "Lets continue heading in!" Hai Mingjin proposed. "Un." Bai Ting nodded. At that point, a voice suddenly sounded. "Is the person ahead of me Junior Bai Ting?" The duo raised their heads and saw a middle-aged man flying over. Perhaps due to his hunched back, the middle-aged man had a short stature of roughly 1.6 meters. He did not seem like a particrly impressive figure, but the eight stars on the emblem in front of his chest showed that he was not a person whom one should underestimate. Upon seeing the other party, Bai Ting immediately sped his fist and bowed. "Senior Yuan Ling!" Hearing that name, Hai Mingjin had the fright of his life. "Yuan Ling? Could he be the 8-star pinnacle poison master who once seeded in poisoning a Saint 8-dan saint beast to death?" He did not know too many 8-star poison masters, but Yuan Lings reputation made it impossible for him to not know of the other party. As an 8-star pinnacle poison master, Yuan Ling was one of the 72 Tier-1 Hall Masters. His greatest known feat was to have concocted the Cloudsmoke Powder. Colorless and odorless, the Cloudsmoke Powder warped into the form of a cloud when scattered, allowing it to drift along with the wind. With a sufficient dosage, it would be lethal even to a Saint 8-dan expert! It was said that Hall Master Yuan Ling was once pursued by a Saint 8-dan saint beast, and left with no choice, he had released the Cloudsmoke Powder and poisoned thetter to death. It was due to this battle that he had be well-known throughout the Empire Alliance. There was no one among the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Poison Hall who knew not of his name. Who knew that such an incredible figure was actually Bai Tings senior? It was truly shocking to think of it! "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Teacher heard that you have reached Leaving Aperture realm and intend to take the 8-star poison master examination, so he had me fetch you!" Yuan Ling smiled. Due to Zhang Xuans advice, Bai Ting had not revealed the matter regarding the founder yet, using his intention to take the 8-star poison master as a pretext to enter the Poison Hall headquarters instead. This way, it would guarantee them a safe passageway into the Poison Hall without any trouble. "Thank you, senior. Right, werent you dispatched to the Huaijin branch? Why are you at the headquarters as well?" Bai Ting asked curiously. Under normal circumstances, the heads of the regional Poison Hall branches were not allowed to leave their post. Thus, it was peculiar for Yuan Ling to be in the headquarters and even fetching him personally. "You havent heard of the matter yet?" Yuan Ling was taken aback. A momentter, he nodded in realization and said, "Right, it has been many years since you left the headquarters, so its understandable that you are unaware of the current situation. Right Guardian Shen Jue returned recently, iming to have found an artifact of the founder. "Using this, he intends to organize the Grand Conference of Poison Masters and appoint himself as the new hall master. As such, the 72 Tier-1 Hall Masters were all summoned to the headquarters to attend the conference, and the crowd in the city has also headed over to watch themotion. Thats why the streets arepletely empty today!" "Right Guardian Shen Jue?" "An artifact of the founder?" The duo frowned upon hearing those words. Intrigued, Bai Ting continued asking, "May I know... what artifact it is?" "Its the founders Tome of Poison Legacy!" Yuan Ling replied. Chapter 1092: The Founder Arrives Chapter 1092: The Founder Arrives Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Tome of Poison Legacy?" Bai Ting and Hai Mingjin leaped in astonishment. ording to the rumors, the Tome of Poison Legacy was an artifact personally written by the founder of the Poison Hall. She had detailed all of the secrets of her poison arts within the book, and it was the artifact that all poison masters craved to obtain. However... it was said to have disappeared from the face of the world along with the founder. After the founder died, there were quite a few hall masters who had taken over after her. However, as they had not inherited her true heritage, they were unable to receive widespread acknowledgement among the poison masters, resulting in the current chaos within the Poison Hall. For the longest time, everyone had thought that the Tome of Poison Legacy had disappeared for good, but who would have thought that Right Guardian Shen Jue would actually manage to retrieve it! "Indeed! With this artifact, he can be officially inaugurated as the new hall master of the Poison Hall without any doubts about his legitimacy. Just that... Forget it. Lets not talk about this any further. Youll understand once you meet teacher anyway!" Yuan Ling was still intending to continue speaking when he paused for a moment and swallowed his words. Beckoning the both of them to follow him, he flew ahead. The duo followed him closely. As Saint 5-dan experts, their flight speed was beyond ordinary. It did not take them long to arrive at a vast residence located at the center of the city. With Yuan Ling taking the lead, they walked toward the hall that their teacher had taught them in the past. Before they could enter it, arguing could be heard echoing from within. "Hes using that as an excuse to climb over us! Why should our teacher do it? At the very most, well just fight it out with him!" "Hes going too far, we cant just sit silently by the side and let him do whatever he wants!" "Just because he says that its the Tome of Poison Legacy, are we supposed to ept it like that? Is there anyone who can verify his words? I remember that our teacher had a grudge with him back then. He must be trying to make use of this matter to get rid of his rivals so as to sessfully promote himself to hall master!" "Its not like we dont know how narrow-minded that Right Guardian of ours is. With such a card in his hand, hes bound to make a move against us." ... Walking into the room, they saw dozens of poison masters gathered, each of them with an indignant look on their face. Swiftly scanning the room, Bai Ting noted that they were all the seniors and juniors who had studied alongside him back then. Most of them had already attained the strength of 8-star poison masters. In the center of the room sat an elder who was dressed in in clothes. He had an elusive aura that could hardly be felt, and his breathing was so indistinct that it was impossible to tell whether he was alive or not. Had he not been seated in the center of the room, one could have overlooked him very easily. Intrigued, Hai Mingjin secretly used his Spiritual Perception to scan the other party, and the result that he got left him startled. To his shock, his Spiritual Perception actually reflected that the space that the in-clothed elder took up waspletely empty! What incredible strength he wields... Hai Mingjin narrowed his eyes in astonishment. It was obvious that the person before him had achieved strength far beyond his imagination, such that even his Spiritual Perception was incapable of perceiving the other partys existence. An expert of the other partys caliber did not need to even raise his hand to destroy him. Just a single thought, and his soul would have been helplessly crushed. There was the huge disparity in their strengths. It was unimaginable how powerful the elder would be if he were equipped with poison! Truly terrifying! "Teacher, Junior Bai Ting is here!" Ignoring the crowds argument, Yuan Ling stepped forward and reported. "Un." The elder nodded before turning his gaze to Bai Ting. "I thought that you wouldnt have been able to make a breakthrough when your heart turned cold after the incident. Not bad, you are still able to qualify as an 8-star poison master in the end. You didnt let me down!" "Teacher..." Bai Tings eyes reddened as he stepped forward and kneeled on the ground. Ever since leaving the headquarters, he had never met his teacher because he felt too ashamed to face him. Upon seeing his teacher once more, the emotions that had welled up within him for many years could not be contained. The elder smiled. "Alright, you are going to be an 8-star poison master very soon, so you shouldnt cry over minor matters like this!" "Yes!" Bai Ting nodded. Standing up, he turned a confused look to his teacher and asked, "Teacher, I happened to overhear someone saying that someone wants you to do something... If I may ask, what does that mean?" Judging from how indignant everyone was, it was bound to be nothing good. "Its nothing much." The elder waved his hand before sighing deeply. "You should focus your effort on taking the 8-star poison master examination while you are here and leave as soon as youre done. The Poison Hall is no longer the safe ce you know of. We might face bloodshed very soon, so escape as far as you can." "This..." Bai Ting frowned in confusion. His teacher was one of the Four Eminences, so what could have happened for him to speak of such depressing words? Furthermore... shouldnt Shen Jues retrieval of the Tome of Poison Legacy and inauguration as the new hall master have been a joyous event? Noting the confusion in Bai Tings eyes, an 8-star poison master stepped forward and exined, "I believe you should have heard the news that Guardian Shen has found the Tome of Poison Legacy and intends to be the new hall master, right?" "Yes!" Bai Ting replied with a nod. Senior Yuan Ling had just informed him of the matter. "The Tome of Poison Legacy is an artifact left behind by the founder, and it carries lethal poison. There is only one way to open it, and its through the Life Tribute ritual. Guardian Shen intends to have our teacher conduct the ritual," the 8-star poison master said through gritted teeth. Hearing those words, Bai Tings eyes widened in shock. Poison masters had a habit of sealing their manuals using lethal poison. In order to open such manuals, one would have to possess the ability to undo the poison. Otherwise, one would have to wear away the poison with life. In other words, it was using human lives to wear away the poison on the manual. If one was not enough, two. If two were not enough, three... There was bound to be a limit to the poisonced on the manual, so there woulde a point where it was sapped dry. This was also what the Life Tribute ritual was! Life Tribute was an extremely callous ritual, and it undermined the dignity of life. This was one of the practices that had the poison masters deemed as a type of demonic art, causing it to be snubbed by the orthodox upations. "But... why our teacher?" Bai Ting asked through gritted teeth. His teacher was one of the Four Eminences, so why would they sacrifice such an esteemed individual for the Life Tribute? "Our teacher had a conflict with Guardian Shen many years ago, so we believe that this is Guardian Shens attempt to get back at him. Furthermore, the poison on the Tome of Poison Legacy is indeed too potent, such that its impossible for even normal humans to approach it. As such, it can only be neutralized by 9-star poison masters. Its for this reason that Guardian Shen specifically singled out Teacher so as to further build his prestige. Through this incident, he wishes to send out a stern warning to the entire Poison Hall so that none dare oppose him!" the 8-star poison master replied with clenched fists. While Life Tribute could wear away the toxicity of the poison, its effectiveness was also dependent on the strength of the tribute. Considering the potency of the poison thatced the Tome of Poison Legacy, even if they were to sacrifice twenty thousand ordinary humans, it still would not wear away the poison. Only 9-star poison masters wielded sufficient strength to wear away the poison on the Tome of Poison Legacy. Anyone other than that would not do. "Since hes obviously using this matter to get back at us, cant Teacher just turn him down?" Bai Ting asked anxiously. "Teacher can indeed turn him down, but Guardian Shen... is forcing Teacher toply with his demands in the name of greater good!" "In the name of greater good?" "Indeed. He promised all of the poison masters that as long as the Tome of Poison Legacy is opened, he will pick out the easier content and make it public knowledge for all poison masters to study, thus substantially raising the overall prowess of the Poison Hall. Through this promise, he is attempting to sway public opinion against our teacher, thus forcing Teacher to conduct the Life Tribute ritual. All of the poison masters in the headquarters are currently loitering around the area. They are iming that they intend to witness the inauguration ceremony, but in truth, most of them are just keeping a surveince over the manor, fearing that Teacher will attempt to escape," the 8-star poison master said with reddened eyes. Only in trying times would one be able to see through the hearts of those around them. The poison masters who were close with his teacher or usually fawned on him had all fled as far as they could, leaving behind only his students to guard the area. Bai Ting could not help but clench his fists tightly as well. Indeed. With such terms to draw the other poison masters in, his teacher would have no choice but to be the sacrifice. Otherwise, with public opinion working against him, it would not be long before he fell from grace. Interrupting the words of the poison master, the elder sitting in the center of the room waved his hand. "Alright, I have already made up my mind on this matter. After Im dead, donte to this manor anymore. Stay as far away as you can so that we will at least be able to preserve our heritage." No one would dare think ofying their hands on his disciples while he was alive, but once Shen Jue got his way, there was no doubt that he would turn his eyes to his disciples next. The Poison Hall was not as strictly bound by rules as the Master Teacher Pavilion. In here, strength spoke the loudest. Without sufficient strength, the only fate one would face was death. "Teacher..." Upon hearing those words, those present could not help but feel disconste. Even Yuan Lings eyes had reddened as well, and a sorrowful silence drifted in the air. At this moment, Bai Tings voice abruptly broke the atmosphere. "Teacher, actually... you need not sacrifice yourself. It might not be that easy for Guardian Shen to be the hall master either!" "Hmm?" Hearing those words, everyone quickly turned their gazes over. Even the elder could not help but frown. "Junior Bai, why would you say such words?" Yuan Ling asked. "Its nothing much. If it was any other asion, Guardian Shen would indeed be qualified to be the hall master with his contribution of retrieving the Tome of Poison Legacy, and no one would dare say anything against it. However... I fear that the tome wont be sufficient now!" Bai Ting spoke confidently. "He wont be able to be the hall master even with the Tome of Poison Legacy? What do you mean by that?" Yuan Ling frowned, unsure of what Bai Ting was driving at. The others were bewildered by Bai Tings words as well. What was the Tome of Poison Legacy? An artifact that the founder had left behind. To draw a parallel, it was equivalent to Kong shis Great Codex of Spring and Autumn; it was the supreme treasure of the Poison Hall. It could be considered the symbol of authority of the founder, and anyone in possession of it would receive the acknowledgement of all poison masters. It was precisely due to Shen Jue obtaining the Tome of Poison Legacy that his teacher was put in a spot at the moment. Yet... his junior was saying that even a person in possession of the Tome of Poison Legacy was unqualified to be the hall master? Then... who in the world was qualified to be the hall master? "Junior Bai, I have no idea what you are getting at. The Tome of Poison Legacy is the supreme artifact of the founder, and anyone in possession of it will naturally gain the greatest authority within the Poison Hall." The 8-star poison master shook his head. "Unless the founder appears at this moment, theres no way we can prevent him from bing the hall master!" "Senior Lu is right. I have indeed invited the founder here today!" Bai Ting chuckled. "You have invited... the founder here?" "Junior Bai, the founder passed away several dozen millenniums ago, so how could you possibly invite her here?" "This isnt a joking matter, Junior Bai." ... Everyone was startled for a moment before shaking their heads. If thetter had said that he had found another artifact of the founder, they might still have been able to believe it. However, to have found the founder herself... Wasnt that the same as daydreaming? "I have indeed found the founder. Shes only a fragmented soul at the moment, and shes currently possessing the body of this youngdy." Bai Ting pointed to the person behind him. It was only at this moment that everyone noticed that Bai Ting had wrapped his zhenqi around a youngdy. He gently ced her down before unwrapping his zhenqi, and in an instant, poison aura immediately burst out of Wei Ruyans body, causing everyone to involuntarily take a step back. Before anyone couldprehend what was going on, the elder seated in the center, Lin Jianghai, suddenly eximed in disbelief. "This is... the Innate Poison Body?" The Innate Poison Body was the unparalleled unique constitution of their Poison Hall. Ever since the passing of their founder, the Poison Hall had not been able to find a single individual who possessed such a constitution. Who would have thought that one would suddenly appear before them at this moment? "She doesnt just possess the Innate Poison Body; she has the Poison Soul Constitution as well!" Bai Ting said. "This..." Lin Jianghais body trembled in agitation. "What is going on? Why is this youngdy unconscious?" "Its like this..." Bai Ting began to exin how he had met the founder at a Poison Hall branch and promised thetter that he would bring the youngdy to the headquarters. "You are saying that... the soul of our founder has possessed the body of this youngdy? Its only because of her inability to withstand the pressure from the Poison Soul Constitution in her weakened state that she has fell into aa?" Lin Jianghais body stiffened from shock. "Indeed. If you dont believe me, you can take a look at this pill that we were given!" Flicking his wrist, Bai Ting took a jade bottle out from his storage ring. With a smile, he took out a pill that the founder had given him, and he presented it to his teacher. Chapter 1093: Spare Me, Founder (1) Chapter 1093: Spare Me, Founder (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had consumed the pill multiple times on the journey to the headquarters, so by now, there was only a single pill left in the jade bottle. Upon taking a closer look at the pill, Lin Jianghai frowned. "Isnt this... a pill used for reinforcing ones core?" As a poison master, he was very familiar with all kinds of medicinal properties. With just a nce, he could tell that the pill before him was an ordinary pill that was used for reinforcing ones core. Other than that, there was nothing special about it. "That was what I thought at the start too, but after it was reforged in the founders hand, it transformed into an all-cure antidote!" Bai Ting said. Lin Jianghai frowned. His title as the Myriad Poison Eminence had originated from the huge variety of powerful poisons he had up his sleeves. For an ordinary pill for reinforcing ones core to be able to cure all poisons... was that not as good as saying that little pill was his nemesis? Extending his Spiritual Perception to the pill before him, he could see what was within the pill in an instant. The more he looked at it, the more perplexed he felt. Based on his eye of discernment and deep understanding of medicinal herbs, there was definitely nothing different about the pill before his eyes. It was no different than the products that weremonly sold in the market. Putting him aside, even if a Saint 5-dan cultivator were to eat three jin 1 of such a pill, it would not have any effect at all. To call such a pill an all-cure antidote, wasnt that exaggerating its effects a little? For him, a 9-star poison master, one of the greatest poison users in the world, to be unable to see through what was special with the pill... Had it not been for how confidently Bai Ting had spoken, he would have surely had thetter thrown into the ditch that very instant. "Are you certain that it has the effect of curing any poison?" Lin Jianghai asked doubtfully. "If Teacher doubts my word, I can prove it to you right now..." Bai Ting smiled confidently. Turning around, he asked, "Senior Yuan Ling, may I know if you have any of your Cloudsmoke Powder with you at the moment?" "I do." Yuan Ling nodded as he passed a jade bottle over. As the most powerful poison he had ever concocted, it went without saying that he would bring it no matter where he went in case he found himself in an emergency situation. "Poison Master Hai, I will need to trouble you on something..." Grabbing the jade bottle, Bai Ting beckoned Hai Mingjin over. "Poison Master Bai, you need not stand on ceremony with me. If you have anything to ask of me, feel free to speak!" Hai Mingjin walked over. "Actually, its nothing much. I would just like to trouble you to consume this bottle of Cloudsmoke Powder..." Flicking his wrist, Bai Ting passed the jade bottle over. "Ah?" Hai Mingjins lips twitched wildly. He had been wondering what Poison Master Bai was up to, but to think that the other party wanted to use him as a Pill Sample Beast for the poison! The best way to determine the effectiveness of an antidote was not to examine its constituents but to try it out oneself. That was the most direct and efficient method. But... Shouldnt it suffice for you to test it on a Pill Sample Beast or something? Why do you need me to do it? Without hesitating for long, Hai Mingjin walked over with gritted teeth. "Alright then." While he was a little reluctant to serve as a test subject, when he recalled how mystical the pill that the founder had produced was, he still confidently propped open the lid of the jade bottle and gulped down the Cloudsmoke Powder contained within. Pu! Right after consuming the poison, his face turned pitch-ck, and blood spewed wildly from his mouth. The crowd frowned upon witnessing that. With their knowledge as 8-star poison masters, they could easily tell it wasnt an act staged between the both of them. That fellow was truly poisoned. "Here!" Knowing that the Cloudsmoke Powder acted quickly, Bai Ting dared not dawdle. He hurriedly fed Hai Mingjin the antidote in his hand. Hai Mingjin hurriedly swallowed it. Hu! Shortly after consuming the pill, Hai Mingjins pitch-ckplexion began to revert back to normal. However, perhaps due to him consuming too much of the Cloudsmoke Powder, the antidote wasnt sufficient to cure the poison altogether. Half of his face managed to revert back to white, but the other half still remainedpletely ck, creating a peculiar sight. Nevertheless, the antidote still did help to suppress the poison and stabilize Hai Mingjins condition for the time being. With an awkward look on his face, he said, "Cough cough! Poison Master Bai, do you still have any more antidote? I think I might have eaten too much of the Cloudsmoke Powder, and a single pill isnt sufficient to cure it..." Due to the limited size of the pills, the amount of Heavens Path zhenqi they could harness was also limited. Even though they could neutralize any poison, the grade of the Cloudsmoke Powder was simply too high. A single pill was not sufficient to neutralize it entirely, thus resulting in the current situation. Bai Tings lips twitched. "That was thest pill..." "Ah? I alsopleted my bottle on the journey to the Poison Hall..." Hai Mingjins body shuddered, and he nearly burst into tears. It was supposed to just be a simple experiment to showcase the effectiveness of the pill to the others, but he ended upnding himself in such a state. Was there anyone more pitiful than he was? Just what in the world did he do to deserve this? "This..." Bai Tings eyebrows twitched uncontrobly. He was intending to disy the prowess of the founders all-cure antidote to the crowd, but... who would have thought that he would not have sufficient pills for it! "Alright, theres no need to experiment anymore. Thats indeed an all-cure antidote!" While the duo was feeling vexed by the situation they were in, Lin Jianghai raised his hand and spoke. "Yuan Ling, neutralize that young mans poison!" "Yes!" Yuan Ling walked up to Hai Mingjin and stroked his hand softly down thetters back. In an instant, Hai Mingjin noticed a feeling offort rushing through his body, and the remaining ckness on his face also vanished without a trace. "To be able to convert a pill meant for reinforcing ones core into an all-cure antidote that is capable of neutralizing even the Cloudsmoke Powder... This is indeed an inconceivable feat..." Ignoring Hai Mingjin, Lin Jianghai stood up and walked up to Wei Ruyan with a look of disbelief. If he still harbored some reservations a moment ago, he waspletely certain at this moment. Putting aside the youngdys Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution, he had examined the antidote earlier carefully with his Spiritual Perception, and he had been certain that there was nothing special with it. Yet, it was actually capable of neutralizing poisons, even those at the level of the Cloudsmoke Powder. This was truly a little frightening. He had taken a look at Yuan Lings Cloudsmoke Powder before, and it was a poison that was so potent that it could easily im the life of even a Saint 8-dan expert. To allow a mere core reinforcing pill to be able to cure the poison of the Cloudsmoke Pill without any problem, that was indeed an incredible technique. He found that even he was unable toprehend the logic behind it. Probably, only the founder possessed such incredible means. "Teacher, you believe me?" Bai Tings eyes lit up. "Un. Other than the founder, I cant think of anyone else who could possess such incredible skills..." Lin Jianghai nodded with a smile. "Alright, lets go and attend the inauguration ceremony. Since Shen Jue wants me to die, lets see who will get the finalugh!" A sharp glint shed through Lin Jianghais narrowed eyes. As a person who had managed to survive in the Poison Hall and climb to the very peak, Lin Jianghai naturally was not a good person either. "Well listen to yourmand!" Seeing that their teacher had regained his confidence, the morale within the room lifted as they walked out with clenched fists. The inauguration ceremony would be held in a square not too far away from the residence. Practically the entire popce of the Poison Hall headquarters hade over to spectate the event, such that it was impossible to see the end of the crowd with a single nce. ced on the pedestal at the very center of the square was a floating book that shimmered with a faint radiance. Beneath it stood a ck-robed poison master who emanated an astounding aura. Seeing the newly-arrived group, the ck-robed poison master smiled. "Eminence Lin, you are finally here!" His voice boomed resoundingly across the entire square. "I see that you have chosen to conduct the Life Tribute ritual to open the Tome of Poison Legacy. Good! Dont worry, your sacrifice wont be in vain. Ill spread the content within the tome to the entire Poison Hall and lead it to greater heights!" "Eminence Lin, as one of the Four Eminences, you have enjoyed the stipends of the Poison Hall for many years. Its time for you to do your part for the Poison Hall!" "Think about it, your sacrifice will be the blessing of the entire Poison Hall, allowing us to achieve greater heights. This is something to rejoice over! Rest assured, your name shall be echoed for all of theter generations to hear!" On the stage, another two men shouted along with Shen Jue. They were both from the Four Eminences as well, figures of equal standing to Lin Jianghai. Ignoring their words, Lin Jianghai leaped onto the stage as he sneered coldly. "Guardian Shen, Eminence Wang, and Eminence He, I came here not to conduct the Life Tribute ritual but to discuss the nomination of our new hall master!" "Discuss the nomination of our new hall master? Eminence Lin, has age clouded your mind? Guardian Shen has obtained the Tome of Poison Legacy, an artifact of the founder, so its only right for him to inherit the position of the poison master. Do you think that you can find another Tome of Poison Legacy in the world?" Eminence Wang sneered back. "The Tome of Poison Legacy is one of the most important artifacts to our Poison Hall. Since Guardian Shen has managed to retrieve it for us, its only natural that he assumes the highest position as well. Are you trying to disregard Guardian Shens contribution, or are you trying to disregard the founder?" Eminence He harrumphed. These two had long since decided to stand on the same side as Guardian Shen, so their words were filled with disdain and ridicule for Lin Jianghai. "You need not y such meaningless word games with me. Since I dared to propose the discussion of the nomination of the new hall master, naturally, I have made my preparations beforehand." Lin Jianghai flicked his wrist grandly before dering, "I have not found the Tome of Poison Legacy, but... I have found the founder!" Upon saying those words, Lin Jianghai tilted his head toward the sky and bellowed, "Invite the founder in!" Hu! Yuan Ling, Bai Ting, and the others carefully carried Wei Ruyan over and ced her lightly down on the pedestal. "Founder?" "What does that mean?" Amotion broke out amid the crowd. All of the poison masters nced at one another in confusion, unsure of what was going on. "Founder?" Shen Jue and the other two Eminences also frowned upon hearing those words. "Indeed. This youngdy over here is the founder of our Poison Hall!" Lin Jianghai waved his hand grandly as he pointed toward Wei Ruyan. "Her soul has survived through the ages before iming the body of this youngdy over here, who possesses the Innate Poison Body. Its only a matter of time before she wakes up, and under her leadership, our Poison Hall will be brought to unprecedented glory!" "Shes the founder?" "You must be joking! The founder passed away several dozen millenniums ago, so how could she possibly be ady as young as that?" Everyone was taken aback at first before a hugemotion broke out among them. At this point, Shen Jue also could not help but sneer coldly, "Eminence Lin, it seems your reluctance to contribute to the Poison Hall has eroded your rationality. You simply picked a person off the street and proim that she is the founder. Why dont you go a step further and im that shes Kong shi then?" "Indeed!" Shouts of approval broke out among the crowd below as well. The Myriad Poison Eminence had always been a rational and dependable figure, but why was he acting so rash this time around? To im that an unconscious youngdy was the founder... He had to be joking! "Audacious!" Lin Jianghai roared authoritatively. "Guardian Shen, as a 9-star poison master, how blind must you be to be unable to recognize the Innate Poison Body?" "Innate Poison Body?" "The youngdy possesses the Innate Poison Body?" An uproar exploded among the crowd. Shen Jue was also stunned for a moment before he hurriedly turned his gaze toward the youngdy. Indeed, there was something amiss about the youngdy, and a cold gleam shed across his eyes. "The Innate Poison Body is a unique constitution that has only appeared in the founder in the past several dozen millenniums. None of us standing here have ever seen it before. For you to simply bring a youngdy into here and im that she possesses the Innate Poison Body... Im afraid that you will have to show us more evidence than that! Besides, even if she does possess such a unique constitution, how can you prove that shes rted to the founder?" Flinging his sleeves, Shen Jue sneered coldly. "In order to prevent me from bing the hall master so that you can continue sitting on your high horse, dont you think that youre crafting too huge of a farce over here?" "Crafting too huge of a farce?" "That could very well be the case!" "No one among us has really seen the Innate Poison Body as well, so its impossible to verify it on the spot. Furthermore, for a person possessing the Innate Poison Body to suddenly emerge at this moment after all this time, how can there be such a huge coincidence in the world?" ... As expected. Right after Shen Jue said those words, echoes of agreement sounded among the crowd. They were already skeptical when Lin Jianghai said that the youngdy was the founder, and Shen Jues words served to further deepen their doubts. Chapter 1094: Spare Me, Founder (2) Chapter 1094: Spare Me, Founder (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While the constitution of the youngdy on the stage did resemble the Innate Poison Body, no one present there had actually seen the true Innate Poison Body in person, so it was difficult for them to verify the matter on the spot. Furthermore, for Lin Jianghai to proim that he had found the founder shortly after Shen Jue had found the Tome of Poison Legacy... No matter how one looked at it, it appeared that Lin Jianghai was making it up to willfully go against Shen Jue. "The Innate Poison Body is also known as the Constitution of Disaster. Once unrestrained, the individual will begin releasing lethal poison from her body uncontrobly. I believe that all of you should have been well aware of this matter even before I spoke. Even though this youngdy is unconscious, she has been passively releasing lethal poison from her body and soul. If Guardian Shen does not trust me, you can try to gather the poison aura together and see if you are able to withstand it or not! If even a 9-star poison master like you is unable to withstand it, that should be enough to prove whether she truly possesses the Innate Poison Body or not!" Lin Jianghai chuckled. There were not any more of the all-cure antidotes to prove that the youngdy was the founder, but the poison aura that she emanated was the best proof in itself. While it might not cause much damage in the short-term, it would be lethal even to a 9-star poison master if he were to take in too much of it. Not even 9-star poison masters could fake such an ability. "This..." Shen Jue was taken aback. With his eye of discernment, he was definitely more than capable of seeing whether the youngdy before him possessed the Innate Poison Body or not. However, it was just moments before his inauguration, and he was just a single step away from bing the hall master. If he were to acknowledge that the youngdy before him was indeed the founder, this opportunity would slip right through his fingers. And this was not a conclusion that he was willing to ept. "Eminence Lin, do you take us for fools? Since you have prepared an Innate Poison Body, its only a given that you see through the act and prepare a sufficiently lethal poison beforehand. Guardian Shen would only be falling into your trap if he really attempted to take in the poison aura. I will have to earnestly ask you not to bring such unseemly schemes into this solemn ceremony!" Eminence Wang shouted. "Indeed. Others might not know much about you, but as fellow Eminences, I know you quite well. If you are reluctant to die, just say so. Its reallyughable how you cane up with such nonsense when its time for you to y your part. The Poison Hall has truly misjudged you..." Eminence He sneered coldly. "Theres no need for you to change the subject over here and attempt to sway public opinion against me. If its that easy to feign the Innate Poison Body, our Poison Hall also wouldnt have been in tatters for so many years!" Lin Jianghai waved his hand. "Whether this youngdy is truly the founder or not, we can easily invite the wills of the predecessors and have them judge for us!" Just like the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Poison Hall also retained the wills of their predecessors. If there was any matter that the Poison Hall had trouble confirming, they could invite the predecessors over to make a judgement for them. The wills of the predecessors would not lie, and they would not be swayed by their sentiments either. This would allow them to make a fair judgement. "Theres no need to bother the predecessors over something as minor as this. All we want to know is whether she possesses the Innate Poison Body or not, right? Thats simple. I will just have to check that no one has nted poison on her, and if the poison aura she is emanating trulyes from her body and soul, we will be able to confirm that she does possess the Innate Poison Body," Shen Jue said with a frown. He had already confirmed that the youngdy before him did possess the Innate Poison Body, and that convinced him that he could not allow Lin Jianghai to invite the predecessors to judge the matter. Once it was publicly affirmed by the predecessors that the youngdy did indeed possess the Innate Poison Body, there would be no way he could be the hall master anymore. The trouble he had gone through to obtain the Tome of Poison Legacy would have been in vain. As formidable as he was, there was still no way he could match up to an individual who possessed the Innate Poison Body. It was clear whom the poison masters would eventually side with. Hong long! Right after saying those words, Shen Jue raised his hand and grasped at Wei Ruyan. H! Propped up by his zhenqi, the youngdy floated silently in midair. Her eyes were tightly shut, reminiscent of a sleeping beauty. "Let me take a look..." While slowly making his way toward Wei Ruyan, a hint of killing intent shed across Shen Jues eyes as he slipped a sliver of his will from his Primordial Spirit discreetly into the youngdys body. He was going to kill the youngdy under the pretext of checking on her. Once the youngdy was dead, there would be nothing that Lin Jianghai could use against him anymore. What founder or Innate Poison Body, none of that was useful to a dead person! After the deed was done, he could push everything onto Lin Jianghai. He could im that in his attempts to feign the Innate Poison Body, he used excessively lethal poison and ended up killing the youngdy. In any case, the youngdy had been in an unconscious state right from the start, so no one would be able to tell for sure when the youngdy truly died anyway. His movements were extremely discreet. Lin Jianghai had not thought that the great Right Guardian of the Poison Hall would actually be so despicable as to attempt to im the life of the founder before everyones eyes, so he was also oblivious to Shen Jues movements too. Hu! As soon as the sliver of will entered the youngdys body, it immediately dived straight for her consciousness. As a 9-star poison master, his strength had already reached an unfathomable level. Even though it was only a sliver of his will, it was so powerful that even Saint 6-dan experts would not be able to withstand it. Hu! Upon reaching the depths of her consciousness, he saw a youngdy floating quietly in midair. Her eyes were tightly shut, but a faint poisonous aura could be seen constantly emanating from her. As expected, she does possess the Poison Soul Constitution as well! Shen Juesplexion turned even more awful. It was already sufficiently difficult to find an individual who possessed the Innate Poison Body, but to think that she would have the Poison Soul Constitution as well! If this youngdy were to survive, even if he managed to be the hall master today, it would not be long before he would be forced to abdicate for her inauguration! Individuals who possessed both of the constitutions were simply too fearsome. If they were to study the Way of Poison, their fighting prowess would surely surge through the ranks. It wouldnt take long for even a 9-star poison master like him to be outdone! I have prepared for several centuries for this position. No matter who you are, I wont let you get in my way... With a cold glint in his eyes, Shen Jue roared frenziedly. He warped his hand into a deadly sword and shed it toward the unconscious youngdy. The sword possessed such overwhelming force that it would kill the youngdy even if she was conscious, let alone while she was in a dormant state. Tz! Just as the sword was about to cut through the youngdy, a powerful aura abruptly burst forth from Wei Ruyans consciousness. Following which, an immense might gushed out and stopped the sword in its path. What? Shen Jue narrowed his eyes in rm. In the next moment, a figure appeared before his eyes. He was a will as well. He was not a Primordial Spirit, but he carried the invible authority of one who had been acknowledged by the heavens. Shen Jue could not help but feel an incredible pressure weighing down on him. "Celestial Master Teacher? You are... Kong shi?" Shen Jues face paled in fright. He had not thought that he would encounter another will in the consciousness of the youngdy, much less a Celestial Master Teacher! In all of history, there had only been a single known Celestial Master Teacher, and he was none other than the Worlds Teacher. Could the man before him truly be that legendary figure? "Trying toy your hands on my student? Ill have you pay for this with your life!" The figure narrowed his eyes before raising his palm. Tzzzzzz! Several surges of zhenqi immediately gushed into the youngdys consciousness. Unlike ordinary zhenqi, these surges of zhenqi seemed tomand the very might of the world itself, as if the heavens themselves were passing judgement upon an evildoer. "No, that isnt..." Horrified, Shen Jue tried to exin himself, but it was already toote. Like hot oil encountering the sparks, his will immediately burst into mes. Before he could even cry in agony, his will had been reduced to ashes. Pu! With the elimination of his will, the real Shen Jue, who was in the midst of checking Wei Ruyans condition outside, reeled in shock, and blood spewed from his mouth. That will had originated from his Primordial Spirit, and its destruction had been so abrupt that his main body ended up suffering light injuries as well. "Guardian Shen..." Not expecting the new hall master whom they had embraced to abruptly spurt blood while checking on the condition of a youngdy, Eminence Wang and Eminence He hurriedly rushed forward to check on his condition out of worry. However, what they met with instead was a pair of eyes filled with fear and horror, as if they had encountered a monster. "Quick, we need to go now..." With a pale face, Shen Jue quickly turned around to leave. However, before he could even take the first step away, he suddenly felt an indomitable aura rising from the youngdy behind him. The aura was, in every sense of the word, overwhelming. It felt as if the world was copsing around him, and no matter where he ran or hid, he would never be able to get away. Hong long long! The youngdy slowly rose into the air, and despite theck of any wind, her pitch-ck hair was fluttering. Her tightly-shut eyes paired with the poisonous aura that was flowing ceaselessly from her body created a truly sinister sight. "Do you think that you will be able to escape after attempting to crush my soul with your Primordial Spirit?" A cold, androgynous voice that induced panic and despair in the hearts of the listeners sounded from the depths of the youngdys body. "Crush her soul?" "Guardian Shen attempted to kill the youngdy?" Everyone was stunned for a moment before directing furious gazes toward Shen Jue. They had thought that he was truly intending to check if the youngdy possessed the Innate Poison Body, but who would have thought that his true intention was to eliminate her! "Shen Jue, you..." Lin Jianghai was so furious that he almost erupted on the spot. Cold sweat drenched his entire body. To think that he waspletely oblivious to it when Shen Jue attempted something right before his eyes... If something had really happened to the founder, how could he ever have faced the predecessors? "I..." Shen Jues face paled. Turning to look at the youngdy, he forcefully suppressed his fear and replied, "I am just testing you. It was not my intention to kill you." "Testing me? Humph! I was the one who singlehandedly created the Poison Hall many years ago, do you think that a brat like you is qualified to test me? Who do you think you are?" The youngdys eyes were still shut, but her body was slowly drifting down from the air. Every single inch she moved downward, the pressure that Shen Jue felt increased twofold. It did not take long for Shen Jue to bepletely drenched in sweat, and he felt like he was swiftly approaching his limit. He was a 9-star poison master, and his strength had already reached a frightening level. Yet, he found himselfpletely powerless before the other party, as if he was a mere puppet! "I..." Under the immense pressure, Shen Jue found himself incapable of uttering a single word. Considering how the other party was able to wipe away his will in just an instant, it was apparent that the other partys strength far surpassed his! More importantly, he was convinced that the person before him was Kong shi, and this realization sapped his entire body of its strength. "Back when I dominated the continent, there was not a person who dared challenge me. As a junior who has inherited my legacy, how dare you raise your hand against me? Has your arrogance made you forget your own position?" The youngdys voice erupted once more. Every single word of hers seemed like thunder within the ears, leaving one not daring to respond. "Elder, I really didnt intend to make a move against you. I just wanted to see who you are," Shen Jue replied anxiously. "Do you know who I am now?" the youngdy sneered coldly. Before Shen Jue could respond, Eminence Wang stood forward and bellowed furiously, "Who in the world are you? Where did you get the guts to cause trouble in the inauguration ceremony of our new hall master?" He had not experienced what Shen Jue had undergone within Wei Ruyans body, so he was unaware of what kind of terrifying monster he was standing before. Even though the youngdy was emanating a powerful aura, he had made a mental gauge and determined that he would be able to defeat her with his strength. This was also why he dared to step forward and question her. "Who am I?" A chillingughter burst from the mouth of the youngdy. Hu! A book appeared from the be of the youngdy, and in the blink of an eye, it grew to several hundred meters wide. The book emanated the divine aura of the heavens, sealing the movements of those within the area. Peng! Everything happened in a sh. Before Eminence Wang could evenprehend what was going on, he had already been reduced to a lump of meat. After crushing Eminence Wang, the youngdy ced her hands behind her back as she stood loftily in the air, reminiscent of a demon or a deity. "Do you know who I am now?" Witnessing the horrific sight before them, Shen Jue and Eminence He quickly kneeled to the ground. "Founder, spare me..." Chapter 1095: Spirit Awakener Chapter 1095: Spirit Awakener Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Eminence Wang was a 9-star poison master just like them. Putting aside his proficiency in poison, his cultivation itself had already reached an unfathomable level. To be crushed in a single strike such that even his Primordial Spirit had no chance to escape at all... it would probably be very easy for the youngdy to do the same to them as well. The Innate Poison Body, the Poison Soul Constitution, and strength beyond measure... Without a doubt, the youngdy before them had to be the founder! Not only were Shen Jue and Eminence He frightened into kneeling down, all of the poison masters who had gathered around the area hurriedly got onto their knees, not daring to show the slightest disrespect to the youngdy before them. The youngdy harrumphed coldly. "I dont wish to see anyone doubt me anymore. If anyone is harboring any thought of turning against me, know that you will share the same fate as Eminence Wang!" She then turned to Shen Jue and Eminence He, and with an impassive look, she uttered coldly, "Offer your souls to me, and I can spare your lives." "Yes!" At this point, could Shen Jue and Eminence He afford to hesitate in the slightest? They hurriedly offered their souls to the youngdy. Given how the other party could y Eminence Wang as easily as snapping the neck of a chicken, she would not require too much more effort to get rid of them! Gaining possession of Shen Jue and Eminence Hes souls meant that she now held absolute control over their life and death. As such, she no longer had to fear the duo turning against her. After that was settled, she turned to Lin Jianghai and sent him a telepathic message. "Gather all of the 9-star poison masters in the Poison Hall here to awaken my constitution. I want to recover to my peak as soon as possible." "Yes!" Lin Jianghai had already heard of the story from his student, Bai Ting, earlier, so he was not too surprised by the happenings. Hu! After hearing Lin Jianghais response, the youngdy fell back to the ground with her eyes still tightly shut, seemingly falling back into her unconscious state. However, after that incident, there was no one who dared to look down on the youngdy anymore. All of the gazes directed toward her were filled with fear and deference. Lin Jianghai quickly gathered all of the 9-star poison masters that were currently in the headquarters, and with theirbined strength, they managed to suppress and fully awaken Wei Ruyans Innate Poison Body. ... Three dayster... Wei Ruyan had finally awakened. Sitting on the highest throne that belonged to the hall master of the entire Poison Hall, she looked into the distance with her fists tightly clenched. She might have been unconscious, but she could vaguely feel what her teacher had done for her. Not only did her teacher risk his life to infiltrate the Poison Hall in seek of a cure for her, he had even severed a portion of his soul and slipped it into her consciousness so as to protect her from whatever danger she might have faced on her journey. This was a deed so great that she truly had no idea how she could repay him. Recalling her teachers kind smile and elegant disposition, Wei Ruyans eyes reddened, and she secretly made a vow in her heart. Teacher, Ruyan will not let down your expectations. Her mother had died shortly after her birth, and her father had eventually left her as well. For as long as she could remember, pain and suffering had been an integral part of her life. No matter how she struggled and ran, she could never escape from it. Who knew how many times she hadmented the callousness of the heavens? But just as she thought that she was at the end of her road, the world brought her teacher to her. For her, he had calcted every single possibility so as to ensure that no harm woulde to her. For her, he was willing to brave through danger so as to buy her a sliver of hope. For her, he had stood unwaveringly before 9-star poison masters to protect her. With such a teacher, what else could she possibly hope for? ... I never thought that the soul fragment that I left with Wei Ruyan would end up being forced into action as well. The Poison Hall headquarters is far more dangerous than I imagined. Just as the flying ship was descending upon Qingyuan City, Zhang Xuan felt the will that he had left with Wei Ruyan dissipating from overexertion, and he sighed deeply. Unlike the Master Teacher Pavilion, chaos andwlessness was the norm for the Poison Hall. It was a ce where only those who possessed absolute strength could win the acknowledgement of others. Fearing for Wei Ruyans safety, he had decided to deposit a fragment of his soul and a golden page with Wei Ruyan in case shended herself in a dangerous position. From the looks of it, it was fortunate that he had prepared thoroughly. Otherwise, that student of his might have lost her life. Currently, he was a little too far away to perceive what had happened in the Poison Hall headquarters, but considering that the golden page had been used, Wei Ruyan should be safe for the time being. Putting aside 9-star poison masters, even 9-star master teachers would be helpless before the golden page. It should not be too difficult to instill deference into the hearts of the poison masters once it was used. "Principal Zhang, Combat Master Feng and Combat Master Jiang are here." While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, Ruohuan gongzi walked over and reported. Raising his gaze, he saw that Feng Xun and Jiang Yuan were indeed in the midst of flying over to the ship. Zhang Xuan walked forward to greet them. In the past month of absence, Feng Xun had managed to achieve a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm as well. His strength had grown significantly greater and steadier from before. It was apparent that he had been working hard over the past month. As for Jiang Yuan, he had sessfully reinforced his Primordial Spirit realm primary stage cultivation, and his mind had grown considerably more resilient as well. It seemed like being possessed by the Skyleaf King had made him realize that his greatest weaknessy in his mind, so he had decided to focus his efforts on that aspect. "Principal Zhang, you are finally here!" Feng Xun said with a smile. Considering the enormous size of their ship and theparatively lower cultivation of the aerial saint beasts pulling the ship along, it was natural that Zhang Xuans group would take longer to arrive at Qingyuan City. However, this had worked in their favor as well. So far, those from the Combat Master Hall had already learned about the happenings in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, so they had all prepared beforehand. So as to uphold their honor, thebat masters were far more motivated and driven than ever, and morale among them was at an all-time high. Within just the span of a single month, the overall fighting prowess of the Combat Master Hall had risen significantly; even the head of the Combat Master Hall was delighted to see it. "The Combat Master Hall has prepared amodation for you and your students. Come, let me bring you over!" Jiang Yuan said. "Alright!" Controlling the saint beasts, the flying ship ascended once more, and not too longter, under Jiang Yuan and Feng Xuns lead, they arrived at a massive manor. It was extremely vast, spanning over an area of a hundred qing 1 . Even though Zhang Xuan had brought arge number of students along with him, the size of the manor was still sufficient to house all of themfortably. After settling the group into the manor, Feng Xun walked to Zhang Xuan and said, "Principal Zhang, the exchange will be held three days from now. Our Combat Master Hall will hold a grand weing ceremony to receive you then!" "Ill be troubling Combat Master Feng then." Zhang Xuan nodded. Considering how his students had just made the long journey from Hongyuan City to Qingyuan City, it was natural that they were feeling mentally fatigued at the moment. In order to be in their peak state for the exchange, it would be best for them to have a few days of rest. The date of the exchange had probably been arranged in consideration of that. After confirming the date that the exchange would be held, Feng Xun and Jiang Yuan took their leave. Shortly after that, Zhang Xuan beckoned for School Head Mo toe over. "Have the students condition their state and cultivate diligently in preparation for the exchange three days from now. I have some matters that I have to attend to, so Ill be heading out for the time being." The purpose for holding an exchange with the Combat Master Hall was to broaden the students horizon, so it did not matter whether they won or lost. After all, it was impossible for everything to go smoothly in cultivation. Besides, asional losses werent too bad either. It would help to build their mental resilience and aid them in maturing as a person. Putting everything aside, even Zhang Xuan had suffered constant losses to his clone as well. Yet, despite losing time and time again, he had never lost his confidence and drive. Instead, he saw his clone as a goal that he should strive for, and that only served to fuel his motivation. Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was heading out, School Head Mo nodded slightly. A momentter, he suddenly realized something, and he turned a worried gaze toward Zhang Xuan. "Principal Zhang, we are currently in the capital of Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and there are many experts here. When you are outside, you must make sure to not act recklessly. Otherwise, even we will be unable to help you when you get into trouble." Their principal was an incredible person. On top of possessing unparalleled talent, he was righteous as well. However, he had just one single wrecklessness. Back in Hongyuan Empire, they could still cover up for him given the prestigious standing of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. However, in Qingyuan City, there were many individuals whose standing was above theirs, so it was still best for them to proceed carefully. They were only there for an exchange, so it would be best if they did not cause trouble beyond their means. Seeing the worried look on School Head Mos face, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. "Rest assured, I am only heading out to find a way to treat the Golden Origin Cauldron. I wont cause any unnecessary trouble!" He had always conducted himself prudently, so why did School Head Mo have such a poor impression of him? It was as if the other party regarded him as a troublemaker. "Thats good..." School Head Mo heaved a sigh of relief. Honestly speaking, he was a little skeptical about what Zhang Xuan had said. However, thetter was still the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, his direct superior. As an elder of the academy, it was within his rights to offer words of advice to the principal, but if he went too far, it could be considered insubordination. After leaving the manor, Zhang Xuan asked around for the direction to the cksmith Guild before heading over. The Golden Origin Cauldron had fallen into aa after saving the expedition team, and as its master, it was only right for him to find a way to save it. Before Zhang Xuan reached the cksmith Guild, a rather peculiar looking building came into sight. The building was reminiscent of a tower, rising straight into the clouds. Its top was rather slender, and it arched slightly downward like the neck of a swan. Reading the que that hung at the entrance, Zhang Xuan was intrigued. Spirit Awakener Guild? What kind of upation is a spirit awakener? He knew quite a bit about the various upations in the world, but he had never heard of spirit awakeners before. Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, an attendant suddenly walked up to him and said, "This young master over here, are there any artifacts that you need enchanted? At just a price of ten middle-tier spirit stones, I can introduce you to the best spirit awakener in our guild. I guarantee that it will definitely be well worth your money." The attendant was a young man in his early teens. His cultivation was only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, but the brilliant gleam in his eyes seemed to hint that he was a particrly resourceful person. Zhang Xuan casually took out ten middle-tier spirit stones and tossed them over to the attendant. To the current him, middle-tier spirit stones were not worth much. He would not feel guilty no matter how many of them he splurged. Since the attendant seemed to know quite a lot regarding spirit awakeners, it would be a good opportunity to learn more about the upation. "Is spirit awakener... a unique upation?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking. Hearing Zhang Xuans question, the attendant replied with a question of his own. "Young Master, you arent a local, right?" "I came from Hongyuan Empire," Zhang Xuan answered with a nod. The attendant chuckled. "That exins it. Its not umon for those who came via Qingyuan Empire to have never heard of spirit awakeners before." "In the strictest sense, spirit awakener cannot be considered as a unique upation, but without a doubt, its one of the most lucrative upations in Qingyuan Empire. There are countless cultivators who havee in seek of their services, and even those from the Master Teacher Pavilion visit often!" Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked, "What can spirit awakeners do?" Even if spirit awakener was not a unique upation, considering how even master teachers sought their services, there was bound to be something extraordinary about them. It was probably an upation simr to herbologist; even though it might not have a distinct heritage required for it to be considered a unique upation, their outstanding prowess in handling medicinal herbs was indeed something that mankind direly needed. "As the name suggests, spirit awakeners have the ability to enchant spirits!" the attendant said. "For example, there are some cultivators who might find it hard to advance to Consonant Spirit realm due to having reinforced their cultivation too much. In such circumstances, if a spirit awakener assists in guiding the soul along, the cultivator will be able to achieve a breakthrough smoothly. "Also, when weapons lose their spirit, spirit awakeners are also able to enchant a new spirit into it, thus breathing life into the weapon once more. On top of that, spirit awakeners are also able to guide souls into a unique state of mind that makes it easier for them to be refined and tempered. All in all, it is an upation that is centered around support!" Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. "This... Do spirit awakeners have the ability to awaken a dormant spirit within an artifact as well?" "Of course! Other upations might bepletely helpless before a dormant spirit, but spirit awakeners definitely wield such a capability," the attendant replied proudly. "Anything concerning souls and spiritse under the expertise of spirit awakeners! If thats what you are seeking, then I must say that you havee to the right ce!" "Very well, take me in," Zhang Xuan said with a nod. His purpose of heading to the cksmith Guild was to awaken the Golden Origin Cauldrons spirit, but seeing that the spirit awakeners happened to specialize in this field, he decided to pay their guild a visit first. While leading the way forward, the attendant asked, "Young Master, do you have an artifact whose spirit has be dormant?" The spirits contained within artifacts were not too different from souls. They could be severely damaged in the midst of battle, and they would also gradually erode with time as well. Many powerful artifacts had met their downfall in such a manner. While reforging an artifact would grant it a new spirit, such a process could be highly damaging to the artifact, resulting in a decline in its tier. This was where spirit awakeners came in. In addition, there were formidable spirits who were unwilling to submit to their masters. In such cases, a cultivator might also opt to have the spirits erased so as to have a more subservient spirit enchanted into it. "Thats right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "May I know what tier your artifact is? Depending on the tier of your artifact, the rank of the spirit awakener you need will differ as well," the attendant said. "Saint intermediate-tier!" Zhang Xuan replied. Chapter 1096: Vice Guild Leader Xu Chapter 1096: Vice Guild Leader Xu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Saint intermediate-tier?" The attendant leaped in shock. Saint artifacts were extremely preciousmodities within the Qingyuan Empire. Even Saint low-tier artifacts were extremely rare, let alone Saint intermediate-tier artifacts. The most powerful weapon currently wielded by the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, the Infinite Sword, was also only at Saint intermediate-tier. If a Saint intermediate-tier artifact appeared in an auction, it would definitely attract countless experts attention. Due to Zhang Xuans young age, the attendant had thought that he would only have a Spirit pinnacle artifact in his possession at best. Yet, who would have thought that Zhang Xuan actually had an artifact of such caliber with him? The attendant couldnt help but ask, "Young Master... are you a master teacher?" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. Slightly intrigued by the attendants question, he asked, "How did you know that?" He was not wearing his master teacher robe at the moment, and there did not seem to be anything about him that would suggest that he was a master teacher either. How did the attendant know that he was a master teacher? "If you werent a master teacher, your Saint intermediate-tier artifact would have long been snatched from your hands," the attendant said with a bitter smile. All Saint intermediate-tier artifacts could be considered top-notch treasures within the Qingyuan Empire. Any news about them would induce countless cultivators to gather together like ravenous piranhas, and they would do everything that they could so that the Saint intermediate-tier artifact would be theirs in the end. Considering how young Zhang Xuan was, it was hard to believe that he would be able to retain possession of his Saint intermediate-tier weapon by himself. Unless... he was a master teacher! Considering the vast power that the Master Teacher Pavilion wielded, there were very few who would have the guts to steal from a master teacher. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He knew of this as well. Had it not been for his standing as a master teacher, there would have surely been many who had attempted to obtain his cultivation technique, and he would have met with much trouble along the way. He would not have been able to progress this far so smoothly. Being a master teacher was a heavy responsibility, but it was also a huge umbre that protected one as well. After confirming that the other party was a master teacher, the attendant decided not to dwell too much on the matter. "A 7-star spirit awakener is needed to wake the spirit within a Saint intermediate-tier artifact. In our guild, there are only three people who have achieved this level, and they are our guild leader and the two vice guild leaders. I will help you to make arrangements now." Zhang Xuan nodded. A momentter, he asked curiously, "You mentioned earlier that the guild leader and the two vice guild leaders are 7-star spirit awakeners. Is the ranking system for spirit awakeners the same as the other upations?" "Thats right. However, the lowest rank for spirit awakeners is 4-star," the attendant replied. "The lowest rank is 4-star?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed to hear those words. "Thats right. While other upations range from 1-star to 9-star, spirit awakeners have to take the 4-star examination right after their apprentice stage," the attendant said. "This is just an arrangement to align our ranking system with the other upations. Conventionally, spirit awakeners are divided by low-tier, middle-tier, and high-tier. Low-tier spirit awakeners range from 4-star to 5-star, middle-tier spirit awakeners range from 6-star to 7-star, and high-tier spirit awakeners range from 8-star to 9-star. However, as this ranking system deviates from the convention adopted by the other upations, it isnt preferable." After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. "I see." Since the upation dealt with spirits and souls, the minimum requirement to bing a spirit awakener would be to possess a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm. At such a level of cultivation, one could already be deemed to be at 4-star pinnacle or half 5-star in other upations. If the Spirit Awakener Guild ranked their members from 1-star, they would not be able to match their ranking system with those adopted by the other upations. Thus, for convenience purposes, they decided to set their lowest rank as 4-star. Ultimately, there were countless upations in the world, and there were all kinds of unique or even bizarre rules for them as well. For example, there was a unique upation in the Master Teacher Continent known as a seer. They wielded the power to peer into the secrets of the heavens, allowing them to foretell fortunes and cmities. This mystical art required them to have a deep understanding of the world in order to interpret it, so the minimum requirement to be a seer was to possess a cultivation of Saint realm. Naturally, their lowest rank would be even higher than that of spirit awakeners, starting off from 7-star. The 7-star spirit awakener that the attendant spoke of was effectively referring to middle-tier spirit awakeners. Judging from the conventional ranking system, an individual of that rank would possess a cultivation of Saint 2-dan at the very minimum. While maneuvering their way through the Spirit Awakener Guild, Zhang Xuan continued asking questions, and it did not take long before he gained some understanding of the circumstances of the guild. The guild leader and vice guild leaders were Primordial Spirit realm cultivators, and they could be considered top-notch experts within Qingyuan City. Following behind the attendant, Zhang Xuan entered a vast hall. Taking a swift look, Zhang Xuan saw quite a few cultivators queuing neatly in a line, waiting for a spirit awakener to help them temper their souls so that they could further raise their cultivation. At the very front of the line, he saw a rifying Turbidity realm cultivator walk up to the young man ahead of him and say, "I havent been able to make a breakthrough into Consonant Spirit realm due to my inability to sense my soul, so I hope to receive your pointers for this matter." The young man nodded as he gestured to the round tform in front of him. "Sit down!" The rifying Turbidity realm cultivator quickly took his seat on the middle of the round tform. Shortly after the cultivator sat down, the young man ced his palm on the ground, and a surge of light began creeping its way toward the round tform, creating a circle of light around the cultivator. "Rx your body," the young man said. His voice carried some kind of magic to it thatpelled others to obey him. The rifying Turbidity realm cultivator could not help but shut his eyes, and gradually, he fell into a unique state of mind. Witnessing this scene, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He is... trying to stimte the cultivators soul? He is assisting the cultivator in sensing his soul so that thetter can achieve a breakthrough? Incredible! His opinion of spirit awakeners, based on what he had heard from the attendant earlier, was that it was an upation that specialized in means that stimted the soul. However, it seemed like it was not as simple as he had thought. The upation seemed to be a little simr to soul oracles. While soul oracles possessed expertise in strengthening themselves through unique means, spirit awakeners used their abilities to support others. Taking the rifying Turbidity realm cultivator for example, he had been unable to sense his soul thus far, so he had not been able to reach Consonant Spirit realm yet. However, under the stimtion of the spirit awakener, his soul had grown stronger, making it easier for his body to tap into it. As such, it should not be long before he achieved a breakthrough. Hong long! While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the rifying Turbidity realm cultivator suddenly howled in agitation, and his aura surged swiftly. In a single push, he managed to break the bottleneck that had limited him and reached the Consonant Spirit realm. Seeing how the cultivator managed to achieve a breakthrough within just a few minutes, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little impressed. No wonder everyone seeks to head to higher tier empires, there are indeed more opportunities here. In ces like the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the Consonant Spirit realm was a huge hurdle that most failed to ovee despite working their entire life. Over here, however, the very same bottleneck could be ovee that easily. Spirit awakener was indeed an extraordinary upation. However, while it wasmon knowledge that there were more opportunities in higher tier empires, not everyone could afford to move to such an empire. Putting aside the dangers that lurked throughout the long journey from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance to Qingyuan City, the cost of living within higher tier empires was frightening as well. Just a single enchanting session could easily cost up to a high-tier spirit stone! Not even the Alliance Head Residence of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance could afford to fork out such a sum. On top of that, there were also multiple restrictions here and there. There was indeed a huge sum of money flowing around Qingyuan City every single day, but without reaching a certain level of proficiency in an upation, one would never be able toy their hands on the resources flowing through the area. "Alright, well stop here today. I need some time to rest, and I will only return in ten days time!" As the rifying Turbidity realm cultivator achieved a breakthrough, the young mans face gradually turned ghastly pale, as if he had overexerted himself. Fearing that the young master before him would be unaware of the matter, the attendant exined, "Spirit enchantment is very taxing on the soul, so spirit awakeners can only serve three people in a single sitting, and they then have to rest for at least ten days afterwards!" Zhang Xuan nodded. As a soul oracle whomanded a deep understanding of souls, he could see through the difficulties thaty in spirit enchantment. Ten days was indeed the minimum time required for them to recover from their exertion. Proceeding ahead, Zhang Xuan saw a few others spirit awakeners; some were helping to temper the souls of cultivators while others were busy enchanting weapons. In order to ensure that they could be served before the spirit awakener exhausted themselves, there were even some who paid a hefty sum to purchase the queue positions of those ahead of them. After taking a swift look around, Zhang Xuan could not help but remark, "Its indeed a lucrative upation." The cultivation of a soul was much different from the cultivation of a physical body and zhenqi. Thetter two were at least tangible, making it easier for cultivators to grasp them, but the same could not be said for souls. As a result, it was not umon for cultivators to face trouble cultivating their souls, and this was where spirit awakeners came in. They could hasten the growth of ones soul, thus saving the cultivator much time and fumbling around. At the same time, taming the spirit within a weapon was also a troublesome process. Depending on the spirit one was dealing with, there were those who had not seeded even after many years of effort. Since that was the case, it was sometimes a more viable option for the cultivator to eliminate the spirit and have a spirit awakener enchant a more obedient one in. These two abilities were more than sufficient toy the foundations for the explosive poprity of the upation. Circling through the crowd, they finally arrived at the doorstep of a vast room. "Just ahead of us is the area where Vice Guild Leader Xu works. I have to give you a heads up first; the prices for Vice Guild Leader Xus spirit enchantment tend to be steeper, especially when its a Saint intermediate-tier artifact we are talking about here." "How much will it cost?" Zhang Xuan had known that it would not be cheap from the start, so he dove right into the topic at hand. "100 high-tier spirit stones!" the attendant replied. "Its still alright. That isnt too expensive." Zhang Xuan nodded. As long as he could save the Golden Origin Cauldron, even ten thousand high-tier spirit stones would not be an expense too high for him to incur, let alone a hundred. Hu! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a hundred high-tier spirit stones. Upon seeing the sum, the attendant hurriedly nodded in agitation before saying, "Give me a moment to report the matter to Vice Guild Leader Xu." After which, he entered the room, and it did not take long for him to return with a relieved look on his face. "Young Master, it seems like your luck is not bad today. Vice Guild Leader Xu happens to have one more slot left. Allow me to bring you in!" Following behind the attendant, Zhang Xuan walked into the room. The room was roughly a hundred square metersrge, and there was a beautifuldy, who looked to be in her early thirties, sitting at the center of the room. Even though she had concealed her cultivation, her subtle gestures had a peculiar air to them, a feeling that he had felt from Wu shi and Guild Leader Han as well. It seemed that she was a Primordial Spirit realm expert, too. "Vice Guild Leader Xu, this is the master teacher who wishes to awaken the spirit within his Saint intermediate-tier artifact!" the attendant introduced. "Un." Vice Guild Leader Xu nodded before turning her assessing gaze toward Zhang Xuan. With a slightly surprised expression, she asked, "You have a Saint intermediate-tier artifact?" She could tell that the young man before her was only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Even if he was a master teacher, he should not be qualified to wield such a strong artifact yet. "Thats right." Zhang Xuan nodded as he brought the Golden Origin Cauldron out from his storage ring. "The spirit of my artifact has fallen into a deep sleep, so I hope that Vice Guild Leader Xu can help me awaken it." "Deep sleep?" Vice Guild Leader Xu got up from her seat and walked up to the Golden Origin Cauldron. After a careful examination, a tight frown etched itself onto her forehead, and she turned her gaze back toward Zhang Xuan. "Its will is currently deep in sleep. Are you intending to create a new will to rece it, or do you intend to wake it from its sleep?" There were two ways for an artifact with a dormant spirit to regain spirituality. Firstly, creating a new spirit and recing the dormant spirit with it. Secondly, awakening the dormant spirit. "I intend to wake it from its sleep," Zhang Xuan quickly replied. Creating a new spirit within the Golden Origin Cauldron was equivalent to having the current Golden Origin Cauldron killed. That was something that he would never do. "This might pose to be a little difficult..." Vice Guild Leader Xu shook her head. Just as she was about to continue speaking, someone suddenly knocked at the door once more, and an attendant walked in. "Vice Guild Leader Xu, Elder Dao Kou wants you to enchant his disciples Embryonic Soul in order to push for a breakthrough to Primordial Spirit realm!" "Dao Kou?" Vice Guild Leader Xu frowned. "Tell him that I dont have any more slots for today..." But before she could finish her words, an elder suddenly barged in with a middle-aged man following behind him. "No more slots? Im quite certain I heard that you have only conducted spirit enchantments for two people so far. Shouldnt you still have one more slot today?" Chapter 1097: I Hate It When Others Pose Before Me Chapter 1097: I Hate It When Others Pose Before Me Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The elder seemed to be in his sixties. He had snowy hair and sharp eyebrows that were reminiscent of arrows. The intense aura of ughter that he carried hinted that he was a veteran of the battlefield, and the great power pulsating from his body revealed that he was a Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm primary stage cultivator. "Hes one of the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows, Earth Flitting Bandit Dao Kou!" Upon seeing the other partys appearance, the face of the attendant swiftly paled in fright, and he quickly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. "That man over there is known as the Earth Flitting Bandit, and hes a dominant figure among those living near the Northern Meadows. Not only does he wield outstanding strength, more importantly, he is arrogant and obeys no rules. Its best not to get on his bad side." The Northern Meadows was the name of a territory under Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and it spanned over an area that was evenrger than Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire. To be able to be a dominant power there bore testimony to the immense strength that Dao Kou wielded. "So what if he obeys no rules? Vice Guild Leader Xu has already taken my spirit stones, is she intending to go back on her words?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, paying no heed to what the attendant was saying. The Master Teacher Pavilion would not allowwlessness to ur in areas where it was stationed. Even if the other party was a Primordial Spirit realm expert, he would still have to lower himself ordingly. "Thats not what I mean. The Earth Flitting Bandit Dao Kou is a vindictive person, so you have to be careful around him. Its not his first time snatching spirit enchantment slots from others, and the previous clients who have turned him down ended up suffering tragic fates." While the attendant was filling Zhang Xuan in on the matter, Vice Guild Leader Xu shook her head and said, "I have only conducted spirit enchantment for two clients so far, but this gentleman over here arrived before you, and he has already paid the fee for it as well. Thus, Im afraid that you will have to wait for the next session!" As the vice guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, it was a given that she would have to obey the rules. Not to mention, the person before her was a master teacher at that. "You said that thisd came earlier than me? Thats an easy problem to resolve!" With a heartyugh, Dao Kou walked up to Zhang Xuan, and with an authoritative and pressurizing voice, he said, "This friend over here, hand your slot to me. You paid a hundred high-tier spirit stones earlier, right? Here are two hundred, consider itpensation from me!" As he said those words, he flicked his wrist, and a pile of two hundred high-tier spirit stones appeared on the ground before him. To double the price in a single breath, this was definitely a deal that few could resist. Right after saying those words, Dao Kou ced his hands behind his back, waiting for the other party to pick up the high-tier spirit stones. In his view, there was no way a Saint 1-dan cultivator would be so foolish as to offend him over a mere slot. Contrary to his expectations, the young man did not seem to have heard what he had said at all. The young man continued looking at Vice Guild Leader Xu and asked, "You said that it will be difficult to awaken its spirit, may I know what the difficulties you will face are? Perhaps, I might be able to offer some assistance..." Seeing how the young man was disregarding his teacher, a look of displeasure surfaced on the middle-aged mans face as he bellowed furiously, "Brat, are you deaf? Cant you hear that my teacher is talking to you?" However, Zhang Xuan continued speaking to Vice Guild Leader Xu as if the middle-aged man was invisible. "I might not have much of an understanding of spirit enchantment at the moment, but I am willing to learn." "Learn?" Vice Guild Leader Xu shook her head. "Spirit awakener isnt a unique upation, but it isnt something that one can master swiftly. Its unlikely for you to be able to make it in time if you start learning now. Waking a dormant spirit requires very precise control, and its a particrly troublesome process as well. I cant guarantee that Ill be able to seed." "This..." Zhang Xuan frowned. "Then... will there be any harm if you fail to wake the Golden Origin Cauldron up?" Failure was still eptable. What would be truly uneptable was if the Golden Origin Cauldrons spirit dissipated as a result of it. "Dont worry, failure will not cause any harm to the spirit of the artifact," Vice Guild Leader Xu replied with a smile. "Ill have to trouble Vice Guild Leader Xu on this matter then. If you wake the Golden Origin Cauldron up, Ill surely repay your favor generously!" Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. I am not really confident of sess, so I ask of you not to hold too much hope. However, rest assured that Ill try my best!" Vice Guild Leader Xu nodded. Given that the other party was a master teacher and had such a valuable artifact in his possession, he was bound to be no ordinary figure. Thus, Vice Guild Leader Xus voice showed not the slightest hint of disrespect. However, while Vice Guild Leader Xu dared not provoke the young man before her, the same could not be said for Dao Kou and the middle-aged man. "Brat, we are talking to you over here. How dare you disregard us?" Not daring to offend the vice guild leader, the middle-aged man walked straight up to Zhang Xuan with tant killing intent in his eyes. It was one thing for the other party to disregard him, but how dare the other party disregard his teacher as well? This was unforgivable! With his Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivation, even if he did not make a move, the pressure he exerted was sufficient to leave any Saint 1-dan cultivator trembling in fear. Zhang Xuan shot a nonchnt nce at the middle-aged man before speaking impassively, "Young man, watch your attitude. If you show some humility, I can consider replying to your request!" "Youre seeking death!" Hearing those words, the middle-aged mans face twitched in anger. To think that a twenty-year-old brat would dare to address him as a young man and speak to him as if an elder lecturing a junior. He could not help but feel be overwhelmed. Boom! Unable to hold himself back any longer, the middle-aged man raised his palm and thrust it toward Zhang Xuan. Seeing that sight, Vice Guild Leader Xus face darkened. She instinctively stepped forth to stop the middle-aged man, but before she really did anything, the young man raised his gaze and bellowed, "Scram!" Boom! It was as if a p of thunder had exploded within the room. Deng deng deng deng! Seemingly having suffered a heavy blow, the middle-aged mans face suddenly turned ghastly pale before his attack couldnd, and he was forced to retreat eight steps back. Blood spewed from his mouth. Even though the middle-aged mans cultivation was far higher than Zhang Xuans, Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Saint whose fighting prowess was invincible beneath Primordial Spirit realm. Against a cultivator who was not even a master teacher, he didnt even need to lift a fingerjust a shout could easily breach thetters mental barriers and send his cultivation into disarray. "Yan Qi!" Seeing that his student had suffered severe damage with a single shout, Dao Kous face darkened. He quickly rushed forward and infused zhenqi into his disciples body so as to suppress his wounds. After that was done, he raised his gaze and red at the young man with a frosty gaze. "Terpsichore and demonic tunist? This friend over here, dont you think that you went overboard?" With his vast battle experience, he could immediately see through the young mans attack. It was just a single word, but infused within it was the strength of a demonic tunist and terpsichore, making it nigh impossible to guard against. "If I hadnt retaliated, I would have been the one lying on the ground at this moment," Zhang Xuan replied coldly before turning his gaze away. "My student is indeed a little hot-tempered, but he doesnt move without a reason!" Dao Kou sneered coldly. "Since you have harmed my student, I believe that I have every right to return justice to him. Humph, seeing how you are just a measly Saint 1-dan cultivator, I wont bully you. Three moves. If you can touch even my clothes within three moves, I will drop this matter and leave immediately. Otherwise, Ill have you pass your slot on to me and leave, or else be prepared to face my wrath!" As a powerhouse of the Northern Meadows, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? "Three moves?" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. "Sure, make your move!" "..." Dao Kou suddenly felt incredibly stifled within. "I am saying that Ill allow you to make three moves against me!" A look of amazement appeared on Zhang Xuans face. "Are you certain?" "Of course!" Dao Kou replied confidently. While the young man might have seemed formidable, being able to force back and injure his disciple with a roar, he could tell that the other party was simply a skilled user of soul arts. It was inevitable that those who devoted their effort to furthering their soul arts would be weak physically. This wasmon sense among cultivators. Besides, considering how young the other party was, how strong could he possibly be? This was also why Dao Kou had proposed such a challenge! Those in the Northern Meadows would know that this was an unfair match. Putting aside the fact that Dao Kou was a Saint 4-dan cultivator, he happened to specialize in speedy maneuvers as well. For him to be matched against a Saint 1-dand... that was simply overkill! "Alright then!" Paying no heed to the smug smile on Dao Kous lips, Zhang Xuan nodded. In the next moment, his figure abruptly blurred. Before anyone could process what was going on, he was already standing before Dao Kou. While he was reluctant to cultivate the Unbounded Voyager due to the multitude of ws in it, he had not left it lying around the past month. He had been trying to fuse portions of it into the Heavens Path Movement Art, and this had raised his speed significantly. While it was still impossible to pull off the near instantaneous movement of the Unbounded Voyager, it was still a fearsome ability in close quarters. From the moment he moved to the point he appeared before Dao Kous eyes, it did not even take a tenth of a breath. Hu! Right after Zhang Xuans figure appeared, a fist swiftly followed. "You..." Not expecting the other party to rush at him before he was even ready, and with such speed at that, Dao Kous face paled in fight. He immediately raised his hands to retaliate, but to his shock, he realized that the fist of the young man before him was far swifter than he was. A sharp pain assaulted his chest, and with a cry of agony, he was sent flying away. Peng! Knocked heavily into a wall, Dao Kou slowly slid to the ground before his eyes rolled up. He had fainted. "The Earth Flitting Bandit Dao Kou specializes in speed, and his movement technique, Fallen Footsteps, allows him to move as swiftly as an elusive specter. You really mustnt fight with him..." It soundedplicated in words, but everything happened within a split second. When the young attendant heard Zhang Xuan ept challenge, he hurriedly sent a telepathic message over. However, before he could finish his words, Dao Kou was already lying helplessly on the ground. Renderedpletely speechless, he felt as if insanity was about to overrun his mind. From the looks of it, it was apparent that the young man before him was not too much older than he was. Yet, who would have thought that he was able to severely injure an Embryonic Soul realm expert with a bellow and a Primordial Spirit realm expert with a fist? With his movement technique, Fallen Footsteps, the Flitting Earth Bandit Dao Kou could outmaneuver even a Primordial Spirit pinnacle expert. It was for this technique that he was renowned throughout the Northern Meadows. Yet, before Dao Kou could utilize his movement technique, he was knocked out. The attendant could not help but gulp in fear. It was fortunate that he had not thought of stealing the Saint intermediate-tier artifact from the other partys hands. If he had done so... he could very well have been the one lying on the ground at this very moment. "Teacher!" At that moment, the middle-aged man also finally recovered from his daze, and he quickly rushed forward to save his teacher. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan nced down at the unconscious Dao Kou and shook his head. Three moves? You cant even withstand a single one! With such meagre strength, what are you showing off for? I thought that you would at least be a worthwhile opponent. Honestly, I despise people like you who try to pose when you dont even have the capability to do so. Shameful! Truly shameful! To be fair, if Dao Kou had used his true prowess as a Primordial Spirit realm expert against Zhang Xuan from the very start, he would have at least been able to stand his ground. However, of all things, he had chosen to give Zhang Xuan a three-move advantage; he was just asking for suffering! Not everyone was qualified to allow Zhang Xuan an advantage! Putting aside a mere Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, not even the Leaving Aperture realm primary stage Skyleaf King had dared give him any advantages, and despite that, the Skyleaf King had still ended up being crushed in the end! While Zhang Xuans strength was still a little off from matching up to Primordial Spirit realm experts, he had many aces up his sleeves that would allow him to easily subdue them in battle. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head and stared into the distance. A forlorn look crept into his eyes, as if an undefeated expert asking for a single worthy rival. "I hate it when others pose before me, and you just had to do it. You really put me in a spot there." Chapter 1098: Taking the Spirit Awakener Examination Chapter 1098: Taking the Spirit Awakener Examination Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To be honest, he had already been very low profile by not bringing Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, or the Master Teacher Pavilion into the picture, but that fellow just had to offer up his face for a good p. How was Zhang Xuan supposed to hold himself back? Forget it! As an adult, I should remain calm in the face of a childs tantrums. Ignoring the teacher-disciple duo, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Vice Guild Leader Xu. Upon sensing the other partys gaze on her, Vice Guild Leader Xus eyebrows shot up. The reason she had sided with Zhang Xuan earlier was because he was a master teacher, and it was important for her to uphold rules in the Spirit Awakener Guild. She had intended to stop Dao Kou if he really made a move against the young man, but to her surprise, the battle ended before she could even say a word. Without a doubt, it was a thorough victory for the young man before her! For a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator to knock out a Saint 4-dan expert with a single punch... Just where in the world did this monster pop up from? A thought suddenly emerged in Vice Guild Leader Xus mind. Could it be that... hes an expert from the Combat Master Hall? Combat masters tended to seclude themselves so that they could focus their efforts on their training. As such, even though there was a Combat Master Hall branch in Qingyuan City, she had not really seen manybat masters around. As such, she did not know much about thebat masters either. However, considering that the Saint 1-dan pinnacle young man was able to knock out a Primordial Spirit realm expert so easily, there was little doubt that he was one of the legendarybat masters, and from the looks of it, his standing was likely rather high as well. This would exin why he had a Saint intermediate-tier artifact in his possession. Previously, Vice Guild Leader Xu had thought that the young man was only able to remain safe due to the protection from the Master Teacher Pavilion, but from the looks of it, his individual strength seemed to y a huge role in it as well. While Vice Guild Leader Xu knew that the young man before her was not an ordinary figure, she still thought that it was best to offer a word of advice after some thought. " Gongzi 1 , itll be best for you to remain on your guard. The Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows are extremely famous figures. The Flitting Earth Bandit Dao Kou is one thing, but his elder brother, the Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu, will be a difficult foe to fight against. Its said that he has already reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, and he possesses many sinister means, making him a difficult opponent to deal with." Of course, with just a cultivation of Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, there was no way Dao Kou could be a dominant power of the Northern Meadows. The one who was truly formidable of the Twin Bandits was the elder brother, Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu! Wielding incredible strength, even Vice Guild Leader Xu would not dare face him in a direct battle. After all, spirit awakener was only a supporting upation. Their abilities were not suited for battling. "Thank you for your advice!" Knowing that the other party was advising him out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan responded with a smile. After which, he nced at the Golden Origin Cauldron and asked, "May I ask, when will it be convenient for you to wake up my artifact?" "Lets do it right now," replied Vice Guild Leader Xu. She first walked around the Golden Origin Cauldron twice before abruptly pressing her palm against a certain portion of the Golden Origin Cauldron. Weng! A brilliant light shrouded the Golden Origin Cauldron. Zhang Xuan stared at the situation nervously. Around ten minutester, Vice Guild Leader Xu retracted her palm before taking several steps backward. By this moment, her face was already ghastly pale. "It seems like I was underestimating the difficulty of the matter. If Im not mistaken, your cauldron fell into a deep sleep from being struck by lightning, correct? If thats the case, I fear that I am not sufficiently powerful to wake it! "Spirits are extremely weak to lightning; I believe you should know of this as well. If it had fallen asleep due to other reasons, I might still have been able to wake it by pushing myself a little further. But this is beyond my current capability." Vice Guild Leader Xu shook her head. "Then... do you know of anyone who can wake the spirit in my artifact then?" Zhang Xuan asked. After a moment of contemtion, Vice Guild Leader Xu replied, "Based on what I have seen so far, the lightning has not only eroded the will within, it has also left some remnants throughout the cauldron. To wake the spirit within the cauldron, one would have to drive ones soul energy beyond the region filled with lightning remnants. In order to do so, one would have to be at Leaving Aperture realm at the very minimum. During the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, the cultivators Primordial Spirit is tempered by lightning, granting it decent resistance to lightning. However, I fear that no one in the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Guild has reached that level yet!" Even the strongest individual in the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Guild, their guild leader, had barely reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. She was still far from reaching Leaving Aperture realm, so it was unlikely for her to be able to aplish the task in the short-run. "You mean that... due to lightning remnants on the cauldron, itll be impossible for anyone beneath Leaving Aperture realm to wake the spirit within? What about souls with resistance to lightning? Will they work as well?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. "Theoretically, yes. But of course, the soul would still have to possess proficiencyparable to a 7-star spirit awakener in order to wake the spirit within. However... where in the world can one find a soul that is resistant to lightning?" Vice Guild Leader Xu replied. Primordial Spirits and souls were of the yin attribute, which meant they were highly vulnerable to lightning. So far, she had never heard of any Primordial Spirit or soul beneath Leaving Aperture realm that did not fear lightning. "Proficiencyparable to a 7-star spirit awakener?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before lifting his gaze to ask, "Vice Guild Leader Xu, may I know what the conditions to browsing through the books in your guild library are?" Since there was no one in the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Guild who was sufficiently skilled to wake the Golden Origin Cauldron, perhaps he should give it a try himself. While lightning was the greatest threat to any soul or Primordial Spirit, his soul had been through the field of lightning and Saint Ascension Ordeal, thus making it more wholesome than the others. Ordinary lightning could no longer pose any threat to him. "Conditions to browsing through the books in our library?" Vice Guild Leader Xu was slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuans abrupt question. She hesitated for a brief moment before replying, "Our guild doesnt use the conventional rank restriction that other upations use. As long as you pay a certain fee, you will be able to freely browse through our books and even copy them if you like. However, you arent allowed to take away the original book." Zhang Xuan was delighted to hear those words. "I wish to browse through all of the spirit awakener books, from 4-star to 7-star. May I know how much I have to pay?" Only unique upations with a perfect heritage would be stricter on their hierarchy. Typical upations did not have that much requirements. In fact, some would even loosen the conditions so as to attract more people into it, thus bolstering their forces. Vice Guild Leader Xu did a swift calction before responding. "To browse through all of the books, you will have to pay a sum of two thousand high-tier spirit stones." "Here you go!" With a flick of his wrist, two thousand high-tier spirit stones appeared on the ground. "This..." Vice Guild Leader Xu was taken aback. Even she would have difficulty whipping out two thousand high-tier spirit stones all of a sudden, and yet, the other party willingly forked them out so decisively just so to browse through books. Wasnt he a little too extravagant? "Alright, Ill have to trouble Vice Guild Leader Xu to show me to the library." To the current Zhang Xuan, it was not an issue for him to whip out two thousand high-tier spirit stones. If he could save the Golden Origin Cauldron and learn a new upation on top of that, it would definitely be well worth the sum spent. "Alright..." Seeing the earnest look on the young mans face, Vice Guild Leader Xu could tell that the other party was not joking. Thus, she epted the spirit stones and said, "Follow me." Zhang Xuan swiftly stowed the Golden Origin Cauldron back into his storage ring before following her. Leaving the room, they walked through a long corridor for quite some time before eventually arriving at a vast room. It was the library of the Spirit Awakener Guild. At the entrance of the room, Vice Guild Leader Xu handed a token to Zhang Xuan before she began briefly exining the rules. "You are free to read any book you want, and if you want, you can cultivate in here too. If you suddenly have a stroke of inspiration while reading the books, there are also puppets that you can try enchanting. Those puppets are ssified by ranks, and the higher rank the puppet is, the more difficult it is to enchant it. If you seed in enchanting the spirit within a puppet of a certain rank, that means that you have achieved the corresponding level of mastery as a spirit awakener as well." While spirit awakener was an extremely lucrative upation in Qingyuan Empire, it was not a unique upation, so it was not bound by the rules that governed them. Even the examination for it was rtively informal and simple. "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan nodded before taking the token from the other partys hand. "Alright, you may enter now. Actually, there are quite a handful of people who visit our library everyday in hopes of learning the art of spirit enchantment, but its a pity that very few of them seed!" Vice Guild Leader Xu sighed deeply. Considering how lucrative the upation was, it was inevitable that many wished to learn its arts. However, the conditions to be a true spirit awakener were simply too harsh. On top of possessing a strong soul, one also had to be capable of pulling off precise maneuvers with their soul energy. In a sense, being able to be a spirit awakener could be considered an inborn talent. Just reading the books was not sufficient for one to grasp the art of spirit enchantment. Without saying much, Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and stepped in. The first floor of the library was not too huge, consisting of only several dozen shelves. All in all, there were a few hundred thousand books. Just as Vice Guild Leader Xu had said earlier, there were quite a few people flipping through books within the library. Most likely, they were also intending to grasp the art of spirit enchantment, just like him. In order to not stand out too much from the others, Zhang Xuan walked up to the first shelf and casually took out a book. Putting on an impression of being absorbed into the book, his eyes slowly nced down the shelves. Hula! Whichever book his eyes fell upon swiftly materialized within the Library of Heavens Path. In less than ten minutes, Zhang Xuan had already seeded in collecting all of the books on the shelves. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed. Innumerable books gathered together, fusing as one to form a single book. Zhang Xuan flipped it open lightly and began browsing through it. It was the 4-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art. Swiftly flipping through the contents, Zhang Xuan gained a deeper understanding of the upation. To put it in the simplest terms, enchantment was the act of using ones soul energy to nourish the spirit of an artifact or the soul of a cultivator. The prerequisite to doing so was for ones soul to be attributeless. This was so as to avoid the spirit awakeners infusion of soul energy from being rejected by the receiver. Just the very first prerequisite of their soul being attributeless was already a hurdle that most cultivators would never be able to ovee in their life. However, this was not a problem for Zhang Xuan at all. As one who cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, his soul was devoid of any attributes. Otherwise, he would not have been able to imitate the aura of others perfectly and deceive others with his disguise. After browsing through the entire book, Zhang Xuan swiftly internalized what he had learned before driving his soul energy through his body. All in all, it took him less than an hour to fully grasp the 4-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art. Let me see if it works or not, Zhang Xuan thought as he walked to the corner of the room, where he found a bizarre-looking puppet. The puppet had eight arms and four heads, and it seemed to be made of some kind of peculiar material. It was impossible to determine what tier it was. Even so, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to use his Eye of Insight or Library of Heavens Path on it. Tapping into his soul energy, he ced his palm on the ground in front of the puppet before extending his consciousness toward it. In an instant, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself standing in a world of perfect darkness. Driving his soul energy, he sought to create a spark of light within this world. Weng! A burst of light shrouded the puppet. Geji! Geji! A few breathster, Zhang Xuan sessfully enchanted a spirit into the puppet, and it gradually came to life. Its hands and heads began twisting and moving about randomly, creating quite a peculiar sight. Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan thought with a smile, Seems like the 4-star spirit awakener examination isnt too hard after all. He had been wondering how difficult the upation would be, but judging from how he could enchant a spirit within the puppet so easily, it didnt seem to be as difficult as he had thought. After that was done, he began making his way to the second floor. There were also several hundred thousand books on the second floor as well. It did not take long for Zhang Xuan to finish collecting them and form the 5-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art. Once he was done grasping it, he headed to the puppet in the corner and sessfully enchanted a spirit into it once more. Seeing that he was done for the second floor, he headed up to the next floor. ... Four hourster, Zhang Xuan stepped onto the fourth floor. The entire room was filled with 7-star spirit awakener books. He swiftly collected them into the Library of Heavens Path andpiled the 7-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art before heading to the corner where the puppet had been ced on the previous floors. However, when he arrived at his destination, what he saw left him with a deep frown instead. There isnt a puppet for this floor? Wait a moment, what is that pir for? There was no puppet for him to enchant on the fourth floor. In its ce was a fairlyrge pir that extended from the ceiling to the floor. Perhaps, it might be a weapon. If I sessfully enchant it, I should be qualified as a 7-star spirit awakener! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan walked up to the pir. Chapter 1099: The Lively Guild Chapter 1099: The Lively Guild Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric On the previous few floors were the four-headed eight-armed puppets. Even though there was none to be seen on this floor, the ck pir before him should serve a function simr to that of the puppets before. "Never mind, Ill know once I give it a try..." Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan ced his hand on the ground, and a circle of light swiftly shrouded the pir. Just like before, Zhang Xuan extended his consciousness to the pir, and he suddenly found himself plunged into a world of absolute darkness. "Light up!" Knowing that the presence of light within this dark world represented the sessful enchantment of the object, Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art and tapped on the space ahead of him with his finger. Weng! A spark of light came to life, warding off the darkness. However, its radiance was extremely weak, reminiscent of a candlelight flickering in the midst of a powerful gale, on the verge of extinguishing at any moment. "Hm?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Previously, as long as he were to drive his Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, he would have been able to light up the entire world. However, it had only managed to produce a spark of light this time around, and it looked as if it would be extinguished at any moment. This meant that due to certain properties of the artifact, it was much harder to enchant a spirit into it. "As expected of the 7-star spirit awakener examination. Its indeed much harder than the examinations before..." In face of such a situation, instead of wallowing in his failure, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement instead. Honestly speaking, he felt that the previous few examinations were nonsensical. It was so easy that just anyone could clear it with ease. Finally, there was something that was worthy of a challenge! "I sure would like to see how difficult the 7-star examination will be... Regardless of the cost, Ill definitely be going to light you up today!" With a worthy challenge standing before him, Zhang Xuans fighting will was stoked. While other spirit awakeners could only conduct three enchantments within a day before going into a period of long rest, Zhang Xuan found that he wasnt bounded by the same limits. Perhaps it was due to the wless Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, or maybe it was simply because his soul was far stronger to his counterparts, he found that he could easily enchant dozens of times in a single day without feeling fatigued. Thus, he raised his finger and tapped the space in front of him once more. Yet another spark of light appeared. Just like the one before, it was flickering weakly amidst the darkness, but nevertheless, it still seeded in driving the darkness slightly further away. "Merge!" Driving his soul energy, Zhang Xuan brought the two sparks together, and they slowly fused together with one another. As those two sparks were spirits which he had enchanted into the pir, it harnessed his will, so it wasnt too difficult for him to merge them together. But of course, it was also due to the wless Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art that he was able to produce identical spirits that could be merged together in the first ce. While ordinary spirit awakeners could enchant spirits of simr attributes, it was inevitable that the spirits they enchanted would differ slightly from one another due to imperfections. Naturally, it went without saying that spirits of differing attributes couldnt be merged together. Otherwise, that would be equivalent to creating two wills within a single artifact. The two wills would vie with one another for possession over the artifact, and if things were to go wrong, the weapon could very well be destroyed. Back then, it was due to this problem that the Hongyuan royal familys Bodhi Saint Tree nearly lost its life. Hu! The merged spark was significantly brighter than before, lighting up a significant portion of the darkness. While it was still insufficient to drive off the darkness entirely, the spark was no longer at risk of extinguishing soon anymore. "Indeed, it works!" Zhang Xuan thought in excitement. It was out of a moment of inspiration that he thought of merging the spirits together, and he hadnt really thought that it would work out so well. Delighted, he continued tapping the space ahead of him. Hu hu! Another two sparks appeared, and Zhang Xuan swiftly merged them into the one. With four sparks merged together, the initial flicker of me had finally grown into a me torch. It glowed brilliantly amidst the darkness, bringing light to at least a radius of hundred meters. "What a massive space..." With enhanced visibility, Zhang Xuan was finally able to get a glimpse into the space he was in. For the puppets before, the worlds of darkness were only several meters to around a dozen meters in radius. A single spark of light was more than sufficient to light up the entire space. But in the space he was currently in, he had already lit up more than a hundred meters of the area, but the end was still nowhere in sight... Wasnt this weapon a little way too big? Therger a weapon was, the stronger its spirit had to be in order to sustain it. But... he had already enchanted four spirits, and yet, the end was still nowhere in sight. Wasnt this pir an extremely fearsome existence? "Well, I havent thought that the 7-star spirit awakener examination would be so difficult. However, I dont believe that I wont be able to light it up with my strength!" Seeing that even a torch of me was sufficient to light up the entire world, Zhang Xuan began feeling a littlepetitive. As one who cultivated the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, if he couldnt clear the examination, wouldnt he be letting down the Library of Heavens Path in his mind? "Continue!" Driving his soul energy swiftly, Zhang Xuan tapped on the area before him and produced several more sparks of light. However, the consecutive enchantments had expended quite a bit of his strength, causing his face to pale from weakness. Even though his soul was much stronger than an average person, there was still a limit to how much he could bear. If he were to overexert himself, it could potentially create grievous damage to his soul. Hu hu hu! Fusing all of the sparks together, it didnt take long for the torch of mes to turn into a bonfire. The area shrouded by light expanded amidst the world of darkness, but there was still no sign of reaching the ends. Until the world was fully lit up, the enchantment couldnt be considered a sess. "Forget it, Ill go all out!" Gritting his teeth tightly, Zhang Xuan continued the process frenziedly. After fusing thirty-two sparks together, the bonfire finally turned into something that was reminiscent of a zing sea of mes or a searing sun, illuminating the surroundings. Hong long long! The space trembled, and finally, Zhang Xuan was finally able to see the ends of the space. To his astonishment, the consciousness of the artifact actually extended for several kilometers! It was no wonder why it was so difficult to enchant a spirit into it. Having finally seeded, Zhang Xuan felt a feeling of weakness consuming his body. At the same time, he couldnt help but feel deeply intrigued. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, hisprehension of spirit enchantment had reached 7-star pinnacle, and his skills could possibly be on par with even 8-star primary spirit awakeners. He was certain that Vice Guild Leader Xu and the others werent able to match up to him in terms of efficiency in enchanting. Considering how he had nearly tired himself to death before clearing the examination... did they really clear the same examination as well? Wasnt it a little too hard for a 7-star spirit awakener? ... In a vast room in the Spirit Awakener Guild, threedies were seated together. They were the most three most influential figures in the guild, Vice Guild Leader Xu, Vice Guild Leader Chen, and Guild Leader Ruan. "Xu Ying, what happened? You should know that the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows arent opponents whom we can afford to provoke. The Flitting Earth Bandit Dao Kou might not be much, but the Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu is not an enemy we can defeat! If they were toe after us, we will have to owe the Master Teacher Pavilion yet another favor..." Guild Leader Ruan said with a frown. Dao Kou hade to have his disciples soul enchanted so as to push for a breakthrough to Primordial Spirit realm, only to end up being pummeled unconscious instead... It was after hearing that news that Guild Leader Ruan hurriedly called for an urgent meeting with the two vice guild leaders. If the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows were reasonable individuals, they wouldnt have been so fearful of them either. There were none in Qingyuan City who were unaware of their callousness andwlessness. If they were to attempt to get back at them for this matter, given the limited strength the Spirit Awakener Guild wielded, they might find themselves in a helpless position. By then, they would have no choice but to turn to the Master Teacher Pavilion for help. "Its actually like this..." Vice Guild Leader Xu swiftly went through the matter concerning Zhang Xuan. "You are saying that... the fellow could very well be abat master?" Guild Leader Ruan contemted for a moment before nodding in agreement. "It would be best if thats the case. No matter how arrogant the Twin Bandits are, they wouldnt dare to challenge the Combat Master Hall!" Putting aside that the Combat Master Hall was considered as a subsidiary of the Master teacher Pavilion, just the sheer amount of experts they had in their midst was sufficient to deter any upation from offending them. "If the Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu were toe and attempt to get even with us, you must have sure to push all the me to that fellow. Dont bring unnecessary trouble into our Spirit Awakener Guild. We are only a supporting upation, we dont have the strength to get involved in such conflicts." Guild Leader Ruan instructed. As spirit awakeners devoted their efforts to cultivating their soul so as to further their spirit enchantment abilities, they tend to be rtively weaker aspared to their counterparts of other upations. As a result, they had no choice but to avoid conflicts as far as they could. To be honest, if not for the order established by the Master Teacher Pavilion, there would probably have been many who would attempt to kidnap spirit awakeners for the valuable ability they possessed. They wouldnt have been able to run such a lucrative business without any fear. It was precisely for this reason that Spirit Awakener Guilds would only be established in ces where the Master Teacher Pavilion held dominant power. They would avoid anywhere aside from those ces so as to avoid unneeded trouble. "Alright." Understanding the position they were in, Vice Guild Leader Xu nodded in agreement. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind, and she asked, "Right, the young man hasnt left yet. He said that he wishes to learn the art of spirit enchantment, and hes currently reading in the library." "Hes reading in the library? A man wants to learn spirit enchantment?" Guild Leader Ruan frowned. It was not that Guild Leader Ruan was looking down on men, but spirit enchantment required very precise control whichdies were more apt at. As a result, there were very few men within the Spirit Awakener Guild. "Ive already dispatched my student to check on him to see if hes really studying. I think my student should be returning anytime now..." Vice Guild Leader Xu shared the same views as Guild Leader Ruan. She didnt think that it was likely that Zhang Xuan would sessfully be a spirit awakener either. Six hours had passed, and the other party should have already noticed it was futile and gave up by now. Yet, he was still within the library. Thus, she couldnt help but feel a little apprehensive. Jiya! Right after speaking those words, a youngdy suddenly barged into the room. It was Vice Guild Leader Xus student, a 6-star spirit awakener. "How is it? Is thatd really studying?" Seeing that her student had returned, Vice Guild Leader Xu asked with a smile. "Reporting to Guild Leader Ruan, teacher, and Vice Guild Leader Chen, not only has he been studying within this period of time... he has even taken the spirit awakener examination as well..." the youngdy recalled what she had just seen, and a look of disbelief surfaced on her face. "He has taken the spirit awakener examination?" VIce Guild Leader Xu frowned. "It doesnt seem like he knows much about the upation the previous time I saw him... In just six hours after he started studying, hes already attempted the 4-star spirit awakener examination?" In her previous encounter with Zhang Xuan, she could tell that thetter knew next to nothing about spirit awakeners. Yet, in such a state, he still dared to take the spirit awakener examination? You must be joking! "He... Not only did he take the examination, he even seeded in bringing the puppet that stands by the corner to life! The puppet is currently running around chaotically, and our sisters are trying our best to suppress it at the moment..." the youngdy quickly replied. "The puppet is running around chaotically? That cant be!" This time, it was Guild Leader Ruans turn to be perplexed. She turned to the youngdy and asked, "One just has to sessfully enchant two hands and one head of the puppet in order to clear the examination, so even if he were to sessfully enchant the puppet, limited by its other body parts, it still shouldnt be able to move... How could it possibly be running around chaotically?" "He... He enchanted all four heads and eight arms of the puppet, bringing its entire spirit to life!" With quivering lips, the youngdy also looked as if she could hardly believe what she had just said either. "He managed to bring its entire spirit to life?" Shocked by what they had just heard, the three of them stood up simultaneously. Due to the limitations of the human soul, it was a nigh impossible feat to enchant a spirit which was capable of moving four heads simultaneously... Putting everything aside, even 7-star spirit awakeners like them couldnt dream of pulling something of that sort off. Yet, a fellow who knew nothing at all a moment ago managed to aplish it just by reading a few hours of books? "Just to confirm, you are saying that he managed to fully awaken the 4-star puppet?" Vice Guild Leader Xu asked anxiously. If that was truly the case, the young man might very well be an extraordinarily talented spirit awakener! "He didnt just awaken the 4-star puppet... the 5-star and 6-star puppets, he has awakened those too! Currently, he is on the fourth floor of the library, seated before a pir at the corner of the wall. Im not too sure what hes doing at the moment either..." the youngdy said. "You are saying that he managed to awaken the 5-star and 6-star puppet too?" The bodies of the three of them jolted from shock. A short momentter, Guild Leader Ruan frowned, "The 7-star puppet is spoiled, and as there hasnt been anyone qualified to take the 7-star spirit awakener examination in recent years, we havent had it fixed yet. That pir there should be the main pir supporting our entire guild building. However, it isnt an artifact, so it shouldnt be possible to enchant a spirit into it. So, what could he be attempting to do..." Boom! Before Guild Leader Ruan could finish her words, the entire guild suddenly shook intensely. Following which, an elder rushed into the room with a ghastly pale face. "Bad news, guild leader! Our guild... hase to life!" Chapter 1100: I Really Want To Keep a Low Profile! Chapter 1100: I Really Want To Keep a Low Profile! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Our guild hase to life?" Guild Leader Ruan was taken aback. The other two vice guild leaders were also perplexed as to what they were hearing. "Yes! For some reason, our guild building suddenly stood up from the ground and ran away!" the elder cried anxiously. Hu! Before the elder could finish her words, the ground suddenly shook once more. Shortly after, outside the window, the top of the guild building, which bore some resemnce to the neck of a crane, suddenly leaned downward. The two windows at the very top seemed to serve as its eyes, as it assessed its surroundings curiously. The many floors of the tower seemed to have be its body, and they shook non-stop, seemingly readying itself to take a step forward. "This... the entire guild building has been enchanted with a spirit?" Guild Leader Ruan gulped down a mouthful of saliva and nearly cried. Despite the unique design of their guild building, it was just an ordinary building and not an artifact. Given so, there should have been no way to enchant a spirit int it... How in the world did the fellow manage to aplish it? This was truly bad. Now that their guild building had a spirit, it seemed like it was about to run away at any moment... If it were to really run away, how was she going to face the preceding guild leaders of the Spirit Awakener Guild... "I heard that an elder of our guild has spent more than a hundred years to single handedly forge the support structure of our guild building. ording to the rumors, its said that the support structure has reached the level of a Spirit-tier artifact. Could it be that... he has seeded in enchanting the support system?" At this moment, Vice Guild Leader Chen suddenly recalled something and asked. The unique architecture of the Spirit Awakener Guild was in truth the effort of a single elder many years ago. It was said that she had forged the supporting structure using the same methods which one would use to craft weapons in order to grant it the enhanced durability and resilience it required... Perhaps that was the real reason why the enchantment seeded. But... Considering the sheer size of the supporting structure, just how huge of a spirit would one have to enchant into it in order to bring it to life? "Regardless of how he did it, we have to stop him. Otherwise, where will we go if the guild building were to escape?" Guild Leader Ruan said anxiously. This wasnt the time for them to be thinking how it was donetheir guild building was already on the verge of escaping! Putting aside that they would lose their ce of dwelling, more importantly, the Spirit Awakener Guild would bing aughingstock for the entire city once that were to happen! Thus, the trio rushed out of the room and headed towards the library. Before they could arrive at their destination, they suddenly saw a young man walking over with a confused look on his face. The young man also caught sight of them, and he immediately walked up to them. "Vice Guild Leader Xu, what is going on? Why is your guild building moving about?" Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. The Spirit Awakener Guild sure was entric. He was still sitting in the library when the entire guild suddenly rose from the ground, seemingly ready to run off... Where did their civility go? If such a huge building were to run through the crowded streets of Qingyuan City, many would be injured! Besides, even if no one was harmed, it would bound to cause great damage throughout the city pavement and the nearby buildings as well. "You still dare to speak about it..." Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the trio nearly spurted blood. Do you really have no idea what you have just done? You were the one who enchanted it, so how can you shamelessly shirk responsibility now that its on the verge of running away... Also... whats that expression of yours? "Did you enchant a ck pir earlier?" Suppressing her urge to blow up, Vice Guild Leader Xu asked with forcedposure. "I did." Zhang Xuan nodded. Barely after he seeded in enchanting the ck pir, the entire building suddenly began moving. Thus, he could only rush out before examining what he had enchanted and whether he had truly seeded or not. "Regarding that... the ck pir is the supporting structure of the guild building. Thus, when you enchanted it, the entire guild came to life..." Vice Guild Leader Xu exined through gritted teeth. "Ah..." Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He was still wondering why the Spirit Awakener Guild was so inconsiderate as to make its building move around in the middle of the city... But it seemed like he was actually the true culprit... While others were enchanting weapons and souls, he actually enchanted an entire guild... "Since you were the one who enchanted it, the guild building should be filled with gratitude towards you. I beg of you, get it to stop. If it were to get away, it would surely surely cause a hugemotion... Our Spirit Awakener Guild would be in deep trouble then..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan had finally understood what was going on, Guild Leader Ruan urged. "Alright..." Not expecting that he would unintentionallynd others into trouble just by taking the 7-star spirit awakener examination, Zhang Xuans face reddened in embarrassment. He quickly followed the trio out of the guild building. Flying in the air, he looked at the massive building before him. The building was extremely tall, almost reaching a hundred meters high. Its slender neck was swinging wildly in the air, reminiscent of a crane. By this moment, everyone within the Spirit Awakener Guild had already evacuated from the building, and they were staring at that living behemoth before them with bbergasted looks. "This... How do I get it to stop?" Seeing how the massive figure was preparing to sprint away as fast as it could, Zhang Xuans mouth twitched. He quickly turned to Vice Guild Leader Xu and asked. "I dont know either. You can try asking it, it should listen to you..." Guild Leader Ruan replied. "Listen to me?" Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the massive figure before him with a doubtful look. In that moment, the Spirit Awakener Guild seemed to have caught sight of him, and it excitedly cuddled up to him with its thick neck. "..." Zhang Xuan was stunned. It seemed like his n to keeping a low profile had backfired. Before such a huge crowd, a guilds base of operation was cuddling up to him, as if an obedient pet fawning on its master... Honestly, all I wanted to do is to keep a low profile and not cause any trouble... Dark lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Helpless, he could only reach out to stroke the other partys neck and say, "Alright, you should stay here obediently. Try not to move around if theres no need to do so..." Roar! Hearing those words, the massive building swiftly stopped its movements and obediently nted itself back onto the ground. "Alright, its done..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly turned back to look at Guild Leader Ruan and the others, only to see them staring at him as if he was some kind of terrifying monster. "Cough cough. This gongzi over here, please follow me back in. Ill pass your spirit awakener emblem to you. At the same time, our guild wish to discuss the matter of taming the guild building with you... As long as you can transfer the ownership of the guild building to us somehow, we are willing to reward you handsomely!" Seeing as more and more people were gathering in the area, Guild Leader Ruan knew that this wasnt the ce to discuss matters, so she gestured Zhang Xuan back into the guild building. No matter what, this building was the base of operation for their Spirit Awakener Guild. It was one thing while it was dead, but now that it hade to life, the least they could do was to im ownership of their own building. Otherwise, if their building were to suddenly riot on them and escape, how embarrassing it would be for them? "Alright." Zhang Xuan knew that he was at fault for this matter, and he also wasnt willing to continue serving as a public exhibit by remaining in the area. Thus, he followed the trio back into the guild building. ... While Zhang Xuan was busy learning the art of spirit enchantment in the Spirit Awakener Guild, something was happening in the Combat Master Hall. Arge group ofbat masters had discussed together with one another to discuss how they should deal with the academy that they were going to hold an exchange with. Xiao Qin was a Thousand Men Commander from the Martial Arts Division of the Combat Master Ten Divisions. Highly talented and driven, he was also known as his peers as Lunatic Xiao for his crazed passion for cultivation. He had always regarded his identity as abat master as his pride and honor. But recently, news regarding Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy kept echoing in his ears no matter where he went, and it had left him deeply displeased. Just when did they,bat masters, had been lowered to the point where they had to conduct an exchange with an ordinary Master Teacher Academy? The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Unable to stand it any longer, he called hispanion over and asked, "Is that Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy really as powerful as you all describe it out to be? No matter what, we,bat masters, are a gathering of top-notch geniuses chosen sieved out amongst the master teachers. Every single one of us wield strength that could easily rival those of higher cultivation realm than us. No matter how powerful their Xuanxuan Faction may be, it isnt possible for all of them to be on par with us. If thats truly the case, there would be no purpose in continuing the Combat Master Selection!" "I share the same thoughts as well. But I believe you should have seen the reports sent back by Zhuo Qingfeng and the others too. I know Zhuo Qingfeng quite well, and he isnt one to spout nonsense on such matters!" "I know that he wont spout nonsense, but I still find the matter hard to believe. Wait, those from the Xuanxuan Faction have just arrived in their amodations, right? Why dont we take a look?" "Now? Isnt the exchange three dayster?" "Yes, but it would be good for us to take a look in advance so as to gauge the strength of our opponents. This way, we will be able to dominate the exchange..." "Sounds good. However, we must make sure that our hall master doesnt learn of this matter!" "Thats a given. Rest assured, well be heading there discreetly in inclothes..." ... All along, it had been their Combat Master Hall which had been conducting all kind of selection exercises to absorb the talents from the various organizations all over Qingyuan Empire. Yet, to think that a day woulde where an ordinary Master Teacher Academy would knock on their door and have an exchange with them. In truth, Xiao Qin wasnt the only one who felt insulted by this matter. There were plenty ofbat masters who felt that the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was beneath them as well. Thus, when the otherbat masters learned of Xiao Qins n, they also wanted to tag along so as to see whether the rumors they had heard were exaggerations. "Alright, lets go!" Switching to their leisure clothes, the crowd began making their way over to the manor where the crowd from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy were currently residing in. Not too longter, they encountered another group of inclothesbat master. "Combat Master Sun... You are all intending to cause those of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy some trouble as well?" Xiao Qin was slightly startled by the sudden appearance of the other group. "Cause them some trouble? Of course not! We are just going there to see whether they are qualified to cross blows with us..." Combat Master Sun replied with a smile. Seeing that their goals aligned with one another, the two groups decided to converge and proceed forward together. But after turning at a bend in the street, they met some familiar faces again. "Combat Master Tan, you all..." "Ah... We were just nning to pay our friends from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy a visit so as to see if the amodation is to their liking..." ... The manor wasnt too far away from the Combat Master Hall, but in the ten minutes journey, Xiao Qin met with eight waves ofbat masters. All in all, there were at least several hundred of them. "It seems like there are many who share the same thoughts as us!" Seeing how so manybat masters shared the same view as him, Xiao Qin nodded in satisfaction. While the exchange was indeed set at three days from now, there was no particr rule stopping them from dropping by and greeting their guests! "Guys, the other party will surely figure out that we are from the Combat Master Hall if we were to drop by just like that. How about we do this instead? For the time being, the rest of you will wait at the teahouse outside while I head over to try out their skills. Once Im done, Ille back to report to you all..." As they were about to reach the manor, Xiao Qin called for the entire party to stop before saying. It was fine for them to interact with those of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but if so manybat masters were to drop by at once, they could be cast under the suspicion of being hostile to their guests. "Alright, we will wait here for you then. Return quickly, dont keep us waiting for too long..." Xiao Qins suggestion sounded reasonable to the party, so it didnt take long before he was able to receive the approval of the majority. Heaving a sigh of relief, Xiao Qin made his way over to the manor. The manor was one of the properties of the Combat Master Hall, so Xiao Qin was able to maneuver his way through it easily. Before long, he saw a group of Hongyuan students cultivating in a vast courtyard. "This friend over here, may I know who you are looking for? Perhaps I might be of some help to you." Before Xiao Qin could get far, a smiling young man suddenly walked up to him and asked. "I am Xiao Qin. I wish to meet the leader of your Xuanxuan Faction." Xiao Qing sped his fist and responded. "I am Jun Ruohuan, and I can be considered as one of the leaders in the Xuanxuan Faction. May I know how may I help you?" Ruohuan gongzi asked. "I heard that the students of the Xuanxuan Faction possesses exceptional fighting prowess, so I couldnt resisting over to try out your skills..." Xiao Qin replied. "I see. That wont be a problem, I can have it arranged for you." Hearing that the other party wanted to try out their skills, Ruohuan gongzi could already roughly fathom a guess what was going on. Thus, he beckoned with his hand and hu!, several thousand people appeared around them. "Here you go. They are all members of our Xuanxuan Faction. So, what kind of duel are you interested in? Feel free to state any request you have..." Chapter 1101: Is Your Xuanxuan Faction Still Recruiting? (1) Chapter 1101: Is Your Xuanxuan Faction Still Recruiting? (1) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Xiao Qins lips twitched. This sudden encirclement... Was he going to have to challenge a group single-handedly, and was the group going to single-handedly challenge him? Individually, they were all weaker than him, but the overwhelming fighting will that was reflected in his eyes left him feeling as if he was a prey standing amidst a group of predators... Didnt theye from a weaker vassal state of Qingyuan Empire? Werent they exhausted from their long journey? Not only was there not the slightest hint of exhaustion from them, their eyes were even gleaming in excitement. It was almost as if they were waiting for him. "I am at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Is there any one of you who is at the same cultivation realm as me?" Xiao Qin asked. Since he was going to test the strength of the Xuanxuan Faction, it would only be a fair assessment if he were to face someone who was of the same cultivation realm as him. Otherwise, facing a weaker opponent, even if he were to suppress his cultivation, he would still be able to easily subdue his opponent with his superior battle experience and eye of discernment. That would be no different from bullying his opponent. And of course, if he were to y it fair, hopefully, the other party would be too embarrassed order a lynching on him too... "Saint 1-dan?" Ruohuan gongzi frowned. Their Xuanxuan Faction mostly consisted of freshmen, and it had only been several months since the start of the school term. Despite the incredible speed of their cultivation, their strongest member was still only at Perfect Harmonization realm. Thus, to find a member who had reached Saint realm was... Hmmm? It seemed like they did have a Saint 1-dan pinnacle member amongst them after all! "Invite Senior Qiqi over!" Ruohuan gongzi turned around and issued an instruction to a nearby member. The member swiftly sprinted away, and not too longter, Luo Qiqi appeared in the courtyard. So far, other than the monstrous Zhang Xuan, this youngdy was the strongest member of their faction. "My apologies, but it seems like Senior Qiqi is the only one who has achieved a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle in our Xuanxuan Faction. Why dont you... have a duel with her then?" Ruohuan gongzi said a little awkwardly. Luo Qiqi was an individual who had received the individual guidance directly from Principal Zhang, so her cultivation and eye of discernment were far beyond the other members. It did seem like they were bullying the other party by having him face her. "You want me to fight against a woman?" Xiao Qin frowned. He was an unparalleled genius of the Combat Master Hall. Be it in terms of zhenqi, physical resilience, reaction speed, and the such, he was far superior to his other peers. To randomly find a woman to face him... Werent they looking down on him a little bit too much? "Whats wrong with facing a woman?" Luo Qiqi frowned in displeasure. Raising her hands, she beckoned, "Make your move!" "Since thats the case, pardon me then!" Upon the other partys insistence, Xiao Qin sighed lightly and did a gentlemanly bow. After which, he drove his zhenqi throughout his body, and an aura overflowing with strength surged from his body. Hu! Xiao Qin took a step forward, and his figure abruptly disappeared. As a Thousand Men Commander of the Martial Arts Division, he specialized specifically in martial arts. It was just a single step forward, but there were at least seven to eight transformations contained in it. In an instant, multiple identical figures all around him, making it impossible for one to determine which direction he was going to attack from. Battle technique, Steps of Thousand Illusory Shadows! Steps of Thousand Shadows was a battle technique which was created by a Primordial Spirit realm expert of the Combat Master Hall two thousand years ago. It could produce multiple illusory figures around one, making it impossible for one to determine ones location. This would, in turn, make the opponent vulnerable to ones attacks. Even though his opponent was a woman, he still chose to go all out right from the start. This was also one of the core teachings of the Combat Master HallNever underestimate any opponent that you are facing! Hu! As soon as the Steps of Thousand Illusory Shadows was executed, he raised his finger to serve as his sword and directed it against the opponent before him. This was also a battle technique, known as the Rising Crouching Dragon. It was known for its swift and precise movements, reminiscent of a dragon swiftly subduing its prey, making it an extremely difficult move to guard against. Even within the Combat Master Hall, there were hardly any peers who could equal him whenever he executed the two powerful battle techniques in unison. "Not too bad!" The youngdy chuckled. Without resorting to any huge movements or battle techniques, she simply raised her hand and smacked downward. It was a very simple palm strike! Yet, for some reason, Xiao Qin felt as if his movement technique had beenpletely suppressed by the other party. It was sensation simr to being cornered by a predator; no matter where he attempted to do, there was no way he could avoid that palm strike. "What is that move?" Xiao Qins eyes narrowed in shock, and cold sweat trickled down his back. While the youngdys moves seemed simple enough, it was exquisitely executed in a manner which sealed all of the transformations 1 in his battle techniques. It seemed like no matter how he moved, there would only be a single conclusionhe would be sent flying by that palm strike! "It seems like I can only sh with her forcefully..." As expected of a genius of the Combat Master Hall, Xiao Qin was able to derive the best solution to his current plight in an instant. Since he was unable to dodge the palm strike, he would only find himself defeated if he were to attempt all of his transformations desperately to escape. Thus, he gritted his teeth and raised his palm as well. He might have lost in a battle of skill against the youngdy, but he wouldnt necessarily lose in a battle of strength. While his defense wasnt as formidable as that group of monsters from the Protector Division, his zhenqi and physical body resilience had still reached a fairly decent level. At the very least, he would be able to overpower most cultivators in a direct sh of power, let more a female cultivator who was unlikely to specialize in strength. Hu! Just as he was about to thrust his palm forward to meet the other partys, the youngdy figure abruptly blurred before disappearing from his sight altogether. "Shit..." Realizing that he had erred, cold sweat trickled down Xiao Qins body. He had thought that the other party had intended to sh directly with him, so he had gathered all of his strength into his palm strike. Yet... it was actually a feint! "AHHHHH!!" With a furious battle cry, Xiao Qin swiftly withdrew his attack and backed away. Considering how he had been using his full strength, it was impressive that he was able to pull back his palm strike and retreat so quickly. However, it was a pity that he was still a step too slow. A powerful might suddenly pressed down from behind him, and even before it struck, he could already feel his organs being torn apart by the incredible might. "I wont be able to make it in time..." Knowing that by the time it was toote for him to turn around and meet the other partys attack, he quickly drove all of his zhenqi towards his back to ward off the force of the attack as much as he could. At this point, he could only endure the strike and try to find a way to counterattackter on. Gugu! Anticipating a powerful strikending on his back, he gritted his teeth and mentally resolved himself to withstand the strike. However, the powerful aura which had gathered behind him abruptly dissipated, and the pressure of the attack dissipated all of a sudden. Bewildered, he anxiously turned around, only to see that the youngdy had already retreated eight steps away. Standing calmly on the spot, as if not having moved at all, she calmly said, "You have lost." Pu! Right after those words were spoken, Xiao Qins face suddenly turned ghastly pale, and a spurt of blood gushed from his mouth. It was only in this instant did he realize that he had beenpletely sapped of his strength, and even remaining on his feet had be an incredibly arduous task for him. It didnt take him long for him to realize what was going on. Even though he had never directly shed with the youngdy throughout the fight, he had been forced to retract his zhenqi twice within a short duration of time, and the impact from doing so had caused immense damage to his body. To be able to induce severe internal damage within him without even crossing blows... the youngdysprehension ofbat and battle techniques were truly fearsome! At this point, Xiao Qin had no choice but to admit that he wasnt a match for the other party. After recuperating for a moment, Xiao Qin stood up with a depressed look on his face and sighed deeply before conceding, "I have lost." He had thought that the rumors concerning the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy were mostly exaggeration, but after facing the youngdy, he realized that the notion he had couldnt be more wrong. He couldnt even withstand the might of a random woman within the Xuanxuan Faction, so how incredible would their top-notch expert be? "Actually, your zhenqi, physical body strength, agility, and reaction speed are all not bad. What that is truly limiting you is your battle techniques!" Seeing Xiao Qins gloomy look, Luo Qiqi consoled. "My battle techniques are limiting me?" Hearing those words, Xiao Qins mouth twitched, suffering an even greater blow than before. He was the greatest genius of the Combat Master Halls Martial Arts division. Despite being only at Saint 1-dan, he had already grasped four Saint low-tier battle techniques! It could be said that other than the Thousand Men Commanders whose cultivation were higher than him, there were no peers who possessed a deeper understanding of martial arts than him... Despite such, the other party actually said that... his battle techniques were limiting him! This was a direct p to his face! "You dont believe me?" Luo Qiqi chuckled softly, not offended by Xiao Qins response at all. "You can ask any student here and have them evaluate your performance in the fight earlier!" "Evaluate? They will evaluate me?" Shaking his head, Xiao Qin looked at the several thousand students around him. Most of them were at Perfect Harmonization realm, and there were some who were still only at Consonant Spirit realm. He wouldnt even spare an additional nce at such cultivators on the streets, and yet, to have them evaluate his performance... Were they able to see through the essence of his moves? Were they able to understand how profound his moves were? Evaluate his performance? What a joke! "You seem to doubt my words. Do you feel that they are unable to see through the ws in your battle technique due to their limited cultivation?" Luo Qiqi shook his head. "Its not that I want to traumatize you, but with your currentprehension of battle technique, even if you were to suppress your cultivation and fight with any one of them here, you wont survive past two blows!" "Any one of them here?" Xiao Qinsplexion turned extremely awful. "I know that I have lost to you, but I have to ask you not to humiliate me like that!" No matter what, he was still an expert of the Combat Master Hall. To im that he would be unable to receive two blows from Perfect Harmonization realm cultivators... that was tantly making a mockery out of him! "Senior Luo Qiqi is right, your strength is indeed verycking." "Even if you were to lower your cultivation and fight with you, you still wouldnt be a match!" "We arent deceiving you. Yourprehension of battle techniques is truly appalling..." Seeing the indignant look on Xiao Qins face, the crowd began remarking. They were looking forward to the arrival of an expert who would allow them to go all out, but who knew that he would turn out to be so weak in the end. Honestly speaking, they couldnt help but feel deeply disappointed. Since the Combat Master Hall was going to challenge them, why didnt they send a couple of strongerbat masters? Given how appalling that fellowsprehension of battle techniques was, it was as good as sending them a sandbag to pummel! Hai! Everyone in the room couldnt help but sigh deeply inmentation. "You all... Very well! I was afraid that it would be too much if I were to suppress my cultivation and challenge the rest of you, but since thats what you all think, lets do it then!" Hearing the sighs and seeing the disappointed looks around him, Xiao Qin was on the verge of exploding. Unable to take it any longer, he consumed a recovery pill to heal from his injuries before suppressing his cultivation is a roar. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had fallen to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. "I have already suppressed my cultivation. Is there anyone who wishes to fight against me?" Xiao Qin scanned his surroundings and he dered coldly. "Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle? Many of us are at that cultivation realm here, so feel free to pick..." Seeing that the other party was still intent on challenging them, Ruohuan gongzi shook his head and replied. "Alright!" Seeing how the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction was fearlessly asking him to have his pick, Xiao Qin couldnt help but feel as if his face had been pped once again. Gritting his teeth in anger, he scanned the surroundings and selected an ordinary-looking young man. That person seemed to be in his early twenties, and with fairplexion and a slender physique, he had an appearance reminiscent of a weak schr. "You want to fight with me?" The person who was specifically pointed out widened his eyes in shock, as if he had just won the lottery. "Thats right!" Xiao Qin flung his hands majestically. "I can fight with you, but you are injured at the moment. I would be bullying you if I were to fight with you like that..." After hesitating for a moment, a hint of excitement shed across the eyes of the young man as he spoke earnestly. "Why dont I tie both of my hands up then? Ill fight against you without my hands... It should be fairer this way!" Chapter 1102: Is Your Xuanxuan Faction Still Recruiting? (2) Chapter 1102: Is Your Xuanxuan Faction Still Recruiting? (2) Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Tie up both of your hands? Fairer?" Xiao Qin staggered, and he nearly fainted on the spot. Are you suggesting that it would only be fair fight against me after you tie up both of your hands? Arent you underestimating me too much! I, a powerful Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert, am challenging you to a fight, and yet, you think that I would only be a match for you with both of your hands tied? A sharp pain assaulted Xiao Qins chest, leaving him feeling as if he would spurt blood at any moment. "If you think that you will be able to withstand my attacks, do whatever you please!" Xiao Qin clenched his jaws to tightly that his teeth was on the verge of chipping, but he also knew that there was no point getting angry. Thus, he took a deep breath to calm his state of mind before rushing forward. The woman earlier was a Saint 1-dan expert just like him, and she was incredibly talented as well, so it was one thing for him to lose to her. He didnt believe that he would lose to a random individual whom he had picked from a group of several thousand people as well. Hu! With his fingers hooked like ws, his hands darted forward with a sharp gust of wind. Battle technique, Thunderbolt Heart Ripping ws! While this technique hadnt reached Saint low-tier yet, it was well-known for its astounding prowess amongst Spirit pinnacle battle techniques. Upon reaching Major Aplishment for this technique, one would be capable of pulling off lightning-swift movements that could mess with the opponents momentum, making it extremely difficult to deal with. But of course, just the ability to mess with the opponents momentum wouldnt justify the incredible infamy it had. What that truly instilled fear in the hearts of the cultivators was how callous the technique was. Everything that the wtched itself onto would be torn off at lightning speed. If a cultivator were to put his guard down for a moment while facing this technique, his heart could very well be ripped out in the next moment. It was due to how vicious the technique was that most master teachers would steer clear of it. However, these were the exact techniques thatbat masters required to overwhelm their opponents in battle. The more vicious a technique was, the more likely that it would be effective in subduing or even killing their opponent. As a result, Xiao Qin had already reached an incredible mastery in the technique, Hu! Just as the Thunderbolt Heart Ripping ws was about tond on its target, the schrly young man suddenly took a quick step and dodged to the side. It was an extremely puzzling sight. The schrly young mans movements were visibly far slower than Xiao Qins, but for some reason, the schrly young man was able to easily dodge his assault easily, as if having predicted the trajectory of his attack. On top of that, while the schrly young man made the evasive maneuver, he lifted his leg and kicked it forcefully towards Xiao Qins lower body as well. Facing the attack, Xiao Qins eyes narrowed. He thought that the young man whom he had chosen out would only be average at best, but the movements made by the other party made him realize that he was sorely mistaken. The other party was far more terrifying than he had expected. The Thunderbolt Heart Ripping ws was extremely powerful, but the enhanced speed came at the expense of stability in his lower body. On top of that, the other partys kick was urately aimed at a location which he would definitely have to guard against but it was extremely awkward for him to do so. "Thousand Leaf Threading Hands!" Knowing that he could be incapacitated if the kick were tond, Xiao Qin hurriedly opened up his ws and stroked the area in front of him gently. It was a light movement reminiscent of a musician stroking its zither, but it was far more lethal than it looked. The Thousand Leaf Treading Hands was a battle technique created by a demonic tunist. While its movements seemedpletely harmless on the surface, in truth, every single finger harnessed a powerful surge of sword qi which could devastate any opponent easily. The switch between the Thunderbolt Heart Ripping w to the Thousand Leaf Treading Hands was swiftly and seamless, devoid of the slightestg in between, as if they were transformations of the same technique. This feat in itself showed that Xiao Qins reputation as the genius of the Martial Arts Division wasnt just for show. His mastery over his battle techniques had indeed reached an incredible level. However, as incredible his movements were, he was still outdone by his opponent. Seemingly having anticipated Xiao Qins movements, the schrly young man leaped into the sky and urately kicked his fingers with the tip of his feet. Kacha! Kacha! As the immense force gathered in the schrly young mans feet collided with Xiao Qins fingers, the crisp sound of bone shattering echoed resoundingly in the air. Before Xiao Qin could recover from this blow, a ck shadow abruptly covered his view. A leg was headed straight for his face. Peng! Xiao Qin was sent crashed into the ground, and blood spurted uncontrobly from his move. He struggled back to his feet with disbelief in his eyes. He realized that from the start to the end, the schrly young man really hadnt used his hands at all. Yet, the other party was still able to defeat him so easily! While he did lose to the Saint 1-dan pinnacle woman earlier on, he could rationalize his defeat as the woman being the most talented genius in the Xuanxuan Faction. But the schrly young man was someone whom he had chosen at random, a mere Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator... and yet, he didnt even survive two attacks from the other party! Could it be that there was truly a mistake in the battle techniques that he cultivated? "Theres no need to get depressed." the schrly young man consoled. "Your fighting prowess is not too bad, its just a pity that you met me! But well... I guess you could also count it as a blessing in disguise too, because I am one of the weaker members of the Xuanxuan Faction. "Your moves are swift and powerful, and your ability to transit between different techniques is impressive. Your grasp of timing over battle technique is rathermendable too. Despite so, the reason why you are unable to achieve victory is because you ce too much trust in your battle techniques and overlooked yourself!" "ce too much trust in my battle techniques?" Unsure of what the schrly young man was driving at, Xiao Qin frowned in iprehension. "Thats right. The aim of a battle technique is to effectively draw out the strength within a cultivator so as to overwhelm the opponent. However, it is important to note that it is a means to a battle, not an end to a battle! As powerful as a battle technique may be, it can only y an auxiliary role in battle." the schrly young man exined with a smile. "The battle techniques that you have utilized in your fight against Senior Qiqi and me are indeed powerful. If it had been any other cultivator, there would be no doubt that they would have fallen by now. However, in our eyes, your reliance on powerful battle techniques only became ws for us to exploit. "To give you an example, that w art that you have used against me earlier boasted of incredible speed and astounding might. However, have you considered any countermeasure should your attacks fail tond on your opponent?" At this point, the schrly young man paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Even the strongest of battle techniques would be meaningless if you cantnd it on your opponent! The reason why I chose to dodge your w art at the veryst moment is because I could tell that you would be wide open in that very instant. In that instant, all of your strength would be centered on your upper body, leaving your lower body wide open! "Thus, I aimed my kick at your lower thigh. No matter how fast you are able to drive your zhenqi, it would have been difficult for you to channel your zhenqi from your hands to your legs at a moments notice. You probably thought that this was a negligible w due to the incredible speed of your w art, but under the careful maniption of an expert, even the smallest of ws could be exacerbated many times over. That being said, your response is trulymendable. Realizing that you would not be able to reinforce your defenses in time, you decisively chose to switch your method of offense. "Your new offense consisted of a light stroking motion. Under its gentle exterior, I could sense sword qi gathering on your fingertips. If Im not mistaken, it should be a type of battle technique as well. I have to admit that its quite a powerful move, but its attacks are very straightforward too. A sword might be sharp, but thats only when you are standing before its de. Just by leaping into the air, I was able to avoid your attack easily. Then, with a simple kick on your fingers, I was able to ovee your battle technique very easily and even inflict considerable damage." the schrly young man shook his head in pity. As a whole, the strength of the fellow before him was still decent, but it was a pity that his movements were too rigid. "Y-you..." Xiao Qins body trembled in shock, as if a streak of lightning had struck his body. The other partys analysis was spot-on. Those were indeed the ws of his battle techniques... It was no wonder why he lost so tragically! "All of you... were able to see through my ws as well?" Xiao Qin turned to the crowd around him and asked hoarsely. "Considering how weak you are, it would have been difficult not to see through your ws!" "Your attacks are too straightforward, being able to see through the ws in it is truly nothing much..." "To tell you the truth, Hu Chun has only listed a small portion of the ws in your battle techniques. It goes without saying that the more powerful a battle technique is, the greater damage it could deal, but... if one is unable tond his blows, what would be the use even if one were to wield the most powerful battle technique in the world?" ... Hearing Xiao Qins question, a hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. "Unable tond his blows..." Xiao Qin muttered in a daze as he heard thements around him. Indeed. Battle techniques were designed to allow a cultivator to amplify his strength so as to deal greater harm to his opponent. However, if ones battle techniques couldnt connect with ones opponent... what would be the use? No matter how many battle techniques one were to learn, it would only be for show! "I have benefitted from your guidance..." The realization of this fact came as an epiphany to Xiao Qin. He had a feeling as if the clouds that had been covering his eyes all along had finally been parted, revealing an entirely new world to him. Thankful, he bowed deeply to the crowd before him. For many years, he had been aiming to cultivate as many powerful battle techniques as he could, and he took pride in that as well. He mistakenly assumed that powerful battle techniques equalled to greater fighting prowess. Such a logic may hold true against ordinary cultivators, but when faced with a true expert, his overreliance on battle techniques would have been a fatal w! As the saying goes, the greater the breadth, the lower the depth! No matter how smooth his transitions between battle techniques were, if he couldnt "Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Actually, we also learned all of these from our principal as well. Its only due to his guidance that we were able to attain the current eye of discernment and astutebat sense that we possess. Otherwise, as ordinary master teachers, theres no way we could have been a match for you!" the schrly young man replied. "Your principal?" "Thats right. Our principal is an incredible genius. Despite being younger than us, his understanding ofbat far surpasses our understanding. He is the one who taught us that the precision of an attack is far more important than the strength harnessed in it. For example, in the fight earlier, if you had shifted your first attack to the left by three centimeters and taken an additional step forward, I would have been unable to counterattack at all." the schrly young man said. "This..." Frowning, Xiao Qin simted the scene in his mind, and his eyebrows suddenly shot up in astonishment. He was right! If he had done so, the schrly young man wouldnt have any time to dodge his ws, let moreunch an counterattack at his lower body! "And for the second move, the concept of wielding sword qi on your hands with a gentle stroking motion is a good idea, but your movements are simply too rigid. If you were toplement it with the motions of Gentle Palm as well, you would have been able to cover your sides as well. Even if I had leaped into the sky and dodged your first attack, I would still have been in your attack range, thus forcing the match into a direct collision. If so, it would have been hard to tell whether who would emerge victorious..." the schrly young man continued analyzing. Xiao Qins body stiffened once more. The main reason why his fingers were kicked so easily earlier was due to the sword qi on his fingers being unable to reach his opponent, thus leaving him wide open. If he were toplement his stroking motion with the underlying concept of the Gentle Palm, the enhanced flexibility in his hand movements would have allowed him to cover a greater arc of attack before him. If so, he would have been able to fend against his opponents kick as well... "Our principal has once told us that if it would be better to cast away all techniques if all one did was to rely on them blindly. Its only due to your overreliance on battle techniques that resulted in yourck of flexibility in battle, thus cing you in a disadvantage against other cultivators..." the schrly young man sighed. With his fists tightly clenched, Xiao Qin finally absorbed everything that he had heard, and he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas. With admiration in his eyes, hemended, "To be able to have such insights, your principal is truly an incredible genius..." Thesebat insights were far more profound than those in the Combat Master Hall. Just by these in itself, it was apparent that the principal that they were speaking about was a terrifying genius. "Of course, our principal is a genius like no other in the world! Not only so, he also has a magnanimous heart that is boundless like the ocean. As long as one is willing to learn from him, he would impart what he knows without any hesitation." the schrly young man smiled. "He would impart what he knows without any hesitation to anyone who is willing to learn?" "Indeed. But due to his limited time, he has no choice but to limit his efforts on the members of the Xuanxuan Faction for the time being. It is also for this reason that countless cultivators dream of joining our Xuanxuan Faction!" Ruohuan gongzi interjected at this point. "T-this..." With his fists tightly clenched, many emotions shed across Xiao Qins face. A momentter, he spoke up meekly, "May I ask if... your Xuanxuan Faction is still recruiting?" Chapter 1103: The Xuanxuan Faction Has Taken Our Men In! Chapter 1103: The Xuanxuan Faction Has Taken Our Men In! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "You are asking if we are still recruiting?" Looks of bewilderment filled the faces in the area. "Thats right!" Xiao Qin gritted his teeth in determination. "I wish to join the Xuanxuan Faction!" "This..." Upon hearing those words, everyones eyes lit up. Ruohuan gongzi burst intoughter before replying, "Thats not a problem at all! If our principal were to learn than an outstanding expert like you wishes to join our ranks, he would definitely be delighted as well!" "So... you are agreeing to it?" Xiao Qin asked nervously. If there were only one or two strong individuals amongst them, he could still attribute it to their outstanding talent. However, all several thousand members were that powerful, it could only mean that they had an outstanding teacher. The primary goal of abat master was to advance their fighting prowess. Only with greater strength would they be able to protect mankind from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and other threats. Considering that the Xuanxuan Faction was willing to impart its knowledge to anyone who was willing to learn, allowing him to attain power swiftly, why should he hesitate in joining its ranks? "Of course, our Xuanxuan Faction wees all kinds of talent!" Ruohuan gongzi chuckled as he flicked his wrist and took out a book. "Here is a manual which contains theption of our understanding of the knowledge that our principal has imparted to us thus far. It isnt wholesome, but it does cover many aspects of battle. You can take a look first, it might just prove to be of help to you in furthering your strength!" "This..." Xiao Qin took the book, and upon taking a brief nce at it, his heart suddenly jolted in astonishment. Even just by looking at the first page, he could tell by his eye of discernment and keen instinct for battle techniques that the contentpiled within the book was an unparalleled manual ofbat insights. As long as he were to study it diligently, he would definitely be able to bring his strength up another level. While he was shocked by the content of the manual, he also couldnt help but feel a little moved. It was just a moment ago that he requested to join the Xuanxuan Faction, but the other party still chose to hand him such a valuable book to him without the slightest bit of hesitation. The deep trust that they showed in him left him with an indescribable feeling of warmth within. "There is only one rule to our Xuanxuan Faction, and that is to obey Principal Zhang Xuansmands and strive to assist him wherever possible. Other than that, there are no particr boundaries for our Xuanxuan Faction. We promote the sharing of knowledge amongst members without any concealment so that we could grow together as an entire whole." Seeing through Xiao Qins thoughts, Ruohuan gongzi exined. From the very start, the Xuanxuan Faction was only a student faction, not an official organization. Furthermore, the primary aim why the organization was founded was to band the freshmen together so that they would be able to protect themselves from the tyranny of the seniors, so the management wasnt particrly strict. Even though Zhang Xuan had be the principal and their primary aim had already ceased the exist, the culture of freemunication of knowledge and resources had still been preserved. The more capable members would help to exin difficult concepts to weaker members, and those who were equal in strength would learn from one another and improve together... It was also under such a culture that even the average members of the Xuanxuan Faction were able to advance their cultivation by so much within a short span of several months, such that even a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall would be no match for them. On the other hand, seeing that the Xuanxuan Faction had its ideology based upon the true essence of teacherhood, creating a culture of transparency of knowledge regardless of background, Xiao Qin couldnt help but feel deeply impressed. "I am Xiao Qin, a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall. To tell you the truth, I havee here with the intention to assess whether the Xuanxuan Faction is qualified to have an exchange with the Combat Master Hall. However, after taking a look, the Xuanxuan Faction is indeed as amazing as the rumors put it out to be. And its leader, Principal Zhang Xuan, is truly the role model of all master teachers!" At this point, Xiao Qins eyes lit up as he continued, "To be honest with you, there are still several hundredbat masters out there waiting for my news. If its not too much, I hope to bring them into the Xuanxuan Faction as well!" He was rather familiar with most of thebat masters who hade to the manor today, and most of them were deeply interested in advancing their fighting prowess. Without a doubt, the Xuanxuan Faction was an ideal tform for them to achieve their goals. If they were to learn of this, they would surely join the Xuanxuan Faction without any hesitation. "Several hundredbat masters will be joining the Xuanxuan Faction?" The crowd couldnt help but be stunned by the news. "Does the Combat Master Hall permit you to join other organizations?" Ruohuan gongzi couldnt help but ask. No matter what, the Combat Master Hall could be considered as a military branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion. It didnt seem likely for it to allow its members to join other organizations easily. "The Combat Master Hall has no particr rules regarding that aspect. Furthermore, considering that the Xuanxuan Faction is a student faction of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it can be considered as an organization of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. Thus, there should no problem in us joining the Xuanxuan Faction!" Xiao Qin replied with a smile. The rules of the Combat Master Hall were mainly directed towards preventingbat masters from betraying mankind, but considering that the Xuanxuan Faction was an organization of master teachers, it was unlikely that it would cross the bottom line of the Combat Master Hall. Besides, the Xuanxuan Faction was also ax organization with fewmitments. Even if the hall master were to learn of this matter, it was unlikely that he would say much about it, either. "Since thats the case, feel free to invite your friends over then... This would also be a good opportunity for our members to learn from you all as well!" Seeing that it wasnt a problem, Ruohuan gongzi nodded. "Alright!" Xiao Qin quickly left the manor, and not too longter, he returned with two hundred men behind him. Naturally, it was inevitable that there would be some battles in their first encounter with one another, but considering how even Xiao Qin wasnt a match for the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, less had to be said about the otherbat masters. In less than two hours, the two hundredbat masters had nothing but admiration left for the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. They fought with one another for the opportunity to interact with the members of the Xuanxuan Faction at a deeper level. The more that they crossed blows and traded insights with the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, the more astounded they were by the level ofprehension that their principal had regardingbat. At the same time, the admiration they felt towards their principal also inevitably deepened as well. To impart such profoundbat insights to the public without any reservations was almost unthinkable! Just what exactly what kind of person was their principal? Thebat masters who had just joined the Xuanxuan Faction couldnt help but be filled with curiosity towards him. ... The Elder Conference Hall of the Combat Master Hall. "I have taken a look at the report sent in by Zhuo Qingfeng and Feng Xun, and the fact that Principal Zhang Xuan was able to raise the fighting prowess of ordinary members to matchbat masters shows that hes an extraordinary figure. We should pay close note to the students during the exchange, and if there are talented individuals amongst them, try to recruit them into our ranks so as to bolster the forces of our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall!" an elder seated on the main seat of the conference table stroked his beard and said. The head of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall, as well as Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert, Xing Zhuoyuan. While the notion of an exchange with the Master Teacher Academy of a vassal nation sounded ridiculous, it was a motion endorsed by a few Thousand Men Commanders of their Combat Master Hall. As such, Xing Zhuoyuan was also interested to see whether the little Master Teacher Academy was truly as powerful as everyone put it out to be. If that was truly the case, he could try to bring in some of their talents into their branch so as to further strengthen themselves. "Hall Master Xing is indeed wise, our thoughts have been too narrow!" "With Hall Master Xings sharp insight, our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall would surely rise to greater heights!" Upon hearing Xing Zhuoyuans exnation, the various division heads and elders couldnt help but nod inmendation. When they first heard that Xing Zhuoyuan had approved to the exchange, they were astounded. The Combat Master Hall had always been a symbol of strength for the master teachers, an unreachable target for them. Considering how the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was just a cradle for master teachers in a vassal nation of Qingyuan Empire, it was beneath their Combat Master Hall to hold an exchange with them. It was only at this moment did they finallyprehend the thoughts which Xing Zhuoyuan had put into this matter. If one were to describe master teachers as the geniuses amongst the popce, thebat masters would be the geniuses amongst the geniuses. Even within a group of several thousand master teachers, there might not even be a single individual who would be qualified as abat master. It was due to the high standards of the Combat Master Hall that there were very fewbat masters around. If what Zhuo Qingfeng and the others said were true, and the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was truly filled with powerful individuals who could subdue cultivators beyond their current cultivation realm, it would indeed be a good opportunity for them to pull in some fresh blood. "Right, Hall Master Xing. Even though the exchange is set on three days from now, there are manybat masters who feel indignant at the notion of having to face the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as equals, so they have secretly sneaked off to the amodations of our guests intending to try out their skills..." At this moment, an elder suddenly recalled a certain matter and reported. The head of the Martial Arts Division, Division Head Zhen Ying! Just like the school system of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the Combat Master Hall was also divided into multiple divisions. All in all, there were a total of ten divisions, namely the Weapon Division, Fist Division, Palm Division, Footwork Division, Martial Arts Division, Internal Breath Division, Guardian Division, Soul Division, as well as the most secretive Heart Division! Each of these divisions represented aplete heritage, and it served to draw out the full potential of abat master in a certain aspect. For example, the Weapon Division could be divided into saber, sword, spear, and the various weapons. Those who were able to join its ranked were mostlybat masters who had grasped Weapon Intent. On the other hand, thebat masters of the Palm Division specialized in palm arts and wielded incredible strength, and thebat masters of the Footwork Division specialized in movement techniques and possessed outstanding agility. As for the Soul Division,bat masters would cultivate their souls and learn battle techniques effective against bringing down souls there. As there was a limit to what an individual could learn, it was impossible for one to be capable in every single field. As such, the Combat Master hall divided thebat masters into the various divisions based on their proficiency. Through specialization, not only would they be stronger individually, they would also be able to betterplement one another in group battles against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. "I have heard of that matter too. Dont worry, just let them be. This will also be a good opportunity to see if the Xuanxuan Faction of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is truly as capable as Zhuo Qingfeng and the others put them out to be!" Hall Master Xing replied with a chuckle. Xiao Qin and the others had thought that they had managed to slip out without catching anyones notice, but considering how more than two hundredbat masters had suddenly vanished from the Combat Master Hall, it didnt take long for the others to catch wind of what they were up to. In fact, almost every single division head and elder on the conference table was aware of it. However, they chose to left thebat masters to their own devices. "Thats what I thought too, so I allowed them to act as they please. I have already sent someone to scout the situation, so we should receive some news very soon!" Division Head Zhen Ying nodded. "Seems like all of us have the same intention in mind. We have also sent scouts of our own over, so we should be able to learn whether the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is the real deal this time around... Good, it seems like the news is in!" Halfway through another division heads words, he suddenly flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token appeared in his hands. With a smile still lingering on his lips, he lowered his head to take a look, and his face abruptly stiffened. "Whats wrong? Did ourbat masters lose in a duel against them?" Upon noticing the peculiar expression on the division heads face, Hall Master Xing asked. "News hase in on my side as well. Let me take a look..." Division Head Zhen Ying seemed to have felt something as well, and a Communication Jade Token materialized in his hands. Upon scanning the content, he suddenly froze on the spot as well, unable to speak a word. "Whats going on? Say something!" Taking the reactions of the two division heads into sight, an elder couldnt take it any longer, and he eximed in frustration. Thus, he walked forward and took the Communication Jade Token from Division Head Zhen Yings hand. However, after taking a look, he froze on the spot too. It took a very long time before Hall Master Zhen Ying was able to exim with a tearful voice, "Hall Master Xing... it seems like before we could even recruit them into our ranks, ourbat masters have already been taken in by the Xuanxuan Faction!" Chapter 1104: Even The Division Heads Have Jumped Ships Chapter 1104: Even The Division Heads Have Jumped Ships Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Ourbat masters have been taken in by the Xuanxuan Faction?" "What do you mean?" The crowd frowned. Even Hall Master Xing had a bewildered look on his face. "The two hundredbat masters who went to challenge the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy have all joined the Xuanxuan Faction..." Division Head Zhen Ying uttered in a daze. "They have all joined the Xuanxuan Faction?" Everyone was dumbfounded for a moment before those words could finally be processed in their minds. A stabbing pain struck their chests, leaving them unable to catch their breath. Hall Master Xing even nearly stumbled and fell out of his chair. It was just a moment ago that he confidently imed that the Combat Master Hall would be able to make use of this opportunity to bring in some new blood and bolster their forces. And yet, before they could even manage to poach the other partys students, they ended up losing their men instead... What the heck was this! "Preposterous, this is preposterous! A bunch ofbat masters actually joined a rural organization... Tell them to return back to the Combat Master Hall this instant, or else I shall have their names erased from the records!" one of the division heads stood up and bellowed furiously. All along, the Combat Master Hall had always been the one selecting men from other organizations. Never once had anyone managed to poach their men before. "But would it be inappropriate for us to do so? Our Combat Master Hall has no rules that prevents our members from joining other organizations, and we dont have the right to restrict them from learning the other upations, either..." Another division head raised an objection. While the Combat Master Hall was a little more rigid than the Master Teacher Pavilion, it wasnt governed by too many rules either. Combat masters were still granted a considerable degree of freedom, so to threaten them seemed to be going a little overboard... "There are no rules in the Combat Master Hall that hinders them from joining other organizations, but if allbat masters were to do so, what would be of our Combat Master Hall? If everyone were to fool around like that, who will stand up to protect mankind when disaster strikes? We need to sever the problem at the root before it gets out of hand!" "Indeed! There mustnt be a precedent for such a matter, or else, what would be of the pride and dignity of our Combat Master Hall?" Two of the division heads harrumphed. The crowd fell silent. Those words did make some sense. The Combat Master Hall had no explicit rule that prevented its members from joining other organizations, and all along, there had been no need for there to be such a rule, either. Mostbat masters were highly devoted to their training, so very few of them had any time to join other organizations. However, it was a different matter this time around. Two hundredbat masters were intending to join another organization together, and this could potentially pose to be a problem. Ifbat masters were to start segregating themselves by their affiliations, it would affect the camaraderie and morale of the Combat Master Hall. As such, precedence mustnt be allowed! If their members were no longer united, how were they supposed to defend mankind from its threats? There were simply too many empires that had fallen to factional rivalry, and an organization that stood at the frontlines to protect mankind from threats, the Combat Master Hall couldnt afford to risk such a thing happening! "Alright, Ill inform them right now..." Division Head Zhen Ying hesitated for a moment before nodding. He tapped his finger on the Communication Jade Token and sent a message over. Weng! A few momentster, new words emerged on Division Head Zhen Yings Communication Jade Token, and after browsing through it swiftly, he staggered and nearly fell to the ground. "Whats wrong?" Taking Division Head Zhen Yings reaction into sight, the crowd couldnt help but ask anxiously. The head of the Martial Arts Division had always been as aposed individual, so why did he seem so edgy today? Just what kind of news was it that would leave him so deeply jolted? "My subordinate has just ryed themands to Xiao Qin and the others... and the response he received was that if the Combat Master Hall were to force them to back out from the Xuanxuan Faction, they would rather renounce their identities asbat masters..." With twitching lips, Division Head Zhen Ying revealed the news he had just received. "They would renounce their identities asbat masters?" "How is that possible? They have just barelye into contact with the Xuanxuan Faction, and they are already so deeply loyal to them? Just what kind of charm does Zhang Xuan possess for them to act in such a manner?" A hugemotion broke out within the room. The others didnt take the news any better than Division Head Zhen Ying. Bing abat master was something which countless cultivators dream of every single day. It was an honor, as well as a calling... Those bunch of rascals had onlye into contact with the Xuanxuan Faction once, and yet, they were already willing to go to the extent of renouncing their identities asbat masters just to join them? "Just what kind of spell did that Zhang Xuan cast over them? This wont do... I must teach those arrogant fellows a lesson!" an elder roared furiously as he stood up. The head of the Fist Division, Chen Zhuqing! He was the most hot-headed individual amongst the Ten Division Heads, so he was the first to lose his temper upon hearing that his subordinate had been beguiled and poached by a measly little organization from a vassal Tier-1 Empire. "Ill go with you!" Another elder stood up as well. The head of the Footwork Division, Lu Wangqiu! Lu Wangqiu was a good friend of Chen Zhuqings, and he knew about thetters fiery temper. Thus, he felt that it would be best for him to tag along so as to defuse the situation if required to. Besides, even though he was much more rational than Chen Zhuqing, he shared the same thoughts as thetter, so he wanted to see what was going on too. "If possible, try to avoid any conflicts. Zhang Xuan might only be the principal of a Tier-1 Master Teacher Academy, but he has close ties with Wu shi and the others from the Master Teacher Pavilion. More importantly, hes Zheng Yangs teacher... It would suffice to teach him a lesson so that he understands that the Combat Master Hall isnt to be trifled with, theres no need to make this matter bigger than it is!" Hall Master Xing instructed. As fellow master teachers, there was no need for them to fall out with one another. Such a thing wouldnt benefit either of them. Not to mention, Zhang Xuan was even the teacher of that incredible genius, Zheng Yang! Zheng Yang was a rare genius that emerged only once every few millennium, so there was a very good chance that he could clear the examination and be their Progeny of Combat. If that were to happen, as Zheng Yangs teacher, Zhang Xuans standing would soar beyond measure as well. Thus, it was best to avoid offending him, or else it could turn out bad for them in the future. While Zhuo Qingfeng and the others had reported Zhang Xuan to be an extraordinary genius as well, the information which the Combat Master Hall had regarding thetters capability was severely limited as thetter rarely made a move. As such, they didnt think that Zhang Xuan would be more formidable than Zheng Yang. Even though Zhang Xuan was Zheng Yangs teacher, it didnt necessarily mean that Zhang Xuan would be more talented than Zheng Yang. After all, the main job of a teachery in rifying doubts and guiding the students towards the right path. It wasnt too rare to see students surpassing their teachers. "Rest assured, Hall Master Xing." "We know what we to do!" The two hall masters replied before leaving the room. Their departure left the room plunging into silence. At this point, the group was still unable to ovee the fact that the infallible Combat Master Hall was actually outdone by a rural organization... This was something unthinkable to them. "Actually, this isnt necessarily bad for us. Our Combat Master Hall has been in a lofty position for too long, so this might be a good opportunity to dispel thecency amongst our members..." Noting the low morale in the room, Hall Master Xing consoled with a smile. "Un." The crowd nodded. Indeed. The Combat Master Hall was too used to being in a higher position than others, and this matter could make their members understand that even the Combat Master Hall wasnt infallible. "Division Head Chen is a little hot-headed, but with the rational Division Head Lu with him, nothing bad should ur... We should make sure to question those rascals thoroughly when they return so as to find out why they would rather renounce their identities asbat masters just so that they could join the Xuanxuan Faction!" "There would be nothing for us to say if thebat masters have chosen to stay in the Xuanxuan Faction by its own merit, but if the Xuanxuan Faction has resorted to bribery and beguilement... Hmph, we will have to report it to the Master Teacher Pavilion and have them deal with those ck sheeps!" "To attempt to poach our members, that Zhang Xuan sure is brazen!" ... The various division heads and elders harrumphed with wintry faces. While the others were still discussing the matter, Division Head Zhen Ying took out his Communication Jade Token and said, "The both of them have already arrived at the manor, and they are currently in the midst ofmunicating with the members of the Xuanxuan Faction..." Division Head Chen had sent a message over to report their progress. "Tell Division Head Chen to bring those rascals over here right after hes done. I wish to question them personally to find out what happened!" Hall Master Xing said. "Alright!" Division Head Zhen Ying nodded as he raised his Communication Jade Token to write on it. In that moment, a burst of light suddenly shed from his Communication Jade Token, and a line of words surfaced on it. Division Head Zhen Ying lowered his gaze to take a look at the newly-arrived message, and with just a look, his body stiffened for the third time. "You... What has happened this time around? It cant be that the other members still refuse to return even though two division heads have headed there personally to pick them up?" Hall Master Xing asked coldly as an air of hostility emanated from him. For the Xuanxuan Faction to refuse to release their men even when they had already dispatched two of their division heads, werent they looking down on them a little too much? "Thats not it..." Division Head Zhen Ying quickly shook his head. With utter disbelief and shock reflected in his eyes, he mumbled with quivering lips, "It seems like Division Head Chen and Division Head Lu... have joined the Xuanxuan Faction as well! They said that they wont be returning to the Combat Master Hall for the time being..." Pu! "What did you say?" "The both of them... have joined Xuanxuan Faction as well?" The crowd was frenzied by what they had just learned. Those who went to the Xuanxuan Faction to challenge them ended up joining them, and those who went to retrieve their missing members also decided to jump ships... Just what kind of sorcery did the Xuanxuan Faction possess for those who headed there to be unwilling to return? "Are you certain?" Hall Master Xings body was trembling uncontrobly. Completely overwhelmed by the situation, he didnt even realize that he had tugged away a huge chunk of his beard. He knew Division Head Chen and Division Head Lu very well. The both of them would never condone such matters, which was also why the both of them had volunteered themselves to head over there in the first time. So... how in the world did they end up joining the Xuanxuan Faction? "This..." The other elders and division heads nced at one another at a loss. "Everyone, follow me over to the manor. I want to see with my own eyes just what kind of charm has that Zhang Xuan cast over ourbat masters!" After a moment of tense silence, Hall Master Xing rose to his feet and flung his sleeves furiously. "Yes, Hall Master Xing!" The others nodded in agreement. To be honest, they were also perplexed as to why even the two division heads would choose to remain at the Xuanxuan Faction. Was the Xuanxuan Faction really that great? Leaving the hall, it didnt take long for them to be standing in the aerial space above the manor. "Look, they are all below..." Beneath their feet, they spotted Division Head Chen and Division Head Lu standing amidst a huge crowd. "Who of them is Zhang Xuan?" one of the division heads asked. "Zhuo Qingfeng has passed a painting of him to me, and it doesnt seem like hes amidst the crowd..." Hall Master Xing shook his head. He had scanned the entire surroundings with his Spiritual Perception right after he arrived at the area, but there wasnt anyone which fitted Zhang Xuans description. The situation was a little bewildering to him. If Zhang Xuan wasnt around, why did thebat masters choose to stay in the Xuanxuan Faction on their own ord? "Dont head down first. Lets watch what they are up to before we decide on what to do..." Hall Master Xing raised his hand to stop the others from making a move before focusing his senses on perceiving what was happening below. With his sharpened hearing, he could hear the voice of a male sounding below, "Little Chen, your fist art is actually not too bad. The main reason why you arent able to defeat me is because your mind is gued by too many misceneous thoughts. Fist art requires one to converge their mind, spirit, and psyche into a single point before bursting forth. In your current state, theres no way you will be a match for me!" "Little Chen?" The others also heard those words, and they nced at one another with twitching lips. It was one thing for a seventeen-year-old fellow to be talking to Division Head Chen with a lecturing tone, but to call him Little Chen on top of that... "Itll be easier for you toprehend it through a demonstration. Alright, suppress your cultivation to Nascent Saint pinnacle for a moment, Ill give you an example of what a decent punch should be like!" the young man said. "Alright!" Nodding, Division Head Chen suppressed his cultivation to Nascent Saint pinnacle. After which, he raised his fist, and an incredible aura burst forth from him. "That is... Division Head Chens strongest fist art, Ravaging Dragon In the Wild?" "That young man is going to suffer badly!" Seeing that Division Head Chen was going to use his famed move, the faces of thebat masters tensed. Boom! Two fists collided together, causing a powerful shockwave to ripple in the surroundings. Sou! In the next instant, Division Head Chen was sent flying. "Cough cough. I failed to hold myself back yet again, pardon me..." the young man scratched his head helplessly. "..." The crowd. Chapter 1105: Roughly Four Hours Chapter 1105: Roughly Four Hours Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Peng! Division Head Chen crashed heavily into the wall, causing his body to be covered in dust and dirt. After a series of violent coughing, he got back to his feet and flew back. Even though his face had paled from the injury he had just suffered, there was an inconceble excited gleam in his eyes. As the head of the Fist Division, it went without saying that his specialtyy in fist art. With the sheer prowess of his fist, he could easily crush opponents of higher cultivation realm than him. Yet, despite the young age of the fellow before him, he found that thettersprehension of fist art had reached a level far beyond his imagination. "How can I further improve my fist art?" Division Head Chen sped his fist and asked earnestly. It is not the senior but the skilled that bes the teacher. He might be the head of the Fist Division, and the other party might be younger and possess a lower cultivation than him, but it was indubitable that the other party was far beyond him in the field of fist art. It was no shame for him to lower his head and ask for the other partys guidance. "Your fist art looks decent, but itcks an indomitable spirit... If Im not mistaken, you must have cultivated quite a lot of battle techniques, right?" the young man asked. "Thats right. Altogether, I have cultivated 42 fist arts..." Division Head Chen replied awkwardly. In the past, whenever someone asked him how many fist arts he had learned, he would answer them with a proud look on his face. However, in this moment, he seemed to vaguely understand what the young man was driving at, and he couldnt help but feel a little embarrassed by it. "When ites to battle techniques, ones strength is determined by the mastery of ones technique, not the amount of techniques one have. Learning too many battle techniques may just result in ones mind, spirit, and psyche being divided. Ever since my teacher imparted me my fist art, I have been spending the past year refining that one single move so as to ensure that I have grasped it perfectly. Thats also the reason why my fist is able to wield such might. You have learned a total of 42 fist arts, but how much time are you able to devote to each of them?" the young man asked. "This... I spent roughly twenty years of each of them... I am nine hundred this year..." Division Head Chen scratched his head awkwardly. "..." Realizing that he had misspoke, the young mans face reddened, and he quickly changed the subject. "Time is not the only factor that matters in the cultivation of fist arts, devotion is very important as well. Alright, since you have joined our Xuanxuan Faciton, Ill impart you a trick as to how you can align your mind, spirit, and psyche together in order to maximize the might of your fist!" "Thank you!" Division Head Chens eyes lit up in agitation. "That youth is actually offering pointers to Division Head Chen?" "I can still hardly believe it at this point, but... that fist executed by the young man is truly too fearsome. I dont think that well be able to withstand it either!" The division heads and elders in the air were shocked by what they had just seen. Despite the young age of the person that was teaching Division Head Chen, they had to admit that his fist art was truly powerful. As martial arts fanatics themselves, they couldnt help but feel interested in it. "It should be out of his desire to learn that fist art that Division Head Chen decided to join the Xuanxuan Faction... But what about Division Head Lu?" After learning of the reason why Division Head Chen had jumped ships, the crowd couldnt help but turn their gazes towards where Division Head Lu was at. Standing in front of Division Head Lu was a youngdy which seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen too. Despite her young age, she had a delicately-shaped face that was extremely beautiful. The youngdy seemed to be saying something to Division Head Lu. Focusing their senses at their conversation, the group could vaguely hear what was being said between the both of them. "... Little Lu, your movement technique is not too bad, but its excessively mboyant. mboyant movement techniques can overwhelm the weak, making them err in panic. However, such a trick wouldnt work for experts. One will just appear as nothing more than a fool before their eyes!" With her hand behind her back, the youngdy spoke in a disappointed tone. "The main aim of movement technique is to allow one to close in on an enemy swiftly so as to catch him off guard, thus creating an opportunity to subdue him. Squandering all of ones zhenqi solely on producing illusions will only effectively make ones attack weaker than it should be! "Lower your cultivation to a realm higher than me, which is Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Ill show you what a movement technique should be like!" the youngdy said with a deep sigh. "Alright!" Division Head Lu nodded before suppressing his aura. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had been lowered to Saint 1-dan pinnacle. "Alright, lets begin!" Right at the start of the battle, Division Head Lus figure suddenly blurred, and five illusory clones appeared around him. Each of them felt lifelike, and they emanated the very same aura as one another, making it nigh impossible to figure out which was real and which was fake. "Thats Division Head Lus [Nine Shadows Step]!" "Upon mastering the Nine Shadows Step, one is capable of producing nine illusory clones simultaneously, making it an extremely fearsome technique to guard against. Even though Division Head Lu is only able to produce five of them due to his suppressed cultivation, it still wouldnt be easy to deal with that technique!" "So far, there has been very few people who have managed to ovee the might of the Nine Shadows Step..." "Even I would have to retreat and reconsider my moves before dealing with that movement technique..." ... Hall Master Xing and the others watched the situation with grim expressions on their faces. Saint 1-dan was the minimum cultivation required to execute the Saint low-tier Nine Shadows Step. The movement technique was greatly feared even within the Combat Master Hall itself, such that in a battle under the same cultivation realm, there was none of them who was capable of oveing it. "Prepare yourself, I am going to make a move..." While thebat masters were still awed by the sight before them, the youngdy suddenly spoke with a solemn voice. Following which, a figure blurred before everyones eyes, and it seemed as if a shadow had darted forth. In the next instant, however, the shadow seemed to have returned back to where it was. Padah! A resounding echo sounded, and the five illusory clones dissipated. Division Head Lus body was scrunched together reminiscent of a shrimp, and yellowish bile was spewing inrge mouthfuls from him. Judging from the looks of it, it seemed like the youngdy had struck his abdomen. "She... made a move?" Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, everyone felt their throats running dry. Even with their eye of discernment, they were unable to see the youngdys movements... Just how fast could she be? They had never imagined that a day woulde where the head of the Footwork Division would have his ultimate skill ovee by another movement technique... Terrifying! "Too fast... I am really no match for you. Young Miss, I beseech you to teach me..." After a long moment, Division Head Lu finally recovered from the blow. Struggling back to his feet, he looked at the youngdy before him in admiration before sping his fist earnestly. When he first heard that the members of the Combat Master Hall would rather join the Xuanxuan Faction than to return, he was extremely furious. Thus, as soon as he arrived, together with Division Head Chen, they challenged a few of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy students and defeated them all. It was around that moment that Liu Yang, who was currently teaching Division Head Chen at the moment, and Young Miss Wang, who was standing before him at this very moment, came out. The both of them suppressed their cultivation down to their levels, and yet, to their horror, they were unable to withstand even a single blow from them... It was then that they realized how powerful the Xuanxuan Faction was, and they couldnt resist the urge of wanting to learn from them as well. "The aim of a movement technique is fast, faster, and fastest. As long as ones speed is beyond a certain mark, the rest wouldnt be a problem anymore..." the youngdy exined. After listening to her lecture, Division Head Lu couldnt help but feel impressed. The other partys exnation delved straight into the essence of movement technique, leaving him feeling deeply enlightened. The various notions which had be walls that limited his fighting prowess seemed to have shattered after hearing her words. To think that despite studying movement technique for several centuries, hisprehension of movement techniques would turn out to be beneath that of a youngdy. It was truly a huge embarrassment. Sighing deeply, Division Head Lu was just about to speak when he suddenly heard Division Head Chens exmation not too far away. "Hall Master Xing, you are here too! Come down, lets join the Xuanxuan Faction together..." Astonished, Division Head Lu quickly raised his gaze, and it was only then did he notice Hall Master Xing and the other elders and division heads presence. As the group had been standing quite a distance away, and the yahd also used their Primordial Spirits to conceal their aura, not even Division Head Lu had noticed their arrival. "Indeed,e down here and join us. The members of the Xuanxuan Faction truly have an insightful and refreshing perspective towardsbatbat. At the very least, its far more profound than the knowledge that we impart within the Combat Master Hall! We should all join the Xuanxuan Faction and further our fighting prowess together!" Division Head Lu shouted with a bright smile. "This..." The lips of Hall Master Xing and the others twitched. They were still nning to observe the situation a little longer and decide on a feasible course of n before heading down. Yet, those two fellows actually shouted for them like that, betraying their presence... It would be deeply impolite for them to remain hidden under such circumstances, so they could only all get down. "I am the head of the Combat Master Halls Weapon Division. May I know who is skilled in weaponry? I can suppress my cultivation and have a fight with you!" Since they were already discovered, there was no need for them to hesitate any longer. The head of the Weapon Division flicked his wrist, and a spear appeared in his grasp. With a slight flick, a sound reminiscent of the call of a dragon echoed in the air. Knowing that the entire Combat Master Hall might just end up joining the Xuanxuan Faction if they didnt do anything at this point, they were left with no choice but to fight for the sake of their pride and honor! "Allow me..." the young man who was teaching Division Head Chen stepped forward. Liu Yang! While he specialized in fist art, he did learn spear art from Zheng Yang for quite a period of time. As for the other members of the Xuanxuan Faction, while they would suffice to deal with ordinarybat masters, they were still a littlecking to deal with the division heads. The previous battle that they had with Division Head Chen and Division Head Lu had already proven the point. It was due to their sessive losses that they ended up inviting them, the direct disciples of Principal Zhang, over. "Very well!" Seeing that the other partys cultivation was only at Half-Saint pinnacle, the head of the Weapon Division also suppressed his cultivation to the same level. Hu! Once that was done, he flicked his wrist, and his spear burst forth with incredible momentum. As expected of the head of the Weapon Division. Even before the spear could reach Liu Yang, the formidable wind pressure that it created as a result of its movement was already hard to withstand. Even though the head of the Weapon Division had suppressed his cultivation to Half-Saint, the might that he wielded with a spear was still something which not even a Saint 1-dan expert would be able to withstand. "Incredible..." "Division Head Zhous [Charge of the Roaring Dragon] is indeed formidable. As expected of the battle technique which boasts the greatest fighting prowess within the Combat Master Hall! Theres probably none in the same cultivation realm who could possibly face it head on!" "I have fought against him once, and he had used that technique against me. Back then, I could only quickly beguile him with my soul art before quickly making my escape... In a straight encounter, theres no way anyone would be able to withstand it!" "The same goes for me as well. I could only flee it for the time being and find a way to counterattack..." ... Hall Master Xing and the others nodded in approval. As the pride and honor of the Combat Master Hall was at stake here, they couldnt tolerate a loss here. Thus, it was relieving to see that the head of the Weapon DIvision, Division Head Zhou, resorting to his strongest battle technique right from the start. Even if they were the ones facing that battle technique, they had no confidence to say that they would be able to escape intact from it. Hu! While they were still chatting amongst one another, the young man made a move. The young man raised his spear and pushed it forward with incredible force. It wasnt a particrly exquisite or sharp move, but it pierced through the air in an instant. As a result of its incredibly swift movement, it looked as if the spear had been lengthened in midair, and in the blink of an eye, it appeared right before Division Head Zhou. Hu! The might of Division Head Zhous Charge of the Roaring Dragon dissipated entirely, and the tip of Liu Yangs spear stopped right before Division Head Zhous throat. In a single move, Division Head Zhou had been defeated! "Your spear art is much faster than mine. I have lost..." With a pale face, Division Head Zhous body froze. Even though he was the head of the Weapon Division, that move which the young man had utilized previously had already far surpassed his current means. He realized that he waspletely helpless before it. "Your spear art is not too bad. I only defeated you by exploiting an opening in your spear art..." Liu Yang said with a smile. "I have studied spearmanship for more than 842 years now, and I have always thought that I have already grasped the essence of the Way of Spear, and there is no peer who would be able to defeat me. Yet, who could have known that theres a mountain higher than the other..." Shaking his head, Division Head Zhou looked at Liu Yang and asked, "May I know... how long have you been practicing spearmanship?" "Roughly..." Liu Yang tried to calcte the duration which he had been learning spearmanship for. A momentter, he replied with a serious expression, "... Four hours!" "..." Pavilion Head Zhou. Chapter 1106: The Stifled Hall Master Xing Chapter 1106: The Stifled Hall Master Xing Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Division Head Zhou cried. As the head of the Weapon Division, he had dedicated his entire life to studying spearmanshipa whole eight hundred years! Even if the other party only had decades of experience with the spear, he still could have epted the oue. After all, everyone had a differing aptitude for spearmanship. There were simply some geniuses in the world who could easily achieve what others spent their entire lives pursuing within just several years. However, what the young man before him truly specialized in was fist arts! As for spearmanship, the other party had only practiced it for four hours, and yet, he was still defeated that easily. Seeing the twitching face of the old man before him, as if he was about to faint at any moment, Liu Yang couldnt help but feel a little guilty for traumatizing him. Thus, in hopes of lessening the blow, he quickly added, "This... Actually, I dont remember it clearly anymore. It could have been more than four hours." Back then, in order to face the Dragon Gate Formation of the Combat Master Hall, he, Wang Ying, and Zheng Yang had imparted their skills to one another unreservedly so that they would have more options to choose from. Due to the limited time they had, they could only quickly grasp as much as they could. Therefore, Liu Yang had allocated four hours toprehending the essence of spearmanship. No... Thinking back, it seemed like it should have been less than four hours... Was it three hours? Or perhaps two? He had been too engrossed in his training back then, so he could not quite remember it anymore. Liu Yang frowned. "Alright..." Seeing how the young man before him was consoling him with a troubled expression on his face, Division Head Zhou could not help but feel deeply stifled in his chest. Blood seemed to well up at the back of his throat, just a little push away from spurting from his mouth. Seeing that the head of the Weapon Division had been defeated, another elder stepped forward to challenge them. "I am the head of the Palm Division, Yan Qinghai. I would like to challenge you to a duel." "Palm Division?" Liu Yang frowned. With a nod, he stepped forward and said, "Alright, Ill be your opponent then..." Wang Ying stepped forward and interjected. "You just had a match, so you should take a rest for now. Ill face him." Not expecting Wang Ying to vie with him, Liu Yang shook his head. "But Senior, he specializes in palm arts. My fist art is a morepatible match for himpared to your leg art, so it will be better for me to fight him instead!" "I learned a palm art from Teacher recently, and I havent found an opponent to practice it with yet. I think this would be a good opportunity for me to give it a try," Wang Ying admitted. "Teacher also taught me that move too. I want to give it a try as well," Liu Yang replied. Wang Ying frowned in displeasure. "Well, you just had a match, so you must be exhausted by now. I think it would be good for you to take a rest first. It wouldnt do for you to lose and soil our teachers reputation." Liu Yang harrumphed in response. "Its not like you werent watching the previous round; it was no challenge at all! I didnt even use a thousandth of my zhenqi; that kind of depletion can be recovered within just two breaths! I would have to face a thousand of such opponents to actually be exhausted." "..." Division Head Zhou. "..." Division Head Yan. "..." The crowd from the Combat Master Hall. The heck! Cant you all show some respect for your opponents? We can hear every word you say over here, you know... No matter what, we are still top-notch experts from the Combat Master Hall. Dont you think its inappropriate for you to view us with such disdain? At the very least, you should spare some consideration for our pride and honor. "Fine fine, you are the senior, so your words count..." After a long argument, Wang Ying finally managed to suppress Liu Yang via her seniority and sessfully snatched the right to face the head of the Palm Division, Yan Qinghai. "Lets start!" With an excited look on her face, Wang Ying stepped up to Division Head Yan Qinghai and said, "I only learned my palm art recently, and I havent had the chance to try it on anyone yet. Im not too sure how itll turn out, so I ask of you to go easy on me." Hearing the argument between Liu Yang and Wang Ying had left Division Head Yan Qinghai on the verge of erupting. Thus, upon hearing her say such humble words at this moment, he could not help but think that Wang Ying was making fun of him. "Its toote for you to beg for mercy now!" With a furious roar, he raised his palm and executed his strongest trump card without any hesitation. Hong long long! The palm strike harnessed such incredible force that loud explosions sounded from thepressed air, causing the surrounding temperature to rise to a fearsome level. Saint low-tier battle technique, Palm of the Crimson Dragon! The Palm of the Crimson Dragon was named after the legendary Crimson Dragons, which were known to live within searingva. It harnessed the energy of pure yang, granting the palm strike the power to melt even steel. It was due to this technique that Division Head Yan Qinghai had be one of the top experts in the Combat Master Hall. Hu! Facing Division Head Yan Qinghais relentless assault, Wang Yings first instinct was to dodge with her movement technique, as per her usual strategy. However, recalling that her initial intention, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain rooted to the spot. Driving her zhenqi furiously, she executed the palm art that her teacher had imparted to her. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! ording to her teachers ount, it seemed like her teacher had also learned the palm technique not too long ago, and he had not had a chance to use it in battle, either. Nevertheless, based on her understanding of the technique, it seemed like it wielded strength beyond measure. The two palms collided. Sou! " Ahh... " With a cry of agony, Division Head Yan Qinghais figure was sent retreating into the distance. He swiftly broke the seal on his cultivation and recovered his strength back to its peak, thus allowing him to steady his figure midair. Nevertheless, his face still paled from the previous impact. "Did you really just learn this palm art? You have never used it in battle before?" Division Head Yan Qinghai asked with a look of disbelief. "Indeed. On our way to Qingyuan City, my teacher said that he had recently learned a new palm art, so he imparted it to us and instructed us to practice it well. However, the cultivation of the palm art turned out to be more troublesome than I thought. The practitioner has to build up their emotions in order to draw out the true prowess of the technique, but that can be difficult to pull off in the midst of a battle. So, after cultivating it for a while, I thought that it was rather meaningless, so I never really used it afterwards!" Wang Ying replied. The greatest w in the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palmy in the necessity to build up ones emotions in order to enter the ideal state of mind to draw forth the strength of the technique. However, despite Wang Yings strength, she was only a teenager, and limited by her experiences, she was unable toprehend true sorrow. Thus, after cultivating it for a while, she felt that it was too troublesome and decided to shove it away altogether. "Meaningless? You decided to seal away such a powerful palm art just like that?" Division Head Yan Qinghai widened his mouth in shock. There was an indescribably stifling sensation in his heart that left him feeling choked up within. He had only traded one blow with the youngdy before him, but with his eye of discernment, he could tell that the palm art she had executed was far stronger than every single battle technique he knew of! Such a powerful technique, and yet, the youngdy said that its cultivation was troublesome and meaningless. Unable to hold it any longer, Division Head Yan Qinghai took in a deep breath and, with a reddened face, asked hesitantly, "Can you... impart this palm art to me?" "Of course! Our teacher is a magnanimous person, and he would never hesitate to teach those who are willing to learn. If you truly wish to learn the palm art, I can impart it to you right now..." Wang Ying had never learned such a troublesome battle technique ever since she started cultivating. Not only did it require her to align her mind, spirit, and psyche, she even had to build up her emotions and immerse herself within it during its execution. That was too troublesome! In her view, such a troublesome technique probably wouldnt be too powerful or practical inbat. Thus, there was no harm imparting it to the other party. "Y-you are really... willing to impart it to me?" Division Head Yan Qinghai widened his eyes in shock. A momentter, he took in a deep breath, assumed a grave expression, and dered, "From now on, I am a member of the Xuanxuan Faction as well. Anyone who tries to advise me to leave here shall be my sworn enemy!" "..." Hall Master Xing. "..." The other division heads. There was a long silence drifting in the air before another elder finally stepped forward. "I am Division Head Wu of the Footwork Division. Is there anyone who is willing to face..." However, before Division Head Wu could finish his words, Hall Master Xing stepped forward and said, "Enough. I see that our two friends over here are already exhausted from all the fighting they have done, so lets call it a day." "Hall Master Xing..." There was a hint of anxiety in Division Head Wus words. Arent we here to cause trouble? How can we give up right now? "Cough cough. Division Head Wu, lets just call it a day. In any case, those from the Xuanxuan Faction will stay here for a couple of days, so we have more than sufficient time to exchange insights with them," Hall Master Xing replied. At this rate, he might very well find all of his division heads bing members of the Xuanxuan Faction! How humiliating it would be for him if that happened! After a long moment of silence, Division Head Wu could only sigh deeply and reluctantly give up on the idea. "Alright then..." The battle techniques that the two youths had utilized were simply too astounding. Even he could not help but feel tempted to learn them as well. However, the look on Hall Master Xings face clearly showed that he would go into a frenzy if another division head jumped ship to the Xuanxuan Faction. It seemed like he would just have to sneak back hereter in the night. After holding back the tempted division heads for the time being, Hall Master Xing turned to Liu Yang and Wang Ying and asked with a smile, "These two friends over here, may I know where Principal Zhang currently is?" "Our teacher went out early in the morning, and he hasnte back yet," Wang Ying replied. "He hasnte back yet?" Hall Master Xing nodded. "I see. Tell him that Ill be paying a visit soon to discuss the details of the exchange." "Alright, Ill ry your words to him." Wang Ying nodded. "Un. Well be taking our leave now." After saying those words, Hall Master Xing left with the manor with the few remaining division heads and elders without any hesitation. He rushed all the way back to the Combat Master Hall, and it did not take long for him to return to the Elder Conference Hall. Everyone took their seat, and a queer silence permeated the air. In this trip, not only had they failed to bring back theirbat masters from the Xuanxuan Faction, they had even lost two more division heads. With this, only six was left of the initial Ten Division Heads. To make matters worse, there was an excited gleam within the eyes of several division heads, which hinted that they might defect very soon. To think that his initial thought was to draw in fresh talents from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy into the Combat Master Hall during the exchange. Yet, before he could draw in a single person, the other organization had already taken in so many of their men. The more Hall Master Xing thought about the matter, the more stifled he felt. After the silence lingered long enough, Hall Master Xing took a look at the faces before him and asked, "What are your views on the matter today?" "This... The Xuanxuan Faction is indeed extraordinary in its own way. If Im not mistaken, those two youths who faced Division Head Yan and Division Head Zhou should be Principal Zhangs direct disciples. The battle techniques that they executed were truly impressive!" "Indeed, indeed! This is my first time seeing someone oveing Division Head Chens fist art with sheer force! That young mans spear art is also very impressive as well, I never could have imagined that Division Head would be defeated in a single move!" "To be honest, the palm art executed by the youngdy is the most profound and powerful battle technique I have seen. That palm strike that she executed wasnt just powerful, it gave me a feeling that I was sinking deep into the crevices of space, preventing me from dodging the attack..." ... The several division heads and elders in the room discussed excitedly. "Cough cough!" Hall Master Xing clutched his aching chest in despair. He was asking them to offer suggestions to resolve the current quandary they were in, but... those faces filled with admiration and excitement... What the heck? Was the heritage of their Combat Master Hall really beneath that of a mere Master Teacher Academy? "Enough! This meeting is adjourned!" Knowing that the division heads and elders were still overwhelmed by the battle techniques they had witnessed at the Xuanxuan Faction, he realized that they were in no state to be discussing the matter, so he waved his hand and sighed deeply. "Yes!" The division heads and elders rose from their seats and bowed deeply to him before backing out of the room. Soon, silence returned to the room. At this moment, only Hall Master Xing and an elder were left. The elder was the head of the mysterious Heart Division of the Combat Master Hall, Liao Bujin. "What is your view of the matter?" Hall Master Xing asked. "Hall Master Xing, I dont think that this is necessarily bad news for our Combat Master Hall!" Division Head Liao replied. "You think that this matter could be beneficial for us?" Hall Master Xing frowned. Why did he feel so skeptical at those words? "Undeniably, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction possess a terrifyingprehension ofbat. It is inevitable that ourbat masters, who seek to advance their fighting prowess, have been seduced by their strength. However, as much as it is a threat, this is also a good opportunity for us as well. If we could absorb the Xuanxuan Faction into our Combat Master Hall, it will only be a matter of time before we are able to surpass the Combat Master Halls of other Conferred Empires!" Division Head Liao said. "This... I also get the logic, but judging from the current circumstances surrounding the Xuanxuan Faction, will they be willing to join the Combat Master Hall?" Hall Master Xing shook his head dejectedly. "Actually, that isnt a difficult problem to resolve. From what I can see, they are deeply loyal to Principal Zhang. Thus, if we can convince Principal Zhang to join the Combat Master Hall, I dont think that we will have any trouble absorbing the Xuanxuan Faction as well!" Division Head Liao said with a smile. "This..." Hall Master Xing was stunned for a moment before slowly nodding. What Division Head Liao said was indeed true. If they could convince Zhang Xuan to join the Combat Master Hall, they would be able to turn the threat of the Xuanxuan Faction into a blessing instead, and their forces would be stronger than ever! But... Bringing Principal Zhang into the Combat Master Hall did not seem like an easy feat! "Hall Master Xing, with your current Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivation, if you could just find a powerful spirit awakener to nourish your soul and make it even more wholesome, you might just be able to clear the Trial of Inner Demons of the Heart Division and obtain that secret art," Division Head Liao said with a sharp glint in his eyes. "By then, no one at the same cultivation realm will be a match for you! With that, you can challenge Principal Zhang to a duel with him joining the Combat Master Hall as the stake... If it works out, it will just be a matter of time before our Combat Master Hall rises to glory!" Chapter 1107: Cang Xu Chapter 1107: Cang Xu Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "The highest secret art of the Heart Division is a technique left behind by the founder of the Qingyuan Combat Master Hall. Of the many generations of hall masters, only five have seeded in clearing the Trial of Inner Demons to acquire the technique." Hall Master Xing frowned. "It wont be easy..." Division Head Liao was right. If he could master the greatest secret art of the Heart Division, he would be peerless in his ss. No matter how powerful those from the Xuanxuan Faction were, they would still be no match for him. The Heart Division was the most mysterious division of the Combat Master Hall. Instead of cultivating their body, soul, or battle techniques, their main focusy in cultivating their heart and oveing the fearsome Inner Demons within them. If one could clear the Trial of Inner Demons, they would be able to acquire the greatest secret art left behind by their founder, thus making one peerless in ones ss. Of course, Hall Master Xing had considered taking the trial before, but each time, he had ended up shying away out of fear. The trial was simply too difficult, such that only the greatest of geniuses among the preceding hall masters had seeded in clearing it. "I know that it wont be easy, but... we dont have any other choice! Judging from the state of the remaining division heads, most of them will probably end up joining the Xuanxuan Faction as well. If that happens, we will be nothing more than an empty shell, and the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall will be a joke in everyones eyes!" Division Head Liao said bitterly. He also knew that it would be nigh impossible to aplish it, but they were already cornered. At this point, they did not have any other choice. Hall Master Xing sighed deeply. He knew that at this rate, it would only be a matter of time before their Combat Master Hall effectively became a subsidiary of the Xuanxuan Faction. With his influence, he was still able to suppress the news for the time being. However, as the saying goes, paper cannot hope to contain fire. It was only a matter of time before the news was leaked and became known to the public. For the great Combat Master Hall to be a subordinate organization of a student faction of a Tier-1 Empire... He would never be able to raise his head in public anymore! The inept Hall Master Xing would be aughingstock in all other Combat Master Halls! More importantly, the Convention of Combat Masters among Conferred Empires was just around the corner... Nothing could be allowed to happen at this critical period! "Hall Master Xing, we are already standing right at the cliff. We have no choice but to give it a try," Division Head Liao persuaded. Taking a deep breath, Hall Master Xing nodded grimly. "Youre right. No matter what, Ill have to give it a try." The situation at the Combat Master Hall was not too optimistic. The Trial of Inner Demons was dangerous, but at the very least, it was not fatal. Currently, this was the best shot they had. "Guild Leader Ruan and Vice Guild Leader Chen of the Spirit Awakener Guild are my friends, so I can bring you to them. As long as they assist us, your Primordial Spirit will be able to be more wholesome, and clearing the Trial of Inner Demons shouldnt be too difficult!" Division Head Liao said. "Ill be troubling you then, Division Head Liao!" Hall Master Xing nodded in gratitude. Although spirit awakener was only a supporting upation, their expertise in the field of Primordial Spirits and souls were indeed valuable to cultivators. With their help, his Primordial Spirit could be made more wholesome, thus making his mind more focused. With that, he would be less vulnerable to the beguilement of the Inner Demons. There were also many Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts who would engage the help of spirit awakeners so that their minds would not be crushed by the excruciating pain of the lightning tempering their soul during the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. Based on the statisticspiled by the Combat Master Hall, the probability of Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivators clearing the Leaving Aperture Ordeal was only 10%, but with the help of a spirit awakeners, the probability could be raised to 30%! It was for this reason that spirit awakeners were so highly sought after, the demand highly exceeding the supply. In fact, despite not being ssified as a unique upation, the Spirit Awakener Guilds main headquarters held a prestigious standing in the Master Teacher Continent. The influence it wielded was on par with even the stronger Sage ns. After all, the stronger one became, the heavier ones Inner Demons would be. The ability of spirit awakeners in tempering the soul and making it more wholesome in itself made them an organization that most powers wanted to befriend. It was said that there were at least six powerhouses in the continent who had dered that anyone who became an enemy of the Spirit Awakener Guild would have to face them as well. Not only so, there were also many experts in the Master Teacher Pavilions main headquarters who had specially joined the Spirit Awakener Guild to learn spirit enchantment as well, thus furthering the Spirit Awakener Guilds sphere of influence. It was for this reason that despite the rtively weak fighting prowess of the upation, not even the Combat Master Hall dared offend them. "Alright, lets go!" Division Head Liao nodded. Having made up their minds, the duo stepped out of the Elder Conference Hall and flew straight for the Spirit Awakener Guild. ... In the Spirit Awakener Guild, Zhang Xuan followed behind Guild Leader Ruan and the others with a sheepish look on his face, and soon, they arrived in a spacious room. After taking their seats, Guild Leader Ruan turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "May I know how I can address you?" Zhang Xuan had not introduced himself to anyone in the Spirit Awakener Guild, so not even Vice Guild Leader Xu knew of his name. "I am Zhang..." Zhang Xuan was just about to say his name when he paused for a brief moment. Then, with a refreshing smile, he continued, "Cough cough, I am Sun Qiang!" Considering how he had caused so much trouble here, bringing the other partys guild building to life, it would be best if he did not reveal his name. Otherwise, if they were to raise theirints with the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, how would he ever be able to raise his head before the students again? "So, youre Sun gongzi!" Guild Leader Ruan pondered for a moment, but there was not a person she knew of in the Combat Master Hall who fit the criteria. Perplexed, she asked, "Sun gongzi, you arent from our Qingyuan City, right?" "Thats right. I just arrived in Qingyuan City not too long ago," Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. "I see!" Guild Leader Ruan also nodded. "Back to the topic at hand, the reason we invited gongzi over is because we have something that we require your help on. You have enchanted our guild building and brought it to life. In light of that, we hope that... you can tame it and pass over its ownership to us, or else... you can just join our Spirit Awakener Guild and be one of us!" "Join the Spirit Awakener Guild?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I am a master teacher, so Im afraid that it would be inappropriate for me to join other guilds. Ill help you tame the guild building instead. However... I am not too sure how I can go about doing it, so Ill need you to guide me along." It was really an ident that he had enchanted the entire guild building! How could he have known that the ck pir was part of the supporting structure of the building? It was at the same spot as where the examination puppets were on the previous floors, so he had thought that it was part of the examination as well. Who would have thought that the entire guild building woulde to life instead? Hearing the young man turn down her invitation, Guild Leader Ruan could only shake her head in disappointment. "Actually, it isnt too difficult. Sun shi, you just have to draw out the awakened spirit of the guild building and have it contract with me!" To be honest, the other partys ability to sessfully enchant the entire guild building without going through proper training showed that he possessed unparalleled aptitude for spirit enchantment! It was a real pity that the other party was a master teacher, not to mention, a male! Otherwise, she would have surely rmended him to the main headquarters! Even though the Spirit Awakener Guild had men, they were in the minority. The entire lineage, and that was including their founder as well, was dominated by females. No matter how talented a man was within their guild, it would be hard for him to enter the top echelon. "I see." Zhang Xuan nodded. "That shouldnt be a problem at all." Just as the other party had said earlier, the guild building possessed deep loyalty to him as he was the one who had awakened its spirit. As long as hemanded it so, its spirit should be willing to contract with Guild Leader Ruan. "Ill be troubling Sun shi then!" Guild Leader Ruan replied with a smile. "Lets do it outside. The sealing of the contract requires both parties to face one another, so it would be impossible to do it in here." The sealing of the contract required the spirit of the guild building to offer a portion of its spirit to her, and their location was not suited for it, considering that they were currently in the stomach of the guild building. Thus, the four of them flew out of the room and gazed at the guild building face-to-face in midair. Due to the movements of the guild building after it came to life, huge cracks had emerged on the tidy streets, and the civilians in the area had long evacuated as far as they could, leaving behind only a few dozen rtively powerful spectators in the vicinity. Their gazes were centered on the guild building as well, seemingly intrigued by how such a huge building had suddenlye to life. Noting that the three guild leader and vice guild leaders were standing behind him, Zhang Xuan said sheepishly, "Let me trymunicating with its spirit." He turned his gaze toward the building, and using his means as a spirit awakener, he tried to establish contact with the spirit within it. Hu! Seemingly having heard Zhang Xuans calling, the building shook slightly as it raised its head once more. Seeing that it was possible tomunicate with the building, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He began discussing the matter of having it contract with Guild Leader Ruan. While Zhang Xuan was in the midst ofmunicating with the building, hidden in an alley not too far away from the Spirit Awakener Guild, a white-haired elder was ring at him with hateful eyes. "That is the man who injured you?" Standing beside that white-haired elder was another old man. The old man had a moustache shaped like the ˡ character, his eyes were nted diagonally, and there was a crimson scar on his be that was eerily reminiscent of a closed eye. "Yes, thats him! You must kill him and have his corpse torn to shreds, or else Ill never be able to quell the anger in my heart!" the white-haired elder spat with tightly gritted teeth. He was the Flitting Earth Bandit of the Northern Meadows, Dao Kou! He had been knocked out by Zhang Xuans punch previously, and after regaining consciousness, he had found himself unable to forgive that arrogant young man. Thus, he had gone to seek out the old man beside him and brought him over. Naturally, the old man was the other member of the Twin Bandits, Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu! Cang Xu was a Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert, and it was due to his overwhelming strength that the Twin Bandits enjoyed such great fame in the Northern Meadows. "Dont worry. No matter who he is, I will have his soul crushed for daring to hurt my brother!" Cang Xu harrumphed coldly. "However, based on what you said earlier, it seems like that person is a master teacher. His Saint 1-dan cultivation isnt a threat at all, but the Master Teacher Pavilion wille after us if it is found that we have killed a master teacher!" The Master Teacher Pavilion was not a power to be trifled with. Even for just a 4-star master teacher, one could only report him to the Master Teacher Pavilion and have them deal with him. If one were found to have harmed a master teacher of their own ord, they would be severely punished for their actions! Once the Master Teacher Pavilion made a move, there was no one in the continent who could get away unscathed, let alone the both of them! Dao Kou harrumphed. "So what if hes a master teacher? As long as you use your secret art, you should be able to get rid of him discreetly. The Master Teacher Pavilion will never be able to link his death to you!" "You shouldnt underestimate the prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion. If they really try to investigate the matter, they will surely be able to uncover the truth. However... a mere Saint 1-dan small fry wont be worthy of them putting much effort into the matter!" Cang Xu sneered. As long as the Master Teacher Pavilion put its mind to it, it would be able to uncover the truth of even the most discreet of murders. However, the time, manpower, and resources that would have to be spent on it would be extremely great as well. Even if it was through a surprise attack, the fact that the young man had been able to knock out Dao Kou in a single punch hinted that his standing in the Master Teacher Pavilion should not have been too low. But that still would not be sufficient to justify the Master Teacher Pavilion paying such a heavy price to investigate his death! "As you know, I was only barely able to learn the secret art with the guidance of an elder. I cannot afford to be interrupted in the midst of the technique, or else I will suffer a severe rebound. I will need you to protect meter on while I try to snatch his soul," Cang Xu said. His secret art was, in fact, a soul art that he had found in an ancient domain. It was capable of killing another discreetly, making it extremely difficult to guard against. It was through such means that they were able to dominate the Northern Meadows, with none daring to get on their bad side. Dao Kou nodded. "Dont worry, Ill guard you!" "Un." Cang Xu nodded back. "The secret art only works when I am in within three hundred meters of the target. We will have to find a quiet spot a little closer to the Spirit Awakener Guild." Chapter 1108: Pummeling the Guild Chapter 1108: Pummeling the Guild Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As fearsome as the secret art was, it had its limits, too. It was best to execute it within a distance of three hundred meters so as to ensure its effectiveness. As Primordial Spirit realm experts, they were able to conceal their aura and hide their presence easily. In the blink of an eye, they had already made their way over to another alley not too far away from the Spirit Awakener Guild without catching anyones attention. After swiftly assessing the distance, Cang Xu noted that it was precisely three hundred meters, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at Zhang Xuan in the sky with narrowed eyes as he said menacingly, "Lets do it here!" "Alright!" Dao Kou nodded as he warily scanned the surroundings. Cang Xu would be in a vulnerable state while he was executing the secret art. He would not be able to move, so someone had to protect him during that period. As Cang Xu took a seat on the ground, he drove his zhenqi furiously. Blood suddenly began seeping from the crimson scar on his be, producing a hair-raising sight. Tzzzzzzz! A sinister killing intent slowly drifted from his be. Something that was reminiscent of a Primordial Spirit floated above his head, and it slowly morphed into the shape of a mini altar. The mini altar had a peculiar form unlike any other. If Zhang Xuan had witnessed this scene, he would have immediately recognized the altar as identical to the one that he had snatched from the Jadeleaf King, except for the fact that it was much smaller. Upon seeing the appearance of the altar, Dao Kou heaved a sigh of relief. As mystical as his brothers secret art sounded, it was rather simple in theory. It involved using the cultivators Primordial Spirit as a medium to draw in the targets soul. Once this happened, the target, being deprived of their soul, would die unknowingly. It was troublesome to execute, but its valuey in how discreet it was. Even a 7-star pinnacle master teacher might not notice the attack even if it was happening right before his eyes! Weng! As Cang Xu drove his zhenqi, light shone from the altar, and a bizarre-looking figure emerged from it. The bizarre-looking figure made some peculiar movements simr to an awkward tribal dance to summon Zhang Xuans soul. Soft mutterings reminiscent of dream talk echoed in the air as a slight glow radiated from the altar. The slight glow, invisible to the eyes of others, slowly crept up and gathered around Zhang Xuans body, shrouding him entirely in it. Got him! Sensing that the other partys soul was within his grasp, Cang Xu smiled in excitement. He quickly used his Primordial Spirit to drag Zhang Xuans soul toward the altar. How can it be so heavy? A tug, and Cang Xu knew that something was amiss. For some reason, the other partys soul felt as heavy as a mountain. Despite his tug, it was not budging in the least! In this moment, he felt like a cricket trying to fell a tree. Cang Xu was perplexed. What is going on? With his strength as a Primordial Spirit pinnacle cultivator, even if he assaulted an expert of the same cultivation realm as him, he would still be able to easily drag the other partys soul toward him. Yet, how could the soul of that Saint 1-dan young man possibly be so heavy? I dont believe that I wont be able to pull him over. Narrowing his eyes, Cang Xu harrumphed coldly within as he tugged with even greater force. ... While Cang Xu was straining himself over there, Zhang Xuan was currentlymunicating with the spirit of the guild building. "Be a good boy and seal the contract with that nice auntie over there..." Zhang Xuanmunicated his thoughts over to the spirit of the guild building. Hula! Upon hearing those words, the spirit of the guild building suddenly rippled anxiously, seemingly expressing its opposition to the notion. It was the young man before it who had awoken its spirit, so naturally, it was only willing to submit to him. It was deeply reluctant to be contracted to another being other than him. "Hmm?" Just as Zhang Xuan was about to continue persuading the spirit of the guild building, he suddenly felt a light yank on his soul. The sensation... felt a little simr to being bitten by a mosquito or being tugged by a little child. He instinctively retaliated by pulling back on whatever was tugging on his soul, but before he could process what it was, the guild building before him suddenly leaped up furiously. Puhe! Due to the sheer size of the guild building, it was able to cover several hundred meters within a single leap. A resounding squish sounded beneath where itnded, and following shortly after was a shriek of agony simr to the sound of a pig being butchered. " Brother! " For some reason, Zhang Xuan found that shriek peculiarly familiar. Lowering his gaze, he saw Dao Kou, the man whom he had sent flying some time before, staring at the ground before him with a look of horror. And in front of him, an old man was crushed into a meat patty under the sheer weight of the guild building. While conducting the soul attack on Zhang Xuan, Cang Xu had been unable to move his body at all. Despite all the precautions he had prepared beforehand, he had never thought that the massive guild building would be able to move so energetically, and he ended up being crushed to death before he could even react. No one would have thought that the Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu, who had the entire Northern Meadows trembling in fear at his name, would end up dying at the hands of a building. "It really ended up trampling someone to death..." Zhang Xuans lips twitched as he watched his worst nightmaree to be. Previously, he had been thinking that if the guild building ran amok, someone would eventually be hurt. To think that it actually happened... Looking downward at the crying Dao Kou, he could not help but feel deeply apologetically. It was just a moment ago that he had beaten the other party up, and now, the guild building that he had awoken ended up crushing the other partys brother into a lump of meat. This fellow sure was unlucky! Swiftly flying downward, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, "My condolences. Rest assured, Ill teach this guild building a lesson!" "You bastard, Ill kill you!" However, for some reason, Dao Kou only seemed to be even more incensed upon hearing Zhang Xuans constion. With eyes reddened in anger, he roared furiously and charged forward. In his view, Zhang Xuan was the culprit who severely injured him and killed his brother, and his words appeared to be mocking him. Hatred clouded his mind, and he felt as if he would never be able to vent his anger unless he ripped the bastard in front of him into pieces. Boom! Before Dao Kou reached Zhang Xuan, an intense gust of wind tore through the area, and in the next moment, a massive figure suddenly came crashing down. Paji! Crushed under the guild, Dao Kou was ttened like a pancake, just like Cang Xu. "You..." Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in fury. Building, you are too much! How can you tantly murder others right before my eyes? Do you think Im blind? Unforgivable! Angered, Zhang Xuan flew up to face the guild building before raising his palm. Hong long! A massive palm print formed of zhenqi gathered before him before bursting forth toward the guild building. In face of Zhang Xuans wrath, the guild building whimpered indignantly, not daring to move in the slightest. ... Hu hu! Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao were making their way over to the Spirit Awakener Guild. While travelling, Division Head Liao had sent a message over to his acquaintances at the Spirit Awakener Guild through a Communication Jade Token. After reading the message that had just appeared on his Communication Jade Token, Division Head Liao informed Hall Master Xing with a troubled frown, "Guild Leader Ruan is currently in the guild, but... it seems like shes currently preupied with some matters at the moment. She might not be free to enchant your Primordial Spirit." It was a necessary formality for the head of the Combat Master Hall to send a notice before visiting the Spirit Awakener Guild. Otherwise, if there was no one there to receive him, it would not look good on Hall Master Xings part either. "Preupied?" Hall Master Xing frowned. "Tell her that Im willing to pay any price as long as she agrees to help me!" The matter concerning the Xuanxuan Faction was extremely urgent. He had to resolve it as soon as possible, or he would be risking the utter disgrace of the Combat Master Hall. In order to prevent that, Hall Master Xing was willing to pay any price he needed to. "Alright, Ill ry your words to her!" Division Head Liao swiped his finger on the Communication Jade Token, and a momentter, he frowned. "She says that... she really has urgent matters to attend to, and she wont be able help you today!" "What about the other two vice guild heads?" Hall Master Xing asked. "It seems like they are also with her," Division Guild Liao replied. "With her? What in the world are they up to?" Hall Master Xing flung his sleeves. "Tell them that our Combat Master Hall is willing to settle any problem they are facing as long as they are willing to nourish my Primordial Spirit!" "Alright, Ill try asking..." Knowing that this matter was of grave importance, Division Head Liao nodded and sent another message. A momentter, the Communication Jade Token in his palm glowed, and a line of words emerged. Upon seeing what was written on it, Division Head Liaos body stiffened, and he nearly fell from the sky. Hall Master Xing frowned. "Whats wrong?" "They said... They said..." the usuallyposed Division Head Liao stuttered. "They said that they are currently in the midst of watching someone pummel their guild!" Chapter 1109: Huge Trouble Chapter 1109: Huge Trouble Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hall Master Xing was stunned. For a moment, he thought that he had misheard. "What did you say? Pummel what?" Division Head Liao took another look at the words on his Communication Jade Token, and he replied with an indescribable expression on his face, "Pummel their guild..." "Guild? What guild?" Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in bewilderment. "Did Guild Leader Ruan offend some other guild?" "Thats not it. They are watching someone pummel their own guild... It seems like someone has seeded in enchanting the Spirit Awakener Guilds building, and the building hase to life!" Division Head Liao exined. "Someone enchanted the Spirit Awakener Guilds building?" Hall Master Xings lower jaw nearly fell to the ground. Even though he was not a spirit awakener, he also understood that therger an object was, the harder it would be to enchant it. Considering howrge the guild building was, it was bound to be far more difficult to enchant itpared to normal artifacts. For someone to actually sessfully enchant it... just which incredible spirit awakener could it be? "It seems to be the deed of a foreign spirit awakener who goes by the name of Sun Qiang," said Division Head Liao. "Sun Qiang?" Hall Master Xing frowned. Not knowing much about the Spirit Awakener Guild, the name did not ring a bell to him. A thought suddenly shed through Hall Master Xings mind, and he spoke with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Right! If that Sun Qiang person is able to enchant even the entire guild building, he will surely be more than capable of nourishing and stabilizing my Primordial Spirit, right?" "Youre right!" Division Head Liao nodded in agreement. He knew full well that even with Guild Leader Ruan and the other vice guild leaders proficiency in spirit enchantment, they were still incapable of enchanting something asrge as the guild building. Given that Sun Qiang was able to do it, it could only mean that his proficiency in spirit enchantment was far greater than theirs. If they could acquire his assistance, perhaps Hall Master Xing would really be able to clear the Trial of Inner Demons and obtain the heritage, thus resolving the crisis they were in! "Lets head over to take a look!" Agitated, the duo hastened their footsteps. It did not take too long for them to arrive at the Spirit Awakener Guild. There, they saw a young man wagging his finger furiously at the massive building while bellowing angrily. Meanwhile, the guild buildings long neck was lowered miserably. From time to time, it would nick the young mans robe, seemingly trying to appease him. "This..." Even though they had heard that someone had sessfully enchanted the Spirit Awakener Guilds building, it was still shocking to see it with their own eyes. Such a huge building was moving its body ceaselessly, and the paint and dust on it were tearing offyer afteryer, causing a cloak of dust to rise in the area. It was a truly fantastical sight. More importantly... that massive figure was actually fawning over the young man, trying its best to express its goodwill toward him. Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao could not help but feel as if their perception of the world had just copsed altogether. "Guild Leader Ruan, Vice Guild Leader Chen, Vice Guild Leader Xu!" Stepping forward, Division Head Liao greeted the threedies as he introduced hispanion. "This is the head of the Combat Master Hall, Hall Master Xing!" "Its pleasure to meet you. I have long heard of your name..." The three top brass of the Spirit Awakener Guild quickly greeted Hall Master Xing politely. "Pardon me. As fellow residents of Qingyuan City, I should havee over long ago to greet you all." After trading a few pleasantries, Hall Master Xing turned his gaze toward the young man before the guild building and remarked, "I dont think that I have seen Spirit Awakener Sun Qiang around before..." "He has just arrived at Qingyuan City not too long ago, and his proficiency of spirit enchantment is one that leaves even me deeply impressed. Hall Master Xing, if you truly hope to have your Primordial Spirit enchanted, it would be best for you to seek his assistance!" Guild Leader Ruan replied. Honestly speaking, the cultivation of Hall Master Xing was a little too high for her spirit enchantment to work well on his Primordial Spirit. "Ill have to trouble Guild Leader Ruan to introduce me to him then." Hall Master Xing quickly bowed. "I also only just got to know him a while ago, so Im afraid that theres nothing I can do if he refuses to help," Guild Leader Ruan said. At this moment, Division Head Liao could not help but ask, "Guild Leader Ruan, if I may just ask, why is Spirit Awakener Sun Qiang beating up the guild building all of a sudden?" This matter had left him deeply perplexed. Since the other party had sessfully enchanted the guild building, why was he pummeling it now? "As the guild building has just been enchanted, it is stillcking in its judgmental ability. Earlier, it crushed two people to death, and that has caused Spirit Awakener Sun Qiang to fly into a rage!" "It crushed two people to death?" Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao were taken aback. "Un. It crushed the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadow, Cang Xu and Dao Kou, to death earlier on..." Guild Leader Ruan swiftly filled Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao in on the matter. "The Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows have killed innumerable people in their time. Who would have thought that they would lose their lives here?" After hearing those words, the twobat masters were startled for a moment before shaking their heads at the capriciousness of the world. The Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows were notorious within the Qingyuan Conferred Empire. If not for the fact that they were often hidden amid the marsnds, they would have long been hunted down by others. Previously, the Qingyuan Empires emperor had dispatched a force to have them eliminated, but the both of them still managed to get away. Eventually, they could only drop the matter. Who knew that the both of them were brazen enough to step into Qingyuan City... and who would have thought that their lives would be ended beneath the feet of a mere building? Perhaps this was karma working its way around them. While their minds were still dwelling on the matter, they suddenly heard the bellow of the young man ahead of them. "Alright, stop acting pitifully here. Hurry up and seal the contract with Guild Leader Ruan!" Zhang Xuan was truly angry. As the saying goes, an untrimmed tree grows bent; an undisciplined man turns crooked! It was indeed true that the spirit of the guild building had just awoken, so it might not have understood much of the world. However, if it were to go undisciplined, wouldnt it go around killing others? Zhang Xuan had always avoided causing trouble wherever he went, so why would a spirit he enchanted turn out to be so undependable? How disappointing! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was angry, the guild building dared not utter the slightest word ofint. It indignantly stretched its slender neck toward Guild Leader Ruan. Very soon, the contract was sealed. "Thank you, Sun shi!" Having finally tamed the guild building, Guild Leader Ruan heaved a sigh of relief and sped her fist toward the young man. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually. "This fellow seems to have a bad temper, killing people on a whim. You have to keep a tight watch over it in the future!" "The Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows dont have too good of a reputation. In a sense, they deserved their fate. Rest assured, our Spirit Awakener Guild will deal with the matter, so Sun shi need not worry about it," Guild Leader Ruan said with a smile. The abrupt deaths of two Primordial Spirit realm experts could cause pandemonium, but this might just work out to be a blessing in disguise for the Spirit Awakener Guild. Even though most would not dare act against the Spirit Awakener Guild on the surface out of fear for its connections, its low fighting prowess paired with its wealth still made it an attractive target for most, and there were those who operated in the shadows against it. However, if others were to learn that its guild building had just stomped two powerful Primordial Spirit realm experts to death, many would be deterred from the idea ofying their hands on the guild. Such a matter could only be beneficial to them. Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "No matter what, they did die as a result of my doings. Here are two hundred high-tier spirit stones. If an opportunity arises, please hand it over to their offspring or kin!" Even though the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows hadmitted many evil deeds and deserved to die, it should not have been by his hands. After all, they had not done much to him yet. Thus, he could not help but feel a little guilty about having killed them. It had not been his intention to cause trouble. All he wanted to do was to remain the pretty boy he was in the background, but trouble just had to keep knocking on his door. Guild Leader Ruan hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Zhang Xuan had made up his mind, she eventually took the spirit stones from him and nodded. "This... Very well, we will handle this matter for you..." At that moment, she could not help but feel a tinge of admiration for the young man. He could have easily stood on the moral high ground and justified his actions through the immoral actions of the Twin Bandits, but he chose to acknowledge the portion of his sins in the matter as well. To stand up for what he did instead of making excuses, this was a true master teacher. Putting everything aside, Kong shi had also caused a fair bit of trouble back then. However, it was how he resolved those problems that won him the admiration of all, thus allowing him to eventually be respected as the Worlds Teacher. "Ill be troubling you then..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At this point, he suddenly remembered something and added, "I prefer to keep a low profile, so I dont want too many people to learn of this news. Thus, I hope that Guild Leader Ruan can help me keep a lid on the matter." "Low profile?" Guild Leader Ruans face twitched uncontrobly. You enchanted the guild building, bringing it to life, shortly after you arrived and even killed two Primordial Spirit realm experts afterwards... Is this your definition of low profile? Surely there is not a single person who is more high profile than you! However, since the other party had made such a request of her, Guild Leader Ruan still nodded and said, "Sun shi, rest assured. We will warn those in the area to keep silent about this matter." It was also to their benefit for this matter to remain an enigma to the public. It might cause others to mistakenly assume that the Spirit Awakener Guild had a powerful expert in their midst, and this would further ensure their security. "Sun shi, allow me to introduce you!" After chatting for a while longer, Guild Leader Ruan gestured Zhang Xuan over to two men standing not too far away. "These two men are the head of the Combat Master Hall, Xing Tianming, and the head of the Heart Division, Liao Bujin." "Head of the Combat Master Hall?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. One of the main reasons he came to the Qingyuan Conferred Empire was to lead the Xuanxuan Faction to an exchange with the Combat Master Hall. The date that they had agreed on was three days from now, so he had not really expected to see the other party there. "Thats right. Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao, this is Spirit Awakener Sun Qiang. He is a master teacher as well," Guild Leader Ruan said. "Master teacher?" Hall Master Xing looked at Zhang Xuan with a frown. For some reason, he found the young man before him weirdly familiar. "May I know which Master Teacher Pavilion Sun shi is from?" "I..." Zhang Xuan was just about to say that he was from Hongyuan Empire, but he quickly stopped himself before he could say those words. If he were to reveal that he was from Hongyuan Empire, it would not take long for Hall Master Xing to connect the dots and uncover his true identity. If so, he would risk being exposed publicly that he had used a fake alias, and that would make the situation even more awkward. "I have been wandering around with my teacher ever since I was young, so I havent joined any Master Teacher Pavilion branches yet. I only took my master teacher examination in a Tier-1 Empire Master Teacher Pavilion..." Zhang Xuan quickly changed his words. In the strictest sense, that could not be considered lying. He had not joined any Master Teacher Pavilions, and he had indeed been wandering around the area. "I see..." Hall Master Xing nodded. There were indeed quite a few itinerant master teachers who chose not to join a Master Teacher Pavilion, so it wasnt particrly shocking. However, considering the fact that the other party had not joined a Master Teacher Pavilion and yet could still wield such capability at his age, surpassing even Guild Leader Ruan and the others in the field of spirit enchantment, his teacher was bound to be no ordinary figure! After trading some pleasantries, Hall Master Xing finally popped the request with a look of anticipation. "I heard that Sun shis has a deep grasp over spirit enchantment, so I came here hoping for you to enchant my Primordial Spirit..." "Me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. In his studies, he did learn that spirit awakeners had the ability to nourish souls and Primordial Spirits, making them more wholesome. However, he had not thought that his first client would turn out to be... the head of the Combat Master Hall! "Yes. Ill be truly grateful if Sun shi edes to my request," Hall Master Xing quickly replied politely. "That isnt a problem. However... I have one artifact whose spirit is currently in a dormant state, and I need to wake it up first. If Hall Master Xing does not mind, may I ask you to wait for a moment while I treat it?" Zhang Xuan asked. Considering how the head of the Combat Master Hall hade over and earnestly made this request of him, he had no reason to turn him down. Besides, with the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, reinforcing the other partys Primordial Spirit was not a particrly difficult task for him. However, the Golden Origin Cauldron took priority over that. "This..." Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao frowned upon hearing those words, and they shot a nce at one another. Based on what they had heard, waking a dormant spirit was a particrly difficult feat to pull off even for a spirit awakener. More importantly, it was highly depleting on the spirit awakeners soul energy as well. It was very likely that the other party would not be able to conduct a spirit enchantment for many days after that, and their matter couldnt afford to be dyed. Hall Master Xing hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "Sun shi, may I speak with you privately?" Hearing those words, Guild Leader Ruan knew that they needed some space to discuss private matters, so she sped her fist with a smile. "I have just sealed the contract with the spirit of the guild building, so I still have to familiarize myself with it. Ill be taking my leave first..." Vice Guild Leader Chen and Vice Guild Leader Xu followed closely behind her. Seeing that the head of the Combat Master Hall wanted to speak privately with him, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and created an istion barrier around him before turning his gaze back to the other party. "May I know what matter it is that you wish to speak of?" Hall Master Xing gritted his teeth and said, "To be honest with you, our Combat Master Hall has been facing some huge problems recently. To deal with the threat at hand, I need to temper my Primordial Spirit as soon as possible so that I can clear the Trial of Inner Demons and raise my fighting prowess... or else, the consequences will be unimaginable! Thus... I hope to that Sun shi will enchant my Primordial Spirit first. For that, our Combat Master Hall is willing to fulfill any request that you have!" "Huge problems?" Zhang Xuan was startled. What kind of problem or enemy was the Combat Master Hall facing that left its head scrambling to raise his fighting prowess? It was unimaginable that there was an enemy that even the Combat Master Hall was unable deal with. Just what kind of prodigious figure were they up against? In that moment, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little apprehensive. It seemed like Qingyuan City was far more dangerous than he had thought! Chapter 1110: Truly Impressive! Chapter 1110: Truly Impressive! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Combat Master Hall was the guild that boasted the greatest fighting power within the Qingyuan Empire. Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion couldpare to it! Yet, even a power as strong as the Combat Master Hall was being forced to tread carefully, and judging from Hall Master Xings tone, it seemed like they had been backed into a corner, possibly at stake of beingpletely wiped out. Just the thought of it was sufficient to leave cold sweat dripping down his back! However, giving some deeper thought to it, Zhang Xuan felt that he might have been giving the matter too much thought. After all, if a disaster were to truly strike, news should have already spread far and wide. At the very least, as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he should have been privy to the news as well. As the old adage goes, no news is good news. Given that Hall Master Xing still had the time to drop by the Spirit Awakener Guild to have his Primordial Spirit enchanted, the problem did not seem to be too severe. "Pardon me, but may I ask what kind of problem the Combat Master Hall is facing? Perhaps, I might be able to help," Zhang Xuan said. Given how the Combat Master Hall had epted his request for an exchange readily, it was only right for him to reciprocate the favor and help them when they were in need. Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Hall Master Xings face reddened, and he quickly waved his hand. "Sun shi, thank you for your concern. However, it would be better for our Combat Master Hall to resolve this problem by ourselves. It will suffice if you can just help reinforce my Primordial Spirit so that I could sessfully clear the Trial of Inner Demons..." If others were to learn that the source of his trouble was a mere student faction from a Tier-1 Empire... he would never be able to raise his head anymore! He simply could not bring himself to speak of this matter to another soul outside of the Combat Master Hall! "This... Alright then!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Since he had already mastered the art of spirit enchantment, he could treat the Golden Origin Cauldron any time he wanted. Considering that the head of the Combat Master Hall had gone so far as to plead with him, he could not bring himself to turn the other party down. "Thank you, Sun shi!" Hearing the other partys agreement, Hall Master Xing was delighted. "Shall we find a better ce to do the spirit enchantment?" Due to the intricacies in enchanting a Primordial Spirit, it had to be conducted in absolute silence so that the spirit awakener would not be disturbed in the process. Considering that the guild building was running around at the moment, even killing two men at that, it did not seem like a fitting location to conduct the spirit enchantment. "This..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. It did seem like the guild building would take some time to quieten down. Furthermore, it was one thing for the spirit enchantment to fail, but if the guild building were to go on a rampage once more and stomp the head of the Combat Master Hall to death, he could see himself being apprehended and executed not too longter. "Our Combat Master Halls Heart Division has a formation that istes the space within from the external world. Why dont we head there instead?" Division Head Liao suggested. "Sounds good." Zhang Xuan nodded. In truth, he had also been nning to drop by the Combat Master Hall to take a look, and since the other party was inviting him over at this moment, there was no reason for him to turn them down. Also, it would be a good opportunity for him to assess the fighting prowess of thebat masters before mentally preparing the members of the Xuanxuan Faction for it. Otherwise, he would be put in a spot if that bunch were to get into trouble here. After bidding Guild Leader Ruan and the others farewell, Zhang Xuan followed Hall Master Xing back to the Combat Master Hall. The Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall was located not too far away from his amodation. It was a majestic building that exuded a powerful aura, deterring any troublemakers frommitting any foolishness. "It is even bigger than the Spirit Awakener Guild..." Zhang Xuan was astonished. He could not help but wonder. If I were to sessfully enchant this building, it would surely be able to run faster than the Spirit Awakener Guilds building... "Sun shi, this is our Combat Master Hall! Our Combat Master Hall is divided into Ten Divisions..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was looking around curiously, Division Head Liao began introducing the basic structure of the Combat Master Hall. "... and I am the head of the Heart Division!" "The Ten Divisions of the Combat Master Hall..." Zhang Xuan made a mental note. He had never really heard about it from anyone before. He would have to inform Ruohuan gongzi and the others of the matter so that they could take note of it during the exchange. "Footwork Division, Weapon Division, Palm Division, Fist Division... I can roughly fathom what those divisions are focused on, but what does the Heart Division specialize in?" Zhang Xuan asked with intrigue. It was not too difficult to guess what the other divisions did from their names, but what in the world was the Heart Division? "Actually, the Heart Division is the most important, as well as the most fearsome division in the Combat Master Hall!" The one who responded to Zhang Xuans question was Hall Master Xing. "Oh?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "One of the core responsibilities of the Combat Master Hall is to fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, the killing intent that Otherworldly Demons emanate is incredibly potent, and over time, it will slowly corrode ones mind and soul. In order to withstand their killing intent, it is of the utmost importance thatbat masters possess mental resilience far surpassing others. It is also for this reason that the Heart Division was founded"! Hall Master Xing exined. "As the saying goes, its the brave who survive an encounter on a narrow bridge. There are many cases where a cultivator possessing more condensed zhenqi, a more resilient physical body, and stronger soul energy ends up losing to an opponent far weaker than them! In a battle, its not only strength and technique that counts. More often than not, its a sh of wills as well, and the one with the stronger will is often the one standing at the end!" "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He could rte with that point of view as well. Taking himself for example, he had encountered plenty of opponents who were stronger than him in every aspect. However, be it the Scarletleaf King, Skyleaf King, or even Dao Kou, despite possessing the decisive advantage in a direct battle against him, they still ended up dying by his hand. Ultimately, this could be boiled down to the differing intensity of their wills. A cultivatorcking a strong will would find themself being beguiled or outmaneuvered by their opponent, thus eventually suffering an untimely death. That was not to say that cultivating ones body and zhenqi werent important, but it was only with a state of mind that was proportionately powerful with ones abilities would one be able to bring forth ones full strength. Looking Wang Ying for example, despite cultivating the Heavens Path Movement Art, herck of confidence still eventually resulted in her loss in the Teacher Evaluation back at Hongtian Academy. That matter had taught Zhang Xuan that he had to pay close heed to the mental development of his disciples as well. Even though Wang Ying was still a little shy in front of strangers, she was at least much more decisive than before. "The development of the mind is extremely important. Thebat masters of the Heart Division have a far firmer willpared to those from the other divisions, allowing them to stand unwaveringly before the temptations of the world," said Hall Master Xing. Of the two hundredbat masters who had joined the Xuanxuan Faction, there was not a single one that was from the Heart Division. In fact, while the other division heads were easily drawn by the benefits that the Xuanxuan Faction offered, Division Head Liao was the only one who had been able to retain hisposure, even calmly strategized a solution out of the quandary for him! All of this was a result of his cultivation of his state of mind. At this point, Hall Master Xing could not help but feel deeply regretful for neglecting to enforce the cultivation of the state of mind within the Combat Master Hall. If he had done that in the first ce, the Combat Master Hall might not have been cornered by the Xuanxuan Faction in the first ce. "The Trial of Inner Demons can be divided into many different levels, and the strength of the inner demon in each level differs from one another as well. By shing frequently with ones inner demons, one can temper ones will and reinforce ones state of mind!" Hall Master Xing exined. Zhang Xuan nodded. His will had be significantly more resilient after facing an inner demon during the Saint Ascension Ordeal, inducing a significant rise in his Soul Depth. Were it not for the inner demon being too weak, the benefits that he would have received could have been much greater than that! A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind, and his eyes lit up. "The Trial of Inner Demons sounds truly interesting. Could I give it a try as well to temper my will?" "Of course! Thats not a problem at all!" Hall Master Xing replied with a smile. "You have my gratitude!" Zhang Xuan thanked him with a smile in return. As long as he could withstand the temptation of the inner demons, he could elevate his state of mind to greater heights. Since the Trial of Inner Demons had such a function as well, it would be a waste not to use it! While they were chatting, the crowd walked into the Combat Master Hall. Behind the majestic building front was a cluster of buildings. They were clearly segregated into ten areas, which probably corresponded to each of the Ten Divisions. Division Head Liao led the way forward, and it did not take long for them to arrive in the Heart Division. Before them stood a huge, pitch-ck building with a bizarre design that was strikingly simr to a heart. From afar, it looked as if the heart was beating swiftly. "This is the Heart Division," Division Head Liao said as he led the way into the building. As soon as Zhang Xuan stepped into the building, he immediately felt rich spiritual energy gushing at him. Not only so, a unique atmosphere seemed to linger in the air within the building, bringing tranquility to ones heart. "We have set up a formation that gathers spiritual energy and calms the minds of those within the building. Sun shi, why dont you conduct the spirit enchantment for Hall Master Xing here?" Division Head Liao proposed as they arrived in one of the rooms in the Heart Division. Zhang Xuan nodded. The Heart Division was much quieter than the Spirit Awakener Guild, making its environment much more suitable for conducting a spirit enchantment. It would probably be much easier for him to wake the Golden Origin Cauldrons spirit here too. After finding a suitable area within the room, Zhang Xuan gestured to the spot before him and said, "Hall Master Xing, please take a seat." "Un." Knowing that this would determine whether or not they would be able to resolve the crisis that the Combat Master Hall was facing, Hall Master Xing quickly nodded and took a seat. "Calm your mind and focus your consciousness within your Primordial Spirit," Zhang Xuan instructed. "Alright." Hall Master Xing closed his eyes and centered his consciousness around his Primordial Spirit. In a moment, he entered a trance, reminiscent of a meditating old monk. Not bad! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up inmendation. It was just a moment ago that the other party had still harbored emotions of anxiety and apprehension, but in the blink of an eye, he had reined in his emotions entirely and freed up his mind. His control over his state of mind and emotions was truly terrifying. It seems like Wang Ying and the others still have a long way to go, Zhang Xuan remarked internally. Having learned the Heavens Path battle techniques from him, Wang Ying and the others could be considered invincible existences within their power ss. However, in terms of state of mind, they were nowhere on par with Hall Master Xing. The ability to control ones state of mind freely might not seem like much, but it could y a decisive role in battle. In controlled circumstances such as an official tournament, Zhang Xuan was confident that Wang Ying and the others would be able to achieve victory easily. However, if it was a fight to the death, the veteranbat masters would be able to y on their weak minds and make them panic, and this would inadvertently result in openings in their movements. This was inevitable. It was possible for Wang Ying and the others to advance their cultivation swiftly, but the same was clearly infeasible for their state of mind. Ultimately, they were still too young. In terms of mental resilience, there was no way they could rival the much older and experiencedbat masters. Zhang Xuan made a mental note. I really have to pay more attention to the cultivation of their state of mind... Those thoughts were swiftly tossed aside from his mind. He knew that this was not the time to be contemting such matters. Raising his gaze to face Hall Master Xing, he focused his mind as he slowly ced his palm down on the ground. Weng! A circle of light shrouded Hall Master Xing. Driving the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, Zhang Xuan warped his consciousness into a thin thread before carefully delving into the other partys mind. Enchanting an artifact was different from enchanting a Primordial Spirit. The former only required the spirit awakener to light up the mes of spirit within the artifacts consciousness, but as for the enchantment of a Primordial Spirit, the spirit awakener would have to extend his consciousness into the cultivators mind and slowly search for the ws and openings within it to repair. As Zhang Xuan approached Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, he could not help but widen his eyes in shock. Hes even more fearsome than the Skyleaf King... Regardless of whether it was the quality or the size, Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit had far surpassed that of the Skyleaf King! Considering that Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit was already far stronger than that of the Leaving Aperture realm Skyleaf King despite only being at the Half-Leaving Aperture realm, it was difficult to imagine how terrifying his might would be once he became a full-fledged Leaving Aperture realm expert! With such incredible strength, he should be able to withstand a third of my strength if he suppresses his cultivation to my level, Zhang Xuan thought in awe. Truly impressive! Chapter 1111: What a Long Rift Chapter 1111: What a Long Rift Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though the Skyleaf King had only been at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, his Primordial Spirit had already undergone the tempering of the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, bringing the strength of his Primordial Spirit to a whole new level. However, Hall Master Xing was only at Half-Leaving Aperture realm, but his Primordial Spirit was already far stronger than that of the Skyleaf King. This was truly frightening. Even so, provided that they were in the same cultivation realm, it was still impossible for Hall Master Xing to defeat him. After all, he had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and ascended to be a Celestial Saint. In his power ss, there were none who could possibly be a match for him. The fact that Hall Master Xing was able to withstand a third of his strength was already an incredible feat in itself. Let me see what kind of ws there are in his Primordial Spirit... Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began assessing the sight before him. The Primordial Spirit ahead of him had a transparent quality reminiscent of a perfect crystal. Any other spirit awakener in his ce would have been awed by the overwhelming might of the Primordial Spirit, but with the sharp gaze of Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight, he was able to easily find innumerable ws in the Primordial Spirit. There were many gaps that presented themselves in the form of depressions on the surface of the Primordial Spirit that would have prevented the flow of thought and power. In a way, it was simr to ss; while it seemed t and smooth to the human eye, one would find little bumps and depressions on it when ced under a microscope. The Eye of Insight was capable of peering through the essence of items. Even though the other partys Primordial Spirit appeared transparent and perfect on the surface, ultimately, it was not formed from cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art. When magnified, Zhang Xuan was able to see all kinds of depressions and rifts on it. After studying it for a moment, Zhang Xuan nodded. As long as I fill up those depressions, it will be difficult for inner demons to assault him. Inner demons were formed from the deepest desires or the apprehension within ones heart. If ones Primordial Spirit was perfect, devoid of depressions and openings, it would be like apletely sealed egg, making it difficult for inner demons to breach ones defenses. Zhang Xuan smiled as he reached his hand forward. Fortunately, the depressions arent too big, so it wont be too difficult to resolve the issue. With every single tap, a bundle of spirit would fill up the depressions within Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit. The glow that it radiated gradually became brighter and brighter, and eventually, it was nearly blinding. Hmm? Theres a long rift here. While traveling around Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan suddenly caught sight of something that left a deep frown on his forehead. At the back of Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, there was a ring rift that extended down the center, from one end to the other. Even though it isnt too deep, it has severed many of the connections within the Primordial Spirit, preventing it from functioning normally. Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw and fell into deep thought. It seemed like Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit had been severely injured at some point, or else it was impossible for there to be such a huge rift on his Primordial Spirit. Zhang Xuan scratched his head as he contemted. Its not too difficult to fill up the smaller depressions using the means I have learned from the spirit awakener books. But, such a huge rift... How should I go about fixing it? Judging the huge size of the rift, reminiscent of a valley in the Primordial Spirit, it was apparent than ordinary means would not work on it. To make an analogy, a wall that had depressions could easily be stered over to make it smooth once more, but if half of the wall copsed altogether, the repair work would be far moreplicated than that. Suddenly, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Wait... While ordinary methods will not work, if I use the method that I use for artifact enchantment within this rift, I might just be able to fill it up swiftly! Ordinary methods were unlikely to work, but considering how his spirit enchantment could bring even the massive building of the Spirit Awakener Guild to life, it should not be too difficult for him to create a spirit within the crevice to fill it up. There had been no records on anyone doing this before, but... didnt Kong shi just offer him some advice not too long ago? He had to innovate and forge his own path! Sticking along with the conventions would just limit his potential! And this was the time for him to do so. If he were to seed, Hall Master Xing would surely be able to clear the Trial of Inner Demons easily and resolve the problem guing the Combat Master Hall! Kong shi is the Worlds Teacher; there cant be any mistake trusting him! Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He swiftly assessed the feasibility of the matter based on hisprehension on spirit enchantment. There might be some side effects from doing so, but it wont affect his core. One of the problems in this solution was that the spirit used to fill up the rift would have its own consciousness as well, simr to that of the guild building. There was a chance that it would run amok. This would be a huge problem for anyone else, but not for Zhang Xuan. All he had to do was eradicate that consciousness right after the spirit was born. If it had been any other spirit awakener in his ce, the other party would probably have been forced into a bitter fight against the spirit in order to erase it, and in the process of doing so, that might even have harmed Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit. However, as a soul oracle and a poison master, Zhang Xuan had many means that would allow him to effectively deal with spirits. Alright, its settled then... Having conducted a simtion of the entire process in the head and confirming it to be feasible once more, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Drawing his consciousness back to his body, he turned to Division Head Liao and instructed, "Division Head Liao, Ill need you to guard us. By no means should anyone interrupt us during the course of the spirit enchantment!" Division Head Liao nodded in response. "Rest assured!" Nodding back, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more. His will slipped into Hall Master Xings mind along with the light, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing before the rift once more. With a grim expression, he stepped forward and tapped on the rift lightly. Hu! The darkness within the rift was slightly cleared by the emergence of a spark of light. However, the spark was still too small to fill the entire rift. Zhang Xuan had to create another eight sparks before the light was able to cover the entire rift. After that was finally done, he could not help but feel deeply exhausted. Previously, in order to enchant the guild building of the Spirit Awakener Guild, he had produced thirty-two sparks, and over here, he had created another eight. All in all, he had already used the abilities of a spirit awakener for more than forty times when the limit for the average spirit awakener was only three times. With that, he had finally reached his limit. I need to wipe away that newborn spirit. Even though Zhang Xuan was exhausted, he knew that it was not the time to rest. Suppressing his exhaustion, he walked up to the rift. He had to eradicate it as soon as possible, or else the sh of the two wills would cause Hall Master Xing great suffering. Gathering his soul energy, a brilliant glow gathered on Zhang Xuans palm. He was just about to make a move when... Hong long! The door to the room suddenly burst open. Following which, an anxious voice eximed, "Hall Master Xing, bad news..." Shit... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. He had just been about to speak when the massive Primordial Spirit before him rose from its dormant state. It abruptly released a powerful aura that jolted Zhang Xuans will out. Hall Master Xing had awoken from his trance due to that shouting, and as a natural defensive mechanism of his body, Zhang Xuans will was viewed as a foreign object and forcefully expelled from his mind. If Zhang Xuan had been in his peak state, he would still have been able to withstand the simple instinctive reflex of Hall Master Xings body easily. However, drained from all of the spirit enchantments he had done that day, he was feeling sluggish and weak all over, leaving him in no state to defend against Hall Master Xings reflexive actions. Returning back to his body, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and saw an old man standing within the room with a frantic look. Division Head Liao was berating the old man with a deep frown on his forehead, seemingly criticizing the other party for abruptly barging in forcefully. Having regained consciousness, Hall Master Xing turned to the old man and asked, "Division Head Wei, whats the matter?" "Hall Master Xing, Division Head Wu of the Footwork Division has also left the Combat Master Hall for the Xuan... that ce!" Division Head Wei reported anxiously. As there was an outsider around, he did not dare say the name Xuanxuan Faction. Otherwise, if others learned that theirbat masters had willingly defected to another organization, they would surely have be the joke of the town. "He still went in the end," Hall Master Xing muttered with a livid expression. He had thought that his division heads would at least still be able to hold themselves back, but who would have thought that they would sumb to the temptation in the end? He felt so choked up that he could vomit blood. Hall Master Xing was just about to speak when the person who had just enchanted his Primordial Spirit for him, Sun shi, suddenly asked with a deeply worried look, "You... Are you still fine?" "Im fine. Right, I havent thanked Sun shi for enchanting my Primordial Spirit yet. I feel like my fighting prowess has been raised another notch, and my entire body is gushing with power!" Hall Master Xing replied with a smile. As expected of a master spirit awakener, the other partys means were indeed formidable. Just a single session of enchantment, and he could already feel the strength of his Primordial Spirit rising by leaps and bounds. He felt that it would not be a problem even if he were to challenge the Leaving Aperture Ordeal in his current state. "I see... Im d to see that you are fine!" Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like he had worried excessively. Even though he had enchanted a spirit into the other partys Primordial Spirit in order to fill the rift, it only made up a very small portion of it. Under the suppression of Hall Master Xings powerful Primordial Spirit, it was likely that it would be assimted before it could do anything. After thanking Sun shi, Hall Master Xin stood up with a resilient glint in his eyes. "Division Head Liao, prepare the formation. Ill be heading over right now!" There were only Ten Division Heads in the Combat Master Hall, and five of them had already defected to the Xuanxuan Faction. Granted that it was not a true defectionthey were only there to learn battle techniques for the time beingbut still... if others were to learn of the matter, it would not reflect well on their Combat Master Hall! Their pride and honor were at risk of being shattered! He had to resolve this problem at its root once and for all. "Alright!" Knowing that the situation was urgent, Division Head Liao quickly rushed into action as well. He led the way to a huge hall before cing his palm on a mechanism. A burst of light shone, and a one-man passageway emerged before them. "Ill be entering now," Hall Master Xing stated. He turned around to look at Zhang Xuan and said, "Sun shi, Im afraid that Ill have to ask you to stay a while longer. If I fail the trial this time around, I might require your help once more..." "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, Hall Master Xing stepped in. Watching him leave, Zhang Xuan finally felt exhaustion oveing his body. Thus, he took a seat on the ground, closed his eyes, and began meditating so as to recuperate from his previous exertion. He had to drive his soul energy using the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art ten times before his exhaustion finally alleviated. When he opened his eyes once more, he saw Division Head Liao pacing around the entrance nervously, looking into the passageway from time to time. "Whats wrong?" Zhang Xuan stood up and walked over. "Hall Master Xing has been inside more than two hours now. I fear that something bad might have befallen him during the trial!" Division Head Liao replied with a worried frown. "He isnt out yet?" Zhang Xuan also frowned upon hearing those words. He had been too busy recuperating previously, so he was not too aware of the passing of time. However, doing a swift calction at the moment, it did seem like two hours had already passed. This did not make sense. Regardless of whether Hall Master Xing passed or not, the results should have been out by now. It did not make sense for there to not be the slightest movements at all. "Yes, he isnt out yet," Division Head Liao replied apprehensively. "No matter whether he has cleared the trial or not, he should have at least sent a message by now. However, theres been no news from him at all." Right after those words were spoken, flurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the passageway. Following which, a figure came into sight. "You are... Hall Master Xing? W-what happened to you?" Upon seeing the appearance of the figure, Division Head Liaos lips twitched as his body froze from astonishment. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also caught sight of the figure, and he nearly fainted on the spot. "What is that monster?" Chapter 1112: Hall Master Xing Has Been Eaten Chapter 1112: Hall Master Xing Has Been Eaten Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was a face covered in huge tumors, and at the very top of his head, there was even a crimson tower of meat stretching half a meter upwards. In this moment, Hall Master Xing looked like a moving cactus! It was only due to his face retaining some semnce to his original appearance that they did not suspect him of being an inner demon who had escaped from the passageway... However, his appearance was truly eerie! Didnt he just challenge Trial of Inner Demons? Why did he look as if he had just been pummeled? "Hall Master Xing!" Division Head Liao hurriedly rushed forward and cried, "Even if you couldnt clear the trial, you shouldnt have harmed yourself like this..." The Trial of Inner Demons only served to assess ones mind, so it didnt pose any harm to the physical body. Yet, for Hall Master Xing to return in such a state... Was he so upset about failing the trial that he decided to harm himself? "You..." Hall Master Xing nearly fainted from anger. He turned to Zhang Xuan, pointed at the tumors on his face furiously, and asked, "Sun shi, can you tell me what is going on over here?" Not expecting to be dragged into the matter, Zhang Xuan was startled. "You are asking me? How would I know?" "You really dont know?" Hall Master Xing asked with narrowed eyes as he turned around. Upon seeing what was behind Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood. A crimson flower bud was growing right on the other partys bottom. A flower on the bottom and a cactus on the head... Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion for a moment when a thought suddenly came to him, and his lips twitched. Could it be that... I enchanted the spirit of a nt instead of an artifact into him earlier? Naturally, different beings had fundamentally differing spirits. nt spirits could allow the medicinal herb it was harnessed within to mature swifter and healthier. However, if the spirit died, it was very likely that the entire medicinal herb would wither as well. Such was the case for most saint herbs. This was simr to the Bodhi Saint Tree. In the period of time that its spirit was asleep, it looked as if it was dead on the surface. This left Emperor Yu Shenqing in a panic, and he had searched far and wide for herbologists to treat it, nearly resulting in a cmity. As such, dealing with spirits was also an extremely profound subject, such that it was worth others devoting their whole lives to studying. That isnt right. Im certain that I used the method to enchant artifacts on it. Zhang Xuan frowned. No matter how he thought about it, he just could not understand how an artifact spirit could have possibly turned into a nt spirit. While he was deep in thought, the bud on Hall Master Xings bottom suddenly began blossoming, and an indescribably horrendous smell drifted from it. Shortly after, the cactus on his head also began blooming. In a moment, a bunch of flowers could be seen hanging on his head, making him look like a reindeer. Its growth rate is clearly one of a nt spirit, so could I have really made a mistake? Wait, Ive got it! A thought suddenly struck Zhang Xuan at this moment. Even though I used the method to enchant artifacts on it, the rich vitality with Hall Master Xings body resulted in the artifact spirit disying properties simr to those of a nt spirit. This is also why Hall Master Xings body has transformed in such a bizarre manner as well. Zhang Xuan had not made any mistakes in his enchantment, but due to the differences in the environment, it was inevitable that the artifact spirit would disy unexpected properties from when it was in an artifact. Most artifacts were non-living until they were enchanted, as shown by their pitch-ck world within them. On the other hand, Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit was pulsating with life. It was an environment far more nourishing than any soil. As such, it was inevitable that the spirit that Zhang Xuan had enchanted into his Primordial Spirit had grown frenziedly. Cough cough! Upon making sense of what was going on, a bizarre look crept onto Zhang Xuans face. With the great strength wielded by Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, he could still easily suppress the spirit within him easily, preventing it from running amok. However, shortly after having his Primordial Spirit enchanted, he had entered the Trial of Inner Demons, and his mind hade under attack. In his moment of weakness, the spirit had managed to make aeback and grew frenziedly, thus resulting in the ridiculous circumstances at this moment. But... what the heck was that nt? While it resembled a cactus, it was not really one, and the flower on his bottom looked foreign as well. Ah, it seemed like he had made a grave mistake trusting Kong shis words! It was due to the other partys advice that he had taken a leap of faith forward, in hopes of forging his path. Who could have known that barely after he took the first step, he already found himself dropping into a pit? Kacha! Kacha! Just as Zhang Xuan was in deep thought, the flowers of the cactus finally matured into fruits roughly the size of a jujube. Round and crimson, it might sound weird to say this, but it looked deeply appetizing. "What the heck are these?" Seeing that fruits were growing on him, Hall Master Xing was on the verge of tears. He looked at Zhang Xuan desperately, hoping that thetter could resolve his situation. Even though he was not too sure what was going on, he had an inkling that it had something to do with the spirit enchantment. Otherwise, given that he had never possessed the ability to flower in the past, why would his talent as a nt blossom all of a sudden? "Cough cough. Im not too sure what has happened either. Perhaps you ate something unclean a while ago. Let me take a look at your condition, and Ill see what I can do about it." Knowing that he might be pummeled to life if he admitted that the was the culprit, Zhang Xuan spoke without the slightest redness on his face. Honestly speaking, it was not his intention for the situation to end up in such a manner. Judging from the size of the rift in Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be nigh impossible for the other party to clear the Trial of Inner Demons if he left it be. On top of that, it was apparent that Hall Master Xing was in a rush to raise his fighting prowess to deal with some kind of threat, and it was for this reason that Zhang Xuan decided to take the risk after confirming that it was feasible, and it would not pose any threat to the other partys life. Furthermore, he did n to deal with the spirit, but he just had to be disrupted at the veryst moment, resulting in his efforts to be rendered futile. Still, it was indeed a stupefying sight to see the head of the Combat Master Hall, one of the strongest experts in Qingyuan Empire, walking around with a cactus head covered with delectable fruits and a bizarre flower on his bottom. If he were to charge an entrance toll for this exhibit, he could probably earn a huge fortune out of this. "I have eaten something unclean?" Hall Master Xing stared at Zhang Xuan with an unbelievable look on his face. However, knowing that it was meaningless to point fingers at this moment, he could only concede. "Sun shi, I beseech you to help me..." "Very well!" Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan began exerting his spirit awakener prowess once more and entered Hall Master Xings mind. He adeptly maneuvered his way over to the other partys Primordial Spirit, and when he looked at where the rift had been, he could not help but freeze. His efforts had not been futile; the rift had beenpletely filled up at this moment. However, this had led to another troubling matterHall Master Xings Primordial Spirit had already fusedpletely with the enchanted spirit. This... Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched uncontrobly. His Primordial Spirit is way too adaptable! Typically speaking, the spirit that Zhang Xuan had enchanted should have been considered a foreign object, and the Primordial Spirit would have tried its best to expel it. Yet, within just two short hours, the spirit had actually seeded in fusing perfectly with Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit. Originally, all Zhang Xuan had to do was head to the rift and eliminate the consciousness within the spirit, thus putting it entirely under Hall Master Xings control. However, now that the spirit had already fused together with Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, its consciousness had been intermixed together with Hall Master Xings, meaning that course of action was out of the question. If he attempted to wipe out that consciousness, he would risk killing Hall Master Xing as well. Most likely, the spirit must have hastened the fusion while his mind was preupied by the inner demons. Had he known that such a situation would happen, he would have stopped Hall Master Xing from entering the Trial of Inner Demons at any cost. Now that the other partys head had turned into a cactus covered with fruits and his bottom was sprouting a flower... This was truly a disaster! Zhang Xuan withdrew his consciousness from Hall Master Xings mind as he frowned in distress. Its fortunate that the enchanted spirit doesnt have any offensive ability. However, now that its fused into his Primordial Spirit, it is no longer possible to resolve the issue externally. He will have to eliminate that spirit himself. There were indeed some cultivators in the world who used certain secret arts to consume nt spirits in order to enhance their Primordial Spirit and souls. While Hall Master Xing did not cultivate any of such secret arts, it seemed like the sheer strength of his Primordial Spirit had helped to facilitate a smooth fusion with the spirit. However, the first step of those secret arts was to eliminate the consciousness within the spirits, and in Hall Master Xings case, the fusion had happened without him knowing, so he had ended up skipping the vital first step. He did manage to perfect his Primordial Spirit in the end, but the existence of two consciousnesses within his Primordial Spirit had inevitably resulted in all kinds of bizarre problems cropping up. For one, the spirit, through its instincts, was delightfully tapping into the huge reserves of vitality within Hall Master Xings body to grow non-stop. While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the cactus on Hall Master Xings head grew higher and higher, and the flower on his bottom grew more and more warped. From afar, he resembled a massive nt, rooted quietly to the spot. Such a feeling was further entuated as more and more jujube-like fruits sprouted from his head, making him seem like a bona fide fruit tree. Noting that Zhang Xuan had withdrawn his consciousness from his mind, Hall Master Xing asked anxiously, "Sun shi, do you know any way to resolve this issue?" "I have identified the root of your problem, but I still need some time to think the matter through," Zhang Xuan said awkwardly. What the heck was this? The other party had earnestly made a request of him, but he had ended up causing such a huge mishap. How embarrassing! Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief. "Its good that you have identified the root of the problem." While there was still no solution at the moment, at the very least, with the root of the problem identified, there should still be hope for a cure. Otherwise, if he had to spend his entire life in such a form, he would much rather have a knife plunged straight into his chest. At that moment, jiya!, the door to the room opened. Division Head Wei walked in withrge strides, and upon seeing the tree, he could not help but walk up to it and remark, "What a weird-looking tree!" After saying those words, he reached out and plucked one of the fruits before biting down on it heartily. Then, he turned to Division Head Liao and Zhang Xuan, and asked, "Is Hall Master Xing not out yet? It has already been two hours!" "..." Hall Master Xing. "..." Division Head Liao. "..." Zhang Xuan. Grinding his teeth tightly together, Hall Master Xing replied menacingly, "I am over here..." It was one thing for him to be treated as a tree, but to think that someone would actually eat his fruit. "Hall Master Xing!" It was then that Division Head Wei noticed that Hall Master Xings face was on the tree. In that instant, the motion of his mouth came to a halt, and he widened his eyes in shock. "Cough cough! Sun shi, you should quickly find a way to cure him. Otherwise, putting aside resolving our current crisis, he wont even be able to face our fellowbat masters!" Division Head Liao said anxiously. "Un. The reason for Hall Master Xings current condition is due to a spirit fusing with his Primordial Spirit. At this stage, Im afraid that its impossible to solve his situation externally anymore. He will have to cultivate a technique to eliminate the spirit within his Primordial Spirit. Nevertheless, rest assured that he will revert back to normal once the spirit is eliminated," Zhang Xuan exined. Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief before asking, "Then, is Sun shi in possession of any techniques that are capable of eliminating a spirit?" "That... Im afraid not!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. The Spirit Awakener Guild did have techniques that allowed one to eliminate spirits externally, but the current predicament Hall Master Xing was in made it risky to adopt such a solution. And as for secret arts to eliminate spirit internally... he did not have any such manuals in his possession. Hall Master Xing staggered, and despair loomed in his eyes. "Am I doomed to live in this state for the rest of my life?" "Actually, I do have another solution that will revert you back to normal swiftly..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Firstly, Ill sever the nt offshoots from your body to hinder their activity. After which, Ill concoct some poison for you to swallow. The poison serves to temporarily lower the vitality within your body and deprive the nts of their nutrients. With some time, they should wither and die off. However, you mustnt use your cultivation during this period of time, or else they wille right back to life!" "You want me to consume poison?" Hall Master Xing gulped down a mouthful of saliva as his face paled. He could not help but tremble at that thought. Just a spirit enchantment from you has already left me in such a state. If I consume the poison you concoct, what in the world will happen to me? At the same time, he could not help but ask doubtfully, "For you to be able to concoct poison, could you be a... poison master?" Chapter 1113: What a Dark Color Chapter 1113: What a Dark Color Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The higher ranked a poison master was, the more feared they were by the popce. And a poison master who could concoct poison that was effective even against a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert... That was truly fearsome! At the very least, he must be at 7-star pinnacle. "Thats not it. I am a physician, and with my knowledge of medicinal herbs, I should be able to easily deduce a prescription for your condition!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Considering that the man standing before him was the head of the Combat Master Hall, there was no way he could admit that he was a poison master. Hall Master Xing shook his head. "Ill pass then..." As much as physicians were knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, there was still a significant difference between the field of study for physicians and poison masters. In the concoction of poison, the slightest difference in the environment orbination of medicinal herbs could result in a huge difference in the resulting medicinal property. Just relying on fundamental knowledge of medicinal herbs would not suffice for one to deal with poison. Otherwise, if every physician could be a poison master as well, the existence of a poison master upation would have been rendered meaningless. Hall Master Xing was not willing to bet his life on that possibility. "Are there no other ways beside these two options?" Division Head Liao asked with a frown. One was unfeasible at the moment whereas the other one was too risky. He had thought that with a high-ranked spirit awakener to enchant the Primordial Spirit of Hall Master Xing, thetters fighting prowess should be able to be increased by leaps and bounds. Yet, who would have thought that thetter would end up being crippled instead? What was with this? Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually... I do have another solution. I just fear that... you will be reluctant to agree to it!" "Tell us!" "Its actually rather simple. Open up your Primordial Spirit and allow me to probe into it. Ill find the sentience of the spirit within your Primordial Spirit and kill it," Zhang Xuan replied. The threebat masters nced at one another and fell silent. Opening up ones Primordial Spirit meant to lower every single line of defense one had. If the other party attempted to do anything to Hall Master Xing, he would bepletely helpless to retaliate. Hall Master Xing shook his head. "I apologize, but... I cant do that!" Even if the person was the trusted Division Head Liao, he still would not be willing to lower all of his defenses, let alone an unreliable stranger! "Theres nothing else I can do then, unless..." Another thought came to Zhang Xuans mind, but before he could speak of it, he swiftly shook his head. "What?" Zhang Xuan looked at Hall Master Xing hesitantly before eventually relenting. "I can try concocting some poison that is capable of wiping away the spirit in your Primordial Spirit. Of course, that is easier said than done, and I might require multiple attempts before I get it." With hisprehension of poison, it was not entirely impossible for him to seed in that. However, Hall Master Xings situation was a little peculiara cactus growing fruits on his head and a flower sprouting on his bottomso it was a little difficult for him to ascertain the type of spirit so as to determine what would be effective. Thus, it might require several attempts before he got it right. "That wont do!" Hall Master Xing quickly refuted the idea with twitching lips. A poison that would kill the spirit could very well end up killing him! If he were to let the other party to experiment on him... wouldnt it be more likely for him to die first? "Thats all Ive got. If none of that works with you, theres nothing else I can do..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Honestly speaking, he was not entirely at fault for this matter either. He had warned Division Head Liao to prevent anyone from entering, but Division Head Wei just had to barge into the room in the midst of the process, preventing him from eliminating the consciousness within the spirit. It was abination of mistakes that resulted in this huge farce. Hall Master Xing fell silent. He could tell that the other party was earnestly helping him, and it was no ones intention for such a mishap to ur. However... those solutions were truly uneptable for him. "Sun shi, let me think over this matter for a while." Hall Master Xing pondered for a moment before abruptly suggesting, "Right, didnt you say that you would like to enter the Trial of Inner Demons to temper your will? Why dont you give it a try now while I ponder over this matter?" "Hmm?" Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise. Wasnt that quite a huge leap in thought? They were just in the midst of discussing how they could save the other party, but the other party suddenly proposed that he try out the Trial of Inner Demons. "Rest assured, the main goal of the Trial of Inner Demons is to temper ones mind. If you find yourself reaching your limit, you can just admit defeat and leave. As long as you dont push yourself too far, it wont be dangerous!" Taking Zhang Xuans silence as a sign of apprehension, Hall Master Xing consoled him with a smile. However, the smile did not seem to have the slightest sincerity within it. Instead, it was so forced that the cactus on his head began shaking, and the fruits were on the verge of falling off. Zhang Xuan was assessed Hall Master Xing silently for a while before eventually nodding slowly. "Ill give it a try then." While he had no idea what Hall Master Xing was up to, he did not think that the other party would harm him. At this moment, the other party needed some private space to ponder over the matter and make a decision for himself. Since that was the case, it was indeed a good opportunity for him to challenge the Trial of Inner Demons and temper his will. Perhaps, he might even find some inspiration within ande up with a better way to resolve Hall Master Xings condition. "Un. Division Head Liao, open up the Trial of Inner Demons once more!" Hall Master Xing instructed. "This..." Division Head Liao frowned. A momentter, he slowly nodded. "Alright." After saying those words, he walked up to the wall and ced his hand on it. A momentter, the passageway surfaced once more. Directing a nod toward the crowd, Zhang Xuan walked into the passageway, and it did not take long for him to disappear from everyones sight. As soon as Zhang Xuans figure disappeared, Division Head Liao immediately asked, "Hall Master Xing, Sun shi isnt a member of our Combat Master Hall. Why did you let him enter the Trial of Inner Demons? You also know that the greatest heritage of our Heart Division is in there." The Trial of Inner Demons was a forbiddennd even to ordinarybat masters. It was only open to the hall masters and division heads. Contained within it was the greatest heritage of the Heart Division, and Hall Master Xing had actually allowed an outsider to enter. Why? "Dont worry, the heritage is only attainable upon clearing the entire Trial of Inner Demons. Even someone of my prowess is unable to clear it, let alone a Saint 1-dan cultivator like him," Hall Master Xing replied grimly. Division Head Liao pondered for a moment before nodding. "Yes, thats true as well." He had been too caught up in the allowance of Sun shis admittance into the Trial of Inner Demons, so he had not thought of this point. Even among the generations of hall masters, only five of them had managed to attain the greatest heritage. Given so, it was nigh impossible for a mere spirit awakener to clear the trial. "Theres no need to worry about the heritage for the time being. You also know our current circumstances; I have to resolve the problem I am gued with as soon as possible in order to deal with that Xuanxuan Faction, as well as to participate in the Convention of Combat Masters. So... I am nning on allowing his will into my Primordial Spirit!" Hall Master Xing informed the other party grimly. "You are going to allow him into your Primordial Spirit? Hall Master Xing, I urge you to reconsider!" Division Heads Liao and Wei were startled, and they hurriedly tried to talk him out of the matter. Opening ones Primordial Spirit and allowing an outsider to enter was no joking matter. cing the trust in the wrong person could very well spell death! As the head of the Combat Master Hall, the other party could not take such a risk! "I have already made up my mind. I understand the dangers very well myself; thats also why I had him enter the Trial of Inner Demons. If he harbors malicious thoughts in his mind, the inner demons that will be bred as a result will be proportionately greater, thus putting him in grave danger. By then, even if I do not make a move, he will be punished by his own evil intents, perhaps facing death even. "On the other hand, if he has an upright and pure mind, inner demons will be unable to harm him. If its proven that hes a man of good character, I am willing to take the gamble and entrust my Primordial Spirit to him," Hall Master Xing said. "This..." The duo mused over what they had just heard. Inner demons were a manifestation of the negative emotions within ones heart. If that fellow harbored malicious thoughts toward Hall Master Xing, the inner demons would reflect his will, thus putting him through great suffering. If the other party could traverse within the Trial of Inner Demons safely, it would show that the other party heldpassion within his heart. If so, it might be worth taking the gamble for Hall Master Xing to entrust his Primordial Spirit to the other party. Seeing that the duo was hesitating, Hall Master Xing ced his hands behind his back and said, "Risk is inevitable if one wants to achieve great things. In truth, I dont me Chen Zhuqing, Yan Qinghai, Lu Wangqiu, and the others for joining the Xuanxuan Faction. On the contrary, I envy them even." In that moment, he resembled a tenacious cactus in the midst of a desert. "You envy them?" The two division heads were bewildered by those words. The division heads mass defection to the Xuanxuan Faction was no different from snubbing the Combat Master Halls heritage, soiling its dignity and honor. If they were the hall master, they would have surely exploded at the division heads by now. "Indeed. The Combat Master Hall is a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it serves as the military force of mankind. What does a military force require? It goes without sayingstrength! As long as it augments our strength, allowing us to fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and any threats that stand in our way, there are little qualms as to what we are limited to doing as long as we do not overstep our moral bounds. These are the words that our founder left us back then, as well as the motto that we,bat masters, all live by," Hall Master Xing said. Division Heads Liao and Wei nodded. The very purpose for the existence of thebat masters was to protect mankind on the frontlines. As long as it was not against the principles of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they were allowed to do anything in their pursuit for strength. After all, an excessively controlled environment would only stifle ones growth. Those from the Xuanxuan Faction might be from a vassal nation, but theirprehension ofbat had far surpassed their own, reaching an unfathomable level. If studying from the Xuanxuan Faction could grant them greater strength, why should one oppose it? There was no shame in seeking knowledge from others, no matter how noble or how senior one wasthat was an ideal that Kong shi himself had sought to propagate! Asking for guidance from a cultivator who was weaker than one was not shameful; on the contrary, it highlighted ones humility and dedication to improving himself, thus giving others a good impression of them. The pros and cons were extremely clear here; the problemy only in whether one was able to let go of ones pride or not. "Despite being Primordial Spirit realm experts, they were willing to lower themselves and seek guidance from the Xuanxuan Faction. That disyed their strong thirst for knowledge and power, and that is a good thing! However, as the head of the Combat Master Hall, it is my responsibility to uphold the honor and dignity of the organization, so I have no choice but to stop them so as to not turn our branch into aughingstock of the world." Hall Master Xing sighed deeply. "Un." The duo nodded. After exining the matter, Hall Master Xing turned his attention back to the passageway and said, "Alright, lets see whether Sun shi harbors malicious thoughts or not. We should be seeing his fox tail 1 soon if he intends to harm me..." Nodding, Hall Master Liao ced his palm on the wall. Hu! The opaque wall transformed into transparent jade. Noting the look of confusion of Division Head Weis face, Division Head Liao exined, "This jade wall is able to detect the number of inner demons within. The more malicious thoughts one harbor, the darker the color of the jade wall will be. For one, due to ourbat masters dedicating most of our time to furthering ourbat skills, their state of mind tends to be much more innocent and purer, so most of them will face less than a dozen inner demons. Previously, when Hall Master Xing entered the Trial of Inner Demons, he only had three inner demons to deal with, so the wall was nearly transparent... "Most master teachers also face a dozen or so inner demons at most, and the wall will turn slightly translucent. Only those who harbor malicious thoughts will produce dozens of inner demons, resulting in the color of the jade wall to turn darker! "If the wall remains translucent throughout while Sun shi is within the passageway, it would mean that he is a righteous person, and we need not worry about him stabbing us in our back. Naturally, it would be rtively safe for Hall Master Xing to bare his Primordial Spirit to the other party..." At this point, a cold glint surfaced in Division Head Liaos eyes. "However, if the wall turns dark, it would mean that he harbors malicious thoughts in mind. If so, we should end his life as soon as he emerges from the passageway. That is, if he manages to escape the Trial of Inner Demons alive in the first part!" Hall Master Xing and Division Head Wei nodded in agreement. Just as they were about to respond, their faces suddenly warped in shock. Noting that something was wrong, Division Head Liao quickly turned around to look at the wall behind him. The transparent jade wall had been gleaming brightly a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, it was suddenly dyed pitch-ck. "The jade wall has turned ck? How could this be? That would mean that there are more than a hundred inner demons inside..." Chapter 1114: Cang Xu’s Vengeance Chapter 1114: Cang Xus Vengeance Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric He wasnt the only one who was astonished. Hall Master Xing and Division Head Wei had narrowed their eyes as well, and killing intent could be seen in the depths of their gazes. Naturally, they had seen those whose minds could dye the wall dark, but this was the first time they had seen the wall being colored to a shade reminiscent of ink! This was no longer at the level of harboring malicious thoughts. The other party was a huge threat that they had to get rid of by any means! Who could have thought that despite Sun Qiangs seemingly harmless appearance and earnest attitude, his heart would be so sinister and terrifying? "Its fortunate that you didnt agree to his demands and had him enter the Trial of Inner Demons first to ascertain his character... I dare not imagine what could have happened if you really agreed to him then!" Division Head Liao eximed in cold sweat. Had Hall Master Xing really agreed to baring his Primordial Spirit to the other party, misfortune would have already befallen him! "Division Head Liao and Division Head Wei, make preparations. Well make a move as soon as that fellow leaves the Trial of Inner Demons. We mustnt allow him to get away alive..." Hall Master Xing said as a glint flickered in his eyes. "Yes!" the two division heads responded resoundingly. Shortly after Zhang Xuan stepped into the passageway, his surroundings changed so swiftly that it left him feeling as if he had stepped into another dimension. Countless Night Illumination Pearl gleamed brightly above him, simr to the brilliant noon sun. It was a sealed room. There was no path forward nor any exit. The walls were filled with all kinds of bizarre inscriptions. Walking up to take a closer look, Zhang Xuan realized that the inscriptions were actually deformed demons, and there were more than a hundred of them around the room. These demons were wearing all kinds of itemssome were equipped with a golden pole in hand, some were carrying steel whips, and some had a ne made of human bones. It was quite an eerie and inconceivable sight, and this gave rise to a hint of fear within ones mind. Am I already in the Trial of Inner Demons? Zhang Xuan frowned. At the very center of the room was a zafu 1 , which was shrouded by a dense concentration of spiritual energy. It was probably a formation which could be activated. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan walked up to the zafu and sat down on it. Weng! The moment he sat down, a certain mechanism in the room seemed to have been triggered. All of the demons inscribed on the wall suddenly emanated a brilliant glow, and it seemed as if they would tear out of the wall at any moment to tear him apart. I see... The room establishes a link into the depths of the challengers heart and produces inner demons ordingly... Sensing the energy harnessed within the ripples of light, Zhang Xuan swiftly came to a realization. He had imagined the Trial of Inner Demons to be a location filled with formidable inner demons, something simr to what he encountered in the Saint Ascension Ordeal. However, from the looks of it, his initial assumption was off. The true demons lurked in the depths of ones heart. It seemed like sitting on the zafu had activated a formation which induced the birth of inner demons. I wonder what my inner demons would be like... Zhang Xuan wondered. Ever since he first started his journey, he had been cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art and his path had been rtively smooth-sailing. He had never experienced desperation in relentlessly pushing for a futile breakthrough, nor the despair of being unable to advance forward no matter how hard one worked, so he had never really encountered any inner demon in the midst of his cultivation before... With his opportunity, he wanted to see exactly how fearsome inner demons were, and whether his mind was sufficiently resilient to withstand their temptation. Weng! The formations swiftly whirred into action, and the spiritual energy in the surroundings spun into action. The surroundings blurred, and Zhang Xuan found himself plunged within a world of perfect darkness. It was simr to the situation he had faced when he had encountered his Heart Ordeal previously. Just as Zhang Xuan was scanning his surroundings carefully, bizarre demons suddenly rushed in from the surroundings. Their forms were simr to the inscriptions he had previously seen on the walls, and there must be at least a few hundred of them around. "So many? Why would I have so many inner demons?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He was still thinking that he shouldnt have much inner demonsafter all, wasnt the cultivation technique that he practiced, Heavens Path Divine Art, supposed to be perfect? Yet, who could have thought that he would end up having to face so many of them simultaneously... If they were to charge at him all at once, would he be reduced to dust? "No, something is wrong. If they are truly my inner demons, how could I still be conscious at this point in time?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Having undergone the Heart Ordeal before, he knew that inner demons had the ability to ce ones mind in a befuddled state, thus creating an opening for them to strike... It was perplexing how there were so many inner demons around him, but he was still perfectly conscious. Just what was going on? "Youre indeed a smart fellow... Indeed, these inner demons arent yours but mine..." At this moment, a voiceced with hatred suddenly sounded. Zhang Xuan quickly raised his head and looked over, and he saw an elder with a crimson line in the middle of his be walking towards him. "Who are you?" Zhang Xuan was stunned by the sudden appearance of an intruder. With a look, he could tell that the other party was a human just like him. But... why would this foreign-looking elder suddenly appear within the Trial of Inner Demons as well? "You are asking who am I?" the elders face distorted in rage, and he looked as if smoke would pour out from the top of his head at any moment. "I am the person who was stomped to death by the house you have enchanted, Cang Xu!" "You are Cang Xu? But... arent you dead?" Zhang Xuan asked hesitantly. Cang Xu had already been reduced to a lump of meat by the time he saw the other party, so it was inevitable that he wouldnt recognize the other partys face. Who would have thought that he would meet the other party here? But... why would a dead person suddenly appear here? Furthermore, he seemed to have said that all of the inner demons in the area belonged to him. What was going on? "I was in the midst of using my Primordial Spirit toy im to your soul when I was suddenly stomped to death by that building of yours... Due to the link forged between your soul and mine, I was able to conceal a sliver of my will within your body. If you havent came here, I would have been forced toy dormant until the day I dissipated, but since you have delivered this opportunity into my hands, Ill have you pay for your actions!" Cang Xu sneered frostily. Crushed by the massive building of the Spirit Awakener Guild in the midst of executing his secret art, his Primordial Spirit dissipated on the spot. It was fortunate that with the strength of his secret art, he was able to slip a sliver of his will into Zhang Xuans body and continue existing as an inner demon. Unless Zhang Xuan were to be forced to face his inner demons during an ordeal or a trial, as an inner demon, he would have been forced to lie dormant, unable to do anything at all. Yet, by a stroke of luck, Zhang Xuan chose to enter the Trial of Inner Demons and activated the formation which triggered ones inner demons. How could he allow such a precious opportunity to slip past his fingers? Thus, he immediately got out and made his move. As the viin which had tyrannized the Northern Meadows for many years, his hands were stained with the blood of innumerable innocent life. As such, his presence and malicious thoughts swiftly triggered a reaction in the formation, causing several hundred inner demons to appear simultaneously. "It seems like I have misunderstood the guild building..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. At this moment, he suddenly recalled that mosquito bite on his soul back when he was in the midst of convincing the guild building to submit to Guild Leader Ruan and the others. He had shrugged it off back then, thinking that it might just be an imagination on his part. From the looks of it now, it was the working of the old fellow before him. This would exin the abrupt movements from the guild buildings part as well. It was due to its great desire to protect its owner that it had made a move, but he misunderstood the other partys intentions and thought that it was just acting willfully, and he even beat it up over the matter. Thinking about it, he couldnt help but feel deeply ashamed. "You tried to im my soul? You are a soul oracle?" Zhang Xuan noticed a peculiar phrase in the other partys words and asked. The ability to im anothers soul was a secret art of the soul oracles. Yet, the fellow before him was actually able to execute it... Could he really be a soul oracle? "I am not a soul oracle, thats a secret art which I have inherited from an old senior... Hmph, you need not try to sound me out, you will be a dead person very soon anyway!" Roaring furiously, Cang Xu thrust his arm forward. In that instant, an altar appeared beneath him once more. A brilliant gleam of light surrounded Zhang Xuan as it tugged his soul towards the altar, seemingly attempting to consume it. "This..." The tug on Zhang Xuans soul was so weak that he could hardly feel anything. However, the altar that had formed beneath Cang Xu had left him startled. Without a doubt, that was an altar of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. But... Cang Xu was clearly a human, so why would he have such a possession? "You... betrayed mankind?" Zhang Xuans face turned cold. It was inevitable that there would be some humans who would turn to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to fulfill their desires. Even You Xu, the previous vice head of the Master Teacher Academy Physician School, had sumbed into his desires for a longer lifespan and chose toe under themand of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, let alone the others. Cang Xu was definitely a human, but he was using an altar belonging to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to execute a secret art which only Otherworldly Demons should have known ofwhat clearer signs of betrayal could there be other than this? "Hehe, a smart fellow you indeed are. However, Im afraid that you wont live to tell the tale!" Sneering coldly, Cang Xu tugged on the light with all of his might, wanting to drag Zhang Xauns soul into the altar. Yet, despite his efforts, Zhang Xuan remained firmly rooted to the spot as if a mountain. Even drawing on everyst ounce of strength within him, the other party still didnt budge in the slightest. "Why wont he budge?!" Cang Xu howled in desperation. He had already imed many souls with this secret art, and each time, he was able to pull the other partys soul into the altar with rtive ease. Yet, why couldnt he move the fellow before him? "Betraying mankind and learning such demonic arts to harm your own kind, you do deserve to die." Zhang Xuan uttered coldly. He was still feeling bad that the guild building which he had enchanted had ended up crushing the other party to death, but from the looks of it, it seemed like it was a blessing in disguise after all. Zhang Xuan was a peaceful person, but against those who had betrayed their own brethren, he wouldnt hesitate to make the killing blow. For such a person, he had actually pummeled the innocent guild building... It seemed like he would have to apologize to the guild building after this matter was over. "Move! Move! Why wont you move!" While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, Cang Xu was still tugging with all his might, to the point where veins had popped on his head and he was about to suffocate from breathlessness, but his efforts were not showing any results. If only he still retained his strength as a Primordial Spirit, he would have long rushed over and killed the other party himself. He wouldnt have to go through so much trouble. "Have you had enough yet?" Seeing how that fellow was still tugging at his soul relentlessly, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. You just cant give it a rest, cant you? Just because I left you to do as you please for a while, you thought that I was a person whom you can climb over easily? "Die! You brat, die!" Cang Xu roared furiously. "You said that you want my soul, right? Sure, Ill draw out my soul for you then." Zhang Xuan said with a chilling smile. Hu! A ten-metersrge soul leaped out from Zhang Xuans body and flew in the direction of where Cang Xu was tugging towards. Paji! The massive soul crushed down on Cang Xus body, causing the weakened inner demon to be ttened into a pancake, just like how his physical body was crushed by the guild building back then. At the same time, the altar also shattered to innumerable pieces under Zhang Xuans bottom. In the first ce, the altar had been fueled by Cang Xus soul. Given that Cang Xu retained barely a sliver of the strength he originally wielded, it was inevitable that the altar wouldnt be able to withstand the weight of Zhang Xuans soul. The crushed Cang Xu didnt dissipate immediately this time around. Instead, he muttered indignantly, "Why? Why wouldnt it work..." His body and Primordial Spirit had been destroyed under the weight of the guild building, and it wasnt easy for him to slip a sliver of his will into his mortal enemys body in the form of an inner demon. He thought that at the very least, he would be able to exact his vengeance. Finally, an opportunity was presented right to him, but he ironically ended up suffering the same fate as he did previously... Just what kind of monster have I got myself tangled with... "Its still too early for you to cry. Now that youre an inner demon, you still have long days ahead of you..." Zhang Xuan uttered coldly. An inner demon existed in a form simr to a soul. Unless Zhang Xuan were to execute his soul arts against it, it wouldnt dissipate that easily. However, it seemed like Zhang Xuans words had ended up sparking something within Cang Xus mind instead. A cold smile crept onto his lips, and he roared, "Youre right. I am an inner demon now, why should I fear you? Everyone, kill him together!" He was the one he had produced all of the inner demons, and through his secret art, he was able to control all of the inner demons as well. As long as they were to make a move together, he would surely be able to kill that monster before him and exact his vengeance! "Hm?" Zhang Xuan frowned as he watched the inner demons slowly heading towards him. Even he would have difficulties dealing with several hundred inner demons simultaneously. However, at this moment, a voice sounded, "Master, that technique of using an altar as a medium to im souls... it seems to be a secret art which I have created!" Chapter 1115: Taming the Inner Demons Chapter 1115: Taming the Inner Demons Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The one who spoke was Vicious. "You were the one who created the secret art?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Thats right. The secret art serves to im the souls and Primordial Spirits of other cultivators to nourish ones soul 1 ." Vicious replied. "Nourish? Wait a moment... Do you mean that the person whom Cang Xu has submitted to is... another body part of yours?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "That does appear to be the case." Vicious replied. In a battle against Kong shi many years ago, Vicious was killed, and his corpse was reduced into numerous pieces. However, his cultivation had already achieved a level where he could revive just from a single droplet of blood. As long as he had sufficient time and the conditions were right, he could regain consciousness ande back to life. This was what had happened to his heart and phnge back then. However, there was a drawback to that technique. Every single body part that regained consciousness viewed itself as the original Vicious, and it sought to devour the others so as to return back to its full strength. Zhang Xuan had promised to help Vicious find back his other parts, but who would have thought that the person who Cang Xu had submitted to would be another one of his body part! "Master, if I can devour that body part which he has submitted to, my cultivation will surely rise by leaps and bounds..." Vicious said in agitation. "Alright, Ill conduct a Soul Search on him to gather some information." Zhang Xuan nodded. This Vicious had already submitted to him, so it would be beneficial to him if the other party were to raise his cultivation. His interaction with Vicious had happened in the mind, and it onlysted for an instant. In this moment, the inner demons were still rushing towards him under Cang Xusmand. The assault of inner demons differed from that of humans. Instead of executing techniques and exerting strength, they would attempt to infiltrate into ones mind through producing all kinds of illusions, gradually eroding ones mental resilience before overwhelming ones consciousness. Weng! The assault of the inner demons left Zhang Xuan suddenly feeling a little light-headed. As Cang Xu was a Primordial Spirit pinnacle expert, his inner demons possessed power proportionate to his original cultivation realm 2 . On top of that, there were simply too many of them. Even with mental resilience of Zhang Xuans caliber, it was still difficult for him to withstand their simultaneous onught. "Hold it for a moment!" Zhang Xuan roared. He knew that he would in a vulnerable position once the inner demons were to breach his mind. Thus, driving the Heavens Path Soul Art to toughen his defenses, he bellowed, "You are Cang Xus inner demons, so why are you going for me?" These inner demons were all drawn out from Cang Xus malicious thoughts, so why would they go for him instead? "Why would we go for a disgusting brethren when theres a delicious soul right before us?" "I know that you want to achieve higher realms in your cultivation and advance your ranking as a master teacher. As long as you listen to me, the goal will be just within reach!" "Havent you realized that theres a w in your state of mind? Trust me, and Ill supplement your deficiency!" ... All kinds of lies were spouted from the mouths of the inner demons. Their words carried a beguiling quality to it which seemed to draw one into a trance, making one lose sight of oneself. "Cant youe up with something other than that?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Initially, he was still a little overwhelmed by thebined might of the inner demons. However, upon hearing those inner demons saying that there was a w in his cultivation technique and his state of mind, he immediately became more awake than ever. The Heavens Path cultivation techniques werepiled by the Library of Heavens Path, and they were perfect in and of themselves... A w in them? You must be joking! I am one who has cultivated the Heavens Path cultivation techniques, so for you to teach me... Who do you think you are? Honestly, dont you think that the quality of your beguilement is a little too low for inner demons? "I dont know where you inner demons came from, but are you really content with living your life in such a manner? Hiding in the corners of ones heart, not daring to appear in the open... Do you really have no dreams of bing stronger and making your mark on the world?" Zhang Xuan asked with an alluring tone. "Ah?" The inner demons halted what they were doing, and they nced at one another in bewilderment. They were in the midst of beguiling the other party, so how did it turn into a situation where the other party attempted to beguile them instead? Shouldnt the other party fall into a trance under their suggestions and begin doubting himself, causing his mental resilience copse and his mind to pass out, thus opening an opportunity for them to overwhelm him? So how... How could he remain perfectly conscious, and from the looks of it, the other party seemed to be even stronger than them! Furthermore... they found themselves a little moved by the other partys words! "In order to cultivate ones soul, one must first stand against the Five Soul Declines. As lifeforms reminiscent of souls, the same applies to inner demons as well. I have a cultivation technique here which might help you if you were to cultivate it diligently." Seeing that the inner demons were at a loss, Zhang Xuan pushed on. In an instant, flowers began falling from the sky as the spiritual energy in the surroundings resonated in excitement. The inner demons felt as if as long as they were to cultivate ording to his teachings, they would be able to surpass their limits and be stronger than ever. "Inner demons are born by the evil within ones heart. If ones heart is pure, there would be no ce for the existence of an inner demon. What a tragedy this is! The basis of your existence is actually centered around a cultivators whims, and you dont even have control over your own fate... Dont you feel frustrated and helpless? But worry not! As long as you were to cultivate the technique that I impart you, you will be able to grasp hold of your own fate and be the master of yourself!" Zhang Xuan continued on. The inner demons, who were still hesitating a moment ago, clenched their fists tightly together in agitation, and their faces flushed crimson. The prowess from the Impartation of Heavens Will used alongside a demonic tune was simply too great, such that even the inner demons ended up sumbing to it. "Dont fret, dont hesitate, trust yourself. You will definitely be able to do it. Why should you live such a bitter and difficult life? Heed my words, and gain the strength to dictate your lives!" Zhang Xuan said impassionately as he reached out a hand to them. Hu! The agitated inner demons immediately flew over to grasp Zhang Xuans hand. In that moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly flicked his wrist and took out a jade bottle. With a simple beckoning, he collected all of the inner demons into the jade bottle. "Will they really be unable to escape from here?" Zhang Xuan asked as he grasped the shaking jade bottle tightly in worry. Based on his prior experience, as long as he didnt fall for the inner demons beguilement, the inner demons would dissipate on their own ord. However, Vicious told him that those fellows could be collected for his own use. This was also the reason why he went through so much effort, using the Impartation of Heavens Will and his demonic tunes in order to convince them to submit to him. "As long as you use the altar you have obtained from the Jadeleaf King to stopple the lid, they wont be able to flee. When you need to use them, just uncork the lid. Trust me, they might just prove to be a valuable asset in unexpected situations..." Vicious said. "Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the altar which the Jadeleaf King used previously, and with a light tap, a unique seal covered the entire altar. Following which, the massive altar began to shrink, until it was able to fit nicely on top of the jade bottle as a cork. As soon as the altar fell on the cork, the bottle suddenly stopped altogether. It was as if the inner demons had been suppressed within. Having reaching Saint realm, Zhang Xuans zhenqi had obtained some new abilities. In the past, it would have been difficult for him to morph his body to be bigger or smaller than how it was, but this wasnt a problem anymore. This was also the reason why the Byzantium Helios Beast was able to increase his size readily to ferry more people on top of him back then. "Y-you..." Cang Xu stared at the sight before him in horror. He thought that with so many inner demons assaulting the young man at once, it should be a walk in the park to take him down. Yet, who could have thought that in the blink of an eye, all of the inner demons would end up betraying him, submitting to the young man instead... Cang Xus body trembled in fear, and he felt so shocked that he felt as if his mind was going to snap. Soul Search! Soul Search was a convenient technique, but it had severe limitations as well. It was unlikely to work on those who were too much stronger than him and the mentally resilient. Given the current state Cang Xu was in, Zhang Xuan knew that this was the ideal opportunity to strike. Thus, he swiftly grasped Cang Xu and utilized the soul art on him. This soul art was highly damaging on the victims soul, but considering that Cang Xu had already defected to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and even attempted to kill him, there was no punishment that he was undeserving of. Tzzzzzzzz! In the blink of an eye, he hadpleted a Soul Search on Cang Xu. As Cang Xu had already been severely weakened in the first ceonly a mere sliver of his original soul remainedhe was unable to withstand the tremendous pressure of the Soul Search and dissipated instantaneously, disappearing without a trace. The Marsnds of the Northern Meadows City... Afterpleting the Soul Search, Zhang Xuan managed to find the fellow who had imparted the secret art to Cang Xu. At the very start, Cang Xu and Dao Kou were just two petty thieves. On one asion, while fleeing from their enemies, they dived into the marsnds. Just as they thought that they were going to lose their lives, they stumbled upon a peculiar cavern and obtained the heritage contained within. They had no idea who had left behind the heritage, but they had found themselves getting into a soul contract with the owner of the heritage, which forced them to tribute a soul into the altar once every few days. And of all souls, the ones that were preferred were those of master teachers. Over the years, countless master teachers had died in Cang Xus hands. This was also the reason why he didnt hesitate for too long before deciding to make a move on Zhang Xuan, even when he had guessed that Zhang Xuan was likely to be no ordinary master teacher. Ill have to look into it in the future... Zhang Xuan thought as he ced those thoughts aside for the moment. Returning his soul back into his physical body, he opened his eyes once more. At this moment, there were no more inner demons before him, and the pitch-ck world from before had vanished. He found himself sitting on a zafu in a room brilliantly-lit by Night Illumination Pearls. It was as if what had happened to him previously was only a dream, and it had left him slightly dazed for a moment. Lowering his gaze, he saw that there was indeed a jade bottle in his hands, and he muttered, "It seems like it wasnt a dream after all. I really managed to take down those inner demons..." Zhang Xuan smiled. He could feel the items that were sealed within the jade bottle, and that reaffirmed that everything that had happened was true. Let me see if there are any changes in my state of mind... Previously, when Zhang Xuan took down a single inner demon while undergoing the Heart Ordeal, his Soul Depth had surged from 21.1 to 23.1. This time, given that he had taken down several hundred inner demons, surely his Soul Depth would surge to an unbelievable level! He quickly whipped out a Stone of Insight to test his Soul Depth, and upon taking a look, his mouth began twitching wildly. "How could this be?" Zhang Xuan muttered in shock His Soul Depth was still the same as before, 23.1. There was no change whatsoever! It was as if his previous encounter with the inner demons had done nothing to temper his mind! "Master, those inner demons arent yours, so even if you were to sessfully beguile them, it wont temper your state of mind in any way... Given so, its normal for your Soul Depth to remain stagnant!" Knowing what was going through Zhang Xuans mind, Vicious exined telepathically. "I see..." Zhang Xuan replied sorrowfully. Why did other people have so many inner demons while he had none at all? How could the world be so unfair? He should be given a chance to temper his state of mind as well! Ah, being too strong had its own troubles as well! Hong long! While Zhang Xuan wasmenting his own plight, the wall in front of him suddenly parted, revealing a passageway forward. It seemed like him clearing the Trial of Inner Demons had triggered some kind of mechanism. Putting away his woes, Zhang Xuan stood up and assessed the passageway warily. After confirming that it was safe, he slowly made his way into it. The end of the passageway led to another sealed room, and there was a round and smooth crystal ball at the very center of the room. Zhang Xuan ced his palm on it, and a brilliant gleam of light shot up, revealing a figure. The figure was an old man with snowy beard and hair. It was a little difficult to discern his age from his appearance. "The fact that you are able toe here means that you have cleared the Trial of Inner Demons, and your state of mind has be wless. With this, you are qualified to inherit my heritage..." The elder stroked his beard with a smile before continuing on, "I am the founder of the Heart Division. The reason why I founded this division is to temper the hearts of thebat master, and those who have managed to achieve that will be able to inherit the highest secret art of our Heart Division, [Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra]!" "Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra?" "Thats right. Upon reaching Major Aplishment in this technique, ones heart would be unblemished like a transparent ss, leaving one impervious to the temptations of the inner demons. At the same time, ones Primordial Spirit would also be more wholesome, thus enhancing ones strength!" The elder smiled meaningfully at Zhang Xuan for a moment before continuing, "Only the greatest of geniuses who are able to withstand the Formation of Inner Demons are qualified to heart this technique. Since you are able toe here, this means that you have already met the minimum qualifications. How about it? Are you interested in learning the technique?" "No." Zhang Xuan replied without the slightest hesitation. "..." The elder Chapter 1116: Altering the Sutra Chapter 1116: Altering the Sutra Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Those who were qualified to challenge and ovee the Trial of Inner Demons, in terms standing and strength, were all the upper echelons of the Combat Master Hall. There was only one motive for them to do soto obtain the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra... He was only asking the other party whether he was interested out of politenessnaturally, there should only be one answer. Yet, who could have thought that... the other party would actually reply curtly with a no! If you arent interested, what the hell are you doing here? ying with me? "This is the highest secret art of the Heart Division... Are you certain that you dont want to learn it?" the elder asked hesitantly. "Im not interested." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had no inner demon at the moment, and that secret art, upon reaching Major Aplishment, only served to reduce the number of inner demons. A secret art which performed poorer than him... Unless he was off his rockers, there was no way he should learn that technique! "Then... why did you challenge the trial?" the elder was displeased. "I thought that there are inner demons here to temper my state of mind, so I came here to train. Yet... who could have thought that the inner demons here are too weak, itspletely useless to me. I ended up getting excited over nothing... To tell you the truth, I am really disappointed!" Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. If he had known that the formation was so weak, he wouldnt havee over and wasted his effort. The only constion for it was that he had managed to capture several hundred inner demons and uncover the location of another one of Viciouss body part, so the trip wasnt aplete waste. "Too weak? Disappointed?" the elders face flushed crimson, and he nearly fainted on the spot. He managed to obtain the Formation of Inner Demons in an ancient domain a very long time ago, and he found that it was capable of drawing out the evil, sorrow, fear, and the various negative emotions within a human and amplify them, causing one to sink into a whirlpool of their own emotions. Those who were able to ovee it would find their state of minds growing far more resilient than before. And for those who werent able to ovee it, the formation was set up in a manner to halt before things truly get dangerous, so it wasnt dangerous at all. As simple as the trial sounded, it was no easy feat to ovee ones inner demons. Of the generations of hall masters, only five had managed to clear the Trial of Inner Demons. Just through this in itself, one could see how difficult the matter of. And yet, that fellow actually said that it was too weak... And furthermore, his face showed that he was full of disdain towards the matter... Disdain your head! Are you really here to take the trial or to mock us? "This Formation of Inner Demons is indeed nothing against true experts. However, your strength is only at Saint 1-dan, and it took you a very long time to clear the formation at that. From that, I think it can be seen that the formation isnt as easy as you put it out to be." the elder said with a displeased look on his face. It had been around ten minutes from the moment that fellow triggered the formation to the point that he entered this room. As fast as it may be, the fact that he still needed ten minutes to ovee his inner demons meant that the trial wasnt as easy as he made it out to be. So, why are you boasting over here? You arent that great either! "From the look on your face, it seems like you feel that I am talking big." Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. "Its not that I want to criticize you, but this formation of yours is truly unseemly and useless! If you dont believe me, I can point out the errors in it for you right now. Even though the formation is capable of drawing out ones inner demons, it requires one to walk to the center of the formation in order to do so. Thats as good as giving the cultivator a hint as to what is going toe, thus giving him an opportunity to mentally prepare himself. At the same time, the cultivator would also realize that the experiences afterward would all be false, and that would severely reduce the effectiveness of the formation. This is the very first problem with it!" "This..." the elder mused over those words for a moment, but he couldnt find anything to refute them. That was indeed a w of the formation. But while that was the case, once the inner demons came into y, the cultivators mind would immediately be sent into disarray. It would be hard for the cultivator to think rationally and remind himself that the experiences he was going through were false by then. Thus, in his view, that couldnt be considered as a major w. But even so, for the other party to notice it shortly after entering the Trial of Inner Demons... Could it be that the trial was truly too easy for him? "Other than that, the inner demons produced by the formations are too simplistic. They only seek toy doubts regarding ones cultivation and battle techniques. What if the challenger has absolute confidence in his cultivation and battle techniques? If so, the trial would effectively be rendered meaningless... This is the second problem!" Zhang Xuan continued. "You..." the body of the elder stiffened. In the first ce, the Formation of Inner Demons was not easy to set up, so it was normal for it to be wed. But even so, finding them shouldnt have been easy when one was in a befuddled state under the work of the inner demons, so how could this fellow still have the attention to look out for ws? Was this for real? "Besides that, the entire location reeks of a formation! The forms of the inner demons are too distasteful, who in the world would want to deal with those inner demons in their right mind? They would probably crack open their heads as soon as they get a chance to do so! Dont you think that the effect would be far greater if the inner demons were to transform into someone they were familiar with? And this is the third problem of the formation!" "... This is the fourth problem of the formation!" "... This is the fifth problem of the formation!" ... "... And this is the tenth problem of the formation! In the first ce, this formation isnt toorge or powerful, so dont you think that its uneptable for there to be so many ws in it?" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuanined in dissatisfaction. The formation was indeed capable of drawing out the inner demons within one, making it extremely hard to guard against it. However, the ws were apparent as well. To summarize it simply, it simply wasnt immersive! For the inner demons to appear in the form of demons, wasnt this as good as telling others that I am a demon, guard against me? As a customer, he found the experience too non-immersive andcking. A truly fearsome inner demon would one which could warp into a being which evoked ones remembrance or deepest regret, rendering one incapable or reluctant to tell the difference between the two... That would be truly fearsome then! For one, if those inner demons had chosen to assume Luo Ruoxins form instead of those ugly appearances they had, there was a very small chance that he might have just sumbed to it. "T-this..." the elders face paled. In the first ce, he was only a fragmented soul left behind a very long time ago. Suffering these consecutive shocks had left his existence wavering uncontrobly, and it looked as if he was only a step away from dissipation. As the one who had set up the formation, it was natural that he was well aware of its ws. He knew that all ten of the ws pointed out by the other party had no mistakes whatsoever! In other words, in the short span of time which the other party had cleared the formation, he had also managed to see through the very essence of it. That would exin why he took ten minutes... It seemed like he spent most of the time analyzing the formation instead of dealing with the inner demons. But still, to be able to uncover so much within such a short period of time... Wasnt his eye of discernment a little too formidable? "Then... is there any way that I can resolve the issue?" Knowing that he mustnt look down on the person standing before him, the elder asked carefully. "It would be very difficult to resolve all of the ws of the formation. However, I do know of one good way to raise its prowess by a little... As long as we stack an Illusory Formation on top of your Formation of Inner Demons, we would be able to hinder the challenger from noticing anything before the inner demons are triggered, and this would deprive them of the opportunity to prepare themselves. This should enhance the effectiveness of the formation significantly." After saying those words, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before drawing a picture identical to that in the previous room with his zhenqi. Tapping on the picture, several hundred light points emerged within the picture of the room. This was one of the abilities of a painter, Suspended Imagery! "As long as we nt gs in these points, we should be able to build an Illusory Formation on top of the original formation and enhance its potency..." Zhang Xuan exined calmly. Hisprehension of formations had already reached 7-star pinnacle, putting him at a levelparable to 8-star primary formation masters. On top of that, his experiences at the Qiu Wu Pce had given a far deeper insight into formations as well. Thus, asplicated aspounding two formations together was, it wasnt an issue to him. Besides, his aim was only to improve a small aspect of the Formation of Inner Demons, so the Illusory Formation didnt have to be tooplicated. "This..." As one who had set up the Formation of Inner Demons, the eldersprehension of formation had also reached an incredibly profound level. With just a look, his body jolted, and disbelief crept into the depths of his eyes. At first sight, the formation seemed haphazard, disobeying the conventions of formation building. It looked as if something an amateur had randomly came up with. However, at closer examination, he realized that it was perfectly calcted toplement as many ws in the Formation of Inner Demons as it could, enhancing the prowess of thetter immensely. "I have benefited under your guidance..." the elder bowed deeply and respectfully. His previous doubts had vanished without a trace, and in this moment, all he was left with was admiration for thetter. As young as the person before him was, hisprehension of formation had already achieved a level far beyond what he had achieved in his lifetime. On top of that, he possessed an incredibly resilient mind which not even the Formation of Inner Demons could faze. Who could have thought that he would encounter such an astounding genius after he had passed away? "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand calmly. He was just feeling a little frustrated over how poorly the formation was designed, so he casually pointed it out. Since the other party epted his views, there was no need for him to push his point insistently and embarrass the other party. "This is the manual for the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra. Even if you are uninterested in it, I still have to abide by my own rules and hand it over to you..." The elder tapped his finger lightly, and a shimmering bundle of light appeared. It gradually morphed into a manual. Taking a nce at it, Zhang Xuan collected it into the Library of Heavens Path. Following which, he picked up the book to take a look while in truth, he was browsing through the content of the book in his mind. A momentter, with a deep frown etched on his face, he remarked, "This secret art has an extremely high requirement on ones state of mind!" The Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra demanded its cultivator to possess an extremely resilient mind, or else, not only would one fail to master it, it might even introduce inner demons into ones mind, causing ones cultivation to go berserk and decline drastically. In the worst case scenario, one might even lose his sense of self and go berserk. There were simply too few people in the world who possessed sufficiently strong mental resilience to cultivate the secret art. It was no wonder why one had to clear the trial first before one could inherit the heritage! Otherwise, if those who were not sufficiently capable were to obtain it, it might end up ruining their future instead! "Thats right." the elder nodded regretfully. "It would be hard tomonize a secret art that demands such a high mental resilience of the cultivator... Why dont I take a look at it and alter it so that normal cultivators will be able to practice it safely as well?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking. If it had been any other secret art, he would probably be helpless before it. However, it was a different case for this heart sutra. The crux of the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutray in cultivating ones Primordial Spirit or soul to bing wholesome. There was an uncanny resemnce between it and the method which spirit awakeners utilized to nourish Primordial Spirits and souls. He had noticed it while he was browsing through the technique, so he fused it together with the spirit awakeners spirit enchantment techniques. Even though he failed to create a Heavens Path cultivation technique out of it, he did manage to ovee the requirement that demanded a high mental resilience from the cultivator. In a sense, he had managed to resolve the greatest w of the technique. "Alter it so that... normal cultivators will be able to practice it safely as well?" Back then, he had endured much suffering in order to obtain this secret art. His goal was simplehe only wanted to raise the strength of thebat masters. But after obtaining it, he realized that due to the sheerplexity of the technique, only those who possessed high mental resilience were able to cultivate it. This had been one of the greatest regrets in life. If the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra could really be mademonce, the overall strength of the Combat Master Hall could really be raised by leaps and bounds! That would also mean a greater degree of safety for mankind as well. "The greatest w in the cultivation techniquey in its cultivation process. Cultivators of the technique will have to face all kinds of temptations, and those who fail to ovee it will meet with disastrous oues. It is for this reason that the threshold for the technique is extremely high. In truth, its not too difficult to resolve the problem. While I was browsing through the manual earlier, I have altered the portions concerning it ordingly. " Zhang Xuan said. "You have altered it while you were browsing through it for the first time?" When he heard that the other party would alter the technique and make itmonce, he had imagined that the process would take decades or even centuries easily. Yet, it had only been half a minute since he had taken out the cultivation technique, and not only did the other party manage to finish browsing through it, he had even sessfully altered it at that... The elders body trembled in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard. That had been his goal while he was alive as well, but despite devoting his entire life to it, he still didnt manage to seed even when he was on his deathbed... Yet, within a period of time where it wouldnt suffice for anyone else to finish browsing through and internalize the manual, he had already finished altering the technique... Even the great Kong shi couldnt have wielded such capability! "Thats right." Zhang Xuan replied with an amiable smile. "Do you want a copy? I can write one down for you now!" Chapter 1117: Danger! Danger! Chapter 1117: Danger! Danger! Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Ill be troubling you then." The elder sped his fist and bowed. Even though the young man had shown capabilities that far exceededmon geniuses, he still found it hard to believe that the other party could alter the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra within such a short period of time. He had to confirm it with his own eyes. Having guessed the elders thoughts, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and line after line of words formed out of zhenqi slowly appeared in the air. It was the altered Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra! "T-this..." Upon taking a look, the elders body stiffened as incredulity crept into his gaze. "With this alteration, the temptations will still appear, but in a progressive manner instead. This will allow those with a weaker state of mind to cultivate the secret art and slowly advance their proficiency..." He had studied the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra for many years, so he knew it inside out. The other party had not altered much of the sutra, but he had managed to change it from its very foundations. The prowess upon reaching Major Aplishment had not changed, but the starting point had been lowered instead. In the past, even the head of the Combat Master Hall would have difficulties cultivating the technique, but now... even an ordinary Ten Men Commander could probably grasp it with ease. Seeing the elder trembling in agitation, Zhang Xuan smiled. Admittedly, the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra was a hard-toe-by technique. While it was not of much use to him, he could still impart it to Wang Ying and Liu Yang. It shouldplement the weaknesses in their state of mind, allowing them to reach even greater heights. More than that, if allbat masters could cultivate the technique, the overall fighting prowess of the Combat Master Hall could be brought to greater heights. The events in Qiu Wu Pce had given him deeper respect toward master teachers. This was also why he had epted Hall Master Xings request readily. The elder bowed deeply. "Allow me to thank you on behalf of the entire Combat Master Hall!" "You are being too polite. We are all master teachers, so its only right for us to help one another!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The elder had passed away many years ago, but he had chosen to leave behind his will to pass down his secret art, all in hopes that mankind could strive for greatness. His concern for the future of mankind was truly worthy of respect. Zhang Xuans response made the elder nod in approval. Curious, he asked, "Considering your incredible mental resilience, I guess that you must be the newly-elected head of the Heart Division?" "Im not..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was only dropping by the Combat Master Hall to help Hall Master Xing. He was not even abat master, so how could he be a division head? The elder was taken aback for a moment before realization struck him. "You arent? Oh, I get it! Your strength must have been a factor limiting you from bing a division head. After all, the minimum requirement is Primordial Spirit realm while you are only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle." Naturally, there was a requirement on ones cultivation before one could be qualified to be a division head. If they were to just go by the young mans mental resilience, he was definitely the best candidate to be the head of the Heart Division. However, it seemed like his cultivation had hindered him. Upon understanding what was going on, the elder said, "How about this then? As the founder of the Heart Division, I wield the ultimate control over the Heart Division. Ill give this to you aspensation for resolving my greatest regret. This way, once your cultivation reaches the mark, youll automatically be the head of the Heart Division. Not even the hall master will be able to question the matter." "Thank you for your concern, but its fine..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was not even interested in bing abat master, let alone the head of some Heart Division. Just as he was in the midst of rejecting the other party, he suddenly felt the elder before him sending a thought into his mind. As the thought fused with his mind, he suddenly found himself with perfect knowledge of all the formations in the Heart Division. With this, he had effectively gained full control over all of them. "Alright. With this, my job is done here. I will be entrusting the Heart Division to your hands." The transmission of thought had left the elders soul fading even more. Even so, there was a satisfied smile on his face. The reason the elder had persisted for so long was due to his regret in being unable to find a sessor whom he was truly satisfied with. Even though the cultivation of the young man before him was a little too low, his capability was truly not one to be underestimated. Under the other partys leadership, he was confident that the Heart Division could be brought to greater heights. With this, he was finally able to put down the baggage in his heart. "But I..." Seeing the elders look, Zhang Xuan was deeply conflicted. While he was still in the midst of finding the words to exin his identity, the elders soul was visibly growing more and more transparent, and eventually, with a light pop, it vanished altogether. "Jeez!" Seeing that it was already toote for him to say anything, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Forget it. Ill just pass on the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao when I get out and let them deal with the matter. That should be more than enough. He simply was not interested in bing abat master, so he could not possibly be the head of the Heart Division. At the very least, if he could pass on the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to them, they would disseminate it. In a sense, he would be fulfilling the elders final wishes as well. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He took onest look around the room, and after confirming that there was really nothing around that he could temper his mind with, he began walking out with a disappointed look on his face. However, barely after taking a few steps out of the passageway, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation pounding on his heart, and goosebumps rose all over his skin. Hu! Trusting his instincts, he immediately executed his Heavens Path Divine Art, and his figure vanished from the spot. The next moment, the hands of a cactus struck the ce where he had been standing, creating a huge depression in his ce. Hong long! The cactus did not stop there just because he had missed. The following moment, Zhang Xuan felt the air crushing heavily down on him, threatening to tten him into a sheet of paper. Narrowing his eyes, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly halted in his direction of advance and forcefully leaped into the air. Paji! Right after he left the ground, a brilliant ray of light sted across the area that he had been about to pass by earlier, crushing everything in its path callously. If he had been a secondte in responding, he might have lost his life. Sou! Before he had chance to catch his breath, the sh of a sword flew across the sky, headed for him. It seemed as if the assaulter had already calcted the trajectory of his movements. Despite his swift reaction, he was still unable to free himself from the relentless offense of the assaulters. If the previous two attacks were only to corner him, this attack was definitely a killing blow! The sword qi emanated by the sword covered every single path that he could escape to, leaving him no room to flee at all! What is going on? Zhang Xuansplexion turned incredibly awful. He had never thought that he would be assaulted in the Combat Master Hall! However, this was no time to be thinking about the matter. If he could not ovee the attack before him, all that would be left of him was a cold, lifeless corpse. With a threat looming right before him, his mind whirred at great speed. In this moment, he seemed to have entered a unique state of mind. Under the assessment of the Eye of Insight, even the sword before him seemed to have slowed down. Hu! In this state of mind, Zhang Xuan found that he waspletelyposed and rational, and such a state allowed him to make the best decision before him. With a huge gust of wind, hepressed his body tightly together. Geji geji! In the blink of an eye, from his initial height of 1.8m, he waspressed into roughly the size of a watermelon. Putting aside the fact that sword qi had sealed his surroundings, preventing him from dodging at all, even if he had managed to dodge the attack by some chance, there was no knowing if the other party still had some other countermeasures to corner him further. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he was killed! Since that was the case, he had to retaliate! Shortly after hepressed his body into a bundle, he felt a cold burst of air flying straight above his head. The sword barely nicked his skin, causing a stinging sensation. "Break!" Reverting back to his original form, Zhang Xuan swiftly shot his finger forward. Hu! Innumerable bursts of sword qi shot forth from his fingers. They swiftly flew toward the barrier of sword qi ahead of him that had sealed his surroundings, and reminiscent of rain striking down on a banana tree, the sh between the two produced relentless ding ding dang dang sounds. From the previous few attacks, he could already tell that the other partys strength was far greater than his, at least reaching the level of Primordial Spirit pinnacle. With his current strength, there was no way he could face them head-on. Since that was the case, he would just have to overwhelm them by quantity! Relentless sword qi stormed forth from his finger and struck the barrier of sword qi. As powerful as the barrier was, it still swiftly thinned under the relentless attacks before eventually dissipating. "What?" This series of actions waspleted in the blink of an eye. From the initial escape to retaliation, not even half a breath had passed. The one who hadunched the attack clearly had not expected that he would be able to dodge the attack and even retaliate, breaking the barrier of sword qi, and he eximed in astonishment. I have to flee now! Knowing that he was still in a dangerous position, Zhang Xuan leaped forward and dashed as fast as he could. "Where do you think youre going?" A furious bellow sounded, and a massive palm print suddenly came falling down upon Zhang Xuan. The palm print covered over a dozen square meters with him centered at the middle, thus effectively blocking his path of escape. With the speed that the palm print was heading toward him at, it was nigh impossible for him to escape in time. Hisbat sense is too strong. Zhang Xuans face turned grim. He had thought that he could make use of the other partyspse in concentration to flee, but the other party had recovered faster than expected. Furthermore, the other party was even able toe up with an attack that could corner him within the blink of an eye. The other partysbat sense was truly frightening! Even Wu shi could hardlypare to that. Zhang Xuan knew that he would be severely injured once he was struck by the palm strike, and in his weakened state, there would be no way for him to escape with his life anymore. Thus, he quickly hastened his footsteps and rushed off as fast as he could. Hu! In the blink of an eye, he reached the corner of the hall. But at the same moment, the palm print had finally reached right above him. "Break!" Zhang Xuan tapped his finger upwards. Weng! Something seemed to whir into life in the room, and the massive palm print froze in midair, as if a fish frozen within a block of ice. From the information imparted to him by the elder, he had gained a thorough understanding of theyout and formations within the Heart Division, allowing him to control them easily. From the very start, he knew that it would be hard for him to escape, so his movements were also calcted to head toward the center of the formation so as to activate it. If someone traced his path of movement from the moment he left the passageway of the trial, they would shockingly notice that it was actually a straight line right toward this point! In other words, even while dodging those attacks, he was still able to instantaneously find a way to resolve it and continue advancing forward. Considering that he was up against an opponent far stronger than him, this was definitely an incredible feat. With the formation active, Zhang Xuan was finally able to see the faces of his assants, and a cold gaze immediately slipped into his eyes. "Hall Master Xing, Division Head Liao, and Division Head Wei, what are you three trying to do?" They were the three experts of the Combat Master Hall. Chapter 1118: Zhang Xuan Crushes the Trio Chapter 1118: Zhang Xuan Crushes the Trio Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan was extremely unhappy. It was out of goodwill that he hade over to help nourish Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit so that thetter could deal with whatever trouble he was facing. It was one thing for them not topensate him, but they evenunched an attack against him on top of that. If not for his swift reaction, he would have already been dead by now! Was this how the Combat Master Hall treated their benefactor? "Y-you..." While Zhang Xuan was fuming, Hall Master Xing and the others widened their eyes in shock, unable to speak a single word. Of the three of them, there was one who had reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm while the other two were at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. With the three of them attacking in coboration with one another, even a Saint 5-dan primary stage expert could easily have been taken down if caught off guard. The young man was only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, but he had still managed to escape from their encirclement unharmed. Thebat sense and reflexes he had disyed had surpassed any one of them there! And more importantly... he was actually able to control the formations in the Heart Division! Wasnt only the head of the Heart Division able to control them? "That should be our question instead! Speak, what is your motive for infiltrating our Combat Master Hall?" After recovering from his shock, Hall Master Liao harrumphed coldly. Flicking his wrist, he took out a token. The token was the symbol of authority of the Heart Division, and it was also the key to controlling the formations within it. Hu! A sh of light burst from the token, and the frozen palm print abruptly shook free from its restraints. With a resounding explosion, it burst forth once more. "Humph!" Sneering coldly, Division Head Liao was waiting for the palm print to fall upon Zhang Xuan when it suddenly switched direction and headed toward the three of them. Hong long! Astonished, the trio hurriedly retreated to dodge the palm strike. The palm print eventually struck the ground, creating a huge depression beneath it. At the same time, innumerable cracks crept across the ground within the room. Amid an intense gale that burst forth from the palm strike, the fruits on Hall Master Xings head fell to the ground amid resounding plops. "Division Head Liao, how in the world are you controlling your formation?" Cloaked with ayer of dust, Division Head Wei roared furiously. At the same time, he gathered his zhenqi into his clenched fist and sent a powerful punch right toward Zhang Xuan. The might of the palm burst forth, crushing down in Zhang Xuans direction. "Humph!" Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he stood his ground. Hu! Before the punch could connect, it made an abrupt U-turn and returned right back at Division Head Wei himself. "What?" Shocked, Division Head Wei quickly thrusted his palm forward to ward off the might of his punch. Nevertheless, he was still forced to retreat eight steps, and a numbing sensation engulfed his arm. The impact had also jolted his zhenqi, causing him to sustain some internal injuries. He had exerted his full might in the previous punch, and it seemed like the formation had further enhanced the strength of the punch before sending it back. With hisst moment defense, he inevitably ended up suffering some injuries from the encounter. Pale-faced, Division Head Wei roared furiously, "Liao Bujin, what the hell are you doing?" With his eye of discernment, it was apparent that it was the Heart Divisions formation that caused his attack to turn against him. Given that Liao Bujin was the head of the Heart Division, it went without saying that he was the one who wielded absolute control over its formations. Yet... why was he helping the enemy instead? "I have no idea! It is as if... he has obtained higher control rights over the formations than me..." Division Head Liao narrowed his eyes in horror. The formations in the Heart Division were left behind by the founder of the Heart Division, and its control rights were determined by a strict hierarchy. In fact, the head of the Heart Division was not chosen by nomination, but by whether one was able to control the formations of the Heart Division or not. Back then, it was because he had bested the other elders in terms of his control over the formations that he had been given the token, thus bing the head of the Heart Division. Under normal circumstances, with the token in hand, there should have been no one in the Combat Master Hall who could surpass him in terms of control over the formations, and this included the hall master. So, how could the young man be able to supersede his control so easily? This should have been impossible! Seeing through the situation, Hall Master Xing turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "How did you manage to obtain higher control rights over the Heart Divisions formations than Division Head Liao?" However, Zhang Xuan was in no mood to answer their questions at this point. With an incredibly dark face, he said in a chilly tone, "Its under your invitation that I came here to nourish your Primordial Spirit. While some mishap happened in the midst of it, its due to Division Head Wei abruptly barging into the room despite my warnings beforehand. Im sure it should be apparent that I bear no ill intentions. Yet, not only did you not reciprocate my favor, you even turned around and assaulted me. Why?" Zhang Xuans voice gradually grew colder and colder. As he spoke, he slowly walked step by step down from the sky. With every step that he took, the pressure that Hall Master Xing and the others felt intensified by a notch. After several steps, they felt as if they were shouldering an entire mountain, causing their legs to tremble uncontrobly. Cold sweat trickled ceaselessly down their faces. This immense pressure came from the formations of the Heart Division! Given that the other party was in control of the formations, he could easily kill all of them as long as he willed it to happen! " I asked why! " Zhang Xuan roared once more furiously. Hu! Unable to withstand it any longer, the trio copsed to the ground. A stifling sensation choked them, and blood spurted from their mouths. Zhang Xuan was truly furious this time around. He had always acted by the principles that he deeply believed in. He did not think that he was a noble and selfless person, but at the very least, he had never done anything that went against his conscience. Even though a mishap did happen, it was a fact that he had helped to perfect Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit. And yet, these threebat masters had actually made an attempt on his life! And it was an attempt that waspletely devoid of mercy! If it was not for his swift reflexes, he would have been dead already! He had been trying his best to find a way to resolve Hall Master Xings condition, and yet, they actually attempted to kill him without rationalizing the situation! "You are asking why even though you have tried to kill our hall master?" Division Head Liao spat indignantly as he tightened his grip around the token in his hand, wanting to wrestle back control over the formation. However, it was to no avail. Before the other party, it was as if his token as a mere toy. Putting aside controlling the formation, he found that he was even unable to feel it at all. This was how absolute the other partys control over the formation was. "Kill your hall master? If I really wanted to kill him, do you think that he would still be alive and kicking now?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly as he flung his sleeves furiously. Peng! A powerful force struck Division Head Liao, and his body crashed heavily into the wall. He waspletely helpless before the power of the Heart Divisions formation. In truth, even though Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at Saint 1-dan, he still could have easily destroyed Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit earlier on. There was no need for him to go to such lengths to do it. As such, when he heard Division Head Liao replying him with such a ridiculous reason, he could not hold back his temper any longer. Seeing that hispanion was wounded, Division Head Wei clenched his jaws furiously. "With more than a hundred inner demons in your heart, do you honestly expect us to believe that you wanted our hall master to bare his Primordial Spirit out of goodwill?" Considering how the wall had turned so dark after the other party had entered the Trial of Inner Demons, it was apparent to see that he harbored malicious intentions at heart. No matter how he tried to reason his actions, they were bound to be excuses! "Inner demons?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had not really thought that the trio would attempt to kill him for such a reason. "So thats why you attacked me?" Zhang Xuan gazed down on them coldly. "Those inner demons arent mine. I was assaulted by the Sky Bearing Bandit Cang Xu back at the Spirit Awakener Guild, and a sliver of his soul ended uptching onto me. It was his soul that resulted in the congregation of inner demons." If it had been anyone else, he wouldnt have bothered to waste his words. He would have just pummeled them straight to vent his anger and return some sense back into their heads. However, he was in the Combat Master Hall, and as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, his actions were representative of the entire organization. Given that the Xuanxuan Faction was going to have an exchange with the Combat Master Hall very soon, it could prove to be very troublesometer on if he beat up the hall master and two division heads. The other party might even vent their anger on his students. Considering that they were in Qingyuan City, the other partys home turf, he had no choice but to hold himself back. "Cang Xu?" Hall Master Xing and the others were stunned to hear that name. He had heard how the fellow was stomped to death by the guild building. If one had topile a list of the ten most unforgivable criminals in Qingyuan Empire, that fellow would definitely have been on the list. "Indeed. I have already killed that fellow and taken down all of the inner demons." Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "If I really have hundreds of inner demons, do you think that I could walk out from the Trial of Inner Demons perfectly fine?" "This..." The trio froze. The other party was right. If those inner demons were indeed his, even with the safety measures in the formation, he would still have been driven to a state of near insanity by the simultaneous onught of the inner demons! Considering how the other party was in apletely rational state, capable of making astute judgements in battle and analyzing the situation keenly... it did appear that he was unfazed by the inner demons. Zhang Xuan gazed down on Hall Master Xing coldly. "Besides, if I really intend you harm, do you think that I would have entered the Trial of Inner Demons just to cause problems for myself?" "To deal with our hall master, its natural that you would have to gain our trust first. You could have known of the existence of the Trial of Inner Demons beforehand and made countermeasures against it, only for the countermeasures to fail halfway through the trial," argued Division Head Liao. If possible, they would not doubt their benefactor either. However, when they thought back about what had happened, everything seemed too coincidental to be true. Just as they were about to find a powerful spirit awakener, he suddenly appeared in the Spirit Awakener Guild. It should have only been an ordinary spirit enchantment, but it ended up turning Hall Master Xing into a flowering cactus. It was not to say that the points raised by the other party did not make sense, but there were still too many doubtful points for them to simply ept it as it was. It was due to these doubts that they harbored that they were swiftly convinced that the other party was up to no good upon finding out that there were so many inner demons in the other partys heart. "Alright then. Lets take a step back and not debate whether I would have to win your trust before dealing with your hall master. With just my control over the Heart Divisions formations, do you think that anyone will be able to stop me if I attempt to kill the three of you?" cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan spoke with the utmost arrogance. So what if they werebat masters? With the many formations of the Heart Division under his control, he was the sole sovereign within this space! If he wanted to make a move, he could have easily killed the trio without anyone being any the wiser. Hearing those words, the trio fell silent. That was indeed true. Perhaps the other party might still have needed to resort to schemes beforehand, but with the formations of the Heart Division now under his absolute control, there was no need for him to waste his breath on them. Seeing that the trio was unable to speak a word, Zhang Xuan continued. "Hall Master Xing, if Im not mistaken, your Primordial Spirit suffered significant damage in the past, right?" "Thats right... Twenty-five years ago, I fought with an Otherworldly Demon King in the Subterranean Gallery and ended up being wounded by him," Hall Master Xing replied. There were quite a few people within the Combat Master Hall who were aware of the wounds his Primordial Spirit had suffered. Back then, his injuries were so severe that he had nearly lost his life. He was unconscious for three whole years, and if not for the relentless effort of the old guild leader of the Physician Guild, he might have just passed away back then. However, it was a pity that the old guild leader suddenly went missing after saving him, leaving him unable to repay the other partys favor. That had be a huge regret of his. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan began exining with a softened tone. "The damage sustained by your Primordial Spirit has ended up leaving behind a huge rift in it. I used my spirit enchantment to help cover up your rift, but Division Head Wei entered at that crucial moment, and your awakening Primordial Spirit ended up ejecting my consciousness from your mind. After which, while you were attacked by the inner demons, the enchanted spirit ended up fusingpletely with your Primordial Spirit, thus resulting in that weird form of yours. Its indeed my fault for not exining things to you earlier, but it was definitely not my intention to harm you." "This..." Hall Master Xings face paled. He had felt his Primordial Spirit bing much more wholesome than before, but as he had not done a thorough check, he didnt notice that the rift had been healed. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, he hurriedly looked inwardly to check on his Primordial Spirit, and a momentter, his eyes widened in astonishment and delight. "You treated... the rift in my Primordial Spirit?" Hall Master Xing asked hoarsely. He could hardly believe what had happened to him. The huge rift in his Primordial Spirit had be a huge bottleneck for his cultivation. He had sought many formidable physicians due to that matter, but all was helpless before that issue. Twenty years had passed, and he had already given up hope. The reason he intended to challenge the Trial of Inner Demons was in hopes that perhaps that highest secret art could repair that wound of his. Although, to be honest, he did not harbor much hope for that either. He had thought that his cultivation would be capped at this level for his entire life, and never had he thought that the spirit awakener before him would actually sessfully repair his Primordial Spirit. How could he have made an attempt on the life of his great benefactor? Chapter 1119: Zhang Xuan Imparts a Technique Chapter 1119: Zhang Xuan Imparts a Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I have misunderstood you. Please ept my sincerest apologies," Hall Master Xing said as he bowed deeply. Putting everything aside, if the other party truly intended to kill him, why would he have repaired his Primordial Spirit in the first ce? There was no need for him to do so at all. Furthermore, just as the other party had said, if the other party wanted to kill him, given his control over the formations, he would have just done it. There was no need for him to waste his breath. To think that he, as the head of the Combat Master Hall, actually tried to kill a man who was earnestly doing his best to help him... A deep feeling of guilt and shame crushed down on his heart, choking him within. Subconscious bias had influenced his train of thought, and the Trial of Inner Demons had further dulled his judgement. Otherwise, someone of his wits should have been able to figure all of that out. "After all we have done, we dare not ask for Sun shis forgiveness. We only hope that you will give us an opportunity topensate you. No matter what it is, we will definitely have it done without the slightestint!" Hall Master Xing implored. They were at fault for this matter, and no matter what, they had to clear things up. Putting aside the fact that this matter would bring shame to the Combat Master Hall, they would not even be able to forgive themselves. "I dont need yourpensation. However, if you are willing to trust me, I can resolve your problem right now," Zhang Xuan replied. He was still angry over the matter, but at the very least, the other party had not done what they did out of ill will against him. Rather than souring the rtions with the Combat Master Hall just so that he could vent his emotions, it would be better if he could use this incident to forge a sense of camaraderie between them and the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy instead. "Of course, I trust Sun shi!" Hearing the other party not asking forpensation and even offering to resolve his problem for him, Hall Master Xing could not help but feel deeply grateful and ashamed at the same time. This was the magnanimity of a true master teacher! Compared to him, they seemed like hypocrites instead. Zhang Xuan nodded. "Alright, Ill need you to lower the defenses around your Primordial Spirit." "Very well!" Without any hesitation, Hall Master Xing sat down on the ground and bared his Primordial Spirit to the other party without any reservations. Given that the other party controlled the formations of the Heart Division, there would have been nothing he could do even if the other party meant him harm. Since he waspletely helpless, he might as well justpletely let go. This way, he would at least be able to salvage the situation a little by disying his trust in the other party. Seeing that the other party was cooperating with him obediently, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was indeed difficult to deal with a spirit once it had fused with the cultivators Primordial Spirit. Nevertheless, if he could slip his consciousness into the other partys Primordial Spirit and specifically pinpoint the location of the target, it would not be too difficult to eliminate it. Hu! Thus, Zhang Xuan extended his consciousness into Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit and began his work. Not too longter, he heaved a sigh of relief. "Sun shi, how is it?" Division Heads Liao and Wei asked anxiously. "Take a look for yourself..." Zhang Xuan left them those words and sat down on the ground to recuperate. The other partys Primordial Spirit was simply too strong, such that he had to exert a lot of energy in order to maneuver his consciousness within it to find the spirit. Even though the process had only taken ten short minutes, it had ended up depleting his soul energy by almost 80%. Boom! A whileter, a loud buzz suddenly sounded from Hall Master Xings body, and amid a brilliant glow, a Primordial Spirit suddenly gushed out of his body. "Leaving Aperture realm..." Division Heads Liao and Wei widened their eyes in disbelief. Just how long did it take for them to achieve a breakthrough? Hu! Returning his Primordial Spirit back to his body, Hall Master Xing opened his eyes once more. He jolted his body, and the cactus on his head and the flower on his bottom fell to the ground before withering to death. Turning to the young man, he kneeled down in gratitude. "Thank you, Sun shi!" His Primordial Spirit had long reached a level far surpassing any other Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert. Were it not for his injury, he would have achieved a breakthrough many years ago. After his trauma was resolved with Zhang Xuans help, his flow of power finally became whole again, and with the incredible umtion of power he had, he was able to achieve a breakthrough easily on the spot. Of course, while he had managed to draw his Primordial Spirit out from his body, he had not undergone the lightning ordeal yet, so he could not be considered a full-fledged Leaving Aperture realm expert. Nevertheless, he was still many times stronger than before. He could not help but feel incredibly blessed to have met with Sun shi. Despite all of the misunderstandings between the both of them, the other party was willing to shrug off the matter magnanimously and treat him. In that moment, he was filled with nothing but admiration for the other party. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan swiftly helped the other party up. At that moment, he suddenly recalled a certain matter, and he said, "Previously, after I cleared the Trial of Inner Demons, I met with the founder of the Heart Division!" "Sun shi met with the founder?" "But... Despite Cang Xu introducing so many inner demons into the trial, you were still able to sessfully clear the trial?" Everyone leaped in shock. This was especially so for the head of the Heart Division, Division Head Liao. His eyes were widened in disbelief. Initially, considering that the other partys cultivation was only at Saint 1-dan, he had thought that it was unlikely for him to clear the trial. Furthermore, the other party had said that Cang Xus Primordial Spirit had drawn in more than a hundred inner demons, and that only further convinced him so. He had thought that the other party had only managed to get away unscathed by backing out of the formation through using some unknown method while his mind was rational the moment that the inner demons appeared. But who knew that the other party had managed to clear the trial! He knew full well how difficult the Trial of Inner Demons was. Of the many generations of hall masters, only five had cleared the trial. Yet, a Saint 1-dan cultivator... had actually managed to clear it. This was too fearsome! After a moment of shock, Division Head Liao asked, "Did the founder... impart the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to Sun shi?" "He did." Zhang Xuan nodded before continuing. "Since all of you are around, let me impart the secret art to the rest of you. It should prove to be useful in helping you all temper your state of mind!" "You want to impart it to us?"" Hall Master Xing swiftly shook his head with a bitter smile. "I appreciate Sun shis kind gesture, but there are fundamental requirements to cultivating that secret art. Until we are able to clear the Trial of Inner Demons with our own ability, we will only hurt ourselves by cultivating the secret art." They would have loved to cultivate the strongest technique of the Combat Master Hall as well, but it was a pity that they were not strong enough to ovee the temptations of the mind. Even with the secret art right before them, they would not dare touch it. Otherwise, it might just very well cost them their lives. In the many millenniums of history behind the Combat Master Hall, there had been a handful ofbat masters who did not believe in such matters and demanded to learn the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra from the hall master, and eventually, their cultivation all ended up going berserk. It was for this reason that it was eventually firmly sealed behind the Trial of Inner Demons of the Heart Division, bing one of the forbidden secret arts of the Combat Master Hall. In truth, they could not help but feel deeply impressed by the young man before them. Despite his young age, he had already attained a state of mind far beyond theirs, and with his own prowess, he had managed to earn the right to cultivate the secret art. They hoped to do the same, too, but it was still impossible for them in their current state. The dangers concerning the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra were in no way exaggerated. Once a cultivator started to cultivate the secret art and fell for its temptation, they would find themself unable to stop cultivating, and it was a matter of time before disaster struck. "The secret art did have such a w previously, but theres no need to worry about it anymore. You can take a look at it first before deciding on whether you want to cultivate the technique or not!" Zhang Xuan chuckled as he raised his hand. A screen of zhenqi appeared before him, and a string of gleaming words materialized in midair. "This..." Not expecting the other party to show the secret art to them without any reservations, Hall Master Xing and the others felt a little conflicted. It might seem as if there was no harm just looking at it, but even they could not guarantee that they would not sumb to the temptation of the technique and cultivate it. But again, asbat masters, avid pursuers of strength, it was extremely difficult for them to turn their eyes away when they knew that a powerful secret art stood before them. Curiosity gnawed at their hearts. "Forget it! It wont hurt to take a look..." Eventually, the trio failed to withstand the allure of the secret art and began examining the secret art manual in the air. Perplexed frowns gradually crept onto their faces. Their eyes of discernment might not have been on par with the founder of the Heart Division, but they were still top-notch experts of the Combat Master Hall. With their deep experience and knowledge of all kinds of secret arts, it did not take them long to realize that the secret art was a little different from how it had been described to them. Astonishingly, the prerequisite mental resilience to begin cultivating the technique was not high at all. Putting aside them, even ordinarybat masters would be able to practice it without facing any serious danger. "This..." The trio traded intrigued gazes with one another. After a long moment of silence, Hall Master Xing asked hesitantly, "Sun shi, are you certain that this is the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra?" "It is." Zhang Xuan nodded. "But... that secret art cant be cultivated by those whock mental resilience..." Hall Master Xing muttered in confusion. "Thats right. The secret art did have such an issue when I first obtained it." Zhang Xuan nodded. "I thought that it was a huge w, so I casually changed some parts of it. Now, even ordinary cultivators should be able to practice it!" "You casually changed some parts of it?" "Sun shi... did you really... alter the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra?" The threebat masters felt the back of their throats turning dry, and their bodies began shaking involuntarily. The secret art had been around ever since the founding of the Heart Division. If it could be altered that easily, one of the countless geniuses in the long history of the Combat Master Hall would have long done so! Sun shi had barely been in the Heart Division for twenty minutes... and within this period of time, not only did he deal with the hundred inner demons from Cang Xu, he even inherited the heritage and altered it on a whim. You must be joking with us! Youve got to be! That is the greatest secret art of the Combat Master Hall! Is it really possible to change it just like that? "Indeed. The secret art had simply too many ws, and more importantly, ordinary cultivators were not even able to cultivate it at that! A wed technique that ordinary cultivators are unable to practice, is there a reason for such a technique to continue existing in the world?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea why the founder of the Heart Division left such a secret art behind!" To regard a secret art that no one was able to cultivate as its unparalleled treasure, this Combat Master Hall sure was... Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Its pity that I wasnt able to correct all of the ws due to my ineptitude. I was only able to lower the prerequisites of the technique such that ordinary cultivators are able to practice it. Its still rathercking, but Im afraid that you will have to just make do with it." He was stillcking books on the aspect of tempering ones mind, so he could only alter it this far for the time being. Honestly speaking, he could not help but feel a little embarrassed for imparting a technique riddled with ws to others. The simplified Heavens Path techniques that he would usually impart to others might have its ws as well, but they numbered very few. However, as for this Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra... he had only altered one of the ws, and there were still many more within it. If others were to learn that he was the one who had passed this technique over to the Combat Master Hall, he might just die of shame! "Limits of your knowledge?" "Make do with it?" The trio staggered upon hearing those words, and they nearly copsed to the floor. Big brother, are you sure you arent joking with us? Generation after generation of our predecessors have failed to achieve what you did! If what you have done is considered ineptitude, shouldnt our predecessors have just banged their heads against the walls to repent for their uselessness? And more importantly... it is such a profound cultivation technique, but why do you keep speaking of it with disdain, as if it is little more than trash? Noticing the bizarre expressions on the faces of the trio, Zhang Xuan thought that they were worrying about the dangers of cultivating the newly-modified secret art, so he quickly rified the matter. "Ah, are you afraid that I might have altered it incorrectly? Dont worry, your founder has taken a look at it personally and confirmed that its fine. Its also for this reason that he passed down the top authority over the formations in the Heart Division to me." "The founder has taken a look at it as well?" While the trio was shocked by the news, realization also struck them at the same time. They had been wondering how the other party had suddenly gained control over the Heart Divisions formations just after making a trip into the Trial of Inner Demons. It turned out that the founder had passed his control rights over! Just that gesture in itself was sufficient to prove that there was no mistake in the other partys alteration. Otherwise, the founder could not have possibly gone to the extent of passing his authority over to a stranger. To receive the recognition of the founder and gain authority over the Heart Divisions formations... Wouldnt that mean that the time the other party had spent on altering the secret art was far less than twenty minutes? To be able to alter their highest secret art so quickly... Could it be that Sun shis greatest strengthy not in spirit enchantment but hisprehension of cultivation techniques? Chapter 1120: Hall Master Xing’s Doubts Chapter 1120: Hall Master Xings Doubts Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric "Thank you, Sun shi!" As shocked as they were, they knew that it wasnt the time to be pondering over this matter. They quickly turned their gazes back to the secret art and began memorizing it. They understood full well the significance of the lowered prerequisites for the cultivation of the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to the Combat Master Hall. The other party could have hidden the fact that he had obtained the heritage from them, and no one would have been any wiser either. Using the secret art, he could have easily drawn in countless pursuers and form his own influence, thus bringing him immense power and vast riches... Alternatively, he could have also used the secret art as a leverage to make demands out of them... Considering that it was their highest secret art on the line, they would have no choice but to bow to anything that the other party demanded. But the other party didnt choose to do so. In fact, he even tossed it back to them as if it was nothing at all... This magnanimity was something they could never hope to match up to. It wasughable how they had actually doubted the character of such a noble person... Their faces reddened in shame, and they would dive into a hole to hide in if there was one beside them in this very instant. All along, they had thought that given that everyone had their own greed and desires, true selflessness was impossible... However, the young man before them had overturned that belief! Only a man like him could bear the title of a teacher without any guilt. "Sun shi, your impartation of the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall makes you a half-teacher to all of us. From now onward, no matter what request you have of us, our Combat Master Hall will surely have it aplish at all cost!" After taking several more looks at the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra and confirming that it was suitable for everyone to cultivate, Hall Master Xing stepped forward and sped his fist earnestly. While this secret art was left behind by the founder of the Heart Division, the young man before him did make a huge alteration to the technique, so it could be said that he had a im to it as well. Since they were going to cultivate the other partys technique, that would effectively make the other party their half-teacher. No matter, the Qingyuan Conferred Empire truly owed the young man a huge debt this time around. This wasnt a debt which could be repaid just by offering a little bit of help here and there. "Hall Master Xing, theres no need to stand on ceremony!" Not expecting the other party to take the matter so seriously, Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands to indicate that it wasnt a huge issue. "That cant do! Sun shi, you have truly done our Combat Master Hall a great favor this time around. With the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra you have imparted us, the overall fighting prowess of our Combat Master Hall would be raised immensely. With this, we would be able to deal with our current crisis easily!" Hall Master Xing replied earnestly. There were two reasons why the members of the Combat Master Hall were to easily seduced by the Xuanxuan Faction. Firstly, the Xuanxuan Factions grasp ofbat knowledge was indeed far superior to theirseven Hall Master Xing had to admit that. Secondly, it would be due to theircking mental resilience against temptations. However, with the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra being mademonce, the overall prowess of thebat masters would be enhanced. With this, they might stand a chance in besting the Xuanxuan Faction in the exchange three days from now! "Indeed. If one were to cultivate the secret art diligently, itll help them to maintain their rity of mind, allowing them to withstand the beguilement of the inner demons. At the same time, the enhanced state of mind will also boost onesprehension of battle techniques andbat. Itll indeed boost the prowess of thebat masters significantly." Zhang Xuan nodded. At this point, he suddenly recalled a matter and asked, "Right, I have some students who are severelycking in their mental resilience. Will it be fine for me to impart the secret art to them as well?" No matter what, the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra was still the highest secret art of the Combat Master Hall. He should still seek the other partys permission before imparting it to Wang Ying and the others in the Xuanxuan Faction. "Of course! Since the founder has imparted the technique to you, and you have also made significant improvements in it, you are free to do anything you want with it!" Hall Master Xing said with a smile. It wasnt a problem for the technique to be passed down to just a couple of students. Division Heads Liao and Wei also nodded in agreement. Such an act wouldnt harm the interests of their Combat Master Hall, so there was no need for them to oppose it. "Allow me to thank the Combat Master Hall on their behalf then." Zhang Xuan bowed. Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and the others from the Xuanxuan Faction were still too young. It was inevitable that they would be disadvantaged in terms of their state of mind against thebat masters. However, if they could cultivate the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra, that w of theirs could be resolved. At the very least, they wouldnt panic in the midst of battle, and that would give the Xuanxuan Faction a better chance in the battle. "Sun shi, you are too polite!" The others quickly sped their fists respectfully. After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a certain matter, and he asked, "Will it be inconvenient for me to ask what kind of trouble is the Combat Master Hall facing?" This was the second time he was asking this question. The other party agreeing to allow him to impart the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to his students and the members of the Xuanxuan Faction was a huge favor to him. For this, he didnt mind helping the other party resolve their problem. Also, he was also a little curious as to know what kind of problem the Combat Master Hall was facing that would leave even the formidable Hall Master Xing in such a panic. "I thank Sun shi for your concern, but with this Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra, I am confident that we should be able to ovee the crisis easily." Hall Master Xing replied with a smile. The other party had already done them a huge favor by simplifying the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to a level where each and everybat master would be able to cultivate it. If they still couldnt resolve the problem like that, their Combat Master Hall would have no face to continue existing in this world. "Hall Master Xing..." Right after he had said those words, Division Head Liao suddenly turned to him and discreetly sent a telepathic message over. "Despite possessing only a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, Sun shi was able to avoid our coborative offense without incurring any injuries... His fighting prowess is truly terrifying! If we could have him to teach ourbat masters, the overall prowess of our Comba Master Hall would surely rise swiftly!" "This..." Hall Master Xing was a little taken aback by the proposal. He hadnt really thought about it, but the young man before him had achieved an astounding level in hisprehension ofbat despite his Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivation. Even with his breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, it was highly likely that he would be no match for the other party once he suppressed his cultivation to Saint 1-dan pinnacle too. With his prowess, he was bound to be far stronger than those of the Xuanxuan Faction. If he could step forward to teach theirbat masters... It could be foreseen that there would be a significant surge in the prowess of the Combat Master Hall! By then, it wouldnt be a problem for them to defeat the Xuanxuan Faction and regain their honor. "Its indeed a good idea, but... our Combat Master Hall is already deeply indebted to the other party. We cant let him do anything for us anymore..." Hall Master Xing replied with a frown. Division Head Liaos idea was good, but they couldnt just keep epting the goodwill of the other party without reciprocating. Besides, for the Combat Master Hall to be unable to deal with an academy from a Tier-1 Empire, forced to the extent of engaging the help of a spirit awakener... How shameful it would be! "Youre right." Understanding Hall Master Xings point of view, Division Head Liao nodded and fell silent. On the other hand, hearing Hall Master Xings confident response, Zhang Xuan nodded, "Thats good..." He knew that it wouldnt be appropriate for him to probe any further at this point, or else it would as good as casting doubt over the capability of the Combat Master Hall. Thus, he hesitated for a brief moment before continuing, "To tell you the truth, I do have something to ask of you." "Feel free to speak!" Hall Master Xing replied hurriedly. "Is it possible for me to ess all of the Saint 2-dan and above cultivation technique manuals in your Combat Master Hall? Recently, I have reached a bottleneck in my cultivation, and I need to rue as much knowledge as possible in order to converge my cultivation together..." Zhang Xuan said. It had been a month since he had reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle at the Qiu Wu Pce. His physical body, zhenqi, and soul cultivation had already reached their limits long ago, and it was about time for him to achieve a breakthrough. To be honest, it was deeply embarrassing for him to be stuck at Saint 1-dan pinnacle for such a long period of time. "Our Combat Master Hall do have cultivation technique manuals of Saint 2-dan and above, but Im afraid that we dont have too many of them." Hall Master Xing was visibly surprised by Zhang Xuans request for a moment before nodding. "There arent much of them?" Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Typically speaking, the Master Teacher Pavilion would have a huge collection of cultivation technique manuals numbering in millions so that master teachers could easily ess whatever information they required. So, why would Hall Master Xing say that there wasnt much of them? "Unlike the Master Teacher Pavilion, where master teachers can ess all cultivation techniques once their cultivation reaches the required level,bat masters have to ovee certain trials before they can im any cultivation technique..." Seeing the iprehension in Zhang Xuans eyes, Hall Master Xing exined. In the Master Teacher Pavilion, as long as ones master teacher rank and cultivation realm reached the required level, or if they were to rue sufficient Contribution Points, they would be granted ess to the cultivation techniques correspondingly. However, the Combat Master Hall didnt obey by the same rules. Combat masters were expected to wield fighting prowess at the apex of humanity, so they had to temper their strength to the very limits of their cultivation realm and prove it so through clearing a trial would they be able to obtain the cultivation technique manuals for the next realm. Otherwise, if one failed to reinforce their cultivation sufficiently at a certain realm, their subsequent cultivation would be unstable. This meant that they would no longer be able to retain their strength of being at the apex of their cultivation realm, and it could also hinder them from reaching greater heights in their cultivation as well. "As our Combat Master Hall is born for the sole purpose ofbat,bat masters would cultivate the same cultivation technique as one another so as to make it more convenient for them to coborate with one another inbat or amalgamate their zhenqi together to generate a force far beyond their individual limits... Thus, the quantity of cultivation technique manuals that we have here is much fewer than that in the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Hall Master Xing exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The Combat Master Hall was effectively the army of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so naturally, their cultivation techniques would be geared towards maximizing their prowess, especially through teamwork. For this purpose, it was necessary for them to cultivate specific cultivation techniques so that they could better aid andplement one another in battle. "Of course, even though our cultivation technique manuals number few, I can assure their guarantee. They should prove to be a great source of inspiration to you. Besides, even though I did say their quantity is limited, we still do have a few hundreds of them here to cater to those of differing constitutions!" Hall Master Xing didnt know why Sun shi would ask for quantity instead of quality, but since the other party had made such a request, he was bound to have a rationale behind it. Naturally, he should first rify things up so as to prevent a misunderstanding from urring. "Several hundred cultivation technique manuals will do as well. Where do I have to go to ess them, and what kind of trials will I have to undergo?" Zhang Xuan asked. To be honest, he was also a little curious to learn what kind of trials thatbat masters undergo too. He hadnt tested out his newfound strength as a Celestial Saint yet, this would be a good opportunity for him to assess where his strength stood against the rest of the Master Teacher Continent. "The cultivation techniques are in the Inner Breath Division. It happens that I am the head of the Inner Breath Division, so allow me to bring you over!" Division Head Wei said with a smile. "Ill be counting on you then!" Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. Since the other party didnt want him to interfere in their private affairs, he wasnt interested in bing a busybody either. No matter what, since he hade to the Combat Master Hall, he should at least use this opportunity to raise his strength by at least a little. "Sun shi, this way please..." Division Head Wei bade Hall Master Xing farewell before leading Zhang Xuan out. Upon the departure of the duo, Division Head Liao turned to Hall Master Xing and asked in bewilderment, "Have you ever heard of anyone deriving inspiration by reading a huge variety of cultivation technique manuals? Wouldnt it just make it harder for one to discern the truth from the false, befuddling their train of thoughts further instead?" "I have never heard of such a thing either, but one thing is for sure. Sun shi is a true genius! Most likely, only Zhang Xuan of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy could be a match for him..." Halfway through his words, Hall Master Xing suddenly froze. "Wait a moment... Zhang Xuan has just arrived in Qingyuan City, and Sun shi appeared shortly afterward. Furthermore, the both of them seem to be around the same age, and they are both top-notch geniuses... "Division Head Liao, where is the painting of Zhang Xuan where Zhuo Qingfeng sent to us previously? Bring it over to me. Back then, I had only taken a nce at it and thought much of it. But this... I need to take another look to verify the matter!" Chapter 1121: Elder Qi Chapter 1121: Elder Qi Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhuo Qingfeng did send a painting of Zhang Xuan to the Combat Master Hall along with his report back then. However, Hall Master Xing didnt think that he was someone whom he needed to take note of back then, so he didnt pay much heed to the matter. After taking a swift nce at it, he had left his subordinates to deal with it. After all, a person of his position could not possibly be expected to deal with every misceneous matter that came his way. If that was really the case, he would have died from exhaustion by now! However, thinking about how Sun Qiang and Zhang Xuan were of identical ages and were both geniuses, he could not help but pause for a moment. Yes, the world was huge and had nock of geniuses. However, those whose talents had reached such an astounding level were still hard-toe-by. Surely it was too much of a coincidence for two to appear in Qingyuan City simultaneously, right? "Ill go and take a look!" Nodding, Division Head Liao was about to head out when a frown abruptly surfaced on Hall Master Xings forehead. Seemingly sensing something, he whipped out a Communication Jade Token. Swiftly browsing through its content, Hall Master Xings eyes lit up, and his eyes reddened in agitation. "What happened?" Division Head Liao asked. Hall Master Xing rarely allowed himself to show such intense emotions. Something major must have happened for him to react in such a manner! "Elder Qi has returned!" Hall Master Xing said with clenched fists. "Elder Qi? You mean the ex-head of the Physician Guild? Back then, he disappeared shortly after saving you, and I thought that he might have already passed away..." Division Head Liao was surprised by the news, too. More than two decades ago, Hall Master Xing had been severely wounded by an Otherworldly Demon, and that had caused massive damage to his Primordial Spirit, causing him to lose consciousness for three whole years. If not for Elder Qi, he might have been dead by now! When he finally regained consciousness, he had intended to repay the favor to the other party, only to find that the other party had suddenly disappeared from the face of the world. He had tried searching for the old physician, but for twenty years, there had been no news whatsoever. Just as he was on the verge of resigning himself to the fact that Elder Qi really might have passed away... the other party suddenly returned! "I thought so, too, but it seems like we were mistaken. Well deal with the matter of the paintingter on. For the time being, help me prepare some gifts. I want to pay a visit to him personally!" Hall Master Xing said in agitation. At this point, there was nothing more important than the return of his benefactor! The duo swiftly made some preparations before rushing out of the Combat Master Hall. Before long, they had arrived at the Physician Guild and sessfully met with Elder Qi. It seemed like twenty years had not made the old guild leader age in the slightest. If any, his aura seemed to have be even sharper than before. "Congrattions to Elder Qi for sessfully making a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm!" Hall Master Xing sped his fist in agitation. In the past twenty years, it seemed like the old guild leader had advanced his cultivation considerably. This was a matter to celebrate. "It seems like you have also made quite some advancement in your cultivation. Not bad, not bad!" Naturally, Elder Qi could also see through Hall Master Xings cultivation easily as well, and he nodded in approval. "I am truly grateful to Elder Qi for saving my life back then." Hall Master Xing sped his fist before asking, "Elder Qi, why did you suddenly depart from Qingyuan City back then?" Upon hearing Hall Master Xing bringing up the matter, Elder Qi sighed deeply. "Theres a long story behind this matter. I did not leave the city voluntarily. Instead, someone poisoned me and sent assants to end my life. Cornered, I could only flee to a Tier-1 Empire and lie low, or else I would have been a dead man by now!" "Poisoned? End your life?" Hall Master Xings face turned livid, and killing intent burst forth from him. Elder Qi was an upright and respected figure in Qingyuan City. During his time in the Physician Guild, he had saved countless lives, so who in the world would dare make a move against him? Furthermore, right under the nose of the Combat Master Hall at that! "Elder Qi, do you know who poisoned you?" Hall Master Xing asked with a chilling gleam in his gaze. "I have a good idea who it is, but... the implications behind this matter are too great, so I need to verify the matter first. The reason I informed you of my return is because I need to discuss this matter with you. At the same time, I hope to seek refuge with the Combat Master Hall for the time being while I reinforce my cultivation and decide on my next course of action!" Elder Qi replied grimly "Seek refuge? At our Combat Master Hall?" Hall Master Xings eyes narrowed. Even though Elder Qi did not specify a name, just the very fact that he had to seek refuge in the Combat Master Hall had already severely narrowed the scope. Despite the fact that Elder Qi was the ex-head of the Physician Guild, as well as Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert, for him to need to seek refuge in the Combat Master Hall... The person who poisoned him was bound to be a person who wielded incredible power or influence. "Very well. I will guarantee your safety!" Hall Master Xing nodded grimly. The Combat Master Hall was symbolic of the greatest fighting prowess of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Putting aside the fact that he had already reached Leaving Aperture realm, even with his previous strength as a Half-Leaving Aperture realm, he could still easily deal with any ordinary Leaving Aperture realm cultivator! More importantly, there were countless formations spread across the Ten Divisions of the Combat Master Hall. Anyone who dared barge in was simply courting death! "Ill be thanking Hall Master Xing in advance then. I did not think that the day woulde when I would be able to return back to Qingyuan City either. If not for my benefactor saving my life, I probably would have been stuck in that Tier-1 Empire for the rest of my life." Recalling his previous experiences, Elder Qi couldnt help but sigh deeply. Hall Master Xing was astounded by Elder Qis words. "For you to be unable to resolve the poison despite your deep mastery in the Way of Medicine... could the benefactor you spoke of possess greater medical skills than you?" He knew full well how formidable Elder Qis medical skills were. Even if he was not the number one physician of the Qingyuan Empire, he was definitely not far from that! For the benefactor he spoke of to resolve a poison that even Elder Qi was unable to resolve... wasnt that benefactor a little too formidable? "Compared to him, Im nothing more like an ant before a divine dragon. Im nowhere on par with him. Even though my benefactors cultivation realm is a little low, his medical skills have reached a level far beyond my imagination." Upon speaking of his benefactor, admiration crept into Elder Qis eyes. In the field of the Way of Medicine, he had never truly admired or respected anyone, but that young man who had saved his life... He viewed the other party with the utmost reverence! Hearing that Elder Qi was full of praise for that man, Hall Master Xing couldnt help but ask, "May I know who he is?" "He goes by the name of Sun Qiang, but I have no idea where he came from and where he is at the moment," Elder Qi said with a hint ofmentation in his voice. He turned to Hall Master Xing and continued. "You have wider connections than me. If theres a chance, help me look out for this man. If I manage to meet him again, I must make sure to express my gratitude to him formally!" Halfway through Elder Qis words, Hall Master Xings eyes had widened to the brim. Perplexed, Elder Qi asked, "Whats wrong?" "A master teacher just came to our Combat Master Hall earlier today, and he goes by the name of Sun Qiang as well. And, if I recall correctly... he imed to be a physician at one point in time too! C-could it be that... they are both the same person?" Hall Master Xing asked. Previously, when Sun Qiang offered to use poison to resolve his trauma, the other party had said that he was a physician. Could there really be such a huge coincidence? Were they really the same person? "His name is Sun Qiang, too? What does he look like?" Elder Qi asked in agitation. If Zhang Xuan were there, he surely would have been able to recognize Elder Qi as the entric Old Man whom he had saved back at Jingyuan City. Back then, after his poison was resolved, he had managed to return to the Primordial Spirit realm in an instant. Over the past two months, by reinforcing his cultivation further, he had managed to achieve another breakthrough, reaching Half-Leaving Aperture realm. The most important factor that determined whether one was able to advance from Primordial Spirit to Half-Leaving Aperture realm was the resilience of their soul. The twenty years of suffering that Elder Qi had undergone had instead be the impetus to his rapid breakthrough once his condition was resolved. "He looks like a young man in his early twenties..." Hall Master Xing rattled off a description. "That isnt right. The Sun Qiang I know of looks to be in his forties. However, there are many experts who are capable of altering their looks, so we cant judge it just based on his appearance in itself. It would be better if I can meet the other party personally. Alright, bring me over to take a look!" Hearing that his benefactor could very well be in the Combat Master Hall, Elder Qi could not hold back his agitation any longer. "Alright!" Hall Master Xing nodded, and he swiftly brought Elder Qi back to the Combat Master Hall. ... "The trial in the Inner Breath Division is actually just a simple assessment of the challengers quantity of zhenqi. There is a powerful formation set up in the Trial of Inner Breath that can gauge the amount of zhenqi that one harnesses, and the greater the number is, the more zhenqi one wields. As long as you can achieve a score of ten or more, you will be qualified to enter the library to browse through the books you want!" Division Head Wei summarized the trial as they made their way over to the Inner Breath Division. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. While the both of them were speaking, they finally arrived at the Inner Breath Division. It was a grand and splendid building, just like the Heart Division. There were huge crowds ofbat masters walking in and out. "Actually, with Sun shis strength, there is no need for you to take the trial at all. I can just bring you into the library directly," Division Head Wei stated with a smile. Given how the young man before him was able to dodge a coborative offense from the three of them despite possessing just a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, there was no doubt that he would be able to ovee the Trial of Inner Breath with ease. "To be honest with you, I have been cultivating diligently over the past month, but I havent had a chance to assess the current level of my strength yet. If it isnt too much hassle, I would like to take the Trial of Inner Breath to see how much I amckingpared to thebat masters," Zhang Xuan replied. Of course, Zhang Xuan had no doubt that he would be able to clear the Trial of Inner Breath with ease. However, this was a good opportunity not only to assess his own strength but that of thebat masters as well. With some understanding of thebat masters standard level of strength, he would be able to prepare the members of the Xuanxuan Faction ordingly for the exchangeter on. Otherwise, without the slightest understanding of thebat masters strength, they would be at a major disadvantage for the exchange. On the way there, he had already sent information on the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra to Wang Ying and the others. He had simplified the secret art considerably, so even without him deciphering it for them, they would still be able toprehend and cultivate it easily. "Lacking?" On the other hand, Division Head Wei shook his head after hearing Zhang Xuans words. The ones who werecking were theirbat masters instead! Of course, he did not tell him that. Instead, he continued leading Zhang Xuan forward, and before long, they were already standing before a passageway. Unlike the Trial of Inner Demons, where there was scarcely a person to be seen at the entrance, the entrance of Trial of Inner Breaths was surrounded bybat masters. There were quite a few of them whose cultivation had reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle as well, and they were intending to undergo the trial to gain ess to their Saint 2-dan cultivation technique manuals. Upon seeing that Division Head Wei had arrived, the crowd quickly opened up a path for him to walk through. At the same time, they could not help but direct perplexed gazes at Zhang Xuan. For a Saint 1-dan fellow to be escorted here personally by their division head, just what was his identity? Ignoring the perplexed gazes directed at him, Division Head Wei asked, "Whos in there?" The passageway into the Trial of Inner Breaths was currently closeda sign that someone was currently challenging the trial inside. "Reporting to Division Head Wei, Shi Hao is inside!" reported one of thebat masters amid the crowd. "Shi Hao?" Division Head Weis eyes lit up. "That fellow is finally willing to challenge the trial and push for a breakthrough?" Knowing that Zhang Xuan would be confused about what they were speaking of, he quickly exined, "Sun shi, Shi Hao has been the champion for an internalpetition we hold annually in the Saint 1-dan tier for several consecutive years. Just by his strength alone, he has already surpassed the fighting prowess of ordinary Thousand Men Commanders. The zhenqi that he harnesses has also reached a frightening level, such that most Saint 2-danbat masters would struggle to match him. He reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle twenty years ago, but in order to challenge his limits, he has been suppressing his cultivation all this while, reinforcing his cultivation again and again. However, if he has decided to drop by the Trial of Inner Breaths, hes probably ready to push for a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan now!" Chapter 1122: Trial of Inner Breath Chapter 1122: Trial of Inner Breath Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "He reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle twenty years ago?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. Those who were able to enter the Combat Master Hall were all the most talented of geniuses. For such an individual to suppress his cultivation for twenty whole years and not achieve a breakthrough, his cultivation must have been reinforced to an unbelievable level! Hearing the sudden exmation, abat master turned to Zhang Xuan with a peculiar gaze and exined, "The reason Shi Hao held himself back from making a breakthrough is to break the existing record of the Trial of Inner Breaths!" "The current record of the Trial of Inner Breath was 37 points, made by Combat Master Feng Moxiao three hundred years ago. Breaking his record wont be easy at all!" Division Head Wei said with a frown. For ordinarybat masters, they were considered to have achieved the apex of their cultivation realm just by achieving a score of ten points. Achieving a score of 37 meant that in terms of quantity of zhenqi, Combat Master Feng Moxiao had 3.7 times that of ordinarybat masters. That aplishment in itself was inconceivable. It was for this reason that the record had remained unbroken over the past three hundred years. It was all for the sake of oveing that record that Shi Hao had held himself back for twenty years, reinforcing his cultivation again and again, in hopes that he would be able to leave his name behind for future generations to look up to and admire. Even though Division Head Wei had high expectations of Shi Hao, he still thought that it would be extremely difficult for thetter to break that record. The odds were not in Shi Haos favor. "It might have been difficult in the past, but over the past half a year, he has been cultivating frenziedly, killing saint beasts, and gathering Saint-tier medicinal herbs to nourish his meridians and dantian," replied withbat master grimly. "ording to the rumors, it seems like he has even delved underground and bathed himself inva for the sake of refining his zhenqi. Honestly speaking, even I cant imagine how far his strength must have grown over the past half a year! At the very least, I dont think that he will be too far away from matching up to Combat Master Feng Moxiao!" If it had been half a year ago, no one would have believed that Shi Hao could clear the record. However, after seeing how far Shi Hao had gone to raise his abilities over the past half a year... he might just be able to break that record! Division Head Wei was stunned for a moment before he shook his head. "That fellow sure is tenacious! I didnt think that he would really cultivate that technique!" "That technique?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. "Ah, Im referring to a particrly profound cultivation technique of the Inner Breath Division known as the Art of Drawing Oceans. Its said that once one masters that technique, the zhenqi within ones body will be endless, as if drawing strength from the boundless ocean. This is also the technique that Combat Master Feng cultivated back when he made the record. It seems like thatd is really determined to leave his mark here this time around!" Division Head Wei said. While the duo was speaking, the wall in front of the passageway suddenly lit up. "Look, the trial is starting!" Someone among the crowd shouted, and everyone quickly turned their gazes over. H! As the light lit up, a string of numbers suddenly materialized on the wall, and it began leaping up swiftly. It did not take long before it came to a halt38! "He really broke Combat Master Fengs record..." Upon seeing those words, everyone was stunned for an instant. Even Division Head Wei had frozen on the spot. For an entire three hundred years, Combat Master Fengs score had remained an unsurpassable record for those who came after him, and no one had thought it was possible to outdo him either. Who could have known that they would actually witness the birth of a legend today? "He really didnt disappoint me. It looks like the effort that I spent on him hasnt gone to waste!" Division Head Weiughed heartily. He had seen potential in Shi Hao, and he had spent quite some time grooming him over the past few years. It seemed like he had really uncovered a gem this time around! The door to the passageway slowly opened, and a young man walked out with a slightly pale face. "Division Head Wei!" Shi Hao hurriedly sped his fist and bowed upon seeing Division Head Wei. Even though it looked like he had overexerted himself back inside, his back was still upright like a spear. "Un. You have done well!" Division Head Weiplimented. "Thank you for guiding me over the past few years!" Shi Hao relied with an excited gleam in his eyes. The breaking of the record had also given him a great injection of confidence. It was a reassurance to him that he was walking down the right path. "A score of 38 means that Shi Hao has disyed a might 3.8 times of an ordinarybat masters. Is it even possible to top that record?" "I think that his record should remain safe up there for at least the next three hundred years!" "To maintain a record for several hundred years... Impressive!" ... An excitedmotion broke out in the surroundings. Watching a record being made before their eyes had left the others imagining themselves being in Shi Haos ce, and that had sparked their drive to cultivate as well. "Sun shi, you should go in and have a try, too." Seeing that Shi Hao had broken the previous record right before Sun shi, Division Head Wei could not help but feel a little gleeful. In response to Division Head Weis words, Zhang Xuan nodded before heading in. Seeing the young man beside Division Head Wei entering the Trial of Inner Breath, Shi Hao couldnt help but ask, "Division Head Wei, Sun shi is..."?" In the first ce, it was perplexing for someone as esteemed as Division Head Wei to be escorting someone around. Furthermore, Shi Hao knew all of the Saint 1-dan pinnaclebat masters in Qingyuan Empire, but the young mans face didnt ring a bell. Noticing Shi Haos doubts, Division Head Wei exined, "Sun shi isnt abat master but a spirit awakener. He has done our hall master a great favor, so make sure to treat him courteously. He said that he is interested in testing his strength, so I brought him here to give it a try. "A spirit awakener wants to try out our Trial of Inner Breaths? What a joke!" Shi Hao sneered disdainfully. He had thought that the other party would be some formidable expert, but who would have thought that he was a mere spirit awakener! Spirit awakener was only a supporting upation, and their fighting prowess was known to be rather unimpressive. For a spirit awakener to challenge the trial of their Combat Master Hall, wasnt that a joke in itself? Not only did Shi Hao react in such a manner, the others also shook their heads as well. Spirit awakeners were simply way too weak! Sun shi might have helped their hall master in some way, but still, he was being too arrogant for thinking that he was worthy of challenging their trial as a spirit awakener! Seeing that Shi Hao had tantly ignored his reminder, Division Head Wei frowned in displeasure. However, seeing that Sun shi was not around, he decided to allow it to slide this once. "Dont underestimate Sun shi. In terms of fighting prowess, he is likely to be above all of you here!" He had seen Sun shi in action, and the other partys reflexes and sense of timing were at a monstrous level. However, given that they had not truly crossed blows with one another previously, he could not tell for sure how much zhenqi Sun shi wielded. Thus, he could not really gauge how well the other party would fare in this trial. Nevertheless, a person who possessed such frighteningbat senses should not fare too badly in terms of zhenqi. Shi Hao was initially astonished by Division Head Weis high appraisal of Sun shi. However, recalling the amazing feat that he had just achieved, he held his chest up high confidently and replied, "His fighting prowess may be above mine, but in terms of zhenqi quantity, there is no one who can possibly outdo me!" As one of the greatest geniuses of the Inner Breath Division in the past three hundred years, it was natural that his confidence would not waver with just this much. "The trial is beginning!" Someone shouted once more, and everyone quickly turned their head. They were interested to see how the man who was so highly-regarded by their division head would fare in the trial. Weng! A burst of light emerged from the wall, but unlike the situation with Shi Hao previously, no number surfaced. "There are no numbers at all? It cant be that fellow didnt even seed in shattering the first stone wall?" "One has to shatter the first wall in order to im the ten points required to clear the examination. If one fails to shatter the wall, no results will be reflected." "I thought that he would wow all of us here like Shi Hao, but it seems like... hes just a mere mortal after all!" ... Seeing that there were no numbers surfacing on the wall in front of the passageway, everyone shook their head in disappointment. On the other hand, Division Head Wei could not help but feel a little bewildered. Judging from how Sun shi had performed in the previous battle, it should not have been too difficult for him to earn ten points. So, how could there be no results whatsoever? Had the test not started yet? But that could not be! The burst of light was indicative that the test had already started, so how could there be no result? Jiya! Just as Division Head Wei was still pondering over the bewildering situation, the door to the passageway suddenly creaked. Someone wasing out. It went without saying that the departure of the challenger meant that the trial had already ended. If the challenger had met the fundamental requirement, a score would have already appeared by now. The fact that there was no score meant that, just as what the others had said, Sun shi had failed to break even the first wall. Division Head Wei sighed. It seems that, despite Sun shis amazing reflexes, hes still a littlecking in terms of his zhenqi. Having strong fighting prowess only meant that one was able to utilize ones strength efficiently and effectively, and that might not necessarily be directly corrted with ones zhenqi quantity. And the Trial of Inner Breath only assessed ones zhenqi quantity. To put it simply, it was just like the difference between sprinting and running a marathon. Even if an individual could utilize their strength effectively and sprint at a speed far beyond the others, that did not mean that they would necessarily be good at a marathon. Sun shi was probably the type of cultivator who had extremely powerful burst power, allowing him to overwhelm his enemy swiftly. However, if the battle was not concluded quickly, he mightck the endurance to follow through. While Division Head Wei was contemting over this matter, Zhang Xuan finally walked out of the room with a sheepish look on his face. Division Head Wei thought that Zhang Xuan was feeling sheepish due to his poor results in the trial, so he quickly stepped forward to alleviate the awkwardness in the air. "Dont worry about the results. Come, let me bring you to the library!" "Those walls..." Zhang Xuan pointed into the Trial of Inner Breath and spoke hesitantly. "Dont worry, its fine. You arent abat master, so you need not feel pressured by the matter!" Division Head Wei patted Zhang Xuans shoulder and smiled. The other party was only a spirit awakener, not abat master. Considering their differing fields of specialty, it would be unfair to hold him to the same standards. "But..." Zhang Xuan was visibly a little distressed by the situation. "Its just a simple trial; its no big deal at all!" Division Head Wei added. "No big deal at all?" A light flickered across Zhang Xuans eyes, and he turned to Division Head Wei and asked, "Ah, does the formation automatically repair itself?" "Hmm? Yes, thats right. The formation will automatically repair any damage to the walls inside, so theres no need to worry about that!" Division Head Wei replied amiably. "Thats good!" Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, and the conflicted expression on his face finally vanished, reced with a smile. "Alright, lets head to the library then!" Division Head Wei nodded before leading the way. The library of the Inner Breath Division was located rtively close to the trial. With a wave of his hand, a passageway opened in the formation surrounding the library, and the both of them proceeded in. ... "I thought that he would be some formidable expert, but to think that he couldnt even break the first wall..." "Well, hes just a spirit awakener. Do you honestly expect a spirit awakener to be able to clear the trials of our Combat Master Hall?" "I figure that hes probably a scion from some prestigious n here for a tour. With strength like that, I could easily defeat three of him simultaneously, so how could he possibly be of any help to our hall master?" After seeing the duo enter the library, a hugemotion immediately broke out among thebat masters. They had to clear the trial before they could assess the library to pick out their cultivation technique. On the other hand, the spirit awakener did not even clear the trial, and yet, Division Head Wei still escorted him there. The clear disparity in their treatment left them a little dissatisfied. "Alright, lets not waste our breath on that fellow. He isnt abat master, so how can we hold him to our standards?" Interrupting the discussions of the crowd, Shi Hao turned to anotherbat master and said, "Speaking of which, Xiao Bo, didnt you have a bet with me previously to see who will be able to leave our mark in the Trial of Inner Breath? I am done with the trial, so it should be your turn now. Lets see if you can beat my record!" With the gazes of the crowd on him, the face of thebat master named Xiao Bo reddened. "Theres no way that I will be able to clear your record, but a score of 20 or so should still be a walk in the park!" "You achieved a score of 21 previously, right? Alright, I wont bully you then. As long as you can achieve a score exceeding 23, Ill consider it your victory. Naturally, the stakes that we agreed on previously still count!" Shi Hao chuckled. Xiao Bo pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright then..." Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and walked into the passageway. However, before his entire body could step through the door, he suddenly halted. As if having seen a ghost, his body trembled uncontrobly. "H-h-h-how is this p-p-p-possible?" A high-pitched scream echoed from the passageway. Everyone was bewildered by Xiao Bos sudden scream. Shi Hao rushed forward and asked, "Whats wrong?" While speaking those words, he also peered through the ajar door. His eyes immediately narrowed, and his face paled. He could not help but retreat backward, and his body stiffened. Chapter 1123: A Score of 100 Chapter 1123: A Score of 100 Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the two experts of the Combat Master Hall reacting in such a bewildering fashion, the crowd frowned. They quickly gathered around the door to take a look. Jiya! The door to the passageway was pushed opened entirely, and the sight inside came into in view. "This..." All of thebat masters instinctively drew in sharp gasps, and their eyes widened in horror. After a long moment of silence, Xiao Bo gulped and spoke hoarsely. "Shi Hao, when you came out previously, are you certain that... the trial reverted back to normal?" "Un. When I left, the trial had definitely reverted back to normal. It must be him. Theres no one else; it must be him!" Shi Hao replied in agitation. Despite beingbeled as a trial, the Trial of Inner Breath was actually rather simple. The challenger only had to stand at a specified location and exert their zhenqi to destroy the stone walls located several dozen meters away. These stone walls were conjured by the formation, and they were particrly resistant to zhenqi. Without a sufficientlyrge reserve of zhenqi, it would be impossible to puncture a hole through it. Under normal circumstances, a Ten Men Commander would have to use his full strength just to break the first wall. The fact that Shi Hao had received 3.8 points meant that he had nearly broken through the fourth wall before his zhenqi was depleted. Without a doubt, this achievement should have made him the number one Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall since its founding. But right before his eyes... All ten stone walls had been shattered into fragments. The Trial of Inner Breath had been reduced to little more than a rubbish dump. "Did he intentionally destroy our trial?" asked one of thebat masters. The Trial of Inner Breath was one of the most important facilities of their Combat Master Hall. To reduce it to such a state, wasnt that a little too much? "That isnt it." Xiao Bo walked into the wrecked room and stopped right before the first stone wall. His eyes narrowed in disbelief as he exined, "The formation in the trial was created by an 8-star formation master sent by the headquarters. With his Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivation, he wouldnt be able to cause damage even if he wanted to!" Given that this was a location for a cultivator to test the amount of zhenqi they had, it was natural that it was built to be able to withstand a great deal of damage. Even with abat master exerting their full might, it wouldnt even leave a scratch in the area. Given so, it was impossible to intentionally destroy it! "Then how..." thebat master who had spoken earlier asked. "This... was caused by a single palm strike!" The one who spoke was Shi Hao this time around. There was a grim look in his narrowed eyes. "A single palm strike?" Everyone was perplexed by those words. "In other words, he challenged the trial as anyone else would, but... due to the overwhelming zhenqi that he harnesses, the ten stone walls were destroyed in an instant. At the same time, the formation was unable to withstand the violent might he exerted, thus resulting in the ruination that we see!" Shi Hao exined. "His strength... exceeded the tolerance of the formation?" "He destroyed ten stone walls simultaneously?" Everyone gulped down a mouthful of saliva. This news was simply too shocking! It was at a level far beyond their imagination! "Shi Hao is right. Look at those broken stone walls. I believe that you should notice something peculiar about them, too." Xiao Bo nodded as he pointed to the fragmented walls before him. Everyone quickly rushed into the room to get a closer look, and before long, their eyes were widened in shock. On the first wall face, there was a clean palm print smashed into it. As if a wrecking ball, the palm print had crushed through it with great ease. Xiao Bo nodded. "This is just the first stone wall. Look at the others, and you should understand why Shi Hao said that." The others quickly turned their gazes over. There were palm prints on the other nine faces as well, and they were identical in size. If one were to line them up, one would realize that they were connected by a straight line. In other words... all ten of the stone walls were shattered simultaneously by just a single move! Shi Hao could already be known as the greatest genius of the Inner Breath Division in the past several millenniums, and yet, he had only achieved a score of 3.8 points, not being able to break even the fourth wall before he ran out of zhenqi. And yet, that fellow actually broke through all ten walls in a single palm strike, and even the formation couldnt withstand his might. How in the world did he do it? "I just said a moment ago that no one will break Combat Master Shis record for the next three hundred years..." "I was also thinking the same as you, but who could have known that... in just two short minutes, someone would have already out done him? And as if to rub salt to his wounds, it was done so overwhelmingly, fully disying the vast contrast in their strength." Everyones body were shaking wildly. They had just mocked the other party for being so arrogant to challenge their trial despite only being a spirit awakener, but who could have known that a single palm strike from the other party was more than sufficient to devastate their trial? "How could a Saint 1-dan cultivator have so much zhenqi? In any case, theres no way this can be true. Say, is it possible that he might have used some kind of formidable artifact?" asked one of thebat masters among the crowd. Asbat masters, they were geniuses among geniuses, but even clearing the Trial of Inner Breath posed a great difficulty for them. So how could the fellow achieve such an inconceivable feat? "Artifact? You are really overthinking this one. Look over there!" Shi Hao shook his head and pointed in a certain direction. Frowning, thebat master turned his gaze over, and what he saw left his body shivering in shock. On the wall, a string of numbers could be clearly seen100! Since the result was reflected on the wall outside, it went without saying that it would be reflected within as well so that the challenger would know how well they had performed. The formation had the ability to detect whether artifacts had been used or not, and once the presence of an artifact was detected, the results would automatically be voided. "100..." Thebat master felt the back of his throat running dry. "If he achieved a score, why isnt it reflected outside?" The otherbat masters also turned their gazes over. Indeed, if there was a score reflected within, why wasnt it reflected on the wall outside? It did not make sense. It was precisely because there was nothing outside that they had thought that the spirit awakener had failed the trial in the first ce! "Most likely, the formation was destroyed before it could transmit the result to the wall outside," Shi Hao said with a bitter smile. "This..." Taking another look at the devastated surroundings, the crowd came to a realization. "Still, to be able to destroy all ten of the stone tablets with a single palm strike... just how much zhenqi does that Sun shi possess?" Hearing that question, thebat masters couldnt help but fall silent. ... Upon entering the library, Division Head Wei gestured to the shelves of books and said, "This is our library. Its scale is nowhere up to par to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but our cultivation techniques are all top-notch. There wont be any problem cultivating them!" Most of the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion were created by many different generations of master teachers. As a result, there were many books that contradicted one another, making it difficult to determine the truth from the false. If one were to read aimlessly, one would just serve to confuse themselves. It was for this reason that it was a huge taboo for a master teacher to randomly browse through books. Without direction, the more one read, the more confused one would be. Eventually, it would erode ones state of mind and result in the birth of inner demons, thus causing ones cultivation to stagnate or even go berserk. However, the libraries of the Combat Master Hall were different. Most of the cultivation technique manuals on their shelves had been practiced by precedingbat masters, and they were proven to be practical time and time again. Otherwise, they would either be further refined or eliminated altogether. No matter which book one picked off the shelves, it was bound to be a formidable cultivation technique that would allow one to advance ones cultivation swiftly! Zhang Xuan nodded before heading forward to take a look. Soon, however, he could not help but feel a little disappointed. Just as the other party had said, there were indeed not many cultivation technique manuals on the shelves. All in all, they only numbered several hundred. But while they did not have many cultivation technique manuals, they did have a bunch of introductory manuals filled with the insights of the predecessors. There were around several hundred thousand of those altogether. "Those shelves over there contain the insights of precedingbat masters. However, due to the unique constitution of each cultivator, the path that each individual takes is bound to differ from anyone elses. Thus, you should keep this in mind while browsing those books. If you simply read through them aimlessly, you might risk confusing yourself!" Division Head Wei exined. "These books over here are the insights left behind by Hall Master Xing. If you must, itd be better to study his. This way, if you have any questions, you could at least rify them with him!" Zhang Xuan nodded before turning his gaze back to the hundreds of cultivation technique manuals. Those insights meant very little to him. What was more important were the cultivation techniques themselves. Hu! With a quick nce, he collected all of those books into the Library of Heavens Path. "Compile," Zhang Xuan muttered softly. In the blink of an eye, a brand-new book appeared. cing his finger on it, the knowledge contained within it flowed into his mind. Hmm? Not too bad, I managed topile aplete cultivation technique from those books. Zhang Xuan frowned. However, there are still three ws in it. Even though there were several hundred books, due to their concise and profound content, Zhang Xuan was still able to sessfully form a Saint 2-dan cultivation technique. However, there were three ws with it. Zhang Xuan shook his head. There are still too many ws for me to cultivate it. Never mind, I should take in all of the other cultivation technique manuals first! It was one thing for his battle technique to be wed, but for his cultivation technique... All along, he had only practiced the wless Heavens Path Divine Art. The only wed cultivation technique that he had practiced was the Saint Ascension Decipher, but even so, he had made up for those ws by using artifacts as catalysts. Thus, it was uneptable for him to cultivate such a wed Saint 2-dan cultivation technique! It seemed like he would have to find some way to gather more Saint 2-dan cultivation techniques to remove those ws. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the insights, and after sweeping through them, he realized that they did little to remove the ws in the Saint 2-dan cultivation technique. Thus, he decided not to collect them anymore. Zhang Xuan turned to Division Head Wei and asked, "Are there any Saint 3-dan cultivation techniques here?" "Saint 3-dan cultivation techniques? We do have some of them here. Follow me!" Given how Division Head Wei was at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it went without saying that the Combat Master Hall had Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation techniques. Soon, they arrived at the area where the Saint 3-dan cultivation technique manuals were stored. Just as he had guessed earlier, there were even fewer of them around. It took just an instant for him to collect all of them into his Library of Heavens Path, and after taking a look at it, he could not help but feel even more disappointed. He did not even manage to sessfullypile a Saint 3-dan cultivation technique. Under Division Head Weis lead, he collected the Saint 4-dan cultivation techniques too, but he could notpile a cultivation technique either. Seeing how the young man had been walking around the library without picking up any book at all, Division Head Wei couldnt help but ask, "Sun shi, may I ask exactly what kind of book you are looking for? Perhaps I may be able to assist you in searching for it." "Im not too sure either, but it doesnt seem like theres anything suitable for me here." Zhang Xuan shook his head. After a moment of hesitation, he continued. "Right, do you have any other Saint 2-dan cultivation technique manuals? Their tier doesnt matter; I need as many of them as possible." To him, the tier of the cultivation technique truly did not make much of a difference at all. As long as the number was sufficient, he would be able topile a Heavens Path Divine Art. Well, it was true that high-tier cultivation techniques had fewer ws, so he needed less of them topile a Heavens Path Divine Art, but the problem with that was that they were rare and hard to obtain! "Im afraid that there are not any more in our Inner Breath Division. However, Division Head Feng of the Martial Arts Division might have some. He was originally from the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he has a huge collection of battle technique and cultivation technique manuals. In the Combat Master Hall, hes the one who is the most likely to fulfill your needs!" Division Head Wei replied. "Oh? May I trouble you to take me to the Martial Arts Division to take a look then?" Zhang Xuan asked. "That isnt a problem!" Smiling, Division Head Wei led Zhang Xuan out of the library. However, upon reaching the entrance, his eyelids suddenly began twitching. Chapter 1124: Too Long, Too Long Chapter 1124: Too Long, Too Long Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A huge crowd ofbat masters were standing right outside the library. Shi Hao and Xiao Bo from before were among them as well. "What are you all up to?" The huge crowd gathered had eyes that were either reddened from agitation or anger. However, regardless of what it was, it was clear that they were up to something. Thus, Division Head Wei frowned in displeasure and said, "Sun shi isnt from the Combat Master Hall, so he need not obey our rules to enter the library." "Division Head Wei, we arent here for the matter!" Noting that Division Head Wei had misunderstood their intentions, Shi Hao quickly spoke up and exined, "Theres a matter that we hope for you look into!" The happenings in the Trial of Inner Breath were simply too shocking that they feared that the other party would not believe them if they were to just speak of it. It was better to bring the other party over to have a look for himself. Noticing the grim looks on their faces, Division Head Wei asked, "What happened?" "Division Head Wei, this way please. You will understand once you see it!" Huang Bo said as he politely gestured the way forward. "Alright then." Seeing that they were not willing to speak of it, Division Head Wei thought that it might be a matter that was confidential to the Inner Breath Division. Thus, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Pardon me, but I will have to trouble Sun shi to wait here for a moment." "Dont worry, its no problem at all." Zhang Xuan nodded. It was apparent that the other party had some private matters to attend to, so it was not convenient for him to tag along. With an apologetic look, Division Head Wei quickly followed Xiao Bo out. After he left, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to close his eyes and make use of this opportunity to look through the books that he had just collected, thebat master named Shi Hao suddenly walked up to him. "My name is Shi Hao, and I wish to have a spar with Sun shi." Considering how the other party had smashed through all ten of the stone walls in the Inner Breath Division, the sheer amount of zhenqi the other party possessed was bound to be countless times greater than his. He had never met a peer who exceeded him by so much before, and this had truly piqued his curiosity and fighting will. At the same time, he also wanted to see if the other party had truly used his own strength to achieve such an astounding score in the Trial of Inner Breath. "You want to have a spar with me?" "Thats right!" Shi Hao sped his fist. "I hope that Sun shi can agree to my request!" Noting the earnest look in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan relented. "Alright then!" All along, other than Feng Xun, he had never crossed blows with anybat masters before. This would be a good opportunity for him to assess their strength too. "Pardon me!" Taking a deep breath, Shi Haos chest puffed up. At the same time, his aura surged immensely, and as if a dagger drawn from his sheath, a chilling air burst into the surroundings. Hu! He sprinted forward swiftly with powerful footsteps. Even before he reached Zhang Xuan, he had already whipped up a strong gale in the surroundings, leaving one feeling as if a behemoth was standing before them. Sheer power could crush all techniques. The amount of zhenqi that ran through Shi Haos body was so great that he did not even need to resort to any battle techniques when facing ordinary cultivators; all he had to do was to overwhelm them with the sheer amount of his zhenqi. He was nning to do the same this time around too. His zhenqi gushed out as if water bursting out from a dam. Before such power, ordinary cultivators would find themselvespletely bogged down by the intense concentration of zhenqi, leaving them incapable of retaliating or even escaping. Art of Drawing Oceans: against the boundless mass of the ocean, it was impossible to withstand or avoid it! "Not bad!" Feeling the other partys strength, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If he had not cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, the other partys zhenqi would probably have been on par with his. To gain the same quantity of zhenqi as him, who had practiced the Heavens Path Divine Art, through just an ordinary cultivation technique, thebat master named Shi Hao was indeed a formidable figure. It was no wonder he was able to break the existing record and im first ce for himself. "Make your move!" While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought. Shi Hao bellowed loudly as he raised his palm and struck at him. It was not a particrly powerful battle technique, just the most basic Great Palm Strike. But as simple as the technique was, the might it harnessed whenplemented with Shi Haos overwhelming zhenqi was frightening. It felt as if the technique would rip a hole even in space itself. The surrounding air currents raged under the furious strength of his Great Palm Strike, and the rumbling of thunder echoed in the surroundings. The frightening amount of zhenqi formed a huge flood that threatened to crush everything in its path. Without dodging, Zhang Xuan simply smiled lightly as he shot a finger forward. Hu! The ferocious wave stopped right before his fingertip, unable to advance a single inch forward. As if a snake grabbed seven inches from its head 1 , no matter how the wave raged, it found itself renderedpletely helpless by the finger before it. "Scram!" Seeing how the other party had stopped his strongest attack with just a single finger, Shi Haos face flushed red. With a furious roar, he drove his strength to its very maximum, to the point where his meridians were beginning to tear from the immense pressure from the zhenqi racing through them. Noting the veins bulging from Shi Haos head, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He bent his finger back slightly before flicking it forward forcefully. Peng! The massive wave vanished, and the rampaging zhenqi scattered into the surroundings. Deng deng deng deng! Shi Hao was forced to retreat eight steps, and his face turned scarlet from the impact. Shi Hao swiftly took two breaths in order to calm his state, and to his astonishment, he realized that he had emerged from the short but deadly encounter with no injuries at all. In that instant, his face reddened in shame, and he quickly stepped forward and sped his fist. "Sun shi, thank you for going easy on me..." He had attacked with his full strength; any ordinary cultivator would have suffered severe injuries in an instant. Yet, putting aside how the other party managed to subdue his attack with a single finger, he even controlled his strength so precisely that the damage he would suffer as a result of the collision of strength would be reduced to the bare minimum. It was one thing to wield great power, but to be able to control it to such a precise extent as well... Terrifying! "Your fighting prowess isnt too bad," Zhang Xuanplimented. He did mean those words. In terms of quantity of zhenqi, the other party was just slightly beneath Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and his other direct disciples. If he fought against the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, it was likely that thetter would not be a match for him. It seemed like he would have to instruct those of the Xuanxuan Faction not to face this Combat Master Shi Hao in a direct sh of zhenqi, or else they would surely suffer tragic losses. "Thank you!" Shi Hao thanked Zhang Xuan, but he couldntpletely conceal the bitterness on his face. He was the individual who boasted the greatest amount of zhenqi among all Saint 1-dan cultivators ever since the founding of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall, but yet, in the other partys eyes, he could only qualify as not bad! However, the other party did have the right to say so. Shi Hao hesitated for a moment before saying, "I was unwilling to believe it at first, but it seems like you have really cleared the Trial of Inner Breath with your own strength. If its not too much, theres one question I would like to ask you!" "Feel free to speak!" "To destroy all ten of the stone walls in a single palm... May I know how much zhenqi you expended in that single blow?" Shi Hao asked. Even after depleting the veryst bit of his zhenqi, he had only managed to shatter three walls. The fact that the other party had destroyed everything within a single palm strike meant that he did not use his full strength in the first ce. The truth might very well frighten him, but even so, he still wanted to know how much strength the other party used to shatter the ten stone walls. He would then use that as a gauge and aim to surpass the other party in the future. The fewbat masters who had remained in the area to spectate the fight also quickly turned their gazes over. They were intrigued by this matter as well. When Shi Hao emerged from the passageway, his face had been ghastly pale, and he had looked as if he would fall at any moment. It had taken him several pills and a long moment of recuperation before he had been able to heal up sufficiently to use the ultimate technique that he had just executed. On the other hand, Sun shi had walked out of the passageway with a healthy red glow on his face, such that it almost seemed like he had just attended a feast instead of undergoing a trial. After that, he still had the strength to visit the library and browse through books. It would be understandable if he had not cleared the trial, but the problem was that he had done so with full marks! So, just how much zhenqi could he have? "How much zhenqi did I expend?" Zhang Xuan did not really expect the other party to ask such a question. Scratching his head, he pondered for a moment before replying, "I wasnt pay much attention to it, but I should have recovered fully by the time I entered the library. Thank you for your concern." Recovered fully by the time you entered the library? Thank you for my concern? Shi Hao choked on his saliva, and he nearly passed out on the spot. Who the heck is worried about you? What I want to know is how powerful you are! But... you actually recovered by the time you entered the library? Doesnt that mean that the amount of zhenqi you expended in the Trial of Inner Breath is insignificant to you? This realization left Shi Haos face paling, and he suddenly felt an excruciating ache in his heart. For twenty years, he had held himself back from making a breakthrough, all for the sake of breaking a record and creating a legend for the future generations. He did manage to break the record, but it did notst for even two minutes before it was callously smashed by another person. To make things worse, the other party did not even think that it was anything much! He had thought that, at the very most, he would just have to work diligently for another twenty years to ovee the other party. However, judging from the current situation... even two hundred years would not be sufficient for him to reach the other partys level! The gap between them was simply too huge, too huge! In an instant, Shi Hao felt so traumatized that he seemed to be withering on the spot. Only he himself knew how much suffering he had gone through over the past twenty years for the single goal of breaking the record. Many times, he had thought of giving up and just achieving a breakthrough on the spot, but upon thinking of that single goal he had, he had gritted his teeth and persevered. However, the goal that he had striven for all this time turned out to be nothing in the other partys eyes. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like spewing blood. Shi Hao gritted his teeth and asked once more, "Then... May I know how long Sun shi has been in Saint 1-dan to umte such astounding reserves of zhenqi?" Even though the other party looked to be in his early twenties on the surface, there were several powerful ns who had secret arts that allowed them to conceal their age. Take him for example, he was already in his two hundreds this year, but in the eyes of others, he only appeared to be in histe thirties. If the other party had spent more than twenty years at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, at the very least, he could console himself that the time he had spent was not in vain, and he could pick up some of his shattered fragments of confidence. However, upon hearing Shi Haos words, Zhang Xuan could not help but sigh deeply inmentation. "Its a huge regret, but I have spent much longer than I thought I would in this realm!" As he was unable to find the Saint 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, he had ended up being stuck in Saint 1-dan for much longer than he would have liked. Just the thought of it left his face reddening in shame. This was like a dark stain on his record. "You have spent much longer than you thought you would in this realm?" Shi Hao heaved a sigh of relief. Given that the other party had also spent a long time in the realm in order to achieve such strength, it seemed like the talent he had did not pale too much inparison to the other party after all. "Indeed. I simply have not been able to find a suitable cultivation technique to achieve a breakthrough. Thats also why I paid a visit to your library in hopes that I might find some inspiration for me to ovee my bottleneck!" Zhang Xuan sighed once more and shook his head regretfully. "After all, I have already been in this realm for more than a month. If I dont achieve a breakthrough soon, I wont have any face to stand before my students anymore." "..." Shi Hao clutched his chest tightly. "..." The otherbat masters. Chapter 1125: Teacher, Thank You for Your Guidance Chapter 1125: Teacher, Thank You for Your Guidance Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shi Hao had spent a whole twenty years at Saint 1-dan pinnacle before being able to gather that much power. He had thought that the other party would have been in Saint 1-dan for decades at the very minimum since he wasmenting over the long period of time he had been in the realm, but who would have thought... A month... A month... Long your head! To reinforce your cultivation to such an extent within such a short period of time, and you still say that youve spent a long time in the realm... Will you die if you stop boasting? Shi Hao felt the pain in his heart intensifying even further. The others also had the same expressions on their faces. If only they were strong enough, they would have rushed forward to give him a good pummeling. That fellow was truly asking for it! To grumble about a month being too long, and evenining that he would be unable to face his students... With such speed, are you sure you are cultivating and not flying? On the other hand, Zhang Xuan, who had only noticed the bitter expressions on the faces around him, shook his head helplessly. That was truly his honest opinion; he was neither boasting nor showing off. Putting aside Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and the others, who were going to inherit powerful heritages, even Wang Ying had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle and was about to achieve a breakthrough anytime soon. On the other hand, his apothecary student, Luo Qiqi, had already achieved strength on par with him, Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle, and if he did not achieve a breakthrough soon, the other party might very well surpass him. It was not that he did not want to take his time, but with his students chasing right behind him, if he cked off in the least, he would find himselfgging far behind them. Honestly speaking, he was also in a very difficult situation. Why wouldnt anyone just take him seriously when he said such words? It truly was not easy to be a teacher! Suppressing the urge to sink his fist into the other partys face, Shi Hao lowered his head and asked, "To be able to umte such an immense reserve of zhenqi within a single month, may I ask how Sun shi cultivates? If it is not too much to ask, we would like to learn from you as well!" Realizing that this might be an opportunity for them, the others echoed Shi Haos words and bowed deeply as well. They had been stuck in the same cultivation realm for several years or even several decades for some. To them, cultivation was a lengthy and tiresome process, reminiscent of water droplets slowly grinding away on a rock. Yet, the young man before them had only cultivated for a month, and he had already amassed sufficient strength to destroy ten stone walls simultaneously. If they could learn his cultivation technique, their cultivation would surely soar rapidly as well. "How do I cultivate?" Hearing the question, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the crowd before him and smiled. "Actually, it isnt anythingplicated. A single wordconception! Take your Art of Drawing Ocean as an example. I heard that you hunted down saint beasts and gathered Saint-tier medicinal herbs in order toplement the innate ws in your body. You even went to the extent of heading underground to temper your zhenqi through the heart of theva. You did manage to advance your fighting prowess significantly through such methods, but theres a cap to how far you can go by relying on external means. It will be harder for you to advance any further in such manner! "The Art of Drawing Oceans empties out great oceans and converts them into devastating power for you to wield. In order to trulyprehend the conception behind the cultivation technique, you have to first understand the boundlessness of the ocean andprehend its natural state. Once you manage toprehend its conception, your body will naturally be as vast and boundless as the ocean, too!" Zhang Xuan had seen the manual for the Art of Drawing Oceans in the library earlier, and afterpiling it with the other manuals, he had gained a deep understanding to what the cultivation technique was at its very core. "Conception?" Shi Hao hesitated for a moment before continuing on. "I once spent half a year on a remote ind in the hope ofprehending the essence of the cultivation technique, but I didnt make much of an improvement that way. Thats also why I chose to resort to external means instead." There were at least several thousand books exining the Art of Drawing Oceans in the library, and a couple of them had spoken about conception. Drawing on those insights, Shi Hao had attempted to further his cultivation that way too, but his effort had turned out to be futile. As such, he had only been able to try other means. It was fortunate that hard work did not fail him, and his cultivation finally achieved a level far surpassing the others. "Do you know why you werent able to seed despite spending half a year on a remote ind?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This..." Shi Hao halted. If he knew, he would have already corrected it long ago. He would not have ended up seeking alternative means. "Your mind is too fixated on surpassing the record!" Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and sighed deeply. "Your fixation on the record had made you deeply apprehensive, depriving you of even the courage to challenge the trial once. You have always told yourself that you would only challenge the trial once you have reached the very apex of Saint 1-dan, but where is that apex? Do you think that you are already at the apex? If you have truly reached the apex, why arent you able to rival a single finger of mine? "The vast ocean epts every river that converges into it. To master the Art of Drawing Oceans, your state of mind must be vast as well. Struggle not, fight not, desire not, plead not, and only then will you be able to peer into the essence of the technique. But you are too fixated on whether you can surpass Combat Master Feng Moxiaos record or not. From the very start, your state of mind has been incredibly narrow. With such a mindset, you will never be able toprehend the sheer vastness of the ocean no matter how long you remain on a remote ind." Zhang Xuan sighed. When he sparred with Shi Hao, the Library of Heavens Path hadpiled a book on the other party. With a nce at it, he could tell that despite Shi Haos strong foundation in the Art of Drawing Oceans, he had inadvertently gone down the wrong path. "I..." Shi Haos body stiffened. Closing his eyes, the twenty years of hard work he had devoted to furthering his cultivation shed through his mind. Some timeter, he opened his eyes once more. Stepping forward, he kneeled down and kowtowed. "I have benefited greatly from Sun shis teachings. If you hadnt pointed out the path for me, I might have continued deviating from the true path and eventually limited my own aplishments!" After all of those memories yed in his mind, he understood that he had erred. Had it not been for the timely reminder from the young man before him, he would have continued treading down the same path. Perhaps, his cultivation would still rise swiftly, but eventually, he would find it harder and harder for him to reach higher realms, and the Primordial Spirit realm could very well have ended up bing a pipe dream for him. It was fortunate that someone had pulled him back from the cliff before that happened. It was still not toote for him to change. "Theres no need to stand on ceremony; we are just exchanging insights with one another." Zhang Xuan hurriedly helped Shi Hao up. Anotherbat master stepped forward and asked, "I have been stuck at Saint 1-dan pinnacle for five whole years. Five years ago, I failed to clear the Trial of Inner Breath, and five yearster, I am still unable to ovee my limits. I hope that Sun shi can offer me some pointers. Have I gone down the wrong path for my cultivation, or is my state of mind still toocking?" "Execute a battle technique." "Yes!" Thebat master began executing a forceful punching routine. His zhenqi flowed through his body with incredible momentum, creating resounding cracking sounds. "Thats enough." Zhang Xuan stopped the other party halfway through. "If Im not mistaken, you cultivate the Combat Master Halls River Reversing Art, right? River Reversing and Drawing Oceans, these two cultivation techniques boast the greatest zhenqi quantity within the Inner Breath Division. Under normal circumstances, five years of umtion should have allowed you to clear the examination easily, but you still remain limited by your bottleneck. This isnt a problem with your talent. You are still cultivating based on the form left behind by Combat Master Bai Mo two thousand years ago, arent you?" "H-how did you know?" eximed thebat master in shock. Combat Master Bai Mo was known for his astounding aplishment in the River Reversing Art, so thebat master idolized him greatly. Thus, he had been cultivating based on the insights left behind by the other party. However, he had kept the matter a secret from others, so how did the young man before him know about it? "Combat Master Bai Mo was born with innate divine strength, and he specialized in water attribute cultivation techniques. Naturally, he was well suited to cultivate the River Reversing Art. On the other hand, you are of the earth attribute, and earth curbs water. Naturally, your improvement is significantly slower when you try to emte Combat Master Bai Mos actions. You can try cultivating the Compact Gaia Form left behind by Combat Master Hong Jiang instead. In less than a month, you should be able to achieve a breakthrough!" Zhang Xuan said. "Earth attribute? Am I not of the water attribute?" Thebat master was visibly surprised by Zhang Xuans words. "You were born with the water attribute, but an earth attribute medicinal herb that you have consumed has resulted in earth bing your dominant attribute instead," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Even though ones constitution was predominantly decided at birth, under the right circumstances and with the right artifacts, it was still possible for it to change. Such was the case for thebat master before him. He had been born with the water attribute, but a certain medicinal herb that he had consumed unknowingly had ended up sealing his original water attribute constitution. As a result, his rate of cultivation had ended up slowing significantly, resulting in his seeming loss in talent. "This..." Thebat master was taken aback. In an instant, a thought seemed to strike his mind as he recalled something, and his body jolted. He immediately bowed deeply and said, "Sun shi, thank you for your guidance. You have truly opened my eyes." In this moment, it was apparent to all of thebat masters that the young man before them wasnt just powerfulhis eye of discernment had also reached an unbelievable level. "Sun shi, I also face some problems with my cultivation..." Seeing that twobat masters had benefited greatly from the young mans guidance, the eyes of the otherbat masters lit up, and they charged forward in excitement. "Everyone, theres no need to get anxious. I know that all of you are interested in knowing how you can increase the amount of zhenqi in your body, so why dont I conduct a lecture to impart my insights on the matter instead? Hopefully, it will prove to be of some use to you." Seeing that everyone had gathered around him, Zhang Xuan quickly calmed them down with a smile. After everyone had settled down, he started his lecture. "In order to enhance the quantity of zhenqi in ones body, it is of paramount importance that oneprehends how a body contains zhenqithe dantian! Only when the dantian is sufficientlyrge will one be able to store a greater amount of zhenqi..." Zhang Xuans voice was resounding, and small flowers began descending from the sky. Combat masters were the strongest fighting force of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and they devoted their lives to protecting mankind from all threats. Naturally, Zhang Xuan would not turn them down. After all, this was also part of his responsibility as a master teacher. Even though they were going to be the opponents of the Xuanxuan Faction during the exchange, in a sense, it would also be beneficial to the Xuanxuan Faction if their opponents were strong. Perhaps, it might motivate the members of the Xuanxuan Faction to work harder than ever. Afterprehending the Heart of a Teacher, the concept of lineage had already be blurred in his mind. He was no longer as fixated on the idea of my student and the others anymore. As long as the other party was of good character and was willing to learn, he would not hesitate to teach them. ... "You are saying that... this was caused by Sun shi?" Standing within the Trial of Inner Breath, Division Head Wei widened his eyes in disbelief. "Thats right. It was still perfectly intact when Shi Hao left the area. It was only after Sun shi left that the area fell into such a state!" Xiao Bo quickly replied. "The destroy all of the stone walls in a single palm and attain a score of 100... Just how much zhenqi does he have?" Division Head Weis breathing hastened in agitation. All along, he had thought that even if Sun shi was powerful and had formidable burst power, there was no way the amount of zhenqi that he had would be able to match up to normalbat masters, let alone a genius of Shi Haos caliber. At that moment, he could not help but notice how naive his thoughts had been. To devastate the trial with a single palm, the amount of zhenqi that Sun shi wielded had already reached an inconceivable level! "I have no idea either, but with his strength, if we can convince him to join our ranks, our Combat Master Hall will be peerless among all of the Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls!" Xiao Bo said. "Youre right." Division Head Wei nodded. Ever since the establishment of the Combat Master Hall, the highest record that anyone had achieved was 38 from Shi Hao. On the other hand, Sun shi, in a single palm strike, had managed to achieve a score of 100. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he pierced a hole in the heavens! Without a doubt, there was nobat master in any other Conferred Empire Combat Master Hall who could possibly possess such an astounding zhenqi reserve. "Lets go. Well invite him to join our Inner Breath Division!" The more Division Head Wei pondered over the matter, the more seduced he was by the idea. Thus, he immediately turned around and left. "Division Head Wei, what do we about the trial then?" Xiao Bo asked anxiously. He had been nning to take the Trial of Inner Breath right after Sun shi, only to find it devastated. Given that it had been utterly destroyed, the promotion system that had been put in ce would fall apart! "Dont worry about it. After we deal with Sun shis matter, I will head to the Formation Master Guild and invite Guild Leader Han over to help us repair the trials formation. While the formation is at grade-8, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to repair it once he studies the blueprint." Division Head Wei smiled. He might be unable to fix the formation in the Trial of Inner Breath, but he could always engage the help of the local Formation Master Guild. With Guild Leader Hans help, that should not be a problem at all. "Alright, lets head out!" After exining the matter, Division Head Wei left the passageway and headed to where he had left Sun shi previously. At the same time, he was deeply contemting which words he would use to convince the other party to join his Inner Breath Division. But before he even arrived at his destination, he heard a calm voice echoing in the surroundings. "... and that is the way to enhance the amount of zhenqi that you have!" Raising his gaze, Division Head Wei saw the manybat masters of his Inner Breath Division bowing sincerely to Sun shi with reverence in their eyes. Together, they eximed loudly, "Teacher, thank you for your guidance!" Chapter 1126: Grand Constellation Finger Chapter 1126: Grand Constetion Finger Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "Teacher..." Division Head Wei and Xiao Bo were startled. They had only left for the Trial of Inner Breaths for a moment, so how in the world... did so manybat masters of the Inner Breath Division suddenly be Sun shis students? Didnt they acknowledge their teacher a little, no, way too fast? Division Head Wei was utterly confused by the twist in the situation before him. He could notprehend what was going on at all. Whilebat masters were expected to obey the orders of their superiors, the rtionship between division heads and thebat masters under them was simr to that of brothers. There was not a particrly strict hierarchy between them. It was for this reason that Shi Hao and Xiao Bo had expressed themselves rather casually before Division Head Wei, not restraining themselves in the least. For a teacher to suddenly pop out before those brothers all of a sudden... He had been intending to bring Sun shi into the Inner Breath Division, but all of a sudden, thetter had be everyones teacher. What the heck was going on? Just as he was wondering what kind of sorcery Sun shi had cast over them, the young man suddenly shook his head and said, "Theres really no need for this. Please rise. The path to cultivation is not one that should be walked in istion. Only through trading insights and learning from one another will we be able to advance further. Its sufficient for us to speak to one another as peers; theres no need for you to address me as your teacher." It was just a simple lecture from him, so he did not think that they would suddenly acknowledge him as their teacher. This had left him in an awkward position. "Sun shis teachings are direct, and they point directly toward the essence of cultivation. I have benefited greatly from your guidance. Given so, its only right for me to address you as my teacher. In fact, I am honored to have you as my teacher!" Shi Hao said. As a renowned genius of the Combat Master Hall, it was inevitable that he was a prideful person. Under normal circumstances, it would be hard to say whether even the hall master himself would be able to win his respect, and yet, he was showing such deep reverence for the man before him. Not only did the other party enlighten him on the problems in his cultivation, more importantly, the guidance he had offered was truly full of wisdom, clearing the shadows veiling his eyes. As long as he absorbed all of the knowledge, he was certain that he would be able to advance his zhenqi capacity significantly to an unfathomable level. Such valuable knowledge, and the other party had imparted it to him without any reservations. Just this generosity in itself was sufficient to make him willingly address the other party as his teacher. This was how he felt deep in his heart as well. "Indeed, Sun shi. We earnestly regard you as our teacher, so please dont turn us down!" "With the knowledge that you have imparted to us, well surely be able to advance our cultivation swiftly. Clearing the examination will be a walk in the park!" ... The others quickly nodded in agreement. "This..." Division Head Wei waspletely stunned. It was a moment ago that he had wondered whether Sun shi had used some kind of underhanded method to force thebat masters in the Inner Breath Division to be his students, but upon seeing this sight, it was apparent that it was an earnest gesture from the depths ofbat masters hearts. He had only left for the Trial of Inner Breath for a moment... Just what in the world did Sun shi lecture on that won him the respect of so many people within this short period of time? "Alright then..." Seeing that thebat masters were determined, even though Zhang Xuan was a little troubled by the matter, he eventually relented and nodded in agreement. Just as he had said, he only regarded it as an exchange, and it was with this notion in mind that he had conducted a lecture for them. It was never his intention to ept them as his students, so he could not help but feel a little lost when all of them suddenly addressed him as their teacher. It seemed like being too outstanding was a trouble as well. No matter where he went, everyone just wanted to take him as their teacher. How problematic! "Division Head Wei, you have returned. Alright, lets head to the Martial Arts Division then!" Just as Zhang Xuan was a little unsure of what he should do at the moment, he suddenly saw Division Head Wei walking over, so he quickly grasped this opportunity to free himself from this slightly awkward situation. "Alright then..." Division Head Wei nodded nkly. Without saying too much, he began leading Zhang Xuan toward the Martial Arts Division. The Martial Arts Division was not far from the Inner Breath Division. It was only a short walk before they arrived at their destination. "Division Head Feng is a good friend of mine. We have known each other for more than three hundred year now. As long as I make a request on your behalf, he should allow you to browse through his collection," Division Head Wei said with a smile. Division Head Feng used to be a renowned master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He was skilled in all kinds of battle techniques, and his fighting prowess was terrifying. Eventually, Hall Master Xing personally invited him over, offering him the position as the head of the Martial Arts Division so that he could help groom generation after generation ofbat masters. Division Head Wei had already been acquainted with him before the other party joined the Combat Master Hall, and their rtionship had only gotten closer since then. Abat master stepped forward and said, "Reporting to Division Head Wei, our division head went out a moment ago, and he hasnt returned yet." "He hasnt returned yet?" Division Head Wei frowned. "Im afraid so." Thebat master lowered his head apologetically. "When he returns, tell him that theres something I need his help on." Since Division Head Feng was not around, there was nothing they could do. Thus, Division Head Wei could only shake his head in disappointment. "Ill ry your message to him, Division Head Wei," thebat master replied with a smile. "Actually, if Division Head Wei is seeking to borrow our division heads book collection, theres no need to wait for our division head to return. Our division head has stored most of the battle technique and cultivation technique manuals he has collected in the Trial of Martial Arts. As long as one sessfully clears the trial, one will be granted ess to that collection for as long as one wants!" "Trial of Martial Arts?" Division Head Wei asked. He rarely had time toe over to the Martial Arts Division, so he was unsure of the various systems in ce for it. On top of that, he did not recall the Martial Arts Division having a trial in the past. "Thats right. In the Trial of Martial Arts, the challenger will first pick a battle technique from among several hundred, and as long as you are able to defeat the puppet left behind by our division head while using the battle technique, you will be considered to have cleared the trial," thebat master exined. Division Head Wei nodded in realization. In a sense, it was a system that was strikingly simr to their Inner Breath Divisions. One should learn other battle techniques only after one had achieved a certain level of mastery in the battle technique one was currently practicing. After all, even if one were to learn a huge array of battle techniques, it would bepletely meaningless if one could not use them effectively in battle. "Sun shi..." Division Head Wei turned to seek Zhang Xuans opinion. "I dont mind giving the Trial of Martial Arts a try," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Since he could ess the books just by clearing the trial, there was no need for him to owe a favor to Division Head Wei over this minor matter. "Alright, Ill lead the both of you over then!" Thebat master smiled before leading the way forward. Not too longter, they arrived at a vast hall. Simr to the entrance of the Trial of Inner Breath, it was crowded withbat masters. Most of them had grim expressions on their faces. "This is the Trial of Martial Arts. The wall over there lists the names of the many battle techniques for the trial. As long as one is able to achieve Major Aplishment in any one of them, one will be qualified to challenge the puppet our division head left behind. After defeating the puppet, one will be able to enter the library and assess our division heads collection of books. Sun shi, are there any familiar battle techniques on the list that you see? If there are any, tell me and Ill register you for the trial!" thebat master said. In the short talk they had while walking over, he learned that it was not Division Head Wei who wanted to browse through the books but the young man before him. However, for the young man to be apanied by a division head, he could not help but wonder what kind of identity the young man had. "Let me take a look." Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned his gaze to the wall. There were all kinds of battle techniques listed on itThousand Leaves Palm, Fist of Red Thread, Asterism Finger... There was a huge variety, and making a swift count, there were actually more than two hundred techniques listed! "There are so many of them?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. "Its our division heads hobby to collect such manuals. Listed up there are all of themon Saint-tier battle techniques in Qingyuan Empire. Is there a technique that Sun shi specializes in?" thebat master asked. "This..." Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a little awkward. "This is the first time I have heard of these battle techniques. I havent practiced even one of them before." These battle techniques were unique to Combat Master Hall and the Qingyuan Empire, and considering that it hadnt even been a day since Zhang Xuan arrived here, there was no way he could have heard of any of these battle techniques before, let alone practiced them! Thebat master was taken aback. "All of the easier Saint-tier battle techniques in the Qingyuan Empire are listed up there. As a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator, Sun shi... has never practiced any of them before?" Of the two hundred or so battle techniques, 180 of them were straightforward and easy to master. Yet, to actually not know a single one of them... just how weak was he? "I have only cultivated one Saint-tier battle technique so far, but it isnt among the two hundred techniques up there," Zhang Xuan replied with an embarrassed smile. Most of his stronger battle techniques hade from the Hongyuan Empire, but none of them had reached Saint-tier yet. Only the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, which he had learned from the ancient domain, had reached Saint-tier, but even so, he thought that there were too many ws in it, so he had not practiced it anymore afterwards. "You have only learned one Saint-tier battle technique? And it isnt within the list?" Thebat master nced at Zhang Xuan with an inconspicuous hint of disdain in his eyes. He had thought that the other party was a genius from some powerful n, but who would have thought that he was an inexperienced greenhorn instead? In the Martial Arts Division,bat masters who hadnt mastered at least three Saint-tier battle techniques would not even dare to walk with their heads up. "Thats right," Zhang Xuan replied. Following which, he pondered for a moment before adding, "Do you have any of the manuals for the battle techniques listed on the wall? Ill quickly learn one before challenging the Trial of Martial Arts." He might not have learned any of the battle techniques listed on the wall, but it was not a problem at all. He could always just learn on the spot. "Youll quickly learn one before challenging the Trial of Martial Arts?" Thebat master nearly burst intoughter. If it was not for the fact that the young man had been brought there by Division Head Wei, he would have berated the other party at this very moment. Saint-tier battle techniques might have beenmonce in the Martial Arts Division, but any single one of them could easily be considered a trump card in a battle in the Qingyuan Empire. It was true that most of the listed battle techniques were straightforward, but it would still take at least several years of practice before one could achieve Major Aplishment in any one of the techniques and challenge the puppet. Even the more talented geniuses of their Martial Arts Division would require at least two years of practice before they dared enter the Trial of Martial Arts. Yet, this fellow sure spoke big words. It sounded as if he would challenge the trial right after learning it on the spot. Ignorance sure emboldened guts! Pushing his displeasure back down, thebat master advised patiently, "I understand your desire to clear the Trial of Martial Arts, but mastering a battle technique isnt as easy as you think it is. Regardless of the battle technique, it will require diligent practice over numerous years before one can evene close to reaching Major Aplishment." "Thank you for your advice, I appreciate that. However, I think that its worth a try. If you have a manual of any of the listed battle techniques, I hope that you can lend it to me for a moment," Zhang Xuan replied. If he couldpile the Saint-tier battle technique given by the other party with his current collection in the Library of Heavens Path to create a Heavens Path battle technique, he could still consider cultivating it. Otherwise, there was no way he would waste his effort on it. "You... Alright then!" Thebat master was going to fly to a rage after seeing how obstinate Zhang Xuan was on the matter, but noting that Division Head Wei was by the side, he could only suppress his rage. Flicking his wrist, he took out a book. "This is the manual for Grand Constetion Finger that I am currently practicing. Its among the two hundred battle techniques on the wall, but Ill have to warn you that it might be a little difficult for you. I had to spend seven years on it before I was able to reach Minor Aplishment!" thebat master exined with a hint of pride on his face. "You took seven years to reach Minor Aplishment in the Grand Constetion Finger?" Division Head Wei suddenly thought of something, and his eyebrows shot up. "Wait a moment, are you the genius of the Martial Arts Division whom Division Head Feng often speaks about, Jiao Tan?" When they were looking for Division Head Feng, he had been the onlybat master who happened to be in the vicinity, so they had approached him out of convenience to ask for thetters whereabouts. As such, they were not aware of the other partys name. However, upon hearing of the name of the battle technique and the duration the other party had taken to cultivate it to Minor Aplishment, Division Head Wei suddenly recalled this matter. The Grand Constetion Finger was definitely the most difficult to master out of the two hundred battle techniques listed on the wall, as well as the most powerful one. Even Division Head Feng had required 23 years before he could achieve Minor Aplishment in the technique, but the other party had only taken seven years. His talent was truly frightening. "Indeed, thats me!" Combat Master Jiao Tan nodded with an air of dignity around him. Chapter 1127: Eleven Breaths Chapter 1127: Eleven Breaths Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 "I see!" Upon learning that the other party was the famed genius of the Martial Arts Division, a figure who stood toe-to-toe with Shi Hao, Division Head Wei nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan. "Sun shi, let me get another battle technique for you. Mastering the Grand Constetion Finger wont be easy. Even among the two hundred battle techniques listed on the wall, its considered one of the harder ones." Considering that Division Head Feng was not abat master and didnt receive the systematic training that they underwent before, it was not surprising that he had taken two decades to achieve Minor Aplishment in the technique. However, Jiao Tan was the most talented individual of the Martial Arts Division of the current generation, and yet, he had still taken seven years to reach Minor Aplishment. It was no wonder the Grand Constetion Finger was famed as one of the hardest battle techniques to master in the Martial Arts Division! Zhang Xuan shook his head as he casually took the manual of the Grand Constetion Finger from Jiao Tans hands and flipped through it. "Theres no need to go through so much trouble; Ill just practice this one." To him, as long as he couldpile a Heavens Path battle technique, it mattered not which of the two hundred battle techniques he practiced. Knowing that he would draw hostility from the other party if he attempted to dissuade him too much, Division Head Wei conceded. "Alright then. If you wish to give up at any point in time, feel free to tell me. Ill bring you another battle technique." Often, a cultivator had to try practicing the battle technique themself before they would truly understand how difficult it was. Once the other party stumbled on the technique, failing to even achieve Novice mastery quickly, he would finally understand how difficult the Grand Constetion Finger was. Clearly, Jiao Tan also harbored the same thoughts in mind. He stared at the conceited young man before him intently, waiting to see the look of desperation on the other partys face once he realized that he could notprehend the content of the manual. However, his expectations did note to be. Instead of desperation, he found himself looking at a face frowning in disgust. "What do you mean by that?" Jiao Tan questioned in displeasure. It was one thing for the other party to be unable toprehend the manual, but what was with the look of disgust on his face? It was as if the other party thought that he was too good for their battle technique! Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Its nothing!" After which, he turned his attention back to the manual in his hands, and a momentter, he sighed deeply and said, "Forget it. I guess theres no choice!" With a look of resignation reminiscent of one who was ready to face death, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes. "You..." Seeing how the other partys expression grew even more exaggerated than before, Jiao Tan felt so wrathful that he could have blown up on the spot. The Grand Constetion Finger might not be a top-notch battle technique, but it was at least one of the stronger techniques in the Martial Arts Division. Normal cultivators would find it profound and difficult to cultivate, but they would still be honored to learn it. Yet... this fellow had a look ofplete repulsion on his face, as if a fly had entered his mouth. That was really a little too much! Jiao Tan harrumphed coldly. "Whats with your poor attitude? Even if you cantprehend the intricacies of the Grand Constetion Finger, surely you need not act in such a disrespectful manner..." But before he could finish his words, a powerful aura carrying an air of antiquity and vastness suddenly burst forth from the young man before him. Following which, the young man suddenly raised his right hand and tapped at the space before him with his forefinger. Tz! A burst of zhenqi tore across air, creating a deafening, piercing sound reminiscent of a piece of paper being torn into two. One could vaguely see stars rotating around the young mans fingertip, as if he had the world in his hands. The Grand Constetion Finger was a technique created by an elder of the Combat Master Hall more than ten thousand years ago. That elder had carefully observed the movements of celestial bodies, and emting the positioning of the stars with his zhenqi, he had created this finger art. This technique was feared not only for its powerful physical might. The finger art carried the vastness of the universe within it as well, and those facing it would feel as if they were traversing through boundless space, exerting great pressure on their souls. As such, it was extremely difficult to guard against this attack. However, it was also for the same reason that it was extremely difficult for ordinary cultivators toprehend. There were even some who had dedicated their entire lives to it, only to remain oblivious to the power of the stars on their deathbed. Jiao Tans initial intention of offering the Grand Constetion Finger to Sun shi was because he could not stand the other partys arrogance and wanted to teach him some humility. However, upon seeing the burst of zhenqi from the other partys finger, his eyes narrowed, and his body trembled. "This is... Novice?" He had thought that the other party was just putting on an act in order to spare himself from the embarrassment of being unable toprehend the battle technique, and yet, just after shutting his eyes for an instant, he had actually managed to achieve Novice mastery! One must know that even Jiao Tan himself had taken an entire year to reach Novice mastery! Tzzzzzzz! While Jiao Tan was astonished beyond measure, the zhenqi gathering on the young mans finger was swiftly growing stronger and stronger, to the point where a deep rumbling sound could be heard from the sheer umtion of power. In that instant, Jiao Tan felt as if the entire room had turned dark, and the stars around him threatened to fall upon him. "This is... Initiate?" Jiao Tan gulped down a mouthful saliva as his face turnedpletely pale. The biggest hurdle in the Grand Constetion Fingery in the initial phase, where one had toprehend the power of the stars in order to draw upon the might of the technique. Once one overcame this challenge, the subsequent cultivation of the technique would be a little easier and faster. But even so, it was not supposed to be so fast! How long did the other party take? Ten breaths? Five breaths? Or only two breaths? A tap of his finger, and the other party was already at Initiate. Before he could even begin to process what was going on, the other party was already at Initiate... Is this even humanly possible? Jiao Tans felt his throat turn dry. He quickly turned his gaze to ask Division Head Wei just what kind of background the young man came from to be able to grasp the Grand Constetion Finger so easily, only to see Division Head Wei staring at the young man with bulging eyes as well. Clearly, Division Head Wei had not expected the young man to be able to advance from Novice to Initiate that quickly either. After all, this was something that defiedmon sense. "Division Head Wei..." Fearing that he would interrupt the cultivating Sun shi, Jiao Tan opted to send a telepathic message over instead. "Hmm?" Division Head Wei was jolted out of his shock. "Has Sun shi... really not practiced the Grand Constetion Finger in the past?" Jiao Tan asked doubtfully. Recalling the various incredible deeds the young man had achieved earlier, Division Head Wei contemted for a moment before replying. "That should be the case. Theres no need for someone of his caliber to lie about something as minor as this!" A coboration between the hall master and two division heads, and Sun shi was still able to escape unscathed. Not only so, he even managed to find an opportunity to tap into the formation of the Heart Division to subdue them. And just earlier, he had destroyed all ten stone walls in the Trial of Inner Breath with a single palm strike. Surely a person of such great capability would not need to lie just to inte his ego. It was more likely that the Grand Constetion Finger was simply easy to him. "If he has not practiced the Grand Constetion Finger before and really managed to reach Initiate within just a few breaths... wont he catch up to my seven years of effort and reach Minor Aplishment in just a single day?" Jiao Tan uttered with widened eyes as his lips quivered in horror. "Surely not. Theres a huge rift between Initiate and Minor Aplishment, so it shouldnt be possible for anyone to do it so quickly... Ah?" Halfway through his words, Division Head Wei abruptly eximed in shock. At this point, the young man had straightened his arm, and a vortex reminiscent of a revolving ster river appeared at his fingertip. Just looking at that incredible mass of power rotating on the fingertip could easily leave one light-headed. "Minor Aplishment..." The duo fearfully took two steps back. It was just a moment ago that Division Head Wei had said that the other party would not reach Minor Aplishment that day, but the next moment, he was forced to swallow his words. Hu! Upon achieving Minor Aplishment, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. He looked at the vortex of power gathered on his fingertip and sighed deeply before turning his gaze toward Jiao Tan. "Does the Trial of Martial Arts only open to those who have achieved Major Aplishment in their battle technique?" Jiao Tan was not too sure why the other party was asking such a question, but he swiftly nodded in response. "Thats right..." Only one who had achieved Major Aplishment in any of the two hundred battle techniques would stand a chance in the Trial of Martial Arts. Over time, this had be the prerequisite to challenging the trial. Jiao Tan was just about to exin this matter to the young man when thetter sighed deeply and said, "I see..." Following which, the young man closed his eyes once more. "What?" Jiao Tans cheeks twitched. "You arent thinking of... pushing for a breakthrough to Major Aplishment right now, are you? The Grand Constetion Finger is highly demanding on zhenqi, and a forceful breakthrough without prior preparation could easily result in severe internal injuries." Once again, before Jiao Tan could finish his words, the young man raised his finger and tapped on the space before him once more. Hu! The air in the area was suddenlypressed tightly together. All of a sudden, Jiao Tan felt as if he was standing in the middle of the universe with innumerable stars around him. Each and every one of the stars was flying toward him with incredible momentum, threatening to crush his body into smithereens. "Domain of Stars..." Jiao Tans body trembled intensely. "This is... the level of mastery exceeding Major Aplishment, Consummation?" The mastery of a battle technique could be divided into five levels: Novice, Initiate, Minor Aplishment, Major Aplishment, and Consummation. It was just a moment ago that he had said that reaching Major Aplishment would be nigh impossible, and the following moment, the other party managed to reach Consummation with such ease. It seemed like from the moment he came into contact with the manual till he cultivated to Consummation, all in all... only a dozen or so seconds had passed! And he, the most talented individual of the Martial Arts Division, had spent seven years only to reach Minor Aplishment. An overwhelming sense of defeat left him feeling as if he would explode on the spot. There would be no damage if there was not anyparison. Not knowing that his short moment of cultivation had scared Division Head Wei and Jiao Tan to the point that they were going to spew blood at any moment, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. Truthfully, if it was not for the collection of books within, he would never have lowered himself to cultivating the Grand Constetion Finger. Even afterpiling it with the finger arts in his Library of Heavens Path, there were still five ws in it! He had never thought that he would cultivate such a wed battle technique in his life. It was for this reason that he had such a conflicted expression on his face. It was simply too hard to swallow this finger art! This must surely be the darkest stain in his history of cultivation! However, it could not be helped. He had to clear the Trial of Martial Arts to find more Saint 2-dan cultivation techniques in order to achieve a breakthrough. Otherwise, who knew how much longer it would take him? It was fortunate that none of these ws demanded a catalyst for him to cultivate the battle technique, or else he would have been in deep trouble. Shaking away the frustrations in his mind, Zhang Xuan said, "Im done. Combat Master Jiao Tan, I will have to trouble you to register me for the Trial of Martial Arts." Most of the ws were regarding the tearing the cultivators meridians upon the execution of the technique, putting the cultivator in excruciating pain. However, with Zhang Xuans Heavens Path zhenqi, he could heal those tears swiftly, so it did not pose a problem. In any case, he only required it to clear the trial. At most, he would just avoid using it in the future. "Y-yes!" Jiao Tan finally recovered from his shock. Cowering back slightly, he quickly left the area. Not too longter, he returned. "Sun shi, I have negotiated with thebat masters in charge and gotten you the next slot for the trial!" Arge crowd would challenge the Trial of Martial Arts each day, but the number that would eventually pass the trial was very low. Considering that the young man had been brought over by Division Head Wei himself, and he had already achieved the level of Consummation for the Grand Constetion Finger, it was not anything much to let him go first for the trial. "Thank you for your help." Zhang Xuan sped his fist in gratitude before following Jiao Tan forward. The door to the trial happened to open at this moment, and a young man walked out with a gloomy expression on his face. With just a look, it was obvious that he had failed the examination. "Sun shi, this way." Jiao Tan gestured into the opened doorway. Zhang Xuan walked in, and in the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared from everyones sight. "Jiao Tan, just what is that fellows background that you would intervene in his stead to give him priority in the queue?" "I dont know either..." Jiao Tan shook his head. "You dont know? Then, surely you do know what battle technique he is going to be challenging, right?" thebat master asked again. Based on the reported battle technique, it was possible to deduce the other partys background. "Hes challenging the Grand Constetion Finger!" Jiao Tan said. "Grand Constetion Finger? Isnt that the battle technique you are cultivating at the moment?" "I heard that that battle technique is incredibly difficult to master. Even someone as talented as you took seven years in order to reach Minor Aplishment! For that fellow to dare challenge that battle technique, has he already achieved Major Aplishment in it? But judging from his appearance, he doesnt look old enough." Thebat master from before frowned. "Given his young age, how long could he possibly have cultivated the technique?" "Probably..." It was intended as a hypothetical question, but Jiao Tan happened to have the answer to it. With a bitter smile, he said, "Twelve breaths. Ah, no, it should be eleven breaths!" Chapter 1128 - Division Head Fengs Misery

Chapter 1128: Division Head Fengs Misery

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! As soon as Zhang Xuan stepped through the door, a puppet at the very end of the room stood up. Its appearance looked no different from a real person. With its snowy hair and beard, it resembled a human in his sixties. Most likely, its constructed in the form of Division Head Feng, Zhang Xuan deduced. Division Head Feng was probably a celestial designer as well, which was not surprising since he came from the Master Teacher Pavilion in the first ce. Otherwise, it should have been impossible for him to craft such a lifelike puppet. If Zhang Xuan had not known in advance, he would have really thought that the figure before him was a true human. The battle technique you have chosen is the Grand Constetion Finger. If you are able to withstand my attack with just the Grand Constetion Finger, you will have cleared the trial. Otherwise, youll have to leave and try again next time, the puppet said in an impassive tone. Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded as he took a step forward. Pitting the same battle technique against a puppet of the same cultivation realm, even if he did not use his Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, he was still absolutely confident that he would be the one to emerge victorious in the very end. ... Reporting to Hall Master Xing, it appears that Division Head Wei has taken Sunoshi to the Martial Arts Division. Hall Master Xing and the others had led Elder Qi to the Inner Breath Division, but Zhang Xuan and Division Head Wei were nowhere to be found. Thus, he had turned his sight toward Shi Hao, and he soon received his answer. Hall Master Xing frowned. What are they doing at the Martial Arts Division? Im not too sure either. Shi Hao shook his head. Hold on a moment. Did you just address Sun shi as... Sunoshi? The sharp Division Head Liao swiftly noticed that there was something amiss with Shi Haos words. Addressing Sun Qiang as Sun shi was a respectful way to refer to master teachers, but Sunoshi meant something even deeper than that. It was a way to address one who had enlightened them greatly in their path. Yes, Sunoshi has given us invaluable pointers in our cultivation; we are extremely grateful to him. Shi Hao nodded. This... Hall Master Xing and the others nced at one another and frowned. It was one thing for a spirit awakener to provide pointers tobat masters, but to win the respect of so many of them and have them acknowledge him as their teacher simultaneously... Just what in the world had happened? Soon, upon rifying the situation, the trio was dumbfounded. Destroying the Trial of Inner Breath with a single palm strike and subduing Shi Hao with just a finger... Just how much zhenqi did Sun shi possess? Lets head to the Martial Arts Division to take a look! said Hall Master Xing, intrigued, before quickly making his way over to the Martial Arts Division. Soon, he arrived at the entrance of the Trial of Martial Arts. Youre all here! At this moment, Division Head Wei suddenly noticed the old man standing alongside Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao, and his eyes lit up as he quickly sped his fist respectfully. Elder Qi, you are fine? Un. Elder Qi nodded. Where is Sun shi? Ah, he just entered the trial, Division Head Wei replied with a smile. Trial? Hall Master Xing frowned. Sun shi is trying to find some Saint 2-dan cultivation technique manuals, but there arent any suited for him in the Inner Breath Division. Thus, we came over to look for Division Head Feng, but he happened to not be around. So, Sun shi decided to challenge the Trial of Martial Arts so as to gain ess to Division Head Fengs collection of books! Division Head Wei swiftly summarized the happenings. Recalling when they faced the young man earlier and the astounding sight they had witnessed at the Inner Breath Division, Hall Master Xing stroked his beard and remarked, With his strength, clearing the trial shouldnt be a problem! A genius of Sun shis caliber would not face any trouble clearing the Trial of Martial Arts. There was no need to worry about him. Hall Master Xing continued after a brief pause. Speaking of which, didnt Division Head Feng return to the Martial Arts Division right after our conference? He usually spends his time cooped up within the Martial Arts Division, and there have been no reports saying that he has sneaked out like the others. Its a little weird that he isnt around here. Except for collecting new cultivation techniques and battle technique manuals, Division Head Fengs greatest hobby was to iste himself in his living quarters to study battle techniques. In fact, there were many times when Hall Master Xing had invited him to various formal asions, only to be rejected for this reason. Considering how he did not defect to the Xuanxuan Faction like Division Head Zhou and Division Head Wu, it seemed a little bizarre for him not to be in the Martial Arts Division. I was also wondering the same thing, Division Head Wei said. He had been a little perplexed by the matter when he heard from Jiao Tan that Division Head Feng wasnt around. However, out of respect for Division Head Fengs privacy, he had chosen not to enquire too deeply into the matter. Old Feng actually willingly came out of his den? Why do I find that inconceivable? Wait a moment, could it be... In the middle of his words, Division Head Liao suddenly recalled a matter and froze. Whats wrong? Noting that Division Head Liao had thought of something, Hall Master Xing and the others quickly turned their attention to him. As you know, I have a close rtionship with Old Feng. He regrlyes over to seek my help in clearing his inner demons. On one of these asions, he told me that he has a bizarre habit. Division Head Liao spoke with twitching lips. From time to time, he hides in the Trial of Martial Arts and pretends to be the puppet so as to assess hisbat masters personally. Pretends to be the puppet? Everyone was stunned. They had not expected to hear such words. Thats right. The Trial of Martial Arts is usually conducted by the puppet crafted by Old Feng, but facing multiplebat masters every single day, it inevitably umtes damage and breaks down from time to time. In such cases, he suppresses his cultivation and acts as the puppet to battle with the challengingbat masters. Gulping down a mouthful of saliva, Division Head Liao continued. I only heard of this matter from him once though, so I took it as a joke. But... could it be true? A division head pretending to be a puppet in a trial was not a particrly shocking matter. Naturally, Division Head Feng would not tell such a matter to just anyone, so there were not many in the Combat Master Hall who knew of the matter. Or perhaps, Division Head Liao might even have been the only one aware of the issue. For Division Head Feng to suddenly disappear despite there being no traces that he had left the Combat Master Hall... could he really be acting as a puppet in the Trial of Martial Arts at that very moment? Hall Master Xing was stunned for a moment before asking anxiously, What battle technique did Sun shi choose? Considering how dedicated Division Head Feng was toward the pursuit of battle techniques, there was no knowing if he would get serious with Sun shi! It would not be too much of a problem if Division Head Feng injured any of thebat mastersthey would at least still be able to resolve it internallybut Sun shi was their esteemed guest! He chose the Grand Constetion Finger, Division Head Wei replied. That is indeed a powerful battle technique, but its incredibly difficult to master as well. Sun shi actually managed to master such a powerful technique despite his age? Hall Master Xing was stunned. He didnt know any of the battle techniques, so Jiao Tan offered him the manual of the Grand Constetion Finger, and... he learned it on the spot. Division Head Wei spoke hesitantly, unsure of how he should exin the matter to the others. Before he could finish his words, Division Head Liao had already interjected in a panic. He is going against Old Feng despite only learning the technique moments ago? You should have stopped him! Old Feng is a lunatic, you know! If he learns that Sun shi is challenging the Trial of Martial Arts after just learning the fundamentals of the technique, he will think that the other party is disrespecting the solemnity of the trial and fly into a rage! You also know how seriously Old Feng takes the cultivation of battle techniques! This is really bad. Old Feng wont show any mercy once he is blinded by wrath. We have to rush in to stop him! At this point, Division Head Liaos eyes were widened in horror, and goosebumps rose all over his arms. Division Head Feng, just like his surname 1 , was a true lunatic. He took everything rting to battle techniques seriously, and he would never allow anyone to sully it in the least. Given that Sun shi had just learned the Grand Constetion Finger moments ago, hisck of mastery would surely show through in the trial in an instant. Once Division Head Feng realized the matter, he would spare no punches in teaching Sun shi a lesson! And against a raging Primordial Spirit realm expert, no matter how powerful Sun shi was, there was no way he couldst too long against him Jiya! Panicking, Division Head Liao and the others quickly rushed toward the door of the Trial of Martial Arts to save Sun shi, but at that moment, the door suddenly creaked opened. A young man calmly walked out from the door. As he walked, he leisurely adjusted his robe to tidy himself up. Hall Master Xing and the others ran up to the young man, but upon seeing that thetter waspletely unharmed, they couldnt help but ask in intrigue, Sun shi... are you fine? Un, Im fine, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Have you... cleared the trial? Division Head Wei asked. Un, it wasnt too difficult. However, I am really impressed by how exquisitely the puppet is crafted. To fully emte the situation in a true fight, it is even able to spurt blood! If I hadnt known in advance, I might have just thought that its a real human. Spurt blood? Upon hearing those words, the lips of the crowd began twitching wildly. I was also as surprised as you are back when I saw it! However, as exquisite as it is, there are still some glitches in it that requires fixing. After I defeated it in a direct sh at the same cultivation realm using the same battle technique, I asked it if I have cleared the trial yet or not, but it did not reply to me. So, I could only continue the fight with it. As if that wasnt bad enough, its cultivation even started rising halfway through! I was afraid that I might be no match for it at that rate, so I made a preemptive strike and knocked it out. That should still be considered as a pass, right? Zhang Xuan asked slightly worriedly. You knocked it out? Its cultivation started rising halfway through? If they were still uncertain whether or not Division Head Feng was acting as the puppet before, Zhang Xuans words had fully confirmed their doubtsthe puppet had to be Division Head Feng! The puppet in the Trial of Martial Arts was not weak, but its strength was fixed. There was no way its cultivation would suddenly rise in the midst of a battle! The only usible exnation was that it was Division Head Feng in disguise! Lets go in to take a look! Hall Master Xing and the others quickly bypassed Zhang Xuan and rushed into the trial, and with just a nce at the situation inside, their faces began twitching uncontrobly. A bloodied Division Head Feng was smashed into the wall, and his clothes had been torn to shreds by some kind of devastating might. His current situation was as unkempt as one could imagine. Its indeed Old Feng... Division Head Liao quickly rushed forward and ced his fingers on the other partys pulse, confirming that the figure before him was indeed a living human. He flicked his wrist and swiftly popped a recovery pill into Division Head Fengs mouth. At the same time, he drove his zhenqi into thetters body to help thetter assimte the energy within the pill. Not too longter, the unconscious Division Head Feng finally came to. What are all of you doing here? Division Head Feng asked with a confused look. Were you assessing a young man earlier before... being knocked out? Hall Master Xing asked hesitantly. Yes... that does seem to be the case. The young man who came in to challenge the trial earlier has a profoundprehension of the Grand Constetion Finger. Given the same cultivation realm and battle technique, I was no match for him at all! Intrigued, I discreetly raised my cultivation to see how far I could push him... but who would have thought that the fellow would suddenly rush over at that instant and knock me out with a flick of his finger? Then... then... I cant recall anything anymore... Division Head Fengs face reddened. It was not easy for him to meet someone who had achieved such incredible mastery in the Grand Constetion Finger. As a martial arts fanatic, it was inevitable that he would be fascinated by the matter. Wanting to witness the might of the Grand Constetion Finger in its full glory, he had attempted to push the other party a little further. But who could have expected that he would be knocked out before he achieved anything at all? How embarrassing! You are really... Hearing those words, Hall Master Xing could not help but sigh in vexation. For an esteemed division head of the Combat Master Hall to be pummeled into such a tragic state by a mere Saint 1-dan fellow... Hall Master Xing really had no idea what to make of the matter. However, recalling how he and another two division heads had beenpletely subdued by Sun shi back in the Heart Division at all, he realized that he was not really in a position to admonish the Division Head Feng either. Right, how did you know that I was in here? Also, who is that young man? Division Head Feng asked curiously. I dont think I have seen him around in the Combat Master Hall before. While he did not know all of thebat masters in the Combat Master Hall, he could still recognize most of their faces. The face of the young man looked extremely foreign to him, so there was a good chance that he was not from their Combat Master Hall. Hes a spirit awakener whom Hall Master Xing invited over to help enchant his Primordial Spirit, Division Head Liao exined. Hes a spirit awakener? Division Head Feng was stunned. But he was able to overpower me easily even when the both of us were at the same cultivation realm. You are telling me that a spirit awakener has managed to attain such a deepprehension of the profound Grand Constetion Finger? One must know that he was the head of the Martial Arts Division! With his deepprehension of battle techniques, he wielded fighting prowess far surpassing his peers. With such strength, it was nigh impossible for any cultivator of a lower cultivation realm to match him even when he had suppressed his cultivation to the other partys level. Yet, a spirit awakener had not only managed to subdue him but even easily knocked him out when he attempted to raise his cultivation. Its the truth. Sun shi isnt just a spirit awakener but a master teacher as well. Its like this... Seeing the look of disbelief on Division Head Fengs face, Hall Master Xing could only exin the various happenings earlier. This... Division Head Fengs body stiffened in shock, not daring to believe what he had just heard. Just eleven breaths after he looked through the manual of the Grand Constetion Finger, he has already attained a mastery in the technique that far surpasses what I have achieved in the past several hundred years? Seeing that Division Head Feng had his confidence utterly shattered, Hall Master Xing quickly stepped in to change the topic. Its meaningless to judge true geniuses by ourmon sense. Come, Ill introduce Sun shi to you. Un. Division Head Feng sighed deeply before nodding. The very moment that the group stepped out of the trial room together, they saw innumerablebat masters kneeling and kowtowing on the ground. Their excited and admiration-filled gazes were directed toward a young man not too far away. Teacher, thank you for opening our eyes! Chapter 1129 Chapter 1129: Saint 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... Seeing even the most talented genius of his Martial Arts Division bowing to the young man, Division Head Feng waspletely bewildered. What in the world happened? Arent thebat masters of our Combat Master Hall supposed to be prideful individuals who never bow to anyone? The young man left the trial just moments earlier, and all of them had already acknowledged him as their teacher? Unable to stand it any longer, Hall Master Xing walked up to Elder Qi and asked, Elder Qi, this... what is going on? Sun shi imparted some pointers on how one could more effectively utilize battle techniques... and it was deeply enlightening! Elder Qi replied with a face flushed crimson from agitation, and his fingers were trembling non-stop. It was as if even he was tempted to acknowledge Sun shi as his teacher as well. Just some pointers on effectively utilizing battle techniques have left them in such a state? Division Head Feng could hardly believe what he was hearing. Their Martial Arts Division had a huge collection of insights from precedingbat masters on how one could maximize the effectiveness of their battle techniques in battle, but most of them were conflicting with one another. Each of them made sense in their own ways, thus making it impossible to tell the correct insights from the incorrect. For Sun shi to win the reverence of everyone here just by lecturing a bit on the subject... Wasnt that a little too exaggerated? You are only saying that because you didnt hear the content of his lecture. Forget it, itll be difficult to exin it to you at the moment. Just grab abat master and ask him about the matterter on! Those who had not listened to the lecture would neverprehend how profound and novel that young mans interpretation of the subject was. Ignoring the confused Division Head Feng, Elder Qi rushed up to Zhang Xuan and sped his fist respectfully. Sun shi, we meet again. Thank you for saving my life back in the Jingyuan City! Even though Sun shi had altered his appearance, there was not much change to his voice. Just by hearing him speak, Elder Qi was certain that the young man before him was the middle-aged man who had saved him back then. Its you! What are you doing here? Zhang Xuan was surprised. To his astonishment, the elder before him was the entric Old Man whom he had met in Jingyuan City. Back then, the entric Old Man had been gued by a lethal poison, resulting in anguishing aura around him. However, in this moment, his face had a healthy red glow to it, and his aura felt more vigorous and livelier than ever. Had the other party not addressed him directly, he would not have believed that the person standing before him was actually the same old man he had met back then! Its all thanks to Sun shis help. I was able to sessfully make a full recovery after you cured my poison. Just a while ago, I sessfully made a breakthrough, so I decided to return here to exact my vengeance! Elder Qi replied. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Without a doubt, Elder Qis poison was the result of someones malicious deeds. Considering how long he had suffered under the torture of the poison, there was no way he would be willing to let the culprit get away scot-free, especially since he had managed to regain his strength! Dont worry about it. I have already received your medicinal herbs aspensation, so were even now, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Then, he turned to Division Head Wei and said, I have defeated the puppet earlier, so I should have cleared the trial, right? May I trouble you to lead me to the book collection? Of course! Division Head Weis lips twitched a little as he swiftly nodded. Those who cleared the trial were able to ess Division Head Fengs collection of books. As this was the rule Division Head Feng had set himself, there was no one who wouldin about that. There was no need to trouble Division Head Feng over this matter. Besides, if the otherbat masters were to learn of this matter, Division Head Feng would probably die of embarrassment. Following behind Division Head Wei, Zhang Xuan soon entered a library. On the other hand, upon noting Zhang Xuans departure, Hall Master Xing and the others hurriedly rushed up to Elder Qi and asked, Elder Qi, is he... really the Sun Qiang you were talking about? The reason Elder Qi had hurried over so anxiously was to confirm whether the other party was the benefactor who had saved him previously. Un, hes definitely my benefactor. It doesnt seem like hes the Zhang Xuan person whom you were talking about! Elder Qi nodded. Given that he was acquainted with Sun shi back at Jingyuan City, there did not seem to have been any need for the other party to disguise himself as another person back then. Going by this logic, it did not seem likely for the other party to be Principal Zhang. Thank goodness! Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief. Noting the other partys response, Elder Qi asked in bewilderment, Whats wrong? Do you have a conflict with Principal Zhang? Hes well-respected in the Hongyuan Empire, and theres hardly any discredit to his name. Did he offend the Combat Master Hall in some way? Zhang Xuans name was resounding in the Hongyuan Empire, to the extent that his reputation surpassed even that of Emperor Yu Shenqing. Countless youths regarded him as their idol. Putting aside the many incredible feats and merits he had aplished, there was not a shred of dishonor to his name. Given so, it should be safe to assume that he was a person of noble stature. Why would Hall Master Xing fear such a person so? There are no conflicts between us. Its a long story. Hall Master Xing realized that he had acted inappropriately upon hearing Elder Qis question, so he quickly waved his hand. Division Head Liao sent a telepathic message to Hall Master Xing. Hall Master Xing, since its confirmed that Sun shi isnt Zhang Xuan, and considering his incredible talent and outstandingprehension of battle techniques, if we could have him represent our Combat Master Hall in the exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction... Hearing those words, Hall Master Xings eyes lit up. Indeed. After witnessing it with his own eyes, even he had no choice but to admit that the Xuanxuan Faction was a formidable foe. He had been confident of victory given that he had achieved a breakthrough and obtained the highest secret art, Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra, of the Combat Master Hall, but on second thought, there was still a huge gap between theirbat skills. If the Combat Master Hall were to win by sheer strength and not skill, it would not reflect too well on them either. However, Sun shi was different. In terms ofbat skills, he could use a battle technique that he had learned moments ago to overwhelm Division Head Feng. In terms of state of mind, even the founder of the Heart Division had approved of him and willingly given him the highest control over the Heart Divisions formations. In terms of zhenqi, he could shatter ten stone walls in the Trial of Inner Breath simultaneously. In terms of real fighting prowess, he could escape from a coborative offense from the three of them. No matter how one looked at it, Sun shi was an expert among experts. There were none who could rival him in the same level! If they could have him represent the Combat Master Hall in the exchange against the Xuanxuan Faction, the reputation of the Combat Master Hall would surely be boosted significantly. At the same time, it would also immensely increase their chances in bringing the Xuanxuan Faction under them. Thats a good idea! After another moment of deep contemtion, Hall Master Xing continued. However... hes ultimately not from our Combat Master Hall. If we have him fight on our behalf and others learn of it... will the reputation of our Combat Master Hall be sullied? That wont be a problem. We could have him represent our Combat Master Hall in the fight against Principal Zhang. If he wins, the Xuanxuan Faction wille under our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. Once that happens, not only will our reputation not take a dip, it will even soar to unprecedented heights, Division Head Liao said. Youre right. Hall Master Xing nodded. That was indeed the case. If they could have the bunch from the Xuanxuan Faction join the Combat Master Hall, their Qingyuan Empires branch would surely grow stronger and stronger. With time, they might even be a powerhouse within the Alliance. Even if the Xuanxuan Faction hadints then, they could deal with it internally. It would not affect their overall situation. But... what if he loses? Hall Master Xing was still a little worried. Sun shi was indeed a formidable opponent, but Principal Zhang was not a pushover either! No matter what, he was the man who single-handedly groomed their potential Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang, and he was also the man behind the overwhelming strength of the Xuanxuan Faction! There was no way such a person like that could possibly be weak! If we lose, there will be no way around it. At the very most, our entire Combat Master Hall will join the Xuanxuan Faction! Division Head Liao said grimly. This... Hall Master Xing fell silent upon hearing those words. We have no other option at this point. Once it bes known that Division Head Zhou, Division Head Lu, and the others have already defected to the Xuanxuan Faction, it will surely cause a huge uproar. With time, more and morebat masters will turn to the Xuanxuan Faction! Division Head Liao said bitterly. It was not that he wanted to do this, but they were truly cornered at this point. In terms of overall prowess, the Xuanxuan Faction was definitely no match for the Combat Master Hall. However, theirprehension ofbat had reached an unfathomable level; it was inevitable that the strength-seekingbat masters would be drawn to them. Of course, this was not necessarily a bad thing. If thebat masters could learn from the Xuanxuan Faction, their fighting prowess would be brought up to a whole new level. The only issue at the moment was who wielded the dominant position. If the Combat Master Hall was forced to be subservient to a lesser organization, they would be aughingstock. Given that this matter concerned the future of the Combat Master Hall, Hall Master Xing had to tread carefully regarding this matter. He thought deeply for a moment before eventually sighing in resignation. Youre right, we can only do it this way now. Ill talk to Sun shi about the materter when hes done browsing through the books. For the Combat Master Hall to be cornered by a lesser organization from a Tier-1 Empire, what a farcical situation they had found themselves in! But that was indeed what was happening, so he had no choice but to face it. It might seem absurd, but the Xuanxuan Faction could very well be the greatest crisis they had ever faced. The Xuanxuan Factions superiorbat skills and philosophy of impartation without discrimination were a bad match for the Combat Master Hall. Putting aside the division heads, if not for the fact that the pride and honor of the Combat Master Hally on his shoulders, Hall Master Xing would have rushed over to learn from them as well. At this point, he could only wish for the best. ... This is the library of the Martial Arts Division? What an incredible collection of books! Unaware of the thoughts of Hall Master Xing and the others, Zhang Xuans excited gaze was currently fixated on the innumerable shelves of books before him. As expected of the Martial Arts Division, their collection was nothing short of impressive. On top of the two hundred Saint-tier battle techniques listed for the Trial of Martial Arts, there were also tens of thousands of Spirit-tier battle techniques as well. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. With these battle techniques, I might just be able to perfect the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm into a Heavens Path battle technique. What he wascking the most at the moment was high-tier battle technique manuals. With so many of them, he would be able to raise hisprehension of battle techniques up a notch, thus bringing his fighting prowess to another level. ws! Zhang Xuan swiftlyid his eyes on the first shelf and began collecting the books into his Library of Heavens Path. Hula! Books were appearing in the Library of Heavens Path at an incredible speed. Ten minutester, Zhang Xuan had finally finished taking in all of the battle technique manuals. There really is a substantial collection of Saint 2-dan cultivation techniques here! After browsing through the battle techniques, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to thest few shelves and saw all kinds of zhenqi cultivation techniques. All in all, there were roughly several hundred of them. There were also a couple of Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation technique manuals, but there were not too many of them, numbering only around four to five each. Zhang Xuan swiftly nced over them and collected them into the Library of Heavens Path as well. Compile! In the blink of an eye, three books appeared before Zhang Xuans eyesSaint 2-dan, Saint 3-dan, and Saint 4-dan. He swiftly flipped through them. I have finally managed to form the Saint 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement as he heaved a sigh of relief. Those hundreds of books had allowed him to perfect the Saint 2-dan cultivation technique. Unfortunately, there were still many ws with the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation techniques, so he could not cultivate them at the moment. Nevertheless, he was satisfied. I should just push for a breakthrough here, Zhang Xuan thought. There was no one in the library, and it was extremely quiet. At the same time, he could not be bothered to find another ce outside, so he headed to a corner and entered the Myriad Anthive Nest. Considering his cultivations strong foundation, his breakthrough would surely cause amotion. How embarrassing it would be if he were to identally destroy the other partys library in the midst of doing so? It would be safer for him to do it in the Myriad Anthive Nest. In the Myriad Anthive Nest, he quickly found himself a quiet ce before setting up a grade-7 Spirit Gathering Formation. Following which, he threw several thousand high-tier spirit stones in before sitting in the middle of it. High-tier spirit stones were starting to be ineffective in his cultivation, so he needed a Spirit Gathering Formation to maximize their effects. Otherwise, if he were to just absorb them normally, it would be difficult for him to build up the momentum required for a breakthrough. Once all preparations were ready, Zhang Xuan went through the Saint 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art in his mind once more before devouring the surrounding spiritual energy greedily and swiftly converting them into zhenqi. Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm. At this level, cultivators would open their Incipient Eye, allowing them to perceive their surroundings more vividly than any of their other senses through their Spiritual Perception. While a breakthrough to this realm would not raise a cultivators basic strength by too much, the enhanced perception of ones surroundings would allow one to make more precise movements in battle, and often, that could be the difference between victory and defeat. This should be enough... Time to open my Incipient Eye! With his eyes closed, Zhang Xuans consciousness slowly crept into his dantian before eventually stopping before his golden Origin Core, which sat at the center of his dantian. Chapter 1130 - Knock His Teeth Out!

Chapter 1130: Knock His Teeth Out!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With a tense look, Zhang Xuan began to drive his zhenqi ording to the Saint 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. A brilliant glow burst from his Origin Core, and it slowly began to revolve with increasing speed. An immense wave of spiritual energy gushed in from the surrounding formation, nourishing his Origin Core. In the blink of an eye, a vortex of spiritual energy reminiscent of a tornado had already formed above Zhang Xuan, producing a deafening whirring sound. The process to opening ones Incipient Eye was extremelyplicated, so Zhang Xuan dared not let his guard down. He controlled the immense amount of zhenqi flowing through his body with incredible precision, not leaving the slightest gap for error. Hong long long! As spiritual energy was gathering at a rate too fast, the Myriad Anthive Nest began to shake violently. The Ten Kings of the Cloud Mist Ridge looked over with astonished looks, unable to believe what they were seeing. They had reached Spiritual Perception realm not too long ago, and from their experience, opening the Incipient Eye should not have caused such a huge ruckus. But why was it that such conventions did not apply to their master? Not only so, they even felt a powerful pressure weighing down on them. ... Being driven by the Heavens Path Divine Art, the devoured spiritual energy was swiftly converted into the iparably pure Heavens Path zhenqi before being channeled toward the Origin Core. Tzzzzzzzz! Under the massive influx of zhenqi, the massive Origin Core slowly opened up, simr to a blossoming flower. A being reminiscent of an eyeball slowly emerged from within, and it looked as if it would open its eyes at any moment. This was the crucial period, and Zhang Xuan knew it as well. Widening his pores asrge as he could, he swiftly consumed all of the spiritual energy around him and gathered it all together, forming an incredible deluge simr to a rapid river. Open! Zhang Xuan roared as a torrent of zhenqi surged toward his Origin Core. In the breakthrough to Saint 2-dan, a cultivator had to channel his zhenqi toward his Origin Core to tear open the Incipient Eye. As long as the point that the zhenqi was channeled toward was correct, the Incipient Eye should open easily, thus unlocking the cultivators Spiritual Perception. Hu! The torrent forcefully struck against Zhang Xuans Origin Core, causing a brilliant light to burst from thetter as it revolved on the spot from the impact. However, it slowly came to a halt, and the seemingly opening Incipient Eye reverted back to its original shape, as if nothing had happened at all. Why isnt it working? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had strictly followed the Saint 2-dan Heavens Path Divine Art for his breakthrough, and under normal circumstances, he should have opened his Incipient Eye easily. Yet, why was nothing happening at all? Could there be a problem with his Heavens Path Divine Art? That was impossible! Zhang Xuan took another look at his cultivation technique and confirmed that there were no ws in it. Just to double check, he examined every single sentence carefully, and there was not a single mistake in any one of them. Frowning, he thought, I should give it another try. Hong long! Spiritual energy gushed into Zhang Xuans body once more, and after it was sessfully converted into Heavens Path zhenqi, it was channeled toward his Origin Core. Bam! After the powerful collision of the zhenqi, Zhang Xuans Origin Core began spinning once more. However, just like before, it stopped not too long after and fell silent. Zhang Xuan was bewildered. This... His cultivation had always progressed smoothly all along, and not once had he failed in pushing for a breakthrough before. But this... He had already attempted it twice, but it still was not working! That could not be right. There was no w in his cultivation technique, and the amount of zhenqi that he had was sufficient as well. Let me give it another try! Frowning, Zhang Xuan attempted to push for another breakthrough. ... Some timeter, Zhang Xuan finally came to a halt. He was panting heavily at the moment, and there was a bitter smile on his face. I finally get it. Theres no mistake the cultivation technique, and I didntprehend it incorrectly either. Its that my Origin Core is too powerful, and the spiritual energy within high-tier spirit stones isnt pure enough to stimte it. Thats why I wasnt able to open my Incipient Eye! After multiple tries, Zhang Xuan had finally managed to make sense of the situation. It was not that there was a problem in his cultivation; his Origin Core was simply too powerful. The Origin Core formed from the Saint Ascension Decipher was too stable, and it had been further refined in the Saint Ascension Ordeal, which created ayer of sacred energy around it. To make aparison, the sturdiness of his Origin Core was roughly at the level of a Saint intermediate-tier artifact. The purity of the spiritual energy within high-tier spirit stones was insufficient to break it open! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress as he halted the formation and stood up once more. I must find an even purer source of spiritual energy. He had encountered such a problem before. As his cultivation rose, his requirement for spiritual energy steadily increased as well. There was a time when his cultivation could be advanced greatly with just low-tier spirit stones, but before long, he had found himself needing middle-tier spirit stones, then high-tier spirit stones... and now, even high-tier spirit stones were not sufficient. This was not a problem of quantity but quality. If the quality did not meet the minimum requirement, no amount of quantity could make up for it. Previously, he had already felt high-tier spirit stones bing less and less effective on his cultivation, and the quantity he needed for each breakthrough was increasing exponentially. Nevertheless, he had thought that it should still suffice for a few more realms... but it seemed like he had been too optimistic. The Combat Master Hall must have purer spirit stones. Let me see if I can purchase some from them. While Zhang Xuan was helpless before this matter, the Combat Master Hall might just be able to resolve the issue. After all, the Combat Master Hall was an organization that the Master Teacher Pavilion heavily invested in so as to create powerful experts to protect mankind. As such, they nevercked resources. This was also why he had sent Zheng Yang to the Combat Master Hall headquarters to vie for the position of the Progeny of Combat. If Zheng Yang sessfully cleared the trial, through tapping into the vast resources andplete heritage of the Combat Master Hall, he would likely be able to advance his cultivation at an astounding speed. And more importantly, this was a good opportunity to temper his state of mind too. Let me ask Hall Master Xing about the matter then, Zhang Xuan thought. As long as he could obtain even purer spirit stones, he would be able to make a breakthrough to Spiritual Perception realm easily. However, such spirit stones were bound to be extremely valuable and rare. Nevertheless, he had no intention of taking them for free. As long as the Combat Master Hall was willing to sell them to him, he would surely pay a price that could satisfy them. After leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan swiftly left the library and entered the main hall of the Martial Arts Division, where Hall Master Xing happened to be waiting. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he quickly walked up to him. Hall Master Xing, its great that you are here. I happen to have a matter that I need to trouble you on. Hmm? Sun shi, feel free to state your request. Theres no need to stand on ceremony with me. As long as its something within my means, consider it done! Hall Master Xing swiftly responded in delight. He had just been wondering how he could convince Sun shi to help him with the matter of the Xuanxuan Faction when thetter suddenly said that he had a request. After everything that Sun shi had done for their Combat Master Hall, mending his Primordial Spirit and gifting the altered Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra back to them, he wasnt in a good position to ask thetter for another favor. However, if Sun shi had a request to ask of them, that would make things easier for him. Its actually like this... I need a spirit stone that is even purer than a high-tier spirit stone for my cultivation, and I would like to enquire if your Combat Master Hall has any. If so, I am willing to pay any price to purchase it! Without beating around the bush, Zhang Xuan dived straight to the main point. This... Hall Master Xing was slightly taken aback. If you are seeking pinnacle spirit stones, that is amodity that only those of Saint 6-dan and above are qualified to use, so Im afraid that it will be nigh impossible to find even one of those in the Qingyuan Empire. You will have to head to a higher tier empire than that! Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall doesnt have any pinnacle spirit stones? Zhang Xuan frowned. Regretfully, thats the case. Hall Master Xing shook his head. At this moment, he suddenly recalled something and said, Actually, if you dont mind, we do have some concentrated high-tier spirit stones. The spiritual energy contained within them is indeed significantly purer than ordinary high-tier spirit stones, so perhaps they might just work for you? Concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. He had never heard of such a thing before. Un. High-tier spirit stones can be mined from ordinary spirit veins, but concentrated high-tier spirit stones are only found in the more potent spirit veins that produces pinnacle spirit stones. In terms of purity, they are nowhere near pinnacle spirit stones, but there is no doubt that they are still much purer than high-tier spirit stones. Its for that reason that they are known as concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Hall Master Xing exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Spirit veins could be divided into several levels, too. Some of the weaker spirit veins could only produce the inexpensive low-tier spirit stones, whereas those truly formidable ones could produce pinnacle spirit stones at their very core. In those spirit veins that could produce pinnacle spirit stones, due to the incredible concentration of spiritual energy, even the outskirts of the spirit vein would produce spirit stones, and their quality far exceeded that of ordinary high-tier spirit stones. May I know how many concentrated high-tier spirit stones the Combat Master Hall has? If possible, I would like to purchase some, Zhang Xuan quickly replied. Since concentrated high-tier spirit stones were purer than ordinary high-tier spirit stones, they just might prove useful in helping him achieve a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan realm. In truth, even our Combat Master Hall doesnt have too many concentrated high-tier spirit stones. All in all, we only have ten of them. However, if Sun shi requires it, we can give five of them to you! Hall Master Xing said. That would be imposing too much on you. How much do they cost? Ill just buy them from you, Zhang Xuan replied. If he were to ept a favor from the other party, he would probably have to pay it back somehow in the future. Since he was not in anyck of money, there was no need for him to owe such a debt to others for the sake of saving money. Hall Master Xing hesitated for a moment before speaking. To be honest with you, theres something that we need Sun shis help on. If you can help us with this matter, we will be more than d to give the five concentrated high-tier spirit stones to you! May I enquire what it is? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. The Combat Master Hall was one of the strongest organizations in Qingyuan Empire, and Hall Master Xing had even recently made a breakthrough to the Leaving Aperture realm. It was really a little unexpected to hear that they would require his help. Its regarding the trouble that I mentioned to you not too long ago, Hall Master Xing said with an unsettled look. Oh? Zhang Xuans interest was piqued. Its a little embarrassing, but that trouble is caused by a single cultivator. That cultivators cultivation isnt too high, but he wields incredible fighting prowess. I fear that given the same cultivation realm, there are none in our Combat Master Hall who are a match for him! Hall Master Xing sighed deeply as he spoke with a vexed tone. He had done a rough gauge, and even he would struggle to face Principal Zhangs direct disciples given the same cultivation realm. It was likely that the teacher would be even stronger than that. If the cultivation of that cultivator who is causing you trouble is not too high, why dont you just find someone to pummel him secretly? Surely it should suffice for you to scare him off? The Combat Master Hall isnt as rule-bound as the Master Teacher Pavilion, so such should be fine, right? Zhang Xuan asked. The Combat Master Hall served a differing function as the Master Teacher Pavilion. The Master Teacher Pavilion served as the teachers of humanity, so naturally, they had to be role models for others, so it was inevitable that there would be many rules surrounding it. On the other hand, the Combat Master Hall served as the military of humanity, so it was not necessary for them to be as rule-bound as the Master Teacher Pavilion. Besides, since the other party dared cause trouble despite hisck of strength, it should be well within the rights of the Combat Master Hall to retaliate. If he was the hall master, he would have had that cultivator pummeled into the ground first before talking the matter out. Was there a need for them to be so vexed over the matter? Cough cough... Hall Master Xing choked on his saliva. That cultivator happens to be a master teacher... Hes a master teacher? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw and frowned. There could be troublesome repercussions if such forceful methods were to be used against a master teacher. However, that should not be a problem either. Master teachers are bound by many rules, so you can use that against him. For one, you could challenge him on something that he is not proficient in and force him to back down. Alternatively, you could bring in the Master Teacher Pavilion to mediate in the matter. If he still refuses to budge then, you could just capture him and have him sent to the Subterranean Gallery! Master teachers were protected by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it would be difficult to deal with him directly. Nevertheless, given the considerably close ties between the Combat Master Hall and the Master Teacher Pavilion, it should be possible to deal with the other party through bureaucracy. Since the other party was not too strong, he was likely just a 6-star master teacher. Even if he had powerful fighting prowess, his standing in the Master Teacher Pavilion was unlikely to be very high. Any higher ranked master teacher would be able to subdue him easily. Zhang Xuan had been ced in such a situation several times himself, so he was rather familiar with it. Surely, there was no need for Hall Master Xing to worry so much about this matter. If only it were that simple... Hall Master Xing shook his head and sighed. The other party is an upstanding and reputable master teacher, so we dare not go too far with him. Thats why we wish to invite Sun shi to fight in our stead. His cultivation realm is at the same level as yours, and with your means, we believe that you should be able to defeat him with ease! You want me to fight him in your stead? Zhang Xuan smiled confidently. That isnt a problem at all! I have never lost in a fight against a peer before! Dont worry, Ill help you knock all of his teeth out! Hell regret having messed with the Combat Master Hall. Chapter 1131 - Spiritual Perception Realm!

Chapter 1131: Spiritual Perception Realm!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric His current strength was nothing in Qingyuan Empire, but in terms of matching his peers, he had absolute confidence at victory. Regardless of who it was, well, perhaps excluding that monster of a clone he had, as long as the other party was of the same cultivation realm as him, he was confident that he could have the other party crying for their daddies and mummies at the end of the duel. To dare to cause trouble in the Combat Master Hall, he sure was brazen! As long as I, Zhang Xuan, am around, regardless of which hole you have crawled out from or how formidable you might be, there wont be a shred of arrogance left once I am done with you! With Sun shis promise, I am reassured... Hearing those words, Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief as a smile appeared on his lips. Despite possessing only a cultivation of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, Sun shi was able to dodge the simultaneous attack from three of them. The great strength he possessed was undeniable. No matter how powerful Principal Zhang may be, he definitely wouldnt be walking out of a duel with him unscathed. However, Sun shi, you still have to be careful. That trouble I told you is said to be an invincible existence in his cultivation realm. Even though I havent really witnessed his strength in person or not, the many rumors that surround him suggest that he isnt any weaker than you! Hall Master Xing hesitated for a moment before saying. He was deeply confident in Sun shis strength, but the opponent wasnt easy either. It was best to proceed carefully. He isnt any weaker than me? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback for a moment before nodding. It was surprising to hear that there was someone who was able to match him in the same cultivation realm, especially since he cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and sessfully ascended to be a Celestial Saint. However, considering the immense size of the Master Teacher Continent, there might just be true geniuses who could match him. His clone was one such example... Despite being of the same cultivation realm, he didnt recall a single asion where he could defeat his clone in battle. It was truly frustrating. Considering how wary Hall Master Xing was regarding the matter, the other partys strength was likely to be truly frightening. It seemed like he had met his match this time around. Indeed. I have never met the other party in person, but just the fighting prowess of his students is already plenty frightening. At the same cultivation realm, even I would struggle to match them. Thus, Sun shi, you mustnt underestimate your opponent... Even you would struggle to match the other partys students? Zhang Xuan was astonished. It was already incredible for the other party to be powerful, but who could have thought that the other partys students would be so formidable as well. At this point, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel intrigued by the other party. Interesting. Ill be looking forward to meeting him then... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If he could fight against such a talented master teacher, it might give him some inspiration as to how he could further his fighting prowess. Sun shi, we have appointed a duel with the other party earlier, and it would be held a few days from while. Meanwhile, why dont you cultivate in our Combat Master Hall and further your fighting prowess? Each of our Ten Divisions hasplete heritages, and they might prove to be of some use to you in further developing your strength. Hall Master Xing said. Given how quickly the other party had managed to cultivate the Grand Constetion Finger, he should be able to master the other expertise of their Combat Master Hall swiftly too. With the future of the Combat Master Hall at stake, they couldnt afford to take any risk. As long as it was something that could boost their chances at victory, they would have to grasp tightly onto it. It would be a pleasure! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He happened to be looking towards furthering his Heavens Path Fist Art, Heavens Path Palm Art, Heavens Path Movement Art, and the such at the moment, and the high-tier battle techniques of the Combat Master Hall was indubitably an invaluable asset for that. This was a precious opportunity to learn, so naturally, he wouldnt turn it down. Here is a token which represents my authority. With this in hand, you will be able to challenge any trial and enter any library in the Combat Master Hall freely! Seeing how the other party was still able to remain humble despite his astounding strength, Hall Master Xing nodded in approval. After which, he flicked his wrist and tossed a token over. Zhang Xuan casually caught it. After which, Hall Master Xing flicked his wrist once more and took out a slender but long jade container before exining, Here are the five concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Ill pass them to Sun shi first as well. This battle is truly important to our Combat Master Hall, so I wish you luck in furthering your strength. Thank you. Not expecting to receive the spirit stones ahead of the battle, Zhang Xuan felt deeply grateful. Since the other party trusted him so much, he had to return the favor and help the other party resolve their problem at its root. At the very least, he would pummel that troublemaker to the point where he would be unable to even manage his day-to-day functions! The Combat Master Hall wasnt an organization that likes of his could trifle with! ... Sitting quietly in an isted chamber, Zhang Xuan quickly conditioned his current state to the peak before taking out the long jade container. Right after giving Hall Master Xing his word, he quickly entered an isted chamber to cultivate. With the concentrated high-tier spirit stones in hand, it was about time for him to push for a breakthrough! With a swift flick of his finger, the seal on the jade container vanished, and incredibly pure spiritual energy immediately began wafting from the container. ced within the container were five crystalline spirit stones. Transparent, Zhang Xuan could see the many streaks of pure spiritual energy flowing to and fro within it like little dragons. It felt as if they would burst out from the spirit stones at any moment and soar into the sky. The spiritual energy within is indeed much purer than high-tier spirit stones... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Through his observation, he could tell that the purity of the concentrated high-tier spirit stone was at least twice the level of ordinary high-tier spirit stones. With it, he would definitely be able to ovee the Saint 1-dan bottleneck with ease. Alright, time to begin! Whipping out a spirit stone and grasping in his hand, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes. Boom! Pure spiritual energy immediately began surging into his body, and they were swiftly converted into Heavens Path zhenqi. As ordinary high-tier spirit stones were simply not pure enough for the current him, he was only able to absorb an average of 10% of the spiritual energy within. On the other hand, using the concentrated high-tier spirit stones, he found that he could absorb nearly 100% of the spiritual energy within. The conversion efficiency was truly at a wholly different level. To put it in other words, the effects of a single concentrated high-tier spirit stone was far greater than even several thousands of high-tier spirit stonesbined! Hu! In the blink of an eye, the newly-converted zhenqi finally arrived before Zhang Xuans Origin Core. With his previous experiences in attempting for a breakthrough, his movements were extremely smooth. With a thought, he had all of his zhenqi gushing towards his Origin Core like a furious torrent. Geji! Geji! Under the relentless striking of the torrent, the incredibly sturdy Origin Core finally began to open. However, barely after opening a slit, Zhang Xuan already felt that his zhenqi was running dry. If he were to stop at this juncture, it would render his previous efforts futile. Continue! At this crucial period, Zhang Xuan couldnt afford to stop. Without any hesitation, he picked up another concentrated spiritual energy and began absorbing the energy within. Hong long! A long timeter, the sturdy Origin Core finally broke open. An object reminiscent of an eye sat in its ce, illuminating the surroundings. Along with the opening of the Incipient Eye, Zhang Xuan felt his consciousness suddenly extending beyond himself, into the surroundings. In the blink of an eye, every nook and cranny within the chambery bare before his consciousness. Minor details which he would only notice with just his Eye of Insight previously, they could all be vividly felt by him at this very moment. Those books in the distance, even if he didnt open them, he could still see the content within each and every page. This is Spiritual Perception? It is truly a powerful ability! Zhang Xuans face flushed in agitation. Through the means of the soul oracle, he was also capable of scanning his surroundings with his soul energy. What was different about it and the Spiritual Perception was that the Spiritual Perception amplified what he could see by manyfold, as if someone had fitted a magnifier before his senses. Even the most minor of details could be perceived by him with astounding rity. It was no wonder why a breakthrough to Spiritual Perception realm would result in a huge leap in ones fighting prowess despite the minimal increase in zhenqi and strength. Just by opening ones Spiritual Perception in battle, a cultivator would be able to perceive every single move made by his opponent, allowing him to easily dodge, retaliate, or even predict the future moves that his opponent would make. If I had the Spiritual Perception previously, I would have been able to flee from Hall Master Xing and the others with greater ease previously. It wouldnt have been such a close shave each time around... Zhang Xuan thought as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas. While he did manage to sessfully flee from thebined assault of Hall Master Xing and the others earlier one, it was by a hairs breadth every single time. This was due to ack of his grasp over his surroundings. His attention had to be fixed on dealing with the assault he was currently facing, leaving him unable to effectively perceive the movements of the other two to guard against them. This had left him in a truly bad position. With his Spiritual Perception, if he were to find himself in such a position once more, he would be able to make the better decisions in view of his overall circumstances, and his escape would surely have been far smoother. Continue! The breakthrough alleviated the deep pressure that Zhang Xuan was feeling within from his students swiftly closing up to him. Heaving a sigh of relief, he picked up another concentrated high-tier spirit stone and began driving his zhenqi once more. Spiritual Perception realm primary stage! Spiritual Perception realm intermediate stage! Spiritual Perception realm advanced stage! Spiritual Perception realm pinnacle! Within an hour, his cultivation had soared to Saint 2-dan pinnacle. However, at the same time, the five concentrated high-tier spirit stones had beenpletely depleted as well, reducing to mere white powder. Let me see how far I can extend my Spiritual Perception for! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan began concentrating on expanding his consciousness. ording to the records on books, depending on the cultivation technique one cultivated, the area where ones Spiritual Perception could cover would differ as well. A typical Spiritual Perception realm pinnacle expert would generally be able to expand his Spiritual Perception over a radius of 400 meters or so. Those who were stronger could reach 500 to 600 meters, but there was nearly no one who could reach the 1000 meters mark. Given that he had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and Heavens Path Divine Art, he was interested to see how hepared to other cultivators. Hu! Extending his Spiritual Perception outward, it swiftly crept beyond the isted chamber. 400, 500... Zhang Xuan counted mentally. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached the 500 meters mark. 1000, 2000... Zhang Xuan thought that 1000 meters should be where his limity, but he found that he could continue to push it forward with rtive ease. Eventually, it was only at the 2500 meters mark where he found that he had reached his limit. 2500 meters, thats roughly six times more than that of ordinary cultivators... Zhang Xuan thought excitedly as he retracted his Spiritual Perception, He knew that his Spiritual Perception was bound to be powerful due to the strength of his Heavens Path Divine Art, but he hadnt expected that it would be such an extent. One must know that the space that ones Spiritual Perception covered increased exponentially along with the increase in radius, so expanding ones Spiritual Perception was an increasingly difficult task. In terms of the space covered, Zhang Xuan was more than two hundred times more than an ordinary cultivator! With such a wide Spiritual Perception, he could easily notice the movement of anyone in the vicinity, making it difficult for anyone to spring an assault on him in battle. On top of that, it seems like the keenness at which I can perceive my surroundings is far above that of other cultivators too. Zhang Xuan noted as he exhaled deeply. This matter was truly too astonishing. If he were to speak of it, who knew how many cultivators would be scared to death. As per his usual practice, it would be best for him to maintain a low profile. The Combat Master Hall is indeed worthy of its title as one of the strongest organizations in Qingyuan City! With even just a swift scan, Zhang Xuan found that the Combat Master Hall was filled with innumerable powerful formations which could easily kill even Primordial Spirit realm experts upon contact. It was fortunate that he had strictly instructed Ruohuan gongzi and the others to keep those of the Xuanxuan Faction in check. Otherwise, if they were to cause trouble here, the consequences could be dire. With my breakthrough to Spiritual Perception realm, I should be able to match Primordial Spirit realm experts now. While Zhang Xuans strength hadnt risen with his breakthrough to Spiritual Perception realm, his fighting prowess did increase significantly. In the past, he could only subdue Primordial Spirit realm cultivators through springing sudden assaults, but with his newfound strength, even Spiritual Perception realm experts would struggle to bring him down in a fair battle. But of course, he would still do well to steer clear from Leaving Aperture realm experts like Hall Master Xing. Still, just cultivating a single realm has taken me five concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Without a doubt, the need for spirit stones in my cultivation will only continue to increase... I really have to find a way to earn money... Staring at the white powdery remains on the ground, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in vexation. Just when he thought that he had be a tycoon after ying the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, a short moment of cultivation had put him back into his ce as a poor bloke. He really had to find a way to acquire more concentrated high-tier spirit stones, or else his cultivation would stagnate once more. Forget it, Ill deal with itter. For the time being, I need to deal with the trouble Hall Master Xing spoke of first. Let me head to the Fist Division, Palm Division, and Footwork Division to see what they have... Given how generous Hall Master Xing had treated him, it was only right for him to reciprocate the favor. This was how diplomacy usually worked, and as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the Combat Master Hall was an ally he would want to bring over. Understanding this, Zhang Xuan walked out of the isted chamber and headed to the Fist Division. Chapter 1132 - Three Days Later

Chapter 1132: Three Days Later

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hula! The crisp melody of tea flowing into a cup filled a tranquil room. Hall Master Xing ced the teapot in his hands down before passing the fresh cup of tea over. Elder Qi took a sip of it, and his eyes immediately lit up. Excellent tea! Its no wonder its worth such a huge sum. Its quality is definitely worth the fortune spent on it! Hall Master Xing had specially bought these Cloudmist Flower tea leaves from the Hongyuan Empire. Back then, he had thought that it was a little pricey, and he had only intended to give it a try. However, upon tasting it, he realized that it was really worth its price. It sure is fine tea, isnt it? Hall Master Xing nodded in agreement as he sipped on his. Over the past three days of hard work, he had managed to further reinforce his cultivation, bringing his state of mind and Primordial Spirit to a whole new level. At this rate, he would be ready by the time the lightning ordeal fell. Looking at the elder before him, Hall Master Xing asked, Elder Qi, how has your cultivation been going recently? The Combat Master Halls Spirit Gathering Formation is indeed formidable. After cultivating for just half a day, I managed to reinforce my Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivation, Elder Qi said with a stroke of his beard. He had to admit that the training facilities within the Combat Master Hall were truly impressive. If it had been anywhere else, it would have taken at least several months before he reinforced his Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivation. But here, he managed to do it within just three days! Admittedly, it would still be quite some time before he was ready to push for a breakthrough to the Leaving Aperture realm, but with his body having adapted to his current level of cultivation, he would be able to draw forth incredible might at a wave of his hand. Its only because Elder Qi has a strong foundation. Not just anyone is able to utilize the formation to its full potential as you did, Hall Master Xing remarked. Ultimately, the formation only yed an auxiliary role in ones cultivation. What was more important was the cultivator himself. Elder Qi had braved through many threatening situations, and this had elevated his state of mind to an incredible level. In fact, Hall Master Xing suspected that the other party might even be able to clear the Trial of Inner Demons easily. Choosing not to linger too much on the topic, Elder Qi asked, How has Sun shi been doing recently? He had been wanting to formally pay a visit to his benefactor to thank him, but in the past three days, he had found that thetter had been working even more diligently than him. In fact, there was hardly anyone who had caught a glimpse of him in the Combat Master Hall. You know, I really have to admit that Sun shi is a true genius! Hearing that question, Hall Master Xing recalled the various reports he had heard over the past two days, and his eyes lit up in agitation. Genius? Un. The first ce Sun shi visited was the Fist Division. I presume that you should have heard of the Strength Assessing Fist Pir there, right? Hall Master Xing asked. Elder Qi nodded. The existence of the Strength Assessing Fist Pir was no secret in the Qingyuan Empire. In fact, there were quite a few people who would visit the Fist Division in hopes of borrowing it to assess their current strength. It was a Saint-tier artifact, and it could urately gauge ones punching strength. The record for the Strength Assessing Fist Pir for Saint 2-dan was left behind by Combat Master Wang Ce eight thousand years ago. Combat Master Wang Ce was born with incredible strength, and he went on to cultivate the Art of Drawing Oceans and the strongest defensive secret art of our Combat Master Hall, thus strengthening his zhenqi and physical body to an unbelievable level. Not only that, he is also an avid fist practitioner. Over the years, he refined his fist art to an unprecedented level. Yet, he only achieved a score of 18 in the trial. On the other hand, with just two hours of cultivation, Sun shi broke the record and attained a score of 88! Even as he spoke of those words, Hall Master Xings eyes could not help but widen in disbelief as he imaged the situation in his head. It was not without reason that achieving a record was considered a great honor. It could only be achieved by pushing ones body to the very limits, achieving a level that could be considered very close to the limit of a human. As such, breaking a record was never an easy feat. Those who did seed in breaking a record would also only achieve a score slightly higher than the previous record. Yet, that fellow actually managed to clear the record with a score several times the previous score. This was truly unbelievable! You said that he attained a score of 88? Elder Qis lips twitched. Indeed. I was astonished by the score, too, so I went to look for him to ask him about the matter. But he said... At this point, Hall Master Xing suddenly shook his head, and a look of utter defeat surfaced on his face. What did he say? He said that... he attained a score of 88 because he felt that it was an auspicious number 1 . His pockets have been running dry recently, and he hoped that this auspicious omen could change his luck a little, Hall Master Xing replied hoarsely. ... Elder Qi. And after he was done with the Fist Division, he went on ahead to the Palm Division. Hall Master Xing suddenly fell silent at this point. It took a long while before he was able to carry on. As you might know, the Combat Master Halls palm techniques can be divided into eighteen types, such as soft and gentle or hard and forceful. In order to assess onesprehension of a certain palm type, the Palm Division has a trial guarded by eighteen puppets. Usually, clearing even the first puppet is a difficult feat for mostbat masters, and yet... after he entered, he immediately triggered all of the puppets into action, and with a palm each, he defeated all eighteen of the puppets. All in all, it didnt even take him ten breaths! He defeated all of the puppets with a palm each? Elder Qi widened his eyes in shock. Indeed! More importantly, the palm type he used corresponded perfectly to each of the puppets. In other words, his palm art changed eighteen times within just a short ten breaths! Hall Master Xing continued. How is that possible? Elder Qi could not help but shudder upon hearing those words. As the wrist was one of the most flexible parts of a human body, palm arts tended to be one of the moreplicated and profound battle techniques. Using a gentle palm art and a forceful palm art drew on vastly different strengths, and an abrupt switch between the two could easily lead to severe injuries. Yet, to change to eighteen different types within just ten breaths... Was this really a feat that could be pulled off by a human? Was the other partys body forged of metal, making him impervious to the bacsh from the abrupt switches? If it had been Elder Qi himself doing it, he had no doubt that his meridians would have ruptured. The true shocker has yet toe. You should know of our Guardian Division, right? Hall Master Xing asked. Of course I do, Elder Qi replied with a nod. The Guardian Division is known for its Divine Hammer, which is capable of analyzing the ws of a cultivators body and tempering them through hammering, thus enhancing ones defenses. Once all 1,296 acupoints have been tempered, even des will struggle to slice through ones skin. Through it, the Guardian Division has developed generations of formidablebat masters! If the Weapon Division was the strongest spear in the Combat Master Hall, the Guardian Division was definitely the sturdiest shield of it. Those who could master its heritage would be nigh indestructible on the battlefield. Putting aside arrows, even Saint-tier weapons would hardly leave a mark on them. Just like the resilient cockroaches, they were a fearsome force regardless of where they went. Indeed. The Divine Hammer is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, and it has exceptional capabilities in tempering the human body. However, its strikes produce excruciating pain that permeate deep into the bones, causing normalbat masters to be unable to even withstand a minute of its tempering. Even I am unable tost more than five minutes. But when Sun shi entered the Guardian Hall to allow his body to be tempered by the Divine Hammer... Hall Master Xing clutched his forehead and eximed incredulously, ... he actually fell asleep! He fell asleep? Elder Qi nearly spurted blood. He said that it was simply toofortable, so he ended up dozing off. Honestly, if not for the fact that we were worried for his health and dragged him out, he might have just slept for several days straight in there! Hall Master Xing said helplessly. When he saw saliva flowing from the corners of Sun shis face, he had nearly fainted from horror. Such excruciating hammering, and the other party could actually think of it as a mere massage and rx from it... It was truly inconceivable. After he woke up, he headed to the Footwork Division. In the Trial of Footwork, there are total of 122 hidden mechanisms. As soon as one steps into the trial, one will trigger the mechanisms, resulting in a relentless wave of attacks. The further one proceeds into the trial, the moreplicated the attacks be, and the harder it is to dodge them, Hall Master Xing exined. Elder Qi nodded in response. The trials of the Combat Master Halls Ten Divisions were deeply feared in the Qingyuan Empire, and this was especially so for the Trial of Footwork. It assessed ones reflexes, speed, judgement, and many other aspects. If one wascking in any of those, one would be struck before one knew it. Before entering the Trial of Footwork, I earnestly warned Sun shi about the difficulty of the trial for fear that he would be injured by it. Yet, who could have known that... he walked in and out of the entire trial, but he didnt even trigger a single one of the hidden mechanisms! Thus, I forcefully activated all of the hidden mechanisms as soon as he entered the second time around, filling the entire trial with weapons and threats. Yet again, he walked in and out, but he still didnt encounter a single thing. Hall Master Xing looked at the sky with a look of despair and sighed. It was then that I realized that he was simply too fast. Such that even before the hidden mechanisms could do a single thing, he had already passed by all of them. Even the hidden mechanisms didnt have time to react? Elder Qis body trembled in disbelief. The hidden mechanisms were controlled by a formation within the trial, and they would be triggered as soon as one entered the vicinity of the trap. Yet, to move so fast that even the mechanisms did not have time to process his existence... Just how fast did he move? At such speed, the other party was capable of killing him before he could even perceive the other partys existence! Indeed! The more Hall Master Xing spoke, the deeper the bitterness on his face became. To be able to be the head of a regional Combat Master Hall, it went without saying that he was an incredible genius in his time too. With his talent, he thought that he could easily reach levels beyond his peers as long as he were to put in hard work. But upon seeing Sun shi, he suddenly realized that his talent was really nothing at all... Before the other party, he was like dirt before the brilliant sun. Just by strolling around in each division for less than four hours each, he was able to aplish achievements that were unmatched by any predecessors and probably by many future generations toe as well. Genius was no longer sufficient to describe him. In fact, even monstrous seemed to be a little inadequate. On the other hand, after hearing Hall Master Xings story, Elder Qis mouth was wide open. He had thought that even if Sun shi was able to make some advancement in his fighting prowess over the past three days, it would surely have been minimal. No one could have imagined that he would be able to cook up such a hugemotion! It took a long time before Elder Qi was able to calm down his agitated mind, and taking a deep breath, he said, It seems like you have really chosen the right person this time around. Sun shi shouldnt have any problem dealing with the huge trouble you spoke of. After the past few days of interaction with Hall Master Xing, he had learned what the huge trouble was. For a student faction of a Tier-1 Empires Master Teacher Academy to be able to force their Combat Master Hall to such a desperate state, it had to be said that the rumored Principal Zhang did live up to his reputation. Even though he had never met Principal Zhang in person, just by looking at the strength of the Xuanxuan Faction, he knew that it would be unwise to underestimate the other partys strength. Indeed. I was still worried if Sun shi would be able to match Principal Zhang, but honestly, after seeing what Sun shi has aplished so far, I am really unable to fathom an opponent who would be able to match him. After venting out the shock he had umted over the past few days, Hall Master Xing finally felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his heart, and a smile returned to his lips. Having seen the Xuanxuan Factions strength with his own eyes, it was inevitable that he was apprehensive about going against an opponent like Principal Zhang. However, after witnessing the peerless strength that Sun shi had disyed, all worries had vanished from his mind. If a 6-star master teacher like Principal Zhang could defeat even a monster of Sun shis caliber, the Combat Master Hall might as well be reced with the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Thats good. I am also interested to see Sun shi using his strength to surpass the undefeatable legend of the Hongyuan Empire! Elder Qi nodded with a smile. Taking a nce at the sky outside, Hall Master Xing said as he stood up, Looking at the time, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction should be arriving very soon. Let me invite Sun shi over. Today was the day that the Combat Master Hall would be holding an exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction, and thetter should have been on their way over at that moment. The Xuanxuan Faction was a huge headache, but Hall Master Xing did not think that they would lose in the exchange. After all, there was far more to a battle than justbat skills. Let me head there with you, Elder Qi said as he stood up as well, and they began making their way out. Shortly after they left the room, Division Head Liao walked up to them. Noting that Division Head Liao was alone, Hall Master Xing asked with a frown, Where is Sun shi? He said that it was still early, so... he went to the Soul Division first! Division Head Liao replied. Soul Division? Hall Master Xing froze for a brief moment before his face turned ghastly pale. The Trial of Soul in the Soul Division is managed by the Saint 4-dan Chrysoprase Soul Beast. Our Combat Master Hall had to pay a heavy price to invite it over... This is bad! Chrysoprase Soul Beast? Elder Qi pondered for a moment. That saint beast is indeed born with a powerful soul, allowing them to easily knock out anyone. Are you afraid that Sun shi will be knocked out ahead of the exchange? Thats not it. Im afraid that he will tame the Chrysoprase Soul Beast! Hall Master Xing eximed anxiously. ... Elder Qi. Chapter 1133 - He Did It First

Chapter 1133: He Did It First

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If the Heart Division was the most mysterious division of the Combat Master Hall, the most bizarre division was probably the Soul Division. In the Trial of Soul, a cultivator could temper their soul. However, a moment of carelessness could potentially ce one in a disoriented state, temporarily robbing them of their ability to think rationally. Zhang Xuan pushed open the door and entered his trial. As soon as he took a step in, he immediately heard a slight moaning sound by his ear, as if an aggrieved ghost was crying beside him. That crying seemed to capture the entirety of ones attention, causing one to forget ones initial purpose. Zhang Xuan frowned as he halted his footsteps. Its a type of demonic tune. He had encountered a situation simr to this back at the Qiu Wu Pce as well. When used in the correct circumstances, demonic tunes could prove to be extremely dangerous, rendering one incapable of discerning fiction from reality. However, against Zhang Xuan, a cultivator of the Heavens Path Divine Art, its effects were minimal. Driving his zhenqi around his body, the effects of the demonic tunes immediately vanished without a trace. Through ying closer attention to the moaning sound, he was able to determine the general direction it wasing from, so he began heading in that direction. The Trial of Soul was significantlyrger than the Trial of Inner Breath and Trial of Martial Arts, spanning a radius of roughly fifty meters. However, as it waspletely dark, it was impossible to determine where one was heading. Even ones Spiritual Perception was inhibited by the formation within, leaving one unable to perceive too far ahead. Slowly proceeding forward, Zhang Xuan advanced for around twenty meters before his body abruptly jolted slightly. An oppressive pressure had suddenly assaulted him, seemingly attempting to tear his soul apart. A soul attack? Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment beforeing to a realization. It seems like someone is controlling the trial. If it had just been a simple trial, it was impossible for the formation to realize so swiftly that the demonic tune was not working and resort to a soul attack instead. For most cultivators, such a soul attack would cause them such excruciating pain that they would not be able to move at all. However, for Zhang Xuan, such a soul attack was truly trivial. Putting aside the fact that he was protected by his Heavens Path zhenqi, just the sheer size and strength of his soul made that pressurepletely ineffective on him. The more Zhang Xuan advanced forward, the greater the pressure became. At this point, even a Saint 3-dan cultivator would have already sumbed to the immense pressure. Taking another two steps forward, Zhang Xuan finally identified the source of the pressure, and he chuckled softly. Itd be rude if I didnt reciprocate the favor to you. Why dont you try mine? Zhang Xuans voice was not too loud, but it sounded clearly throughout the trial. The following moment, an overwhelming surge of soul energy burst forth from his be. Even though he did not have any soul cultivation techniques beyond Saint realm, the soul tempering that he had undergone during the Saint Ascension Ordeal had condensed his soul considerably, such that it had assumed a lucid crystalline form. With the enhanced strength of his soul, he was able to exert a pressure many times greater than before. Hong long! In an instant, it was as if the air had turned as viscous as mercury. An incredible pressure burst forth, directed toward the source of the soul. Bam! Kacha! The loud thud reminiscent of something falling heavily to the ground, apanied with the sound of many things shattering simultaneously, echoed resoundingly in the air. At the same time, the ground also tremored intensely. It was true that the other partys soul was powerful, but it was still severelyckingpared to his. A soul attack? Who are you? The next moment, a furious voice boomed in the room. Following which, Zhang Xuan saw a massive saint beast walking out of the shadows. That saint beast was probably the one who had attacked him earlier. Under the immense pressure exerted by Zhang Xuans soul, it had probably lost its bnce for a moment and fallen to the ground, shattering many things beneath it. You are... a Chrysoprase Soul Beast? Upon taking a look, Zhang Xuan matched the distinctive traits of the saint beast before him with the books he had browsed through, and he could not help but frown. The Chrysoprase Soul Beast was a rather peculiar saint beast. Unlike most saint beasts, which relied heavily on their superior physical bodies inbat, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast specialized in soul offense instead. Blessed with an innately powerful soul, it could easily produce hallucinations and leave its opponents in a disoriented state. It was an extremely rare beast, and not even the Beast Tamer Guild had seen many of them in its entire history. It was rather unexpected to see this rare beast in the Combat Master Hall. This knowledge swiftly shed through Zhang Xuans mind before he answered the other partys question. I am a master teacher who is here to challenge this trial! You are a master teacher? the Chrysoprase Soul Beast snorted. Deep hostility flickered across its massive eyes as it sneered, How could a master teacher possibly be skilled in the means of the soul oracles? Speak, who are you? Zhang Xuan was stunned for a brief moment after hearing those words, but he swiftly recovered and replied with a smile. Soul oracle? You must have misunderstood me somehow. The heritage of the soul oracles had vanished from the Master Teacher Continent several dozen millenniums ago. As such, not even master teachers would be able to identify it with certainty even if he utilized the means of a soul oracle before them. He had not really thought that the Chrysoprase Soul Beast would be able to recognize it with a single look. It was not a crime to inherit the heritage of the soul oracles, but ultimately, just like poison arts, soul arts were viewed as unorthodox and depraved, and they were deeply feared throughout the Master Teacher Continent. In order to avoid trouble, it was best for Zhang Xuan not to admit to it. Hearing Zhang Xuan denying the matter, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast scoffed coldly. Dont bother lying to me. I have seen soul oracles in action before, and I know their means very well. The next instant, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt overwhelming soul energy crushing heavily down on him, seemingly trying to smash him into smithereens. I was just born with a powerful soul; I am not a soul oracle, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. The pressure that the other party weighed down on Zhang Xuan like an immense mountain, threatening to crush him into bits. Any cultivator who had yet to reach Primordial Spirit realm would surely have caved in to such pressure instantly. However, to Zhang Xuan, it was truly nothing at all. Seeing that his soul attack waspletely ineffective against the young man before it, the eyes of the Chrysoprase Soul Beast narrowed slightly, and it harrumphed coldly. Soul oracles are capable of drawing of their souls out and surviving independently. The truth will be clear once I shatter your physical body! With a furious roar, it abruptly leaped forward, and a massive w flew toward Zhang Xuan. Si! The furious momentum of the ws produced a sharp, shrill sound, leaving ones hairs standing on end. It felt as if it would mercilessly rip anything before it in two. Hmm? Not expecting the other party to suddenlyunch a lethal assault against him, Zhang Xuans eyebrows knitted together in displeasure. His feet swiftly took a few steps backward with amazing agility, thus dodging the other partys assault perfectly. Over the past three days, Zhang Xuan had made his way through the Ten Divisions of the Combat Master Hall and collected whatever books they had in them. With his newly collected books, he was able topile several higher tier Heavens Path battle techniques. Regardless of whether it was the might of his fists, the strength of his palm, or the sturdiness of his defenses, they had been elevated to a whole new level. If he was only a match against Primordial Spirit realm cultivators three days ago, the current him could be said to be invincible among Primordial Spirit realm cultivators. Or to put it in simpler terms, any cultivator who had not reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm would not be a match for him. And among all his battle techniques, the improvement in his movement technique was the greatest. After collecting all of the books in the Footwork Division, he had finally managed to perfect the 1-dan of the Unbound Voyager into a Heavens Path battle technique, and he had immediately cultivated it on the spot. It was through the Unbounded Voyager that he was able to move so fast that not even the hidden mechanisms had been able to perceive his presence. Where do you think you are going? Seeing that the young man had escaped from its ws, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast bellowed furiously as it raised its ws once more. A formation whirred into action, and in the blink of an eye, the Trial of Soul waspletely sealed. There was no way to escape anymore. Hu! After sealing the surroundings, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast immediatelyunch another series of attacks against the young man before it. On the other hand, after dodging several lethal attacks from the saint beast before him, Zhang Xuans patience finally wore thin, and he shook his head. If a fight is what you want, a fight is what youll get. As his figure blurred, Zhang Xuan appeared by the side of the Chrysoprase Soul Beast in the blink of an eye before shooting a powerful fist toward thetter. Peng! Under the staggering might of Zhang Xuans fist, the Chrysoprase Soul Beasts figure retreated swiftly before crashing heavily into the roof above. Its figure then plummeted heavily back to the ground, and a huge pool of fresh blood flowed out of its mouth. So weak? Zhang Xuan was startled by how easily he had managed to subdue the other party for a moment before he recalled the unique trait of the saint beast. Chrysoprase Soul Beasts were blessed with powerful souls at birth, but their physical strength and resilience could only be considered average, possibly only at the level of an ordinary cultivator. There was no way it could withstand the might of his Heavens Path Fist Art. As such, with just a single strike, it was already severely wounded. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I identally used too much strength. Even though the other party had tried to kill him, he was ultimately still the guardian of the Trial of Soul. It would be hard for him to exin this to the Combat Master Hall if it died after facing him. Furthermore, it was due to the other partys doubts that he was a soul oracle that it had made a move on him, and considering the association of the soul oracles with the Otherworldly Demons, its actions were notpletely unjustified. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan slowly walked toward the Chrysoprase Soul Beast. I guess Ill have to try saving it then. ... While making their way toward the Soul Division, Division Head Liao said with a casual wave of his hand, Hall Master Xing, the situation cant be as exaggerated as you make it out to be. The Chrysoprase Soul Beast has a gentle personality; its unlikely that it will get into a conflict with Sun shi. The Chrysoprase Soul beast was the saint beast responsible for managing the Trial of Soul. While it would use demonic tunes and soul pressure to temper the challengers, it was actually a mild-mannered and meticulous individual. In the time that it had managed the Trial of Soul, there had never been a single mishap. Furthermore, it was not like Sun shi had intentionally entered the Trial of Soul to wreak havoc. No matter how he looked at it, the chances of a conflict breaking out between the both of them was truly unlikely. I honestly hope for that to be the case, too. You also know how far I had to go in order to convince the Chrysoprase Soul Beast to be the guardian of the Trial of Soul. I cant allow anything to go wrong at this point, Hall Master Xing said with a bitter smile. He also wished that nothing bad would happen, but Sun shi was simply too exceptional an individual. Every single time he challenged a trial, he would either break several records or cause a huge ruckus. Given so, he could not help but worry that thetter would somehow end up fighting against the Chrysoprase Soul Beast. The Combat Master Hall could not have either of them getting injured at this point in time! The three of them swiftly arrived at the Soul Division and entered the Trial of Soul. Pushing open the door, they stepped into the trial, and the very first thing they saw was a giant Chrysoprase Soul Beast lying on the ground with its tongue sticking out from its mouth. Blood was trickling down from the edge of its mouth, forming a crimson puddle on the ground. Sun shi, w-what happened here? Not expecting his worst fears to actuallye true, Hall Master Xings cheeks twitched uncontrobly. At this point, he really felt like crying. Hmm? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan turned around and saw the trio. A sheepish look crept onto his face as he asked, Why are you all here? We were afraid that you might get into a conflict with the Chrysoprase Soul Beast. Hall Master Xing swiftly tried to mediate the situation. I know that it might have attacked you, but that is its responsibility as the guardian of the Trial of Soul. It isnt trying to pick on you or anything. He had rushed there in hopes of preventing any conflict between the duo, but he had ended up being a step toote. Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like the Chrysoprase Soul Beast had been done in real bad. It did not seem like it would recover anytime soon. If only that were the case... Seeing Hall Master Xing speaking up on behalf of the Chrysoprase Soul Beast, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was just about to begin exining what had happened previously when the eyes of the Chrysoprase Soul Beast suddenly opened wide. It eximed anxiously, Hall Master Xing, dont listen to his words! Hes a sou But before it could finish its words, a certain young man had already sunk his feet into its face. Peng! Its words were stifled back into its throat as its massive body flew several dozen meters away before crashing back onto the ground. The floor of the Combat Master Hall was constructed of an extremely resilient material, but the impact of the Chrysoprase Soul Beasts fall still created huge web of cracks on the ground. Its teeth plopped all around the ground as its head twisted to the side. It had fainted. Sun shi! Not expecting the young man to kick the Chrysoprase Soul Beast flying right before their eyes, Hall Master Xing and the others were stupefied. Panicked, they quickly turned to the young man, only to see thetter looking back at them with a helpless shrug. If I were to say that it made the first move... would you believe me? ... Hall Master Xing. ... Division Head Liao. ... Elder Qi. Chapter 1134 1134 Who Is the Opponent Whom I Need to Defeat? Trantor:StarveCleric | Editor: Millman97 Hall Master Xing and the others felt as if they were on the brink of insanity. We saw you kicking the Chrysoprase Soul Beast in its face with our own eyes; you nearly killed it with that blow. And yet, you are telling us that it made the first move? Has anyone ever spouted such bullsh*t before? Just how on earth did it offend you that you have to go so far against it? Was there a need for a genius like you to get so serious against a beast? Sighing deeply, Hall Master Xing exined, Sun shi, if the Chrysoprase Soul Beast has offended you in any way, I beseech you to forgive it. The Combat Master Hall had to pay a hefty price before we managed to convince it to be the guardian of the Trial of Soul. If something happens to it, the operations of the Soul Division will be affected. Hu... As Zhang Xuan had expected, the other party really did not believe his words. Knowing that it would not make a difference no matter how much he argued, he shook his head and said, I understand. Ill help you treat it then. Seeing that Sun shi did not hold any hostility toward the Chrysoprase Soul Beast, Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief. Its fine. Our Combat Master Hall has top-notch medicine to deal with injuries. Ill just get my men to bring some over. Theres no need to waste good medicine for this. Allow me to treat it instead, Zhang Xuan said. Dont worry, I am a physician too. I wont stoop so low as to harm my patient! Ah, I nearly forgot that Sun shi is a formidable physician too! Hall Master Xing came to a realization, and he burst into a heartyughter. The man before him was a formidable physician who could treat a poison that even Elder Qi was helpless before. With him treating the Chrysoprase Soul Beast, it should not be long before thetter was nursed to full health. Indeed, Sun shis medicinal skills are nothing short of amazing. Considering that the Chrysoprase Soul Beast has only sustained physical wounds, it shouldnt be a problem for him. Elder Qi nodded. It would be a pleasure to see Sun shis medicinal skill in action... But as he said those words, his smile abruptly froze as his words came to a halt. Right before his eyes, he saw the young man walking up to the Chrysoprase Soul Beast and kicking it forcefully once more! Peng! The Chrysoprase Soul Beast flew right into the sky once more. ... Elder Qi, Hall Master Xing, and Division Head Liao. Didnt you say that you are a physician and you wouldnt stoop so low as to harm a patient? Didnt you say that you are going to treat it? Is there a physician in a world who treats their patient like that? The trio nearly burst into tears. Unable to stand it any longer, Hall Master Xing dashed forward and grabbed the hand of the young man before him and asked with a deep frown, Sun shi, just what on earth do you want? If not for the fact that the other party was a benefactor to him and the Combat Master Hall, he would have definitely sent the other party flying with a p at this very moment. Peng! With his hand grabbed by Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to stop what he was doing. He turned around and faced Hall Master Xing with a peeved look on his face and said, Hall Master Xing, I am in the midst of my treatment. Move aside! Ah? Hall Master Xing was slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuans forceful words. Before he could respond to those words, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast suddenly rose to its feet and walked up to Zhang Xuan before lowering its body subserviently. Sun shi, Bro Sun, Grandpa Sun, wont you kick me a few more times? As long as you give me a few more good kicks, Ill even acknowledge you as my master! ... Hall Master, Division Head Liao, and Elder Qi. Hall Master Xing was afraid that the Chrysoprase Soul Beast would leave the Combat Master Hall out of rage from a conflict with Sun shi, and that was why he had rushed over as soon as possible to mediate between the both of them. Yet, who would have thought that the Chrysoprase Soul Beast would actually have an extraordinary interest in pain? As long as he kicks you, you will even go as far to acknowledge him as your master? The heck! When I recruited you over back then, you were so arrogant, as if you were the master of the world! Why are you so subservient now? Are those who specialize in soul arts as perverted as you are? Wait a moment, isnt this an opportunity as well? If I can get it to acknowledge me as its master, I wont need to worry about it leaving the Combat Master Hall anymore, right? After pondering for a moment, Hall Master Xing walked up to the Chrysoprase Soul Beast and cleared his throat. Ahem! Chrysoprase Soul Beast, why dont you acknowledge me as your master instead? Ill kick you whenever you desire it! ... Chrysoprase Soul Beast. ... Zhang Xuan. Ignoring the sudden entric words from Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan turned to the Chrysoprase Soul Beast and said, By now, you should know that I am not a soul oracle, right? The Chrysoprase Soul Beasts lips twitched slightly as it quickly replied. Erk... Of course youre not! If he were to say that the other party was a soul oracle once more, it might just be killed on the spot. Hearing those words, Hall Master Xing turned to the duo and asked, Soul oracle? What are the both of you talking about? Due to my abnormally powerful soul, it thought that I was a soul oracle and made a move against me, Zhang Xuan exined. You suspected Sun shi of being a soul oracle? Hall Master Xing turned to the Chrysoprase Soul Beast and shook his head. You must be misunderstanding something here. Sun shi over here is a particrly formidable spirit awakener, and thats why his soul may appear to be abnormally powerful. In fact, he was the one who helped treat the huge rift in my Primordial Spirit! Hes a spirit awakener? The Chrysoprase Soul Beast was stunned for a moment before awkwardness spread across its face. Despite their differing field of specialties, spirit awakeners had a deep understanding of souls just like soul oracles. Otherwise, there was no way they would have been able to enchant weapons, nourish souls, and reinforce Primordial Spirits. To think that he would actually suspect a spirit awakener of being a soul oracle and even make a move on the other party... Seeing that the other party no longer doubted him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At this point, he could not help but recall a particrly intriguing piece of information he had heard from the other party, so he asked, I remember that you said earlier that you have met a soul oracle, but didnt the soul oracles go extinct many years ago? For it to have witnessed the means of a soul oracle in person, could it be that there were other soul oracles who had survived the wrath of the master teachers? Thats right. Many years ago, back when I was still traveling around the world, I encountered a soul oracle. He possessed exceptionally powerful means that allowed him to devour the souls of others to nourish his own. With my own eyes, I saw the soul of a good friend of mine being consumed, and I was nearly devoured myself. It was only due to my powerful soul that I was able to withstand his soul art and escape. This is also why I got particrly agitated when I saw you utilizing means reminiscent of a soul art and acted recklessly. Please do pardon me for that, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. There was indeed a soul art that allowed one to devour the souls of others to nourish their own. However, that was an extremely depraved technique, so Zhang Xuan had opted not to learn it. Where did you encounter the soul oracle? Zhang Xuan asked. The Chrysoprase Soul Beast pondered for a brief moment before replying. I encountered the soul oracle in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. The Marsnds of the Northern Meadows? Zhang Xuan was startled. Could it be rted to Vicious? Back then, when Cang Xu attempted to kill him back in the Trial of Inner Demons, he had used Soul Search on the other party and learned that Vicious had a body part hidden in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. For the Chrysoprase Soul Beast to say that he had encountered a soul oracle there... it seemed too much of a coincidence for the both matters to not be rted to one another. There are soul oracles in the Marsnds of the Northern meadows? Why have you never spoken of it before? Hall Master Xings face darkened. The duty of thebat masters was not only in fending off the Otherworldly Demons but to protect mankind as well. If a soul oracle capable of consuming souls appeared, it was their responsibility to defeat them. I intended to do so, but its a pity that the Combat Master Hall has no one who stands a chance against him at all. If I had spoken of it, it would just have resulted in unneeded deaths ofbat masters! the Chrysoprase Soul Beast replied. This... Hall Master Xings face reddened. Clearly, the Chrysoprase Soul Beastcked confidence in the Combat Master Halls strength. Hall Master Xing, theres no need for you to feel embarrassed by this. The means of the soul oracles are extremely difficult to deal with. Putting aside unpreparedbat masters, it would be difficult for you to deal with the soul oracle even if you headed there personally. As the Chrysoprase Soul Beast spoke, hostility surfaced in its eyes. In fact, I only chose to ept your invitation to the Soul Division back then in hopes of tempering your Combat Masters souls and my own so as to exact vengeance for my good friend one day! Seeing its state, Hall Master Xing nodded in realization. It was no wonder the Chrysoprase Soul Beast had never spoken about any further remuneration over these years. It seemed like its main purpose at the Soul Division was to avenge the friend whom it had lost to the soul oracle back then. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, Can you exin the situation to me? If the other party is truly a soul oracle, I might be of some help! His soul cultivation had already hit a bottleneck due tock of further soul cultivation techniques. Thus, it was about time for him to search for new ones, and this could very well be an opportunity for him. Besides, considering that this matter was likely rted to Vicious, there was a need for him to head over there personally. Hearing those words, the eyes of the Chrysoprase Soul Beast lit up. Given that the strength of Sun shis soul exceeds even mine, it would be great if you could help us defeat that soul oracle! Over the years, it had assessed manybat masters, but not a single one had been able to satisfy its demand. On the other hand, even though the person before it was still young, his soul was exceptionally powerful, such that even it was not a match for his soul. If the other party could help it in dealing with the soul oracle, they might be able to subdue him! My friend was a Verdant Cloak Beast, and his cultivation had reached Primordial Spirit realm, just like me. We heard that the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows had Afloat Soul Flowers, which are rumored to be able to enhance ones soul significantly upon consumption. Thus, we headed there together. However, before we could find the Afloat Soul Flowers, we met that soul oracle and ended up fighting him. He was unable to match the both of us, so he turned around and fled. However, in the middle of the night, he assaulted us in his soul form, and with a bellow, he extracted my friends soul from his body and captured it. I tried every single method at my disposal, but I was unable to retrieve my friends soul from his grasp. Eventually, I could only watch with my eyes as he devoured my friends soul whole. After that, he tried to capture my soul as well. However, fortunately, due to my powerful innate soul, I was able to withstand his soul art and flee. Otherwise, I would have lost my life there as well! Recalling the situation back then, the Chrysoprase Soul Beast could not help but feel a little frightened. As a master of soul arts itself, it knew how frightening soul oracles were. Soul arts might have appeared to be rtively weaker in a direct battle, but due to their elusive nature, it was nearly impossible to guard against them. If a soul oracle put their mind to it, they could easily draw out the soul of another in the middle of their dreams. With just a bellow, he was able to draw out your friends soul? Zhang Xuan frowned. There was no record of such a formidable soul art from the heritage he had obtained from Mo Hunsheng. The Chrysoprase Soul Beast nodded. Indeed. Just by calling out the name of my friend, the soul oracle was able to extract his soul. No matter how my friend retaliated or how I tried to save him, it didnt work at all. Recalling the various means he possessed as well, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Its indeed difficult to guard against the means of a soul oracle... Just as he was about to continue speaking, Division Head Wei suddenly rushed into the room. Hall Master Xing, they are here! They are here? Hall Master Xing nodded. Sun shi, lets discuss this matterter. The big trouble that I told you about previously is here. Great. I have been wanting to meet the man who dared provoke the Combat Master Hall. Dont worry, I will have his teeth knocked out for you! Zhang Xuan nodded. Following behind Hall Master Xing, they swiftly left the Soul Division, and before long, they arrived before a vast square. Before they could enter the square, an excited exim suddenly sounded. Teacher, we have been looking all around for you! Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw Wang Ying and Zheng Yang rushing up to him. Behind them, the many members of the Xuanxuan Faction were lined up neatly. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, they immediately sped their fists and greeted him. Principal Zhang! Un, you came at a good time. It happens that Im about to sh with an expert, so itd be good for you to watch carefully! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had been thinking of asking Hall Master Xing to allow the members of the Xuanxuan Faction to spectate the battle as well. After all, it would be a good learning opportunity for them. However, considering how gravely Hall Master Xing regarded the matter, it did not seem right for him to turn it into a spectacle for others. But since the entire Xuanxuan Faction was already there, he was spared from the dilemma. You are going to sh with an expert? Who is it? Wang Ying asked curiously. Its with... Wait a moment, let me ask first. It was only at this moment that Zhang Xuan realized that he still did not know whom his opponent was. Thus, turning to face Hall Master Xing, he asked with a polite smile, Hall Master Xing, may I know whom the big trouble is? Who is the opponent whom I need to defeat? Chapter 1135 - What? I Am the Big Trouble?

Chapter 1135: What? I Am the Big Trouble?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Till now, Hall Master Xing had always referred to that person as big trouble, and he had not said who the person was. As such, Zhang Xuan had no idea who the other party was. All he knew was that the other party was an extremely skilled individual who possessed fighting prowess at the peak of his cultivation realm. As one who had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, he was confident that he would be able to subdue any opponent in the same cultivation realm easily, but he did not believe that he was truly invincible. After all, his clone was always around to remind him not to getcent. Since his clone was able to attain strength far greater than him, surely there would be some amazingly talented cultivators in the world who might have been able to do the same. As such, from the start to the end, he had never doubted that the big trouble Hall Master Xing referred to could have been referring to him. After all, he had never met with anyone from the Combat Master Hall in his identity as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy ever since he arrived in Qingyuan Empire, so how could he possibly be the big trouble the other party was talking about? Furthermore, from the tone Hall Master Xing assumed, it was apparent that the Combat Master Hall was facing a great adversary, which further served to convince Zhang Xuans subconscious mind that it could not possibly be him. After all, he was a humble individual who could not get any more low profile. Ever since he arrived in the Qingyuan Empire, all he did was pay a visit to the Spirit Awakener Guild, so it did not make sense for a Leaving Aperture realm expert like Hall Master Xing to be so worried about him. ... After asking, Zhang Xuan waited patiently to hear from Hall Master Xing whom that formidable expert was, only to see the Leaving Aperture realm cultivators mouth twitching non-stop. His body staggered weakly from side to side, and it seemed as if he would copse to the ground at any moment. At this point, the thought of killing himself even shed across Hall Master Xings mind. After everything he had done to guard against the Xuanxuan Faction, it turned out that the other partysmander had already infiltrated their camp, converting nearly all of thebat masters into his students. To think that he was so naive as to believe that he had managed to find himself an expert to defeat Principal Zhang and resolve the crisis the Combat Master Hall was currently facing... They had even gone to the extent of allowing Sun shi to learn their heritages, only to find out that he was actually Zhang Xuan at this point in time. Not only did he fail to resolve the crisis, he even turned it into a catastrophe. A mouthful of blood welled up at the back of Hall Master Xings throat, ready to spew forth at any moment. Hall Master Xing turned around to look at Elder Qi, only to see that thetter had a bbergasted look on his face as well. Back then, he had wanted to see Principal Zhangs painting, which Zhuo Qingfeng had sent in, andpare it with Sun shi to verify if they were the same person. However, Elder Qi had happened to arrive at that moment and confirmed that Sun shi was his benefactor. He had guaranteed that Sun shi could not possibly be Principal Zhang. From the looks of it now, it seemed that Elder Qi had no idea what was going on either. If you dont know, dont make blind guarantees! Look at the trouble you havended us in! If only he knew this would happen, he would not have taken Elder Qis word for it. It just so happened that Feng Xun, Jiang Yuan, and the others were cultivating in istion at the moment, saying that they wanted to condition themselves so as to face the Xuanxuan Faction at full strength. Everything had happened so coincidentally that it seemed as if the heavens had nned the doom of their Combat Master Hall themselves! Clutching his chest, Hall Master Xing felt his breathing bing more and more unstable. He felt like he was a true fool. All of those schemes he hade up with to fend against the Xuanxuan Faction ended up as nothing more than a joke. If anything, it had only hastened the downfall of their Combat Master Hall. Why did life have to be so difficult? Unable to stand it any longer, Hall Master Xing asked, You are... Principal Zhang? Then why did you call yourself Sun Qiang? Not expecting the other party to ask this question instead of revealing whom to beat up, Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. Sighing deeply, he spoke in a tone reminiscent of an expert attempting to conceal himself in the mortal world. I dont like to cause trouble or stand out too much. After I enchanted the Spirit Awakener Guild, I didnt want to bring unneeded trouble to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as a result of that, so I decided to adopt another persona instead. It was truly a trouble being too outstanding, he could not even conceal his true identity when he wanted to. How frustrating! Pu! Upon hearing those words and seeing how the other party was acting, blood spewed out of Hall Master Xings mouth, and his breathing became even more unstable. You said that you dont like to cause trouble or stand out? Low profile? Low profile your head! Over the three days you have spent in our Combat Master Hall, the ruckus andmotion you have caused never halted at any single point in time. You even went to the extent of turning almost all of ourbat masters into your students! If not for the fact that you were too busy cultivating and challenging the trials, perhaps our Combat Master Hall might have be yours by now. Every single time you challenged a trial, you just had to create a record that left others deep in despair... and you call that being low profile? There is no one in the world who could be more high profile than you! Hall Master Xing, whats wrong? Seeing the Leaving Aperture realm expert before him abruptly spurting blood in the middle of a conversation, Zhang Xuan worriedly checked on him as he stepped forward, wanting to help Hall Master Xing. You... Looking at the innocent look on the other partys face, Hall Master Xing felt so angered that he could have erupted. However, he eventually forcefully suppressed it. To be honest, he could not me Principal Zhang for this either. In the first ce, he was the one who went to the Spirit Awakener Guild to engage the other partys help. Besides, the other party had no obligation to report his true identity either, especially to a stranger like him. And more importantly, the other party had agreed to help him get rid of the huge trouble out of goodwill. It was a pity that the heavens seemed to be ying a trick on them, resulting in such an awkward situation. Its nothing; Im just a little short on breath... Hall Master Xing waved his hand and rejected Zhang Xuans help. Still unwilling to ept the truth, he asked once more, You really are Zhang Xuan? Thats right. I apologize for concealing this matter from you, but it was not my intention to lie to you, Zhang Xuan replied. Alright then... Hall Master Xings face turned reddened further, and his breathing grew even more erratic. Noticing that there was something amiss with Hall Master Xings state, Zhang Xuan frowned. Hall Master Xing, is there something wrong? You were still perfectly fine a moment ago... or could it be that big trouble has already made a move on you? To make a move right before his eyes without him noticing, it seemed like the big trouble was far stronger than he had anticipated! Cough cough! Unable to watch on the situation any longer, Division Head Liao stepped forward and said, Principal Zhang, the big trouble that Hall Master Xing is referring to... is actually you! He feared that if this situation were to continue, their hall master might just die from sheer frustration. What? Zhang Xuan was startled. I am the big trouble? Thats right! Seeing how the other party waspletely oblivious to the matter, Division Head Liao nodded helplessly. But when you first mentioned the trouble in the Spirit Awakener Guild, I had not even been to the Combat Master Hall, and I havent met any of you before either. Zhang Xuan waspletely bewildered by the situation. Hu... You will have to ask them for this matter! Division Head Liao said as he pointed to Wang Ying and the others. Frowning, Zhang Xuan turned to his two direct disciples and asked authoritatively, What did you two do this time around to make the Combat Master Hall so angry? We... Wang Yings face reddened as she said, Some of thebat masters in the Combat Master Hall didnt abide by the rules and sneaked over to our amodation to challenge us ahead of the exchange. As such, they ended up being pummeled by our Xuanxuan Faction. After that... they insisted on joining us, so we weed them with open arms and taught them the battle techniques andbat skills that you have taught us. Thats all? From the very start, the purpose of this exchange is to learn from one another, so... this shouldnt be any problem at all... Zhang Xuan frowned. If the members of both organizations were just challenging and learning from one another, it should have been no big deal at all. Was there a need for Hall Master Xing and the others tobel him as big trouble and even disy such deep fear for him? Cough cough. Actually, thebat masters that joined the Xuanxuan Faction arent just limited to ordinary members. It seems there are five division heads too. They were impressed by your teachings, so they joined the Xuanxuan Faction as well... Seeing that his teacher was still a little bewildered by the situation, Liu Yang borated further on the matter. Even the division heads have joined our Xuanxuan Faction? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He finally understood what was going on. This was no longer a problem of whether they joined the Xuanxuan Faction or not, but that the dignity of the Combat Master Hall was at stake. No wonder the Combat Master Hall regarded him as their top enemy! Who would have thought that within just three short days, this group of rascals would dare to do something so preposterous! How infuriating! You all... Truly preposterous! Its out of goodwill that the Combat Master Hall agreed to have an exchange with us, so how can you poach their members? Is this the right way to treat our friends? Regardless of whether we are master teachers or not, we must abide by our morals and conduct ourselves appropriately! Even if the division heads willingly joined the Xuanxuan Faction, its not right to bring them into the Xuanxuan Faction! Is this how I have taught you all this while? You are ruining the valiant reputation I have built up for myself! How am I to face our friends in the Combat Master Hall in the future... Zhang Xuan began to berate Wang Ying and the others from the Xuanxuan Faction furiously. But before he could finish his words, the manybat masters behind Hall Master Xing finally arrived at the square. Over the past few days, Zhang Xuan had been too busy cultivating and challenging trials, so they had not been able to consult him on the problems that they had. Thus, upon seeing him standing in the middle of the square, they could not hold themselves back any longer. The entire group rushed forward excitedly and kneeled onto the ground. Paying respects to Teacher! ... Wang Ying. ... Zheng Yang. ... Everyone from the Xuanxuan Faction. Chapter 1136

Chapter 1136: Envoys From the Spirit Awakener Guild Headquarters Arrive

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Wang Ying, along with the others from the Xuanxuan Faction, came to a realization. Turning their gazes to Zhang Xuan once more, admiration couldnt help but seep into their eyes. As expected of their teacher (principal)! They had to utilize every single means at their disposal before they were able to convince three hundredbat masters to join the Xuanxuan Guild. On the other hand, their teacher (principal) simply marched straight into the Combat Master Hall and took every singlebat master as his student... Truly, they had been too narrow-minded and timid. How could only capture a cub without entering a tigers den? On the other end, Zhang Xuans face had turnedpletely green at this point. He was in the midst of lecturing his students when this drama suddenly unfolded before his eyes... The words that he had been intending to speak ended up stifling in his mouth just like that, and he found his breathing bing more and more unstable. In this moment, he suddenly felt like he could empathize with Hall Master Xing. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Let me introduce you, this is the Xuanxuan Faction which I have founded. This is a good opportunity for all of us to trade insights and learn from one another. Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Yes! Thebat masters nodded. As for you all, this is also a good opportunity for you to learn from our friends at the Combat Master Hall. Its true that you possess an advantage in terms ofbat sense and fighting prowess, but in terms of battle techniques and state of mind, none of you are close toing on par with them. You all still have much to work on! Zhang Xuan instructed. He had focused his effort on lecturing the Xuanxuan Faction onbat skills, so it was inevitable that those from the Combat Master Hall would be unable to match them. However, in terms of the foundations and sheer strength, the Xuanxuan Faction would definitely be on the losing end. Ultimately, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academys foundation simply paled too much inparison to the massive Combat Master Hall. In terms of resources and heritage, there was noparing the two. You are members of the Xuanxuan Faction? I heard that Xiao Qin and the others have already joined your ranks... Are you still recruiting? If not for my division head keeping a close eye on all of us the past few days, we would have long gone over! I heard that you all possess exceptional strength for your cultivation realm, and I have long wanted to try your hand. Anyone interested in a duel with me? ... It didnt take long for thebat masters and the members of the Xuanxuan Faction to mingle together harmoniously. The Combat Master Hall had tried to lock down the news concerning the defection of Xiao Qin, the five division heads, and a few hundred otherbat masters, but this matter was simply too big to be concealed. They might be able to stop others from speaking about it in the open, but they couldnt prevent gossiping in the shadows. By this time, most of thebat masters had heard bits and pieces of the matter, and they couldnt help but be curious in the Xuanxuan Faction. And at this moment, hearing that they were personally taught by the great Sunoshi, their excitement was palpable. Very soon, the members from both organizations began crossing hands. Xiao Qin was the first representative to step forth from the Xuanxuan Faction, and he managed to utterly defeat a long-time rival of his in the Combat Master Hall. Even those whom he was hardly a match for in the past couldnt evenst three blows in his hands. Despite not receiving Zhang Xuans direct guidance, Wang Ying and the others still unreservedly imparted their knowledge to him. Through earnestly learning from their teachings, he had gained many new insights intobat, allowing his fighting prowess to advance by leaps and bounds. Not to mention, he was a genius inbat himself. Three days wasnt long, but it was still sufficient for him to make substantial improvement. All in all, his fighting prowess had increased by at least twofold. We are willing to join the Xuanxuan Faction as well. We humbly ask of you to teach us as well! Seeing how swiftly theirpanions had improved under the tutge of the Xuanxuan Faction, the otherbat masters couldnt hold themselves back any longer. Hai! Who could have thought that the ten thousand years of legacy of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall would be destroyed in my hands... Seeing the sight before him, Hall Master Xing knew that there was nothing he could do anymore. A look of defeat reminiscent of a failed examinee surfaced on his face, and an ache so sharp that it rendered him unable to breathe assaulted his heart. As the hall master, it was a failure in itself for him to be unable to bring the Combat Master Hall to greater heights under his leadership, let alone the absoption of the Combat Master Hall into an organization from a Tier-1 Empire. He had prepared himself for the worst toe, but seeing it happen before his eyes was nevertheless heart wrenching. Hall Master Xing, theres no need for you to me yourself. This matter is not a bad thing to our Combat Master Hall; on the contrary, it could even be considered as a blessing! At this point, Feng Xun suddenly arrived on the square. He had been in seclusion ever since he heard of the arrival of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy three days ago, intending to prepare himself to pull off a greateback during the exchange. Yet, when he finally came out of his seclusion, this was the shocking sight that weed him. It was inevitable that he would feel slightly rattled within. However, recalling the various incredible feats that Principal Zhang had pulled off previously, this matter didnt seem to be too surprising anymore. In fact, he felt a little relieved even. He wasnt aware that Zhang Xuan had managed to be a Celestial Saint, but the various affairs that they had gone through together in the Qiu Wu Pce was still fresh on his mind. Without a doubt, there was no harm to maintaining such close ties with an organization headed by a master teacher as formidable as the other party. With thisyer of rtionship, their Combat Master Hall would surely develop swiftly, and it was just a matter of time before they overtook the other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls! A blessing? Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao turned their gazes over. Indeed. Think about it, the young man whom Zhuo Qingfeng had brought to the headquarters to participate in the Progeny of Combat Selection, Zheng Yang, is Principal Zhangs direct disciple! Feng Xun nodded in agitation. If Zheng Yang were to clear the Progeny of Combat Selection, that would effectively mean that he is the next head of our entire Combat Master Hall, a powerhouse even when taking the entire Master Teacher Continent into consideration! Not to mention, he... is also a member of the Xuanxuan Faction! This... Hall Master Xing and the others were taken aback. They had been too focused on the fact that the Xuanxuan Faction was a Tier-1 Empire organization that they hadnt considered matters from this perspective yet. Taking a step back, even if he fails the Progeny of Combat Selection, an genius who is qualified to participate in the selection is bound to be an elder of the Combat Master Hall at the very least. With him around, even if our Qingyuan Empire Conferred Master Hall were to join the Xuanxuan Faction, who would dare mock us? Feng Xun continued. Hall Master Xing and the others fell into deep thoughts. If one were to look at matters from that perspective, that was indeed the case. Even though the Master Teacher Continent viewed seniority with grave important, what was more important was the heart to learn. No matter how old or senior an individual was, as long as the other party was more skilled than him in a single aspect, it would be worthwhile to learn from the other party. Not to mention, Kong shi had acknowledged many individuals weaker than him as his teacher and learned from them without a shred of conceit or arrogance too! Since even a man respected as the Worlds Teacher could lower himself, why couldnt others do the same? A willingness to humble oneself to learn should be respected, not ridiculed. What would be truly ridiculous was for one to choose ignorance over knowledge for his own pride! If Zheng Yang were to be the Progeny of Combat, he would inherit the greatest heritage of the Combat Master Hall, and it would only be a matter of time before he became their next hall master. Surely there was no shame in joining the organization which the head of the powerful Combat Master Hall was a member of! And even if the other party didnt be the hall master, an elder of the powerful Combat Master Hall was still a plenty incredible figure in the Master Teacher Continent. Simrly, it would still be a honor for them to be in the Xuanxuan Faction too. I understand. Having thought things through, Hall Master Xing sighed deeply and nodded. With this, the knot in his heart was finally untangled. Turning to Zhang Xuan once more, he couldnt help but feel deep respect. For a man in his twenties to have all of thebat masters choose him over the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall, which had ten thousand years of legacy behind it, he was truly a fearsome figure! His background probably isnt simple either! Hall Master Xing remarked. From what I know, Principal Zhangs teacher goes by the name of Yang Xuan, and his cultivation has reached an unfathomable level far beyond our imagination... Feng Xun nodded in response. Yang Xuan? Startled, Hall Master Xing widened his eyes slightly. Could it be... Hm? Has Hall Master Xing heard of Yang shi before? I recall hearing such a figure from my teacher before... Theres formidable master teacher whom others address as Yang shi in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and his cultivation has achieved an astounding level matched by very few in the long history of the Master Teacher Continent! However, Im not too certain as to whether this Yang shis name is Yang Xuan or not... Hall Master Xing said. Hall Master Xings teacher? Do you mean... 8-star Combat Master Tong Qianqiu, the man who goes by the nickname of Inferno Adamantine? Division Head Liao asked. Even though Hall Master Xing had never spoken about his heritage, after several centuries of friendship, Division Head Liao was still able to fathom a thing or two. Inferno Adamantine Tong Qianqiu was a formidablebat master renowned even in the Empire Alliance. With his steel fists, he instilled deep fear into his opponents. Once, in a battle, he had single-handedly in more than several dozen thousand Otherworldly Demons, thus striking his name out in the Master Teacher Continent. Un. Hall Master Xing nodded. If even Combat Master Tong has spoken such words, that Yang shi must be truly a formidable figure. If Yang shi truly is Principal Zhangs teacher, that would exin thetters incredible capabilities. Under the tutge of such a formidable master teacher, he was bound to achieve great things in the future! Feng Xun said. He had originally intended on challenging Zhang Xuan once more to cleanse his name, but in this moment, such thoughts had already vanished from his mind. Since it was impossible for him to catch up with the other party no matter what he did, he might as well spare himself from the humiliation. It wasnt a bad thing to set high goals, but a human must understand his own limits. Being too fixated on something impossible would only narrow ones scope. ... While Hall Master Xing and the others were chatting, Zhang Xuan was busying himself with managing the exchange. Facilitating the exchange between the two organizations was no easy task. Under everyones request, Zhang Xuan conducted a lecture at the very end of the exchange. By the end of the lecture, it was alreadyte at night, and the members from both organizations departed from the square excited and satisfied. Deciding to stay overnight at the Combat Master Hall, Zhang Xuan beckoned Wang Ying and Liu Yang over and said, Here are the fist art, palm art, movement art, defensive technique, and soul cultivation technique which I have organized over the past few days. Take a look through them and internalize them. Over the past three days, he hadnt just been busy cutlivating. He had alsopiled a couple of battle techniques and cultivation techniques which even ordinary cultivators could practice. Since Wang Ying and Liu Yang were around, he could impart it to them first. Yes! Wang Ying and Liu Yang nodded as they flipped open the book. It didnt take them long to finish browsing through the book, and with a p of their hands, the books werepletely destroyed. If these books were to be leaked out, they might draw unwanted attention onto themselves. Thus, it would suffice for them to retain a record of the technique in their minds and cultivate it silently. If you have any questions regarding the techniques, raise them now. Seeing that they were done, Zhang Xuan turned to them and said. Wang Ying and Liu Yang quickly barraged him with all of the doubts they had. Two hourster, the duo finally gained a thorough understanding of the battle techniques and cultivation techniques. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan was just about to send them back to their amodation when Sun Qiang abruptly rushed in at this moment. Young Master, Guild Leader Ruan of the Spirit Awakener Guild seeks an audience! Guild Leader Ruan? Why would she be looking for me? Zhang Xuan frowned. It couldnt be that the guild building acting disobediently again and had secretly sneaked off? But that couldnt be! They had already signed a soul contract, so such a thing should be impossible! Invite her in! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Nodding, Sun Qiang left the room. Soon after, he returned with Guild Leader Ruan and a middle-ageddy. The middle-ageddy that hade with Guild Leader Ruan looked to be in herte thirties. The clothes she wore was ordinary, but there was an air of grace and nobility around her that made none dare to underestimate her. Her disposition granted her an incredible presence that left one feeling tensed and deeply pressed. What incredible strength... Her cultivation seems to have even exceeded that of Hall Master Xings! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. Even without the Eye of Insight, he could still easily discern the extraordinary strength wielded by the middle-ageddy before him. Despite having made a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, Hall Master Xing was nowhere close to matching up to her. In other words, even at the very least, she was a Leaving Aperture realm expert! When had such a formidable figure appear in the Spirit Awakener Guild? Pleased to meet you once more, Sun shi... or perhaps I should say, Principal Zhang! While Zhang Xuan was still assessing the middle-ageddy with a doubtful look, Guild Leader Ruan walked up to him and greeted. To be honest, she still found it hard to ept that the talented spirit awakener whom she had met a few days ago would turn out to be the principal of a Tier-1 Empire Master Teacher Academy. Guild Leader Ruan, theres no need to stand on ceremony. May I ask for the reason for your visit at thiste hour? Zhang Xuan asked. To be honest with you, I have reported the matter regarding the guild building to the headquarters, and the headquarters regards the matter with grave importance. Let me introduce you, this is Elder Wei from our headquarters! Guild Leader Ruan said. Headquarters? You mean the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters? Chapter 1137 - Zhang Xuans True Aptitude Chapter 1137: Zhang Xuans True Aptitude Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Noticing Zhang Xuans confused look, Guild Leader Ruan exined, Elder Wei happens to be in the vicinity of Qingyuan City, so she was dispatched here. Just like most other guilds, the headquarters of the Spirit Awakener Guild were located far away from the Qingyuan Empire. Even Saint 5-dan aerial beasts would have to fly for many days before they reached Qingyuan City. It was only due to Elder Wei being in the vicinity that she was able to make it there within three days. After exining the situation to Zhang Xuan, Guild Leader Ruan turned to Elder Wei and said, Elder Wei, this is the genius whom I told you about earlier, Principal Zhang. The talent he possesses in spirit enchantment is unlike any I have ever seen or heard of! Un. Elder Wei nodded. Turning to Zhang Xuan, she said, Guild Leader Ruan has already told me about you. Within just a few hours, from knowing nothing at all about spirit enchantment, you sessfully enchanted the guild building just by browsing through books. Your aptitude for spirit enchantment is truly frightening! Youre too polite. Zhang Xuan quickly waved his hand before asking with a perplexed frown, May I know the reason behind Elder Weis visit? Principal Zhang is indeed a candid person. I am not the type that likes to beat around the bush either, so Ill get straight to the point. Our Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters regard you extremely highly, and we wish to extend our invitation to you to train at our headquarters, Elder Wei said. For a person of her cultivation realm, there was no need for her to dawdle with pleasantries. Train at your headquarters? Zhang Xuan was slightly startled for a moment before shaking his head. I believe that Guild Leader Ruan must have told you that I am a master teacher as well. For me, spirit awakener is more of a side upation, so I dont think I will be devoting too much to furthering my skills in it. If he did not manage to be a 9-star master teacher before he reached thirty, his life would be forfeited. Spirit awakener was a wonderful upation, but he could not afford to allow his attention to wander at this moment. Furthermore, while it was true that he could advance his cultivation swiftly by tapping into the resources in the Spirit Awakener Guild, there was a catch to it. If he received benefits from the Spirit Awakener Guild, he would have a responsibility to it as well. Give and take, this was how the world worked. The Spirit Awakener Guild would never allow him to shirk off his responsibilities to it after investing resources in him. It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan had chosen to slowly advance with his own strength. He didnt want to owe too big of a favor to anyone and end up slowing his advancement as a master teacher and a cultivator. You can resign from being a master teacher. Elder Wei looked at Zhang Xuan intently. Her face was impassive, but the sharp glint in her eyes revealed the deep confidence that she had. With the heritage and resources avable at our headquarters, as long as someone of your aptitude works diligently, I am confident that you will one day gain control of the Spirit Awakener Mountain and be the Spirit Awakener Sovereign! At such a level, even 9-star master teachers will have to treat you with the utmost respect. Isnt that much better than slowly fumbling your way up as a master teacher? As spirit awakening was a support-based upation, it was inevitable that its fighting prowess was beneath that of the other guilds. However, if one could reach the very top, the potential it wielded was immense. If the young man before her could gain control over their sacrednds and be the Spirit Awakener Sovereign, what was there to be feared of 9-star master teachers? I wont resign as a master teacher, Zhang Xuan replied resolutely. That is the primary pursuit of my life. I am interested in learning spirit enchantment as well, but ultimately, its only a supporting upation to me. He might have only chosen to be a master teacher out of convenience at the start, but at this point, it had be a lot more than that. Even without his Innate Fetal Poison, he would not have been willing to abandon his identity as a master teacher to be a spirit awakener. Elder Wei frowned. Theres no need to answer me so quickly; Ill give you a few days to think your decision through. This is a rare opportunity for you to soar to the top. Such a chance wonte again. If it had been anyone else in the young mans stead, he would have surely leaped at her offer. After all, the Spirit Awakener Guild was still one of the more influential powers in the Master Teacher Continent. It might not be up to par with behemoths like the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Combat Master Hall, but ordinary guilds couldnt hope topare to it. Yet, to tly reject the offer like that... I am thankful for your offer, but my mind is set. Theres no need for me to contemte any further, Zhang Xuan replied with a polite smile. He could take spirit awakener as his supporting upation, but there was no way he was going to abandon his main upation for it. However, it would be disrespectful to the Spirit Awakener Guild, and there was no way Elder Wei was going to ept that for an answer. After all, that would effectively mean that they were devoting their resources to groom a master teacher for the Master Teacher Pavilion! Even though master teachers are the number one upation of the continent, the resources to go around are severely limited, and rivalry over them is strife. Reaching 9-star is no easy feat at all. However, as long as youe to the Spirit Awakener Guild, all kinds of valuable resources will be at your disposal. Furthermore, our Spirit Awakener Guild is filled with all kinds of beauties. If you wish for it, you will be able to pick any of them. In fact, if you desire so, you can even enchant any building or weapon that takes your fancy and regard them as your closest mate. Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself? Elder Wei asked with a frown. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I have no interest in such shallow pursuits. Back then, the cier in Court also offered me simr terms, but I rejected them nheless. It seemed like the cier in Court and the Spirit Awakener Guild really had a low opinion of men. It was if they thought that men were all lecherous individuals who were only interested in their lower body! What a joke! Hu Yaoyao, Zhao Feiwu, and the others were top-notch beauties, and it was not as if he was oblivious to the feelings they had for him. If he truly wanted it, he could have easily kept them by his side. cier in Court? Elder Wei was taken aback. There were many beauties in the Spirit Awakener Guild, but they were still far from matching the cier in Court. Most female cultivators in the cier in Court practiced yin attribute cultivation techniques, which further entuated their feminine charms. It was for this reason that most powers in the Master Teacher Continent viewed marrying a disciple of the cier in Court as a huge honor. Upon learning that the cier in Court had attempted to recruit the young man before her only to fail, Elder Wei hesitated for a moment before flicking her wrist. A grayish stone appeared on her palm. This Spirit Gauging Stone over here is able to assess ones aptitude as a spirit awakener. If your aptitude has reached the tenth level, I can help you apply for more favorable terms with the headquarters. Perhaps, it might even be possible for you to not resign as a master teacher! Assess ones aptitude as a spirit awakener? Zhang Xuan asked. Elder Wei hesitated for a moment before switching to zhenqi telepathy. Thats right. To be honest with you, only one whose aptitude in spirit enchantment has reached the tenth level will stand a chance in sessfully enchanting the Spirit Awakener Mountain. However, its a pity that it has been five thousand years since such an individual has emerged in our guild. This was a secret of their guild. Considering that it was her first time meeting with the other party, she should not have revealed such deep secrets. However, ording to Guild Leader Ruan, the young man was likely to possess an aptitude of the tenth level. If that truly was the case, she would have to bring him back to the headquarters regardless of the cost. Otherwise, the Spirit Awakener Guild would only continue down its declining spiral and eventually end up being absorbed into the other powers. Even though the Spirit Awakener Guild had many allies to rely upon, they still needed to possess some strength of their own. Otherwise, if they were to grow too reliant on others, the others could use it as leverage against them and gradually control them. Spirit Awakener Mountain... The Spirit Awakener Mountain is an artifact formed naturally by the forces of nature, and it is the greatest trump card of our guild. Its rumored that the mountain is actually a rock mined from a world above ours. Once sessfully enchanted, the spirit awakener will attain strength on par with 9-star master teachers. With that, there will be nothing in the world that could stop them! Elder Wei said with a hint of pride in her voice. Its so formidable? Zhang Xuan was astonished. To attain strength on par with 9-star master teachers just by sessfully enchanting it... that was as good as soaring to the heavens in a single step! On top of that, he would even be able to keep master teacher as his main upation. It would be a lie if he said that he was not moved by this deal. Not to mention, with the vast resources of the Spirit Awakener Guild, he would no longer have to worry about ack of concentrated high-tier spirit stones and pinnacle spirit stones. Everything would be within his reach. Furthermore, he would be able to ess their cultivation technique manuals andpile Heavens Path Divine Art all the way to Saint 9-dan. Even if he took his time and advanced only a single realm a day, he would still be able to reach the very top of the Master Teacher Continent within just a single week, bing an existence on par with Kong shi! Alright! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was hooked, Elder Wei nodded as she passed the Spirit Gauging Stone over. The test is very simple. Just grasp the stone lightly and silence your mind, and itll automatically assess your aptitude. Zhang Xuan replied with a nod as he took the stone. cing his hands around it tightly, he closed his eyes. To be honest, he was also interested to find out what his aptitude in spirit enchantment was. As long as he could reach the mark and the other party did not insist on him resigning as a master teacher... he would seriously consider heading to the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters. Weng! In an instant, he entered the state of Heart of Tranquil Water. A brilliant light burst from the stone sped in his hands. Alright, its done! A momentter, the light dissipated, and Zhang Xuan opened his palm. Elder Wei and Guild Leader Ruan quickly rushed forward to take a look at the stone, and at a single nce, their eyebrows shot up in astonishment. They couldnt help but rub their eyes in disbelief. Whats wrong? Seeing the duo reacting in such an exaggerated manner, the bewildered Zhang Xuan lowered his gaze to look at the stone as well, and his mouth fell open. How is this possible? On the stone, there was a single number3! 3... Does this number mean that my aptitude has only reached the third level? Zhang Xuan asked hurriedly. A moment ago, Elder Wei had said that the highest level of aptitude was 10, and given that he possessed capabilities on par with 7-star pinnacle spirit awakeners, even if he wasnt at the tenth level, he should at least be at seventh or eighth. For 3 to appear... what the heck? Thats right. It means that your aptitude has only reached the third level, Elder Wei said with twitching lips. After hearing the report, she had personally dropped by the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Guild to take a look at the guild building. Based on her deductions, the other partys aptitude should, at the very minimum, be at the ninth level. Yet... third level? Wasnt that a little too low? What does this represent? Does it mean that... Im very weak? Zhang Xuan asked. This... With a conflicted expression, Elder Wei had no idea how she should speak of this matter to the other party. She paused for a brief moment before pointing to the Spirit Gauging Stone in her hand. This stone possesses spirit of the fourth level. ... Zhang Xuan. Why dont I give it another try then? Fearing that something might have gone wrong, Zhang Xuan tried it a few more times. However, the result still remained fixed at 3. Seeing the number that kept appearing relentlessly on the Spirit Gauging Stone, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. He had thought that his talent in spirit enchantment would at least be decent, if not perfect, but to think that he was even worse than a stone. How frustrating! It seemed that the reason he was able to be a spirit awakener so easily, even sessfully enchanting the entire guild building, wasnt due to his astounding aptitude in spirit enchantment. Rather, it only meant to say that the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art was simply too formidable! Elder Wei shook her head bitterly as she stood up. I have imposed myself on Principal Zhang today. Ill be taking my leave now. It might still have been a mistake the first time, but with the same result appearing so many times, she could no longer deceive herself. Not only did Principal Zhang not possess exceptional talent in spirit enchantment, his aptitude was atrociously horrendous! It was most likely due to sheer luck that he had been able to sessfully enchant the guild building. She had thought that the Spirit Awakener Guild had finally found its savior, but from the looks of it... how could it be that simple? If a genius with an aptitude of the tenth level could appear that easily, the seat of the guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild wouldnt have been empty for the past five thousand years, leaving them with no choice but to be subordinated to the other powers. Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. He had been bargaining with the other party a moment ago, but in the end, he was worse than a mere stone. Just recalling what had happened left his face reddening in shame. I will have to ask of Principal Zhang to keep the matters concerning our guild a secret. Sending a telepathic message over, Elder Wei beckoned to Guild Leader Ruan and said, Lets go. Right when the both of them were about to leave the manor, a crisp voice sounded. Teacher, can I give the Spirit Gauging Stone a try, too? Chapter 1138 - Departure Chapter 1138: Departure Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The person who had just spoken was Wang Ying. When Elder Wei and the others entered the room earlier, she and Liu Yang had still been in the midst of cultivating. Since it didnt seem like anything confidential, they didnt excuse themselves. However, when Elder Wei took out the stone, she had felt a tingling sensation in her heart. It was a feeling reminiscent of... intimacy? Thus, she could not stop herself from asking for a go. Zhang Xuan turned to his student and asked, You wish to give it a try? At this moment, Wang Yings face waspletely red, and her body was trembling slightly. Yes... Somehow, I feel a kind of attraction force between me and the stone... Wang Ying nodded. Attraction force? Noting the serious look on Wang Yings face, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Wei and said, Elder Wei, I might need to trouble you for this. Its fine. Elder Wei nodded. With a flick of her finger, the Spirit Gauging Stone flew toward the youngdy,nding urately in thetters hand. Without saying anything, Wang Ying ced the stone between her palms before slowly closing her eyes. Weng! A blinding light burst from the stone. It took a while before it dissipated, and a string of numbers slowly floated into appearance. This... Upon seeing the number on the stone, Elder Weis body jolted. Even Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. H-how can this be? Two digits sat quietly on top of the Spirit Gauging Stone11! Didnt you say that the tenth level is the highest level? Why does the result reflect 11? Zhang Xuan asked. I-I have no idea! Elder Wei was bewildered. Based on what she knew, the tenth level was the highest level achievable. Only one who had reached this peak was qualified to enchant the Spirit Awakener Mountain and be the next Spirit Awakener Sovereign. For 11 to appear... what did this mean? Suddenly, a thought came to Elder Weis mind, and she spoke with a quivering voice. C-could it be... this is the level of aptitude of the founder? The level of aptitude of the founder? Zhang Xuan asked in iprehension. ording to the legends, the founder of our Spirit Awakener Guild, known to the world as the Fairy of Spirit Enchantment, possessed an aptitude above ten in spirit enchantment, reaching a level beyond our imaginations. Its for this reason that she was able to turn an entire mountain into a powerful artifact and enchant it. Back in that era, even Kong shi was fearful of her. It should have been impossible for an individual as talented as our founder to appear once more, but to think that I would meet such an individual in my lifetime! Elder Weis breathing hastened as her face flushed crimson. She had originally hoped to find a genius of the tenth level to restore glory to the guild, but to think that she would actually find a genius of the eleventh level instead! She could hardly imagine what this represented! As long as they groomed her well, she could potentially be a figure as powerful as their founder! Youngdy, do you wish to follow me back to the Spirit Awakener Guild? Elder Wei asked anxiously. She had definitely found a treasure this time around! If she could get the other party to return with her, the Spirit Awakener Guild would reach greater heights in the near future, perhaps even ushering another era of greatness for them! I... Wang Ying had not expected for her aptitude in spirit enchantment to be so great, either. Panicked, she could not help but turn to the young man. Teacher, Ill listen to your will... No matter how good her aptitude in spirit enchantment was, the will of her teacher was much more important. Principal Zhang! Elder Wei nced at Zhang Xuan anxiously. This... Slightly hesitant, Zhang Xuan turned to Wang Ying and said, Execute a punching routine for me. Yes! Nodding, Wang Ying swiftly executed an elegant but powerful set of punches. Hu! Her punch tore through the air like a sharp spear, creating a sharp gust of wind. This was a fist art that she had just learned from Zhang Xuan, but she had already achieved considerable mastery in it. Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan ced his finger on it, and the information concerning Wang Ying flowed into his mind. Swiftly looking through it, a frown emerged on his forehead. There was nothing concerning Wang Yings talent as a spirit awakener inside at all. To be more exact, there was not anything that hinted at it either. Is the Library of Heavens Path no longer urate? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The Library of Heavens Path had reflected information on Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body the first time he met her, and the same went for Yuan Tao and Wei Ruyan as well. So, why was Wang Yings aptitude in spirit enchantment not reflected in her Library of Heavens Path book? Does the Library of Heavens Path not reflect acquired constitutions? Back then, Lu Chongs Combat Soul Constitution wasnt reflected in it either, Zhang Xuan wondered. Back then, the Library of Heavens Path did not reflect the reason behind Lu Chongs massive soul. It was only through Mo Hunsheng that he learned of the Combat Soul Constitution and that Lu Chong was suited to learn soul arts. Most likely, the situation was the same with Wang Ying as well. It might not have been an ability she was born with, and perhaps due to certain conditions of the Library of Heavens Path, it wasnt reflected in it. Wang Ying has a conscientious personality, and she is far more meticulous than any of my other students in deciphering the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art that I impart to them. Perhaps it might be the work of her personality and the prowess of the Heavens Path Divine Art at work that resulted in a change in her constitution, granting her such talents, Zhang Xuan deduced. Fate is not something that is fixed. Not even the massive hands of the heavens are capable of grasping everything. In truth, whether it was Lu Chong or Wang Ying, their talent could only be considered average among countless others in the Master Teacher Continent. However, despite the deficiencies that fate had given them, they had still ended up meeting Zhang Xuan and cultivated the powerful Heavens Path Divine Art, thus changing their lives for good. For better or for worse, destiny was a capricious power. Perhaps, even the seemingly omnipotent Library of Heavens Path was not infallible before the capricious nature of the world. In teaching a student, its important to assess their talents individually and cultivate their strengths. However, it is also important to assess their growth and make alterations ordingly. There are some who might not show aptitude in a certain craft initially, but a sudden bout of enlightenment could bring about massive growth in their capabilities in the field. When such a situation happens, it wouldnt do to continue viewing them as a weaker student and teaching them as such... A sudden enlightenment sprouted within Zhang Xuans mind. He felt as if he was on the verge ofing onto something important, but when he tried to grasp it, it seemed to elude him. He tried to delve deeper, to grab hold of it, but at that moment, Elder Weis voice jolted him back to reality. Principal Zhang! Raising his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw the middle-ageddy looking at him anxiously. She really wanted to take Wang Ying away, but she could keenly sense the deep rtionship between the teacher and student. If thetter was unwilling to go with her, it could create some feelings of aversion between Wang Ying and the Spirit Awakener Guild. Un. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan knew that this wasnt the time for him to be thinking about other matters. Turning back to Wang Ying, he asked, Are you willing to head to the Spirit Awakener Guild? In such situations, what was important was not his opinion but his students. His role was only to help guide thetter along the road of life. I... Wang Ying frowned in a dilemma. At the Spirit Awakener Guild, you will be entitled to a great pool of cultivation resources and aplete heritage. Naturally, you will also advance much quicker through the ranks. However, even if you choose to follow behind me, I am confident that Ill be able to bring you to the same height eventually! Zhang Xuan looked at Wang Ying calmly with deep confidence in his eyes. Heading to the Spirit Awakener Guild was a good opportunity, but even if Wang Ying did not wish to take the opportunity, Zhang Xuan was still confident that he could groom her into bing one of the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent. The ultimate decisiony in the hands of the youngdy before him. A deeply conflicted look surfaced on Wang Yings little face. A momentter, she spoke up meekly. Teacher, I... Just like Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and the others, I wish to share your troubles as well. I dont want to continue being a burden to you! If she opted to follow her teacher, she would surely reach incredible heights in the future. In fact, she did not think that the heritage of the Spirit Awakener Guild couldpare with her teachers lectures. But... as her cultivation grew, the resources she required to advance through each realm would increase exponentially. Even though her teacher had never uttered a word ofint about the matter, she could not bring herself to keep dragging her teacher back. She wanted to be a person worthy of standing beside her teacher to assist him, and not baggage that was dragging him down all the time. If she headed to the Spirit Awakener Guild and became the Spirit Awakener Sovereign, she could gain power swiftly. With her newfound strength, she would able to help her teacher in his time of need. She had not heard it from Zhao Ya herself, but she felt that it was with the same conviction that thetter had made the decision to join the cier in Court. And the same went for Zheng Yang as well. As the first student his teacher epted, she could not bring herself to continue selfishly leeching off him. On the other hand, upon hearing Wang Yings words, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. You are my student, how can you possibly be a burden to me? They had only been together for a short year, but the experiences that they had gone through together were unforgettable. The bond between them was one that would never be severed. Wang Ying might have thought that she was a burden, but to him, she was family. How could a family member possibly be a burden? Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Wang Yings eyes reddened. She was silent for a moment before resolution filled her eyes, and she dered, I want to head to the Spirit Awakener Guild! Teacher, I know that you view me as your family, but its the same for me as well! This is an opportunity for me to grow and soar into the greater sky. In the past, you have sheltered me from the storm, and now, it should be my turn to protect you! Thats because... we are a family! Zhang Xuan lowered his head and nodded silently. A long momentter, he said, Since you have made your decision, go on then! All parties must eventuallye to an end. Even though he knew that it was just a matter of time before his students would leave his side, separation was still difficult for him each time. Of his seven direct disciples, Zhao Ya had gone to the cier in Court, Lu Chong had headed to the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles, Yuan Tao had returned to his n, Wei Ruyan had left for the Poison Hall, and Zheng Yang had departed for the Combat Master Hall headquarters... Five had already left his side. And now, the sixth was leaving him, too. Of course, Zhang Xuan was d to see that they were grasping the opportunities before them. With these opportunities, he had no doubt that they would reach incredible heights. Just that... the rational mind and the sentimental heart were two separate organs in the body. He knew that it was better for them, but such rationality did little to alleviate the sorrow of separation. Teacher, you must take care of yourself... Kneeling on the ground, Wang Ying spoke hoarsely before making eight resounding kowtows. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded before cing a finger lightly on her forehead. A surge of Heavens Path zhenqi flowed into her body. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said, If you meet with any danger in the future, just activate this surge of zhenqi, and Ill know, no matter how far away I am. If anyone dares bully you, even if the other party is the strongest sect on the continent or even the Master Teacher Pavilion itself, Ill definitely redress your grievances! His tone was impassive, but the conviction in his voice was clear for all to hear. Un. Wang Ying nodded as she shed a smile at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Wei and said, Elder Wei, Ill leave my student to you. I hope that you will treat her properly. If I ever learn that she has suffered the slightest grievance in the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters, know that Ill visit there personally and demand an exnation. To be threatened by a mere Saint 2-dan cultivator, it was natural that Elder Wei was unhappy. However, knowing that the other party was standing up for his own student, her heart still softened a little. Dont worry. Our Spirit Awakener Guild will surely protect her with everything that we have; we wont allow her to suffer the slightest grievance, so you need not worry! For five thousand years, there had not been a single spirit awakener whose aptitude had reached the tenth level. It was not easy for one who possessed an aptitude of the eleventh level to appear, so how could they allow anything to happen to her? After all, the future of the Spirit Awakener Guild was at stake over here! That would be for the best. Zhang Xuan could tell that there was not any falsehood in the other partys words, and he nodded in satisfaction. Then, he turned around and waved his hand. Since this matter is decided, it would be best for you to leave now! Unlike Zhao Yas decisiveness, Wang Ying had a soft heart. The longer they dy the matter, the more likely that Wang Ying would hesitate and change her mind. Teacher... How could Wang Ying not understand her teachers intention? Her body trembled, and tears trickled down her cheeks. Elder Wei walked up to Wang Ying and said, Lets go. Un. Wang Ying wiped her tears and nodded. Elder Wei then turned to Guild Leader Ruan and instructed, It would be best for us to return to the headquarters as soon as possible, so we wont be staying tonight. After finding such a genius, it would be safer to escort her back to the headquarters as soon as possible to prevent any mishaps from urring. Or else, if something really happened on the way, it would be toote for tears. After which, she turned to look at Zhang Xuan onest time and said, Principal Zhang, well be taking our leave now. Hu! Right after saying those words, Elder Wei drove her zhenqi and leaped into the sky together with Wang Ying. In the blink of an eye, the both of them had already disappeared over the horizon. The very first student he had epted ever since transcending over to this world, Wang Ying, had left. A long timeter, Zhang Xuan let out a deep sigh. Chapter 1139 Chapter 1139: The Fourth Acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Principal Zhang, farewell! Guild Leader Ruan also took her leave. With this, aside from Zhang Xuan, only Sun Qiang and Liu Yang remained in the courtyard. By the time Zhang Xuan turned around once more, Wang Ying and Elder Wei were already nowhere to be seen. With his hands behind his back, he looked into the deep night sky for a long time before saying, Alright, lets return back in. What that must go would eventually go. To be true dragons, they couldnt always remain by his side. How could they mature if they were always sheltered by him? Teacher... Knowing that Zhang Xuan must be grieved over Wang Yings departure, Liu Yang stepped forward, wanting to say something. However, he suddenly felt someone grabbing his arm, holding him back. Let Young Master be alone for a while. Sun Qiang said silently. Liu Yang turned to look at Sun Qiang and saw thetter shaking his head. He hesitated for a brief moment before nodding and following thetter away. Indeed. What his teacher needed at the moment were not words offort but tranquility. To see ones students leaving ones side one after another was indeed not easy to bear. After leaving the courtyard, Liu Yang looked at the dark night, and for some reason, the sky looked exceptionally gloomy tonight. He turned to Sun Qiang and asked, What can I do for teacher? What you can do for him is to cultivate diligently. Dont let Young Masters efforts go to waste! Sun Qiang pondered for a brief moment before replying. Liu Yang contemted those words for a moment before clenching his fists tightly together. Youre right. Zhao Ya, Lu Chong, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, Zheng Yang, and Wang Ying, they have all left. I am the only one remaining now. I must work hard and grow stronger so as to not let teacher down! Back in those days when all of them cultivated together, while he wasnt the one who improved the fastest, he wasnt the slowest either. Training wasnt easy, but he was satisfied. However, that feeling of satisfaction had long vanished, reced by immense anxiety and stress. Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, and Lu Chong had left to inherit heritages that were suited for their unique constitution. Once they fully awakened their unique constitutions, their cultivation would surely soar through the ranks. On the other hand, Zheng Yang and Wang Ying had left for the Combat Master Hall and Spirit Awakener Guild respectively, where they would inheritplete heritages and receive top-notch cultivation resources. Without a doubt, they would grow stronger swiftly as well. Of them all, he was the only one who had remained stationary on the spot. If he were tog behind the others, wouldnt it mean that teacher was not on par with those other powers? No, this wont do. I have to work harder than ever! With aplicated look in his eyes, Liu Yang turned around and returned back to his room. He couldnt waste the slightest bit of time. He must work harder than ever on his cultivation so as to catch up with the others! As fellow students, he didnt wish to begging far behind the others when they met once more. If so, he would truly be a baggage to his teacher. Hai... Noting Liu Yangs response, Sun Qiang shook his head. Forget it, I shall notpete with those cultivation maniacs. Let me take a walk through the streets and see if there is any delectable food around here... Stretching his backzily, Sun Qiang began making his way out. Ever since he arrived at Qingyuan City, he had been apanying the lot from the Xuanxuan Faction, and he hadnt really gone anywhere yet. Since he had time now, it would be good for him to experience the nightlife in Qingyuan City for himself. He didnt have much interest in cultivation. Otherwise, given that the Young Master had personally tutored him and provided with him with generous cultivation resources, he should have long surpassed Half-Saint by now. ... Standing quietly on the spot, Zhang Xuan felt an unprecedented feeling of loneliness. His students had all nearly left him, and Luo Ruoxin was no longer around either. He couldnt help but feel that it wouldnt be long before he was all alone once more. It was as if he was slowly regressing back into those days of solitude when he first transcended over to this world. Back then, he was under the constant threat of expulsion, and there was not a student under his name. Everything waspletely foreign to him, but there was not the slightest support or sce he could find from those around him. They might learn better and stronger cultivation techniques staying by my side, but... its for the best that they have left! Staying by my side will only limit their growth as a person... A growth in cultivation was only a small aspect of life. In order to mature into adults, his students would have to venture into therger world themselves and experience all kinds of things themselves. As this thought surfaced in his mind, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt like he had grasped hold of that elusive thing he had been wing at earlier. A teacher who truly loves his students would think ahead for them. Grooming a student isnt like forging a weapon, where a forging technique and a blueprint would be sufficient to craft a good weapon. The students have their own life to live. They should experience the many aspects of life themselves, be it joy, anger, sorrow, or bitterness, and they should find their own goal and struggle for it too! If I were to just keep them by my side, all I can offer them is knowledge. They might be able to grow powerful this way as well, but I would be depriving them of an opportunity to temper themselves, and they would never be able to be true experts this way. The fact that they are leaving my side shows that they have already matured... Hong long! His mind jolted, and a sound reminiscent of the rumbling of thunder echoed in his head. In the next moment, a unique aura abruptly descended from the sky and shrouded his figure. The fourth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher! Tzzzzzzz! That unique energy dived into his body, raising his Soul Depth swiftly. At the same time, he fell into a trance, and his aura gradually grew deeper and steadier. ... The Conference Hall of the Combat Master Hall. Hall Master Xing, here is theption of thebat knowledge we have learned from the Xuanxuan Faction over the past few days. ording to them, they were all imparted from Principal Zhang! the head of the Footwork Division, Lu Wangqiu, took out a few thick books. He had only left to the Xuanxuan Faction to study. It didnt mean that he was nevering back to the Combat Master Hall. Hall Master Xing casually flipped open the first book and began browsing through it. Before long, his eyes lit up in excitement. When he finally browsed through the books and mused over their content, he couldnt help but exim, Principal Zhang is indeed a genius. His understanding ofbat has reached an unfathomable level! As simple as these theories may seem, they are directed towards the very crux of cultivation. Through this knowledge, ourbat masters will be able to easily find the ws of any battle technique and ovee them easily! He had never known thatbat could be interpreted in such a straightforward and refreshing manner. As expected of Yang shis direct disciple, Principal Zhang was truly an incredible figure! Indeed. I was paying close heed when he conducted the lecture earlier during the exchange, and even though the knowledge he had imparted was simple, it was extremely enlightening. I felt that many new windows have opened up for my cultivation just by listening to his lecture! the head of the Palm Division, Yan Qinghai, added. The other division heads also nodded in agreement. If they were still a little opposed to joining the Xuanxuan Faction before, after the exchange they had, such a feeling had vanished entirely. If anything, they would be delighted to join the Xuanxuan Faction at this point! As long as they were to study diligently, they could foresee the overall prowess of the Combat Master Hall increasing by leaps and bounds. It seems like its the correct decision for us to participate in the exchange... Hall Master Xing nodded in agreement. However, halfway through his words, he suddenly sensed something, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment. Hu! The other division heads seemed to have sensed the same thing that he did as well, and they hurriedly got to their feet. Lets head over to take a look! Without any hesitation, Hall Master Xing dashed out. Not too longter, he arrived at a massive hall located a short distance away from the Conference Hall. ced within the hall were the tablets of the outstanding predecessors of the Combat Master Hall, as well as a sculpture of their founder. Upon stepping into the hall, they saw the tablets and the sculpture of their founder trembling non-stop, as if they had witnessed something terrifying. Whats going on? the head of the Footwork Division, Lu Wangqiu, asked in apprehension. This was the first time he had seen such an urrence in the eight hundred years of his life! Furthermore, there was no record of something of this sort happening in the long history of their Combat Master Hall! Hu! Just as Hall Master Xing and the other division heads werepletely bewildered by the happenings before them, the tablets suddenly fell towards a certain direction. For some reason, their movement seemed to carry a hint of deference and respect. At the same time, the sculpture of the founder also fell to the ground. It was as if it had finally encountered an existence worthy of its respect. T-this... Could it be... Upon seeing these happenings, a thought suddenly came to Hall Master Xings mind, and his eyes narrowed in shock. What is it? The division heads quickly turned their gazes to him. Asbat masters devoted their time to furthering theirbat skills, they werent as knowledgeable as the master teachers. It was inevitable that they would be ignorant about the various legends and formalities of the Master Teacher Pavilion either. Trembling of Myriad Tokens, the Bow of Submission of the Predecessors. This... it is the sign of the birth of a Celestial Master Teacher! Hall Master Xing said hoarsely, his voice quivering in disbelief. Celestial Master Teacher? Those words left the faces of the other division heads paling as well. ... Lu Ran was a master teacher apprentice of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He was in charge of cleaning and organizing the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. It should have been his rest day today, but the other apprentice on duty had something urgent on, so he could only fill up for him. I have already made an appointment with Luo Yan to meet her parents. Damn it, shell surely hold a grudge against me for this! Lu Ran muttered in distress. If not for this darned duty, he would have been able to make it for their appointment tonight, and if things go well, he might be able to finally bring the beauty he had been courting back home and officially terminate his long term of singlehood... But due to this darned duty, all of his ns had gone down the drain. The more he thought about this matter, the more frustrated he felt. Its only a bunch of lifeless tokens, is there a need to guard them day in day out? Pushing open the door to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, Lu Ran looked at the same barren sight before him and shook his head in frustration. All that was in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was a bunch of old tokens and a sculpture of Kong shi. He understood the need to respect ones ancestors, but those were all lifeless objects! It should suffice to clean them once in a while, surely there should be no need to appoint a guard to specially look over them? Forget it, I just have to endure this for another half a year. Once I am promoted to an official master teacher, I wont have to do such dreary chores anymore! As an ordinary apprentice, it was inevitable that he would be appointed to carry out some menialbor for the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, once he became a true master teacher, his standing would bepletely different from before. It was true that a 1-star master teacher wasnt anything much in Qingyuan Empire, but a master teacher was still a master teacher. With this identity shielding him, he wouldnt have to live so humbly anymore, being at the beck and call of others. Forget it, I should just have a good sleep here and apologize to Luo Yan tomorrow morning! Stretching his backzily, Lu Ran headed to a corner of the Teacher Acknowledge Hall and ced a few cushions together before lying down on it. Closing his eyes, he was on the verge of sleeping when he suddenly felt the entire hall tremoring intensely. W-what? What is going on? Nearly scared of his wits, Lu Ran immediately leaped to his feet in horror. He was in the Master Teacher Pavilion, the most important ground in Qingyuan Empire! There were many formations erected around it, such that even if an earthquake or avnche were to ur, the Master Teacher Pavilion would still be able to emerge from itpletely intact. And yet... just what in the world could have happened for such intense tremors to ur? Horrified, he scanned the room warily, only to see the many tokens leaping down from their stands. This... Upon seeing this sight, Lu Rans body shuddered in fear. He had never encountered or heard of such a situation before! Those tokens should have been lifeless objects! In the past, when he was cleaning those tokens, he had identally knocked down some of them, but it was not as if anything had happened to him... Why would they suddenlye to life, jumping down from their stands? Hula! Falling to the ground, they stood in a neat row, as if filing in on someonesmand, and with a simultaneous action, they turned to look in a specific direction. Completely chilled by that eerie sight, Lu Ran hid in the corner, covering his mouth tightly with his trembling hands. He was afraid that if he would be killed if he were to make a move at this moment. Hong long! Just as he was considering whether he should quietly sneak out of the room to report this matter to the pavilion master, he suddenly saw the unmoving sculpture of Kong shiing to life as well. It turned around and looked in the same direction as the tokens. Its eyes were deep and distant, reminiscent to that of a living person. In that instant, Lu Ran even forgot how to breathe. Kong shis sculpture slowly lowered its back and sped its fist. Greetings, myrade! Chapter 1140 - Zhang Xuan Visits a Courtesan House (1)

Chapter 1140: Zhang Xuan Visits a Courtesan House (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Some timeter, Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes. The acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher this time aroundsted much longer than before. Under the tempering of the unique aura, his aura became much sharper, and his thoughts became clearer than ever. Even though there was no tangible increase in his strength, the sharper rity of his thoughts granted him better reflexes than before. At the same time, his Eye of Insight had also be keener. With his sharper perception, his ability to disguise himself was also enhanced too. As long as he willed it so, not even an 8-star master teacher would be able to notice anything unusual about him. On top of that, in the past, he was only able to discern ws of individuals or objects which corresponded to a maximum to four cultivation stage higher than him, but now, he could see through the cultivation of those whose fighting prowess was on par with him. To put it in more direct terms... he was able to see through the ws and openings in the cultivation of Primordial Spirit pinnacle experts! In the future, if he were to encounter such Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts, even without the Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to analyze their ws just with his Eye of Insight and subdue them with ease. The growth of my Eye of Insight is great, but what is truly significant is that my Soul Depth... has increased by 2.0 once more! Zhang Xuan thought in excitement. The changes in the Eye of Insight was great, but what that had left him the most excited was the explosive rise in his Soul Depth. This acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher had increased his Soul Depth by a whole 2.0! After undergoing the Saint Ascension Ordeal, his Soul Depth had already been increased to 23.1, putting him on par with 7-star pinnacle master teachers. With this further increase by 2.0, it had reached a staggering 25.1, putting him on an equivalent level as 8-star high-tier master teachers! With his enhanced Soul Depth, even 7-star pinnacle master teachers would sumb easily to his Impartation of Heavens Will and willingly submit to him. As long as I know their cultivation technique, I should be able to faze even 8-star low-tier master teachers with my Impartation of Heavens Will! Zhang Xuan thought with clenched fists. For the Impartation of Heavens Will to work, the knowledge which one was lecturing must be aligned with the essence of the world. Those who were able to be an 8-star master teacher were all individuals with near transcendental state of minds. At their level, a lecture of fundamentals would do little to faze their mind. However, if Zhang Xuan could uncover their cultivation technique and correct it, beguiling them with his Impartation of Heavens Will shouldnt be too difficult. Speaking of which, my Soul Depth has already long reached the mark required for me to be a 7-star master teacher. It should be about time for me to start preparing to take the 7-star master teacher examination... Zhang Xuan thought as he exhaled deeply. More often than not, the limiting factor to a master teacher was his Soul Depth. High Soul Depth enhanced ones rate of cultivation and learning, so once ones Soul Depth reached the mark, ones cultivation and supporting upations would swiftly follow suit. At the moment, the conflict between the Xuanxuan Faction and the Combat Master Hall seemed to be resolved. The members from both organizations were getting along amicably with one another, so that was a burden off his mind. With that, it was about time for him to focus on his own personal matters. It would be good to pay a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion, meet some old friends, and obtain a 7-star master teacher emblem while he was at it. For this 6-star master teacher examination, he had chosen to challenge Empire Building. It was the most difficult examination, but its benefitsy in that he would be automatically entitled to the 7-star master teacher emblem once he met the prerequisites for the promotion. His Soul Depth and cultivation definitely met the mark for promotion, so what wascking was his supporting upations. So far, the upations which he had achieved a mastery of 7-star in were spirit awakener, demonic tunist, and poison master. His other upations, such as apothecary, cksmith, and the sort, were still at 6-star. Of them, the spirit awakener was not considered as a unique upation, and it wouldnt reflect well on his reputation if it was revealed that he practiced poison arts. Thus, he only had a single 7-star supporting upation at the moment... In order to qualify as a 7-star master teacher, Ill require seven 7-star supporting upations. Currently, other than appraiser and soul oracle, my other upations are at 6-star pinnacle. In his long journey, Zhang Xuan had picked up a total of twelve supporting upations, and they were namely: 7-star spirit awakener, 7-star demonic tunist, 7-star poison master, 6-star cksmith, 6-star physician, 6-star painter, 6-star beast tamer, 6-star celestial designer, 6-star terpsichore, 6-star formation master, 5-star appraiser, andst but not least... soul oracle! It went without saying that he couldnt use his spirit awakener, poison master, and soul oracle upation, so he had only had the remaining nine to rely on. For formation master, I have already achieved the level of 7-star, and Guild Leader Han has already helped me apply for an emblem. If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to collect it very soon. Back at the Qiu Wu Pce, Zhang Xuan had managed advanced his mastery as a formation master straight to 7-star pinnacle. In view of that, Guild Leader Han, as the head of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild, had taken the initiative to apply for the 7-star emblem for him, so he didnt have to go through the trouble of taking the examination. But even so, he only had two 7-star supporting upations with that. He still needed another five more. With my current identity, I should be able to ess the libraries of the respective guilds directly. As long as I work fast, I should be able to be done with it in a single day... Zhang Xuan thought. To others, advancing their supporting upations was a lengthy and tiresome process, requiring them to work diligently over a long period of time to brush their knowledge and skills up to par. However, to Zhang Xuan, it was truly nothing at all. Even if he were to take his time, he should be able to aplish it within two days easily. As the capital of a Tier-1 Empire, most major guilds can be found in Qingyuan City, such as the Apothecary Guild, Physician Guild, and the Beast Tamer Guild. However, I wonder if there is any Terpsichorean Guild, Celestial Designer Guild, and the others here as well... As Zhang Xuan had mainly spent his time training the Combat Master Hall over the past three days, he still hadnt gotten a clear grasp over theyout of Qingyuan City yet. As such, he had no idea what kind of guilds there were here and where they were located either. If he could uncover this information beforehand, he would be spared much time fumbling around the city looking for the upation guilds. With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan walked out of his room and shouted, Sun Qiang, Sun Qiang! Sun Qiang would always gather intelligence from the locals as soon as they arrived in a new city, so there was no one apter than him to ask. Teacher, Butler Sun headed outst night, and he isnt back yet! Hearing Zhang Xuans shouting, Liu Yang walked out and said. After they parted the previous night, Sun Qiang left the Combat Master Hall, and even till morning, there was still no trace of thetter to be seen. Zhang Xuan frowned, Do you know where he went then? Im not too sure either. However, I have already entrusted some friends from the Combat Master Hall to help look into this matter. Liu Yang quickly replied. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Tell him to look for me as soon as he returns. This wasnt the first time Sun Qiang had stayed out overnight, so Zhang Xuan was not particrly worried about him. In any case, the Combat Master Hall was already looking for him, so it shouldnt be long before the other party returned. Noted! Liu Yang nodded. After which, Zhang Xuan began making his way over to Hall Master Xings residence. Since Sun Qiang wasnt around, he could only seek Hall Master Xing for help. You wish to brush up your supporting upations and push for a promotion to 7-star master teacher? Hearing the intent behind Zhang Xuans visit, Hall Master Xing replied with a smile. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded. Elder Qi happens to be the old head of the Physician Guild, and given your deep mastery in the Way of Medicine, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to apply for a 7-star physician emblem, so there is no need for you to take the physician examination either. Hall Master Xing smiled. Furthermore, the head of the Apothecary Guild, Wu Huayu, has heard news that you are currently residing in our Combat Master Hall. In a conversation we had recently, he indicated that he has helped you apply for a 7-star apothecary emblem, and he intends to pay you a visit and hand the emblem over to you personally some time soon. Wu Huayu? Zhang Xuan was startled. That name was astonishingly familiar to him. It was the apothecary whom he challenged during the Pill Debate conducted via the Communication Jade Screen back when he was at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy Apothecary School! Back then, he had given thetter several pointers in his pill forging, and in exchange, thetter had helped him apply for the Grand Intermittence Grass he needed to save Wei Ruyan... All along, he had thought that the other party was a small fry in the Qingyuan Empire Apothecary Guild. Who could have thought that the other party would actually turn out be the head of the Apothecary Guild... Later on, it seemed like the other party hade over to Hongyuan Empire personally to deliver the Grand Intermittence Grass, but Zhang Xuan happened to be out with Luo Ruoxin during that period of time, so they missed one another. Factoring in those two upations, I would have four 7-star supporting upations at the moment. I would just need three more in order to qualify as a 7-star master teacher! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. It would have surely taken quite a bit of effort if he had to go through the various upations one after another. Naturally, it would be for the best if he could save some time. As for the location of the respective guilds... Our Qingyuan City doesnt have a Celestial Designer Guild, and the Beast Tamer Guild is located in a mountain range roughly two hundred li away from the city. However, the Terpsichore Guild, Appraiser Guild, and Painter Guild are located in the city, so you could consider going for them instead. Hall Master Xing exined. I see. Ill head to the Terpsichore Guild first then. Zhang Xuan nodded. Since the Beast Tamer Guild wasnt in the city, it would be more efficient if he could clear all the examinations within the city before heading there. Alright, allow me to bring you over then... Hall Master Xing nodded. Its fine, its fine. Theres no need to trouble Hall Master Xing over a minor matter like this. You just have to tell me the location, and Ill head there myself. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He was only taking the examination for a supporting upation, it would be an overkill if he were to have the head of the Combat Master Hall apany him there. That would raise too much of amotion, and it went without saying that it was at odds with his intention of maintaining a low profile. That works too. However, the branch of the Terpsichore Guild in Qingyuan Empire... is located at a location which might be a little awkward for you to visit... At this point, Hall Master Xing suddenly recalled a matter, and a peculiar expression appeared on his face. Awkward for me to visit? Un. You have learned terpsichorean arts yourself too, so you should know that terpsichoreans utilize dance as an intermediary for their offense, and the location where dancers are the most sought after happens to be the... Spring Pavilion! Hall Master Xing continued. Spring Pavilion? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Is that the name of the Terpsichorean Guild branch in Qingyuan City? It is... the name of a courtesan house! Hall Master Xing replied awkwardly. A courtesan house? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. Yes, but it isnt the kind which you are thinking of. The courtesans there sell their craft, not their bodies. Nevertheless, it is still one of the most popr spots in the city with huge crowds walking in and out of its doors every day! Hall Master Xing said. Typically speaking, those who opted to learn terpsichorean arts were top-notch beauties with excellent figures. A dance from them could easily enchant them, leaving them craving for more. But still, for an orthodox unique upation to run a courtesan house... just the thought of it sounded deeply inconceivable. The founder of the Terpsichore Guild, Elder Gong Sun, had her entire family massacred by an enemy back when she was still at a young age. She spent many years of her life refining her craft as a dancer, and eventually, she managed to exact vengeance on her enemy. After that, under Kong shis guidance, she founded the terpsichore upation. However, in acknowledgement of her past as a dance courtesan, most of the Terpsichore Guild branches are still established as courtesan houses. Hall Master Xing exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had learned about the history of Elder Sun Qian through the books in the Master Teacher Academy, but as most of them were carefully selected by master teachers, the portion regarding Elder Sun Qiang being a dance courtesan was probably intentionally left out due to it being viewed as dishonorable. Nevertheless, Kong shi didnt look down on Elder Sun Qian despite her upation. Instead, he said that there was no such thing as a lowly upation; there were only lowly individuals in the world. As long as dance courtesans lived their life with dignity, they were individuals worthy of respect too. It is with this philosophy in mind that terpsichore eventually managed to be a unique upation as well. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Kong shi was right. Every single upation had to be respected. Even the most ordinary upation served a vital purpose in this world, so they shouldnt be disregarded and looked down upon. As expected of Kong shi, his state of mind had indeed transcended mere forms. Where is the Spring Pavilion you spoke of located? Tossing aside the prejudice in his mind, Zhang Xuan asked. Its located not too far away from the Combat Master Hall. After you leave here, turn left and head straight for roughly ten li, and you should see it. Hall Master Xing said. After getting the location of the other two guilds out of Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan finally sped his fist and bade farewell, Alright, Ill be heading over to take a look now. Farewell. After leaving the residence of Hall Master Xing, before Zhang Xuan could even step out of the Combat Master Hall, he saw a youngdy hurriedly walking towards him. Zhang shi, are you heading out? Why dont you bring me along with you? Chapter 1141 - Zhang Xuan Visits a Courtesan House (2)

Chapter 1141: Zhang Xuan Visits a Courtesan House (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The youngdy was dressed in a light blue dress which shaped her elegant figure perfectly. A yellow silk belt wrapped around her waist entuated the curves between her waist and her bottom. From afar, she looked like a bewitching subus who would steal ones soul away at any time. The person wasnt anyone else other than the head of the Bewitching Imp Faction, Hu Yaoyao. The Bewitching Imp Faction was dissolved shortly after Zhang Xuan became the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and Hu Yaoyao officially joined the Xuanxuan Faction right afterward, bing one of the strongest cultivators in its ranks. You want to tag along with me? Thats fine. Seeing that it was Hu Yaoyao, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Hu Yaoyaos main supporting upation in the Master Teacher Academy was terpsichorean arts, and she was even the direct disciple of School Head Wei Ranxue. Since he was heading ot the Terpsichore Guild, it would be good to bring her along as well. We want to go too! Shortly after Zhang Xuan epted her request, another voice sounded not too far away. Turning his head over, he saw Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi standing not too far away, staring at him intently. Looking at the curiosity in the eyes of the duo, Zhang Xuan shook his head and advised, It would be best for the both of you to stay out of this matter. It isnt appropriate for the both of you to visit such a ce! It isnt appropriate? Why can Hu Yaoyao tag along with you but not us? Yu Fei-er frowned in displeasure. It was one thing if the other party refused to bring all of them with him, but he had agreed to bring Hu Yaoyao along! This tant discrimination left her feeling deeply indignant within, and her explosive temper red up in an instant. Was Hu Yaoyao that important to him? On the other hand, while Luo Qiqi didnt say a word, the unhappy gaze she shot him spoke the very same words too. Im heading to the Spring Pavilion, which happens to be a courtesan house too! Asdies, it wont be appropriate for you two to tag along. Zhang Xuan exined. You are heading to a courtesan house? With Hu Yaoyao at that? The duo exchanged gazes for a brief instant, and with uncanny harmony, they stretched their hands forward simultaneously to block Zhang Xuans path. No way, not over my dead body! Stop fooling around, Im heading there because I have important matters to attend to. Zhang Xuan frowned upon seeing their actions. It was in view of their rtively mature characters that he treated the both of them well, patiently guiding them along whenever they faced any problem. Why were they suddenly throwing a tantrum at this moment? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was starting to get a little annoyed by their actions, Yu Fei-er bit her lips and continued on, Zhang shi, you are a master teacher, so how can you go to such a ce? If you really... need to... I can help you.. Help me? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Help me? How do you intend to help me? Can you give me a 7-star terpsichore emblem or a 7-star master teacher emblem? To offer your help despite not knowing what is going on, arent you worried that I might sell you out? Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan said, I appreciate your good intentions, but Im afraid that you arent sufficient to help me on this matter... You say that I am insufficient? How am I insufficient? I am very sufficient, alright? Yu Fei-er immediatelyshed out as she stuck out her chest indignantly. Is he scorning me for being not up to par with Hu Yaoyao? This is too much. Isnt hers just a little bigger? Mine is not too bad either, alright! Besides... insufficient? How do you know that I would be insufficient? Just as she was feeling deeply stifled within, the young man continued speaking. Spring Pavilion is the branch of the local Terpsichore Guild, and I intend to head there to take the 7-star terpsichore examination so as to rake up the required supporting upations for a promotion to 7-star master teacher. Hu Yaoyaos main supporting upation is terpsichore, so it would be beneficial for her to head there too. On the other hand, your main supporting upation is formation master, so it might not be appropriate for you to tag along too. Zhang Xuan was speechless. You dont even know the slightest thing about terpsichorean arts, and you still want to help me? This naivety is truly... Terpsichore Guild branch? 7-star terpsichore? Yu Fei-er froze upon hearing those words, and in the next moment, her face flushed crimson. Clearly, she was unaware of the matter too. When she heard the words courtesan house, her thoughts immediately turned carnal... It was fortunate that the other party didnt seem to understand what she was driving at, or else she would be too embarrassed to meet anyone. Why would the branch of the Terpsichore Guild be a courtesan house? The one who had asked this time around was Hu Yaoyao. It seemed like despite being a terpsichore herself, she wasnt too aware of its history either. In truth, just like Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi, she honestly thought that Zhang shi was going to bring her to that kind of ce! She was still feeling conflicted as to how she should respond should the other party raise some kind of unreasonable demand there, whether she should turn him down or ept him... But to think that the courtesan house would actually be the branch of a Terpsichore Guild instead! The history of terpsichore can be traced back to dance courtesan. Furthermore, only by frequently performing for others will one be able to advance her terpsichorean art swiftly and bring forth greater prowess in battle. As such, most of the Terpsichore Guilds, other than the branches set up within the Master Teacher Academies, are courtesan houses... Having understood what was going on, Luo Qiqi swiftly exined slightly awkwardly. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised to see that Luo Qiqi even knew of this matter, and he nodded in agreement. With this, Yu Fei-er finally understood what was going on, but that only served to make her face redder than ever. Nevertheless, she still bucked up her courage and stared at Zhang Xuan intently, I still want to tag along with you! Teacher, I wish to follow you too! Luo Qiqi added. ... Alright then, you can follow me there if you really want to. Seeing that he was unable to talk the duo out of the matter, Zhang Xuan eventually conceded. In any case, it was not like he was going there to do something that couldnt be seen. He was only intending to take the terpsichore examination, so it mattered not whether he brought another person with him or not. Soon, the group of four set forth from the Combat Master Hall, and after traveling roughly ten li, a massive building appeared before their eyes. Even beforeing close, they could already hear the excited voices within. There was a constant huge crowd walking to and fro the building, a truly bustling sight. Almost the entirety of the crowd were young men, and judging from their extravagant dress up, they were likely to be from considerable backgrounds too. Too beautiful, shes truly too beautiful! Indeed! I would die just for an opportunity to share a night with a fairy like her! Die? I would be willing to die ten times over for that! Stop the talking and get moving. Fairy Zi Yans dance is about to begin... ... Such heated discussions could be heard all around the ce. There was an excited gleam in the eyes of every single young man walking in or out of the building. It seems like terpsichore is a celebrated upation in Qingyuan Empire! Zhang Xuan noted. He had been to many guilds over the past year, but it was truly rare to see one as lively as this. Who knows if its really the upation that is celebrated... Yu Fei-er harrumphed coldly. Alright, lets head in! With a smile, Zhang Xuan began making his way in as well. Admittedly, the beauty of a dancing terpsichore was an allure hard for any young man to resist, but beyond that, the dance of terpsichores ddi help to temper ones soul too. If it wasnt for thetter, it was unlikely that so many cultivators would be so moved over just a few youngdies. This brother over here, are you... intending to enter the Spring Pavilion too? Before Zhang Xuan could walk in, an astonished voice suddenly sounded. Turning around, he saw a young man staring at him with a bbergasted look. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. The other party had an appearance reminiscent of a man in his thirties, and shockingly, his cultivation was higher than Zhang Xuans, reaching Saint 3-dan primary stage! To possess such strength at such a young age, it was almost certain that the other party had a prominent background. Its nothing, its just that I find it... weird... Swiftly taking a nce at Hu Yaoyao and the others, the young man quickly shook his head. Toe to a courtesan house despite having three ravishing beauties by his side... he sure was adventurous! And the most thing of all, those three ravishing beauties actually agreed to it,ing along with him even... It wasnt too hard for Zhang Xuan to fathom what the other party was thinking, but he couldnt be bothered to exin himself. With the threedies following behind him, he made his way over to the entrance. Anky attendant stood at the entrance, Do you have any reservation? Zhang Xuan shook his head, I have something important to do here. Im not intending to... Everyone thates here says that he has something important to do. If you dont have a reservation, Ill have to ask you to turn around and leave. Our Spring Pavilion is already at max capacity, so even if you were to enter now, you wont be able to meet Fairy Zi Yan! said the attendant impatiently. The attendant didnt seem to care whom the other party was or what background he was from. From the looks of it, he must have encountered such situations often, and he knew very well that no one would dare to cause trouble right before the Terpsichore Guild too. Were not here to meet... Slightly displeased by the self-assuming attitude of the attendant, Zhang Xuan was just about to rify the matter when the young man whom he had spoken to earlier suddenly appeared by his side. This person over here is a buddy of mine. Why? Does my buddy need a reservation to enter the Spring Pavilion too? I-I dare not to! I didnt know that hes Chu gongzis friend! the attendant quickly lowered his head respectfully. That better the case! Chu gongzi nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan. This friend over here, I have a reservation at one of the suites inside. Why dont you join me? This... Zhang Xuan frowned. Its impossible to enter without a reservation. If you cant even enter the Spring Pavilion, you wont be able to aplish whatever you intend to do here. Chu gongzi reminded with a smile. ... Ill humbly ept your kind gesture then. Judging from the huge rejected crowd loitering around the entrance of the Spring Pavilion, it was apparent that it would be impossible to enter without making any prior reservation. It would be unseemly for him to make a huge ruckus just to step through those doors, so he decisively chose to take the other party up on his offer. Having thought things through, Zhang Xuan nodded, Thanks. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. With just a look, I can tell that you are one who pursues the same path as me. Naturally, its only right for us to help one another in times of need! Chu gongzi blinked his eyes, gesturing with an I understand look. I... Seeing how Chu gongzi was acting, Zhang Xuan knew that the other party must be misunderstanding something here. He immediately tried to exin himself, but the other party simply shook off his words leisurely, Dont worry, Im not so underhanded as go after thepanions of a friend. Since I regard you as my friend, you can be certain that Ill respect your women as well. Zhang Xuan ced his hand on his forehead. What the heck was this? Forget it. At this point, it didnt feel like there was any point for him to exin anymore. The other party seemed to be so convinced of the matter that anything he said would probably be regarded as a mere excuse out of embarrassment. Following behind Chu gongzi, it didnt take long for them to arrive at a suite on the second floor. The room was spacious and clean. It was divided into several smaller rooms which would allow arge group to reside within this spacefortably, More importantly, its walls were made of ss panels, granting one a clear view of everything within the grand hall of the Spring Pavilion. With just a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the cost of reserving this single room had to be absurdly high. Young Master! As soon as Chu gongzi entered, several beautifuldies immediately walked up to wee him. They paled inparison to Hu Yaoyao and the others, but indubitably, they were still charming individuals in their own right. Un. Chu gongzi nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan. They are all my lovers, I told them toe here and wait for me in advance. Well, you also know how watching the dance of a terpsichore can leave a raging me burning within ones heart. If I dont find an avenue to vent my heat, I might just explode inside... Vent your heat? Indeed. The terpsichores of the Spring Pavilion only sell their craft and not their bodies. Oh, their graceful moves, those slim waists, and that elegant demeanor... Just one look is sufficient to draw out ones soul! Who in the world can bear to just watch and not do? Chu gongzi shook his head. Seeing how you have brought a few people of your own over as well, I can see that we are men treading on the same path... Cough cough! Actually, Im here for another matter. Seeing how the other party was getting more and more ludicrous with everything he said, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but interject. Actually, Im here to take the terpsichore e... Dont worry, we are all men. I understand, I understand. Who doesnt want to take a terpsichore home? Ah, how could I forget my manners? My name is Chu Xiang, may I know how I can address you? With a smile, Chu gongzi introduced himself. I am Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Previously, his attempts to conceal his name had ended up backfiring badly for him. With this trauma still vivid in his mind, he decided to just use his real name instead. In any case, he wasnt here to watch some fairy perform anyway. All he wanted was to take the terpsichore examination. So its Zhang gongzi! I have long heard of your name. With a heartyugh, Chu Xiang said. Even though he had said that he had long heard of Zhang Xuan, from the looks on his face, it seemed to be just pleasantries. But that was to be expected. While Zhang Xuans reputation resounded in the Hongyuan Empire, the same couldnt be said about the Qingyuan Empire. After all, there were many outstanding individuals here. Chapter 1142 - I’m Willing To Offer a Dance To You!

Chapter 1142: Im Willing To Offer a Dance To You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Youre being too polite. Seeing that the other party didnt know him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was for the best that the other party didnt know him. Otherwise, if it were to be known that an honorable master teacher, as well as an esteemed guest of the Combat Master Hall, had visited a courtesan house, his reputation would be dragged through the mud! To be honest, Brother Zhang has chosen the right time to visit. Tonight, we have Fairy Ziyuan on the line, and Fairy Ziyan is going to perform her newly learned terpsichorean art too. I can guarantee you that its going to be a feast for the eyes! Chu gongzi said excitedly. Ziyuan? Ziyan? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. You havent heard of the both of them before? Noting the confusion in Zhang Xuans voice, Chu gongzi was taken aback. Zhang Xuan shook his head. To think that you actually wouldnt have heard of them, Brother Zhang, you are really... Chu gongzi couldnt help but shake his head in disappointment. When he saw the other party brought a few beautifuldies with him to the courtesan house, he thought that the other party was a fellowrade. Who could have thought that he hadnt even heard of the two most famous terpsichores in the Spring Pavilion? Are they very famous? Using the word famous on them would be a gross underestimation of their reputation! Theres probably no one in the entire Qingyuan City who hasnt heard of them! This is especially so for Fairy Ziyan. A 7-star terpsichore, her dance had bewitched countless audiences. Who knows how many men have emptied out their fortunes just to see her perform? However, its a pity that she only performs once a month. For this very day, I had to book this suite a month ahead in advance! Seeing that Zhang Xuan truly knew nothing at all, Chu gongzi shook his head in disapproval. You had to book the suite a month ahead? Zhang Xuan was speechless. To go to such an extent just to watch a couple of dances, the other party sure was tenacious. Chu gongzi was just about to respond to Zhang Xuans words when the sound of instruments suddenly echoed from the grand hall. He quickly waved his hands and headed towards the seat near the ss wall, Well talkter, the performance is about to start soon... Soon after, a figurended daintily on the stage in the grand hall. The figure was a youngdy who seemed to be in her twenties. In contrast to the resplendent violet robe she wore, her feet were bare. However, when she flew across the air, her figure was truly reminiscent of a fairy. If one were to evaluate her just based on her looks itself, she would be beneath Hu Yaoyao and the others. However, the aura she exuded was reminiscent of a heavenly fairy, one that could ascend into the sky at any moment. It was like fiction had spilled over into reality, making her existence one that was extremely hard to fathom. Such a feeling was further enhanced by her clothes. Not only was it resplendent and gorgeous, it shaped out her figure perfectly, entuating her natural grace. At the same time, it bared her skin at the perfect proportion. A little more revealed, and she might have appeared crass; a little less revealed, and she might have looked in. With such, it was inevitable that her appearance could capture every single gaze in the room as soon as shended. It was no wonder why Chu gongzi would be so moved by her. If not for the fact that Zhang Xuans state of mind had already reached a near-transcendental level, he might be tempted to take a few more nces at her while sighing in pleasure. This is Fairy Ziyan? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course not! This is Fairy Ziyuan, Fairy Ziyans junior! Without turning his gaze from the stage, Chu gongzi replied indignantly. Seeing how the other party wasnt even willing to tear his eyes away from the stage for a single instant, as if a little boy who had never seen a woman in his life, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head bitterly. Looking out of the ss wall, he took a swift nce of his surroundings. Be it the audiences in the suites beside him or amidst the grand hall below, their eyes were all fixed on the youngdy on the stage as well. It was as the youngdy had already stolen their souls from the moment she first arrived in the grand hall. A dance to steal the world... This is indeed a formidable upation! Seeing how everyone was reacting, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but remark in his head. It was only due to the fact that his mastery in terpsichorean art was equivalent to a 7-star terpsichore and his powerful soul that the other partys dance couldnt faze him. But the same couldnt be said about the others. Their souls were more vulnerable, so it was inevitable that the dance would put them into a deep trance. Even though that Fairy Ziyuan is only a 6-star pinnacle terpsichore, her prowess in terpsichorean arts seems to be significantly more refined than Wei Ranxue... The head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy Terpsichore School, as well as Hu Yaoyaos teacher, Wei Ranxue, was a 6-star pinnacle terpsichore too. Her beauty was on par with Fairy Ziyuan, but in terms of the allure of their dances, she didnt evene close to matching up with Fairy Ziyuan. Every single gesture of the youngdy on the stage was just so graceful that others would inadvertently fight their attentionpletely stolen by it. Clearly, the youngdysprehension of terpsichorean arts had already achieved an incredible level. Esteemed as one the Ten Great Master Teachers, it is inevitable that Wei Ranxues dance would be a little more rigid in consideration of her reputation. This resulted in the loss of the worldliness in her dance, and theck of this quality resulted in a steep decline in the prowess of her dances... With just a look, Zhang Xuan was able to analyze the problem in Wei Ranxues dance. Those who hadnt gone through the vicissitudes of life wouldnt be able to devote feelings into their dance to evoke a certain quality, and as a result of that, their dance would becking in appeal. This appeal was extremely important for bring forth the true prowess of a terpsichorean art in battle. It was no wonder why the branches of the Terpsichorean Guild were established as courtesan houses. It was indeed beneficial for mastering this upation. Without a doubt, if Wei Ranxue were to battle with Fairy Ziyuan, thetter would emerge victorious. Hu! While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thoughts, the youngdy suddenly twisted gracefully, and a set of beautiful dance moves flowed smoothly from her. Her dance was silent and tranquil, reminiscent to the soothing atmosphere of a river gentle knocking on a boulder amidst a lush, remote mountain. Those watching it instantaneously fell into a unique state of mind which ced their bodies and souls in a state of absolute rxation. Watching such dances regrly will be beneficial to the growth of ones soul... After taking a short look, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Even though the dance was riddled with so many ws that he could hardly bring himself to watch it, its effects to ce one in a calm state was still undeniable. By immersing themselves into such a state of mind often, ones soul would be nourished. Perhaps, just like what he had guessed before, the crowd hade not for the allure of the dancers but the pleasurable sensation of ones soul growing... With such thoughts in mind, he subconsciously turned his head towards Chu gongzi, only to see thetters eyes glowing brightly as his saliva dripped all over his clothes. Ah? Astonished, Zhang Xuan swiftly turned his eyes toward the other audience as well. Just like Chu gongzi, they werepletely absorbed into the dance too. Saliva was trickling down their cheeks, and there was an inexplicably lecherous expression on their faces. From the looks of the faces, if not for fear of the prowess of the Terpsichore Guild, those men might have rushed forward andmitted atrocities. It seems like... I have overthought the matter! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be as a bitter smile surfaced on his lips. Hu! Very soon, the dance came to an end, and Fairy Ziyuan bowed gracefully before taking her leave. Following which, a middle-ageddy stepped out, and surveying the crowd, she said, Tonight, our Spring Pavilion will be auctioning an [Exclusive Dance] from Fairy Ziyuan. If anyone is interested in it, feel free to make a big. The starting bid is 50 high-tier spirit stones, and every raise must be of 10 high-tier spirit stones at the minimum! Exclusive Dance? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. At this moment, Chu gongzi had finally recovered from his trance, and he quickly wiped away the drool from his mouth as he exined, It means that the fairy dance for you personally... Just imagine it in your head, watching the dance of a fairy at close proximity within a private room... how could one not fall into a frenzy over it? Its precisely due to the poprity of Exclusive Dances that they are priced so steeply... Zhang Xuan came to a realization. The execution of terpsichorean arts was extremely taxing on ones soul. Most terpsichores would only be able to dance at her full prowess once or twice per day due to the limitations of their souls. But, who could have thought that such an opportunity could actually be auctioned as a limitedmodity too? For the starting bid of a single dance to be 50 high-tier spirit stones... How fearsome! Even the private lesson from a 6-star pinnacle master teacher wasnt worth as much! Ill offer 60! 70! Hah, arent you embarrassed to be only bidding 70? 100! ... A hugemotion broke out on the audience stand. In just a few moments, the price had already exceeded a hundred. Eventually, the opportunity was auctioned off at a final price of 150 high-tier spirit stones by a gentleman in one of the suites. To be honest, Zhang Xuan was already doubting his existence at this very moment. Back when he was still at Hongyuan Empire, he had to toil his body away just to earn a couple of high-tier spirit stones. And yet, the other party had managed to earn a whole 150 high-tier spirit stones just by executing a single dance. Was this a sign from the heavens that it was high time for him to switch upations? With his profoundprehension of terpsichorean arts, his dances should at least be far more valuable than the youngdy on the stage! Why didnt you bid for Fairy Ziyuans Exclusive Dance? Zhang Xuan turned to Chu gongzi and asked curiously. From the fact that the other party had booked this suite, it could be seen that on top of being a fan of terpsichorean arts, he was also an individual with nock of money. Logically speaking, he should be interested in an opportunity at an Exclusive Dance with Fairy Ziyuan, so why didnt he make a bid? Naturally, I am saving up my money to purchase Fairy Ziyans Exclusive Dance! Chu gongzi replied proudly. Fairy Ziyan? Un, thats right. Look, shesing out now! Chu gongzis eyes lit up. Zhang Xuan quickly turned his head over and saw a hugemotion rippling across the audience stand. Following which, another youngdy gracefully flew down onto the stage as well. This youngdy was clearly much more beautiful than Ziyuan, and her figure was more alluring as well. Astonishingly, she was on par with even Hu Yaoyao! More importantly, she carried an incredible air of worldliness, seemingly ready to plunge into the river of love with another at any moment. A 7-star pinnacle terpsichore... No wonder! Zhang Xuan remarked internally. This exined why so many people were infatuated with her. Hu hu! While Zhang Xuan was still in thought, the youngdy beneath began dancing. Her movements were graceful and exquisite, and it seemed to be ying on the souls of the spectators. Once again, Zhang Xuan turned his head over to look at Chu gongzi, and as expected, thetter was drooling more than ever. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan quietly turned his attention back to the dance on the stage. It must be said that Fairy Ziyansprehension of terpsichorean arts had reached an astonishing level. Every single movement of hers seemed to be aligned with the natural beauty of the world, causing even ones heart to beat in tempo with her dance. As long as she wills it so, she could easily cause the hearts of every single one here toe to aplete halt with her dance! Zhang Xuan remarked meaningfully. If her dance could even control the beating of ones heart, it would be no exaggeration to say that she wielded the life of every single being within this grand hall at this very moment. Truly, no upations should be underestimated. Hu! Before long, the dance came to an end, and the auctioning of Fairy Ziyans Exclusive Dance began. The starting bid of Fairy Ziyans Exclusive Dance will be 500 high-tier spirit stones, and every increment must not be less than 100. Alright, lets begin the auction right now! the middle-ageddy announced once more. I offer 600! 800! 1000! ... Fairy Ziyans Exclusive Dance was indeed far more popr than Fairy Ziyuans. In the blink of an eye, in the literal sense of the phrase, the price had already shot up to 1000 high-tier spirit stones. 1000 high-tier spirit stones, just to watch a single dance? Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly. If he hadnt seen it with his own eyes, he might have thought that the world had gone mad! While he was still deep in thought over the matter, he suddenly heard the voice of Chu gongzi sounding beside him, I offer... a concentrated high-tier spirit stone! A concentrated high-tier spirit stone? Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before his eyes widened in shock. One must know that even the Combat Master Hall only had 10 concentrated high-tier spirit stones! To offer a concentrated high-tier spirit stone just to watch a dance... This darned prodigal! As long as I could obtain an Exclusive Dance from Fairy Ziyan, theres no price too heavy for me to pay! Noting Zhang Xuans shocked stare, Chu gongzi replied. Theres no price too heavy for you to pay? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. At this moment, he suddenly recalled a matter, and his eyes lit up. Getting to his feet, he looked at Chu gongzi confidently and said, Why dont we do this then? Instead of watching her dance, why dont you give that concentrated high-tier spirit stone to me, and Ill dance for you instead! ... Chu gongzi. Chapter 1143 - Wei Ranxue’s Senior

Chapter 1143: Wei Ranxues Senior

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Chu gongzi nearly copsed onto the ground. The reason why I wish to watch Fairy Ziyans Exclusive Dance is because I want some private time with her... Who wants to watch a man like you dance? I dont have such inclinations! Zhang shi, calm down! Unable to watch it any longer, Hu Yaoyao rushed forward to hold Zhang Xuan back. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er also pped their forehead helplessly. They knew that Zhang shi had always beencking in EQ, but who could have thought that it would be so dire? Given how that Chu Xiang fellow was drooling all over his clothes earlier, do you think that its really the terpsichorean art which he is appreciating? For you to dance for him... Honestly, he wouldnt watch it even if you were to pay him, and you still expect him to pay you a concentrated high-tier spirit stone over it? You are really thinking too much! Zhang gongzi, I think it would be better for you to dance for these beautifuldies instead. Im afraid that I dont have such an interest... With a face flushed crimson, Chu gongzi finally caught a breather and replied. Is that so? What a pity. I have to say that you have missed a really good opportunity! Zhang Xuan shook his head. He hadnt offered to dance for the other party out of mere greed for the money. Instead, he had discreetly activated his Eye of Insight to assess the condition of the young man beside him. Considering the value of a concentrated high-tier spirit stone within Qingyuan Empire, which n could possibly give a concentrated high-tier spirit stone to a profligate son to squander away? Furthermore, given the fact that he had achieved a cultivation of Saint 3-dan at such a young age, it was apparent that he wasnt an irrational individual who allowed lust to get the better of him. It might sound ridiculous for a rational individual to pay such a hefty price just to watch a dance, but Chu gongzis true goal was actually to resolve the ws in his soul so as to advance his cultivation. As long as the ws in his soul remained, it would be nigh impossible for him to advance to Primordial Spirit realm. It was precisely because Zhang Xuan had seen through it that he offered to dance for the other party. Even though Fairy Ziyan was a 7-star terpsichore, in terms of her ability to heal souls, there was no way she coulde close to matching up to Zhang Xuan. If Chu gongzi had agreed to it, Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to nurse the other partys soul to perfection. However, it was a pity that the other party didnt treasure this opportunity. Opportunity? Its fine, I dont need it... Chu gongzi quickly shook his head. While the duo was chatting, the auction beneath concluded. The value of a concentrated high-tier spirit stone was far above a thousand high-tier spirit stones, and not to mention, it was amodity which was difficult to obtain in Qingyuan Empire even if one had the money for it. Inevitably, the slot went to Chu Xiang. Shortly after the auction concluded, the room to the suite opened, and Fairy Ziyan, who had been dancing below earlier, slowly walked in. At this point, she had already switched to another set of clothes. It was less revealing than the one she had performed in earlier, but it stillplemented her well nevertheless. With her new set of clothes, the aura of worldliness around her had vanished without a trace, and instead, she resembled a noble from a prestigious n instead. At close proximity, one could see that her skin was exquisitely delicate, reminiscent of silk. On top of that, the graceful aura which she exuded made one unwilling to avert ones eyes after taking a look. Ziyan pays respect to Chu gongzi. Ziyan greeted with a smile. Youre too polite... Chu gongzi hurriedly got to his feet before introducing, This is my friend, Zhang Xuan, Zhang gongzi! Pleased to meet you, Zhang gongzi. Ziyan bowed slightly. Zhang Xuan nodded before asking, Since you are a terpsichore of the local Terpsichore Guild, may I ask where should I go and whom I should approach in order to take the 7-star terpsichore examination? Since Fairy Ziyan was standing right before him at this moment, it was natural that he should make use of this opportunity to ask the matter. The 7-star terpsichore examination? Surprised by the abrupt question, Ziyan took a look around the room before her gaze finally fell on Hu Yaoyao. Is this youngdy here going to take the examination? No, its me. Zhang Xuan replied. You? Fairy Ziyan was visibly startled for a moment. There was no explicit rule that prevented a male from learning terpsichorean arts, but conventionally, it had been regarded as a female upation. This was the very first time she saw a male asking to challenge the terpsichore examination. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. Under his guidance, Hu Yaoyaos proficiency as a terpsichore had advanced to the level of 6-star pinnacle. Nevertheless, she still needed more practice before she was ready to be promoted to 7-star. Knowing what Fairy Ziyan was thinking of, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out his 6-star terpsichore emblem. That was the emblem which Wei Ranxue had applied for him previously. Taking a closer look at the emblem and confirming its authenticity, Fairy Ziyan turned to Zhang Xuan apologetically and said, You are really a 6-star terpsichore! Ill bring you over right now then... Chu gongzi, pardon me, but Ill have to ask you to wait for me here for a moment. Ill be back after dealing with this matter to conduct an Exclusive Dance for you. Its fine. Chu gongzi nodded. Actually, since Im free at the moment, is it fine if I follow you all over as well? To be honest, he was rather surprised to learn that Zhang Xuan was actually a terpsichore too. The seductive moves of a dancing man... Just the thought of it left him feeling a little agitated within... This... Fairy Ziyan turned to Zhang Xuan to seek his opinion. Typically speaking, the examination would be conducted in a private location so as to ensure confidentiality and absolute silence for the examiner to showcase the full extent of his abilities. Since Zhang Xuan was the one going to take the examination, it would only be right for her to seek his opinion on the matter. Its fine. Zhang Xuan nodded. In the first ce, terpsichorean art was a performance art meant for others to spectate. It mattered not to him whether he performed before a crowd or not. Zhang gongzi, this way please! Knowing that the other party was here to challenge the 7-star examination, Fairy Ziyans attitude became significantly more amiable. She began leading the way forward. Stepping out of the grand hall, they arrived in a spacious room. A middle-ageddy walked up to them and frowned, Ziyan, why did you bring others in here? Teacher, Zhang gongzi over here is a 6-star terpsichore. He intends to challenge the 7-star examination. After saying those words, Fairy Ziyan passed Zhang Xuans 6-star terpsichore emblem over. Zhang gongzi? Lowering her head to look at the emblem, a look of astonishment surfaced on the middle-ageddys face. You are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi? From Hongyuan Empire? Hm? Zhang Xuan was perplexed to hear those words. You know me? I am Wei Ranqin. The head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy Terpsichore School, Wei Ranxue, is my junior! the middle-ageddy replied with a kind smile. Not too long ago, she sent a message over and told me about your affairs. Its truly incredible for a man as young as you to achieve the level of Unadorned Quintessence in your terpsichorean art. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Wei Ranxue had never spoken about Wei Ranqin before, but given how thetter knew of his background, her words should be true as well. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Due to the considerations as a result of her identity as a master teacher, Junior Ranxue hasnt been able to release her inner self through her dance, resulting in an awkward rigidity in her move. As a result, she has stagnated at 6-star pinnacle for a very long time. Its thanks to your guidance that shes able to take the final step forward and achieve the level of 7-star. Guild Leader Wei Ranqin said with a smile. She specially sent a message over saying that you might visit our guild in recent days, and she entrusted me to ry her gratitude to you if I were to meet you. Since you are intending to take the 7-star terpsichore examination, allow me to make preparations for you now. Guild Leader Wei Ranqin nodded. Ill be troubling you then. Zhang Xuan sped his fist in response.. Its no problem. Its also a good thing for us if more geniuses to emerge from our Terpsichore Guild. Wei Ranqin replied with a smile. After which, she turned around and instructed, Ziyan, apany Zhang shi here for a moment while I make some preparations for the examination! Yes! After Wei Ranqin left, Fairy Ziyan and Chu gongzi couldnt help but reassess Zhang Xuan with a look of bewilderment on their faces. To them, Guild Leader Wei was a nonchnt person who rarely showed her emotions. Power and prestige, these are things which didnt seem to affect her in the least. This was the very first time that Fairy Ziyan had seen her teacher getting so excited. Brother Zhang, you are really... a terpsichore? Chu gongzi still found it difficult to believe the matter. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded. Aiya! How could I have been so dense... Hearing Zhang Xuan acknowledge the matter, Chu gongzi pped his forehead and eximed. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan was bewildered by Chu gongzis abrupt words. If I were to be a terpsichore too, I would have more opportunities toe into close range with other terpsichores too. If so, Ill be able to watch as many dances as I want to without spending a single gold coin! More importantly... as the saying goes, those standing by the gazebo are the first to acquire the moon 1 . That must be the reason why Brother Zhang has three ravishing beauties following you. You are truly a winner in life, my idol! Chu gongzi eximed with a look of deep regret on his face. How could I have been so foolish back then? If only I have insisted on learning terpsichorean arts back then, my life could have very well taken a wholly different trajectory! ...Zhang Xuan was speechless. Reluctant to bother himself with this fellow whose mind was filled with nothing but nonsense, Zhang Xuan turned to Fairy Ziyan and asked, Pardon me, but I would like to ask how the 7-star terpsichore examination is conducted. You dont know? Fairy Ziyan was taken aback. To challenge the 7-star terpsichore examination despite not knowing what it was, the other party sure was gutsy! To be honest, I dont really know... Zhang Xuan shook his head. The 7-star terpsichore examination doesnt differ much from the 6-star examination, so you need not worry too much about it. Shaking her head, Fairy Ziyan replied. Cough cough, then... may I ask how the 6-star examination is conducted? Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He hadnt taken the 6-star terpsichore examination either. The emblem he had was specially applied by Wei Ranxue. As such, he had no idea how the examination went either. Hearing those words, Fairy Ziyan couldnt help but frown in displeasure. It is one thing for you to not know about the 7-star examination, but as a 6-star terpsichore, do you think that it makes sense for you not to know about the 6-star examination too? Arent you clearly toying with me? To tell you the truth, I didnt take the 6-star terpsichore examination. My emblem was obtained by a special application from School Head Wei Ranxue, so Im not very sure about the procedures for the 6-star examination either! Seeing that the other party was mistaking his intentions, Zhang Xuan swiftly rified. You obtained your emblem through a special application? How is that possible? How would others know how deep of an understanding you have in terpsichorean art without undergoing a formal examination? This is preposterous! Fairy Ziyan flung her sleeves in displeasure. Even if you wanted to boast, at leaste up with something more believable! While the Terpsichore Guild wasnt as strict and rigid as the Upper Nine Paths upation, it was still a unique upation. Every single examination needed to be invigted by numerous elders of at least equal ranking, and only after receiving the approval of the majority would the individual be qualified to receive the emblem... To be given the emblem without even undergoing the examination... You must be kidding me! She had been considered as a once-in-a-century genius in terpsichorean arts, but even she had never encountered something as absurd as this! This... Not expecting the other party to doubt him despite speaking of the truth, Zhang Xuan had no idea how he should exin himself. Sighing deeply, he could only give up on the matter and relent, Forget it then. May I know where your guilds library is? I would like to browse through the books if possible. Since the other party was unwilling to speak, he would just have to uncover the answer himself through the books. Besides, he had onlypiled the 6-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art so far. While his prowess was already on par with 7-star terpsichore, he would still have topile the 7-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art before he could be considered as a full-fledged 7-star terpsichore. Teacher will be turning very soon, so just wait here for a moment longer... Fairy Ziyan waved her hands impatiently. However, before she could finish her words, Guild Leader Wen Ranqin suddenly returned back to the room with a bright smile on her face. Congrattions, Zhang shi. Junior Ranxue has reported your mastery in terpsichorean arts to the headquarters previously, and it has cleared their reviews. Thus, when I tried applying for the 7-star terpsichore examination on your behalf previously, the headquarters replied that they would bestow you with the 7-star emblem directly, so you dont have to take the examination anymore! Wei Ranqin said as she passed an emblem over. Thank you for that! Taking the emblem, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Its really possible to obtain the emblem without undergoing any examination? Fairy Ziyan froze on the spot. In this saying, gazebo refers to an elegant sheltered structure constructed above a pond, and the moon refers to the reflection on the surface of the water. This saying means those who are closest in proximity to an individual or a ce tend to be the ones to gain the most from a happening. Chapter 1144 - News on Sun Qiang

Chapter 1144: News on Sun Qiang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric It was just a moment ago that she said that it was ridiculous for one to obtain an emblem without any examination when her teacher delivered an emblem straight to the other party in the very next moment... If only there was a hole in the ground at this moment, she would burrow into it without any hesitation. Too embarrassing! It was too embarrassing! In the first ce, it was rare for a male to learn terpsichorean arts, but not only was the young man before her a terpsichore, his emblems were even given straight to him by the Terpsichore Guild. Was this for real? Teacher, do the headquarters have a procedure to give out emblems straight? Why havent I heard of it? Unable to stand it any longer, Fairy Ziyan asked. The headquarters grant special care to those who have made great contribution to the terpsichore upation, and this includes certain privileges in the promotion of ranks as well. Previously, Zhang shi has altered the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, granting it prowess on par with a grade-7 terpsichorean art. With such contribution, putting aside a mere 7-star emblem, as long as Zhang shi wills for it, he can easily qualify as an elder of our branch! Wei Ranqin replied. Altered the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe? Hes the one who altered that terpsichorean art? Fairy Ziyans body trembled as disbelief sank into her eyes. She had long heard of that someone had managed to improve the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, and she was astonished by the significant rise in its prowess when she cultivated the altered version. Not only was it far stronger than before, the soul energy required for its execution was also reduced by at least two-thirds. With this, the technique had be far more practical in battle than before. At the very least, terpsichores wouldnt find themselvespletely drained and powerless after executing this single technique. It was in view of the astonishing prowess of the altered Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe that nearly all 6-star terpsichores and above in their guild had cultivated this terpsichorean art. She had thought that the person behind the alteration would at least be an 8-star terpsichore at the very minimum. Who could have thought that the person would actually be a twenty-year-old young man? More importantly, she had even mocked the other party just a moment ago... Un. Not only did Zhang shi alter the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, he also has a unique insight into the essence of terpsichorean arts. Your Senior Aunt Ranxue has reported all of these in detail to the Terpsichore Guild, and its in view of those that the headquarter made a special exception and distributed the 7-star emblem to him straight. Guild Leader Wei Ranqin exined. Even though she had learned of the matter from her junior through the conversations that they had a while ago, she still couldnt help but find the entire matter inconceivable, especially after seeing how young Zhang Xuan was in person. It was one thing for him to have such a deep understanding of terpsichore despite his young age, but more than that, he had also shown outstanding aplishments in the other upations as well... Even she couldnt help but feel deep admiration for the other party. This... Fairy Ziyans face turnedpletely scarlet from embarrassment. Biting her lips, she stepped forward and bowed apologetically, Zhang shi, I apologize for my previous rudeness. I hope that you can forgive my ignorance. Its fine, I wont take it to heart, so you dont have to worry about it. Zhang Xuan waved his hands and smiled. If you still feel bad about the matter, itll do as long as you help my brother over here resolve the issues with his soul during the Exclusive Dance with himter on. With his current state of mind, the views of others couldnt faze him anymore. Honestly, it didnt really matter to him whether Fairy Ziyan apologized or not. Thank you. Seeing that the other party didnt me him for this matter, Fairy Ziyan bowed gratefully. After which, she turned her gaze towards Chu gongzi to ask thetter what kind of ws his soul had, only to see thetter staring at Zhang Xuan with an astonished look on his face. Y-you... You know about the injuries of my soul? He hadnt told anyone about the injuries of his soul for fear that his enemies would use it against him. As such, not even his father was aware of the matter. All along, he had been hiding it under the cover as a profligate individual, and yet, a person whom he had just met an hour ago pointed it out so easily, as if it was nothing at all... While your soul may seempact, there are still some portions which arent fusing well with the rest of your soul. If Im not mistaken, its probably the result from being assaulted by an enemy while you were in the midst of a breakthrough to the Embryonic Soul realm! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. With the increment in the prowess of his Eye of Insight, even if Zhang Xuan didnt use the Library of Heavens Path, he could still easily see what was wrong with thetter. The other partys soul had been damaged due to being assaulted by an enemy during a crucial stage in a breakthrough, but fortunately, the injuries he had sustained didnt seem to be too severe. Furthermore, it seemed like he had been visiting the Spring Pavilion regrly to nourish his soul through terpsichorean arts, and he was just a little short form making aplete recovery. As long as Fairy Ziyan were to earnestly help him resolve his issue, he should be able to make a full recovery very soon after watching a few more terpsichorean arts. Thus, while the process might be a little slower then, there was actually no need for Zhang Xuan to make a move. Even though Chu gongzi had only buddied up to him thinking that he was a fellow rade treading down the same path, ultimately, it was still thanks to the other party that he was able to enter the Spring Pavilion and meet Guild Leader Wei Ranqin so easily. Naturally, it would only be right for him to return the favor, especially since it was only a trivial matter. I... Chu gongzis face turned scarlet. He couldnt find any words to speak at this moment. It was true that his injuries were caused from being assaulted by an enemy in the midst of his breakthrough to Embryonic Soul realm. However, as this matter concerned a very huge secret, he dared not speak of it to another soul. Yet, the young man before him was able to see through him so easily, even urately determining the cause of his injury... The other partys eye of discernment was truly, in every sense of the word, astounding! He had thought that the other party was only a lecherous fellow, but who could have thought that he would actually be a hidden expert! Guild Leader Wei, is it fine if I browse through the 7-star terpsichore books in your library? Having dealt with the matter over here, Zhang Xuan turned to Wei Ranqin and sped his fist. As a 7-star terpsichore, you are definitely qualified to browse through our 7-star terpsichore books. This way please! Wei Ranqin nodded before leading the way forward. Following behind her, it didnt take long for them to arrive in a vast room. All of the books of our Terpsichore Guild is in there. As long as you have the required emblem on hand, you will be able to enter and leave the premises freely. Wei Ranqin said as she gestured forward. Un. Ill be troubling Guild Leader Wei to take care of my three friends over here then. This youngdy over here is Hu Yaoyao, and shes the prodigious disciple of School Head Wei! Zhang Xuan nodded as he gestured to the threedies behind him. Junior Ranxues disciple? Guild Leader Wei was surprised as she turned her gaze over to Hu Yaoyao. Yaoyao pays respect to Senior Aunt! Hu Yaoyao quickly stepped forward and bowed politely. Un. Not bad, not bad... With a look, Guild Leader Wei couldnt help but nod in approval. On top of their innate talent, terpsichores rely heavily on their external appearances as well. The more beautiful a terpsichore was, the more likely she would be able to bring forth greater prowess from terpsichorean arts. Regardless of whether it was her figure or her appearance, it was apparent that Hu Yaoyaos looks were far above that of Fairy Ziyan. As long as she had a good teacher to guide her along, she would be bound to achieve great things in the future. Guild Leader Wei nodded in satisfaction. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan decided to speak no longer, and taking out his emblem, he entered the library. The library was extremely vast. Countless books were stackedpactly in neatly-positioned shelves, which seemed to extend all the way to the horizon. Without bothering himself with the 1-star to 6-star books, Zhang Xuan headed straight towards the section with 7-star terpsichore books and began scanning through them with his gaze. Hula! Countless books materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. After undergoing the fourth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher, while the Library of Heavens Path didnt undergo any changes, Zhang Xuans ability to process things did rise significantly. As such, the rate at which he could collect books was also raised considerably. It took him less than an hour to collect all of the 7-star terpsichore books into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! With a thought, Zhang Xuan gathered all of the books together and formed the 7-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art. Another hourter, he exhaled deeply, and a brilliant gleam shone from his eyes. Having the grasped the 7-star Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art, his mastery as a terpsichore had risen to the level of a 7-star pinnacle terpsichore. Due to the overwhelming prowess of the Heavens Path Terpsichorean Art, his skills could be said to beparable to most 8-star primary terpsichores. But of course, that was only in terms of knowledge and mastery. With his current Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivation, if he were to meet a real 8-star terpsichore, he would do well to flee as fast as he could. As long as his cultivation hadnt met the mark, he wouldnt be able to disy the full prowess of his terpsichorean arts. Alright, another supporting upation cleared. Two more left to go, and Ill be able to be promoted to 7-star master teacher! Standing up and stretching his back, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Perhaps I should try the Appraiser Hall and the Painter Guild. The examinations of those two upations are slightly simpler. Zhang Xuan thought with a smile. The Beast Tamer Guild was a considerable distance away, and considering that it was an Upper Nine Paths upation, its examination was likely to be more rigid and rigorous, thus more time-consuming as well. Since that was the case, it would be better for him to drop by the Appraiser Hall and the Painter Guild to take a look. Walking out of the library, Zhang Xuan saw that Guild Leader Wei and the others were still standing around the area. Thus, he walked up to them and said, I have truly imposed on Guild Leader Wei this time around. I still have matters to attend to, so Im afraid that Ill have to take my leave first. Guild Leader Wei, well be taking our leave too. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to leave, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er sped their fists as well. Un. Guild Leader Wei nodded. Ill keep Yaoyao here with me for the time being. There are some things which I would like to ask her. Zhang Xuan took a look at Hu Yaoyao to seek her opinion on the matter, and only after seeing thetter nod did he reply, Alright. Zhang shi, are we returning back to the Combat Master Hall? Leaving the Terpsichore Guild, Yu Fei-er turned to Zhang Xuan and asked. Im intending to drop by the Appraiser Hall. If you have things to attend to, feel free to leave. Zhang Xuan said. I-Its fine, Ill head there with you! Yu Fei-er replied swiftly. Same here too... Luo Qiqi nodded. Seeing that the duo was determined to continue tagging along with him, Zhang Xuan decided to say no more. After determining the direction of the Appraiser Hall based on the description Hall Master Xing provided him, he was just about to head over when a young man dressed in ck suddenly approached him. May I ask if you are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi? the young man sped his fist and asked. I am. Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. He hardly knew anyone in Qingyuan Empire, so why would anyone seek him? Our Old Master wants to meet you. the young man said. Your Old Master wants to meet me? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Who is your Old Master? You will know once you meet him. the young man replied nonchntly. Pardon me, Im not free. Zhang Xuan waved his hand and turned the other party down. He was currently busy at the moment, so why should he waste his time on someone who wasnt even willing to report his own name? Hehe, our Old Master said that Zhang shi will dare not turn down his invitation. A peculiar smile appeared on the young mans face, seemingly suggesting that he might have already anticipated such an oue. Oh? I dare not turn down his invitation? Zhang Xuan scoffed in displeasure. It was one thing for the other party to not report his name despite requesting to meet with him, but to utter such conceited words on top of that... It was apparent from this that the other party couldnt possibly be an upright individual! Zhang shi, why dont you take a look at this before making your decision? The young man flicked his wrist and passed an item over. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan took a look at it. It was the tattered fabric of a robe. With just one look, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes menacingly, You kidnapped Sun Qiang? He was certain that the fabric hade from Sun Qiangs clothes. He hadnt paid any heed to Sun Qiangs disappearance, thinking that thetter was out feasting, drinking, and saving damsels in distress, enjoying his life to the fullest... He didnt think that thetter would actually be captured by someone else! More importantly, it was apparent that the other party knew who he was, but despite so, the other party still chose to resort to such a brazen and arrogant course of action. We are currently hosting Butler Sun in our manor as a guest. Our Old Master has entrusted me to bring Zhang shi over at all cost, or else what that would be sent over next might not just be a simple piece of fabric anymore but... Seeing that Zhang shi recognized the object, the young man smiled gleefully. However, before he could finish his words, a sharp pain assaulted his abdomen, causing his face to distort hideously. Peng! Zhang Xuans powerful kick had left the young mans organs jolting under the powerful impact. If the slightest bit more force were to be exerted, the other partys organs might just end up being shattered on the spot. Padah! The young man flew several dozen meters across the street before skidding to a halt. Clutching his abdomen, his entire body was scrunched together like a shrimp from the excruciating pain. Chapter 1145 - Landscaper

Chapter 1145: Landscaper

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric As a transcender, Zhang Xuan had grown up being inculcated by the positive values of his previous world. As such, he preferred to avoid confrontation, choosing to resolve all problem amiably wherever possible. But... all dragons had scales which couldnt be touched, and those who flout the rules would have to pay with their lives! (This is saying from a legend which depicts that dragons have an inverted scale on their neck which no one is to touch. Anyone who dares to touch it will be killed by the dragon. This saying means that everyone has their own bottom line, no matter how tolerant or forgiving they are. Anyone who dares cross that line will incur the ire of the individual) Sun Qiang had been with him ever since the time he was at Tianxuan Kingdom. Despite the other partys indolence when it came to cultivation, the other party had always dealt with all kinds of misceneous matters for him skillfully without a single word ofint. If not for the other party, he would probably have been bogged down by all sorts of things, and there was no way he would have been able to devote his attention to cultivation and achieve so much within such a short period of time. It could be said that Butler Sun was one of the most important people in his life, and he viewed him as a family member as well, just like Wang Ying, Zhao Ya, and the others. Yet, the fellow before him actually dared to threaten him using Sun Qiangs life, so how could he possibly not fly into a rage? You dare to kick me? Not expecting that the other party would dare to make a move on him even when they had a hostage in hand, the ck-robed young man struggled weakly to his feet and red at Zhang Xuan with eyes brimming with hostility. I want you to di Roaring furiously, the young man charged forward, but before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt his entirely body tensing up. Someone had grabbed him by his neck and pulled him up. Following which, a pair of frosty eyes appeared before him. If you want to die, I can fulfill your wish right now. The frosty voice paired with the killing intent left the ck-robed young man paling in fear. The words which he had wanted to speak stifled in his mouth, rendering him incapable of utter anything at all. Having undergone life and death situations before, the ck-robed young man could tell that the other party was deadly serious about this matter. If he were to dare speak another word of the matter, the other party would very well have him killed. Who is your Old Master, and where is Sun Qiang at the moment? Zhang Xuan uttered frostily. I... The ck-robed young man shuddered upon hearing those wordspletely devoid of warmth. Fearing for his life, he quickly replied, O-our Old Master is the First King of the Qingyuan Empire, King Zhongqing! King Zhongqing? Zhang Xuan frowned. Why did he kidnap my butler? It had only been three days since he arrived at Qingyuan City, and his activities had been mainly centered around the Spirit Awakener Guild, Combat Master Hall, and Terpsichore Guild. He had never been anywhere else other than those three ces, so how in the world did he manage to offend the so-called First King of Qingyuan Empire? If he hadnt offended the other party, he couldnt think of a reason why the other party would go to the extent of provoking a reputable master teacher like himself! To kidnap his men without any warning was as good as challenging his dignity, and not to mention, the other party even sent a small fry over to threaten him... He must be really tired of living! I am just a servant, I really dont know anything else! the ck-robed man shuddered. Lead the way! Seeing that the other party earnestly didnt know anything at all, Zhang Xuan dropped the young man on the ground and bellowed. Yes! the ck-robed man replied fearfully. He dared not pull his weight as he did previously anymore, and he quickly headed forward. Zhang shi, I have heard of King Zhongqing before. Hes not an easy figure to deal with, you must be absolutely careful around him! While following behind the ck-robed young man, Yu Fei-er warned with a deep frown. Even though she wasnt interested in politics, as a princess of Hongyuan Empire, she still knew a thing or two about Qingyuan Empire. Oh? Seeing that Yu Fei-er knew about King Zhongqing, Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze to her. This First King of Qingyuan Empire used to be a humble peasant, but twenty years ago, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe somehow managed to find a way to arrive at the Master Teacher Continent, and they nnedunch an invasion. The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Combat Master Hall, and royal family swiftly learned of the matter and dispatched their men to eradicate the Otherworldly Demons. It was an extremely bitter fight; the three powers suffered great losses, and the head of the Combat Master Hall, Hall Master Xing, even suffered grievous wounds in the fight and nearly lost his life. Back then, the emperor of Qingyuan Empire, Chu Tianxing, personally led the forces of the Qingyuan royal family into the fight, but a sudden ambush by the Otherworldly Demons left him in a truly dangerous position. At that desperate situation, King Zhongqing suddenly appeared and massacred the Otherworldly Demons, saving Emperor Chu Tianxing from that seemingly hopeless situation. After that incident, he continued to rue merit after merit, and within just a short twenty years, he managed to rise from a mere peasant into a conferred king. In the entire Qingyuan Empire, hes definitely the number one figure of the external kings! Yu Fei-er exined. (King is a title usually granted to close rtives of the royal family, such as fellow brothers or sons of the current emperor. However, if one were to rue sufficient merit, its possible to be conferred as a King, and such Kings are called different surname Kings, or as I tranted it, external Kings.) The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe attempted to invade Qingyuan Empire? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thinking back, the wound on Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit was indeed left behind in a fight roughly twenty years back too. The was in line with the details of the story. Emperor Chu Tianxing is bound to be protected by countless experts, and he probably is a powerful cultivator himself too... If the Otherworldly Demons were able to corner him that far, just how powerful must King Zhongqing be to be able to break him out from that desperate situation? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even Hall Master Xing had nearly sumbed to the Otherworldly Demons and lost his life, so how did a humble fellow managed to break Emperor Chu Tianxing out from the encirclement of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Im not too sure about the details... Wait, I seem to recall my father discussing this matter with another person before. If I recall correctly, King Zhongqing used... poison! Yu Fei-er eximed. Poison? Zhang Xuan frowned. Is King Zhongqing a poison master? If King Zhongqing was truly a poison master, then it might really be possible for him to pull such a matter off. The reason why poison masters were so deeply feared was because of their ability to fend against multiple enemies simultaneously. As long as they were to y their cards right, they could easily eradicate a group of experts with their poison. Just take the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage for example; back then, he was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle, and any one of them could have easily killed him in a direct battle. Yet, nearly all of them ended up dying from the poison within his Heavens Path zhenqi anyway. Im not too sure whether he is a poison master or not, but there is one thing particrly sinister regarding him. Its umon for an individual outside of the royal family to be conferred a King, so naturally, there were many influential officials who opposed King Zhongqing. Yet, over the past twenty years, they had either disappeared or died... As such, King Zhongqing currently wields immense influence in the royal court. Furthermore, due to his merit of having saved Emperor Chu Tianxing, he is well-favored, and theres no longer anyone who dares to confront him directly in Qingyuan Empire anymore! Yu Fei-er said. Zhang Xuan nodded as the frown on his forehead deepened. Putting aside whether that fellow was truly a poison master or not, the fact still stood that he wasnt acquainted with the other party. It simply didnt make sense for the other party to kidnap Sun Qiang. Considering that he has gone to the extent of kidnapping Sun Qiang, it goes to say that he has absolutely no fear of my identity as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. It would be best for you two to stay out of this matter. Ill deal with this alone. Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before saying. Regardless of what the other party was up to, it was clear that the other party was aiming right for him. Since that was the case, there was no need for these two to bear this risk along with him. Zhang shi, you are my teacher. As your student, how can I flee and leave to face danger by yourself? I would be unworthy of being a master teacher if I were to do so! Luo Qiqi stepped forward and spoke determinedly. She was Zhang Xuans apothecary and cksmith teacher. While she wasnt his direct disciple, and they had never officially acknowledged their rtionship, there were still the bonds between a teacher and student between them. I wont leave either! Im willing to brave through any danger with you! Yu Fei-er looked straight into Zhang Xuans eyes and said. This... Seeing that the wills of the duo were unwavering, Zhang Xuan shook his head and whipped out two pills from his storage ring. These pills are antidotes which I have personally forged, and they are capable of resolving most poisons. If you are intent on tagging along, consume one first. This way, you shouldnt be in any danger even if King Zhongqing is really a poison master. The antidote which Zhang Xuan spoke of was just an ordinary pill, but it was infused with his Heavens Path zhenqi. Un. The duo knew that Zhang Xuan wouldnt allow them to follow him if they were to refuse, so they swallowed the pill without any hesitation. Alright, lets go! All this while, they had been conversing through zhenqi telepathy, so it didnt affect their movement. Following behind the ck-robed young man, it didnt take long before a massive manor appeared before their eyes. The manor was truly huge. While it couldnt bepared with behemoths like the Combat Master Hall, it was definitely one of thergest and grandest manor in Qingyuan City. The interior of the manor was filled with all kinds of formations, and even beforeing close to it, one could feel the surrounding spiritual energy gravitating towards the manor. Without a doubt, the manor was definitely a top-notchnd for cultivation. Even ordinary men would find their lifespan lengthening by living in such an environment. This is the manor of our Old Master. the ck-robed man said before walking forward to discreetly whisper some things to the guard standing by the door. The guard red at Zhang Xuan and the others for a moment before heading in. Not too longter, the guard returned and gestured with a nod. This way please! the ck-robed man gestured forward politely. A vicious glint flickered swiftly across his eyes as he turned his head to lead the way into the manor. Zhang Xuan noticed it, but he decided to feign ignorance. With Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi following behind him, he headed into the manor as well. As expected of the manor of the number one King of a Conferred Empire, it was far grander than the royal pce of Hongyuan Empire. Even its pavements were crafted out of valuable ores. Every single part of the manor screamed of extravagance. On top of powerful formations, it seems the entire manor has been specially designed by andscaper. Shortly after entering the manor, Luo Qiqi remarked. Landscaper? This was the first time Zhang Xuan was hearing of this name. Un. Just like spirit awakener and herbologist,ndscaper isnt considered to be a unique upation either. However, due to the unique capabilities thatndscapers possess, they are still deeply weed by influential powers and ns as honorary guests. Luo Qiqi said. Oh? Are therendscapers in Hongyuan Empire? Zhang Xuan turned to look at Yu Fei-er curiously. I havent heard of such an upation before... Yu Fei-er shook her head. I learned of the existence of this upation from an ancient record. Luo Qiqi replied with a smile. Its said thatndscapers are able to assess the geographical terrain, geomancy, and many other factors of the environment to design structures, be it residences, sects, formations, or mechanisms, and fuse them perfectly together, such that theyplemented one another to exert the maximum strength possible. If a power were to have its base designed by andscaper, its overall defenses could potentially be enhanced by severalfold! But of course, it is an extremely rare upation, and it doesnt have aplete heritage either, so I cant be too sure about the matter. Its in view to the exquisiteyout of the manor and the perfect harmony of the various structures and formations that I made such a deduction. Youre right, the harmony of the various structures within this manor is indeed exquisite. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. As a 7-star pinnacle formation master and a possessor of the Eye of Insight, it went without saying that he would be able to easily notice what Luo Qiqi saw. He had been to Hongyuan royal pce, and as numerous as the formations there were, they were all separate entities from one another. Each formation had to be manually triggered in order toe to life. On the other hand, the formations within King Zhongqing Manor were interconnected with one another, as well as the structures in the area. If they were to just trigger a single formation, they might find other formationsing to life as well, swiftly cornering them. If the formations within Hongyuan empire were said to be mouse traps, effective only when in contact, the formations within King Zhongqing Manor were most definitely dominoes. Touch a single one of them, and it could cause a chain reaction with devastating oues. What Luo Qiqi had said could very well be true, the manor had been worked on byndscapers. Just as Zhang Xuan was still in the midst of contemting over the matter, a bunch of footsteps suddenly sounded right in front of the ck-robed young man. Following which, dozens of guards abruptly rushed out. In the blink of an eye, they had the trio tightly encircled. Brat, you sure acted arrogantly a moment ago. Give him a good beating! Let him know that we from the King Zhongqing Manor are not to be trifled with! the ck-robed young man sneered savagely as he hid behind the crowd. When he heard that he had to invite the other party here, he thought that it would be an easy assignment. He had never thought that he would be nearly kicked to death. From that point onward, he was filled with nothing but utmost antagonism for the young man before him. Thus, back when he was still at the doorstep, he secretly informed the guard to prepare an ambush. Hu! Upon hearing those words, the guards began walking forward as they brandished the sharp weapons in their hands threateningly. Their movements seemed to be aligned with the surrounding formations, causing an overwhelming pressure to fall upon Zhang Xuan and the others. Chapter 1146 - King Zhongqing

Chapter 1146: King Zhongqing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Teacher... Luo Qiqis face warped in shock, and she hurriedly stood in front of Zhang Xuan to shield him. Individually, these Half-Saint guards were no threat at all. However, when their prowess was enhanced by the surrounding formations and the perfect harmony crafted by andscaper, the nature of the matter becamepletely different. Even a Saint 3-dan expert would find it difficult to flee from theirbined might! Theres no need to panic. Seeing the anxious state the youngdy was in, Zhang Xuan pulled her behind him before turning to the ck-robed young man. His lips curled up as he asked, You wish to teach me a lesson? Considering that our Old Master has specially invited you over, Ill allow you to keep your life for the time being. However, you wont be getting away from here without suffering some pain! the ck-robed young man sneered. The Old Master had said that if the other party refused to heed his words, he had his permission to teach the other party a lesson, there was no need to hold back just because the other party was a master teacher. It was for this reason that he dared to pull a thing such as this on Zhang Xuan. Pain? Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. I was considering whether I should let you off with just a kick, but it seems like you just wont learn... It seems like theres no need for me to hold back anymore then! Right after saying those words, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers. Pah! A crisp sound echoed resoundingly through the manor. Initially, the ck-robed young man thought that Zhang Xuan was just feigning calm, but in the next moment, he suddenly felt excruciating pain assaulting every single part of his body. Pu! A mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth, and in an instant, his face flushedpletely pale. He turned to face Zhang Xuan with a look of horror. Y-you... you poisoned me? The answer was already apparent at this point, but what was truly fearsome was that he couldnt even fathom when the other party had poisoned him! With his body twitching from pain, the ck-robed young man hurriedly whipped out two antidotes from his storage ring and swallowed it. However, the antidotes only seemed to have further worsened his pain. Cold sweat gushed down his head, and he felt as if he would simply cave in to the pain at any moment. Poison? When did you see me poison you? If I were to say, you probably just ate something unclean! However, worry not. I am a capable physician, so why dont you allow me to treat you instead? Zhang Xuan waved his hand leisurely as he said. Naturally, as a master teacher, he couldnt possibly admit to being a poison master. You... Veins popped out on the temples of the ck-robed young man as he clenched his jaws so forcefully that it seemed like his teeth would chip. He was tempted to make a move and end the life of the young man before him there and then, but eventually, he clenched his fists tightly and spat, Let them pass! He had wanted to teach the other party a lesson, but at this point, the tides were no longer in his favor anymore. As indignant as he was, he could only let this matter go. Yes! The guards quickly split apart to open up a road for Zhang Xuan and the others to pass. With a smile, Zhang Xuan stepped forward, and just as he was about to walk by the ck-robed young man, he ced his mouth before the other partys ear and whispered in a silent tone that only thetter could hear. The only way to alleviate my poison is to have your face pped viciously. Otherwise, the pain will gradually intensify until it reaches a point where you cant bear it any longer and snap! The ck-robed young man was startled for a moment before he regained himself and sneered, The only way to alleviate the poison is to have my face pped? Hah, do you take me for a fool? How can there be such a poison in the world? Youre right, Im just fooling around with you. Ill be going ahead first, so have fun! Not bothering to exin anything, Zhang Xuan left with the twodies. You... The ck-robed young man thought that Zhang Xuan would at least attempt to justify his words, but who could have thought that thetter would admit to lying to him so tantly and shamelessly? This unexpected response left him stunned instead. Just as he was at a loss of what to do, his body suddenly churned up once more, and he felt as if his organs were being gradually corroded by sulfur. Pu! Yet another mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth. At this rate, I could really die! It felt as if his life force was gradually being sapped from his body, and this made him realize that he was at an imminent threat of death. Cold sweat immediately flowed down his back. Desperate, he turned to a nearby guard and ordered, You,e over here. I want you to p my face! S-s-p your face? Butler Qin, I dare not to! The guard was horrified to hear such words, and he quickly lowered his head humbly and responded. Hurry up, do it! The face of the ck-robed man distorted hideously from the excruciating pain. At this point, he had no other choice. He wasnt prepared to face death yet, so he could only heed whatever the other party told him, even though there was a good chance that it was a lie. This... No one had heard his conversation with Zhang Xuan, so everyone was taken aback by Butler Qins abrupt request. No one here could have imagined that Butler Qin would actually have masochistic tendencies... Appalled and speechless, they stared at one another, not knowing what to do. Hurry up and do it, or else Ill have every single one of you killed! Seeing that none of the guards were making a move, Butler Qin roared furiously. Yes! A guard stepped forward, and gritting his teeth in resolution, he raised his hand and pped Butler Qins face forcefully. Pah! Butler Qins face immediately swelled up. Hm? While there was burning sensation on his face, the excruciating pain within his body seemed to have lessened considerably. Could it be that the other party isnt lying? Theres truly such a poison in the world?Butler Qin was thought in astonishment as he bellowed, Continue hitting me, dont stop! Yes! Fearing that Butler Qin would really im their lives, the guard could only continue striking with all his might. Pah pah pah pah! With just a few ps, Butler Qins face had already swollen to a point where it bore no resemnce to how it was previously. However, it did seem like the poison within his body had alleviated significantly. The excruciating pain from before was no longer as unbearable anymore. It really is effectively! Enduring the stinging pain on his cheeks, Butler Qin heaved a sigh of relief. It was rather embarrassing to be pped by others, especially before such a crowd, but his fear of death had surpassed all of his other emotions. He had the guard p him a few more dozen times, and after confirming that he was fine, he stood up once more. Hatred and hostility began welling up in the depths of his eyes once more. Damn that fellow, how dare he humiliate me with such a poison? I hereby vow that Ill surely return this favor to him tenfold, or else I shall renounce my humanity! Butler Qin clenched his jaws furiously. As the loyal follower of the powerful King Zhongqing, the butler of the massive residence, when had he suffered such grievance before? Let it be clear that if I were to hear a single word about this matter anywhere else, Ill have all of your tongues severed! Butler Qin turned to the guard and harrumphed coldly. Y-yes, we wont speak of this matter to another soul... the guards quickly lowered their heads subserviently and replied. Un. Harrumphing coldly, Butler Qin hurriedly walked down the path where Zhang Xuan had headed to previously. ... Zhang shi, that fellow wont let this matter rest just like that. Are you really going to let him off like this? Walking closely behind Zhang Xuan, Yu Fei-er couldnt help but ask worriedly. While Zhang Xuan may seem like a leisurely and easygoing person most of the time, he wasnt the type to show mercy to those who had crossed him. Back then, she had crossed him too, and he forced her into bing his maid through trickery. That matter had truly left her fuming mad for a very long time. It was apparent with a look that the ck-robed young man was a vicious character, and to such a person go after aplete fallout... This truly wasnt Zhang Xuans style. To dare to confront the principal of a Master Teacher Academy head-on, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, theres no doubt that King Zhongqing must have prepared a foolproof n. At this point, it might y to our advantage to spare that fellow, at least for now... Zhang Xuan replied Yu Fei-er telepathically. If it had been on any other asion, even if he didnt kill that fellow, he would make sure to pummel him to the point where even limping was impossible. However, with Sun Qiang in the other partys hands, it was best for him to proceed carefully for the time being. There was only one path that led to the main hall, so it didnt matter whether there was anyone bringing him along. Very soon, they arrived at their destination. A hall that towered several dozen meters high had four thick and bulky pirs supporting its entrance. Each of these pirs was at least three meters big, and from afar, the grandeur was truly impressive. You must be Zhang shi. Our Old Master has been waiting inside for you for some time now... A guard stepped forward and ushered Zhang Xuan in. Nodding, the trio made their way into the hall. The hall was exceptionally spacious, stretching for more than a thousand square metersrge. The ceiling was embedded with Night Illumination Pearls of all sizes, bringing radiance to the insides of the hall. Seated on the main seat in the room was a middle-aged man with tanned skin and eagle-like eyes. Even withouting close, one could already feel the aura of authority and bloodshed that he emanated. It was clear that he was a powerful man no stranger to ughter. Without a doubt, he was the famous King Zhongqing! Not too far away from King Zhongqing sat an elder, who seemed to be in his sixties. The elder wasnt too tall, and he was a little hunched over even. However, his presence felt simr to a silent, unmoving painting. If one didnt see him with ones physical eyes, one might not even be able to However, the aura that he emanated felt tranquil like a painting,pletely King Zhongqing is a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert, and the hunched over elder... seems to be even stronger than him! In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan managed to assess his current situation. King Zhongqings aura felt condensed and powerful, and it was imbued with overwhelming killing intent at that. However, in terms of scariness, the hunched back elder was definitely an individual whom Zhang Xuan had to guard carefully against. Even though he didnt use his Eye of Insight to assess the other partys strength yet, the fact that the other party was able to conceal his breath so perfectly indicated that his fighting prowess had already reached an incredible level. Most likely, the other party was even stronger than Wu shi, even after thetters breakthrough in the Qiu Wu Pce. You are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi? While he was assessing the other party, the other party was also assessing him. When the trio finally reached the center of the hall, King Zhongqing turned to look at him with a frown. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded as he walked up to a guest seat by the side and sat down. Even though the other party wielded great authority in his hands, Zhang Xuan didnt pale inparison either, so there was no need for him to fear. It was one thing if the other party didnt provoke him, but if the other party didnt know what was better for him, he didnt mind flipping the entire Qingyuan City upside down! To be honest, they should already be counting their blessing that he hadnt gone around causing trouble. To actually attempt to provoke him... they are truly courting death! Did I give you permission to sit? King Zhongqing uttered with a cold, authoritative voice. His powerful presence swept across the room,manding others to obey him. I am a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, as well as a principal of a Master Teacher Academy. In terms of standing, I am on par with any 7-star master teacher. Not even your emperor is worthy of dictating where and when I should sit, so who do you think you are? Zhang Xuan raised his eyelid and nced at King Zhongqing coldly. Upon hearing those words, Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqis face twitched as cold sweat filled their palms. To act so brazenly despite being within the other partys brazenly, even going to the extent of criticizing the other party... Wasnt Zhang shi a little too gutsy? However, master teachers also had their own dignity to uphold. If Zhang shi couldnt even stand his own ground after what the other party had done, how could he stand before his students and lecture others? 6-star pinnacle master teacher? Hmph, you still dare to say that you are a master teacher? Flouting the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, colluding with the poison masters of the Poison Hall... Do you honestly think that no one will know of these, principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? King Zhongqing harrumphed coldly. Colluding with the poison masters? Zhang Xuan nced at King Zhongqing and sneered, Watch your words, King Zhongqing. You should know the consequences of ndering a master teacher. Master teachers mustnt be sullied. ndering a master teacher was an extremely grievous crime. Even if the other party was the number one King of the Qingyuan Empire, he could still be beheaded on the spot over this matter. nder? It seems like you simply wont concede until you see your own coffin! King Zhongqing said as he raised his hand. Hu! The sounds of rattling chain echoed in the room, and a plump figure was dragged into the room. Young Master! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the plump figure immediately shouted. However, despite shouting with all of his might, his voice sounded feeble and powerless. Sun Qiang. Upon seeing the state that Sun Qiang was in, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. There was not a single part of Sun Qiang which could be said to be in good shape. It was apparent that he had been severely tortured. There were even two Golden Soul Lock piercing through his chest, preventing him from exerting any strength at all. What do you mean by this? Zhang Xuan turned to look at King Zhongqing with narrowed eyes. Chapter 1147 - Tian Qing Chapter 1147: Tian Qing Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric He knew that the King Zhongqing wanted to deal with him, but he hadnt thought that the other party would be so vicious as to inflict such grievous torture on Sun Qiang. As the saying goes, even when beating a dog must one look at its owner. To kidnap his subordinate without any prior notice and use such cruel means on thetter, it was clear that the other party was undermining him. What do I mean? King Zhongqing asked in a mocking tone. Bring Vice Hall Master Ming in here! Hula! As he said those words, two guards escorted a figure in. Upon seeing the other partys appearance, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. He recognized that figure. He was the vice head of the Jingyuan City Poison Hall, Ming Zhen! Back then, he willfully chose to side with his own student and attempted to kill Zhang Xuan. Unfortunately, Zhang Xuans soul happened to be out at the moment, and eventually, the entire Poison Hall was reduced to waste as a result of his actions... But wasnt he killed by Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan back then? Why was he still alive? And from the looks of it, he wasnt even in the slightest injured... On the contrary, it seemed like he had even managed to advance his cultivation up a notch. Could it be that something had happened to the Poison Hall? Furthermore, despite Sun Qiang being bound by heavy chains, there was nothing on Ming Zhen at all. It was as if he was an honored guest of King Zhongqing! Zhang Xuans face turned livid. Paying respects to Your Highness! Ming Zhen sped his fist. King Zhongqing nodded and said, Speak of what you know! I used to be the vice head of the Jingyuan Empire Poison Hall, located in the territory of Hongyuan Empire. Two months ago, Sun Qiang altered his appearance and dropped by our Poison Hall, iming to be the sessor of the Poison Halls founder. He disyed exceptional mastery in the Way of Poison that even I am unable to match up with... Ming Zhen swiftly revealed everything that had happened at the Poison Hall. ... After which, he entrusted the founder to Poison Hall Bai and Poison Master Hai. Initially, I was to be executed for my actions, but its fortunate that the one who was responsible for executing me was my student, and it was due to that that I was able to escape with my life... The sessor of the Poison Halls founder? If I hadnt heard this with my own ears, I would truly dare not believe such a matter. Zhang shi, this Sun Qiang over here is your subordinate, and yet, he is also a formidable poison master as well. What do you have to say for yourself? Sneering coldly, King Zhongqing gazed down at Zhang Xuan haughtily. You are using me of colluding with the poison masters over this? Zhang Xuan was still wondering if the other party had managed to obtain some kind of evidence regarding the matter, but it turned out to be this much only. Shaking his head, he continued, Putting aside the fact the fact that this Ming Zhen fellow over here has dubious backgrounds, just the fact that hes a vice head of the Poison Hall should warrant him a death penalty. So, why is he standing right here, honored as a guest in your manor? Could it be that... King Zhongqing has colluded with the Poison Hall? Are you, in fact, a poison master, just like what others say of you? Audacious! King Zhongqing bellowed furiously. You are the one being audacious over here! Zhang Xuan interjected with a roar. There are plenty of people in the world who goes by the name of Sun Qiang, and yet, based on this kind of indeterminate evidence, you kidnapped my butler and tortured him? If I were to capture a dog and confer it the name of King Zhongqing, can I say that you are a dog? If my butler is truly the sessor of the Poison Halls founder, you will have long been poisoned to death for treating him in such a manner! You... Not expecting the other party to be so crude in his words, King Zhongqing nearly spurted blood. With a face livid with rage, he harrumphed, My men proceeded carefully and subdued your butler before he could even retaliate, so naturally, he wouldnt have a chance to strike at all. There is no doubt about Ming Zhens identity, and he has voluntarily left the Poison Hall to side with us. In fact, he has led our men to eradicate the Jingyuan City Poison Hall, and his merits are more than sufficient to make up for his wrongdoings! Eradicate the Jingyuan City Poison Hall?Gedeng, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. As formidable as the Jingyuan City Poison Hall was, if there was an insider to lead the elite forces of the Qingyuan Empire in, it would indeed be difficult for the Poison Hall to stand its ground. If the Poison Hall were to be destroyed, what would be of Elder Xu and the others? He hadnt thought that so much would happen over a short frame of two months. Indeed! No matter how he was before, his aplishments are more than sufficient to bring credibility to his words. Furthermore, we have corroborated his words with the confessions of the other poison masters of the Jingyuan City Poison Hall, so there is no doubt about the authenticity of this matter! Standing up, King Zhongqing flung his sleeves and harrumphed, Despite being a master teacher, you actually kept such a reprehensible poison master by your side. This is a tant infringement of the Master Teacher Pavilions rules. For the safety of Qingyuan City, I am obliged to apprehend you. For the safety of Qingyuan City? I, Zhang Xuan, am an upright master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion. If theres any problem with me, it should be the Master Teacher Pavilion to pass judgement. And you? Pardon me, but I dont believe that you are in charge of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! When a master teacher erred, only the Master Teacher Pavilion was qualified to judge them. A mere King of the Conferred Empire had no rights to take things in his own hands! I know that Im not qualified to judge this matter, so I specially reported this matter to Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing of the Master Teacher Pavilion to have him judge this matter! Saying these words, King Zhongqing sped his fist towards the hunched over elder seated beside him. Tian Qing? Hearing that name, Zhang Xuan recalled a matter, and his eyes narrowed. Hu! But before he could say a word, the elder stood up, and it was only then did everyone notice the seven stars on the emblem pinned on his chest. A 7-star master teacher! Vice pavilion master? Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er were rmed, and they quickly turned their gazes towards Zhang Xuan. If the Master Teacher Pavilion wasnt involved in this matter, Zhang Xuan might still be able to use his identity as a master teacher to avoid this matter. Yet, the other party actually brought a vice pavilion master of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion in. This would reallyplicate matters. He sure dide prepared. Swiftly calming down, Zhang Xuan began reanalyzing the situation. Previously, he had heard Wu shi briefly introduce the current circumstances within the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. The current pavilion master, Gou Tianze, was a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage expert. However, he had retired from managing the affairs of the Master Teacher Pavilion since many years ago, and currently, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was the one who was in charge. As such, despite being a vice pavilion master, Tian Qing wielded authorityparable to the pavilion master himself, making him one of the most powerful individuals in Qingyuan City. Zhang Xuan had thought this would only be a small conflict; perhaps he might have identally crossed King Zhongqing somewhere and thetter wanted to embarrass him. He hadnt thought that thetter would actually bring Vice Pavilion Master Tian into the picture as well. As the person in charge of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, Vice Pavilion Master Tian had the right to liaise with the headquarters. If the other party were to judge that he had colluded with the Poison Hall, he would never be able to cleanse his reputation. But of course, while the Jingyuan City Poison Hall had a poor reputation, it hadnt really caused too much harm. At the very most, being associated with it would only tarnish Zhang Xuans reputation. Zhang shi, I have heard of your affairs, and I know that you are a person who possesses exceptional talent and capabilities. Vice Pavilion Master Tian turned to Zhang Xuan and smiled. King Zhongqing is in charge of the defenses of Qingyuan City. Given that he has uncovered evidence that suggests that Sun Qiang is a poison master, its his responsibility to look into the matter, so I hope that you dont take this personally. The reason why he has invited you over to his manor instead of the Master Teacher Pavilion is in hopes of not blowing the matter up. After all, such a matter would soil the reputation of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and this isnt something that any one of us would like to see. At this point, Vice Pavilion Master Tian nced at Ming Zhen before continuing on, I have personally investigated the background of Poison Master Ming Zhen and the words that he has spoken, and I believe that his words can be trusted. However, worry not. Even though Sun Qiang is a poison master, the Master Teacher Pavilion will take into ount the fact that you are unaware of the matter when passing judgement. Even though Sun Qiang is a poison master? Hearing how affirmative Vice Pavilion Master Tians words were, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure, Since Vice Pavilion Master Tian has seen this matter from the start to the end, surely you should be clearer than anyone else here whether Sun Qiang is a poison master or not, right? While a poison master may look like any other cultivator on the surface, their frequent consumption and concocting of poison would inevitably result in some internal changes in their body. In fact, there were some formidable poison masters who could even poison an entire city to death with just a droplet of their blood. On the other hand, Sun Qiang cultivated the orthodox and upright simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. His zhenqi was pure and attributeless, and that should be more than sufficient evidence to prove that he wasnt a poison master. Considering that Vice Pavilion Tian was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, he should know better than anyone that Sun Qiang wasnt a poison master. Yet, to be insisting that Sun Qiang was indeed a poison master here, it was obvious that he had chosen to side with King Zhongqing! Even though this Sun Qiang over here doesnt have the prowess of a 6-star poison master, his very deed of escorting the founder of the Poison Hall back to the Poison Hall headquarters is a grievous mistake in itself! The founder of the Poison Hall is said to possess the Constitution of Disaster, and as long as she desires so, she could easily bring great catastrophe upon mankind. You might not understand because you havent seen the records regarding the war between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe several dozen millenniums ago, but I had the privilege of looking through them in the Master Teacher Pavilion of the Empire Alliance. It was truly a huge tragedy that could hardly be described with words. Countless master teachers and innocent souls had died of poison in the long war, and indubitably, the founder of the Poison Hall had a significant role to y in the matter! Vice Pavilion Master Tian spoke righteously with the air of one who was worried for the future of the world. Mankind had suffered great casualties in the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, especially from the lethal poison they utilized. If not for the founder of the Poison Hall, there wouldnt have been a poison master upation in the first ce, and such a tragedy wouldnt have urred. It could be said that the founder was the very enemy of mankind herself! As a master teacher, you have a duty to mankind. And yet, you allowed your own subordinate to act willfully and escort the founder of the Poison Hall back to her ce. You have truly let all of us down this time around. Vice Pavilion Master Tian sighed deeply. However, if you were to confess to this matter, Ill implore the Master Teacher Pavilion to show leniency to you. Vice Pavilion Master Tian, do you honestly believe the nonsense about the founder of the Poison Hall? Zhang Xuan shook his head. If I recall correctly, the founder is a figure from the same era as Kong shi. Not even Kong shi could survive the trial of time, so do you think that it makes sense for the founder of the Poison Hall to still be alive at this point in time? Naturally, I am skeptical of the matter as well. However, Ming Zhen has no reason to lie either. From what I know, even a Celestial Master Teacher has recently appeared in the world, so I dont think that the revival of the founder of the Poison Hall is something too absurd to believe. Vice Pavilion Head Tian said. Celestial Master Teacher? Zhang Xuan scoffed. How can that be? If that is true, the matter would have long spread far and wide in the world. Theres no way that I, as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, would be oblivious to it! Its a deduction made based on the recent happenings in our Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. Currently, the news has been sealed for fear of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe learning of the matter, so only a handful of people in our Qingyuan branch knows of this matter. Vice Pavilion Head Tian replied. It might sound preposterous, but as a master teacher, we have a duty to the masses. Its better to be safe than sorry. So, Vice Pavilion Master Tian intends to... Simple. For the grievous crimes that he hasmitted, Sun Qiang must be executed on the spot. On the other hand, Zhang shi, while you might not have yed a direct role in the matter, your oversight in managing your subordinates have indirectly resulted in the happening of this tragedy. As such, you must be punished for your actions as well. You will be exiled to the Subterranean Gallery for three months in order to make up for your wrongdoings with merit. Vice Pavilion Master Tian said. You want to execute Sun Qiang on the spot and exile me to the Subterranean Gallery? Zhang Xuan felt as if he had heard a hrious joke. He abruptly stood up and patted his bottom before turning his gaze towards Vice Pavilion Master Tian, What if... ... I refuse? Chapter 1148 - Wreaking Havoc In the King Manor

Chapter 1148: Wreaking Havoc In the King Manor

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Even though three months in the Subterranean Gallery couldnt be considered to be a severe punishment, it couldnt be said to be a light one either. The Subterranean Gallery was the intersection point between the Master Teacher Continent and the otherworldly battlefields. As such, it was constantly gued with overwhelming killing intent. From time to time, Otherworldly Demons might even appear. Without a doubt, it was one of the most dangerousnds on the Master Teacher Continent, and most of those who ventured into its depths never return alive. Only master teachers who hadmitted unpardonable crimes or wanted to make onest contribution to mankind would apply to enter thosends. This was also the same with School Head Lu Feng back then. Putting aside the fact that Sun Qiang wasnt a poison master, even if he was, he hadntmitted any harm to others, so how could he be said to havemitted a grievous crime? Not even a master teacher had the right to im the life of an innocent man! And since Sun Qiang hadnt erred, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly be implicated into the matter as well! For the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a person who wields great authority in his hands, to judge a matter in such a manner... How ludicrous! Vice Pavilion Master Tian is already being magnanimous by showing you leniency for your actions, you really dont know what is best for you! King Zhongqing roared furiously. You can have this kind of leniency for yourself! Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered with King Zhongqing any longer. Instead, he walked straight up to Sun Qiang. Hu! Seeing Zhang Xuan walking towards them, the two guards who were standing beside Sun Qiang swiftly drew their weapons warily. However, barely after their swords left their sheath, they abruptly shattered into two with a crisp echo, and the tip of their swords flew into the distance. Right after that, the two guards were suddenly sent flying with a deep moan, crashing heavily onto a pir right outside the hall before cking out. At this point, Zhang Xuan was already standing before Sun Qiang, and sighing deeply, he said, You have suffered... In the next moment, the Golden Soul Lock on Sun Qiang suddenly flew out and fell onto the ground. Following that, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger towards Sun Qiang. Tzzzzz! Thetters injuries began recovering at a pace visible to the eye. As Sun Qiangs cultivation was far lower than his, it didnt take long for the Heavens Path zhenqi to heal his injuries. Audacious! Zhang Xuan, this is Qingyuan City, not your Hongyuan Empire! To disregard the earnest lecturing of a senior master teacher and act on your own ord, showing no regards for thew at all, a person like you isnt worthy to be a master teacher. Men, take him down! King Zhongqing roared. Hula! Right after saying those words, a bunch of men suddenly barged into the hall. Young Master... Seeing that the Young Master was actually standing against the First King of Qingyuan Conferred Empire for him, Sun Qiang couldnt help but feel a surge of warmth run through his heart. Falling out with a vice head of a Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion could possibly mean giving his future away, and yet, the Young Master still did so unhesitatingly just to save a servant like him... To him, this was a debt of gratitude greater than the heaven itself. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er also swiftly moved over to Zhang Xuan and stood by his side as they warily scanned their surroundings. Despite the sudden onught of guards, Zhang Xuan didnt pay them any heed. Instead, he turned straight towards King Zhongqing and uttered coldly, You wish to capture me? King Zhongqing, it seems like you really dont fear death. Or perhaps, do you honestly think that I dare not kill you? Kill me? You? Hahaha, it seems like bing the principal of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has really got to your head! A mere 6-star master teacher like you dare to speak of killing me... The fact that you disrespected Vice Pavilion Tian is more than sufficient to have you indicted on the grounds of insubordination. Today, I shall help the Master Teacher Pavilion purge its ck sheep! Sneering coldly, the aura shrouding King Zhongqing swiftly intensified, and it took a mere blink of an eye for it to reach its peak. Under the immense power he was emanating, the surrounding air began to distort. This was the overwhelming might of a Saint 4-dan cultivator, a Primordial Spirit realm expert! His strength had already surpassed the head of the Formation Master Guild, Guild Leader Han, reaching a level on par with Wu shi prior to entering the Qiu Wu Pce. King Zhongqing, no matter what, Zhang shi is still our master teacher. Even if he has erred, he can only be judged in our Master Teacher Pavilion. Itll do to just capture him, make sure to spare his life... Seeing that King Zhongqing was going to make a move, Vice Pavilion Master Tian instructed. Rest assured, Vice Pavilion Master Tian. I wont go too far... Sneering coldly, King Zhongqing thrust his palm forward, and in an instant, it felt as if ominous clouds had gathered within the hall, and a powerful might reminiscent of the relentless waves of the ocean began crashing down upon Zhang Xuan. On top of that, perhaps due to cultivating some kind of secret art, the First Kings zhenqi was not only condensed and powerful, it was also imbued with the scent of the battlefield, leaving one feeling as if one was standing amidst of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. That is... Scarlet Robe of Carnage? Upon seeing the move, Luo Qiqis eyebrows knitted together warily. Scarlet Robe of Carnage? Its a technique that boasts of the strongest killing intent in Qingyuan Empire. Those who cultivate this technique must use fresh blood as a medium in order to advance their mastery in the technique. Once one starts practicing the technique, theres no turning back. The very sight of blood will trigger ones bloodlust, causing one to go into a manic. Its a truly sinister technique. Even the Art of Drawing Oceans will struggle to be a match for it! Luo Qiqi exined grimly. However, due to the innately destructive nature of the technique, there was no master teacher orbat master who is willing to learn it... Who could have thought that a King of Qingyuan Empire would actually learn such a depraved technique! Teacher, you must be careful! A mere small fry! In contrast to Luo Qiqis anxiety, Zhang Xuan didnt show the slightest hint of panic. Instead, with a derisive smile, he flicked his finger. Sou! The Golden Soul Lock immediately flew towards King Zhongqing at a speed as swift as a streak of lightning, and in just an instant, it collided with the powerful palm strike that King Zhongqing executed an instant ago. Astonishingly, the palm strike didnt even hinder the advancement of the Golden Soul Lock by even the slightest. It swiftly overwhelmed the palm thrust and arrived right before King Zhongqing Peng! The Golden Soul Lock struck King Zhongqings chest squarely, and thetters face immediately reddened from the impact before spurting a mouthful of blood. Deng deng deng deng! He swiftly retreated eight steps in order to ward off the impact before crashing into the exquisitely carved wooden chair behind him. The chair swiftly caved in to the pressure and exploded into countless smithereens. King Zhongqing had to drive his zhenqi furiously and exert a relentless wave of might behind before he was able to finally steady his figure. At this point, he felt his blood within his body billowing furiously, and his face paled from frailty. He stared at the young man before him in disbelief, unable to ept what he had just experienced. He was a Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert whereas the other party was only a Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception ream pinnacle cultivator... There was a gap of two whole realms between them! Logically speaking, this should be an unbreachable gap for any cultivator, no matter how skilled a fighter one was, and yet... the other party was actually able to neutralize his palm strike with such ease and even knock him back at that... Too frightening! King Zhongqing was not the only one astonished by the happenings, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was startled as well. Zhang Xuans fighting prowess had far surpassed his imagination. Such an oue had never shed across his mind, not even once. No wonder you dared to act so arrogantly, so you do have something up your sleeves. However... if this is all you got, Ill make sure you dearly regret your actions! Gesturing to Vice Pavilion Master Tian that he didnt have to make a move, King Zhongqing roared furiously as he flicked his five fingers forth furiously. At the same time, he flicked his wrist forcefully, and his palm fell downward with a shape reminiscent of a lotus leaf. Three Autumn Palm! Zhang Xuan recognized the battle technique. Having browsed through all of the books in the Combat Master Halls Martial Arts Division and internalized them, he couldnt be any more familiar with this battle technique. Three Autumns of Osmanthus, Ten Li of Lotus Flower! 1 The might of this technique wasparable to the Grand Constetion Finger, and it was rtively famous for its difficulty within the Combat Master Hall. There were manybat masters who had to spend decades on it before managing to achieve some degree of mastery in it. Yet, King Zhongqing had actually managed to achieve a mastery of Major Aplishment in it! Such a formidable battle technique paired with the Scarlet Robe of Carnage made the hall feel as if it had turned into a marsnd. Crimson bloodied lotuses bloomed one after another eerily, and it felt as if they would reap the soul and life of those who dared to approach them. This is indeed a powerful battle technique. Even Division Head Liao and the others would have to retreat temporarily before its immense might, but... its a pity that you picked the wrong opponent! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan took a step forward instead of retreating, stepping right upon one of the scarlet lotuses. He raised his finger and tapped forward. Weng! The brilliance of the stars shimmered on his fingertip, outshining even the radiance of the Night Illumination Pearls embedded on the roof. A furious surge of zhenqi burst forth from his fingertip, tearing apart the Three Autumn Palm in an instant. In the next moment, blood spurted wildly from King Zhongqings mouth, and he was forced to retreat in a fluster yet again. A few stepster, his back crashed heavily onto the wall behind him. Hula! Dust fell from the ceiling, cloaking his figure. You know of the ws of the Three Autumn Palm? King Zhongqing couldnt believe his eyes. Under normal circumstances, given that the Grand Constetion Finger and Three Autumn Palm were two battle techniques of equivalent might, even if they were to sh directly with one another, he shouldnt have suffered such an utter defeat. But... somehow, Zhang Xuan seemed to have found the ws in his technique and aimed his attack directly at it, causing his zhenqi to wither. As a result, his offense was subdued in an instant, causing him to sustain severe injuries. Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to exin anything to King Zhongqing at all. cing his hands behind his back loftily, he calmly turned to Sun Qiang and said, He has caused you great suffering, so how do you think we should deal with him? Since he used the Golden Soul Lock to pierce my chest, its only right to return the favor to him! Sun Qiang spat through gritted teeth. Thats simple! Zhang Xuan smiled softly as he raised his palm once more. Hu! The Golden Soul Lock on the ground immediately flew into the air and slithered menacingly as if a vicious snake. On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Xuan was actually discussing with a mere subordinate on how he should be dealt with, King Zhongqing felt deeply humiliated. His face turned crimson, and he bellowed furiously, What are you all waiting for? Take him down! Hu! RIght after those words were spoken, the guards standing in the surroundings immediately charged forward with furious battle cries. Hmph! Couldnt even be bothered to turn around, Zhang Xuan stomped his feet on the ground. Hu! A surge of zhenqi rippled from his feet, and in the blink of an eye, the formation shrouding the hall came to life, blocking all of the guards outside. No matter how hard they knocked against the formation, it simply wouldnt budge. Even you are nothing to me. Do you think that a bunch of small fries will be able to stop me? Zhang Xuan nced at King Zhongqing coldly. Having mastered everything within the Combat Master Hall, Zhang Xuans prowess could be considered to be invincible amongst Primordial Spirit realm. Even if King Zhongqing was an exceptional cultivator, his strength still meant nothing before him. Hu! Right after saying those words, the Golden Soul Lock rose up once more, seemingly ready to devour the figure before him whole. Vice Hall Master Tian, save me! In face of the monstrous strength of the young man before him, the desperate King Zhongqing could only turn to the elder beside him for help. This is enough. Any more than this, and I will have to issue a master teacher arrest warrant on you... At this point, Vice Pavilion Master Tian could also see that King Zhongqing wasnt a match either. Shaking his head, he stepped forward and raised his palm, wanting to stop the Golden Soul Lock from making a move against King Zhongqing. However, in that instant, with a loud whiz, a massive cauldron abruptly fell from the sky. Putong! It fell straight on the head of Vice Pavilion Master Tian, causing thetter to copse onto the ground, sprawled over in a shape. Master, where is the fellow whom you want me to pummel? Watch as I reduce that bastard to cinders for you! ... Zhang Xuan. ... Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing. Chapter 1149 - Pummeling The Vice Pavilion Head

Chapter 1149: Pummeling The Vice Pavilion Head

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The one who was speaking was the Golden Origin Cauldron! Zhang Xuan had learned spirit enchantment previously at the Spirit Awakener Guild, and in the three days he spent in the Combat Master Hall, he found some spare time to wake the Golden Origin Cauldron up from itsa. It might have been a difficult feat for any other spirit awakener, but as one who had cultivated the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, as long as he were to be a bit more meticulous, it actually wasnt something too difficult to achieve. Prior to heading to entering the Qiu Wu Pce, the Golden Origin Cauldron had already been at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. While the onught of the lightning had caused its spirit to go dormant, it had also tempered it, allowing it to achieve a breakthrough swiftly after it awoke from itsa, achieving the same level of strength as Wu shi, Half-Leaving Aperture realm. As long as Zhang Xuan could find fitting materials to reforge it, it was only a matter of time before it achieved a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm. Given the Golden Origin Cauldron rise in power, as well as the advantage it wielded as a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was already smashed into the ground before he could even process what was going on. Truly, a pitiful state he was in. Hes right below you... I only asked you to stop him, not to kill him... Seeing how unreliable the Golden Origin Cauldron was, smashing Vice Pavilion Master Tian into the ground as soon as it appeared, Zhang Xuan pped his forehead, speechless. Cant you at least take a look before making a move? Look at what you have done. Now that a vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion had been smacked into the ground, how should this matter be resolved? Hes below me? Taken aback, the Golden Origin Cauldron slowly shifted sideward before seeing a huge character on the ground with a figure embedded in it. Ah... Master, I didnt do it on purpose... the Golden Origin Cauldron said apologetically. Youre courting death! Hong long! Before the Golden Origin Cauldron could finish his words, Vice Pavilion Master Tian abruptly flew out from the depression of the ground, and powerful aura burst from his acupoints, rippling into the surroundings. At this point, he felt so furious that he could explode on the spot. For the person whomanded the entire Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to be crushed beneath the bottom of a mere Saint-tier artifact, he felt so humiliated that he could just blow up. Zhang Xuan, it is insubordination for you to order your Saint-tier artifact to assault a 7-star master teacher. This is a tant disregard for the dignity of the Way of Teacher, apleteck of respect for your elders. A person like you isnt worthy of being a master teacher! Roaring furiously, Vice Pavilion Master Tian thrust his palm towards Zhang Xuan. It must be said that the might wielded by Vice Pavilion Master Tian was indeed fearsome. Even King Zhongqing was nowhere on par with him. That single palm strike caused the surrounding air current to suddenly billow furiously, and it felt as if the entire hall would copse under the pressure at any time soon. Your opponent is me! Seeing that the other party was attempting to attack its owner, the Golden Origin Cauldron roared in anger. It wasnt easy for it to regain consciousness, and it had been wanting to find an opportunity to perform before its master. Yet, that fellow actually snubbed him and went straight for its owner. This was unforgivable! Hu! The massive cauldron flung itself forcefully towards Vice Pavilion Master Tian. Peng! The incredible momentum of the charging cauldron seeded in neutralizing Vice Pavilion Masters palm strike in an instant. However, at the same time, the impact of the collision also caused the Golden Origin Cauldron to skid back for several dozen meters beforeing to a halt. The both of them were actually equally matched! As expected of a vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he is indeed formidable! Zhang Xuan thought. If he had to face Vice Pavilion Master Tian in a straightforward battle, there was a very good chance that it would end in his defeat. While he was already invincible against all the Primordial Spirit realm cultivators, he was still a littlecking from being able to deal with Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts. Knowing that it would take a long time before there was a conclusion for the battle between Vice Pavilion Master Qing and the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan decisively turned his attention away from them and turned his sights back to King Zhongqing, Its your turn! You... Vice Pavilion Master Qing is here! If you were to make a move against me here, theres no way he will let you off. Youre courting death! King Zhongqing roared furiously. All along, he had thought that the figure he was going to deal with was just an insignificant figure from an insignificantnd. As long as he were to pull his weight, the other party would surely be swiftly cave in, Who could have thought that the other party was not only strong, he was even brazen enough to make a move against the Vice Pavilion Master Qing... Formalities were extremely important to master teachersafter all, only one who conducted himself properly could be qualified to lecture othersand assaulting a higher ranked master teacher was a severe breach of the formalities. If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to judge the other party for this matter, being stripped of his master teacher license could be said to be the least of his concerns. More than that, he could very well be executed on the spot to make an example for others to see! And yet, to do so for a mere subordinate... Was that fellow insane? Whether I am courting death or not, its none of your business. However, for hurting my butler, you have to pay the price. Zhang Xuan uttered coldly as he flicked his wrist. Hu! The Golden Soul Lock suddenly leaped up and pierced King Zhongqing. Puhe! It stabbed right into his chest. The Golden Soul Lock had the ability to seal cultivation. As soon as it entered King Zhongqings body, thetters aura immediately began wilting. The excruciating pain of a foreign object piercing into his body left him spasming frenziedly, and for that moment, he thought that he would go insane from the pain. Hes powerless now, go and exact your vengeance. Zhang Xuan waved his hand leisurely. In his heart, Sun Qiang was as important as his direct disciples. The other partys act of kidnapping Sun Qiang and deploying heavy torture on him had truly touched his bottom line, and it was already an act of mercy that he didnt kill the other party on the spot. Yes! Sun Qiang walked up to King Zhongqing, and gazing down on thetter, he sneered, You had fun kidnapping me, didnt you? You should have a taste of your own medicine... He flicked his wrist, whipped out a dagger, and swiped it right into King Zhongqings body. Even though King Zhongqing was a Primordial Spirit realm expert, he hadnt cultivated his body to a nigh indestructible level like Zhang Xuan, and his cultivation was also sealed by the Golden Soul Lock as well. As such, the dagger sunk right into King Zhongqins body, and blood began flowing out from his body. You!!! The immense pain caused King Zhongqing to howl in agony. However, before he could finish his words, he saw Sun Qiang whipping out a jar of salt from somewhere and spreading it generously on his wound. Bear with it, Ill help you apply some medicine now... ... King Zhongqing. After applying a fair amount of salt on the wound, Sun Qiang picked up his dagger once more, brandished it to create another wound, and proceeded on to apply salt on it as well. Zhang Xuan, having watched the happenings up to this point, couldnt help but avert his gaze... It was simply too cruel! However, he could tell that the Sun Qiang had been put through far more brutal torture than this while healing him up previously. In a sense, Sun Qiangs rage and means werent unjustified. On the other side, Vice Pavilion Master Tian and the Golden Origin Cauldron were still battling with one another, and both sides were equally matched. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned his sights to Ming Zhen instead. The ex-vice head of the Poison Hall had attempted to escape as soon as he realized that the situation had gone awry, but the activated formation around the hall not only prevented those outside from entering, it also prevented those within from leaving. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was staring at him intently, Ming Zhen backed away in horror. Come over! Zhang Xuan roared. With a flick of his wrist, Ming Zhen suddenly felt a powerful force pulling him right in front of Zhang Xuan before binding him tightly, preventing him from moving. Zhang Xuan set up an istion barrier with a wave of his hand to prevent Luo Qiqi and the others from hearing anything before asking coldly, What happened to the Poison Hall? Where is Elder Xu You and the others? Y-you, how do you know about Xu You? Ming Zhen was astonished to hear that nameing out of Zhang Xuans mouth. Back then, when Zhang Xuan headed to the Poison Hall, he had disguised him and assumed the identity of Sun Qiang. As such, Ming Zhen was unable to recognize the young man standing before him. Wait, it cant be that... you are Sun Qiang? Ming Zhen was no fool either. It took only a moment for him to understand what was going on, and his eyes narrowed in horror. Not bad, I hope that you can remain this intelligent when you answer my questions. Zhang Xuans lips curled up as he patted Ming Zhens shoulders, sending a surge of zhenqi into the other partys body. AHHHHH!!! The zhenqi within Ming Zhens body warped into lethal poison, leaving cold sweat pouring down his convulsing body. Not even Poison Master Hai and the others were able to endure the agony of the Heavens Path zhenqi, let alone him. You are... a master teacher... Its already a grievous crime... for you to disregard Vice Pavilion Master Tians authority... If you were to kill me... the Master Teacher Pavilion will conduct a thorough investigation of you... Clenching his fists to bear the unbearable pain, Ming Zhen said. Knowing that the man before him had a close rtionship with Elder Xu You, he swiftly realized that the young man could possibly hold a grudge against him due to his actions which resulted in the annihtion of the Poison Hall. As such, he hurriedly said those words in hopes that he could convince the other party to stop. It seems like you arent as intelligent as I thought. I only want to hear things I want to hear. Since you know that Im the sessor of the Poison Halls founder, you should also know that I have the means to end your life discreetly without having anyone trace it back to me. Zhang Xuan replied impassively. It might have been difficult for any other master teachers to kill an individual without having the Master Teacher Pavilion trace the case back to them, but Zhang Xuan was a poison master. He had many ways of killing a person without leaving behind any clues to him. I... Hearing those bone-chilling words, Ming Zhen realized that the other party would really do so without any hesitation. Thus, he gritted his teeth and said, Back then, after I fled from the Poison Hall, I headed straight here. You headed towards Qingyuan City? You are acquainted with King Zhongqing beforehand? Zhang Xuan asked. After fleeing from the Poison Hall, in order to ensure that no one would pursue him, he would surely head in a direction where he deemed that he would be safe. The fact that he chose to head here meant that it was likely that he had already known King Zhongqing beforehand, and he was certain that thetter could provide him cover. Thats right, we have some business dealings with one another. I sold him quite a handful of lethal poison, and in exchange, he gave me many valuable cultivation resources... Ming Zhen confessed. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face turned grim. It seemed like Yu Fei-ers news was urate. However, instead of being a poison master himself, King Zhongqing just had dealings with the Poison Hall. Nevertheless, there were still some doubts about the matter. You said that he purchased lethal poison from you, but is he able to use it? Zhang Xuan frowned. Putting aside the concoction of poison, the usage of poison was also an incredibly profound art as well. Even if those who werent poison masters were to obtain lethal poison, they would only be able to use it crudely, making it highly possible that they would be discovered. This was the case with You Xu back then as well. Despite receiving lethal poison from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, his ability to utilize poison wascking, which prevented him from using it too often. I dont know about that... However, he has an exceptionally high demand for high-grade poisons. Most of the grade-7 poisons which I have applied by the headquarters ended up being sold to him. Ming Zhen dared not to hide anything from Zhang Xuan. I see. Zhang Xuan replied as he shot a doubtful gaze towards King Zhongqing. That fellow was an honored King of Qingyuan Empire, and there didnt seem to be any incidents where the other party used the poison he had purchased tomit atrocities. As such, despite being a master teacher, he wasnt in a good position to interfere too much in this matter either. Otherwise, it could very well cause some strife between Qingyuan Empire and the Master Teacher Pavilion. Since King Zhongqing was the one to provoke him through Sun Qiang first, Zhang Xuans actions could still be justified as self-defense. However, if he wanted to have King Zhongqing indicted for the purchase of poison, he would have to go through the royal court. What happened to Xu You and the others? Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Ming Zhen and asked. I spent my whole life toiling for the Poison Hall, only to be sentenced to a death penalty in the end. Indignant, I sought King Zhongqing, hoping to use his hand to return me justice. Yet, wanting to make use of this incident to win himself some merit, KIng Zhongqing ignored my opposition and captured everyone from the Poison Hall. Those who retaliated against him back then have all been killed... At this point, bitterness surfaced on Ming Zhens face. As much as I hate Xu You and the others for putting me in such a plight, I still view myself as a member of the Poison Hall. Its honestly not my wish to see this happen. Ming Zhen shook his head. What was done was done, nothing he said would change anything at this point in time. However, I can tell you that Elder Xu You isnt dead yet! Chapter 1150 Chapter 1150: Golden Origin Cauldron vs. Vice Pavilion Master Tian Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This chapter is He isnt dead yet? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Where is he then? Putting his trust in Zhang Xuan, Elder Xu had taken him to the Poison Hall. If thetter were to die as a result of that, he would surely feel deeply guilty. He was captured by King Zhongqing and is currently being held in the underground prison, Ming Zhen said. Underground prison? Thats all I know. It seems like King Zhongqing has spared them in order to have Elder Xu and the others concoct a more formidable poison for him, but I dont know many details about the matter, Ming Zhen exined. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Regardless of what King Zhongqing was up to, it was enough for him to know that Elder Xu and the others were still alive. However, this was not the time to save them yet. Otherwise, the others would surely use this as an excuse to attack him and pin some kind of crime on him. After some questioning, Zhang Xuan confirmed that Elder Xu and the others were still fine at the moment, and he heaved a sigh of relief. You are currently afflicted with my poison, and only I have the cure for it. You are an intelligent man, so I believe I need not tell you what you should and shouldnt say. Y-yes! Ming Zhen nodded hurriedly. The young man before him was an individual who could even poison Hall Master Ruos Darkgold Venom Beetle, and not even Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai from the headquarters dared oppose him. His mastery in the Way of Poison could be said to have reached an unfathomable level, a level that Ming Zhen would never be able to achieve. Since that was the case, the only option left for him was to follow the other partys orders obediently. His questions having been answered, Zhang Xuan released the istion barrier around him with a wave of his hand. Peng peng peng peng! As soon as the barrier was released, a series of crashing sounds echoed in his ears. Raising his gaze, he saw that Vice Pavilion Master Tian was still battling with the Golden Origin Cauldron. With zing mes burning within it, it was apparent that the Golden Origin Cauldron was using all its might to attack Vice Pavilion Master Tian. On the other hand, Vice Pavilion Master Tian also did not seem to be faring too well against the Golden Origin Cauldrons relentless attack. A trail of blood was flowing down the corner of his lips, signifying that he had already suffered considerable internal injuries. As powerful as Vice Pavilion Master Tian was, the Golden Origin Cauldron was no pushover either. For the time being, it seemed like the fight would still go on for quite some time more before it reached a conclusion. After noting that the Golden Origin Cauldron was not at a disadvantage against Vice Pavilion Master Tian, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to King Zhongqing. At this moment, King Zhongqings body waspletely covered in blood. There were at least fifty small holes on his body, sliced open by Sun Qiang. His breathing was extremely weak and erratic, and it felt like he might just pass away at any moment. You blind fool, how dare you torture me? You must not know whose butler I am, Sun Qiang bellowed as he brandished the sharp dagger in his hand furiously, venting the grievances he had suffered before. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Sun Qiang, calm down. Dont identally kill him in the heat of the moment. Dont worry, Young Master! Hearing the order, Sun Qiang nodded before whipping out a bottle of chili and spraying it over King Zhongqings wounds. Seeing that King Zhongqing might really die if Sun Qiang was left to do as he pleased, he was just about to step forward to stop him when Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er suddenly walked over with deeply worried looks. Zhang shi, it wont be easy to resolve this situation after blowing it up to this extent! Yu Fei-er remarked worriedly. Zhang Xuan had done it to save Sun Qiang, but still, the other party was still the First King of the Qingyuan Empire and the most authoritative vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. To pummel them viciously, if news of the matter reached the Master Teacher Pavilion, this could be a huge issue. At best, only his master teacher license would be revoked. Its no problem. If it were any other master teacher, I would not dare do something like this. However, if its this Vice Pavilion Master Tian... then there wont be a problem at all. Zhang Xuan shook his head as he mentally calcted the time. After which, he whipped out a jade token and tapped on it lightly, sending a message out. There wont be a problem at all? The duo was unable toprehend Zhang Xuans words. Vice Pavilion Master Tian could be considered one of the most esteemed and authoritative individuals in the Qingyuan Empire, so how could there be no problem at all? Theres no doubt that King Zhongqing has colluded with the Poison Hall, but not only did this Vice Pavilion Master Tian fail to investigate the matter clearly, he even shifted the me toward me. There is bound to be something more between them! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Previously, he had indeed been a little hesitant to use forceful measures due to Vice Pavilion Master Tians appearance. However, when thetter issued an unfair judgement, he recalled the various news he had heard before, and a realization dawned upon him. Even if Vice Pavilion Master Tian chose to side with King Zhongqing due to their prior rtionship, thetters im isnt entirely unjustified, so it cant be considered collusion, can it? Luo Qiqi frowned. Indeed. There isnt sufficient evidence to conclusively prove that Vice Pavilion Master Tian is colluding with King Zhongqing. There are a few things that you are unaware of, and it isnt convenient for me to talk about it for the time being. Dont worry, Wu shi will deal with the situation once he arrives, Zhang Xuan replied. On the other hand, seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was about the matter, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er heaved a sigh of relief. Young Master, Im done teaching King Zhongqing a lesson. At this moment, Sun Qiang was finally done scattering his chili powder, and he returned with a satisfied look on his face. The previous frustration and indignation he had suffered from the other partys torture had vanished without a trace. Zhang Xuan swiftly turned around to look at King Zhongqing, only to see thetter breathing feebly, as if he would breathe hisst breath at any moment. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan eventually stepped forward and retrieved a gourd of fine wine with a flick of his wrist. He tilted the other partys neck upwards and forced the gourd of wine into the other partys mouth. The ck-robed young man from before, Butler Qin, was roughly around the same cultivation realm as him, and Ming Zhen was only slightly stronger than him, so he could still afford to directly infuse his Heavens Path zhenqi into their bodies without them noticing. On the other hand, King Zhongqing was a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert. With the enhanced perception of his Primordial Spirit, it would not be too difficult for him to notice the presence of the Heavens Path zhenqi. The Heavens Path zhenqi was one of his greatest secrets, so it was better to be safe than sorry. Tzzzzzz! The wine flowed down King Zhongqings throat, and it did not take long for the wounds inflicted on thetter by Sun Qiang to vanish without a trace. While Zhang Xuans current cultivation was two realms lower than King Zhongqing, his Heavens Path zhenqi was still sufficiently potent to heal thetters wounds easily. Young Master... Seeing Zhang Xuan heal King Zhongqing, Sun Qiang could not help but sigh in disappointment. If only the Young Master had told him that they were going to heal the other party, he would have been far more vicious! He would have made many more decisive cuts and scattered more salt and pepper, and the vengeance would have felt far more fulfilling. Noting Sun Qiangs response, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, He cant die now, and there mustnt be any wounds on him either. Otherwise... things might get troublesome. As he spoke, he poured a few more mouthfuls of fine wine down the other partys throat. This time, however, he chose to hide the Heavens Path zhenqi within the other partys body instead. After he was done, he turned back to Sun Qiang. What happened? How did you get captured by King Zhongqings men? In truth, Zhang Xuan had been rather perplexed about this matter. In the first ce, there should have been many people who went by the name Sun Qiang in the world. If one were to shout the name on the street, many passers-by would surely turn their heads around and respond. Yet, of all the possible people, King Zhongqing had chosen to capture him and even deeply believed that he was the one they were looking for. This... Upon hearing those questions, Sun Qiang scratched his head in embarrassment. Seeing Sun Qiangs reaction, Zhang Xuan knew that there was more to the matter than there seemed. Frowning, he ordered grimly, Speak! Yesterday, I went out to search for good food to eat. I walked into a restaurant, and right after I took a seat, I heard a group just beside me talking discreetly, and I thought that I heard my name... As Sun Qiang spoke, his face grew redder and redder. Young Master, you also know that Im quite a nosey person. When I heard my name, I went up to them to ask them what they were talking about. They said that they were looking for a person going by the name of Sun Qiang who possesses astounding strength and unparalleled talent, an individual truly favored by the heavens. When I heard that, I naturally thought that the person they had described had an uncanny resemnce with me. Thus, I secretly told them that my name is Sun Qiang, and after that... after that... they knocked me out... ... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless before even hearing the entire exnation. To think that this would be the situation! He had long known what type of person his butler was, but still, this was truly ridiculous! Did he really have to leap at every opportunity to pose? Honestly, from whom did he learn this from? Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Jeez, he sure is a worrisome fellow. If only he was half as low profile as me... No matter where he went, he would do his best to ensure that he kept a low profile. He would never boast or showcase his capabilities and aplishments in public, and he would never cause trouble either. If there was a perfect example of a humble man, he would definitely be it. And yet, his butler just had to go around boasting here and there. He could still afford to talk big in smaller ces like Tianxuan Kingdom, but to actually do it in Qingyuan City, which was filled with countless experts... that was no different from courting death! In a sense, Sun Qiang brought his plight upon himself. Hopefully, he would learn after this incident and not act as recklessly as before. Knowing his own mistakes, Sun Qiang lowered his head apologetically. Young Master, I dare not do so in the future... His young master always managed to pull off his posing, and motivated by the other partys sesses, Sun Qiang had long wanted to give it a try himself. When he heard the others showering him with praises, he had thought that his time hade, so he had leaped at the opportunity. And yet, he had ended up being pummeled badly. This sure was stifling! When we return, you will go into seclusion, Zhang Xuan ordered. If you arent able to reach Saint realm within three months, Ill have you scram. Yes... Hearing that he had to reach Saint realm within three months, a bitter look surfaced on Sun Qiangs face. Ignoring his conceited and boastful butler, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the battle above him. Young Master, that fellow is simply too powerful; I cant defeat him alone! Quick, give me some pointers! By this point, the Golden Origin Cauldron had fallen into a disadvantageous position. The tide of the battle waspletely on Vice Pavilion Master Tians side, and anxious, the cauldron quickly turned to Zhang Xuan for help. Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, In a battle, using just brute strength wont work. Theres a mingmen located on the Jianhai acupoint on his waist, give it a try! Alrighty! Hearing those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron roared excitedly and charged furiously toward Vice Pavilion Master Tian. You... Not expecting the young man below to be able to uncover his ws so easily, Vice Pavilion Master Tian panicked. He swiftly retreated in fear. Seeing that Vice Pavilion Master Tian was retreating, Zhang Xuan continued speaking swiftly. Due a constriction in his meridians, when he gathers zhenqi before his chest, theres a moment when the might of his attack will diminish for roughly 0.3 seconds. That is a good opportunity tounch a counterattack against him. As soon as the battle began, Zhang Xuan hadpiled a book on the other party in the Library of Heavens Path, and when he flipped it open, he found that it was filled with ws. Of them, the greatest wy in the other partys Primordial Spirit. In normal circumstances, a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator should have an extraordinarily powerful Primordial Spirit, but the other partys Primordial Spirit was filled with ws. This peculiar situation had left Zhang Xuan slightly bewildered. However, this was not the time to bother with the matter. What was more important was helping the Golden Origin Cauldron win the battle. Hong long! With Zhang Xuans pointers, Vice Pavilion Master Tian found the tide of the battle swiftly turning against him. In just a few breaths, he had already spurted several mouthfuls of blood, and his expression had turned livid. At this rate, Ill surely lose... The ws that the other party had pointed out so easily were all fatal weaknesses that could easily cost him his life! In normal circumstances, those ws should not have been apparent to anyone else. Even true Leaving Aperture realm experts would have struggled to find them. Yet, Zhang Xuan was able to list them one after another without any errors. This had truly left him deeply frenzied. This wont doI have to kill that fellow. Otherwise, the one who will die is me! Clenching his jaws furiously, a hint of callousness shed through his eyes. With a powerful step, Vice Pavilion Master Tians body warped into a shadow, bypassing the Golden Origin Cauldron, heading straight for Zhang Xuan At this moment, Zhang Xuan was in the midst of speaking to the Golden Origin Cauldron. He had not thought that the other party would go for him so abruptly. Before he could even react, the other partys attack was right before him. Teacher! Zhang shi! Young Master! Everyones face warped in horror. Chapter 1151 - What a Huge Pit!

Chapter 1151: What a Huge Pit!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Everyone anxiously rushed to Zhang Xuans side. The haughty young man who seemed to have the entire situation in his grasp a moment ago had already fainted, and a trail of blood was flowing down the edge of his lips. With just a look, it was apparent that he had suffered severe injuries. You bastards, Ill kill you! Luo Qiqi and the others roared furiously as they red at Vice Pavilion Master Tian menacingly, seemingly wanting to devour him whole. Oblivious to their res, Vice Pavilion Master Tian waspletely dumbstruck by the situation. Everything had happened so smoothly that he could hardly believe his eyes. He had confidence in his strength, but judging from how the young man had been able to easily subdue King Zhongqing, the young man should have been able to dodge his attack as well. Because of that, he had prepared many follow up moves for when his initial assault inevitably failed. Yet, who would have thought that the most troublesome individual would be subdued with a single strike? And more importantly, even though it had happened for a very brief instant, he could have sworn that he saw the other party shifting his body slightly toplement his offense, seemingly fearing that he would miss the attack. To think that an individual would willingly take his palm strike, this was truly... His palm harnessed immense strength that could crush a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert with ease. Was that not as good as courting death? Just as Vice Pavilion Master Tian waspletely bewildered by the situation before him, a loud roar suddenly echoed through the hall. Turning around, he saw the Golden Soul Lock falling from King Zhongqings body. The countless wounds on his body recovered at a visible rate, and within less than two breaths, he had already returned to his peak state, as if the torture he had undergone previously was nothing more than a brief nightmare. When did that fellow obtain such formidable saint medicine? Vice Pavilion Master Tian was rather close with King Zhongqing, but he had never heard that thetter had a medicine that was capable of swiftly healing ones wounds. That was alreadyparable to the mystical means that Zhang shi had used on Sun Qiang previously! Ill kill you! Having recovered fully, King Zhongqing swiftly recalled the humiliation he had been put through just a moment ago. With a furious battle cry, he immediately charged toward the unconscious Zhang Xuan. Along the way, he flicked his wrist and whipped out a sharp sword before brandishing it forcefully toward thetter. In the previous battle, he had been subdued the whole time, depriving him of any opportunity to wield his weapon. Now that he knew how fearsome the enemy was, he knew that hesitation would be his downfall, so he decisively chose to execute his strongest offensive technique right from the very start. Tzzzzzz! A surge of sword qi burst across the room with a deafening sonic boom. Before this powerful sword art, even a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert would have to back down temporarily. Dont you dare hurt him! Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, and Sun Qiang raised their weapons simultaneously to protect Zhang Xuan. Peng! Peng! Peng! With three deep thuds, Zhang Xuans three allies were sent flying into the wall nearby. Their faces flushed crimson from the impact, and blood spewed wildly from their mouths. The gap between them and a true Saint 4-dan expert was simply too huge. They did not stand a chance at all. Die! After knocking the trio back, King Zhongqing continued shing his de toward Zhang Xuan, desiring to slice him in two. Hold it right there! At this moment, a furious bellow echoed. Following which, King Zhongqing felt a powerful surge of zhenqi morphing into a barrier right before Zhang Xuan, protecting thetter. Despite the incredible might behind his sword, he found that he was unable to break that zhenqi barrier. Instead, the momentum he wielded in his offense seemed to backfire against him. The sword in his hand bounced back upon striking the barrier, flying back toward him. Puhe! Everything happened so fast that King Zhongqing could not even react. Before he knew it, his sword had already pierced his shoulder, and the powerful rebound sent him flying. He crashed into the wall, and the sword in his shoulder ended up lodged in the wall, leaving him hanging in midair like a scarecrow. Ahhh! The excruciating pain caused a roar of agony to escape from King Zhongqings mouth. Considering that he wielded a sword in hand and he had more than enough time to build up the momentum in his offense to the peak, his attack could be said to have reached the level of Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts. On the other hand, the other party had set up the zhenqi barrier hastily to protect Zhang Xuan, and yet, the barrier was still strong enough to cause his attack to rebound against him. Just how powerful was the other party? Hu! Before King Zhongqings horrified gaze, two figures appeared before Zhang Xuan with anxious looks on their faces. Principal Zhang! Principal Zhang! The two figures were Elder Wu Rufeng from the Master Teacher Pavilion and Hall Master Xing Tianming from the Combat Master Hall! After taking a closer look, they realized that Zhang Xuan had already lost consciousness due to how dire his injuries were. With a livid face, Hall Master Xing stood up and roared, To attempt to murder a master teacher in public, Tian Qing, how dare you? Boom! Enraged, Hall Master Xing flicked his arm furiously. I... Vice Pavilion Master Tian was about to exin himself, but before he could say a word, he was knocked to the ground by a powerful p, and huge spurts of blood spewed from his mouth. He had not even been a match for Hall Master Xing when thetter was still at Half-Leaving Aperture realm, let alone when thetter had achieved a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm! After knocking down Vice Pavilion Master Tian, Hall Master Xing roared, Men, apprehend those two fellows! Hula! Upon hearing themand, Division Head Liao, Division Head Zhou, Division Head Chen, and Division Head Yan rushed out from the shadows, and in the blink of an eye, they had already sealed the cultivation of the duo and captured them. Despite being at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle as well, the same cultivation realm as King Zhongqing, they werebat masters, the representation of the strongest fighting prowess in their cultivation realm. It would be a difficult fight against them even when the duo was in their peak state, let alone their current severely injured states. Principal Zhang... After apprehending the two culprits, Hall Master Xing took out a recovery pill and fed it to Zhang Xuan. Following which, he used his zhenqi to help thetter assimte the medicinal energy within the pill, and only then did the Zhang Xuan slowlye to. You are finally here, Zhang Xuan said faintly with a relieved smile. He weakly turned his gaze toward Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing before continuing. There might be some kind of misunderstanding between us. I hope that you wont hurt them... Pu! Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, more blood spurted from his mouth. Principal Zhang! Seeing that the other party was still speaking on the behalf of those two bastards, Wu shi and Hall Master Xing could not help but feel a little bitter for him. It was those two bastards who had reduced him to his current state, and yet, he was still magnanimously asking for them to be spared! Where else could one find another individual as forgiving as that? He sure was kind to a fault! On the other hand, King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian felt deeply frenzied as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes. It was just a moment ago that Vice Pavilion Master Tian had been wondering why Zhang Xuan chose to take his attack face-on, and it turned out that... he was biding his time! Now, the ones who were severely injured were the other party, and when Hall Master Xing and Wu shi appeared, King Zhongqing even nearly managed to im Zhang Xuans life. How were they supposed to exin themselves in such a situation? Zhang Xuan was the one who made a move against us! He used that cauldron to... Anxious, Vice Pavilion Master Tian turned around and pointed to where Ding Ding was previously, only to find that the cauldron that had arrogantly been threatening to reduce him to cinders a moment ago had vanished without a trace. The other party had actually managed to stow the cauldron back into his storage ring within the short period of time! Shut your mouth! Division Head Liao pped Vice Pavilion Master Tian out of sheer anger, knocking thetters mouth out of ce. Principal Zhang had made such great contributions to their Combat Master Hall, and they had not even managed to show their gratitude to him yet when this fellow suddenly stepped in and reduced their benefactor to such a tragic state. If not for the other partys identity as a master teacher, they would have surely killed him on the spot! Unforgivable! This was truly something unforgivable! Ignoring Vice Pavilion Master Tian, Wu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Principal Zhang, can you tell us what happened? Save them first... Zhang Xuan weakly raised a finger and pointed toward Luo Qiqi and the others. Alright! Hall Master Xing raised a hand, and a division head quickly fed the trio a recovery pill each. Seeing that the three of them were fine, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He then weakly turned his attention back to Wu shi and said, Wu shi, do you still remember the matter concerning the news of the ancient domain being leaked to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Back then, Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu had attempted to report the discovery of the ancient domain to the headquarters, only to have his intelligence covered up by a spy in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. After fleeing from the Qiu Wu Pce, the old principal had already exined the matter to them from the start to the end. Of course! Wu shi nodded. I have been looking into the matter since I returned, but I wasnt able to find any conclusive proof. I have been pursuing the matter as well, but in the midst of it... Sun Qiang was suddenly kidnapped by the men of Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing. They used me of colluding with the Poison Hall and imed that I am unworthy of being a master teacher. They even said that they wanted to send me into the Subterranean Gallery to have me make up for my sins... Cough cough! As Zhang Xuan spoke, he gradually grew more and more agitated before coughing once more. They used you of colluding with the Poison Hall and wanted to send you into the Subterranean Gallery? Hearing those words, Wu shi flung his sleeves wrathfully, and coldness surfaced in his eyes. Preposterous! How dare they nder an upright master teacher? Others might have been oblivious to the matter, but he knew full well that the young man before him was not only a Celestial Master Teacher but also a Celestial Saint. In the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, there was only one figure who had achieved the sameKong shi. To use a Celestial Master Teacher of colluding with the Poison Hall and attempt to send him to the Subterranean Gallery over it? Unpardonable! I refused to acknowledge their usations, so they decided to force a confession out of me instead. You should also know that I ampletely powerless against Primordial Spirit realm cultivators. Its fortunate that you came quickly, or else we might have lost our lives here, Zhang Xuan said with a terrified yet relieved look on his face. Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing nced at one another, and they nearly blew up on the spot. Completely powerless against Primordial Spirit realm cultivators? You call this being powerless? We were nearly pummeled to death by you! If theres anyone who is powerless here, it should be us, alright! The duo felt so indignant that they could have choked from the sheer frustration they felt. They wanted to refute the other partys words, but thebat masters had already sealed their movements, not allowing them to speak even a single word. On the other hand, Sun Qiang, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er also exchanged nces, and their mouths twitched uncontrobly from the shamelessness that Zhang Xuan was disying. This was even more so for Yu Fei-er. She was renderedpletely speechless by the sight before her. She had nearly lost her mind when she saw Zhang Xuan lying unconscious on the ground after being struck squarely by King Zhongqing, but to think that... he was just feigning weakness! With Wu shi, Hall Master Xing, and many division heads witnessing Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing attempting to murder him, those two would never be able to cleanse their names. Previously, they had been worried about how Zhang Xuan would resolve the situation after making a brazen move on the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Who would have thought that he had already prepared a pit for the duo to fall into! For those who dare to provoke Zhang Xuan... they had best be prepared to fall to the lowest point of their life! With such thoughts in mind, the trio could not help but direct looks of sympathy toward Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing. On the other hand, Wu shi and Hall Master Xing nodded in agreement after hearing Zhang Xuans words. Indeed, I know your strength well. You arent a match for Primordial Spirit realm cultivators. Wu shi had spent a very long time together with Zhang Xuan in the Qiu Wu Pce, so he knew thetters strength very well. It would have been difficult for him to even match a Saint 3-dan cultivator, so how could he be a match for Primordial Spirit realm cultivators? As for Hall Master Xing, he had exchanged blows with Zhang Xuan back at the Heart Division. While he had been surprised by the incredible reflexes that thetter had disyed during the battle, it had been apparent that thetter was stillcking the strength to stand against a Primordial Spirit cultivator head to head. Not to mention, his opponents were the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion and a King who had forged his name on the battlefield. Since Zhang Xuan was not a match for them, less had to be said about Luo Qiqi and the others. I was truly desperate, so I could only send a message to all of you... After exining the course of events, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before lying on the ground, his breathing still faint from the severe injuries he had incurred. With just a look, it was clear that he had suffered grievous wounds. Even with the supplement of recovery pills, it was unlikely that he would make a full recovery any time soon. The more Wu shi thought about it, the more angered he felt. Turning to the duo, he harrumphed coldly. On top of ndering a fellow master teacher, you even attempted to force a confession. Tian Qing and King Zhongqing, the both of you sure are brazen! I shall have this matter reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them judge it! Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqings faces paled. The pit that they had leaped into... seemed to be a little too big in proportion. nder? Force a confession? Report to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Rather than a pit, it seemed like they had leaped into an abyss instead! Chapter 1152 - An Irrefutable Argument Chapter 1152: An Irrefutable Argument Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric What do you have to say for yourself? Wu shi bellowed coldly. Wuu wuuu... Vice Pavilion Master Tian anxiously spoke. Release his seal! Hall Master Xing instructed. Division Head Liao nodded before striking the other party from the back. Vice Pavilion Master Tian immediately felt the surge of zhenqi that had been suppressing his movements being released, and he heaved a sigh of relief. With reddened eyes, he cried, He is lying! Hes the one to make a move on us first... Enough! Hearing those words, Hall Master Xing stood up and red at them sharply. The reason why I allowed you to speak is in view of the fact that you are a master teacher as well. I thought that you would at least repent on what you have done, and yet, all your mouth is capable of spouting is lies and more lies... Tell me, where has your dignity as a master teacher gone to? You said that he made a move on you? Even the strongest of the four of them only has a cultivation of Saint 2-dan, and you are in King Zhongqings manor at that. Do you honestly expect anyone to believe those words? Hall Master Xing was so angered that he could explode on the spot. Do you take me as a fool? At leaste up with a more believable lie! The both of you are still well and kicking, and you still dared to im that Principal Zhang made a move on you? Even if Principal Zhang had such intentions in mind, is he even a match for the both of you? I... Vice Pavilion Master Tians body staggered in despair. But I am already telling the truth... Look at us, we are injured as well! Vice Pavilion Master Tian felt deeply stifled within, but he knew that the other party had already imed the upper hand in this debate, and the fact that the other party had witnessed King Zhongqing attempting to kill Zhang Xuan was truly disadvantageous to them. At this point, vehemently pushing their point forward would only incur the other partys repulse and disgust. Since that was the case, it would be better for them to direct the topic to something else for the time being. That person over there is known as Ming Zhen... Suppressing his indignation, Vice Hall Master Tian pointed to an elder standing by the side and said. He is the vice head of a Poison Hall located in Hongyuan Empire. Not too long ago, he arrived at the manor to report Zhang shis butler, Sun Qiang. He said that Sun Qiang is a particrly powerful poison master, and a while ago, he had arrived at their Poison Hall to arrange for the founder of the Poison Hall to be escorted to the headquarters. In view of the safety of Qingyuan Empire, King Zhongqing had no choice but to apprehend Zhang shi to interrogate him. Yet, who could have thought that he would attempt to forcefully take his butler away, thus resulting in this conflict... The vice head of the Poison Hall? Wu shi and the others swiftly turned their gazes towards Min Zhen. On the other hand, noticing so many master teachers andbat masters looking over towards him, Ming Zhens face was scared pale. You are from the Poison Hall? Wu shi asked grimly. As a master teacher, he bore little goodwill to those from the Poison Hall. Thats right. Ming Zhen nodded as he flicked his wrist, taking out his poison master emblem and a token representing his identity as the vice head of the Poison Hall. After taking a look and confirming that there was no mistake, Wu shi frowned, You are here to report Sun Qiang? He wasnt too familiar with Sun Qiang, but since thetter was Principal Zhangs butler, how could he be a poison master? But of course, there was still a need to rify things beforeing to a conclusion. This... Ming Zhens face distorted slightly, and after a long moment of hesitation, putong!, he kneeled to the ground. With reddened eyes, he eximed, Wu shi, I beg of you to redress the grievances of our Poison Hall! What happened? Seeing the other partys abrupt actions, Wu shis frown deepened. King Zhongqing captured all of ourrades from the Poison Hall and imprisoned them in his underground prison. He coerced me to use Zhang shi of that, or else he would kill my brothers... Its also out of desperation that I chose such a course of action! Wu shi, I implore you to return us justice! Ming Zhen cried in grief. You... Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Those words left both Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing exploding on the spot. That fellow was clearly one of their own, and they were still depending on him to serve as their eye-witness, and yet... how could he turn against them at this crucial moment? You said that we coerced you? You were the one who fled here after the Poison Hall exiled you! Furthermore, you were the one who willingly revealed the location of the Poison Hall, and that was why King Zhongqing was able to dispatch his soldiers to eradicate them... How in the world did you suddenly be a victim over a blink of an eye, and what did you say? We used the lives of your brothers to threaten you? You were the one who wanted to kill them in the first ce! How could we use their lives to threaten you? Shut your mouths! Wu shi flung his sleeves and bellowed furiously. After which, he turned his gaze back to the poison master and said, You need not fear, continue speaking. Yes! If Wu shi doubts my word, you can search King Zhongqings underground prison. My brothers from the Poison Hall is currently being imprisoned there. If you were to find any falsehood in my words, Im willing to ept any punishment! Ming Zhen cowered backward slightly, but the resolution in his eyes was apparent. It was as if he was deeply fearful, but for the sake of justice, he was willing to take a leap of faith and testify against the true masterminds. His body was still gued with the other partys poison, so he knew what he should say and what he shouldnt. Furthermore, at this point, it was apparent that King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian was no match against Zhang shi in terms of ying such trickery. Clearly, this was the best opportunity for him to leap out of the darkness and return to the light. You... The words spoken and the subtle gestures that hinted at a mix of fear and courage from Ming Zhen left Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing so enraged that mes could erupt from their heads. If Ming Zhen had chosen to side with them, they would have been able to turn the tables on the other party! Yet, who could have thought that thetters words would be the nail that sealed the lid of their coffin instead? On the other hand, Luo Qiqi, Sun Qiang, and Yu Fei-er nced at one another with their eyes widened and mouth agape in disbelief. There was only a brief exchange between Zhang shi and that ex-vice head of the Poison Hall, and yet, he actually managed to convince thetter to side with them and speakpletely different words from before... This was too formidable! With this, no matter which perspective they looked at the situation for, they were in an absolutely advantageous position. Even though Zhang Xuan was the one who had insulted a 7-star master teacher despite possessing only the identity of a 6-star master teacher, flouting the rules of formalities, at some point in time, the story had turned into thetter abusing his seniority to take advantage of Zhang Xuan, intentionally attempting to use him of something he hadnt done... At this point in time, the duo would never be able to cleanse their reputation anymore. Head to the underground prison to take a look. Check if there are any poison masters there! Ignoring the despairing duo, Wu shi turned to a master teacher beside him and instructed. In this rescue operation, the Combat Master Hall wasnt the only one that had dispatched their forces. The Master Teacher Pavilion had also brought many master teachers over as well. When Wu shi received Zhang Xuans distress call on his Jade Communication Token, he immediately brought everyone that he could call upon in the Master Teacher Pavilion over, not daring to hesitate in the least. Yes! The master teacher quickly turned around and left. Not too longter, the master teacher returned and sped his fist, Reporting to Wu shi and Hall Master Xing, in the underground prison of King Zhongqing Manor, there are indeed many captured poison masters, and every single one of them are severely injured... As I expected! Upon hearing that report, Wu shis face turned incredibly awful. He turned around to look at Vice Pavilion Master Tian and sneered, To use the members of the Poison Hall to nder Principal Zhang; Vice Pavilion Master Tian, you can be assured that Ill report this matter in detail to the headquarters! Every single clue fitted together with pieces on the puzzle, forming a wless story. At this point, there was no longer any need to listen to their exnation anymore. With the advancement of his cultivation to Half-Leaving Aperture realm, as well as the merit he had rued from exploring the Qiu Wu Pce, he was swiftly promoted to be the other vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, putting him on equal standing as Vice Pavilion Master Tian. In terms of actual authority and influence, he was still beneath that of Vice Pavilion Master Tian, but considering that thetter had done something as immoral as this, he still held every right to investigate the matter. I... Vice Pavilion Master Tian red at Zhang Xuan hatefully, but at this point, he knew that there was nothing he could say that would change the situation anymore. He thought that it would be easier for them to deal with thetter by pinning a crime on himthis way, the matter wouldnte back to bite them in the futurebut who could have thought that the other party would actually use it against them? It must be said that Zhang Xuans adaptability was truly formidable. In just a short moment that they had let their guards down, they ended up falling for his trap. I hope to have Pavilion Master Gou deal with this matter personally. If the results then are still the same as what you have concluded here, I would have nothing to say about reporting this matter to the headquarters. Vice Pavilion Master Tian gritted his teeth and said. He could tell that Wu shi and Hall Master Xing had a deep rtionship with Zhang Xuan. At this rate, there was no way he would be able to cleanse himself of his suspicions. Just the very act of ndering and using another master teacher was more than sufficient for him to lose his current position. Perhaps, he might even be stripped of his master teacher license. At this rate, he could only bank his hopes on Pavilion Master Gou. With his involvement, perhaps there might still be hopes for a reversal. You want to have Pavilion Master Gou to investigate this matter? Let me tell you this then. Your direct disciple has duped the intelligence regarding the existence of the ancient domain from the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqiu, two years back and ryed the intelligence to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, nearly causing a cmity to ur. I have already looked into this matter, confirmed it, and reported it to Pavilion Master Gou. And now, you are intentionally ndering and using Principal Zhang... Even if you were to bring him in, nothing will change! Wu shi harrumphed coldly. Vice Pavilion Master Tians face paled. The reason why Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu and the others were hesitant to liaise with the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion after they were duped of their intelligence was because the person who had duped their intelligence had an exceptionally high standing! And he was the direct disciple of Vice Pavilion Master Tian! After Wu shi returned, he had been looking into the case carefully, and he found concrete evidence to formally charge Vice Pavilion Master Tians direct disciple of the matter. It was also due to this matter that Zhang Xuan dared to make a move. In the first ce, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was already under investigation, and yet, the other party still dared to make a move against him. Since that was the case, he didnt mind pinning another usation on him. And besides, even though it was more of a gut feeling at this point, there were quite a handful of doubtful points about Vice Pavilion Master Tian himself back in the short interaction they had earlier as well... Men, bring Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing back to the Master Teacher Pavilion! Wu shi instructed. Typically speaking, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldnt deal with a local officials easily. After all, such actions could easily result in dissension between the royal family and the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, the King Zhongqings attempt to nder and use a master teacher of a crime had truly touch the bottom line of the Master Teacher Pavilion. This was an insult to the dignity of the number one upation in the world, so he had to be dealt with. Otherwise, if everyone were to regard master teachers as pushovers, how were they to maintain order in the world? Master teachers mustnt be sullied, these werent just mere words. Those who tried to climb over the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion would have to pay a corresponding price for their actions. Yes! The master teachers stepped forward and took the two men from the hands of Division Head Liao and the others before leaving the hall. After the duo was brought away, Wu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked worriedly, Principal Zhang, are you still alright? Im fine... Zhang Xuan shook his head. With Luo Qiqis support, he stood up and bowed apologetically, Even though Vice Pavilion Master Tian was the first to make a move against me, it is a fact that I did retaliate against him, and thats against the formalities of the Way of Teacher. In order to make up for my mistakes, I have decided to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion after I recover from my injuries. I hope that you can pardon me for this! You want to crash our Master Teacher Pavilion? Veins immediately popped up on Wu shis forehead. If youre worrying about that matter, theres really no need to. Your actions constitute as self-defense, so theres no one who would say a thing about that matter. Ill also report this matter to the headquarters, so that no one will be able to use this matter against you in the future... If a master teacher were to truly err, there was only one way he could cleanse his crimespavilion crashing. Back then, in order to avenge Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan had single-handedly challenged Xuanyuan Empire, and in the midst of doing so, he had no choice but to fight against the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion as well. That was against the formalities of the Way of Teacher, and that was also why he had to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion afterwards in order to cleanse his name. Pavilion crashing was the act of single-handedly challenging the trials set up by the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was equivalent to using the strength and wits of an individual to go against an entire Master Teacher Pavilion... and it was a nigh impossible to seed. For this reason, there were only a small handful of people who had seeded in pavilion crashing in the entire history of the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, while that rule may apply to others, when Wu shi recalled the identity and incredible means of the young man before him, he dared not agree to it. Back in the Qiu Wu Pce, even he had willingly chosen to abide by the other party arrangement... Regardless from which aspect one was looking at, the young man before him was truly incredible. As formidable as the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion may be, Wu shi had no confidence whether it would be able to remain standing after thetter had made his round on it. Furthermore, once the pavilion crashing seeded, they would have to heed the other partys unconditionally, and that would be a true embarrassment to their Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Since Wu shi has said such words, Im reassured... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he turned to Hall Master Xing and asked, Its due to me that the members of the Poison Hall are implicated into this matter. May I trouble Hall Master Xing to take them back to the Combat Master Hall to take care of them for the time being? You want me to take them back to the Combat Master Hall? Hall Master Xing was taken aback. Indeed. While poison masters have a poor reputation, if we could bring them over to our side as allies, that would surely be a great boost to our fighting forces. Without a doubt, they would prove to be a sharp edge in dealing against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Thus... if possible, I hope to have them join the Combat Master Hall and form a division of their own! Zhang Xuan revealed his true intentions. StarveCleric StarveCleric Chapter 1153 - Meeting Elder Xu Once More

Chapter 1153: Meeting Elder Xu Once More

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While he was not the one who had orchestrated the incident, it was partly due to him that the Poison Hall had ended up in its current state. If they were handed over to the Master Teacher Pavilion, many self-righteous individuals would surely speak up against them, and it was hard to say what kind of fate would befall them in the future. However, if they were to be taken to the Combat Master Hall instead, the situation would be entirely different. Not only would the poison masters be able to resolve their current crisis, they would also be given a new identity that would allow them to walk in the open. Just based on these two benefits alone, the poison masters would not reject his proposal. Additionally, if the Combat Master Hall could capitalize on the strength of the poison masters, their overall prowess would surely increase by leaps and bounds. That wont do! Hall Master Xings face twitched, and he hurriedly waved his hands to reject the suggestion. Why not? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. As you know, poison masters are used to living carefree lives. I fear that it would be difficult for our Combat Master Hall to control them. Furthermore, as you know, the cultivation techniques that they practice are unorthodox and depraved; master teachers look down upon this. Hall Master Xing shook his head. No matter what, the Combat Master Hall is still a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion. In order to raise their cultivation, poison masters reared poisonous bugs, consumed lethal poison, and even used their life force to cultivate Gu. Most of their means had already breached the moral code of the master teachers. Combat masters were a type of master teacher, so if they were to ept the poison masters, how would their peers view them in the future? Combat masters did strive to obtain greater strength, but the means by which they did so were important as well. They had principles to follow, so they could not simply go around epting everyone. Thats simple. Ill teach them a new cultivation technique that is orthodox and upright. On top of that, Ill instruct them to heed Hall Master Xings words, so you need not worry about being unable to control them, Zhang Xuan said. It was indeed true that the horrific practicesmon in the cultivation of poison arts were uneptable to the masses, but this was not a matter that was too difficult to resolve. As long as he imparted his simplified Heavens Path Poison Art to them, not only would they be able to advance their cultivation swiftly, there would also be no need for them to resort to unorthodox means anymore! This... Hall Master Xing contemted over the issue. It might have felt as if the young man before him was making light of the matter, but having seen the other partys capability in person, he had absolute trust that the other party would be able to pull it off. A person whose understanding of battle techniques was so deep that he could master a Saint low-tier battle technique to Consummation eleven breaths after first looking at the manual might really be able to alter poison cultivation techniques to make them orthodox. If the person before him could resolve those two problems, epting the poison masters into the Combat Master Hall was something that he could consider. After all, it was indeed the truth that the addition of poison masters to their ranks would bolster their forces considerably. Putting everything aside, it was precisely due to the usage of poison that King Zhongqing had been able to rise to his current rank within a short twenty years. At this point, Wu shi suddenly interjected. While poison masters have a poor reputation, the fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have never ordered their elimination shows that theres a purpose to the existence of the poison master upation and that they are willing to give the Poison Hall a chance. If Principal Zhang really has a way to convince the poison masters to work for the welfare of mankind, Ill report this matter to the headquarters and convince them of this matter. I believe that they would be d to see this as well! Poison masters were the worst enemies to make, and at the same time, they were also the most reliable allies to have. Their capability in group battles was nothing short of phenomenal. If they could assist in the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind would stand a far better chance. While the Poison Hall headquarters were well-concealed, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was bound to know where it was. Yet, over numerous millenniums, they still had not taken action against them as they did for the soul oracles. This was more than sufficient to show that they were not unpardonable. Furthermore, these poison masters that were currently locked in the King Zhongqing Manors underground prison had grown up on the ind just beside Jingyuan City, and they had rarely ventured out of the ind. They might have been poison masters, but they had never harmed anyone. Since they had never harmed anyone ormitted any evil deeds, would it not be a little presumptuous of them to kill them just because of their upation? If so, what would be of the values that master teachers preached? Alright! Hearing Wu shi agree to the matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. While Hall Master Xings cultivation was higher than Wu shis, in terms of standing, thetter was still a notch higher. Since Wu shi had said such words, he must have had a feasible n in mind to carry out the matter. Please wait here for a moment. Ill head to the underground prison to talk with the poison masters and see if Im be able to convince them. If it does not work out, well just have to find some other way to deal with them, Zhang Xuan said. This... But Principal Zhang, what about your wounds? Wu shi asked worriedly. Dont worry. With my constitution and your recovery pill, Im fine now. It wont impede me from talking with them. Zhang Xuan waved his hand with a smile. Recalling the various incredible means that the young man possessed, Wu shi knew that while the injuries the other party had sustained were considerable, they would not pose much of a problem for him. Thus, heaving a sigh of relief, he continued. Thats a relief. However, poison masters are known to be rather scheming, so allow me to follow you to the underground prison. This way, Ill be able to protect you if anything happens. Its fine. Given your current standing and identity, I fear that your presence will be pressurizing to them. Itll do for me to face them alone. Zhang Xuan turned down Wu shis goodwill. If he wanted to convince Xu You and the others to obediently join the Combat Master Hall and obey their words, he would surely have to reveal his identity as Sun Qiang to them. Naturally, this mustnt be done before Wu shi, or else thetter would learn about his identity as a poison master. This... Wu shi hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. Alright then, I wont enter the underground prison with you. However, we will be waiting outside, and once we notice that something is amiss, well immediately barge in and make a move! Ill be relying on the both of you then, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, knowing that the duo was worried about him. Led by the master teacher from before, it did not take long for the crowd to arrive at the entrance of the underground prison. Wu shi and Hall Master Xing stood guard outside while Zhang Xuan entered the underground prison alone. The prison was dimly-lit and eerie. There were all sorts of powerful formations set up here and there to prevent the escape of the imprisoned cultivators. Shortly after walking in, ge ge ge, Zhang Xuans bones and muscles began rearranging themselves to assume the appearance of Sun Qiang. Elder Xu... Very soon, Zhang Xuan found Elder Xu, and just as the master teacher had said, it seemed like he had been subjected to harsh torture. He was clearly much skinnier than he had been two months prior, and his aura felt withered as well. With just a look, it was apparent that his wounds were not light. There were roughly a hundred other poison masters captured in the underground prison. As for the other members of the Poison Hall... it was hard to say whether they were alive or dead. Founder! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Elder Xu and the others were stunned for a moment before agitation struck them. The identity of the middle-aged man before them, Sun Qiang, had been verified by Poison Master Hai and Poison Master Bai of the headquarters. Thus, they had no doubts about his identity at all. I am not your founder, just a person who escorted her back then. Itll do for you to just address me as Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. You have truly suffered a lot. Here are some pills to heal your injuries. Quickly swallow them to regain some strength. He flicked his wrist and took out a couple of jade bottles before passing them around the poison masters. He had plenty of pills from acquiring the storage rings of the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage. As long as he infused some Heavens Path zhenqi into each of the pills, it would grant them miraculous effects in recovering wounds and fatigue. Yes! Without any hesitation, Elder Xu and the others took the pills and swallowed them. As soon as the pill dissolved in their mouth, the Heavens Path zhenqi contained within them swiftly flowed through their bloodstream to the rest of their body, and their wounds began healing at a discernable rate. This... Noticing the changes in their bodies, Xu You and the others were startled. They could hardly believe what was going on. The effectiveness of these pills was far, far more potent than the recovery pills that they concocted. As expected of the individual who had escorted the founder! Without a doubt, the other party must have inherited the founders heritage! After the poison masters had somewhat recuperated from their wounds, Zhang Xuan asked grimly, What happened to the Jingyuan City Poison Hall? The Poison Hall... At this point, Xu Yous eyes reddened in deep indignation. His voice grew slightly hoarse, as if there was something stuck within it. ... has been destroyed. We are the only ones who remain. Everyone else has been... killed. As the ex-vice head of the Poison Hall, Ming Zhen knew all the secrets of the Poison Hall, and this included the ws in their formations and defensive systems as well. Under his lead, King Zhongqings forces had been able to sneak into the Poison Hall sessfully without rming anyone, taking the Poison Hall off guard. As a result, the Poison Hall waspletely wiped out in the tragedy. Killed? You are saying that King Zhongqing killed everyone in the Poison Hall? Zhang Xuans face turnedpletely dark. He had thought that it would at least have been a roughly equal fight, with both sides suffering some casualties. Yet, from the looks of it, the situation seemed far worse than he had imagined. Thats right... They attacked in the middle of the night. Caught off guard, we were swiftly encircled and subdued. That night, a river of blood flowed through the Poison Hall. Just like that, the ten thousand years of heritage of the Poison Hall was destroyed... Elder Xu clenched his fists tightly, and his voice gradually grew more and more agitated. Eventually, it came to a point where he found himself unable to continue speaking anymore. This... Zhang Xuan was at a loss for words. He had no idea how he shouldfort Elder Xus pain. He had been to the Poison Hall as well, and on top of poison masters, there were many ordinary civilians. These civilians did not possess the talent for cultivating poison arts, so they spent their lives idly on the ind. Who knew that they were not spared either! The fear of poison masters wasn notpletely unfounded, but these poison masters had spent the entirety of their lives on a remote ind, isted from the rest of their world. They had never ventured beyond their ind to harm anyone, but King Zhongqing had callously stepped in and ruined the rtively peaceful world that they had constructed for themselves! Initially, Zhang Xuan had wondered if he had gone too far by scheming against King Zhongqing in such a manner, but from the looks of it now, he regretted not doing worse! A person like him deserved to die a thousand times over! After taking a deep breath, Elder Xu continued. After King Zhongqing massacred the entire Poison Hall, he rounded up all the poison masters ranked 5-star and above, sealed our cultivation, and imprisoned us here. Every single day, he would use cruel torture techniques on us to have us mass concoct poison for him! When he spoke of King Zhongqing, mes of fury burned in his eyes. If he could, there was no doubt that he would have ripped the other party in two without any hesitation. Mass concoct poison? Zhang Xuan knitted his eyebrows. What kind of poison is he concocting? In the Qingyuan Empire, King Zhongqing was definitely a figure worthy of the phrase beneath a single man, above the masses 1 . Putting aside the incredible cultivation he possessed, he also wielded unbounded authority as well. If a person who wielded that much power wanted to deal with his political rivals, there was no need for him to go through the trouble of mass concocting poison at all. Or to put it in simpler terms, King Zhongqing was up to something huge. Its the Scattering Breeze Powder! Elder Xu replied. Grade-5 poison, Scattering Breeze Powder? Zhang Xuan frowned. Colorless and odorless, it is a poison that saps one of ones strength upon inhtion, rendering one powerless for a short period of time. However, its ability to drift freely along with the breeze allows it to incapacitate a huge number of people simultaneously, though it is only effective on those beneath Saint realm. How much of it did King Zhongqing demand? All in all, the Scattering Breeze Powder could not be considered a lethal poison, but its ability to spread far and wide made it extremely difficult to guard against. Ten tons, Elder Xu replied grimly. Ten tons? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Just an ordinary jade bottle of Scattering Breeze Powder released into the air could knock out several hundred individuals. To produce ten tons of it... Was he nning to knock out an entire city? What the heck did he need so much of it for? Noticing Zhang Xuans worry, Xu You swiftly exined, Hes the sworn enemy of our Poison Hall, so how could we possibly serve him? Thus, we refused to obey his orders. At the same time, realization suddenly struck him, and he looked at Zhang Xuan with a peculiar gaze. Fou... Elder Sun Qiang, how did you know that we are here? You werent noticed by the guards when you came here, right? Even though Zhang Xuans sudden arrival in the underground prison was perplexing to him, Elder Xus trust in the other party remained unwavering, simply on the grounds that he was the man chosen by the founder. As a poison master who had grown up in the Poison Hall, it was inevitable that he would have blind faith in the founder. Nevertheless, he was still worried about the other party. Their deaths were nothing much, but if they were to implicate Elder Sun Qiang in this matter, they would have truly let the founder down! Dont worry, I have already subdued King Zhongqing, and he has been taken away by the Master Teacher Pavilion for interrogation. The reason I am here is to save you all! Zhang Xuan replied. You have subdued King Zhongqing? You are here to save us? The crowd stared at one another with shock gazes, not daring to believe what they had just heard. They had thought that they were doomed to spend the rest of their lives rotting within this underground prison. Yet, never in their dreams had they thought that the elder who had delivered the founder back to them woulde to save them, even exacting vengeance in their stead. Un. However, your current identities are a little awkward. It would be difficult for me to free you all given the present circumstances. Thus, I hope to give you all a new identity, but Ill need your consent for this matter, Zhang Xuan said. A new identity? Elder Xu was perplexed by those words. What would that identity be? The other poison masters also turned their sights over. Combat masters! Zhang Xuan replied concisely. Chapter 1154 - Wu shi’s Analysis

Chapter 1154: Wu shis Analysis

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Combat master? The many poison masters stared at one another, unable to process what they had just heard. Thats right. As long as you all bebat masters, you will be able to walk through the streets of Qingyuan City openly without fear, and you wouldnt have to fear anyone confronting you or causing you any trouble just because you practice poison arts. And more importantly, you need not fear the Master Teacher Pavilion anymore! Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle. This... Hearing those words, the faces of the poison masters reddened, and they clenched their fists in agitation. As poison masters, they had lived in the shadows for far too long. For the longest time, their greatest wish had been to stand in the light as themselves without being snubbed or shunned by others... If Elder Sun Qiang could really make thise true for them, that would be as good as granting them a second life! But... we arent master teachers, are we truly qualified to bebat masters? Will the otherbat masters really wee us into their ranks? After all, we are poison masters... Elder Xu asked apprehensively. The other poison masters nodded in agreement as well, clearly harboring the same concerns. The Combat Master Hall was a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and typically speaking,bat masters were talented individuals chosen amongst the master teachers. On the other hand, they were only a bunch of poison masters... Its true that mostbat masters are master teachers as well, but from time to time, the Combat Master Hall would also recruit talents of other fields into their ranks to widen their scope. While we poison masters have a bad reputation, our fighting prowess with poison is exceptional too! The Combat Master Hall would surely wee you into their ranks dly! As long as you were to join the Combat Master Hall as one of their members, even if just as a reserve member, under their cover, no one would dare to say the slightest thing about you! Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. The Combat Master Hall did have special rules when it came to recruiting top-notch talent, but those only applied to talents of around Zheng Yangs caliber. To be honest, Elder Xu and the others were still quitecking. Nevertheless, even if they couldnt be an official member of the Combat Master Hall, bing a reserve member was still possible. It wouldnt be toote for them to apply to be an official member once they achieve some merit. That would truly be for the best. However... would our cultivation technique and means be rejected by the master teachers? They might ept us at the start, but as time passes... would they start to repulse and shun us? Elder Xu asked in concern. I understand your concerns, but dont worry, the founder has already made preparations for this. Here are some cultivation technique manuals which the founder has prepared for you all. As long as you all were to cultivate ordingly to it, not only will the rate of advancement in your cultivation be faster than ever, you wont have to resort to unorthodox means anymore too! Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his wrist and passed a few manuals over. Those manuals contained the simplified versions of the Heavens Path Poison Art. Back then, he had written them down shortly after browsing through the books of the Poison Hall in hopes that he would be able to impart them to those of the Poison Hall. Elder Xu and the others took the books doubtfully, but after flipping through a few pages, their faces swiftly flushed in agitation, and their breathing couldnt help but hasten. Every single one of them here had at least devoted a hundred years of their life into the study of poison, so their eye of discernment in the field of poison was superb. The poison cultivation technique manuals Elder Sun Qiang had passed to them werent too thick, and the words on them numbered fewer than a typical manual as well. Yet, every single word written on them was deeply meaningful, directing them towards the very essence of poison art itself! If they were to cultivate ording to it, it could be foreseen that both their mastery of poison and cultivation would swiftly improve, granting them far greater prowess than before! Even without achieving a breakthrough, their fighting prowess would soar by at least two or three times easily! Thank you, founder, for bestowing us with these cultivation techniques! Agitated, the poison masters began kneeling on the floor and kowtowing deeply to Elder Sun Qiang. With these cultivation techniques, they would no longer have to go through the trouble to search for all kinds of venomous worms and lethal poison, or evenmit depraved acts against their conscience! Its out of the kindness of Hall Master Xings heart that you all are allowed to join the Combat Master Hall, so I hope that you will heed hismands in the future. Dont let your emotions get the better of you when ites to dealing with official matters, or else, even I wont be able to save you! Zhang Xuan said with a stern expression on his face. Yes! The crowd nodded. As formidable as poison masters were in group battles, they were still insufficient to go up against the powerfulbat masters. Not only didbat masters wield extraordinary fighting prowess, more importantly, they had also tempered their physical bodies in many ways, granting them considerably immunity to most forces of nature, and this included poison as well... If a poison master were to face abat master of the same cultivation realm, it was likely that the poison master would be killed even before he had a chance to utilize his poison. Even if the poison master were to set up a trap in advance, it was also likely that thebat master would be able to push himself to y the poison master before sumbing to the poison. Alright. After memorizing the content on the manuals, burn them. Im sure that you understand the significance of these cultivation techniques, so I hope that they wont be passed them down to anyone else without my permission. Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! The crowd nodded. Even though it was just a simplified version of the Heavens Path Poison Art, it was still an astounding power to behold. ... While Zhang Xuan was still busy convincing the poison masters, Hall Master Xing and Wu shi were standing outside the underground prison. Wu shi, how do you intend to ount the matter of the Combat Master Hall epting the poison masters to the Master Teacher Pavilion? Hall Master Xing asked with a frown. He had never intended to ept the request, but since Wu shi had spoken up in the stead of the poison masters, he eventually relented. While his fighting prowess far surpassed the other party, admittedly, his ability to assess situations was stillcking aspared to thetter. After all, their responsibilities differed significantly from one another. As the head of the Combat Master Hall, his responsibilityy in trainingbat masters and preparing them for war whereas Wu shi, as the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, was in charge of maintaining the regional security and order. And for that purpose, Wu shi had to be keen in assessing situations. Do you feel that Principal Zhang is bringing trouble to your Combat Master Hall? Hearing Hall Master Xings question, Wu shi shook his head and turned to him. This... Having his thoughts pointed out so directly, Hall Master Xing couldnt help but shake his head awkwardly. Those were indeed his thoughts. Poison masters were known to be an individualistic and entric bunch, and it went without saying that it wouldnt be easy to manage such a group. If they were to join the Combat Master Hall, wouldnt it just erode the order he had established with great difficulty in the Combat Master Hall? It looks like you didnt understand Principal Zhangs true intentions! Hes doing this for the sake of the Combat Master Hall and mankind! Wu shi shook his head and sighed deeply. Hes doing this for the sake of the Combat Master Hall and mankind? A confused expression surfaced on Hall Master Xings face. Wu shis words were too deep for him toprehend. Those fellows were nothing but a huge trouble, so how could this be for the welfare of the Combat Master Hall? Hai, I knew that you wouldnt understand. A helpless smile shed across Wu shis face as he looked meaningfully into the distance, reminiscent of a wise elder who had seen through the world. Let me ask you this then. How do you intend to deal with those poison masters? Will you imprison them, or will you kill them? This... Hall Master Xing was caught off guard by the question. He had to take a moment to contemte over the matter before he was able to respond, Those poison masters havent erred or harmed anyone, so why do we have to imprison or kill them? The Master Teacher Pavilion aimed to lead mankind through virtue, not through tyranny. Naturally, they couldnt just punish an innocent bunch just because of their affiliation to the Poison Hall. Not to mention, in the very first ce, the poison masters were the victims of this incident as well! Given such, how could they possibly still harden their hearts to imprison or kill them? That would truly be going against their conscience! Indeed. We cant imprison or kill them. But their Poison Hall branch has been exposed and destroyed, so they cant return to it anymore. Are you certain that it would be safe to have so many powerful poison masters scattered throughout Qingyuan Empire? Wu shi asked. This... Hall Master Xing fell silent at those words. It was easy to deal with the poison masters when they were gathered together as a group, but once they were to disperse and blend in with the countless civilians of Qingyuan Empire, it would be nigh impossible to find them anymore. If those poison masters were to choose to harm others, their incredible mastery in poison would make it extremely difficult to trace the case to them. And even if they were to find the murdererter on, many lives would have already been lost then. If we could bring them into the Combat Master Hall, that would be effectively limiting their area of activity and preventing a catastrophe from happening. In essence, this is simr to a house arrest, but with a much better sounding name. Not only is it not detrimental to our reputation, itll also disy the magnanimity of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Truly two birds with a stone! This... Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in astonishment, unable to speak a word. Upon hearing the other partys analysis, he realized that that was indeed the case. If the poison masters were to join the Combat Master Hall, they would be bound by its rules as well. Naturally, they wouldnt be able to maintain the carefree lifestyle that they had previously. That would effectively limit their area of activity to Qingyuan City, thus preventing them frommitting any harm out there. This is only the first aim behind Principal Zhangs suggestion. As for the second, I can tell you with certainty that hes doing it with the welfare of your Combat Master Hall in mind! Wu shi said. You should still remember the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe twenty years ago, right? Of course! Hall Master Xing replied gravely. Back then, the Qingtian Lineage had dispatched all of their forces to encircle the Combat Master Hall, and a bitter fight ensued. The Combat Master Hall had suffered great casualties in that battle, and even Hall Master Xing himself had nearly lost his life. If not for Elder Qi, he wouldnt have been around anymore. Even though the Otherworldly Demons sprung a surprise attack, their forces were still insufficient to deal with the powerful forces of the Combat Master Hall. Yet, the Combat Master Hall still ended up being nearly forced into a corner... The reason for it should still be fresh in your mind. Recalling the tragedy back then, Wu shis face turned grim as well. The Otherworldly Demons hade prepared, but the defenses Combat Master Hall had never fallenx. They were well-prepared to face the Otherworldly Demons, and under normal circumstances, even if the Otherworldly Demons had dispatched all of their elites into the assault, with the incredible might wielded by thebat masters, the battle should have still ended in an easy victory for thebat masters. There wasnt even any need for the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Qingyuan Empires military toe into the picture... And yet, despite the three powers making a move, the oue was still a narrow and tragic victory! It was due to that battle that Qingyuan Empire declined to be the weakest one of the Eight Great Conferred Empire. Even twenty years werent sufficient for it to recover from the impact back then. Its due to the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder! Hall Master Xing clenched his fists tightly together. Back then, theirbat masters were unknowingly afflicted with a potent poison known as the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder, and the poison depleted theirbat masters of their fighting prowess. This opened up a huge opening for the Otherworldly Demons to strike! Even he wasnt spared from the effects of the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder. This matter had been a huge thorn in his heart, and even the passing of twenty years wasnt sufficient for him to let go of it. Indeed. That poison drifted with the wind, and odorless and colorless, it was inevitable that no one noticed a thing. Even I hadnt expected them to have such a hand either. It was thanks to the keen-eyed Vice Pavilion Master Tian noticing it that the losses of the Master Teacher Pavilion were minimized. Due to that matter, he gained great prestige in the Master Teacher Pavilion and soared through the ranks! Wu shi nodded. Its probably due to the matter that Principal Zhang wishes to bring the poison masters into the Combat Master Hall. Firstly, with the sharp senses of the poison masters to poison, they would be able to uncover any poison used by the enemy ahead of time, thus preventing such tragedy from happening again. Secondly, the creation of a Poison Division could also serve to further temper thebat masters immunity to poison. This way, even if the Otherworldly Demons were to resort to the same means once more, the Combat Master Hall wouldnt be as helpless as it was back then... This... Hall Master Xing was taken aback. Indeed. With the inclusion of poison masters into their ranks, even if they were to encounter the same matter as they did twenty years ago, they wouldnt be as powerless as they were back then. Hall Master Xing contemted for a while, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that there was no drawback from bringing the poison masters into the Combat Master Hall. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he turned to Wu shi, and it took him a brief moment of hesitation before he could bring himself to ask, Did Principal Zhang... really see this far ahead? These were all factors that he had never considered before. Despite the other partys severely injured state, he still managed to analyze so deeply into this matter... Was this for real? Principal Zhangs wisdom is not something the likes of us can fathom. It also took me a long moment of contemtion after hearing his request before realization struck me! Wu shi replied meaningfully. Initially, he also didnt think that the matter was really feasible either. However, when he tried to analyze deeper into the matter, he astonishingly realized that the potential benefits severely outweighed the drawbacks. This was truly a decision that only those of great wisdom would be able toe up with! This... Hall Master Xing ran through the situation in his head once more, and his admiration for Principal Zhang couldnt help but deepen further. Impressed, he remarked, Principal Zhang is truly a living sage! Chapter 1155 - I Like You

Chapter 1155: I Like You

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Elder Sun, we have memorized the cultivation technique you have imparted to us! An hourter, Elder Xu sped his fist and reported to Zhang Xuan. Destroy those books then. Zhang Xuan replied with a wave of his hand. Elder Xu and the others nodded, and with a powerful flick, the secret manuals disintegrated to ashes before scattering into the surroundings, as if they hadnt appeared in the first ce. Elder Sun, where can we find you in the future? We wish to repay the favor to you! Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the envoy of the founder would have to leave, Elder Xu couldnt help but ask. The other party had granted them a second life, and no words could possibly be sufficient to express the gratitude they felt towards him. Where to find me? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Theres no need for you to seek me. If I have any matter that I require your help for, Ille and find you. Then... Elder Xu hesitated for a moment before asking. May we have the honor of knowing Elder Suns true identity? This way, if you have any instructions for us in the future, even if you arent able to meet us in person, you can simply send a messenger to us, and well brave through even the mes of hell for you! This... Zhang Xuan was intending to refuse that request of theirs as well, but looking into the expectant eyes of the poison masters before him, he found himself hesitating for a brief moment before eventually relenting, Alright then. Actually, my true identity is the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan... s butler! However, I am a very low profile person, so I hope that you can keep this matter a secret! Principal Zhangs butler? I have heard of Principal Zhang. Hes famed to be a once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy, and despite his young age, he was unanimously nominated to be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! So youre Principal Zhangs butler! Understood! Senior Sun, rest assured. We will never speak a word of this matter to another soul... ... Upon learning of Zhang Xuans true identity, the poison masters quickly nodded their heads excitedly. Alright, lets leave the underground prison! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Nodding, Elder Xu and the others began walking out of the door. After confirming that they had all left, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He reverted back to his original appearance before slowly heading out as well. By the time he left the underground prison, the poison masters had already been brought back to the Combat Master Hall, leaving behind only Hall Master Xing, Wu shi, Luo Qiqi, and the others. Zhang shi... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was fine, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief before quickly gathering around him. I have already talked to those poison masters, and they will heed themands of the Combat Master Hall in the future. Zhang Xuan smiled. Un! Principal Zhang, thank you for your words of wisdom! Hall Master Xing sped his fist and thanked. Words of wisdom? Seeing the delight and gratefulness on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan was bewildered. He had noticed Hall Master Xings reluctance regarding the matter when he first proposed it, and he had been worried that thetter would abruptly change his mind halfway through. Yet, after returning from a short trip to the underground prison, the other party was suddenly thanking him for the matter? Just what in the world had happened for thetter to change his mind so swiftly?! Youre being too polite. This is part of my responsibility as a master teacher. Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what was going through Hall Master Xings head, humility had always been one of his dominant traits, so he quickly replied so. On the other hand, seeing how humble Zhang Xuan was, not taking credit for his action at all, Hall Master Xings respect for the other party deepened. How in the world could there be such a selfless person in the world? Was he the living embodiment of altruism? Principal Zhang, may I know what you intend to do after this? Wu shi asked. I intend to pay a visit to the Painter Guild and the Appraiser Hall to take the corresponding 7-star examinations so that I can be promoted to a 7-star master teacher. Zhang Xuan revealed his intentions without any reservation. He was originally intending to head to the Appraiser Hall, but he was suddenly called here by King Zhongqing on the way... Thinking about it, he couldnt help but feel that it was a huge waste of time. Does Wu shi has any matter for me? Zhang Xuan asked. To be honest, I was thinking that if Principal Zhang doesnt have any urgent matter at hand, it would be good if you could follow me to the Master Teacher Pavilion to discuss the results of my investigation... The results of your investigation? Un. Wu shi nodded. ording to what Zhang Yinqiu said, the master teacher who had duped him of the intelligence goes by the name of Chen Zhe, who happens to be the direct disciple of Vice Pavilion Master Tian as well. I have already arrested Chen Zhe, and hes currently imprisoned in our Master Teacher Pavilion. If Principal Zhang is free now, I would like to invite you over to meet him. This... Zhang Xuan was slightly hesitant. In truth, he wasnt too interested in this matter. Since even Vice Pavilion Master Tian himself had been imprisoned, it would do for the Master Teacher Pavilion to slowly interrogate the both of them. At this point, it didnt really matter whether he were to be involved in the matter or not. Just as he was about to turn down Wu shis request, thetter suddenly smiled, Actually, theres no need for Zhang shi to rush into taking the painter and appraiser examination. To tell you the truth, there will be an Appraisal Conventionter on, and if you are free, I can bring you there along with me. The head of the Appraiser Guild and Painter Guild should be attending as well, and if I were to introduce you to them there, it should make things more convenient for you on their side. Appraisal Convention? What is that? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. From time to time, when new artifacts of unknown backgrounds are uncovered, a convention would be held over them so as to appraise the artifacts and see if they could be fixed. While it may appear to be an event for appraisers, over the years, it has gradually evolved into a high-ss social event where most renowned and influential figures in Qingyuan City would attend. Wu shi replied. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding, Alright then. He had departed from the Combat Master hall early in the morning, and after the events at the Terpsichore Guild and King Zhongqing Manor, it was already in thete afternoon now, nearing evening. Rather than fumble his way into the guild and waste more time, it would be far more convenient for him to first meet the heads of the Painter Guild and Appraiser Hall for the matter. Hearing Zhang Xuan agree to the matter, Wu shi smiled in delight, Great! Ill be leaving first to make some preparations then. Ill see you at the Master Teacher Pavilionter on! After which, he turned around and left. Shortly after, Hall Master Xing and the others bade their farewell as well, leaving only Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er around. Zhang Xuan turned to the other three and said, You all should return to our amodation at the Combat Master Hall. Yes! Knowing that he had caused a huge trouble this time around, Sun Qiang quickly nodded obediently. Teacher, I have some doubts which I would like to ask you... May I know if its convenient for you? Luo Qiqi bit her lips as she looked at Zhang Xuan nervously. Of course, feel free to ask anything. Zhang Xuan replied with a kind smile. Noting that Luo Qiqi had something private to ask, Sun Qiang and Yu Fei-er took their leave. After confirming that there was no one around, Luo Qiqi set up an istion barrier around them before asking, Teacher, the affairs today have left some doubts in my mind, and I hope that you can answer them. I have been paying a close look to the earlier conflict... Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing have attempted to pin a crime on you using underhanded means, and I do agree that they should be punished for it... but is it really alright to frame them like that? Wouldnt that be going too far? Isnt it against the beliefs preached in the Way of Teacher? She had known Zhang Xuan ever since the time she had spent in Huanyu Empire, and for the longest of time, she had viewed thetter to be a role model for her. From saving her in Wu Yangzis underground chamber to risking himself to rescue Yu Fei-er to venturing into the dangerous Cloudmist Ridge to tame all of the saint beasts... All of these matters only served to build the noble and selfless image of the young man before her. With time, his image within her grew bigger and bigger, and she even began to think that he was just like the Worlds Teacher, a true master teacher through and through... Admittedly, he did resort to some schemes from time to time, but those were minor incidents, and they always concluded in a positive end. But... everything she had witnessed today had overturned her view of him. No matter what, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion... To directly oppose a respected elder was already an infringement of the formalities and values that master teachers believed in and embraced. As such, she found that her faith was starting to waver. Instead of replying to Luo Qiqis doubts directly, Zhang Xuan asked her a question, What does being a master teacher mean to you? Master teacher... As teachers, we serve to clear away doubts and bring mankind to a greater height of prosperity. As role models, we strive to conduct ourselves honorably, disying desirable values for others to emte... Wrong! Your interpretation is all wrong! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Wrong? These are themandments that all master teachers must learn to recite. Theres no master teacher who doesnt know about it... Luo Qiqi frowned in iprehension. Its true that master teachers serve as teachers and role models to mankind, but we shouldnt neglect the fact that they are humans as well! Zhang Xuan replied. Humans? Un. As long as we remain human, we will have our own emotions and thoughts. Thats simply our nature. Kong shi didnt create the Master Teacher Pavilion to churn out batch after batch of mindless puppets. Formalities and rules are there to guide, not to dictate. In situations where following rules and formalities go against ones conscience, its fine to break free of it and do what one deems to be right. Zhang Xuan said. Master teachers should never aim to blindly follow existing conventions, thats what it means to stagnate and wither. Only when we open our mind and question freely will we be able to bring mankind to further heights, and thats what it means to be a master teacher! This... Luo Qiqi fell into deep thoughts. I have once met a cultivator whose father is a master teacher. From a very young age, he has deeply respected his father and heeded thetters words obediently, devoting his entirety to cultivation. He had always regarded his fathers words to be the absolute truth. However, his father has never managed to achieve a breakthrough before his death, and this matter had left a trauma in the cultivators heart. Deep within, he felt that since his father was unable to achieve a breakthrough, there was no way he would be able to take the final step forward either... Under his fathers looming shadow, even when he has umted sufficient zhenqi and knowledge to achieve a breakthrough, his attempts still ended in failure. Zhang Xuan said. That is what it means to have a fixed mindset! While we are master teachers, we are students in the long road of life as well. As students, we should expand our minds and doubt what we see and hear instead of blindly heeding the words of those who havee before us. Take the incident today for example, its clear that Vice Pavilion Master Qing is at wrong, so why should I just take his words for it and ept his verdict? He has a far higher standing than me, and I have no way to going against him directly. As a result, I can only resort to other means in order to stand up against him and protect myself. Then... what if a formidable master teacher were to use rules and conventions to force me to ept his point of view? Luo Qiqi asked with a gleam in her eyes. Follow your heart! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. No matter how formidable a master teacher is, can he be any more formidable than Kong shi? In fact, even if Kong shi were to order you to kill a man, iming that its for the welfare of mankind, does that mean that you really should do it? Ultimately, you shouldnt allow others to dictate your actions. Look into your conscience, and determine what is right and wrong for yourself! As long as you disagree with the other partys words, you are always entitled to the right to reject his point of view! In the first ce, if the other party is using rules and conventions to force you into submission, disregarding your own personal thoughts, hes already breaking the very foundations that make a master teacher. Since thats the case, theres no need to uphold formalities with the other party either! This... The light in Luo Qiqis eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if realization had dawned upon her. Alright. In the end, those tricks are just means to protect oneself. I cant say that they are honorable, but sometimes, there is little choice but to resort to them. As long as you dont go overboard with them or utilize them to cause harm to the innocent, they arent fundamentally at odds with the teachings of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Theres no need for you to think too much into it. Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was clear that the other party had cornered herself this time around. Master teachers shouldnt be inflexible individuals who only knew how to abide by the rules. Different circumstances called for the application of a different set of standards, and master teachers should know how to flexibly adapt to the situation whenever it was required. Luo Qiqi was a talented individual, but she was simplycking in the adaptability that Hu Yaoyao and the others possessed. I understand! Upon hearing the exnation, Luo Qiqis eyes lit up. She raised her gaze to look right into Zhang Xuans eyes and said, Since teacher has already said so, I think that I should follow my heart as well. Teacher... ... I like you! ... Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1156 - Zhang Jiuxiao

Chapter 1156: Zhang Jiuxiao

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The sight before Zhang Xuan turned dark, and he nearly fell to the ground. He thought that the other party was truly conflicted and lost, and yet, who could have thought that the other party was actually preparing a trap for him to jump into! All along, he had always been the one to scheme against others, and never had he thought that he would actually be outwitted by a youngss... To drop a bunch of philosophical questions first in order to lead him to tell her to follow her heart so that she would be justified to say what she wanted to say afterward... Zhang Xuan cleared his throat and replied, I like you too. I like everyone from the Xuanxuan Faction as well. If I didnt like you, why would I ept you as my apothecary student? To be confessed by his own student... How embarrassing! Teacher, you know what I mean. The type of like that I am referring to isnt that. Luo Qiqi stared at Zhang Xuan intently with herrge eyes as she spoke. You should return to the Combat Master Hall first. I still have matters to attend to. Right after saying those words, without giving Luo Qiqi an opportunity to respond, Zhang Xuan turned around anxiously and flew in the direction of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Hahaha! Watching the sight, Luo Qiqi couldnt help but burst intoughter. Her teacher had always been aposed person. This was the first time she was seeing him in such a fluster. You were the one who told me to follow my heart. I might address you as my teacher, but we have never undergone an official acknowledgement ceremony... As long as Im not your direct disciple, this isnt a problem at all! Luo Qiqi muttered as her lips curled into a ravishing smile. In the Master Teacher Continent, it wasnt appropriate for a student to harbor such thoughts about her teacher, so for a very long time, she had been suppressing her true desires. However, after her teachers counselling, the dilemma that she had been facing finally cleared up, and a beautiful smile surfaced on her lips. She might have addressed Zhang Xuan as her teacher, but since they hadnt gone through an acknowledgement ceremony, the teacher-student rtionship between them had yet to be officialized. Since that was the case, it wasnt against the rules for her to court the other party! ... Phew! That was a close shave! After flying for some distance, Zhang Xuan came to a halt and wiped away his cold sweat. While his actions may seem unprincipled time to time, he would never dream ofying his hands on his students. This was his moral boundary as a teacher and a belief he held firmly onto. Are kids nowadays all that brave? Zhang Xuan shook his head. It took many, many days of hesitation before he could build up the courage needed to confess to Luo Ruoxin, and that youngss actually just directly said that she liked him to his face... My gosh, it was fortunate that he had fled quickly. Otherwise, wouldnt he die of embarrassment if she were to say anything more than that? The world sure is bing more and more open... Zhang Xuan looked at the sky and remarked deeply. He had always conducted himself properly so as to not get into any messy rtionship with thedies. Yet, who could have thought that he would still end up being ced in such an awkward situation? Just the thought of it left his head hurting. How was he to face Luo Qiqi in the future? Forget it, I wont think about it anymore. I should head to the Master Teacher Pavilion first! Driving his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan calmed his mind down before continuing on his way to the Master Teacher Pavilion. At that moment, however, he suddenly noticed a beautiful figure swiftly rushing towards him. Zhang shi! Yu Fei-er? Didnt you return back to the Combat Master Hall? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. At this point, Yu Fei-er had already switched into a crimson dress which embraced her body tightly, fully disying her alluring figure. It must be said that this fiery-tempered princess truly had a beautiful physique. It might pale inparison to Hu Yaoyao, but her perfectly-shaped hips which extended down to her slender legs was truly an eye to behold. At the same time, perhaps it was due to her intentionally concealing it in the past, but under the tight embrace of her dress, her chest looked far more voluptuous than before. At this moment, her appearance was one that would leave the gazes of others lingering upon her. Zhang shi, theres a matter which I need to talk to you about. Yu Fei-er said with bit lips. Cough cough, I still have matters to attend to, so Ill talk to you some other time. Farewell! Zhang Xuan waved his hand hastily as he prepared to take his leave. This wont do! Since you are willing to listen to Qiqis words, why wont you listen to mine as well? Yu Fei-er harrumphed unhappily as she swiftly grabbed Zhang Xuans arm. This... Cold sweat burst from Zhang Xuans head. No matter how low his emotional quotient may be, the very fact that the other party had specially changed her dress up and return for him was more than sufficient clue for him to figure out what the other party was going to say. Im only going to say one thing to you. Im willing to follow you wherever you go in the future, even if its to the end of the world... Yu Fei-er said. She was one with a fiery temper, and she usually dealt with matters decisively as well. Nevertheless, it took all of her courage in order to say those words. I see. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was pondered for a moment before replying, Very well, acknowledge me as your teacher then! As long as you be my student, Ill bring you wherever I go. Otherwise, you would only be able to follow me as my maid. You... Yu Fei-er red at Zhang Xuan furiously. Ah? Is that a no? I guess well just have to forget about this matter then. Alright, I still have things to attend to at the moment, so Ill be taking my leave first... Hu! Once again, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan pushed his Heavens Path Movement Art to its very limits and disappeared on the spot. Hmph! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan left, Yu Fei-ers tightly-clenched fists finally opened up once more. With a smirk, she muttered, I would like to see who will you choose, Qiqi or me! ... What the heck is this... Fleeing to a remote alley, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just one awkward situation was intolerable to him, and they just had toe in pairs... It was truly too pressurizing to face the confessions of other simultaneously... If not for the recent rise in his Soul Depth, he might have just copsed under the immense mental stress and lose his mind. It wont do to drag this matter out for too long. I have to find Ruoxin soon and show them that I already have a girlfriend so that they would give up on me! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Being too outstanding also came with its troubles too! How vexing! He really had to proim his attached status soon, or else, if everyone were toe confessing to him one after another, even a person of his Soul Depth wouldnt be able to take it. Just fending off the two of them took everything that he got. If more were toe, he wouldnt have to cultivate anymore. The next time I meet anydies, I must ept them as my disciple in advance so that they wouldnt have any opportunity to harbor such thoughts... Zhang Xuan thought as he stroked his lower jaws. Making his way forward as he contemted over this matter, he soon arrived at the Master Teacher Pavilion. The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was even grander than the Combat Master Hall. The majestic and towering building seemed to signify the dignity and standing of the number one upation on the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even from a distance, Zhang Xuan could see many master teachers walking to and fro the building, and countless cultivators had gathered in the area in hopes of finding a suitable teacher to guide them along. Zhang Xuan walked into a remote alley and swiftly switched into his master teacher robe and pinned on his master teacher emblem before making his way into the Master Teacher Pavilion. Upon seeing the six brilliant stars gleaming on his chest, there was no one who dared to stop his passageway. Every single person that he walked by bowed to him respectfully. While 6-star master teachers might seem nothing much to the topmost echelon of Qingyuan Empire, they were still formidable existences to the eyes of themon popce. Not to mention, a 6-star master teacher as young as Zhang Xuan, given sufficient time, was bound to be a 7-star master teacher as long as he didnt die prematurely. Zhang shi, can I have your autograph? I dont have any paper on hand, so why dont you sign it on my inner wear instead... Hey, dont cut my queue, I was the one who came first! Zhang shi, just sign over here... Scram to one side, Zhang shi is mine! ... Shortly after walking through the doors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan suddenly saw a huge group of girls rushing in his direction. I... Zhang Xuans face warped in astonishment. There were plenty of idol-chasing crazed fans in his previous world as well, but this was the first time he had seen someone asking to have an autograph signed on her inner wear in public! Everyone, I understand your agitation, but... I am an upright person, and I am already attached too. Pardon me, but I wont be able to fulfill your wishes. Besides, as a master teacher, I hope that you will focus on my inner beauty instead of just my appearances... Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, but before he could finish his words, the group ofdies had already rushed by his side, heading out of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Lunatic! One of thedies in the group stopped for a brief moment turn to examine Zhang Xuan from head to toe before harrumphing in disdain. After which, she turned her bby face back forward, and shaking her millstone-sized bottom, she charged forward along with the crowd while shouting, Zhang shi, wait for me! In the direction where she was charging towards, Zhang Xuan soon spotted a white-robed young man standing not too far away with seven stars gleaming on his chest. The white-robed young man looked at the crowd apologetically and said, Pardon me, but I still have important matters to attend to at the moment. Ill sign autographs for you allter on... But we want it now! The group ofdies eximed resoundingly. Alright, alright... Despite the demanding attitude of his fans, the white-robed young man waved his hand patiently to calm them down. After which, he gracefully flicked his hand in the air for a few moments, and a floating name appeared. Suspended Imagery? He is a... 7-star painter? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. A painting could be divided into various gradesReality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, Spirit Creation, Spirit Wisdom... Those who were able to produce works at the level of Spirit Wisdom were already worthy of bing 6-star painter. Up to 6-star, painters would require a paper as a medium for them to express their creative conceptions. However, upon reaching 7-star, they would be capable of producing their work in mid-air, painting their picture and words without anything to serve as a medium. And the fact that the young man was capable of writing in mid-air showed that he had alreadyprehended the seventh level of paintingSuspended Imagery! Zhang Jiuxiao... Zhang Xuan read the name that the white-robed young man written, and his lips suddenly began twitching. It turned out that the young man had the same surname as him, so naturally, others addressed him as Zhang shi as well...How embarrassing! Indeed, there were plenty of people in the world who went by the surname of Zhang as well. He wasnt the only Zhang shi in the world. Just that... his name went by a single character of Xuan, which meaning could be interpreted as only levitating a few inches off the ground. On the other hand, the other partys name is Jiuxiao, reminiscent of a roc soaring in the Nine Heavens... The conception behind their names was simply far too different 1 ! While Zhang Xuan wasmenting over how shallow his name was, he examined the two words, Zhang Jiuxiao, closely. Those two words carried a unique beauty and aura around them that seemed to draw one into a trance, rendering their minds incapable of anything but to appreciate the immensely beautiful words before them. This was an ability that only 7-star painters could wield. Alright, Ill just leave a single autograph here, you can decide its allocation amongst yourselves. I still have some urgent matters to attend to, so Ill be taking my leave first... After writing his name, Zhang Jiuxiao smiled at the crowd before turning around and leaving elegantly. Hes simply too dashing! Thedies who had demanded the autograph a moment ago couldnt help but fall into a daze upon seeing his smile. As expected of Zhang shi. Every time hees to the Master Teacher Pavilion, there would always be a huge group of girls waiting for him, Compared to him, its like we dont even exist at all! Well, hes the number one genius of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a one-in-five-hundred-year prodigy. Furthermore, given how cultured and refined he is, how can wepete with him? Indeed, hes far beyond our league... A few master teachersmented bitterly as they walked by the area. The number one genius of QIngyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath after hearing their words. Indeed, to be able to be a 7-star master teacher at such a young age and achieve such outstanding aplishments as a painter, it was little wonder why so manydies would go in a frenzy over him. Indeed, there are many talented prodigies in this world. I am not too bad myself, but I mustnt getcent over it. Zhang Xuan warned himself. ( ) While he might have been able to advance his cultivation swiftly, he mustnt get conceited over the matter. Given howrge the Master Teacher Continent was, there were bound to be outstanding geniuses who could match him somewhere. While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, thedy with the millstone bottom from before walking over once more and nced at him disdainfully, What are you looking at? Have you never seen a beauty in your life? ... Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1157 - News on Luo Ruoxin

Chapter 1157: News on Luo Ruoxin

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had met plenty of beautiful women before, and he had just been confessed to by two of them a moment ago. But he had never met one with a millstone-like bottom before. To put it in slightly harsher terms, she could have served as a road roller. Forget it! However, Zhang Xuan did not pay too much attention to the matter. There was not any need to be angered by something as trivial as that, so he simply asked around for Wu shis whereabouts before heading over. Not too longter, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly walked forward. Mu shi! The person whom he had spotted was no other than Mu Yuan! After leaving Qiu Wu Pce, the other party had returned straight back to Qingyuan Empire. He had promised the other party to meet him when he came over to Qingyuan City, but who would have thought that they would bump into one another so coincidentally here? Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mu shi quickly sped his fist and greeted with a smile, Senior Uncle! Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. You have achieved a breakthrough to Saint 4-dan? For a very long time, Mu shis cultivation had been confined at Saint 3-dan due to the presence of metal attribute energy suppressing his strength, preventing him from achieving a breakthrough. Thus, he had remained as a 7-star high-tier master teacher for a very long time. Yet, in just a short month of absence, he had sessfully made a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm. Indeed. Its all thanks to Yang shis guidance that I was able to take the final step forward, Mu shi replied with deep gratitude. His encounter with Yang shi back in Hongyuan City might have been short, but it had been truly life-changing. If not for thetters guidance, he might very well have remained stagnant at Saint 3-dan for his entire life, unable to advance any further. After trading a few pleasantries, Mu shi asked, May I know if Yang shi hase over to Qingyuan City as well? If possible, I would like to pay him a visit and thank him personally! It was his benefactor who had allowed him to walk out of the shadow of the past and neutralize the metal attribute energy within his body, thus allowing him to achieve a breakthrough. He had been wanting to thank the other party for a very long time, but it was unfortunate that the other partys whereabouts were truly elusive. Ever since that parting back then, he had not been able to gather any news on the other party. Zhang Xuan shook his head. My teachers whereabouts are a mystery to me as well. Usually, he is the one who finds me whenever there is a need to... In essence, Yang Xuans identity was just a background that Zhang Xuan had forged to instill fear and deference in the hearts of others. Otherwise, it was highly likely that the swift advancement of his cultivation would have roused the greed of others, and perhaps, some might even have attempted to kidnap him in the hope of uncovering his secret. However, with an unfathomable expert like Yang Xuan backing him from the shadows, the others would have to weigh whether it was worth offending an 8-star master teacher over Zhang Xuans secret or not. After all, putting aside the overwhelming strength that an 8-star master teacher possessed, more importantly, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be backing him as well. Those who dared to offend an 8-star master teacher would risk beingpletely annihted by the number one upation on the Master Teacher Continent. The very eradication of the entire soul oracle upation should be sufficient to highlight the overwhelming might that the Master Teacher Pavilion wielded. Since Zhang Xuan was relying on Yang Xuan as his trump card, naturally, it would be best to keep the other party as elusive as possible. The more times that Yang Xuan appeared, the higher the chances that Zhang Xuan would make a mistake and give himself away. I was still nning to meet Yang shi once before my departure to thank him for his help... Mu shi shook his head bitterly. I guess it cant be helped! Departure? Where is Mu shi going? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Mu shi was a master teacher of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, where else could he possibly want to head to? After neutralizing of the metal attribute energy within my body and achieving a breakthrough in my cultivation, the words that Yang shi said to me that night have been lingering my mind. Thus, I made up my mind to return to the Mu n! Im willing to ept any punishment that they issue to me, so long as they will ept me as one of their own once more! Mu shi spoke with resolution. Zhang Xuan was slightly dazed for a moment before nodding in realization. Mu shi was actually from one of the Sage ns, the Mu n. However, in his earlier years, he had unintentionally leaked the secrets of his n to ady whom he fancied, causing him to be exiled, thusnding him in his current plight. A fallen leaf should return to its roots. After so many days of wandering, I think that its about time for me to return to my home. Even if I cannot receive their forgiveness and eventually lose my life there, at the very least, it will be better than spending my life aimlessly out here, Mu shi said deeply. Zhang Xuan fell silent. He did not have a family, so he could not really rte to those emotions. However, he could clearly sense Mu shis resolution from thetters eyes. It seemed like even if the Mu n sentenced Mu shi to death, thetter would still ept the verdict willingly. Mu shi continued with a bitter look on his face. I dont wish to remain an escapee for life. Escapee? Thats right. No matter what, the blood of the Mu n flows through my veins. Theres no way I can truly sever my rtions with them, so I think its about time for me to face it. And to be honest, even though I didnt think much of it then when I first left the Mu n, the long years have given me more than sufficient time to reflect on the matter, and I regret my decision then. I really regret it... Mu shi shook his head and sighed soulfully. Looking at Mu shis weathered face, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to find the correct words to console thetter. It took a long while before the silence between the two was broken. Mu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Senior Uncle, I know that you like Luo shi, but I think that there are still some words that I should say to you. He had witnessed the rtionship between Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin, and he had a clear idea of what was going on. Please speak, Zhang Xuan replied politely. To be honest with you, I am not too sure about Luo shis exact identity either, but based on what I have observed thus far, theres a very high chance that shes rted with a Sage n, the Luo n. If she truly is the young princess of the Luo n, unless Yang shi specially speaks on your behalf, it will be extremely difficult for you to wed her, Mu shi said. You arent too sure about Ruoxins exact identity either? Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words. Based on what he knew, Mu shi was the one who had brought Luo shi to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Thus, he had always assumed that Mu shi would know a lot about thetter. He had not expected to hear such words from Mu shis mouth. It has been too many years since I left the Mu n and took root in Qingyuan City, so I am no longer in touch with the happenings there. However, judging from how Luo shi has been able to acquire strength that far surpasses mine despite her young age, there is little doubt that shes the famed genius of the Luo n. Not only does she wield the strongest artifact of the Luo n, she also boasts the purest bloodline. Theres no way the Luo n will allow a person like her to marry an outsider! Mu shi shook his head grimly. I understand that. Zhang Xuan lowered his gaze as he nodded slowly. Guild Leader Han and Wu shi had told him about the matter previously as well. He knew that it would be difficult for him to get together with Luo shi, but he had no intentions of backing down from the challenge. As a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint, he was confident that he would be able to be a man worthy of Luo shi! If the heavens were to stand in his way, he would just have to crush the heavens! Mu shi gazed at Zhang Xuan deeply for a short moment before nodding. Alright then. Since you know about it, I wont say too much about it either. However, dont me me for being too naggy. I just want to offer you onest word of advice: dont allow her to make a decision that she will regret in the future. Regret? Zhang Xuans heart jolted. Those words had truly struck the depths of his heart. In truth, he had been considering simply snatching Luo Ruoxin away if the Luo n adamantly opposed their rtionship. In any case, he was confident that it was just a matter of time before he gained sufficient strength to do so. However, after hearing Mu shis advice, he could not help but rethink the matter. Yes, he might be able to get together with Luo Ruoxin using such a forceful method, but did he really want to leave her with such a deep regret for life? As the young princess of the Luo n, she had probably grown up amid the loving care of her family and n members. Without a doubt, she had deep feelings for her n. Even if she were to choose him over her family in the end, there was no doubt that her decision would leave her with lingering regrets and a great deal of pain. Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan said, Dont worry, Ill make her family acknowledge me. I wont put her in a tough spot. There was only one way for him to not put Luo Ruoxin in a difficult position, and that was to have the Luo n acknowledge their rtionship! It would be an uphill battle, but for Luo Ruoxins sake, this was the only path that he could choose. Seeing that the young man had made up his choice, Mu shi nodded. I see... I wish you luck then! Right, Mu shi, Ruoxin said that she had to leave because she had matters to attend to. Do you have any idea where she might have gone? Also, do you know where the Luo n is located? Zhang Xuan asked. Luo Ruoxin had left hurriedly the previous time, and she did not say where she was headed to or where he could find her. However, since Mu shi was from a Sage n himself, he might know a thing or two. Mu shi contemted for a moment before replying. The Luo n is based in the City of Sages, Qufu. However, I think that its more likely that she has headed to the Sanctum of Sages instead of the Luo n! Sanctum of Sages? Gathered in the Sanctum of Sages are either the offspring of Sage ns or the most talented prodigies of the entire Master Teacher Continent. Mu shi pondered for a moment before continuing. Based on what I have heard, the young princess of the Sage n is a student of the Sanctum of Sages. However, it seems like she escaped from there a while back due to some kind of issue, and her whereabouts became unknown afterwards. Shes a student of the Sanctum of Sages? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He had no idea what Luo Ruoxins true strength was, but the fact that she had been able to easily bind the Leaving Aperture realm Skyleaf King was more than sufficient to prove that her strength had far surpassed his imaginations. And yet, who would have thought that even an expert with strength like hers was only a student? Wasnt the Sanctum of Sages a little too scary? Un. The Sanctum of Sages serves to cultivate the offspring of Sage ns and young geniuses into top-notch experts of the Master Teacher Continent. Generations of the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and the various influential Sage ns have all emerged from the Sanctum of Sages. Senior Uncle, if you wish to have the Luo n acknowledge the rtionship between you and Luo shi, it would be best for you to enroll into the Sanctum of Sages as well and make your name there. This way, no one will dare take you lightly despite your humble background! Mu shi continued. Zhang Xuan nodded upon hearing those words. Even though it was known to most that he had a Yang shi backing him, he himself knew better than anyone else that it was just a huge lie. If he wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin openly, there was no way he could rely on Yang shi. He could still use Yang shi to deal with smaller conflicts; the other party would not know better anyway. However, before the top master teachers in the continent, there was little doubt that his petty disguise would be unraveled in an instant. Against them, he would not even know how he died. Given so, the Sanctum of Sages was indeed his best bet. No matter what, he had to give it a try. Of course, most importantly of all, if he could enroll in the Sanctum of Sages, there was a good chance that he would be able to meet Luo Ruoxin sooner. It was difficult for a new couple to spend even a day away from one another, let alone a month. May I know how I can enroll in the Sanctum of Sages? Zhang Xuan asked. The semester for the Sanctum of Sages starts at around... the middle of the ninth month, and it usually recruits a new batch of students before that. Based on what I know, the Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilions have a slot each to nominate a candidate to enroll in the Sanctum of Sages, and as long as the candidate clears a test, they will be brought into the Sanctum of Sages! Mu shi replied. The middle of the ninth month... Isnt that less than two months away? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in rm. Indeed, its less than two months away. To be more exact, its a month and seventeen days! Mu shi replied. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. Then, may I know what the prerequisites are for obtaining the nomination slot? Since the Sanctum of Sages only epted top-notch geniuses from all over the Master Teacher Continent, there was bound to be some fundamental prerequisite for enrollment. One has to be a 7-star high-tier master teacher at the very minimum and possess a cultivation at the Embryonic Soul realm! Mu shi replied. 7-star high-tier... Zhang Xuan nodded. He was currently just a step away from reaching the Embryonic Soul realm. As long as he could gather sufficient concentrated high-tier spirit stones and Saint 3-dan cultivation technique manuals topile the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art, he would be able to achieve a breakthrough easily. That would not be too much of a problem. However... Mu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing. The nomination slot for our Master Teacher Pavilion this year has already been allocated. It was a decision made by Pavilion Master Gou personally, so I fear that it might be difficult for you to obtain it! It has already been allocated? Who is it? Not expecting the slot to be taken, Zhang Xuans face darkened. At this moment, a figure suddenly emerged in his mind, and he could not help but exim, Could the person you are talking about be... Zhang Jiuxiao? Mu shi nodded. Thats right, its him. If Im not mistaken, he should be an offspring from the Zhang n, another one of the Sage ns. Chapter 1158 - Heart Tempering Bridge

Chapter 1158: Heart Tempering Bridge

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang n? Zhang Xuans face darkened. Back then, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han had told him that the little princess of the Luo n was betrothed to a powerful Sage n, and said Sage n was none other than the Zhang n. As such, he could not help but feel deeply ufortable upon hearing that name. He might have been able to remain calm before any other matter, but just for this single matter, he could not maintain hisposure. If he could, he would not have pummeled Feng Xun so viciously after hearing that thetter had confessed to Luo Ruoxin. Mu shi nodded. This is still a conjecture on my part at the moment, but I do believe it to be so. Wait, that doesnt sound right. Zhang Xuan frowned as he recalled what Mu shi had said earlier. Since the Sanctum of Sages serves to cultivate the offspring of Sage ns, surely Zhang Jiuxiao should be able to enroll into it directly. Is there any need for him toe to the Qingyuan Empire to vie for this single slot? The Sanctum of Sages is indeed much more lenient toward the Sage ns. While the Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilions only acquire a nomination slot each year, each Sage n obtains at least ten slots each year at the very minimum. For behemoths like the Zhang n, they acquire at least thirty slots each year, Mu shi exined. However, for a n asrge as the Zhang n, thirty slots are only sufficient for them to send in the inner n members with purer bloodlines. As for the n members from the side families, whose bloodlines are thinner, they basically stand no chance whatsoever. As such, they scatter themselves among the Conferred Empire to vie for the other nomination slots in order to enroll into the Sanctum of Sages. Once they get in, they are entitled to the best cultivation resources and the most outstanding heritages. To the side families of powerful ns, this is an ideal opportunity for them to change their fate, so no one is willing to allow this opportunity slip through their fingers. With them around, doesnt that mean that the local prodigies of the Conferred Empires dont stand a chance at all? Zhang Xuan asked in displeasure. There was only a single nomination slot in each Conferred Empire, and if the side families of the Sage ns sent their members over, wouldnt the local prodigies stand no chance at all? Survival of the fittest, this is something that cant be helped. If there is a prodigy in the Conferred Empire who can surpass the member of the side family, the prodigy will naturally obtain the slot. Otherwise, the nomination slot can only be given to the member of the side family. Mu shi shook his head. Even the offspring from the Sage ns were not above the rules. They dared not openly snatch slots from the Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilions, but they were still allowed topete for it fairly. If their skills surpassed those of the local master teachers of the Conferred Empire, the slot would only be allocated to them. The Sanctum of Sages only epted the strongest experts on the continent. If one was inferior to theirpetitors, it would only mean that they were not qualified to join the Sanctum of Sages. The rules were that simple, direct, and harsh. Youre right. Zhang Xuan nodded. This was just like the Combat Master Selection. As the students of his Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had the strongest fighting prowess, it was natural that they would all be picked. The other three Master Teacher Academies had outstanding students as well, and many of them would have stood a chance had they not been put against the candidates of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. It was unfortunate for them, but they only had their own bad luck to me. That was how harsh the world of cultivation was. Nevertheless, the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion still brought around some degree of meritocracy. Even if an individual had a humble background, as long as they had sufficient talent and were willing to work hard, they would be able to make a name for themself as well. Take Zhang Xuan for example, despite being a mere orphan from the Tianxuan Kingdom, he had still been able to slowly scale up thedder and eventually be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. While Zhang Jiuxiao is only from a side family of the Zhang n, the talent that he possesses is undeniable. Despite being only twenty-seven this year, he has already reached the astounding height of a 7-star high-tier master teacher, a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert. His fighting prowess and capabilities are unmatched by any master teacher in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Academy, so naturally, the nomination slot went to him, Mu shi said. To tell you the truth, the side families of Sage ns dont possess a particrly high standing, and the resources that they are entitled to are severely limited as well. For one as young as him to have achieved such aplishments, on top of possessing considerable talent, he must have put in quite a bit of hard work as well. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He could rte deeply to that. Indeed. Talent without diligence was futile. Even a prodigy would achieve little in their life if they refused to devote themself to their work. Again, taking Zhang Xuan for example, it had taken him an entire year of blood, sweat, and tears before he was able to earn his current aplishments. The difficulties he had faced over the year were truly hard to describe using words. Zhang Xuan turned to Mu shi and asked, Ill definitely have to head to the Sanctum of Sages, but how can I obtain the slot? Now that he knew that Luo Ruoxin was likely to be at the Sanctum of Sages, he definitely had to head there as well. Regardless of the means, he was determined to obtain the nomination slot. You only have one chance. In twenty days, the Sanctum of Sages will send an envoy over to escort the nominated candidate over. If you can sessfully be a 7-star master teacher, obtain a cultivation of Saint 3-dan pinnacle, and defeat Zhang Jiuxiao in every aspect before then, naturally, the qualifications will go to you. The timing is extremely rushed, but I fear that there is no other way, Mu shi said. Twenty days? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding decisively. Alright. If it was just two to three days, he have needed to rush a bit. However, twenty days was more than sufficient for him. Alright? Mu shi looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. If I recall correctly, your cultivation is still only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. You are still two whole realms away from reaching Saint 3-dan pinnacle... Oh, I identally made a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan pinnaclest night, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile as he leaked out a little bit of his cultivation. Due to the unique nature of the Heavens Path Divine Art, as long as he did not intentionally disy his cultivation, not even Mu shi would be able to discern his current cultivation realm. identally? You made a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan... pinnacle? Mu shis lips twitched wildly. He felt something stifling in his chest, and it took him a long while before he managed to sooth it. Sighing deeply, he remarked, Senior Uncle sure is a talented individual. Back when they were still in Qiu Wu Pce, the other party had only been at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Yet, over the span of a single month, he had managed to advance a whole cultivation realm. The rate of advancement of his cultivation was truly unheard of in history! However, I fear that just this much might not be enough. There is a huge gap between the Spiritual Perception realm and the Embryonic Soul realm, and even if you do achieve a breakthrough within the next twenty days, itll take at least several years before you will be able to fuse your soul into your Origin Soul perfectly! Mu shi was not too optimistic about Zhang Xuans chances. Beyond Saint realm, progressing past every single realm was like venturing into a whole new world. Even the most talented of prodigies would require several years before they were able to fully grasp a cultivation realm and advance to the next level. To be honest, attempting a breakthrough within a short twenty days... was nothing more than a pipe dream. And more importantly, Zhang Jiuxiao isnt an ordinary Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivator. He has built up a powerful foundation, allowing him to match cultivators far stronger than he is. Ordinary Saint 4-dan cultivators are no match for him, and even I would only stand a fifty percent chance against him after my breakthrough, Mu shi exined with a frown. As an ex-inner n member of the Mu n, he had cultivated top-notch cultivation techniques and battle techniques, granting him strength far surpassing that of ordinary master teachers. Yet, despite his recent breakthrough to Saint 4-dan, the other party was still able to match him equally with his Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivation. Just this in itself was sufficient to show how fearsome an existence Zhang Jiuxiao was. You stand a fifty percent chance against him? Zhang Xuan asked contemtively. A momentter, he added, Mu shi, do you mind testing my strength? Test your strength? Sure! Knowing Zhang Xuans intentions, Mu shi took him to the training grounds within the Master Teacher Pavilion, and crossing his hands before his chest, he said, Feel free to make a move. I have not reinforced my cultivation after my breakthrough yet, so ultimately, I am still a Primordial Spirit realm expert. It would be good for you to experience the true might of a Primordial Spirit realm expert so that you are mentally prepared. Dont worry, I wont use my full strength... Hu! Before Mu shi could finish his words, a figure suddenly appeared before him, and before he could even process what was going on, he saw a fist abruptly flying for his chest. Hmm? Not expecting Zhang Xuan to be able to move so swiftly, Mu shis eyebrows shot up. He swiftly tapped into the entirety of his strength, wanting to fend off the other partys punch. However, just as he was preparing his retaliation, he suddenly felt an overwhelming soul pressure assaulting him from the surroundings, preventing him to moving. Peng! The punch struck Mu shis chest squarely, and he was knocked straight out of the training grounds before crashing heavily into the wall. Huge mouthfuls of blood spewed wildly from his mouth. Following which, a young mans apologetic voice sounded in his ears. Im truly sorry! Mu shi, are you still fine? I already tried holding myself back earlier, using just a fifth of my strength, but I didnt think that you wouldnt be able to receive it... Pu! Mu shis face paled, and another huge mouthful of blood spurted from his lips. He nearly fainted on the spot after hearing those words. For a brief moment, he had thought that he was facing a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert instead of a Saint 2-dan cultivator. Against such strength, even five of him would not be an opponent for the other party. Zhang Xuan quickly helped Mu shi up apologetically while asking with a doubtful look on his face, Does that Master Teacher Zhang Jiuxiao only possess this much strength? Cough cough! Mu shis face reddened, and he coughed out yet another mouthful of blood. While the Mu n did not specialize inbat, no matter what, he still used to be one of the inner n members who inherited the heritage of the main family. His fighting prowess should have been far stronger than his peers... and yet, he was actually subdued in a single punch by a master teacher whose cultivation was far lower than his. Just the thought of it left him deeply stifled within. It took a long while before Mu shi was able to calm himself down. With a face reddened in embarrassment, he said awkwardly, Actually, Zhang Jiuxiaos prowess is slightly above mine. Nevertheless, with fighting prowess like yours, even if you dont achieve a breakthrough, you should be able to defeat him easily! If Zhang Xuan was already this powerful with a cultivation of Saint 2-dan, once he broke through to Saint 3-dan, Zhang Jiuxiao would probably stand no chance against him at all. Other than the requirement on my cultivation, what other prerequisites are there to enter the Sanctum of Sages? If possible, I would like to ask Mu shi to train along with me so that I can get a clear grasp of the standards... Mu shis face warped in horror upon hearing those words, and he quickly shook his head. Im not free! Just a simple test of cultivation had nearly cost him his life. If that were to continue, he feared that the confidence that he had barely picked up would be shattered once more. What you have to do now is be promoted to a 7-star master teacher as soon as possible. That is the fundamental prerequisite for joining the Sanctum of Sages. If you do not meet this prerequisite, itll be futile even if your fighting prowess exceeds that of Zhang Jiuxiaos! Mu shi said. Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words. This happened to coincide with his current goal. At the moment, he was justcking two more supporting upations before he was qualified to be promoted to a 7-star master teacher. Alright, I have already said all that I should say. I need to be on my way now, so farewell! After saying those words, Mu shi turned around and left hurriedly. He was afraid that if he remained any longer, he would be traumatized once more. Ah... Not expecting Mu shi to leave so decisively, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Sighing deeply, he walked out of the training grounds and headed in the direction of Wu shis residence, as pointed out by a master teacher from before. Before Zhang Xuan could get far, he heard a series of ear-piercing shrieks in his ear. Zhang shi, you can do it! Zhang shi, we believe in you! You will definitely be able to set a new record... Looking past the huge crowd, he saw a long stone bridge. A man was standing right on top of the bridge with sweat flowing profusely down his face. It seemed like he was under immense pressure. The man was none other than the offspring of the Zhang n, Zhang Jiuxiao! What is he doing? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. At this moment, a master teacher amid the crowd suddenly eximed loudly, Zhang Jiuxiao is challenging the Heart Tempering Bridge? Chapter 1159 - You Can Do It! 1159 You Can Do It! Trantor:StarveCleric | Editor: StarveCleric Heart Tempering Bridge? Confused, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw that the one who had just spoken was a 6-star master teacher like him. The other party seemed to be in his forties, and there was an aged look of a veteran on his face. Zhang shis talent has allowed him to advance his cultivation swiftly, but that, in exchange, has made his mental fortitude his greatest weakness. As such, Pavilion Master Gou has sent him out to temper his mind well. He has returned from his journey just a while ago, and it seems like hes attempting to give it a try to see if he is able to break his previous record. the 6-star master teacher exined. To be able to raise his cultivation realm to Saint 3-dan pinnacle and advance his master teacher rank to 7-star before hitting his thirties, Zhang Jiuxiao was indeed a formidable genius. On top of that, as he was from the Sage Zhang n, there was also nothing to pick about his background either. The only thing that wascking about him was his mental fortitude. This was also the reason why he had been working on it over the past month, hoping to achieve a breakthrough in it soon. Ahem, I am asking about the Heart Tempering Bridge, not Zhang Jiuxiao... Zhang Xuan cleared his throat. All he wanted to know was what the Heart Tempering Bridge was used for. It didnt matter to him how powerful or weak Zhang Jiuxiao was. In his view, it was just the difference between one punch or two punch anyway, there was truly no need for him to go to the extent of analyzing his opponents strength. The Heart Tempering Bridge is a unique artifact that assesses ones mental fortitude. Those who attempt to walk through it will be ced under immense pressure, and cultivators with weaker minds would find themselves sumbing to the pressure very soon. All in all, there are ten levels for the entire bridge, and even a typical 7-star pinnacle master teacher would find it hard to reach the end. Previously, Zhang shi has only managed to reach the fourth level. This time, he is intending to see if he will be able to surpass his previous record. The 6-star master teacher shot a perplexed nce at Zhang Xuan, but he still chose to exin it anyway. There were no master teachers in Qingyuan Empire who were unaware of the existence of the Heart Tempering Bridge. For the other party to disregard the number one genius of their Master Teacher Pavilion and focus on a mere bridge instead... this had truly rendered him speechless. Fourth level? Dont underestimate the Heart Tempering Bridge. The previous record of the Heart Tempering Bridge for cultivators beneath thirty is left behind by Ye shi two thousand years ago, but even he had only managed to reach the fourth level. The fact that Zhang shi is able to reach the fourth level is already a formidable feat in itself... However, Pavilion Master Gou has high hopes for him. He feels like reaching the fourth level isnt enough, so he tasked Zhang shi to work harder on his mental fortitude. the 6-star master teacher replied. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. You arent surprised by his achievement? Seeing how nonchntly the young man was acting, the 6-star master teacher couldnt help but feel a little stifled within. When he first heard about Zhang shis aplishments back then, he had been so shocked that he fell into a very long moment of daze before he could finally regain himself. Yet, the fellow before him simply replied with a nonchnt I see, as if the achievement was nothing at all. Did the other party not get what was going on, or was he feigningposure? Surprised? Why should I be surprised? Didnt you say that there are ten levels? He has only reached the fourth the previous time, so even if he did make some improvement over the past month, at the very most, he would only at the fifth or sixth now. Thats still a long way to go before reaching the end. Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion. Honestly speaking, he had never really cultivated his mental fortitude as well, so he couldnt rte to the difficulty and torture in tempering it. What fourth level and fifth level, he hadpletely no notion of that at all. Since that was the case, what did he have to be surprised over? You... Hearing those seemingly ignorant words, the 6-star master teacher staggered and nearly spurted blood. He quickly exined, The fact that 7-star pinnacle master teachers would find it hard to reach the other end of the bridge means to say that its a trial which even Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts are unable to clear. Just think about it, Primordial Spirit realm experts, despite the superior prowess of their Primordial Spirits granting them mental fortitude far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators, are still unable to reach the tenth level... Given so, the fact that Zhang shi, a Saint 3-dan cultivator, was able to reach the fourth level is already a frightening feat in itself! Ah. Zhang Xuan replied indifferently. So its a formidable feat. Then... how should I react to this matter? Should I be shocked, or should I scream like the others over there? Forget it... Seeing that the other party was still unable toprehend the significance of the feat, the 6-star master teacher shook his head helplessly and gave up. At this point, he was really starting to doubt whether the young man before him had robbed the master teacher robe and emblem from elsewhere to put it on... To think that there would be a master teacher in Qingyuan City who wouldnt even know about the Heart Tempering Bridge, as well as the significance of a young man below thirty reaching the fourth level on it... Just howcking must his general knowledge be? Look, look! Zhang shi is about to ovee the fourth level! Wah, youre right! Impressive, I feel like my admiration for him is shooting up swiftly! As expected of my idol! Wuu wuu, I am so agitated at this moment that my tears are about to stain my pants wet! All of a sudden, the piercing shrieks abruptly crescendoed. Zhang Xuan and the 6-star master teacher quickly halted their conversation and turned their gazes back towards the Heart Tempering Bridge. There, Zhang Jiuxiaos figure could be seen gradually nearing the center of the bridge. Despite the tremendous pressure that thetter was clearly underhis body was shaking, and his robe waspletely drenched in sweathe did sessfully hold on up to the point. Is that the demarcation of levels? Seeing how exhausted Zhang Jiuxiao was, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but take a closer look at the bridge. There, he saw various red lines scattered across the bridge, and Zhang Jiuxiao had passed the fourth and was slowly making his way over to the fifth. As expected of the number one genius of our Master Teacher Pavilion! Despite only spending a month in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, his mental fortitude has already grown by such a great extent. At this rate, it might really be possible for him to reach the fifth level today! the 6-star master teacher remarked in agitation. Marsnds of the Northern Meadows? Hearing that phrase, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but frown. It hadnt been long since he had arrived at Qingyuan City, but this must be his third or fourth time hearing of that location. Viciouss body parts could very well be there, and it seemed like a soul oracle had settled there as well... Why would the number one genius of the Master Teacher Pavilion head to such a dangerous location to temper his mental fortitude? Thats right. ording to the rumors, there is a ce known as the Ghost Cavern in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows that raises ones mental fortitude immensely. It is extremely famous even in the surrounding empires, and there are many master teachers who would head to the Northern Meadows each year to seek it, hoping of training their mind. The fact that Zhang shi dared to challenge the Heart Tempering Bridge after spending less than a month there, even improving his record by an entire level, means that its very likely that he might have found the Ghost Cavern! the 6-star master teacher exined in excitement. Ghost Cavern? Whats in there? Zhang Xuans curiosity was piqued. The conventional methods that others use to temper their mental fortitude were the usage of inner demons, illusions, pain, and sourcing for inspiration for enlightenment... So what did the Ghost Cavern rely on to allow ones mental fortitude to increase swiftly, attracting so many master teachers to see kit? I have never been there before, so Im not too sure either. However, I heard that theres a body of springwater there that deeply resembles the shape of an eye. Staring into it would allow one to peer into the deepest desires in their hearts, and the longer one stares into it for, the more desires would spring up. As long as one kills off the desires that are reflected in the springwater, their minds would grow more wholesome and resilient... the 6-star master teacher pondered for a brief moment before responding. A body of springwater that can reflect ones deepest desires? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Indeed. I was also as shocked as you when I first heard of the matter, and I didnt believe it either. However, there are simply too many rumors that lend credibility to the case, so eventually, I could only ept it to be true. Also, another thing that is perplexing about the Ghost Cavern is that it doesnt seem to be fixed to one location. Instead, it moves around, and only the truly fortunate master teachers are able to find it. There were more than twenty master teachers who have headed to the Northern Meadows along with Zhang shi this time around, but Zhang shi was the only one who enjoyed a tremendous increase in his mental fortitude... It seems like the others simply just arent as lucky... the 6-star master teacher said. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. From the sounds of it, it seemed like the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows was truly a mysterious ce. If he had some time after being promoted to a 7-star master teacher, he would really have to head over there to take a look himself. While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, excited shrieks continued resounding from the surroundings, and there was a single one which was particrly piercing. Look! Zhang shi has already reached the fifth level! Turning around, Zhang Xuan noted that the source of the sound hade from the millstone-bottomdy whom he had encountered just a few moments ago. Thetter was staring at the Heart Tempering Bridge with gleaming eyes, and if she could, Zhang Xuan had no doubt that she would pounce on Zhang Jiuxiao at this very moment to bear his babies. After which, he turned his gaze back to the bridge and saw that Zhang Jiuxiao had already passed the fifth red line. However, it seemed like he had reached his limit as well. His body was trembling so intensely that he could hardly move anymore, and it seemed like he would copse at any moment. This is probably his limit... Zhang Xuan noted. Seeing that the show was over, Zhang Xuan was just about to leave the area when he suddenly heard a deeply displeased voice echoing from the other end of the bridge, Send off our guest! Following which, the doors to a residence at the other end of the bridge suddenly creaked open, and two armored individuals walked out with awkward looks on their faces. Its Wu shi! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He could tell in an instant that the displeased voice belonged to Wu shi. It seemed like he was in the residence on the other side of the bridge. I should head over to find him. With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan began walking towards the stone bridge without any hesitation, wanting to cross to the other side. ... Argh... Persevere, persevere! I must persevere on! On the bridge, Zhang Jiuxiaos sweat flowed profusely down his head. At this point, the vision before him had already blurred, and the only thing that was pushing him on was the tenacity in his mind. But no matter how hard he tried to push himself, he was alreadypletely sapped. This was the limit of his mental fortitude, and it was impossible for him to push any further. Eventually, he could only give in, Forget it, Ill just stop here today... Giving up, Zhang Jiuxiao turned around, only to see a young man with a 6-star master teacher emblem pinned on his chest walking over leisurely. From the faint aura that thetter emanated, he could vaguely discern that thetter was a Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivator. The young man walked up to him nonchntly, nodded in approval, and pulled his arm down in an encouraging gesture, You can do it! After which, he proceeded on to cross the bridge leisurely. It was a trial which left his mind feeling as if it would sumb at any moment, and yet, the other party was able to clear it so easily as if it was a mere stroll down the streets... He cleared the tenth level so easily? The stupefied Zhang Jiuxiao stared at the sight before him with twitching lips. He wasnt the only one who was bbergasted by this inconceivable situation. The surroundings had suddenly grown so silent that one could literally hear a pin drop. The 6-star master teacher who had been speaking to Zhang Xuan earlier had an expression on his face which suggested that he had seen a ghost. The millstone-bottomdy had also halted her fervent cheer dance. In this instant, her mouth was widened evenrger than her bottom... Chapter 1160 - Bail

Chapter 1160: Bail

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After leaving the Heart Tempering Bridge, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Damn, I thought that it would at least be kind of challenging... He had expected a challenge from the Heart Tempering Bridge, but when he walked across it, he had realized that... it was truly nothing at all. He did not feel the slightest resistance. It did not even jolt his soul in the slightest. All he wanted to do was temper his mental fortitude and try raising his Soul Depth, but this simple wish just would note true for him. When he went to the Trial of Inner Demons, his inner demons refused to appear. When he walked over the Heart Tempering Bridge, he did not feel the slightest thing... Why did life have to be so difficult! Shaking his head in pity, Zhang Xuan walked toward the room where Wu shis voice originated from previously and knocked on the door. Walking in, he saw Wu shi seated in the middle with a livid expression. He did not seem to be in a good mood at that moment. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked, Whats wrong? When he parted with Wu shi earlier, thetter had still had a smile on his face. It had not even been an hour since then, so why would his mood suddenly sour so quickly? Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Wu shi rubbed his be and said, The two men earlier came on the orders of Emperor Chu Tianxing to demand King Zhongqings release, so I chased them out. The emperor wants to have King Zhongqing released? Zhang Xuan frowned. Does he not understand the crime of ndering a master teacher? While Zhang Xuan might not have been a master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire, and his rank had not reached 7-star, he was still the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, and there were a hundred thousand master teachers standing behind him! Considering that the other party had been caught ndering him, wasnt Emperor Chu Tianxing taking him too lightly by demanding King Zhongqings release without even investigating the matter? If such a thing were to be approved, what would be of the Master Teacher Pavilions dignity. I sent my men to exin the matter to Emperor Chu Tianxing right after capturing King Zhongqing, Wu shi said grimly. No matter what, King Zhongqing was the First King of the Qingyuan Empire. Considering that the Master Teacher Pavilion had sent out all its forces to apprehend thetter, it might sour the rtions between the Master Teacher Pavilion and the royal family if he did not deal with this matter properly. You have already exined this matter, but Emperor Chu Tianxing still sent his men over to demand King Zhongqings release? Isnt he being far too brazen? Zhang Xuan frowned. King Zhongqings act of finding the ex-vice head of the Poison Hall to frame him was a truly major crime, and yet, Emperor Chu Tianxing, despite knowing that such actions would offend the Master Teacher Pavilion, still demanded King Zhongqings release. Just what in the world was going through the minds of the nobles of the Qingyuan Empire? Did they not understand that even if it was the royal family of a Conferred Empire, once they lost the protection of the local Master Teacher Pavilion, they would spiral into a cycle of endless decline and soon face destruction? Wu shi shook his head and sighed deeply. Im not too sure either, but I think that he might have been emboldened by Vice Pavilion Master Tian... For the authoritative vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion to work together with a King to use a master teacher without investigating the matter properly was truly a huge oversight. The future of a master teacher could very well have been ruined due to it. The only reason Zhang Xuan was fine was because they had rushed over in time. Otherwise, held captive by the duo, he would have been no different from a prey on the chopping board. As long as the duo pulled some tricks, he could very well have found himself pinned with an usation that he would never be able to cleanse himself of. Such matters happened far too frequently. It was simply too easy to nder and use another of a crime, especially when two of the most authoritative individuals in the Qingyuan Empire were working with one another. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to reveal his deduction when someone suddenly knocked on the door outside. Following which, a master teacher walked in and reported, Teacher, Emperor Chu Tianxing of the Qingyuan Empire seeks an audience! He has already arrived? Invite him in! Frowning, Wu shi waved his hand. He had chased away the envoys of Emperor Chu Tianxing just a few minutes earlier, but then thetter suddenly arrived personally. From the looks of it, it seemed like he had already been waiting outside for the results. The master teacher backed out of the room, and not too longter, a middle-aged man dressed in a yellow robe walked in with widened strides. Just like Wu shi, the middle-aged mans cultivation had reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm as well. His eyes carried an authoritative air reminiscent of a majestic tiger. With just a look, it was apparent that his unique aura had been cultivated by the many years he had spent in a lofty position. Wu shi! As soon as the middle-aged man walked into the room, he quickly sped his fist politely. Although he was the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, his standing still paled inparison to Wu shi, a vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Un. Take a seat. Wu shi gestured as he assessed the middle-aged man before him nonchntly. If Your Majesty is here to request King Zhongqings release, Ill have to ask you not to waste your breath. Framing a master teacher is a grievous crime that our Master Teacher Pavilion is unable to pardon. I have already reported the matter to the headquarters, so if you continue insisting on this matter, I fear that the entire Qingyuan Empire might be implicated in this issue. Thus, I have to ask you to think twice before speaking. Wu shis words were not particrly sharp, but they were devoid of warmth. His tone had made it perfectly clear that there was no room for negotiation. Instead of proceeding on to take a seat, Emperor Chu sped his fist and spoke in an earnest tone. It truly pains me to see King Zhongqingmitting such foolishness, but Wu shi... you also know that I would have been killed long ago if not for him. Thus, regardless of how big a crime he hasmitted, I am willing topensate the Master Teacher Pavilion for it. Thus, I beseech the Master Teacher Pavilion to give him and me an opportunity to apologize to Zhang shi personally and plead for his pardon... Apologize? If apologies truly work, what would the world need our Master Teacher Pavilion for? Wu shi waved his hands impatiently. Send our guest out! Yes! The master teacher who had led Emperor Chu Tianxing in nodded before walking up to thetter. Your Majesty, this way please! This... The expression on Chu Tianxings face turned awkward upon hearing those words. He had prepared a long script to convince the other party of the matter, but it seemed like the other party was not intending to give him an opportunity to speak at all. Thus, sighing deeply, he turned around to leave the room. However, before he could step out of the room, a voice suddenly sounded. Wu shi, hold it for a moment. Didnt he say that he intends topensate the Master Teacher Pavilion for the matter? Im interested to hear how much hes willing to offer to save King Zhongqing! Emperor Chu Tianxing turned around and saw a young man in his twenties, dressed in the robe of a 6-star master teacher, seated not too far away from Wu shi. The young man was none other than Zhang Xuan. Principal Zhang... Not expecting Zhang Xuan to suddenly interject at this moment, Wu shi turned to look at the other party in bewilderment. A momentter, he closed his eyes and nodded before turning his gaze back to Emperor Chu Tianxing. Since Zhang shi has already spoken on your behalf, Ill listen to your words. Zhang shi? Emperor Chu Tianxing swiftly understood what was going on. He quickly walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed slightly. King Zhongqing has truly erred in attempting to nder Zhang shi. As long as Zhang shi is willing to let bygones be bygones, Im willing to build a new amodation to house the students from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and unconditionally provide enough cultivation resources for a hundred years. On top of that, from this day forth, any student from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy who drops by Qingyuan City will be able to receive a cultivation technique manual and a few small gifts as a token of our sincerity. We wont allow anyone of them to leave Qingyuan City empty-handed! Knowing that the other party was the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Emperor Chu Tianxing chose to center his offer around the academy instead. As expected of the man who had the entire Qingyuan Empire in his grasp, he knew how to make an offer that was irresistible to the other party. Naturally, as a principal of a Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuans priority would be the welfare of his student, and to be honest, the terms that he had offered were truly generous. With the backing of a Conferred Empire, it was only a matter of time before Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy became the top of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies. Thats not enough, Zhang Xuan said nonchntly. This... Chu Tianxing was visibly taken aback by Zhang Xuans refusal. However, he swiftly recovered and said, Zhang shi, if you have any requests, feel free to raise them. As long as its within the means of our royal family, we will aplish it without the slightest frown! Zhang Xuan nced at Emperor Chu Tianxing and said, Simple. Add in another hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones to your previous terms, and you can take back King Zhongqing right now. He was currently severelycking in cultivation resources. It was far more practical for him to receive concentrated high-tier spirit stones from the other party than to hold a King in custody. In any case, he could easily get rid of King Zhongqing whenever he wanted to, so it did not matter whether thetter remained imprisoned or not. A hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Emperor Chu Tianxing widened his eyes in astonishment before a bitter smile surfaced on his lips. Zhang shi, you must be joking. Even if we sold everything in our Imperial Treasury, we still would not be able to fork out that sum... In the first ce, concentrated high-tier spirit stones were a severelyckingmodity in Qingyuan City. Even the Combat Master Hall, an organization that the Master Teacher Pavilion had devoted arge portion of its resources to, only had ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones in their reserves. No matter how wealthy the Qingyuan royal family was, there was no way it would be able to fork out ten times the sum in a single breath. Very well then, I shall give you a discount. Fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones, and King Zhongqing will be yours to take away. This is my final offer, and if you cant fulfill that condition, Ill have to ask you to leave. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. He also knew that the other party would be unable to afford 100 concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Nevertheless, he had chosen to ask for it so that he would have some room to bargain. This... Chu Tianxings lips twitched. Fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones still was not a sum that the Qingyuan royal family could afford. Emperor Chu Tianxing contemted for a long while before responding. Zhang shi, to be honest with you, even with the ten-millennium reign of our Qingyuan royal family, we only have seventeen concentrated high-tier spirit stones at the moment... We did have quite a handful of it in the past, but most of them were bestowed to the princes and meritorious subjects. Is it possible for me to give all seventeen to you and make up for the rest with valuable medicinal herbs and ores? There was no way he would be able to fork out fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones, but as long as the other party was willing, he would still be able to find substitutes for the rest. Alright then. Here are the ores and medicinal herbs I require, and as long as you are able to gather all of them, I can let King Zhongqing go with just seventeen concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Also, I require as many Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation technique manuals as possible. Make a copy of every single book in your library and pass them to me, Zhang Xuan said as he whipped out a brush and paper and swiftly penned down a list. He was intending on making use of this opportunity to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron and cier Rain Sword. He already had the main materials, but he was stillcking a few supporting materials. If he were to search for them himself, who knew how long it would take before he was able to gather the required materials? It would be best if he could enlist Emperor Chu Tianxings help for this matter. Very well. Emperor Chu Tianxing took the list and browsed through it. While there were some materials that seemed to be a rtively rare, with the prowess of an entire Conferred Empire, he should be able to gather all of them promptly. Thus, he epted the request heartily. After which, he flicked his wrist and passed a jade container over. Here are the seventeen concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Zhang shi, please take a look. Zhang Xuan swiftly swept through the contents in the jade container and verified that the other party was not lying. Nodding, he stowed the jade container into his storage ring. Zhang shi and Wu shi, please give me a moment while I deal with the rest. After saying those words, Emperor Chu Tianxing turned around and issued some instructions to his attendant. As expected of the emperor of a Conferred Empire, his connections were truly astounding. In just two mere hours, the ores and medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan had requested had been sessfully gathered. Even the books that Zhang Xuan had requested earlier were all stacked up neatly before him. For those that they could not copy in time, the originals were brought over instead. All in all, there were roughly several hundred thousand books for Saint 3-dan and above ten thousand books for Saint 4-dan. Zhang Xuan ced those items into his storage ring before nodding in satisfaction. Alright, you may take King Zhongqing away now. Thank you, Zhang shi. Emperor Chu Tianxing quickly turned to Wu shi, and upon seeing thetter nod in agreement as well, he heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he followed a master teacher down to the underground prison, to where King Zhongqing was locked up. As soon as Emperor Chu Tianxing left, Wu shi immediately turned a perplexed look to Zhang Xuan, uprehending of what thetter was up to. Principal Zhang... Chapter 1161 - Chen Zhe’s Death

Chapter 1161: Chen Zhes Death

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Do you feel that I shouldnt have released King Zhongqing? Taking Wu shis expression into sight, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Emperor Chu Tianxings offer might be alluring, but I dont think that its a good idea to ede to his request. Wu shi nodded. Master teachers mustnt be sullied. This isnt a matter aboutpensation but pride. If a precedent were to be set, it might send out a wrong message about the Master Teacher Pavilions stand, and others might begin to emte King Zhongqings actions... After the affairs that they had gone through together in the Qiu Wu Pce, he hade to know the young man before him as an extremely wise and discerning individual. As such, while he didnt agree with thetters decision, he didnt interject during the discussion earlier on because he knew that thetter would surely have his considerations for making his decision. However, with Emperor Chu Tianxings departure, he couldnt hold back his intrigue any longer. Ill exin the matter to you, but before that, I would like to ask Wu shi a single question... Will you speak of the matter concerning Celestial Master teacher to any other master teachers in your Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan asked. Upon hearing those words, Wu shis face immediately turned grim. He quickly set up an istion barrier around him before assessing his surroundings to confirm that there was no one around. Only then did he respond with a soft voice, Principal Zhang, you must be absolutely careful when you speak of this matter! To respond to your question, due to the huge implications regarding the matter concerning Celestial Master Teacher, theres an absolute need to maintain a silence restraint on the matter. If word were to be leaked to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it could result in a disastrous oue. Therefore, even if its to the headquarters, I would choose to maintain my silence. He knew that the young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher. However, this matter mustnt be spoken of lightly to others. If news were to fall into the wrong hands, it might cause the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to send its forces frenziedly after the other party. Putting aside the devastating destruction that would ur as a result of that, more importantly, it might result in the premature downfall of the master teacher before him. If that were to happen, he would be a sinner of history. I share the same thoughts as you. However... Vice Pavilion Master Tian revealed the existence of a Celestial Master Teacher right before me. Back when Vice Pavilion Master Tian was interrogating him at King Zhongqing Manor, the other party had once said these words: From what I know, even a Celestial Master Teacher has recently appeared in the world, so I dont think that the revival of the founder of the Poison Hall is something too absurd to believe... Back then, he had already realized that something was amiss. There was no master teacher who didnt understand the significance of those three words. It was the first time that Vice Pavilion Master Tian was meeting him, and yet, the other party actually revealed such an important news to him... This was a clear breach of the silence restraint. That was also the main reason why he didnt hesitate in dealing with Vice Pavilion Master Tian. You are saying that Vice Pavilion Master Tian knows that... you are Celestial Master Teacher? Wu shis face darkened. From the looks of it, that doesnt seem to be the case. If anything, he seems to be trying to sound me out instead. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Judging from the other partys tone, it didnt seem like the other party knew of the matter yet. However, the fact that the other party raised the term Celestial Master Teacher before him showed that the other party harbored some doubts regarding his identity. However, given how calmly he was able to respond to the other party, not showing the slightest bit of fluster, he should have been able to dispel the doubts in the other partys mind. Thats a relief. However, Principal Zhang, you must be careful. Next time, no matter where you head to, you must make sure to bring either me or Hall Master Xing with you for your own safety! Wu shi advised gravely. As long as the news hadnt leaked, Principal Zhang would only be seen as an incredible prodigy in the eyes of others. An umon existence, yes, but there were still a handful of others just like him in the world as well. However, if others were to learn that he was a Celestial Master Teacher... that would truly be a catastrophe. For the time being, theres no need to resort to such measures yet. Such extreme actions would be as good as confirming the suspicions of others. Zhang Xuan shook his head. If he were to utilize all of the means he had in his hands, he was confident that he would be able to fare much better than with the protection of the duo. On the other hand, if the duo were going to be tagging around him, it wouldnt be convenient for him to utilize those means, and it would ce him in a more dangerous position than before. This... Wu shi hesitated. Indeed. If he and Hall Master Xing were to follow the other party day in and day out, even those who hadnt doubted the matter previously would start getting suspicious. That would be as good as giving themselves away! Theres something wrong with Pavilion Master Tian, and King Zhongqing has colluded with the Poison Hall to concoct huge quantities of poisonI have a feeling that those two matters are rted. Also, there is something amiss about Emperor Chu Tianxing paying a visit to you personally and paying such a heavy price just to bail King Zhongqing... I dont believe that he would go so far just to repay thetter for saving his life! Zhang Xuan analyzed grimly. Hearing those words, Wu shi suddenly widened his eyes in realization. The royal pce was a cold-blooded ce where blood brothers would murder one another for authority. For the most esteemed man in there, the emperor, to risk offending the Master Teacher Pavilion and pay such a heavy price just to save a mere official... that was indeed something worth looking deeper into. Since we know that theres something wrong with them, instead of stifling ourselves over here to figure out what they are up to, why dont we just release them temporarily and have them untie the dead knot for us before deciding on our next move? They might have captured King Zhongqing, but their clue effectively ended right there. However, if they were to let King Zhongqing go, it might just lead them to something unexpected. Youre right, thats indeed a good solution... Coming to a realization, Wu shi nodded his head in admiration. As expected of Principal Zhang! While he was still engrossed by the situation before him, the other party had already thought many steps ahead! At the current moment, their investigation had already hit a bottleneck. There was no more clue for them to look into, and even if they were to interrogate King Zhongqing and the others, there was no way the other party would reveal their n to them. However... if they were to release their grasp and allow the other party to do as they pleased, it was likely that the other party would attempt something and give themselves away in the midst of doing so. Un. Alright, Ill leave the rest to you. Theres still some time before night time, and if its convenient, I would like to pay a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilions library to take a look. It would suffice to have Wu shi deal with the investigation, it made no difference whether he participated in it or not. For the time being, his priority was topile the Saint 3-dan Heavens Path Divine Art and raise his cultivation up to the required level, so that he could surpass that Zhang Jiuxiao and sessfully im the nomination slot to enter the Sanctum of Sages. Alright, Ill bring you over then! Knowing that Principal Zhang liked to read books, Wu shi stood up with a smile to lead the way. At that moment, however, anxious knocking suddenly sounded on the door. Come in! Wu shi said with a frown. The master teacher who had just left a moment ago rushed into the room with a panicked look. Whats wrong? Wu shi asked. For a 6-star master teacher to lose his bearings, there was no doubt that something huge must have happened. Teacher, bad news! Chen Zhe... he has died! the master teacher gulped down a mouthful of saliva and said. Chen Zhe has died? Wu shi narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Chen Zhe was the master teacher who had duped Zhang Yinqiu of the details concerning the ancient domain back then and leaked it to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. He was the key to uncovering the other traitors within the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he had been locked in the most secure prison in the Master Teacher Pavilion, such that even his cultivation had been sealed. So, how could he suddenly pass away all of a sudden? Im not too sure about the reason behind his death either. When I checked on him earlier in the morning, he was still perfectly fine. However, when I took another look at him while releasing King Zhongqing earlier, I realized that he has already breathed hisst... the master teacher eximed anxiously. Chen Zhe was Vice Pavilion Master Tians direct disciple, a 7-star low-tier master teacher. His abrupt death was no joking matter. Lets head over to take a look! Wu shi said grimly. He turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Principal Zhang, will you follow me to take a look as well? The eyes of the young man before him was far more discerning than his own. The other party could very well notice something that he had missed out. Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded. He also found the matter perplexing as well. In the Master Teacher Pavilions prison, putting aside killing any prisoner, even suicide should have been impossible, so how did Chen Zhe possibly lose his life there? This was truly eerie. Following behind the 6-star master teacher, it didnt take long for them to arrive at a cold chamber. In there, they saw a middle-aged man lying motionlessly on the ground, his body frigid cold. He had already breathed hisst. Instead of walking over to assess the corpse, Zhang Xuan first examined the surroundings instead. An airtight formation had been set up around the room, preventing ones Spiritual Perception from reaching in. As such, it was impossible to send any information in or out. It would be impossible for those within the chamber tomunicate with those outside it. After which, Zhang Xuan walked up to the corpse and activated his Eye of Insight. He doesnt have any physical wounds, but his soul has already dissipated entirely. Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. The cause of the other partys death was no other than the dissipation of his soul! His soul has dissipated entirely? Taken aback, Wu shi quickly ced his hand on the other partys corpse to extend his consciousness into the other partys body. A momentter, his face turned livid. Clearly, he hade to the same conclusion as well. Could it be the same soul nabbing technique as before? Frowning, a thought came into Zhang Xuans mind. Previously, Cang Xu of the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows had attempted to use a soul nabbing technique to kill him, but the Spirit Awakener Guilds building had crushed him to death at that very moment, thus resulting in his failure. He had analyzed the soul nabbing technique carefully after gaining possession of the other partys memory via Soul Search, and it bore striking resemnce to the means of the soul oracles. It aimed to draw a cultivators soul out of his body and confine it, thus rendering himpletely powerless to ones whims... Once the technique were to seed, the body, left without a soul, would slowly wither away and die. Could Chen Zhe have been killed using such a method? Could it be that Vicious has imparted this technique to someone else other than Cang Xu? Zhang Xuan contemted doubtfully. However, even if that was the case, why would the practitioner of the technique want to go through the trouble of killing Chen Zhe? Or could it be that Chen Zhe had something to do with Vicious and the soul oracle as well? Lets bring his corpse over to Division Head Qiu of the Combat Master Hall and have him help us analyze the situation. After examining the corpse for a while longer, Wu shi was still unable to make sense of the situation, so he stood up and said. Alright! the 6-star master teacher replied. Division Head Qiu was the head of the Soul Division, and he possessed deep knowledge in the study of souls. While Wu shi might not be able to determine anything from the corpse, perhaps Division Head Qiu might be able to see something that they couldnt in it. Theres no need for that. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The soul within the corpse had already vanished, so there was no point in finding Division Head Qiu anymore. Principal Zhang... Wu shi looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously and said. Chen Zhes death effectively means that we have lost our evidence to deal with Vice Pavilion Master Tian. Even though Vice Pavilion Master Tian has made a move on you, the evidence we have at the moment isnt sufficient to indict him for attempting to frame you. In other words, we dont have any reason to imprison him any longer! No matter what, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Previously, it was due to his direct disciple leaking critical intelligence to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that he was implicated and imprisoned for the matter. However, with Chen Zhes death, there was no longer anyone who could possibly point Vice Pavilion Master Tian to be the culprit of the matter, so naturally... they would have no reason why keep the other party imprisoned any longer. As for the crime of ndering and using Zhang Xuan, he could dump it all onto King Zhongqing, and the remaining could be overlooked just on his prestigious identity in itself! Since we no longer have any right to imprison him, just let him go then. Zhang Xuan shook his head. If not for the fact that he had discovered that there was a fatal w in Vice Pavilion Master Tians Primordial Spirit through his Library of Heavens Path, which would hinder him from effectively executing any soul art, he would have truly doubted if Vice Pavilion Master Tian had killed his own student. Let him go? Wu shi was taken aback. But Principal Zhang, the humiliation that you have suffered because of him... Theres no need to be bothered about that matter. In view of Vice Pavilion Master Tians standing, it wont do us any good to keep him imprisoned for an extended period of time, especially when we dont have sufficient evidence on hand. Furthermore, it hasnt been long since you have been promoted to a vice pavilion master yourself, so you cant afford to forcefully make a move against Vice Pavilion Master Tian yet. Zhang Xuan shook his head and said. At the current moment, it was imperative for them that Wu shi remained in power. Otherwise, there would be powerless to stand against Vice Pavilion Master Tian. Alright then. Seeing that there was some sense in what Zhang Xuan said, Wu shi could only reluctantly nod in agreement. Then... what should we do next? What do you think that we should do? Zhang Xuan returned the question with a smile. I think that we should announce Chen Zhes crimes publicly and turn everyone against Vice Pavilion Master Tian. This would put Vice Pavilion Master Tian in a disadvantageous position, and we would be in a better position to make a move against him. Wu shi contemted for a moment before saying. The news regarding Chen Zhes betrayal was currently known by only a very small group. If they could pin a crime on Chen Zhe at this moment, Vice Pavilion Master Tian, as Chen Zhes teacher, would be ced in a precarious position as well. Otherwise, Vice Pavilion Master Tian would truly be getting away scot-free from the entire matter. Wrong! That course of action wont work! Zhang Xuan shook his head. It wont work? What should we do then? Wu shi was taken aback. Simple. We should have Chen Zhe buried with the grandest of master teacher ceremonies. On top of that, we willpensate his family and ord them with the highestpliments. We shall dub him as a true master teacher, the role model whom everyone should learn from! Zhang Xuan replied with a mysterious smile. Ah? What kind of solution is that? Wu shi was stunned by Zhang Xuans unexpected suggestion. Chapter 1162 - The Poisoned King Zhongqing

Chapter 1162: The Poisoned King Zhongqing

Trantor: StarveCleric | Editor: StarveCleric

Chen Zhe was the person who revealed the intelligence from Zhang Yinqiu to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, causing thetter to nearly be unable to return from the Qiu Wu Pce. A person like him should be deeply condemned by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, Principal Zhang was proposing to offer the highest ofpliments to him? This was too bizarre! On the other hand, seeing that Wu shi didntprehend what he was driving at, Zhang Xuan shook his head and exined, At this point, Chen Zhes crimes are only known to a handful within the Master Teacher Pavilion. This is actually disadvantageous to us. In order to officially indict Chen Zhe of a crime and justify his arrest, well need to convince the entire Master Teacher Pavilion of our case, and that would require more evidence than just Old Principal Zhang Yinqius testimony. However, that is one thing that we arecking at the moment. If we were to disregard that and forcefully pin an usation on Chen Zhe, it will appear as if we are trying to conceal our depraved actions instead. On top of that, the fact that Chen Zhe has even passed away in the Master Teacher Pavilion ys against us as well. Think about it, we have captured Chen Zhe, but Chen Zhe ended up dying in captivity. What do you think the others would think about the matter? This... Wu shi fell silent. It was normal for others to sympathize with the weak, but whether the weak was truly weak or not was often one thing that couldnt be clearly seen on the surface. If they were to really attempt to pin a crime on Chen Zhe, as long as someone were to work behind their backs and fabricate a story to use Wu shi of abusing his authority to deal with Chen Zhe, themon popce would be unable to discern which point of view was true. In such situations, the tendency was for them to naturally sympathize with the victim, Chen Zhe. By then, the tables would be turned. Their advantageous situation would turn into a deeply disadvantageous one in an instant. On the other hand, if we were to dere that he has died and bestow his family with huge riches for the matter, the other party might think that news has been leaked and panic. By then... the other party might very well do something that would give themselves away. As long as we can lure the other party out, the rest would be simple. As for Chen Zhe, it wouldnt be toote to indict him of his crime then. Zhang Xuan said. I see... Wu shi came to a realization. That was indeed the best n they had at the moment. Not only would it resolve the adverse effects brought about by Chen Zhes death, it could also potentially bait the other party out. Truly two birds in a stone. Ill have it done now! Nodding, Wu shi quickly turned to the 6-star master teacher beside him to issue instructions. What else should we do? After making arrangements, Wu shi asked once more. For the time being, this should be enough. Tonight, well still be attending the Appraisal Convention that you spoke about... Dont worry, we have already ced the bait dangling before them. Now, we just have to wait to hook something up. Zhang Xuan smiled. Wu shi nodded before falling silent. After leaving Chen Zhes cell, Zhang Xuan headed straight for the Master Teacher Pavilions library. With Wu shis identity token in his hand, he was qualified to ess the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation techniques in there. In less than two hours, he had already collected everything into his Library of Heavens Path. After that was done, he took out the books which Emperor Chu Tianxing had given him and collected them into his Library of Heavens Path too. Compile! The Library of Heavens Path jolted, and two new books materialized before Zhang Xuans eyes. They were the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. Swiftly browsing through them, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. They have both reached the level of Heavens Path, I can cultivate them straight now! This seemed to be the first time he had collected the Heavens Path Divine Art for two realms in advance. With these two, he would be able to make a breakthrough on the spot to Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm! However, the sky seems to be getting dark. I should first head over to the Appraisal Convention with Wu shi before cultivating... Zhang Xuan nced out of the windows and saw that the sun had already set. The Appraisal Convention that Wu shi had mentioned previously should be starting any time soon, so he couldnt afford to spend any time on cultivation for the time being. Thus, he stretched his backzily and walked out of the library. In any case, everything would be simple once he had the required cultivation techniques. At most, it would only take him two hours or so, or at the very worst, four hours... Either way, he could have it done very quickly. Besides, there was no such thing as a cultivation bottleneck to him. Once he cultivated, the technique would surely reach the mastery of Consummation. Thus, for the time being, it was more imperative for him to bring all of his supporting upations to 7-star and be a 7-star master teacher first. Principal Zhang, lets set forth! Wu shi said with a smile upon seeing Zhang Xuan walking towards him. After which, the duo headed out together. ... While Zhang Xuan and Wu shi were heading to the Appraisal Convention, in a vast hall in the royal pce... Damn it, damn it! King Zhongqing paced around the room as he clenched his teeth tightly in fury. Hatred burned within his eyes like raging inferno, as if they would burn down everything in its sight. Enough! You sure have gotten brazen to attempt to make a move against a 6-star master teacher without making ample preparations! Chu Tianxing harrumphed coldly. Your Majesty, I... King Zhongqing quickly sped his fist to exin himself. Forget it, you dont have to exin anything to me. Just learn from this lesson and make sure that you nevermit it in the future. Know that it took me a heavy price to bail you out! Chu Tianxing waved his hand impatiently. I apologize for my inept. King Zhongqing lowered his head and said. Alright, thats enough of that. For the next few days, you should remain in my royal pce to cultivate and reflect on where you have gone wrong. During this timing, you cant afford to have anyone finding any more handle on you, or else no one will be able to save you! Chu Tianxing instructed. Yes! King Zhongqing nodded. Dont worry, there shouldnt be any more problems. The main issue at hand lies with that Zhang Xuan, he really isnt an easy fellow to deal with. Furthermore, his cultivation is much higher than we have previously anticipated... As King Zhongqing spoke about Zhang Xuan, he couldnt help but grit his teeth furiously. However, as soon as he said those words, his face suddenly paled, and his body began shaking uncontrobly. This is bad... King Zhongqing narrowed his eyes as goosebumps rose all over his body. Whats wrong? Chu Tianxing frowned. I-I have been poisoned! Pu! King Zhongqings body began convulsing non-stop, andrge mouthfuls of blood spurted from his mouth. He felt as if all of his organs were about to shatter anytime soon. Poisoned? How did you get poisoned? Chu Tianxings eyes widened in rm. King Zhingqing had been beside him for thest few minutes, so how could he be suddenly poisoned without any warning? I have no idea either! The immense pain rendered King Zhongqing incapable of standing on his feet, and he rolled around the ground wildly, hoping that it would alleviate his pain somehow. Cold sweat trickled down his entire body, and no matter how he contemted over the matter, he simply couldnt recall when he was afflicted with the poison. Did you eat or drink anything today? Chu Tianxing asked anxiously. For even King Zhongqing, a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, to be unable to tolerate it, the poison was truly fearsome. An individual who had such a potent poison in his possession and could poison King Zhongqing without thetter noticing had to be a 7-star pinnacle poison master at the very least! But if such a figure had appeared by King Zhongqings side, he would have known it. Why did he have no impression of it whatsoever? Today... King Zhongqing began recalling everything that had happened earlier, That Zhang Xuan has fed me several gourds of fine wine, and that Sun Qiang has sprinkled salt and pepper over my body... There couldnt be anything wrong with the food in his King Zhongqing Manor, and he hadnt touched the food in the Master Teacher Pavilion either. The only thing left was Zhang Xuans wine and Sun Qiangs condiments. Sprinkled salt and pepper over your body? Chu Tianxing was stunned. What the heck was that? However, he knew that this wasnt the time to be asking about that. With a deep frown, he remarked, From the looks of it, the culprit seems to be that Zhang Xuan... Just that, what kind of poison is this? Men, summon Royal Physician Sun over! Yes! A guard quickly bowed and rushed out of the room. Not too longter, an elder entered the hall. Your Majesty! Un. Royal Physician Sun, King Zhongqing has been poisoned, and I would like you to analyze what kind of poison it is and treat him... Chu Tianxing instructed. Royal Physician Sun was a 7-star pinnacle physician specially employed by the royal court, and hisprehension of the Way of Medicine had already reached a profound level. If anyone could treat King Zhongqing, it had to be him! Your Majesty, rest assured, As long as the poison isnt beyond grade-7, Im confident that Ill be able to resolve it easily! Royal Physician Sun smiled, revealing a row of perfectly yellow teeth. With a flick of his finger, he swiftly weaved his zhenqi into thin threads, which swiftly wrapped itself around King Zhongqing in the shape of a sphere. This was his exclusive diagnosis and treatment methodSonar Diagnosis Cocoon. By linking his zhenqi threads to the vitals and acupoints of the patient, he would be able to take a closer examination on the patients condition through the vibrations through the zhenqi threads, and thus, making an urate diagnosis of the patients condition. Hm? Theres something really weird about the poison... Royal Physician Sun analyzed King Zhongqings condition for a moment, and a deep frown surfaced on his forehead. Weird? Chu Tianxings face darkened. Can he be treated? Your Majesty, rest assured. Even though the poison is elusive and nearly indiscernible, I should be able to figure what is going on by sending my zhenqi threads into King Zhongqings body through the Zhenqi Thread Diagnosis Method, and from that, resolve the poison! Physician Sun said confidently. Hurry up then! Seeing King Zhongqings face turn ghastly pale, as if he would sumb to the poison at any moment, Chu Tianxing urged. Yes! Royal Physician Sun nodded. Taking a deep breath, he flicked his fingers forward. Tzzzzzzz! A surge of zhenqi shot from his fingers into King Zhongqings be, and it swiftly dived its way into thetters meridians. The Zhenqi Thread Diagnosis Method involved sending zhenqi threads into the body of the patient to examine thetters inner condition to determine the source of the injury or illness, thus allowing the physician to treat the issue at its root. Since the Sonar Diagnosis Cocoon wasnt sufficient to determine the lethal poison which King Zhongqing was suffering from, he could only resort to this method. Hu! Before long, his zhenqi had already made its way around the King Zhongqings body, but there was still no lethal poison to be seen. Perplexed, Royal Physician Sun retracted his zhenqi and contemted with a deep frown. He had checked every nook and cranny within King Zhongqings body, but there was not a trace of any poison to be seen. Yet, the other partys internal organs were corroding, clearly the doing of a lethal poison. These contradicting situations had left him deeply bewildered. How is it? Chu TIanxing asked anxiously. Theres something really bizarre about the poison. I need some time to think of a solution... Halfway through his words, Royal Physician Suns face suddenly turned ghastly pale. His body abruptly fell heavily onto the ground before convulsing wildly. Huge mouthfuls of blood spurted wildly from his mouth, rendering his face a shake paler each time. Darn it, I was poisoned as well... As he said those words, his body convulsed a few more times before he passed out altogether. This... Chu Tianxing was astonished. It was just a moment ago that the other party dered confidently that he would be able to resolve the poison, and yet, before he could even determine what kind of poison it was, he had already passed out... The other party was already the most formidable physician in the royal pce, but he still ended up sumbing to the poison. Against a lethal poison which could affect even a 7-star pinnacle physician unknowingly, what could they possibly do? Your Majesty... I have a handful of poison masters imprisoned in my manor... Bring one of them over... King Zhongqing uttered weakly. Hold on, Ill send my men to bring them over! Chu Tianxing said before turning to his men to issue somemands. Under the orders of the emperor, the guards swiftly made their way over to the King Zhongqing Manor, and not too longter, they returned with a ck-robed young man. He was no other than Butler Qin! Old Master, the poison masters in the residence has been released by Zhang Xuan! Released? Pu! At this point, King Zhongqing was already withered internally and externally. At this moment, he didnt even have the strength to move around anymore, as if an old mannguishing on his deathbed. There are no poison masters left, and the physicians arent capable of treating it either... Ill go look for Zhang shi personally! To think that a master teacher would actually resort to such underhanded tricks... Chu Tianxing roared lividly. He had to pay such a heavy price in order to bail King Zhongqing out. If thetter were to die of poison shortly after, wouldnt his Qingyuan royal family be aughingstock of the popce? Zhang shi? Poison? Upon hearing those words, Butler Qin swiftly turned to Chu Tianxing and asked with his head lowered, Your Majesty, was our Old Master poisoned by Zhang Xuan? It must be him! No one else had a chance to strike other than him! Chu Tianxing harrumphed in anger. If hes the one behind the poison... Butler Qin paused for a brief moment as confidence emerged on his face, I know how to alleviate the poison! Chapter 1163 Chapter 1163: Butler Qins Unique Poison Neutralization Technique Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You know? Chu Tianxing and King Zhongqing looked at Butler Qin in bewilderment. It was a poison that even the 7-star pinnacle Royal Physician Sun was helpless before, even passing out after being afflicted with the poison himself, so how could a butler who didnt know the slightest thing about poison possibly know how to alleviate it? To be honest, I was also afflicted with the poison a while back, but I managed to keep it under control using a certain method, Butler Qin replied. Hearing that his subordinate had been poisoned by Zhang Xuan as well but managed to ovee the poison, King Zhongqing immediately eximed, Is that true? What are you waiting for then? Hurry up and treat me! Yes, Old Master! The treatment might be a little painful, so I ask you to bear with it, Butler Qin said grimly as he stepped forward. I have been through innumerable life and death situations. What kind of pain have I not suffered before? Rest assured and do it! King Zhongqing replied proudly. Back in his time, he had charged into many a battlefield and survived against the odds. No matter how painful a poison neutralization process was, how could itpare to the experiences he had been through on the battlefield? As long as you are able to cure my poison, Ill immediately promote you to the official head butler of my manor, granting you authority to mobilize anyone within the manor... Before King Zhongqing could finish his words, he suddenly saw a palm erging swiftly before him, covering his entire sight in an instant. Pah! The p struck King Zhongqings face squarely, and the stinging pain threatened to tear his cheeks into two. You... Not expecting his subordinate to p him instead of treating him, King Zhongqing felt so furious that he was on the brink of insanity. However, before he could even finish his words, another p had already flown right for his face. Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! A series of consecutive ps left King Zhongqings face swelling up as if a crimson bun. Butler Qin had exerted his full strength in those ps, such that he was already panting from exhaustion. He carefully raised his gaze and looked at King Zhongqing. Old Master, are you feeling better now? Better your head! You bastard, Im going to kill you! With his eyes reddening in rage, King Zhongqing stood up with a belligerent air around him. To think that he, the First King of the Qingyuan Empire, would actually be pummeled by his own subordinate, not to mention, in front of Emperor Chu Tianxing at that. And as if that was not enough, the other party even had the cheek to ask him if he was feeling better after. Better your head! That is as good as a rapist asking his victim if it felt good! Im going to beat you into the ground, you bastard! King Zhongqing was so furious that it also seemed as if smoke was pouring out of his head. You still arent feeling better yet? Old Master, worry not! I still have another trick up my sleeve... On the other hand, Butler Qin didnt expect the ps to not work, so he hurriedly tried to appease the other party first. You still have another trick up your sleeve? King Zhongqing was taken aback for a moment upon hearing those words. Before he could even process what was going on, he saw Butler Qin taking off his shoes, and in the next moment, a leg emanating an exceptional scent flew right toward his face. Peng! The impact of the kick left King Zhongqings face distorted into the shape of a fried dough twist before he flipped around two and a half times in the air and copsed heavily onto the ground. Butler Qin had experimented on himself when he found the effectiveness of the ps a littlecking, and he had to admit that the kick did have miraculous effects against the poison. In an instant, the pain vanished from his body like a receding tide. He had been nning on treasuring this secret art as his family heirloom, vowing to only pass it down to those of his lineage. However, since the Old Master required it, he had no choice but to take it out. Ill kill you... Seeing the teeth that had dropped to the ground and the amazing stench that filled his nostrils, King Zhongqing nearly went insane on the spot. He had ordered his subordinate to treat his poison, but not only did thetter do nothing of that sort, thetter even dared to p and kick him. Unforgivable! Standing up furiously, he red at his subordinate with a piercing re, ready to tear the fellow before him into two. But before he could make a move, Chu Tianxing suddenly spoke. King Zhongqing, your poison... has been cured? Poison? Those abrupt words jolted King Zhongqing out of his rampage. All of a sudden, he realized that the pain from the lethal poison had really receded after the ps and kick. Overwhelmed by astonishment, the rage from a moment agopletely vanished from his mind. He quickly asked Butler Qin in bewilderment, This... What is going on? Butler Qin sped his fist and exined the matter. Old Master, earlier today, when you asked me to invite Zhang Xuan over to the manor, we had a small verbal conflict, and he discreetly nted a poison in me. I had a physician look at the poison, and thetter said that not only is the poison indiscernible, it will even corrode ones inner organs, putting one in unbearable agony. However, he did inform me of a way to alleviate the poison, and that is to hit ones face. The more vicious the strike is, the more effective it will be against the poison. Thats also why I brazenly made a move against you, and I beg for your pardon! The poison is alleviated through pping? Theres actually such a poison in the world? King Zhongqing and Chu Tianxing nced at one another in disbelief. They had never encountered or heard of such a bizarre poison in the world. Thats right! Butler Qin replied affirmatively. To actually concoct such a poison, that Zhang Xuan sure is a depraved individual... King Zhongqings lips twitched furiously as he cursed, but halfway through his words, his body suddenly jolted. He felt that excruciating pain from before slowly returning to his body. This is bad; its acting up once more. Quick, hit me again! Recalling that unbearable pain, King Zhongqing could not help but tremble in fear. He never wanted to experience such a sensation ever again. He quickly pulled Butler Qin over as he stuck his face out to the other party and eximed in desire, Harder! ... To think that it could work this way as well... Shortly after walking out of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan suddenly chuckled beneath his breath. Wu shi turned around and asked, Is there something wrong? Its nothing, Zhang Xuan replied calmly with a smile. When he had been curing King Zhongqings wounds earlier in thetters manor, he had secretly slipped a sliver of his will into the other partys body. It was concealed within his Heavens Path zhenqi, making it difficult for even a Primordial Spirit realm expert to notice it. He had made it such that in fixed intervals or whenever the other party insulted him, the Heavens Path zhenqi would turn into lethal poison and ravage the other partys body. It was precisely because he had left such a hand that he did not hesitate to have King Zhongqing released. In any case, King Zhongqings life and death hinged on a single thought of his, so it mattered not whether the other party was imprisoned or not. Initially, he had only chosen to spare Butler Qin in case he might require a pawn to use in the near future, but who would have thought that thetter would actually end up believing in his Face pping Treatment Method? That actually worked to his advantage for the time being, so he decided to go along with it. After all, even though he had set King Zhongqing free for the moment, he was still more than willing to see the other party suffer, especially after seeing with his own eyes what the other party had done to Sun Qiang and the Poison Hall. Under the control of the sliver of will he had slipped into the other partys body, he was able to create the impression that pping ones face would be able to alleviate the corrosion of the poison. Of course, the pping would not actually cure the poisonin truth, the Heavens Path zhenqi was just switched back from its poisonous state temporarily... The poison would recede under vicious pping and act up if the pping were to halt for some time. He could probably entertain himself for quite a few days with that. However, it was another question whether King Zhongqing would be able tost that long or not. Aftermunicating with the will that he had hidden within the other partys body for a moment, Zhang Xuan decided to put aside the matter and follow behind Wu shi. Not too longter, they arrived at a massive trading hall. Zhang Xuan took a look at the surroundings, and after confirming his location, he could not help but ask in bewilderment, Isnt this where the Appraiser Hall is located? Based on the directions from Hall Master Xing, the location they were currently at should have been the Appraiser Hall, so why was a huge trading hall standing before them instead? You should also know about how intricately linked the Appraiser Hall is with trade. Many businesses rise in the vicinity of its establishment, so it was inevitable that it eventually developed into a trading hall, Wu shi exined with a smile. Thats true. Zhang Xuan nodded. Appraisers were capable of determining the authenticity of artifacts, and in the Master Teacher Continent, authenticity had always been a problem for both buyers and sellers alike. Receiving an appraisers certificate on a good was equivalent to having a guarantee on the quality of the good, and naturally, sellers would be able to sell it at a higher price. At the same time, knowing that the authenticity of the good had been verified by an expert, buyers could also purchase it with their mind at ease. Thus, it was inevitable that businesses would gradually sprout in the vicinity of the Appraiser Guild, and as time passed, a trading hall would be constructed around it, thus bing the center ofmerce within the city. Actually, there is something that has been on my mind for quite some time already. If Im not mistaken, the Appraisal Convention that you spoke of should be an event to verify the authenticity of precious artifacts. However, if thats the case, why would the head of the Painter Guild attend the convention as well? Zhang Xuan asked. Since the main focus of the event was appraising, it was peculiar that those of another upation would be there as well. As you know, appraisers deal with artifacts of all sorts. Tonight, one of the artifacts that will be appraised is a painting left behind by the Sorrowless Old Man, Wu shi exined. Sorrowless Old Man? Hes the most famous painter in the history of the Qingyuan Empire. An extremely talented individual, he was an 8-star painter before he reached three hundred years old. Unfortunately, on the third day after his three hundredth birthday, he vanished without a trace. As for where he went, no one knows for sure. However, there are rumors that he was killed by his enemies, Wu shi exined. Three hundred years old? Isnt that age considered young for Saint realm cultivators? Why would others address him as the Sorrowless Old Man? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. Even Hall Master Xing and Wu shi were at least five hundred years old. Inparison, three hundred years could really be considered young among Saint realm cultivators, so that title seemed to be a little inappropriate. It is said that in the earlier years of the Sorrowless Old Man, his talents in cultivation and painting were unexceptional. Even as he approached 180, he was still nowhere near to reaching Saint realm. However, his talents suddenly blossomed one day. Within a short ten years, his mastery in painting surged all the way to 7-star, and he managed to advance his cultivation to Saint realm as well. Nevertheless, due to histe breakthrough, he still retained his old appearance despite his lengthened lifespan, and it was because of his old appearance that others addressed his as the Sorrowless Old Man, Wu shi exined. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded. The average lifespan of a Transcendent Mortal was around two hundred, and typically speaking, a 180 years old Transcendent Mortal cultivator stood no chance of achieving a breakthrough at all. To suddenly be enlightened in the Way of Painting and sessfully advance to Sainthood at his age, it must be said that the Sorrowless Old Man was indeed a legend. While chatting, the duo entered the trading hall. The trading hall was farrger than Zhang Xuan had expected. There were all sorts of artifacts on disy, and a huge crowd was walking back and forth between the vendors, seeking the items they required. Curious, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and scanned through the array of items on disy. A whileter, he could not help but shake his head in disappointment. There were a couple of items that could be considered a treasure to Transcendent Mortal cultivators, but to him, they werepletely useless. Most of the items on the first floor of the trading hall are misceneous goods that have not yet been appraised, so they are rtively inexpensive. Most of those on this floor loiter with the hopes of stumbling on a treasure. It would be best if they could hit the jackpot, but even if they do not, they wont make a big loss either, Wu shi said. Its from the second floor onwards that the artifacts have been appraised. While their prices are slightly pricier, theres at least a guarantee on the authenticity of the goods. Does Principal Zhang want to take a look around the trading hall first? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Theres no need for that. What hecked the most at that moment was concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Other than that, there was not any particr artifact that he required. As for medicinal herbs, ores, and the sort, he had already gotten what he needed from Emperor Chu Tianxing, so there was no need for him to go to the trouble of purchasing them. Since there was nothing he required, there was no need for him to browse through the items in the trading hall either. Since thats the case, lets head straight for the fifth floor then. The Appraisal Convention is being held there. Nodding with a smile, Wu shi led the way forward. Walking through the crowd, it did not take long for them to arrive on the fifth floor. Instead of stores, there was a vast hall on the fifth floor. Before Zhang Xuan could enter the hall, he suddenly spotted two men walking over, and upon seeing one of their faces, he could not help but halt for an instant. The person was none other than the young man whom he had encouraged earlier in the daythe offspring of the Zhang n, Zhang Jiuxiao! Chapter 1164 - Evocative Vividness

Chapter 1164: Evocative Vividness

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Dressed in a light green robe, Zhang Jiuxiao had a look deeply reminiscent of a schr. Pinned on his chest was not the emblem of a master teacher but that of an appraiser, and the seven stars gleaming on the emblem signified the outstanding skills he had in the field. The one that came along with him was an elder who appeared to be in his sixties. The aura that he emanated revealed his Saint 4-dan cultivation, and there was a 7-star appraiser emblem on his chest as well. That fellow... is an appraiser as well? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Having witnessed Zhang Jiuxiao conducting calligraphy in the air, he knew that thetter possessed exceptional proficiency in painting. He had not expected thetter to be a 7-star appraiser as well. As expected of the number one genius of the Qingyuan Empire, he was indeed no simple figure. Upon seeing the elder, Wu shi quickly walked up to him and greeted with a smile, Guild Leader Mu, it has been long since west met! Wu Rufeng, were you not going to pay me a visit if I didnt send you the invitation to the Appraisal Convention? Have you long forgotten about the many years of friendship between us? The elder patted Wu shis shoulders and berated him jokingly. Of course not! I was already nning to pay you a visit but then you sent me the invitation, Wu shi replied with a smile. Hearing the conversation between the two, Zhang Xuan noted internally, This elder seems to be the head of the Appraiser Hall. Considering the 7-star appraiser emblem and how Wu shi addressed the other party, it was not too difficult to figure out the other partys identity. While he was assessing the guild leader before him, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a gaze falling on him. Raising his head, he saw Zhang Jiuxiao staring at him with a slight hint of enmity in his eyes. To be honest, the hostility the other party emanated was so vague that it would have been nearly indiscernible for anyone else, but with his Soul Depth of 25.1, which wasparable to an 8-star master teacher, it was still rather easy for him to perceive it. He is hostile toward me? Why? I dont think I have offended him before. Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The both of them had only met once back on the Heart Tempering Bridge, and he had even cheered the other party on with a You can do it! It was one thing for the other party not to reciprocate his goodwill, but to carry enmity against him on top of that... what the heck was the other party up to? Just as Zhang Xuan wasmenting how difficult it was to be a good person nowadays, the young man walked up to him and sped his fist. I am Zhang Jiuxiao, how may I address you? I am Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan? Are you the newly appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? I have heard much of your talent! Upon hearing the name, Zhang Jiuxiao came to a realization. Its no wonder you possess such exceptional mental fortitude, being able to cross the Heart Tempering Bridge with ease. Its indeed impossible to govern an entire academy without an exceptional state of mind. He had been wondering whom the 6-star master teacher who had broken his record was, and upon learning of the other partys identity, he felt as if the burden in his heart had been lifted. He had heard bits and pieces of Zhang Xuans affairs, and thetter was indeed worthy of being considered a prodigy among geniuses. However, the other party was still only a 6-star master teacher, no matter how talented he was. Against him, a true 7-star master teacher, the other party was clearly still far from a match. Its due to the appreciation of the teachers and students in the academy that I epted the position of the principal in the first ce. To be honest with you, I am intending to resign soon, Zhang Xuan replied humbly. Since the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqiu, had returned, he had been wanting to step down, just that the others had been unwilling to ept his resignation. Resign? Well, I guess thats to be expected. Despite your talent, your young age still limits your experience. It wouldnt reflect too well on the academy to have a master teacher as young as you as its principal. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded in agreement. Not expecting his words of humility to be taken for real, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a helpless smile. It was the norm in such social settings to keep up pleasantries. More than manners, it was a sign of politeness and respect for the other party. He could tell that Zhang Jiuxiao was trying to put him down, and while he would not go to the extent of getting into a squabble with the other party over something as inconsequential as this, he was not interested in putting up with it either. Thus, he chose to take his leave instead. However, before he could do so, the other party continued speaking. Since Wu shi has brought you to this Appraisal Convention, it must mean that he has a high opinion of you. Is Zhang shi an appraiser as well? Out of politeness, Zhang Xuan replied, Yes, I have learned a little bit of appraising in my spare time. May I know what your current rank in it is? Zhang Jiuxiao asked curiously. I am currently a 5-star appraiser, replied Zhang Xuan nonchntly. The previous Appraiser Hall that he had been to was in Honghai City of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Over there, the highest emblem he could receive was only 5-star, so he had been stuck with it until now. 5-star? I see. Given your current age, its actually not too bad. At the very least, it does show that you have some talent in the field. As long as you work diligently on it, it might be possible for you to overtake me in the future! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. To tell you the truth, 5-star appraisers are actually unqualified to attend the Appraisal Convention, but it seems like Wu shi has specially brought you here to expand your horizons. Seems so, Zhang Xuan replied casually. Un. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded before continuing. The Appraisal Convention this time around is far grander than the previous few. The Appraiser Hall has invited many leading figures in their own upation this time around, so its very likely that a few valuable treasures might appearter on. Since its fate that we have met, and the both of us have the same surname, Zhang, why dont you follow behind meter on, and Ill show you around? If theres anything you dont recognize or know of, you can ask me. We are all master teachers, and as your senior in the field of appraising, its only right for me to offer you a few pointers here. Hopefully, my words will be of some help to you in pushing for a breakthrough to 6-star. Ill be counting on you then, Zhang Xuan replied. It did not seem like the other party had any bad intentions in mind, so Zhang Xuan did not think that there was any need to create unnecessary acrimony between them. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. While I am a master teacher as well, I have devoted quite a bit of my time to studying appraising, and I do have a some reputation of my own in the Qingyuan Empire Appraisal Hall as well, Zhang Jiuxiao replied calmly, but the slight hint of pride in his tone was unconceble. He had been feeling rather traumatized by the other party after the affairs at the Heart Tempering Bridge, so he could not help but feel exceptionally refreshed after returning the favor. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to speak when Wu shi and Guild Leader Mu suddenly both turned their sights over, and thetter spoke with a smile on his face. I was too busy speaking earlier that I forgot to introduce him to you both. As all of you are master teachers, I believe that I need not specially introduce him. Zhang Jiuxiao over here has studied appraising under me for three years, and within this short period of time, he has already achieved 7-star proficiency in the upation. His talent in this field is truly fearsome, an outstanding youth indeed. Wu shi nodded upon hearing those words before saying, Guild Leader Mu, this young man over here is my friend, Zhang Xuan. Dont underestimate him just because of his young age; hes truly an exceptional genius. He was previously intending to look for you to take the appraiser examination, but since we coincidentally met one another here, I thought that it would be good to introduce him to you. Your friend? I thought that he is your junior? Guild Leader Mu was taken aback. Wu shi was almost eight hundred this year, so he had automatically assumed that the twenty-year-oldd whom he had brought with him to the Appraisal Convention would be a new student that he had epted recently or a close junior. Who would have thought that the other party was his friend instead? The fact that Wu shi chose to address the young man as his peer showed how high an evaluation he had of the other partys capability. Principal Zhang is a man of great talent. Its already a great honor for me to have him as my friend, so how could he possibly be my junior? Wu shi quickly waved his hand to deny the im. The young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint. To be honest, he already felt as if he was being a little conceited to address the other party as his friend, so he nearly died of a heart attack when Guild Leader Mu asked if the other party was his student. Oh? Noting that his old friend was not say those words out of humility, Guild Leader Mu could not help but take another good look at Zhang Xuan, and the casual attitude he took before slowly turned into graveness. A friend of Wu shi is a friend of mine too. Principal Zhang, feel free to look for me if you ever require any help concerning appraising. Having known Wu shi for many years, Guild Leader Mu knew that the other party was an austere man who viewed formalities with grave importance. The fact that he was willing to address a person as young as Principal Zhang with such deep respect showed that thetter was no ordinary figure. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and replied, Guild Leader Mu, you are being too polite! Theres no need to stand on ceremony with me. Wu shi and I have been close friends for many years! Guild Leader Mu said with a smile. He turned to Zhang Jiuxiao and said, Jiuxiao, I know that the both of you are around the same age, but since Principal Zhang is a friend of mine, you will have to address him as Senior Uncle. Alright, hurry up and greet him. Zhang Jiuxiao nearly vomited blood. He reluctantly voiced those two words from his mouth. Senior... Uncle... It was just a moment ago that he had said that he would show the other party around the Appraisal Convention to teach the other party a thing or two. His face turned so red that it looked as if he would burst into mes at any moment. Un. Guild Leader Mu nodded. Wu shi and Brother Zhang, it seems like most of the guests have arrived. Allow me to bring you two to your seats. Alright. Wu shi nodded. Thus, the group began making their way into the hall. The hall spanned roughly thirty meters from one end to the other, and there was a long rectangr table stationed at the very center. Both ends of the tables were already surrounded with all kinds of finely-dressed gentlemen anddies, and most of them seemed to be roughly around the age of Guild Leader Mu. Zhang Xuan spotted two familiar figures amid the crowdGuild Leader Ruan of the Spirit Awakener Guild and Guild Leader Wei of the Terpsichore Guild. Guild Leader Mu first brought Wu shi and Zhang Xuan to their seats before heading to the principal seat of the rectangr table and gestured to them. Alright, please take a seat. Un. Zhang Xuan and Wu shi sat down side by side. Zhang Jiuxiao also walked up to one of the seats as well, but Guild Leader Mu frowned at that moment and said, Jiuxiao, you shall stand behind me. Yes! Zhang Jiuxiaos face twitched slightly, but he quickly nodded and took his ce behind Guild Leader Mu. He was initially thinking that with his standing as a 7-star appraiser, he would at least be able to vie back some dignity from the other party, but who would have thought that before he could really do anything, he would already be suppressed to the point where he could hardly raise his head before the other party? After settling everyone into their seats, Guild Leader Mu looked at the person sitting on the other end and said, Since everyone is here, my friend over there, can you take out your artifact now? That person was wearing a copper mask, making it impossible to distinguish his facial features. Nevertheless, from his skin, one could roughly tell that his external appearance should be one of a middle-aged man in histe forties. Everyone present here is a reputable figure of Qingyuan City, and I see that even Vice Pavilion Master Wu is here today, so naturally, I have no qualms regarding your credibility. However, I think that there is still a need for me to put the ugly words at the forefront and make my stand clear. I only wish for my artifact to be appraised so as to decipher the secret hidden within it. Regardless of what is discovered in the process, I wish to make it very clear that I have no intentions of selling my artifact to anyone else. However, be assured that I will handsomely reward those who help me in deciphering it, the copper-masked figure said. ( ) His voice was slightly scratchy, a sign indicating that he had intentionally altered his voice so that no one would be able to recognize him. Rest assured, the friends that I have invited to the Appraisal Convention this time around are trustworthy individuals! Guild Leader Mu nodded. The copper-masked figure nodded. Un, I trust Guild Leader Mus judgement. He flicked his wrist, and a scroll appeared in his hands. He unfurled it carefully, and a beautiful scene opened up before everyones eyes. A lush mountain peak filled with the cries of birds and beasts alike was paired with a tranquil flowing river; it was a calming sight. The crowd found themselves unable to distinguish whether the sight before them was true or not. It was as if a mountain was truly erected not too far from where they were, and they could even vaguely feel a warm, humid breeze on their faces. This is... Evocative Vividness, the work of an 8-star painter! Upon seeing the painting, an elder rose to his feet in agitation. His eyes reddened, and his body trembled uncontrobly. Putting together the fact that he was wearing the robe of a painter and the seven gleaming stars on his painter emblem, it was likely that he was the head of the Painter Guild whom Wu shi had spoken of previously. Evocative Vividness? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. Evocative Vividness is the ability of an 8-star painter. Those who have achieved this realm are able to produce paintings that are extremely lifelike, making it extremely difficult to discern it from reality. A painting that has achieved such a level is capable of absorbing spiritual energy in order to sustain the spirit within and even cultivate. With sufficient time, it might even be able to leap out of the painting and exist as an independent lifeform! Wu shi exined with a suppressed voice. So formidable? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He discreetly activated his Eye of Insight in order to assess the painting before his eyes closely. Chapter 1165 - The Proud Zhang Jiuxiao

Chapter 1165: The Proud Zhang Jiuxiao

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Without taking a closer look at the painting, it would appear as if one was watching the scenery through ones windows, a little distant but nevertheless clear. Through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to perceive the details of the painting with greater rity, and to his shock, he found that he was able to even perceive the veins of every single leaf in the painting. Its almost as if its real! Zhang Xuan was astonished. Even to him, the painting was extremely lifelike. That was truly fearsome. If one were to hang it on a wall, those who passed by it would never think that it was a painting. Instead, they would view it as a real window. Zhang Xuan examined the painting from the top to the bottom, and a deep frown surfaced on his forehead. But... it doesnt seem like theres any seal on this painting? The copper-masked figure had said earlier that there was a seal on the painting, but even with the Eye of Insight was activated, he was still unable to see what was amiss about the painting. It seems like my cultivation is still too low. I am still able to see through paintings of the seventh level with my current skills, but paintings of the eighth level are still a little beyond me!Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even though his Eye of Insight had been upgraded after undergoing the fourth acknowledgement of the Celestial Master Teacher, it was a pity that his cultivation was still simply too low, being at only Saint 2-dan. A painting of the eighth level was produced with the might of a Leaving Aperture realm expert. As such, even with the Eye of Insight, it was not surprising that Zhang Xuan could not see through anything at all. Is there a seal on the painting? Such a lifelike painting, it is apparent that it is infused with the essence of Evocative Vividness. If theres truly a seal on it... what could it possibly be sealing? I have no idea either. However, since the other party was willing to bring out such a valuable painting to have it appraised in public, he must have noticed something peculiar about it! ... Zhang Xuan was not able to notice what was wrong with the painting, and the others in the room also had confused frowns on their foreheads. With hushed voices, they discussed the matter among themselves, unable to figure out what was wrong. At this moment, the perplexed Guild Leader Mu stood up and asked, May I take a closer look? Feel free! the copper-masked figure said nonchntly. Thank you. Guild Leader Mu walked up to the painting before whipping out a magnifying crystal ball. After which, he began examining the painting bit by bit carefully. As he was the most capable appraiser in the room, the others waited with bated breaths for his conclusion, fearing that they would interrupt his work. A momentter... Guild Leader Mu turned a doubtful gaze toward the copper-masked figure and asked, Friend, can you tell us where exactly the seal is located or what form it takes? This way, we can be spared from making blind guesses here and there and focus our attention on deciphering it instead. Upon hearing those words, the copper-masked figure replied with a hint of disappointment in his voice, Guild Leader Mu isnt able to tell? If the other party could not even discern the seal, how could he possibly be able to decipher it? Allow me to take a look! The head of the Painter Guild also stood up and walked toward the painting in order to assess it more closely. The method by which a painter examined a painting was very different from that of an appraiser. Instead of taking out a crystal ball to scan the details of the painting, the head of the Painter Guild took out a brush instead and began drawing in midair. Noting the look of confusion in Zhang Xuans eyes, Wu shi exined telepathically, Hes trying toprehend the intentions of the painter through retracing his painting process. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. In a sense, this was simr to backtracking. By backtracking on the painting process, one would be able to better analyze the focus of the painter when they was working on it, and through so, one could deduce their intentions and discern the location of the seal, assuming that it existed in the first ce. As the head of the Painter Guild analyzed the painting process, the frown on his forehead seemed to gradually tighten. A whileter, he turned around to exin his findings. The painting flows fluidly, and there is not a single inconsistency to be found in the painting. To put it simply, the painting waspleted in a single seating and is wholesome. A seal on a painting would have introduced some incongruous factors to it, affecting its overall impression, but that isnt the case with this painting over here. Hearing the evaluation of the head of the Painter Guild, the copper-masked figure flung his hands furiously and harrumphed in displeasure. If there was no seal on the painting, do you think that I would go through so much effort to invite all of you here? Do you think that I am doing this just because I have too much time on my hands? He had thought that with all of the top figures of Qingyuan City gathered together, they should be able to discern the anomaly in the painting in a single look. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like he had overestimated their capabilities. It seemed like an eighth level painting had truly exceeded the caliber of the Qingyuan Empire. Allow me. Wu shi stood up and walked over. Not too longter, he shook his head and returned to his seat. With his eye of discernment, he could tell that there was something extraordinary with the painting, but he could not discern where the supposed seal was at all. Very soon, everyone within the room had already taken a look at the painting, but they shook their heads helplessly. Seeing that the crowd was gradually bing impatient, Guild Leader Mu waved his hand and said, Alright, friend, we wont get anywhere at this rate. We might be unable to tell where the seal is, but with the wisdom of the masses, we should still be able to offer some useful input on the matter and possibly unravel the seal that you speak of. You should just tell us where the seal is. From the looks of it, it seemed like the seal was very exquisitely hidden, and it would require careful examination over long periods of time in order to discern where it was. Instead of wasting their time on this, it would be more efficient for the other party to just reveal where it was so that they could begin working on deciphering the seal. Alright then. Seeing that no one was able to discern where the seal was located, the hint of disappointment in the eyes of the copper-masked figure deepened. Perhaps it was because he had no better solution than this, he sighed deeply and nodded before pointing to the clouds at the bottom of the mountain. The seal is hidden amid the clouds! If Im not mistaken, theres a painting that lies beneath the clouds, and there is some kind of secret concealed within it. However, I am unable to figure out how the clouds can be removed from the painting, the copper-masked figure said. The clouds? The crowd swiftly turned their gazes back to the painting. The painting depicted a mountain range with towering peaks that shot beyond the clouds. The middle portion of the mountains were mostly concealed amid bundles of drifting, wispy clouds. They had thought that it was just a detail of the painting, but it was actually the seal? Intrigued, Zhang Xuan also examined the clouds with his Eye of Insight, but he was unable to discern anything peculiar about them. After examining the painting for a moment, the head of the Painter Guild couldnt help but ask, How can you be certain that the clouds are the seal? The crowd also swiftly turned their gazes over. Shaking his head, the copper-masked figure instructed, Bring me a torch. An appraiser standing by the entrance of the hall backed out of the room, and a momentter, he returned with a torch. The copper-masked figure took the torch and lightly ced it against the painting. Under the searing mes of the torch, the mountain range was dyed in an orange glow, and the lush greenery was swiftly reduced to ashes. Only the clouds remained as they were. This... The head of the Painter Guild narrowed his eyes in astonishment. For only the clouds to remain unaffected by the mes of the torch... that means that the clouds were not part of the original painting. Judging from the effect, I deduce that there was an interval of at least thirty years between thepletion of the painting and the addition of the clouds. How could I have failed to notice it? Under normal circumstances, if the painting was truly wholesome, any change to the painting should have affected its entirety. Yet, for only the clouds to remain unaffected by the mes of the torch, it meant that the clouds had been added a significant period after thepletion of the rest of the painting. If that was the case, it was understandable why the copper-masked figure would view it to be a seal. The brush strokes for the painting of the clouds must have been slightly more forceful in order to allow it to blend in better with the rest of the painting, thus making it harder to notice 1 . However, considering how wholesome the painting remained even after the addition of the clouds, it stands to reason that they were added in by the original painter himself, Guild Leader Mu interjected. The crowd nodded. Only the original painter could possibly add clouds into the painting without introducing any incongruous factors into the painting. But... even if we know that the clouds are the seal, there is no way we can remove them. The crowd fell silent once more. Even if they knew that the clouds were added after thepletion of the painting and that they were likely a seal, they had no way of separating the two. After all, the clouds had already fused with the rest of the painting. Seeing that the crowd was still helpless after he revealed the position of the seal, the copper-masked figure shook his head. It seems like I have overestimated the Qingyuan Empire... Sighing, he was just about to put away the painting when someone suddenly spoke up. Can you allow me to take a look at it? The copper-masked figure raised his gaze and saw a young man walking toward him. The young man was none other than Zhang Xuan. He was also a little intrigued by the painting, and since the others were unable to discern anything peculiar about it, he wanted to take a closer look to see what was going on. However, before Zhang Xuan could reach the painting, another voice sounded behind him. You are only a 5-star appraiser, what can you possibly see from the painting? Allow me to do it instead! After which, Zhang Jiuxiao stood up and walked proudly toward the painting. He brushed his finger lightly across the painting and pondered for a moment before saying, I have seen such eighth level painting before, and I also know how the seal works. Seeing how confident Zhang Jiuxiao was, the copper-masked figure sped his fist and earnestly requested, You know how the seal works? If thats truly the case, I humbly request you to remove the seal on the painting. Im willing to reward you generously for this favor! This seal is known as the Sealing Cloud Pin. It utilizes a unique method to conceal theyer beneath it without harming the foundation of the painting. If Im not mistaken, the seal has been imbued with an individual spirit, or else the clouds would have surely fused together with the rest of the painting with sufficient time! Zhang Jiuxiao analyzed confidently. Sealing Cloud Pin? The copper-masked figure and the crowd turned to look at Zhang Jiuxiao in bewilderment. They had never heard of such a skill before. Zhang Jiuxiao ced his hands behind his back and spoke proudly. I once witnessed a person undoing this seal back in my n, so I know how it can be deciphered. Your n? You dont know? The number one genius of Qingyuan City is actually an offspring of a Sage n, the Zhang n! An offspring of the Zhang n? That exins a lot! With a background like his, even if hes just from the side family, hes bound to have seen things that we can hardly imagine ourselves. ... Hearing that Zhang Jiuxiao had a way to decipher the painting, an excitedmotion broke out amid the crowd, and many looks of admiration were centered on him. Upon hearing that the other party was from the Zhang n, the copper-masked figure froze for a brief moment before sping his fist to ask, So, how should the Sealing Cloud Pin that you spoke of be deciphered? Simple. In order to resolve the seal, we have to find an individual who specializes in soul arts. Using his soul as a medium, we will draw out the spirit harnessed within the clouds. An individual who specializes in soul arts? the copper-masked figure asked doubtfully. Indeed. Once the spirit harnessed within the seal is drawn out, well be able to remove the seal easily, Zhang Jiuxiao said. The copper-masked figure hesitated for a brief moment before asking, May I know how skilled the individual must be in soul arts? That individual must have fine control over their soul, and their soul must not be too strong. Otherwise, that might cause severe damage to the painting, turning the eighth level painting into a piece of scrap paper. More importantly, that individual must know where the spirit is concealed, so he must have a deep understanding of painting. This... The copper-masked figure was stunned. Where in the world can we find a person like that? It was easy to find individuals to satisfy a single one of the conditions, but to find one that satisfied all three conditions... Was there even such a person in Qingyuan City? ( ) Zhang Jiuxiao chuckled. Theres no need to look any further. Standing upright, he emanated a lofty but valiant air, reminiscent of a true hero. I happen to fit the criteria! Chapter 1166 - Durians Chapter 1166: Durians Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You? The eyes of the copper-masked figure lit up, and he unwittingly clenched his fists tightly by his side. The crowd was also astonished to hear those words. Thats right! Zhang Jiuxiao said confidently as he tilted his head upward. At this moment, he felt as if he had really soared into the Nine Heavens. He couldnt even begin to describe how deeply indignant he felt when he saw that Zhang Xuan was granted a seat when he, the number one genius of Qingyuan Empire, had to remain standing before others. Now that he finally had a chance to stand up and shine, he could hardly hold back his excitement. Zhang shi, I beseech you to help me remove the seal from the painting! the copper-masked figure sped his fist and said. At this moment, he had put down the haughty attitude that he had maintained even before Wu shi and the others. Rest assured! Zhang Jiuxiao said confidently as he made his way over to the painting. He whipped his brush before pausing for a brief moment. After which, he suddenly turned his head around and said, Zhang shi, I might have to trouble you to help me grind some ink for me. Zhang Xuan turned to nce at his sides to see whom Zhang Jiuxiao was talking to, but thetters intent gaze on him seemed to suggest that he was the chosen one. Taken aback, he asked in bewilderment, You are talking to me? Indeed. I will have to focus my attention on resolving the seal, so I earnestly require your help for this matter. You wouldnt turn down my request, right? Zhang Jiuxiao said with a faint smirk on his lips. Back at the Heart Tempering Bridge, the other party had outdone him so utterly that he couldnt even keep his head up in public anymore. Not to mention, just a moment ago, he was forced into calling the other party Senior Uncle. This was a rare chance for him to strike back, so naturally, he was going to make full use of it. He was going to show the other party that a genius like him wouldnt be outmatched by just anyone. Very well then. Zhang Xuan could easily see through Zhang Jiuxiaos intentions, but he still chose to agree to the matter with a nonchnt shrug. In the first ce, it wasnt any big deal to be grinding some ink for the other party. Besides, he was interested in the 8-star painting as well, and he was curious to see if Zhang Jiuxiao would really be able to break the seal or not. Thus, he walked up to Zhang Jiuxiao, whipped out an inkstone from his storage ring, and began grinding some ink carefully. Un. Seeing the young man before him working obediently without daring to utter a single word ofint, Zhang Jiuxiao felt indescribable exhration rushing through his veins. Taking a momentary breather to calm himself down, he dabbed his brush into the ink before tapping it lightly on the painting. Weng! Contrary to expectations, the ink on the brush didnt blot the painting. Instead, it floated in midair, covering the white clouds in the painting. Suspended Imagery! Under Zhang Jiuxiaos skillful movements, it took only a few instants for anotheryer of clouds identical to those on the painting to appear above it. After that was done, he scrutinized the clouds carefully, probably attempting to identify the location of the spirit infused amongst the clouds. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he retracted the ink back into the inkstone before focusing his soul energy into the painting. Hm? His soul energy is exceptionally pure. He must have cultivated some kind of secret art rting to the soul... Zhang Xuan noted. While the other partys soul was nothingpared to him, it still stood out among other cultivators. Based on Zhang Xuans analysis, it was likely due to the cultivation of some sort of secret art from the Zhang n. For a n with as powerful as the Zhang n, even its side family was not something that ordinary ns could hope to match. Be it the things that one could see there, or the secret arts that they had in their possession, they were truly nothing short of extraordinary. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan discreetly stretched his hand towards the painting and touched it lightly. Weng! A book immediately materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan was just about to take a look at it when he suddenly noticed Zhang Jiuxiaos face turning ghastly pale, and cold sweat was pouring down his face. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. At this point, the crowd also seemed to have noticed that something had gone wrong. They could sense that Zhang Jiuxiaos current state wasnt simply due to exhaustion. Peng! Before the crowd could even ask about the matter, a tinge of red abruptly appeared on Zhang Jiuxiaos pale face, and in the next moment, he suddenly staggered back eight steps before spewing a mouthful of blood. Worried, Guild Leader Mu immediately rushed up to him. Im fine. I just didnt expect the spirit in the painting to retaliate so violently... Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head, but halfway through his words, he suddenly realized that the room was bizarrely quiet. He raised his head and saw Guild Leader Mu staring at him with a look of horror. Perplexed, he asked, Teacher, whats wrong? Even if he had failed in undoing the seal, surely the other party didnt have to look at him with such an expression, right? Y-your head... There are durians growing out of your head! Guild Leader Mu eximed in shock. Durians? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback by those abrupt words. There is a tail on your bottom as well! Another elder amidst the crowd eximed. Ah? Zhang Jiuxiao quickly turned around to look at his bottom, and the sight he saw left his eyes narrowing into slits, and he nearly cked out on the spot. There was a crimson tail extending from his bottom, and it was extremely furry, reminiscent of green foxtail. At the same time, through his Spiritual Perception, he also noticed therge spiky lumps that bore a striking resemnce to durians were emerging from his head one after another, and it didnt take long for them to fill his entire head. To make things worse, they were showing signs of flowering... Whats going on? Zhang Jiuxiaos face paled in disbelief as he subconsciously took several steps back. At this point, he was already on the verge of insanity. All he had done was to attempt to break the seal on the painting, so why would such an issue suddenly happen to him? From the looks of it, it seems like a nt spirit has taken root within your Primordial Spirit. Fortunately, it seems to be an ordinary nt spirit, or else the growth of the nts would be much faster than this... Seeing through the root of the problem, Guild Leader Ruan spoke up and exined. As a 7-star pinnacle spirit awakener, she had heard of such a situation before. However, it was still rather shocking to see it in person. nt spirit? Whats going on? Zhang Jiuxiao asked anxiously. The situation was really driving him insane. All he had wanted to do was to resolve the seal and bring some dignity back to himself, and yet, before he could achieve anything, such a thing ended up happening to him instead. Durians were actually growing out of his head, and there were already four of them now! It is probably the retaliation of the spirit in the painting. You tried to get rid of it, so it got even with you. Zhang Xuan shook his head in sympathy. He had seen this situation of Hall Master Xing before as well. He had tried to mend the rift in the other partys Primordial Spirit through spirit enchanting it, but he failed to destroy the spirit in time... As a result, he ended up bearing fruits on his head and blooming flowers on his bottom. For such a situation to ur with Zhang Jiuxiao at this moment, there was no doubt that it had something to do with the spirit within the painting. Most likely, thetter had attempted to get rid of the spirit, only to get done in himself instead. What do I do? Zhang Jiuxiaos face paled in despair. He was the number one genius of Qingyuan Empire, the idol of countless young women. How could he possibly walk around with durians on his head? He would be theughingstock of the town! Its very simple, you just have to get rid of the spirit that has taken root within you. Zhang Xuan exined inposure. He had panicked a little when he saw it happen to Hall Master Xing the previous time around, but the past experience had truly tempered his mind well. At this point, he no longer felt anything towards the matter anymore. Get rid of the spirit? How can I get rid of it? Zhang Jiuxiao looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously, as if a desperate man clutching onto his final straw of hope. Simple. Bare open your soul to me, and Ill help you check for the spirit and destroy it. Zhang Xuan said. Even someone as powerful as Hall Master Xing was unable to deal with the nt spirit by himself, let alone Zhang Jiuxiao. This was already the most effective and easiest way to get rid of the spirit. You want me to bare open my soul to you? That wont do... Zhang Jiuxiao swiftly shook his head. As an offspring of the Zhang n, he had many secrets concealed within him, especially within his soul. Given such, how could he possibly bare his soul to a random stranger? One must know that baring ones soul was effectively no different from standingpletely nude before another. There was no way he could do that! That wont do? I guess that cant be helped then. Let me take a look at what the spirit within the painting is first, and Ill see if I can concoct some kind of medicine that could iste and kill the spirit within you. Zhang Xuan said. It was a little more troublesome, but as long as he could figure out what kind of spirit it was, he was confident that he would be able to concoct a corresponding poison to deal with it. Back then, he had raised it as one of the potential solutions to Hall Master Xing as well, but it was a pity that thetter didnt agree to it. Alright. You should go on and take a look at the painting then! Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that he didnt have to bare his soul before urging the other party forward. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded nonchntly before turning his gaze towards the painting. His eyes were fixated on the painting, but his mind had already slipped into the Library of Heavens Path to take a look at the newlypiled book. After taking a quick look, a frown emerged on his forehead. Did you notice anything? Noticing Zhang Xuans expression, Wu shi asked in intrigue. Instead of answering Wu shis question, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze towards the copper-masked figure and asked, Where did you obtain this painting from? I have only invited all of you over to decipher the seal for me. I dont think that Im obliged to tell you the background of the painting. the copper-masked figure replied curtly. Youre right, you are indeed not obliged to tell me the background of the painting. Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and replied. The Marsnds of the Northern Meadows is an extremely humid ce. An 8-star painting it might be, but having spent two thousand years in a ce like that, it is already permeated with an air of dampness. Its not apparent from a distance away, but its quite easily discernible at close proximity. You... Even with his face concealed, the shock of the copper-masked figure was palpable. To be able to deduce the history of the painting just through the slightly damp aura around the painting, wasnt the other partys eye of discernment a little too formidable? Before the copper-masked figure could recover from his state, Zhang Xuan had already continued, The Marsnds of the Northern Meadows is a treacherousnd, but many cultivators still flock there in hopes of stumbling upon treasure. Its not too surprising that you were able to find the work of the Sorrowless Old Man there. Theres one thing that I have to concede that you are right about. Its indeed suspicious that the Sorrowless Old Man would suddenly conceal what he has drawn within the mountains thirty years after he has created the work... Judging from that in itself, it must have been quite a huge secret. The eyelids of the copper-masked figure twitched slightly as he narrowed his eyes, It doesnt seem like we are getting anywhere at this rate. If none of you are able to decipher the seal, Ill be taking my painting away with me then. Who says that none of us are able to decipher the seal? Zhang Xuan spoke up. Since you dont want me to speak about the origin of the painting, I cant be bothered to waste my breath on it either. Ill talk about the painting itself then. The canvas for the painting is specially created by fusing the skin of the Emeraldhorn Fish and White Reindeer together, and the ink used is apound between the Sapphire Stone and Goldensource Water. Its due to the usage of these precious materials that there isnt the slightest wear and tear on it despite spending two thousand years under damp condition. On the contrary, the artwork is getting more and more lifelike and touching as the years go by. Judging from the changes in the ink color, it seems like it has been three years since you unearthed the painting from the ground, and it should have been 2142 years since the painting is created. Judging by the timing, I stand to believe that its the work of the Sorrowless Old Man back when hes around 270 years old. When he eventually added the clouds on the painting, he was already close to three hundred. In other words, the addition of the clouds could very well be thest thing he did before he went missing. As for whether he was killed or kidnapped, there is no way to say for sure now. This... Everyone was astonished by the analysis. By the side, Guild Leader Mu couldnt help but widen his eyes in shock. Even he was unable to determine the history of the painting despite examining it for a long time earlier, and yet, the young man was actually able to detail the history of the painting with just a short nce. Wasnt his appraising capability a little too fearsome? On the other hand, the durian-head Zhang Jiuxiaos body also staggered upon hearing those words. At this point, he really felt like bursting into tears. Didnt the other party say that he was a 5-star appraiser? On normal days, he wouldnt even spare a second nce to other 5-star appraisers, and yet, why did it feel that the other party was even more formidable than a 7-star appraiser like him? / The Sorrowless Old Man had already reached Leaving Aperture realm prior to his disappearance. With his outstanding painting skills, his painting was still able to reach the level of Evoking Vividness even with the addition of those clouds, making it extremely exceptionally difficult the decipher the seal he has put up... Chapter 1167 - The Ink Slab Won’t Grind Itself

Chapter 1167: The Ink b Wont Grind Itself

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Assuming that you are right, what does determining the material of the canvas and the age of the painting have to do with deciphering the seal? the copper-masked figure interjected Zhang Xuan. Theres indeed no direct rtion between them, but such analysis allows us to deduce the reason why Sorrowless Old Man has decided to leave behind a seal on the painting, as well as to determine possible ws and deficiencies in the seal. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. To im that you are able to determine the ws and deficiencies within a painting through just the age of the painting itself, arent you being a little too conceited over there? Zhang Jiuxiao tilted his head upward and harrumphed. Due to him speaking too forcefully, the durians on his head shook violently, seemingly ready to fall to the ground at any moment. Even though the crowd had remained silent, the looks on their faces showed that they agreed with Zhang Jiuxiaos point of view. Being able to urately determine the age of painting did prove that one was an outstanding appraiser, but that piece of knowledge had nothing to do with the seal at all. Dont impose your ignorance upon others. Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. He took a sweeping nce across the room before eventually halting his gaze upon a certain figure. If Im not mistaken, you are the head of the Painter Guild, right? Indeed. My name is Meng Chong. Guild Leader Meng stood up and sped his fist politely. Guild Leader Meng, pardon for troubling you, but may I ask what kind of painting style was in trend in the Qingyuan Empire Painter Guild two thousand years ago? What kind of brush stroke was preferred then? Zhang Xuan asked. This... Guild Leader Meng contemted for a moment before replying, Two thousand years ago, the painting style that was popr within Qingyuan Empire was the [Anchored Painting Style]! This style consists of determining the specific size and outline of the objects within the painting before slowly painting them over ayer after ayer. Usually, one would first spread ayer of ink over the entire paper before slowly painting it on ayer after ayer. Every singleyer must be done with utmost preciseness, and the margin of allowed errors is minimal. It is an extremely intensive process, but it allows for the creation of extremely vivid and wholesome paintings! Just like anything else, painting styles would also gradually change over the years. Each era had their unique mark which differed greatly from the other. It was based on such differences that allowed appraisers to be able to identify the era which a certain artifact was produced. The Anchored Painting Style was in trend two thousand years ago, and many painters had chosen to adopt that style in their painting. Of them, the most notable figure was definitely the Sorrowless Old Man. It was for this reason that everyone immediately guessed that it was the work of the Sorrowless Old Man when they first saw the painting. Indeed, its the Anchored Painting Style. Zhang Xuan nodded. While the Anchored Painting Style allows for extremely vivid and wholesome paintings, there is a huge downside to it as well. The ink used in the painting must be equal throughout so that the painting remains t as the sides of a knife. Otherwise, the painter would be mocked for hisck of skill... At this point, Zhang Xuan gestured to the painting, However, this painting is of the equal thickness throughout, be it the sky, greenery, mountains, or clouds. Everyone swiftly extended their Spiritual Perception towards the painting in order to perceive it with greater rity, and a momentter, they nodded in agreement. That was indeed the case. If the other party hadnt spoken about it, they might not have noticed this anomaly. So what if the painting is of equal thickness? the copper-masked figure harrumphed impatiently. What I need is for the seal to be deciphered, not an analysis of the painting! Calm down and listen to my words first. They contain the crux to deciphering the seal in the painting. Zhang Xuan turned to the copper-masked figure to appease him before continuing on, Like what I have said earlier, the Sorrowless Old Man had worked on the painting on two separate asions, and there was an interval of thirty years for those two asions. In other words, the painting was alreadyplete the first time that he had worked on it. Based on the standards of the Anchored Painting Style, the painting must have already been t then... Thirty yearster, in order to conceal some kind of secret, the Sorrowless Old Man intentionally added white clouds onto the mountains. Since he was painting over his work then, there should have been a difference in the thickness of the painting between the clouds and the remaining portions. Hearing those words, the crowd turned their attention back to the clouds once more, and a moment ago, bewilderment seeped into their eyes. The painting is of equal thickness throughout even for the portions with the clouds... How could this be? Such voices could be heard throughout the hall. As spoken by the voices in the hall, the clouds were of equal thickness with the rest of the painting. Just looking at the painting by itself, there was nothing that suggested the painting had been worked on twice. I believe everyone should be able to tell that the painting is of equal thickness throughout. What this means is that he had shaved off ayer of the painting prior to adding on the clouds! Zhang Xuan nodded. This... The crowd widened their eyes in disbelief. To shave off the original work and add something different to it? Is this even feasible in practice? The head of the Painter Guild, Meng Chong, expressed his skepticism towards the matter. As a 7-star pinnacle painter, he fully understood the difficulty in pulling such a thing off in practice. Since the Sorrowless Old Man was working with ink, as most painters did, the matter wasnt as simple as simply painting over the previousyer. Ink that had seeped into the canvas from painting the previousyers would affect the newyer that had been painted over, causing unpredictable distortions in the painting over time. Yet, the painting before him showed no distortions of that sort... Theoretically, by careful calction and fine control of ones brush stroke, it might be possible to pull something asplicated as that off, but anyone with the slightest understanding of painting would understand that it was nigh impossible to carry out in practice! Youre right, but what if he were to use Suspended Imagery on the painting instead? Zhang Xuan asked. Suspended Imagery? But that would make it a separate entity from the painting! Guild Leader Meng Chong replied. Suspended Imagery referred to the capability of painting in midair. However, if the clouds were to be painted using suspended imagery, it wouldnt fuse in with the rest of the painting. In other words, if one were to just move the canvas, the two would separate from one another. However, it was clear from the painting itself that the clouds had fused in with the rest of the painting. That would indeed be an issue, but just like what Zhang Jiuxiao had said, a spirit had been infused into the painting. If I were to just make an analogy, if the previous painting and the clouds are two different sheets of paper, the spirit would be the binding factor between them, allowing them to fuse without interfering with one another! Zhang Xuan nodded. I see! The crowd came to a realization. They were still a little confused previously when Zhang Jiuxiao said that there was a spirit within the painting, but after listening to the exnation, they finally understood what was going on. But after all you have said, havent youe to the same conclusion as me? Zhang Jiuxiao harrumphed. He was still wondering what kind of astounding theories the fellow woulde up with, but after going one big round, the other party still ended up stumbling on the same conclusion as him. That isnt really the case. Zhang Xuan said. You have urately identified the presence of a spirit within the painting, but do you know the reason behind it and how it can be dispelled? I... Zhang Jiuxiaos face turned crimson upon hearing those words. The only reason why he knew that there was a spirit within the painting was because he had once witnessed an elder deciphering something simr back in his n... As for the reason why a spirit was infused into the painting and how one could resolve the issue, he was honestly not too sure. If he had truly understood the issue, he wouldnt have ended up sprouting durians on his head either. Since there is a spirit binding the two, it is nigh impossible to separate them. If one were to do it forcefully, it might even result in the destruction of both paintings. To make an analogy, that is equivalent to attempting to tear apart two pieces of paper which have been bound together with glue for several thousand years. Even one were to seed in pulling them apart, would the remains of the painting still be discernible? Turning his attention away from the conceited Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan continued his analysis. This... Hearing those words, the face of the copper-masked figure twitched slightly before falling silent. His purpose of undoing the seal was to find out what was hidden beneath the clouds. As such, it would be pointless to him if theyer beneath were to be destroyed as well in the midst of separating the painting from the clouds. After a moment of silence, the copper-masked figure turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang shi, is there a way to separate the clouds while ensuring that the painting remains intact? Since the young man was able to make sense out of the situation, perhaps... he might just be able to aplish what others had failed at. Since I walked up here and said so much, naturally, I am confident in resolving the issue. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Oh? I beseech you to enlighten me... The eyes of the copper-masked figure lit up upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, and he quickly sped his fist earnestly. Its actually rather simple. Zhang Xuan nodded. If the Sorrowless Old Man had used any other binding factor in order to fix the clouds to the painting, it would have been truly difficult to separate the two. However, since he had chosen to use a spirit instead, it actually ys to our advantage. The spirit infused into the painting is simr to a nt spirit, it would only develop or act in very specific manners. In this case, it would be to bind the two parts of the painting together. In essence, it wouldnt be wrong to say that the spirit possesses no sentience. I believe that Guild Leader Ruan should be aware of it as well. Un. Guild Leader Ruan nodded. Most nts possessed spirit, which controlled their intake of nutrients to facilitate their growth. However, unlike the animal spirits, they didnt have a sense of self, which disallowed them from roaming around freely and averting disasters on their own ord. It was due to theck of sentience that the spirit was able to sustain the monotonous work of binding the two paintings together for two thousand years. Thus, if I were to grant the spirit sentience, do you think that itll still be able to carry out its job as well? Zhang Xuan said with a smile. This... If the spirit is granted sentience, itll view the clouds above the painting as a tumor guing the painting, rendering it extremely ufortable. It would surely struggle to get rid of the clouds above it! That seems to be the case, but... granting sentience to the spirit wouldnt be an easy task, would it? It doesnt seem like it would be easy to pull that off... ... With a direction pointed out for them, the eyes of the crowd lit up. However, at the same time, they had alsoe to a bottleneck as well. Enchanting spirit into a weapon was easy, but granting sentience into a spirit which hadid dormant for more than two thousand years was clearly something not as simple. Its indeed something not too easy to carry out in practice, but I happen to be able to do it. Zhang Xuan smiled. Zhang shi, I implore you to help me. If you are able to do so, Ill surely reward you handsomely for this! The copper-masked figure bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan. Previously, he had thought that the crowd of Qingyuan Empire was inept, being unable to even discern the presence of the seal of the painting. However, after hearing Zhang Xuans analysis, he couldnt help but find himself in awe of the other party. To be able to find the root of the problem within such a short period of time and deduce a feasible solution to it, his wisdom and eye of discernment were indeed extraordinary! Rest assured, Ill help you on this matter. However, I still need to make some preparations beforehand in order to ensure that the painting wouldnt be damaged in the process. Zhang Xuan said. Of course, of course! The copper-masked figure nodded. May I know what Zhang shi requires? If theres anything that requires my help, Ill try my best to satisfy your needs. Speaking was always easier than doing. If it was so easy to decipher the seal, he wouldnt have been helpless before the painting despite having obtained it for so many years. I dont need anything for the time being. Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. He paused for a brief moment before flicking his wrist and taking out a brush. After which, he exined, It would be difficult to enchant the painting as it is. In order to do so, I would have to either destroy the conception of the painting or carve an opening in it so as that I can extend my consciousness into it. However, doing so would inevitably cause some damage to the painting, so I would like to seek your pardon regarding this issue. Dont worry, feel free to do anything that you deem necessary. What he truly valued was the secret hidden beneath the seal. In his view, no matter how valuable the painting was, it couldnt be more important than whaty beneath. That would be great. Heaving a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan was just about to dab the brush in his hand into some ink when he suddenly halted for a brief moment. Then, he turned around to look at Zhang Jiuxiao and bellowed. What are you waiting for? The ink b wont grind itself! Chapter 1168 - Kong shis Silhouette Chapter 1168: Kong shis Silhouette Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Hearing that bellow, Zhang Jiuxiaos body staggered, and he nearly vomited blood. It was just a moment ago that he had asked the other party to grind some ink for him, and in the blink of an eye, the favor had been returned to him. This face p hade way too quickly! Overwhelmed with agitation, a durian from his head plopped to the ground. Zhang Jiuxiao was just about to give Zhang Xuan a tongueshing when the other partys voice sounded once more. I will have to focus my attention on resolving the seal, so I require your help with this. For something as important as this, surely you wont turn down my request, right? Zhang Jiuxiaos face immediately turned ck. All the words that he had intended to say choked up in his chest, rendering himpletely speechless. It seemed like... those were the words he had said to the other party before. He had just stood majestically before the crowd, as if a hero paving the way forward, but now... with their identities switched all of a sudden, he suddenly felt a stinging pain on his face. Karma reallyes around... As frustrated as Zhang Jiuxiao was, he knew that the other party was getting back at him for what he had done earlier. Even though he was extremely furious, he still obediently stepped forward and began grinding some ink. Seeing that, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. To be honest, he was not one to bear grudges. That was because he never had to remember one. He could sense the other partys hostility toward him, and since that was the case, there was no need for him to act like a good man any longer... Not to mention, a person from the Zhang n was nning to take Luo Ruoxin as his bride. One must know that even Feng Xun had nearly died from his hands just by confessing to Luo Ruoxin! While he had no idea where the Zhang n was and did not yet have the strength to get them for that matter, that did not stop him from obtaining a small down payment first. After Zhang Jiuxiao was done grinding the ink, Zhang Xuan was just about to begin painting to destroy the conception of the painting so that he could extend his consciousness in when a thought suddenly came to him. He turned to Guild Leader Meng Chong and asked, Guild Leader Meng, do you have any 7-star painting books on you? I need as many of them as possible. I intend to quickly browse through them in order to analyze where I should enchant the spirit to minimize the damage to the painting. You want to browse through painting books right now? Not expecting the young man to request books from him at this crucial moment, Guild Leader Meng was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. I dont have many books on me at the moment. However, if you really need them, the Painter Guild just happens to be located in the vicinity. I can fetch some for you right now. Ill be troubling you then. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed. Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Guild Leader Meng Chong replied before walking out of the room. Not too longter, he returned to the hall, and with a flick of his wrist, a huge pile of books appeared before him. All in all, there seemed to be several dozen thousand of them. As the head of the Painter Guild, he had the right to take the books in the Painter Guild out at his whim. He had not been too sure which books Zhang Xuan required, so to be safe, he had taken most of the books and brought them over. Zhang Xuan walked up to the pile of books and swiftly swept over them with his gaze. After which, he picked up one of them and casually flipped through it as he delved his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path. 7-star Heavens Path Paint Art! Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction before flipping through the book in his hand. It was based on the astounding prowess of the 6-star Heavens Path Paint Art that Zhang Xuan was able to pull off Suspended Imagery. In truth, he had never gathered the required books to learn the 7-star Heavens Path Paint Art before. A short hourter, he had managed to fullyprehend the essence of the 7-star Heavens Path Paint Art. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan finally ced down the book in his hands. At this moment, hisprehension of painting had already reached the level of 7-star pinnacle, which wasparable to most 8-star primary painters. Zhang shi, can we start now? the copper-masked figure asked anxiously. The young man before him had picked up an unimpressive-looking book among the huge pile and dazed off for a whole hour. This period of time had felt like an eternity to him, and it was more than enough to turn his anticipation into anxiety. Im done. Nodding confidently, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath before making his way toward the painting. Activating his Eye of Insight once more, he took another good look at the painting before him. If the painting had been aplete enigma to him a moment ago, with the ws he had seen in the Library of Heavens Path and his enhanced understanding of painting at the moment, he was already able to see roughly what was going on with the painting, and many aspects that had bewildered him previously had be clear. Im going to start now. Without wasting any words, Zhang Xuan dabbed his brush lightly into the inkstone, soaking it with ink. After which, he positioned his brush carefully before moving it majestically. Hu hu hu hu! In the blink of an eye, a painting appeared right before everyones eyes, floating peacefully in midair. What profound Suspended Imagery this is! Guild Leader Meng remarked with a mix of astonishment and awe. The unskilled revel in themotion while the experts assess the mastery. 1 Zhang Jiuxiao had pulled off Suspended Imagery previously as well, but he had only brought out the bare basics of its capability. On the other hand, the young man before him had managed to infuse a beautiful conception on top of the Suspended Imagery, a clear indication that he had achieved incredible mastery in the Way of Painting. Profound? Guild Leader Mu was surprised to hear that Guild Leader Meng had such a high opinion of Zhang Xuan. He could not help but ask in curiosity, How does hepare to you then? To tell you the truth, even I wouldnt be a match for him. Every single stroke of his Suspended Imagery further enhances the artistic conception that hes trying to build, allowing him to create a painting so vivid that it feels as if it will leap out at any moment. He has already aplished a level of mastery very close to that of an 8-star painter! Guild Leader Meng said with a look of helplessness. As reluctant as he was to admit it, the fact was that the other partys proficiency in painting was far higher than his. It was no wonder he was able to see through the crux of the painting in a single look. In the Qingyuan Empire, there was probably no one who couldpete with him. This... Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Jiuxiaos eyelids began twitching alongside his lips. He felt as if the world had copsed on him, and he was very close to suffering from a mental breakdown. He could not help but recall how he had said that he would offer Zhang Xuan some pointers earlier. At this point, it could not have been any clearer that the other party had already achieved a level far beyond him in both appraising and painting! To say such big words before a true expert... If it was possible for anyone to die of embarrassment, he was probably going to join the list of victims very soon. Hu hu hu! Before everyones astonished gazes, Zhang Xuan finally ced his brush down. A door stood right before his eyes. A door? Why did he draw a door? The view that we are receiving of the 8-star painting is actually simr to looking the scenery beyond a window. While the mountain range in the painting may seem to be in close proximity to us, its actually another massive world within the painting itself. If one attempted to traverse through the painting with ones consciousness, it would take an eternity to arrive at ones destination. As such, it is imperative to first open up to a door leading to ones destination within the painting prior to extending ones consciousness in. ... With Guild Leader Mengs exnation, everyones initial astonishment swiftly turned into nods of realization. The group that had gathered for the Appraisal Convention tonight consisted of the top figures of Qingyuan City. While most of them were not painters themselves, they still had a certain degree of understanding of the field. The painting left behind by the Sorrowless Old Man had achieved the level of Evoking Vividness, and the striking verisimilitude of the painting had left everyone with the misconception that the mountain range in the painting was very close to them. In order to enchant the spirit infused within the painting, it was imperative for one toe into proximity with it first, so a passageway needed to be constructed beforehand. Hu! After putting his brush down, Zhang Xuan ced his hand on the door that he had just painted and pushed it forcefully. Hu! The door swiftly imprinted itself onto the painting. Hong long! In an instant, the mountain range seemed to suddenly magnify right before everyones eyes, and the freshly painted door seemed to open a passageway into it. After doing this, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Wu shi and said, Wu shi, Ill be going in now. Ill have to trouble you to protect me. As unlikely as it was for anyone to assault him on this asion, Zhang Xuan still felt that it was better to be safe than sorry. Alright. Wu shi stepped forward and took a position by Zhang Xuans side. Reassured, Zhang Xuan finally took a seat on a ground before extending a sliver of his consciousness toward the door. Upon entering the door, he immediately felt a damp air gushing right at his face. Paying no heed to it, he swiftly traversed forward, and before long, he arrived at the midpoint of the mountain. White clouds covered the mountain peak, making it impossible to see anything beneath it. He extended his consciousness further into the clouds, and in an instant, his surroundings suddenly turnedpletely dark. He knew that this was a result of theck of sentience of spirit infused within the painting. Thus, he began to enchant the space. Hu! He lit up twenty sparks consecutively before adeptly fusing them together. At this point, the space was nearly fully lit up, just a breath short from triggering the spirits sentience. Even so, the light still illuminated the scenery beneath the clouds, and the entire mountain appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes clearly. It was a lush mountain forest, not much different from the other parts of the painting. However, at the very center of the mountain, beneath the bright rays of the sun, a vague figure could be seen. Despite his faint silhouette, he emanated an aura thatmanded the veneration of others. This... Upon seeing the figure, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. He had seen the figure before. Kong shi! At this very moment, Kong shi was standing quietly on the mountain, exuding a peaceful and harmonious air. But at the same time, his figure felt a little indistinct, as if his presence was just a mere illusion that would vanish at a touch. This is... a sight that the Sorrowless Old Man saw? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. It went without saying that the Kong shi amid the mountain forest was only part of the painting, but... the Sorrowless Old Man had urately captured the distinct aura that Kong shimanded, and that was not something that one could simply conceptualize from mere thoughts. In other words... It was very likely that the Sorrowless Old Man had seen this sight himself, and too striking a sight it washe could not resist painting it. Wu shi said that the Sorrowless Old Man was an untalented individual in his earlier years. It was due to a sudden enlightenment in his 180s that his cultivation and mastery in painting abruptly soared. Is it possible that this was the result from seeing Kong shis silhouette? Wu shi had once told him about the history of the Sorrowless Old Man, and his history truly felt like something that had leaped right out from a fantasy novel. For such a massive change to ur to him all of a sudden, there was no doubt that he had stumbled upon a life-changing encounter. Perhaps... it might have been the sight of Kong shi that had granted him sudden enlightenment, allowing him to advance his cultivation and understanding of painting swiftly. Out of gratitude, he had decided to dedicate this painting to Kong shi. However, anything that is rted to Kong shi has great implications. He knew that trouble woulde knocking on his door should others learn that he had stumbled upon Kong shis silhouette. Or perhaps, trouble might have already been at his doorstep, so he decisively chose to conceal the secret beneath ayer of clouds. Nevertheless, it still did not stop tragedy from befalling him, Zhang Xuan deduced. Having undergone four Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements, it did not take long for him to connect the dots and make sense of the situation. It was a mystery why Kong shis silhouette had abruptly appeared in the mountain, but without a doubt, it was bound to be something huge. After all, Kong shi was the Worlds Teacher. All that was associated with him was anything but ordinary. If news leaked to those with malicious intentions, it could very well spell a cmity. As an 8-star painter, a Leaving Aperture realm expert, it was impossible for the Sorrowless Old Man to not know this fact. But ultimately, this was still a masterpiece beneath his brush, and he could not bring himself to destroy it. He had hesitated for thirty years before he eventually decided to seal away a portion of the painting. However, that did not stop death from creeping upon him. If Kong shis silhouette has appeared in thisnd, it is very likely that there is a hidden ancient domain simr to the Qiu Wu Pce located in this area. Let me take a closer look. / update by Having thought things through, Zhang Xuan quickly made his way toward Kong shis silhouette. Chapter 1169 - Bathing Beauties Chapter 1169: Bathing Beauties Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Sorrowless Old Man seemed to have had a clear view of the situation, and that was reflected in his painting as well. Despite being in the world of a painting, the area where Kong shis silhouette was located was depicted in borate detail. Very soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at the destination. Before him stood a massive rift with white rocks scattered around the area. The rocks seemed to be made of a rare material that he had never seen before. Zhang Xuan was just about the enter the rift to see what was within when Kong shis silhouette suddenly wavered, and with a light whoosh, he vanished without a trace. Damn it... Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had thought that Kong shis silhouette would at least be able tost a little longer, but it seemed like he had misjudged the situation. Logically speaking, the silhouette should have been able to sustain itself for a much longer period of time, but the earlier forceful insertion of a door into the painting had destroyed its artistic conception, resulting in the erosion of its Evoking Vividness quality. Forget it, at least I know about this rift. Now, I just have to figure out where this mountain is located! Once he found out where the mountain was, he would just have to find the rift and venture into it to take a look himself. There should not be many simr mountain ranges in the world, so it would not be too difficult to find it. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to fully enchant the spirit and leave the area, a thought suddenly came to his mind. Thinking about it, the copper-masked figure seems to be a little too fixated on destroying the seal. No matter what, this is still an eighth level painting. It is bizarre that he is going to the extent of destroying an eighth level painting just to pursue something as elusive as this. I wonder, is it possible that he knows that Kong shis silhouette is beneath the clouds? In the first ce, the copper-masked figures desire to conceal his identity was a little suspicious in itself. On top of that, he would go to the extent of destroying such a valuable historical work just to find out whaty beneath the seal... Wasnt he afraid that he would destroy a treasure just to obtain something insignificant in return? Did he already know for certain that whaty beneath the clouds was something significant? Regardless, if he sees that Kong shis silhouette has vanished after the seal is released, he will surely be suspicious about the matter. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. He could not tell how powerful the copper-masked figure was at the moment, but considering how he dared to act arrogantly before Guild Leader Mu and the others, it was very likely that he was a powerful expert. If the other party were to learn that he had identally caused Kong shis silhouette to dissipate, would the other party exact vengeance on him for the matter? Considering that this is a matter rted to Kong shi, its best for as few people to know about it as possible... It was best to take caution with anything rting to Kong shi, or else, he could very well end up in the same plight as the Sorrowless Old Man. Since thats the case, perhaps I should make some alterations myself... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before creating a brush with his consciousness. He leaped into the air and began to paint. At this point, he had no choice but to do this in order to avoid trouble. It did not take too long for him to finish his painting, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He sealed the painting that he had just created where Kong shi had appeared earlier before returning to the clouds to finish the enchantment process. Hong long! As soon as he lit up the final spark, his surroundings began to tremble intensely. Knowing that he had seeded in enchanting the spirit, he swiftly retracted his consciousness out of the painting through the door and back into his body. Hu! Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes once more. Seeing that Zhang Xuan hade to, the copper-masked figure quickly rushed forward and asked anxiously, How is it? With a pale face and a feeble voice, Zhang Xuan replied, It was difficult, but I managed to sessfully pull it off. However, I seem to have overexerted myself in the midst of doing so. If there were a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones before me at this moment, I would be able to recover a little... A hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones? The mouth of the copper-masked figure twitched upon hearing those words. I dont have that, but if you have truly helped me unseal the painting, Ill surelypensate you fairly! Even the Qingyuan Empire royal family only had a couple of concentrated high-tier spirit stones in their hands, so how did this fellow manage to ask for a hundred of them so unabashedly? On the other hand, hearing that the copper-masked figure did not have any concentrated high-tier spirit stones with him, Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. Shaking his head, he walked up to the painting and tapped it lightly. Wake up. Hu! Shortly after those words were spoken, the painting suddenly moved. It arched itself backward, as if a person stretching after waking from a long slumber. This... He actually managed to enchant the entire painting? The mouths of the crowd twitched upon seeing this sight. After stretching its back, the painting seemed to slowly scan its surroundings warily before abruptly dashing out. Humph, where do you think you are going? With a harrumph, the copper-masked figure raised his hand, and the surrounding space was immediately sealed. Half-Leaving Aperture realm! Zhang Xuan was able to tell the other partys cultivation as soon as the other party made a move. The other party was a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert! It was no wonder the other party dared to snub the many guild leaders and powerful figures gathered within the hall. Upon realizing that its escape route had been sealed, the painting could only return indignantly. Allow me to negotiate with it, Zhang Xuan said. He walked toward the painting and stretched a finger toward it. As the person who had enchanted the paintings spirit, there was a special intimacy between them. As such, the painting did not avoid Zhang Xuans finger. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan ryed a thought to it. Weng! Upon understanding Zhang Xuans intentions, the painting suddenly shook itself, and the clouds shrouding the mountain range abruptly shuddered, as if a tornado was forming within them. The clouds gradually thinned, revealing patches of the world thaty beneath. Its working! Upon seeing this sight, the eyes of the copper-masked figure and the crowd in the hall lit up in excitement. This was the first time that they had seen such a seal, and to witness it being deciphered right before their eyes, even the calmest of them all could not suppress their agitation any longer. Geji! Geji! As the painting continued shaking itself vigorously, the white clouds on it shuddered more and more vigorously. Before long, unable to withstand the intense shaking, it finally flew off the canvas and fell with a loud st onto the ground. Seeing that the seal had finally been removed, everyone quickly focused their gazes on the painting, curious to seey beneath. Even Wu shi could not help but pay close attention to the painting at this moment. He wanted to see what it was that would leave the copper-masked figure so desperate to decipher the painting. However, whaty beneath the clouds consisted only of lush greenery and glisteningkes. As beautiful as they were, there was nothing particrly noteworthy about them aspared to the rest of the painting. Wait a moment... Whats that? Someone amid the crowd suddenly shouted at this moment, and everyone quickly turned their gazes over once more. By a rift near the center of the mountain, surrounded by countless bizarrely-shaped stones, a natural hot spring could be seen. Several beautiful silhouettes were currently soaking in it delightfully. Too far away, those beautiful silhouettes were extremely blurred. Nevertheless, with but a nce, it was apparent that they were extraordinary beauties. This... The crowd had been wondering what kind of wondrous artifact or astounding secret would be hidden so securely beneath the clouds. Who would have thought it was a group of beautifuldies bathing? They could not help but freeze on the spot. It was too unexpected! I get it! The Sorrowless Old Man must have stumbled upon a group of bathingdies while he was venturing through the mountain range, and in a moment of inspiration, he swiftly painted the scenery before him. However, he soon realized that it was extremely disrespectful of him to peek on others while they were bathing, and ashamed by that encounter, he decided to seal away a portion of his painting! I was wondering why the Sorrowless Old Man would go through so much trouble to put a seal on it and ruin the artistic conception of his masterpiece. So, this is the true reason behind it! Hahaha, to be able to paint those bathing beauties with such amazing semnce, the Sorrowless Old Man is indeed a passionate individual! ... At this point, the crowd could not help but burst intoughter. They had thought that there was bound to be some kind of earth-shattering secret hidden within the painting, considering the effort that the Sorrowless Old Man had put into sealing it away, but surprisingly, what he was trying to conceal was just a dark history. This... Impossible! This cant be! the copper-masked figure eximed in disbelief. He had put in so much effort to acquire and decipher the painting, and yet... it turned out to be just a group ofdies bathing? The vast difference between reality and his expectations left him feeling as if his mind would descend into insanity at any moment. There must be another seal within the painting, right? Theres no doubt about itthere must be one! The agitated copper-masked figure hurriedly rushed up to the painting and extended the consciousness of his powerful Primordial Spirit into the painting, wanting to see what had happened. Hu! Feeling the immense pressure from the elder before him, the painting leaped in shock. He quickly hid himself behind Zhang Xuan fearfully. Tell me! Is there still a seal within the painting! The eyes of the copper-masked figure turned crimson, and a powerful soul reverberation rippled from his Primordial Spirit. Enough! Look at how frightened Little Painting over here is! Zhang Xuan bellowed as he gently consoled the eighth level painting. After which, he turned back to the crowd and said, Just as everyone has seen, the secret lying beneath the seal is a group of bathing beauties. It seems like the Sorrowless Old Man was peeking on others bathing, and unable to find a way to vent his emotions, he decided to pick up his brush instead. While it may seem a little dishonorable, it is perfectly normal for all humans to feel inherently attracted to beautiful individuals. Its actually no big deal at all, so you need not get so agitated. Noting the other partys attitude, it was clear that he knew what actuallyy beneath the painting. Facing such a situation, he could not help but heave a sigh of relief for his wise decision back then. If he had not added in the hot spring of beautifuldies to fill the void, he might have very well given himself away! Pardon me, I was too reckless. Hearing those words, the copper-masked figure took a deep breath and swiftly calmed himself down. After which, he sped his fist and bowed. Ever since I discovered the presence of the seal, I have been wanting to find out whaty beneath it. Even though the result turned out to be a disappointment for me, Im still grateful to you all for helping me resolve this lingering regret. Right after saying those words, he flicked his wrist, and a pile of high-tier spirit stones appeared right before him. Even from a rough estimation, there had to be at least a dozen thousand within the pile. These spirit stones are a token of appreciation for your help. Please, feel free to take them. After saying those words, the copper-masked figure turned to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, I am full of admiration for the astounding mastery you have achieved in the Way of Painting despite your young age. Here is a book left behind by the Sorrowless Old Man, named the Ten Deciphers of Painting. Detailed within it are the various painting techniques that he is the most skilled in. I hope that this will prove useful to you. After saying those words, he swiftly grasped forward and retrieved the painting before sping his fist. Ill be taking my leave now. Farewell! Then, without further ado, he stood up and rushed out. In the blink of an eye, he had already vanished from everyones sight. From the looks of it, it seemed like he feared that others would go after him for the treasure that he possessed, so there was not the slightest hesitation in his movements at all. ... Looking at the book in his hands, Zhang Xuan could not help but fall speechless. The other party had mentioned earlier that he would be handsomely rewarded if he were to decipher the seal, but this... What the heck was this? He could not help but feel a little choked up within. Is that really... the Ten Deciphers of Painting? Zhang shi, it might be a little presumptuous for me to ask this of you, but will you sell the book to our Painter Guild? In contrast to Zhang Xuans speechless expression, by his side, Guild Leader Mengs gleaming eyes werepletely fixated on the inconspicuous book that Zhang Xuan held in his hands. The Sorrowless Old Man was the most formidable painter from the Qingyuan Empire. While he had only lived for a short three hundred years, he had made great contributions to the Painter Guild, bringing it an era of prosperity. Of the heritage that he had left behind to the Painter Guild, there was one that stood outthe Ten Deciphers of Painting. It was a painting manual that he had begun working on in hister years. However, he had gone missing before he could finish the book, and mysteriously, the book had vanished from the surface of the world as well. The Painter Guild had devoted great resources into finding it, but there was not the slightest clue to be found. Who could have predicted that it would be in the hands of the copper-masked figure, and he would even give it to Zhang shi for free! You wish to buy the book? Zhang Xuan nced at the book in his hand and instantaneously recorded its contents into the Library of Heavens Path. After which, he tossed it over generously and said, Since you want it, Ill give it to you. I-is this really alright? stammered Guild Leader Meng as he caught the book with his trembling hands. Zhang shi, allow me to thank you on behalf of the entire Painter Guild! You are truly generous to give away a book that is easily worth fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones just like that! I am impressed. What did you say? Fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Zhang Xuan felt as if the world was spinning around him. Indeed! Guild Leader Meng replied. Pardon me, but I wont be giving you the Ten Deciphers of Painting anymore. Zhang Xuan quickly snatched back the book from Guild Leader Mengs hands. Pay up. ... Meng Chong. ... The crowd Chapter 1170 - A Visit in the Night (1)

Chapter 1170: A Visit in the Night (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the end, Guild Leader Meng did not pay the fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones. After all, there was no way he could fork out that much money. After promising to bring Zhang Xuan around the Painter Guild, he quickly snatched the book back and hid it in his storage ring. Zhang Xuan could not help butment how the noble values of the past were gradually eroding with time. Zhang shi, we didnt contribute much to the unsealing of the painting, so we wont be epting any of the high-tier spirit stones here, Guild Leader Mu said as he passed over a storage ring filled with the high-tier spirit stones that the copper-masked figure had left behind. He had gathered everyone here today in hopes ofbining the wits of the masses to decipher the secret of the painting, but they had ended up contributed nothing at all. The case ended up being resolved by the sole efforts of the young man before him. While the high-tier spirit stones were thepensation that the copper-masked figure had offered to all of them, they were too embarrassed to ept any. Alright then. Zhang Xuan initially refused it, but seeing that the crowd was unwilling to ept the high-tier spirit stones, he could only reluctantly take it. Actually, these spirit stones were not of much value to him. However, considering that he could possibly exchange them for concentrated high-tier spirit stones in the future, he chose to take them. At this point, Guild Leader Mu suddenly stepped forward and remarked, Zhang shis capability in appraising is truly exceptional. If Im not mistaken, you are an appraiser, right? Considering how the other party had been able to sharply determine the year in which the painting had been created and deduce the solution to deciphering the seal through analyzing its creation method, there was no doubt that he was a skilled appraiser as well. Zhang Xuan nodded. Thats right. Im a 5-star appraiser at the moment. Actually, I was intending to pay the Appraiser Hall a visit to take the 7-star examination, but I havent yet found the time to do so. With eyes as sharp as yours, theres no need to for you to take the examination. Ill apply for a 7-star appraiser emblem on your behalf straight afterward, Guild Leader Mu replied with a smile. At this point, he could see why even a prestigious figure like Wu shi would regard the other party as his brother. With the other partys capability, it was clear that he would clear the examination perfectly, so there was no need to waste their time on such formalities. Guild Leader Meng also hurriedly stepped forward and said, Ill apply for a 7-star appraiser emblem on your behalf as well. Judging just from the Suspended Imagery that the other party had performed earlier, it was apparent that the other partys proficiency in painting was far above his. Even 7-star pinnacle painters would struggle to be a match for him! Naturally, he was more than qualified to be promoted straight to 7-star. Thank you! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like his trip here was not wasted. Not only did he manage to bring his painting up to the level of 7-star pinnacle, he had even managed to obtain two 7-star emblems simultaneously. With this, he had finally gathered the supporting upations required for his promotion to 7-star master teacher. Once all the emblems arrived, he would be qualified to apply for the nomination slot to the Sanctum of Sages! Guild Leader Mu, may I know where the library of the Appraiser Hall is located? Zhang Xuan asked with a polite smile. If its possible, I would like to take a look at your books. Since he had alreadye to the Appraiser Hall, it would be good to take this opportunity to collect all their books into the Library of Heavens Path as well. Of course, of course. Guild Leader Mu nodded. That isnt a problem at all! He was just about to lead the way forward when a conflicted voice sounded. Teacher, Zhang shi... May I trouble the both of you to help resolve this thing first? It was only upon hearing the voice that the duo suddenly recalled that there was still a certain figure whose head was blooming durians. Over the past hour, Zhang Jiuxiao had flourished well. Another nine durians, along with a dense congregation of lush leaves, had sprouted on his head, and the tail behind him had grown longer and more bulky, reminiscent of a valiant tiger... Give me a moment. Zhang Xuan pondered briefly before whipping out a brush and penning down a prescription. He passed the prescription over and said, Concoct the medicine ording to the way I have stated and consume itit should be able to destroy the spirit within your body. The process will be a little painful, but you must endure it. Since the other party was unwilling to bare his soul open to him, Zhang Xuan could only resort to poison in order to deal with the spirit. It was fortunate that he had gotten a close glimpse of the spirit earlier when he entered the painting, so he knew what kind of poison had to be concocted in order to kill it. The poison that Zhang Xuan had prescribed was a rtively simple one, such that even ordinary cultivators would be able to concoct it. However, it was extremely damaging to the body, dealing excruciating pain to those who consumed it. Whether Zhang Jiuxiao would be able to endure the pain or not would be dependent on him. If Zhang Jiuxiao felt that the poison was too dangerous, he could always choose to keep his head of durians. In any case, that would only affect his appearance; it would not make too much of a difference to his physical functions. In fact, his transformation into a nt might even enhance certain functions of his... Considering the fact that the other party was from the n of his love rival, there was really no reason for Zhang Xuan to do this for the other party. It was already a great mercy that he had offered this much help in the first ce. Thank you... Zhang Jiuxiao took the prescription with a conflicted expression on his face. Nevertheless, he still bowed in gratitude. After dealing with this matter, Zhang Xuan and Wu shi bade everyone else farewell before following Guild Leader Mu to the library of the Appraiser Hall. Appraisers were valued for their knowledge. In order to be a good appraiser, one had to have some understanding of everything, be it knowledge on other upations, history, geography... Investigating the background of an artifact was the foundation to determining the authenticity of a certain artifact. As such, there were several dozen million books within the library of the Appraiser Hall. Walking between the shelves, it took Zhang Xuan four whole hours before he managed to collect everything. By the time he was done, it was alreadyte at night. He swiftlypiled the 6-star and 7-star Heavens Path Appraising Art and internalized them. Before long, his understanding of appraising had reached the level of 7-star pinnacle. Even without the Library of Heavens Path or the Eye of Insight, he was able to easily discern most artifacts of Saint intermediate-tier and below without any errors. Returning from the Library of Heavens Path, he began reflecting on what had happened earlier. This was the first time he hade to an Appraisal Convention, and it had truly have been a fruitful trip. Not only had he managed to advance his knowledge to the level of a 7-star appraiser and painter and obtain the 7-star emblems of those two upations, more importantly, he had learned that Kong shis silhouette had once appeared on the peak of a mountain. If there was a chance in the future, he should really investigate this matter. Perhaps, he might be able to uncover something special. Zhang shi! As soon as Zhang Xuan walked out of the library, he saw Guild Leader Mu walking toward him. Even though it was the middle of the night, it seemed like the other party had not gone to rest yet. There was a young man following behind Guild Leader Mu with a slightly conflicted look on his faceZhang Jiuxiao. The durian head and tail that had been on Zhang Jiuxiaos body a few hours ago had vanished without a trace, but in ce of that, his face and body were slightly swollen. Most likely, that was the aftereffect of consuming the poison. The swelling looked a little ring, but it would swiftly fade after some rest. After trading some pleasantries, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and took his leave. A starry night sky weed him as he stood outside the Appraiser Hall. It felt as if someone had used a needle to pierce through the night sky, leaving behind innumerable holes for light to pass through. The bustling streets from a moment ago had be a little cold, with nary a person in sight. Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan began making his way toward the Combat Master Hall. But before he could get very far, goosebumps suddenly rose all over his body. He could clearly sense that someone was following him, but regardless of whether he used his Spiritual Perception or his eyes, he was unable to find the other party. Hu! Sensing that the person following him was a dangerous individual, possessing strength far beyond him, he swiftly executed the Heavens Path Movement Art and dashed forward. In a single breath, he flitted over a distance of ten kilometers. But despite that, he was still unable to shake off the feeling of being eyed. Anxious, he turned around and saw a ck-robed man standing not too far away. For the other party to be able to catch up even though he had pushed his Heavens Path Movement Art to its very limitnot to mention the fact that the other party was able to prevent even his Spiritual Perception from noticing the other partythere was no doubt that the ck-robed man standing before him was a true expert! This was the very first time Zhang Xuan had encountered this situation, and it left cold sweat drenching his back. Nevertheless, he did not panic. He began assessing the figure before him carefully. It was not possible to see the face beneath the other partys ck robe, but his very presence seemed to meld into the essence of the world itself, leaving him with an impression that the other party would vanished at any moment. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to get a closer look of the other party, but he was unable to discern the other partys cultivation at all. In other words, the other party wielded strength beyond the Leaving Aperture realm Hall Master Xing... or perhaps, beyond the Leaving Aperture realm even! When did such an expert appear in Qingyuan City? Theres no need for you to be so wary around me. If I wanted to kill you, you would have long been killed. It was an extremely deep and resounding voice. As nervous as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that there was no way he would be able to escape if the other party wanted to kill him. Thus, he sped his fist politely and replied, Elder, you were waiting for me? It was shortly after leaving the Appraiser Hall that he had sensed that the other party was following him, which meant that the other party had probably been waiting for him. But instead of answering his question, the ck-robed man ced his hands behind his back and said, To be able to sense me so swiftly even though I only leaked out a hint of an aura, it seems like you are quite a talented individual. I have been following you since sunset, and I saw how you managed to decipher the seal on the painting. Despite your young age, you have quite a keen pair of eyes. Not bad. You have been here since sunset? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. He had been paying close attention to his surroundings all this while due to the happenings with King Zhongqing earlier in the day, and yet, despite his enhanced wariness, he had still been oblivious to the fact that the other party had been following him. This was too frightening! If I may ask, I would like to inquire why elder has been following me all night. At the same time, Zhang Xuan secretly activated his Library of Heavens Path, but no book waspiled. Until the other party executed a battle technique, he would be unable to discern the other partys background. Its nothing much, I just want to know if you have the qualification and capability for what you seek. The ck-robed man harrumphed as he finally raised his head, revealing the appearance of an old man in his sixties. It was a foreign face. Zhang Xuan was certain that he had never seen the other party before. Peng! In the next moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a choking sensation in his chest, as if some kind of force had struck him. At the same time, the space before him suddenlypressed together, as if someone was forcefully denting it, trapping him in ce. As if a caged beast, no matter how he struggled, he was unable to free himself. This... Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed further and further. The fact that the Library of Heavens Path had notpiled a book meant that the other party had not executed a battle technique. And yet, the other party was still able to wield such strength, rendering himpletely helpless... Just how strong could the other party be? Saint 5-dan pinnacle? 6-dan? Or was it 7-dan? In any case, the other party was a figure whom he could not stand a chance against at this moment. Despite knowing the deep danger he was in, Zhang Xuan knew that the more threatening a situation was, the more he should not panic. Thus, driving his Soul Depth, he began speaking with a unique aura in his voice. Elder, if you are only seeking me to disy your strength, theres really no need for you to do so. I am a mere Saint 2-dan cultivator. I wont understand it no matter what you show me. The gap between him and the other party was simply too great. The only thing he had that could possibly match the other party was his exceptional Soul Depth. If he could leave the other party in a short trance, he might be able to buy sufficient time to flee from this situation. However, seeing through Zhang Xuan as if he was transparent, the ck-robed elder chuckled softly. Your Soul Depth is not too bad, but youre still a littlecking to be using Impartation of Heavens Will on me. Those words immediately sent chills down Zhang Xuans spine. With an earnest smile on his face, he swiftly waved his hand and said, Elder, how could I dare do something as rude as that? It is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! To be able to see through his Impartation of Heavens Will, it seemed like the other partys Soul Depth was beyond his as well! It was fortunate that he had not recklessly forced his way through. Otherwise, the other partys retaliation could very well have cost him his life. You do have some wits, but its meaningless against me, the ck-robed elder replied indifferently. How could I dare unt my little wits before you? Elder, your ability to track me without catching my notice and seal my movements so easily must mean that your Soul Depth has reached a level far beyond my imagination. If I may request, could you disy a battle technique for me? At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. I havee from a humble ce, and I have never met a person as strong as you. I truly respect experts like you, and if you could just ede to this request of mine, my life would be truly fulfilled! Chapter 1171 - A Visit in the Night (2)

Chapter 1171: A Visit in the Night (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The ck-robed elder harrumphed coldly. Humph, you do have quite a glib tongue. Do you take me as one of those naive, youngdies who fall for your words easily? Naive, youngdies? Falling for my words? Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands earnestly, denying the usation. At the same time, an inconspicuous frown surfaced on his head. He could vaguely feel that the ck-robed elder was referring to something with his words, but he had always conducted himself properly, never getting involved with any women. What could the other party possibly be getting at? If others were to hear that, they might just think that he was a yboy! I will just get straight to the point with you. With his hands behind his back, the elder slowly closed in on Zhang Xuan. In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if a massive mountain was slowly making its way toward him, and the immense pressure that he felt seemed to sap the air from his lungs. This pressure weighed on both his mind and his body, rendering himpletely powerless. It was apparent that the other party wanted him to know the gap between them and force him to submit. Humph! With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi, and the pressure on him alleviated significantly. As powerful as the other party was, there was no presence more imposing than the heavens. Hmm? Interesting! Seeing that the other party was able to endure his pressure so easily, an interested gleam surfaced in the eyes of the ck-robed elder. To be able to endure my pressure so easily, you must have some kind of formidable artifact on you. It seems like you have quite a doting teacher there. I am my teachers only direct disciple, so he does treat me quite well, Zhang Xuan replied. The other party was too fearsome. With his current strength, he stood no chance at all. Even escape seemed unlikely at this point. Thus, he could only ce his hopes in his teacher, Yang Xuan, to deter the other party from doing anything overboard. The ck-robed elder looked at him and asked, May I know whom your teacher is? Zhang Xuan nodded. My teacher goes by the name of Yang Xuan. Upon hearing the name, the ck-robed elders eyes narrowed menacingly, and he harrumphed coldly. Yang Xuan? Young man, I still have a rather favorable impression of you. Dont lose it by lying! Suddenly, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt as if he was standing above a sinkhole and an unknown power would consume him at any moment. Gritting his teeth to withstand the devastating might crushing him, Zhang Xuan asked, Lying? Elder, why would you say such words? I have met Yang shi once, and he has already long retired from worldly affairs. As far as I know, he has never epted any students, and yet, you say that you are his student? Are you honestly expecting me to believe such words? the ck-robed elder said with a threatening edge in his voice. You have met... Yang Xuan? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in rm, and for a moment, he found himself in a daze. Yang Xuan was a name that he came up with spontaneously back then. In other words, it was a fictional character that he had fabricated... and yet, the ck-robed elder was saying that he had met Yang Xuan? It couldnt be that there was really a master teacher going by the name of Yang Xuan in the world who coincidentally wielded unfathomable strength as well, could there? That would be too much of a coincidence! Alright, I have no interest in whose student you are. I am here only to offer you a warning. Its good to dream big, but a human should know his own ce and limits. If you attempt to pursue things that are unreachable to you, not only will you bring pain upon yourself, you will also hurt those around you as well. By then... things will not be resolved with just mere words. And I cannot promise that those whom you associate with will remain unharmed in the process as well. Know my ce and limits? Pursue things that are unreachable? Zhang Xuan was confused as to what the other party was saying. Just as he was about to ask about it, his eyes suddenly widened in astonishment. You are... from the Luo n? The threat, coupled with the previous words about naive, youngdies... Could the other party be Luo Ruoxins family? Only a n as powerful as the Luo n would be inmand of experts who could subdue him without using any battle technique at all. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together perfectly. While he and Luo Ruoxin had never told anyone that they had gotten together, it was not surprising that a family as powerful as the Luo n would be able to uncover that. Quite a keen mind you have there. The ck-robed elder harrumphed, not denying the matter. With a lofty look on his face, he gazed down at Zhang Xuan as if looking at a mere ant and said, By this point, you should be aware that shes the little princess of our Luo n. She carries heavy responsibility on her shoulders. I advise you not to have any thoughts toward her. Someone like you will never be good enough for the Luo n! Someone like me will never be good enough? Zhang Xuan subconsciously clenched his fists tightly together. Indeed. The Luo n is one of the top three Sage ns on the Master Teacher Continent, and there is no one who doesnt know that our little princess wields immense power. As long as she wills it so, anyone whom she favors will be able to rise to the top of the world. You might have some wits, and your talent isnt too bad either, but if you think that you are qualified to get together with our little princess, I suggest that you take a closer look at yourself. A toad lusting over the flesh of a swan will never end well! the ck-robed elder sneered in disdain. Who were they? One of the behemoths of the Sage ns, a top-notch power on the Master Teacher Continent! On the other hand, the other party was just a bumpkin from a remote ce. Even if he possessed exceptional talent, he was still nowhere near to matching up to the peak. In the first ce, they were existences from two wholly different worlds. Who are you to judge my worth? The other partys words left a surge of fury rising in his chest. He could not ept the other party saying that he was not good enough for Luo Ruoxin, and he raised his head proudly and bellowed, So what if you are from a Sage n? A higher starting point doesnt give you the right to look down on others. A day wille when even Sage ns like yours wont catch my eyes! So what if the other party was from a Sage n? So what if the other party wielded strength far greater than him at the moment? As a Celestial Master Teacher, he would eventually reach heights that no one had seen before. Perhaps, in a few decades time, the supposed Sage ns would be little more than mere ants before him. Many conceited fools have uttered such words in the past as well, but the Luo ns position still remains unshakeable in this world. The elder harrumphed with a cold glint in his eyes. I have met countless talents in the world, and there are plenty whose talents you dont evene close to matching. Yet, there was not a single one of them who managed to shake the Luo n. So, I advise you not to bring trouble upon yourself. I hate to pull my weight before my juniors or to incur the dislike of our little princess, but if you still dont back down, its my responsibility to give you a good reason to do so. Hong long! As soon as those words were spoken, the stars up above suddenly seemed to plummet from the sky. Unimaginable might crushed down on Zhang Xuan, threatening to smash him into pieces. Under the overwhelming strength of the power, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to breathe. As if an ant standing before a giant, he felt utterly vulnerable. Swear on your identity as a master teacher that you wont see her, and Ill spare you, the ck-robed man uttered coldly. Zhang Xuan felt as if someone was grabbing his neck tightly, and the feeling of death encroaching on him felt more vivid than ever. He struggled with all his might, but he was unable to struggle free. Damn it! This wont do... At this rate, I might really die! The other partys strength was omnipresent around him; there was nowhere he could escape to. It was as if a guillotine was hanging above him, ready to im his life at any moment. While the other party had not shown any killing intent yet, he hated the feeling of having his life in the hands of another. It felt as if his entire existence was banking on the whims of another, and he abhorred such a feeling of helplessness. His fingernails sank deep into his flesh, causing a stream of blood to drip down his hands. For the first time, he vividly felt the need for power in this world. Without power, there was truly nothing at all. Dignity! Love! Master teacher rank! All of that was meaningless if one did not have absolute power to protect them! Ever since his transcension to this world, things had always gone favorably for Zhang Xuan. While the situation might have gotten a little dangerous from time to time, he had always been able to ovee any adversity with his wits. This was the very first time he had feltpletely helpless and powerless. He could not help but realize that if the person before him harbored malevolent intentions, no amount of words would get him out of this situation. For the first time, he desperately craved greater strength. Only with greater strength would he be able to embrace and protect those whom he held dear. Zhang Xuan anxiously sent a message to Vicious discreetly. Vicious, what is the strength of that fellow? Are you able to deal with him? With his current strength, he stood no chance against the ck-robed elder. His only hopey in the person who had once stood at the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent. Master, his cultivation has probably reached Saint 7-dan. I have yet to recover my true strength, so I fear that I wont be a match for him, Vicious replied with a hint of anxiety in his voice as well. If his master was killed, he would dissipate on the spot as well. This was the effect of the Soul Contract between them. If he wished to survive, he would have to do his best to ensure the safety of his master. I have to find a way to make him execute a battle technique. Only with some information on him will I be able to find a way out of this situation, Zhang Xuan replied, unsurprised by Vicious response. Saint 7-dan, that was a level that had nearly reached the peak of the Master Teacher Continent. With such strength, even the entire Qingyuan Empire would be helpless before him! Vicious was currently only a mere heart and a finger, so it was natural that he would not stand a chance against an expert of the other partys caliber. I should be able to force him into executing a battle technique, but I fear that my killing intent might be a little too strong. He could easily discern that Im an Otherworldly Demon, and that might get you into greater trouble, Vicious replied. Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and replied, Ill give you the permission to devour Kong shis writing, so do it! Back on the Saint Ascension tform, he had received Kong shis personal handwriting. Schemed by Lu Feng back at the Master Teacher Academy, a third of it had been consumed for his clone to act as Kong shi. To deal with Vicious finger, another one-third of it had been consumed. Thus, only a third of the original text remained in the booklet. This was thest time he could use this card. It was a heavy price to pay, but after consuming Kong shis writing, not only would Vicious aura be much stronger, he would also be able to morph his aura into that of a true master teacher, and that was what Zhang Xuan required to resolve the precarious situation he was in. Alright! Vicious replied. Kong shis writing, which he had kept in his storage ring, gradually faded line after line, and at the same time, Zhang Xuan felt a powerful aura surging within him. Boom! The following moment, an aura reminiscent of a rampaging dragon burst into the surroundings, dissipating the power that had gathered in the area in an instant. At the same time, Zhang Xuan felt the invisible shackles around him vanish without a trace, as if a fish onshore who had managed to make its way back into the water. Hmm? On the other hand, not expecting the young man before him to suddenly release an aura so powerful that even he was unable to withstand it, the ck-robed elders body stiffened. Not daring to get careless before such a powerful force, he swiftly executed a defensive technique to ward off the aura. Barely after he sessfully protected himself from the burst of aura, the young man before him suddenly raised his head to gaze straight at him. Deep within his eyes, ripples reminiscent of a torrential river could be seen. At the same time, a deep and ancient voice sounded. It was spoken in time with the movement of the young mans voice, but eerily, the voice sounded as if it hade from the heavens. When have I grown so weak that even a mere Saint 7-dan brat dares to threaten my student? Who do you think you are? Chapter 1172 - The Engagement Chapter 1172: The Engagement Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom! The powerful aura that had burst forth from Zhang Xuans body left the ck-robed elder feeling as if the heavens and earth had shattered, and the sun and moon had fallen. In that instant, he thought that he had witnessed the end of the world. Under the suppression of the overwhelming aura, the ck-robed elders body froze in fear as his mind whirred to a stop. In just the blink of an eye, it was as if a deity had descended from the heavens. The invible aura that the other party emanated had dispelled any thought of retaliation in his mind. Not only so, he felt as if his knees would cave in at any moment, as if his body instinctively wanted to worship the figure before him. It took a while before the ck-robed elder could speak once more. With quivering lips, he asked weakly, You are... Yang shi? No, thats not right. A will that Yang shi has left behind? For the aura of the young man before him to surge so abruptly, there was only a single possibility. In order to protect his own student, Yang shi had specially left a sliver of his will in thetters body. Only in the face of absolute crisis would he show himself. If I didnt appear, were you going to kill my student? There was no difference in the external appearance of the young man, but it was as if another person had taken control of the body. Be it his disposition or his voice, it waspletely different from before. This was especially so for his gaze. Cold, impassive, and unfathomable, as if a lofty deity from the heavens. Before this powerful figure, the ck-robed elder dared not move in the slightest. He feared that the slightest movement could instantly bring death upon himself. Even though he was a Saint 7-dan cultivator, he knew that before those who stood at the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent, his strength was not even worth a mention. Even the hostile intent from an expert of that caliber was too much for him to bear, let alone facing one in a proper battle! Despite his trembling body, the ck-robed elder asked with a hint of doubt in his voice, Are you really... Yang shi? He had once had the honor of meeting Yang shi, and thetters voice did not sound like that. On top of that, his aura felt a little different as well. It did not seem likely that they were the same person. Luo Chengxin, are you doubting me? The young man took a step forward. Hu! In an instant, the aura intensified, and the surrounding air crackled furiously. It was as if even the world was unable to withstand the overwhelming strength emanated by the young man before him. I dare not! The face of the ck-robed elder paled, and he quickly sped his fist and lowered his head respectfully. At this point, he did not even dare to breathe loudly. He had only felt such overwhelming pressure from the old ancestor. Who could have thought that the other party wielded such immense strength as well? And more importantly, he was certain that he had never said his name throughout the entire encounter, not even once! Yet, the other party was still able to identify him correctly. This meant that the other party knew who he was! To call himself Yang Xuan on top of that... could he really be that legendary figure? But... he had only met that legendary figure once, and before that figure, he was even less than an ant. It was only because of the old ancestor that he had been able to meet that figure, and he did not even dare to report his name for fear that he would sully the other partys ears. So how could the other party possibly know his name? You dare not? It doesnt seem that way to me. Completely different to the humble young man from a moment ago, the person that stood before him at this moment carried an air of disdain for all lifeforms, as if a being who had transcended the world. The Luo ns bloodline is powerful, and the Art of the Dimension Silencer is a masterpiece. Despite your fortune of being born in the Luo n, you still managed to make a wreck of yourself. You have reversed the Yin-Yang of your San Jiao 1 Yin Meridians and introduced filth into your zhenqi, resulting in your inability to concentrate your strength. Not only that, your Seven Acupoints of Primordial Chaos are gued with turbidity, and three of them are even reversed. During your breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm, the shortcut you attempted to take ended up damaging your foundation, resulting in the corruption of your internal state. Yet, instead of devoting your time to resolving these problems, you chose to head down here to take advantage of my student. Is it because you think that you are too powerful? At this point, a faint, disdainful smile surfaced on the lips of the young man. Shall I y with you? Shivers immediately ran down Luo Chengxins spine as he quickly lowered his head in abject fear. The terms that the other party had used, the San Jiao Yin Meridians and the Seven Acupoints of Primordial Chaos, would seem like utter nonsense to any other cultivator, but they left him shaking non-stop, as if he had heard something terrifying. Those were the unique terms used only in their Luo ns Art of the Dimension Silencer! The Luo ns bloodline granted the offspring of the Luo n with exceptional talent in spatial maniption. In fact, its ultimate treasure, the Dimension Silencer, was a powerful artifact that could bring about theplete freezing of space. It was due to this reason that the Art of the Dimension Silencer waspletely different from other cultivation techniques, tailored solely to those with the Luo ns bloodline. San Jiao, Seven Acupoints... these were terms that only the core members of the Luo n would know of. Yet, the young man before him spoke of them so easily as if they were nothing at all, urately identifying the ws in his cultivation even! This had left his entire body turning freezing cold, and sweat trickled down his back endlessly. If he had been doubtful whether the other party was Yang shi or not a moment ago, at this moment, he dared not harbor such thoughts. Regardless of whether the other party was truly Yang shi or not, the other party was definitely of the same caliber as their old ancestor. Otherwise, it was impossible for the other party to see through the problems in his cultivation with a single look. As one of the inner n members of the Luo n, he had been guided by top-notch master teachers from birth, but limited by his talent, it was inevitable that he erred in his cultivation from time to time. As these errors umted, even though it did not hinder him from exerting his strength, it had capped his cultivation. At this point, it was already nigh impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough to higher realms. This was not umon among those of the Sage ns. After all, no matter how formidable a teacher one had, it was impossible for a teacher to constantly overlook ones cultivation, not to mention that even advanced master teachers 2 were not infallible either. Besides, if a cultivator could really avoid erring in ones cultivation, wouldnt he be able to advance through the cultivation ranks easily without facing any bottlenecks? That was clearly daydreaming! But... while it was true that he had errors in his cultivation, it would be difficult for most master teachers to discern it. To be able to see through him with a just a nce, that was clearly the prowess that only 9-star master teachers wielded! I-I-I dare not to! Luo Chengxins body trembled uncontrobly upon that realization. Humph, if I had not left a sliver of my will in the body of my student, I might have just lost a student today! The young man gazed down at Luo Chengxin coldly in his eyes, as if contemting whether he should have thetter killed for his insolence. I... I didnt intend to make a move on Zhang shi! Luo Chengxin gulped down a mouthful of saliva as he hurriedly exined, I watched our little princess grow up, and no matter how reckless I am, I would not dare hurt the person she loves, or else she would hate me for life! No matter what, the rtionship between her and Zhang shi is impossible, and I fear that she will be hurt if the both of them get any further involved with one another. Thats why I chose to seek Zhang shi to convince him to step away from the matter. Humph! Are you saying that my student is unworthy of the Luo n? the young man said once more, his toneced with threat this time around. Thats not what I mean... Luo Chengxin shuddered in fear as he hurriedly exined, Yang shi, you should know the current circumstances surrounding our Luo n as well. The matrimony between our little princess and the young prodigy of the Zhang n cannot be changed. At this rate, the both of them will only be hurt in the end. If that is going to be the case, it will be better for us to end it at this point in time to reduce the heartbreak! The young man narrowed his eyes. Their matrimony cannot be changed? Is that due to your Luo n or the Zhang n? If its thetter, Ill find their old ancestor and talk to him about the matter! Luo Chengxin quickly shook his head. The betrothal between the two was decided twenty years ago. The little princess is also a victim in this matter! Decided twenty years ago? The young man frowned. Tell me about it. I believe that Yang shi should have heard about the young prodigy of the Zhang n as well. Even before his birth, he was said to possess the purest bloodline in the Zhang n. Twenty years ago, during the birth of that young prodigy, scarlet clouds covered the entire sky, and a sacred ray of light descended from the heavens. Even Kong shis tablet rose into the air, as if acknowledging the arrival of his peer. On that very day, the old ancestor of the Zhang n sought the old ancestor of our n, and the both of them agreed on this betrothal, Luo Chengxin said. The marriage ceremony was scheduled for the third month of next year, and this matter can no longer be changed by anyone! Third month of next year? The face of the young man darkened, and with a frosty voice, he uttered, Does a mere marriage ceremony really require an auspicious day to be chosen twenty years prior? Its not really a matter of it being auspicious or not. Luo Chengxin shook his head with a bitter smile. Rather, it seems like theres something huge tied to it. Our old ancestor has already dered this decision to be final, and no one dares go against his orders... Due to this matter, our little princess has caused a huge ruckus in our n for quite a while, but as this matter was a promise between the old ancestors of both ns, she was unable to change anything. Eventually, she snuck out of the n and sealed her cultivation such that no one would be able to find her. I was only able to find her recently, and by the time I did, I realized that she was already deeply in love with Zhang shi. Thats why I decided to talk Zhang shi into backing down! Something huge is tied to their marriage? What is it? I am not qualified to know of the inner secrets of our n. I only happened to overhear bits and pieces of it, so I dont know much about it either. However, it should be something very important. After all, as one of the top three Sage ns, theres no need for our Luo n to bow down to the Zhang n, Luo Chengxin replied. Since its an engagement decided on at birth, is there a reason why the little princess of your Luo n is unwilling to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n? the young man asked. Considering that it was a marriage decided at birth and that both ns were of equal standing, it was likely that the little princess of the Luo n and the young prodigy of the Zhang n had grown up side-by-side, so the rtionship between them should not have been too bad. For the little princess to go to the extent of escaping from her n in order to escape the betrothal, was she not afraid of falling out with her family? Or was there something about the young prodigy of the Zhang n that was so repulsive to her that she would go to such lengths just to avoid marrying him? Hearing those words, Luo Chengxin could not help but nce at the young man before him with a peculiar look. It felt weird for a figure as powerful as Yang shi to be so interested in the gossip of their n. Naturally, he did not dare say those words aloud, and he quickly replied the other partys question. Its just a guess on my part, but I think that our little princess might have rebelled because shes unwilling to marry a person she has never met before. The young prodigy of the Zhang n is a rather mysterious figure. He has been in seclusion ever since his birth, and unlike most offspring of the Sage ns, he has not attended the Sanctum of Sages either. Not a single person of our Luo n has seen him before, and this includes our old ancestor as well. Based on what I have heard, it seems like he is busy undergoing some kind of unique inheritance at the moment. No one has seen him before? The young man could not help but frown upon hearing those words. To set an engagement without bringing out the person in question... the Zhang n sure was bizarre. Indeed. There are many rumors floating around about that young prodigy. Some say that he doesnt possess the talents that he is rumored to possess. Some say that he has failed in awakening his talent, and out of embarrassment, the Zhang n chose to hide him from the world. Luo Chengxin sighed. There are even some who say that he vanished from the world shortly after his birth, and the Zhang n has been trying to find him ever since then. In any case, there does not seem to be anyone aside from those of the Zhang n who have seen that young prodigy before. Thinking about it, the little princess sure was a pitiful person. To have to shoulder the fate of the entire n at such a young age, even forced to marry a person she had never seen before, it was no wonder she would feel so repulsed and rebel. The young man harrumphed coldly. The Zhang n sure knows how to put on airs. To make a betrothal between the two ns and yet hide their own offspring, I have gotten a glimpse into their shamelessness today. And that young prodigy as well... I really should teach them a lesson about etiquette! Chapter 1173 - Entering the Qiu Wu Palace Chapter 1173: Entering the Qiu Wu Pce Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Chengxin had spoken of the young prodigy of the Zhang n as a being who wielded unfathomable power in the world, but as the person who possessed the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to crush the other party with sufficient time and make him doubt his own existence. For no reason other than the fact that he had caused Luo Ruoxin so much grievance over the past few years! Anyone who dares to touch my woman will have to suffer my wrath! Noting the killing intent in Yang shis eyes, Luo Chengxin shuddered once more. With a wary tone, he said, Yang shi, since Zhang shi is your student, I shall not impose on you any longer. Ill take my leave... If only that he had known that Yang shi had left his will within the young mans body, he would have never dared toe over and warn thetter... Go. The young man waved his hand. Thank you, Yang shi... Luo Chengxin quickly turned around to flee. But barely after taking a few steps, he suddenly halted and hesitated for a moment before fearfully turning around. Mustering all the courage he had, he said, Yang shi, pardon me for saying this, but I hope that you will talk Zhang shi into letting her go. Our little princess has suffered too much while growing up, and I really hope that she wont be hurt by this matter. Those words left Zhang Xuan with a deep frown on his face. But knowing that the other party was really thinking for Luo Ruoxin, he shook his head and said, Ill think about it. You may leave now. Thank you, Yang shi. Heaving a sigh of relief, Luo Chengxin quickly left the area. Watching as the other party disappeared into the distance, Zhang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief himself. That earth-shattering aura vanished in an instant, and as if a deted balloon, he felt so weakened that it was difficult to even lift his own arm. That was a close shave. I was nearly unable to hold on anymore! Zhang Xuan patted his chest in relief. Even though Vicious was able to exert an incredibly powerful aura after consuming Kong shis writing, the fact was that he could not maintain the state for too long. It was fortunate that his Soul Depth was only slightly beneath the other partys, allowing him to avoid giving himself away. It was also fortunate that he had dashed out of the city to a remote location earlier, or else with the abrupt emanation of such a powerful aura, it would have surely drawn the attention of the experts within the city. Alright, I should hurry up and leave. If that fellow finds that something is amiss and returns, I wont be able to deal with him again, Zhang Xuan thought as he quickly rushed back to the Combat Master Hall. Not too longter, he finally returned to his amodation. The tension in his mind finally snapped, and a weariness simr to a soldier who had just fought a war consumed him, lulling him into a deep sleep. However, he forced himself to remain awake so as to ponder over the information he had just received. Even though he had managed to beguile the other party through his means, he knew that luck had a factor to y in it as well. Putting on a disguise before experts of the other partys caliber was no different from dancing above a bed of knives; a single wrong move could very well have cast him into oblivion. Had it not been for his superior mental resilience, he would have long been seen through. Taking a seat on the ground, Zhang Xuan meditated for roughly two hours before the exhaustion finally receded from his body. I need to possess the strength to stand against the Zhang n by the third month of next year! Recalling the conversation that hed had with Luo Chengxin earlier, Zhang Xuan could not help feeling greatly pressured. Judging from the other partys tone, it seemed like the marriage was not just to create a bridge between the both ns; it also involved an extremely important matter as well, thus fixing it in stone. Not even the beloved little princess of the Luo n, Luo Ruoxin, had a say in the matter! As talented as Zhang Xuan was, it was too dangerous for him to reveal the fact that he was a Celestial Master Teacher to others. After all, he could not tell for sure what the Luo n and Zhang ns attitude toward a Celestial Master Teacher would be, so until he had sufficient power to back up his identity, it was best to keep it under wraps. Thus, he was not intending to y the card unless it really became necessary. So, if he really wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin openly, he would have to swiftly raise his cultivation and his standing! By the third month of next year, he needed to possess sufficient strength to stand toe-to-toe with the Zhang n! Only then would the Luo n take him seriously and consider their rtionship. Otherwise, there was no way they would offend the Zhang n and choose a supposed genius over a prodigy whose very birth had caused Kong shis tablet to levitate in the air. There is still another eight months or so. I am currently only at Saint 2-dan pinnacle. If I wish to gain enough power to negotiate with the Luo n and the Zhang n, I must at least cultivate to the same level as Luo Chengxin... Saint 7-dan, Zhang Xuan thought as immense pressure weighed down on him. Even though he had taken less than a year to advance from the bare bottom to Saint 2-dan, he knew that it would be harder and harder for him to advance higher from this point onward! Not only would it be harder for him to find the necessary cultivation technique manuals, more importantly, there was ack on cultivation resources as well! In the past, a couple of low-tier spirit stones were enough for him to advance several realms at once, but now... he was not even certain how long concentrated high-tier spirit stones would suffice for him before he would require pinnacle spirit stones! And more importantly, advancing ones cultivation in Saint realm required one to cultivate ones soul and mind as well. Sufficient spiritual energy was only the minimum requirement to achieving a breakthrough at this point. Without aplishing the required state of mind, it was impossible to achieve a breakthrough. Tempering ones state of mind had to be done over a long period of time; it was not something that could be aplished within a short period of time. As such, even though it was only five realms, he knew that it would be extremely difficult for him to cover the gap within just eight months. Even he did not have absolute confidence in being able to pull it off! Thus, all he could do was work himself down to the bone and make every single second he had count. I must hurry up and cultivate... Ruoxin, wait for me. I wont let you suffer any grievances, Zhang Xuan muttered with unwavering resolution. After his conversation with Luo Chengxin, it was not hard for him to imagine how difficult it had been for Luo Ruoxin to ept his confession back then. Since the other party had chosen him over everything else, as a man, he could not possibly let her down. No matter what, he was determined to have her marry him openly. He did not want her to suffer the fate that Mu shi had suffered over the past few centuries. If the Zhang n stood in his way, he would just have to trample them! With this newfound determination in his mind, he felt his mind suddenly clearing up. His soul seemed to have undergone some kind of change, and his soul energy became even purer than before. Time to cultivate... At the very least, I should try to aim for Saint 4-dan before daybreak! Sitting on the floor once more, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan Heavens Path Divine Arts, which he hadpiled previously. He had already sessfullypiled them back at the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion earlier, but in a rush to attend the Appraisal Convention, he did not have time to look through them. After internalizing the content of both manuals, he flicked his wrist and whipped out the 17 concentrated high-tier spirit stones that he had obtained from Chu Tianxing. At his current level, even high-tier spirit stones were no longer effective on him anymore. Calming his mind, he drove the zhenqi in his body before turning his consciousness toward his Origin Core. Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm was also known as the Origin Soul realm, and it served to fuse ones Origin Core with ones soul to create an embryonic Primordial Spirit. The hardest aspect in this breakthrough was to shatter ones Origin Core and facilitate its fusion with ones soul in order to create the embryo. There were many cultivators who were unable to ovee in this challenge, resulting in the stagnation of their cultivation. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, even though bottlenecks were pretty much nonexistent in his cultivation, it proved to be a problem for him at this point. As his Origin Core had been tempered to the level of perfection, it was iparably resilient. It would take a lot more effort for him to shatter his Origin Corepared to other cultivators. Soul! With a thought, Zhang Xuan channeled his soul toward his Origin Core. There were two steps to achieving a breakthrough to the Embryonic Soul realm. Firstly, the cultivator had to fuse their soul together with their Origin Core. Secondly, the cultivator had to shatter the fused Origin Core and facilitate its development into an embryo. ording to the description in the Heavens Path Divine Art, I just have to open a small door in the Origin Core to fuse my soul together with my Origin Core. Going through the content of the Saint 3-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on his Origin Core and created a small passageway in it. After which, his soul swiftly dived into the passageway to enter his Origin Core. Kacha! But barely after diving in, its movements suddenly came to an abrupt halt. This is bad... My soul is stuck! Zhang Xuans soul was simply too big. After undergoing the Saint Ascension Ordeal, it had returned to its original size of ten meters. While his Origin Core was much stronger than that of other cultivators, it was still too small to house his soul! He had never thought that he would face such a problem in his cultivation. While it was possible for one to morph the size of ones soul, there was a limit to doing so. This was just like how an elephant would never fit into a walnut no matter how it squeezed itself together. After struggling for a very long to no avail, Zhang Xuan could only retract his trapped soul with a conflicted look on his face. He already had the required concentrated high-tier spirit stones, and his Heavens Path Divine Art had also been perfected, but... his soul had turned out to be too big to enter his Origin Core! If that was the case, he would not even be able toplete the first step of his breakthrough. At this rate, would he be unable to even achieve a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan? What should I do... Zhang Xuan gave it a few more tries, but each time, his soul ended up being stuck without fail. There was even one instance when he was nearly unable to pull out his trapped soul. At this point, he felt like he was going to burst into tears. It had not been easy for him to gather so much drive to cultivate, and he had put his mind to achieving a double breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm... but he had already encountered a bump at the very first step of his cultivation. Theres no error in the Heavens Path Divine Art, but due to me cultivating my soul, its not suitable for my current state... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. In the previous realms, the cultivation of his zhenqi and soul were separate, so he had not faced such a problem to date. But the Embryonic Soul realm required the fusion of the both of them. Typically speaking, zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation were considered two different branches. Both paths would lead to the peak, so there was little point in pursuing both paths simultaneously. Furthermore, the ws in the cultivation techniques of the soul oracles made it impossible for one to cultivate both simultaneously. By perfecting the cultivation techniques of the soul oracles, Zhang Xuan had managed to achieve the impossible, developing his physical body and soul simultaneously. There had not been many problems in the earlier stages, but it was proving to be a problem for him at this moment. What should I do now? Retracting his consciousness from his dantian, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. In the past, he had been able to advance easily just bypiling the knowledge of the predecessors through the Library of Heavens Path... but treading on a path that none had walked on before... there was no one he could see for help. Its no wonder Kong shi said that I have to pave my way forward myself if I wish to achieve greater heights. Blindly following the wisdom of the predecessors might bring me to greater heights in the short term, but itll only narrow my future path, possibly bringing me to a dead end even. Perhaps, he might have even predicted the problems I would face in my cultivation! Back in the Qiu Wu Pce, Kong shi had warned him that he should not just follow the teachings of the predecessors but seek his own individual path instead. He had kept the other partys teachings in mind, but it was only at this point that he truly understood what it meant. Walking my own path... how can I do so? In the face of such a situation, with no one whom he could learn from, he could not help but feelpletely lost. With a deep frown on his forehead, he fell into deep contemtion. Walking ones own path was easier said than done. That was equivalent to venturing into uncharted territories, an extremely dangerous feat. After a long moment of contemtion but stilling up with nothing at all, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Should I head to the Qiu Wu Pce to take another look? Perhaps, I might be able to find something that Kong shi left behind that will bring me some inspiration... Flicking his wrist, a sphere appeared in his palm. Unique patterns reminiscent of a map were carved on top of it. Back then, he had kept the entirety of the Qiu Wu Pce in the sphere through fusing the map together with it, allowing him to bring it around anywhere he went. Let me go in to take a look! As the master of the sphere, he could easily open a passageway into it. With a thought, he vanished from the spot. Chapter 1174 - Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Chapter 1174: Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hu! In the next moment, he was already standing before the tablet erected right outside the Qiu Wu Pce. The tablet was a gigantic high-tier spirit stone in itself, and it had left him deeply moved back then that he had even considered stealing it. But now... high-tier spirit stones were alreadypletely useless to him, so it no longer held as great of an allure to him anymore. These words... they have actually reached the level of Evoking Vividness! Zhang Xuan eximed as he looked at the threerge words, Qiu Wu Pce. Back then, his proficiency in painting wasnt too high, so he wasnt able to urately discern its level. However, looking at it once more now, he was very certain that those three words had reached the eighth level. As mere words, the feelings that evoked from them were unable to match up to an entire painting, but nevertheless, if one were to stare at it for too long, they might find themselves sinking uncontrobly into a trance. Hm? Those words... Why does it seem like there is something strange about them? After a short look, just as Zhang Xuan was about to take his leave, he suddenly eximed with a frown. He didnt think that there was anything peculiar about those three words initially, but after staring at them for some time, he suddenly felt his zhenqi jolting within his body. To his shock, his zhenqi had suddenly begun flowing on its own ord. Its the cirction pathway for the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Feeling his zhenqi flowing under the effects of the three words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but fall in a dazed state. He recognized the cirction pathway which his zhenqi was moving at to be the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, which he had learned in Ancient Sage Qiu Wus trial back then. But why would he have such a reaction just by looking at those three words? Let me give it a try... Allowing his zhenqi to move freely, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and lightly thrust it towards the tablet After resolving all of the ws of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, raising it to the level of a Heavens Path technique, he had gained the ability to manipte the strength of battle technique freely at his will. Even though he had struck the tablet squarely, thetter didnt sustain the slightest damage at all. Weng! As soon as his palm struck the tablet, those three words suddenly emanated a blinding glow. With a stagger, Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot. When he opened his eyes once more, he found that he had entered another space. The space wasnt toorge, and the area was filled with all kinds of inscriptions. Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel? Zhang Xuan read the line of words right before him, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment. When those inscriptions were ced together, they formed a unique secret art known as the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Just by reading its content, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was an incredibly profound technique, far exceeding any other secret art he had learned thus far. Could this be... the heritage of the Qiu Wu Pce? A thought suddenly struck Zhang Xuans mind, and he couldnt help but gasp. Back then, after being traumatized by him, Ancient Sage Qiu Wus will ended up vanishing before it could reveal where the heritage was located. U.p..dated by BoxNo vel Zhang Xuan had thought that the heritage was a gone case after that matter, but who could have thought that it would actually be hidden within a tablet at the entrance? All who had entered the Qiu Wu Pce had headed straight for its deepest regions in hopes of acquiring the greatest treasure within it. What an irony it was for the most valuable heritage to actually be located in the most conspicuous and open ce instead! However, it seemed like the key to entering this ce was to execute the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm. Without knowing the battle technique, even if one were to stand before the tablet and notice its peculiarity, one would still be unable to enter it and obtain the heritage. The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel views the space of heavens and earth as two separate entities, and it seeks the manipte the two through calctions made through the Number of Grand Transformation 1 ... While those inscriptions looked foreign to Zhang Xuan, for some reason, he was still able to fathom the meaning behind them. Simr to the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, this secret art is also divided into 5 dans. Those who have mastered the fifth dan will be qualified to stand at the very peak of the world, possessing strength not beneath mine... Taking the inscriptions into sight, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Initially, due to his possession of the Library of Heavens Path, he wasnt particrly concerned about obtaining Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage. However, after looking through the inscriptions, he was d that he had stumbled upon the heritage eventually. The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel was truly a powerful technique. If he were to cultivate it well, he would be able to gain a strong grasp over the spatialws, allowing him to manipte space skillfully. With that, his fighting prowess could easily be enhanced manyfold. If I could just cultivate the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel to 2-dan pinnacle, I would at least be able to escape from Luo Chengxin even if I were to encounter him once more...Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. So far, Luo Chengxin was the strongest expert he had encountered, a true Saint 7-dan expert. Even if he were to use all of his means, he still wouldnt stand a chance against the other party, and even fleeing was out of the question... But with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, everything would be different. Even if he were to just master the secret art to 2-dan, he would still be able to struggle free of the other partys spatial seal and make his escape! However, it seemed like the secret art had an exceptionally high requirement on ones zhenqi capacity as well. From the looks of it, it seemed like it would be impossible to cultivate it to 2-dan without possessing the cultivation of Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. After scanning all of the inscriptions and sessfully collecting them into the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Let me see if I canpile it into the level of Heavens Path! Over the past few days, he had collected an astounding number of battle technique and secret art manuals. Perhaps, if he were topile the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel with them, he might just be able to perfect the secret art. Compile! A book materialized before Zhang Xuans eyes. Flipping open the book, the knowledge contained within the manual flowed into his mind. I have managed to perfect the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, but Im still a far way off from perfecting the 2-dan... While he had only managed to perfect the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, the results were well within his expectations. Overall, he was still satisfied with the oue. While the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel formed an entire whole, it was subdivided into multiple dans with increasing levels of profoundness. So far, the most powerful battle technique he had collected so far was only at Saint intermediate-tier. As powerful as Qingyuan Empire was, the battle technique manuals that it had was still insufficient for him to perfect the entire Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. In fact, it was already a huge blessing that he was able to perfect the 1-dan of the secret art here. Let me try cultivating the secret art... Zhang Xuan swiftly internalized the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel before backing out of the space within the tablet. He swiftly searched for a quiet location in the Qiu Wu Pce before whipping out his concentrated high-tier spirit stones to cultivate the secret art. The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel was a technique that granted one the ability to manipte space, so in the strictest sense, it couldnt be considered as a cultivation technique or battle technique. If one were to fully master the secret art, one would be able to manipte space and traverse through it freely. In fact, it was possible to cover a distance of over a hundred million li within a single day through it. All in all, the secret art could be divided into five realms, which were namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction. One who masters the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel would be able topress space, allowing one to cover a distance of a hundred meters in a single step... If used well in battle, it could allow one to catch ones opponents off guard andunch a surprise assault or escape from a cornered situation! Going through the cultivation technique in his mind, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi, and before long, he entered a unique trance. In this state, hisprehension of spatialws swiftly deepened. A long timeter, he opened his eyes once more and stood up. Then, he took a single step forward. H! His figure suddenly vanished on the spot and appeared at a distance of a hundred meters ahead. I seeded? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Cultivating the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel wouldnt raise his cultivation, but it would deepen his understanding over the spatialws. If paired with his Unbounded Treader, he would be able to flit from ce to ce like a specter! With my current speed and grasp of spatialws, I should be able to match even Vice Pavilion Master Tian in a battle... WIth Zhang Xuans current fighting prowess, he could already be considered an invincible existence amongst Primordial Spirit cultivators. Even so, it was still difficult for him to go up against Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts like Vice Pavilion Master Tian. However, after learning the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel and gaining a deeper understanding of space, Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts no longer posed as great of a threat to him anymore. With his enhanced understanding of space, even if the other party were to use his Primordial Spirit to suppress him, he would still be able to easily struggle free. On top of that, as long as he were to y his cards well, he could abruptly appear before his enemy and deal out a lethal blow before thetter could process what was going on. More importantly, after learning the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, I am already able to set up some basic Spatial Formation. While the Spatial Formations I can create is still severely limited on many aspects, it has the ability to iste individuals within it from the rest of the world, as well as to...press matter! Zhang Xuan chuckled in delight. It was due to his soul being too big that he was unable to fuse it into his Origin Core, but with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, as long as he could find a way to set up a Spatial Formation topress his soul, his soul should be able to enter the passageway of his Origin Core and sessfully fuse the two together. However, Zhang Xuans delight didntst for too long. Looking at the powdery remains of the concentrated high-tier spirit stones on the ground, he couldnt help but rub his be andment, As powerful as the secret art is, the depletion of zhenqi... is really a little uneptable... Just to cultivate the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he ended up using up the 17 concentrated high-tier spirit stones which he obtained with great difficulty. Without a doubt, the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel was an invaluable secret art, allowing one toprehend the essence of space... However, the depletion that resulted from its cultivation was equally fearsome as well. Initially, he had been thinking that with the concentrated high-tier spirit stones he had at the moment, it should suffice for him to reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle at the minimum, but before he ended up expending all of them before he could even start. How stifling! I really must find a way to earn more money... Zhang Xuan thought as he stood up and left the Qiu Wu Pce. In any case, at least he had managed to resolve the problem regarding his soul being unable to enter his Origin Core. All he had to do now was to find a way to earn more concentrated high-tier spirit stones! Ahhh, the days without money sure sure was difficult to endure! But where can I earn more concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan lowered his head and pondered instead of anxious heading out. Even if he wanted to earn concentrated high-tier spirit stones, he had to have a concrete direction first. Considering that the Qingyuan royal family only had 17 and the Combat Master Hall could only afford to take out 10... Where else in Qingyuan City could he possibly find more concentrated high-tier spirit stones? I should go and ask Hall Master Xing! Knowing that it would be futile for him to wrack his brain over it since he didnt have much of an understanding of Qingyuan City in the first ce, Zhang Xuan stood up and began heading over to Hall Master Xings residence. By this point, the sun had already risen at the horizon. The brilliant rays of the sun pierced through the coldness of the night, bringing warmth to the world. It didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to find Hall Master Xing. At this point, thetter had already mastered the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra. Over the past few days, his Primordial Spirit had be even purer, and his aura felt denser than before. At this rate, it shouldnt be long before Hall Master Xing was ready to face the Leaving Aperture Ordeal and push for a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. Hall Master Xing, how are Elder Xu and the others? I hope that they arent causing you any problem. Yesterday, Elder Xu and the others were brought away from those of the Combat Master Hall, and given that a day has passed since then, they should have been settled down by now. They arent causing any trouble, but... something weird did happen. Yesterday, Butler Sun happened to pass by their quarters, and shortly after, all of them suddenly chose to join the Xuanxuan Faction as well... Hall Master Xing said with a perplexed look The poison masters were far morepliant than he expected them to be, but if he had to point out something weird about them, it would be their excessive respect towards Zhang Xuans butler. Sun Qiangs strength was unremarkable, but for some reason, the poison masters from the Poison Hall would bow respectfully to him whenever they met thetter. As such, that butler extended an invitation to the poison masters to join the Xuanxuan Faction as well, and naturally, that bunch epted the offer and became members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well. But of course, that wasnt at odds with them being members of the Combat Master Hall, so it wasnt really a big problem. I see... Anyway, Im d that they arent causing any trouble. They have been through a lot, so I hope that you can treat them kindly. They do possess expertise in a field that the Combat Master Hall iscking in, so it would be good to have the otherbat masters to interact with them, allowing them to learn from one another. Zhang Xuan nodded. That is my intention as well... Right, Principal Zhang, the other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls will being over for a friendly spar a few dayster, so if you have some time, I would like to invite you to conduct a few lectures for ourbat masters. Hall Master Xing said. The other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls will being over for a friendly spar? Thats right. They should be arriving in three days time. Hall Master Xing nodded. Chapter 1175 - All at Once Chapter 1175: All at Once Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, How many Combat Master Halls will there be? Will they be... bringing many concentrated high-tier spirit stones with them? He was currently about to go insane from ack of money. If the Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls that wereing over for the friendly spar were wealthy, he could try to think of a way to earn some from them. As soon as the words concentrated high-tier spirit stones came out of Zhang Xuans words, Hall Master Xing could immediately guess what the other party was thinking about, and a helpless smile surfaced on his lips. There are three Conferred Empire Combat Master Hallsing over. They are of the same tier as our branch, so its unlikely that they will have many concentrated high-tier spirit stones on them! Same tier? Indeed. There is a total of eight Conferred Empires under the Empire Alliance. Four of them belong in the upper tier whereas the remaining four, which includes our Qingyuan Conferred Empire, belong to the lower tier. The ones that areing over for the friendly spar this time around belong to thetter group. The friendly spar is actually a selection exercise for us to select twenty candidates out of the four Combat Master Halls for the opportunity to train in the Qianchong Conferred Empire, Hall Master Xing exined. In previous years, our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall has only been able to acquire two slots at maximum, putting us at the lowest rank among the four Combat Master Halls. But this time around, seeing that ourbat masters have made massive improvements after training with the Xuanxuan Faction, I hope to try to vie for a few more slots. Train at the Qianchong Conferred Empire? Is there some kind of blessednd for cultivation there? Zhang Xuan asked. Back then, he had headed to the Huanyu Empire in order to ess the Cleansing Lake, which was said to be beneficial to soul cultivation. Could it be that the Qianchong Empire had something simr to that as well? Speaking of blessednds, there is indeed one of them there. The Qianchong Empire has a sword pool, which harnesses boundless sword intent and sword art. If a cultivator tempers themself in the sword pool, it will sure enhance their fighting prowess by leaps and bounds. As such, this slot is very important to our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. On top of that, the headquarters also reward the Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls ording to the number of slots they obtain. The more slots a certain Combat Master Hall obtains, the more resources it will be entitled to! Hall Master Xing said. Resources? That single word triggered Zhang Xuans interest, and his eyes immediately lit up. Indeed. In the previous friendly spar, the Chongyuan Conferred Empire obtained the most slot, and the headquarters rewarded them with a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Hall Master Xing replied. You said... a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Zhang Xuans hands began trembling in excitement. If he were to obtain so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones, it would definitely be more than sufficient for him to push for a breakthrough straight to the Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle! Thats right. Hall Master Xing nodded. To be honest with you, while its called a friendly spar, in essence, it could be regarded as a military disy for the Combat Master Halls as well. Each Combat Master Hall will send out the strongest expert for each cultivation level and pit them against one another, and to the side that obtains the most victories, the headquarters will not hesitate to award them more resources. In a sense, it serves to motivate the subordinate Combat Master Halls andbat masters to work more diligently than ever. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. If one were to view the Combat Master Hall as an army, this friendly spar would be simr to a tournament among the different units. In times of peace,petition could pressure the Combat Master Halls and theirbat masters into pushing themselves to greater heights. Otherwise, without any concrete aims and goals for them to strive for, the morale and discipline of thebat masters could gradually cken. If Principal Zhang can help offer some pointers to ourbat masters and help them clinch the top position, I am willing to share half of the awarded concentrated high-tier spirit stones with you. Thats already the most that I can give you within the limits of my authority, so I am really unable to share any more with you... Hall Master Xing said. The young man before him did not just possess superior fighting prowess, granting him nigh invincible might among his peers, hisprehension ofbat and battle techniques had also achieved an unfathomable level. While he rarely offered any guidance to others, his pointers were always spot-on, leaving one deeply enlightened by his teachings. If they could really engage his help, the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall could very well surpass its previous results and reach a new peak. It was with this in mind that Hall Master Xing had offered Zhang Xuan such generous terms upon seeing thetter. Deal! Before Hall Master Xing could finish his words, the young man before him had already interjected decisively. Was there any need to hesitate over the matter? What he wascking at this very moment was concentrated high-tier spirit stones! Putting aside half of the total reward pool, even if Hall Master Xing had offered him just one-third of it, he would still have epted the request without any hesitation. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to the request, Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief. Its settled then! If nothing goes wrong, the men from the other three Combat Master Halls should be arriving within three days. Principal Zhang, Ill leave the training of thebat masterspletely in your hands, so feel free to do whatever you want. Dont worry, Ill order them to abide by yourmands unconditionally! You said earlier that the friendly spar is a fight among the strongest cultivator of each cultivation realm. May I know what the specific cultivation levels for the friendly spars are, and have the candidates been chosen yet? Zhang Xuan asked. All in all, there are twenty candidates, and the cultivation levels range from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Spiritual Perception realm pinnacleall in all, twenty cultivation stages. We have already chosen the candidates, Hall Master Xing replied. Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, Void Pursuit realm, and Spiritual Perception realm, and each realm consisted of primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle. This added up to twenty cultivation stages. Each Combat Master Hall would dispatch their strongest expert for each of the cultivation stages for the friendly spar, and the ultimate winner in that ss would be entitled to the nomination slot. Where are they? Bring me over to meet them. Since Hall Master Xing had already chosen the candidates, the remaining part was rather simple. He would just have to find what each individual was skilled in and offer the other party pointers in that aspect so as to maximize the other partys fighting prowess. They are currently in the training hall. Hall Master Xing smiled as he quickly led the way over. The training hall was located in the vicinity of the Martial Arts Division, and it was a ce wherebat masters sparred with one another in their free time. The hall was extremely spacious. There were four dueling tforms erected at the very center with a spectator stand at the outer perimeter. At the same time, there were also seclusion chambers forbat masters to rest in between battles as well. Even before entering the training hall, the sound of swift air currents could be heard in the air. It seemed like there were quite a few people sparring within the training hall. Excited cheers and anxious shouts could be heard here and there, creating a lively atmosphere. Walking into the training hall, Zhang Xuan swiftly saw twobat masters shing with one another on one of the dueling tforms. Elegant moves sprung forth from both parties one after another as their immense strength collided again and again, drawing in fixated gazes on them. Surrounding the dueling tform was around a dozenbat masters. Whenever they saw a formidable move being executed, they would cheer in excitement. Zhang Xuan took a swift look through the group, and to his astonishment, he found two familiar facesShi Hao from the Inner Breath Division and Jiao Tan from the Martial Arts Division. These two were top-notch geniuses from the Combat Master Hall, so it was not too surprising that the both of them had made it onto the list of candidates to participate in the friendly spar. Hall Master Xing, Zhang shi! Upon seeing the two figures walking over from the entrance, the crowd quickly halted what they were doing and sped their fists respectfully. Hall Master Xing stepped forward and said, Theres no need to stand on ceremony. I believe that all of you should be familiar with Principal Zhang, so I shall not waste any time introducing him to you all again. The crowd nodded. In the past few days that Zhang Xuan had spent in the Combat Master Hall, he had paid a visit to all the divisions and caused a huge ruckus in each of them. They would have to have been living under a rock to have not heard of him. A person who consecutively broke the records of every single trial in the Combat Master Hall, and by an inconceivablyrge margin at that, at this point, they were filled with nothing but admiration and awe for the other party. Our Combat Master Hall has high expectations for the friendly spar with the other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls that will being here in three days time. In view of that, we have specially invited Principal Zhang over here to conduct special training for all of you. I expect all of you to cooperate fully with him, got that? Yes, Hall Master Xing! Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to train them, the eyes of thebat masters immediately lit up in excitement. They had witnessed the astounding might of the Xuanxuan Faction with their very own eyes. To be taught by the person who had transformed an ordinary Master Teacher Academy filled with ordinary master teachers into a power whose fighting prowess exceededbat masters of the same cultivation... They could not help but shudder in excitement as they imagined how their fighting prowess would soar within the next three days! Principal Zhang, why dont youe up here and say a few words as well? Hall Master Xing invited with a smile. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Without wasting any time on pleasantries, he flicked his wrist and whipped out some rope before saying, Hall Master Xing, please tie my hands up. Ah? Hall Master Xing was stunned. Please tie my hands up. Hall Master Xing had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, but thetter must have had his own reasons for making such a request. Thus, without any further hesitation, he pulled Zhang Xuans hands behind his back and tied them firmly together. Struggling a little, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction when he confirmed that he was unable to break out of his binds. Then, he leaped onto the stage and said, Suppress all of your cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage and...e at me together! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan swiftly suppressed his Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivation down to Chrysalis realm primary stage before standing patiently at a corner of the dueling tform. You want all of us to attack you together? Zhang shi, you intend to fight all of us with your hands bound? Is this for real? Zhang shi, I admire your strength, but to think that you will be able to fight against all of us with your hands bound... I have to say that you are really taking us too lightly! ... Seeing Zhang Xuans actions, the faces of thebat masters flushed crimson, and they could not help but narrow their eyes slightly in anger. No matter what, they were the geniuses specially picked out by the Combat Master Hall to participate in the friendly spar, the strongestbat masters in their power ss. It was true that Zhang Xuan possessed strength far surpassing theirs, and one-on-one, they would stand no match at all. However, to challenge all twenty of them with his hands bound... Was he not mocking them? Why? You dare not ept my challenge? Despite Zhang Xuans provocations, none of the twenty candidates dared step forward. Thus, Zhang Xuan nced at them leisurely and continued. Since thats the case, Ill leave behind two footprints here. If anyone of you can make me take a single step away from here, Ill consider it my loss! As he spoke, he stepped lightly on the ground, and two footprints appeared on the sturdy ground of the dueling tform. What pure zhenqi... The crowd widened their eyes at that sight. Given that the dueling tforms would have to endure the might of the cultivators fighting above it, they had been constructed with the most resilient of materials. On top of that, there were also several seals cast over them, such that even Saint realm experts would struggle to make a mark on them. Yet, despite lowering his cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage, the other party had left such a clear imprint on the dueling tform just by stepping lightly on it. Only a cultivator with unbelievably pure zhenqi could possibly concentrate their strength to their feet to such an extent! The purity of Zhang shis zhenqi is indeed incredible. However, to defeat all of us while neither using your hands nor moving your feet... even for an expert of your caliber, that should be an impossible task! After a short moment, abat master suddenly harrumphed before leaping onto the stage. Why dont I test it out first? If you are able to defeat me even like that, we will go against you all at once! Thebat master was none other than Shi Hao! He was the young man who had suppressed his cultivation for twenty whole years to achieve a new record for the Trial of Inner Breath, only to be outdone by Zhang Xuan a few momentster. After that traumatizing experience, he had managed to achieve a breakthrough, and he was currently a Saint 2-dan intermediate stage expert. Hearing Shi Haos suggestion, the remainingbat masters nodded in agreement. As fellow peers, they were aware of the immense strength that Shi Hao wielded, and they trusted deeply in his capabilities. Through watching the battle between him and Zhang Xuan, they would be able to discern the fighting prowess of thetter with his hands bound and feet in ce. Geji! Geji! After stepping onto the stage, Shi Hao wasted no time with words and swiftly suppressed his cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage, just like Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, please guide me! Shi Hao said with narrowed eyes. Raising his hand, he sent a powerful burst of zhenqi toward Zhang Xuan before charging forward. Even before Shi Haos figure reached Zhang Xuan, the burst of zhenqi he had sent prior had already arrived. Shi Hao knew of the strength that Zhang Xuan possessed, so he did not hesitate to devote his full strength to the burst of zhenqi. Under the immense might of the burst of zhenqi, even the sturdy ground of the dueling tform could not help but tremble uncontrobly. Chapter 1176 - Infinitesimal Maneuver

Chapter 1176: Infinitesimal Maneuver

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not bad! Seeing how Shi Hao was no longer relying on brute force as he had done previously after the past few days of training, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Facing the other partys assault, he stood his ground firmly and tilted his body slightly. Hu! Shi Haos palm strike flowed right past Zhang Xuans shoulders, missing by just a hairs breadth. This evasion was truly beautifully carried out. A split second earlier, and the other party might still be able to alter the trajectory of his strike tounch a different attack; a split secondter, and he would have been injured by the other partys strike. This is... Infinitesimal Maneuver? Beneath the dueling tform, Hall Master Xing narrowed his eyes in shock. Hall Master Xing, what is Infinitesimal Maneuver? an uprehendingbat master asked doubtfully. Infinitesimal Maneuver is the act of precisely calcting the might, timing, and trajectory of an opponents offense and making the corresponding maneuvers to neutralize the offense. Through doing so, one is able to dodge any attack with ease and even prepare a counterattack in advance, allowing one to turn the tables in an instant, Hall Master Xing exined. The fundamental principle behind Infinitesimal Maneuver involved dodging attacks at the veryst moment so that the opponent would not have chance to alter their offense, and at a close proximity, one would be in a good position tounch a counterattack and turn the tables. The theory behind Infinitesimal Maneuver was simple, but it was too difficult to carry it out in practice. Not only did one need to have an exceptional eye of discernment and sharp reflexes, more importantly, ones state of mind needed to have reached a certain mark as well. Ultimately, humans were living beings, not puppets that would blindly follow orders. Inevitably, a cultivator would feel nervous and uncertain when a sword was right before them, and there would be an instinctive desire to protect themself and distance themself from the sword. Even among Leaving Aperture realm experts, I only know of a very small handful who have reached such a realm, and even I have not reached this level yet. I honestly didnt expect Principal Zhang to have achieved this level, Hall Master Xing remarked in awe. Leaving Aperture realm? The crowd was astonished. No wonder Zhang Xuan was so formidable, shattering all the records in the Combat Master Hall! His talent in martial arts had indeed far exceeded theirs. While the crowd was still shocked by the matter, Zhang Xuan, who had just dodged Shi Haos palm, began tounch his counterattack. At this point, Zhang Xuan was already close to Shi Hao as a result oftters palm strike, and with a slight jerk of his shoulder, he lightly struck the other partys chest. Hu! Before Shi Hao could even react, his figure had already retreated into the distance before crashing onto the ground. Shi Hao swiftly got up, and with a pale face, he sped his fist and bowed. I have lost... He knew that the other party had gone easy on him, or else things would not have ended so easily. If the other party had willed it so, he could have died from that shoulder jerk itself. Zhang Xuan turned to the remainingbat masters and said, Come at me all at once. Hu! This time, the remainingbat masters leaped onto the dueling tform without any hesitation. A young man amid thebat masters bellowed, Lets surround him and use our fastest battle techniques to overwhelm him. I dont believe that he will be able to dodge every single one of our attacks! He was none other than Jiao Tan. As the genius of the Martial Arts Division, he had a deep understanding ofbat. With just a look, he was able to instantaneously identify what Zhang Xuans ws would be with his hands tied. The remaining neenbat masters swiftly took their positions around Zhang Xuan, and when a loud Move! was shouted by Jiao Tan, all of them executed their fastest battle techniques simultaneously. Sou sou sou sou sou! The loud whirring of wind sounded on the dueling tform. In that instant, it was as if countless arrows were raining down from the sky, covering Zhang Xuan entirely. Lets see how he will deal with such a situation, Hall Master Xing muttered as he stared at the situation on the dueling tform intently, not daring to blink. Every member of the Combat Master Hall had learned all sorts of coborative formations, which allowed them to coborate with one another under any circumstances, regardless of how many people they had, thus synergizing their offense together and exerting a fighting prowess far beyond what they could achieve individually. Despite having suppressed their cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage, the simultaneous offense of the neenbat masters was truly fearsome. Even a Nascent Saint would have been crushed into a lump of meat in the face of theirbined might. Intrigued to see how the talented Zhang Xuan would neutralize this situation, Hall Master Xing drove his strength as a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, and everything on the stage seemed to slow down for him. He could perceive even the slightest of gestures made by anyone on top of the dueling tform with perfect rity. Fist, finger, palm, head, leg... All sorts of attacks from the neenbat masters simultaneously fell upon Zhang Xuan. They were all the most talented geniuses of the Combat Master Hall, and under the incredible might of their coboration, even the surrounding air seemed to have been thrown into a state of disarray, producing a series of sonic booms in the air. Seeing the storm-like offense carried out by the neenbat masters, Hall Master Xing unwittingly imaged himself in Zhang Xuans position, and his body shuddered slightly in apprehension. Even with his current fighting prowess, he knew that he would not stand a chance against that barrage of attacks if he suppressed his cultivation as well. Looking intently to see how Zhang Xuan would deal with such a situation, he saw thetter standing still on the spot instead, not moving in the least. It was as if he had not even realized the precarious situation he was in! This attack could deal significant damage to him even if he didnt suppress his cultivation, but he still isnt nning to avoid it? Hall Master Xing was appalled. However, in the next instant, his eyes suddenly narrowed in astonishment. He realized that the other party was not standing still on the spot at all. On the contrary, the other party was moving so quickly and slightly that it was imperceptible to the naked eye. Even with his Spiritual Perception, he was only able to make out bits and pieces of it. Hula! Due to Zhang Xuans slight movements, the attacks of thebat masters ended up falling empty. Astonishingly, despite the encirclement that they had put up, they were not able tond even a single blow on the unmoving Zhang Xuan! This... This... Hall Master Xing felt his throat running dry. Back when he, Division Head Liao, and Division Head Wei had assaulted the other party at the Trial of Inner Demons, he clearly had not been that formidable. How could he suddenly have grown so much more powerful within three short days? In this instant, it seemed as if the young man had absolute control over the space around him. Regardless of whether the attack hade from the front or the back, he could perceive it with absolute precision and move ordingly. Alright, it should be my turn now. At this moment, a nonchnt voice suddenly sounded from the dueling tform. That voice carried a quality that seemed as if it hade from the primordial era, reverberating deeply in his mind, leaving him feeling light-headed. Sh*t, this is a demonic tune! Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in rm. He was just about to warn thebat masters on the dueling tform when he saw that the eyes of the neen on the stage were zed. It was already toote; they had fallen in a trance. Hu! Following that, instead of making use of this opportunity tounch an assault, Zhang Xuan swept a nonchnt gaze over thebat masters. His movements were poised and dignified, reminiscent of an emperor assessing his soldiers authoritatively or a strict teacher staring down on students who had skipped ss. This seemingly simple gesture effected endless fear and deference within the hearts of thebat masters. Putong! One of thebat masters who had a lower Soul Depth could not take it any longer and caved in to Zhang Xuans gaze. He kneeled down onto the floor and pleaded for forgiveness. I was wrong, please forgive me. I will not dare to do it again. While the otherbat masters did not cave in directly, their bodies were wobbling on the spot, an indication that their minds were swiftly approaching their limits. Theres no need to continue the battle any longer. You have all lost. Hall Master Xing quickly leaped onto the dueling tform to halt the duel. After which, he subconsciously turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan once more to assess the young man. Facing the assault of neen men with his feet nted on the ground and hands tied behind his back, he was still able to fend off the storm-like barrage of attacks easily. Not only so, with just a single sentence, he had incapacitated all of them, and with a gaze, he had forced all of them into submission. This was too fearsome! Yes! It was only after hearing Hall Master Xings bellow that everyone finally recovered from their trance. At this point, their robes were alreadypletely drenched with sweat. Facing Zhang Xuan once more, they subconsciously took a step back out of fear. They did not even realize when they had fallen into a trance... If the other party had borne ill intentions toward them, they would have been corpses by now! Paying no heed to the shockedbat masters, Hall Master Xing walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked in bewilderment, Principal Zhang, you should have utilized the means of a terpsichore earlier, right? The other partys words had been imbued with the ability of a demonic tunist, that he could be certain of, but that sweeping gaze at the very end... he was not too sure, but it deeply resembled the ability of terpsichores. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. Terpsichores... are able tomand such a powerful presence as well? Hall Master Xing frowned in iprehension. In his mind, terpsichores were scantily-dresseddies who beguiled others through their dances, but Principal Zhangs gestures were reminiscent of a regal emperor, and his eyes carried authority that none would dare defy. Were terpsichores capable of doing this as well? The abilities of a terpsichore are not just centered around charm. If that was all there was to the upation, Kong shi would not have allowed this upation to be ssified as a unique upation in the first ce. Those who have reached the peak of terpsichorean arts are capable of influencing others with just a simple gaze or gesture, granting them unthinkable fighting prowess in battle, Zhang Xuan said calmly as he undid the ropes behind him with a slight jerk of his hands. If terpsichores had to rely on their physical features and alluring dances to charm and attack other cultivators, they would have been unworthy of being one of the unique upations. As the saying went, the greatest sound is silence, and the greatest form is formless. If the heritage of terpsichores had truly been that shallow, there was no way it would have been able to withstand the trial of time. I am enlightened, Hall Master Xing replied with his face slightly reddened in embarrassment. To be honest, as abat master, he had always looked down on the terpsichore upation. He had thought that they were a shallow upation that used their physical traits to charm others, but the situation had clearly shown him that there was no such thing as an upation being unworthy of respect; there were only people who were unworthy of respect. Turning his attention away from Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan turned to the candidates once more and said, Despiteing at me together, none of you managed to touch me. Is there anyone who disagrees with the results and would like to give it another go? We dare not... We arepletely in awe of you! Zhang shi, we beseech you to teach us well! ... The crowd looked at Zhang Xuan with impassioned, fiery eyes. If they had only been impressed by Zhang Xuans talent previously, after that battle, they had no choice but to acknowledge that they were inferior to the young man in every respect. It was almost as if they lived in two different worlds. To be able to learn from a person like that was indubitably something extremely fortunate. Un. Seeing that the attitudes of the crowd had changed, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. The reason he had chosen to have his hands and feet bound to fight with thosebat masters was not to show off but to shake their confidence and win their trust instead. This would be extremely important if he wanted to induce a metamorphosis in them within just three days. Since no one wants to spar with me anymore, Ill begin the training exercise. Every single one of you will have a different task to deal with, and you must aplish it within three days. If you fail... dont me me not getting cruel! The crowd nodded. Yes! Un. All of you are different from the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. Their eye of discernment andbat sense were not too strong when they first joined the organization, so I could simply impart everything I knew to them. You guys are different. Having internalized countless battle techniques, my lectures onbat sense will likely have minimal effects on you. So, I can only resort to another method. Seeing the crowd agree to it, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, took out a few pieces of paper, and swiftly jotted down twenty different training ns. Alright, I have designed the training ns specially for each of you. Cultivate strictly ording to your! Thebat masters took the training ns and swiftly lowered their gazes to look at them excitedly. However, barely after taking a look, their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets from shock. Chapter 1177 - Eccentric Training Regimes

Chapter 1177: entric Training Regimes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Elder Hall of the Combat Master Hall... Hall Master Xing has gone to find Principal Zhang? Division Head Wei frowned. Division Head Liao nodded. Indeed. If Im not mistaken, Principal Zhang should have started training ourbat masters by now. With Principal Zhangs help, I am reassured. Even average master teachers in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy have be experts on par with us,bat masters, after just a few sessions of tutge; his capabilities are truly nothing short of being phenomenal! My thoughts exactly! It might just be three short days, but with his help, the fighting prowess of our twenty candidates would surely advance by leaps and bounds. Perhaps, we might really be able to bring about a miracle this time around, Division Head Liao remarked. Having interacted with the Xuanxuan Faction previously, he had a clear understanding of how frighteningly effective Zhang Xuans teachings could be. In just a few short months, not only was the fighting prowess of the Xuanxuan Faction enhanced significantly, theirprehension ofbat had also achieved a levelparable or perhaps even exceeding theirs! Shall we secretly take a look at how the training is going? Division Head Wei proposed out of curiosity. Secretly take a look? Un. To be honest, Im interested to see how Principal Zhang intends to train that lot. If we could learn a thing or two from him, we could emte his methods and groom generation after generation of powerfulbat masters! Division Head Wei stroked his beard with an excited gleam in his eyes. Your words do makes sense... Alright, lets head over there together! Moved by the idea as well, Division Head Liao stood up. The training regimes that Zhang Xuan had prepared for thebat masters were not confidential, and as a division head of the Combat Master Hall, it was not a big deal for them to watch over the training of thebat masters anyway. Thus, the duo hurriedly made their way over to the training hall. Hmm? Why is the door open? The first thing that they noticed upon arriving in the vicinity of the training hall was that its massive doors were wide open. Typically speaking, when a training session was in ce, the doors should have been tightly shut. ncing at one another in confusion, the duo walked into the training hall, only to find that there was not a single silhouette to be found in the vast room. It was as if the twenty candidates had vanished into thin air. Where are they? The two division heads looked at one another in bewilderment. They had been informed earlier that the special training would be conducted in the training hall, so they had expected to see a lecture when they walked in. But this... did they change the location at thest moment or something? The duo scanned every nook and cranny of the training hall, but none of the twenty candidates were in sight. A momentter, Division Head Wei raised his finger toward one of the isted chambers and said, Why dont we ask the cleaner over there? He might know a thing or two. Following Division Head Weis finger, Division Head Liao saw a cleaner dressed in dirty clothes scrubbing a toilet bowl within the isted chamber earnestly. This friend over here, did you happen to see a group ofbat masters train... ing... Before Division Head Wei could finish his words, the cleaner scrubbing the toilet bowl suddenly turned around, and upon getting a clear look of the other partys face, his lips suddenly began twitching He was one of the candidates who would be representing their Combat Master Hall in the friendly spar, Shi Hao! Through the exceptionally vast capacity and dense zhenqi that Shi Hao possessed, he had be a famous figure throughout the Combat Master Hall. For such a figure to be scrubbing toilet bowls... and not to mention, the friendly spar was only three days away. He should have been cultivating at that moment! Upon seeing the duo, Shi Hao quickly sped his fist respectfully. Division Head Wei, Division Head Liao! W-what are you doing here? Where are the rest? Didnt Hall Master Xing invite Principal Zhang to lecture you all? Unable to hold back his shock, he shot straight to the question at hand. This is the training regime that Zhang shi has set for me. He has ordered me to clean every single toilet bowl in the Combat Master Hall within three days, Shi Hao replied. Clean all of the toilet bowls in the Combat Master Hall within three days? The two division heads widened their eyes in shock. All in all, there were more than ten thousand people in the Combat Master Hall, and the visitors from the Xuanxuan Faction added another ten thousand to the number. In order to house twenty thousand men simultaneously, it was a given that there were many public facilities. Even by the lower estimates, there had to be at least a thousand toilet bowls throughout the Combat master Hall! Was it even possible to scrub so many toilet bowls within three days? Taking a step back, even if it could be done, what about the friendly spar? Did Shi Hao not need to cultivate? Thats right. Furthermore, he has strictly ordered that I can only use this tool in the cleaning, Shi Hao said as he raised the item in his hand. The sight of that item left the eyelids of the two division heads twitching wildly. Astonishingly, what was in the other partys hand was not a scrubbing brush or anything of that sort but a feather duster! The softness of a feather duster made it suited for cleaning dust, but to clear off the grime and filth that was firmly attached to the toilet bowl... Could it be done? Pardon me, division heads, but I dont have much time to spare. I have to finish scrubbing all of the toilet bowls within three days, or else a pitiful fate will be awaiting me. I have to get to work now! After saying those words, Shi Hao decisively turned away from the two and continued scrubbing the toilet bowl before him diligently. Ah... Alright then, we wont trouble you any longer. That... Do you know where the otherbat masters are? Division Head Wei asked. Without raising his head, Shi Hao replied, Jiao Tan is busy smacking flies buzzing around the bathroom outside, and Qin Xiao is trying to catch birds. As for the rest, Im not too sure. However, they should be within the vicinity, so you can try looking for them. Smacking flies? Catching birds? The bodies of the two division heads swayed from side to side as the vision before them abruptly darkened. Shouldnt they have been listening to a lecture at this very moment? Werent thebat masters supposed to be attending a crash course to raise their fighting prowess as much as possible over the next three days? But... scrubbing toilet bowls, smacking flies, and catching birds... It was as if the world had gone bonkers! Perplexed, the duo walked out of the training hall with confusion clearly written on their faces. They were intending to search for the fly-smacking Jiao Tan and bird-catching Qin Xiao when they saw a young man following behind a femalebat master with a bright smile on his face. Big sister, dont leave. Why dont we explore the intricacies of the human body together... Pah! Hey! If you are unwilling, just say so. Theres no need to resort to violence! That big brother over there, are you interested in exploring the intricacies of the human body together? Scram! Roger that! Upon seeing this sight, Division Head Wei subconsciously turned his gaze to Division Head Liao, and just as he had expected, thetters lips were twitching wildly, and his face was so reddened that it seemed as if he would burst into tears at any moment. If Im not mistaken, that young man over there is your student, Lu Jianling, right? Thats indeed my student. He has always been a rather shy and introverted person, so why... would he be chasing afterdies and uttering such brazen words? Not to mention, why in the world is he chasing after men as well? Division Head Liao covered his face from the utter shame as he instinctively walked away in a different direction. He was afraid that his student would actually run up to him and invite him to explore the intricacies of the human body together. His old heart would not have been able to take that blow! On the other hand, Division Head Wei looked at the sight a little longer and gulped down a mouthful of saliva before catching up with Division Head Liao. The duo continued walking forward, and before long, they saw a young man standing before a tree, driving his zhenqi furiously. He seemed to be undergoing some kind of intense training. This should be Dong Rui from the Guardian Division. He has managed to temper his physical body to an astonishing degree, such that swords and sabers will struggle to leave a scratch on his body, Division Head Wei remarked with a nod. It was ddening to see someone normal among the insanity. Otherwise, if they were to continue seeing more madness before them, they feared that they would suffer a mental breakdown soon. Un. Division Head Liao heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to continue speaking when Dong Rui suddenly finished conditioning himself. He began scrambling up the tree with his four limbs, and upon reaching the very top, he... let go? Paji! He fell head first into the ground, reminiscent of a carrot nted in the earth. Putong! Dong Rui had to struggle a fair bit before he was able to pluck himself out. He applied some medicine on himself before walking up to the tree once more, conditioning his body, and repeating the cycle. Paji! Once again, he fell head first to the ground, and this time, blood sprayed out of his head. ... The two division heads felt as if they were going insane. What were they doing instead of training? Thesebat masters were geniuses who they had specially picked out to participate in the friendly spar, and the Combat Master Hall had high expectations of them. Everyone was waiting for them to bring glory back to the Combat Master Hall, and yet, all of them had suddenly gone insane at this crucial moment! Proceeding forward, they encountered more and more bewildering sights. One was sprawled within a bathing vat, acting like a corpse. One had buried himself in the ground, not moving in the least... It did not take long for them to find all twenty geniuses, but it was like all of them had be psychopaths, carrying out actions that no sane human would ever do again and again. Instead of the arrival of a miracle that they had anticipated, it seemed like a cataclysm had struck their Combat Master Hall instead! Hall Master Xing, what is going on? Unable to take it any longer, the two division heads headed straight to Hall Master Xings residence, only to see thetter staring nkly into the sky. Hall Master Xing turned around to look at them with a deeply helpless look. I... have no idea either. It was then that the duo realized that the head of the usually dashing Hall Master Xing waspletely ruffled like a birds nest. There were dark bags beneath his eyes, as if he had not slept for a few days straight. Principal Zhang is the one who made the call, and he requested that I not interfere in the training regime. I also have no idea what hes up to either! At this moment, Hall Master Xing was truly on the verge of a mental breakdown. He had thought that Zhang Xuan would put theirbat masters through some special intensive training, but the moment that he saw the papers listing the training regimes, he had nearly lost his mind. Special it was indeed... but this was way too freaking special! Are you sure that this can still be considered training? Are you secretly plotting the downfall of our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall instead? You dont know either? Then... are we going to just let him fool around like that? Division Head Wei eximed. I tried talking to him about the matter too, but he said that... if we dont trust him, we should have just trained the candidates ourselves. I also hesitated for very long before deciding to leave it be, Hall Master Xing replied with a bitter smile. In his many years as the head of the Combat Master Hall, this was the first time that he had seen something as mystifying as this. But since he had asked for Zhang Xuans help, it was only right for him to trust the other party. But... The two division heads wanted to protest, but they had no idea where they should start. A long timeter, Division Head Wei finally found the words to speak. Is Principal Zhang... really training ourbat masters? I have no idea either... but my thought is that since its unlikely that three days of training by us will make any substantial difference in the results of the friendly spar. Therefore, we might as well just allow him to do as he pleases. Perhaps... who knows? There might really just be a miracle! While Hall Master Xing said those words, his shaking head was more than enough to show his skepticism. Their Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had been in a weak position for a very long time. While they would be dispatching their greatest geniuses to participate in the friendly spar, it was still questionable whether or not they would be able to obtain even two slots. Since that was the case, they might as well ce their bets on Zhang Xuan and pray for a miracle. Considering the unthinkable feats that thetter had pulled off in the past, it was not out of the question! It seems like this is our only option at the moment... Division Head Wei took a look around, but Zhang Xuan was not in sight, so he asked, Oh right, where is Principal Zhang? He just obtained his 7-star physician and appraiser emblem, and he said that he would be paying a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion to apply for his promotion to 7-star master teacher, Hall Master Xing replied. Promotion to 7-star master teacher? The duo was slightly taken aback by those words. We invited you to train ourbat masters, and yet, after turning all of them into lunatics, you even ran off to the Master Teacher Pavilion by yourself! Isnt this a little too much? The two division heads looked up into the sky as well, and a very long timeter, a deep sigh escaped from their mouths. ... Just as Hall Master Xing had said, Zhang Xuan was currently in the Master Teacher Pavilion. To him, training thebat masters was just a minor issue. What was more important for him was to be promoted to 7-star master teacher. He needed that promotion in order to vie for the nomination slot to the Sanctum of Sages and find Luo Ruoxin. This was the only chance he had. Otherwise, once Luo Ruoxin was married in the third month of the next year, everything would be over. Walking through the vast hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan headed straight for Wu shis residence. Due to him having cleared the Empire Building, he could apply for his promotion to 7-star master teacher directly without undergoing the examination. It would be troublesome to exin that matter to the others, so he decided to find Wu shi immediately and have thetter clear it for him. Before Zhang Xuan could enter Wu shis residence, he heard the voice of an old man from within the room. Wu shi, if it wasnt for Vice Pavilion Master Tian noticing the trapid by the Otherworldly Demons, our Master Teacher Pavilion might not exist. Yet, you had him captured over the trivial matter of ndering a 6-star master teacher? Dont you think that you are making a mountain out of a molehill? Chapter 1178 - Today, One of Us Shall Fall!

Chapter 1178: Today, One of Us Shall Fall!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pavilion Master Gou, Hall Master Xing of the Combat Master Hall and I witnessed this matter with our own eyes. There is concrete evidence to prove it! Wu shi anxiously eximed. You said that there is concrete evidence to prove this matter? The old man spoke once more. As a master teacher, you should know better than to blindly trust your eyes! You have to carefully investigate the issue in order to discern fact from fiction, not to mention, this matter involves a vice pavilion master! If we go by your judgement and rule that our vice pavilion master attempted to frame a 6-star master teacher, what will be of the reputation of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion? This... Wu shis voice grew slightly hesitant. In order for the local Master Teacher Pavilion to maintain order in the region, reputation was of utmost importance. If it was made known that a vice pavilion master had tried to oppress a lower-ranked master teacher, the credibility of the entire Master Teacher Pavilion would be doubted, and they would be theughingstock of the world! Wu shi paused for a moment before responding. Pavilion Master Gou, I understand that our reputation is important, but even more so is fairness! As master teachers, we should conduct ourselves properly and remain neutral. If we side with our own master teachers for the sake of our reputation, how can we be qualified to pass judgement upon others? It was true that the reputation of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would be sullied if Vice Pavilion Master Tian was convicted for the current usations. However, if it was discovered that their Master Teacher Pavilion had willfully sided with their own men, it would cast doubt over the leadership of the master teachers over the Master Teacher Continent! Fairness? Are you trying to tell me that your words are the very embodiment of fairness? What I heard is that Vice Pavilion Master Tian has been wronged instead! The old man harrumphed coldly. Tian Qing, recount the matters that happened yesterday to me once more! Yes! Vice Pavilion Master Tian said from within the room. Its like this. King Zhongqing is in charge of the defenses of the city, and after capturing the vice head of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, he managed to acquire critical intelligence regarding the Poison Hall and sessfully led an expedition to eradicate it. On top of that, he also learned that there was a particrly formidable poison master known as Sun Qiang hiding within the city, and there was a very good chance that thetters existence could ce mankind in danger. After investigating the matter, he found that Sun Qiang happened to be Zhang Xuans butler! Given that a master teacher was involved in the matter, he knew that he could not act recklessly, so he came to seek my assistance in the matter. Thus, I invited Zhang Xuan over to King Zhongqings manor in my name, but not only did Zhang Xuan refuse to cooperate with the investigation, he even forcefully freed Sun Qiang and made a move against the both of us... Made a move against the both of you? Wu shis eyes shot up in displeasure. Vice Pavilion Master Tian, dont you think that your words are ludicrous? Principal Zhang is a Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivator whereas you are a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert. Are you trying to tell us that Principal Zhang is so foolish as to pick a fight against someone more than two cultivation realms stronger than him? He could not tell anyone about Zhang Xuans identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, but that did not mean that he would not fight against anyone who dared to frame him! The one who has attacked me wasnt Zhang Xuan himself but a cauldron in his possession. The cauldron is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, and it wields strengthparable to mine, Vice Pavilion Master Tian replied. That only discredits your story further. Despite being a master teacher, you arent able to match a mere Saint intermediate-tier cauldron? As powerful as a Saint intermediate-tier artifact was, without a person to drive it, it was unable to bring out its full prowess. For someone as powerful a Vice Pavilion Master Tian to be unable to match a mere Saint intermediate-tier artifact... wasnt this a joke in itself? Fine. Vice Pavilion Master Tian harrumphed coldly. Since you insist that I have attempted to frame Zhang Xuan, let me ask you this... do I have any reason to pick on him? This... Wu shi are stumped. I am the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as a 7-star master teacher. In terms of standing, hes nowhere near me. Do you think that it makes any sense for me to put my career as a master teacher on the line just to deal with a mere principal of a Master Teacher Academy whom I have no connections whatsoever with? Vice Pavilion Master Tian argued. This was exactly what had confounded Wu shi as well. He could not understand why Vice Pavilion Master Tian would make a move against Zhang Xuan either. A person who was seemingly superior to Zhang Xuan every way, at least on the surface... He should not have any reason to deal with Zhang Xuan! This was the missing piece of the puzzle that he had been struggling to find all along! Wu Rufeng, what do you have to say? Pavilion Master Gou said coldly. While I have no idea why Vice Pavilion Master Tian would deal with Principal Zhang, its a fact that King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian were making a move on him when we arrived on the scene. If we were just a second slower, Principal Zhang would have been a dead man by now! Countless master teachers andbat masters witnessed that with their own eyes, so if Pavilion Master Gou doubts my words, I can bring them over to testify before you! Furthermore, the vice head of the Poison Hall whom Vice Pavilion Master Tian spoke about has already confessed that King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian forced him intoplying with them to frame Principal Zhang! Is the vice head of the Poison Hall you spoke about Ming Zhen? Pavilion Master Gou asked. Thats right! Pavilion Master Gou harrumphed coldly. He diedst night! Hes dead? But hes in the prison cell of the Master Teacher Pavilion... How could he have died? Wu shi could not believe his ears. How am I supposed to know that? You were the one who captured him, and now you are telling me you do not know why he died in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Dont you think that you should be the one exining the matter to me? Pavilion Master Gou replied in a frosty tone. Pavilion Master Gou, are you... doubting me? Wu shis eyes widened in disbelief. Its not that I want to doubt you, but think about what has happened. Do you think that its possible for me to not doubt you? You imed that Chen Zhe has betrayed the Master Teacher Pavilion and requested for permission to capture and investigate him, and I granted you permission for that. Yet, he passed away in your custody! Given how secure the Master Teacher Pavilion is, there is no one who could have gotten to him other than you! If you had not used torture on him to force a confession, how could he have died? Furthermore, I have also investigated the affairs of that Zhang Xuan, and you seem to have gone through a life-and-death situation with him. Considering the deep ties between the both of you, I cannot help but suspect that you are intentionally siding with him in order to protect him, perhaps even making a false testimony in his favor! Pavilion Master Gou harrumphed. It hasnt been long since you have been promoted to a vice pavilion master, so I understand that you might be eager to prove yourself to rece Vice Pavilion Master Tian. But no matter what you do, you need evidence! Look at the mess you have caused, and you still expect me to believe you? Seeing that Pavilion Master Gou was doubting him, Wu shi anxiously exined himself. I swear on my name as a master teacher that I have been perfectly impartial in this matter, and I have no interest in usurping Vice Pavilion Master Tians position... Enough! I do not wish to talk about this matter anymore. I dont care how the both of you fight with one another, but you had better not do anything that will harm the reputation of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Pavilion Master Gou interjected coldly. It has been five hundred years since I became the pavilion master, and while I have not aplished anything outstanding my time, I have not erred in my leadership either. Its already nearing my retirement date, and I hope to leave the Master Teacher Pavilion in peace. I do not want to retire as aughingstock of the town, so I do not want to see anything happen till then. You hear me? Not expecting Pavilion Master Gou to suddenly pin such a severe usation on him, Wu shi panicked. Pavilion Master Gou, I am really not doing this for power! While I have braved through a life-and-death situation with Principal Zhang, I would not dream of willfully siding with him over something as important as this... Enough! I have already said that I do not want to interfere in the matters between the both of you! You can do whatever you like, just do not make our Master Teacher Pavilion appear to be a joke before others! But... Indignant, Wu shi gritted his teeth, but seeing that Pavilion Master Gou was unwilling to listen to his words, he could only clench his fists and reluctantly reply. Fine, I understand. Un, that had better be the case. Alright, send a man to bring Zhang Xuan over here right now to clear things up. If hes willing to listen, I can still consider giving him the benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, just on the grounds of insubordination alone, I will have him condemned for his entire life... Pavilion Master Gou instructed. However, before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly sounded. Theres no need to send anyone. Im already here. Following which, a young man walked in. Zhang Xuan. He had only gone there to take the 7-star master teacher examination, but who would have thought that he would hear those words instead? He could almost feel his blood boiling from the rage within him. Initially, he had thought that Pavilion Master Gou had only been blinded by the words of Vice Pavilion Master Tian, but as he listened on, he had realized that the other party was just an ipetent superior who did not want the pot to be stirred so that he could retire in peace. Horrified by Zhang Xuans sudden arrival, Wu shi eximed in shock, Principal Zhang! From the earlier conversation, he could tell that Pavilion Master Gou was deeply displeased with Zhang Xuan. This was truly a bad moment for the fellow to appear... If Pavilion Master Gou were to pass a judgement on the fellow in a rage, the fellow could very well be doomed! At the same time, a cruel glint shed across Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qings eyes as he hurriedly stepped forward and said, Pavilion Master Gou, this young man over here is the person who framed me, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan! You are Zhang Xuan? Pavilion Master Gou narrowed his eyes threateningly. How dare a mere 6-star master teacher like you eavesdrop in our conversation? You audacious brat! Audacious? I dont think I am as audacious as you are! Zhang Xuan replied with a voice that was freezing like a winters night. What did you say? Pavilion Master Gou smacked the table out of rage as a powerful aura burst forth menacingly from him. As the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, his standing was unmatched by anyone in the Qingyuan Empire. Yet, a pesky principal of a small Master Teacher Academy had actually dared to speak to him in such a manner. This was apleteck of respect for his elders, a tant breach of the formalities among master teachers! Dont you have a clear idea as to what I just said? Facing the other partys wrath, Zhang Xuan did not show a hint of worry or anxiety. With eyes filled with nothing but apathy, he said, After so many years, you should know Wu shis temperament better than anyone else. Vice Pavilion Master Tian has aided King Zhongqing in a scheme against me and my butler, and yet, instead of investigating the matter, you chose to side with Vice Pavilion Master Tian blindly in order to protect yourself, evening over here to berate and put down Wu shi. Are you really that blind, or has water gotten into your head? How in the world can the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion be so unfortunate as to get a pavilion master as ipetent and useless as you? Principal Zhang! Not expecting the good-tempered Zhang Xuan to actually criticize Pavilion Master Gou openly, Wu shi was nearly scared of his wits. From the very start, Pavilion Master Gou already had a bad impression of the other party. After saying these words, there was no longer room for reconciliation. You impertinent scoundrel, how dare a mere 6-star master teacher like you insult our pavilion master? Pavilion Master Gou, I shall have him apprehended for breaching the formalities of master teachers right now and cripple his cultivation! Vice Pavilion Master roared furiously as he charged forward to nab Zhang Xuan. Qing Tian, you dare! Wu shi bellowed furiously as he quickly stepped forward to protect Zhang Xuan. Theres no need for that! Zhang Xuan replied coldly as he waved his hand lightly. Peng! Before Vice Pavilion Master Tian could process what was going on, he was already smacked into the wall. Following which, Zhang Xuan slowly advanced step by step, and with a gaze as sharp as daggers, he spoke with a voice that resounded clearly throughout the entire Qingyuan City. I have walked here step by step from Tianxuan Kingdom, and no one has ever dared to frame me for anything before! I, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, hereby request permission from the headquarters to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Today, one of us shall fall! Chapter 1179 - It Seems He Is Called Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1179: It Seems He Is Called Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Appraiser Hall... How is it? My medicine is quite effective, right? In the lounge, Elder Qi spoke to the young man before him with a smile. Looking into the mirror and seeing that his dashing appearance had finally been restored, the young man heaved a sigh of relief and sped his fist. Elder Qi, thank you for your help. If not for your assistance, who knows how long it would have taken for me to recover! Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Its my responsibility as a physician to help those in need, Elder Qi replied kindly. Jiuxiao, you really mustnt act recklessly in the future. Dont push yourself to do what is beyond your capability. Being embarrassed is just a small matter, but it would truly be a huge disaster if you were to lose your identity as an appraiser over it, Guild Leader Mu advised worriedly. It went without saying that the young man was Zhang Jiuxiao. The previous night, while the poison that Zhang Xuan had prescribed him was effective in eliminating the spirit that had taken root within him, it had caused his face to swell, leaving him unable to meet anyone. Thus, he could only stay overnight in the Appraiser Hall. That morning, the swelling had still shown no signs of subsiding, so he could only invite the old guild leader of the Physician Guild, Elder Qi, over to treat him. While Elder Qis enemy wielded great influence, considering that it was in the middle of the day and the Master Teacher Pavilion was in the vicinity, his enemy would surely not be so brazen as to assault him at that moment. I understand. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded in response. He had stepped out in the hope of winning the respect of others by deciphering the seal on the painting, only to end up leaving himself in a pitiful state. When he had looked into the mirror and seen how his dashing face had been warped hideously... just recalling the matter was enough to send tears to his eyes. It was fortunate that he had been in the Appraiser Hall, so none of his fans had been able to see the state that he was in. Otherwise, he would have been too embarrassed to walk on the streets of Qingyuan City ever again. Of course, more important was the rule surrounding appraisers that only allowed them to make three appraisal errors in their entire career. While the affair yesterday had not really been considered an appraisal, it had happened before many eyes, and once others learned of the matter, it would be a stain on his records. Its all because of that Zhang Xuan... He clearly knew how to decipher the seal, but he chose not to speak just so to embarrass me... Recalling that seemingly innocent yet revolting smile of that fellow, rage swiftly surged through Zhang Jiuxiaos veins. That fellow had already embarrassed him once on the Heart Tempering Bridge, and he had been banking on that matter to vie back some dignity. Yet, who would have expected that he would be beaten further down into the ground? He must have done it intentional, no doubt about it! As innocent and honest as that fellow looked on the surface, his instincts told him that the other party had done it intentionally to humiliate him in public! As stifled as Zhang Jiuxiao was, as a 7-star master teacher, he was still able to conceal his emotions perfectly, so neither Elder Qi nor Guild Leader Mu noticed his inner thoughts. Elder Qi, can you tell me what poison my face is afflicted with? Zhang Jiuxiao asked. Its a particrly potent poison, possibly reaching the level of grade-7. If it was not for the fact that I have been studying poison for the past few years, I might not have been able to treat you, Elder Qi replied with a frown. It was not for no reason that he had chosen to flee to Jingyuan City after he had been poisoned by his enemy. He had heard that a Poison Hall was located there, so he had decided to try his luck. In the twenty years he had spent there, while he had failed to cure his poison, he had managed pick up several means concerning poisons through interacting with a few local poison masters, which had allowed him to suppress the poison within him considerably. Thanks to that, he had been able to survive long enough to meet Zhang Xuan. His experiences had granted him a deep insight into poison. As long as a poison was not particrly potent, he would be able to resolve it with ease. Hearing those words, Zhang Jiuxiao could not help but mutter aloud in astonishment, The prescription that Zhang shi gave me was actually a poison? Could it be that Zhang shi is a poison master? The Poison Hall maintained a strict confidentiality over their poison forms, so for Zhang Xuan to prescribe one to him so easily... Could it be that he was a poison master? Hearing a familiar name, Elder Qi could not help but ask, May I know who the Zhang shi you mentioned is? Ah, Jiuxiao must be referring to the 6-star master teacher from the Hongyuan Empire who has recently arrived in our city, Zhang Xuan, Guild Leader Mu replied. Zhang Xuan? You all know him too? Hes my benefactor! Hes truly an incredible figure, isnt he? Not only does he wield phenomenal capabilities in the Way of Medicine, which far exceed my own, more importantly, he holdspassion in his heart. Theres no way a person like him could be a poison master, Elder Qi replied. Benefactor? His capabilities in the Way of Medicine far exceed yours? Zhang Jiuxiao was dumbstruck by those words. That fellow has a Soul Depth higher than me? Fine, Ill ept it. That fellows capability as an appraiser is higher than mine? Fine, Ill ept that, too. But for his capability in the Way of Medicine to be more formidable than mine as well... Just who is the 7-star master teacher here? Ever since meeting that fellow, it seems like I have been leaping from one nightmare straight into another! Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief. Its fortunate that my master teacher rank is higher than his, or else I would really be utterly outmatched by him... But before he could finish his words, a voice reminiscent of the rumbling of thunder suddenly boomed in the air. I, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, hereby request permission from the headquarters to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Today, one of us shall fall! Hearing the news, Zhang Jiuxiao nearly copsed to the ground. What? Hes intending to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion? Pavilion crashing was the act of challenging an entire Master Teacher Pavilion single-handedly. Whether one had a conflict with a superior master teacher or hadmitted a sin, as long as one had not betrayed humanity, one would be able to absolve oneself of me through sessfully crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion. To put it in simpler terms, once a master teacher had sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion that they had a conflict with, the headquarters would no longer pursue the matter. It was just a moment ago that Zhang Jiuxiao had consoled himself with the fact that he still had his master teacher rank to fall back on against Zhang Xuan, but then thetter suddenly challenged the entire Master Teacher Pavilion. Was this for real? Rushing out of the room, Zhang Jiuxiao saw a master teacher emblem flying straight into the sky before floating silently. Deep within the Master Teacher Pavilion, from the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, a pure and ancient aura surged into the sky and shrouded the emblem. Two words slowly morphed into appearance. Permission granted! The headquarters... actually agreed to his request? A 6-star master teacher is going to challenge a 7-star Master Teacher Pavilion branch? Is this for real? This is going to make history! If Zhang shi sessfully carries out the pavilion crashing, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion will lose all shred of its dignity and honor, and Pavilion Master Gou will be aughingstock of all master teachers... Guild Leader Mu and Elder Qi were dumbfounded by the happenings before them. Teacher, Elder Qi, as a master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, I have a responsibility to guard its honor as well, so Ill be taking my leave. Farewell! Zhang Jiuxiao sped his fist before hurriedly flying back to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Pavilion crashing was as good as causing trouble on the home turf of the regional master teachers. As one of the master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he had to rush back to protect it! Zhang Xuan, no matter how talented you are, if you wish to bring down the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, you will have to get past me first, Zhang Jiuxiao muttered menacingly with narrowed eyes. It was about time for him to return the favor for the two face ps that he had suffered from the other party! ... In the Qingyuan Empire royal pce... A pig-faced middle-aged man was lying on a bed, panting heavily. King Zhongqing. After being viciously pummeled for an entire night, while he had managed to suppress the poison within his body for the time being, he had nearly been crippled in the process. If not for his superior physical resilience and the abundant supply of pills, he might have long died from the relentless beating. In order to satisfy his needs, more than twenty guards had already had their turn with him, and every single one of their hands had swollen up and was trembling from frailty. Butler Qin walked to King Zhongqing and politely enquired, Old Master, how are you feeling at the moment? Im still fine for the moment... Right, remember to get rid of those guards who pummeled me. No one can learn of my condition, got it? King Zhongqing harrumphed callously. Dont worry, Old Master. I have already made arrangements for that, Butler Qin respectfully replied. Good. Struggling to sit up, King Zhongqing began meditating to recuperate from his injuries. It took a while before the pain from the beating he had sustained finally alleviated. Turning his head toward Butler Qin once more, he asked, Is there any news from Vice Pavilion Master Tian? I have already informed Pavilion Master Gou of the situation surrounding Vice Pavilion Master Tian as you have instructed me to... At this point, Butler Qin could not help but hesitate for a moment before continuing. Old Master, will Pavilion Master Gou really save Vice Pavilion Master Tian? The crime of framing another master teacher is a serious matter. Will it really be worthwhile for him to protect Vice Pavilion Master Tian? Dont worry, I know that old man very well. Hell definitely save Vice Pavilion Master Tian! King Zhongqing sneered coldly. As long as Vice Pavilion Master Tian remains in power, no one will be able to touch me. Humph, I will make sure Wu Rufeng and Zhang Xuan pay the price for their actions! I see... Butler Qin heaved a sigh of relief. He pondered for a brief moment before asking once more, Old Master, what is Zhang Xuans background? How can a 6-star master teacher manage to corner you and Vice Pavilion Master Tian to such an extent? Regardless of where he is from, theres no way he will be able to escape with his life after offending Vice Pavilion Master Tian. King Zhongqing waved his hand leisurely. You do not have to worry about this matter anymore; he will be a goner soon enough. Most likely, either today or tomorrow, he will be apprehended by the Master Teacher Pavilion and die an untimely death in the cells. However, before he could finish his words, a resounding voice echoed deafeningly in the air, shaking the entire royal pce. I, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, hereby request permission from the headquarters to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Today, one of us shall fall! King Zhongqing was taken aback for a brief moment before heartyughter boomed from his mouth. He wasughing so intensely that tears were beginning to form in his eyes. A 6-star master teacher like him actually dares to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion? Hahaha, this must be the most hrious joke that I have heard my entire life! Hes bringing about his own doom! Given the prowess of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, not even an 8-star low-tier master teacher would dare challenge it. For a 6-star master teacher to dream of crashing it, he sure likes to dream big! There was no master teacher who was unaware of the difficulty in pavilion crashing. It was a nigh impossible feat to aplish, and throughout the long history of the Master Teacher Continent, only a small handful of top-notch prodigies had ever seeded in aplishing it! Yet, that fellow was so conceited as to think that he could seed in it. It seemed like they had been worrying over that fellow for nothing! Just as King Zhongqing wasughing heartily, Emperor Chu Tianxing suddenly walked into the room with widened strides. Your Majesty! Overwhelmed with excitement, King Zhongqing immediately reported, That Zhang Xuan has foolishly decided to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. With this, his days are already numbered! I have heard the deration, too. That will be one less worry for us. Emperor Chu Tianxing nodded, but there was still a hint of worry in his eyes. As the emperor of a country, he always considered the worst-case scenario so that he would not be caught off guard by any abrupt changes in the situation. As unlikely as it was, he could not shake off the sliver of doubt nudging his mind. Thus, he could not help himself from asking, Is there anyone who has seeded in crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion before? This... Im not too sure either. However, we can call Bai shi over to ask him, King Zhongqing replied. While the Master Teacher Pavilion did not interfere in the affairs of the empire that they were stationed in, the royal family would usually recruit some unaffiliated master teachers to bolster their ranks. Master teachers had a choice to decide whether they wanted to join the regional Master Teacher Pavilion or not. If they joined, they would be granted several privileges, but in exchange, they would have a responsibility to the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. On the other hand, they could also choose to remain unaffiliated. The Bai shi whom King Zhongqing spoke of was one of the unaffiliated master teachers, and he was currently serving as the Imperial Master Teacher of the Qingyuan Empire. Emperor Chu Tianxing nodded before sending a subordinate to invite Bai shi over. Not too longter, an elder walked into the room. Bai shi, have you heard of any master teachers who have sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion? Hold on a moment, Your Majesty. Ill have my friend look into the matter, Bai shi replied. Unaffiliated with the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, he was unable to ess its resources as he liked. Thus, he could only ask his friend to do it in his stead. Weng! Not too longter, the jade token in his palm lit up. Bai shi swiftly took a look at it before sping his fist. Your Majesty, there are indeed cases where a Master Teacher Pavilion has been sessfully crashed before. There are three such men in history who have seeded in pulling off this feat. Three men? Hearing that such a small handful of people had seeded in the past, both King Zhongqing and Emperor Chu Tianxing heaved a sigh of relief in unison. It had been several dozen millenniums since the Master Teacher Pavilion first came into existence. Countless geniuses must havee and gone throughout the many years of its existence, and despite that, only three had ever sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion. This was more than sufficient to show the difficulty of the task. Just by this fact alone, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to sessfully crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Out of curiosity, King Zhongqing asked, Who are those three men? Do you have their names? I do. The first goes by the name of Luo Yuntian, and the second is Yuan Xi. They are both the old ancestors of Sage ns, the Luo n and Yuan n respectively... What about the third person? Looking at the name written on the jade token, Bai shi was visibly taken aback for a moment before he stuttered in astonishment, I-it seems he is called... ... Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1180 - Zhang Xuan vs. Zhang Jiuxiao Chapter 1180: Zhang Xuan vs. Zhang Jiuxiao Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Gedeng! Both King Zhongqing and Emperor Chu Tianxings hearts skipped a beat. Zhang Xuan? Which Zhang Xuan? Zhang Xuan from Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. Reading on, Bai shis lips began quivering in fear. After which... he became appointed as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! Considering how the previous deration had resounded throughout Qingyuan City, they would have to have been deaf to not hear it. He had thought that the Zhang Xuan person, whoever he was, was courting his own death, and yet... to think that the other party had a history of sessfully crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion! He had thought that it was an ignorant novice, but it turned out to be an experienced veteran instead! The Master Teacher Pavilion in the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom should be a 3-star branch at the very most, so its not too surprising that he was able to sessfully crash it. Do you think that... hell be able to crash our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as well? King Zhongqing asked hesitantly. I cant say for sure. However, since he has a previous experience in pavilion crashing, I believe that he should understand how difficult the matter is. Since he dares to challenge the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, it is likely that he is confident that he will be able to sessfully crash it, Bai shi replied with an apprehensive frown. Overwhelmed with anxiety, King Zhongqing howled in desperation, Theres no way he can seed. He mustnt seed! Bai shi shook his head and sighed deeply. I dont know whether hell seed or not, but regardless of the results... the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion can be said to be a goner already... Injustice was rife in the world, even within the Master Teacher Pavilion. Despite the rules put in ce by the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was unable to avoid it altogether. Throughout history, many geniuses had fallen not at the hands of powerful enemies but from the schemes of their peers. The death of every single genius master teacher was a huge loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it was in view of this that the Master Teacher Pavilion had implemented the system of pavilion crashing to serve as an avenue for these geniuses to redress their grievances. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan seeded or failed, the very fact that the headquarters had agreed to his request meant that the headquarters held Zhang Xuan in high regard, and as a consequence of that, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would be effectively stered with abel of ipetence and mistreating rising prodigies. The headquarters would summon Pavilion Master Gou for further investigation, and no matter how the investigation turned out, thetters reputation would be ruined. Theres no way he can seed, theres just no way... Puu! King Zhongqing roared with clenched jaws when he suddenly felt a pain in his chest, and fresh blood burst through his lips. He quickly turned to Bai shi and pleaded, Quick, beat me. Beat me up with all your might! I need it! I need it right now... ... Bai shi. ... Emperor Chu Tianxing. ... In the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion... Seeing the two words in the sky, Wu shi felt his vision darken. He did think that Pavilion Master Gou had disyed ack of fairness in this matter, but still... no matter what, this was where he had grown up and spent several centuries in. He already considered this ce his home, and he could not bear to see someone wrecking it. However, he knew that it was already toote to say anything. Given the present circumstances, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to choose this course of action. Zhang Xuan was only a 6-star master teacher whereas Pavilion Master Gou was a 7-star master teacher, as well as the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion. If thetter really attempted to indict him for some crime, the only way Zhang Xuan could have possibly salvaged himself was through crashing the entire Master Teacher Pavilion. Wu shi stood in a daze for a long while, and all the frustrations and helplessness he felt within him eventually materialized in the form of a deep sigh. On the other hand, Pavilion Master Gou was so angered by the course of events that his entire body was trembling in rage. Having served five hundred years as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he was already nearing his retirement age. He had thought that he could spend the end of his career in peace and retire with a perfect record, but who would have thought that he would actually end up stepping on a hugendmine at the final juncture? He knew that regardless of the oue of the pavilion crashing, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilions reputation was doomed to be sullied. You! Do you know what it means to crash a Master Teacher Pavilion? Suppressing the exploding rage within him, Pavilion Master Gou red at the young man before him with gritted teeth. If looks could kill, the world would have withered there and then. You are asking me that question? Humph! As if there was lightning within his eyes, Zhang Xuan red at Pavilion Master Gou with a frightening gaze as he spoke. For mankind, I, Zhang Xuan, descended alone into the Subterranean Gallery to mend the seal leading to the otherworldly battlefield! For mankind, I hunted down the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage one after another, averting a potential crisis! For mankind, I have groomed the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and granted them strengthparable to thebat masters! I have devoted my life to protecting mankind, putting myself in precarious situations time and time again, and I have never regretted my actions! And yet, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion dares to humiliate me like this... I only hope that the headquarters give me an opportunity to redress my grievances! Since you are ipetent and useless, choosing to cover up for those who have sinned just to avoid stepping into muddied waters, Ill just have to use my own methods to resolve this matter! As for whether you are embarrassed by this matter or not... why should I care about that? You! Choked by Zhang Xuans words, Pavilion Master Gou spurted a mouthful of blood. He had thought that the figure whom he was dealing with was a mere 6-star master teacher, and a few words of criticisms would surely have made thetter bow obediently before him. Never in his dreams had he expected the other party to be such a fearless troublemaker! Pavilion Master Gou... I hate to say this, but you have really done wrong this time around. Wu shi closed his eyes and shook his head. While others might have been unaware of it, he knew that the young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint, a figure whose standing was on par with Kong shis! Putting aside the head of a branch, even the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would dare not humiliate the other party in such a manner! Humiliating a figure like that was no different from undermining the authority of the heavens! If the other party were to take such an insult lying down, how could he possibly stand dignified before the masses ever again? Hearing the words spoken by Wu shi, Pavilion Master Gous face warped in fury, and he spat furiously through gritted teeth, You said that I have done wrong? Humph, do you think that itll be that easy to crash our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion? Sound the bells! Since things had already reached that point... there was no way that he would let the other party get away so easily! Dong dong dong dong! Shortly after his bellow, four resounding chimes echoed from the depths of the Master Teacher Pavilion, indicating the arrival of a pavilion crashing challenger. Hong long long! In just fifteen minutes, all of the 6-star and 7-star master teachers had returned to the Master Teacher Pavilion with grim expressions on their faces, as if soldiers preparing to march onto the battlefield. There are two steps to pavilion crashing. Firstly, the challenger must defeat all the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Secondly, the challenger must sessfully clear the Master Teacher Tower! Currently, all of the 6-star and 7-star master teachers in our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion are present here. If you wish to crash our pavilion, you will have to first trample past on their dignity! At which point, Pavilion Master Gou slowly swept over the gathered master teachers with his gaze before bellowing authoritatively, Master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, someone hase to challenge our dignity. What shall we do? Annihte him! Make him learn that our Master Teacher Pavilion is not a ce for him to fool around! How dare a 6-star master teacher act so brazenly as to challenge our Master Teacher Pavilion? See how I eradicate him with a flick of my hand! ... Upon understanding what was going on, the master teachers howled furiously. Seeing that morale was high among the master teachers, Pavilion Master Gou nodded in satisfaction. Good! Lets begin then! There were dozens of thousands of 6-star master teachers in the Qingyuan Master Teacher Academy, and their might was no joking matter whenbined together. No matter how talented or powerful Zhang Xuan was, their forces were more than enough to grind him down eventually! Who will go first? Allow me! As a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion, I wish to strike down the brazen fool who dares challenge us! Shortly after those words were spoken, a loud whiz sounded from the air as a young man descended from the sky. Zhang Jiuxiao! He had just rushed over from the Appraiser Hall. Good! Pavilion Master Gou nodded. Zhang Jiuxiao was the offspring of a Sage n, the Zhang n. Even though he was just part of the side family, his talent was unrivalled by any other in the Qingyuan Empire. On top of that, as a 7-star master teacher, he had many means up his sleeves. Without a doubt, it would be a piece of cake for him to deal with Zhang Xuan! Pavilion Master Gou secretly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Jiuxiao. Theres no need to show him mercy. Let him learn the heavy price he must pay for daring to crash our Master Teacher Pavilion! Pavilion Master Gou, rest assured. I know what to do! With a frown, the aura surrounding Zhang Jiuxiao grew stronger and stronger as he turned to look at the young man not too far away with narrowed eyes. From the moment he met the fellow the day before, the fellow had embarrassed him time and time again. Since that was the case, he would resolve this humiliation once and for all with a fight! A duel between master teachers cane in many formsa challenge of Soul Depth, a fight in supporting upations, a direct showdown, a lecture... Since you are the challenger, I have the right to choose the type of challenge, Zhang Jiuxiao said as he walked confidently toward Zhang Xuan before eventually stopping five meters in front of thetter. As the offspring of the Zhang n, he had been able to take many shortcuts in his cultivation, resulting in his state of mind being less tempered than others. However, he was confident that his capabilities in all other aspects were top-notch, and he would not lose to anyone! Since that fellow had dared challenge the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he would make that fellow learned that he was not to be trifled with. In no mood to entertain Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan waved his hands impatiently. Speak! I choose a showdown, a duel to pit our strength against one another! Zhang Jiuxiao sneered coldly. A duel was the most direct and easiest way for him to establish his superiority. As a member of the Zhang n, he had cultivated many powerful battle techniques, so defeating a fellow whose cultivation was beneath his was truly no big deal. Jiuxiao, you mustnt! On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Jiuxiao was proposing to have a direct fight instead, Pavilion Master Gou immediately recalled how Zhang Xuan had sent Vice Pavilion Master Tian flying with a flick of his hand, so he quickly sent a telepathic message over anxiously. Since even a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert like Vice Pavilion Master Tian was no match for Zhang Xuan, how could Zhang Jiuxiao possibly stand a chance? Zhang Jiuxiao shrugged the other partys worries away with a chuckle. Pavilion Master Gou, rest assured! No matter what, I am an offspring of the Zhang n. While my cultivation is only at Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, my fighting prowess has already far exceeded that level. To be honest with you, I have never revealed my true strength before. As there was no peer who was a match for him, there had never been any need for him to use his full strength before. For the first time, he nned on disying his true strength in public to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson! Hong long! His acupoints burst open simultaneously, and an overwhelming aura abruptly burst forth from him. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already exceeded the boundary of Saint 3-dan pinnacle, reaching Saint 4-dan. Primordial Spirit realm? When did Zhang Jiuxiao achieve a breakthrough? It seems like he has been concealing his true strength all along... To reach the Primordial Spirit realm beneath thirty, he is truly fearsome... He isnt the most formidable genius of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion for no reason! Theres no way that 6-star master teacher can possibly be a match for him! ... Seeing Zhang Jiuxiaos cultivation surge to Saint 4-dan in an instant, everyone was taken aback for a moment before admiration and respect seeped into the depths of their eyes. Zhang shi is so dashing. I knew that no one would be able to match him! At some point in time, the millstone-bottomdy had arrived in the hall, and hiding behind a pir, she peeked on Zhang Jiuxiao coyly with stars twinkling in her eyes. She knew that her idol was no ordinary person, but she had not expected him to be so extraordinary. Just by the momentum itself, he had already overwhelmed his opponent many times over. Watching this sight, her massive heart could not help but thump in excitement. Hu! Zhang Jiuxiaos aura eventually stabilized at Primordial Spirit realm primary stage. He clenched his fists tightly as he leisurely stretched his neck, causing crisp Geji! Geji! sounds to echo in the room. After which, he turned to look at the young man before him with eyes filled with disdain. Lets begin. Are you certain you are ready? Zhang Xuan asked indifferently. Indeed. If you wish to use a weapon, feel free to do so. Ill catch anything that you send at me with my bare hands and show you the unbreachable gap between a mortal like you and a true prodigy! Zhang Jiuxiao harrumphed coldly as he channeled his zhenqi toward his hands, creating a golden shimmer around them. Weapon? A derisive smile emerged on Zhang Xuans lips as he said impatiently, I dont have time to waste on you. Since you are ready, Ill start now. He was extremely busy. Crashing the pavilion meant that one had to face all the master teachers associated with the Master Teacher Pavilion and ovee the many wills left behind by the preceding master teachers in the Master Teacher Tower. He had no additional time to waste on this fellow. I dont have time to waste on you either, so Ill end you in an instant! Seeing how Zhang Xuan was taking him lightly, the final string of sanity within Zhang Jiuxiaos mind finally snapped, and with a furious roar, he dashed forward. You want to end me? Try it then! Without even bothering to dodge Zhang Jiuxiaos attack, Zhang Xuan raised his head, and a voice reminiscent of the crisp chime of a bell boomed. Kneel down! Boom! It was as if thunder had rumbled within the room. In an instant, the momentum that Zhang Jiuxiao had built up for his offense vanished without a trace, and before anyone could process what was going on, the other party abruptly plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground. With his kneecaps firmly fixed onto the ground, Zhang Jiuxiao kneeled before Zhang Xuan with indignation and frenzy written on his face. Chapter 1181 - You Think I Dare Not Pummel You? Chapter 1181: You Think I Dare Not Pummel You? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What? This... How is this possible? Everyones face warped in shock. The millstone-bottomdy even fell to the ground in utter disbelief. The idol whom she had revered for so long... was actually unable to even withstand a bellow from the other party, kneeling down without the slightest bit of resistance. What in the world was going on? In an instant, the faith that she had carried for so long abruptly shattered. No, this cant be... While the crowd was staring at the situation with mouths agape, veins were popping up on Zhang Jiuxiaos forehead as frenzy overtook his mind. He was a genius! A peerless genius in the Qingyuan Empire! How could he be subdued in a single shout? How could he kneel before another man so embarrassingly? You bastard, Ill ughter you! Roaring furiously, Zhang Jiuxiao pushed his hand against the ground forcefully and flew into the air. After which, he charged forward furiously once more. He hade here to prove himself, not to be humiliated once more! Seeing how the other party was still doggedlying after him, Zhang Xuan bellowed once more. Scram! Padah! Zhang Jiuxiao plummeted from the sky, and this time, his body scrambled on the ground and fled away hurriedly. Jiuxiao, be careful! Your state of mind is your core weakness, and that is why hes using demonic tunes against you! As long as you shut off your hearing organs, you should be able to cope with his offense easily! Pavilion Master Gou anxiously sent a telepathic message over. While others were still wondering why Zhang Jiuxiao was listening to Zhang Xuan so obediently, Pavilion Master Gou had already fullyprehended the situation. Zhang Jiuxiaos greatest weakness was his state of mind, which resulted in him being powerless before the other partys demonic tunes. It could be said that Zhang Xuan had already identified Zhang Jiuxiaos weaknesses, and he was ying on them to his advantage. Hearing those words, Zhang Jiuxiao swiftly awakened from his frenzied state, and gritting his teeth, he forcefully shut off his sense of hearing. As expected, the effects of the demonic tune dulled significantly, allowing him to wrestle back control over his body. Then, with a swift leap, he dashed straight toward Zhang Xuan tounch an assault. On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao was determined to court his death, Zhang Xuan impatiently flicked his finger. Peng! Ahhh! A scream of agony echoed loudly in the air before Zhang Jiuxiao was smacked away like a pesky fly. He crashed right into the wall of the building before dangling weakly up there. Zhang Jiuxiao was no weakling, but he was still far from a match for him. After sending Zhang Jiuxiao flying, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the remaining master teachers, and cing his hands behind his back, he said, To save some time, why dont all of youe at me together? He wants to challenge all of us simultaneously? Is he insane? Hes only at Saint 2-dan pinnacle; even a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator wouldnt be able to withstand ourbined offense! ... Hearing his words, everyone nearly lost their mind for an instant. Everyone who had gathered within the room was a 6-star master teacher at minimum, and there were more than ten thousand of them there. Even the weakest of them was at Half-Saint realm, and theirbined might was sufficient to tear apart the heavens and earth. Putting aside a mere Spiritual Perception realm pinnacle cultivator, even a Leaving Aperture realm expert like Hall Master Xing would not have stood a chance against them! None of you are going to make a move? Fine, allow me to go first then! Toozy to waste his breath any more, Zhang Xuan walked up to the crowd, and his voice began echoing resoundingly in the minds of everyone gathered in the room. The key to cultivation lies in devotion, and the crux of the devotion to ones path lies in earnestness. Only with an earnest heart can one aplish... Zhang Xuan began lecturing. What is he up to? He seems to be lecturing about the essence of cultivation! Huh? Isnt he going to fight us? Why is he conducting a lecture all of a sudden? ... The crowd had thought that the other party was about to dash right into their midst and fight them with all his might. Yet, contrary to their expectations, not only did he not make a move, he even began imparting an interpretation of cultivation to them, leaving every single one of them dumbfounded. Just as they were perplexed, Pavilion Master Gous anxiously shouted, Everyone, be careful! Hes using the Impartation of Heavens Will. Hes nning on making all of you submit to him! To be honest, Pavilion Master Gou was truly feeling deeply frightened at this point. Even a genius as talented as Zhang Jiuxiao, dubbed as the number one prodigy of the Qingyuan Empire, had ended up falling from a mere bellow from Zhang Xuan. From just this, it could be seen that Zhang Xuans Soul Depth wasparable to his own, if not above it! Such formidable Soul Depth paired with the Impartation of Heavens Will... in a group battle, there was no weapon more devastating than this! Even poison masters were not as fearsome as that! Against a poison master, the most one could lose was ones life. However, against a master teachers Impartation of Heavens Will, one would lose control of oneself and be the other partys student! Impartation of Heavens Will? That does seem to be the case... I want to struggle against him, but... what he is saying is really true! If I cultivate ording to his words, my cultivation will surely be greatly enhanced within a short period of time! I really couldnt have imagined that there is such an exquisite zhenqi cirction method in the world. This is too scary, too scary! ... Hearing Pavilion Master Gous bellow, the crowd immediately attempted to struggle free of Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will, but their minds and bodies just would not listen to them. Instinctively, they desired to learn, and the other partys teachings were simply too valuable for them to miss out on. The rest of you, feel free to make a move on him. Ill listen to his words a bit first... Wait a moment! Dont do it now. Let him finish this part before making a move! If any of you dare to touch him, Ill pummel you into the ground. This portion happens to be regarding the w of my cultivation. If I can resolve this problem, I will surely be able to make a breakthrough to be a 7-star high-tier master teacher! ... Such words could be heard amid the crowd. In the blink of an eye, the tense atmosphere had abruptly calmed down, turning into a leisurely academic exchange. ... Watching the inconceivable sight before him, Pavilion Master Gou felt crazed. He did not even notice it when he plucked out several strands of his beard. My brothers, wake up! Hes crashing our Master Teacher Pavilion; this isnt the time to be learning from him! Pavilion Master Gou, at this rate, all of the master teachers of our Qingyuan Empire master Teacher Pavilion are going to be his students! Vice Pavilion Master Tian eximed with a pale face. He had just barely recovered from the other partys previous blow when he saw such a sight before him, and he was nearly shocked speechless. I know, but theres no way to break his Impartation of Heavens Will unless he makes a mistake in his teachings! Pavilion Master Gous face reddened in anxiety. The Impartation of Heavens Will was a resonance induced by the alignment of ones teachings with the essence of the world. If there was the slightest error in ones teachings, the resonance would immediately be dispelled, and the crowd would recover from the trance they were in and regain their rationality. Are we to wait helplessly for him to make an error? Will he even make an error? Since he dares use the Impartation of Heavens Will, he must have done his homework in advance, Vice Pavilion Master Tian said anxiously. But what else can we do? Simple! We should just have Zhang Jiuxiao assault him from behind. In any case, they were supposed to be dueling with one another, and besides, he was the one who asked everyone to go at him a moment ago. Thus, this cannot be considered an unfair move! As long as we pull it off, well be able to break his Impartation of Heavens Will, and by then... it will be impossible for him to sessfully crash the pavilion, Vice Pavilion Master Tian sneered coldly. Pavilion Master Gou hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. Very well! If he, as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, were to break the other partys Impartation of Heavens Will forcefully, he would surely be despised and mocked for his actions. However, it was different for Zhang Jiuxiao. In the first ce, he was supposed to be in a duel with Zhang Xuan, and as fellow peers, he did not have to pay as much attention to his standingpared to Pavilion Master Gou. Thus, it would not be a big deal if he made a move. Having made up his mind, Pavilion Master Gou quickly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Jiuxiao. As Zhang Jiuxiao had shut off his hearing organs, he was not as affected by the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will as the others. As soon as he heard Pavilion Master Gous orders, a cold glint shed through his eyes, and he nodded. Ill do it right now! The single flick that had sent him flying had left him utterly humiliated. No matter what, he had to get one back on Zhang Xuan! Hu! Flicking his wrist, two long sword swords and four sabers appeared before his eyes, each of themmanding a powerful presence. Two Saint intermediate-tier and four Saint low-tier artifacts! Even Pavilion Master Gou only had a single Saint intermediate-tier artifact in his possession, and yet, Zhang Jiuxiao was able to whip out two of them in a single breath along with four other Saint low-tier artifacts. His fortune was truly astounding! Go! Zhang Jiuxiao waved his hand furiously as hemanded his weapons. Hu! The six weapons flew straight toward the lecturing Zhang Xuan! Zhang Jiuxiao was not intending to kill Zhang Xuan but to interrupt his Impartation of Heavens Path. A typical Saint intermediate-tier weapon wielded strengthparable to a Primordial Spirit realm expert whereas a typical Saint low-tier weapon wielded strengthparable to a Spiritual Perception realm cultivator. Against the simultaneous assault of all six weapons, even Vice Pavilion Master Tian would be pressured to deal with them. This was the true strength that Zhang Jiuxiao wielded! The origin of his confidence alsoy in these six weapons. With them, there was no way any of his peers would be able to match him! Not expecting Zhang Jiuxiao to be so despicable as to assault Zhang Xuan at this moment, Wu shi shouted in a panic, Zhang shi, be careful! Considering that Zhang Xuan was in the midst of crashing the pavilion, Wu shi was not allowed to make a move to help the other party, or else that would be flouting the rules. Hu! The six weapons flew forth in an arc, heading right for Zhang Xuans back. However, thetter continued lecturing the crowd, as if he was oblivious to the movements of the weapons. ... channeling the inner breath into the internal organs, like the spirit of a weapon enforcing its body. Other than tempering its body, a weapon can grow stronger through tempering its spirit as well. Even among Saint intermediate-tier artifacts, there are some that wield strengthparable to a Primordial Spirit realm expert, and others are on par with Leaving Aperture realm cultivators. This difference is not a result of the usage of inferior materials in its crafting orck of tempering, but the weakness of the weapons spirit! A weak spirit can easily be eradicated by its master, thus cing it in a deeply vulnerable position... Zhang Xuans voice sounded as spiritual energy began gathering in the area, forming beautiful, miniature flowers that slowly drift to the ground. The weapons that were previously heading toward Zhang Xuan suddenly halted upon hearing those words. Seeing the weapons that had been charging full momentum a moment ago abruptlying to a halt, Zhang Jiuxiao panicked. Driving his zhenqi furiously, he loudly bellowed, Kill him! Those weapons had already acknowledged him as their master, so there was no reason for them to disobey him. Yet, to abruptly halt in the midst of their assault, floating in midair silently... were his weapons listening to Zhang Xuans lecture as well? Wasnt the Impartation of Heavens Will supposed to only be effective on cultivators? When did the Impartation of Heavens Will be effective on weapons as well? Zhang Jiuxiao waspletely dazed in this moment. Heart of a Teacher, Enlightenment Devoid of Discrimination, Pavilion Master Gou muttered in disbelief. His body began trembling uncontrobly. A normal master teacher could cause a cultivators zhenqi to circte in ordance to the content of their lecture through their Impartation of Heavens Will, thus convincing the cultivator to be their student. But to make even weapons listen obediently to his Impartation of Heavens Will, it could only mean that Zhang Xuan had alreadyprehended the Heart of a Teacher! Those who hadprehended that ability could affect not only cultivators with their Impartation of Heavens Will, even ordinary humans, animals, or even weapons would be influenced as well. Seeing that none of his weapons were moving, the desperate Zhang Jiuxiao furiously bellowed, Attack him! I said, attack him... Hu! But before he could finish speaking, the Saint intermediate-tier sword that had flown forth previously suddenly retreated toward him. Hu! A burst of sword qi suddenly struck Zhang Jiuxiao, stering him back onto the wall. Shut up, cant you just let me listen to this lesson properly? To be prattling on over there so noisily, dont you realize that you are being an annoyance? You think I dare not pummel you? One of Zhang Jiuxiaos swords harrumphed coldly before turning its attention back to Zhang Xuan. It floated silently in the air, reminiscent of an obedient little student before its teacher. From time to time, it would even tilt itself forward slightly, as if indicating that it had understood the content of the lecture... Chapter 1182 - The Legendary Palm Art That Descends from the Heavens

Chapter 1182: The Legendary Palm Art That Descends from the Heavens

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Jiuxiao burst into tears. For real. As an offspring of the Zhang n, he had seen plenty of formidable geniuses in his time, and he knew how fearsome they could be. Knowing that there was a natural gap between him and them, even if he was utterly crushed by their hands, he would at least still be able to ept it and swiftly recover from the mental trauma. But... to be pummeled and told to shut up by his own sword... How was he supposed to ept something like that? His heart felt so pained that he could hardly breathe! Was that still his weapon? It was just a mere lecture; did it really have to betray him over something like that? Compelled by his confusion, Zhang Jiuxiao released the seal on his hearing to hear what kind of amazing knowledge Zhang Xuan was lecturing about to make his sword willingly betray him. In just a few moments after releasing his hearing, his zhenqi had already begun moving ording to the form that the other party was exining. Zhang Jiuxiao was astounded by what he was hearing. This... What a formidable cultivation technique! Its on par with the top-notch techniques of the Zhang n! Is it really fine for him to impart such a formidable technique so easily? As an offspring of the Zhang n, he had seen much more than ordinary cultivators, so it was inevitable that he would have a sharp eye for cultivation techniques and the sort. He could tell that there was no fluff in the other partys lecture at all. Every single word was directed toward the crux of cultivation, words of wisdom in the truest sense. Just by assimting the content of the lecture, he would be able to cultivate much easier and smoother than before. From that alone, it was already superior to most cultivation techniques out there. As Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes started to ze, he quickly bit his lips to regain his rationality. This wont do. I mustnt continue listening to his lecture, or else I will be indebted to him and be his student... While his state of mind was nothingpared to Zhang Xuans, it was still far superior to that of ordinary 7-star master teachers. On top of that, he was a significant distance away from Zhang Xuan as well. Thus, despite the formidable might of the Impartation of Heavens Will, he was still able to force himself to retain consciousness. Forcefully suppressing his desire to continue listening to the other partys lecture, he struggled out of the wall with some difficulty while contemting on how he could ruin the other partys lecture. Zhang Jiuxiao found that he was unable to stand up by himself after struggling for a while, and coincidentally, ady with a millstone bottom suddenly walked over at this moment. Thus, he strenuously stretched his hand toward to thedy and said, Come over here and help me for a moment... He knew that the other party was his loyal fan, infatuated with him to a crazed degree. Putting aside helping him up, the other party could remain excited for days just by catching a single look of him. Pah! But instead of being helped up, Zhang Jiuxiao found his face weing the millstone bottom instead. Sou! Crushed by the millstone bottom, he was sent flying into the wall once more, and huge mouthfuls of blood spewed wildly from his mouth. Shut up. If I see you interrupting Zhang shis lecture again, Ill pummel you whenever I see you on the streets! Thedy with the millstone bottom harrumphed coldly before walking away. ... Zhang Jiuxiao. First, the betrayal of his weapon, and now, the betrayal of his most loyal fan. Just what kind of magic did Zhang Xuan cast to be able to capture their hearts so utterly? Traumatized by the happenings, his mental fortitude copsed in that instant. Unable to suppress himself any longer, his zhenqi began moving ording to the form described by Zhang Xuan. At the same time, his wounded strength and aura also began recovering swiftly. The more he cultivated, the more intricate he felt the matter was, and the more zed his eyes became. After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Alright, Ill be stopping the lecture here today. If you have any doubts, feel free to approach me after ss to rify them. Yes, Teacher! The ten thousand or so master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion bowed down one after another, submitting willingly to the young man before them. Even though the young man had not lectured them for too long, there was no doubt that they had benefited greatly from his lesson. Through his teachings, their cultivation would surely soar in the near future. Even Zhang Jiuxiao had bowed down together with the crowd without any hesitation. Its over... Seeing how the crowd was reacting, Pavilion Master Gous face copsed. In an instant, he looked as if he had aged several centuries. He had thought that with the ten thousand master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, they would at least be able to obstruct the other party. Yet, in just a single lecture, they had ended up bing his students. If only he had known that Zhang Xuan was so formidable, he would have never been so foolish as to speak up for Tian Qing! Its your turn. Just as Pavilion Master Gou was feeling suffocated within, the young mans voice sounded. Raising his gaze, he saw the other party staring right at Vice Pavilion Master Tian and him. The first phase of pavilion crashing was to defeat all of the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and currently, all of the other master teachers had be the other partys students, leaving only Wu shi, Vice Pavilion Master Tian, and Pavilion Master Gou. Considering that Wu shi had a close rtionship with the other party, there was no way he would make a move. Thus, he and Vice Pavilion Master Tian were the only ones who remained. Tossing aside all of the misceneous thoughts in his mind, Pavilion Master Gou exhaled deeply before stepping forward. Since everything has developed to this point, Ill be your opponent then! As he had already been humiliated, the embarrassment from having to make a move against a junior could not impede him any longer. No matter what, he was a Leaving Aperture realm expert. While he had yet to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, his strength still far exceeded that of Vice Pavilion Master Tian and Wu shi. As he made his way over toward Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Gou noticed that Vice Pavilion Master Tian seemed to be intending to join the battle as well, so he quickly shook his hand and harrumphed. Tian Qing, you wait by the side and dont make a move. Even if our Master Teacher Pavilion is crashed today, we mustnt abandon our dignity! It was already embarrassing for a 7-star master teacher like him to make a move against a 6-star master teacher. If they had to go to the extent of ganging up on thetter on top of that, they would not be able to face anyone anymore. Yes! A cold glint shed across Tian Qings eyes as he stepped backward and lowered his head silently. When Pavilion Master Gou was standing only ten meters away from Zhang Xuan, Wu shi secretly sent a telepathic message over to thetter. Principal Zhang, even though Pavilion Master Gou hasnt undergone the Leaving Aperture Ordeal yet, he still wields power far exceeding mine. You must be careful when facing him! He had taken into ount everything that had happened over the past few days, and as unwilling he was to see Zhang Xuan crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he knew that thetter was justified in doing so. Furthermore, considering thetters identity, nothing could be allowed to happen to him! Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. The Leaving Aperture realm could be further divided into Quasi Leaving Aperture realm and True Leaving Aperture realm. Basically, Quasi Leaving Aperture referred to those who had already gained the ability to draw their Primordial Spirit out of their bodies but had yet to undergo the lightning ordeal. Without undergoing the lightning ordeal, no matter how powerful ones Primordial Spirit was, its strength would still be limited. It was like how Zhang Xuan could have never wielded such astounding power at just Saint 2-dan if he had not undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal back then. Hall Master Xing and Pavilion Master Gou were both at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. As powerful as they were, there was still a gap between them and True Leaving Aperture realm primary stage experts. Nevertheless, their strength was still plenty fearsome. They were already capable of adeptly controlling their environment and wielding it to their advantage, making it difficult for any opponent whose cultivation was beneath them to match them. Make your move! Facing the strongest opponent that he had encountered other than Luo Chengxin, a hint of graveness surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes. H! Without wasting his breath on words, Pavilion Master Gou raised his hand and thrust it forward forcefully. His palm strike did not seem to be particrly powerful, but through the mystical capabilities of his Primordial Spirit, the space surrounding his palm strike became extremely viscous, making it difficult to dodge his attack. Leaving Aperture realm cultivators are capable of controlling space to some degree, allowing them to hinder the movements of their enemies. If I had not learned Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, I would have been bound by that before I could do anything, Zhang Xuan remarked internally as he felt the changes in his surroundings. As expected of the strongest fighting power within the Qingyuan Empire! Even without undergoing the lightning ordeal, their strength was still not something that a Saint 2-dan cultivator like Zhang Xuan could withstand. Retreat! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan stepped forcefully against the ground and leaped backward. As long as Pavilion Master Gou had not reached True Leaving Aperture realm, the space that he could control would be severely limited. If Zhang Xuan could get out of the other partys range, the other partys technique would not be able to faze him. Do you think that you will be able to escape? Sneering coldly, Pavilion Master Gou raised his hand and closed it forcefully. In the following moment, it felt as if the space within the room had abruptly caved in, and the momentum of Zhang Xuans retreat was immediately stalled. Battle Technique: Dominion of the Roaring Tiger! Even though it was only an ordinary Saint low-tier battle technique, the strength that it disyed wasparable to a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique in Pavilion Master Gous hands. Tzzzzzzz! A thin sheet of zhenqi revolved relentlessly in the surroundings, causing the air to be even more viscous than before. Dragged back by that thin sheet of zhenqi, Zhang Xuans speed plummeted once more. With his strength, he should have been able to cover tens of meters within a single breath. Yet, under the effects of Pavilion Master Gous multiple means, he could not even retreat half a meter within the same period of time. As expected of the head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion... Zhang Xuan remarked as he decisively halted his retreat. The following instant, his body blurred slightly before abruptly vanishing from the spot. What? Seeing the other party vanish right before him, Pavilion Master Gou narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Before he could react, a figure suddenly materialized in front of him, and a palm flew forcefully toward his chest. Zhang Xuan had decisively abandoned his retreat, choosing to use the momentum of the Dominion of the Roaring Tiger to charge toward him instead! However, this was nothing to worry about. After all, the gap between them was simply so huge that it could not be bridged by tactics alone. Not a bad maneuver at all! If it had been anyone else, it just might have worked. However, its a pity that you are going up against a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator! Sneering coldly, a brilliant ray of light burst from Pavilion Master Gous be before a Primordial Spirit drifted out into the air. The next moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if his entire body had been bound. Even though his palm was just half a meter away from the other party, it was as if there was a world standing in between that half a meter. No matter how he pushed forward, his palm just would not advance any further. Is this the strength of a Leaving Aperture realm expert? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. Even though he had learned the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, granting him some control over space, it was still insufficient for him to go head to head against an opponent as powerful as Pavilion Master Gou. It looks like this is my limit! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Upon gaining a rough gauge of how powerful he was at the moment, he decided to get serious. In an instant, all the acupoints throughout his body burst open, and an overwhelming surge of zhenqi burst forth. The zhenqi swiftly morphed into thousands of palms superimposed upon one another before falling upon Pavilion Master Gou. Thousand Hands Ri Palm? How can this technique be so powerful? It seems like he has made some alterations to it, or else it couldnt possibly wield such power... Recognizing the move that Zhang Xuan was executing, the master teachers in the area were stunned. The Thousand Hands Ri Palm was a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique. While it allowed one to strike hundreds of palms consecutively, each individual palm strike was not that powerful due to the dispersion of energy. Against a stronger opponent, it would only be effective as a distraction. However, this limitation did not seem to apply to Zhang Xuan at all. Every single palm within his thousands of palms was filled with devastating might that threatened to smash apart everything within its way. Even a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert would have been smashed into minced meat before it! Just how much zhenqi must he have to execute so many palms simultaneously? a master teacher within the crowd eximed in shock. Those words left the master teachers widening their eyes in shock as they swiftly made calctions in their minds. The unbelievable conclusion that they arrived at caused them to gulp a mouthful of saliva down their hoarse throats. Indeed. To be able to execute thousands of palms with each palm strike wielding such devastating might... even if they were to learn this battle technique as well, there was no way that they would have enough zhenqi to sessfully execute it. Even if they sapped everyst droplet of zhenqi from their bodies, they would not even be able to execute a quarter of the battle technique. Si! Under the relentless waves of devastating palm strikes, the seals that Pavilion Master Gou had cast over the surrounding space were swiftly torn into shreds. Following which, with a powerful leap, Zhang Xuan rose high into the air before abruptly turning 180-degrees and diving downward 1 , quickly elerating. At the same time, he pulled his palm backward and thrust it forward powerfully. Boom! An immense palm print formed in front of Zhang Xuans hand. T-this! Could it be... Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Jiuxiao face paled in shock as he turned to a nearby master teacher and asked anxiously, Do you remember the legendary palm art that descends from the heavens? I dont, replied the master teacher curtly. ... Zhang Jiuxiao. Chapter 1183 - No Chapter 1183: No Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You havent heard of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm? Back then, unable to pay his final respects to his deceased mother due topelling circumstances, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu created this technique out of deep sorrow. Due to the concept behind the technique, the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm is one of the few physical battle techniques that is able to faze a cultivators soul! Legend has it that one of its moves consists of a palm art descending from the heavens, Zhang Jiuxiao quickly exined as he stared at the sight before him with the utmost shock. As an offspring of the Zhang n, while thecking purity of his bloodline made him unqualified to ess the best cultivation resources within the n, the experiences and relics that he hade into contact with in the Zhang n still granted him knowledge and an eye of discernment far superior to the master teachers of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire. As one of the closest followers of Kong shi, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was indubitably a legendary figure of the Master Teacher Pavilion. While the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm was not the strongest battle technique that he had created, the unique properties of the technique still made it rather well-known. Hu hu! While Zhang Jiuxiao was exining the palm art to the other master teacher, more and more power was gathering in front of Zhang Xuans palm, stirring up a mini tornado in the surroundings. Everyone could not help but retreat before the powerful air currents. A tree desires the calm, but the wind batters relentlessly; a child seeks to repay, but his parents wait not! 1 Hmm? Seemingly recognizing the move as well, Pavilion Master Gous body trembled in astonishment. The person whom he respected the most happened to be Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, so naturally, he knew about the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm as well. His mind was almost blown when he saw Zhang Xuan executing the move! He had searched for Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage for so many years, but to no avail. Who would have thought that the young man before him would be able to execute the battle techniques of his idol so easily, so smoothly, and so powerfully! Hu! In his moment of astonishment, the palm strike finally fell upon him. Zhang Xuan possessed the Eye of Insight, and he had already achieved the level of Infinitesimal Maneuver as well. As such, he was able to grasp the flow of battle with perfect precision. It took a mere nce for him to notice the huge fluctuations in Pavilion Master Gous emotions, and he instinctively knew that this was the ideal opportunity for him to strike. Under the immense force of the palm strike, Pavilion Master Gous Primordial Spirit was forcefully struck back into his body before he retreated eight steps back. His face reddened from the impact, and a mouthful of blood burst from his lips. That single palm strike had dealt considerable internal injuries to him. The Leaving Aperture realm Pavilion Master Gou... was actually injured by Zhang shi? But there is a three-realm difference between the two of them! To be able to bridge this gap and match Pavilion Master Gou squarely, Zhang shi is too formidable! The other master teachers did not recognize the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, but upon seeing Pavilion Master Gou getting injured from Zhang Xuans assault, their bodies could not help but stiffen in disbelief. To them, Pavilion Master Gou was not only the most powerful expert of the Master Teacher Pavilion but a symbol of its invincibility as well. He was the sturdy pir whom they could fall back on in times of crisis. Yet, in less than three blows, Zhang Xuan had already managed to push him back and deal considerable internal injuries to him. This was an immense shock to all of them. Its fortunate that we listened earnestly to his lecture instead of challenging him, or else... we might have been lying on the floor at this very moment! Indeed. Thank god for Zhang shis magnanimity... Wiping the cold sweat off their foreheads, the master teachers patted their wildly beating chest in relief. Earlier, when they had submitted to Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will without putting up a fight, they had felt that they had let the Master Teacher Pavilion down. However, the sight before them had dispelled the deep guilt within them. Against such strength, even if they had really challenged Zhang Xuan, there was no doubt that they would have been defeated as well! Their involvement would not have made the slightest difference to the ultimate oue. Your move... Frantically steadying his body, Pavilion Master Gou swiftly suppressed his internal injuries before turning to Zhang Xuan with an anxious look. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask the young man before him about the technique that he had just executed, but before he could finish his words, the young man had already charged up to him to continue his assault. This time, the young mans palm strike was much more powerful than before. While it was not augmented by the momentum of his descent, the might that it wielded did not pale inparison at all. Humph, Ill take a look for myself to see if that is the real Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm or not! Knowing that it would be fatal if he allowed himself to be distracted in battle, Pavilion Master Gou swiftly put aside all of his misceneous thoughts and turned his attention back to the battle. Previously, he had been relying on the abilities unique to Leaving Aperture realm cultivators to deal with Zhang Xuan, but this time, he wanted to rely on his own zhenqi and body and fight a proper battle with the other party. cing his palms together before his chest, ripples of shockwaves began spreading out one after another from the meeting of his hands, inducing a deafening sonic boom. Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Myriad Waves Layered Clouds! Legend had it that a master teacher had created this battle technique when inspiration struck him while studying the flow of water within a river. Ripples of shockwaves would burst forth relentlessly like the river that flowed tirelessly, overwhelming the surroundings through its multipleyers just like the clouds concealed the sky. Pavilion Master Gou had devoted countless years of his life to refining this technique of his, and he had long achieved a high level of mastery in it. The Myriad Waves Layered Clouds easily halted the advancement of Zhang Xuans Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, keeping it firmly at bay. However, Zhang Xuan did not back down just because of that. Instead, while continuing to exert force on his right hand, he raised his left hand and gathered the Power of the Stars on his fingertip before shooting a blinding ray of light forward. The Grand Constetion Finger? A palm art in one hand, a finger art in the other? The crowd was stunned by what they were seeing. Even Zhang Jiuxiao was shocked speechless by the sight, not daring to believe his eyes. A palm art and a finger art were two entirely different battle techniques, and the zhenqi cirction pathways required for executing the techniques werepletely different from one another as well. It was possible to execute the palm art first before executing the finger art, or vice-versa, but... to execute them simultaneously on a hand each... that was a nigh impossible feat! Putting aside them, not even Pavilion Master Gou would have been able to aplish such a feat! Wuuuuuuuuuu! The Grand Constetion Finger swiftly tore a small hole in Pavilion Master Gous Myriad Waves Layered Clouds, causing the might of thetters battle technique to disperse swiftly like flowing water, thus undoing the defense that the other party had built up. Kacha! The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm swiftly tore through Pavilion Master Gous weakened defense with overwhelming might, forcing thetter to retreat in a fluster. Incredible! Not expecting that he would still be outdone despite having exerted his full strength, Pavilion Master Gou assessed the young man before him grimly. Swapping his palm with a fist, he charged forward once more. Boom boom boom! Both sides moved with incredible agility. Within less than a minute, they had already exchanged more than a hundred blows. Watching the battle, one of the master teachers could not help but mutter to himself in absolute shock. Pavilion Master Gou was known as an unparalleled genius in his earlier days, and he has mastered countless powerful battle techniques. In that series of exchanges previously, he must have used at least ten different battle techniques. Considering his background, its understandable how he is able to pull that off, but... if my eyes are not ying tricks on me, Zhang shi seems to have used more than eighty battle techniques in the same period of time. Pavilion Master Gou was already nearing nine hundred, so it was not surprising for him to have learned and mastered many battle techniques. But Zhang Xuan was only twenty years old! To execute so many formidable battle techniques with ease, it was apparent that he had a deep understanding of every single one of them... How could that be possible? I have been counting, and he has used a total of 87 battle techniques so far, another master teacher added. Those words swiftly caught the attention of others, and they widened their eyes in disbelief. Asbat masters, they knew how difficult it was to master every single battle technique. Yet, every single battle technique that the young man had executed was at a mastery of Major Aplishment at the very minimum... Inconceivable! It seems like its about time for the title of the number one genius of Qingyuan City to change hands! The crowd could not help but agree with that statement. In the past, they had viewed Zhang Jiuxiao as a hurdle that they would never be able to ovee, but after seeing the young man before them, they realized that a true prodigy was actually an existence who was far beyond theprehension of mortals like them. Contrary to everyones shock, Wu shi frowned in iprehension at the sight before him instead. Something is wrong... Another master teacher stepped forward to ask, Wu shi, whats wrong? Wu shi contemted for a moment, trying to put his finger on the feeling of incongruence that he felt. Principal Zhang specializes in identifying the ws of others and capitalizing on them to subdue his opponents, but he has not done so in this battle. Instead, he began disying an array of battle techniques. It almost as if hes intentionally prolonging the battle to temper himself! While the other master teachers might not have been familiar with Zhang Xuans abilities, he could not have been any clearer about them, especially after what they had gone through together in the Qiu Wu Pce. The fellow had a remarkable eye that allowed him to urately discern the ws within the battle techniques or cultivation techniques of any cultivator, and he had always relied on this ability to catch his opponent off guard and subdue them in a single move. But despite utilizing so many powerful battle techniques, that fellow did not center his attacks on Pavilion Master Gous ws. From this, it could be deduced that he was not intending to defeat thetter immediately. If so, there could only be one possibility... he was trying to temper his strength through battle! Tempering himself? The master teacher could not believe what he was hearing. If it was on any other asion that someone had told him that a Spiritual Perception realm cultivator was battling a Leaving Aperture realm expert but was thinking of ways to temper himself through the battle instead of achieving victory, he would have surely thought that the other party was fool or a lunatic. However... with what was happening right before his eyes, no matter how inconceivable the matter was, he knew that it was the undeniable truth! To actually be thinking of tempering himself while fighting against an expert three cultivation realms stronger than he was... just how confident was the other party in his fighting prowess? Boom boom boom! After trading three more blows, Pavilion Master Gou was suddenly forced back, giving Zhang Xuan a moment to catch his breath. Just as Wu shi had guessed, he was intending to use Pavilion Master Gou to temper his mastery of the battle techniques. It was not easy for him to find a worthy opponent who could take him at his full might. Furthermore, he had just learned many new battle techniques from the Combat Master Hall, so he wanted to test them out and heighten his mastery in them as well. As expected of a Leaving Aperture realm expert, Im indeed no match for him at the moment. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Even though his fighting prowess had risen after grasping the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, it would still be too difficult for him to match a Leaving Aperture realm expert until he achieved a breakthrough to the Embryonic Soul realm. Otherwise, just by the overwhelming gap in their fundamental capabilities and strength, it was nigh impossible for him to emerge victorious. Nevertheless, while it would be difficult for him to achieve victory in a proper duel, there were actually many other ways he could subdue the other party. Raising his palm and crushing it downward to halt the other partys advancement, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers. Sou sou sou sou! More than a hundred gs suddenly materialized from Zhang Xuans storage ring, and they swiftly took their positions around Pavilion Master Gou. As soon as that was done, Zhang Xuan stomped on the ground lightly, and the formation instantaneously came to life. He had achieved a proficiencyparable to 7-star formation masters in the field of formations back at the Qiu Wu Pce. Although it would be difficult to him to fight against Pavilion Master Gou with just his own strength, with the help of a formation, his chances of victory would be enhanced significantly. H! A mist swiftly shrouded the entire area, concealing Pavilion Master Gou within as well. Zhang Xuan had set up two 7-star intermediate stage formations, and while they were not too powerful, it would still take Pavilion Master Gou more than ten breaths to undo them. That period of time was more than enough for Zhang Xuan to subdue Pavilion Master Gou. As the formation whirred into operation, the crowd found their visionpletely blocked by the mist. Kacha! After fifteen minutes, the formation finally dissipated, and with a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan returned all of the formation gs to his storage ring. Seeing that the battle had ended so quickly, the crowd quickly turned their gazes toward Pavilion Master Gou, only to freeze the next moment. The dashing Pavilion Master Gou from a moment ago had his head nted in the ground. His entire body was covered with blood and wounds, such that there was not a single spot of unblemished skin on his body. It was apparent that he hade under a frenzied torrent of attacks within the short period of time, and it was doubtful whether even his closest kin would be able to recognize him given the current state he was in. Hu! Pavilion Master Gou plucked his head out from the earth. He did not seem to feel disappointed or humiliated by his loss. On the contrary, his eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation as he asked, Zhang shi, may I ask if the technique you disyed earlier is Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm? Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded, admitting to the matter. May I know... if its possible for you... Pavilion Master Gou hesitated. Gritting his teeth in determination, he continued. ... to impart the battle technique to me? Why? You are interested in learning the technique? Thats right! Then I wont teach you. ... Chapter 1184 - Pavilion Master Gou Admits Defeat

Chapter 1184: Pavilion Master Gou Admits Defeat

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While a teacher should enlighten others without discrimination, Pavilion Master Gou had truly crossed Zhang Xuans bottom line. For his own selfishness, he had chosen to disregard the truth and selfishly sided with Vice Pavilion Master Tian. The stronger a person like that was, the greater a threat to humanity they were. Thus, how could he possibly impart Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Art to the other party? Zhang Xuan was a kind and generous person, but that did not mean that he was undiscerning and naive. He had a clear gauge of who he should ept as his student and who he should never ept as his student. Pardon me, I was getting ahead of myself... Pavilion Master Gous face sank in disappointment. It was just a moment ago that he had forced the other party into crashing their Master Teacher Pavilion, so why would the other party be willing to impart his battle technique to him now? He should be d that the other party had not killed him on the spot! I have lost... Pavilion Master Gou closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head. A momentter, he opened his eyes and announced, Zhang shi has sessfully cleared the first phase of the pavilion crashing! The first phase was to defeat all of the master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and given that Zhang Xuan had managed to get all ten thousand master teachers to submit to him and defeat the strongest Pavilion Master Gou, he had already cleared it. Hold it for a moment. I havent fought with Vice Pavilion Master Tian yet, and I dont think its right that we skip straight past him! Zhang Xuan interjected. Even I am not a match for you, let alone Tian Qing. Thus, theres no longer any meaning in you fighting him, Pavilion Master Gou said. However, Zhang Xuan did not seem to be convinced by that exnation. He was just about to argue when Tian Qing sped his fist and said, I am not an opponent for you either. I admit my defeat! A hint of disappointment surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes. To be honest, he was still seething with rage with Vice Pavilion Master Tian. If only the other party had agreed to have a duel with him, he would surely have pummeled the other party deep into the ground, never to see the light of the day again! But since Vice Pavilion Master Tian had admitted his defeat, there was no excuse he could use anymore. After all, the act of pavilion crashing was bound by rules, and the entire process was supervised by the headquarters. It would not be good for him to intentionally kill another master teacher here. The Master Teacher Tower is over there. Follow me. The Master Teacher Tower housed the wills of the strongest master teacher of each generation. Some of them had reached the level of 8-star low-tier, and there were those who had achieved aplishments even higher than that. Naturally, it would not be an easy feat to ovee them. As such, the first phase of pavilion crashing was actually considered a mere warm up. The true testy ahead. This was the challenge that had halted the footsteps of countless geniuses in history. Following behind Pavilion Master Gou, it did not take long for Zhang Xuan to see a seven-story tower looming over him. Knowing that a great trialy ahead, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and gathered his concentration before making his way in. As soon as Zhang Xuans silhouette disappeared amid the darkness of the tower, a master teacher could not help but ask apprehensively, Will Zhang shi... seed? Itll be very difficult. While our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion isnt ranked at the forefront of the Eight Conferred Empires, it has still produced four 8-star master teachers in history. Of them, He shi even managed to reach 8-star high-tier in his lifetime. With the extensive knowledge he possesses and the incredible power he wields, the will he has left behind in the Master Teacher Tower wont be that easy to ovee, another master teacher within the crowd replied. The first master teacher nodded in agreement. Indeed. 8-star master teachers are existences that are considered near the peak of the Master Teacher Continent. Be it their knowledge, state of mind, orprehension of cultivation, it would be difficult for ordinary master teachers to match them. Jeez, I hope that Zhang shi will be able to clear the examination. If he seeds, as his students, we will be able to share his glory as well! I am also fervently praying for his sess. It has been a long time since anyone has crashed a pavilion. If he seeds, think about the fame that it will bring us! In the future, Ill be able to brag to my friends that my teacher is a sessful pavilion crasher! The two master teachers spoke with looks of anticipation on their faces. Pu! Hearing the words of the duo, the severely wounded Pavilion Master Gou suddenly felt his injuries acting up once more, and fresh blood spurted wildly from his mouth. It took quite a while before he managed to calm himself down once more. Master teachers of other Master Teacher Pavilions wouldy down their lives to guard the honor and pride of their pavilion, so why were his master teachers wishing for Zhang Xuans victory instead? Do you even realize that this is your Master Teacher Pavilion too? Once he seeds in crashing the pavilion, you will be humiliated, too! Glory your head! Noticing the look on Pavilion Master Gous face, Wu shi could immediately tell what the other party was thinking about, and he shook his head. Those who conduct themselves morally will find helping their way, while those whock principles will find themselves isted from the others. Pavilion Master Gou, regardless of whether Principal Zhang is able to clear the Master Teacher Tower or not, you have already lost the hearts of your men. Even if the headquarters do not pursue this matter, it is likely that no master teacher within the Master Teacher Pavilion will willingly follow your orders anymore. While Vice Pavilion Master Tians act of framing Zhang Xuan had been carried out discreetly, considering how the matter had blown up to such a degree, there was no way the truth could be hidden any further. A person who stood bravely against an entire Master Teacher Pavilion in order to redress his grievances, aspared to a pavilion master who chose to overlook the evil of others just to save his own skin and retire peacefully... it was apparent with a single look whom the crowd would choose to side with. Due to this matter, Pavilion Master Gou would be despised by all master teachers in the world, never to make aeback. I... Realizing the same, Pavilion Master Gous face turned ashen in despair. In truth, he had also realized that his days of glory were over from the moment the other party dered that he would crash the Master Teacher Pavilion. But... he had not expected that those master teachers whom he had fought alongside with previously would abandon him so utterly either. His eyes colored with destion, Pavilion Master Gou gazed into the sky with aplicated look. Have I... really done wrong? The initial hopes and dreams in bettering the world when he first became the regional pavilion master had eroded over the long five hundred years. Unknowingly, his priority had shifted into desperately protecting the authority and prestige that he held instead. Perhaps karma had trulye around to bite him. With a suffocating sensation within his chest, he turned to Wu shi and asked, What is the background of Zhang shi? Hes the most diligent and talented individual I have ever seen in the world, Wu shi replied with a brilliant gleam in his eyes. A person who insisted on reading and bettering himself no matter what kind of circumstances he was in... Just Zhang Xuans attitude toward studying was one that he should really strive to learn from. Perhaps, it was due to how studious Zhang Xuan was that he was able to achieve what he had at such a young age, possessing strength far beyond his. ... Zhang Xuan slowly advanced after entering the huge doors of the Master Teacher Tower. Having challenged the Master Teacher Tower once back at Xuanyuan Kingdom, he knew the rules concerning it. The wills of the outstanding predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion were deposited here, and every single one of them wielded superior strength. It was nigh impossible to defeat them in a normal duel, and due to that, the test would tend to concern the fundamental abilities of master teachers instead, such as lecturing, discerning ws, offering pointers on battle techniques, and so on. As such, what was tested in this second phase was not ones strength but how aplished a master teacher one was. Hu! After proceeding for some time, an illusory figure suddenly appeared before Zhang Xuan. He was the guardian of the very first test, an 8-star low-tier master teacher who had risen from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion 13,000 years ago, Zhao Zhen. Seeing that the person who was crashing the pavilion was only a twenty-year-old, Master Teacher Zhao Zhen frowned. To crash a Master Teacher Pavilion at such a young age, what kind of grievances have you suffered? The incumbent pavilion master has sided with evildoers to sully my reputation just to preserve a clean record and protect his own position... Zhang Xuan sped his fist and began exining the matter. Theres actually such a matter? The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion really is getting worse generation after generation! It is high time to do some internal reorganization! Zhao Zhen harrumphed furiously before turning his sights back to Zhang Xuan once more. I know that you have suffered greatly from this matter, but as one of the guardians of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, I cannot let you pass me so easily. Otherwise, if everyone attempted to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion whenever something happened, the authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion will be undermined. I hope that you can understand that. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. Seeing how earnest the young man was, Zhao Zhen nodded in approval. My test will be on discerning ws in my battle technique. I will execute a battle technique, and as long as you can find a single w in it, you will have cleared my test. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face brightened up. Alright! On the other hand, seeing that the young man had loosened up instead after hearing the content of his test, as if it was already a done deal, Zhao Zhen frowned. Dont think that it will be easy to find a w in my battle technique. I wont be going easy on you just because of your plight. I will be using my most prided battle technique, one that I have refined again and again in my lifetime in order to perfect it. While I cannot say that its wless, most 7-star pinnacle master teachers would need numerous months before they could find a single w! I understand. Pardon me, but I am in a hurry, so can we get it over and done with quickly? Zhang Xuan asked. You... Displeased, Master Teacher Zhao Zhen flung his sleeves furiously. As an 8-star low-tier master teacher, a test from him could not possibly be as easy as it sounded. Yet, that young man was taking him lightly, even saying that he wanted to get it over and done with as if everything was already in his grasp. Was he really that confident in clearing his test, or was he just another conceited fool? The battle technique that I will be using is known as the Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands. Its a technique that I came up with while observing the falling leaves being raked up by the autumn wind, only to be entangled in a spiders web. Ill first execute it once for you. Master Teacher Zhao Zhen raised his hands and drew out fine zhenqi threads from the tips of his fingers. With elegant movements, he skillfully weaved it into a spiders web that entrapped everything within it. If someone was within the spiders webs area, they would surely find themself getting helplessly entangled if they tried to escape from the area. I have never executed this battle technique before anyone, so you need not try to find any shortcuts around this test. Also, do not even think that you will be able to pull the wool over my eyes; it wont work. My technique consists of ten moves, and each of them is stronger than thest. The one that I have just executed is only the first move, Entwining Threads of Golden Silk. After I am done executing all ten moves, I will give you four hours to contemte over the matter. If you are able to find a single w in my technique, you pass. Otherwise, I will have to regretfully inform you that your pavilion crashing hase to an end, Master Teacher Zhao Zhen said as he executed the technique. Typically speaking, he would grant those crashing the pavilion two days to analyze the intricacies in his battle techniques. However, the young man before him had spoken arrogantly, so he had chosen to narrow the timeframe to four hours instead so as to hammer down the other partys arrogance. When the other party finally came to realize his own arrogance upon failing toe up with anything after four hours, he would loosen the time restriction. Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, Theres no need to execute all ten moves or wait four hours; I can list your ws now. It was only in the spur of the moment from Pavilion Master Gous humiliation that he had chosen to engage in pavilion crashing. His priority was still to be promoted to 7-star master teacher and find ways to earn more concentrated high-tier spirit stones to raise his cultivation. He did not have any time to waste here. You will list my ws now? Zhao Zhen was taken aback. He had only used a single move, but the young man was ready to list his ws? What utter nonsense! Your Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands does not look bad on the surface, wielding strength that would easily put it in the forefront of Saint intermediate-tier battle techniques. Upon mastering the technique, the zhenqi threads can be skillfully utilized in many ways to restrict an opponents movements, making it an extremely difficult technique to deal with. However, its unfortunate that it is riddled with quite a number of ws. I did a rough count earlier, and it seems like there is a total of 37 ws! Zhang Xuan said. 37 ws? Zhao Zhens face darkened in rage. I have only used the first move of my battle technique, and its already questionable in itself whether you are able to find a single w from it or not. Yet, you are telling me that you have already found 37? In an instant, thest traces of goodwill that Zhao Zhen felt toward the young man before him vanished. Indeed. Oblivious to Zhao Zhens thoughts regarding him, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party was just skeptical about there being so many ws in his technique, so he swiftly exined, The creation of a battle technique must involve trial through practical battles as well to test its effectiveness and might. Considering that you have never imparted the battle technique to anyone else or tested it out in battle, I must say that its already impressive that there are only 37 ws in your battle technique. You! Hearing those words, Zhao Zhen nearly exploded on the spot. With a livid face, he uttered coldly, Since thats the case, why dont you tell me where the 37 ws are? If you cant, dont me me for getting nasty with you! Chapter 1185 - Pavilion Crashing, Success!

Chapter 1185: Pavilion Crashing, Sess!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Are you feeling indignant because I said that there are 37 ws in your battle technique? Fine, Ill list them for you! Seeing how the other party was refusing to learn humbly despite erring so much, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. In the tone of an elder educating his juniors, he said, First and foremost, Ill start with the greatest w of your Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands. You mentioned that you created it while observing the leaves being raked up by the autumn breeze, but I cannot see the destion of autumn from your battle technique at all! All I can see is the intertwining nature of the zhenqi threads; there ispletely no conception in it at all! Intent without strength is a pipe dream, and strength without intent is simply wasted energy! If it was just a Spirit-tier battle technique, it would not pose much of a problem at all. However, for a Saint realm expert to utilize a battle technique devoid of conception, theres no doubt that itll ce him at a severe disadvantage against his peers! This... Zhao Zhen was stunned. It was not impossible to create a Saint-tier battle technique devoid of conception, but conception could augment the might of a battle technique significantly and make it easier to grasp the technique. In a sense, it could indeed be considered a w. Back then, when he created the technique, he had just sessfully cleared his 8-star master teacher examination. With his heart filled with delight from his sess, he was not in the correct state of mind toprehend the destion of autumn. As a result, while he did seed in creating a powerful Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, he failed to infuse the correct conception into it. As for the second w, as useful as your Entwining Threads of Golden Silk is in limiting the movements of an opponent, its only effective against ordinary cultivators. True experts will be able to swiftly notice the openings in the technique. Look, if I just concentrate my zhenqi at this point... As he spoke, Zhang Xuan raised his hand and drew fine zhenqi threads from his fingers. In a moment, he had already weaved the web that Zhao Zhen had created earlier. You... Zhao Zhen widened his eyes in shock. He had never executed this technique in public before, so there was no way the young man could have learned it from anywhere else. Since that was the case... didnt it mean that the young man had learned the technique from him just by observing it once? But how could that be? Not even the most formidable of prodigies that he knew of could grasp a battle technique that swiftly! A momentter, Zhao Zhen suddenly noticed a slight discrepancy in Zhang Xuans actions, and he eximed in delight, Wait a moment, your Entwining Threads of Golden Silk is slightly different from mine! He was the man who had single-handedly created the Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands. As simr as the young mans Entwining Threads of Golden Silk was to his, the subtle differences in their movements were still unable to escape his eyes. Oh. The original version is too trashy, so I quickly altered it a little. Zhang Xuan waved his hand as he replied leisurely. Dont interrupt me, let me finish my words first. Too trashy? Quickly altered it a little? Zhao Zhens body trembled in shock upon hearing those words. He turned his sight toward the altered version that the young man was executing to examine it closely, and it seemed like... the other partys version was much stronger than his. Hu! While he was still caught up in the shock from seeing the battle technique that he had perfected with much difficulty being improved by another so easily, he saw the young man raising his other palm and striking a certain point within the web. Hu! In an instant, as if having its crux destroyed, the zhenqi web swiftly shriveled, and the surge of zhenqi abruptly reversed as if an rmed beast. The crux of your Entwining Threads of Golden Silk lies in the constriction of the zhenqi threads upon contact with the opponent so as to trap thetter. Im not saying that it doesnt work, but its w is apparent as well. Once this mingmen is noticed by the opponent, thetter just has to tap on it lightly in order to cause the flow of zhenqi to reverse, resulting in a bacsh! Those words left Zhao Zhens eyes narrowing in shock. He was indeed aware of this w in his Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands, but one had to be at least an 8-star high-tier master teacher before they were able to notice it, and against such experts, victory was already impossible in the first ce! Thus, he had not really paid much attention to it. Moving on, for your second move, Threading the Heavens, a silver thread infused with ones will is skillfully maneuvered to control the environment, allowing one to corner the opponent. However, the problem is that the silver thread can be easily severed. Once the opponent notices the presence of the silver thread and severs it, it will inflict significant damage to ones soul... Zhang Xuan continued. Hold it for a moment! Zhao Zhens eyes widened upon hearing those words. I havent executed my second technique yet, right? So, how could you know its name and its ws... I told you not to interrupt me! Given how simple your battle technique is, anyone would easily have deduced the rest as long as they are no fool... Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently. As for your third move, Cry of the Autumn Cicada, I understand that you wanted to incorporate a sonic attack into the Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands in order to grant it more variability and transformations, but this happens to be the most wed move in your battle technique as well! Out of the 37 ws, it takes up a whole 8 of them, and they are namely... Zhang Xuan proceeded to exin every single w in borate detail, clearly pointing out the fundamental principle behind each move and how it could be easily deciphered. Just by hearing this much, Zhao Zhen could tell that there were no longer any secrets in his battle technique. At this point, it was as if the other party was the creator of the Autumn Breeze Intertwining Silk Hands and not him! His lips twitched as he felt his body growing more and more illusory, threatening to dissipate at any moment. Had it not been for his superior mental fortitude as an 8-star master teacher, he might have gone mad there and then. To be able to deduce the other nine moves just by seeing the first one, even urately naming them... why did it feel as if he was dreaming? At this point, the young mans lecturing voice suddenly sounded once more, jolting him out of his dazed state. Alright, these are the ws that I have noticed so far. Have you understood them? Do you know where you have erred now? Yes, I know my errors now. I wont do it in the future... Zhao Zhen replied instinctively, but halfway through his words, he suddenly paused before redness spread across his face. The other party had ced himself in the role of a teacher, and somehow, he had been dragged along with the flow and subconsciously ced himself in the role of a student. He was an old ancestor from 13,000 years ago, an elder countless generations more senior that the young man before him! For this to happen... Cough cough! Unable to take it any longer, Zhao Zhen quickly waved his hand and ushered Zhang Xuan to move on. Alright, alright! You have already cleared the test, so you should proceed to the next floor. Cleared the test? Is that the problem now? It seems like you still have not realized what the problem is. As a master teacher who has ventured beyond the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, do you know how many people look up to you as their role model? And yet, is this the attitude you have toward learning? Zhang Xuan berated furiously. You are really the worst student I have seen in my years of teaching! You should learn some humility! ... Zhao Zhen was crazed. I am the invigtor over here! How in the world did I turn into your student? Pop! Frenzied, Zhao Zhen finally reached the limits of his tolerance, and his will wavered before vanishing from the spot. Seeing the other partys will vanishing out of embarrassment, a glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. You knew why I am crashing this Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, you still chose to hold me back. If I didnt choke you with my words, who else should I choke? Since I am here to crash the pavilion, I might as well go all the way with it. ... Outside the Master Teacher Pavilion... Seeing the light on the Master Teacher Tower, Wu shi remarked, The second floor has lit up. It seems like Principal Zhang has encountered Elder Zhao! Elder Zhao has a deepprehension of battle techniques, achieving a level unmatched by any other in our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if Principal Zhang is able to clear his test, itll probably take quite a while... Wu shi had lived in the Qingyuan Empire all his life, so he was familiar with the various tests in the Master Teacher Tower as well. Hu! Just as Wu shi was analyzing the situation, the light on the second floor abruptly extinguished. The moment a challenger stepped into one of the tests, the corresponding floor would light up. When the test was cleared, the light would automatically be extinguished. This... He cleared the test? Wu shi was taken aback. He had thought that Zhang Xuan would take some time before he was able to clear Elder Zhaos test, but who could have known that... he would actually be so fast! To clear a test within just three minutes... when did 8-star master teachers be so easy to deal with? Hmm? The second floor has lit up again? someone within the crowd eximed in shock. Raising his gaze to take another look at the Master Teacher Tower, Wu shi was stunned. The light of the second floor, which had just been extinguished a moment ago, suddenly lit up again. For the light to suddenly return... did it mean that Zhang Xuan did not actually clear the test? But if that was the case, why would it be extinguished in the first ce? Just as everyone was bewildered by the bizarre happenings, Pavilion Master Gou suddenly spoke. Wait a moment, the color is different! That color should belong to... Elder Han of the third floor! Taking a closer look, Wu shi realized that there was indeed something amiss. The color that had lit up previously was yellowish-orange whereas the one that had just lit up was milky-white. That should have been the color to represent Elder Hans test. Elder Han is a master teacher who left the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion 8,000 years ago, and even though hes an 8-star low-tier master teacher as well, he possesses capabilities surpassing those of Elder Zhao. That is why he has been tasked with the responsibility of guarding the third floor. So, why would he suddenly appear on the second floor? Pavilion Master Gous voice was tinged with confusion. Wu shi and the rest of the gathered crowd frowned in bewilderment as well. Under normal circumstances, the light will only be extinguished when the test has been cleared, and the challenger will move on to the next floor. The location of the tests shouldnt change... Pavilion Master Gou analyzed. However, halfway through his words, his body suddenly stiffened as his mouth opened wide, and his eyes bulged in disbelief. Or does this mean that... the will of Elder Zhao has dissipated? Dissipated? Thats right. ording to what I know, if the will of the predecessor guarding a certain floor of the Master Teacher dissipates, the other predecessors guarding the floors above will automatically slide down to take his ce, Pavilion Master Gou said hoarsely. But it should just be a simple test, so why would Elder Zhaos will dissipate? Considering that there was no fight involved in the tests of the Master Teacher Tower, there should have been no way that the wills of the predecessors would dissipate all of a sudden. What could possibly be happening within? Just as the crowd was bewildered by the absurd situation, the milky-white glow suddenly flickered before vanishing altogether. After which, a light blue glow lit up on the second floor. Elder Hans will has dissipated as well? Pavilion Master Gou was dumbstruck. In the next moment, everything suddenly struck him simultaneously like a bomb exploding in his mind, and he abruptly leaped up in a panic. This is a disaster! Quick, we need to stop Zhang shi from carrying on! Our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion only has this many experts in its history! If all of their wills dissipate, our Master Teacher Pavilion will really be a goner! On top of serving as the final line of defense against pavilion crashing, the wills of the predecessors also served to rify the doubts of the master teachers. With the extensive knowledge they possessed, they could be considered the greatest asset of their Master Teacher Pavilion! If they disappeared as well, the days of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would truly be over! Its impossible to stop him at this point. The headquarters have given Principal Zhang the permission to crash the pavilion, and we would be flouting the rules if we intervened! Wu shi panicked upon realizing the severe implications of the situation as well, but due to the rules set in ce, there was nothing they could do. Cant we just admit our defeat? Pavilion Master Gou was so flustered that it seemed as if he would burst into tears at any moment. That might work. Wu shi pondered for a moment before swiftly nodding. As long as our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion officially acknowledges that he has sessfully crashed the pavilion, there will be no need for him to challenge the Master Teacher Tower anymore. If so, we will be allowed to head in and stop him. Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Gou whipped out his Pavilion Master Token, bit his finger, and dripped a droplet of blood on it. Weng! A brilliant burst of light rose into the sky. Hong long! An overwhelming aura descended from the sky, cing immense pressure on those standing beneath. Following which, a grand voice echoed in the air. The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion officially surrenders to Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and I seek permission to end the pavilion crashing... Ah, theres no need for it anymore. He has already finished his pavilion crashing... At that moment, jiya!, the doors to the Master Teacher Tower suddenly opened. Zhang Xuan emerged with a look of bewilderment on his face. What is wrong with your Master Teacher Tower? Why are all of the predecessors cramping up the second floor? Chapter 1186 - 7-star Master Teacher!

Chapter 1186: 7-star Master Teacher!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Pavilion Master Gou spurted a mouthful of blood. He felt so stifled that he could have gone insane on the spot. With this, his dream of retiring peacefully had been utterly shattered. He was probably the very first pavilion master in history to have the wills of all the predecessors dissipate under his leadership! After a long moment of silence, Pavilion Master Gou finally suppressed the indignation in his heart and bowed deeply. Zhang shi, since you have sessfully crashed the pavilion, you can raise any request. As long as it isnt at odds with our fundamental values as master teachers, our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Empire will surely heed your orders! To be honest, Pavilion Master Gou really felt that he was unlucky. There had only been three sessful pavilion crashes in the long history of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and never had he dreamed that he would be the fourth. Vice Pavilion Master Tian has colluded with King Zhongqing to frame me, and on top of that, he has intentionally leaked the secrets of the Master Teacher Pavilion to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, causing the death of countless master teachers. His sins are unpardonable, so I want the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to apprehend him and have this matter thoroughly investigated this instant! Zhang Xuan ordered authoritatively. Yes! Pavilion Master Gou nodded. Turning around, he was just about to speak when he noticed something and frowned. Where is Vice Pavilion Master Tian? Vice Pavilion Master Tian had been standing next to him just a moment ago, so how did thetter vanish all of a sudden? A master teacher quickly rushed forward. Reporting to Pavilion Master Gou, Vice Pavilion Master Tian has left temporarily to deal with some urgent matters. Shit! Pavilion Master Gous eyes narrowed in dread. Comb through Qingyuan City and find him right now! Hu! The ten thousand master teachers swiftly dispersed throughout Qingyuan City. Not too longter, they returned with livid expressions on their faces. Pavilion Master Gou, it appears that Vice Pavilion Master Tian is no longer in the capital. We arent able to find any trace of him... Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Gous face turnedpletely pale. He had been so shocked by Zhang Xuans pavilion crashing that he had not paid much notice to the fellow beside him. He had not expected thetter to escape while his attention was elsewhere! It seemed like the Vice Pavilion Master Tian knew that Zhang Xuan would have him apprehended as soon as thetter seeded in crashing the pavilion, so he dared not stay any longer. The very purpose of my pavilion crashing was out of indignation of being framed by Vice Pavilion Master Tian; you should know that very well. You should have known that he would escape as soon as I seed in my pavilion crashing, and yet, you did not make any preparations in advance. Tell me, how in the world did a fool like you manage to be the pavilion master? Zhang Xuans face turned iparably ugly as well. The conflict between him and the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion originated from Vice Pavilion Master Tian. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan seeded in the pavilion crashing or not, it was almost certain that the headquarters would investigate this matter, and thetter would be punished for his actions. Despite this, Pavilion Master Gou did not dispatch any men to keep a close eye on Vice Pavilion Master Tian, even allowing thetter toe and go as he pleased. As such, Vice Pavilion Tian would have to have been an imbecile to not make use of the opportunity to escape! If a 7-star master teacher were to determinedly conceal all traces of himself and go into hiding, it would be nigh impossible to find him. I... Pavilion Master Gous face turnedpletely red. He had intended to make such an order, but he had not expected Zhang Xuan to sessfully crash the pavilion, and to seed so swiftly at that! Clenching his fists tightly, Pavilion Master Gou turned to the crowd and dered imposingly, In my name as the head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, I hereby issue an arrest warrant for Tian Qing! Alive or dead, capture him and bring him to me! Yes! The master teachers swiftly scattered. An arrest warrant from the Master Teacher Pavilion could be said to be the most powerful warrant throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent. Once released, all the empires and kingdoms within the Qingyuan Conferred Empire would receive the message, and any cultivator who encountered the wanted individual would be handsomely rewarded for notifying the regional Master Teacher Pavilion. It could be said that with this arrest warrant, unless the wanted were to forever conceal their strength and lie low, it would only be a matter of time before they were found. After making arrangements for Vice Pavilion Master Tians capture, Pavilion Master Gou took out his emblem and dered, I, Gou Tianze, have let down the Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, I shall officially resign from my position in the Master Teacher Pavilion and await the headquarters verdict. Until a new pavilion master is nominated, the affairs of the Master Teacher Pavilion will be handled by Wu shi! Along with that deration, the energy he had a moment ago seemed to suddenly vanish without a trace. In an instant, he looked as if he had aged several centuries. He had been the head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion for five hundred years, and he had not erred within that period. He really did not expect that he would end up retiring in such a manner. On the other hand, knowing that there was no point in saying anything further, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Even with all the measures taken to arrest Vice Pavilion Master Tian, it would not be easy to find him once more. Thus, choosing to put the matter aside for the moment, he turned to Wu shi and said, Wu shi, here are my 7-star supporting upation emblems. I meet the prerequisites, so I would like to apply for my promotion to 7-star master teacher! After saying those words, he passed the 7-star supporting upation emblems over. After taking a look, Wu shi nodded and said, Principal Zhang, give me a moment. Ill report your situation to the headquarters, so it might take a while. Theres no need to hurry. Meanwhile, is it fine if I take a look around the Master Teacher Pavilions library? Zhang Xuan replied. Even though he had cleared the Empire Building examination, there were still some necessary administrative procedures that had to bepleted before he could be awarded with the 7-star emblem. With Wu shi dealing with those for him, they would not pose much of a problem. Rather than waiting there for the processing to be done, his time would be better spent browsing through books. While he was already qualified to be a 7-star master teacher, he had not browsed through the 7-star master teacher books yet. This would be a good opportunity to do so. Here is my identity token. With this, you should be able to freely ess any book within the Master Teacher Pavilion, Wu shi replied. Considering how Zhang Xuan had managed to crash the entire Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, defeating all the master teachers within it, there was no doubt that he was already on par with a 7-star master teacher. Thus, it could not be considered a breach of rules to allow the other party to ess the 7-star books using his token while the other partys promotion application was being processed. Un. After epting the token, Zhang Xuan had a master teacher swiftly lead him to the library. The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilions library did not just contain books concerning the master teacher upation; there was also a sizeable collection on each of the other upations as well, such as painter, appraiser, and the like. Master teachers prided themselves on being knowledgeable, so it was only natural that they would house a huge array of books in their library. It took almost an entire day before Zhang Xuan managed to collect all the books into the Library of Heavens Path. He started by browsing through the master teacher books before moving on to the spirit awakener, demonic tunist, apothecary, physician, painter, beast tamer, terpsichore, formation master, appraiser, celestial designer, and the others. Naturally, the collection of books on the other upations within the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion could not bepared to the collections in the libraries of the upations guilds, but to Zhang Xuan, it did not matter how profound or deep each book was. As long as the quantity was enough, the quality did not matter at all. It was not until three dayster that Zhang Xuan sessfully assimted the knowledge of these books with their corresponding 7-star Heavens Path manuals. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked out from the library, Wu shi stepped forward and passed an object to him. Principal Zhang, here is your 7-star master teacher emblem. Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After all the trouble he had gone through, he was finally a 7-star master teacher. It was only a year ago that he had been a teacher who was on the verge of being fired, and he had not even heard of the master teacher upation at that point. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was already a 7-star master teacher, one of the top figures of the Master Teacher Continent. Time really flies! Principal Zhang, theres still no trace of Tian Qing anywhere. However, I have already reported this matter to the headquarters, and the headquarters have decided to dispatch an envoy to track him down as well. If nothing goes wrong, the envoy should be arriving in half a months time, Wu shi informed Zhang Xuan. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Tian Qing would have surely escaped as warily as he could so as to prevent anyone from tracking him down, so unless a unique artifact was used, it would be nigh impossible to find him. What about King Zhongqing? Have you captured him yet? Hes currently imprisoned within the cell of the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, he still refuses to speak. Wu shi shook his head. Its fine, just keep him imprisoned for the time being. How is the matter of awarding Chen Zhe with desing along? Zhang Xuan asked. Zhang Xuan had advised Wu shi to offer the highestpliments to Chen Zhe instead of punishing thetter so as to lure their enemies into action. But before Wu shi could do so, Zhang Xuan had ended up crashing the pavilion. Three days had passed since then, so Wu shi should have gotten it done by now. Just as you instructed, I conducted a ceremony to award des to Chen Zhe earlier this morning,plimenting him for the great contribution he has made to mankind. I also made sure to make his aplishments as detailed as possible. Wu shi quickly nodded. Hearing that Wu shi had done it, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. Thats good. Alright, gather a few of the stronger master teachers and follow me. Its about time for us to apprehend Tian Qing! Apprehend Tian Qing? How? Wu shi was stunned. Simple. Well lie in ambush at Chen Zhes residence. If nothing goes wrong, the residence should find itself weing an uninvited guest tonight, Zhang Xuan replied. Chen Zhes residence? Does Principal Zhang mean to say that Chen Zhe wields some secret concerning Tian Qing? Wu shi pondered for a moment before swiftlyprehending the situation. Chen Zhe was Tian Qings student, which made thetter suspicious too. On top of that, Chen Zhes abrupt death in his cell in the midst of the investigation was extremely curious as well. At this point, Wu shi was nearly certain that the both of them had been conspiring with one another! Im not too sure either. This is an idea that came to my mind over the past two days. If Chen Zhe did not hold any critical information, there should have been no reason for the other side to go to the trouble of silencing him. While your act of awarding him des publicly will reek of a trap, my gut feeling tells me that the other side will not dare take the risk, Zhang Xuan analyzed. I understand the rationale behind your n, but... given that Tian Qing is already in a precarious position himself, is there a need for him to stake his life just to guard a secret? Wu shi asked with a frown. If Tian Qing was indicted with the current crimes he was used of, there was a very good chance that he would be executed by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Since he was already a goner either way, it should not matter whether the list of crimes to his name increased or not. Thus, even if Chen Zhe possessed any secrets, it did not seem likely that Tian Qing would risk exposing himself just to retrieve the secret. That depends on how important the secret is, Zhang Xuan said. The reason Chen Zhe was exposed was because he had duped Zhang Yinqiu and the others of the news concerning the ancient domain and leaked it to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. So... if the secret that he holds concerns some confidential intelligence of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Tian Qing might just take the risk. This... Wu shis body stiffened upon hearing those words. Principal Zhang, could you have discovered something regarding that? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Its still spection at the current moment. Over the past two days, on top of going through the books that he had collected, he had been pondering over his encounters over the past seven days in Qingyuan City as well. After some thought, he could not help but feel that something was amiss. It was a little difficult to believe that Tian Qing was unaware of his students affiliation with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Furthermore, as the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was honestly suspicious how Tian Qing took no action after learning from Wu shi that his student had leaked vital intelligence to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Considering how severe the matter was, shouldnt Tian Qing have been in a rush to exin himself so as to absolve himself of me? Or perhaps... did he know that he did not have to do so? Alright, Ill gather my men right now! Wu shi could tell that Zhang Xuan seemed to have noticed something crucial, so he quickly left the room. A few momentster, he returned with five master teachers beside him. Four of them were elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and thest one was a familiar faceZhang Jiuxiao! As powerless as Zhang Jiuxiao appeared to bepared to Zhang Xuan, defeated without even managing tond a blow on thetter, his true strength was still formidable. If he were to use all the means at his disposal, especially his two Saint intermediate-tier swords and four Saint low-tier sabers, there was a good chance that he would be able to overwhelm even Wu shi. For the time being, just sit around and rest. Well set off at night time, Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! the crowd replied. After witnessing the pavilion crashing, they were all filled with admiration for the young man before them. At this moment, Zhang Xuans prestige within the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion could be said to have exceeded even that of Wu shi! Chapter 1187 - Arrest

Chapter 1187: Arrest

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In apartment of a tavern by the suburbs of Qingyuan City, a few men were gathered around a table. However, their eyes kept drifting off toward a nearby residence from time to time. Wu shi sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Principal Zhang, thats where Chen Zhe lives... As soon as night fell, they had immediately headed over here. Through the prior, discreet arrangements of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they did not catch anyones attention. Un. Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception toward the residence to perceive its interior. While the Spiritual Perception of others was only able to cover a radius of 400 meters, and that was including even the Half-Leaving Aperture realm Wu shi, Zhang Xuans Spiritual Perception was able to cover a radius of 2,500 meters. He would be able to perceive the slightest movement within the residence from where they sat, so there was no need for them to hide within Chen Zhes residence at all. Chen Zhes residence sure is extravagant and sturdy! Zhang Xuan could not help but exim after taking a swift look at it. As humble as Chen Zhe might have seemed in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he was still a 7-star low-tier master teacher, as well as the direct disciple of a vice pavilion master. Just by those two identities, he could definitely be considered one of the more eminent figures in Qingyuan City. As if to reflect that, his residence was filled with all kinds of formations, and nearly all of them had reached grade 7. In terms of renovation, his residence was not on par with the affluent King Zhongqings manor yet, but it was still far beyond that of an ordinary n. A gazebo on the fifth step, a towering building on the tenth. The corridors meandered like long ribbons, and the roofs were beautifully sculpted. It was hard to tell what Wu shi did, but the residence did not seem to have been too affected by Chen Zhes death. On the contrary, it was extremely tranquil and peaceful. Principal Zhang, do we have to make any preparations in advance? Wu shi pondered for a brief moment before continuing. From what I know Tian Qing seems to have a Saint intermediate-tier artifact in his possession. In terms of its individual strength, it is beyond that of the Golden Origin Cauldron, and itplements his cultivation, allowing him to disy exceptional fighting prowess! Its fine. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Making too many preparations in advance could y against us instead. It would be bad if the other party notices that something is amiss and flees. Naturally, it would have been much safer if they were to fill Chen Zhes residence with their own formations and men. However, themotion in doing so might instead deter Tian Qing from biting the bait. But... Wu shi was still a little worried. Theres no need to worry. As powerful as Tian Qing may be, as long as his fighting prowess is beneath that of Pavilion Master Gou, we should not face too many problems dealing with him. Besides, as long as we can hold him for a moment, we can always call for reinforcements from the Combat Master Hall, Zhang Xuan said. He had fought Tian Qing in the past, and thetter was not a match for him at all. Even if thetter had a powerful Saint intermediate-tier artifact in his possession, Zhang Xuan was still confident that they would at least be able to protect themselves. On the off chance that they found themselves outmatched, as long as they could hold on for a short moment, the Combat Master Hall would be able to dispatch their elites to reinforce them. Even if Tian Qing was a true Leaving Aperture realm expert, he was confident that they would be able to subdue him with rtive ease. Wu shi pondered for a moment before nodding. Thats true. Knowing that they would be facing a great battle soon, the other master teachers focused their attention on conditioning their state so that they would be able to fight at their full strengthter on. A long timeter, when the moon was just beginning to set in the west, Zhang Xuan suddenly stood up and said, Hes here. Wu shi and the others widened their eyes in rm. They quickly activated their Spiritual Perception to take a look, only to find nothing at all. Hes already in the residence. Noticing the looks of confusion on the faces of the master teachers, Zhang Xuan quickly exined, He came from underground! Underground? Everyone looked at Zhang Xuan with an incredulous look. While Spiritual Perception was able to pass through obstacles, it would severely limit its range. Thus, it was difficult to perceive items that were beneath the ground. And yet... Zhang Xuan was still able to discern the intruder so easily? Hes advancing very warily, choosing to sneak into the opposite residence before using some kind of secret art to dive underground. His movements are subtle, but theres no doubt that hes there. Alright, lets go over to apprehend him, Zhang Xuan said. Back in the Jingyuan City Poison Hall, he had encountered the Earthleaf King, who had the uncanny ability to dive into the ground. In view of that, Zhang Xuan had chosen to extend his Spiritual Perception to cover the underground as well, and it was a relief that he had done so. Alright! The crowd swiftly got to their feet before flying out through the windows, heading for the residence right before them. Theynded at the center of the residence, where Zhang Xuan carefully directed the master teachers into their positions. After that was done, he flicked his wrist and swiftly ced a few formation gs into the ground. Weng! Zhang Xuan stomped on the ground and bellowed, Come out! Peng! The ground began shaking intensely, and before long, as figure was forcefully plucked out from the ground. The figure was dressed in ck from head to toe, allowing him to blend in perfectly with the darkness of the night. However, with their exceptional eyesight as Primordial Spirit realm experts, the other master teachers could still easily make out his appearance to determine his identity. Tian Qing, its indeed you! Wu shis face turned livid. You wont be getting away today! Wu shis hand wed forward, and a powerful might burst forth, threatening to tear Tian Qing into shreds. On the other hand, Tian Qing did not expect that there would be someone lying in ambush for him. His eyes narrowed in apprehension as he quickly raised his arms to defend himself from Wu shis offense. Wu shis ws gouged deep into the flesh of his hand, but thanks to his timely reaction, Tian Qing managed to protect his vitals. After fending off Wu shis attack, Tian Qing swiftly turned around and flitted away, hoping to escape from the area. Escape? Do you think that you will be able to escape? With a light chuckle, Zhang Jiuxiao raised his finger, and a powerful sword suddenly descended from the sky. It was the Saint intermediate-tier sword that he had in his possession. After listening to Zhang Xuans lecture, while the sword still had not made a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm yet, its strength had still grown considerably. Complemented with Zhang Jiuxiaos incredible cultivation, powerful surges of sword qi burst forth from the sword, covering a distance of several dozen meters in the blink of an eye to strike Tian Qing. Seeing this, Tian Qings face darkened. Without any hesitation, he flicked his wrist and drew a sword as well to deal with Zhang Jiuxiaos offense. After several shes, Zhang Jiuxiao was forced to retreat in a fluster. As powerful as he was, Tian Qing was still an entire cultivation realm stronger than him. On top of that, their weapons were both at Saint intermediate-tier. Given so, it was inevitable that he would be in a disadvantageous position against the other party. After pushing back Zhang Jiuxiao, Tian Qing leaped into the sky, but the next moment, he felt a ferocious might tearing through the space around him, heading right for him. It was the offense from the other elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion. They were all Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle experts as well, and knowing how powerful the person before them was, they dared not hold back. Whipping out their weapons, they used their strongest techniques without any hesitation. Innumerable bursts of sword qi appeared before Tian Qing, forming a massive wall in his path. If thetter continued any further, he would surely be torn to shreds. With an awfulplexion on his face, Tian Qing knew that it would be dangerous if he pushed on any further. Flicking his wrist, he sent a powerful strike toward the wall of sword qi and made use of the momentum from the rebound to descend back to the ground. Barely after he managed to steady his figure once more, Wu shi and Zhang Jiuxiaounched their second assault on him. Zhang Xuan had prepared a battle n to ensure that they would be able to sessfully apprehend Tian Qing. As the two most powerful experts of the group, Wu shi and Zhang Jiuxiao would be in charge of the offense whereas the remaining four were responsible for preventing Tian Qing from escaping. Watching as Tian Qing was slowly ground down under the simultaneous assault of the master teachers, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing that he did not have to join the battle, he activated his Eye of Insight and began assessing the surroundings instead. Since Tian Qing was willing to the risk going to Chen Zhes residence, it could only mean that there was a secret hidden there that Tian Qing perceived to be even more important than his own life. Scanning the surroundings carefully, Zhang Xuan suddenly frowned. He walked up to the trees in the middle of the courtyard. They were Saint-tier Lingering Fragrance Trees, known for the Lingering Fragrance Fruits that they produced. Despite being considered a Saint-tier medicinal herb, the Lingering Fragrance Tree waspletely ineffective in raising ones cultivation. It was only valued as a perfumeone who consumed it would retain its fragrance within their body for an entire year. To put it in other terms, it was amodity that onlydies would want. Yet, there were actually seven of such trees in Chen Zhes courtyard. Even beforeing close, Zhang Xuan could already smell the sweet, intoxicating fragrance that they emanated. Even he had to admit that the fragrance was indeed very pleasant. If ady carried such a scent on her, she would surely be able to charm any men. However, what Zhang Xuan was interested in was not the trees themselves but the area a zhang 1 beneath the trees. A grade-7 Aura Sealing Formation... Using Saint-tier medicinal herbs in ce of formation gs in order to conceal the presence of the formation, not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded. In the eyes of an outsider, those might have seemed like perfectly normal trees. However, as a 7-star pinnacle formation master, Zhang Xuan could easily tell that the positions of those trees formed a unique formation. In principle, it was simr to the Aura Sealing Formation that he had set up previously in Hongyuan Empire to conceal the Byzantium Helios Beasts presence, but through tapping into the strength of the Saint-tier Lingering Fragrance Trees, the formation was raised to the tier of grade-7 pinnacle. On top of that, it was also intentionally concealed by the other formations, so if one did not examine it closely, it would have been difficult to notice its existence. Even Zhang Xuan had only managed to deduce it himself by analyzing the flow of the spiritual energy in the area. A 7-star low-tier master teacher setting up a grade-7 pinnacle Aura Sealing Formation in his residence? Let me see what kind of secret he is hiding beneath! Zhang Xuan walked forward and stomped forcefully on the ground. Hu! The ground immediately parted, revealing a stone door. Zhang Xuan ced his hand on the stone door and forcefully erased the inscriptions on it before walking in. Beyond the stone door was a flight of stairs made from a mysterious material that descended into the deep darkness. For some reason, it was impossible to see too far ahead even with the radiance of the Night Illumination Pearls, as if something was absorbing the light. Zhang Xuan had to activate his Eye of Insight before everything became a little clearer. Its Starluster Stone... Zhang Xuan frowned. After going through the books in the Appraiser Hall and the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had gained some understanding of the rare minerals on the Master Teacher Continent. The Starluster Stone was a peculiar mineral that had the ability to absorb light, making an area incredibly dark. Of course, through using a unique method, one could release the light absorbed within the stone, making it iparably bright, as if a star in the sky. It was for this reason that the rock was named Starluster. However, the Starluster Stone within the passageway seemed to have been altered in a certain manner that allowed it to only absorb light but not release it. Nevertheless, this did not pose too much trouble for Zhang Xuan. Navigating his way forward with his Eye of Insight, he slowly made his way down. After walking for around seventy to eighty meters, he finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Raising his gaze, he could not help but be taken aback by what he saw. It was a vast underground chamber. At the very center of the chamber was a huge pool ofva that emitted frightening heat. Fortunately, it was sealed by a massive formation. This... A grade-8 formation? Seeing how the formation was constructed out of unique materials, its grade was surely not beneath those within the Qiu Wu Pce. Clearly, it had already reached grade-8. It was one thing for there to be a grade-7 pinnacle Aura Sealing Formation in the courtyard of a 7-star low-tier master teacher, but to think that there would be an underground chamber with a grade-8 formation beneath his residence at that... Something was definitely amiss. Let me see what the formation is channeling power toward. Through his discerning eye, Zhang Xuan could tell that the purpose of the grade-8 formation was to channel the immense energy contained within theva to power something. Tracing the flow of power in the formation, Zhang Xuan soon narrowed his eyes in astonishment. T-this... Chapter 1188 - Tian Qings Death

Chapter 1188: Tian Qings Death

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before Zhang Xuans eyes was a massive altar powered by the formation. It was floating silently in the air, and perhaps because it was not activated, it appeared to meld into the deep darkness. There was an ancient quality to the altar that felt as if it had traversed across the ages. This altar... its very simr to the one that I obtained from the Scarletleaf King. Could it be an altar of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Zhang Xuans face darkened. The altar was identical to the one he had obtained from the Scarletleaf King previously, just significantlyrger. With a single look, it was apparent that the altar belonged to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well. Studying it with his Eye of Insight, he saw countless inscriptions carved on the altar. These inscriptions were extremely peculiar, being neither in thenguage of the humans nor thenguage of the beasts. Nevertheless, these words were extremely familiar to Zhang Xuan. With just a single nce, he had already recognized them. These words are in thenguage that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu used to leave behind his heritage! The maps that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had left behind were in the samenguage as the words carved on the altar. When these words were structured together in a certain manner, they would be imbued with a peculiar power over space. It seems to be some kind of teleportation formation, serving to teleport Otherworldly Demons over here! Zhang Xuan pondered with a deep frown. The presence of this very formation was the most direct evidence to show that Chen Zhe had betrayed mankind for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Considering the scale of the altar, and the sheer amount of energy it was powered with from the grade-8 formation below, it was extremely likely that it had yed an integral role in the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe twenty years ago! Otherwise, considering that the Subterranean Galleries had been tightly sealed, how could so many Otherworldly Demons have suddenly emerged? From the looks of it, it seems like Tian Qing has betrayed mankind as well... While Chen Zhe was a 7-star low-tier master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was impossible for him to construct such a powerful formation by himself while concealing the matter from his teacher, Tian Qing. The only possibility was that... Tian Qing was in on the matter as well. In other words, Vice Pavilion Master Tian, the most authoritative 7-star pinnacle master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion, had been a spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe all along! Putting it together with the deductions he had made before, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. And here I was wondering why, despite how honest and humble I have been, the other party still came straight for me. Everything makes sense now... It had only been a week since he had arrived at Qingyuan City, and he had not caused any trouble within this period, unlike back when he was at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. And yet, someone had still found such a crude reason to attack him, iming that his butler was the founder of the Poison Hall just on the basis that they shared the same name. This matter had left him rather confused for quite some time, but looking at it once more, it could have been vengeance for the Skyleaf King and the others. After all, the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage had ended up dying in his hands. Even if not for vengeance, it was understandable why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would attempt to get rid of him. The Qingtian Lineage, Tian Qing, King Zhongqing... I should have known earlier! Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Qingtian Lineage had nearly been wiped out by himnine of them were killed while thest one was tamed. He should have suspected this from the moment that he learned that King Zhongqing and Tian Qing wanted to deal with him, especially given the fact that Tian Qing was the teacher of Chen Zhe. However, due to their identities, he had only thought that they were negligent in their responsibilities back then. Tian Qing and King Zhongqing... They were probably both from the Qingtian Lineage, right? Furthermore, looking back on their records, both of them seemed to havee to power after achieving significant contributions in the war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe twenty years ago. Forget it. For the time being, my priority should be to destroy this altar. Once I crush it, itll be impossible for them to send any more men over. As this matter had great implications, while Zhang Xuan was confident in his deduction, he knew that he needed to obtain concrete proof before doing anything. Thus, he decided to put the matter aside for now. Flicking his wrist, he took out the cier Rain Sword. Hu! Driving his zhenqi, he shot a barrage of sword qi toward the altar. In the three days he had spent in the Combat Master Hall, he had managed to bring his Heavens Path Sword Art to greater heights. If he could raise his cier Rain Sword to Saint intermediate-tier too, even without the use of a formation, he would be able to subdue Pavilion Master Gou easily with his sword. Break! However, as Zhang Xuans sword qi was just about to strike the altar, he suddenly felt apelling power wrapping around him, rendering him light-headed. Following which, an immense might suddenly tugged at his soul, attempting to forcefully drag it out of his body. This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. With a powerful force tugging at his soul, he could not continue his attack anymore, and his body staggered weakly on the spot. The tugging sensation on his soul was extremely familiar. He had experienced it once in the past. Cang Xu had used such a technique against him. However, due to Cang Xuscking strength rtive to his soul, the technique was not able to faze him at all. However, the might that was pulling at his soul this time around was extremely powerful. If Zhang Xuan let his attention waver for a moment, his soul could very well be nabbed away. Zhang Xuan swiftly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to ward off the force tugging at his soul, and only then did he manage to steady himself. Turning his gaze to the altar once more, he soon understood something. So, this is how they carried out the killings. Without a doubt, Tian Qing or the Otherworldly Demons must have made use of the grade-8 formation to amplify the prowess of their soul art to bypass the defenses of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Given that it had nearly taken even his soul away, surely it would have been much easier to deal with Chen Zhe and the others. While I was trying to lure them out, they were trying to do the same. No wonder everything went so smoothly! Knowing that there was someone hiding in the area, using the altar to nab his soul and kill him, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes sharply. As socially inept as he was, it did not mean that he wascking in intelligence. On the contrary, as his Soul Depth increased, his ability to analyze and decipher situations was getting stronger and stronger. He had told Wu shi topliment Chen Zhe publicly in order to lure Tian Qing out, and Tian Qing did arrive in the end. However, he still ended up being assaulted... It seemed like the other party was no fool either! Perhaps, from the very start, the other partys goal was not to retrieve the altar but to kill him! He had set up this ploy in order to bait Tian Qing, but from the looks of it now, it was apparent that the other party had already seen through his ploy. They had chosen to go along with his ploy, sending Tian Qing over and forsaking him like a pawn just so as to lure him out and hunt him down. A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. Could this be rted to Vicious? Master, theres no doubt that the soul art is one of my secret arts, but judging from theck of mastery in the technique, I am certain that it isnt another one of my body parts executing it. Otherwise, as powerful as you are, its unlikely that you would have been able to survive it! Vicious informed Zhang Xuan telepathically. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. As powerful as his Heavens Path Soul Art was, it was a pity that he was still too weak at the moment. If the enemy he was facing was truly Vicious, thetter would surely have been able to nab his soul easily. But if it isnt another one of the body parts... who else could it be? Zhang Xuan frowned. In this moment, another bout of dizziness struck his head, and a might even greater than before began tugging at his soul. It seemed like the other party was giving it a second try after the first failure. Perhaps I should just go along with the other party to take a look. Instead of racking his head to figure out whom the culprit working against him was, it would be much easier for him just to let the other party take his soul and see the other partys face for himself. After some discussion with Vicious to learn more about the various aspects of the soul art, Zhang Xuan walked up to the altar and wrote some things on it with his brush. Only after that did he release his grip on his soul, allowing the might to take away his soul. Hu! His soul flew out from his be. My soul is currently a little too big. If I go over in such a form, it might cause the other party to put up his guard instead. It would be better if I canpress it slightly for the time being. Zhang Xuans soul was nearly ten meters tall, and if he were to appear in such a form before the other party, he would surely expose his proficiency in soul arts. Thus, with a tap of his finger, he began driving the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. In the blink of an eye, his ten-metersrge soul becamepressed into the size of his physical body. Hu! Under the powerful suction force from the altar, Zhang Xuans soul was swiftly dragged into it. Weng! With a brilliant shimmer from the altar, Zhang Xuans soul disappeared from sight. ... While Zhang Xuan was exploring the underground cavern beneath Chen Zhes residence, Tian Qing had been under the relentless assault of the master teachers, and he was swiftly approaching his limits. His body was covered in wounds and fresh blood, and a mixture of desperation and despair could be seen in his eyes. As powerful as he was, he was still unable to cope with the coborative offense from six powerful experts. Tian Qing, give up. If you struggle anymore, well just have to kill you! Wu shi harrumphed coldly. Previously, Pavilion Master Gou had already issued a warrent to apprehend Tian Qing dead or alive! If thetter still refused to submit, they did not mind dragging his corpse back to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Kill me? Try it then! Ill make sure to bring all of you down with me! Knowing that it was impossible to escape, Tian Qing roared ferociously. All of a sudden, an immense power surged within Tian Qings body, and his body began glowing with a fearsome shade of red. Narrowing his eyes in horror, Wu shi bellowed anxiously, This is bad, hes going to blow himself up! Quick, seal the surroundings! The power that a Half-Leaving Aperture realm harnessed within his body was no joke. It could easily reduce everything within a radius of a thousand meters into cinders. Chen Zhe deserved to die, but his family members and the civilians that lived in the area were innocent. As master teachers, it was their responsibility to protect them. Yes! The crowd swiftly created a barrier around Tian Qing with their zhenqi to contain the might of his explosion. There was no doubt that their barrier would be insufficient to neutralize Tian Qings explosion, and they could very well incur severe injuries or even die from the shockwave of the explosion. However, if their efforts could at least save the lives of some, they did not think that their sacrifice would be wasted. Just as the crowd had resolved themselves to a bitter end, a voice suddenly sounded from above them. Theres no need to go through so much trouble. Let me do it instead! Raising their heads, they saw a massive cauldron falling from the sky. Padah! In the blink of an eye, the exploding Tian Qing was suddenly crushed toward the ground. On the off chance that Tian Qing managed to turn the tables, Zhang Xuan had left the Golden Origin Cauldron outside for the safety of the others. And upon seeing that the master teachers were in a bad position, that fellow immediately rushed forward to deal with the situation. Hu! After pressing Tian Qing back onto the ground, the massive body of the Golden Origin Cauldron suddenly twisted as its cauldron cap opened, and it swallowed Tian Qing without any hesitation. Boom! Shortly after it swallowed Tian Qing, a deafening explosion suddenly sounded within the cauldron. Following which, the cap opened once more, and a puff of white smoke rose from it, as if a burp of contentment. Putong! A tattered body was coughed out of the cauldron. How revolting! It sure is hard to swallow this... The Golden Origin Cauldron shook intensely, as if retching in disgust. However, it soon recalled that it did not have anything to vomit out, so it could only let the matter go. As powerful as Qing Tians explosion was, it was still insufficient to blow a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, especially one like the Golden Origin Cauldron, into pieces. On the other hand, the eyebrows of the master teachers shot up. Wu shi had gone through many life-threatening situations with the Golden Origin Cauldron, and he knew how powerful thetter was. It was just that he had not expected thetter to be so formidable after its reawakening. To swallow Qing Tian and survive the impact of his explosion... At this rate, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Golden Origin Cauldron reached the Leaving Aperture realm. Zhang Jiuxiao walked up to the corpse and muttered with aplicated expression, Hes dead... Dead? Wu shi walked up to take a look. He examined the corpse and swiftly confirmed that it was Qing Tian, no doubt about it. However, he still could hardly believe his eyes. Considering how tenacious Qing Tian had been all this while, he found his easy death a little hard to swallow. Chapter 1189 - Is Someone Thinking About Me?

Chapter 1189: Is Someone Thinking About Me?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Bring his corpse back to the Master Teacher Pavilion! Nevertheless, since Tian Qing was already dead, there was no use pursuing this matter anymore. Everything was finally over. Sighing deeply, Wu shi waved his hands. Tian Qing was a person who had wielded great power. Even though he had only been a vice pavilion master, the authority he had wielded in the Qingtian Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was effectively equal to the pavilion master. It had been a matter of time before the other party was due to be an official 8-star master teacher or even higher. No one had thought that the other party would end up dying here. Life sure was unpredictable. No matter who one offended, one should never offend Zhang Xuan. It seemed like his previous decision was correct. Two of the elders walked forward to collect Tian Qings corpse. It was at this moment that Wu shi finally scanned the surroundings once more and asked, Where is Zhang shi? As the fight a moment ago had been too intense, he had not noticed Zhang Xuans disappearance. Master went into the passageway over there, replied the Golden Origin Cauldron swiftly. Passageway? It was only then that Wu shi noticed the stone gate in the courtyard. Wu shi walked up to the stone gate, and after examining it for a moment, he remarked, This is... an Aura Sealing Formation? It seems like the stone gate was concealed by the formation beforethats why we didnt notice it. The formation had the ability to seal all auras, which had previously prevented them from perceiving the presence of the stone gate. However, the formation became undone with the rising of the stone gate, and if they still could not notice it now, they would be unworthy of being 7-star master teachers. Lets head in to take a look! Wu shi said as he made his way into the passageway. Zhang Jiuxiao and the others followed Wu shi in, but before they could venture too far in, they heard a vexed voice. Help me in... Everyone turned around and saw that the Golden Origin Cauldron had followed them in as well. However, too big, it was stuck at the entrance of the passageway. Its three thick legs just would not fit into the passageway no matter how it tried to squeeze in. While the Golden Origin Cauldron could erge itself easily, it was not as easy for it topress itself. The others had to break open the entrance before the stuck Golden Origin Cauldron could squeeze its way into the passageway. Satisfied, the Golden Origin Cauldron followed the crowd happily down the stairs. Not too longter, they arrived at the underground chamber. They swiftly saw theva and the altar, along with Zhang Xuan, who was seated on the ground, unmoving. Zhang shi! The crowd swiftly gathered around Zhang Xuan. Noticing that Zhang Xuan was not responding, Wu shi ced his hand on the young man, and his face suddenly paled in disbelief. He isnt breathing, and there is no heartbeat either. He is dead? How is this possible? How could Zhang Xuan die within the short period of time that they were fighting against Tian Qing? He was a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint! How could he die in somewhere as humble as this? Just as the crowd waspletely bewildered by the situation before them, the Golden Origin Cauldrons furious voice suddenly sounded. What do you mean by my master is dead? My master is obviously cultivating some kind of formidable cultivation technique, so stop bothering him and scram to the side! Back at the Qiu Wu Pce, the Golden Origin Cauldron had once dived into theva with Zhang Xuan, and thetter had been in such a state as well. Thus, it was not too surprised by the situation before it. Cultivation technique? What kind of cultivation technique could possibly stop ones breathing and halt ones heartbeat? The master teachers frowned, not believing the Golden Origin Cauldrons words in the slightest. As knowledgeable master teachers, they had never heard of a single cultivation technique that would ce one in a state reminiscent of a corpse! Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head, too. How could there possibly be such a cultivation technique in the world? He felt that the Golden Origin Cauldron was only saying those words because it was unwilling to face the reality of its masters death. As an offspring of the Zhang n, he had seen plenty of mysterious and bewildering urrences in the world, but a cultivation technique that halted ones breathing and heartbeat and even caused the stiffening of ones body... There was no way there could possibly be a cultivation technique like that! Those were clearly signs of death! Zhang Jiuxiaos words won the approval of the other master teachers in the area as well. The Golden Origin Cauldron harrumphed coldly. Believe whatever you want! If it had a face, it would surely have been showing a look of disdain toward those master teachers. To think that these 7-star master teachers cannot even match up to a cauldron like me in terms of knowledge, what a bunch of countryside bumpkins! Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head and said, Well know the truth once I use my zhenqi to check the internal state of his body! Right after saying those words, Zhang Jiuxiao immediately stretched his hand forward and ced it on Zhang Xuans body. There were clear differences between the internal state of a living human and a corpse. For one, if Zhang Xuan was truly cultivating, the zhenqi in his body would surely still be active. His meridians would also be supple, and his internal organs would be filled with vitality. All of this could easily be checked by pumping a surge of zhenqi into the other partys body. As soon as Zhang Jiuxiao ced his palm on Zhang Xuans body, he suddenly felt a furious might bursting toward him. In that instant, he felt as if he had been eyed by a ravenous beast, and goosebumps swiftly rose all over his body. Instinctively, he immediately backed away, but it was already toote. A palm harnessing iparable strength darted toward his dashing face. His face distorted hideously as his body whizzed back with astounding momentum. Bam! Pu! Crashing heavily into the wall of the underground cavern, Zhang Jiuxiaos face turned as white as a sheet of paper, and crimson blood spurted from his mouth. The impact of that palm thrust had been so powerful that a depression of his shape had formed on the wall of the cavern, holding him firmly in ce. Tears streamed down Zhang Jiuxiaos face as he cried, I just wanted to check if you are dead or not out of worry... Did you really have to get so angry and use so much force? As the victim, it went without saying that he knew whom the palm hade from. It was none other than the dead Zhang Xuan! It is not as if I was trying to harm you! Did you have to attack me so mercilessly? In an instant, an unprecedented feeling of weariness consumed Zhang Jiuxiao. It seemed like ever since he became acquainted with Zhang Xuan, he had never lived a single day in peace. Struggling out of the wall, he turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, only to see that the culprit who had cruelly harmed him a moment ago was still sitting on the same spot with his eyes closed. There was not the slightest bit of guilt on his face at all, as if the assault that had happened earlier was none of his business. Seeing this sight, the Golden Origin Cauldron shook its body triumphantly as it gloated in a tone that was practically dripping with you reap what you sow. I told you that my master is in the midst of practicing some kind of unique cultivation technique, but you just wouldnt listen... He really is cultivating... The lips of Wu shi and the others twitched in disbelief. They had seen plenty of cultivators who had entric cultivation techniques, but this was the first time they had seen something like this. Was there really a cultivation technique like this in the world? A momentter, Wu shi recovered from his shock and instructed, Since Principal Zhang is cultivating, lets sit here and guard him. Elder Gu, you should return to the Master Teacher Pavilion first and bring some reinforcement here to seal the area. Also, make sure to report this matter to the headquarters. Yes! An elder nodded before leaving the underground chamber. ... The world around him spun and distorted. When Zhang Xuan finally came to once more, he was already standing within a tattered hut. The same altar that he had encountered in the underground chamber was still beneath his feet. It seemed like he had been transported to the other end of the altar. He tried to explore the area, only to find that there was a peculiar suction force from the altar holding him firmly in ce, preventing him from moving. It would be difficult for him to break free of it quickly. Zhang shi, we meet again. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to scan the area, he suddenly heard a faint voice before him. Raising his head to take a look, he saw a copper-masked figure staring at him with his hands behind his back. Its you? Zhang Xuan frowned. The other party was the person who had brought the grade-8 painting of the Sorrowless Old Man to Appraisal Convention to have the seal on it deciphered! The copper-masked figure did not reply to that question. Instead, he stared at Zhang Xuan coldly for a very long moment before asking, You altered the content of the painting, didnt you? Altered? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat, but he did not let it show on the surface. With an indignant frown on his face, he harrumphed furiously. How can that be? Putting aside the fact that I do not have the ability to do so, as a master teacher, I would never do something as hical as that! That would be as good as trampling on the efforts of others, and only the most despicable of scum wouldmit such atrocities! How can that be? The copper-masked figure narrowed his eyes as he repeated Zhang Xuans words mockingly. There are some discrepancies in the painting beneath the seal, and theres also a visible difference in the conception of the painting. Only your consciousness entered the painting throughout the entire Appraisal Convention, so who else could it be other than you? Back at the Appraisal Convention, when he saw that whaty beneath the painting was not what he had expected but a group ofdies bathing, he could hardly believe his eyes. In that instant, he felt that he had wasted many years of his life pursuing the secret of the painting. However, when he returned to his residence and studied the painting carefully, it did not take too long for him to notice that something was amiss. In the first ce, the fact that he had been able to notice the presence of a seal concealed within the painting meant that hisprehension of painting was at least on par with Guild Leader Meng of the Painter Guild. Through his careful examination, he noticed that while the artistic style of the bathing beautifuldies was a close imitation of the Sorrowless Old Mans Anchored Painting Style, there were still some discrepancies between the two. The Sorrowless Old Man had gone to the extent of shaving off ayer of his painting to ensure that the surface remained smooth when he added in the seal. This clearly showed that he had a deep obsession for ensuring the perfection his painting, and he would never allow any ws to gue his work. While the unsealed painting looked wholesome in the surface, upon closer examination, it was still apparent that the portion concerning the bathing beautifuldies was leveled slightly higher than the rest of the painting. Furthermore, the colors were slightly more vibrant than the rest of the painting. From these two discrepancies, it was not too difficult to deduce that the bathing beautifuldies had been added onto the painting recently. Corroborating that with the happenings prior to the unsealing of the painting, given that Zhang Xuan was the only one who had entered the painting, it was not too difficult to deduce that he was the culprit. I must say that you have really misunderstood me. While the bathing beautifuldies only took up a small portion of the painting, Im sure that you are able to tell how exquisitely detailed it is. My consciousness only entered the painting for a brief instant, and given that I had to devote most of my time to analyzing the seal, how could I possibly have the time to paint such an exquisite addition to the painting? That is clearly an impossible feat! Not even the Sorrowless Old Man would have been able to pull it off within the limited period of time I had! Zhang Xuan exined himself earnestly, as if fearing that the other party would not believe him. This... The copper-masked figure frowned. This was also the issue that had confounded him while he was analyzing the matter. All in all, the other party had only been in the painting for less than three minutes, and within this period of time, it was nigh impossible to make an addition that fused nearly perfectly into anotherpleted painting. Even 8-star painters would not be capable of pulling off such a feat! But there was no one else could have pulled it off other than the young man before him! Noticing the copper-masked figures hesitation, Zhang Xuan quickly added, Putting aside the fact that I did not have time to pull it off, Im also not the only one whose consciousness entered the painting that day. You arent the only one? Indeed. Have you forgotten it already? Zhang Jiuxiaos consciousness entered the painting as well, only to be attacked by the spirit and sprout durians on his head, Zhang Xuan said. Hearing those words, the face of the copper-masked figure darkened. Youre right... Zhang Jiuxiaos consciousness entered the painting as well! Hes from the Zhang n, and surely I need not say much about the capabilities of those from a Sage n. Furthermore, the Zhang n is particrly known for snatching items by force. Putting aside a painting, they would even snatch a living human without any hesitation! Do you remember how he said that he knew a way to decipher the seal? Perhaps, he might have used some kind of artifact to alter the contents of the painting before faking his failure so that you wouldnt suspect him! Zhang Xuan harrumphed indignantly. The Zhang n... The lips of the copper-masked figure twitched slightly as fear crept into his eyes. ... Ah choo! Shortly after applying some medicine and feeling the swelling on his face alleviating slightly, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly sneezed. Is someone thinking about me? After being traumatized time and time again, it was reassuring for him to know that he was at least still on someones mind! Chapter 1190 - The Demands of the Copper-Masked Figure

Chapter 1190: The Demands of the Copper-Masked Figure

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After recovering from his shock, the copper-masked figure quickly shook his head and said, No, that doesnt make sense! If the Zhang n intended to make a move on me, there would be no need for them to do it so discreetly. They would have just crushed me openly! The Zhang n was known to be the Number One n of the Master Teacher Continent, possessing many experts. If they had known about the secret behind the painting, they would have just found him and killed him directly. There was no need for them to go about it in such a roundabout manner. It was true that the Master Teacher Pavilion did ensure some degree of order and equality in the world, but rules were meaningless before absolute strength. And the Zhang n wielded such absolute strength to overlook the rules. I dont know how else I can prove it to you, but what I saw in the painting back then was indeed the bathing beauties! Seeing that the other party did not trust him, Zhang Xuan anxiously urged, If you dont believe me, feel free to ask around. I am known in town for my honesty and humility... Enough! Knowing that it would only be a waste of mind to argue who the culprit was, the copper-masked figure harrumphed coldly. There is no point arguing over this now. The reason I have brought you here today is to have you restore the painting. If you get it done, I can consider letting you off! Even though someone had added new content on top of the painting, it should still be possible to restore what was beneath at the hands of a sufficiently skilled painter. This was especially so given that the bathing beautifuldies had been added recently, and there was a clear contrast between it and the rest of the painting. Given that the young man before him had been able to decipher the seal on the painting easily, achieving what neither him nor Guild Leader Meng were able to aplish, there was no doubt that his mastery in painting had already reached the pinnacle of Qingyuan Empire, perhaps evenparable to the Sorrowless Old Mans. If the young man were to work on the painting, there was a good chance that they would be able to restore the original painting. However, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Its not that I dont want to help you, but even I am unable to do it... You cant do it? The copper-masked figure suddenly sneered coldly as killing intent lit up within his eyes. It seems that you still havent understood the situation you are in. You are currently just a mere soul. If your pitiful brain is unable to process what that means, let me phrase it out clearly for you. You. Are. Already. A. Dead. Man! Dead? Horror surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes. As if he was unable to believe what he had just heard, he eximed with widened eyes, I am dead? He quickly lowered his head, only to see his translucent body. In that instant, his vision darkened, and he fainted from shock. ... Seeing the other partys actions, the copper-masked figure wed at his hair in frenzy. Given that he had used a secret art to nab away the other partys soul, anyone who did not have a screw loose should have noticed what was going on! To put on such an borate act and even faint on the spot... Brother, do you think that I dont know that souls cant faint? Under normal circumstances, given that the young mans soul had been bound in ce and his physical body was already dead, shouldnt the young have been eager to heed hismands? To put on such an act... What the heck was going on? Suppressing his urge to rush forward and tear the young man before him apart, the copper-masked figure clenched his jaws and spat coldly, Stop your act. Without my permission, you wont even be able tomit suicide, let alone faint! Ah? I cant faint here? Zhang Xuan sat back up regretfully before shaking his hand leisurely. Forget it, I wont faint for the time being then. However, I was really not lying to you when I said that I am unable to restore the painting to its original state. Hidden within the painting was Kong shis silhouette. Considering the implications of the matter, there was no way he would restore the painting to its original state. On the other hand, seeing the other party shrug away his fainting act without the slightest bit of embarrassment, the copper-masked figure felt so furious that he could have exploded from rage at any moment. It took him a fewrge breaths before he managed to suppress his rage. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke in a callous tone. Dont think that I have no way of dealing with you just because you are a soul. Since I was able to drag you here, naturally, I know of ways to put you through suffering that would make you wish that you were dead! Since I am already dead, why dont you just have me killed once and for all? Zhang Xuan replied leisurely, paying no heed to the copper-masked figures threats at all. You... The copper-masked figures breathing hastened from anger, and his chest fluctuated intensely. Since you dont know what is good for you, Ill just have to use Soul Search on you then. For your arrogance, I shall make sure that your soul dissipates for good! Hu! Right after saying those words, he grabbed forward, and a powerful might suddenly burst forward. Seeing the movements of the copper-masked figure, a glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Thats... a soul oracle technique! The main reason he had allowed himself to be captured by the copper-masked figure was to see who the other party was and what the other party was up to. He did not think that the other party would actually be able to utilize the means of a soul oracle... Tzzzzzz! As shocked as Zhang Xuan was, he did not resist the copper-masked figures offense. Instead, he allowed thetter to enter his mind easily. This was because he could tell with a nce that it was not Soul Search but Soul Read. Soul Search was an extremely violent technique. It allowed one to learn what was in the mind of another, but in the process of doing so, it would destroy the others soul as well, resulting in death. On the other hand, Soul Read was much less powerful than Soul Search, but it would not harm the soul. It seemed like the copper-masked figure still hoped that Zhang Xuan would be able to restore the painting for him, so he dared not kill him straight. Let me see what you know! Harrumphing coldly, the copper-masked figure delved his consciousness into Zhang Xuans mind, and very soon, he found what he wanted to know. A frown emerged on the forehead of the copper-masked figure as he muttered in disbelief. You really dont know the secret behind the seal... Through his Soul Read, he could tell that the other party really knew nothing about the content beneath the seal. In other words, he was not the perpetrator who painted on the bathing beautifuldies on the painting. Furthermore, in his search, he had found that despite the other partys brazen personality, he was really an upright and talented master teacher. It looks like I have really gotten it wrong this time around... After seeing all that, the copper-masked figure retracted his consciousness from Zhang Xuans mind. He had been extremely certain that it was the young man who had altered the painting before, but the evidence before him had smashed the theory to pieces. However... since he had already captured the young man, he should at least get the young man to restore the painting for him. Otherwise, his effort over the years would have really been in vain. He really is a soul oracle, and from the looks of it, it seems like he has a close rtionship with Tian Qing and the others. While the copper-masked figure was reading Zhang Xuans mind, Zhang Xuan was also secretly reading the other party. His understanding of soul arts was much higher than the copper-masked figures, so it was not too difficult for him to bypass the other partys mental defense. Nevertheless, for fear of rming the other party, he only probed at the surface of the other partys mind, so he only received some basic information. Based on the results he had received, the copper-masked figure had a very close rtionship with King Zhongqing and Tian Qing. That was how he had managed to convince Tian Qing to snoop into Chen Zhes residence despite knowing the dangers to lure their group here while he hid at the altar, preparing to nab Zhang Xuans soul when the opportunity was ripe. I was initially intending to conduct a Soul Search, but out of mercy, Ill give you onest chance. Right now, you have two options before you. Knowing that the young man before him really knew nothing at all, the copper-masked figure harrumphed in disdain. The first option, restore the painting for me, and not only will I spare your soul, Ill also bring you back to life, granting you greater power than you possess at the moment! The second option, sumb to my Soul Search and vanish from the face of this world! Your mastery in painting is indeed praiseworthy, but there are plenty of painters in the world who are more skilled than you. Even without you, its only a matter of time before I manage to restore the contents of the painting! Youll bring me back to life? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. Thats right! The copper-masked figure waved his hand, and a body appeared before his eyes. This is known as a Soulless Metal Humanoid. As long as you aplish what I ask of you, Ill allow your soul to reside in it, and through it, you will be able to continue living and existing as an ordinary human! Soulless Metal Humanoid... Zhang Xuan was surprised. He could tell that the other partys Soulless Metal Humanoid was of a far higher grade than what he had seen before, most probably crafted with the body of a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert. Not only so, the craftsmanship was also particrly exquisite, making it reminiscent of a real human. If a soul were to be deposited into it, the average 7-star master teacher would not even notice that it was an artificial body. Seeing Zhang Xuans astonished expression, the copper-masked figure smirked gleefully. Even if you dont have much of an understanding of the soul oracle upation, as a master teacher, you should have at least heard of the Soulless Metal Humanoids, right? With it, not only will your current fighting prowess be enhanced, more importantly, I will also grant you a different identity and ce you in a position of great power! ce me in a position of great power? Could it be that... both Tian Qing and King Zhongqing are Soulless Metal Humanoids? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in shock. To be able to be the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, there was no doubt that Master Teacher Tian Qing really did exist. There was no way the Master Teacher Pavilion would make the huge error of allowing a Soulless Metal Humanoid to be a vice pavilion master. However, it was possible that the real Tian Qing had been killed at some point in time, and his body had been forged into a Soulless Metal Humanoid. Through using a soul to drive Tian Qings Soulless Metal Humanoid, the enemy would be able to impersonate him, assuming the powerful role as the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Furthermore, there would be no one who would check on his identity as he was already verified to be a human. That might have been the case for King Zhongqing as well. If that was truly the case, this would really be frightening. Just thinking about how the fake Tian Qing had been able to fool the eyes of the others for so many years, only exposing himself in order to kill Zhang Xuan... How many more undercover spies did the enemy have? It was no wonder the Master Teacher Pavilion had destroyed the soul oracles without any hesitation! If the soul oracles had truly attempted to plot their vengeance, just this ability of theirs would throw the Master Teacher Pavilion into huge chaos! Just imagine being put in a state where one could not recognize who was a friend and who was an enemy, being forced to doubt everyone. King Zhongqing isnt a Soulless Metal Humanoid. It isnt as easy to forge one as you think! The copper-masked figure refuted Zhang Xuans words. He isnt? The copper-masked figure harrumphed disdainfully. Hes just a loyal dog! Then... what about Tian Qing? Zhang Xuan asked on. Tian Qing? At this point, the copper-masked figure sneered coldly before turning toward Zhang Xuan. Do you wish to see my face? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. Keeping his calm, he said, I do. Given the current situation, its really hard for me to trust you. As you have said, Im already dead. I have nothing else to lose, and theres no need for me to go all out to help the person who killed me! He had been curious about the true identity of the copper-masked figure for a very long time, but thetter had never used a battle technique before him. The previous Soul Search had not registered as a battle technique to the Library of Heavens Path, so he was not able topile a book on the other party through that. As such, he still had no idea whom the copper-masked figure truly was. It would be best if he could convince the copper-masked figure to take off his mask. Humph! Tough words for a person in my grasp. You might be dead already, but your soul is still in my grasp. As long as I wish to, I can put you through suffering beyond your imagination! the copper-masked figure sneered as he slowly took the mask off his face. At this point, the young man before him was already no threat. Firmly bound to the altar, he could im the young mans life any time he wanted to, so he did not fear thetters retaliation. Thus, it was not a big deal for him to show the other party his appearance. Zhang Xuan stared intently at the face of the copper-masked figure as the mask was slowly pried open. A look of disbelief gradually crept onto his face. How could it be you? Chapter 1191 - I Am the Qingtian Emperor!

Chapter 1191: I Am the Qingtian Emperor!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The person before him was none other than Tian Qing! But wasnt the other party fighting with Wu shi and the others? More importantly, the first time he met the copper-masked figure, Tian Qing had definitely been confined within the Master Teacher Pavilions prison. No matter how powerful Tian Qing was, there was no way he could escape from his cell without rming the Master Teacher Pavilion, so... how could he possibly be the copper-masked figure? Zhang Xuan could not believe his eyes. Everything had already exceeded his expectations. Indeed. Tian Qing and I are the same person! Tian Qing nodded. The young man before him had been putting on a fearless and nonchnt exterior ever since he had been dragged here, so he was delighted to see the shocked expression on the other partys face. No, thats not right... You arent Tian Qing but the Qingtian Emperor, right? Frowning, Zhang Xuan revealed his deduction. He had been thinking over the issue over the past few days, and he was confident that the Qingtian Emperor had a part to y in his framing. Else, there was truly no reason for King Zhongqing and Tian Qing to go to such lengths to frame him. Just that, there were still some details that he had yet to make sense of. You are an intelligent person. However, you should know that there are some things in the world that you should never meddle with. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the Qingtian Emperors voice suddenly grew deep and sinister. A burst of killing intent suddenly swept through the surroundings, leaving one feeling as if one had been suddenly plunged into hell. The killing intent was even purer than the Skyleaf Kings. Those who possessed weaker mental fortitude could have very well fainted as soon as they came into contact with this overwhelming aura. Since you have already figured out who I am, theres no need for me to put on an act anymore then. I am sure you should know about the irreconcble conflict between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the darned humans. Submit to me, and I can grant you a life of wealth and power. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to end your life! Tian Qing did not deny Zhang Xuans usations. Instead, he gazed down upon Zhang Xuan as if he was looking at a mere corpse. Since everything had already been revealed, there was no need to beat around the bush any longer. If you are both the Qingtian Emperor and Tian Qing... then who is the person fighting outside with Wu shi and the others? You... as an Otherworldly Demon, no matter how good you are at disguising, surely the headquarters would have looked into your background when you became the vice pavilion master, so how could you possibly have passed their checks? Zhang Xuan uttered in disbelief. No matter how he thought about the matter, it just did not make sense. It might be possible for the Qingtian Emperor to act as an ordinary master teacherthe headquarters could not possibly check the background of every single master teacher spread across the Master Teacher Continent after allbut he wielded great power over the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. It was extremely difficult to believe that the headquarters would make such a severe oversight! If the Master Teacher Pavilion was really so ipetent as to remain unaware when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had already seeped into their ranks, it would have been destroyed long ago. With a cold sneer, hostility welled up in the Qingtian Emperors eyes as he harrumphed menacingly. Tian Qing was the incarnation of my will. I slowly forged his identity as a master teacher step by step over a long 800 years, but who would have thought that you would ruin the preparations that I made? Do you know how much I want to kill you right now? In order to build up Tian Qing, he had paid an extremely heavy price, sacrificing the lives of many of his tribesmen. If not for the damned young man before him, Tian Qing would still have been the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, wielding great power. In a short few days, 800 years of his effort had gone down the drain. How could he possibly take something like that lightly? However, it was fortunate that it was not all in vain. Over the years, he had managed to gather plenty of crucial intelligence, allowing him to obtain the various items that he required. At this point, he was just onest step away from sess. If not for that, he would have surely killed the young man before him without any hesitation instead of wasting so many words on him. Incarnation of your will? Zhang Xuan was taken aback from a moment before swiftlying to a realization. In his previous battle against Tian Qing, he had found that there was a fatal w in the other partys Primordial Spirit, which made it highly unlikely for the other party to ever reach the Leaving Aperture realm in his lifetime. Back then, he had thought that the other party might have just erred in his cultivation somewhere along the way, but it turned out that... the error was actually fundamental! As the incarnation of a mere will, it went without saying that the soul was bound to be iplete. It was already a miracle that Tian Qing could cultivate to the Primordial Spirit realm with an iplete soul; any further than that was nigh impossible. Perhaps due to Tian Qing being an incarnation, the Library of Heavens Path considered him a separate existence from the Qingtian Emperor, resulting in its inability to draw the links between the two. From the start to the end, Zhang Xuan had never considered such a possibility before because of the sheer impossibility in it. A will was effectively a fragment of a soul, so it was fundamentally of the yin attribute. It was fatal for a newborn baby to be gued with yin energy, and the chances of survival were practically null. Furthermore, such an incarnation was against thews of nature, an act that the heavens would not condone. Thus, even if the baby survived by some chance, one would have to pay a heavy price in order to prevent the baby from dying. As such, even if the upation that boasted the greatest understanding of souls, the soul oracles, were to attempt to reincarnate a will, it was likely that there would not even be a single sessful case out of ten thousand attempts. Otherwise, Mo Hunsheng would not have been so desperate to fuse together with the Nine Hearts Lotus to gain a new body for himself. On top of that, a will would automatically go into a dormant state upon reincarnation. There were those who were unable to unlock the memories of their previous life until the moment of their death, thus achieving nothing significant in their lifetime. Such a symptom was known as the Void of Reincarnation. To make matters worse, the attempt to reincarnate ones will was also highly damaging to ones soul. This effectively limited each person to a single attempt in their lifetime. As such, only those who had been cornered would resort to will reincarnation, hoping that the infinitesimal possibility of sess woulde their way. To think that the Qingtian Emperor not only seeded, but his incarnation grew to be a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, governing the Master Teacher Pavilion of a Conferred Empire? While the Qingtian Emperor must have assisted in some ways, it was still a particrly formidable feat. The Qingtian Emperor harrumphed coldly. Thats right. I advise you not to test my patience. Since I have already revealed my identity to you, you should know that unless you submit to me and seal a soul contract with me, theres no way that you are getting out of this. Ill put you through endless torture and... The reason he fearlessly revealed his identity before the young man was because he did not fear thetter leaking the secret. Everything was within his control. If the young man attempted anything, it would only take a single thought for him to kill thed. Fine, Ill submit! Zhang Xuan interrupted the Qingtian Emperors words. Ah? The Qingtian Emperor was taken aback. Having lived among the humans for many years, he knew how firmly master teachers held onto their beliefs and faith. Considering how arrogant the young man before him was, going to the extent of even crashing the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion upon being used of siding with the enemy, he had thought that it would be a long fight to get thetter to submit to him. Who knew that thetter would agree to it so heartily? What happened to the unwavering will that master teachers should have? The Qingtian Emperor eyed Zhang Xuan suspiciously for a moment before harrumphing coldly. Words are empty. Offer your soul! As skeptical as he was about the young mans intentions, he knew that once thetter offered his soul to him, there was no way thetter would be able to betray him anymore. Of course, of course! Zhang Xuan nodded. But before that, I would like to confirm one thing first. Will you really give me a suitable Soulless Metal Humanoid so that I can continue living as I did? The Qingtian Emperor waved his hand derisively. You dont have to worry about that! In the end, it seemed like the young man was just another spineless coward who would abandon his beliefs and faith for his own life. But again, the threat of death was indeed scary, especially to cultivators who boasted long lives. The older one became, the more vivid ones fear of death and losing everything they had would be, and not even master teachers were spared from this rule. That was also how You Xu had ended up sumbing to the Otherworldly Demons back then. Then... Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before mustering his courage to ask, Can you tell me the method of entering a Soulless Metal Humanoid and let me give it a try first? I want to confirm that theres indeed a way for me to continue living before I submit to you! This... the Qingtian Emperor frowned. Somehow, he felt like Zhang Xuan was up to something. However, looking at the young mans innocent face, he suddenly recalled the memories he had seen in young mans head earlier, and since it was impossible for the young man to turn the tables against him, he eventually relented with a nod. Alright then. The method to entering the Soulless Golden Humanoid is very simple... The Qingtian Emperor swiftly exined the method to enter and control the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Alright, I got it. Seeing that the other partys exnation was essentially simr to what he had learned from Mo Hunsheng, Zhang Xuan nodded. In truth, he had alreadypiled a Heavens Path manual regarding controlling a Soulless Metal Humanoid, and he had even practiced it before. In fact, this was the very method that he had used to ce his severed soul into the Nine Hearts Lotus to make his clone. After which, Zhang Xuan pretended to struggle but to no avail. With a helpless tone, he said, Set me free for a moment. I want to try entering the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Dont try to pull anything. I am the one who forged the Soulless Metal Humanoid, so it goes without saying that I have a way to destroy it as well. Dont naively think that you will be able to go against me just because you have gained a body! the Qingtian Emperor warned callously. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. As a Saint 2-dan cultivator, I wont be able to tap into the full strength of the Soulless Metal Humanoid no matter how powerful it is. I wont be a match for you even if I do try to pull something. Hearing those words, the Qingtian Emperor hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding. It seemed like he was really being too jumpy, worrying over the most insignificant of issues. The other party was right. As a Saint 2-dan cultivator, the other party could not possibly tap into the full strength of the Saint 4-dan Soulless Metal Humanoid. Since that was the case, what did he have to fear? Thus, with a light flick of his hand, the altar gleamed brilliantly. Following which, Zhang Xuan felt the bindings holding him in ce loosening, allowing his soul to move freely. Let me give it a try! Zhang Xuan said as he made his way over to the Soulless Metal Humanoid. A momentter, the Soulless Metal Humanoid opened its eyes. Zhang Xuan tried moving in it a little, and it felt no different from controlling a puppet. He could not help but shake his head in disappointment. It seemed like a Saint 4-dan Soulless Metal Humanoid was still ultimately a mere puppet. A real human had senses that allowed him to receive information from his surroundings, but a puppet did not. While it was possible for a soul to survive by housing itself within a puppet, it was effectively no different from driving a corpse. It was no wonder few would choose to learn soul arts despite the great longevity of soul oracles. There was more to life than to just continue existing. If a cultivator had to live amid the darkness for their entire life, deprived of everything that made them feel alive, perhaps death would have been a better option. Watching as the young man entered the Soulless Metal Humanoid, the Qingtian Emperor heaved a sigh of relief. He had attempted to use his words to distract the young man from it, but the fact was that as the creator of the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he wielded absolute control over it. In other words, it was just another cage to encase the young mans soul. If he willed it so, he could kill the other party whenever he wanted to. Nevertheless, to be absolutely safe, he still wanted to bind the young man with a soul contract. Thus, he turned to the other party and said, Now that you have tested the Soulless Metal Humanoid for yourself, its about time for you to offer your soul! Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded. Maneuvering the Soulless Metal Humanoid to the altar, he said, Ill be offering my soul to you through this altar then! After saying those words, a will slowly rose from the be of the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Un. Not expecting the young man to be so active about this issue, the Qingtian Emperor nodded in approval. He also walked up to the altar and drew his soul out of his body. As he cultivated the soul cultivation techniques from the soul oracles, his soul harnessed iparably frigid yin energy, leaving others not daring to approach. The foundation of a soul oracley in their soul, so it would be better to bind the young mans soul to his soul instead of his body. Start the ritual! the Qingtian Emperor dered loudly. He had thought that it would take more effort to deal with this young man, but it seemed like the other party was still too young and inexperienced. Once the soul contract was sealed, he would be able to peer into the other partys thoughts. By then, the other party would dare not to formte the slightest thought of rebellion. Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded. He maneuvered his Soulless Metal Humanoid to walk around the altar before abruptly pping its palm on the altar. Weng! The inscriptions suddenly lit up, and a powerful suction force drew in the soul of the Qingtian Emperor, wanting to devour it whole. Horrified by the changes, the Qingtian Emperor eximed, H-how do you know the method to triggering the altar? Chapter 1192 - A Knife to Me, a Knife to You!

Chapter 1192: A Knife to Me, a Knife to You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The altar had been specially crafted by a method known only to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and it required the Zhenqi of ughter to activate. More importantly, it concerned a secret of the soul oracles, so how could a master teacher possibly be able to activate it? The Qingtian Emperor felt as if he was going insane. Others might not have known how fearsome the altar was, but he did. Once it was activated, it could draw even the Primordial Spirit of a Leaving Aperture realm expert into it easily! Tzzzzzzzz! Before the Qingtian Emperor could even give any further thought to the situation he was in, he suddenly felt the suction force growing stronger and stronger. Despite his resistance, his soul was slowly dragged by the suction force, seemingly about to be taken over to the other side at any moment. You are courting death! Frightened and rmed, the Qingtian Emperor bellowed furiously. At this point, he was fully aware that he had fallen for the young mans schemes. He swiftly extended his soul energy toward the will floating in the air, wanting to grab and destroy it. However, the will seemed to bepletely unaffected by the suction of the altar. It leisurely made its way back into the Soulless Golden Body. Not expecting the other party to escape from his grasp, the Qingtian Emperors rage crescendoed. Humph, I am the creator of the Soulless Metal Humanoid. It takes nothing more than a mere thought for me to im your life! With a furious roar, the Qingtian Emperor swiftly sealed the pores of the Soulless Metal Humanoid, preventing the young mans soul from escaping it. After which, he sent the energy harnessed within the metal humanoid into chaos, putting it on the verge of explosion. As the creator of the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he was able to have it explode at his whim. This was the exact same method that Zhang Xuan had used to subdue the Jadeleaf King back then. Theres no need for you to go through so much trouble, said Zhang Xuan nonchntly. Following which, with a resounding puhe!, the Soulless Metal Humanoid was abruptly ripped in two down the middle. A massive ten-meter-tall soul appeared from within the body. It should have been impossible for any soul to escape once the pores of the Soulless Metal Humanoid were sealed. However, by abruptly erging his soul by undoing the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Zhang Xuan managed to tear the metal humanoid in two. Seeing Zhang Xuan decisively tearing the Soulless Metal Humanoid in two, the Qingtian Emperor widened his eyes in astonishment. T-this is your soul? H-how is it so big? As a soul oracle, he understood the significance of the size of a soul, and the one before him was actually ten metersrge! Just how much soul energy could that ten-metersrge soul possibly contain? This is impossible! No, wait a moment! You are... a soul oracle? Realization suddenly struck the Qingtian Emperor as his mouth widened in shock. Only a soul oracle could possibly possess such an enormous soul, but... wasnt the other party a master teacher? How could a master teacher possibly be a soul oracle? The Qingtian Emperor felt as if his mind was going to blow from the insanity unfolding before his eyes. It had been countless years since the heritage of the soul oracles had disappeared from the face of the world. He had needed to pay a heavy price before he managed toy his hands on a couple of soul arts, but... who would have thought a master teacher as talented as the other party would actually be a full-fledged soul oracle? This was truly a shocker! Dont worry, Im not going to do anything much. Watching as the Qingtian Emperor went into a frenzy from the situation, Zhang Xuan consoled him insincerely as he slowly made his way over to the other partys immobile body. With a thought, his soul swiftly shrunk back to the size of a human before diving into the be of the immobile body. W-what are you trying to do? This sight immediately sent the Qingtian Emperor into a panic. That was his body! If the other party were to possess his body, his soul would have nowhere else to go! What am I doing? Like I told you, I am not doing anything much. Didnt you teach me how to utilize a Soulless Metal Humanoid earlier? Im just trying to see if it will work on your body since the Soulless Metal Humanoid you gave me earlier has exploded. As Zhang Xuan spoke, his soul sessfully entered the Qingtian Emperors body. A momentter, the eyes of the immobile body opened, and it began stretching its neckzily. Hmm, not bad. Feels much better than the Soulless Metal Humanoid! The Qingtian Emperor smiled in delight before casually waving his hand at the soul on the altar. Boom! Killing intent burst into the surroundings as immense might poured forth like the relentless rapid tides of a river. Feeling the strength harnessed within the body, Zhang Xuan could not help but remark, How powerful! Even though he had roughly twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets in his storage ring, they came nowhere close topeting with the one he was currently possessing. To make an analogy, if the strength of the Otherworldly Demon puppets was only a little pond, the body he was currently possessing would be an endless sea! You... The Qingtian Emperor felt as if he would explode from rage. He was an Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but not only did he fall for the ploys of a mere human, more importantly, thetter even used his own body to attack his soul! Be it his body or his soul, he could not afford to have either of them injured! Damn it! Knowing that he would die if he did not protect himself, the Qingtian Emperor swiftly gathered his soul energy together and formed a devastating force that shed with Zhang Xuans p. Boom! The collision ended with the physical body that Zhang Xuan controlled consecutively retreating eight steps. Hes a True Leaving Aperture realm expert! Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had thought that the Qingtian Emperor would be at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm as well, the same as Hall Master Xing and Pavilion Master Gou, but who knew that he would be a True Leaving Aperture realm expert, one who had undergone the lightning ordeal! The souls of soul oracles were of the yin attribute, making it more difficult for them to clear the lightning ordealpared to ordinary Primordial Spirits. The fact that the Qingtian Emperor had been able to seed went to show that he possessed exceptional talent in cultivation. Come out of my body! Ignoring Zhang Xuans shock, the Qingtian Emperors soul rushed forward andunched another wave of attacks. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt the air freezing around him, making it difficult for him to move. This was a method simr to what he had faced from Pavilion Master Gou during the pavilion crashing a few days earlier, but its might was several times stronger. If Pavilion Master Gou had been able to draw forth such strength as well, he would have admitted defeat on the spot, thus resulting in the failure of his pavilion crashing. After his body was bound in ce, Zhang Xuan quickly felt a powerful suction force tugging at his soul, attempting to forcefully pull his soul out from the body. Calm down, calm down. Ille out, alright? Knowing that the Qingtian Emperor would not rest until his soul was out of the other partys body, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He quickly raised his fist and struck his own chest forcefully. Peng! Zhang Xuan was knocked back from the sheer impact of that strike, and a mouthful of crimson blood spewed from his mouth. That single strike had nearly killed the body on the spot. You! the Qingtian Emperor roared furiously. Can you get any more shameless than that? Thats my body! Peng! Flustered, the Qingtian Emperor watched helplessly as the other party sank another palm into his body. Pu! More fresh blood spurted into the air. Stop it, stop it! Tightly bound by the altar, the Qingtian Emperors soul was unable to break free and protect his body at all. Completely powerless, he could only shout again and again. At this rate, his body might really be utterly destroyed from the young mans self-harming. Even if he survived the ordeal, his cultivation would surely suffer a sharp decline! You stop first, and then Ill stop. Ignoring the Qingtian Emperors bellows, Zhang Xuan continued striking his body relentlessly. Fine, fine, Ill stop! With a look dyed with hatred, the Qingtian Emperor gritted his teeth as he reluctantly retracted his hand. He had no choice but to stop, or else the young man might just destroy his body for good. If so, it would be meaningless even if he managed to force the other party out of his body. Boom! However, right after he retracted his control over the surrounding space, freeing the young man to move as he pleased, the Qingtian Emperor suddenly saw a palm erging swiftly before him. It seemed like the other party had no intention of stopping even when he did... You @#%... the Qingtian Emperor cursed frenziedly. When had he, the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, ever suffered such grievances? There was no way out of this situation at all! The other party would kill his body if he made a move, but if he did not make a move, the other party would continue attacking his soul. He was doomed no matter what he did! Stop! Im telling you to stop! the Qingtian Emperor howled furiously as he gathered his soul energy once more to fend off the young mans offense. However, before the palm strike could reach him, the young man abruptly changed the trajectory of the palm strike to hit himself instead. Pu pu pu! The strike was far more vicious this time around. Fresh blood spurted wildly all over the ce, a sign that the organs of the body might have sustained irreparable damage. Panicked, the Qingtian Emperor quickly withdrew his strength to appease the young man, only to see the other party sending yet another palm strike toward him. ... Unable to retaliate, the Qingtian Emperor felt his soul gradually growing weaker and weaker. To think that he, a Leaving Aperture realm expert and one of the very few soul oracles existing in the world, would be cornered by a Saint 2-dan brat to this extent! He really felt his sanity being challenged! How can there be such a shameless person in the world? Arent you a master teacher? Shouldnt master teachers be righteous and honest? How could you possess my body and hold it hostage as you attack my soul? This is unfair! Really, really unfair! How am I supposed to fight against that? I cant let this continue! At this rate, either my soul will dissipate, or my body will be crippled! the Qingtian Emperor thought grimly. Admittedly, the young mans underhanded measures were truly effective. By holding his body hostage, there was no way he would dare make a move against the young man, thus allowing the young man to freely attack his soul. The Qingtian Emperor racked his mind for a solution to get him out of the quandary he was in, but nothing came to mind. Eventually, as his soul gradually sustained more and more damage, he lost the strength to withstand the suction force from the altar, and hu!, he disappeared into the altar. Watching as the other party was absorbed into the other side of the altar, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly widened in rm. Sh*t! He suddenly realized that he had made a mistake. He had used the suction force of the altar to limit the Qingtian Emperors movements, but he had neglected the fact that his physical body was still lying on the other side. If the Qingtian Emperor made a move against his body in the meantime, he would be in deep trouble. I must quickly make my way over as well! Knowing that there was no time to lose, Zhang Xuan quickly drew his soul out of the Qingtian Emperors body and stowed the body into a storage ring. He hade over in his soul form, so he did not have his storage ring with him. As such, he used the Qingtian Emperors one instead. Without wasting any time, he quickly hid the storage ring at a secret location before swiftly traveling through the altar as well. H! With a brilliant sh of light, Zhang Xuan vanished as well. ... Hu! The Qingtian Emperors soul appeared in the underground chamber. Whats that? Is that... a soul oracle? As the Qingtian Emperors soul harnessed overwhelming yin energy, it was swiftly noticed by Wu shi and the others as soon as it traveled over, and they swiftly rose to their feet in rm. Why are there so many master teachers here? Out of worry, Wu shi had called for around thirty master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion to guard Zhang Xuan while he was cultivating and explore the underground chamber for clues, but who knew that the Qingtian Emperor would suddenly appear at this moment? If they capture me, I will be doomed! Goosebumps rose all over the Qingtian Emperors body. In his injured state, there was no way he could match so many master teacher simultaneously. Even as a Leaving Aperture realm expert, he could very well lose his life. Just as the Qingtian Emperor was scanning his surroundings to formte a countermeasure, he suddenly caught sight of Zhang Xuans unmoving body, and a sharp glint surfaced in his eyes. Wait a moment, isnt that his body? Hahaha, wonderful! Since you possessed my body, I shall take yours as well! Sou!, he swiftly flitted his way over. Since you were the one who started it, dont me me for this! Lets see who will have thestugh! Chapter 1193 - Are You Looking for Me?

Chapter 1193: Are You Looking for Me?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Is that soul oracle trying to possess Zhang shi? Quick, stop him! Sensing the soul oracle swiftly making its way toward Zhang Xuan, Wu shi and the others narrowed their eyes in astonishment. They swiftly moved to intercept the soul oracle. Even though the Qingtian Emperors soul had been tempered by the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, the cold yin aura that shrouded around it was still very apparent. It was easily discernible through ones Spiritual Perception. Hula! Many surges of energy burst forth toward the Qingtian Emperor, wanting to strike him down. Humph! Under the barrage of attacks, even the Qingtian Emperor was unable to get offpletely unscathed. Nevertheless, his eyes still narrowed in tenacity and callousness. The reason he had beenpletely helpless before Zhang Xuan previously was because thetter had possessed his body, so he had not dared execute his strongest moves for fear that he would injure his own body. On the other hand, while the master teachers before him were not too powerful, they were still insufficient to stop him. Seal! the Qingtian Emperor bellowed as he raised his finger. Hu! A ripple swept through the surroundings, and all of a sudden, it was as if the air in the underground chamber had been frozen by somepelling might. In the blink of an eye, it was as if everyone was standing in a marsnd, severely limiting their movements and attacks. Hes a True Leaving Aperture realm expert! Zhang Jiuxiao eximed anxiously. One who wielded enough strength to seal all of their attacks simultaneously... there was no doubt about it; the soul oracle had already undergone the lightning ordeal and sessfully reached True Leaving Aperture realm! Against an expert of the other partys caliber, their numerical advantage did not mean much. Wu shi also swiftly came to the same conclusion. Knowing that the soul oracle before them was not a weak foe, he quickly bellowed, Soaring Dragon Formation! The Soaring Dragon Formation was a formation that every master teacher in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would practice in case of emergency situations. Hu! A moment after Wu shi issued themand, the disciplined master teachers had already formed the formation. Thebined strength of over twenty master teachers quickly overwhelmed the seal that the Qingtian Emperor had cast over the surroundings, causing the seal to shatter as if a cier breaking into ice shards. A Leaving Aperture realm cultivator still was not qualified toe into contact with spatialws yet. As such, the seal that they set up was not, in the truest sense, a sealing of space but a forceful impediment measure set up through their overwhelming strength. If there was another might that had exceeded the strength of the seal they had put up, the seal would shatter in an instant. On the other hand, the Qingtian Emperor did not expect the master teachers to react so swiftly to his attack and break his seal in an instant. Not daring to hesitate in the least, he used the temporarypse in the master teachers defenses as they were dealing with the seal to dash right toward Zhang Xuan before diving into thetters be. HAHAHA! Having sessfully entered Zhang Xuans body, an inexplicable feeling of joy spread across the Qingtian Emperors entirety, and he could not help but burst into heartyughter. Trying to kill me? Now that I am in that bastards body, lets see what you can do about me! Principal Zhang! Watching as the soul oracle sessfully bypass their defenses and possess Zhang Xuan, the eyes of Wu shi and the others reddened in panic. Even with their limited understanding of soul oracles, they knew that once a soul sessfully possessed another individuals body, the individuals soul would be utterly destroyed! They had specially been deployed there in order to protect Zhang shi while thetter was cultivating, and yet, such a matter had still urred right in front of their eyes! Hu! Their initial fluster swiftly turned into rage as they surrounded Zhang Xuans body with sharp killing intent in their eyes. What? You want to make a move against me? Come on then! If you arent scared of killing this talented master teacher of yours, give it your best shot... The Qingtian Emperor howled maniacally as he watched the angry faces around him in joy. However, before he could finish his words, his eyes suddenly narrowed in disbelief, as if something inconceivable had just happened. Ah? W-what is this? N-no, this cant be! NOOOOOO! Putong! Amid the crescendoing scream of agony, Zhang Xuans body suddenly copsed to the ground, convulsing endlessly. Ah? Wu shi and the others were already prepared to make their move to avenge Zhang Xuan when such a sight suddenly appeared before their eyes. They could not help but nce at one another in confusion, not knowing what they should make of the situation before them. Why would the person who was arrogantly boasting before their faces a moment ago suddenly be reduced to such a state? P-please! F-forgive me. I wont possess your body anymore. Let me leave... Let me leave! A desperate scream echoed as the Qingtian Emperors soul frenziedly tried to break out of Zhang Xuans body, only to realize that his pores had beenpletely sealed. There was no way for him to escape. Please, Im begging you! Dont kill me! I wont do anything anymore, I promise you! So, please... Nooo! Tzzzzzz The screaming grew louder and louder, as if reflecting the Qingtian Emperors deep fear of what he was seeing. A whileter, the voice finally began to soften, and it gradually quietened into silence. Hu! A flicker of light burst from the altar, and Zhang Xuan finally returned to the underground chamber as well. Knowing the immense strength that the Qingtian Emperor wielded, he immediately rushed back as soon as he could. He had only managed to keep thetter in check but holding thetters body as hostage, but if thetter were to go on a rampage in Qingyuan City, it could very well spell a cmity! Thus, as soon as he appeared, he immediately scanned the surroundings to find the Qingtian Emperor, only to see a room full of master teachers instead. Another one? Get him! someone amid the crowd eximed. Before Zhang Xuan could even process what was going on, a barrage of attacks suddenly fell upon him. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, Zhang Xuans soul was devoid of the usual yin attribute that soul oracles had. As such, it was not easily discernible to cultivators; only when a cultivator had their Spiritual Perception on would they stand a chance in perceiving the presence of Zhang Xuans soul. However, activating ones Spiritual Perception was extremely exhausting for a cultivator, so they could not afford to have it activated for extended periods of time. It was due to this that Zhang Xuan had been able to slip past most cultivators in his soul form easily. But as luck would have it, the Qingtian Emperors sudden appearance had rmed the surrounding master teachers,pelling them to activate their Spiritual Perception. On top of that, the sh of light from the altar had also caught their attention, allowing them to instantaneously notice Zhang Xuans presence. Pilip! The seemingly omnipresent barrage of attacks heading toward him caused goosebumps to rise all over Zhang Xuan in rm. What the heck is going on? I was only gone for a short moment; why are there so many master teachers in the area all of a sudden? And why are they attacking me so furiously at that? Have they... gone mad? And where is the Qingtian Emperor? To make things worse, there was no way Zhang Xuan could exin the situation. Otherwise, he would expose his identity as a soul oracle, and that would surely raise quite a huge storm within the Master Teacher Pavilion, bringing him endless trouble in the future. Self-righteous individuals would impeach him for learning the depraved arts of the soul oracles whereas greedy individuals would possibly seek him out in the hope of obtaining the heritage of the soul oracles from him. It would be foolish to raise another problem just to solve one. Feeling so indignant within that he could have vomited blood, Zhang Xuan swiftlypressed his soul together through his Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, allowing him to avoid the barrage of attacks by a hairs breadth. After which, making use of the brief opening in the crowds attacks, he immediately dashed toward his body as fast as he could. Another one thats trying to harm Zhang shi? Youre courting death! Kill that bastard! Everyones eyes reddened in rage upon seeing the enemys movements. Their previous mistake had allowed the soul before to possess Zhang shis body, nearly costing Zhang shi his life. There was no way they were going to allow themselves to make the same mistake again! Hula! Drawing all their strength, they immediately sent another frenzied barrage of attacks toward Zhang Xuan, preventing him from moving a single step further. ... Zhang Xuan would have torn all his hair out at that moment if he could. Instead of dealing with the Qingtian Emperor, why was this group of master teachers so obsessed with stopping him? Ding Ding,e over here! Zhang Xuan immediately called for the Golden Origin Cauldron through the telepathic connection from their soul contract. Master! Hearing Zhang Xuans voice, the Golden Origin Cauldron immediately leaped up. Quick, bring my body over to the altar! Zhang Xuan instructed. Before the endless barrage of attacks in his path, there was no way Zhang Xuan could afford to forcefully push through. As such, he could only engage the Golden Origin Cauldrons assistance. Very well! Nodding, the Golden Origin Cauldron immediately leaped up toward Zhang Xuans body with a resounding hu!. Everyone, make way... the Golden Origin Cauldron shouted as it rammed its way forward. It mmed into Zhang Xuans body forcefully, sending it flying straight toward the altar. Pilip! The crisp sound of bone cracking. ... Zhang Xuan pped his forehead. Cant you treat my body more carefully? He knew that the Golden Origin Cauldron was not a reliable individual, and this matter only served to further his belief... As stifled as he felt, he knew that this was not the moment to be concerned about this matter. Watching as his body flew in his direction, his soul swiftly dived into his body. As soon as he regained control over his body, he immediately drove his zhenqi to heal his injuries before opening his eyes once more. Standing before the group of master teachers, he asked, The Qingtian Emperor should havee by earlier. Did any of you see him... But before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, he suddenly noticed that the atmosphere was not right. Somehow, he felt as if everyones killing intent was directed toward him. Thus, he narrowed his eyes and asked, What are you all trying to do? Who are you? Even if you possess Principal Zhangs body, do you think that we will allow you to get out of here alive? Wu shi bellowed furiously. Through their Spiritual Perception, they had personally witnessed the soul that had just arrived earlier diving into Zhang Xuans body, possessing it. That sight had nearly made them erupt on the spot. It was one thing for them to fail to stop the earlier soul from possessing Zhang Xuans body, but for the second soul to seed as well... Do you honestly think that our Master Teacher Pavilion is full of pushovers? Do you think that Zhang shis body is your yground? Seeing that the crowd was only showing such a response out of worry for him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and patiently exined, I am Zhang Xuan. Ive just awoken from my earlier cultivation... Do you think that well believe your words? Wu shi roared angrily. The rage of the other master teachers did not alleviate at all either. If anything, the hostility in their eyes seemed to have further deepened. You opened your eyes right after the soul entered Zhang shis body, and you still dare to im that you are Zhang shi... Do you really take us for fools? You dont believe me? Zhang Xuan frowned. Wu shi, the attack you used on me earlier was the seventh move of the Six Harmony Swords. Your execution has eight ws in total, namely inept swordsmanship,ck of control in your breathing, unrefined execution of strength, iplete conception in the technique... Knowing that there was no way he could exin his way out of this, Zhang Xuan decided to resort to another method to convince them of his identity instead. w identification was a capability that master teachers were the most adept at. Naturally, it was also the best way for him to verify his identity. This... Hearing how the young man sharply pointed out all the ws in his technique with ease, Wu shi could not help but widen his eyes in astonishment. Last but not least, your soul has sustained some degree of damage from the demonic tunes back at the Qiu Wu Pce, and it has not recovered since then. As such, it has affected your execution of techniques to some degree. May I know if what I have said is correct? Wu shi was stunned for a moment before hurriedly nodding. Y-youre right... Then... am I Zhang Xuan? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Y-yes, you are... Wu shi quickly nodded affirmatively. To be able to point out all his ws while being aware of the happenings back at the Qiu Wu Pce, who else could the young man before him be if not Zhang Xuan? After seeing that he had sessfully convinced the crowd of his identity, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, with a confused frown, he asked, What happened earlier? Why are all of you attacking me? Knowing that there could very well be master teachers on the other side, he had made sure to proceed very carefully. And yet, he still ended up being exposed in an instant and even nearly lost his life as a result of it. Furthermore, even if he was an unidentified intruder in their eyes, their rage seemed to be a little too excessive. Without a doubt, something must have happened before he arrived. Its like this... Wu shi quickly filled Zhang Xuan in on the earlier happenings. You are saying that... a soul dived into my body, and shortly after, he began screaming in agony? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. Was that Qingtian Emperor a fool? His body was filled with Heavens Path zhenqi, the very nemesis of soul oracles. And yet, he brazenly dared to possess his body... That was no different from leaping into a pool of toxic for him! He had been feeling a little vexed about the Qingtian Emperors escape earlier, but who would have thought that thetter would be so dumb as to end his own life? Or maybe, he felt too indignant from seeing me possessing his body, and blinded by rage, he wanted to possess mine to return the favor... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. Who would have thought that the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, would meet his end in such an unintelligent manner? Judging by Wu shis ount, the Qingtian Emperor should have been reduced to ash from being burned by his Heavens Path zhenqi, thus dissipating from the face of the world. Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Dont worry, Im fine. I was cultivating a unique cultivation technique earlier, which temporarily deprived me of my awareness of my surroundings. If Im not mistaken, those two soul oracles should have died from the passive ability of one of the secret arts I cultivate. I see, thats a relief. Hearing that the matter concerned Zhang Xuans secret art, the crowd decided not to ask any further. On the other hand, Wu shi knew very well what was going on. Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Master Teacher, and how could the body of a Celestial Master Teacher be taken away by a soul oracle so easily? Thank you for protecting me earlier. Knowing that the crowd was doing it all for him, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and thanked them. The crowd quickly sped their fists back and replied, Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang shi. After trading some pleasantries, Zhang Xuan took his leave before curiously assessing the internal state of his body. Even if the Qingtian Emperor had been killed by the Heavens Path zhenqi, there should still have been some traces of the other party within his body. At this moment, a bone-chilling voice suddenly sounded in his mind, as if a specter. Hehe, are you looking for me? Chapter 1194 - An Eye Chapter 1194: An Eye Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Who is it? Zhang Xuan suddenly felt all his hair stand on end. For the other party to get into his mind without his noticing it... Who could it be? He quickly turned his attention to the area where the voice came from, and a pitch-ck tunnel appeared before him. It seemed to extend on and on, into a dark abyss. The bone-chilling voice spoke once more. Come over! Following which, Zhang Xuan felt his consciousness falter, and by the time he came to, he was already standing right before the tunnel. To think that he would bepletely helpless before the other partys strength! Who in the world are you? Zhang Xuan asked with an awfulplexion as he swiftly scanned his surroundings. It did not take him long to realize that there was a massive eye right before him. The gaze of the massive eye was deeply unnerving. It seemed to peer right into the depths of ones mind, intensifying whatever dark thoughts one had. No wonder you were able tond my subordinate in such a pitiful state... A cold sneer echoed from the massive eye. A Celestial Master Teacher, huh? It has been many years since Kong shi, so its probably about time for another one to appear. You can tell? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm as he felt tension clutch his heart. Even a Saint 7-dan expert like Luo Chengxin was unable to see through his identity, and yet, the fellow before him was able to tell with just a single nce. Just how powerful could the other party be? The eye harrumphed coldly. If I could not even tell this much, the years I spent fighting against Kong shi would have really been wasted! Years spent fighting against Kong shi? You are... Vicious? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Previously, the Vicious that he was sealed within his Book of Heavens Path had already told him that the secret art to nabbing souls had been created by him, and it was highly likely that there was another body part of Vicious in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. But who would have thought that the other party would appear here! In the form of a massive eye at that! You have heard of my name? the eye asked curiously. Well, that is to be expected. I managed to trap Kong shi within Chen-Cai, nearly killing him. Even if you master teachers wish to preserve Kong shis honor, there will inevitably be some records of me! Trap Kong shi? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Due to the tremendous damage he had suffered prior to his death, the memory of the Vicious that he had sealed within his Book of Heavens Path was fragmented. As a result, that Vicious had remembered very few details concerning Kong shi. On the other hand, the Vicious before him seemed to know much more. While he did not have as deep respect for Kong shi aspared to the other master teachers, he had always known thetter to be an invincible existence on the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, for Vicious to have sessfully trapped Kong shi in Chen-Cai and nearly killed thetter... just how powerful could Vicious have been at his peak? Hmm? It seems like you are unaware of that. Well, it does not matter anyway. If I devour a Celestial Master Teacher, I should be able to recover a significant portion of my strength. With that, I will be able to struggle free of my restraints and be a free man once more! A sharp glint emerged in the massive eye as Vicious voice sounded with a tinge of excitement in it. For that, you will have no choice but to die! Hu! Right after those words were spoken, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt an iparably powerful suction force pulling him in from the depths of the tunnel, forcefully dragging his soul in. Sh*t... This is the soul nabbing secret art? Zhang Xuans face immediately turned incredibly awful. He had nearly sumbed to the soul nabbing secret art when it was executed by the Qingtian Emperor, and now that it was being executed by Vicious himself, the creator of the technique, how could he possibly stand a chance? Watching as his soul was being dragged toward the tunnel, goosebumps rose all over Zhang Xuans arms. As expected of the individual who had once fought toe-to-toe with Kong shi! Even if Vicious retained no more than a small fragment of the strength he possessed earlier, it was still not something that he could withstand. There was simply too huge a difference between them! At this rate, its just a matter of time before I get swallowed whole! Even though he had no idea what was at the end of the tunnel, his instincts told him that he would be doomed if he was pulled over to the other side. Thus, clenching his jaws, he drove his soul energy to the maximum and firmly persevered on. At the same time, he discreetly established a telepathic connection with the Book of Heavens Path and asked Vicious about the current situation. If Im not mistaken, that should be my head and my eye, Vicious quickly replied. Do you have any idea how I can deal with this? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously As powerful as the soul nabbing secret art is, its effectiveness is limited across vast distances. In such circumstances, a medium may be required. For example, the Qingtian Emperor only managed to faze you through amplifying the prowess of the secret art through the altar. Well, back when I was at my peak, I was able to kill any Saint 2-dan cultivator easily as long as they were within a million li 1 from me, but given the current state that I am in... theres a high chance that the other party is using some kind of medium as well. As long as you destroy the medium, the soul nabbing secret art should be undone! Vicious quickly exined. Back when he was at his peak, as long as he had a droplet of the other partys blood to trace the other party down, he would have been able to easily kill a Saint 2-dan expert even from a million li away. However, with his body parts scattered around the continent, he was currently nothing more than a shadow of his former self. Even if the other Vicious had recovered to a greater degree than him, it still should not have been possible for the other party to cast the soul nabbing secret art over a great distance. The only possibility was that the other Vicious, just like the previous Qingtian Emperor, was using something nearby as a medium for his technique! A medium? Wait a moment... Hearing those words, a thought streaked across Zhang Xuans mind. The Qingtian Emperors soul! Considering that it was just a moment ago that the Qingtian Emperors soul had entered his body before the other Vicious abrupt emergence, it was very likely that the medium was the Qingtian Emperors soul! It seems like that fellow still has a breath left in him. Humph, let me see where you are hiding! With a direction in mind, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. While pushing his soul energy to his limit to fend off the suction force, he extended his Spiritual Perception throughout his entire body to find the hiding Qingtian Emperor. Found you! It took just a moment for Zhang Xuan to notice a fragmented soul hiding in a corner of his mind. When uncontrolled, the Heavens Path zhenqi could circte through his entire body, but it could not reach his mind. It seemed like the sharp-witted Qingtian Emperor had swiftly noticed this and dived for his mind, thus surviving the ordeal. Humph! Zhang Xuan swiftly drew his Heavens Path zhenqi toward his mind to destroy the remnants of the Qingtian Emperors soul. Ahhh! Amidst the Qingtian Emperors cry of agony, Zhang Xuan felt the suction force growing weaker and weaker. At the same time, the massive eye also began to fade from existence along with the tunnel. You noticed it? Well, it matters not. You might have survived this time around, but Ill eventually get you... With a menacing bellow, the massive eye vanished with a resounding hu! Zhang Xuans surroundings abruptly morphed, and in the next moment, he found that he was still standing in the underground chamber, as if nothing had happened at all. However, the cold sweat that he was drenched in reminded him of how close he hade to death. In just an instant, the other Vicious had sessfully put him in a trance and nearly devoured him whole. That was a close one! Even though he was finally out of danger, Zhang Xuan found that his heart just would not calm down. It was too scary! Had he not reacted swiftly, his soul could have been dragged over to the other side! He might have managed to outwit the Qingtian Emperor, but it would not have been easy for him to do the same to Vicious. Master, pardon me for not making a move then. I could not do anything in that situation, or else I would have exposed my existence. Once that fellow knows of my presence, hell surely pursue you with even more extreme methods, and that would have just ced you in greater danger! Vicious exined from the Book of Heavens Path. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. The other party was right. While the Book of Heavens Path had limited his Vicious activity, the divine aura that shrouded it had concealed his presence as well, preventing the other Vicious from perceiving his existence. However, if his Vicious were to make a move, the other Vicious would surely sense his existence. Every single independent Vicious was trying to seek and devour the other Viciouses so as to regain his strength. While their side was trying to hunt down the other Viciouses, there was no doubt that the other Viciouses had the same intentions in mind as well. They were currently still unprepared to deal with the other Vicious, so it would be unwise for them expose themselves. Furthermore, once the other Vicious learned of the existence of his Vicious, the other Vicious would surely raise his guard, making their chances of overwhelming him very slim. At the very least, with his Vicious hidden in the shadows, he would have another effective card to y against the other Vicious. This would put them in a more advantageous position. How strong is the other party? Are you a match for him? Zhang Xuan asked. Vicious hesitated for a moment before replying. I cant clearly gauge his current strength, but from the looks of it... hes is at the Leaving Aperture realm at the very minimum! I am no match for him in my current state. However, if I could devour the Qingtian Emperors soul, I should be able to reach Leaving Aperture realm as well! Devour the Qingtian Emperors soul? Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before nodding in approval. Even though the Qingtian Emperor was an Otherworldly Demon, he had inherited the heritage of the soul oracles, and his cultivation had even reached the True Leaving Aperture realm. If Vicious were to consume the Qingtian Emperors soul, it would surely benefit him greatly. Thank you! Vicious replied in gratitude. Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before adding, Wait a moment first, I wish to interrogate him first. Ill pass him over to you once Im done. Trapped by the Heavens Path zhenqi and grinded down from the earlier sh, the Qingtian Emperor no longer posed any threat to him. There were still some doubts in his mind that he wanted to rify with the Qingtian Emperor. Principal Zhang... While it seemed to have been a lengthy encounter, in truth, only ten seconds had passed since the appearance of the ck tunnel. Raising his head, he saw Wu shi looking at him with a worried look. Im fine. Wu shi, I need you to follow me somewhere. Oh right, get your men to move the altar to the Master Teacher Pavilion and hand it over to the envoy from the headquarters once he arrives. That would serve as evidence of the activities of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe here, Zhang Xuan said. Noted! Wu shi quickly issued some instructions before following Zhang Xuan out of the underground chamber. Returning to Chen Zhes residence, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning the area once more. It did not take long before he identified a direction and swiftly began heading in it. Chen Zhes residence was located in the suburbs of Qingyuan City. As such, it did not take long for Zhang Xuan and Wu shi to travel beyond the city walls and into the depths of the mountain forest. Soon, a tattered, wooden hut appeared before their eyes. Finally arriving at the destination, Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment, Here it is... I never thought that the two would be so far away from one another! He had thought that the two altars should be in proximity with one another, but who would have thought that there would be a distance of several dozen kilometers between the two? To be able to drag his soul across such distance, Vicious secret art was truly fearsome! Entering the wooden hut, Zhang Xuan swiftly retrieved the storage ring that he had hidden earlier. This... On the other hand, a look of disbelief surfaced on Wu shis face when he noticed that there was an identical altar in the wooden hut as well. Take a look at who this is... Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to destroy the Soul Imprint of the storage ring before flicking his wrist. A corpse materialized before him. Isnt this... Vice Pavilion Master Tian? Didnt he explode earlier? Wu shi was taken aback. Tian Qing had exploded right before his eyes, and he had sent the other partys body back to the Master Teacher Pavilion for investigation. How could there be another corpse here? Furthermore, this body waspletely intact, and itmanded an even stronger aura than Vice Pavilion Master Tians! This is his disguise, Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his hand over the Qingtian Emperors body. Hu! The corpse suddenly grew much bulkier, and its height abruptly increased to more than two meters. While there was no significant difference in its facial features, a fearsome killing intent abruptly burst forth from him. Hes an Otherworldly Demon? Wu shis eyes narrowed in shock. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. Not only is he an Otherworldly Demon, hes the Qingtian Emperor! The Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage? Wu shi could not believe what he was hearing. How could Vice Pavilion Master Tian have been an Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage? If that was true, how could he have failed to notice it despite having known the other party for several centuries? Its like this... Zhang Xuan swiftly filled Wu shi in on the story. This... Wu shis lips quivered in horror. To think that the Qingtian Emperor would have sessfully incarnated his soul and even risen to the position of the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion without their notice! This was truly a horrifying oversight on their part! If this was the case for Qing Tian, how many other master teachers in their Master Teacher Pavilion were Otherworldly Demons in disguise? Chapter 1195 - Celestial Amulet of Legacy

Chapter 1195: Celestial Amulet of Legacy

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You should understand why I asked you toe here with me alone. This matter must not leak out at any cost, or else it could stir a panic among the popce! Seeing that Wu shi had understood the severity of the issue, Zhang Xuan instructed, Nevertheless, its still of paramount importance that we uncover the traitors of mankind, or else they could bring catastrophe upon us. Thus, you must conduct the investigation privately and destroy whatever lingering influence the Qingtian Emperor has in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion once and for all! I understand! Wu shi nodded. He knew that Zhang Xuan was right. If they could not purge the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion of its spies, it would only be a matter of time before the spies did them in. Ill leave this corpse to you. When the envoy from the headquarters arrives, use it as evidence and report the matter to him, Zhang Xuan said. It was true that the body of the Qingtian Emperor wielded incredible strength, but it was not as agile and nimble as being in his own body. As such, he did not think that there was a need for him to retain the Qingtian Emperors body for his own use. More importantly, a vice pavilion master was even involved in the matter. In view of that, it would not be convenient for him to use the body in public. As such, it was best to leave the matter to Wu shi. Thank you. Wu shi sped his fist in gratitude before stowing the corpse into his storage ring. To be honest, if not for the young man before him, he never would have believed that the meritorious Vice Pavilion Master Tian was the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage! Alright, you should return back to the Master Teacher Pavilion to deal with the matter. I also want to take a rest, Zhang Xuan said. Hearing those words, Wu shi bade his farewell before leaving. After Wu shi left, Zhang Xuan swiftly stowed the altar before him into his storage ring. Following which, he took out the Qingtian Emperors storage ring and extended his consciousness into it. As the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, the Qingtian Emperor would have plenty of treasures in his possession. Hu! A painting materialized in Zhang Xuans hands. It was the grade-8 painting that he had appraised a while back. cing the painting aside, he continued looking on. A momentter, he delightfully took out a few jade boxes from the storage ring. Slowly opening them, a concentrated surge of spiritual energy suddenly gushed into Zhang Xuans face, leaving him feeling refreshed. Concentrated high-tier spirit stones! Six jade boxes with five concentrated high-tier spirit stones each... That means theres a total of thirty of them here! Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. He had only managed to obtain 18 concentrated high-tier spirit stones from the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, and yet, who could have thought that the Qingtian Emperor would actually have thirty of them in his possession. The Qingtian Lineage sure was wealthy! With this thirty, I should be able to advance to the Embryonic Soul realm easily!Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Strength was the foundation he had to build up before he could pursue anything. Only with sufficient strength would he be able to vie for the slot to the Sanctum of Sages, rise through the ranks, and gain the ability to negotiate on equal terms with the Zhang n and the Luo n. Time was truly not on his side. He only had until the third month of next year. He did not want to see his lover getting married to a so-called talent of the Zhang n whom she had not even met before! After obtaining the concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Zhang Xuan decided to leap straight into the Myriad Anthive Nest. It was quieter within the nest, and he did not have to worry about being interrupted by anyone in there. Crossing his legs, he ced the thirty concentrated high-tier spirit stones in front of him before muttering, Time to start! Concentrating his focus on his soul, he moved his soul toward his Origin Core once more, and this time, he managed to sessfully infuse his soul into the Origin Core without any problems. At the same time, he swiftly devoured the spiritual energy contained within the concentrated high-tier spirit stones and channeled it through his meridians toward his Origin Core. In order to reach the Embryonic Soul realm, he would have to fuse his soul and Origin Core together and morph it into the shape of an embryo. He had alreadypiled the cultivation technique required for the morphing process, and all that he had beencking was spirit stones. Driven with immense power, the massive congregation of spiritual energy crashed toward the Origin Core with astounding momentum. Boom! As the rate at which Zhang Xuan absorbed spiritual energy increased, a vortex of spiritual energy quickly formed around him. Under the massive impact from the crashing spiritual energy, a gap finally opened in his Origin Core. A small hand slowly crept through the small gap in his Origin Core. Knowing that this was the crucial period, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he channeled all the spiritual energy he had absorbed toward his Origin Core at maximum speed. Break! S! The Origin Core finally broke open, and a small infant slowly climbed out from it. This is... an Embryonic Soul? Seeing his Embryonic Soul, Zhang Xuans lips could not help but twitch uncontrobly. It was true that his Embryonic Soul did resemble a baby, simr to that of other cultivators, but... his Embryonic Soul was ten meters tall! Imagine a ten-meter-tall baby... This was truly frightening! An ominous feeling suddenly arose in Zhang Xuans heart. This... Just how much spiritual energy will I require to develop it into a Primordial Spirit... If his Embryonic Soul was this much bigger than that of the other cultivators, did it not mean that the spiritual energy he would require to achieve a breakthrough would surely be much greater others? Other cultivators might only require a single concentrated high-tier spirit stone to cultivate through the entire Embryonic Soul realm or even achieve a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm. But with the size of his Embryonic Soul, he really could not begin to imagine how many concentrated high-tier spirit stones he would require. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan continued absorbing the spiritual energy within the concentrated high-tier spirit stones to raise his cultivation. Some timeter, when the final concentrated high-tier spirit stone broke, Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes and shook his head helplessly. Embryonic Soul realm intermediate stage... He had thought that thirty concentrated high-tier spirit stone should suffice for him to reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, but who would have thought that they werepletely depleted by the time he reached Embryonic Soul realm intermediate stage? Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. At this rate, Ill require at least fifty more concentrated high-tier spirit stone before I can reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle... Even finding a single concentrated high-tier spirit stone felt like finding a needle in a haystack. Where in the world was he supposed to find the fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stone required for him to reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle? In the first ce, it was doubtful that he could find so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones even if he flipped Qingyuan City upside down! Sighing deeply once more, Zhang Xuan consoled himself. At the very least, despite the fearsome rate of depletion of spirit stones, my fighting prowess did rise proportionately to the consumption. While it did pain his heart to see thirty concentrated high-tier spirit stones vanishing so swiftly, admittedly, he was still rather satisfied with the rise in his fighting prowess. Previously, he would have struggled to be a match for Pavilion Master Gou, relying heavily on his superiorbat skills and adept use of formations to achieve victory. However, with his newfound strength, he would be able to match even the Leaving Aperture realm Qingtian Emperor! In other words, despite possessing only a cultivation of Embryonic Soul realm intermediate stage, he was already on par with a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator! With such strength, it could be said that he had finally reached the peak of the Qingyuan Empire! When he first arrived at Qingyuan City, he was only a Saint 1-dan pinnacle rookie, only able to match Saint 3-dan cultivators. Even Primordial Spirit realm cultivators would have been able to do him in easily. But now, even Hall Master Xing was not a match for him. Ah, time sure flies... Just thinking of it evoked some reminiscence within him. This should be the eighth day since I arrived in Qingyuan City, Zhang Xuan remarked internally as a slight tinge of redness slowly crept across his face. Eight whole days, and yet, he had only advanced less than two realms. Zhang Xuan could not help but feel deeply ashamed of himself. It seemed like he really needed to work harder from now on. Forget it. I should check on that fellow now. Tossing aside his stifled feelings, Zhang Xuan tapped the area before him, and a soul appeared before his eyes. At this moment, the Qingtian Emperor had already been ground down by the Heavens Path zhenqi, retaining only half of his original strength. Severely wounded, he seemed to be spiritless and lethargic, reminiscent of a person on his deathbed. Nevertheless, upon catching sight of Zhang Xuan, mes of hostility began burning in his eyes. You son of a bitch, Ill kill you! Roaring furiously, the Qingtian Emperor charged forward to tear the young man before him apart. However, before he could even deal any damage, a single finger abruptly appeared before his eyes. Padah! The next moment, the Qingtian Emperor found himself firmly pressed down on the floor, unable to move at all no matter how hard he struggled. Y-y-you... How can you be so strong? The Qingtian Emperor narrowed his eyes in disbelief. It was just a while ago that the other party had been no match for him at all. How could the other party have be so much stronger in the blink of an eye? To be able to render him powerless with a single finger... just what kind of cultivation realm had he reached? Since he could not be bothered to waste his breath with the other party, Zhang Xuan got straight to business. As an Otherworldly Demon, how did you manage to cross over to the Master Teacher Continent? How did you be acquainted with Vicious and inherit the heritage of the soul oracles? How many spies of yours are there in the Master Teacher Pavilion? Speak! Ill just say this once; I have plenty of time to y with you. Confess, and Ill consider giving you a painless death. Otherwise, Ill be your worst nightmare... The reason he did not let Vicious swallow the Qingtian Emperor directly was because he wanted to find out these things from the other partys mouth. Hahaha! Raising his head proudly, the Qingtian Emperor obstinately dered, Do you think that Ill submit to human scum like you? Dream on! I am the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, death brings no fear to me... However, before he could finish his words, a kick suddenly fell on his head, smashing it into the ground. Following which, he heard the voice of the young man once more. Vicious, as long as I retain his soul energy for your consumption, it wont matter if I kill his consciousness, right? Very well, I wont stand on ceremony then. Right after saying those words, the other partys palm rose up, and a surge of burning Heavens Path zhenqi gathered in his grasp. The palm gradually lowered toward the Qingtian Emperor, leaving him with a burning sensation that was intensifying by the moment. The Qingtian Emperor tried to struggle free but to no avail. When the palm finally fell on his soul, a wretched scream escaped from his lips. You... AHHHH! He had been nning to grit his teeth and bear the torture until the very end, but in the very next moment, he saw the other party flicking his finger and pulling a thin thread from his soul. The eyes of the Qingtian Emperor immediately widened in horror. Soul Search! As a soul oracle, there was no way he would be unaware of the technique that Zhang Xuan was executing. Known to be one of the most violent techniques of the soul oracles, it would put the victim through excruciating pain and deal irreparable damage. Even if his soul did not dissipate at the end of the process, the chances were that he would have be mentally retarded. For a person as proud and lofty as the Qingtian Emperor, the thought of living life mentally retarded was uneptable to him, and it filled him with tremendous fear. Ill speak, Ill speak! the Qingtian Emperor immediately eximed. I already gave you a chance earlier. Its toote now. Unwilling to waste his breath on the other party, Zhang Xuan forcefully tugged on the string and pulled it out. Toward his enemies, he was not so patient and kind as to offer them second chances. It was only out of consideration of Vicious needs that he had spared the Qingtian Emperor for so long. However, since Vicious did not require thetters mind to be intact, there was no need for him to hesitate any longer. At this point, he could tell that the other partys mental fortitude had already fallen, so he would be able to acquire whatever he needed through the Soul Search. Tzzzzzzz! After drawing out the other partys memory, Zhang Xuan began studying it carefully. Two hourster, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before rubbing his be. Through his Soul Search, he had already gained a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of the incident. Around two thousand years ago, this Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage had unwittingly established a connection to Vicious consciousness in the midst of a ritual. Making use of that opportunity, Vicious had used a secret art that tapped into the energy from the tributes to teleport the Qingtian Emperor over and imparted the cultivation techniques of the soul oracles to him. In order to infiltrate the higher ranks of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had bid his time while kidnapping young infants who showed some talent for cultivation, intending to reincarnate his will within them. This secret art was extremelyplicated, and it would deal severe damage to ones soul as well. Even tapping into Vicious deepprehension of souls, he could only afford to use the technique once every ten years. It had taken 120 attempts before he managed to seed with Tian Qing. As for why the Qingtian Emperor would go through so much trouble to infiltrate the higher ranks of the Master Teacher Pavilion personally, the reason was detailed in his memory as well. Its for Kong shis Celestial Amulet of Legacy! Zhang Xuan muttered with a grim expression. Chapter 1196

Chapter 1196: The Friendly Spar Between the Combat Master Halls Begins!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before Kong shi disappeared, he left behind six Celestial Amulets of Legacy. One was known to be with the Master Teacher Pavilion whereas the other five had disappeared from the face of the world. Legend had it that the gathering of all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy would herald the opening of the Temple of Confucius, and those who entered it would be able to obtain his ultimate treasure... the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! It was for this reason that many people had been seeking the Celestial Amulets of Legacy over the past several dozen millenniums, but it was a pity that they were nowhere to be found. Or perhaps, they might have already been found, just that no one dared proim their ownership of them. After all, this was linked to Kong shis ultimate treasure. Even master teachers would lose their rationality before it. It was through the mouth of Vicious that the Qingtian Emperor had learned of the news concerning the Celestial Amulets of Legacy, and in a bid toy his hands on it, he had set up borate ns. Through his Soul Search, Zhang Xuan realized that there was a reason that the Qingtian Emperor was so determined to find the Qiu Wu Pce. Based on the Qingtian Emperors memories, there should be a key to finding a Celestial Amulet of Legacy within the Qiu Wu Pce, but... it doesnt seem like anything is there at all. Rather, he had made the decision to seek out the Qiu Wu Pce only after tracing down the clues he had. On top of learning that there was a key to the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, he had also discovered that there was a sliver of Kong shis will that lingered in there as well. If things had gone well, he might even have been able to uncover the precise location of the Temple of Confucius while obtaining the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. The Temple of Confucius was a heritage that Kong shi had left behind for theter generations. It was hidden within the void, and there was no one in the world who knew where it was located. It seems like the intelligence that the Qingtian Emperor has obtained is untrue...Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had looked through the Qiu Wu Pce twice, but there was nothing reminiscent of a key in there! In fact, there was not a single thing in there that pointed to the Celestial Amulets of Legacy at all. Well, how could the elusive Celestial Amulets of Legacy be obtained so easily? Other than the Qiu Wu Pce, the Qingtian Emperor had also learned that a painter had chanced upon a Celestial Amulet of Legacy, and he had detailed it with a painting of Kong shis silhouette. After hearing the rumors, the Qingtian Emperor had swiftly captured the painter to interrogate him, but to no avail. Three years ago, he had unintentionally found the heritage that the painter had left behind, and within the heritage was a certain grade-8 painting. He had suspected that the painting might have been the one mentioned in those rumors, and as luck would have it, he discovered a seal on it. That had further supported his deduction. Unfortunately, he had been unable to find a way to decipher the seal. After many failures, he had eventually decided to turn to the head of the Qingyuan Empire Appraiser Hall, Guild Leader Mu, for help. And the rest was as how Zhang Xuan remembered it. Zhang Xuan frowned. Does that mean that the ce that I saw in the painting was the location where the Celestial Amulet of Legacy is located? While the clue concerning the Qiu Wu Pce had led to a dead end, it was a fact that he had seen Kong shis silhouette within the grade-8 painting, so there should have been no mistake about it. Zhang Xuan made up his mind. I really must investigate where the mountain range is after I return and find it... On top of uncovering that, Zhang Xuan also managed to obtain a list of traitors from the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. There were more a hundred of them, and they were scattered throughout the Qingyuan Empire. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was blessed with long lifespans, far exceeding the thousand years that a human Saint realm cultivator would have. Thus, it had not been too difficult for them to nt a few spies here and there. Not all master teachers were strong-willed enough to withstand the sweet whisperings of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so some of them had eventually sumbed and be their puppets. Zhang Xuan swiftly jotted down a copy of their names before sending them over to Wu shi through his Communication Jade Token. After that was done, he heaved a long sigh of relief. With this, they would be able to root out the Qingtian Emperors influence in the Qingyuan Empire once and for all. Vicious, Ill leave him to you. After uncovering all that he wanted to know, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and passed the soul of the Qingtian Emperor over to Vicious. In the two thousand years that the Qingtian Emperor had spent living among the humans, he had stained his hands with the blood of countless master teachers. To be honest, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party was getting off too lightly. Thank you, Master! Vicious replied excitedly. Getting to his feet, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily as he began pondering over a new n to obtain more concentrated high-tier spirit stone. However, in that moment, he suddenly recalled a certain matter, and his lips began twitching wildly. I forgot that I promised Hall Master Xing to train hisbat masters. Earlier, he said that thebat masters from the other three Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls would be arriving in three days... He had headed right for the Master Teacher Pavilion for his promotion to 7-star master teacher right after preparing the training regimes for thebat masters. After getting caught up in an entire string of matters, four days had passed in a sh. In other words, thebat masters from the other three Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls should have arrived by now, and the friendly spar might have already begun! I should rush back to take a look! Swiftly leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan realized that the sun was hanging high in the sky. It was already the noon of the fourth day. Back then, Hall Master Xing had told him that if he trained thebat masters well and led them to victory in the friendly spar, he would split half of the reward from the Combat Master Hall headquarters with him. This was a precious source of concentrated high-tier spirit stones for him! No matter what, he needed to witness the exchange with his own eyes. At this point, he could only pray that those fellows had obediently followed his training regime. Otherwise, if they lost... that would be fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones! Just the thought of it was sufficient to make his heart bleed in pain! Hu! Anxious, he rushed all the way toward the Combat Master Hall. ... In the training hall of the Combat Master Hall... Countlessbat masters were gathered in the area, their eyes fixated on the dueling tforms in the middle. At the very forefront of the spectator stand, ahead of the crowd gathered in the area, sat four elders. One of them was Hall Master Xing. Hall Master Xing, I heard rumors that yourbat masters have joined that... what is it called again? Xuanxuan Faction? ording to what I have heard, it seems to be an organization from a Tier-1 Empire, right? Before the friendly spar had even begun, the other three elders had already turned sharp gazes toward Hall Master Xing as they questioned him with deep frowns on their faces. The Combat Master Hall represented the highest fighting prowess in the Master Teacher Continent, and yet, thebat masters of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had actually lowered themselves to joining a master teacher organization of a Tier-1 Empire... This was truly inconceivable! It was true that the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall was the weakest of them all, but surely they did not have to lower themselves to such an extent! To band themselves together with a group of ordinary master teachers... they were practically tossing aside the dignity of thebat masters! Yes, thats right, Hall Master Xing replied. The ten thousand men of the Xuanxuan Faction were currently living in the Combat Master Hall. There was no way he could possibly conceal the matter from them at this point. An elder with a goatee harrumphed coldly as he red at Hall Master Xing sharply. I dont want to interfere in the affairs of your Combat Master Hall either, but are you serious? To actually have yourbat masters join a Tier-1 Empire organization, just what is going through your mind? Does the dignity and honor of the Combat Master Hall mean nothing to you? That was the head of the Chongyuan Empire Combat Master Hall, Zhao Yi. Its not what you all think it is. I concede that the Xuanxuan Faction is a student faction from a Tier-1 Empire, but theirprehension ofbat is superior even to usbat masters. As Kong shi once said, learn from the capable, regardless of their standing... Hall Master Xing exined, but he was interjected halfway through his words. Another elder harrumphed. Enough! We are not interested in hearing whatever exnation you have. I hope that you can at least get a single slot for the Sword Lagoon of the Qianchong Empire so that you dont embarrass yourselves any further. The head of the Haohai Empire Combat Master Hall, Liu Qinshan. The third elder shook his head. Allow me to give you a word of advice. The Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall might be the weakest of the Conferred Empires now, but dont test the patience of the headquarters. They could very well call for your closure. When that happens, I dont know how you intend to face your predecessors! The head of the Qianyun Empire Combat Master Hall, Wei Qianshu! Of the Eight Great Conferred Empires, the weakest four were namely Chongyuan, Qianyun, Haohai, and Qingyuan. Qingyuan used to be ranked third, but the assault from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe twenty years ago had been a crushing blow to it, and it had not been able to recover from the devastating damage since then. As such, be it their national power, regional Master Teacher Pavilion, or Combat Master Hall, unfortunately, they could only be ced in veryst ce. Seeing that the three hall masters were clearly looking down on him, Hall Master Xing frowned in displeasure. Thank you for your kind advice, but even if our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall has not recovered from the damage we suffered twenty years ago, we are still making a swift recovery. You wont be let down in the friendly sparter on... Halfway through his words, cheers suddenly erupted behind him. The candidates that would be participating in the friendly spar were making their way into the training hall. Haha, indeed. I am not let down at all! Zhao Yi burst intoughter upon seeing the candidates from Qingyuan. Hall Master Xing, has your Combat Master Hall run short of funds? So, this is what the elites of your Combat Master Hall look like, huh? Wei Qianshu frowned in disapproval. Run short of funds? Uprehending of what they were saying, Hall Master Xing turned his gaze over to hisbat masters, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. He saw that Shi Hao was still dressed in the clothes he had worn while cleaning the toilet bowls, and he was still equipped with a feather duster in hand. Jiao Tan was still holding onto his fly swatter; Xiao Qin was carrying a bird cage in his hand; Dong Rui hadrge bumps all over his head... It was as if they were pitiful beggars picked off the street! Caught off guard by the happenings, Hall Master Xing swiftly turned his head toward Division Head Liao. Division Head Liao, what is going on? Hall Master Xing, Principal Zhangs training regime was simply too much for them to finish within three days! They all carried out their training until the veryst moment before rushing over in a hurry, Division Head Liao quickly exined. Zhang Xuans training regime was truly harsh; it was clearly impossible to finish it within three days! Division Head Liao could not tell whether the candidates were possessed or brainwashed, but despite the impossible mission that they had been tasked with, the candidates had carried out their training diligently without a single word ofint. It was only when the friendly spar was about to begin that they had reluctantly halted their training to rush over. Hearing that exnation, a bitter look surfaced on Hall Master Xings face. Had he known that this would happen, he never would have entrusted the training of the candidates to Zhang Xuan. With this, their Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall would surely be theughingstock of the other Conferred Empire Combat Master Hall for many years toe. Cleaning the toilet bowl, swatting flies, capturing birds, leaping off trees... Just what was Zhang Xuan up to? Was he really trustworthy? While Hall Master Xing was still staring at the situation before him with a deste look in his eyes, a shout suddenly sounded from the dueling tform. I am Ling Xuan from the Chongyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. My cultivation is at Saint 2-dan intermediate stage. Are there any friends from the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall who would like to spar with me? Abat master had already leaped onto one of the dueling tforms, and he was staring at Qingyuans candidates intently. Hall Master Xing clenched his fists tightly. To challenge us right from the start... they are intending to suppress our morale. There was a proper order to how the friendly spar should have been conducted, and yet, that Combat Master Ling Xuan had leaped up onto the dueling tform to challenge Qingyuans candidates. That was clearly an intentional act to destroy their confidence right from the start. Furthermore, as the host of the friendly spar, it would make them appear weak if they turned down the challenge. Ill face you! Jiao Tan leaped onto the dueling tform. Jiao Tan was a genius from the Martial Arts Division, and his cultivation had long reached Saint 2-dan intermediate stage. He was the candidate that the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had chosen for the friendly spar for this cultivation stage. You? Seeing the other partys work clothes and the fly swatter in his hands, Ling Xuan could not help but burst intoughter. Very well then, make your move! Let me see the formidable strength of the Qingyuan Empirebat masters! Hu! Right after saying those words, he channeled his zhenqi toward his palm, and a deafening rumble reminiscent of thunder echoed from his hands. That is Chongyuan Empires famous Bolt Lightning Palm! Its said that the palm art is as swift as a bolt of lightning, making it nigh impossible for cultivators of the same tier to withstand it! ording to what I know, its extremely difficult to cultivate as well. Countless geniuses have found themselvespletely clueless before it. However, judging from the resounding thunder from Ling Xuans palm... most likely, he has already reached Major Aplishment in the battle technique! Major Aplishment? That should be Consummation! Ling Xuan is said to be the most talented individual of Chongyuan Empire Combat Master Halls Martial Arts Division, and despite having yet to reach his thirties, he has already broken several records and sessfully cultivated 34 battle techniques to date! Hes so formidable? Such discussions could be heard throughout the crowd. However, seemingly oblivious to the words of the crowd, Jiao Tan calmly walked up to Ling Xuan with the same fly swatter in his hand. Chapter 1197 - Pah Pah Pah!

Chapter 1197: Pah Pah Pah!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That bamboo fly swatter is delicate and powerless, and yet, he intends to use it to deal with Ling Xuans Bolt Lightning Palm? Is there something wrong with that fellows head? Jiao Tan is the number one genius of the Martial Arts Division, and hisprehension of battle techniques has reached an incredible height as well. In normal circumstances, even if he is no match for Ling Xuan, he would at least be able to put up a spectacr fight. But to walk up with a fly swatter in hand... is he out of his mind? Seeing how Jiao Tan was acting, everyone was dumbfounded. Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao felt so crazed that they wanted to tear out all their hair on the spot. They had ced so much hope in Jiao Tan, and yet, after a few days of undergoing Zhang Xuans training regime, he was suddenly off his rockers! It would have been tolerable if Jiao Tan had chosen to wield an ordinary sword, a chair, or even a brick! A fly swatter was flexible and fragile, making it unsuitable to exert strength through it. To face Ling Xuan with such a weapon was practicallymitting suicide! Thinking that Jiao Tan was making light of him, Ling Xuans face reddened in fury. Are you sure you want to face me with that? Even though it was just a friendly spar, it was still a formal event. It should have been a solemn and dignified asion, and yet, the other party was actually insulting him by facing him with a fly swatter. That was tant humiliation toward him! Jiao Tan nodded earnestly. Un. If you think that you are disadvantaged, you can wield a weapon if you want. Theres no need to hold back! You... Jiao Tans words caused a mini explosion in Ling Xuans mind, and he clenched his jaws so tightly together that his teeth nearly chipped. Waving his hands furiously, he harrumphed. Theres no need for that! Ill use my palms to teach you a lesson and make your Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall understand the gap between us! No matter how hard you work, you will never be able to catch up to us! Hu! Right after saying those words, with a thunderous roar, his palm shot forth with a speed as swift as a streak of lightning. In the blink of an eye, his lightning-like aura permeated the entire dueling tform. It felt as if the slightest wrong move would bring a crushing blow, seemingly forcing Jiao Tan into a cornered situation. Ill look forward to it then, Jiao Tan replied leisurely before raising the fly swatter in his hand. With a swift motion, he struck the lightning before his eyes. Youre seeking death! Seeing that the other party obstinately wanted to face him with a fly swatter, Ling Xuan gritted his teeth furiously as his palm flew toward Jiao Tan. He was going to use his full strength to inflict a crushing defeat upon the other party so as to let the other party understand what a true expert was! Hall Master Zhao Yi shook his head and said, Theres no need to watch any further. The victor has already been decided. Indeed. An aura suffused with lightning, a palm overflowing with strength. Even though Ling Xuan is only a Saint 2-dan cultivator, his might is more than sufficient to overwhelm any Saint 3-dan cultivator. Even a Half-Saint weapon could be crushed into pieces before his Bolt Lightning Palm! There is no way that fellow will be able to match Ling Xuan with just a bamboo fly swatter! Hall Master Liu Qinshan sighed. From the looks of it, it seems like the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall wont be able to obtain a single slot... Hall Master Wei Qianshu sneered coldly. However, before he could finish his words, a pah! suddenly echoed resoundingly throughout the training hall. Hmm? Taken aback, the three hall masters quickly turned their gazes back to the dueling tform, only to see that before Ling Xuans Bolt Lightning Palm could reach Jiao Tan, a fly swatter had struck his face squarely, leaving a dense congregation of red lines in its wake. Ahhh, Ill kill you! Ling Xuan had clearly not expected the other partys fly swatter to move so swiftly as to p him right before everyone else. Seething with rage, he dashed forward and thrust another palm forward. Pah! But again, before his palm could connect, another crisp echo sounded throughout the entire training hall. Once more, the fly swatter had struck his face. I... At this moment, Ling Xuan really felt as if his mind would blow up. With a swift step, his silhouette flickered, and five illusory figures appeared on the dueling tform, making it difficult for one to discern which was true and which was false. As abat master, he had been through plenty of battles. Even though he felt humiliated by the two consecutive ps, he knew better than to allow his emotions to dictate his actions. While his opponent was dressed in a bizarre get up, it was apparent at this point that he possessed superior fighting prowess. Thus, he immediately executed his strongest movement technique. Artful Steps of Seven Specter! It was a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, and if perfectly executed, it could generate seven lifelike illusions of one to confound ones opponent. While its power was beneath that of the Bolt Lightning Palm, its reputation far exceeded thetter. Ever since he sessfully mastered the technique, there had been none who had been able to break his Artful Steps of Seven Specter through skill. Five illusions! He has already refined his Artful Steps of Seven Specter to an incredible level, such that even I cant urately discern his true figure within the illusions... Hall Master Zhao Yi remarked while stroking his beard. But once again, before he could finish his words, pah!. And once again, the fly swatter struck Ling Xuans face squarely. Ahhh! Flying into a frenzy, Ling Xuan hastened his footsteps, making his movements even more indiscernible to the eye. Pah! Pah! Pah! But even so, three consecutive strikes stillnded urately on Ling Xuans face. It was as if Jiao Tan could see right through the illusions! Seeing how hisrade was being pped time and time again withoutying a single finger on his opponents body, abat master from Chongyuan Empire could not hold himself back any longer and shouted, Ling Xuan, since he is using a weapon, use your sword too! Alright! Knowing that the fellow before him was a tough nut to crack, Ling Xuan flicked his wrist and whipped out a Saint low-tier sword. Flicking the sword furiously, a relentless barrage of sword qi burst forth, instantly covering the entire dueling tform. Freezing Rain Sword Intent... Thats the unique Sword Intent that Ling Xuanprehended while standing under the winter rain when he was 23. No one has ever seeded in dodging it before... Hall Master Zhao Yimented proudly, but once again, before he could finish his words, Jiao Tan, who was surrounded by the barrage of sword qi, raised his fly swatter nonchntly and... Pah! Pah! Pah! Yet another three consecutive ps. At this point, Ling Xuans face was already swollen red from all the pping. Hu! Furious, Ling Xuan drove his sword forward and sent sword arts of all kinds toward Jiao Tan. However, Jiao Tan easily avoided all of Ling Xuans attacks as if a butterfly flitting through a field of flowers. And more importantly, his fly swatter never stopped moving throughout. Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! It was a steady and rhythmic melody, sounding surprisingly like an orchestra. This... The three hall masters widened their eyes in disbelief, unable to believe what they were seeing. Even Hall Master Xing, Division Head Liao, and the others could not process what exactly was going on. They had witnessed Zhang Xuans training regime with their own eyes, and they had nearly been convinced that it was a prank. And yet... how could Jiao Tan undergo such a huge change, as if a caterpir metamorphosed into a butterfly? Incredible, I never thought that fly swatters would make such powerful weapon! Thats only because of Jiao Tans exceptional control. I saw him hunting down flies inside the toilet, and he could even urately strike a flys front legs without hurting the rest of its body! What? Is that true? Given how small and nimble flies are, is it really possible to do it to such an extent? If thats really true, the precision of his control is truly frightening! A couple of Qingyuanbat masters discussed as they watched the duel. Hearing the conversation among thebat masters, Division Head Liao smacked his thigh and eximed in realization, Ah, I get it now! Division Head Wei turned his head and asked, What did you get? Jiao Tan is a genius of our Martial Arts Division, Division Head Liao exined, but due to the huge variety of battle techniques he has cultivated, he isnt focused in any of them, and this has prevented him from drawing out his full fighting prowess... It might seem nonsensical for Principal Zhang to have instructed him to hunt down flies, but theres actually a deeper meaning behind it! Every single fly moves in a unique trajectory, and in order to strike it urately, one has to closely observe its movements and predict it in advance. More importantly, this training served to enhance his focus and rid his recklessness. With greater focus, he is now able to immerse himself into the battle technique he is executing and bring forth its maximum strength. This... Division Head Wei fell into deep thought. That did seem to make sense. As a genius of the Martial Arts School, Jiao Tan was an extremely proud individual. He would surely find hunting down flies to be a deeply demeaning and unengaging task. However, if he could ovee this part of himself, his state of mind could be elevated to greater heights, and this would be beneficial in his execution of battle techniques as well. It was due to his incredible focus that no matter how Ling Xuan altered his movements, he was unable to escape Jiao Tans swatter. Since he was even able to urately strike a flys legs, there was no reason he could not evade and strike something as big as a human! Pah pah pah pah! The sound gradually crescendoed. Stop! I admit defeat! It did not take long before Ling Xuan had used all of his battle techniques, and yet, he did not even manage to nick the other partys body. Realizing that it was impossible for him to win, he could only surrender miserably. At this moment, his face resembled nothing like a humans. It was swollen so badly that it resembled a doughnut. Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Halls Jiao Tan is the victor! Since Ling Xuan had already admitted defeat, the referee could only award the victory to Jiao Tan. Hu! A well-built young man leaped onto the stage. I am Bai Xun from the Qianyun Empire Combat Master Hall. My cultivation is at Saint 2-dan primary stage, and I would like to challenge the experts of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall as well! My cultivation is at Saint 2-dan primary stage as well. Ill be your opponent, Shi Hao said as he walked onto the stage. Bai Xun is the genius of Qianyun Empire Combat Master Halls Fist Division. His steel fists are known to be invincible among his peers. I dont think that cleaner stands much of a chance against him. Cough cough, hes not a cleaner. Hes actually the genius of our Inner Breath Division, Shi Hao! ... As the duo walked up the stage, thebat masters of both Combat Master Halls could not help but clench their fists nervously. Hall Master Xing, how is the strength of thisbat master of yours? Hall Master Liu Qinshan asked curiously. Just a moment ago, everyone had thought that the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had already given up on themselves, but the overwhelming prowess that Jiao Tan had disyed had really opened their eyes. At this point, it would have been truly foolish of them to continue underestimating the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. I... I dont know either! Hall Master Xing shook his head. Principal Zhangs training regime was simply too bizarre! Even someone as experienced inbat as him could notprehend the rationale behind it at all! To instruct the proud genius of the Inner Breath Hall to clean the toilet bowls throughout the Inner Breath Division... If things went wrong, Shi Haos fighting prowess might even decline instead! Its impossible for thatd to beat Bai Xun! the head of the Qianyun Empire Combat Master Hall, Wei Qianshu, remarked proudly. I have absolute confidence in him! Hes my direct disciple, and there has never been anyone who could match him in the field of fist arts. Theres just no way yourbat master will be able to win against him! Hu hu! While the hall masters were chatting, the battle on the dueling tform had already begun. With the opportunity to train in the Sword Lagoon of the Qianchong Empire on the line, Bai Xun had no intention of holding back at all. From the very start, he threw out a fist with his full strength harnessed in it. Just as the fist was about to strike Shi Hao, thetter suddenly raised his hand and scraped the other partys face forcefully, reminiscent of how he had scraped the toilet bowls with his feather duster throughout the Combat Master Hall over the past three days. You! Seeing this, mes of fury lit up in Bai Xuns eyes. With a furious roar, he sent another powerful fist forward. The fist wielded astounding might that caused a deafening sonic boom. However, before it could reach Shi Hao, thetter raised his hand once more and swiped Shi Haos face forcefully, digging out a huge lump of dirt while doing it. You... How long has it been since youst washed your face? Shi Hao disdainfully wiped his hand on his shirt. ... Bai Xun. With a livid expression, Bai Xun swiftly stepped back and equipped his knuckleduster before charging forward once more. You bastard, Ill kill you! Thebat masters of the Fist Division relied on knuckledusters to draw forth greater strength from their fist arts. On the other hand, seeing that his opponent had drawn his weapon, Shi Hao also unhesitatingly flicked his wrist, and a feather duster appeared in his hand. cier Smashing Fist! With a furious bellow, a brilliant light shed from the knuckleduster, and Bai Xun thrust his fist forward furiously, seemingly intending to utterly destroy the figure before him. But just as the fist was shooting forward, still a distance away from connecting, Bai Xun suddenly saw something flying toward him with a speed reminiscent of a streak of lightning. Before he could process what was going on, a feather duster had already been stuffed into his mouth before swishing around. In an instant, a harmony of indescribable vors filled his mouth. Chapter 1198 - Xuanxuan Faction, Luo Qiqi

Chapter 1198: Xuanxuan Faction, Luo Qiqi

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shi Hao possesses an incredible zhenqi capacity, so relying on his strength, he prefers to overwhelm his opponent with his sheer might. While it allows him to defeat weaker opponents easily, it puts him at a critical advantage against opponents who are equal or stronger than him. His careless use of zhenqi would only cause him to run out of strength first, so it was not a particrly wise fighting style, Division Head Liao remarked hoarsely as he watched the duel unblinkingly. A feather duster is fragile, and an excessive use of strength could easily cause it to break. By instructing Shi Hao to clean toilet bowls with that, he was trying to temper Shi Haos use of strength, granting him a finer control over his zhenqi. Over the past three days, he has scrubbed tens of thousands of toilet bowls diligently, and his effort has not gone to waste. Its clear that his use of zhenqi has be more refined, and his execution of strength is also more controlled. Its these two factors that allowed him to achieve victory easily! As for Xiao Qin, he has an impatient personality. As such, the training regime he was put under, capturing birds, served to temper his patience. Furthermore, the agility of birds makes them difficult to deal with, so the training further refined his dexterity too... Lu Jianling has a cowardly personality, so by having him confess to everyone he meets, teasing men even, he was able to embolden his guts and temper his state of mind. Dont think that confidence is of little importance just because of how vague it sounds; it can actually allow a person to make decisions more decisively, granting him a significant boost in his fighting prowess... Even though Dong Rui is a genius from the Guardian Division, the defenses of his head were slightlycking. Through a continuous cycle of falling from a tree, the defensive ability of his head could be tempered. At the same time, this also served to build his courage. If he could willingly embrace pain, he would be able to charge fearlessly into hordes of enemies and disy his true prowess... The crux of the Guardian Division lies in their invincible physical prowess. If they cower in face of the enemy, there would be no way they could bring out their full strength... As for Chen Xiaoxu... With each passing battle, the excited gleam in Division Head Liaos eyes grew brighter and brighter. In just a few moments, ten matches had already passed. Everyone had thought that the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall would perform below average this time around, but who knew that every single one of them would sessfully clinch victory, not losing even a single round! It was only in this moment that it dawned on them how fearsome Zhang Xuans training regime was. He managed to see through the ws of all twenty candidates with a look and tailor a training regime suited to their needs! Scrubbing toilet bowls, swatting flies, capturing birds... All of those may seem simple, but there was a deeper meaning to each of those actions, allowing the candidates to grasp a more profound interpretation ofbat! Hall Master Xings eyes grew brighter and brighter as he began to understand the rationale behind Zhang Xuans training regime. He had been utterly dumbfounded when he first saw the training regime, and he had thought that Zhang Xuan was just fooling around. However, after seeing the performance of Qingyuans candidates, he realized that the other partys training regime was truly spot-on! Combat masters were constantly tempering their skills every single day, and while their diligence allowed them to sharpen theirbat prowess to levels far exceeding that of ordinary master teachers, it had also led to a rigidity in theirbat senses and even reflexes. Clearly, it was infeasible to overthrow what they had learned within just three short days. As such, Zhang Xuan had made them carry out activities that ordinary humans would do so as to loosen their state of mind, making it easier for them their mind and body to absorb new things. Through having them repeat the actions again and again, the training they carried out was eventually integrated into part of their instincts as well. It was just like how Shi Hao used his hands to scrub the other partys face viciously. In truth, he was not doing it intentionally. Rather, it was a habit he had unintentionally cultivated from three days of relentlessly scrubbing toilet bowls. I really should have more confidence in Principal Zhang and them... Hall Master Xing shook his head with a bitter smile. He had been deeply worried that their candidates would stand no chance against the geniuses from the other Combat Master Halls after undergoing such a nonsensical training regime, but it seemed like Zhang Xuan had the situation tightly in his grasp all along! It was no wonder he was even rxed enough to head off to the Master Teacher Pavilion, staying out for the entire three days. From the looks of it now, it was apparent that he had absolute confidence in the training regimes he had assigned to the candidates! The minds of the true experts were truly different from ordinary folk like them! In an instant, Zhang Xuans position in Hall Master Xings heart had been elevated to a greater height. While Hall Master Xing was reveling in the overwhelming prowess his candidates were showing, the other three hall masters, whose chins had been tilted up in disdain earlier, were panicking over the unexpected situation. They never could have imagined that that bunch of unkempt, beggar-likebat masters would actually wield such tremendous strength! Thebat masters whom they had gone through much effort to find and groom had actually turned out to be no match for them at all! It was an utter annihtion! What the heck was this? Unable to take it any longer, Hall Master Zhao Yi turned to Hall Master Xing and asked, Hall Master Xing, what is going on with yourbat masters? Long years ofpetition between both Combat Master Halls had granted both sides a clear grasp over the strength of the other. Even if the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had made massive improvements over the past few years, it still did not make sense that all of their candidates would actually lose! Something was clearly off! But regardless of what it was, there was one thing that was certainthe Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall was no longer the weakling it had once been. To be honest, three days ago, the fighting prowess of my candidates was still beneath that of the geniuses from your Combat Master Halls. It was due to specialst-minute training that they managed to metamorphose into the experts that you see now! Hall Master Xing revealed the truth. Special training? They managed to attain such strength just by undergoing specialst-minute training? How in the world can that possibly be true? Three days wouldnt even be sufficient to master the simplest Saint-tier battle technique! ... The three hall masters found Hall Master Xings words inconceivable. Other cultivators often used decades as a unit of measurement of how long they have trained! Three days... What the hell could one possibly do in three days? It would probably pass in a sh before one could even fully digest the principles behind a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique! I understand your skepticism. I also thought that it was impossible as well, but the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction that I told you about earlier specially designed training regimes tailored to resolve their individual ws. It was thanks to those that they were able to improve at such an astounding pace! Hall Master Xing replied with a hint of pride in his voice. The leader of the Xuanxuan Faction? The three hall masters nced at one another in bewilderment. Indeed! Hall Master Xing nodded. He might be from a Tier-1 Empire, but hisprehension ofbat and battle techniques has already reached a realm that I can hardly fathom. Its due to that reason that I allowed ourbat masters join to the Xuanxuan Faction. Through their expertise, I hope to bring the strength of our Combat Master Hall to greater heights! A master teacher from a Tier-1 Empire was able to grant your candidates the strength to achieve aplete victory in our friendly spar through just three days of teaching? Despite Hall Master Xings exnation, the other hall masters still found the matter a little doubtful. Hu! At that moment, amotion suddenly broke out on the dueling tform, and countless agitated shouts echoed from the spectators stand. Raising their heads, the hall masters saw that the victor of the final match had been decided. All sixty candidates from their three Combat Master Halls had been defeated. In other words, the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had managed to win all twenty slots to the Qianchong Empires Sword Lagoon for themselves! This... The eyelids of the three hall masters twitched wildly. They really could not ept such an oue. They had thought that they would be able to im roughly six slots each at the very least, but who could have imagined that the friendly spar would end with them obtaining none at all! It was truly aplete defeat for them! However, knowing that the results were already decided, the three hall masters could only sigh deeply and reluctantly ept it. A momentter, Hall Master Wei Qianshu asked, Where is the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction? Can you bring us to meet him? I would like to meet the man whom you are full of praise for! He isnt in the Combat Master Hall at the moment, Hall Master Xing replied. ording to the news he had heard, Zhang Xuan had gone off to the Master Teacher Pavilion to take his 7-star master teacher examination, so it would not be appropriate for him to interrupt the young man at this moment. He isnt in the Combat Master Hall? Since thats the case, can you take us to the Xuanxuan Faction to take a look? Hall Master Zhao Yi asked. I am interested to see just what kind of capability that Tier-1 Empire organization holds that you would even go to the extent of seeking their assistance! This... Hall Master Xing hesitated for a moment, but recalling how the other three hall masters had treated him prior to the duel, he eventually relented. Alright then. It was no big deal to take them to the Xuanxuan Faction to take a look. Besides, based on what he recalled, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction were also very weing towardbat masters. After all, they were the perfect cannon fodder for them to test their skills on. Thus, Hall Master Xing stood up and led the other three hall masters toward the amodation of the Xuanxuan Faction. Not too longter, he saw a youngdy walking in his direction. Hall Master Xing sped his fist and said, Lady Qiqi, greetings. Allow me to introduce to you. These three are the heads of the Chongyuan, Qianyun, and Haohai Empire Combat Master Halls respectively. They are interested in having an exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction, so may I know if now is a convenient time? He recognized the youngdy before him. She was the strongest expert of the Xuanxuan Faction, Luo Qiqi. In just a few days of absence, the youngdy seemed to have made some advancement in her cultivation, rising from Saint 1-dan pinnacle to Saint 2-dan primary stage. An exchange? Luo Qiqi nced at the trio beside Hall Master Xing and smiled. Sure! Suppress your cultivation to my level ande at me all at once! This... Hearing the other party asking them toe at her all at once, Hall Master Zhao Yi frowned in displeasure. Youngdy, we are the heads of our regional Combat Master Hall, Leaving Aperture realm experts. Do you think that you will be able to match us just because we have suppressed out cultivation? Hall Master Wei Qianshu shook his head in disapproval. Without a doubt, you are a talented individual to be able to attain such strength at your age. However, that is no reason for you to act with such conceit! When we were your age, we were able to match ten cultivators of the same cultivation realm easily. Even though we have already grown old, I believe that we still have more than enough in us to subdue a youngss like you! Hall Master Liu Qinshan frowned. Give it a try then, Luo Qiqi replied with a leisure smile. Since Hall Master Xing was full of praise for the Xuanxuan Faction, allow me to experience your incredible strength for myself! Seeing how lightly the youngdy was taking them, Hall Master Zhao Yi shook his head. He took a step forward while suppressing his cultivation to Saint 2-dan primary stage. The other two also suppressed their cultivation as well. Hu! With a powerful step, Hall Master Zhao Yi appeared before Luo Qiqi in an instant. As if a massive dragon had risen from the ocean, his presence suddenly felt extremely heavy and powerful,pelling others to bow before him. Even though he had already suppressed his cultivation, he was still a Leaving Aperture realm expert. The overwhelming strength of his Primordial Spirit was able to copse the mental resilience of any Saint 2-dan cultivator easily, rendering the other partypletely helpless. Heh! As if unfazed by the pressure from Hall Master Zhao Yi, Luo Qiqi also made her move. She raised her palm and thrust it forward forcefully, and astonishingly, it dispelled the might of Hall Master Zhao Yis assault in an instant. Hall Master Zhao Yi could not help but narrow his eyes in shock. In a sh between fellow experts, one move was all it took to gauge the other partys strength. From that move, he realized that the youngdy, when at the same cultivation realm, was actually even stronger than him! That exined why she was able to act so haughtily despite learning of their identities. Humph! Hall Master Zhao Yis expression turned grim, and the previous disdain in his eyes disappeared without a trace. He executed a movement technique and darted forward with astounding speed, wanting to catch the youngdy off guard and nab her. However, before he could reach her, her figure suddenly appeared before Hall Masters Wei Qianshu and Liu Qinshan, and she thrust her palms at the both of them simultaneously. Just as she had said earlier, she would deal with the three of them at once. Boom boom! Under the youngdys powerful assault, the other two hall masters had no choice but to join the fray as well. Thus, the battle became three against one. Pipa! Pipa! Pipa! Ten breathster, Hall Master Zhao Yis face had already reddened from exhaustion. There were two clear palm prints on his chest, but only his clothes were ripped. The attacks did not deal any considerable external or internal injuries to him. Clearly, the youngdy had gone easy on him. Twenty breathster, Hall Masters Wei Qianshu and Liu Qinshan were forced to retreat several steps in a fluster. A stifling sensation choked up their chests, rendering them unable to speak. The trio sped their fists simultaneously and bowed. We have lost... Despite coborating with one another, they were still unable to defeat the youngdy before them. They never would have believed such a thing to be possible in the past, but with it happening right before their eyes, there was no way they could deny it anymore. Furthermore, it was apparent that the youngdy had gone easy on them. Otherwise, every one of them would have been severely wounded. As stifled as Hall Master Zhao Yi felt from his defeat, he had to concede that the strength wielded by the youngdy was truly extraordinary. Out of curiosity, he could not help but ask, May I know how I should address you? The least he could do was to find out the name of the person who had defeated him. On the other hand, the youngdy ced her hands behind her back and tilted her chin upward. A faint smile surfaced on her lips, and in an instant, it felt as if a field of flowers had blossomed. Xuanxuan Faction, Luo Qiqi! Chapter 1199 - Decree of the Progeny of Combat

Chapter 1199: Decree of the Progeny of Combat

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Qiqi? The trio etched the name into the depths of their hearts. As the heads of their regional Combat Master Halls, they were existences who were looked up to by countlessbat masters, revered for the overwhelming strength they wielded. Even within the Leaving Aperture realm, there was nearly no one who was a match for them. Yet, they were not a match for the youngdy at all. This went to show the youngdys astounding prowess! May I know if Lady Qiqi is interested in joining our Chongyuan Empire Combat Master Hall? Hall Master Zhao Yi stepped forward and sped his fist. I am not interested, Luo Qiqi replied curtly. If she was truly interested in joining the Combat Master Hall, she would have long taken the examination for it. There was no need for her to have dragged it out till now. And to be honest, she was only interested in staying by her teachers side at the moment. If only she could, she would willingly stay with him until the end of time... This... Hearing the other partys unhesitating rejection, Hall Master Zhao Yi knew that it would be impossible for him to convince the youngdy otherwise, so he could only give up with a bitter smile. Just as he was about to continue speaking, a resounding horn reminiscent of the roar of thunder reverberated deafeningly throughout the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. It was so loud that it felt as if it would tear through even the heavens. The sound wasing from the very heart of the Combat Master Hall, the Great Combat Master Atrium! Its the Combat Master Assembly Decree! The eyes of the four hall masters widened in astonishment. The Combat Master Hall was in charge of maintaining the security of the region, and for that purpose, they devoted most of their time to training and cultivating. However, once the horn was blown, allbat masters that heard the sound had to assemble immediately. Even the slightest dy would not be tolerated! Lets head over! Knowing that this was not the time to speak, they hurriedly rushed over to the Great Combat Master Atrium. The fact that the horn had been blown meant that something major had urred. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the concourse right before the Great Combat Master Atrium. At this moment, all thebat masters in the Qingyuan Empire had assembled in the area. With grim expressions, they stood upright in neat rows, as if soldiers awaiting theirmands. H! Right after the four hall mastersnded at the very forefront of the crowd, a powerful energy suddenly rippled in the Great Combat Master Atrium, forming a massive screen in midair. Its news from the headquarters! Upon seeing this, Hall Master Xing and the others heaved a sigh of relief. They had been worrying that there had been an invasion and that they would have to march onto the battlefield. Fortunately, that did not seem to be the case. If it was a war, the headquarters would have sent amand straight into their minds and had them set forth as soon as possible. They would not have gone to the trouble of producing this massive screen. Boom! While the four hall masters were trying to deduce what was going on, the voice of an elder suddenly sounded from the massive screen, echoing in the hearts of every singlebat master present. The candidate that the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall nominated, Zheng Yang, has sessfully cleared the Dragon Gate Formation, and I hereby dere him the Progeny of Combat of our Combat Master Hall! H! Following which, a silhouette gradually surfaced on the massive screen. It was a young man holding a spear in his hand. Hemanded a sharp aura that felt as if it would pierce through the heavens. The current Zheng Yang looked much keener than before. Under Zhang Xuans tutge, he had already been extremely formidable, but having never experienced the cruelty and the bloodshed from life-and-death battles, it was inevitable that he would appear a little immature. However, at this moment, the presence that hemanded was formidable, and it exerted immense pressure on those before him. It felt as if the sharp de of a dagger was pressed on their skin, threatening to part their skin and flesh. Progeny of Combat? Hall Masters Zhao Yi, Wei Qianshu, and Lin Qinshan narrowed their eyes in astonishment, and their bodies froze on the spot. It had been three hundred years since the passing of the previous Progeny of Combat of the Combat Master Hall. They were well aware of the significance behind this deration. They had thought that the Qingyuan Empire was just a declining empire that would soon fall out of its ranks and that its Combat Master Hall had fallen into a spiral of frailty. Yet, who would have thought that abat master from their ranks would actually seed in clearing the Dragon Gate Formation and be the next Progeny of Combat? Putting the rest aside, just the gratitude of nomination was more than enough for them to rise to unprecedented heights. That realization left the trio with a hoarseness at the back of their throats, and they found themselves unable to speak a single word. They had still beenmenting their bad luck from being unable to im a single slot from the friendly spar, but after witnessing the sight before them, they realized that it had not been bad luck at all. From the very start, the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall wielded strength far exceeding theirs! At the same time, Hall Master Xing could not help but narrow his eyes either. In truth, when he sent Zheng Yang over to the Combat Master Hall headquarters, he did not bear much hope for sess. But contrary to his expectations, the young man really managed to pull it off! Progeny of Combat... That was the man who would be the next head of the entire Combat Master Hall, the future Combat God of the Master Teacher Continent! And that man had actuallye from their branch! Weng! While he was still overwhelmed by emotions from that realization, the sight on the screen suddenly changed as Zheng Yang swept his spear toward a massive dragon ahead of him. This is... challenging the Dragon Gate Formation? Hall Master Xing remarked. In order to be the Progeny of Combat, one had to first clear the Dragon Gate Formation. The Dragon Gate Formation was divided into three stages: Dragons Tail, Dragons Back, and Dragons Head. In every single stage, the challenger would have to face three challengers with consecutively ascending cultivation stage, ranging from an equivalent cultivation to eight cultivation stages higher! Furthermore, the fighting prowess of the three cultivators was further enhanced by the Dragon Gate Formation, making it extremely difficult to defeat them. It was for this reason that no one had cleared the Dragon Gate Formation in the past three hundred years. The headquarters are ying the recording of the Progeny of Combat clearing the Dragon Gate Formation to allbat masters in order to muster their morale through the strength of the new Progeny of Combat, as well as to show them that the trial was carried out fairly! The sight was recorded using the Record Crystal in the headquarters, and naturally, it was yed to thebat masters for a reason. The intent was clear as well. It was to force all thebat masters to acknowledge the strength of the Progeny of Combat, thus building up authority and respect for him. This was a necessary procedure for the Progeny of Combat to lead the Combat Master Hall in the future. Hu! While Hall Master Xing was pondering over the matter, he saw Zheng Yang making his way over to the Dragons Tail. His spear shot forth with a speed so swift that it was nearly indiscernible, flying forth as if a streak of lightning. Too strong... Even though it was only a video, Hall Master Xing still could not help but shudder upon seeing the speed of the spear. If he were to face the Progeny of Combat at the same cultivation realm, there was no doubt that the spear would have pierced through his throat before he could even respond. But before this despairing strength, thebat masters in the Dragons Tail actually manage to react to the spear. They swiftly moved to meet Zheng Yangs spear with their own, and a powerful shockwave burst into the surroundings. Despite having his assault foiled, Zheng Yang did not show the slightest hint of apprehension. He took a leisure step forward, and despite his light movement, for some reason, his body still moved at an exceptional speed. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing before one of thebat masters. Peng! With a quick flick of his spear, he sent thebat master flying out of the field. After which, he continued executing his spear art relentlessly toward the two remainingbat masters, overpowering them swiftly. In just three moves, the both of them were subdued as well. With this, the Dragons Tail had fallen. What swift spearmanship... Thebat masters in the concourse could not help but tighten their fists in agitation. At the same time, the eyes of thebat masters from the Martial Arts Division lit up as they watched the fight. All in all, Zheng Yang had used five moves to deal with the Dragons Tail. Even though it appeared that he had only used the most straightforward movements, a pierce and a sweep, they had been infused with the very essence of spearmanship, making it extremely difficult to guard against them. Even if they were to devote their entire lives to the spearmanship, they could not see themselves pulling off the same spear that Zheng Yang had used. However, this was not the end of the Dragon Gate Formation yet. The Dragons Tail could only be said to be the starter, and there was still the Dragons Back and Dragons Head to go. The trio on the Dragons Back had a cultivation of three, four, and five cultivation stages higher than Zheng Yang. Simrly, it did not take too long for Zheng Yang to subdue them. He met with slight difficulties in the midst of doing so, but it did not pose too much of a problem. He has used 17 moves in total! Hall Master Xing eximed in shock. After clearing the Dragons Back, Zheng Yang moved on to the Dragons Head. The three cultivators in the Dragons Head were of six, seven, and eight cultivation stages stronger than him. The moment they made a move, a powerful gale blew furiously in the surroundings as overwhelming auras crushed down in the area. It was as if a true dragon had surfaced in the area, causing ominous clouds to gather in the sky, as if the entire world was cowering in fear before its might. On the other hand, Zheng Yang seemed like a withered leaf floating on the surface of a raging ocean. It seemed as if he would be submerged under the furious might of the three cultivators, but somehow, he still managed to remain firmly afloat. Peng! Peng! Peng! Sometimeter, the clouds finally scattered, and Zheng Yangs figure surfaced once more. He was panting heavily, and beads of sweat trickled relentlessly down his forehead. He was severely wounded; there were many bloodied gouges all over his body. However, his three opponents were lying unconscious on the floor, leaving him the only one standing on the field. Without a doubt, he had sessfully cleared the Dragons Head trial as well! Now, for the final Dragons Pearl... Unlike the simplified Dragon Gate Formation, theplete Dragon Gate Formation in the Combat Master Hall headquarters contained a Dragons Pearl as well, and it was also known to be the most difficult phase of the entire trial. Over the past three hundred years, there had been around ten cultivators who were able to clear the simplified Dragons Gate Formation, but not a single one of them had managed to clear the Dragons Pearl. Standing on the spot, Zheng Yang took in a few deep breaths to recuperate slightly from his wounds before proceeding forward. Blood was still trickling down from his wounds, leaving a crimson trail behind him. Despite so, his footsteps were firm and steady. It was as if there was some kind of faith that granted him the courage to march on fearlessly, not cowering even in the face of death. Boom boom boom! Soon, a cultivator stood before himthe guardian of the Dragons Pearl. Without any hesitation, the duo began shing with one another. The guardian of the Dragons Pearl was an incredibly powerful cultivator. Every blow of his harnessed immense strength that seemed to warp even space itself, and halfway into the battle, Zheng Yangs spear even broke in a direct sh against the guardian. Nevertheless, Zheng Yang did not give up. Fist art, movement art, leg art... He utilized every kind of technique at his disposal, executing profound moves one after another. Eventually, through utilizing his body as a spear, he sessfully breached the cultivators defense and achieved victory. 388 blows... It really isnt easy to be the Progeny of Combat! Hall Master Xing remarked. Even though Zheng Yang had managed to defeat the Dragons Pearl in the end, he had alsoe to the very limits of his body. At this point, there was not a single unwounded patch of skin on his body, and his body was trembling weakly. However, he still remained firmly standing. Completely astounded by the sight before them, all thebat masters fell silent. They had a feeling that they would never be able to erase this sight from their minds. To be honest, if they had been in Zheng Yangs ce, they would have already given up at the Dragons Back. This had nothing to do with their strength but their willpower. It was as if Zheng Yang carried an unwavering faith within him. No matter how many gorges one pierced through him, he still firmly stood his ground, determined to defeat his opponent. This undying spirit was what set them apart from him. I, Zheng Yang, was only an ordinary spear practitioner from the humble Tianxuan Kingdom! The recording cut off from the Dragon Gate Formation, and when Zheng Yang appeared once more, he was already cleaned up, and his wounds had recovered as well. Its the blessing of the heavens that I met my teacher. Not only did he impart the strongest spearmanship to me, he also taught me important values, correcting me patiently whenever I stray off from the path. Its thanks to his guidance that I was able to be the person I am today. In cultivation, the aim is not only to cultivate ones strength, but more importantly, to cultivate ones character. The Way of the Spear is but a means to that. The reason I was able to be the Progeny of Combat isnt due to strength but the principles, values, and aims that I hold onto dearly! I hope that all of you wille toprehend this someday... Last but not least, I shall make my first decree as the Progeny of Combat! The crowd in the Combat Master Hall swiftly got to their knees and sped their fists. We will humbly listen to the decree of the Progeny of Combat! In the absence of the hall master, the Progeny of Combat Decree was effectively the Hall Master Decree, an order that allbat masters had toply to unconditionally. I am deeply indebted to my teacher. Without him, there would be no me. Thus, I hereby order everyone in the Combat Master Hall, regardless of strength or position, to honor and respect him as a teacher! Yes! A resounding response sounded from the crowd. The teacher of the Progeny of Combat was effectively the teacher of the entire Combat Master Hall. Anyone who dared disrespect him would be disrespecting the entire Combat Master Hall as well. My teacher has always been humble, so no one is to speak of his identity outside of the Combat Master Hall. Anyone who dares leak any detail about him shall be executed on the spot! Understood? Zheng Yangmanded authoritatively. Yes! the crowd replied thunderingly. Very well. Etch the name of my teacher into your minds lest you cross him... My teacher is Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1200 - Spirit Reinforcing Pill

Chapter 1200: Spirit Reinforcing Pill

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan? Hall Master Zhao Yi repeated the name under his breath. Considering how much respect the Progeny of Combat had for his teacher, he would have to make sure to treat the other party respectfully in the future. At this moment, he suddenly caught sight of a young man flying over from afar andnding in the middle of the concourse. cing his hands behind him, the young man looked at the Progeny of Combat on the screen withplex emotions in his eyes. Hall Master Xing, is that person abat master from your Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall? Hall Master Zhao Yi narrowed his eyes in rage. Its one thing for him to arrive sote despite the sounding of the Combat Master Assembly Decree, but how dare he not kneel to receive the decree of the Progeny of Combat? Is this the kind of discipline abat master should have? It was just a moment ago that the Progeny of Combat had made his decree, so it was only right for allbat masters to kneel and humbly receive his decree. And yet, that young man arrogantly dared to remain standing in the middle of the concourse! This was truly uneptable! Ah, he isnt abat master from our Combat Master Hall. Hes the person whom I told you about, the head of the Xuanxuan Faction, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang... Hall Master Zhao, where are you going? Hall Master Xing exined with his sight still fixated on the Progeny of Combat on the screen. When he finally turned about to look at Hall Master Zhao, he realized that thetter had already stood up and was walking toward Zhang Xuan with a hostile glint in his eyes. I dont care whether you are the head of the Xuanxuan Faction or whoever you are, but our Combat Master Hall is currently holding a solemn ceremony now. Please leave this instant, or else dont me me for getting nasty with you! The decree of the Progeny of Combat was a confidential secret among the Combat Master Hall. Since the young man was not from the Combat Master Hall, he should have known better than tond in the middle of the concourse. Or... could it be that he was trying to eavesdrop on the confidential secrets of the Combat Master Hall? You want to get nasty with me? Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. He had rushed over to see how the friendly spar had gone, only to see the image of Zheng Yang before the Great Combat Master Atrium while he was making his way over. Thus, he could not help butnd in the concourse to take a closer look. Looking at how his student had matured, and he could not help but feel a little nostalgic inside. But at that moment, this old man suddenly came over to threaten him. Thats right, dont think... Hall Master Zhao Yi bellowed furiously, but before he could finish his words, a finger suddenly appeared before his eyes. Sou! Hall Master Zhao Yis eyes widened in astonishment, but it was already toote for him to respond. It appeared to be a normal flick, but due to the immense force harnessed within the flick, his body swiftly retreated into the distance before colliding with the wall of the atrium, producing a resounding explosion. Zhang Xuan was in no mood to deal with anyone. This was a precious moment for him and his student, and he did not want to be interrupted by anyone. Since the old man was the one who had provoked him in the first ce, he had no qualms about flicking the old man away. After sending the old man flying, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back once more as he continued looking at the screen before him. Watching how Zheng Yang had be the Progeny of Combat had left him many emotions within. He had apanied Zheng Yang on every part of his journey since Tianxuan Kingdom, watching how an ordinary spear fanatic who had just had his heart broken slowly worked diligently day in and day out, gradually refining his spear art to a level far surpassing his peers, eventually bing the Progeny of Combat. So many things had changed in less than a year. Time sure was a powerful force. A teacher can only do so much for their student. The true reason for your sess lies in your own diligence and perseverance! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. While the simplified Heavens Path Spear Art was an unparalleled battle technique in the world, it would be for naught if the practitioner himself did not work diligently on it. Just take Sun Qiang for example... Forget it, lets not talk about something that depressing on this happy asion. Zheng Yang could not be considered the most talented among his direct disciples, but without a doubt, he was the most valiant and hot-blooded of them all. It was his deep love and perseverance for the spear that had led him to where he was today. Even the most capable of teachers could only y an auxiliary role in the lives of their students. Zheng Yang had managed to pave his own way forward, and Zhang Xuan was happy for him. How dare you... Climbing out of the rubble, Hall Master Zhao Yi gritted his teeth in fury. He had thought that the brazen young man would leave sheepishly after hearing his criticism, but who knew that thetter would actually be so arrogant as to beat him up? To make a move against a hall master in a Combat Master Hall... Unpardonable! Seething with rage, Hall Master Zhao Yi was just about to rush up to the young man once more to teach him a lesson when he suddenly saw Hall Master Xing rushing toward him. Hall Master Xing, that leader of the Xuanxuan Faction actually dared to brazenly assault me before the Progeny of Combat! He might be your guest, but such actions cannot be tolerated in the Combat Master Hall! Otherwise, what will be of the discipline of thebat masters? Hall Master Zhao Yi spat angrily through gritted teeth. The reason his candidates had failed to acquire a single slot to the Sword Lagoon of the Qianchong Empire was due to that fellow, and he had even been humiliated by a youngdy of the Xuanxuan Faction just a moment ago. While he had chosen to ept those matters, it was still inevitable that they would breed some frustration and resentment within him toward the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction. This incident only served to spark those negative emotions within him. Completely clouded by rage, the only thing that was on his mind at that moment was to teach that young man a lesson! Listen to me, he isnt just an ordinary guest... Hall Master Xing hurriedly advised. I know that your Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall is indebted to him, but he dared to disrespect the Progeny of Combat and undermine the Combat Master Hall! If I dont teach him a lesson, how am I to face mybat masters? Hall Master Zhao Yi harrumphed coldly as he marched forward furiously. Fine, do whatever you like! Seeing how Hall Master Zhao Yi refused to hear his words, Hall Master Xing frowned in displeasure. He flung his sleeves impatiently and said, Right, I forgot you tell you. The name of the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction is... Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan? That name caused Hall Master Zhao Yi to halt in his footsteps. An ominous feeling in his heart left him shuddering in fear as he asked meekly, The teacher of the Progeny of Combat? Who else? Hall Master Xing replied curtly before returning to his position to kneel down. If you desire death that much, go ahead! I wont stop you! He... really is the teacher of the Progeny of Combat? Hall Master Zhao Yi suddenly found the world spinning around him as he struggled to process what he had just heard. It was no wonder the candidates of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall would grow so much stronger after three days of guidance! If the teacher of the Progeny of Combat was behind the matter, that would exin a lot! Hu! Hall Master Zhao Yi stood petrified on the spot, not knowing what he should do. At this moment, the silhouette of the Progeny of Combat gradually faded after issuing his decree. The surroundingbat masters stood up and turned toward Zhang Xuan before bowing respectfully. All of them know... Hall Master Zhao Yis eyes swam around the ce from frenzy. He was really in deep trouble this time around. The Progeny of Combat had just instructed everyone to treat his teacher with the utmost respect, and yet, right after hearing the decree, he had insolently told the young man to leave the Combat Master Hall. His face gradually turned redder and redder as he racked his brain to figure out a way to get the young man to pardon him for his rudeness. At that moment, Hall Masters Wei Qianshu and Liu Qinshan suddenly walked up to Zhang Xuan and sped their fists respectfully. Paying respects to Zhang shi. Our Combat Master Hall is interested in having an exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction. May I know if Zhang shi will be so magnanimous as to grant us the opportunity to learn from the Xuanxuan Faction? I have long heard of the fame of the Xuanxuan Faction, and it would truly be an honor to have an exchange with you... Hearing those words, Hall Master Zhao Yis lips twitched in frenzy. Those two fellows were too shameless! It was just a moment ago that they had been filled with disdain with the so-called Xuanxuan Faction. Yet, as soon as they learned that the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction was the teacher of the Progeny of Combat, their attitudes had immediately taken a 180-degrees turn. Where was their dignity? You can discuss the issue with Hall Master Xing. Seeing that a huge crowd was swiftly gathering around him, Zhang Xuan shook his head before taking his leave. Still overwhelmed by his emotions from seeing how Zheng Yang had be the Progeny of Combat, Zhang Xuan was in no mood to deal with such misceneous affairs. In any case, there were others to handle the matter in his stead, so there was no need for him to deal with them personally. Thus, he returned to his residence. Not too longter, Hall Master Xing knocked on his door. Principal Zhang, thanks to your training, our candidates manage to obtain all twenty slots to Qianchong Empires Sword Lagoon. As promised, Ill share half of the awarded concentrated high-tier spirit stones with you. However, it will probably take some time before the reward arrives. Roughly, how long will it take? Hall Master Xing pondered for a moment before replying. The headquarters have a unique delivery method, but even so, it will still take at least ten days. Ten days? Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed helplessly. He had thought that he would be able to acquire the concentrated high-tier spirit stones swiftly and quickly advance his cultivation to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, but from the looks of it, it seemed like he would still have to wait a while longer. Why did cultivation have to be so difficult? Looking back, he really missed the days when he could advance an entire realm within a single night. Principal Zhang, do you still require a lot of concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Hall Master Xing asked after noticing Zhang Xuans frustrated expression. Yes. Do you know of a way to acquire them? I dont have any way to acquire more concentrated high-tier spirit stones, but if you are intending to use them for your cultivation, perhaps you could try the grade-7 Spirit Reinforcing Pill instead, Hall Master Xing suggested. The Spirit Reinforcing Pill harnesses concentrated medicinal energy that can advance even the cultivation of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator significantly. Spirit Reinforcing Pill? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment. There was some information regarding Spirit Reinforcing Pills within the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was a grade-7 pill that had an effect simr to concentrated high-tier spirit stones. However, he had never seen the pill in person before, and he did not have the pill form for it either. I happen to have a Spirit Reinforcing Pill with me at the moment. Principal Zhang, why dont you give it a try? If it is effective, you can acquire more from Guild Leader Wu. He should have quite a few in his possession. Hall Master Xing flicked his wrist and passed a jade bottle to Zhang Xuan. Thank you. Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle and uncapped it. Floating within the bottle was a crimson pill, and he could vaguely feel the concentrated spirit energy that was sealed within it. Taking the pill out of the bottle, he popped it into his mouth. The pill swiftly dissolved into a huge umtion of warm, concentrated spiritual energy, which swiftly flowed through his meridians before eventually gathering in his dantian. Its effective! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Too ustomed to cultivating with spirit stones, he had not really thought of seeking other substitutes for spiritual energy. However, the fact was that there were plenty of items that could rece the use of spirit stones! For example, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence that he had acquired from the Cloudmist Ridge back then was a superior substitute for middle-tier spirit stones. Naturally, there were also some pills that could rece spirit stones as well. Even though the spiritual energy within the Spirit Reinforcing Pill was less concentrated than that of concentrated high-tier spirit stones, it was still useful to him at the moment. If he could just acquire enough of them, he would be able to push for a breakthrough to Embryonic Spirit realm pinnacle! Seeing how the young man swallowed the pill directly without bothering to sit down and cultivate, Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in astonishment. Principal Zhang... dont you have to cultivate to assimte the energy within the pill into your body? Even he would have to take some time to assimte the energy within a Spirit Reinforcing Pill, and yet, the Saint realm 3-dan young man before him had actually swallowed it so recklessly. Was he not scared of absorbing in too much spiritual energy in one go and exploding? Hmm? I have already assimted the energy within the pill, Zhang Xuan replied with a hint of confusion in his voice. It was only one small pill; he had assimted the energy within it a moment after consuming the pill. Why would he have to specially cultivate for it? You have already assimted it? Hall Master Xings lips twitched in frenzy. At this moment, he finally understood how the young man before him had been able to advance his cultivation so swiftly. Putting everything aside, just the rate of his assimtion was already iparable to any ordinary cultivator. Are there more of such pills in the Apothecary Guild? Zhang Xuan asked. If he wanted to achieve a breakthrough using the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, he would require a massive amount of them, a hundred at the very minimum. Just that, would the Apothecary Guild have that many pills for him? Im not too sure either. You will have to ask Guild Leader Wu for that, Hall Master Xing replied. Guild Leader Wu Huayu was the individual who had invigted Zhang Xuans Pill Debate examination back when he was still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Zhang Xuans exceptional results then had led him to deliver the Grand Intermittence Grass to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy personally. Unfortunately, Zhang Xuan happened to be away back then. Okay. Ill head to the Apothecary Guild now then, Zhang Xuan replied. Luo Ruoxin would be marrying the genius of the Zhang n on the third month of the following year. He could not afford to waste any time. Bidding Hall Master Xing farewell, Zhang Xuan walked out of his amodation, only to see Luo Qiqi walking toward him. Teacher... Upon seeing Luo Qiqi, Zhang Xuan felt a slight headache. As an attached man, he felt a little awkward about being confessed to by his student. Nevertheless, knowing that he could not possibly continue hiding from the other party, he sighed inwardly as he walked up to Luo Qiqi. Teacher, can you... apany me for a day? Noticing that Zhang Xuans expression had turned a little awful, Luo Qiqis face sank slightly, but she continued staring at him with expectant eyes. Just one day! Chapter 1201

Chapter 1201: Your Teacher Shall Redress Your Grievances for You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Whats wrong? Noticing that the youngdys eyes were slightly reddened, as if she had just cried a moment ago, Zhang Xuan frowned. While Luo Qiqis confession had made the rtionship between the two of them slightly awkward, he would not hesitate to strike down anyone who dared bully his student! Its nothing much... Luo Qiqis eyes seemed to dim for a moment before she raised her head once more and replied with a smile. I just want to spend some time with you, Teacher. Ah... Alright then! Seeing that Luo Qiqi had something weighing on her mind, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding. It was inevitable for those too outstanding to be fancied by others. As long as he maintained an appropriate distance between the two of them, there was no issue with them spending some time together. As long as he conducted himself correctly and made his intentions clear, it would only be a matter of time before the other party dispelled her thoughts. On the other hand, if he continued avoiding her, it would only cause her mind to wander, and that could prove to be dangerous. Hearing Zhang Xuans consent, Luo Qiqis face lit up in delight. Then... shall we find a quiet ce? Its a little noisy over here! Be it the Combat Master Hall or the Xuanxuan Faction, they were filled with familiar faces. It was indeed a little inconvenient. Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The duo took flight, and before long, theynded at the top of a mountain right outside Qingyuan City. Sitting on a boulder near the cliff, Luo Qiqi gazed intently at the bustling Qingyuan City, seemingly pondering over something. A mountainous breeze tussled her hair, pulling some strands over her impable face. Yet, this slight imperfection seemed to be perfect in its own way as well. Admittedly, the youngdy was indeed very beautiful, and her beauty was not just limited to her exterior. She had a calming disposition that ced those around her at ease as well, making it veryfortable to be around her. Facing youngdys queer silence, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, Is there something on your mind? As long as its within my means, Ill try my best to help you. There was no doubt that the youngdy had some worries on her mind, but there was nothing he could do about it if thetter refused to speak. Its nothing much. Its just that I suddenly remembered some things from my childhood. Luo Qiqi smiled as she quietly gazed down at Qingyuan City. When I was younger, I liked to spend my time idly sitting on the rooftop and watching the sunrise and sunset, as well as the birds that fluttered their wings freely in the sky. Somehow, that brought me great joy as a child. There was one time when I found myself deeply desiring an artifact. I really wanted it a lot, so I pestered my father to get it for me. In the face of my relentless pleas, my father eventually caved in. However, he said that he would only give it to me after I mastered a cultivation technique, so I frantically cultivated, regardless of day or night. A yearter, I finally seeded! My father did not renege on our promise either, and he gave the artifact to me. I can still remember how happy I was the day I received the artifact. It was something that I had acquired through my hard work. I brought it around with me everyday, hugging it to sleep even. But on one asion, while I was fighting with another, it broke. I was truly heartbroken, and I wept for three whole days. My father found an identical one tofort me, and it was really the same no matter how one looked at it. But for some reason, I no longer wanted it. With her knees hugged to her chest and her chin resting atop them, Luo Qiqi tilted her head over and asked, Teacher, do you know why? Zhang Xuan shook his head. It is because it is no longer the same one that I liked... Even if it appears identical, it isnt! Luo Qiqi replied. Not knowing how to respond to it, Zhang Xuan was quiet for a long moment before replying with a nod. This should have been amon experience for many. When an object that one liked a lot was destroyed, even if an identical one was bought to rece it, the anticipation for it would no longer be there. Sentiment was not something that could be transferred just because two objects appeared or were identical. Eventually, I slowly came to understand that just because I liked something doesnt mean that Ill be able to possess it forever. Just like that shattered artifact, no matter what I do, Ill never be able to get it back to how it was anymore. At this point, Luo Qiqi turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more. It seemed like she had many words at the back of her throat, but she was unable to voice them. Noticing that there was something amiss with the youngdys state, Zhang Xuan said, Whats wrong? Did someone bully you? If the other party is at fault, Ill exact vengeance for you! Pfft! Luo Qiqi suddenly burst intoughter. She looked at Zhang Xuan yfully as she asked, Will you really exact vengeance for me? Of course, Zhang Xuan replied with a light smile. You are the one who bullied me. Do it, exact vengeance for me, Luo Qiqi said earnestly. ... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. A moment of carelessness, and he had fallen into the youngdys trap once more. Back then, she had imed that she had some doubts in mind and needed answers, but in the midst of rifying her doubts, he had ended up being confessed to. It seemed like it was the same this time around as well. A pitiful front, but if he were to earnestly respond to it, he would fall into a pit as well. Just as Zhang Xuan was at a loss, the youngdy suddenly stared at him intently and said, Teacher, you havent given me a proper response yet. You should also know that my feelings for you... are more than just those between a teacher and a student! Is this how you should talk to your teacher? Zhang Xuan frowned. If thats all you want to say, Ill be leaving now! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan stood up. Im joking, Im joking... Dont get mad! Luo Qiqi quickly appeased Zhang Xuan while secretly sticking her tongue out. Its not funny. Please do not make that kind of joke again. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Alright. Teacher... Luo Qiqi paused for a moment before asking, Will you teach me pill forging one more time? Sure. Zhang Xuan nodded. What kind of pill do you want to forge? There were many different pill forme in the world, and each of them had a unique forging method. The pill that I want to forge is the grade-7 Spirit Reinforcing Pill, Luo Qiqi replied. Spirit Reinforcing Pill? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It was just a moment ago that he had told Hall Master Xing that he needed some Spirit Reinforcing Pills, and he had been intending to find them at the Apothecary Guild. Who could have known that Luo Qiqi would suddenly ask to learn to forge the pill at this moment? Thats right, Luo Qiqi replied with an innocent blink of her eyes. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, Do you have the required pill form and medicinal herbs? This would be a good opportunity for him to refine the forging method for the Spirit Reinforcing Pill. With this, he would be spared from a lot of trouble when he headed to the Apothecary Guild. I have already prepared them! Luo Qiqi answered with a smile before flicking her wrist to take out a jade token. Zhang Xuan took the jade token and scanned it with his consciousness. The content imprinted within the jade token was swiftly transferred into his mind. It was indeed the pill form for the Spirit Reinforcing Pill. With Zhang Xuans knowledge as a 7-star pinnacle apothecary, it did not take him too long to deduce the most ideal method to forge the pill. Here are the medicinal herbs. Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist once more, and a huge pile of medicinal herbs appeared before her eyes. Taking a swift look at the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan was stunned. Where did you find these medicinal herbs? The medicinal herbs that the youngdy had taken out each had a maturity of a least several thousand years! One must know that such medicinal herbs were worth an astronomical sum! An ordinary Spirit Reinforcing Pill only required medicinal herbs that were fifty years mature. If one were to use these several-thousand-year-old medicinal herbs to forge the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, the produced pills would at least be several dozen times more potent! As you know, I like to study and explore. I happened to discover an ancient domain a while back, and these medicinal herbs came from there! Luo Qiqi exined. You really are quite lucky, Zhang Xuan remarked. Given how meticulous Luo Qiqi was, even being able to trace the underground chamber where Wu Yangzi had been imprisoned through a forged weapon, it was not surprising that she had discovered other ancient domains as well. Teacher, are these medicinal herbs sufficient to forge the Origin Reinforcing Pill? Luo Qiqi asked. Definitely! Not only sufficient, the Spirit Reinforcing Pill will also be of exceptional quality! Zhang Xuan nodded. However, these medicinal herbs are valuable, so you have to be careful not to make an error during the forging. A cauldron explosion with these herbs would be a huge pity! With such valuable medicinal herbs, as long as the forging process was perfect as well, there was a good chance that they would be able to up the grade of the Spirit Reinforcing Pill! Un. Luo Qiqi nodded. Since the medicinal herbs used are of a significantly higher maturity, Ill have to make some changes to the forging method. Give me a moment, Zhang Xuan said. Naturally, the forging method had to be changed when the potency of the medicinal herbs used was different. Zhang Xuan swiftly went through his forging method once more to tailor it to the current conditions before flicking his wrist to summon the Golden Origin Cauldron. While the Golden Origin Cauldron was a weapon cauldron, it could also be used as a pill cauldron as long as several conversion formations were cast over it. Lets use the Golden Origin Cauldron for the forging; it should lower the chances of a cauldron explosion! Alright! Luo Qiqi replied. Once everything was ready, Zhang Xuan whipped out a brush and penned down the revised pill form before passing it over to the youngdy. It did not take long for the youngdy to memorize the pill form, and soon, the pill forging began. With Zhang Xuan guiding by the side, the pill forging proceeded smoothly. Soon, the lid of the cauldron was opened, and a burst of spiritual energy burst up to the heavens. Sou! Five pills flew out of the cauldron, intending to escape. Quasi grade-8 pills! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He waved his hand, and the Golden Origin Cauldron swiftly leaped up to capture the fleeing pills. After which, Zhang Xuan carefully ced them into jade bottle that he had prepared beforehand. The Spirit Reinforcing Pill was intended to be a grade-7 pill, but due to the superior maturity of the medicinal herbs used in the forging, they had actually managed to forge five quasi grade-8 pills! While they were not true grade-8 pills yet, their potency could not bepared to a Spirit Reinforcing Pill. Since you were able to forge such Spirit Reinforcing Pills, I believe that you should have mastered the forging technique for it as well. Zhang Xuan passed the jade bottle to the youngdy with a smile. On top of being quasi grade-8, those pills were Inscribed Pills as well! Beautiful patterns flowed over the pills, granting them an exceptional beauty. The quality of a pill could be divided into four tiers: Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill. The fact that Luo Qiqi was able to produce an Inscribed Pill showed that she alreadymanded a perfect understanding for the forging process of the specific pill. As long as she digested what she had learned from this experience, herprehension of pill forging would shoot up significantly. Its due to your guidance that I was able to sessfully forge the Spirit Reinforcing Pills. Thus, I would like to gift these pills to you! Luo Qiqi pushed the jade bottle back to Zhang Xuan. I cant ept these Spirit Reinforcing Pills from you. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The medicinal herbs hade from the youngdy, and the pill had been forged by her as well. Even though he had guided her from the side, this was not a good enough reason for him to ept these incredibly valuable pills from her. Then... How about this? Ill keep one for myself and gift the remaining four to you. If you still feel that its too much to ept, you canpensate me with spirit stones! Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Luo Qiqi took a pill out of the jade bottle before pushing the rest back to him. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. This... Alright then. It just so happened that he needed some Spirit Reinforcing Pill, and the effectiveness of these quasi grade-8 pills was equivalent to several dozen ordinary ones. With four of these, he would have no trouble achieving a breakthrough to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle! Taking out a storage ring, Zhang Xuan ced the ten thousand high-tier spirit stones that he had obtained from the Appraiser Hall into it before passing it over. Luo Qiqi carefully took the storage ring from Zhang Xuan before raising her head to look at Zhang Xuan once more. Teacher, you said earlier that you would exact vengeance for me if anyone bullies me. Did you mean it? Not expecting Luo Qiqi to suddenly ask such a question, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A momentter, he nodded. Yes. If anyone dares bully you, your teacher shall redress your grievances for you! Chapter 1202 - Saint 3-dan Pinnacle

Chapter 1202: Saint 3-dan Pinnacle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No matter what, Luo Qiqi was still his student. If someone bullied her, he could not possibly sit idly. This was just like how he would stand up for Lu Chong and the others. Thank you... Seeing the unwavering look in the mans eyes, Luo Qiqi could not help but recall the sight of thetter standing up against the Otherworldly Demon puppets back in the underground chamber, and a faint smile crept onto her lips. It had been half a year since she hade to know this man, and she knew what kind of person he was. For his student, he would stand against an entire kingdom unhesitatingly. For his butler, he was a man who would oppose the First King and a vice pavilion master of a Conferred Empire. Domineering, but very protective of those whom he cared for. Just by this alone, she had no doubt that he would rush to her rescue if something happened to her. And this was why she loved him. Earnest, gutsy, responsible, and decisive! To those whom he cared for, he would treat them earnestly, not showing the slightest hint of hypocrisy. Teacher, Im happy to hear such words from you. Alright, Ill be heading back first! Luo Qiqi patted the dust off her hand as she shed Zhang Xuan a smile. I wont impose on you any longer. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Go on. Even though he had not voiced it explicitly, his actions should have clearly shown his rejection for her feelings. After the affairs today, she should understand that he viewed her as another one of his precious students, and her affection toward him would never bear fruit. Hopefully, she would cast aside those thoughts and find one who was truly suited for her. Luo Qiqi turned around before muttering softly, Farewell... Teacher. After which, she leaped into the air, and before long, she vanished from sight. At Luo Qiqis departure, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had only spent two hours with the other party, but he felt as if he had fought a war. It seemed like he would really have to hold himself back in the future and maintain a lower profile, or else it would be troublesome if too manydies were to fall in love with him. Sometimes, being too outstanding was a sorrow. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was just about to find a ce to cultivate with his newly-acquired Spirit Reinforcing Pills when he suddenly saw a figure heading over. It was none other than Yu Fei-er! Zhang shi, arent you being a little biased? You should have told me that you were teaching Qiqi pill forging! I want to learn it, too! Yu Fei-er harrumphed as soon as shended on the cliff, apparently displeased by the private time he had spent with Luo Qiqi. The both of them had confessed, and yet, Zhang Xuan had still chosen to spend some private with Luo Qiqi. She could not help but feel a little jealous at that. I was only teaching her pill forging. Nothing of what you are thinking happened... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. Knowing that it would be better to be straightforward with someone of Yu Fei-er personality, he decided to get straight to the point. To be honest with you, I already have someone that I like! Really? Who is it? Is it Qiqi? Yu Fei-er asked in rm. Its not her but... the little princess of the Luo n! Zhang Xuan replied. Luo n? As in the Sage n? Yu Fei-er did not believe what she was hearing. The Luo n is a lofty existence in the Master Teacher Continent, so how could you be acquainted with their little princess? The Sage ns were existences that stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, the very embodiment of absolute power! Inparison to the Luo n, her Hongyuan royal family was truly nothing at all. Considering that Zhang Xuan originated from the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, how could he possibly be acquainted with someone as noble as the little princess from the Luo n, let alone fall in love with her? You can choose not to believe my words if you want to. As for how I came to know her... I can only say that it was the workings of destiny. Furthermore, I can tell you that the feelings that we have for one another are mutual! At this point, Zhang Xuan could not help but think of Luo Ruoxin, and his lips unknowingly curled up into a smile. It was a misunderstanding that had brought them together the first time they met. He had thought that she was being pursued by spirit beasts back then, and he had forcefully pulled her down into a river, only to faint in the end. Thinking about it, the misunderstanding seemed almost like the miraculous working of fate. If that had not happened, would they still be together today? In any case, since he already had someone he loved, he did not want to get too deeply involved with otherdies anymore. Yu Fei-er was a headstrong and resolute person, so he felt that he should nip her feelings in the bud. I dont believe you. You are lying... Yu Fei-ers face paled. All along, she had thought that Zhang Xuan had no girlfriend and that she, Luo Qiqi, and Hu Yaoyao all stood a chance as long as they worked diligently. However, it seemed like they were already toote. You are a wonderfuldy, but what I am saying is the truth. Zhang Xuan shook his head. But I... Too agitated, Yu Fei-ers breathing hastened, rendering her unable to continue. Gritting her teeth, she turned around. After a moment of silence, she spat, one word after a word, Zhang shi, I have imposed on you today. Ill be leaving now... Then, not even waiting for Zhang Xuans response, she leaped into the sky and took flight, disappearing into the horizon in a few moments. Even though she did not say anything, her voice was tinged with sorrow and shock. She could not believe that Zhang Xuan was taken, and she could not ept it either. Jeez. Seeing that he had unintentionally hurt twodies in just a few moments, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. If possible, he did not want to have done that either. But he simply did not harbor any romantic feelings toward them. If he had allowed their feelings for him to develop, it would only have caused them greater pain in the future. Only for Luo Ruoxin did his heart beat. Having experienced two lifetimes in two different worlds, he had already seen many things, allowing him to remain unfazed andposed before most matters. Yet, before Luo Ruoxin, he acted like a young man. Out of jealousy, he had ended up beating Feng Xun up and intentionally traumatizing Zhang Jiuxiao. Despite his rational personality, he found himself with an irrational hate for the Zhang n as well. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er were beautiful and outstandingdies, but neither of them were able to generate such feelings within him. He knew very well that all he felt for them was the care and concern that a teacher would have for his students. Since that was the case, rather than get needlessly entangled with them, it would be better to dash whatever hope they had before they descended deeper into the abyss. After all, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. He was certain that this was the best course of action. Forget it, I shouldnt think too much into it now. I should raise my cultivation to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle first! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tossed aside the other thoughts he had in his mind and sat cross-legged on the ground. The area was exceptionally quiet, and there was not a person in sight. It was the ideal environment for him to cultivate in. He quickly conditioned the internal state of his body and his breath, and when his physical condition finally peaked roughly two hourster, he took out a Spirit Reinforcing Pill and swallowed it. The Spirit Reinforcing Pills that Luo Qiqi had forged were made using extremely mature medicinal herbs. Those medicinal herbs harnessed rich medicinal energy, and the pills were perfectly forged on top of that, reaching the tier of Inscribed Pill. As such, every single one of the four pills harnessed several dozen times more spiritual energy than the one he had obtained from Hall Master Xing. As the pill dissolved in his mouth, he immediately felt a zing surge of energy coursing through his meridians before eventually gathering around his Origin Soul. Upon reaching Saint 3-dan intermediate stage, his Origin Soul had adopted a form reminiscent of an eight-year-old child. Its every move seemed to be tinged with incredible might that could shatter the world. Calming his mind, Zhang Xuan focused his consciousness on the internal state of his body as he began to drive his zhenqi ording to the Saint 3-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. Whenever he felt that he was running low on spiritual energy, he would unhesitatingly swallow a Spirit Reinforcing Pill. As he absorbed more and more spiritual energy from the Spirit Reinforcing Pills, his cultivation and strength swiftly rose. Embryonic Soul realm intermediate stage! Embryonic Soul realm advanced stage! Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle! An hourter... His Origin Soul had already adopted the form of a sixteen to seventeen-year-old young man, sharing an identical appearance with him, just slightly younger. Its size remained the same as back when it was just an infantten meters tall. It did not be any taller during its development. Finally! Zhang Xuan eximed after a deep exhtion. He had really gone through a lot of trouble just to raise his cultivation to this level. Fortunately, diligence did not fail him. After oveing all the difficulties in his path, he had finally managed to reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle! However, the four Spirit Reinforcing Pills that Luo Qiqi had given him also ended up being depleted as well, and he had be poor once more. Assessing his internal condition again, he felt that the flow of zhenqi in his body was far smoother than ever, and his strength had already risen by leaps and bounds aspared to before. He stretched out his hands and lightly closed his fist together. Peng! A sonic boom sounded, and the next moment, the boulder beneath him suddenly burst into dust. It was fortunate that he had flown up in advance, or else he would have been cloaked in dust. This is the might wielded by an Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle expert? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together in excitement. Incredible! Even though it was hard for him to determine his current strength until he exchanged blows with a true expert, he was confident that if he were to meet the Qingtian Emperor once more, he would be able to crush thetter into meat paste with a single punch. Hu! Rising to his feet, he reined in his aura, and the pressure he exerted finally vanished. In the eyes of other cultivators, he would only appear as an ordinary Saint 3-dan pinnacle. Even though he had raised his cultivation significantly, he still had every intention of maintaining a low profile. If he could avoid standing in the spotlight, he would try his best to do so to avoid unnecessary trouble. At my current cultivation realm, ordinary Spirit Reinforcing Pills wont be of much use to me anymore. Theres no longer any point in me heading to the Apothecary Guild. Zhang Xuans original intention had been to pay a visit to the Apothecary Guild to purchase some Spirit Reinforcing Pill to advance his cultivation. However, along with the rise in his cultivation, it would seem that the concentration of the spiritual energy within ordinary Spirit Reinforcing Pill was no longer sufficient for his cultivation. As such, it would be futile no matter how many of them he acquired. He would only be wasting his money. Forget it, I should just return to the Combat Master Hall. Those three hall masters should still be around, so I can assess my new strength on them, Zhang Xuan thought with a chuckle as he began making his way back to the Combat Master Hall. However, just as he was about to make his way back, he suddenly froze for a moment. Flicking his wrist, he took out a jade token. Wu shi had sent him a message. After taking a look at it, his face immediately turned grim. Pavilion Master Gou... is dead? Chapter 1203 - Crisis at the Master Teacher Pavilion

Chapter 1203: Crisis at the Master Teacher Pavilion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, straw matsy side by side on the ground, and eight corpses were neatly ced on top. The corpses were each dressed in a master teacher robe, and the seven gleaming stars on their chests indicated their identities. Zhang Xuan was extremely familiar with the elder in the center. It was due to the injustice that the elder had brought upon him that he had gone to the extent of crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion, even directly exchanging blows with him in the midst of doing so. He had thought that the elder would be severely judged by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but who would have thought that he would die before then? Zhang Xuan turned to Wu shi and asked grimly, What happened? It happened earlier in the day... Based on the list of names you gave me, I quickly moved to apprehend those rted master teachers and apprehend them. However... just as I was interrogating the eighth suspect, my subordinate suddenly reported to me that eight master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion had passed away! Wu shi replied lividly. He had interrogated the apprehended suspects discreetly so as to not rm the enemy, but it seemed like the enemy had somehow learned of the matter and decided to kill eight 7-star master teachers to warn them against probing any further into the matter. And the victims included even the old Pavilion Master Gou! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face darkened. It was a tant threat targeted toward them. Furthermore, Wu shi continued, they all died in the same manner as Chen Zhe and the others. When we found them, their souls had already dissipated, leaving behind an empty body. Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had also noticed the same as soon as he stepped into the room. Despite their bodies being perfectly intact, the eight master teachers did not have a hint of life within them. Only the soul nabbing secret art could result in such a deeply unnerving death. Its Vicious! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. Only Vicious had the strength to nab even Pavilion Master Gous soul. Just that... from what he knew, Vicious should have been in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. Furthermore, from what he had learned in the Qingtian Emperors memories, it appeared that Vicious had been sealed by something, preventing him from leaving the region. Considering the long distance between Qingyuan City and the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, how could he possibly carry out such a feat? Zhang Xuan turned around and asked, Where were they found? They were found in their amodation. Their family members thought that they were resting, so they did not disturb them initially. However, when they attempted to call for them but received no response, they approached them, only to realize that they had stopped breathing, Wu shi replied before turning to look at Zhang Xuan. Does this matter have something to do with the Qingtian Emperor? But... isnt the Qingtian Emperor already dead? As a soul oracle, the Qingtian Emperor was skilled in soul arts, and he had killed Chen Zhe and the others using one of his secret arts. Zhang Xuan had already informed him of this matter, thus unraveling the cause of the mysterious deaths that had urred in the Master Teacher Pavilion a while back. But since it was affirmed that the Qingtian Emperor was already dead, who else could possibly wield the ability to pull off the same feat? The deaths of these eight 7-star master teachers were simply so abrupt and mysterious that it had shocked everyone in the Master Teacher Pavilion, sending them into a fluster. It was the norm for humans to fear those that they were unable toprehend, and even master teachers were no exception to the rule. Pavilion Master Gou had been viewed as the strongest individual in Qingyuan City, but if even he could be killed silently without putting up a fight, it did not seem like anyone would stand a chance against the murderer. The realization of this notion left the necks of the master teachers feeling cold. The Qingtian Emperor is dead, but the person behind him is still alive and kicking, Zhang Xuan replied with a vexed look. The person behind him? Wu shi was perplexed by those words. As the matter concerning Vicious existence was simply too huge, Zhang Xuan had decided not to tell anyone about it. As such, not even Wu shi was aware of the matter. Yes. Even if the Qingtian Emperor was the Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it is worth contemting how he managed to learn the heritage of the soul oracle oracles when they had already disappeared many years ago. As such, I believe that theres a mastermind behind this matter who imparted the heritage of the soul oracles to the Qingtian Emperor. If my deduction is correct, hes probably the one who had caused this as well, Zhang Xuan replied. A mastermind who imparted the heritage of the soul oracles to the Qingtian Emperor? Wu shi narrowed his eyes in rm as he said, How powerful do you think the mastermind is? If hes beyond the means of a Conferred Empire, Ill immediately report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them dispatch some men to assist us! The Master Teacher Pavilion had its own system. Typically speaking, while subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions would report major affairs to the Master Teacher Pavilion above them, they were still expected to resolve matters in the region by themselves. Firstly, the headquarters also had their own region to care for, and they did not have the spare energy and time to be cleaning up after the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions. Secondly, it would also serve as a tform to temper the master teachers in the branch. If the headquarters had to attend to every single problem that the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions were facing, it probably would not have been long before the advanced master teachers worked themselves to death. However, if the problem exceeded the scope of the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilion, that was a different matter. If such a problem was left uncared for, it could possibly lead to a great massacre. In such cases, the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilion would be justified in calling for the aid of a higher ranked master teacher from the headquarters. How long will it take for the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to dispatch an envoy? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Wu shi swiftly did a rough calction before replying. If I recall correctly, the Master Teacher Pavilion closest to us that has at least one half 8-star master teacher is the Qianchong Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. If the headquarters dispatched a half 8-star master teacher from them, judging from the distance, it would take at least ten days. However, if we require an 8-star master teacher, we would have to call for an envoy directly from the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, and if thats the case, it will take twenty days at the minimum! Ten days, twenty days? We dont have that much time to spare. Zhang Xuan pinched his be grimly. By the time the envoy arrives, our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion could have very well been massacred! What do we do then? Wu shi asked anxiously. Indeed, they could not afford to wait ten to twenty days. The enemy possessed an ability to kill their men silently, and in a single night, he had already managed to take out eight 7-star master teachers. If the enemy continued their massacre at the current rate, it would not be long before all of the 7-star master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion were killed! Im not too sure how powerful the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor is, but I believe that his strength shouldnt exceed the Leaving Aperture realm. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have definitely kept a lookout for their movements, Zhang Xuan analyzed. While the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters left the regional Master Teacher Pavilion to their own devices, they would still conduct a thorough scan throughout the world using a special technique from time to time. If they found any existences that exceeded the tier of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, they would eliminate it immediately if they viewed it to be a threat, or else, they would maintain a close watch over its movements. The highest fighting power in Conferred Empires was the Leaving Aperture realm. Considering how Vicious eye was able to remain in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows without alerting the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it was likely that he had not exceeded that level. But even if he has not exceeded Leaving Aperture realm, there is a huge difference in the prowess of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator for each increment in the cultivation stage. As long as the mastermind wields strength exceeding Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, we will have no way of dealing with him! Wu shi frowned. In Leaving Aperture realm, a cultivator would be able to draw their Primordial Spirit out of their body and directly manipte the energy in their surroundings to aid them in battle. Every increment in the cultivation stage would call forth a lightning ordeal, and as long as the cultivator survived it, it would temper their Primordial Spirit and significantly enhance their control over their surroundings. Due to that, there was a vast difference in the fighting prowess of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators of differing cultivation stages. For example, even though it might appear that there was only a small cultivation stage difference between Leaving Aperture realm primary stage and Leaving Aperture realm intermediate, a dozen Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivators might not have even been a match for a single Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator! As such, even if the mastermind was still within the Leaving Aperture realm, if their cultivation had already reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, there was no person or any power in Qingyuan Empire that would be able to stand against the mastermind. I understand that as well, but I dont have a clear gauge on the masterminds exact power at the moment. Alright, lets put this matter aside for now. There are more important matters for us to attend to. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the corpses on the ground and said, Arent you curious about how the mastermind managed to kill these eight 7-star master teachers discreetly? How? That night, when I was assaulted by the Qingtian Emperor, I happened to learn of the secret behind their soul nabbing secret art. They utilize a medium to infiltrate the consciousness of a cultivator and take their soul away. This medium could be anything, such as an altar or even a soul fragment. So, one aspect that we should explore is what medium the mastermind used to kill these eight men. Did you find anything during your investigation of the case? Zhang Xuan asked. In close proximity, Vicious could nab the soul of anyone easily. However, over tens of thousands of li, he would have to rely on a medium to channel his soul energy. Like the altar that he had found beneath Chen Zhes residence a while back! However, the altar should have been taken away by Wu shi and sealed. So... how did Vicious manage to kill these eight master teachers? Wu shi was taken aback for a moment before replying. This... I havent been paying much notice to this matter... Try to look into it. It could very well lead us to some clues, Zhang Xuan instructed before falling silent. Activating his Eye of Insight, he began examining the corpses before him carefully. Pavilion Master Gou had a horrified expression on his face, as if he had encountered something he dared not believe before his death. After a moment of examination, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. The physical state of Pavilion Master Gou was identical to that of Chen Zhe back then. Even through his Eye of Insight, he did not notice anything peculiar. At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a crucial figure in this matter, and he hurriedly asked, Wait, where is King Zhongqing? Where is he imprisoned? I dispatched my men to have him arrested once more, and he was locked in the prison of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Last night, Emperor Chu Tianxing came to pay me a visit, presumably over the matter concerning King Zhongqing, but I turned him down, Wu shi replied. Emperor Chu Tianxing came to pay you a visit? Zhang Xuan frowned. King Zhongqing was only a mere subordinate of the Qingyuan royal family. It was not as if he was Emperor Chu Tianxings son or anything, so why was Emperor Chu Tianxing so desperate to protect him,ing over whenever something happened, willing to pay a hefty price for his release even? Thats right. However, I did not allow the two of them to meet. Furthermore, we have a legitimate reason to have King Zhongqing imprisoned this time around, so I dont think that Emperor Chu Tianxing will be able to do anything about the matter for the time being, Wu shi replied. I see... However, theres really something amiss about Emperor Chu Tianxing. I think we have to look into him, Zhang Xuan said grimly. Based on the Qingtian Emperors memory, Zhang Xuan was able to confirm that King Zhongqing had indeed defected to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Considering how close Emperor Chu Tianxing was to King Zhongqing, it was a little hard to believe that there would be nothing wrong with him as well. Should I have him captured and interrogated? Wu shi also had the same suspicions, but due to Emperor Chu Tianxings position, he had been a little hesitant to make a move. We shouldnt rush into this matter. It would surely cause a huge uproar if we made a move against Emperor Chu Tianxing, so we have to amply prepare. Whats more urgent right now is finding the medium that the mastermind is using to conduct the killings. After that, we should focus our efforts on getting rid of the mastermind. Zhang Xuan contemted in silence for a moment before sharing his analysis. Only when the mastermind is dead will everyone be safe. Thats true. Wu shi nodded. Zhang Xuan was right. In a sense, an emperor could be said to be the very heart of an empire. Thus, if anything happened to the emperor, it could easily induce pandemonium among the popce of the empire. And the pandemonium was only one small aspect of the matter. If the Master Teacher Pavilion failed to deal with the problem properly, they could risk losing their credibility! Considering how the Master Teacher Pavilion was in charge of maintaining order within the region, if they wished to deal with the royal family, they would need to have concrete, irrefutable evidence. Otherwise, what would the other empires make of the matter? Wouldnt they feel that their sovereignty was threatened by the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well? As such, no matter how confident they were of their spections, it was far from enough. Wu shi nodded. Ill have my men look into the matter this instant. Aside from that, I might also need you to organize a group of men for an expedition to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. An expedition to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows? Wu shi frowned. Thats right. I suspect that the mastermind is hiding there, Zhang Xuan exined. I see. Alright, Ill pick out the elites of the Master Teacher Pavilion and liaise with the Combat Master Hall to dispatch some of their experts as well! Wu shi said. Alright then, Ill be taking my leave first to make some preparations myself, Zhang Xuan replied. Farewell. There were two things he had to do before heading to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. Firstly, he needed to try to raise the strength of the Golden Origin Cauldron another level, preferably to the Leaving Aperture realm. Secondly, he would have to urge Vicious to quickly devour the Qingtian Emperors soul and clear his Leaving Aperture realm ordeal! Only with these would he have sufficient cards to deal with the other Vicious. Otherwise, considering his current cultivation, he would not stand a chance if he headed over there recklessly. If things went wrong, he might even end up as the other partys nourishment. Chapter 1204 - The Blacksmith Guild

Chapter 1204: The cksmith Guild

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that it would be a bitter fight against the Vicious in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, Zhang Xuan did not dare hesitate. After leaving the Master Teacher Pavilion, he headed straight to the cksmith Guild. Logically speaking, Vicious had alreadyin low for many years, so he should not have taken such brazen actions at this juncture, especially given the fact that he would risk bringing the wrath of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters on him. However, it seemed like the death of the Qingtian Emperor and the emergence of a Celestial Master Teacher had really heaped a great amount of pressure on him, forcing him to show his hand. Without a doubt, the first person that the other Vicious would go for once he was freed of his bindings would be him, Zhang Xuan. Thus, he would be better off taking the initiative and making the first move instead of waiting for the enemy to arrive at his doorstep. Not only would it be safer for him, more importantly, it would also limit the casualties among the master teachers. The Golden Origin Cauldron is currently at Half-Leaving Aperture realm. If I fuse the ck Goldcrystal Ore into the Golden Origin Cauldron, I should be able to raise its tier significantly. Even if Im unable to bring it up to the level of a Saint high-tier artifact, I should have no trouble raising its cultivation to the Leaving Aperture realm! Zhang Xuan hypothesized as he made his way forward. He had obtained the ck Goldcrystal Ore from the treasure Wu Yangzi had left behind in his old residence. After splitting a portion of it with Luo Qiqi, he still had a slice of it left. It was just that he had been too busy recently, and he had not found the required materials to perfectly fuse it into the Golden Origin Cauldron. Since he had already decided to set off to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, he would really have to equip himself well in advance. The cksmith Guild was roughly ten li away from the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it did not take too long for him to arrive at his destination. Zhang Xuan had not challenged the 7-star cksmith examination ever since clearing the 6-star examination back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, so he was still a 6-star cksmith. He took out his 6-star cksmith emblem and pinned it on his chest before walking in. The Qingyuan Empire cksmith Guild was extremely crowded, just like the other guilds in the city. Every day, countless cultivators would pay the guild a visit to browse through their array of weapons to select one that was handy for them. Only Saint low-tier weapons were on disy in the public section. If a cultivator wanted a Saint intermediate-tier weapon, they would have to fork out a hefty sum and make a personal request to a 7-star cksmith personally, provided that the 7-star cksmith was able to sessfully smith one. Zhang shi? Is it really you? Just as Zhang Xuan was about to ask at the receptionist where the head of the cksmith Guild was, he suddenly heard an exmation amid the crowd. Turning around, he saw Chu Xiang, whom he had met at the Terpsichore Guild a while back, waving at his hands excitedly. Chu gongzi! Zhang Xuan greeted with a smile. It was thanks to the other party that he had been able to enter the Spring Pavilion back then and sessfully obtain his 7-star terpsichore emblem. Zhang shi, its really a delight to meet you here. I have been wanting to thank you for your help back then. Its due to your words that I have managed to recover fully from the wounds on my soul. Chu Xiang bowed deeply as he spoke. Back at the Terpsichore Guild, it was due to Zhang shis words that Fairy Zi Yan did her best for him during the Exclusive Dance, thus allowing him to recover fully from his wounds. Its not a big issue; theres no need to stand on ceremony. Zhang Xuan quickly helped Chu Xiang up. He had just offered a word on behalf of Chu Xiang, so it was really nothing much. Just that, he could not help but feel his heart bleed whenever he thought about the concentrated high-tier spirit stone the other party had spent on the Exclusive Dance. If Chu Xiang had allowed him to dance for him instead, he would have surely recovered way faster! I heard about Zhang shis crashing of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and I honestly have nothing left but reverence for you! Chu Xiang looked at Zhang Xuan with eyes twinkling with admiration. Its really nothing much. I only crashed it on a whim... Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had simply caused too great of amotion during his pavilion crashing. For one, his deration had resounded throughout the whole of Qingyuan City, so it would only have taken a little bit of investigating for Chu Xiang to make the link between him and the pavilion crashing. You only crashed it on a whim? Chu Xiang rolled his eyes. The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has stood proudly on the Master Teacher Continent for many years without any issue, and yet, you ended up crashing it just days after your arrival, leaving Pavilion Master Gou with no choice but to step down. If this was done on a whim, wouldnt the entire Master Teacher Pavilion bepletely eradicated as long as you made ns beforehand? A thought suddenly came to Chu Xiangs mind, and he looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. It cant be that Zhang shi has an issue with the cksmith Guild, so you havee here to crash it today as well? Based on what he had found, it seemed like Zhang shi had not allowed Qingyuan City to have a single day of peace ever since his arrival. First was the enchantment of the Spirit Awakener Guilds building, and after that, he crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion. For him to suddenly pay a visit to the cksmith Guild... it could not be that he was up to something, could it? Cough cough! Not expecting Chu Xiang to have such a horrendous impression of someone as honorable and upright as him, Zhang Xuan choked. With a slightly awkward tone, he asked, How could someone as humble as me possibly do something of that sort? You are really thinking too much... Humble? Chu Xiangs lips twitched wildly. He had seen plenty of humble people in his lifetime, but this was the first time he was seeing someone that humble. Since you arent here to crash the cksmith Guild, you must be here to watch Master Lin Jies smithing then? Master Lin Jie? Yes. Master Lin Jie is a half 8-star cksmith from the Qianchong Empire. He happened to be passing by the area, so Guild Leader Qin specially invited him over to conduct a public lecture for the 7-star cksmiths of Qingyuan City. I was honored to have received an invitation letter for this asion as well! Chu Xiang exined. You are a 7-star cksmith? Considering how the young man before him was a regr at the Spring Pavilion, Zhang Xuan had automatically assumed that he was a profligate scion. Who would have thought that he was actually a 7-star cksmith? Of course! I might seem nothing much, but my talent in smithing is unquestionable! Chu Xiang boasted gleefully. Zhang shi, if you face any problems in smithing, feel free to ask me. Given our rtionship, Ill do my best to answer any queries that you have! Thank you, I will definitely find you if I have any questions in mind. Knowing that the other party was saying those words out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan replied with a kind smile. Right, I happen to have something that I need your help on at the moment. Can you bring me to meet the head of the cksmith Guild? You want to meet Guild Leader Qin? No problem, leave it to me, Chu Xiang replied confidently as he led the way forward. Follow me! Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. With someone to bring him around, he would be spared from much trouble. From Chu Xiangs introduction, Zhang Xuan came to learn that the name of the head of the cksmith Guild was Qin Chong, and he was a 7-star pinnacle cksmith. It did not take long for them to arrive at the Guild Leader Office. After reporting their presence, the duo made their way in. Guild Leader Chong, this young man over here is 7-star Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, the individual who sessfully crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion a few days back! Chu Xiang introduced. I see. Its an honor to meet you, Zhang shi. Guild Leader Qin quickly got to his feet and bowed. A master teacher who could sessfully crash a Master Teacher Pavilion was indubitably an extremely talented individual who was bound for great things in the future. Even as the head of the Qingyuan Empire cksmith Guild, he knew that the other party was not someone whom he could underestimate. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and responded, Guild Leader Qin, you are too polite. Swiftly getting into their seats, they traded a few pleasantries to get acquainted with one another before Guild Leader Qin asked with a worried expression on his face, Zhang shi, may I know the reason behind your arrival? Our cksmith Guild has been abiding by thew all this while, and I have maintained a tight watch over every single one of the subordinates, so... Knowing that Guild Leader Qin was thinking about, Chu Xiang pped his hand on his forehead before rifying, Guild Leader Qin, Zhang shi isnt here to crash the cksmith Guild! Ah, thats a relief. Guild Leader Qin heaved a long sigh of relief, and the tension that had been on his face ever since Zhang Xuan was introduced to him finally alleviated. On the other hand, hearing the conversation between the duo, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. All he had done was crash the Master Teacher Pavilion! Did they really think that he was a God of Destruction, destroying everything in his path wherever he went? He was really a humble a person, a really, really humble person! Why wouldnt anyone believe him? To be honest with you, I really do have a few things that Ill have to trouble Guild Leader Qin with. Knowing that it would be futile even if he exined himself, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and got straight to business. I have a Saint intermediate-tier artifact that I would like to fuse some ck Goldcrystal Ore into. May I know if you have any time to help me in the forging process? Hearing Zhang Xuans request, Guild Leader Qin was visibly taken aback for a moment before asking, May I ask what kind of weapon your Saint intermediate-tier artifact is? Does it have any spirit? Also, whats its current cultivation realm? Its a Half-Leaving Aperture realm weapon cauldron, and it does have a spirit, Zhang Xuan replied. This... A frown emerged on Guild Leader Qins face. Zhang shi, Ill be frank with you here. If your weapon cauldron was only at Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, I might still have been able to help you reforge it and fuse it with your ck Goldcrystal Ore, but Half-Leaving Aperture realm... I havent even reached that level of cultivation realm yet, so I fear that your request is beyond my ability! If thats what you are worrying about, theres really no need to. Ill be giving you some guidance from the side during the forging process, and as long as you follow my instructions strictly, there wont be any problems, Zhang Xuan replied. No matter what, he was determined to overlook the Golden Origin Cauldrons forging personally. Otherwise, no matter who did the job, he would not be able to put his mind at ease. You will be giving guidance? Guild Leader Qin was taken aback. Zhang shi is a cksmith? Un. I studied it for a while in the past. I am currently a 6-star cksmith, Zhang Xuan replied. He had collected all the books concerning smithing in the Master Teacher Pavilion and read thepiled 7-star Heavens Path Smith Art too, thus raising his understanding on smithing to 7-star pinnacle, which wasparable to most 8-star primary cksmiths. However, it was just that he never had time to practice forging before, so with his current proficiency, he could only make metal blocks at the very most. Fearing that he would end up misshaping the Golden Origin Cauldron, he had sought Guild Leader Qins help instead. 6-star cksmith? Guild Leader Qin and Chu Xiang exchanged a nce as frowns emerged on their faces. There was a huge gap between a 6-star cksmith and a 7-star cksmith. For a 6-star cksmith to actually speak of guiding a 7-star cksmith like Guild Leader Qin... Was this a joke? Noticing the peculiar gaze in the duos eyes, Zhang Xuan realized what was going through their minds, and he swiftly rified, Actually, my proficiency in smithing has already reached 7-star. Its just that I have been too busy recently, so I havent been able to find time to take the examination. I see! Guild Leader Qin nodded inprehension. Since thats the case, allow me to invite Zhang shi to follow me to our Forging Hall. Only the earth mes there will be able to produce sufficient heat to melt a Saint intermediate-tier artifact and the ck Goldcrystal Ore. Sure! Zhang Xuan nodded. Most cksmith Guilds tapped into the earth mes underground for their smithing. There were differing tiers to earth mes as well, and the ck Goldcrystal Ore was known to be exceptionally difficult to process while the Golden Origin Cauldron had reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm and had been tempered by lightning, so ordinary earth mes would not do the job. The trio swiftly arrived at the Forging Hall, only to meet with a huge crowd. Astonishingly, every single one of them had seven stars on the emblem pinned conspicuously on their chests. They were all 7-star cksmiths! This... Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that the Forging Hall would be empty. If that were the case, he would have been able to go all out in the reforging of the Golden Origin Cauldron. But with just a swift nce, he could see at least several hundred 7-star cksmiths in the room. Noticing Zhang Xuans unhappiness, Guild Leader Qin quickly exined, Zhang shi, pardon me. Only the mes of the Forging Hall are sufficient to process the ck Goldcrystal Ore, and it just so happens that Master Lin Jie will be conducting a lecture on smithing for us today. If Zhang shi is willing to wait, why dont you listen to Master Lins lecture first? Hes a half 8-star cksmith, so his understanding of smithing is bound to have reached an unfathomable level. Through his teachings, your grasp of smithing could improve by leaps and bounds. I fear that I dont have that much time to spare, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. Vicious could make another move at any moment, so he had to quickly raise the prowess of the Golden Origin Cauldron so that he would be prepared to face him. Thus, he really had no time to spare on a lecture. Right after Zhang Xuan said those words, a displeased voice suddenly sounded from the center of the room. Do you mean to say that listening to my lecture is a waste of your time? Chapter 1205 - Master Lin Jie

Chapter 1205: Master Lin Jie

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw an elder with a flowing white beard walking over. There was an air of valiance surrounding him, and astonishingly, his cultivation was indiscernible on first nce. Master Lin Jie! Guild Leader Qin hurriedly sped his fist and greeted the elder whereas Chu Xiang lowered his head respectfully. Be it in terms of cultivation orprehension of smithing, they came nowhere close to matching up to the half 8-star cksmith before them. Master Lin Jie, allow me to introduce you. He is a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, Zhang shi! Fearing that the duo would end up fighting one another, Guild Leader Qin hurriedly introduced the two of them. Considering how Zhang Xuan had sessfully crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, even defeating Pavilion Master Gou in the midst of doing so, there was definitely nothing wrong with addressing him as a 7-star pinnacle master teacher. 7-star pinnacle master teacher? Master Lin Jie was taken aback for a moment. For one as young as you to wield such power, I see that you do have the right to act conceited. Initially, Master Lin Jie had thought that it was some arrogant individual trying to humiliate him publicly, but since the young man was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, it was unlikely that he would lower himself to something as crass as that. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and requested, Pardon me, but I have some urgent issues concerning the Master Teacher Pavilion that cannot be dyed. May I ask you to lend me the Forging Hall for a while so that I can upgrade my artifact? Considering that Master Lin Jie had specially been invited there by Guild Leader Qin to conduct a lecture, it was indeed a little disrespectful for him to suddenly barge in and request to use the earth mes. Upgrade your artifact? Is Zhang shi a cksmith as well? Master Lin Jie asked curiously. I have learned it for a while and happened to obtain a 6-star emblem, Zhang Xuan replied. Master Lin Jie nodded in response. May I know what kind of artifact Zhang shi hopes to upgrade? While the Qingyuan Empire cksmith Guild was not as grand as the Qianchong Empires, there were at least six to seven hundred private chambers where one could ess earth mes. Just what kind of artifact was the young man dealing with that he would absolutely need to use the Forging Hall? If the other party was a 7-star pinnacle cksmith, he would not have bothered to ask that question. Just that... the young mans proficiency in smithing seemed to be a little low, and the earth mes in the Forging Hall were exceptionally wild. The slightestpse in control would not only result in the failure of the temperingthe artifact could possibly be destroyed as well. Its this one. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the Golden Origin Cauldron appeared in the room. Master, are you intending to reforge me? Hahaha, am I going to be upgraded once more? Scanning its surroundings, the Golden Origin Cauldron found that there were many cksmiths around him. He swiftly realized that he was standing in the middle of a cksmith Guild, and he could not help but tremble in excitement. A Half-Leaving Aperture realm Saint intermediate-tier artifact? Master Lin Jie had thought that it would only be a Half-Saint artifact or that sort, but to think that it would be a Saint intermediate-tier artifact! Master Lin Jies eyebrows shot up in disbelief as he asked hesitantly, Zhang shi, are you certain that this is the artifact that you wish to upgrade? Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. This... Attributing it to the young mans inexperience, Master Lin Jie could not help but advise him. To forge a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, on top of wielding sufficient strength, more importantly, one must possess a deep understanding of smithing so as to ensure that the forging and upgrading do not damage the spirit within the artifact. Otherwise, not only will the artifact not be upgraded, its tier might even decline sharply instead! Even a half 8-star cksmith like him only had a twenty percent chance of sessfully upgrading a Saint intermediate artifact like that, so for a 6-star cksmith to do so... He was certain that the Saint intermediate-tier artifact would be ruined during the upgrade! It was truly not worth the risk. Before Zhang Xuan could even speak, the Golden Origin Cauldron had already harrumphed in discontent. Old man, what do you mean by those words? My master was able to raise my tier from Saint low-tier to Saint intermediate-tier just by giving pointers to an apprentice cksmith, so do you think that he needs you to lecture him? Ever since its creation, its current master was the only one that it had felt so much respect and awe for, and yet, that old man actually dared to doubt its masters capability! Count yourself lucky that I didnt charge forward to crush your puny head with my butt! By giving pointers to an apprentice cksmith? The crowd was taken aback by the Golden Origin Cauldrons words. One must know that an apprentice cksmith was an individual who had yet to sessfully smith a Mortal low-tier weapon, and such a person was able to upgrade a Saint low-tier artifact to Saint intermediate-tier just by receiving some pointers from the young man before them? Zhang Xuan pped the Golden Origin Cauldrons lid and berated, No one will think of you as a mute if you dont speak! The only reason Song Zhen had been able to sessfully raise the tier of the Golden Origin Cauldron was because he was actually highly talented in smithing himself, and he had devoted many years of his life to diligently refining his forging techniques on top of that. This had granted him a deep understanding of mostmon types of forging techniques. Furthermore, he also wielded a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, which was on par with a 6-star cksmith. These were the factors that had led to the eventual sess in the upgrade, and this sess could not possibly be replicated with any other apprentice cksmiths. It was just a work of coincidence; there was nothing in it to brag about. I... The Golden Origin Cauldron shook its body indignantly. But what I am saying is the truth. You did manage to get an apprentice cksmith to sessfully raise my tier just by offering him some pointers... Seeing that the Golden Origin Cauldron was still arguing with him, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Shut up and wait by the side. Alright... Seeing that its master was really angry, the Golden Origin Cauldron meekly retreated to the side. Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said in embarrassment, That fellow has been a lofty position for too long, so he rarely thinks before he speaks. As such, his words tend to be a little impolite and disrespectful. Allow me to apologize on his behalf. It was insolent for an artifact to suddenly interject in the midst of its masters conversation. Its fine, dont worry about it, Master Lin Jie replied with a wave of his hand. With intrigue in his eyes, he asked, Previously, your artifact has said that you gave pointers to an apprentice cksmith, allowing him to sessfully upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron. May I know if thats true? Its actually nothing much; its truly not worth speaking about! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. He was only there to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron. It had never been his intention to create a ruckus, so there was no point speaking of past affairs. Pardon me, it seems like I was a little reckless... Master Lin Jie thought that Zhang Xuan was reluctant to speak of the matter because there was some secret tied into it, so he chose not to probe any further. Alright, if you dont mind, Ill start upgrading my artifact now. Seeing that he did not cause any sort of misunderstanding, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He paused for a brief moment before turning to Chu Xiang. Chu gongzi, I might need to trouble youter on. Zhang shi, feel free to make any request of me. As long as its within my means, Ill aplish it to the best of my abilities! Chu Xiang replied with a smile. Putting aside that they were acquaintances, just the fact that the young man before him had sessfully crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion, making him the bona fide number one master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire, made him a person who was worth befriending. Its like this. I really dote on my Golden Origin Cauldron a lot, and I fear that Ill hesitate during a critical step of the upgrade. Thus, I would like to invite you to upgrade it on my behalf! Zhang Xuan said. Dote? Hearing those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron racked his mind, but he could not think of a single instance where his master had doted on him. In fact, it seemed like his master had even just pped him just a moment ago... This... Hearing that Zhang Xuan wanted him to upgrade his artifact, a bitter smile surfaced on Chu Xiangs face as he hurriedly waved his hand. Zhang shi, its not that I dont want to help you, but my cultivation hasnt even reached Primordial Spirit realm yet. Even though I am a 7-star cksmith, its still far beyond my current abilities to upgrade a Half-Leaving Aperture realm artifact... Even a 7-star pinnacle cksmith like Guild Leader Qin was not confident in handling artifacts of such a tier, so how could a newly promoted 7-star cksmith like him possibly stand a chance? The other party was really thinking too highly of him. Theres no need to be nervous. Ill guide you from the side. As long as you follow my instructions strictly, you will be fine, Zhang Xuan said. However, Chu Xiang was still conflicted. Zhang shi, I really dont think that Im up to the task. Your artifact is truly valuable, and itll be a disaster if I make a mistake in the smithing process. Dont worry about it. Ill be using the Impartation of Heavens Will on youter on, so you need not worry about making a mistake. If something really crops up, I wont me you for that, Zhang Xuan replied. Ah... Since the other party had already said this, it seemed like he did not have any reason to turn the offer down anymore. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, Chu Xiang eventually nodded in agreement. Alright, lets begin then! Zhang Xuan turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and frowned. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go over to the earth mes! The Golden Origin Cauldron pouted in indignation, but it still hurriedly flew over to the earth mes. This is called doting? ck lines streaked across Master Lin Jie and Guild Leader Qins faces. It was just a moment ago that the other party had said that he feared that he would hesitate in the upgrading process because his heart might suddenly soften for his artifact, just like how to doctor would find it hard to be decisive when conducting a surgery on their kin. But those harsh words... Do you know what doting means? Walking up to the formation to draw up the earth mes, Zhang Xuan gestured to Chu Xiang. Thetter swiftly understood Zhang Xuans intention and walked forward. Zhang shi, this is the token to draw out the earth mes... Guild Leader Qin flicked his wrist and proffered a token. Due to safety considerations, the formation to draw the earth mes could only be activated with a certain token. However, before he could pass it to the other party, the young man had already begun speaking. Take three steps to the left, two steps forward. No, take one small step back, and shuffle a little to the right. Good. Drive your zhenqi and channel it into your right leg before stomping down... The voice carried a unique melody to it that seemed to ce one in a trance. Without any hesitation, Chu Xiang followed Zhang Xuans orders strictly and stomped hard on the ground. Whoosh! In an instant, the formation for drawing the earth mes suddenly whirred into action, and a powerful surge of mes burst up, shrouding the Golden Origin Cauldron. This... Guild Leader Qin narrowed his eyes in disbelief. To activate the earth mes without using the token... how is that possible? The temperature of the earth mes was exceptionally high, such that even Saint 4-dan cultivators could easily be reduced to cinder in a moment of carelessness. As such, the formation was firmly sealed to prevent any mes from leaking out when it was not in use, and without the required token, it was impossible to remove the seal and trigger the formation. Yet, with Zhang Xuans guidance, Chu Xiang had actually managed to pull it off with ease. Despite witnessing it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe! Only one who possesses a deep understanding of formations is capable of pulling this off! Most likely, Zhang shi has achieved exceptional proficiency in the field of formations as well! Master Lin Jie remarked in approval. To be able to see through the structure of the earth me formation with a nce and sessfully activate it, the young mansprehension of formations could be said to be top-notch even among the formation masters in their Qianchong Empire! As expected of Zhang shi... Guild Leader Qin nodded. Master Lin Jie shook his head. Im more interested in his smithing ability. In the first ce, upgrading a Saint intermediate-tier artifact is already an incredibly difficult task. To make matters worse, he is even using another person as a proxy to smith in his stead. Even if he uses the Impartation of Heavens Will, considering that he has never worked with his partner before, the difficulty is bound to be countless times greater. Honestly speaking, I am not too optimistic about the oue. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan and his partner had worked with one another on numerous asions, allowing them to work synergistically with one another. There were indeed such cases in the real world as well, where a more knowledgeable cksmith would offer pointers to a more skilled cksmith in order to create a weapon more powerful than what they could create individually. But that would take years of cooperation in order for both parties to understand each others strength, zhenqi purity, forging techniques, smithing tendencies, and so on. And that clearly was not the case between Zhang Xuan and his partner! To work on a Saint intermediate-tier on their very first partnership, when they knew next to nothing about one another... As a half 8-star cksmith, his experience told him that such a thing was impossible to pull off. If it was truly possible, he would have spent his years smithing in vain! As a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, Zhang Xuan should have been aware of this matter as well. Yet, to go on with it despite understanding the risks... was he banking on the urrence of a miracle, or was the Saint intermediate-tier artifact disposable to him? At this point, Master Lin Jie could not help but shoot a look of sympathy at the Golden Origin Cauldron. Doting? More like murder! Chapter 1206 - Chu Xiang Smiths

Chapter 1206: Chu Xiang Smiths

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing how Chu Xiang had scared himself silly from activating the earth mes, Zhang Xuan frowned. He quickly spoke to jolt the other party out of his daze, Alright! Prepare yourself, we will be starting soon! Yes! Chu Xiang replied. To be able to reach Saint 3-dan and achieve the proficiency of a 7-star cksmith at such a young age, while Chu Xiang might have appeared like a profligate scion on the surface, he was definitely not as simple as he seemed. Taking a deep breath, it did not take him long to calm his mind. Seeing how jittery Chu Xiang was, the Golden Origin Cauldronughed heartily and consoled, Lad, rest assured. Its not that I want to brag, but as long as you follow the instruction of my master word for word, Grandpa Ding will bepletely fine. Perhaps, I might even be upgraded by a tier! It appeared that it was not worried in the least. On the other hand, upon hearing those words, Master Lin Jie and Guild Leader Qin could not help but share a look, and they could see the worry in each others eyes. Are you really that gutsy, or is there something wrong with your head? If something goes wrong in the upgrading process, dropping a tier will be the least of your worries. More importantly, your spirit might even bepletely destroyed as a result! Are you sure that you dont need to worry about this at all? Yes, sir! Chu Xiang replied tensely before turning to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, may I have the ore that I have to fuse into the Golden Origin Cauldron? Here you go! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and an ore flew into Chu Xiangs grasp. This... Seeing the ore that was being passed over, Master Lin Jies eyes narrowed in astonishment. Isnt that the ck Goldcrystal Ore? The ck Goldcrystal Ore was an incredibly valuable and rare ore. Just fusing a pinch of it into the weapon could potentially raise the prowess of the smithed weapon significantly! It was highly sought-after, even among the top Conferred Empire cksmiths. Who would have thought that the young man actually had such a thing in his possession? A momentter, Master Lin Jie frowned as he analyzed the situation. But it will be difficult to fuse that with the cauldron... As rare as ck Goldcrystal Ore was, as a half 8-star cksmith, he still had various channels that he could acquire some from. What truly stumped most cksmiths was not the rarity of the ore but the sheer difficulty in processing it. Even with the earth mes in the Forging Hall, it would still be extremely difficult to melt the ck Goldcrystal Ore. If the ck Goldcrystal Ore was not fully melted, it would be impossible to fuse it with the Golden Origin Cauldron perfectly. If only we were in the Qianchong Empire cksmith Guild... the earth mes there would have no problem melting the ck Goldcrystal Ore, although it would take a great deal of effort. However, here... Master Lin Jie shook his head pessimistically. The earth mes in the Forging Hall boasted the highest temperature in the Qingyuan Empire, but they were stillckingpared to the earth mes in the Qianchong Empire cksmith Guild. It really would not be easy to melt the ck Goldcrystal Ore here. Staring curiously to see what Zhang Xuan would do in this situation, Master Lin Jie suddenly heard the young man issuing an instruction, and right afterwards, the Golden Origin Cauldron opened its lid and swallowed the ore. This... While the crowd blinked nkly at the sight, Master Lin Jie pped his thigh with an excited gleam in his eyes. How did I not think of that! The cauldron that is to be upgraded is a weapon cauldron itself! While the temperature of the earth mes is limited, the superior heat conductivity of the weapon cauldron can channel the heat through it, thus raising the temperature another notch! With this, there should be no problem melting the ck Goldcrystal Ore! Just that... Just what? While the ck Goldcrystal Ore can be melted through this method, the problem is that he will be unable to view the current state of the ck Goldcrystal Ore to determine whether it has fully melted or not, Master Lin Jie replied. Due to the firm exterior of the weapon cauldron and the intense mes, it will be impossible to extend his Spiritual Perception into the cauldron as well. If the ck Goldcrystal Ore is retrieved too early, it will not have melted properly. If retrieved toote, its properties could very well have been destroyed by the heat. Either way, it will adversely affect the result of the upgrading. Considering how the intense mes harnessed within the cauldron were able to melt even the ck Goldcrystal Ore, if one were to extend ones Spiritual Perception into it, ones consciousness would surely be seared by the heat! If one could not view what was going on in the cauldron, it would be impossible to urately discern when the ck Goldcrystal Ore needed to be retrieved to move on to the next step. The ck Goldcrystal Ore was a particrly sensitive ore. Exposing it to high heat for a second or two too long could potentially lead to the failure of the smithing. Guild Leader Qin also swiftly understood the implications of the decided course of action. Indeed. Not only so, the cauldron will also have to be constantly ced in the intense heat of the earth mes. If the timing is not right, not only will the ck Goldcrystal Ore be ruined, there is also a good chance that the internal structure of the Golden Origin Cauldron from the previous smithing will also be undone, resulting in a sharp decline in its tier. In the first ce, the Golden Origin Cauldron was made of an alloy consisting of different metals. It truly was not easy to establish a bnce among all of the metals and stabilize it at Saint intermediate-tier. However, if it were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period, the bnce could very well be shattered. In other words, while melting the ck Goldcrystal Ore within the Golden Origin Cauldron did resolve the problem ofcking heat, it produced several other problems, thus raising the difficulty of the forging process another level. While the duo was still worrying over the forging, the young mans voice suddenly sounded once more. Take two steps forward and fuse your zhenqi into the earth mes at a northeast trajectory. After which, use the Three Leaves Forging Technique to pry open the cauldron lid. The voice carried the unique melody of the Impartation of Heavens Will,pelling Chu Xiang to obey it without any hesitation. As such, he immediately followed the orders faithfully, taking two steps forward and flicking his finger. Hu! The cauldron lid was pried open, and a viscous, golden liquid flew out from the Golden Origin Cauldron. The ck Goldcrystal Ore has melted? Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seems like it has just melted. The error in timing is definitely less than a tenth of a breath! This... Guild Leader Qin narrowed his eyes in disbelief. To be able to grasp the timing perfectly despite being unable to peer into the situation within the Golden Origin Cauldron... How in the world did the young man manage to pull it off? Master Lin Jie pondered over the earlier situation and swiftly made a deduction. Its because of themands he issued! He instructed his partner to take two steps forward and fuse his zhenqi at a northeast trajectory; that step served to swiftly intensify the heat within the cauldron. After which, he instructed his partner to utilize the Three Leaves Forging Technique. As you know, the Three Leaves Forging Technique is an extremely forceful method that consists of incredibly swift and precise movements of ones fingers, allowing one topress the mes together, thus focusing all the heat at a single point, resulting in a sharp rise in the temperature. Its through this method that he was able to melt the ck Goldcrystal Ore instantaneously and retrieve it timely from the cauldron. But pulling this off would require extremely precise calctions... Just how fast does his mind run? Fearsome! He could not help but clench his fists tightly in agitation. It appeared to just be a simplemand, but there was actually a profound logic behind it that required deep understanding of the earth me formation, the temperature of the earth mes, the melting point of the ck Goldcrystal Ore, the attribute of Chu Xiangs zhenqi, and many other factors! Only with such precise calctions would one be able to pull it off without identally destroying the ck Goldcrystal Ore. Even a half 8-star cksmith like Master Lin Jie would be unable to aplish something like that! The other partys mental calction ability was truly fearsome! Side shift three cun 1 to the left before lifting your hammer to strike the opening of the Golden Origin Cauldron. Use the Descending Willow Leaves Forging Technique and strike a total of 148 times at a rate of once every three breaths, no more, no less. After which... Zhang Xuan continued issuing instructions. Soon, a rhythmic ding ding dang dang began resounding in the Forging Hall. Marvelous! Truly marvelous! Master Lin Jie suddenly eximed in delirium. Master Lin Jie? Guild Leader Qin could not understand the other partys abrupt, fevered outburst. As a 7-star pinnacle cksmith, its perfectly normal for you to be unable to see through the exquisiteness of their forging, Master Lin Jie exined with visible excitement in his tone. The Descending Willow Leaves Forging Technique is a perfectly ordinary forging technique, essentially consisting of slow but steady strikes. What is truly exquisite is how aptly it is used in this situation! Having just been exposed to intense heat, the cauldron is already starting to melt. If a fast and forceful forging technique were to be used in this situation, it could cause the internal structure of the cauldron to break apart. While it would not affect the formation of the cauldron, the small cracks here and there would adversely affect the durability of the cauldron, causing its tier to decline. On the other hand, through using the Descending Willow Leaves Forging Technique, not only will such a problem be avoided, it will even further temper the current structure of the cauldron, making it morepact and firmer than before, thus enhancing its quality! The instructions issued by the young man were truly exquisite. Every single word he spoke seemed to directly point to the very essence of smithing, turning even the most ordinary movements into a profound art. Despite utilizing only the most basic forging techniques, he was still able to facilitate the fusion of the cauldron with the ck Goldcrystal Ore perfectly. Ding ding dang dang! By the time Chu Xiang performed his 148th strike on the Golden Origin Cauldron, he happened to return to the starting point. After which, under Zhang Xuans instructions, he flicked the hammer into the air and began striking the bottom of the cauldron. Why is he striking the bottom of the cauldron instead of the cauldron body? Guild Leader Qin asked in confusion. Under normal circumstances, it would be best to hammer an artifact in sequence to further its stability, which in this case, would be from the top to the bottom. As such, it was perplexing why Zhang Xuan would instruct Chu Xiang to strike the bottom of the cauldron right after hammering the top. Logically speaking, he should have the body of the cauldron hammered first before moving to the bottom! This... Master Lin Jie frowned in bewilderment as well, unable to make sense of the situation either. Weng weng weng! In the midst of his confusion, the cauldron before him suddenly emitted a deep rumble, reminiscent of an oceans waves. Could it be... Master Lin Jies eyes suddenly widened in realization. I finally get it! Guild Leader Qin hurriedly turned his gaze to Master Lin Jie. This is the Tidal Forging Technique! It was created by an 8-star cksmith after listening to the sound of the waves. By striking the bottom of the cauldron in a specific manner right after hammering the top, a unique resonance is produced within the cauldron via the strikes, allowing the ck Goldcrystal Ore to better fuse into the body of the cauldron without hammering it directly, thus reducing the potential damage the hammering could cause to its structure. More importantly, the wave-like jolts from the hammering temper the spirit within the cauldron as well, enhancing it further. Formidable! Truly formidable! How did he manage to think of something like this? The more Master Lin Jie spoke, the more astounded he was. At this point, he could not help but feel a little light within. The Tidal Forging Technique was an obsolete forging technique, applicable only in very few circumstances. As such, he had never really used it before despite having heard of it. Yet, who would have thought that he would actually see it being perfectly applied here? There were many forging techniques in the world, some more profound the others. However, just because one forging technique was more profound than another did not necessarily mean that it would be better. What was more important was to use the forging technique more apt for the situation! For example, not only would the Tidal Forging Technique preserve the integrity of the Golden Origin Cauldrons internal structure to the greatest degree, it would also temper its spirit. There were simply too many people in the world, and this was including cksmiths as well, who thought that the stronger the physical structure of a weapon was, the stronger the weapon would be. They attempt to fuse all kinds of superior ores into their weapon, only to neglect the enhancement of its spirit. As a result, they would end up with a weak weapon spirit trying to drag a body far stronger than it along, and naturally, this was detrimental to the overall prowess of the weapon. The usage of the Tidal Forging Technique at this crucial juncture solved this issue perfectly. This was truly killing two birds with one stone! Witnessing what he had previously thought to be impossible, he could not help but feel a little dreamy inside. To be able to think this far ahead while issuing instructions to another... Just how deep an understanding does he have of smithing? His years of experience in smithing told him that Zhang Xuan and his partner were doomed to fail, but from the current looks of the situation... it seemed like they would really seed! Just from this alone, it could be seen that the young mansprehension of smithing was much, much deeper than his! In fact, they were not even on the same level! He continued watching the forging process, and his shock only served to deepen at every turn. Every instruction made by Zhang Xuan was profound and precise, such that he could not find the slightest w or error in it. On top of that, he astonishingly realized that the young man had really taken everything into consideration, factoring in his partners strength, zhenqi attribute, level of mastery in smithing, and so on. He had still been able toprehend what the young man was doing at the start, but as the forging process went on, he swiftly found that there were many aspects that were beyond his understanding. Perhaps he might have been able to make sense out of it if he were to ponder deeply over the process, but the young man was issuing instructions one after another at a rapid pace, using a myriad of forging techniques within just a few moments, granting him no time to think at all. After some time, a resounding echo suddenly sounded, and under Zhang Xuans instructions, Chu Xiang rapidly retreated several steps. Hong long! Following which, an overwhelming aura burst into the air, and the sky abruptly darkened. Its the Leaving Aperture Ordeal... Everyone stared at the sight before them with mouths agape. Chapter 1207 - Leaving Aperture Ordeal

Chapter 1207: Leaving Aperture Ordeal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm was the level where a cultivators Primordial Spirit gained the ability to leave its physical body and survive for a prolonged period of time independently, but in order to do so, the cultivator had to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal first. While artifacts were able to reach the Leaving Aperture realm as well, their spirits were unable to make the metamorphosis into Primordial Spirits. As a result, unlike normal cultivators, they were unable to leave the confines of their body. Nevertheless, they would still gain the ability to grow hands and legs, granting them greater ease and flexibility of movements. The Golden Origin Cauldron had already been at Half-Leaving Aperture realm prior to the upgrading, and after having the ck Goldcrystal Ore fused into it, it sessfully overcame its previous bottleneck and drew in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. Dark clouds swiftly gathered in the area, causing the darkness to spread. A powerful gale raged, tearing apart the roof of the Forging Hall, exposing the room to the world. This was the first time that most cksmiths in the room had witnessed an artifacts Leaving Aperture Ordeal, and they stared at the sight before them intently as their bodies trembled in excitement. Kacha! A deafening peal of thunder rumbled as countless blue streaks of lightning tangled with one another within the dark clouds. Why would the cauldron draw in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal despite having yet to be tempered? Does Zhang shi not intend to temper it? Guild Leader Qin asked in confusion. There were three main steps to smithing and upgrading a weapon. First, the fusing of the ores to form a suitable alloy. Second, the forging of the alloy into the correct form. Third, the tempering of the formed artifact to enhance its durability and flexibility! Most cksmiths would be able to grasp the first two steps with sufficient practice. What was truly difficult to master was the third one. Whether an artifact would be able to achieve true perfection depended on how well the cksmith was able to conduct the tempering. There were many techniques used in the forging process that he was not able to understand, so he had thought that the tempering stage would be an eye-opener for him as well, allowing him to catch a glimpse into the prowess of a true genius cksmith. Yet, before the tempering could be carried out, the Leaving Aperture Ordeal had already fallen! Its not that he doesnt intend to temper his cauldron; he is going to temper it now, Master Lin Jie replied hoarsely, his quivering tone reflecting his disbelief at the situation. Hes intending to temper it now? Wait a moment, Master Lin Jie, you dont mean that... Zhang shi intends to use the Leaving Aperture Ordeal to temper his cauldron? Guild Leader Qin froze upon hearing those words, and his eyes bulged in disbelief. Master Lin Jie nodded. That seems to be the case. Hes probably intending to use the lightning to temper his cauldron to perfection. But the devastating might of the Leaving Aperture Ordeal is one that could incapacitate even True Leaving Aperture realm experts! To temper an artifact that rose to Leaving Aperture realm just a moment ago with the Leaving Aperture Ordeal is utter madness! Guild Leader Qin eximed in shock. At this moment, he really felt that Zhang Xuan had gone insane. In the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, one would have to undergo a lightning tribtion, which was the nemesis of souls and spirits alike! Even True Leaving Aperture realm experts would cower from it, not daring to take it head on. Even though the deceased Pavilion Master Gou had long reached the Leaving Aperture realm, he still had not dared to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal due to his old age, fearing that his soul would dissipate. While everyone was eager to avoid the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, that fellow was actually intending to use the lightning to temper his artifact! Wasnt he being too gutsy? That was truly ying with fire! The slightest mistake could very well render all the effort he had put into upgrading his artifact futile. More importantly, if the Golden Origin Cauldron failed to withstand the lighting ordeal, it could very well explode on the spot! That would be equivalent to the explosion of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator! The entire cksmith Guild and everything in its vicinity would be utterly obliterated! Elders, begin evacuating everyone from the area! Guild Leader Qin could not afford to take this risk, so he quickly issuedmands. Even if the cksmith Guild was destroyed, as long as their men remained, they would at least still be able to rebuild it. But the problem was that all of the 7-star cksmiths in Qingyuan City were currently gathered in this room to listen to Master Lin Jies lecture. If all of them were killed due to this, the Qingyuan Empire cksmith Guild would really be a thing of the past. Yes! Everyone, hurry up and flee! Quick, contact the Master Teacher Pavilion and have them dispatch some personnel here! If something goes wrong, it could end in a disaster! The other cksmiths also swiftly came to realize the grave danger they were in, and their faces turned ghastly pale. They hurriedly rushed out of the cksmith Guild and dashed into the distance. Soon, only Zhang Xuan, Chu Xiang, Master Lin Jie, and Guild Leader Qin were left in the room. In this moment, Chu Xiangs face was pale in fright as well, and his body would not stop trembling. He quickly turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the sparks of lightning in the sky calmly. Not only was there not the slightest hint of fear to be seen on his face, there was even a tangible vibe of excitement around him. Zhang shi... Chu Xiang gulped as he called out to Zhang Xuan in apprehension, perhaps wanting to seekfort from the other partys words in this unnerving situation. Seeing through Chu Xiangs worries, Zhang Xuan replied with a light chuckle. Theres no need to worry. Just a mere Leaving Aperture Ordeal, the Golden Origin Cauldron will be able to survive it with ease! Normal tempering would be able to further the effects of the ck Goldcrystal Ore on the Golden Origin Cauldron as well, but the results would not be as pronounced as tempering through lightning. By tapping into the lightning energy in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, not only would it perfect the fusion between the ck Goldcrystal Ore and the Golden Origin Cauldron, more importantly, it would grant thetter the Power of Lightning as well. The Power of Lightning would put the Golden Origin Cauldron at a decisive advantage when facing other Leaving Aperture realm experts! Kacha! While the others were still in a state of shock, the first streak of lightning descended from the heavens. It struck the Golden Origin Cauldron squarely, but surprisingly, thetter managed to absorb it easily without any problems. Its exterior became even more lustrous, and its structure seemed to have be morepact and firmer. This... Master Lin Jie was astonished by how easily the Golden Origin Cauldron managed to withstand the lightning strike. Given that the cauldron is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, and the ck Goldcrystal Ore has been fused into it, its understandable how its body is able to withstand the first lightning strike easily. But how could its spirit remainpletely unharmed? Possessing the yin attribute, spirits and souls were innately weak against lightning! Once the lightning was absorbed into the artifact, the spirit would naturally be devastated by the Power of Lightning as well, possibly even resulting in its dissipation. Yet, the spirit of the cauldron waspletely unfazed by the lightning. In fact, it was even shaking its body gleefully in the air, as if provoking the lightning in the heavens to give it its best shot... Just what the heck was going on? Seeing how frenzied Master Lin Jie was from being unable toprehend the situation before him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and exined, The spirit of the Golden Origin Cauldron has been tempered by lightning once in the past, thus granting it some degree of immunity to lightning. While the lightning tribtion in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal isnt weak, it is no longer sufficient to cause significant damage to the Golden Origin Cauldron. Back in their expedition in the Qiu Wu Pce, the Golden Origin Cauldron had exposed itself to concentrated streaks of lightning in order to shield the rest of the expedition team from harm. Eventually, its spirit had ended up falling into a dormant state from the immense damage it had sustained. While it had nearly lost its life from the encounter, surviving the ordeal had made its spirit more resilient than ever. Even though there had not been anyone managing the grade-8 lightning formation then, its might was still something that a Leaving Aperture Ordeal could notpare to. It was due to that experience that Zhang Xuan dared use lightning to temper the Golden Origin Cauldron. It has been tempered by lightning in the past? Master Lin Jie nodded in realization. Everything made sense if that was the case, but soon, worry surfaced in his eyes. The Leaving Aperture Ordeal is divided into primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle. May I know what realm the Golden Origin Cauldron is at currently? When Leaving Aperture realm cultivators achieved a breakthrough to primary stage, they would undergo their first lightning ordeal, which consisted of a single streak of lightning. Even though it was only a single streak, its might was not to be underestimated. Nevertheless, if a cultivator sessfully withstood it, their Primordial Spirit would be significantly more resilient once it had recovered from the injuries it had sustained. Fortunately, it would take an ordinary cultivator several decades or even a century in order to cultivate from Leaving Aperture realm primary stage to intermediate stage, giving them sufficient time to recover from the damage caused by the lightning ordeal. With that, it would be much easier for it to survive the lightning ordeal during their breakthrough to intermediate stage. However, this was different for artifacts. Artifacts could be upgraded several cultivation stages at once. If the Golden Origin Cauldron was upgraded to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle in a single go, it would have to undergo the primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle lightning ordeals consecutively without any time to recover in between the ordeals! In the face of four consecutive lightning ordeals, no matter how powerful the spirit was, its defenses would gradually be worn thin before eventually dissipating. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. Chu Xiangs forging technique is still slightlycking, so he inevitably made a few minor errors in the forging process. As such, the Golden Origin Cauldron was unable to achieve a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. So, it should currently be at advanced stage. While the ck Goldcrystal Ore had the incredible effect of raising an artifacts tier, the materials that the Golden Origin Cauldron was made of were simply too weak, thus limiting how much it could be upgraded. Furthermore, Chu Xiangs proficiency in his forging techniques were also slightlycking as well, so even though there was no error in Zhang Xuans guidance, it had still met its bottleneck at Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage. Nevertheless, the Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage Golden Origin Cauldron was not to be underestimated. At Saint 5-dan, the advancement of every single cultivation stage became incredibly difficult, with bottlenecks at every turn. With the Golden Origin Cauldrons current cultivation and the Power of Lightning it would wield after its tempering, ordinary Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivators would not be a match for it. Putting aside the Qingyuan Empire, the Golden Origin Cauldron would probably go unmatched even in the Qianchong Empire 1 ! Master Lin Jies lips twitched upon hearing those words, and a worried frown emerged on his face. Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage? Doesnt that mean that itll have to undergo three consecutive lightning ordeals? That will be dangerous! Since the Golden Origin Cauldron had reached Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage in a breath, it would have to undergo the primary stage, intermediate stage, and advanced stage lightning ordeal consecutively. Each one would be more fearsome than thest, and to clear all three of them was nigh impossible! I know. Zhang Xuan nodded. However, I believe that my Golden Origin Cauldron will be able to seed! How could one see the rainbow without weathering the storm? The Golden Origin Cauldron might have appeared immature and unreliable at times, but it was still a spirit that had lived for innumerable years, nourished by the spirit of countless master teachers. Since it had survived the field of lightning back at the Qiu Wu Pce, Zhang Xuan believed that it would surely be able to withstand the Leaving Aperture Ordeal as well. Boom! While they were still chatting with one another, the second streak of lightning fell. The energy harnessed within this lightning bolt was more destructive than the previous one, and even the air seemed to char from the overwhelming energy it possessed. Kacha! When the lightning bolt struck the Golden Origin Cauldron, thetter shuddered slightly. Under the devastating might of the lightning streak, it was unable to keep itself in the air any longer, and it fell heavily onto the ground, leaving a massive depression in its wake. Even though it was a tough fight, the Golden Origin Cauldron eventually managed to withstand it. Hong long long! As soon as the second streak of lightning came to an end, the third streak fell before anyone could respond. The deep-blue third streak of lightning had a width reminiscent of arge water vat, and it ripped through the air with incredible momentum to strike the Golden Origin Cauldron. Seeing the astounding might of the lightning, theposure of Zhang Xuans face finally cracked, revealing a hint of anxiety. Sh*t! The lightning ordeal is stronger than I thought; the Golden Origin Cauldron might not be able to withstand it! As much as he trusted the Golden Origin Cauldron, the third streak of lightning was simply too powerful. If the cauldron took it head on, there was really a good chance that its spirit would dissipate on the spot. Golden Origin Cauldron, swallow the earth mes and use them to neutralize the might of the lightning! Zhang Xuan immediatelymanded as he flicked his wrist and whipped out a bunch of formation gs. Sou sou sou sou! The formation gs fell into the surroundings of the Golden Origin Cauldron, forming an even more powerful formation to tap into the earth mes underground. Since the lightning was too powerful for the Golden Origin Cauldron to withstand by itself, they would just have to find another power to offset its might! And the strongest power that they could tap at this moment were the earth mes! Xiong xiong! Due to the powerful pull of the formation, raging earth mes were forcefully dragged from beneath the earth, generating a violet inferno in the area. The Golden Origin Cauldron also knew that it was a do-or-die situation. Struggling out of the depression it was in, it opened its lid and swiftly absorbed the purple inferno into it. Hu! The mes circted within the Golden Origin Cauldrons body before bursting forth in the form of a fiery dragon. The fiery dragon soared into the sky, shing straight on with the third streak of lightning. Boom! A powerful shockwave rippled into the surroundings, shaking the heavens and earth alike. In the blink of an eye, the entire cksmith Guild was torn down as if it was a mere sheet of paper. My guild! Guild Leader Qin widened his eyes in horror. Didnt you say that you werent here to crash my cksmith Guild? I gave you permission to upgrade your weapon, and yet, you still ended up destroying my building. How do you expect me to face my predecessors now! Chapter 1208 - Yu Fei-ers Resolve And Pride

Chapter 1208: Yu Fei-ers Resolve And Pride

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! When the third streak of lightning finally dissipated, the ominous clouds in the sky finally scattered, as if they had finally aplished their mission. The Golden Origin Cauldron also heaved a sigh of relief before slumping weakly to the ground, as if a lump of mud. Having reached the Leaving Aperture realm, it was finally able to make basic movements like a human, such as walking and holding up items. Zhang Xuan walked up to the Golden Origin Cauldron and ced his hand on it. A momentter, he heaved a sigh of relief. While thetter waspletely drained after withstanding three consecutive streaks of lightning, fortunately, its spirit remained mostly unharmed. As long as it rested well, it would be able to recover within three months. Of course, if Zhang Xuan were to treat it personally, its recovery period could be significantly reduced. You should return to the Myriad Anthive Nest for now and recuperate under the Saint Bodhi Tree, Zhang Xuan instructed. The Saint Bodhi Tree that he had nted in the Myriad Anthive Nest was exceptionally effective in nourishing souls and spirits. Since most of the damage that the Golden Origin Cauldron had sustained was to its spirit, it would do it some good to cultivate there. Yes, Master! Knowing its own condition, the Golden Origin Cauldron decisively entered the Myriad Anthive Nest without any hesitation. After the Golden Origin Cauldron left, Zhang Xuan turned around to face Chu Xiang. Chu gongzi, thank you for helping me upgrade my artifact. As a token of my gratitude, Ill give you these ores... Back then, Zhang Xuan had obtained quite a handful of ores from Emperor Chu Tianxing. While he had used some of them to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron, there was still a substantial portion of them remaining. Since Chu Xiang had helped him, the least he could do was give those to him to thank him. Zhang shi, theres no need for that. Instead, I should be the one thanking you. This experience has truly given me a deeper insight into smithing! Chu Xiang quickly waved his hand to turn Zhang Xuan down. The very experience of upgrading the Golden Origin Cauldron was worth more than any ores or reward. As long as he digested everything that he had done today, his proficiency in smithing would surely improve by leaps and bounds. Alright then. Seeing that Chu Xiang was reluctant to ept the ores, Zhang Xuan did not insist on it either. Considering how the other party was able to fork out a concentrated high-tier spirit stone for an Exclusive Dance back at the Spring Pavilion, there was no doubt that he came from a privileged family. Thus, it was very likely that those ores did not mean much to him. After settling the matter with Chu Xiang, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Guild Leader Qin. Guild Leader Qin, regarding this... Im really apologetic that I reduced the cksmith Guild to this state... He had not expected for such a mishap to happen during the upgrade of the Golden Origin Cauldron either. It was out of goodwill that the other party had allowed him to upgrade his weapon at the Forging Hall, but he had ended up reducing the other partys guild to rubble. No matter what, he had to take responsibility for the damage he had caused. It was truly fortunate that no one had been injured in the incident, otherwise there was no way he would have been able topensate for that. To make up for your losses, Ill have the Master Teacher Pavilion restore the cksmith Guild to its original state, Zhang Xuan said awkwardly. Ill be counting on Zhang shi then. Guild Leader Qin heaved a sigh of relief. If the Master Teacher Pavilion was willing to help, it probably would not even take a day for the cksmith Guild to be restored to its former glory, or even better than that. This oue was at least still eptable to him. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He swiftly sent a message to Wu shi to inform him of the matter and have him dispatch some men over to help him clean up the mess. Last but not least, he turned his gaze onto Master Lin Jie and said, I am truly apologetic for having interrupted your lecture. Ill be taking my leave now, so feel free to continue. ... Master Lin Jies eyelids twitched. All the cksmiths have already been evacuated from the ce, so who am I to lecture? Furthermore, how am I supposed to lecture them after they have witnessed your exquisite use of smithing? Even if they did not say anything out of politeness, I would still be too embarrassed to lecture them with my half-assed knowledge! If only I knew this would happen, I never would have agreed toe to the Qingyuan Empire cksmith Guild to conduct a lecture. Since there is such a formidable expert at the Master Teacher Pavilion, why in the world did they still bother to invite me? Just the thought of it left Master Lin Jie deeply stifled within. After bidding farewell to the crowd at the cksmith Guild, Zhang Xuan did not return to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Instead, he flew out of Qingyuan City and headed to the wooden hut where the Qingtian Emperor had dragged his soul to previously. The area was extremely quiet and isted, making it appropriate to deal with the problem concerning Vicious there. Hu! Flicking his wrist, the Book of Heavens Path appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward and grabbed it. Hu! The heart and finger sealed within a page in the book slowly materialized. Due to Zhang Xuansck of strength, he had kept Vicious sealed within the Book of Heavens Path all along, not daring to let him out. However, he had no choice but to let Vicious out this time around in order to allow thetter to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal and sessfully advance to the Leaving Aperture realm. In any case, Vicious had already submitted part of his soul to him, so he did not have to worry about a betrayal. Tzzzzzzz! As soon as Vicious escaped from the confines of the Book of Heavens Path, the heart and he finger immediately released extremely concentrated Zhenqi of ughter. In an instant, it felt as if someone had filled the entire wooden hut with water, making the surroundings incredibly suffocating. Seeing how Vicious was still in the mood to show off, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Alright, hurry up and devour the Qingtian Emperors soul and raise your strength. Otherwise, if the other Vicious in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows notices your presence, hell surelye after you like a mad dog! Alright! Vicious answered meekly before swiftly absorbing the Qingtian Emperors soul. Suppressed within the Book of Heavens Path, the rate at which he could absorb the Qingtian Emperors soul was severely limited as well. However, with his release, he was finally able to utilize his strength to its maximum, and it did not take long for him to fully devour the soul. Boom! Gradually, dark, ominous clouds began gathering in the sky. Vicious had sessfully invoked his Leaving Aperture Ordeal as well. Unlike the Golden Origin Cauldron, even though Vicious had lost his memory, he was still an old monster who had lived for countless years. As fearsome as the Leaving Aperture Ordeal was, he was able to clear it as if it was a mere walk in the park. Just like the Golden Origin Cauldron though, he also underwent three consecutive lightning strikes, and his cultivation rose all the way to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage before gradually sliding to a halt. The Qingtian Emperor was ultimately only a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage soul oracle. Even though his soul harnessed an incredible amount of energy in it, it was only sufficient for Vicious to reach Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage. Seeing that Vicious had seeded, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Good, rest up well. Ill be bringing you to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows in two days, so make sure that you are in your peak condition to deal with the other Vicious by then. Now that he had two Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage experts protecting him, he was in a much safer position than before. On top of that, he also possessed substantial strength himself after achieving a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm. As long as the Vicious in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows was not beyond the Leaving Aperture realm, he would be able to deal with the other party without much trouble. Alright, time to return to the Combat Master Hall. Sending Vicious back into the Book of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan flew to the Combat Master Hall. All in all, his trip out had only taken around eight hours in total, but his fighting prowess and trump cards had increased significantly. Currently, thebat masters from the other three Combat Master Halls were in an intensive exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction, and they were currently negotiating for a long-term alliance. Zhang Xuan decided not to interfere in the matter, allowing the others to sort it out among themselves. Just as he was about to find Hall Master Xing to discuss the matter about heading to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, he suddenly saw Yu Fei-er flying over. Zhang shi, Qiqi has left Qingyuan City! She has left? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Where did she go? It was just earlier in the afternoon that she had asked him to apany her for an entire day, and he had even spent two hours guiding her on pill forging. Why would she suddenly leave? Im not too sure either! Yu Fei-er shook her head. Did she say anything? Zhang Xuan asked. Even if he had rejected Luo Qiqi, thetter was not the sort to leave without saying farewell. Could something have happened to her? She said that she had some matters at home to attend to, so she needed to leave for the time being, Yu Fei-er replied. Some matters at home to attend to? Un. I saw the introduction letter she submitted when applying to the Master Teacher Academy. She was introduced by the Baiyuan royal family, so I figure that shes the princess of the Baiyuan Empire. I heard a few days earlier that there has been some unrest in the Baiyuan Empire, and several members of the royal family have been injured. Perhaps she has left to resolve the issue! Yu Fei-er said. Baiyuan Empire... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. He seemed to have recalled someone saying that Luo Qiqi was the princess of some empire back when he first met her. Baiyuan Empire was a Tier-1 Empire, too. While it was significantly stronger than the Hongyuan Empire, it still paled greatly inparison to the Qingyuan Empire. Noticing Zhang Xuans worry, Yu Fei-er said, The Baiyuan Empire is just a Tier-1 Empire, so their strongest power should be at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Considering that Qiqi is a Saint 2-dan cultivator, she shouldnt have any problem suppressing the unrest there. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. With Luo Qiqis recent rise in cultivation, it would be easy for her to deal with the unrest in her homnd. Just that, the recent consecutive departures of his students did leave him feeling slightly down within. Yu Fei-er hesitated for a moment before speaking. Zhang shi. To be honest with you, I intend to return to the Hongyuan Empire soon, too. You are leaving, too? Zhang Xuan asked. Yes. I have thought about many things over the past few hours, and I havee to a realization. You are a dragon who will eventually ascend to great heights; not even the Qingyuan Empire nor even the Empire Alliance will be big enough for you to fully spread your wings. Only a person like the little princess from the Luo n will be worthy of being by your side, Yu Fei-er said with downcast eyes. I am only an insignificant princess from a Tier-1 Empire, so its indeed about time for me to stop my delusions. Rather than pursuing an impossible goal, I might as well focus my attention on my cultivation. Perhaps one day, I can reach a height where I could make you spare a nce at me too... She had always been a decisive person, and since she had made her decision, she would not hesitate in carrying it out. Over the half a year she had been with Zhang Xuan, deep inside her heart, she had already realized that it was just a matter of time before he became someonepletely out of her reach. Watching as the distance between them grew bigger and bigger, she felt more and more anxious and apprehensive. It was not too long ago that he had been weaker than her, but before she could truly grasp it, he had already be a person far nobler and stronger than her. Rather than chasing behind him anxiously and allowing panic to gradually consume her, perhaps it would be much better if she took her leave and calmed down first. This... Not expecting Yu Fei-er toe to a decision so quickly, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. I understand. Take care of yourself. Even with his state of mind, he was still unable to fullyprehend and resolve the dilemma of love. From his feelings for Luo Ruoxin, he could tell how difficult it was for a person to give up one that they liked. In fact, it was due to his reluctance to lose Luo Ruoxin that he was so motivated to push himself to his limits. Yet, within just a few hours, Yu Fei-er had been able to sort out her feelings and sever whatever sentiments she had for him. From this perspective, she was indeed a courageous individual. Most likely, she would be a very capable monarch, possibly achieving aplishments far exceeding those of her father, Yu Shenqing. Zhang shi, farewell. With a light smile, Yu Fei-er turned around and left. Just like her arrival, she left without any hesitation as well. It seemed like she could see through Zhang Xuans determination as well. She knew that Zhang Xuans heart was only big enough to house the little princess of the Luo n, and her persistence would only be a nuisance to him. Since that was the case, perhaps leaving was the best decision. At the very least, she would be able to leave behind a good impression in his mind. Leaving the Combat Master Hall, Yu Fei-er turned around to gaze at the majestic building behind her as she clenched her fists tightly in agitation. Qiqi probably has the same thoughts in mind as me. Dealing with the affairs back home is one matter, but she probably doesnt know how she can face Zhang shi after her rejection either. Nevertheless, I should still hasten my footsteps so as to notg behind her. She and Luo Qiqi were both extremely prideful people. It had not been easy for them to find someone whom they loved, but the both of them had ended up being rejected together. It was inevitable that they would find this hard to swallow. If we just followed behind you and epted your guidance and generosity, even if we eventually caught up with you, we would not be able to harbor any intentions toward you anymore. Indeed, we might be unworthy of you now, but well continue working hard! Eventually, with our own strength, we will climb to a height where we will be qualified to stand beside you! This shall be my resolve, as well as my pride! Chapter 1209 - Heading to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows

Chapter 1209: Heading to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan could see through Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-ers thoughts, but as he already had someone that he loved, he did not want to get involved with anyone else. While it was inevitable that they would be depressed for a period of time, this was at least better than prolonging their pain. Often, hesitation and indecisiveness were what hurt others the most in a rtionship. After watching Yu Fei-er depart, Zhang Xuan stood quietly for a moment to calm down his vexed mind before heading to look for Hall Master Xing. What was more important at the moment was to resolve the issue with Vicious. Otherwise, if they let that fellow be, it was only a matter of time before a cmity befell the Qingyuan Empire. Many master teachers would lose their lives, and even Zhang Xuan would be ced in a deeply precarious position. After all, as a Celestial Master Teacher, his significance was simply too great to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Even if Vicious was trapped at the moment and could not make a move himself, as long as he leaked the news, Zhang Xuans good days would be over, and he would be forced into an endless game of hide-and-seek. Upon hearing the story from Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Xing replied with a resolute gaze, Our Combat Master Hall is a part of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so theres no way we can stay out of this! Zhang shi, Ill head to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows with you! Given that an Otherworldly Demon actually dared make a move against the Master Teacher Pavilion, as the head of the Combat Master Hall, it was his responsibility to step up and vanquish that Otherworldly Demon! Alright. Itll suffice to bring two of your strongest subordinates along. Itll be best for our expedition team to not be too big, or else we will catch the enemys attention easily. If the enemy notices our presence and guards against us, itll make our mission more difficult than ever, Zhang Xuan said. As an existence who had rivaled Kong shi in the past, Vicious was an opponent who they could not afford to underestimate. They might still stand a chance against him if they caught him off guard, but it would be a different story if he anticipated their arrival and made preparations to deal with them. Even if Vicious had fallen from his former glory, the knowledge and experience he had umted over countless years were still far beyond theirs. The slightest carelessness against such an opponent could very well cost them their lives. I understand. Knowing how grave the matter was, Hall Master Xing nodded before taking his leave to make preparations. Not too longter, Hall Master Xing appeared once more with Division Head Liao of the Heart Division and Division Head Wei of the Inner Breath Division behind him. They are the ones who started to cultivate the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra the earliest, so their mental resilience could be considered the strongest within the Combat Master Hall at the moment. If the other party is truly a soul oracle who specializes in soul arts, they will be the best candidates to bring with us for the expedition! Hall Master Xing said. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Soul oracles were skilled in confounding the soul, producing illusions and the sort to incapacitate one. Those with stronger mental resilience would be in a significantly safer position. As the head of the Heart Division, there was no doubt about Division Head Liaos mental resilience. On the other hand, Division Head Wei was one of the first few to have learned the revised Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra that Zhang Xuan had given to the Combat Master Hall, and his mental resilience had been reinforced significantly. Furthermore, the fighting prowess of the duo was second only to Hall Master Xing, so they were indeed the ideal candidates to fight against Vicious. Zhang Xuan looked at them grimly. This expedition to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows will be very dangerous. Our opponent possesses means far beyond our imagination, and theres a good chance that you might not return alive. Even so, are you still willing to follow us there? Division Head Wei and Division Head Liao replied without any hesitation. Principal Zhang, we know that. The purpose behind the creation of the Combat Master Hall is to deal with potential threats that humanity may face on the frontlines. As long as we are able to protect our brethren, death is nothing to fear! Seeing the resolve that the both of them had, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Well said! Alright, lets head to the Master Teacher Pavilion to liaise with Wu shi. Thus, the four of them began making their way over to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Upon arriving at the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan saw that Wu shi had also prepared four personnel to follow them to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. Three of them were 7-star pinnacle master teachers, old elders who had been in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion since a very long time ago, so their loyalty was indubitable. Thest one was surprisingly a familiar faceZhang Jiuxiao. Jiuxiao has been to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows before, and he entered the Ghost Cavern as well. I believe that the hiding ce of the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor is likely rted to that mysterious ce, so I think that it would be good to have him lead the way for us, Wu shi said. This... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. There was not much about Vicious in the Qingtian Emperors memory, and it had not been too detailed either. It was not due to thecking ability of his Soul Search but because Vicious was a highly capable soul oracle as well, and he had erased the Qingtian Emperors memory about him in advance in case a mishap happened. As such, the information that Zhang Xuan had of Vicious was notplete. Since Zhang Jiuxiao had been to the Ghost Cavern before, it would be for the best if he could lead them there. Zhang Jiuxiao turned to look at Zhang Xuan and said with determination, Zhang shi, I know that we had some conflicts in the past, but this matter concerns the future of mankind. As fellow master teachers, I hope that we can put our differences aside and work together on this matter. Bewildered by Zhang Jiuxiaos words, Zhang Xuan replied in a daze, My thoughts exactly... Due the affairs concerning Luo Ruoxin, he had inevitably be a little prejudiced against the Zhang n, thinking that it was a snobbish and domineering n that paid no heed to the feelings of others. However, seeing how Zhang Jiuxiao was willing to put aside their personal grudges during a crucial moment like this, his opinion of the Zhang n could not help but change slightly for the better. Just as Zhang Xuan was still harboring such thoughts in his mind, the eyebrows of the young man before him shot up as he continued. You might appear to be an insurmountable wall before me at the moment, but itll only be a matter of time before I surpass you. Ill have you know that I, Zhang Jiuxiao, am a true genius! Surpass me? Once again, Zhang Xuan did not expect Zhang Jiuxiao to have such thoughts in mind. He shook his head helplessly and said, Whatever pleases you... Surpass him? Perhaps there might really be geniuses in the world who were capable of pulling it off, but without a doubt, the young man before him was not one of such people. Be it in terms of state of mind, fighting prowess, supporting upations... Forget it, he could probably list on till the end of time. As a human, it was still good to have dreams, no matter how imusible they were. Since everyone is here, lets set off! After confirming the personnel for their expedition, Wu shi found the strongest aerial saint beast in the Master Teacher Pavilion and had everyone step aboard it. Before long, they were already on their way to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. The Marsnds of the Northern Meadows was slightly north of the Northern Meadows City, roughly several million li away from Qingyuan City. Even though the aerial saint beast they were riding on had already reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it would still take around six days before they arrived at their destination. Seated in the wooden hut at the back of the saint beast, Zhang Xuan took out a few pills and passed them around. Here are some pills that I have forged specially for this expedition. When we arrive at the marsnds, make sure to swallow one. Itll grant you immunity to whatever poison we will encounter there, and it will help to prevent any soul oracles from possessing your body. All in all, including him, there were nine people in the expedition to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. Even though their fighting prowess was ranked at the very top of Qingyuan City, considering that it was Vicious that they were going to be dealing with, it would not hurt to be prepared. Yes! The crowd took the pills and carefully ced them into their storage rings. The old adage always holds truebetter safe than sorry. The coborative formation used by the Combat Master Hall isnt too bad, flexible in terms of numbers, executable with any number ofbat masters. However, its a pity that it has quite a few ws in it. Thus, I improved it a little earlier, and I have jotted down the form in this book. Look through it quickly and learn it well. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist once more to take out a book before passing it over. Mostbat masters and master teachers that were associated with a Combat Master Hall or Master Teacher Pavilion would practice a coborative formation of some kind. To the eyes of ordinary cultivators, their coborative formation was already plenty formidable, but to Zhang Xuan, it was filled with so many horrendous ws that he could barely bring himself to look at it without cringing. Thus, he made use of the time on the aerial saint beast to quickly improve on it. You improved our Combat Master Halls coborative formation? Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao turned to Zhang Xuan with widened eyes. They quickly took the book from Zhang Xuan to browse through it, and it did not take long for their eyes to redden in excitement and their breathing to hasten in agitation. The coborative formation of their Combat Master Hall had been refined by many predecessors, and it had long reached a bottleneck where it would be hard for any change to generate a improvement in it. Yet, after seeing the improved formation that Zhang Xuan had written down, they realized that they had only been seeing the tip of the iceberg all along! They swiftly browsed through the coborative formation and memorized it. After which, Zhang Jiuxiao also took a look at the improved coborative formation, and his face gradually turned paler and paler. Eventually, all the emotions bubbling within him were released with a helpless shake of his head. It seemed like there was no way he could match up to the young man before him in the field of formations. He would just have to find another field topete against the young man in. Stroking his chest to alleviate the suffocating sensation there, Zhang Jiuxiao consoled himself. Even the most formidable genius will have his ws. Theres no such thing a perfect man in the world, so hes bound to have a weakness, too. With sufficient time, Ill eventually find it! Just as he was about to begin learning the coborative formation too, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned to him and asked, Brother Zhang, you are from the Zhang n, right? I happen to have a question to ask of you. Zhang shi, feel free to speak. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, I have heard rumors that theres an unparalleled prodigy in your Zhang n who possesses an exceptionally pure bloodline, may I know if thats true? As the saying goes, Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories! Since Zhang Jiuxiao was from the Zhang n, this was a good opportunity for him to listen into the affairs of the rumored genius of the Zhang n so that he could make some preparations in advance to deal with him. I am from a side family in the Zhang n, so I am not qualified to interfere or learn of the affairs concerning the main family. However, I have heard of the little prodigy you spoke about as well. If Im not mistaken, he should be twenty this year. The talent that he wields is so great that it is truly not an exaggeration to call it unparalleled! Zhang Jiuxiao hesitated for a moment before adding, But those are only things I have heard. I have never met the little prodigy before either. The astounding phenomena that had happened along with the birth of the Zhang ns young master had caused a huge ruckus, making his existencemon knowledge among those of the upper tier of the Master Teacher Continent. As such, it was not a big deal for him to speak of it to Zhang Xuan. You have never met the little prodigy before either? Zhang Xuan asked with a perplexed frown. Indeed. To be honest, members of the side family like me dont get many opportunities to interact with the members of the main family, Zhang Jiuxiao said as he sighed deeply. I heard that the little prodigy of your Zhang n is engaged to the little princess of the Luo n. May I know if that matter is true too? Zhang Xuan asked. That... Im afraid that I dont know much about the matter! The main family doesnt allow members of the side family like me to probe too much into their affairs, and we arent allowed to speak of the matters in the n lightly either. Seemingly a little fearful of the Zhang n, Zhang Jiuxiao was visibly reluctant to linger too much on this topic. I see. Then, of the disciples of the main family you have seen, how does their talentpare to yours? Zhang Xuan asked. How does their talentpare to me? I am just a mere ant before them. Even if I devote my entire life to cultivation, theres still no way Ill be able to catch up with them. A bitter smile emerged on Zhang Jiuxiao face as he said these words. He raised his gaze to look at Zhang Xuan before continuing. Putting everything aside, Zhang shi, while it is highly possible that theres no cultivator in the history of the Qingyuan Empire who possessed as much talent as you,pared to the disciples of the main family, I fear that you are still severelycking! I am still severelycking? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in disbelief. As a practitioner of the Heavens Path Divine Art, while he dared not say that his rate of cultivation was fast, surely there should have been very few people in the world who would be able to match him. Were there truly people in the world whose talent surpassed even the might of the Heavens Path Divine Art? Thats right. Zhang shi, its not that I want to traumatize you, but the more formidable inner disciples are able to easily reach the Primordial Spirit realm without cultivating just by awakening their bloodline. With that high of a starting point, it is truly a breeze for them to reach the Leaving Aperture realm or even higher! Against those monsters, theres no way ordinary cultivators like us stand a chance! Zhang Jiuxiao said with a bitter smile. The difference in talent from individual to individual sure was something frustrating and exasperating. Taking the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for example, every single one of them wielded the strength of a Transcendent Mortal from birth, and it was for this reason that mankind was at an inherently disadvantageous position against them. Most inner disciples of Sage ns were able to advance to heights that most ordinary cultivators dared not dream of just on the basis of their pure bloodline. Against such monsters, ordinary cultivators like them had no choice but to admit defeat. Awakening their bloodline? Does the improvement induced by the awakening of their bloodline depend on the purity of their bloodline? Thats right. In a sense, I guess you can say that this is simr to the case with saint beasts. The closer their bloodline to Ancient Beasts is, the greater the increment in their cultivation will be as a result of awakening their bloodline. It is on this foundation that the Sage ns were able to remain the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent despite the passing of several dozen millenniums! Zhang Jiuxiao replied. Does that mean your bloodline isnt pure? To be honest with you, I can only be considered the side family of the side family, so there is no way the purity of my bloodline can bepared with that of the main family, Zhang Jiuxiao said awkwardly. If bloodline is that important, is there any way to purify ones bloodline or increase the tier of ones bloodline? Zhang Xuan asked. Chapter 1210 - Ji Tianxiong

Chapter 1210: Ji Tianxiong

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Purify ones bloodline or increase the tier of ones bloodline? How can there be something as convenient as that in the world? Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head. The purity of the bloodline of a Sage n offspring is determined at birth. In fact, there are many inner disciples who had the purity of their bloodlines verified even before their birth. Simr to unique constitutions, this is something innate. There are no external forces that can possibly change ones constitution and bloodline easily. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts. As he had nevere into the contact with the Sage ns before, he wasnt aware of many of their affairs. However, he did have two students with unique constitutions and one with a unique bloodline. Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan possessed the Pure Yin Body and the Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution respectively, and Yuan Tao possessed the Emperors Bloodline. These werent things which one could cultivate postnatally. Just like how a tadpole could never evolve into a divine dragon no matter how hard it trained, there were simply some things in the world that couldnt be achieved through hard work. Otherwise, he would have long given Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and the others with unique constitutions as well so as to enhance their rate of growth. I see. It seems like I have been taking this matter too lightly. Zhang Xuan shook his head. With the experience of cleansing the bloodline of spirit beasts to stimte their growth, he thought that the Sage ns might have some kind of means simr to that as well. However, it seemed like there was no way there could be something that convenient in the world. While the bloodline from Sage ns enables one to cultivate swiftly in the initial phase, allowing one to easily reach heights that most ordinary cultivators would never be able to reach, ites with some ws as well. For one, the bloodline will also limit ones future potential, making it difficult for one to exceed the aplishments of our ancestor! This is also the reason why most Sage ns have focused on preserving their strength instead of pushing their way forward. Its simply too difficult to reach greater heights due to the limitations of the bloodline... Zhang Jiuxiao continued. There were always two sides to everything. Inheriting the bloodline of past Sages would allow one to cultivate swiftly in the earlier stages, as if propelled by a rocket. However, as the individual had heavily relied on the inheritance of their ancestor to climb to their current height, it would also be extremely difficult for them to forge their own path forward beyond their ancestor. After asking for a while longer, Zhang Jiuxiao said everything that he was able to say. As for information that was confidential, his lips remained firmly sealed, refusing to speak a single word about it. Knowing that this was the rule within the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan also chose not to probe any further either and put Zhang Jiuxiao in a spot. While the other party had left out the most important information, Zhang Xuan still managed to gather quite a few critical intelligence. For one, it seemed like there was indeed an engagement between the Zhang n and the Luo n, and just like what Mu shi had told him back then, the little prodigy of the Zhang n was a very mysterious and elusive figure. Nearly everyone had heard of his name, but somehow, it was as if not a single person had caught a glimpse of his shadow. Nevertheless, based on Zhang Jiuxiaos deductions, while that little prodigy was only twenty this year, it was highly likely that his cultivation had already reached Saint 7-dan! While Zhang Jiuxiao hadnt met the little prodigy, he did meet the other inner disciples of the Zhang n before. One of them possessed an incredibly pure bloodline, and he was already at Saint 7-dan before he reached 30. Considering how even he could reach such height, the little prodigy would surely be even more incredible than that! Saint 7-dan... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but feel deeply pressured. The elder of the Luo n who had confronted him a few days back, Luo Chengxin, was at this cultivation realm as well. Even without using any battle technique, the other party was able to render himpletely powerless with just a mere thought, leaving him unable to retaliate at all. The difference in their strength was as if the gap between the heavens and earth. Beyond Primordial Spirit realm, the increment in every cultivation stage will be extraordinarily difficult. If I want to marry Luo Ruoxin openly, Ill really have to try harder than that! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Beyond Saint 4-dan, the advancement of every single cultivation stage demanded incredibly pure spiritual energy and superior talent. If he wanted to receive the Luo ns approval, the least he could do was to attain strength that matched the Zhang ns little prodigy. If he couldnt even defeat his love rival, how could he vie Luo Ruoxin from the other partys hands? I really have to start cultivating now... Feeling deeply pressured, Zhang Xuan spent the next few days either cultivating or digesting the information in the books he had collected within his Library of Heavens Path. His efforts werent wasted. Not only did he manage to further reinforce his cultivation, hisprehension of battle technique had also reached a new peak. He had spent the majority of his time studying the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, and it had granted him a greater grasp over thews of space. While he was only at Embryonic Soul realm, he was already able to execute the Spatial Seal which only Leaving Aperture realm cultivators were capable of pulling off! Once executed, he would able to leave everyone within a five-meter radius around him feeling as if they were treading through a marsh, significantly reducing their strength and speed. Within this area, he was confident that he would be able to subdue even Hall Master Xing with a single finger, let alone Wu shi and the others. However, this is mainly due to the superior strength of my Origin Soul and zhenqi. Ultimately, my grasp over thews of space is still a little too weak. However, Im still some distance away from fullypiling the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Knowing that he still had much room for improvement, Zhang Xuan didnt get conceited at his newfound strength. The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel could be divided into 5 dans. Even though he had managed to reach 1-dan pinnacle, he was still a distance away from reaching 2-dan. Time passed in a sh for cultivators. Six dayster, the aerial saint beast finally came to a halt above a massive city. Zhang shi, this is the Northern Meadows City, also known as the Ji City. It is one of the more prosperous and powerful cities within Qingyuan Empire! Wu shi introduced. Gazing downward, Zhang Xuan saw a massive city vaguely visible beyond the clouds. It was extremelyrge, making it impossible to overlook the entire city in a single sight. What was different about this city was the amazing number of high-rise buildings that they had, which reminded Zhang Xuan a little about the world he had been in previously. Just from a swift nce, it could be seen that it was indeed quite a prosperous city. Even if it was nowhere on par with Qingyuan City, it was far grander than Hongyuan City and the others. The Marsnds of the Northern Meadows is an incredibly dangerous territory to venture into. Its sky is filled with exceptionally powerful turbulent air currents, making it impossible to enter it by flight. On the other hand, the ground was filled with all kinds of threats, ready to prey on the unknowing. As such, we need to find a guide familiar with the local terrain to bring us around. Otherwise, theres a good chance that well lose our life even before we manage to find the Ghost Cavern. Wu shi said. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. Through reading books concerning the area, he had also gained some understanding of the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows as well. Just like what Wu shi said, it was an extremely treacherous terrain. Even Primordial Spirit realm experts had to venture through it on foot, or else they would risk being torn to shreds by the turbulent air currents. Without a guide to lead the way, they could very well fall into the traps that hunters had set up in the area,e under the encirclement of the regional saint beasts, or even step into a pit filled with lethal worms! Considering the superior fighting prowess of their expedition team, these naturally didnt pose much of a threat to them. However, it would still impede their advancement, and the longer they spent roaming in the marsnds, the more likely that Vicious would notice their presence. The head of the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion, Ji Tianxiong, is my good friend. Hes a trustworthy person, and I have just sent a message to him a while back. He should be arriving very soon. I intend to have him bring us through the marsnds so as to spare us some trouble. Wu shi said. Ji Tianxiong? I have heard of him a well. He has spent a period of time in our Combat Master Hall, and his fighting prowess is really not bad! Division Head Liao couldnt help but interject at this moment. Indeed! His Freezing Zhenqi spared with his cier Finger is capable of turning water into ice in an instant, and this capability is exceptionally useful and practical on marsh terrains. With him leading the way, we should be able to ovee any danger easily! Wu shi nodded, clearly deeply confident in his close friend. While they were speaking, the crowd suddenly saw an elder flying in their direction. Taking a close examination at the elder, Zhang Xuan noted that the other party had the appearance of one in his fifties, and he had a pair of incredibly sharp eyes that were filled with spirit and vigorous. At first impression, he seemed like an exceptionally keen individual. His cultivation realm was at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, and he exuded an aura reminiscent of a snowy mountain. It was very apparent that he cultivated an ice-type cultivation technique. Wu shi quickly weed the elder before ushering him into the wooden hut, Everyone, this is the head of the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion, Ji Tianxiong, Ji shi! Ji shi, this young man over here is Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi, and this is Hall Master Xing of the Combat Master Hall... He swiftly introduced everyone to one another. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans name, Ji shi immediately bowed respectfully and said, Ji Tianxiong pays respect to Zhang shi! Even though a distance of several million li sat between Qingyuan City and the Northern Meadows City, he had still heard news of Zhang Xuans pavilion crashing. For an individual to sessfully ovee an entire Master Teacher Pavilion, just this feat in itself made him a person worthy of respect. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. I believe Wu shi should have told you the reason behind our visit here. Yes, Wu shi has already told me everything. Ji shi nodded. Thats good. We intend to enter the depths of the marsnds to find the so-called Ghost Cavern, so well require Ji shis help in leading the way forward. Zhang Xuan said. Regarding that... the Ghost Cavern is actually a peculiar existence in the marsnds. It has no fixed location. There are some who follow the directions given by those who have found it in the past, only to see that it was no longer there. I can only fathom the rough area it would be, but as for whether well able to find it or not... Im afraid that I cant guarantee that! Ji shi said. While the Ghost Cavern was indeed in the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, it seemed like it wasnt fixed to a location. Luck yed a heavy role in determining whether one would be able to find it or not. I understand. You just have to bring us to the vicinity of where it usually appears. Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang shi, over here has entered the Ghost Cavern once, so he might be able to find some clues to track it down. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Alright! Ji shi agreed. The Ghost Cavern was a ce which could temper ones mental resilience. Every year, there would be many master teachers who would drop by the marsnds to try their luck. Some of them did seed, but there were also those who vanished without a trace as well. The previous time Zhang Jiuxiao had been in the marsnds, he had a guide to bring him around as well. The marsnds were rather simr to a desert, changing greatly with time. Even if one had visited the marsnds in the past, it would still be wiser to hire a guide to bring one around, or else one could very well end up losing his way. You have already flown for many days now, do you want to take a brief rest at our Master Teacher Pavilion first? Ji shi offered. Theres no need for that. Well head over right now, or else more master teachers could possibly lose their lives! Zhang Xuan waved his hand to turn down the other partys kind gesture. An additional day dyed for them meant an additional day for Vicious to strike. Considering that the lives of master teachers were on the line, they couldnt afford the luxury of time. In any case, as cultivators, they could recover their fatigue through cultivation, so they werent in dire need for rest either. Very well, lets set off now then! Ji shi nodded in agreement. He swiftly pointed out a direction for the aerial saint beast, and it began making its way over to the marsnds. The marsnds were located further up north of the Northern Meadows City. After roughly two hours of flight, the group was weed with the sight of a pitch ck marsnds that seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon, creating an illusion that it was connected with the sky. Lets alight here. The air currents ahead will be turbulent, and there are many dangerous fields in the sky as well. It would be a disaster if we were to identally drop into one of them, so theres no choice but to proceed ahead on foot. Ji shi exined as he instructed the aerial saint beast tond on the ground. The danger of the Marsnds of the Northern Meadowsy not only on the ground but in the air as well. There were many peculiar fields in the air that one could potentially collide with when traveling above ground. The slightest carelessness could cause one to be devoured by it, cing one in great peril. After alighting from the back of the aerial saint beasts, the group swiftly assessed the pitch-ck marsnds right before them. To be exact, the marsnds wasntpletely pitch-ck. It was actually filled with scarlet flowers that rose above the marsh, reminiscent of lotus. The locals call those flowers Man-eating Lotuses. Dont underestimate them just because of their beautiful exterior, they are actually extremely dangerous nts. Most Transcendent Mortal cultivators would be unable to escape from their clutches once caught! Ji shi exined as he threw a stone toward a nearby lotus. Hu! As soon as the rock came into contact with the lotus, thetter immediately wrapped itself around the rock, reducing it to dust in an instant, as if some kind of unique power had devoured it. This... Zhang Xuans eyelids shot up in astonishment. If he hadnt seen it with his own eyes, he would never believe that there would be such a nt in the world. Chapter 1211 - Hall Master Xing’s Leaving Aperture Ordeal

Chapter 1211: Hall Master Xings Leaving Aperture Ordeal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Man-eating Lotus had devoured the energy swiftly, precisely, and urately. Just like what Ji shi had said, it was indeed unlikely for ordinary Transcendent Mortal cultivators to be able to escape from their clutches. Other than the Man-eating Lotuses, there are also some unique poisonous worms that live within the marsh. Once bitten, ones body will immediately be numbed, making it impossible for one to exert any strength. Unable to move, one will only continue to sink deeper and deeper into the marsnds, until one is reduced to white bones. There was even a year where a hundred thousand cultivators and master teachers had died here. As such, this area has beenbeled as a forbidden zone for cultivators. As Ji shi spoke, he took out a slice of cooked meat from his storage ring and tossed it into the marsh. Initially, the cooked meat floated on top of the marsh. A momentter, a couple of ck beetles suddenly dived out of the marsh and bit the meat. In the blink of an eye, the meat was reduced to a puddle of acid, as if it had been corroded by a very potent acid. Upon seeing this sight, the faces of the group turned extremely awful. They had heard rumors about how treacherous the marsnds was, but they hadnt thought that it would actually be so fearsome. Even as Primordial Spirit realm cultivators, they still couldnt help but feel their bodies turning cold in apprehension. However, theres no need to worry. As treacherous as the marsnds are, there is a way to pass through it safely. There are some plots ofnd that float above the marsh, and they form something simr to a suspension bridge. As long as we are able to find these plots ofnd, we will be able to pass through the marsnds without much trouble! Ji shi said with a smile. After saying those words, he leaped ten meters forward and stepped on solid ground on the marsnds. Everyone, follow me closely. Make sure not to step wrongly org behind! Following which, he continued to leap forward. In just a dozen steps, he had already covered a distance of several hundred meters. Zhang Xuan examined the area where Ji shi hadnded carefully, and while it was nearly indiscernible, there was indeed a slight difference in the color aspared to the rest of the marsh. It was slightly tinged green, and while there were no nts growing in the area, it gave a feeling of fertility, different from the deste aura that the rest of the marsh was emanating. It doesnt seem likely for these plots ofnd to have been formed naturally. Most likely, they have been artificially constructed... Zhang Xuan had no reason how the marsnd came to be, but its formation should have resulted in the ground in the area to sink as a whole. For there plots ofnd where one could stand on to surface from the marsh, the chances were that they were man-made. Lets move on! Deciding not to think too deep into the matter, the group had the aerial saint beast to wait for them on the spot while they leaped onto the plots ofnd as well, following closely behind Ji shi. As Saint realm experts, their memory far surpassed ordinary humans. Even though they had only briefly seen Ji shis movements, they were still able to memorize his movements clearly and emte them without any problem. Ji shi, I heard that there are some native saint beasts that live within the marsh. I am curious to know how do they survive in such an environment? Considering how poor the environment was, it was truly difficult toprehend how any saint beasts could possibly grow in the marsh. Nearer to the center of the marsh, there will be some inds, thergest of them being roughly several kilometers in diameter, which would produce unique saint herbs and ores due to the unique environment of the marsh. As such, there are quite a few saint beasts who would im those territories for their own in order to dominate those resources. Often, there are some cultivators who unwittingly enter those areas, only to end up killed. At which, Ji shi suddenly gestured forward and said, Speak of the devil. Theres one of those right in front of us! The crowd turned over, and as expected, they saw a significantlyrger plot ofnd right in front of them. Lush with greenery, it resembled a remote ind in the midst of an ocean. It was filled with all kinds of nts, and from time to time, they would even see some birds flying in the area. Proceeding forward, they finally arrived on the ind after a ten-minute journey. The ind was roughly five hundred meters in radius, and there was a small hill in the middle of it. It floated above the marsh as if an upside-down tortoise shell. We should hurry forward. Itll be best if we could reach the center of the marsh before night time. The marsh gets even more frightening at night! Seeing that the crowds attention was wandering around the ind, Ji shi urged anxiously. Un. Taking a nce at the gradually falling sun, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Lets proceed forward. While there was still some time before sunset, the marsnds were simply too huge, and they couldnt fly in the area either. Even if they were to rush at full speed ahead, it would probably take them two to four hours before reaching the middle of the marsh, so they couldnt afford to waste any time. With Ji shis deep understanding of the marsh, the group managed to avoid most of the pitfalls along the way. They managed to sessfully circumvent the territories of the saint beasts, as well as some of the more treacherous terrain in the marsh, thus saving much time. Four hourster, they were finally nearing the center of the marsnds. On the way forward, they encountered quite a few cultivators, but thetter chose to take a detour around them. While the group didnt don on their master teacher robe in order to conceal their identities, the incredible fighting prowess of the group was more than sufficient to strike fear in the hearts of others. Unlike in the city, where the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion would make others think twice before carrying out any malicious acts, those in the marsnds had no qualms with killing other cultivators to steal their items. In fact, such actions weremonce here. Furthermore, if the corpses were to be disposed into the marsnds, it would be difficult for the regional Master Teacher Pavilion to investigate the matter and make an urate judgement. As such, it was considered as awless zone, and in such an area, it went without saying that strength reigned supreme. After proceeding forward another hour, just when the sun was starting to disappear at the western horizon, Ji shi lifted his finger and pointed, The ind just ahead of us is the very center of the entire marsnds. Based on most of the rumors, the Ghost Cavern tend to appear there the most often, so itll be good to start out search there before gradually spreading out. Other than that, I dont really have a better idea in mind. Following his finger, the crowd saw a massive ind of roughly eight kilometers in diameter. Thend was extremely lush, filled with greenery of all sorts, and there was a towering mountain in the middle of the ind. Looking at it from afar, it seemed like a small city. Lets head over! Before long, the crowd stepped onto the ind. The first thing that they noticed about the ind was the astonishingly high concentration of spiritual energy in the area. It felt refreshing and energizing to be in an environment so rich in spiritual energy. No wonder why saint beasts would want to live here! Indeed, if one were to cultivate here, one could probably achieve twice as much with the same amount of effort! Zhang Xuan noted. It seemed like the ind was a natural blessednd for cultivation. Those who cultivate for the long-term here would be able to easily surpass those who lived outside. As the saying goes, opportunities go hand in hand with risk. Despite knowing the dangers lurking within the marsh, the saint beasts still determinedly chose to reside in the area in hopes that they would be able to attain greater strength. Alright, well be resting here tonight. Itll be best for us to only start our search for the Ghost Cavern tomorrow morning as venomous worms and the sort will emerge from the marsh at night. Being too hasty in the moment will only slow us down! As Ji shi spoke, he flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of high-tier saint beast urine before pouring them in the surroundings. This served as a deter venomous worms and the sort froming around them. Having seen many things on their journey here, the remaining members of the group had also seen how terrifying the marsh was with their own eyes. Not saying anything much, they took out the rations they had prepared beforehand and began eating. Fine wine apanied with roasted meat, it could be said to be a considerably bountiful dinner. After eating, Zhang Xuan didnt go to rest. Instead, he crossed his legs and continued to cultivate. He drove his Heavens Path zhenqi through his body to temper his Embryonic Soul again and again, trying to push for a metamorphosis as soon as possible. While Zhang Xuan was at the Combat Master Hall, he had collected all of the books in the Guardian Division to form another Heavens Path Golden Body, and its effects werent too bad. Even if his physical body wasnt on par with the Golden Origin Cauldron yet, it definitely didnt pale too much from thetter. Hm? After cultivating for some time, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a surge of energy pulsating not too far away. Turning his head over, he saw Hall Master Xings face abruptly reddening, as if he was unable to suppress the energy rampaging within his body. Whats wrong? rmed, Zhang Xuan quickly walked over and asked. The others were also jolted awake from their cultivation, and they quickly walked over to check on Hall Master Xing out of worry. Principal Zhang, I think that my Leaving Aperture Ordeal might being very soon... Hall Master Xing replied with a pale face. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. After he had repaired therge rift in Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, thetter swiftly made a breakthrough from Half-Leaving Aperture realm to Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. Under normal circumstances, he should be able to determine when he wanted to summon the Leaving Aperture Ordeal whenever he wanted, so why would it suddenly trigger at this moment? What happened? Knowing that there was something doubtful about the situation, Zhang Xuan asked. Im not too sure either. I was cultivating for a while earlier when I suddenly felt energy overflowing from my Primordial Spirit, attempting to ovee my bottleneck. I tried suppressing it, but I couldnt hold it in... At this moment, Hall Master Xings zhenqi suddenly burst out from his pores, and soon after, ominous clouds began gathering above everyones head. The lightning ordeal was about to fall. Dont worry, its just the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. With your strength, youll surely be able to ovee it easily! Gesturing for everyone else to evacuate from the area where the lightning ordeal would fall, Zhang Xuan encouraged with a smile. As the head of the Combat Master Hall, Hall Master Xings physical resilience far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. It was only because Qingyuan City had been in turmoil for the past few days that he chose to keep putting off his Leaving Aperture Ordeal, especially given the fact that it would take some time for him to recover from the overwhelming damage sustained from the lightning ordeal. Otherwise, he shouldnt have any trouble clearing the lightning ordeal. Boom! While Zhang Xuan was speaking, a streak of lightning suddenly fell from the sky. Hu! Hall Master Xing drew out his Primordial Spirit and dove it straight toward the lightning. Tzzzzzz! As soon as his Primordial Spirit collided with the lightning, it immediately began shrinking as if cotton in the face of fire. A deep roar resounded deafeningly in the air, reflecting the immense pain that Hall Master Xing was going through. What? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in rm. The Leaving Aperture Ordeal is incredibly dangerous, shouldnt he keep his Primordial Spirit within his body so as to share the burden of the lightning ordeal with it? Why did he draw his Primordial Spirit out to meet it face on? Thats too reckless, too dangerous! Wu shi eximed in horror. The lightning of the Leaving Aperture Ordeal could temper ones Primordial Spirit, but the devastating might of it was not one which any Primordial Spirit could withstand by itself. As such, most cultivators would choose to use their physical body to ward off most of the lightning, absorbing only a small portion of it into their Primordial Spirit... And yet, Hall Master Xing actually sent his Primordial Spirit straight into the lightning. That was practically no different from suicide! No, something is wrong. It doesnt seem like hes doing it voluntarily... Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuans face darkened. He isnt doing it voluntarily? You mean that... hes under control? The crowd couldnt reallyprehend what Zhang Xuan meant. It seems like a soul oracle has made a move on him. Knowing that hes on a verge of a breakthrough, the soul oracle forcefully manipted his Primordial Spirit while he was cultivating to draw down the lightning ordeal before dragging his Primordial Spirit out, wanting to use the Power of Lightning to eradicate first. Or perhaps, he intends to make use of this incident to wear us down while attempting to save him... Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in fury. Soul oracle? Does that mean that we have been noticed? Wu shis face darkened. They had swapped out of their master teacher robe and rushed here without any worry in order to get to the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor before the other party could get to them. Yet, who could have known that the other party would still be the one to make the pre-emptive blow? That seems to be the case. Zhang Xuan nodded. Turning his gaze back to the sky, he saw Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit gradually growing smaller and smaller under the devastating might of the lightning, seemingly about to dissipate at anytime soon. As powerful as Hall Master Xing was, given that Primordial Spirits were innately weak against the Power of Lightning, and he wasnt fully prepared to face the Leaving Aperture Ordeal when it descended, the odds were extremely against his favor. At this rate, Hall Master Xing really might just die! Division Head Wei and Division Head Liao watched the situation in anxiety, not knowing what they could do. Hall Master Xing was not only their leader but an old friend whom they had known for several centuries now. They couldnt bear to watch their old friend being burned to crisp with their own eyes! Principal Zhang, do you have a way to save him? The duo hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan desperately, hoping that he would have a way to resolve the situation. If there was anyone here who could possibly save Hall Master Xing, it could only be the young man before them. Rest assured, Ill surely save him! Even if the duo didnt say anything, Zhang Xuan would still save Hall Master Xing. With a sharp glint in his eyes, he examined the lightning ordeal before him closely with his Eye of Insight. Chapter 1212 - The Emergence of the Ghost Cavern

Chapter 1212: The Emergence of the Ghost Cavern

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Through his Eye of Insight, he could see the Power of Lightning swiftly grinding down Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, swiftly pushing it toward dissipation. At this rate, Hall Master Xing didnt have much time left. There are many cultivators who have reached Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, but out of fear for the Power of Lightning, they dare not to summon their Leaving Aperture Ordeal down. Pavilion Master Gou is one such person. Going by this logic, it should be impossible for the Leaving Aperture Ordeal to fall on its own ord. Its likely that someone has interfered with Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit, thus giving rise to the current situation! Zhang Xuan analyzed with a tight knit between his brows. Theres no way to forcefully stop a lightning ordeal once it has started. Any attempt to interfere with the Leaving Aperture Ordeal will only make it grow stronger, thus putting the cultivator facing it in greater peril... Ji shi remarked as he shook his head helplessly. As a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert, he had read many books regarding the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, so he knew quite a bit about it as well. This was the trial that the world put those who attempted to vie power from it through, and those who dared to cheat in the trial would have to face a greatershback from the heavens. Indeed, this is really a dilemma. Zhang Xuan nodded grimly. What was truly fearsome about the lightning ordeal was that no one would be able to interfere with it started, or else it would only grow stronger and stronger before eventually reaching an uncontroble level. Take his Saint Ascension Ordeal for example, despite seeing how much danger he was in, Luo Ruoxin still held herself back from interfering, knowing that any attempt to do so would only put him in greater danger. Otherwise, Zhang Xuan would at least have dozens of methods to eradicate the lightning ordeal. If we dont do anything soon, Hall Master Xing really will lose his life! Division Head Liao urged anxiously. I know! Zhang Xuan replied impatiently as he muttered ws in his mind, and a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. He swiftly flipped it open to take a look. A momentter, he turned to Wu shi and said, You are the only one who can save Hall Master Xing now. Me? Wu shi was taken aback. Is there anyone who has any Spirit Reinforcing Pill here? Paying no heed to Wu shis bewilderment, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and asked. I have one here! Division Head Liao rushed up and passed a jade bottle into Zhang Xuans hand. Zhang Xuan immediately took out the pill from the bottle before cing it into Wu shis hands, Swallow it. Wu shi looked at the pill in his hand hesitantly. The Spirit Reinforcing Piill was a grade-7 pill that harnessed an immense amount of spiritual energy. Even as a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, if he were to consume it recklessly, there was good chance that he would be unable to control the massive umtion of energy within his body and explode on the spot. I dont have any time to exin. Just believe me and do it! Zhang Xuans face darkened further upon seeing Wu shis hesitation. Yes! Knowing that the young man before him wielded capabilities exceeding that of ordinary humans, Wu shi dared not to utter any nonsense. He quickly ced the pill into his mouth and swallowed it. A momentter, he felt a furious surge of energy rampaging angrily within his body, threatening to burst his meridians apart. There are a few ws in your cultivation technique. Once you correct them, you will be able to achieve a breakthrough on the spot... Zhang Xuans voice began sounding melodiously in the air. Before Wu shi could even process what was going on, he realized that the zhenqi in his body had already begun to move in ordance with the words spoken by the young man before him. This is... Impartation of Heavens Will? Is Zhang shi intending to resolve my ws and have me achieve a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm on the spot? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Instructing him to swallow the Spirit Reinforcing Pill and resolving the ws concerning his Primordial Spirit... No matter how slow he was, he would have to be a fool to still not understand what was going on. Within moments, the zhenqi in his body had already fused together with the spiritual energy in the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, swiftly umting more and more. Boom! In less than three minutes, he broke through the bottleneck of his body, and Primordial Spirit which shared the same appearance as him emerged from his be. Go over! Zhang Xuan instructed as he gave Wu shis Primordial Spirit a push on the back. Before Wu shi could even process what had just happened, his Primordial Spirit was already fast on its way toward the Hall Master Xings lightning ordeal. This... Watching as the fearsome streak of lightning swiftly erged before his eyes, Wu shi nearly fainted on the spot. He had only achieved a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, and he hadnt even had time to reinforce his cultivation when he was suddenly forcefully pushed toward the lightning ordeal... Could it be that Zhang shi thought that it would be a pity for Hall Master Xing to depart alone, so he wanted to send him down as apanion for Hall Master Xing to walk the final journey with him? Quick, push Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit back into his body! Seeing that Wu shi was still dazing off in midair, Zhang Xuan bellowed anxiously. Push his Primordial Spirit back? Wu shi was stunned for a moment before realizing that even though he had stepped into the area of the lightning ordeal, he wasnt affected by the Power of Lightning. Heaving a sigh of relief, he hurriedly grabbed forward to push Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit down. Hu! Hall Master Xings Primordial Spirit flew straight back into his body. Hu! Nourished by his body, Hall Master XIngs Primordial Spirit finally stabilized from its previous injured condition. As powerful as the lightning ordeal was, it wasnt sufficient to faze Hall Master Xings incredibly resilient body in the short run. This... Whats going on? Isnt interfering with the Lightning Ordeal of another a huge taboo? How could they still be fine? Taking the scene into sight, the crowd was utterly dumbstruck by what they were seeing. Under normal circumstances, the Leaving Aperture Ordeal would have surely intensified as soon as one stepped into the perimeter of the lightning ordeal. So, how could nothing happen when Wu shis Primordial Spirit headed over to save Hall Master Xing? Who says that they are fine? Speak of the devil, here ites... Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly. Hurriedly turning their gazes over, the crowd saw the swiftly dissipating ominous clouds in the air suddenly gathering together once more. Wu shi has barely reached Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, and as one who has to face a lightning ordeal himself, the lightning ordeal of others is unable to faze him. Its through making use of this loophole that he was able to save Hall Master Xing sessfully. However, this maneuver on his part brought him to the lightning ordeals notice, so his Leaving Aperture Ordeal would be falling very soon as well. Zhang Xuan exined. He has to face a Leaving Aperture Ordeal too? The crowd nearly fainted on the spot. What is the point of this then?! To put another in danger in the midst of saving one, arent we returning back to the square one in the end? Wu shi, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and return to your body! Oblivious to the shock of those around him, Zhang Xuan bellowed. Yes! Realizing that he had been noticed by the lightning ordeal as well, Wu shis body trembled in fear. He quickly turned around and retreated back into his body. Zhang shi, what should I do next? Wu shi asked Zhang Xuan with his face pale in fright. These lightning clouds have gathered together in a rush after abruptly sensing your aura, so it wouldnt be too strong. Furthermore, most of the Power of Lightning has already been absorbed by Hall Master Xing, so as long as you dont face the lightning ordeal with your Primordial Spirit straight, you should be able to withstand it. Zhang Xuan said. Even though Wu shi had only just made a breakthrough, considering how his body had just been nourished by the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, and the ws in his Primordial Spirit had just been resolved, he should still be able to withstand the weakened lightning ordeal. Most of the Power of Lightning has been absorbed by Hall Master Xing? Thats good... Hearing that, Wu shi heaved a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, his relief didntst for too long. A momentter, a sh of lightning descended on Wu shi. Hu! Every single strand of hair on Wu shis head immediately leaped up from the static lightning, as if rmed by the might of the lightning. The astounding might of the lightning bolt nearly caused his Primordial Spirit to dissipate on the spot. ... You call this wouldnt be too strong? Why do I feel like it has gotten much stronger than before? Wu shi roared in frenzy. You told me that most of the Power of Lightning has already been absorbed by Hall Master Xing! How could the lightning bolt still be so powerful then? In the midst of his frenzy, Wu shi heard the voice of a certain young man sounding sheepish not too far away, Oh. My mistake. Calction error... It seems like your involvement in Hall Master Xings Leaving Aperture Ordeal has caused your own Leaving Aperture Ordeal to intensify instead. However, theres still no need for you to panic. Un, no need to panic at all. I haveplete trust in your strength. You can do it! Fighting! ... Wu shi. To think that the young man before him would be such an unreliable person! Damn it! How can you make me take such risk before confirming the matter? This is too much! While Wu shi was filled with grudges against Zhang Xuan, the Power of Lightning swiftly umted in his body, leaving him with no spare attention to think about anything else anymore. He quickly concentrated his mind into dealing with the Power of Lightning coursing through his body. Hu! But despite his efforts, the might of the lightning coursing through his body was simply too destructive. In just a moment, his Primordial Spirit had already been ravaged to the point of near dissipation. At the same time, countless charred marks appeared throughout his body, and blood wouldnt stop flowing down the edges of his lips. It felt as if he would cave in at any moment and die. Its over... Wu shis face turned livid with despair. He had just achieved a breakthrough, and he hadnt even reinforced his cultivation yet. There was no way he could face a powered up Leaving Aperture Ordeal in his current state. Tzzzzzzzz! Just when he thought that it was the end, he suddenly felt a surge of zhenqi hidden in the depths of his body suddenly surging forth, repairing his injuries at a visible rate. This surge of zhenqi seemed to carry the authority of the heavens, and it was incredibly pure as well. It could even repair the damages on his Primordial Spirit with ease! This... Did Zhang shi leave this surge of zhenqi within my body? Wu shi widened his eyes in astonishment. He had verified with his own eyes Zhang Xuans identity as a Celestial Master Teacher. Considering the mystical effects of the zhenqi, there was little doubt that it was thetter who left it in his body. This would exin why the young man would instruct him to save Hall Master Xing without any hesitation. It seemed like he had prepared a hand in case something awry were to ur! Hu! In the blink of an eye, his Primordial Spirit and physical body had already recovered back to its peak. However, the Power of Lightning coursing through his body was far from dying down yet. Injury, recovery, injury, recovery... It was just a short ten minutes, but Wu shi felt as if he had been to and fro the gates of hell several times within this short span of time. Nevertheless, he had finally sessfully cleared the Leaving Aperture Ordeal! Opening his eyes once more, he saw that Hall Master Xings lightning ordeal had also passed, and the ominous clouds had scattered, revealing a clear night sky once more. Even though Hall Master Xing had started the Leaving Aperture realm on a shaky note, he was ultimately still the head of the Combat Master Hall, possessing capabilities far surpassing ordinary cultivators. While he had nearly died on several asion, he managed to sessfully withstand it with gritted teeth. Principal Zhang, thank you. Wu shi quickly walked up to Zhang Xuan and sped his fist. If not for the zhenqi the young man had left in his body, he would have indubitably sumbed to the lightning ordeal and lost his life. While the process was extraordinarily excruciating, he still managed to leap two cultivation stages within a very short period of time, jumping from Half-Leaving Aperture realm to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. In such a sense, the pain that he had been put through was worthwhile. At this moment, however, he suddenly heard Zhang shis telepathic voice sounding by his ears, Dont speak anymore and feign a state of severe injury! Wu shi had no idea why Zhang Xuan would abruptly make such an instruction, but he knew that thetter would have his own reason for doing so. Thus, his body suddenly wobbled weakly before copsing powerlessly to the ground, as if he had been sapped of all of his strength. Wu shi! rmed, Zhang Jiuxiao rushed over. With Zhang Jiuxiaos support, Wu shi was barely able to get back onto his feet. Just as Wu shi was about to ask what Zhang Xuan was up to, thetter suddenly shouted loudly into the surroundings. It seems you have already known that we woulde. Since thats the case, why dont you show yourself straight? I know that you want to kill me, and you know that I want to kill you as well. Theres no point wasting time ying hide-and-seek, dont you think so? Hide-and-seek? Whats that? More importantly, who is Principal talking to? Wu shi was taken aback. Wu shi wasnt the only one who was surprised by Zhang Xuans abrupt actions. The remaining members of the group were perplexed as well. They had swiftly scouted the ind and scanned the area with their Spiritual Perception earlier and confirmed that there was no one in the area other than them. If there was truly someone in the area, there was no way that person could have managed to bypass the detection of their Spiritual Perception. While the uprehending crowd was just about to ask about the matter, an eerie voice suddenly echoed in the air, Hehehehe, as expected of Zhang shi. Formidable indeed, noticing my presence right after I yed a small trick... Following which, another ind slowly surfaced from the depths of the marsh. T-that... That is the Ghost Cavern! Zhang Jiuxiao eximed with clenched fists. Chapter 1213 - Encountering Inner Demons Once More

Chapter 1213: Encountering Inner Demons Once More

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This is... Wu shi quickly turned to the ind. Despite being the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, this was the first time he had seen the rumored Ghost Cavern. It was a small ind, roughly three kilometers in diameter. At the very center was ake shaped like an eye, and it was impossible to see how deep it was just by looking at its surface. Bizarrely-shaped stones were scattered throughout the ind. Even though the ind had surfaced from the marsh, it was as if some kind of mysterious power was shrouding it, preventing the slightest hint of mud from being visible on the ground. On the contrary, there was low-lying lush greenery to be seen all around. The eerie voice sounded once more. If you wish to kill me,e over! Ill be hiding somewhere within. You can slowly take your time to find me; Im in no hurry at all... Following which, ayer of mist seemed to suddenly drift into existence around the ind, gradually shrouding it from view. It was as if the ind would sink back into the marsh very soon. Lets head over, Zhang Xuan said as he began to make his way over. However, before he could get to the other ind, Division Head Liao abruptly stepped in his path to halt him. We cant go! Its obvious that the enemy hase prepared. We were nearly done in even before we could enter the Ghost Cavern. If we really enter the Ghost Cavern, there will surely be plenty of traps that wille our way! Even someone of Hall Master Xings strength had nearly been eradicated by the lightning ordeal due to the other partys schemes. If they stepped onto the ind, there was no doubt that they would face countless traps, and chances were that one of the traps would im their lives. Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, He already knows that we are going after him. If we dont head enter the Ghost Cavern now, he will only have more time to prepare, and that will put us in greater danger in the future! From the looks of it, it was apparent that Vicious had anticipated their arrival and made preparations beforehand. As such, there was no point dying the matter any longer; it would not make a difference either way. In fact, the more time they wasted, the more time Vicious would have to kill more master teachers. Since that was the case, it would be simpler if they barged in and got it over with. Otherwise, once the Ghost Cavern descended into the marsh once more, they would not be able to do anything about Vicious anymore. But... Zhang Xuan was still shaking his head as he interjected, If we do not enter the Ghost Cavern now, the enemy will just continue his attack. Rather than allow more innocent lives to be lost, we might as well head in to see what hes up to. Besides, if he really wanted to make a move against us, at least half of our group would have been dead by now! The enemy they were facing was Vicious, the legendary expert who had shed directly with Kong shi back then! Furthermore, it was apparent that the memory of the Vicious in the Ghost Cavern had recovered to a greater degreepared to the Vicious in his Book of Heavens Path. Even though Zhang Xuan was able to withstand the other Vicious soul arts, it was hard to say the same about the three Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle elders from the Master Teacher Pavilion. In fact, it was also doubtful whether Division Head Wei and Division Head Liao would be able to withstand Vicious soul arts or not. Vicious inviting them into hisir instead of assaulting them head-on meant that he had some schemes in mind, and as risky as it might have been, this could have been their only opportunity to find out what Vicious was up to and bring him down! Seeing Zhang Xuan insisting on the matter, Division Head Liao was a little conflicted. At this moment, he suddenly felt something hard in his hands. It was a wine gourd. At the same time, he heard a telepathic voice in his ears. Give Hall Master Xing this wine. You want Hall Master Xing to drink wine? Division Head Liao was taken aback. Hall Master Xing had just been through the lightning ordeal, and there was not the slightest patch of un-charred skin on his body. In such circumstances, he should be fed with pills in order to hasten his recovery, and yet... wine? Division Head Liao stared at the wine in his hands in a dilemma. At that moment, the feeble Wu shi suddenly walked over and bellowed deeply, Hurry up and go! Yes! Hearing Wu shi agree with Zhang Xuan, Division Head Liao swiftly got to action. He pried open Hall Master Xings mouth and poured the fine wine in. A momentter, Hall Master Xing finally opened his eyes. Even though spirit had finally returned to his eyes, his movements were still dull with lethargy, simr to Wu shi. Since Principal Zhang has already said so, lets head in together. We havee as a group, so we should advance as one too, Hall Master Xing said. With Division Head Weis support, he struggled to his feet before wobbling his way over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan shot him a faint smile before leaping over to the other ind, and the others quickly followed suit. The little ind was deathly silent, to the point where they could vaguely hear a deafening ring in their ears. It was as if there was some kind of formation that isted them from the rest of the world. Wu shi and the others quickly scanned their surroundings as grimness seeped into their eyes. It seems like... a grade-8 formation! Even though the ind waspletely sealed, they found that they were unable to tell exactly what was wrong with it. Without a doubt, the formation cast over the ind was one that was on par with those they had encountered back at the Qiu Wu Pce. A Grade-8 formation... Even though two members of their groups had just achieved a breakthrough to the Leaving Aperture realm, they were still far from matching a formation of that caliber. Zhang Xuan nodded as well. While he did not think that it would be easy for Vicious to kill them, given that they were already standing in the other partys territory, it would be unwise for them to let their guard down. Vicious was an existence who had trapped even Kong shi back in his prime, so the means he had up his sleeve were bound to be frightening. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began assessing the ind silently. There was indeed a formation cast around the ind, but it was not one intended for offense. Instead, its purpose was to float and conceal the ind. It seems like thisnd didnt float out of the marsh after all! Instead, it operates like a boat. Using the power of the formation, it floats above the marsh and roams around the area freely, appearing only before others when it wants to, Zhang Xuan thought. Vicious needs to devour master teachers in order to regain his strength, so he intentionally spread the news regarding the abilities of the Ghost Cavern to draw cultivators and master teachers into the marsnds. Considering the treacherous terrain of the marsnds, the high death toll in the region has not drawn the suspicion of others, and all he had to do was let off a few cultivators from time to time in order to further the legend... Slowly, aplete picture formed in Zhang Xuans mind. Previously, he had heard that the Ghost Cavern could temper ones mental resilience, and countless master teachers and cultivators came to the marsnds in the hope of a chance encounter with it. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like most of those who managed to find the Ghost Cavern end up bing Vicious nourishment. On the other hand, the few sessful cases who had their mental resilience significantly boosted would be living advertisements for the Ghost Cavern, drawing in a steady supply of cultivators and master teachers for him. Birds die for food; humans die for wealth. Greed was an innate nature for all living beings, and master teachers were no exception to the rule. As expected of an old monster who has lived for countless years, his means are far more formidable than that finger... The finger Vicious that Zhang Xuan had subdued in the Cloudmist Ridge had subordinated the spirit beasts and saint beasts in the area to provide him with the nourishment required for his recovery. While he had managed to devour a substantial number of master teachers over the years, the numbers could not begin topare with this one. Let me see what is within theke that has driven so many master teachers into a frenzy to find it... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he began making his way over to theke. Zhang shi, be careful! Seeing Zhang Xuan walk toward theke, Zhang Jiuxiao hurried over to advise him. Theke reflects a persons inner desires and magnifies them. Itll be difficult to escape from it once you are caught! He had cultivated here for a month, so he was extremely familiar with the nature of theke. It reflected ones inner desires, and the longer one stared into, the more unbearable the desire became. Considering that their enemy they were dealing with was a soul oracle, if the other party used the opportunity to fuel those inner desires and warp them into inner demons, they could very well be done for! Or perhaps, the other party might even have lured them onto thisnd with that very intention in mind! Its fine. Im interested to see what my inner desires will show, Zhang Xuan replied with a casual smile. He had also guessed as much. However, if they hesitated in the face of all possible danger, they would never be able to get anything done. Zhang shi... Seeing that Zhang Xuan would not heed his advice, Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly turned his gaze to Wu shi, intending to get thetter to talk Zhang Xuan out of his foolishness. But when he saw thetter crouching weakly with a pained expression on his face, the words he wanted to say suddenly caught in his mouth. It seemed like the injuries thetter had sustained from the Leaving Aperture Ordeal earlier were simply too severe, such that even speaking was difficult for him. He then turned his attention to Hall Master Xing, only to see him in an equally bad state. His eyelids were drooping down, and it seemed like he would fall into a deep sleep if not for his sheer willpower pushing him on. Alright, you should all wait there for me. Itll suffice for me to head there alone. If I face any danger, you cane and rescue me instantly, Zhang Xuan instructed before walking over to theke alone. The water in theke was incredibly clear, and the starlight reflecting off its surface seemed to be reflecting the thoughts within ones mind. Looking deeper into it, Zhang Xuan could see faint images within it, as if recollections of his own memory. Hu! Soon after, his consciousness was drawn out of his body, and he suddenly found himself plunged into pure darkness. It was simr to what he encountered during the Heart Ordeal back at the Qiu Wu Pce. A sealed room with no light and no sound, so stifling that it could drive one mad. Some timeter, a pitch-ck figure slowly emerged from the darkness, speaking in a mesmerizing, familiar voice. Zhang Xuan, its me... The figure slowly approached, revealing an unbelievably beautiful face, one that belonged to the person of his dreamsLuo Ruoxin. She looked over quietly with nothing but a faint smile on her face, a look that Zhang Xuan had imagined countless times. Seeing Luo Ruoxins face, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in satisfaction. Finally, something more creative than the others... The inner demons that he had met previously were all incredibly revolting, to the point that his stomach would churn just by looking at their exterior. At the very least, the inner demons here seemed to at least have some wits, knowing to morph themselves into Luo Ruoxins appearance based on his memory. It seems like Vicious has also yed a part in this, eh? Zhang Xuan thought with an unreadable smile on his lips. Theke could see through ones inner desires, allowing one to know that they craved for the most, and Zhang Xuans greatest inner desire was... Luo Ruoxin. But before he could even get to see his own inner desire reflected in theke, an inner demon with Luo Ruoxins form had already appeared before him. It was apparent that Vicious had meddled somehow. If anyone else were to see the lover whom he had dreamed day and night for appearing before his eyes, he might very well have lost all self-control and immersed himself in the other partysforting embrace. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Putting aside that he possessed both the Library of Heavens Path and the Eye of Insight, which allowed them to peer through the nature of things, just the four Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements and the Saint Ascension Ordeal that he had undergone were more than enough to allow him to remain perfectly rational before such a situation. Zhang Xuan... Luo Ruoxin called as she slowly walked over to Zhang Xuan. The affection reflected in her ck eyes felt so tender that one could just melt in it. Youre here. Upon seeing Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan muttered with a dazed look in his eyes. He quickly rushed forward to hold the other partys soft hands in his grasp. I have missed you, Luo Ruoxin whispered as she gazed deeply into Zhang Xuans eyes. Zhang Xuan nodded before replying telepathically, I miss you, too... Right, I have a Great Art of Inner Demons with me here. Do you want to learn it? Great Art of Inner Demons? Luo Ruoxin frowned. Indeed. This secret art allows inner demons to strengthen their existence, allowing them to exist as a separate entity from their host. Its really powerful, so do you want to learn it? Zhang Xuan continued saying telepathically. ... Luo Ruoxin. Dont worry! I have fused this cultivation technique together with the heritage of the soul oracles, spirit awakeners, and many other upations. If you still dont believe me, why dont I recite a portion of the secret art to you so that you can make a judgement yourself? Grabbing the other partys hands so tightly that she was unable to struggle free, Zhang Xuan began reciting. An inner demon, in essence, is a unique type of spirit whose existence is chained to the thoughts of a sentient being, simr to a separate persona of the individual. In crucial moments, it can arise and inflict a critical blow to the individual. However, along with the death of the individual, the inner demon will vanish from existence as well. Why should inner demons be damned to remain subordinates of other beings? Why cant inner demons struggle free from this cruel fate that the heavens have condemned them to? If those words have struck a chord in your heart, my Great Art of Inner Demons will be the perfect book for you! This... Luo Ruoxins eyes gradually zed over as she listened to Zhang Xuans words, and unknowingly, her hands began to tremble in agitation. How is it? Interested in learning it? If you want to learn it, acknowledge me as your teacher, and Ill impart it to you! Zhang Xuan said. Luo Ruoxin kneeled to the floor and cried, Teacher! Pu! Following Luo Ruoxins kneeling, Zhang Xuan seemed to vaguely hear the sound of someone spurting blood. Chapter 1214 - Trapped

Chapter 1214: Trapped

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Good! Zhang Xuan swiftly imparted the Great Art of Inner Demons to Luo Ruoxin before instructing, Alright, revert to your original form. Yes, Teacher! Luo Ruoxins silhouette blurred before reverting to the appearance of an inner demon. Its figure was permeated with a demonic air that seemed to send ones thoughts into disarray upon sight. Whats your name? Zhang Xuan asked. My name? I was born just a moment ago from your thoughts, so I dont have a name yet, the inner demon replied sheepishly. I see. Since thats the case, why dont I give you a name? Let me think... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment. Alright, Ill call you Demoneh then! Teacher, thank you for bestowing me with a name! Demoneh replied gleefully. Demoneh, Demoneh... There was a nice ring to the name that his teacher had given him. Alright, you can go out now! While Demoneh was still immersed in the delight from being given a name, he suddenly heard the voice of the young man, and he quickly nodded. The next moment, the pitch-ck space abruptly vanished without a trace. The surroundings before Zhang Xuan blurred, and before he knew it, he found himself standing right before theke once more, as if what had just happened was merely a dream. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had regained consciousness, Zhang Jiuxiao quickly asked worriedly, Zhang shi, are you alright? Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw the entire group looking at him worriedly, as if fearing that something would happen to him. Dont worry, Im fine. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Noting how Zhang Xuan seemed to bepletely fine, devoid of the slightest disorientation in his mental state, Zhang Jiuxiao asked, You... didnt encounter any inner demons? Theke could reflect the inner desires within ones heart, and these desires were the perfect tool to generate inner demons within one. There was no way their enemy would have passed on this opportunity to deal with them! Inner demons were the greatest fear of cultivators, capable of magnifying their greatest fears to put them through unbearable mental torture... So how could Zhang shi have returnedpletely fine? I encountered one, Zhang Xuan replied leisurely. Come out and greet mypanions! Yes! A ck mist suddenly appeared before Zhang Xuan, and it gradually morphed into the form of an inner demon. It respectfully bowed to the others and said, Demoneh pays respect to my teacherspanions! This... That is... an inner demon? The lips of the entire group twitched as their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets from disbelief. That was a living inner demon! In the real world! Greeting them respectfully! Principal Zhang, what is going on? Division Head Liao asked with quivering lips. As the head of the Heart Division, he had read countless books regarding inner demons, and he knew very well that inner demons were existences bound to the thoughts of a cultivator, so it should have been impossible for them to exist in the real world. Furthermore, born from the darkness of an individuals heart, they were malicious beings who craved to destroy, so how could there possibly be one that was this obedient? Before Zhang Xuan could respond, Demoneh readily replied with the utmost admiration in his tone. Teacher has enlightened me from the darkness I was in. If not for him, I might still have been living my days groggily within a living hell. Its truly a huge blessing that I was able to meet my teacher! Enlightened? Teacher? The faces of the group twitched so intensely that it felt as if they would fling their cheeks off their faces. Surely inner demons could not be considered an independent lifeform... Even inner demons could have teachers? Theres no need to get so caught up with a matter as trivial as this. Speaking of which, do any of you want to give theke a try? Zhang Xuan gestured to theke as he spoke. After a long moment of silence, Zhang Jiuxiao raised his hand and said, Ill give it a try! He hade here before, and he knew that the inner desires reflected in theke could give rise to inner demons within ones heart. But for an inner demon to ept a cultivator as its teacher... This was really his first time seeing something as bewildering as that. At the same time, it also made him extremely excited. He suddenly felt as if a brand-new world had opened up before his eyes, and he felt tempted to give it a try too! Un. Zhang Xuan infused a portion of his will into Zhang Jiuxiaos body before gesturing for thetter to take a look in theke. Alright, go ahead and take a look. Alright! Turning his gaze to theke, Zhang Jiuxiao immediately saw countless inner desires stacked upon one another surfacing on top of theke, and these images seemed to resonate in his mind as well, leaving him feeling as if he would go insane. Hong long! He immediately tried to sever these inner desires from his mind, but before he could do so, his surroundings suddenly faded. Just like what had happened to Zhang Xuan earlier, he found himself plunged into darkness. Hu! A towering demon slowly rose before Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes, and there was a savage sneer on his lips. Upon seeing the appearance of Zhang Jiuxiaos inner demon, the will that Zhang Xuan had left within thetters body widened his eyes in disbelief. His inner demon... is me? Who would have expected that he would actually be the greatest inner demon of the offspring of the Zhang n! I... will surely surpass you! Zhang Jiuxiao had initially entered with the intention of epting the inner demon as his student, but upon seeing the inner demon, his eyes immediately zed over in confusion, and he began shouting frenziedly at the top of his lungs. Unlike Zhang Xuan, who could control his own state of mind, as soon as the inner demons appeared, the negative emotions that he had bottled up in his mind suddenly burst forth, consuming his consciousness whole, robbing him of his rationality. Surpass me? You wield great potential, but its a pity that the cultivation technique you wield is beneath mine. However, if you cultivate ording to my words, you might just be able to stand a chance... the inner demon tempted with a beguiling voice. Zhang Jiuxiao struggled internally for a moment, but eventually, he still caved in. ... Very well then! So, this is what it is like when an ordinary cultivator encounters inner demons...Zhang Xuan was astonished. So far, he had encountered inner demons on three asions. It was only on his first encounter, during his Saint Ascension Ordeal back in the Qiu Wu Pce, that he had been beguiled for a brief moment. As for the remaining two times, he had been able to retain his consciousness. He had thought that most cultivators would have been the same as him, but it seemed like that was far from the case. From the very start, the very existence of the inner demons reflected the inability of the cultivator to control their heart, resulting in an opening for the inner demons birth. As a result, it was not too difficult for an inner demon to breach a cultivators mental resilience and drive them berserk. Alright, I should start cleaning up now... After learning how inner demons were born, Zhang Xuans will finally emerged from where it was hidden. Little Demon,e. Ill ept you as my student... ... Will Jiuxiao be fine? Looking at Zhang Jiuxiaos shaking silhouette before theke, the faces of the group turned grim. Principal Zhang has a deep understanding of inner demons. Since he was the one who gestured for Zhang Jiuxiao to head over, there shouldnt be a problem, Division Head Liao replied. I hope so... At that moment, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air before slowly opening his eyes. Hu! Following which, a pitch-ck demon appeared before everyones eyes. Zhang Xuan turned to the demon andmanded, What are you waiting for? Hurry up and greet mypanions! Yes, Teacher! Demonbee pays respect to my teacherspanions! the inner demon greeted respectfully. Demonbee? Hearing that name, Demoneh fell into a daze. Why did it feel like there was something wrong with that name? In the midst of his bewilderment, it heard its teacher speaking once more. Whos next? Ill give it a try, too! Division Head Liao said before walking forward. Not too longter, another inner demon surfaced before everyones eyes, and it immediately bowed respectfully. Demonsee pays respect to my teacherspanions! Demondee pays respect to my teacherspanions! ... Demoneh, Demonbee, Demonsee, Demondee... A, B, C, D... At this point, Demoneh finally understood what was going on, and it nearly spurted blood. It had been gleeful about the name that Zhang Xuan had given it, but who would have thought that it was actually such a casual one! ... Looking at the neat row of inner demons before him, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Alright, we have four inner demons now. Who else wants to give it a try? Allow me! Division Head Wei stepped forward. Boom! But before he could get to theke, the ground suddenly tremored intensely. Amid violent waves, the water level in theke fell swiftly, as if someone had pulled open the plug in a bathtub. When theke had finally been emptied of water, a flight of stone steps slowly rose, leading deep underground. Not expecting theke to suddenly dry out when he had only acquired four inner demons, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Whats going on? I havent collected enough inner demons yet... Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the eerie voice from before echoed once more, but this time, it seemed to be quivering with anger. If you wish to meet me,e down... It was no wonder Vicious was furious. He had thought that as long as he could get the group to look into theke, he would be able to generate inner demons within their minds and sessfully put them under his control, turning them into his subordinates. Yet, the other party had ended up collecting the inner demons as his students instead! At this rate, not only would he not be weakening the other partys fighting prowess, he would even be bolstering their forces instead! The reason I am breeding inner demons in your mind is to use it to control you all, not to turn them into tools for your usage! The more Vicious thought about it, the more furious he felt. If not for the fact that he had been sealed underground and was unable to make a move personally, he definitely would have charged right up to kill Zhang Xuan with a single p! He had met plenty of people who did not go by the book in his lifetime, but this was the first time he had seen one who ripped the book into shreds without a care in the world! Unforgivable! Hearing Vicious voice, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before beckoning for the group to head down the stone stairs. Lets carry on then. Even though theke had only receded a moment ago, there was not the slightest dampness or mud on the stone steps. It was unknown what the stone steps were made of, but the area was so dark that it was extremely difficult for the group to make out their surroundings. Zhang Jiuxiao flicked his wrist and took out a couple of Night Illumination Pearls before tossing them forward. Their warm glow provided some light for the groups passage forward. Eventually, they arrived at a vast hall. Due to the limited light in the area, they were not able to fully make out the situation within the hall. Zhang Xuan stood at the forefront of the group, leading the way forward. Upon stepping into the hall, Zhang Xuan saw many corpses lying in the area. From the amount of dirt that had umted on the corpses, it could be seen that they had already been dead for many years. Yet, bizarrely, the corpses remained perfectly intact physically, just that they were without their souls. Soulless Metal Humanoids! This... Zhang Xuan frowned. Through the tattered rags that remained on the corpses, he could tell that most of them were master teachers... and they had all been forged into metal humanoids. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in fury. At this moment, he suddenly heard Ji shis astonished voice. Vice Pavilion Master Liu! Turning his gaze over, he saw Ji shi standing over one of the Soulless Metal Humanoids with anxiety in his eyes. Vice Pavilion Master Liu? Yes, hes the vice head of our Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion! His full name is Liu Yiyu, and he went missing three years ago. I thought that he had gone into seclusion to push for a breakthrough, but who would have thought... Ji shis voice trembled in horror, and a lump at the back of his throat cut off the rest of his words. This... Zhang Xuan was intending to console Ji shi when Wu shi suddenly walked up to one of the Soulless Golden Humanoids as well and eximed, Elder Xing! One of the elders from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion exined, Elder Xing is an elder of our Master Teacher Pavilion, and he disappeared eight years ago. How could he be here, too? As the group proceeded forward under the glow of the Night Illumination Pearls, they swiftly found many familiar faces. Almost all of them were Primordial Spirit realm master teachers. Most of them had disappeared in the past twenty years, and most had thought that they had either gone into istion or had died. Yet, for them to have all been captured and converted into these darned things... Unforgivable! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Theres no saving them anymore. They have all been converted into Soulless Metal Humanoids, empty vessels for soul oracles to maneuver... Damn it! Wu shis face reddened in rage. Ill have this matter reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them exact vengeance for all of them! To kill so many master teachers and forge them into puppets... Theres no way Ill let that bastard get away scot-free! Hehehehe, report to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, you say? Vicious voice sounded once more. Im afraid that it is already toote for you to do so... Hu! Right after those words were spoken, the hall suddenly shook intensely, and a loud crashing sound echoed behind them. Turning around, they saw that a massive boulder had already sealed the entrance that they had entered through. Recognizing the artifact, Zhang Xuans face darkened. Dragon Severing Lock! It was the Dragon Severing Lock that was specially forged by celestial designers. Judging from how resilient it was, it would be difficult for even a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert to break it! Hu! While the group was still in shock, the Soulless Metal Humanoid in the area suddenly opened their eyes simultaneously. Chapter 1215 - Encirclement

Chapter 1215: Encirclement

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There were at least several hundred of these Soulless Metal Humanoids. Under the glow of the Night Illumination Pearls, their ck eyes seemed to reflect crimson instead, giving them an extremely sinister appearance. It felt as if countless corpses had suddenly risen around them in the middle of a graveyard. This is bad! rmed, the group quickly gathered together before scanning their surroundings warily. Since the entrance had been sealed by the Dragon Severing Lock, there was no way they could escape from where they came from. Their only choice would be to proceed forward, but at the same time, it seemed like there were countless more Soulless Metal Humanoids lying ahead of them, and there was no way they could fend off so many of them simultaneously! Hu! Before the group could recover from their shock, a Soulless Metal Humanoid suddenly charged at them furiously before striking forward with its palm. Its palm strike with overflowing with strength, leaving the group feeling deeply pressured. These Soulless Metal Humanoids were at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle prior to their death, and through a unique technique, their bodies and zhenqi have remainedpletely intact, thus allowing them to retain most of their strength during the conversion. More importantly, they dont fear death, and they will rise again and again after being struck down... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes sharply. He had not expected Vicious to actually capture more than a hundred Saint 4-dan master teachers to forge them all into Soulless Metal Humanoids! Humph! Division Head Wei harrumphed as he stepped forward to knock back the assaulting Soulless Metal Humanoid with a powerful palm strike before charging forward to tear it apart. Suddenly, one of the elders from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion blocked his path at the crucial moment and said, This person is Elder Wang from our Master Teacher Pavilion. We were close buddies for many years... If possible, please dont injure his corpse; I would like to take him back with me and give him a proper burial... Elder Zeng! Division Head Wei bellowed angrily after hearing those words. Making use of this short opening, the Soulless Metal Humanoid charged forward and crashed heavily into Division Head Wei, causing thetter to spurt a mouthful of blood. At the same time, the other Soulless Metal Humanoids slowly rose from the ground, seemingly preparing to make their moves as well. Seeing how Elder Zeng was still firmly blocking his way, Division Head Wei bellowed in displeasure, If we dont kill him, we will be the ones who are killed! If you want to die here, be my guest. Just dont drag the rest of us down! But... The face of the Elder Zeng turned incredibly ugly. He knew many of the corpses lying the area, and there were a couple of them who had been close friends with him over the past several centuries. He felt that the least he could do for them was take their bodies back intact and give them a proper burial, in hopes that they could at least rest in peace after death. But looking at the current situation, he also realized that such thoughts would only lead to the downfall of the group. Boom! While Elder Zeng was still conflicted over what he should do, one of the Soulless Metal Humanoids suddenly charged his way and wed at him. Elder Hu! Seeing the other partys face, Elder Zengs eyes widened in astonishment as many emotions gushed into his mind. This resulted in his body moving slower by half a beat, and deep gorges were torn through his shoulder, causing him to bleed profusely. Seeing that Elder Zeng was still hesitating due to his ties with the deceased, Zhang Xuan bellowed, Elder Zeng, that person isnt Elder Hu anymore! His soul has already long dissipated, and hes nothing more than a puppet right now! The members of the Combat Master Hall had been through many life-and-death situations, so they knew how to toss aside their emotions and move decisively in moments of danger. On the other hand, the members of the Master Teacher Pavilion happened to becking in this aspect. They tended to allow sentiments to affect their judgement in such critical situations. He... Elder Zeng frowned in distress, but eventually, he bit his lips tightly and roared, Yes! Taking a deep breath, he raised his palm and collided head-on with the Elder Hu Soulless Metal Humanoid. Peng peng peng! At the same time, the Soulless Metal Humanoids in the area also rushed forward and surrounded the crowd. Hula! With so many Primordial Spirit realm experts acting against them simultaneously, the group was swiftly ced in a deeply disadvantageous position, and it seemed as if they would cave in very soon. After knocking away two Soulless Metal Humanoids, Division Head Liao asked anxiously, Principal Zhang, what do we do? These fellows knew neither pain nor death. Only when their heads were severed would they finally fall lifelessly back to the ground. Against a troop of more than a hundred of such Primordial Spirit realm puppets, even though their group wielded considerable fighting prowess as well, the situation was terrible for them. The Soulless Metal Humanoids can only move under anothers control. As long as we can find the person manipting them, we will be able to resolve the current danger, Zhang Xuan said with a frown. Without a doubt, someone must have been controlling those lifeless puppets. As long as they could find and subdue the someone, they would be able to free themselves from the crisis they were in. Division Head Wei gritted his teeth and said, Since thats the case... Principal Zhang, well hold the fort for the time being while you try to find the person behind the Soulless Metal Humanoids! Everyone, get into formation! Protect Principal Zhang, Hall Master Xing, and Wu shi! Hu! Right after saying those words, the group quickly formed a circle around Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Xing, and Wu shi in order to protect them. The improved coborative formation that Zhang Xuan had imparted to them had granted them a significant rise in their fighting prowess in team battles. As such, despite the simultaneous onught of over a hundred Soulless Metal Humanoid, they were surprisingly able to stand their ground, sessfully warding the enemies off for the time being. Protected in the middle, the conflicted Wu shi sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Principal Zhang, should we make a move? His injuries had long been healed by Zhang Xuans Heavens Path zhenqi, and the previous frailty he had disyed was nothing more than an act. Theres no need for that at the moment. The both of you are our trump cards, and we cant afford to let this be known to the enemy yet, Zhang Xuan replied telepathically. But I fear that the others wont be able to hold on for too long! Wu shi anxiously replied. Dont worry. These Soulless Metal Humanoid might appear powerful, but itll still be difficult for them to ovee the improved coborative formation. For the time being, let me see whos controlling the puppets. If Im lucky, I might be able to find a clue leading to the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor! Zhang Xuan said. In truth, with his prowess, he could have easily broken the encirclement of the hundred Soulless Metal Humanoid. The reason he had chosen not to make a move was to act weak in hopes that it would cause the fellow behind the Soulless Metal Humanoids to lower his guard and, possibly, lure him out and capture him. If that person was Vicious himself, that would be even better. Once he found the other partys location and weakness, he would be able tounch a surprise attack and subdue the other party in a single move. If so, the crisis surrounding the Master Teacher Pavilion could be resolved once and for all. Activating his Eye of Insight while extending his Spiritual Perception forth simultaneously, Zhang Xuan began assessing the Soulless Metal Humanoids carefully. There seemed to be crimson sparks in each of their eyes, and if his deduction was correct, they seemed to be some kind of medium to ry an individuals will. Most likely, someone was rying theirmands to the Soulless Metal Humanoid through the crimson sparks, thus driving them into action. Let me see where the will traces to! Zhang Xuan randomly picked out a Soulless Metal Humanoid, and concentrating the prowess of his Eye of Insight, he vaguely saw a narrow thread linked to the sparks of me in the puppets eyes. The narrow thread was not just attached to the eyes of that single puppet; there was a thread present for all of the Soulless Metal Humanoids within the room, crisscrossing with one another as if a fish. All the threads eventually converged together into the depths of the hall. What powerful soul energy! Zhang Xuans expression turned grim. For an individual to manipte more than a hundred Soulless Metal Humanoid to attack them simultaneously using different moves was an incredibly difficult task, requiring an unbelievably level of multi-tasking. This could only possibly be carried out by one who possessed extremely powerful soul energy, and even Zhang Xuan was not confident that he would necessarily be able to do the same. Zhang Xuan frowned. Theres a formation blocking us in front... Gazing ahead, before he could see the other end of the thread, a formation blocked his view, preventing him from seeing any further. If he could not reach the other end of the thread, he would not be able to uncover Vicious true position. If so, their group would remain in a disadvantageous position, being in the open whereas the enemy remained hidden in the shadows. Hold on for a little longer, Ill quickly go ahead to take a look! Zhang Xuan said before leaping out of the groups protection. He swiftly flew toward where the threads were converging. Only while their group appeared to be in a disadvantageous position would the other party continue manipting the puppets, allowing him to trace the other party down via the threads. Otherwise, once all the Soulless Metal Humanoids were destroyed, the threads would be severed, making it impossible for him to track down the other party. H! Before Zhang Xuan could get far, three Soulless Metal Humanoid suddenly charged toward him with rampaging might, seemingly wanting to tear him into pieces. Principal Zhang, be care... Division Head Liao shouted. But before he could finish his word, Zhang Xuan abruptly leaped into the air. Without even paying a nce to the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he stepped lightly in the air. Padah! Padah! Padah! The three Soulless Metal Humanoids fell forcefully back onto the ground, buried deep into the earth. Ahhh! The Soulless Metal Humanoids instinctively struggled furiously, wanting to free themselves. Yet, as if there was a mountain weighing on them, they found themselves unable to escape at all. Powerful... Division Head Liaos lips twitched wildly. Those Soulless Metal Humanoids did not even fear death, making them difficult opponents even for abat master like him. Yet, with just a light step in the air, Zhang Xuan managed to forcefully pin three of them to the ground. Just from this, he could tell that even three of him would not be a match for Zhang Xuan! Just half a month ago, he barely escaped from our grasp, but now, he has already be a formidable expert possessing strength far surpassing us. His talent is truly... Division Head Liao shook his head with a helpless smile. It had not been too long ago when he, Hall Master Xing, and Division Head Wei were able to easily subdue the young man, almost killing him even. While the young mansbat sense was formidable, his strength and speed had been still severelycking, making him far from a match for them. But now, he could already see that even if the three of them were to coborate once more to deal with him, they would be utterly defeated within moments! Having lived for several centuries, he had encountered plenty of geniuses in his time, but the rate at which this young man was growing was truly inconceivable, possibly unseen throughout history! ... Not knowing that the blow he had executed casually would actually leave Division Head Liao so immensely shocked, Zhang Xuan continued advancing forward after subduing the three Soulless Metal Humanoids with a single step. Peng peng peng peng! This time, it was even more exaggerated. Without even making a move, all of the Soulless Metal Humanoid that attempted to charge at him were suddenly pinned against the ground or the wall, unable to break free no matter how desperately they struggled. At Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, Zhang Xuans fighting prowess was alreadyparable to a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator. His might was not something that those Primordial Spirit realm Soulless Metal Humanoids couldpare to. While knocking down more than twenty Soulless Metal Humanoids that charged toward him, Zhang Xuan finally arrived at the very end of the hall. The threads abruptly vanished into the depths of the wall at this point. Is this... a mechanism from a celestial designer? Zhang Xuan took a look at the wall before him and frowned. Through his Eye of Insight, he could tell that the wall before him was actually a mechanism, and the fellow controlling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was hidden right behind it. This mechanism might have been able to stop other cultivators, but against me... Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan ced his palm lightly on it. Hu! A book emerged in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan ced his finger on the book, and the knowledge contained within it was swiftly transferred into his mind. Reading the details, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Its actually the work of a 7-star pinnacle celestial designer! It seems like theres a fairly skilled celestial designer among the Soulless Metal Humanoids... While there was not a Celestial Designer Guild in Qingyuan City, there were still branches in the other cities around the Qingyuan Empire. The handicraft of a 7-star pinnacle celestial designer would have been difficult for an ordinary cultivator to decipher, but Zhang Xuan was different. Through the analysis of the Library of Heavens Path, he had already managed to grasp the ins and outs of the mechanism fully. Using his finger as a sword, he swiftly tapped the mechanism eight times. Kacha! Kacha! A few mechanical clicks echoed in the air. Following which, the wall before him parted down the middle, revealing a long tunnel. The abruptly halted threads continued into the depths of the tunnel. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan proceeded into the tunnel. However, barely after taking two steps, a surge of sword qi suddenly flew forth for his be. Chapter 1216 - Crimson Emerald Duplet Swordsmanship

Chapter 1216: Crimson Emerald Duplet Swordsmanship

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment as sweat poured down his body. The sword qi was extremely swift, moving as fast as a streak of lightning. Not only that, it also harnessed formidable might within it. Even with Zhang Xuans recent surge in cultivation, he instantaneously realized that it would be difficult for him to sh with that sword qi face on at a whim. Thus, with a slight step, he executed the Unbounded Voyager. As if space had beenpressed, that slight step allowed Zhang Xuan to cover three meters in an instant, cing him right next to the wall. Hu! At the same time, the sword qi flew by him with a cold gale, vanishing into the distance. That was a close one! It was fortunate that he had recently gained a deeperprehension of thews of space and the Unbounded Voyager, or else that single surge of sword qi might have just left him severely wounded! That should be around... Leaving Aperture realm primary stage! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly as he made a rough estimate. It was a very brief encounter, but it had allowed Zhang Xuan to verify the strength of the enemyLeaving Aperture realm primary stage, as well as an expert in swordsmanship. He was already capable of facing such an opponent with his current strength, but there was still a need for him to be wary around them. In a sh between experts, the slightest moment of carelessness could cost ones life. For example, if he had not reacted swiftly to the sudden assault, he would have fallen there and then! Tzzzzzz! Barely after Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, a powerful killing intent suddenly permeated the area as two more surges of sword qi flew over, one from the front and one from the back. In this narrow tunnel, these two surges of sword qi were more than enough to seal his path, leaving him nowhere to hide. Humph! Knowing that he could not dodge as he did previously, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and whipped out his cier Rain Sword. With a powerful sh, he collided with the two surges of sword qi. While the cier Rain Sword was only a Saint low-tier artifact, it was still able to disy astounding prowess when paired with Zhang Xuans mastery in swordsmanship. A deafening sonic boom echoed in the air, and the resulting powerful shockwave sted the topyer off the walls of the tunnel. Weng! Zhang Xuans cier Rain Sword creaked under the overwhelming pressure it was ced under against the two surges of sword qi, nearly shattering. Nevertheless, it still managed to fend off the two surges of sword qi. Knowing that he would remain at a critical disadvantage if he continued shing with the enemy within the narrow tunnel, Zhang Xuan swiftly made use of this opportunity to advance forward. Hula! His movements were quick, but the enemys sword qi was even quicker. Barely after taking two steps, he felt sword qi tearing toward him once more. This time, there were four surges. If he forced his way through, there was a good chance that he would be sliced into tiny pieces. Thus, Zhang Xuan flicked his cier Rain Sword to fend off the sword qi once more. However, it seemed as if the opponent was simply getting started and was building up more momentum as the battle continued. After four surges, the enemy flung six surges of sword qi at him, and astoundingly, the strength of each sword qi was even stronger than the previous wave. This seems to be a type of Sword Formation or some kind of unique sword art! Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea who was behind the attacks, he could tell that the sword qi was the product of some kind of formidable Sword Formation or sword art. Not daring to get careless, he drove the zhenqi within his body and tapped the area ahead of him lightly. Weng! In an instant, it felt as if space itself had turned viscous. The six surges of sword qi significantly slowed down, posing no more threat to Zhang Xuan. With a series of shes with the cier Rain Sword, Zhang Xuan managed to ovee each of them. Just as he was about to advance once more, eight surges of sword qi arrived in his vicinity. Following the previous pattern, the eight surges of sword qi were each stronger than the previous six. With their overwhelming might, they actually caused the viscous space that Zhang Xuan had just set up earlier to shake intensely, and with a resounding hu!, it dissipated altogether. Deng deng deng deng! Suffering a power bacsh, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat two steps before coughing up a mouthful of blood. He swiftly stretched a hand forward and gathered his zhenqi before his palm in the form of a sphere to defend himself from the powerful onught of sword qi. The powerful surges of sword qi had really taken him by surprise this time around. Upon reaching Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, his fighting prowess was alreadyparable to a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator. Yet, despite his strength, he ended up being knocked back by just a couple of sword qi surges! A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. Each wave of sword qi is faster and stronger than thest. Could this be the legendary Crimson Emerald Duplet Swordsmanship? Having read all the books in the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall, he was rather familiar with the legendary formations and battle techniques that had appeared in the history of the Qingyuan Empire Many years ago, there had been two extremely talented sword practitioners in the Combat Master Hall. They had managed to earn the opportunity to head to the Qianchong Empires Sword Lagoon, and over there, they hadprehended a unique Sword Formation known as the Crimson Emerald Duplet Swordsmanship. In a sense, it could also be considered as a coborative formation centered around swords. Through the sheer might of the Sword Formation, they had been able to overwhelm even Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivators with ease! But more than a thousand years ago, the duo had abruptly gone missing without leaving behind their heritage, and there were many who presumed that they had died. However, to see this legendary Sword Formation appear here... Could it be that the duo had been killed by Vicious, and their bodies had been forged into Soulless Metal Humanoids? If that was the case, Zhang Xuan would truly be in a bad position. If I cant see them in action, I wont be able topile a book on them and analyze the ws in the battle technique. This wont do. If I continue wasting time here, once the battle on the other side ends, the threads will disappear along with the only clue we have leading to Vicious at the moment, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Knowing that he could not afford to waste any time, he decisively flicked his wrist to take the massive Golden Origin Cauldron out. Pave a way forward! Roger that! Dont worry, Master. They are only a bunch of weaklings. Watch how I, Ding Ding, crush them into smithereens! Roaring furiously, the Golden Origin Cauldron began on a ferocious charge through the tunnel. Ding ding dang dang! The sword qi produced a resounding metallic echo uponing into contact with the Golden Origin Cauldron, but it did little to slow its movements. After being infused with the ck Goldcrystal Ore, the defense of the Golden Origin Cauldron had been enhanced by leaps and bounds. On top of that, the Golden Origin Cauldrons cultivation had also reached Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, two cultivation stages higher than the assants. As powerful as the enemies sword qi was, they were still unable to ovee the Golden Origin Cauldrons defenses. Seeing how the Golden Origin Cauldron was able to deal with the Sword Formation with ease, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he followed closely behind it. The narrow tunnel was roughly eighty meters long, so it did not take him too long to arrive at the other end. What he was met with was anotherrge hall. This hall had clearly been manually dug out, and it was roughly a hundred meters in diameter. Upon entering the hall, Zhang Xuans Spiritual Perception was no longer limited by the previous formation. Thus, he extended it, and he soon noticed two figures swiftly retreating from him. While those two figures appeared no different from ordinary humans on the surface, be it in terms of skin, hair, or flesh, theck of expression on their faces betrayed their identities as Soulless Metal Humanoids. Do you think that Ill allow you to get away that easily after assaulting me? Zhang Xuan sneered coldly as he raised his palm. Boom! An imposing force burst forth with astounding momentum toward the duo. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Sensing the powerful might of the palm art, the two Soulless Metal Humanoid swiftly turned around to defend against the palm with the swords in their hands. However, having broken their Sword Formation, the momentum they had built up all this while had vanished without a trace. As such, the might of their sword qi was onlyparable to the first wave of assault that they hadunched previously. Zhang Xuans Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm crushed their sword qi in a sh. Following which, the sound of ribcages shattering filled the hall as the two Soulless Metal Humanoids were smacked into the wall. Seeing how Zhang Xuan incapacitated the both of them with a single blow, the Golden Origin Cauldron eximed anxiously, Master, please leave one of them to me! This was a rare opportunity for it to try out its newfound strength, so naturally, it wanted cannon fodder to pummel as well. Fine, Ill leave them to you then, Zhang Xuan said. His main goal was Vicious. As for these small fries, it would suffice to render them powerless. Wonderful! Hearing those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron eximed in excitement. It immediately charged forward and crashed right into one of the two Soulless Metal Humanoids with its powerful body. Paji! The Soulless Metal Humanoid did not evenst for an instant before being reduced to a pancake stered on the wall. Hahahaha, theres no one who is a match for Grandpa Ding! Hahahahaha! Gripped with excitement, the Golden Origin Cauldron burst intoughter before abruptly turning to face the remaining Soulless Metal Humanoid. Horrified, the Soulless Metal Humanoid swiftly struggled free from the wall and began to run away. Do you think that you will be able to flee from your Grandpa Ding? Harrumphing coldly, the Golden Origin Cauldron charged forward once more. Perhaps realizing that it would not be able to outrun the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Soulless Metal Humanoid drew its sword andunched a powerful chop toward it. The powerful chop produced a crisp metallic sound on the Golden Origin Cauldron before the sword abruptly snapped into two. Following which, the Soulless Metal Humanoid was smacked into the wall. Paji! Its bones were immediately shattered into nonexistence, and it became another painting on the wall, just like the previous Soulless Metal Humanoid. Ah... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. He had thought that the Golden Origin Cauldron would only subdue them. After all, these two Soulless Metal Humanoids had once been honorable experts of the Combat Master Hall, so it would have been good to have Hall Master Xing take them back to be buried. Yet, who would have thought that the Golden Origin Cauldron would actually destroy their bodies so utterly? Oh well, it was not a big deal. Ultimately, they were already dead. It would suffice to relinquish their bodies from Vicious control and allow them to rest in peace. Besides, thebat masters of the Combat Master Hall were not as sentimental as the Master Teacher Pavilion. On the battlefield, there was nothing more important than preserving ones life, so how could they possibly have attention to spare for any of those formalities? Eye of Insight! Zhang Xuan began tracing down the threads once more, only to find that they extended underground. Zhang Xuan walked over and ced his hand on the area where the threads disappeared. As expected, there was a trapdoor there. Zhang Xuan lightly pushed it open with his forefinger. Geji! Geji! Instead of entering the trapdoor immediately, Zhang Xuan beckoned for the Golden Origin Cauldron. Come over here for a moment! Coming! The Golden Origin Cauldron swiftly flew over. Head in first to check if there is any danger inside, Zhang Xuan instructed. The sword qi he had faced in the tunnel had reminded him of the need to remain cautious in the Ghost Cavern. If not for the recent rise in his cultivation, he could have died under the onught of sword qi. In any case, since he had the Golden Origin Cauldron, there was no need for him to take the risk to explore uncharted territory by himself. He could have the cauldron enter first, and depending on what it encountered, he would be able to take preparations in advance. Roger that! the Golden Origin Cauldron replied before decisively jumping into the trapdoor. Padah! Master, I think that I am stuck... Zhang Xuan was speechless. The Golden Origin Cauldron happened to be the perfect size to plug up the trapdoor. Never mind,e out first. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan plucked the Golden Origin Cauldron out before driving his zhenqi and stepping into the trapdoor himself warily. There was not a sound to be heard in the passageway beyond the trapdoor. Nevertheless, with the previous experience, Zhang Xuan dared not lower his guard. Holding the cier Rain Sword tightly in his grasp, he proceeded forward a step at a time. Soon, he arrived at the very end of the flight of stairs. Surprisingly, the enemy did not spring a sudden assault on him this time around. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist to whip out a Night Illumination Pearl before tossing it on the ground ahead of him, lighting up the room before him. It was yet another vast hall, just like the one above. Scanning the room, a frown surfaced on Zhang Xuans forehead. The threads manipting the Soulless Metal Humanoids vanished in this room, so he had expected to see Vicious there. But contrary to his expectations, there was not a person to be seen in the area. Geji! Zhang Xuan was just about to scan the room thoroughly to see if he could find anything when the mechanical clicking of a mechanism suddenly echoed behind him. Turning around, he saw that the passageway that he hade from had already been sealed shut. While it was not the Dragon Severing Lock, it was not a seal that he could break within a short period of time either. Zhang Xuan was dazed for a moment before realization struck him. They are intending to separate me from Hall Master Xing and the others! At this point, it was clear that the other partys intention was to divide their group up so as to deal with them one by one. Knowing that there would be something lying in wait for him within the hall, he did not rush to break the seal. Instead, taking a deep breath, he began examining the hall carefully. Since you have already seeded in isting me from the rest of my group, isnt it about time for you to show yourself? A wise man you are, Zhang shi! a faint voice sounded from the depths of the hall. Following which, a human-like figure suddenly emerged from the wall on the opposite side. Thinking that it was an effect produced by some kind of illusion, Zhang Xuan did not pay much heed to it. However, when he took a closer look at the appearance of the figure, he could not help but frown. You... still arent dead? The person before him was none other than the person he had conducted Soul Search on back in Qingyuan City, the individual whom he had given Vicious to consumethe Qingtian Emperor! Chapter 1217 - Cherry Popping

Chapter 1217: Cherry Popping

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wasnt the Qingtian Emperor dead? Why had he suddenly appeared in the Ghost Cavern? Dead? If I, the Qingtian Emperor, could be killed that easily, how could I possibly be qualified to rule over the entire Qingtian Lineage? the Qingtian Emperor sneered coldly as the killing intent he emanated swiftly permeated the entire hall. What you killed was nothing more than a clone! A clone? Zhang Xuan frowned. Tian Qing had been the incarnation of his will, so that could have been considered a clone. But to think that the copper-masked figure would actually only be a clone as well... The Qingtian Emperor sure had many cards up his sleeves! I spent five hundred years maturing that clone from my severed soul. You sure had fun killing it, didnt you? Its about time to settle the grudges between us! Deep animosity was reflected in the eyes of the Qingtian Emperor. There was no such thing as a perfect disguise in the world. As an Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he was well aware of this fact. No matter how well he hid himself, walking amid the humans, it was only a matter of time before he exposed himself. Due to safety concerns, even the copper-masked figure was only a clone he had forged with great difficulty. On the other hand, he kept his main soul safely hidden within the Ghost Cavern. Even as a soul oracle who had inherited Vicious knowledge, it had not been an easy feat for him to create a clone. He had paid an exceptionally heavy price and spent a whole five hundred years nurturing his severed soul before he had managed to create the copper-masked figure, and yet, the young man before him had killed him! On top of that, there was also the matter with Tian Qing and his Ten Kings... It was no joke to say that the young man had almost sent their Qingtian Lineage into extinction single-handedly! Naturally, it went without saying how much he wanted to rip the young man into pieces and see him suffer! Tell me, how do you want to die? Perhaps, if Im feeling merciful today, I might just grant your wish! the Qingtian Emperor mocked coldly. How about death by old age? Zhang Xuan asked. You have no choice in this! The Qingtian Emperor harrumphed angrily as the killing intent he emanated intensified. Boom! Suddenly, Zhang Xuan felt a powerful force tugging at his soul, attempting to pull it out. Knowing that the other party was utilizing the soul nabbing secret art, Zhang Xuan frowned. While his soul was massive, due to theck of suitable cultivation techniques, its fighting prowess was still severely limited. Currently, he was relying more on his physical body and zhenqi cultivation in fights. Given that his opponent was a Saint 5-dan soul oracle, it would be disastrous for him if the fight became a battle between souls instead. Thus, Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to hold his soul firmly in ce, preventing it from being taken. At the same time, he pushed his feet against the ground and dashed forward. Hu! In that instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to have transformed into a sword himself, as if the sword in his hand was a mere extension of himself. Man-Sword Union! He had collected all the books concerning swordsmanship back at the Combat Master Halls Weapon Division, allowing him to advance his Heavens Path Sword Art to Saint low-tier. His Man-Sword Union state had be far sharper and stronger than before, and the sword qi that shot forth from his de formed a perfect arc as it headed toward the Qingtian Emperor. Not too bad! Not expecting the young man to be able to withstand his soul nabbing secret art and even counterattack, the Qingtian Emperor narrowed his eyes menacingly. He immediately gave up his attempt to draw out Zhang Xuans soul and extended his hand forward instead. Weng! In an instant, the air around Zhang Xuan seemed to have frozen, and the sword qi he had shot forward suddenly slowed down significantly. Zhang Xuans heart tensed. Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage? He could easily deduce the Qingtian Emperors cultivation just from that single move, and thetter was actually far stronger than the copper-masked figure! In the Leaving Aperture realm, a cultivator would have to undergo the lightning ordeal for each increment in their cultivation stage, and one who had reached advanced stage would have already undergone the lightning ordeal thrice. Such an opponent was not someone that an Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle cultivator like him could deal with. Break! Zhang Xuan roared as he flicked his wrist forcefully and shot out an incredibly sharp burst of sword qi. The powerful might of the sword qi swiftly shattered the frozen air around him. But just as he finally felt the force surrounding his body loosen, he suddenly saw the Qingtian Emperor thrusting his palm over. Without much time to respond, Zhang Xuan hurriedly raised his sword to defend against the other partys attack. As the set of actions was done in a rush, he was not able to gather his full might beforehand. Peng! The cier Rain Sword was sent flying, lodging itself deeply into the wall not too far away. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was also smacked into the ground, forming a huge depression beneath him. While he was able to rival opponents superior to him, he could only match Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage opponents at the very maximum. Against advanced stage opponents, he was still severelycking. After smacking Zhang Xuan into the ground, the Qingtian Emperor sneered coldly. If this is all you have, itll be difficult for you to escape death today! Another surge of killing intent burst across the room as his hand reached forth to deal the killing blow to the fallen Zhang Xuan. You want to kill me? Lets see if you have the strength and the means to do so! Zhang Xuan said as he leaped up from the depression, and with a flick of his wrist, he formed a palm print before his hand and thrust it forward. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Boom! As the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm collided with the Qingtian Emperor, Zhang Xuans face reddened once more, and he swiftly retreated eight steps to ward off the might from thetters attack. No matter what, the Qingtian Emperor was still the head of the Qingtian Lineage, a monster who had lived for countless years. Hisprehension ofbat was nowhere beneath Zhang Xuans, and he also possessed an advantage in terms of cultivation. Even with his full strength, Zhang Xuan was still unable to match the other partys directly. Realizing that Zhang Xuan did not stand a chance against him, the Qingtian Emperor hooked his fingers into steel ws and charged forward, sneering, You talk arrogantly, but you dont have the strength to back it up. Allow me to send you on your way! Drawing on his full strength as a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage expert, the Qingtian Emperor sealed the surroundings firmly, halting Zhang Xuans movements. At the same time, a feeling of helplessness arose in Zhang Xuans mind, leaving him feeling utterly despaired at the situation, as if he would not be able to make a difference no matter how hard he struggled. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. His attacks arent just normal physical attacks. His assault is also infused with soul energy and a unique conception that can crush the minds of those possessing weaker mental resilience... On the surface, the Qingtian Emperors assault appeared to be an ordinary w, but through his deepprehension of battle techniques, Zhang Xuan was still able to see through the crux of his maneuver with a nce. There were twoyers of attacks to the Qingtian Emperors offense. First, the suppression of zhenqi, and second, the erosion of ones mental resilience. In face of overwhelming might, it wasmon for one to overestimate the danger one was in and give up hope. For example, standing before the incredible momentum of an avnche, if one allowed the feeling of helplessness and despair to consume ones mind, there was no way one would be able to escape even if one had the ability to do so. Realizing this pitfall, Zhang Xuan swiftly drove the Heavens Path Soul Art, and the feeling of helplessness instantaneously vanished without a trace. Following which, with a swift step, he executed the Unbounded Voyager and sessfully escaped the Qingtian Emperors assault. At the same time, he made use of the opportunity to twist his body and retaliate with a flick of his finger. Grand Constetion Finger! Wuuuuuuu! As if a loosed arrow, the energy concentrated at the tip of Zhang Xuans finger burst toward the Qingtian Emperors eye. The Qingtian Emperor chuckled softly without any hint of anxiety in his voice. Instead, he turned around and counterattacked with a flick of his finger. As expected of a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, you sure did notice my ws rather quickly! Peng! A burst of light collided with the Grand Constetion Finger, and the two forces ended up neutralizing one another perfectly. However, possessing inferior strength, Zhang Xuan still ended up being forced to retreat once more. From the very start of the battle, he had been using his Library of Heavens Path to peer through the other partys ws in order toe up with a countermeasure against him. However... the gap in terms of fundamental power between him and the Qingtian Emperor was simply too great, especially given thetters ability to manipte the surrounding environment. Even if he knew where the other partys mingmeny, there was nothing he could do if his attacks could not evene close to the other party. At higher realms, it bes harder and harder to exploit the mingmen of others.Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. When he was still at the Fighter realm, he could easily defeat opponents many cultivation realms higher than him just by exploiting thetters mingmen. However, as his cultivation grew, the opponents he faced became stronger and stronger, and the concepts of space became an integral part of battle as well. This limited his ability to abuse others weaknesses. However, it was fortunate that this worked both ways. It was true that he would be unable to kill the Qingtian Emperor easily, but the reverse happened to be true as well. Clenching his hands tightly together into fists, Zhang Xuan began on a barrage of punches toward the Qingtian Emperor. Kacha! Kacha! A rift seemed to appear in the space before him as his fists fell relentlessly on the Qingtian Emperor at an unbelievable frequency. Thousand Punches of the Lightning Sea! This was a technique created by a Leaving Aperture realm expert who had suddenly happened upon inspiration in the midst of watching the lightning gathering for his Leaving Aperture Ordeal. It was considered one of the stronger battle techniques in the Qingyuan Empire, and its power was further enhanced in Zhang Xuans hands. Before he even fully brought out the full strength of the battle technique, the hall was filled with lightning. While the might of the Thousand Punches of the Lightning Sea could not bepared with the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, it was harnessed with the Power of Lightning, which made it extremely effective. It was not exactly true to say that the more profound and powerful a battle technique was, the more effective it would be in battle. To truly maximize ones fighting prowess, the keyy in the effective use of battle techniques ording to the situation instead. It was for this reason that experts would strive to create more battle techniques so that they would have a greater number of cards to y in battle. Hmm? Not expecting a mere Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm cultivator to be able to withstand his assaults and evenunch a counterattack, the Qingtian Emperors face turned livid. He subconsciously took two steps back before spreading his hands open to w at the barrage of punches around him. Hu! The lightning in the area suddenly dissipated into nothingness, as if some kind of mysterious might had burst them. I am a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivator, a person who has been through three lightning ordeals! Even the lightning from the heavens is unable to kill me, did you really naively believe that this lightning attribute battle technique of yours would be able to faze me? The Qingtian Emperor harrumphed coldly. A powerful surge of aura burst from the Qingtian Emperor, and for a moment, his presence suddenly seemed to tower, as if an infallible giant who could not be felled no matter what kind of means one used against him. I know that just lightning itself wont be sufficient to deal with you... but what if I paired that with my cier Rain Sword? Zhang Xuan replied with a smirk. The Qingtian Emperor frowned. Your cier Rain Sword? He distinctively recalled that he had knocked away the young mans sword at the very start of the battle. It should be lodged in the wall... With this thought in mind, he subconsciously turned his gaze toward where he remembered the cier Rain Sword to be, and the next moment, his eyes narrowed in shock. Wheres the sword! To his astonishment, the sword had already vanished from sight. At some point in time, the young man had actually managed to retrieve the sword behind his back! Why dont you try looking behind you? Zhang Xuan advised kindly as he gestured to the Qingtian Emperors back. The Qingtian Emperors eyes widened as he quickly turned around fearfully. However, there was nothing behind him at all. Damn, I fell for his trap! Realizing that he had been tricked, without even bothering to turn around to look at Zhang Xuan, he immediately leaped to the side in hopes to dodging any attack that could soon bending on him. However, it was already toote. A dull pain pervaded his chest, and ncing downward, he realized that a palm hadnded squarely on his body. Under the impact of the palm, his face paled, and he retreated multiple steps. As the young man had to move swiftly in order tounch this surprise assault, the palm strike did not wield too much strength, so he actually was not too severely injured by it. However, the very fact that he had been had by such a crude trick left him feeling deeply frenzied within. He was the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, an old monster who had lived for countless years, as well as a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage expert. And yet, he had actually been injured by such a ridiculous maneuver conducted by a mere Embryonic Soul realmd... Unforgivable! Ill kill you! Roaring furiously, the Qingtian Emperor drove the ughter of Zhenqi in his body furiously as he prepared his strongest move. At that moment, however, the young mans voice sounded once more. Below you! Humph, once bitten, twice shy! Do you think that Ill fall for your crude ploys twice? Seeing that the young man was still taking him for a fool, the Qingtian Emperor clenched his jaws furiously in anger. But before he could make his move, he suddenly heard a wuuu sound beneath him, and his eyebrows shot up in rm. Lowering his head, he saw the cier Rain Sword, which should have been lodged in the wall, surging straight up toward him. Do you honestly think that a mere Saint low-tier sword will be able to kill me? Brat, you are really underestimating me far too much... the Qingtian Emperor sneered coldly as he directed the energy he had just gathered toward the sword. If his attacknded, the sword would surely shatter into innumerable pieces. But before he could exert his strength, a huge shadow suddenly loomed over him, and it was growingrger at an unbelievable pace. ncing upward, he saw a massive cauldron plummeting straight for his head. Horrified, he instinctively redirected his strength upward to fend against the cauldron. Boom! Even though he was a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage expert, he astonishingly realized that the falling cauldron was no weaker than him. The momentum with which the cauldron fell was simply so great that it ended up pushing his body downward. Puhe! The sword stabbed right into the opening of his alimentary canal. Red blood trickled down his thigh, as if signifying the blossoming of a new flower. A momentter, a piercing scream of agony resounded in the air. Chapter 1218 - Art of Cloning

Chapter 1218: Art of Cloning

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Tsk tsk! Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue as he covered his eyes with his hands. It was so gruesome that he could not even bring himself to look at it. It was true that the cier Rain Sword had followed him for many years, but now that it had been sullied by the other party in such a horrendous manner, how was he supposed to bring himself to use it in the future? Just thinking about the stench on it was enough to make him cringe. His poor cier Rain Sword... Hopefully that poor sword will be able to walk out of its mental trauma from this incident one day! While Zhang Xuan was pitying his weapon, the Qingtian Emperor felt as if he was going mad. He was an Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, an incredibly noble and authoritative existence. In the first ce, it was already humiliating that someone like him would have to personally deal with an Embryonic Soul realm brat, but to think that the brat would even pop his cherry at that! To make things worse, the cauldron above him was still shaking its massive bottom right above his face, as if trying to find a morefortable position on his face to rest. An indescribable feeling of humiliation consumed his mind, pushing him toward the abyss of madness. All of you must die! Roaring furiously, the Qingtian Emperor drove his Zhenqi of ughter at full strength. Sou! The sword that was lodged up his bottom was sent flying, and the massive cauldron was knocked off his face as well. Master, hes really powerful! Seeing how the other party was actually able to knock it off and singe its bottom red, the Golden Origin Cauldron eyed the Qingtian Emperor warily. Hes indeed powerful, Zhang Xuan remarked grimly. He had already known that it would be hard for him to deal with the Qingtian Emperor with his current strength. The Golden Origin Cauldron was at Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage as well, and while it possessed sufficient strength to fend off the Qingtian Emperor, it was not strong enough to kill thetter. Additionally, he did not want to expose Vicious existence yet. As such, he had slowly made preparations to lure the Qingtian Emperor into his trap so as tounch a decisive two-pronged attack against thetter. He had thought that it would at least be able to incapacitate the Qingtian Emperor even if it was not sufficient to kill thetter, but who would have thought that thetter would actually be able to force the cier Rain Sword out with his zhenqi! As expected of the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, even his cherry was made of steel. Admirable indeed. Hu! At this moment, the Qingtian Emperor suddenly roared furiously, and all of a sudden, his body began growing bigger and bigger, as if he had eaten some kind of growth stimnt. In the blink of an eye, he had already grown to three-meters tall. Seeing the sight before him, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in a daze. What was the point of growing so big? With toorge a physique, ones flexibility and agility would face a steep decline. Furthermore, there would also be arger surface area for an enemy to strike. Thus, no cultivator would erge their size in battle unless there was apelling reason to do so. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed as if the Qingtian Emperor was only putting himself in a disadvantageous situation. Ah? While Zhang Xuan was still confused by what the Qingtian Emperor was up to, thetter suddenly used his right hand to grab his left hand and pulled forcefully. Si! To Zhang Xuans horror, the Qingtian Emperor split in two! This... Is hemitting suicide because he is unable to face the humiliation of being deflowered? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. Zhang Xuan was not the only one bewildered by the current situation. The Golden Origin Cauldron was also bbergasted. At the same time, the cier Rain Sword stopped its retching as it stared at the Qingtian Emperor as if it had seen a ghost. If anyone shouldmit suicide, the sword should have been the first one to do so! Sullied by the other party, it felt dirty from head to toe. Just the thought of what had happened earlier was enough to send its stomach, if it had one, churning in disgust. But did it cry? Did it cause a fuss? No! A person should live strong in this worlddont seek the end so easily! Ahem, this applied to weapons as well, of course. Even when it was put through such agony, it still gritted its teeth and bore with it, believing that there would be a brighter future ahead. But as the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, why was the Qingtian Emperor so weak-minded? To actually tear himself apart over something like this... He sure was vicious to himself! Was this some kind of custom among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? While the human and the two artifacts were staring at the sight dumbstruck, Vicious voice suddenly sounded in Zhang Xuans head. Master, hes not bleeding! I think he has used some kind of secret art, so be careful! Secret art? Zhang Xuan frowned. Un. My memory is still in tatters, so I cant really remember clearly at this point, but from the looks of it... it seems like resemble a secret art exclusive to the Emperors of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Vicious said. By bearing with the overwhelming pain from tearing oneself into two, that secret art allows one to divide oneself into two! Once it is sessfully executed, it will effectively double ones fighting prowess! However, there is a limited duration to how long the secret art can be sustained for, and once that duration is over, ones cultivation will fall steeply. Most likely, the Qingtian Emperor realized that he couldnt kill you, so he decided to go all out by using this secret art! Divide oneself into two? Theres actually such a convenient secret art in the world? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief. Just one Qingtian Emperor had nearly cornered him. Once the other party sessfully cloned himself, wouldnt he be in deep trouble? More importantly, the fighting prowessmanded by two Qingtian Emperors was not as easy as one plus one. Both Qingtian Emperors would share the same thoughts, allowing them to coborate with perfect synergy. Without a doubt, they would be a far more difficult opponent to deal with than the Crimson Emerald Duplet Swordsmanship. Golden Origin Cauldron and cier Rain Sword, hurry up and stop that fellow! Zhang Xuan roared as he dashed forward without any hesitation. If he faced two Qingtian Emperors there simultaneously, he really might lose his life! He had to stop the division of the Qingtian Emperor at all costs! Hu! Before Zhang Xuan could arrive, his saber qi was already fast on its way toward the two halves of the Qingtian Emperor. Using his palm as a saber, he intended to sever thetters head before he could do anything. At the same time, the Golden Origin Cauldron and the cier Rain Sword had also rushed up to the Qingtian Emperor tounch their most powerful attacks. But before any of the attacks could reach, the two halves of the Qingtian Emperor suddenly squirmed uncontrobly, and in the blink of an eye, each of the two halves grew their other half, forming twoplete, identical individuals. Peng! One of the Qingtian Emperors stopped Zhang Xuan saber qi with ease while the other one charged forward to smack him away, flinging him forcefully toward the wall. Zhang Xuans face reddened, and fresh blood spewed from his mouth. Peng peng peng! Zhang Xuan quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to alleviate his injuries. When he raised his head once more, he saw that the Golden Origin Cauldron and the cier Rain Sword had been sent flying as well. One created a massive depression in the ground whereas the other one ended up being deeply lodged in the wall once more. As expected, thebined fighting prowess of the two Qingtian Emperors was indeed fearsome. Even though the Golden Origin Cauldron was a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage expert as well, it still ended up being subdued in a single move. To have forced me to use this move, you can rest in peace now! The simultaneous speaking of the two identical Qingtian Emperors had a bizarrely unnerving feeling to it. The two Qingtian Emperors red at Zhang Xuan coldly, dying to tear the young man into pieces. They had guarded their cherry fervently for so many years, and yet, the young man had actually popped it so casually. Just this alone was sufficient to make them lose their rationality. You... Which one is the clone, and which one is the main body? Zhang Xuan asked warily as he prepared himself to dodge the attacks from the Qingtian Emperors. Even though it might have appeared to be an equal split, considering that one of them would disappear after some time, there was bound to be a main body and a clone among them. Ill tell you by your grave! the two Qingtian Emperors roared as they charged forward. Hu! In an instant, it felt as if the air in the hall had been reced with killing intent, making every move that Zhang Xuan wanted to make incredibly difficult. Block him! Zhang Xuan roared at the Golden Origin Cauldron as he waved his hand to destroy the Spatial Seal hindering his movements. Upon hearing his instruction, the Golden Origin Cauldron charged toward the Qingtian Emperors furiously, roaring, You popped-cherry brats! Ill relinquish my name as Ding Ding if I dont kill you today! Hearing the Golden Origin Cauldrons taunting, fury immediately zed like an inferno in the eyes of the two Qingtian Emperors. Youre courting your death! That was their greatest injury at the moment, and yet, that damned cauldron actually dared speak of it so easily! There was no way they would let the other party get away with that! Thus, one of the Qingtian Emperors turned around to deal with the Golden Origin Cauldron. Boom boom boom! Before long, the duo began shing with one another. Seeing that the Golden Origin Cauldron had managed to lure one of the Qingtian Emperors away, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He swiftly flicked his wrist and drew a spear as he prepared to face the other Qingtian Emperor. Just like the cier Rain Sword, the spear was a Saint low-tier spear as well. However, just like the other weapons in the Qiu Wu Pce, it did not have a spirit. Hu! With a swiftly thrust of his hand, the spear pierced forward with frightening momentum. Tzzzzzzz! A piercing shrill echoed loudly from the friction between the spear and the surrounding air. Even though Zhang Xuan rarely practiced his spear arts, the fact that Zheng Yangs spearmanship had originated from him was something that should not be neglected. His Heavens Path Spear Art was nowhere weaker than his swordsmanship. Gu gu gu! In the face of Zhang Xuans spear, the Qingtian Emperor showed no signs of dodging at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and shed with the iing spear with a flick of his ck fingernail. Judging from how resilient and sharp the Qingtian Emperors fingernail was, it seemed to be some kind of powerful artifact as well. Upon making contact, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt immense strength surging from the tip of his spear toward his arms, and he swiftly retreated several steps. Had it been anyone else, the multiple shes with the Qingtian Emperor surely would have left injuries piling up on them, rendering them weaker and weaker. However, as one who possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan was able to heal any injuries at an astounding speed. Even if he sustained an injury, it would not remain for long. As such, at least for the time being, he was still able to maintain his fighting prowess at its peak. However, the Golden Origin Cauldron and the cier Rain Sword were different. Even with their coboration, they still were not a match for the powerful Qingtian Emperor without Zhang Xuans pointers. The situation really did not look good at all. Putting aside the question whether Zhang Xuan had sufficient zhenqi to drag the battle out or not, once the Golden Origin Cauldron and cier Rain Sword were defeated, he would be forced to face the two Qingtian Emperors simultaneously, and there was no way he would stand a chance in that situation. This secret art is really troublesome to deal with! Zhang Xuan thought grimly as he took a few steps back to heal up his injuries. Since you have already forced me to use my Art of Cloning, theres no way I can allow you to walk out of here alive! The Qingtian Emperor gritted his teeth and roared as he charged toward Zhang Xuan once more. With a flick of his fingers, he sent five surges of sword qi toward Zhang Xuan, intending to rip him into pieces. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan swiftly activated the Unbounded Voyager to flee several dozen meters back. Hu hu! But barely after Zhang Xuan escaped from the area, the Qingtian Emperor arrived before him once more tounch his second wave of assault. To his surprise, the divided Qingtian Emperor was actually able to move at speed that was in no way inferior to his! Zhang Xuan repeated the same cycle eight more times, even abruptly changing his directions from time to time to shake off the Qingtian Emperor, but his efforts were to no avail. This left cold sweat trickling down his back. All of a sudden, another Qingtian Emperor appeared right in front of him. To Zhang Xuans astonishment, the Golden Origin Cauldrons massive feet were already twitching on the ground uncontrobly, seemingly pummeled badly by the other Qingtian Emperor. From the looks of it, it did not seem like it would be able to battle for some time. On the other hand, the cier Rain Sword was stabbed deeply into the ground, not moving at all. You... As an Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, dont you think that its embarrassing for the two of you to gang up on me? This is unfair! Zhang Xuan spat through gritted teeth as he slowly backed away Unfair? Hahahaha! The two Qingtian Emperors burst intoughter simultaneously. With a cold voice, they sneered, Feel free to clone yourself too, no one is stopping you! But... I dont know such a secret art! Zhang Xuan protested. The two Qingtian Emperors scoffed coldly. Is that supposed to be any of my business? You only have your own ignorance and powerless to me! After saying those words, the duo exerted their strength simultaneously, and once again, the space around Zhang Xuan seemed to have frozen. As if an insect stuck in a spiders web, he found himself unable to move. He had to exert his full strength before he was able to struggle free of the Spatial Seal and escape. However, before he could get far, the two Qingtian Emperors had caught up with him. Peng! A powerful blow struck Zhang Xuan from behind, sending him crashing forcefully into the wall. Pu! Swiftly pushing himself out from the wall, Zhang Xuan turned around to face the Qingtian Emperors warily, as if preparing himself to deal with whatever other attacks they went at him with. However, at this point, his body was already shaking uncontrobly from the severe wounds that he had sustained, and it seemed as if he already had a single foot in the grave. At most, well just die together! Despaired, Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously as he gathered his zhenqi furiously, as if intending to explode himself. Trying to explode yourself? Do you think well give you an opportunity to do so? The two Qingtian Emperors immediately rushed forward to stop Zhang Xuan, but before they could make a move, they felt an instantaneous, splitting pain in their heads before their heads exploded simultaneously. Peng! shy and morous, just like the fireworks. As the crimson rain died down, two fists finally appeared behind the necks of the Qingtian Emperors. You... As if unable to believe that their heads had been destroyed, the souls of the Qingtian Emperors swiftly turned around to see the culprit behind the assault. It was none other than... Zhang Xuan! Following which, they saw the exploding Zhang Xuaning up to them with disdain in his eyes. What is there to boast about a mere clone? You make it sound as if its a big deal. These days, no one dares leave home without a clone or two with them! Chapter 1219 - The Qingtian Emperor Bursts into Tears

Chapter 1219: The Qingtian Emperor Bursts into Tears

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was already hard enough to deal with a single Qingtian Emperor, and dealing with two of them simultaneously was nearly impossible. As such, Zhang Xuan had slowly made the necessary preparations. First, he had his clone conceal himself in the hall before retreating again and again so as to make the Qingtian Emperors lower their guard, as well as to lure them where he wanted them. The final explosion served as a distraction for the duo, buying sufficient time for his clone tounch an assault. It sounded simple on the surface, but it was actually much moreplex than it sounded. In order to put up a convincing act to fool the Qingtian Emperors, he had needed to carefully decide which techniques he should use, how far he should escape, where he should stop, and from which angle his cloneunch shouldunch his assault to not be noticed. It was only due to such careful calction that the n worked out in the end. At the same time, it was also fortunate that his clone had been cultivating hard in recent days, granting it strength far greater than the main body, allowing it to destroy the bodies of the two Qingtian Emperors with ease. Otherwise, with just him and the Golden Origin Cauldron, the chances of victory would have been extremely slim. Damn it! The corpses of the Qingtian Emperors fell to the ground with a loud plop. Following which, with a furious roar, two souls oracles rose from the two bodies. The Primordial Spirits of the Qingtian Emperors! Astonishingly, the division was not just limited to the Qingtian Emperors bodyeven his Primordial Spirit had split in two as well! Boom! As soon as the two Primordial Spirits appeared, the surrounding air suddenly seemed to have grown even more viscous, as if one was standing in quicksand. Putting aside making a move, just remaining upright would have been a struggle for any ordinary cultivator! As soul oracles, the Primordial Spirits of the Qingtian Emperors were far stronger than their bodies, allowing them to exert strength far greater than before. Hu! All of a sudden, the two Primordial Spirits suddenly began fusing back together. It appeared that the Qingtian Emperors Art of Cloning had be unstable with the destruction of both of the bodies, making it difficult for the Primordial Spirits to maintain their divided form. The fusion waspleted in an instant. Seeing how his advantage had been lost, the Qingtian Emperors face turned incredibly livid. With a wrathful bellow, he charged toward Zhang Xuan once more. You bastard, how dare you destroy my body? Ill make you pay the price for your actions! He had thought that he would have been able to kill Zhang Xuan with ease once he activated his trump card, the Art of Cloning. Yet, not only did he fail to kill that brat, his physical body had even ended up being destroyed in the process. At this moment, the sheer frustration and rage in his mind were enough to make him erupt. If he had only been angry at Zhang Xuan for undoing his many years of efforts and preparations before, at this very moment, there was nothing else in his mind but the overwhelming loathing he had for Zhang Xuan. Before the other partys threat, Zhang Xuan simply chuckled leisurely. Is that the only line you know? You have already said it quite a few times, but arent I still alive and kicking over here? Cut the crap. Not even bothering to avoid the Qingtian Emperors attack, he thrust his palm forward instead. Tzzzzzzzz! As soon as the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit came into contact with Zhang Xuans palm, a sizzling reminiscent of metaling into contact with sulfur filled the hall. In the blink of an eye, a massive hole had been corroded open in the center the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit. Ahhh! The Qingtian Emperor cried in agony as he hurriedly retracted his hand. At the same time, he stared at Zhang Xuan with a disbelieving look. Y-you... Even back when he was in his physical body, he had still managed to overpower Zhang Xuan easily, but he had unfortunately been done in by the young mans schemes in the end. Given that, he should have been able to deal with the young man even more easily now that he was in his Primordial Spirit form. Yet... why would it turn out like that? Why did his Primordial Spirit end up being corroded instead? If you were just an ordinary Primordial Spirit, I might not have been able to deal with you so easily. But since you are a soul oracle, I happen to have a hundred ways to end your life... Paying no heed to the other partys shock, Zhang Xuan smirked haughtily as he swiftly shrouded the entire hall with his Heavens Path zhenqi, not intending to give the Qingtian Emperor any opportunity to escape at all. Typically speaking, with his current strength, he should not have been a match for the Primordial Spirit of a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivator. However, the Qingtian Emperor just happened to be a soul oracle, resulting in the yin energy in his Primordial Spirit being far more concentratedpared to ordinary Primordial Spirits... and the Heavens Path zhenqi happened to be the very nemesis of that! Just as a metal hammer would eventually be corroded into nothing no matter how hard it pounded on sulfur, as powerful the Qingtian Emperor might have been, there was no way he stood a chance against the Heavens Path zhenqi! Damn you... The Qingtian Emperor red at Zhang Xuan coldly. At this moment, he finally realized how far he had screwed up. With his superior strength, he had wielded the decisive advantage at the very start of the battle, but with the scheming of the young man, his advantage had gradually been lost throughout the course of the battle, and now, he was in the weaker position. ncing at the zhenqi shrouding the entire hall, his face turned ghastly pale. At this point, while he could not understand the reason behind it, he had alreadye to realize that the zhenqi in the area had the ability to corrode his Primordial Spirit. If he attempted to charge out of the encirclement, he would only wear himself thin and worsen his position. Even if I die here, Ill bring you down with me! Gritting his teeth furiously, the Qingtian Emperor roared furiously as he focused his soul energy together and charged at Zhang Xuan once more. At this point, it was already a do or die situation. If he could kill the young man before his Primordial Spirit corroded into nothing, he might still stand a chance at survival. Even if he did die in the end, he would never be able to rest in peace if he did not bring the young man down with him! Boom! Exerting his full strength once more, the Qingtian Emperor cast another Spatial Seal around Zhang Xuan, restricting thetters movements. You sure are a resilient insect. I guess the Emperors of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe arent just for show after all, Zhang Xuan remarked coldly as he released a powerful burst of zhenqi, breaking the Spatial Seal around him. After which, he swiftly raised his palm to face the Qingtian Emperors assault. Tzzzzzzzzzz! That palm strike infused with the Heavens Path zhenqi swiftly shed with the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit, producing yet another series of sizzling sound. Ahhh! With a cry of agony, the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit shrunk significantly. Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Gritting his teeth tightly, the Qingtian Emperor cursed furiously. The greatest trump card of a Leaving Aperture realm expert was their control over the environment, allowing them to limit the movements of their enemies. Yet, for some reason, the young man was able to break his Spatial Seal easily as if it was nothing at all. With a swift motion, the Qingtian Emperor distanced himself away from Zhang Xuan. After which, he gathered his energy on his fingertip before sting it toward Zhang Xuan. He was thinking that as long as he could distance himself from the young man, it would be more difficult for the young mans zhenqi to get to him. Weng! The burst of energy from the Qingtian Emperor was incredibly concentrated, and it traveled so quickly that its motion was hardly discernible with the eye. Peng! As expected, Zhang Xuan failed to withstand the burst of energy, and it struck him squarely in his chest, sending him flying into the distance. Using the same method, the Qingtian Emperor also sent Zhang Xuans clone flying as well. Without his Heavens Path zhenqi to suppress the Qingtian Emperors strength, there was no way Zhang Xuan would be able to face the Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage soul oracle head on. Seeing how the Qingtian Emperor was able toe up with a countermeasure against him so quickly, Zhang Xuans face turned grim. As expected of an old monster who has lived for countless years, he sure does react swiftly! While using his Heavens Path zhenqi to heal his injuries, he swiftly reanalyzed his current situation. The further he spread out his Heavens Path zhenqi, the less concentrated it would be. While it was true that he would be able to defeat the Qingtian Emperor if he just bombard the entire hall with his Heavens Path zhenqi, the problem with that was that the consumption of zhenqi would be insane as well. He might very well deplete his entire zhenqi reserves for that. Considering how he had not even met Vicious yet, depleting his zhenqi reserves at this point would likely be an unwise move. What should I do? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. However, the Qingtian Emperor did not intend to grant him any time to think. With a furious roar, he sent another burst of energy toward him. Wuuuuuuuu! The sheer umtion of power burst through the air, seemingly wanting to tear a hole through the world. Having anticipated the move, Zhang Xuan easily dodged the attack with a swift side step. Just when he was about to counterattack, a thought suddenly came to his mind. A smile slowly crept up his lips, and he flicked his wrist. Bam! An altar fell onto the ground. Zhang Xuan ced his palm on it lightly. Hu! The inscriptions atop the altar swiftly lit up, and a powerful suction force began pulling the Primordial Spirit of the Qingtian Emperor in. Feeling the powerful suction force pulling him in, the Qingtian Emperor widened his eyes in astonishment. What? Isnt that the altar that I set up in Qingyuan City? That was the altar that his clone had set up in Qingyuan City to kill master teachers and nab their souls. Who would have thought that the other party would actually bring it with him and even use it against him? Supposedly, that altar could only be activated with the ughter of Zhenqi unique to Otherworldly Demons. Furthermore, the formation for it was extremelyplicated. Even he would require much preparation in order to activate the altar once, and the energy consumption was massive. So how in the world did that fellow do it so easily? Noticing something, the eyebrows of the Qingtian Emperor shot up in astonishment. Wait a moment, hes using his own zhenqi to activate the altar? The other party was actually using his own zhenqi to fuel the altar! Just how much zhenqi did he possess to squander it like that? The Qingtian Emperor was convinced that Zhang Xuan would not be able to maintain the activation of the altar for too long, but as time passed, he found the suction power from the altar growing stronger and stronger. Eventually, he was unable to hold on anymore, and his Primordial Spirit was swiftly dragged all the way to the top of the altar. The altar was crafted using a unique method from Vicious. Those whose soul or Primordial Spirit was still grounded by a physical body might have been able to withstand the suction force of the altar, but with only his Primordial Spirit remaining at the moment, the Qingtian Emperor stood no chance at all. The Qingtian Emperor struggled furiously as he was helplessly dragged toward the altar, but it was to no avail. At this point, he suddenly saw two Zhang Xuans charging up to him beforeunching a furious barrage of attacks on him. Elbow, palm strike, punch, kick... Every single possible attack that could beunched by a human rained down on him relentlessly. Damn it! With a cry of anger, the Qingtian Emperor roared furiously as he released an overwhelming burst of energy with his full might. That burst of energy had sapped his zhenqi and soul energy significantly, but it did free him from the suction of the altar. As soon as he broke free, he immediately stretched his ws toward Zhang Xuan to snap his neck. But before his hands could reach, the two Zhang Xuans had already retreated a hundred meters away. Naturally, the next course of action that the Qingtian Emperor would do was destroy the altar beneath him, but to his horror, the young man had already stowed the altar into his storage ring. The Qingtian Emperors face immediately turned livid. He swiftly gathered his energy on his fingertips once more andunched a barrage of attack on the two Zhang Xuans, only to see them whipping out the altar once more to activate it. Hu! He was swiftly dragged over, and the two Zhang Xuans charged over to pummel him. You bastard! I swear that Ill rip you into pieces! Feeling so furious that he could have exploded on the spot, the Qingtian Emperor tapped into the reserves of his strength and sessfully broke free of the altar once more. However, again, he found that the two fellows had already fled to somewhere even further away to activate the altar. Padah! He was pulled over once more, and yet another barrage of attacks fell on him. The cycle continued a few more times, and the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit grew smaller and smaller. Feeling that he would dissipate at any moment, the Qingtian Emperor finally burst into tears. How can there be someone that shameless in the world? He had seen plenty of capable and powerful master teachers in his time, but this was the first time he was seeing someone as shameless as that! Chapter 1220 - Listen to Me

Chapter 1220: Listen to Me

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Golden Origin Cauldron, which had been smashed into the ground previously by the Qingtian Emperor, finally came to and struggled to its feet. Upon seeing the sight above, it could not help but shudder in fear. Master... sure is vicious! It had thought that after fusing with the ck Goldcrystal Ore and undergoing three lightning ordeals to reach Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, it could finally be considered an expert among experts. Yet, who would have thought that it was still a level beneath its master? For someone as keen, resourceful, and powerful as the Qingtian Emperor to be reduced to such a state, it really felt like a dream. The Golden Origin Cauldron made a mental note that no matter what it did in the future, it should never cross its master regardless of the situation. The cauldron did not even dare imagine what kind of plight it would be put into if it did so. Enough! After a series of pummeling, Zhang Xuan finally waved his hand. Upon hearing those words, his clone had a look of disappointment on his face. Spending day after day trapped within the Myriad Anthive Nest, it was not easy for it to have an opportunity toe out and pummel someone. It had not even had its fair share of fun yet when everything suddenly came to a halt. At this moment, the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit was already as weak as it could get, and it seemed as if it would dissipate at any moment. It had sustained significant damage from the Art of Cloning, and the relentless pummeling from the two Zhang Xuans had really done nothing to help. Not only had his Primordial Spirit grown incredibly weak, his mind was also on the verge of snapping as well. I will... kill... you. Despite his frailty, the eyes of the Qingtian Emperor were still burning with hatred. Yes, yes, I know, I know. Theres no need to get anxious now. Ill just do a quick Soul Search on you, so bear with it. Itll be over before you know it! Zhang Xuan consoled as he tapped his finger on the be of the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit. No! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was going to use Soul Search against him, the eyes of the Qingtian Emperor widened in fright. He immediately struggled, wanting to escape, but the suction power of the altar was simply too strong. His Primordial Spirit just would not move an inch no matter what he did. The struggling of the Qingtian Emperor was interfering with his Soul Search, so Zhang Xuan turned to his clone and instructed, Clone,e over and help me hold him in ce. Ill conduct a Soul Search on him to get the intelligence we need first. Sure thing! Excited, Zhang Xuans clone immediately hopped over to the Qingtian Emperor and sent a forceful kick to thetters head. Paji! In an instant, the Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was reduced to a shape on the altar. With an indignant look in his eyes, he continued struggling with all his might, but things simply would not go as he wished. Still being disobedient here, eh? Shaking his head, Zhang Xuans clone raised his hand and yelled, Sword! Hu! The cier Rain Sword immediately flew into his grasp. If you dare move once more, Ill pierce my sword right through your throat! The Qingtian Emperor immediately froze on the spot, not daring to move at all. Thats more like it. Good boy! Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuans clone turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Alright, its done. You can conduct a Soul Search on him now! Un. Zhang Xuan ced his finger onto the Qingtian Emperors be before sending a sliver of his consciousness in. Just as he was about to examine thetters memories carefully to see where Vicious was, the entire hall suddenly began shaking. Following which, an eerie voice boomed. Who would have thought that a Celestial Master Teacher would actually be skilled in the arts of the soul oracles too? If I spread this news, do you think that the humans will continue epting you as one of their own, or will they send their strongest experts to assassinate you? Following that, a coldughter echoed in the air. The voice seemed to sound right within Zhang Xuans ears, making it impossible for him to discern the source of it. You are finally showing yourself, huh? Halting his Soul Search, Zhang Xuan swiftly shoved the altar and Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit into his storage ring before standing back up. He had known that Vicious was definitely in the area, and the Soul Search was actually just a ploy to lure thetter out. Despite being only at Saint 3-dan pinnacle, you were able to defeat the Saint 5-dan advanced stage Qingtian Emperor. I must say, as expected of a Celestial Master Teacher. Just like Kong shi back then, you do have a unique insight into cultivation andbat that far surpasses other geniuses, Vicious remarked meaningfully. However... you are still too young. In your current state, its simply too easy for me to kill you! Right after saying those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the world spin around him. A powerful might tugged at his soul forcefully, nearly dragging it out of his body. This... Zhang Xuans face darkened. It was the same feeling that he had felt from the massive eye he had encountered back when he was in Chen Zhes residence. It felt as if he had lost control of his soul, and the slightest mistake in his control would result in his soul being devoured whole. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi furiously, Zhang Xuan struggled desperately against the powerful suction force. However, the other party was simply too powerful. In the blink of an eye, it felt as if a ck hole had materialized right before him, as if it would not rest until it devoured him whole. Hu! Eventually, Zhang Xuans soul was dragged out of his body and pulled over to the altar. T-this... What a huge soul you have! Vicious was visibly stunned by what he saw. Skilled in the arts of the soul oracles, the strength of his soul was extraordinary as well. Yet, who would have thought that the young man before him would have one that was even bigger than his! This had already surpassed a level that he couldprehend! However, the shock onlysted for a moment. Swiftly regaining hisposure, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared from the other end of the ck hole, staring at Zhang Xuan silently. You should know that I have the ability to kill you easily. I dont deny that, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Good. I like dealing with candid people, Vicious replied. Since thats the case, you should also know that the reason I have spared you for so long is because you still have some value to me! You want me to free you? Zhang Xuan asked. Its indeed easier to speak with the intelligent! As long as you free me, Ill can spare you this once! Vicious said. You will spare me? Do you mean that you will allow me to exist as a Soulless Metal Humanoid or your puppet as soon as you are freed from your restraints? Zhang Xuan scoffed. You dont have any other options, Vicious replied frankly, not denying the matter. Since Ill face death regardless of whether I help you or not, tell me, why should I free you? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Vicious harrumphed coldly. You dont have any choice in this matter. If you want to see all of the master teachers andbat masters who have apanied you here dying before your eyes... feel free to turn me down! Following which, the ck hole suddenly stirred, and a screen appeared. It was Hall Master Xing and the others. At this moment, they were still surrounded by countless Soulless Metal Humanoids. Those guarding the outer perimeterDivision Head Wei, Division Head Liao, and the othershad already sustained considerably injuries, and they seemed to be drained as well. They had been chosen to participate in this expedition for the superior strength they possessedpared to their peers, but against so many puppets who felt neither pain nor exhaustion, it was inevitable that they were eventually worn down. Hu! At this moment, a mechanism suddenly whirred into action within the room, and a figure slowly walked out, heading toward Hall Master Xing and the others. The figure was a Soulless Metal Humanoid as well, but it wielded strength far greater than the others in the room. Astonishingly, it was a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage puppet! Powerful zhenqi burst from its acupoints, seemingly unting the superior strength that it wielded. Yourrades already have their hands full dealing with the other Soulless Metal Humanoids. If I make a move as well, how many of them do you think will remain alive at the end of this? The pair of eyes continued staring intently at Zhang Xuan, as if peering right into his thoughts, as it sneered coldly. You dont have much time left to make your decision. Following which, the Soulless Metal Humanoid on the screen dashed right into Hall Master Xings group. Everyone, stand your ground... rmed, Division Head Wei bellowed anxiously. However, before he could finish his words, the Soulless Metal Humanoid had already sunk its palm into his chest. Peng! Division Head Wei was immediately sent flying into the wall, coughing up huge mouthfuls of blood. His abrupt absence resulted in an opening in the formation. Before the others could move to close the opening, that fellow charged toward the second strongest of the group, Division Head Liao, to incapacitate him. Kacha! Under normal circumstances, even against a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage expert, as long as Division Head Liao exerted his full strength, he would at least have been able to withstand a few blows and buy some time. However, after the long battle with the Soulless Metal Humanoids, his zhenqi and stamina were already reaching their limits. As a result, he ended up caving in within a single blow, copsing weakly to the ground. In the blink of an eye, two members of their group had been incapacitated. You bastard! Ill kill you! Seeing that two of hispanions had been severely wounded, Zhang Jiuxiao roared furiously. Whipping out the two Saint intermediate-tier sabers he had, he beganunching a barrage of attacks toward the Soulless Metal Humanoid. However, seemingly expecting Zhang Jiuxiaos move, the Soulless Metal Humanoid raised its hand and tapped his finger forward. Weng! The swords suddenly froze in midair. With a flushed face, Zhang Jiuxiao struggled with all his might, but he found that he was not able to move at all. It was as if someone had glued him to the floor. In the end, he was only a Primordial Spirit realm primary stage cultivator. As powerful as he might have been, the gap between him and a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator was simply too great. After being pinned on the spot, the Soulless Metal Humanoid sneered coldly as it walked forward and struck Zhang Jiuxiao with its palm. Padah! Zhang Jiuxiao was immediately sent flying. However, while he was flying in midair, a brilliant light suddenly shimmered from his chest, and his retreating figure abruptly came to a halt. It seemed like some kind of protective amulet or the sort had been activated. As an offspring of the Zhang n, he still had a few protective artifacts on hand in case he met with danger. Interesting... However, if you think that the amulet will be able to stop me, Ill have to say that you are being hopelessly optimistic! Vicious scoffed. Under his control, the Soulless Metal Humanoid bent its knees before abruptly leaping up. Then, with a series of fluid motions reminiscent of a musician ying a zither, a barrage of attacks wasunched toward Zhang Jiuxiao. Weng weng weng weng! The activated protective amulet shielded Zhang Jiuxiao well, shielding him from harm. However, as the barrage of attacks continued, the radiance of the protective barrier gradually grew dimmer and dimmer. No matter how powerful a protective barrier was, it was limited by the energy it harnessed. It might have been able to withstand a powerful blow or two, but too many times, it would eventually reach its limit. Peng! The protective barrier finally shattered, and just like the others, Zhang Jiuxiao was struck forcefully into the wall, sustaining severe injuries in the process. After subduing the three stronger members of the group, the rest was simple. It did not take long for the three elders whom Wu shi brought over to be incapacitated as well. Other than the severely wounded Wu shi and Hall Master Xing, it could be said that their entire group had been wiped out. With a cold smile on its lips, the Soulless Metal Humanoid slowly walked over to Hall Master Xing with its palm raised, seemingly ready to kill the other party at any moment. Knowing that the two severely wounded individuals wouldnt be able to withstand the might of his Soulless Metal Humanoids attacks, Vicious nced at Zhang Xuan provocatively. How about it? Submit to me, and I can spare yourrades. As a Celestial Master Teacher, surely you wont watch yourrades die one by one before your eyes, right? The principles of the master teachers were not just mere guidelines. Rather, it was a faith that they embraced, and their state of mind was built upon this faith, giving them the strength to stand resiliently in the face of fear and despair. However, if a master teacher abandoned their principles and watched idly as theirrades die before their eyes, it could potentially lead to a copse of their faith and their state of mind, making it difficult for them to make any advancement in their cultivation in the future. Watch myrades die before my eyes? Hearing Vicious words, Zhang Xuan abruptly burst intoughter. Of course I wont! You... Bewildered by Zhang Xuans bizarre outburst, Vicious was just about to speak when the scene within the screen abruptly changed. The severely-wounded Wu shi and Hall Master Xing abruptly leaped up from their positions to attack simultaneously. Peng! Their attack was extremely abrupt, and the Soulless Metal Humanoid was simply too close. As a result, before the Soulless Metal Humanoid could react, a massive hole was plunged through its chest, causing its ribcage to shatter entirely. Vicious waspletely taken aback by the course of events. At that moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke. How about it? Submit to me, and I can consider sparing your Soulless Metal Humanoid! As a person who once sessfully trapped Kong shi, surely you wont watch yourrades die one by one before your eyes, right? ... Vicious. Chapter 1221 - Brain and Eyes

Chapter 1221: Brain and Eyes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It had been hard for them to hold themselves back as they watched theirrades being sent flying by the Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage Soulless Metal Humanoid one after another. However, they knew that the other party wielded strength far greater than them, and they would only have a chance at victory if they bided their time and waited for a suitable opportunity to strike. Fortunately, their efforts had paid off, and they had seeded in incapacitating thetter. Hla! Hall Master Xing and Wu shi got to their feet simultaneously and began clearing up all the Soulless Metal Humanoids in the area. Having undergone the lightning ordeal, the two of them were already True Leaving Aperture realm experts. On the other hand, these Soulless Metal Humanoids were only at the Primordial Spirit realm, so there was no way they could possibly stand a chance against the duo. After clearing up the Soulless Metal Humanoids, Wu shi hurriedly rushed up Zhang Jiuxiao, Division Head Wei, and the others, and taking out a gourd of fine wine, he gave everyone of them a mouthful of it. In a few breaths, the wounded crowd had fully recovered from their injuries, and they rose to their feet. Hall Master Xing, Wu shi... Whats going on? You... The crowd could hardly believe what they were seeing. The two of them had clearly suffered grievous wounds from their Leaving Aperture Ordeal, making them too frail to even stand properly, so... how in the world did they suddenly recover from their injuries? Principal Zhang had us pretend to be injured in order to rx the enemies and make them lower their guard. He told us only to make a move at the crucial moment, Hall Master Xing exined. It was true that the Leaving Aperture Ordeal had nearly cost him his life, and even though he had sessfully cleared it in the end, he had sustained severe injuries. Under normal circumstances, without months of recuperation, it would have been hard for him to return to his peak. However, the gourd of wine that Zhang Xuan had fed them was simply too potent. Not only did their physical wounds recover, more importantly, even their wounded Primordial Spirits had been nursed back to full health! Wu shi also nodded in agreement. He did not drink the wine, but Zhang Xuan had infused his zhenqi straight into his body. As a result, he had already recovered from the injuries as soon as he sustained them. Principal Zhang headed over there earlier. Lets go over to take a look as well! Having just ovee a near-death experience, everyone was filled with manyplex emotions within. Nevertheless, knowing that there was an enemy that they needed to ovee ahead, they decided to head on without wasting any time. After seeing all of that, Vicious expression turned livid. He had nned to trigger Hall Master Xings lightning ordeal in order to make them lose their strongest fighter, but who would have thought that his efforts would end up bolstering the other partys forces instead? You knew that I would dispatch some men to deal with them? Vicious looked at Zhang Xuan with killing intent in his eyes. I didnt, but as the old adage goesbetter safe than sorry, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. He could not have expected that Vicious would attempt to hold Wu shi and the others hostage in order to threaten him, but there was no doubt that Vicious would have attempted to harm them. Regardless of how he nned to go about doing so, it was always best to prepare some cards in advance. That way, they would not be utterly helpless in face of an unexpected situation. This was especially so given that they were dealing with an old monster with countless years of experience. They might not have won in a direct battle of wits, but the least they could do was win in terms of preparation. Seeing the fearless look on Zhang Xuans face, Viciousshed out furiously. Very well. Do you really think that I dare not kill you? Of course you want to kill me, but... are you able of doing it in your current state? Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he shot a sideward nce at Vicious. If you are really able to do it, you would have done it long ago. You wouldnt be wasting words with me here. Prior to meeting the eyes, he had encountered and fought with two other body parts of Vicious. The first Vicious he had met was the heart. Without any hesitation, thetter had attempted to kill him. It was truly fortunate that he had possessed a golden page, allowing him to seal Vicious and force the heart to submit to him. The second Vicious he had met was the finger. Simrly, the finger also made a move on him without wasting any breath. Considering that they hade from the same origin, it was likely that they would have the same personality. So, how could the first two Viciouses be so ferocious whereas this one would be so kind as to negotiate terms with him? Clearly, the other party was all talk. While the other party kept the matter of killing him by his mouth, the fact was that it was probably easier said than done. Otherwise, he would have long made his move. Alternatively, it could also have meant that Vicious was intending to use his hand to be freed from his restraints. With that in mind, Vicious had been forced to y along with him,ing up with this entire show to force him to submit. But regardless of which reason it was, Zhang Xuan had nothing to fear. You... Vicious was taken aback. Alright, lets not waste any more time here. Ill be leaving now then. Since he could not be bothered to deal with Vicious any longer, Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path Soul Art. The area around him blurred, and he suddenly found that he was still standing on the spot. Everything that he had just encountered seemed to have been nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Seeing that everything was just as he had deduced, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Previously, back at Chen Zhes residence, Vicious had made a move on him. From that, it could be seen that Vicious did intend to kill him. Yet, upon arriving at the Ghost Cavern, Vicious had gone to the effort of separating them, triggering Hall Master Xings Leaving Aperture Ordeal, and putting on this entire act. This had left him rather doubtful. If Vicious was truly as powerful as he made out to be, surely it would not have mattered how powerful Hall Master Xing was. Interfering with Hall Master Xings Lightning Aperture Ordeal would truly have been a redundant step. Furthermore, he had also pummeled the Qingtian Emperor to the point that thetter was on the verge of passing away, and yet, Vicious still did not appear. Putting all that together, Zhang Xuan had roughlye to a conclusion. However, with many things at stake, he had not dared to act recklessly. Thus, he had sought to verify his conjecture. After which, when his soul was dragged away by Vicious, he surprisingly found that Vicious did not make a move on him directly. Instead, thetter began negotiating with him, even trying to take Wu shi and the others hostage to force him to submit. This very action affirmed all the conjectures that he hade up with previously. Vicious really was not as powerful as he had thought. Perhaps, he might even have been weaker than the Qingtian Emperor! Otherwise, there was no reason for him to keep hiding, controlling the Soulless Metal Humanoid from behind to kill the others. Without a doubt, this was an attempt to portray himself as an expert, winning the battle by forcing him into submission. If it had been anyone else, they might have fallen for his ploy. However, Vicious never would have thought that pretending to be an expert... happened to be his field of specialty! He was one who was able to scare away a real Saint 7-dan expert by acting as Yang shi, so how could he possibly allow others to beguile him with the same tactics? With a quick step, Zhang Xuan headed to the wall where the Qingtian Emperor had emerged from, and he ced his hand on it. A momentter, a slight smile surfaced on his lips. Using his finger as a sword, he tapped on the wall seven times. Kacha! The whirring of a mechanism echoed loudly, and a passageway leading further down appeared. It waspletely dark within, and just like before, Zhang Xuan found that his Spiritual Perception was unable to prate too far ahead. Zhang Xuan turned around and instructed, Clone, you take the lead. His clone was made of the Nine Hearts Lotus, so even if he was ground into meat paste or sliced in two, he would still be able to regenerate to his original form. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was clearly incapable of pulling that off himself. Even if Vicious fighting prowess was not as fearsome as what he had imagined, it would still be wise to proceed carefully. After all, he was a person who had seeded in winning the Qingtian Emperors loyalty, so the chances were that he had more tricks up his sleeves. Follow behind me closely. Dont worry, Ill cover you. When ites down to it, Ill just act as if Im the main body, and you can assume the role of the clone! Zhang Xuans clone shot Zhang Xuan a disdainful look before raising his head haughtily and venturing into the passageway. To think that the main body would not only be weak, he would even be so spineless! It really was a wonder how he had managed toe this far! Ignoring his narcissistic clone, Zhang Xuan stowed the Golden Origin Cauldron and the cier Rain Sword back into his storage ring before closely following his clone into the passageway. Zhang Xuans clone harrumphed in displeasure as he walked through the passageway. Let me tell you, as the main body, you should be daring and decisive. If you keep acting so cowardly, not even daring to walk through a mere passageway yourself, as your clone, Ill be deeply embarrassed! Well, its always good to be careful. The more he heard his clone speak, the more awkward Zhang Xuan felt. He really was the most pathetic main body in the world. To think that the clone that he had forged would end up being a bigger poser than he was. There were really no words he could find to describe the feeling in his heart. Whats there to be careful about? If youre sufficiently strong, theres no need to hesitate before anything! Zhang Xuans clone refuted coldly. However, halfway through his words, a powerful force suddenly charged at him. Padah! Before he realized what was happening, his head was already smacked t like a biscuit. What the hell! Who in the world assaulted me? Roaring furiously, Zhang Xuans clone immediately charged in the direction that the attack hade from, only to realize that he had arrived at the end of the flight of stairs. Appearing before him was yet another vast hall. Hu! Several figures suddenly rushed out from the corners of the hall to block their path. Without a doubt, one of them was the culprit behind the ttened head of Zhang Xuans clone. At this moment, Zhang Xuan stroked his chest in relief. If he had not gotten his clone to help lead the way forward, he might have died there and then. Suppressing his shock, he began examining the figures before him closely. There were four figures in total, and they were roughly around his height. However, they were neither Otherworldly Demons nor Soulless Metal Humanoids. These are... celestial designer puppets? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Upon careful observation, he realized that those figures were actually exquisitely-crafted celestial designer puppets. The puppets created by celestial designers were vastly different from those crafted by Wu Yangzi using the Otherworldly Demon bodies. These puppets were crafted solely out of spare parts, and the powerful engine behind them granted them incredible fighting prowess. From how they had ttened Zhang Xuans clone head with a single strike, their fighting prowess was probably on par with Zhang XuanSaint 3-dan realm intermediate stage at the very least. Damn it! Zhang Xuans clone was so furious that he could have exploded on the spot. He had been acting like expert before the main body and mocking him, but the next moment, his head had ended up being smashed in. If he could convert his frustration and rage into energy, it could have destroyed the entire world. With a furious bellow, his head popped back up, reverting to its original form, before rushing forward to tear apart the puppet that dared toy its hands on him previously. Peng peng peng peng! In an instant, Zhang Xuans clone had already traded dozens of blows with one of the puppets, and the powerful shockwave from their collision caused sonic booms to sound in the air. Countless scars were left on the floor and walls, and broken gravel was swept furiously into the air, creating a sight of devastation. Nevertheless, neither of them was willing to back down. Strong... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in rm. Astonishingly, despite its lower cultivation realm, the strength that the puppet disyed was almost on par with the Qingtian Emperor! To make things worse, there were even three more standing by the side. If they coborated with one another, even with his clone and the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan still would not stand a chance. How about it? Did you really think that I wont be able to kill you? Vicious voice sounded once more. Through these puppets, you mean? Zhang Xuan replied coldly. As long as its effective, does it matter what I use? Vicious sneered in response. So, you are admitting that you are no match for me with your current strength? Zhang Xuan scoffed. To first send the Qingtian Emperor after him before bringing out these puppets, it seemed like Vicious was really in a weakened state at the moment. Master, I can confirm it now. Hes my brain and my eyes! the Vicious within the Book of Heavens Path informed Zhang Xuan. Your brain and your eyes? Un. The brain is where the memory is stored, so that exins why that fellow was able to retain a greater degree of my memories and recall the matter of trapping Kong shi, the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path analyzed. The fighting prowess that my brain and my eyes wield is severely limited. Other than casting some basic soul arts, they are effectively useless in battle. As such, they have no choice but to rely on beguiling others to work for them. This is probably why they are resorting to such schemes instead of dealing with you directly! I see! Hearing Vicious analysis, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Back then, when he encountered Vicious finger, thetter had attacked him without any hesitation. On the other hand, this Vicious seemed to be relying on external forcessuch as other Otherworldly Demons, Soulless Metal Humanoids, or puppetsto deal with him. This further supported Vicious conjecture. Even so, Master, you still must remain careful! While my brain iscking in fighting prowess, its still where most of my memories are kept. It wont be easy to kill and possess it! the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path remarked worriedly. Even though he had undergone the lightning ordeal and sessfully advanced to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, he still had no confidence that he would be able to deal with the many means that the other Vicious possessed. The head was bound to retain most of the memories of the former Vicious, granting it a deep understanding of all kinds of techniques. This would allow it to effectively neutralize most offenses and possession attempts. On this aspect, the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path, being just a heart and a finger, was at a critical disadvantage. More importantly, the brain is the center of a body, possessing innate authority that grants it near-absolute control over the rest of the body. I fear that... if I get too close to him, I might just unknowingly fall under his control! the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path revealed worriedly. Putting aside just him, even if the rest of Vicious body parts were there, they still would have had to obey themands of the brain. If they rushed at the other Vicious recklessly, not only would he be unable to devour the other Vicious, he might even end up as the other Vicious puppet! Chapter 1222 - Teacher Loves You!

Chapter 1222: Teacher Loves You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan frowned. The brain was themand center of a body. Even if Vicious body was divided into many parts at the moment, the authority that the brain had over the other body parts still remained. In other words, even if the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path was stronger than the other Vicious, it would still have no choice but to submit to it. Furthermore, while the fighting prowess that the brain wielded was severely limited, the sheer amount of knowledge it retained granted it many other means, which made it a frightening opponent to go against. For one, it was due to the means that the other Vicious possessed that allowed him to make the Qingtian Emperor his subordinate, control so many Soulless Metal Humanoids and puppets simultaneously, and cast soul arts with superior proficiency that could nab even Zhang Xuans soul. Fortunately, while Zhang Xuan had been powerless against the other Vicious soul nabbing secret art previously, the advancement of his cultivation to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle had granted him the strength to withstand the technique, making it impossible for the other party to kill him with the soul nabbing secret art anymore. Nevertheless, that did not mean to say that the other Vicious did not have any other means that he could use against him. After all, how could an old monster who had rivaled Kong shi in his peak possibly only know the soul nabbing secret art? Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path, Let me confirm again, you wont be able to defeat him in a direct encounter? Thats right. Even if hes weaker than me, I dont think that Ill be able to disobey themands of the brain tantly. In a direct encounter, hell be able to control me easily. The only time I will stand a chance against him is when hes unconscious. As long as I can erase his consciousness and rece it with mine while hes out, Ill be able to possess him, Vicious replied. Unconscious? A helpless smile surfaced on Zhang Xuans lips. How could that be possible? The other partys soul was so strong that it could even drag his massive soul into a ck hole; how could he possibly knock a soul that powerful unconscious? That was an impossible mission! Hu! Since the two of them had conversed directly with their souls, even though it seemed like they had chatted for some time, in truth, only half a breath had passed so far. Back in the hall, making use of the opportunity while Zhang Xuans clone was preupied, the other three puppets swiftly dashed forward to encircle Zhang Xuan. One of them raised its fist and flung it forcefully toward him. Golden Origin Cauldron! Knowing that there was no way he could defend against three puppets with his current strength, Zhang Xuan bellowed loudly, and the Golden Origin Cauldron immediately appeared before him. It swiftly charged forward with its bottom facing a puppet. Peng! The fist collided with the Golden Origin Cauldrons bottom, and with a deep chime, the puppet was forced to retreat several steps back. The reason the Golden Origin Cauldron had not been a match for the Qingtian Emperor was due to the superiorbat skills that thetter possessed. With his opponent being a puppet that was only capable of relying on its brute strength this time around, the Golden Origin Cauldrons outstanding defense granted it a huge advantage in the battle. Nevertheless, the puppet was not weak. The both of them fought on equal grounds with one another, but it seemed like the Golden Origin Cauldron currently held the upper hand. However, before Zhang Xuan could ease up, the remaining two puppets charged at him. Hula! Overwhelming auras gushed out from the two puppets, creating a powerful gale in the area. It felt as if a devastating storm was brewing within the hall, preparing to bring a catastrophe upon those present. In face of such strength, Zhang Xuans face paled. He swiftly pointed forward and eximed, That person over there is the real Zhang Xuan, so go for him! I mean, just look at how powerful he is... ... Zhang Xuans clone. However, the two puppets seemed to remain unconvinced. They continued charging toward Zhang Xuan furiously,unching attack after attack. Dodging their attacks in a fluster, Zhang Xuan eximed desperately, I am really just the clone! Have you ever seen a clone more powerful than the main body before? Thinking that there was some logic in those words, one of the puppets hesitated for a moment before heading over toward Zhang Xuans clone, coborating with the previous puppet tounch a barrage of devastating attacks. It did not take long before the head of the Zhang Xuans clone was ttened once more. Zhang Xuans clone was truly on the verge of tears. The main bodies of the other clones were powerful and selfless, diving unhesitatingly into danger to uphold their beliefs. On the other hand, his main body... Heavens, just what kind of crime did hemit in his previous life to be born to such a main body? But thinking back again, it seemed like he had done the same thing to the main body back at the Qiu Wu Pce, so he did not have any right toin. With a weary heart, Zhang Xuans clone could only swallow his frustrations and try his best to deal with the two puppets. Nevertheless, it did not take long for several dents to appear all over his body. It was fortunate that he was forged out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, or else he would have really lost his life there and then! Just as Zhang Xuans clone was about to explode from frustration, the main body suddenly sent a telepathic message to him. Clone, try to stall those two puppets for the time being. Ille and help you as soon as I get rid of this one! ... Fine! Hearing that his main body was not intentionally abandoning him, the stifling sensation that Zhang Xuans clone felt in his chest finally alleviated slightly. Boom boom boom! Despite abandoning his defense altogether and devoting his full strength to offense, Zhang Xuans clone only barely managed to rival the two clones. Interesting... The voice of the other Vicious echoed eerily in the hall. But regardless of which of you is the main body and the clone, none of you will get out of here today! He had not expected Zhang Xuans clone to wield such strength, fighting on equal terms with two puppets. With a cold harrumph, he was just about to continue speaking when he suddenly froze. Y-you... What are you doing? Kill him! Sensing the anxiety in the other Vicious voice, Zhang Xuans clone was bewildered. He quickly forced back the two puppets with two powerful punches before hurriedly turning a nce to his main body. And then... dumbfounded. At some point in time, the puppet that had been chasing after his main body mercilessly, seeming as if it would not rest until it butchered thetter, was suddenly kneeling before his main body with a look of reverence on its face. On the other hand, his main body seemed to be saying something that caused the puppet to tremble uncontrobly in excitement. The heck... Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Zhang Xuans clone widened its eyes in shock. It had fought so desperately that its head had even been ttened multiple times throughout the course of the battle, and it did not even manage to scratch his enemy. Yet, his main body had made the puppet willingly kneel down to him just by uttering a few words. They originated from the same soul, so how could there be such a huge gap between them? Overwhelmed by frenzy, Zhang Xuans clone focused its hearing to find out just what words of sorcery the main body was saying, only to hear some unexpected words. ... Go! Remember, your teacher loves you! Right after those words were spoken, the puppet that had been chasing his main body around suddenly rushed straight for him. I... Horrified, Zhang Xuans clone immediately began to run away, only to see the puppet charging past him to sh with one of the puppets it had been dealing with. Peng peng peng peng! The two puppets were equally matched, and it did not seem any one of them would emerge victorious anytime soon. The mouth of Zhang Xuans clone twitched upon seeing that sight. Taking a deep breath, it was just about to deal with the other remaining puppet when the main body suddenly appeared before it. With a melodious tone, the main body began speaking. Born as a puppet, doomed to obey themands of others for life. What a tragic fate it is, dont you think? Come, listen to me... It did not take long before that puppet knelt earnestly before his main body as well. Go! With a shout from the main body, the puppet immediately charged for the puppet that was currently shing with the Golden Origin Cauldron. Ignoring his shocked clone, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Phew, its done! Havingprehended the Heart of a Teacher, the effectiveness of his Impartation of Heavens Will had expanded from just humans to beasts and artifacts as well. In fact, he had even managed to get Zhang Jiuxiaos weapons to acknowledge him as their teacher before. Considering that these puppets had their own spirits as well, naturally, it was also possible for him to win them over with his Impartation of Heavens Will. This move of yours sure is convenient! With this, you will be able to get any puppet to submit to you without even lifting a finger, Zhang Xuans clone remarked in awe. Zhang Xuan turned to his clone and said, Are you interested in it? If you want to learn it, I can teach you. ... The face of Zhang Xuans clone reddened in exasperation. We are both the same person, is there really a need for you to pose before me? Its just Impartation of Heavens Will, who doesnt know how to do that? After saying those words, Zhang Xuans clone charged up to one of the unconverted puppets and reached out, as if a holy priest offering a hand to salvation. Born as a puppet, doomed to obey themands of others for life. What a tragic fate it is, dont you think? Come, listen to me... Peng! His head was ttened with a forceful punch. I... Zhang Xuans clone was crazed. The same person saying the same wordsthe puppets had kneeled right after hearing them from his main body, but when he spoke them, he ended up being pummeled instead. Are you all bullying me because Im a clone? This is discrimination! Seeing his clones state, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. Jeez... Ultimately, his clone had alsoe from his soul as well. However, when would his clone learn to be as humble and low-profile as he was? To be thinking of how he could pose before others every single day, did he really have nothing better to do? Forget it, I should try to find Vicious first! Ignoring the puppets and his clone, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning the hall. However, other than the four puppets, there did not seem to be anything of note within the hall. There must be some kind of mechanism in here... Recalling how there were mechanisms in the previous halls he had been through, Zhang Xuan was just about to search for the one within the hall more thoroughly when Vicious furious voice suddenly erupted. Using your Heart of a Teacher and the Impartation of Heavens Will to beguile my puppets... you really have a sharp tongue, just like Kong shi! However, given how many times I have shed with Kong shi before, do you think that I would bepletely unprepared for this? What? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He quickly turned around, only to see that the two puppets he had just beguiled earlier abruptly shuddering intensely before their heads burst with a resounding explosion. Putong! Their headless bodies fell limply onto the ground. You left another trick within them? Zhang Xuans face darkened. As expected of Vicious, he was indeed prepared for all kinds of situation. Anticipating the possible betrayal of his subordinates, he had left a trick in them so that he could kill them whenever he wanted. Do you think that I would have been able to survive so long without at least this much brainpower? Vicious sneered coldly. Considering that his enemy was Kong shi, if he did not even have this much wariness in him, he would have been killed by the Master Teacher Pavilion many times over. In the face of such a situation, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Killing the puppets that he had just beguiled did not just cost him two powerful soldiers, more importantly, it also served as a warning against those who intended to betray Vicious. As powerful as the Heart of a Teacher paired with the Impartation of Heavens Will was, it was not exactly brainwashing. It served to win others over by merit, not through force. The spirits of the puppets had seen how theirpanions were killed right before their eyes, which caused their wills to instinctively reject Zhang Xuans teachings out of fear of death. Given so, it would be nigh impossible for Zhang Xuan to win them over. Boom! At this moment, the two remaining puppets suddenly charged at Zhang Xuan even more frenziedly than before. The deaths of theirpanions had left them feeling as if there was an invisible noose around their necks, and they realized that they could very well be killed by Vicious if they failed to kill the young man before their eyes. Against the frenzied assault of the duo, even Zhang Xuans clone and the Golden Origin Cauldron ended up being forced back. The other Vicious chuckled gleefully. Lets see how well you will cope this time around! Cope? Theres no need for that at all! Zhang Xuan replied casually. No need for that? Indeed. Theres really no need to go through so much trouble just to deal with those puppets. Shrugging leisurely, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and Demoneh and Demonbee appeared before his eyes. He had moved these inner demons into the Myriad Anthive Nest prior to entering the Ghost Cavern. Go, possess those two puppets! Yes, Teacher! Demoneh and Demonbee morphed into two clouds of ck mist and flew over to shroud the puppets. Hu! The intangible nature of inner demons made it impossible for physical might to faze them, and soul-wise, considering how even cultivators would easily sumb to their onught, how could mere puppets possibly withstand their assault? In the blink of an eye, they had already dived into the bee of the puppets. Gudong! Gudong! As soon as the inner demons entered the puppets bodies, the two puppets staggered weakly for a moment before copsing to the ground. You... Inner demons? Vicious was crazed. He was the one who had conjured those inner demons back then! Who would have thought that the other party would actually use those inner demons against him at this crucial moment? Indeed. While these inner demons are unable to destroy the spirits of the puppets and gain control of their bodies, they are still more than capable of incapacitating them for a short period of time, rendering them powerless! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Inner demons could confuse an individuals mind, robbing them of their fighting ability. Even though Demoneh and Demonbee were unable to effectively gain control of the puppets, they were still able to keep them busy for some time. Excellent. Excellent! I concede that you are indeed a formidable opponent, but while you might be able to stop two of my puppets, will you be able to stop this many of them simultaneously? With his voice trembling with rage, Vicious roared angrily. Following which, a mechanism suddenly whirred into action, and a door opened. Following which, more than a hundred puppets dashed into the hall simultaneously. The face of Zhang Xuans clone paled as it widened its eyes in disbelief. There are so many of them? On the other hand, the Golden Origin Cauldron cowered backward in fear. If he could have cowered beneath his lid, he definitely would have done so at this very moment. Hahaha! Hahahaha! Vicious manicughter echoed resoundingly in the hall. I have more than a hundred puppets here. Do you have enough inner demons to incapacitate everyst one of them? But Vicious glee did notst long. The young man shook his head and replied calmly, You are in luck. I happen to have enough. Chapter 1223 - Celestial Designer Lock

Chapter 1223: Celestial Designer Lock

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! Right after Zhang Xuan said those words, a dark mist abruptly burst forth from him. In the blink of an eye, a massive group of inner demons had rushed into the surroundings. There was more than a hundred of them. Back then, in the Combat Master Halls Heart Division, Cang Xus fragmented soul hidden within his body had resulted in the generation of a huge army of inner demons in the Trial of Inner Demons, and Cang Xu had attempted to use them to kill him. Eventually, he had managed to tame those inner demons, and he had kept them inside a jade bottle ever since then. Tzzzzzzzz! The hundred or so inner demons immediately rushed for the puppets. This is mine, dont you dare snatch it from me! Hey, I was the one who saw it first... I am Demonsee, and hes Demondee. Were inner demons who were personally named by our teacher! Nameless small fries like the rest of you should know your own ce and go to the back of the queue! Upon seeing the huge army of puppets before them, the inner demons immediately charged forward to im a body for themselves. Before the hundred puppets could even cause a shred of damage, every single one of them was already lying powerlessly on the ground. Y-you... Vicious nearly lost his mind. Only he knew how much time, effort, and precious materials he had spent on forging each and every one of those puppets. Those puppets were to be the invincible army that he wouldmand upon his return, and he had been confident that they would easily kill the young man before him. Yet, who could have known that the young man had prepared a hand for this as well! To actually have more than a hundred inner demons in your possession... Does your family actually deal in inner demons? You bastards, get up and kill him! Vicious bellowed wrathfully. But gued by inner demons, the eyes of the puppets were zed. They remained motionless on the ground, as if lifeless corpses. Reverting back to its usual, imposing presence, the Golden Origin Cauldron stepped forward and spoke confidently. Master, let me smash all of them to smithereens! Otherwise, once the puppets struggle free of their inner demons, they will surely pose a threat to us once more! At the same time, it red down on the puppets on the ground, seemingly wanting to suffocate each and every one of them with its massive bottom. Smash them to smithereens? Zhang Xuan shook his head. While they are only puppets, they do have their own consciousness. It would truly be a huge pity to kill all of them. Just like the Golden Origin Cauldron, these puppets had spirits of their own. It would have been cruel to massacre over a hundred of them just like that. But... the Golden Origin Cauldron frowned. Even if they were to spare the puppets, it was not as if the puppets would spare them once they struggled free of the inner demons. Faced with more than a hundred Leaving Aperture realm puppets, it would only take moments for them to be pummeled to death! Jeez, I guess I have no choice then! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan waved his hand grandly with a deeply reluctant look on his face. Hu! All of the puppets lying on the ground were packed into his storage ring. Those puppets were currently in a state of confusion, so they could not resist being pulled into the storage ring at all. Furthermore, as artifacts, they would not suffocate to death in the storage ring either. ... the Golden Origin Cauldron. ... Vicious was so choked up that he could not speak a word at all, and he even nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. Those puppets are mine! Mine! This is robbery! How can you steal my possession right before my eyes? You nned for this right from the start, right? Right? Vicious was livid with rage, but there was nothing he could do in the situation. All his puppets had been incapacitated, so he no longer had any subordinates who could possibly stop Zhang Xuan. Ignoring the speechless Golden Origin Cauldron and clone, as if not feeling the slightest guilt for his actions, Zhang Xuan remarked leisurely, Ill have to preach to themter on and have them renounce evil for good. It seems like I have unwittingly made another huge contribution to the Master Teacher Pavilion! With a few steps, he walked over to the door where the puppets had emerged from and walked in. Once again, there was another flight of stairs leading downward. Just like before, he had his clone lead the way. This time, they did not encounter any danger on the way. Before long, they reached the end of the passageway. This is... abyrinth? the Golden Origin Cauldron asked. This time, instead of a vast hall, they were met with countless smaller rooms densely packed together. There were many possible paths to take, just like in abyrinth. More importantly, when Zhang Xuan scanned the area with his Spiritual Perception, he realized that it was not able to reach the end of thebyrinth. It was as if the entirebyrinth stretched across the whole ind! This... What is this supposed to be used for? Zhang Xuans clone was bewildered. In fact, even Zhang Xuan himself was taken aback. He scanned the room with his Eye of Insight, and he realized that each of the small rooms was forged out of a unique material, making the walls particrly resilient. He could hardly imagine how much it would have cost to build such a giganticbyrinth. To make aparison, the cost of crafting these rooms was at least a hundred times the price required to forge all the puppets he had encountered earlier. Are these residences for those puppets? the Golden Origin Cauldron asked after a moment of contemtion. Residences? Would a hundred puppets require this many residences? Scanning the area with his Spiritual Perception, Zhang Xuan could perceive at least ten thousand rooms. Putting aside the question of if the puppets would require a room for themselves, surely there was no need to construct so many of them! Unable to make sense of the bizarrebyrinth, Zhang Xuan shook his head as he began heading down one of the paths. Lets not bother with that for the time being. Make sure to keep your guard up; dont give Vicious an opportunity to assault you... If it had been anyone else, they would have swiftly lost their way due to the identical rooms everywhere. However, through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to vaguely perceive an extremely thin strand of thread in the air. After walking for around ten minutes, passing by countless rooms in the meantime, they finally arrived before an open stone door, which revealed another passageway that led further downward. Since they had alreadye this far, the two men and one cauldron walked into the passageway without any hesitation, heading downward once more. As soon as they reached the end of the passageway, they immediately felt a concentrated burst of killing intent gushing their way, threatening to tear their consciousness into shreds. Having practiced the simplified Heavens Path Soul Art, Zhang Xuans clone was still able to withstand the overwhelming killing intent. However, the Golden Origin Cauldron shook feebly in the face of the fearsome killing intent, unable to stand against it. Despite having reached Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, it was ultimately still a mere spirit and not a soul. Inevitably, its ability to withstand the powerful killing intent of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe wascking. You should return for now. Zhang Xuan swiftly stowed the Golden Origin Cauldron back into his storage ring before assessing the room before him together with his clone. It was a spacious underground chamber. There was a square box hanging in the middle of the chamber, propped up by four thick chains embedded in the wall at the four corners. Zhang Xuan could not tell what kind of material the box was made of, but there was an eerie cold glint reflected off its ck exterior. The powerful burst of killing intent had originated from the box. Vicious... is inside? Zhang Xuans clone muttered softly. Very possibly so, Zhang Xuan replied with a grim frown. The sheer concentration of the killing intent in that previous burst showed that the purity of the bloodline of whatever was sealed within the box had already exceeded that of the Qingtian Emperor. In the Ghost Cavern, the only one who could possibly possess a purer bloodline than the Qingtian Emperor was Vicious. Beneath the ck box was an altar that bore a striking resemnce to the one he had used to deal with the Qingtian Emperor earlier, just that it was slightly bigger. There were bizarre inscriptions all over it, and for some reason, there seemed to be an air of destion shrouding those inscriptions. It felt as if one would be torn in two just by approaching it. Zhang Xuans clone picked up a stone and tossed it at the altar. Tz! Countless sword qi burst forth from the altar, slicing the stone into powdery remains. This... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The altar in his possession was used to nab souls whereas the altar right before him seemed to have a ughter Formation inscribed into it. Even if it was him, he had no doubt that he would be reduced into minced meat if he was caught amid the sword qi. In other words, anyone who tried to approach the ck box would be instantaneously killed by the endless sword qi. You are here, arent you? Unable to see through the box nor the altar through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began scanning the surroundings as he called out. Humph! Even if you managed to find your way here, it makes no difference at all. As long as you are unable to open the box, your mission is doomed to end in a failure! Vicious eerie voice echoed within the chamber. You are in the box? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Indeed. Even if you know it now, what can you do about it? Vicious mocked. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. Back at Chen Zhes residence, when the other Vicious had nabbed his soul, he had muttered to himself, saying that as long as he devoured Zhang Xuan, a Celestial Master Teacher, he would be able to escape from his restraints. From the looks of it now, he had been referring to this box back then. If he opened it and the other Vicious escaped... Considering how even the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path would not be able to make a move, Zhang Xuan was not too confident. But... if he did not let Vicious out, there would be no way he would be able to kill thetter through the ck box. Let me see what it is! Perplexed, Zhang Xuan slowly walked toward the ck box. The closer he came to the ck box, the more powerful the killing intent became. If it had been Wu shi and the others, or perhaps even an 8-star master teacher, their minds could have very well sumbed by now. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, he was able to easily dispel the pressure arising from the killing intent. Before long, he was already standing at the perimeter just outside of the altars area of attack. He did not dare proceed any further, but from this distance, he was already able to get a good look at the ck box through his Eye of Insight. The ck box was roughly fifty centimeters in length, and there was not the slightest opening in the box, as if it was just a lump of metal. What is it? Zhang Xuans clone also walked over. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, If Im not mistaken, it seems to be... the Celestial Designer Lock! Celestial Designer Lock? Zhang Xuans clone asked in confusion. He had been in the storage ring over the past few days, and Zhang Xuan had not had any time to share his newly-learned knowledge with him yet. As such, his current knowledge was far beneath Zhang Xuans. The Celestial Designer Lock is a unique artifact known to be the most unyielding lock that a celestial designer can create. Its often used to seal away highly dangerous objects, and once the lock is in ce, not even the creator of the Celestial Designer Lock will be able to open it! If one forces it open, the content of the box will be utterly destroyed! Zhang Xuan said. Its different from Celestial Designer Mechanical Container in the sense that the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container can be opened whereas the Celestial Designer Lock is intended for permanent sealing! Zhang Xuan had once encountered a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container, and while it had been difficult to open, those who managed to find the key would still be able to open it. On the other hand, the Celestial Designer Lock was like a dead knot. What was sealed within was doomed to never see the light of the day again. If one forcefully pried it open, what was sealed within the box would be destroyed as well. Since thats the case, isnt it obvious what we should do? As long as we attempt to pry open the ck box forcefully and trigger the self-destruction of the Celestial Designer Lock, we will be able to kill Vicious, right? Zhang Xuans clone said. It was not as if they were here to save Vicious. If they could kill him, that would be for the best. This... Zhang Xuan shook his head. I fear that things might not be as simple as that! Stroking his lower jaw, he began circling around the altar, deep in thought. If it was as easy as his clone made it out to be, there was no way Vicious would have allowed them toe this far so easily! While they might have been unable to get close to the Celestial Designer Lock, if they were to knock the box with their zhenqi, they should be able to trigger its self-destruction withouting under the attack of the altar. But it was precisely how easy and convenient everything was that left Zhang Xuan deeply apprehensive inside. Could an expert of Vicious caliber really be done in that easily? Clone, lets take a look around the area and see if we can find anything! Zhang Xuan said as he swiftly imparted what he had learned recently to his clone. After which, he began walking around the perimeter of the altars area of attack to check for any anomalies. The underground chamber was massive, and its walls were reinforced with the same unique material as the one used to construct the rooms in thebyrinth above. Frowning, Zhang Xuan ced his finger lightly on the wall. Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Upon taking a look, Zhang Xuan frowned. This... Chapter 1224 - Releasing Vicious

Chapter 1224: Releasing Vicious

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After reading through the content of the book, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. He pondered for a moment before heading to a corner of the room to sit down cross-legged. Some timeter, his clone came over and asked in bewilderment, What are you doing? Zhang Xuan turned around and replied with a pale face, Whenever I have a question that I cant find an answer to, I like to sit in a corner of the room to mull over the secrets of the universe and the meaning of life. Mull over the secrets of the universe? Meaning of life? Zhang Xuans clone was bewildered. When did the main body gain such an ability? Why was he unaware of it? Even though he had no idea what the main body was up to, he felt that the main body had a reason for doing what he was doing. Thus, he decided not to interfere in thetters business. Ill just take a look around. Feel free to continue what you are doing. Leaving those words behind, he turned around and left. Around two hourster, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before getting to his feet once more. At this moment, his eyes were reddened, and he seemed to be drained of energy. His feet wobbled unstably on the ground, and he nearly fell over. Upon seeing this sight, his clone quickly rushed forward to support him. Im fine. Zhang Xuan waved his hand as he quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi three circtions around his bodythe weakness and exhaustion he felt were finally alleviated. Noting that Zhang Xuan had recovered from his weakened state, his clone quickly sent him a telepathic message. I have just checked the entire area, and other than the ck box and the altar, there are not any mechanisms in the area at all. If my deduction is correct, I think we are already at the bottommostyer of the ind. In the two hours that Zhang Xuan had spent contemting the meaning of life, he had already gone over every nook and cranny of the underground chamber. With the impartation from the main body, hisprehension of formations and mechanisms had already reached the level of 7-star pinnacle. Given that, if he still could not find anything amiss after a thorough check, the chances were that there were no mechanisms in the room. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. What do we do now? Zhang Xuans clone frowned. Should we just destroy the Celestial Designer Lock and hope that it will kill Vicious? Zhang Xuans clone had a feeling that his main body knew something, just that thetter was unwilling to speak of it. Zhang Xuan shook his head. That wont do. There might be other conditions to activating the attack of the altar other than distance. If we make a rash move, we will risk triggering the altar. If so, we might very well end up as nourishment for Vicious! Then... Itll be safer for us to destroy the altar first. Once we destroy the altar, we will be able to do whatever we want with the box, Zhang Xuan replied. Sounds reasonable. Zhang Xuans clone nodded. Thus, the both of them walked closer to the altar to take a closer look at it. The inscriptions on the altar were even more intricate than those on the altar in his storage ring. There was no way for Zhang Xuan to urately discern the effects of the formation inscribed onto it. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a spiritless Saint low-tier sword he had obtained from the Qiu Wu Pce and tossed it over. Sou sou sou sou! In the blink of an eye, the Saint low-tier sword was torn into pieces by the onught of sword qi from the altar. Seeing the sight, the mouth of Zhang Xuans clone twitched. His physical body was capable of regenerating back to its original form even when it was being sliced into pieces, but his soul still was not strong enough yet. Judging by the might of the sword qi, his soul could very well dissipate if it was subjected to such an assault. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes shortly after the altar came into action. A momentter, he opened his eyes once more and retrieved a bunch of formation gs from his storage ring. What are you nning to do with these formation gs? Zhang Xuans clone asked in bewilderment. Shouldnt they have been thinking of a way to break the altar? Why would he suddenly whip out a couple of formation gs? The formation inscribed onto the altar is extremely profound, at least reaching the level of grade-8. A forceful attempt to break the formation could cause it to blow up instead, which would be extremely dangerous. Thus, I intend to deal with the formation by setting another one up myself! Zhang Xuan exined. Deal with the formation by setting another one up yourself? Zhang Xuans clone pondered for a moment before nodding in realization. In essence, what Zhang Xuan intended to do was to use a new formation to interfere with the functions of the altars formation and destroy its internal structure. As simple as it sounded theoretically, it was no easy feat to pull off. In the first ce, it was already difficult to construct a formation on top of another one, and a mistake in doing so could potentially result in severe bacsh from the existing formation. On top of that, in order to sessfully neutralize the altars formation, Zhang Xuan had to construct a formation that possessed might on par with it. The difficulty in doing so was truly unimaginable. However, Zhang Xuans clone knew that his main body would only make a move when thetter was confident of sess, so he decided not to say too much about the matter. Instead, he took a few steps back and returned back into the passageway, ready to flee if a mishap urred. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before leaping into the air. Then, he suddenly flicked his wrist. Wuwuwuwuwu! More than a hundred formation gs shot out from his palm, falling urately into their respective positions. Boom! The next moment, the massive formation began whirring into action. Its a Starlight Convergence Formation... Zhang Xuans clone recognized the activated formation in an instant. It was neither a ughter Formation nor an Illusory Formation but... a Spirit Gathering Formation! A half grade-8 formation, it tapped into the lingering Power of Stars in the world in order to gather spiritual energy. To use such a formation to break the altar... Its indeed a good idea. While Zhang Xuans clone snubbed the main body for being so much weaker than him, he had to admit that he was really impressed by thetter at this moment. The formation inscribed on the altar was extremely powerful, possibly even a grade-8 formation, and given the current strength of the main body, it would be difficult for him to set up a formation sufficiently powerful to interfere with and destroy it. However, a Spirit Gathering Formation would be a different story. On the surface, ovepping a Spirit Gathering Formation on top of the already powerful grade-8 formation may seem like a foolish act, but... everything in the world had a tolerance limit. Even grade-8 formations were no exception to the rule. It was unknown where the altar received the required spiritual energy to drive the formation from, but the energy that it received was already plenty, and there was no need to supplement it anymore. Thus, if a Spirit Gathering Formation was set up on top of it, it would not be long before the spiritual energy gathered in the altars formation exceeded its limit. While Zhang Xuans clone was still analyzing the situation, Zhang Xuan whipped out ten thousand high-tier spirit stones and ced them into the formation in order to speed up the rate at which the Starlight Convergence Formation was gathering spiritual energy. Hong long long! The massive influx of energy swiftly formed a gigantic energy whirlpool, causing the underground chamber to shake intensely. Under the control of the Starlight Convergence Formation, the massive whirlpool of spiritual energy swiftly dived into the altar. The altar emanated a brilliant glow, and a momentter, it began to inte swiftly like a balloon. Boom! The altar had finally reached its limit, and a deafening explosion resounded in the underground chamber. We have seeded! The eyes of Zhang Xuans clone lit up. He had thought that even with the prowess of the Starlight Convergence Formation, it would still have taken at least a month in order to destroy the formation. However, the main bodys act of tossing ten thousand spirit stones into the formation had hastened the process by innumerable times. In less than an incenses time 1 , the altar had already exploded. Upon the altars destruction, Zhang Xuan swiftly packed all of his formation gs back into the storage ring. Barely after he did so, the killing intent in the underground chamber suddenly intensified, and a frenziedughter sounded. Hahaha! Zhang Xuan, it seems like I really made the right choice in luring you here! I really have to thank you for freeing me from my restraints! I, Vicious, have finally returned to the world! As those words were spoken, Zhang Xuan and his clone suddenly realized that their bodies had been frozen by some kind of power, and an iparably powerful might weighed down on them, threatening to crush their bodies. Coming to realize what had just happened, the face of Zhang Xuans clone turned ghastly pale. Sh*t, he wasnt trapped in the Celestial Designer Lock but... the altar? As they had sensed that the killing intent originated from the Celestial Designer Lock, they had instinctively assumed that Vicious was inside there. They had thought that the destruction of the altar would allow them to deal with Vicious... but it turned out that they were sorely mistaken! The true seal that was restraining Vicious was actually the altar itself! Quick, escape! Seemingly having just realized what had just happened as well, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. With an anxious bellow, he swiftly executed a powerful palm strike. Si! The powerful might of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm swiftly tore apart the frozen space trapping him. Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward to return his clone into his storage ring before executing the Unbounded Voyager. His silhouette blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he was already at the other end of the passageway. Rushing all the way up, it took only ten breaths for him to return to where Hall Master Xing and the others were. They had been attempting to find another exit to the Ghost Cavern so as to secure an escape route, but their efforts had been futile. Principal Zhang! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the group heaved a sigh of relief. Follow me! We need to escape from here as fast as possible! Zhang Xuan urged. Vicious had been freed from his restraints, and he was not someone whom they could deal with at the moment. The only thing they could do right now was to get away as fast as they could. But the Dragon Severing Lock is still blocking the entrance... How are we to leave the Ghost Cavern? Wu shi asked. With the entrance sealed and no alternative exits in sight, they had nowhere to escape to! Dont worry about that and follow me! Paying no heed to the doubts that the others harbored, Zhang Xuan continued charging forward. The remaining members of the group were perplexed, but they chose to follow him. Passing through a long passageway, they finally arrived before the Dragon Severing Lock once more. It was still firmly blocking the entrance, sealing their escape route. What should we do? Wu shi asked anxiously. Hall Master Xing gritted his teeth and said, Since it has alreadye down to this, why dont webine the strength of all nine of us together through a coborative formation to attack the Dragon Severing Lock? We might just be able to force our way out. It seems like theres no other choice... Wu shi nodded. However, halfway through his words, he realized that Zhang Xuan had already walked up to the Dragon Severing Lock, and stroking the massive rock gently, thetter said, Open up. We need to leave. Jiya! Before everyones shocked gaze, the Dragon Severing Lock, which even a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert might not have been able to destroy, suddenly began nudging aside. This... Everyone widened their eyes in shock at the unbelievable sight before them. It was an established fact that unless one possessed strength greater than the forged Dragon Severing Lock, there would be no way to pass through a path that it sealed. Yet, the young man before him had actually managed to get the Dragon Severing Lock to nudge aside just by touching it gently and saying a few words to it. This was too exaggerated! Lets hurry up and leave! Zhang Xuan urged as he took the lead forward. On the other hand, the others also know that this was not the time to be dozing off, so they quickly caught up to Zhang Xuan and escaped from the little ind. Hong long long! The shaking of the little ind swiftly intensified, and by the time the group finally leaped back to where they had been prior to entering the Ghost Cavern, amid a furious flinging of mud, the little ind actually began rising into the air. Everyones eyes widened in shock. Geji! Geji! The little ind rose higher and higher, and it did not take long before it was fully freed from the marsh. Following which, the little ind did a 180-degrees turn, and as the mud shrouding it swiftly fell back into the marsh, its true face finally unfolded. Amidst the crowd, Division Head Liaos body trembled as he spoke the words that were in everyones mind. Is that... a head? Shockingly, the little ind was shaped simr to a head. Theke that they had encountered prior to entering the Ghost Cavern was actually one of the two eyes of the head! A glint shed across the massive eyes as a powerful voice boomed. Hahaha! I, Vicious, have finally returned! Tell me, how do you want to die? Vicious of the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows was finally back! Roughly 15 minutes. Chapter 1225 - The Eccentric Teacher and Student

Chapter 1225: The entric Teacher and Student

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 How can this be... Feeling the immense pressure emanated by the massive head, the group froze in ce. They could feel that the massive head was not just for show. The strength that it wielded was boundless as well, and even though it had not made a move yet, the indomitable aura that it emanated had already sealed the surrounding space, making escape nigh impossible. This... Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle? Wu shi gulped down a mouthful of saliva. He could vividly sense the other partys strengthLeaving Aperture realm pinnacle! There was no way they could stand against an expert of this caliber! Zhang Xuan nodded grimly in response. At Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, Vicious was far stronger than the Qingtian Emperor, and this was without taking into ount the powerful means that he possessed. What do we do? The group swiftly fell into a state of panic. If the enemy was only at Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, they could still have given it a try, but Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle... there was no way to win no matter how hard they struggled! To be able to think of using another formation to break the altar, Zhang Xuan, I have to admit that you are indeed a clever person. But it seems like clever people like you have a tendency to fall prey to their own wits. Its thanks to your help that I managed to escape from my restraints! Wont you tell me how you are feeling at the moment? You have been desperately trying to kill me all along, only to end up freeing me with your own hands. Regretful? Guilt-ridden? The floating face in the sky eyed Zhang Xuan with a yful look in his eyes. He had sealed the surrounding space, so there was no way that the group of humans before him would be able to escape. At this point, victory was already his! I do feel quite regretful, but since the situation has already yed out this way, theres no point crying over spilt milk. However, Im just curious to know the origin of the altar. How did you manage to get trapped in it? Zhang Xuan replied calmly. This was the only thing that he just could notprehend at this point. It was obvious that the altar was an artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so how did Vicious end up being trapped in it? Since you are about to be devoured by me, Ill ede to your request, since its thest one you are going to be making anyway! the face in the sky sneered coldly. That altar was the doing of that Qingtian bastard! The Qingtian Emperor? Zhang Xuan frowned in astonishment. But... isnt he your student? Didnt you impart the heritage of the soul oracles to him? Why would the Qingtian Emperor seal his own teacher into an altar? Humph! Two thousand years ago, when I summoned that Qingtian bastard over, I was only a pair of tattered eyes and a sliver of will... Vicious harrumphed coldly. I taught him the heritage of the soul oracles for one simple reasonI wanted to make use of his strength to find my other body parts so as to return to my peak! Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had also deduced this much. How could a person who was given the nickname Vicious possibly be so kind as to ept a student and pass on the lost heritage of the soul oracles for free? It went without saying that he had his own motives. That fellow wasnt too bad too. He regarded me as his teacher, and he even captured many celestial designers and cksmiths and gathered countless precious ores to forge this head for me! Vicious said. Forge? Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered the countless rooms he had seen earlier. If the entire little ind was Vicious head, those rooms should have been the internal structure of his brain. To forge such a massive head, not only would an immense amount of materials be required, more importantly, the manpower needed would truly be massive as well. It seemed like in the past two thousand years, on top of master teachers, many celestial designers and cksmiths had lost their lives, too. Just that, due to Vicious means in concealing the little ind and the innate treacherous nature of the marsnd, no one had suspected that those deaths were part of someones scheme. From the very start, that Qingtian bastard was extremely respectful toward me, carrying out whatever orders I had for him without any hesitation. As such, I never doubted his loyalty, but... he actually dared scheme against me! Overflowing rage could be heard within Vicious voice. At some point in time, he brought the altar over under the pretext of helping me regain my strength, but in truth, he was using it with the head he had the celestial designers forge to have me sealed! By the time I realized it, I was already imprisoned here. Imprisoned? Thats right! However, that Qingtian bastards intention was not just to imprison me. From the very start, he had intended to use the soul arts he had learned from me to steal my memories and rece me! At this point, Vicious sneered in disdain, as if mocking a mere ant for having such ridiculous thoughts. Even though the Qingtian Emperor had been Vicious subordinate, he had still been a proud and lofty Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, an existence that was born superior to others! Even if the other party was the powerful Vicious, there was no way he would willingly submit to him. Not to mention, the current Vicious was nothing but a mere shell of his former self. Steal your memories and rece you? Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed in pity. As a legendary expert who rivaled Kong shi back in your prime, you actually fell for the ploy of a mere Qingtian Emperor? Even if Vicious had fallen from grace, he should still have retained countless protective measures and trump cards. Yet, to still be outyed by the Qingtian Emperor despite that... this was truly inconceivable. Humph! Even though I did not doubt his loyalty, I did guard against him from the start to the end. But two thousand years ago, I had only just awoken from my slumber, and my cultivation was not even at Saint realm then. I needed his strength and the resources he provided, so I had no choice but to go along with him. At this point, a cruel glint shed across Vicious eyes as he said, But as you have said, how could I possibly be outdone by that Qingtian bastard so easily? I secretly left a sliver of my will in his mind so that if he attempted to act against me, I would be able to crush his soul instantly! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans lips twitched. They sure were a good pair of teacher and student. Beneath the seemingly calm waters, they were actually stabbing daggers into the backs of one another. Both adept at ying the game of treachery! After the forging of the head, in order to revive myself and gain some fighting prowess, I would have to extend my consciousness to cover the entire little ind. However, if I were to do so, I would temporarily lose my consciousness... and he made use of this opening to used the altar to seal me! Recalling the matter, Vicious rage red. Just as he was about to kill me, the will I had left inside his head triggered. He did not want to die, so naturally, he had no choice but to heed my orders. However, it seemed like he had prepared a hand to ensure that I would not be able to kill him, so I did not dare make a move either. As such, we could only maintain the stalemate between us. This... Wu shi and Hall Master Xing nced at one another. The word teacher had a very deep significance to those in the Master Teacher Continent, including ordinary cultivators. If a student was found to have betrayed their own teacher, they would be killed without any hesitation. Heaven, Earth, Kin, Teacher, Sovereign! The position of a teacher was even above that of ones country, just beneath that of ones parents! Given the culture of the Master Teacher Continent, it was very rare to see a student scheming against their own teacher. However, with this pair of Otherworldly Demons, the teacher was thinking about how he could make use of his own student everyday whereas the student was thinking about how he could rece his teacher every day. How entric! Noting the iprehension among the others, Zhang Xuan exined, The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe pledges their loyalty to the Spirit God. The word teacher has no significance to them at all. He had encountered quite a few Otherworldly Demons on his journey and even eliminated the Qingtian Lineage from its Kings up to its Emperor. Due to his frequent encounters with them, he hade to learn a bit about their culture and beliefs. There was only a single existence they were truly loyal to, and that was the Spirit God. Only the words from the Spirit God would they unconditionally obey. On the other hand, the term teacher really meant nothing to them at all. Putting aside scheming against their own teacher, there was not any social stigma even toward the killing of ones teacher among them. They did not consider it a reprehensible act. It was for this reason that the Qingtian Emperor and Vicious had no qualms about shing with one another in the shadows over the past two thousand years. In fact, Zhang Xuan suspected that the reason the Vicious in Wu Yangzis underground chamber had been able to regain consciousness could very well have been the doing of the Qingtian Emperor in order to keep his teacher in check. Zhang Xuan raised his head and asked, To make someone like you hesitate to make a move, what is the Qingtian Emperors hand? One must know that the Qingtian Emperor intended Vicious harm, and considering that Vicious was in a good position to exact vengeance, there was no need for him to hesitate. Its regarding the news concerning a Celestial Amulet of Legacy, Vicious said. Perhaps the years of istion and solitude had really left him deeply stifled. Facing the group of master teachers who would very soon be his prey, he revealed everything without any worry. Celestial Amulet of Legacy? Zhang Xuan had searched the Qingtian Emperors memory, and he had learned of this matter as well. As such, he was not too surprised by the revtion. On the other hand, however, the eyes of Wu shi and the others narrowed in astonishment, Ignoring the shock of the others, Vicious harrumphed before continuing. It was a puppet loyal to that Qingtian bastard who uncovered this piece of intelligence. As a master teacher, you should also know how valuable a Celestial Amulet of Legacy is. The crowd nodded in agreement. The Celestial Amulets of Legacy were artifacts that Kong shi had personally left behind, and they concerned the supreme artifact that Kong shi had forged himself, the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. As such, the value of a Celestial Amulet of Legacy was so great that it would leave even the 9-star master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion going into a frenzy over it. An excited gleam surfaced in Vicious eyes. If I could obtain a Celestial Amulet of Legacy, I would be able to free myself from this hellish state I am in, quickly find my remaining body parts, and return to my peak! Perhaps, I might even be able to steal the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and surpass Kong shi! Ordinary Otherworldly Demons might not have known what they should do with a Celestial Amulet of Legacy even if they did obtain one, but as one who had fought with Kong shi for many times, Vicious knew very where to use one and how to best use one. Due to my current condition, I am unable to leave the marsnds. Thus, I could only rely on him to obtain a Celestial Amulet of Legacy. As such, I had no choice but to spare his wretched life! Furthermore, he also knew where a few of my body parts are, and if he had destroyed them before I got to them, my recovery would have been severely impeded! Vicious continued. No wonder... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The allure of a Celestial Amulet of Legacy was simply too great, and after a long period of hibernation, Vicious would surely want to regain his strength as soon as possible. As such, it was understandable why he would choose to spare the Qingtian Emperor despite thetters betrayal. Noticing a peculiar aspect in Vicious story, Zhang Xuan tried to sound him out. You said that the intelligence was procured by a puppet loyal to the Qingtian Emperor? Considering that this is a piece of news that even Tian Qing is unaware of... it seems like the Qingtian Emperor trusts that puppet quite a bit! Tian Qing was a sliver of the Qingtian Emperors will, so he could not be considered a puppet. As for King Zhongqing, he could only be considered ackey at most, so the puppet that Vicious spoke about probably did not refer to him either. If that was the case, could it be that there was another close aide of the Qingtian Emperor hiding within the Qingyuan Empire? But again, assuming that that was true, why didnt he discover anything about that in the Qingtian Emperors memories? Theres no need to try sound me out. That fellow has already pledged his loyalty to me, Vicious sneered coldly. Then, seemingly losing interest in speaking any further, a cold glint shed across Vicious eyes as a surge of killing intent burst from him. Alright, story time is over. You should be happy that you have managed to learn so many confidential secrets. Now, its about time for me to send you on your way! Boom! Apelling pressure suddenly descended from the heavens, causing a suffocating sensation to crush their chests. Everyones breathing hastened. Chapter 1226 - Liu Yangs Crisis (1)

Chapter 1226: Liu Yangs Crisis (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Principal Zhang, well help you stall him. Meanwhile, you try to get away. Wu shi and Hall Master Xing stepped forward as they frenziedly drove their zhenqi to ward off the pressure on them, protecting the other members of the group. Whatever the existence before them was, he was simply too powerful. There was no way they would be able to escape unscathed from his clutches. However, if they went all out, perhaps, they just might be able to buy sufficient time for Zhang Xuan to escape. Zhang Xuans incredible talents would surely y a critical role in furthering the strength of mankind in the future, and a person like him could not be allowed to die just like that. Thus, saving him would be their final contribution to mankind! Get away? If we had tried before that little ind floated all the way up, we might still have been to get away, but now... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Did you really think that hes exining everything to us just to vent his emotions? This... Not understanding what Zhang Xuan was getting at, the crowd fell silent. Indeed. It was perplexing why Vicious would actually reveal all of these valuable secrets to them, such that they even forgot about the predicament they were in for a moment. Thinking about it once more, his actions felt more like... buying time. Given that his will has only just escaped from its restraints, it required some time in order to gain absolute control over such a massive ind. Thus, he decided to use these information to divert our attention. If Im not mistaken, he should have already gained full control over the head by now. Even if we start running now, considering how big the marsnds are, theres no way we will get away in time. Furthermore, given the treacherous terrain we are in, our haste might justnd us in deeper danger, Zhang Xuan replied. Wu shi and Hall Master Xing had only just advanced their cultivation to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage whereas Vicious was at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. Even if put their lives on the line to stall Vicious, how long could they possibly stall him for? Not to mention, given Vicious superior cultivation realm, he would surely catch up soon after. Most likely, he would be caught before he could even escape ten li away! But Zhang shi, if you knew what the other party was up to beforehand, why didnt you flee earlier? Ji shi 1 couldnt help but ask. Since you saw through the other partys motive, you should have escaped when you had the time to do so! Why did you still remain here to y along with his games and ask him questions? Now that the other party has gained full control over the little ind and returned to his peak state, we are all doomed! Instead of responding to Ji shis question, Zhang Xuan walked forward and gazed at the massive face before him. Theres no way we can escape at this point, and we dont have the strength to rival you either... I hope that you can just answer this final question of mine. Who is the puppet that you were referring to? Hahaha! To still be concerned about this matter despite the situation you are in, your mental resilience sure is incredible, perhaps even on par with Kong shi back then! Im starting to think that it would be a pity to kill a genius like you just like that. Vicious shook his head as he gazed down at Zhang Xuan with a look of pity. Ill offer you onest chance then. As long as you pledge your loyalty and offer your soul up to me, not only will I tell you who the puppet is, Ill even spare your life. When I finally obtain a Celestial Amulet of Legacy, Ill take you along with me to find the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and even aid you in bing the next Worlds Teacher! You want me to pledge loyalty to you? Zhang Xuans lips curled up in disdain. I have lived as a master teacher, and Ill die as one too! Theres no way Ill side with an Otherworldly Demon like you. However, even if you dont tell me who that puppet is, I already have a good idea who he is! Oh? Vicious looked down at Zhang Xuan with a yful look in his eyes, as if daring thetter to give him a guess. Its the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, Chu Tianxing, right? Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Oh? Vicious eyes narrowed. Tian Qing was the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, while he hasnt uncovered any information about the Celestial Amulet of Legacy yet, the puppet you spoke of did. From that, it can be seen that the puppet possesses an exceptionally high standing in the Qingyuan Empire. Theres no way Wu shi or Hall Master Xing could be your ally, and Pavilion Master Gou has been killed as well... Thus, that only leaves us with Chu Tianxing! Zhang Xuan revealed his deduction. It was not too difficult to guess this. A person who could uncover news about an elusive Celestial Amulet of Legacy had to have a powerful intelligencework in the Qingyuan Empire, one that was even wider than the one Tian Qing controlled. As powerful as the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilions intelligencework was, there was still a single power in the Qingyuan Empire whose intelligencework surpassed itthe Qingyuan royal family. And the one who could tap into the intelligencework of the royal family was naturally the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, Chu Tianxing! Furthermore, Chu Tianxings actions had truly been very suspicious. King Zhongqing had been captured time and time again, and yet, Chu Tianxing was willing to pay a heavy price each time to bail him out. Furthermore, now that he thought about it, on the night that the souls of eight master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion were nabbed, Chu Tianxing had visited the Master Teacher Pavilion under the pretext of paying a visit to King Zhongqing. He had not been able to connect the dots earlier, but upon hearing Vicious mention a puppet, everything swiftly came together to form a clear picture. To be able to see through everything with just a few clues, as expected of a Celestial Master Teacher! You are keener than I expected, Vicious sneered coldly, not intending to deny the matter. There was no reason for him to deny it at this point. In any case, the people before them were pretty much dead men anyway. Celestial Master Teacher? Zhang shi... is a Celestial Master Teacher? Hall Master Xing, Ji shi, and the others were astonished. Of the crowd, the only one who was aware of Zhang Xuans true identity was Wu shi. Due to safety concerns, Wu shi had not even revealed the matter to Hall Master Xing. Thus, upon hearing the words of the Otherworldly Demon before them, all of them widened their eyes in shock, unable to believe their ears. In the long history of the Master Teacher Continent, there had only been a single Celestial Master Teacher, and that was Kong shi. And yet, the young man before them was actually a Celestial Master Teacher as well? You didnt even tell yourrades about the matter? Hahaha, you sure are a wary individual! Thats right! Hes a Celestial Master Teacher, a person whose existence is acknowledged by the heavens themselves! As long as premature death doesnte to him, its only a matter of time before he bes the next Worlds Teacher! Vicious burst into a heartyughter before abruptlying to a halt. A cold glint surfaced in his eyes as he continued. However, it seems like that will nevere to be. I have fought with Kong shi on many asions, and I am very familiar with all his means. You may have a thousand ideas in your mind, but let me tell you that you are just wasting your effort! How about it? Submit to me, and you can continue living in this world. Otherwise, not only will you die, even your kin and friends will have to suffer due to your obstinacy! Ill be honest with you here. The very moment you arrived in these marsnds, I instructed Chu Tianxing to capture your student. Chances are that your student is already being held captive at this moment, Vicious sneered. You had Chu Tianxing capture my student? Zhang Xuans gaze turned incredibly cold. He could not have imagined that Vicious would actually stoop down to such lowly and underhanded means against him. Indeed! Do you honestly expect me to believe your words? My student is currently cultivating in the Combat Master Hall, where hes protected by countlessbat masters. Even if Chu Tianxing attempts to make a move against him, can he possibly breach the defenses of the Combat Master Hall? Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Currently, he only had a single direct disciple in the Qingyuan Empire, Liu Yang! Before he left, he instructed Liu Yang to focus his effort on cultivating in the Combat Master Hall. Even though Chu Tianxing wielded great power and influence in the Qingyuan Empire, surely he would not dare barge into the Combat Master Hall and cause a ruckus! Of course, I concede that theres no way Chu Tianxing will be able to breach the defenses of the Combat Master Hall... but what if he invites your student out? Vicious said with twisted smile. Invites? An ominous feeling surfaced in the back of Zhang Xuans mind as he clenched his fists tightly. Zhang Xuan had suspected Chu Tianxing of betraying mankind prior to leaving Qingyuan City, but due to theck of evidence, he had decided against publicizing the matter for the time being. Instead, he had Wu shi dispatch a few master teachers to keep a tight watch over thetter. If Chu Tianxing invited his student to the royal pce as a guest in his capacity as the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, there would really be no reason for Liu Yang to turn down the invitation. And once Liu Yang left the secure Combat Master Hall to enter the royal pce... To make matters worse, Wu shi and Hall Master Xing were currently by his side, so there was no one left in Qingyuan City who wielded sufficient authority and strength to oppose Chu Tianxing head on! Seeing that he had finally broken Zhang Xuans calm demeanor, Vicious sneered coldly, Since you wereing over, wouldnt it have been disrespectful of me if I did not give you my warmest wee? Humph, if I did not have at least this much in me, how could I have possibly fought on equal grounds against Kong shi back then? Ill give you some time to think it over, but know that there is a limit to my patience. Submit to me, and Ill spare you and your student. I will even impart theplete heritage of the soul oracles to you on top of that and support you in bing the next Worlds Teacher! Otherwise, Im afraid that you will just have to watch helplessly here as your student suffers a tragic death! You... Zhang Xuan red at Vicious in rage. This was the first time that someone dared to threaten him like that. ... In Qingyuan Citys Combat Master Hall... On the third day after the departure of the group to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, the Combat Master Hall ushered in an esteemed guestthe emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, Chu Tianxing. Division Head Zhou, Ill really have to trouble you for this matter. King Zhongqing is still being locked in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and honestly speaking, he really didntmit any heinous crimes that warrant such extreme treatment! The biggest mistake he really made was provoking Zhang shi. I dont want to put you on the spot either, so I just hope that you can bring me to him so that we can attempt to reconcile! Chu Tianxing said with a vexed look on his face. He hade to the Combat Master Hall with several guards, who were currently standing behind him, in order to meet with the head of the Weapon Division, Division Head Zhou. In Hall Master Xing, Division Head Liao, and Division Head Weis absence, the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Combat Master Hall ended up falling on his shoulders. Pardon me, Your Majesty, but your arrival is truly untimely. Zhang shi has recently gone into seclusion, so Im afraid that you will have to return another day. Division Head Zhou shook his head as he turned down Chu Tianxings request with an apologetic look. Hall Master Xing had instructed that this expedition was a confidential operation, so if anyone sought them in this period of time, he had to turn them down with an appropriate excuse. As powerful as the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall was, it would still be beneficial for it to maintain amiable rtions with the regional royal family. As such, it would not be good for it to turn away Chu Tianxing curtly. Zhang shi is in the midst of a seclusion? I see... A look of disappointment surfaced on Chu Tianxings face. If I recall correctly, Zhang shi has a direct disciple named Liu Yang, right? If it isnt too much trouble, may I meet him instead? I heard that hes seventeen this year, and I happen to have a daughter who is around his age. I think that it would be good for youngsters like them to get acquainted with one another. This... Division Head Zhou was put on the spot. He had already turned down Chu Tianxings request to meet Zhang Xuan, so if he hindered thetter from meeting Zhang Xuans student as well, it would seem as if he was intentionally making things hard for Chu Tianxing. Division Head Zhou pondered for a moment before replying. Pardon me, but Im afraid that I cant make a decision on Liu Yangs behalf. Allow me to send my man over to ask him first. If hes preupied at the moment, I fear that theres nothing I can do! Ill be troubling you then, Division Head Zhou, Chu Tianxing replied with a smile. As you know, I came here with the intention of mending rtions with Zhang shi. If you could have your men put in a few good words for me, Ill extend my deepest gratitude to you once the matter is done! Un. Division Head Zhou nodded before beckoning abat master over to issue a few instructions. Thebat master hurriedly rushed over to Liu Yangs residence, but before he could even get close, he could already hear loud Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! sounds echoing from within. Knocking on the door and entering, he soon saw a seventeen-year-old young man brandishing his spear powerfully. Perhaps due to his long hours of training, his entire body was drenched with sweat, and his face had turned a little pale even. Young Master Liu, you... Thebat master couldnt help but kindly advise, I think you should take a rest first! It wont do to push yourself too far, or else you might injure yourself! Itll be disastrous if you damage your foundation in the midst of your training. Their Progeny of Combat had decreed that allbat masters must respect Zhang Xuan as their own teacher, and Liu Yang was Zhang Xuans direct disciple. However, Liu Yang was neither a master teacher nor abat master, so eventually, they chose to simply respectfully address him as Young Master Liu or Liu gongzi. Every singlebat master was carefully sieved from countless master teachers, so there was no such thing as a subpar cultivator within the Combat Master Hall. While thebat master who had just entered Liu Yangs residence was just an ordinary member of the Combat Master Hall, he could still easily discern that Liu Yang had overexerted himself in the midst of his training. It was good for a cultivator to be diligent in their training, but if they were to go overboard and exceed the tolerance limit of their body, they could very well damage the foundation of their cultivation, and such damage was incredibly difficult to repair! More importantly, excessive desire for swift sess could easily result in a disturbance in ones state of mind, especially when the results did not meet up to ones expectations. An impaired state of mind could easily breed inner demons, and it could potentially cause ones cultivation to go berserk as well. I know that, too, but time waits for no one! Liu Yang stopped his training and wiped away his sweat. His teacher had a total of seven direct disciples. Zhao Ya, Lu Chong, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying... The six of them had already managed to find their own path, and they were bound to ascend to great heights in the near future. He was the only direct disciple who remained with their teacher, and he had the responsibility to uphold his teachers reputation. But with the current growth of his cultivation, he would soon begging far behind the others... and this had left him feeling greatly pressured. Watching Zheng Yang be the Progeny of Combat andmanding thebat masters authoritatively had only served to fuel his anxiety further, to the point that he felt as if he would copse under it. He was desperate to grow stronger. He wanted to prove that he was not weaker than anyone else! With nowhere to vent that feeling of anxiety, the only thing he could do was cultivate desperately, gritting his teeth to persevere on even when his body was groaning in pain. Liu Yang turned to thebat master and asked, You were looking for me? If theres nothing, Ill be continuing on with my cultivation now. Chapter 1227 - Liu Yangs Crisis (2)

Chapter 1227: Liu Yangs Crisis (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its like this. The emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, Chu Tianxing, wishes to reconcile with Zhang shi, so he has specially paid a visit to the Combat Master Hall in hopes of making amends. However, Zhang shi happens to be in seclusion at the moment, so it is not convenient for him to meet him. Thus, he hopes to meet you instead, thebat master said. He wants to meet me? Tell him that Im not free! Liu Yang waved his hand impatiently. What he wascking the most at the moment was time, and he did not want to waste a single second of it. Young Master Liu, you cannot simply spend every single second of your life cultivating. You need to rx and wind down from time to time. Even though His Majesty did have a disagreement with Zhang shi in the past, he seems to be earnestly seeking reconciliation this time around. Why dont you meet him and foster some goodwill with him? No matter what, hes still the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire. If his attempts at reconciliation fall through, he could possibly resort to underhanded tricks to deal with Zhang shi, and that would only cause Zhang shi more trouble! thebat master advised. This... Alright then! After a moment of hesitation, Liu Yang eventually nodded. While the other six of his peers were busy bringing glory to his teachers name, he was the only one who was still leeching off their teacher, using his teachers cultivation resources. If he added to his teachers trouble on top of that, what rights would he have to continue remaining as Zhang Xuans student? Thus, he quickly washed up and switched into a fresh set of clothes before following thatbat master to the main hall. Upon seeing Liu Yang, Chu Tianxing quickly walked over to wee him with a bright smile,pletely devoid of the airs of an emperor. You must be Brother Liu, I have long heard of your name! To be qualified to be Zhang shis direct disciple, you must be a man of great talent! Slightly taken aback by Chu Tianxings abrupt intimacy, Liu Yang awkwardly replied, Your Majesty, youre ttering me... Not at all, not at all! There isnt any point beating around the bush before someone as smart as you, so Ill just straight to the point. As you know, I had a conflict with Zhang shi previously over King Zhongqing, so I earnestly wish to make amends and heal the rift between us. At this point, Chu Tianxing raised his hand, and a guard standing behind him walked over and passed a jade container to him. This is a gift that I have specially prepared for Zhang shi as a token of my sincerity. I hope that you wont turn down my goodwill! ncing at the jade container in his hand, Liu Yang frowned. He slowly pried it open, and a gush of concentrated spiritual energy immediately burst forth from the container. Concentrated high-tier spirit stones, five of them! Liu Yang widened his eyes in astonishment. This... He knew that his teacher urgently required concentrated high-tier spirit stones, so if he could help his teacher secure these five concentrated high-tier spirit stones, he would be doing his teacher a great favor! Noticing Liu Yangs expression, Chu Tianxings smile brightened. Brother Liu, aside from the gift for Zhang shi, I have also prepared a present for you, too. He raised his hand once more, and another guard swiftly walked forward and grandly presented another jade container. I know that Brother Liu possesses exceptional talent in fist arts, so I specially paid a visit to the cksmith Guild to have them forge a pair of knuckledusters for you! Its a Saint low-tier weapon, and I believe it should be fitting for you. As Chu Tianxing spoke, the guard opened the jade container. Jiya! A powerful aura emanated from the jade container. Lowering his gaze, Liu Yang saw a pair of beautifully-crafted knuckledusters. A brilliant gleam was reflected off them, and one could feel the powerful aura of a Saint low-tier weapon. This... Liu Yangs voice went hoarse, and his body could not help but stiffen in astonishment. To be honest, he had wanted a pair of knuckledusters for some time in order to augment his fist arts. However, his teacher had been too busy recently, and he could not bring himself to trouble his teacher at such a moment. As such, he could not hold back his agitation upon seeing Chu Tianxings gift. Liu Yang hesitated for a brief moment before replying, I appreciate your goodwill, but I cant ept these valuable gifts from you. Brother Liu, theres no need to hold yourself back. Its my fortune to be acquainted with you, and I hope that these gifts can serve as a token of our friendship for the many years toe. So, I hope that you wont turn down my goodwill! Chu Tianxing urged with an earnest smile. I see... Since thats the case, Ill humbly ept your gifts. Ill also ry your goodwill to my teacher. Liu Yang took the knuckledusters from the jade container and put them on. They happened to fit him perfectly. The more he looked at them, the more he found himself liking them. As these knuckledusters had just been forged, they did not have any spirit in them yet. As such, he could use them immediately without having to win the acknowledgement of a weapon spirit. Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Chu Tianxing replied graciously. Right, that reminds me. There is going to be a family banquet in the royal pce tonight. My younger daughters have long heard of your name, and they have been pestering me for an opportunity to meet you. If it isnt too much trouble, I would like to invite you to join us in the banquet! This... A hesitant frown emerged on Liu Yangs forehead. Since its a family banquet, it wouldnt be good for an outsider like me to join in themotion... Its fine, its fine! It isnt easy for two people to meet in this massive world, and I have already long considered you my brother, so theres no need to be so formal with me! Actually, I intended to invite Zhang shi over as well, but its a pity that Zhang shi is currently in seclusion. Brother Liu, itll truly be an honor for our Qingyuan royal family if you would join our family banquet! Chu Tianxing said. I thank you for your high opinion, but I need to cultivate, Liu Yang replied. Brother Liu, I know that you are a diligent individual, and I admire your perseverance as well. However, you need to take a rest from time to time and recharge yourself! Also, I actually do have a small request to make of Brother Liu during the banquet. My sons have been getting ratherzy recently, and that has been a huge headache for me. So, I hope that you can teach them a lesson and make them understand that theres a world far greater than the one that they see, and that they shouldnt getcent with what they have! This... Liu Yang was conflicted for a moment before eventually nodding. Alright then. No matter what, the other party did give him a new pair of knuckledusters, so it was only right for him to return the favor. Furthermore, this was an opportunity for him to further his teachers reputation. With these thoughts in mind, his hesitation in epting Chu Tianxings invitation was alleviated. All six of his departed seniors and juniors were all outstanding individuals, bound for great heights in the future. Living under their shadows, he had been under extreme pressure in recent days. He strongly craved for a chance to prove himself as well, and this family banquet was the perfect opportunity for him to do so. Seeing that Liu Yang had made up his mind, Division Head Zhou decided not to say anything else. In any case, he did not think that any harm woulde to Liu Yang under Chu Tianxings care. Before long, the duo was already well on their way to the royal pce. By the time they arrived at the royal pce, the family banquet had already started. Countless princes and princesses walked in and out the area, chatting harmoniously with one another. As expected of the princesses of a Conferred Empire, they were all outstanding beauties. Sitting among them, Liu Yang could not help but feel his heart beating in nervousness. While their beauty was nowhere on par with Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, and the others, it was still inevitable that a seventeen-year-old young man like him would find it hard to keep his cool before their charming smiles and alluring gestures. At this moment, a young man walked over and greeted him. Liu gongzi... You are... Liu Yang frowned. From the other partys dress-up, he could tell that the young man was a prince as well. However, his standing within the royal family did not seem to be particrly high, especially considering how Chu Tianxing neglected to introduce him. I am Chu Xiang, the 77th Prince of the Qingyuan Empire, the young man replied with a bitter smile. I have met Zhang shi on two separate asions, so we can be considered acquaintances of one another. If Zhang Xuan was there, he would have recognized the other party as none other than the young man he had met at the entrance of the Terpsichore Guild and cksmith Guild, Chu gongzi! Who knew that he was actually a prince of the Qingyuan Empire? However, this also exined how he could afford to pay a concentrated high-tier spirit stone for an Exclusive Dance from Fairy Zi Yan. A friend of my teacher? Pardon my rudeness. Its a pleasure to meet you! Liu Yang quickly got to his feet and sped his fist. Theres no need to be so polite, Chu Xiang replied with a smile. The duo chatted for a while. In between their conversation, a few princesses dropped by and offered him a drink. Drunk on the atmosphere, Liu Yang delightfully epted their toast and drunk a fair bit. Before long, he found his eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and with a clumsy stagger, he copsed to the ground. Chu Xiang hurriedly rushed up to check on Liu Yang, but at this moment, Chu Tianxing suddenly appeared. With a sharp glint in his eyes, he bellowed, Men, lock him in the underground prison and make sure to seal off all news about this matter! Yes! A couple of guards quickly stepped forward to bind the unconscious Liu Yang before dragging him away. Astonished by the sudden turn of events, Chu Xiang asked, Father, what is going on? This is none of your business! Chu Tianxing waved his hand impatiently. But... hes Zhang shis student! Zhang shi is a genius who has seeded in crashing our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, and to apprehend his student like this... Chu Xiang eximed anxiously, only to be interjected halfway through his words. Enough! Who do you think you are as to lecture me? If you dare speak another word of this matter, dont me me for being heartless! Paying no heed to Chu Xiangs advice, Chu Tianxing walked away with a livid look on his face. As the 77th Prince who hade from one of the many concubines in the royal pce, Chu Xiangs standing was not high. In order to gain his fathers favor, he had worked diligently, sessfully became a 7-star cksmith, and advanced his cultivation to Embryonic Soul realm despite his young age... He had thought that he could win the respect of others through his hard work, but who knew that he would only end up being poisoned by others as well, resulting in the impairment of his soul? It was then that he realized that there was no such thing as kinship within the royal family. There were only rtionships of convenience. Thus, he fell into degeneracy, frequenting brothels tofort himself in the intimate embrace of women. It might have appeared as if he had given up on himself, but it was actually all a ruse. If he had not put up a useless front, the other princes who were vying for power would have viewed him as a threat and gotten rid of him. Furthermore, he had realized that his father was not oblivious to the viciousness of his fellow brothers, choosing only to turn a blind eye to them. This had caused the final shred of expectations he had from kinship to freeze over like a winters river. He had thought that his acquaintance with Zhang Xuan might be able to change his fathers low opinion of him, but who would have thought that his father would actually capture thetters direct disciple! Having met Zhang Xuan twice, Chu Xiang knew how protective the young man was of those around him. If something really happened to Liu Yang, that young man could very well turn the entire Qingyuan City into a living hell! This wont do! I must inform Zhang shi of this matter this instant... If there is any misunderstanding between Father and him, they should hash it out before things get out of control... Chu Xiang clenched his fists tightly and made up his mind. He had witnessed the incredible prowess that Zhang Xuan possessed with his own eyes, and he instinctively knew that thetter was the type of person that one should never make an enemy of. He had no idea why his father had chosen to capture Liu Yang, but from the looks of it, it seemed like there was nothing he could say that would change his fathers mind. Since that was the case, he could only deal with this matter from Zhang Xuans side, and hopefully, it still would not be toote to resolve the conflict between them peacefully. Thus, Chu Xiang discreetly took his leave from the banquet and returned to his amodation. He swiftly changed his clothes before sneaking out of the royal pce to rush to the Combat Master Hall. Abat master stood in Chu Xiangs way and asked, Who are you looking for? I am Zhang shis acquaintance, and I have some urgent matters for him! Chu Xiang replied anxiously as he passed a name scroll over. You are Zhang shis acquaintance? Give me a moment. Noting the anxious look on Chu Xiangs face and hearing that this was a matter rting to Zhang Xuan, thebat master did not dare to waste any time. He quickly took the name scroll and headed in. Not too longter, thebat master returned with a fatty behind him. Its a pleasure to meet you, Chu gongzi. I am Sun Qiang, Zhang shis butler. May I know the reason behind your visit? Sun Qiang greeted with a warm smile. Noting that the person who hade out was not Zhang Xuan, Chu Xiang panicked. Pardon me, Butler Sun, but I really do have an urgent matter that I need to report to Zhang shi about, so I must trouble you to inform him of my visit... Chu gongzi, our young master is currently in seclusion, so I fear that itll be inconvenient to interrupt him at this crucial juncture, Sun Qiang replied with a conflicted frown. If you really do have an urgent matter for our young master, you can feel free to inform me. Ill have it ryed to our young master as soon as hes out of his seclusion! This... Hearing Sun Qiangs words, Chu Xiang hesitated for a moment. From the looks of it, it seemed like he would not be able to meet Zhang Xuan immediately, so he swiftly set up an istion barrier and said, To be honest with you, Zhang shis direct disciple, Liu Yang, has been captured by my father... Young Master Liu Yang has been captured? Sun Qiang was taken aback for a moment before his eyes slowly narrowed menacingly. Chapter 1228 - Castrate That Emperor (1)

Chapter 1228: Castrate That Emperor (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Others might not have been aware of the sentiments that Zhang Xuan had for his students, but having followed him since Tianxuan Kingdom, Sun Qiang could not have understood any clearer. For Lu Chong, he single-handedly faced an entire Conferred Kingdom. For Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, he was willing to threaten the powers that had taken them away. For Wei Ruyan, he was willing to put himself in danger. It could be said that for his students, there was nothing that he would not do! If something really happened to Liu Yang, he could already foresee Zhang Xuan charging straight into the Qingyuan royal pce and wreaking havoc, not resting until he turned the entire ce upside down! What should I do? Sun Qiang frowned in anxiety. Although it was said that Zhang Xuan was in seclusion, Sun Qiang knew that he had gone somewhere very far away, and it would be difficult for him to return any time soon. If Sun Qiang allowed anything to happen to Liu Yang during this period, there was no way Zhang Xuan would ever forgive him! After asking for the details of the matter, Sun Qiang sped his fist and bade farewell. Chu gongzi, thank you for your notice. I am deeply grateful to you for your tip. Ill report this matter to our Young Master this instant! After which, he turned around and left. Not too longter, he arrived at Division Head Zhous residence. ... That is the entire matter. Sun Qiang swiftly filled Division Head Zhou on the happenings before requesting, Division Head Zhou, I hope that you can dispatch some men to follow me to the royal pce to save Young Master Liu Yang! You want to march to the royal pce to save Liu gongzi? Division Head Zhou frowned. This is no light matter. This is a matter that concerns the rtionship among the Combat Master Hall, Master Teacher Pavilion, and the regional monarchy. While I can dispatch somebat masters to demand for Liu gongzis release, such an action could easily escte the conflict! Itll be safer if we report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them mediate for us! Report it to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? A deep frown emerged between Sun Qiangs brows. At this point, they did not even know what condition Liu Yang was in. A single day dyed meant an additional day of danger for thetter! If they were to settle this matter through bureaucracy, who could guarantee that Liu Yang would still be alive by the time any concrete action was taken? At this point, Sun Qiang could not help but recall the torture he had been put through by King Zhongqing, and an involuntary shudder ran through his body. Combat masters are effectively the soldiers of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so theres a strict regimentation that we have to follow. In order to mobilize our men, we will need a decree from the hall master himself! I apologize, but there is really nothing I can do about this matter. However, there should be no cause for worry. No matter what, Liu gongzi is Zhang shis student, so Chu Tianxing should not go too far, Division Head Zhou consoled. It was not that he did not want to help Sun Qiang, but the potential consequences that could arise from dispatchingbat masters to confront the regional monarchy were simply too great. A division head like him was not qualified to bear the responsibility of the oue. If Hall Master Xing had been around, he might have been qualified to make such a call. However, as luck would have it, Hall Master Xing was not around either. If matters were to go awry, putting aside his position as a division head, he might even be stripped of his identity as abat master! The Combat Master Hall wielded immense power, so it was of paramount importance that the utmost caution was taken in its mobilization. Otherwise, the Combat Master Hall would only be viewed as a threat by the regional power, and this would cause the leadership of the Master Teacher Pavilion to be questioned. Seeing that Division Head Zhou was reluctant to make a move, Sun Qiangs face turned livid. Since you arent willing to save Young Master Liu Yang, Ill think of a way myself! Leaving those words behind, Sun Qiang flung his sleeves furiously and left. After leaving Division Head Zhous residence, he headed straight to the amodation that the Combat Master Hall had prepared for the poison masters. Benefactor! Upon seeing Sun Qiang, Elder Xu and the others from the Poison Hall hurriedly greeted him with grateful smiles on their faces. If not for the middle-aged man before them, they could have been tortured to death in King Zhongqings hands. They also would not have been able to be upstandingbat masters, able to walk in the light without being shunned by others either. The other party had not only given them a second life, he had also changed their fate as well. Un. Actually, I have a matter that I require your help with. Without any hesitation, Sun Qiang dove straight to the topic at hand. With his current strength, there was no way he could barge into the royal pce single-handedly and save Liu Yang. Thus, he had to gather all the power he could tap into. For some inconceivable reason, these poison masters were extremely respectful to him, even going to the extent of pledging their loyalty to him again and again. As such, they were the first group that he thought of seeking help from. Benefactor, feel free to speak! As long as its within our means, well have it aplished regardless of the cost! the poison masters replied resoundingly without the slightest hint of hesitation in their voices. After cultivating the poison art that their founder had left for them, their cultivation had really improved by leaps and bounds. This was especially so for Elder Xu, who had recently made a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan. The improvement in his cultivation was one thing, but more importantly, hisprehension and grasp over poison had also reached greater heights. As long as he had a sufficiently potent poison in hand, he would be able to kill even a Primordial Spirit realm expert easily! Theres no need to agree to my request so quickly. You can make your decision after listening to their story. Sun Qiang was slightly surprised by the poison masters unhesitating response to his request, but knowing the dangers in this mission, he did not want to force them into it. Its like this. Young Master Liu Yang has been captured by the emperor of Qingyuan Empire, so I would like to seek your help in saving him! Sun Qiang swiftly went through everything that he had heard from Chu Xiang. You want us to break into the Qingyuan royal pce to save Liu gongzi? That dog of an emperor! I knew that he is a snake just by seeing how adamantly he protected King Zhongqing! To dare make a move against Liu gongzi, that bastard is clearly disrespecting our great benefactor! Tell us, how do you want us to do it? Shall we have the entire Qingyuan royal pce poisoned to death? I think they at least deserve this much for their insolence! Sun Qiangs words induced an impassioned uproar amid the crowd from the Poison Hall. There was not a single word of refusal from them. Any matter concerning to their benefactor was more important than their own lives. Besides, they were not master teachers either, so rules and the sort meant very little to them. Good! Seeing the poison masters agreeing heartily to his request, Sun Qiang could not help but feel deeply touched inside. Ever since his first meeting with these poison masters, they had already treated him with the utmost respect. And now, they were even willing to brave such grave danger just toplete the task he had asked of them. This was probably what they call personal charisma! They were not even that respectful to someone as formidable as the Young Master, but they regarded him as if he was their savior. It seemed like his splendor and valiance had not gone unnoticed in the eyes of the world after all! Lets quickly discuss a strategy before making our move! Seeing the authority that he wielded amid the poison masters, Sun Qiang puffed his chest up and waved his hand grandly. Even though they had many poison masters on their side, one must not forget that they were going up against the royal family of a Conferred Empire! It would be a gross mistake if they thought that they could achieve victory just by charging over recklessly. If they did so, they could very well be subdued before they even got to Liu Yang. Thus, there was a need to strategize in advance. Back then, when King Zhongqing purged our Poison Hall, he did it in the middle of the night, when everyone was resting... Elder Xu narrowed his eyes menacingly. Even though he had already decided to submit to the Combat Master Hall, that did not mean that he could forgive the Qingyuan Empire royal family for destroying his home and purging his kin and friends. While King Zhongqing was the one who had supervised the operation, there was no way that Chu Tianxing, as the emperor of Qingyuan Empire, would have been oblivious to it. In order to mobilize the troops required to destroy their Poison Hall, King Zhongqing had definitely received Chu Tianxings approval. As such, the poison masters were also filled with hostility against Chu Tianxing as well. In consideration of the effort their benefactor had put into giving them a fresh start, they had been nning to put their grudges aside and live their lives in peace. However, seeing how even the bastard emperor dared to make a move against their benefactor, they could not hold themselves back anymore. A poison master stepped forward and said, Back then, King Zhongqing gave us a lot of medicinal herbs to concoct the Scattering Breeze Powder. Making a rough calction, we have enough to concoct ten whole tons of it! We refused toply by King Zhongqings orders to concoct the Scattering Breeze Powder back then, but we still kept his medicinal herbs in our storage rings. In the past few days, we have been studying the new poison cultivation technique diligently, and we tried our hand at concocting the Scattering Breeze Powder as well. The results were not too badwe have managed to concoct a fair bit of it, and it all reached Supreme grade! If you intend to break Liu gongzi out of the royal pce, I think that we can use it. Scattering Breeze Powder? Supreme grade? Sun Qiang was confused. He knew nothing about poison at all, so naturally, that name did not ring a bell with him. However, as their benefactor, how could he possibly appear ignorant before the poison masters? Thus, he asked with a frown. How much of it do you have? The security of a Conferred Empire royal pce was bound to be extremely tight. In order for their operation to be sessful, they would need to have a massive amount of poison on hand. Benefactor, you dont have to worry about the quantity. We have almost 500 jin 1 ready, the poison master replied with a chuckle. After learning the poison cultivation technique their founder had left for them, they had been wanting to find a way to put their newfound understanding of poison to the test. However, due to theck of other medicinal herbs avable, they could only concoct the Scattering Breeze Powder. As a result, they had ended up concocting arge quantity of it. 500 jin? Sun Qiangs lips twitched in astonishment. Even if he did not have much of an understanding of poison, he could still roughly fathom the significance of 500 jin of poison. On average, just a few grams of poison was sufficient to kill arge group of experts, so 500 jin of it... He shuddered just imagining the sheer devastation it could bring. The Scattering Breeze Powder is colorless and odorless, and it drifts along with the wind. As long as we scatter it throughout the royal pce in the middle of the night, we should be able to knock out the guards and sessfully rescue Liu gongzi! Elder Xu said. Good, its settled then! Well moveter tonight. Sun Qiang had never been one to fear anything. Since everything was ready, there was no reason to hesitate anymore. After refining various details of their ns and confirming once more that there were no major issues, they swiftly returned to their rooms to condition themselves for the imminent operation. Very soon, it was the Zi hour 2 . Under Sun Qiangs lead, the poison masters left the Combat Master Hall quietly. As the poison masters had already been taken into the Combat Master Hall, and they were moving under the lead of Zhang Xuans butler, the sentries of the Combat Master Hall did not think much of their departure. Flitting through the night, they soon arrived at the side of the royal pce where the wind was blowing from. The group did encounter a few patrolling guards and sentries of the royal pce along the way, but they were all swiftly knocked out by the poison masters before they could manage to do anything. Elder Xu took a swift look around the area before confirming the ideal location. Alright, lets release the poison here. The wind isnt strong tonight, but as long as we release the poison from a high enough altitude, we should be able to cover the entire royal pce. Their goal was to deal with the Qingyuan royal family, and they had no intention of harming innocent civilians in the midst of their operation. Thus, they had to choose the location where they would release the poison from carefully as well. Un. The other poison masters also nodded in agreement as they swiftly took their positions in the air. Hu! They scattered poison powder from their hands, and it dispersed into the night sky. The Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder drifted along with the night wind as it slowly descended upon the oblivious royal pce. While the royal pce was guarded by many formations, those were only activated in the face of an enemy assault. Not even the royal family of a Conferred Empire could afford to keep their defensive formations constantly activated. Not to mention, the Scattering Breeze Powder could also seep through ones pores, making it nigh impossible to guard against. It was precisely due to the nature of this poison that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe managed to catch the Master Teacher Pavilion and Combat Master Hall by surprise back then andy im to innumerable lives. A poison that could incapacitate even the wary Combat Master Hall, how could the sleeping royal pce possibly be able to withstand it? As the poison powder scattered further and further, the group gradually saw the guards of the royal pce losing consciousness and copsing to the ground one after another. The Scattering Breeze Powder only robbed a cultivator of their fighting prowess temporarily, it would not cause any significant damage to them. While the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder boasted a greater potency, it would only increase its effective duration by several hours. Roughly fifteen minutester, Elder Xu roughly scanned the area with his Spiritual Perception before nodding. They have all passed out. Its time to strike. Lets go get that dog of an emperor now! Thats right. Lets capture and castrate that dog of an emperor first! Sun Qiang uttered viciously as he gazed coldly upon the royal pce. Chapter 1229 - Castrate That Emperor (2)

Chapter 1229: Castrate That Emperor (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Inside the royal pce... Seated behind a table, Chu Tianxing gazed down on a kneeling ck-robed man and asked impassively, How is it? Has that fellow submitted yet? The ck-robed man sped his fist and reported, Your Majesty, even though that brat is young, he has quite the backbone. Our brothers have attempted to use all kinds of torture to pry open his mouth, but as if a mute, he simply wont talk! Backbone? Hah! I have seen plenty of people with backbone in my lifetime, but before me, whatever backbone they have will be shattered into smithereens! Chu Tianxing sneered coldly. Thats true... but Your Majesty, what do you want us to get out of him? the ck-robed man asked doubtfully. Chu Tianxing had only asked them to torture the young man to get him to talk, but he had not said exactly what he wanted to get out of the young man. Faced with such a bizarre order, he was not too sure how he should proceed. You dont have to worry about it at the moment. You just have to torture him until whatever spirit he has in him is broken so that he submits unconditionally to me. As for the rest, Ill deal with it personally! Chu Tianxing waved his hand casually. Yes, Your Majesty! The ck-robed man nodded before taking his leave. As soon as the ck-robed man departed from the hall, a vicious glint surfaced in Chu Tianxings eyes. As long as he could get wear down Liu Yangs spirit, he would be able to use the soul art that Vicious had imparted to him to take the young mans soul hostage. By then, he would be able to do whatever he wanted! Rising from his throne, he began making his way out of the hall as well. However, soon after walking out of the entrance, he saw the ck-robed man whom he had just spoken to a moment ago lying on the ground motionless, seemingly having passed out. Hmm? Chu Tianxings eyes widened in rm as he began driving his zhenqi furiously. He was a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert, and the strength he wielded was no joke. H h! Massive surges of zhenqi were pumped through his meridians, ready to bring death upon anyone who dared make a move against him. To be able to knock out his subordinate at the entrance of the main hall without rming him, there was no doubt that the one who had made a move was a true expert! He warily scanned his surroundings as he walked over to his subordinate, intending to check on the wounds on thetter so that he would be able to verify the identity of the assant through that. At this moment, however, a feeling of weakness abruptly consumed him, causing his body to stagger weakly. His eyes narrowed in rm as he eximed, This is... Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder! This sensation was very familiar to him. It was the poison that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had used for their invasion twenty years ago. Those who came into contact with the poison would immediately be consumed with a feeling of weakness, and even Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts were not spared from it. This poison was the reason for his capture back then. He could still remember the excruciating torture that the Qingtian Emperor had put him through, and eventually, he had been left with no choice but to offer his soul to thetter and be thetters puppet. Fortunately, I still have the antidote with me, Chu Tianxing thought as he flicked his wrist to whip out a jade bottle. Suppressing the intense dizziness in his head, he popped out a pill and swiftly ate it. He was not like thebat masters, who could still move and battle on their sheer willpower even in the face of abnormal conditions. It was true that he was at Half-Leaving Aperture realm, but that was actually the result of consuming countless precious medicinal herbs. In terms of true fighting prowess, he might not have been on par with an average Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator, let alonebat masters. The pill swiftly dissolved in his mouth before entering his bloodstream to course through his veins. He thought that he would swiftly recover his fighting prowess, but after waiting for some time, the feeling of weakness still did not subside. On the contrary, it seemed to be growing more and more powerful. It was as if he had consumed a fake antidote. Whats going on? Chu Tianxings face darkened. He had received the antidote from the Qingtian Emperor himself. It should have made him impervious to the effects of the Scattering Breeze Powder, so why would he still feel so powerless even after consuming it? Perplexed, Chu Tianxing was just about to pop out a few more pills to consume when he suddenly heard a cold voice behind him. Dont bother. The Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder was concocted using the poison cultivation technique we have learned from the founder. Its potency is at least five times stronger than the original, so the antidote you have wont work at all. Hearing those words, Chu Tianxing quickly turned his head around, only to see a bunch of bizarre-dressed individuals walking over. Elder Xu knew that this operation would have great implications, so he had all the poison masters switch into their normal clothing so as to indicate that they had conducted this operation in their capacity as individuals and notbat masters. Their Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder was concocted using the unique poison cultivation technique that their founder had imparted to them, which had enhanced its potency manyfold. This had rendered ordinary antidotes ineffective against it. If it was not for this, would they have dared to barge into the royal pce? You scoundrels, do you know who you are standing before? How dare you assault me, the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire? Just on the ground of this crime itself, I can have youas well as all of your kin, friends, and everyone rted to youexecuted... Chu Tianxing bellowed furiously. But before he could finish his words, another furious voice had already interjected. Execute us? Try it then! Following which, Chu Tianxing suddenly saw a massive meatball charging in his direction. Peng! A fist struck his eye squarely, send him flying headfirst into a pir. The impact from the collision caused blood to bleed profusely down his face. You... Struggling weakly to his feet, Chu Tianxing shot a hostile re at the fatty who had just made a move against him, only to pale upon recognizing thetter. You are... Zhang shis butler, Sun Qiang? It was due to abducting this fellow that King Zhongqing had nearly been killed. Chu Tianxing had conducted an investigation into Sun Qiang as well, allowing him to recognize thetter with just a look. Thats right! Its me, your Grandpa Sun! Sun Qiang sneered coldly before turning to the elder beside him. Elder Xu, do you have a dagger? Here you go! Elder Xu obediently took out a dagger and passed it over to Sun Qiang as he asked doubtfully, Benefactor, what are you nning to do with it? This dog actually dared to capture Liu Yang... Im going to castrate him to get even with him! Sun Qiang spat through gritted teeth. Castrate? The faces of Elder Xu and the others twitched. Everyone in the royal pce had only been knocked out temporarilythe Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder would not harm their cultivation or life at all. This was also their primary intention in hopes of minimizing the repercussions from the operation. This way, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion investigated the matter, they might at least still be able to justify their actions... As long as things did not get out of hand, Zhang shi would be able to clean up their mess once he returned. But if they castrated the emperor... that would really be a huge matter. That would be equivalent to attempting to assassinate on the emperor, and once news spread, not even Zhang shi would be able to cover them! ring at Chu Tianxing coldly, Sun Qing harrumphed. Help me hold him tightly. If I dont make this dog pay the price for his actions, my surname wont be Sun! Ever since he had begun following the old master, he had never suffered such grievances before! First, King Zhongqing captured him for no reason, and now, Chu Tianxing even held Liu Yang hostage... The heck, did you really think that you can climb over our heads so easily? If I dont teach you a lesson, wont everyone think that they can bully us? Yes! A few poison masters rushed forward to hold down Chu Tianxings limbs. Seeing that Sun Qiang was serious about the matter, Chu Tianxings face turned ghastly pale, and he began screaming at the top of his lungs. What are you doing? I am the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire! You wont get away scot-free for doing this to me! You will pay with your lives! The Master Teacher Pavilion will never allow such an incident to pass... He was the emperor of a Conferred Empire, the man who dictated the fates of countless lives. There was no way he could withstand the humiliation of being castrated by another! Master Teacher Pavilion? Humph! If the Master Teacher Pavilion was really interested in interfering in this matter, they would have long rid the world of a poisonous tumor like you! Sun Qiang harrumphed coldly. Take off his pants! Heeding Sun Qiangsmand, a poison master quickly rushed forward to pull down Chu Tianxings pants. However, Elder Xu suddenly walked over at this moment and said, Benefactor, lets not dirty our hands with his filthy blood. That would be a great discredit to you! Hearing Elder Xu pleading on his behalf, Chu Tianxing heaved a sigh of relief. Its indeed a little disgusting... Sun Qiang nodded as his movements came to a halt. What do you suggest we do then? It was only in the heat of the moment that he wanted to castrate Chu Tianxing. Elder Xus words had brought rationality back to him, and he swiftly realized the possible implications of the matter. As such, he could only reluctantly drop the idea. How about this instead? Elder Xu hesitated for a moment before flicking out a jade bottle. He took out a pill from it and passed it Chu Tianxing. Eat it! Eat it? Staring at the pill in his hand, Chu Tianxing hesitated. However, the other poison masters were not as good-tempered as Elder Xu as to allow Chu Tianxing to take his time. They held Chu Tianxings hand firmly and forced the pill into his mouth. Sun Qiang turned to Elder Xu and asked, What is it? Benefactor, its a kind of poison. Its consumption will cause it to drop off by itself without having the need for you to castrate him personally. Furthermore, the poison alters his genes to make it a permanent condition. In other words, even if he consumes the Grand Intermittence Pill, he will still be unable to regrow it. Not only is this method cleaner, it also resolves the problem once and for all! Two birds with one stone, dont you agree? Elder Xu said. Drop off by itself? Chu Tianxing nearly cked out upon hearing those words. He was just thanking the heavens a moment ago for having mercy on him when he was suddenly fed with such a vicious pill. Choked up with frustration, his face flushed crimson, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. Amid the uncontroble shivering of his body, he felt an abrupt coldness in his lower body, as if something had really dropped off. My... Unable to take the trauma, Chu Tianxings eyes rolled up, and he passed out on the spot. Wow... the poison sure is potent! Watching as Chu Tianxings pants were dyed crimson by the fresh blood flowing from his crotch area, Sun Qiang could not help but direct a look of admiration toward Elder Xu. No wonder poison masters were so deeply feared on the Master Teacher Continent! Their means were truly fearsome, a living nightmare for all cultivators! Sun Qiang waved his hand impassively and instructed, Wake him up and get Liu Yangs location out of him! Yes! Two poison masters stepped forward to deal with Chu Tianxing, and it did not take too long for them to uncover Liu Yangs location from his mouth. The means of the poison masters were simply too frightening. The myriad of effects that their poisons had could have the most steadfast of minds crumbling in just a few moments, let alone a spoiled emperor. The group swiftly rushed over to the ce where Chu Tianxing had pointed out, only to be find a feeble Liu Yang. He had been severely tortured to the point that it seemed like he was about to breathe hisst. Young Master Liu Yang! Sun Qiang quickly rushed forward to feed him a few recovery pills that Zhang Xuan had given him previously. Perhaps his previous capture had given Zhang Xuan a shock, but for fear that Sun Qiang and the others would find themselves faced with life-threatening situations in the future, he had decided to leave them with a few pills for in times of need. Even after consuming the pills, it took some time before Liu Yang regained his consciousness. When he saw the arrested Chu Tianxing held firmly by the poison masters, a burst of rage swiftly ignited within him, zing into an inferno in an instant. He had truly thought that the other party had invited him out of goodwill, wanting to reconcile the differences he had with his teacher. Yet, from the start to the end, that fellow had been nning to hold him hostage to threaten his teacher! Unforgivable! Never in his life had he felt so enraged by anyones action. You bastard, Ill kill you! Roaring furiously, Liu Yang sent a kick straight toward Chu Tianxing. Peng! Chu Tianxing crashed forcefully into the wall, and the powerful impact had him coughing out huge mouthfuls of blood. These are the knuckledusters you have given me. Allow me to return them to you right now! Putting on the knuckledusters, Liu Yang charged up to Chu Tianxing and smashed his fist into thetter. Peng! Chu Tianxings chest immediately sunk in. His ribcage had been shattered. Liu Yang raised his fist once more and send another blow toward Chu Tianxing, and at that moment, Elder Xus eyes suddenly narrowed in horror. This is bad. H-h-he... is dead! Dead? Taken aback, Liu Yang quickly took a closer look, only to see that a horrified look had been permanently stered onto Chu Tianxings face. Unknowingly, thetter had breathed hisst. Things have really gone in the worst direction... Gazing at the dead emperor before their eyes, everyones face paled. Even Sun Qiang could not help but stiffen at that sight. Chapter 1230 - Flee

Chapter 1230: Flee

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No matter how much of a dastard Chu Tianxing was, he was still the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire. They could teach him a lesson, they could ce him in a state of living hell, but if they killed him, that would be a huge matter. This is really bad... Elder Xu was horrified by the situation as well. As much as he wanted to exact vengeance for his deadrades, he knew that the death of an emperor would surely draw the intervention of the Master Teacher Pavilion. None of them would be able to escape unscathed. Even if he was guilty of a crime, he should be put through an official trial of the Master Teacher Pavilion before being sentenced. To kill an emperor of a Conferred Empire so abruptly was no different from challenging the self-determinism of the country. Ill take responsibility for what I have done. I am the one who killed him, so Ill bear the burden for doing so alone! Liu Yang clenched his fists tightly as he spoke. How do you want to take responsibility for it? Sun Qiang snapped. You arent just an individual now! You represent the Young Master as well! I... Liu Yang fell silent. Indeed, even if he imed that he was solely responsible for this matter, his teacher would still be inevitably implicated in this matter. From the moment he became his teachers direct disciple, his fate had be intricately linked with his teachers, not to be severed by anything. What do I do then? Liu Yang asked in panic. No matter how high his cultivation was, he was still only a seventeen-year-old child. He might have persevered through the pain and bore of cultivation, but he had no idea what he should do in a situation like this. I dont know either! Sun Qiang pinched his be in frustration. If only the Old Master was there, he would be able to use his strength and standing to resolve this issue easily. In fact, even if it was the Young Master, given his sharp wits and incredible means, he might be able to salvage the situation, too. But none of them were around at the moment... and in the face of such a hopeless situation, he had no idea what he could do either. There was no way they could suppress the news regarding the death of an emperor of a Conferred Empire. Unable to find a solution, Sun Qiang eventually sighed deeply and said, Lets return to the Combat Master Hall first and find a way to contact the Young Master! It seems like theres no other choice at this point, Elder Xu said. Elder Xu and the others knew that the Young Master of their benefactor was a 7-star master teacher who had sessfully crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. At this point, they could only bank on that young man. Thus, the group quickly departed from the royal pce and returned to the Combat Master Hall. Shortly after they left, in a corner of the royal pce, a figure struggled for a while in an attempt to rise to his feet, but the overwhelming weakness he felt prevented him from making anyrge movements. This is really a huge matter. I must report this to the Master Teacher Pavilion as soon as possible! After recuperating for roughly six hours, the figure finally felt the effects of the poison dulling. He quickly rose to his feet and left the royal pce. It was already daybreak by the time he returned to the Master Teacher Pavilion. At this point, he had already changed his clothes. He was actually a 7-star master teacher! This was the man whom, under Zhang Xuans advice, Wu shi had dispatched to follow Chu Tianxing to keep a close eye on thetters movements! He had concealed himself in the depths of the royal pce to find evidence of Chu Tianxings wrongdoings, but who would have thought that he would end up witnessing Liu Yangs assassination of the emperor! To make things worse, he had not been able to move at all due to the poison, so he had been unable to stop them! Elder An, you are finally here! Song shi arrived early in the morning, and hes currently fuming... As soon as the 7-star master teacher walked into the Master Teacher Pavilion, another master teacher quickly rushed up to report the matter to him. Song shi? Elder An frowned. Hes the quasi 8-star master teacher from the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion dispatched by the headquarters when Pavilion Master Gou reported the matter concerning Zhang shis pavilion crashing back then, the master teacher exined. Quasi 8-star master teacher? Elder An narrowed his eyes in shock. There were two tiers in between 7-star master teacher and 8-star master teacher, namely half 8-star and quasi 8-star. Those whose cultivation had reached True Leaving Aperture realm would be qualified to attain the title of half 8-star master teacher, but only those who had reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle could be called a quasi 8-star master teacher! Since Song shi was a quasi 8-star master teacher, there was no doubt that his cultivation had already reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, just a step away from Saint 6-dan. Saint 6-dan was known as the Grand Dominion realm. At this cultivation realm, a cultivator would be able to create their own Dominion, wielding absolute control over everything within its area. In other words, they were undefeatable within their own Dominion! The master teacher nodded. Thats right! He came at a timely moment. I should just report the matter to him and allow him to decide how it should be dealt with, Elder An thought with a nod. The death of the monarch of the Qingyuan Empire was already a matter that had exceeded his jurisdiction. At times like this, it would be best for him to just report the matter and allow a senior master teacher to decide on a course of action. Following behind the master teacher, it did not take long for Elder An to arrive at the main hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Before he could even enter the room, he could already hear a displeased voice sounding from within. Pavilion Master Gou, Vice Pavilion Master Tian, and so many 7-star master teachers have been killed, but instead of finding the murderer, all of you are idling around here instead! Have you all forgotten your responsibilities as master teachers, or have the years of loftiness made you all indolent fools? You lot are really reprehensible! Its really about time to reorganize your Qingyuan branch! Wheres Wu Rufeng? Didnt Pavilion Master Gou put him temporarily in-charge? Where is he? Upon walking into the room, Elder An saw an elder pacing around the room, reprimanding a group of elders from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. That elder was probably Song shi. On the other hand, the group of elders had their heads lowered humbly, not even daring to breathe loudly. The other party had arrived as an envoy dispatched from the headquarters, and he was a quasi 8-star master teacher at that. Who would dare talk back to him? Furthermore, his rage was justified. The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion had ten thousand years of history behind it, but their pavilion master and vice pavilion master had ended up dying abruptly along with seven other 7-star master teachers. On top of that, a twenty-year-old young man even managed to crash their pavilion. This was truly a great discredit to the reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Vice Pavilion Master Wu is currently in seclusion, one of the elders replied. In seclusion? After such a huge mishap has urred, as the person in-charge of this Master Teacher Pavilion, he has the gall to go into seclusion? Upon hearing those words, Song shi nearly erupted on the spot. To actually be able to go into seclusion when the branch was facing a huge crisis... was the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion filled with nothing but dimwits? Bring him to me right now! Also, get that Zhang Xuan who crashed this Master Teacher Pavilion here as well! Song shi flung his sleeves furiously and harrumphed. You want us... to bring Zhang shi over too? Everything that has happened in your branch recently seems to be rted to him. I want to see just what kind of formidable figure he is to be able to make a Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion such a mess! Song shi harrumphed coldly. He had specially investigated the matter beforeing over, and the conflict seemed to have originated from King Zhongqing capturing a butler named Sun Qiang. After which, the conflict had escted further and further, eventually resulting in a pavilion crashing. To cause such a huge ruckus within just a couple of days after entering Qingyuan City, he really wanted to see just what kind of incredible figure that Zhang Xuan was. Yes... An elder nodded before quickly leaving the room. At this point, Elder An stepped forward and reported, Song shi, I am Elder An Rufang. I have a matter that I would like to report to you! I have heard of you. You are one of the more senior elders of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Feel free to speak! Song shi nodded. Its like this... Last night, the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, Chu Tianxing, had one of Zhang shis direct disciples, Liu Yang, imprisoned. Later in the night, his butler, Sun Qiang, led a group of remnants from the Poison Hall to the royal pce and poisoned all the guards there in order to save Liu Yang. In the midst of doing so, they even had Chu Tianxing... killed! Elder An swiftly went through everything that he had witnessed. You said that they had Chu Tianxing killed? Chu Tianxing is dead? Song shi widened his eyes in shock. Thats right! Elder An nodded grimly. Whos the one who made the killing move? Song shi asked anxiously. Its Zhang shis direct disciple, Liu Yang. He killed Chu Tianxing with a single punch! Elder An said. This... How could he kill the emperor of a Conferred Empire so easily? Hes really taking our Master Teacher Pavilion too lightly! Song shi roared with a livid face. The Master Teacher Pavilion was in charge of maintaining order within the region so as to ensure peace for the popce. While that Zhang Xuan was admittedly an incredible genius, the Qingyuan Empire did not seem to have had a single day of peace ever since his arrival. In fact, his student even ended up killing the emperor. How was the Master Teacher Pavilion supposed to ount for all of this to the popce? This was truly unforgivable! Bring Zhang Xuan and that direct disciple of his to me this very instant! Song shi spat through gritted teeth. Yes! Hearing Song shis instructions, a group of elders immediately left the main hall. Not too longter, they returned with a fatty behind them. The fatty sped his fist and introduced himself with an attitude that was neither too humble nor arrogant. Paying respects to Song shi. I am Zhang shis butler, Sun Qiang. You are Sun Qiang? Song shi narrowed his eyes as he assessed the person before him. To be honest, rather than to pinpoint Zhang Xuan as the root of the entire string of trouble that had happened in Qingyuan City, it would be more urately to say that it had all started with the fatty before him. Thats right. Our Young Master happens to be out of Qingyuan City at the moment, Sun Qiang said. He isnt in Qingyuan City? Song shisplexion turned even more awful. Young Master and Wu shi have left to apprehend the culprit behind Pavilion Master Gous death. In order to prevent the culprit from learning of their movements beforehand, they instructed us to maintain the act before others that they have gone into seclusion! Sun Qiang exined. He knew that the Young Master was not truly in seclusion, and considering that the elder standing before him was a master teacher dispatched from the headquarters, he knew that it would be best for him to report the truth. They have left to apprehend the culprit? Hearing those words, Song shis expression finally alleviated. He then continued asking, Wheres Liu Yang then? It was understandable that Zhang shi was not around, but what about the culprit who had killed Emperor Chu Tianxing, Liu Yang? Why didnt hee here along with Zhang Xuans butler? He... Sun Qiang hesitated for a moment before continuing. He has left Qingyuan City. I dont know where he is at the moment. You dont know where he is at the moment? What do you mean by that? As Song shi spoke, a powerful aura suddenly burst forth from him, causing the crowd to shudder involuntarily under the pressure he was emanating. Song shi red at the fatty before him intently, seemingly daring him to utter the slightest word of falsehood before him. Sun Qiang was rmed by the sudden outburst of power as well, but recalling that he was Yang shis butler, he forcefullyposed himself and replied, Reporting to Song shi, after identally killing Emperor Chu Tianxing, Liu Yang felt extremely guilty at his actions, so he left Qingyuan City overnight discreetly. I honestly have no idea where he has headed off to. What he was saying was the truth. After returning to the Combat Master Hall, Sun Qiang had quickly consoled Liu Yang to calm him down before anxiously attempting to contact the Young Master. However, despite a night of trying, he was still unable to establishmunications with Zhang Xuan. By the time he realized it, Liu Yang was no longer in the Combat Master Hall. He had left only a letter in his bedroom. He left Qingyuan City overnight? Hah, more like trying to flee from his crimes! Song shis eyes narrowed menacingly as he instructed, Comb through the entire city and have that murderer apprehended... dead or alive! Yes! A group of master teachers quickly left to carry out his orders. On the other hand, as a mere butler, you disregarded thews of the country and brought your men into the royal pce to poison the guards. You are as guilty as Liu Yang! Men, throw Sun Qiang into the prison! Ill judge him along with Liu Yang once thetter is captured! Song shi bellowed. A group of master teachers swiftly stepped forward to grab hold of Sun Qiang. You want to judge me and Young Master Liu Yang? Not expecting Song shi to make such a decision, Sun Qiangs eyebrows shot up in displeasure. How dare you! Do you know who our Old Master is? Chapter 1231 - Rise and Shine!

Chapter 1231: Rise and Shine!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Like I would care who your Old Master is! All are equal before thew. Take this fellow away! Song shi waved his hand impatiently, not giving Sun Qiang an opportunity to speak at all. Indignant, Sun Qiang wanted to argue, but a sudden surge of power had his cultivationpletely sealed, preventing him from speaking a word. Following which, two master teachers stepped forward to have him taken away. Wuuuuu! Sun Qiang was so angry that he could have exploded, but he was stillpletely helpless before the situation. He was the butler of the great Yang shi, so how could a mere quasi 8-star master teacher treat him in such a manner? This was insubordination! Have those poison masters captured too. Make sure to keep a tight watch over them so that they dont escape! Paying no heed to the furious fatty, Song shi continuing issuing a series of instructions. Very soon, with the entire Master Teacher Pavilion mobilized, it did not take long for Elder Xu and the others to be apprehended and imprisoned. However, despitebing through the entire Qingyuan City, Liu Yang was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had suddenly vanished from the world; there was not even the slightest trace of him to be found. ... Several hours earlier, back at the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, Zhang Xuan was staring at the massive face right before him calmly. Well, I have to admit that its a brilliant idea to have Chu Tianxing invite Liu Yang to the royal pce to hold him hostage so as to threaten me. Just that, I am really curious to know why someone as esteemed as Chu Tianxing would end up pledging loyalty to you? In truth, Zhang Xuan was not the only one who was intrigued by this matter. The other master teachers andbat masters were also puzzled by Chu Tianxings betrayal. As an emperor of a Conferred Empire, Chu Tianxing was an individual who wielded great authority in his hands. However, the entire basis of his power was built upon humans, so it was counterintuitive for him to betray humanity to side with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. One must know that if the Master Teacher Pavilion uncovered his betrayal, he would be killed on the spot. There would be no mercy whatsoever. You want to know why? Hearing those words, Vicious sneered coldly. You will have to ask your own Master Teacher Pavilion for that! Zhang Xuan frowned but did not say anything. Vicious harrumphed. As the monarch of a Conferred Empire, he should have wielded supreme power within his country. No one should have dared disrespect him or question his words. But with the existence of your Master Teacher Pavilion, what has be of his authority as the emperor? Thanks to your Master Teacher Pavilion, he has to always consider how the Master Teacher Pavilion would view a matter before making a decision. No matter what he did, he would never be able to break free from your control, doomed to remain subservient to you lot for life. How could a man as prideful and lofty as him possibly ept this? Making use this opening in his heart, it was not too difficult for me to ce him under my control. This... Hearing that, Zhang Xuan fell silent. In truth, Vicious words had some truth in them. To themon popce, the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion brought about some degree of equality and order, allowing them to live their lives in peace. It was also a tform where they could have their grievances redressed, allowing standing up against the powerful nobles of the country whom they would have been powerless against otherwise. On the other hand, to those who wielded great power, especially for those who donned the crown, the existence of the Master Teacher Pavilion was a major threat to their authority. No matter what they wanted to do, they had to take how the Master Teacher Pavilion would react into consideration, or else a swift sword might fall upon their heads. To have to remain subservient to another despite sitting upon the almighty throne... It was inevitable that dissatisfactions would pile up and eventually reach a point where it was no longer repressible. At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Chu Tianxing only saw how his power had been curbed, but he failed to see how the Qingyuan Empire could have very well been annexed by other empires or destroyed by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe if not for the Master Teacher Pavilions protection. Without a strong foundation, how could an empire possibly survive the test of time? Despite the various restrictions that the Master Teacher Pavilion would impose on the regional monarchy, there was no doubt that its presence yed a crucial role in making the country strong! Nevertheless, even though Vicious had put it simply, Zhang Xuan knew that the truth was bound to be moreplicated than that. Most likely, Chu Tianxing must have gone through some kind of traumatic event that resulted in him steering off the path, eventually causing inner demons to breed within him. Unable to ovee his inner demons, he had no choice but to be the puppet of the Qingtian Emperor and Vicious, heading down a path of no return. Not wishing to waste his breath any longer, Vicious uttered coldly, Alright, I have alreadye to the limit of my patience. I dont want to waste any more time on you. Hurry up and give me your answer, or else Ill ensure that you, your students, and your kin will suffer tragic deaths! At the same time, a powerful force suddenly rippled forth from Vicious, leaving Zhang Xuans group swaying on their feet. It was a threat from Vicious to remind them how powerless they were before him. You know, I do care for my students a lot. However, if you think that you can make me betray mankind and submit to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe just by holding them hostage, you are really taking me too lightly! Zhang Xuan shook his head as his voice resounded clearly amid the powerful wind. As their teacher, I have to conduct myself properly so that I can be a good role model to them. If I surrender to you easily, what kind of message would I be sending to my other students? How could I be qualified to preach to them about principles and values if so? I know that I cant keep them under my wing and protect them forever, so I have worked hard to teach them everything that they might need... and if they are still to be unable to discern the situation themselves and end up being done in, I can only say that it isnt meant to be. As much as Zhang Xuan did not want to see anything happen to his students, as a teacher, he knew that he could not possibly protect them for life. More importantly, he understood the respect and admiration that his students had for him, and he was not oblivious to the immense influence that he had on them. For this very reason, he could not bend his principles and values even for their sake, or else he would be sending the wrong message to them, possibly leading them down the wrong path. Often, the consequences of a decision were ambiguous. It was easy to look back retrospectively to say what could have been better done, but it was not as easy when one was put into the same position, looking upon an uncertain future. Nevertheless, there were still some things that one should do and one should never do. Principles and values were what set humans apart from beasts, so those were things one should neverpromise! This was what Zhang Xuan deeply believed in, and he felt that it was something that all master teachers should persist in as well. Is that your answer? Very well. Since you have made up your mind, you can die now! Looking at the resolve in the young mans eyes, Vicious knew that there was nothing he could say or do that would sway the other party. Thus, he decided not to waste his breath anymore. Boom! An overwhelming might rippled forth from Vicious, crashing down upon the group like a tsunami. Standing at the very front of the group, Wu shi and Hall Master Xing hurriedly drove their zhenqi furiously to reinforce the barrier they had put up to protect the others. However, under the immense pressure, it did not take long for their faces to redden, and fresh blood spurted from their mouths. The disparity in strength was simply too great! They did not stand a chance at all. Gritting his teeth furiously to persist even a second longer, Wu shi bellowed desperately, Principal Zhang, hurry up and leave! Theres no need for that. A soft chuckle escaped from Zhang Xuans mouth. I know that hes biding his time, but whos to say that Im not doing the same? Raising his head, he gazed at the massive face before him and asked, Do you think that you have won? What do you mean? Realizing that the young mans eyes were calm, devoid of worry or fear, Vicious eyebrows shot up. An ominous feeling sprouted within him. He quickly looked back at everything that had happened, but he was certain that he hadnt left any opportunity for the young man to turn the tables on him. What do I mean? Isnt the meaning obvious? Just like how you were stalling time to gain control over the little ind, I was ying along with you to buy some time as well, Zhang Xuan replied withposure. Were it not to stall for time, even if he had many questions in his mind, he would not have bothered to talk so much at this critical moment! You were buying time, too? Dont bother putting on a front before me; its meaningless. We both know that theres nothing else you can do in this situation! Vicious replied coldly. The Qingtian Emperor had engaged countless celestial designers and cksmiths and devoted countless precious resources in order to forge this head. While taking control of it had only granted him a cultivation realm of Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, in terms of true fighting prowess, he could match even an average Grand Dominion realm 1 expert easily! Of the cultivators before him, the two strongest ones were only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. On the other hand, while Zhang Xuan possessed strength far beyond his current cultivation realm, he was only barely able to match the Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage Qingtian Emperor even when he utilized all the means in his possession. The disparity in strength was not something that could be breached in a moment no matter how much time Zhang Xuan bought! The only fate possible for them was death! Why would I bother putting up a front before you at this moment? Alright, since it hase to this, its time for me to show my hand as well. Havent you rested long enough now? Its time to do your work! Zhang Xuans voice echoed in the surroundings with a unique melody to it. Surprised by Zhang Xuans words, Hall Master Xing and the others quickly looked around them, but beneath the starry night sky, there was not a figure to be seen. I was wondering what kind of formidable ally you could have prepared on your side. It seems like its just a mere front after all! Vicious sneered coldly. Previously, that fellow had used this method once against the Qingtian Emperor, resulting in the impaling of thetters bottom. If that fellow thought that the same trick could work twice, he was dreaming! If the other party really had an ally hidden in the shadows, he would have gotten them to appear long ago. There was no reason to have waited so long! I have had enough of your farce. Lets end it once and for all! Harrumphed coldly, apelling might far stronger than the previous ones rippled from Vicious, swiftly crushing its way down upon the group. However, before the might could reach them, the massive head in the air suddenly staggered. Following which, as if the little ind had gone out of control, it began trembling non-stop. What is going on? How can I possibly lose control over this head? Vicious widened his eyes in horror. He shot his nce down upon Zhang Xuan and screeched, You! It can only be you! Speak, what did you do to my head? Its nothing much, really. All I did was to enchant the little ind! Zhang Xuan replied with a casual smile. Back when he was at the bottommost level of the little ind, he had used the Library of Heavens Path to check on the surrounding walls. Perhaps it was because he was at the very center of the little ind, but he astonishingly found out that the entire ind was actually a massive man-made structure, forming a gigantic entity by itself. Upon realizing that, he swiftly recalled what he had seen upon stepping on the Ghost Cavern and mentally traced the path he had walked. Once a full picture was formed in his mind, he immediately realized what was going on. Thus, he spent two hours in the underground cavern secretly enchanting the entire little ind. His movements were very discreet, and Vicious will was still trapped in the altar back then. As such, thetter had failed to realize what he was doing. After which, he released Vicious and allowed thetter to take control of the little ind. From the start to the end, Zhang Xuan knew that Vicious was intentionally stalling for time, but he was more than happy to grant thetter all the time he wanted. After all, the more deeply fused Vicious was with the little ind, the more intricately attached he would be with the dormant spirit that he had enchanted into it. Before Vicious knew it, there would already be two consciousness within him. Just like the situations with Hall Master Xing and Zhang Jiuxiao back then, he would be forced into a tough battle for supremacy with the spirit. Enchant? You are telling me that you enchanted my entire head? Vicious shrieked in disbelief. He was aware of the spirit awakener upation, but even 9-star spirit awakeners were only capable of enchanting spirits into stronger andrger artifacts. Furthermore, each enchantment would exhaust them greatly, and they would have a long downtime after each enchantment session. On the other hand, the head that was forged for him was roughly six li 2 in diameter. How many times would one have to enchant the head in order to produce enough sparks to bestow it with a spirit? Was it even humanly possible? It seems like the Qingtian Emperor has neglected to tell you about how I managed to enchant the building of the Spirit Awakener Guild, Zhang Xuan scoffed. Due to the previous incident, he had been afraid that Vicious might have noticed his n in advance and guarded against the spirit. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like thetter was oblivious to it as well! While the Qingtian Emperor and Vicious appeared to be close allies on the surface, they had been trading blows with one another beneath calm waters.Information asymmetry 3 could often prove to be a powerful weapon in crucial circumstances, so there was no way the Qingtian Emperor would have told Vicious everything he knew! This worked to Zhang Xuans advantage. Completely unguarded against his abnormal capability in spirit enchantment, Vicious could not have anticipated such a move. Otherwise, Zhang Xuan would not have seeded so easily. Humph, so what if you have managed to enchant my head? It makes no difference to the situation at all! Ill still be able to kill all of you easily! Roaring furiously, Vicious forcefully wrestled control over the head from the spirit and maneuvered the head to kill the young man before him. However, the young man simply shook his head with a derisive smile before uttering softly, Rise and shine, spirits! Boom! Right after those words were spoken, it was as if spring had sprung upon the face-shaped little ind. In the blink of an eye, countless nts sprouted out. Cactus, green foxtail, and flowers of all shapes and sizes... They densely covered every inch ofnd on the little ind. Ahhh! Under the forceful intervention from the spirit, Vicious consciousness began descending into chaos. As if two personas struggling for supremacy, he began to lose control over his own strength. This... Watching the inconceivable drama unfold before their eyes, Wu shi, Hall Master Xing, and the others could not help but gulp in fear. All along, spirit awakeners had been a synonym for weakness, ying nothing more than an auxiliary role to other cultivators. Who would have thought that their aptitude could actually be used in such a way? Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for them to defeat this Otherworldly Demon. Yet, just by enchanting a spirit into the other partys head, Zhang Xuan had actually managed to send the other party into a state of disorientation, effectively incapacitating the other party. While struggling with the spirit within him, Vicious roared furiously, Do you think that a mere spirit you have enchanted into my head will be able to defeat me? Dream on! Once I get rid of this spirit, itll be your doomsday next! Zhang Xuans capability in spirit enchantment was unnatural, but Vicious proficiency in soul arts was no joke either. At the very most, the spirit would only prevent Vicious from controlling the ind and ce his consciousness into a state of disorientation temporarily. With just some time, there was no doubt that Vicious would be able to eradicate the spirit. I have no doubt that you have the ability to kill the spirit I have enchanted into your head. However... Zhang Xuan shook his head before continuing. It will be toote then. Hu! A book materialized in Zhang Xuans palm. Vaguely, one could see a finger and a heart imprinted on it. Chapter 1232 - Possession!

Chapter 1232: Possession!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was the Book of Heavens Path, where he had sealed Vicious within! Vicious had once told him that the other Vicious was his brain and his eyes, and the innate authority the brain possessed allowed it to exert dominance over the other body parts. As such, it would have been impossible for him to possess the other party under normal circumstances. The only way he could sessfully possess the other Vicious was when the other partys consciousness in a state of confusion, rendering the other party unable to counterattack to his possession! Considering how the other Vicious was a soul oracle who possessed the intact memories of the original Vicious, it could be said that it would be nigh impossible to ce his consciousness into a state of confusion. However, upon learning that the little ind was an artifact that the other Vicious was intending to use to house its will, the rest was easy. As long as he enchanted the little ind in advance and put on a convincing act to have the other Vicious willingly fuse his consciousness into it... A single head with two consciousness shing for supremacy, that was more than enough to disorientate the other Vicious consciousness! Admittedly, with the strength that the other Vicious wielded, it would not take too long for him to devour the spirit, but... how could Zhang Xuan give him the opportunity to do so? With an upward wave of his hand, the book in his palm gradually opened. The heart and finger sealed within the book surged into the sky. Boom! A powerful killing intent burst forth from the heart and the finger, shrouding the entire ind in an instant. Y-you... You actually have my other body parts! How could I have failed to sense them? Panic and disbelief could be heard in the voice of the other Vicious. At this point, he could not maintain hisposure any longer. Under normal circumstances, as soon as the body parts came into his vicinity, he should have been able to notice them in an instant due to the connection among them... so how could those two body partse so close to him without him noticing? Sense them? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Vicious heart and finger were sealed using his Book of Heavens Path. Concealed by the heavens themselves, if Vicious could still sense their presence, wouldnt that mean that he had already surpassed the heavens? How could that possibly be? Hu! Paying no heed to Vicious shock, the consciousness within the heart and the finger flew out and dived into the massive head. Hula! The head in the air was no longer able to maintain its steady flight, and it seemed as if it would plummet from the sky at any moment. Zhang Xuan turned around and told the group behind him, Lets vacate the area first. Its likely that their battle will cause devastating destruction. The battle between the two Vicious for dominance was bound to be one that was extremely perilous. Even if they remained in the area, there was nothing they could do. In fact, they might even be ced in danger from the shockwaves of their sh. Since that was the case, they might as well leave the area for the time being and wait somewhere further away. Alright! Wu shi and the others nodded. Even though they still had not been able to make sense of the situation, considering that the pressure that had been weighing down on them previously had vanished, they were out of danger for the time being. The group hurriedly dashed away from the area, and after ten minutes of travel, they finally stopped at an area roughly two hundred li 1 away from the Ghost Cavern. At this moment, the little ind appeared to be nothing more than a small bean in everyones eyes. Nevertheless, from the uncontroble shaking of the little ind, they could imagine the intense battle that was ongoing there. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Wu shi turned around and asked, Principal Zhang, what is happening? Why would the book that Zhang Xuan had taken out contain the will of an Otherworldly Demon? What did that Otherworldly Demon have to do with the Qingtian Emperors teacher? Everything felt like a perfect enigma to them, leaving thempletely befuddled. The teacher of Qingtian Emperor is the fragmented will of a powerful Otherworldly Demon who fought on equal grounds with Kong shi many years ago. He had already reached the level where he could revive even through just a single droplet of blood, and his death has resulted in many portions of his body being scattered around the world. I happened to find a few of his body parts and forced him to submit to me... Zhang Xuan briefly exined the situation. An Otherworldly Demon who fought on equal grounds with Kong shi? Doesnt that mean that hes an existence who has survived through the ages? Hes able to revive just from a single droplet of blood? ... The master teachers stared at one another as they felt their throats turning hoarse. Despite having encountered plenty of mystical affairs themselves, they dared not believe what Zhang Xuan was saying. It was simply too inconceivable! An old monster who had survived from the ancient times had actually ended up being tamed by Zhang Xuan? The group felt as if their minds were going to blow up. Ill have to ask all of you not to speak of the matters that have happened here to anyone else, Zhang Xuan requested. No matter what, Vicious was still of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It would adversely affect his reputation and credibility as a master teacher if it was made known that he had an Otherworldly Demon under hismand. Rest assured! Wu shi and the others hurriedly nodded in agreement. To be honest, even if they wanted to speak of the matters that had happened that day, it was doubtful if others would be willing to believe their story. Battling with an expert who had rivaled Kong shi many years ago, as well as that three-kilometerrge head... No matter how one looked at it, it seemed to be something that hade straight out from a fantasy novel, a figment of ones imagination. At this point, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly asked hesitantly, Zhang shi, are you really... a Celestial Master Teacher? The others quickly turned their attention back to Zhang Xuan. They did not have any time to ask about the matter previously because their hands had been full dealing with the Otherworldly Demon. However, now that they were finally out of danger for the time being, they could not hold back their intrigue any longer. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan knew that there was not any point hiding it from them any longer. Without saying a word, he stepped forward. Hong long long! A unique aura emanated from his body. The faces of Zhang Jiuxiao and the others immediately paled. The aura was not particrly powerful, but there was apelling pressure to it that rendered them powerless before it. It was as if they were standing before an existence far superior to them, and an urge to bow down to the other party and acknowledge his as their teacher welled up in them. You really are... The crowd clenched their fists with widened eyes. There was no doubt about it. This was a sensation that should only have been felt from Kong shi. It was a pressure that weighed on their soul directly,pelling them into submission. There was no way such an aura could possibly be feigned! I never would have thought that I would live to see a Celestial Master Teacher with my own eyes. I actually went through so much together with a Celestial Master Teacher. Other than Wu shi, the otherbat masters and master teachers trembled uncontrobly from the sheer agitation they felt. They had grown up listening to the legends of the only known Celestial Master Teacher in the world, Kong shi, and they had never thought that they would ever meet a real Celestial Master Teacher in their lifetime. Yet, unknowingly, they actually ended up venturing into a legendary expedition with one, braving through danger together. No wonder your Impartation of Heavens Will could win the hearts of several ten thousand master teachers all at once, making them willingly address you as their teacher, one of the Master Teacher Pavilion elders remarked. He had been wondering how Zhang Xuan wielded such astounding capability as to make so many master teachers submit to him simultaneously, willingly addressing him as their teacher. However, if the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher like Kong shi, everything would make sense! Putting aside making several ten thousand master teachers submit to him, he would not even be surprised if the other party made every single being in the world acknowledge him as their teacher! After all, the previous Celestial Master Teacher eventually grew up to be an existence known as the Worlds Teacher! On the other hand, Zhang Jiuxiao felt a stifling sensation in his chest as hemented internally, How am I supposed to defeat a rival like that? All along, he had viewed Zhang Xuan as a hurdle that he would have to ovee, and he had deeply believed that with his talents, he would be able to do it as long as he worked diligently. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like it was only wishful thinking on his part! It was no wonder he suffered such a tragic defeat! Considering that his opponent was a Celestial Master Teacher, his defeat was inevitable. In that sense, his loss could not be considered an embarrassment. If Zhang shi is really a Celestial Master Teacher, its likely that his talent surpasses even that of the young prodigy of our Zhang n. But the young prodigy has the full support of the Zhang n behind him, having free ess to top-notch cultivation resources from a very young age. I really wonder what will happen if the two of them sh with one another... Zhang Jiuxiao could not help but wonder. He had never met the young prodigy who boasted the purest bloodline of the Zhang n in many years, but he had heard many rumors about thetters superior talent and strength. He could not help but wonder how thetter wouldpare to the Celestial Master Teacher standing before him. Would the young prodigy end up being traumatized to the point where he did not even want to live anymore? It would be interesting to watch them sh with one another one day... Zhang Jiuxiao pondered. Paying no heed to everyones shock, Zhang Xuan looked at them grimly and said, I also hope that you wont speak a word about the matter concerning me being a Celestial Master Teacher. The encounters in the Qingyuan Empire had taught him not to take the safety of the Master Teacher Pavilion for granted. There was a good chance that there were more Otherworldly Demons hiding in their midst, and if the news regarding him being a Celestial Master Teacher reached their ears, he might find himself being plunged into grave danger. Currently, he only possessed fighting prowess on par with a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator. Before the true top-notch experts on the Master Teacher Continent, his strength was not even worth a mention. Before he acquired absolute strength that would allow him to stand indomitable in the world, it would be best for him to maintain a low profile. Principal Zhang, dont worry. We understand the graveness of the matter, so please rest assured that well keep our mouths sealed! Hall Master Xing replied. I swear on my name as a master teacher that if I speak a word of this matter, may vicious retribution fall upon me! one of the Master Teacher Pavilion elders swore. With him taking the lead, the others also swiftly followed suit as well. I have troubled all of you. Zhang Xuan waved his hand before turning his gaze back to the fight in the distance. With the world cloaked in darkness, it would be difficult for even Saint realm cultivators to spectate a sight from two hundred li away. However, with his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to perceive everything with rity. The wills of both Vicious were tangled with one another, fighting desperately to devour the other. While the Vicious he had tamed was far weaker than the other Vicious, the assistance of the enchanted spirit and the other Vicious being spread too thin across the massive head had impaired the other Vicious fighting prowess. As a result, both sides turned out to be equally matched for the time being. It seems like I need not worry... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the sight. The Vicious he had tamed possessed the heart, the origin of power. As such, the longer the battle dragged on for, the more advantageous his position would be. On the other hand, while the head possessed the ability to control power, its ability to supply power was significantly weaker. Even though they were equal for the time being, the other Vicious would gradually grow weaker and weaker before eventually being consumed once and for all. As Zhang Xuan had expected, an hourter, the battle finally began to die down. The movements of the face-shaped little ind were gradually slowing to a halt, too. Wait here for a moment. Ill head over to take a look! Zhang Xuan said before heading forward. Zhang shi, Ill go with you! This way, Ill at least be able to cover you if anything happens, Wu shi quickly offered. Theres no need for that. Youll only be a burden if you tag along. Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually before flying away swiftly ... Wu shi. ... Master, as you havemanded, I have sessfully eradicated him! Upon arriving before the face-shaped little ind, a voice sounded in Zhang Xuans mind. It was the Vicious whom he had tamed. Good, good! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Vicious continued speaking. But while I have managed to eradicate his consciousness, I have suffered significant damage in the midst of doing so. I fear that I will need to hibernate for a period of time to recuperate... Previously, just by devouring the finger, he had needed to go into a lengthy sleep. Considering how the opponent this time around was far stronger than him, it was not too surprising that Vicious had to rest again. I understand... However, given your current size, how am I supposed to take you away? Zhang Xuan asked as he gestured toward the massive little ind before him. Spanning a length of three kilometers from one end to the other, there was no way Zhang Xuan could fit it into his storage ring or the Myriad Anthive Nest! Master, dont worry. I can continue hiding inside the Book of Heavens Path... Right after saying those words, the ind suddenly blurred from sight before materializing within the Book of Heavens Path. This... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The Book of Heavens Path actually had such an ability? Why didnt he know about it? Hu! The Book of Heavens Path fell back into Zhang Xuans hands, and he flipped it open casually. In it, he saw a head, a heart, and a finger floating quietly within, reminiscent of a 3D painting. Chapter 1233 - Returning to Qingyuan City

Chapter 1233: Returning to Qingyuan City

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. To think that the Book of Heavens Path would be able to store such a huge ind. As expected of a product of the Library of Heavens Path, there was really no questioning its quality! Putting the Book of Heavens Path back, Zhang Xuan returned to where Wu shi and the others were. Even though the trip to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows had been fraught with dangers, the returns had also been rather substantial. Putting aside the massive power up that Vicious would receive upon his reawakening, just the hundred or so Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage puppets that he had acquired would be a powerful fighting force for him. If he released all of them at once, even a Saint 6-dan primary stage expert would be pummeled into the ground. More importantly, unlike the other Otherworldly Demon puppets that he had acquired previously, these puppets were the purely engineered works by celestial designers, so they did not carry the slightest aura of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe on them. As such, there were no issues with using them in public! Principal Zhang, where is that ind? Wu shi and the others turned to look at Zhang Xuan curiously. Due to the great implications in this matter, Im afraid that I cant tell you anything... Zhang Xuan shook his head apologetically. At this point, he did not feel like tantly lying to Wu shi and the others, but it was not safe to speak of the existence of the Library of Heavens Path to others. Thus, he decided to sidestep the topic instead. Alright then, we understand, the crowd replied understandingly. Even though they were curious, they knew that Zhang Xuan, as a Celestial Master Teacher, was bound to have secrets of his own that would not be convenient for him to reveal to others. Thus, they reined in their curiosity and held themselves back. As the group headed out of the marsnds, Wu shi asked, Principal Zhang, should we report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? By now, the sun had already begun rising. It was truly a terrifying night filled with twists at every turn, but it was fortunate that they had survived it in the end. Zhang Xuan shook his head. It would be best not to. Since this matter concerned Vicious, the headquarters was bound to investigate the issue thoroughly. If they were to uncover the Book of Heavens Path in the midst of doing so, it would cause Zhang Xuan a great deal of trouble. This... Wu shi hesitated for a moment before adding, But if we dont report this matter to the headquarters, theres no way we can ount for Pavilion Master Gou and Tian Qings death. Considering the number of casualties in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as a result of this issue, there was no way they could simply wrap up the investigation in such a slipshod manner. The headquarters would surely send men over to question them on the incident or even conduct an investigation themselves, and that could lead to more trouble then. Is that so? Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. If it was up to him, he would have preferred for this matter to pass quietly. Otherwise, his n of maintaining a low profile would be shattered. Knowing Zhang Xuans considerations, Wu shi advised, If we take the initiative to report to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, well be in a better position to decide the information to be passed on to them. As young as Zhang Xuan was, he had a very dependable and humble personality. He was able to see through the splendor and glory of being a Celestial Master Teacher to understand the responsibility and risks that he carried before making the rational decision to conceal his identity and maintain a low profile. To be able to avoid gettingcent despite being in such a glorious position, he was truly a role model for all master teachers! Naturally, stirring a ruckus over this issue was not something that a person as humble as him would wish to see happening! However, this matter was simply too big, such that it was impossible for them to simply put it aside and disregard it anymore. If they were to take the initiative to report it, they could at least choose what information to filter out before sending it to the headquarters, and naturally, this would be to their advantage. Alright then. After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and two corpses appeared before him. This is the corpse of the Qingtian Emperor. When you report the matter to the headquarters, just pin the me for the entire incident on him. The corpse of the Qingtian Emperor? Wu shi was bewildered by Zhang Xuans words. Wasnt the Qingtian Emperor already dead? Why would another one pop out all of a sudden? Noticing the look of confusion on Wu shis face, Zhang Xuan swiftly exined the situation, but that only seemed to deepen the astonishment on Wu shis face. As expected of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor who had lived for countless years! To actually have multiple clones under hismand, it was really as if he was an indestructible cockroach! Honestly, just thinking about the opponent they had shed with would leave Wu shis back drenched in fear. It was truly fortunate that they had Zhang Xuan with them, or else they might have died on the first encounter! Ill report the matter concerning the Qingtian Emperor and the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them make a judgement on the matter! Upon learning the full story, Wu shi could also roughly guess what the young mans bottom line was. For some reason, it seemed like he was reluctant to have others learn of the matter concerning the little ind turning into head, as well as the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor. While he was curious about the matter, he eventually decided against probing any further in. Un. Seeing that Wu shi had understood his intention, Zhang Xuan nodded. The important thing was to not have anyone learn of Vicious involvement in this affair. Other than that, everything else would be fine. It was really fortunate that the Qingtian Emperor had been involved in this matter as well, so they could use him as a cover to exin everything what had happened in the Qingyuan Empire. I think it would be better to stop by our Northern Meadows City and report this matter at our Master Teacher Pavilion. We can apply for a holographicmunication with the headquarters there and ensure that the appropriate information reaches them! Ji shi suddenly interjected at this moment. That would be great! Wu shis eyes lit up as he turned around to seek Zhang Xuans opinion on the matter. Through the holographicmunication, they would be able to present the corpse of the Qingtian Emperor to them as well. Considering how huge the incident was, their report had to have ample evidence to back up their ims. Hmm... Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying. Wu shi, you should follow Ji shi to the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion to exin the matter to the headquarters then. I still have some matters to attend to, so Ill be returning to Qingyuan City first. Even though Zhang Xuan had put on aposed front when Vicious imed that he had Liu Yang held hostage, the fact was that he was actually deeply apprehensive and unnerved within. He had long wanted to return to Qingyuan City to check on Liu Yang. While Liu Yang had no particrly outstanding talent, he was still a student who had followed him from the days when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom. A step at a time, they hade this far together. The year they had spent together had already forged an inseparable bond between the two of them. Knowing what Zhang Xuan was worried over, Wu shi nodded. Principal Zhang, I understand. Go ahead! It was roughly noon when they finally got out of the marsnds. Getting onto the aerial saint beast, they first flew over to the Northern Meadows City, where Wu shi and the others alighted, before returning back to Qingyuan City. As soon as he was alone, Zhang Xuan quickly dived into the Myriad Anthive Nest without any hesitation. Shortly after his entry, he heard a furious bellow within the Myriad Anthive Nest. You bastard, Ill kill you! Peng peng peng peng! Following which, the sound of punches and kicks echoed in the air. Walking over to the origin of the sound, Zhang Xuan saw his clone viciously pummeling the Primordial Spirit of the Qingtian Emperor, not giving thetter an opportunity to recover at all. At this moment, the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit was so faint that it seemed as if it would dissipate at any moment. However, his face remained as ferocious as ever, reflecting his strong desire to rip the duo before him into shreds. Alright, stop your ruckus. Hold still and allow me to conduct a Soul Search! Zhang Xuan uttered coldly as he drew out his soul and ced his palm on the Qingtian Emperors head. Tzzzzzz! Before the Qingtian Emperors horrified gaze, Zhang Xuan sent a sliver of his will into the other partys consciousness. Two hourster, Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his body. Rubbing his be, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. At this moment, the Qingtian Emperors consciousness had beenpletely shattered, leaving a mindless Primordial Spirit behind. Vicious has already gone into hibernation, so Ill leave this Primordial Spirit for you to assimte, Zhang Xuan told his clone. Vicious consciousness had already gone into a deep sleep before they could even get out of the marsnds, leaving Zhang Xuan with a pile of unanswered questions. Since that was the case, it would be better to leave the Qingtian Emperors Primordial Spirit to his clone. It would be able to raise thetters fighting prowess significantly. Roger that! Zhang Xuans clone replied happily as he dragged the mindless Primordial Spirit back into a room. Not too longter, a scream of agony sounded in the air. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan began to organize the memories that he had just obtained through his Soul Search. Regarding the matters concerning Vicious, it was mostly just as Vicious had described earlier. The reason the Qingtian Emperor had obediently heeded Vicious orders was to bide his time until the day he obtained thetters full heritage and could take over thetters body. On the other hand, the reason Vicious took in the Qingtian Emperor as his disciple was to make use of thetters strength to find his remaining body parts and make a full recovery. Despite working with one another, both had their own private intentions in mind. Through his Soul Search, Zhang Xuan was able to acquire the soul cultivation techniques that Vicious had imparted to the Qingtian Emperor. However... It seems like Vicious has only imparted the Saint 1-dan to Saint 5-dan soul cultivation techniques to him. Zhang Xuan studied the soul cultivation techniques for a while before sighing deeply. I guess it isnt that easy for a soul oracle to convert their soul into a Primordial Spirit. A Primordial Spirit was basically an evolution of the Embryonic Soul, an existence made up of zhenqi and soul energy. It was also for this reason that it could exist outside the body, and it harnessed the strength to tap into zhenqi independently of the body as well. On the other hand, the souls of soul oracles were purely made of soul energy. Through utilizing unique soul cultivation techniques to enhance and temper their soul energy, a soul oracle was able to exert overwhelming might. As ordinary Primordial Spirits contained zhenqi, they had a more upright and orthodox air to them. On the other hand, due to the yin nature of soul energy, the souls of soul oracles emanated a cold and eerie aura, and they feared both sunlight and lightning. Fundamentally, Primordial Spirits and the souls of soul oracles were twopletely different entities. As a result, it was extremely difficult for soul oracles to convert their souls into Primordial Spirit. On top of that, the overwhelming yin nature of their souls also made the Leaving Aperture Ordeal an extremely high hurdle for them to ovee. As a result, despite the overwhelming benefits that soul oracles had earlier on, most of them ended up capping at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, unable to advance any further. Out of ten thousand soul oracles, there might not even be one of them who would be able to clear the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. In a sense, the Qingtian Emperor could be considered an incredible genius for sessfully cultivating up to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage. However, as I have cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art right from the start, my soul doesnt have any attribute. So, I shouldnt face a bottleneck from that. Aside from that, Zhang Xuans soul had also been tempered by the Saint Ascension Ordeal as well. As such, even though he was only at the Embryonic Soul realm, his soul already possessed resilience far superior to the Primordial Spirits of ordinary cultivators. The issue that most soul oracles would encounter was not a problem to him at all. Afterpiling the soul cultivation techniques that Vicious has left behind together with the terpsichore, spirit awakener, and demonic tunist books, I have managed topile the Saint 1-dan to 4-dan Heavens Path Soul Arts sessfully. I can cultivate the first two realms with high-tier spirit stones, but as for the remaining two, it seems like I will have to gather more concentrated high-tier spirit stones before working on them, Zhang Xuan thought. Thinking back, roughly ten days had passed since the friendly spar with the other Combat Master Halls. The rewards from the Combat Master Hall headquarters should have arrived by now, so the problem concerning theck of concentrated high-tier spirit stones was not an issue for the time being. Thus, putting the matter aside for the moment, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand and released the puppets he had confiscated from Vicious back in the Ghost Cavern inside the Myriad Anthive Nest. He had the inner demons leave them one by one before using his Impartation of Heavens Will to tame them. In less than three days, those fellows had already be his loyal subordinates. Leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan realized that he was still a distance away from Qingyuan City. Thus, he began going through the Qingtian Emperors storage ring to see if he could find any treasures in it. To his disappointment, while there were quite some treasures in the storage ring, there were no concentrated high-tier spirit stones to be found. From the looks like it, it seemed like the Qingtian Emperor had most likely used any concentrated high-tier spirit stones he managed to acquire himself. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan decided to use the remaining time he had before arriving at Qingyuan City to browse through his books and cultivate. ... While Zhang Xuan was rushing back to Qingyuan City, Wu shi and the others entered the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion, and after a series of formalities, Ji Tianxiong ced his palm lightly upon a screen. A powerful aura slowly rippled from the screen as the silhouette of an elder gradually came into appearance. The head of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, 8-star Master Teacher He Xuan! What has happened that would require you to establish a holographicmunication with me? Chapter 1234 - Public Execution

Chapter 1234: Public Execution

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Reporting to Hall Master He, I am the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Wu Rufeng! Wu shi quickly stepped forward to introduce himself. I know of you. Pavilion Master He nodded in response. Even though the Qingyuan Empire was the weakest among the Eight Conferred Empires subordinate to the Empire Alliance, it was considered an individual entity. As the head of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, it was his responsibility to have some understanding of the Master Teacher Pavilions directly subordinated to them. Its like this... We have uncovered the truth behind the deaths of Pavilion Master Gou and Vice Pavilion Master Tian, and we have established this holographicmunication in order to report the matter to you, Wu shi said. Oh? You have already uncovered the truth? Tell me about it! Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Hes expression became grim. The death of the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion was a huge deal, so he had been keeping a close eye on the matter. However, despite dispatching Song shi, there still had not been any response yet. Ordinary Communication Jade Tokens were only effective within a range of around a million li. Any further than that would require arge Communication Formation. Song shi had not activated a Communication Formation ever since arriving in Qingyuan City, so Pavilion Master He had no way of checking the progress of the investigation either. In truth, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was the incarnation of the will of the Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage... Wu shi swiftly told the story that he had prepared with beforehand. There was not much deviation from the truth, just that the aspects concerning the Qingtian Emperors teacher had been intentionally left out. An Otherworldly Demon Emperor has been hiding on the Master Teacher Continent for nearly two thousand years, even sessfully inserting a spy into the Master Teacher Pavilion, and no one noticed a thing? Pavilion Master He was clearly unable to believe what he had just heard. If this matter was leaked to the popce, the repercussions would be even greater than the deaths of ten Pavilion Master Gous. This was a huge breach in the responsibility of the Master Teacher Pavilion! Thats right. Its fortunate that we have managed to eradicate him under Zhang shis leadership, Wu shi said as he flicked his wrist, and two corpses fell to the ground. These are the corpses of the Qingtian Emperor and his clone! Pavilion Master He quickly examined the corpses through the holographic image, and a grim expression set upon his face. That is indeed the corpse of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor. Otherwise, theres no way he would be able to create such a powerful clone of himself. As the head of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, he had a deep understanding of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and he knew that only those with the pure bloodline of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor would be able to execute such a cloning technique. This was sufficient evidence to confirm the Qingtian Emperors identity. Not only so, Wu shi continued, Zhang shi has also managed to y the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage single-handedly... To eradicate an entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe lineage single-handedly... Even though the Qingtian Emperor harnesses the weakest bloodline among the Otherworldly Demon Emperors, its still quite a formidable feat! Pavilion Master He nodded in approval. Its no wonder he was able to sessfully crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. His talent and eye of discernment are indeed exceptional, perhaps even on par with some of the Sage n offspring! Where is Zhang shi at the moment? The emperor of the Qingyuan Empire is a puppet of the Qingtian Emperor, and in order to ckmail Zhang shi, he took one of Zhang shis direct disciples hostage. Thus, Zhang shi is currently rushing back to rescue his student, Wu shi exined. I see. Thats a pity... Hearing that Zhang shi was not around, Pavilion Master He sighed. To destroy the entire Qingtian Lineage and foil their schemes to infiltrate mankind, sparing countless master teachers and innocent civilians from a tragic fate, Zhang shi has really done mankind a huge merit this time around! In view of his contribution, I hereby grant him the position of honorary elder 1 in our Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion! Yes! Wu shi clenched his fists in agitation as he nodded. While the position of honorary elder in the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion might appear to be an empty title, this position was actually associated with immense prestige and honor. Under normal circumstances, only real 8-star master teachers were qualified to assume the role of an elder in the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, Zhang shi was actually bestowed with it despite being a 7-star master teacher. Putting aside himself, even the head of the Qianchong Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion 2 would have to address Zhang Xuan respectfully now. Ill have my men prepare the documents for the bestowment as soon as possible. By the time you all return to the Qingyuan Empire, activate the Communication Wall, and it should be ready, Pavilion Master He said with a smile. Thank you, Pavilion Master He. Wu shi quickly sped his fist and bowed. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Zhang shis aplishments in killing the Otherworldly Demons and foiling their ns are a huge merit. Inparison to his deeds, the position of an honorary elder is really nothing at all. Wu Rufeng, you have also yed a huge part in helping Zhang shi aplish his mission, so I shall officially appoint you as the head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion right now. At the same time, I shall grant you an opportunity toe to the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion for an exchange! This... Thank you! Wu shi could not help trembling in excitement. To him, bing the head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was not a big deal. What was more important was the exchange at the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. This exchange consisted of receiving the personal guidance of a real 8-star master teacher, and this would surely be deeply beneficial to his cultivation and eye of discernment. This was an opportunity that countless would die to have! The reason Pavilion Master Gou was unwilling to tolerate any problems prior to his retirement was in hopes that a clean record in his term of service would grant him such an opportunity as well. However, it was a pity that in his desire to maintain a clean record, he had neglected his responsibilities as a pavilion master. Thus, there was no way the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion would grant such a precious opportunity to him. After dealing with Wu shi, Pavilion Master He turned to Hall Master Xing and the others and said, As for the others, you have all bravely ventured into the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows despite the overwhelming risks in order to eliminate the Qingtian Emperor. All of you have done mankind a huge merit as well, so rest assured that Ill have this matter reported to the Empire Alliance Combat Master Hall and have them reward you all handsomely! Thank you, Pavilion Master He! Hall Master Xing and the others quickly sped their fists and bowed. Alright! Send the corpse of the Qingtian Emperor over here as soon as possible. If we can examine his corpse carefully, we might be able to develop some countermeasures to deal with the Otherworldly Demon Emperors, and thatll bolster our fighting force significantly, Pavilion Master He said with a wave of his hand. The Otherworldly Demon Emperors would never venture out of the otherworldly battlefield easily in consideration of the perils they would face on the Master Teacher Continent. On top of that, every single one of them wielded many life preservation means, making it highly difficult to kill any one of them. Even the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion did not have many corpses of Otherworldly Demon Emperors that they could examine. Yes, Pavilion Master He! Wu shi nodded before making arrangements with Ji shi to have the corpse delivered to the Empire Alliance. After which, with a respectful bow, he bade Pavilion Master He farewell. Alright, since we are done with our report, its about time for us to return to Qingyuan City! Wu shi and the others borrowed a saint beast from the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion before swiftly making their way back to Qingyuan City. ... After nearly six whole days of flight, the majestic infrastructure of the Qingyuan City was finally within view. On the way back, Zhang Xuan had received two messages from Sun Qiang. Firstly, they had headed to the royal pce to save Liu Yang. While they had managed to rescue Liu Yang, thetter had identally killed Chu Tianxing in a moment of rage. Secondly, Liu Yang had abruptly left Qingyuan City, and there was no one who knew where he was. Judging from the timing, it seems like Chu Tianxing was killed around the time that the will of the other Vicious dissipated. Chu Tianxing was bound to the other Vicious by a soul contract, so the death of the other Vicious will would have resulted in his death too... Zhang Xuan swiftly deduced as soon as he received the messages. In a show of loyalty toward Vicious, Chu Tianxing had offered his soul toward the other Vicious to establish a soul contract between them. A soul contract bound the life of the contractor to the contractee, such that the death of the contractee would result in the death of the contractor. Naturally, when the other Vicious died, Chu Tianxing lost his life as well. Thus, even though it was only a conjecture on Zhang Xuans part, he had a feeling that Liu Yan did not actually kill Chu Tianxing. Rather, it was a coincidence that Chu Tianxings soul dissipated at that moment, resulting in the death of his physical body. After all, even though Chu Tianxing was incapacitated at that moment, he was still a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert. It did not make sense for Liu Yang to be able to kill him with a single punch. If that was the case, Liu Yang and the others could only be convicted of uwfully barging into the royal pce to cause trouble. With Zhang Xuans influence from the sessful pavilion crashing, he should be able to resolve the issue with ease. Just that... why isnt Sun Qiang replying to my messages? Zhang Xuan frowned in worry. Even though the matter was not a big deal ording to what he had seen so far, the problem was that Sun Qiang had not replied a single time to him despite sending eight messages over the days. This left him worried that a mishap might have urred. Furthermore, Liu Yangs disappearance had also left him feeling a little unnerved within. Many days had already passed, so had they found him yet? With a mind filled with doubts, Zhang Xuan finally arrived in the aerial space above Qingyuan City. He maneuvered the aerial saint beast tond at the amodation that the Combat Master Hall had prepared for him. Principal Zhang, you have finally returned! As soon as Zhang Xuannded, he saw Ruohuan gongzi running over with a mix of anxiety and relief on his face. Noticing the peculiarity in Ruohuan gongzis expression, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, Whats wrong? Something bad has happened! Ruohuan gongzi eximed. Liu Yangs act of killing Emperor Chu Tianxing has caused an uproar throughout the Qingyuan Empire! In order to appease the crowd, a master teacher named Song shi has ordered the public execution of Butler Sun and the other poison masters who participated in the raiding of the royal pce that day at noon! A public execution of Sun Qiang and the poison masters? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment as his expression turned livid. He quickly nced at the sky and noted that the sun was nearly directly overhead. It was nearing noon! In other words, Sun Qiang and the others could be executed at any moment! Yes! The entire Xuanxuan Faction has headed over to the square, intending to raid the execution tform. The only reason I stayed was to inform you of the matter as soon as you returned! Ruohuan gongzi said anxiously. Raid the execution tform? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Those fellows sure were gutsy. The members of the Xuanxuan Faction did wield fighting prowess far surpassing that of their cultivation realm, but the problem was that their cultivation was still too low. Most of them were not even at Half-Saint yet, so how were they intending to stop the execution? They would be captured by the soldiers guarding the execution tform before they could start anything! Bring me to the square right now! Zhang Xuan bellowed authoritatively. There was no time to be lost. If those fearless fellows really started something, it would be difficult to resolve this matter peacefully anymore. Thus, Zhang Xuan grabbed Ruohuan gongzi and swiftly made his way for the royal pce. While making his way over, he quickly had Ruohuan gongzi fill him in on the details. Who is that Song shi master teacher you spoke of earlier? How does he have the authority to order Sun Qiangs execution? Pretty much all of the master teachers in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion were his students, and owing to their gratitude for his enlightenment, they would not execute Sun Qiang and the others recklessly without conducting a proper investigation of Chu Tianxings death. Based on what we have gathered thus far, Song shi is a quasi 8-star master teacher from the Qianchong Empire. As hes an envoy dispatched by the headquarters, the other master teachers have no choice but to heed his orders, Ruohuan gongzi exined. Hes from the Qianchong Empire? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats right. After Chu Tianxings death, the officials, nobles, and even soldiers of the royal court have been crowding outside the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, demanding justice for Chu Tianxing. Unable to withstand the pressure from the popce any longer, Song shi eventually made this judgement, Ruohuan gongzi said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Indeed. For the emperor of a Conferred Empire to be killed so easily, if the Master Teacher Pavilion was unable to give a proper exnation for the matter, wouldnt everyone start fearing for their own lives? Wheres Liu Yang? Zhang Xuan asked grimly. After that raid on the royal pce, Liu Yang suddenly vanished. Song shi had all the master teachersb Qingyuan City and its vicinity, but they were still unable to find him. We have no idea where he went. In fact, we believe that the reason Song shi intends to execute Butler Sun and the other poison masters is to force Liu Yang to appear. If they apprehend the culprit behind Chu Tianxings death, they will at least be able to exin the matter to the Qingyuan Empire and restore some of the Master Teacher Pavilions credibility, Ruohuan gongzi exined. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Chu Tianxings death in the heavily fortified royal pce had most probably scared the nobles and the officials of the Qingyuan Empire, as this meant that Sun Qiang and the other poison masters could effectively bypass any defense and kill anyone they wanted, and there was nearly nothing they could do to prevent it. If they did not offer them a proper exnation, there was no way the other officials and nobles would let this matter rest. In fact, they might even start swaying public opinion against the Master Teacher Pavilion, and with the influence that they wielded, that could have proved troublesome. I can understand the difficult position that the Master Teacher Pavilion is in, but if they think that I will allow them to kill Sun Qiang and the others... over my dead body! Zhang Xuan uttered coldly. Chapter 1235 - Raiding the Execution Platform

Chapter 1235: Raiding the Execution tform

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the square outside the royal pce, a huge crowd had gathered, numbering at least in the hundred thousands. There was a towering tform at the very middle of the square, where Sun Qiang, Elder Xu, and the others were firmly held in a kneeling position. Their cultivation was sealed, preventing them from struggling free and escaping. Looking at the group atop the tform, Song Chao asked anxiously, What should we do? The members of the Xuanxuan Faction had arrived early in the morning, but the guards protecting the execution tform were all Saint realm experts. In fact, there were even Primordial Spirit realm elders from the Master Teacher Pavilion stationed in the area as well. Against such fighting power, putting aside saving Sun Qiang and the others, they would be subdued before they could even get close to the execution tform! I dont know! For Butler Sun, Principal Zhang didnt even hesitate to cause an uproar in the King Zhongqing Manor! Given how highly Principal Zhang regards Butler Sun, if thetter is killed, I really cant imagine what kind of destruction Principal Zhang will bring upon Qingyuan City, Song Chao said with a deeply worried frown. He had be acquainted with Zhang Xuan back in the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance, and he knew how protective thetter was of those around him. No matter what, Sun Qiang was Zhang Xuans butler, and if he was killed just like that, Zhang Xuan would surely raise a storm! Perhaps, the entire Qingyuan City might even be wiped off the map! Is there any word from the Combat Master Hall? They have received Principal Zhangs enlightenment, so they can be considered half students to him. But why is it that none of them are here at this crucial moment? a member of the Xuanxuan Faction remarked furiously. They had been training with thebat masters over the past few days, and they had imparted many of theirbat tricks and secret arts to them without any reservation. Yet, in their time of need, none of thebat masters were willing to help them raid the execution tform. Naturally, some members of the Xuanxuan Faction was deeply unhappy at this matter. We cant me them for this either. I heard that a few of the division heads have visited the Master Teacher Pavilion to demand for Sun Qiangs release, only to end up being imprisoned by Song shi. On top of that, Song shi has even made an official order demanding that allbat masters remain within the Combat Master Hall, or else they will be punished for defying military orders... Song Chao shook his head and sighed deeply. Combat masters were considered the military of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and for them, there was nothing higher than a military order. Considering that this was an ordering from a quasi 8-star master teacher from the Qianchong Empire, not to mention that he was an envoy dispatched by the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, no matter how indignant thebat masters were, they had no choice but to obey Song shis orders. The sole responsibility of a soldier was to obey the orders of his superior, and this was the same forbat masters. Without the aid of thebat masters, itll be nigh impossible for us to save Butler Sun and the others! The member of the Xuanxuan Faction who had spoken earlier hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes in despair. With their cultivation realm, there was no way they could breach the defenses around the execution tform. It was truly a hopeless situation. I know that, too. Raiding an execution tform is a severe crime. Regardless of whether we seed or not, theres a good chance that well be stripped of our master teacher licenses, and perhaps, we might even be executed on the spot to serve as a warning to the others. It will be unreasonable of us to demand others to put their future on the line for our sake. We only have ourselves to count on, Song shi said grimly. Even if their raid ended in a failure, just their act of attempting to undermine the orders of a quasi 8-star master teacher was enough to warrant them the death penalty. The members of the Xuanxuan Faction who had darede to the square hade prepared to die. How could they expect thebat masters to risk their lives to save someone whom they hardly knew? They had no moral obligation to do so at all. At this point, a voice suddenly sounded behind the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. Who says that you only have yourselves to count on? Do you not consider us your brothers? rmed, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction hurriedly turned around, and they saw familiar faces appearing before their eyes. Xiao Qin, Shi Hao, Jiao Tan, Lu Jianling, Dong Rui... They were allbat masters of the Combat Master Hall. All in all, there were several thousand of them! You... How did you all get here? Wasnt there a strict order against anybat master leaving the Combat Master Hall? Song Chao asked worriedly. We did receive the orders, but those orders only apply tobat masters... From this moment on, we are no longerbat masters! Shi Hao exined with a smile. All of you are no longerbat masters? Song Chao widened his eyes in shock. At this point, he suddenly realized that none of thebat masters gathered there were dressed in theirbat master robe. You... are relinquishing your identities asbat masters? B-but... Song Chao clenched his fists tightly apprehensively. However, despite his worry about thebat masters, he could not help but feel a surge of warmth flowing into his heart. In the days that he had spent with thebat masters, he hade to learn how much their identity meant to them. It was their pride, their honor, and their calling. But to save Sun Qiang, they were willing to throw aside what they had worked for over many years. In a moment, the eyes of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction turned red. Asbat masters, we cant tantly go against the orders of a superior. Otherwise, what would be of the credibility of the Combat Master Hall? We cannot allow the name of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall to be sullied because of us! So, we had no choice but to abandon our identities... Shi Hao shook his head grimly. Jiao Tan also sighed deeply. Is this really worth going so far? Song Chao asked hoarsely. Zhang shi isnt just your principalhes our teacher as well! Without him, we would not have been able to attain the current strength we possess. We never would have known thatbat and battle techniques could be interpreted in such a manner as well. We were just mere strangers to him, and yet, he taught and guided all of us without any reservation. We are all deeply indebted to him, Qin Xiao said. So, how can we simply watch idly in his time of need? Indeed! Zhang shi is the most magnanimous person I have ever seen! To have met and learned from him is a true blessing from the heavens. Now that something has happened to his butler, theres no way we can stay out of this! You dont have to talk us out of this. Shi Hao patted Song Chaos shoulder. Unless you dont view us as your brothers? Taking a deep breath, Song Chao suppressed the overwhelming emotions he felt and replied, Of course not! Indeed. Those who conducted themselves upright and properly were bound to find many people willing to stand up for them in times of need, let alone someone of Zhang shis character! He could still remember the day when Zhang Xuan duped him of his spirit stones, and he had been so furious that he even wanted to kill thetter. But as he gradually spent more time with thetter, he came to realize that there was a lot more to him. Zhang Xuan might have his ws, but he knew right from wrong, and he persisted in the principles that he believed in regardless of how dire the situation was. Unknowingly, he actually found himself bing Zhang Xuans loyal subordinate, willing to heed his orders andy down his life for him. This was not just a question of personal charisma anymore. What was more important was his magnanimity and his outlook! For the sake of what he perceived to be the greater good, he was willing to put aside his personal interests and impart profound battle techniques to others unreservedly. Only a true teacher would have so many willing to stand up on his behalf and bleed for him! Since you regard us as your brothers, dont turn down our help. Alright, have you all thought about how you intend to raid the execution tform? Shi Hao asked. Well back you up ordingly. Un, we havee up with a n. Knowing that this was no time to chat, Song Chao swiftly got down to business. Later on, before the execution, there will be a reading of crimes first. I intend to make a move at that moment. Well be trying to breach the defenses of the execution tform through the Grand Formation of Myriad Stars. Well be facing Primordial Spirit realm expertster on, but with our sheer numbers, we might just be able to overwhelm them for a moment and buy sufficient time to free Butler Sun and the others! Grand Formation of Myriad Stars... Indeed, that is the best coborative formation to use in this situation! Shi Hao nodded in agreement. The Grand Formation of Myriad Stars was a formation often used by the military of empires. It served tobine the strength of an entire army together tounch a powerful assault toward a single target. The members of the Xuanxuan Faction were not too powerful individuallymost of them were about Transcendent Mortal 7-dan to 8-danbut when the might of over ten thousand men wasbined through the massive formation, they might just be able to put together enough strength to subdue even a Primordial Spirit realm expert! But... have you thought about how you will bring Butler Sun and the others out of Qingyuan City after rescuing them? Shi Hao asked. If theres no feasible escape route, they will only be captured again shortly after. That will render the rescue operation meaningless. This... Song Chao and the others fell silent. They knew that with the chances of sess were extremely slim with their current strength, and they had already prepared themselves to lose their lives in the raid. As a result, they had not really thought too deeply about the follow-up after rescuing Sun Qiang and the others. However, now that thebat masters were backing them as well, there was a chance that they might just pull it off sessfully. As such, they had to start thinking about a follow up to the rescue operation, or else Sun Qiang and the others would just be recaptured soon after. Do you have an idea in mind? Song Chao asked Shi Hao. As a matter of fact, I do. My n is rather simple. Instead of raiding the execution tform, we should find a way to hold Song shi hostage! Shi Hao said. Hold Song shi hostage? Song Chao widened his eyes in disbelief. Indeed. Song shi is the key to everything that has happened. As long as we subdue him and have him take back his orders to execute Butler Sun and the others, we will be able to have Butler Sun and the others released. After that, we just have to hold him for a sufficient period of time for Butler Sun and the others to get out of Qingyuan City. Song Chao and the others contemted for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement. That does sound like a feasible idea... It was solely based on Song shismand that Sun Qiang and the others were being executed. In other words, as long as Song shi took back his orders, Sun Qiang and the others should be able to leave Qingyuan City safely. How do you intend to carry your n out? Well follow you! Seeing that Shi Hao had a better n in mind, Song Chao and the others quickly turned their attention to Shi Hao. Its quite simple. Just move on mymandter, Shi Hao said. However, before he could reveal his n, a resounding voice suddenly echoed from the execution tform, instantantly silencing the voices of the hundred thousand men in the square. An elder floating above the execution tform gazed at the crowd beneath before speaking in an authoritative voice. I am quasi 8-star Master Teacher Song Xuan! Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Song shi! Sun Qiang, along with his conspirators from the Poison Hall, raided the royal pce overnight, knocking out all of the guards with their poison before murdering Emperor Chu Tianxing. For the heinous crimes they havemitted, I hereby decree that they are to be publicly executed! Hes Song shi? Previously, they had not really thought much about the other party. However, upon feeling the unbelievably powerful aura that the other party emanated, Shi Hao and the others could not help but begin hesitating. A Leaving Aperture pinnacle expert could not be defeated by numbers alone. Song shi scanned the surroundings, and unable to find the missing Liu Yang amid the crowd, a disdainful smile crept onto his lips as he harrumphed coldly. Its noon. Carry out the execution! Hu! As those words were spoken, a huge execution de rose into the air, preparing to fall upon the necks of Sun Qiang, Elder Xu, and the other poison masters. Seeing that it would be toote if they did not make a move right now, Shi Hao bellowed, Now! Boom! Right after those words were spoken, countless surges of zhenqi gathered together to form a massive dragon, and it charged with incredible momentum toward Song shi in the air. This massive dragon had the strength of over ten thousand members of the Xuanxuan Faction and several thousandbat masters. While their cultivation was not too high individually, they still posed a frightening force when their strengths were put together. The massive dragon seemed to tear right through space, appearing before Song shi in an instant. You brazen scoundrels... Not expecting someone to actually raid the execution tform and even make a move on him, Song shis eyes immediately narrowed in fury. He raised his hand and pressed it forcefully downward. Hu! The sheer might of his palm strike froze the massive dragon in mid-air! As a Leaving Aperture realm expert, an existence just a step away from the Grand Dominion realm, Song shi was no longer an opponent who could be defeated just bybining the strength of the masses. How dare you scoundrels raid the execution tform and assault a quasi 8-star master teacher? Ill deal with you all personally after executing this bunch here. Execute them! After fending off the massive dragon, Song shi sneered coldly as he raised his other hand. Weng! Countless execution des immediately fell for the necks of Sun Qiang and the others. But... at the veryst moment, the execution des suddenly froze in midair. Following which, an ice-cold voice swept through the surroundings like a tornado, resounding loudly in everyones ears. You want to execute my men? Let me ask you, how many heads do you have? Following which, a figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the square, gazing down on the execution tform as if a deity who had descended from the heavens. Chapter 1236 - Ill Choke You With My Words

Chapter 1236: Ill Choke You With My Words

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A tall and slender figure stood imposingly in the air. An ordinary face he had, but in his eyes was a brilliance reminiscent of the stars. There was nothing exceptionally powerful about his presence, and there were plenty of people possessing a cultivation stronger than him. Yet, there was a suffocating pressureing from him, leaving the crowd feeling as if they were facing the might of the heavens instead. To oppose him would be no different from opposing the very world they lived in, and there was only one fate that coulde out of such foolishness. Zhang shi... Principal Zhang is here! Finally! Song Chao and the others clenched their fists tightly in agitation, and their eyes reddened. The pressure they had been under for the past few days was simply so great that it felt as if they would be crushed beneath it. It was truly fortunate that their principal had arrived at this timely moment. With his arrival, the members of the Xuanxuan Faction and thebat masters seemed to have finally found their backbone and their direction. You are Zhang Xuan? Song shi nced at Zhang Xuan with a displeased frown. Youre finally here. That will at least spare me the trouble of finding you. As a master teacher, you failed to keep your student in check, allowing him to act as he pleased and ruin the order that the Master Teacher Pavilion has established with difficulty in this world. Surely you should understand how heavy a crime it is even if I dont exin it to you, right? In light of your previous contributions and the fact that you were not around in Qingyuan City when the incident happened, Ill give you the benefit of the doubt. As long as you can harden your heart to punish these men personally so as to affirm your values, Ill plead for leniency to the Master Teacher Pavilion on your behalf. Song shis initial intention of executing Sun Qiang and the others was to lure out Liu Yang, but who would have thought that he would draw out Zhang Xuan instead? Nevertheless, this still worked. To raise but not teach is the fault of a father, and to teach butck sternness is the blunder of a teacher! 1 Even though it was Liu Yang who had killed Chu Tianxing, Zhang Xuans failure to instill the correct values in his direct disciple despite imparting cultivation techniques and battle techniques to him could also be said to be the root of the problem. As such, he also had to take responsibility for this matter. Typically speaking, while Zhang Xuan would have to be punished for the matter, it would not be too severe. However, considering that the person Liu Yang had killed was the emperor of a Conferred Empire, the Master Teacher Pavilion had no choice but to be harsher in the matter. In the worst-case scenario, Zhang Xuan might even be stripped of his 7-star master teacher license! However, this was not something that Song shi wanted to see. No matter what, just Zhang Xuans feat of sessfully crashing the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was more than sufficient to show that he was an outstanding talent, a person who would be a firm pir of the Master Teacher Pavilion in the days toe. As long as the young man was willing to reflect on his mistake and right his wrong, severing the rtionship between him and his troublemaking butler and the poison masters, there was still some ground for reconciliation. You want me to kill Sun Qiang and the others to affirm my values? What lofty words you speak! Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed coldly. Are you intending to raid the execution tform like the rest of them? Hearing the hostility in the young mans tone, Song shis face darkened. Have you forgotten that you are a master teacher? As a 7-star master teacher, you are a role model for the rest of the world. Someone like you has no right to act willfully! In view of your talents and past contributions, Ill give you just onest opportunity. Please dont waste this precious chance that I have ced in your hands. You can keep that chance for yourself! Seeing how Song shi was acting as if having him kill Sun Qiang was a great mercy, Zhang Xuan could not even be bothered to waste his breath anymore. In the next moment, a torrential aura surged forth from Zhang Xuan, piercing right through the clouds. Do you think that you can climb over my head just because I have been considerate of you? Song shi bellowed wrathfully as he raised his hand. The other party was just a 7-star master teacher who happened to have a bit of talent. He had already gone so far to help the other party, and yet, the other party simply had shrugged his goodwill away as if it was nothing at all. Arrogant! Truly arrogant! With a face livid with rage, Zhang Xuan slowly walked over to the towering execution tform a step at a time. Considerate? Theres no need for it! I, Zhang Xuan, have never required the consideration of others! At this moment, he was incredibly angry. Not long ago, Pavilion Master Gou, Tian Qing, and seven other 7-star master teachers had passed away, and as a quasi 8-star master teacher, Song shi should have investigated that matter right away! Yet, he had neglected so many more important issues and chosen to clutch at this matter relentlessly instead. On top of that, there were also plenty of suspicious aspects to the issue even if Song shi did not have any prior knowledge beforehand, such as Chu Tianxings abrupt kidnapping of Liu Yang, and Wu shi instructing an elder to keep a tight watch on Chu Tianxing. A more meticulous person would have investigated deeper and waited for Wu shi to return in order to get the full story before passing judgement. Granted, there was pressure from the officials and nobles, but as a quasi 8-star master teacher, Song shi should have been able to suppress their movements for quite some time. Just why in the world did the headquarters send such an ipetent fellow? Audacious! Zhang Xuan, dont think that you can act as you please just because you sessfully crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! I, Song Xuan, am a quasi 8-star master teacher, an envoy dispatched here by the headquarters to deal with the mess here. As a 7-star master teacher of a subordinate Master Teacher Pavilion, how dare you speak and behave so disrespectfully before me? Have you forgotten the formalities that you should follow as a master teacher? Song shi bellowed angrily. He had heard about Zhang Xuan crashing the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, and even he had no choice but to admit that the young man was an exceptional genius. This was also why, despite being an austere and inflexible person himself, he had still chosen to make a special exception on this matter to grant leniency to the young man. It was one thing for the young man to not appreciate his goodwill, but to actually forgo all formalities and treat him with utter disrespect was intolerable! Formalities? I am in no mood for those at the moment. All I know is that those men on the execution tform do not deserve to die! Zhang Xuan uttered coldly as he continued advancing toward the execution tform. Its not your ce to decide if they deserve to die. Just on the grounds that they have assassinated the emperor of a Conferred Empire and induced panic and chaos within the country is more than enough to have them beheaded numerous times over! As a master teacher, you should be well aware of this! Harrumphing coldly, Song shi flicked his palm, and the execution des floating above Sun Qiang and the poison masters heads rose up once more, and just as they were about to decapitate the helpless bunch beneath them... Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! The hundred or so execution des shattered into dust before scattering into the surroundings. Preposterous! I finally know why the peaceful Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion suddenly found problems cropping up one after another following your arrival! Indeed, a mere droplet of poison ruins an entire pot of porridge. Zhang Xuan, do thews of the Master Teacher Pavilion mean nothing to you? Just because you have a little bit of talent doesnt mean... Song shi was so angered that he could have exploded on the spot. The young man was clearly there to raid the execution tform as well! Shut your mouth. Despite the clear sky overhead, the deep rumbling of thunder reverberated deafeningly in the air. Standing less than ten meters away from Song shi, Zhang Xuan red at thetter with deadly sharp eyes, carrying a disposition and might thatpelled one to defer to him. You... Hearing the young man tell him to shut his mouth, Song shis body trembled from the sheer rage running through his veins. He was just about to give the young man a tongueshing when thetters deafening voice sounded in the air. You want to talk to me about the rules? About the formalities? Very well, lets do just that. While I, Zhang Xuan, was investigating the murders in the Master Teacher Pavilion and foiling the schemes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, what were you doing? While I was venturing deep into the treacherous Marsnds of the Northern Meadows to hunt down the Qingtian Emperor so as to prevent him from iming any more innocent lives, what were you doing? While I was imparting my knowledge to the master teachers andbat masters so as to reduce potential casualties in the fight against the Otherworldly Demons, what were you doing? As a quasi 8-star master teacher, instead of properly investigating the truth behind the deaths of the master teachers, you took what you saw for granted and turned a blind eye to everything else, choosing the easiest way out of this matter for yourself. So, tell me, what right do you have to judge me and my men? Boom! Zhang Xuans voice echoed clearly throughout the entire Qingyuan City along with the deep rumbling of thunder, as if even the heavens were resonating with his rage. The righteous aura that Zhang Xuan emanated added a majestic authority to his words, allowing no one to refute him. You... Choked speechless, Song shis face reddened in frustration, and it looked as if he would blow up at any moment. However, Zhang Xuan was not intending to just stop there, and he interrupted Song shi forcefully. Chu Tianxing chose to side with the Otherworldly Demons, why arent you investigating that? Tian Qing was a clone of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor, why arent you investigating that? Pavilion Master Gou neglected his responsibilities and left the affairs of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion fully in Tian Qings hands, resulting in the Master Teacher Pavilions decline day after day, why arent the investigating that? Shall I point the answer out for you? Its because you dont give a damn at all! You allowed yourself to remain ignorant, willfully turning a blind eye to all of those important issues and choosing to devote your effort to cornering my butler and a bunch of poison masters instead. Song Xuan, I just want to ask youis this how you intend to use the authority that the Master Teacher Pavilion has granted you? Is this how you conduct yourself as a quasi 8-star master teacher? I... Song shi immediately wanted to refute Zhang Xuans argument, but thetter was not intending to give him a chance to speak. The reason Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion was to bring knowledge and rity mankind, thus bringing us to greater heights. He became an embodiment of his beliefs and dedicated his life to teaching others, and that has why he was eventually respected by countless as the Worlds Teacher! The meaning behind the existence of the Master Teacher Pavilion is to emte Kong shis greatness and bring wisdom to the minds of mankind. As a quasi 8-star master teacher, why dont you tell me how my direct disciple, Liu Yang, a cultivator who hasnt even reached Saint realm, manage to kill a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert like Chu Tianxing? If Chu Tianxing could really be killed so easily by my direct disciple, is there any significance behind the existence of the Qingyuan Empire? Dont bother justifying it by saying that the poison masters have used poison. I have already looked into the matter myself, and its confirmed that they have only used the Scattering Breeze Powder. Twenty years ago, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe used the Scattering Breeze Powder to assault the Qingyuan Empire, nearly resulting in its destruction. Putting aside the fact that Chu Tianxing was a puppet of the Qingtian Emperor and could very well have an antidote prepared for himself, after the failure twenty years ago, do you think that the royal family would not have taken any precautions against it? If they did not take any precautions, does that not mean that they have a screw loose in their heads, or... have they chosen to betray mankind to side with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? If the royal family is really that negligent, do they really have what it takes to protect their people from external threats? Zhang Xuans voice grew more and more forbidding. This... Unknowingly, Song shi rage had turned into bewilderment and horror, and he began trembling uncontrobly at Zhang Xuans words. On the other hand, flinging his sleeves furiously, Zhang Xuan pressed on. Chu Tianxings death was riddled with discrepancies, but you failed to conduct a thorough investigation of the matter to uncover the truth. This is ipetence! You allowed yourself to be swayed by the words of the nobles and officials, choosing to heed their will instead of making a fair judgement. This is foolishness! As a quasi 8-star master teacher, you ignored the direct threat that the Master Teacher Pavilion was in, and your negligence could have potentially resulted in the deaths of many more master teachers. This is getting your priorities wrong! You had the division heads andbat masters of the Combat Master Hall imprisoned on a whim, using your identity as an envoy of the headquarters in order to suppress their dissension, effectively undermining themand structure that the Master Teacher Pavilion has put in ce. This is an abuse of power! Ipetence, foolishness, getting your priorities wrong, and abuse of power... Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back, and his eyebrows shot up. Song Xuan, how could you possibly have the cheek to call yourself a quasi 8-star master teacher? I... Pu! Song shis face waspletely scarlet, and blood spurted from his mouth. His body wavered intensely for a moment, and he nearly fell to the ground. This... He actually made Song shi spurt blood through mere words? Song Chao and the others gulped down a mouthful of saliva as they nced at one another with pale faces. In order to conduct a sessful raid of the execution tform, they had undergone much discussion and refined their n time and time again. Yet, when it came to the time for them to make a move, they had helplessly realized that they were no match for Song shi at all. If they had really gone against thetter, there was no doubt that they would all have been wiped out. They had thought that they were doomed when the massive dragon they had created by putting all of their strength together was subdued so easily, but who knew that Zhang Xuan would suddenly appear at this moment? And without making a single move, he actually managed to make Song shi spurt blood with just his words! Young Masters mouth technique is really formidable! the bound Sun Qiang muttered as he stared at the sight before him. Mouth technique? Cough cough! That peculiar term left Elder Xu choking on his saliva. Benefactor, what should we do now? Dont worry. Didnt I tell you earlier? Our Young Master will surely make a move to save us. Even if he does not, theres still our Old Master. They wont watch as a mishap befalls me, so theres no need to worry at all, Sun Qiang replied calmly with a yawn. Over the couple of days that he had been imprisoned, not only had he remainedpletely uninjured, it even seemed like... he had grown even plumper than before. It was as if he was exhausted from cultivating, so he took a short vacation over at the prison of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Our benefactor sure is fearless... Hearing Sun Qiangs words and actions, Elder Xu was speechless. At the same time, he couldnt help but wonderwhy did it seem like the benefactor before him was different from the one he had met before? The benefactor he knew was valiant, decisive, and incredibly wise. He could remainposed even in the most threatening situation to find the most suitable manner to maneuver his way out of danger. On the other hand, the person before him... While being locked in the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had eaten portions intended for five people and slept his time away. No matter how he looked at it, the two of them seemed to bepletely different people. Still, there was no doubt that their benefactor was a one-of-a-kind individual. Despite being indicted in the Master Teacher Pavilion, possibly losing his life at any moment, he was still able to keep his cool, continuing to carry out his usual routine fearlessly. There were not many people in the world who had such nerves of steel. At the very least, Elder Xu knew that he did not. Perhaps this was why the founder had chosen their benefactor in the first ce! Chapter 1237 - Sever It!

Chapter 1237: Sever It!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You sure do have a sharp tongue! After spurting a mouthful of blood, Song shi finally managed to collect his thoughts. Theres still a need for further investigation to determine whether what you have said is true or not, but its a fact that Sun Qiang and the group from the Poison Hall snuck into the Qingyuan royal pce, knocked out all of the guards, and assassinated Emperor Chu Tianxing. There is clear evidence of their crimes, so theres no refuting this matter. If we do not punish them to make an example, how can we maintain order in the rest of the world? The authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion will be undermined! If everyone acted in the same manner as them, it would be pandemonium! It was not that Song shi really wanted Sun Qiang and the others to die, but it was impossible to appease the hearts of the popce without doing so. If they were to allow the culprits who had assassinated the emperor of a country to get away so easily, wouldnt the entire Master Teacher Continent swiftly fall into chaos? Song shi gazed at the master teachers on the execution tform and ordered with a majestic wave of his hands, Continue the sentence! Despite what Zhang Xuan had said, there was solid proof of Sun Qiang and the other poison masters wrongdoings. Regardless of whether they had really killed Emperor Chu Tianxing or not, they had certainly participated in and contributed to the assassination. Since that was the case, it was only right for them to be punished! Very well. Since you refuse to listen to reason... Seeing that Song shi still wanted to execute Sun Qiang and the others, Zhang Xuan waved his hands majestically. Take him down! Humph! You think that the bunch of brats you have down there will be able to faze me? Song Xuanughed in fury and disdainfully gazed down on Song Chao and the others below. While they had managed to gather quite a number of allies to raid the execution tform, it was a pity that their individual prowess was too weak. Even if they were to gather a hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal 8-dan brats, they would not be able to faze him in the slightest! Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm was also known as the Realm of Invincibility. Once a cultivator activated their Dominion, numbers would no longer be sufficient to faze them. While Song shi was still at Saint 5-dan pinnacle, he was only a step away from making a breakthrough. If this bunch of small fries could actually faze him, the time he had spent cultivating would have really been vain! It seems like you really dont know how fearsome a quasi 8-star master teacher is! Sneering coldly, Song shi raised his hand. An intangible will rippled outward swiftly from Song shi, shrouding Song Chao and the others within it in an instant. This will weighed down on the group from the Xuanxuan Faction and the Combat Master Hall like a massive mountain. Every single one of them froze on the spot. Putting asideunching an attack, even moving was difficult for them. Your strength is indeed formidable... Seeing that Song shi had only suppressed Song Chao and the others, not intending them any harm, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he shot an impassive gaze toward the other party. But... who told you that I wasmanding them? You werentmanding them? Song shi was taken aback. Then... Before he could finish his words, he suddenly sensed a searing dragon made of zhenqi surging upward. You... Song shi hurriedly turned around, and his eyes narrowed in horror. The ones who had made a move were not those who hade to raid the execution tform. They were... the master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, those who were directly under hismand! In this moment, all of them were channeling their strength together to assault him! Break! Knowing that this was not the moment to be dazed, Song shi gritted his teeth tightly as he gathered his strength to face the searing dragon. The strength of a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert was iparably powerful. The palm strike that Song shiunched seemed to carry the weight of the sky in it. But as powerful as his battle technique was, it came nowhere close toparing to the massive zhenqi dragon below. Kacha! Kacha! Song shis palm strike was swiftly overpowered by the massive dragon, and he ended up being struck in the chest, causing his ribcage to crack. At the same time, the momentum of the dragons charge also knocked him high into the sky. You might be a quasi 8-star master teacher, but all of the master teachers in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion are my students! ncing at the look of disbelief on the face of the swiftly retreating Song shi, Zhang Xuan shook his head. You couldnt have been more foolish to use my own students to deal with me. Back when he had crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he had lectured all of the 6-star and 7-star master teachers present in the area, and out of gratitude for his teachings, they had ended up acknowledging him as their teacher. At the same time, the fact that he had sessfully crashed the pavilion also meant that the master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion had to unconditionally obey his orders. After knocking Song shi flying, Zhang Xuan swiftly flitted over to the execution tform and waved his hand. Hu! The chains binding Sun Qiang and the poison masters immediately shattered. Facing the group before him, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. You all have suffered... While the Master Teacher Pavilion could not resort to vicious torture on their captives, the group must have been under a great deal of mental pressure knowing that they would be executed soon. Sun Qiang rushed up to Zhang Xuan as soon as he was freed, and he cried with reddened eyes, Young Master, you must redress my grievances! Watching as their benefactor made the transition from extremeposure to extreme indignation in just an instant, Elder Xus lips twitched wildly. As expected of their benefactor... he had even mastered the art of changing his face swiftly! Un. You should liaise with Song Chao and the others first. There are still some matters that I have to settle here! While saying those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but notice that Sun Qiang had grown fatter, and a disapproving frown appeared on his face. However, knowing that this was not the time to talk about such a matter, he quickly waved them away. He might have saved Sun Qiang and the others for the time being, but this matter was not settled yet. The ordinary civilians were still unaware of the truth, and if the iplete version of events they knew were to spread far and wide, not only would it affect his reputation, it would also bring him great trouble as well. More importantly, he had made a move on a quasi 8-star master teacher, an envoy dispatched by the headquarters. If he did not resolve this matter properly, he would be charged with insubordinate, and that could lead to dire consequences. Yes, Young Master! Trusting that his Young Master would resolve the matter promptly, Sun Qiang nodded before leaping off the execution tform along with the others. You scoundrel! If I dont teach you the consequences of disrespecting a senior master teacher, I shall abandon my surname! Boom! Right after Zhang Xuan was done making arrangements, a furious bellow suddenly sounded below. The next moment, Song shi flew back up with a savage look on his face. To think that he, a quasi 8-star master teacher from the Qianchong Empire, despiteing down to the weaker Qingyuan Empire, would actually end up being smacked flying! The irrepressible anger that he felt left him on the verge of exploding! If he did not get the other party back for this matter, his reputation would bepletely ruined, and he would no longer be able to face anyone else! As master teachers, reputation was extremely important as well. Without a good reputation, what would be of their dignity, and who would be willing to heed their teachings? Driving his zhenqi furiously, Song shi forcefully suppressed the injuries in his chest as he flipped upside down and dived downward toward Zhang Xuan, making use of the momentum of his descent to augment his palm strike. A palm strike from the heavens? a master teacher asked with narrowed eyes. He was the same master teacher whom Zhang Jiuxiao had spoken to back when Zhang Xuan executed a simr technique against Pavilion Master Gou during the pavilion crashing. To this day, he could still remember the astounding prowess harnessed within that palm strike, as well as the feeling of helplessness that rose in his heart as he witnessed its overwhelming might. Palm strike from the heavens? What I see is a cauldron from the heavens instead... another master teacher beside him uttered with a pale face. Cauldron? The first master teacher was taken aback by the abrupt remark. He quickly nced above Song shi, and his mouth began twitching uncontrobly. A cauldron had appeared right above that quasi 8-star master teacher at some point, and it was currently descending at a speed far swifter than Song shi was descending. Peng! Before Song shis palm strike could reach Zhang Xuan, the massive cauldron had crashed into the area between his two thighs. Ahhh! A scream of agony echoed loudly in the air as Song shis figure crashed heavily into the execution tform as if a cannonball, creating a huge depression in the ground. Following which, his figure swiftly cramped up together as if a shrimp as he trembled uncontrobly with a ghastly pale face. If it was not for Song shis superior cultivation, that single blow would have knocked him out on the spot. ... The mouths of the other master teachers twitched wildly upon seeing this sight. Just watching the sight was enough to induce a tight cringe on their faces and an involuntary shudder through their bodies. They could not even bring themselves to imagine how Song shi was feeling at that moment. Offend anyone but that cauldron... It was simply too vicious! You... Ill kill you! Struggling weakly to his feet, a furious killing intent was ignited in Song shis eyes. He red at the Golden Origin Cauldron with sharp daggers in his eyes. Zhang Xuan was a genius who had sessfully crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, so he dared not kill him. On the other hand, for a mere artifact to dare treat him in such a manner... there was no way he would let it get away scot-free! Hu! But right after Song shi spoke those words, he suddenly noticed that the massive bottom of the Golden Origin Cauldron was falling toward him once more. The cauldron had onlynded the attack the previous time because he had been caught off guard. However, prepared this time around, how could he allow the Golden Origin Cauldron to strike him once more? He lifted his finger and tapped in the air. The air above him suddenly became incredibly viscous, causing the Golden Origin Cauldrons speed of descent to slow sharply before eventually freezing in space. Despite his injuries, Song shi was still a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle master teacher. While his strength could notpete with the other Vicious, he was still far stronger than the Qingtian Emperor. The Golden Origin Cauldron was only at Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, and it had not learned any kind of battle technique before. As such, it was only capable of carrying out simple charges, which made it easy for any opponent stronger than it to subdue it. Die! After freezing the Golden Origin Cauldron in midair, Song shi flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword. With a graceful arc, he pulled his sword down upon the Golden Origin Cauldron. As expected of a quasi 8-star master teacher from the Qianchong Empire, even his sword was a Saint intermediate-tier artifact that was nowhere weaker than the Golden Origin Cauldron. Master, save me... Knowing that it would be fatally injured if it was struck by the sword, the Golden Origin Cauldron cried in fright. But all of a sudden, the Golden Origin Cauldron suddenly heard an iparably calm voice within its mind. Even though hes already very close to reaching the Grand Dominion realm, he has not made the breakthrough yet, so there are many gaps in his assault that can be exploited. Shift slightly to the left and open your cauldron lid. Following which, sink downward and dive into the execution tform. Attack him when the distance between the both of you has been reduced to three meters. There is an opening in the Bimen acupoint in front of his chest, so conduct your attack in such a manner... Those words weremunicated via zhenqi telepathy, so it took only a tenth of a breath for the Golden Origin Cauldron to receive the entire message. At this moment, the sword qi executed from Song shis sword was already right before it. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, the Golden Origin Cauldron swiftly obeyed what its master told him and shifted slightly left. Weng! The sword struck its lid, and a reverberating boom reminiscent of a gong echoed throughout the area. While feeling a sharp pain on its spirit, the Golden Origin Cauldron hurriedly opened its lid and sunk its body into the ground. Boom! A sound reminiscent of the rumbling of thunder boomed toward Song Xuan, causing his vision to blur for a moment. It was not a demonic tune, but the abrupt, deafening noise did produce an effect reminiscent of a powerful demonic tune for an instant. Kacha! As soon as that was the done, the Golden Origin Cauldron dove straight into the execution tform, leaving a massive hole in its wake. The execution tform was basically an elevated tform supported by pirs below, so there was empty space right beneath the execution tform. As soon as the Golden Origin Cauldron dove into the execution tform, the viscosity in the air that was limiting its movement previously vanished all of a sudden. With a swift movement, it arrived at the area that Zhang Xuan had mentioned earlier and dived back upward, aiming for the opening in Song shis Bimen acupoint. You... Song shis face warped in horror. He quickly raised both of his hands to dodge the attack. Even though he did not have much time to react, his swift reaction allowed him to defend against the charging cauldron, albeit with some difficulty. Unfortunately, he did not notice a stubby leg of the cauldron furiously kicking upward with frightening momentum behind it. Kacha! A crisp sound reminiscent of shattering eggs echoed in the air. Ahhh! Song shi kneeled onto the floor, and this time, his body was scrunched up in an even more extreme angle than before. I... will kill you... Even speaking was a difficulty for Song shi with the excruciating pain and the intense trembling of his body. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and lectured furiously, Look at what you have done! Where are your manners? Cant you at least control your strength properly? After which, he turned to look at Song shi apologetically and said, My apologies, Song shi. I have really spoiled my cauldron too much; it does not even know how to respect its elders anymore. Dont worry, Ill definitely give it a harsh tongueshing when I return. As for your injuries... At this point, he lowered his head to look at the pitifully trembling Song shi and sighed deeply. Shaking his head, he took out a dagger and passed it over. Why dont you just sever it? Chapter 1238 - Are You Still Suckling Milk? Chapter 1238: Are You Still Suckling Milk? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! Song shi spurted a mouthful of blood after hearing Zhang Xuans words before fainting from sheer rage and indignation. As a quasi 8-star master teachering to the weaker Qingyuan Empire, he should have been in a position of absolute prestige and authority with none daring to oppose him... But things didnt seem to go as he anticipated. Firstly, all the master teachers that should have been under hismand ended up turning against him. As if that was not enough, a cauldron even crippled him. What further intensified his wrath was that Zhang Xuan was even putting on a look of innocence, as if he had nothing to do with it at all. You might have given pointers to your cauldron very discreetly, but as a quasi 8-star master teacher, did you really think that I wouldnt be able to notice it? In secret, you gave pointers to your artifact to teach it how to cripple me, but publicly, you put on an innocent front, as if everything that happened had nothing to do with you... Can you get any more shameless than that? Furthermore... sever? Sever your head! Crippled as it may be, it still beats having nothing at all! Seeing that Song shi had really fainted, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sheathed his dagger. He ced his finger on thetters renzhong 1 to help him regain consciousness. After which, he turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and bellowed furiously, What are you standing around there for? Come over and apologize! Yes, Master! The Golden Origin Cauldron walked over awkwardly with its stubby legs, reminiscent of the movements of a duck. Standing before Song shi, it apologized earnestly. Song shi, I shouldnt have kicked your crotch. To make up for the damage you have incurred... why dont I allow you to kick me twice? After saying those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron spread open its legs, as if inviting Song shi over. Pu! Song shi spurted yet another mouthful of blood. The heck! Is you kicking my crotch the same thing as me kicking your crotch? Do you even have anything there for me to kick? Besides, I am a quasi 8-star master teacher! If I need someone else to spread his legs for me to kick him back... what would be of my honor? Song shi struggled free out of Zhang Xuans support as he bellowed, Zhang Xuan, you forcefully freed the prisoners on death row, disrespected your senior, and ordered your artifact to make a move against me. Its clear that you have no eyes for the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion at all! Have no doubt that Ill have this matter reported to the headquarters! You will report this matter to the headquarters? Thats right! Song shi roared with gritted teeth. Very well. Golden Origin Cauldron, Ill leave our Song shi over here in your care. Make sure to give him plenty of love... Zhang Xuan waved his hand nonchntly. Sure thing! Excited, the Golden Origin Cauldron lifted its short and stubby legs, and it looked as if it would shoot up toward a certain location once more. You! rmed, Song shi hurriedly staggered backward weakly. He swiftly drove his zhenqi, thinking that he would at least make Zhang Xuan pay the price for his actions even if he died there. However, at that moment, the sharp call of a saint beast suddenly echoed across the sky. A momentter, something reminiscent of an inferno appeared by the horizon. Its the Saint 6-dan saint beast, Inferno Cloud Phoenix! Song shi narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Following which, a thought came to his mind, and he began trembling in agitation. Its... the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilions Yao shi, Yao Mantian! Yao Mantian? Zhang Xuan frowned. Activating his Eye of Insight, he began examining the inferno closely. There indeed a figure standing on the back of the Inferno Cloud Phoenix. It was ady who appeared to be in her forties. Dressed in in clothes, her external appearance could not be said to be beautiful. However, the graceful disposition that shemanded set her apart from the crowd, giving the impression that she was a noble goddess from the heavens. Pinned on her chest was a master teacher emblem, and the eight stars on it gleamed conspicuously beneath the brilliant rays of the sun. 8-star master teacher? To think that the other party was a real 8-star master teacher! In other words, at the very least, she was a Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm expert! Amid shocked gazes, the Inferno Cloud Phoenix halted right above the execution tform. Following which, Yao shi slowly took walked down from the back of the aerial saint beast. Before she reached the tform, a graceful voice filled the area. I am 8-star low-tier Master Teacher Yao Mantian from the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. I havee under the orders of the headquarters to investigate the death of Pavilion Master Gou. May I know if Vice Pavilion Master Wu of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion is here at the moment? Investigate the death of Pavilion Master Gou? Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment beforeing to a realization. Back when Zhang Xuan crashed the pavilion and Tian Qing escaped, Pavilion Master Gou had applied for the help of the headquarters in order to track thetter down, so the headquarters had sent Song shi over. After which, Pavilion Master Gou died along with seven other 7-star master teachers, and in view of the massive threat that the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was in at that moment, Wu shi also sent another application for help. The second matter was too huge for Song shi, whom they had dispatched previously from the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to deal with Tian Qing, so the headquarters had decided to send an 8-star master teacher over as well. Due to theg in between the two matters, Song shi and Yao shi had not been informed that the other would be going to the Qingyuan Empire as well. Qianchong Empire 7-star Master Teacher Song Xuan pays respect to Yao shi! Song shi stepped forward and greeted. Quasi 8-star master teacher was an informal title created by the master teachers themselves in view of the vast disparity in strength inherent among the 7-star master teachers. This title was never officially recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so in front of a higher ranking master teacher, Song shi did not dare to address himself as a quasi 8-star master teacher for fear that he might appear impudent. Un. I remember meeting you once when I visited the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to conduct a lecture a few years back. Yao Mantian nodded before a hint of intrigue crept into her voice. What are you doing here? Also, your injuries... With her eye of discernment, she could immediately tell that Song shis crotch had been injured. For a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert to be injured in such a location, could he have been facing a formidable opponent prior to her arrival? Reporting to Yao shi, I came here at the orders of the headquarters to investigate the matter concerning Zhang shis pavilion crashing and the disappearance of Vice Pavilion Master Tian. However, when I arrived, I learned that Emperor Chu Tianxing had been assassinated. I was unable to find the murderer, but I did manage to uncover his aplices. By the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, those criminals should be publicly executed to serve as a strict warning to others against doing the same. Yet, who could have known that Zhang shi over here would disregard the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion and willfully rescue those criminals, even going to the extent of disrespecting and assaulting me? Song shi swiftly exined the matter to Yao shi. Yao shi, I ask of you to redress my grievances! You are saying that Zhang shi rescued the criminals and injured you? Yao Mantian frowned as she turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Are you Zhang Xuan? Is what Song shi said true? Its true that I did free those men who were to be executed, and it was indeed my artifact, the Golden Origin Cauldron, that injured him. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and answered the question, not denying the matter. With so many people beneath the execution tform witnessing the incident, there was no way he could deny the matter. Since that was the case, he might as well admit to it candidly. Song shi hase to Qingyuan Empire as an envoy of the headquarters, so his words represent the very will of the headquarters. Yet, to disregard his judgement, raid the execution tform, and even injure him... Do you understand how heavy a crime that is? Yao Mantian asked imposingly. Given how huge an affair a pavilion crashing was, she had also heard of Zhang Xuan. For a person as young as him to sessfully crash an entire Master Teacher Pavilion, the talent that he wielded was truly inconceivable. As long as he did not die prematurely, he was bound to achieve great things in the future. Since that was the case, why would he suddenly do something so reckless and foolish at this moment, giving up the bright future ahead of him? Reporting to Yao shi, theres more to the story than Song shi reported. As a 7-star master teacher, I am aware of the implications of my actions, but I had no choice but to resort to such actions. I did not wish to see the Master Teacher Pavilion being mocked over a foolish course of action! Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. Foolish course of action? Yao Mantian asked doubtfully. Yes. Zhang Xuan nodded before he began exining. Vice Pavilion Master Tian was a spy of the Otherworldly Demon. He was an incarnation of the will of the Qingtian Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage, which means that his roots can be traced back to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. He was colluding with King Zhongqing and Emperor Chu Tianxing, and they sought to bring disorder and chaos upon mankind... Zhang Xuan swiftly exined the matter concerning Tian Qing and the Qingtian Lineage to Yao shi. Of course, he made sure to neglect the portion concerning Vicious. This... By the time Yao shi had heard the full story, her eyes were already widened in shock. Staring at Zhang Xuan intently, she asked grimly, This is a huge matter. Do you have any evidence? This matter concerned the vice head of a Master Teacher Pavilion and the emperor of a Conferred Empire. If they were to fail to deal with this matter promptly, the reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion could possibly be sent into the gutters, and its credibility would take a huge blow. Wu shi and the others should have already reported the incident to the headquarters. If Yao shi doubts my word, you can try to establish contact with the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion to ask about the matter. They should have the corpse of the Qingtian Emperor there as evidence, Zhang Xuan said. It was true that the Qingtian Emperor and Tian Qing were already dead, but their bodies remained. As difficult as it might be, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters should still have its ways to find out whether Tian Qing was truly the incarnation of the Qingtian Emperor or not. This matter could easily be verified by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and knowing this, it was not likely for Zhang Xuan to make up such an easily exposable lie. Thus, Yao Mantian nodded. Ill contact the headquarterster to look into the matter. However, even if there was something wrong with Chu Tianxing, Zhang shi, you should also know that there is a set of formal procedures to deal with the matter. The matter should have been reported to the headquarters, and the headquarters would then have ced Chu Tianxing on a trial before sentencing him. The actions of your butler and the poison masters of barging into the royal pce, poisoning all of the guards, and killing Chu Tianxing are inappropriate and uneptable. Since Chu Tianxing was a traitor of humanity, I understand why you might think that its unjustified for Song shi to sentence them to death. However, you must also consider the huge implications that would arise from the assassination of the emperor of a Conferred Empire. In order to calm the hearts of the people, this is a course of action that Song shi has no choice but to take for the sake of the greater good. On the other hand, your act of barging into the execution tform and ordering your artifact to injure him is impudent and uneptable! The goal of the Master Teacher Pavilion was to maintain the order of mankind and lead them to greater heights. The very act that Sun Qiang and the poison masters had done, poisoning the entire royal pce and killing the emperor, was against the rules, even if Chu Tianxing really was a traitor of mankind. There were proper avenues to deal with such matters, and it was important for others to utilize these avenues. Otherwise, if self-justified individuals started taking matters into their own hands, it would not have been long before society devolved into chaos. This was simr to how thew worked in the world where Zhang Xuan hade from. No matter how much a person hated a certain murderer, they could only leave it to thew to judge and punish the murderer instead of taking matters into their own hands, or else they could be charged for the same crime. This was the same situation that Sun Qiang and the other poison masters were facing. No matter what, even if Chu Tianxing was a traitor of mankind, he was still the emperor of a Conferred Empire. His abrupt assassination was bound to cause unrest among the popce, and that was why it was even more important to go through the formal procedures and put him through a trial. However, what was done was done, so Song shi could only find a way to appease the popce for the time being, even if the method utilized was disheartening. Since Song shis actions were justified, Zhang Xuans act of forcefully barging into the execution tform and pummeling Song shi were unjustified, and the crime of insubordination was truly not light. Hearing that Yao shi was speaking on his behalf, Song shi quickly jumped forward to further fuel the mes. Yao shi, Zhang shi has growncent due to the talent he possesses. Not only is he disrespectful to his seniors, he also has no regard for the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion! Such a person must be punished severely, or else we will be setting a bad example for others... For his manhood to be crippled like that, there was no way he could take this matter lying down! But before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan roared, Shut up! You... Song shi nearly exploded on the spot. Yao shi didnt give you permission to speak, do you think that it is appropriate for you to be prattling off over there? To casually interject in the words of an 8-star master teacher, are these the formalities you have been speaking about all along? Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back as he spoke deeply. I... Song shis face paled. Considering that Yao shi was currently judging the case, it was indeed disrespectful of him to abruptly interject without permission. Seeing that Song shi had fallen silent, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and reported, Theres more to this matter than what Yao shi has reported. Song shi mentioned earlier that Sun Qiang was conspiring with the poison masters of the Poison Hall to assault the royal pce, but the truth is that Elder Xu and the others are no longer poison masters of the Poison Hall. They have already bebat masters of the Combat Master Hall! Combat masters? Indeed. Its true that Elder Xu and the others used to be poison masters, but their kindness has touched the hearts of thebat masters, so the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall took them in. This matter has already been reported to the Combat Master Hall headquarters, and the newly-inaugurated Progeny of Combat has given his consent to this matter. If you harbor any doubts to my words, you can investigate the issue! Zhang Xuan reported righteously. The matter of Elder Xu and the others joining the Combat Master Hall had already been reported up to the headquarters, and it had received their approval. Thus, they were effectively no longer poison masters butbat masters of the Combat Master Hall, albeit not full-fledged ones yet. Oh? Yao shi nced at Song shi and asked, Song shi, are you aware of this matter? I-I am aware that they have joined the Combat Master Hall, but... Song shi face reddened as he anxiously replied, A leopard doesnt change its spots! The fact that they are still concocting poison secretly is more than sufficient evidence to prove that! He had heard that the poison masters had been epted into the Combat Master Hall, but he did not think much about it back then. A leopard doesnt change its spots? To think that a day woulde where I would hear such wordsing out of the mouth of a master teacher! Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves furiously. Song shi, you used to suckle milk in the past as an infant. If I apply your own logic, can I say that you are still suckling milk even at your age? Chapter 1239 - Save the People!

Chapter 1239: Save the People!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Audacious! Song shi roared furiously. As master teachers, we seek to enlighten and guide others with our words and actions. On top of imparting knowledge to others, we aim to instill the correct values into them so that they will eventually be upstanding members of our society! If, as you have said, a persons nature cannot be changed, what would be the point in the existence of master teachers? Can I take it that you are you refuting Kong shis teachings and the purpose of the Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan bellowed authoritatively. I... Thats not what I mean! Song shi quickly denied it. To refute Kong shis teachings and the purpose of the Master Teacher Pavilion... Even if he inted his guts tenfold, he would not dare do something like that! Then, can I take it that you are refuting the decisions made by the Progeny of Combat and the Combat Master Hall headquarters? Zhang Xuan continued cornering Song shi with his words. T-thats not what I mean either! Song shi quickly waved his hand. While the Combat Master Hall was a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Progeny of Combat was still not a person whom a small figure like him could refute. If that is not what you mean, what else do you mean then? In a world of drunkards, you are the only sober one? Zhang Xuan mocked. You... Choked to the point that his face had turned scarlet, Song shi knew that he would only fall deeper and deeper into the ditch if he allowed Zhang Xuan to continue questioning him. Thus, he turned to Yao shi and sped his fist. Yao shi, we are all aware of the rituals that the depraved poison masters practice. Putting aside the vile nature of their cultivation techniques, they use human blood and even human lives to breed their gu... Such is the unspeakable brutality that they carry out! I have no idea why those poison masters were epted into the Combat Master Hall, but in my opinion, it might just be another form of imprisonment so as to prevent them from doing any more evil in the world, rather than an acknowledgement of their noble personality. You said that the nature of their cultivation techniques is vile? Zhang Xuan suddenly interjected with lifted eyebrows. As a master teacher, you should be well aware of how important it is to verify your facts before speaking. I find it hard toprehend how you can utter such tant nonsense before an 8-star master teacher. Do you understand the consequences of lying to a higher ranked master teacher? What kind of rubbish are you talking about? Song shi roared back. Rubbish? Zhang Xuan stared at Song shi disdainfully for a moment before shaking his head. He turned his gaze to Elder Xu and the others below the execution tform and said, Elder Xu and the other esteemed poison masters! Pardon me, but I would like to ask you to drive your cultivation technique to show Song shi if your cultivation technique is really of vile nature as he ims! Yes! Nodding, Elder Xu and the others swiftly drove their zhenqi, and their auras swiftly permeated the surroundings. Their auras were upright and orthodox. Not only were they devoid of the eerie and bone-chilling sensation that most unorthodox cultivation techniques emanated, they even felt warming and soothing, reminiscent of an embrace. This... Song shi was bbergasted. As a quasi 8-star master teacher, he had met plenty of poison masters in his time. Due to their long-term contact with lethal poison, each of them had a deeply unnerving aura to them. Yet, the poison masters before him did not have such a feeling to their aura; it was even warm andfortable. Paying no heed to Song shis shock, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and asked, Yao shi, may I ask if the cultivation techniques they practice are vile in nature? Hearing those words, Yao shi shook her head and replied, Their zhenqi is pure and orthodox. I dont see anything vile in their cultivation technique. Turning his gaze back to Song shi, Zhang Xuan continued. This should be enough evidence for you to prove that they have already turned for the better, right? They are already members of the Combat Master Hall, but you keep insisting that they are poison masters of the Poison Hall, iming that they are depraved and practice vile arts. Since thats the case, I would like to ask what the meaning of depraved and vile is in your view. Is it something that you conceptualize in your mind? I... Song shis body trembled. He could not find an argument to refute Zhang Xuans words. He did not participate in the arrest of Elder Xu and the others, and they did not make any attempt to break out during their captivity either. As such, he was oblivious to the warm and soothing aura of the poison masters, and he could not have imagined that poison masters practiced such an orthodox and upright cultivation technique either. It took a very long time before Song shi was able to speak once more. Even if their cultivation techniques are orthodox, its still a fact that they knocked out everyone in the royal pce! There is nothing you can say that can possibly refute that! Since thats the case, why dont I go through the case with you in details so that you can finally give up struggling? Waving his hand grandly, Zhang Xuan turned to the 8-star master teacher and said, Yao shi, allow me to recount the ins and outs of the matter to you. I hope that you and the rest of the crowd can help me judge this matter! Feel free to speak. Yao shi nodded. The truth is like this. The Qingtian Emperor of the Qingtian Lineage did not just possess superior cultivation, he was also a formidable soul oracle! He possessed a particrly sinister secret art that allowed him to nab the souls of anyone for his own use. To put it in more direct terms, as long as your cultivation was beneath his and you are within a set area of him, he would be able to draw your soul out of your body and imprison it, and he would be able to use it to nourish himself afterward! Nab the souls of others? Nourish himself? Thats right! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and an altar fell to the ground. This is the medium he used to carry out his soul nabbing, and theres a formation inscribed on it. Yao shi, please take a look! It was the altar that he had used to corner the real Qingtian Emperor back then. These inscriptions... After examining the altar carefully, Yao shis expression turned grave. I have never seen such an altar before, but I am aware of the existence of a soul art that allows one to nourish oneself with the souls of others. This is also one the contributing factors that eventually led to the Master Teacher Pavilions eradication of the Soul Oracle Guild back then! While Yao shi had never seen the altar before, with her eye of discernment as an 8-star master teacher, she could still vaguely tell that the altar seemed to be powerful against souls. If one activated it using a certain method, there was a good chance that it could be used to drag a cultivators soul out of their body, thus effectively conducting the soul nabbing. Indeed! And to be honest with you, this ability isnt just limited to the Qingtian Emperor. As the Qingtian Emperorsckey, Chu Tianxing also knew this ability from him! Zhang Xuan revealed. You are saying that Chu Tianxing was a soul oracle as well? Yao shi frowned. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded. Do you have any evidence to prove that? Yao shi asked. Pledging loyalty to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and practicing soul arts imparted from them, this was a huge crime to pin on Chu Tianxing. Even though Chu Tianxing was already dead, he was still not a person who could be ndered without concrete evidence. I have a way to prove that. Elder Bai, please bring the corpses of Chen Zhe, Pavilion Master Gou, and the other 7-star master teachers! Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! An elder of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion at the bottom of the execution tform replied affirmatively before turning around and walking away. This elder had participated in the operation at Chen Zhes residence to nab Tian Qing as well, so they were both acquainted with one another. Not too longter, Elder Bai returned. With a flick of his wrist, a row of corpses appeared on the ground. Due to the sinister nature of their deaths, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion had used a unique method to preserve their bodies so as to facilitate future investigation. On top of that, the bodies of Saint realm cultivators did not dpose easily either. As such, those corpses remained extremely fresh, as if they had just died not too long ago. Zhang Xuan beckoned Yao shi over and said, Yao shi, please take a look and see if you can find somethingmon among all of them. Yao shi walked over and began examining the corpses intently. Gradually, a frown appeared on her face. These corpses were perfectly unharmed, be it their exterior or their internal state. However, their souls had disappeared without a trace. They have died as a result of the disappearance or dissipation of their souls, Yao shi concluded after taking a look at all of the corpses. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. They are all victims of the soul nabbing secret art. Furthermore, ording to my investigation, I have found onemon point among the death of all these 7-star master teachersthey came into contact with Chu Tianxing prior to their deaths. We should be able to verify this through conducting a formal investigation in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Chu Tianxing had entered the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion multiple times in order to visit King Zhongqing, and on the night before the deaths of master teachers, Chu Tianxing had paid the Master Teacher Pavilion once again. During his visit, he hade into contact with all of the master teachers who had died. Back then, Zhang Xuan had not made the connection, but after learning from the other Vicious that Chu Tianxing had pledged loyalty to him, it had not been too difficult to deduce the full story. No matter how formidable the other Vicious was, without a suitable medium, it was impossible for him to kill an individual in Qingyuan City from the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. The reason he had been able to do so was likely because Chu Tianxing had left or fed them something. I can testify that the night before the killings, Chu Tianxing did drop by our Master Teacher Pavilion to pay a visit to King Zhongqing. During his visit, he brought many gourds of fine wine to share with us! I can testify to that as well! Right after Zhang Xuan said those words, several master teachers beneath the execution tform swiftly shouted over. Chu Tianxing had been exceptionally friendly that day, so the encounter with him had left quite the impression on the master teachers. Seeing that there were so many master teachers standing up to testify on Zhang Xuans behalf, Yao shi knew that this matter was likely true. She turned to Zhang Xuan doubtfully and asked, You are saying that... Chu Tianxing used a secret art to kill all of those master teachers? Even if he was not directly responsible for the killings, theres no doubt that he yed an integral role in them, Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively. Wu shi and I deduced that there was something wrong with Chu Tianxing, but due to several considerations, we dared not move recklessly. Most importantly, if we dealt with Chu Tianxing, the mastermind behind him, the Qingtian Emperor, would surely have fled for fear that he had been exposed. While the Qingtian Emperor remained alive, the threat that he posed to the Qingyuan Empire would never havee to an end. As such, under the cover of going into seclusion, we secretly gathered a group of experts to head to the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows to deal with the Qingtian Emperor. The journey was fraught with dangers, but with some luck, we managed to aplish the mission we set out for. I have spoken of this matter previously, so Ill just skip the details. Yao shi nodded in response. Even though we left discreetly, Chu Tianxing, as the emperor of Qingyuan Empire, still noticed an anomaly. Perhaps realizing that he had been exposed, he became desperate and decided to make onest stand! Onest stand? Indeed. ording to my deductions, theres a very good chance that Chu Tianxing was nning to use his soul nabbing secret art to gather as many the human souls in Qingyuan City as he could to nourish himself and raise his cultivation. Of course, it would have been impossible for him to kill so many experts at once, but if he limited his targets to those beneath Saint realm, it wouldnt have been much trouble to gather tens of millions of souls with sufficient preparation. If he seeded, the entire Qingyuan City would have be a living hell! Zhang Xuan spoke with a fearful edge to his voice, as if he still could not believe that Chu Tianxing would actually resort to such depraved actions. Zhang shi, you are saying that... Chu Tianxing was intending to kill every single cultivator beneath Saint realm in Qingyuan City? W-what? How is that possible? That is madness! Zhang Xuan had spoken loud enough that therge crowd gathered beneath the execution tform could hear him clearly, and they could hardly believe what they had just heard. The severity of the matter had far surpassed their imagination! Even if I do not speak of them, Im certain everyone here is aware of the consequences of betraying mankind. Once exposed, that individual will be the enemy of everyone on the continent, living a life worse than death. Considering that, he would have no qualms resorting to extreme actions so long as he had sufficient power to survive! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. This... The crowd fell silent. In face of death, even the most rational of people could possibly lose themself. Even the most docile of dogs could bite when forced into a corner, let alone a man as ambitious and prideful as Chu Tianxing. Its with such worries in mind that I specially instructed Sun Qiang, Liu Yang, Elder Xu, and the others that if Chu Tianxing took any suspicious actions, even under the risk of being misunderstood by the popce, they were to get rid of Chu Tianxing as soon as possible. This is the responsibility and burden that we, as master teachers, have to bear! Its due to thosemands that Liu Yang infiltrated the royal pce and pretended to be captured while Sun Qiang, Elder Xu, and the other poison masters knocked out all of the guards with their poison. While their actions may have appeared reckless, it was the best they could do in the spur of the moment. It reduced the casualties to the minimum while sparing Qingyuan City from a bloodbath. As such, I think that not only should Sun Qiang and the others not be punished, they should even be praised for saving countless lives! Yet, without attempting to investigate and make sense of the matter, Song shi recklessly sentenced all of them to death. So, how could I possibly watch them be killed? I know that there are rules to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but surely there are times when exceptions have to be made! The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the more vehement his voice became. Ah... Hearing those words, Elder Xu and the others stared at one another nkly. Sacrificing ourselves to save the people... When did our actions suddenly be so noble? Everything Zhang shi has spoken of, why is it that... ... this is the first we are hearing of it? Chapter 1240 - The Furious Song Xuan

Chapter 1240: The Furious Song Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With poison in their hands, they knocked out the tens of thousands of people in the royal pce, rendering them powerless. While it was to save Liu Yang, and Chu Tianxing also deserved it... the problem was that the news was simply too shocking! If those men had set forth with the intention not to save but to kill, who would have been able to stand against them? If news spread, there would be unease among the popce. Everyone would start fearing for their lives. The emperors of the other Conferred Empires would also live in fear and apprehension, afraid that those men woulde after them one day as well. This was also why Song Xuan had sentenced them to death without much hesitation, and even Yao Mantian did not think that there was a mistake in Song Xuans call. With his Soul Depth of 25.1, Zhang Xuan was able to see through their thoughts and considerations, and he knew that without a suitable reason, there was no way he could free Sun Qiang and the other poison masters from their execution. Thus, he first gave Elder Xu and the others a formal identity before pinning a heinous crime on Chu Tianxings head. This way, he would be able to im that the actions of Sun Qiang and the other poison masters were not reckless but a nned operation by the Combat Master Hall and Master Teacher Pavilion to save the popce of Qingyuan City. This way, even if the other Conferred Empires learned of this matter, they would at least view those men as under the control of the Combat Master Hall and Master Teacher Pavilion, so they would not have to worry about a bunch of madmening after their lives. In other words, it was to alleviate the fears of the officials, nobles, and popce so that they would be able to ept this justified assassination. As long as the popce was appeased, Yao shi and the Master Teacher Pavilion would have no qualms with sparing Sun Qiang and the others. Elder Xu was only taken aback for a moment before realizing all of this. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more with deep admiration in his eyes. To be able to grasp the thoughts of Song shi, Yao shi, the Master Teacher Pavilion, and the popce and find the most suitable reason to appease all of them simultaneously... that was no easy feat at all! Zhang Xuans ability to think on his spot was truly frightening! Elder Xu alternated his nces at Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang, and he could not help but mutter beneath his breath, Why do I feel like that man is our true benefactor instead? The benefactor who had saved them had also disyed an exceptional ability to remainposed and think on the spot,ing up with the most rational solution to deal with the problem at hand. This waspletely different from that fatty whom they had been locked up with for the past few days! That fatty Sun Qiang seemed to know nothing but how to eat and sleep. There was really nothing praiseworthy about him at all! Perplexed, Elder Xu was just about to test Sun Qiang when that fat benefactor he was thinking about suddenly stepped forward. Yao shi, I am Sun Qiang, one of the men who was to be executed under Song shis orders! Sun Qiang ced his hands behind his back and lifted his head proudly. With a voice that sounded loudly across the entire square, he spoke. I was reluctant to speak too much of this matter for fear that it would cause unease and pandemonium in Qingyuan City, but since our Young Master has already said so much, Ill admit to it. The reason Young Master Liu Yang and I set out to kill Chu Tianxing was due to our uncovering of his depraved ploy to nab the souls of the cultivators in Qingyuan City and nourish himself! I know that we are weak and insignificant, but if our insignificant lives could be traded for the lives of the entire city, we would still do it without any hesitation! After saying those words, Sun Qiang walked up to the crowd with a straightened back, assuming the look of an unsung hero who, despite being misunderstood by many, would still stand up valiantly for the sake of mankind. I see... They were all willing to sacrifice themselves to save us... Itsughable how we actually thought of them as rebels! I never would have thought that Chu Tianxing would actually kill all of us to nourish himself. This is unforgivable! If not for this matter, I never would have known how noble Sun Qiang and those poison mastersah no, it should bebat mastersare so noble. We have really wronged them. ... Hearing Zhang Xuans exnation and witnessing Sun Qiangs selflessness, choosing to sacrifice himself rather than let the entire city fall into chaos, the crowd could not help but feel deeply moved. The master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion also revealed faces of embarrassment. Despite being master teachers themselves, they really came nowhere close to those noble men standing before them. This... Elder Xus lips twitched uncontrobly. Setting out to kill Chu Tianxing was due to our uncovering of his depraved ploy? His death was clearly an ident, alright? More important... you even whipped out a knife, wanting to castrate the other party... Rather than the other party, you are the one who looks more like a viin! More importantly... in the time of your captivity, you were either eating of sleeping. I have never seen the valiance and selflessness you spoke of in the time I have spent with you... Then again... this does seem to resemble our benefactors way of doing things! Elder Xu rubbed his be in frustration, unable to discern the truth. He had suspected that Zhang Xuan was their true benefactor, but after hearing Sun Qiangs words, which sounded like they could havee from their benefactor as well, he was confused once again. On the other hand, upon seeing Sun Qiang rush out and behave in such a manner, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. That fellow only knows how to pose! Zhang Xuan sighed. If only he was half as humble as I am... No matter what he did, he always strove to avoid trouble and the spotlight wherever possible. On the other hand, his butler seemed to crave to stand under every single spotlight he could find. Really, from whom did he learn that bad habit from! However, Sun Qiangs interjection there was also good in a way. As long as they could generate sufficient buzz over this issue, the conflict would be resolved by itself. Even if Yao shi found several anomalies with the story, in face of the will of the popce, she would have no choice but to agree to it as well. Most importantly of all, the betrayal of the emperor of a Conferred Empire was a huge blow to the Master Teacher Pavilions credibility. If they went along with Zhang Xuans story, that would make it appear that the Master Teacher Pavilion had been on top of things from the start to the end, making preparations in advance to deal with Chu Tianxing. This way, not only would the reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion not be impaired, it would even be brought to greater heights! Under such circumstances, as long as one was no fool, it was clear whom one should stand with. As expected, Yao shi soon nodded and eximed gravely, I didnt think that Chu Tianxing would be such a depraved individual! Since the truth has been unraveled, I will report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them reward you handsomely for your contribution to mankind, as well as to make up for the injustice you have suffered! Yao shi! Hearing Yao shis judgement, Song shis face paled. I think that theres still some suspicious details concerning the story that requires further investigation... If Yao shi made such a ruling, it would effectively mean that he had dealt with this matter ipetently, ordering for the execution of meritorious subjects. Just that crime was sufficient to signal his doom! Enough! Yao shi flung her sleeves lividly. Dont you think that you have embarrassed yourself enough today? As a quasi 8-star master teacher, instead of investigating the matter properly, you recklessly passed judgement upon others, nearly resulting in the deaths of meritorious subjects. The Master Teacher Pavilion trusted you enough to grant you great authority and power, but you have really been a huge disappointment on this asion! I... Song shis body shook in despair. Yao shi waved her hand impassively. Theres no need to say anymore! Ill report this matter as it is to the headquarters, so return to the Qianchong Empire and await for the verdict from the headquarters! Song shis face turned ghastly pale as he staggered backward weakly. Then, he suddenly halted. Slowly, he raised his head to re at Zhang Xuan with the utmost hostility, You! Its all your fault! If not for that young man, things would not have developed in such a manner. If he had settled this matter properly, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would surely have rewarded him handsomely for his efforts. With the reward, he would have been able to take the final step forward in his cultivation and ovee his bottleneck, sessfully making a breakthrough to Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm. But it was a pity that it was all impossible now! More importantly, all of this had happened in public, and his manhood had been crippled as well. No words could begin to describe the sheer hatred he felt for Zhang Xuan at this moment. Flicking his wrist, he took out his master teacher emblem and dripped a droplet of blood on it. Zhang Xuan, you ordered the master teachers to make a move on me and humiliated me. On top of that, you even had your cauldron to cripple me. I, Song Xuan, as a 7-star master teacher, hereby request the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters allow me to challenge Zhang Xuan to a Master Teacher Confrontation! Zhang Xuan, do you dare ept my challenge? Following which, a brilliant light burst forth from the emblem, surging toward the sky. Song Xuan, how dare you! Not expecting Song shi to make this move at such a moment, Yao shis face turned livid. Whenever there was an irreconcble conflict between two master teachers, they could choose to resolve it through a Master Teacher Confrontation. In order to initiate a Master Teacher Confrontation, a master teacher would first have to express their intention to the headquarters first, and the headquarters would gauge whether it was appropriate to allow both parties to face one another. This was the most effective way for two master teachers to resolve the conflict between them. Once both sides epted the Master Teacher Confrontation, not even an 8-star master teacher like Yao shi would be able to intervene in the matter anymore. Why would I not dare to? I agree, Zhang Xuan replied impassively. He had forcefully snatched Sun Qiang and the poison masters back from Song shis hands, cornered him verbally to the point that he puked blood, and even crippled his manhood. All of this was done before a huge crowd at that. He would have been surprised if Song shi could take all that lying. Zhang shi! Yao shi anxiously tried to talk Zhang Xuan out of it, but it was toote. Zhang Xuans agreement had already reached the headquarters. Boom! On the Master Teacher Tower not too far away, a surge of light burst forth, forming two massive words in the sky. Permission granted! While Song Xuan was a quasi 8-star master teacher, he was still officially ssified as a 7-star master teacher. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was an outstanding genius who had sessfully crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, the headquarters deemed it appropriate to have the both of them faced one another. Its good that you have agreed! Seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the Master Teacher Confrontation without any hesitation, Song Xuan was slightly taken aback. Gritting his teeth, he said, Since I was the one who proposed the Master Teacher Confrontation, Ill allow you to choose the type of duel! Since he was the one who had proposed the Master Teacher Confrontation, it would only be fair to have the other party decide on the type of duel. I can decide the type of duel? Very well then. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying, I choose Impartation of Heavens Will! Zhang Xuans Soul Depth had already reached the levelparable to an 8-star master teacher, and he also possessed an innate advantage as a Celestial Master Teacher. Putting aside a quasi 8-star master teacher like Song shi, it was doubtful whether even real 8-star master teachers would be able to withstand his Impartation of Heavens Will or not! Since the other party was the one proposing the Master Teacher Confrontation, there was no need for him hesitate. Just crush the other party and get it over and done with. Impartation of Heavens Will? Song shis eyebrows shot up. He had heard news about how Zhang Xuan had managed to make all the master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion willingly acknowledge him as their teacher in the midst of his pavilion crashing. Just from that alone, it could be seen that the other partys Soul Depth was certainly not beneath his. If it was a duel of Impartation of Heavens Will, there was really a good chance that he would be utterly crushed. Even so, Song shi did not think that victory waspletely impossible. After all, he was a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator who had been through four lightning tribtions whereas the other party was just an Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle cultivator. As long as he set the rules of the duel properly, he would still have a considerable chance at victory. Alright then, Ill agree to it. However, I get to decide on the rules of the duel! There were many ways to conduct a duel of Impartation of Heavens Will. For the sake of fairness, it would be more reasonable for one side to decide on the type of duel and the other to decide on the rules of the duel. Of course. Zhang Xuan waved his hand nonchntly. Regardless of what the rules of the duel were, as long as the type of duel was Impartation of Heavens Will, he had nothing to fear. Good! Song Xuan replied. After which, he turned to Yao shi and sped his fist. Yao shi, may I borrow your Brush of Heavenly Impartation? Brush of Heavenly Impartation? Yao shi was taken aback for a moment before her face darkened. It cant be that you intend to challenge the most difficult duel of the Impartation of Heavens Will... Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy? Chapter 1241 - Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy

Chapter 1241: Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats right! Song shi said with a cold glint in his eyes. Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy? Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before slowly nodding. There were some details about the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy in the books of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, so he did have some understanding of it. Impartation of Heavens Will was an ability that could be triggered through ones Soul Depth when ones words were aligned with the essence of the world. It served to ce the students into a trance, allowing them to better absorb the knowledge that was being imparted. At the same time, it would also generate certain phenomena in the surroundings, such as drawing in spiritual energy, to further support the learning of the students. The more profound and aligned the content was to the essence of the world, the more effective the Impartation of Heavens Will would be. Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy was simr to Impartation of Heavens Will in terms of the principles behind them, but the former was achieved through using an artifact known as the Brush of Heavenly Impartation as a medium. The Brush of Heavens Impartation was not a Saint-tier artifact. Rather, it was a unique artifact that was infused with the will of master teachers, and it was capable of discerning the authenticity of the words spoken by other master teachers. If the words spoken were aligned with the essence of the world and offered a fresh perspective on the topic, the Brush of Heavens Impartation would automatically move to pen down the essence of those words in the form of characters. The observation of those characters penned down could generate an effect reminiscent of the Impartation of Heavens Will to the individual, thus hastening thetters cultivation significantly. Of course, the characters penned down by the Brush of Heavenly Impartation would not exist eternally. After one observation, the characters would disappear. There were two reasons the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy was considered the most difficult challenge of Impartation of Heavens Will. Firstly, the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was infused with the ideas and understanding of innumerable master teachers, so it had already seen its fair share of ordinary Impartations of Heavens Will. In order to prompt it into action, the content lectured had to be innovativepared to the other master teachers. Secondly, it was extremely taxing on ones Soul Depth, even more exhausting than conducting an entire lecture. On average, the writing of a single character could expend 1.0 Soul Depth of a master teacher. It was for these two reasons that it had left countless master teachers defeated. There were many 7-star pinnacle master teachers who were unable to invoke the movement of the Brush of Heavenly Impartation even after a long lecture, and even for quasi 8-star master teachers, the most characters anyone had evoked from the Brush of Heavenly Will in a single sitting was ten. Nearly no one had been able to break that record. The Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy is extremely damaging to ones Soul Depth. Are you sure you want to choose this for the duel? Yao shi asked with a darkenedplexion. To make the Brush of Heavens Impartation write was extremely taxing on ones Soul Depth. If a master teacher identally pushed themself too far, it could lead to their state of mind copsing altogether, and their many years of cultivation would be ruined. As such, this duel would not only be difficult but dangerous as well. I am sure! Song shi replied firmly. You... Yao shi frowned at Song shi for a moment before turning her gaze to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, whats your view on this matter? If you dont wish to proceed with the duel, you can always turn it down. As she said those words to Zhang Xuan, she also secretly sent him a telepathic message. Song Xuan has specially studied Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, and he has achieved the outstanding record of having the Brush of Heavenly Impartation pen down eight characters. You have never used the Brush of Heavenly Impartation, so itll be extremely difficult for you to defeat him. Why dont you just turn down his proposal and choose another type of duel? Without prior experience with the Brush of Heavenly Impartation, it was difficult to ascertain what kind of content excited it, making it nigh impossible for it to move. So far, there had nearly been no master teachers who had managed to get the Brush of Heavenly Impartation to move on their first attempt. The reason Song shi had proposed this challenge was because he possessed a Brush of Heavenly Impartation, and he had even achieved an outstanding record of eight characters. Given that ten characters were the very limits of a quasi 8-star master teacher, his record of eight characters would put him among the top in the field even in the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Indubitably, Song Xuan had an overwhelming advantage in this challenge, making this duel unfair for Zhang Xuan. Its fine, lets just go along with his rules. Knowing that Yao shi was advising him out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan directed a nod along with a smile toward her to express his gratitude. It was just Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy. While he had nevere into contact with it before, he did not think that it would be too difficult. Alright then. Seeing how nonchntly Zhang Xuan epted the duel, Yao shi could not help but shake her head. With a flick of her wrist, a floating golden brush appeared before everyones eyes. It was roughly a chi 1 long, and there was no ink on its tip. When scanning it with ones Spiritual Perception, one could feel an aura unique to master teachers from it, inducing a slight pressure on one. With a tap, the brush quietly took its ce between the duo. After which, Yao shi looked at the duo and said, This is the Brush of Heavenly Impartation. Who will be going first? Since Song shi was the one who has proposed the rules of the duel, lets allow him to go first, Zhang Xuan said humbly. While he had read the records concerning Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, he had never tried it himself before, so he was not too certain of the rules concerning it. By allowing the other party to go first, he would have a chance to examine how the Brush of Heavenly Impartation should be used. Very well! Song shi nodded. He took two steps toward the brush, and his lips began moving. There was no sound to be heardhe wasmunicating with the brush via zhenqi telepathy. Fearing that Zhang Xuan would not understand, Yao shi secretly informed him via zhenqi telepathy. Through using zhenqi telepathy, the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will are more directed, and that makes it easier to move the Brush of Heavenly Impartation. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. Indeed, there was a vast difference between lecturing an individual and lecturing a group of people. Naturally, one-to-one guidance from a teacher would be more nurturing and effective aspared to a one-to-many guidance. Through using zhenqi telepathy, the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will would be more directed, thus reducing unnecessary wastage of energy. Proceeding with his impartation, Song shis lips never stopped once, and it did not take long before sweat droplets began appearing on his forehead. However, the brush before him remainedpletely motionless, as if it had been fixed in ce. Using his Spiritual Perception to assess the situation, Zhang Xuan could clearly sense that Song shis Soul Depth was rapidly falling with time. Hu! After some time, the silent brush finally began moving. With swift strokes, a massive character soon appeared in the sky. Suspended Imagery! The character written by the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was not of anguage Zhang Xuan was familiar with; it was not thenguage of a human, Otherworldly Demon, or the Beast Tribe. It was a character he had never ever seen before. But while he could not recognize the character, he found that he was vaguely able to understand the meaning and conception behind it. If a normal cultivator studied the character, their zhenqi might have been driven to cultivate ording to the method depicted within it. By scanning the character with your Spiritual Perception, you will be able to learn the ideas infused within the character. However, the character will disappear after a single scan, Yao shi exined to Zhang Xuan. Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy could be considered a form of Impartation of Heavens Will, being able to drive a cultivators zhenqi through the profound knowledge harnessed within the written characters. As long as a cultivator scanned the characters with their Spiritual Perception, they would find their body cultivating the technique uncontrobly. However, the characters produced through Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy could only be used once. No matter how profound or mystical the cultivation technique infused within the character was, it could only be viewed by one person. In a sense, it could be said that the characters were storable Impartation of Heavens Will that master teachers could gift to those whom they viewed to be fated with them. In view of precious knowledge harnessed within these characters, they were extremely high in demand and valuable. However, due to the difficulty in Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, it was one of thosemodities that could not be bought with just money. With the appearance of the first character, the droplets of sweat on Song shis head grew more and more numerous. The second character swiftly followed after the first, and then the third and fourth... As the number of characters increased, Song shis face grew paler and paler. It seemed like he had expended too much of his Soul Depth, and it was already about to be sapped dry. Quasi 8-star master teachers had a Soul Depth of 23 and above, but they could not afford to expend all of it in a single breath or else it could lead to the breakdown of their state of mind, and that could potentially introduce countless inner demons in their minds. Typically speaking, a quasi 8-star master teacher would be in a dangerous position once their Soul Depth fell beneath 15. Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan observed Song shi intently. As the number of characters written increased, thetters body trembled with greater and greater intensity, and his Primordial Spirit was starting to show signs of breaking down. It was fortunate that his Primordial Spirit had been tempered by four lightning tribtions, or else it would have already sumbed. Six, seven, eight... Eight characters! That is his record so far... By the tenth minute, there were already eight characters floating silently in the sky, emanating a brilliant glow. Eight words were Song shis record so far, as well as his limit. His body trembled non-stop, and it looked as if he would copse to the ground at any moment. His face was also as pale as a sheet of paper, and there was not the slightest trace of color to be seen. However, it appeared that Song shi still had no intention of stopping as he continuedmunicating with the Brush of Heavenly Impartation through his zhenqi telepathy. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan said with a frown, If you continue pushing yourself, you will inflict irreparable harm to your body. Be it in cultivation or Impartation of Heavens Will, a cultivator should always take note of their own limits and strive not to overexert themself. Otherwise, the overwhelming burden they had forced upon their body could very well cause it permanent impairment. As a 7-star pinnacle physician, he could tell that Song shi had already reached his limits. Perhaps he would be able to achieve unprecedented results if he forced himself on, but he would also be inflicting permanent damage on his body and possibly his state of mind. It could cause his soul depth to stagnate permanently, and as a master teacher, that would mean that Song shi would be doomed to remain a quasi 8-star master teacher for life, unable to ascend to greater heights. Hu! Hu! Hu! Despite his poor condition, Song shi still gritted his teeth and forced himself on. All of a sudden, a spurt of blood escaped from his mouth, and in just a mere instant, it seemed like he had grown much older. Hu! The brush in the air moved once more and wrote the ninth character. Peng! That single character seemed to have stolen every singlest bit of strength Song shi had. He fell weakly to the ground and fainted. Jeez, is there any point going this far? Seeing how Song shi had pushed himself to his limits for the sake of achieving victory, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head in disapproval. To throw away whatever future he had just to get even with him... that fellow sure was tenacious. Sighing deeply, he walked up to Song shi and ced his finger on thetters acupoints before sending a surge of zhenqi in. A momentter, Song shi slowly opened his eyes. You... Gritting his teeth furiously, Song shi struggled to his feet, and with a livid face, he spat, Its toote to show your goodwill. It wont change a thing... Zhang Xuan shrugged. Whatever pleases you. He had only saved the other party out of his obligation as a master teacher. Whether the other party appreciated his favor or not, it did not matter to him. After regaining consciousness, Song shi quickly took out a pill and ate it, and only then did hisplexion finally improve slightly. Following that, he turned to Yao shi and said, Yao shi, I havepleted my Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy. I hope that you can bear witness to my results! You have written a total of nine characters. While it has not broken the highest record of ten characters among quasi 8-star master teachers, you have indeed performed exceptionally, Yao shi replied with a nod. The result of nine characters was nothing much among 8-star master teachers, but indubitably, it was an exceptional result among quasi 8-star master teachers. Even the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was unlikely to be able to rival this feat. Thank you for yourpliment, Yao shi. Seeing that Yao shi had acknowledged his results, Song shi nced at Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes. Zhang shi, its your turn now. Very well. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had seen how the other party had carried out the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy previously, and that had given him a good idea of how he should go about doing it as well. He walked up to the floating Brush of Heavenly Impartation, and with his hands behind his back, he began lecturing it telepathically. His mouth opened and closed swiftly, making it hard to discern what he was talking about. The brush was still fidgeting slightly in the air earlier, but upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, it suddenly frozepletely, as if someone had nailed it in ce. It has been nearly an hour now, so why is there no movement from the brush yet? It cant be that Zhang shi cannot get a single character out of the Brush of Heavenly Impartation, right? If thats really the case, it would really be terrible... After waiting for nearly an hour, the brush remainedpletely motionless in the air. At this point, the crowd had begun looking at one another, a little apprehensive at the current situation. Within the same period, Song shi had made the Brush of Heavenly Impartation write down seven to eight words. Why would there be no movement when it came to Zhang shi? Could this mean that... he had failed? Chapter 1242 - Why Are You Playing Dead?

Chapter 1242: Why Are You ying Dead?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang shi has never tried the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy before, so its inevitable that hes unfamiliar with the nature of the Brush of Heavenly Impartation. No matter how high his Soul Depth is, itll still be hard to bridge this disparity in experience between them. Its precisely in view of this that Song shi intentionally challenged Zhang shi to this duel. It seems like Zhang shis undefeated record is about toe to an end! Indeed, there are no ordinary quasi 8-star master teachers out there. He must have seen through Zhang shis ws, so he intentionally proposed such rules to the duel. ... After waiting a while longer, the brush remainedpletely motionless. The crowd beneath the stage was already beginning to feel a little unnerved. Even though Heavenly Impartation of Mentor Calligraphy was considered another offshoot of Impartation of Heavens Will, its difficulty was far greater than thetter. There were many talented master teachers who possessed high Soul Depth and exceptional insight in cultivation but failed to cause the Brush of Heavenly Impartation to move on their first attempt as well, and this could have been the situation that Zhang Xuan was facing. Benefactor, Zhang shi... Elder Xu looked at Sun Qiang worriedly. It was to save them that the Young Master of their benefactor ended up being challenged by Song shi. If the young man came to any harm as a result of this matter, they would never be able to rest in peace. Dont worry, our Young Master has never lost in this kind of challenge before! Sun Qiang waved his hand nonchntly. It had been nearly a year since he had met the Young Master, and they had seen innumerable conflicts and battles within this period of time. Inparison, this matter could not have seemed any more trivial, so how could the Young Master possibly lose? In this moment, the confident Sun Qiang suddenly saw the Young Master on the execution tform stretching his backzily, seemingly a little exhausted, before taking a few steps back. Alright, Im done. After which, Zhang Xuan stopped speaking and stood patiently by the side. Upon seeing this sight, the bs on Sun Qiangs cheeks began to twitch wildly. The brush had not even moved, and yet, the Young Master actually said that he was done. Wasnt the Young Master supposed be invincible? Could it be that he was unable to push on anymore, so he intended to admit defeat? Upon seeing Zhang Xuans actions, Yao shis face also warped in astonishment. Zhang shi, theres no time limit to the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy. The victor is determined by the number of characters written. I know. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Given how much I have said, it should suffice for me to win. Win? That word made Yao shis eyes roll up, and she nearly choked on her own saliva. From the moment you started speaking, the Brush of Heavenly Impartation has not even moved a single inch, as if it was sleeping its way through your lecture. Did you really think that you could win with this? Song shi was also stunned for a moment before sneering coldly. You want to defeat me without having a single character written? Given how the young man could get all of the higher ranking master teachers in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to acknowledge him as their teacher, as well as his feat of sessfully crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion, there was little doubt that the other partys Soul Depth was at least on par with his. As such, he had been worrying that the young man might just make a miracle here and break his current record. However, from the looks of it now... it seemed like he had been worrying in vain! If only he had known how weak his opponent was, he would not have forced himself to write the ninth character! What a waste! Song shi stepped forward and sped his fist. Yao shi, the results should be clear at this point. You were the one who brought the Brush of Heavenly Impartation here, so theres no way I could have cheated in the duel. I beseech you to dere the victor of the duel. This... Yao shi hesitated. The Master Teacher Confrontation was only conducted when there was a conflict between two master teachers. The victorious individual would be able to do anything to the losing party without incurring any punishment, and this included murder! However, Zhang Xuan had just killed the Qingtian Emperor and saved the countless civilians from Qingyuan City. The contribution he had made to mankind was truly great, so if Song shi dealt with him too harshly, it would be hard for her to exin this to the headquarters. May I know what kind of punishment Song shi intends to issue Zhang shi upon your victory? Putting aside the fact that hes a genius who has seeded in pavilion crashing, more importantly, he also just made a huge contribution to mankind. Instead of announcing the results, Yao shi hesitated for a moment before turning to Song shi to remind him of who his opponent was. Song shi harrumphed coldly. Yao shi, rest assured. I wont kill him. However, he has undermined my dignity and sullied my reputation, and for that, I cannot let him off easily! Firstly, I shall cripple him and make him just like me. After that, I will crush the spirit of the cauldron that injured me. Last but not least, I want him to publicly apologize to me! You want to make him like you? Yao shis lips began twitching uncontrobly. While she did not witness the sight with her own eyes, she could still tell the current state Song shi was in. By saying that he wanted to make Zhang Xuan like him, wasnt the other party effectively saying that he wanted to castrate Zhang Xuan? But... Even though Song shis intention to castrate Zhang Xuan was a little gruesome, it was still possible for Zhang Xuan to fully recover through the Grand Intermittence Pill. The process would be humiliating and excruciating, but at the very least, it would not cause any physical impairment to the young man. As for destroying the spirit of the cauldron and making a public apology, those were at least eptable conditions. Very well! After a moment of thought, Yao shi turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, there is no one in the world who can avoid loss their entire life, so you dont have to take this matter to heart. As long as you live to see another day, there will still be a chance for you to turn the tables... After saying those words, Yao shi sighed deeply before turning to the crowd. With a resounding voice, she dered, Alright, Im going to announce the results of the duel... But before Yao shi could finish her words, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his hand and said, Yao shi, the duel is still ongoing. Why are you announcing the results now? The duel is still ongoing? The Brush of Heavenly Impartation has not written out a single character under your Impartation of Heavens Will, so I believe the results should already be clear for everyone to see! Stop stalling for time! Song shi sneered coldly. With so many people present to testify for him, not to mention the fact that Yao shi was presiding over the duel herself, it was impossible Zhang Xuan to refute the results. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Isnt there no time limit to the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy? The Brush of Heavenly Impartation might not be moving at the moment, but that doesnt mean that it wont moveter on. Later on? Are you joking with me? You should know very well that if the Brush of Heavenly Impartation did not move during your lecture, theres no way that it will move after it. Despite being a 7-star master teacher, are you so gutless as to be unwilling to acknowledge your own defeat? Song shi mocked. Seeing that Song shi was unwilling to believe his words, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Just as he was about to exin himself, Yao shi suddenly sighed and interjected, Zhang shi, the fact that the Brush of Heavenly Impartation hasnt moved yet is enough to show that you have already lost. Lost? Hearing those words from Yao shi, the look of disappointment in Zhang Xuans eyes deepened. Yao shi, you are unable to discern it as well? Discern what? Yao shi frowned. Since none of you can tell, I guess I have no choice... With a look of helplessness, Zhang Xuan turned to the unmoving brush in the air and bellowed, Why are you still ying dead over there? Hurry up and write! I have already given you sufficient time to ponder over the lecture; its about time you stop ying dead and get to work! Not expecting Zhang Xuan to roar at the Brush of Heavenly Impartation like that, everyone was stunned. Yao shi even nearly copsed to the ground from shock. The Brush of Heavenly Impartation has been nourished by the wills of countless master teachers, so it carries the authority of the Way of Teacher. Bellowing at it like that will only make it even more reluctant to write... The Brush of Heavenly Impartation was an extremely proud artifact, such that not even Pavilion Master He of their Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion would dare use such a harsh tone toward it. Yet, this fellow actually insulted it straight to its face. That was as good aspletely offending the brush! Putting aside having it write anything for him, it would already be a blessing if it did not scribble on his face as vengeance! Grabbing her forehead out of frustration from the foolish action from the young man, Yao shi suddenly heard amotion beneath the execution tform. Countless piercing screams echoed in the air, as if something inconceivable had just happened. Whats wrong? Frowning, Yao shi raised her head to look at the Brush of Heavenly Impartation once more, and what she saw left her frozen on the spot. The unmoving Brush of Heavenly Impartation suddenly began shaking intensely as its golden exterior faded into paleness, and a warm glow emanated from within. Following that, the spiritual energy in an area of two hundred li swiftly converged toward the brush, sapping the entire area dry within just a few moments. Geji! Geji! Under the nourishment of the spiritual energy, the Brush of Heavenly Impartation seemed to be undergoing an evolution, and a crisp sound reminiscent of a being breaking out of its cocoon echoed in the air. T-this is... Clenching her fists in agitation, a hint of disbelief surfaced on Yao shis elegant face. The Brush of Heavenly Impartation... is making a breakthrough? While the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was not a Saint-tier artifact, there were still differing grades to it. This was simr to how brushes could be of different qualities. Without a doubt, a Brush of Heavenly Impartation nourished by a 9-star master teacher would be vastly different to one nourished by an 8-star master teacher. The Brush of Heavenly Impartation that Yao shi owned could be said to be average. It would not have much trouble penning down the quintessence of the teachings of an 8-star low-tier master teacher, but anything more profound than that would prove to be a challenge for it. Typically speaking, for a Brush of Heavenly Impartation to make a breakthrough, it had to be nourished by the aura of a higher ranked master teacher, so... why would it suddenly achieve a breakthrough after listening to a single lecture from Zhang Xuan? Not to mention, the hugemotion that was happening at the moment was abnormal as well. Without a doubt, this was no ordinary breakthrough. Kacha! Kacha! While everyone was still in a state of shock, the motionless brush finally began to move. An entire line of words appeared before the crowd in the blink of an eye. One, two, three... eighty-seven... Its moving too fast for me to count properly! shouted someone amid the crowd. Look! Its writing so fast that smoke is rising from its brush tip, another person shouted. Smoke? With a look of horror, Song shi quickly turned his gaze to the sky and saw that due to the astounding speed that the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was writing at, a long stream of smoke was rising behind it. Back when he was conducting the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, the Brush of Heavenly Impartation wrote every single stroke slowly, as if there was something restraining it. Yet, when it came to Zhang shi, characters seemed to flow out like a flood. Did there really have to be such a huge disparity between the two of them? Unlike the bbergasted crowd, Yao shi gulped as she uttered with a quivering voice, This is... the Beacon of Heavenly Impartation! Beacon of Heavenly Impartation? Song shi frowned. Despite being a quasi 8-star master teacher, he had never heard such a term before. Yao shi clenched her fists tighty in agitation as she exined, The Brush of Heavenly Impartation takes every word that it pens down solemnly, rarely making a move unless it hears something that inspires it. However, if it encounters a particrly profound Impartation of Heavens Will, it will rush to pen whatever it heard down, leaving behind a trail of smoke in its wake. We named this phenomenon Beacon of Heavenly Impartation. When in this state, the Brush of Heavenly Impartation will jot down the profoundness of the lecture down word for word. Word for word? This... How can that be possible? Song shi could hardly believe what he was hearing. No matter how concise a lecture is, theres bound to be conjunctions and connectors, and even though those words improve the flow of the lecture, they dont add value to the content, so the Brush of Heavenly Impartation never jots them down. Even the most formidable of teachers could not possibly conduct a lecture where every single word was significant. It was inevitable that some unmeaningful words would be mixed into the lecture. This was also why the Brush of Heavenly Impartation would only selectively pick out the crux of the Impartation of Heavens Will to record. Its indeed true that there are bound to be many meaningless words in an ordinary lecture, but... have you forgotten about that? Yao shi replied in a shaky tone. That? Song shi was stunned for a moment when a thought streaked across his mind. His body immediately stiffened as if a wooden stick as he asked weakly, Is Yao shi referring to the ability that only 9-star master teachers possess... Words of Wisdom? Indeed. Only Words of Wisdom can induce the Beacon of Heavenly Impartation, Yao shi replied. Unable to believe what he was hearing, Song shi eximed, B-but... hes only a 7-star master teacher! He turned his gaze back to the brush in the air and saw thetter writing faster and faster. At this rate, it was already moving so swiftly that afterimages could be seen in its wake. At the same time, the lines of words ferociously swallowed the gathered spiritual energy, seemingly ready to break into the world themselves. This is too exaggerated! It cant stop at all! Feeling as if he had just received ten thousand points of damage, Song shi nearly burst into tears. Chapter 1243 - The Noble Zhang shi!

Chapter 1243: The Noble Zhang shi!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Despite being fellow 7-star master teachers, why was there such a huge gap between the two of them? He had used all his might to squeeze out a few characters from the Brush of Heavenly Impartation, and yet, when it came to the other party, the brush leaped from ce to ce swiftly as if a leopard, visibly getting more and more excited as it wrote, to the point where it could not even stop itself anymore... Was this really the ability that only 9-star master teachers were capable of, Words of Wisdom? Rumor had it that every single sentence and ever word of a 9-star master teacher carried profound wisdom behind it. Putting aside listening to an entire lecture, even a few words from them could benefit one greatly. Even though the young man before him was a talented individual, no matter what, he was still only a 7-star master teacher. So, how could he possibly possess the ability of a 9-star master teacher? But if that wasnt the case, there was no way to exin the Brush of Heavenly Impartations sudden breakthrough and outburst! Lets see what he has lectured on... Unable to believe his eyes, Song shi immediately began examining the characters written in the air. With just a single look, his body could not help but begin trembling. It would be impossible toprehend the deepest significance harnessed within the lecture without scanning the characters with his Spiritual Perception, but nevertheless, as a quasi 8-star master teacher, he could still roughly fathom the meaning of those written characters. He could feel that those characters harnessed knowledge that was directed toward the very essence of cultivation itself, and with just a nce, he already found himself gradually growing more and more absorbed in them. No, I mustnt look... Otherwise, I might really just be his student! Biting his tongue to bring back his rationality, Song shi quickly closed his eyes. If he cultivated ording to the method imparted by Zhang Xuan, that would mean that he had epted the other partys guidance, and that would effectively make the young man a half a teacher to him. He was there to challenge Zhang Xuan to a Master Teacher Confrontation to right his reputation and regain his dignity, not to acknowledge a teacher! But... considering how profound this cultivation technique is, if I study it carefully, theres a good chance that it could be my impetus for a breakthrough to the Grand Dominion realm. Gritting his teeth tightly, the angel and the devil within Song shis heart began shing with one another. He did not want to be Zhang Xuans student, but this was a truly valuable opportunity for him to achieve a breakthrough. Such an opportunity was hard toe by, and he had a feeling that he would regret it for life if he allowed this chance to slip through his fingers! Deeply conflicted, Song shi fell into an internal struggle. There are around... one thousand, two thousand, three thousand... Forget it, its too much trouble to count. In any case, there are more than nine words here. Brush, you dont have to write anymore. Not only was the crowd astonished by the sight before them, even Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. It had taken a while before he finally recovered. Knowing that he had already won the duel, he turned to Yao shi and said, Yao shi, this duel should be my victory, right? Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Yao shis eyebrows shot up. Despite spurting blood and passing out, Song shi only managed to squeeze out nine words. On the other hand, in the blink of an eye, you have already written three thousand words... Ah, no, it has written another two thousand words while I was speaking. Five thousand words... If this isnt sufficient to be considered a victory, what else can be considered a victory? Yao shi hurriedly nodded. Of course, you are the victor! Thanks. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan raised his head and saw that the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was still writing. At this point, there were already more than eight thousand words in the sky. I said that its enoughdidnt you hear me? Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. What the heck is this! Since I told you to stop, you should stop obediently. To keep writing and writing, are you boasting about how fast you are able to write? Seeing that Zhang Xuan had lost his temper, Yao shi quickly exined with a bitter smile, Zhang shi, under the effects of your Words of Wisdom, the Brush of Heavenly Impartation will have to pen down the content of your entire lecture before it is able to rest. It was not that the brush did not want to stop, but it could not! Words of Wisdom was a truly formidable ability. While it was a skill that only 9-star master teachers were capable of, it was not something that all 9-star master teachers were able to pull off. Is that so? I guess theres no helping it then. Scratching his head awkwardly, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before waiting patiently. Some timeter, the brush in the air finally came to a halt. Completely exhausted by the sheer amount of work it had done, its brush tip was split haggardly, and it looked as if it had done enough work for its entire lifetime. You are finally done... Zhang Xuan sighed in exasperation. But right after he spoke those words, the brush struggled up into the air and wrote down a line of characters. They were the words that he had just spoken. You... Are you doing this on purpose? Zhang Xuans face darkened. The brush continued writingAre you doing this on purpose? ... Zhang Xuan was on the verge of wing his hair away. Yao shi, look! Its copying me! Brush moved againYao shi, look! Its copying me! This... It might be because Zhang shi said too much earlier, such that it has developed a habit of penning down your every word. As a result, even when you arent executing the Impartation of Heavens Will, it still moves to record your words, Yao shi exined with a twitching mouth. This was also the first time she had seen a situation like this, so she was not too sure. If thats the case, I think it would be good for you to put your Brush of Heavenly Impartation away now. Otherwise, I fear that it might end up scribbling all over Qingyuan City, Zhang Xuan remarked as he looked at the lines of ten thousand words in the air. Currently, those words had already covered around a half of the massive square. If the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was allowed to continue, it would not be long before the entire sky over Qingyuan City was dyed ck! Youre right! Seeing how the words that Zhang Xuan had just said were being written down, Yao shi shook her head helplessly. She immediately stepped forward to stow the Brush of Heavenly Impartation back into her storage ring, but thetter suddenly jolted wildly before abruptly plummeting from the sky and falling weakly to the ground. This is... Anxious, Yao shi immediately rushed over to take a look. Upon closer examination, her face darkened. It has fainted from exhaustion! While the Brush of Heavenly Impartation was neither a Saint-tier artifact nor a Spirit-tier artifact, in order to be able to discern the Impartation of Heavens Will spoken by a master teacher, it had to possess some degree of sentience. The abrupt overload of profound information from Zhang Xuan, along with the physical exhaustion from writing so many words, had sapped its energy dry, resulting in it copsing. Fainted from exhaustion? Such a thing is possible, too? Hearing Yao shis words, a hugemotion broke out beneath the stage. All the master teachers had looks of shock on their faces, as if they had seen a ghost. Usually, it was the master teachers who fainted during the Brush of Heavenly Impartation out of exhaustion from the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, and yet... Zhang Xuan actually managed to make the Brush of Heavenly Impartation faint from exhaustion instead. Was this really happening before them? They could not help but pinch themselves to check if they had imagined everything that had happened before them. Pu! In this moment, a spurt of blood showered the sky. Unable to suppress his injuries any longer, Song shi fainted as well. He had gone to the extent of expending everyst bit of his Soul Depth in order to break his previous record, and yet, with just a seemingly leisurely lecture, Zhang Xuan actually managed to break his record by more than a thousandfold! More importantly, he even made the Brush of Heavenly Impartation faint out of exhaustion? Could such an existence still be called a human? Not even real 9-star master teachers would be as outrageous as him! Zhang shi, how do you intend to deal with these characters? Yao shi swiftly packed the Brush of Heavenly Impartation back into her storage ring before turning her gaze to Zhang Xuan. Given that those characters had been written from Zhang Xuans Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, naturally, he possessed ownership over them. This... Zhang Xuan looked at the huge umtion of characters in the sky, and he could not help but feel his head hurt. Those words were so densely packed together that it caused a huge shadow to loom over the square. They would be an eyesore if he left them there. Noticing the conflicted look on Zhang Xuans face, Yao shi stepped forward and sped her fist. From how you were able to induce the Beacon of Heavenly Impartation, causing the Brush of Heavenly Impartation to continue writing non-stop, theres no doubt that the knowledge harnessed within those words is deeply aligned with the essence of the world. If Zhang shi doesnt mind, Im willing to use two Saint intermediate-tier artifacts to purchase the characters from you. As an 8-star master teacher, she knew that those characters in the sky were incredibly valuable. It was no exaggeration to say that they were worth an entire city or even more! You wish to purchase them? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Those characters could actually be sold? Thats right. Yao shi nodded. Through a unique method, its possible to store those characters within a book and study them whenever one wants to. Despite existing in a tangible form, those characters could be said to be no different from a physical embodiment of the Impartation of Heavens Will. As long as a cultivator scanned those words with his Spiritual Perception, they would be able to interpret the knowledge harnessed within it and benefit greatly from it. Despite being an 8-star master teacher herself, Yao shi could sense that the knowledge harnessed within those characters could help her rise to greater heights. As such, putting aside two Saint intermediate-tier artifacts, she would not hesitate to up the stakes if needed to! Yao shi is offering to buy those characters with two Saint intermediate-tier artifacts? Doesnt that mean that those characters are literally words of gold? Taking the discussion between the two in, the master teachers beneath the execution tform were utterly stunned. Saint intermediate-tier artifacts were incredibly valuable. There were no more than a couple of them within the entire Qingyuan Empire. Converted to high-tier spirit stones, they would be worth several ten thousand! To actually offer that much money in exchange for those characters... Granted that it was Zhang shis lecture, but it was still a really huge sum to pay for them! Two Saint intermediate-tier artifact? Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before eventually shaking his head, rejecting Yao shis offer. He usually relied on his strength and wits in order to defeat others. Inparison, his weapons seemed to y a smaller role. Not to mention, he already had the Golden Origin Cauldron, so any more Saint intermediate-tier artifacts would be unnecessary. Seeing Zhang Xuan reject her offer, Yao shi quickly replied, Zhang shi, I am willing to negotiate the price with you if you find my offer inadequate. If two Saint intermediate-tier artifacts arent enough... what do you think of three? Its not about your offer. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He swept through the crowd with his gaze before speaking with a resounding voice. Chu Tianxing hasmitted many reprehensible deeds in his time, and he deserves the fate that befell him. Even though those deeds were orchestrated by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, theres no doubt that our Master Teacher Pavilion was somewhat responsible for this matter. Despite serving as the guardians of mankind, we allowed the Otherworldly Demons to infiltrate our ranks and cause harm to our brethren. Its fortunate that we managed to stop Chu Tianxing in time before he could conduct his depraved ritual, but its still a fact that ourpse in duty endangered countless innocent lives in Qingyuan City. As such, in order to make up for our mistake, I would like to donate this Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy to Qingyuan City as a show of repentance from our Master Teacher Pavilion. We will right where we have erred and reflect on where we have failed! This... Hes actually giving such valuable characters to us? That is worth three Saint intermediate-tier artifact! To gift it to us just like that... Hearing Zhang Xuans decision, the eyes of the civilians of Qingyuan City reddened. To view money as if it was nothing more than dirt, giving them the characters that were easily worth three Saint intermediate-tier artifacts without much hesitation... He was a true master teacher! Actually, the matter concerning Vice Pavilion Master Tian and Chu Tianxing has already left me a little doubtful about thepetency of the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, after hearing Zhang shis words, my trust in the Master Teacher Pavilion has been restored! Indeed. Without their protection, theres no way we could have lived in peace for so many years. Perhaps, we might even have fallen under the treacherous schemes of Chu Tianxing and lost our lives. ... While the crowd of Qingyuan City had not said anything, the problems that had surfaced one after another in recent days had really left them a little disappointed in thepetency of the Master Teacher Pavilion. After all, the betrayal of a vice pavilion master and an emperor of a Conferred Empire was noughing matter. Yet, the Master Teacher Pavilion had been oblivious to something as huge as this for such a long period of time. Inevitably, they had started to question the Master Teacher Pavilions leadership internally. However, the disy of magnanimity from Zhang Xuan reassured them that the Master Teacher Pavilion was still devoted to its responsibilities and duties, and this had helped to restore public faith in them. Hearing the words from the crowd and the agitation on their faces, Yao shi sped her fist toward Zhang Xuan and bowed. Zhang shis magnanimity is truly worthy of praise. I was being too narrow-minded. She had been thinking of how she should dispel the various adverse consequences of the matter and re-establish the prestige and authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion among the popce. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like there was no need for her to do so anymore. As long Zhang Xuan was around, the unrest among the popce of Qingyuan City would be settled easily. In just two short hours, the young man had already effectively be the number one figure of Qingyuan City, wielding authority iparable by anyone else there. With just a few simple moves, he had already managed to reduce the adverse effects from this incident to the bare minimum. It seemed like the young man did not just possess superior talent. More importantly, his outlook toward matters was also far broader and deeper than others. Compared to him, she really had much to learn. Alright, I shall announce the results of the Master Teacher Confrontation now. For the duel of Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy between Song shi and Zhang shi, Zhang shi is the victor! Yao shi dered loudly, her voice sounding across the entire capital. Wonderful! Great! I knew that Zhang shi would win! Loud cheers broke out throughout the capital. Not expecting Zhang Xuan to receive the admiration of so many people within such a short period of time, the awoken Song shis face paled. You all... After announcing the results, Yao shi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang shi, since you have achieved victory... may I know how you intend to deal with Song shi? Chapter 1244 - Zhang shi Is Conducting a Lecture!

Chapter 1244: Zhang shi Is Conducting a Lecture!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Upon hearing Yao shis questions, the crowd also swiftly sent curious gazes over. They had heard Song shis earlier words as well. Not only did he want to cripple Zhang Xuans manhood, he even wanted to kill the Golden Origin Cauldron and have Zhang Xuan issue a public apology to him. Considering that the tables had turned, they could not help but want to know how Zhang Xuan would deal with this situation. Given how callous Song shi had been previously, any punishment that Zhang Xuan enforced on him would not be considered overboard. At the same time, Song shi also tightened his fists as he nervously awaited Zhang Xuans verdict. The losing party of the Master Teacher Confrontation had toply with whatever request the victor demanded. This was the rule established by the Master Teacher Pavilion. Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Song shi attempted to kill Sun Qiang, Elder Xu, and the other meritorious subjects, but that was due to thepelling situation forcing him to do so. While I disagree with his actions, I can understand his rationale for doing so. Other than that, I do not have a personal grudge with him either... and if we look to the heart of the issue, my artifact was indeed at fault for going too far and injuring him. Thus, I wont enforce any punishment on him. In a sense, the assault from the Golden Origin Cauldron was already a sufficient for punishment against Song shi. At this point, he was not interested in pursuing the matter any further. That would only make him appear narrow-minded and unforgiving. As expected of Zhang shi, magnanimous and gracious! Indeed! They are both master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion, so why is there such a huge disparity in their characters? Huge disparity? More like they arent even on the same level! From today onward, Zhang shi will be my idol! Anyone who wants to get to him must go through me! Hey, Zhang shi doesnt belong to you alone! Hes my idol too. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, a wave of admiration rippled through the crowd. Even Yao shi could not help but nod in approval. It was no wonder Zhang Xuan was able to rise to such heights at his young age. Putting aside his talent, what was more important was his heart. Despite Zhang shis magnanimity, theres no doubt that Song shi has failed to carry out his mission as an envoy from the headquarters properly. He passed judgement upon Sun Qiang and the other poison masters without investigating the issue properly, nearly inflicting grievous injustice upon meritorious subjects, Yao shi said. No matter what, he still has to take responsibility for his actions. Ill report this matter to the headquarters and have them make a judgement. Zhang Xuan sparing Song shi of his punishment was only a result of his victory from the Master Teacher Confrontation. Putting that aside, there was still no doubt that Song shi hadmitted a huge oversight in the handling of this incident, so he still had to be punished for hispse in responsibility. This was the rule of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it had to be upheld. Thank you, Zhang shi. Thank you, Yao shi. Hearing the judgement, Song shi heaved a sigh of relief. He could not help but nce at Zhang Xuan withplex emotions in his eyes. Previously, when the young man crippled him with his artifact, he had been so angry that he could have murdered the other party. But now... seeing how the young mans every action was dedicated to fulfilling his responsibility as a master teacher, not forgetting his role regardless of the situation, he could not help but feel deep respect for the other party. Perhaps, that was how a real master teacher should act. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Seeing that the matter was finally resolved, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief on the inside. Raising his gaze toward the sky once more, he raised his finger toward the many characters and tapped lightly. Hong long! The first character abruptly burst apart, and concentrated spiritual energy diffused into the surroundings, shrouding the entire Qingyuan City. In the blink of an eye, every lifeform in Qingyuan City heard a word resounding in the depths of their souls. A single word it might have been, but the rich intent infused into it left them falling into a trance. Pah pah pah pah! The characters popped one after another, and more and more words sounded. In the Way of Cultivation, the body as the world, and the spirit as Yin-Yang... 1 Hearing those words, Yao shi and Song shi could not help but fall into a daze. From the moment they saw those characters, they knew that the knowledge they harnessed would be anything but ordinary. However, it was only when they heard it with their own ears that they realized just how profound it truly was. Compared to the content in those characters, the cultivation techniques that they cultivated were truly inefficient and slow, as if a crawling snail. Hardly worth a mention! Suppressing her urge to cultivation, Yao shis eyes widened in bewilderment. Zhang shi is converting the characters of the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy back to Impartation of Heavens Will! Taking a look at the square beneath her feet, all of the cultivators in her sight had already sat down cross-legged on the ground, driving their zhenqi ording to the method depicted through those words. Pilip! Not too longter, as if an endless firecracker had been lit, the crisp echoes symbolizing breakthroughs in cultivation sounded amid the crowd. This is... It was understandable that a cultivation technique as profound as the one lectured by Zhang Xuan would cause the cultivators to swiftly achieve breakthroughs... but beyond the crowd, a group of wild chickens, flying birds, and many other animals were also swiftly growing stronger, and they were beginning to make breakthroughs as well. Am I really not dreaming? Astonished, Yao shi extended her Spiritual Perception to scan the area, and she swiftly saw countless donkeys, horses, geese, chicks... and as if they had all started cultivating as well, their auras swiftly surged along with Zhang Xuans words. It isnt just those flying birds, even the domesticated animals are achieving breakthroughs as well! Shocked beyond words, she was just about to retract her Spiritual Perception when another sight she saw nearly caused her knees to cave in from sheer astonishment. Hmm? Werent those metal pipes bent earlier? Why did they suddenly straighten themselves? The bent metal pipes just a little in front of the execution tform had, at some point in time, be incredibly straight, as if valiant soldiers standing at attention, exuding a heroic aura. To actually be able to talk a metal pipe into bing erect... Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Yao shi took another nce at Zhang Xuan, and she felt as if she was going insane. This had already far exceeded the ability of a normal Impartation of Heavens Will! Its Heart of a Teacher, Yao shi thought as her eyes lit up in excitement. Only those who possessed the Heart of a Teacher would wield such capabilities! Who would have thought that the young man before her had actuallyprehended this at such a young age? It was no wonder he would unreservedly gift those valuable characters to the crowd and consider the welfare of the Master Teacher Pavilion and mankind in everything he did. A thought emerged in Yao shis mind. If I could ept such a formidable genius as my student... There was no denying Zhang Xuans outstanding talent, but his potential was limited by his environment. The Qingyuan Empire, rankedst among the Conferred Empires, was simply too backward, and it was not big enough for him to fully spread his wings. If she could ept him as her student, bring him to the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, and ord him the best resources there, he would be able to avoid many detours in his cultivation and improve swiftly. When he finally disyed his brilliance, as his teacher, her reputation would also spread far and wide. I should ask himter. ncing at the slowly disappearing characters in the sky and the countless cultivators achieving a breakthrough around her, Yao shi suppressed her urge for the moment and waited patiently for the Impartation of Heavens Will toe to an end. ... At the same time, in a smithy located at the suburbs of Qingyuan City... In apact room, an old metalsmith was forging a metal ingot beneath his hammer. An elder walked up to the old metalsmith and smiled. Old Zhou, I am stillcking eighteen metal pots. You mustplete them for me by today! The old metalsmith was neither a cksmith nor a celestial designerhe was just an ordinary metalsmith who forged basic necessities for a living. Theres no need to rush me, dont you have any confidence in me? Ill surely finish your order by today! the metalsmith replied with a smile. Like magic, just with a few strikes from the hammer in his hands, the metal ingot swiftly assumed the shape of a pot. I have known you for several decades nowof course I have confidence in you! the elder said. With several decades of fellowship, they had long be close friends with one another. The pots, spoons, and other necessities forged by the old metalsmith were exceptionally exquisite and elegant. Whenever he ced the products of the old metalsmith on disy, they would be swiftly sold out. Even the nobles of the country had ced orders for the old metalsmiths works with him, offering to pay a premium on them. It was for this reason that he would always frequent the smithy of the old metalsmith and acquire his goods. The metalsmith gestured to the chair by the side as he said, Yes, wait there for me. I should be done soon, so lets have a cup of tea togetherter on... However, something happened at this moment that caused the metalsmiths hammer to freeze in ce. Ding ding dang dang! The various pots and bowls he had hung on the walls suddenly began moving by themselves despite the absence of wind. They delightfully leaped to the ground before marching out of the smithy in a neat line. This... Unable to believe his eyes, the old metalsmith rubbed his eyes. Those pots and bowls were just ordinary goods, possessing no spirit at all. Why would they suddenly flee by themselves? Watching as a bunch of spoons make their way out of the room, the elder who had been speaking to the old metalsmith a moment ago was also dumbstruck. He quickly rushed up to the metalsmith and asked, Whats going on? I dont know either... The metalsmith stared at the fantastical sight before him in a daze. Slowly, his dazed expression twisted into one of horror. Those were the goods that he had hammered with great effort! If they ran away, wouldnt his effort all have been in vain? Thus, he swiftly dashed to the door to block the marching of the various metalworks, but at that moment, he suddenly felt a sharp ache in his palm, which caused his clenched hand to open. The metal hammer he was holding made use of this opportunity to leap to the ground and dash out of the room. Dont run! That hammer had been with him for several decades now, and he depended on it for a living. The old metalsmith immediately gave chase, but the following moment, the metal door to the smithy abruptly smashed into his head, knocking him back. Before he could even process what was going on, the entire house began shaking intensely before furiously running after the metal hammer. Even my house is running away? The metalsmith was crazed. It was one thing for his pots and bowls to run away, but for his house to escape as well... Where was he going to live from now on? Where was he going to smith his goods in the future? Panicked, the old metalsmith turned to his old friend and pleaded, Old Liang, dont you have an aerial spirit beast? Help me check whats going on! I cant lose my wares and house just like that! Alright! The elder who had been speaking to him earlier nodded. With a loud whistle, an aerial spirit beast immediately flew to the ground. The elder stepped on the back of the aerial spirit beast and flew into the distance. Not longter, the elder returned with a pale face, as if he had just seen something supernatural happening before him. Whats wrong, Old Liang? Is this the work of some kind of burr? the old metalsmith asked anxiously. He had heard rumors about formidable burrs being able to steal items even from a distance away. Could one of these burrs have cast some kind of sorcery over his possessions, causing them to run out of his control and flee? Its not the doing of a burr but... The elder swallowed a mouthful of saliva, but his voice still sounded extremely hoarse. ... Zhang shi is conducting a lecture! Chapter 1245 - Honorary Elder

Chapter 1245: Honorary Elder

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang shi is conducting a lecture? The old metalsmith was taken aback. Pricking up his ears and listening intently, there was indeed a faint voice to be heard a distance away. As it was too far away, the voice sounded indistinct. Nevertheless, just by catching traces of it, he could already feel the zhenqi in his body leaping into action, moving along with the other partys words. Is this... Impartation of Heavens Will? the metalsmith asked hoarsely as his eyes lit up in agitation. Even though he was only an ordinary metalsmith, he had still heard much about the master teachers. It was indeed troublesome that his pots and bowls had run away, but this was also a rare opportunity for him. There was a vast difference in the price of an ordinary pot and one that had been infused with a spirit. With his exquisite craftsmanship, he could sell his pots for a thousand gold coins easily. However, if his pots were infused with spirit, he would have to think twice about selling them even if the buyer were to offer him a middle-tier spirit stone! Of course... before considering any of that, he had to capture his escaped pots and metalware back first! Hu! Not too longter, the old metalsmith finally managed to catch up to his pots and bowls, and his hammer was finally back in his hands as well. This time though, he could feel a bloodline connection with his hammer, and it felt as if the hammer had no weight at all. With this, I wont need to rest in between my forging anymore. I can finish the eighteen pots required well before afternoon! As long as I have this hammer in hand, Ill be able to lead a far better life than before, the old metalsmith thought as he clenched his fists in agitation. Gazing in the direction that the voice hade from, the old metalsmith kneeled onto the floor with reddened eyes. Thank you, Zhang shi. ... The same sight was happening throughout every street and alley of Qingyuan City. Zhang Xuans Impartation of Heavens Will was not only able to raise ones cultivation, it was also highly effective toward ones proficiency in an upation. There were some apothecaries who found themselves sessfully forging pills that they had failed countless times before after listening to Zhang Xuans lecture. There were also saint beasts who were unable to reproduce due to their strong bloodlines suddenly finding themselves carrying twins in their wombs after listening to the lecture. ... Padah! When the final character above the square dissipated, the cultivators in the square gradually roused from the trance they were in, and an ardent heat could be seen in their eyes. Ordinary Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy was only sufficient for the cultivation of an individual, but Zhang Xuans had been actually able to release a resounding voice, reminiscent of an Impartation of Heavens Will. Within just a short period of time, they had found themselves benefiting greatly from his teachings. Everything felt so mystical that they could not help but feel a little dreamy within. Teacher! One by one, they kneeled onto the ground and kowtowed in agitation. Having benefited from the Zhang Xuans guidance, he could be considered half a teacher to them. From that day onward, nearly all of the master teachers and cultivators in Qingyuan City would be Zhang Xuans students, granting him unparalleled authority and prestige in the city. Seeing the gazes of admiration around him, Yao shi remarked in awe, To make countless submit to him through just words... this is a true master teacher! Despite being an 8-star master teacher, she knew that she was incapable of doing the same. The talent that the young man before her possessed far surpassed her imagination. Perhaps, he might even be on par with the offspring of the Sage ns! Furthermore, despite having so many people acknowledging him as their teacher simultaneously, he showed no signs of excitement orcency at all. Just by his state of mind alone, there was no doubt that he would eventually achieve great things in the future! I must ept him as my student! Yao shi clenched her fists tightly in determination. As talented as Zhang Xuan was, he still was not an 8-star master teacher yet, so she stood a chance in bing the young mans teacher. As long as she groomed him well, it would not be long before she became one of the most respected figures in the Master Teacher Continent! With such thoughts in mind, Yao shi could no longer hold herself back anymore. Turning to Zhang Xuan, she asked, Zhang shi, are you are interested in cultivating in the Empire Alliance? Empire Alliance? Thats right. The cultivation techniques and resources they have there are iparable to those of the Qingyuan Empire. As long as you agree to be my student, I can take you there and vie for the best resources for you. With my guidance, I guarantee that you will be a real 8-star master teacher within the next fifty years! Yao shi nodded. Fifty years? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head. No thank you. If he needed fifty years to advance to an 8-star master teacher, he would already be lying in the dirt with tall grass above his grave. To others, to be able to be an 8-star master teacher before seventy was already a formidable achievement, but to him, that was a speed even slower than a snails crawl. It could not generate the slightest enthusiasm in him. Despite Zhang Xuans rejection, Yao shi did not show the slightest hint of anger. Instead, she began patiently exining, Zhang shi, this is really a good opportunity. The Empire Alliance is filled with many different factions, and without someone to bring you around, you will face many obstacles there. Factions? The Empire Alliance is basically a power consisting of multiple organizations, namely the Eight Conferred Empires and several smaller Sage ns. Due to the independent nature of these organizations, there are often conflicts of interest, resulting in the rise of several different factions in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Without any understanding of the various factions, its very easy for one to get on the wrong side of the more powerful factions, which would make it hard for one to survive there, Yao shi replied with a nod. I am not taking advantage of you by epting you as my disciple. Bying under my protection, you will be able to better maneuver your way around the politics there and receive the recognition from the various powers. Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, it will be difficult for you to rise through the ranks. After all, given how big the Empire Alliance is, one thing that they dontck is talented individuals! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. He had read books concerning the Empire Alliance, so he had some understanding of how it operated. Just as Yao shi said, the Eight Conferred Empires were only a portion of the Empire Alliance. Some of the weaker Sage ns and sects were under them as well. As a power consisting of multiple individual organizations, it was inevitable that multiple factions would rise in the Empire Alliance so that these organizations would be able to protect their interests. Theres no need to give me a response right now. You can give it some thought, Yao shi said. Regarding that, Im curious, why do the headquarters allow the master teachers of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion to engage in factional rivalry? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. In the previous ces he had been to, the master teachers from the same Master Teacher Pavilion would typically get along harmoniously with one another. While there was some rivalry and conflict, it was mostly between individuals rather than factions. So, why would the headquarters turn a blind eye to such chaos in the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion? When Kong shi first established the Master Teacher Pavilion, he once said that in order for mankind to grow swiftly, their true nature mustnt be restrained. There should always be some degree ofpetition and conflict internally, or else peace will slowly result in stagnation and decline, Yao shi exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. This was simr to the rules of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Unless in the face of affairs that threatened the welfare of mankind, the management of the academy would usually stay out of the rivalry among students. Only withpetition would there be a sense of urgency for improvement. If each independent power felt that their interest would be assured by a higher power, while it was true that this would allow the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion to be united in the short-term, in the long-run, these independent powers could growcent andzy. It was also for this reason that the regional Master Teacher Pavilion was entrusted with the full responsibility of dealing with whatever conflicts they faced on theirnd. Unless the problem surpassed their capability, the direct headquarters would not interfere in the matter. As long as the factional rivalry did not get out of hand, maintaining such a state in the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion was not necessarily a bad decision. It was through such a system that talents rose one after another in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and despite dozens of millenniums passing, its position as the number one upation still remained unwavering. This was survival of the fittest. Only through a cycle of continuous selection would the most capable master teachers be left within the organization. I really dislike dealing with such factional rivalries... Zhang Xuan pinched his be in frustration. It was simply too tiring to engage in politics against others. I understand your point of view, but theres no way to avoid it. Unless you be an elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, you will eventually be dragged into the factional rivalry as well! Yao shi replied with a sigh. Elder? Un. The elders of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion have a vote in deciding major affairs, and just for that, every single organization lobbies them. It could be said that they possess a transcendental position in the Empire Alliance, and no one dares offend them! Yao shi exined. How can one be an elder then? Zhang Xuan was a little moved by that idea. By bing an elder, he would be spared from the politics that he hated, and he would also be able to enjoy cultivation resources as a result of that position. Two birds with one stone! You want to be an elder? Yao shi was rendered speechless. That fellow sure knew how to dream. Even she, an 8-star low-tier master teacher, was not qualified to be an elder. Yet, a 7-star master teacher like him was actually already thinking about it... Arent you being too ambitious? Suppressing her displeasure at the young mans conceit, Yao shi exined patiently, In order to be an elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, you first have to be an 8-star master teacher, and your cultivation has to reach Saint 7-dan. More importantly, you must receive Pavilion Master Hes recognition and approval. Without any of that, its impossible to be an elder! At this point, Yao shi sighed deeply before continuing. My teacher is an 8-star high-tier master teacher, and he has been applying for the seat of an elder for thirty years now. Despite that, he still has not been approved! If only her teacher was an elder, she would have been in one of those blessednds for cultivation at this moment instead of being dispatched here to the remote Qingyuan Empire to deal with this trouble. Since even her teacher was not qualified to be an elder, how could the young man before her possibly stand a chance? Even if he possessed astounding talent, he was still only a 7-star master teacher! One must know that the number of talented master teachers increased exponentially going up the ranks. Zhang Xuan might have been an incredible genius, but which of the current 8-star master teachers were not astounding talents back in their time? Besides, one had to get past Pavilion Master He in order to be an elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. If it was that easy to earn Pavilion Master Hes approval, there would not only have been twelve elders in the entire Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion over the course of the past few centuries. I see... Its indeed not easy to be an elder. Hearing that even Yao shis teacher, an 8-star high-tier master teacher and Saint 7-dan expert, had not seeded in bing an elder yet, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly, realizing that he might have been a little too impudent. Indeed... Yao shi shook her head and sighed deeply once more. As such, its impossible to avoid the factional rivalry in the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. Since thats the case, the only way to protect yourself is by choosing a side to stand with anding under the factions protection. Even though my teacher is not an elder, hes still possesses one of the managerial roles there. If you be my student, you will automatically be a member of our faction, and you can be assured that my teacher and I will do our best to protect you... While Yao shi was busy analyzing the situation for Zhang Xuan in order to convince him to be her student, a furious gale suddenly sounded in the air. Following which, a massive aerial saint beast came to a halt above the execution tform. Several figures leaped down from the aerial saint beast. Wu shi, Hall Master Xing... Zhang Xuan greeted the familiar faces with a smile. Wu shi and the others had taken a short stop at the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion in order to report the incident concerning the Qingtian Emperor to the headquarters before rushing back, thus causing them to return to Qingyuan City a few hourster than Zhang Xuan. After trading some pleasantries, Wu shi said with a smile, Zhang shi, I have already reported the matter in detail to the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, and Pavilion Master He has also prepared a reward for you! Following that, he abruptly raised the token in his hand, and a pir of light rose from the nearby Master Teacher Pavilion. Boom! As if some kind of formation had been activated, a powerful aura began diffusing into the surroundings, shrouding the area. Realizing that a decree from the headquarters had arrived, all the master teachers andbat masters hurriedly turned their gazes over grimly. A powerful voice echoed in the surroundings. Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilions Zhang Xuan has foiled the schemes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and annihted the Qingtian Emperor and his Ten Kings. For the immense contribution he has made to mankind, I hereby dere him an honorary elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion... Chapter 1246 - Ji Ruochen Chapter 1246: Ji Ruochen Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hong long! Right after those words were spoken, a peculiar power began shrouding Zhang Xuan, and it gradually converged to form a unique token in his hands. On the front was an emblem representing the Empire Alliance, and on the back were the words Honorary Elder. The token was golden in color, and it carried an aura of authority. Honorary elder? I became an elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan was stupefied. It was just a moment ago that Yao shi had been filling him in on how difficult it was to be an elder, advising him to drop the hopeless idea. But in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly bestowed with this identity? Too easy! Zhang Xuan subconsciously shot a nce toward Yao shi, only to see thetters facepletely red as her body trembled uncontrobly. It seemed like she was already on the verge of tears. Well, it was no wonder she would react in such a manner. Her teacher had spent so many years applying for the position of an elder time and time again, only to fail each time around. Yet, he, a 7-star master teacher who had never even been to the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, had actually be its elder so easily. Not to mention, he had even received the title right after Yao shi exined how difficult it was to obtain it! Thank you! Knowing that this was probably the result of Wu shi and the others passing on the credit of the expedition to him, Zhang Xuan quickly turned around to thank them. Other than bestowing Zhang Xuan with the position as an honorary elder, Pavilion Master He also announced Wu shis promotion as the new head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Yao shi and Pavilion Master Wu, Ill be counting on you to deal with the affairs here. As the two sped their fists, Pavilion Master Hes voice gradually faded into silence. With this, the problem that Sun Qiang and the others had caused had been resolved, so there was no longer any need for Zhang Xuan to remain there. As for dealing with the post-crisis clean up concerning the Qingyuan Empire and the Master Teacher Pavilion, Wu shi and Yao shi were clearly morepetent than him in that area, so his interference in those matters would only be excessive. Thus, Zhang Xuan bade farewell and prepared to take his leave. At that moment, however, Wu shi suddenly stopped him and asked, Zhang shi, wait a moment. Chu Tianxings death has resulted in a power gap in the Qingyuan Empire. Who do you think will be a suitable candidate to be the next emperor? The Qingyuan Empire could not go on without an emperor. Since Chu Tianxing was dead, they had to ascertain a sessor as soon as possible, or else it would not be long before internal strife broke out for the throne. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. This... Chu Tianxing has a son named Chu Xiang. I know him personally, and he does have the qualities suited for the crown. I think its worth considering him. Sun Qiang had revealed Chu Xiangs identity to him in the message that he had left for him in the Jade Communication Token. While that young man was indeed a little lustful, he was no profligate scion. Putting aside his superior talent in cultivation, the young man did have a keen eye for assessing the big picture, and in the interactions with him, Zhang Xuan had realized that he harboredpassion for the popce. From those two aspects, he would make a much better emperor than Chu Tianxing. I understand. Ill take a look at Chu Xiang, Wu shi replied. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded before leaping down from the execution tform. He walked up to Sun Qiang and asked, Where is Liu Yangs letter? Let me take a look at it! Shortly after Chu Tianxings death, Liu Yang had gone missing, leaving behind only a letter. Considering how Song shi had mobilized the entire Master Teacher Pavilion tob Qingyuan City and its surroundings, only to find no trace of him at all, there was a good chance that he had already left Qingyuan City. Sun Qiang had expressed that he was unaware of the details concerning Liu Yangs departure as well, and the only clue that was left behind was the letter. Since the crisis was already over, it was time for him to deal with Liu Yangs issue. As the letter was addressed to Young Master, I didnt dare open it, Sun Qiang exined as he passed it over to Zhang Xuan. Taking the letter, Zhang Xuan tore open the envelope, and lines of words immediately appeared before him. Teacher, Im sorry for my abrupt departure. I have really caused you much trouble this time by killing Chu Tianxing, but thats only partly why I have chosen to take my leave. I know that with you will be able to absolve me from me, but I really do not wish to remain a burden by your side. You have already done too much for me... The words were neat with distinctive strokes, and they carried an air of resolve to them. Soon, Zhang Xuan finished reading through the letter, and he shook his head silently. In truth, he was able to understand the reason behind Liu Yangs abrupt departure. Liu Yang was one of the first few students he had epted, and in that sense, he could be considered the senior of Zheng Yang, Lu Chong, Yuan Tao, and the others. But now, Zheng Yang had be the Progeny of Combat, Lu Chong had headed to the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles to inherit the heritage of the soul oracles, and Yuan Tao had returned to the Yuan n. It was clear that all of them were destined for greatness! On the other hand, of Zhang Xuans three female students, one had gone to the cier in Court, one had taken root in the Poison Hall, and one had joined the Spirit Awakener Guild. In contrast, he appeared to be the only unaplished one, still silently following behind their teachers back. The pressure he had been under was unimaginable. It was one thing for him to expend their teachers cultivation resources, but he even fell for the enemys ploy and was held hostage by them in order to threaten his teacher. The immense guilt that he felt nearly had suffocated him! He knew how much his teacher cared for them, and that only served to deepen the pressure on him. He realized that the only way he could stop being a burden to his teacher was to leave. This way, no one would be able to hold him hostage to threaten his teacher, and his teacher would not be put in a spot because of him. Thus, he hardened his resolve and departed without any hesitation. Jeez... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. You are my precious student; I would never think of you as a burden. Even though Liu Yang could not be said to be particrly outstanding of the seven direct disciples, he was still a student who had been with Zhang Xuan since Tianxuan Kingdom, and step by step, they hade this far together. Zhang Xuan had long viewed the young man as his own child, so how could he possibly view thetter as a burden? Young Master, what should we do about Young Master Liu Yang? At this point, Sun Qiang had also finished reading the letter, and he could not help but ask. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Theres no need to look for him. Given his capability, itll be impossible to track him down. We can only wait for him to think things through and find me of his own ord. As his direct disciple, what Zhang Xuan had imparted to Liu Yang were not just cultivation and battle techniques but practical skills such as disguising and anti-tracking. If Liu Yang really wanted to hide himself, unless it was Zhang Xuan himself, not even a 7-star master teacher would be able to identify him! I have really neglected his state of mind and sentiments... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Zheng Yang bing the Progeny of Combat must have been a huge blow to Liu Yang. His peer had already be someone who could bring pride and honor to their teacher whereas he was still living off their teacher. It was inevitable that he would feel dispirited. However, Zhang Xuan had simply had too much on his hands then to pay any heed to Liu Yangs state of mind, or else, he never would have allowed such a thing to happen. In grooming a student, a teacher mustnt just focus on developing their cultivation and capabilities. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply once more. For the past year, he had been too focused on developing the capabilities of his students that he had neglected their feelings. His students did not just view one another as seniors and juniors, they also thought of the others as rivals whom theypared themselves with. However, it was already toote to do anything about it. He could only wait for Liu Yang to walk out of this matter by himself now. ... In the sky far away from Qingyuan City, a beautiful figure was seated on the back of an aerial saint beast with her eyes tightly closed. A surge of pure zhenqi flowed through her veins, resulting in a peculiar deep melody. Kacha! Some timeter, as if sessfully breaking some kind of bottleneck, the youngdy slowly opened her eyes. I have finally made a breakthrough... She had been cultivating diligently during this period of time, and her efforts had finally paid off. Even though she was still some distance away from reaching Saint realm, it was no longer a distant target for her. Zhang shi, just you wait! Ill look for you once more I catch up to you, the youngdy dered with a determined gleam in her eyes. She really fancied the talented master teacher who dared treat her as his maid for a period of time, but she knew that blindly following behind the other party would only bring her greater and greater despair. Since that was the case, she would just have to focus all her effort into her cultivation, and hopefully, she would be able to get him to spare her an additional nce. She had thought over many matters in the ten days that she had spent on top of the aerial saint beast, and she hade to understand a lot. Leaving did not mean that she was giving up or admitting defeat. Rather, it was to build the foundation for a sweeter reunion. Hopefully, when I meet you once more, I will have the courage and strength to speak on equal grounds with you. Qiu! While the youngdys eyes were still wandering over the ce, the piercing call of a beast sounded in her ears. Following which, she felt the aerial saint beast beneath her trembling non-stop, as if it had encountered an overwhelmingly powerful existence. She quickly raised her head and saw an emerald-colored saint beast slowly flying over from the horizon. Roughly ten meters in length, the saint beast before her was indescribably beautiful. It had nine tails that fluttered elegantly behind it, and its movements seemed to manipte space itself, allowing it to soar freely in the sky. That is the... Saint 9-dan Nine-tailed Empyrean Phoenix? the youngdy gasped in disbelief. While it was only a short stay in Qingyuan City, she had not spent her time idling away. Through visiting the various guilds and reading the books they had on their shelves, she had managed to deepen her understanding in most of her supporting upations, including beast tamer! Based on what she knew, the saint beast that was appearing before her was likely one of the rarest saint beasts in the Master Teacher Continent... the Nine-tailed Empyrean Phoenix! It would already be a blessing of a lifetime if an ordinary cultivator was able to catch a glimpse of it, so it felt too much of a coincidence for her to encounter it there in the middle of the vast, endless sky. As the youngdy stiffened her body warily, a figure suddenly emerged on the back of the Empyrean Phoenix. Her face was covered with a veil, making it impossible to discern her appearance or age. However, from the veileddys slender and elegant figure, the youngdy could tell that the other party was likely a ravishing beauty. Just from the fact that the other party was standing upon the Saint 9-dan Nine-tailed Empyrean Phoenix, there was no doubt that the veileddy was a formidable expert, an existence who stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent. Not daring to hesitate in the least, the youngdy immediately got to her feet and bowed respectfully. There was no way she could afford to offend such a powerful expert! Hu! The Nine-tailed Empyrean Phoenix stopped at a distance not too far away from the youngdys aerial saint beast. With a pair of eyes that twinkled like the brilliant stars in the sky, the veileddy looked at the youngdy and said, You are Yu Fei-er. It was a crisp voice reminiscent of the jingle of bells. Rather than a question, it seemed like she was making a statement instead. Nevertheless, the youngdy still hurriedly nodded in response. Yes! She was indeed Yu Fei-er. My teacher wishes to ept you as her disciple. Despite her crisp voice, the veileddys tone was one of nonchnce. This... Yu Fei-ers body stiffened. She could not believe what she had just heard. Considering how the veileddy was riding a Saint 9-dan Nine-tailed Empyrean Phoenix, she was bound to be an incredible expert herself. So, just how powerful of a person would the teacher she spoke about be? May I know who your esteemed teacher is? Yu Fei-er asked meekly. My teacher is a 9-star master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion main headquarters, Elder Ji Ruochen! the veileddy replied calmly. 9-star master teacher? An elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion main headquarters? Yu Fei-ers breathing hastened. In this moment, she found her head insufficient to process the astounding news she had just heard. But I am just an ordinary person from a Tier-1 Empire, and I have never met Ji shi before. Why would... Ji shi want to ept me as her disciple? Everything had happened so abruptly and quickly that she dared not believe that something as good as this could possibly happen to her. You will have to ask my teacher personally. My job is just to bring you to my teacher, the veileddy replied impassively. So, whats your decision? If you are willing to be the disciple of my teacher, Ill take you with me. Otherwise, Ill convey your refusal to my teacher. I-Im willing... Im willing! Yu Fei-er quickly woke up from her daze and nodded vehemently. If she could be the disciple of a 9-star master teacher, her cultivation would surely grow by leaps and bounds. Perhaps, she might even be able to catch up with Zhang Xuan! Without a doubt, this was much better than fumbling her way forward. This was a rare opportunity that countless dreamt of. She would have to have been a fool to let it slip through her fingers! Very well, follow me then! The veileddy waved her hand, and Yu Fei-er suddenly found the world blurring before her. Before she could understand what was going on, she realized that she was already standing on the back of the Nine-tailed Empyrean Phoenix. Boom! While she was still dazed, the Empyrean Phoenix beneath her roared furiously before abruptly disappearing. As if teleportation, several thousand kilometers disappeared behind them in an instant. How fast! Seeing how fast the world was passing by her, Yu Fei-ers face reddened in astonishment. ncing back in the direction of Qingyuan City, she tightened her fists in agitation and made a vow. Zhang shi, Ill definitely stand proudly before you once more and have you make your choice again! Chapter 1247 - The Guide Arrives Chapter 1247: The Guide Arrives Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang shi, here is the gift that the headquarters have given us for the friendly spar with the other Combat Master Halls. Zhang Xuan brought Sun Qiang and the others back to their amodation in the Combat Master Hall, and not too long after they returned, Hall Master Xing came over. There had recently been a friendly spar between the four lower-ranked Combat Master Hall in order to choose twentybat masters to train at the Qianchong Empires Sword Lagoon. Thanks to the training regime that Zhang Xuan had specially created for their candidates, the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had managed to acquire all twenty of the slots, and the Combat Master Hall headquarters had specially ryed theirpliments to them. Just a few days ago, the rewards for their spectacr performance this time around had arrived through a special delivery channel. The reward this time around is 120 concentrated high-tier spirit stones, 20 more than we initially expected. However, even as the hall master, I can only freely allocate half of them, so I can only give you 60. Hall Master Xing flicked his wrist and passed several jade containers over. 60 concentrated high-tier spirit stone? That is good enough! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. It seems like the effort I put into training thoseds wasnt in vain! The effort you put into training thoseds? Hall Master Xings eyebrows began twitching, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. You ran off to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion right aftering up with the training regime, and you didnt even return to watch the friendly spar. If even that can be called effort, what cant be? Thanks! Zhang Xuan was perplexed by Hall Master Xings twitching eyebrows, but he decided not to pay any heed to it. He opened the jade containers, and upon feeling the dense spiritual energy flowing out of them, he nodded in satisfaction. With so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones, he would be able to advance his cultivation considerably! While it was his obligation as a master teacher to raise the fighting prowess of thebat masters, it still did not hurt for him to earn some benefits in the midst of doing so. This is what we agreed on previously, so theres no need to stand on ceremony. Alright, if theres nothing else, I wont hold you any longer. Knowing that Zhang Xuan would surely have to cultivate after obtaining the concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Hall Master Xing bade farewell before taking his leave. As soon as he left, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly entered the Myriad Anthive Nest. He had alreadypiled the Saint 4-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, and all he had beencking was ample concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Since he had finally obtained what he had been waiting for all this while, it was a given that he should quickly raise his cultivation. After all, it had already been more than ten days since he had been stuck at Saint 3-dan pinnacle. It was about time for him to make a breakthrough. In this world of cultivation, strength was the foundation to almost everything. Without sufficient strength, one would be too vulnerable. If he did not obtain strength soon enough, his girlfriend could very well be going into the embrace of another man. Zhang Xuan swiftly conditioned his state to the peak, and once everything was in ce, he took a seat and flicked his finger. A concentrated high-tier spirit stone flew out from the jade container. Under the effects of the formation, incredibly pure spiritual energy gushed out from the spirit stone and gathered around Zhang Xuan, flowing into his body via his acupoints. This isnt enough... Knowing that he would require far more spiritual energy than an ordinary cultivator to achieve a breakthrough, he continued to draw more spirit stones out from the jade containers. Sou sou sou sou! The remaining 59 concentrated high-tier spirit stones flew out one after another, and they took position in a unique formation around Zhang Xuan. Hong long long! The Spirit Gathering Formation drew out the spiritual energy from six of the concentrated high-tier spirit stones, and in the blink of an eye, the spiritual energy around Zhang Xuan felt as viscous as water. If any other ordinary cultivator had been in his ce instead, they would have found their breathing bing erratic. Not only would they be unable to cultivate under such circumstances, it might even pose a threat to them. The difference in the concentration of spiritual energy in the surroundings and a cultivators body would result in the spiritual energy relentlessly gushing into his body, and if the cultivator could not assimte the spiritual energy fast enough, the energy could end up wrecking their body, resulting in an unfortunate death. However, such a situation would never ur to Zhang Xuan. Having cultivated the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, his body was alreadyparable to a Saint intermediate-tier artifact. On top of that, he had also cultivated his soul through the Heavens Path Soul Art, making it far more resilient that the soul of any ordinary cultivator. As a result, it was nigh impossible that a situation would ur where his body was unable to withstand a massive influx of spiritual energy. The spiritual energy grew more and more concentrated, and when it finally reached a certain density, Zhang Xuan opened his mouth wide and began absorbing it furiously. Boom! The concentrated spiritual energy surged into Zhang Xuans body through his acupoints and into his body before swiftly gathering in his dantian. In his dantian, the ten-meter-tall Origin Soul waved its hand excitedly upon seeing the influx of spiritual energy, and it swallowed it delightfully in huge mouthfuls. Slowly, it began to metamorphose. The key to achieving Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm was to relentlessly feed ones Origin Soul with energy in order to nourish it, granting it sufficient energy to evolve into a Primordial Spirit. With ample spiritual energy and the Saint 4-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuans Origin Soul grew at a visible pace, and the aura it exuded was swiftly bing stronger. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! But along with the metamorphosis of the Origin Soul, the concentrated high-tier spirit stones lying all around were also beginning to shatter with crisp echoes as the spiritual energy within them was sapped dry. The rate at which the concentrated high-tier spirit stones are being consumed is really frightening... Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched wildly. He had thought that 60 concentrated high-tier spirit stones would be sufficient for him to cultivate from Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. However, from the looks of it... he had once again underestimated the frightening consumption rate of cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art. The further he cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, the greater the requirement for the purity and quantity of spiritual energy he would need. At this point, even the purity of concentrated high-tier spirit stones seemed to be slightlycking. Zhang Xuan sighed. Of the four necessary elements to cultivation wealth, peers, method, and environment 1 wealth is indeed ranked at the very top. Without sufficient resources, no amount of talent can allow one to climb to the top! He had been thinking that he would try to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan as soon as possible so that he would be on equal footing with the young prodigy of the Zhang n. But he now realized that the road ahead was truly arduous. Putting everything else aside, just theck of spirit stones could already leave him with a splitting headache. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Finally, when 32 concentrated high-tier spirit stones had been expended, he struck the bottleneck of Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle. Hong long! His aura abruptly transformed, granting him a more imposing presence. Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm reached! Upon the breakthrough in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan instantaneously felt his thoughts be clearer and faster. At the same time, his physical body and soul had also undergone massive changes, bing far more resilient and powerful than before. On top of that, his reflexes had also grown significantly. In the past, when he shed with Leaving Aperture realm experts, while he had been able to match them with his sheer strength and speed, his slightly slower reflexes had ced him at a critical disadvantage. He had needed to depend on his Eye of Insight in order to predict the opponents move in advance in order to stand against them on equal footing. Otherwise, he might not have even been a match for the copper-masked clone of the Qingtian Emperor. But with his current enhanced reflexes, he would be able to easily carry out maneuvers faster than the copper-masked clones reflexes, allowing him to subdue thetter in a single blow. Continue! Seeing that he still had some spirit stones remaining, Zhang Xuan calmed his state of mind before closing his eyes to continue cultivating. An hour and a halfter, all the remaining 28 concentrated high-tier spirit stones had shattered in powdery dust, and his cultivation had also advanced to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage. He raised his hand and grasped the area before him lightly. In an instant, the surrounding air turned viscous, making it tangible to ones touch. Incredible... Feeling that his grasp over space had advanced another notch, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. With my current strength, even if I encountered the real Qingtian Emperor again, I would be able to subdue him easily even without the assistance of my clone! From the Embryonic Soul realm to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, he had only achieved a breakthrough of three cultivation stages, but his fighting prowess had risen by twofold at the very minimum! With his enhanced strength and grasp over space, even in the Qingtian Emperors cloned form, without relying on his clone or any ploys, he would be able to overpower thetter with brute force. In other words, the current Zhang Xuan already wielded strengthparable to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage experts, or perhaps, he might even stand a chance against ordinary Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle experts. In the Leaving Aperture realm, every single advancement in ones cultivation stage would bring a lightning tribtion, and the tempering from the lightning tribtion resulted in a vast difference in strength between each cultivation stage. If it were to be known that Zhang Xuan was able to match a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivator before he had even made a breakthrough to the Leaving Aperture realm, it would surely scare many to death. Of course, considering that he cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path battle techniques, as well as the advantage from the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, he would really be useless if he could not do this much. Its a pity that I only received 60 concentrated high-tier spirit stones from Hall Master Xing. If I had obtained all 120, I might have been able to make a breakthrough to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle directly. Zhang Xuan shook his head. If only he could have raised his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, he was confident that he would have been able to down just about any Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert. Even without the Golden Origin Cauldron, he would be able to defeat cultivators of Song shis caliber with ease. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. I guess it cant be helped. No matter what, Hall Master Xing is the head of the Combat Master Hall. He will surely have to leave some concentrated high-tier spirit stones for himself to groom his ownbat masters, so I cant possibly take all of them from him. To be honest, Hall Master Xing was already being generous by giving him half of the rewards given to them by the Combat Master Hall headquarters. He would only be greedy if he attempted to acquire any more from them. After taking a while to adapt to his newfound strength, Zhang Xuan left the Myriad Anthive Nest. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked out of the room, Sun Qiang walked up to him. Young Master, Pavilion Master Wu has requested that you drop by the Master Teacher Pavilion for a moment after you are done cultivating! Wu shi wants me to drop by the Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan frowned. It had not been long since he returned. Why would Wu shi suddenly ask him to drop by the Master Teacher Pavilion? Sun Qiang pondered for a moment before replying. Un. Pavilion Master Wu said that the guide to the Sanctum of Sages has just arrived, so he wishes to invite you over to participate in the Selection of Sages. The guide has arrived? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Previously, Mu shi had told him that it was very likely that Luo Ruoxin was at the Sanctum of Sages, and if he wanted to find her, he would have to enroll into the Sanctum of Sages himself. However, as the highest academy of the Master Teacher Continent, it was not a ce that just anyone could enter. The slots for it were severely limited. When Zhang Xuan had asked about it back then, the response he had received was that the guide would be arriving around twenty dayster. Taking a look at the time, it was around twenty days since he had parted from Mu shi, and it was indeed about time for the guide to arrive. Ill head over to take a look... Since it was a matter concerning Luo Ruoxin, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to hesitate at all. He quickly made his way over to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Not too longter, he arrived at his destination. Zhang shi! Now that Zhang Xuan was the teacher of all master teachers, there was no one who did not recognize him. As soon as he entered the Master Teacher Pavilion, all the master teachers who saw him immediately sped their fists and bowed. He is Zhang shi? How dashing! I am his loyal fan! Do you think that hell allow me to bear his babies? Scram to the side! You are a man; how do you intend to give birth? ... Amotion swiftly broke out in the surroundings. After the incident with the Heavenly Impartation of Mentors Calligraphy, Zhang Xuan had already taken over Zhang Jiuxiaos position as the idol of all young men in the Qingyuan Empire. Thus, upon his appearance, all the young men who were currently studying in the Master Teacher Pavilion could not help but fall into a state of agitation, unable to control themselves. Seeing the crazed crowd around him, a feeling of deep helplessness rose within Zhang Xuan. This is really not the type of life I want! Why do things never go the way I want them to? All he sought was a humble life, cultivating peacefully, advancing his cultivation peacefully, and remaining the inconspicuous handsomed he was. It really was not his wish to have so many people idolize him frenziedly! Scanning the surroundings, Zhang Xuan saw the millstone-bottomdy who had been deeply infatuated with Zhang Jiuxiao back then standing amid the crowd as well. Upon noticing his gaze, thetter began shrieking in excitement, and from the looks of it, it seemed like she might even dash straight forward to knock him onto the ground. rmed, he hastened his footsteps. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Forget it, its about time for me to leave Qingyuan City anyway... He had been in Qingyuan City for roughly twenty days now, quite a long time indeed. It was about time for him to move on. No matter what, I must clinch the slot for the Sanctum of Sages! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Chapter 1248 - The Two Listening-In Students

Chapter 1248: The Two Listening-In Students

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Led by a master teacher, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at a majestic hall. Within the hall were Wu shi, Yao shi, and the others. On the guest seat was a silk-robed middle-aged man, and two young men stood behind him. Taking a quick peek over, Zhang Xuan found that the aura of the middle-aged man was deeply concealed within his body, like lightning shrouded by ominous storm clouds, rendering him incapable of gauging thetters strength. On the other hand, the young men had powerful Primordial Spirits lying dormant within their bodies, ready to bring forth devastating damage at any momentPrimordial Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivators. Judging from their physiques, Zhang Xuan gauged them to be beneath thirty this year. To wield such strength at their young age, they were indeed nothing short of the word frightening. They would not pale even inparison to the highly-talented Zhang Jiuxiao. Zhang shi! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Wu shi immediately stood up and introduced with a smile, Seated over here is the guide to the Sanctum of Sages, Zhao Xingmo! Zhao shi, this is Zhang Xuan, whom I spoke much about earlier. He possesses unparalleled talent not only in our Qingyuan Empire but possibly across all eight Conferred Empires! Un. Zhao Xingmo took a look at Zhang Xuan before giving a slight nonchnt nod. It was as if he had heard so many of such introductions that they could not faze him anymore. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan began swiftly scanning the room. Other than the few of them, Zhang Jiuxiao and ten or so of the more outstanding young geniuses from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion were also in the room. A momentter, when two more men finally arrived, Zhao Xingmo said with an impatient frown, Since everyone is already gathered here, lets begin! Nodding, Pavilion Master Wu took a sweeping gaze at the surroundings before announcing, Master teachers, I believe that all of you should know of Zhao shi, so I wont waste your time introducing him to you once more. For the Selection of Sages this time around, the guide shall be conducting the test himself. Without further ado, let us invite him to announce the rules for the test, as well as what you will have to prepare. The crowd quickly turned their gazes over to Zhao Xingmo. Theres no need for any preparation. First and foremost, I shall announce the requirements for the selection. Those who fail to meet the requirement need not waste any more of their time here, Zhao Xingmo announced impassively. Ill assume those who are gathered here should have some understanding of the Sanctum of Sages. There are several strict requirements for one to enroll into the Sanctum of Sagesone must be a 7-star master teacher and achieve a cultivation of Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm before thirty. I can see that most of you here have already met the requirements, but... in my view, it would be best for one to have as high a cultivation as possible. So far, only two of you have reached Saint 4-dan. Therefore, other than those two, the rest of you can leave right now. This... Thats all to the selection? Isnt this taking the Selection of Sages a little too lightly? Not expecting Zhao Xingmo to reduce the number of candidates to two just on the basis of their cultivation, everyone could not help but look at one another in astonishment. The Sanctum of Sages isnt like the Master Teacher Academies that you know of. It wont ept any master teacher just because they have met the prerequisites. You all should know that its the highest academy in the Master Teacher Continent, and its a ce to nurture future Sages. Those whose strength pales inparison to their peers really shouldnt be wasting their time, Zhao Xingmo uttered coldly. I dont have that much time to waste with the rest of you! Ah... Pavilion Master Wu did not think that Zhao Xingmo would actually be so direct. However, considering that the futures of a dozen young, talented master teachers of his Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion were at stake, he interjected. Zhao shi, isnt it a little too reckless to choose the candidates solely on the grounds of their cultivation? Why dont you take another look at them? Even if their cultivation iscking, they might be able to make up for it through other aspects. Theres no need for that. To be honest with you, I am only in charge of the preliminary selections. There will be another round of selections when we arrive at the Qianchong Empire and a final examination when we enter the City of Sages. Those whose cultivation has yet to reach Primordial Spirit realm wont even be able to clear the selections at Qianchong Empire, so it would only be a waste of time to bring them along! Zhao Xingmo waved his hands casually. I see... Since Zhao Xingmo had already said such words, there was nothing else Pavilion Master Wu could do. Shaking his head helplessly, he turned to the dozen or so eliminated master teachers and said, Theres no need to be too disheartened by this setback. As long as you set your mind to it, you will be able to advance to great heights no matter where you are. The Sanctum of Sages isnt the only ce for you to spread your wings and soar. Alright then... Knowing that there was nothing they could do about the situation either, the dozen young geniuses could only shake their heads and leave. In truth, they also knew that it was unlikely that they would have been chosen. Their cultivation and talent werent too weak either, butpared to Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao, they knew that they were still sorelycking. With those twopeting for the slot in the Qingyuan Empire as well, there was no way that they would be picked. Soon, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao were the only candidates left in the room. Zhao Xingmo turned his gaze over and said, Only the elites of mankind are allowed into the Sanctum of Sages, and these are the people who will eventually lead mankind to greater heights. But in order to have others submit to you, the most important thing one must possess is strength. As such, for this preliminary selection, I shall be taking strength to be the main assessment criterion. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. He could rte deeply to that sentiment. Schemes and disguises could bring others over to ones side in the short-term, but what wouldpel others submit to one was overwhelming strength. Take the current Zhang Xuan for example. Possessing unsurpassed might in the Qingyuan Empire, he no longer had to fear anyone or anything there. If he wished to, he would be able to exert his dominance over the popce, and no one would be able to oppose him. As for disguises, they would ultimately be exposed in a matter of time, so they were not a reliable measure. It was for this reason that most powerhouses relied not on schemes but the might of their fists to establish their dominance. Unwilling to submit? He would just have to crush the dissenters until they finally gave in! The same went for the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. Of course, its values and impartiality did allow it to win the heart of the others, but without sufficient strength at its foundation, it would only have been a matter of time before their leadership was questioned and overthrown. There were two upations in history who had challenged the Master Teacher Pavilions leadershipthe soul oracles and the poison masters. The soul oracles had beenpletely eradicated, such that their heritage had beenpletely terminated, and there was barely any trace of them to be found in the current times. As for the poison masters, they had been exiled to the darkest corners of the world, not daring to show their faces in public. Unquestionably, strength yed a crucial role in building ones authority. Simrly, the reason Sage ns were so widely feared by others was not because of their ties to disciples of Kong shi but because they had a strong foundation and overwhelming might that left others with no choice but to take them seriously. Only the strong were qualified to showpassion to others. Without sufficient strength, all words spoken were nothing but empty. Zhang Jiuxiao also nodded in agreement. Even though he was only from the side family, if his cultivation had already reached Saint 6-dan or Saint 7-dan, he would have been highly regarded by his n. He would not have fallen into this position, where he needed to go through so much trouble to vie for a slot to the Sanctum of Sages in a mere Conferred Empire. Seeing that the duo understood his intention, Zhao Xingmo gestured to the two young men behind him and said, These two are listening-in students 1 of the Sanctum of Sages. Even though they are not outstanding cultivators, their individual strength is still not too bad. On top of that, they are also able toplement one another through a coborative formation. If one of you is able to withstand three moves against their coboration, Ill take it as a pass! Hu! As Zhao Xingmo said those words, the two young men stepped forward and exerted their auras. In an instant, the entire hall suddenly seemed to have turned freezing cold, leaving those present feeling deeply pressured. They arent too bad... Just from their disposition alone, Zhang Xuan could tell that even though those two only possessed a cultivation of Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, they wielded fighting prowess that could match any ordinary Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert. If the two of them were to coborate perfectly with one another, it was likely that they would be able to match even a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage expert! In other words, even Pavilion Master Wu could be ced in a dangerous position when faced against them! And yet... they were only listening-in students of the Sanctum of Sages? If that was the case, just how powerful were the real students of the Sanctum of Sages? After making introductions, Zhao Xingmo looked at the two examinees and asked, Who wants to go first? Zhang Jiuxiao took a look at the duo before him, and after evaluating them, he shook his head with a bitter smile and sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, I didnt know that you were intending to head to the Sanctum of Sages as well. Since thats the case, I think Ill just forfeit here. Forfeit? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He did not expect a person as proud as Zhang Jiuxiao to admit defeat so easily. Indeed. Rather than embarrass myself, I think it would be better if I just forfeit right here, Zhang Jiuxiao said helplessly. Since he had traveled down to Qingyuan City from his home to vie for the only slot here, there was no doubt that he harbored great hopes for the Sanctum of Sages. He had thought that he would be able to seed this time around, but who knew that Zhang Xuan would suddenly appear at this moment? Regardless from which aspect he was looking at, he had no confidence that he would be able to match Zhang shi. Previously, he had thought that given his talent, he might still be able to put up a fight. However, after finding out that Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Master Teacher, he dared not harbor such thoughts anymore. Figures like Zhang Xuan were destined to make their mark in history. There was no way someone like him could possibly stand against Zhang Xuan. Furthermore, he had just made a swift calction, and he realized that with his current strength, it was very unlikely that he would be able to survive three moves against the duo. This... Seeing through Zhang Jiuxiaos thoughts, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before turning to Zhao Xingmo. Zhao shi, you said earlier that anyone who is able to survive three moves against their coboration will clear the test, correct? Thats right, Zhao Xingmo replied affirmatively. Then, if both of us withstand three moves, would this mean that we will both be receive the slots for the Sanctum of Sages? Both of you? Zhao Xingmo shot a nce at Zhang Xuan before replying nonchntly, From the looks of it, it seems more likely that both of you will fail the test. Thats not necessarily so, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He had harbored some prejudice toward the Zhang n due to the issue between Luo Ruoxin and that young prodigy of the Zhang n, but after spending some time with Zhang Jiuxiao, he realized that thetter was just a little too proud. Other than that, Zhang Jiuxiao was not as bad as he had initially thought. Zhang Jiuxiao had left his home to reside in Qingyuan City for several years, all in the hope of attaining the Qingyuan Empires slot to the Sanctum of Sages. If Zhang Xuan had not cut in abruptly, it was likely that he would have been the one to have obtained the slot. If the two of them could head to the Sanctum of Sages together, that would really be for the best! If both of you can survive three moves from those two, Ill consider the matter. However, just a word of advicedont overestimate yourself. Seeing the confident smile on Zhang Xuans face, Zhao Xingmo warned, Since I set the test in such a manner, you should also know that it wont be easy to survive three moves from those two! He earnestly did not believe that the master teachers from a humble Conferred Empire would be able to survive three moves from these two listening-in students from the Sanctum of Sages. Itll suffice as long as you are willing to consider the matter. Alright then, I guess we will have to try our best to survive those three moves, Zhang Xuan replied. Its good to see that you are confident. Lets hope that it isnt arrogance, Zhao Xingmo replied with a frown. Alright, who is going first? Allow me! Zhang Xuan stepped forward. He released his aura as wellPrimordial Spirit realm intermediate stage. In contrast to the two young men before him, the might that he released seemed insignificant. Those are big words. Lets see what kind of strength you possess! The young men sneered coldly as they flitted forward, nking Zhang Xuan on both sides. They had positioned themselves perfectly to seal all usible escape routes that anyone trapped in between them could possibly take, leaving him feeling as if he was locked within a cage. To exert psychological pressure ahead of the battle to make their opponent panic, not bad... Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. As expected of experts from the Sanctum of Sages, they really paid careful attention to every single aspect of battle in order to ascertain their victory. Through their psychological pressure, those who possessed a weaker state of mind would be more prone to falling into a state of panic, especially if they found themselves cornered in the midst of the battle. Once a seed of doubt was nted in their minds, it could possibly change the tides of the battle entirely. Your battle n isnt too bad, but topete with me in a battle of wills, the both of you are stillcking. Raising his chin, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and stepped forward. Chapter 1249 - I Shall Assess Him Personally!

Chapter 1249: I Shall Assess Him Personally!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The opponents were attempting to heap pressure on him, aiming tounch the decisive blow when he finally exposed an opening in his defenses. Such a move might have worked against Zhang Jiuxiao, but against him? A piece of cake! Putting aside the fact that his Soul Depth had already achieved a level equivalent to 8-star high-tier master teachers, even if it was beneath the other partys, there was no way such simple tricks would work on him. Hong long! That single step forward may appear to be nothing much, but to those young men, they felt as if a towering mountain was crushing down on them, cing them in a fluster. Following which, the pressure that they had exerted on Zhang Xuan was immediately returned to them, causing their minds to spin wildly. Terpsichorean art? Zhao Xingmos eyebrows shot up. Even though Zhang Xuans hands remained firmly behind his back, Zhao Xingmo had sensed a soul offense belonging to that of a terpsichore for a split instant. Not only did it wipe away the pressure from the wills of the two young men cleanly, it even struck terror into their hearts. To be able to see through the psychological attack and even return the favor in an instant, causing the two listening-in students of the Sanctum of Sages to suffer a setback... that fellow was not bad. Begin, Zhao Xingmo dered impassively. Boom! To an outsider, it would not seem as if there was anything peculiar to his voice. However, to the two young men, it sounded just like a bolt of lightning, jolting them awake from their daze. Damn it! Realizing that they had fallen from Zhang Xuans counterattack, their faces reddened in fury as their eyes narrowed menacingly. They hade here to teach the young man a lesson, but before they could aplish anything, they had ended up falling for the young mans counterattack and lost themselves. The intense frustration they felt from this failure left them with a zing inferno raging inside their bodies. Hu! Driving their zhenqi furiously, they sealed the space around Zhang Xuan. After which, the two of them dashed forward simultaneously, and two palms struck down on Zhang Xuan simultaneously, one from the front and one from the back. Their assault was perfectly coordinated with one another, such that even if their opponent seeded in avoiding one of the attacks, they would never be able to avoid the other. Even a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage expert would have found it hard to escape from their coborative offense. However, it was a pity that even though Zhang Xuan was no Leaving Aperture realm expert, he wielded fighting prowessparable to a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivator, far beyond the likes of them. A glint shed across his eyes as he began moving his lips. It seems like both of you are attacking the wrong target... His words carried a unique melody reminiscent of the whisperings of a lover, causing the faces of the duo to redden upon hearing it. In an instant, the palms that were heading for Zhang Xuans body abruptly changed their trajectory to strike the other instead. Peng! Peng! Two deep moans sounded, and the two young men were sent flying. They had intended to assault Zhang Xuan together, but somehow... it turned into a battle between themselves instead! Demonic tune? Zhao Xingmo was startled for a moment before his eyebrows shot up. Is he trying to warn me? Previously, when the two listening-in students had fallen for Zhang Xuans terpsichorean art, he used his voice to jolt them back from their trance. While he had done it very discreetly, it seemed like the other party had still noticed it, and he was using the same method to turn them against one another. The provocation behind his intention was clear. Demonic tunes? I know some, too! It was a clear warning toward him against interfering with the duel. What an interesting fellow! This realization did not anger Zhao Xingmo. Instead, it only served to deepen his interest in Zhang Xuan. Those who were qualified to enroll into the Sanctum of Sages were either the offspring of the Sage ns or unparalleled geniuses of the Master Teacher Continent. In either case, they were destined to be the leaders of humanity, taking charge of a region to guard mankind from other threats. If they dared not speak up in the face of injustice, it would really be doubtful if they had the necessary qualities to be one of the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. In a sense, Zhao Xingmos previous action was an intentional attempt to goad a response from Zhang Xuan. He wanted to see how the young man who had been so highlyplimented by Pavilion Master Wu would react. But who would have thought that the young man would actually return the favor straight to him, not allowing anyone to wrong him at all? With such a mentality, if he could set his mind to furthering the prosperity of mankind, he would surely be a valuable asset to the world. However, those who are able to be the listening-in students of the Sanctum of Sages dont make easy opponents either. Given that he has already revealed his cards as a terpsichore and demonic tunist, itll be hard for him to survive the remaining two blows, Zhao Xingmo analyzed with a smile. Just to be a listening-in student of the Sanctum of Sages, one would still have to clear several rigorous examinations. If Zhang Xuan thought that he would be able to defeat those two young men just by relying on his prowess in demonic tunes and terpsichorean arts, he would really be looking down on his opponents. As expected, even while they were retreating, they had already shaken themselves out from their trance, and killing intent flickered within their eyes. They had gone there to invigte the candidates, not to be toyed around with! Yet, they had actually been humiliated time and time again by a mere fellow from the remote countryside. This had left them feeling deeply embarrassed. Fortify your soulhe specializes in soul attacks! bellowed the young man on the left. At the same time, he thrust his palm slightly behind him and sessfully halted his retreating figure. Following which, he clenched his fists together, and the space before him froze. Despite being only at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, he was actually able to execute Spatial Seal, a technique that only Leaving Aperture realm cultivators should have been able to wield! Rest assured! The young man on the right had also noticed this much by now, and he furiously drove his zhenqi and clenched his fist. The Spatial Seals cast by the two of them immediatelypounded upon one another, causing the entire area to feel like an invisible marsnd. Any attempt to move was met with overwhelming resistance, making it an arduous task to even take a single step forward or backward. Impressive. Zhang Xuan nodded slightly in approval. Under normal circumstances, if two cultivators were to attempt to ovep their Spatial Seals, it was likely that their Spatial Seals would conflict with one another and cause destructive interference instead of constructive interference. As a result, the Spatial Seal would be weakened instead of fortified. It was for this reason that Leaving Aperture realm experts did not fare that well in group fights. But astoundingly, the two young men were actually able to harmonize their Spatial Seals together with one another perfectly. This was a sight to behold, even for Zhang Xuan. As expected of students from the Sanctum of Sages, their grasp over their techniques was indeed far superior to ordinary cultivators! While there was no doubt that thepounded Spatial Seals was powerful, and no ordinary Primordial Spirit realm cultivator would ever be able to escape from it, to Zhang Xuan, breaking out of thepounded Spatial Seals was really a walk in the park. He took two steps forward and tapped on the area in front of him. Si! As if an invisible balloon had been popped, air currents began leaking out furiously into the surroundings. Peng! Peng! The two young men had not thought that Zhang Xuan would be able to ovee their Spatial Seals so easily, and they suffered an energy bacsh as a result of it. The both of them simultaneously took two steps back as their faces turned ghastly pale. It has been two moves... It should be about time for me to make a move now! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. As long as he could withstand three moves from them, it would be considered his victory. He had allowed the two young men to attack him as they pleased for the previous two moves, so the least he could do was return the favor for thest move! Come! The eyebrows of the duo shot up. They swiftly got into a unique formation, and an indomitable aura began drifting between them. In their current form, even a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage expert would have to fall back temporarily against them. At this point, they had also realized that the young man before them was no ordinary cultivator, and they dared not let their guards down anymore. Despite facing such an overwhelming aura, Zhang Xuan calmly sped his fist and said, Allow me to apologize in advance for any injuries that you might sustainter on. Injuries? You are courting death! The two young men nearly exploded on the spot! The other party had not even made his move, but he was already apologizing to them. He was clearly looking down on them! Why dont you brag after you have achieved victory? Fueled by their rage, all their strength poured out unreservedly, whipping up deadly air currents that threatened to tear the entire hall down. A shockwave rippled into the surroundings, leaving a searing sensation on the skin of those standing in the area. They are really strong... Zhang Jiuxiaos face paled. In this moment, he finally realized why Zhao Xingmo was so confident that they would not be able to withstand three moves from the two young men. Putting everything else aside, just the sheer might of this move would be able to tear apart every single secret art he had learned in the past! Worried for Zhang Xuan, he quickly turned his gaze over, only to see thetter calmly standing his ground, not bothering to dodge at all. Without using any battle techniques orplicated maneuvers, he simply raised his hand and struck at them as an ordinary human would strike down a fly. Lets end this. Padah! Padah! As these leisurely-sounded words echoed in the air, the furious outburst of zhenqi around the two young men abruptly vanished, as if it had never appeared before at all. In the next moment, the two men were knocked flying as if ping pong balls. Hu! They were smacked right into the wall, and buckets of blood spewed from their mouths. Despite gathering all their might together, those two listening-in students of the Sanctum of Sages could not even withstand a single p from Zhang Xuan! After knocking the duo flying, Zhang Xuan calmly raised his gaze to look at Zhao Xingmo. The perfect nonchnce on his face made it seem as if he had only done something insignificant, unworthy of mention. Does this mean that I have passed? Zhao Xingmo was also startled for a moment before nodding slowly. You have ovee their coboration with a single strike, and its clear that you havent even used your full strength. You have passed! At the same time, Zhao Xingmo could not help but feel a little perplexed. In the first two moves, it was apparent that Zhang Xuan had gone easy on them. Or else, given that the two young men had their guards down, he would have been able to knock them out easily given his proficiency in terpsichorean arts and demonic arts. Since that was the case... why did he suddenly go overboard in thest move? It might have seemed like a trivial detail, but Zhao Xingmo felt like there might have been more to it. Could it have been that even Zhang Xuan was pressured before thebined might of the duo, so he did not want to take any risks? Zhang Xuan turned around and said, Thank you! Jiuxiao, its your turn. You should be able to survive three moves from them. My turn? Now? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback. The two young men were currently still pressed into the wall, severely wounded. Surely it would not be good for him to attack them at that moment. Un. There are two of them, and there are two of us here. Thus, even though I have just fought with them, surely it will be fair for you to face them right after, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Ah, I see! Alright! Hearing those words, Zhang Jiuxiao immediately understood Zhang Xuan intentions. Thetter was trying to help him clear the Selection of Sages! He had intentionally executed a heavy blow for the final move so as to injure them and grant him an advantage in the battle! This way, he would stand a chance at surviving three moves from them. It might have been a little despicable, but considering that a slot for the Sanctum of Sages was at stake, he swiftly vanquished all of the hesitation in his mind and stepped forward. sping his fist at the duo pressed against the wall, he said, Ill be in your care. You two... Damn it! Hearing the conversation between the two and seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao shamelessly stepped forward to challenge them in their injured state, the two young men felt so indignant that they could have exploded on the spot. How can there be such shameless people in the world? We are already injured to this state, and even standing up would be difficult for us. How can we possibly fight you like that? Zhao shi has said that as long as we can withstand three moves from the two of you, he will consider adding another slot to our Qingyuan Empire. If the two of you think that you arent up to the fight, I suggest that you surrender, Zhang Xuan said. You want us to surrender and let you win so easily? Dream on! Even if we have to put our lives on the line, we will make sure that you dont survive three moves from us! Gritting their teeth, the two young men forced themselves out of the wall and began preparing themselves for a second round. Enough! Stand down, both of you! Zhao Xingmo waved his hand. But Zhao shi... The young men panicked. They knew that they had failed their responsibilities this time around. They were supposed to invigte all qualified candidates, but they ended up being nearly incapacitated after the first battle. Zhao shi must have been really mad at them at the moment. Dont worry, this isnt your fault. This was all part of Zhang shis n. Zhao Xingmo waved his hand to ay the worries of the two young men before standing up himself. Ill assess Zhang Jiuxiao personally! Chapter 1250 - Zhang Xuan Imparts an Ultimate Technique (1)

Chapter 1250: Zhang Xuan Imparts an Ultimate Technique (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You will assess me personally? Zhang Jiuxiaos face paled, and he nearly copsed to the ground. He understood Zhang Xuans intentions. He had injured those two young men and rendered them incapable of battle so that he would be able to take advantage of their weakness and obtain an easy pass for the Selection of Sages. But who would have thought that Zhao Xingmo would actually disregard his own standing as a senior and dere that he would conduct the test personally! Given how formidable those two listening-in students were, the guide was bound to be even more so. Against such an opponent, how could Zhang Jiuxiao possibly stand a chance? Hearing Zhao Xingmos words, Zhang Xuan frowned. As a guide to the Sancutum of Sages, isnt it inappropriate for you to make a move against your juniors? Dont worry, Ill suppress my cultivation down to your level, Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, Zhao Xingmo replied calmly. This... Hearing that, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, As long as Jiuxiao is able to withstand three moves from you, itll be considered a pass, right? Thats correct! Zhao Xingmo nodded. Following which, the energy within his body began flurrying, and in the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already been suppressed to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, the same as the two challengers. Zhang Xuan fell quiet. To be honest, even if Zhao Xingmo suppressed his cultivation, he still possessed an absolute advantage in terms of his experience and eye of discernment. It would be extremely difficult for Zhang Jiuxiao to withstand three moves from him. Or to be more precise, it was impossible. Zhang shi, I appreciate your goodwill, but its fine. If I am unable to clear the test, it can only mean that my cultivation hasnt met the mark yet, and Im not fated with the Sanctum of Sages. Zhang Jiuxiao stepped forward and smiled. To be honest, he was rather touched to see Zhang Xuan speaking on his behalf. However, since things hade to this point, there was nothing else that could be done. At the very most, it would just be a loss. It was not like it would be the end of the world. As an offspring of the Zhang n, he could at least take a defeat. Hong long! Zhang Jiuxiao began furiously exerting the zhenqi within his body. While his aura paled inparison to the coboration between those two listening in students, it carried an unwavering and fearless intention behind it. Good. Zhao Xingmo nodded. Considering the overwhelming disparity between the both of them, Zhang Jiuxiao could be said to be rather courageous to still be willing to step forward and face him. Of course, courage was not enough for one to be a student of the Sanctum of Sages. More importantly, one had to possess sufficient strength! Without strength, everything else would be for naught. Just as Zhang Jiuxiaos entire body tensed up, ready to face whatever Zhao Xingmo threw at him, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke once more. Wait a moment! Whats wrong this time? Zhao Xingmo frowned in impatience. Thisd sure was a ton of trouble. You have already cleared the test yourself; do you really value whatever friendship you have with Zhang Jiuxiao so much that you are determined to have him clear the test with you? Other master teachers would know to back down in such situations, especially since the matter does not concern their own interests. Do you really know what kind of figure you are attempting to haggle with? I understand that Zhao shi is in a rush, but surely it would be fine to spare us twenty minutes? Hmm? Zhao Xingmo was not sure what Zhang Xuan was getting at. Its like this. I have gained some insights from the previous battle with those two young men over there, and I would like to share them with Jiuxiao. Zhang Xuan raised his gaze to stare intently at Zhao Xingmo. Zhao shi, as the guide, you should at least have some time to spare for us to trade some insights, right? ... Fine. Zhao Xingmo frowned in displeasure, clearly unhappy with this proposition. Nevertheless, he eventually nodded in agreement. Twenty minutes would not make a difference to the oue of the test. If it was that easy to raise a persons fighting prowess, everyone would have been an expert by then. Thank you, Zhao shi. Jiuxiao,e over for a moment! Zhang Xuan gestured with a smile. Knowing that Zhang Xuan was doing all of this for him, Zhang Jiuxiao unhesitatingly headed over. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly caught sight of something that left his eyes widening in shock. A massive cauldron was plummeting from the sky, headed straight toward Zhao Xingmos head! Seeing this sight, Zhang Jiuxiao nearly fainted from fright. Who was Zhao Xingmo? A guide of the Sanctum of Sages, a Saint 6-dan expert at the very least! Even if Zhao Xingmo had suppressed his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, such a crude assault would never work on him! Just as Zhang Jiuxiao was about to scream out loud, he suddenly saw Zhang Xuans figure blurring before him. With a powerful leap off, Zhang Xuan dashed straight toward Zhao Xingmo, and in that moment, it seemed like his figure had warped into a sword itself, seemingly wanting to tear thetter into pieces. Its over... Zhang Jiuxiao felt that if there was an end to the world, this would likely be it. His body trembled uncontrobly, and he nearly burst into tears. Even if I cant clear the test, you really dont have to kill the guide for me! If you seed, you will be a fugitive of the Master Teacher Pavilion, condemned to an entire life of escape! This sight did not just challenge the limits of Zhang Jiuxiaos rationality, even Pavilion Master Wu and Yao shi felt as if they were going insane. To make a move against Zhao Xingmo... Too reckless! If the other party got mad, putting aside the fact that Zhang Xuan would not be doing Zhang Jiuxiao any favors, he might even be stripped of his own slot. But everything had happened so fast that even they were unable to intervene in time. Humph! Noticing Zhang Xuans assault, Zhao Xingmos eyebrows shot up. Driving his zhenqi, he raised his finger and stabbed it forward like a sword. Even though his cultivation was still suppressed at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, this simple maneuver amply disyed his superior eye of discernment, experience, andbat sense. The finger stab was directed straight toward the blind spot of Zhang Xuans offense. Not only would it be able to keep Zhang Xuan at bay, it would also allow him to fend off the cauldron above him at the same time. Two birds with a stone! To be able to make such sharp instantaneous judgement from the unprepared state he was in, there was no doubt that hisbat experience was superior even inparison to Zhang Xuan. H! However, before the finger stab could strike Zhang Xuan, the young man suddenly flitted to the side before raising his palm, thrusting it toward the cauldron above to neutralize the force behind its descent, and catching it with a single hand. His movements were actually not an assault against Zhao Xingmo but a maneuver to rescue! Zhang Xuan swiftly shoved the Golden Origin Cauldron into his storage ring before apologizing awkwardly to Zhao Xingmo. My apologies, Zhao shi. I have really spoiled my cauldron. It never thinks before acting, and I never thought that it would suddenly make a move against you either. I was rmed when I saw it earlier, and thats why I leaped forward to save you. I hope that I didnt scare you! You say that you were saving me? Zhao Xingmo nearly choked on his saliva. To use your body as a sword and charge toward me with such frightening momentum, as if preparing tounch a lethal strike at any moment... Are you sure that you were trying to rescue me? Thats clearly attempted murder! If I hadnt reacted fast enough, I would have been split in half by now! Not to mention, that vicious cauldron even wanted to smash my head. Do you really think that I will drop the matter with a simple I didnt know that it would do that? Zhang Xuan sped his fist apologetically. Indeed. I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and this cauldron is the Saint Guardian Artifact of the academy. As such, its constantly keeping a lookout for my safety and protecting me. It sensed the overwhelming strength that Zhao shi was emanating, so it thought that you were nning to harm me. Thats why it would recklessly make a move against you. Zhao shi, I hope that you will be as magnanimous as to let this matter go... Alright, alright! Hurry up and impart your insight. Ill give you ten minutes! Even though Zhao Xingmo still felt deeply indignant, he eventually decided to drop the issue. The other party had been pushing all of the me to his artifact right from the start, and he could not stoop down to the level of venting his anger on a mere artifact. If the guide to the Sanctum of Sages were to pummel its owner out of fury toward an artifact... His peers would use that as a reason to mock him for many years toe! Not to mention, the cauldron was the Guardian Saint Artifact of a Master Teacher Academy, so it was bound to have contributed plenty to mankind. Even if he was an advanced master teacher, there would still be repercussions if he killed such an artifact that easily. Nodding in relief, Zhang Xuan returned to Zhang Jiuxiaos side, and his face immediately turned grim as he sent a telepathic message over. Even though Zhao shi has suppressed his cultivation, given your current strength, itll be impossible for you to emerge victorious. However, it shouldnt be too difficult for you to withstand a few moves from him. Ill teach you three maneuvers right now, and as long as you learn them seriously, no matter what kind of move Zhao shi throws at you, you will be able to neutralize it by repeating them again and again... Got it? Yes! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. Considering that the young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher, and taking into ount everything that the other party had done for him, Zhang Jiuxiao no longer harbored any doubt toward him. Ill describe those movements to you in detail, so try to simte them in your head. Dont execute them, or else he will be prepared for them, Zhang Xuan instructed. These three maneuvers were directed toward Zhao Xingmos ws, and their aim was just to catch him off guard. If he noticed their intentions in advance, given his strength and eye of discernment, these maneuvers would surely be rendered useless. Understanding this as well, Zhang Jiuxiao listened earnestly as he pictured those movements in his mind. It did not take long before he grasped the zhenqi cirction method and the trajectory of each attack. As for the remaining time, he continued driving his zhenqi as he simted those three moves in his mind in order to execute them perfectly when he faced Zhao Xingmoter on. These three moves were actually rather simple, much simpler than any battle techniques in fact. A couple of minutes was more than enough for him to hone them to perfection. Seeing that Zhao Xingmosplexion was still rather awful, Pavilion Master Wu stepped forward to alleviate the situation. Zhao shi, please dont take the matter to heart. Zhang shis cauldron is indeed a little reckless. Just earlier this morning, an envoy from Qianchong Empire, Song shi, was turned into a eunuch by it. He had no idea why Zhang Xuan would attempt to assault Zhao shi, only to stop at the crucial moment, but considering the rtionship between them, he felt obliged to cover for the young man. Someone has been turned into a eunuch? Zhao Xingmo was unaware of the various affairs that had happened earlier in the morning, and he frowned upon hearing Pavilion Master Wus words. Indeed... Pavilion Master Wu proceeded to fill Zhao Xingmo in on the various matters that had happened earlier. Even though he had not been on the scene personally, he was still able to picture the situation through Pavilion Master Wus descriptions. That cauldron sure is reckless! After hearing the full story, Zhao Xingmo could not help but shake his head. For an artifact to cripple the manhood of a quasi 8-star master teacher, even the word brazen would be an understatement! Of course, that was even more so for Zhang Xuan. To dare talk back to a quasi 8-star master teacher and even walk away from the conflict unscathed... yet it was the other party that had ended up being punished. Just as Zhao Xingmo wanted to inquire deeper into Zhang Xuans history, the person in question suddenly spoke up from the side. Zhao shi, we are done trading insights. You can start the test now. Turning his gaze over, he saw that Zhang Jiuxiao was already standing at the center of the hall, his body conditioned to its peak, ready to face any opponent before him. Zhao Xingmo made a rough calction of the time, but it seemed like five minutes had not even passed. Slightly perplexed, he stepped forward and said, Very well, let me see just what kind of insight he has shared with you! To haggle with him just to stall for a mere five minutes... what kind of valuable insight did Zhang Xuan impart to Zhang Jiuxiao within this short period of time? Zhao shi, please pardon me if my moves offend youter on! Zhang Jiuxiao sped his fist and spoke apologetically. Offend me? Worry not! Feel free to use whatever you have against me. As long as you can withstand three moves from me, Ill consider allocating you another slot! Zhao Xingmo replied calmly. Thank you. Ill be making my move then. Hu! Before finishing his words, Zhang Jiuxiao had already leaped off the ground to dash furiously forward. His right leg shot up, traveling along a trajectory that wouldnd perfectly in between Zhao Xingmos thighs. You... Not expecting that fellow to actually aim for Little Zhao right from the start, Zhao shis face turned livid. It was just a moment ago that he had heard about how Song shis manhood had been crippled by a cauldron, and then Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly came at him with this move. Dont tell me that the supposed insight that Zhang Xuan imparted to you was to strike me there? Chapter 1251 - Zhang Xuan Imparts an Ultimate Technique (2)

Chapter 1251: Zhang Xuan Imparts an Ultimate Technique (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhao Xingmo was fuming inside. However, no matter how angry he was, there was no way he could take that kick head on. Thus, he quickly sidestepped to avoid it. It was not that he was afraid that he would be crippled by that kick but because of how humiliating it would be if he were to be kicked there! Hu! However, as soon as Zhao Xingmo fled to the side, Zhang Jiuxiaos fingers immediately shot for his armpit. It turned out that the attack toward his crotch was only a feintthe young mans real goal was this! To deduce the movement technique I would use in reaction to your kick and assault my armpit, where one of the mingmens of my movement technique is located... Zhao Xingmo narrowed his eyes in disbelief. The other partys finger was urately aimed at the point where the greatest mingmen of his movement technique was located! If he were to be struck, his entire body would be numbed, resulting in aplete loss in his fighting prowess! It was too much of a coincidence to think that the other party had found his mingmen by sheer luck in the middle of a battle. Rather, it was more likely that the other party had predicted this right from the start. At this point, Zhao Xingmo suddenly realized that he had been dragged into Zhang Jiuxiaos pace from the very first strike... The young mansbat sense was really a little way too strong! Such a cunning fellow! He has been using psychological warfare against me even before the start of the battle... With his sharp eye of discernment as a Saint 6-dan master teacher, it didnt take Zhao Xingmo too long to see through the crux of the matter. Prior to the battle, Pavilion Master Wu had casually mentioned that Song shi had his manhood crippled, and this had effectively nted a subconscious notion in his mind. As a result, when Zhang Jiuxiao angled his attack between his crotch, he instinctively moved to avoid the attack, not doubting that it might be a feint at all due to the nted subconscious notion. To think that he had already lost in the psychological warfare prior to the battle... Impressive! If it had been any other ordinary Primordial Spirit realm cultivator, he would have been cornered with this blow. Without expending at least ten moves, it would be impossible to resolve the situation and turn the tables around. Unfortunately for you, your opponent is me! Zhao Xingmo twisted his body to avoid Zhang Jiuxiaos finger jab. At the same time, he raised his hand and jabbed his finger toward thetter as well. Finger against finger, Zhao Xingmo was intending to use his superior strength andprehension of battle technique to forcefully overpower Zhang Jiuxiao, and through doing so, he would be able to regain to turn the tides of the battle back to his side. Even though their cultivation were both at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, it was apparent that the might of Zhao Xingmos finger jab was far stronger than Zhang Jiuxiaos. Even before the finger arrived, the air was already groaning under the immense pressure, and vaguely, the sound of a storm could be heard. In face of the might of Zhao Xingmos finger jab, Zhang Jiuxiao was visibly flustered. Knowing that he couldnt face such an attack face on, he hurriedly retracted his finger. But perhaps because he was too anxious, his body ended up tilting to the side, cing his head in the trajectory of Zhao Xingmos finger jab. Seeing this, Zhao Xingmo frowned. With his strength, if his finger jab were tond, Zhang Jiuxiaos head would explode on the spot. In other words, Zhang Jiuxiao would die! In the first ce, as a Saint 6-dan expert, his choice of intervening in a duel between juniors was already one that many would frown upon. If he were to kill Zhang Jiuxiao on top of that... without a doubt, he would be stripped of his position as a guide to the Sanctum of Sages. Hmph! Thus, Zhao Xingmo pulled back his might, and the sudden withdrawal of zhenqi left a groan escaping from his mouth, and his face reddened from the bacsh. If he hadnt suppressed his cultivation, this bit of bacsh would have been nothing at all. However, with his current cultivation of Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, and given the fact that he had devoted his full strength into the finger jab on top of that, the sudden withdrawal of his attack inevitably left him with some injuries. Hu! But even though Zhao Xingmo had withdrawn his finger in order to avoid killing Zhang Jiuxiao, thetter, seemingly having expected Zhao Xingmo to react in such a way, abruptly charged forward to knock Zhao Xingmos chest with his shoulder. With a deep frown between his brows, Zhao Xingmo swiftly struck his palm forward to ward off Zhang Jiuxiaos charge. That palm strike moved at an astonishing speed, such that it wouldnd on Zhang Jiuxiao before his charge could strike Zhao Xingmo. My apologies... Zhao Xingmo was still guessing that Zhang Jiuxiao might retreat for the time being beforeunching another wave of attack when he suddenly heard a faint voice sounding in the air. Following which, he suddenly felt a piercing jab beneath his armpit. Unknowingly, Zhang Jiuxiaos fingers had alreadynded on his mingmen. Hu! Zhao Xingmo felt his strength receding swiftly from him as if a tide, and in an instant, numbness and powerlessness permeated his entire body. You... Hu! Afternding his finger jab, Zhang Jiuxiao didnt continue his assault. Instead, he hurriedly leaped back before sping his fist apologetically, Zhao shi, thank you for sparing me earlier... Hmph! Driving his zhenqi, Zhao Xingmo was able to swiftly recover from his numbed state. However, the loss had left him so frustrated that he couldnt speak a word. If Zhang Jiuxiao were to continue his assault after his mingmen was struck, he would surely have been pummeled badly... And just thinking about the matter was enough to leave him stifled within. If Zhao shi intended to kill me, I would have died by the second blow. I apologize for using such a despicable trick against you... Noticing Zhao Xingmos displeasure, Zhang Jiuxiao lowered his head further and continued apologizing. In truth, in the second move, if Zhao Xingmo hadnt retracted his finger for fear of endangering his life, he would have never been able to close in on him. It was only due to Zhao Xingmos forceful withdrawal of his finger jab that gave him an opportunity to strike. It could be said that he had yed on the other partyspassion to achieve victory. Forget it. A victory is a victory, I have no excuses for my loss! Zhao Xingmo waved his hand impassively. Ill allocate Qingyuan Empire with two slots, but note that this is only the preliminary selections. I hope that you will be able to retain your slot during the secondary selections, or else your effort would have gone to vain! While Zhang Jiuxiao did resort to underhanded tricks to achieve victory, he did mention beforehand that all tricks were allowed. Furthermore, Zhang Jiuxiao had not just withstood three moves form him, he had subdued him even... Just from that in itself, it was undeniable that this battle was Zhang Jiuxiaos victory. Since that was the case, it wasnt a big deal for him to give out another slot... However, whether they would be able to secure this slot would depend on their performance at Qianchong Empireter on. Is this the insight you have imparted to him? Zhao Xingmo nced at Zhang Xuan and asked. Judging from Zhang Jiuxiaos reflexes, it was unlikely that he would be able toe up with such a n in the middle of the battle. Since that was the case, this matter would have to be linked back to Zhang Xuan, especially considering the bizarre five minutes break he had called for earlier. Un. They are three maneuvers that I casually came up with earlier. Knowing that there was no point hiding this from Zhao Xingmo, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and replied truthfully. Casually? Zhao Xingmo scoffed. A maneuver you came up with casually is able to predict that I would use the [Steps of Stalling Leaves], which mingmen was located beneath my armpit. Not to mention, you were even able to take into ount the fact that I wouldnt kill Zhang Jiuxiao, and after retracting my finger jab, I would have to take half a step back in order to ward off the momentum from the withdrawing energy, so you had Zhang Jiuxiao to dash forward to strike my mingmen in this temporary opening... Do you expect me to believe that? There was no such thing as a coincidence in battle. Of the three moves that Zhang Jiuxiao had used earlier, the first one was psychological warfare, the second one had him putting his life on the line as a gamble, and the third one was a result of a careful calction... Only one who had a thorough understanding of Zhao Xingmos habits in battle would be able to design such a battle n to deal with him... Considering how every single step of the n took advantage of his weaknesses, there was no way it could be something that was casually came up with. I guess I was lucky then. Zhang Xuan replied. In truth, the reason why he had the Golden Origin Cauldron assault Zhao Xingmo earlier was to force him to execute a battle technique, thus allowing him topile a book on him in the Library of Heavens Path. With apiled book, he would be able to gain a thorough understanding of Zhao Xingmos strongest moves and ws, thus making it easy for him to tailor a set of maneuvers to corner him. However, considering that the secret of the Library of Heavens Path was at stake here, he could only feign ignorance in this matter. Lucky? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to speak any further on this matter, Zhao Xingmo decided not to ask any further either. Shaking his head, he took a look at Zhang Xuan and said, Just a casual pointer from you can allow Zhang Jiuxiao to defeat me within three moves... If I were to suppress my cultivation once more, would you be willing to face me in a battle? You want to have a duel with me? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Thats right. Zhao Xingmo nodded. To be honest, he was really getting more and more interested in the young man before him. To subdue two listening in students of the Sanctum of Sages easily within three blows... To grant Zhang Jiuxiao the strength to defeat him with just a casual pointer... If the young man before him were to utilize his full strength, just how powerful would he be? Ah... That might not be a good idea. Im afraid that there might be a fatality! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Dont worry. Ill immediately release my seal as soon as I feel that you are in danger. You will be safe. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was slightly apprehensive at the idea of having a duel with him, Zhao Xingmo consoled. When two cultivators of equal strength fought with one another, it was indeed very easy for a fatality to ur as they would be unable to control their strength precisely in battle. However, Zhao Xingmo was a Saint 6-dan cultivator, so if they were to find themselves in the middle of a perilous situation during their duel, he would at least still be able to release his seal and take control over the situation. Im not referring to myself... Im afraid that you will be unable to withstand my attacks... Seeing that the other party had misunderstood his words, Zhang Xuan exined awkwardly. You... Zhao Xingmo nearly exploded on the spot. It is one thing for you to remain unfrightened and fearless in a battle against a guide of the Sanctum of Sages, but to actually worry that you would hurt me... Ludicrous! You dont need to worry about hurting me. Given my cultivation realm, itll be difficult for you to inflict any damage on me! Zhao Xingmo replied coldly with a livid face. This... Zhang Xuan was still a little hesitant. Feel free to make a move! I know that you possess exceptional strength, and your talent is superior to your peers too. However, all of these are nothing in the eyes of the true experts of the Sanctum of Sages! Zhao Xingmo ced his hands behind his back as he spoke in an air unique to experts. The Sanctum of Sages was the highest academy in the Master Teacher Continent. Even the powerful Sage ns would send their offspring there in order to study. From that in itself, it was apparent just how formidable the personnel there were. Do you really think that a countryside bumpkin like you would really be able to defeat me? The only reason why he fell from Zhang Jiuxiaos tricks was out of a moment of carelessness! Now that he was fully prepared, there was no way he would allow himself to be defeated that easily anymore! Since thats the case... Ill give it a try then. Seeing how confident Zhao Xingmo was, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. To be honest, as he had just achieved a breakthrough, he had been wanting to find someone to test out his newfound strength. The reason why he initially turned down Zhao Xingmo was because he was afraid that he might identally hurt thetter, considering that he stillcked precise control over his strength especially since he hadnt really tried it out in battle yet. But since Zhao Xingmo was so confident about this matter, there was no longer any reason for him to turn down this precious opportunity. Lets begin then! Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xingmo grasped his hands tightly together, and strength began flowing through his entire body. In his view, even though Zhang Xuans talent was not too bad, he was simply too arrogant. This would be a good opportunity for him to striked down the young mans conceit and have him understand that there was a world farrger than the one that he could see. Alright, Ill be making a move then... Zhang Xuan warned in advance. Hmph. Sneering coldly, Zhao Xingmo paid no heed to Zhang Xuans words and dashed forward furiously. However, before he could make a move, he suddenly saw a palm print falling straight for him. In that instant, it felt as if the entire world was caving in on him. Pu! Zhao Xingmo felt as if his entire body had been frozen in ce, rendering him unable to move at all. Before he could even begin to breathe, he was already struck squarely in the chest, causing his body to retreat swiftly into the distance. At the same time, a wild spurt of fresh blood colored the air crimson. Boom boom boom boom! Zhao Xingmo immediately drove his zhenqi, wanting to ward off the momentum from his retreat. However, in the next moment, his eyes narrowed. Countless palm prints abruptly appeared before his eyes. The other partys follow up attack wasnt just a single palm strike but thousands of them! Boom! His back crashed heavily into the walls of the hall, causing a deep depression behind him. Hu! Unable to withstand the impact anymore, he swiftly unsealed his cultivation, and only then did he barely manage to fend off the attack. Just as he was heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuans forlorn voice suddenly sounded ahead of him. I thought that he was really that formidable, but he was sent flying before I could even use a fifth of my strength... In the end, he was nothing more than a braggart... Chapter 1252 - You Said That I Am from the Zhang Clan?

Chapter 1252: You Said That I Am from the Zhang n?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! A suffocating sensation assaulted Zhao Xingmos chest, and he spurted blood once more. Even though his standing as a guide was nothing in the Sanctum of Sages, in his many years of invigting the candidates, there had never been any genius who had been able to defeat him in the same cultivation realm. But this time, not only had he been defeated, he was even being looked down upon. The immense frustration that he felt left him on the verge of explosion. Hold it in, hold it in... Zhao Xingmo took a few deep breaths to suppress that feeling of frustration in his chest before pushing himself out of the wall. As indignant as Zhao Xingmo felt from his loss, it would only be more embarrassing if he vehemently denied it. He would at least be able to retain some of his dignity if he epted it graciously. At this point, he suddenly recalled the surnames of the duo, and a thought came to him. Looking at the young man before him, he said, You are indeed an impressive individual. In the same cultivation realm, even I am no match for you. Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao, are the both of you from the Zhang n, the Sage n? If they were both geniuses from the Zhang n, it would make sense why he was not a match for them when fighting in the same cultivation realm. While the Sanctum of Sages had plenty of experts who could deal with such offspring of Sage ns, a mere guide like him was not one of them. Jiuxiao is from the Sage Zhang n, but I am not... Zhang Xuan shook his head. I am an orphan, born in the remote Tianxuan Kingdom. He had never really given this matter much thought before, but thinking about it once more, there was something quite suspicious about it. Logically speaking, it should not have been anything much for him to be born in the remote Tianxuan Kingdom, but the fact that he was gued with the Innate Fetal Poison was a huge anomaly in itself. ording to the Sage Yuan n, Tianxuan Kingdom was one of those ancientnds where descendants of Sage ns could recover and awaken their bloodlines. For this reason, many Sage ns had chosen to leave their offspring in such ces, only taking them into the n once their bloodline achieved a certain mark. Could it be that... he was also a member of the Sage Zhang n, just that he was one of those children who had been left in an ancientnd to awaken his bloodline? If that was the case, it would exin why a humble nobody in Tianxuan Kingdom would be gued with such a fearsome poison. His currentprehension of poison had already reached the level of 7-star, but he still had no clue how the Innate Fetal Poison could be resolved. He had even attempted to use Wei Ruyans Innate Poison Body to curb it at one point, but its effectiveness was limited. From this, it was apparent that the Innate Poison Body was one of the most formidable poison, even when ced among grade-9 poisons! In other words, the person who had nted the poison on him was at least a 9-star poison master... and possibly one of the strongest ones at that! It was unthinkable for an expert of that caliber to travel to the small Tianxuan Kingdom just to deal with a nobody like him. Could it really be that the person whom he had possessed was also a member of the Sage Zhang n, just like Zhang Jiuxiao? Its no wonder I always felt like pummeling Zhang Jiuxiao whenever I met him... this might be a resonance in our bloodline! Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw in deep contemtion. I really should find an opportunity to look into this matter. Knowing that this was not the time to be thinking such misceneous thoughts, Zhang Xuan decided to put the matter aside for the moment. I thought that you were from the Sage Zhang n too. Zhao Xingmo looked at Zhang Xuan in intrigue before falling silent. Since Zhang Xuan had already said that he was not from the Zhang n, there was no point pressing on. It would only make things awkward. Thus, Zhao Xingmo changed the topic and said, Alright, since the both of you have cleared the primary selection, Ill bring you to the Qianchong Empire for the secondary selection. The other chosen candidates should already be gathering there, so we must make haste. Qianchong Empire? Yes. We will be heading there right now. You have two hours to prepare, make whatever arrangements you need to and bid farewell to others. Once the two hours are up, well set off right away, Zhao Xingmo said. The reason he had been in a rush earlier was because the semester for the Sanctum of Sages was about to start, so the secondary selection in the Qianchong Empire had to be conducted soon. However, the Qingyuan Empire happened to be located the furthest away from the Qianchong Empire, so there was a need for them to make haste. Two hours? Not expecting that they would be in such a rush, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He pondered for a brief moment before turning to Zhao Xingmo with a grim expression. Right, Zhao shi. Theres a matter that I would like to consult you on, and this matter is very important to me. Thus, I hope that you can give a precise answer to me. As long as its something I am aware of and the information isnt confidential, Ill answer your question, Zhao Xingmo replied. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly and said, I would like to ask if Luo Ruo... I mean the little princess of the Luo n is currently in the Sanctum of Sages. Initially, Zhang Xuan had intended to ask using Luo Ruoxins name, but after some thought, he realized that there was a good chance that Luo Ruoxin might not be her real name. After all, as the little princess of the Luo n, there were bound to be many who would want to im her life or hold her hostage against the Luo n, so it would not have been surprising if she adopted a pseudonym with that in mind. If Luo Ruoxin was not in the Sanctum of Sages, it would be meaningless for him to head there. If that was the case, he would be better off heading straight to the Empire Alliance to raise his cultivation. After all, he already had the position of an honorary elder in that Master Teacher Pavilion, so it would be much more convenient for him to ess precious cultivation resources there. The little princess of the Luo n? Zhao Xingmo frowned upon hearing Zhang Xuans question. Why are you asking for her whereabouts? This matter is very important to me. Zhao shi, I hope that you can answer my question. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed respectfully. Alright then! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was serious about this matter, Zhao Xingmo briefly hesitated before shaking his head in resignation. The little princess of the Luo n was indeed studying in the Sanctum of Sages, and with her outstanding talent, she managed to enter the Inner Sanctum. However... a while back, for some unknown reason, she suddenly disappeared, and no one has seen her since then. But when I wasing here, I heard rumors that the Luo n had managed to locate her, and they were intending on sending her back. Of course, I could not verify the authenticity of the rumors, so I cant say for sure if she is truly returning to the Sanctum of Sages. She really is from the Sanctum of Sages? Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like Mu shis guess was indeed correct. Since that was the case, he would have to head to the Sanctum of Sages. This was the only clue he had to find Luo Ruoxin at the moment, and even if Luo Ruoxin was not there, he might still be able to find some clues to her whereabouts. If he could find Luo Ruoxin, he would be able to discuss with her how they should deal with her marriage with the young prodigy of the Zhang n on the third month next year. You are acquainted with the little princess of the Luo n? Zhao Xingmo was taken aback. ording to what I know, the little princess has a cold personality... I guess we can be considered to be acquainted with one another. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The other party would probably die of fright if he were to say that she was his girlfriend. Low profile, low profile! Even though Zhang Xuan had attempted to conceal his emotions, Zhao Xingmo could still see traces of affection in the young mans eyes. He fell silent for a moment before advising, Theres an engagement between the Luo n and Zhang n. Given that you arent from the Zhang n, I advise you not to disturb the little princess. Otherwise, I fear that you might find yourself in deep trouble. The little princess of the Luo n doesnt just boast a high cultivation, shes also known for her peerless beauty. There are none in the Sanctum of Sages thate close to matching her grace. For this reason, she has countless admirers among the younger generation. However, due to her ties with the Zhang n, all those who dare approach her have been viciously taught a lesson. Zhao Xingmos words were roundabout, but Zhang Xuan could still roughly understand the intentions behind them. He had seen Luo Ruoxins true appearance through his Eye of Insight, and it was no exaggeration to say that even Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and the others did note close toparing to her. Given so, it was inevitable that she would have countless admirers. It seemed like the Zhang n was quite domineering, teaching all of those who harbored any thoughts toward her a lesson. Well, that worked to his favor too. Thank you for your advice. Still immersed in his relief from learning that Luo Ruoxin was likely in the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Xuan did not pay much heed to Zhao Xingmos advice. Instead, he began to plot his next move. Firstly, he should find a way to obtain Zhang Jiuxiaos blood. If he could induce a resonance with thetters blood, that would mean that he was a member of the Zhang n as well. If so, he could infiltrate into their ranks and secretly get rid of that unparalleled young prodigy that everyone had been talking so much about! If he was not... well, that might work out even better. He could do as he please without having to consider the Zhang ns position. Anyone who dared stand between him and Luo Ruoxin would be crippled! Of course, either way, he would have to possess sufficient strength first before he could do anything. Return here in two hours sharp. Well be setting off together! After saying all that should be said, Zhao Xingmo waved his hand, dismissing the two of them. Thus, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao sped their fists before taking their leave. Zhang Xuan headed straight to the Combat Master Hall and took Sun Qiang with him. After which, he bade farewell to Hall Master Xing and the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. Before he came to Qingyuan City, he had still had the apaniment of Wang Ying and Liu Yang. But now, only he and Sun Qiang were left. After spending so much time with one another, the departure of his direct disciples had really left him with an empty feeling inside. Following behind Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang suddenly recalled a matter and said, Young Master, there was a messenger from Hu Yaoyao earlier. She wished to ry the news that she has been rmended to cultivate at the Terpsichore Guild main headquarters due to her outstanding talent, and she will be leaving Qingyuan City in half a months time. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. It was not for no reason that Hu Yaoyao had been called a bewitching devil. She had a sensual figure and disposition that seemed to draw others to her helplessly. It was as if the terpsichore upation had been created just for her. In view of that, it was not too surprising that the Terpsichore Guild main headquarters had taken her away. Also, when Young Master was at the Master Teacher Pavilion, Chu gongzi 1also dropped by earlier to ry his gratitude to you. Hes currently the regent of the Qingyuan Empire, and they are still deciding on the inauguration date. With the Master Teacher Pavilion and Combat Master Hall working in unison to push this through, there shouldnt be any problems with the inauguration, Sun Qiang said. It was due to Zhang Xuans rmendation that Pavilion Master Wu, Hall Master Xing, and the others nominated him to be the next emperor of the Qingyuan Empire. With two True Leaving Aperture realm experts backing him, the other rivaling factions would not dare to make any reckless moves. As for the members of the Xuanxuan Faction, it seems like they are nning to remain at the Combat Master Hall for the time being to raise their cultivation as fast as possible, so they wont be returning to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy for the time being. As the cultivation of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction was still too low, they would only be a burden when heading to a higher tier empire. Nevertheless, they sought to be a source of strength for Zhang Xuan, so they decided to remain in Qingyuan City for the time being and focus on their cultivation. Zhang Xuan could roughly fathom their thoughts. Since they had already made their decision, he would not interfere in their choices. Nodding slightly, he turned to Sun Qiang and said, Lets go. Returning to the Master Teacher Pavilion once more, Zhang Xuan saw that Zhao Xingmo, Zhang Jiuxiao, and the two listening in students were already prepared to depart from Qingyuan City. The aerial saint beast that Zhao shi had prepared was at Saint 6-dan pinnacle, and the small house it carried on its back was extremely spacious. Even if they took more people along, there would not be any problem at all. After bidding Pavilion Master Wu farewell, Zhang Xuan leaped on the back of the aerial saint beast, and its massive wings began pping powerfully. Before long, they were already well on their way toward the Qianchong Empire. The Qianchong Empire is the strongest country among the Eight Conferred Empires, and the head of its regional Master Teacher Pavilion is a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert. Hes a real quasi 8-star master teacher, wielding strength far greater than Song shi! While the group was sitting around in the small house on the aerial saint beast, Zhang Jiuxiao began introducing the various aspects of Qianchong Empire to Zhang Xuan. Naturally, in order to maximize his chances of entering the Sanctum of Sages, he had done his research on the Eight Conferred Empires before he chose the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Half-Grand Dominion realm? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The gap between each cultivation stage became more and more significant the higher ones cultivation was. Simrly, there was also a huge disparity between a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator and a Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivator. It seemed like it was not without reason that the Qianchong Empire was the leading power of the Eight Conferred Empires. Under the lead of such a powerful pavilion master, it was inevitable that its national power would be strong as well. There will be a secondary selection in the Qianchong Empire, so Ill offer you some guidance on your cultivation over the next few days. Try to advance your cultivation as much as possible during this period of time, or else it might be difficult for you to clear the secondary selection, Zhang Xuan instructed sternly. Even on a Grand Dominion realm aerial saint beast, the journey from the Qingyuan Empire to the Qianchong Empire would still take roughly six to seven days. This period of time should be enough for Zhang Jiuxiao to make several breakthroughs in his cultivation. Otherwise, the slot that he had obtained with great difficulty would really go to waste. Un. Thank you, Zhang shi! Zhang Jiuxiao quickly nodded. With Zhang Xuans eye of discernment and capability, if Zhang Jiuxiao could obtain his personal guidance, his cultivation would surely be able to advance by leaps and bounds over the next few days. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Zhang Xuan waved his hand calmly. At this point, he suddenly recalled the matter that had been on his mind all this while, and he turned to Zhang Jiuxiao and said, Jiuxiao, give me a droplet of your blood essence. I want to examine it closely to see if theres any way I can raise the purity of your bloodline. A droplet of my blood essence? Sure! Without any hesitation, Zhang Jiuxiao flicked his forefinger, and a droplet of blood shot straight into Zhang Xuans palm. Chapter 1253 - Qianchong Empire

Chapter 1253: Qianchong Empire

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon seeing the blood essence. He quickly wrapped it within ayer of his zhenqi before he turned to Zhang Jiuxiao and said, Ill take some time to examine it. For the time being, you should cultivate using the method that I imparted to you earlier. After which, he turned around and returned to his room. With a grasp of his hand, he created an istion barrier around him and leaped into the Myriad Anthive Nest. It would be best for him to be in an environment with absolute silence while studying Zhang Jiuxiaos blood essence. It would also be much safer as well. After finding a ce to sit down, Zhang Xuan had the droplet of blood essence float in front of him. With a tap of his finger, a droplet of blood essence was squeezed out of his fingertip, and he pushed it toward Zhang Jiuxiaos blood essence. After careful examination, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head helplessly. There doesnt seem to be any resonance between the two droplets of blood essence. It seems like Im not from the Sage Zhang n after all. If the bloodline of the Zhang n was truly running through his veins, there would at least have been even the slightest reaction between his and Zhang Jiuxiaos blood essence, but even with his Eye of Insight, there was nothing of the sort. In other words, the body that he had transcended into had nothing to do with the Sage Zhang n. It seemed like he had really been thinking too much into it! How could there be such a coincidence in the world? But if I am not a member of the Zhang n, which freaking poison master was so bored as to travel all the way to Tianxuan Kingdom just to nt the Innate Fetal Poison into me? That person had to be really sick in the mind! That person had better not let Zhang Xuan catch him! In any case, whether he was from the Zhang n or not would not really affect his ns. If he was from the Zhang n, he would just have to hold back a little on that young prodigy, but since it was already confirmed that he was not... Well, he could not be med for being merciless! After confirming that he was not an offspring of the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan began looking into whether he could refine unique bloodlines. It seems like it is really difficult to refine a persons bloodline. It did not take long before Zhang Xuan arrived at a conclusionrefining a persons bloodline was a feat so difficult that it was nigh impossible. That was to be expected. If it was that easy to raise a persons bloodline, every offspring of the Sage ns would have been an inner member. Before leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled how much his cultivation had risen in recent days, so he confidently sought his clone for a battle. As usual, he ended up being viciously pummeled into the ground, nearly losing his life. Against others, there were none of the same cultivation realm who could possibly rival him. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he was still a long distance away from matching up to his clone. Ahhh, so stifling! After leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan continued offering pointers toward Zhang Jiuxiaos cultivation. As expected of a genius from the Zhang n. Despite the low purity of Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline, the talent that he possessed was truly spectacr. His ability to learn was almost like a sponge; not even the most talented member in the Xuanxuan Faction coulde close to him! In just six short days, it was as if he had undergone a metamorphosis. While his cultivation remained at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, his fighting prowess had risen to a level where even the two listening-in students were no longer necessarily a match for him. Thinking about the guidance that Zhang Xuan had offered over the past six days, Zhao Xingmo was filled with nothing but shock. His pointers are really spot-on, especially on the details. Even I wouldnt have noticed those aspects if he hadnt pointed them out explicitly... Zhang Jiuxiao had quite a handful of inconspicuous but nasty ws that even he had failed to discern, but Zhang Xuan was able to uncover them keenly without the slightest error in his analysis. Such an eye of discernment was nothing short of fearsome! Just with his eye of discernment and state of mind, it was no wonder he could sessfully crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Zhao Xingmo had no doubt that even in the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Xuan would be able to rise through the ranks and glow brighter than everyone else. On the seventh day, a massive city came into sight. We have finally arrived at the Qianchong Empire! Standing by the window, Zhao Xingmo said, Judging from the timing, the candidates chosen from the other empires should have arrived as well. Lets head straight to the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. On the journey there, Zhang Xuan had learned that Zhao Xingmo was responsible for the primary selection phase of the Eight Conferred Empires. He had been to the other empires, and the Qingyuan Empire was the final stop for him. Those who had cleared the primary selections should have made their way over themselves, and judging from the current time, they should have all arrived. So, as soon as the candidates from the Qingyuan Empire arrived, they would be ready to start the secondary selection. May I know how many people have cleared the primary selection, and how many slots are there for the secondary selections? The Qianchong Empire has three slots, and the other three stronger Conferred Empires have two slots each. The remaining four, including Qingyuan, only have a slot each. All in all, the Eight Conferred Empires should have thirteen slots in total. Other than that, there are also the Ten Tier-3 Sage ns, and each of them have two slots. Thus, all in all, there should be 33 people, and only 20 will remain after the secondary selection, Zhao Xingmo said. Thats still good. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. 20 out of 33, it would be fine as long as they were not in the bottom half of the candidates. That should not be too difficult. Seeing how Zhang Xuans expression had rxed after hearing the rules, Zhao Xingmo warned, Dont let your guard down just because the proportion of candidates that are cleared for the secondary selection is high. Those who are able to obtain the candidacy to Sanctum of Sages are all top-notch geniuses in their regions, experts among experts. It wont be easy to rise above the rest of them. No matter what, the Qingyuan Empire was the weakest among the Conferred Empires. Even as top-notch geniuses from the Qingyuan Empire, there could still be plenty of geniuses outside of the Qingyuan Empire who were stronger than them. I acknowledge that theres no Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivators who could possibly be your matchafter all, even I lost to you. However, the requirement to entering the Sanctum of Sages is that the candidates must be a master teacher below thirty years old... There are some formidable geniuses who have already reached Leaving Aperture realm. In other words, you wont just be facing Primordial Spirit realm experts! Leaving Aperture realm? Thats right. One genius of the Qianchong Empire has already reached Leaving Aperture realm. Even though he hasnt undergone the lightning tribtion yet, his fighting prowess is still not one to be underestimated. There are also quite a few from the Tier-3 Sage ns who have reached that level as well. If you let your guard down before them, you could be done in before you know it. Zhao Xingmo nodded. He was only saying this much because he had really high expectations for the young man before him. As powerful as the young man was, the problem was that he was not just faced with opponents of the same cultivation realm. Furthermore, the opponents would not be suppressing their cultivation to his level before fighting with him either... Thus, it would be no easy feat to get into the top twenty among the 33 people. I see... Thank you for your warning. Ill just have to deal with whateveres my way then, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Instead of leaving him on edge, Zhao Xingmos words had left Zhang Xuan feeling slightly excited instead. While his cultivation was only at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, his fighting prowess was already on par with Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivators. Previously, out of fear that he would identally hurt Zhao Xingmo, he had only used a fifth of his full strength. If the other candidates were really as powerful as Zhao Xingmo had said they were, he should be able to have some fun in the secondary selection! Seeing Zhang Xuans expression, Zhao Xingmo knew that his warning had effectively fallen on deaf ears. Shaking his head, he decided to nag no more. At this point, the aerial saint beast beneath them suddenly began diving down, heading toward the middle of the majestic city beneath them. Not too longter, the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion came into sight. Theynded on the square just in front of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and barely a moment after they hadnded, a few old men immediately stepped forward to wee them. Zhao shi! The person leading the group was an elder who appeared to be in his sixties. There was no beard or moustache on his pale face, and his eyebrows were arched like crescents. Despite being dressed in a simple green robe, he carried an imposing disposition with him. Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan discreetly assessed the elder, and he realized that thetters cultivation had actually reached Half-Grand Dominion realm! The other old men following behind him were not weak either. Just like Song Xuan, they were all Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle experts. As expected of the number one Conferred Empire. Just this group of men could easily bring about aplete change in the leadership of the Qingyuan Empire by themselves. Zhao Xingmo nodded impassively to the other partys warm greeting before introducing the duo standing behind him. Pavilion Master Yue, these two young men are the candidates chosen from the Qingyuan EmpireZhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao. After which, Zhao Xingmo turned around and said, This elder over here is the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Yue Yiquan. Paying respects to Pavilion Master Yue! Hearing that the elder before them was the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao swiftly sped their fists and bowed respectfully. Zhao shi, this way please. Pavilion Master Yue shot the both of them a nce, but he did not bother responding to their greetings. He turned his attention back to Zhao Xingmo and began leading the way forward. If I remember correctly, Song Xuan seems to be his uncle. Most probably, the reason he was dispatched to the Qingyuan Empire was to have him rue some contribution so that he could be promoted to the position of vice pavilion master, but... Zhang Jiuxiao sent a telepathic message over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan swiftly understood what Zhang Jiuxiao was saying. That exined why Pavilion Master Yue would even bypass the most basic of formalities with them. So, it was because the other party harbored enmity toward him. As an envoy dispatched by the Empire Alliance Master Teacher, Song shi should have conducted a thorough investigation of the matter before passing judgement, even if he had to withstand immense pressure from the popce for that. Thus, his very act of sentencing Sun Qiang, Elder Xu, and the others to the death penalty rashly was a wed judgement in itself. As such, there was no doubt that he had to be punished for hispse in responsibility. And with Song shis punishment, not only would Song shi be no longer qualified to rise to the position of the vice pavilion master, even Pavilion Master Yues reputation would take a blow as well, considering that he was the one who had chosen to send Song shi over. Given so, it was inevitable that Pavilion Master Yue would harbor some enmity toward Zhang Xuan. Lets go! Zhang Xuan said. There was nothing he could do about the other partys enmity toward him, and he couldnt be bothered with it either. The Qianchong Empire was just a temporary stop before he headed to the Sanctum of Sages. He wouldnt be staying there for too long, so the other partys attitude toward him meant nothing at all. At most, he would avoid encounters with Pavilion Master Yue as much as possible. Perhaps because the Master Teacher Pavilion had been cleared in advance, there werent too many people along the corridors, except for those master teachers who had speciallye to wee them. Even the weakest of those master teachers were at 7-star pinnacle, and forming two rows by the side, there were at least several hundred of them. They sure have a steady foundation, Zhang Xuan thought as he passed in between the two rows of master teachers. These master teachers possessed a cultivation of Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle at the very minimum. Experts of this caliber were truly limited in the Qianchong Empire, but here, they were as numerous like the grass along the road. It was as if one would see them at every turn. Truly, as expected of the number one Conferred Empire. The reason behind the Qianchong Empires overwhelming strength is due to their proximity to a spirit mine. They are rich in spirit stones, and they have the Master Teacher Pavilions support as well. It was based on these two factors that they were able to grow so prosperous over the years! Noticing Zhang Xuans astonishment, Zhang Jiuxiao sent a telepathic message over to exin. Spirit mine? Zhang Xuan asked. Un. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. ording to the rumors, theres a concentrated high-tier spirit stone mine in the Qianchong Empire. Its for this reason that they were able to attract countless experts to work for them, and this formed a virtuous cycle that furthered their development. As such, their national strength grew stronger and stronger. Of the four necessary elements to cultivationwealth, peers, method, and environmentwealth was indeed ranked at the very top. With sufficient money, a person would be able to attract talents to work for him, and once there were sufficient experts, cultivating a new generation of experts wouldnt be too difficult either. Through this cycle, a country would be able to grow stronger and stronger. If an empire was utterly poor,cking in precious cultivation resources, which expert would be willing to waste their time there? Naturally, it would be impossible to established a high-tier Master Teacher Pavilion either. You said that... there is a concentrated high-tier spirit mine here? Zhang Xuans breathing hastened in agitation. Thats right. Most of the concentrated high-tier spirit stones in cirction in the other empires all originate from here! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. If I wish to earn concentrated high-tier spirit stones here, where should I go? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. He happened to require as many concentrated high-tier spirit stones as possible to raise his cultivation. Since there was a spirit mine here, there should be plenty of concentrated high-tier spirit stone in cirction as well. If he could justy his hands on some of them, he would be able to push his cultivation forward! I am not too sure about that either, but... ording to rumors, there seem to be a ck market in the Qianchong Empire, and concentrated high-tier spirit stones are often traded there in high quantities. If you really do require concentrated high-tier spirit stones, it should be worth checking that out. After which, Zhang Jiuxiao pondered for a momentter before continuing. However, this is second-hand information, so do take it with a pinch of salt. Chapter 1254 - Scapegoating

Chapter 1254: Scapegoating

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ill take a look at itter on. Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though Zhang Jiuxiaos fighting prowess was subpar and his talent was not really worth a mention, he still had a redeemed traitreliability. Since the other party was telling him this news, most likely, there should be some level of credibility to it. Besides, regardless of whether the Qianchong Empire had spirit mines or not, as the number one Conferred Empire with many Leaving Aperture realm experts under itsmand, it was bound to have a rich supply of concentrated high-tier spirit stones. As long as he could find a channel to exchange or earn them, he should be able to raise his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle there. With such thoughts in mind, the crowd arrived at a vast hall, and everyone swiftly took their seats. Pavilion Master Yue waved his hand with a heartyugh and said, Invite the outstanding talents who have cleared the primary selection in! A master teacher backed out of the room, and not too longter, a group of young men and women walked into the hall. Dressed in master teacher robes, there were seven conspicuous stars weaved onto the emblems pinned on their chests. Zhang Xuan quickly scanned through the arriving crowd. Just as Zhao Xingmo had said, the cultivation of those who had cleared the primary selection was not too bad. The weakest ones were like him and Zhang Jiuxiao, Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, whereas the strongest ones were at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. To be able to advance their cultivation to this level before they even reached thirty, there were indeed plenty of geniuses in this world who possessed talent that did not pale too much inparison to his. Zhao shi, the candidates havee here in a rush after clearing the primary selection, and I reckon they are weary after the long journey they have taken here. Thus, I specially prepared a banquet to wee you, as well as to allow a day of rest for all the candidates. Will it be fine if we conduct the secondary selection tomorrow? Pavilion Master Yue inquired with a smile. Zhao Xingmo pondered for a moment before nodding. Its fine. Even though they were pushed for time, half a days dy would not do much harm. This would be a good opportunity for the young geniuses who hade for the secondary selection to let loose before facing the cruel challenges thaty ahead of them. Upon receiving Zhao Xingmos agreement, Pavilion Master Mo raised his hand and instructed, Men, serve the wine and dishes! Following which, a group of apprentice master teachers walked out and served tes of delicacies before the crowd. It seemed like Pavilion Master Yue had roughly estimated when Zhao Xingmo would be arriving and made preparations in advance. As if to reflect their economic power as the number one Conferred Empire, the served dishes were the nourishing meat of saint beasts cooked along with various precious medicinal herbs. Judging from the cooking method, it seemed to have been prepared by a high ranked gourmet as well. Not only was the meat fresh and sulent, the spirit infused within was also incredibly rich. Just a bite of it would leave ones zhenqi pulsating in excitement. Such food was extremely beneficial to the cultivation of ones Primordial Spirit. This entire table should be worth at least several thousand high-tier spirit stones! Zhang Jiuxiao remarked. So expensive? Zhang Xuan was startled by the extravagance of the meal. Back then, he had to go through so much trouble just to earn a thousand high-tier spirit stone. But now, just a single meal already cost way more than that. Ie disparity sure was frightening! Just look at this Golden Tiger Beast Liver. On top of the Saint 1-dan Golden Tiger Beast, its alsoplemented with four saint herbs, Riverbreath Grass, Pipa Stem, Deste Flower, and Five-vored Beef Leaf! These four have a maturity of roughly fifty years, and every single one of them is individually worth a hundred high-tier spirit stones. Taking all of these ingredients into ount, and factoring in the exceptional skills of the gourmet that has prepared this dish, one could say that even a thousand high-tier spirit stone would be a low cost for this dish! Zhang Jiuxiao analyzed. Hearing Zhang Jiuxiaos analysis, Zhang Xuan took a look at the dish himself and realized that his analysis was spot-on. Thus, he could not help but ask, You... have studied food before? Gourmet was a Lower Nine Paths upation, and it was not even qualified to be considered as a supporting upation. For this reason, there were nearly no master teachers who would learn it. Despite this, Zhang Jiuxiao knew a surprisingly great deal about food. Well, I do love eating good food, so I spent my free time studying it. The Zhang n has employed a gourmet to take care of their meals, and back then, whenever I was free, I would tag along and learn from him, so... I guess I do have some understanding of it, Zhang Jiuxiao exined. To most master teachers, gourmet was viewed as a trivial field of study. However, if one couldplement the ingredients well, the tonic broth a gourmet broiled could possibly harness medicinal effects on par with pills. In fact, the reason Zhang Jiuxiao was able to advance his cultivation and capabilities so far despite being only twenty-seven this year and a mere member of the side family could be partly credited to his effective coordination of ingredients in his meals. Incredible, Zhang Xuanplimented. Zhang Xuan did know a thing or two about gourmet as well, but that was mostly limited to appraising. He had not collected many books about that upation, so he could not be said to be too proficient in it. While the duo was talking to one another, Pavilion Master Yue suddenlyughed heartily in the center of the room. How can delicacies go without fine wine? Flicking his wrist, he took out a gourd of wine. This is the Tianchen Brew specially brewed by Old Man Tianchen. I believe I need not exin how valuable it is to you. I happened to obtain a gourd of it a while back, and I stored it away for a whole three hundred years to allow it to mature beautifully. Since Zhao shi is here today, I think it would be a good time to take it out and savor it. Is there anyone here who wishes to give it a try? Chuckling softly, Pavilion Master Yue uncorked the lid and gently poured out a cup. The transparent wine in the cup emanated a strong fragrance that swiftly permeated the entire hall. Just a single whiff was sufficient to whet ones appetite for it. Fine wine! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. The wine fragrance could be clearly smelled even from a distance away. From that, it could be seen that the purity and taste of the Tianchen Brew were bound to be far superior to the other wines he had drunk in the past. Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes gleamed in agitation as his breathing hastened. Old Man Tianchen is a famous Wine Sage in the Empire Alliance. The wine that he brews is able to intoxicate even Saint 7-dan experts! Tianchen Brew is known to be the finest wine he has ever made, and the quantity of it is severely limited, making it an extremely preciousmodity. Countless people would willingly sell their fortunes just to acquire a single cup of it, only to leave in disappointment. And yet, Pavilion Master Yue is actually offering it to us? Is this wine very famous? Seeing that Zhang Xuan did not understand the value of the wine before him, Zhang Jiuxiao eximed in agitation. Of course it is! Its a pricelessmodity! Even ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones wouldnt be able to buy you a single cup of it! Ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones... just to buy a cup of wine? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. Even the entire Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall only had ten of such concentrated high-tier spirit stones in its inventory, and to spend this sum of money just to buy a single cup of this wine... How insane must one be to do something like that? Its true! Even though concentrated high-tier spirit stones are rare, there are still channels through which one can obtain them. However, the Tianchen Brew of Old Man Tianchen is not something that one can buy with just money. It takes a great deal of luck as well! Without sufficient luck, one might not even get to see it, Zhang Jiuxiao exined in agitation. Seeing how excited Zhang Jiuxiao had be before the Tianchen Brew, Zhang Xuan could only smile helplessly. To be honest, he really did not desire such fine wine. On the contrary, he even thought that drinking was a waste of time. Thus, unless he was really bored, he would never drink. But judging from Zhang Jiuxiaos response, it seemed that if he could really purchase a cup of Tianchen Brew with ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones, he would fork out that sum without any hesitation. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. Was this wine so delicious as to make so many people willingly fork a huge fortune just for an opportunity to try it? Seeing how Zhang Xuan had no interest in the Tianchen Brew at all, Zhang Jiuxiao sighed deeply and said, I understand that Zhang shi might not think much of the Tianchen Brew because you are neither a drinker nor a gourmet. However, if you just look at their reactions, you should be able to roughly understand how valuable the Tianchen Brew is. Their reactions? Zhang Xuan raised his head, and only then did he notice the heated atmosphere in the hall. Everyone was staring at the cup of Tianchen Brew in Pavilion Master Yues hand with reddened eyes, and it felt as if they would even rush forward to snatch it if not for the disparity in strength between them. After a short moment ofmotion, a young man spoke up. Pavilion Master Yue, there are so many of us here but only a cup of fine wine. So, it wouldnt be too good to bestow it upon anyone here. Since thats the case, why dont we hold apetition, and the victor will be entitled to the cup of wine! Yun shi is right. The fine wine brewed by Old Man Tianchen should only be awarded to those who are worthy of it. Otherwise, it would only be wasting it. Regardless of whatpetition it is, I shall be the one who drink that cup of wine! Stop bragging. Its still not clear who will get the wine. ... The words of the first young man swiftly received the approval of the crowd. Considering how valuable the Tianchen Brew was, it was impossible for everyone to be given a cup of it. Since that was the case, the one who would be drinking the wine would have to disy some kind of capability that others would have no choice but to submit to! Quiet down. Hearing the discussion among the crowd, Pavilion Master Yue took a sweeping gaze at the crowd and smiled. All of your words are indeed true. Theres only a cup of wine here, so naturally, it should only be awarded to the one who possesses the greatest capability. However, theres no need for apetition. I have already made up my mind on who here is the most deserving of this cup of wine. In my opinion, hes the strongest and most capable among all of you. Oh? Strongest? Pavilion Master Yue, may we know whom the person you are referring to is? To have Pavilion Master Yue offer such high praise for him, I sure am curious to see just who that person is! ... Pavilion Maser Yues words caused the crowd to immediately begin scanning the faces in the hall in hopes to finding whom the mysterious personplimented by him was. They were all the top geniuses and experts in their own regions, so how could they possibly permit others to im the title of the strongest without putting up a fight for it? This persons reputation is not too striking, but throughout his journey here from an Unranked Kingdom, he has crashed two pavilions in total, and both of them were sessful. Furthermore, he brought about a change in the dynasty of the Qingyuan Empire and had almost all the master teachers there acknowledge him as their teacher. It has not been long since his name emerged on the Master Teacher Continent, but his every deed is nothing short of impressive. I have nothing but respect for that person, Pavilion Master Yue said. Two sessful pavilion crashes? Brought about a change in the dynasty of the Qingyuan Empire? Journey here from an Unranked Kingdom? Everyone was taken aback for a moment before hurriedly turning their gazes toward Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao. These two were thest to arrive, so there was no doubt that they were the candidates from the Qingyuan Empire. Indeed. Hes no other than Zhang Xuan! Pavilion Master Yue dered as he gestured at Zhang Xuan grandly. This fellow sure has a bunch of boring tricks up his sleeves... Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in disdain. Pavilion Master Yue first took out the fine wine to evoke everyones agitation before announcing that he would gift the cup of wine to him. On the surface, it might seem like apliment, an attempt to raise his standing among the candidates. But in truth, Pavilion Master Yue was helping him draw hostility from the rest of the candidates,pelling them to spurn him. To make him the enemy of the crowd with just a cup of wine, that fellow sure had mastered politics. Zhang shi, you might be unaware of it, but Song Xuan is actually my wifes younger brother. His recklessness back in the Qingyuan Empire nearly caused a huge disaster, and we really owe you one for correcting him. Also, your wless resolution of the crisis has prevented a potential uprising in the Qingyuan Empire and instilled confidence back into the Master Teacher Pavilion. This is something that I could have never done. Thus, allow me to propose a toast to you with this cup of wine! With a chuckle, Pavilion Master Yue tapped on the table, and the wine on the table immediately floated into the air. On the other hand, after hearing Pavilion Master Yues words, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes menacingly. To first acknowledge his rtionship with Song shi before expressing his respect toward Zhang Xuan... To onlookers, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with his words. However, that was basically invalidating any possible usation that he was intentionally putting Zhang Xuan in a spot due to his conflict with Song shi. To be able to make things difficult for Zhang Xuan while staying perfectly clean by the sidelines... As expected of the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he sure knew how to y games. Really, there was nothing more frightening than a despicable master teacher! Chapter 1255 - How Can Zhang shi Be That Weak? Chapter 1255: How Can Zhang shi Be That Weak? Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If Zhang Xuan rejected the cup of wine, it would make him appear weak, and he would be made aughingstock as a result of that. However, if he epted the cup of wine, there would surely be plenty of people who would stand up in opposition to it. Just thinking about the matter was enough to leave him with a splitting headache. As Zhang Xuan was contemting on how he should resolve this crisis, Pavilion Master Yue suddenly smiled slightly. With a tap of his finger, the floating wine cup before him immediately flew toward Zhang Xuan. It seemed like the other party had no intention of allowing him turn down his goodwill. Zhang shi, this is just a token of my sincerity. I hope that you can ept it! Hu! The wine cup arrived before Zhang Xuan. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to catch it, a powerful pressure hidden amid the cup suddenly crushed down on Zhang Xuan, threatening to tear his body apart. In the face of the pressure, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The movement of the wine cup was not too fast, making the gesture appear amiable on the surface. But in truth, Pavilion Master Yue had tampered with the wine cup so as to humiliate Zhang Xuan publicly. If Zhang Xuan failed to catch the wine cup and allowed the fine wine within to spill, it would make it seem as if he had apleteck of respect for Pavilion Master Yue, not even reciprocating thetters goodwill. Once that happened, the crowd in the area, already displeased and indignant by how Pavilion Master Yue had chosen to bestow the wine upon Zhang Xuan, would surely make use of this opportunity to defame and put him down. Through this, on top of getting back at Zhang Xuan for the affairs with Song shi, Pavilion Master Yue would also be able to portray himself as a magnanimous and gracious man, further winning the respect of others. Truly two birds with one stone! Formidable! Ill be graciously thanking Pavilion Master Yue for this cup of wine then! If it had been anyone else, this abrupt trick would surely have caught them off guard, causing them to embarrass themselves. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Through his Eye of Insight, he was able to sharply identify the flow of zhenqi around the cup. Without any exaggerated movement, he lightly lifted his chopstick and tapped the wine cup ahead of him. The movement of the chopstick was not too fast, but it carried the aura of an indomitable spear. In the blink of an eye, it struck the wine cup. Po! A hole was struck into the bundle of zhenqi shrouding the cup. The zhenqi immediately dissipated into the surroundings like a deted balloon. At the same time, without the support of the zhenqi, the wine cup began falling to the ground. With a swift movement, the wine cup was caught in between the chopsticks. Hmm? The set of actions from Zhang Xuan flowed fluidly, as if he was simply calmly catching Pavilion Master Yues wine with his chopsticks. To an outsider, there was nothing incongruous about Zhang Xuans actions at all, but Pavilion Master Yues face froze for an instant. The energy he had shrouded around the wine cup was something that even Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivators would have been unable to withstand. Yet, the young man was actually able to neutralize his zhenqi so easily. From this, it could be seen that the other partys grasp over his strength had already reached an astonishing level. Based on the intelligence he had received, Zhang Xuans strength was mainly built upon a Saint intermediate-tier cauldron that he possessed. There was nothing in the intelligence that he had received that said that Zhang Xuan possessed such powerful strength himself! Naturally, Zhao Xingmo would not speak of his humiliating defeat against Zhang Xuan to another, and the others present in the room back thenPavilion Master Wu, Yao shi, Zhang Jiuxiao, and the othersout of respect for the guide of the Sanctum of Sages, would never gossip about such a matter. As a result, even with the superior intelligencework that Pavilion Master Yuemanded as the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, there was no way he could have been aware of the surge in Zhang Xuans cultivation and his near invincible fighting prowess in his cultivation realm. Most of the information he had was obtained from Song shis ount. And Song shi, having suffered a huge setback in Zhang Xuans hands, would naturally put him out to be as vile as possible, using the other party of using his artifact tounch a surprise assault on him. As for the rest, he was a little too ashamed to speak of it. As a result, there was apse in the information regarding Zhang Xuan. Nevertheless, despite his shock, Pavilion Master Yue did not allow it to show on his face. Instead, he covered it with a chuckle. Zhang shi, cheers! After which, he raised his wine cup and gulped the wine down in a single mouthful. Zhang Xuan replied with a polite smile and raised his wine cup as well. However, before he could drink it, the young man known as Yun shi abruptly stood up and yelled, Hold it for a moment! Everyone immediately turned their gazes over. Yun shi, whats wrong? Pavilion Master Yue asked in bewilderment. Pavilion Master Yue, everyone has agreed earlier that the cup of wine should go to the one who is most qualified to drink it. I know that you have said earlier that Zhang shi is the strongest among us, but I cant help but feel a little indignant about that. Thus, if it isnt too much to ask, I would like to challenge him to a battle. Yun shi sped his fist toward Pavilion Master Yue before directing a provocative gaze toward Zhang Xuan. There was no one in this room who would willingly miss the opportunity to savor the Tianchen Brew from Old Man Tianchen. For this opportunity to go to an unknown figure from the Qingyuan Empire... Putting aside him, there was no one in this room who did not feel indignant about that! Indeed. I think that we should still hold apetition to decide the allocation of the wine! We are all aware of the circumstances surrounding the Qingyuan Empire. If Im not mistaken, Zhang shi over here is currently at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, the same cultivation realm as one of my students! I really dont think that hes qualified to enjoy this cup of wine from Pavilion Master Yue! Zhang shi, surely you wont turn down our request to spar, will you? In any case, we will all be participating in the secondary selections tomorrow, so why dont you give us a show of your strength first? ... All the candidates spoke up one after another, and they did not neglect to send looks of hostility toward Zhang Xuan while they were at it. It seems like I have really underestimated the prowess of this cup of wine... Looking at how vehemently the crowd was speaking up against him, Zhang Xuan could not help but sigh. Despite Zhang Jiuxiaos previous exnation, he had been hoping that the others would not go so far for a mere cup of wine, and he would have been spared this unnecessary trouble. However, it seemed like the allure of the wine was truly irresistible to them. Pavilion Master Yue contemted for a moment before nodding. I have already bestowed the wine upon Zhang shi, so Ill leave him to decide its allocation. However, I dont wish to see any acrimony arising out of this matter, understood? He had already ignited the spark, and all that was left was to sit back and watch the show. We understand, Pavilion Master Yue. Hearing those words, Yun shis eyes lit up. Those words could be taken as a silent consent to his proposal. Thus, with a cold sneer, Yun shi turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, do you dare duel me? If I were to win, the wine shall be mine to savor! Swirling the wine in the cup, Zhang Xuan asked leisurely, Oh? Then what if you lose? Lose? Yun shis lips crept up in derision. Dont worry, I wont lose. I dont think your words can dictate whether you will win or not. Even if Im on the weaker side, I still do have a chance at victory. Earning nothing when I win, losing a cup of fine wine when I losedont you think that the bet you are proposing is too convenient? Zhang Xuan pointed out to Yun shi nonchntly. Yun shi was silent for a moment before harrumphing coldly. What do you propose then? The cup of wine was bestowed upon the young man by Pavilion Master Yue. From such a perspective, the bet was indeed a little unfair to the other party. Simple. Both you and I know the value of this Tianchen Brewa cup of it is worth at least ten concentrated high-tier spirit stone. However, Ill give you a discount. As long as you take out five concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Ill have the duel with you. If I lose, you can take the wine away with you. Otherwise, the spirit stones will be mine to take! Zhang Xuan said. That Yue Yiquan had intentionallye up with this show to embarrass him, but who was to say that this was not an opportunity for him? With just a bit of maniption, he could make use of this opportunity to scrape this bunch of geniuses clean! It was unlikely that they would be able to take out ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones, but five... Considering their standing as the top-notch geniuses in their regions, they might have that many. Five concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Upon hearing the bet, Yun shi frowned in hesitation. He had not expected the bet to get so big. If you do not dare to stake the spirit stones, Im afraid that this wine will be mine to savor... Unwilling to waste his breath, Zhang Xuan began raising the wine cup, seemingly ready to gulp it down in a single mouthful. Wait a moment! someone bellowed at that moment, and another of the master teachers stood up. Yun shi, if you dont have the guts to challenge him to a duel, Ill be taking your ce. That wine shall be mine to take! After saying those words, the master teacher flicked his wrist, and a jade container appeared before everyones eyes. He pried it open lightly, revealing five radiant spirit stones within. Here are five concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Feel free to check if you want to! The master teacher flicked his hand, and the spirit stones flew toward Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan caught those spirit stones and examined them closely. A momentter, he nodded. These are indeed concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Before this huge crowd, the master teacher was not worried that Zhang Xuan would steal those spirit stones. He calmly walked into the center of the hall and said, Good! The preliminary selection was a test of fighting prowess, so why dont wepete on that as well? Do you dare to ept my challenge? The hall was rather spacious. While 33 outstanding talents were seated around the room, there was still substantial empty ground in the center to carry out duels and the sort. You want to have a duel with me? Zhang Xuan unconfidently looked at the master teacher before him, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, May I know what your cultivation is at the moment? Seeing the fearful look on Zhang Xuans face, the master teacher could not help but sneer coldly. I am at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle... If you really are that afraid, I can suppress my cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage for the duel! To already be losing out in terms of aura prior to the battle... Even before conducting the duel, it was apparent who the winner would be. That would be for the best! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan ced the cup down before getting to his feet. He slowly walked over to the empty space in the middle of the hall. The master teacher introduced himself as Zhang Xuan walked over. I am Liu Chongxin from Beiye Empire! The next moment, Liu Chongxins eyebrows shot up, and he began suppressing his cultivation. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had fallen to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, just like Zhang Xuan. Qingyuan Empire, Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan nodded hesitantly before sping his fist. Please have mercy on meter on. Hehe, I will. Seeing how the other party had suddenly turned so cowardly after challenging him arrogantly a moment ago, a contemptuous smirk emerged on Liu Chongxins lips. With a flick of his hand, his palm began turning red. Lets begin! After saying those words, he began dashing toward Zhang Xuan with imposing momentum. Liu shis movements may seem reckless on the surface, but these actions are actually carefully calcted. From the very first move, he is already using his Metalcore Palm! Those who have cleared Zhao shis selection had to withstand three moves from those two listening-in students from the Sanctum of Sages. Given so, how could he be at all ordinary? Liu shis reckless exterior is just a performance to provoke his opponent into making a careless move. In truth, hes in perfect control of the situation! ... The cultivators who were familiar with Liu Chongxin began discussing discreetly. Those who were able to surpass countless other master teachers and clear the preliminary selections were all extraordinary geniuses. Even though Zhang Xuan might have appeared weak on the surface, Liu Chongxin still knew better than to underestimate his opponent. Hu! As soon as the palm fell, the surrounding air immediately began to redden, as if a coal that had lit up under intense heat. The Metalcore Palm was the ultimate technique of the Beiye Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. A Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, the might it harnessed wasparable to even the Grand Constetion Finger. Interesting! Zhang Xuan seemed to have gotten into the fight as well. He raised his palm as well to meet the other partys assault. The palm art he was using was also a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Cloud Crane Palm! Despite its grand sounding name, the palm was centered around flexibility. Clearly, this was a sign that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to face Liu Chongxins Metalcore Palm directly, intending to use other means to bypass it. Do you think that Ill allow you to deflect my palm that easily? Dream on! Sneering coldly, Liu Chongxin intensified the pressure from his palm. All of a sudden, it was if the surrounding space had copsed toward Zhang Xuan, leaving only a single path for the Cloud Crane Palm to travel through, effectively preventing the Cloud Crane Palm from exploiting its flexibility to maneuver around the Metalcore Palm. He was trying to force a direct confrontation between them through his superior might! Peng! As soon as the two palms collided with one another, Zhang Xuans face immediately paled, and he retreated several steps backward. At the same time, his arm bent slightly as well under the impact. Fearing that his opponent would notice his weakness, he hurriedly hid it beneath the sleeves of his robe. And here I was still wondering how formidable you were. With just this bit of strength, you were still dreaming of drinking the Tianchen Brew? Seeing that his assault was effective, Liu Chongxin burst into a heartughter. This... On the other hand, Zhang Jiuxiao stared nkly at the unexpected sight before him. Slowly, realization dawned upon him, and sympathy seeped into his eyes. Zhang shi... cant possibly be that weak. I guess its time to start praying for Liu shi over there... Every time Zhang Xuan behaved like that, someone would be in for a round of misfortune. He had undergone that many times himself, so he could be considered a veteran. Chapter 1256 - My Weapon Is A Little Heavy!

Chapter 1256: My Weapon Is A Little Heavy!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Jiuxiao wasnt the only one who thought that. Zhao Xingmo and the other two listening in students were also speechless by the sight before them as well. They had experienced with their own bodies how pervertedly powerful that fellow was. There was probably not a person in the world who could win against him in a battle of equal cultivation realm. Liu Chongxin might be talented, butpared to that abnormal fellow, he was stillcking far too much Yet, despite the overwhelming disparity between the both of them, Zhang Xuan was pummeled to the point where his body was trembling non-stop, unable to retaliate at all... Even if they were beaten to death at this very instant, they still wouldnt believe the sight they were witnessing at this moment was true. Its a pity that Liu Chongxin beat me to it... If only I knew he was that weak, I would have gone up myself! How could I miss this precious opportunity to savor the Tianchen Brew just like that... In contrast to Zhang Jiuxiao and Zhao Xingmos reactions, the other young geniuses revealed regretful looks on their faces upon seeing this sight. Previously, Pavilion Master Yue had said that Zhang Xuan had sessfully crashed two Master Teacher Pavilions, and in his view, he was the strongest of them all... These words had instilled some fear and hesitation into them. After all, five concentrated high-tier spirit stone was no small sum at all... They were still thinking that Zhang Xuan might really be an expert amongst experts, but who could have thought that he would actually be so weak! Hu! At the center of the hall, Liu Chongxin roared furiously andunched yet another charge toward Zhang Xuan. In the blink of an eye, it felt as if eight hands had sprouted from his body, inducing a furious gale in the surroundings. Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Eight-armed Ape Form! Powerful and swift, this battle technique swept across the hall like a raging storm, making it incredibly difficult to guard against. From the looks of it, it seemed like Liu Chongxin had seen through Zhang Xuans true strength, and he intended to end it swiftly so as to not waste any time. You... On the other hand, seeing Liu Chongxin abruptly exerting such a powerful might, Zhang Xuans face paled in fright. He subconsciously huddled his body together. Since he was unable to dodge the move, he would just have to forcefully attempt to endure it with his back. This was one of the moves which a cultivator would not use unless they were really in a helpless and desperate position as it would only likely put them deeper into a spot. Such a person... is actually being called a genius? Pavilion Master Yue sneered coldly. Song shi had sent word over saying that he had suffered a major setback in the hands of someone named Zhang Xuan, such that his manhood was even crippled. Pavilion Master Yue had still been wondering what kind of amazing expert Zhang Xuan would be, and he was intending to put the young man down into his ce here. Who would have thought that... the young man would actually be so weak! It seemed like there was no need for him to make any moves. Just Liu Chongxin would be enough to give the young man a beating of his life. Shaking his head, Pavilion Master Yue picked up a slice of fish, and he was just about to savor it when the huddled Zhang Xuan, seemingly in a state ofplete panic, suddenly slipped and fell forward. AHHHHH! This forward fall had pushed him right toward Liu Chongxinapletely suicidal move! But... for some reason, despite how suicidal Zhang Xuans move appeared to be, Liu Chongxins face warped in horror upon seeing that sight. He immediately attempted to retreat, but it was already toote. With astounding momentum, Zhang Xuans head crashed heavily onto his chest, and Liu Chongxins body stiffened on the spot. A mouthful of fresh blood spewed all over the air. In the next moment, Liu Chongxin fell heavily onto the ground, knocked out. Ah... As if not daring to believe that he would actually be able to knock out Liu Chongxin just by a mere slip, Zhang Xuan stood up and stared at the knocked out young man in a daze, muttering dreamily beneath his breath, I... won? This... While Zhang Xuan was in a state of confusion, the surrounding crowd had already widened their eyes in astonishment. Liu Chongxins Eight-armed Ape Form wields iparable might, making those who stand before it fearful to face it straight on. I would have never thought that it was all an act to conceal a mingmen at his chest! Zhang shis panicked fall happened to avoid the Eight-armed Ape Forms assault and exploit the w... Just what kind of ridiculous luck is that? His luck might be not bad, but that wont be enough to make him deserving of the Tianchen Brew! If he wishes to savor that wine, he would do well to show some strength! ... Soon, the crowd recovered from their state of shock, and disdain and contempt slipped back into their eyes. They hadnt expected the young man to win through a lucky maneuver like that, but that was all there was to it. Mere luck. I have won! These concentrated high-tier spirit stones are mine then! Finally recovering from his dazed state, Zhang Xuan eximed in excitement as he kept the spirit stones on the table into his storage ring. Then, he lifted the cup of wine once more and dered proudly, Fellow master teachers, I believe that all of you should have witnessed my superior strength. So, I wont stand on ceremony before you all anymore and savor this cup of wine! Bore witness to his superior strength? How can there be such a shameless person in the world? Its as if the person who had shrieked earlier wasnt him at all! It was clearly a lucky victory, so where did he find the courage to talk big before us? I cant stand it anymore! Ill have to have a showdown with him! Not a surprise, Zhang Xuans words swiftly piqued a furious uproar from the crowd. All of their faces flushed crimson from rage and indignant, reminiscent of volcanoes on the verge of eruption. Pah! The earlier Yun shi smacked his table furiously and stood up once more. Liu Chongxin might have lost, but I havent lost yet. Here is five concentrated high-tier spirit stones. They will be yours if I were to lose, but if I win, that Tianchen Brew will be mine to take! With a powerful leap, Yun shinded in the middle of the room before staring down on Zhang Xuan imposingly. Had he known that the fellow was so weak, he would have surely dashed forward earlier. He wouldnt have waited till now. You still want topete with me? Zhang Xuan shook his head vehemently as a visible hint of fear surfaced in his eyes. I dont think that would be appropriate. I just had a battle, and I have exerted myself greatly... Exerted yourself greatly? Hearing the nonsense the young man before him was speaking, Yun shi spat through gritted teeth. If anyone has exerted himself in the earlier battle, it is clearly Liu Chongxin! You barely used any of your zhenqi in that earlier battle, knocking him with a headbutt by sheer chance. How can you say that you have exerted yourself greatly like that? Thats right. I dont think I am in any state to face you in a duel, so... why dont we just forget about it! Zhang Xuan waved his hand as he lifted the Tianchen Brew once more and brought it over to his lips. Wait a moment! Why dont we do this instead? Ill give you some time to rest, and... here is ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones! If I lose, they will for your taking. Otherwise, you will have to give the Tianchen Brew to me! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was intending to back out, Yun shi quickly flicked his wrist, and two jade containers appeared in his hands. With a flick, theynded on the table not too far away. While doing so, Yun shi didnt forget his taunting, Why? Are you scared now? Surely the man that Pavilion Master Yue is full ofpliments for wouldnt be a coward, right? This... Zhang Xuan lowered his head in hesitation. It was hard to tell whether it was the spirit stones or the words that had left him conflicted, but after a moment of silence, he took in a deep breath, as if making a grave decision, and raised his head resolutely once more. Very well, I shall have a fight with you. However, I have a condition. You must suppress your cultivation to my level as well! Theres no problem with that. However, unlike Liu shi, Ill be using a weapon. Hearing Zhang Xuans consent, a smile crept up on Yun shis lips. He flicked his wrist, and a meteor hammer 1 appeared in his hands. Saint intermediate-tier weapon, Gilded Violet Meteor Hammer! You want to use a weapon? Zhang Xuan frowned in distress for a moment before asking once more. Are you sure? Of course! Yun shi replied. Very well then. Zhang Xuan walked to the middle of the hall and assessed Yun shi once more. Is that meteor hammer the weapon you are going to use? Thats right! Yun shi replied proudly. It was out of sheer coincidence that he obtained this weapon, but rarely were there anyone who was a match for him when he had this meteor hammer in his hands. While it was clear that the young man before him had only defeated Liu Chongxin out of sheer luck, considering that he had ced ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones on the line, he didnt dare to take any risk. Thus, he decided to go all out. With this weapon in his hands, he would be able to subdue even Quasi Leaving Aperture realm experts easily, let alone a mere Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivator! I also have a weapon, but... just a warning beforehand, its a little heavy. Please do pardon me if I fail to control its strength in the midst of battle. With a conflicted look on his face, Zhang Xuan told Liu Chongxin. Your weapon is a little heavy? You are pitting the weight of your weapon against mine? Hahahahaha! Rest assured, use whatever weapon you want! It wont be fun if your weapon isnt heavy enough! Hearing those words, Yun shi burst into heartyughter. Is there something wrong with this fellows head? I am using a meteor hammer! You want topete with me on the heaviness of our weapons? Regardless of whether he was faced against a sword, a saber, or a spear, a hammer from me would never fail to force any opponent into defense! Yet, topete with me in terms of heaviness... In the many fights I have been through, I have never seen a single weapon that is even heavier than mine! Since thats the case, lets begin then... With an apprehensive look, Zhang Xuan reluctantly nodded. Show your weapon and allow me to have a look! Yun shiughed heartily as he raised his meteor hammer in a battle position. Despite theck of wind, the chain in between the two hammers rattled loudly, as if provoking the young man who dared stand before it. But I have already shown you my weapon... Contrary to his expectations, the young man before him simply shrugged his shoulder nonchntly before the imposing presence of his meteor hammers, uttering some iprehensible words. Yun shi couldnt help but be taken aback. The young mans hands werepletely empty, and there was not a single thing on him that came close to resembling a weapon. Yet, he was saying that he had already shown him his weapon? Your head! In his moment of bewilderment, a master teacher by the side abruptly shouted in rm. My head? Perplexed, Yun shi raised his head, and his eyes immediately narrowed in astonishment. Unbeknownst to him, a massive cauldron was already floating right above him at some point. Upon meeting gazes with Yun shi, hu!, the massive cauldron began descending on him with astounding momentum. The hell! Eximing in horror, Yun shi tried to leap to the side to avoid the falling cauldron, only to realize that the sheer might of the cauldron had already caused the surrounding space to copse inward. Padah! With a deafening explosion, a huge hole was punctured into the ground. All Yun shi saw was a dark shadow covering the entire world before being crushed into the ground. His two legs were exposed at the end of the cauldron, and its uncontroble convulsing suggested that Yun shi had already been incapacitated. I told you that my weapon is really heavy! Shaking his head helplessly, Zhang Xuan headed to the table and carefully kept the ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones there. Then, with a wave of his hand, he kept the Golden Origin Cauldron back to his storage ring, revealing a -shaped Yun shi in the middle. With a perfectly nonchnt voice, Zhang Xuan informed the other party, You have lost. Pu! This further blow caused Yun shi to spurt a mouthful of blood. T-this... This is cheating! Hes from Qingyuan Empire, so how could he have such a formidable cauldron? That cauldron must at least be at Leaving Aperture realm... To win on sheer luck the first round and rely solely on his cauldron for the second, can that fellow get any more shameless than that? ... There was a brief moment of silence before a heatedmotion broke out amidst the crowd. Given the current circumstances, it was implied that a duel between the both of them should be a sh in their fighting prowess. Even if weapons were used, they should only y a supporting role... Yet, that fellow actually sent a Leaving Aperture realm artifact over to thrash his opponent! That was way too unconventional! However... Yun shi was the one who proposed fighting using weapons, and prior to the duel, Zhang Xuan had also told him that his weapon would be a little heavy... Considering that Yun shi had been warned beforehand but still heartily agreed to it, Zhang Xuan couldnt exactly be said to be at a fault over here either! Just that, while it was not clearly stated, it was obvious to everyone here that it was a duel to pit their fighting prowess against one another, not their artifacts... Two consecutive rounds of victory should be enough to prove my strength to all of you. If none of you have any objections, Ill assume that all of you agree that I am deserving of the title of the strongest amongst all of you. Naturally, I wont hold back on this cup of wine too! After keeping Yun shis spirit stones safely into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan announced smugly as he picked up the wine cup and swirled it. In an instant, the wines fragrance diffused into the surroundings. Prove your strength to all of us? Seeing how gleeful Zhang Xuan was, the faces of the remaining candidates reddened in indignation. It is mere luck the first time round, and aplete reliance on your artifact the second time... How can you call yourself the strongest amongst us all like that... The title of the strongest should be forged with ones strength, not through relying on external tools! Zhang shi, I still have doubts about your strength. Do you dare to have a duel with me? Another master teacher stood up and walked to the center of the hall. Just the aura that he emanated left the surrounding air feeling as if it had turned viscous. A Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert! It seemed like the stronger experts amongst the group couldnt watch on anymore, and they had decided to make a move themselves. Chapter 1257 - Sick From Spinning

Chapter 1257: Sick From Spinning

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang shi, that person is the Third Young Master of Sage Xue n, Xue Ning! Upon catching a closer glimpse of the person who had just stepped forward, Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly sent a telepathic message over to Zhang Xuan. Xue n? Un. Even though they are a Tier-3 Sage n, their prowess is still one that shouldnt be underestimated. In terms of influence and power, they are on equal footing with Qianchong Empire! Zhang Jiuxiao continued. Even the weakest of the Sage ns would have a long heritage behind them, as well as a set of cultivation techniques suited for their bloodlines. Ordinary empires wouldnte close toparing to them. Even though this Third Young Master of the Xue n was only at Half-Leaving Aperture realm, his true fighting prowess could very well be on par with an average True Leaving Aperture realm expert! Thanks for your reminder. Zhang Xuan replied Zhang Jiuxiao telepathically before lifting his gaze to look at Xue Ning. You are interested in drinking the Tianchen Brew too? At this point, it isnt just for the Tianchen Brew anymore. Xue Ning harrumphed proudly. It might just be a cup of wine, but due to Pavilion Master Yues promation of bestowing it upon the strongest of them all, the nature of this matter had changed altogether. It was now a matter of their dignity and honor as well! It would be one thing if Zhang Xuan was truly outstanding, but the two victories he had achieved were either by chance or through uneptable means. Not to mention, that fellows cultivation was only at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage only... If even that fellow was qualified to drink this cup of wine, which was to be bestowed to the strongest, what would this mean of the rest of them? What do you want then? Zhang Xuan asked warily. The same as before. Ill take out ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones to have a duel with you over the Tianchen Brew. Xue Ning said. This... Zhang Xuan paused for a brief moment. I have just undergone two battles, and my zhenqi is nearly depleted at this point... Why dont we do this instead? If you are willing to take out fifteen concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Ill ept your duel! Your zhenqi is nearly depleted? Xue Nings eyelids twitched. All you have done earlier was to toss a cauldron out to crush your opponent... Please exin to me how you have managed to deplete your zhenqi doing that! Fine! Ill take out fifteen concentrated high-tier spirit stones then! Xue Ning could tell that the other party had a way with his words, and arguing with him would be pointless. Thus, he waved his hands majestically and epted the deal. Judging from the strength and reaction speed which Zhang Xuan had disyed earlier on, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to achieve victory. Besides, there were close business ties between the Xue n and Qianchong Empire, so fifteen concentrated high-tier spirit stones were still a sum they could afford to lose. Very well! Zhang Xuan nodded. Will you be using any weapons? I wont be using any weapons, so you shouldnt use your cauldron either. Lets have a fair duel using our own strength! Xue Ning quickly replied. As confident as he was in his strength, he could tell that he stood no chance against the young mans cauldron at all. If they were going topete with one another, the first thing he should do was to stop the other party from using his cauldron. This... Hearing that they were not to use any weapon, Zhang Xuan seemed to have be a little apprehensive. Those who wish to enter the Sanctum of Sages should possess individual fighting prowess worthy of doing so. Relying on external tools is just a temporary measure; it might help you right now, but it wont help you for life. Why? Are you afraid of having to fight a battle yourself? Noting Zhang Xuans hesitance, Xue Ning mocked coldly. If thats the case, I advise you to put down the Tianchen Brew and step down. Someone as cowardly as you isnt worthy of drinking it! Very well then. I guess it would only be fair for me to not use a weapon if you arent using one... Seemingly cornered by Xue Nings words, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth forcefully in indignance before finally relenting. Lets start then! Xue Ning flicked his wrist and ced three jade containers filled with concentrated high-tier spirit stones on a table. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also casually ced the cup of wine back on the table before walking back to the center of the hall. Hmph! Without the slightest interest in wasting any more time on words, Xue Ning immediately stepped off from the spot, and his figure suddenly turned illusory as he dashed toward Zhang Xuan. Despite having suppressed his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, his speed was still as fast as lightning, making it highly difficult for one to urate discern his figure. With tremendous speed, Xue Nings five fingers swiftly appeared before Zhang Xuan. At the very least, hes considerably stronger than that Liu Chongxin and Yun shi! Zhang Xuan thought as he took a step back before meeting the other partys strike with a finger. Grand Constetion Finger! Upon catching sight of Zhang Xuans move, Xue Ning forcefully changed his move. From a powerful palm strike, his fingers suddenly began moving adeptly as if he was ying a zither. Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Coy Pipa Finger Strokes! Pipa! Pipa! A series of resounding taps echoed as Xue Nings adroit five fingers shed together with the Grand Constetion Finger, inducing a series of sonic booms. Under the relentless assault of Xue Nings fingers, Zhang Xuans face paled, and he was forced to retreat again and again. Heh! Xue Ning smirked upon seeing that his attack was effective. He knew that this was a perfect opportunity to continue his assault, so he swiftly moved his fingers to draw out long strings of zhenqi to seal the area, preventing Zhang Xuan from getting away. On the other hand, seeing how formidable Xue Ning was, a hint of fear seemed to appear in Zhang Xuans eyes. Flustered, he moved his hands and legs simultaneously at an extremely swift speed, forming a protective barrier around him. Even though this set of action seemed to have been done in a state of panic, it did manage to help him effectively fend off Xue Nings continued assault. Oh? It seems like he isnt totally useless after all... Seeing that his attack had been warded off, Xue Nings eyebrows shot up in surprise. In the first round, it appeared that the other party had obtained victory by sheer luck. In the second round, the other party had reliedpletely on his artifact, not moving a single finger in the battle at all... As a result, in Xue Nings eyes, Zhang Xuan was nothing more than a fake, a person who had earned his reputation through trickery and luck. However, this momentary encounter had made him realize that the other partys weakness could very well be feigned. In any case, one thing was for sure. The other party was definitely not as weak as he appeared to be. Nevertheless... an opponent who could only defend himself was still nowhere on par with him! Clenching his fingers into a fist, he gathered his full strength andunched a decisive blow toward Zhang Xuan. Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Contention of a Hundred Vessels! In terms of sheer might, this battle technique was above even that of Liu Chongxins Eight-armed Ape Form. Wasnt the other partys defense as resilient as a tortoises shell? Fine then, he would just have to forcefully break it apart! Pah pah pah pah pah! Overwhelming might paired with iparably swift movements, in the blink of an eye, Xue Ning had already released more than a hundred punches. However, despite the immense might of his assault, he found that the young mans defense was even more formidable. Even after so many strikes, he found that he still was nowhere close to breaking apart the young mans tortoise shell! That fellow sure is scheming! Despite being considerably strong himself, he intentionally feigned weakness in order to get us to challenge him and earn our spirit stones! However, no matter how tough his defense is, it wont be sufficient to bring him victory. He might have withstood the barrage of punches from Third Young Master Xue, but hes bound to take significant damage in the midst of doing so... ... At this point, it had be apparent to the others in the room that Zhang Xuan wasnt as easy as they had initially thought him out to be too. As elites amongst the master teachers, they might have been tricked the first two times Zhang Xuan feigned weakness, but if they still couldnt tell this much by the third time, they would really be unworthy of their titles as geniuses. But while they realized that Zhang Xuan wasnt as weak as they had initially thought, they didnt think that he would be too strong either. Otherwise, he wouldnt have allowed himself to force into a state where he could only sustain his defense, unable to counterattack at all. As the old adage preached, a sustained defense is bound to lead to defeat. At this rate, it was just a matter of time before Zhang Xuan caved in. Third Young Master Xues zhenqi capacity is really no joke. For him, a hundred punches is nothing but a warm up... Lets see how long thatd can keep up his defenses for! I had a battle with Third Young Master Xue once, and the weight of his punches will only grow stronger throughout the course of the battle. While thatd over there isnt too bad himself, it is nigh impossible for him to win against Third Young Master Xue! Amidst the crowd, two of the young geniuses remarked. At Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, these two young geniuses were the few stronger ones amidst the crowd, so naturally, their words held more weight and credibility. Xue Nings strength might be nothingpared to them, but amidst the 33 candidates participating in the secondary selection, he could definitely be considered as one of the stronger ones. Given his strength, it was hard to believe that a Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage nobody from Qingyuan Empire would be able to defeat him. The battle proceeded on for some time, and another Quasi Leaving Aperture realm cultivator remarked, Xue Nings punches are growing faster and faster! On the field, Xue Ning was utilizing a particrly bizarre movement technique which made his movements seemed reminiscent of an intangible specter. At one moment, he would be at Zhang Xuans left, and in the next moment, he would suddenly appear at the right. While flitting around Zhang Xuan, his punches never stopped, causing a rampaging shockwave to diffuse into the surroundings and raise a powerful gale. Xue Nings movements were so fast that just looking at it was giddying. Hes actually still able to defend against that? This offense continued for quite a while, but despite seeming as if a weak candle me in the midst of a raging storm, about to be extinguished at any moment, Zhang Xuan still managed to withstand every wave of attack each time, not exposing the slightest opening for Xue Nings punches to slip through. Even if hes able to defend against that, hes bound to reach his limits very soon! Frowning, one of the Quasi Leaving Aperture realm young genius who spoke up earlier remarked once more. Even as a Quasi Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, under Xue Nings rampaging barrage of attacks, he could only afford to maintain a defensive position for some time before his defense copsed. The typical strategy against such relentless attacks was to bide ones time until an ideal opportunity emerged to slip an attack in and turn the tables around. Yet, Zhang Xuan had already maintained his defensive position for a very long time now, and even more shockingly, he actually managed to perfectly ward off every single attack... Was he really a tortoise?! But even if Zhang Xuan specialized in defense, this wasnt a feasible n in the long run. Xue Nings punches didnt just consist of mere brute strengththey were also infused with a hidden might 1 . As the hidden might began umting, it would slowly wear down Zhang Xuans body from the inside. Even someone of his cultivation wouldnt be able to withstand something like that, let alone Zhang Xuan! Zhang shi, I concede that I have really underestimated you. I havent thought that you would be able to survive so long under my offense. However, its about time to put an end to this farce! Contrary to what the two Quasi Leaving Aperture realm young geniuses had thought, Xue Nings attacks werepletely ineffective against Zhang Xuan, and he had realized this fact as well. His failure to bring down the other party despite his sustained assault had caused him to start feeling a little panicked, so he decided to use his ultimate move. With a furious roar, the strength in his body began surging swiftly. Xue Ning had intended to reserve this move as his trump card in the secondary selections, but at this point, he couldnt care that much anymore. Hong long! As his aura surged, Xue Nings movements grew faster as well. Vaguely, seven to eight silhouettes of him seemed to appear all around Zhang Xuan. Following which, a thin golden line forged of zhenqi was pulled in a circle before tightening around the tortoise-shelled Zhang Xuan, slowly creeping its way into the shell an inch at a time. This is... the Xue ns Golden Silk Thread! The face of one of the Quasi Leaving Aperture realm young genius warped in astonishment. He actually managed to grasp this technique? Golden Silk Thread? the second Quasi Leaving Aperture realm young genius asked in confusion. Thats right! The Xue ns Golden Silk Thread is simr a guillotine created by capitalizing on the superior speed of their movement techniques. If utilized well, it would be able to even sever a Saint intermediate-tier artifact into two! The first young genius tightened his fists in agitation. This battle technique is really powerful. If Zhang shi persists on his defense, he could very well find the Golden Silk Thread wrapped tightly around him. Once that happens, even if he doesnt die, he could very well find himself crippled for life! Its that formidable? The second young genius gulped down a mouthful of saliva as he anxiously turned his gaze back to the battle. One look, and he suddenly froze in disbelief. W-what... is Zhang shi trying to do? Hm? Turning his gaze over as well, the first young genius also froze on the spot as well. In this moment, the young man trapped in the middle of the Golden Silk Thread suddenly staggered on the spot, as if intoxicated on alcohol. He did a series of extremely bizarre actions, a little reminiscent of an avant-garde dance, and a little reminiscent of a physical expression of his panic and helplessness as well. Hu! As those movements were being conducted, Xue Nings movements suddenly grew faster and faster, to the point which it seemed as if he was going to lose control of himself. And... he really did. From the sheer centripetal force 2 of his circr movement around Zhang Xuan, he ended up flinging himself headfirst into a pir of the hall. Following which, his face suddenly flushed green, and he bent over and vomited... After vomiting, his legs suddenly twitched, and putong! He fainted. This... Not expecting the imposing Xue Ning to suddenly vomit and pass out, the second young genius stared at the sight with bulging eyes as he muttered in disbelief, Could it be that he ended up moving in circles too fast and too much that he ended up getting... nauseated? Chapter 1258 - Please Guide Me Along

Chapter 1258: Please Guide Me Along

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was true that an ordinary human would find themselves dizzy after spinning around too much, resulting in nausea and vomiting. And Xue Ning did spin quite a few times in order to execute his Golden Silk Thread, and quite quickly at that. Could it have been that he had been unable to withstand the resulting sensation, just like ordinary humans? Of course not! the first Quasi Leaving Aperture realm young genius eximed. If Im not mistaken, Zhang shi should have utilized a terpsichorean art, and in his moment of carelessness, Third Young Master Xue fell for it. In the first ce, it was already ridiculous to think that someone whose cultivation had reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle would actually be vulnerable to giddiness from spinning too much. Even if not for that, Xue Ning surely would have undergone plenty of intensive training to cope with whatever side effects the battle technique would bring him. Otherwise, if he started vomiting before his attack couldnd, that would literally be suicide! Terpsichorean art? Speaking of which, the movements he carried out earlier were indeed a little peculiar. But Zhang shi isnt dressed in any elegant clothes, and there were no exaggerated movements. Were those awkward movements really enough to put Third Young Master Xue into a trance? The second young genius was still a little skeptical at that notion. Xue Ning might not have been the strongest in their group, but he was definitely ranked in the upper half. His willpower and state of mind should have been wless, so before a man who was neither dressed in beautiful clothes nor carrying out elegant and pleasing moves... why would he fall into a trance? Didnt terpsichores bewitch others through their beauty and grace? Or did this mean that Xue Ning... was interested in men? True terpsichores are able to draw others in with even the simplest of gestures. In normal circumstances, it would indeed be difficult to faze Third Young Master Xue using such means. However, Third Young Master Xues failure to break through the tortoise-like defense after an extended period of time left him deeply anxious, resulting in an opening in his state of mind. It was by exploiting this opening that Zhang shi managed to get him in a single move! the first young genius exined. Even though the two of them were Quasi Leaving Aperture realm cultivators, he was more well-versed in the topic of terpsichorespared to the other. To wear down Third Young Master Xues strength and patience through putting up an impable defense, biding his time for the perfect timing to down him in a single move. It is no wonder Pavilion Master Yue said that Zhang shi is the strongest among us. Theres indeed more to him than meets the eye! The second young genius turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, who was delightfully stowing the concentrated high-tier spirit stones into his storage ring, and his face turned grim. Just like the others, he had thought that the young man had only won against Liu Chongxin and Yun shi through sheer luck. However, after seeing this sight, it suddenly dawned on himhow could a person who had cleared Zhao Xingmos preliminary selection possibly be ordinary? He really piques my interest. Brother Sun, let me challenge him first. You can have him if I fail, the second young genius said. As drawn to the Tianchen Brew as they were, they were not so desperate as to have to drink it at all cost. However, the various peculiarities that Zhang Xuan had shown had left them rather intrigued. In this moment, he was like an enigma that they desired to look into. Our fighting prowess is roughly equal. If you cant defeat him, theres no point in me going up there and embarrassing myself. The first young genius shook his head. Nevertheless, he still offered some pointers. During the battle with him, remember to propose a fight without weapons. Also, make sure to firm your state of mind. Dont grant him any openings to use his terpsichorean arts! Un! The second young genius nodded. Following which, he stood up and sped his fist. Zhang shi, I am Ma Minghai from the Qianchong Empire. Please guide me along! Zhang Xuan was still feeling deeply thankful to Pavilion Master Yue for granting him this precious opportunity to earn so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones when he suddenly heard a voice. Turning to the young man who had just stood up, he asked, You want to challenge me, too? Thats right! Ma Minghai smiled. Will you ept my challenge? I wont, Zhang Xuan replied as he sat back down on his seat. ... Ma Minghai nearly fell to the ground after hearing those words. That is not how the script was supposed to go! Even if you dont want to ept my challenge, do you have to be so smug about it? A little choked up within, Ma Minghai gritted his teeth and offered, Im willing to offer fifteen concentrated spirit stones as my stake for the battle! I have exerted myself too much earlier. Im too exhausted to fight anymore. Twenty! I cant offer you any more th.. Ma Minghai clenched his fists tightly. However, before he could finish his words, the young man had suddenly materialized back in the middle of the hall. He flung his sleeves grandly, assuming the disposition of an unworldly expert. You should have said so earlier! I have already recovered from my exertion, so lets start now! ... Ma Minghai was so stifled that he nearly failed to catch his breath. Shameless people, he had seen plenty of them in his life, but the young man before him was really in a whole different ss! Just to up the stakes, he would use the same tant lie again and again... Incorrigible! At that moment, Ma Minghai suddenly heard a voice in his ears. Dont be affected by him. Hes intentionally provoking you to affect your state of mind! It was from the earlier Brother Sun. Un. A glint shed across Ma Minghais eyes, and he nodded in agreement. If not for Brother Suns reminder, he might have lost sight of himself there. It seemed like the sh between them had already begun, even before the battle itself. Taking a deep breath, Ma Minghai calmed his state of mind back to its unperturbed state before flicking his wrist to take out twenty concentrated high-tier spirit stones. With one quick movement, the jade containers storing the spirit stones flew straight toward Zhang Xuans table. After which, he leaped to the center of the hall and raised his hand politely. Ill be in your care. Ill be in your care, too. Zhang Xuan nodded. Boom! Without wasting any time on words, Ma Minghai swiftly suppressed his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, and with a resounding burst of zhenqi flowing through his meridians, he dashed forward. Unlike the previous few opponents whom Zhang Xuan had faced, Ma Minghais movements were simple and concise. There was no elegance orplexity in his moves, only ferocity and brutish violence. Yet, it was such an offense that was extraordinarily difficult to cope with. A singlepse in attention could very well result in severe injuries. Not bad! Zhang Xuanplimented. As expected of a genius from the Qianchong Empire, this Ma Minghai was not a person to be underestimated. In the previous few battles, Zhang Xuan had not used his full strength at all. Nevertheless, it seemed like his opponent had still noticed that something was amiss, so he had given up all attempts at testing him out, using his strongest moves from the start so as to gain control of the flow of the battle. Under his relentless suppression, it would leave very few gaps for Zhang Xuan to attempt anything. Nevertheless, in face of the ferocious offense, Zhang Xuan calmly drove his zhenqi and flicked his palm. In an instant, it felt as if a river had appeared between the two of them. Zhang Xuan had not used Spatial Seal, utilizing just his zhenqi. Even though it was less than a tenth of his true strength, the palm strike still harnessed strength that no ordinary Primordial Spirit realm cultivator would have been able to withstand. This... The awoken Liu Chongxin saw the sight before him, and he gulped fearfully. Previously, he had thought that Zhang Xuan had only defeated him by sheer luck, and he had been filled with indignation at his defeat. But after seeing this, he realized that if the young man were to get serious on him, just this move would be more than enough to defeat him! Good move! Eximing in excitement, Ma Minghai focused his Sword Intent into his forefinger and sliced it downward. Si! A burst of sword qi surged forward, and the river forged of zhenqi was instantaneously sliced in two. What formidable Sword Intent! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He had faced quite a few experts himself, but he had never encountered anyone with such pure Sword Intent! That was nearly on par with a fifth of his! Really, experts from the Qianchong Empire were indeed extraordinary. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan grabbed the sword qi in between his forefinger and middle finger, and with a flick, he sent it back at Ma Minghai. What the... He actually managed to catch such a powerful burst of sword qi? Brother Sun widened his eyes in incredulity. Granted that Ma Minghais sword qi was already considerably worn down from slicing the river of zhenqi, its might and speed were still not at a level where it could be caught. Impable timing, superior strength, and a profound grasp of swordsmanshipall of these had to be met before a feat like this could be remotely possible! Brother Sun knew that there was no way he could achieve a feat like that. Could it be that Zhang Xuan was actually a wolf cloaked in sheep skin? Appearing weak and tame before them, an unparalleled expert was actually hidden beneath that exterior! Incredible! Why dont you try catching this one too? Despite having his sword qi caught, Ma Minghai did not show the slightest apprehension or fear. Instead, his eyes glowed in excitement, as if a new world had appeared before him. With a bellow, a powerful surge of Sword Intent burst forth from Ma Minghai. It swiftly morphed into countless swords around him, filling the area so densely that arge area was shrouded by an ominous shadow. Forged from sword qi, these swords could be considered mere masses of energy, but if they were tond, they would easily cut through ones flesh just like sharp des, inflicting grievous injuries upon their victim. Thats Sea of a Thousand des! To be able to form so many swords with just his Sword Intent, Ma shi is really a frightening person! I cant even imagine standing against all of those swords simultaneously... ... The faces of the young geniuses in the hall swiftly turned grim. Due to the presence of the Sword Lagoon in the Qianchong Empire, most of their experts had a profound mastery of swordsmanship. The Sword Lagoon had many swordsmanship heritages, and the Sea of a Thousand des was one of the strongest sword arts there. It was impossible for any cultivator to defend themselves from the simultaneous assault of so many des! Just like the rest of the crowd, Zhang Xuan was also a little startled by the emergence of countless swords around Ma Minghai. To be able to form so many surges of sword qi around him in the blink of an eye, Ma Minghai was indubitably a powerful adversary. While the other party was still a long distance away from matching up to him, against Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang... Fine, at least Sun Qiang would not have been a match for him in a battle at the same cultivation realm! Standing before the imposing array of swords, a slight smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips. Instead of attempting any evasive maneuvers, he opened his mouth and inhaled deeply. Hu! The countless swords immediately converged together into Zhang Xuans mouth. Geji! Geji! Before anyone could process what was going on, the imposing array of swords was swallowed into Zhang Xuans stomach. This... The faces of the surrounding crowd paled. While others would be desperately trying to escape from the onught of sword qi, that fellow actually opened his mouth and swallowed it. However, that was not the end of the shock yet. Here, Ill return them to you! The countless surges of sword qi that Zhang Xuan had swallowed earlier were melded into a short sword inside his abdomen, and with a resounding roar, the short sword burst forth toward Ma Minghai. Along the trajectory of its movement, the short sword swiftly grew longer, reaching a length of a zhang 1 before it stopped growing. Even before reaching its target, the iparably sharp aura that it emanated already left a sharp pain in the eyes of onlookers. Ahhh... Not expecting such a move from Zhang Xuan, Ma Minghais face paled. Understanding the deep peril that he was in, he unhesitatingly released the seal of his cultivation, and his aura quickly rose. Peng! Nevertheless, he was still forced to retreat a dozen steps to ward off the momentum from Zhang Xuans assault. Only with the full might of his Quasi Leaving Aperture realm cultivation did he barely manage to withstand that attack, and even so, he still felt an aching pain gushing through his body. At the same time, the lingering shockwave from the collision had caused his robe to be shredded, leaving behind a tattered rag that barely covered his body. You are indeed very powerful... Taking a deep breath, Ma Minghai was just about to suppress his cultivation once more to release his most powerful move when he suddenly heard a voice sounding from above. Enough. You arent a match for Zhang shi. Turning around, Ma Minghai saw Pavilion Master Yue gesturing for him to back down with a wave of his hand. Yes! As indignant as Ma Minghai felt, he knew that Pavilion Master Yue was right. Just the previous release of the seal on his cultivation was already enough to signify his defeat. I believe that Zhang shi should have proved his superior strength to everyone here, so lets end the duels right here. Pavilion Master Yue waved his hand. At that moment, he was feeling stifled inside. He had intended to use the hands of others to teach that brat a lesson, but not only did his n fail tragically, it even became an opportunity for that brat to establish his dominance. End the duels right here? Are you really thinking that you will be able to get away scot-free after attempting to bully me? How could there be something that convenient in the world? Zhang Xuan raised his eyelids to nce at Pavilion Master Yue, and his voice grew louder as he spoke. I, Qingyuan Empires Zhang Xuan, request to challenge the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Yue Yiquan. Please guide me along! One zhang = ~3.33m Chapter 1259 - Give Him Plenty Of It

Chapter 1259: Give Him Plenty Of It

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hes challenging Pavilion Master Yue to a duel? But Pavilion Master Yue is a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert! Everyone froze, unable to believe what they had just heard. Yue Yiquan was not only the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he was also a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert. To challenge him to a duel... had Zhang Xuan gone mad, or was he really that arrogant? You are challenging me? Caught off guard by those words, Pavilion Master Yue was visibly startled for a moment before his eyes gradually narrowed into thin slits. Thats right! Zhang Xuan replied with a cold smirk. Surely you wouldnt shy away from a challenge from a junior, would you? From the very start, that fellow had been trying to make things difficult for him at every turn, and this had left Zhang Xuan deeply displeased. The reason why he feigned weakness at the very start was to draw others to challenge him so that he could earn his fair share of concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Now that his strength was finally exposed, there should be no one so foolish to challenge him anymore. Since that was the case, it was about time for him to settle some personal grudges. You wanted to y politics with me? Alright then. Lets see if you have the strength to back up your actions! Audacious! An elder standing behind Pavilion Master Yue stood up and roared. Zhang Xuan, mind your own standing! You are a mere 7-star master teacher from a Tier-1 Empire whereas Pavilion Master Yue is a quasi 8-star master teacher. Do you think that you are qualified to challenge him? You are questioning my qualifications? Zhang Xuan scoffed coldly as he flicked his wrist, and a token floated in the air. Tell me, am I still unqualified now? That token! You are... an honorary elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion? H-how can that be? The revtion of the token left everyone in the room horrified, unable to believe what they were seeing. They understood very well just how powerful the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion was. Even the most normal of managers there would be a top-notch expert at the very least, wielding unquestionable authority in his grasp. As for an honorary elder... that was a position so high that they couldnt even begin to fathom it! Not only was the crowd astounded by this, Pavilion Master Yues body had stiffened in horror as well. Very clearly, Song shi hadnt informed him of this! If he had known this in advance, even if one were to inte his guts tenfold, he still wouldnt dare to provoke an elder from the Empire Alliance! Y-y-yes, you are qualified! The face of the elder who had spoken earlier turned ghastly pale, and he fearfully replied with quivering lips. With his eye of discernment, he could tell that the token was real. In other words, despite the young manscking cultivation and low master teacher rank, he was indeed a bona fide elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. A figure whom they could only look up to, not daring to offend in the slightest. Good! Retracting his emblem, Zhang Xuan looked at Pavilion Master Yue coldly and said, Pavilion Master Yue, are you going to turn down my challenge? You used a cup of Tianchen Brew to turn everyone against me, all just to exact vengeance for your wifes brother. Really, watching you y out your own act is truly cringeworthy. We are all master teachers here, do you think that your little ploys would really go unnoticed? Are you going to coward out after you have provoked me, an elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion? This... Exact vengeance? Does anyone know whats going on? I arrived earlier, so I heard some news. It appears that there are some problems in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, so Pavilion Master Yue sent his wifes brother to deal with the matter. However, thetter failed to resolve the issue properly, abusing his authority even, so he ended up being crippled, and hes currently awaiting punishment from the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion as well... Theres such a matter? That exins why theres something weird about Pavilion Master Yues behavior today... Hearing up to this point, there was no one else in the room who didnt know what was going on. They turned to look at Pavilion Master Yue once more, but this time, the nature of their gazes was very different. They had thought that Pavilion Master Yue was an impartial and magnanimous person, and his personal charisma had also won them over for a while. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like he was nothing more than a hypocrite... To manipte them to deal with Zhang Xuan, doing in his enemy without soiling his hand, Pavilion Master Yue sure knew how to y politics. Since its a request from Elder Zhang, theres no reason for me to turn you down! Noticing the hostile looks from the surroundings, Pavilion Master Yue clenched his fists tightly. At this point, he knew that he couldnt back out of this matter anymore. Those in this room wouldnt allow him to retreat with his hands clean. Hu! Pavilion Master Yue got to his feet and walked forward before stopping at the center of the hall. With a soft chuckle, he said, Elder Zhang, you are an honorary elder of the Empire Alliance, a person of extraordinary standing. Its an honor to have a duel with you, as well as a great learning experience. Considering that you are my senior, surely I dont have to suppress my cultivation, right? Dont have to suppress his cultivation? Pavilion Master Yue means to... fight against Zhang shi with his Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivation? But Zhang shi is only at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage! Even if he were to use his cauldron as well, its questionable whether he would be able to rival a Leaving Aperture realm expert or not, let alone a Half-Grand Dominion realm! Isnt Pavilion Master Yue clearly taking advantage of him? This is really too much. I was still doubting the authenticity of Zhang shis words earlier, but from the looks of it now, its clear that Pavilion Master Yue is indeed intentionally trying to trip him over! ... A hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also narrowed his eyes menacingly. Indeed, those who were advanced in age tended to be more cunning. In his years of experience as the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, it seemed like Pavilion Master Yue had be rather adept at ying within the rules. He first intentionally addressed Zhang Xuan as Elder Zhang so as to lower his standing, making Zhang Xuan appear as if he was in a superior position... If it was a senior who had proposed the duel, the junior epting the duel wouldnt have to lower his cultivation. Such was the convention in the Master Teacher Pavilion, especially considering that there were nearly no circumstances where a senior master teacher would be weaker than a junior master teacher. And this was exactly the convention which Pavilion Master Yue was building his argument upon. Such conventions had already be something simr to unspoken rules, so from an official stance, Pavilion Master Yue would be safe as long as he were to insist on it. Despite the condemnation from the crowd, there was really nothing Zhang Xuan could do to force Pavilion Master Yue to lower his cultivation. So, in just a single move, Zhang Xuan had been cornered instead. It seemed like Pavilion Master Yue had also realized that he wouldnt be a match for Zhang Xuan even with his cultivation suppressed, that was why he disregarded his reputation to propose something like this. Sure. You dont have to suppress your cultivation. Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. You want to thrash me with your full power? Sure, lets see if you have enough teeth for me to knock out! From the point where I started my journey here from Tianxuan Kingdom, those who had attempted to do me in had all either suffered tragic fates or ended up bing my students! Ill be thanking Elder Zhang for your kind guidance then! Pavilion Master Yue chuckled politely, but the sharp glint that flickered across his eyes showed a very different story. As he stretched his body slightly, a domineering aura burst forth from his body, reminiscent of a massive dragon soaring into the clouds. At Half-Grand Dominion realm, Pavilion Master Yues cultivation had already surpassed that of the other Vicious. With just a grasp of his hand, the surrounding space suddenly seemed to freeze on the spot, preventing anyone from making a move. Hu! After driving his aura to its strongest, Pavilion Master Yue flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword. He drove his zhenqi into the sword, and a resounding metallic call echoed from it. With just one look, it was apparent that the sword was of superior tier, Saint intermediate-tier at the very minimum. A weapon of such caliber, paired with Pavilion Master Yues cultivation and profound grasp of swordsmanship... There was no doubt that he was one of the strongest enemies that Zhang Xuan had encountered so far! Pavilion Master Yue has even taken out his sword? Hes clearly trying to quell Zhang shi! Well, given that Pavilion Master Yue was exposed and challenged in public, its a given that he would want to vie his dignity back! It seems like Zhang shi is in a really dangerous position then... The crowd frowned upon seeing this sight. Pavilion Master Yue was already a difficult adversary even without a sword, and now that he was equipped with one... it seemed unlikely for anyone beneath Grand Dominion realm to be able to match him. Since you took our your weapon, can I take that to mean that you wish to have a sh of weapons with me? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. Pavilion Master Yue nodded, My specialty happens to be swordsmanship, so naturally, I hope to receive Elder Zhangs pointers in that aspect. Since you have wielded a weapon, I wont hold back either then. Zhang Xuan stated nonchntly. Elder Zhang, feel free. Pavilion Master Yue replied with an impably polite smile. He had seen Zhang Xuans cauldron, and with his eye of discernment, he had gauged its fighting prowess to be roughly on par with Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivators. Naturally, to a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert like him, that cauldron wouldnt pose any threat at all. Very well then. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. Then, he flicked his wrist. Hu! More than a hundred puppets suddenly appeared in the middle of the hall. These were the puppets forged he had obtained from Vicious back at the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. As these puppets were forged from the hands of celestial designers, they didnt carry the aura of Otherworldly Demons. As such, there was no problem with Zhang Xuan using them in public. These are my weapons. Zhang Xuan replied calmly. You guys, Pavilion Master Yue over there seeks your guidance. Make sure to give him plenty of it! Yes! These puppets had all submitted to Zhang Xuan, so upon hearing his order, they immediately roared furiously before charging at Pavilion Master Yue. While their cultivations were only at Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage to advanced stage, lower than the Half-Grand Dominion realm Pavilion Master Yue, the issuey in that there were more than a hundred of them! Watching as the hundred puppets charge toward him, Pavilion Master Yue suddenly felt as if someone had opened the gates of hell and let the demons loose on him. You... Pavilion Master Yue could have never dreamed that Zhang Xuan would have so many powerful puppets in his possession, and his face immediately warped in horror. He immediately flicked his sword to fend off the first iing puppet, but in the next moment, two fists were already on their way to striking his back. Before he could even turn around, more punches and kicks were already on their way to him from all different direction. To make things worse, they were all urately aimed for his blind spots. It was as if those puppets knew the openings in his swordsmanship in advance, and they were exploiting them intentionally. Its a coborative formation from the Combat Master Hall... and it seems like someone is guiding them too! Pavilion Master Yues body stiffened at the realization. If these puppets were to attack randomly, with his Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivation, even though it was still likely to end in his loss, at least his defeat wouldnt have been too tragic. However, that was clearly not the situation now. Somehow, it seemed like Zhang Xuan knew where all of his openings were, and he was getting the puppets to attack him while cooperative with one another impably through using one of the most profound coborative formation of the Combat Master Hall... Things were really dangerous for him then! And as expected, after trading a few blows, the puppets still remainedpletely unhurt whereas he was already covered with wounds. Peng peng peng peng! As the battle went on, the number of blows that Pavilion Master Yue received increased swiftly. From time to time, there would even be a kicknding squarely on his face. By ten minutes, his eyes were already swollen to the point where he had to squint to barely see what was before him. As powerful as he was, there was no way he could withstand the simultaneous assault of more than a hundred Leaving Aperture realmbat master level fighting prowess puppets! If only I knew this would happen, I would have never proposed using weapons... In this moment, Pavilion Master Yue really wanted to cry. It was just a moment ago which he deeply believed that as long as he didnt suppress his cultivation, he would be able to destroy Zhang Xuan easily... Who in the world was to know that that fellow would have so many puppets in his possession! Puppets were indeed considered to be weapons as well, so from that perspective, what Zhang Xuan did couldnt be considered to be against the rules... But what that had left him even more frustrated was how leisurely he had told the young man to feel free previously! The young man sure had taken his words at face value! This... On the other hand, the rest of the crowd gulped down a mouthful of saliva as they watched the sight before them fearfully. It was really fortunate that they didnt propose to have a duel using weapons after the precedence with the cauldron, or else even if all of them were to go at him simultaneously, their forces would still be utterly devastated! Zhao shi, please! Save Pavilion Master Yue! Seeing how pitiful Pavilion Master Yue was being pummeled, the elder who had spoken earlier quickly turned to Zhao Xingmo and pleaded desperately. Zhao Xingmo shot a nonchnt nce at Pavilion Master Yue as he casually picked up a piece of fatty meat and ced it into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing the piece of meat slowly, he calmly replied, Pavilion Master Yue has agreed to the duel, and he was the one to set the rules too. I dont think that theres anything I can do to help him. After witnessing everything with my own eyes, why should I bother helping someone like Yue Yiquan? If a student from the Sanctum of Sages couldnt even stand up for himself after being bullied, he would be better of living a humble life as an ordinary master teacher! Besides... That fellow didnt even hesitate to beat me up either! Why should I sacrifice myself to save you? Pavilion Master Yue... Seeing that Zhao Xingmo was reluctant to make a move, the elder could only panic helplessly by the side. By this moment, Pavilion Master Yue was already lying feebly on the ground. His face was filled with footprints, and blood spouted out from his mouth as his body convulsed uncontrobly... Chapter 1260 - Gambling with Your Life

Chapter 1260: Gambling with Your Life

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After ten minutes of pummeling, it had alreadye to a point where it seemed like Pavilion Master Yue would lose his life if the puppets continued hitting him. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only reluctantly order his puppets to stop. After stowing his puppets away, Zhang Xuan ced his finger on Pavilion Master Yues renzhong 1 to wake him. Then, looking at thetter earnestly, he asked, Pavilion Master Yue, you have used a weapon in the battle, so I used mine as well. It was a fair duel, so you should have no disagreements with the conclusion, right? A fair duel? Blood spouted from Pavilion Master Yues mouth once more. To send more than a hundred puppets to pummel the individual me, can that still be considered as a fair duel? If Pavilion Master Yue has any objections with the conclusion, I dont mind having a match with you right now without using any weapons, Zhang Xuan replied. I fought four battle earlier without any rest whereas you have only fought one. Such will be advantageous to you, but considering that you are my junior, Ill make an exception just this once. Pu! Pavilion Master Yue spouted blood once more. You werent even injured in the four matches you fought whereas I am clearly on the verge of death, unable to move at all... How the heck am I supposed to battle with you? Pavilion Master Yue, can I take your silence as consent? Since thats the case, I guess Ill just have to reluctantly apany you for a duel then! Seeing how the other party was focused on spouting blood, neglecting to answer his question, Zhang Xuan began walking over to Pavilion Master Yue with clenched fists, ready to sink it into thetters flesh at any moment. I admit defeat! I admit defeat! Pavilion Master Yue eximed. At this point, there was nothing else he could do. He was clearly unfit for battle in his current state, so if the duel continued, he could very well lose his life. For a Half-Grand Dominion expert like him to be forced to admit defeat to a mere Primordial Spirit realm intermediate staged... The more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt. Its all that bastard Song Xuans fault! Pavilion Master Yue thought with gritted teeth. Had Song Xuan not misreported the information, he would not have been pummeled so badly. It felt as if Song Xuan wanted to pull him down with him! Its good that you have admitted defeat. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan straightened his body. As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, instead of thinking about how you can bring greater prosperity to mankind, you waste your time obsessing over your personal interest and making paltry gains. If I wasnt strong enough, not only would I have humiliated myself here, I might even have been severely injured as well. Ill report this to the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, and Ill leave them to judge this matter. Pavilion Master Yue had exploited his position in order to settle his personal grudges. In the first ce, the punishment that Song Xuan had received was justified, and yet, due to his personal ties, Pavilion Master Yue still attempted to exact vengeance on him. Just theck of magnanimity he had disyed this far was already enough to show that he was not worthy of being the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion. I... Pavilion Master Yues face paled. Zhang Xuan was an honorary elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. These words were more than enough to end his career as the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Alright, feel free to continue. Im going to rest now. After everything that had happened, Zhang Xuan knew that it would only be ufortable for everyone if he remained in the hall. Thus, he turned around and left. The moment he walked out of the door, two apprentice master teachers immediately rushed up to lead him to his amodation. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan had a conflict with Pavilion Master Yue or not, he was still a guest of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if only due to formalities, they would still have to prepare a proper amodation for them. Zhang Jiuxiao, Sun Qiang, and the others quickly followed along as well. Their amodation was a residence. Zhang Xuan took one of the rooms and closed the door before entering the Myriad Anthive Nest. While there were some unpleasant events that had happened at the banquet earlier, he did earn fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones, so it was not too bad. With this many spirit stones, he could attempt to break the bottleneck of Primordial Spirit realm and reach Half-Leaving Aperture realm. Once he reached that cultivation realm, he would be able to deal with Pavilion Master Yue even without his puppets. Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out all the concentrated high-tier spirit stones that he had obtained earlier. After making some preparations, he began absorbing the pure spiritual energy through his acupoints and converted it into Heavens Path zhenqi. Hong long! Some timeter, he sessfully achieved a breakthroughPrimordial Spirit realm advanced stage! Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Soon after, just as Zhang Xuan had reinforced his cultivation and was attempting a breakthrough to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, he found that the fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones had beenpletely expended, reduced to mere dust. Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. The effectiveness of concentrated high-tier spirit stones is falling along with the advancement in my cultivation. Back when he achieved a breakthrough to Primordial Spirit realm, he had already noticed that the effectiveness of concentrated high-tier spirit stones was starting to dip. Nevertheless, he had thought that fifty of them should at least suffice for him to reach Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. However, in the end, it was only enough for him to raise his cultivation by one stage. It seemed like he would have to find some way to acquire higher tier spirit stones if he wished to achieve breakthroughs swiftly! I should go out and take a look around! Seeing that there was no way he could cultivate on, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he left the Myriad Anthive Nest and walked out of his room. Young Master... Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang and Zhang Jiuxiao immediately walked over and greeted him. Jiuxiao, are you familiar with Qianchong City? I need someone to take me around. I want to check if theres any ce where I can exchange for or earn concentrated high-tier spirit stones, Zhang Xuan said. I came to Qianchong City three years ago, so I am quite familiar with the city. Is Zhang shi in urgent need of spirit stones? Zhang Jiuxiao asked, slightly perplexed by Zhang Xuans question. Did the other party not just earn fifty pieces at the banquet? Was it insufficient for his use? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded, not exining anything much. If he told the other party that he needed more spirit stones because he had already expended those that he had earned during the banquet, there was a chance that the other party might have been shocked to death. In any case, it was a risk not worth taking. How many do you need? Zhang Jiuxiao asked. As many as possible. Zhang Xuan roughly estimated. It would be best if theres around three hundred or so! Based on his current consumption of spirit stones, in order to reach Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, he would require at least a hundred more. Furthermore, his soul cultivation was only at Saint 2-dan, and to raise it to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle as well would require roughly another two hundred. Three hundred? Zhang Jiuxiaos lips twitched. You need so many of them? It wont be easy to find that many even in Qianchong City... While Qianchong City did have a spirit mine that produced concentrated high-tier spirit stone, it was far from bing amonmodity in the city. Only the strongest of powers in Qianchong City would have the connections and wealth to obtain that many concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Zhang Jiuxiao pondered for a moment. Currently, I only know of three ces that will have that many concentrated high-tier spirit stones. First, the Master Teacher Pavilion, which is here. Second, the Qianchong royal family. Third, the ck market that I told you about earlier! How could I have forgotten the Master Teacher Pavilion! Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before he pped his forehead. Indeed! Considering how even those individual master teachers were able to take out ten to twenty of them easily, it should not have been too difficult for the Master Teacher Pavilion to take out three hundred of them. Hmm... Should I go look for Pavilion Master Yue and have him take out those spirit stones? Zhang Xuan stroked his chin as he pondered. A momentter, he shook his head. Better not. I have just beaten him up, and it would be bad for my reputation if I continued pummeling him. If he extorted spirit stones out of Pavilion Master Yue right after pummeling him to a state of half-death, it would have seemed as if he was taking advantage of the weak, and it would have reflected badly on him. No matter what, he still had his image and standing to uphold. If he extorted spirit stones from Pavilion Master Yue like that, he would have been no different from a street thug! The Master Teacher Pavilion is out for the moment then. As for the Qianchong royal family... I dont have any ties with them, so thats probably unfeasible, too. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan said, Where is the ck market you spoke of? If I dont have anything to exchange for concentrated high-tier spirit stones, is there any way I can earn some there? The ck market is just outside of Qianchong City, Zhang Jiuxiao replied. The fastest way you can earn concentrated high-tier spirit stone if you have nothing to trade for them would probably be... gambling! Gambling? Un, gambling with your life. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. The ck market has something known as the Ring of Death. A victory in the Ring of Death will earn one a high-tier spirit stone, two consecutive victories two high-tier spirit stones, three consecutive victories three high-tier spirit stone, so on and so forth. But of course, that is only spare changethe big money lies in whatester on. By winning ten consecutive matches, one will have earned the title of Conqueror of Ten, and that grants one the opportunity to sh with the other Conquerors of Ten. There will be many people putting their bets on those matches, and if one ys it right, its possible to strike a windfall! But to be honest, those who were able to be Conquerors of Ten are all nigh invincible existences in their own ss. Theres no doubt that great wealth lies there, but the slightest misstep could spell ones death. Every year, countless experts are brutally killed in the ring! I see. Zhang Xuan nodded as his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He was confident that he would not lose to anyone in the same cultivation realm, so if he became a Conqueror of Ten and shed with the others, wouldnt he be able to learn lots of money swiftly? Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Zhang Jiuxiao advised, Zhang shi, you are indeed extremely powerful in your power ss, but... I think it would still be best for you to steer clear of the Ring of Death. Intrigued, Zhang Xuan asked, Why? Zhang Jiuxiao should have been fully aware of his strength, and yet, to still ask him to steer clear of the Ring of Death... could it mean that he had encountered cultivators who were even stronger than him in the Ring of Death? Other than the usage of excessively powerful artifacts, the Ring of Death has basically no rules whatsoever. Usage of poison, hidden weapons, trickery... Such means are all fair game. Putting everything aside, its unlikely for even the powerfulbat masters tost till the tenth round! At this point, a bitter smile crept on Zhang Jiuxiaos face before he said, I also visited the Ring of Death out of curiosity back then, but in the fifth match, I was defeated. In view of their standing, there were many means that a master teacher wouldnt be able to use in a battle. On the other hand, the fighters in the Ring of Death were those who underwent life-and-death battles every single day. They had no qualms resorting to whatever means they could think of, as long as it would aid them in ying the opponent before them. You were defeated by the fifth match? Thats right. The ten victories required to be the Conqueror of Ten must not only be consecutive but continuous as well. In other words, you have to remain on the stage and fight ten opponents without any rest in between. While the opponent chosen for each match is selected by random, they typically grow stronger and stronger. Furthermore, each of them have different specialtiessome are adept in physical assault, some are more skilled in soul arts, and some are masters of mystical arts, making it extremely difficult to guard against them. The reason I was defeated is due to exhaustion piling up, and the fellow in the fifth match took advantage of that well, Zhang Jiuxiao exined. Take me over to take a look, Zhang Xuan said. To be plunged into a life-and-death battle one after another was indubitably a great challenge on ones mind and body. But to Zhang Xuan, it was really nothing at all. Does Zhang shi really want to go? Seeing how the other party was still insisting on it after all he had said, Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head and sighed. If you find yourself in danger, it would be best for you to admit defeat quickly. Dont worry! Zhang Xuan said confidently. If he could earn spirit stones just by fighting matches one after another, just as Zhang Jiuxiao said, he should be able to easily earn enough to shut down the entire ck market! Just the thought of it left his heart trembling in excitement! Chapter 1261 - Trading for Spirit Stones

Chapter 1261: Trading for Spirit Stones

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The underground market was located beneath a manor in the suburbs of Qianchong City. Before heading over, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao had changed into leisurely clothes, assuming the roles of young scions heading out to y. Its said that the person who founded the ck market in Qianchong City is an ill-fated schr. The injustice he has faced from the bureaucratic system has made him harden his heart to the world, and he decided to forsake academics for martial arts. In order to vent the frustrations within him, he created the ck market. In there, theres nothing that one cannot buy or do as long as one has sufficient money. Of course... the prices there are exorbitant as well. In fact, it could be said to be the greatest money sink in the Qianchong Empire! While advancing forward, Zhang Jiuxiao briefly introduced the ck market to Zhang Xuan. Considering the scale of the ck market, isnt it weird that the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and the royal family have left them to their own devices? Zhang Xuan asked. Since even an outsider like Zhang Jiuxiao knew about this ce, there was no doubt that the royal family and the regional Master Teacher Pavilion were aware of its existence as well. Thus, shouldnt they have moved to strike down the ck market instead of allowing it to develop freely, especially considering that they were gambling with the lives of others? The Master Teacher Pavilion and royal family do keep a lookout for the ck market just in case it gets out of hand, but otherwise, they usually leave it be for stability considerations. Stability considerations? Zhang Xuan asked in iprehension. Even though they had not arrived at the ck market yet, based on what Zhang Jiuxiao had said so far, it seemed like the ck market was effectively awless area, devoid of any security or rules. How could an existence like that in Qianchong City possibly contribute to its stability? Therger a city is, the more cultivators it has. Theres always ack of cultivation resources, so its inevitable that cultivators will sh with one another to vie for them. As this is a fundamental problem, theres no way that the royal family or the Master Teacher Pavilion can stop them altogether, Zhang Jiuxiao exined. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. In this world where strength reigned supreme, there was no doubt that raising ones cultivation realm was extremely important. However, given that the resources in the world were limited, there was bound to be conflict and strife over them. No matter how powerful the Master Teacher Pavilion was, it could not possibly prevent such matters altogether. If it implemented forceful measures to put a halt to such conflicts, it might face serious bacsh from the stifled cultivators. An underground ck market might be unseemly, but its a possible channel where cultivators can acquire what they need as long as they have enough money. And to earn sufficient money, they have to cultivate harder and battle. With such a channel, there is a lesser need for cultivators to engage in dishonorable actions such as stealing to obtain what they need. While there are quite a few casualties from the Ring of Death, theres no doubt that the security of Qianchong City as a whole has improved, Zhang Jiuxiao said. Where there was light, there were bound to be shadows as well. There were misfits even within the Master Teacher Pavilion, let alone the other cultivators. Without an avenue to vent their darker desires or acquire their resources, there was no knowing what extreme actions cultivators might resort to within the city. As the saying went, Ake too clear will sustain no fish; a man too severe will find nopanion. 1 The existence of a ck market was uwful and should have been frowned on, but if it could reduce crime rates in the city, there would be a meaning to its existence as well. Take his previous life for example, there was a certain upation that was banned in several countries. But despite the authorities knowing where the people of that upation operated, they still allowed its existence. It was not that they could not shut it down, but the upation served its own role in society. It satisfied the needs of others, and through doing so, it reduced crime rates in that aspect. If they really eradicated it altogether, that would potentially pose a challenge to the security of the society. Such was the same for the Qianchong Empires ck market as well. It was uwful on the surface, but its existence could prevent societal problems from arising in the city. In view of that, the royal family eventually chose to look the other way when it came to their operations. As for the Master Teacher Pavilion, as long as there was no grievous injustice being dealt and the matter would not harm mankind in general, it usually would not interfere. After all, its manpower was limited. Thinking back, it was likely that Hongyuan City, Qingyuan City, and the other capitals should also have had such a ce. It was just that Zhang Xuan had been too preupied with other matters, and he had never stayed too long in each city either. Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of his thoughts, Zhang Jiuxiao said, Alright, we have arrived! Raising his head, Zhang Xuan saw a massive manor right before him. Before they could walk into the manor, two middle-aged men stood in their path and demanded, Token! Surprisingly, they were both Primordial Spirit realm experts, and they emanated a powerful killing aura. With just a look, it was clear that they were veterans who had killed many enemies in battle. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed an object over. A middle-aged man took the object and examined it closely before passing two ck cloths over, gesturing for them to cover their eyes. Following Zhang Jiuxiaos lead, Zhang Xuan wrapped the ck cloth around his eyes, and he realized that not only did it hinder his sight, even his Spiritual Perception was impeded, preventing him from clearly perceiving his surroundings. Under the lead of the two middle-aged men, they walked for roughly ten minutes before the cloth around their eyes was finally loosened. A massive mall came into sight. There was a huge crowd milling about, and they extended all the way to the horizon. Even though they were underground, the brilliant glow of the Night Illumination Pearls had the entire area brightly lit as if it was day. This... Blinking in wonder, Zhang Xuan began scanning his surroundings. He had been to plenty of trading halls, markets, and malls, and even though the scale of the mall before him was not too big, the items that were on disy were truly astounding. Walking past the various vendors, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. Is that the ck Goldcrystal Ore? Its actually on sale here? The ck Goldcrystal Ore was a treasure that Wu Yangzi had left behind in his heritage. It was known to be extremely rare, such that it could not even be found anywhere in Qingyuan City. Yet, in this ck market, it was actually ced on public disy! Despite seeing all of this with his own eyes, Zhang Xuan still found it difficult to ept. Noticing Zhang Xuans expression, Zhang Jiuxiao chuckled softly. Even though the ck Goldcrystal Ore is rare, it isntpletely unobtainable. It isnt that surprising for it to be on sale here. He had also been like that the first time he entered the ck market, hardly daring to believe the treasures that were being sold so casually around him. However, after seeing more of it, he had gradually grown used to it. Cultivation technique manuals, Saint intermediate-tier artifacts, intelligence... As expected of a ck market, they really have everything here! Zhang Xuan remarked in awe as they walked along the street. It was really as if everything was on sale there, regardless of whether the item waswful or uwful. Upon seeing a store that sold cultivation technique manuals, Zhang Xuan stopped and asked, Are there are Half-Leaving Aperture realm and Leaving Aperture realm cultivation techniques here? We do. Depending of the tier of the cultivation technique manual, we will charge different prices! the elder watching the store repliedzily. The ck market also had its own guards to maintain security. As such, the vendors did not fear that their good would be snatched. Oh? How much do they cost? Zhang Xuan asked. Gesturing to the board beside him, the elder replied nonchntly, Take a look at it yourself. Saint intermediate-tier cultivation techniques and battle techniques cost roughly ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones at the minimum. Naturally, those of lower tiers were slightly cheaper. The price of a single book was still eptable for Zhang Xuan, but if he had to buy the thousands of books required for him to sessfullypile a Heavens Path Divine Art, that would really be a huge expenditure. How many Half-Leaving Aperture realm and Leaving Aperture realm cultivation technique manuals do you have? Zhang Xuan asked. I have a total of 327 for Half-Leaving Aperture realm and 52 for Leaving Aperture realm. They are all on the shelves there. They have been sealed, so dont bother using your Spiritual Perception to scan them. If theres a book you are interested in, fork out the money and Ill copy down a new one for you. Dont worry, the cultivation techniques we have here are allplete and detailed. We even have the Crouching Dragon Art, which the Qianchong royal family practices, and the Supersonic Severing Swordsmanship that Pavilion Master Yue practices. The prices are very fair as well, the elder said with a proud wave of his hand. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan looked at the bookshelves before him. There were quite a few books on them, but they had been sealed with some kind of special formation, making it impossible to view their content through Spiritual Perception. However... When had Zhang Xuan needed to rely on Spiritual Perception to read a book? Sweeping across them with his eyes, he muttered in his mind, ws! Hu! The shelves of books immediately materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. These books were indeed high quality, but it was a pity that they werecking in quantity, so he was still unable topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art. Theres really the royal familys Crouching Dragon Art and Pavilion Master Yues swordsmanship... Isnt this ck market a little too powerful? Zhang Xuan eximed internally after swiftly browsing through the books in the Library of Heavens Path. On his journey here from Tianxuan Kingdom, the cultivation techniques practiced by the royal families had all been confidential secrets. Outsiders would never be allowed to evene close to them, let aloney their hands on them. Yet, for them to actually appear in a ck market like this, ced on public disy for sale... this was really frightening in another way. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was scanning through the books, the elder asked casually, Which one do you wish to buy? Ill have it copied for you. Theres no need for it... Zhang Xuan shook his head. Since he had already collected those books into the Library of Heavens Path, there was no need for him to waste precious concentrated high-tier spirit stones on them, not to mention that he did not have the money to afford any at the moment anyway. On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Xuan would not be buying anything, the elder turned his head away coldly, not wanting to waste any effort on him anymore. There were plenty of people who would ask him for the prices of his cultivation technique manuals just to put on a show despite not having the money to afford them. He was already used to it. After leaving the book vendor, Zhang Xuan continued proceeding ahead. There were really all kinds of valuable treasures on sales, and even grade-7 pinnacle pills could be found here and there. Zhang Jiuxiao pointed to the area ahead of him and said, Zhang shi, the shop up ahead is the ce where one can trade items for concentrated high-tier spirit stones. If you have some spare high-tier spirit stones or other misceneous artifacts, you can have them exchanged for concentrated high-tier spirit stones. However, the prices will be pushed down, so you might not get a good exchange rate. Turning his gaze over, Zhang Xuan saw a store with a long and narrow reception. There were two attendants on wait there, and there were hardly any customers to be seen. Walking up, Zhang Xuan took a look at the exchange rate listed on the wall, and his mouth began twitching uncontrobly. It sure was a huge scam. Under normal circumstances, the exchange rate for high-tier spirit stones to concentrated high-tier spirit stones was 1,000:1. However, the store actually tripled it, turning it into 3,000:1. In other words, he had to exchange three thousand high-tier spirit stones for a single concentrated high-tier spirit stone! Most cultivators would pretty much have to bankrupt themselves just to trade for a single concentrated high-tier spirit stone here. At the same time, the average price for Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle Saint intermediate-tier artifacts would be around ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones, but over here, it was only worth three. Even Leaving Aperture realm Saint intermediate-tier artifacts were only worth six. Well, Ding Ding is still rather valuable, worth about roughly thirty concentrated high-tier spirit stones... Zhang Xuan stroked his chin as he swiftly calcted the price of the Golden Origin Cauldron. Even though plundering the Ten Great Kings and Qingtian Emperor and the sales of the Cloudmist Flower had earned him a fair sum, all in all, that only added up to roughly sixty thousand high-tier spirit stones. In order to raise his soul cultivation, he had expended quite a number of them, so he only had roughly forty thousand of them left at the moment. In other words, he could only trade for ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones in this store! That did not evene close to the value of his Ding Ding! Zhang Xuan pondered hard for a moment before eventually shaking his head.Forget it, that fellow has been rather loyal to me, so I cant really sell it. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan walked up to the attendant. I want to trade for concentrated high-tier spirit stones. How many do you need? the attendant asked nonchntly. How many can I trade all of this for? Hong long! With a loud boom, a huge bunch of high-tier spirit stones, weapons, medicinal herbs, ores, and the like fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust in the area. So many items? The attendant rose to his feet in astonishment. Chapter 1262 - Annal of Bedstead Disquisition

Chapter 1262: Annal of Bedstead Disquisition

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This attendant was extremely young, appearing to be only in his early thirties. His cultivation was only at Half-Saint as well. He did not think much when Zhang Xuan first approached him, but upon seeing the countless items on the ground, his eyes widened in agitation. Due to the exorbitant prices in the ck market, unless in cases of emergency, rarely would there be anyone who was willing to exchange for concentrated high-tier spirit stones there. As a result, he had rarely received any customers. Thus, it waspletely inconceivable for him to see Zhang Xuan pulling out so many items at once. It took a moment before the attendant shook himself out of his daze, and he anxiously turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Gongzi, do you want to trade in all of these for concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had taken most of these items from the Qingtian Lineage and the Qingyuan royal family. In the past, they could still have been considered valuable resources to him, but after his cultivation reached Primordial Spirit realm, they were no longer useful to him. Rather than taking up space, he was better off trading them for something that could be used to raise his cultivation further. A-alright! Ill have the appraisere over right now... Knowing that an invaluable customer was standing before him, the attendant dared not show the slightest disrespect to Zhang Xuan. He quickly rushed into the store, and before long, he returned with an elder behind him. After swiftly assessing the items, the elder turned to Zhang Xuan and said, All in all, your items can be traded for 113 concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Heres the receipt, please take a look... However, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Theres no need for that. Bring me the spirit stones. He had tabted the total cost earlier as well, and his calctions were roughly in line with the final price the elder had mentioned. The elder nodded. Very well. Bring me the spirit stones! The attendant quickly rushed back into the store before returning with a storage ring in hand. Taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan quickly took a look inside. 113 concentrated high-tier spirit stones, no more no less. Zhang gongzi, by trading a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stone at our store, you have already automatically be an esteemed guest of our market. It happens that we have an auction tonight that is only opened to esteemed guests, so I would like to extend an invitation over to you as well. Smiling, the elder passed over a token that represented Zhang Xuans identity as an esteemed guest of the market. To trade in so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones at once, Zhang Xuan could already be considered a huge customer of the ck market, qualifying him to be an esteemed guest. Auction? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. For the time being, Im not really interested in attending any auctions. What he wascking the most at the moment was spirit stones. Everything aside from that was not of much use. Gongzi, please dont reject my offer so quickly. Perhaps, you might change your mind after hearing my introduction of the auction tonight! the elder replied with a confident smile. Oh? In the auction tonight, there will be two Leaving Aperture realm Saint intermediate-tier artifacts and a quasi grade-8 pill that can fully restore the strength of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator within three seconds, making it a miracle pill for clearing ones Leaving Aperture Ordeal! the elder said proudly. The Leaving Aperture Ordeal was a battle against the power of the heavens. Just the slightest weakness in the midst of the ordeal could spell the utter annihtion of ones body and soul. In view of the risks, many cultivators would spend huge sums of money to purchase quasi grade-8 pills that would allow them to swiftly regain their strength. This would ensure that their strength would not be depleted in the midst of facing the lightning tribtion, thus enhancing their chances of clearing it. Of course, such pills were extremely expensive as well. The average cultivator would never be able to afford their exorbitant prices. Its fine... Zhang Xuan shook his head. After cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, Zhang Xuans zhenqi capacity could be said to be nearly boundlesspared to ordinary cultivators. As such, the effects of those quasi grade-8 pills on him were truly insignificant. As for Saint-tier artifacts, he already had the Golden Origin Cauldron and his army of puppets. Why should he waste his money on purchasing others? With a light chuckle, the elder said, If gongzi is uninterested in those, theres one thing that you might be interested in. Oh? Zhang Xuan asked. Annal of Bedstead Disquisition! the elder said. Annal of Bedstead Disquisition? Zhang Xuan frowned. When Sage Luo passed by this area, the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion back then, Pavilion Master Yan, specially visited him to pay respects to him. Seeing that Sage Luo was resting, he stood perfectly still on the spot for three days straight, resulting in a huge heap of snow covering his entire body. In view of his sincerity, Sage Luo began lecturing Pavilion Master Yan while seated on his bedstead. ording to historical records, the sight then was truly phenomenal. Countless celestial flowers descended from the sky, and golden lotuses bloomed from the ground. Origin Energy surged into the surroundings, and even the heavens seemed to rattle from his teachings. Pavilion Master Yan recorded the teachings that Sage Luo imparted to him back then in a book and passed it down to theter generations, and that book is known as the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition! the elder exined. Sage Luo? Zhang Xuan frowned. Un. The old ancestor of Sage Luo n, Luo Tianyun! the elder replied with a nod. ording to the rumors, there are some secrets concerning the Luo ns cultivation technique hidden within the annal, and if one studies it diligently, it will advance ones understanding of space significantly. However, the annal went missing at some point in time, and for many years, no one was able to find it. It was only recently that someone coincidentally discovered it, and passing through many hands, it eventually found its way into our market. Hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. In truth, he had no interest in the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition. However, hearing that it had some ties with the Luo n, he could not help but feel a little moved. If he could uncover the secrets of the Luo ns cultivation technique through the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition, this might very well add to his bargaining power against the Luo n when he sought Luo Ruoxin in the future. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, May I know roughly how much the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition is likely to be sold at? If he could get a rough estimate of the price of the artifact, he would at least have a rough target as to how much concentrated high-tier spirit stones he would have to earn. Even though he had just exchanged for more than a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones, there was no doubt that this sum would be far from sufficient for him to buy something as valuable as the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition. While the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition was not written by Sage Luo himself, it does contain the essence of his teachings. Even if only a tenth of the original conception is harnessed in the text, theres no doubt that its an unparalleled treasure to Primordial Spirit realm and Leaving Aperture realm cultivators. As such, even I cant say for sure how much itll be sold for. However, the starting bid is five hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones, so I reckon the auctioning price will be a thousand at the very minimum. Gongzi, if you wish to purchase the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition, you should quickly gather your concentrated high-tier spirit stones, the elder advised. Due to Zhang Xuans earlier action of whipping out countless valuables, the elder was already convinced that the young man was a wealthy scion. If that was the case, it would not have been too difficult for him to fork out a few hundred or even a few thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded. Help me reserve a seat. Ill make some preparations first. Ill rush backter when the auction starts. Seeing that there was some time until night fell, Zhang Xuan decided to head to the Ring of Death first to see if he could rake in a thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Alright. The elder nodded as he began making preparations. Alright, lets go! After dealing with the matter at hand, Zhang Xuan beckoned Zhang Jiuxiao over and had thetter take him over to the dueling ring. The dueling ring was located at the very center of the ck market. The personnel of the Ring of Death first checked their cultivation and handed them a token that represented their tier before letting them in. Seeing that Zhang Xuans cultivation had already reached Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage, Zhang Jiuxiao was rendered speechless. The rate at which this fellows cultivation rose honestly left him feeling deeply crazed within. The first time that they met, he was only at Spiritual Perception realm. Yet, in just a few days, he had be a Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivator, just like him. And two hours ago, when he was fighting against the other young geniuses during the banquet, he was certain the other partys cultivation had still been at intermediate stage too, but within this short period of time, Zhang Xuan had actually managed to make a breakthrough. All along, he had prided himself as a genius, but seeing the rate at which the other party was growing, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly realized that he was just an ordinary mortal after all. They were not even on the same level of existence. Seeing the traumatized look on Zhang Jiuxiaos face, Zhang Xuan exined, I managed to reinforce my cultivation sufficiently, so I was able to achieve a breakthrough just a moment ago... You managed to reinforce your cultivation sufficiently... Those words only furthered Zhang Jiuxiaos trauma. Others take at least months to fully reinforce their cultivation at Primordial Spirit realm, but this fellow took a day or two. Really, there was noparing with him. Forget it. Theres bound to be a disparity between the both of us. After all, hes a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Jiuxiao consoled himself. If Zhang Xuan could not achieve the extraordinary, how could he receive the acknowledgement of the heavens? While Zhang Jiuxiao was still deep in thought, a middle-aged manager of the Ring of Death walked over and asked, Which of the two of you is going into the ringter? Ill be going on the ring, Zhang Xuan replied. Ill first fill you in on the rules and requirements on the ring. In order to join the ring, you must first pay two concentrated high-tier spirit stones as a participation fee. During the match, the weapons, hidden weapons, and simr equipment that you are intending to use must be supplied by us. You must not use your own personal items. This is to ensure fairness on the ring, the middle-aged manager exined. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. The rules were also roughly as he guessed as much. Otherwise, if a participant were to bring an extraordinarily powerful weapon on the ring, they would be able to easily dominate the entire ring. There would be minimal suspense and entertainment for the audience, and the purpose of the Ring of Death would also be rendered meaningless. Also, after you win five rounds, we will start opening bets for your matches. As there are stakes involved, unless you are incapacitated or crippled, any attempts to surrender will be considered invalid by the Ring of Death. This is extremely important, so do prepare yourself for it, the middle-aged manager said. Incapacitated or crippled? Zhang Xuan frowned. Zhang Jiuxiao had not told him about this previously. Yes. Every victory and loss will have great implications once we open bets. If a challenger who is capable of achieving victory intentionally admits defeat, it would be a crushing blow to the credibility of our Ring of Death. For this reason, we strike down very hard on challengers who lose on purpose, the middle-aged manager exined. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had some reservations regarding that rule, but he knew that it was necessary for the functioning of the Ring of Death. It was precisely the excitement from the suspense of the matches that had cultivators betting their wealth frenziedly. If it was found that the results in the Ring of Death were manipted, the ring would swiftly be boring and meaningless to others. As a result, the earnings of the Ring of Death would dip as well. Thats all I have for you. If you still wish to continue, Ill have you registered right now. Otherwise, the both of you can proceed on to the spectator stand, the middle-aged manager said. I want to participate in the Ring of Death, Zhang Xuan replied calmly as he took out two concentrated high-tier spirit stones to pay the registration fee. After which, he passed his entire storage ring to Zhang Jiuxiao. Ill need you to bet for meter on. Just go all in on my victory each time around. Very well! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. The reason Zhang Xuan had gone there was to win spirit stones, and it went without saying the fastest way to win more spirit stones was to gamble their wealth! Soon, Zhang Jiuxiao was led to the spectator stand whereas Zhang Xuan was taken to the backstage to prepare. Boom! While passing by the spectator stand, Zhang Xuan took a look into the ring and saw that there were two people battling inside. Their furious sh of zhenqi induced a deafening reverberation in the air, and watching the adrenaline-filled sight, the crowd screamed in excitement. Tear him apart! Tear him apart! Such exmations could be heard among the crowd. Looking into one of the rings through the door, Zhang Xuan saw a middle-aged man dressed in metal armor letting loose a raging roar as he raised his opponent into the air. The middle-aged man had a towering physique, standing at two meters tall. Inparison, the opponent he was holding appeared to be a helpless, small chick instead. Si! With a fiery bellow, the middle-aged man forcefully tore his opponent in half, and fresh blood poured all over him, dyeing him crimson. This sight left Zhang Xuans eyebrows shooting up as he clenched his fists tightly. He had undergone many battles, but this was the first time he had witnessed such a brutal and meaningless murder, as if a humans life was nothing more than a toy. When he strolled through the area earlier and browsed through the array of items they had on sale, he had felt that the ck market did not seem any different from other mall. However, after seeing this sight, he realized that all he had seen before was just the very surface of the ck market. It was not without a reason that the ck market wasbeled as awless zone. In here, a humans life had no intrinsic value at all. Without superior strength in the Ring of Death, one was bound to be ripped into shreds in the ring. It was no wonder Zhang Jiuxiao retreated after five rounds. Even for a master teacher, such callousness was hard to swallow. Chapter 1263 - Hong Yang

Chapter 1263: Hong Yang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric How is it? Its still not toote for you to back out! Seeing that Zhang Xuans face had changed, the middle-aged manager scoffed. In his time at the Ring of Death, he had met plenty of young scions who put on airs and bragged about their strength. However, when they finally witnessed the brutality on the Ring of Death firsthand, their bodies would freeze in fear. Theres no need for that. Zhang Xuan shook his head. What he was shocked at was how lightly a human had taken the life of another, not the bloodshed that had urred. In terms of fearsomeness, they wouldnt evene close topeting with the bloodthirsty Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Harnessing a killing intent that would leave any ordinary cultivator scrambling away in fear, these Otherworldly Demons would unhesitatingly feast on the blood and flesh of any man! But from the first time he encountered them, Zhang Xuan was already able to take them intomitting suicide, so how could a battle between two humans possibly frighten him? Not bad, you do have some guts. Go in! The middle-aged manager was surprised by how swiftly Zhang Xuan had managed to calm himself down, and a hint of approval emerged in his eyes. Heading down the stairs, Zhang Xuan soon arrived in a room. There were all kinds of weapons in the room, and they were all of Saint low-tier. Perhaps to allow any cultivator to wield them easily, none of them contained any spirit. You can freely pick any weapon you would like to use in the ringter. There are no limits how many you can take, so feel free to take anything you want. However, should any of these weapons be spoiled in battle, you are topensate us ordingly. Also, at the end of your duels, you have to put the weapons you have taken back in its ce prior to leaving. the middle-aged manager said while gesturing to the weapons. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He swiftly scanned the surroundings before making his way over to a saber rack. There were more than a hundred sabers in here, be it short sabers, long sabers, nine-ringed sabers, single-handed saber, ghost-head saber... The variety of weapons that were avable here was truly astounding. Zhang Xuan lightly brushed through the weapons with his finger before casually picking one that seemed to be slightly heavier. He flicked it a few times, seemingly testing out its handiness, before shaking his head and putting it back down. He repeated the same process for a few other weapons before eventually sighing deeply. Forget it, I wont use any weapons! Zhang Xuan told the middle-aged manager. You arent going to use any weapons? the middle-aged manager was taken aback. After witnessing the brutality in the ring, most of those who had registered to fight in the ring would be eager to take as many weapons as they could with them. After all, it might just happen to y a crucial role in helping them out of a critical situation. On the other hand, this fellow actually chose not to take anything with him at all... Was he really that confident in his skills? If ones strength iscking, no weapon can save him. Zhang Xuan replied impassively. Alright then. Deciding not to say anything more, the middle-aged manager pushed another door open and walked in. Zhang Xuan swiftly followed suit, and within the room, he saw dozens of cultivators sitting cross-legged on the ground, conditioning themselves in preparation for the battle toe. Every single one of them carried the stench of blood on them. Clearly, they carried numerous human lives on them. Wait here for the time being. Well call you when its your turn! the middle-aged manager instructed before leaving the area. Left to be, Zhang Xuan began scanning his surroundings. He noted that while the dozens of cultivators in the room appeared to be cultivating, they had retained a sliver of their awareness out to observe their surroundings constantly, guarding warily against one another. If anyone were to dare approach them carelessly, they might abruptly burst forward tounch a preemptive strike out of self-defense. A moment after Zhang Xuan found a ce to sit, an indifferent voice sounded beside him, A neer to the ring? Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw that the person speaking to him was a young man who appeared to be in his early thirties 1 . There was a crimson saber cut on his face, and blood was still trickling out of it. It was likely to have been inflicted on him not too long ago, such that he hadnt had the time to recover from it yet. Considering how cold the cultivators in this room were, Zhang Xuan was rather surprised that someone would take the initiative to strike up a conversation with him. You can tell? Those who have experienced the ring would have eyes reminiscent of ravenous wolves, ferocious and vicious. There is no way one can survive the savagery that happens up there otherwise. Inparison, you are nothing more than a little tame sheep. How can I not be able to tell? the scar-faced young man scoffed. Strength did y a deterministic role in the Ring of Death, but viciousness was also another crucial factor as well! Not just vicious to ones opponent, but vicious to oneself as well. Those who were willing to sacrifice their own bodies tounch a decisive blow would stand a far better chance at subduing their opponent aspared to those who expected to walk out of the ringpletely unharmed. The young man before him had an air of innocence around him, reminiscent to that of a scion who had never weathered through the harshness of the world before. Little tame sheep? Zhang Xuan was visibly a little amused by the scar-faced young mans metaphor. So far, he had been treated like a God of Destruction no matter where he went, leaving behind demolished buildings and traumatized minds in his wake. Yet, in the young mans eyes, he was just a little tame sheep? Perhaps he was really a little too good-tempered. Of course! Those who have never stepped onto the ring and undergone the initiation ritual of bloodshed are nothing more than tame sheep! Let me tell you, I have already won six consecutive victories so far! Its just a pity that the seventh opponent is too strong, and I depleted too much of my zhenqi. Otherwise, theres a good chance that I could have very well be a Conqueror of Ten by now! the scar-faced young man dered proudly. Incredible. Zhang Xuan offered an earnestpliment. Even a genius like Zhang Jiuxiao didnt even get to the six matches. The fact that the young man could win six consecutive matches already bore testimony to his strength and state of mind. Jiya! While they were chatting, the door ahead suddenly opened. A powerful killing intent poured into the room, exerting immense pressure on the cultivators within. Its him? Zhang Xuan frowned. A figure had appeared by the door, and it was no other than the metal-armored middle-aged man who had ripped a person to two on the ring earlier. This middle-aged man had a towering stature, simr to a metal tower. The thick metal armor that he wore waspletely dyed in crimson, and fresh blood was still trickling down the edges of his armor. Such an appearance made him reminiscent of a savage Asura on the battlefield, wedging fear deep into the hearts of others. Thats the strongest existence in the ck market at the moment, Hong Yang! Seeing that Zhang Xuan didnt recognize the person by the doorway, the scar-faced young man sent a telepathic message over to him to introduce him. Hes also known as the Conqueror of Hundred! Conqueror of Hundred? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He has won a hundred matches consecutively? Its not that. Rather, he has won ten Conquerors of Ten consecutively! The fellows who challenged him had all been ripped into two, as dead as they could get! the scar-faced young man replied as a hint of fear flickered across his eyes. He was full of admiration for the strength Hong Yang wielded before him, but the brutal means that thetter used had left him deeply fearful as well. And very apparently, such a feeling resonated not just within him but the others in the room as well. Hong Yang slowly walked over to the corner and red down coldly at the two young men cultivating there, bellowing, Scram! Without any hesitation, those two young men hurriedly got up and scrambled away. Hu! Even when seated, Hong Yangs figure still conspicuously towered over the others. He took out a pill and swallowed it, and his aura began to billow. On the other hand, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief with uncanny harmony. Those who were in proximity to Hong Yang slowly shifted backward, creating a huge vacuum around him. Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage... Through the aura Hong Yang was emanating, Zhang Xuan was able to clearly perceive his cultivation. Just like him, Hong Yang was a Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator. However, the killing intent that he emanated was truly overwhelming. Even a cultivator of the same realm would experience great mental pressure facing him, even prior to the battle itself. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was just about to take a clearer view to the strength of the young man before him when Hong Yang suddenly raised his gaze and looked over. What powerful instincts... Zhang Xuan was slightly startled. As expected of an existence who had consecutively defeated ten Conquerors of Ten, his awareness of his surroundings was truly fearsome. It was just an inconspicuous nce, but the other party still sensed the nature of his gaze clearly and even ascertained the direction where it wasing from urately. With such powerful instincts, it would be nigh impossible to spring a surprise assault on him. It seems like life-and-death situations do help to temper a person greatly. Even though Hong Yangs cultivation is at Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage, it seems like he would be a match for even a Half-Leaving Aperture realm master teacher... In fact, if he was locked together with abat master of equal cultivation realm, it was very likely that he would be the one to survive at the very end! Zhang Xuan noted. How powerful one was didnt rely solely on ones strength. How one reacted in face of pressure and danger was of utmost importance as well. Even though a cow possessed strength far superior to a wolf, if the both of them were to be ced in the same room, the cow was likely to be the one to fall at the very end. And Hong Yang was this very wolf. Or perhaps, it might be more urate to call him a ravenous tiger instead. Anyone who dared toe close to him would be ripped apart by his sharp fangs. Neer, scram to the side. Dont you know this is my seat? While Zhang Xuan was busy assessing Hong Yang, a cold voice suddenly sounded above him. Raising his gaze, he saw that one of the two young men chased away by Hong Yang earlier standing before him. Is your name inscribed anywhere here? Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly, not intending to make a move at all. To scramble fearfully in face of Hong Yang yet stomp right up to him just because he appeared to be a neer... A typical bully, huh? Oh? The neers seem to be getting quite cocky nowadays, huh? Qian Xu, it seems like you dont have much of a presence anymore! Seeing how Zhang Xuan refused to move, retorting back even, the cultivating crowd slowly opened their eyes to watch themotion before them in interest. You say that my name isnt inscribed here? Hehe, since you wish it so, why dont I have it inscribed for you right now! The young man named Qian Xu didnt expect that a neer to dare affront him like that, and his eyes narrowed menacingly. A dagger abruptly appeared in his palm, and he swiftly swiped it right toward Zhang Xuans forehead. His movements were fast and devoid of any hesitation. It was as if the person he was attacking wasnt a human but a mere tree branch. If that dagger were to be plunged into Zhang Xuans head, there was no doubt that it would cause instantaneous death. You want to im my life over a trivial matter like this? Zhang Xuan scoffed coldly. It was one thing if there was an irreconcble grudge between both of them, but to attempt to take his life just because he wouldnt give up his seat... It seemed like the young man really thought nothing about a humans life! Even in this world, where strength reigned mighty, such actions were truly abhorrent. Displeased, Zhang Xuan raised his finger and fend off the other partys dagger. Ding! His finger struck the de of the dagger, and with a metallic ring, the Saint low-tier artifact abruptly broke into two. Oh? It seems like our young neer over here has the strength to back up his words! No wonder you dare speak so conceitedly before me! Seeing that his weapon was broken with a single flick, Qian Xu slightly startled for a moment. However, in the next moment, he licked his lips as an excited gleam flickered across his eyes. He had thought that the other party was just an amateur whom he could crush easily, but it seemed like it wasnt as easy as it seemed. Nevertheless, as a veteran of the Ring of Death, Qian Xu still had confidence in his capabilities. Tzzzzzzzzzz! Several more daggers abruptly emerged in Qian Xus hand, and with a swift flick of his wrist, they came flying toward Zhang Xuan from the top, middle, and bottom. The top dagger was aimed for the right eye, the middle dagger was aimed for the heart, and the bottom dagger was aimed at Zhang Xuans thigh. Abrupt and swift, it would be difficult for even a genius like Zhang Jiuxiao to fend against such an attack in the nick of a moment. You have quite a hand, dont you? Zhang Xuan remarked impassively. As expected of one who had been through multiple life-and-death battles, his killing skills had indeed been refined to an exceptional level. The trajectory of the daggers was aimed in a manner such that avoiding one of them would result in the other two plunging right into ones body. However... Such an attack was of limited effectiveness against Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan swept his hand in a half arc before him, and all of a sudden, the three daggers were already caught between his fingers. Despite the intense trembling of the daggers, they werent able to struggle free from his grasp. Neer, you have sessfully piqued my interest! Seeing that his second attack was resolved by the other party so easily, killing intent surfaced in the depths of Qian Xus eyes. Just as he was about to make his next move, a voice suddenly sounded in the room. Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage, Zhang Xuan! You will be faced against an opponent of the same cultivation realm, Meng Fuxing! Its my turn. Paying no heed to Qian Xu, Zhang Xuan stood up and began making his way over to the ring. You think that I will allow you to walk out just like that after provoking me? Just how easy do you take me to be? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was leaving, Qian Xu flicked his wrist once more, and amidst a freezing burst of air, two daggers shot forth for the back of Zhang Xuans heart. Chapter 1264 - In the Ring (1)

Chapter 1264: In the Ring (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its Qian Xus Three Arts of Assassination! There should at least a hundred people who die from those three moves of his every year... That cant be helped. His daggers are fast and vicious, making them extremely hard to guard against. Opponents of the same cultivation realm barely stand a chance against him! That neer is a goner! ... The crowd remarked calmly as they watched the two daggers whizzing for Zhang Xuan. While it was true that Qian Xus strength was nothingpared to the Conqueror of Hundred, Hong Yang, he was still a famous figure in the underground ck market. He was renowned for the seemingly endless daggers he had on him, as well as his vicious Three Arts of Assassination. With just his superior mastery over those two things, he had been able to im countless lives over the years. Yet, that arrogant neer dared to provoke him head-on, inciting Qian Xu to use his strongest moves. With this, the guillotine had already been raised upon that neers head. With such thoughts in mind, the eyes of the crowd swiftly turned to the neer. Even as the two daggers were swiftly approaching him, the neer did not turn around at all, as if he was unaware of the threat right behind him. Watching the sight, the scar-faced young man immediately spoke up anxiously, wanting to remind the neer. However, before he could say a word, the vision before him suddenly blurred. He could not say for sure what exactly happenedit might have just been a figment of his imaginationbut it seemed like the neers foot had shot up to strike the daggers. Wu! In the next instant, the daggers abruptly turned around and flew back at a speed much faster from before. Pu he! What? Astonished, before Qian Xu could even react, the daggers had already plunged into his wrists. Hu! The sheer momentum of the daggers sent Qian Xu flying all the way back until his wrists were firmly pinned onto the wall by the daggers, forming a cross. Qian Xu struggled with all his might, but he found that the daggers were simply too firmly lodged into the wall, such that he could not free himself. What in the world... With just a slight kick, not only did he neutralize Qian Xus daggers, he even returned it to Qian Xu and pinned him against the wall? Just how powerful can that neer be? That neer is really no ordinary figure? Will the ck market find itself another Conqueror of Ten soon? Its still too early to say, but with just that hand, that neer should have no trouble winning seven to eight matches! ... Watching as Qian Xu howled in agony on the wall, the crowd felt their hair standing on end. Although that brief encounter was not sufficient for them to analyze how powerful the neer was, the fact that he was able to subdue Qian Xu so easily was more than enough to say that he was not an opponent to be underestimated. Perhaps, he could very well be crowned the next Conqueror of Ten. Interesting. By the corner, Hong Yang took a nce at the departing back of the neer before closing his eyes once more. The counterattack that the neer hadunched earlier might have seemed impressive, but to him, it was truly nothing at all. Even if he could not subdue Qian Xu with a single punch, all he would have to do was smash another one in. ... The ring was not too big, and its perimeter had been secured by a unique formation, forming something simr to a cage. Once a challenger entered the ring, he would not be able to escape until the end of the battle. Sign this Life-and-Death Contract first. Before Zhang Xuan could step into the ring, a member of the Ring of Deaths staff standing in front of the ring passed a parchment over to him. Zhang Xuan lowered his head to swiftly browse through the contract before sealing it with a droplet of his blood. Following which, as if some kind of seal around him had been released, he heard thunderous cheers from the surrounding crowd. Raising his head, he saw that the spectator stand was fully filled with roughly five to six hundred people. There were people from all walks of life, be it male or female, old or young. Every single one of them had eyes that were crimson from the irrepressible excitement within them. It seems like the thrill of watching a life-and-death battle really does appeal to many. Above that, from spectating this kind of duel, they can also gain some insights into battle as well, Zhang Xuan thought. In life-and-death battles, cultivators would be pushed to their very limits, forcing them to show their strongest hands for survival. Such intense battles could be beneficial in providing inspiration to other cultivators as to how they could further refine their fighting prowess. Perhaps, this might even have been the biggest reason the ck market was able to grow to such a massive scale. By the time Zhang Xuan stepped onto the stage, a young man was already standing on the opposite side with his hands wrapped around his chest. Nonchnce and loftiness could be seen in his eyes, as if this battle was nothing more than a show for him. The young man seemed to be the opponent for this round, Meng Fuxing. Alright, lets not waste our time dawdling over here and end it quickly. Taking a rough calction of the current time, Zhang Xuan noted that he did not have much time before the auction started. Unwilling to waste even a second, he stretched his backzily before sping his fist. Pardon me. Hu! In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuans figure suddenly materialized right before the young man, and his arm darted forward to strike thetter. The strength behind this move was not too strong, but the young man felt as if a massive was closing in on him, preventing him from escaping at all. Not expecting Zhang Xuan to make a move against him so abruptly, the young man widened his eyes in shock. You... I am not... He immediately attempted to sidestep to dodge the attack, but to his horror, he found himself unable to move properly, as if he was standing in marsnd. Pah! Zhang Xuans palm connected with the young mans face, and a crisp echo resounded throughout the ring. Before the young man could speak, he had already copsed on the ground, knocked out. He had thought it through prior to entering the ring. Since he could not intentionally let him opponent off, he would just have to knock the other party out. A knock out could also be considered incapacitated, so naturally, the match would have to be judged as his victory. After knocking out the young man, Zhang Xuan waited for a long moment, but no one dered the results of the duel. Perplexed, he ced his hands behind his back and asked, I should have won for the first match, right? Still silence. Confused, Zhang Xuan took a look at his surroundings. To his bewilderment, the crowd from before had fallenpletely silent, and their excited expressions had been reced with bbergasted ones instead. Zhang Jiuxiao was also amid the crowd, and his palm was pped onto his face. He kept trying to shout something, but due to the various impeding formations between them, Zhang Xuan was unable to hear a word at all. Whats wrong? Seeing that the crowd was reacting in a manner contrary to what he had expected, Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Just as he was about to speak, the formation to the ring suddenly opened up, and another young man walked in. Upon seeing the fainted person on the ground, he widened his eyes in astonishment. Are you my second opponent? In order to be the Conqueror of Ten, one had to defeat ten opponents consecutively. In Zhang Xuans view, the young man who had just entered was likely his second opponent. I am Meng Fuxing! You are Meng Fuxing? Then, this guy is... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. If the young man before him was the opponent he was supposed to fight against, who was the person he had just knocked out? The referee! Meng Fuxings lips twitched. Theres actually a referee for the ring? Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched. Have you ever seen an official duel without a referee? Meng Fuxing retorted. ... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. What the heck! Typically speaking, referees should be standing beneath the ring and not in it. As a result, when Zhang Xuan saw the other Meng Fuxing standing on the stagethe fact that the other party had a fierce-looking face did little to help as wellhe had thought that the other party was his opponent! To knock out the referee before even meeting his opponent, this was really... Finally understanding what Zhang Jiuxiao was screaming outside, Zhang Xuan sheepishly asked, Will I be... disqualified? He had thought that he was being smart by iming the first move, but his smart move only ended up knocking out the referee. It would really be terrible if his right to fight in the Ring of Death was revoked as a result of this! Recovering from his initial astonishment, Meng Fuxing replied indifferently, Unlikely. There arent any rules here. Lets not waste time and begin. In the first ce, the ck market was intended to be awlessnd. In other rings, knocking out the referee would have been a huge penalty, but in the Ring of Death, it was not that big a deal. H! Meng Fuxing charged straight toward Zhang Xuan. While he was in the midst of his movements, his hands were already moving swiftly, creating afterimages reminiscent of a blooming lotus. Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Thousand Buddha Lotus Hands! There was no doubt that Meng Fuxing possessed noteworthy strength. Even if he was still slightlyckingpared to the previous Qian Xu, there were few cultivators of the same cultivation realm who would be a match for him. As soon as he made his move, he had already made sure to seal the surrounding space with his zhenqi, forcing Zhang Xuan to meet him head-on. Not too bad, Zhang Xuan remarked as he raised his palm to meet the other partys assault. Hu! It was the exact same move he had used against the referee earlier. It carried an imposing momentum that seemed as if it would not rest until it smacked everyst drop of brainy remains out of ones ears. This strike was not a battle technique or any profound move, just the simplest p. But for some reason, it seemed like harness some mysterious might that left those facing it feeling as if they would be unable to avoid it. Pah! The two palms collided, and Meng Fuxings face swiftly flushed pale. He retreated several steps back before his legs caved in, causing him to fall to the ground. The next moment, his eyes suddenly rolled up. He had fainted. Strong! What move is that? I reckon thats some kind of palm art. But still, to be able to knock Meng Fuxing out in a single strike, that fellow there should at least be able to achieve five consecutive victories! Thats not necessarily so. The stronger a move is, the more it depletes ones zhenqi. The ring isnt just about absolute fighting prowess but endurance as well. If he tires himself too much in the earlier rounds, he will risk running out of juice quickly. ... Such discussions broke out in the spectator stand. Even though Zhang Xuan had been a little reckless, knocking out the referee as soon as he got onto the stage, there was no denying that he did possess true strength. However, in the Ring of Death, strength was not enough for one to get far. Stamina was of the utmost importance as well. Many challengers would step into the Ring of Death to acquire the title of Conqueror of Ten each year, but those who had seeded were truly numbered. I am Tan Shiyou. Are you my opponent? After knocking out Meng Fuxing, it did not take long before another young man came onto the stage. This young man going by the name of Tan Shiyou was slightly stronger than Meng Fuxing, but he was still far from a match for Zhang Xuan. A single blow to the face, and he was floored as well. The same went for the next three opponents as well. A hint of exhaustion was starting to show through Zhang Xuans posture. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, and his hands were beginning to tremble non-stop as well. Right after he defeated the fifth person, Zhang Xuan heard a loud voice. You have just cleared the fifth round. Do you want to carry on? A casual challenger would usually stop at the fifth match as the matches beyond would have stakes involved. As an inevitable result of that, theter matches would be much more demanding than before, and until one side was crippled or incapacitated, the match would not stop. Ill continue, Zhang Xuan replied. His main goal at the Ring of Death was to obtain as many concentrated high-tier spirit stones as possible, but what he had earned so far could only be considered peanuts. Naturally, how could he back down, especially since the true moneyy ahead of him! Very well. Your opponent for your sixth match is Kui Qing. Just like you, he also has five victories under his belt as of the moment, the voice informed Zhang Xuan. As the first five matches did not involve any wagers, the pairings would be mainly between neers. It was from the sixth match on that the true veterans started appearing. The pairings would be made in a manner that ced opponents with an equal number of consecutive victories against one anotherthose with six victories would be faced against those with six victories, those with seven victories would be faced against those with seven victories, and so on. As a result of this system, Zhang Xuans next opponent was someone who had achieved five consecutive victories as well. Hu! A young man slowly walked up the ring under Zhang Xuans gaze. Different from the previous opponents he had faced, this young man exuded a faint killing aura, signifying that he was a dangerous figure. I have watched your matches. So far, you have subdued all your opponents with a single strike. Not too bad at all, Kui Qing said with a hair-raising smile as his sharp eyes assessed Zhang Xuan from head to toe keenly. However, that strike of yours should consume quite of bit of your zhenqi, right? I sure would like to see how many more times you can use it! H! With a flick of his wrist, a spear appeared in Kui Qings hands, and without any warning whatsoever, he drove it swiftly toward Zhang Xuan. That cunning old rat! He actuallyunched an assault on me while he was talking... It took only an instant before the spear was already right before Zhang Xuan. You want to y spearmanship with me? A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he looked unblinkingly at the spear whizzing toward him. You should know that Im the true ancestor of spearmanship! Chapter 1265 - On the Ring (2)

Chapter 1265: On the Ring (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Right after saying those words, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger forward leisurely. Zhang Xuans finger was positioned straight in the face of the furious pierce of Kui Qings spear, and it seemed as if the spear would pierce right through his finger at any moment. Yet, for some reason, before the spear could even reach the finger, it suddenly lowered its trajectory slightly, as if Kui Qing was intentionally going easy on Zhang Xuan. H! With a simple downward grasp, Zhang Xuan grabbed Kui Qings spear and flicked it slightly. A powerful might shot right through the spear and struck Kui Qing. Deng deng deng deng! Kui Qings face reddened, and he was forced to retreat several steps in a fluster. You were able to see through my move? The disbelief in Kui Qings eyes couldnt be concealed. There was no way Kui QIng would have gone easy on Zhang Xuan in the midst of a duel. What had happened earlier was that the change in the trajectory of his pierce earlier was actually an intended change in his battle technique to catch his opponent off guard, but somehow, Zhang Xuan seemed to have anticipated it in advance and positioned his finger right there, creating the illusion as if it was his finger that had caused the change in trajectory. I told you, I am the ancestor of spearmanship. You are still much too inexperienced to be shaking your spear before me! Zhang Xuan dashed forward once more and raised his palm to strike Kui Qings face. Hu! A powerful might burst forth. rmed, Kui Qing retreated in a panic. He thought that five consecutive matches should have exhausted most of Zhang Xuans zhenqi, preventing him from using that move anymore. He thought that with his spear in hand, he should be able to achieve victory easily. But he never thought that the other party would be able to see through his spearmanship so easily and utilize that move against him once more. Realizing that he wouldnt be able to escape from the p, he immediately attempted to raise his spear to counterattack, but it was already toote. A palm struck his face, and the spear in his hand flew away. Padah! Kui Qing crashed onto the ground and cked out. Seventh match, Zhang Xuan VS Guan Yongfeng! Following which, a familiar face walked onto the ring. It was no other than the scar-faced young man who had treated him as a tame sheep earlier. And I thought you were a tame sheep. It turns out that you are a wolf instead... the scar-faced young man, Guan Yongfeng, said with a shake of his head. When Zhang Xuan first entered the room, he had an innocent and dazed look on his face, reminiscent of a naive neer. Such people usually end up suffering a great deal on the ring. Yet, who could have thought that he would be so strong that even Qian Xu wouldnt be a match for him! I know that you are strong, but theres no way Ill be going down without a fight. Come! H! Drawing a saber, Guan Yongfeng drove his zhenqi furiously and shed down on Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan had a rather good impression of Guan Yongfeng, so he didnt go too hard on thetter. After two blows, he knocked thetter out with a light blow. On the other hand, on the spectator stand, Zhang Jiuxiao had also been diligently staking the concentrated high-tier spirit stones which Zhang Xuan had handed him previously into the matches. As Zhang Xuan was a neer, despite his outstanding results in the earlier matches, the crowd still wasnt too confident in Zhang Xuans strength. Thus, in the sixth match, most of the crowd had ced their stakes on Kui Qing. On the other hand, Zhang Jiuxiao sessfully doubled the initial 111 concentrated high-tier spirit stones he had into 222. After the match with Kui Qing, the crowd gained a clearer glimpse into Zhang Xuans strength, so the payout wasnt that high anymore. Nevertheless, by staking everything into Zhang Xuan once more, Zhang Jiuxiao managed to increase their total asset to 300 concentrated high-tier spirit stones. It really is lucrative! Zhang Jiuxiao eximed as he looked at the huge pile of spirit stones before him. Despite being an offspring of the Zhang n, he was only from a side family, so his allowance every month was rather meagre. Concentrated high-tier spirit stones were extremely beneficial to his cultivation as well, but even when using all of his means, he could only earn one to two of them each month. Yet, in just a short twenty minutes, he had actually just earned nearly two hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones! This sure was frightening! Lets do it! Knowing Zhang Xuans intention, Zhang Jiuxiao didnt hesitate to stake all 300 concentrated high-tier spirit stones on Zhang Xuans victory once more. The opponent for the eighth match was a young man in his thirties. He had a pair of arms that were innately thick as if tree trunks. On the other hand, fighting seven consecutive battles seemed to have exhausted Zhang Xuan greatly, and he looked as if he was about to be sapped dry. In view of that, the payout for Zhang Xuans victory increased this time around. After trading thirty blows or so, Zhang Xuan achieved a narrow victory. And the spirit stones in Zhang Jiuxiaos hand leaped from 300 to 720 in an instant! Zhang Xuan had been able to subdue his opponents in a single strike in the previous matches, but in the eighth match, he actually took more than thirty blows. To the crowd on the spectator sign, this was a visible sign that the neer was swiftly approaching his limit! He really knows how to act... Shaking his head with a smile on his lips, Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes glowed in excitement. In order to draw more people to bet against his victory so as to raise his payout, it was necessary for Zhang Xuan to feign weakness. Otherwise, if he were to crush all of his opponents in a single move, there would be no suspense at all. Knowing that they would surely lose the bet, who would be willing to bet against him? It was true that those who gambled in the Ring of Death were mostly scions from notable ns with powerful finances, but that didnt mean that they were fools who would squander their money away blindly. They were all biding their time to ce the decisive bet which would maximize their profits. So naturally, Zhang Xuan would have to provide those scions an impetus to make their move. By giving out clear hints that he was getting weaker with every match, those scions would surely be tempted to go all in. After all, who would be willing to stake their bets on a neer who appeared to be already wobbling on his feet? Obviously, the stakes would start gravitating to his opponent! The opponent for the ninth match was a middle-aged man. The previous time the middle-aged man had challenged the Ring of Death, he had won eight consecutive before failing on the ninth. But the reason why he lost wasnt due to hisck of strength. ording to the rumors, it seemed like he had drunk too much the day before, resulting in him being unable to exert his strength properly... As a result, in his matches in the Ring of Death the next day, his entire body was swaying weakly, and it seemed as if he would copse at any moment... The fact that he could still achieve eight victories under such a condition was a clear sign of his strength. It seemed like he had learned his lesson this time around and kept himself in check. His body was overflowing with energy, and from the very first move, it seemed like he already had the entire battle in his grasp. This had induced a wave of cheerings from the spectator stand. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan appeared to be weak on his feet, and it seemed like he was only hanging on his sheer willpower at the moment. With such a clear contrast between the two opponents, Zhang Xuans payout nearly broke through the roof. However, despite the powerful assaults the middle-aged man sent at Zhang Xuan over and over again, thetter kept bouncing back as if an indestructible cockroach. Thetter obviously looked as if he would copse on the ground with the slightest breeze, and yet, that final bit of energy he had left in him seemed to nondepletable, allowing him to withstand the relentless waves of attack. Just like that, the battle stretched on to over a hundred moves. At some point in time, the incredibly exhausted Zhang Xuan somehow managed to bump into the back of the middle-aged mans head and knocked thetter out, thus achieving a somewhat miraculous and unbelievable victory. At with this, the number of concentrated high-tier spirit stones Zhang Jiuxiao had increased to an astounding 1800! To be able to achieve victory like that, that neer sure is lucky. If he could just win another match, we would find ourselves with a new Conqueror of Ten! Thats true, but it seems like the neer has expended himself too much the previous round. In his current state, theres no way he can win the tenth! I thought that way in the eighth round too, but he still managed to grit the teeth and win the ninth round through his sheer willpower. I think thatd has some kind of unfathomable powerying dormant in him. As unlikely as it may be, I actually think that neer will really be crowned as the next Conqueror of Ten! You think so too? Alright, Ill bet on his victory then... ... Very soon, the tenth match began. Despite Zhang Xuans appearance of weakness, the incredible endurance he had disyed in the previous match still won the hearts of some, and quite of a portion of the crowd actually chose to bet on him against the odds. As a result, the payout dipped significantly. Zhang Jiuxiao ced all 1800 concentrated high-tier spirit stones in, as usual, but it only increased to 2200 this time around. On the field, however... Naturally, Zhang Xuan had a tougher fight than ever. He traded more than three hundred blows with his opponent, maintaining the same I look like Im going to fall but I just wont fall appearance throughout the match... In the end, the way which he managed to achieve victory nearly had the eyeballs of the crowd bulging out of their eyes. The tenth opponent actually moved too fast in the midst of his assault and crashed into the formation barrier, knocking himself out... Toe this far, one had to brave through nine life-and-death matches, and those who managed to do so were all indubitably outstanding warriors. Yet, for an expert of such caliber to actually knock himself out... Zhang Jiuxiao really couldnt bear himself to look on any longer... Brother, can you be any faker than that? Do you take the audience to be fools? However, it was already the tenth match, and the results for the fight to be the Conqueror of Ten was already out. Congrattions to Zhang Xuan for bing our new Conqueror of Ten! You have a choice to continue your battle now or take a brief rest first. Either way, it wont impede you from fighting for the title of the Conqueror of Hundred. I suggest that you take a rest first so that you can face your opponent in your peak condition... the voice sounded. Upon sessfully bing a Conqueror of Ten, one would be allowed to take a rest first before continuing ones battle for higher grounds. Considering how tired the young man already washe looked as if he could very well faint at any momentit would be best for him to take a rest first before continuing on his battle. Ill continue on... Despite hearing the voices advice, Zhang Xuan raised his eyes wearily and shook his head slowly. Rest? You must be joking! I am not even close to being done yet! Since I have already made the journey here, how could I leave without making a big killing? In any case, everything was a fair game in the ck market, so he didnt feel particrly guilty about this. Are you certain you want to continue? I dont think that you are in any condition to fight another match... the voice continued. Every single Conqueror of Ten was a money tree for the Ring of Death. It would be a huge waste for the Ring of Death if the young man were to die on the ring right after his conferment as a Conqueror of Ten. I think that... I can still... persevere on a little! Zhang Xuan said weakly. Alright then... In order to be a Conqueror of Hundred, you must defeat ten Conquerors of Ten sessively. Your first opponent will be... Before the voice could finish speaking, a nonchnt voice suddenly boomed across the entire ring. Ill fight with him. As long as he can defeat me, he can be the new Conqueror of Hundred! Following which, the nging of metal sounded clearly in everyones eyes. Following which, the crowd saw a towering figure slowly walking over to the ring. Its Hong Yang... Hong Yang is going to fight the neer personally, and he even promised thetter the position of Conqueror of Hundred? All along, it has always been others challenging Hong Yang, so why would he suddenly challenge this neer? As the strongest existence in the Ring of Death, theres no one who could possibly defeat him... If that neer were to really fight against Hong Yang, he would surely be crushed! Of course, that goes without saying! But as long as that neer doesnt have something wrong with his head, he should know better than to ept the duel! ... When the crowd saw the figure walking over to the ring, there was a brief moment of silence before a huge uproar broke out. The person who had spoken was no other than the man who could leave Qian Xu shivering in fear with just a single word, the Conqueror of Hundred, Hong Yang! At this moment, the fatigue of battle that was guing Hong Yang previously had already vanished without a trace. Instead, his eyes were dyed crimson, as if he had already eyed a new prey. How is it? Will you ept my challenge? Hong Yang gazed at Zhang Xuan coldly. This... Zhang Xuan hesitated. You arent too bad at acting, but I have faced and destroyed countless experts in my time. That act of yours isnt going to fool me! To still have the strength to be holding back even after defeating ten opponents... Boy, you have caught my attention! Hong Yang spoke impassively. ... Zhang Xuans face turned green, and a whole string of vulgarities nearly spilled from his mouth. He was still thinking that he could earn a hefty sum from Zhang Jiuxiaos bets during the battles with the Conquerors of Ten, but this fellow actually exposed him publicly! Acting? That fellow was acting? Is that so? It doesnt really seem like an act to be though... Think about it! He was already on the verge of copsing by the end of the seventh match, but he still managed to survive till the ten. Dont you think thats very suspicious? That bastard! I staked all my money on his loss! ... Hearing Hong Yangs words, the crowd was so angry that they nearly morphed into demons on the spot. This was especially those who were fooled by Zhang Xuans act earlier and betted on his loss. Even if you wish to find a reason to challenge me, surely you need not frame me like that? After battling ten people, theres no cultivator who can avoid bing severely weakened! With a voice devoid of strength, the pale-faced Zhang Xuan raised his head and eximed, Putting everything aside, do you think that you can defeat ten people and still have the strength to put on an act? I can! Hong Yang replied impassively. ... Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1266 - My Heart Really Cant Take It Anymore!

Chapter 1266: My Heart Really Cant Take It Anymore!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The faces of those who were previously defeated by Zhang Xuan turned red. While their strength couldnt bepared with Conquerors of Ten, they were still figures who had braved through many battles, and their fighting prowess were superior to ordinary cultivators... Yet, the other party was still able to defeat them consecutively and yet still have the energy to put on an act... Where were they supposed to put their pride and dignity now? But thinking about it, there were indeed such people in this world. For one, Hong Yang definitely had the strength to defeat all ten of them twice each without getting exhausted at all. Could the person whom they had fought with earlier possess such strength as well? Everyone turned their gazes over to Zhang Xuan, wanting to see if what Hong Yang had said was true. But what they found themselves faced with were a pair of hollow eyes, a weakly trembling body, and a face which suggested that the young man was going to lose consciousness at any moment soon. I dont have such strength... Zhang Xuan shook his head weakly. I can hardly remain standing at the moment, how am I to fight with you? He was currently in the Ring of Death of the ck market, where schemes and deception were a huge taboo. If he were to admit that he had been putting on an act previously, he could very well bring great trouble upon himself. You dont have a say in this matter. I, Hong Yang, will fight anyone I want. No one can sway my decision! Hong Yang dered withpelling authority as he took a step forward. Boom! A powerful surge of zhenqi suddenly permeated the entire ring, exerting immense pressure on Zhang Xuan. It carried a threatening intent behind it, as if saying that regardless Zhang Xuan liked it or not, this was a battle he wouldnt be able to escape from. Youre too much! Zhang Xuan stiffened his neck in indignation. Im too much? Hong Yang mocked before shaking his head. Make your move. I suggest that you go all out, or else theres no way you will be stepping out of this ring alive! After which, Hong Yang raised his hand, and a bundle of zhenqi began gathering furiously above his palm. Given how bent Hong Yang is on fighting against that neer, a battle should be inevitable. Who do you think will win? Do you even need to ask? Its obvious its Hong Yang! I shall stake everything on him! Im also going to stake on Hong Yang as well. His battle style is exceptionally brutal, and he would even rip a life person into shreds callously... Even if that neer was putting on an act before, he still wont be able to avoid the fate of being torn in two! More like torn in four! Well, no matter how many pieces he is torn into, theres no doubt that the neer dead meat... ... Upon hearing Hong Yangs words, the faces of the spectators flushed crimson in excitement. Time to ce my bet... Amidst the crowd, Zhang Jiuxiao also had his fists clenched tightly in agitation as well. In the earlier few rounds, the highest payout had only been a little more than 1:2, but owing to Hong Yangs fearsome reputation, the payout should be able to rise to whole new heights this round. Zhang Jiuxiao walked over to the betting table, and as he had expected, the payout for Zhang Xuans victory had already increased beyond 1:10! In other words, nearly every single person here had betted on Hong Yangs victory! No one thought that Zhang Xuan would be able to emerge victorious in the duel! We have really struck it rich this time! With hands trembling uncontrobly in excitement and delight, Zhang Jiuxiao passed a storage ring over. Ill bet 1800 concentrated high-tier spirit stones on Zhang Xuans victory! You are going to bet on Zhang Xuan? the staff in charge of managing the bets asked in disbelief. Shaking his head, he quickly processed Zhang Jiuxiaos bet. If no one were to bet on Zhang Xuan, how would their ck market earn money? Without a doubt, that fellow was bound to lose his 1800 concentrated high-tier spirit stones... While the spectators were excitedly making their bets, on the ring, Hong Yang looked at the young man before him and said, Make your move! Why dont we just forget it? I wont be a match for you anyway... Zhang Xuan shook his head. Like I said, you dont have a say in this matter! Seeing that the young man was still rejecting him, Hong Yang couldnt be bothered to waste his words anymore. H! With a cold sneer, Hong Yang charged forward with astounding momentum. In just an instant, he was already right before Zhang Xuan. His stature was truly towering. Standing next to him, Zhang Xuan appeared to be nothing more than a child. Without any hesitation, Hong Yang smashed his fist down toward Zhang Xuan, and a ferocious gale whipped up in the surroundings. A slight rumbling sound reminiscent of thunder could be heard in the air, hinting at the immense might that was packed behind that punch. From the looks of it, if that punch were tond, there was no doubt that Zhang Xuan would be reduced into meat paste. On the other hand, seeing how Hong Yang didnt even hesitate before making his move, Zhang Xuan felt deeply exasperated. As expected of one who had undergone multiple life-and-death battles, Hong Yangs instincts were truly keen. Zhang Xuan was confident in his disguise, and the fact that the crowd was only slightly doubtful of his strength even after he had won round after round bore testimony to how lifelike his disguise was. Yet, Hong Yang was still able to see right through him, remaining firmly convinced that he was putting on a disguise no matter how he protested. Without a doubt, Hong Yang was a formidable figure. Forget it... Feeling the immense might crushing down on him, Zhang Xuan knew that there was no avoiding this battle anymore. Sighing deeply, he took a step to the side. Hu! It was just a small step, but it allowed Zhang Xuan to narrowly avoid the other partys downward punch. Hmph! Hong Yang redirected the lingering strength behind his smashing punch into a sideward hook, adamantly tracing Zhang Xuans figure with his offense. What a swift transformation! Zhang Xuan was astonished. Had it been any other opponent, his Infinitesimal Maneuver method of dodging would have surely caused the other partys attack to fall empty. Yet, Hong Yangs reflexes and flexibility were so powerful that he could actually change his movements at a whim fluidly, as if he had nned it right from the start! Even Hall Master Xing might not be capable of pulling off something like that! He can almost catch up with a third of me... Incredible! Surprised, Zhang Xuan did a rough mental calction. It was already extremely formidable for a challenger of an underground ring to be able to match a third of his reflexes and speed. Knowing that it would be hard for him to avoid Hong Yangs sideward hook, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply and pushed his chest inward, making himself as thin as the width of a fist. This was a unique battle technique that was used to avoid close-quarter attacks. Even an ordinary human would be able to push their chest in significantly by exhaling deeply, let alone a cultivator. By withdrawing his zhenqi into his dantian and using the surrounding air topress his chest, it was possible for a cultivator to reduce his size significantly. In a battle between experts, even the smallest difference in the distance could cause a vast difference in the oue. Through using this move, Zhang Xuan sessfully dodged Hong Yangs sideward hook. However, Hong Yangs offense didnt stop just there. He immediately changed his punch into a palm to strike down on Zhang Xuan. In the first ce, his hand was already extremely close to Zhang Xuans chest. If Zhang Xuan were to be struck by that palm strike, his heart could very well be pierced through, resulting in instantaneous death. Just as everyone thought that there was no way Zhang Xuan could possibly dodge this move, perhaps it was out of resignation or exhaustion, Zhang Xuans caved in chest abruptly bounced back up. As if an inted ball, it coincidentally collided with Hong Yangs approaching palm and sessfully deflected it aside. Following which, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and raised his hand, preparing to strike Hong Yangs face. It was the same move he had used to subdue his previous opponents! Hm? Not expecting that Zhang Xuan would be able tounch a counterattack despite his relentless assault, Hong Yangs eyes narrowed his eyes in surprise. Even though his earlier assault may appear to be simple on the exterior, it was actually his famed Triple Chain Assault. This was the technique he had used to down countless tough opponents, and even Conquerors of Ten hadnt been able to survive the second strike of his Triple Chain Assault. Yet, not only did the young man sessfully dodge all three maneuvers, he even managed tounch a counterattack! Just like what he had guessed before, the young man was indeed no ordinary opponent. In this moment, Hong Yang couldnt help but feel deeply excited within. He swiftly raised his other hand, wanting to fend off the young mans p. But contrary to his expectations, the young man right before him shot him a peculiar smile instead. All of a sudden, Hong Yang felt a bout of dizziness assaulting his head, and his body staggered backward weakly. Crap, its a terpsichorean art... Hong Yangs widened his eyes in astonishment. That other partys smile was actually one of the famed techniques of terpsichoresHundred Flowers Bloom! It was said that the person who had created this technique was an incredible beauty amongst the terpsichores more than ten thousand years ago. Just a returning smile of hers could send ones heart throbbing uncontrobly, and in that instant, it would be as if the rest of the world had turned colorless! Those who had fallen for the technique would find themselves consumed in a trance, thus losing their fighting prowess. But... wasnt this a technique which only women could use? How could a man like Zhang Xuan use it as well, and to look so moving on top of that... Feeling that his mind was swiftly descending into confusion, Hong Yang hurriedly bit his tongue to restore some rationality back into his head. However, it was already toote. Zhang Xuans p was already right before his eyes. For some reason, those five fingers felt like towering mountains to Hong Yang. He felt that he would never be able to avoid the p no matter how he struggled. Pah! A resounding pah! echoed on the ring, and a palm was clearly imprinted on Hong Yangs swollen face. You... Feeling the stinging pain on his face, Hong Yang felt so frenzied that he could lose his mind at this very instant. He was the Conqueror of Hundred of the underground ck market, but he ended up being pped in the ring so easily... This was a huge humiliation to him! Ill rip you into shreds! Roaring furiously, Hong Yang was just about to make his move when the young man abruptly retreated eight steps backward. As if he had depleted all of his strength, the young mans body trembled uncontrobly, and it looked as if he would copse onto the ground at any moment. I told you that I have alreadye to the limit of my body, and I wont be able to fight with you anymore. Lets just forget it. I really am not a match for you... You... Hong Yang felt as if his mind was about to explode. Right after literally giving me a tight p in my face, you want to call the duel off and retreat unscathed? How can there be something that convenient in the world? Furthermore, you arent a match for me? If you still arent a match for me after nearly crippling me, if you were really a match for me, wouldnt I be killed in an instant? Boom! Unable to hold back his rage, Hong Yang dashed forward furiously for Zhang Xuan. This time, he decided to go all out. He adeptly weaved his zhenqi with his fingers, crafting a massive cage around them. Hong Yang is getting serious! Once he gets serious, theres bound to be a cold corpse lying in his wake... It was just a lucky p earlier. That fellow cant possibly be so lucky the next time around too... Amotion broke out on the spectator stand. Earlier, when Hong Yang was pped by the neer, everyone was stunned for an instant, causing the spectator stand to fall deathly silent. However, seeing that Hong Yang had flown into a rage, excited cheerings began resounding once more. H! A might which seemed to harness sufficient strength to sway even the heavens themselves gathered in Hong Yangs palm as he callously thrust it toward Zhang Xuan. As a person who had been crowned as the Conqueror of Hundred in the Ring of Death, his fighting prowess was truly not one to be underestimated. Facing the other partys attack, Zhang Xuan took a step back before twisting his body, nimbly dodging Hong Yangs powerful palm strike. After which, he raised his palm once more. It was the exact same movement as before. He was preparing to send another p toward Hong Yangs face! You want to use the same move against me twice? Dream on! Seeing that it was the same old move, Hong Yang was suddenly reminded of the previous insult he had suffered. He bellowed furiously as he sent another palm strike to meet the young mans p. But just as their palms were about to collide with one another, the young man before him suddenly sent him another bewitching smile. This smile was even more radiant than the one before. In an instant, Hong Yang felt the sight before him blurring as another bout of dizziness assaulted his head. The palm strike he had pushed forward in order to fend off Zhang Xuans p also came to an abrupt halt, freezing in midair. Padah! Another burst of fiery pain stung Hong Yangs face as his body revolved twice on the spot from the sheer might behind the p. AHHHHHHHHHHH! Awakening from his trance, Hong Yang clutched his hair in fury. With a furious roar, he was just about to dash forward to return the favor to the young man when thetters helpless voice suddenly sounded once more, Like I said, my body has really reached its limit. I am in no state to fight with you... Why wont you just listen to my words? I honestly dont want to fight with you... I really am no match for you! Your body has reached its limit? You are no match for me? Hong Yang touched the two swollen palm print on his cheeks, and his head nearly exploded. You call this reaching your limit? Doesnt that mean that if you havent reached your limit, I would have already been killed by you? Can you just stop humblebragging? My heart really cant take it anymore! Chapter 1267 - A Shocking Bet

Chapter 1267: A Shocking Bet

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In a vast room in the underground ck market... An elder anxiously barged into the room, eximing, Boss, bad news! Whats wrong? Seated at the very center of the room, a middle-aged man was leisurely sipping on his tea when he heard the exmation and frowned. This middle-aged man was a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert, as well as the person who rules over the entire ck market! Very few people knew of his true name, so most would only deferentially refer to him as the Boss. Invaluable treasures could be found at every turn in the ck market, but very few dared to snatch those treasures for their own. A huge reason for this was out of fear and deference for the Boss and his vicious means. Earlier, a challenger known as Zhang Xuan arrived in the Ring of Death, and he won ten rounds consecutively, winning himself the title of the Conqueror of Ten... the elder reported. Is this anything to make a fuss about? Winning ten rounds consecutively isnt anything much, is it? the Boss replied leisurely as he lifted the teapot and poured himself another cup of tea. It wasnt easy to rise to the position of Conqueror of Ten, but every single year, there would still be seven to eight who would be crowned as one. In view of that, it really wasnt anything much to make a fuss over. That would be nothing much, but just as he was about to challenge the other Conquerors of Ten for the position of Conqueror of Hundred, Hong Yang suddenly stepped into the ring! the elder continued. Oh? the Boss smiled in interest. Given Hong Yangs strength, there is none in his cultivation realm who would be a match for him. Anyone who faces him is likely to end in death. Since thats the case, just make preparations to dispose of the corpse then. You have done this for a few years now, so is there any need to trouble me for something as trivial as this? B-but Boss... I initially thought that there would be no problems as well, but after both parties traded two blows... Hong Yang ended up being pped twice whereas Zhang Xuan... is stillpletely unscathed! the elder swiftly exined the situation he had seen earlier, and the disbelief in his tone showed that he still hadnt been able toe to terms with the matter yet. Hong Yang was pped? Are you saying that Hong Yang isnt a match for Zhang Xuan? the Boss was taken aback. Im afraid thats likely to be the case! the elder nodded. Hong Yang is our money tree, and he has been known for his indomitable strength. While he has a resounding reputation himself, there hasnt been any good opponent to pit against him to create some fanfare for the Ring of Death... This works fine too. With this defeat, he should be able to grow further. We can n for hiseback and earn substantial profits from it. Keep a close look on the situation, and make sure that his life isnt threatened... the Boss ced his teacup back on the table and said contemtively. Hong Yang was formidable, not infallible. Anything could happen on the ring, and it was precisely this trait of the Ring of Death that allowed it to draw a steady stream of customers. As long as Hong Yang didnt die, his defeat wouldnt be a problem. I understand. However, theres another problem... Zhang Xuan came to the ring together with apanion, and thetter has been betting all in on him every single round! Over the past ten matches, he has already won more than 1600 concentrated high-tier spirit stones from us! When Hong Yang came on the stage, I thought that Zhang Xuan would surely be defeated in the duel, so I altered the payout to be very low on Hong Yangs side and very high on Zhang Xuans side, wanting to lure thatpanion of his to go all in once more to recoup our losses... I didnt think that Zhang Xuan would actually outmatch Hong Yang! An awkward look surfaced on the elders face. Very high? How high is that? The Boss was startled. If Hong Yang were to lose, even the overall profits of the ck market which we have umted over many years wont be enough topensate the other party... What did you say? Hearing those words, the cup in the Boss hand fell to the ground and shattered into innumerable fragments. Just how high of a payout did that fellow set for Zhang Xuan?! Bring me over to take a look. I want to see the situation with my own eyes... Unable to remain still any longer, the Boss stood up and began making his way over to the ring. In the Ring of Death, the death of an individual or two wouldnt mean anything at all. However, if they were to bankrupt themselves over a bet, how were they supposed to continue operating their business? Such a thing must be prevented at all cost! ... You bastard, Ill tear you apart! On the ring, after being pped two consecutive times, Hong Yangs eyes had already reddened in utter rage. Prior to challenging Zhang Xuan, he had already known the young man was no weakling. However, he hadnt thought that the young man would actually be so powerful! It had been nearly ten years since he first fought in the Ring of Death, and never had he suffered such humiliation before! More importantly, even after managing tond two clean blows on him, that fellow was still adamantly continuing with his act, making it look as if he would copse at any moment... Act your head! If anyone is going to copse here, it should be me! But even though Hong Yang was livid with rage, he knew better than to let his anger blind his rationality. I have to steady my Primordial Spirit! With this thought in mind, he sealed all of his acupoints and steadied his state of mind so that the young man couldnt sway him anymore. The reason why the young man had managed tond two ps on him was because of his terpsichorean art. As long as he were to avert his eyes and attention away from it, he would be able to avoid being falling into a trance! Hong long! After putting up his mental guard, Hong Yang charged forward once more. This time, he was nning to get into close quarters tounch a barrage of attacks. His towering stature had granted him with strength superior to that of his peers, and he knew that the best way for him to capitalize on this strength was through close-quarterbat. The young man was swift and nimble, but in close-quarterbat, one would often be limited by their reaction speed, thus making it night impossible to dodge every single attack. This would be his best shot at exacting vengeance! Hu! Charging forward, his arms and legs flew forth one after another with astounding speed, reminiscent of a relentless storm battering down on the world. Inparison, Zhang Xuan seemed like a fragile raft,pletely helpless in its face. Not bad! Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath. In this moment, Zhang Xuans body was still limp in weakness, and it felt as if he would be swallowed by that storm of attacks. But for some bizarre reason, despite his sluggish movement, Hong Yangs barrage of attack still missed him one after another, as if Hong Yang was intentionally letting him off. Hes able to predict my attacks? Hong Yang widened his eyes in disbelief. Despite the young mans slow and sluggish movements, it was apparent to him that the young man had seen right through every single one of his attack trajectory, dodging all of his attacks in advance. The young mans movements may seem unseemly, but there was not a single wasted movement at all! Just as Hong Yang was thinking of another n to subdue the young man before him, thetter abruptly raised his palm once more, clearly preparing to imprint another palm on his face. Again? I have already steadied my Primordial Spirit. Your terpsichorean arts wont work on me anymore! Hong Yang sneered confidently. However, in the next moment, he heard a voice sounding in his ear, Dont bother dodging. Its futile... It sounded like the whisperings of a lover, causing a jolt of electricity to course through his body. In an instant, the tension in his muscles loosened, causing his body to fall limp. Shit, its demonic tune this time around! It took only a tenth of a second for Hong Yang to realize the anomaly in his body, and he immediately bit his tongue to jolt himself out of his abnormal state. But by the time he was about to protect himself, the young mans palm had already appeared by his face once more. Pah! A crisp and resounding echo it was! Hong Yangs eyes reddened once more as he twisted a round on the spot. At the same time, half of his face swelled up as well. Please, believe me! My body is really reaching its limit. I cant fight against you anymore... I cant defeat you! the young mans helpless voice sounded yet again. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Overwhelmed with frenzy, Hong Yang charged forward furiously once more, but yet another palm struck his face. And Zhang Xuan didnt forget to continue his humblebragging either, I am really exhausted, let me go. I want to rest, donte anymore... Hong Yang charged over once more. Pah! Pah! Pah! No, this is really my limit. Oh, Im going to pass out... It was as if the young mans hand was infused with some kind of sorcery. Each and every time, it would strike Hong Yangs face urately. Despite trying out a dozen different movement techniques, the young mans palm would stillnd on his face with inconceivable precision. More importantly, after each p, the young man would act as if he was going to fall without fail, as if he was the victim over here... If you cant hold on anymore, just faint then! You say that you cant hold on any longer each time, but you still manage to p me without fail each time I charge forward... Can you be any more shameless than that? Hong Yang really felt that his sanity was being severely challenged over here. He wasnt the only one who felt that. Every single person on the spectator stand was alsopletely dumbfounded. Their minds were too crazed over the happenings on the field that they even forgot how to react with their bodies. They knew Hong Yangs strength very wellConqueror of Hundred, unmatched in his power ss... They thought that it should be easy for him to teach an arrogant neer a lesson... But who could have thought that such would happen instead... Each time Hong Yang charged over, he would be smacked back in ce by a p. Then, the young man would wobble on the spot, as if he would copse at any moment. And the cycle would just repeat and repeat... With each p, the indomitable Hong Yang in their hearts would erode by a bit, to the point that nothing was left at all. What that was even more shocking was that the fellow that was on the verge of fainting was actually stillpletely intact! Throughout the course of the battle, he hadnt sustained the slightest injury at all! Did I really just fight with that monster? The faces of the scar-faced young man and the others werepletely pale. At the same time, Qian Xus head also cowered back with every p that had been dealt. At this rate, it seemed like it would be long before his head was buried into his neck. That was Hong Yang, the invincible diator of the Ring of Death! To be smacked around so easily as if a little chick, just how powerful could that neer be? This was too exaggerated! And he, Qian Xu, actually provoked such a figure... It was fortunate that the other party didnt hold a grudge against him over that matter, or else he would have already turned into a lifeless corpse. Stop hitting me, I really am not a match for you... Stop it! The crisp ps and helpless exmations continued sounding on the ring. Putong! At some point in time, Hong Yang finally came to the limit of his strength and copsed to the ground, knocked out. Even up to the moment that he lost consciousness, his heart was filled with indignance. In his many years on the Ring of Death, this was the first time he had been pummeled so indignantly and humiliatingly. Before his vision turned dark, he took onest look at his opponent and saw the young man was still swaying on the spot, no different from before. It seemed as if he would fall at any time, but somehow, he just kept standing on... The neer... defeated Hong Yang? I lost the bet again? That was the money I took from my wifes secret stash! Because it was Hong Yang fighting, there were many who had ced huge bets on Hong Yangs victory. Thus, when they saw Hong Yang copsing on the ground, knocked out, their faces turnedpletely livid. There were even a few who burst into tears. After losing several rounds, they thought that they would be able to recoup some of their losses through Hong Yang. Yet, who could have thought that this match would only further their losses, plunging them deeper into the abyss. If only they had known this in advance, they would have bet their everything on Zhang Xuan... But speaking of which, just where did this inconspicuous littled pop up from him? To be able to defeat even the Conqueror of Hundred with such ease... This duel... Zhang Xuan is the victor! After waiting for ten seconds, Hong Yang still remainedpletely motionless. So, the voice from before dered loudly, but the disbelief in his voice was still clear for all to hear. Were riiiichhhhhh! We have really struck it rich this time! At odds with the depressing atmosphere drifting along the spectator stand, upon hearing the news of Zhang Xuans victory, Zhang Jiuxiao leaped up in excitement and cried out. The payout for this match was a little more than 1:10, which meant to say that as long as Zhang Xuan won, the 1800 concentrated high-tier spirit stone would bring him a return of nearly 20,000! Even as the offspring of the Zhang n, he had never seen that many concentrated high-tier spirit stone before! Completely broke when they first entered the ck market, in less than two hours, their wealth had actually leaped up to nearly 20,000... Zhang shi was really a walking spirit mine! Furthermore, he was the type that could produce countless spirit stones without using an excavator! With so many of it, it should be enough to fulfill Zhang shis needs! With this thought in mind, Zhang Jiuxiao walked over to the betting counter and passed over the document in his hand over. I havee here to collect my payout. If Im not mistaken, you owe me a total of 19,800 concentrated high-tier spirit stones! 19800? Before the person in charge could speak, a cold harrumph suddenly sounded. Following which, a middle-aged man walked over and spoke authoritatively, We suspect that you have been cheating in the Ring of Death, so the bet that you have made in this match will be annulled! Chapter 1268 - Beating Up the Boss

Chapter 1268: Beating Up the Boss

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Annulled? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback for an instant before his eyebrows shot up, What do you mean by that? Exactly as it sounds. the middle-aged man harrumphed. Whatever gambling we conduct in our Ring of Death is built upon the idea of fairness, but you coborated with one of the challengers of the ring, one feigning weakness on the ring to influence the payout and the other to make the bets... This is considered a cheating behavior, and it is a vition of our rules. Not only will your winnings be confiscated, you are also topensate the Ring of Death for your disruptive behavior! Compensate? Zhang Jiuxiaos face turned livid. You are hereby under arrest under the charges of disrupting the ck markets order and fraud. Men, capture that fellow! the middle-aged manmanded with a grand wave of his hand. Hu! In the blink of an eye, a dozen guards dressed in tight-fitting armor, each possessing a cultivation of Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, dashed forward and surrounded Zhang Jiuxiao tightly. You all... Not expecting that the ck market would refuse to acknowledge its loss, attempting to capture him even, Zhang Jiuxiao was seething with rage. With a raise of his hands, a Saint intermediate-tier sword materialized before him, ready to make a move at hismand. While he had the strength to challenge opponents stronger than him, there were simply too many people before him at the moment. Furthermore, from the start to the end, the middle-aged man hadnt been concealing Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivation. Even if he were to utilize all of the means at his disposal, he would be no match for the middle-aged man. To think that the ck market would resort to forcing others to submit after losing in a gamble... Is this how you all usually act? But before anyone could make a move, an impassive voice sounded in the air. Following which, the young man who had just defeated Hong Yang on the ring suddenly appeared on the spectator stand as well, and his displeasure was clearly carved onto his face. He was intending to use the money he had won to attend the auction and buy down the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition, but who knew that not only would the ck market refuse to pay up, they even had Zhang Jiuxiao surrounded. Unable to watch on anymore, Zhang Xuan flew over from the ring. The both of you coborated with one another to conduct fraud in the Ring of Death, and thats a clear vition of our rules. If we dont punish you to make a warning to the others, how can our Ring of Death continue to operate if everyone were to do the same? the middle-aged man flung his sleeves furiously. The middle-aged man was the Boss of the ck market. 20,000 concentrated high-tier spirit stonesthe entire fortune of their ck market was only worth about this much! If they were to really pay this sum to those two, their ck market might really have to shut down for good! You want to talk rules with me? Sure, lets talk just that then! Even the Master Teacher Pavilion, an organization which was heavily dictated by rules, could hardly do anything to him, and yet, the head of a ck market actually wanted to talk to him about rules... This was almost the same as unting your wealth before a bank! Regarding the matches in the Ring of Death, there are no rules preventing anyone from cing any bet. Zhang Jiuxiao is my friend, and he has confidence in my strength, so naturally, he would be inclined to bet on me. Surely theres no problem with that, right? Zhang Xuan reasoned. Theres no problem about that, but... the Boss nodded. There were no rules preventing the kin or friends of a challenger from betting on him; on the contrary, it wasmon practice. It was in view of the wealth that they could earn that the challengers were willing to go all out in their own fights. Wealth and honor upon victory, poverty and humiliation upon lossit was the stakes at y here that they were willing to stake even their own life here. As such, this couldnt be considered to be a vition of the rules. Since theres no problem, and you were the one who set the payout under the premise that you would be willing to pay up no matter how much you lost. Given so, what rights do you have to say that we have vited the rules? Zhang Xuan interjected the Boss words. You were clearly able to achieve a victory easily, but you maliciously feigned weakness on the ring. Such a behavior can be considered as fraud... Fraud? By fraud, do you refer to using trickery and deception to achieve victory? Putting aside the fact that there are no rules to the ring, you can ask everyone here what has happened. In the duel against Hong Yang, I kept telling him that I am no match for him, and that we should stop the duel there and then, but he simply wouldnt listen, insisting adamantly that I should have a fight with him. Its out of no choice that I had to counterattack... Given that the duel is forced upon me in the first ce, are you sure that my behavior can be considered to be fraud? Zhang Xuan turned to the Boss and continued, If I really want to achieve victory that much, I could have just epted his duel straight. Theres no need for me to turn him down again and again! This... the eyebrows of the Boss shot up. He had also been watching the match earlier as well. Indeed, the young man kept telling Hong Yang that he didnt want to fight anymore, but thetter just kept charging at him relentlessly... From such an aspect, if anyone was guilty of cheating, it should be Hong Yang. However, with a huge sum of nearly 20,000 at stake here, he couldnt afford to back down. Knowing that it was impossible for him to win in a proper debate, he flung his sleeves furiously and bellowed, Dont bother ying word games with me over here. I am the Boss of the ck market, and my words are thew! Men, take these two troublemakers down! You are just going to use force since you are unable to reason against us? Very well, I would like to see who dares to touch a strand of hair of ours! Zhang Xuan bellowed as he swept a cold gaze across his surroundings. Go! One of the guards bellowed before taking the lead, charging at Zhang Xuan. Even if the fellow before them was strong enough to defeat Hong Yang easily, they had the numerical advantage. On top of that, they were all Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle experts as well. They were confident that they would be able to take him down easily. The guard brandished his sword furiously, and the cold glint of a sword qi swiftly fell toward Zhang Xuan. Considering thewlessness of the ck market, those who were qualified to be guards to ensure order and security had to wield extraordinary strength as well. As the sword qi flew over, the air was groaned under the immense strain from its pressure, as if testifying to the humongous strength behind it. Facing the powerful sword brandish, Zhang Xuan didnt bother to dodge at all. Instead, he lifted his finger casually and tapped on the space before him. Padah! The sword qi shattered, and the burst of zhenqi continued gushing forward to the guard. Pah!, thetter suddenly felt a violent pressure striking his dantian. Following which, his dantian abruptly shattered into countless pieces. Feeling that his zhenqi was gushing out of his body like a leaking balloon, the guard widened his eyes in horror, Y-you... you crippled my cultivation? The breaking of ones dantian was equivalent to destroying a persons cultivation. This meant that the countless years of hard work that an individual had put into advancing his cultivation had gone to utter waste. Couldnt be bothered to respond to the guards question, Zhang Xuan continued to move. A series of exploding sounds echoed in the air over the next few breaths, and the dozen of guards that were surrounding Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly copsed to the ground as well. Feeling as power gradually seeped away from their bodies, a fear so powerful that it left them hardly able to breathe consumed the guards. These guards had made used to the authority that had been granted to them to oppress the weak and make benefits for themselves. Even killing them outright wouldnt be considered as going overboard. In a sense, crippling their dantian could already be considered as a mercy from Zhang Xuan to them. But of course, considering all of the evil deeds they had done before through exploiting their strength, this mercy might not be one that they would appreciate... On the other hand, seeing that a mere Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator actually crippled his subordinates right before him, the eyes of the Boss reddened in fury. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he thrust his palm forward with overwhelming might. Facing the Boss palm strike, Zhang Xuan had no intentions of dodging either. On the contrary, he took a step forward to receive the other partys palm. He hadnt found a worthy sparring partner ever since he advanced to Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage. Since this middle-aged man was flinging himself at him, he didnt mind using the other party as a moving punching bag! Boom! As their palms shed against one another, a resounding explosion swiftly swept across the entire Ring of Death. Under the shockwave that diffused from the collision of palms, the entire area immediately began copsing. Most of the spectators had chosen to linger in the area to watch the drama, but in face of the powerful shockwave, they immediately fled in fright. Even Zhang Jiuxiao also had to retreat several dozen meters away before he felt that he was finally a safe distance away. How can this be... How can you be so powerful? the Boss widened his eyes in astonishment and fright. He thought that even if Zhang Xuan possessed strength far beyond his cultivation realm, thetter should still be a long distance away from matching up to him. After all, it was nearly unheard of for a Primordial Spirit realm cultivator to match a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, let alone a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert like him! Yet, in a direct sh of palms, they were actually on equal footing! For the other party to wield raw strength on par with him... Even seeing it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe. Who in the world are you? the Boss questioned warily. There was no way a person who wielded such overwhelming power could possibly be from a humble background. I am Zhang Xuan. You can etch that name into your head! Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly as he flicked his palm and sent the second wave of attack toward the Boss. His palm strike appeared to be flimsy on the surface, but for some peculiar reason, it exuded an indomitable aura that was at odds with its exterior. The Boss was still intending to say something, but facing such an attack, he knew that he couldnt afford to waste any time on words. He quickly gathered his strength into his fist andunched a counterattack. However, before his fist could meet with Zhang Xuans palm, thetters figure suddenly flickered before abruptly materializing right before him. Before he could react, the palm had alreadynded lightly on his body. Peng! With a furious spurt of blood, the Boss was sent flying all the way back, dragging a long gorge in the ground in his wake. Back when Zhang Xuan was at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, he was already roughly a match for Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle experts, let alone now. The Boss might be a powerful cultivator, but he didnt stand a chance at all. After trading two blows, Zhang Xuan also realized that the Boss was hardly a challenge at all, so he began losing his interest too. Couldnt be bothered to make a move himself anymore, he waved his hand andmanded, Go, cripple him for me! Hu! From a room connected to the ring below, more than a hundred different types of sabers flew forth, headed right toward the Boss. These sabers might just be Saint low-tier artifacts, but there were simply too many of them. With all of themunching an offense simultaneously, it didnt take long before the entire area was flooded with saber qi. Upon seeing this sight, the Boss widened his eyes in shock. Before he could even put up his defenses, several saber qi had already cut into his body, leaving him bloodied all over. These sabers... Seeing the familiar sabers, the eyelids of the middle-aged manager who had led Zhang Xuan into the Ring of Death earlier began twitching uncontrobly. These sabers were no other than the weapons they were providing to the challengers of the ring! But these weapons shouldnt have any spirit at all! Why would they listen to that young mansmand and attack the Boss? Thatd must have enchanted them... The middle-aged manager clenched his fists in realization. Very clearly, Zhang Xuan must have enchanted those weapons. This would also exin why they were so loyal to him, attacking the Boss without any hesitation on hismand. But he had personally followed that young man into the Weapon Room, and the young man had only spent a few minutes testing out several weapons before leaving empty-handed... To actually sessfully enchant all of these weapons within that short period of time... Just how in the world did he do it?! Aside from the middle-aged manager, Zhang Jiuxiaos lips were also twitching from the sight before him. He had known about Zhang Xuans unparalleled proficiency in spirit enchantment, but he had never thought that thetter would be so vicious as to tame all of these weapons! Looking at it now, it seemed like Zhang Xuan had known from the start that the ck market would never allow them to walk away with the sum they had won from the Ring of Death from the very start, so he had made preparations against it in advance. Wuuuuuuuuu! It seemed like the hundred Saint low-tier sabers had been through some kind of special training. Every single attack of theirs was urately aimed at the blind spot or mingmen of the Boss. Under this furious onught of deadly saber qi, it didnt take long for the imposing Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert to be bleeding all over. Countless cuts were inflicted throughout his body, and from the looks of it, it seemed like he wasnt too far away from death anymore. Stop... Im willing topensate you... Knowing that he might really die at this rate, the Boss finally eximed anxiously. Even though he felt incredibly frustrated, he knew that there was nothing he could do but to surrender. If the other party really wanted to im his life, he could have been dead by now. Compensate? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. With a wave of his hand, the hundred sabers immediately flew back and neatly took their positions behind Zhang Xuans back, forming something reminiscent to the feathers of a peacock. Yes, Im willing topensate you... Struggling to his feet, the Boss took out a storage ring and passed it over, Here are 19,800 concentrated high-tier spirit stones... This was the profit which the ck market had umted over countless years. If he were to give it away just like that, the ck market would soon find itself facing severe financial troubles. But at this point, he had no other choice either. Taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swiftly swept its contents before nodding. There was no mistake with the quantity. It seemed like the other party wasnt ying tricks with him. Alright, what are you going topensate us? These 19,800 concentrated high-tier spirit stones are what we have earned fairly through the gambling earlier, but you have made a move against me and my friend. How do you intend to resolve this matter? Keeping the spirit stones safely into his own storage ring, Zhang Xuan turned his sight back to the Boss and asked. You still want me topensate you? the Boss face turned pale in horror. You have nearly taken everything that I have, and you still want to squeeze me dry? Isnt that a given? Or do you expect to be so magnanimous as to forget what you have just done? Zhang Xuan sneered. How... do you want me topensate you? the Boss asked through gritted teeth. I heard that your ck market has just obtained a certain book, Annal of Bedstead Disquisition? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking. Chapter 1269 - The Voice In the Mist

Chapter 1269: The Voice In the Mist

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Boss hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding, Fine. Ill get my men to bring it over to you now. As valuable as the Annal of the Bedstead Disquisition was, it was just another artifact to him. If he were to weigh it against his life, it was obvious that his life was way more valuable. With a guillotine right above him at this moment, it was obvious what he should choose. After making a few instructions, it didnt take long for an elder to arrive at the scene with a considerablyrge jade container in hand. The elder opened the jade container, revealing an ancient book within. The yellowish pages were evidence to the long history behind the book, but it was still generally well-preserved. The words on the pages were also pulsating with spiritual energy. Un. Zhang Xuan took a closer look, and after confirming that it was the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition, he finally nodded before keeping it into his storage ring. Turning to Zhang Jiuxiao, he said, Lets go! Then, with a powerful leap, he began flying away from the scene. Zhang Jiuxiao and the hundred sabers behind him quickly followed suit. Staring in the direction where they disappeared at, hatred began flooding into the eyes of the Boss. Boss, are we going to let them off just like that? an elder walked forward and asked. It had been more than ten thousand years since their ck market had been established, and they had never suffered such a huge setback! Let them off? How can I, Ji Lingfeng, allow others to take my items so easily? The Boss narrowed his eyes as he clenched his fists tightly together. What he had lost this time around werent just spirit stones but his pride as well. If they were to take this lying down, how could the ck market uphold its prestige and authority in Qianchong City? Then... What should we do? The young man was strong enough to even overpower their Boss, so even if they wanted to exact vengeance, what could they possibly do? Fetch me my [Sword of Faint Whispers]! The Boss flung his sleeves furiously. Sword of Faint Whispers? Boss, you cant be thinking of... The elder narrowed his eyes in disbelief as something surfaced in his mind. Thats right! Im going to head there and have him make a move in my stead! A cold glint shed across the Boss eyes as he gritted his teeth in fury. Yes! The elder hurriedly rushed off, and not too longter, he returned with a sword in hand. At first sight, there was nothing that set the sword apart from the others. However, with just a slight flick of it, an iparably chilling sword qi would shroud its de, leaving one feeling as if one had been plunged into the midst of a winters night. On top of that, one could also vaguely hear some soft mutterings in ones ears, as if the sword was whispering to one. This was the Sword of Faint Whispers, a top-notch Saint intermediate-tier artifact, possessing a mightparable to a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert! Without a doubt, it was one of the strongest weapons in Qianchong Empire! Look into the background of that Zhang Xuan! With the sword in hand, the Boss disposition immediately changed. In an instant, he appeared to be many times stronger than before. Yes! The elder quickly backed away to arrange some men to look into Zhang Xuans background. On the other hand, the Boss consumed several recovery pills and sat down on the spot to recuperate. Not too longter, the elder returned with a jade token in hand, This is the information we have gathered on Zhang Xuan so far. Hes from Qingyuan Empire, and he has once seeded in a pavilion crashing. He has also cleared the preliminary selections of the Sanctum of Sages, and hes in Qianchong Empire for the secondary selections... The ck market was also known for its outstanding intelligencework as well, so it didnt take long for them to uncover Zhang Xuans background. So hes a talented master teacher, eh? No wonder he dares to cause trouble here... the Boss stood up and uttered menacingly. After a moment of recuperation, even though his wounds were still severe, he was at least out of danger for the time being. You, stay here and keep the situation in check. Ill head out for a moment. Flinging his sleeves, the Boss began walking away with the Sword of Faint Whispers in his hand. After leaving the ck market, the Boss flew for quite some time before he reached the boundary of andpletely shrouded in mist. You havee... From the midst of the mist, a faint voice sounded. Yes, I want you to kill someone for me! the Boss spat coldly. Price. Ill give you the Sword of Faint Whispers in exchange! With a flick of his wrist, the sword in the Boss hand slowly floated up. Are you certain? A trace of agitation could be heard in the voice from the mist. Im certain! the Boss replied in resolution. I know that you are camping here for the legend, but you should also be aware that its impossible to aplish it without the Sword of Faint Whispers! After a moment of silence, the voice in the midst asked, Who? His name is Zhang Xuan, a master teacher. He has cleared the preliminary selections of the Sanctum of Sages. Here is his information! With a flick of his wrist, the Boss threw the jade token he had received from the elder earlier into the mist. A master teacher who has sessfully crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion? It seems like hes quite a prodigy. the voice in the mist sounded a little hesitant. A master teacher who had sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be highly-regarded by the headquarters. If it were to be known that he had killed such a prodigy, the rage of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would be one he wouldnt be able to withstand. Cut the nonsense and tell me whether you are willing to ept the deal or not! the Boss asked impatiently. I dont have much time left. If I still cant open that ce, I reckon that three years will be my limit... Killing a prodigy in exchange for an opportunity for a breakthrough doesnt sound that bad. However, this matter must be carefully nned so as to ensure that no one finds out about it... the voice in the mist spoke slowly. I know that that much too! the Boss replied coldly. Regardless of whether he was the one who had done it personally, the crime of plotting the death of a prodigy of the Master Teacher Pavilion was grave. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had to make a firm stand on the matter so as to deter others from doing the same and ensure the safety of their younger talents. Even if he had the entire ck market behind him, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters still wouldnt hesitate to smash him into the ground. The might of the number one upation on the Master Teacher Continent was not to be underestimated! Any power would have to think twice beforeying its hand on the young talents of the Master Teacher Pavilion! This was simr to the disciples of powerful sects as well. Even if you were to know that they were weak and carried invaluable artifacts with them, would you still dare to make a move on them? Alright, I have received your request, so you can leave now. Ill think over the matter and give you an answer three dayster. the voice in the mist hesitated for a moment before replying. Theres no need for that, Ill wait here for your response. I want to see you kill him with my own eyes. Ill give the Sword of Faint Whispers to you as soon as he dies! There was a moment of silence before the voice in the mist spoke once more, Very well. Come in then. Un. Holding the sword tightly in his hand, the Boss walked into the mist, and it didnt take long before his silhouette vanished altogether. ... I never thought the underground ck market isnt located beneath the manor we saw before but in the middle of a mountain range... After leaving the ck market, Zhang Xuan swiftly kept the sabers following behind him. Gazing downward, he realized that he wasnt underground, or even anywhere near the manor they had stopped at before they were blindfolded and brought into the ck market at that. Instead, the ck market was actually located in the belly of a mountain. The manor was just a method of deception to hide the ck market away from prying eyes. It was no wonder why one would have to be blindfolded before entering the ck market. Considering the nature of the ck market, it also wasnt surprising why they would go to the extent of making such precautions as well. Even if the ck market had some value of existence to Qianchong Empire, there was no saying when the Master Teacher Pavilion would decide to stop tolerating them andunch a crusade against them. It would be unwise to entrust their safety to the whims of others. You have really done me a great favor this time around. Here are a thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones, take it as a token of appreciation from me. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took a pile of concentrated high-tier spirit stones out. Zhang Jiuxiao was astonished, How can I take so many spirit stones from you... A thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stonesthis was a fortune which he couldnt even fathom possessing! Take it. You will need it to raise your cultivation as quickly as possible so that you can pass the secondary selection! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Had it not been for Zhang Jiuxiao informing him about the existence of the ck market and making the bets in his stead, he wouldnt have been able to earn such a huge sum either. He had provided the brawns whereas Zhang Jiuxiao had provided the means. In that sense, Zhang Jiuxiao deserved every single one of these concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Then... Ill be thanking you for this generous gift then, Zhang shi! Knowing what Zhang Xuan had said was the truthit would be a waste if he were to fail at this point after all the trouble they had gone through for him to clear the preliminary selectionZhang Jiuxiao epted the concentrated high-tier spirit stones heartily and kept them into his storage ring. Somehow, being with the young man before him had instilled him with an endless drive for cultivation, and he found himself motivated to work harder than ever to reach greater heights. Perhaps this was the reason why others would naturally gravitate to him. He had been filled with envy and grudges for the other party in the past, but in this instant, he found that, at some point in time, those emotions had already disappeared without a trace... Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Unaware of the thoughts in Zhang Jiuxiaos mind, Zhang Xuan casually waved his hand. ... By the time they returned to their residence in the Master Teacher Pavilion, the sun had already set. Zhang Xuan entered the Myriad Anthive Nest once more and took out the concentrated high-tier spirit stones he had just obtained. He first conditioned his state to its peak before attempting for a breakthrough. Not too longter, he overcame his bottleneck and finally reached the long-awaited Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. Alright, time for me to cultivate my soul! With plenty of concentrated high-tier spirit stones at hand, Zhang Xuan began cultivating his Heavens Path Soul Art as well. Four hourster, his soul cultivation had reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle as well. With this, my strength should be on par with Half-Grand Dominion realm experts... Feeling the zhenqi rushing through his body, as well as his enhanced strength and grasp over the spatialws, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Back when he was at Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage, ordinary Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivators were already no match for him. Now that he had achieved a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation, his fighting prowess had been enhanced by at least twofold at the minimum. It could be said that with his current strength, even if he didnt use the puppets he had obtained from the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, he would still be able to overpower Pavilion Master Yue with ease. But after my cultivation reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it seems like concentrated high-tier spirit stones have bepletely ineffective on me as well... While it was ddening to see that he had managed to make significant advancements in his fighting prowess and cultivation, the ineffectiveness of the concentrated high-tier spirit stones meant that he would have to start looking for more advanced cultivation resources too. In the past, just a single concentrated high-tier spirit stone would suffice for him to make multiple breakthroughs, but now, even a hundred of them would barely make a difference in his cultivation. Even with the ten thousand or so concentrated high-tier spirit stones in hand, it would still be nigh difficult for him to push for a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm. His Heavens Path zhenqi simply had too high a demand for the purity of spiritual energy he absorbed for his cultivation, and he had also anticipated that this would happen as well. Nevertheless, he still couldnt help but feel a little stifled by the situation. It wasnt easy for him to earn so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones at once, but in just a few moments, they had already bepletely useless to him... It seemed that if he wanted to make progress in his cultivation, he must continue fighting on and forge his path forward. Clone, this is the cultivation technique for the Heavens Path Soul Art. Hurry up and cultivate. Zhang Xuan said as he sent the content of the Heavens Path Soul Art to his clone telepathically and tossed a pile of concentrated high-tier spirit stones over. At this moment, his clone had already finished consuming the Qingtian Emperors soul, and his fighting prowess had also risen to an incredible level as well. Alright. Without wasting any time, Zhang Xuans clone began on his cultivation. As they had originated from the same soul, their rates of cultivation were nearly the same. In a few hours, his clone had already finished cultivating the Heavens Path Soul Art. Through assimting the energy of the Qingtian Emperors soul on top of that, he managed to surpass Zhang Xuan in terms of soul cultivation, reaching Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. As long as he overcame the lightning tribtion, he would be able to be a True Leaving Aperture realm expert! How strong are you at the moment? Seeing that his clone had managed to a significant advancement in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan couldnt resist asking. I can squash Half-Grand Dominion realm ants with a grasp of my hand, and as for Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivators... I reckon I should be able to put up a fight. Zhang Xuans clone replied with his head raised haughtily. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans cheeks twitched. Even though it was only a small cultivation stage of difference between Half-Grand Dominion realm and Grand Dominion realm, there was a vast gap in their fighting prowess. At Grand Dominion realm, otherwise known as the Indomitable realm, cultivators would gain the ability to create their Dominion. They would be the absolute dictator within the area of their Dominion. Regardless of how many people were gathered in the area, as long as none wielded strength on par with them, they would be as good as invincible! For his clone to wield strength on par with Grand Dominion realm primary stage experts... Just on this itself, it was clear that his clone was already many times stronger than him! Such strength paired with that fellows monstrous regenerative ability... Was there still anyone in Qianchong Empire who would be a match for him? Hai, after cultivating for so long, it turned out that he was still unable to keep up with his clone... How embarrassing! It seems like I am still cultivating too slowly... Zhang Xuan remarked with his face lowered in shame. Chapter 1270 - Dominion

Chapter 1270: Dominion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He might still have been able to derive some feeling of superiority whenparing himself with others, but against his clone, he had been wrecked time and time again to the point where it had nearly be a trauma in his heart. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tried to ignore the feeling of helplessness within him and took out a jade container. Opening it lightly, an ancient book came into sight. Annal of Bedstead Disquisition! By scanning it with his eyes, an equivalent book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. After swiftly looking through the content in the book, Zhang Xuan thought, It is indeed rted to the cultivation technique of the Luo n. However, it isnt a cultivation technique itself but aption of insights! Recorded in the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition was Pavilion Master Yans interpretation of Sage Luos lecture. It did not contain a cultivation technique but a new interpretation toward cultivation. To make an analogy, it would be like learning a studying method. As long as a cultivator were to fully grasp those insights, their speed of cultivation should increase significantly. Just that... the Heavens Path Divine Art was already no different from the best studying method in the world. While the insights to cultivation recorded in the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition were not too bad, superior to most interpretations of cultivation out there, it waspletely useless to him. After studying the book for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan eventually shook his head. I was still expecting something out of it due to how valuable it is. What a pity! He had thought that by learning the key to the Luo ns cultivation technique, he would be able to better deal with them when the time came. But thinking about it now, how could the cultivation technique of a Sage n possibly be obtained that easily? If, by any chance, someone leaked the Luo ns cultivation technique, with their massive influence, they would have surely swiftly found it and destroyed it utterly. There was no way they would allow their cultivation technique to be auctioned in a small ck market in the Qianchong Empire. While the Luo ns insight into cultivation is not too bad, it seems like its still a far stretch from matching Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. From the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition, it was apparent that the Luo n specialized in the study of spatialws. However, in terms of depth ofprehension, Ancient Sage Qiu Wus understanding of space was clearly a more direct interpretation of the worldpared to the Luo ns. But looking at it now, there seemed to be striking simrities between the two of them... as if they originated from the same source. A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. Right. If Ipile this together with the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, will I be able to perfect it? There were five dans to the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, and so far, he had only cultivated the first dan of the technique. The reason he had not continued was because there were simply too many ws from the second dan onward, and his cultivation had not met the mark either. But since his cultivation had already reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, he could try cultivating the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel if he could perfect it. So, Zhang Xuan took out the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel and ced it together with the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition. Compile! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he hurriedly flipped it open. It really worked... There was a total of five dans to the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction. He had already fully mastered Compress, and by using it in unison with the Unbounded Voyager, he had gained the ability to carry out near-instantaneous movement within a radius of hundred meters, as if teleportating. It was also his superior grasp over spatialws that granted him the strength to rival Half-Grand Dominion realm experts. If he could master the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he would be able to increase his fighting prowess another a notch. Excited, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist to ce all his concentrated high-tier spirit stones before him in a pile before immersing himself into the cultivation of the Traverse realm. Some timeter... Zhang Xuan finally stood up, and his aura began to rise steadily. After a long moment of hard work, even though he had not mastered the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel Traverse yet, his understanding of space did advance by leaps and bounds. With his previous strength, he had only been on par with Half-Grand Dominion realm experts. However, with his current strength, he might even be able to rival true Grand Dominion realm primary stage experts! Release! Willing it with his mind, a sphere of faint light with a radius of one meter immediately appeared around Zhang Xuan, and he could feel the absolute control he wielded within this space. Feeling the effects of the light sphere, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement.Even though this isnt a Dominion, it has simr effects to one. This light sphere was created by using his soul energy to warp the surrounding Laws of Space. He had absolute control over anything that was within this light sphere, and unless there was another individual who could wrestle the control over this space from him, he would practically be invincible. Let me test out my strength! With a flick of his wrist, the Golden Origin Cauldron appeared before Zhang Xuan. Attack me with your full might! Alright! Even though the Golden Origin Cauldron was unsure what Zhang Xuan was up to, it still agreed to the request. It leaped powerfully into the sky before descending heavily upon Zhang Xuan. Possessing a fighting prowess on par with Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivators, the speed at which the Golden Origin Cauldron was capable of moving at had already exceeded the speed of sound. Nevertheless, when it came within a meter of Zhang Xuan, its speed abruptly decreased. Freeze, Zhang Xuan muttered softly. In the instant that the Golden Origin Cauldron was just about to touch Zhang Xuan, it came to apletely halt. No matter how it struggled, its body would not budge at all. As long as I will it, I will even be able to destroy the spirit of the Golden Origin Cauldron easily. Feeling the power that he wielded over the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan was astonished. It was no wonder everyone said that the difference between each cultivation realm from Leaving Aperture realm onward was an unbreachable rift. From the looks of it now, it seemed like those words were not hearsay. He had thought that the prowess that Grand Dominion realm cultivators wielded had been exaggeratedas long as there was sufficientlyrge group of cultivators surrounding a Grand Dominion realm cultivator, it should have been a matter of time before he eventually slipped up and erred. But having first-hand experience with the prowess of a Dominion, he realized that he had been too naive! Within the sphere of a Dominion, there was no such thing as chance. Unless one could destroy the Dominion with a greater power or interrupt the activation of the Dominion, the chances of sess were practically null. However, the maintenance of a Dominion is really taxing on ones zhenqi and Primordial Spirit. After releasing the Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan released the light sphere around him, and a feeling of extreme fatigue swiftly consumed him. Even though this Dominion-like light sphere was extremely powerful, granting him the strength to fight toe-to-toe with a Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator, the rate at which his zhenqi and soul energy depleted was truly frightening. Despite having cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, not to mention that he was a Celestial Saint as well, just maintaining the light sphere for ten seconds had left him feeling sapped and exhausted. I should only activate this technique in times of emergency. As powerful as the light sphere was, if he depleted all his energy from using it, he would be ced in a vulnerable position for quite a period of time. Thus, unless in times of emergency, it was best for him to avoid using it. Zhang Xuan rested for a moment to recover his depleted zhenqi. At this moment, a thought suddenly came to his mind, and he clenched his fists in agitation. Wait a moment... Since I haveprehended a Dominion-like ability, does this mean that I will be able to crush my clone easily? All along, he had been put down by his clone, and the shame and embarrassment had weighed down on him for far too long. Since he had managed toprehend Dominion ahead of his clone, it was about time for him to return the favor! With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan did not hesitate to leap into action. He immediately called his clone over. Without wasting any words, an earth-shaking, mountain-crushing battle began. Frightened, the Golden Origin Cauldron swiftly retreated to a corner and trembled fearfully. Three breathster, Zhang Xuan had been imprinted with clear panda eyes. Five breathster, huge spurts of blood from Zhang Xuan dyed the sky crimson. Ten breathster, an unmoving human was lying on the ground. Nice try, better luck next time... pping to rid the dirt off his hands, Zhang Xuans clone turned around smugly and walked away. Feeling utterly stifled inside, Zhang Xuan could only drive his Heavens Path zhenqi to heal up. He had thought that afterprehending Dominion, he would be able to utterly thrash his clone, but who knew that the other party would actually still be able to forcefully move even under the effects of his Dominion! In the end, he had still been pummeled. That monster! Just how in the world did he cultivate? Driving his zhenqi two circtions around his body, Zhang Xuan managed to recover from his injuries. He looked at his clone helplessly for a moment before decisively leaving the Anthive Nest. Oh well... I guess Ill just have toe back and exact vengeance the next time I make a major breakthrough in my cultivation! Returning to his room, Zhang Xuan walked out and noted that the sun had already risen. Breathing in the morning air, he felt extraordinarily refreshed. After a night of cultivation, even though it was a pity that he still was not a match for his clone, he did manage to advance his fighting prowess considerably. A moment after walking out of the residence, he suddenly saw Zhang Jiuxiao rushing over with unconceble glee on his face. Zhang shi, I have managed to achieve a breakthrough to Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage! Hahaha! Even though he knew it was likely that he would be outdone very soon, he still could not help but to take pride in the fact that he had managed to catch up with Zhang Xuan for the time being. To be able to catch up to a Celestial Master Teacher... This was something he could brag to his offspring about in the future! Congrattions! Zhang Xuan nodded. Thank you. Since my cultivation is on par with Zhang shi now, I think that I should be able to clear the secondary selection... Halfway through his words, Zhang Jiuxiaos words suddenly clogged up in his throat. His face twitched a little as his eyes widened in disbelief. Zhang shi... you are at... Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle? Un. I managed to sufficiently umte my cultivation, so I was able to push for a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. You managed to sufficiently umte your cultivation? Zhang Jiuxiao nearly burst into tears. umte your head! It was just yesterday that you made a breakthrough, and yet, over the course of a night, you made another breakthrough. What can you possibly umte in a single day? Even genius cultivators would at least take several months to advance a single cultivation stage after reaching Primordial Spirit realm, and yet, you only took a single night. Can you be any more terrifying than that? Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes reddened in frenzy as he felt a pail of cold water washing away the little bit of confidence that he had just barely built up. When other cultivators achieved swift breakthroughs, their strength would be vtile, resulting in a reduction in their fighting prowess. Yet, despite advancing so swiftly, that fellow was actually still be able to exert unbelievable strength. Really, Zhang Jiuxiao felt that he should stop trying topare with the young man before him, or else he might just die of trauma some day. On the other hand, seeing how dejected Zhang Jiuxiao was, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the exasperation and frustration that he had just felt from being pummeled by his clone vanishing without a trace. Satisfied with the oue, he nodded in approval. Indeed. While he might have been far from a match for his clone, he was still stronger than themon popce. Knowing that he would only get more and more depressed talking about cultivation, Zhang Jiuxiao quickly changed the topic. Zhang shi, Zhao shi asked us to gather at the main hall. The secondary selection is about to begin. Nodding in response, Zhang Xuan quickly followed Zhang Jiuxiao over to the main hall. In the main hall, the thirty or so master teachers he had seen the previous day had already arrived. They were standing neatly in two rows with solemn looks on their faces. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, they swiftly greeted him before falling silent. Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao took their positions at the end of the two rows, and quick sweeping over the room with their gazes, they noted that Zhao Xingmo and Pavilion Master Yue were standing in the middle. Pavilion Master Yues body was still a little swollen, and there were various patches of bruising all around. It was apparent that he had yet to recover from the beating that he had received from the puppets the previous day. The higher ones cultivation, the lower the effectiveness of a pill. Given his cultivation realm, if he wanted to recover from his wounds quickly, he would have to consume a grade-8 pill at the very minimum. However, even as the head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a grade-8 pill was not amodity that could easily be acquired. Since everyone has arrived, lets not waste any time and begin the secondary selection. Stepping forward, Zhang Xingmo shot a sweeping gaze across all of the candidates before saying, In the selections of the Sanctum of Sages, we aim to assess the strength, intelligence, ability to assess the big picture, and many other key capabilities of the candidates. In the preliminary selection, we have assessed you on your strength. As long as you wield sufficient strength, you will be able to clear the selection easily. However, the secondary selection wont be as simple as that. Now, I shall begin exining the rules for the secondary selection! Everyones ears perked up, and their eyes narrowed, not wanting to miss any words or gestures that he spoke or made. This would determine whether they would be able to enter the Sanctum of Sages or not, so they had to obtain every scrap of information they could get about the secondary selection. Asplicated as I have made it sound, there is only a single rule to the secondary selection. That is to use every means possible to eliminate your opponent! With a solemn look, Zhao Xingmo raised his hand and dered grandly, The challenge for the secondary selection shall be... a caged battle royale! Chapter 1271 - Caged Battle Royale

Chapter 1271: Caged Battle Royale

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Caged battle royale? Hearing the theme of the secondary selection, the candidates widened their eyes in astonishment. They had heard of caged battle royale before, and they understood the significance behind it as well. In ancient times, when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was still the dominant power in the Master Teacher Continent, they would often conduct caged battle royales to entertain themselves. To put it in simple terms, caged battle royale consisted of cing a group of men in the same cage and leaving them to fight it out amongst themselves. Thest one standing would be spared, and the rest would be sacrifices for his survival. It was an extremely brutal event, testing of a humans true nature. For their own survival, there were those who would eveny their hands on their kin or even their own children... Such practice had been considered to be vile by mankind, spurned by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so why would the Sanctum of Sages use it in their secondary selections? Dont worry, the caged battle royale wont be a ughter but an elimination match! Noticing that everyones expression was growing unnatural, Zhao Xingmo waved his hand and exined, Well be cing you in an isted ind, and within three days, you must find and eliminate thirteen amongst you in order to clear the examination. Of course, the method of elimination will not be killing the individual but breaking his allocated jade token. If we were to find that you have willfully killed any one of the candidates, your candidacy will be stripped immediately! Breaking allocated jade tokens? This will be difficult... Grave expressions appeared on the faces around. They were all top-notch geniuses, and while there was some disparity in their strength, each of them wielded exceptional life preservation and escape means. If it was just a normal battle royale, they would still be able to eliminate other candidates through springing surprise assaults and swiftly incapacitating their enemy. However, if they had to break the jade token without endangering the other partys life, the difficulty would be hiked up significantly! Of course, you arent the only ones on the isted ind too. There will be saint beasts, traps prepared in advance, and treacherous terrains... While trying to eliminate others, you will have to try your best to protect yourself as well! A glint shed across Zhao Xingmos eyes before he continued, Just a warning in advance, if you think that you can just hide at one corner and wait for others to be eliminated, let me make this clear right now. You will be forcefully eliminated by me as well. The Sanctum of Sages needs no cowards and escapees! Also, if you all were to fail to eliminate thirteen people within three days, everyone shall lose their candidacy! This... In other words, we have to eliminate others or else we wont be able to get into the Sanctum of Sages even if we were tost till the end? This is too difficult! Well, if its that easy to enroll into the number one academy of the Master Teacher Continent, it would surely be overflowing with freshmen each year! ... After a moment ofmotion, everyone fell silent. While the rules of the caged battle royale may seem simple, it was actually far more demanding than being literally ced into a cage. It wasnt just a simple battle royale anymore. It was demanding on ones overall capabilities, be it nning, analyzing the situation, tracking, danger sensing, and much more. As expected of the selection of the Sanctum of Sages, its difficulty was indeed at a different level. These are your jade tokens, they represent each of your identities. You can choose to carry it with you, hide it, or anything else. The only condition is that the jade token must remain on the ind. As long as your jade token isnt shattered, that would mean that you arent eliminated yet! Zhao Xingmo said as he flicked his wrist, and more than thirty jade tokens flew toward the crowd. The jade tokens can be hidden as well? In other words... even if we were to sessfully capture others, as long as we cant find the other partys jade token, theres nothing we can do at all? As long as we cant find the jade token, theres nothing we can do to eliminate a candidate... But how in the world are we supposed to find a jade token that can be hidden anywhere on an isted ind? ... The crowd was stunned once more. They could hardly believe what they were hearing. If the rules enforced that the jade token must remain on ones body, after defeating an opponent, they would at least be able to search the other partys body and destroy his jade token. On the other hand, if the hiding of jade tokens were to be permitted as well, even if they were to sessfully track down and subdue an opponent, there would be nothing they could do to eliminate him if he didnt have his jade token on him! In the first ce, eliminating an opponent through jade tokens had already hiked up the difficulty considerably. Now that the hiding of jade tokens was allowed as well, the difficulty would be increased to at least tenfold of before. This is also a test of ones state of mind! In contrast to the shocked faces around him, a gleam shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Perhaps it was because he wasnt as pressured to enter the Sanctum of Sages aspared to the others, from a bystanders point of view, he was able to see through the crux of the rules in an instant. Zhao Xingmo had intentionally said that they could hide the jade token, but to be honest, where else could be safer than with keeping it with oneself? To hide ones jade token was as good as leaving ones fate to luck, gambling on whether the others would be able to find his jade token or not. If a person couldnt even trust himself enough to guard his jade token himself, it was likely that he wascking in certain necessary traits that a leader of mankind should have. Most likely, such an action would result in a huge penalty of some kind. But of course, he wouldnt go so far as to remind the others of this matter. Stretching his hand forward, he grabbed the jade token flying toward him lightly. It was a specially forged ck jade. Carved on the back of the jade token was his name whereas the front was inscribed with a peculiar kind of pattern. The pattern seemed to grant the jade token amunication function that would allow Zhao Xingmo to determine whether a candidate had been eliminated or not. Zhao shi, if someone were to utilize artifacts beyond our prowess in the secondary selection, wouldnt we stand no chance at all? a genius from Qianchong Empire, Ma Minghai, asked. Hearing those words, everyones sights swiftly turned to Zhang Xuan. Yesterday, that fellow threw out more than a hundred puppets and pummeled the Half-Grand Dominion realm Pavilion Master Yue with ease. If those puppets were to be used against them, they wouldnt stand a chance at all. In the caged battle royale, out of concerns over fairness, no candidate is to use any weapon or artifact to execute any actions that would directly or indirectly lead to the elimination of a candidate. Anyone who flouts this rule will be eliminated without exception! Zhao Xingmo dered. Thats good... The crowd heaved a sigh of relief. As long as weapons and artifacts werent allowed, even if Zhang Xuan possessed superior fighting prowess, there was no need to fear him! While they might not have been able to defeat him face-to-face, but they would at least still be able to use their life preservation methods to flee from him. Is there any other questions? Zhao shi, may I enquire where the isted ind will be? Roughly how big would it be? Also, regarding the traps and saint beasts you spoke of, how strong would they be? a master teacher asked. These are secrets. You will have figure those out yourself after arriving at the location. Alright, if there are no other questions, we shall set off right now. Oh right, you arent allowed to utilize remotemunication artifacts tomunicate with one another either. Anyone caught doing so will be eliminated as well! Zhao Xingmo warned strictly, Dont even dream of cheating or attempting to exploit loopholes in the rules. Since I dare to set these rules, I have my own way of keeping a lookout and enforcing them. Yes! The candidates nodded. Seeing that everyone had understood the rules, Zhao Xingmo decided to say no more. He turned to Pavilion Master Yue and said, Pavilion Master Yue, send them off. Un. Pavilion Master Yue nodded before raising his hand. In the next moment, over thirty aerial saint beasts descended to the ground. There was a cultivator on each of them, and they passed a blindfold over to the candidates, gesturing for them to put them on before leading them to the back of the saint beast. This blindfold was simr to the one Zhang Xuan had worn prior to being led to the ck market. Once put on, not only was ones sight impeded, even ones Spiritual Perception would be severely limited as well. Under the lead of the cultivators, the candidates soon heard a resounding call before the saint beasts soared into the sky. After flying for some time, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt his feet stepping on solid ground once more. Tearing away his blindfold, he soon realized that he was standing in the midst of a dense forest. His surroundings werepletely silent, and there was not a single person to be seen. It seemed like the purpose of covering their eyes wasnt just to keep the location where they were heading to a mystery, more importantly, it was also to prevent them to finding theirrades easily and teaming up. As such, each person would have to depend on himself for most part of the selection. Zhang Jiuxiao did make substantial advancement in his cultivation, reaching Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage. On top of that, after my guidance along the way, hisbat skills have also visibly improved as well... As long as he doesnt encounter Ma Minghai and the others, he should still be able to cope. Admittedly, Zhang Jiuxiaos fighting prowess was still farcking aspared to Zhang Xuan, but no matter what, he was still an offspring from a powerful n, and he had received Zhang Xuans guidance as well... As long as he didnt meet with enemies that were too powerful, he should be able to deal with them with rtive ease. At the very least, escaping shouldnt be a problem. Deciding not to think too much into it, Zhang Xuan leaped onto a nearby tree branch to assess his surroundings, only to find that the forest extended far into the horizon. Rather than a remote ind, he seemed to be in the depths of a mountain range instead. Is this really an isted ind? This is really way too big... Zhang Xuan thought in astonishment. To be unable to see the other end even with his current strength, just how big could the ind be? A thousand li? Two thousand li? Or six thousand li? 1 To find the other thirty or so candidates on an ind this big and eliminate them within three days... the selection really wasnt as easy as he thought. It seemed like knowing how to track the other candidates was also one of the aspects of assessment. But considering the size of the ind, how can Zhao shi keep a tight watch over whats happening everywhere to enforce his rules? Leaping back to the ground, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but wonder. Despite having cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, his Spiritual Perception was still limited to a radius of roughly 2500 meters. Ordinary cultivators would only be at around 400 meters or so. Given howrge the ind was, even if Zhao Xingmo was a Grand Dominion realm expert, it was really hard to believe that he would be able to keep a tight watch over everything that was happening on the ind at every moment. Forget it, theres no point thinking about that now. Whats the most important at the moment is to find other candidates and eliminate them... Unable to figure out the matter, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much into it as well. With his recent breakthroughs, even without a weapon in hand, he would still be able to rival Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivators. With such fighting prowess, he would be able to eliminate any candidate he encountered without any problem. The ones who should be shivering in fear were his opponents instead. Zhang Xuan walked along the mountain range for a while, but he soon realized that roaming around aimlessly in such a manner was likely to end in futility. The chances were that he wouldnt be able to find a single person even if he were to walk like this for an entire day. Thus, he flicked his wrist and took out apass. As a formation master, apass was a necessary tool. Even though Zhang Xuan had never really used it beforehe had never found the need to do sohe still stored a few of them in his storage ring, and they were of decent quality as well. The spiritual energy is more concentrated in that direction... It seems like the center of the ind should be in that direction. I should head over to take a look! After determining a direction, Zhang Xuan began flitting forward on the ground. He didnt choose to fly for several reasons. Firstly, the area was filled with saint beasts, so he might end up bing a target if he were to rise to the air. Secondly, he would also attract the attention of the other candidates. Even if he had no fear with his current strength, he still had no intention of being too high profile. Roar! After advancing some distance away, a furious howl suddenly sounded. Following which, Zhang Xuan saw a massive Tigerbone Beast charging in his direction. Just like him, the Tigerbone Beast was at Primordial Spirit realm as well. Even before its approach, one could already feel the authoritative pressure that itmanded weighing down on ones soul, as if it would crush one with ease. Its body is pretty valuable... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The saint beasts should already be thankful that he wasnt seeking any trouble with them, but this fellow actually still dared to charge over. Since that was the case, he had no intention of holding back either. He raised his palm and crushed it downward. Paji! The body of the Tigerbone Beast abruptly froze, as if someone had sealed it in ce. Fear and horror crept into its massive eyes. You only have your own recklessness to me... Zhang Xuan muttered impassively as he bent his finger backward, preparing to flick the Tigerbone Beast to death and extract its valuable body parts. In that moment, the sky suddenly trembled, and a deafening voice sounded. Zhang Jiuxiaos jade token has been shattered. The first candidate has been eliminated. Remaining candidates: 32! What? Zhang Jiuxiao has been eliminated? Startled, a look of disbelief slowly crept onto Zhang Xuans face. Chapter 1272 - Sword Lagoon

Chapter 1272: Sword Lagoon

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Zhang Jiuxiaos strength was far from on par with his, among the candidates, he could definitely be considered to be above average. On top of that, with the various means he wielded, Zhang Xuan figured that it should not have been too difficult for him tost till the very end. Yet, to be eliminated barely ten minutes after arriving on the ind... Just who was the one who had made the move? Not to mention, to seed so quickly... I should check out where he was eliminated. Perhaps, I will be able to find some clues... Tapping his finger, a droplet of blood appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. It was the blood essence that Zhang Jiuxiao had given him previously for him to test his bloodline. Zhang Xuan formed several hand seals on the blood droplet, and the next moment, thepass in his hand began spinning before eventually pointing in a certain direction. While remotemunication artifacts were not allowed on the isted ind, there was no explicit rule preventing him from using blood essence to track the whereabouts of another candidate. The fact that Zhang Jiuxiao had been eliminated shortly after arriving on the ind was rather bewildering. He felt that there was something more to the matter, so the matter needed to be investigated immediately. After having a way pointed out, Zhang Xuan swiftly flitted forward. Seeing the man who was just about to kill it leaving, the Tigerbone Beast heaved a quick sigh of relief. It leaped into the depths of the forest and concealed itself, not daring to prowl arrogantly and pounce on others anymore. After flitting for several minutes, covering a distance of almost two hundred li1 , Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt. Zhang Xuan frowned. Why does it feel like I have been moving in circles? No matter how big the ind was, after traveling for so long, the terrain around him should have at least changed. Yet, for some reason, the sight before him looked extremely familiar, as if the road he had been flitting on was a round track. Taking a few steps forward, the truth soon dawned upon Zhang Xuan. Its a formation... To his astonishment, there was a massive formation on the ind. As the sheer area that it covered was too big, even Zhang Xuan had not noticed its presence at first. To actually be able to avert my detection and trap me... at the very least, this formation must be of grade-8! Currently, Zhang Xuansprehension of formations had already reached 7-star pinnacle. Due to the exceptional prowess of the Heavens Path Formation Art, he would be able to easily set up some of the easier grade-8 primary formations. With his proficiency, he should have been able to notice any formation beneath grade-8 with a single nce. Yet, to be able to trap him for such a long period of time before he became aware of its presence... without a doubt, the formation cast over the ind had to be grade-8. Eye of Insight! Regardless of the grade, as long as it was a formation, he would not have any problems with it. Lines of insight flickered in his eyes as he began assessing his surroundings. Very soon, he found narrow threads of spiritual energy drifting in the area. This should be... quasi grade-8 formation, Riverbank Beguilement Formation! Furthermore, it seems to cover a distance of at least several thousand li! To have such a massive formation set up over this area... just where could this ce be? The Riverbank Beguilement Formation was known for its scbility, and it would usually be used to conceal manors or even entire cities, such as the Jingyuan Empire Poison Hall back then. For there to be such a formation here, not to mention, covering several thousand li at that... Just why would there be something like that here? Without several hundred years of effort, it would be impossible to set up a formation of this size. Even Zhang Xuan would require at least a month of hard work for it. He had initially thought that it was only an ordinary ind, but at this point, it was clear that there was something much more to it. However, without much understanding of the Qianchong Empires history and heritage, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to figure anything out. Shaking his head, he decided to put this matter aside for the moment. Now that I know that its a formation, the rest will be easy. The Riverbank Beguilement Formation would confuse ones sense of direction, leading one to unwittingly return to the same ce over and over again. However, since Zhang Xuan knew of the existence of the formation, he would not allow himself to be beguiled anymore. He swiftly scanned his surroundings and determined a direction. Then, he moved forward twenty li before side stepping roughly fourteen to fifteen li. After which, he changed direction another dozen times before he finally took a step forward. Hu! In that instant, it was as if he had leaped out of some seal. His surroundings were still the same lush forest, but the nature of the spiritual energy around him had changed. It had be a little heavier, carrying a hint of authority and killing intent to them. Sword qi! Zhang Xuans gaze turned grim. He was very familiar with this aura. It was induced by lingering sword qi in an area. Tracing the origin of the aura, Zhang Xuan swiftly saw that an area of trees copsed on the ground not too far away. Judging from the clean severing between the tree trunk and the tree stump, it was likely to be have been done all in a single sword sh. At the center of the clearing, there were several droplets of fresh blood imprinted on a boulder, and the fact that they had yet to dry up indicated that the battle had urred recently. Zhang Xuan frowned. Its Zhang Jiuxiaos blood... He had examined Zhang Jiuxiaos blood before, allowing him to recognize it at a single nce. Given that his blood was sttered there, and there were marks of battle in the area, was that where he had been eliminated by others? Just that... Wasnt the usage of weapons and artifacts disallowed? What was with the sword qi and the clean cuts on the trees in the area? Furthermore, it would be tough for even Zhang Xuan to sever so many trees within a single sword sh, so when did such a formidable figure appear among the candidates? Eye of Insight! Lines of insight emerged in Zhang Xuans eyes once more as he swiftly scanned his surroundings. Considering that it had not been long since Zhang Jiuxiao was eliminated, the culprit should not have gotten far yet. He should still be able to track down the culprit by the tracks they had left behind. As he had expected, it did not take long for another surge of sword qi to appear not too far away, directed into the distance. Upon seeing that, Zhang Xuan immediately dashed over in that direction. However, barely after taking two steps, he heard a voice in his ear once more. Chi Yuruis jade token has been shattered. The second candidate has been eliminated. Remaining candidates: 31! He has been eliminated, too? Zhang Xuan had some recollection of that fellow. A Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert from the Qianyun Empire, Chi Yurui possessed decent fighting prowess and superior. Who would have thought that barely ten minutes after Zhang Jiuxiao had been eliminated, Chi Yurui would actually be knocked out as well? This was really too fast! Proceeding further, another plot ofnd filled with cleanly severed trees appeared before Zhang Xuans eyes. This time, the sword qi lingering the area was even more devastating. Just by standing there, one would feel as if the air was slicing into ones skin. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan was just about to continue moving forward to investigate the scene when he suddenly felt something. He immediately took a powerful step backward, and in an instant, he was already a hundred meters away. Hu! The sharp sword qi abruptly burst forth from where he had been standing. It flew all the way into the heavens, slicing the air in its path. Weng! Highly alert, Zhang Xuan saw a sword surging up from the ground. There was a slight aura of disappointment around it, as if unhappy that its surprise assault had failed. Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Its a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle sword? Why would it be here? Upon sensing the assault, his first instinct was that a master teacher had been camping in wait underground, waiting for him to approach tounch a decisive attack. Yet, he never could have imagined that the one springing the assault was actually a Saint intermediate-tier sword! Just like the Golden Origin Cauldron, the sword also possessed a spirit. Most likely, it had sensed that someone was tracking it, so it had decided to hide itself andunch a preemptive strike. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan possessed keen instincts toward danger, allowing him to notice that something was amiss in an instant. Otherwise, if that burst of sword qi hadnded on him, even if he had not been injured by it, it would have left him in an unkempt state. Humph! With a displeased look on his face, Zhang Xuan raised his hand, and a burst of force shot toward the sword. Hu! Sensing that the young man before it was going to fight back, the sword unhesitatingly dived back down, intending to return to the safety of the underground world. Trying to flee after attempting to assault me? How can I allow you to get off that easily? Zhang Xuan sneered. The next moment, the air in the surroundings suddenly became incredibly viscous. As if it had fallen into a pool of mercury, the horrified sword found itself unable to move at all. Come over here! A powerful suction force tugged at the sword. The sword attempted to struggle against the suction force, but severely overpowered, it sumbed after an instant and rapidly flew toward Zhang Xuan. Catching hold of the sword, Zhang Xuan swiftly tapped the sword at various points. Weng! With a light buzz, the agitated sword turned gentle in a matter of seconds. Zhang Xuan had sessfully tamed the sword! Were you the one who assaulted Zhang Jiuxiao and Chu Yurui? Zhang Xuan asked. It wasnt not me; the Dawn Rain Sword did it! the sword replied resoundingly. Dawn Rain Sword? Whats your name? Zhang Xuan was taken aback to hear that there was another sword in the area. Could it be that... other than this sword, there were other Saint intermediate-tier swords in the area as well? I am known as the Dusk Cloud Sword! the sword replied. Dawn Rain, Dusk Cloud... Just from the names, Zhang Xuan could tell that they were likely a pair of treasured swords. Frowning deeply, he asked, Why are you both here? What is this ce? Not only was there a powerful formation shrouding the entire ind, there were even Saint intermediate-tier swords lying in wait, prepared to assault anyone who crossed them. We have been here since a very long time ago. We are currently at the perimeter of the Sword Lagoon of the Qianchong Empire! the Dusk Cloud Sword replied. Sword Lagoon? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Back then, Hall Master Xing had tasked him to train the candidates of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall in preparation for a friendly spar with three other Combat Master Halls, and the prize for the winners in each cultivation tier seemed to be an opportunity to cultivate at the Qianchong Empire Sword Lagoon. Who would have thought that the location for the secondary selection would turn out to be here? Yes. The Sword Lagoon is filled with swords and the Sword Intent left by countless experts. The truth is that yourpanions and you carry something that really attracts us a lot, so we cant help but want to attack you all to obtain that item, the Dusk Cloud Sword exined. Something that attracts you a lot? A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. He flicked his wrist and took out the jade token. Are you referring to this? Thats right, its that item! That item contains a surge of Sword Intent that is highly beneficial to the growth of our spirit once devoured! the Dusk Cloud Sword eximed excitedly. Sword Intent? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception into the jade token. Just as the Dusk Cloud Sword had said, even though it was extremely faint, the jade token harnessed a Grand Dominion realm expertsprehension of swordsmanship, and this lingering trace of Sword Intent posed an irresistible allure to sword spirits. I see... Zhang Xuan came to a realization. On the surface, Zhao Xingmo seemed to be pitting the candidates against one another, but in truth, the secondary selection was moreplex than that. On top of guarding against their opponents, the candidates also had to defend against the relentless assault of the swords. This was probably the penalty for those who resorted to hiding their token instead of protecting it with their own strength. Zhang Jiuxiao had probably encountered the Dawn Rain Sword, and in a moment of carelessness, he had his jade token destroyed, resulting in his elimination. Coming to realize what was going on, Zhang Xuan continued his question. Wheres the Sword Lagoon located? How many swords of your tier are there here? Having acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master, the Dusk Cloud Sword told him everything that it knew. The Sword Lagoon is roughly two hundred li away from here, and there should probably be at least a hundred other swords like me there! A hundred other swords like you... as in Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle swords? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle swords were Saint intermediate-tier artifacts. Even throughout the entire Qianchong Empire, there would not be too many weapons of such a tier. Yet, for there to be a hundred of them there... If he could tame them all, his fighting prowess would soar immensely. The Qianchong Empire Sword Lagoon was left behind by the old Sword Maestro many years ago. This ce contains his heritage and countless Sword Formations. Every year, countless sword practitioners visit this ce, searching for an impetus to further their craft, but so far, no one has seeded in iming his heritage. This ce is filled with all kinds of sword qi. If one stays here for a prolonged period of time, the influx of different Sword Intent and sword arts could result in a sh of ones conception of swordsmanship, and for a sword practitioner, that is extremely dangerous. Furthermore, considering how there are people from all walks of life here, its inevitable that there will be conflicts time to time. As a result, there are many sword practitioners who have ended up losing their lives here. At this point, the voice of the Dusk Cloud Sword sank. That is also how the master of the Dawn Rain Sword and me died here. Chapter 1273 - Heaven’s Path Sword Art

Chapter 1273: Heavens Path Sword Art

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Swords were just a type of weapon, but with many generations of cultivators immersing their entire lives to furthering the Way of Sword over the course of many years, it had already developed into aplex art with countless paths. Naturally, the method of cultivation for each path also differed vastly from one another. It was precisely for this reason that heritage was extremely important. There were simply too many different Sword Intent and sword arts within the Sword Lagoon that if one were to attempt to use them as an inspiration to further ones mastery in swordsmanship, putting aside the fact that the divergence in the fundamental principles of each path of swordsmanship would make it very unlikely for one to seed, the odds were that ones cultivation would go berserk instead. It was also for this reason why the Master Teacher Pavilion chose to limit the cultivators ess to cultivation technique manuals. Reading just one or two different cultivation technique manuals was still fine, but if exposed to too many cultivation techniques, a cultivators interpretation of cultivation would be muddled, preventing him from distinguishing which methods of cultivation were feasible for him and which werent. Once in such a state, the cultivator would be extremely prone to making a wrong step in his cultivation, thus making it highly likely for his cultivation to go berserk. This was also the reason why master teachers had to be selective with what they read. The same principles applied to the Sword Lagoon as well. Those who came here to cultivate might be tempted by the powerful sword arts and Sword Intent all around them, but if they were to cultivate what they saw without careful selection, it could very well lead to the erosion of the foundation of the swordsmanship path they had built so far. In the long-term, not only would it be detrimental to ones growth, they might even lose their lives as well. Bring me over to take a look! Understanding all of these, Zhang Xuan said. Yes! the Dusk Cloud Sword began leading the way forward. A journey of two hundred li 1 was nothing to a Primordial Spirit realm cultivator. In just a few moments, they had already arrived at their destination. Towering before them were a massive stone wall with the character (Sword) inscribed on it. Written with majestic and powerful strokes, it felt as if the character would transform into a burst of sword qi and tear them apart at any moment. What powerful Sword Intent! Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment. He couldnt clearly discern what level of calligraphy the character before him was at, but just by looking at it from afar, it gave him the impression of an unparalleled expert wielding a sword shing at him furiously. It felt like no matter how he moved, he wouldnt be able to escape from that sh, as if the attack had been locked upon his soul. This is left behind by the Old Sword Maestro? Zhang Xuan asked in astonishment. Thats right! the Dusk Cloud Sword replied. The Old Sword Maestro must have achieved an astounding level of mastery in the Way of Sword in his lifetime! Zhang Xuan eximed in awe. In his past year of cultivation, he had assimted quite a number of books rting to sword art, and he had sessfully advanced hisprehension of swordsmanship to a considerably high level as well. All along, he thought that even if hisprehension of swordsmanship hadnt reached the peak yet, he still wouldnt lose out to anyone. But through this inscribed character, he could tell that the level of mastery in swordsmanship that the Old Sword Maestro had achieved was far higher than his. The Old Sword Maestro had ground the very essence of the Way of Sword into his bones, such that even his body had been forged into a sword as well... Otherwise, it was impossible for a casual calligraphy to harness such astoundingly refined Sword Intent, leaving him feeling a sense of helplessness before it. These are the cultivators who have journeyed here in hopes ofprehending the secrets of the Old Sword Maestros swordsmanship. the Dusk Cloud Sword as it gestured in a certain direction. Turning his gaze over, Zhang Xuan realized that there was a huge crowd of several hundred cultivators gathered beneath the stone wall. Every single one of them was staring intently at the (Sword) character as they emted its strokes with their fingers. There was an unnaturally focused or even frenzied look in their eyes, almost as if they had gone mad. What you said is all wrong. My move has to be correct. Look! a voice sounded. From the direction where the voice sounded, a middle-aged man flicked his wrist in a beautiful arc, and a surge of sword qi burst forward. It shed everything within several hundred meters of its path before gradually dissipating. This is Upper Sword Heart? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Proficiency in swordsmanship could mainly be divided into two stagesSword Intent and Sword Heart. Most sword practitioners should be able toprehend Sword Intent upon reaching Transcendent Mortal. Those who were slightly more talented might be able toprehend Sword Heart, inducing the phenomenon Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragon. Sword Heart, as the name suggested, referred to wielding ones heart like a sword, drawing out the true prowess of the Way of Sword through their will. Every single strike made by a sword practitioner who had achieved Sword Heart would be a sword art in itself. This state was also otherwise termed as Man-Sword Union... Only those who harbored spirit and heart in their sword would be able to reach this realm. Sword Heart could be further divided into three tiers, namely Lower Sword Heart, Middle Sword Heart, and Upper Sword Heart. For Saint cultivators, even just achieving Middle Sword Heart would already make them top-notch experts. Yet, the middle-aged man had actuallyprehended Upper Sword Heart... One must know that so far, Zhang Xuan had onlyprehended Upper Sword Heart as well. In other words, in terms of proficiency in the Way of Sword, the middle-aged man was nowhere weaker than Zhang Xuan! Thats not right. That crux of the move lies in overwhelming ones enemy, so the focus of it should be in the relentless barrage of sword qi. Your focusing all of your strength within a surge of sword qi is clearly erroneous. Look at mine... In his moment of shock, an old man beside the middle-aged man shook his head in stern disapproval before he whipped out a sword and flicked it. In the blink of an eye, a cold and forbidding aura permeated an area of several dozen meters around the old man, and a storm of sword qi filled the surroundings. It felt like anyone who dared step into the area, no matter how powerful, would be trapped for life. He hasprehended Upper Sword Heart as well? Zhang Xuan was startled once more. It was already frightening to see that a cultivator hadprehended Upper Sword Heart, but to think that the old man would also be another such person as well. In fact, it seemed like the old man had a deeper and more profound understanding of the Way of Sword than the middle-aged man before. Wrong! The both of you are utterly wrong! It should be like this... A third man joined in themotion, and he executed a powerful sword art which utilized sword qi like thin threads that weaved around the surroundings, forming something reminiscent to a mist. Simrly, this third man has alsoprehended Upper Sword Heart. Completely dumbstruck, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the rest of the crowd. Every single one of them seemed to harness a cold and sharp aura within their bodies, as if they were the very embodiment of swords themselves. These several hundred men... have allprehended Upper Sword Heart? Zhang Xuan gulped down a mouthful of saliva. In his long journey, he had never seen a single cultivator whose swordsmanship was on par or superior to his. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he found himself faced with several hundred of such cultivators. Really, as expected of the famed Sword Lagoon! It sure was a fearsome ce. They are the itinerant cultivator, master teachers, andbat masters from the various different empires or even the Empire Alliance. Some of them have already spent more than nine hundred years here... And with nine hundred years of umtion, the least they should do is to achieve Upper Sword Heart. the Dusk Cloud Sword replied. Nine hundred years? Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before slowly nodding. It was already nearing a year since he hade over to this world, but in terms of the duration he had dedicated to learning swordsmanship, the total time probably wouldnt even add up to a single day yet! There were plenty of experts in the Eight Conferred Empires, and with nine hundred years of hard work behind them, it wasnt too surprising that there would be so many individuals whomanded the same level of mastery in swordsmanship as him. After all, it was not like he was some kind of unparalleled genius. Putting all aside, he couldnt even defeat his own clone! Wait. You mean that these men spent nine hundred years sitting in front of the stone wall, contemting over swordsmanship? This single character is already enough for them to study it for their entire life. As sword fanatics, they couldnt resist the allure of the intrigue contained in the character, and this only made them determined to decipher the secrets behind it. As a result, most of them end up never leaving the Sword Lagoon... Hai! Zhang Xuan sighed. He suddenly remembered a book he had read in his previous life. In the story, there was an ind that contained unparalleled secret manuals. Each years Laba Festival, there would be a huge number of martial artists venturing to the ind, only to never return... The situation was somewhat simr to what he was seeing at the moment. There was no one restricting their movement, but obsessed with furthering their swordsmanship, they failed to realize that their entire life was flying past their eyes! Utter nonsense! Its apparent that my interpretation is correct! Your direction has been wrong from the very start, so how could your interpretation possibly be right? My interpretation is the one thats correct! All of you are wrong! Since none of you are willing to admit it, why dont we settle it with a fight? Hu! After a long round of argument, none of the trio was willing to concede to the other. Eventually, they drew their swords on one another and began on an intense fight. Actually, they have already gone berserk... Zhang Xuan shook his head. No matter how profound the (Sword) character was, the fact that these people were no longer able to control themselves anymore, even shing with one another over something as minor as that, meant that their rationality had already been eroded. They had already lost sense of self, and that was no different from going berserk. Amidst Zhang Xuansmentation, the battle among the trio had finally concluded. Two of them were severely injured in the encounter, and the final victor walked out of the battle with a confused look on his eyes. He couldnt help but doubt if hisprehension of swordsmanship was wrong, or else how could the other two be almost as powerful as him. The many years of devotion to nothing but swordsmanship had already eroded their rational judgement. Under such circumstances, no words could possibly sway them anymore. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan tore his gaze away from them to assess the massive character on the stone wall once more. Inscribed using sword qi, the character harnessed the conception of the carver. Each stroke of the character was imbued a powerful yet unique aura, seemingly the manifestation of a sword art. The aura of these individual strokes harmonized with one another to grant an imposing yet unfathomable meaning to the formed character. Its no wonder why these people would abandon their all and devote all of their life to deciphering the character... With just a look, Zhang Xuan could already feel a slight jolt in his mind urging him to cultivate ording to the character. Shaking his head, he slowly closed his eyes. It was not that his mind wasnt resilient enough to withstand the allure of the profound sword arts contained within the character, but... the sword arts contained within the character were simply riddled with too many ws. It was hard for him to even continue looking at it straight in the eye! What are these? Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan tossed aside the misceneous thoughts in his mind and opened his eyes once more. In the next moment, he noticed that there were countless scribblings in the perimeter of the stone wall. These are the Sword Intent and sword arts that countless generations of sword practitioners haveprehended from the character. If you find yourself unable to grasp the meaning of (Sword) on the wall, you can use them as references! the Dusk Cloud Sword said. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Taking a brief sweep, it seemed like there were at least a thousand of such insights scribbled all over the ce. This does resemble the Saint Ascension tform! Zhang Xuan noted. The road up to the Saint Ascension tform was filled with insights as well. Every single individual felt that they were the person chosen by the heavens toprehend the true meaning of Kong shis writing, but in truth... their interpretation was riddled with ws, a manifestation of their ignorance! These insights scribbled around the stone wall were likely to be the same as well. ws! Sweeping his gaze across the area, many books swiftly materialized one after another in the Library of Heavens Path. These insights could be considered to be sword art manuals as well, allowing Zhang Xuan to collect them with a sweep of his eyes. After collecting all of the insights, Zhang Xuan gathered the thousand of books together and muttered, Compile! They swiftly merged together into a single book. Casually flipping it open, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Its a Heavens Path Sword Art! He had done this set of actions on a whim, not really expecting to gain any gains out of it. Yet, who could have thought that theption of insights from the many generations of sword practitioners would actually form a perfect Heavens Path Sword Art! Zhang Xuan swiftly went through thepiled Heavens Path Sword Art in his mind. It must be said that the heritage which the Old Sword Maestro had left behind was truly profound. If he were to cultivate thepiled Heavens Path Sword Art, hisprehension of the Way of Sword could be brought to another level. Just as Zhang Xuan as about to close his eyes to cultivate, he suddenly felt the surrounding spiritual energy surging forward, gathering to an area just ahead of him. It didnt take long for the massive influx of spiritual energy to create something reminiscent of a whirlpool. Quickly turning his gaze over, he saw that the crowd cultivating before the stone wall had also turned their heads over toward themotion as well. Master... Just as Zhang Xuan was about to head over to check what was going on, he suddenly saw the Dusk Cloud Sword trembling non-stop, as if it couldnt control its body anymore. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Master, someone has grasped a higher realm in the Way of Sword... As a sword spirit, I cant help but bepelled to submit to him! Grasped a higher realm of the Way of Sword? Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area in front, and there, he saw a young man seated cross-legged on the ground. An incredibly sharp sword qi burst forth from his body, as if heralding the arrival of an unparalleled sword into the world. Is that Ma Minghai? Upon taking a closer look at the young man, Zhang Xuan frowned. It was no other than the genius of the Qianchong Empire who had challenged him over the Tianchen Brew back in the Master Teacher Pavilion, Ma Minghai! Why would he be here? Zhang Xuan frowned. Chapter 1274 - The Strong Can Do as They Please

Chapter 1274: The Strong Can Do as They Please

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While the other candidates were busy avoiding being eliminated or eliminating others, this fellow actually sat right in front of the stone wall to cultivate. Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like he had already been there for quite a while. Such a bizarre decision left Zhang Xuan slightly bewildered. Soon, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. Hes a genius from the Qianchong Empire, and he specializes in swordsmanship. I had to capture the Dusk Cloud Sword in order to find out where this is, but theres a good chance that he realized that we are in the Sword Lagoon as soon as he opened his eyes! As a sword practitioner of the Qianchong Empire, it was likely that Ma Minghai had been there before. Given so, it would not have been too surprising for him to know his way around the area. Hong long long! At this moment, boundless Sword Intent and sword qi suddenly converged on Ma Minghai, and in an instant, his aura surged swiftly. Weng! Unable to control it any longer, the Dusk Cloud Sword lowered itself onto the ground, trembling non-stop. It could feel the absolute authority that the wielder of that powerful aura had over it, and it dared not oppose him. Looking at the sky filled with sword qi, as well as the sword in his hand that was submitting to the young man before him, the elder was overwhelmed with agitation. Thats... Sword Quintessence! It has been a whole seven hundred years! I never thought that I would see such a sight once more! No, it isnt Sword Quintessence, an elder beside him refuted. Those who have truly achieved the level of Sword Quintessence would be able to induce the Servility of the Myriad Swords, but that young man has only received the deference of the swords. If Im not mistaken, that should be... Half-Quintessence! Indeed, its Half-Quintessence! Most cultivators are only aware that swordsmanship can be divided into Sword Intent and Sword Heart, oblivious to the fact that theres Sword Quintessence above them. Upon mastering this realm, as long as the strength of a sword is beneath one, the sword will obey onesmands unconditionally. The young man is only able to get the swords to submit to him, but he hasnt reached the level of having them obey hismands unconditionally. Given so, he should only be at Half-Quintessence! Even if its just Half-Quintessence, isnt that the breakthrough that we have all been working hard for? Indeed! Seven hundred years ago, when Sword of Faint Whispers, Ji Lingzhen, achieved a breakthrough to this realm, I happened to be around and witnessed the miraculous event with my own eyes. Who could have known that I would have the luck to encounter another Half-Quintessence breakthrough just before my lifees to an end? Ji Lingzhen... If I recall correctly, he has not left the Sword Lagoon ever since he made the breakthrough to Half-Quintessence, right? He has not. He chose to venture deeper into the Sword Lagoon in hopes of obtaining the Old Sword Maestros heritage. Its just a pity that he hasnt seeded yet. I wonder if hes still alive after all these years. Such discussions could be heard amid the crowd. Half-Quintessence? Hearing the words of the crowd, Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. With a slight stroke of his hand, the crouching Dusk Cloud Sword suddenly felt the pressure crushing his soul vanish without a trace, and it quickly struggled back into the air. Its slight shivering every now and then seemed to indicate its deep fear and apprehension over what had just happened. A Sword Quintessence expert wielded a natural dominance over all sword spirits, forcing all sword spirits to bow before them. For Ma Minghai to achieve this level at such a young age, his aptitude for swordsmanship was truly astounding. It was no wonder he had been chosen as a candidate to enter the Sanctum of Sages. Compared to Ma Minghai, Zhang Jiuxiao was trulycking. Hu hu! After absorbing all of the sword qi into his body, Ma Minghai eyes gradually opened. Hu! His eyes were extremely sharp, and it felt as if one could be sliced in two under his gaze. Even though his cultivation was still only at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, yet to undergo the lightning tribtion, his zhenqi felt much more condensed than before. It seemed like even if the lightning tribtion fell upon him at that very moment, he would have been able to slice it in two with a flick of his de. Ma Minghai slowly stood up and stretched his stiff muscles with a delighted look on his face. At this moment, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure standing not too far away, and his eyes narrowed. Zhang Xuan? A day ago, he had exchanged blows with the other party. He had executed one of his trump cards, Sea of a Thousand des, which the other party had simply swallowed in a single mouthful, even returning to him right after. Without a doubt, the other party was the strongest rival he had evere across. Back then, he had even resolved himself to use his ultimate technique to defeat the other party, but due to Pavilion Master Yues intervention, he had been left with no choice but to drop the matter. After which, the other party had challenged Pavilion Master Yue with his puppets. While the other party did manage to achieve victory in the end, it was only through the vast number of puppets he had in his possession. That did not represent the other partys true strength. If he were to pair his Quasi Leaving Aperture realm cultivation together with his newfound strength as a Half-Quintessence expert, putting aside defeating Zhang Xuan, even killing him should not pose much of a problem at all! Thus, a sharp glint shed through Ma Minghais eyes as he stepped forward. You have reallye at an untimely moment. You just had to appear here right after I achieved my breakthrough. It seems like even the heavens are asking me to eliminate you... Hu! With a swift maneuver, he stepped up to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, we meet again. Yeah, we meet again, Zhang Xuan replied casually. While I am in awe of your strength, its a pity that we are in a selection match at the moment. The slots to the Sanctum of Sages are on the line, so... will you take out the jade token yourself, or do you need me to make a move? Gazing at Zhang Xuan coldly, Ma Minghai spoke in a domineering voice that allowed for no opposition. Take it out yourself, and you can at least spare yourself some pain. Otherwise... even if Im not allowed to kill you, I have plenty of ways to temporarily incapacitate. And if you get killed by saint beasts while you are immobilized, Im afraid that you will only have your own bad luck to me then! Are you threatening me? Zhang Xuan looked at Ma Minghai with narrowed eyes. Threat? This isnt a threat. Im just stating a fact. Its just the natural order of the world. The weak have to bow to the strong! Ma Minghai sneered coldly. Staring at Ma Minghai intently, Zhang Xuan asked, Do you mean to say that the strong can do as they please? Indeed, the strong can do as they please! Ma Minghai replied with a smirk. He had felt deeply humiliated by the crushing defeat he had suffered against Zhang Xuan. It would have been one thing if it had been a close match with one another, but the vast disparity in strength between them was trulypletely uneptable to him. This had left frustration and anger boiling within him. Furthermore, shortly after that, the young man dared insult Pavilion Master Yue. As a member of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he could not swallow seeing an outsider treating their pavilion head with such disrespect. It was not easy for him to turn the tables around, so naturally, he wanted to make use of this chance to get even with the other party for those two matters! Very well then. Seeing how confident Ma Minghai was, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Since you have already said so much... pardon me then! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan channeled his zhenqi into his palm and thrust it toward Ma Minghai. Seeing how the young man had chosen to struggle against him instead of surrendering, Ma Minghai scoffed in disdain. Do you think that you stand a chance against me in your current state? With a flick of his finger, he sent a surge of sword qi toward Zhang Xuan. Hisprehension of swordsmanship had already reached Half-Quintessence. Even without just using a sword, he could easily defeat an opponent of the same power level as him with the sword qi in his body. Let alone a mere Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivator... Hmm? At this moment, Ma Minghai suddenly noticed something. When he fought with the other party the previous day, the other party had still been at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage. However, at this moment, why did it seem like his cultivation had risen to... Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle? Did he advance two cultivation stages in a single day? It makes no difference whether hes at intermediate stage or pinnacle. Against the current me, the only fate that lies in wait for him is death! Ma Minghai shrugged the matter off casually as he watched the burst of sword qi he had shot previously dashing toward Zhang Xuan. While Ma Minghai was still confident that his sword qi would be able to tear through the other partys palm strike with ease, the two finally collided with one another. However, contrary to his expectations, his sword qi actually dissipated instantaneously, as if a blob of tofu crashing into a wall of steel. Caught off guard by the abrupt turn of events, Ma Minghai narrowed his eyes in shock. As someone whose mastery of swordsmanship was at Half-Quintessence, he knew full well how much strength was packed into that burst of sword qi. Even thepanion he had been very close with, Brother Sun, would not dare sh directly with it. Yet, the young man before him had been able to easily dissipate his sword qi with just a simple palm strike. Just how could this be? But this was not the end of Ma Minghais bewilderment yet. The remaining might of the palm strike continued charging forth toward him with astounding momentum, appearing before him in the blink of an eye. Peng! An overwhelming pressure assaulted Ma Minghai, causing his face to pale. He immediately tried to put up his defense to defend against the palm strike, to no avail. He crashed heavily into a massive boulder, and a stifled feeling in his chest made him cough out a mouthful of blood. How could this be? How can you be so powerful? Ma Minghai widened his eyes in disbelief. He felt that the main reason he had lost to Zhang Xuan earlier was because he had to suppress his cultivation. Now that his cultivation was not suppressed, and he had evenprehended Half-Quintessence, it would really be an eye-opener if he was defeated! It must be a coincidenceit must be! Theres no way you can possibly be that powerful! Theres just no way... Rising to his feet, Ma Minghai drew out a half moon in front of his chest before shooting it forth. Sword qi in the area, heed mymand! Upon his shouting, the sword qi drifting aimlessly in the region swiftly converged together to form a massive sword of roughly ten meters long in front of Ma Minghais chest. Havingprehended Half-Quintessence, even if he was unable to earn the absolute obedience of swords, it was still well within his means to control sword qi in the air. The Sword Lagoon was filled with sword practitioners, resulting in a massive congregation of sword qi in the area. In other words, the area was almost like a haven for those who hadprehended Half-Quintessence! In his current state, Ma Minghai would be able to y even True Leaving Aperture realm cultivators easily! This is the strength of those who haveprehended swordsmanship to Half-Quintessence? How fearsome... To be able to control sword qi, hes practically invincible in the Sword Lagoon! Indeed. That fellow facing him is doomed. The crowd in the area analyzed the situation grimly. As sword practitioners themselves, they understood how fearsome a cultivator who hadprehended Half-Quintessence was. Wielding the strength to manipte and release a barrage of sword qi at will, they were unmatched in their power ss. The young man facing Ma Minghai was only a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, so how could he possibly withstand Ma Minghais strength? Hu! Before everyones apprehensive gaze, the massive sword forged solely out of sword qi began flying toward Zhang Xuan with incredible momentum. Its was even faster than the speed of sound, and it appeared right before Zhang Xuan in just the blink of an eye. If that techniquended, no matter how sturdy a body one had, one would instantly be sliced in two and die on the spot. The attack you haveunched through gathering the surrounding sword qi is indeed formidable, but its a pity that the sword qi is not yours! In the face of that devastating attack, there was not the slightest hint of anxiety or fear to be seen on Zhang Xuans face. On the contrary, disappointment was written all over his face instead. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan casually tapped his finger forward, and a powerful ray of light burst right through the sword, dissipating it instantaneously. Go, Zhang Xuan muttered as he flicked his finger lightly. Peng! Ma Minghai flew back once more. His back crashed heavily into the stone wall, creating a massive depression in it. To make matters worse, when he tried to struggle out of the stone wall, for some reason, he found that his body simply would not budge, and this left him deeply terrified. Y-you... With a ghastly pale face, Ma Minghai stared at the young man before him with horrified eyes. He had thought that as long as he fought with his full strength, he would be able to subdue the young man easily. But it turned out that he had been too naive. Even with his heightened strength, that monster of a young man was actually able to subdue him with just a single finger! Even when he had borrowed the strength from the massive congregation of sword qi in the surroundings, he had found that he was stillpletely helpless before that young man. With a look of utter disbelief, he watched as the young man gracefully walked up to him with a frighteningly radiant smile on his face. While I am in awe of your strength, its a pity that we are in a selection match at the moment. The slots to the Sanctum of Sages are on the line, so... will you take out the jade token yourself, or do you need me to make a move? Hearing those words, Ma Minghais face immediately turned red. Those were the very words that he had told the young man earlier, and thetter was returning all of them to him! You want to take my jade token? Unless you n on killing me, dream on! Ma Minghai spat with gritted teeth. The destruction of his jade token would mean that he lost the slot to enter the Sanctum of Sages. This was his greatest opportunity to rise to the top of the Master Teacher Continent, and he could not let all of the hard work he had put into it go to waste! Kill you? Theres no need to go through that much trouble. Gazing down on Ma Minghai, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he snapped his finger. Peng! It was as if a massive mountain had suddenly fallen upon Ma Minghai, crushing him deeper and deeper into the stone wall. This immense pressure seemed to squeeze whatever oxygen he had out of his lungs, threatening to choke him to death. Wait... a moment... The fear in Ma Minghais eyes intensified. He anxiously spoke up to plead for mercy, but he found that even spitting out a word was a great strain on him in his current state. My apologies, I dont have a habit of giving my opponents the chance to counterattack, Zhang Xuan replied with a bright smile. Besides, there is one thing that you spoke of that I can deeply rte to... The strong can indeed do as they please! Chapter 1275 - Chaotic Palace Beguilement Formation

Chapter 1275: Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Geji! Geji! Ma Minghais bones creaked under the immense pressure, threatening to shatter at any moment. His body also swiftly approached its limit as redness consumed his skin. If the other party hadnt made a move on him, Zhang Xuan wouldnt have bothered to make a move either. However, since the other party had chosen to provoke him, he saw no need to go easy on the other party either. Let go of me... Ill give you my jade token! Sensing that he wouldnt be able to survive long in this state, Ma Minghai gathered all of his strength in order to yell out those words. Very well. Zhang Xuan retracted his hands and ced them behind his back. Padah! Finally released from the stone wall, Ma Minghai had to take several deep breaths before he was able to calm himself down. A hint of savagery shed across his eyes and he discreetly whipped out two swords. With a powerful fling of his hands, he threw them right toward Zhang Xuan. Astonishingly, these two swords were at Saint intermediate-tier as well. Further enhanced by his Half-Quintessence Sword Intent, they surged forward at an astounding speed. ording to the rules of the secondary selection, the candidates were forbidden from using their artifacts against one another in the secondary selection. Ma Minghai knew the rules, but he also understood very well that he wouldnt be a match for Zhang Xuan without using his sword, and he was already at the brink of being eliminated as well. Given so, he could only take a gamble and pray that Zhao Xingmo wouldnt find out about the matter. Si! The two powerful des tore across the air, and before one could even see them, they were already right before Zhang Xuan. Just as Ma Minghai thought that he would be able to y that fellow, thetters exasperated voice suddenly sounded in the air. Hai, it seems like I really am too good-natured. Had it been anyone else, you would have already been killed several times over for what you have done! Hong long! Before Ma Minghai could process what had just happened, his body was suddenly flung backward, crashing heavily back into the stone wall. Under the overwhelming impact of the collision, his bones finally gave in and shattered. At the same time, the severe internal injuries he had sustained caused fresh blood to spurt out of his mouth. If you wont hold to the end of your promise, I guess Ill just have to take your jade token myself! Following which, Ma Minghai suddenly felt a tearing pain on his finger. His storage ring had been forcefully taken away, and it flew straight into Zhang Xuans palm. You... Ma Minghais face reddened in anxiety. However, it was already toote for him to do or say anything. With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan took out the jade token from the storage ring and flicked it lightly. Kacha! The jade token shattered into powdery remains. It seems like Qianchong Empire does value you quite a bit, theres plenty of treasures in your storage ring. Good. Ill be taking them as yourpensation then... Zhang Xuan had intended to let Ma Minghai off with just crushing his jade token, but since the other party was so shameless as to attempt a surprise assault after being defeated, he was no longer willing to let the other party off without making him pay some price for his actions. Pu! On the other hand, watching as Zhang Xuan ced his storage ring into his pocket, another mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Ma Minghais mouth. He had to go through a lot of effort in order to procure all those valuable resources in his storage ring, and to have them snatched away just like that... In his moment of despair, Ma Minghai heard the other party continuing on, These swords of yours seem to be Saint intermediate-tier artifacts as well. Not bad, not bad. Ill be taking them as interest payment! I have nurtured my swords with my blood essence over a long period of time, so the spirits within them arepletely loyal to me. Even if you take them, theres no way you will be able to make them submit to you... Seeing that his swords were about to be taken away, Ma Minghai spat through gritted teeth. He had spent a hefty sum to nurture those two swords of his, so he was certain of their loyalty toward him. As long as he was alive, there was no way they would betray him... But before Ma Minghai could finish his words, he suddenly saw Zhang Xuan tapping his swords at various points, and all of a sudden, his swords joyfully rushed forward to thetter and bowed respectfully. Pu! Another spurt of blood escaped from Ma Minghais mouth, and the despair on his face deepened. He thought that with his newfound strength, he should be able to overwhelm Zhang Xuan easily and exact his vengeance. Yet, who could have thought that the opponent he had pitted himself against would actually be a monster in disguise! Alright, Im done. After taking Ma Minghais items, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to waste his time on the other party anymore. Thus, he released his grip on the other party, and the other party fell from the stone wall. Hong long! Shortly after Ma MInghai was released, a voice sounded across the entire ind, Ma Minghais jade token has been shattered. The second candidate has been eliminated. Remaining candidates: 30! Hu! Not long after those words were spoken, an aerial saint beast descended from the sky to fetch Ma Minghai before flying off into the distance. Zhang Jiuxiao should have been taken away as well then... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. That exined why he wasnt able to find Zhang Jiuxiao despite following thetters track. It seemed like he had already been brought out of the ind. I understand how Zhao Xingmo is able to sense the elimination of a candidate through the dissipation of the Sword Intent within the jade token, but... how does he manage to locate individual candidates, sending an aerial saint beast over to fetch them so swiftly? Could Zhao Xingmo really have the ability to perceive everything that has happened on the ind? Zhang Xuan frowned in iprehension. Based on his estimates, the ind had to be at least two to three thousand li in diameter, and it would be impossible for anyone to cover this entire area with their Spiritual Perception. Since that was the case, how could Zhao Xingmo possibly keep track of everything that was happening here at all times? He must be using some kind of artifact or medium to uphold an intelligencework over the entire ind... Zhang Xuan analyzed. With this thought in mind, he activated the Eye of Insight and focused his sight on the aerial saint beast which had just flown away. This look unveiled the mystery behind Zhao Xingmos seeming omniscience over the ind. o think that it would just be Myriad Ants... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but burst intoughter. Perhaps the simpler the truth was, the easier it was to be blindsided by it. After all the time he had spent wondering what kind of means Zhao Xingmo could have used to watch over the entire ind, it turned out to just be Myriad Ants! Due to the small stature of Myriad Ants, they were able to conceal themselves easily amidst trees and bushes, making it nigh impossible for even keen-eyed master teachers to notice their presence. Zhang Xuan had used the exact same method to scout the Cloudmist Ridge back then too. He really didnt think that Zhao Xingmo would use such a method to look over the secondary selection. Since he was using Myriad Ants as his scout, there should also be a Myriad Anthive Queen under the other partysmand too. Anthive Queen, is there any way you can drive away the Myriad Ants observing me? Zhang Xuanmunicated with the Myriad Anthive Queen telepathically. He understood that Zhao Xingmo had to keep a tight watch over the entire field as the invigtor, but he still felt a little ufortable at the thought of being constantly spied on. While these Myriad Ants arent my children, I still do have the ability to drive them away. However, I only fear that Zhao shi would notice an anomaly if I were to drive them away... the Myriad Anthive Queen replied. Thats true... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. Zhao Xingmo had to maintain his watch over the secondary selection so as to keep up to date with the circumstances of each and every candidate. If Zhang Xuans presence were to suddenly disappear from his sight, there was a good chance that Zhao Xingmo might personally head over to check on the situation. Alternatively, I think that I might be able to tame some of the Myriad Ants and have them obey mymands... After a moment of silence, the Myriad Anthive Queen proposed. You are able to tame the Myriad Ants? That would be perfect! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Naturally, it would be better to tame the Myriad Ants than to chase them away. This way, he would be able to control the information that the Myriad Ants were reporting to Zhao Xingmo about, thus allowing him to fake his position without incurring thetters suspicion. Ill leave that to you then. Zhang Xuan said as he released the Myriad Anthive Queen in the area with a flick of his hand. After which, he turned his attention back to the stone wall before him. Having witnessed how easily Ma Minghai was defeated, the sword practitioners gathered around the stone wall had all retreated a distance away from Zhang Xuan, fearing that they would identally offend him. Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to waste his time on them either. Just as he was about to return back to cultivating his Heavens Path Sword Art, the Dusk Cloud Sword suddenly flew over and said, Master... Since you are that powerful, do you want to try challenging the Sword Lagoon? I think that there is a good chance you might be able to acquire the heritage! Challenge the Sword Lagoon? Arent we at the Sword Lagoon at the moment? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. Considering the sheer amount of sword qi and Sword Intent that were drifting in the area, where else could currently be at if not the Sword Lagoon? We are currently only at the outer perimeters of the Sword Lagoon. The true Swordgoon lies behind the stone wall... The heritage of the Old Sword Maestro lies within there as well! the Dusk Cloud Sword said. Oh? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Are the hundred Saint intermediate-tier swords you have mentioned earlier located beyond the stone wall as well? Thats right! the Dusk Cloud Sword replied. Bring me over to take a look! Having apiled Heavens Path Sword Art sitting in the Library of Heavens Path, the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro held little attraction to Zhang Xuan. However, if he could acquire a hundred Saint intermediate-tier swords out of this, that would really be a huge gain. Even a hundred Saint low-tier sabers were sufficient to crush the Boss of the underground ck market. If he could acquire a hundred Saint intermediate-tier swords, he would be able to destroy Pavilion Master Yue easily with them even without resorting to his puppets! In fact... he might even be able to rival Zhao Xingmo in a battle! The Dusk Cloud Sword delightfully led Zhang Xuan around the massive stone wall, and very soon, they arrived at the boundary of and shrouded with mist. The mist seemed to have been the result of some kind of formidable formation,pletely blocking the sight of whatever thaty ahead. Realizing that he didnt recognize the formation, Zhang Xuan frowned. ws! Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. As the formation was currently in operation, the Library of Heavens Path was able topile a book on it. Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation, a grade-8 formation? Reading the content on the book, Zhang Xuan was startled. It was no wonder why no one had obtained the heritage this far. It was actually guarded by a grade-8 formation! A grade-8 formation could only be set up or deciphered by a Grand Dominion realm expert, and there was no one in Qianchong Empire who possessed the strength to do so. In no hurry to step into the formation, Zhang Xuan turned to the Dusk Cloud Sword and asked, Have you entered the Sword Lagoon before? I havent entered it before, but I heard that the Old Sword Maestros personal sword and heritage lie in there! the Dusk Cloud Sword replied. The Old Sword Maestros personal sword? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Un. ording to the rumors I have heard, the Old Sword Maestros personal sword is a Saint high-tier artifact, and even the emperor of Qianchong Empire is dying toy his hands on it. However, its a pity that no one has been able to bypass the formation, let alone find the sword! the Dusk Cloud Sword said. A Saint high-tier artifact? Zhang Xuan tightened his fist in agitation. Even at the very minimum, a Saint high-tier artifact would possess strength equivalent to a Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm cultivator! There was actually such a formidable weapon in the Sword Lagoon? Thats right. To be honest with you, most of the sword qi lingering in the area was emanated by the Old Sword Maestros personal sword. While those sword practitioners are attempting to decipher it in order to raise their mastery of swordsmanship, more than that, they wanted to acquire the Old Sword Maestros heritage and obtain his personal sword through it! the Dusk Cloud Sword exined. It had been on this ind for quite a long while now, so he was well aware of the affairs that happened here. Since theres such a weapon here, I really should take a good look in the Sword Lagoon then! Zhang Xuan thought in excitement. Unless inrge quantities, otherwise even Saint intermediate-tier artifacts werent of much use to him anymore. However, this was different for Saint high-tier artifacts. With a Saint high-tier sword in hand, he was confident of defeating Zhao Xingmo even! With such a weapon at hand, he would be in a far better position to challenge the Zhang n for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage. You should wait outside for the time being! Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! the Dusk Cloud Sword nodded before standingpletely still on the spot. After which, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly turned around and ventured into the mist. The ws of the formation was recorded in its corresponding bookpiled in the Library of Heavens Path, so this grade-8 formation no longer posed any secret to him. After advancing ahead for some time, the area before Zhang Xuan abruptly opened up. The mist had vanished, revealing a stream and a wooden hut instead. Oh? To think that there would a piece of tranquilnd in the middle of the Sword Lagoon! Surprised, Zhang Xuan slowly made his way over to the wooden hut. Just as he was about to open the door to the wooden hut, his body suddenly stiffened. With a swift maneuver, his silhouette vanished on the spot, appearing at a distance of a hundred meters away. Hu! A burst of sword qi sliced through the area where he was previously standing on, leaving behind a dark gorge in its wake. Chapter 1276 - Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill

Chapter 1276: Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This burst of sword qi was extremely powerful; Ma Minghais attacks appeared to be nothing inparison. rmed, Zhang Xuan assessed the situation before him warily. Even with his strength, if not for his sharp instincts prompting him to avoid in advance, he could have been sliced in two by that burst of sword qi. Just who in the world was in the wooden hut? Jiya! The door opened, and a figure slowly walked out. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The Boss of the underground ck market? It was none other than the person whom he had a hundred Saint low-tier sabers pummel back in the Ring of Death! But why would he appear here? The other party had mostly recovered from the wounds he had suffered back in the encounter with Zhang Xuan, but from the ring scars that crawled all over his body like innumerable centipedes, one could still fathom the tragic plight he had once been in. The Boss of the ck market, Ji Lingfeng, red at Zhang Xuan with deep hatred in his eyes. Zhang Xuan, you have manipted my rules, humiliated me, and snatched my wealth. For that, I shall personally execute you today! While the ck market was known to be awless zone, the truth was that it was only subjected to a different set ofws, set solely by the Boss of the ck market. Regardless of whether one was a master teacher or abat master, one would have to obey the new set of rules in there. Yet, this fellow actually disregarded the rules in ce and raised a hugemotion, severely injuring him even! If he let the other party go, how could he re-establish his dominance and authority in the ck market in the future? You knew that I would be here for the secondary selection, so youy in wait for me? Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes. The only ones who should have known that the secondary selection would be held in the Sword Lagoon were only Zhao Xingmo and Pavilion Master Yue. For the other party to be lying in wait for him here, could it have been that the other party already knew of his whereabouts in advance? Even with the vast intelligencework of the ck market, it should have been impossible for them to uncover the location of the secondary selection on such short notice. So, for the other party to have been hiding within the formation all this while, waiting tounch an assault on him, that could only mean one thing. Ill tell you after you go to hell! Ji Lingfeng bellowed furiously as he flung his sword furiously, sending another burst of sword qi toward Zhang Xuan. His sword was only three chi 1 long, but it emanated bone-chilling coldness. Even before the sharp burst of sword qi could arrive, an eerie sound reminiscent of the resentful mutterings of the departed echoed in the air, cing those who heard it in a distraught state. Feeling a sudden bout of dizziness striking his head, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. A demonic tune! All along, he had been using this trick against others. He did not expect others to use it against him, and in a moment of carelessness, he was ced into an unnatural state of mind. Even so, with his Soul Depth of 25.1, a levelparable to 8-star high-tier master teachers, he was able to shake out of his unnatural state in just an instant. However, as soon as his unnatural state was dispelled, the sword qi was already right before his face. The sharp gale that rose from the movement left a slightly piercing sensation on his skin, leaving him feeling as if a de was slowly sinking into his body. Hu! Zhang Xuan immediately flitted away from the spot, appearing a hundred meters away in an instant. Unbounded Voyager! After learning the second dan of Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, hisprehension of the Unbounded Voyager had deepened, allowing him to move at greater speed. By driving his strength to its limit, he was capable of making near-instantaneous movements in desperate situations. At this point, Zhang Xuan realized that his back waspletely drenched with sweat. It was fortunate that he had reacted with time, or else that attack would have gouged out a huge hole in his chest. Do you think that I will allow you to flee that easily? Sneering coldly, Ji Lingfeng sent another burst of sword qi toward Zhang Xuan. The sword qi spanned over two hundred meters, covering the entire area. That sword... Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle? Zhang Xuan was astonished. It was no wonder the other party still dared to provoke him despite having suffered a tragic defeat. It turned out that he had a top-notch Saint intermediate-tier sword that wielded strengthparable to a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert. An attack from a sword of that caliber was far more fearsome than that of the Golden Origin Cauldron! Wielding such a sword, Ji Lingfeng would be able to rival even Pavilion Master Yue in a match. Despite seeing through the other partys strength, Zhang Xuan did not panic. Instead, he shook his head. If you had drawn that sword in the battle against me yesterday, I might have been put in a spot, but now... The only reason it seemed like the situation was disadvantageous to him previously was because he had been caught off guard. Once he had managed to grasp the situation, with his strength, an opponent such as Ji Lingfeng was simply toocking! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan raised his palm, and a massive palm print materialized before him. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Boom! As soon as the sword qi collided with the palm print, it felt as if several tons of gunpowder had exploded simultaneously, and an intense shockwave sted into the surroundings. It was fortunate that the area was protected by a grade-8 formation, or else the stone wall would have been torn down by the sheer might of the shockwave itself. Deng deng deng deng! Retreating consecutively, Ji Lingfeng felt his blood flow running erratic, and his eyes turned crimson. Just a single night, and that fellow had already grown much more powerful than before! If he allowed the other party to continue growing at this pace, it would not be long before he waspletely outmatched! I told you that you would die by my hands tonight, and Ill do everything to ensure it, Ji Lingfeng spat menacingly as he took out a pill and swallowed it. In an instant, his aura began surging furiously. Before long, he managed to ovee his bottleneck, reaching Half-Grand Dominion realm. Thats... a grade-8 Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill? Zhang Xuans face turned grim. The Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill was something reminiscent of a stimnt. After consumption, it had the effect of allowing a cultivator to temporarily surpass their limits. However, once the effect was over, not only would the cultivator suffer a steep decline in their cultivation, their body could suffer permanent damage as well. To go this far just to kill him... the Boss of the ck market sure was a tenacious fellow! But again, there was no more backing out for the Boss. Just the crime of assaulting a 7-star master teacher was sufficient to bring the wrath of the Master Teacher Pavilion upon him. If the Boss allowed him to escape alive, there was no doubt that his days would be numbered! Thus, no matter the cost, since he had already made a move, he would have to see the deed through to the end. Strike not when at the bank of the river but when in the midst of crossing it!2 With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and more than a hundred puppets appeared before him. Since the Boss of the ck market had already made a move to kill him, he was not so magnanimous as to grant the other party the luxury of time to achieve his breakthrough before making a move. It would take some time for the other party to assimte the medicinal properties of the pill, so this was the ideal moment to knock him down! In any case, the Myriad Anthive Queen had already gained full control over all the Myriad Ants within the grade-8 formation, so Zhao Xingmo and the others would not be able to notice a thing. Thus, there was no need for him to hesitate at all. Hu! More than a hundred puppets immediately charged straight for Ji Lingfeng. When their might wasbined together, they could destroy even a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert like Pavilion Master Yue easily. While the Boss was no weakling, there was no way he would be able to withstand their onught. Did you think that I wouldnt be guarded against those toys of yours? Sneering coldly, Ji Lingfeng flicked his finger and tossed a formation te into the air. While spinning in the air, a burst of mist suddenly diffused from the formation te, shrouding the puppets within it. Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before his eyes slowly lit up. This is a... quasi 8-star formation te? It seems like that fellow does have quite a few good items on him. As expected of the Boss of the ck market, the wealth he had umted over the years was truly nothing to scoff at! Putting aside how valuable the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill was, just the quasi grade-8 formation te was bound to be worth a huge sum, at least a thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones! The activation of a formation te of this tier could trap even an expert of Pavilion Master Yues caliber for a short period of time. That exined why the other party was so confident as to swallow the pill right in front of his eyes! In the first ce, the spirits within puppets were significantly weakerpared to humans spirits, thus making it harder for them to perceive their surroundings once their senses were hindered by the formation. With this single move, the other party had effectively incapacitated all his puppets! Admittedly, the method used was not too bad. If it had been any other 7-star pinnacle formation master, he would have beenpletely helpless before this situation. However, to Zhang Xuan, such a thing could not even be called a problem! Muttering ws in his mind, the Library of Heavens Path jolted, and a book materialized in it. Flipping it open, the ws regarding the formation te appeared in Zhang Xuans head. Go! Zhang Xuanmanded with a raise of his hand. Hu! The next moment, more than a hundred sabers charged into the mist, and amid sounds of ding ding dang dang, as if slicing through certain structures, the mist swiftly receded before dissipating altogether. Formation broken! Return! With a flick of his finger, a saber swiftly brought the formation te over to Zhang Xuans hands, and with a few taps on it, Zhang Xuan managed to make it his. Hong long! As swift as Zhang Xuan had moved, he was still inevitably dyed for several breaths. Within this period of time, Ji Lingfeng had already sessfully assimted the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill into his body, and his cultivation had stabilized as well. At this point, Ji Lingfengs aura had grown frighteningly fearsome, as if he had be a feral beast that would tear his ws through others. It seems like this Boss of the ck market has fought quite a few ring matches himself, Zhang Xuan thought warily. From the killing intent that Ji Lingfeng was exuding, it could be seen that he had participated in quite a few life-and-death matches in his time as well, killing many of his opponents. Otherwise, there was no way he could have emanated such an overwhelming aura of savagery. It was no wonder the other party dared make a move on him despite knowing his identity. It seemed like the blood he had on his hands had already dulled his deference for life and the Master Teacher Pavilion. To be able to decipher even a quasi grade-8 formation so swiftly, you are indeed a formidable opponent. However, no matter what kind of tricks you have up your sleeves, theres no way you will be getting out of here alive! Ji Lingfeng gritted his teeth furiously. Letting loose a feral wary cry, he raised his sword and hacked it down furiously, releasing an overwhelming burst of sword qi amid powerful winds. Si! Ji Lingfengs strength as a Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivatorplemented with a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle sword was no joke. It felt as if it would tear through space and forcefully crush one into innumerable pieces. Just this single move was sufficient to show that Ji Lingfengs current strength was already far beyond that of Pavilion Master Yue! Even though Pavilion Master Yue was the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion, due to his lofty position, he wascking in battle experience. There was no way he couldpare to the Boss of the ck market, who had undergone multiple life-and-death battles and killed innumerable master teachers! Without such battle experience, it was inevitable that Pavilion Master Yues moves would becking in decisive sharpness and valiance, and those two factors had lowered his fighting prowess significantly. This will be difficult. A grim expression finally appeared on Zhang Xuans face. You wont be useful against an opponent of this caliber... Return! With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan collected the puppets and sabers back into his storage ring. These puppets were only at Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage and advanced stage. There was no way they would be able to stand against an opponent like Ji Lingfeng. They would only be crippled if they were kept on the field. The same went for the sabers. Release! After storing the clones and sabers, Zhang Xuan tapped the area before him, and a light sphere with a radius of roughly one meter covered him. 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Traverse! Sensing the danger that he was in, Zhang Xuan had decided to use his strongest move! Chapter 1277 - Poison Needles

Chapter 1277: Poison Needles

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric As soon as his Dominion appeared, Zhang Xuan felt as if a sturdy armor had been formed around him, and the sense of security he felt made him heave a sigh of relief. In the next moment, the sword qi fell into the range of Zhang Xuans Dominion. Tzzzzzz! A sizzling sound reminiscent of searing metaling into contact with ice was produced. Despite being impeded by Zhang Xuans Dominion, the sword qi was actually still able to edge forward bit by bit. It seems like my Dominion doesnt necessarily grant me invincibility. If the strength of my opponent were to exceed my limits, the effects of my Dominion will be on my opponent would be discounted... Zhang Xuan noted grimly. He had tested his Dominion on the Golden Origin Cauldron shortly afterprehending Dominion, and he had sessfully halted the Golden Origin Cauldrons movement instantaneously. But thinking back, the reason why he had been able to do so might have been because the Golden Origin Cauldrons cultivation was only at Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, and it didnt specialize in offense either. On the other hand, Ji Lingfeng had consumed an Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill, and he was wielding a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle sword as well. In the face of such overwhelming strength, it was inevitable that the effects of Zhang Xuans Dominion would be limited. Nevertheless, while his sword qi might be strong enough to move in my Dominion, an attack of this level wont be able to faze me at all. While Zhang Xuans Dominion failed to halt Ji Lingfengs sword qi entirely, it did manage to slow and weaken it to the point where the sword qi could no longer harm him. With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuan flicked his palm. Hu! The slowly advancing sword qi immediately dissipated on the spot. As powerful as the other partys sword qi was, most of its energy was expended while trying to ovee the might of his Dominion, such that the threat it posed was already minimal by the time it arrived before its target. You have already made your move. It should be my turn now! While saying these words, Zhang Xuan flitted forward. Hu! In an instant, Zhang Xuan traversed over a hundred meters and appeared behind Ji Lingfengs back. Clenching his fist tightly, he dealt a powerful punch forward. A torrential might that could reverse even the flow of a river burst forth for Ji Lingfengs heart. At Zhang Xuans current strength, even without utilizing the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, his strength was already on par to a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert. Pairing such strength with the Heavens Path Fist Art, even Pavilion Master Yue would be hard-pressed to receive this attack! My attack didnt work? Ji Lingfeng had devoted his full strength to the previous attack, and he hadnt thought that a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator like Zhang Xuan would actually be able to withstand his sword qi, let aloneunch a counterattack shortly after that. In an instant, his face turned livid in grimness. Nevertheless, while he was taken off guard by the situation, his movements didnt stop at all. With a swift reversal of his de, he turned his sword around and pierced it through the opening beneath his armpits. What swift reaction speed! Zhang Xuan was astonished. He thought that the sudden surge of strength would make Ji Lingfeng prone to carelessness. After all, the most fatal mistakes usually ur when one was certain of victory, so he was nning to catch Ji Lingfeng off guard byunching an attack right after his offense. Yet, to his surprise, Ji Lingfeng was actually able to react to his attack with nearly no dy time at all. As expected of a warrior who had fought on the Ring of Death! Through undergoing multiple life-and-death situations, one would be more adaptable to unexpected situations, allowing one to see opportunity amidst the threat of danger. Take the current situation for example. Instead of going on the defensive, Ji Lingfeng had chosen tounch a counterattack instead. He angled his sword in a trajectory such that if Zhang Xuans fist were to proceed any further, Zhang Xuan would first find a hole punctured into him by the sword. Excellent! Lets see who will be able tost till the very end then! Seeing Ji Lingfengs swift and sharp reflexes, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. In this crucial moment, he suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins. All along, his opponents were either way stronger than him, or they would be defeated in a single move after having their ws exploited. As a result, he couldnt really say that he had gone through a real life-and-death battle before. Thus, when he saw how the other party was actually able to match him in battle, he couldnt help but feel his heart leap in exhration. Against Ji Lingfengs counterattack, Zhang Xuan decisively morphed his fist into a palm while twisting his body to advance forward. The sword should have pierced Zhang Xuan if he were to proceed any further, but this maneuver allowed him to move parallel to the sword, thus bypassing the sword with ease. Peng! With his sharp instincts, Ji Lingfeng also swiftly noticed that something was amiss. He quickly dashed forward to retreat, but it was already toote. Zhang Xuans fingertips struck the back of Ji Lingfengs body squarely, pumping a powerful might through his body that shattered many of his meridians simultaneously, and a spurt of blood escaped from his mouth. Nevertheless, Ji Lingfengs forward dash wasntpletely meaningless. It had allowed him to ward off a significant portion of the might behind Zhang Xuans strike, thus minimizing his injuries. At the same time, he had also managed to create some distance between thetter and him. Making use of this opportunity, he quickly turned around tounch a decisive counterattack. In the next moment, however, the scene that came into his sight made his hair stand on end. He realized that no matter how fast he moved, Zhang Xuan was actually able to move faster than him! The young man was like a bug firmly stered to his back! No matter how he twisted and turned, he simply couldnt shake the young man away! His movement technique is really a drat to deal with... Left with no choice, Ji Lingfeng could only swing his sword frenziedly and form a protective barrier around him, choosing to go on the defensive for the time being to bide his time for the next opportunity to strike. Just as what Zhang Xuan had guessed, he had once stood on the Ring of Death of the ck market using another persona, and with his superior strength, he managed to rise to the position of Conqueror of Hundred at one point in time! It would be foolish for anyone to underestimate his fighting prowess! Even an averagebat master of the same cultivation realm was no match for him! Yet, despite possessing cultivation significantly lower than hisnot to mention the fact that he had even consumed the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill for thishe found that he was still unable to im the upper hand in the battle... How in the world could a monster like that young man before him exist in the world? I admit, you are indeed a far stronger opponent than I have thought you out to be. It wont be easy for me to kill you using ordinary means... Ji Lingfeng uttered coldly as a callous glint shed across his eyes. In the next moment, he propelled his sword behind with his zhenqi and drove it straight toward the young man behind him. Then, making use of the time that the young man was preupied with his sword, he turned around and flicked his left hand powerfully. Sou sou sou sou! Several hundred sharp needles flew forth like a raging storm. Storm Needles! In order to remain the undefeated champion of the Ring of Death, on top of being strong and vicious, one must possess countless different means up ones sleeves as well. The Storm Needles happened to be his strongest trump card. Every single one of those narrow needles was forged of a unique material, allowing it to pierce through the skin of a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert. On top of that, it was alsoced with lethal poison that would swiftly kill any cultivator afflicted with it. Uncountable were the number of experts who had fallen right to this move. Hu! Despite having used his hidden weapons, Ji Lingfeng didnt get careless. He swiftly rushed forward first in order to free himself from the young mans relentless pursuit before turning around to assess the situation and decide on his next course of action. But when he turned around once more, the sight that unfolded before him made him narrow his eyes in shock. The young man had sessfully halted all of the needles through a sphere of light around him, allowing him to collect all of the needles into his hands. However, perhaps out of curiosity over the needles, he picked them up and began fiddling with them. Slowly, Ji Lingfengs shock turned into agitation, and he eximed excitedly, Hahaha, I never thought that you will actually court your own death! He had specially found a 7-star pinnacle poison master to concoct the poison he hadced on the needles. Even if the needle didnt pierce his opponents skin, the poison would be able to kill his opponent just bying into physical contact with him! Usually, there would be no cultivator who would dare to pick up the hidden weapon of another carelessly, but that fellow actually picked up his needles directly with his own hands... Was he tired of living? But instead of seeing the young mans face slowly caving in to despair, thetter simply nced over and shook his head in disappointment. The poison you have used on the needles is too weak. You have probably been scammed. You might be able to scare others with it, but theres no way such an inferior poison is going to kill anyone! RIght after saying those words, Zhang Xuan intentionally pinched the tip of the needle, as if trying to prove his point. You are able to discern the poison on the needles? Ji Lingfeng narrowed his eyes. The lethal poison concocted by the 7-star poison master was colorless and odorless, making it impossible for any ordinary cultivator to perceive it. Yet, to be able to see through the poison just by holding it up... how did he manage to do it? If I cant even discern such an obvious poison, I would have already died countless times over! Zhang Xuan scoffed coldly. Then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, he shot the needles back at Ji Lingfeng. Wuwuwu! These needles were further enhanced by Zhang Xuans zhenqi, allowing them to move at a speed that seemed to be as fast as lightning. In just the blink of an eye, the needles were already right before Ji Lingfeng. Knowing that the needles wereced with poison, Ji Lingfeng didnt dare allow any of the needles tond on him. Thus, with a powerful swing, he spun the sword before him in a continuous circr motion to deflect the needles. Ding ding dang dang! As the Boss of a ck market in Qianchong Empire, Ji Lingfeng possessed considerable talent in swordsmanship as well. His mastery over the sword had at least reached the level of Upper Sword Heart. Under his tight guard, all of the needles were easily deflected to the ground. If you think that you can injure me using my hidden weapons, dream on... After knocking away the storm of needles, Ji Lingfeng sneered coldly. But before he could finish his words, the vision before him abruptly blurred. Without any warning, Zhang Xuan materialized right before him and raised his hand up, preparing to send a p over. To his astonishment, it seemed like in the span of time that he was dealing with the hidden weapons, the young man had already closed in the distance between them once more. You... Livid, Ji Lingfeng quickly raised his sword, intending to counterattack. Unfortunately, it was already toote. Pah! A fiery pain consumed Ji Lingfengs face, and he was sent flying away. A sweet sensation welled up in his throat before a spurt of fresh blood spilled from his mouth along with several teeth. The young man had used his full strength in that p. Had it not been for the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill that he had eaten earlier, his head might have exploded from that move. Even so, he still felt intense vertigo assaulting his head, leaving him feeling deeply disoriented for a moment. Damn you! Ji Lingfengs body trembled uncontrobly under the impact, and he roared in frenzy. He had lived for several centuries now, and yet, he actually suffered two consecutive setbacks in the hands of the same person. The overwhelming feeling of shame left him so angry that he could explode on the spot. You bastard, I will rip you into pieces! Roaring angrily, the zhenqi in his body billowed as he prepared to charge forward. But before he could make a move, a derisive smile had already emerged on the lips of the young man in front of him. I advise you not to move recklessly. And also, it would be wise for you to avoid driving your zhenqi as well... Otherwise, you will only be hastening your own death! What do you mean? Seeing the fearless smile on the young mans face, Ji Lingfeng narrowed his eyes warily. I dont mean anything much... Just that when I struck you earlier, I inserted two needles into your cheeks. Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Needles? Ji Lingfengs body froze. It was only in this moment that he realized that there were indeed two additional needles on his cheeks. Due to the powerful might of the p he had suffered earlier, he hadnt sensed the presence of the needles at all. The antidote... Swiftly withdrawing the needles, he hurriedly retrieved a pill from his storage ring and swallowed it. He had witnessed the formidable potency of the poison with his eyeseven a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert had died within three seconds of being afflicted with the poison! While his cultivation was currently at Half-Grand Dominion realm after consuming the Insane Demon Breakthrough Pill, he still wouldntst more than ten seconds before a poison as lethal as that! Consuming the antidote can spare you from death, but if my eyes fail me not, the side effects of the antidote will induce numbness in your body in the short run. You arent even a match for me in your peak condition, so how do you expect to defeat me in your current state? Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he slowly made his way forward toward Ji Lingfeng. He raised his palm slowly and thrust it down lightly. Kacha! A tremendous pressure fell on Ji Lingfeng and shattered all of the bones in his body in an instant, rendering himpletely helpless on the ground. The young man was right. Since he wasnt a match for the other party in his peak condition, how could he possibly defeat the other party in his current state? What other trump cards do you have? Take them all out at once! If this is all you got, dont you think that itsughable for you to attempt to take my life? Crushing Ji Lingfeng firmly to the ground, Zhang Xuan nced down at him impassively. The both of them had crossed blows with one another back at the ck market, so Ji Lingfeng should know that he had over a hundred puppets and sabers in his possession. To be safe, thetter should have assumed that he would have other means in his hands as well. Yet, Ji Lingfeng still dared to attempt an assassination on him, even dering proudly that he would im his life... If this was all Ji Lingfeng had, a pill and a sword, he was really being a little too conceited over here! Oh? You are indeed a smart person... But smart people tend to die premature deaths! Spurting another mouthful of blood, savagery returned to Ji Lingfengs face. Gathering whatever strength he had left, he flicked his wrist, and the sword in his hand flew into the stream not too far away. I have already given you the sword, so its about time for you to fulfill the end of your bargain... The stream began billowing furiously before a massive column of water rushed into the sky, as if heralding the arrival of an unparalleled existence. Following which, an old man slowly walked out of the water column, headed toward Zhang Xuan. He naturallymanded a grand and imposing appearance, reminiscent of a deity. Its no wonder why Ji Lingfeng wants to kill you. You are indeed extraordinary. the old man chuckled. Then, his eyes abruptly turned cold, Its really a pity to see someone as talented as you going down prematurely, but I guess it cant be helped... Hu! With a flick of his finger, a sharp surge of sword qi whizzed toward Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1278 - Ji Lingzhen

Chapter 1278: Ji Lingzhen

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This surge of sword qi descended from the sky with a might almostparable to aet. The surrounding space froze as soon as the sword qi appeared, making it nigh impossible to avoid the attack. Grand Dominion realm primary stage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Who could have thought that the old man hiding in the stream would actually be a real Grand Dominion realm expert, stronger than even Pavilion Master Yue himself! More importantly... Hisprehension of swordsmanship is also on par with Ma Minghai, reaching Half-Quintessence! To possess superior cultivation and exceptional mastery of swordsmanship... Even normal Grand Dominion realm primary stage experts would find it hard to rival him! Si! In the midst of Zhang Xuans shock, the sword qi had already appeared before him, colliding with the one-meter Dominion he had constructed around him. Kacha! The sword qi sliced right through his Dominion like butter, opening a small gap that allowed it to advance forward unhindered. Halt! Zhang Xuan swiftly concentrated the strength of his Dominion to hinder the sword qi as much as it could. At the same time, he also thrust his palm forward in order to fend it off. Peng! Despite the defenses Zhang Xuan had put up, the tremendous might of the sword qi was still too much for him to bear. His face paled, and he was sent flying straight into a massive tree behind him. To think that even when using his full might together with his barrier, he would still be unable to withstand the other partys attack! Its no wonder why Ji Lingfeng is unable to defeat you. You actually managed to grasp the primary form of Dominion... To be able to achieve this despite being only at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, your talent is really beyond my imagination! On the other hand, seeing that his sh had only injured Zhang Xuan, the old man in the stream remarked wintry. The coldness in his eyes deepened as he continued, All the more reason to kill you! A genius of this caliber was bound toe from a powerful lineage. Since they had already made a move, they would have to ensure that the other party was killed through and through, or else this matter woulde back to haunt them in the future. They couldnt afford to take such a risk! Who are you? Struggling to his feet, Zhang Xuan spat through gritted teeth. Since you are already bound for death, Ill at least fulfill satisfy this little curiosity of yours. I am the Sword of Faint Warble, Ji Lingzhen, and the Boss of the ck market is my younger brother, Sword of Faint Whispers, Ji Lingfeng! the old man, Ji Lingzhen, said. Ji Lingzhen? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. He had been in Qianchong empire for a day now, and toward those two names, he only had four words to say... Never heard of it! Now that your curiosity is satisfied, its about time for me to send you off on your trip down! Ji Lingzhen spoke coldly. Unwilling to waste his breath anymore, he flicked out another sword qi with his finger. This attack was even more fearsome than the one before. As soon as the burst of sword qi was released, the entire formation began shaking, as if even the grade-8 Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation wasnt resilient enough to withstand the might of the sword qi! If he could wield such strength without a sword in hand, how powerful would he be armed? With a face livid with graveness, Zhang Xuan knew that he mustnt take Ji Lingzhens attack face on. Thus, he flicked his wrist, and a formation te appeared in his hand. It was the very same formation te which Ji Lingfeng had thrown out previously, but Zhang Xuan had managed to take it for his own! Hong long! Instead of using it to trap Ji Lingzhen, Zhang Xuan used the formation to shroud himself instead, and his silhouette swiftly disappeared in the mist produced by the formation. A Beguilement Formation could be used to trap others, but it could also prevent the enemy from finding one in the short-term. But of course, such a course of actions had its own setbacks too. Firstly, it would be much easier for the enemy to break the formation from the outside. Secondly, cing oneself in the midst of a Beguilement Formation was as good as trapping oneself in a cage! Even if the cage was shrouded with a cloth, a relentless barrage of attacks from the outside would still eventually wear down and destroy whatever that was on the inside. Interesting. Let me see how long you can hide for! Chuckling softly, Ji Lingzhen took a step forward and sent another burst of sword qi over. It sliced an opening through the mist easily, reminiscent of a sword cutting through mud. Astonishingly, instead of caving back in to fill up the opening, the mist actually remained firmly parted, as if there was some kind of force preventing them from converging in once more. With just one look, it was obvious that the formation te had been ruined. Regardless of whether a formation was constructed using formation gs or a formation te, there were two ways to ovee it. First, understanding the principles behind it and finding its ws or Life Gate. Second, using brute force to destroy it. Ji Lingzhens formation te was only at quasi grade-8. It could still trap Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle or Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivators, but against a true Grand Dominion realm expert, let alone one who hadprehended Half-Quintessence, it was inevitable that its resilience would becking. A sh to ovee all means! As long as ones strength had reached a certain mark, regardless of what kind of ridiculous abilities others were to throw at one, a single sh would be able to put them right back in ce! And the current Ji Lingzhen wielded such strength. Zhang Xuan had many means up his sleeves, but against Ji Lingzhen, they were all sorelycking. After slicing the mist into two, Ji Lingzhen waved his hand slightly. Kacha! The mist dissipated without a trace, and a severed formation te fell to the ground. Without the formation to conceal him, Zhang Xuans silhouette appeared once more. In just a few breaths, the young man had changed into a fresh set of clothes. More than that, his aura seemed to have be loftier, and his eyes carried disdain from everything in the world. If one had to describe his attitude, it would be that of the indomitable conqueror of the world, peerless and unmatched by any other. If not for the identical face and soul, Ji Lingzhen would have really thought that the young man had swapped positions with someone else. No matter what means you use, theres no way you will be able to bridge the vast difference in strength between the both of us. Even if you change your clothes and disposition, it wont make a difference at all. Its all futile! Sneering coldly, Ji Lingzhen flicked another sword qi at Zhang Xuan once more. Si! The air was split apart once more, and a chilling glint whizzed swiftly across the air. He cant even deal with such trash? He sure is regressing with time... Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. With a swift step, his figure suddenly blurred. Wu! In the blink of an eye, he suddenly appeared in mid-air and threw a fist forward. Hu! Do you really think that you stand a chance against me? Seeing how the young man who had struggled to withstand even a single burst of sword qi from him was attempting a counterattack, Ji Lingzhen scoffed in disdain. A cold glint shed across his eyes, and he flicked another burst of sword qi forward. That burst of sword qi shed directly with Zhang Xuans fist, and a powerful shockwave rippled from the collision, causing the entire formation to tremble non-stop. The collisionsted for just an instant before the sword qi shattered into countless fragments and scattered the surroundings, leaving sharp gorges all over the ground. What? Astonished by the oue of the collision, Ji Lingzhen widened his eyes in astonishment, and he unwittingly took a few steps back. Earlier, even when using a technique simr to a Dominion, the young man was still unable to fend against his sword qi. Yet, just by changing his clothes, it was as if the young man had turned into apletely different person! To actually catch his sword qi with a brute punch... Furthermore, he shockingly realized that... the other partys fist seemed to be even more resilient than his sword qi? I dont believe it. Theres just no way a persons cultivation could grow that quickly. He must have used some kind of method, some kind of method! Shaking away his astonishment, Ji Lingzhen flicked his finger with greater force than before, sending forth a sword qi far stronger than before. Halfway in its movement, the sword qi abruptly divided into countless surges of sword qi that filled up the entire sky. These surges of sword qi seemed to harmonize with one another, releasing the metallic call of a sword, resembling waves in a sea. Sea of a Thousand des! This was one of the most powerful techniques of the Sword Lagoon, and clearly, Ma Minghai wasnt the only one who had managed toprehend this move. Si! The sea of sword qi swiftly gushed toward Zhang Xuan, and a ck streak seemed to vaguely appear along the path where it passed by, as if even space was unable to withstand its stupendous might. A mere childs y! Zhang Xuan sneered coldly as he took a single step forward. He raised his palm high in the sky and pressed it down powerfully. It was the same palm strike which was used against Ji Lingfeng earlier, but its might was far stronger than before. Even when faced against the sea of sword qi, it was like a swat smacking away a fly, an unquestionable suppression. Right after resolving the sea of sword qi, Zhang Xuan immediately flitted forward, appearing before Ji Lingzhen in the blink of an eye. Without any hesitation, he shot a fist toward thetters abdomen. Peng! Caught off guard, Ji Lingzhen didnt even manage to put up his defenses when a colossal might sunk into him. His lungs suffocated in that instant, and sou!, he was sent flying diagonally the ground. He tumbled along the ground many times, creating hole after hole in his wake. How can this be? This is impossible! In this moment, the severely wounded Ji Lingzhen had nothing but disbelief left inside his head. It wasnt too long ago that he wielded the absolute advantage in the battle, so how could the other party suddenly overpower him by so much in just a few moments? He wasnt just any ordinary Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator, he was a genius who hadprehended Half-Quintessence! There was not a single person in Qianchong Empire who came close to being a match for him! Yet, someone as strong as him wasnt able to receive a single punch from that young man... Was that young man really just a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator? Very quickly, Ji Lingzhens disbelief turned into rage. He had been an indomitable existence to those around him for a good part of his life, and he couldnt ept being defeated by a mere youngd so easily. Screw this! Suppressing his injuries, he pushed himself out of the pit he was in forcefully. In this moment, the elegance and grace he had when he first appeared had already turned into unkempt and fury. Screw this? The only one who is going to be screwed here is you! Zhang Xuan replied coldly as his figure blurred once more. This time, the attack that Ji Lingzhen found himself faced against wasnt a punch nor a palm strike but a kick. You... This kick wasnt a battle technique, and there was nothing notable about it skills-wise either. However, the might it wielded was staggering, to the point where it felt as if no human could stand against it. For a moment there, Ji Lingzhen felt as if the heavens were copsing down on him! Damn it! Damn it! Ji Lingzhen cursed furiously as he quickly drove his zhenqi furiously, sending out as many sword qi as he could. In an instant, a sphere constructed out of sword qi surrounded him. Battle technique, Great River of Swords! This was a defensive technique that served to create a spherical river of sword qi around one, neutralizing any external attacks that were tond on it. In terms of defensive ability, it could be said to be even stronger than a Dominion! Kacha! As soon as the kicknded on the sphere, a resounding jiya! echoed deafeningly in the surroundings, seemingly threatening to burst the spherical river of sword qi. With a livid face, Ji Lingzhen gritted his teeth and infused even more sword qi into the defensive technique, attempting to sustain it. Hmph! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as he intensified the strength exerted by his leg. Boom! Under the swiftly growing might of the kick, the sphere eventually came to its limit and burst. Pu! Ji Lingzhen spurted a mouthful of fresh blood as he flew out once more, crashing forcefully to the ground. You actually think that you could kill me with skills like yours? You sure know how to dream! Zhang Xuan slowly walked over on mid-air before stopping right above Ji Lingzhen. With his hands behind his back, he gazed sternly down on thetter, reminiscent of a peerless God of War. I... At this point, Ji Lingzhens mental defenses had already copsed. Frightened by the imposing disposition of the young man before him, he couldnt help but crawl backward in fear. The young man was simply too strong! Without using Dominion or any powerful battle technique, just by sheer brute strength, the young man was able to ovee all of his means. To make things worse, the young mans body was also unbelievably resilient. Despite shing multiple times with his sword qi, there wasnt the slightest scratch to be seen on his skin at all! At this rate, he might really just die! Just what kind of existence is this fellow? Ji Lingzhen couldnt help but feel a shred of regret. Had he known that the young man would be so powerful, he would have never agreed to help Ji Lingzhen and ce himself in this mess. He thought that the other party was just an insignificant shrimp whom he could crush to death at a wave of his hand, but in the midst of his battle, he realized what he was faced against was an invible dragon instead! This wont do. Ill really die like this! Since thats the case, I can only give it a try then... Ji Lingzhen gritted his teeth and toughened his resolve. He swiftly rushed toward the stream before slitting his wrist with a flick of his finger. Fresh blood began spurting out wildly. Tzzzzzzzzz! As more and more fresh blood flowed out of his body, Ji Lingzhens face shriveled more and more, and his ck hair swiftly turned snowy white. It felt as if his vitality was flowing away along with his blood, causing his rapid aging. With a feeble but indignant voice, he eximed, Over the years, I have offered countless des to you... Now, I have even tributed the Sword of Faint Whispers, Sword of Faint Warble, and even my own fresh blood to you... Isnt it about time for you to appear? Or are you just going to lie dormant here for your entire life? Hong long long! The earth began shaking uncontrobly, and the water in the stream raged furiously. The Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation shrouding this area also began to shake intensely as a result of this furious surge of power, seemingly on the verge of copsing altogether! Whats that? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Chapter 1279 - Movements From All Fronts

Chapter 1279: Movements From All Fronts

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The sight before him was simply too scary. Even he had to rely on the Library of Heavens Path to ovee the Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation, and yet, just the power surging from the stream was enough to leave the formation on the verge of copsing. Most likely, whatever that was hidden beneath the stream had already exceeded his ability to deal with. Si! In Zhang Xuans moment of shock, a powerful Sword Intent suddenly burst into the sky, tearing right through the Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation and soaring up into the sky, reminiscent of pir of blinding light that connected the heavens with the earth. Huaji! Huaji! Along with the appearance of the ray of light, Zhang Xuan felt the Sword Intent within him beingpletely suppressed, preventing him from utilizing it at all. Following which, the earth began shaking intensely, and a scarlet stone tform slowly rose from a crack in the stream. There was a sword plunged into the stone tform. Even from afar, one could already feel an unbelievably sharp sword qi harnessed within the sword, and it felt as if it was threatening to slice them into thin shreds. That is... a Saint high-tier artifact? Zhang Xuans face warped in astonishment as he clenched his fists tightly. A powerful aura which could burst a hole even through the Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation, along with that indomitable Sword Intentthere could only be one possibility... The weapon before him had far surpassed the level of ordinary Saint intermediate-tier artifacts, reaching the level of Saint high-tier! Only a weapon of that caliber could wield the strength to overwhelm even a grade-8 formation and instill a feeling of helplessness in him. That must be the personal sword of the Old Sword Maestro! While Zhang Xuan still pondering over the matter, another identical Zhang Xuan appeared with a grim look on his face. Naturally, the one who had subdued Ji Lingzhen with ease earlier was the clone, and the one who had just appeared was the real Zhang Xuan. Previously, when the real Zhang Xuan realized that he wouldnt be a match for Ji Lingzhen, he swiftly concealed himself within the mist and made use of the opportunity to swap ces with his clone. And his clone really didnt let him down, crushing Ji Lingzhen with ease... Just that, he didnt think that Ji Lingzhen would still have another card up his sleeves! Considering how the sword was lying in the middle of the Sword Lagoon, the chances were that it was the personal sword which the Old Sword Maestro had left behind. Could it be that Ji Lingzhen had sessfully tamed the sword? If that was the case, they would really be in a dire position. Like I have told you, only when you have trulyprehended Sword Quintessence will you be qualified to make me submit to you and obtain that old mans heritage... Why are you waking me at this moment? Do my words sound like a joke to you? A crisp voice reminiscent of a bell sounded from the sword. There was a special quality to the voice that allowed it to echo even within ones soul. Saint high-tier artifacts had the ability to y Primordial Spirit and erode ones mental fortitude. If one were to get careless around them, ones state of mind could very well be shaken by them. Elder, the reason why I pleaded for you to appear is to request your help in dealing with my enemy... I hope that you can help me kill that, that... Ji Lingzhen turned around to point at Zhang Xuan, but the sight that he saw left his face freezing in shock instead. He was sure that there was only one Zhang Xuan earlier, so how did he split into two all of a sudden? Kill? The sword embedded in the stone tform also swiftly understood what was going on, and in the next moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a wave of Sword Intent locking in ce and assessing him from head to toe. He tried resisting it, but he found that he was unable to move at all. Realizing that he waspletely helpless against that sword, cold sweat began dripping down his back. Y-yes! It took a while before Ji Lingzhen recovered from his shock, and he hurriedly nodded in response. The items you have tributed to me over the years did help me regain consciousness. In view of your efforts, Ill grant you this favor and kill a person for you. However, you are stillcking in your mastery of swordsmanship for me to submit to you. Well only talk about that after you haveprehended Sword Quintessence. After saying those words, the sword on the stone tform trembled slightly, and a powerful wave of Sword Intent abruptly caved in on the two Zhang Xuans. It felt like as long as the sword were to will it, the both of them would be killed easily. Thank you, elder! Seeing that the sword was willing to stand up on his behalf, Ji Lingzhen heaved a huge sigh of relief. He directed a savage look at the two young men, and the deep hatred in his eyes was apparent. If not for those two fellows, he could have used the tributing of the Sword of Faint Whispers and Sword of Faint Warble to win the goodwill of the sword, and with that, he might just be able to convince thetter to hand him the heritage. But now... he could only expend the goodwill with the sword for a favor to kill that bastard. Just like this, this ideal opportunity for a breakthrough was blown! Just as Ji Lingzhen thought that the sword was going to make a move, the swords doubtful voice suddenly sounded, Which one of those two do you want me to kill? Which one of those two? Ji Lingzhen frowned upon hearing that question. In truth, he was also deeply perplexed over this matter. Shouldnt there be only one of Master Teacher Zhang Xuan? Why would there suddenly be two of them? Could they be twins? But even twins wouldnt have such identical appearances, dispositions, and even souls! I am the real one, hes the fake! I am the real one, hes the fake! The two Zhang Xuans simultaneously pointed to one another, ring at the other indignantly. This... Seeing how even the movements of those two fellows were identical, as if a mirror, Ji Lingzhen fell into a daze. ... While such a farce was urring within the formation, a hugemotion had broken out amidst the crowd outside. All of the sword practitioners had halted their cultivation to look at the burst of Sword Intent in the air, and their bodies trembled uncontrobly in agitation. That must be from the Old Sword Maestros personal sword! Does it mean that... the heritage is about to surface? I have waited so many years just for this day! Lets go over to take a look! I must snatch over the heritage no matter who obtains it, otherwise my centuries of hard work would have gone to vain... I shall y anyone who stands in my way of obtaining the heritage! Everyones eyes had reddened upon seeing this sight. Some were out of agitation, some were out of envy, some were out of greed, and some were out of all three. Many of them had camped here for several centuries now, and it was not without reason why they would devote such a huge portion of their lifespan in the Sword Lagoon. Of course, a part of the reason was to advance theirprehension of swordsmanship, but more than that, they were biding their time for the day that the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro rose from the dirt! Otherwise, even if they could refine their mastery of swordsmanship in the Sword Lagoon, they would have never wasted several centuries of their life here... The Old Sword Maestro had stood at the very peak of Qianchong Empire. Countless opponents had challenged him, and some were even experts from the Empire Alliance, but he remained undefeated until his death. If they could obtain his heritage, they would be able to ovee their current bottleneck and reach far greater heights! It must the young man who has just entered. Lets head over to take a look! Someone amidst the crowd eximed, and the crowd hurriedly rushed toward the area behind the stone wall. Previously, a young man had easily defeated Ma Minghai, who hadprehended the Half-Quintessence, and barely ten minutes after he walked into the formation, a huge pir of Sword Intent suddenly rose from within. For such a situation to ur, it could only mean that the young man had managed to free the Old Sword Maestros personal sword from its seal! The emergence of the Old Sword Maestros heritage was an opportunity of a lifetime. The young man might have disyed astounding might earlier, but just this much wouldnt deter them from fighting over the heritage. Very soon, they arrived before the formation. The structure of the Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation had already been destroyed by the burst of Sword Intent from the sword earlier, putting it in a precarious situation, on the verge of shattering at any moment. It might have been difficult for them to ovee the formation in the past, but in its current state, it wouldnt be able to hinder their passageway anymore. Everyone, lets calm down and discuss a n first. We have all witnessed that fellows strength, and its apparent that hes no ordinary cultivator. One on one, none of us will be an opponent for him. Thus, I propose that we coborate with one another to subdue him first! an old man halted the crowd and said. Hes right. Well only stand a chance against that fellow if we were to unite with one another! a voice of agreement swiftly sounded from the crowd. But how do we determine the allocation of the heritage after that? asked another member of the crowd. We have known each other for quite some time now, so we have some understanding of what each of us is capable of. So, I say that we coborate with one another to obtain the heritage first, and after that, we can study the heritage together! the old man suggested. Sounds good to me! Voices of consent swiftly rippled through the crowd. The Old Sword Maestros heritage was bound to be incredibly profound. If they were sufficiently talented to figure it by themselves, they wouldnt have ended up sitting before the stone wall for centuries yet still be unable to take the final step forward. Besides, they also knew that if any one of them were to attempt to im the heritage for himself, that person would never make it out of here alive. Assuming that that person really did manage to escape from their encirclement, his friends and family would also swiftly meet with the vengeance of those gathered here. Good. Lets proceed ahead then! Having sessfullye to a consensus, the crowd began marching into the formation. ... At the same time, on the ind, many young men were standing opposite to one another with wary looks in their eyes. Sun Gan, we can be considered as old acquaintances with one another, so you should know that even if you are able to snatch away my jade token, you will end up sustaining severe injuries yourself as well. By then, you would be easily eliminated by other candidates too. Since thats the case, why dont we team up to eliminate the others instead? one of the young men proposed. Standing opposite to the young man was the person whom Ma Minghai recognized as Brother Sun. Brother Sun contemted for a moment before replying with an amiable smile, Brother Hu is right. If we were to sh with one another, the victor will surely be severely wounded at the end of the battle. Its simply not worthwhile. In any case, we only have to eliminate 10 more candidates, so it would be wiser for us to team up and eliminate other candidates. Theres really no need to fight this tough battle. Very well. Lets make a Master Teacher Vow then. We shall work with one another to eliminate others, and we are not to turn on one another until the end of the secondary selection. Brother Hu said. A Master Teacher Vow was more of an informal promise, and it wasnt binding. Nevertheless, in view of their standing, it was unlikely that they would stoop so low as to renege on their words. Very well... Brother Sun nodded, but halfway through his words, there was suddenly an abrupt disturbance in the spiritual energy in the surroundings. Following which, a pir of Sword Intent burst into the sky. A treasure has surfaced... The eyes of the young men gathered in the area narrowed their eyes. They were all top-notch geniuses in their own regions, and every single one of them was deeply knowledgeable. The Sword Intent was powerful, but it carried no hostility at all. As such, it was unlikely to be the emanated by a cultivator. Since that was the case, it was likely to be the urrence of a phenomenon as a result of the emergence of a treasure. I heard that Qianchong Empire has a Sword Lagoon, and hidden within it is an exceptionally powerful Saint artifact. There was once an expert who attempted to venture into the depths of the Sword Lagoon to uncover the secret behind it, only to be chased away by the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion under the pretext that this was a heritage left behind for the popce of Qianchong Empire, so it should only be acquired by them... All along, I thought that it was only a legend, but this... Could the ind we are on really be the Sword Lagoon? Brother Hu eximed with fists tightly clenched in agitation. All of them had heard of Qianchong Empires Sword Lagoon, but they didnt think that the secondary selection would actually be held there. More importantly, the powerful Sword Intent that was radiating from that blinding pir of light was a clear sign that the treasure that had surfaced possessed extraordinary strength! Whether the legend was true or not, as long as they could obtain that treasure, their strength would surely increase by leaps and bounds. With a superior Saint-tier artifact in hand, they would be able to make a name for themselves even in a ce aspetitive as the Sanctum of Sages! Lets head over to take a look! With irrepressible excitement on his face, Brother Hu proposed. Lets not hurry into making a move first. Considering the scale of the phenomenon, everyone on the ind should have noticed the emergence of the treasure by now. Given so, theres bound to be a tough fight over it. Since thats the case, why dont we make an agreement to team up first? Otherwise... with our strength, we wont have much of an advantage over others, especially against that Zhang Xuan! Brother Sun quickly halted the crowd and said. Zhang Xuan? The rules of the secondary selection prohibit the usage of puppets and weapons. Thatd is just powerful for his own cultivation realm. As long as we dont suppress our cultivation, well surely be able to thrash him with ease! Brother Hu replied casually, clearly not thinking of Zhang Xuan as a threat. There was an unbreachable gap between the strength of Primordial Spirit realm cultivators and Leaving Aperture realm cultivatorsthis wasmon knowledge known to all cultivators. As long as he fought with his full strength, he should be able to subdue Zhang Xuan easily! The rule which Zhao shi has set is that artifacts are not to be used in any manner that contributes to the elimination of a candidate. If he were to just use his puppets to keep us at bay, preventing up from getting to the treasure, that wouldnt be against the rules! Brother Sun replied. This... Brother Hu was taken aback. Thinking about it once more, Zhao Xingmo did say that artifacts werent allowed in the elimination of other candidates... As long as Zhang Xuan didnt attempt to break their jade tokens with his puppets, whatever actions he made with his puppets wouldnt be considered as an infringement of the rules. What do you suggest then? Brother Hu hesitated for a moment before asking. With just the strength of the few of them, they wouldnt be a match for those puppets even if they were to team up with one another. Simple... As soon as we meet Zhang Xuan, we should just charge forward and subdue him before he can release his puppets. With ourbined strength, we should stand a pretty good chance at sess! Brother Sun said as a glint shed across his eyes. Chapter 1280 - Five Minutes

Chapter 1280: Five Minutes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Charge forward and subdue him? Brother Hu and the other young men fell into deep contemtion. With our strength, as long as we coborate with one another, it shouldnt be too difficult for us to seal his cultivation before he can release his artifacts! Once we seed, we wont have to worry about him anymore. By then, we can just fight it out amongst ourselves to determine the allocation of the treasure. What do you say about that? Brother Sun analyzed the situation for the crowd. Zhang Xuan will indeed be a huge trouble to deal with if we dont strike him down promptly. As long as he remains in the race, theres no way any one of us will be able to acquire the treasure. I approve of your idea! Brother Hu nodded. The others also quickly expressed their agreement to the temporary coboration as well. Alright. Since we are all agreeable to the matter, lets make a Master Teacher Vow. Anyone who vites our agreement shall have his reputation torn to shreds! Brother Sun said. Very well! The others nodded in agreement. Very soon, everyone made their vows, and the group began making their way in the direction where the treasure had appeared. As powerful as the massive formation 1 cast over the ind was, as top-notch geniuses, it didnt take long for the group to ovee it and make their way over the stone wall. Circumventing the stone wall, they soon found themselves standing at the boundary of and shrouded in mist. There, they found that all of the remaining twenty or so candidates were gathered in the area as well. Shall we make an agreement? Lets first obtain the treasure before fighting it out amongst us? Brother Sun swiftly raised his previous suggestion to therger crowd. Very well! The crowd knew that a temporary teamwork with the others would boost their chances of acquiring the treasure, so they swiftly agreed to Brother Suns idea. ... Regardless of which one is real and which one is fake, just kill the both of them to be safe! Lying on the ground, Ji Lingfeng eximed anxiously. Indeed, elder. Please kill both of them for me... Ji Lingzhen sped his fist to the sword and requested. Dealing with one Zhang Xuan had nearly cost him his life. Now that another had popped up, he wouldnt stand a chance at all without the help of the sword. Kill the both of them? Well, I guess that I can help you. However, dont you think that you should show some sincerity in exchange? For example, another sword of the same caliber of the Sword of Faint Warble... This... Ji Lingzhens face twitched. Finding an ordinary Saint intermediate-tier artifact in Qianchong Empire was no difficult feat, but those of the Sword of Faint Warbles caliber only numbered a few, and they were extremely difficult to find and obtain. Otherwise, he wouldnt have put himself at risk and agree to help Ji Lingfeng over his sword. Elder, you also know that swords of that caliber are extremely hard to find. If you could just give me some time, I promise you that Ill find one for you. However, that young man over there must be killed as soon as possible, or else therell be great trouble... Ji Lingzhen hesitated for a brief moment before replying anxiously. But before he could finish his words, the young man not too far away had already interjected with a voice filled with disdain, In the end, you are just unwilling to offer my sword to the elder! Following that, one of the Zhang Xuans stepped forward, and with deep indignation reflected in his eyes, he cried, Elder, do you know why the both of them are so determined to kill me? Thats because they have stolen a top-notch Saint intermediate-tier sword which has been passed down through my n over many generations from me! Its out of fear that I would alert the elders in my n of the matter that he lured me here, intending to silence me! You are saying that we stole your sword? Who in the world stole your sword? You are the one who stole my spirit stones and the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition from me, you bastard! Not expecting those two Zhang Xuans to interject at this crucial moment, Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfeng were stunned for a moment before theyshed out furiously. Can you get any more shameless than that? When have we stolen your sword? Dont you dare hurl false usations at us! On the other hand, after hearing the words from the two Zhang Xuan, the sword on the stone tform shook its de and sealed Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfengs mouths with its sword qi. After which, it asked, Lad, you said that Ji Lingzhen stole your sword? What tier is it? Elder, my sword is at Half-Grand Dominion realm. Even though it hasnt reached Saint high-tier yet, it isnt too far from that... An elder in my n has bestowed it to me in case I encounter any danger in my journey, and he has reminded me time and time again not to lose it! One of the Zhang Xuans replied anxiously. A Half-Grand Dominion realm sword? The sword in the tform harrumphed coldly, and a burst of Sword Intent suddenly emanated from it, as if reflecting the overwhelming rage it was in. Elder, dont listen to his nonsense! I have never taken his sword! Besides, hes just an ordinary cultivator, so how could he possibly have such a powerful sword in his possession? Ji Lingzhen desperately exined. The spirits within weapons tended to be innocent and candid in nature. For some reason, the personal sword of the Old Sword Maestro had an interest in collecting other high-tier swords. Thus, Ji Lingzhen brought the Sword of Faint Whisper and Sword of Faint Warble over, hoping to win the swords goodwill through offering them. He thought that after several centuries ofpanionship, they would already be considered as friends with one another. Yet, the sword actually chose to trust the words of that young man over his! Who are you saying is an ordinary cultivator? I am a genius of a Sage n, the Zhang n at that! Elder, if you dont believe my words, you can check my blood... As he said those words, Zhang Xuan flicked a droplet of blood toward the sword lodged in the stone tform. Offspring of Sage ns possess the strength of old Sages in their bloodline. Through using a unique method, its possible to draw out the Sage Aura in it... the sword on the stone tform mumbled as it shook its de. Wuuuuuuuu! Numerous surges of sword qinded on the droplet of blood, and a slight, divine aura rippled out from it. Its very thin, to the point that its almost negligible, but without a doubt, you do possess the bloodline of a Sage n... the sword said. This... Ji Lingzhen body stiffened. In the information which Ji Lingfeng had provided him, Zhang Xuan should have just been an insignificant figure from Qingyuan Empire. When in the world did he be an offspring of a Sage n, not to mention, the powerful Zhang n at that? If he had known that Zhang Xuan was rted to the Zhang n, he would have never dared to make a move on him! Elder, please dont listen to the nonsense that fellow is uttering! One must possess a very highprehension over swordsmanship before one can possibly earn the recognition of a Half-Grand Dominion realm sword. However, that fellow is a saber practitioner. Even if he knows a little of swordsmanship as well, theres no way his minor understanding in the Way of Sword would be sufficient for him to tame such a sword... Seeing that the sword was beginning to waver, Ji Lingfeng quickly spoke up. Since neither Ji Lingzhen nor he was a match for Zhang Xuan, they only had the personal sword of the Old Sword Maestro to fall back on. Their fates were dependent on the decision made by the sword. If the sword were to be beguiled by Zhang Xuan, they would be the ones who would die here today! Recalling their encounter with Zhang Xuan so far, he had shown superior proficiency in saber art, fist art, palm art, and movement art, but as for sword art... it didnt seem like he knew much about it. Swords were light and agile whereas sabers were heavy and powerful. While both weapons may appear simr, they were very different in nature. Those who were proficient in the saber were not necessarily proficient in the sword too! As long as they were to bite relentlessly on this point, they should be able to convince the sword that it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to have a Half-Grand Dominion realm sword in his possession, and that Zhang Xuan had been lying all this while! As expected, as soon as it heard those words from Ji Lingfeng, the sword on the stone tform immediately spoke with a displeased voice, Lad, you specialize in saber art? For many years, sabers and swords had been in a rivaling rtionship, both vying for supremacy. Naturally, the sword would be displeased to hear that Zhang Xuan specialized in the saber instead. Elder, please dont listen to the lies he is spouting! I am a sword practitioner, so the weapon I specialize in is naturally the sword! Myprehension of swordsmanship has already reached the level of Upper Sword Heart, so how can I possibly be a saber practitioner? Zhang Xuan eximed indignantly as he tapped his finger forward. Tz! A surge of sword qi flew across the air, causing a cold, sharp glint to reflect onto the surroundings. From the pure Sword Intent, it could be deduced that Zhang Xuan had long reached the level of Upper Sword Heart, just a step away from Half-Quintessence. You... Arriving at the same conclusion as well, Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfeng were stunned. It was just a moment ago they had seen that fellow controlling over a hundred Saint low-tier sabers to deal with Ji Lingfengs formation te, so they assumed that he specialized in the saber... Yet, how in the world did his field of specialty turn into the sword all of a sudden? Furthermore, they realized that his Sword Intent was so pure that even theirs paled inparison to it! A pure and firm Sword Intent! Those who dont carry true passion toward swordsmanship will never be able toprehend such a realm! the sword on the stone tformplimented earnestly. H-how can this be... Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfengs bodies stiffened. It was apparent from the swords tone that it was full of approval for Zhang Xuan... If so, things were really bad for them. It would be nigh impossible for them to convince the sword to kill the young man. In order to be closer with the Old Sword Maestros personal sword, I spent thest five hundred years offering treasures and artifacts to it. The wealth I have spent on it can easily number up to several ten thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones... On top of that, myprehension of swordsmanship has reached Half-Quintessence as well. Yet, after so many years, not once have I ever received its recognition... How could that fellow receive the swordspliment despite only being at Upper Sword Heart? Ji Lingzhen couldnt ept the situation. Taming a high-tier sword was somewhat simr to taming a beast. Continuous and steady effort was required for the high-tier sword to ept one. In order to get close the Old Sword Maestros personal sword, he had gone to great lengths, but never once did he receive the other partyspliment. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had only spoken a few words, but the sword was already full forpliments for him... When did the sword be so understanding? If the sword had been so understanding from the start, he wouldnt have failed to make any progress despite centuries of effort! Wait a moment... That fellow is using demonic tunes and Impartation of Heavens Will! Ji Lingfeng hurriedly sent a telepathic message over to Ji Lingzhen. He could tell that there was a unique quality to the other partys voice that seemed to put one in a trance. If not for that, the sword would have never believed Zhang Xuan so easily! That bastard! Ji Lingzhen also swiftly realized the same after Ji Lingfeng had pointed it out, and his gaze swiftly turned cold. Elder, please dont fall for his deception... Ji Lingzhen anxiously stepped forward and persuaded. However, Zhang Xuan swiftly shot him a piercing nce and bellowed, Silence! After which, he turned his sight back to the sword and exined, Elder, the main reason why those two men want to kill me is because... I have fully grasped the conception behind the Old Sword Maestros (Sword) character, and myprehension of swordsmanship is also about to reach Sword Quintessence. They feared that I would overtake them, thats why they have been wanting to suppress me for a long time now... You have fully grasped the (Sword) character? the sword on the stone tform trembled intensely upon hearing those words, and it hurriedly asked on. Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded proudly. All in all, the character harnesses a total of 107 sword arts. On the surface, the sword arts appear to be individual of one another, and some of them were conflicting even, but... this is also where the wisdom of the Old Sword Maestro lies. He has managed tobine all 107 sword arts together to create a new sword art. Elder, may I know if my analysis is right? The sword on the tform shook in agitation as it gestured on, Continue! While the sword art doesnt manifest itself in the (Sword) character, I am still able to deduce a part of it. Most likely, it would have a grand air so as to allow it to harness and control any sword art within it... If Im not mistaken, the final sword art that the Old Sword Maestro has formed out of the 107 sword arts should be a type of Sword Formation, and in order to activate it, we would need your strength, elder! Zhang Xuan said. The scribblings on the stone tablet outside contained the knowledge of experts over many generations. While their interpretation was erroneous on a whole, there were bits and pieces of truth in each of them, and through the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to derive out the most urate cultivation method to the sword arts. After which, with his deep understanding of swordsmanship, it wasnt too hard for him to deduce a little ahead! Youre right... the sword on the stone tablet replied as it assessed the young man before it once more. The more it looked at the young man, the more satisfying he became to it. To be able to deduce this much from just the (Sword) character itself, the young mans talent was really frighteningly high. If Ji Lingzhen couldprehend so much back then, it might have already submitted to him and became his weapon. You said that you were about to reach Sword Quintessence... May I know how long will it take? Ten years? Fifty years? Or a hundred years? the sword asked in agitation. The young man already managed to achieve aplete grasp of the character which the Old Sword Maestro had left behind. As long as he achieved Sword Quintessence, he would be able to meet the requirements for the Old Sword Maestros heritage. I dont need that much time... At which, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes before continuing, Just give me a moment... Five minutes would do! Chapter 1281 - Sword Quintessence

Chapter 1281: Sword Quintessence

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Five minutes? The sword on the stone tform froze. Sword Quintessence was the highest level ofprehension toward swordsmanship, so naturally, it was no easy feat to achieve that realm. Without several centuries of experience and umtion, it was nigh impossible to make the breakthrough. Even the Old Sword Maestro, famed to be one of the greatest geniuses in swordsmanship in his era, had to work ceaselessly for more than a hundred years before he managed to achieve that realm! On the other hand, the young man before him appeared to only be in his early twenties, and yet, he actually imed that he would be able to achieve a breakthrough within five minutes... How could that be possible? Elder, that is clearly nonsense! Hes obviously trying to stall for time. If we dont kill him right now, theres no saying that he would do within those five minutes! Seeing that the situation was developing in a direction beyond his control, Ji Lingzhen eximed anxiously. I didnt summon you out to chat with the enemy... As a weapon, can you at least show some professionalism? Shut up! the sword bellowed furiously. Weng! Before Ji Lingzhen could even react, a powerful surge of sword qi was already darting his way. Horrified, he quickly channeled his zhenqi to defend himself. Peng! However, the sword qi still overcame his defense and struck his chest squarely. His face reddened, and a spurt of fresh blood escaped from his mouth. At the same time, a ring horizontal cut appeared across his chest. All along, while Ji Lingzhen knew the sword to be a Saint high-tier artifact, he had no idea what its exact tier was. However, when he felt the sword qi emanated by the sword, he immediately realized that the true strength wielded by the sword was far beyond his imagination. Just a simple sword qi was enough to render himpletely helpless. If the sword were to attempt to im his life, there would have been nothing he could have done about it! Try uttering another word, and Ill kill you this instant! the sword harrumphed coldly. It was also no wonder why it would be angry. Prior to the Old Sword Maestros death, he had sealed the sword here as an inheritance for his sessor. There were two conditions that the sessor had to meet in order to unseal it. Firstly, he must fullyprehend the conceptualization behind the (Sword) character outside. Secondly, hisprehension of swordsmanship must achieve the level of Sword Quintessence. Only when these two factors were met would the sword finally be freed from the stone tform. Over the years, many geniuses had found its way to it, but it was a pity that none of them had been able to meet the two conditions simultaneously. Ji Lingzhen could be said to be the one who hade the closest to unsealing it in the past several thousand years, but it was a pity that despite several centuries of hard work, he was still unable to take the final step to achieving Sword Quintessence... If Zhang Xuan was really able to achieve Sword Quintessence, he would be able to free it from its restraints. Naturally, how could it allow others to interfere with this hard-toe-by opportunity? Elder... Not expecting that several centuries ofpanionship would actually mean nothing aspared to a couple of words uttered by Zhang Xuan, Ji Lingzhen trembled in fury. Clenching his fists tightly, he eximed, That fellow over there has used the Impartation of Heavens Will and demonic tunes in order to sway you. Its clear that hes up to no good! Sway me? Thats right, elder. Theres no sword practitioner who doesnt know how difficult it is to achieve Sword Quintessence. Even the Old Sword Maestro had to take many years of hard work before managing to achieve that realm! Ji Lingzhen spoke with a worried tone. Hes only at Upper Sword Heart, not even reaching the level of Half-Quintessence. How could he possibly achieve a breakthrough to Sword Quintessence within just mere minutes? Thats obviously an attempt to stall for time. Hes probably intending on using some kind of lowly method to tame you... This... Hearing those words, the sword hesitated. There was some sense to what Ji Lingzhen had said. If it was that easy to achieve Sword Quintessence, it wouldnt have been known as the threshold to the pinnacle of swordsmanship! Back in those years, countless sword experts of the Empire Alliance hade to challenge the Old Sword Maestro, and there was nock of 8-star master teachers amongst them. However, all of them ended up being defeated by his superiorprehension of swordsmanship. From this, it could be seen how difficult it was to achieve the level of Sword Quintessence. From such a perspective, it was indeed doubtful whether a young man in the early twenties would be able to achieve this breakthrough or not. That fellow is a despicable and scheming fellow. Without a doubt, hes up to his underhanded tricks once more. Elder, I suggest that you kill him right this instant just to be safe... Noticing that the sword was starting to sway in his favor, Ji Lingzhen immediately pressed on with an anxious tone. But halfway through his words, his body suddenly stiffened instinctively. Following which, an unbelievably grand and pure Sword Intent burst into the sky. Hong long! It was as if huge waves had been raised in the Sword Lagoon. In the blink of an eye, countless sword qi began gathering toward them, forming a frightening hurricane around them. This is... Ji Lingzhen clearly felt the Sword Intent within his body being suppressed entirely, preventing him from even moving a single step. An ominous premonition loomed over his mind, and his face paled. He slowly turned his stiffened neck over in the direction where the Sword Intent wasing from. The young man who was just talking a moment earlier came into his sight. His eyes were stillpletely shut, but in this moment, it felt as if he had transformed into a sharp de which could challenge even the deities even. Weng weng weng weng! Countless des flew in from outside the formation, and they swiftly took a kneeling stance before the young man, as if paying respects to their new emperor. Servility of the Myriad Swords... This is Sword Quintessence? Ji Lingzhen widened his eyes in fright before slowly shaking his head in disbelief. It was just a moment after he said that it was impossible for the young man to achieve a breakthrough to Sword Quintessence and he was just stalling for time when such a situation urred. At this moment, he couldnt help but feel as if the world had directed its full malicious intentions toward him. Seven hundred years ago, he reached Half-Quintessence. Ever since then, he had been trying to further his mastery of swordsmanship to take the final step forward, and for this, he had resorted to all sorts of means and studied all kinds of books. Yet, no matter what he tried, he was still unable to grasp the realm above Half-Quintessence. On the other hand, the young man had only closed his eyes for a few minutes, and he had already reached the level that was beyond his reach... The stark contrast between both of their plights left him on a mental breakdown. Had it not been for his firm mind, the final string of rationality in his mind might have just snap there and then, leaving him falling endlessly down the abyss of lunacy. He has reallyprehended Sword Quintessence? This is really bad... On the other hand, Ji Lingfengs eyes were narrowed in horror. He thought that as long as they were to engage the help of the Old Sword Maestros personal sword, they should be able to get rid of Zhang Xuan without any trouble. In fact, that was one of the contributing factors why they chose to make their move here, so that they would at least have a trump card to fall back on if things went awry. Yet, who could have thought that the both of them would end up hooking up together, and Zhang Xuan even managed to achieve a breakthrough to Sword Quintessence... At this rate, the sword might even acknowledge Zhang Xuan as its master! To put it in concise terms, they were in deep shit. Run! Realizing this, Ji Lingfeng suppressed the pain that was resonating throughout his body with every move and fled as fast as he could out of the mist. Even though he had only managed to get through the Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation thanks to Ji Lingzhens directions back then, he had memorized the passageway from the previous experience. Furthermore, the formation had been mostly destroyed by the burst of Sword Intent from the awakening of the sword, thus making it easier from him to escape from the area. Hula! Barely after taking two steps out, before he could even get far, he suddenly felt a chill running through his body. Before he could do anything, he suddenly felt the upper half of his body tumbling forward uncontrobly. Turning his head over, he saw Ji Lingzhen retracting his finger coldly, and the nonchnt look on thetters face was as if saying the deed he had justmitted was nothing worthy of note. He watched as Ji Lingzhen turned around to the stone tform and sped his fist respectfully, saying, Elder, I only made a move on Zhang shi under the deception of my foolish younger brother. As you know, it has been many years since I left the Sword Lagoon, so I was unaware of the happenings outside... You... Padah! Ji Lingfengs upper body fell onto the ground, and blood spurted wildly from the severed halves of his body. Even up to the moment of his death, his eyes were widened in disbelief, as if not daring to believe that his elder brother would actually kill him with his own hands. Used to seeing bloodshed, the sword didnt flinch at the slightest by the gore before its eyes. Instead, it bellowed coldly in response to Ji Lingzhens words, Silence! Dont interrupt thatds breakthrough! Yes! Ji Lingzhen hurriedly fell silent and stood obediently on the spot. Since even a neer like Ji Lingfeng was able to see through the attitude of the sword, how could Ji Lingzhen, who had apanied the sword for hundreds of years, possibly be oblivious to it? The requirement to taming the sword was toprehend Sword Quintessence. Since Zhang Xuan had sessfully reached Sword Quintessence, and he had also disyed a thorough understanding of the conceptualization behind the character the Old Sword Maestro had left behind, it was only a matter of time before he sessfully tamed the sword. Once that were to happen, Ji Lingzhen would be a goner. Thus, he decisively chose to y Ji Lingfeng and pin all the me on thetter. In the face of life and death, so long as he could survive, he wouldnt hesitate to sacrifice the life of his kin! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan paid no heed to the mess that was happening at the moment. Under the protection of his clone, he immersed himself in the profound knowledge contained in the new Heavens Path Sword Art which he hadpiled earlier. This sword art could be said to have contained the wisdom of the strongest sword practitioners in not just the Conferred Empires but even the Empire Alliance as well! As Zhang Xuansprehension of swordsmanship deepened, his Primordial Spirit also began morphing in the shape of a sword, and he felt like he could call forth devastating might with just a wave of his hand. When his Primordial Spirit finallypleted the metamorphosis into a sword form, he found that he seemed tomand a natural authority over swords that were weaker than him. With just mere thoughts, he was able to drive them into action. But of course, this was just the most elementary form of control. If he wished to wield absolute control over the sword, he would still have to gain the acknowledgement of the sword and tame it. Nevertheless, this was already an extremely frightening ability This effectively meant that no sword practitioner of the same cultivation realm as him could rival him anymore! With the deepening of myprehension toward swords, I can now infuse Sword Intent even to the simplest of movements. Also, when Im wielding a sword, the fighting prowess I can exert is around twofold aspared to when Im fighting with fist art or palm art! Assessing the Sword Intent flowing within his body, Zhang Xuan began to make a primary gauge of his current strength. As expected of Sword Quintessence, its indeed formidable... Now that I have achieved this level of strength, I wonder if Ill be able to defeat my clone... A thought suddenly came into Zhang Xuans mind. However, he soon shook his head, Forget it, I dont have masochistic tendencies! He and his clone might have originated from the same soul, but through the superior capabilities of the Nine Hearts Lotus, his clone wielded a fighting prowess far beyond his. Every time Zhang Xuan thought that he had made substantial improvement and wanted to exact vengeance for his previous humiliation, he would find that his clone had grown even stronger... It should probably be the same this time around. Both their souls were connected, allowing them to share everything telepathically. As soon as their minds connected with one another, his clone would also be able to grasp Sword Quintessence as well. Given so, whatever advantage he had over his clone would be undone as well. If he were to really dare make a move, there was little doubt that the one who would be lying miserably on the ground afterward would be him. With this lingering thought in mind, Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that came into his sight was a hundred or so Saint intermediate-tier swords bowing right in front of him, every single of them trembling in fear. I see. So thats the reason why the Dusk Cloud Sword was so fearful of Ma Minghai back then... Zhang Xuan thought. He found that he had the strength to easily wipe away the spirit of any of the swords with just a thought. Given so, how could the sword spirits not know fear? Zhang shi, congrattions on your breakthrough! Please pardon me for my previous disrespect. Its due to the deception of the despicable Ji Lingfeng that I made an erroneous judgement. I beg for your forgiveness! Following which, Zhang Xuan swiftly heard an exmation, Turning over, he saw Ji Lingzhen kneeling on the ground not too far away. Even though thetter was trying to keep himselfposed, the slight trembling of his body still betrayed his innate fear. Ji Lingzhen was already no match for Zhang Xuan previously, and the situation had only just worsened. The sword on the stone tablet was clearly biased against him, and the young man had already had more than a hundred Saint intermediate-tier swords under hismand at the moment as well. If the young man really wanted to kill him, all it would take would be a mere thought. You are asking for my forgiveness? Zhang Xuan scoffed. Conducting a swift scan of his surroundings, he suddenly noticed that Ji Lingfeng had already been killed. Then, he traded nces with his clone, and through a telepathic interaction, he swiftly understood what was going on, and a deep frown emerged on his forehead. To be willing to kill even his own brother, Ji Lingzhen was really the worst of scums. Morals and principles clearly meant nothing to him at all. Thus, Zhang Xuanmunicated telepathically with his clone for a moment before turning his gaze back to the stone tform. Zhang shi! the sword eximed in agitation. It had been sealed here ever since the death of the Old Sword Maestro, and it had been nearly ten thousand years since then. Even though it had spent most of its time in hibernation, it still direly craved for freedom. If there was a chance for it to leave this damned ce, it would grasp it without any hesitation. Zhang shi, I have the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro on me. You have to pull me out from the stone tform for it to show... the sword informed Zhang Xuan telepathically. Pull you out? Zhang Xuan asked beforeing to a realization. He hadnt really thought of it in such a manner previously due to the astounding power disyed by the sword, but the words that the sword had just spoken made him realize that the reason why the sword hadnt moved all this while was because there was some kind of seal trapping it in the stone tform. For even something as strong as the sword to be unable to free itself, the seal was bound to be exceptionally powerful. Thus, Zhang Xuan couldnt help asking, If even you are unable to struggle free of the seal, how can I possibly be able to free you? Chapter 1282 - I Won’t Be Learning Them Anymore

Chapter 1282: I Wont Be Learning Them Anymore

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This stone tform was left behind by the Old Sword Maestro as well, and only sword practitioners who haveprehended Sword Quintessence would be able to break the seal and pull me out! However, Im not too sure about how it can be done either... the sword replied awkwardly. The Old Sword Maestro had passed away shortly after sealing it in the stone tform, and it had spent most of its time hibernating since then. All it knew was that in order to be freed from the stone tform, it would need to find a sword practitioner who hadprehended Sword Quintessence and the conceptualization of the (Sword) character. As for how that sword practitioner could draw it out from the stone tform... Embarrassingly, it didnt know a thing at all. You arent too sure how it can be done either? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help heaving a deep sigh. Alright, let me give it a try then. The sword was a Saint high-tier artifact. It would be of great use to him, so he wouldnt turn down an opportunity to obtain it. With a swift movement, Zhang Xuan appeared before the stone tform. He grabbed the sword and exerted all of his force. However, it was as if the sword was nailed into the stone tform, not budging in the least. Frowning, Zhang Xuan began examining the stone tform closely. Its an artifact created by a celestial designer! No wonder... With Zhang Xuans current strength, he could pluck up even an entire mountain if he wanted to. Yet, for him to bepletely helpless before a seemingly ordinary stone tform... So, he decided to take a closer look, and he swiftly found that the entire stone tform was a celestial designer mechanism. Unless one were to use a special method to resolve both the seal and the celestial designer mechanism simultaneously, or else it would be impossible to release the sword. The sword said earlier that only those who had achieved Sword Quintessence would be able to draw it from the stone tform. Perhaps I need to utilize my Sword Intent while drawing the sword out for it to work... With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan tightened his hands on the handle of the sword before closing his eyes. He quickly morphed hisprehension of Sword Quintessence into a surge of Sword Intent and slowly drove it through his body. Hong long! It was as if something had been activated. With a resounding buzz, a peculiar power abruptly burst forth from the stone tform. Following which, a powerful wave of Sword Intent rippled into the surroundings before swiftly forming a barrier around the area. The first thing Zhang Xuan noticed was that his Spiritual Perception had been isted by the barrier of Sword Intent, preventing him from sensing anything beyond the barrier. The converse was likely to be true as wellthose outside were unlikely to be able to sense what was going on within the barrier too. Frowning in uncertainty, Zhang Xuan was just about to release his grip of the sword to assess his current situation when he suddenly saw a few lingering Sword Intent in the area slowly gathering before his eyes, gradually forming the silhouette of an old man. The old man had a slightly emaciated figure, but his very presence felt like an incredibly sharp sword which would slice through anything standing before it. Old Sword Maestro? Zhang Xuan called out warily. Even though the old man was an existence formed solely of just Sword Intent, Zhang Xuan could sense that the other party retained memories of his past. Even just as a congregation of Sword Intent, the other party still wielded might far beyond his means. I am Jian Zhen, the man whom others know as the Old Sword Maestro! Since you were able to awaken the will I have left behind, you must have sessfullyprehended Sword Quintessence. With this, you are qualified to inherit my heritage... the old man ced his hands behind his back and said. One could vaguely see Sword Intent rippling within his ck eyes, as if granting him the keenness to discern everything in the world. Kneel down and pay respects to me as your teacher, and Ill impart you the Three Swords of Lingxu and the method to undoing the seal on the stone tform! Pay respects to you as my teacher? An inconspicuous frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. To inherit my heritage and my wisdom, naturally, you have to acknowledge me as your teacher! the Old Sword Maestro replied with a tone of unquestionable authority. My Three Swords of LingxuSea Severing Sword, Ocean Cataclysm Sword, and Heaven Desecration Swordare top-notch battle techniques. Even the experts of the Empire Alliance would kill for the opportunity to learn them! If my days hadnt been numbered, I wouldnt have left my heritage here for any outsider take it for their own! Typically speaking, when an expert wanted to pass down his heritage, he would first assess his students nature, talent, and many other aspects before deciding on whether to impart to thetter his heritage. After all, there was no expert who wouldnt want to find an outstanding sessor to further his legacy. However, by the time the Old Sword Maestro arrived in the Sword Lagoon, he was already on the verge of death, so he wasnt in the physical state to set too many trials. Thus, he could only leave behind the (Sword) character and the stone tform to assess his sessor. Nevertheless, even if he couldnt make a wholesome assessment of his sessor, he was determined to have his sessor acknowledge him as his teacher before imparting to thetter his heritage. It might appear to be an empty title on the surface, but to those of the Master Teacher Continent, the solemnity of their lineage was something they wouldntpromise on. Since you have spent a long time to decipher the words I have left behind, I believe that you must have been moved by my heritage for some time now. Considering how you are able toprehend Sword Quintessence at your young age, I believe that you should be able to aplish great things in the future. After you acknowledge me as your teacher, not only will I teach you the Three Swords of Lingxu, Ill also impart to you the essence of myprehension of swordsmanship. As long as you train diligently, you should have no trouble bing a top-notch swordmaster in the Empire Alliance within three hundred years! the Old Sword Maestro said proudly. He had absolute trust in his own swordsmanship. Since the young man went through all of the trouble toe here and study the (Sword) character he had left behind, it would mean that the young man was interested in obtaining his heritage. Naturally, as the senior and teacher here, he should put on an authoritative air deserving of his standing. Otherwise, how could he win the trust and respect of his sessor? Three hundred years just to be the top-notch swordmaster in the Empire Alliance? Thats too long, I cant afford to wait till then! With a conflicted look on his face, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had to be a 9-star master teacher before thirty in order to get rid of his Innate Fetal Poison before it blew up on him. More importantly, he needed to wield strength on par with an 8-star pinnacle master teacher by the third month of the next year so that he could have the strength to free Luo Ruoxin from her engagement with the young prodigy of the Zhang n. Three hundred years just to reach the peak in the Empire Alliance... That was simply too slow. You cant afford to wait till then? What do you mean? the Old Sword Maestro narrowed his eyes in agitation. It wasnt easy for him to find a suitable sessor, and there was no way he was going to let this opportunity to pass down his heritage go. As a show of power, he released a powerful burst of Sword Intent into the surroundings, causing the air to moan from the pressure. Are you afraid that my sword art is too profound, and you are afraid that you wont be able to seed? If thats the case, you dont have to worry so! The fact that you are able toprehend the conceptualization behind my (Sword) character shows that you arentcking in intelligence. I know that the Three Swords of Lingxu might be profound, but as long as you study it diligently, theres still at least 30% chance that you might seed... But of course, the shorter the duration you take toprehend the conceptualization behind my (Sword) character, the higher your chances of sess! The reason why the Old Sword Maestro had left behind the (Sword) character was simple. He wanted to test the intelligence of his sessor. Without sufficient intelligence, even if he imparted to his sessor theplete Three Swords of Lingxu, thetter would still be unable to grasp it. Due to theck of time, he was unable to construct the required mechanism to impose a time limit on the duration ofprehending the (Sword) character. However... Judging from your young age, it shouldnt have been too long since you startedprehended my (Sword) character, right? the Old Sword Maestro asked. I figure that it shouldnt have been ten years yet. If so, your chances of sess would be at least 60%! This... Zhang Xuan scratched his head and he tried his hardest to remember how long he took. I think I took around... a minute? He had barely nced at the words on the stone wall before taking in the insights left behind by the predecessors. In total, he probably only took just six seconds or so... Of course, it would be too shocking if he said that he had taken only six seconds, so he intentionally multiplied it by ten times to cushion the blow. A-a minute? the Old Sword Maestro was taken aback. The Sword Intent he had diffused in the area also began trembling in resonation to his emotions, and it felt as if they would dissipate at any moment soon. You said that you only took a minute to see through the conceptualization of the character I have left behind? Indeed. It was just a single character, but it consists of 107 different Sword Intents and sword arts. If Im not mistaken, the heritage should be a Sword Formation. That is the most convenient method tobine all of those differing Sword Intents and sword arts together. Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. It actually isnt that difficult to deduce this much. You... in just a minute, you were able to see through how many sword arts there were in that character? Unable to recover from his shock, the Old Sword Maestro eximed in disbelief. A momentter, a thought came to his mind, and a deep frown containing a hint of displeasure furrowed itself in between his brows. Lad, it seems like you have learned how to lie despite your young age... You said that you were able to see through the conceptualization behind the character I have left behind within a minute, so why dont I give you a test then? If you are really able to figure it out, Ill believe your words! He had concealed the Sword Intents and sword arts deeply within the (Sword) character, such that even swordmasters of the same tier as him would be stunned uponing into character with the character for the first time, unable to make sense of what it was. Yet, the young man actually said that he was able to figure it out within a minute... Most likely, he was either lying or he had simply made use of the wisdom of predecessors to figure it out. You wish to test me? Very well. Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. Ill execute a sword art right now, and youll try to see how many Sword Intents and sword arts are infused into it. After those words were spoken, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a killing intent surging toward him. An ocean of sword qi materialized before his eyes, as if he had been dragged into a wholly different world. Be it the constantly changing currents or the fleeting clouds, there was not a single nce within the world where one was unable to find any sword qi. How about it? Are you able to tell how many sword arts are in my move? After doing all that, the Old Sword Maestro turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. This... Zhang Xuan shook his head. I cant tell. Such an obvious question, and you cant tell anything at all. How do you expect me to believe your words then? the Old Sword Maestro frowned in disapproval. The Sword Intents and sword arts infused in the previous move he had executed were more apparent than those in the (Sword) character he had left behind. Through this, the other partys im that he hadprehended the (Sword) character was pretty much overthrown. Facing the Old Sword Maestros doubt, Zhang Xuan didnt panic in the slightest. Instead, he chuckled softly and said, I wasnt able to tell how many Sword Intents and sword arts are in that move, but I did manage to discern seventeen ws in it! The reason why he was able to decipher the (Sword) character was due to theption of the insights from countless preceding experts. Otherwise, if he were to do it himself, he would have taken several months at the very least... Given how fast the Old Sword Maestros previous move came and go, even if he hadprehended Sword Quintessence, he was still unable to count the number of Sword Intents and sword arts in just a nce. Besides... why should he go through the trouble of counting the number of Sword Intents and sword arts? It would suffice for him to know the ws. You found seventeen ws in my move? Nonsense! the Old Sword Maestros face turned livid with rage. Paying no heed to the Old Sword Maestros wrath, Zhang Xuan began on a monologue, The first w, even though the sword art you have executed is grand and imposing, its needlessly intricate. If Im not mistaken, its designed as such so as to be utilized as a technique to trap others. However, considering the immense might that is devoted to the technique, to use it as a technique to trap and not kill is a huge waste of energy. In other words, the focus of the technique is wrong! The second w, while infusing a Sword Intent targeted toward damaging Primordial Spirits would enhance the might of the sword art significantly, it also makes it more demanding on the users soul energy and state of mind. Should the sword practitioner be unable to meet the basic requirement of the sword art, its execution could very well result in a bacsh, which could make one vulnerable for a period of time, thus creating an opening for ones opponent to exploit... The third w... The fourth w... ... The seventeenth w, the sword art is powerful but its might is unnecessarily scattered. If the might were to be devoted in a single move, it would have allowed the sword practitioner to overpower and y his opponent in an instant. Yet, you had to divide the might among more than a dozen of transformations in the sword art, making it excessivelyplicated and even weakening it in the midst of doing so... Shaking his head in disappointment, Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at the Old Sword Maestro, May I know theres anything you disagree with regarding my analysis? Y-you... Initially, the Old Sword Maestro didnt think of anything much when the young man first spoke. However, the more he listened to the young mans words, the paler his face became. Eventually, by the time the young man listed the seventeenth w, his body was already trembling wildly. As a swordmaster, he was still vaguely aware of the various problems there was in his sword arts... For the other party to be able to discern them with just a look, and even analyze them at a deeper level than him at that... Just how in the world did he do it? Gradually, the Old Sword Maestros astonishment transformed into overwhelming joy, With such intelligence and eye of discernment, youll surely be able to master the Three Swords of Lingxu swiftly! His eyes glowed in excitement, and just as he was about to urge the young man into acknowledging him as his teacher once more so that he would be able to pass his heritage down, the young man suddenly sighed. For even a casual sword art you have executed to be gued with ws, your Three Swords of Lingxu is bound to be nothing much too... Forget it, you can leave your sword arts for yourself. I wont be learning them anymore! Ah? The Old Sword Maestro froze on the spot. Chapter 1283 - Three Swords of Lingxu

Chapter 1283: Three Swords of Lingxu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Countless people wanted to learn the Old Sword Maestros Three Swords of Lingxu. To be honest, the reason he had been severely injured back then was also due to his enemies wanting to acquire his sword art manual. Here he was, offering the Three Swords of Lingxu to the young man, but the young man actually rejected him with such a look of disdain on his face. The overwhelming frustration he felt left his chest feeling a little stifled. While Im not interested in your sword art, your sword is indeed of some use to me. Zhang Xuan turned to the Old Sword Maestro and asked, If its not too much, can I take it away with me? As powerful as the Old Sword Maestro had made the Three Swords of Lingxu out to be, through the Sword Intent the other party had emanated earlier, Zhang Xuan could tell that there were still many ws in the other partysprehension of swordsmanship. Instead of learning swordsmanship from the other party, he would be better off collecting ordinary Saint-tier sword arts andpiling them into the Heavens Path Sword Art. He would be able to improve faster that way, his foundations would be stronger, and most importantly of all, he would not have to be the Old Sword Maestros student! To be honest, he had be so used to being a teacher himself that he found it a little awkward to be the student of another individual, even if just in title. Seeing that the young man was still reluctant to learn his sword art, the Old Sword Maestro said with a frown, I have sealed the Lingxu Sword in the stone tform using a technique from the Three Swords of Lingxu. If you dont learn my sword art to a certain level of mastery, itll be impossible for you to draw out the Lingxu Sword. He had sealed the Lingxu Sword in the stone tform using the Three Swords of Lingxu. Only those who had mastered the technique to a certain level would be able to free the Lingxu Sword and take it away. Naturally, the purpose for doing so was to ensure that his heritage was properly passed down. Those who did not inherit his heritage would never be able to take the Lingxu Sword away. After exining that, the Old Sword Maestro was just about to begin round two of convincing Zhang Xuan to acknowledge him as his teacher when the young man suddenly bent down and touched the ground casually. Then, he kicked the four corners of the stone tform once. Kacha! The crisp whirring of mechanisms filled the air. Zhang Xuan gave the stone tform one powerful stomp. Hu! The Lingxu Sword leaped out of the stone tform and fell into Zhang Xuans hand. You... You are actually able to undo the seal and mechanism I have put in ce? The Old Sword Maestros figure flickered in astonishment. Had he not suppressed his emotions in thest moment, he might have dissipated on the spot! It was just a moment ago that he had told the other party that he had to learn the Three Swords of Lingxu before he could extract the sword when something like this happened. Are you here to tear down my show? More importantly... he had put a lot of effort into crafting the stone tform and the seal so as to ensure that nothing would go wrong, such that it would be impossible for even him to forcefully extract the sword without going through the proper means. Yet, that fellow actually seeded in retrieving the sword with just a few casual kicks. In that moment, the Old Sword Maestro felt like he was just a dancing clown before the young man. All of the preparations he had made were nothing more than a joke to him! The seal and the stone tform you have prepared are not too bad, but its pity that they have fatal ws in them... Paying no heed to the other partys current state, Zhang Xuan chuckled as he lowered his head to assess the sword in his hand. The Lingxu Sword had a ck de, so there was no sharp glint typical of a sword to it. At the same time, there was no sword qi that could be felt from it either. On the surface, it appeared to be no different from any ordinary sword out there. It was only when Zhang Xuan held it in his hand that he realized what a frightening weapon it was. He found that there was absolutely no impediment when he drove his zhenqi through it. Even with a casual swing, he would be able to bring forth power far beyond his imagination. His cultivation was still toocking for him to be able to bring out the full prowess of the sword, but even if he could just wield a tenth of it, he would still be able to y a Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator easily! This was how frightening the Lingxu Sword was! Weng! Just as Zhang Xuan was feeling the overwhelming strength of the Lingxu Sword, thetter suddenly began trembling intensely, seemingly trying to free itself from Zhang Xuans grasp. Hmm? Zhang Xuan frowned. Its due to the nourishment of my Sword Intent over many years that the Lingxu Sword managed to be this strong. Without learning the Three Swords of Lingxu and my sword cultivation technique, itll be impossible for you to tame the Lingxu Sword. You should understand that a sword that cant be tamed is unusable in battle... the Old Sword Maestro exined proudly. He had forged and nourished the Lingxu Sword personally, and his will was infused into it. How could others possibly tame the Lingxu Sword so easily? But before the Old Sword Maestro could finish his exnation, the young man had already bellowed furiously, Stop thrashing around! Following which, he tapped the Lingxu Sword on several points with his fingers. Kacha! Kacha! A series of crisp echoes rang in the air, and it did not take long for the Lingxu Sword to tremble in astonishment. It hurriedly halted its shaking and kneeled respectfully on the ground. Paying respects to Master! Un. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan stowed the Lingxu Sword into his storage ring. Then, he turned his sight back to the Old Sword Maestro and asked doubtfully, What did you say earlier? I wasnt really paying attention! Zhang Xuan had been so busy trying to examine the strength of the Lingxu Sword that he did not hear what the Old Sword Maestro was saying. I-its nothing much... The Old Sword Maestros mouth twitched uncontrobly, and the body he had formed out of Sword Intent began to dissipate. Even though his death had left the Lingxu Sword free to take any master, he knew his sword very well. He had forged the Lingxu Sword personally, and he knew that it was an iparably arrogant individual. Yet, to submit to the young man in the blink of an eye... this was a blow that he could not take. Alright. If theres nothing else, Ill be taking my leave first! Zhang Xuan sped his fist before turning around. This... You havent even learned the Three Swords of Lingxu yet; how can you leave like that? the Old Sword Maestro eximed in agitation. The area is shrouded by the Sword Intent I have infused into the stone tform previously. Unless you learn my Three Swords of Lingxu, forcefully barging through will make you severely inju... Before the Old Sword Maestro could finish the word injured, the young man had already ced his finger casually on the barrier of Sword Intent, and with a light hu!, the entire barrier of Sword Intent vanished without a trace. Cough cough! The Old Sword Maestros face turnedpletely crimson. At this point, he could not bother keeping up the impression of an expert anymore. A pleading look surfaced in his eyes as he spoke. Why dont you reconsider the matter? My Three Swords of Lingxu is really, really formidable... I know, but I truly cant be your student! Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Old Sword Maestro hesitated for a moment shaking his head in resignation. Its fine if you dont be my student. All I ask is that you pass down my heritage down to theter generations. He had thought that as long as he could ept a talented student, he would be able to bring honor and glory to his heritage. But... the young man before him was simply too outstanding! Considering how even he could not see the depths of the young man before him, it was clear that it would be nigh impossible for him to get the young man to acknowledge him as his teacher. At this point, all he could hope was for the young man to impart his heritage to a suitable person and pass down his lineage. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before turning around. I can help you find a suitable sessor to the lineage of your swordsmanship. Wheres your sword art? Its over here. A light flickered through the Old Sword Maestros eyes, and a surge of Sword Intent flew straight for Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan did not dodge, and in an instant, he saw countless surges of sword qi shing across his eyes. They swiftly formed a sword art manual. Just as the Old Sword Maestro had said earlier, there were only three moves to this battle technique. However, every single move wielded might that could not be underestimated. In fact, even the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, which Zhang Xuan had learned earlier, paled inparison to it. Most likely, this is a Saint high-tier battle technique... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm was a technique that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu hade up with in his earlier years, and limited by his knowledge and experiences, it only met the mark of a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique. On the other hand, the Three Swords of Lingxu clearly wielded far superior might, reaching the level of Saint high-tier. It was no wonder the Old Sword Maestro was so confident in his heritage. There was indeed a basis for his confidence. A momentter, Zhang Xuan sighed grudgingly. But... why are there so many ws in it? How am I supposed to learn it like that? Sea Severing Sword, Ocean Cataclysm Sword, and Heaven Desecration Swordeach of these techniques harnessed strength and speed far greater than thest. However, the number of ws they possessed were also so numerous that they left himpletely speechless. Putting everything aside, even the most basic Sea Severing Sword had a total of 336 ws. Just by looking at it, Zhang Xuan had already lost his interest in learning the sword art. More importantly, these sword arts require theplementation of 108 swords in order to execute... Typically speaking, it would be impossible for a battle technique to have so many ws, or else there was no way one could practice it without ones cultivation going berserk. The main reason the Three Swords of Lingxu had so many ws was because the sword arts did not consist of the movement of a single sword. Rather, it was a Sword Formation, requiring a total of 108 swords in order to execute! With each of the 108 swords moving individually, it was inevitable that there would be many more ws in the sword artpared to other battle techniques. Seeing the look of disgust on the face of the young man after receiving his heritage, to the point where it almost seemed like he would just vomit, the Old Sword Maestro sighed deeply and said, This is the Three Swords of Lingxu, which I devoted my entire life into creating. If you dont wish to learn it, I hope that you will at least find a sessor for it. Please dont let my lineage end here! Dont worry. Even though the sword arts in your Three Sword of Lingxu are gued with wsjust the depletion of zhenqi is a nightmare in itselfthe might they harness is still considerable. Ill try to find a way to make some improvements in them before passing them on to a suitable sessor in your stead. Zhang Xuan sped his fist sincerely. In truth, he was only irked by the high number of ws in the sword arts, and just the thought of the number of high-tier sword art manuals that he had to gather in order to perfect the Three Swords of Lingxu was enough to leave him feeling deeply fatigued. On the whole, he still thought that the Three Swords of Lingxu was a decent technique, wielding considerable strength. Ah... Stifled by the young mans words, the Old Sword Maestros figure flickered once more. Ill be counting on you then... After saying those words, pah!, he dissipated on the spot. All he wanted to do was to pass down his heritage... but never in his dreams did he expect to meet such a fellow. In the end, he even dissipated from sheer indignation and rage before he could even pass down hisprehension of swordsmanship. Jeez! Seeing the figure of the Old Sword Maestro disappearing before him, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Since I have learned your sword arts and taken your sword, Ill see your wish to the end and bring honor and glory to your swordsmanship! The fact that the Old Sword Maestro had gone to the trouble of setting up these trials despite the severely wounded state he was in back then was more than enough to show his determination to pass his heritage down. He did not want the sword arts he had created with much difficulty to disappear from the world just like that. He hoped to pass them down to theter generations and have them shine in their hands. Since that was the case, Zhang Xuan would help him pass down the Three Swords of Lingxu to the right sessor after he had improved it so that his name could be sung through history. This stone tform is a treasure as well. I should take it with me! The fact that the stone tform was able to trap the Lingxu Sword showed that it was made from decent materials. So, Zhang Xuan threw it into his storage ring with a flick of his hand. If he could not find a use for the stone tform for the time being, using it as a sheath did not sound too bad. At this point, Zhang Xuan could not help but remember that, in his previous life, sword experts in novels were able to defeat their opponents with just their sword sheath. In the future, while his sword was still sheathed in the stone tform, he could lift the ten-meter-long stone tform to smash his opponent, too. The thought of it left him tingling a little in excitement. After the stone tform was removed, the flow of the stream reverted to normal. Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily before slowly making his way out. Barely after taking a few steps, he saw Ji Lingzhen lying on the ground, his breathing halted. I only told you to teach him a lesson, why did you kill him? Zhang Xuan turned to his clone and frowned. I wasnt the one who did it. It was them! The clone gestured to the area behind Ji Lingzhen. Turning his gaze over, Zhang Xuan first noted that the mist that had been shrouding the area was dissipating along with the gradual copse of the Chaotic Pce Beguilement Formation. Next, he saw several hundred people lying unconscious all around the area. They were the sword practitioners who had been studying the (Sword) character in front of the stone wall earlier. Zhang Xuan swiftly assessed their conditions and confirmed that they were just unconscious, not dead, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Soon, a hint of doubt arose in his mind. Shouldnt they have been busy studying the (Sword) character outside? Why would they have fainted there? The rising pir of Sword Intent earlier made it known to everyone on the ind that a treasure has surfaced, so they rushed over here in hope of iming the treasure. So, I told them that Ji Lingzhen had managed to obtain the treasure, and they immediately rushed forward and lynched him to death. However, they were not able to find anything on him, so they turned their sights to me instead. So, I could only knock all of them out! Zhang Xuans clone replied with a casual shrug. His clone wielded the strength to defeat even the Grand Dominion realm primary stage Ji Lingzhen easily. Even though the cultivators gathered in the area were not weak, they were still far from matching up to him. I see. Its good that they arent dead, or else things could get troublesome. Hearing his clones exnation, Zhang Xuan knew that he would also have made the same call if he were in the same position. Men blinded by greed are irrational. Force works better than words on them. Zhang Xuan quickly put his clone back into the Myriad Anthive Nest before making his way out of the mist. Soon, he heard numerous footsteps outside, and shortly after, Brother Sun and the other candidates of the secondary selection appeared in his sights. Chapter 1284 - Taming of the Swords

Chapter 1284: Taming of the Swords

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its really you! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan stepping out from the mist, a cold glint shed through Brother Suns eyes. When they saw the pir of Sword Intent emerging earlier, they had swiftly realized that a treasure had emerged in the world. Anyone who obtained it would surely be able to rise through the ranks and make a name for themselves even in the Sanctum of Sages! Even though they were master teachers, they were still humans with desires. This was a rare opportunity for them as well. They could not allow it slip through their fingers just like that. No matter what, they had to at least give it a try. They could not allow Zhang Xuan to hog it just like that! The master teachers swiftly moved to surround Zhang Xuan tightly, and their representative, Brother Sun, said with a cold voice, Hand over the treasure and share it with all of us, and well consider sparing you this once. Otherwise, dont even dream of getting away today. Treasure? Zhang Xuan asked. You need not feign ignorance before us. All of us know that we are at the Sword Lagoon, and the previous pir of Sword Intent is a clear sign that the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro has surfaced. Quickly hand it over, and we can spare you this once. Otherwise... this matter wont just end with you losing your slot! another master teacher bellowed coldly. As long as the young man did not use his artifacts, there was nothing of him to fear! Even if he did use his artifacts, considering how many of them were here, they would still be able to incapacitate him swiftly. Thats right! Zhang shi, you should know the position you are in very well! Theres no denying that you possess incredible strength, and you possess powerful artifacts as well. However... are you certain that you will be able to withstand ourbined strength? ... The other master teachers looked at Zhang Xuan coldly. After that fellow embarrassed all of them the previous day, they had already had a huge bone to pick with him. Now that the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro was at stake as well, they did not hesitate to show their hostility toward him. Are you all going to disregard your standing as master teachers and snatch my possession? Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Due to the standing and identity that master teachers had on the Master Teacher Continent, they would usually conduct themselves honorably and respectably. When it came to the allocation of a treasure, they wouldpete with one another fairly through duels. However, those men gathered there clearly had no intention of ying it fair. They were outright forcing him to hand over the heritage to them. Snatch? Its only natural for a treasure to go to those deserving of it! If you wish to keep it for yourself, you should first consider if you have the capability to do so! Brother Sun waved his hands impassively. Alright, lets not waste our breath anymore. Attack him! Dont give him any opportunity to release his puppets! Thats right! Hu! The next moment, the master teachers surrounding Zhang Xuan charged forward simultaneously. All of them knew that Zhang Xuan had an army of puppets in his possession, and once released, things would be troublesome for them. For this reason, they did not hesitate to gang up on him. In an instant, zhenqi abruptly flooded the entire Sword Lagoon, causing the air to turn a little suffocating from the viscosity of the energy. To be able to clear Zhao Xingmos preliminary selections, there was no doubt that they were all outstanding geniuses possessing talent and strength on par with Zhang Jiuxiao. Even though this was the first time they were coborating with one another, they were still able to draw out strength far beyond a normal cultivators imagination. Gathered together, their strength was like a river gushing forward relentlessly, threatening to tear down everything in its path. Given the momentum of their offense, it was likely that even a Half-Grand Dominion like Pavilion Master Yue would have been hard-pressed to withstand their attack. Not too bad! Seeing how those master teachers were able to draw out so much strength from their teamwork, Zhang Xuan nodded leisurely. Then, he drove his Sword Quintessence. In the blink of an eye, his presence seemed to have turned into a sharp sword, and a burst of Sword Intent rose into the clouds. At the same time, he emanated a dangerous aura that threatened to tear anything in its path into shreds. In the face of Zhang Xuans aura, the master teachers revealed looks of astonishment and fear, but they did not allow their emotions to impede their offense at all. Wuuuuuuuu! With the summoning of Zhang Xuans Sword Intent, countless gales rose throughout the Sword Lagoon, and innumerable swords began flying in his direction. Since you were the ones to make the first move, dont me me if you get hurt. Hu! With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuans figure abruptly vanished from the spot. Through the Unbounded Voyager, he flitted at a speed as fast as a specter. Hu! Zhang Xuan charged right into the river of energy created by the master teachers, and as if a sharp de, he sliced their attack in two. After which, more than twenty individual surges of sword qi abruptly burst forth from his body, aimed at each of the master teachers. Had it been before, thebined prowess of the crowd might have been able to stop him. However, after he hadprehended Sword Quintessence, his sword qi had grown far sharper and more condensed than before. While Brother Sun and the others were not weaker, they were insufficient to put up a fight against him. Tzzzzzzzz! In just ten breaths, all of the master teachers were wounded by the sword qi. However, their injuries were not too severe. Zhang Xuans goal was just to punish them; he did not intend to im their lives. But the master teachers did not seem to have any ideas of backing down. On the contrary, seeing how their coborative offense had been neutralized so easily, and the young man had even managed tounch a sessful counterattack, their eyes reddened further with greed. That fellow has been hiding his strength all along. With his current prowess, even Pavilion Master Yue would be no match for him. Isnt he from the Qingyuan Empire? How can he be so powerful? Have you all realized it yet? He was only at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage yesterday, but at this very moment, he is at the pinnacle stage! Not only so, it seems like he has managed toprehend Sword Quintessence as well. Theres no doubt about it. This must be the result of inheriting the Old Sword Maestros heritage. Otherwise, theres no way he could grow so much within this short period of time. ... They had fought with Zhang Xuan the previous day as well, and while he had not been weak, it was certain that he had not been so strong! For his cultivation to rise by two small cultivation stages within a single day... there was no way this had nothing to do with the Sword Lagoon! After all, there was no cultivator who could possibly advance his cultivation so quickly! To be able to raise an individuals strength by such a degree within a short period of time, the heritage of the Sword Lagoon is truly no joke. Clenching his jaws tightly, Brother Sun bellowed, Everyone, we must unite! If we dont stand together on the same front, not only will we be unable to obtain the treasure and the heritage, theres a good chance that we might all lose our lives here! Yes! the crowd echoed in response. Just a day ago, the young man could only achieve victory when their cultivation was lowered, but today, he had already gained the strength to rival all of them simultaneously. If they could obtain the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro for themselves, they would be bound for greatness! Move! With a furious roar, the geniuses immediately charged up together. Even though their teamwork had been decent previously, all of them had held back quite a bit. After all, after they defeated Zhang Xuan, there was a chance that they would have to fight it out among themselves for the allocation of the heritage. However, after witnessing Zhang Xuans strength with their own eyes, they realized that they would not even get toe close to the heritage if they continued holding back at this point. With their wills united by amon foe, theirbined strength soared to new heights. Innumerable surges of zhenqi began gathering together to form a huge cluster of power that covered a radius of over several hundred meters. Under the immense influx of power, the air became as viscous as mud. Putting aside a cultivator, even weapons would find it hard to proceed in the face of such atmosphere. Kacha! Kacha! Immense pressure weighed down on Zhang Xuan, who stood at the very center of this hurricane of energy. The overwhelming power tugged and pulled at his body, as if attempting to tear him into shreds. Humph! Facing the offense of the master teachers, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes frostily. He had shown them mercy, but they had simply taken his magnanimity as a sign of weakness and carried on their offense. With this, he felt that his tolerance hade to a limit. There was indeed no end to a humans greed. From their attitudes, it could be seen that even if he imparted the Three Swords of Lingxu to them, they would still think that he was holding something back. Since that was the case, it was time to take forceful measure and have them know the meaning of fear. Without wasting any words, Zhang Xuan pushed his foot against the ground and dashed into the crowd of master teachers. For some reason, the viscous space created by the full might of all of the master teachers present seemed to bepletely ineffective on him. He flitted through the area as if a phantom, and with every grasp, he would urately catch a master teacher, acquire his jade token, and send him flying with a light push. Just like that, the master teachers fell one after another. While the coborative offense of the master teachers was powerful, through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was still able to find many ws here and there, allowing him to ovee it with ease. Peng peng peng peng peng! It was almost as if Zhang Xuan was a tiger diving into a crowd of goats. As many master teachers as there might have been, there were none whosted more than a breath before him. My jade token! He took away mine as well! He isnt just knocking us down; hes taking away out jade tokens too! Be careful! It did not take long for all of the master teachers to be copsed on the ground, and every single one of them were moaning in pain. Since Zhang Xuan had been able to guess that a part of the test was to have confidence in ones strength and keep ones jade token with one, the other master teachers had alsoe to realize the same as soon as they calmed down, and they had chosen to bring it along with them as well. Yet, who would have thought this would end up presenting a chance for Zhang Xuan to acquire all their jade tokens at once? Despite coborating with one another, they were actually unable to withstand a single move from the other party at all. How in the world did this freak cultivate to gain such monstrous capabilities? In this moment, Brother Sun and the others were still in a state of disbelief, unable to believe what had just happened. Since you all tried to eliminate me, its only right for me to do the same to you. This isnt a breach of the rules, right? Paying no heed to the state of shock the master teachers were in, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand, and the twenty jade tokens floated right in front of him. You dare! The crowd immediately panicked. Those jade tokens represented their chances to enter the Sanctum of Sages. If they were to be destroyed, it would mean that they had failed the secondary selections, and they would be unqualified to enter the Sanctum of Sages anymore. Their initial thought had been that as long as they coborated with one another, they should be able to eliminate Zhang Xuan with ease. Yet, instead of overpowering the young man, they had ended up cing themselves in a precarious situation. Is there any reason I shouldnt do it? Zhang Xuan scoffed coldly as he closed his grip. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The crisp echo of the jade tokens shattering sounded simultaneously, and in an instant, all twenty jade tokens were reduced to powdery remains. Seeing the sight, the master teachers werepletely frozen for a moment. Ahhh! Gradually, the master teachers returned to their senses. Some let loose despaired howls, some copsed to the ground in utter shock, and some red at Zhang Xuan in hostility, as if swearing to exact vengeance. This is catastrophic. If all of us have been eliminated simultaneously, doesnt that mean that... that bastard is the only one who has cleared the secondary selection? Brother Sun muttered in disbelief. There was a total of 33 candidates participating in the secondary selection, and the selection should havee to an end as soon as thirteen candidates were eliminated. However, if all of them were eliminated simultaneously... would that make Zhang Xuan the only one who had cleared the selection? If that was really the case, they might really lose their minds! Furthermore, how was Zhao Xingmo supposed to exin this matter to the Sanctum of Sages? For there to be only a single candidate from the Empire Alliance... Wuuuu! Just asplete chaos had descended upon the situation, a series of whistling sounds suddenly echoed from afar. Soon after, more than a hundred Saint intermediate-tier swords flew over, surrounding Zhang Xuan tightly. These... are the superior swords that have chosen to remain in the Sword Lagoon? one of the master teachers eximed with narrowed eyes. Each year, the Sword Lagoon would draw countless sword practitioners in. When these sword practitioners died in the Sword Lagoon, their swords were likely to choose to rest in Sword Lagoon due to the Sword Intent lingering in the area. Due to this, there were also sword practitioners who would visit the Sword Lagoon in the hope that they might be able to take away some formidable swords to enhance their fighting prowess. These swords are able to grow by devouring the Sword Intent lingering in the area, so they tend to abhor outsiders who interrupt their peace in the Sword Lagoon. For this reason, they assault cultivators from time to time. Haha! It seems like Zhang Xuan is in deep trouble this time around! Coming to realize what was going on, the master teachers burst into gleefulughter. So what if you have eliminated all of us? Now that you are surrounded by so many Saint intermediate-tier swords, no matter how powerful you are, theres no way you will escape from here alive! Kill him! Lets all go down together... Brother Sun roared frenziedly. But before he could finish his words, the swords abruptly fell to the ground respectfully. Paying respects to Master! the hundred or so swords dered simultaneously, their deafening voices shaking even the clouds. Master? These swords have all recognized Zhang Xuan as their master? The master teachers werepletely bbergasted and crazed by the sight before them. Chapter 1285 - The Results Are Voided

Chapter 1285: The Results Are Voided

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You are acknowledging me as your master? Not only were the crowd bbergasted, Zhang Xuan was startled as well. It took a long while before he was able to make sense out of what was going on. It seemed like the Sword Intent released by the Lingxu Sword had benefited these swords greatly, so all of them ended up submitting to it. And now that the Lingxu Sword had acknowledged Zhang Xuan was its new master, these swords also unhesitatingly chose to do the same as well. Adding Lingxu Sword into the group, and I would have a total of 108 swords, thus meeting the weapon requirement for the Three Swords of Lingxu. Could this be the reason why the Lingxu Sword agreed to help Ji Lingzhen make a move on me over the Sword of Faint Whisper and Sword of Faint Warble? Zhang Xuan wondered. There was a total of 107 Saint intermediate-tier weapons in the area, and adding the Lingxu Sword in the equation, he would have the number required to execute the sword arts in the Three Swords of Lingxu. Did this mean that the Old Sword Maestro hasnt been able to gather the swords required for the Sword Formations after he created the Three Swords of Lingxu? Was that the reason why his enemy was able to severely wound him, forcing him to escape to the Sword Lagoon? Another thought appeared in Zhang Xuans mind. One of the greatest difficulties in executing the Three Swords of Lingxu was gathering the swords required to set up the Sword Formations. Could it because the Old Sword Maestro wasnt able to gather the required number of swords that resulted in his eventual defeat? Otherwise, given the overwhelming strength that the Old Sword Maestro wielded, as well as the tremendous might he could bring forth via his Three Swords of Lingxu, it should have been extremely difficult for anyone to defeat him. However, Zhang Xuan also knew that there was no point thinking about these matters anymore. There was no way he could affirm his deductions at this point. With a swift flick of his hand, he kept all of the swords into his storage ring. After he kept those swords, the resounding call of a crane suddenly echoed in the air. Soon after, a majestic crane could be seen gliding over from the horizon. Zhao Xingmo and Pavilion Master Yue were standing on the back of the crane, gazing down at the defeated candidates on the ground. Zhang Xuan had used the Myriad Anthive Queen to control the surrounding Myriad Ants, preventing Zhao Xingmo and Pavilion Master Yue from noticing anything. Nevertheless, as time passed, they still eventually realized that something was amiss, so they began making their way over. When they felt all of the jade tokens except for Zhang Xuans had shattered, they nearly fell off the back of the crane. The secondary selection was set to be three days long, but in less than half a day, all of the candidates except for one had been eliminated... This was too that exaggerated! The crane slowlynded on the ground, and after making sense out of what was going on, Zhao Xingmo turned to Zhang Xuan with tearful eyes. He knew that the young man was a troublemaker, but surely thetter didnt have to do this during the secondary selection! This was too much! For a candidate to single-handedly eliminate all of the others, how was he supposed to report this matter to the Sanctum of Sages? After all the trouble he had gone through searching for candidates, he couldnt possibly just bring a single person back to the Sanctum of Sages with him, right? Putting aside whether the Sanctum of Sages would be willing to ept such an oue or not, there would surely be a huge uproar from the Eight Conferred Empires and the various tier-3 Sage ns! Zhao shi, thew doesnt punish the masses. If everyone has failed the secondary selection, that could be a sign saying that theres a major loophole in the secondary selection. Since thats the case, why dont we bnce out the rules and conduct another round of selection? It would be fairer for the candidates this way. Pavilion Master Yue shot a nce at Zhang Xuan before quickly sped his fist toward Zhao Xingmo. Indeed, I agree that theres a need for a new round of selection too... I think that its only rational to do so as well... Seeing that there was hope for them, Brother Sun and the others quickly spoke up in agreement to Pavilion Master Yues words as well. If there wasnt a new round of selection, they would all be eliminated right here. Naturally, they knew where they should stand This... Zhao Xingmo hesitated. He couldnt just take a single person back to the Sanctum of Sages with him, but... the rules were the rules. If he were to alter it at his convenience, that would bepromising the integrity of the selections. If that was the case, every single candidate who failed the selection would just demand to retake the selection once more, thus rendering the significance of the selection pointless. Ill report this matter to the Sanctum of Sages and have the elders make a judgement on this matter. Zhao Xingmo pondered for a moment before replying. The situation had already exceeded his authority. It would be best for him to report it upward and have them make a judgement instead. Yes! Since Zhao Xingmo had already said so, they werent in a position to say anything more. Zhang shi, since you have received the heritage contained in our Sword Lagoon, I hope that you can return it to our Qianchong Empire. Ill thank you in the stead of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and its countless master teachers... Pavilion Master Yue turned to Zhang Xuan and said. Previously, while the other master teachers were exining the reason behind their elimination, they had also spoken about the emergence of the Old Sword Maestros heritage as well. Return? Zhang Xuan turned to Pavilion Master Yue with a look that suggested that a fool was talking to him. The Sword Lagoon has been in Qianchong Empire for at least ten thousand years now, but not a single person has been able to acquire it. This only goes to show that none of you are deserving of the heritage. Since I have the luck and capability to acquire it, why should I hand it over to you? Zhang shi, you cant put it like that. The Sword Lagoon is a heritage that is passed down from generation to generation in our Qianchong Empire, and it serves to motivate countless master teachers to work harder and charge forward bravely. It has alreadye to be a spiritual pir of Qianchong Empire, as well as an identity that civilians of Qianchong rte with. Since you arent from Qianchong Empire, its only natural for you to return the heritage to us. If you were to take it away with you, you would be robbing an entire Conferred Empire of its spiritual pir and identity. Pavilion Master Yue replied. His words werent heavy, and there was a smile on his face as well. However, there was a clear resolve in his words which showed that he wouldnt bow down on this matter. His intentions were clear the heritage in the Sword Lagoon belongs to Qianchong Empire. Since you arent from our country, dont you dream of taking it away! If you dont return it, should any chaos happen to Qianchong Empire, itll all be your fault... Lets see how youll ount the matter to the headquarters if that were to happen! Pavilion Master Yues voice might be gentle, but the steely threat behind it was impossible not to notice. Seeing through the hidden meaning behind Pavilion Master Yues words, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and said, Since you imed that its a spiritual pir and identity of your Qianchong Empire, why hasnt anyone obtained it over the past ten thousand years? To leave a heritage lying in the dust, preventing it from bringing prosperity to generations toe, isnt your Master Teacher Pavilion a little too ipetent? Ah... Pavilion Master Yues lips twitched upon hearing those words, and his face turned crimson. Trying to extort the heritage out of another because you arent able to obtain it yourself, is this how the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion operates? It seems like I really should report this matter to the headquarters and have them look into the prevalent culture here! Zhang Xuan continued. This... Zhang shi, Im just worried that your reputation will be affected if you were to keep the heritage with you, I dont bear any ill will toward you... Knowing that he wasnt on the side of reason, Pavilion Master Yue could only concede. Youre worried my reputation will be affected? Pavilion Master Yue, I must say that you are worrying unnecessarily. However, there happens to be something which I would like to report to the headquarters which I think you might want to worry about. Zhang Xuan replied coldly. May I know whats the matter? An ominous premonition came to Pavilion Master Yue, and his eyebrows began twitching slightly in worry. Zhao shi is the one who chose the location of the secondary selection, and even as candidates, we arent aware of the location beforehand. Yet, not too long after entering the Sword Lagoon, I was met with an ambush. I suspect that someone on the inside has intentionally leaked news concerning the secondary selection to my enemy in order to harm me. Therefore, I hope to have the Empire Alliance investigate this matter and redress my grievances! Zhang Xuan waved his hand imposingly. It would be too much to shrug off Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfengs presence in the Sword Lagoon as a coincidence. It was more likely that they had known that he would be there for the secondary selection. It was just yesterday that he had beaten up Pavilion Master Yue, so thetter had the motive to backstab him. On top of that, it was likely that Zhao Xingmo had approached Pavilion Master Yue to obtain his assistance in helping to coordinate the misceneous matters concerning the secondary selection so as to ensure that it would proceed smoothly. Thus, it was likely that he knew of the location of the secondary selection in advance as well... So, other than Pavilion Master Yue, Zhang Xuan couldnt think of anyone else who would and could do such a thing. A hint of deep horror was reflected in the depths of Pavilion Master Yues eyes, but he knew better than to allow it to show on his face. With a tone reminiscent to a senior kindly advising a junior, he said calmly, Zhang shi, since you have gotten off unscathed and obtained the heritage even, this matter can be considered as a blessing in disguise. Lets not blow things up or else it might reflect badly on the Master Teacher Pavilion. Why dont you leave it to our Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to deal with this matter instead? I promise you that Ill root out the culprit and... Ill hand the heritage of the Old Sword Maestro to the headquarters and report the happenings over the past two days to them. As for what they will do about the matter, that would be none of my business. Zhang Xuan interjected coldly, speaking with a decisive voice. Had it not been for the many trump cards he had hidden up his sleeves, he could have surely been killed by Ji Lingfeng. For the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion to collude with outsiders to harm an elder of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, just this crime itself was enough to drag Pavilion Master Yue down to his doom. As for the specifics of how Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion would deal with this matter, Zhang Xuan wasnt interested to know. I... Pavilion Master Yue was at a loss for words. Thinking about the fate that would befall him, his face turned ghastly pale, and his body copsed weakly to the ground. He was indeed the one who had leaked the news concerning Zhang Xuans whereabouts to Ji Lingfeng. If no one were to investigate this matter, he might still be able to get away scot-free. However, if the headquarters were to be dragged into this matter as well, there was no way he would be getting off with what he had done. After all, that would be equivalent to harming his own brethren, and the Master Teacher Pavilion would never tolerate such actions! Zhang shi, what happened? Noticing that something was amiss from the conversation between the two, Zhao Xingmo couldnt help but ask. Zhao shi, this is what I have faced after entering the Sword Lagoon. You can take a look. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan passed a jade token over. Looking through the content in the jade token, Zhao Xingmosplexion swiftly turned livid. He was the one who had set the rules and details of the secondary selection, and this included the location as well. He had made great deal preparations to ensure that news wouldnt be leaked out in advance, and yet, Zhang Xuan still ended up being ambushed... Yue Yiquan! How dare you do such a thing beneath my eyelids? Very well! Ill have this matter reported to the headquarters in the name of the Sanctum of Sages. You better have a good reason prepared for that by then! Zhao Xingmo bellowed coldly before flinging his sleeves coldly. Zhao shi... Pavilion Master Yues face was ashened. The Sanctum of Sages was the highest master teacher training institution beneath the Master Teacher Pavilion, and its standing was higher than even that of the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. If Zhao Xingmo were to report this matter in his capacity as a guide from the Sanctum of Sages, the highest headquarter would surely keep a close lookout for the matter as well. In other words, there was really no way out for him anymore. At the very start, all he had intended was to exact vengeance for his wifes brother and have that insignificant figure from Qingyuan Empire learn that a quasi 8-star master teacher wasnt someone he could afford to humiliate... Yet, while trying to do the other party in, he ended up drawing mes upon himself instead. His future, standing, and reputation... All of these were going right down the gutter. From the respected head of the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he would soon be a scorned criminal. If only he knew that this would happen to him, he would have never gone up against Zhang Xuan... In this moment, Pavilion Master Yue felt deep regret for his actions. Lets go! Couldnt be bothered about Pavilion Master Yue, Zhang Xuan swiftly got onto Zhao Xingmos crane and began flying back to Qianchong City. Soon, they arrived back at the Master Teacher Pavilion. Zhang shi, Im sorry that I have let you down... Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Zhang Jiuxiao immediately walked forward and apologized in dejection. Zhang Xuan had spent much time and effort on him in order to help him to enter the Sanctum of Sages, but he ended up being the first one to be eliminated in the secondary selection. While he felt dispirited from his failure, he felt even more apologetic for letting Zhang Xuan down. How were be eliminated shortly after the selection begin? Zhang Xuan asked in intrigue. I... Zhang Jiuxiaos face turned crimson. I was assaulted by a sword... It turned out that shortly afternding on the Sword Lagoon, Zhang Jiuxiao found himself assaulted by a top-notch Saint intermediate-tier sword. As the sword wielded strength far beyond his capability, it didnt take long for his jade token to be shattered. Thats most probably Ji Lingfengs Sword of Faint Whispers... After asking about the appearance of the sword, Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. Since Ji Lingfeng had gone to the extent ofying an ambush for him in the Sword Lagoon, he was bound to have dug his background as well. Perhaps it was out of worry that Zhang Jiuxiao would foil things up, in view of the rtionship between the both of them, Ji Lingfeng chose to eliminate him right from the start. I have really let down the expectations you have for me this time around... Zhang Jiuxiao lowered his head in shame. He really didnt know how he should face the young man before him. In this moment, Zhao Xingmos voice suddenly sounded. Due to the unexpected event urring in the secondary selection, the results will be voided. Everyone will be following me to the Sanctum of Sages to participate in the final selection! The results will be voided? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback. Zhang shi, whats going on? Wait a moment, shouldnt the secondary selectionst for three whole days? Why did you all return so early? As he was taken out of the Sword Lagoon right after he was eliminated, he was unaware of the happenings afterward. The remaining candidates ganged up on me, attempting to eliminate me, and I identally... eliminated all of them... Zhang Xuan replied. You identally eliminated everyone else? Zhang Jiuxiao was stunned. Chapter 1286 - Ruoxin, Here I Come!

Chapter 1286: Ruoxin, Here I Come!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Amidst a furious gale, an aerial saint beast soared swiftly through the sky, leaving behind white streak in its trail. In the room on the back of the aerial saint beast, Zhang Xuan looked at the young man sitting before him and nodded in satisfaction. Due to the results of the secondary selection being voided, it was decided that all of the candidates would head to the Sanctum of Sages together to undergo the final selection. While the other candidates would shoot Zhang Xuan looks of hostility from time to time, they didnt conduct any acts of aggression toward him during the trip. Along the way, Zhang Xuan imparted the Three Swords of Lingxu and hisprehension of swordsmanship to Zhang Jiuxiao. And as expected of a genius from the Zhang n, Zhang Jiuxiaos ability to absorb new knowledge was not too bad. In just half a month, he managed to raise hisprehension of swordsmanship up to the level of Half-Quintessence. While it was still a long way off fromparing to up to Zhang Xuan, his mastery of swordsmanship could be said to be unmatched against the other sword practitioners amongst the candidates. Not only so, he also managed to advance his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. With his current strength and superiorprehension of swordsmanship, he would be a match for even Brother Sun and Ma Minghai. From someone who was barely able to clear the selections of the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Jiuxiao had grown to be one of the strongest candidates in the running. Upon reaching a certain bottleneck, ones fighting prowess would begin to stagnate, improving at a rate much slower than before. To make an analogy, this was just like how it was rtively easier to improve ones timing in a 100 meters sprint from 13.0 seconds to 12.0 seconds. However, to improve it from, lets say, 10.3 seconds to 10.2 seconds, was no easy feat at all. This was because one was already nearing his physical limits and talent, so it would take a lot of effort and time in order to make any visible improvement, if possible at all. This was the situation which Zhang Jiuxiao was facing. Even though he possessed considerable talent and a unique cultivation technique, he was already nearing his bottleneck. Under such circumstances, it would usually take significant time and effort for him to just raise his fighting prowess by a visible level. And yet, within half a month, he actually managed to achieve such a huge breakthrough. If this were to be known to others, it would definitely shock many speechless. This could almost be said to be a mean which only 9-star master teachers were capable of! Finally, I have reached the Unbounded Voyager 2-dan! While offering guidance to Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan hadnt been cking off on his training either. In half a month, he fused the movement techniques he had learned together with the Unbounded Voyager and perfected the Unbounded Voyager 2-dan to the level of Heavens Path. Naturally, he didnt waste any time learning it too. It was a pity that he was currently on the back of an aerial saint beast and it wasnt convenient for him to try out the technique, so he wasnt sure how the effects were. On top of that, he had also fully reinforced his Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivation as well. The Primordial Spirit in his body was pulsating with power, ready to make the breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm at any moment. However, Zhang Xuans greatest breakthrough stilly in his swordsmanship. Afterprehending Sword Quintessence and learning the Three Swords of Lingxu, his understanding of swordsmanship had advanced by leaps and bounds. Putting aside the Lingxu Sword, even if he only had the cier Rain Sword in hand, he would still be able to bring forth strength far beyond imagination. In the past, he would only be barely a match for a Grand Dominion realm primary stage even if he were to utilize all of his means. But now, as long as he had a sword in hand, he would be able to crush any Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator with ease. The most important thing I have to do right now is to gather more sword art manual and perfect the Three Swords of Lingxu. If I could perfect them into Heavens Path battle techniques too, I would be able to bring my fighting prowess to greater heights once more! Zhang Xuan thought as he got to his feet. There was no doubt that the Three Swords of Lingxu wielded tremendous might, but it was unfortunately gued with far too many ws. For a perfectionist like Zhang Xuan, it was simply much too bitter of a pill to swallow. Fortunately, considering that the Sanctum of Sages was the highest master teacher training institution on the continent, there should be plenty of sword art manuals there for him to perfect the Three Swords of Lingxu. While Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao were cultivating diligently, Ma Minghai, Brother Sun, and the other candidates werent idling around either. In fact, perhaps due to the setbacks they had suffered during the secondary selection, they were more tenacious than ever in their training. While they failed to make a significant breakthrough in their fighting prowess, the experience did temper their state of mind, making them far more resilient than before. An uncarved jade will never be a treasure. As top geniuses from their own region, they have been ustomed to being at the top. The experience of being outdone by another will be beneficial to their future growth... Taking this scene into sight, Zhao Xingmo nodded in approval. The candidates who had cleared his preliminary selections were all the greatest of geniuses, so it was inevitable that there would be somecency in them. The indignance at their defeat against Zhang Xuan would drive out thecency within them, pushing them to work harder than ever in hopes that they would be able to return the humiliation in the future. While Zhao Xingmo was looking at the candidates contemtively, a master teacher suddenly stepped forward and asked, Zhao shi, what will the format of the final selection in the Sanctum Sages be? Would it another battle? The one who had asked the question was Brother Sun. Upon hearing those words, the other candidates also halted their cultivation and turned their heads over in curiosity. They were about to reach the Sanctum of Sages very soon, so they were rather curious about how the final selection would be like. After all, it was the final hurdle standing between them and the Sanctum of Sages. The final selection will be far more difficult than the preliminary selection and secondary selection. It wont be just a battle... At this point, Zhao Xingmo hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to find a term for it, before replying, To be more exact, it would be like an overall evaluation! Overall evaluation? The crowd was intrigued. The Sanctum of Sages is the highest master teacher training institution on the Master Teacher Continent, and those who wish to enter it must disy qualities far surpassing an ordinary man, be it in terms of strength, wisdom, adaptability, magnanimity, courage, and such. The final selection serves to conduct an overall evaluation of all of these qualities to determine whether a candidate is qualified to be a student of the Sanctum of Sages. Naturally, its difficulty will also be far greater than the previous two rounds of selections! At this point, Zhao Xingmo paused for another moment before continuing on, Based on past experiences, there is a great chance that the final selection would be... challenging the Mountain Gate! Challenging the Mountain Gate? Thats right. The Mountain Gate is an examination ground which the Master Teacher Pavilion has spent a great deal of effort to set up. It serves to assess a cultivators state of mind and strength by putting him through a series of tests, each with a pre-allocated amount of time. The shorter the duration one takes each test, the higher ones score will be... And those who are unable to clear the tests within the preallocated period of time would be eliminated! Zhao Xingmo exined grimly. This was the standard selection trial used to assess candidates seeking to join the Sanctum of Sages, so revealing it in advance wasnt an infringement of the rules. Zhao Xingmo gestured to the two young men who had assisted him in conducting the preliminary selections and said, The two of them have also challenged the Mountain Gate in the past, but they failed to clear it. Nevertheless, as they had achieved decent results in it, they were offered the opportunity to be listening in students in the Sanctum of Sages. Doesnt that mean that they are geniuses who have cleared the preliminary and secondary selections as well? The crowd was astonished. Only those who had cleared the preliminary and secondary selections would be qualified to take the final selection... Even though all of them were allowed to take the final selection this time around, it was due to the Sanctum of Sages granting them a special exception. Otherwise, thirteen of them wouldnt be standing here at this very moment. Youre right. They did manage to clear the preliminary and secondary selections, but they failed to clear the Mountain Gate, so they were eliminated in the final selection. Zhao Xingmo nodded. Zhao shi, based on your previous experience as a guide, how many of us do you think will be able to clear the Mountain Gate? Ma Minghai couldnt help but ask. Your talents and strength are decent, but in the final selection, you will be pitted against top-notch geniuses from the most powerful ns and organizations all over the Master Teacher Continent. Based on my previous experience, if you are lucky, ten of you might be able to clear the Mountain Gate. Otherwise, there would only be one or two of you, or perhaps, even none at all! Zhao Xingmo replied. The challenge of the Mountain Gate wasnt just a selection exercise amongst the thirty of them. There would also be other candidates from the Empire Alliance, Sage ns, and major powers all over the continent. The geniuses from those powers had ess to superior cultivation resources, especially top-notch cultivation techniques and battle techniques, and some even possessed unique bloodlines... While individual prowess was important in clearing the final selection, luck also yed a crucial role as well. As talented as the thirty or so of them were, the vast difference in their background would make it rather hard for them to match up to the other candidates from the Empire Alliance, Sage ns, and other major powers. If they were lucky, they might still be able to vie ten slots or so over. Otherwise, they might find themselves without even a single slot at the end of the final selection. Such a situation did happen in history before. Jiuxiao, you are from the Zhang n too, so you should know quite a bit about the final selection too, right? Seeing the looks of disbelief from the candidates around him, Zhao Xingmo turned to Zhang Jiuxiao and asked. Yes. From what I heard, thepetition there is extremely rife. Even for the Zhang n, there are years where over half of the candidates they have sent would fail the final selection... Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. Even though he was from a side family in the Zhang n, he was still rather informed about the situation concerning the Sanctum of Sages, as well as the difficulty of the final selection. The Zhang n had nock of offspring, and there were plenty who were stronger and more talented than him. Yet, every year, many of them would challenge the Mountain Gate and fail tragically. From this, it could be seen how difficult the trial was. Theres a genius from the same side family as me named Zhang Yunqi. He was twenty-eightst year, and he has already cleared his first lightning tribtion, sessfully making the breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. In our group, he can already be considered to be a nigh invincible existence, and yet, he still failed the final selection... Zhang Jiuxiao exined. Even a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator had failed the final selection? The crowd was stunned. Currently, even the strongest of them all was only at Quasi Leaving Aperture ream. If even a True Leaving Aperture realm expert had failed the final selection, didnt that practically mean that none of them stood a chance at all? Indeed. However, the final selection isnt based solely on ones cultivation realm. Zhang Yunqis younger brother was only at Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage, but he managed to clear the final selection in the end... To be honest, I cant really tell what the criteria to clear the Mountain Gate is! Zhang Jiuxiao said with a bitter smile. Plenty of geniuses from the Zhang n would challenge the Mountain Gate each year, but there was no specific pattern to be observed by those who managed to clear it. Sometimes, a n member with high cultivation realm could challenge the Mountain Gate for multiple years, only to fail each time. Sometimes, a n member whom others didnt bear much hope for would clear the Mountain Gate with flying colors at the first attempt. There are many variations to the tests of the Mountain Gate. Even those who were participating in the same final selection could find themselves facing different trials. As such, theres no way to train or prepare for it in advance. One can only enter with a flexible mind and adapt to the circumstances. Zhao Xingmo exined. This... The crowd fell silent. They had asked about the format of the final selection in hopes that they would be able to make preparations for it so as to boost their chances of clearing it. However, after hearing the details, they realized that things were far moreplicated than they had thought it out to be. However, that was to be expected. If it was that easy to enter the highest master teacher training institution, wouldnt it be flooding with students by now? My advice is for you all not to get too worried about the matter. After entering the Mountain Gate, justplete the tests to the best of your abilities. Even if you cant clear the final selection, you will still have plenty of opportunities as long as you can make it as a listening in student. As a listening in student, you will have the opportunity to take the final examination again in subsequent years! Noticing the apprehension and nervousness on the faces all around, Zhao Xingmo advised with a smile. While the Sanctum of Sages was very strict in the selection of its students, it did offer other avenues for candidates who were reluctant to give up. As long as ones results in the final selection werent too bad, one could always opt to be a listening in student and challenge the Mountain Gate in subsequent years. But of course, as one who was challenging the Mountain Gate for the second time, they would be judged far stricter than other candidates. Nevertheless, in order to raise the spirits of the crowd, Zhao Xingmo chose to bottle that up in his heart. Otherwise, their nervousness could very well affect their performance in the final selection. I see. Thats a relief to hear... Hearing that there would still be a chance for them even if they were to fail the final selection, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. Alright, we should be arriving at the Sanctum of Sages very soon, so make some preparations. If nothing goes wrong, the final selection should be held within the next three days! After chatting for a while more, Zhao Xingmo suddenly pointed to the area ahead and announced. Everyone hurriedly looked forward, and soon, a massive city came into sight. Located in the middle of a mountain range, it seemed to be shrouded by a massive Spirit Gathering Formation, drawing the spiritual energy in a radius of several hundred thousand li into the area. Even beforending in the area, the rich spiritual energy in the air had already left them feeling deeply refreshed. Thats the Sanctum of Sages? Abruptly getting to his feet, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Ruoxin, here Ie! Chapter 1287 - Ancient Sage Bo Shang

Chapter 1287: Ancient Sage Bo Shang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The very reason why he came to the Sanctum of Sages was to seek Luo Ruoxin and free her from the engagement with the Zhang n so that he could be with her... He had put in so much effort toe this far, and he was currently just a step away from meeting her, so how could he not be agitated? Rest assured, Ill marry you openly. Ill never put you in a spot and make you choose between me and your family. Zhang Xuan vowed as he calmed down his agitated heart. This engagement concerned two of the strongest ns on the Master Teacher Continent, so his mission was bound to be fraught with difficulties. But, so what? Anyone who dared to stand in his way, even if the other party boasted the strongest power on the Master Teacher Continent, he would simply crush whatever opposition they had down like a domino! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan gazed at the world beneath him. A cluster of towering buildings rose from the ground, reminiscent of a crouching behemoth prowling in the mountain range. Its sheer grandeur bestowed it with a natural air of majesty and authority. The person who founded the academy must have possessed aprehension of formation on par with 9-star formation master... Zhang Xuan noted in wonderment. The entire academy was built along the mountain range, and every single bit of it was exquisitely constructed, cing it in perfect alignment with its surroundings. Looking at it from above, it felt as if one was looking at a beautiful artwork. From this, it could be seen that the founder of academy, on top of being a 9-star formation master, was likely to be a highly-skilledndscaper 1 as well. The founder of the Sanctum of Sages is Ancient Sage Bo Shang. He has followed Kong shi and learned from him as one of his direct disciples! Noticing Zhang Xuans astonishment, Zhao Xingmo remarked. Kong shis direct disciple? Zhang Xuan was startled. Despite the prestige of the Sanctum of Sages, he had thought that it was just an organization created by a 9-star master teacher or one of the normal students under Kong shi. He hadnt even considered the possibility that it was founded by Kong shis direct disciple! Indeed. Otherwise, how could the Sage ns possibly be willing to send their inner n members to the Sanctum of Sages to study? Zhao Xingmo replied with a hint of pride in his voice. Ah, thats true. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. In truth, this was also something he had been wondering about all along. ns as powerful as the Zhang n and the Luo n were bound to at least have some 9-star master teachers in their ranks, as well as experts of most major upation. Given so, was there really a need for them to send their offspring to the Sanctum of Sages to study? After all, they should have the resources required to groom their own offspring! However, if the Sanctum of Sages was founded by one of Kong shis direct disciples, that would change the nature of things. Just on that fact in itself, there was bound to be something extraordinary about the Sanctum of Sages. Ancient Sage Bo Shang is neither the most famous nor the most powerful of Kong shis direct disciples, but he possesses an extraordinary ability in imparting knowledge and ideology to others. It has been several ten thousand years since the Sanctum of Sages was founded, and despite the trial of time, Kong shis ideology is still perfectly passed down from generation to generation. Students there are able to feel the very spirit of the Worlds Teacher, as well as his deep desire to bring mankind to greater heights! Learning in such an environment could open up ones mind, allowing one to view the society and the entire world from a higher perspective from before, thus giving them an insight into how they could better use their strength to bring about greater prosperity for mankind. This is something that no n or blessednd is able to do! Zhao Xingmo continued on. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Naturally, there was no doubting Kong shis selfless spirit for mankind. Just the very fact that Ancient Sage Bo Shang was passing from Kong shis knowledge and ideology in full from one generation to the next was more than enough to reinforce the Sanctum of Sages position as the number one training institution in the world. It was no wonder why all powers over the world wanted to send their offspring in. Just the inheritance of Kong shis spirit represented a prestige that no other blessednd could possibly bring. I have heard of the affairs of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu before, and just out of curiosity, may I know thatpared with Ancient Sage Bo Shang, who is stronger? Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. Well... Ancient Sage Qiu Wu is Kong shis servant whereas Ancient Sage Bo Shang is his direct disciple. But of course, this is a matter from ancient times, and it involves Ancient Sages at that, so it wouldnt be our ce to speak too much about it. Zhao Xingmo replied with a smile. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in response. While Zhao Xingmo didnt point it out explicitly, the meaning behind his words was clear. Ancient Sage Bo Shang was stronger than Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! To make aparison, it was just like how Sun Qiang and Zheng Yang were like to Zhang Xuan, albeit Sun Qiang might not exactly be a goodparison. While Sun Qiang did receive Zhang Xuans guidance from time to time, his fighting prowess was still nowhere inparison to Zheng Yang and the others. Of Kong shis 72 direct disciples, the ten strongest are referred to as the Ten Apostles, and Ancient Sage Bo Shang is one of them. Hes one of the few possessors of the Eye of Insight, which grants him strength unmatched by most. Zhao Xingmo said. As a member of the Sanctum of Sages, he revered the founder of the academy deeply, and he was also well-versed in thetters background as well. Eye of Insight? Un. Ancient Sage Bo Shang is the second master teacher after Kong shi toprehend Eye of Insight, and he even created a set of optic arts for it. It was said that back in the war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, a look from him would kill even an ordinary Otherworldly Demon Emperor instantaneously! However, it was a pity that despite having being passed down over the years, no one has been able to master the optic arts he has created... Zhao Xingmo shook his head inmentation. Optic arts? Kill even an ordinary Otherworldly Demon Emperor instantaneously? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He possessed the Eye of Insight, and he knew what it was capable for. So far, he had only known it to wield the ability to peer through the facade to look into the essence of things, identifying the intrinsic ws in them... To be able to kill others with just a look, this was something he had never imagined to be possible before. If that was really the case, wouldnt the Eye of Insight be a really frightening ability? Indeed. But of course, the set of optic arts isnt easy to master. Those who are able to master it to that extent would have already inherited Ancient Sage Bo Shangs heritage, and they would be immediately conferred the position of the head of the Sanctum of Sages! Just to give you a sense of what that represents, the standing of the head of the Sanctum of Sages on the Master Teacher Continent would only be higher than that of the heads of the Zhang n and the Luo n. Zhao Xingmo remarked. Bing the head of the Sanctum of Sages? Seeing through the hidden meaning behind those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. Is there no sanctum head for the Sanctum of Sages at the moment? As the number one training institute of the Master Teacher Continent, it served to groom generations and generations of geniuses. There were many elders and n heads of the Sage ns that used to be students from the Sanctum of Sages... So, how could the Sanctum of Sages have no sanctum head at all? One of the requirements to bing the head of the Sanctum of Sages is to possess the Eye of Insight and master the optic art which Ancient Sage Bo Shang has left behind. It has been three hundred years since such an expert has appeared in the Sanctum of Sages, so the affairs are currently managed by a deputy head. Zhao Xingmo exined. These matters couldnt be considered as secrets. Those who were members of the Sanctum of Sages were aware of such matters, so there were no qualms about speaking of them to Zhang Xuan. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Most powers with long history had their own set of heritage. If one was unable to inherit the heritage, one would be unable to receive the acknowledgement of the predecessors. This would, in turn, make it nigh impossible for them to earn the recognition from the crowd and have them submit to one. This was especially so for an organization as prestigious as the Sanctum of Sages. These requirements were viewed with grave importance, and there was no way of working around them. Taking a step back, if someone were to really attempt to circumvent the requirements and proim himself as the head of the Sanctum of Sages... Putting aside the headquarters of the Master Teacher Pavilion, even the students of the Sanctum of Sages themselves would rise up in opposition to it! And for the sanctum head to not even be recognized by his own students... Putting aside the question of legitimacy, was there anything more disgraceful than that? Alright, we have arrived at our destination. Lets head down. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to ask on, Zhao Xingmo suddenly dered loudly. ncing downward, he noted that the aerial saint beast had already stopped right above an empty square, and it was beginning to descend slowly. Zhang Xuan knew that this wasnt a good timing for him to ask on, so he decided to hold his questions off forter. H! Soon, the aerial saint beastnded on the ground, and the group swiftly leaped off its back. The square was filled with many men and all sorts of saint beasts. It seemed like they had rushed here from all over the Master Teacher Continent to participate in the final selection as well. Even with a swift nce, it could be seen that every single one of them possessed exceptional strength. Zhao shi, are we going against these men in the final selection? Ma Minghai asked with quivering lips. While they werent the weakest bunch in the square, there were plenty who were stronger than them. The powerful auras that they exerted were more than enough to tell Ma Minghai and the others that they stood no chance against them in a proper duel. Back when they were still in their own homnd, they had always thought that they were top geniuses on the Master Teacher Continent. Even if there were people in the world who were more talented than them, the disparity between them was unlikely to be too great. However, after seeing the crowd that had gathered in the area, they swiftly realized that their thoughts were too naive. Most of them are inner n members of the Sage ns. On top of the superior purity of their bloodlines, they were also given the best guidance from young, so its only natural that they would be that strong. In any case, like I have told you earlier, strength is only one of the criteria being assessed in the Mountain Gate. As long as you were to perform to the best of your abilities in every test, you should stand a decent chance. So, theres no need to be too worried... Noting the air of anxiety shrouding the group, Zhao Xingmo consoled. The inner members of Sage ns were able to grow swiftly in the earlier stages of their cultivation through awakening their bloodline. Furthermore, they were also had ess to the best cultivation resources and the best guidance from a very young age, so it was a given that they would be stronger than the other candidates. With that huge of a difference in the starting line, it was inevitable that there would be some distance between them at this point. This was an innate factor, so there was nothing they could do to help that. Nevertheless, as long as the group continued working hard, they might just be able to catch up with them. We understand. Thank you, Zhao shi. Even though the group understood this much too, they still couldnt help their nervousness. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was secretly scanning his surroundings with his Eye of Insight. As expected of the offspring of Sage ns, they are indeed powerful. Not only were there Leaving Aperture realm cultivators who had undergone the lightning tribtion amongst the crowd, there were even some who had reached Half-Grand Dominion realm! To possess such strength when they werent even in their thirties yet, their talents could be said to be almost on par with him! As powerful as Zhang Xuans fighting prowess was at the moment, his true cultivation was still only at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle at the moment, a long distance away from reaching Half-Grand Dominion realm. Hm? There seems to be quite a few who arent master teachers amongst them... someone within the group suddenly remarked. Zhang Xuan had also noticed the same as well. There were quite a few young men in the square who werent wearing master teacher robes, and they didnt carry the disposition that master teachers would usually have either. The Sanctum of Sages serves not only to groom master teachers but those of the other upations as well, such as cksmith and apothecary. As such, those from the other upations woulde to challenge the Mountain Gate each year too. Zhao Xingmo replied with a smile. The Sanctum of Sages was the highest training institute on the Master Teacher Continent, but it didnt seek to just cultivate master teachers. It also had heritages for the other upations as well. In fact, the number of non-master teachers amongst the candidates, as a whole, was far higher than the number of master teachers. So thats the case... Everyone nodded. All of the candidates from the Eight Conferred Empires only numbered thirty in total. If the secondary selection had gone as nned, there would only be twenty of them left. But on the square, there were more than ten thousand young men, and this disproportionate number of candidates was deeply bewildering to them. However, if the scope of the candidates wasnt just limited to master teachers, that would make perfect sense. Even though the upations in the world were divided into Upper Nine Paths, Middle Nine Paths, and Lower Nine Paths, that didnt mean that there were only 27 upations in total. It was only a conventional terminology used to rank the upations. There were at least a thousand upations out there in the world, and which upation wouldnt have a couple of geniuses each year? Given so, it was within expectations that there would be so many candidates taking the final selection. Let me see how the strength of the geniuses from the other upations are like... Upon understanding all of these, Zhang Xuan began assessing those of the other upations. A momentter, he shook his head. While there were plenty of experts amongst those of the other upations too, on the whole, they were still rathercking aspared to master teachers. After all, master teacher wasnt the number one upation in the world for nothing. Hm? Just as Zhang Xuan was about to retract his gaze, he suddenly caught sight of a certain group which made his eyes light up in agitation. Are those people... from the cier in Court? Chapter 1288 - Zhang Qian

Chapter 1288: Zhang Qian

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Standing nearby were a few youngdies. They were dressed in white robes, identical to those of the cier in Court back when he was at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance branch. Zhang Xuan had not received any news about Zhao Ya since she left, and he had been wanting to know how she was faring since then. Since he happened to meet the members from the cier in Court, it was a good opportunity to ask about her condition. Considering that they had been selected to participate in the final selection of the Sanctum of Sages, the group over there would likely possess considerable standing in the cier in Court. Thus, there was a good chance that they were aware of how Zhao Ya was doing. Zhao shi, Ill head over there to take a look, Zhang Xuan informed Zhao Xingmo before making his way over. Over there? Zhao Xingmo took a nce over and remarked, Thosedies over there are from the cier in Court. Itll be best not to get on their bad side. Oh? Zhang Xuan was surprised by the warning. Are the members of the cier in Court known to be unreasonable? Zhao Xingmo shook his head and replied, Thats not it. Most of the members of the cier in Court are beautifuldies, so their group tends to be extremely popr in the Sanctum of Sages. In fact, most take pride in marrying one of their members, so there are plenty of people who attempt to chat them up on a daily basis. I fear that you might get snubbed if you approach them abruptly. The young man before him was very talented, and his eye of discernment was incredible as well. However, who would have thought that he was actually so lecherous! On their first meeting, the young man had already asked him about the details of the number one beauty of the Sanctum of Sages, the Luo ns little princess. And now, as soon as he spotted the beautiful members of the cier in Court, he was drawn in and wanted to approach them. Do you know that the Sanctum of Sages isnt like the Qingyuan Empire? Even if you possess incredible talent, you cant just react in such a manner every time you see a beauty. At this rate, its just a matter of time before you get beaten up by someone! Ah... I just intend to ask them something. Im not intending to chat them up. How could Zhang Xuan be unaware of what Zhao Xingmo was thinking after hearing those words and seeing the expression on thetters face? ck lines immediately streaked across Zhang Xuan face. He had always conducted himself honestly and righteously, rarely overstepping his boundaries unless truly necessary. Yet, for the other party to treat him like a pervert... that was a great insult to his character! No matter what, you have to make sure to tread carefully. There are no weaklings in the Sanctum of Sages. Try to be as low profile as you can, and dont ever get into a conflict with anyone! Zhao Xingmo advised. First, the young man forcefully got him to allocate two slots to the Qingyuan Empire during the preliminary selection through his scheming. Next, the young man made a mess out of the secondary selection, forcing him to have to bring everyone over. And now, barely after they had arrived, he was already trying to approach the group from the cier in Court. Cant you just give it a rest for a while? Will you die if you stop causing trouble for a moment? Dont worry, Zhang Xuan reassured with a smile, Ive always been one to keep a low profile. I wont get into any trouble, so rest easy! This time, he was only heading over to ask some questions. Surely, nothing bad could happen from asking a few questions, right? That would be for the best. Im only your guide, so I wont be able to help you with anything that happens from here onward. So, allow me to give you a few words of advice. The cier in Court possesses great power and influence in the Master Teacher Continent, and they used to be on par with the Zhang n and Luo n in the past. Even though they might have been declining in recent years due to the absence of a court chief, their prowess is still not to be underestimated, Zhao Xingmo warned with a stern frown. He was only in charge of selecting the candidates and taking them over to the Sanctum of Sages. Anything beyond that was out of his jurisdiction, and it was not his ce to interfere either. Nevertheless, they had still spent some time together, and he had a rather favorable impression of Zhang Xuan. So, he still hoped that thetter would not get into trouble in the Sanctum of Sages. Especially not with a power as strong as the cier in Court. Knowing that the other party was saying those words out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and replied, I understand! Un. Zhao Xingmo nodded before falling silent. After which, Zhang Xuan made his way over to the members of the cier in Court and asked with a smile, May I ask if you all are from the cier in Court? We are. The youngdies turned around and responded, but their faces were devoid of any emotion. Complete indifference, as if trying to distance themselves from the young man before them. As those of the cier in Court cultivated yin attribute cultivation techniques, their personalities tended to be a little cold. I am a cultivator from the Qingyuan Empire, and I hope to enquire about a certain matter, Zhang Xuan said earnestly. Dont you think that your pick-up line is a little too old-fashioned? one of the youngdies sneered coldly, the disdain in her eyes clear for all to see. The cier in Court was one of the top powers in the Master Teacher Continent, and they were ravishing beauties possessing exceptional talent. As a result, there were many who tried to chat them up every single day, and over time, they had seen all kinds of means that others would use. The one that the young man before them was using, trying to enquire about a certain matterit had been many years since anyone had tried using that on them! It was a pick-up line that had expired a very long time ago! Apleteck of creativity. Zero marks for effort! Seeing that he had been misunderstood, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile as he quickly exined, You are really misunderstanding my intentions. I have an acquaintance who entered the cier in Court recently, and I havent been able to gather any news on her. I happened to spot your group here, so I was wondering if I could perhaps enquire about her affairs from you! An acquaintance? You arent going to say that your acquaintance is one of us, are you? The disdain on the youngdys face deepened. She had heard so many of such pick-up lines that she could recite most of them from memory. In the short time that they had spent in the square so far, there had already been five groups of men who had approached them, wanting to get close with them. Young miss, you look familiar. I think we might have met in our previous life. Arent you tired? Because you have been running through my mind all day long. She had simply heard too many of such pick-up lines; any more of them could very well cause her ears to grow warts! Of course not. The person I wish to ask about is a youngss called Zhao Ya. She should have been brought into the cier in Court by one of your elders that goes by the name of Liu Xuan, Zhang Xuan said. The youngdy menacingly narrowed her eyes as she snapped furiously. Audacious! Is the name of our young court chief something that you are worthy of uttering? Young court chief? Zhang Xuan frowned. Stop putting on an act! An imposing aura burst forth from the youngdy as she red at Zhang Xuan threateningly, as if daring him to continue spouting nonsense. Leave right now, and I can let this matter slide. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty! As soon as she released her strength, her cultivation immediately showed. Despite her young age, the youngdy was actually at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle! Even among the impressive geniuses that had gathered there, she could be considered as an expert. Calm down, I just want to ask you... Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan continued to exin the matter, but the youngdy seemed to have reached the limit of her patience. She raised her hand and struck out at Zhang Xuan. Her palm was imbued with a frosty energy that induced a spine-chilling sensation within one, as if threatening to freeze everything in the surroundings. This... Zhang Xuan did not think that his serious question would actually end up provoking the other party into making a move against him. Sighing helplessly, he raised his finger in preparation to counterattack, but before he could do so, a figure suddenly appeared before him, and the energy built up abruptly dissipated. Zhao Xingmo. This friend from the cier in Court, I am a guide from the Sanctum of Sages, Zhao Xingmo. This young man over here is a candidate under me, and if he has offended you in any way, I ask for your pardon... It was just a moment ago that the young man had promised him that he would not get himself into trouble, but the young man had ended up provoking the other party into making a move after just a few words. Unable to watch on any longer, he had ended up charging in to mediate in the fight. Since Zhao shi has spoken on his behalf, Ill overlook the matter this once. Seeing that a guide had stepped in to mediate the matter, the youngdy nced at Zhang Xuan coldly before flinging her sleeves and turning away. Thank you. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhao Xingmo turned to Zhang Xuan with a frown and said, Lets return. I really have something I would like to ask her... All Zhang Xuan wanted to know was whether Zhao Ya was faring well or not, but not only was the youngdy unwilling to say anything, she even tried to make a move on him. Was there something wrong with her head? You said that you wouldnt provoke them, but as soon as you spoke, you actually called their young court chief a youngss. Arent you clearly taunting them? Zhao Xingmo berated with a deep frown. Worried about Zhang Xuan, he had been keeping an eye on the situation, and he had heard the conversation between the two of them from the start to the end. This... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Zhao Ya was his student, so there was no problem with him calling her youngss. However, he had failed to consider the fact that Zhao Ya was also their young court chief at the moment. From their perspective, his method of addressing her was indeed rather disrespectful. No matter what, the cier in Court was still one of the strongest powers on the Master Teacher Continent. The standing of their young court chief could be said to be on par with a 9-star master teacher, and yet, a youngd like him actually addressed her in such a manner. It was no wonder the youngdy had gotten angry. In a sense, this was like directly addressing the emperor by his name and even calling him a youngd. Alright, lets go back... Ive heard of the affairs of the cier in Courts young court chief too. She possesses the Pure Yin Body, and the cier in Court only brought her back several months ago. I know she is rumored to possess beauty on par with the little princess of the Luo n, but still... As Zhao Xingmo spoke, he looked at the young man before him and shook his head. This young fellow was not just a perverthe was practically blinded by his lust! He looked into the affairs of the Luo ns little princess beforeing to the Sanctum of Sages, and now that he had encountered the members of the cier in Court, he actually rushed straight forward to enquire about their young court chief. Are you going to do that to every beautifuldy youe by? While both of them might be young, they are figures who could rattle the entire Master Teacher Continent with just a stomp of their feet. Just how gutsy are you to actually dare to think of making a move on them? Zhao Ya is my... Theres a close rtionship between the both of us. I honestly only wish to ask you for some news on her... Unwilling to give up, Zhang Xuan could only change his words. Previously, when he had addressed Zhao Ya as a youngss, the youngdy had nearly exploded. If he said that she was his student, wouldnt the youngdy overturn the heavens? Upon hearing those words, the youngdys eyes immediately widened with rage. Unable to hold her burning fury in anymore, she stepped forward and bellowed furiously. Close rtionship between the both of you? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? The young court chief of our cier in Court is sacred and virtuoushow dare you insult her in such a manner? Zhao shi, pardon me, but Ill have to ask of you to step away. No matter what, I must teach this insolent fellow to watch his mouth! This... Zhao Xingmo was frenzied. Previously, that fellow imed that he was acquainted with the Luo ns little princess, and now, he actually imed that there was a close rtionship between him and the young court chief of the cier in Court. Just who do you think you are? The young prodigy from the Zhang n? Do you really think that everyone in the world ought to know of you? There must be some kind of misunderstanding... As crazed as Zhao Xingmo felt on the inside, he still tried to maintain aposed exterior as he attempted to mediate in the conflict. From his point of view, given Zhang Xuans capabilities, he would clear the final selection without a problem. It would really be a huge pity if he was injured prior to the final selection. The youngdy harrumphed. Theres no misunderstanding over here. While our cier in Court has been lying low in recent years, thats not to say that we will tolerate others defaming us in such a manner! How can I simply watch as that bastard insults our young court chief like that? If I dont teach him a lesson, what will be of the authority and prestige of our cier in Court? She took two steps toward Zhang Xuan and eyed him intimidatingly, saying, Since you dared to speak of our young court chief in such a manner, surely you wont shy away from a fight, will you? You wish to challenge me to a fight? Seeing how the youngdy had even gone to the extent of challenging him to a fight, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, If I defeat you, will you tell me the current circumstances of Zhao Ya? Seeing how the young man was still persistently addressing their young court chief by her name, the youngdys face turned livid. You are really courting death... But before the youngdy could make a move, a leisurely voice suddenly sounded in the air. This fairy over there, its not worth it getting angry over an arrogant brat like him. Leave him to me. It would be a huge pity if you dirtied your hands over someone like him! Following which, a white-robed young man holding a fan in his hand slowly walked over. With an elegant flick of his wrist, he folded his fan and chuckled. There was a refined air shrouding him, making him appear gentlemanly. The Zhang ns Zhang Qian greets the fairies of the cier in Court. Its a delight to meet you all! Chapter 1289 - I’m In A Rush For Time

Chapter 1289: Im In A Rush For Time

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric cier in Courts Chen Leyao pays respects to Zhang gongzi! Withdrawing her palm, the youngdy sped her fist and returned the greetings Zhang n? Zhang Xuan turned to the young man who had just appeared and assessed him carefully. Zhang Qian appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and his cultivation felt deep like the unfathomable ocean. Just like the cier in Courts Chen Leyao, he had reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle as well. It was no wonder why Zhang Jiuxiao could only be considered as one from the side family in the Zhang n. Even after receiving his guidance, Zhang Jiuxiao still paled far inparison to Zhang Qian. So youre Fairy Leyao! I have long heard rumors of your affairs. A palm to subdue seven swords, a breath to freeze three thousand li... The Seven Bandits of Shunyan City has been going wreaking havoc all around, and if not for your help, they might have really brought forth a huge catastrophe! Zhang Qian chuckled refinedly. Zhang gongzi, youre ttering me! Chen Leyaos eyebrows shot up, but her tone remained nonchnt, showing no particr emotion to Zhang Qians words. In order to enter the Sanctum of Sages and resolve the trauma in her cultivation, she had worked herself down to her bone, spending most of her time cultivating. As a result, the only notable affair concerning her was about how she had single-handedly brought down the vicious Seven Bandits of Shunyan City, thus saving many lives from dying in their hands. It wasnt a particrly huge affair, but the fact that Zhang Qian was aware of it showed that he had been keeping a lookout for her affairs. I have always been in awe of Fairy Leyaos strength and talents. Zhang Qianplimented once more. I have heard the conversation between the two of you, and that young man over there has been really disrespectful to you that I couldnt even stand watching it anymore. Why dont I teach him a lesson in your stead, so that you dont have to dirty your hands for someone like him? ... Ill be leaving the matter to you then, Zhang gongzi. Chen Leyao could tell that Zhang Qian was intentionally fawning on her, and after a moment of pause, she eventually nodded. Itll do to just teach him a lesson. Theres no need to go too far. It wasnt like there was some kind of irreconcble grudge between the both of them, so there was no need to blow things out of proportions. She was only unhappy at how the young man had addressed the name of their young court chief so casually and it would suffice to just teach the young man a lesson so that he would never dare do it again. Fairy Leyao sure is kind. Dont worry, I wont go too far! Hu! Zhang Qian opened the foldable fan in his hand, and as he turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, the smile on his face vanished, reced with frostiness in his eyes. With a disposition which suggested that he had everything in grasp, he said, This friend over here, Ill give you two options. You can choose to apologize andpensate for the mistake you have done. I wont ask for too much, just two Saint intermediate-tier artifacts will do. Otherwise, Ill make a move and force you to apologize andpensate. Once that happens, dont expect to be able to get off with justpensating two Saint intermediate-tier artifacts! Apologize? Compensate? Zhang Xuan nearly burst intoughter. Couldnt be bothered with that self-assuming fellow, he turned his gaze back to Chen Leyao and said, Youngdy, I didnt know that she has be your young court chief, so if theres anything I have said that has offended you, allow me to apologize to you right here. I am acquainted with your young court chief quite a while back, so I just would like to know how shes faring in the cier in Court. Considering how Zhao Yas current standing in the cier in Court, it was understandable why Chen Leyao would get mad at how he addressed Zhao Ya directly by her name. While Zhang Xuan did find Chen Leyaos words and actions rather offending and reckless, he didnte to pick a fight. In any case, an apology cost nothing at all, and if he could find out how his student was faring by apologizing, he would dly do it. Before Chen Leyao could say anything, Zhang Qians face had already darkened in fury. Brat, I am talking to you right here. Are you deaf? As one of the geniuses of the esteemed Zhang n, he was respected no matter where he went to. No one would dare to snub him even in the slightest. Yet, this brat actually ignored him altogether... This was something that the prideful him couldnt ept. Im enquiring something from the youngdies of the cier in Court, and I dont think this has anything to do with you, right? Do the members of your Zhang n have the habit of drifting to wherever there aredies and rudely interject in the business of others? Zhang Xuan nced at Zhang Qian with cold eyes filled with contempt and disdain as he flung his sleeves. You really should go for therapy to cure that bad habit of yours! Trying to use me as a stepping stone to impress the girls? Young man from the Zhang n, you should already be thankful that I havent knocked on your doorstep yet. For you to actually be getting on your high horses in front of me, do you really think that your Zhang n is untouchable in the Master Teacher Continent? What did you say? Zhang Qian narrowed his eyes menacingly as veins popped on his temples. Even though his bloodline was purer than Zhang Jiuxiaos, his standing on the Zhang n was actually not too high. If he could establish good rtions with those from the cier in Court, he would be able to be more highly-regarded in the Zhang n, which would, in turn, open up more opportunities for him, allowing him to soar through the ranks. It was for this reason that he unhesitatingly stepped forward to help Chen Leyao when he saw that she had gotten into an argument with another. He thought that by bringing out the Zhang ns name, he would be able to scare the other party into submission. Yet, he never thought that the young man would actually have such a fearless attitude toward the Zhang n! Unless you are deaf, you should have heard what I have said perfectly clear. Stop sticking your nose into where it doesnt belong and scram to the side, or else Ill have to no choice but to teach you a lesson... Zhang Xuan ordered coldly with a wave of his hand. The other party should be thankful that he had a good temperament. If it had been anyone else in his ce, he would have surely beaten the other party up by now! Its over... On the other hand, Zhao Xingmo, who had been watching the entire scene from the start to the end, nearly fainted on the spot. The young man had just said that he was extremely low profile and would avoid trouble, but in just a few moments, he had already sessfully turned the disciples of the cier in Court and an offspring of the Zhang n against him... If this is what you mean by low profile, are you going to tear down the entire Sanctum of Sages once you go high profile? Youre courting death! Unable to take Zhang Xuans taunting, Zhang Qian roared furiously before charging forward. In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to have be viscous. An incredibly powerful energy converged in on Zhang Xuan, shrouding him within it. As expected of a genius from the Zhang n, despite being at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle as well, his fighting prowess was nearly on par with the other Vicious he had encountered at the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows. It was not to say that Vicious was weak, but after several dozen of millenniums to death and having barely awoken from the seal the Qingtian Emperor had cast upon him then, the strength that the other Vicious could exert was really severely limited then. Furthermore, the other Vicious consisted of only the head and the eyes, which meant that his fighting prowess would be severely limited as well. Nevertheless, despite such factors, Vicious was still an existence which could rival Kong shi back then, so it could be said to be rather amazing for Zhang Qian to be able to wield strength on par with him. Hmph! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes coldly. As powerful as Zhang Qian might be, there was no way Zhang Xuan would lose against him with the current strength he wielded. Just as he was about to make a move as well, a burst of sword qi suddenly flew toward Zhang Qian. Hong long! Noticing the burst of sword qi, Zhang Qian released a powerful ripple of zhenqi in retaliation, and the sword qi dissipated in an instant. Not too far away, a groan echoed inconspicuously, but that faint sound couldnt escape from the notice of those present here. It seemed like in the earlier encounter, the person who had made a move against Zhang Qian had been injured instead. Zhang Jiuxiao, you actually dare to raise your hand against me? Zhang Qian roared furiously. When he turned his head over, he saw Zhang Jiuxiao rushing forward to stand in front of Zhang Xuan. His slightly pale face hinted that he was the one who had shed with Zhang Qian earlier and sustained some injuries from it. No matter what, he was only at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, an entire cultivation realm weaker than the Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian, we are here all here to participate in the final selection of the Sanctum of Sages. Theres no need to make things so tense among us... Suppressing the suffocated sensation crushing his chest, Zhang Jiuxiao sped his fist and said. Zhang Xuan was his benefactor, so even though he knew that he was no match for Zhang Qian at all, he couldnt bring himself to simply look away from the matter. You said that theres no need to make things so tense among us? That might be true a moment ago, but I do see a need for it now! With a warped look on his face, Zhang Qian roared furiously. Ill deal with you once we return to the Zhang n. Now, dont get in my way and scram! If you want to make a move here, youll have to start with me! Zhang Jiuxiao replied adamantly, refusing to back down. Jiuxiao, its fine. Ill deal with him myself. Zhang Xuan ced a hand on Zhang Jiuxiaos shoulder to indicate that it was fine before stepping forward. He understood Zhang Jiuxiaos intentions, but he didnt think that there was a need for that. In truth, Zhang Jiuxiao wasnt trying to y the hero here. He knew that there was a huge disparity in strength between Zhang Qian and him, and he knew that he would only be tragically defeated if a fight were to ur. However, he still chose to intervene in the conflict because that would be the only way to minimize the implications of the matter. As the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, the Zhang n wielded frightening power in its hands. While it wouldnt stoop so low as the mobilize its influence to interfere in the matters of the younger generation, it was still inevitable that there would be plenty of people in the Sanctum of Sages who were eager to butter up to Zhang Qian and the other offspring of the Zhang n. It was for this reason that very few people dared to cross Zhang Qian and the other offspring of the Zhang n, or else they could find every step they took in the Sanctum of Sages fraught with difficulties. If Zhang Jiuxiao were to take the me for this matter, in view that he was an offspring of the Zhang n as well, he would just suffer a bit of punishment and that would be the end of things. However, what Zhang Jiuxiao didnt know was that Zhang Xuan didnt fear the Zhang n at all. As long as he wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin, it was only a matter of time before he became an enemy of the Zhang n. Besides, he didnt fear the suppression of the Zhang n either. With the Library of Heavens Path, would he have to fear anyone attempting to stifle his growth? Since Zhang Qian was the one to start the conflict, there was no reason for him to defer meekly to the other party! With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to Zhang Qian and spoke with casual contempt, Alright, hurry up and make your move. Im in a rush for time, so I dont have too much time to waste on you! You... Seeing how lightly Zhang Xuan was taking him, Zhang Qian roared furiously and charged forward once more, sending a palm strike toward the other party. The offense this time around was much stronger than before. The immense might behind the palm strike brought forth the slight rumbling of thunder, as if it was tearing open a vacuum in space. Powerful... Zhang Qian might not be the strongest candidate dispatched from the Zhang n to participate in the final selection this time around, but his strength is still one that shouldnt be underestimated! Even I would have some trouble taking on that palm strike face-on. It would better to dodge it before making another move, but it doesnt seem like Zhang Qian would allow thatd to do so... That haughty fellow is in for some suffering! Even if he wanted to chat those youngdies up, he should have found a better reason than that. Now that he has offended both the cier in Court and the Zhang n, even if he clears the final selection by some chance, he probably wont be able to survive in the Sanctum of Sages for too long... ... The surrounding crowd also swiftly turned their attention over to themotion that was going on as well. There was a myriad of expressions on their faces, shocked, curious, intrigued, and much more. However, if one thing was clear, none of them thought well of the young man. There was no one who dared to step forward to mediate in the conflict either, especially since the Zhang n was involved in the matter as well. There was no way they would risk getting mes on themselves just to help a stranger. This... Chen Leyao also didnt expect things to blow out of proportions, and a slight frown emerged between her brows. She thought that the young man was just a little thoughtless in his words, but at this point, conceited would be a more appropriate adjective to describe him! She had long heard of Zhang Qians name, even before arriving in the Sanctum of Sages. Despite only being twenty-six this year, Zhang Qian had already reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. On top of that, his aptitude toward battle techniques was astounding as well. Not only so, he also boasted vast battle experience, such that even Chen Leyao herself would be hard-pressed to subdue him. For a mere Primordial Spirit realm pinnacled to dare taunt him... Wasnt thatd just asking to be killed? Hong long! Before everyones astonished gazes, the sheer force of Zhang Qians palm tore a deep gorge right through the square. Thats the Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Soul Shattering Palm! That strike doesnt just wield overwhelming physical might, it also boasts a powerful offensive power toward souls as well! If that strike were tond on one squarely, it would jolt ones soul and instantaneously knock one out, putting one at the mercy of another! Even among Saint intermediate-tier battle techniques, it can be considered as one of the strongest! ... A hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd once more. But at this very moment, a slightly disappointed voice sounded from the young man standing right in front of that powerful palm strike, This is your move? Well, I guess its not too bad considering that itsing from you, but I really dont have any interest in ying with you right now, so pardon me then... Right after saying those words, the young man took a step forward and thrust his palm forward casually. Kacha! There was no astounding strength or overwhelming aura from that palm strike, but for some inexplicable reason, the majestic Soul Shattering Palm actually dissipated upon shing with it. Following right after, with a resounding pa dah!, Zhang Qian found himself crushed forcefully onto the ground like a toad, as if there was a mountain weighing down on him. He struggled wildly, but his body simply wouldnt budge at all. Frenzy and rage were written all over his face. This... He subdued Zhang Qian in a single move? Everyone widened their eyes in frenzy. H-how is this possible? Chen Leyao widened her eyes in disbelief. Settled. Without sparing a nce for Zhang Qian, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to Chen Leyao and said, Youngdy, you havent answered my question yet. How is your young court chief faring in the cier in Court? Chapter 1290 - Chen Leyao’s Attitude

Chapter 1290: Chen Leyaos Attitude

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Y-you... Chen Leyao was at a loss for words. She viewed her strength to be roughly on the same level as Zhang Qian, so Zhang Qians defeat meant that she wouldnt have been able to withstand even a second blow from the young man as well! If they were to really get into a battle, she would only be humiliated! Wasnt he just a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator? How could he be so formidable? Cold sweat trickled down Chen Leyaos back. It was fortunate that Zhang Qian had stood in earlier, or else the one who would be crushed on the ground like a toad would have been her... If that were to really happen to her, she would never be able to hold her head high before others anymore! Just who in the world are you? With tightly clenched fists, Chen Leyao asked. It shouldnt be possible for someone who wielded such strength to be a nobody. So, how could she have never heard of the young man before? More importantly, judging from the young mans overwhelming strength and how he was able to qualify for the final selection in the Sanctum of Sages, he should have a powerful background. Since that was the case, it was irrational to think that someone of the young mans caliber to stoop down to provoke them. Building on that argument, could that mean that he was really acquainted with their young court chief? Or perhaps, was he... one of their young court chiefs pursuers? I am a 7-star master teacher from Qingyuan Empire, so I doubt that you would have heard of my name. Dont worry, I dont mean you any ill-will. Im just asking out of concern. Zhang Xuan replied. As famous as Zhang Xuan might be in Qingyuan Empire and Hongyuan Empire, it was unlikely that his reputation would travel so far for even those of the Sanctum of Sages to have heard of him. Qingyuan Empire? Chen Leyao pondered for a moment before shaking her head. There was indeed no notable figure she knew of that originated from Qingyuan Empire. Due to a war two decades ago, the Qingyuan Empire had be the weakest of the Eight Conferred Empires. Who could have thought that such a talented master teacher would emerge from their ranks at this point in time? Are you... really acquainted with our young court chief? Chen Leyao asked hesitantly. ording to what she knew, their young court chief seemed to havee from Qingyuan Empire as well. Could the both of them really be acquainted with one another? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. Zhao Ya was one of his direct disciples, and together, they had forged their way out of Tianxuan Kingdom to the greater world out there. Their rtionship couldnt be just covered with the word acquainted. I have been a bit worried about how she has been doing ever since your Elder Liu Xuan took her to the cier in Court, so I thought that I would ask you since you are from the cier in Court as well. I really dont intend anything aside of that. Zhang Xuan exined earnestly. I see. If thats the case, I guess it would be fine to speak of her affairs to you... Chen Leyao looked at Zhang Xuans earnest eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. To tell you the truth, I dont know much about our young court chief either. I know that shes extremely diligent in her cultivation, and her cultivation has been growing swiftly as well... While it hasnt been long since she arrived in the cier in Court, her strength already far surpasses ours, reaching a level unfathomable to us. As for the details, Im afraid that I am not too clear about them myself either... Speaking up to this point, Chen Leyaos face couldnt help but redden. While she did possess considerable talent as well, which made her a rtively famous figure in the cier in Court, she was still a long distance away from matching up to the young court chief. As the young court chief had devoted all of her time to her cultivation, she hadnt been able to find an opportunity to interact with the other party over the past half a year since the other partys arrival. In fact, if not for the couple of times she had seen the young court chief from afar, she would have doubted if there was truly such a figure in their cier in Court at all. As a result of that, she knew next to nothing about the other party. Zhao Yas strength far surpasses theirs? Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before nodding slowly. As one who possessed the Pure Yin Body, her cultivation would surge forward once she awakened her unique constitution. On top of that, there was no doubt that the cier in Court would devote all of their resources into grooming her as well, so it was indeed not difficult for her to surpass Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle in half a year. It seems like I really have to work harder... Zhang Xuan thought with a bitter smile. It would really be embarrassing if he turned out to be the weakest amongst his students the next time they met. Thank you for your information. Pardon me for having imposed on you. Farewell. Seeing that Chen Leyao really didnt know much about Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan decided to take his leave. In any case, the fact that Zhao Ya had been recognized as the young court chief by the members of the cier in Court, and that her cultivation had risen beyond Leaving Aperture realm showed that the cier in Court hadnt been mistreating her. Since that was the case, he would be able to rest his heart easy. His students would have their own lives to live too, he couldnt possibly keep an eye on them all the way. He would just have to be content with knowing that they were doing well. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan released the weight on Zhang Qian. Then, with a polite bow, he returned back to where he was standing. Theres no need to stand on ceremony... Seeing Zhang Xuan leaving without saying anything else, not even sparing her an additional nce, Chen Leyaos face reddened in embarrassment. Previously, she thought that the other party was intentionally saying those words to chat her up, or perhaps, to build a rtionship with the cier in Court. However, from the looks of it now... that was clearly not the case! The young man had really only approached her just to ask a question. If she had known it in advance, she wouldnt have been so self-assuming and implicate Zhang Qian in the matter... As this thought came to her mind, she quickly turned her head over to look at the released Zhang Qian. Thetter struggled to his feet with rage and mania written on his face. Damn it! Zhang Qian spat indignantly. He thought that this was an opportunity for him to perform before the beauties and get close with them, only to find himself crushed to the floor in a single move. The great humiliation he had gone through left him feeling so frustrated that he could go mad on the spot. However, that encounter had also made him realize that the young man was someone whom the current him was no match for. As furious as he may be, he knew that he would only be embarrassing himself further if he were to rush up to the young man and confront him. Are you fine? While Zhang Qian was at the peak of his rage, he suddenly saw Chen Leyao looking over with a concerned look. I... Im fine! With a reddened face, Zhang Qian quickly tried to regain his poise. He attempted to flick open the foldable fan in his hand to block his face, only to find that half of the fan had been destroyed in the previous sh. Even though their battle was ended in a single blow, the shockwave that was released as a result of the blow was not one which ordinary fans could withstand. As a result, it ended up being reduced to an unseemly state. Its good that youre fine. Zhang shi, thank you for making a stand for me earlier. However, it seems like the friend from before means no ill-will, so I hope that you wont take this matter to heart. Chen Leyao said. It was while trying to stand up for her that Zhang Qian ended upnding himself in such a state. Even though he ended up contributing nothing at all, she was still rather grateful to him for offering his help. This entire incident had originated from her misunderstanding, and she felt deeply ashamed by her rashness as well. Thus, she felt that it was necessary for her to mediate between the both of them, and hopefully, they might be able to put aside their differences. No ill-will? Just on the very fact that he had belittled our Zhang n, theres no way Ill be able to make peace with him! Hearing that Chen Leyao was even speaking on that young mans behalf now, Zhang Qians rage intensified. Fairy Leyao, you need not say anything more. This thing has nothing to do with you anymore. That brat has insulted our Zhang n and even made a move on me. Ill have to return this favor to him, or else what dignity would I have in the Sanctum of Sages? As an offspring of the Zhang n, he was utterly crushed right before the faces of so many geniuses before they could even take the final selection. Without a doubt, this incident would be one of the darkest spots in his records. If he couldnt get even with the other party, he would be mocked for this matter for many years toe! This... Chen Leyao had no idea what she could say at this point. Indeed. With how far things hade, it was no longer just a personal conflict between her and that young man anymore. Zhang Yu, I want you to look into the background of that brat and find out why Zhang Jiuxiao is helping him! While Zhang Qian might be arrogant, he wasnt a reckless individual. After a moment of thought, he turned to the side and instructed. On the other hand, the young man known as Zhang Yu before him nodded in response before disappearing amidst the crowd. Inner n members like him tended to have some personal attendants, who would be in charge of taking care of their daily necessities and attending to misceneous matters. Not too longter, Zhang Yu returned. He sped his fist and reported, Young Master, I have managed to dig up some things on that fellow. Hes a master teacher from Qingyuan Empire, serving as the principal of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. He has once seeded in crashing the Qingyuan Empire, which goes to say that he possesses talent and strength far beyond ordinary master teachers! Most of the affairs surrounding Zhang Xuan were recorded in the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it was actually not too difficult for those who knew where to look to acquire information on him. Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Not even worth a mention! Zhang Qian scoffed derisively before a frown emerged between his brows. However, the fact that he seeded in crashing the QIngyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion does make him quite a troublesome figure to deal with! In his view, being a principal of a Master Teacher Academy in somewhere as small as Hongyuan Empire was no different from being the chief of some a remote vige, an insignificant figure. However, if the young man had sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion before... things wouldnt be that simple anymore. There were certain restrictions imposed on pavilion crashing. For one, a master teachers rank must not exceed that of the tier of the Master Teacher Pavilion he was crashing, and he must be a local in the region as well. It was due to these two restrictions that only a small number of people had seeded in pavilion crashing over the past several dozen millenniums. The very fact that the young man had sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion was enough to show that he wielded extraordinary talent. But no matter how formidable he might be, hes still nothing more than a countryside bumpkin. Young Master, if you had used the power of your bloodline earlier, there was no way he would have been a match for you! Zhang Yu said. What that made Sage ns extremely frightening wasnt their talent but their bloodline. Indeed, it wont be too difficult for me to defeat him if I were to tap into my bloodline. However, using that ability will drain me greatly, and I wont be able to recover in the short-run either. Given that the final selection ising up, I cant afford to deplete myself at this point in time... Zhang Qian shook his head. It was not that he didnt want to use the power of his bloodline but he dared not to. The power of his bloodline would exhaust his strength by far too much, such that even if he managed to teach that young man a lesson, his performance in the final selection would be impeded as a result... If so, he would be severely punished when he returned to the Zhang n. The Zhang n also valued the slots for the Sanctum of Sages greatly as well. What do we do then? Zhang Yu asked. Theres no need to worry. Zhang Qian harrumphed as he narrowed his eyes menacingly. Let him immerse himself in his glee for a couple of days. Once I get into the Elite Division of the Sanctum of Sages, he would be nothing more than a helpless bug in my grasp! Thats true... Zhang Yu nodded in realization. Naturally, students of differing degree of talent and strength had to be groomed under different environment and conditions. For this reason, the students of the Sanctum of Sages were allocated to one of the two divisions based on the results of the final selection, namely the Elite Division and the Ordinary Division. The Elite Division was where most geniuses were gathered. They were groomed to be future Sages, and they stood a far better chance at entering the Inner Sanctum in the future. Comparatively, the conditions for those in the Ordinary Division were considerably poorer. Zhang Qians goal wasnt just to clear the final selection; he wanted to get into the Elite Division as well, bing one of the top existences amongst the students! With the greater degree of authority I would wield as a member of the Elite Division, I would be able to make his life in the Sanctum of Sages a living hell! After I have my fun with him, I shall have him expelled from the Sanctum of Sages so as to carve it deep in his mind that the Zhang n isnt an existence whom he can offend! Zhang Qian sneered as his eyes turnedpletely cold. At this moment, he suddenly recalled something, and he turned his head over, Right, whats that fellow called? After all that had been said and done, Zhang Qian suddenly realized that he didnt even know what the young man was called. He goes by the surname of Zhang as well, but he isnt from our Zhang n. His name is Zhang Xuan! Zhang Yu replied. Zhang Xuan? You said that the young man earlier is called Zhang Xuan? Before Zhang Qian could even speak, Chen Leyao had already abruptly interjected in with an anxious look on her face. Yes, his name is Zhang Xuan. Hes just a lowly figure who walked out of Tianxuan Kingdom, and he still has the cheek to adopt the same surname as us... Zhang Yu harrumphed coldly. However, before he could finish his words, Zhang Yus body suddenly stiffened. A surge of chilling energy had abruptly gripped his body. Following which, a palm suddenly flew for his face. Pah! With a resounding echo, Zhang Yu was sent flying out before crashing heavily into the ground. His shattered teeth scattered all over the floor, and blood spurted out of his mouth endlessly. Seeing this, Zhang Qian stepped forward and asked with a livid expression, Fairy Leyao, what do you mean by this? The person who had just made a move earlier was Chen Leyao, but why would she suddenly turn on them all of a sudden? Zhang Qian, you better keep the mouth of your subordinate in check. And you as well, if I were to find out that you have been disrespectful to Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi... Let it be known that our cier in Court wont sit idly! cing her hands coldly behind her back, Chen Leyao spoke with unquestionable conviction. Chapter 1291 - Zhao Xingmo’s Mental Breakdown

Chapter 1291: Zhao Xingmos Mental Breakdown

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You are going to fall out with me over that Zhang Xuan? Zhang Qian could hardly believe what he had just heard. He did all of this in order to win the goodwill of Chen Leyao and the cier in Court, but why did it seem like his efforts were backfiring on him? Werent you so angry at him that you even wanted to make a move on him earlier? Why are you protecting him now? Zhang Qian, the previous p was just a warning. I hope that you will know whats best for yourself! Chen Leyao waved her hands casually. You... Why? I want to know why! Overwhelmed with rage, Zhang Qian bellowed in agitation. He really couldnt understand how the woman before him could be so fickle in her attitude. You dont need to know why. Just know that if you dare to cause any trouble to Zhang shi, you will be making an enemy out of me as well! Chen Leyao replied with a steely and determined tone. From her voice, there was no doubt that her words werent just a mere threat. She wouldnt hesitate to make a move if Zhang Qian really dared to do anything to Zhang Xuan! You... Zhang Qian clenched his fists tightly as his body trembled from anger. He wanted tosh out at the woman before him, and it took the final shreds of his rationality to prevent him from doing so. Putting aside the fact that Chen Leyao was nowhere weaker than him, he couldnt afford to offend the cier in Court at this point in time. Very well... Zhang Qian stared at Chen Leyao for a moment longer before suppressing his rage forcefully. Flinging his sleeves, he carried Zhang Yu up and walked away. He hade all the way here to fawn on Chen Leyao, only to have his subordinate pummeled by thetter instead... The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Zhang Xuan, its all your fault... If I dont make you pay the price for that, my surname shall not be Zhang! Unable to vent his frustrations of Chen Leyao, Zhang Qian turned all of his hostility toward Zhang Xuan instead. If not for that brat, how could he possibly suffer such humiliation? His rtionship with those from the cier in Court wouldnt have turned awry either. As this thought shed across his mind, he turned around to nce in Chen Leyaos direction, only to see thetter looking at Zhang Xuan with aplicated look in her eyes. Damn it! Seeing this, Zhang Qians anger red up once more. But amidst this anger, some doubts emerged in his mind as well. Chen Leyao was an aloof person who wouldnt even bother to keep up conventional politeness before others. Why would she suddenly regard that fellow so highly? Was she charmed by him? ... Senior Leyao, Zhang Qian is an exceptional individual, be it in terms of background or talent. Is it really wise to fall out with him like that? another youngdy from the cier in Court walked up to Chen Leyao and asked. She had gone off for a moment earlier, so she didnt hear the earlier conversation. All she saw was Senior Leyao making a move on Zhang Qians subordinate, and this act left her deeply perplexed. Regardless of which aspect one was looking from, Zhang Qian was an outstanding master teacher. It would be best to befriend such a person rather than to make an enemy out of him, so why would Senior Leyao suddenly fall out with one another? Do you know who the young man here with us earlier was? Chen Leyao asked. The youngdy pondered for a moment before shaking her head, I have no idea. Hes Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi! Chen Leyao replied with a grim expression. Zhang Xuan... Zhang Xuan?! Senior Leyao, you cant be saying that... hes the man who resolved the problems in our cultivation techniques, our benefactor? the youngdys body froze on the spot. Thats him! If Im not mistaken, hes our young court chiefs teacher as well... Chen Leyao continued. H-how is that possible? The youngdy widened her eyes in disbelief. Their cier in Courts Yin Form and Yang Form were powerful but fundamentally wed, which resulted in the premature deaths of the cultivators practicing them. Even those who had reached Saint realm would survive no more than three hundred years, paling far inparison to the average thousand years lifespan most ordinary Saint realm cultivators would have. Like flowers, the youngdies of the cier in Court blossomed for just a short moment before withering in destion. Chen Leyao and the others thought that they were bound to walk down the same road as well, but a gift from the heavens descended upon them... Eight months ago, when Elder Liu Xuan brought their current young court chief back, she also handed over a revised copy of their Yin Form and Yang Form over to the cier in Court. The revised version had resolved the various side effects that cultivating the Yin Form and the Yang Form would cause, allowing their lifespan to revert back to the length of an ordinary cultivator! Even though news concerning the origin of the revised cultivation technique had been suppressed by the upper echelons, Chen Leyao, as one of the core members of the cier in Court, still managed to learn a thing or two about it. From what she had heard, it was the teacher of their young court chief who created the revised version, a master teacher named Zhang Xuan... All along, Chen Leyao had envisioned the benefactor to be an old man, at least an 8-star master teacher at minimum. Yet, who could have thought that he would be so young, roughly the same age as them! By revising the cultivation technique, he has bestowed upon us a new life... Realizing this as well, the youngdys face flushed crimson in agitation. Indeed. Given how indebted we are to him, its really unforgivable that I have attempted to make a move on him... Should we head over to pay our respects to him, as well as to apologize for my earlier mistake? Chen Leyao asked awkwardly. Sounds good. The youngdy nodded. She quickly gathered the rest of the members of the cier in Court who werent around previously and exined the situation to them as well, and they revealed looks of shock as well. Their gazes couldnt help but drift in Zhang Xuans direction. ... How can you be so reckless? Looking at Zhang Xuan, Zhao Xingmo couldnt help but berate furiously. The other party was a genius of the Zhang n! To knock him into the ground with a single p, humiliating him in such a manner... That was equivalent to thoroughly offending the Zhang n! How was he going to survive in the Sanctum of Sages after this matter? I only intended to ask a few questions, but Zhang Qian just had to stick his leg into the matter for no reason. Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. As powerful as the Zhang n was, they couldnt possibly do whatever they want in the Sanctum of Sages. One had to y by the rules here! And as long as it was they were ying within the rules, there was really nothing for Zhang Xuan to fear! If forced to a corner, Zhang Xuan didnt mind going all out to bring down whatever influence the Zhang n had in the Sanctum of Sages! The only reason why you are able to remain calm is because you dont understand the extent of the influence that the Zhang n wields in the Sanctum of Sages. If you were to know, theres no way you would be thinking the same anymore... Seeing that Zhang Xuan didnt care at all, Zhao Xingmo shook his head and said, Why dont I put it this way for you? The Sanctum of Sages is an academy that towers above the Sage ns, but as the number one n, the numbers of slots that the Zhang n receives each year is really substantial, and most of their dispatched candidates are able to sessfully clear the final selection as well. Their n members could be found in every single grade, and they dominate most of the important roles in the academy as well... Offending one of them would be equivalent to offending all of them. Once that happens, no matter what you attempt to do in the Sanctum of Sages, you will find yourself impeded at every step. Sometimes, it was more frightening and troublesome to offend a ruffian than an official. At least officials would still be bound by rules and self-decency, but ruffians would stoop to anything to make your life a living hell. Even if they have the numbers, they wouldnt dare to mess around in the Sanctum of Sages. Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. Even if they dont mess around, just following the rules will be enough to leave you with a headache. Putting everything aside, if all of them were to challenge you one by one, do you think that youll still have time to cultivate? Zhao Xingmo asked. That would really be troublesome... Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Indeed. Even if Zhang Xuan was able to defeat all of those challengers, their pestering would still be more than enough to annoy him to no end. That would indeed be difficult to deal with. Furthermore, you didnt just offend the Zhang n just now, you offended the cier in Court as well. Even if the influence of the cier in Court in the Sanctum of Sages pales inparison to the Zhang n, its still not to be underestimated. Furthermore, due to the nature of their group, their rallying power is no joke either! Just a call, and countless helpers woulde their way. As long as they were to openly express their hostility, there would be plenty of geniuses who would be willing to teach you a lesson in their stead! Zhao Xingmo continued on. It was one thing that the members of the cier in Court were alldies, but they were top-notch beauties at that. It was for this reason that most people were fixated on the idea of marrying ady from the cier in Court. As such, the cier in Court also became one of the powers which no one dared to offend. The endless stream of trouble that could ensue from crossing them would really be able to give anyone a headache. Zhang Xuan sure knew how to pick his enemies! He had warned the young man so many times against it, but he still ran over to provoke them... Cant you just quietly wait here for the final selection to start? How good would that be? What were the words you have said earlier? Low profile? Are you sure that this can be considered as low profile? If that was low profile, there would be no one high profile in the world! Listen to my advice and apologize to those from the cier in Court. I think theres still some room for reconciliation with them. Otherwise, if the two of thembine their forces to deal with you, even ten lives wouldnt be enough for them to take! Zhao Xingmo pondered for a moment before advising. While he was only in charge of bringing them here, he had a good opinion of Zhang Xuan. He didnt hope for thetter to suffer over a moment of folly just after he had entered the Sanctum of Sages. This... Just as Zhang Xuan scratched his head, not knowing how to respond to those words, Zhang Jiuxiaos anxious voice suddenly sounded by the side, The members of the cier in Court are making their way over to us... Ah? Zhao Xingmo and Zhang Xuan quickly turned their gazes over, and indeed, Chen Leyao and the other youngdies from the cier in Court were walking in their direction. They might still have been able to pray that the youngdies from the cier in Court were just walking coincidentally in their direction, but those impassioned gazes fixated on Zhang Xuan hadpletely ruled out that possibility. They must be here to thrash it out with you, Zhang shi. I fear that they might have alreadye to some sort of agreement with Zhang Qian. This is really bad... Zhao Xingmo frowned in worry. Too anxious to drag Zhang Xuan away, he didnt see Chen Leyao making a move on Zhang Yu earlier. So, when the entire group from the cier in Court marched imposingly in their direction, he immediately thought that they were here to cause them trouble. Zhang shi, you should first apologize to them before they say anythingter on... At the very least, try to appease them before they do anything! Zhao Xingmo anxiously sent a telepathic message over to Zhang Xuan. Apologize to them? Zhang Xuan felt deeply conflicted at this moment. How should I go around doing it? Apologizing wasnt a big deal to him, but he knew that he hadnt done wrong this time around, so he really couldnt bring himself to admit that it was his fault! How to go around doing it? Not expecting Zhang Xuan to have such a low emotional quotient, Zhao Xingmo nearly tore his hair out in exasperation. Alright, Ill guide you step by step. Just repeat after me word for word, alright? As soon as theye, say these words, Fairy Leyao, please forgive me for my bluntness earlier. Ill apologize to you sincerely here, so I hope that you can overlook my faux pas... ... Alright then. Knowing that Zhao Xingmo was doing this for his good, Zhang Xuan eventually decided to go along with his n after a moment of hesitation. By the time he memorized those words from Zhao Xingmo, the youngdies of the cier in Court were already standing before him. Thus, he cleared his throat and began on his monologue, Fairy Leyao... But before he could finish his words, the youngdy before him had already bowed deeply and said, Zhang shi, please forgive me for my bluntness earlier. Ill apologize to you sincerely here, so I hope that you can overlook my faux pas... Ah? Hearing oddly familiar wordsing from Chen Leyaos mouth, Zhang Xuan was stunned. Cough cough! Zhao Xingmo also widened his eyes in shock, and he nearly copsed to the ground. Wasnt the other party here to cause trouble? Why did they suddenly start apologizing instead? More importantly, to be saying the exact same words which he had just taught Zhang Xuan... This is a specialty from our cier in Court, Wintry Spirit Essence. It has exceptional effects for those who are at Leaving Aperture realm. If you dont find it too shabby, please do ept my gift. Its apensation for my earlier rudeness... Before the both of them could recover from their shock, Chen Leyao had already whipped out a jade bottle and passed it over. Wintry Spirit Essence? B-but thats one of the most valuable resources in the cier in Court! Even a single bottle would cost a thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones... Zhao Xingmo widened his eyes in shock, and he nearly choked on his own saliva. Wintry Spirit Essence was a raremodity even in the cier in Court, and it was barely sufficient for their internal consumption. As such, it was nearly impossible to find it in the open market. Yet, Chen Leyao was actually intending to give it to Zhang Xuan just like that... Just what in the world was going on? Werent they marching here angrily to pick a bone with Zhang Xuan? Why were they moving around carefully instead, apologizing and even passing over a gift as well? Unable to make sense of the perplexing situation before him, Zhao Xingmo felt a little light-headed. Chapter 1292 - Zhang Xuans Decision

Chapter 1292: Zhang Xuans Decision

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wintry Spirit Essence? Zhang Xuan did not expect the other party to offer him a gift after apologizing. He froze for a moment before taking a nce at the jade bottle. The jade bottle was not too big, but there was a freezing air emanating from it, threatening to freeze someone into an ice cube at any moment. At the same time, spiritual energy even more concentrated than concentrated high-tier spirit stones could be felt pulsating within the jade bottle. Even though Zhang Xuan had never heard of the item before, he could tell at first nce that it was something extraordinarily valuable. With just the spiritual energy contained inside, he would have no trouble pushing for a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm. In fact, even reaching Leaving Aperture realm with it did not seem impossible. Thats right. Zhang shi, please do ept it. Its a token of my goodwill, Chen Leyao urged anxiously. Since she had cultivated the cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan had altered, that made the young man a half-teacher to her. On top of that, the young man was the teacher of their young court chief. Had she not thought that the young man was trying to chat her up and attempted to make a move, Zhang Qian would not have been drawn in, and the whole string of trouble would not have happened. No matter what, she had to make it up to the other party. This... Zhang Xuan blinked nkly. Previously, Zhao Xingmo had spoken of the matter with extreme graveness, urging him to admit his fault and apologize, making it seem as if the youngdies from the cier in Court were terrifying monsters. But from how he saw it, they seemed rather easy to approach, and they were very cordial. It waspletely unlike what Zhao Xingmo had said earlier! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still hesitating, Chen Leyao thought that he was still angry, and she urged him anxiously. Zhang shi, we wont be able to rest well if you refuse to ept our gift... This... Alright then. Since its a token of your goodwill, I wont hold back! Judging from the other partys attitude, it felt that she would never let him go if he refused her gift, so he could only helplessly reach out to take the jade bottle. Relief visibly shed across Chen Leyaos face for a moment. Thank you for your understanding, Zhang shi. Since the young man was willing to ept her gift, she saw this as a sign that he was willing to put aside their differences and forgive her. Youre too polite. Zhang Xuan sped his fist in response. Then, with a slightly perplexed tone, he asked, I was rather impolite to you earlier as well, so why would... you all apologize to me instead? He could not make sense of the situation. It was just a moment ago that the other party had been so furious that she had wanted to make a move on him, but a few minutester, she suddenly approached him to give him a gift. Even for a change of mind, that was way too fast! This... Chen Leyao and the others nced at one another, and bitter smiles surfaced on their lips. Its because... Just as she was about to begin exining, the ruckus in the surroundings abruptly vanished, to the point where one could even hear a pin drop. Following which, three figures flew over from the distance and stopped in the air above the square, emanating powerful auras. All three of them were old men. Zhang Xuan found himself unable to gauge how powerful they were, but the powerful auras that they emanated left one feeling as if they could tear a person apart with just a re. Beneath his sleeves, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. They possess even greater power than Luo Chengxin. Luo Chengxin was a Saint 7-dan expert, so did that mean that those three in the sky were at Saint 8-dan? With such strength, they could already be ranked at the top of the Master Teacher Continent! Zhao Xingmo sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan to exin the situation. They are the elders of the Sanctum of Sages, and they are in charge of invigting the final selection. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in response. As expected of the Sanctum of Sages! The strength of their elders was really at a wholly different level! Candidates! The old man standing at the very front spoke. The three of us will be overseeing the selection this time around. I am 8-star Master Teacher Liu Haoyu, and you can address me as Elder Liu. The esteemed gentleman on my left is Elder Han Zhu, and the one on my right is Elder Lin Qing. His voice was not particrly loud, but it resounded clearly in everyones ears. It felt like even if one were cover ones ears, the voice would still resonate right within ones mind, preventing one from shutting it off altogether. Demonic tunist... and a particrly high-ranked one at that! Zhang Xuan noted with a grim expression. As a demonic tunist himself, he was able to tell that there was something amiss with the other partys voice. He had alreadyprehended the level of the greatest sound is silence, and the greatest form is formless. For even the simplest words to wield such strength... If the elder tapped into the power of his Primordial Spirit as well, most probably, every single person standing in the square would be put into a trance immediately. A Saint 8-dan master teacher was indeed frightening. Even a casual gesture from them could wield so much power. I believe the guides should have informed you all of the entrance examination to our Sanctum of Sageschallenging the Mountain Gate, Elder Liu said as he grabbed at the space in front of him. Hu! A massive gate abruptly warped into appearance before the crowd. A brilliant light shimmered within the gate, making it impossible for one to tell what was on the other side. Could this be... a Teleportation Formation for living beings? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Legend had it that 8-star formation masters were capable of not just transmitting holograms and words but even lifeforms. The gate before his eyes caused significant disturbances in space, and it felt as if stepping in would bring him into a whole new world. Chances were that it was the legendary Teleportation Formation that he had heard so much about. Its indeed a Teleportation Formation. Zhao Xingmo confirmed Zhang Xuans supposition. The Mountain Gate examination wont be held within the Sanctum of Sages but a unique folded space. A Teleportation Formation is required in order to enter the area. Folded space? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Based on what he had heard about the Mountain Gate so far, it sounded far moreplex than the Caged Battle Royale. Considering how there were over ten thousand candidates participating in the final selection simultaneously and each candidate would face a test unique to them, space was bound to be a huge problem. However, if the test were to be conducted in a folded space, everything would make sense. He had a folded space himself too, the Qiu Wu Pce. As such, he was rather familiar with it. In the Mountain Gate examination, the difficulty will be altered based on your individual capability. Each person will be faced with tests vastly different from others, so theres no point taking the experiences of preceding candidates as reference, Elder Liu advised, gazing down upon the crowd. You just have to try your best and deal with whateveres before you to the best of your ability. As for the tabtion of the results, theres no need for you to worry about that. The Sanctum of Sages has a unique artifact known as the Jade Tablet of Trials, and it will make a fair evaluation of your performance in the tests based on established criteria. The higher you are scored, the more likely you will pass the examination. This year, the Sanctum of Sages will be taking in five hundred students. So, we will only be taking in those who score within the top five hundred. The Sanctum of Sages is only epting five hundred students this year? But there are at least ten thousand people here! Five hundred... Isnt that one in twenty? It really wont be easy! ... Hearing howpetitive the final selection would be, unease and trepidation could be seen on most of the faces among the crowd. At the same time, Zhang Xuan could not help frowning as well. Those who were currently standing in the square were all the top geniuses gathered throughout the Master Teacher Continent, experts among experts. To finish in the top five percent of them all was truly no easy task. It was no wonder Zhao Xingmo had said that it was possible for not even a single one of them to make the cut. Considering the harsh requirements, it was indeed not easy to seed. Even Zhang Xuan did not have absolute confidence in the final selection. In a sense, this was a testimony to the strength of the Sanctum of Sages. If every single batch of candidates of the Sanctum of Sages had to go through this harsh selection, just how powerful would those who managed to stay till the end be? Zhao shi, what is the Jade Token of Trials? one of the master teachers asked Zhao Xingmo with a perplexed look on his face. In the Mountain Gate examination, each individual will be faced with different tests. For example, if a Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator and a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator encounter a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle saint beast and defeat it, naturally, the Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage cultivator will be awarded with more points. The Jade Token of Trials is a unique artifact that serves to tabte these deeds into a score beforepiling them into a scoreboard. The higher ones score is, the better ones final result will be! Zhao Xingmo exined. I see... Everyone nodded in realization. Then... other than defeating saint beasts, what else in the tests will add to our score? another master teacher asked. Since the Jade Tablet of Trials worked by converting aplishments into a corresponding score, it stood to reason that there was an established system for its calction. As stated previously, there were many different tests, so not all of them would be concerning saint beasts. Surely, there should be other ways of earning points too. So far, some of the known possible tests are defeating saint beasts, breaking through a formation, sensing danger in advance, and lecturing a crowd. As long as you perform well in these tests, you will be able to earn some points. Other than that, skillful utilization of ones capability in some unique upations will also earn one bonus points, such as in spirit enchantment, terpsichorean arts, and painting. As long as you disy proficiency exceeding that of the other candidates, those could be considered as aplishments as well, and the Jade Tablet of Trials will take them into ount, Zhao Xingmo exined. In other words, as long as you possess a skill that others dont have and perform it in the tests, they will be noted down by the Jade Tablet of Trials and added to your final score, thus helping you stand out from the other candidates! Hearing those words, the crowd could not help but clench their fists tightly in agitation. As easy and fair as the test might have seemed, it was actually far more difficult than it sounded. If one waspeting with just a couple of people, one was bound to have a skill that stood out from the others. However, amid a crowd of over ten thousand geniuses, any seemingly outstanding capability would only appear ordinary inparison. Someone might be good at painting, but there was bound to be another one amid the group who was better at it than that person. The same went for the other upations. As the saying went, there is always a mountain higher than the one before you. It was definitely no easy feat to reach the peak. The capabilities one can disy arent just limited to hard skills. Outstanding management and leadership skills can also add to ones score, but of course, those might be harder to disy. The aim of the Sanctum of Sages is to further the wisdom of mankind, thus bringing mankind to reach greater heights. Naturally, the benchmark for enrollment is much higher than other academies. Seeing the tensed look on the faces of the group, Zhao Xingmo chuckled softly to alleviate the atmosphere. However, theres no need to worry. Just as I have said before, as long as you work hard and perform to the best of your abilities, your shine will definitely catch the attention of the Sanctum of Sages! Yes! The group nodded before falling into deep contemtion to figure out what their outstanding traits were. Zhang Xuan also stroked his lower jaw and pondered. A whileter, he could not help but shake his headhe did not seem to have any outstanding traits at all! Lecturing, formation deciphering, terpsichorean arts, painting... While he was rather proficient in all of those, those could not be considered his specialty! For example, his paintingwhile he had achieved a level of proficiencyparable to ordinary 8-star primary painters, the geniuses of the Painter Guild that were participating in the final selection were bound to be able to outdo him. The same went for pill forging, smithing, and the like. His mastery of those supporting upations could be considered outstanding among master teachers, but to those who truly devoted their lives to those arts, it was inevitable that he would still becking. Well, if I really have to choose a specialty... that would probably be disguising!Zhang Xuan thought. His supporting upations were all so-so, roughly around the same level. There were none that particrly stood out. If he really had to list a strength that he was proud of, that would be acting like an expert! After all, his disguise as Yang Xuan had been able to fool even Luo Chengxin. So far, he had never made any major slip-ups in his disguise before, and that should be more than enough to show his incredible aptitude in the art! Just that... will acting like an expert really add to my score? Zhang Xuans face copsed. It was hard to imagine any formal academy that would take into ount ones ability to act as an expert as one of its entrance criteria! It seemed like his strongest capability would not be able to help him here. Forget it. If ites down to it, Ill just execute a couple of my less outstanding techniques. As long as I utilize enough of them, I should be able to acquire a decent score, Zhang Xuan thought. No matter what, he was determined to enter the Sanctum of Sages. This was the road leading him to Luo Ruoxin, and he could not let the journey end just here. Chapter 1293 - Top Five

Chapter 1293: Top Five

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In the Mountain Gate examination, you are only allowed to rely on your own talents and capabilities. No external artifacts, weapons, or the sort are allowed. If we were to find you have cheated, your results in that test will be voided. Other than that, the killing of other candidates is prohibited as well. Such an act will result in a direct termination of your candidacy! Elder Liu announced solemnly. Yes! The crowd in the square quickly nodded in response. The main point of an examinationy in fairpetition. If one were to rely on artifacts and the sort in the final selection, that would undermine the purpose of it. If everyone were to rely on their artifacts to clear the examination, the Sanctum of Sages wouldnt be an institution for the talented but the wealthy. Prior to passing through the gate, remember to leave your Soul Imprint on the gate so that the Jade Tablet of Trials can process your names and backgrounds. This is so as to facilitate the tabtion of the results of your performance in the examination. Elder Liu continued. Nodding, the crowd quickly used their secret arts to leave behind their Soul Imprint on the gates. Alright, lets set off now. The duration for the Mountain Gate examination will be three days, and may the odds be in your favor! Elder Liu waved his hand grandly. Yes! With a resounding response, the excited crowd began passing through the gates. Since its the Teleportation Formation, its unlikely that well end up in the same location. So, you can only rely on yourself for the entrance examination... Watching as the crowd surged through the gates, and it was going to be their turn soon, Zhang Xuan turned to Zhang Jiuxiao and said. Zhang shi, rest assured. Ill do my best in the entrance examination! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. In the past, he wouldnt have been confident of emerging in the top 5% amidst thisrge group of geniuses. However, the times were different now. In the time that they were traveling to the Sanctum of Sages, he had been learning diligently from Zhang Xuan, and this had boosted his fighting prowess significantly. Hisprehension ofbat had also soared by leaps and bounds, making him no longer the man he used to be. More importantly, he evenprehended Half-Quintessence in swordsmanship, which would make him nigh invincible amidst his peers. With these, his chances at getting into the top five hundred were higher than ever! Be careful inside. Seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao was confident, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Chen Leyao and the others also turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, lets meet in the Sanctum of Sages. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, the group from the cier in Court swiftly made their way through the gates. In their view, considering how the young man was able to easily defeat Zhang Qian, it should be a walk in the park for him to clear the final selection. Now, it was just a matter of whether he would be able to qualify for the Elite Division or not. You all can go now! A momentter, Zhao Xingmo finally gestured the group to advance ahead, and the thirty or so candidates from the Eight Conferred Empires began making their way over for the gates. Zhang Xuan was at the very back of the group, and he watched those ahead of him disappear in the shimmering light within the gates one after another before it was finally his turn. Upon contact with the gates, he immediately felt the space around him warping abruptly, and with a sh, he vanished from the spot. Meanwhile, watching as Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot, Zhang Qian narrowed his eyes and spat with gritted teeth, Zhang Xuan, just you wait. Once I get into the Elite Division, Ill make your life a living hell! After saying those words, he stepped into the gate as well and disappeared. Not too longter, the ten thousand or so geniuses on the square had all entered the gates, leaving only the guides who had brought them here behind. Alright, lets all head to the Hall of Results. Following behind the other guides, Zhao Xingmo flew across the Sanctum of Sages and before long, he was standing before a towering hall. Standing imposingly in the center of the hall was a grayish-emerald jade tablet, and it emanated an air of ancient history. With just a look, there was little doubt that this jade tablet had been in the Sanctum of Sages for many years. A warm glow rippled across the surface of the jade tablet, bringing slight illumination to the surroundings. Stopping right before the jade tablet, all of the guides directed their gazes to it directly, hoping to find some familiar names on it. Guides, the examination has barely started. Theres no rush. Seeing the anxious looks on the guides, Elder Liu couldnt help but chuckle. There were three days to the examination, so it was too early to conclude anything at the current phase. The true fight over the cing would only happen at least two dayster. Un. The guides nodded as they sat onto the ground as well to rest. At this moment, a nearby stone pir positioned just beside the jade tablet lit up, and several names emerged on the jade tablet. The examination has barely started, but there are already candidates who have scored some points? Astonished, the guides quickly took a closer look to see who those candidates were. Feng Ziyi, 127! Zhang Yu, 121! Jiang Xuecun, 116! Yuan Haiqing, 109! Bai Qingxuan, 103! ... All above a hundred points? They have already scored so much even though the examination has barely started a while ago... Seeing the names and their respective scores on the jade tablet, a hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. It was truly frightening to see the candidates scoring more than a hundred points when the examination had just started a few minutes ago. More importantly, it wasnt just an individual or two who had achieved that feat, but five of them! Such a thing had never happened in previous years before! One would gain 1 point from defeating a saint beast of one cultivation stage higher, 5 points from defeating a saint beast of two cultivation stages higher, and 25 points for three cultivation stages higher... Yet, a hundred points in just a few minutes? Just how in the world did they aplish this? Zhao Xingmo felt his throat turning hoarse. He could hardly believe what was happening at all. Under normal circumstances, ones results would only reflect on the jade tablet once it exceeded 10 points, and it would be a gradual increase beyond that. For their score to reflect more than a hundred points from the very start, and for five candidates at that... The highest scorer at the moment is Feng Ziyi. Wheres he from? one of the guides amidst the crowd asked curiously. Hes from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Its said that hes the direct disciple of one of the elders, and his cultivation has already reached Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage. Without a doubt, he was definitely one of the stronger, if not the strongest, candidate! a ck-robed master teacher who knew about the details exined. A direct disciple of an elder from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Zhao Xingmos breathing hastened. In order to be an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, one had to be a 9-star master teacher at the very minimum! As a student of such a powerful expert, it was no wonder why Feng Ziyi would be able to achieve such incredible results right from the start. In second ce is Zhang Yu, a genius from the Sage n, Zhang n. Its said that the purity of his bloodline has already reached Earth-tier! Earth-tier? Zhao Xingmo widened his eyes in shock. The bloodline of Sage ns offspring could be divided into four tiers depending on their purity, namely Tier-2, Tier-1, Earth-tier, and the highest Sky-tier! The basic requirement to be an inner n member was to possess Tier-2 bloodline, and some of the more formidable ones would possess Tier-1 bloodline. As for those whose bloodline had reached Earth-tier, most of them would be from the main family, and even at worst, they would be the offspring of the elders. Indeed. Ever since the founding of the Sanctum of Sages, the Zhang n had a total of 37 Earth-tier bloodline offspring. Even the weakest of them eventually reached Saint 8-dan pinnacle... Considering that Zhang Yu possesses the same Earth-tier bloodline as well, hes bound to reach incredible heights in the future as well! the ck-robed master teacher said. Saint 8-dan? Zhao Xingmo found himself at a loss for words. Wielding such strength, one could already be considered to be standing at the top of the continent. With just a stomp of his feet, he would be able to bring around the downfall of a power like Qianchong Empire easily! Right! Earlier, I encountered another offspring of the Zhang n named Zhang Qian. May I know what the purity of his bloodline is? Zhao Xingmo couldnt help asking. Zhang Qian only possesses an ordinary Tier-2 bloodline. Amongst the thirty candidates the Zhang n has sent in this time around, hes ranked amidst thest, not even worth a mention! the ck-robed master teacher replied. Not even worth a mention? Hearing those words, Zhao Xingmos face turned as dark as charcoal. Zhang Qian was a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert, and yet, he was still ranked in the bottom few of the Zhang ns candidates? If that was the case, just how formidable would those who were ranked ahead of him be? This was really too terrifying! The Zhang n had its fair share of spectacr candidates in the previous years final selection, but never had the line-up of their candidates been so formidable before! Jiang Xuecun... Is she from the Sage n, Jiang n? Zhao Xingmo continued asking. Of the many Sage ns on the Master Teacher Continent, the three strongest were namely the Zhang n, Jiang n, and Luo n respectively. Considering how Jiang Xuecun managed to get onto the rankboard within such a short period of time, achieving a score that was just beneath Zhang Yu, it was hard to imagine that she could be from any other n other than the illustrious Jiang n. Un, I have met Jiang Xuecun myself once before. As you know, the Jiang n specializes in soul offense, but even amidst their ranks, the soul energy which Jiang Xuecun is born with can be considered immense. In terms of fighting prowess, she could very well be on par with even Feng Ziyi! the ck-robed master teacher said. As for Yuan Haiqing, hes one of the geniuses of the Sage n, Yuan n. While the Yuan n is slightly weaker than the Zhang, Jiang, and Luo at the moment, unable to squeeze into the top three, I heard that they have managed to find a sessor who possesses Sky-tier bloodline half a year ago. If the rumors are really true, theres no saying that the Yuan n might just be able to join their ranks in the near future! Sky-tier bloodline? Zhao Xingmo was astonished. Sky-tier bloodline was the strongest bloodline that any offspring of the Sage ns could possess. As long as those who possessed such bloodline was given time to mature, it was just a matter of time before he became a renowned figure in the Master Teacher Continent. For one, the current heads of the Zhang n and the Luo n possessed Sky-tier bloodlines as well. It doesnt seem to be just a rumor. Over the past few days, several of the stronger powers and ns have expressed their goodwill toward the Yuan n, wanting to befriend them. It seems like the rise of the Yuan n is inevitable... the ck-robed master teacher replied. So, these candidates all have notable backgrounds... Then, what about Bai Qingxuan? Whats his background? Digesting the news which he had just heard, Zhao Xingmo asked in interest. Since the four in front had such spectacr results, Bai Qingxuan, whose name was ced just beneath theirs in the fifth ce, shouldnt be any ordinary figure either! Bai Qingxuan is from the zing Inferno Court. the ck-robed master teacher said. zing Inferno Court? You mean the powerful organization whose reputation rivals that of the cier in Court? While the cier in Court had the Yin-Yang Lake, and their core cultivation techniques were the Yang Form and Yin Form, most of their members still cultivated the Yin Form. On top of that, nearly all of their members, from the court chief down to the elders and the ordinary members, were all female. The zing Inferno Court was the direct opposite. Most of them were men, and they practiced cultivation techniques that were rich in yang attribute, such as the Inferno Art and such. It was said that the two powers were created by the same founder, but due to certain disagreements and intense rivalry between members who cultivated yang cultivation techniques and yin cultivation techniques, they were eventually divided into two powers. Roughly two decades ago, the two powers attempted to bridge their differences and reunite as one through a political marriage. However, in thest moment, the to-be court chief ended up fleeing at the veryst moment, disappearing from the face of the world. Eventually, the two powers fell out with one another once more, and they parted on an unhappy note. Thats right. The ck-robed master teacher nodded. While the reputation of the zing Inferno Court isnt too resounding, and they have very few branches over the world, on the whole, they still wield overwhelming strength which would be foolish to overlook. If not for that, the cier in Court wouldnt agree to a political marriage with them either! Indeed. Zhao Xingmo nodded in agreement. For a political marriage to work, both powers should be of equal standing. Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible for them to coexist peacefully. Weng! While the both of them were chatting, the stone pirs lit up once more, and new names emerged on the jade tablet. The top five hundred candidates have emerged... Zhao Xingmo immediately turned his gaze toward the jade tablet, and as expected, it was filled with all kinds of names. The height of the jade tablet was just sufficient to reflect five hundred names in total, and perhaps it was for the very same reason, only five hundred students would be epted into the Sanctum of Sages in each entrance examination. Come, take a look and see if the talents you have brought here are on the rankboard or not. the ck-robed master teacher said with a smile. Nodding, Zhao Xingmo swiftly scanned the jade tablet from head to toe, and very soon, a tight knit emerged between his brows. Despite the huge number of names, he realized that there was not a single one that was familiar to him. Under normal circumstances, Zhang Xuan should be able to get into the top five hundred easily. So, why is his name nowhere to be found? Zhao Xingmo thought worriedly. Is none of the candidates I have brought here going to clear the final selection? Chapter 1294 - A Royal Harem of 3000

Chapter 1294: A Royal Harem of 3000

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The entire world shook intensely before Zhang Xuans eyes. As Teleportation Formations worked by warping spatialws, he knew that if he could decipher the structure of the Teleportation Formation, it would help him greatly in furtherprehending the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Thus, as soon as he entered the Teleportation Formation, he immediately activated his Eye of Insight, hoping to get a rough understanding of how it worked. A myriad of colors shimmered in the surroundings, creating a beautiful artwork. Many lines seemed to stream past him, creating a feeling as if he was flying at an extremely fast speed. Its a little simr to the deciphers of the Saint Ascension Decipher... Zhang Xuan thought. Under the discerning gaze of his Eye of Insight, he actually found that the Teleportation Formation had a structure that was deeply reminiscent of the Saint Ascension Decipher. On the fundamental level, it contained of lines, ranging from one to nine of them, tightly knitted to form a unit, creating what one would perceive as length, breadth, and height, or in other words, space. Hu! An abrupt jolt left Zhang Xuan staggering, and the gleaming lights before him vanished. When he finally scanned his surroundings once more, he realized that he was already standing in the midst of a rtively small mountain valley. Dense trees filled the area, and a small stream trickled down from the heights of a mountain. It knocked on the various rocks that stood in its path, creating a crisp yet tranquil melody. Taking a look at his sides, Zhang Xuan found that he waspletely surrounded by lush trees. It was a little simr to the sight he saw when he first took off his blindfold in the Sword Lagoon. However, the swiftly rising altitude of thend around him, as well as the mountain on the horizon, were clear indications that he was in the midst of a valley. I should start with hunting down saint beasts to earn some points first. Knowing that time was precious in the examination, Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate to flit up the valley. He wasnt too sure how the score calction for other aspects worked, but at the very least, it was definite that he would earn points from hunting down saint beasts. Since that was the case, it would be best for him to hunt down as many of them as possible first just to be safe. This kind of reminded him of the entrance examination of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well. Back then, he tamed over several hundred spirit beasts and obtained a score far exceeding that of other candidates. But again, in terms of beast taming and dealing with saint beasts... while he did have confidence in his skills, it was hard to fathom what those geniuses from the Beast Tamer Guild were capable of. After all, they had devoted their life to studying beast taming, so they were bound to be good at what they did. It would be hard for him topete against them, especially since he had barely spent a few days learning beast taming in total. Flitting swiftly ahead, many nts shed across Zhang Xuans peripheral vision. Perhaps it was due to the superior concentration of spiritual energy in the area, there was arge variety of nts in the area. Even Zhang Xuan found that he couldnt name most of them. On the journey to the Sanctum of Sages, other than cultivating, Zhang Xuan had spent most of his time studying in the Library of Heavens Path, and he had managed to go through most of the books he had collected. In terms of scope of knowledge, it was possible that even 9-star master teachers were no match against him. From such a perspective, it was indeed peculiar that there were actually so many nts that he was unable to name. Perhaps, it might be because most of them were native to the folded space, so they werent recorded in any books. Hm? Something is not right... As Zhang Xuan continued examining the area around him as he flitted forward, a realization suddenly dawned on him, and a deep crease appeared on his forehead. Judging from the area of his Spiritual Perception and his length of the flight, even if saint beasts were really rare in the folded space, he should have at least encountered a couple of ordinary lifeforms by now. But up to this point, other than nts, there was nothing around him at all. This was really baffling. Could I have been teleported into some kind of formation? Zhang Xuan immediately halted his flight and examined his surroundings closely with his Eye of Insight. It took a moment of concentration, but he eventually noticed that something was indeed amiss. Its an Illusory Formation. Zhang Xuan noted. He quickly advanced toward a certain point and stomped his feet lightly. Weng! The huge congregation of nts all around him withered immediately. The melodious sound of flowing water knocking on rocks continued sounding in his ears, but the world before Zhang Xuan changed greatly. He found that he was no longer in a mountain valley but before a straw house located in the midst of a lush mountain. There was a feeling of serenity drifting in the air, soothing ones tense nerves. However, knowing that he was still in the midst of the Mountain Gate examination, Zhang Xuan didnt allow such an atmosphere to affect him. Keeping his guard up, he swiftly assessed his surroundings before walking warily toward the straw cottage. Tz, tz! Before he could reach the straw cottage, a slightly screechy, metallic sound suddenly echoed in the air. Circumventing the straw cottage, he saw an old man squatting by a stream, grinding a certain object in his hand relentlessly. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan realized that it was a thick and long metal bar. Perhaps under the relentless effort of the old man, the top portion of the bar had been ground thin, and the tip was as fine as a needle. Whittling a metal bar into a needle 1 ? Taken aback by the sight before him, Zhang Xuan asked with a slight hint of bewilderment in his voice. He wouldnt be surprised if he were to meet with an assault from a pack of saint beasts, trapped within a formidable formation, encountering an army of soldiers, or anything else. But to see someone whittling a metal bar into a needle in the Mountain Gate examination... what was this supposed to mean? Do you know what Im doing? At this moment, a faint but clear voice sounded in the air. The old man seemed to have noticed Zhang Xuans presence, and without stopping his action, he asked with a questioning edge in his tone. Are you whittling a needle? Zhang Xuan replied. Oh? The old man seemed to be a little surprised by how Zhang Xuan was able to get it at the first try. You can tell that Im whittling a needle? Considering how thick and long the metal bar was, most cultivators would probably guess that he was attempting to whittle out some kind of weapon. That would be the logical answer, after all. You are trying to use this as an analogy to tell me that as long as one has perseverance and is willing to put in hard work, theres nothing in the world thats too difficult to aplish. As the saying goes, With diligence and perseverance, a metal bar can be whittled down to a needle. Zhang Xuan replied. This... The old man blinked his eyes. He was born with unimpressive talents, and in his earlier years, he thought that he would never be able to catch up with the others. But one day, while he was out, he saw his teacher grinding down a metal bar bit by bit. When he asked what his teacher was doing, thetter said that he was trying to whittle out an embroidery needle and quoted those exact same words. It was as if a ray of light had parted the darkness he had been in, showing him a clear path forward. It was with that very mindset that he charged forward fearlessly, eventually reaching his current height. The reason why he was enacting the same action was in hope that theter generations could gain the same enlightenment that he did... But this fellow actually saw through his motive with a single look, causing all of those words of wisdom that he had scripted before to clutter up in his chest, suffocating him. Whittling a metal bar down to a needle... Suppressing the stifling sensation in his heart, the old man was just about to speak when he saw the young man before him shake his head, sighing deeply, The intentions behind the saying may be good, but in my view, its simply wasted effort! Why would you say so? Frowning, the old man looked at Zhang Xuan and asked. These were the very same words which had inspired him back then. Why would they be wasted effort? Simple. If Im not mistaken, you are not a real person but a Soul Imprint. The metal bar which you are whittling down is Starspirit Metal, which is even more valuable than ck Goldcrystal Ores due to the incredible resilience it boasts. On the other hand, the chisel you are using to grind it down is made of ordinary Risegreen Rock, which can be easily picked right off the streets... Due to the overwhelming difference in the tier of the tool you are using and the metal bar you are trying to whittle down, what you are doing is really not any different from using a cotton swab to grind down a metal bar. Given so, do you think that you will seed? Zhang Xuan asked. Through his Eye of Insight, he could tell that the old man wasnt a real person but a Soul Imprint. The metal bar in his hand was the extremely rare Starspirit Metal, boasting iparable hardness. It would be difficult for even an 8-star cksmith to melt it down. Yet, to use an ordinary stone chisel to whittle it down to a needle... Surely this was a joke? Even if perseverance and diligence dont fail those who embrace them, at this rate, whatever returns you will receive from your efforts will only be minimal... Furthermore, as a Soul Imprint, your time is severely limited as well. If my memory fails me not, Soul Imprints can only survive for a limited time in the external world. Zhang Xuan continued. He had met quite a few Soul Imprints so far, and he had some understanding of how they worked as well. In a dormant state, they would still be able to survive for a long period of time. However, once they gain consciousness, they wouldnt be able to sustain themselves for too long. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu and the Old Sword Maestro were such examples. Despite the incredible strength they wielded while they were still alive, the Soul Imprint that they left behind still didntst for too long before dissipating. This... Hearing Zhang Xuans logical analysis, the old man sighed helplessly before putting down the metal bar in his hand. You really are a sharp-witted and discerning person. I didnt think that you would be able to see through so much within such a short period of time. While part of the reason why the old man was whittling the metal bar here was to motivate theter generations, more than that, it also served as an assessment to them as well. For the young man to see through his motive with a single look and even tell that he was just a Soul Imprint, the young man was truly a keen person. In response to the praise, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, It really isnt too difficult to see through this much. Even though he wasnt an academic in his previous life, he had at least heard of the story of whittling a metal bar down to a needle 2 . Perhaps to those who had never heard of the story before, this could be a huge source of inspiration and enlightenment, but as someone who could recite the story even from the back, it couldnt even leave the slightest ripple in his mind. Actually, if you really wish to whittle the Starspirit Metal down to a needle, theres a way to go around doing it. The Risegreen Rock chisel wont be sufficient, but with some ck Goldcrystal Ore and Woodvine Essence, it can definitely be done! Zhang Xuan suddenly said with a smile. Oh? Youre saying that abination of ck Goldcrystal Ore and Woodvine Essence would allow me to whittle this bar of Starspirit Metal down to a needle? the old man asked in interest. Thats right! Zhang Xuan replied confidently. The process isnt tooplicated either. The Woodvine Essence possesses corrosive property, and throughplementing it with several other medicinal herbs, it can be used to wear down the Starspirit Metal. In fact, as long as we calcte the size and quality of the metal bar in your hand precisely, with sufficient medicinal essence, we will be able to corrode the entire bar down to the size of a needle within minutes. There would be no need to whittle it down at all! You are saying that it can be done within minutes? It happens that I do have the required ingredients with me at the moment. Why dont you give it a try? Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a pile of medicinal herbs. These medicinal herbs hade from the storage ring which he had retrieved from Ji Lingfeng back at the Sword Lagoon. Even though those medicinal herbs were valuable, as the Boss of the Qianchong Empire ck Market, Ji Lingfeng still had a substantial number of them with him. Zhang Xuan quickly mixed the various medicinal herbs together to concoct a unique medicinal essence. Retrieving a piece of ck Goldcrystal Ore, Zhang Xuan poured the medicinal essence on it equally throughout. Then, he took the metal bar from the old mans hands and ced it on top of the ck Goldcrystal Ore. Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! A white stream of smoke rose into the air, and the Starspirit Metal swiftly contracted. Just like what Zhang Xuan had said, it really became a thin needle within a few minutes time. The medicinal essence and ck Goldcrystal Ore also happened to be depleted at this moment, as if everything had been precisely calcted prior to the act. With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan casually tossed the needle over to the old man. Here, I have already done it for you, so you dont have to waste your time whittling the metal bar anymore. Honestly speaking, dont you find it tiring? Not only is it tough, more importantly, you arent making much progress either... ... The old mans lips twitched. It was only an analogy he used to test the candidates! And yet... the young man before him really turned his metal bar down into a needle... More importantly, that lecturing tone that he took after that was as if he was a senior speaking words of wisdom to a junior... Do you know who I am to be talking to me like this? Shaking his head, the old man swiftly shook away the frustrations in his mind and said, With just a look at the metal bar, you were able to precisely calcte the quantity of medicinal essence you would require to corrode it down to the size of a needle... It seems like your Eye of Insight has already reached the realm of Infinitesimal Keenness! You know that I possess the Eye of Insight? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. After the fourth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher, he had already gained the ability to conceal his Eye of Insightpletely. As long as he willed it so, not even an 8-star pinnacle master teacher would be able to notice his Eye of Insight. Yet, the old man was actually able to see it with a single look... Just how powerful could he be at his peak? Could he possibly... be a 9-star master teacher? A thought came to Zhang Xuans mind, and he couldnt help but tighten his fists in agitation. So far, the most formidable master teacher he had seen was Elder Liu, who had briefed them on the rules of the Mountain Gate examination earlier. He hadnt met a real 9-star master teacher before, and he didnt even know the name of any single one of them either. If the old man before him was really a 9-star master teacher, it was indeed possible for him to tell that he possessed the Eye of Insight. Chapter 1295 - Do You Want To Be the Sanctum Head?

Chapter 1295: Do You Want To Be the Sanctum Head?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Your possession of Eye of Insight has resulted in a distortion in the Teleportation Formation, thats why you were sent here! Seeing the look of confusion in Zhang Xuans eyes, the old man exined. The Teleportation Formation of the Sanctum of Sages would teleport every candidate to different locations depending on their field of specialty. The young man had activated his Eye of Insight as soon as he entered the Teleportation Formation, so naturally, he was sent here. The Illusory Formation was the first trial, and it served to assess his proficiency in the usage of his ability. Only if he was able to ovee the Illusory Formation would he be qualified to meet the old man. Zhang Xuan swiftly realized this as well. A person who was able to create something as formidable as a Teleportation Formation was bound to be able to sense his Eye of Insight as well, not to mention, he was using it openly within the Teleportation Formation earlier too. You said earlier that my Eye of Insight has reached the level of Infinitesimal Keenness... what does that mean? Zhang Xuan asked. He had never told anyone about his possession of the Eye of Insight before, and there was nothing detailed regarding the Eye of Insight in the books either. As such, he had no idea that it could divided into differing realms too. Eye of Insight is an extremely rare ability that only a very small portion of extraordinarily talented 6-star master teachers are able to awaken. In the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, there are not many of people who managed to awaken the Eye of Insight. Depending on how proficient one is at using the Eye of Insight, there is a vast difference in its prowess too. As such, it is ssified into different realms as well. The old man stroked his beard as he continued on, The first realm is Discerning Facade. It allows one to see through all disguises, allowing one to see an object right at its core. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. Ever since heprehended the Eye of Insight, he had realized that he could use it to see through any facade with ease. It was through using it that he was able to catch a glimpse of Luo Ruoxins true appearance too. The second realm is what I have told you earlier, Infinitesimal Keenness. At this realm, you are able to see through the weight, size, material, and the various other details of an object with absolute precision. At the same time, you are also able to see through the strengths and ws of cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and all sorts of maneuvers as well. the old man said. Nodding, Zhang Xuan asked, I see. Is there a third realm as well? Even without using the Library of Heavens Path, the current him was indeed able to assess the details of an object with absolute precision using just the Eye of Insight. This would mean that he had achieved the realm of Infinitesimal Keenness at the very minimum. Just that... if he recalled correctly, he already possessed this ability when he first obtained the Eye of Insight. So, to call it the second realm felt a little weird to him, The third realm is known as History Tracing, and it allows one to peer into the origin of a matter and thus trace its history. Upon reaching this realm, one would be able to peer into the very fundamentals of artifacts and battle techniques, and even trace down the missing aspects of it. For example, no matter how well a person covered his tracks up well, hes bound to leave some traces of his presence behind. Thus, those whose Eye of Insight have reached the realm of History Tracing will be able to see these traces and track that person down. the old man said. Ah... Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes nkly. Was this really the third realm of the Eye of Insight? If that was really the case, wasnt it weird that he possessed this ability right after he had awakened his Eye of insight too? Upon reaching this realm, those of the same cultivation realm would be unable to hide any secrets from one anymore. With just a sweep nce, one would be able to tell if an individual is lying or holding back some critical information. More importantly, one would be able to urately assess the potential of a cultivation technique as well. Those who have achieved the realm, other than those who have died prematurely, have all gone on and be 9-star master teachers! the old man said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. He could roughly understand what the old man was driving at. The reason why he was able to improve so swiftly without facing any bottlenecks was mainly due to the Heavens Path Divine Art. Considering the Eye of Insights ability to determine the potential of cultivation techniques, those who possessed it would be able to choose the most suitable cultivation techniques for themselves and advance through the ranks with ease too. Then... is there a fourth realm? Zhang Xuan asked. He had already aplished the first three realms, so could there still be any level above that? If that was the case, it would be good if he could advance the mastery of the Eye of Insight too. It could potentially bing a powerful trump card in battle. Of course! Upon reaching the third realm, one would be able to start practicing optic arts. Through creating formations with the lines of insight, its possible for one to exert a prowess far surpassing that of battle techniques through the Eye of Insight! ording to my teachers impartation, the fourth realm is called Demon Vanquisher. Once mastered, one will be able to tear apart even the space of where oneys ones eyes upon. In terms of prowess, its evenparable to Ancient Sage Qiu Wus famed Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel! the old man said proudly. Even on par with Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel? Zhang Xuan might be unaware of other battle techniques, but he had definitely heard of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Having cultivated the technique himself, he knew how profound it was. If one could master it up to 5-dan, one would be able to wield full grasp over space and travel freely within it. Even without using Teleportation Formations, one would be able to cover long distances instantaneously with a spatial leap. So far, it was the most formidable battle technique he had ever seen, even more profound than Kong shis Saint Ascension Decipher even. If he could perfect all of its ws and master it to its highest level, even with his current cultivation of Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, he would still be able to ughter Saint realm 7-dan experts with ease. Back then, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had used this very technique to seal the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for several dozen millenniums, preventing them from entering the Master Teacher Continent and granting mankind this period of peace. So, for the optic art to be on par with such a battle technique, wasnt it a little too powerful? Optic art... Elder, may I know whom your teacher is? Zhang Xuan couldnt help asking. He had heard that Kong shis direct disciple, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, possessed the Eye of Insight, and he had created a set of optic arts toplement it. With just a look from his eyes, thousands of Otherworldly Demons would be reduced to ashes. Considering how the old man before him was speaking about optic arts, could there be some kind of link between the both of them? My teacher is one of Kong shis Ten Apostles, Ancient Sage Bo Shang! My teacher left right after creating the Sanctum of Sages, so Im officially the first sanctum head. The rules regarding the Mountain Gate were also created by me. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had finallye to a realization, the old man chuckled softly. The first sanctum head? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. He thought that the old man was just a random soul drifting around the Mountain Gate, but to think that he was the very first sanctum head! I heard that in order to be the head of the Sanctum of Sages, one must possess the Eye of Insight... Since thats the case, elder, does it mean that you possess the same gift as well? Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. Indeed, I possess the Eye of Insight as well. At my peak, I have cultivated it up to the fourth realm, Demon Vanquisher. In fact, the rule stating that only those who possess the Eye of Insight would be able to be the sanctum head was also created by me. The intention behind it is simple. Just like how my teacher hopes to pass down Kong shis ideology through the the Sanctum of Sages, I also hope to pass my teachers heritage down toter generations so that they would honor his name for years toe! the old man nodded. For this reason, every student who wish to enrol into the Sanctum of Sages must participate in the Mountain Gate examination, and those who possess the Eye of Insight will be teleported here to undergo my test! Zhang Xuan finally understood what exactly was going on. It was no wonder why there was no one in the area at all. It seemed like his test was in apletely different area from all of the other candidates. Learning that the old man before him was the first sanctum head, Zhang Xuan dared not to pull his weight either. sping his fist respectfully, he asked, Elder, may I know what your name is? In terms of standing, the old man could be considered as Kong shis grandstudent, a truly formidable figure in history. On top of that, he was also the person who had helped build up the Sanctum of Sages, bringing it to the position of honor and glory that it currently sat on... Without a doubt, he was a person worthy of respect. It has been too long since my passing, so my name is not worth a mention. However, the people of this generation address me as Sage Kui! the old man said. Junior Zhang Xuan pays respect to Sage Kui. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed slightly. The old sages had contributed greatly to mankind in their own ways, so he had always harbored great respect toward them. Un. Sage Kui nodded. Since you were able to see through my Illusory Formation and ovee it, that would mean that your Eye of Insight has achieved the level of Discerning Facade. After which, you were able to urately gauge the weight of the metal bar and concoct a corresponding amount of medicinal essence to melt it. That would mean that you have achieved the level of Infinitesimal Keenness as well... However, in order to be a candidate for the position of the sanctum head, you have to achieve the third realm, History Tracing, at the very minimum! Candidate for the position of the sanctum head? Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in a daze. He hade here in order to qualify as a student of the Sanctum of Sages, why did it suddenly be a test for him to be the sanctum head instead? Thats right. Due to the rule of sanctum heads having to possess the Eye of Insight, there has been many times in history when the Sanctum of Sages went without a sanctum head for a long period of time. Including me, there have only been nine generations of sanctum heads so far. Since you possess the gift required, you have met the basic qualification to be considered as a candidate for the position of the sanctum head as well... Right, I forgot to ask you yet. Are you interested in bing the tenth sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages? Sage Kui asked. Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded hurriedly. If he were to be the sanctum head, be it in terms of standing or position, he would be worthy of Luo Ruoxin. If he were to ask for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage with this position, the Luo n would really have to think the matter through. That is great. However, I have to inform you first that possessing the Eye of Insight is just one of the requirements to bing the sanctum head. You also need to undergo trials to ensure that you have the strength, state of mind, and wisdom required for the position. Sage Kui said. Yes! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had known for a long time that there were very few master teachers who managed toprehend the Eye of Insight, but he never thought that they would really number so few. Considering how there were only nine sanctum heads in total, and an average Saint realm cultivator was able to live for a thousand years... That would mean that most of the time, the Sanctum of Sages was without a sanctum head! It was no wonder why he would be teleported here as soon as he stepped into the formation. Considering how difficult it was toe by a master teacher possessing the Eye of Insight, it was natural to rope him in as soon as possible to groom him as the next sanctum head! May I know what the trials would be? Zhang Xuan asked. Like Ive said before, in order to be a candidate in line for the position of the sanctum head, your Eye of Insight must reach the third realm. Now, Ill have to assess whether you have met that prerequisite before moving on to the next test! Sage Kui replied. The third realm of Eye of Insight, History Tracing, allows one to peer into the origin of a matter and trace its history. I have an artifact with me right here, and Ill give you an incenses time to urately determine its nature. If you can do so, it would mean that you have cleared the test. Very well. Zhang Xuan nodded confidently. Discerning artifacts had always been his strength, and ever since the time he had spent at Tianxuan Kingdom, he had never failed before. Good! Noting Zhang Xuans confidence, Sage Kui nodded. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a ceramic vat suddenly appeared before him. All you have to do is to tell me whats stored in the ceramic vat. Whats stored in the ceramic vase? Zhang Xuan repeated with a frown. The ceramic vase appeared to be perfectly ordinary on the surface, and there was indeed nothing special about its material too. However, there were unique paper seals stered on its cap, preventing ones Spiritual Perception from viewing what was within. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and attempted to peer into the vase. As soon as his Eye of Insight was activated, the vase before him seemed toe to life. It emanated an astounding aura reminiscent of a sun, mercilessly blinding those who were attempting to peer into it. With this, it was impossible to see what was hidden within! How am I supposed to tell whats inside like this? Zhang Xuan frowned. Under the blinding light, his eyes felt like they were going to bleed anytime soon. There was no way to see through that! In fact, everything had been overwhelmed by that light, making it impossible to even discern any traces to make a deduction on what was inside the vat. At this point, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before muttering in his mind. ws! Chapter 1296 - Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld

Chapter 1296: Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! A book appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. With a simple flip, the information within the book flowed into Zhang Xuans head. Golden Script Seal, an artifact created by the first head of the Sanctum of Sages, Sage Kui. It possesses the ability to seal the transient and eternalize it. There is a total of seven ws. No.1, it can only seal non-living objects as living beings would suffocate under the effects of the seal. No.2, its defenses are extremely weak. Sword qi would be able to destroy it... Ah... Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead speechlessly. What he wanted to know was the information concerning the vat and, more importantly, what was inside it. Yet, for information on the seal to appear instead... what a headache! But thinking deeper into it, it was natural that the Library of Heavens Path would react in such a manner. The vat was a non-living object, so it required physical contact in order topile a book on it. However, it happened that the seals were currently in its active state, so its ws were reflected instead. This was truly a dilemma. Considering that this was a test on his Eye of Insight, he could not just step forward to touch the vat. Zhang Xuan contemted deeply for a moment before a thought suddenly struck him. While I cant see anything through the Eye of Insight, it should be possible to deduce whats within it through the ws of the seal. He had already assessed the entire vat all over with his Eye of Insight, but perhaps due to the long age of the vat or the jarring radiance blinding his sight, he was really unable to find any clues as to what could be stored in the vat. However, through the seals, it should still be possible for him to make an intelligent guess as to what was within the vat. Based on the first w, the seal could only be used to seal non-living objects. This meant that was within was not a lifeform. Even if it was, it would have to be dead by now. As for the second w, it stated that the seal had weak defenses and one could easily destroy it with sword qi. Since that was the case, it was safe to assume that what was within the vat was not too valuable. Otherwise, considering the ordinary material of the vat and the fact that the seal could be easily destroyed, it would be a little too negligent to store it within the vat. And the third w... Zhang Xuans mind whirred into action as he swiftly narrowed the scope of his deduction. A momentter, he could not help but shake his head. Even if he were to narrow down the possible choices through the ws of the seal, there were still way too many items that could have been in the vat! There was no way toe to a conclusive deduction just through this. If I cant even deduce it despite knowing the ws, how did the previous candidates possessing the Eye of Insight manage to clear this test? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. Since he was able to see the invisible trails of others to locate their whereabouts, it meant that he had already reached the third realm of the Eye of Insight. However, despite having achieved this realm, he was still unable to tell what was within the vat. Since that was the case, shouldnt the others who were at the same realm in terms of Eye of Insight have been unable to discern what was within the vat too? But if they were unable to discern what was in the vat, how did they clear the test? While Zhang Xuan was still stressed out over the matter, he suddenly heard Sage Kuis voice. Times up. How is it? Were you able to find whats stored within? Elder, I was only able to deduce that the vat is likely to be used to store some kind of fluid. As for what it is and what it does, Im afraid that I cant tell at all... Zhang Xuan had thought that with his prowess, he would be able to clear the test with ease. Yet, who would have thought that he ended up suffering such a huge setback instead? His face could not help but redden in embarrassment. On the other hand, Sage Kuis eyes widened for a brief moment before swiftly reverting back to normal. With aposed tone, he asked, Is there any underlying basis behind your deduction? This Golden Inscription Seal can only be used to seal fluids, Zhang Xuan replied. You are able toprehend the Golden Inscription Seal? This time, Sage Kui was no longer able to conceal his astonishment. Im afraid that I am unable toprehend it. I was only able to deduce that from deciphering the aura that it emanates, Zhang Xuan said. Un, you are right. Whats stored within the vat is indeed a type of fluid. Also, putting aside those who have achieved the third realm in the Eye of Insight, even those who have reached the fourth realm would be unable to tell whats inside the vat! Sage Kui revealed with a satisfied look on his face. In truth, this test serves to assess not ones eye of discernment but ones character and nature. The Eye of Insight can always be cultivated, so it doesnt matter whether you have reached the third realm or not. However, character and nature are two aspects that are very hard to change. The Sanctum of Sages houses Kong shis ideology and my teachers heritage, so I dont wish to pass it down to those with malicious intentions! The reason I said earlier that only those whose Eye of Insight has reached the third realm are qualified to be a candidate in line for the position of sanctum head and have you observe this vat was to assess your reaction. If one is unable to determine whats inside the vat, so be it. To lie out of anxiety to clear a test only shows that ones character is questionable. At which, Sage Kui chuckled. Congrattions, you have cleared the test. Its admirable that someone as young as you is willing to admit failure graciously. It seems like you are a person of good character. Not bad, not bad! Thank you, Zhang Xuan said with a reddened face. It turned out that it was a test after all. Indeed, if one was unable to discern anything, there was no reason one could not just admit to it. Even so, the other partys words about him being of good character were indeed true. Otherwise, why would he have been unanimously chosen to be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Just with that remark alone, Zhang Xuan immediately felt a burst of goodwill toward Sage Kui. For some inexplicable reason, everyone else seemed to tightly hold onto the belief that he was an existence who brought destruction wherever he went, and they tried to maintain a distance from him. Only the old man before him was able to see through his good character with a single nce. As expected of a grandstudent of Kong shi, his eye of discernment was indeed outstanding. Since you have cleared my test, here is your reward. Its the Sanctum Head Token of the Sanctum of Sages! With a flick of his wrist, Sage Kui passed a token over to Zhang Xuan. The token is real, but it has been sealed by some inscriptions, so you wont be able to use it for the time being. As a result, you wont be able to issuemands through it, and you wont enjoy the authority and privileges thate along with it. In other words, despite having the Sanctum Head Token in your hand, youll still be an ordinary student in the Sanctum of Sages. Nodding, Zhang Xuan caught the Sanctum Head Token. Taking a look at it, the token was not big. It was filled with inscriptions, which sealed the aura of the token tightly within. To the eye of an outsider, it would appear to be nothing more than an ordinary token. However, just by grasping it, one would be able to feeling the raging power harnessed within it. It felt as if there was some immense energy stored within the token that would cause even the sky to dull before its powers. This token is probably a really high-tier artifact. Even without checking on it with his Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan could tell that the token was no ordinary tool. In terms of tier, it was definitely superior to the Lingxu Sword of the Old Sword Maestro. I didnt seal the token to intentionally make things difficult for you. You should be well aware of the standing of the Sanctum of Sages in the Master Teacher Continent. In order to be the sanctum head, its imperative that you wield strength proportionate to your position. Otherwise, how will others be willing to follow you? Even if your position is legitimate, you still wont be able to gain the respect of others. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. While the Master Teacher Pavilion did establish a certain degree of order via rules to the Master Teacher Continent, the fact was that strength still reigned mighty. The reason the Zhang n wielded such great authority, which even the Master Teacher Pavilion would falter before, was due to their overwhelming strength. Even if Zhang Xuan rose to the position of the sanctum head right now, if he did not possess strength worthy of the position, no one would be willing to follow him. On the contrary, it might even bring danger upon him. Considering how he was only at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, there was a good chance that this would only make him aughingstock. Im d that you understand that. Alright, I have set three seals in total upon the Sanctum Head Token. The first seal will be broken when you be an 8-star master teacher. The second seal will be broken when your cultivation reaches Saint 8-dan. Last but not least, the third seal will be broken when your cultivation of the Eye of Insight reaches the fourth realm, Demon Vanquisher. Sage Kui looked at Zhang Xuan with eyes filled with anticipation as he continued. Judging from your appearance, you should only be your early twenties at the moment. Given how you are able to wield such strength at your current age, theres no doubt that you possess outstanding talent. While these three goals will be hard to achieve, as long as you work diligently, you should be able to aplish it within a hundred years. At just 120 years old, you will be one of the youngest to be the head of the Sanctum of Sages! A hundred years? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. While the three conditions that Sage Kui had imposed for him were indeed difficult, if he could only aplish them within a hundred years, he would already be buried under a huge pile of grass thanks to the Innate Fetal Poison. Not to mention, if he wanted to stop Luo Ruoxin from marrying that hateful fellow from the Zhang n, he would have to wield sufficient strength to stand before both the Luo n and the Zhang n by the third month of the next year. He was not going to survive that long at that pace. Ill just repeat it onest time. Until you fulfill those three conditions, you wont be able to release the seal on the Sanctum Head Token, and you wont be able to tap into the power harnessed in it. As such, I hope that you can disguise yourself as an ordinary student and study diligently in the Sanctum of Sages, slowly taking a step at a time to the peak. This is the best way for you to win the respect of others, as well as my test to you, Sage Kui advised. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. Two words: low profile. By walking every step of the way by himself, he would be able to gain a true understanding of the Sanctum of Sages. This way, when he finally became the sanctum head, he would be able to take control of matters with ease instead of falling into a panic. Good. Alright, this is the optic art that my teacher has created, Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. Only those who possesses the Eye of Insight will be able to practice it. As the saying goes, once one cultivates it to the highest level, one will be able to peer right into the ninthherworld. Even the heavens will be unable to conceal ones eyes. Ill impart the technique to you right now, and you have three days to practice it. As for how much you manage to learn, that will be dependent on your own talent. If you cantprehend it your entire life, you wont be able to reach the fourth realm of the Eye of Insight. In other words, even with the Sanctum Head Token in hand, you wont be able to be the real sanctum head. Sage Kui waved his hand forward. Hu! A huge number of words along with a massive formation map appeared in the space before Sage Kui. Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld? Swiftly ncing through the content, Zhang Xuan felt his heart jolting in astonishment. As expected of an ultimate technique on par with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, it was indeed formidable. Just as Sage Kui had said, the optic technique was built upon the foundation of the Eye of Insight, so only those who possessed the gift would be able to practice and utilize it. Basically, the underlying idea behind it was to make use of the lines of insight within the Eye of Insight to form formations. The more lines of insight one had, the more capable one would be in seeing through the essence of objects, and the greater prowess the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld would wield. This optic art consists of three realms. The first realm is Gaze of Deities and Demons. With just one look, one would be able to crush the mental state of a cultivator, rendering them incapable of fighting against one! Zhang Xuan noted as he looked at the first realm. There were some formidable cultivators who carried a unique disposition of their own. With just a re, they would be able to instill deep fear into others. This was especially so for emperors. With a re and a roar, those who had never experienced life-and-death situations would find themselves being put under deep pressure. Basically, the first realm, Gaze of Deities and Demons, served to maximize such an ability to its very limits via the Eye of Insight. With just one look, ones enemies would feel as if they were standing before deities and demons alike, crushing their spirit entirely, rendering them incapable of retaliating at all. Once ones spirit had been crushed, no matter how powerful one was, there would be no chance at victory at all. To be able to induce others to flee with just one look... As expected of the technique left behind by the founder, it was indeed formidable! If he could master it, his fighting prowess would surely grow by at least twofold. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan continued looking on. But before long, a deep frown appeared on his forehead. Hmm? Thats not right. It seems like... theres something wrong with the optic art! Chapter 1297 - Are You Suffering From Achromatopsia?

Chapter 1297: Are You Suffering From Achromatopsia?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Out of habit, Zhang Xuan collected the manual of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld into the Library of Heavens Path before browsing through it. So, what he was reading wasnt the text in the sky but thepiled book in the Library of Heavens Path. The introduction still sounded fine, but when he began processing the form to practicing the optic art, he swiftly realized that something was amiss with the technique. Whats wrong? Sage Kui asked. The optic art was created by his teacher, and it was iparably profound. There was no genius possessing the Eye of Insight who wouldnt be mesmerized by it. Yet, the young man actually frowned and said that there was a problem. What did he mean by this? This... Zhang Xuan turned over to look at Sage Kui. Elder, I would like to ask if theres anyone amidst the preceding sanctum heads who have suffered from blindness? Blindness? Notprehending the reason behind Zhang Xuans words, Sage Kui frowned. I am only in charge of guiding and assessing the potential candidates for the position of sanctum head, so I dont really know much about their affairs. He had died several dozen millenniums ago, and in order to allow his fragmented soul to survive as long as possible, he would only regain consciousness if a genius perceived to possess the Eye of Insight were to enter the examination grounds. Considering the limited time that he remained conscious, it was difficult for him to find out much about the affairs of the other sanctum heads. Then... Pardon me for asking this insolent question, but was Ancient Sage Bo Shangs eyes fine? Seeing that he was unaware of the matter, Zhang Xuan rephrased his question once more. My teacher has departed from the world shortly after founding the Sanctum of Sages... and his eyes were indeed blind then. Sage Kui paused for a brief moment before adding, However, with appropriate treatment, I think that his condition should be reversible... Reversible? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan unwittingly shook his head as a bitter smile emerged on his lips. Im afraid that itll be extremely difficult to do so, if not impossible altogether. Why? Slightly surprised by Zhang Xuans affirmative response, Sage Kui asked. There were many books containing details about Ancient Sage Bo Shangs affairs in the Sanctum of Sages, but most of them were centered around the nobler and more positive aspects of him. Furthermore, it was only known in a very small, closed circle that he had lost his sight back then, so the news didnt spread too far. So, how did the young man learn of the matter? Not to mention, to speak so affirmatively that it was nearly impossible to recover from his blindness... The reason lies in the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld! Zhang Xuan sighed. The optic art serves to tap into ones potential through the Eye of Insight to unleash devastating might. In terms of prowess, it is indeed an incredible battle technique. However, the side effect is that each time the formation map was activated, it would inflict tremendous, irreparable damage to the eye. As time goes by, one would inevitably lose ones sense of sight! In fact, the very first w regarding the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld in the Library of Heavens Path was the permanent loss of sight. Regardless of whether one was an ordinary mortal or a cultivator, there was bound to be a limit to ones potential. The ability of the optic art in tapping into this potential in the form of formation maps was indeed formidable, capable of bringing forth great destruction in an instant. However, the damage that it would inflict on the caster was immense and irreversible too. This was especially so since a humans potential couldnt be restored with any pills or means. To make an analogy, this was just like how, in Zhang Xuans previous life, a significant portion of talented athletes tended to have short lives. This was because they had sapped the potential of their bodies dry when they were younger. On top of that, the injuries they had sustained throughout the course of their career also remained as traumas, cing a great strain on their bodies. As a result, very few of them were able to enjoy the lifespan of an ordinary human. What the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld drained was the optic nerves. It was possible to treat and change the eyes, but if ones optic nerves were to wither and die, there would be very little that one could do. In other words, the optic art was fatally wed. To Saint realm cultivators, who possessed extraordinary senses and Spiritual Perception, it might seem like the loss of sight might not impede their fighting prowess significantly. However, the same couldnt be said about those who possessed the Eye of Insight. In the first ce, even without practicing optic arts, the Eye of Insight was already a very powerful gift in itself. The very ability to discern details more keenly than anyone else could y a deterministic role in the oue of a battle. The loss of sight would mean the loss of this gift, which would result in a sharp decline in ones fighting prowess. On top of that, one might also suffer a huge setback in their state of mind as well, and that would prevent them from reaching greater heights in the future. Hearing the young mans helpless sigh, Sage Kui frowned in displeasure, I have practiced the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld for several hundred years now, but I havent noticed any damage to my eyes. This is an optic art left behind my teacher, so Ill have to ask of you not to spread false rumors about it! It was not that Sage Kui was reluctant to believe Zhang Xuans words, but he had also cultivated the optic art for many years, but his eyes were stillpletely fine. He didnt experience any difort or pain as a result from using the technique, and his eyesight hadnt been impaired either. Given so, wasnt the other partys worries a little unfounded? Besides, who was his teacher? Ancient Sage Bo Shang, one of the Kong shis direct disciples, honored as one of the Ten Apostles! The Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was a technique which Ancient Sage Bo Shang had devoted his entire life to developing, so how could there be such a fatal w to it? This was a ridiculous notion in itself! Even if there was a w in it, it shouldnt be something which a mere Primordial Spirit realm cultivator like the young man would be able to see through! Knowing that Sage Kui would react in such a way, Zhang Xuan didnt lose hisposure. Instead, he looked at thetter and said calmly, Why dont I put it like that then? Elder, you mentioned that you have cultivated the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld for several hundred years now, but if Im not mistaken, you werent able to reach the third realm, right? ... Yes. Sage Kui nodded. Due to hisck of talent, despite his hard work, he was still unable to catch up with his teachers footsteps even up to his teachers death. Putting aside the third realm, he wasnt even able to reach the peak of the second realm. If Im not mistaken, when you first left this fragment of your soul here, you have just used the inferno to reforge your eyes and the frigid ice to temper them, allowing you to barely reach the second realm of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. At your current level, you are already able to see through the darkness with absolute keenness, as if its a brightly lit room. However, in a real battle, you still arent able to use the true prowess of the second realm, Asuras Wrath, right? Raising his eyelids, Zhang Xuan said. The first realm of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was Gaze of Deities and Demons, and the second realm was Asuras Wrath. Once one had mastered the second realm, with just a nce, one would be able to bring scorching inferno to thends, as if hell had descended upon the world. The first realm was mainly focused on mental offense whereas the second realm was a pure physical offense. Those whose strength hadnt met a certain mark would stand no chance before Asuras Wrath at all, turning into cinders in an instant. Even those who possessed strength greater than the caster would find themselves ced in a very difficult position, unable to exert their strength freely as they wanted to. Most importantly of all, the optic art could be cast at will. There would be no movements or anything else to warn one of the offense beforehand. Everything within the reach of the eye were possible targets, making it nigh impossible to guard against it. It was for this reason that the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was so famous, and the generations of sanctum heads were also deeply respected throughout the continent, possessing a standing higher than even that of the heads of the Zhang n and the Luo n. However, as powerful as the technique was, it was extremely troublesome to cultivate it. Firstly, one had to reforge ones eyes with the inferno and use frigid ice to temper them. After which, one still had to go through many gruesome trials, and the slightest mistake in any of them could result in the cultivation of the Eye of Insight to fall through. Even though Sage Kui hadnt executed any optic art so far, through Zhang Xuans understanding of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, he was still able to roughly deduce thetters proficiency. How... did you know? Sage Kui was astonished. The other partys words werepletely spot-on. When he first left behind a fragment of his soul in the Mountain Gate, he had barely managed to cultivate the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld up to the second realm, still a very far way off from reaching the third realm. Even though you are just a sliver of will at the moment, I can still see slight mes burning in your eyes. As weak as they appear, they seem to wield the potency to torch everything down to cinders. From that, it isnt too difficult to deduce that you have reached the second realm, Asuras Wrath. Zhang Xuan said as he leisurely strolled around the other party. Since he had collected the manual of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld into the Library of Heavens Path, it took only a moment for him to assimte all of the knowledge concerning it. With his current understanding of the optic art, it wasnt too difficult for him to deduce this much. Are you saying that... you have already finished reading through the second realm of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld? Hearing those words, Sage Kuis body trembled in astonishment, and his eyes widened in shock. It was just a moment ago that he had shown the manual of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld to the young man, but in just a few breaths time, the young man was actually able to urately list out the various distinctive traits of the second realm... Could it be that he had really managed to memorize all of it? One must know that the manual of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld consisted of over several hundred thousand words! Just browsing through it would take some time, let alone assimting the knowledge. Back then, he had studied it day and night without rest after obtaining the manual, but it still took him two days before he managed to primarily grasp the optic art. He even received his teacherspliment for that... And yet, the young man actually managed to memorize it all within just a few breaths? How could that be possible? It isnt too difficult to memorize the entire optic art. Whats more important is interpreting and cultivating the technique. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didnt reveal the slightest joy at having astounding the other party; on the contrary, he shook his head in pity as he continued on, Correct me if Im wrong, but while cultivating the second realm, Asuras Wrath, you should have seen red dots in your eyes from time to time. Also, there would be a slight itch in your eyes from time to time, and upon facing the wind, your eyes would tear up uncontrobly too. Worst of all, after casting Asuras Wrath, you would find yourself in a state of temporary blindness for roughly three breaths... May I know if theres any mistake in what I have said so far? You... Sage Kui couldnt believe what he was hearing. He had indeed faced these conditions while he was cultivating the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Underworld, but back then, he thought that it was just a side effect from reforging his eyes with the inferno, so he didnt think too much into it. Could there really be something wrong with the optic art? By the time he reached the second realm of the optic art, his teacher had already departed from the world, so there was no one whom he could consult these issues with. As a result, he could only fumble his way forward, hoping that he would be able to find the right path. It was also true that he would suffer temporary blindness after casting Asuras Wrath, but he thought that it was a natural effect as a result of the excessive exertion of his strength in the casting of the optic art. Could it really be as the young man had said... there was really a problem in the optic art? Asuras Wrath uses the eyes as a medium to channel a raging inferno upon ones enemies. Upon reaching Major Aplishment, the mes would be able to cleanse all impurities and torch everything down into cinders. Without a doubt, its a technique that wields astounding might, but its highly exhausting on ones mind as well. Continued usage of the skill would cause the nerves that governed sight to age prematurely, thus significantly reducing the lifespan of ones sight. This is just like how the core of a formation te would be depleted each time its used. Once it reaches its limit, not even the most formidable of formation masters would be able to fix it. Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity as he continued, Even though you have barely reached the second realm by the time you left this sliver of will, the side effects have already started to show. For one, the immense strain on your eyes has resulted in the erging of blood vessels in your eyes, resulting in them appearing slightly red. Also, if Im not mistaken, you should suffer from frequent insomnia too. You know that... I have insomnia? Sage Kui was bbergasted. For a cultivator as strong as Sage Kui, he could use cultivation to rece his need for sleep. Nevertheless, an asional sleep now and then would still be a rxing experience for both his body and mind. In fact, most cultivators would still opt to rest from time to time. Back then, when his teacher just departed from the world, he had to govern the entire Sanctum of Sages by himself, so he didnt have time to get much rest. Even when he tried, he wasnt able to fall asleep either. He had attributed the matter to his tense nerves, but could it really be rted to the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld? Now that he thought about it... he seemed to recall that his teacher suffered from constant insomnia as well, and that had left him feeling lethargic frequently. Considering the damage the cultivation of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld has caused to your nerves, its inevitable that you would suffer from insomnia. Furthermore, as you deepen your mastery in it, your mind would start to wear down, resulting in frequent memory loss. More importantly... your sensitivity toward colors would also start to dull, and eventually, the many colors of the natural world would appear to be nothing more than ck and white to you... At this moment, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before sighing deeply in sympathy. In other words, total color blindness! If Im not mistaken, you should be suffering from such symptoms too! Chapter 1298 - Sage Kuis Dilemma

Chapter 1298: Sage Kuis Dilemma

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Due to the inferno burning within ones eyes, those who practiced the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld would find their sensitivity toward colors fading as time passed, and eventually, the entire world would appear to be nothing but ck and white to them. Due to the nature of the injury, it was an irreversible symptom. There was no way to recover from it. This was not listed in the ws in the Library of Heavens Path, but through Zhang Xuans deep understanding of the Way of Medicine and cultivation, he could still deduce this much from working backward. Color blindness? Whats that? Sage Kui was stunned by the foreign term. He had never heard that terminology from anyones mouth before. You dont know what it is? Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before realization struck him. Due to the difference in worlds, it was indeed possible that the notion of color blindness was not as prevalent ormon in this world. So, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment to decide how he should exin the concept. Color blindness refers to ack of sensitivity of ones eyes in perceiving different colors. Take my clothes for example, whats the color that you see? Gray, Sage Kui replied. Its light-blue, not gray, Zhang Xuan stated with a shake of his head. Light-blue? Sage Kui frowned. Is this supposed to be what light-blue looks like? Why doesnt it seem to be the case? Let me ask you a different question instead. How many colors are there in a rainbow? While saying those words, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and created a rainbow bridge of seven colors in the sky. I can discern a couple of colors from it, but... there doesnt seem to be seven colors in the rainbow you have created. Furthermore, most of the colors are of simr tones, so I cant really say for sure either... Staring at the rainbow intently, Sage Kui felt a ripple of shock striking his mind. He had seen plenty of rainbows when he was younger, and he could urately distinguish seven colors from them. But now, he could only identify three colors in total, and the difference between the three was very vague. Could he really have been suffering from color blindness, just as the other party had said? Was this really the side effect from practicing the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld that his teacher had left behind? For so many years, he had harbored absolute faith toward the optic art that his teacher had created. However, under the persuasive and logical analysis of the young man before him, he could not help but begin doubting. Then... is there a way to resolve the problem? Sage Kui asked. So far, I only managed to analyze the ws in the optic art. I havent really found a way to resolve them yet... Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Library of Heavens Path would only reflect the ws of techniques, and Zhang Xuan had note into contact with any optic art manuals before, so he could notpile anything with the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld to perfect it. However, since we have identified the problem, it will only be a matter of time before a solution is found! As long as Zhang Xuan could find sufficient optic art manuals to perfect the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, those problems would be resolved as well. Back then, there had also been many faults with Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, and cultivation of the technique could have caused one to go blind, too. Nevertheless, throughpiling it with many other cultivation techniques, he had resolved that problem. Lets hope so... Sage Kui nodded. So, will you still be cultivating the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld? Sage Kui knew how powerful the Eye of Insight was as well, and it would indeed a pity to go blind as a result of cultivating an optic art. I think Ill hold off cultivating the technique for the time being. Ill try to resolve the current problems before cultivating it, Zhang Xuan replied. Despite its ws, the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was still an extremely formidable battle technique. He would have to find some way to ess optic art manuals so as topile them together with it and perfect it. In any case, there was no rush for the time being. What he wascking in the most at the moment was not battle techniques but his cultivation. If his cultivation was too low, no matter how many formidable battle techniques he had, he would still be unable to faze the Zhang n and the Luo n. Un, that would be good, too. For the next three days, you should try to gain aplete understanding of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. If theres anything that you are unable toprehend, feel free to ask me. You wont have any more opportunities to rify your doubts once you leave thisnd in three days! Sage Kui nodded. Thank you, elder! Zhang Xuan replied before sitting on the ground. While he appeared to be staring at the words in the air, his consciousness was immersed within his mind as he tried to fully grasp everything concerning the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. There are more than thirty ws to the optic art all in all, and every single one of them poses great damage to the body. After a moment of studying the optic art, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be helplessly. It was not that he did not want to cultivate the technique, but there were simply too many ws in it! How could a perfectionist like him possibly swallow something like this? If he forced himself to cultivate it, he might very well die from repulsion before anything else. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had paused on the spot for some time now, Sage Kui asked with a kind smile, How is it? Is there anything concerning the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld that confuses you? I can address your doubts here! Knowing that Sage Kui was asking out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. There are quite a few aspects of the optic art that confuse me, but its fine. I dont think that youll be able to address them either. It was not that he was underestimating Sage Kui, but it was likely that even Ancient Sage Bo Shang himself would have been unable to address his doubts! Otherwise, there was no way he would have ended up blinding himself. You are saying that I wont be able to address your doubts? Sage Kui frowned in displeasure. Ive spent several centuries cultivating the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, even reaching the second realm of it. As long as its a problem regarding its cultivation, Ill surely be able to answer it! He knew that the young man before him possessed an exceptional eye of discernment, being able to notice such a major w in the optic art with just one look. Nevertheless, he had still cultivated the technique for many years now, and not to mention, he was also a powerful cultivator. He was confident that with his deep understanding of the battle technique, he would be able to address any questions that the young man coulde up with. Youll surely be able to answer it? Seeing the confident look on Sage Kuis face, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and smiled lightly. Very well, I do have a few questions that I would love to have some answers to. I would be very grateful if you can answer them. Firstly, in the Gaze of Deities and Demons, what is the exact form that the demons and deities should assume? If its just based on personal conceptualization, wont be effectiveness of the optic art bepromised? This... Sage Kui was startled by the abrupt question. In this world, there was no one who had seen a true deity or demon before, so naturally, they were beings that were extremely hard for any human to truly imagine. In fact, whenever Sage Kui cast the technique, he would instinctively attempt to image bloodshed and carnage, intending to use killing aura as a substitution for the conceptualization of deities and demons to instill fear in the hearts of others. Just as Sage Kui was about to reveal his method, the young man before him had already spoken up once more. If what we are going to image is just in ughter, once the killing intent corrodes ones eyes and consciousness, how would one be different from the Otherworldly Demons? Furthermore, what demons and deities stand for should be supremacy, not ughter. If we use ughter to rece the concept of supremacy, wouldnt that be an inurate interpretation of the technique? Hearing those words, Sage Kuis face turned pale. Indeed. As a result of his frequent conceptualization of bloodshed and carnage, there was a period of time when he found himself unable to control the killing intent within him anymore, and he ran all the way down to the Subterranean Gallery to ughter Otherworldly Demons to vent his emotions. In a sense, using the ughter to substitute the demons and deities would turn the technique into a depraved art, which was at odds with the standing and beliefs of a master teacher. My second question! Seeing that Sage Kui was unable to answer his first question, Zhang Xuan decisively decided to move on. The Gaze of Deities and Demons utilizes ones eyes as a medium to attack anothers soul. However, for the attack to reach its target, one must first absorb a hint of the targets soul energy in order to lock the attack onto the other partys Primordial Spirit. However, if the target is aware of this aspect of the technique, they could use it as an opportunity to overwhelm one with their soul energy, putting one in a perilous position. Taking a step back, even if the target isnt aware of this opening, if the targets Primordial Spirit is far stronger than ones own, a forceful attack would inflict significant damage upon one! Sage Kui fell silent, unable to speak a single word at all. This was another w of the Gaze of Deities and Demons, and even his teacher, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, had been unable to resolve it. But while this was indeed a potential opening, considering the fast pace of a battle, there would be very few people who would be able to notice it and use it against them. As such, it could not be considered a major w. Just that... since the other party had pointed it out, it would not feel right to say that it was a negligible w. My third question. In order to cultivate Asuras Wrath, one must use the inferno to reforge ones eyes and the frigid ice to temper them. Through the intersection of hot and cold, one will be able to form a bnce of duality within ones eyes, which is aligned with the nature of the world as well. However... while two contrasting powers in ones eyes can enhance the strength of the formation maps and strengthen the lines of insight, it will also suppress the strength of ones soul as well, reminiscent of a seal. This will inadvertently result in the weakening of ones Primordial Spirit... My fourth question... Zhang Xuan posed all his questions one after another. With each question asked, Sage Kuis face turned paler by a shade. By the time the tenth question was asked, his silhouette had already turned faint, and it seemed as if he would vanish at any moment. At this point, he was no longer shocked but horrified. While the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was created by his teacher, it was inevitable that it would have its own ws as well. Nevertheless, under normal circumstances, these ws were not too apparent, so they would not cause much of a problem in its execution. Yet, with just a single nce, the young man was able to see through all of these ws, reciting them one after another precisely. If the young man had been an enemy, with just this knowledge, the young man would have been able to ovee his optic art easily and blind him with a single move! The realization of this made Sage Kui break out in cold sweat. He had thought that after learning the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, there would be hardly anyone in the world who would be a match for him. In any battle, as long as he utilized the optic art, he would be guaranteed victory. But after hearing the young mans words, he realized that the only reason he had remained undefeated for so long was because he had never encountered a true expert. If he had encountered an enemy of the young mans caliber back then, it was questionable whether he would still have his eyes with him at this moment. As the saying goes, the most proficient of swimmers can drown in water. Comcency would eventually bite back at one. He was able to discern so many ws with just a look... and I was actually tried to offer him guidance... Sage Kuis body stiffened. He felt so stifled that he could not even speak a word. It was just a moment ago that he had dered confidently that he would offer the young man guidance, but as soon as the young man starting stating his questions, he found that he could not even answer a single one of them. The searing sensation on his face left him feeling like burying himself in a hole. This is my thirteenth question... Never mind, Ill just stop here today. Elder, have you thought of the answers of any of them? There was a momentary silence before the young man spoke with aforting voice. Theres no need to rush into it; you can slowly take your time to ponder over them. In any case, we still have two days more here. For the time being, Ill take a sleep first. Feel free to wake me up when youre done, and Ill continue asking the other questions I have in mind. Cough cough! Sage Kuis lips twitched wildly as his silhouette faltered. This was supposed to be a session to rify doubts, but why did it seem like the young man was assessing him instead? More importantly... he knew that there was no way he coulde up with a fitting answer to those questions! Putting aside him, even his teacher would have been unable to do so! If his teacher was really able to answer these questions, he would have improved the Divine Eye of the Ninth Netherworld already. Given so, there was no way he would be able to answer those questions even if he were to ponder over them for two years, let alone two days! The reason he had left behind a sliver of his will was to assess theter generations, but now, he found himself being stumped before them instead. Just where in the world did this monster came from? After contemting for some time and deciding that there was no way he would be able to answer any of the questions, Sage Kui could only turn his gaze back to the young man helplessly. However, what he saw was the young man deeply asleep on the ground instead. Saliva was dripping down from his opened mouth, and there was a sweet smile on his face, as if he was having a good dream. This... Are you the first-generation sanctum head, or am I? Sage Kuis vision immediately turned dark. The sheer frustration that he felt left his very existence faltering non-stop, as if he would dissipate at any moment. Chapter 1299 - End of the Examination

Chapter 1299: End of the Examination

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Over the past several ten thousand years, he had assessed eight candidates possessing the Eye of Insight, and every single one of them expressed deep reverence toward him, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. Their wonderment and awe only served to deepen when they saw the manual of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. Every single one of them swore to cultivate strictly to the manual, and some even feared that theirck of talent would taint such a brilliant optic art. Yet, this fellow actually managed to stump him after a swift look at the manual, and as if that wasnt enough... he actually went to sleep right before him! You are obviously biting tightly onto the fact that I wont be able to answer your questions! Deeply stifled, Sage Kui shook his head before sitting helplessly onto the ground. Staring at the optic art manual before him, he eventually began to reanalyze it once more. Even though he felt a little unhappy about the young mans casual attitude before him, he knew that the young mans words rang true. Just the fact that the young man could pose those questions to him meant that the young mansprehension of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld had already reached a level on par with his. If a cultivator were to find ws in the technique he practiced, it went without saying that he would have to find ways to resolve them. Otherwise, if he were to harbor doubts about the capability of the battle technique he practiced, how could he possibly charge valiantly toward the top? ... Some timeter, Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily and opened his eyes. Ever since he arrived at Qianchong Empire, he had been constantly preupied with various matters. Even on the way to the Sanctum of Sages, he waspletely absorbed into studying, raising his cultivation, and guiding Zhang Jiuxiao along. As a result, a great deal of mental fatigue had been building up in him for some time now. Perhaps in view of the fact that they were currently in the Mountain Gate examination, and Sage Kui was looking after him, Zhang Xuan instinctively realized that there wouldnt be any problem regarding his safety here. As such, he was able to release whatever wariness he had toward his surroundings and slept rather sweetly. It has been almost three days? Standing up and stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan did a rough calction of the time he had been out, and he couldnt help but leap in shock. He thought that he would only sleep for a day at most, but who could have thought that he would end up being knocked out for three days straight. Just the thought of it left him deeply embarrassed. Perhaps it was the great stress he had been under recently, he hadnt been able to get a good rest. As such, when his tension finally loosened, his mind took this opportunity to rest as much as it could without any concern about time. Has Sage Kui resolved the problems which I have posed to him yet? Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled what happened prior to his sleep, and he turned his gaze toward Sage Kui. To his shock, he found that the old mans body had already turned significantly less corporeal, as if he would dissipate at any moment. On top of that, his eyes were crimson, and there was an indescribably aged look on his face. It was as if he had depleted all of his vitality, spirit, and energy in the past three days. Whats wrong with you? Zhang Xuan was horrified by the sight before him. Before he went to his sleep, Sage Kui was still doing perfectly fine. Why would he suddenly change so much after a short span of three days? You are finally awake... Turning his gaze to Zhang Xuan, Sage Kuis face unwittingly reddened in embarrassment. With a distressed and helpless look in his eyes, he said, I have pondered over the questions you have asked for three days... and I really cant find an answer to them! He thought that he should at least resolve one of the questions posed within the next three days so as to preserve his honor, but... it seemed like he had overestimated himself. The deeper he pondered over those questions, the less confidence he found that he had in the optic art. At this point, he was already severely doubting if the way he had chosen was wrong right from the very start. Zhang Xuan was still wondering what kind of earth-shattering incident had urred while he was in his sleep when he heard those words. Heaving a sigh of relief, he consoled, Its fine that you cant find an answer to them, theres no need to take it to heart! Itll do as long as you keep a lookout for these problems when you practice the technique in the future... ... Sage Kui felt even more stifled inside. Why did it feel like he was the student here? The duration of the examination is three days, so is it about time for me to leave now? Zhang Xuan swiftly nced at his surroundings and noted that he was still in the folded space. Then, a thought suddenly struck him, and he looked at Sage Kui in rm, What about my points? While the other candidates were busy trying to get as many points as they could, he actually slept through all three days! Was he going to fail the examination because of that? ... Wait a moment, Ill get you some points now. Sage Kui replied awkwardly. He had been too busy pondering over the young mans question that he forgot about this matter... It would really be the greatest joke of the world If the future sanctum head couldnt even qualify as a student in the Sanctum of Sages! For the past eight sanctum head candidates, while the candidates were busy studying andprehending the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, he would gradually add their points so as to ensure that no one would be able to notice that something was amiss with their results. However, the overwhelming trauma he had suffered this time around had caused him topletely forget about this matter. He quickly tapped his finger, and a momentter, he said, Alright. You should have enough points to enter the Elite Division now! Thank you. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At this point, he had also roughly realized what was going on here. While the previous sanctum head candidates wouldnt sleep through the three days like he did, they would still be preupied with studying the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, so they wouldnt have any time to head out to earn points either. Most likely, they were only able to be official students of the Sanctum of Sages due to Sage Kui tampering with their points. Considering how thetter was the creator of the Mountain Gate examination, it wouldnt pose any difficulty for him to add points to a candidate! Good luck and work hard. Try to break the seals on the Sanctum Head Token as soon as possible so that you can be the next official head of the Sanctum of Sages. Ill be entrusting the responsibility of passing down Kong shis ideology and my teachers heritage to theter generations into your hands then! Despite Sage Kuis solemn voice, the expectant gleam in his eyes showed that he thought highly of the young man before him. There was something really different about the young man aspared to the other sanctum head candidates he had assessed. Perhaps, he might just be able to walk out a path different from the rest of them. As difficult as the task was, he had a feeling that the young man might just be able to resolve the ws in the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld and perfect his teachers heritage. Rest assured. Zhang Xuan replied. The position of the sanctum head meant a lot to him as an individual as well. It would prove to be an important chip for vying for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage, and it would also grant him the resources he would need to push for a breakthrough to 9-star master teacher before reaching his thirties. No matter what, he was determined to obtain it. Un. Sage Kui nodded in satisfaction before waving his hand. In the next moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly felt a jolt in his body, and the surroundings before him warped into nothing more than a myriad of colors. Hu! With another jolt, he suddenly found arge gate towering before him. He instinctively took a step forward, and before he knew it, he was already standing in the midst of the square before. I have returned? Blinking his eyes in confusion, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings. At this point, the students who had fought to enter the examination grounds three days ago seemed to have mostly returned. There were vastly different expressions on their faces; some were lit up in delight, some were dim with dejection. The results were only reflected on the Jade Tablet of Trials, so they were still unaware of whether they were qualified as candidates in the Sanctum of Sages or not. Nevertheless, they were able to make a gauge based on their performance, so most of them already had a rough idea of their own results. Zhang Xuan swiftly searched the surroundings for the group he had entered the Mountain Gate with. Coincidentally, in this moment, the gate behind him suddenly lit up once more, and a figure walked outZhang Jiuxiao. How did you fare for the examination? Im not too sure either, but I think I shouldnt have a problem with clearing the examination! Zhang Jiuxiao said with a hint of excitement in his eyes. Oh? Whats your test? To be able to remain confident despite the strongpetition, just what could Zhang Jiuxiaos test be? Swordsmanship! I have already achieved the level of Half-Quintessence, and I have also grasped the basics of the Three Swords of Lingxu too. While its still a littlecking at the moment, I think that there shouldnt be too many candidates who would be able to match my level of proficiency. Zhang Jiuxiao replied confidently. On their journey from Qianchong Empire to the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Xuan had imparted him the essence of swordsmanship, inducing a massive leap in hisprehension of the sword, and he sessfully made a breakthrough to Half-Quintessence. Together with his grasp over the Three Swords of Lingxu, even Ma Minghai, who was famed for superior mastery in swordsmanship, wouldnt be a match for him. Given so, it was indeed not too difficult for him to stand out from the other candidates in the field of swordsmanship. Thats good. Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. He had spent quite a lot of effort guiding Zhang Jiuxiao along in hopes that he would be able to clear the examination, and he had seen how hard Zhang Jiuxiao had worked during this period of time as well. It was truly heartening to see that his efforts had paid off. My results should be enough for me to be a student at the Sanctum of Sages, but it doesnt seem too likely that Ill be able to get into the Elite Division. Zhang Jiuxiao continued. Elite Division? This was the second time Zhang Xuan was hearing this term. He couldnt help but direct a perplexed gaze toward Zhang Jiuxiao. The Elite Division is the ss which only the most talented students of each intake would be able to enter, and all in all, there are only fifty slots for it! Zhang Jiuxiao exined as a gleam of anticipation flickered across his eyes. Only fifty? Zhang Xuan was astonished. With an intake of fifty, it would mean that only the top 10% of the candidates who had cleared the entrance examination would be able to enter the Elite Division. Considering how strict the selection was, it could be seen how outstanding those who were able to get into the Elite Division were. Indeed. Most of those who were able to get into the Elite Division eventually went on to take up leadership roles in their own affiliated organizations. If I could get into the Elite Division too, theres a good chance that my standing in the Zhang n would rise beyond Zhang Qian! Zhang Jiuxiao said in agitation. Isnt the offspring of Sage ns ranked by the purity of their bloodlines? Zhang Xuan asked in wonder. To arge degree, yes. However, it isnt the only criterion that is assessed. There are some geniuses from the side family who, despite thecking purity in their bloodlines, achieved spectacr aplishments as well, and they were highly-regarded in the Zhang n too! Zhang Jiuxiao exined. Theres nothing more to say about the standing of the Sanctum of Sages in the Master Teacher Continent. Putting aside how much the students in the Elite Division would aplish in the future, just the connections that they could build there were already sufficient to reinforce their standing in the world! Thats true. Zhang Xuan nodded. Those who were able to enter the Elite Division were mostly highly-regarded geniuses from top-notch powers. Even if they failed to be the heads of their affiliated organization in the future, even at the very worst, they would still at least be able to qualify as elders! And being in the same ss as those figures would allow one to forge connections with them, thus establishing a powerfulwork of contacts. In contrast, the Ordinary Division wasparatively weaker. Right, Zhang shi, how many points do you think that you have received? Were you able to calcte it? Do you think that youll be able to get into the Elite Division? Zhang Jiuxiao asked curiously. He had spent a considerable amount of time with the young man so far, and if the young man were to use his full strength in the examination, there was really a good chance that he might be able to get into the Elite Division. But again, it was hard to say for sure. The most outstanding young geniuses of the Master Teacher Continent were all gathered on this square, and to emerge above them all was no easy feat at all. This... A bitter smile surfaced on Zhang Xuans lips as he shook his head. To be honest, Im not too sure either. Even though Sage Kui said that he had given him sufficient points to enter the Elite Division, he still wasnt too sure how many points he had obtained. You arent too sure? Guessing that Zhang Xuan might be reluctant to reveal his results, Zhang Jiuxiao decided not to press the issue any further. With a chuckle, he said, Its fine. Our scores are being tabted at the moment, so we should know the results of the examination very soon! If nothing went wrong, they should be able to find out whether they had managed to make it into the Sanctum of Sages by today. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. The duo swiftly found Ma Minghai and the others and made their way over. Judging from theposure on Ma Minghai and Brother Suns face, it seemed like they should have performed not too bad. As for the others, theirplexion looked a little awful, and their fidgety body posture reflected their anxiety and worry, so it was apparent that they didnt have too much confidence in their performance. It was no wonder why they would feel this way. They might be the cream of the crop in their respective ns or empires, but against the many experts from the various upations, Sage ns, and Empire Alliance, their halo as geniuses inevitably dimmed inparison. I wonder how many of them will be able to get into the Sanctum of Sages... Zhang Xuan wondered as he nced at the worried faces before him. Thepetition to reach the top was never easy, let alone in somewhere like the Sanctum of Sages. To make a metaphor, it was like thousands of cavalry charging to get across a narrow nk of wood to get to the other side. Inevitably, some might find themselves being crushed by the hordes behind or pushed down the cliff, thus being eliminated from the race. Just taking himself as an example, if not for how outstanding he was, he would have never been able to rise up through the ranks from Tianxuan Kingdom, reaching where he was at the moment. ... Before long, all of the candidates had finally stepped out from the gates, and the rankboard reflecting the scores of the top five hundred candidates on the Jade Token of Trials was refreshed for the veryst time. Many nervous guides stood before the grayish-emerald tablet with their eyes fixated on it. Chapter 1300 - Elite Division

Chapter 1300: Elite Division

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Weng! With a brilliant shimmer of light, the names, ranks, and scores on the Jade Tablet of Trials were refreshed onest time. All in all, there were five hundred lines of information on the screen, no more no less. Upon seeing the results, a hugemotion broke out amid the crowd. The results this time around have really broken the records! I wouldnt say that they have broken records, but its definitely the best performance we have seen in the entrance examination for the past thirty years. The top ranker, Feng Ziyi, actually managed to obtain a score exceeding 70,000 points. Even the little princess of the Luo n didnt manage to obtain such a score back then! Thats only because the little princess didnt use her full strength. If she really went all out, putting aside 70,000, even 700,000 is notpletely out of the question! As the one who possesses the Dimension Silencer, shemands near absolute authority over space. Its questionable whether the folded space of the Mountain Gate examination would have been able to handle her strength if she really went all out! The only one who stands a chance against the little princess of the Luo n is the young prodigy of the Zhang n! ... The surrounding master teachers discussed with one another. As guides, they had led many intakes of candidates into the Sanctum of Sages, and without a doubt, the performance of the current intake was the highest within the recent decades! The top ranker, Feng Ziyi, had even scored 70,000 points. That was truly a frightening aplishment! Zhang Yu isnt too bad either. With a score of 69,000, hes only 1,000 points away from first ce! I didnt think that Yuan Haiqing would be able to push up a rank at the veryst refresh, obtaining the third ce. Bai Qingxuan isnt not too bad either. He managed to secure the fourth ce... The guidesmented on the top scores as they looked through the list of names on the scoreboard. Listed before them were the names of the experts who would be entering the Elite Division, the most talented youths in the Master Teacher Continent. Perhaps, several hundred years from then, those names would be spoken by countless mouths, resounding through every street and alley. Bing Lingqing and Chen Leyao of the cier in Court have also managed to get into the Elite Division as well. Bing Lingqings ranking has constantly remained between tenth and twentieth throughout the examinationnot too bad. As for Chen Leyao, her ranking was around the seventies to the eighties in the first two days of the examination, but in the veryst day, she suddenly managed to make a push into the top fifty! She must havepleted some kind of formidable test for her results to soar by so much. I really must say that her luck is not too bad. Indeed. Well, its a huge pity for Zhang Qian though. He was in the top fifty throughout most of the examination, but his ranking abruptly fell through at the final juncture, disqualifying him from the Elite Division. ... They had been observing the scoreboard over the past three days, so they had a rough idea of how each candidate had fared throughout the course of the examination. Suddenly, someone amid the crowd eximed, Wait a minute... Everyone, look at the person in fiftieth ce, Zhang Xuan. Where did he pop out from? I dont recall seeing his name on the screen throughout the examination. Everyone quickly turned their gazes over, and indeed, sitting in fiftieth ce on the scoreboard was an extremely unfamiliar name... Zhang Xuan! This name has never gotten into the top five hundred throughout the course of the examination, so how could he leap up to fiftieth ce in the final refresh? His score is 12,700. Thest time I checked, the score for five hundredth ce is 2,400. In other words, within the period before the final refresh, his score increased by more than 10,000? How is that possible? Ten thousand within two minutes... Not even Feng Ziyi would be capable of something like that! Could he have cheated? Soon, voices of doubts began spreading throughout the hall. The Jade Tablet of Trials would refresh once every two minutes, and not once had the name Zhang Xuan appeared before. The fact that Zhang Xuan had never appeared in the top five hundred meant that he had never, at any point in time, achieved a score higher than the five hundredth rankers 2,400 points! Yet, for his score to surge up to 12,700 in an instant... that was too exaggerated! The ten thousand candidates had toiled for three whole days, but most of them did not evene close to reaching 10,000 points. Yet, that fellow actually obtained that many points within two minutes? Was this even humanly possible? Forming a stark contrast to the bewildered and doubtful crowd was Zhao Xingmo, who visibly heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhang Xuans name. That fellow sure was worrisome, leaving him on edge for the past three days. His heart had been restless ever since he failed to find that fellows name on the first day, and he had thought that the young man did not stand a chance anymore. Yet, who would have thought that he would actually shoot up by 10,000 points at the veryst moment, sessfully clearing the entrance examination? Not to mention, he even snuck into the veryst slot of the Elite Division at that! It sure was a thrilling ride of emotions. To him, the fact that a candidate he had brought to the Sanctum of Sages had sessfully gotten into the Elite Division was a great source of pride and honor to him. Zhang Jiuxiao, Ma Minghai, Sun Gan... All in all, seven of the candidates whom I have led here have sessfully cleared the examination. Not bad! Zhao Xingmo nodded in approval. While it was slightly beneath expectations that only seven out of thirty-three cleared the examination, considering that one of them managed to make it into the Elite Division, it was still not too bad. With such results, he would be qualified to head to better ces to recruit more stronger candidates into the Sanctum of Sages. Simr to how most of the guides were reacting, Elder Liu also frowned in disapproval. Theres something peculiar about the results. He had served as an elder in the Sanctum of Sages for a very long time now, and he had encountered plenty of geniuses in his time. However, he had never seen or heard of anyone who remotely came close to earning 10,000 points within two minutes before. Elder Liu pondered for a moment before he turned to the old man by his side and instructed, Elder Han Zhu, go and check the situation. Yes! Elder Han Zhu nodded. Elder Han Zhu quickly backed out of the hall, and not too longter, he returned with an unreadable expression on his face. Noting the peculiar expression on Elder Han Zhus face, Elder Liu asked, Whats wrong? I have just checked the records, and based on what I saw, until the final refresh, Zhang Xuan didnt have any points at all. In other words... he earned 12,700 points at the veryst moment! Elder Han Zhu replied with a frown. While the Jade Tablet of Trials only reflected the names and scores of the top five hundred candidates, it still kept track of the results of the other candidates as well. Otherwise, it would not have been able to determine who had cleared the examination and who had failed it urately. Earlier, he went to check the past records of that Zhang Xuan candidate, and to his shock, he realized that up till the final two minutes, that candidate did not have a single point! It was only when the examination wasing to an end that he suddenly leaped to the fiftieth ce. Clearly, there was something very bizarre about the situation. He earned 12,700 points at the veryst moment? Is there any test in the Mountain Gate examination that can earn that many points in a single go? Elder Liu asked contemtively. As you know, the Mountain Gate examination was left behind by Sage Kui, and even elders like us dont have the authority to check on what kinds of tests are within, let alone uncover the point allocation of the tests. Nevertheless, in the records of the past hundred years, the highest number of points that was allocated in one go was for deciphering a grade-8 intermediate Illusory-ughter Formation5000 points! At this moment, Elder Han Zhu hesitated for a moment before continuing. This record was left behind by the Zhang ns Zhang Chen, and it caused a huge uproar then! I know of the matter, too. 5,000 points is already unbelievable, but this Zhang Xuan actually earned 12,700 points in a single go. Just what kind of test did he go through for that? Elder Liu still found the matter a little hard to believe. There were indeed tests in the Mountain Gate examination where one could earn a great deal of points in a single shot, but those tests were proportionately difficult to pass as well. Furthermore, 5,000 points was already an astounding reward for a single test. So, for a candidate to receive 12,700 points at once... Honestly, he really could not bring himself to believe such a thing to be possible. Elder Liu pondered for a moment before issuing his instructions. For the time being, lets announce the results. Afterward, conduct a Challenge of the Defeated to check if Zhang Xuan really has the ability to earn so many points at once. Very well. Elder Han Zhu nodded. After three days of examinations, the candidates were all bound to be exhausted. Thus, the Sanctum of Sages would usually announce the results quickly so that they could rest as soon as possible. However, there were also exceptions to the convention. For instance, there were times when the scores of several candidates appeared to be abnormal. In such situations, the Sanctum of Sages would organize a Challenge of the Defeated to allow those who did not clear the examination to challenge those who did and those in the Ordinary Division to challenge those in the Elite Division. Firstly, this served to showcase the strength of the students so that teachers could tailor their guidance to their needs in the future. Secondly, it was to reassure the candidates that the examination was fair and impartial. There was no cheating, nepotism, or anything of the sort involved. If the candidates learned that Zhang Xuan had gotten into the top fifty in thest two minutes, there were bound to be many who would question the integrity and fairness of the entrance examination. In such a case, the Challenge of the Defeated served to show that he had obtained his position through his true strength. Lets go. After saying those words, Elder Liu beckoned for the others to follow him before taking the lead. The others quickly followed him, and before long, they arrived in the square. At this moment, all the candidates were already out of the Mountain Gate, and they were staring in the sky with expectant and tense looks on their faces. Congrattions onpleting the three-day examination. You have all worked hard. Now, I shall announce the results of the examination. First and foremost, I shall announce the names of the candidates who have been selected to join the Elite Division... As Elder Lius resounding voice echoed through the square, he grabbed the space ahead of him, and the sky suddenly seemed to have turned into glistening jadeite. With a brilliant radiance, names began appearing one after another. Feng Ziyi, Zhang Yu, Yuan Haiqing, Bai Qingxuan... With the appearance of each name, there would be resounding cheers from the crowd. I have heard of Feng Ziyi; hes the direct disciple of one of the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Hes the direct disciple of a 9-star master teacher? No wonder hes so formidable! Having received the most urate guidance from a young age, hes bound to be impable in all fields, be it in terms of his strength or his zhenqi. Its a given that he would take first ce. I thought that Zhang Yu would have a chance to take first ce in this entrance examination! The Zhang n is too big, and they have too many geniuses in their ranks. While Zhang Yu might possess exceptional talent, hes still far from being ranked at the top. Naturally, the resources he can tap into are limited as well. Most of the names that appeared were familiar to the crowd here, and to them, they were existences reminiscent of the untouchable stars in the sky. Chen Leyao? She got into the Elite Division, too? Zhang Xuan noted. Considering how Chen Leyao had been able to get into the top fifty despite being only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, it seemed like she did possess some exceptional means. As more and more names were revealed, Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder, There are so many candidates with the surname Zhang. Are they all from the Zhang n? So far, forty names had already appeared, but ten of them went by the surname Zhang. Were they all from the Zhang n? For the Zhang n to take up ten out of the fifty slots of the Elite Division... were they not a little too powerful? Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to turn to Zhang Jiuxiao to ask him about the matter, the light in the sky flickered for thest time, and a certain name appeared at the very end of the list. Zhang Xuan? Is he from the Zhang n, too? I dont think so. I saw the list of candidates dispatched by the Zhang n this year, and there wasnt such a name on it... He seems to be some master teacher from the Qingyuan Empire. As soon as he arrived in the square, he offended Chen Leyao from the cier in Court and pummeled Zhang Qian from the Zhang n. He actually dared pummel Zhang Qian? He sure is brave! Well, how could one who possesses the strength to get into the Elite Division possiblyck self-confidence? ... When Zhang Xuans name appeared, a hugemotion immediately broke out among the crowd. Everyone present knew of the first forty-nine namesthey were all from distinguished ns or were famed geniuses whose names had spread far and wide. Only the name in fiftieth ce, Zhang Xuan, waspletely unfamiliar to all of them. In such a bizarre manner, his name ended up standing out in the list. Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, not to mention that he was just an insignificant figure from the remote Qingyuan Empire, and yet, he still managed to get into the top fifty. Truly inconceivable. Chapter 1301 - Being Able To Sleep Is An Important Skill!

Chapter 1301: Being Able To Sleep Is An Important Skill!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Damn it! Damn it! With a trembling body, Zhang Qian cursed furiously beneath his breath. He had performed beyond his usual limits in the examination, and he thought that it would allow him to soar through the ranks. Yet, contrary to all of his expectations, he still failed to get into the top fifty. Not only that, as if adding insult to his injury, it was that Zhang Xuan bastard who took the final position, squeezing him out of the Elite Division! He had been thinking that with the authority he would gain from getting into the Elite Division, he would be able to teach that fellow a lesson. But as if the heavens were ying tricks on him, the situation somehow evolved to this point. Brother Yunfeng, its that Zhang Xuan fellow who made a move against me. He was also the one who squeezed me out of the top fifty as well! With clenched fists, Zhang Qianined indignantly to a young man not too far away. Zhang Yunfeng was another candidate from the Zhang n who managed to qualify for the Elite Division. He was ranked in the 46th ce in the examination. I know, but you brought it upon yourself. Zhang Yunfeng nced at Zhang Qian and harrumphed indifferently. Even I would hesitate to approach those from the cier in Court carelessly, but you eagerly rushed up to them as soon as you arrived, wanting to fawn on them. You are really courting trouble! I admit that I was too arrogant and deserved to be humiliated, but that fellow showed tant contempt for the Zhang n in public, saying that those from the Zhang n would put a leg into any affairs that concern a beautifuldy... And you really cant begin to imagine the haughty tone he took when he said those words too! We cant allow him to get away with defaming the Zhang n so easily! Zhang Qian eximed indignantly. Dont even try using those little ploys of yours on me. Nevertheless, regardless of whether he has shown tant contempt for the Zhang n or not, he was indeed rather arrogant to make a move on you even after you have expressed your identity. Dont worry, Ill teach him a lessonter on and make him learn that just that bit of talent he has wont be enough for him to act so smugly in the Sanctum of Sages! Thank you, Brother Yunfeng! Hearing that the other party was willing to step up for him, Zhang Qians eyes lit up in excitement. Zhang Yunfengs bloodline was far purer than him, reaching the level of Tier-11 . On top of that, the other partys cultivation was also significantly higher than his, reaching Grand Dominion realm primary stage. If the other party was willing to make a move in his stead, that Zhang Xuan fellow would surely be thrashed. Un. Zhang Yunfeng replied impassively. To him, a fellow who had originated from humblends was just a short disturbance to his cultivation. It wasnt a problem worthy of his note. ... Moving on, these are the people who have qualified for the Ordinary Division! Ignoring the crowds astonishment, Elder Liu waved his hand grandly once more. Silver lights gathered in the sky, and one by one, names flickered into existence. It didnt take too long for all 450 names of the candidates who had made it into the Ordinary Division to appear. After confirming that Zhang Jiuxiaos name was amidst them too, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Jiuxiaos ranking wasnt too high, ranging in the 460s, but nevertheless, what was important was that he had cleared the entrance examination and sessfully became a student of the Sanctum of Sages too. As for the others who had journeyed here with them from Qianchong Empire, Ma Minghai and six others had managed to clear the examination too. Their rankings werent too good, but on the overall, their group did fairly decent in terms of passing rate. After revealing the list of students who had made it into the Ordinary Division, Elder Liu continued, Now, Ill be announcing those who are qualified as listening in students! Then, with a wave of his hand, another list of five hundred names appeared. All in all, the Sanctum of Sages epted five hundred normal students, inclusive of both the Elite Division and Ordinary Division, and five hundred listening in students each intake. Soon after the list of five hundred listening in students was revealed, excited and disappointed murmurings swiftly rippled across the crowd. Zhang Xuan took a swift look at the list of listening in students and noted that four of them were from their Qianchong Empire group too. All in all, eleven out of the thirty-three of them had got into the Sanctum of Sages, so it was a passing rate of one-third. Aspared to the results of the previous years, this could be said to be not too bad. Waving his hand casually, Elder Liu said with a firm voice, Those whose names are in any of the lists, please remain in the area for a while longer. As for the rest, do head down to take a rest! Despite Elder Lius polite choice of words, the authoritative undertone in his voice showed that it was amand instead of a request. No matter how indignant those disqualified candidates failed, they knew that it would be utter foolishness to question Elder Lius judgement. Thus, they could only depart in dejection. In the end, the Sanctum of Sages wasnt a charity organization, and the true nature of the entrance examinations was to sieve out the proficient from the non-proficient. An inevitable result of that, there were bound to be those who would be left behind or eliminated. Unfortunately, their failure here would set them behind by a great deal. If they wanted to make aeback, they would have to pay a far higher price than the others. ... In less than ten minutes, only a thousand people were left standing on the square. First and foremost, allow me to wee all of you into the Sanctum of Sages! Elder Liu tapped his finger in the air, and identity tokens immediately appeared in the hands of each and every one of the qualified candidates. These are the jade tokens representing your identity. They will be automatically updated to reflect your respective roles as a student in the Sanctum of Sages. Zhang Xuan nced at his jade token before ncing at the others around him. The jade tokens for listening in students were light-blue color, those in the Ordinary Divisions had light-yellow tokens, and those in the Elite Division like him had ck tokens. Taking a closer examination at his jade token, he noted that there was a character, ʥ (Sage) carved in seal script on it, and it emanated an air of ancient yet grand history. There were also some misceneous inscriptions by the side of the jade token resembled the eyes of a human, as if signifying that the predecessors were looking over one. With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan dripped a droplet of blood onto the jade token, and it immediately fused into it. Instinctively, he sensed that as long as he had the jade token with him, he would be able to freely walk through the protective formations surrounding the Sanctum of Sages without triggering them. At the same time, Zhang Jiuxiao had also imed ownership of the jade token in his hand, and the tion on his face was impossible to miss. As an offspring from the side family, he wasnt a highly regarded member of the Zhang n. However, with his sessful enrollment into the Sanctum of Sages, there would be a vast change in his standing. Perhaps, I might even be able to attend the Annual Assembly this year! Zhang Jiuxiao thought with his eyes glowing with excitement. The Zhang n would organize an Annual Assembly each year, and only the inner n members and aplished members of the side family would be invited to participate. Under normal circumstances, Zhang Jiuxiao wouldnt have been worthy of receiving an invitation, but now that he had be a student of the Sanctum of Sages, his standing within the Zhang n would surely ascend to new heights. With his newfound status, he was already qualified to attend such high-tier n assemblies. This is all thanks to Zhang shi! Knowing that he would have never been able to achieve so much without Zhang Xuans help, Zhang Jiuxiao instinctively shot a grateful nce toward thetter. While he was an offspring of the Zhang n, the Zhang n hadnt offered him much help in his cultivation and development as a master teacher at all. On the other hand, it was Zhang Xuan who tirelessly guided him along, not spurning him despite the hostility he had directed toward the other party previously. He had nothing but deep respect toward the young mans character and depth of knowledge. At this moment, Elder Lius voice sounded once more, The entrance examination might have ended, but I can still see disappointment and regret in many of your eyes. So, the Sanctum of Sages will be conducting a Challenge of the Defeated so as to give you onest opportunity to rise through the ranks! Thats wonderful! All I need is just an opportunity like that! Is this for real? The Challenge of the Defeated is rarely conducted, so who could have thought that we would actually encounter one here. This time, I shall be an official student of the Sanctum of Sages by hook or by crook! Upon hearing the announcement, the eyes of the candidates immediately lit up in excitement. While it wasntmon that for a Challenge of the Defeated to be conducted, it did ur a couple of times in history, so most candidates were still aware of its existence. The rules of the Challenge of the Defeated are simple. Listening in students will get an opportunity to challenge a student of the Ordinary Division, and if they were to emerge victorious, they will be able to im that students position. Simrly, students of the Ordinary Division will be able to challenge a student of the Elite Division, and they will be able to im that students position if they win. Everyone will only get one opportunity to choose and challenge an opponent, and those who fail the challenge will have to suffer a penalty. Elder Liu announced. I believe most of you should be familiar with these rules, so I shall not borate too much on it For those who are still a little unsure, feel free to refer to the identity token you have just received. Refer to the identity token? Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception into the jade token in his hand, and the many rules of the Sanctum of Sages immediately appeared before him. There was indeed a portion regarding the Challenge of the Defeated. This challenge was established for the sake of equity. The strong would rise through the ranks whereas the weak would be eliminated and cast away. In other words, survival of the fittest. However, the act of challenging someone who was more senior to one could be considered as a highly disrespectful act, so failure would mean incurring a penalty. There were various different types of penalties possible, ranging from payingpensation, physical punishment, to issuing a public apology. This was up to the winner to choose. In other words, while it was an opportunity for weaker candidates to rise through the ranks, they had to make sure to work within the limits of strength. Begin! With a resounding bellow, Elder Liu waved his hand, and a round dueling ring gradually emerged from the ground. On the other hand, the crowd swiftly went through the names they had seen on the name lists earlier in their minds so as to decide on whom they should challenge. I want to challenge the candidate who is ranked 500th in the entrance examination, Xue Ning! a voice suddenly sounded from the crowd. It was from one of the listening-in students. I recognize him. Hes Zhao Qi, the first ce amongst the listening-in students, ranked 501th in the examination. I knew that he would want to challenge the candidate that is one rank above him! Thats to be expected. Considering how there is only a rank difference between the two of them, the disparity in their capabilities shouldnt be too great. No matter what, he would have to give it a shot, or else he would regret it for life. Indeed. Anyone in his position would be reluctant to give up without a try! ... The crowd remarked as they saw someone amongst them standing out to issue a challenge. It was just a single rank of difference, but it made an entire world of difference of being a listening in student and being an official student in the Sanctum of Sages. No matter who was in Zhao Qis shoes, he would have to at least give it a shot. After all, how could one possibly be content to retire just like that when they were only a single step away from reaching the peak? Hu! After issuing the challenge, Zhao Qi leaped onto the ring. As you wish. A young man also walked out from the crowd and stepped onto the ring as well. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan realized that the young man was no other than the person who had fought with him over the Tianchen Brew back at Qianchong Empire, only to lose fifteen concentrated high-tier spirit stones to him in a betthe Third Young Master of the Xue n, Xue Ning! In that battle back then, thetter ended up vomiting for a long while due to moving too quickly, and he had been mocked by many due to that incident as well. But over the past few days, perhaps motivated by the experience with Zhang Xuan, he actually managed to take his cultivation a step further, reaching Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. While that kind of strength might not mean much against the ridiculously talented geniuses of the Sanctum of Sages, there was no denying that he was also amidst the cream of the crop of mankind. Xue Ning, what were the tests you have faced in the Mountain Gate examination? What kind of duel do you want to ept Zhao Qis challenge with? Elder Han Zhu asked. The Sanctum of Sages didnt just select its students on the grounds of strength but an overall evaluation of capability. For this reason, the challenger would have to surpass the challenged in thetters field of specialty in order to prove that he was worthy of taking thetters ce. The reason why I was able to clear the selection is due to my attacking speed and might. As long as he can defeat me while his cultivation is suppressed down to my level, Ill admit my loss! Xue Ning dered confidently with his head raised up high. Even though the Xue n was only a Tier-3 Sage n, its ultimate technique, Golden Silk Thread, was not to be underestimated. Had he not met with an anomaly like Zhang Xuan, the battle technique would have very well made him nigh invincible in his power ss. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been able to clear the Mountain Gate examination to be a student of the Sanctum of Sages either. A fight? Very well! Zhao Qi nodded. With a ferocious howl, his cultivation realm swiftly plummeted down to Quasi Leaving Aperture realm as well. Hong long! A momentter, the duo was already shing with one another. The both of them were indeed worthy of their titles as geniuses. Ingenious maneuvers were dashed out one after another, and powerful shockwaves rippled relentlessly into the surroundings. For the time being, the both of them seemed to be equally matched, making it difficult to discern who wielded the upper hand. Zhang shi, who do you think will win? Zhang Jiuxiao asked curiously. Xue Ning seems to be in an advantageous position in terms of his skills. Zhang Xuan replied. My thoughts exactly! Zhang Jiuxiao remarked. Then, with a curious gaze, he turned to face Zhang Xuan and asked, Right, Zhang shi. What kind of test did you encounter in the Mountain Gate examination? Im curious to know how you were able to get into the Elite Division! The young man before him seemed to be a master in every art, be it in terms of cultivation, master teacher, appraising, painting... It was as if there was nothing he didnt know, nothing he didnt specialize in. As such, Zhang Jiuxiao simply couldnt help but wonder what capability did Zhang Xuan rely on to get into the Elite Division. How I got into the Elite Division? A look of rumination appeared on Zhang Xuans face before he replied, Well, I guess I slept my way through? Chapter 1302 - Challenging Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1302: Challenging Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You slept your way through? Zhang Jiuxiao widened his eyes, bbergasted, unable toprehend what was going on. He asked how Zhang Xuan became a student of the Elite Division, hoping to learn from his experiences, but thetter told him that... he slept the way through? Indeed. Not everyone will be able to handle three whole days of it straight! Zhang Xuan continued with a tone reminiscent of a forlorn expert who was unable to find a single person who could rival him. To be honest, he never thought that he would actually be able to sleep for three days in a single go, and he was truly shocked when he woke up. But thinking back, it was really well worth it. Even if he were to remain awake, there was also nothing much he could do. There were too many ws in the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, so it was impossible for him to continue cultivating it. On the other hand, Sage Kui, for some inexplicable reason to him, seemed to be overly traumatized by what he had said as well. Rather than being ced in an awkward position for three whole days, it was really a much wiser decision to use this time to refresh himself for his future journey in the Sanctum of Sages. After all, having the time to sleep his fill was a luxury that he might not be able to afford anymoreter on. Three whole days straight? Zhang Jiuxiao had an expression that looked as if he had seen a ghost. Zhang shi, you mean to say that while we were busy clearing tests in the Mountain Gate, not daring to rest for an instant for fear of being overtaken, you were actually sleeping for three days straight? Indeed. I didnt think that I would be able to sleep for so long either... Zhang Xuan replied with a bitter smile. Despite sleeping for three days, you were still able to qualify as a student of the Elite Division... Gulping down a mouthful of saliva, Zhang Jiuxiao felt that he was going mad. From the moment he entered the Mountain Gate, he had been doing everything he could to showcase his talents, fearing that a second of rest would mean the difference between sess and failure. Yet, the young man before him actually slept the three days through, and even so, he was still able to make it into the Elite Division... Could the world be any more unfair than this? Wonderful! Splendid! Third Young Master Xue, beautifully done! While Zhang Jiuxiao was about to explode from shock, a wave of cheerings suddenly broke out in the surroundings. Raising his gaze, he saw that the duel on the stage had already concluded. The challenger, Zhao Qi, had been tightly bound by the Golden Silk Thread like a cocoon. No matter how hard he struggled, he found himself unable to move at all. Xue Nings Golden Silk Thread might have been ineffective against Zhang Xuan, but it was still a formidable weapon against most other cultivators. Zhao Qi wasnt weak either, but he was still eventually cornered by it. I admit defeat! With dejection glooming between his brows, Zhao Qi sighed deeply and conceded defeat. He thought that since the difference in score between the both of them wasnt too big, with a little bit of luck, he should be able to emerge victorious. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like the Mountain Gate examination was indeed fair and impartial. Its ability to urately gauge the capability of each candidate was unquestionable. Im willing to ept the punishment! After being freed, Zhao Qi left behind these words before walking down the ring quietly. Seeing that the first duel had concluded, Elder Liu asked once more with a smile, Is there anyone else who wishes to issue a challenge? I wish to issue a challenge! The person I want to challenge is the person in the 50th rank, Zhang Xuan! A loud bellow boomed across the square, and a figure leaped onto the stage. Its the 52nd rank Meng Fanxing! Hes the offspring of the Sage n, Meng n. Even though his bloodline is only at Tier-2, his cultivation has reached Half-Grand Dominion realm! How could someone like him possibly tolerate having the Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle Zhang Xuan getting into the Elite Division when he couldnt qualify for it? Indeed. As soon as the Challenge of the Defeated was announced, I knew that there would surely be plenty of people who would want to challenge Zhang Xuan. Not only is his cultivation realm low, more importantly, hes taking up the veryst seat to the Elite Division. Theres bound to be many people eyeing his position! That reminds me, I just heard news from a friend of mine in the Sanctum of Sages. I cant verify whether its true or not, but its said that Zhang Xuan had never gotten into the top five hundred throughout the course of the examination. It was only when the Jade Tablet of Trials refreshed for the final time that his name suddenly appeared in the 50th ce, taking up the veryst slot for the Elite Division. In other words... his score just increased by more than 10,000 points all of a sudden! His score increased by more than 10,000 points all of a sudden? Isnt that obviously cheating? Well, we cant really say for sure at this point yet. If he has really cheated, the Sanctum of Sages would have dealt with him. ... Hearing that someone had challenged Zhang Xuan, a hugemotion immediately broke out in the surroundings. Amidst the crowd, Zhang Qians eyes also reddened in excitement. The happenings in the Hall of Result had begun spreading amidst the crowd, and quite a few people were already aware of the peculiarity in Zhang Xuans results. Every single one of them was interested to see just what kind of unique ability did that master teacher named Zhang Xuan possessed to be able to qualify as a student of the Elite Division. Elder Liu and Elder Han Zhu also turned their gazes over. They wanted to see the young mans performance so as to have the doubts they had been harboring answered. You want to challenge me? Sure! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didnt think that someone would challenge him, and he shook his head helplessly. With a leap, he headed up the dueling ring as well. As much as he wanted to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble, he wasnt someone who was afraid to stir the pot. If someone wanted to take his ce, the other party would do well to show strength worthy of doing so! May I know what kind of test did Zhang shi undergo in the Mountain Gate examination? Ill justpete with you on whatever you faced in there! Meng Fanxing harrumphed with a slight hint of disdain in his voice. What kind of a test I just underwent? But I just woke up and I dont feel like sleeping anymore... Forget it, lets not waste our time then. Why dont we just settle it with a normal duel? Zhang Xuan thought about the previous examination he had and shook his head. He had just slept for three days straight, and it hadnt been even an hour since he had woken up. If he were topete with the other party right now in who could sleep for a longer period of time, he would definitely be in a disadvantageous position. Besides, the crowd wouldnt be interested in watching such a duel either. All in all, it would be much more convenient to settle it with a fight, just like what Xue Ning did earlier. It would be swift, trouble-free, and more importantly, effective. You want to have a duel with me? Are you serious? Meng Fanxing stared at Zhang Xuan was if he was looking right at a fool. I am a Half-Grand Dominion realm expert whereas you are just at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle... Are you certain that you want to have a match with me? You arent daydreaming at the moment, are you? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. Very well. Ill suppress my cultivation to the same level as you then. Meng Fanxing nodded before swiftly suppressing his cultivation down to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. After which, he got into an offensive stance and said, Lets begin then. Very well. Zhang Xuan replied. In truth, it didnt matter much to him whether Meng Fanxing suppressed his cultivation or not. However, since the other party had already done so, he couldnt be bothered to waste his breath either. It was not like there would have been a difference in the oue anyway. With a swift dash, Zhang Xuans figure suddenly appeared right before Meng Fanxing, and his hand darted forward to strike thetter. You... In the face of the palm strike, Meng Fanxing felt as if the world was crushing down on him. He found that the space around him had beenpletely sealed, be it his front, back, left, or right, rendering itpletely impossible for him to flee. In an instant, Meng Fanxings breathing rapidly hastened to the point where he was wheezing for air, and his face turnedpletely red. But before the palm strike couldnd, Zhang Xuan abruptly withdrew his hand. Due to the strike and the withdrawal of the palm happening in quick session, to the eyes of most spectators, it would appear that he was only carrying out a particrly crude feint. But it was such a move that caused Meng Fanxings head to turnpletely nk in an instant, almost as if someone had used a sword to sever his flow of thoughts. His body staggered in a manner reminiscent of a drunk man for a moment before copsing to the ground with a resounding padah!. Meng Fanxing had fainted. This... What happened? I didnt even sense the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air, so why would Meng Fanxing faint all of a sudden? Im not too sure either. All I saw was Zhang Xuans feint... The crowd stared at one another in bewilderment, unable to make sense of the situation before them. The movements of Zhang Xuans previous palm strike was extremely simple, consisting of just a forward thrust and a withdrawal. There didnt seem to be anything particrly ingenious about it, and there wasnt even any zhenqi infused into the strike. Yet, such an attack actually left Meng Fanxing fixated on the spot, not attempting to dodge it at all, and even though the attack didntnd, he still fainted on the spot... What was going on? Even though the square was filled with 7-star master teachers, each and every single one of them were confounded by what they were seeing. What a formidable palm strike! In contrast to the looks of iprehension from the crowd, Elder Liu remarked with narrowed eyes. As a Saint 8-dan expert, he was able to notice what was wrong with the palm strike in an instant. The imposing momentum behind the palm makes one believe that its a physical attack, but the truth is that its an attack directed right at the soul instead. It aims to wedge in overwhelming pressure and helplessness into its targets mind, forcing it into a state of extreme tension. Then, when the pressure abruptly vanishes, the instinctive rxation of the mind results in a massive amount of blood leaving the brain, thus bringing about a faint spell! Elder Han Zhu also nodded in agreement to Elder Lius analysis, Indeed. While the mind and body may seem separate, huge fluctuations in emotions can affect a persons physical state tremendously. What this palm utilizes is fear tactic. But still, to be able to make his opponent faint with just a casual strike devoid of any surge of zhenqi or powerful emanation of aura... Just how precise is his control over his soul energy? As simple as it may seem in theory, carrying it out in practice was fraught with difficulties. Putting all aside, even he would find it difficult to achieve such a feat if he were to suppress his cultivation down to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. It seems like theres indeed something extraordinary about Zhang Xuan after all. Looks like theres nothing wrong with the results in the Mountain Gate examination. Elder Liu nodded. While it was unlikely for there to be any problems with the point allocation system of the Jade Tablet of Trials, he had wondered if the young man had received his results through sheer luck. However, from the looks of it now, it was apparent that there was no such thing as luck in the oue of the Mountain Gate examination. It was either one had the capability or one didnt. When Meng Fanxing finally roused to once more, his dazed look swiftly turned into a face reddened in embarrassment as it dawned upon him what had just happened, and he muttered in disbelief, Ive lost... He had no idea how it happened, but he actually fainted from a single blow. How embarrassing! Its fine. Zhang Xuan replied. Im willing to ept my punishment... Knowing that he had failed the challenge, Meng Fanxing gritted his teeth tightly. Theres no need for that. We are all students from the Sanctum of Sages, so its nothing much for us to have a casual duel with one another. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. To be honest, he only received this cing due to Sage Kui tampering with the score, so it was normal that the other party would harbor some doubts toward his strength. Zhang shi is really a magnanimous person. Its no wonder why you were able to be a student of the Elite Division, Im impressed! Meng Fanxing sped his fist and bowed respectfully. To be able to keep an open heart before the skepticism and doubts of others, he was really stillcking in his cultivation of the mind aspared to the young man before him. Youre too polite. Zhang Xuan replied with a nod as he began making his way down the stage. However, a voice suddenly sounded at this moment, Hold it for a moment! I also wish to try out Zhang shis hand too! Turning his head over, Zhang Xuan saw a familiar face walking up. It was the man whom he had smacked to the ground with a single palm prior to the start of the Mountain Gate examination, Zhang Qian! Did that fellow fail to see through my strength? Seeing that the other party was still intent on challenging him despite all that had happened, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. It was one thing if Zhang Qian had never challenged him before, but the fact that the other party couldnt even withstand a simple palm strike from him should be sufficient to highlight the vast disparity in strength between the both of them. Yet, to challenge him at this moment... Did he think that he hadnt been humiliated enough yet? Its Zhang Qian! Wasnt he defeated already? I dont get it either. Why would he challenge Zhang Xuan again at this point? Could he have some kind of trump card which he hasnt used yet? Well, hes ced in the 51st ce after all. How could he give up without a fight? ... Most of those in the crowd were also aware that the both of them had traded blows in the past, and looks of bewilderment surfaced on their faces. It was just three days ago that Zhang Qian was utterly defeated by Zhang Xuan, so wasnt it just pure foolishness to challenge him once more at this point? You want to have a duel with me? Zhang Xuan shot a nce toward Zhang Qian and asked. Thats right! However, since you are from the Elite Division, surely you wouldnt make me fight you with my cultivation suppressed, would you? Zhang Qian harrumphed. Zhang Xuan shrugged, You can choose not to suppress your cultivation if you want to. Very well, lets begin then! Zhang Qians smile curled up triumphantly as a powerful aura burst forth from him. Half-Grand Dominion realm? No wonder. Feeling the strength emanated by the other party, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. That would exin why Zhang Qian still dared to challenge him despite the humiliating defeat he had suffered the previous time around. It seemed like he had managed to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation over the past three days! Chapter 1303 - The Strength Of the Zhang Clan’s Bloodline!

Chapter 1303: The Strength Of the Zhang ns Bloodline!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hong long! While Zhang Xuan was still in deep thoughts, Zhang Qian was already dashing toward him while gathering might in his palm. He had chosen to drive his Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivation to its very limits from the very start, and the overwhelming energy that was emanating from him caused the surrounding air to turn viscous. It felt as if the entire dueling ring had turned into his Dominion, and anyone who stepped into the area would bepletely under his control. Not bad. Zhang Xuan remarked leisurely. As expected of one of the geniuses of the Zhang n. Even though it was just an advancement by a cultivation stage, Zhang Qians strength had grown significantly aspared to three days ago. If he were to continue taking the other party lightly, he might really lose the duel. With a slight tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan shot a brilliant burst of sword qi straight toward to the other partys palm strike. He was only at Primordial Spirit realm at the moment, and due to hiscking cultivation, he could only rely on hisprehension of swordsmanship to rival the other party. Si! The surge of sword qi emanated a chill which seemed to pierce right into ones bones, and it felt as if it would be able to slice through anything that stood in its path. What? Zhang Qian didnt expect Zhang Xuan to have such a deepprehension of swordsmanship. He realized that if he were to sh with the sword qi directly with his palm, he could very well be sliced into two. Thus, he quickly clenched his remaining free hand into a fist and threw it forward. Hong long! Even though this punch was hurled forward all of a sudden, that didnt hinder the fluidity and agility of his movements. At its current speed, it would be able to strike Zhang Xuan and severely wound him before the sword qi could reach him. Hes indeed much more powerful than Zhang Jiuxiao! Zhang Xuan noted. Three days ago, he was able to subdue Zhang Qian with just a single palm strike, so he thought that it should be a walk in the park for him to defeat thetter once more. However, considering the current circumstances, he would really be underestimating his opponent if he were to continue fighting with such a mindset. Just the speed of the transformation in Zhang Qians maneuver meant that hisprehension ofbat had already achieved an extremely high level, considerably higher than an averagebat master. Nevertheless, despite Zhang Qians immense growth, he would still require a lot more work before he would be a match for him. Lines of insight rippled in Zhang Xuans eyes as he gazed at Zhang Qians movements once more. This time around, it seemed like thetters movements had slowed down, slowly disying before his eyes. Zhenqi telepathy? Through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan also swiftly noticed that something was amiss. There was a thin thread extending from afar, connected right to Zhang Qians ear. Clearly, someone was offering pointers to Zhang Qian for this duel. It seemed like this line ofmunication was established using a sort of unique secret art, making it far more difficult to notice than ordinary zhenqi telepathy. Had it not been for Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight, it would be doubtful whether he would have been able to notice it or not. Most likely, this was a mean to hide the matter from the eyes of Elder Liu and the others. But still, to possess means capable of deceiving even a Saint 8-dan expert... It seemed like the Zhang n was really not to be underestimated. Fortunately, the Eye of Insight had the ability to track down even the faintest of traces. As discreet as the matter was carried out, it was still incapable of fooling his eyes. Tracing the line, Zhang Xuans gaze was soon led to a young man beneath the stage. Thats... the candidate in the 46th rank, Zhang Yunfeng? Zhang Xuan recognized the young man as the person who had been sitting with Zhang Qian all this while. Its no wonder why this fellow dares to challenge me, and his grasp overbat also seemed to have abruptly improved by leaps and bounds. No doubt about it, Zhang Yunfeng must be offering him pointers from the back! Processing all of these in an instant, a smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips as he stood calmly before Zhang Qians punch. Instead of dodging, he raised his other hand and tapped forward. Hu! The space ahead of him suddenly began twisting together, causing Zhang Qian to feel as if he had been plunged into a bog. No matter how he pushed his fist forward, he found that he was unable to advance his punch any further. Dominion! Ever since leaving Qianchong Empire, other than guiding Zhang Jiuxiao along with his cultivation and swordsmanship, he hadnt been idling on his personal growth either. At this point, he had already fully assimted the use of his 1-meter Dominion into his fighting style. In the past, his Dominion took a form reminiscent of a light barrier, surrounding his entire body. However, with his enhanced grasp over the technique, he was able to cast a miniaturized Dominion around him at will. This way, not only would he be able to alleviate the frightening consumption of zhenqi, the presence of his Dominion would also be almost indiscernible as well, making it more difficult to guard against it. With his fist locked in ce, Zhang Qians punch fell t, and Zhang Xuans sword qi continued flying for his other palm. Si! A spray of blood sttered into the sky as the zhenqi gathered in Zhang Qians palm dissipated under the severance of the sword qi. AHHHHH!! There was a scream of agony as Zhang Qians palm was pierced through by the sword qi, and a walnut-sized hole appeared on his hand. You have lost. Having subdued the other party with a single strike, Zhang Xuan took a step back and halted his offense. This single strike should be more than enough to show the disparity in the strength between the both of them. Besides, considering that Zhang Qian wasnt a match for him while he was still at full strength, he would stand even less of a chance now that there was a hole in his palm. I have lost? No way. Theres no way I would lose! Zhang Qian quickly took out several medicinal herbs to halt the bleeding of his palm before ring at Zhang Xuan with eyes reddened in frenzy. Hong long! A rampaging aura burst forth from Zhang Qian, and astonishingly, it felt like he was growing stronger at a rapid pace. In the sky, Elder Han Zhu was overlooking the duel when he saw this sight, and his face turned livid with graveness, Zhang Qian is tapping into the power of his bloodline. Should we intervene in the battle? It was only a friendly duel, but Zhang Qian actually went to the extent of tapping into the power of his bloodline. This could potentially be dangerous for both Zhang Xuan and Zhang Qian. Take a look at Zhang Xuan. Instead of responding to Elder Han Zhus question straight, Elder Liu pointed at the area ahead of him. Perplexed, Elder Han Zhu turned his gaze over, and what he saw left his eyebrow shooting up in surprise. On the stage, there was not the slightest hint of nervousness or anxiety to be seen on Zhang Xuans face. It was almost as if he knew that Zhang Qian would make such a move. A Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle defeating a Half-Grand Dominion realm. Im really interested to see what other miracles can Zhang Xuan bring us. Elder Liu chuckled softly. It was simply too astounding for a single candidate to earn 12,700 points within two minutes that Elder Liu thought that there might have been an error in the Mountain Gate examination. However, the sight before him had proved his initial assumptions to bepletely wrong. The young man before him was really just that fearsome! I understand. Elder Han Zhu nodded. Ill make a move only when hes really in danger. Considering theposed attitude Zhang Xuan held toward Zhang Qians outburst, it was likely that he was confident of neutralizing thetters offense. Since that was the case, it might be worth waiting a little to see what would happen. Boom! While the two elders of the Sanctum of Sages were chatting with one another, on the stage, Zhang Qian had finally fully activated his bloodline. Even though his cultivation was still capped at Half-Grand Dominion realm, his aura had turned far more violent than before, a little reminiscent of a ravenous ancient beast awakening from its long sleep. Hu! With a swift charge, Zhang Qian threw his fist toward Zhang Xuan once more. Hm? Zhang Xuan frowned. He thought that Zhang Qians moves would change after his bloodline had been activated, perhaps utilizing a more powerful battle technique or that sort. He didnt think that thetter would attack him with just a straightforward jab. Surely such a move would be beneath even the most basic of battle techniques? Could it be that the activation of his bloodline had enhanced his strength but limited the flexibility in the type of attacks he could utilize? If that was the case, was there any point to activating his bloodline? Forget it, I should be able to know the answer soon enough. This will be a good opportunity for me to find out just what is so special about the Zhang ns bloodline. Knowing that it was pointless to think about such matters at this point, Zhang Xuan raised his palm to meet Zhang Qians punch. This time, he didnt use any battle technique either. He was intending to sh straight on with Zhang Qian. Hu! The palm and the punch swiftly closed in on one another, but just as when they were about to meet, Zhang Xuan suddenly saw something blur across his field of vision, and cold sweat immediately broke out all over this body. Eye of Insight! Sensing that something was wrong, he swiftly activated his Eye of Insight, and only then did he realize that the other partys punch had, at some point, arrived right before his chest, just a split instant away from striking him. How can this be? Can a fist even be teleported? Zhang Xuans eyes widened in horror. There was no way he would have made such a fatal calction error in battle. Given the trajectory of Zhang Qians punch, it would have to collide with his palm first before getting to him. Yet, to actually bypass his defense and arrive before his chest in an instant... Could it really be teleportation? But... as one who had practiced the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, even if Zhang Xuan couldnt bend space ording to his will yet, he would still have noticed the warping in space if Zhang Qian had really teleported. It was apparent that Zhang Qians punch hadnt resulted in any disturbance in the surrounding space, so it would be safe to assume that it was a perfectly ordinary attack... The situation was truly inconceivable! However, at this current moment, Zhang Xuan didnt have the luxury to think any deeper into the matter either. Dominion! With a deep exhtion, Zhang Xuan immediately pressed his chest backward as he swiftly retreated back with a powerful leap as well. At the same time, a meter of Dominion appeared around him. Weng! But before Zhang Xuans Dominion could be formed, a sharp ache struck his chest. Peng! His body was sent flying backward, but fortunately, he managed to ward off the momentum of the strike and regain his bnce in mid-air. Nevertheless, the strike had still dealt considerable damage to him, and his face turned pale. How swift... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists in disbelief. This was the first time he had suffered such a huge setback fighting against others! His Dominion could be activated at will, which meant that he was able to trigger it in an instant. Logically speaking, the other partys fist should still have been a distance away from him, so why would it strike him all of a sudden? Fortunately, his Dominion still managed to impede Zhang Qians fist significantly at the crucial juncture, or else if that punch were tond squarely on him, even if he didnt sustain grievous injuries, his fighting ability would have been severelypromised too. Hu! Zhang Xuan swiftly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to recover his energy while he assessed Zhang Qian with narrowed eyes. All along, he didnt think that Zhang Qian was a formidable adversary, so he didnt think much of thetter either. However, this setback had taught him that those who had the bloodline of the Sage ns running through their veins were more frightening than he had imagined them to be. With Zhang Qians current strength, even ordinary Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivators wouldnt be a match for him! Where do you think you are running off to? With his first strikending effectively on his foe, a hint of cruel glee surfaced in Zhang Qians eyes. With a swift leap, he dashed forward once more. He had only taken a single step, but for some reason, he appeared before Zhang Xuan in the next instant with a fist charged with power. Hu! A deafening sonic boom exploded in the air, and it felt as if even space would be torn down by the sheer might of the fist. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Knowing that he would stand no chance against Zhang Qian through ordinary means, especially given the bizarre sight that had happened earlier, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and executed Ancient Sage Qiu Wus battle technique. Hong long! Using the might of his palm, Zhang Xuan sealed the space around Zhang Qian, intending tp prevent thetter from making any abrupt actions. But once again... before his palm couldnd, Zhang Qians fist had already bypassed his attack once more, appearing right before his chest. Just whats going on? Zhang Xuans face turned awfully ugly. Under normal circumstances, his Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm should have been able to ovee the other partys attack with ease! It was as if the other party had known that he would make that move andunched a series of countermeasures before he could even react, bringing the punch to somewhere his palm couldnt affect. Just what in the world was going on? Sword Quintessence, Sea of des! With a furious roar, Zhang Xuan opened up all of his acupoints and ejected sword qi into his surroundings. Ding ding ding ding! Under the furious onught of the sword qi, Zhang Qian had no choice but to withdraw his attack. At this moment, Zhang Qians face had also turned slightly pale, and he was panting heavily. It seemed like the two punches earlier had drained him greatly as well. That was a close one... With a livid face, Zhang Xuan swiftly retreated several steps back to create some distance between him and Zhang Qian. At this moment, an anxious voice suddenly sounded in his ears, Zhang shi, thats the ability of the Zhang ns bloodlineTime Compression... It was Chen Leyaos face. Time Compression? A deep frown emerged on Zhang Xuans face. Chapter 1304 - Make A Breakthrough While I’m At It

Chapter 1304: Make A Breakthrough While Im At It

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric He knew that the ability of the Luo ns bloodline had something to do with space. As the little princess of the Luo n, Ruoxin wielded the Dimension Silencer in her hand as well, which granted her fearsome might. As for the Zhang n... thinking back, he had never asked Zhang Jiuxiao about their bloodline ability either, so he didnt know what it was. But never in his dreams could he have imagined that it would be rted to the secrets of time! Time and space, these were the two fundamental building blocks of the world. Without a doubt, a person who could grasp time would have the world in his grasp too. This would exin why despite his timely reflexes, the enemy still managed to bypass his defenses tond his attacks. Most likely, through burning his bloodline, Zhang Qians fist had affected his perception of time, thus resulting in his attacks appearing to be teleporting to him. In a sh between experts, the difference between life and death banked on a fraction of an instant. If one couldpress time, even if it was just one-hundredth of a breath, it could y a crucial role in the midst of a tight battle. With such a powerful bloodline ability, it was no wonder why the Zhang n was able to remain as the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent over the years. However, it appears that burning his bloodline to tap into the Power of Time drains him swiftly as well. It doesnt seem like he will be able to maintain that state for too long... Zhang Xuan analyzed. As one who had cultivated the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he knew very well that tapping into abilities that exceeded ones cultivation would drain ones life force or even potential. Its fortunate that I have the Eye of Insight, or else those two punches would have surely left me severely wounded at the very least... Zhang Xuan thought as a terrified shudder ran through his body. It was due to the Eye of Insight that he was able to clearly perceive the other partys punch trajectory in the nick of the moment and react ordingly. Otherwise, he would have surely suffered severe injuries. Ill defeat you! While Zhang Xuan was still immersed in his thoughts, Zhang Qian had already managed to catch his breath, and with a furious roar, he charged forward once more. He wont be able to sustain that ability for too long. As long as I were to avoid his attacks and put some distance between the both of us, it shouldnt be too difficult for me to defeat him! Zhang Xuan swiftly came up with a countermeasure. So far, it appeared that there was a limit to the range of Zhang Qians Time Compression. So, if Zhang Xuan were to resort to long-range attacks instead, he should be able to ovee the other partys attacks easily. And everything else would be easy. Hu! With a step, Zhang Xuan executed the Unbounded Voyager, and reminiscent to teleportation, he abruptly appeared at the other end of the dueling ring. Padah! Barely an instant after Zhang Xuan left, Zhang Qians punch fell heavily on the area where he was standing previously. Had he been a split second slower, that punch could have very wellnded on him. Now! Knowing that this was the ideal opportunity tounch an attack, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger in Zhang Qians direction. Wu wu wu wu! Four surges of sword qi burst forth, and they whizzed across the dueling ring to arrive before Zhang Qian in less than a fraction of a second. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Those four sword qi stabbed right into Zhang Qians feet and palms, pinning him firmly onto the dueling stage with their momentum. Hu! After doing all of that, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that Chen Leyao had given him a timely reminder of the matter, or else it would have been difficult for him to turn the tables around on Zhang Qian without using his Library of Heavens Path. You have lost. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan gazed down on Zhang Qian coldly. I... Zhang Qians eyes were filled with craze, but just as he wanted to speak, theplete exhaustion of his strength and the severe injuries he had sustained finally took a toll on him, and he caved in and fainted. He had exerted himself too much by burning his bloodline. He had gone all out in hopes of exacting vengeance and acquiring the final slot into the Elite Division, but his efforts ended up in futility. While the cultivation of the young man before him wasnt too high, his fighting prowess was nothing short of terrifying. Hu! A light breeze swept across the square, and a figure suddenly appeared on top of the stageZhang Yunfeng. He took a nce at Zhang Qian on the ground, and after confirming that the sword qi hadnt struck any of the vitals, he heaved an inconspicuous sigh of relief. Following which, he waved his hand toward the bottom of the dueling ring. Noting the gesture, Zhang Yu hurriedly rushed onto the dueling ring and fed Zhang Qian several recovery pills before carrying him down. Zhang Yunfeng finally turned his attention to Zhang Xuan, and with a face devoid of expression, he remarked, It seems like you are quite powerful after all. To offer pointers to Zhang Qian remotely such that he could at least take a blow or two from me... You arent too weak yourself either. Zhang Xuan repliedposedly. Offer pointers to Zhang Qian remotely? Isnt that flouting the rules? The Zhang n is really getting arrogant! This is too much. Just because they wield great influence in the Sanctum of Sages doesnt mean they can tantly disregard the rules like that! A hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. The Challenge of the Defeated was a fight to vie for the precious and limited slots in the Sanctum of Sages, so fairness was extremely important. It was one thing for Zhang Qian to burn his bloodline, but to think that he would have another person guiding him from behind. This was a clear infringement of the rules! Not expecting the other party to be able to see through his little moves and even expose them publicly, Zhang Yunfengs impassive expression immediately darkened a little, Do you dare to face me in a duel? Sure, itll be my pleasure. Zhang Xuan replied calmly. He had been rather pissed off at how the other party had been ying little tricks behind his back. Since the other party hade knocking on his door, he didnt mind teaching him a lesson. Good! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to it, Zhang Yunfeng smirked. He stood unmovingly on the spot, but for some reason, his figure suddenly seemed to tower. His aura swiftly intensified, to the point that it seemed as though he would tear apart the seals around the dueling ring. Weng! In the next moment, a faint light barrier of roughly five meters in radius materialized around Zhang Yunfeng. And standing in the middle of the light, Zhang Yunfeng felt like an indomitable existence. This is a true Dominion? Zhang Xuans face turned grim. This was the first time he was seeing a Grand Dominion realm expert casting a Dominion. Not only did it cover an area greater than his, the power pulsating within it was also even purer and more profound. The difference in the fighting prowess between each realm grows progressivelyrger as one advances further up the Saint realm. Zhang Xuan might be powerful, but against a Grand Dominion realm cultivator of Zhang Yunfengs caliber, its unlikely that he would stand much of a chance. Elder Han Zhu frowned. From Leaving Aperture realm onward, the gap of a single realm could possibly mean a difference in fighting prowess by severalfold. It was for this reason that while Zhang Xuan could easily defeat opponent eight to nine cultivation stages stronger than him at Transcendent Mortal, but beyond Saint realm, most of the time, challenging an opponent that was even six to seven cultivation stages higher than him was already difficult for him. It was not that Zhang Xuan was getting weaker, but the gap between each cultivation stage was simply increasing exponentially. This was simr to how even though the differences between one and two and one billion and two billion were both by a factor of two, their differences in terms of absolute values were immense. Such was the case for Primordial Spirit realm and Grand Dominion realm too. The four lightning tribtions in between created a vast gap that was nearly unbridgeable between the two realms. In the first ce, it was already a huge surprise to see Zhang Xuan defeating the Half-Grand Dominion realm Zhang Qian. Now that he was faced against the Grand Dominion realm primary stage Zhang Yunfeng... No matter how Elder Han Zhu looked at it, there was just no way Zhang Xuan could win. Based on the situation in the previous battle, he would indeed be no match for Zhang Yunfeng. Elder Liu nodded. As a Saint 8-dan master teacher, he possessed a keen, discerning eye. From the earlier fight, he could roughly gauge Zhang Xuans strength. Against normal Grand Dominion realm experts, Zhang Xuan might still stand a chance. However, faced with a genius from the Zhang n... the odds were that he would lose. Then... Elder Han Zhu was taken aback. Since the oue of the battle is already clear, why are we still allowing them to fight? As geniuses, they have their own pride. Even if we manage to stop them here, Zhang Yunfeng will just find another way to challenge Zhang Xuan. Since that is the case, it would be much better to settle everything here! Elder Liu replied. More importantly, Im interested to see just how much potential does Zhang Xuan harness within him! If they didnt settle the matter today, the Zhang n would just continue to find other reasons to harass Zhang Xuan in the future. It was probably in view of this that Zhang Xuan epted Zhang Yunfengs duel without any hesitation too. Alright then. Hearing those words, Elder Han Zhu nodded before falling silent. At the very least, if they were to settle their scores in the Challenge of the Defeated, should any life-threatening circumstances arise out of the duel, they would be able to intervene immediately, so Zhang Xuans life wouldnt be in danger. You can go first. While the two elders were conversing with one another, Zhang Yunfeng was finally done with his preparation. He raised his hand and gestured for Zhang Xuan to make the first move. On the other hand, knowing that Zhang Yunfeng wouldnt be an easy opponent, Zhang Xuan had no intention of holding back either. With a flick of his left hand, the furious might of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm rushed toward Zhang Yunfeng. At the same time, he also lifted his right hand and tapped forward. Grand Constetion Finger! Executing two Saint intermediate-tier battle techniques simultaneously, Zhang Xuan had gone all out from the start. Hu! Standing before the two attacks, Zhang Yunfeng leisurely took a step forward. Weng! As soon as the palm strike and the finger art came into contact with his Dominion, they were immediately deflected just like how a river flow parted before a massive boulder. It didnt seem to have caused the slightest bit of effect on Zhang Yunfeng at all. This... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. As expected of a Grand Dominion realm expert of the Zhang n, the other party was much more frightening than he had thought! What about this? With a furious roar, all kinds of attack burst forth from Zhang Xuanpalm strikes, punches, finger arts, and many more. In the blink of an eye, the entire dueling ring seemed to have been plunged into an ocean of zhenqi. Boom boom boom! The furious assault caused sonic booms to explode relentlessly in the air. Even if it was Zhang Qian who had tapped into the power of his bloodline, he would have surely been sent into a fluster from this overwhelming barrage of attacks. But Zhang Yunfeng simply chuckled lightly and waved his hand lightly. Hu! Upon contact with his Dominion, the barrage of attacks was deflected to his back as well, inducing countless ripples to diffuse on the seal around the dueling ring. Hes still perfectly fine even after all that? Zhang Xuan felt as if his mind was going to explode. That was really way too overpowered! He thought that with that barrage of attacks, he would at least be able to tear open the other partys defenses. Yet, it barely did a thing at all! Was he reallypletely helpless before the other party without a sword in hand? I have already given you a chance to attack me, so it should be my turn now. After deflecting all of Zhang Xuans attacks, Zhang Yunfeng spoke up before tapping his finger forward. Tz! A surge of pure energy immediately shot forth from the tip of his finger. Hm? elerated by Zhang Yunfengs Dominion, the surge of pure energy appeared right before Zhang Xuans chest in an instant. Realizing that he would have no time to dodge at all, he could only hurriedly raise his palm to defend himself. Tzzzz! The powerful momentum of the finger art traveled through Zhang Xuans palm and struck his body like aet, forcefully pushing him back. As a result, a massive gorge was dragged out on the dueling ring. Hu! It took a great deal of effort before Zhang Xuan was able to regain his bnce once more. He felt his zhenqi running erratically in his body, and as if someone had scalded with palm with zing inferno, an indescribable pain assaulted his hand. Even a simple finger art of his wields so much strength? Zhang Xuan was rmed. He might have sessfully withstood the finger art, but if this were to go on, the duel would surely end with his loss. Not too bad. The fact that you were able to withstand my attack shows that you do have some capability. Zhang Yunfeng remarked as he raised his palm, preparing for the next attack. At this moment, however, the young man before him abruptly raised his hand up high. Whats wrong? Are you going to surrender? Zhang Yunfeng asked with a contemptuous smile on his lips. Thats not it. I just would like ten breaths to myself. Zhang Xuan replied. Ten breaths? I admit that I am not a match for you with my current strength. In any case, its already unfair that a Grand Dominion realm cultivator like you is facing a Primordial Spirit realm cultivator like me at your full strength. So, I want ten seconds to sort out my thoughts... Exhaling deeply, a smile emerged on Zhang Xuans lips as he continued, ... as well as to make a breakthrough while Im at it! Chapter 1305 - He’s Bathing!

Chapter 1305: Hes Bathing!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Make a breakthrough while hes at it? Is it possible to make a breakthrough as and when you like? What can he possibly do in just ten breaths? It wont even be sufficient for a short toilet break! Upon hearing Zhang Xuans words, a hugemotion broke out beneath the stage. The various elders in the sky also looked at one another in confusion, uprehending of what the young man was up to. A typical cultivator would have to find an isted chamber, prepare all kinds of cultivation resources, and condition his body for many days before attempting for a breakthrough, and yet, this fellow actually asked for a ten breaths break from the battle in order to make a breakthrough... Do you think that making a breakthrough is as easy as breathing, able to do it as and when you like? Fine, Ill give you ten seconds then. Lets see if you have the ability to make a breakthrough within this period of time! Zhang Yunfeng was startled for a moment before he nearly burst outughing. He had seen plenty of entric people in his life, but the young man before him sure was one-of-a-kind! To ask for a ten breaths break in the midst of a battle in order to make a breakthrough... Can youe up with something any more ridiculous than that? And even if you did manage to achieve a breakthrough, you would only be at Half-Leaving Aperture realm. Do you think that you would be a match for me like that? Fine, Ill give you the time that you desire so much then! Lets see what you can do with it! Great. Zhang Xuan nodded. Flicking his wrist, he took out the Wintry Spirit Essence, uncorked the bottle, and swallowed it whole. That isnt for drinking! At the bottom of the dueling ring, Chen Leyao saw that sight and nearly keeled over. The Wintry Spirit Essence was a cold attribute spirit essence capable of freezing ones very blood and bones. Even the members of the cier in Court would just dab a little bit of it on their fingers and slowly absorb it over a very long period of time each time they cultivated. That bottle of Wintry Spirit Essence was intended for several years of use, and yet... he actually swallowed it whole! While it was true that the Wintry Spirit Essence was rich in spiritual energy, it was simply too cold. Swallowing it directly was worse than ingesting lethal poison directly! Putting aside a Primordial Spirit realm cultivator like you, even Grand Dominion realm experts would die from having their innards freezing over! Just what in the world are you doing? It was in view that the young man was her benefactor and the teacher of their young court chief that Chen Leyao gave him a bottle of Wintry Spirit Essence. If he were to die because of that... there was no way she would be able to escape responsibility! Gugugu! Just as Chen Leyao was scared out of her wits, she saw that not only did the young man on the stage not turn into a sculpture of ice, the aura he emanated was even growing stronger by the moment. It felt almost as if a dam which had umted several decades worth of water was beginning to shatter, ready to let loose a furious flood upon the world. Following which, with a resounding buzz, the young man sessfully overcame the bottleneck of Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle and reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm. Despite so, the advancement in his cultivation didnt stop just there. It continued surging forward furiously. Two breathster, he reached Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. This... Chen Leyaos face paled, and her throat turned dry. Her eyes were bulging so much that it seemed as if they would plop out to the ground anytime soon. She was certain that the young man would be frozen to death by the cold energy of the Wintry Spirit Essence, but... not only was he fine, he even managed to swiftly assimte the spirit essence into his body and advance his cultivation swiftly. Just what kind of constitution did he have? That was really frightening! Amidst her shock, Zhang Xuans advancement in cultivation finally slowed to a halt. It seemed like he had finished devouring all of the spiritual energy contained within the Wintry Spirit Essence. This... To achieve a breakthrough of two cultivation stages within three breaths? Isnt this a little too fast? Everyone stared at the sight before them in a daze. In the sky, Elder Liu and the others also nearly plummeted to the ground from shock. They thought that the young man asking for a break of ten breaths was just a joke, but in just three breaths, he had already managed to advance his cultivation by two cultivation stages. And furthermore, from the looks of it, if not for the insufficient spiritual energy from the Wintry Spirit Essence, he could have very well pushed for even higher realms. Zhang Yunfeng was also dumbfounded by how Zhang Xuan actually seeded in achieving a breakthrough so swiftly, and a deep frown emerged on his forehead. But a short momentter, the frown gave way to a cold chuckle, You are merely at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. Even if you did seed in achieving a breakthrough, you still wont be able to defeat me with such strength. Even with two consecutive breakthroughs, that fellow would only be a mere Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. There was still a huge gap between the other party and a true Grand Dominion realm expert like him! Boom! All of a sudden, the deep rumbling of thunder abruptly bellowed in the sky above, and it took only a short moment for the clear skies to be covered in darkness. Raising his head anxiously, Zhang Yunfeng saw ominous clouds looming above the square. He... cant be thinking of challenging the lightning ordeal here, could he? Zhang Yunfengs body shuddered involuntarily upon that realization. To dare to draw out the lightning ordeal a moment right after you have reached Quasi Leaving Aperture realm... Do you know how frightening the lightning ordeal is? Primordial Spirits were of the yin attribute, and they needed to be nourished by the lightning ordeal before they could make the transformation into the yang attribute. Only then would they be able to travel freely without being limited by their bodies. However, lightning was the natural nemesis to all beings of the yin attribute. Even Zhang Yunfeng had to reinforce his cultivation for more than half a year before daring to challenge the lightning ordeal... but even so, he still sustained grave injuries from it, nearly crippling himself for good. He had to rest for three whole months before he was able to recover back to full health. It was one thing for that fellow to rush his breakthroughs, but to actually draw in the lightning ordeal on top of that... Are you really that intent to die? Thats too reckless! Zhao Xingmo eximed in horror. To be honest, it was no big deal for Zhang Xuan to lose the duel. After all, Zhang Yunfeng was ranked higher than him, so it wouldnt affect his status and prestige as a student of the Elite Division. There was really no need to take the risk and rush for a breakthrough at all! This was really a foolish action! Perhaps noticing Zhao Xingmos worry, Zhang Jiuxiao consoled, Dont worry, Zhang shi will be fine! Zhao Xingmo might not be aware of how monstrous Zhang Xuan was, but he had experienced it firsthand. So many times, he had worked hard to reinforce his cultivation so as to push for a breakthrough in hopes to surpassing Zhang Xuan, but in the end, thetter would just casually say I have umted enough and easily achieve breakthrough after breakthrough, steadily widening the gap between the both of them... After all the traumas he had been through, there was no longer anything Zhang Xuan could do that would surprise him anymore. Admittedly, the situation urring before him was inconceivable to him too. But considering that it was Zhang Xuan who stood at the eye of the storm, everything didnt seem as unbelievable anymore. After all, that young man was a Celestial Master Teacher like Kong shi. How could an existence like that be gauged using themon sense of ordinary men? Fine? How could he be fine? Do you know that the very first Leaving Aperture Ordeal is the most dangerous to a cultivator? There are countless geniuses in history who had died because of it... Just look at the dense congregation of storm clouds in the sky! I know that hes a person of great capability, but it takes only a moment ofcency to make an irreversible mistake! Zhao Xingmo bellowed anxiously. Besides, even if he were to survive the lightning ordeal, he would surely suffer grievous injuries too. Given so, how is he going to continue fighting against Zhang Yunfeng? Considering how powerful the Leaving Aperture Ordeal was, it was inevitable that one would suffer great damage to ones Primordial Spirit... And considering how he was already outmatched when fighting at his full strength, how could he possibly be a match for a Grand Dominion realm expert when he was in a severely wounded state? Even without looking at the oue, it was obvious what the conclusion of the duel would be! This... This time, even Zhang Jiuxiao was stumped. He had deep confidence in Zhang Xuan, but given how disadvantageous the circumstances were to thetter, even he couldnt help but waver at this point in time. My heavens, has Zhang Xuan gone mad? Are my eyes ying tricks on me, or is Zhang shi trying to draw his Primordial Spirit out from his body? All of a sudden, a loud exmation echoed through the square. rmed, Zhang Jiuxiao turned his head toward the sky and saw that Zhang Xuan had drawn his Primordial Spirit out of his be, and in this very moment, his Primordial Spirit was charging right into the congregation of storm clouds. Is Zhang shi intending to face the Leaving Aperture Ordeal with his Primordial Spirit? But that would only put him in greater danger! Zhang Jiuxiao widened his eyes in shock. Considering that the Primordial Spirit was weak against lightning, a cultivator would stand a better chance at surviving the Leaving Aperture Ordeal if he were to face the lightning tribtion with his Primordial Spirit housed within his body. This way, the body would at least help to block out a fair bit of the lightning. Back at the Marsnds of the Northern Meadows, he had seen the deep agony that Hall Master Xing was put through from facing the lightning tribtion directly with his Primordial Spirit. Zhang Xuan was present then as well, so he should be aware of the dangers of his actions. Why was he still taking such a risk then? While Zhang Jiuxiao was wondering if Zhang Xuan had gone bonkers, thetters Primordial Spirit had already charged right into the storm clouds. Countless streaks of lightning shed within the clouds, fully disying the treacherous environment within. Kacha! Kacha! Under the relentless lightning strike, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit began moving in a bizarre fashion, as if the lightning strike had caused him to lose control of himself. The Leaving Aperture Ordeal is the first hurdle that Saint realm experts would face. The violent energy harnessed within the lightning tribtion is simply too great such that most Primordial Spirits would end up sumbing it, resulting in dissipation. Yet, that fellow actually dashed right inplete unprepared... He really shouldnt have done that. Having gotten into the Elite Division, he had such a bright future lying before him, but now... Recklessness is really the bane for all cultivators. Look at how hes convulsing uncontrobly! This is his very first lightning tribtion, so his Primordial Spirit wouldnt have the slightest resistance to lightning at all. Even if his Primordial Spirit doesnt dissipate from this, its likely that his sanity would be wiped away by the violent force of the lightning ordeal... That fellow is really too hasty for sess... Wait a moment, are you sure hes convulsing? Why doesnt it seem that way to me? Long sighs ofmentation sounded one after another from the crowd, but all of a sudden, the sudden exmation left the entire crowd stunned for a moment. Youre right! His Primordial Spirit isnt convulsing. Its more like... more like... Half a breathter, another master teacher finished the sentence with a shrill voice, ... More like hes bathing! Bathing? Bewildered by that perplexing remark, everyone quickly turned their gazes over, and indeed, there was something really amiss with the situation. The Primordial Spirit amidst the lightning clouds was moving around, but it wasnt a spasmodic movement. Rather, if they really had to describe it, it would be more of a rhythmic scrubbing movement, as if he was trying to spread the lightning equally throughout his body. As if he was trying to scrub it into the depths of his Primordial Spirit. Primordial Spirits are naturally averse to lightning, but not only is he unfrightened, hes even heartily bathing in it... Are my eyes ying tricks on me? How could something like this possibly happen? Madness. This was truly madness. Three breaths to push from Primordial Spirit pinnacle to Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, and even challenging the lightning tribtion face on straight afterward... Their minds could still ept it if Zhang Xuan managed to survive the Leaving Aperture Ordeal by a close shot, but to be bathing so joyfully amidst it... No words could even begin to describe the emotions they were feeling at this very instant. T-this... Elder Liu gulped down a mouthful of saliva as his eyelids twitched uncontrobly. As an elder of the Sanctum of Sages, he had seen plenty of outstanding geniuses over the past several hundred years, such as the current head of the Zhang n, the little princess of the Luo n... They were all the most outstanding figures of the Master Teacher Continent, the stars that shone the brightest in the night sky. But... not even they dared to y with the Leaving Aperture Ordeal like that! Elder Liu wed at his hair frenziedly, tearing out huge patches of it. He... Zhang Yunfeng had frozen in shock from what he was seeing. He thought that it was utter foolishness of the young man to bring forth the lightning tribtion so casually, and that he was simply courting death. Yet, as if a resilient cockroach, the lightning ordeal didnt seem to faze him in the least. On the contrary, he was even having plenty of fun bathing! Ten breaths are up! This daze continued for quite a while before Zhang Yunfeng suddenly remembered the situation he was in and bellowed loudly. Hu! The Primordial Spirit in the sky seemed to have heard his voice and immediately stopped his scrubbing. He opened his mouth wide and devoured the entire sky of lightning through his mouth before dashing right back into his body. In the next moment, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and looked at Zhang Yunfeng apologetically. Pardon me. It was my first time experiencing the lightning tribtion, and I had a little too much fun that I identally took another additional breath. To make up to you, why dont I give you a three moves advantage? Chapter 1306 - Wave Treading Stride

Chapter 1306: Wave Treading Stride

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric From the moment he said those words to his breakthrough and the lightning tribtion, a total of eleven breaths had passed... It was a single breath more than what he had promised earlier, and the fact that the other party didnt try to assault him within this period of time was honestly praiseworthy. No matter what, he must return the favor! What did you say? Zhang Yunfeng gritted his teeth so tightly as it felt as if they would chip under the immense force. It was just a moment ago that he thrashed Zhang Xuan upside down, but all of a sudden, Zhang Xuan was actually offering to give him a three moves advantage? That was tantly underestimating him! Make your move. I promise you that I wont retaliate in the next three moves you make! Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and smiled. Youre really seeking death! Zhang Yunfeng couldnt suppress his rage any longer. While he wasnt one of the most talented individuals in the Zhang n, he had aposed and steady personality. It was for this reason that he didnt rush into agreeing to help Zhang Qian exact his vengeance... But Zhang Xuans words had really struck the thorn in his heart this time around. For the longest of time, he had been extremely concerned about the widening gap between him and the other geniuses of the Zhang n, and Zhang Xuans casual attitude and words of underestimation only served to further remind him of the matter. In an instant, rage consumed his entirety, and he couldnt help but want to tear the young man before him into shreds. Tzzzzzz! Zhang Yunfeng began walking forward slowly. Even though he was walking atop the smooth dueling ring, somehow, his movements felt as if he was riding upon a wave. Despite his slow speed, there was an imposing momentum behind his movement reminiscent of the choppy waters of a stormy sea. Previously, in view of his standing, he had decided to hold himself back a little. However, now that he had decided to go all out, his overwhelming strength immediately showed through. Its the Zhang ns Wave Treading Stride! Rumors have it that the Wave Treading Stride was created by an elder in the Zhang n while he was observing a water strider moving along the ripples in the water. Not only were its movements agile, it was also well poised for offense and defense, simr to a leaf floating atop the oceanno matter how treacherous the waves get, it would still remain afloat. This technique is simr to Shadow Tracking, but its much more profound and grander! Since Zhang Yunfeng has gone to the extent of using this technique, it seems like he has started getting serious! Zhang Xuan is likely going to be defeated... His ability to withstand the lightning tribtion is indeed incredible, but a cultivation of Leaving Aperture realm primary stage is just too low! ... Discussions broke out amidst the crowd. While Zhang Xuans breakthroughs were shocking, in their view, it was likely that Zhang Xuan had just reinforced his cultivation immensely over the months, thus allowing him to easily take this final step forward in this critical juncture. As formidable as Zhang Xuan had performed in the lightning tribtion, his true strength was still bound to becking aspared to the genius of the Zhang n, especially given the huge disparity in their cultivation realms. I shall make you regret looking down on me! Zhang Yunfeng raised his palm and forcefully pushed it down upon Zhang Xuan. This palm may seem unimpressive on the surface, but as the one standing before it, Zhang Xuan felt as if a torrential tsunami was towering before him, inducing a slight feeling of helplessness in him. Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Air Propulsion Palm! Completely overwhelmed with anger, Zhang Yunfeng didnt bother to hold back at all. In an instant, Zhang Yunfeng had turned the dueling ring reminiscent to the bottom of an ocean. Any movement made within the range of his attack would require his permission. Not bad! Zhang Xuan remarked calmly with his hands still beneath his back. With an agile flit, he dodged Zhang Yunfengs lethal attack and materialized at the other end of the dueling ring. After achieving a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, his fighting prowess had increased by at least twofold. While he hadnt really tried out how powerful he was at the moment, he was confident that if he were to use his full strength, Zhang Yunfeng wouldnt stand a chance at all. It was for this very reason that Zhang Xuan dared to give the other party a three moves advantage. While he only had the Primordial Spirit realm Heavens Path Divine Art with him at the moment, the Leaving Aperture realm cultivation technique manual books he had collected back at Qianchong Empires ck market, along with those he had obtained from Ji Lingfengs storage ring, had given him a deep insight Leaving Aperture realm. Even though they werent sufficient to form the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art, he was still able topile out a decently wholesome cultivation technique manual. Furthermore, his diligent cultivation over the past few days had firmly reinforced his cultivation. It was due to all of these factors that he was able to push for multiple breakthroughs so easily after ingesting the potent Wintry Spirit Essence. As for the lightning tribtion, he had gone through the Saint Ascension Ordeal, which granted him significant resistance toward lightning. On top of that, as he cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, his Primordial Spirit was already yang in nature. As a result, the lightning tribtion which all cultivators were so frightened of was actually nothing more than a walk in the park for him. This was also the reason why the bathing scene earlier urred. He wasnt showing off but attempting to spread the lightning over his Primordial Spirit in the shortest time possible so as to best temper his Primordial Spirit. Even so, he still exceeded the time by a single breath... How embarrassing. As for his massive soul, he had used the Heavenly Art of DImension Unravel topress it into a smaller form so that it wouldnt stand out too much. Otherwise, if a ten-metersrge Primordial Spirit were to slip out of his body, there was no saying that the lightning tribtion might even be scared into escaping. Do you think that I would let you run away? Seeing that Zhang Xuan had dodged his first attack, Zhang Yunfeng narrowed his eyes and flicked his finger toward the sky. Tz! A powerful sword qi burst into the heavens. From this move, it could be seen that hisprehension of swordsmanship had reached a decent level as wellUpper Sword Heart. Wu wu wu! Halfway through its trajectory, the sword qi abruptly burst into several hundred surges of smaller sword qi, scattered all around the area as they surged for Zhang Xuan. A battle technique? Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised. He thought that it was only a casual flick of sword qi, but the move turned out to be a battle technique too. While the splitting of the sword qi would result in each of them harnessing significantly weaker might, such a barrage of attack was more effective in inducing panic in the opponent. In a fight between experts, ones state of mind was extremely important too. As soon as the opponent started to lose hisposure, one would be able to drag him into ones momentum and influence his movements, thus gaining full control over the flow of the battle. But while such a move might have incredible effects when directed toward other opponents, it wasnt too effective against Zhang Xuan. With another flit, Zhang Xuan arrived at the other end of the dueling ring, evading every single one of those mini sword qi cleanly. Is dodging the only thing you are capable of? Zhang Yunfeng harrumphed coldly. Two moves had already passed, but he didnt evene close to catching the young mans shadow. This had borne some feelings of frustration within him. I said that I would give you a three moves advantage, so of course, I wont back down on my words. Zhang Xuan said with a soft chuckle. You... Zhang Yunfengs face reddened in rage. Unable to take it anymore, he charged forth once more. This time, his speed was severalfold faster than before. It was still far from a match against Zhang Xuans Unbounded Treader in terms of speed, but it was definitely far faster than ordinary movement techniques. What incredible speed! What movement technique is that? Its the highest level of mastery of the Wave Treading Stride, Rippleless Treading! He actually cultivated the Wave Treading Stride to the highest level? As expected of a genius from the Zhang n! ... A few amongst the crowd recognized the movement technique that Zhang Yunfeng was using, and shock surfaced on their faces. Wave Treading Stride, this was an extremely difficult movement technique to master. Not only was it highly demanding on ones talent, it also took many experimentation and practice before one could grasp the feeling of it. Yet, to be able to reach Rippleless Treading, the highest level of the technique, at such a young age, it must be said that Zhang Yunfeng was truly an outstanding individual. Hu! Amidst shocked gazes, Zhang Yunfeng had already arrived at an area less than five meters away from Zhang Xuan. With a shrill buzz, he activated his Dominion, and it swiftly engulfed Zhang Xuan as well. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt immense pressure crushing him from all directions. It was as if he was grasped in the palm of another, unable to move at all. Hes indeed formidable... Zhang Xuans face turned livid. Typically speaking, at Saint 6-dan primary stage, a cultivator would have just formed his Dominion, and it would assume a form reminiscent of flowing water, so the pressure it could exert wouldnt be as great. Atter stages, it would take a form reminiscent of a bog, followed by mercury, and finally lead... As one progressed through the various cultivation stages of Saint 6-dan, the prowess of ones Dominion would grow significantly stronger. As such, even though the radius of ones Dominion would barely change at all, it was rather easy to ssify its strength. While Zhang Yunfeng was only at Saint 6-dan primary stage, his Dominion was already extremelypact and dense, such that even Zhang Xuan would have some trouble trying to st it apart. It was a grave mistake to give me a three moves advantage. Since thats the case, you need not dream about making a move at all! Zhang Yunfeng bellowed coldly as he struck his palm down upon Zhang Xuan. Augmented by the strength of his Dominion, this palm strike was at least two times as powerful as before. Even before it reached its target, its sheer might would have already suppressed ones soul and physical body, destroying any thoughts of retaliation in ones mind. Raising his head, all Zhang Xuan could see was a dark shadow looming above him. His movements were restricted by Zhang Yunfengs Dominion, preventing him from escaping at all. If it had been a moment before, there is no way Ill be able to withstand that palm strike without counterattacking. But now... There wasnt any hint of nervousness to be seen on Zhang Xuans face, and he showed no signs of counterattacking either. Instead, he simply hugged his body together to protect the vitals of his body. He cant be dreaming of facing the attack head on like that, can he? Even Grand Dominion realm cultivators would be unable to withstand that blow from Zhang Yunfeng! To attempt to withstand it without putting up any significant defenses at all, is he courting death? I really dont know whether to say that the fellow is fearless or in dumb! Upon seeing Zhang Xuans actions, the crowd fell into a daze. If one were to execute a battle technique within ones Dominion, the might of the battle technique could be easily enhanced to twofold stronger than before. Zhang Yunfengs Air Propulsion Palm wielded devastating might even without his Dominion, and yet, Zhang Xuan was actually intending on taking it face on? If things were to go wrong, he might even be smacked to his death! Should we intervene in the duel? Elder Han Zhu watched on the situation in jitters. Theres no need for that. Zhang Yunfeng isnt a reckless person, he wont kill another candidate right before us. Elder Lius fists were also tightly clenched despite his words, and there was a contemtive gleam in his eyes which made one wonder what he was thinking about. Hu! Amidst shocked gazes, Zhang Yunfengs palmnded squarely on Zhang Xuans back, and amidst a resounding sonic boom, a powerful st of shockwave swept into the surroundings. Its over... Seeing that the young man who had just achieved consecutive breakthroughs really didnt attempt to dodge at all, many amongst the crowd couldnt help but cover their eyes with a cringe, not daring to see what had just happened. However, before they could hear an anticipated cry of agony from the young man, another explosion abruptly sounded, and a deep groan escaped from Zhang Yunfengs throat instead. Quickly turning their eyes over once more, they saw the genius of the Zhang n retreating in a fluster with a pale face. His hands were trembling non-stop, and his eyes were marked with horror. What happened? Those who had covered their eyes before didnt see what had happened previously, and they were baffled by the abrupt change in circumstances. Its the lightning tribtion! a master teacher amidst the crowd eximed in agitation. Lightning tribtion? Thats right! Just a moment ago, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit devoured the entire sky of lightning, but instead of assimting it, he allowed it to wrap itself all over his body instead. Not only was Zhang Yunfengs palm strike neutralized by that very lightning, he even suffered a bacsh from his attack! Just look at his pale face! I reckon that his Primordial Spirit has suffered significant damage from that previous move! the master teacher remarked excitedly. You said that he allowed the lightning tribtion to wrap itself all around his body so as to use it to protect himself? The crowd staggered on the spot. It was true to devouring lightning would help to temper ones physical body and Primordial Spirit, but there was a huge problem in that course of actionit was extremely difficult to release the umted lightning within ones body. Over time, it could slowly wear down ones body, causing significant damage to one. But when Zhang Yunfengs palm strike fell on Zhang Xuan, he ended up drawing away the lightning within thetters body, thus sparing thetter from the agony of the lightning while significantly injuring himself... It was two birds in a stone for Zhang Xuan. Could it be that... Zhang Xuan had guessed that Zhang Yunfeng would utilize this palm strike, so he intentionally gave thetter a three moves advantage in hopes of using thetters strength to draw out the lightning within his body after tempering his body and soul? Someone suddenly shouted out. In an instant, looks of disbelief and horror appeared on the faces of every single expert in the square. If that was really an intentional act on Zhang Xuans part, that would really be terrifying. That would mean that not only did he grasp the might of the lightning tribtion well, he had also seen right through Zhang Yunfengs strength and personality as well! Otherwise, if anything were to go wrong, the one who would be severely injured would be Zhang Xuan himself! Can he still be considered a human? Upon realizing what was going on, the crowd gulped down a mouthful of saliva as they nced at one another. A deep fear rose from the depths of their souls. It was one thing to be highly talented, but to be able to keenly see right through others as well... If they were to face Zhang Xuan in a battle as well, would they stand a chance at all? Chapter 1307 - Here Comes My Sword Sheath!

Chapter 1307: Here Comes My Sword Sheath!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This is exactly the aspect about Zhang shi that amazes others without fear. No matter how inconceivable a feat is, hes able to pull it off with perfect ease using unconventional methods... Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes gleamed in admiration. As an offspring of the Zhang n, he had grown up hearing about the greatness of the young prodigy. As a result, he had grown up admiring the talents of the young prodigy, but in this moment, there was no one else in his eyes but Zhang Xuan. No matter how formidable the young prodigy was, it was all based on the purity of his bloodline. How could he possiblypare to Zhang Xuan? With sufficient time, Zhang Jiuxiao had no doubt that Zhang Xuan would be able to exceed the young prodigy and reach the very pinnacle of the world. Hes indeed... exceptional. Zhao Xingmo muttered in a daze. From the moment Zhang Xuan managed to defeat him easily during the preliminary selection, he had already known that the young man was anything but normal. Just, he couldnt have imagined that the young man would be so abnormal! From the current looks of it, he would be able to forge a legend for himself even in the Sanctum of Sages, where geniuses were aplenty. You have had your three moves. Its my turn! Zhang Xuan loosened his huddled body and stretched his neck before speaking with a grin. The attack from the lightning tribtion was indeed within his calctions. He hadpiled a book on Zhang Yunfeng through the Library of Heavens Path, and there were several hundred ws reflected there. Picking one of them out and designing a scheme to do him in was, honestly, not that difficult. Sou! With a swift movement reminiscent of a streak of lightning, he dashed right up to Zhang Yunfeng and stabbed his finger forward. Hu! A brilliant burst of sword qi reminiscent of a shooting star shot forth, and upon contact with thetters Dominion, it easily creating an opening and pushed ahead. Back when he was still at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, his strength was still too weak to ovee Zhang Yunfengs Dominion. However, after the consecutive breakthroughs, his strength had already surpassed the limits of thetters Dominion, such that it couldnt impede him any longer. Break! Seeing how the sword qi actually managed to breach the defenses of his Dominion, cold sweat immediately rained down Zhang Yunfengs forehead. With a flick of his palm, he hurriedly took out a sheathed sword to fend against the sword qi. Ding ding ding! The sword qi collided with the sword sheath and produced a resounding sonic boom before dissipating entirely. On the other hand, Zhang Yunfeng was forced to retreat two steps before he was able to ward off the might of the sword qi. He used a weapon? Considering that its supposed to be a fair duel, his act of drawing a weapon should suffice for this duel to be ruled as his loss! Those of the Sage ns possess innumerable powerful artifacts in their possession. If artifacts were to be allowed in the duel, it would be a battle of wealth instead of a battle of strength! ... Even though Zhang Yunfeng didnt draw his sword out of his sheath, his very act of taking out a weapon still induced a wave of disapproval from the crowd. Offspring of the Sage ns had nock of good artifacts. Any single one of them could easily drive others into despair. For this reason, even though there was no explicit rules banning the usage of artifacts in the Challenge of the Defeated, there was a tacit agreement amongst the candidates against it. On the dueling ring, Zhang Yunfeng paid no heed to themotion of the crowd beneath and quickly popped a pill into his mouth in order to recover from the injuries he had sustained from the lightning tribtion. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, I must admit, you are indeed a formidable adversary. I might have drawn my weapon, but you dont have to worry. I know that you are a cultivator from Qingyuan Empire, so I wont bully you either. This sword of mine is known as cial Frost, and its a half Saint high-tier artifact. It would be indeed unfair for me to fight you with it, but its sheath is only at Saint intermediate-tier... Ill just use this sheath, but you can use any weapon you want. After which, Zhang Yunfeng pulled out his sheath and wielded it. A surge of concentrated Sword Intent flowed forth from him, emanating a great pressure on those standing before it. Even though he was armed with a sheath instead of a sword, his sheer mastery in swordsmanship enhanced his fighting prowess by more than twofold. Hes only going to use his sheath? Well, considering that his sheath is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, I guess that it would still be eptable since he wont be relying on the superior strength of his weapon to achieve victory. On top of being a talented sword practitioner himself, he practices the profound sword arts of the Zhang n too. If Zhang Xuan were to ept the duel, there was no way he would be a match... Ive heard of how frightening the Zhang ns swordsmanship is as well. Zhang Xuan wont stand much of a chance against it... ... Such mutterings could be heard from the crowd. As a half Saint high-tier artifact, once the cial Frost Sword was drawn, there would be no cultivator of the same cultivation realm as Zhang Yunfeng who could match him, much less Zhang Xuan. Naturally, the circumstances would be extremely unfair to Zhang Xuan. However, if Zhang Yunfeng were to wield only the sheath of his sword whereas Zhang Xuan could choose to use any weapon of the same tier, the duel could still be considered to be fair. How about it? Do you dare to fight me? Zhang Yunfeng looked at Zhang Xuan with a hint of provocation in his eyes. Youre only going to use your sword sheath? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats right. You dont have to feel restrained by me, you can use any weapon you want! Zhang Yunfeng replied, heaping even more pressure on Zhang Xuan to ept the duel. We have alreadypeted on movement techniques and battle techniques, so shouldnt wepete on our weapon mastery as well? After all, only with a weapon in hand can a cultivator disy his true fighting prowess. Besides, what I specialize in isnt bare-handedbat either. This... Zhang Xuan revealed a hint of hesitation. Indeed. With a weapon in hand, a persons fighting prowess could potentially rise exponentially. Take Zheng Yang for example, without his spear in hand, there was no way he could have cleared the Dragon Gate Formation and be the Progeny of Combat. Personally speaking, Zhang Xuan rarely used any weapons because his opponent tended to be too weak. After all, why go through the trouble of holding a weapon when a punch was sufficient to resolve the problem? May I first take a look at your prowess with the sheath before deciding whether I should use one or not? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking. If Zhang Yunfengs prowess with a weapon was formidable, he could still consider wielding a weapon. Otherwise, there was really no need to take out the Lingxu Sword for something as minor as this. After all, it wasnt really his hobby to bully the weak. You want to take a look at my prowess with a weapon? Alright then, Ill grant your wish. With a light chuckle, Zhang Yunfeng pushed his palm forward, and his sheath immediately flew forth like a prowling snake pouncing upon its prey. This was a rather peculiar move, carrying distinctive traits of both swordsmanship and spearmanship. It was ingeniously angled in a manner that aimed to seal multiple acupoints at once. If the strike were to reallynd on its target, the target would surely be incapacitated, losing all fighting prowess and even sustaining severe injuries! Not bad! Zhang Xuan remarked as he flicked his fingers forward. Multiple sword qi sprung forth, blocking the way of Zhang Yunfengs sheath. Ding ding ding ding! It was a melody simr to a torrential shower raining down upon a roof. Watching as the sword qi shed against his sheath, Zhang Yunfengs eyebrows shot up as he pushed his palm up. Hua! With a powerful sweeping movement, the sheath forcefully deflected the sword qi on it back toward Zhang Xuan. Facing this sight, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes and quickly retreated. It was no wonder why Zhang Yunfeng proposed fighting with their weapons! In just a single encounter, it was already apparent that he was extraordinarily gifted in weaponry. Even though he was only armed with a sheath, his pierce was as sharp as a spear, his sweep was as forceful as a pole, and every single maneuver was conducted with the agility and flexibility of a sword... With all these threeing together in a sword art, it became a technique nigh impossible to guard against. Despite cultivating the Heavens Path battle techniques of numerous weapons, Zhang Xuan still found himself in a fluster for a short moment there. It seemed like weapon battles were really where Zhang Yunfengs true fortey. H! However, despite how swiftly Zhang Xuan was retreating, the sheath seemed to move at an even swifter speed, pursuing closely behind him. No matter how he attempted to swerve and dodge, he was unable to escape from the pursuit of the sheath. That is... Wave Treading Stride? He actually managed to infuse the movement technique into the maniption of his weapon? Elder Liu eximed in astonishment. Wave Treading Stride was a movement technique that made use of the momentum of the opponent in order to advance or retreat, reminiscent of how a water strider drifted along with the waves. As a movement technique, it was developed with the intention of facilitating the movement of a cultivator. Yet, who could have thought that Zhang Yunfeng would have actually integrated the technique into the maniption of his weapon as well! If Zhang Xuan couldnt find a way to knock away the sheath, it would continue following him as if a shadow. No matter where he escaped to or how fast he moved even, it would track his movements tightly, unable to be shaken off. Hu hu! Over on the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan hade to the same realization as well. Thus, he executed the Unbounded Treader and flitted away. In the blink of an eye, he appeared at the other end of the stage. At the same, he raised his palm and thrust it forward. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Due to the excessively swift movements of the Unbounded Treader, the sheath found itself unable to catch up for a moment when it was abruptly faced with the overwhelming strength of the palm strike. Colliding face on with it, a resounding explosion sounded. Following which, intense shockwaves rippled from the collision, causing the entire dueling ring to shake non-stop. With this abrupt intervention, the sheath was forcefully shook out of its previous state. How about it? Does my prowess with a weapon in hand satisfy your criteria? Retracting his sheath, Zhang Yunfeng asked with a hint of pride in between his brows. He had viewed his ability to integrate Wave Treading Stride into the utilization of weapons as one of his greatest pride, and indeed, it was something worth being proud about as well. Not too bad! Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly. Using just a mere sword sheath, Zhang Yunfeng was actually able to leave him in a fluster for a moment there, nearly trapping him. Truly, as expected of a genius of the Zhang n. The means that he possessed were indeed formidable. Do you dare to fight against me for a round? You appear to be rather proficient in swordsmanship, so I presume that you are a powerful sword practitioner yourself too. Since thats the case, your fighting prowess should be much greater with a sword in hand, right? Zhang Yunfeng continued. Im indeed more powerful with a sword in hand, but my weapon is a little too powerful... Im afraid that it will be unfair for you! Zhang Xuan said with a conflicted look. Why dont I use my sword sheath as well? You are going to use your sheath too? A disdainful sneer escaped fro Zhang Yunfengs lips. What I have shown your earlier is just the tip of the iceberg of my ability with a sword. In a real battle, Ill be far stronger than that... If you were to only wield a sheath as well, I fear that you might be severely injured in the battle! That wont happen, you dont have to worry about that. Even without drawing my sword, Im still plenty formidable. Zhang Xuan replied to Zhang Yunfengs words with a leisurely smile. Oh? Very well, let me witness the prowess you are able to bring forth with just your sheath then! Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Yunfeng raised his arms, and a powerful aura burst forth from him. He had started practicing weaponry from a very young age, be it saber, spear, sword, halberd, pole... He had some degree of mastery in every single one of these conventional weapons, which was also how he could give spirit to a seemingly ordinary sheath, granting it strength that would make it invincible in its power ss... And yet, the other party actually wanted to face him with a sword sheath as well... Are you joking with me? Since you are that arrogant, let me put you back in your ce then! You shall know that not everyone can be like me, Zhang Yunfeng, disying superior prowess even with just a mere sword sheath equipped in hand. Are you certain... that you want us to fight using sword sheaths? Zhang Xuan asked hesitantly. Of course, you were the one who said you want to use a sword sheath too! Zhang Yunfeng sneered coldly. Why? Are you nning on backing down at this point? Its not that. Im just a little worried. Well, look out then. Ill be taking out my sword sheath now... With a conflicted expression on his face, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist. Hu! Zhang Yunfeng was startled for a moment before he felt a mighty gale gushing at him. Raising his head, he saw a round tform several meters in radius falling right for his head. Padah! Before he could even process what was going on, he was already smacked onto the ground in a ̫ shape. His feet which were barely exposed at the end of the round tform were twitching non-stopat least a consoling indication that the poor man beneath was still alive. Nevertheless, this smack should have rendered him incapable of fighting anymore. This... Seeing that the other party wasnt even able to take a single one of his attacks, Zhang Xuan scratched his head and said with a t tone, Ah, I should have warned you beforehand. My sheath is a little bigger than the others... Chapter 1308 - Accommodation

Chapter 1308: Amodation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 For many millenniums, the Lingxu Sword had been sealed in a mechanical stone tform. Back when he took the Lingxu Sword, Zhang Xuan did not neglect to take the stone tform with him as well to serve as the sheath. As the stone tform was the work of a celestial designer, it was not ranked in the same manner as artifacts usually were. Nevertheless, if one really had to assign a tier to it, it was definitely insufficient to be considered a Saint high-tier artifact. Thus, from such a perspective, Zhang Xuan could not be considered to be cheating. Just that... the stone tform was exceptionally heavy, and even Grand Dominion realm experts would have trouble lifting it. Otherwise, there was no way it could have kept the Lingxu Sword sealed in ce for so many years either. The fact that Zhang Yunfeng was able to survive having it smacked over him was already a huge blessing in itself. Thats his sword sheath? Theres really a sword inserted on top of it! But why in the world does he have such a massive sword sheath? Poor Zhang Yunfeng... ... There was a brief moment of silence beneath the dueling ring, and everyone gulped subconsciously as they stared at the sight before them with twitching eyes. This is too shameless! The other party was holding a perfectly normal-sized sheath, but you took out such a massive one... who in the world would be able to withstand that? At the same time, there were many candidates who heaved a huge sigh of relief as well. It was fortunate that they did not foolishly step forward to challenge Zhang Xuan, or else the one lying beneath that b of stone could have been them! In any case, while Zhang Xuans actions were unconventional, there was no questioning that it was within the scope of the rules that Zhang Yunfeng hade up with. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had even given a warning in advance. Ultimately, Zhang Yunfeng only had himself to me for his tragic plight! Paying no heed to the shocked crowd, Zhang Xuan casually flicked his hand and returned his sword sheath back to his storage ring, revealing the poor man crushed beneath. Zhang Yunfengs tongue was stuck out, his eyes had rolled backward, and his body was twisted like a dough stick. The deep fear that he felt prior to being knocked out was still firmly etched on his face. His current state was truly wretched. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to infuse a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into Zhang Yunfengs body to heal his injuries, a powerful gust of wind suddenly blew, and a young man leaped onto the dueling ring. Hold it right there! the young man yelled with a livid expression on his face. After which, the young man walked over to Zhang Yunfeng and ced his fingers on thetters acupoints. Upon realizing that thetter had only lost consciousness and that his wounds were not too severe, the young man heaved a sigh of relief. He fed a pill into Zhang Yunfengs mouth before waving his hand, and Zhang Yunfengs body slowly floated into the sky before drifting into the crowd below. Thank you for going easy on Yunfeng. I am Zhang Zhuo, Yunfengs cousin. Allow me to apologize for Yunfengs previous rashness. Zhang Zhuo sped his fist as he spoke. The impassive look on his face made it hard to discern whether it was an earnest apology or a threatening remark. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still responded politely with a nod. He remembered seeing Zhang Zhuos name on the list of candidates who made it into the Elite Divisionhe had finished in 31st ce. Its impressive that you possess such strength at your age despiteing from the Qingyuan Empire. If theres an opportunity in the future, I would be delighted to trade blows with you. However, I think that most of our fellow peers here must be exhausted from the entrance examination and are eager to rest, so lets not keep them any longer. Farewell. After saying those words, Zhang Zhuo turned around and leaped down from the dueling ring. His movements were exceptionally nimble, perhaps a sign that he possessed exceptional capability in movement techniques. Since Zhang Zhuo had departed as well, Zhang Xuan knew that there was no point in him remaining on the dueling ring any longer. Thus, he turned around and returned to his seat. With the current fight concluded, Elder Liu turned to the crowd and asked if there were any other challengers. A couple of candidates stood forward, unwilling to part with this hard-toe-by opportunity to rise through the ranks. Even though Zhang Xuan had used questionable methods to knock out Zhang Yunfeng previously, his ability to break through Zhang Yunfengs Dominion still bore testimony to his true strength. As such, there were no Ordinary Division students who were so foolish as to challenge him anymore. By the second hour, there were no more challengers. So, Elder Liu stepped forward with a smile and said, Alright. Your amodations have been prepared, and you can check them on your identity token. Lessons will officially start tomorrow, and you will be expected to report to your sses. So, take the chance to rest well today! The crowd swiftly nodded in response. Zhang Xuan took out his identity token, and when he scanned it with his Spiritual Perception, a road leading to his amodation appeared. Lets go! Beckoning Zhang Jiuxiao along, Zhang Xuan began making his way over to the Sanctum of Sages. Across the square, there were a set of towering doors with the words Sanctum of Sages written on a que above. By the right side was the word Confucianism 1 . Zhang Xuan could not tell what level of painting it was, but the conception behind those words was extremely deep, to the point that it felt as if he was seeing an entire world through those words. These words were left behind by the first sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, Sage Kui. Studying these characters will be highly beneficial to furthering onesprehension of painting, Zhang Jiuxiao told Zhang Xuan with a hint of excitement in his voice. As a 7-star pinnacle painter himself, he knew how valuable these words were. Without a doubt, high level paintings were definitely hard toe by. After all, there were only so many high-ranked painters on the Master Teacher Continent. Even though those words had been there for several dozen millenniums, there was not the slightest hint of damage on them. They still looked as wholesome and fresh as if they had just been written a moment ago. These words are able to absorb spiritual energy in order to heal any wear and tear on the ink, Zhang Xuan noted. He could not have expected that the fellow who had been busy whittling a metal bar into a needle in the folded space would actually have such a deepprehension of painting, capable of writing words with such deep conception. Had he known it in advance, he would not have spent his time sleeping. If he had spent that time learning painting from the other party, he might have been able to make significant advancements in that upation. Knowing that those words would not escape from the entrance and he would have plenty of chances to study them in the future, Zhang Jiuxiaos gaze did not linger on them. Instead, eyes reddened in agitation, he looked at the tall doors before him and eximed, So, this is the highest training institute on the Master Teacher Continent. Sanctum of Sages, Im finally here! Born in a side family of the Zhang n, he had put in so much more effort than the members of the main family in order to obtain what came easily to them. Wanting to be recognized by the Zhang n, he had traveled down to the Qingyuan Empire many years ago, just to vie for the slot that he would never obtain from the Zhang n! For a very long time, he had viewed getting into the Sanctum of Sages as his dream, but he also knew too well how difficult it would be to do so. He had devoted his heart and soul to it, but not once did he dare bear too much hope, fearing that the disappointment upon failure would crush his soul. However, after going through so much, he had still finally aplished his dream. Perhaps it was because he had seen through Zhang Jiuxiaos feelings, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. A powerful bloodline will only put you at a starting line above others. Ultimately, to reach the top, you can only rely on yourself. There was no one in that world who did not desire a superior constitution, an overpowered bloodline, and outstanding talent. However, those would only put one at a higher starting point than others. In order to reach the very peak, what was more important was undying perseverance and unyielding diligence. Zhang Xuan, for example, did not possess outstanding talent, a formidable teacher, or an overpowered bloodline. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that he had started from zero. Yet, he still managed to slowly take one step forward at a time from the Tianxuan Kingdom to the Sanctum of Sages. This was not because he possessed astounding talent that far surpassed the others or that he had exceptionally good luck that would get him out of every single quandary he faced. Rather, it was because he had an unyielding heart that pushed him forward relentlessly! Without such an intense desire to grow, it was impossible for one to be a true expert! Yes! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. As soon as they walked into the Sanctum of Sages, the first thing that they noticed was that the concentration of spiritual energy in the surroundings was many times higherpared to a moment prior. On top of that, there was a unique aura drifting in the area that seemed to refresh ones mind, granting greater rity of thought. No wonder it can draw so many humans in, its indeed a blessednd for cultivation! Rich in spiritual energy, as long as Zhang Xuan could gather the required Heavens Path Divine Arts, even if he did not go through the trouble to search for spirit stones, he would still be able to advance his cultivation swiftly. In ten years, he would still be able to be a 9-star master teacher and stand at the peak of the world. The ce where he was living was not located too far away from the entrance. Following the directions on the jade token, he soon arrived at a residence. The concentration of spiritual energy within the residence was even more impressive. Even a non-cultivating human would be able to enjoy an increased lifespan and gain immunity to all diseases by walking in the area. By this moment, Zhang Jiuxiao had already parted from him. As thetter was a student in the Ordinary Division, he could only live in the shared dormitory. Naturally, the privileges of the two could not bepared. In a sense, the system was rather simr to that of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. The top students were granted amodation in manor-like residences whereas ordinary students could only live in shared dormitories. However, while Zhang Xuans lodging was much better than most of the other students, as he was ranked at the veryst in the entrance examination, the residence he was allocated was located at one of the more remote edges, and it was the worse one out of the many others. Walking up to the gates of the residence, Zhang Xuan took out his jade token, and the seal immediately opened. Zhang Xuan pushed the door open, and just as he was about to walk in, an elegant figure suddenly walked up to the residence beside him and stopped. It was the youngdy from the cier in Court, Chen Leyao! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and said, Fairy Leyao, thank you for your words of advice during the duel. If not for the other party informing him that the Zhang ns bloodline ability was Time Compression, he would have taken a bit more effort to defeat Zhang Qian. Zhang shi, you are too polite, Chen Leyao quickly replied. I was only doing what I should do! The young man before her was the teacher of their young court chief, and she was also indebted to him due to his revision of the Yin Form. To be honest, she felt a little embarrassed that she had not stepped forward to help him when he was in a difficult position. Watching as the youngdy unlocked the adjacent residence, Zhang Xuan asked in puzzlement, Is this where you are staying? He was in the veryst ce of the Elite Division, so it was only given that he was allocated the residence at the very corner. However, he was certain that Chen Leyaos ranking was in the thirties, so it did not make sense that they were living adjacent to one another! I heard that Zhang shi was staying here, so I swapped with another person, Chen Leyao said with a smile. Considering that the adjacent residence was the amodation of the person ranked 49th, it went without saying that the person had been more than willing to make the swap with Chen Leyao. Swap? Zhang Xuan was slightly startled to hear that. Yes. You are the teacher of our young court chief, and you have resolved the most major problem of our cultivation techniques, so you are my benefactor too. If theres anything you need, feel free to request it of me; Ill rush over and have it done as soon as possible! Chen Leyao said with a smile. Actually, a greater part of the reason was that she was worried that the Zhang n would make things difficult for Zhang Xuan. By living in the adjacent residence, she would be able to look out for him. No matter what, she was the one who had caused the conflict between them. Youre too polite. At this point, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. That exined why the youngdys attitude toward him had changed all of a sudden. She had realized that he was Zhao Yas teacher. The reason he dared not say that Zhao Ya was his student was because he feared that an ordinary disciple of the cier in Court would not be aware of the matter, and it would only worsen the conflict between the both of them. However, since the youngdy was aware of it... that made things much easier. Since you know of the rtionship between Zhao Ya and me, may I ask if you have a long-distance Jade Communication Token or something of the sort? I would like to speak a few words to her, if that isnt a problem. Zhang Xuan immediately looked at Chen Leyao expectantly. Back then, when Zhao Ya left, he still did not have a Communication Jade Token to give her. Besides, even if he did, considering the vast distance that sat between them, there was no way his messages could have gotten to her. Since the youngdy before him was a disciple of the cier in Court, she was bound to have a channel ofmunication to contact the headquarters. Perhaps, she might just be able to put him in contact with Zhao Ya. After half a year apart, it would have been a lie if he said that he did not miss his student. I do have a long-distance Jade Communication Token here, but from the Sanctum of Sages, it would have to be augmented by a supporting formation before it can reach our young court chief. This supporting formation isnt easy to set up, and due to mycking cultivation, I will require three months at the minimum, Chen Leyao said. Three months? An inconspicuous hint of a frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. May I know what grade the supporting formation is? I happen to know a thing or two about formations, so perhaps I might be able to offer some help! In view of the long lifespan that cultivators had, three months could not be considered a long period of time. A simple seclusion could easily take this amount of time. But to Zhang Xuan, it was a little too long. If it was a simpler formation, perhaps he would be able to help to set it up so as to save some time. Its a grade-8 formation, Chen Leyao replied. Grade-8? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. As long as the formation isnt tooplex, I should be able to set it up. May I take a look at the formation blueprint? Chapter 1309 - Vicious Awakening

Chapter 1309: Vicious Awakening

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While hisprehension of formations was still limited at 7-star, his foundations were firm because he had studied the Heavens Path Formation Art. If required to, as long as he studied the formation blueprint carefully, he would be able to set up basic grade-8 primary formations with ease. Alright! The supporting formation was a specialized formation to augment the transmission range of the Jade Communication Token, and it was not really a confidential secret or that sort, so Chen Leyao did not have to hold it back from Zhang Xuan. With a flick of her wrist, she passed a formation blueprint over. Zhang Xuan took the blueprint and began studying it. To make an analogy to his previous world, if the Jade Communication Token could be viewed as a cell phone, the formation would be a cell towers, serving to strengthen the transmission signals so that the message would be able to travel a greater distance. As simple as it sounded in theory, it was not that easy to carry it out in practice. Its a grade-8 primary formation, and with my currentprehension of formations, I should be able to set it up easily. Zhang Xuan frowned. However... Ill still take around three days, and the work required for that will be highly intensive. Thatll be too troublesome. While hisprehension of formations was already on par with most 8-star low-tier formation masters, there were simply too many aspects that one had to take note of when setting up the formation. The slightest mistake in the amplification of the transmission signal could very well destroy the structure of the Communication Jade Token, so it was imperative to be absolutely careful in every single one of the details. As a preliminary estimate, Zhang Xuan deemed that it would take at least three days for him to finish setting it up. Three days just to set up a formation... that was too extravagant! Knowing that he was limited by his understanding of formations, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment beforeing up with a n. Looks like its time for me to take the 8-star formation master examination! It was due to hisck of understanding of formations that resulted in his inability to effectively set up the formation. However, as long as he could clear the 8-star formation master examination and ess the books about grade-8 formations, he should be able to reduce the time required significantly. Noticing Zhang Xuans frown, Chen Leyao asked, Is Zhang shi able to set up the formation? Im still a littlecking. Zhang Xuan shook his head before asking with a smile, Right, do you know where I can take the 8-star formation master examination in the Sanctum of Sages? I would like to first take the examination before studying how I can set up the supporting formation. I think it would be safer this way. As the highest training institute of the Master Teacher Continent, the Sanctum of Sages were bound to house branches of other upations. Otherwise, how would the students of other upations advance their skills here? Most importantly of all, master teachers had to clear the prerequisite for their supporting upations before they could take the master teacher examination. Everything rted to the examination of supporting upations and the sort can be found in the Hall of Erudition. I have looked into the matter previously, so I know its rough location. Why dont I show you there? Chen Leyao answered with a smile. Ill be troubling you then. Through the identity token, he had also gained a rough idea of how the Sanctum of Sages functioned. It was divided into multiple halls, each of them serving a different purpose. However, the structure still differed significantly from that of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and the Combat Master Hall. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Combat Master Hall were divided into respective upation schools or cultivation divisions, such as the Beast Tamer School and Apothecary School for the former, and Martial Arts Division and Soul Division for thetter. On the other hand, the Sanctum of Sages mainly consisted of Five Halls, and they had nothing to do with upations or the sort. They were namely: Attainment, Solidarity, Propriety, Erudition, and Integrity!1 Hall of Attainment 2 , the ce where teachers taught and student learned as well as where the impartation of knowledge, learning of techniques, and inheritance of culture took ce. Hall of Solidarity, a training ground with all kinds of trials in order to temper one against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It served to promote camaraderie and cooperation among fellow students. Hall of Propriety, the area where duels and battles were conducted. Hall of Erudition, where upation examinations were conducted and cultivation technique manuals were stored, the ce where students would unlock their wisdom. Hall of Integrity, the ce where students reinforced their state of mind and tempered their character. Attainment, Solidarity, Propriety, Erudition, and Integrity 3 ; Graciousness, Altruism, Respect, Frugality, and Tolerance 4 . These were the five pirs of the Sanctum of Sages. Students who hade here to cultivate not only had to be strongmore importantly, they had to be principled and cultured. Zhang shi, you are too courteous! Chen Leyao nodded before leading the way forward. The Hall of Erudition, despite being termed as a hall, was not an actual building. Rather, like the Ten Schools of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it referred to an entire branch of the academy. Just the type of upational examination grounds numbered more than a hundred. The duo proceeded forward swiftly, and roughly ten minutester, they arrived at the entrance. The first thing that they saw was a massive wall that was crafted using some unknown material, and carved at the center was a massive character that induced warmth and tranquility in one. (Erudition). This calligraphy... looks very familiar... Zhang Xuan unwittingly halted his footsteps. The calligraphy for the (Erudition) character was vastly different from that of the Sanctum of Sages que at the entrance. Even though it did not emanate an overwhelming aura, it created a conception of vastness that was as high as the heavens, as broad as a seemingly endless in. This reflected the broad-mindedness of the one who had left behind the calligraphy, the great dreams that he harbored for the world. While Zhang Xuan was still bewildered by the sense of familiarity he felt from the painting, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind. This is... Kong shis writing! Vicious, you are awake? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The person was no one other than Vicious, who had fallen into a dormant state for nearly an entire month after consuming the other Vicious of the Marsnds. Yes. Fortunately, I have managed to assimte that fellow into me! Vicious replied with a slightly agitated voice. How are you feeling? Is there any advancement in your cultivation? Zhang Xuan asked. Vicious was his trump card, so if the other partys strength grew, it would indubitably be beneficial to him. Master, after fusing together with my head and my eyes, my strength has grown by leaps and bounds. In my current state, even Saint 7-dan cultivators wont be a match for me, Vicious replied proudly. Saint 7-dan? Zhang Xuan was slightly astonished. Just a month ago, that fellow had only been at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, and yet, just by fusing together with his brain and eyes, he had managed to advance two cultivation realms! This sure was scary! Just what kind of people was he surrounded by? Each of them seemed to be even more monstrous than the other. How pressuring... There was nothing he needed to say about his clone, and judging from what Chen Leyao had said earlier, Zhao Yas cultivation was bound to be far higher than his at the moment. And now, even his subordinate had gained the ability to subdue Saint 7-dan cultivators. After assimting the head, I have received a more wholesome understanding of my heritage, especially in terms of soul cultivation. Currently, I have soul cultivation techniques all the way up to Saint 9-dan, Vicious said. Thats great! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The soul cultivation technique manuals he had obtained from Mo Hunsheng only reached Transcendent Mortal, so after reaching Saint realm, he had no choice but to stop his soul cultivation for quite a while. After which, he managed topile theplete Heavens Path Soul Art for the first four dans of Saint realm, and he had also raised his soul cultivation up to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle. With the soul cultivation techniques from Vicious, as long as he could find soul cultivation-rted manuals in the future, he would be able topile them together to formplete Heavens Path Soul Art manuals and advance the might of his soul. Wait a moment... A doubt shed across Zhang Xuans mind. Arent soul cultivation techniques unique to the heritage of soul oracles? Why would Vicious possess them as well? ording to what he had gathered from Mo Hunsheng, soul cultivation techniques were a unique heritage of the soul oracles whereas Vicious was an Otherworldly Demon. So, why would Vicious possess such a deep understanding of soul cultivation techniques, possessingplete manuals of them even? Forget it, theres no point thinking about that at the moment. Knowing that it would be pointless to think too deep into matters that he did not have an answer to at the moment, Zhang Xuan continued asking, Other than soul cultivation techniques, do you have any zhenqi cultivation techniques? Vicious was an expert who had rivaled Kong shi many years ago, so the cultivation techniques that he practiced were bound to be incredibly profound. If he could learn them too, that would be deeply beneficial to furthering his fighting prowess. I do have a few cultivation techniques, but those are intended for Otherworldly Demons, so I fear they might not bepatible with your constitution. Nevertheless, Ill just send them over to you. After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately felt a surge of knowledge shooting into his mind. Since even he was capable of transmitting knowledge, considering how Vicious had assimted the knowledge of the other Vicious too, such a thing was bound to be even easier for him. After browsing through the knowledge he had just received, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Indeed, I wont be able to cultivate those cultivation techniques. He could still study the soul cultivation techniques, but the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes cultivation techniques werepletely useless to him. There was a vast difference in the physique of a human and an Otherworldly Demon, and this was a fundamental problem that even the Library of Heavens Path could not bridge. As a result, no matter how talented he was, there was simply no way he could practice those cultivation techniques. What a pity... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. If only he could practice those cultivation techniques, he would have been spared from a great deal of trouble, and it would have been more convenient for him to achieve breakthroughs. But from the looks of it, it seemed like it was all a pipe dream. After which, both of them continued chatting for a while. Even though the brain did possess most of Vicious memories, the immense damage that it had suffered then and the passing of several millenniums had resulted in quite a few memories blurring out. For example, he could only remember the vague outlines of the affairs concerning Kong shi. Knowing that there would be plenty of opportunities to interrogate Vicious in detail now that he was awake, Zhang Xuan decided to get back on track for the time being. Recalling what Vicious had mentioned earlier, he could not help but ask, Right. you said earlier that this character was left behind by Kong shi. What do you mean by that? Exactly what it means! The (Erudition) character was written my Kong shi, and its of a much higher level than the writing he left at the Saint Ascension tform. If I could devour it, it would be able to call forth power far greater than before! Vicious remarked in excitement. Devour? Zhang Xuans face immediately darkened. This fellow sure knows how to dream! This is the Sanctum of Sages, the highest training institute of the Master Teacher Continent! You actually want to eat Kong shis writing here... Before you can even do the deed, you will be pummeled into the ground first! Perhaps, even I would be implicated by you as well! Youd better wipe that thought out of your mind! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly before turning his gaze back to the calligraphy. It was no wonder it looked familiar to him. He had studied the writing he had obtained from Kong shi back at the Saint Ascension tform many times, so he was already familiar with thetters handwriting. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had abruptly stopped before the calligraphy, Chen Leyao exined with a chuckle, This (Erudition) character is wholesome and well-connected, reminiscent of the sparks of inspiration within a persons mind. Frequent admiring of the calligraphy will help to enhance ones analytical ability, thus opening the doors to erudition. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. This character was indeed far more profound than the words Kong shi had left behind back at the Saint Ascension tform, be it in terms of conception or aesthetics. Even Zhang Xuan felt like whatever turbidity was weighing down his mind would be cleansed if he observed it for prolonged periods of time, thus enhancing his thinking ability. As expected of a work from Kong shi... Inparison, it seemed like Sage Kuis words still needed much more work. No wonder most powerful ns are intent on sending their offspring over to the Sanctum of Sages to study. Putting everything aside, just this calligraphy alone already has the ability to stabilize ones Primordial Spirit and reinforce ones cultivation. On top of that, it can also suppress any inner demons, granting peace and tranquility, Zhang Xuan remarked in awe. With Kong shis massive character standing guard, even inner demons would not dare wreak havoc. Perhaps, this was the main reason most powerful ns would willingly send the most outstanding of their offspring to receive the heritage and guidance of the academy. After staring at the calligraphy for a little longer, Zhang Xuan turned his head back to Chen Leyao and said, Lets go in! Un. Chen Leyao nodded, and the two of them headed into the Hall of Erudition. Chapter 1310 - The King of Destruction (1)

Chapter 1310: The King of Destruction (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric After passing several streets, Zhang Xuan finally found the location where the formation master examination was held. He pushed open the door and walked in. Its interiors were exceptionally cold and quiet, and there were only a couple of people inside. This formed a stark contrast to the bustle that the other Formation Master Guilds outside enjoyed. Theres a strict limit to the number of candidates that the Sanctum of Sages recruit each year, and only formation masters possessing extraordinary talents or capabilities would be able to get in. On the other hand, ordinary students would rarelye over here unless they had to take the formation master examination. Chen Leyao exined. Its better this way. I like the quiet. Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Most of the examination he had undergone in the past were filled with people, such that regardless of what he did, he would have to queue up. It was terribly troublesome. This should be able to spare him a fair bit of trouble, and it was also aligned with his humble and quiet personality. Are the two of you here to challenge the formation master examination? At the front reception, a receptionist who seemed to be in his early thirties stepped forward with a bright smile on his face. The emblem weaved into her robe reflected that he was a 6-star formation master. Un. I would like to take the 8-star formation master examination. Zhang Xuan said. 8-star? The receptionist was stunned for a moment before asking, You? Yes. Zhang Xuan nodded. The upations of the Master Teacher Continent maintained a very strict hierarchy concerning the ess to books. Only when ones mastery of the upation had reached the required rank would one be able to read the books deemed to be corresponding in terms of profoundness. If he wished to browse through grade-8 formation books, he would have to be an 8-star formation master first. And with his current proficiency, it shouldnt be much of a trouble for him to clear the examination. Ah, pardon me. Its just that you are so young and I was slightly taken aback for a moment. An awkward smile shed across the receptionists face as he quickly continued on. May I know if you have brought your 7-star emblem with you here? Ill help you process your application. Here. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan passed the 7-star formation master emblem over. Guild Leader Han of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild had helped him apply for it after witnessing his skills rting to formations back at the Qiu Wu Pce. Catching it, the receptionist took a look at the name and flipped open a book. After checking for a moment, he suddenly raised her gaze to look at Zhang Xuan doubtfully, ording to the records, Zhang shi, it has only been two months since you cleared the 7-star formation master examination. Are you certain that you want to challenge the 8-star formation master examination so quickly? Typically speaking, even the highly talented students of the Sanctum of Sages would require several decades of umted experience and knowledge before they would be ready to tae the 8-star formation master. Yet, this fellow had just barely cleared the 7-star formation master examination two months ago, and he was already challenge the 8-star examination? This was too fast! Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. Noted. I have processed your application. Alright,e with me. Seeing that the young man was certain on the matter, the receptionist quickly went through the administrative procedures before leading the way forward with a smile. Those who were able to enter the Sanctum of Sages were either from prestigious ns or possessed extraordinary talents. He was only an ordinary receptionist, so there was no way he would dare to show any disdain or disrespect toward them. Very soon, they arrived in a room. The receptionist bowed to an elder standing in the midst of the room and said, Elder Su, Zhang shi over here wishes to challenge the 8-star formation master examination. Weaved before the elders robe was a formation master emblem, and on it, eight brilliant stars shimmered. At the same time, Zhang Xuan felt a wholesome sensation from the elders cultivation, and he found that he was unable to tell how strong thetter was without thetter making a move. Given so, it was likely that the elders cultivation realm was at Saint 7-dan at the bare minimum. Kong shi has once preached education without discrimination. Those who seek to learn can all be his students. As such, the Sanctum of Sages doesnt just have master teachers but those of other upations as well. The elder is probably a pure formation master. Zhang Xuan thought. Through reading the information contained in his identity token, he managed to gain quite an understanding of the Sanctum of Sages. While master teachers practiced supporting upations as well, due to their time being divided over a wide span of upations, it was inevitable that their mastery and depth of knowledge concerning specific upations would be beneath that of those who specialized solely in it. Take Pavilion Master Wu of the Qingyuan Empire for example, while he possessed considerable mastery as a formation master, when put inparison with Guild Leader Han who specialized as a formation master, his skills would be barely worth a mention. Every single unique upation was profound and powerful, such that even the devotion of a lifetime wouldnt be sufficient to explore the depths of it, let alone for master teachers who regarded them as supporting upations. And the disparity in proficiency would only growrger andrger as one approached the top. For this reason, the teachers who taught supporting upations in the Sanctum of Sages were those who specialized in the specific upations instead of master teachers. This way, the students would be able to gain a better insight into what each of these upations fullyprise and was capable of. You wish to take the 8-star formation master examination? Elder Su took a look at the information which the receptionist had passed to him, and a deep frown emerged between his brows. To take the 8-star examination, your cultivation would have to reach Grand Dominion realm at the very minimum, but you are only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage at the moment. You wont be able to set up a grade-8 formation due to yourcking cultivation. The difficulty in setting up higher grade formations didnt just lie in their enhancedplexity but the greater demand in terms of zhenqi purity and capacity as well. For such a reason, there was a strict requirement on cultivation for formation masters. Zhang Xuan didnt attempt to conceal his cultivation, so Elder Su was able to see through it with a single look. Reporting to Elder Su, even though Zhang shis cultivation is only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, in terms of zhenqi, he pales nowhere inparison to a Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator! Chen Leyao interjected. If thats true, I guess I can consider making an exception for you. Alright, follow me. Elder Su nodded. Having resided in Sanctum of Sages for a very long time, he had seen all kinds of geniuses. If the young man did possess such capability, it would be fine to make an exception for him too. Thank you, Elder Su. If I may ask, how do you intend to assess my zhenqi? Seeing that he wasnt shut down on the basis of hiscking cultivation, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It would really be troublesome if he could only take the examination once his cultivation reached Grand Dominion realm primary stage. He would have to find higher tier spirit stones and the corresponding cultivation techniques for it too. By the time he was done, it would already be several dayster. We do have a formation thats specially used to assess ones zhenqi. Elder Su said before shaking his head in exasperation. However, it was just destroyed by that King of Destruction when he came over earlier, and we havent been able to fix it yet! King of Destruction? Zhang Xuan was perplexed by that term. Indeed. Hes a student who just got into the Sanctum of Sages a few years back. On his very first year, he challenged the examinations of three supporting upations and brought about great devastation to all three examination grounds. This is already the third time hes taking the 8-star formation master examination... Hai! This is the reason why our branch appears so cold and quiet too. All of our elders have rushed over to supervise his examination, fearing that he would tear down our Steps of Formations... Elder Su rubbed his be in distress. Brought great devastation? Zhang Xuan was intrigued by those words. What kind of devastation did he bring? In the past, he used to cause an upheaval each time he took an examination, but as the days went by, he eventually calmed down, bing more dignified and mature. Putting everything aside, just look at how the Mountain Gate was still standing even after he had made his round through it. What kind of devastation did he bring? Those words left Elder Su snorting so angrily that even his beard flew into the air. I dont know for the other upations, but in the three asions that he hade over, he had destroyed at least an item each time! The first time, he destroyed the formation te which I spent two months inscribing with difficulty! The second time, he destroyed an istion chamber... And this time around, I thought that he just wanted to try out his strength, but he ended up destroying that strength-assessing formation of ours. Honestly, if its possible, I would ban that King of Destruction from setting foot onto our branch ever again! To actually devastate the same location three times... he sure is too much! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief at what he was hearing. Even in times that he identally caused any damage to an examination facility or the sort, it would only be a one-time off affair. Yet, that fellow actually caused destruction in the same ce thrice... That was really going overboard! It was no wonder why the other party was addressed as the King of Destruction! Indeed. Its just an examination, does he really have to cause some damage each time hees? You really cant imagine how furious I get each time I see him! Elder Su mmed his palm on the table furiously. My sentiments exactly! I also find those who destroy public property and make themselves public nuisances abhorrent... But of course, if one were to do it unintentionally, that would be a different matter altogether... Zhang Xuan remarked vehemently in agreement. It was one thing to do it unintentionally, but those who create destruction with malicious intentions sure were abominable! Forget it, lets not talk about that fellow anymore! The more Elder Su spoke about the matter, the more furious he felt. If he hadnt felt so indignant regarding the matter, a person of his standing would have never nagged about the issue before a student like that either. After venting his frustrations, Elder Su turned to Zhang Xuan and nodded in satisfaction, You arent too bad. Normally, whenever he spoke bad things about the King of Destruction, the other students would fidget timidly on the spot, not daring to even breathe loudly. Yet, not only was this young man unafraid, he even unabashedly revealed his resentment for the King of Destruction as well. This made the goodwill he felt for the young man before him shooting furiously up the meter. Alright, you should start making some preparations. Ill assess your strength right now. Elder Su contemted for a moment before saying. Preparations? Elder Su, didnt you say that the strength-assessing formation has been destroyed? How do you intend to assess my strength? Zhang Xuan asked in intrigue. Simple. Ill suppress my cultivation to Grand Dominion realm primary stage and cross blows with you. As long as you can withstand three blows from me, Ill consider it as your pass! Elder Su said with a smile. Under normal circumstances, he had the right to refuse a candidate if his cultivation was beneath the mark, not to mention that the strength-assessing formation was destroyed too... But what could he do? The student before him just happened to meet his eye! So, he decided to make a special exception. Alright! Zhang Xuan was still wondering what kind of examination he would face when he heard those words, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Good. Lets do it here then! Elder Su stood up and walked to the center of the hall. The hall was extremely spacious, so there were no problems having a fight here. Geji! Geji! Suppressing his cultivation down to Grand Dominion realm primary stage, Elder Su waved his hand and said, Feel free to use your full strength. Even though this is an impromptu test to assess if you possess strength on par to a Grand Dominion realm cultivator, it is still a formal test, so dont expect me to go easy on you! Ill try my best! Zhang Xuan nodded grimly. Even though the elder had suppressed his cultivation, it was very likely that he was a Saint 7-dan expert. Be it in terms of eye of discernment or reflexes, he was bound to be far stronger than Zhang Yunfeng. It would be foolish to hold back against such an opponent. Hu! With a swift Z-step maneuver, Zhang Xuan dashed for Elder Su. The movement technique he was utilizing was a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique from the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. It aimed to prevent ones opponent fromunching any surprise attack through a constant change in positioning and movement trajectory. Due to the intricacies in the movement technique, there were very few who would use it in a real battle. However, Zhang Xuan managed to integrate it perfectly into his attack, flitting swiftly from left to right as if a specter. Not bad. Elder Sus eyes lit up. Considering how the young man before him was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, he had thought that it was an exaggeration to say that the young man possessed strength on par with a Grand Dominion realm cultivator. However, looking at the swiftly-moving silhouette before him, he realized that there might be some credence to those words after all. Weng! While harboring such thoughts, Elder Su released a powerful surge of energy from his body, forming a Dominion of five meters radius around him. Tz! Shrouded within a Dominion, Zhang Xuans movements immediately slowed down, as if he had descended into a bog. Im going to be making my move. The first attack will be Palm of the Elephant-Dragon. Its a technique that harnesses the might of elephants and dragons, and further enhanced by my Dominion, it wont be easy for you to ovee it. So, do be careful... The young man before him had heartily listened to his grumbles and even disyed enmity toward the King of Destructions as well. This had left him feeling deep feeling of goodwill for the young man. As such, even though he wasnt nning on going easy, his very warning showed his care and concern for the young man. Ill give it my all. Hearing that, Zhang Xuan immediately felt an adrenaline rush through his body. With a swift flit, he executed the Unbounded Voyager. Fighting against Zhang Yunfeng had given him a deeper insight into how a Dominion worked. In essence, being impeded by a Dominion was somewhat equivalent to having a force acting against one. In a sense, it could be viewed as a rope pulling one back, hindering one from making any movement. However, while the rope was taut on one end, it would be rtively ckened on the other. The reason why Zhang Xuan had used a Z movement earlier was to draw Elder Sus attention into impeding his sideward movement, so that the abrupt use of the Unbounded Voyager would be able to catch Elder Su off guard. And as expected, before thetter could process what was going on, he had already managed to close the gap between the both of them. With a flick of his wrist, he attacked with a palm strike of his own. The other party had said that the Palm of the Elephant-Dragon wielded immense strength, so just to be cautious, he used the most powerful palm art he knew against it in retaliationHeavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Boom! The two palms collided with one another. What? Not expecting the other party to close in the distance between the both of them so swiftly and even execute such a powerful palm art, Elder Sus eyes narrowed in rm. Before he could even speak, a force harnessing crushing momentum was already crashing down on him. How could he be so powerful... Feeling as if he had been struck by aet, Elder Sus lips twitched uncontrobly. In the instant of collision, he felt as if someone had shattered every single bone in his body, and he was immediately sent flying backward. In mid-air, he attempted to unseal his cultivation to ward off the momentum of the attack, but the relentless might of the other partys palm crushing down on him denied him of any chance of doing so. Boom! His crashed heavily into the wall of the room, creating a massive hole behind him. Kacha kacha! Due to the overwhelming might of the crash, a massive crack swiftly crept up the wall, all the way up to the roof. Chapter 1311 - King of Destruction (2)

Chapter 1311: King of Destruction (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... Chen Leyaos eyebrows shot up as an ominous premonition arose in her mind. If she recalled correctly, all that supposed King of Destruction did was destroy a formation. But what Zhang Xuan had just done was tear down the entire main hall of the branch... Ah? While Chen Leyaos expression had turned unnatural, Zhang Xuan was also scratching his head in iprehension. Where is the might of the elephants and dragons that we agreed upon? Where is the indomitable strength that will be difficult for me to withstand that you spoke of? Just a single palm, and you were already sent flying. Not to mention, you even crashed through the wall. Is it really fine for you to go that easy on an examinee you are assessing? You... Struggling out of a pile of dust, Elder Sus face was so warped that it almost felt as if he would lose his mind. As an elder invigting an examination, he had actually been sent flying by the examinee. More importantly, he had even warned the other party to be careful of the formidable might behind his palm. Be careful your head! The one who should be freaking careful is me! This... Elder Su, there are still two blows remaining. Actually, I only used a half of my strength in the earlier attack, so... Zhang Xuan said hesitantly. You only used a half of your strength? Elder Su suddenly wobbled on his feet as he became lightheaded. I held back a little when I executed my palm strike earlier, Zhang Xuan exined. That was not a lie. He did rein in his strength a little. He would rarely disy his full strength in a battle unless he deemed it absolutely necessary to do so. In view of Elder Sus supposed powerful palm strike, he had chosen to face it with his strongest move, Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, but he had still held back in terms of strength. On top of that, in order to maximize the might of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, the attack shoulde down a downward trajectory. In order to capitalize on the speed of the Unbounded Voyager earlier, he could only execute it with a horizontal trajectory, so its strength was further reduced. ... Elder Sus lips twitched uncontrobly. Despite only facing half of the young mans strength, he still nearly ended up crippled. If the young man had used his full strength in the previous palm strike, would he have lived to see tomorrows sun? Are you really sure you are a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator and not a Saint 7-dan cultivator? Silence drifted in the air for some time, and unable to endure the suspense, Zhang Xuan spoke up once more. Elder Su, if you find that Im stillcking, Ill put in my full strength for the two remaining moves! Cough cough! Its enough. Theres no need for you to face my remaining two moves. I believe that you wield strengthparable to a Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator! Elder Su quickly waved his hand. As a formation master, his strength would not be on par with master teachers. Nevertheless, even when suppressing his cultivation, he would still be far stronger than most Grand Dominion realm cultivators. Yet, despite his strength, he had been sent flying with a single palm strike from the young man. With that alone, there was no need for him to continue with the remaining two blows. Thank you, Elder Su! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Since his strength had reached the mark, that meant that he was eligible to take the 8-star formation master examination. Once he seeded, he would be able to contact Zhao Yater in the night. Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Elder Su said as he rubbed his two trembling hand together. He discreetly whipped out a pill, swallowed it, and released the seal on his cultivation; only then did he feel his injuries alleviating slightly. After which, he nced at the massive crack in the middle of the hall, and his mouth twitched slightly. Just as he was about to find someone to repair it, flurried footsteps sounded, and an elder abruptly barged into the room. Old Su, you were right. This time, with the whole lot of us staring at him, that fellow didnt dare cause damage anymore, and hes currently challenging the examination obediently. Do you want to take a look as well? Its not amon sight to see him so calm... the elder eximed in agitation. Kacha! Kacha! Before the elder could finish speaking, the crack on the wall suddenly began advancing once more, crawling over the entire ceiling. It seemed that the elder barging into the room and his loud voice had destabilized the condition in the room. Hula! Dust began fluttering to the ground. The elder who had just entered the room finally noticed that something was amiss, and lifting his head to look at the ceiling, he shrieked in shock, Ah! Whats that? That shriek happened to be the straw that broke the camels back. Unable to endure it any longer, the room began to shake intensely. Boom! The entire room came crashing down. Rocks, dust, and everything that was in the ceiling copsed to the ground. Zhang Xuan and the others hurriedly drove their zhenqi to fend off the falling rubble, and only then were they spared from the cmity. When everything finally settled down, Elder Su took a look at theplete wreckage around him, and he nearly burst into tears. It should have been a simple test to assess theds strength, resolved with three simple blows. How did ite to this? Admittedly, the hall had not been built with durability in mind; nevertheless, as a work of celestial designers, its resilience was not to be underestimated. For several centuries, he had lived here with nary a problem, and even after the previous visits of the King of Destruction, the hall had managed to remain standing. Yet, just by crossing palms with this fellow, the hall had been reduced to such a state. The more he thought about it, the more stifled Elder Su felt. Eventually, he could not help but direct an usatory gaze at the standing young man not too far away. Upon catching sight of the daggers in Elder Sus eyes, Zhang Xuans hands instinctively shot up and pointed to the elder who had just entered, and he eximed in an innocent and indignant voice, I wasnt the one who destroyed the hall; he did! It has nothing to do with me! ... Elder Su. ... The elder who had just entered. ... Chen Leyao. A momentter, the elder swept away a brick on his head and the debris on his shoulders before turning to Elder Su with a look of bewilderment. Old Su, this is... Just whats going on? Its nothing much. I was in the midst of assessing Zhang shis strength when in a moment of carelessness... Hearing the elders question, Elder Sus face immediately flushed red. Eventually, he still found himself unable to speak of the exact reason. He was simply too embarrassed to speak of that matter! Even though he did lower his cultivation to Grand Dominion realm primary stage, the opponent he faced was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage! Furthermore, not only was he sent flying, the impact of his crash even caused the entire hall to copse. How could he possibly admit to a matter like that before his old acquaintance? Did he not want his pride anymore? If he really came clean, that bbermouth would surely spread it far and wide, and it would be a matter of hours before every soul in the Sanctum of Sages knew of his humiliation. In a moment of carelessness? The elder scratched his head in confusion, and dust rained down from his hair. Alright, theres no point talking about this matter anymore. Zhang shi over here intends to take the 8-star examination, so take him to the Steps of Formations! Fearing that his old friend would continue pursuing the matter, Elder Su anxiously changed the topic at hand. He wants to take the 8-star examination too? Very well, follow me. Nodding, the elder began leading Zhang Xuan away. Un. Zhang Xuan and Chen Leyao quickly followed him. Elder Su hesitated for a moment, but eventually, his gut feeling told him that it might not be safe to leave Zhang Xuan alone, so he decided to follow along as well. After leaving the rubble, they walked for some time before a staircase came into view. This staircase was extremely bizarre. There was nothing above or below supporting it, and it simply floated off the ground, ascending straight into the sky, as if leading to a heavenly pce of some sort. Whats this? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. He could tell that there were many formations inscribed on each of the steps of the staircase and in the surroundings in order to allow them to float. Nevertheless, it was still a rather impressive feat. This is what we call the Steps of Formations, and this is where we conduct the formation master examination! the elder exined with a chuckle. Steps of Formations? Un. Every single step here contains a unique formation, be it Illusory Formation, ughter Formation, Beguilement Formation, and many others. Some of them even require one to set up a formation in order to decipher it. All in all, there are ny steps here, and every ten steps is equivalent to the increment of a star in rank, the elder exined. As long as you can reach the 80th floor, that will mean that you have cleared the 8-star formation master examination! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. In a sense, this was simr to the Sea of Formations that he had encountered previously. Basically speaking, the formation master had to disy their prowess through oveing all sorts of formations that stood in their way in order to clear the examination. Once the examinee reached a certain mark, that would signify that they had cleared the examination. Also, depending on where the examinee had stopped, that could also be used to determine how far had their mastery of formations had reached. For example, reaching the 75th step would mean that they had achieved the proficiency equivalent to a 7-star high-tier formation master. Of course, this examination was clearly at a different level to the Sea of Formations. Some of the formations even required one to set up a formation in order to clear. It would be highly testing on ones state of mind, creativity, and knowledge of formations. Even for Zhang Xuan, this examination could pose quite a bit of a challenge. While the both of them were still chatting, Chen Leyao could not help but ask, Elders, may I ask if those standing on the steps are all challenging the examination too? Taking another look, Zhang Xuan realized that there was a total of five people standing on the staircase. These students did not continue heading up. Instead, each of them was standing atop a step. Their eyes were tightly shut, almost as if they were in a daze or in the midst of deep contemtion. Or maybe, they were already consumed by the formation, unable to struggle free. Indeed, they are currently challenging the formation, too! Elder Su nodded. Two are taking the 5-star and 7-star examinations, and one is taking the 8-star examination! Zhang Xuan took a closer look and noted that two of the students were standing on steps in the forties, two on steps in the sixties, and one on steps in the seventies. After a moment, Zhang Xuan asked curiously, The King of Destruction you spoke of earlier must be the highest student up there, right? He had heard from the elder who barged in earlier that the King of Destruction had notpleted his examination yet. Given so, it would make sense for thetter to still be on top. Previously, Elder Su had said that the King of Destruction was intending to take the 8-star formation master examination as well, just like him, so by deduction, he would be the one in the seventies. Elder Su harrumphed in displeasure. Indeed, thats him! Who in the world would like to be around someone who could cause massive devastation all of a sudden? Intrigued, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the King of Destruction and noted that he was a young man who seemed to be in his thirties. His figure looked a little slim and slender, and he was dressed in a light gray robe. As the other partys back was facing him, he was unable to make out his facial features, but he could vaguely feel a cold and lofty aura emanating from him. Zhang Xuan did a swift calction before remarking with a smile, He seems to be on the 79th step. I wonder if he will be able to take the final step forward. In this moment, all the steps suddenly began shaking wildly, as if a rampaging beast had crashed heavily onto it. The hell, the King of Destruction is attempting to destroy our Steps of Formations! Hurry up and stop him! an anxious voice yelled. Shortly after hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly realized that there were a couple more elders sitting by the staircase, and they were dressed simrly to Elder Su. Most likely, they were the other elders dispatched to keep the King of Destruction in check. The elder who had shouted earlier had an anxious look on his face, and as he spoke, he quickly gathered zhenqi in his palm and pumped it into the staircase before him, seemingly attempting to stabilize the Steps of Formations. Unfortunately, there were simply too many formations on the steps. As powerful as that formation was, he was not strong enough to stabilize the entire structure by himself. What are you all waiting for? Hurry up and help out! In this moment, Elder Su could not pay attention to Zhang Xuan any longer. He quickly flew forth and pumped his zhenqi into the Steps of Formations as well. With six powerful formation masters making a move simultaneously, the staircases shaking did lessen. However, in this moment, the young man on the 79th step suddenly opened his eyes and lifted his leg. Just as he was about to step on the 80th step, the steps beneath his feet finally reached their limits. Hong long! With a resounding explosion, everything copsed. Countless formations flew across the air, causing the spiritual energy in the surroundings to fall into chaos. This... Zhang Xuan gulped subconsciously. He really is the King of Destruction! Chapter 1312

Chapter 1312: Its Really, Really Hard To Obtain Ones Emblems Through Application

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hu! The steps were eroding and the formations were copsing. Before the other examinees could process what was going on, they suddenly felt the ground beneath them vanishing, and putong!, putong!, all of them fell to the ground, creating huge depressions beneath them. Opening their eyes, they scanned their surroundings with a dazed look, unsure of what was going on. We are only here to take the formation master examination. Can anyone tell us... what in the world is going on? King of Destruction, you mustpensate our Steps of Formations! If you cant fix it well, dont even dream of leaving! You bastard, Ill kill you! Elder Su, dont get reckless. You wont be able to defeat him... Elder Su and the others felt burning rage gushing into their minds, and they immediately sealed the surrounding space as they stared at the young man in the sky with hatred burning in their eyes. The Steps of Formations had been in the Sanctum of Sages since time immemorial. Countless geniuses had been assessed by it, but never had any problem cropped up before. Yet, it was reduced to rubble as soon as that fellow came! How could they possibly not be burning with rage? I... The King of Destruction also didnt seem to know what was going on either. With a dazed look on his face, he looked down at the copsed staircase beneath him, as if still trying to figure out what had just happened. I really didnt do it on purpose... Could it be that the quality of the Steps of Formations is made out of inferior materials? the King of Destruction asked with a helpless shrug. Inferior your sister 1 ! Unable to take it any longer, Elder Su roared in anger. You said that it was made out of inferior materials? So many people had challenged it, but it was still able to remain standing across all those years. Yet, as soon as you came, it ended up copsing... How can you have the cheek to say its made out of inferior materials? Su Bing, I have warned you before. Dont you dare insult my sister... Upon hearing the cursing, the King of Destructions face immediately darkened as a threatening glint emerged in his narrowed eyes. A hint of killing intent emanated from him. Hong long! In the blink of an eye, the figure in the sky had already appeared right before Elder Su. rmed, Elder Su raised his hand to receive the King of Destructions attack in a fluster, but before he could make it in time, he already felt a sharp pain in his chest. A foot had struck him squarely. Peng! While spurting blood in mid-air, he crashed right into a wall not too far away and created yet another massive hole in his wake. That fellow is strong... Zhang Xuans lower jaw fell in astonishment. Elder Sus true strength was at Saint 7-dan at the very minimum, and yet, he was still unable to withstand a single strike from the King of Destruction... It seemed like despite the young age of the King of Destruction, the strength that he wielded was not to be underestimated! What was particrly impressive was the speed he traversed from the sky to Elder Su at. It was as if he had stepped right through space, achieving a speed that was on par with his Unbounded Voyager! Calm down, calm down! Su Bing didnt do it intentionally... Its just out of a moment of rage that he misspoke... Seeing that one of theirpanions had been sent flying with a kick, the other elders nced at one another in shock for a moment before hurriedly rushing up to cate the King of Destruction, fearing that the young man would fly into a rage once more. I told you before. Criticize me if you want, but never ever insult my sister. If I were to hear a single word regarding my sistering out from your mouth... the young man said as he red coldly at the elders standing before him. Facing the young mans menacing gaze, the lips of the elders twitched in fear. Y-yes... Old Su, what are you waiting for? Get over here and apologize! one of them turned around and bellowed. Cough cough! Climbing up from the rubble with difficulty, Elder Su spurted a mouthful of blood upon hearing those words. With a tearfully indignant expression, he walked forward, sped his fist, and said, I apologize for my previous faux pas, and I seek your forgiveness for the matter... To be sent into the wall twice in a single day... What the heck is this! Hearing Elder Sus apology, the coldness on the King of Destructions face finally alleviated, and he nodded in satisfaction, Thats more like it. You better take note of it in the future, alright? Ah... Zhang Xuan and Chen Leyao nced at one another in utter shock. No words could describe what they were feeling at this moment. Too arrogant! That fellow had turned the examination ground to rubble, and yet, when one of the elders reprimanded him for the matter, he actually just rushed forward to beat him up... It was in this moment that a seed of doubt was nted in Zhang Xuans mindHad I actually been too amiable in the past? Admittedly, he did cause quite a bit of destruction in the past, but he would always try to make up with it by offering all kinds ofpensation, sometimes even offering to repair it back to perfection. On the other hand, the young man in front of him waspletely unreasonable, not even bothering to apologize for what he had done! So what if I destroyed it? Just try criticizing me, and Ill make you crawl all over the ground, searching for your fallen teeth! Alright. Theres no need to give me a gift or anything of that sort as an apology. I am a rather casual person, and I dont like to cause excessive trouble either. the King of Destruction waved his hand leisurely. Those words left the elders of the Formation Master Guild branch nearly copsing to the ground. We are only apologizing to you... Who in the world is going to give you a gift? Furthermore, casual? Dont like to cause excessive trouble? At the rate you are going, even killing all of us here would be a trivial matter to you, right? Is that how its supposed to go? Overwhelmed with shock, this was the only thing that was on Zhang Xuans mind at this moment. It was no wonder why the other party was called the King of Destruction, he was indeed vicious! Compared to the other party, he was trulycking. There was really no ground forparison between the both of them. Regarding the Steps of Formations... With faces reddened in indignation, Elder Su and the others couldnt stand it any longer, and they pointed to the rubble on the ground. Dont bother with words of apology or that sort anymore. Whats more important right now is that I havent finished by 8-star formation master examination yet. You all should hurry up and find a way to repair it first. the King of Destruction interjected. This... The crowd was stifled speechless by those words. Even Zhang Xuan was left in a state of shock. Was it really fine for one to be that shameless? It was one thing not to offer anypensation after destroying the other partys property, but to pummel the other party up and even demand it to be fixed as soon as possible... Really, did that fellow have no sense of shame? It seems like Im still thin-skinned aspared to him! Zhang Xuan thought in embarrassment. All those who had chased after me due to the destruction I have caused, did you see that? Thats the real King of Destruction standing right there! What I did can only be considered as a small disturbance at the very most, not even worth a mention! The Steps of Formations was constructed by eight 9-star formation masters dispatched by the headquarters, and they took three months in total before they finished building it. Our strength isnt sufficient to repair it. Elder Su said with a reddened face. 9-star formation masters were basically capable of creating any formations beneath grade-9 in an instant. However, topress a formation into the size of a single step, and have it trigger immediately as soon as someone came into contact with it so as to assess him... That was definitely no easy task. Even formation masters of their rank would need to take a fair bit of time before they could pull off something like that. You arent able to repair it? But I need to clear the formation master examination as soon as possible. I dont have much time to waste! the King of Destruction frowned in anger. Actually, theres no need for you to worry. We have all seen that the circumstances of the examination earlier, and you have already reached the 79th step, just a step away from reaching the 80th. That is sufficient to show that your prowess is already on par with 8-star formation masters. We can help you apply for an 8-star emblem straight so that you dont have to take the examination anymore! At this point, Elder Su didnt even want to argue with the King of Destruction anymore. All he wanted to do was to send the other party away as quickly as possible. It was already bad enough for it to be destroyed once. If they were to allow that fellow to challenge it once again after it was repaired, who knew what would happen the next time around? Since that was the case, they might as well just clear the fellow and send him on his way. In any case, given the previous circumstances, it was apparent that he was about to reach the 80th step when the Steps of Formations abruptly copsed. Thus, in a sense, they werentpromising on the examination either. You want to apply for an 8-star emblem for me? the King of Destruction was taken aback. How can that do? I always seek to clear my examinations with my own ability. Such shortcuts just arent for me! Besides, formations have always been my greatest weakness, and since Im already taking the examination, I should use it as an opportunity to temper my skills too... I dont need you to apply the emblem for me! ... Elder Su and the others wed at their hair. Are you done yet? We have already admitted defeat, even offering to give the emblem right into your hands, so why are you still rejecting it... Will you only be content after you have driven all of us mad? This... Elder Su, may I interject for a bit? Seeing how the atmosphere had turned awkward, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but step forward to interject. Zhang shi, feel free to speak! Elder Su sped his fist. Zhang Xuan had also destroyed the hall earlier on, butpared to the King of Destruction, the other party still felt pure like an innocent, white lily. Furthermore, after what the King of Destruction had done, the contrast between the both of them made him feel that Zhang Xuans character was actually not too bad. Is it impossible to take the examination now that the Steps of Formations have copsed? Zhang Xuan asked. Actually, this was what he was more concerned about. He needed to clear the 8-star formation master examination as soon as possible so that he could ess the grade-8 formation books. This way, he would finally be able to meet the disciple that he hadnt meet for a very long time... Would the copse of the Steps of Formations mean that his ns were going to fall through? This... A conflicted look surfaced on Elder Sus face. Actually, its not that theres no other way to conduct the examination, but the time required might be a little longer... Oh? Whats the other way? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. We can make an application to the headquarters right now and have them send over a brand new formation blueprint over. The examinee will start studying it on the spot and attempt to set it up. As long as the examinee seeds, and the tier of the formation meets the mark, he would be considered to have cleared the examination... Elder Su paused for a moment before saying. In truth, this was the most direct manner to assess a formation master. However, having a 7-star pinnacle formation master set up a grade-8 formation would require at least several months of effort. Due to how exhausting and lengthy the examination was, as well as the great number of examinees that challenged the formation master examination each year, such an ineffective method had been gradually eliminated with time. In order for a formation to disy its true prowess, one would have to harmonize it together with the surrounding environment, and considering theplexity of a grade-8 formation, it would indeed be far more time-consuming. Zhang Xuan nodded. However, Im willing to undergo this examination! It was true that most 7-star formation masters would take a very long time to set up a basic grade-8 formation, but Zhang Xuan was different. With just a sweep of his Eye of Insight, he would be able to determine the ideal locations where he should nt the formation gs at. Even if that didnt work, he still had the Library of Heavens Path to fall back on. As such, setting up a basic grade-8 formation could be said to be a walk in the park for him. Since theres such a method as well, I want to take the examination too! Before Elder Su could reply to Zhang Xuans remark, the King of Destruction had already spoken up once more. You wish to take the examination too? Hearing that the King of Destruction was going to continue with the examination, everyone shuddered in fear. Thats right! the King of Destruction nodded affirmatively. Seeing the frightened look on the faces of the elders, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but step in, This friend over here. Actually, since Elder Su and the others are going to apply for an emblem for you, theres really no need for you to take the examination anymore. Why do you want to go through so much trouble? Since that fellow could already obtain the 8-star formation master emblem, why in the world was he being so troublesome here? Having an emblem applied for one is like being taken pity upon. I dont need anyones pity! the King of Destruction harrumphed coldly. Since the Formation Master Guild is willing to give the emblem out to you, it shows that they have already acknowledged you. Since thats the case, how can that be considered as pity? At this point, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out his emblem. Look, this formation emblem I have over here was applied for me by Guild Leader Han of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild. I didnt even attend the examination! This... The King of Destruction frowned in dilemma. It should be hard to get an emblem applied for one, right? To be able to have ones emblem directly applied for one was definitely no easy task. If the other party was able to get the head of a Formation Master Guild to do it for him, could it mean that the other party was an incredible genius as well, just like him? Youre right. Its really, really hard to obtain ones emblem through application. After all, how often do you see a person obtaining his emblem through application? With a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a whole string of emblems appeared before him. But well, what can I say... my 7-star demonic tunist emblemapplied. 7-star apothecary emblemapplied. 7-star painter emblemapplied. 7-star terpsichore emblemapplied. 7-star appraiser emblemapplied. 7-star physician emblemapplied... ... King of Destruction. ... The elders. ... Chen Leyao. Chapter 1313 - Your Sister

Chapter 1313: Your Sister

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Cough cough! Zhang shi, its fine. You can keep your stuff! Clutching his heart, Elder Su couldnt bring himself to look at them. What the heck was with all of them? In a sense, having ones emblem applied for one was simr to being given a direct admission into branded schools. Typically speaking, it was extremely difficult to encounter something like that, almost nigh impossible. Yet, the fellow before him actually took out a whole pile of emblems and they were all freaking applied for... More importantly... he even had the cheek to say that it was really, really difficult to obtain emblems by application... Is this really how really, really difficult is to you? Why does it seem like you are intentionally bragging about it to us instead? You obtain all of these through application? The eyes of the King of Destruction widened as his breathing hastened. Just how much destruction did you cause to receive such treatment? He had to visit this branch thrice and destroy the Steps of Formations before Elder Su offered to apply for the emblem in his stead... Could he have possibly found arade in the same path? Destruction? Of course not! Its not like Im into destroying stuff or anything! Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hand in denial. I had all of these applied for me through my personal charisma! Personal charisma? Hmph, I dont believe you! If you werent destroying any of their stuff, why would they go through so much trouble to specially make an application for your emblem? Alright then, why dont you tell me how you managed to receive your 7-star formation master emblem then? Back then, they encountered a grade-8 seal which they were unable to decipher. I managed to open up a hole in the formation, and its through that which I earned the approval of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild... Thinking back, he met Guild Leader Han back at the entrance to the Qiu Wu Pce. He was attempting to create an opening in a seal containing the rampaging energy in the volcano, and after a series of misunderstandings, he eventually managed to win Guild Leader Han over through his capabilities. Open up a hole in a formation? How is that any different from destroying? The King of Destruction clicked his tongue in displeasure. What about your 7-star apothecary emblem then? I obtained that through rendering the head of the Qingyuan Empire Apothecary Guild speechless during a Pill Debate. The spectacle was truly amazing then, the entire Apothecary School of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy ended up... ended up... It was at this moment that Zhang Xuan realized he had misspoken, but with everyones eyes staring intently on him, he had no choice but to continue on. ... being torn down... The lips of the King of Destruction curled up into a smirk, Aha, I knew it! What about your 7-star appraiser emblem? While appraising a painting, I scraped off ayer of it and exposed a problem in it... Zhang Xuans voice gradually grew more and more diffident. Your 7-star demonic tunist emblem? I ended up knocking out all of the divine cranes in charge of the examination, and as there werent sufficient cranes to conduct the examination anymore, School Head Jiang ended up specially applying for the 7-star emblem for me... Thinking back on those incidents, cold sweat started to rain down Zhang Xuans back. True, he didnt destroy buildings frenziedly like what the King of Destruction did... But it honestly felt like his actions were not any better though? All along, he had viewed himself to be a good person, but the more he spoke, the more he felt that he was the viin instead... And you still refuse to call that destruction? The King of Destruction stared at Zhang Xuan with a smug look. Earlier, I seem to have heard some explosion sound from the direction where you all came from earlier. Did something happen? While testing out my strength, I identally... tore down the main hall... Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. The King of Destruction clicked his tongue, Is this the personal charisma you speak of? I... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. He was still confident in himself a moment ago, thinking that it was how outstanding he was that he managed to get others to apply for his emblems. But looking back now... could they have done so out of fear to cate him, so as to prevent him from causing any more damage? But... it was not like he did all of that intentionally! Anxious, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Su and the others in hope of finding some support from them, only to see their bodies trembling uncontrobly and their faces livid in fear. It was already bad enough for a King of Destruction to barge into their home... Just what in the world did they do so wrong for the heavens to send two homewreckers into their branch?! All they wished for was a life of peace, was this simple wish of theirs really that difficult to fulfill? Seeing all of the fearful looks directed at him, Zhang Xuan could only lower his head in resignation. Realizing that it was impossible for him to salvage his reputation anymore, he quickly changed the topic, Elder Su, I think you should hurry up and make the application with the headquarter. I intend to take the examination to obtain the 8-star formation master emblem... Really, all he wanted to do here was to take the examination. He had no intention of causing any trouble at all! No wonder why the King of Destruction was unwilling to have his emblems applied for him. At this point, it seemed almost as if the upation guilds would only specially apply emblems in order to cate troublemakers... Ill take the examination together with him! the King of Destruction interjected. Elder Su looked at the two of them for a moment before slowly nodding. Then, he turned around and left the room. An examination to set up formation was troublesome, but it shouldnt be possible to cause too much damage through that. This course of action was at least eptable to him. Not too longter, Elder Su returned. This is the elementary grade-8 formation which I have just applied for from the headquarters. Ill give you three days to study it, and as long as you can sessfully construct it within three months, Ill consider it as your pass! After which, he flicked his hand, and a formation blueprint appeared before the duo. The blueprint was extremelyplex, making it extremely hard to harmonize it with the surrounding environment. Even though it was only an elementary grade-8 formation, it was at least several times more intricate than that of a 7-star pinnacle formation. However, its still a lot easier to set up than the supporting formation Chen Leyao showed me... After taking a look, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even though he was a 7-star formation master, his understanding of formations was already on par with most 8-star primary formation masters. While he would have trouble constructing some of the more profound grade-8 formations, for elementary ones like this, it was still no trouble at all. Haha, I am known to be one of the fastest readers in my n. It seems like Im going toplete it faster than you! While Zhang Xuan was still harboring such thoughts in mind, he suddenly heard the heartyughter of the King of Destruction beside him. You are a fast reader? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan turned a nce over. Indeed. Despite theplexity of this formation, Im confident that I would be able to fullyprehend it within half a day! the King of Destruction dered proudly. For a young man in his thirties to wield strength which even Elder Su was no match against, there was no doubt that the King of Destruction was a person of great talent, possessing skills that surpassed most ordinary men. What about you? After speaking his piece confidently, the King of Destruction turned to look at Zhang Xuan intently. There was a bright smile of his face, but the look ofpetitiveness in his eyes was impossible to miss. It wasnt rare for him to find a fellow avid destroyer, and it was even more coincidental that the both of them were challenging the 8-star formation master examination at the same time. Considering the various simrities between the both of them, it was inevitable for him topare himself against Zhang Xuan, wanting to see who would be the superior one. You are asking me? Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by that abrupt question. He hesitated for a moment, and instead of answering the question straight, he turned to Elder Su and asked, Are there formation gs for grade-8 formations here? Of course, we have them all prepared! Elder Su wasnt sure why Zhang Xuan would suddenly ask such a question, but he still flicked his wrist, and a huge pile of grade-8 formation gs appeared on the ground. Thank you. With a smile, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and all of the formation gs immediately flew into the air. Then, he snapped his fingers. Hu! The several hundred gs immediately flew into the surroundings, plunging themselves into the ground all around the room. What is he up to? Seeing Zhang Xuan tossing the formation gs all of a sudden, everyone was startled. They had no idea what he was up to. On the other hand, paying no heed to the crowds shock, Zhang Xuan took a few steps back and stomped his feet. Weng! With a buzzing sound, a formation came into life. Mist immediately crept into the room, hindering the sight of all those who stood within. Grade-8 formation... activated! Im done! Zhang Xuan pped his hands to rid the dust on them. I have finished setting up the grade-8 formation. ... The King of Destruction. ... Elder Su and the others. ... Chen Leyao. Cough cough! It took a very long time before Elder Su and the others were able to recover from their shock. The various elders quickly checked the various aspects of the formation for the first time, the second time, and the third time, but they were unable to find any single problem with it at all. In the end, they could only give a nod of approval, Theres no problem with the formation Zhang shi has set up. I hereby dere that Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi, has cleared the 8-star formation master examination! ... The King of Destruction felt so stifled on the inside that he could hardly breathe. To be honest, he was intending topete with Zhang Xuan and show off a bit before him, but in the end... he only ended up having his own face pped instead! He wasnt even done reading through the content in the formation, but the other party was already done setting up the formation... Wasnt this a little too fast? Forget it, Elder Su. I dont want to take the examination anymore. Help me apply for my 8-star formation master emblem instead! The King of Destruction waved his hand and harrumphed in displeasure. This... Alright then! Elder Su nodded. This was what he had offered the other party from the start anyway. Besides, considering that it was the King of Destruction they were dealing with, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Thank you. The King of Destruction nodded. He took a nce at the destroyed Steps of Formations and said, Ill have my men topensate the damages here, and Ill find someone to have the Steps of Formations repaired back to its original state as soon as possible too. Well be counting on you then... Hearing those words, Elder Su and the others visibly heaved a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan nodded inconspicuously in approval as well. All this while, he had thought that the King of Destruction was an extremely unreasonable person, causing damage here and there without taking responsibility for his actions. But from the looks of it now, that wasnt exactly the case. While his actions did inconvenience others, he did make reparations for them afterward, so his actions were still barely eptable. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. the King of Destruction replied before turning over. Your name is Zhang Xuan? Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. You are a freshman who just came in this year? Otherwise, theres no way I wouldnt have heard of your name! the King of Destruction asked with uplifted eyebrows. The ability to set up grade-8 formation instantaneously was, without a doubt, an extremely powerful capability. If there had been such a figure in the Sanctum of Sages before, he would have surely heard of him before. Thats right. Not bad. Talented and skilled, yet humble and low profile, just like me. I like you! The King of Destruction nodded in satisfaction. Youre too kind. Zhang Xuan replied with a polite smile. Considering the King of Destructions strength, he was bound to be from an extraordinary background. Being on good terms with a person like the King of Destruction was definitely a good thing for him. Ill be leaving now. If you intend to challenge the examinations of any other upations in the future, feel free to call me along. I have connections in many of them, so they would usually give me some leeway! the King of Destruction said. Zhang Xuan quickly thanked the other party. After which, the King of Destruction began making his way out. Watching at the departing back, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Su and the others with a doubtful look and asked telepathically, Elder Su, may I know which n is the King of Destruction from? It was apparent that Elder Su and the others had been rtively docile before the King of Destruction. While it was true that the King of Destruction possessed great strength, Elder Su and the others should have connections in the Sanctum of Sages too, and they were backed by the Formation Master Guild as well, so they shouldnt have been any need for them to treat the other party so respectfully. In other words, the King of Destruction must have a powerful background which even Elder Su and the others were fearful of. Otherwise, given his track record, he would have long been expelled from the Sanctum of Sages! You... dont recognize him? Elder Su and the others were speechless. After all that had been said and done, you actually dont know who the King of Destruction is? Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Hes from the Luo n, Luo Xuanqing! Elder Su replied. Luo n, as in the Sage n? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It just happened that he was looking for members of the Luo n, but who could have thought that the young man before him would actually be one of them! To wield such strength at his age, he should possess considerable standing in the Luo n, right? With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan asked anxiously, May I know what is Luo Xuanqings identity in the Luo n? His identity? Seeing that Zhang Xuan really didnt know a thing at all, a helpless look surfaced on Elder Sus face. Hes the sixth son of the head of the Luo n. If you still dont know who he is, you should have heard of the famed little princess of the Luo n, right, The little princess is his younger sister... He is... Ruoxins elder brother? So, my brother-inw? Zhang Xuan froze in the spot. In the next moment, he quickly turned around, and upon seeing that King of Destruction Luo Xuanqing hadnt gotten far, he immediately shouted out, Broth... Luo Xuanqing, Brother Luo... Hearing that someone was shouting for him, Luo Xuanqing turned around with a frown. Upon seeing that the other party had turned around, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but tremble in agitation at the thought that he would be able to learn about Luo Ruoxins affairs very soon. He began speaking, Your sister... You sister! But before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, a furious bellow boomed across the air. Following which, Luo Xuanqing abruptly appeared before him, and a fist crashed right into his face. Peng! Zhang Xuan was sent flying away, and he struck the wall behind him head first. Boom! Hu! The entire building had already been in a fragile state after Elder Sus crash, and with Zhang Xuan crashing into it now too, everything around them began copsing. Chapter 1314 - Reunion

Chapter 1314: Reunion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In view that this is your first offense, Ill let you off this time. However, if you dare speak another word about my sister, dont me me for taking your life! After sending Zhang Xuan flying, Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly and left. In the blink of an eye, he had already vanished from the spot. ... Rubbing his head, Zhang Xuan quickly climbed up from the rubble. He wanted to stop Luo Xuanqing from leaving, but it was already toote. Thus, he could only stare helplessly at the entrance of the branch. All I wanted to ask is some news on Ruoxin... I have no intentions of scolding you or your sister! Do you need to get that agitated? Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to recover from his wounds. He couldnt help but feel a little dispirited. Despite all the breakthroughs he had made recently, he was still too weak. Earlier, the other party had appeared before him in an instant, such that he didnt even have time to react before his body was sealed in ce, preventing him from even speaking a single word. If only he was a little stronger, he wouldnt have been in such a passive position, subdued by the other party within a single strike. It was fortunate that the other party had gone easy on him, or else that encounter could have very well imed his life. Still, this was a very bad first meeting... To think that his future brother-inw would send him flying in a single punch! Zhang Xuan was helpless for a moment before he raked together his determination, and his eyes turned resolute once more, I really should focus on raising my cultivation as soon as possible. If I cant even defeat my brother-inw, how can I stand against the Zhang n and Luo n and negotiate with them for Luo Ruoxins marriage in hand? This brother-inw of his was one of the younger generations in the Luo n, but even so, the strength that he wielded was already so frightening. Considering that Zhang n was famed to be the number one n in the Master Teacher Continent, they were bound to be even more powerful. At the very least, he would have to unseal the Sanctum Head Token by the third month of next year in order to be able to hold a candle to them! Only so would he be able to wield a standing and power that the Zhang n and Luo n would have to think twice before shrugging him off. Zhang shi, you... Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Turning his head over, he saw Chen Leyao looking at him with a deeply worried look, Is your head alright? The young man had a punch smashed into his head by the King of Destruction, and ever since then, he had been in a very long daze. It was no wonder why she would get worried. Im fine! Zhang Xuan shook his head before turning to the other elders not too far away. Elders, since I have be an 8-star formation master, is it possible for me to ess the 8-star formation master books now? If it isnt too much to ask, may I ask you to bring me there? In any case, there was no way for him to rush his strength. In order to build a strong foundation, he would have to slowly advance a step at a time. Since he had sessfully cleared the formation master examination, it would be better for him to bring his mastery of his upation up to par first before deciding on anything else. You want to visit our library? Follow me. Elder Su nodded. Fairy Leyao, I think it would be better for you to return first. After Im done finding a way to swiftly set up the supporting formation, Ill head over to look for you! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Very well. Chen Leyao nodded before she turned around and left. Following behind Elder Su, Zhang Xuan walked through quite a few corridors before he finally arrived before a room with tall doors. Here is our library. As we are still in the midst of processing your emblem, Ill give you this one-time use token instead. With it in hand, youll be able to enter the area and browse through any books you want. Elder Su said. He had no idea why the young man would suddenly ask to read at this moment, but showing a desire to learn was always a good matter. Thank you! After taking the token, Zhang Xuan began making his way in. Just like the libraries of most other guilds, it had many shelves, each of them densely filled with books. In terms of quantity and variety of books, it couldnt hold a candle to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but when it came to the depth of knowledge in formations, there were definitely no other libraries that couldpete with it. Zhang Xuan began sweeping through the shelves with a swift nce of his eyes. In less than an hour, he had already collected every single book in the room into his Library of Heavens Path. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed, and the Library of Heavens Path jolted. A book appeared before him. With a tap on the book, the knowledge that was concealed within it immediately flowed into his consciousness. Time to start studying! Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area for a quiet spot before sitting down and fully immersing himself in his study. It was a steep learning curve from grade-7 formations to grade-8 formations, especially when it came to Teleportation Formations. The enhancedplexity was already a tough nut to crack, but more than that, one would have to possess a firm grasp over spatialws in order to set them up. Without that, it would be impossible to set it up even if one were toprehend the fullplexity of the grade-8 formation. Four hourster, Zhang Xuan stood up while rubbing his be. Its really getting more and more difficult! In the past, I would take two hours or so to finish browsing through any of the Heavens Path books, but this time, I actually took two times of that... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. The fact that he took four hours to finish studying the 8-star Heavens Path Formation Art fully reflected how difficult it was... If not for his excellent state of mind, it was questionable whether he could havested that long. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much into it. He quickly ran through the knowledge he had just assimted, and he couldnt help but be astonished by how profound the art was. As expected of the 8-star Heavens Path Formation Art! The knowledge contained within really brought his understanding of formations to a far higher level, opening a new world before him. In terms of depth of knowledge regarding formations, he was alreadyparable to an 8-star pinnacle formation master. However, due to his cultivation still only being at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, it would still be difficult for him to set up some of the more advanced grade-8 formations. The four hours of studying had left him feeling deeply fatigued. The more advanced a formation was, the moreplex it would be. This would mean that one would have to make far greater calctions, thus creating a greater burden on ones mind as well. Had Zhang Xuan not possessed decent talent in formations, it would probably have been impossible for him to finish learning the 8-star Heavens Path Formation Art that quickly. I should be able to set up Chen Leyaos supporting formation easily now! Even though Zhang Xuan was exhausted, there was still an excited glint in his eyes. He rested on the spot for a while, and after feeling that his fatigue had vanished and his mind was refreshed, he walked out of the library and headed back to his own amodation. Not too longter, he was already standing right before his residence. But instead of entering it, he headed for Chen Leyaos residence and knocked on the door instead. Enter! Chen Leyaos crisp voice sounded from within. Pushing open the door and entering, he saw the youngdy standing quietly at the center of the room, her body pulled into a rather peculiar position. This position entuated her curvaceous features, fully disying her physical charms. Her acupoints were all opened, and she was drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy into her body swiftly. With just a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was one of the alterations he had made to the Yin Form back then. As bizarre as the body posture may seem, it enhanced the rate at which one could absorb spiritual energy at, and on top of that, it also resolved the damage which the Yin-Yang Lake would deal to ones body. If one were to constantly cultivate using this method, it would entuate ones figure too. Judging from how standard Chen Leyaos posture was, it could be seen that she often used this method to cultivate. Zhang shi, you have found a way to set up the supporting formation quickly? Chen Leyao slowly halted her cultivation and returned back to a normal standing position before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with a faint smile. Perhaps too used to maintaining a cold demeanor, she was unable to fully shake off her coldness even when she smiled. However, that only seemed to add anotheryer to her charm, creating a feeling somewhat reminiscent of the cold moon smiling slightly down upon one. It must be said that Chen Leyao was indeed an incredible beauty, on par with even Hu Yaoyao and the others. Otherwise, Zhang Qian wouldnt have speciallee over to please her either. Un. Where do you think would be convenient to set up the supporting formation? Zhang Xuan replied. To him, it mattered not whether Chen Leyao was beautiful or not. What was most important was that he would be able to get in touch with Zhao Ya very soon! That room would do. Chen Leyao said. The amodation which the Sanctum of Sages allocated to the students of the Elite Division was rather spacious, containing several rooms. They could be used as ces to cultivate or weing ones guests. The room which Chen Leyao was pointing to was a room that was neighboring her courtyard. Alright. Zhang Xuan quickly entered the room and scanned the area with his Eye of Insight. A momentter, he turned to Chen Leyao and asked, Do you have grade-8 formation gs with you? Here you go! With a snap of her finger, Chen Leyao passed several hundred formation gs over. Go! Zhang Xuan bellowed deeply, and the formation gs immediately rose to the sky. They simultaneously shot forth to a different direction in the room, and it took only the blink of an eye for all of them to be in ce. After which, Zhang Xuan confirmed his position once more before stomping his feet. Weng! The formation was immediately driven into action. After confirming that there was no problem with the formation, Zhang Xuan turned to Chen Leyao and asked in agitation, Wheres the Jade Communication Token? Chen Leyao flicked her wrist, and a jade token fell lightly onto the very center of the room. The fact that she was able to set up the supporting formation too, even though it would take several months, meant that herprehension of formations had also reached 8-star as well. Naturally, she was able to easily discern where the core of the formation was, as well as where she should ce the Communication Jade Token to best amplify its transmission signals. Weng! As soon as the jade token fell onto the core of the formation, the formation shook for a bit. A warm glow rippled through it, as if trying to establishmunication with someone far away. Knowing that the young man was eager to meet his student, Chen Leyao didnt waste any time on words. She walked up to the Communication Jade Token, and with a few strokes, she sent a message over. Weng! Not too longter, a slight buzzing sound echoed, and the formation shook once more. Following which, a round portal simr to a mirror appeared before his eyes. As the mist slowly cleared, a face so beautiful that it could even freeze ones heart gradually came into appearance. Zhao Ya! Half a year of absence, the youngdy in Zhang Xuans memories had grown much more mature. She naturallymanded a disposition of elegant, and her facial features had gotten far more ravishing as well, as if they had been painstakingly carved into perfection. With just one look, one would find oneself unwittingly holding ones breath. She was simply too beautiful! Every single aspect of her seemed to be the embodiment of beauty itself, making it impossible to pick out a single w in it. Even whenpared to the undisguised Luo Ruoxin, her looks still didnt pale inparison at all. Zhang shi, feel free to speak of anything to our young court chief. Ill be taking my leave first. Knowing that the reunited teacher and student would have much to say to one another, Chen Leyao backed out of the room and took her leave. Teacher, is that really you? Are you at the Sanctum of Sages? Shortly after Chen Leyao left, the youngdy in the mirror couldnt hold herself back anymore. She asked with a quivering voice, and her reddened eyes reflected the myriad of emotions running through her mind. On the other hand, through the changes Zhao Ya had undergone, Zhang Xuan could tell that the cier in Court hadnt been mistreating her, and there was a hint of relief in his eyes. There were countless words that he had thought that he would say when they finally met, but in this moment of reunion, he found himself at a loss for words. All of those feelings and anticipation that overflowed in this moment of reunion left his mindpletely nk. He couldnt find the right words to convey what he wanted to say in this moment. Looking at the youngdy who had once walked behind his back, calling him teacher again and again, Zhang Xuans hesitant and worried voice finally sounded. Zhao Ya, how... have you been? Chapter 1315 - Corridor of Puppets

Chapter 1315: Corridor of Puppets

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the courtyard, Zhang Xuan instructed, Sun Qiang, find out if there are any pills, spirit essence, or spirit stones that are more effective than concentrated high-tier spirit stones. I wish to buy some. After the chat with Zhao Ya, he had returned to his residence. As his butler, Sun Qiang had moved into the Sanctum of Sages to stay together with him. Fortunately, his residence was rather spacious, so even with the both of them staying together, it did not feel cramped at all. Yes! Sun Qiang nodded before backing out of the residence. Most of those in the Elite Division were important figures from powerful organizations, and to them, what was most important at the moment was to raise their cultivation as much as possible. As such, they were assigned personal attendants to take care of misceneous affairs, just like how Zhang Yu was assigned to Zhang Qian. As Zhang Xuans butler, as long as he was registered with the Sanctum of Sages, he would receive an emblem that allowed him free ess in and out of the Sanctum of Sages withouting under the attack of the defensive formation. Watching at Sun Qiangs departing back, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. I really need to cultivate faster now... When he chatted with Zhao Ya the day before, he had found that although it had only been half a year since theyst met, thetters cultivation had already reached Saint 7-dan! That was many times stronger than him. It was one thing for him to be sent flying by his future brother-inw, but to be weaker than his students on top of that... With his current strength, how could he win Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage? All along, he had thought that his talent was still okay, and the rate that he cultivated at was not too bad either... but at that moment, he had realized that he was nothing at all! Those around him were simply too monstrous! For this reason, as soon as he returned, he instructed Sun Qiang to find items that were rich in spiritual energy so that he could cultivate. Currently, this was also what he wascking the most. After Sun Qiang left, Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw and thought contemtively. There are two ways for me to swiftly raise my fighting prowess! Firstly, I can find Leaving Aperture realm and Grand Dominion realm cultivation technique manuals andpile the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Arts and cultivate them swiftly. Secondly, I can find soul cultivation technique manuals andpile the corresponding Heavens Path Soul Art to strengthen my Primordial Spirit. Either of these two should bring about a significant growth in my strength. Of course, if I have time, it would be best for me to find optic art manuals so as toplete the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. If I cant cultivate the technique, I wont be able to be the head of the Sanctum of Sages! There were two ways he could quickly raise his cultivation at the momentzhenqi and Primordial Spirit. Currently, he had onlypiled a portion of the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art, and as for Grand Dominion realm cultivation technique manuals, he had not seen a single one of them yet. He would have to make haste on that. So, Zhang Xuan took out his identity token and took a look at it for a moment before nodding slightly. In order gain ess to the cultivation technique manuals of the Sanctum of Sages, I have to prove my fighting prowess first by clearing the Corridor of Puppets! The longer I canst in there, the more formidable the cultivation technique manual I will be able to ess. The rules of the Sanctum of Sages were vastly different from those of the Master Teacher Pavilions and Master Teacher Academies that Zhang Xuan had been to. If anyone wanted to browse the sanctums cultivation technique manuals or secret manuals, they would first have to prove that their fighting prowess had reached a level worthy of doing so. The stronger their fighting prowess, the more profound the secret manuals they would be able to ess. In a sense, this was aligned with Kong shis philosophy of personalized guidance. If top-notch cultivation techniques were given to those who were incapable of cultivating them, it would only harm the person in question. To use an analogy from Zhang Xuans previous life, this was like giving a racing car to an amateur driver. That would not be goodwill but murder. For this reason, the Corridor of Puppets served to evaluate the fighting prowess of those challenging it so as to determine the cultivation technique that the individual was suited for. This way, they would be able to better bring out their strength. The Corridor of Puppets is divided into ten levels, namely Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui 1 , and each of these levels corresponds to a couple of cultivation technique manuals. Due to the many different levels in the trial, they are able to segregate the types of cultivation techniques totally. However, what I require is quantity, not quality! Zhang Xuan frowned in distress. To him, it mattered not whether the cultivation technique he practiced was profound or simplistic. This was also the reason he had not been too happy when he obtained the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld and the Heavenly Art of Dimensional Unravel, perhaps showing disdain for them even. It was not because he was intentionally acting aloof to humblebrag but because no matter how profound a technique was, it was bound to have its ws. Practicing a wed technique made him feel as if a fish bone was stuck at the back of his throat. If he had a choice, he would rather collect a thousand ordinary books andpile a Heavens Path technique instead! As such, the Sanctum of Sages method of segregating the cultivation technique manuals into various tiers worked to his disadvantage. In the past, when the manuals were ced alongside one another, he could collect all of them with just a sweep of his eyes. However, now that they were divided across different levels,piling them together would not be that easy anymore. After a moment of dilemma, Zhang Xuan was still unable toe up with an alternative, so he could only shake his head in defeat. Forget it, theres no point thinking so much about it at this point. I should just head over to take a look instead. Pushing open the door, he left his residence. The Corridor of Puppets could be considered as a type of trial, so it was located at the Hall of Solidarity. Through asking those walking along the streets for directions, it did not take long for him to arrive before a gate with a massive (Solidarity) character inscribed on it. Just like the (Erudition) character that he had seen earlier, there was a deep conception behind it as well, but the sensation that it evoked waspletely different. The (Erudition) character induced sparks within ones mind, cultivating ones wisdom with a prolonged period of examination, granting one greater rity of thought. On the other hand, the (Solidarity) character seemed to encourage magnanimity, expanding ones narrow state of mind. All of the petty frustrations and worries that gued ones mind in the past would vanish without a trace, and feelings of friendship and brotherhood would wrap around ones heart, lingering for a very long time. The calligraphy looked simple on the surface, but it carried an imposing and forthright aura, reminiscent of a soldier charging valiantly across the battlefield. Where my solidarity lies, I shall persist even if the entire world opposes my will, Zhang Xuan muttered in a daze. The conception behind the (Solidarity) character served to promote the unity of mankind, encouraging individuals to let go of all internal grudges and unhappiness to unite against external foes. Without a doubt, this character had been left behind by Kong shi as well. Otherwise, there was no way it could have ced Zhang Xuan in a daze. Vicious voice suddenly sounded at this moment, and vaguely, Zhang Xuan could hear him gulping. Master. If I could just eat this calligraphy, my cultivation will definitely rise by leaps and bounds... Go and y by the side! Ignoring that fellow who was thinking about eating every single day, Zhang Xuan began making his way into the Hall of Solidarity. The Corridor of Puppets was located at a corner in the Hall of Solidarity. Zhang Xuan swiftly found the trial that corresponded to the Leaving Aperture realm before heading in. The area inside was not as quiet as the Formation Master Guild branch where he had his examination previously, but there were still not many people inside. ording to the details on the jade token, it seems like multiple people can enter the Corridor of Puppets simultaneously. Most likely, they are all here to challenge the trial together, Zhang Xuan noted as he walked up to the reception. I would like to challenge the Corridor of Puppets for Leaving Aperture realm cultivation technique manuals. May I know how I go about doing it? Even though his identity token did contain some details concerning the Corridor of Puppets, the information provided was very brief. The receptionist was a youngdy in her early twenties, and she had a particrly refreshing appearance. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans question, she raised her head and exined with a smile, You need to first pay one hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones as a registration fee, and of the ten corridors here, you choose any of them to challenge. However, just a word of advice in advance, do not try to be too ambitious. The Corridor of Puppets is not easy, and arrogance may lead to you being severely wounded. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Depending on the corridor one entered, there would be a significant difference in the strength of the puppets as well. Zhang Xuan passed one hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones over, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, I choose... However, before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly sounded from not too far away. Im going to challenge the Bing Corridor 2 . Ill be counting on you, Qing Yu. The voice had a clear ring to ita little reminiscent of the jingling of bellsand it felt very soothing to the ears. Zhang Xuan turned his head over to look, and he saw a youngdy dressed in purple standing not too far away. She seemed to be in her twenties, and there was a slightly cold and aloof air around her. Putting aside her refined disposition, the youngdy also possessed an exceptional physical appearance. In terms of beauty, she could be said to be on par with Chen Leyao. Senior Shui, you are here again. You really are diligent! The eyes of the receptionist, who had been addressed as Qing Yu by the youngdy, lit up, and with a chuckle, she passed a card over. Here is your challenge token! Un. Senior Shui took the card with a nod before she turned around and left. After Senior Shuis departure, Qing Yu turned her gaze back to Zhang Xuan and asked, Alright, which corridor do you wish to challenge? Zhang Xuan contemted for a brief moment before replying. I... I think Ill choose the Bing Corridor as well! Judging from the looks of it, the Jia Corridor was the most difficult one whereas the Gui Corridor was the easiest. Even though his cultivation was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage at the moment, in terms of fighting prowess, he could be said to beparable to a Grand Dominion realm primary stage expert. However, he did not have any gauge of how difficult the Corridor of Puppets would be yet. If it was too difficult, he would not be able to clear it; if it was too easy, the cultivation technique manuals he received would be riddled with far too many ws. Since the youngdy ahead of him had chosen the Bing Corridor, it would be good for him to tag along to get a rough gauge of how powerful the puppets would be. You want to challenge the Bing Corridor? Are you sure? Qing Yu frowned in astonishment. Yes, Im certain. Zhang Xuan nodded. Why? Is there a problem with me challenging the Bing Corridor? That isnt what I mean. The youngdy shook her head before continuing. Senior Shui is a genius who entered the Elite Division several years ago, and her cultivation has already long reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. Even so, despite devoting an entire month to challenging the Bing Corridor, she still hasnt cleared it. Given so, are you really certain that... you want to challenge the Bing Corridor? If Im not mistaken, your cultivation should only be at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, right? A Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator has challenged it for a month now but has still yet to seed? Zhang Xuan was shocked. He thought that he would not have much trouble clearing the Corridor of Puppets, but after hearing what Qing Yu had said, he realized that he might have been underestimating the trial. Indeed. The Jia Corridor is the hardest corridor to clear in the Corridor of Puppets, and in the several dozen millenniums since the Sanctum of Sages was established, there has only been a small handful of people who have managed to clear it. There were slightly more people who had cleared the Yi Corridor, but even if one adds all of them up, the number definitely wont exceed a hundred. Considering how difficult the first two corridors are, it should not be too difficult for you to image the difficulty of the Bing Corridor too. In some years, there are cases where not even a single student manages to clear the Bing Corridor. In fact, thest person who cleared the Bing Corridor was the little princess of the Luo n. As such, I really dont rmend challenging it! Qing Yu shook her head. The difficulty of the Jia, Yi, and Bing Corridors had already reached a horrifying level. Putting aside a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator, even a pinnacle cultivator would find it hard to clear the challenge. For him to challenge it when it was his first time there... Truly, the ignorant know no fear! Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before his eyes lit up in agitation. You said that the little princess of the Luo n has challenged the Bing Corridor previously? Thats right! Oblivious to the changes in Zhang Xuans emotions, Qing Yu continued with her earnest persuasion. My view is that, given your current strength, it would be best for you to challenge the Gui Corridor 3 first. Its the easiest one to clear. Even though you are only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, as long as you possess a decent knowledge ofbat, you stand a good chance of clearing the trial. As for the Bing Corridor, it would be best if you dropped that notion from your mind! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan said, Thank you for your goodwill. However, I still wish to give the Bing Corridor a try. If it doesnt work out, Ill return here and give the other corridors a try. Since Ruoxin had cleared the Bing Corridor, he was determined to do the same as well. Youll return here to give the other corridors a try? Seeing that the other party was unwilling to listen to her advice, Qing Yu frowned. Once the mechanism whirs into action and the puppets move, if you dont have sufficient strength to stand your ground, you could end up suffering immense damage. Knowing that the other party was trying to persuade him out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, I understand, but I still wish to give it a try. Chapter 1316 - Banzai

Chapter 1316: Banzai

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Alright then. Dont regret it when you get injured. Qing Yu shook her head as she passed a challenge token over to Zhang Xuan. If you really cant hold on any longer, just crush the challenge token, and the puppets will stop their attack. Thank you. Zhang Xuan sped his fist before turning to head in the direction that Senior Shui had headed off in. Watching as Zhang Xuan departed, Qing Yu harrumphed coldly. He really is courting death! At this moment, another receptionist walked in, and upon seeing the displeased look on Qing Yus face, he asked with a smile, Whats wrong? A Leaving Aperture realm primary stage fellow just came by earlier, and he insisted on challenging the Bing Corridor 1 . No matter how I tried to talk him out of the idea, he just wouldnt budge! Qing Yu replied indignantly, seemingly upset that her goodwill had fallen on deaf ears. The lower jaw of the newly arrived receptionist fell to the ground from shock. A Leaving Aperture realm primary stage fellow actually wanted to challenge the Bing Corridor? Is there something wrong with his head? As receptionists in the Hall of Solidarity, they were well aware of how difficult the Bing Corridor was. Countless Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle geniuses had attempted it, only to return with looks of disappointment on their faces. So, for a mere Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator to attempt to challenge it... that was clearly seeking death! I dont know if theres something wrong with his head or not, but I do know for sure that hes quite a lustful fellow! Qing Yu harrumphed in disdain. Not understanding what the two matters had to do with one another, the newly arrived receptionist asked in iprehension, Lustful? Just a moment ago, Senior Shui said that she wanted to challenge the Bing Corridor, and a secondter, that fellow said that he wanted to head there, too. Given so, arent his intentions clear for all to see? Qing Yu sneered with a clear hint of derision in her tone. This... The newly arrived receptionist swiftly came to a realization. The Corridor of Puppets in the Hall of Solidarity is centered around the idea of solidarity. Depending on the number of individuals who enter a certain Corridor of Puppets simultaneously, the number of puppets that appear will increase correspondingly. As such, participants will have to coborate with one another and entrust themselves to the others before they will be able to achieve victory. For that fellow to enter right behind Senior Shui, its apparent that he wants to use this opportunity to forge intimate ties with Senior Shui... How shameless! One could challenge the Corridor of Puppets as an individual or as a group. As an individual, it would be an assessment on ones individual strength. As a group, it would be an assessment on the teams ability to perform synergistically to fend off the puppets. Considering how that fellow wanted to challenge the Bing Corridor despite hiscking strength, it was apparent that he wanted to team up with Senior Shui so as to strike up a connection with her. After all, Senior Shui was blessed with a beautiful appearance, and she came from a good background. Even within the Sanctum of Sages, she could be considered a celebrity. There were countless students who wanted to get close with her, but that fellow was probably the first one who dared to be so bold about the matter. It seemed like lust had really shrouded his rationality for him to act so impudently. Indeed. However, with strength like his, he will only be a nuisance to Senior Shui in the examination. This will only make him incur her ire! Qing Yu smirked smugly. Senior Shui had been visiting their Corridor of Puppets for more than a month now, and it was apparent that she intended to clear the trial alone. So, if that young man barged in at this moment and forced a coboration with her, it would result in the foiling of her ns, and more importantly than that, he would be dragging her down. It would already be a miracle if Senior Shui did not resent him for that, so how could she possibly generate goodwill toward him over such a matter? Youre right. Lets just wait and see. Hell probably climb out in a half-death stateter, the newly arrived attendant said with a smile. ... Unaware of the conversation between the two receptionists, Zhang Xuan followed behind Senior Shui, and not too longter, he found himself standing before a door. Inscribed on the door was a (Bing) character. Senior Shui took out the challenge token that she had been given and swiped it lightly in front of the door. With a deep rumbling sound, the stone door gradually opened. Shortly after the stone door closed behind her, Zhang Xuan headed forward and copied what she had done, and he sessfully entered the door as well. The sight before him blurred for a moment, and before he knew it, he found himself standing in a vast room. The room was circr in shape, reminiscent of a dueling ring. There were seals that could iste auras and neutralize might installed all over the room so as to ensure that the walls would not be damaged. Who are you? Senior Shui had already positioned herself at the center of the room, and she had just prepared herself to face the puppets when she suddenly saw Zhang Xuan walk in. In an instant, her face darkened. If two or more people entered prior to the start of the trial, the coborative mode would be triggered instead. At least two puppets would appear, and the nature of the duel would be vastly different from before. Im here to challenge the Corridor of Puppets, too. Isnt there no limit to the number of people who can participate in the trial? You dont need to care about me, just do whatever you have to do, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. In his identity token, it was only reflected that it was possible for multiple students to challenge the Corridor of Puppets simultaneously, but there was no clear exnation of the rules. As a result, he had no idea that the crux to a multi-challenger mode was teamwork. On the contrary, he even thought that it was an independent trial, where everyone would be taking the test one by one. After all, it was rare for there to be any examination involving teamwork. It worked in his favor that the other party hade in earlier. This would be a good opportunity for him to spectate the happenings in the trial, and through doing so, he would be able to roughly gauge the difficulty and make preparations in advance. Dont hold me back, or else Ill make you die a horrible death! Senior Shui narrowed her eyes threateningly and harrumphed coldly. Hold you back? What do you mean by that? Zhang Xuan was startled by the abrupt remark. He was just about to probe deeper when the gears of a mechanism in the room began whirring into the action. Geji geji! Following which, the door ahead of them opened, and a puppet walked out. Dressed in ck, the puppet looked no different from a real man. Upon seeing Senior Shui at the center of the room, it immediately dashed out. Hong long! At the same time, a formation in the surroundings activated. This formation had an effect simr to a Leaving Aperture realm cultivators Spatial Lock, turning the surrounding air exceptionally viscous, thus hindering ones movement and exertion of strength. Humph! Facing an abrupt assault from the puppet, Senior Shui had no time to say anything at all. Thus, with a swift step forward, she engaged the puppet. It had to be said that Senior Shui did wield considerable strength. While her cultivation was at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, in terms of fighting prowess, she would not lose out to any Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivators. The cultivation technique that she practices is of the water attribute, carrying a concept of relentless. Individually, her strikes dont wield much power, but when they are strung together, they turn into a raging flood that none will be able to withstand! Zhang Xuan noted. In terms of absolute strength of their strikes, Senior Shui seemed to be severelycking aspared to the puppets. However, what was fearsome about her was how she was able to build on the momentum of her previous move to enhance the might of her subsequent strikes, causing her to build up more and more power over the course of the battle, till the point where she was no longer stoppable. A single droplet of water might seem insignificant, but with time, it could pierce through even a boulder. Such was the type of strength that Senior Shui wielded. Despite her seemingly gentle movements, the rampaging blows from the puppets were still unable to breach her defenses, reminiscent of a steel hammer attempting to strike a flowing river. No matter how powerful one struck, after the might subsided, everything would just revert to its original form. After trading roughly a dozen blows, the youngdys eyebrows shot up as she bellowed furiously. You arent going to get the better of me! Then, she raised her palm and pressed it furiously on the puppets chest during an opening. Peng! With a burst of zhenqi, the puppet was forced back eight steps, leaving a series of footprints on the ground. Roar! However, despite the immense force behind her strike, the puppet still managed to swiftly regain its bnce. On the contrary, it seemed to have grown even more enraged due to the attack, and it began moving at a faster speed than before. Si! Sharp ws tore through the air with a frighteningly shrill gale as they rushed right for the youngdy before them. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Even though shes able to maintain the might behind her attack, and her defense is excellent, her ws are apparent. Its a pity that she takes too long to charge up sufficient power, thus making it difficult for her to strike during opportune moments. It was true that the youngdy could be an extremely fearsome adversary once she built up sufficient might, but the problem was that everything would begin anew once her chain offense was broken. Furthermore, there were times where the puppet had shown openings in the midst of the battle, but because her strength had yet to build up sufficiently, she had been unable to capitalize on those opportunities to deal a decisive blow to her opponent. For example, with the previous move, if it had been Zhang Xuan in her ce, he would have sted the puppets head open with a single punch. However, the youngdy had only managed to push it back several steps, failing to deal critical damage. It really is a huge pity! Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. While he was shaking his head and sighing, Senior Shui was on the verge of going insane. Watching the overwhelming might that the puppet was attacking her with, her face turned ghastly pale. She retreated hurriedly, forming an elegant trajectory in the air. Tz! Even though her evasive maneuver was swift, it was still insufficient to outrun the nimble movements of the puppets w. With a resounding rip, a portion of her clothes were torn off, and a bloodied gorge appeared on her shoulder. Boom! Seeing that its strike had failed to strike Senior Shuis vitals, the puppet seemed to have gotten a little frustrated. Thus, right after seeing that its ws had missed its mark, it immediately switched its attack to a palm strike and pressed it firmly down on the youngdy. While there was no zhenqi devoted to the palm strike, the puppet wielded strength on par with Half-Grand Dominion realm experts. On top of that, the surrounding formation was making it difficult for the challenger to exert her strength. As a result, when the palm fell, it felt as if the space within the room hadpletely frozen in ce, making it impossible for anyone to escape. Seeing that the palm strike was just about tond on her, Senior Shui gritted her teeth in resolution. It was probably a secret art of some kind, but her figure suddenly elongated into what looked like a long strand of noodle, allowing her to escape from the palm strike in the nick of time. However, when she reverted to her original form, her face had turned visibly paler. It seemed like the secret art had taken a heavy toll on her. As she panted heavily, she turned around to see what the young man, who had forced her independent battle into a team battle, was doing, only to see thetter with one arm crossed over his body and the other supporting his lower jaw, seemingly enjoying the spectacle before him. You... Seeing this sight, Senior Shui nearly exploded on the spot. Since its a team battle, you should at least make a move, right? To be standing without moving, as if a corpse, what the heck are you nning to do? Just as Senior Shui was able to beckon Zhang Xuan to join in as well, another door in front abruptly opened with a resounding jiya!, and yet another puppet rushed out. As the young man had not stepped onto the battlefield, the puppet rushed right for Senior Shui as soon as it appeared. Just one puppet was already enough to corner her, and yet, in this moment, two of them were rushing at her simultaneously. In an instant, Senior Shui felt immense pressure heaping down on her, cloaking her face in sweat. These puppets wield strengthparable to Zhang Qian... Unaware of the youngdys thoughts, Zhang Xuan continued assessing the situation before him. It was no wonder others would say that the Bing Corridor was extremely difficult to clear. The strength of the puppets was indeed fearsome. It was true that Zhang Qian was unable to even evade a single move from him prior to the entrance examination, but that still did not change the fact that he was a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator. On top of that, he also wielded the unique bloodline ability of the Zhang n. With such prowess, there were few who would be a match for him, and the fact that he had nearly gotten into the Elite Division was proof of the fact. Considering that Senior Shui was faced against such an opponent, it was truly impressive that she had been able to survive for that long against the puppet. Its a pity. It seems like shes going to fail the trial! Zhang Xuan sighed. Having watched the battle ever since its start, he already had a clear picture of the level of strength that Senior Shui wielded. It would have been difficult for her to defeat a single puppet, let alone subduing the both of them simultaneously. It was just a matter of time before she failed the trial. It was no wonder she had been unable to clear the trial despite devoting an entire month to it. The trial was truly merciless. Later on, when its my turn, Ill knock out the two puppets simultaneously, not giving them an opportunity to work together at all. Zhang Xuan quickly ran through his decided course of action before nodding confidently. The coboration between the two puppets was incredible, such that even he could have had trouble dealing with them. Since that was the case, it would be better for him to take the initiative and knock them out as soon as the examination began. At the very least, he should get rid of one of the puppets instantaneously first. Damn it... With her face drenched in sweat, Senior Shui found herself swiftly approaching her limits. She had thought that the young man would step in to help her, but he was still standing by the side, staring at the situation curiously as if he had nothing to do with it at all. Overwhelmed with rage, Senior Shui puffed up her chest and roared, Just how long do n on staring at the situation for? Ah? Not expecting to be reprimanded over that, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, Then... what else am I supposed to do? Y-you... So furious that she could explode, Senior Shui identally lost her bnce in battle, resulting in her being struck by one of the puppets palm strikes. The fiery pain in her shoulder left her feeling even more frenzied, and she furiously bellowed, Arent you going to make a move? What the heck is this! You were the one who barged in to trigger the multi-challenger mode, but in the end, you left me to deal with the puppets by myself while you idle by the side... Even if you are weak, surely the least you could do for the team is to disturb the puppets and hinder them from attacking me. Make a move? Zhang Xuan had a conflicted look on his face. This was the youngdys trial, so if he interfered in it, would he not be flouting the rules? After some thought, an idea came to Zhang Xuans mind. He ced his fist horizontally against his body, and with earnestness and anticipation written all over his face, he yelled, Senior Shui, you can do it! Senior Shui, you can do it! Banzai! Chapter 1317 - I Didnt Do It on Purpose

Chapter 1317: I Didnt Do It on Purpose

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Upon hearing the shouting, Senior Shui looked as if she had seen a ghost. She turned her head over to look at the young man cheering fervently for her, and unable to withstand it any longer, she spurted a mouthful of blood. The hell! While other teams have reliable experts to watch their back, what is with this fool I was assigned? You can do it? Banzai? Banzai your head! I am about to be killed over here, and Im seeking for your help. Yet, why the heck are you cheering for me over there? Do I look like I need your cheering? I want you to make a move! Make a move! Senior Shuis body trembled uncontrobly from frenzy, and she felt as if she was on the verge of losing her mind. If two challengers were to enter the Corridor of Puppets within a short interval of one another, the mechanism of the trial would immediately deem them as a team. This wasmon knowledge among those of the Sanctum of Sages, and even those who did not know would at least have enough sense to ask about it. We are in a two-yer challenge mode, so how can you stand idly by the side? How am I supposed to deal with so many puppets by myself! Initially, Senior Shui thought that the fellow had entered the trial in order to im her affection, but from the looks of it now, it seemed to be theplete opposite. The young man was not trying to im her affection but her life! Otherwise, why would he continue spectating by the side when the second puppet had already appeared? Hu! On the verge of exploding, her first instinct was tosh out at the young man. Unfortunately, the puppet before her did not give her a chance to do so. The first puppet sent a fist flying toward her. The deafening sonic booms around her made Senior Shui realize that if she got distracted at this point, she might very well lose her life. Cold sweat broke out all over her body as she activated her secret art once more. Her body immediately began to thread through the attacks of the puppets nimbly, reminiscent of a water snake. It was a close shave, but she managed to escape from the punch. After escaping from the attack, her breathing visibly hastened further, and her face turned even paler. Her secret art was actually the ability of her unique bloodline, and it drained her deeply each time she used it. She would have to rest for an extensive period before she could recover from her exertion. Over the past month, she had not used it once. That day, she had made up her mind to go all out, especially since she had already gotten ustomed to the fighting pattern of the puppet, and she was nning to create a new record this time around. But who would have thought that she would end up being dragged down by this atrocious young man? Being forced to face two puppets alone, she ended up using her secret art twice in a short interval. At this point, her body was already nearing its limit. This wont do. If this goes on, I might very well lose my life. Do I really have to admit defeat? Senior Shui gritted her teeth in indignation. It had already taken an entire month for her to grow ustomed to the fighting style of the puppet, and she was certain that she could have cleared the trial with rtive ease by tapping into the power of her unique bloodline. Yet, such a situation ended up happening instead. Once her bloodline was activated, it would take at least a month of rest before she would be able to return to her peak condition. Too many things would have to be put back like that. I cant give up! Senior Shui clenched her fists tightly in determination. I must find a way to throw one of the puppets to that fellow, and once I get rid of one of them, the rest will be easy! While panting heavily, she made up her mind. Competition in the Sanctum of Sages was extremely strife. She could not afford to lose a month over this, so she could only gamble. While that fellow who was shouting do your best by the side was unreliable, as long as she could get the puppet over to his side, as one of the teammates, he woulde under attack as well. If she could fling off one of the puppets to him, she would be able to find a chance to turn the tables around! Of course, she understood that the young man would be put in danger as a result of that, but there was nothing that could be done. Since he had chosen to challenge the Bing Corridor, he would have to shoulder some of the danger. As long as that unreliable fellow canst a dozen breaths for me to destroy the first puppet, I should be able toe to his aid afterward. Senior Shui harrumphed.Humph, who told him to sabotage my attempt in the first ce? He ought to suffer a little bit for his actions! Without any hesitation, she jolted her body slightly, a little reminiscent of the strings of a zither being pulled on. Hu! As if a taut rubber band being released, her figure abruptly vanished from the spot. The next moment, she was already in Zhang Xuans vicinity. Do your best... Zhang Xuan was still in the midst of cheering when the youngdy abruptly appeared in front of him, and he froze in astonishment. Ill be leaving one of them to you! Looking at the startled look on the young mans face, even though Senior Shui felt a little infuriated on the inside, she still felt obliged to warn him. You will be leaving one of them to me? While Zhang Xuan was confused by the situation, two puppets had already rushed up to him. The immense might that they wielded caused an overwhelming pressure to weigh down upon him. Kacha! One of the puppets smashed a fist right toward Zhang Xuans face. Isnt this... against the rules? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He was there just to watch themotion and learn from his senior. If he intervened in the duel, wouldnt her results be invalidated? Would he be disqualified from the trial as a result of that as well? However, considering the furious assault that one of the puppets wasunching against him, this was not the time for him to be thinking about such stuff. He dodged the puppets attack nimbly with a side step, and at the same time, he shot a nce at the youngdy not too far away. She was currently dealing with the other puppet. A spurt of fresh blood escaped her mouth, and an immense power was swiftly engulfing her body, bringing her fighting prowess up to great heights in an instant. Is there a need to go this far to challenge a trial? Zhang Xuan could tell that she was using a secret art more potent than the one before, and he could not help but shake his head. Secret arts had the ability to enhance ones fighting prowess greatly in the short term, but they had their downfalls as well. For one, they were extremely damaging to ones body. While secret arts allowed a cultivator to exceed their limits temporarily, this overexertion would result in an unbearable toll on their spirit, zhenqi, and physical body, thus cing them in a long down period. In fact, there were some that would sap ones life force, causing ones lifespan to be shortened. It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan never used secret arts. Well, another reason was that he did not know any of those secret arts. The youngdy was already spurting blood, and yet, she was still insistently using her secret arts. She was really putting her life on the line! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply, but before he could delve deeper into his feeling ofmentation, the puppet before him was already charging toward him with a body m. Wait a moment, you are supposed to be assessing her. Arent you attacking the wrong target over here? Zhang Xuan eximed as he halted the charging puppet back by cing a finger of his on thetters head. Just who the heck designed the Corridor of Puppets? Shouldnt the puppets at least have the basic ability to discern who the challenger is? I am only here to watch how the trial works! It isnt my turn yet, so why are you flinging your fists and howling at me? Roar! Roar! Being blocked out by a single finger further enraged the puppet. An aura of ferocity emanated from it as it drove its strength to its very limits, rotating its arm so swiftly that it almost appeared like a wheel. However, with its head being kept at bay by Zhang Xuans finger, no matter how fast its hands rotated, it was unable to hurt Zhang Xuan. Instead, it felt like an electric fan, bringing a cooling breeze to him. Since I didnt harm the puppet at all, this cant be considered as an infringement of the rules, right? Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. As he did not really interfere with the trial of anotherhis actions could only be considered as legitimate self-defense, and he did not destroy anythinghis right to challenge the trial should not be revoked. After all the trouble he had gone through toe here, it would really be a huge annoyance if that was the case. After keeping the puppet before him under control, he turned his sight back to the battling youngdy and puppet. After executing her secret art, while Senior Shuisplexion appeared to have considerably worsened, her fighting prowess did soar by leaps and boundsshe was nearly twice as strong as before. Peng peng peng peng! Previously, she had been forced to evade the puppets attacks and find an opening to strike, but with her enhanced strength, she was already able to go head-to-head with the puppet. Under their furious sh, even the formation around the Corridor of Puppets seemed to shake unstably. Her secret art is powerful, but... as a practitioner of water attribute cultivation techniques, shes abandoning her own strengths by going head on with the enemy.Zhang Xuan frowned. With his currentprehension ofbat, even without using the Library of Heavens Path and Eye of Insight, he could still be considered a grandmaster. Those who cultivated water attribute cultivation techniques were capable of epassing everything, and yet, the youngdy actually chose to go head-to-head with her opponent. She was clearly abandoning her very own roots. Its true that this is the most efficient way for her to defeat the puppet given the current circumstances, but she will suffer tremendous damage as well. In fact, even her state of mind might waver. Cultivators pursuing their own paths had to have absolute confidence in their cultivation techniques. Considering that the youngdy practiced arts of the flexible water, it would be in contradiction to her own beliefs to engage in rigid and forceful offense. This would be a reflection that she had started doubting her path, and just like how the mind could influence the body, the body could also influence the mind. Even if she managed to eventually defeat the puppet, this seed of doubt nted in her mind could have massive repercussions in the future. Since I have already seen it, it wouldnt do for me to just watch idly by the side... After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan still chose to speak up. That... Senior Shui, you wontst long like this! I wontst long like this? Senior Shui was in the midst of battling against the puppet when she heard those words and jolted for an instant. She had thought that by dumping a puppet with him, the young man would surely be chased all around the room like a rat running across the street. Yet, why was his voice still so clear, devoid of the slightest hint of exertion? He even had the leisure to say that she could notst long. She was ady, so who said that she could notst long? The one who is unable tost long enough should be you! Senior Shui harrumphed coldly as she shot a nce in the direction where the voice originated from. The next moment, her body froze. The puppet that had left her in such a tough spot was currently throwing its arms forward like a shrew, and it was running forward so forcefully that a huge depression had been left on the ground. Yet, due to a finger ced on its forehead, it was simply unable to advance a single step forward. What the heck is going on? Wasnt the puppet extremely ferocious and powerful when it was fighting against me? Why does it seem like it is acting coquettishly at this moment instead? Could it be that this unkempt Leaving Aperture realm primary stage fellow is actually a hidden expert? H! Even though Senior Shui was shocked beyond words, the puppet she was facing could not possibly give her any time to take a breather. It immediatelyunched its second wave of attacks. Left with no time for thought, she could only put aside the matter and hurriedly raise her guard. However, due to her guard being put up in a rush, she was eventually overpowered and was forced several steps back. A suffocating sensation devoured her chest, and she felt her blood running erratically in her body, causing her body to ache greatly. Suppressing the urge to vomit blood, Senior Shui asked with gritted teeth, What do you mean by I cantst long like this? It wont do for you to go head on against the puppet. Given your strength, theres no need for you to do this to defeat it, Zhang Xuan exined. Hu! An abrupt gale of wind sted toward Senior Shuis face. Astonished, she hurriedly backed away, but the shockwave from the puppets punch still resulted in a red streak forming across her face, dealing her a searing pain. With a few swift maneuvers, she quickly created some distance between her and the puppet before asking anxiously, Then how else should I face the puppets? This... Will it be against the rules if I offer you guidance? Zhang Xuan asked hesitantly. Of course not! Senior Shuis body staggered upon hearing those words. We are in a two-yer challenge mode! How in the world would you offering guidance to me be against the rules? Thats a relief... With a quick sigh, Zhang Xuan was just about to impart some wisdom to Senior Shui when the puppet before him suddenly went on a rampage. Roar! It had struggled free from the might of his finger and charged forward. What are you roaring for? Cant you see that Im busy? Displeased, Zhang Xuan sent a casual p toward the puppet. Pah! The puppets head rotated twice on its neck before being sent flying. Putong! It copsed on the ground convulsing, clearly losing all fighting prowess. This... Not expecting that a casual punch from him would cause that fellows head to be sent flying, Zhang Xuans lips twitched in frenzy. Did I identally use too much strength? But I didnt do it on purpose... Chapter 1318 - Continue with the Trials

Chapter 1318: Continue with the Trials

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He honestly did not do it on purpose. The puppet was simply moving too fast, so he subconsciously dealt it a p. Who was to know that it was so fragile, such that its head would be blown right off? Senior Shui was dumbstruck as well. While the puppet had her tortured to the point where she nearly wanted to dieshe had used everything at her disposal but was still unable to defeat itthat fellow had managed to knock off the puppets head with just a casual p. Did it really have to be that exaggerated? Hes actually that powerful? Senior Shuis body trembled out of sheer astonishment. No matter how slow-witted she might have been, it was apparent that the young man before her was an extremely powerful expert! With just a finger, he was able to keep the puppet at bay, and with a palm, he was able to p away the puppets head. His fighting prowess was countless times more powerful than hers! I really didnt do it on purpose. Why dont we do this instead? As long as you dont revoke my right to challenge the trial, Ill help you fit back your head, and you can continue on your attack. With how things had yed out, he could not be bothered with offering guidance to Senior Shui anymore. He quickly squatted down and ced the puppets head back onto its neck. He had only entered the Corridor of Puppets to gain some insight into how the trial worked. It would truly be a tragedy if he was disqualified just because he identally interfered in another challengers trial! You... Just as she finally found a slight bit of respect for the young man, thetters subsequent actions caused her rage to surpass previous levels. There are plenty of challengers who identally destroy the puppets in the midst of the trial. Do you really need to be so apologetic? Besides, its useless for you to install the puppets head right back on! While puppets, unlike humans, would not die just because their heads had been lopped off, their internal structure was still an intricate system of gears and so on. Only professional celestial designers would be able to fix them. What in the world do you hope to achieve by pressing the head back on? Just as Senior Shui was just about to lecture the young man on the matter, the puppet she was facing suddenly charged at her once more, leaving her with no choice but to turn her attention back to the battle. After trading a few blows, she finally managed to knock back the puppet and gain a temporary moment of respite. She immediately turned her gaze toward the young man and saw thetter helping the puppet up. In this moment, the puppets head had already been ced back onto its neck. Im done... Zhang Xuan patted his hands together as he nodded in satisfaction. Not only did I help you repair your damage, I also fixed some of your ws as well. With this, you should be able to exert your full strength once more! Roar? The puppet nced at Zhang Xuan with a look of iprehension. Dont worry. I didnt mean to interrupt in your battle earlier. Feel free to continue what you were doingI wont intervene. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Ah? The puppet scratched its head as it slowly extended its fist toward Zhang Xuan. Just as it was about to hit Zhang Xuan, it suddenly recalled how thetter had managed to lop off its head with a single p, and it hurriedly retracted its hand and leaped backward fearfully. It looked at Zhang Xuan with a slightly tilted head, as if asking, Are you really not going to intervene? I wont, dont worry! Zhang Xuan replied with an affirmative nod. Roar! With an excited war cry, the puppet turned around and dashed for the youngdy in the room. I... Senior Shuis goosebumps immediately rose from her arms, and she nearly fainted on the spot. Brother, did you reallye here to sabotage me? Do you know that we are a team? By smacking off the head of one of the puppets, we were already halfway there to victory, so why in the world are you fixing the puppets head? Is the issue perhaps in your head? Its already difficult for me to cope with one of them, but you want me to face two of them simultaneously? Will you only be d after killing me? Initially, Senior Shui had thought that the other party hade here to catch her attention and win her fancy, but from the looks of it now... To be honest, she would rather it have been the former! At the very least, she would not lose her life. Just as she was about to curse Zhang Xuan, the other puppet arrived before her. Its punch was way faster and more powerful than the puppet she was facing. Even before it came close to Senior Shui, she already felt as if her body had been suppressed by a Dominion, preventing her from moving at all. Whats going on? Senior Shui narrowed her eyes in bewilderment. She had fought with the puppet of the Bing Corridor for a month now, and even if the puppet was more powerful than her, the disparity between the both of them should not have been too great. When did the puppet be so strong? However, this was not the time for thought. She quickly raised her fists to defend against thetters attack. Pah! As soon as her palm came into contact with the other partys fist, a crushing pressure pushed at her chest, leaving her feeling as if something heavy had crashed into her. The next moment, her entire body shot backward. Pu! Even while she was in midair, fresh blood spurted from her mouth. She crashed heavily into the wall behind her, creating a -shaped imprint behind her. You... While hanging on the wall, Senior Shuis body convulsed non-stop. The world seemed iparably dark to her. Previously, the strength of the puppet had been eptable to her. If she were to use her full might, she would have been able to achieve victory. But why was it that, after its head had been lopped off and it had been modified slightly by the young man, it grew so powerful? How were they supposed to fight like that? Forget it, it might be better for me to just admit defeat... It really felt like she had used up her entire lifetimes worth of frustration on this trial. Just as she was about to crush her challenge token to halt the trial, she suddenly recalled that it was a coboration. If one of them were to admit defeat, it would be deemed as a loss for the entire team. So, with gritted teeth, she turned to the young man standing not too far away. I cant defeat the puppets, so Im going to admit defeat now. As this is a team battle, you will be deemed to have lost as well. Team battle? Zhang Xuan was startled by those words. What do you mean by that? You really dont know? Senior Shui harrumphed coldly. As you entered the Bing Corridor right after me, the mechanism automatically registers both of us as a team. As long as one of us admits defeat, itll be considered a loss for the entire team. We are actually a team? And if you admit defeat, I will lose as well? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. All along, he had thought that the trial would be an individual assessment, especially since this was how most examinations worked in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Yet, after the whole farce that they had been through, it turned out to be a team battle? There was actually such a system in the Sanctum of Sages? Of course! What else did you think would happen? Senior Shui snapped impatiently. In the end, it turned out that the young man really did not know anything at all. That exined everything. Nevertheless, even knowing that he did not do it intentionally could not quell the rage and frenzy she was feeling at that very moment. Wait a moment, dont admit defeat! Zhang Xuan eximed in shock. If she admitted defeat, his trial would finish before he could do anything at all! He had not even collected the cultivation technique manuals in the corridor yet, so how could he admit defeat? I apologize for doing nothing earlier; I honestly did not know that it was a team battle. Give me a moment. Ill get rid of those puppets right now. After understanding what was going on, how could Zhang Xuan still dilly-dally? He turned to the two puppets on the field and dered, Your opponent is me! Come at me together! Roar? The puppet whose head had been sent flying by Zhang Xuan earlier took a step back as it shook its head fervently, indicating itsplete refusal toward the notion of fighting against Zhang Xuan. Didnt you say that you wouldnt intervene in the battle earlier? Why are you looking at me with that cold glint in your eyes? You arenting? I guess Ill have to go over there myself then! With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuan took a step forward and entered the battlefield. Roar! Facing Zhang Xuans provocations, the other puppet could not hold itself back anymore and charged at him. However, before it could get far, it immediately felt something grabbing at its arm, holding it back. Turning around, it saw its puppetrade shaking its head desperately, seemingly pleading for it not to go. Roar, roar? The other puppet waspletely bewildered by the actions of itsrade. It tried to shake off the grip of itsrade to challenge Zhang Xuan to a fight. Roar ah roar! Seeing that the other puppet refused to back down, the puppetrade decisively sent a p over to its face. Not expecting itsrade to make a move on it, the other puppet cked out before it could even process what was going on. Putong! Unconscious, it copsed flimsily to the ground. After which, the puppet carefully turned its gaze to Zhang Xuan and bowed slightly. Heh heh roar! Then, it struck its head with its own palm. Padah! It copsed to the ground as well. Thats more like it! Seeing how obedient the puppet he had modified was, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He turned his gaze to Senior Shui and asked, This should be considered a clear for the trial, right? ... Senior Shui. It took quite some time before she managed to recover from her daze. She looked at the young man in front of her with a look that was even more shocked than she would have been if she had seen a ghost instead. To make the puppets fight among themselves and even knock itself out... Just how in the world did he manage to do that? We really... cleared the trial? After consuming a pill and recovering slightly from her injuries, Senior Shui struggled out from the wall while panting heavily. To be honest, she could still hardly believe what was going on. It was already extremely difficult to clear a trial by oneself, and the difficulty of a team battle was many times greater than an individual battle. To seed under such circumstances... she could not help but feel as if she was dreaming. But again, it was no wonder she would feel like that. Even after a month of hard work, she still had not seeded in clearing the Bing Corridor. It was a little hard for her to believe that she had really cleared the trial just like that. Zhang Xuan was not too sure about the rules, and he took a nce at the two unconscious puppets on the ground before remarking, Since we have defeated the puppets, it should be considered a clear for us. The modified puppet seemed to have noticed Zhang Xuans gaze on it, and its body trembled slightly. It hurriedly shut its eyes tighter. Un... Senior Shui nodded. There were many questions that she would have liked to ask, but in her moment of shock, she had no idea how she should construct her words. In this moment, the sound of whirring mechanisms sounded, and a door slowly opened. Lets head in to take a look. Walking into the door, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Inside was a bookshelf with several books stacked on it. This was probably the prize for clearing the Bing Corridor. Un. Senior Shuis motive for challenging the Bing Corridor was to obtain these cultivation technique manuals, so she hurriedly walked up to the bookshelf in agitation. There were only ten books or so, but they were all extremely profound cultivation techniques, far stronger than those he had seen in the ck market. Grandiflora Cultivation Technique, Jadetree Sky Piercing Form, Art of Golden mes... With a swift sweep, Zhang Xuan collected them into the Library of Heavens Path, and afterpiling them together with the other books, he could not help but shake his head in disappointment. He had thought that he would be able topile aplete Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art like this, but it seemed like quantity was indeed far more important than quality when it came toption. Jeez! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply, thinking that thepensation was not worth the effort at all. To spend a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones just to see ten or so books, that really was not worth the price for him. At this moment, a females voice sounded. Alright, Ive made up my mind! Shifting his gaze over, Zhang Xuan saw that Senior Shui had picked out the Rippling Water Profound Art, the only water attribute cultivation technique in the limited collection. That book is indeed not too bad. Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. While that cultivation technique was not necessarily stronger than the one that Senior Shui was already cultivating, it didplement her current cultivation technique well. Studying the manual could serve as a great source of inspiration for her future cultivation. Un, Ill begin copying the content now. Have you chosen your book yet? Senior Shui asked. Those who had cleared the Corridor of Puppets could not take away the physical copy of the manuals inside, but they were allowed to copy them. Me? Zhang Xuan shook his head. I wont be copying any. I still need to continue with the trials, so Ill be taking my leave. He had already collected all of those books in his Library of Heavens Path, so there was no need for him to copy them again. Continue with the trials? Senior Shui was taken aback for an instant before her eyes lit up in agitation. It cant be that... you are going to challenge the Yi Corridor 1 ? Considering how easily the young man before her had managed to clear theBing Corridor 2 , it was a given that he would not be interested in the cultivation techniques here, especially since he stood a good chance at clearing the higher levels. It would already be a blessing if a single student cleared the Yi Corridor every decade. Would the young man before her be able to sessfully clear it as well? In an instant, she felt as if she might just be lucky enough to see a miracle being forged right before her eyes. Yi Corridor? Thats not it. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I intend to challenge the Gui Corridor 3 ! Chapter 1319 - Sounds A Little Inauspicuous

Chapter 1319: Sounds A Little Inauspicuous

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric What? Senior Shuis body jolted, and her eyes widened in shock. In this moment, she felt as if blood was flowing to and fro her throat, threatening to spill out at any moment, You are going to challenge the Gui Corridor? The Gui Corridor was the easiest trial of all, and only the weakest students of the Sanctum of Sages would head there... Given how you were able to easily defeat two puppets of the Bing Corridor so easily, why in the world do you want to challenge the Gui Corridor? While others were slowly advancing forward, that fellow was actually regressing with time... Are you here just to brush up your existence? Thats right. The manuals in the Bing Corridor isnt too good, so Im intending to head to the Gui Corridor for a look. Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. The more profound and powerful a cultivation technique was, the fewer of them there would be. What Zhang Xuan needed was to collect as many cultivation technique manuals as possible... As such, he was extremely disappointed when he saw the pitiful collection of books that was at the end of the Bing Corridor. He felt that he had made the wrong choice and should have gone to the Gui Corridor instead. There were bound to be many more books there, and that would be more useful to him than challenging the Bing Corridor. ... Senior Shui clutched her hair. Are you a lunatic? Every single cultivation technique in the Bing Corridor is extremely profound and powerful. Admittedly, they cantpare with the cultivation technique I have inherited from my ancestors, but they still wield formidable prowess! Are you honestlyparing such treasures to the trash in the Gui Corridor? Just what in the world is going through your mind? Alright, you should continue copying your notes. I have to get going now! Zhang Xuan turned around and began making his way out of the Bing Corridor. As he walked, sighs ofmentation would escape from his lips. This trip had truly been a huge waste. By the time he walked out of the Bing Corridor and arrived before the reception once more, he found that other than the female receptionist named Qing Yu, there was another male receptionist sitting beside her. Seeing how the young man hade out so quickly without any injuries on him, Qing Yu was stunned. She couldnt help but ask in bewilderment, Are you... fine? She was certain that the fellow would be pummeled to the point that no one would be able to recognize him anymore, an iparable sight of misery, so how could he still bepletely fine? One must know that the Bing Corridor was a trial which even the talented Senior Shui had yet to clear after a month of hard work! Fine? Why would I not be fine? Taken aback by the abrupt question, Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment. Then, seeing that there was no response from Qing Yu, he took out a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones and passed it over, I wish to challenge the Corridor of Puppets once more. Here are the spirit stones. You want to challenge it once more? Qing Yu frowned in bewilderment. Each person can only challenge a Corridor of Puppets once a day. Im afraid that you will have to return tomorrow. If each challenger could keep challenging the same Corridor of Puppets again and again, putting aside that he would be depriving other challengers of the opportunity to challenge, the Corridor of Puppets would not have sufficient time to recover as well. As such, each challenger was limited to challenging a Corridor of Puppets once per day. And under normal circumstances, those who had managed to clear the Corridor of Puppets wouldnt challenge the same corridor once more, and those who failed would be left in a tragic state, possibly being unable to move even after an entire day of rest. Only someone as tenacious as Senior Shui would be able to persistently challenge the same Bing Corridor every single day for a month straight. Im not going to challenge the Bing Corridor. Zhang Xuan exined. So, you have finally thought things through... Qing Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Which Corridor of Puppets will you be challenging then? The Ding Corridor 1? No, Im intending on challenging the Gui Corridor 2 . Zhang Xuan replied. The Gui Corridor... Qing Yu was rendered speechless. She was still wondering how formidable that fellow was when he challenged the Bing Corridor as soon as he came, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like the results had been rather disastrous for him... In the end, he still had to start from the very bottom. Well, to be fair, for a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator, even the Gui Corridor would pose a great difficulty. In a sense, it was good that the young man was able to think things through and pursue something that was more feasible to him than to cling on to his meaningless pride. I told you earlier that you should have just challenged the Gui Corridor, its really a huge pity for you to have wasted a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones just like that. But nevertheless, its still good to see that you havee to your senses... Qing Yu smiled as she took out another challenge token and passed it over. Right, wheres the challenge token you have used in the Bing Corridor? Regardless of whether you have used it or not, youll have to return it to us. Here it is. Zhang Xuan took the challenge token which Qing Yu was offering him before passing back the Bing Corridors challenge token he had received earlier. After which, he turned around and headed off to the Gui Corridor. Shortly after he left, the male receptionist turned to Qing Yu and asked, Is that the lustful fellow that you have spoken about earlier? Thats right. Qing Yu nodded. I have to say that hes rather handsome, but to challenge the Bing Corridor with his Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivation... Hes indeed a little over his head. the male receptionist remarked. Its apparent that hes not a person whocked money, he probably did that in order to strike up a connection with Senior Shui. But from the looks of it, his efforts seem to have ended in futility. Realizing the limitations of his strength, he had no choice but to challenge the Gui Corridor instead... Qing Yu shook her head as she prepared to toss the challenge token which she had received from the young man earlier back into the drawer, but all of a sudden, she froze on the spot. This challenge token... Whats wrong? The male receptionist turned his gaze over as well, and in the next moment, his body stiffened as well. There are actually golden marks on it... Isnt that a sign that he has cleared the trial? Speaking up to this point, the male receptionist traded gazes with Qing Yu, and the both of them gulped down a mouthful of saliva in shock. It cant be that... he managed to clear the Bing Corridor? As receptionists of the Corridor of Puppets, they were well aware of the difficulties surrounding the Bing Corridor. Many geniuses of the Sanctum of Sages had marched in confidently, only to return with dispirited looks on their faces. There were years where not even a single challenger would manage to clear it sessfully... and that Leaving Aperture realm primary stage fellow actually managed to clear it? How in the world was that possible? And if he had already cleared the trial, what about Senior Shui? Considering how she had entered the trial before him, why was she nowhere to be seen? Ill head over to take a quick look... The bewildering situation left Qing Yu feelingpletely crazed. Unable to hold herself back anymore, she stood up from her seat and prepared to make her way over to Bing Corridor to check the situation out. Wait a moment... But before Qing Yu could leave the area, the male receptionist beside her abruptly grabbed her hand. Perplexed, she turned around to look at the male receptionist, only to see thetter pointing at the area in front of him with eyes widened in disbelief. She traced the male receptionists finger and looked over as well, and the sight she saw left her entire body freezing on the spot. The young man who had just left for the Gui Corridor a moment ago had returned. With a brilliant smile on his face, he took out another hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones along with a challenge token and passed those over to them. I wish to challenge the Ren Corridor 3 now. Despite her dazed state, Qing Yu still managed to instinctively take out a challenge token from the drawer and passed it over to the young man before her. Thank you. the young man replied before turning around elegantly to take his leave. He managed to... clear the Gui Corridor too? Taking a nce at the challenge token which had just been returned, Qing Yus lips twitched once more. Even if the Gui Corridor was easy, surely it should be impossible to clear it that quickly? How long had he been gone for? One minute? Two minutes? In any case, it was not any more than three minutes... Within such a short period of time, even getting there and back would take two and a half minutes, which meant to say that he only spent a couple of seconds to clear the Gui Corridor? Trading gazes with the male receptionist, the both of them could see the horror in each others eyes. Just as they were stunned with fright, the young mans voice sounded once more, Sorry to interrupt, but I would like the challenge token for Xin Corridor4 . Thank you. While shuddering in fear, Qing Yu passed a challenge token over before taking the other partys spirit stones and challenge token. Then, taking a nce at the challenge token once more, her body jolted. It was another pass... To clear both of them equally quickly, did this mean to say that the difficulty levels of both the Gui Corridor and the Ren Corridor were no different to him? She widened her mouth so wide that it almost seemed as if she was a fish that had fallen on shore. Just as she was about to check with the male receptionist to see if she was dreaming, the young man walked over once more. Give me the challenge token for the Geng Corridor. ... Qing Yu. ... The male receptionist. ... Hu! Im finally done copying down all of it. By coupling this Rippling Water Profound Art with my current cultivation technique, I would surely be able to bring my fighting prowess up to a new level! Senior Shui remarked with a satisfied smile. As soon as the young man left, she immediately started copying, and all in all, it took her twenty minutes in order to finish copying down the thick manual entirely. Of course, she would be able to memorize the entire book within a shorter period of time if she wanted to, but while cultivators of her caliber possessed a photographic memory, that didnt mean that their memories were infallible. Ultimately, it would still be safer to keep a physical copy of the manual. Even a word of difference for a cultivation technique as profound as this would result in a vast difference in its conception. She didnt want to take on this needless risk. She had spent an entire month challenging the Bing Corridor, only to fail each time. If not for that young man she had encountered earlier, it was doubtful whether she would have been able to obtain the Rippling Water Profound Art or not. It wasnt easy for her toe by this opportunity, so it was best not to waste it. I wonder if he has finished clearing the Gui Corridor yet. Given his strength, it should be a walk in the park for him! cing the cultivation technique manual carefully back onto the shelf, Senior Shui slowly made her way out of the room, returning back to the front reception. Whats wrong? As soon as she arrived at the front reception, she immediately noticed that something was amiss. The boisterous and cheerful Qing Yu from before was, at this moment, sitting on a chair with apletely dazed look, reminiscent of a lifeless zombie. Her eyes were staring nkly at the ground, as if someone had stolen her soul. The male receptionist beside her wasnt doing any better either. His mouth was wide open, as if his lower jaw had been dislocated. Qing Yu... Whats wrong with the two of you? Senior Shui asked out of worry. Senior Shui, you are finally back... Some spirit finally returned back to Qing Yu as she raised her head up slowly. Then, she anxiously stood up and asked, There was a young man named Zhang Xuan who entered the Bing Corridor right after you, right? Did he really clear the trial? He did. His strength is truly extraordinary! Senior Shui replied. After a twenty minutes rest or so, she had mostly recovered from her exertion. While herplexion still looked unnaturally pale, she was in a much better state than before. It seems like all of that really isnt a dream then... With a pale face, Qing Yu staggered back onto her chair. Her hand opened up, and hu!, a bunch of small tokens fell all over the ground. These are... Perplexed, Senior Shui bent down to pick up one of those small tokens, and her eyes widened in shock. These are all challenge tokens? Furthermore... cleared? After an entire month of challenging the Corridor of Puppets, she hade to know what the golden marks on the challenge token represented. But why would there suddenly be so many cleared challenge tokens here? Thats right... These are the doing of Zhang shi... Qing Yu nodded in a daze. You mean to say that he cleared all of these trials? Senior Shui could hardly believe what she was saying. She quickly picked up all of the challenge tokens with a sweep of her zhenqi and examined all of them closely. Gui Corridor, Ren Corridor, Xin Corridor, Geng Corridor, Ji Corridor, Wu Corridor, Yi Corridor 5 ... he cleared so many of them? Senior Shuis body began trembling uncontrobly. In the short twenty minutes that she spent copying down her Rippling Water Profound Art, the other party actually cleared seven corridors? How could he possibly do it so quickly? Fighting so many puppets in session, wouldnt he run out of zhenqi? Wouldnt he feel exhausted? Thats right. He cleared all of those without taking a breather at all... Qing Yu nodded. Then... where is he at the moment? Senior Shui asked. Hes currently challenging the Jia Corridor 6 ! Qing Yu replied. The Jia Corridor? Senior Shui hurriedly lowered her head to take a look, and indeed, there was no Jia Corridor amongst challenge tokens. In other words, the young man hadnt cleared the hardest corridor yet. Wait, thats not right... Since he has already cleared the Bing and Yi Corridors, why didnt he challenge the Ding Corridor 7 ? Flipping through the challenge tokens once more, Senior Shui frowned in bewilderment. That fellow had started from the Gui Corridor, and he had challenged every single corridor from the bottom up... So why would he skip the Ding Corridor? Ah... Qing Yus face flushed red, and after a long moment of silence, she swallowed a mouthful of saliva and finally spoke up, He said that... the name of the corridor didnt sound nice 8 , and as an upright man, there was no point challenging it! ... Senior Shui. Chapter 1320 - Challenging the Jia Corridor!

Chapter 1320: Challenging the Jia Corridor!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Geji! Geji! Standing at the very center of the room, Zhang Xuan watched as a puppet walked out from a door ahead of him, and he heaved a deep sigh of helplessness. He had already cleared eight of the ten Leaving Aperture realm Corridor of Puppets, but he was still unable topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art. Left with no choice, he could only head over here to challenge the most difficult trial of all. In the long several dozen millennium years of history behind the Sanctum of Sages, only seven people had cleared the trial in total. From this, it wasnt too difficult to imagine how difficult the trial was. The puppet in the Yi Corridor has already reached Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage, so the one in the Jia Corridor 1 is bound to be even stronger!Zhang Xuan thought as he assessed the puppet before him with narrowed eyes. Challenging the Yi Corridor had already posed a great challenge to him. He had to use the ws he had found in the puppet from the Library of Heavens Path and the keen discernment of his Eye of Insight in order to design a whole series of maneuvers before he was finally able to corner the puppet and subdue it. But even so, he still suffered some injuries in the midst of the challenge. It was fortunate that he was able to recover swiftly through his Heavens Path zhenqi, or else he might have to retire for the day. ording to what the female receptionist, Qing Yu, has said, Ruoxin has cleared the Jia Corridor... So, the least I can do is to clear it as well! Zhang Xuan thought determinedly as a powerful fighting spirit flowed forth from him. Of the seven people who had cleared the Jia Corridor, Luo Ruoxin was one of them. Since his girlfriend was able to clear it, he mustnt lose out either! Otherwise, how could he be qualified to ask for her marriage in hand? After walking out from the door, the puppet abruptly opened its eyes and announced grandly, To dare to challenge the Jia Corridor, you must be really confident in your strength. Very well, let me see what you are capable of then! You are able to speak? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. Even the puppet he had modified earlier in the Bing Corridor was only capable of muttering a couple of incoherent sybles. Yet, the puppet before him was actually capable of voicing human speech. This was inconceivable! Lets begin the battle! Couldnt even be bothered to waste its breath on words anymore, the puppet uttered coldly before charging forward. Hu! Its movements were as swift as a bolt of lightning, and it took only an instant for it to appear before Zhang Xuan. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didnt expect the puppet to move so quickly, covering the ten meters between them instantaneously as if teleportation. He quickly took a step forward as well to build up some momentum as he thrust his palm toward the puppet. In an instant, countless palm prints materialized all over the area, as if a garden of resplendent flowers had blossomed in the midst of the battlefield all of a sudden. They converged with one another to form a seemingly relentless current of force that threatened to wear down any opponent. This was a battle technique he had obtained from the Yi Corridor, Ovepping Palm. This palm art worked in a manner strikingly simr to the Thousand Hands of Ri 2 . Its prowess would stack upyer afteryer on one another, leaving one feeling as if one would be washed by its might. While this attack wasnt as powerful as the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm in terms of offensive, it was an excellent move when used in defensive maneuvers. More importantly, due to howplex the technique was, it was extremely difficult to distinguish real threats from feints, thus possibly creating unexpected results in battle. Hong long! But while Zhang Xuans palm strike was formidable, the puppet was even stronger. Using some sort of bizarre battle technique, the sheer might of its fist seemed to seal the surrounding spacepletely, preventing the countless palms from converging with one another, thus rendering itpletely ineffective. The puppet has cultivated Ovepping Palms too... Zhang Xuan frowned in realization. To be able to make such instantaneous judgement to effectively neutralize his attacks, there could only be one possibility... The puppet must have a deep understanding of Ovepping Palms as well, and it knew the ideal moments to strike in order to nerf the offense. While Zhang Xuan did improve the palm strike significantly throughpiling it with various other palm art manuals in the Library of Heavens Path, those who were familiar in the technique would still be able to find an opportunity to step in and counterattack. This wasnt about exploiting the ws in the palm technique but simply the natural manner how the certain maneuvers would curb one another. Break! Knowing that he would only be ced in a deeply disadvantageous position if he were to continue pushing his Ovepping Palms on, he decisively changed his palm strike into a sword art instead. With a flick of his finger, a powerful surge of sword qi burst forth. Havingprehended Sword Quintessence, every single movement that Zhang Xuan made could be considered as a sword art. Even though he didnt execute any battle techniques, he might he could exert at will was still not beneath any ordinary sword art. Pu! The sword qi instantaneously sliced through the space which the puppet had constructed and flew straight for thetters be. Hmph! In face of the swift transformations in Zhang Xuans attacks, it harrumphed coldly. Without the slightest hint of panic, it calmly opened up its tightly-clenched fist like a blossoming orchid, and several surges of sword qi short forth from it. Po! Po! Po! The sword qi collided with one another, causing a resounding explosion in the air before vanishing simultaneously. The sh in sword qi left Zhang Xuan with suffocating sensation welling up in his chest. It seemed the bacsh of the collision had caused some internal injuries to him. Sword Quintessence? A puppet actually managed to achieve the level of Sword Quintessence? He had known that the puppet of the Jia Corridor would be formidable, but he didnt think that thetter would be such a powerful opponent! It was one thing for it to have grasped the Ovepping Palms, but to actually possess such a deepprehension of swordsmanship as well, achieving the level of Sword Quintessence... This was really unbelievable! From how Zhang Jiuxiao was able to rely on his Half-Quintessenceprehension of swordsmanship and his shallow understanding of the Three Swords of Lingxu to get into the Sanctum of Sages, it could be seen how rare top sword practitioners were. For a puppet to actually wield such deep understanding of swordsmanship as well, it would have been a lie if he were to say that he wasnt astounded. Wait a moment, its impossible for a puppet toprehend Sword Quintessence by itself. Its innate ws render it incapable ofprehending such conceptualizations. From the looks of it, it appears that an expert sword practitioner who hasprehended True Quintessence had infused a part of himself into the puppets body, thus granting it the ability to execute such a powerful sword qi! A moment after his shock, Zhang Xuan swiftly realized that something was amiss with the situation. Puppets werent capable of cultivation orprehension unless under certain unique circumstances. They could fight onmand, but every single moves they made would be programmed beforehand. In other words, the Sword Quintessence which the puppet had disyed wasnt its ownprehension but merely a fragment of memory of a sword expert. In other words... even though the puppets were capable of executing moves that wielded the prowess of Sword Quintessence, its failure to grasp the fundamental principles behind it would limit the flexibility of its moves. But even if that was the case, it still wouldnt be easy to deal with the puppet. Itll be difficult for me to outmaneuver the puppet in terms of swordsmanship since it has grasped Sword Quintessence and wields far greater strength and speed than me, and in terms of palm arts, Im not an opponent for it either... Zhang Xuans mind swiftly whirred into action. If the puppet was still of equivalent cultivation realm as Zhang Xuan, he might still have been able to outmaneuver it in terms of swordsmanship with time, but the vast disparity in their fundamental abilities would make it nigh impossible to do so. Also, in the previous sh using his Ovepping Palms, the puppet had disyed prowess far above his... How in the world was he supposed to win this battle? The odds were overwhelmingly against his favor! Dominion! A light sphere of roughly a meter radius appeared around Zhang Xuans body. It seemed like there was no other choice than to use his ultimate skill then! Weng! But before Zhang Xuan could make any move with his Dominion, he suddenly felt the surrounding space crushing heavily down upon him. The puppet had released its Dominion as well. Astonishingly, the puppets Dominion was twenty meters in radius, and just by standing in its perimeter, Zhang Xuan felt as if steel chains were wrapped tightly around his body, rendering it impossible for him to move even a single inch. This is... Grand Dominion realm pinnacle? Zhang Xuans lips twitched in frenzy. It was no wonder why every single move he executed was neutralized so easily! The puppets cultivation had already reached Grand Dominion realm pinnacle! Currently, Zhang Xuan wielded the strength to subdue a Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator without any problem; perhaps a little strenuous against intermediate stage cultivators but definitely still possible to achieve victory, but against advanced stage and pinnacle experts... He barely stood a chance at all! Hu! With cold sweat breaking throughout Zhang Xuans body, he immediately executed the Unbounded Voyager and forcefully escaped from the shackle-like restraints of the puppets Dominion to a corner of the room. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he took out the challenge token and crushed it. Weng! An aura rippled from the token, and the puppet who was just about to charge toward Zhang Xuan once more immediately halted its attacks. It took a few steps back before asking coldly, Are you admitting defeat? Despite how intricacies behind their exchange of blows, in truth, the three moves that they had tradeda fist art, a sword art, and Dominionsted less than three breaths in total. Considering how they had barely explored the depths of each others strength yet, it seemed a little too early to be admitting defeat at this point! Im no match for you in my current state. Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. In the first ce, this trial was designed for Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle experts whereas he was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. To be honest, it was not entirely impossible for him to emerge victorious if he were to utilize all of the means at his disposal, but... the circumstances hadnt grown so desperate for him that necessitated such a course of action yet. Farewell! Zhang Xuan turned around unhesitatingly and left the room. But without clearing the Jia Corridor, I wont be able topile out a perfect Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art to cultivate... Its almost like a paradox! It seems like Ill just have to find other alternative methods to raise my fighting prowess then. Zhang Xuan thought as he made his way over to the front reception. Currently, the greatest room of improvement for me should lie in the Three Swords of Lingxu and the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. There were two direct ways of raising ones fighting prowess. First, through raising ones cultivation, and second, through cultivating formidable battle techniques. He wouldnt be able to advance his cultivation withoutpiling theplete Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art, so it seemed like he could only pursue the second route. He had two extremely powerful battle techniques at hand, and the sessful cultivation of any of them would raise his fighting prowess immensely. However, it was a pity that they were terribly wed, which was why he had put off cultivating them up to date. I should ask around to see where I can find sword art manuals! Zhang Xuan thought as he arrived before the front reception. Zhang shi... did you clear the Jia Corridor? Senior Shui had been lingering around the area out of curiosity, and she immediately spoke up in agitation as soon she saw Zhang Xuan. I didnt. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The puppet in the Jia Corridor is simply too powerful, Im still unable to match it with my current strength... I see... Senior Shui instinctively heaved a sigh of relief, but after realizing the rudeness of her action, her face immediately reddened in a fluster. It was already unbelievable how the young man had managed to clear eight of the corridors sessively without any rest, and if he could clear the Jia Corridor as well, she might have really been scared out of her wits. Excuse me, do you know where I can learn sword arts in the Sanctum of Sages? Paying no heed to Senior Shuis actions, Zhang Xuan passed the challenge token back to Qing Yu as he asked. You wish to learn swordsmanship? Before Qing Yu could reply, Senior Shui had already interjected with a frown. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. If you intend to learn swordsmanship, you are in luck! Senior Shui over here happens to be the most formidable sword practitioner amongst the younger generation in the Sanctum of Sages, and her teacher is the most powerful swordmaster around here! Qing Yu said. You are a sword practitioner? Taken aback, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to Senior Shui. Back at the Bing Corridor, the youngdy had used all kinds of battle techniques and secret arts to deal with the puppets, but sword art wasnt one of them. Of course! Hearing those words of skepticism, Senior Shui frowned in displeasure. With a flick of her wrist, she whipped out a sword and said, Why? Do you want to try my swordsmanship? The usage of weapons and artifacts were banned in the Corridor of Puppets, and theck of a sword would have severely limited the might of her swordsmanship, so she decided against using it altogether in the battle. However, this didnt mean that she would allow others to question her aplishment in swordsmanship. She raised her sword up, and concentrated Sword Intent burst forth from her. Not too bad, but theres still room for improvement... Seeing that Senior Shui had achieved the level of Upper Sword Heart, Zhang Xuan offered a few rare words ofpliment. If it isnt too much trouble, may I ask you to lead me to where sword art manuals are stored? Theres still room for improvement? Let me see how deep of an understanding you have in swordsmanship then! With a cold harrumph, Senior Shuis body seemed to warp into a sharp sword as she charged forward with imposing momentum. Paji! But before she could evene close to Zhang Xuan, the sword she was wielding suddenly dragged her entire body down to the ground, shaking uncontrobly in her hand. Chapter 1321 - Unless You Are the Sanctum Head!

Chapter 1321: Unless You Are the Sanctum Head!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Struggling up from the ground, Senior Shuis lips were twitching crazily. The gaze she directed at the young man before her had changed altogether. Yourprehension of swordsmanship... has already reached the level of Sword Quintessence? As a genius in swordsmanship, she was well aware of the various levels in swordsmanship. Her sword had dropped to the ground in fear before it could even nick the young man at all, trembling non-stop; she had only encountered such a situation with her teacher before! In other words, the young man who appeared to be in his early twenties already possessed an understanding of swordsmanship that was on par with her teacher! But how in the world could that be? To achieve Sword Quintessence required not only an extremely deep understanding of swordsmanship. More than that, one also had to umte sufficient experience and insight before one would be able to achieve the conceptualization necessary for the realm. The reason her teacher was able to achieve that realm was because he had once traveled a distance of ten thousand li on foot, experiencing the suffering and agony that ordinary mortals underwent, and that was what became the foundation for his breakthrough. Even if the young man were to start cultivating from his mothers womb, that would only be a short twenty years. To achieve Sword Quintessence within this limited period of time... was truly inconceivable! Zhang Xuan did not deny the matter. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, the sword that was bowing to him was released from its pressure. Weng! It flew into the air andnded in his hands. He flicked it lightly, and a crisp metallic reverberation echoed from it. This sword is not bad. Itspatible with you, Zhang Xuan remarked before tossing the sword back. The sword was light and flexible, which was well-suited for a water attribute cultivator like Senior Shui. My teacher picked it out for me, Senior Shui replied as she stored her sword. Following which, she turned to look at Zhang Xuan and asked, You said that you wish to browse through books rting to swordsmanship? Since the young man hadprehended Sword Quintessence, there was no point in challenging him in a duel anymore. The disparity between them was simply too big, so she would only be humiliated in the end. My teacher has quite a vast collection of books rting to swordsmanship, and I can bring you over, Senior Shui said hesitantly. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Ah, then Ill be troubling you to lead the way then. However, Senior Shui said, I should warn you first. You have alreadyprehended Sword Quintessence, which means that you have already found your own way, so it would be best for you not to harbor too much hope regarding the matter. I think that theres a good chance that you may be kicked out before you can see any books. Kicked out? Why? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. To achieve the level of Sword Quintessence at his age, he could already be considered an outstanding genius. Most sword practitioners would wee him with opened arms, wanting to trade insights with him, so why would he be kicked out instead? This... As you may know, my teacher is the number one sword expert in the Sanctum of Sages, Jian Qinsheng. He possesses exceptionally powerful cultivation, and hes an extremely respectable man as well... At this point, Senior Shui paused for a moment before continuing with a suppressed voice. Just that... he tends to be a little too rigid and inflexible when ites to rules. Inflexible when ites to rules? Zhang Xuan frowned. As Jian Qinshengs student, Senior Shui was not in a good position to criticize her teacher, but basically, what her words meant was that Jian Qinsheng was an austere person, possessing the attitude reminiscent of an old academic. Such people tended to be extremely forthright in their words and actions. If they harbored goodwill for you, they would treat you with the utmost sincerity and offer their assistance magnanimously. However, if they found that they could not get along with you, then no matter how high a standing you had, how illustrious a background you had, nothing would be able to change their view of you. Yes. He used to be an elder of the Hall of Propriety, so he regards rules and formalities very highly. If you want to browse through his collection of books and receive his guidance, you will have to clear his test and receive his acknowledgement. The Zhang n has a genius sword practitioner known as Zhang Xu, and hes a renowned figure even in the Inner Sanctum. In terms of swordsmanship, hes reputed to be the indisputable number one, having achieved the level of Sword Quintessence. Yet, when he paid my teacher a visit in hopes of browsing through his collection of books, he was still mercilessly kicked out. So, I thought that it would be good to give you a heads up so that you wont be shockedter on, Senior Shui said hesitantly. Even a Sword Quintessence expert was kicked out? Why? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. As someone who hadprehended Sword Quintessence, Zhang Xu could already be considered one of the top figures of the Sanctum of Sages, even though his cultivation wasckingpared to the elders. In a sense, he could even be considered a fellow peer of Jian Qinshengs in terms of swordsmanship. It simply did not seem rational for Jian Qinsheng to kick Zhang Xu away on a whim! Like I have said before, my teacher is someone who regards formalities and the sort very highly. The person that he respects the most is the Third Sanctum Head. The Third Sanctum Head was one of the rare few who trod the path of cultivation through his sword, standing unchallenged in the world through his profoundprehension of swordsmanship. Those of the Sage ns had to defer to him, and even the elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters dared not face him head on! In his generation, the prestige and strength of the Sanctum of Sages were pushed to the very peak. However, despite the overwhelming prowess of the Third Sanctum Head, it is a pity that he was slightlycking when it came to his ability to impart knowledge. As a result, he was unable to pass down his full heritage, and it was then that the swordsmanship in the Sanctum of Sages began declining! My teacher is a descendant of the Third Sanctum Head, and over the years, he has been guarding the hint of Sword Intent left behind by the Third Sanctum Head. In order to be my teachers student or learn anything from him, you have to gain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent first. To be honest, I think the reason I was able to emerge among dozens of genius sword practitioners and be my teachers student is mainly because of my water attribute. As you know, the water attributes nature is to epass everything. On the other hand, Zhang Xu has alreadyprehended a path of swordsmanship belonging to himself, and its at odds with the Sword Intent. As a result... my teacher kicked him out. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Once onesprehension of swordsmanship reached the level of Sword Quintessence, the Sword Intent one exerted would be able to gain some degree of consciousness. Given so, it was indeed possible for a Sword Intent to have the ability to choose a suitable sessor to inherit its way. A different conceptualization of Sword Intent could result in a sh of ideology. Senior Shui cultivated a water attribute cultivation technique, and due to its gentle and flexible nature, it was easier for her to receive the recognition of the Sword Intent. On the other hand, those who had a deeperprehension of swordsmanship were likely to already have their own conceptualization of what swordsmanship should be like, and that meant it was highly likely that there would be a conflict of ideology with the Sword Intent, thus making it even more difficult for them to receive its recognition. A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Does this mean that the books that Jian Qinsheng has collected were all left behind by the Third Sanctum Head? In a sense, receiving the Sword Intents recognition could also be interpreted as walking on a simr path of swordsmanship. Only those who walked a simr path would be able to browse through his books and receive his guidance. To put it inly, Jian Qinsheng was simply looking to cultivate his own lineage of sword experts. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Every single person has a uniqueprehension of swordsmanship, so I wonder what conceptualization Jian Qinsheng hasprehended. Chances are that its different from the Old Sword Maestros! His currentprehension of swordsmanship mostly originated from the Old Sword Maestro. So far, he had never heard of anything between the Old Sword Maestro and the Third Sanctum Head, so it was likely that the two of them were from different schools. In other words, if he headed over, there was a good chance that just like Zhang Xu, he would be rejected by the Sword Intent and kicked out. After a moment of dilemma, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, What if I just take a look at the books from afar, not copying or scanning them with my Spiritual Perception? The way he read books was different from the others. As long as it was within his range of sight, he would be able to take anything into his Library of Heavens Path. He did not need Jian Qinshengs guidance, notes from the books, or even ess to see the content within at all. All he wanted was a look at them from afar... This should be fine, right? Take a look at the books from afar? Senior Shui shook her head with a bitter smile. My teacher treasures every single one of those books dearly, and he created a room that only those who have his token in hand will be able to enter. So... unless you are the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, theres no way you will be able to get in! Surprised by that, Zhang Xuan asked, The sanctum head will be able to get in? It seemed like he was the only candidate for the position of the sanctum head at the moment. Well, he was not the sanctum head, but it would not take too long before he inherited the position. Of course! The sanctum head is the highest leader of the Sanctum of Sages! No matter who my teacher dares offend, he would never turn down a request from the sanctum head, Senior Shui replied matter-of-factly. A momentter, she shook her head and sighed. However, it has been more than three hundred years since the Sanctum of Sages had a sanctum head. Currently, all affairs are taken care of by the deputy sanctum head. Alright, theres no point discussing about such matters too much. We arent in a position to talk much about someone as esteemed as the sanctum head. So, after all I have said, are you still interested in heading over to take a look? If thats the case, lets set off now. I still want to give it a try. Lets go! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Chapter 1322 - Hierarchy Among Sage Clans

Chapter 1322: Hierarchy Among Sage ns

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Zhang Xuan knew that Jian Qinshengs conceptualization of swordsmanship was bound to be different from his, he still feltpelled to head there to take a look. If, by some chance, he really managed to acquire the sword art manuals required to perfect the Three Swords of Lingxu, he would be able to clear the Jia Corridor and finally form his Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Besides, every single cultivator had a unique interpretation of cultivation, forged by their individual experiences and insights. Only through interaction with others would one be able to broaden ones horizons and raise the ceiling for further improvement. Lets go. Seeing that the young man was still insistent on heading over, Senior Shui nodded. She bade farewell to Qing Yu, and the both of them made their way out of the Hall of Solidarity. While advancing forward, Senior Shui sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Later on, if you fail to gain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent and my teacher asks you to leave, I advise you to just turn around and walk away. Dont expect to be able to sway him with words; on the contrary, you will only be making things difficult on yourself. Those who live for their swordsmanship usually have a temperament simr to a sword: sharp and straightforward. Dont worry, I understand, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Those who were able to raise theirprehension of swordsmanship to the level of Sword Quintessence would have devoted their life, mind, soul, and spirit all to the sword, so naturally, their personality would also gradually morph into something resembling their swordsmanship as well. For this reason, sword practitioners tended to be true to their feelings, and they hated it when others beat around the bush. Taking the Old Sword Maestro for example, he was extremely decisive in his actions. Even when he dissipated, he did it with absolute gusto, not showing the slightest hesitation! Its good that you understand. Senior Shui heaved a sigh of relief. Considering how the young man was able to wield such great strength and achieve such astounding aplishment in swordsmanship at a young age, there was little doubt that he came from an extraordinary background. She did not wish for her goodwill to end up causing dissension on both sides! Thinking up to this point, Senior Shui could not help but turn to Zhang Xuan and ask curiously, Your name is Zhang Xuan, right? Are you from the Zhang n? Why havent I heard of you before? Seeing that someone was misunderstanding his identity yet again, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Im not from the Zhang n. You arent? Senior Shui could hardly believe what she was hearing. If he was not from the Zhang n... did he manage to obtain such astounding strength at his age without relying on the power of a Sage ns bloodline? How could that be possible? I am from the Qingyuan Empire, and I guess the reason I possess decent strength would be because I am extremely hardworking, Zhang Xuan exined earnestly. This... Recalling how the young man had just cleared eight corridors in session within thirty minutes and yet still chose to follow her to learn swordsmanship instead of taking a break, Senior Shui could not help but nod in agreement. To be able to wield such strength at your age despite being an unaffiliated cultivator, you do have some tenacity in you. Senior Shui, if I recall correctly, you tapped into the power of your bloodline earlier, right? Are you from a Sage n as well? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. You... dont know me? Senior Shui nearly choked on her saliva. Her cultivation might only have been at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, but due to her background and physical appearance, she could be said to be a celebrity in the Outer Sanctum, a person who would catch the eyes of others no matter where she went. And yet, this fellow actually did not know her background? Are you for real? Well, this is the first time I have seen you. Am I supposed to know who you are? Zhang Xuan asked with a perplexed frown. First time you are seeing me? Realization struck Senior Shui as she widened her eyes in astonishment. You cant be a freshman who has just enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages today, can you? I am. Zhang Xuan nodded. Right after you cleared the entrance examination, you ran straight to the Hall of Solidarity and cleared eight corridors in session? Senior Shui gulped as her cheeks began quivering non-stop. Is it just me, or are the freshmen nowadays a little too formidable? Even after an entire month of preparation, she was still having trouble clearing the Bing Corridor, but barely after arriving in the Sanctum of Sages, that fellow had already cleared eight of the corridors? Ah. After the entrance examination ended in the afternoon, I took a trip to the Hall of Erudition to take the 8-star formation master examination and sessfully cleared it by setting up a grade-8 formation. After which, I chatted with someone for two hours before returning to my residence. Then, I took a bath before going over to the Hall of Solidarity, Zhang Xuan said. ... Senior Shuis body petrified on the spot. It was, by no means, easy to clear the 8-star formation master examination. Even the elder brother of the little princess of the Luo n had challenged it twice, only to fail both times around. So, why was the young man talking about it with a light tone that seemed as if he had just taken a walk around the park? More importantly... most 7-star pinnacle formation masters would require at least a few months of hard work before they were able to set up a grade-8 formation. Considering that the entrance examination had ended in the afternoon, and at this very moment, the sky had not darkened yet... Are you a monster? Unable to hold herself back any longer, Senior Shui asked, If I may ask... how long did you take to clear the 8-star formation master examination? This... Zhang Xuan frowned as he tried to recall the entire course of events. If we exclude the strength assessment... roughly around five to six minutes? Well, if that Elder Su hadnt dawdled, I should have been able to clear it faster! Five to six minutes... Senior Shuis body began trembling wildly from frenzy. At this moment, she felt so traumatized that she did not know if she would ever recover from this blow. She had been wanting to take the 8-star formation master examination for a long time, too, but it was a pity that her cultivation was too low, so she was unable to receive the qualifications for it. Yet, even though the young man possessed cultivation beneath hers, he still managed to clear the examination in a few minutes. The more she thought about the matter, the more suffocated she felt on the inside, to the point where she could not catch her breath anymore. Seeing how the youngdys face was turning red at a moment and white in the other, clutching her chest at one moment and tearing at her hair in the other... she really looked mentally deranged. Knowing that it would be disrespectful to point that out, Zhang Xuan very conscientiously changed the topic. Right, you still havent answered my question yet. Are you from a Sage n? Suppressing all of those overwhelming emotions inside her, Senior Shui Qianrou replied, My name is Shui Qianrou, and Ie from a Sage n, the Shui n! Shui n? Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something, and he lowered his head contemtively for a moment before asking in bewilderment, I have a friend who is from the Mu n, and he practices wood attribute cultivation techniques. Water and wood 1 ... Could it be that there are ns rting to the Five Elements among the Sage ns? Mu Yuan, whom he had met in the Hongyuan Empire, was a member of the Mu n. For a Shui n to appear here... could there really be some kind of Five Elements ns among the Sage ns? Otherwise, would it not be really coincidental for the Shui n to practice water attribute cultivation techniques and the Mu n to practice wood attribute cultivation techniques? The ns rting to the Five Elements are Tier-1 Sage ns... You dont know this? Shui Qianrou was really rendered speechless this time around. On top of being Tier-1 Sage ns, the Five Elements ns had a history of being deeply united with one another, such that even the Zhang n and the Luo n had to think twice before getting on bad terms with them. As someone who had managed to get into the Sanctum of Sages, how could the young man have never heard of them? Do you live beneath a rock? But thinking about the matter once more, it was not like the matter waspletely impossible. Despite being a Conferred Empire, the Qingyuan Empire was located extremely far away from the center of the Master Teacher Continent. Considering that, it was not too surprising that they were not well-informed on the power structure of the Sage ns. The summer worm would nevere to know of ice, and the frog in the well would never understand the vastness of the sea! At this, Shui Qianrou shook her head and began exining. Sage ns are divided into various tiers... You should have at least heard of that, right? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. There were Sage ns in the Eight Conferred Empires too, such as the n thatXue Ning 2 hade from. However, they were mostly Tier-3. Sage ns can be basically divided into four tiers. Standing at the top of the pyramid are the Premier ns. While their standing pale inparison to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, their standing surpasses that of the Apothecary Guild headquarters, cksmith Guild headquarters, and such. They wield immense authority and an exalted position in the Master Teacher Continent. All in all, there are three Premier ns, namely the Zhang n, the Luo n, and the Jiang n, Shui Qianrou exined. Beneath them are Tier-1 Sage ns. The Five Elements ns such as the Shui n and the Mu n are listed in this category. Some of the stronger organizations in the Master Teacher Continent, despite not being Sage ns, may also be ced in this category forparison sake, such as the cier in Court, Apothecary Guild, so on and so forth. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. All along, he had heard much about the strength of the Zhang n and the Luo n, and he knew that they were behemoths as well. However, he did not think that they would actually wield that much influence and power in the Master Teacher Continent, possessing a position that surpassed even that of the Apothecary Guild headquarters. It was no wonder Wu shi and the others had been so worried when they learned that the person he liked was the little princess of the Luo n! After that are the Tier-2 ns. These ns wield a position on par with the Empire Alliance, and overall, they number around a hundred. Last but not least, there are the Tier-3 ns, who wield influence equivalent to Conferred Empires. There are many of them spread across the entire Master Teacher Continent, such that I cant even give you a rough estimate as to how many of them there are. Shui Qianrou briefly went through the four different tiers of Sage ns while Zhang Xuan nodded along. The youngdy had pretty muchid out everything clearly for him, albeit in a rather simplified way. It seemed like the Sage ns obeyed a very strict hierarchy as well. At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought about Yuan Tao, and he could not help but ask, I have a stufriend who is from the Yuan n. May I know which tier the Yuan n is in? Considering that the cier in Court was on par with Tier-1 Sage ns, if the Yuan n were to be beneath that... Well, perhaps he should consider finding Yuan Tao and bringing him back. Seeing that Zhang Xuan really did not know anything at all, Shui Qianrou shook her head helplessly and said, For the Five Elements n, the Mu n, Shui n, and Jin n 3 have names that correspond directly to the element that they represent. On the other hand, the n that represent fire has the surname Chi, and the n that represents earth has the surname Yuan. As far as I know, there should be no other Yuan n among the Sage ns, so the friend that you spoke of should be a member of the Five Elements ns Yuan n! The Yuan n represents earth of the Five Elements ns? So, its a Tier-1 n? Zhang Xuan was slightly startled. To be honest, he really did not think that the Yuan n would be so formidable. Indeed. Not only so, the Yuan n is also known as the strongest of the Five Elements ns. They boast fearsome might and invincible defense, making them infallible berserkers of the battlefield! Shui Qianrou exined. The cultivation technique and bloodline ability passed down in the Shui n had the ability to epass everything, using flexibility and technique to curb overwhelming force with ease, but the problem with that was that their offensive prowess was too weak! Of the Five Elements ns, the n that boasted the greatest offensive power was the Jin n. However, if other factors were taken into ount as well, the Yuan n was the unquestionable number one. I see. Thats a relief... Hearing that the Yuan n was not too weak, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Since the Yuan n had such a powerful heritage, he would not need to worry about Yuan Tao for the time being. A n as powerful as that should have plenty of means to raise Yuan Taos cultivation and fighting prowess swiftly. In fact, there was a chance that his cultivation might even be on par with Zhao Yas. At this moment, Shui Qianrou suddenly sent a telepathic message over. Our teachers residence is just ahead. Later on, try not to speak unless necessary... Raising his head, Zhang Xuan realized that they had arrived before a rather stately-looking residence. Even before entering its premises, he could feel a powerful Sword Intent emanating from within, leaving him feeling as if he had returned to the Sword Lagoon. Is this where Elder Jian Qinsheng lives? Truly extraordinary! Zhang Xuan remarked. As expected of the number one sword practitioner in the Sanctum of Sages. Despiteprehending Sword Quintessence, he still felt his Sword Intent being suppressed by the aura emanating from the residence, leaving him feeling slightly stifled on the inside. Theres a surge of sword qi in the entrance that serves to keep ordinary students at bay. Give me a moment, Ill report your presence to my teacher so as to open up the path for you... Taking a deep breath, Shui Qianrou walked up to the residence, and just as she was about to enter, she suddenly noticed a sword qi thrashing around between the fingers of the young man beside her. The sword qi was struggling with all its might to escape, but as if mped tightly between two steel bars, it was unable to free itself. Sword qi? Do you mean this? Zhang Xuan was asked in bewilderment. Chapter 1323 - All Wrong

Chapter 1323: All Wrong

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Goosebumps immediately rose all over Shui Qianrous body, and she nearly lost all rationality. It was just a moment ago that she had reminded the young man to act with prudence so that he would not offend her teacher identally, and then he actually grabbed the surge of sword qi protecting the residence as soon as he arrived. Cant you just cool it down a little? Realizing his mistake as well, Zhang Xuan hurriedly apologized. Ah, pardon me. Ill release it right now! He had sensed the surge of sword qi as soon as he arrived by the entrance of the residence, and he had feared that it would identally harm Shui Qianrou, so he had secretly captured it. He did not think that it would actually be a doorkeeper left behind by Jian Qinsheng to fend off uninvited guests! In fear of the sharp sword qi, there would surely be no one who would dare mess around with it. This was as good as turning away all guests. Regardless of what Jian Qinshengs intentions for leaving behind the sword qi were, that was not something for Zhang Xuan to interfere with. As a guest, it was indeed rather inappropriate for him to have captured the doorkeeper. Thus, he swiftly released his grip on the sword qi. The struggling sword qi did not think that it would be released all of a sudden. Simr to a wild cat abruptly being released from its restraint, it whizzed uncontrobly outward. Sou! The stone pir propping up the entrance gate was immediately sliced apart Jiya! It fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. This... Zhang Xuan waspletely dumbfounded by the unexpected damage. All he had done was release the sword qi. How was he to know that thetter would be so unreliable, whizzing off to destroy the very ce that it was supposed to guard. Still, to capture the other partys doorkeeper and indirectly result in the destruction of the gate... what would Jian Qinsheng think of him? But he really did not do it intentionally! ... Shui Qianrous vision turned dark. She had reminded Zhang Xuan time and time again to be careful, but it was as if her words had fallen on deaf ears. Now that he had caused such a hugemotion even before meeting her teacher... You are really putting me at a difficult position, do you know that? While Zhang Xuan was still feeling deeply stifled by what had happened so far, a loud bellow suddenly sounded from the residence. Who is it? Following which, eight men suddenly rushed out and encircled them. Senior Xie, its me! rmed, Shui Qianrou swiftly stepped forward to calm down the situation. Junior Shui? What happened over here? Senior Xie frowned. Zhang shi over here has heard of our teachers reputation, so he wanted to pay a visit to him. I forgot to warn him in advance about the sword qi, which resulted in this mishap, Shui Qianrou swiftly exined on Zhang Xuans behalf. Our teachers sword qi is known for its iparable sharpness. To not know of it in advance and yet remain unharmed in the face of it, even turning it against the gate instead, it seems like the friend you have over there is a skilled sword practitioner! Senior Xies eyebrows shot up, and he began assessing Zhang Xuan intently from head to toe. Senior Xie was a young man in his early thirties. He was dressed in a green robe, and with a sword in hand, he exuded a sharp and domineering aura. His cultivation had already reached Saint 6-dan, Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage! I have only learned swordsmanship for a short moment and amcking in skills, so I wasnt able to react in time when the sword qi appeared previously. I am sorry for the trouble I have caused. Zhang Xuan swiftly spoke up, too. He hade with a favor in mind, so it would be best for him to maintain a humble attitude. Besides, he had not forgotten his motto of maintaining a low profile at all times yet! Theres no need for any apologies here. The reason our teacher has left this surge of sword qi here is to assess the visitorsprehension of swordsmanship. Only those who possess an innate sensitivity toward swordsmanship will be able to notice it in advance and avoid being harmed by it, Senior Xie replied with a hearty smile. Alright, Ill bring you to meet our teacher! Youll bring me to meet your teacher? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Did he identally take the wrong script? In the past, when he identally caused some damage here and there, the other party would be convulsing all over, ring at him with such hostility that he felt like he wouldbust under it. But this time around, no one was angry at him? And they were even inviting him to meet their teacher? Was this a trap? Were they afraid that he would run as soon as they talked aboutpensation, so they decided to first bring him into the heart of their base before extorting a fortune out of him? Or perhaps... was the demolition of the residence a part of Jian Qinshengs test for his visitors? Thinking back, most powerful experts had rather bizarre quirks of their own. Taking Sage Kui for example, he was nothing but a fragmented soul now, and yet, he was still diligently whittling down that metal rod of his. Perhaps, demolition was the little quirk that the austere top swordmaster of Sanctum of Sages had? It would be wonderful if that was really the case. Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to score full brownie points from Jian Qinsheng if so! Having guessed this much, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Shui Qianrou, wanting to see the answer from her face. However, thetter had a look of utter confusion on her face, which suggested that she was not aware that Jian Qinsheng had such practices. Forget it! Regardless of whether its a blessing or a disaster, Ill just have to deal with it when the timees! After a moment of dilemma, Zhang Xuan heaved a deep sigh on the inside before he sped his fist and directed a polite smile to Senior Xie. Ill be troubling you then! After which, he followed Senior Xie into the residence. Perhaps because it was located in the Sanctum of Sages, Jian Qinshengs residence was not too big. However, as if to make up for theck of quantity with quality, it was exquisite. For starters, it was surrounded by a massive formation that allowed sword qi to flow freely on the inside. These surges of sword qi moved in ordance to some kind of a profound pattern, as if inviting sword practitioners to decipher its secrets. Such an environment would be highly effective in aiding sword practitioners in deepening theirprehension of swordsmanship, allowing them to improve by leaps and bounds within a short period of time. Secretly activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan studied the formation carefully and swiftly identified the locations of the formation gs and formation core. This way, if anyone were to dare make a move on him, he would be able to reduce the entire residence to rubble in an instant. This knowledge left Zhang Xuan feeling reassured inside, and he nodded in satisfaction. While Zhang Xuan was still examining his surroundings, Shui Qianrou discreetly walked to Senior Xies side and asked through zhenqi telepathy, Senior Xie, whats going on here? She was Jian Qinshengs disciple as well, and all along, she had known the sword qi guarding the residence to be a measure to prevent outsiders from barging in casually. When in the world did it be a test? Our teacher went to watch the earlier entrance examination, and he said that there are a few talented individuals among the new batch of freshmen who possess a profound understanding of swordsmanship. So, he altered the strength of the sword qi slightly, saying that those who are able to notice it in advance and remain unharmed in the face of it are those who possess great aptitude in swordsmanship. He tasked me with bringing anyone who manages to fulfill these two criteria to him. You didnt hear of the news because you left early in the morning, Senior Xie replied. The entrance examination was a huge affair in the Sanctum of Sages, and most elders would pay close attention to it in the hope of finding a suitable sessor. As austere as Jian Qinsheng was, it was his deepest wish to pass down his ancestors swordsmanship, so he wanted to find a suitable sessor to groom. I see! Coming to realize the situation, Shui Qianrou finally heaved a sigh of relief. All was fine as long as her teacher was not angry! Circling around a flower garden, a gazebo soon came into appearance. An elder was standing within the gazebo with a sword in hand, seemingly cultivating some kind of sword art. Our teacher is currently practicing his swordsmanship, so Ill have to ask you to wait here for a moment. Senior Xie waved his hand. Alright. Zhang Xuan halted as he looked at the elder in the gazebo intently, interested to see what he was going to do. The elders movements were extremely slow, but there was a distinct feeling of unbounded flexibility from it, a little reminiscent of the Taiji Fist. Every single sh seemed to seal off an entire area of space, leaving those facing it with no way to escape from the attack. What profound swordsmanship, Zhang Xuan remarked in awe. As one who hadprehended Sword Quintessence, Zhang Xuan could be considered as one who had reached the very pinnacle of swordsmanship. To the untrained eye, the elders movement might seem to be nothing much, full of openings for one to exploit. However, with just a nce, Zhang Xuan could tell the extraordinary prowess of the sword art. Slow as it might have been, the elders swordsmanship harnessed the very essence of swordsmanship in it. It actually bears some semnce of the Heavens Path Sword Art! It was an indubitable fact that swordsmanship was valued for its flexibility and swiftness in movements, but it would be sheer foolishness to equate swiftness to strength. A swift sword wielded fearsome prowess, but if it was unable to strike the vitals of the opponent, it would merely be a waste of strength. Anyone could pick up a weapon and sh it wildly in quick session. Such a maneuver would appear frightening, keeping most at bay. However, a true expert would be able to instantaneously see through the openings in the attacks and subdue the individual with a single strike. In a battle, swiftness was far from enough. Precision was of the utmost importance as well. The elders swordsmanship was extremely slow, such that it would be more urate to call it a performance than a real sword art, but every single movement of his was aligned with the essence of swordsmanship. Even the air seemed to tremble in resonance to his movements, sealing the entire space altogether. This bore a striking resemnce to his Heavens Path Sword Art! It was the kind of swordsmanship that waspletely devoid of excessive actions. As soon as the de was drawn, it would surely strike a vital spot. It was due to this property that Zhang Xuan had been able to instill fear in the hearts of his opponent through his Heavens Path Sword Art, and none of those in the same cultivation realm as him stood a chance against his swordsmanship. After the initial shock, Zhang Xuan soon shook his head. However, while it does bear a striking resemnce, its stillcking a little! As simr as it was to the Heavens Path Sword Art, it simply was not it. In swordsmanship, even the slightest of difference could create the greatest difference in results! If the elder were to face him with such swordsmanship, even if the elder wielded strength simr to the puppet in the Jia Corridor, Zhang Xuan would be able to defeat him easily! It was not to say that the elders swordsmanship was weak, but the current sword art he was executing could be said to be a poor imitation of the Heavens Path Sword Art. Every single move it made would simply be naturally curbed by the real Heavens Path Sword Art, thus cing the elder in an absolutely disadvantageous position. Regardless of whether this sword art was created by him or the Third Sanctum Head, the very fact that he could achieve this level of swordsmanship is a frightening feat in itself. Still... I can only say that its a huge pity! Zhang Xuan sighed on the inside. The Heavens Path Sword Art was created bypiling innumerable sword arts together, and it had already achieved the level of simplified profoundness. As an ordinary human, it was indeed incredible for the elder to have been able toe so close toprehending the essence of swordsmanship. Hu! While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the elder in the gazebo finally halted his movements and retracted his sword. His aura felt as steady as a mountain, and his zhenqi swiftly retracted like the ebbing tide, making it impossible to discern anything extraordinary about him with the naked eye. If not for witnessing the wonders in his swordsmanship, Zhang Xuan might have thought of him as an ordinary old man. With a light smile, the elder turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, This friend over here, I saw you shaking your head earlier. Is there something inappropriate with my swordsmanship? Inappropriate? Thats not it. Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before continuing. It would be more apt to say that... itspletely wrong! Chapter 1324 - A Strand of Hair

Chapter 1324: A Strand of Hair

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Completely wrong? Shui Qianrou was stunned for an instant before her face swiftly warped in horror. It felt like she had received enough shocks for a lifetime that day. She had already told the young man in advance to mind his words, and thetter had responded positively to her words. Is this what you mean by being careful with your words? Her teachers swordsmanship was number one in the Sanctum of Sages. In fact, even when taking the entire Master Teacher Continent into ount, he was definitely ranked amid those who stood at the zenith. In face of such a master, an ordinary man would not even dare breathe loudly, fearing that his actions would incur her teachers wrath. Yet, this fellow actually said that his swordsmanship waspletely wrong! Are you incapable of speaking properly? At the same time, Senior Xies face also turned livid with anger. What did you say? Those words could be taken as a clear insult toward his teacher. He still had some respect for the young man in view of how he was able to discover and subdue the sword qi at the entrance, but who would have thought that he was just a person with his head in the clouds? Let him finish his words. The elder, Jian Qinsheng, waved his hand before turning his gaze to Zhang Xuan. This sword art was passed down to me from my ancestor, and it was with this sword art that he rose to the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent. It would be an exaggeration to say that he was infallible, but there was hardly anyone who was a match for him then... So, why would you say that this sword art ispletely wrong? Well... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but he soon realized that there were so many ws that he did not know where he should start from. If he were to start listing all of them, he was afraid that the elder might just lose all confidence in his swordsmanship. Thus, he could only sigh and say, There are simply too many of them. I dont know how I should put it... You dont know how you should put it? Shui Qianrous fists were so tightly clenched together that her fingernails were sinking into her flesh. If you dont know how you should put it, why dont you consider not speaking at all? Are you really not afraid of death, or are you just tired of living? Overwhelmed with rage, Senior Xie stepped forward and bellowed, Arrogant fellow! Do you really think that you will be able to impress my teacher by spouting such nonsense over here? On the other hand, Jian Qinsheng frowned upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. As one of the most esteemed swordmasters throughout the Master Teacher Continent, there were countless young talents who wished toe under his tutge. However, due to his severe demands when selecting his disciples, only a rare few were epted. Perhaps in an attempt to stand out from the others, there were those who would utter arrogant words before him each year in hopes of catching his attention. It was a pity that their arrogance would be proven empty after a quick test. However, on top of wielding top-notch swordsmanship, Jian Qinsheng was an 8-star high-tier master teacher as well, possessing a superior eye of discernment. When the young man before him spoke those words earlier, there were no unnatural fluctuations in his voice, and his aura remained steady throughout. This was a sign of conviction, meaning to say that he had confidence in what he was saying. This was in stark contrast to the hint of anxiety and apprehension he had sensed from the previous students who had dared speak arrogantly before him. For this, rather than being angered by the young mans words, he was intrigued. He wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. Senior Xie sped his fist and said, Teacher, please permit me to challenge that arrogant fellow to a duel and assess his swordsmanship! If his words prove to be empty, I wish to teach him a lesson so that he will learn some humility! How could he stand idly when someone was doubting his own teacher? As a student, it was his obligation to uphold his teachers reputation and honor! Instead of replying to Senior Xies request, Jian Qinsheng turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, You are a freshman, right? Yes, I am, Zhang Xuan replied with an attitude that appeared neither subservient nor arrogant. Un. Among the freshmen, theres a student who possesses exceptional swordsmanship. His name is Zhang Jiuxiao. Could you be him? Jian Qinsheng asked. He had watched the entrance examination, and he had seen that Zhang Jiuxiao had achieved the level of Half-Quintessence in swordsmanship despite his young age. There was no doubt that he harnessed boundless potential within him. Could the young man before him possibly be Zhang Jiuxiao? Jiuxiao is a friend of mine. At this point, Zhang Xuan bowed slightly before continuing. I am Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan? Jian Qinsheng pondered for a moment before shaking his head. Throughout the entrance examination, he had only been keeping an eye out for those who possessed exceptional talent in swordsmanship. While Zhang Xuan did cause a hugemotion when he rose to the top fifty in the final moment, to Jian Qinsheng, that was nothing worthy of note at all. You said that my sword art ispletely wrong, but when I asked you about it, you arent able to say anything either. Since thats the case, why dont you have a duel with my student? Ill have him suppress his cultivation to your level. Of course, the both of you willpete only in terms of swordsmanship, and itll be a friendly duel, Jian Qinsheng proposed. Since the other party was not Zhang Jiuxiao, it was likely that hisprehension of swordsmanship was not too deep either. Thus, he decided to have his student try the other party out so as to see just what gave him the confidence to utter such brazen words. Sure, Im fine with it. Zhang Xuan nodded. Since he was unable to voice the ws, it would be good if he could demonstrate it to the other party instead. Perhaps, he might be able to give the other party some insights regarding it. Follow me! Hearing that the young man had agreed to the duel, Senior Xie harrumphed coldly before leading the way forward. A momentter, they arrived at an empty clearing not too far away from the gazebo. It was around twenty meters in diameter, a decent size to hold a battle. Hu! After taking his position in the clearing, Senior Xie slowly drew his sword. The instant that his sword left its sheath, the air around him immediately changed. It felt sharp and dangerous, reminiscent of a dagger that would plunge right into ones body at any moment. Geji! Geji! Even though he had suppressed his cultivation down to Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, Senior Xie still carried an imposing presence that made him tower over others. Upper Sword Heart? With just a look, Zhang Xuan was able to tell that Senior Xie had already achieved the level of Upper Sword Heart, just a step away from achieving a breakthrough. To be able to achieve such a level of mastery in his swordsmanship at his age, even if he was still slightlyckingpared to Zhang Jiuxiao, he could already be considered an expert. Channeling his spirit and mind to the peak, Senior Xie gazed at Zhang Xuan coldly. Wheres your sword? Make your move! My sword? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Considering that he was dealing with someone of his cultivation realm, and hisprehension of swordsmanship had already reached Sword Quintessence... he would really be bullying the other party if he wielded a sword. Thus, he quickly took a look at the surroundings before his eyes finally fell upon Shui Qianrou. If its not too much trouble, I would like to borrow something from you, Senior Shui! You want to borrow something from me? Shui Qianrou was bewildered by that abrupt request for a moment before realization struck her. She flicked her wrist and passed her sword over. Here! Given how the young man had examined her sword previously, he must have been thinking of borrowing it from her. Typically speaking, due to the presence of a spirit within the sword, it would be difficult to borrow the sword of another. However, given that the young man had achieved Sword Quintessence, that should not be a problem. Thats not what I mean. Instead of taking the sword, Zhang Xuan walked up to Shui Qianrou, and with a light pinch, a strand of hair from the youngdy fell into his palm. I dont need the sword. Ill just borrow a hair. After saying those words, he infused zhenqi into the strand of hair. Weng! The hair immediately stood up as if a rapier. Returning to the clearing, Zhang Xuan said with a smile, Lets begin! You are going to use that against me? Senior Xies eyes reddened in rage as his body trembled non-stop. He was one of the top sword practitioners among the student popce in the Sanctum of Sages, not to mention, the student of Swordmaster Jian Qinsheng. It was already beneath his standing to challenge a mere freshman, and yet, that fellow actually wanted to face him with a single strand of hair. That was a tant show of derision toward him! Un. I dont have a hobby of bullying others. Zhang Xuan nodded calmly. Now youre asking for it! Rage consumed his rationality as Senior Xie whipped his sword through the air with a piercing shrill. The difference between a professional and an amateur would clearly show as soon as they made a move. Even though Senior Xie was clearly in an enraged state, he did not allow it to affect his swordsmanship at all. As soon as he made a move, he had already sealed eight of Zhang Xuans acupoints with his sword qi, sealing the major zhenqi cirction pathway associated with most sword arts. That fellows rage is faked? Zhang Xuan noted with a nod of approval. There was truly no one mediocre among the students of the Sanctum of Sages. Despite appearing to be iparably angry on the surface, appearing as if he would explode at any moment, Zhang Xuan realized that Senior Xie was actually analyzing his posture and movements with absolute calmness, and the maneuvers he had executed were also calcted precisely to seal off his escape routes. Were the one facing this attack another Upper Sword Heart expert or even Zhang Jiuxiao, they would surely be sent into a fluster, forced to face him head-on. But if Zhang Xuan were to do that, the hair in his hand would surely be destroyed by the force from the collision. With his weapon destroyed at the very first encounter, that would signal the end of this sword duel. Forcing others to go on the defensive with a single strike, sword experts really should not be underestimated. However, it was a pity that the opponent Senior Xie was facing was an expert who hadprehended Sword Quintessence! With a light smile, Zhang Xuan did not bother to retreat or side step. Instead, with a leisurely diagonal pierce, he aimed for Senior Xies shoulder. To most, it would be hard to understand why he would ignore the de that was swiftly falling upon him andunch an offense on the opponents shoulder instead. However, upon seeing this sight, a deep frown appeared between Jian Qinshengs eyebrows, and a look of disbelief surfaced in his eyes. That was one of the moves he had executed earlier in the gazebo. Just that, the young man had managed to make it even more ingenious and fluid. The very movement seemed to naturally harmonize with the world, granting itpelling might. He had only made slight changes in the movement here and there, but the prowess he is able to bring forth is at a whole new level. Jian Qinsheng clenched his fists tightly in agitation. As a renowned swordmaster on the Master Teacher Continent, his eye for swordsmanship was irrefutable. The young mans movements appeared to be naively simple, but the crux to ity in its impable timing to overwhelm the enemys swordsmanship. Through it, even a strand of hair could disy might on par with a sword! Hmm? At this moment, Senior Xies face also warped in astonishment. As soon as the young man made a move, he immediately felt his zhenqi cirction pathway being severed, and as if his chest had been wed apart, intense pangs of pain assaulted him. Damn it! With reddened eyes, Senior Xie swiftly retracted his attack and began flitting around the clearing. He was intending onunching a forceful attack to capitalize on the strength of his sword to sever the young mans hair strand. However, after his initial n fell apart, he decided to take a more careful approach, flitting around the battlefield in wait for a suitable opportunity to take the young man down in a single move. It was only a brief encounter, but it had eroded all disdain he had for the young man before him. He realized that the young mansprehension of swordsmanship was not beneath his. This... On the other hand, the various juniors who had gathered in the area to spectate Senior Xies duel were confused as to why Senior Xie would take a defensive position right after a single sh, and perplexed murmurs could be heard among them. Even Shui Qianrou waspletely bewildered by the situation as well. While Jian Qinsheng was able to sense the ingenuity behind Zhang Xuans move, his disciples were limited by their own understanding of swordsmanship and could not see through it. As a result, it appeared to them that Senior Xie was intentionally going easy on the young man. Senior Xie is simply too kind! Indeed. If it was me, I would have that fellow sliced apart in a heartbeat! Dont worry. Since Senior Xie has proposed the duel, he will definitely make that young man deeply regret his earlier arrogance! Such whispers could be vaguely heard in the area. Zhang Xuan heard those whispers, too, but he shrugged them off with a light chuckle. He had to admit that Senior Xie was sharper and more flexible than he had thought. Thetter seemed to have realized that his shoulder pierce was not as simple as it lookedthe timing and trajectory of the motion allowed for countless transformations that would allow him to easily suppress anything that thetter could have thrown at himso he decisively withdrew his attack, opting to bide his time and wait for an opening. But how could the Heavens Path Sword Art be avoided just by moving around the area? Holding the strand of hair tightly, Zhang Xuan used the very same move tounch another diagonal pierce. This time, the hair strand was not aimed for Senior Xies shoulder but his throat. Once again, it looked like a simple maneuver, but due to its impable timing, it allowed for countless transformations. No matter how Senior Xie tried to evade, Zhang Xuan had plenty of ways to drag him back into the center of the attack, as if he was trapped in an inescapable whirlpool. In other words, there was no way to avoid it at all! The same move, but due to a slight difference in the trajectory of attack and timing, there was a manyfold difference in terms of prowess! It was difficult to believe that something like this could be possible even when witnessing it with ones own eyes. Theres actually such a transformation to the move as well? By the side, Jian Qinsheng widened his eyes in shock, not daring to believe what he was seeing. Chapter 1325 - A Strand to Shatter the Sword

Chapter 1325: A Strand to Shatter the Sword

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Having devoted many years of his life to uncovering the secrets behind his ancestors swordsmanship, Jian Qinsheng was already well-versed in all the different transformations in the swordsmanship. The move that Zhang Xuan had executed earlier consisted of eighteen different types of transformations, but there were none that were an attack from this angle! A simple pierce it might have been, but it was indubitably a masterful stroke, cornering the opponent in a single move! Jian Qinsheng could not believe his eyes. But to do this, one must have an absolute grasp over the timing of the battle and the maneuvers of the opponent. Even I would require a lengthy period of contemtion before I could think of something like that, and to do so during a tense battle, where life and death hinge on the slightest millimeter of difference... Even he would struggle to execute such a movement in battle. You... While Jian Qinsheng was stunned by the situation, Senior Xie felt an extremely stifling sensation that threatened to blow his chest up. Even though he could notprehend the profundity of the pierce, he could feel his flow of zhenqi and momentum beingpletely thrown off when the hair strand pierced toward him. Given his current movement, if he could not find a solution fast, he would crash right into the hair! Although it was just a strand of hair, with zhenqi infused into it, its sharpness was on par with any sword. It was definitely more than capable of piercing through his throat or even decapitating his head! Retreat! Knowing that he would only incur severe injuries if he pushed on ahead, he gritted his teeth and thrust his palm forward. Pah! A sonic boom sounded in the air, and Senior Xie made use of the reaction force from the palm thrust to retreat. Due to the abrupt reversal in his energy flow, Senior Xie lost control of the raging zhenqi in his body, and it rampaged throughout his body like a heavy hammer tossed around the area. His face swiftly reddened, and fresh blood began trickling down from the corners of his mouth. So far, they had traded two moves, but without even touching one another, he was already injured. Most likely, no one would believe him if he told them. What is going on? I have no idea either. What is Senior Xie up to? With their eye of discernment, they were unable to see through the prowess of Zhang Xuans sword art. All they saw was that Senior Xie had the upper hand when he abruptly retreated, resulting in a bacsh in his energy flow. This bewildering situation left all of them dumbstruck. Could it be that... our Senior Xie is actually a masochist? Now that you mention it, that could very well be the case. I remember that Senior Xie once pursued our Senior Shui before, but the very next day, his entire face was swollen. I heard about that, too. After that, he didnt dare take even a second nce at Senior Shui, right? Just that, what does that have to do with being masochist? It has everything to do with being masochist! Every single person in the academy knows that that person likes Senior Shui, and he still dared to court her. Isnt that just asking for a beating? The various juniors gossiped by the side. On the other hand, seeing the bizarre expressions that his juniors were shooting him by the side, Senior Xie could roughly guess what they were thinking of, and his face turnedpletely livid. He had nned to teach that arrogant fellow a lesson in his teachers stead, but despite wielding a Saint intermediate-tier sword to deal with a fellow who was holding nothing but a strand of hair, he ended up inducing an energy bacsh himself and spurted blood. If you can withstand this move, Ill admit defeat! Taking a step back, Senior Xie took a deep breath before his eyes abruptly narrowed dangerously. Hu! A powerful surge of Sword Intent immediately burst forth from it, rising straight up into the sky. Its Senior Xies trump card, Sorrowless Sword! This is the sword art created by our teacher, right? A sword to sever all frustrations, distancing oneself from worry and sorrow. Within the same cultivation realm, there is none who can withstand this sword art! Our teacher is able to create 99 surges of sword qi instantaneously when executing this move. Of us, Senior Xie has shown the greatest aptitude toward this sword art, and even though he cannotpare to our teacher, hes already able to produce 32 surges of sword qi in a breath! With 32 surges of sword qi sealing his acupoints, the young man wont even be able to find the strength within him to counterattack... ... Amotion broke out in the surroundings, and worry surfaced in Shui Qianrous eyes. She was the one who had brought Zhang Xuan here, so she would feel deeply guilty if he was injured in the duel against her senior. But with his strength, this shouldnt pose a problem at all... However, recalling how the young man was able to clear even the Yi Corridor, it was unlikely that Senior Xie would be a match for him. Tzzzz! Driving his aura to its very peak, Senior Xie rose into the sky, and entering the state of Sword-Man Union, he pushed his sword forth. Not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. This sword art required the sword practitioner to devote their spirit, mind, and soul into their swordsmanship in order to heighten its prowess. Without exceptional aptitude toward swordsmanship, it would be difficult to achieve this feat. With a single pierce, he was able to seal off 32 of the opponents acupoints, thus cing the opponent in a disadvantageous position. A truly incredible technique it was. Eye of Insight! In an instant, the various ws in Senior Xies movements appeared in rity right before Zhang Xuan. The might is decent, but it has too many openings. With just a nce, Zhang Xuan could already see more than a dozen openings. Instead of stepping back, he chose one of the openings and charged forth. What is that fellow doing? Does he intend to sh directly with Senior Xies sword with that strand of hair? I cant even bring myself to watch any longer. Thats suicide! ... A huge uproar rippled through the crowd upon seeing Zhang Xuans actions. In their view, the logical course of action to make before Senior Xies ferocious offense was to evade. Yet, that young man actually dashed right up instead. He was really courting death! Even Jian Qinsheng could not help but feel deeply perplexed by the sight before him. He was the one who had created the Sorrowless Sword, and he knew very well what frightening offensive power it wielded. Even sword practitioners who wielded sword arts of the same tier would not dare sh with it directly, and yet, the young man actually wanted to face it with just a strand of hair. Not only was it likely that he would be injured in the encounter, there was even a chance that he might be killed in the sh! Hu! Before many bewildered gazes, the sword finally came into contact with the hair. Hu! Just as everyone thought that the hair strand would be sliced into countless shreds by the rampaging sword qi, the taut hair strand suddenly ckened, and it moved in an unexpected trajectory to strike the back of Senior Xies sword. Weng! It was a resounding metallic ng, and following right after was a series of crisp sounds. Kacha! Kacha! Taken aback, everyone quickly took a closer look, and they saw cracks swiftly creeping across the sword. In just the blink of an eye, it had already shattered into countless fragments, scattering all over the ground. Pu! With his sword shattered, Senior Xie once again suffered a bacsh of his zhenqi. His face reddened, and blood spurted from his mouth. With a jolt, his body copsed to the ground. The Sorrowless Sword was indubitably a powerful sword art, but it required an extreme level of concentration into ones sword. The shattering of the sword would inevitably result in the abrupt severing of ones mind, spirit, and soul, dealing immense damage to the sword practitioner. This... The surroundings fell unnervingly silent. Everyone stared at the young man, aghast. Swallowing a pill, Senior Xie struggled to his feet as he muttered despondently beneath his breath, Ive lost... No matter how unwilling he was to ept it, he had no choice but to admit his defeat. For a sword practitioner like him to lose to a strand of hair while wielding a Saint intermediate-tier sword... Everything was so unbelievable that it felt unreal to him, as if he was in the midst of a dream. Theres no need to feel discouraged by your loss, Jian Qinsheng told Senior Xie. After which, he turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan with a heated look in his eyes, as if he had found a gem. This young brother over here has achieved a level of swordsmanship far above yours! I understand... Senior Xie nodded in embarrassment. Noting the slight air of awkwardness, Zhang Xuan quickly spoke up. Its just a friendly duel to learn from one another. Im also in awe of Senior Xies extraordinary swordsmanship. To be able to use a strand of hair to shatter his sword, your grasp over the sword has really reached the apex of the continent. Jian Qinsheng did not hold back on hispliments at all. If I didnt see wrongly, your strand of hair should also be severed too, right? Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded as he released his zhenqi. Hu! With the slight tug of a light breeze, the taut hair immediately dissipated on the spot. The crowd was astonished once more. It wasnt too difficult to infuse ones zhenqi into an intact strand of hair to pull it taut, but the strand of hair that the young man wielded had already dissipated into countless fragments. To be able to circte ones zhenqi through it to maintain its form and even shatter Senior Xies sword... just how frightening was the young mans control over his zhenqi? After confirming his guess, Jian Qinsheng consoled his disciple with a smile. Actually, you dont have to be too disheartened. Your sword wasnt shattered by the strand of hair in his hand. Hearing those words, a look of iprehension surfaced on Senior Xies face. The other disciples were equally confused as well. The shattering of the sword had only begun after the hair struck the sword. If it was not the hair that had caused the shattering of the sword, what else could it be? When you execute the Sorrowless Sword, due to your piercing action, you focus all your might at the tip of the sword, hoping to concentrate your strength to defeat your opponent. As a result of that, the de of your sword was leftpletely unguarded. Furthermore, the spot that the hair strand struck was where the exertion of might intersected, thus causing the zhenqi you have infused into the sword to run amok. To put it in more direct terms, its your own strength that caused the shattering of the sword. All your opponent did was find the ideal position and timing to strike! Jian Qinsheng exined earnestly, fearing that his disciple would lose all confidence in his swordsmanship as a result of this encounter. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, May I know if what I have said is true? Elder Jian is indeed keen-eyed! Zhang Xuan nodded. Jian Qinsheng was right. No matter how he concentrated his zhenqi into the strand of hair he wielded, it was impossible for it to be able to shatter a Saint intermediate-tier weapon. The reason he had been able to produce such an effect was because he had tapped into Senior Xies strength as well. When the intersection of might within the sword was struck by his strand of hair, the gathered zhenqi ran amok, resulting in the swift destruction of the de. Due to the bacsh from the strike, the feeble strand of hair also ended up being reduced into countless shreds. If not for Zhang Xuans pure zhenqi, it would have long disappeared along with the wind. To be able to see through ws in the swordsmanship of another andunch a precise counterattack, if Im not mistaken... With a hint of agitation and disbelief in his eyes, Jian Qinsheng stared at Zhang Xuan intently as he asked, Has yourprehension of swordsmanship already achieved the level of Sword Quintessence? Only those who had achieved the level of Sword Quintessence could possess such sensitivity to swordsmanship, clearly perceiving the movement of sword qi in the area tounch an effective counterattack, thus easily subduing Senior Xie even while he was executing the Sorrowless Sword. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He might still have been able to conceal it if he had not made a move, but if Jian Qinsheng could not tell this much after the previous disy, the many years he had spent practicing swordsmanship really would have been in vain. Toprehend Sword Quintessence despite being only in your twenties... Are you from the Zhang n? Even after hearing the affirmative response from Zhang Xuan, Jian Qinsheng still found it difficult to believe what he was hearing. Just how much aptitude must the young man possess in swordsmanship in order to climb this far at an age as young as his? One must know that he had also been reputed to be a peerless genius back in his time, but still, he had to devote many years of effort into his swordsmanship before he was able to achieve the level of Sword Quintessence. Zhang n? Im not from the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan replied with a bitter smile. Why would everyone assume that he was from the Zhang n after hearing his name? Were the offspring of Zhang n the only Zhangs who were talented? It was as if they were saying that it was impossible for normal cultivators to achieve this level through their own hard work! You arent from the Zhang n? Jian Qinsheng was taken aback for a moment before breaking into a heartughter. Thats truly great, hahaha! This... Seeing how excited Jian Qinsheng had suddenly be, Zhang Xuan could not help but fall into a daze. To get so excited after hearing that he was not from the Zhang n, could it be that Jian Qinsheng had some kind of grudge with the Zhang n? Chapter 1326 - Classifications of Quintessence (1)

Chapter 1326: ssifications of Quintessence (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pardon me, it seems like I have acted inappropriately... With a smile, Jian Qinsheng swiftly regained hisposure as he looked at Zhang Xuan with a satisfied look. The swordsmanship you executed previously is also the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, right? Hearing that name, Zhang Xuan was startled. He shook his head and replied, Flowing Water Swordsmanship? Whats that? You have never heard of it before? Jian Qinsheng frowned. The swordsmanship that you practice was created by my ancestor, the Third Sanctum Head, Jian Liushui, and it has been passed down for many generations beforeing down to me. It is also practiced by many other sword practitioners in the Sanctum of Sages. The swordsmanship that you executed earlier, be it in terms of Sword Intent or maneuvers, bears a close resemnce to it. It should be the Flowing Water Swordsmanship. Even though the swordsmanship was created by his ancestor, it was not just passed down through his lineage. There were many students of the Sanctum of Sages Sword Sanctuary who practiced the Flowing Water Swordsmanship as well. He thought that even if the young man before him was not from the Zhang n, he must have grasped the crux to the Flowing Water Swordsmanship through some kind of fortuitous encounter, allowing him to achieve such strength within a short period of time. Yet, to think that the young man had not even heard of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship before! Realizing that Jian Qinsheng might be referring to that terribly wed swordsmanship of his, Zhang Xuan replied with a polite smile, To tell you the truth, the sword art that I executed earlier was something that I came up with. Even though its simr to your Flowing Water Swordsmanship in form, they are two different sword arts! That nonsensical swordsmanship might have appeared fine at first nce, but upon further examination, the ws that it was riddled with would leave one feeling disgusted all over. He would have to be mad to practice such swordsmanship! You came up with that sword art? Jian Qinsheng widened his eyes in disbelief. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Considering that he was in the Sanctum of Sages, one of the top institutes in the Master Teacher Continent, he could not afford to use Yang Xuans name anymore. Otherwise, if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters looked into the matter and proved his statement false, he would be in deep trouble. Since that was the case, it would be safer for him to say that he was the one who hade up with it. In any case, afterprehending Sword Quintessence, he could already be considered a swordmaster. As such, it would not be unusual for him to havee up with a couple of sword arts or something. This... Jian Qinsheng was still unable to believe what he had just heard. Can you disy the sword art that you have created once more? Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. With a flick of his fingers, several cold glints shot forth from his fingertips, slicing right through the air. His movements were straightforward and to the point, devoid of anyplexity. However, they carried an inescapable sharp edge, as if one would be unable to escape from him once the sword qi hadid its eyes on them. Another thing to note was that the sword art executed was extremely slow, but it carried a devastating momentum that left others feeling deeply helpless. It was as if standing against the sword art was equivalent to standing against the very heavens. It really isnt the Flowing Water Swordsmanship... Jian Qinsheng muttered in disappointment. He had thought that the young man before him had managed to grasp the crux of his ancestors swordsmanship, but from the looks of it, the conceptualization of the two sword arts were vastly different. This was a clear sign that they were from two separate lineages. Furthermore, he could tell that the other partys sword art was even more profound than his ancestors Flowing Water Swordsmanship, containing innumerable transformations. Unfortunately, it was still severelycking in terms of prowess. From the looks of it, it was likely to be a rather low tier sword art, not exceeding Saint intermediate-tier. Tossing aside the feelings of disappointment within, Jian Qinsheng looked at the young man before him once more. Since Zhang shi was able to create such a formidable sword art, and yourprehension of swordsmanship has also achieved the level of Sword Quintessence, you probably arent here to learn. Considering how aplished the young man before him was in the field of swordsmanship, possibly achieving a level that was close to him, it was unlikely that the young man was there to learn from him. I dide to visit with a humble request in mind. I heard that Elder Jian has a vast collection of sword art manuals, and if its not too much to ask, I would like to browse through it. Zhang Xuan revealed his true intentions. You wish to browse through my collection of sword art manuals? That isnt a problem, just that... At this point, Jian Qinsheng hesitated for a brief moment before continuing. To tell you the truth, my Compendium of Sword Arts was created by my ancestor, Jian Liushui, and he has infused his Sword Intent into it. Only those who have acquired the recognition of his Sword Intent will be able to enter its premises. In fact, I use that as a basis for deciding whom to ept as my disciples so as to ensure that they will be able to enter and study in the Compendium of Sword Arts. Only those who have acquired the recognition of his Sword Intent will be able to enter its premises? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had heard of this matter from Shui Qianrou prior to heading over, and back then, he had thought that it was a rule that Jian Qinsheng hade up with. But from the looks of it now, that was not the case. Thats right. My ancestor reached the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent in his time, and his strength far surpassing mine. The Sword Intent that he left behind is exceptionally powerful, such that even I am unable to flout his rules, Jian Qinsheng said with a bitter smile. Everyone said that he was too rigid and inflexible. He possessed an exceptional sword heritage, but he chose to selfishly keep it to himself, and that was what that led to him being unable to find a suitable sessor to his lineage of swordsmanship. Only he himself knew that he was restricted by the rules imposed by his ancestor, and there was nothing he could do about it. There are only two possible ways one can enter the Compendium of Sword Arts. First, possessing the Sanctum Head Token. Second, earning the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent. There are no other alternatives. If you really wish to ess the book collection, feel free to give it a go. Once you have earned the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent, you will be able to freely enter and leave the Compendium of Sword Arts. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Alright. While he possessed the Sanctum Head Token, he still was not entitled to the privileges that it came with. His cultivation realm was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, and his master teacher rank was at 7-star; he was a long way off being able to unseal the token. Putting aside the fact that Sage Kui had warned him against revealing the Sanctum Head Token to anyone before he managed to sessfully unseal it, it could lead to a great deal of trouble if he did so. This simply was not aligned with his motto of humility and keeping a low profile. Since that was the case, it would be good for him to see if he could receive the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent first. Perhaps, he might just be able to clear it easily with the unique nature of the Heavens Path Sword Art. Follow me! Jian Qinsheng nodded before beckoning Zhang Xuan over. Considering how talented the young man before him was and, most importantly of all, he was not from the Zhang n, Jian Qinsheng was more than willing to grant him ess to his collection of books. However, it was a pity that he was helpless before the rules. Zhang Xuan followed closely behind Jian Qinsheng, and Shui Qianrou, Senior Xie, and the others nced at one another before deciding to tag along. The fact that they were all present meant that they had earned the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent. They were curious to see if this young swordmaster would be able to do the same. It did not take long for them to arrive at a rather spacious room. Inscribed at the very center of the room was a wall with a massive (Sword) character. Its strokes were sharp and powerful, carrying a disposition that felt as if it would pierce through the heavens. It was somewhat simr to the character that he had seen back at the Sword Lagoon, but the both of them werepletely different in terms of conceptualization. Carved beneath the character were all kinds of exnations and interpretations. With just a nce, it was apparent that there was some history to those carvings. Most likely, they were the insights and experiences left behind by generations of sword practitioners in the lineage. This character was left behind by Ancestor Liushui many years ago, Jian Qinsheng exined. As long as one can step within five meters of it withouting under its attack, one will have earned the Sword Intents acknowledgement. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Once a sword practitioner had tempered their Sword Intent to a profound level, the Sword Intent could gain a certain level of consciousness, allowing it to assess a situation instinctively and move of its own ord to protect its owner. The character inscribed on the wall harnessed Jian Liushuis very will, and it would be a grave mistake to underestimate the prowess of the Sword Intent harnessed within it. If it sensed a conceptualization of swordsmanship that was at odds with it, it would automaticallyunch a series of attacks. Allow me to give it a try. Knowing what it would take for him to ess the collection of books, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and began walking forward slowly. However, barely after taking a single step, he was already feeling immensely pressured by the massive character before him. It felt as if he was a mortal standing before a stupendously massive sun, and every step forward resulted in a swift intensifying of the searing sensation on his Primordial Spirit. Is the swordsmanship I have cultivated really ipatible with the Sword Intent? Zhang Xuan had been hoping that the odds would be in his favor, but given the current circumstances, it was clear that he was not going to receive the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent. This was really troublesome. He could attempt to sneak into the Compendium of Sword Arts to read the books, but considering that he was in the Sanctum of Sages, perhaps that might not be a good decision. Ignoring the tight defenses around the Compendium of Sword Arts, if it was revealed that he, the future sanctum head, had broken into his own academy like a thief, he would be theughingstock of the town! Jeez, with great poweres great responsibility! It seemed like bing the sanctum head was not necessarily a blessing. He really missed those days when he was a nobody and could do whatever he wanted freely without being restrained by anything! While Zhang Xuan was thinking such thoughts, his feet did not stop. He continued advancing forward, and the pressure from the character continued heaping down on him. It was as if he was standing right beneath a guillotine, and the de was about to fall upon his neck at any moment. Feeling threatened by the might of the Sword Intent harnessed within the character, the Sword Intent within Zhang Xuans body also began stirring in unease, eager to charge out to stand its ground against the other. Will he be able to obtain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent? Shui Qianrou asked worriedly as she watched the young man advancing toward the character. Jian Qinsheng shook his head. Im afraid that things dont look too good for him... Through his observation, he could tell that the young man had already found his own path in swordsmanship, and it was of a vastly different conceptualization to his ancestors Flowing Water Swordsmanship. It was not possible for the young man to sessfully obtain the Sword Intents acknowledgement. Wu wu wu! While Jian Qinsheng was in the midst of his words, the character on the wall abruptly jolted, and a surge of sword qi shot straight for Zhang Xuan. Haa... Knowing that this was a sign of failure, Jian Qinsheng sighed deeply as he waved his hand forward. A powerful might burst forth from his finger, deflecting the sword qi emanated from the character. Come back! Alright. Knowing that the result was already clear, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head in disappointment before retreating. It seems like you arent able to win the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent. Perhaps, this is a sign to say that you arent meant to enter the Compendium of Sword Arts, Jian Qinsheng said inmentation. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could only sigh deeply again. Considering that the Heavens Path Sword Art harnessed the very essence of swordsmanship, he had been hoping that it might just be able to earn the acknowledgement of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship. However, it seemed like his thoughts were too naive. May I know if theres any way for me to obtain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent? Theres only one true peak to swordsmanship, but there are many different Sword Quintessences that pave the way to the top. The Sword Quintessenceprehended by my ancestor is one such way, and the oneprehended by the head of the Zhang n is another. Even though they lead to the same peak, different Sword Quintessences still repel one another due to their fundamental differences. Thus, I fear that its impossible for you to seed in your current state. That being said, perhaps, just perhaps... if you couldprehend the Flowing Water Swordsmanship to the level of Sword Quintessence, you might just be able to earn the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent, Jian Qinsheng said. If theprehending of true swordsmanship was the destination that all sword practitioners hoped to reach, Sword Quintessences could be considered the pathway that sword practitioners tread upon on their way there. Naturally, even if there was only one destination, there were innumerable pathways that could lead one there. This was just like how a question could be resolved in many different manners, but the answer would still be the same. What you mean is that... as long as Iprehend the Sword Intent harnessed in the (Sword) character on the wall and achieve the level of Sword Quintessence, I might be able to obtain the Sword Intents acknowledgement? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats right. Jian Qinsheng nodded. However, dont even think about trying that. Its only a possibility I am proposing theoretically. Achieving one Sword Quintessence already requires a sword practitioner to devote their entire life to it. Achieving a second one... that would be practically impossible! There have been countless swordsmanship geniuses in the Sanctum of Sages, but none of them have ever seeded in that before. It will only be a waste of effort... Is it really that difficult? Zhang Xuan wondered doubtfully as he turned his gaze toward the words beneath the (Sword) character and closed his eyes. Indeed. The difficulty is so great that its almost unimaginable. From what I read in the records, my ancestor, Jian Liushui, attempted toprehend another Sword Quintessence afterpleting the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, only to fail terribly, nearly causing his cultivation to go berserk... With a deep sigh, Jian Qinsheng turned his gaze to the young man to usher him out with an apology when a loud buzzing sound suddenly echoed. A surge of Sword Intent burst forth from the young mans be. Seemingly sensing something, the (Sword) character ahead suddenly began trembling excitedly, and even the room itself began creaking loudly. Jian Qinshengs eyes widened in astonishment. Is that... the Sword Quintessence of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship? Chapter 1327 - Classifications of Quintessence (2)

Chapter 1327: ssifications of Quintessence (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was a sensation that reminded him of the relentless, rapid tides, carrying an imposing momentum that would st through anything that stood in its path. For someone who had been in contact with his ancestors Flowing Water Swordsmanship from a very young age, Jian Qinsheng was extremely ustomed to that feeling. The both of them should have been at odds, but why would the young man suddenly emanate Sword Intent that was identical to his ancestors? Furthermore, judging from the overwhelming aura, it seemed like he was in the midst of reaching Sword Quintessence? Weng weng weng! In his moment of confusion, the swords in the hands of the sword practitioners in the area suddenly began shaking uncontrobly as their swords flew out of their sheaths. They swiftly fell to the ground, paying respects to their new emperor. He actually managed to reach Sword Quintessence... Jian Qinsheng muttered as he felt his throat running hoarse. Those who hadprehended Sword Quintessence would receive the blessings of the world. As long as a sword was not stronger than them, a Sword Quintessence expert would be able to force the sword to submit to them unconditionally. However, it was apparent that the young man before him had alreadyprehended Sword Quintessence, and for him to achieve yet another breakthrough now... It could not be that he hadprehended two different types of Sword Quintessence, could it? One must know that even achieving a single Sword Quintessence was a feat that most sword practitioners failed to achieve despite devoting their entire life to the sword. Yet, the young man before him was only in his twenties, and he had alreadyprehended two of them... More importantly, it was just a moment ago that he had said that it was impossible toprehend two different Sword Quintessence simultaneously when the young man immediately made the breakthrough. Must you really p my face that quickly? Jian Qinshengs lips trembled uncontrobly as the entire world he had known copsed right before his eyes. He had started practicing swordsmanship when he was three,prehended Lower Sword Heart when he was seventeen, Upper Sword Heart when he was forty, and Sword Quintessence when he was sixty-three... Without a doubt, his talent was legendary, and there were countless who were envious of him. But in face of the young man before him, all those glorious aplishments of his felt like an embarrassment instead. He has achieved the same Sword Quintessence as teacher? Shui Qianrou widened her eyes in disbelief as her body trembled uncontrobly. Prior toing over, the young man did not even know what the Sword Quintessence that her teacher hadprehended was, and yet, just by chatting a bit here and there, he suddenly attained the same Sword Quintessence as her teacher. One must know that she had cultivated under her teacher for many years, but despite that, she had only managed to grasp the bare basics of it. In this moment, the overwhelming sense of defeat that she felt rendered herpletely incapable of speech. Hu! A whileter, Zhang Xuan finally reined in his aura before opening his eyes once more. This time, he walked unhesitatingly toward the (Sword) character and ced his finger on it. In response to his touch, the character seemed to dance exuberantly, seemingly ready to fly out of its restraints and soar into the sky. Zhang Xuan turned to Jian Qinsheng and asked with a smile, Elder Jian, can this be considered as having obtained the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent? O-of course! Jian Qinsheng lips twitched a bit as he hurriedly nodded in response. Even the (Sword) character left behind by his ancestor looked ready to elope together with the young man! What else could it be if not a sign of acknowledgement? Thats a relief! Zhang Xuan patted his chest and sighed in relief. As soon as he had heard Jian Qinsheng say that it was theoretically possible toprehend a second Sword Quintessence, he had immediately collected all of the insights and interpretations concerning the (Sword) character into the Library of Heavens Path. Those who were qualified to leave their words beneath the (Sword) character were all those who had reached or had been on the verge of reaching Sword Quintessence. Even though there was not too much of such text in the area, it was all incredibly insightful and concise, allowing him topile a perfect manual. With prior experience in reaching Sword Quintessence, it was much easier the second time around, which was also the reason he had been able to achieve a breakthrough so quickly. The Compendium of Sword Arts is just right ahead. Ill open it for you now! Jian Qinsheng headed over the corner of the wall and pushed lightly, and the two sides of the wall slowly slid apart, revealing a door behind it. Thank you. I happen to have several doubts concerning swordsmanship that require verification from the books, and Ill leave once Im done looking through the relevant books... With his eyes lit up in excitement, Zhang Xuan quickly exined his current situation to Jian Qinsheng before heading in. It had to be said that the collection of books in the Compendium of Sword Arts was truly amazing. It must have taken countless years before they managed to expand thependium to such a scale. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan began scanning the area with his eyes. Wherever his gaze fell, the books would automatically be replicated in the Library of Heavens Path in neat rows. Walking in between the shelves, he quickly took in all the books around him. A momentter, Zhang Xuan suddenly halted his footsteps. Hmm? The Flowing Water Swordsmanship? To his surprise, there was actually a Flowing Water Swordsmanship secret manual lying casually in one of the innermost bookshelves. But then, he suddenly remembered that he was currently in the Compendium of Sword Arts, a sacred ground where only those recognized by the ancestor of the Jian n would be able to enter. Those who could enter already had their identities verified, so there were no qualms about leaving any secret manuals out in the open. After collecting the Flowing Water Swordsmanship secret manual, Zhang Xuan tapped on it lightly in the Library of Heavens Path. Flowing Water Swordsmanship conceptualizes Sword Intent as a flowing stream of water, relentless and unending. Sword practitioners specializing in this swordsmanship will be able to form a tight guard of sword qi, thus granting them superior defensive prowess. This swordsmanship was created by the Third Sanctum Head of the Sanctum of Sages, Jian Liushui, and its possible to achieve the level of Sword Quintessence through this conceptualization. ws: ... Zhang Xuan shook his head. It sure has plenty of ws... Admittedly, the Flowing Water Swordsmanship was extremely powerful. In terms of concept, it bore a striking resemnce to the Heavens Path Sword Art, but it was a higher tier sword art, wielding far greater might. Currently, the Heavens Path Sword Art that Zhang Xuan hadpiled was only Saint intermediate-tier. He could easily overwhelm those of the same cultivation realm through its devastating strength, but its prowess was severelycking when put against a Saint high-tier battle technique. On the other hand, while the Flowing Water Swordsmanship was gued with ws, it had reached the level of Saint high-tier. If he could master it, his fighting prowess would surely rise by leaps and bounds. To make aparison, it was like the difference between a ballista and a crossbow. A crossbow was much more flexible and nimble in terms of usage, but in terms of prowess, it could notpare to a ballista. Zhang Xuan continued reading through the manual. This swordsmanship is highly demanding on ones eye of discernment! The Flowing Water Swordsmanship required one to mold ones Sword Intent into a form reminiscent of flowing water. However, in order to sessfully break down ones Sword Intent into a fluid and flexible form, one had to possess an eye of discernment far surpassing the ordinary. In fact, without the Eye of Insight, it was technically impossible to cultivate the technique up to the level of Major Aplishment. No wonder Shui Qianrou said that other than the Third Sanctum Head, no one has seeded in mastering the Flowing Water Swordsmanship. From the looks of it now, the problem didnt lie in theirck of hard work or talent. Rather... their eye of discernment just wasnt up to par! As a past sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, the Third Sanctum Head had possessed the Eye of Insight as well. It was probably because of that he was able to create such a powerful sword art. However, it was pity that none of the sanctum heads after him specialized in the sword, thus causing the lineage of this swordsmanship to be buried in the dust. As a descendant of Jian Liushui, Jian Qinsheng had tried his best to learn the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, but without the Eye of Insight to peer directly into the very essence of the Sword Intent, he could only create a very crude conceptualization of water flow. It was no wonder he was not able to bring glory and honor to the swordsmanship! Possessing the Eye of Insight, the Flowing Water Swordsmanship happened to bepatible with Zhang Xuan. Let me see if I can perfect the Flowing Water Swordsmanship! If the ws could be resolved, it would be worth considering practicing the sword art. With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan continued his collection of books. In just ten minutes, the hundred thousand sword art manuals in the Compendium of Sword Arts were all within the Library of Heavens Path. Ill see if I can perfect the cultivation technique of the Three Swords of Lingxu... Compile! Zhang Xuan retrieved the cultivation technique for the Three Swords of Lingxu and ced it together with all the other sword art manuals. His very purpose here was to perfect the Three Swords of Lingxu. Everything else could wait. Hu! A new book materialized before Zhang Xuans eyes. Swiftly flipping it open, a deep frown was etched onto Zhang Xuans forehead. Only one of the sword arts is perfected? The Three Swords of Lingxu consisted of three different sword arts, namely Sea Severing Sword, Ocean Cataclysm Sword, and Heaven Desecration Sword! Each of these three moves was stronger than the previous. Even though Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, if he could fully execute Heaven Desecration Sword, putting aside Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivators, he would even be a match for Saint 7-dan primary stage cultivators! It was due to this that the Old Sword Maestro had been able to stand undefeated in the Empire Alliance. This Compendium of Sword Arts had a massive collection of more than a hundred thousand sword art manuals, so Zhang Xuan had thought that he would be able to perfect all three sword arts bypiling them together. It was a little disappointing to see that only one sword art had been perfected after all that effort. Nevertheless, this was still better than nothing. Due to the Three Swords of Lingxu being a Sword Formation, even the very first move, the Sea Severing Sword, had possessed more than 360 ws! It would have been impossible to resolve all of them without that many books. Even though the Ocean Cataclysm Sword and Heaven Desecration Sword havent been perfected yet, the number of ws they have has also been greatly reduced... All in all, theres less than ten for both of them. Ill just have to find a way to resolve them in the future! While he could not start cultivating the remaining two sword arts yet, the reduced number of ws in them meant that it would be much easier for him to perfect them in the future. There are various different ssifications to Sword Quintessences. The Sword Quintessence that Sanctum Head Jian Liushuiprehended leans more toward defense whereas the one that the Old Sword Maestroprehended leans more toward offense... Through the knowledge of the books he had gathered, many aspects concerning swordsmanship became much clearer to Zhang Xuan. Since there are Sword Quintessences that are directed toward offense and defense, there should be those that are directed toward speed and agility too. These theories were exined in one of the books that Jian Liushui had left behind. As there were simply too many books within thependium, Zhang Xuan would have probably overlooked them if he had not collected everything into the Library of Heavens Path. Perhaps it was because Jian Qinsheng did not see the book, so he only knew that there were ssifications to Sword Quintessences but not what kind of ssifications there were. Let me try out the Flowing Water Swordsmanship! With a thought, Zhang Xuan ced all the defensive sword art manuals together with the Flowing Water Swordsmanship secret manual. Hu! A brand-new book materialized, and with a tap, the knowledge within flowed into Zhang Xuans head. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Its perfected! Perhaps due to Jian Liushuis swordsmanship lineage being more sided toward defensive swordsmanship, the proportion of defensive sword art manuals were far higher than offensive sword art manuals. This made perfecting the Flowing Water Swordsmanship secret manual much easier than perfecting the Three Swords of Lingxu. Ill cultivate this one first then! Since Zhang Xuan had managed to perfect the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, he quickly found a quiet ce in thependium to sit down and start studying. Just as the name suggested, the Flowing Water Swordsmanship required the sword practitioner to cultivate their swordsmanship until their sword qi was as fluid and flexible as water, flowing relentlessly like a seemingly unending river. Once mastered, the sword practitioner would be able to put up a perfect guard that boasted even greater defensive power than a Dominion! Going through the perfected Flowing Water Swordsmanship in his head, Zhang Xuan focused his mind, and gradually, his zhenqi formed small little des that circted within his body. The hardest aspect of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship was not to convert ones zhenqi into swordsZhang Xuan had been able to do that for a very long timebut to convert the zhenqi into apact stream of Sword Intent to protect oneself. Nevertheless, having cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and possessing the Eye of Insight, this was not much trouble for Zhang Xuan. Two hourster, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air before getting to his feet once more. After an arduous training session, he had finally brought his mastery of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship up to the level of Major Aplishment. I cant test out the prowess of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship here, but I reckon even Grand Dominion realm pinnacle experts will be unable to breach my defenses now! In fact, even Saint 7-dan experts will have to struggle a fair bit before they cany a finger on me! Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. What he wascking the most at the moment happened to be a good defensive techniquethis had been disyed very clearly to him when he was sent flying with a single punch from his future brother-inw. However, with this sword art, even if he was still no match for Luo Xuanqing, at the very least, he would not be incapacitated in a single punch anymore. Furthermore, the defensive ability of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship would only grow stronger as his cultivation rose, possibly making it one of his stronger trump cards at the moment. Chapter 1328 - Its Time to Show Some Real Skills

Chapter 1328: Its Time to Show Some Real Skills

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sensing the might that he could exert through his Sword Intent, Zhang Xuan was deeply pleased. After immersing himself in his glee for a moment, he sat back down on the floor and crossed his leg to cultivate the first sword art of the Three Swords of LingxuSea Severing Sword. This sword art required the simultaneous cooperation of 108 swords, but fortunately, he had managed to make a decent number of Saint intermediate-tier swords submit to him back at the Sword Lagoon, so that was not an issue. He imaged the movements of every single sword and sword art in his head, examining each of them in detail and refining all of them to the sharpest precision. Two hourster, he got up to his feet once more. After a long session of arduous work, he had sessfully mastered the Sea Severing Sword. Of course, as he had mastered the two sword arts through imagery, he had not gotten an opportunity to see them in action yet. As such, he could only fathom a guess about their true might. With my mastery of the Sea Severing Sword, even without using the Lingxu Sword and the others, I would still be able to drown a Grand Dominion realm advanced stage cultivator with my sword qi. If I use my full strength, ying even a Grand Dominion realm pinnacle expert could be possible! Zhang Xuan thought with eyes gleaming in excitement. As expected of an offensive Sword Quintessence, its might was truly frightening! Even without wielding a weapon, he could defeat a Grand Dominion realm advanced stage cultivator with ease. If he utilized all his means, even a Saint 7-dan primary stage cultivator could possibly fall under his offense! With such fighting prowess, he would at least be capable of protecting himself in the expert-filled Sanctum of Sages now. After cultivating the two top-notch sword arts, Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas as his heart shuddered in excitement. With his current fighting prowess, he was confident that he would be able to clear the Jia Corridor with ease! Alright, I should be done here. I should leave now! Seeing that it was gettingte, Zhang Xuan got to his feet and walked out of the room. As soon as he stepped out, he saw that Jian Qinsheng was still standing at the very center of the room, and Shui Qianrou, Senior Xie, and the others were seated on the ground in kneeling positions. They were staring intently at the (Sword) character on the wall with creases on their foreheads, seemingly deep in thought. Zhang shi, youre out, Jian Qinsheng remarked with a smile. Despite only being a freshman, the young man had achieved the level of Sword Quintessence. In Jian Qinshengs heart, the young man could already be considered his peer. As such, he did not take the tone that he would usually speak to his juniors with. What are they doing? Zhang Xuan pointed to Shui Qianrou and the others in confusion. Ah. They saw how you managed toprehend Sword Quintessence just by studying the (Sword) character for a short moment, and that has ignited their drive. So, they decided to sit here to study the (Sword) character as well in the hope that they will be able to take the final step forward and achieve the level of Sword Quintessence, just as you did, Jian Qinsheng replied with a hint of satisfaction to his voice. It was not like he had never encouraged his students to study the (Sword) character in the past, but they had never heeded his advice before. In their view, there was simply nothing interesting about the (Sword) character to study. However, after witnessing what Zhang Xuan had achieved, they were now all more driven than ever to seed. I have ignited their drive? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. The reason he had been able to achieve a breakthrough so swiftly was because he had sessfullypiled a Heavens Path technique from the insights carved beneath the (Sword) character. To expect to achieve a breakthrough just by staring at a mere character... Werent they daydreaming? However, since they were Jian Qinshengs students, it would be rude for an outsider like him to interfere too much in their affairs. Thus, he could only suppress his overwhelming urge to bellow at them and ster on a smile. Well... All the best then! Unaware of the thoughts in Zhang Xuans mind, Jian Qinsheng simply chuckled softly before asking, Did you receive any insights from the books in the Compendium of Sword Arts? Thank you for granting me ess to your collection of books, Elder Jian. I have benefited greatly from it! Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. If not for those books, he would not have been able to learn the Flowing Water Swordsmanship and cultivate it to the level of a Heavens Path technique. He would not have been able to master the first sword art of the Three Swords of Lingxu either and, through doing so, induce an immense surge in his fighting prowess. Oh? Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Jian Qinshengs eyes lit up. Since thats the case, would you like to trade some blows with me? It would be a delight to see the swordsmanship of the only sword practitioner in history to haveprehended two different types of Sword Quintessence! It would be an honor to receive Elder Jians guidance! He had just mastered those two sword arts, and he was seeking an opportunity to try out its strength. Considering that the person standing before him was one of the rare swordmasters in the Master Teacher Continent, there was definitely no one better for him to practice his skills on! Stroking his beard, Jian Qinsheng said with a smile, Good! Lets not disrupt their cultivation and head to another location. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. While Zhang Xuan thought that it was impossible for Shui Qianrou and the others to grasp Sword Quintessence just by staring at the character, it would still be highly beneficial in helping them advance theirprehension of swordsmanship. Since it was not anything bad, there was no reason for Zhang Xuan to pour a pail of cold water over their fiery drive. Following behind Jian Qinsheng, they soon arrived in a room. It seemed to be a specialized training room, and the walls were reinforced with Fortification Formations. The formations were all at grade-8, and even with Zhang Xuans current strength, he would still have trouble trying to break them open. Lets do it here. Jian Qinsheng gestured with a smile as he walked to the center of the room. Flicking his forefinger, a surge of sword qi shot forth from his fingertips. Upon seeing Jian Qinshengs actions, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Elder Jian, arent you going to suppress your cultivation? Jian Qinsheng was at least a Saint 8-dan expert whereas he was only at Saint 5-dan primary stage. The disparity between them was simply too great. How was he supposed to fight against Jian Qinsheng if thetter did not suppress his cultivation? If I were to suppress my cultivation, I fear that my old bones would not even survive a single blow from you, Jian Qinsheng replied with a bitter smile. The sight of the young man before him crushing his disciple with ease was still fresh in his mind. He did not think that he would stand much of a chance if he suppressed his cultivation down to the same level as the other party. After all, the young mansprehension of swordsmanship andbat had reached a level that was inconceivable even to him. He had encountered many geniuses in his years in the Sanctum of Sages, but only the little princess of the Luo n and two or three others could leave him with such a feeling of apprehension. But... Zhang Xuan frowned. Theres no way I will stand a chance against you in your current state. He was well aware of the limitations of his strength. The old man before him was not just any ordinary Saint 8-dan experthe was also a swordmaster. Given the vast disparity in their cultivation, Zhang Xuan would only be crushed in the battle. Why dont we do this instead? I wont suppress my cultivation, but Ill use only 1% of my full strength. That will roughly be equivalent to the might a Saint 7-dan primary stage cultivator possesses. Dont worry, I wont allow you to be injured. At the same time, through such an arrangement, you can let loose without worrying about injuring me. This way, you will be able to better test your strength, Jian Qinsheng said with a smile. Alright then. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. For some inexplicable reason, his heart started beating in excitement. So far, he had not had a chance to sh with a Saint 8-dan expert. If he could test himself against Jian Qinshengs strength, he would be more prepared when he faced opponents of that caliber in the future. Ill be making my move then! With a flick of his hand, a sword appeared in Zhang Xuans hand, and a brilliant cold glint shed across the room, emanating a chilling intent. The Lingxu Sword. He had never wielded it ever since obtaining it. It was simply too strong; he feared that he would identally decimate his opponent with it. But since Jian Qinsheng wasing at him without suppressing his cultivation, that would not be a problem. Hong long! With a swift sh, boundless sword qi barraged forth with astounding might, and for an instant, it felt as if space was crushing in on one. Is that... a Saint high-tier artifact? Jian Qinshengs mouth twitched, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment. Saint high-tier artifacts were rare even in the Sanctum of Sages. Considering that the young man was only an unaffiliated cultivator, it was a little hard to believe that he would have such a weapon with him. In terms of pure strength, Saint high-tier artifacts harnessed might surpassing that of Saint 7-dan cultivators. If a swordmaster like the young man were to wield it against him... Cough cough! It wont be good for you to rely too much on the strength of your sword. Here, why dont I lend you a spare one for the duel? With a reddened face, Jian Qinsheng handed a sword over. That will do as well. Thinking about it once more, the might of the Lingxu Sword was indeed too great, and it would be unfair to use it in a friendly duel. Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded and took the sword that was passed to him. With just a few taps of his fingers on the de, a resounding buzz echoed, and the sword acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master. Seeing how swiftly Zhang Xuan managed to make the sword submit to him, Jian Qinshengs lips twitched. As expected of a genius who hadprehended two different Sword Quintessences, even his ability to tame swords was far more effective than that of ordinary sword practitioners. Its a Saint intermediate-tier weapon, Zhang Xuan noted as he felt the sword in his hand. At this point, he suddenly recalled another matter, and he turned his gaze to Jian Qinsheng once more. Right, Elder Jian. In this duel, it will be fine for me to do anything as long as I dont wield a weapon exceeding Saint intermediate-tier, right? Thats right. Jian Qinsheng nodded. You are able to easily drive Saint intermediate-tier artifact easily with your current strength, but you are still too weak to regte the might of a Saint high-tier artifact. Even if you win the duel with it, it will be pointless if you arent the one in control. Even the most ordinary Saint high-tier artifacts wielded a fighting prowess on par with Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivators! Considering how the young man only possessed a cultivation of Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, he would be led astray by the Saint high-tier sword he had! Eventually, the one who was in control would not be him but his sword. Thats good. Hearing that he could do whatever he wanted as long as the weapon he wielded was no more than Saint intermediate-tier, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had not yet executed the Sea Severing Sword after mastering it. This would be a good chance for him to try it out. In any case, the opponent he was facing was far stronger than him, so there was no need to worry about identally hurting him at all. With a jot of the sword in his hand, a cold glint shed across the air, and an imposing tide of sword qi immediately burst forth, shing through whatever stood in its path. Not bad! Seeing Zhang Xuans move, Jian Qinsheng chuckled softly. By weaving his fingers across the air, it took only an instant before a current of sword qi flowed right in front of him, reminiscent of a massive barrier. Flowing Water Swordsmanship! Just as Jian Qinsheng had promised, he had only used a hundredth of his strength in his defense. Nevertheless, the strength he wielded was not to be underestimated. The sword qi flowing within the massive barrier was extremelypact, leaving not even the slightest space for anything to bypass it. It was reminiscent of an immense, unbreachable Dominion. Ding ding ding ding! The barrage of sword qi that Zhang Xuan had sent forth collided with the flowing wall of sword qi, inducing innumerable ripples on it. Under the violent attacks, the formation in the room shook intensely, and ring scars appeared on the ground. The formations inscribed into the room were extremely resilient, but Zhang Xuans full strength paired with the frightening might of the Sea Severing Sword was so powerful that even the formations seemed as if they would copse at any moment. Hes indeed formidable! Even though Jian Qinsheng had managed to keep Zhang Xuans attack at bay for the moment, he could clearly sense that the might from the tide of sword qi was swiftly growing stronger by the moment, and his expression turned grave. As expected of a genius whomanded two different Sword Quintessences. His strength was truly extraordinary! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan felt so excited that he could leap in joy. Even when using his full strength, he was unable to deal even the slightest harm to the Saint 8-dan swordmaster. Since that was the case, it seemed like it was time for him to show his true skills! Chapter 1329 - The Stifled Qin Jiansheng

Chapter 1329: The Stifled Qin Jiansheng

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Let me try out the real Sea Severing Sword then! With eyes gleaming with excitement, Zhang Xuan grabbed at the surrounding air forcefully. What he had executed earlier was only the Sword Intent of the Three Swords of Lingxu, he didnt really go all out. However, seeing how Jian Qinsheng had managed to deal with his first attack with such ease, the final shred of hesitation within him finally vanished. Pilip! A series of resounding cracking sounds echoed as more than a hundred Saint intermediate-tier weapons floating in the air shot forth. Go! Lines of insight rippled in Zhang Xuans eyes as he adeptly maneuvered an extremelyplicated sword art toward Qin Jiansheng. The Sea Severing Sword might only be a single sword art, but it was also a massive Sword Formation made up of 108 swords. Every single sword would be executing a sword art of its own, and collectively, it was as if an entire army was charging at one. Boom! The barrage of swords swiftly turned into an imposing wave copsing down upon the room, and countless intersecting sword qi permeated the room. Th-this is... the Old Sword Maestros secret art? But... Jian Qinsheng, whose tension had just alleviated slightly after sessfully fending off the first attack, suddenly saw the formation of swords before him, and he nearly fainted on the spot. The Old Sword Maestro was a renowned swordmaster in history, so he had heard of his name and secret art before. In fact, when he was traveling around the world, in seek of inspiration to further his swordsmanship, he had paid the Sword Lagoon a visit and trained there for quite a while, but due to the shes in ideology, he eventually gave up on the notion. He thought that the Old Sword Maestros heritage should have already died out by now, but who could have thought that he would see it from the young man before him? Furthermore, it seemed to be sharper, swifter, and stronger than what he had heard in the legends. And more importantly... he had just thought that the other party had no suitable weapon and gave him a Saint intermediate-tier sword, but in the blink of an eye, he suddenly whipped out this entire bunch. If you have so many swords with you, why in the world did you ept my Saint intermediate-tier sword?! Jian Qinshengs face twitched uncontrobly. However, in this moment, he had to devote his all into fending against the attack that was diving right at him. Thus, he opened up his two both hands and skillfully weaved another barrier of flowing sword qi, just that it was clearly much more fortified this time around. Boom! Barely after he was done, the assault of the hundred swords arrived right before him. With overwhelming force, they collided on the barrier. Kacha! Kacha!, amidst a series of crisp echoes, the barrier of flowing sword qi began shattering like a broken mirror. How could those sword qi know the ws of my Flowing Water Swordsmanship? Jian Qinshengs body jolted. The Flowing Water Swordsmanship was extremely difficult to ovee due to its ability to spread out any force falling upon it over its entire area, but the young man was still able to shatter it in an instant. This could only mean to say that thetter had found the openings within his Flowing Water Swordsmanship, making it impossible for him to sustain its flowing state. One must know that even someone as strong as that man from the Zhang n was unable to aplish such a feat, so how did the young man before him manage to do it? Shocked by the situation before him, Qin Jiansheng swiftly moved to repair the barrier of flowing sword qi, but he realized that it was already toote. The hundred swords had already slipped through the openings in his defenses, and they were surging swiftly toward him from all directions with devastating forces reminiscent of a storm. Before he could do anything, the swords had already pierced into him. Pu! A sweet sensation welled up in Jian Qinshengs throat as he was sent flying. Peng! He was mmed into the wall. Hla! The Fortification Formations reinforcing the room also creaked loudly under the overwhelming impact, seemingly ready to break apart at any moment. Hu hu hu! Jian Qinsheng was already stered on the wall, but Zhang Xuans attack wasnt over yet. The hundred swords ovepped with one another andunched attacks one after another, reminiscent of the relentless waves of the sea, each more powerful and imposing than the previous. In a moment, Jian Qinshengs body was surrounded by the silhouettes of countless swords, and the cold glint reflected from them made it difficult for one to see what was ahead. Boom! Unable to withstand it any longer, the Fortification Formation finally burst apart, and jiya!, the room swiftly copsed under the immense force. Rock fragments ricocheted around the room amidst a rain of dust. But even at this moment, the offense of the swords still showed no signs of halting. Jian Qinsheng attempted to flee to regain his momentum, but the swords were ingeniously aimed at the openings of every single he made, such that even fending against them already took up all of his strength and attention. Boom boom boom! Forced back by the barrage of the swords, Jian Qinsheng eventually knocked down seven to eight rooms before everything finally came to a halt. Hu! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan retracted his palm. His face had turned pale at some point in time, and his body was aching from head to toe. He couldnt even find the strength within him to lift his fingers. When he had practiced the Sea Severing Sword earlier in the Compendium of Sword Arts, he did so through mental imagery to sharpen his form, so it wasnt possible for him to get a clear idea of how powerful it would be. It was only after executing it did he realize how frightening the sword art actually was. In fact, in the midst of the execution, he found that he had lost all control over the sword art, and everyst bit of zhenqi was squeezed out of his body before the sword art finally came to a halt. This is too scary, losing control of my body. I better not use this sword art unless in times of emergency... Cold sweat rained down Zhang Xuans head as he patted his heart fearfully. It was not to say that there was something wrong with the Sea Severing Sword but that his cultivation was simply too low, making it impossible to him to wield full control over the sword art. This was simr to how a child could swing a hammer too, but the childsck of strength would make it difficult for him to control it, especially when the hammer was in motion. In this moment, Zhang Xuan was the child swinging the hammer. Once the Sea Severing Sword was executed, he couldnt stop until everyst drop of zhenqi in his body was sapped dry. Ever since he had undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal and reached Saint realm, he had never depleted his zhenqi before. Yet, the Sea Severing Sword was actually able to drain everyst bit of energy within him, which went to show just how powerful the sword art was. However, it was also extremely dangerous for a cultivator to use up all of his zhenqi in the midst of a battle. It would mean that he was powerless against anything that his opponent would throw at him next. Right, is Jian Qinsheng alright? Too engrossed in himself, Zhang Xuan forgot about the plight Jian Qinsheng was in. Looking at the rubble all over the ground, he couldnt help but feel a little worried. Even though Jian Qinsheng said that he wouldnt lower his cultivation, he still suppressed his strength to a hundredth of his original might. There was no saying that the other party might just sumb to his sword art in his weakened state... and that would mean that he was a murderer! Hu! Fortunately, a silhouette suddenly rose from the rubble at this momentJian Qinsheng. He wasnt able to maintain his image as an expert anymore. His clothes were in tatters, and his body was cloaked in dust. His wretched state felt as if someone had just taken advantage of him. Elder Jian... Zhang Xuans lips twitched for a moment before he called out worriedly. Im fipu! Jian Qinsheng chuckled awkwardly, but before he could finish his words, another mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth. Putong! Jian Qinsheng plummeted from the sky and fell headfirst into a pile of mud. At this very moment, he was suffering from a mental breakdown. Under normal circumstances, given his strength, it was impossible for the young man who hurt him no matter how powerful his sword art may be. However, he had suppressed his strength down to a hundredth of it, and his Flowing Water Swordsmanship was breached so quickly that he hardly had any time to react. To be honest, he was extremely lucky to be alive at this very moment. Lying in the pile of mud, Jian Qinsheng swallowed a pill, and it took a long while before strength slowly returned back to him. Getting back to his feet, he took a look at his surroundings and sighed deeply. He was curious to see how powerful a person who hadprehended two Sword Quintessences would be, only to end up being reduced to such a state in a single move... It was fortunate that no one was around to see it, or else he might have just died from embarrassment... Teacher, are you fine? Old Master, what happened? Everyone, be on your guards! Dont let the culprit get away! And just like that, Jian Qinshengs final bit of constion was utterly shattered. Turning around, he saw his butlers, guards, Shui Qianrou, Senior Xie, and his other disciples all standing not too far away, looking at him in worry. What are you all doing here? If not for Jian Qinshengs mental fortitude, he might have just passed out on the spot. He was still feeling thankful that no one saw him earlier when more than a hundred people suddenly materialized behind his back. That was almost everyone in the residence! Teacher, Zhang shi said that you were injured and he asked us to hurry over to take a look. Senior Xie was worried that something bad might have happened, so he called all of us to follow him... Shui Qianrou quickly exined. ... Jian Qinsheng clutched his chest, wing at his heart which was aching so much that he could hardly breathe. It was one thing for the young man to reduce him to the pitiful state he was currently in, but to even call his disciples and servants here to spectate his misery... This was too much! Dont worry, Im not injured. I just identally used too much force when I was practicing my swordsmanship earlier... With a reddened face, Jian Qinsheng shrugged the matter off casually with a wave of his hand. Not injured? Senior Xie, Shui Qianrou, and the others looked at one another with ratherplicated looks in their eyes. Completely tattered clothes and a swollen face... Is it really possible for anyone to be reduced to such a state from practicing his swordsmanship? Cough cough! Wheres Zhang shi? Knowing that his students were thinking, Jian Qinsheng coughed loudly twice and changed the topic. He still saw the young man when he flew up earlier, so why would thetter be nowhere to be seen at this moment? Zhang shi has asked me to ry his gratitude toward you for allowing him to browse through your collection of books. It has provided him with some inspiration regarding his swordsmanship, so he bade his farewell to return back to his residence to cultivate... Shui Qianrou said. He returned back to his residence to cultivate? Jian Qinsheng felt even more stifled inside after hearing those words. After causing a mess around here and severely injuring him, that young man actually secretly fled the scene... Gratitude, you said? Is this how you show your gratitude? Just as Jian Qinsheng was contemting whether he should capture that young man back here to teach him a lesson, Shui Qianrou suddenly walked up and presented him with a book, Right, teacher. Before he left, Zhang shi instructed me to hand this over to you personally... Jian Qinsheng took the book with a deep frown and casually flipped it open. With just a single nce, his entire body froze on the spot, and disbelief stered itself on his face. T-this... Jian Qinsheng trembled uncontrobly. Considering how the ink on the book had barely dried, it was clear that it was just written down a moment ago. Detailed on it was the various mistakes he had made on his cultivation, as well as the aspects which he had erred in hisprehension of swordsmanship. In fact, arge handful of those points written down were questions which had left him deeply confused for many years... In other words, as long as he were to make corrections ording to what was written on the book, he would definitely be able to bring his fighting prowess up to greater heights... It was just a brief encounter, and I hardly made any move at all... But he was still able to see through so much about me? Despite squeezing the book tightly in his hand, Jian Qinsheng still felt as if he was in a dream. On top of being a swordmaster, he was a teacher in the Sanctum of Sages as well. It wasnt rare for him to have to analyze the problems that a student was facing in his cultivation or swordsmanship and offer him pointers to resolve them. Naturally, his eye of discernment was extremely formidable as well, far surpassing that of his peers. Even so, he was stillpletely helpless toward the problem he was facing. Yet, the young man was able to uncover and concisely detail all of the problems he was facing, and more importantly, he had even provided solutions to them as well... Just what kind of monstrous eye of discernment did that young man possess? Its no wonder why he was able toprehend two different types of Sword Quintessences at his young age. In terms ofprehension of swordsmanship, I dont evene close to holding a candle against him... In this moment, Jian Qinsheng finally understood why the young man was able to earn the recognition of his ancestors Sword Intent so quickly. From the very start, they werent even at the same level as one another. Perhaps, thats what a true prodigy is! Jian Qinsheng remarked deeply as he closed the book and kept it into his storage. Then, a thought suddenly came to his mind, and his eyes lit up, Wait a moment! Given that young mans deep understanding of swordsmanship, if I were to bring him to the Zhang n, perhaps I might be able to exact vengeance for the grudge back then! Chapter 1330 - Let Everything Collapse (1)

Chapter 1330: Let Everything Copse (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It took six hours of rest, till the sun was starting to rise over the eastern horizon, before Zhang Xuan finally felt his zhenqi fully recovering, and his mind, spirit, and soul once again returned to their peak. He instinctively knew that it would be a bad idea to remain there after injuring Jian Qinsheng, so he decisively collected all of his swords and returned to his residence. As expected of an offense-based Sword Quintessence, its might is really not to be underestimated! Recalling the battle that had happened the previous night, Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in excitement. Even though Jian Qinsheng had suppressed his strength to a hundredth of his original might, his fighting prowess was still not something that any ordinary Saint 7-dan primary stage cultivators would have been able topete with. Since that was the case, wouldnt the fact that he had been able to send the other party flying mean that no Saint 7-dan primary stage expert would be a match for him once he went all out? Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realmat that level, a cultivator would be able to grasp the very essence of space. Their Dominion would begin to morph into a form in between a phantasm and reality, making it extremely difficult to deal with. The Dominions created by Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm experts would manifest in a physical form, such as an area of mist or a barrier of light, thus making it discernible to the eye. However, upon reaching Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm, ones Dominion would be intangible, simr to ones Spiritual Perception. Invisible to the eyes, untouchable to the hands, its discreetness could create unimaginable effects. For example, back when Luo Xuanqing kicked Elder Su Bing flying, the reason thetter did not dodge was because Luo Xuanqing had already shrouded thetter in his Dominion, trapping thetter firmly in ce. With his Saint 5-dan primary stage cultivation, it should have been impossible for Zhang Xuan to faze an expert of that caliber. However, with the Sea Severing Sword, this impossibility had be a real possibility. Its daybreak! I should head over to the Jia Corridor and finish it. The rising crimson sun had forced the dark night to retreat, bringing light back to the world. Zhang Xuan began making his way over to the Hall of Solidarity once more. He soon arrived at the front counter, and Qing Yu was still seated there. I wish to challenge the Jia Corridor once more! ustomed to the procedure, Zhang Xuan wasted no time and passed the concentrated high-tier spirit stones over straight away. After all he had done, reading, learning swordsmanship, and recovering from his exertion, a day had already passed. Thus, he could continue challenging the Corridor of Puppets once more. Seeing that it was Zhang Xuan, Qing Yu passed a challenge token over with a nod. Upon receiving the token, Zhang Xuan immediately turned around and left. He wasnt able to clear the Jia Corridor yesterday, but he rushed over as soon as the sun was up. The male attendant from before was also around, and he could not help asking, Within this short period of time, there shouldnt have been any substantial change in his strength, right? So, what is he in such a hurry for? Cultivation was a process of consistent effort, not a way to achieve great things in a heartbeat. How could one night of cultivation possibly help him? If the young man wanted to clear the Jia Corridor, he would require a few months of hard work at the very least! Im not too sure either... Qing Yu shook her head. Perhaps... he might have sessfully cultivated some kind of secret art and wants to give it a try! But the stronger a secret art is, the harder it is to grasp it. The male attendant shook his head. There are some who devote their lives to studying a secret art, only to gain a superficial grasp of it. How much could he possibly have learned in a single night? It was not that he had no trust in Zhang Xuans strength, but some things were simply impossible! The Jia Corridor was the hardest corridor to clear, and even most Grand Dominion realm advanced stage cultivators would have trouble defeating the puppet within. Even if Zhang Xuan had managed to clear the Yi Corridor the previous day, it still did not seem possible for him to clear the Jia Corridor after one day of hard work. The previous one to challenge the Jia Corridor was the Luo ns little princess, right? I seem to recall that shes the current record holder, the male attendant suddenly remarked. Shes indeed the current record holder. She cleared the Jia Corridor within just three minutes... Upon speaking of the Luo ns little princess, admiration and respect immediately seeped into Qing Yus eyes. While other challengers struggled with all their might but were still unable to clear the Jia Corridor, the little princess was able to clear it within a short three minutes. More importantly... when she left the room, there was not the slightest speck of dust on her, maintaining her ever-elegant and poised appearance. Every time she recalled this matter, she could not help but tremble in excitement. Ever since the Corridor of Puppets was created, there was not a single person who had achieved such a record in the Jia Corridor! In other words, the aplishment of the Luo ns little princess was unrivaled. There was no one who couldpete with her even in the past tens of thousands of years, and it was unlikely that anyone would be able to break her record any time soon. Indeed, shes really too formidable... The male attendant nodded in agreement. He was just about to speak when ripples suddenly appeared in the tea ced in front of him. Following which, the cup began trembling, followed by the table. Whats going on? The both of them sprang right up to their feet, and they began scanning their surroundings warily. I have no idea... Halfway through Qing Yus words, she suddenly felt the ground shaking intensely, as if there was an earthquake. After which, a resounding explosion rumbled from the distance. That seems to be... from the Jia Corridor? The eyebrows of the duo shot up as the hurriedly rushed in the direction that the explosion came from. Before they could arrive at the Jia Corridor, they saw a young man walking over with an apologetic look on his face. My apologies, I failed to rein in my strength when making a move earlier... Qing Yu nced at the Jia Corridor, or to be more exact, the rubble that was once the Jia Corridor. Smoke was pouring out of it. Sweeping through the contents with her Spiritual Perception, she saw that the puppet of the Jia Corridor had already been dismantled into countless pieces, such that there was not even an intact spare part anymore. It truly wasplete and utter destruction. You... Unable to hold herself back anymore, Qing Yu asked Zhang Xuan in agitation, Just what did you do? She was well aware of the strength that the puppet in the Jia Corridor wielded. Even ordinary Grand Dominion realm advanced stage experts would not be a match for it, and yet, that fellow still managed to crush it so easily. Just how in the world did he manage to do it? More importantly... it had not even been three minutes since he had taken the challenge token from her! Within this period, he had actually defeated the puppet and torn down the entire Jia Corridor while he was at it? I was only using a sword art, Zhang Xuan said awkwardly. Due to the rules of the Jia Corridor, Zhang Xuan was unable to wield his swords, so he could only use his sword qi in substitution. Nevertheless, the might of the Sea Severing Sword was still far beyond his control. The puppet was reduced to dust as soon as it appeared, but even so, he was still unable to stop the sword art until it depleted a massive portion of his zhenqi. The current destruction was the result of that. He had thought that since the Corridor of Puppets was a formal trial by the Sanctum of Sages, the Fortification Formations reinforcing the corridors would be rather powerful, so it should have been fine for him to let loose. It was never his intention to cause such a hugemotion! It was fortunate that the trial had deemed it a sess right after the puppet was destroyed, and the books at the very end of the corridor hade into his sight, allowing him to swiftly collect them into his Library of Heavens Path. Otherwise, if his efforts had ended in vain after all the trouble he had been through, he really might have burst into tears on the spot. Sword art? Qing Yu and the male receptionist were really at a loss of words. Sword arts, they had seen plenty of those. But one that could destroy not only the puppet but the entire corridor along with it? They had never seen one that wielded such might before! Wait right here for a moment. Ill report this matter to the elder, Qing Yu told Zhang Xuan before hurriedly leaving. The destruction of the Jia Corridor was a huge matter, far beyond the jurisdiction of a mere receptionist like her. The Hall of Solidarity could be considered property of the Sanctum of Sages. If everyone were to destroy it without care, not even the Sanctum of Sages would have enough money to pay for the reparations. Alright. Knowing that it was only right for him to makepensation after causing destruction, Zhang Xuan had no intention of leaving either. He found a ce to sit down and began meditating to recover his zhenqi. While the strength of the Sea Severing Sword was reduced because he had not wielded any swords, the execution of the sword art still depleted nearly half of his zhenqi! Previously, I thought that the Old Sword Maestro was just unable to gather sufficient swords for the execution of the technique, but from the looks of it now, even if he had gathered sufficient swords, it is uncertain whether he would have been able to execute it or not. As one who had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, the capacity of Zhang Xuans zhenqi far exceeded that of other cultivators, but even so, he was still nearly unable to keep up with the depletion of energy. Despite being the creator of the move, the Old Sword Maestro probably still had a fair bit of trouble trying to execute the technique. Knowing that it would be impossible for him to fully recover without several hours of cultivation, Zhang Xuan decided to immerse his consciousness into his Library of Heavens Path to take a look at the books that he had just collected. There were only five books in the Jia Corridor, and they corresponded to the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The tier of the books was extremely high, usibly the most profound and powerful Leaving Aperture realm cultivation techniques in the Sanctum of Sages. Putting all the Leaving Aperture realm cultivation techniques together, Zhang Xuanmanded, Compile! Hu! A new book materialized. Flipping it open, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in delight. After all his hard work, he had finally seeded inpiling the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art! Just thinking about the difficulties that he had been through was enough to make tears stream down his cheeks. I wonder if Sun Qiang has managed to find a source to procure pinnacle spirit stones,Zhang Xuan wondered as he swiftly memorized the cultivation technique. Without a source of sufficiently pure spiritual energy, he would not be able to further his cultivation. Above concentrated high-tier spirit stones were the pinnacle spirit stones, which boasted extraordinary purity. If he could find a source for those, his quandary concerning ack of spirit stones would be resolved! There were no pinnacle spirit stones in the Qingyuan Empire, but it should not be too difficult to find them in the Sanctum of Sages. Hes the person who destroyed the Jia Corridor, Zhang shi... While Zhang Xuan was still in thought, he suddenly heard a voice. Raising his head, he saw Qing Yu leading an elder over. The elder took a look at the Jia Corridor, and his eyebrows immediately began twitching. Zhang Xuan hurriedly got up. Zhang shi, Elder Liao over here is in charge of everything concerning the Leaving Aperture realm Corridor of Puppets, Qing Yu introduced. Paying respects to Elder Liao! Zhang Xuan quickly sped his fist. There was nothing else he could do. Under the roof of another, he had no choice but to lower his head. He still could not bring himself to be as domineering as his future brother-inw. With a voice of suppressed rage, Elder Liao asked, You said that you managed to reduce this ce to this state just by executing a sword art? Thats right... Zhang Xuan nodded hesitantly. Pass me your challenge token! Zhang Xuan did as he was told. Elder Liao took a close look at the challenge token that Zhang Xuan had passed over, and a momentter, a deep frown appeared on his forehead. The Jia Corridor did not just have a formidable puppetit had a powerful formation as well. Under normal circumstances, even a Grand Dominion realm pinnacle expert would not have the strength to cause such devastation in this ce... unless the individual had cheated! But on the challenge token, the young man was reported to have cleared the trial fair and square. In other words, no acts of cheating had been detected by the system. Was it really possible for a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator to cause such destruction with his sword art? Perplexed, Elder Liao instructed, What sword art did you execute earlier? Show it to me! Show it to you? This... A conflicted look surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. To be honest with you, my grasp over the sword art is stillcking, so I am unable to control it properly. I fear that I will identally harm you if I execute it here! Harm me? Elder Liao sneered. While I am only a managerial elder here, my cultivation has at least reached Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm. A Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator like you actually fears that you will identally harm me? What arrogant words! There were various tiers to the elders of the Sanctum of Sages. Personnel who had reached Saint 7-dan would be eligible to take on the role of a managerial elder, such as Su Bing and Elder Liao. This... Elder Liao, even if you are confident in your strength, I still fear that my sword qi will destroy the other buildings in the area too... Zhang Xuan was still a little hesitant about executing the Sea Severing Sword here. Do you think that your sword qi will have a chance to escape from my Dominion? You must be joking! Elder Liao harrumphed coldly with deep confidence reflected in his eyes. Chapter 1331 - Let Everything Collapse (2)

Chapter 1331: Let Everything Copse (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric As a Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space expert, Elder Liao wielded incredible control over the space around him. If he couldnt even suppress the sword qi suppressed by a mere Leaving Aperture realm fellow, he would really be a failure of a cultivator. If you are really that confident, I guess it should be fine. Be careful then... Since Elder Liao was confident about the matter, Zhang Xuan decided not to say anything more. With a tap of his finger, surges of sword qi flew forth from his fingers, but instead of flying toward Elder Liao, they floated in the air as if they were des of swords. So many of them? Elder Liao was slightly surprised to see the young mans ability to manipte so many sword qi adeptly simultaneously. He quickly drew a semi-circle before his chest and formed a protective barrier. He wanted to try for himself whether the other partys sword qi really wielded the strength to destroy the Jia Corridor. Wuwuwu! Barely after he was done with that, a hurried buzzing sound suddenly echoed in the air, and as if the space before him had copsed, more than a hundred surges of sword qi arrived within a five meters radius of him in the blink of an eye. So fast? Horrified by how quick the young mans sword qi was, Elder Liao hurriedly activated his Dominion to stop thetter. Boom boom boom! The sword qi collided with Elder Liaos Dominion and produced a sound reminiscent of a mixer being plunged into a water vat. The violent impacts caused his face to redden, and his Dominion nearly dissipated under the relentless barrage of attacks. Sou! Under the overwhelming pressure pushing against his Dominion, Elder Liao was mmed heavily into the wall behind him, bashing a huge hole through it. Even so, the might of the sword qi pressing against his Dominion didnt seem to show any sign of weakening. At the same time, more and more sword qi were surging forth toward him as well, causing the entire area to be flooded with cold glints. In an instant, the entire main hall was permeated with sword qi. Jiyaya! Under the relentless barrage of sword qi within and Elder Liao crashing around the ce, the main hall finally reached the limits of its durability. A ring crack swiftly crept its way across the walls, and with a resounding explosion, the entire room copsed inward. ... Hu! Sometimeter, Zhang Xuan finally came to a halt after expending everyst drop of his zhenqi, and he panted heavily on the spot. When he finally caught his breath and regained some strength, he took a look at his surroundings, and his eyebrows couldnt help but shoot up. In this very moment, the Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui, all ten corridors had been reduced to rubble, and smoke was rising from their midst. In fact, even the main hall which was meant to receive challengers had been destroyed as well. Cough cough! A silhouette rose from the rubbleElder Liao. His hair was half shaven off from the torrent of sword qi, and his body was inflicted with cuts all over. It was nearly impossible to use words to describe the sheer state of misery he was in. Zhang Xuan recoiled at the sight, and he swiftly chirped in anxiously, Elder Liao... you were the one who told me to make a move... You dered confidently that you would be able to withstand my sword art, so what the heck is this then? Arent you putting me in a spot? It wasnt easy for me to shake off my title as the God of Destruction, and your overconfidence just set back all of the hard work I have put in all this while... With such a happening, how do you think others will see me? I just wanted to quietly clear the examination and read my books peacefully! I... Elder Liaos face flushed red as he looked at the copsed corridors with a look of despair in his eyes. All he wanted to do was to check if the young man had been cheating... How did everythinge to this? What left him even more frustrated was that he was the one who had insisted on the young man to make a move, so he couldnt me thetter for this matter either. Get out of my sight! Elder Liao felt so frustrated that he thought he would explode on the spot. There were so many words he wanted to speak but couldnt, and eventually, he could only wave his hand with furiously gritted teeth. You are telling me to leave? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. I dont have topensate for the Corridor of Puppets? While most of the responsibility for the destructiony on Elder Liao, considering how huge this matter had blown up to, he didnt expect to be able to get out of this scot-free either. Are you able to pay for it? Elder Liao bellowed with a voice seething with anger. Zhang Xuans lips twitched, I guess not? He didnt think that he was poor, but his fortune, in contrast to the powerful puppets and formations set up in Corridor of Puppets, was truly insignificant inparison. There was no way he would have enough money topensate for the damage. So, scram! Elder Liao bellowed. Yes... Zhang Xuan swiftly turned around to make his leave, but barely after taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said, Elder Liao, in the fight earlier, I found that your body is suffused with cold energy, so I advise you not to practice your Hiemal Yin Form anymore... How do you know that I practice the Hiemal Yin Form? This was the first time the both of them were meeting, so how could the other party know what cultivation technique he practiced? I heard of it from someone else. If, by any chance, you feel... unwell, feel free to find me at my residence in the Elite Division. Zhang Xuan advised before decisively turning around and leaving. He had destroyed the Corridor of Puppets, but Elder Liao didnt forcefully keep him in the area or make things difficult for him. In a sense, he owed the other party a favor for this. In the battle they had earlier, he hadpiled a book on the other party in the Library of Heavens Path and noticed that there was a problem with the other partys cultivation technique, so he decided to advise him out of kind will. Actually, it wasnt a major issue either. As long as Elder Liao stopped cultivating the Hiemal Yin Form, the body should be able to recover by itself. Even if he didnt stop cultivating, as long as he sought treatment in time, the issue should be manageable. But considering how the other party was in the heat of his anger, it didnt seem like a good time to borate too much about it. After all, from experience, he knew that if he were to tell Elder Liao You are sick after destroying his ce, there was a good chance that he would be pummeled to death on the spot... On the other hand, watching as the young man leave hurriedly after leaving behind those abrupt words, Elder Liao was baffled. However, when he saw the rubble all around him once more, rage began surging through his body once more. It seems like I shouldnt use the Sea Severing Sword easily in the future anymore... ncing at the rubble behind him, Zhang Xuan shook his head in dejection. He had only executed this sword art thrice ever since mastering it, but he had already unintentionally harmed two people, destroyed a puppet, and devastated a crucial infrastructure of the Sanctum of Sages... Who knew what kind of mess he would get himself into if he were to continue using the sword art recklessly? It would be best for him to avoid using this sword art unless he was in a desperate situation, or else he might just be stealing his future brother-inws title as the King of Destruction. He was the man who was destined to be the sanctum head, a person revered and admired by countless! He mustnt end in a position where others would shun him, as if he was a hated troublemaker! I should go and check on how Sun Qiang is faring... Also, I need to find some means to earn more money. Even if Elder Liao didnt demand any payment from me, I should at least make somepensation for what I have done. Zhang Xuan thought. Had it been any other asion, it wouldnt have been a big deal to him whether he could be the sanctum head or not. However, this matter had a profound effect on whether he would be able to stop Luo Ruoxins marriage in the third month of the next year or not. Without bing the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, it would be nigh impossible for him to vie with the Zhang ns young prodigy for Luo Ruoxins marriage in hand So, he was determined to obtain the position, by hook or by crook. ording to what Sage Kui had said, prior to unsealing the Sanctum Head Token, it would be best for him to win as many peoples respect as possible so that his prestige would be higher after his inauguration... But within just two days of his enrollment, he had already destroyed Jian Qinshengs home and the Corridor of Puppets... No matter what, he should at least do something to salvage his crumbling reputation! But of course, the fact that he didnt have much money at hand still held, so it was about time to bolster his finances. Thus, Zhang Xuan quickly returned back to his residence, and not too longter, Sun Qiang, returned as well. Perhaps it was due to an entire night of hard work, Sun Qiang appeared to be a little weary. How is it? Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and asked. Young Master, I have looked into the matter, and there is a wide range of items of cultivation resources avable in the Sanctum of Sages. In terms of effectiveness, theres nothing thatpares to pinnacle spirit stones, but it appears that those can only be sourced in the Inner Sanctum. Sun Qiang revealed his findings. Inner Sanctum? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had heard that the Sanctum of Sages was divided into two main categoriesInner Sanctum and Outer Sanctum. Most likely, Luo Ruoxin was in the Inner Sanctum. Thats right. Other than pinnacle spirit stones, I also found grade-8 Energy Repository Pill. I had someone purchase some of those for me. Please take a look Sun Qiang said as he passed a jade bottle over. Uncorking the jade bottle, Zhang Xuan took a look at the contents inside and nodded. There were three pills in total, and they were indeed rich in spiritual energy. The energy contained within them were significantly greater than the grade-7 Spirit Reinforcing Pills he had a while back. Its indeed useful to me, but... Ill need a lot more of it. At the very least, I would require at least thirty of them in order to push for a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. While these Energy Repository Pills were at grade-8, perhaps due to the limitations of the pill forging skills of the apothecary, they had only reached the level of Formation. As such, the spiritual energy they harnessed was rather limited. Are there any other cultivation resources? Zhang Xuan asked. There are. It seems like its possible to earn rewards through clearing missions in the Sanctum of Sages, and one of the rewards avable is the Jade Spirit Essence! Sun Qiang said. Jade Spirit Essence? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Just like spirit stones, Jade Spirit Essence would only be formed in areas that were rich in spiritual energy, so the spiritual energy it harnessed was extremely pure. While it couldntpare up to pinnacle spirit stones, it was indeed a much better cultivation resource than concentrated high-tier spirit stones. The problem was that Jade Spirit Essences were extremely rare, rumored to be harder to find than pinnacle spirit stones. Even Zhang Xuan had only seen them in the books before. What missions are there? There is quite a huge variety of them. Missions can be requested by both students and teachers, but most of them would be rather difficult toplete. Based on what I have seen earlier, there are a total of three missions that have Jade Spirit Essence as their reward, and of them, one awards three Jade Spirit Essences! Sun Qiang said. Three Jade Spirit Essences? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Jade Spirit Essences were farrger than spirit stones, and a single one of it could be easily worth up to ten thousand concentrated high-tier spirit stones. The spiritual energy that was harnessed within three of those was definitely more than enough for him to sessfully advance through the Leaving Aperture realm! If he were to sell them, even if it couldntpensate the losses sustained by the Corridor of Puppets, it would at least help to supplement a substantial portion of the reparation cost. Thats right. Sun Qiang nodded. To offer such a hefty award, whats the mission? Even though Zhang Xuan was excited by the notion of earning three Jade Spirit Essences, he knew that a mission that would offer such a reward would definitely be proportionately difficult as well. The Sanctum of Sages was filled with countless experts, but despite the handsome reward offered for the mission, there wasnt a single person who dared to take it up. That spoke a lot about the difficulty of the mission. It seems to be a mission from the Beast Tamer Hall... As for the details, Im afraid that you would have to head there to learn more. Sun Qiang said. Ultimately, he still wasnt a student of the Sanctum of Sages, so he didnt possess most of the privileges that all students have. In fact, it took him a lot of effort in order to gather this much information. Where are the missions posted? Bring me over to take a look... Zhang Xuan was just about to have Sun Qiang bring him over when a frown suddenly made its way to his forehead. Flicking his wrist, he took out his identity token and swiped his finger on it. A line of words came into appearance. Zhang shi,e to the Hall of Attainments Court of Elites immediately. We have to report in today! It was a message from Chen Leyao. Report in... Right, I have to report in! Regardless of whether one was a student from the Elite Division or the Ordinary Division, they were to report in today in order to select or be assigned a teacher. Otherwise, without any backing in the Sanctum of Sages, it would be hard for the students to secure resources for themselves. Most of the master teachers in the Sanctum of Sages wouldnt go so far as to deprive a student of his allocated cultivation resources, but there was no guarantee that the others wouldnt do so. After all, the Sanctum of Sages took in not only master teachers but geniuses of other upations as well. And most importantly, the reason why most geniuses chose to enroll in the Sanctum of Sages was to build up their own connectionwork. Disciples under the same teacher would inevitably be closer to one another, and it would be easier for them to ask favors from one another in the future too. Thus, choosing the correct teacher was of utmost importance. I want you to continue looking into the matter, Ill go report in first. Knowing that it would reflect badly on him if he were to bete on the very first day, Zhang Xuan hurriedly made his way over to the Hall of Attainment. Attainment, Solidarity, Propriety, Erudition, and Integrity. The fact that Attainment was ced first clearly reflected its position in the Sanctum of Sages. The most important responsibility of a master teacher was to impart their knowledge to the world, and the Hall of Attainment was the ce where this happened. By the time Zhang Xuan arrived, the entire area was already packed with people. Making just an estimate from what he could see, there were nearly ten thousand people in the area. Just like the Hall of Solidarity, there was a massive character written at the entrance to the Hall of Attainment as well. It seems like Kong shis handwritten characters can be found at the entrance of all five halls. Perhaps this is to remind theter generations to hold those values close to their hearts... Zhang Xuan thought. Following which, he heard the sound of Vicious gulping down a mouthful of saliva. Zhang Xuan callously sealed the fellow back into the Book of Heavens Path before proceeding in behind the crowd. The Hall of Attainment was divided into many sectors, and the sses for the Ordinary Division and Elite Division were located at different sectors. Students of the Elite Division had the privilege to choose their own teacher whereas those of the Ordinary Division could only be selected by the teachers. Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area, and after finding the reporting location for the Elite Division, he swiftly walked over. As soon as he entered the room, he immediately saw the other 49 who had made it into the Elite Division together with him were all present. Chen Leyao had been pacing around the room anxiously, and it was only when she saw Zhang Xuan walking through the door did she finally heave a sigh of relief. She quickly walked over and said with a hushed voice, Why are you only arriving now? Something big has happened. The Mountain Gate has copsed! Chapter 1332 - Self-Introduction

Chapter 1332: Self-Introduction

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Mountain Gate has copsed? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Everything had been perfectly fine when they challenged the Mountain Gate examination the previous day. Everyone had disyed their capabilities as best they could in order to get into the top five hundred. Why would it copse all of a sudden? Thats what Fei shi said earlier. A hint of disbelief could be heard in Chen Leyaos voice as well. Clearly, she was also shocked by the news, or else she would not have been in such a hurry to ry it to Zhang Xuan. Fei shi? Hes the elder standing at the front. Hes the person in charge of all affairs rting to the Elite Division, so you can look for him if you have any problems in the future, Chen Leyao said as she gestured to the front. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over as well and saw a middle-aged man standing at the very front. He was surrounded by several students, who seemed to be asking him about something. Did they mention the reason behind the copse of the Mountain Gate? The Mountain Gate had survived several dozen millenniums in the Sanctum of Sages, so why would such a thing suddenly happen at this point in time? Chen Leyao pondered for a moment before saying, Im not too sure, but based on what I heard, it seems like the sculpture of Sage Kui has shattered. Hearing that, Zhang Xuan was confused. What did the shattering of Sage Kuis sculpture have anything to do with the copse of the Mountain Gate? The Mountain Gate and the folded space were created single-handedly by Sage Kui, and most of the tests within were also supervised by his will. The shattering of the sculpture means that the will he left behind has dissipated, and without his support, the folded space ended up copsing as well, Chen Leyao replied. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. To be honest, he was extremely grateful to Sage Kui for the help he had offered back during the entrance examination, and he had been nning on returning to find thetter after he gained the strength to activate the Sanctum Head Token. Who would have thought that thetters will would dissipate so swiftly? Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Even if he has spent most of his time over the past several dozen millenniums asleep, its still inevitable that his life would eventually reach its end... There was a limit to the lifespan of all living beings. Not even Kong shi was able to free himself from the shackles of time. Even if Sage Kui was a powerful expert prior to his death, there was still a limit to how long his fragmented soul could survive. If it had remained constantly asleep, he might still have been able tost for quite some time. However, each time a new sanctum head candidate appeared, he had to wake up once, and this ended up depleting his lifespan significantly. It had merely been a matter of time before his will dissipated. Indeed. Chen Leyao nodded in agreement. Now that Sage Kuis will has dissipated, itll be difficult for the next sanctum head to establish his position... Difficult for the next sanctum head to establish his position? Ah, you must still be unaware of it. ording to the rumors, Sage Kuis will doesnt just sustain the entire Mountain Gate examination. More importantly, he is also the one who is in charge of selecting the next sanctum head. In fact, every single sanctum head has been personally chosen by him. Now that his will has dissipated, itll be difficult for the next sanctum head to build legitimacy and credence to his position... As one of the top geniuses of the cier in Court, Chen Leyao had her own connections. While these matters might have been confidential secrets in the Sanctum of Sages, it was not too difficult for her to learn this much from her sources. This... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was just about to continue speaking when a resounding voice arose from the center of the room. Turning his head over, Zhang Xuan saw that the one who was speaking was Fei shi. It seems like everyone from the Elite Division is here. First and foremost, I would like to congratte every single one of you for sessfully bing a student of the Sanctum of Sages. Ill be apanying you for the next few years of your journey here, but before I get to anything, I would like each of you to introduce yourself to the others. The people gathered here will be your fellow ssmates, and you will be seeing one another frequently in your time in the Sanctum of Sages. So, it would be good for you all to familiarize yourselves with one another as soon as possible. Alright, in first ce, Feng Ziyi... Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over curiously, wanting to see the face of the top ranker of the entrance examination. Feng Ziyi had outperformed even those of the Zhang n toe top in the entrance examination. From this feat alone, there was no doubt that the other party was a person of great capability. A young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties walked out. He had an ordinary-looking exterior, no imposing aura or dashing appearance. He was the type of person who would blend right into the crowd if one did not pay close attention to him. However, under the assessment of Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight, he could still clearly perceive the fearsome flow of energy that coursed through Feng Ziyis body like the rapid tides of a river. There was little doubt that this fearsome flow of energy could be converted into devastating might within moments if willed so. Grand Dominion realm advanced stage... Hes indeed a formidable individual.Zhang Xuan nodded. A cultivator had to possess unthinkable talent in order to possess such strength in his mid-twenties. My name is Feng Ziyi. The young man simply introduced his own name before falling silent. It would have seemed silly if anyone else had done the same, but for the mysterious Feng Ziyi, such actions only seemed to deepen the enigma around him. In second ce, Zhang Yu! Fei shi announced. He had the details concerning every single student who enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages, but if Feng Ziyi was unwilling to say anything more about himself, it was not be his ce to talk too much either. Following the announcement, another young man stepped forward and sped his fist. This young man appeared to be even younger than Feng Ziyi, around his early twenties, but his strength did not feel any weaker than thetters. It felt like he could bring forth a cmitous storm with just a wave of his hand. My name is Zhang Yu, and Im from the Zhang n. I hope that we can work together and strive for greatness! In contrast to Feng Ziyis cold disposition, Zhang Yu spoke with a warm smile on his face. Under the scanning of the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan found that there were no major ws to be found in Zhang Yus physical body, zhenqi, or soul, which made his strength exceptionally wholesome. Inparison, the other offspring of the Zhang n that he knew of, such as Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Qian, or even Zhang Yunfeng, were truly not even worth mentioning. If the two of them were to go all out in a battle, even though Zhang Yus cultivation was only at Grand Dominion realm advanced stage, Zhang Xuan was not confident that he would be the one to emerge victorious in the end. As one of the inner members of the Zhang n, Zhang Yus bloodline ability was bound to be far stronger than Zhang Qians. Along with the various profound battle techniques and powerful means he would have learned in the Zhang n, Zhang Yu likely possessed the strength to rival opponents several cultivation stages stronger than him as well. Following Zhang Yu was Yuan Haiqing, Bai Qingxuan... Zhang Xuan assessed every single one of them carefully, and while most of the rest came nowhere close toparing to Feng Ziyi and Zhang Yu, they still left him feeling deeply bewildered. It was no wonder these ns and powers were able to remain at the top of the Master Teacher Continent for so many years. They really did possess exceptional means in cultivating the talents of the younger generation. All in all, the only one who could be said to have trulye from a humble background among the fifty students of the Elite Division was him. It seems like the Master Teacher Continent is rather simr to my previous world. Due to the difference in upbringing and resources avable to each individual, the powerful grow even more powerful whereas the weak grow even weaker. This gap will only continue to widen with time... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. The stronger powers and ns had high-ranked master teachers amid their ranks and superior resources, thus allowing them to provide the best upbringing for their younglings right from the very start. This was not something that ordinary ns could afford to do. As for those who had paved their way forward a step at a time, rising from the humble Tianxuan Kingdom all the way up here... well, such cases could be said to be practically non-existent. In a sense, Zhang Xuans case could be considered a miracle among miracles. It was really no wonder others automatically assumed that he was an offspring of the Zhang n. It did not take too long for the front forty-nine students to finish introducing themselves. Last but not least, Zhang Xuan! As soon as those words were spoken, all eyes in the room immediately turned toward Zhang Xuan. Despite not being from the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan had beaten up Zhang Qian and Zhang Yunfeng. This was a sight that everyone had seen with their own eyes back then, and that matter had left a deep impression on them. Zhang Xuan introduced himself with a smile. I am Zhang Xuan, and I am from the Qingyuan Empire. Hes really from the Qingyuan Empire! Despiteing from such a humble ce, he still dared to make a move against the Zhang n? He sure is brazen! But dont you think that its weird how he was able to defeat Zhang Yunfeng despite being in fiftieth ce? Thats indeed rather bizarre. Perhaps, he might even be a secret student of some 9-star master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters... Upon hearing Zhang Xuans introduction, the crowd immediately began discussing him in whispers. Considering how Zhang Xuan was able to achieve such strength despite being unaffiliated to any powers and the very fact that he dared stand against the Zhang n fearlessly, there was no one in that room who thought that he was as simple as he had introduced himself to be. Alright. Now that you have made your introductions, I shall first talk about some of the basic rules in the Sanctum of Sages that you must abide by, followed by the various aspects you have to take note of when choosing your teacher, Fei shi said with a smile. Regarding the rules, they are all thoroughly exined in your identity tokens, so I wont waste your time by going into detail about them. However, theres one thing I would like to remind all of you on. As students of the Sanctum of Sages, you canpete with one another, but under no circumstances should you attempt to im the life of your peers. If you have any irreconcble conflict with anyone that you must settle at any cost, you can apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation with us. As long as three elders agree to your request, youll be orded a Life-and-Death Contract to carry on with it. Under the terms of the Life-and-Death Contract, the power affiliated with the individual who has lost their life in the Master Teacher Confrontation must not attempt to exact vengeance against the victor. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. In a sense, these rules were simr to those of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Regardless of whether one was a master teacher or not, wherever humans existed, there was bound to be conflict. Even the most enlightened of individuals were no exception to the rule. Even Kong shi had also lost his rationality to rage and sorrow before. Conflicts would have to be resolved in a timely and appropriate matter, or else they would only continue growing bigger and bigger. This was also why most organizations, be it Master Teacher Academies or the Sanctum of Sages, had systems in ce to deal with such situations. Otherwise, if an individual was forced to bottle up their hostility and rage due to the rules, it could eventually lead to themmitting far worse acts. As for the selection of teachers, I only have a very simple piece of advice for you all. Choose a teacher who is aligned with your strengths. The fact that you were able to rise above the other ten thousand candidates means that you possess an outstanding talent or skill. As such, I hope that you can sharpen this strength of yours and bring it to its very limits. Following which, Fei shi began introducing some of the more formidable master teachers and exceptionally talented individuals of the other upations in the Sanctum of Sages. Upon hearing these introductions, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disinterest. The Library of Heavens Path was far better than any teacher he could have. As such, this topic held no purpose to him at all. Fairy Leyao, do you still have any more of the Wintry Spirit Essence that you gave me previously? May I buy some of it from you? ording to what Sun Qiang had said, it seemed like it would be difficult for him to obtain pinnacle spirit stones without entering the Inner Sanctum, and the other alternatives seemed to be rather troublesome as well. However, upon seeing Fairy Leyao, he suddenly remembered the Wintry Spirit Essence. He had consumed some previously, and it had been extremely effective on him. He could raise his cultivation swiftly with it. That... I do have some Wintry Spirit Essence, but Im nning on using it to push for a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm, Chen Leyao replied hesitantly. The young man was her benefactor, as well as the teacher of their young court chief. Under normal circumstances, she would not have turned down any request he had of her, but... she really needed the Wintry Spirit Essence to push for a breakthrough, so it was not convenient for her to give it away. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon hearing those words. If I can help you achieve a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm without using the Wintry Spirit Essence, would you be willing to sell your Wintry Spirit Essence to me? If you can help me achieve a breakthrough, Ill give the Wintry Spirit Essence straight to you! Chen Leyao said. Chapter 1333 - Offering Pointers to Chen Leyao

Chapter 1333: Offering Pointers to Chen Leyao

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There was no treasure that was more important than raising ones own cultivation realm. If Zhang Xuan could help her push for a breakthrough to the Grand Dominion realm right now, even if she were to give the Wintry Spirit Essence straight to the other party, she would still have won big-time. Good! Zhang Xuan smiled in delight. He was just about to get Chen Leyao to execute a punching routine so that he could offer her some pointers when he suddenly heard a voice. Brother Zhang! Zhang Xuan turned around and saw a young man standing not too far away from him. Zhang Zhuo? Zhang Xuan frowned. The other party was none other than Zhang Yunfengs cousin, the person ranked 31st ce in the entrance examination. Just as I said yesterday, I am interested in testing out Brother Zhang. Since its a free interaction time right now, I would like to invite you to a duel! Zhang Zhuo sped his fist respectfully. He showed no hint of arrogance due to his identity as an offspring of the Zhang n. Free interaction time? Zhang Xuan took a quick nce at his surroundings and saw that while he was chatting with Chen Leyao, Fei shi had already stopped talking to allow the students to familiarize themselves with one another. As geniuses of the Sanctum of Sages, they spoke not only through words but their capabilities as well. As such, there was quite a number of people who hade to blows with one another. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. In truth, Zhang Zhuos challenge meant nothing much to him. Even if he was ranked 31st ce in the entrance examination, it would not take Zhang Xuan too much to defeat him. However... He had depleted all of his zhenqi after executing the Sea Severing Sword twice in the Corridor of Puppets, and while he had managed to recover a bit of his strength since then, he was still in no state to fight against a cultivator of Zhang Zhuos caliber. What? Is Brother Zhang unwilling to face me in a battle? Zhang Zhuo narrowed his eyes yfully. Considering how many freshmen had been watching in the square yesterday, it would have been bad to his reputation if the offspring of the Zhang n kept challenging Zhang Xuan in session. Today, every single student of the Elite Division was around, so this was a good opportunity to suppress the other partys haughtiness. He was determined to have the other party learn that not everyone could afford to offend their Zhang n! Its just a duel; why would I be unwilling to face you in a battle? I only fear that I will fail to keep my strength in check and identally cripple you. It would be a pity if something like that hurts the camaraderie we have as fellow students of the Elite Division, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. While he might have depleted his zhenqi, he still had plenty of means to deal with a mere Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator. At the very worst, he would just let his clone out to bite at the other party. s, that fellow was a little too aggressive and hard to control. It would be a little embarrassing if he identally crippled Zhang Zhuo while he was at it. You... Zhang Zhuos face darkened. Harrumphing coldly, he beckoned with his hand and said, Since you are willing to ept my challenge, lets begin! After saying those words, he turned around and walked to the center of the hall. I guess it cant be helped then. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he got up and walked over as well. However, barely after he could take a step, Chen Leyao suddenly blocked the path ahead of him. Zhang shi, you have depleted your zhenqi, havent you? Chen Leyao sent a telepathic message over. You can tell? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. He had not told the other party about the matter of his zhenqi running dry, and he did not think that he had showed any hint that would betray that either. Thus, he could not help but be slightly surprised to see that Chen Leyao was able to see through it. Your acupoints were wide open while you were talking earlier, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy desperately to replenish your zhenqi. With just a look, its apparent that you are suffering from severe depletion of zhenqi, Chen Leyao exined. How can you fight with another in the state you are currently in. Why dont I help you turn down the battle instead? Even if hes from the Zhang n, he should at least sell me this favor... Ultimately, the foundation of a cultivatory in their zhenqi. Admittedly, experts of their level could draw on incredible strength from their physical bodies and Primordial Spirits too, but to fight without zhenqi was simr to a tiger attempting to hunt down its prey without its fangs and ws. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I will lose my honor and reputation if I turn down his challenge. To be honest, he cared about nothing of that sort, but considering that the other party was from the Zhang n and had provoked him first... What a pity it would be if he were to let this precious opportunity to pummel the other party into the ground slip by? But you wont be able to fight in your current state! Chen Leyao eximed. It was not that she harbored any special feelings for the young man before her. However, just on the basis that the young man was the teacher of their young court chief, she could not allow any harm toe to him. Otherwise, if the young court chief started assigning me for the matter, there was no way she could take responsibility. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. He knew that he could only rely on other means to resolve this situation, too, and he was actually nning on finding an opportunity to slip off for a moment to change his clothes. However, a thought suddenly came to his mind in this moment, and he asked, Fairy Leyao... why dont you fight for me instead? You want me to take your ce? Chen Leyao was stunned for a moment before hurriedly shaking her head. The only reason I was able to get into the Elite Division is due to my secret art. As such, my fighting prowess is stillckingpared to most of the others in the Elite Division. I fear that I wont stand a chance against Zhang Zhuo! Her cultivation was only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle at the moment. In the eyes of others, she could be considered an astounding genius, butpared to Zhang Zhuo, she was still severelycking. If they were to sh in a real battle, the one who would fall was indubitably her. Who said that you dont stand a chance against Zhang Zhuo? Zhang Xuan patted Chen Leyaos shoulder reassuring before walking up to Zhang Zhuo. Brother Zhang, I would love to ept your challenge, but I happen to be at a crucial moment in my cultivation, so it wont be convenient for me to fight with you right now. Why dont I have Fairy Leyao fight in my ce instead, and Ill offer her pointers by the side. If you are able to defeat her, Ill consider it my loss. Crucial moment in your cultivation? Zhang Zhuo harrumphed coldly. It was obvious that the other party was just finding a random excuse to turn down his challenge. You made a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm before all of us yesterday; are you trying to tell us that you can still achieve a breakthrough today? Even if you want to give an excuse, surely you can find something thats more logical than that! If you think that you can turn down my challenge with such an excuse, you are dreaming! The previous day, he had asked Zhang Qian and Zhang Yunfeng about the conflict they had with Zhang Xuan, and it seemed like everything had started from this Chen Leyao. Since she was intent on standing up for Zhang Xuan, he did not mind teaching her a lesson. He knew that the youngdy was far weaker than him, and if they were to really sh with one another, he would be able to defeat her easily within three moves. Fairy Leyao, are you sure you want to stand up for him? Zhang Zhuo directed a cold gaze toward Chen Leyao. I... Chen Leyaos eyebrows shot up. She had only intended to dissuade Zhang Xuan from fighting in the duel, but who would have thought that she would suddenly be dragged out to fight the duel instead? However, due to how loudly the both of them had spoken, everyone had already turned their gazes over. At this point, it was already toote for her to back down. Thats right! If you wish to have a fight with Zhang shi, youll have to get past me first, Chen Leyao replied coolly. Very well. Let me see how powerful your cier in Court is then! Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Zhuos figure vanished with a swift step forward. His fingers were cupped in a shape reminiscent of a bowl as they crushed down heavily upon Chen Leyao. This technique was not a battle technique, and it looked incredibly straightforward. However, the instant that his palm fell, the surrounding space was immediately sealed, forcing Chen Leyao to face him head-on. Facing such a situation, Chen Leyaos eyes narrowed slightly as a hint of panic shed through her eyes. With her current fighting prowess, she could only match Zhang Qian. She would have trouble fighting even Zhang Yunfeng, let alone the stronger Zhang Zhuo. The moment that Zhang Zhuos palm fell, she immediately felt her zhenqi slowing. Even if she were to gather all of her strength to counterattack, she still would not be able to withstand Zhang Zhuos attack. Move half a step to the left and stab your finger rightward as if a sword. Just as Chen Leyao was feeling utterly helpless, a voice suddenly sounded calmly by her earsZhang Xuan. I guess I have no other choice... Seeing that there was no better alternative before her, she slid her feet to the left and pierced her finger forward. Padah! Her movements were slight, but it caused Zhang Zhuos palm strike to miss with a resounding sonic boom. At the same time, her finger also urately pierced an opening in Zhang Zhuos offense, catching him off guard for an instant. It must be a coincidence! Zhang Zhuo thought as he hurriedly retracted his hand and took a step back. Left hand, Sword Traversing into the Sea. Right hand, Dragon Soars into the Wilderness! Zhang Xuan continued issuing instructions. Just as Chen Leyao was feeling deeply despaired, she saw that she had actually sessfully fended off Zhang Zhuos attack by following Zhang Xuans instructions. In an instant, confidence filled her heart. Without any hesitation, she continued obeying thetters instructions, executing a sword art in her left hand and a palm art in her right. In terms of strength, she was far fromparing to Zhang Zhuo, but through executing the two moves simultaneously, she managed to seal off thetters attack trajectory, forcing thetter to take up a defensive position. Zhang Zhuo also could tell that the momentum of the battle was against him at the moment, and a forceful attempt to go on the offensive could only result in him getting injured. Thus, he had no choice but to continue retreating. Ursae Majoris Steps, Quenching of the Three Yang! Zhang Xuan instructed. Chen Leyao immediately began shuffling her feet, executing the Ursae Majoris Steps. At the same time, her finger tapped forward, seemingly drawing out a triangle in the air, as she drove her zhenqi for the other partys Three Yang Meridians. These moves were not particrly profound, but they were apt for the current circumstances. It coincidentally sealed off the zhenqi cirction pathway of the next move that Zhang Zhuo was going to execute, leaving him feeling so stifled that he could spurt blood. Something is very weird here... Zhang Zhuo thought as he leaped backward in rm. What is Zhang Zhuo up to? Chen Leyaos moves should be extremely easy to deal with. Why is he not defending against them, choosing to retreat again and again instead? Extremely easy to deal with? Are you honestly saying those words? Look at where Chen Leyaos finger is pointing! If he attempted to retaliate, his Chihai acupoint would have been struck. If he attempted to charge forth, his Ziyang acupoint would have been kicked. If he attempted to nk from the left, his Huaihai acupoint would have been mmed by her shoulder. If he attempted to nk from the right, he would have been faced with an even more intense barrage of attacks! In such a situation, theres no choice but to retreat! This... The battle between the both of them had caught the attention of everyone in the room. Initially, the crowd did not think much of the battle, but as it went on, looks of disbelief gradually began surfacing on their faces. As fellow offspring of powerful ns, they were well aware of the backgrounds of one another. Under normal circumstances, Chen Leyao should not have been able to withstand three moves from Zhang Zhuo. Yet, at this very moment, she actually managed to corner Zhang Zhuo to the point that he could not even retaliate! Were Zhang Xuans pointers really that formidable? Interesting! Leaning against the table, Zhang Yu watched the battle with a fascinated look in his eyes. Usually, he would not have much interest in battles such as this, but upon seeing such a sight, his gaze could not help but linger on the battle. For the weak to triumph over the strong, the weak would have to control the flow of battle impably, dealing with whatever techniques the strong threw over promptly. To be honest, it was hard for him to believe that Zhang Xuan would be able to allow Chen Leyao to achieve this much just through his pointers. Deng deng deng deng! Before everyones bewildered gazes, Chen Leyao and Zhang Zhuo traded ten more blows, and shockingly, Zhang Zhuo did not even manage to fend off a single one. He kept retreating non-stop, and before long, he was backed against the wall. Damn it! Zhang Zhuos face turned livid. This should have been an easy battle for him, but ten moves had passed, and he had not gotten a chance to counterattack yet. The intense frustration made him feel like he was going to explode. Since this is the case, dont me me for not having mercy on you! Seeing that there was no longer any path to escape to, Zhang Zhuo narrowed his eyes, and a powerful surge of energy began gushing through his body. Chapter 1334 - Chen Leyao’s Breakthrough

Chapter 1334: Chen Leyaos Breakthrough

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Thats the power of his unique bloodline? Sensing the abrupt surge in Zhang Zhuos aura, everyone was taken aback. It was just a friendly spar between fellow students! Was there a need to tap into such a mutually harming trump card? No, it isnt the power of his unique bloodline. Rather, its a secret art he has been practicing for quite a while. Once its activated, even Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage cultivators would struggle to match his might... a young man from the Zhang n exined with a smile. Tapping into the power of ones unique bloodline would inflict massive damage upon one, and one would have to rest for at least a month after that. For this reason, not even those of the Zhang n would resort to it easily. But even without tapping into the power of their unique bloodline, the Zhang n was still the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent. They possessed plenty of secret arts which could raise their fighting prowess swiftly within a short moment. Cornered by a youngdy whose strength was far beneath his time and time again, Zhang Zhuos frustration eventually hit its limit, and unable to tolerate it any longer, he resorted to his secret arts. Things are going to get hard for Chen Leyao! Indeed. She might be able to im the upper hand for the time being with her superior skills, but in the face of absolute strength, she wont be able to hold on for too long! ... The crowd didnt think that the situation was too optimistic for Chen Leyao. It was true that technique would allow one to ovee an opponent stronger than one, but there was a limit to that as well. Otherwise, cultivators wouldnt have to cultivate relentlessly in seek of greater strength. In the view of the crowd, Chen Leyao had only managed to clinch a temporary upper hand, but the situation was still unfavorable to her. The massive gap between Zhang Zhuo and her ability would eventually result in the tables turning on her. Her defeat was inevitable, it was just a matter of time. Hearing the discussion from the crowd, Chen Leyaos expression also turned grim. Just as she was at a loss as to what she should do, Zhang Xuans voice suddenly sounded in her ear once more, Traversing Crane Palm, Third Form! At this point, obeying Zhang Xuans instructions had already be a reflexive action to her. Without even thinking about it, she had already raised her arm, and reminiscent to a soaring divine crane, she pressed it down upon Zhang Zhuo. The Traversing Crane Palm was a technique created by a senior in the cier in Court while watching the flight trajectory of cranes. It was a technique which harnessed very little strength, but the speed of its attacks was extraordinary. Furthermore, theplicated trajectories of its movements also made it even harder for the opponent to cope with the battle technique. And the Third Form harnessed the very essence of the Traversing Crane Palm. Once activated, a sight reminiscent of a beautiful crane spreading open its wings and soaring into the heavens would unfold before the eyes of the onlookers. Pah! The spreading of the wings was swiftly apanied with the crisp echo of a palm urately falling on Zhang Zhuos face. A p? Zhang Zhuo just got pped? The surroundings were abruptly plunged into silence, and even Chen Leyao was stunned by the situation before her. Chen Leyaos attack was extremely swift, allowing her to catch others off guard, but considering Zhang Zhuos cultivation realm, he should have been able to dodge her attack easily! Yet, he still ended up being struck squarely in the face, leaving five clear fingerprints on his face... This was simply too shocking! Not only was Chen Leyao dazed, Zhang Zhuo, who had just undergone a power up after activating his secret art, waspletely dumbstruck as well. It took a long while before he recovered from his shock, and his zhenqi began surging from his sheer rage. Bastard, Im going to kill you! Zhang Zhuos eyes turned bloody red, and veins were popping up from his forehead. It was already a great embarrassment for him to be cornered by a person whose strength was far lower than his, but as if that wasnt enough, he was even dealt a resounding p to his face. The humiliation he felt burned down everyst shred of rationality he had. Hong long! Driven by his rage, his energy began gushing out as if a burst dam, and in an instant, his aura had already grown two times stronger than before. Under the overwhelming power which he was emanating, Chen Leyao was forced to retreat again and again with a pale face. She just had to mess with the wrong opponent. Zhang Yu remarked with a leisure smile as hey on the table and watched the situation in interest. Hm? A young man seated not too far away from Zhang Yu shot a curious nce over. The secret art which Zhang Zhuo is using is called the Searing Blood Form. It uses ones blood essence as fuel to temporarily boost ones fighting prowess significantly. Under normal circumstances, it would only be able to raise ones strength by 30%, but due to the sheer rage from the humiliation he had suffered, the effects of the Searing Blood Form ended up being amplifying his strength by twofold instead. At the current moment, Zhang Zhuos strength is alreadyparable to a Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage cultivator... If Chen Leyao hadnt dealt that p, she might have still been able tost a little longer in the battle, but now... I can only wish her the best of luck! Zhang Yus words were very clear. Chen Leyao had won the battle but lost the war. She might have managed to embarrass Zhang Zhuo, but her actions ended up amplifying his strength instead, and the eventual result of it would be her own suffering. From such a sense, Chen Leyao has indeed dug her own grave... Zhang Zhuo has always been known to be a cold person. To him, theres only friends and foes. He wouldnt go easy on his opponent just because shes ady... The young man shook his head. Even he would have trouble coping with Zhang Zhuo after his abrupt surge in strength, let alone that Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle youngdy. While the both of them were chatting, Zhang Zhuos strength had finally hit its peak. Just by taking a single step forward, Chen Leyao immediately felt the air around her distorting disturbingly. She suddenly felt as if she was bound by ropes, and no matter how she struggled, she was unable to shake free from it. This is really bad... With a flustered look, the youngdy turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, what should I do? She had made her moves strictly ording to Zhang Xuans instructions, but who could have thought that she would only end up provoking Zhang Zhuo further, resulting in the situationpletely going out of control! I guess theres nothing to be done. Given how much his strength has increased, you wont be a match for him in your current state! Zhang Xuan said as he stretched his backzily. But... A hint of despair flickered across Chen Leyaos face when she heard those words, and she nearly burst into tears. I also know that Im no match for him as well, but... am I really going to be beaten up by him? You really need to have more flexibility in your thoughts. Since you arent able to defeat him with your current strength, all you have to do is to achieve a breakthrough then! Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Achieve a breakthrough? Chen Leyao was stunned. Do you really think I am like you, capable of achieving a breakthrough as and when I like? If its that easy to reach Grand Dominion realm, I would have already seeded a month ago. I wouldnt have been stuck at my current realm at so long! Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. From this moment on, heed my words very closely. Theres no need to be afraid or panic, its just a mere breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm. Ten breaths is all it takes! Ten breaths... Chen Leyao nearly fainted from rage. Arent you bragging a little too much over here? On top of having ones zhenqi umted beyond a certain point, one must also achieve someprehension of the spatialws in order to reach Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm... Due to that, there were simply too many talented geniuses on the Master Teacher Continent who found their footsteps halted at this point, unable to push for a breakthrough. Even the most talented genius of our cier in Court took three whole months for her breakthrough! And youre telling me that you would make me to do it within ten breaths? Even the most unreliable of salesman wouldnt dare to utter such big words! Ten breaths? He cant be serious, can he? In the first ce, dont you think that its ridiculous for a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage to offer guidance to a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle in making a breakthrough? To make promises which hes unable to uphold, that fellow is really unworthy of being a master teacher! ... Zhang Xuan didnt bother concealing his voice, so everyone in the room heard his words loud and clear. They looked at one another with faces marked with disbelief. You really need to know what you can brag about and what you cant! At this rate, you are just only going to be humiliated by your own words! By the side, a deep frown appeared on Fei shis face as well. Even he didnt think that it was possible for Chen Leyao to make a breakthrough within ten breaths. You want to make a breakthrough? Dream on! Zhang Zhuo roared as he raised his palm, and overwhelming might gushed toward the youngdy standing opposite to him. I... Chen Leyao felt her bones being pushed to their limits under the sheer pressure of the palm. She wanted to escape, but she realized that her escape routes had beenpletely sealed, leaving herpletely helpless. Lost and not knowing what to do, Zhang Xuans voice suddenly sounded in her ears once more. Lonesome Footsteps, Second Form. Drive your zhenqi using the cier Form into your Tianmen acupoint and Qixin acupoint. ... Alright. Knowing that she had no other choice but to put her trust in Zhang Xuan, she gritted her teeth and made her move. Instead of retreating, she chose to head forward instead. The Second Form of the Lonesome Footsteps was a forward dash maneuver. Im doomed... With a pale face, Chen Leyao prepared herself for the very worst. She moved instinctively upon hearing the instructions, not bothering to think the actions through. Even from afar, Zhang Zhuos palm was already one which she couldnt withstand. Charging right over would only increase the force of the other partys palm, pushing her further down the cliff. Barely after dashing forward by two meters, the pressure before her had already increased by twofold. Not only were her bones tightly pressed together now, even her muscles were pushed to their limits, as if they would be torn to shreds at any moment. Forget it, I have no other choice now! Ill just have to put my trust my Zhang shis judgement! Chen Leyao despaired, but she knew that there was no longer any alternatives before her. Thus, she began driving her zhenqi ording to the cier Form, channeling her energy toward her Tianmen Acupoint and Qixin Acupoint. These two acupoints were the crux to achieving a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm. Naturally, she had attempted to open these two acupoints several times in the past, but her attempts had all ended in failure. But surprisingly, she felt her zhenqi flowing smoother than ever instead. The immense pressure weighing down on her was facilitating the movement of her zhenqi forward! In this moment, she couldnt help but feel that the other party wasnt attacking her but aiding her in her breakthrough! Boom! Under the furious torrent of zhenqi channeled to them, the Tianmen acupoint and Qixin acupoints were swiftly opened up. Following which, Chen Leyaos vision suddenly blurred for a moment. Lines had appeared before her. She couldnt tell for sure, but they appeared to be the folds of space. She instinctively reached forward to grab at them, and a surge of power suddenly coiled around her body. Half-Grand Dominion realm, reached! She really achieved a breakthrough? How did she do it? Everyone was bbergasted to see Chen Leyao sessfully oveing her bottleneck in less than two breaths after dashing into Zhang Zhuos attack. The sight was simply so shocking that it seemed to sap the oxygen out of their lungs. Every single one of them had thought that Zhang Xuan was just bragging, but who could have thought that... he really wielded the power to make the impossible happen! Not only was the crowd shocked, even Chen Leyaos body was shaking from sheer agitation. Disbelief could be seen in her eyes, reflecting how inconceivable the situation was to her as well. She had pushed herself time and time again for a breakthrough, but no matter what she did, she was simply unable to break through the ceiling that was capping her strength. It was unbelievable to her how that ceiling could be shattered so easily. Switch to the Yang Form, drive your zhenqi through the Three Meridians of the Yin Form... In her moment of agitation, Zhang Xuans voice continued sounding. Not daring to hesitate in the slightest, Chen Leyao swiftly drove her zhenqi strictly to how the young man had instructed her to do so. Boom! There was a slight jolt in her meridians, and all of a sudden, Chen Leyao felt the palm strike which Zhang Zhuo was pushing toward her lightening considerably. Following which, a feeling of unprecedented harmony resonated through her body, and the power which had coiled around her body previously began to expand outward. Under normal circumstances, if ones zhenqi was unable to keep up with the expansion of ones Dominion, one would suffer severe injuries. However, due to her driving her Yang Form toward the Three Meridians of the Yin Form, it ended up creating a powerful suction force around her, reminiscent of a ck hole. Tzzzzzzzz! It took only a mere instant for the attack which Zhang Zhuo was sending over to be devoured clean, and Chen Leyao unhesitatingly used it to fuel the expansion of her Dominion. Before long, a stable five meters light barrier formed around her. I... really achieved a breakthrough? Feeling the Dominion that had formed around her and the overwhelming strength flowing through her body, Chen Leyaos body froze in shock. She could hardly curb the agitation she was feeling inside. I really achieved a breakthrough! And it has only been... five breaths!For those who are wondering, Dominion works something like gravity to oppose ones movement. So if Chen Leyaos movement backward is sealed, she would still be able to move forward. Chapter 1335 - Fei shi’s Warning

Chapter 1335: Fei shis Warning

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The entire main hall was deathly silent. Including Fei shi, each and every face that could be seen was marked with shock. Achieving a breakthrough to Half-Grand Dominion realm, that was still eptable to them. But to make a leap to Grand Dominion realm just three breaths after that due to a single sentence spoken by Zhang Xuan... There was really no words that could describe their current feelings. They had never heard of anyone being able to make another person achieve a breakthrough so quickly in session, not even with 9-star master teachers! He sure is a resourcefuld! the leisurely Zhang Yu from a moment ago remarked with narrowed eyes. Resourceful? That p earlier should be an intentional move from Zhang Xuans side to anger Zhang Zhuo. The purpose was to push Zhang Zhuos secret art to its limits, maximizing his increment in strength! Zhang Yu said with a nod. Secret arts with the ability to raise ones strength significantly are formidable weapons in battle, but there is a fatal w in them. The strength derived from them would be all virtual power. Virtual power? The young man not too far away wasnt too sure what Zhang Yu meant by those words. Virtual power refers to strength which doesnt belong to one. To make a metaphor, it would be like a bubble. Its possible to increase the size of a bubble to a colossal degree, but as soon as something happens, it would disappear without a trace. Virtual power simply isnt as concrete as the zhenqi one cultivated, and its attributeless nature would make it easy for others to steal as well. Zhang Yu harrumphed. On the surface, it appeared that Zhang Xuan had chosen to make Chen Leyao fight the battle in his ce, but in truth, right from the very start, it was his intention to have Chen Leyao make use of Zhang Zhuos virtual power to ovee her bottleneck and reach Grand Dominion realm! The young man could hardly believe what he was hearing, In a battle, the slightest mistake could lead to grievous injuries or even death... To attempt to absorb the power of an opponent and push for a breakthrough in the midst of a battle, isnt that too risky? It wasnt umon for powerful experts to infuse their energy into their juniors in order to raise their strength swiftly. This process was otherwise known as Cultivation Impartation. Cultivation Impartation could allow one to achieve a breakthrough swiftly, but its requirement was extremely severe as well. Firstly, the ones conducting and receiving the Cultivation Impartation must be from the same lineage, practicing the exact same cultivation techniques. Secondly, both parties must be willing to undergo the Cultivation Impartation, and there must be no resistance in the entire process. Otherwise, the slightestpse in the process could cause the receiver to lose control of the immense energy being pumped into him and literally explode on the spot. Given how dangerous Cultivation Impartation was, to attempt to steal the opponents strength and push for a breakthrough in the midst of a tense battle... Just how confident must a person be in his own strength in order to do so? Zhang Xuan must have investigated Zhang Zhuos background beforehand to gain a thorough understanding of thetters strength, cultivation techniques, secret arts, and the sort beforehand. Putting that information along with what he knew of Chen Leyao, he would be able to craft out scenarios for Chen Leyao to safely achieve a breakthrough in the midst of a battle with him... It shouldnt be too difficult to obtain all this information if he were to tap into Chen Leyaos connections. A glint flickered across Zhang Yus eyes as he saw through the crux of the matter. Stealing the opponents strength to push for a breakthrough in the midst of a battle may seem extremelyplicated, but as long as one had a thorough understanding of the fighting prowess of both parties and designed a usible scenario with countermeasures for unexpected situations in ce, there was still a good chance that one would be able to pull it off safely. More importantly, Chen Leyao probably isnt as weak as we thought. Most likely, shes already on the verge of a breakthrough. In other words, as shocking as the situation may seem, she was actually coborating with Zhang Xuan to y out a show to garner attention. Otherwise, do you think that a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator, not to mention one that is unaffiliated with any powers, would possibly possess an understanding of cultivation that surpasses Chen Leyao, Zhang Zhuo, and even us? Zhang Yu said confidently. This... The young man came to a realization. Of course, even if one were to make ample preparations beforehand, pushing for a breakthrough in the midst of battle was still an extremely difficult and risky process. Nevertheless, it was at least at a level where the matter wasntpletely imusible to them anymore. Despite his young age, he sure is scheming... Coming to realize what was going on, the young man harrumphed coldly. Those whoe to the Sanctum of Sages dream of leaving a mark on the Master Teacher Continent, and the best way to do so is to trample on the name of the Zhang n. That Zhang Xuan sure is an ambitious fellow! Zhang Yu sneered coldly. Do you want me to teach him a lesson in your stead? the young man asked. Theres no need for that. He can do whatever he likes as long as he doesnt trample on my toes. If he really is so brazen as to do so, I dont mind teaching him a lesson which he would never forget. Zhang Yu waved his hands leisurely before falling silent. To him, while Zhang Xuan did possess some talent, he wasnt a person who posed any threat to his position. While the two of them were discussing this matter by the side, in the middle of the hall, Zhang Zhuo was nearly losing his mind. The secret art he had used ended up being used as nourishment for Chen Leyaos breakthrough. That was another tight p on his face! His body trembled from the overflowing rage coursing through his body, and with a wrathful roar, he dashed forward once more. Alright. Since you have achieved a breakthrough, he should pose no threat to you anymore. Itll do for you to knock him out. Take three steps back using the Seventh Form of the Lonesome Steps and execute the second move of the Vacuum Palm! Before Zhang Zhuos attack could strike, Chen Leyao heard Zhang Xuans voice in her ears once more. Without any hesitation, she carried out what was being said, and half a breathter, Zhang Zhuo stared at Chen Leyao with eyes widened with disbelief before copsing powerlessly to the ground. I won... I actually won! Overwhelmed with agitation, Chen Leyao rushed back to Zhang Xuans side and eximed in delight. Zhang Yu thought that Zhang Xuan had a thorough grasp of her strength, which allowed him to design a situation where she would be able to tap into Zhang Zhuos power to push for a breakthrough. However, as the person in question, Chen Leyao knew very well that she had only met Zhang Xuan the previous day, and even though they had spent some time together, she had never executed her moves or disyed his cultivation to him before. In other words, prior to her battle with Zhang Yu, Zhang Xuan knew nothing about her abilities at all! Relying solely on his eye of discernment, he was able to analyze the depths of her abilities in the midst of a battle and offer spot-on pointers for her to turn the tables around, not to mention, even allowing her to achieve a breakthrough within five breaths! His ability had far exceeded her wildest expectations. It was no wonder why he was able to modify the Yin Form and Yang Form and resolve the problem which had gued the cier in Court for countless dozen millenniums! You should be thankful that this is just a friendly spar. If it had been a life-and-death battle, you would have been long killed! Seeing how excited Chen Leyao was, Zhang Xuan poured a bucket of cold water over her with his words. In truth, it was only possible to carry out such a situation in a friendly spar. Otherwise, if Zhang Zhuo had executed killing blows one after another right from the start, there would have been nothing Chen Leyao could have done to reverse the situation. As such, it would be nigh impossible to replicate this sess again. Furthermore, considering that you have achieved a breakthrough by absorbing the strength of another, the foundations of your cultivation is bound to be rather shaky. Ill prepare a cultivation technique for you to reinforce your cultivationter on, so make sure to practice it well so that you dont leave behind any traumas in your cultivation. Zhang Xuan continued. Considering that Chen Leyao had made a breakthrough on Zhang Zhuos virtual power, her current breakthrough could be said to be built upon weak foundations. She would have to work hard on reinforcing her cultivation so as to ensure that this wouldnt cause any problem in the future. It was a little troublesome, but this couldnt be helped. After all, not everyone was as talented as him. I understand. Chen Leyao nodded. At this moment, she suddenly recalled the agreement they had made earlier and flicked her wrist, Here are three bottles of Wintry Spirit Essence. Thats all I have at the moment. If Zhang shi has a need for them, feel free to take them. Just as what she had said before, as long as Zhang Xuan could help her achieve a breakthrough, she would give the Wintry Spirit Essence to the other party for free. And since the other party had managed to carry out the end of his promise, she wouldnt renege on her words either. Thank you. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he took the bottles of Wintry Spirit Essence unreservedly. To be honest, without his guidance, it took take at least half to an entire year of umtion before Chen Leyao would be able to make a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm. Considering how much time he had saved the other party, it wasnt too much for him to receive these aspensation. Zhang Xuan uncorked the bottle and felt the concentrated spiritual energy and frigid chill emanating from within. Without any hesitation, he gulped down the entire bottle of Wintry Spirit Essence. Then, he paused for a brief moment before gulping down the other two bottles as well. Time waits for no one. It had been nearly a day since he had arrived at the Sanctum of Sages, but he had only raised his cultivation by two cultivation stages so far. This was too slow, too slow! Since he had alreadypiled the full Leaving Aperture realm cultivation technique, he should just push for a breakthrough on the spot! He drunk all three bottles at once? Chen Leyao knew that the young man before him possessed means far beyond her imagination, but even so, she couldnt help but shudder in terror when she saw the young man swallowing three whole bottles of the Wintry Spirit Essence at one shot. As soon as the Wintry Spirit Essence entered his body, Zhang Xuan immediately drove his Heavens Path Divine Art, and it didnt take long for his depleted zhenqi to be restoredpletely. Following which, as more and more spiritual energy was converted into zhenqi and deposited into his dantian, his aura grew stronger and stronger. Its truly an honor to be able to witness such an exciting breakthrough. As expected of geniuses of the Elite Division, the means that every single one of you possesses are truly astounding! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to push for a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle in a single go, he suddenly heard Fei shis voice sounding beside him. He turned his head over and saw that Zhang Zhuo had already regained consciousness, and he was currently sitting gloomily by the side. On the other hand, Fei shi was looking at him with deep agitation reflected on his face. While he harbored the same thoughts as Zhang Yu, thinking that Chen Leyaos breakthrough was a carefully nned maneuver between the two beforehand, that didnt hinder his deep respect for the young man. Even the most meticulously designed n could flop if it were to be executed badly. However, I would just like to re-emphasize something over here. No matter what the oue of the duel is, please consider it as a friendly spar to learn from one another. Dont harbor any grudges against one another over a matter as minor as this. Knowing that the previous battle could very well incur the ire of Zhang Zhuo or even the Zhang n toward Zhang Xuan, Fei shi stepped in and spoke with a smile Most of you havee from powerful ns and backgrounds, so I believe you should understand the importance of building up your connections. Its fate that brought all of you together in the same ss, so I hope you can treasure the rtionship you have with one another. Even if you were to rise to a great position in the future, these connections you forge with one another here will surely help you all greatly in the future... Indeed, theres no need to sour rtions with one another over a friendly spar. Dont worry, Fei shi. We understand that! Knowing the rationale behind Fei shis words, the crowd swiftly chirped in with a smile. Coming from powerful ns and backgrounds, even if they didnt enroll in the Sanctum of Sages, they would still be able to rise through the ranks with ease. The two reasons why they went through the trouble to do so was to, firstly, temper their state of mind through the characters that Kong shi had left behind and the atmosphere that drifted in the Sanctum of Sages, and secondly, build up their connections. With powerful connections, they would be highly valued even when they returned back to their ns, which would aid them in vying for a greater degree of authority in the future. Alright, I wont impose on you all any further. Feel free to speak and interact with one another, and dont forget to select a teacher suited for youter on... Seeing that everyone understood his intentions, Fei shi decided to speak no more. The crowd also knew that it wasnt easy for them to be gathered together in one ce. Once they started cultivating, they would be scattered all over the ce. So, they deeply treasured this opportunity to socialize with one another. Looking at this situation with a smile, Fei shi slowly made his way over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, I have taken a look at your background, and I must say, its truly astounding that someone of your age is able toe this far from Tianxuan Kingdom. Not only did you be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, you have also sessfully crashed two Master Teacher Pavilions. To be honest, even I am deeply in awe with your talent. As the person in charge of this ss of the Elite Division, he had read Zhang Xuans profile in advance, and even for someone like him, he couldnt help but find himself filled with respect for Zhang Xuan. Even if it was in a remote location like Qingyuan Empire, the fact that he could sessfully crash the Master Teacher Pavilion was more than enough to prove his talent and strength. Fei shi is too polite. Zhang Xuan sped his fist in response. Fei shi nodded slightly before continuing on, Possessing talent is important, but so is forging connections with others... The Zhang n is the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent, so I hope that you can make reconciliations with them. It wont be good for you to get into a conflict with them. It hadnt been a day since the young man had arrived in the Sanctum of Sages, but he had already pummeled three students from the Zhang n. This was really putting him at a spot. Chapter 1336 - Luo Xuanqing Visits

Chapter 1336: Luo Xuanqing Visits

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As the top Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent, the Zhang n had many offspring in the Sanctum of Sages. As long as they were not the core members of the Zhang n, it would not cause too much of an uproar to harm them. However, within less than a single day, Zhang Xuan had pummeled three of them. While they were all the less important inner members, that could still be considered an act of provocation toward the Zhang n! He might still have been able to make some actions in the shadows to mediate the conflict between both parties had it been any other power, but as for the Zhang n... it was a power that was not much weaker than the Sanctum of Sages, and he was only an ordinary teacher in it. If Zhang Xuan really incurred the ire of the Zhang n, and thetter sent some of their more formidable offspring at him, there would be nothing he could do at all. As long as the Zhang n acted within the rules, there would be nothing he could do as a teacher in the Sanctum of Sages. Knowing that the other party was advising him out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan sped his fist politely in response. Thank you for your advice, Fei shi. Ill take note of that. That would be for the best. As an unaffiliated cultivator, you must pay careful heed to your rtionships. Its always better to make friends than enemies. After all, you arent the sanctum head! Fei shi remarked. Sanctum head? Zhang Xuan looked at Fei shi with a bewildered look. What did this have to do with being the sanctum head? Seeing the confusion on Zhang Xuans face, Fei shi said, The Sanctum of Sages is a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, an organization that is of equal standing to the Combat Master Hall. You should be aware of this matter as well, right? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. If one were to view the Master Teacher Pavilion as a feudal empire, the regional Master Teacher Pavilion would be the local governors, responsible for dealing with the issues that urred in the area. The Combat Master Hall would be the military, under themand of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, ready to be dispatched should any conflict or war break out. As for the Sanctum of Sages, it would be something simr to the Imperial Academy 1 , responsible for grooming top-notch geniuses for the Master Teacher Pavilion to shoulder the responsibility of guiding and protecting mankind. As such, the Sanctum of Sages was viewed to be equal standing to the Combat Master Hall. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters is a transcendental organization in the Master Teacher Continent. As long as one doesnt betray mankind or carry out actions that harms the interest of mankind, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would usually take on a neutral position to all conflicts. Naturally, as a subsidiary to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it would be inappropriate for the Sanctum of Sages to get too close to any n or power too, Fei shi exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. In a sense, this was simr to how the Combat Master Hall branches would remain unaffiliated to any powers in the region they resided in, or else the Master Teacher Pavilion would swiftly step in and deal with them. The Sanctum of Sages was a ce to groom the talents of mankind. Following the ideology of Kong shi, education without discrimination, anyone who had disyed sufficient talent would be able to enter the Sanctum of Sages and learn. As a result, there were many powerful ns and organizations who had their core members here. If the Sanctum of Sages were to make use of its position to get close to a certain power, they would risk sidelining the others, and that would be at odds with Kong shis ideology. The sanctum head is the figure who represents the entire Sanctum of Sages. In order to win the respect of others, they must tower over the other students. Take our previous sanctum head for example. When he was still a candidate for the position of sanctum head, he would frequently challenge the offspring of the Zhang n, the Luo n, and the Jiang n, pummeling them again and again, thus forging a reputation of power for himself. Naturally, as the sanctum head, he didnt have to fear offending others, and he didnt have to butter up to anyone either. On the contrary, through disying his strength, he would be able to better earn the recognition of others. However, the same cant be said about you. As an ordinary student, it would be best for you to maintain a low profile. There are simply too many geniuses in the Sanctum of Sages. Despite your incredible background, you are still considerablyckingpared to the true geniuses! Fei shi warned. Zhang Xuans experiences could be said to be legendary, but if one were topare him with the little princess of the Luo n and the young prodigy of the Zhang n... he was still toocking. This was especially so for the former. In just two years after arriving in the Sanctum of Sages, she had already cleared nearly all the trials here. And when someone asked her the reason for doing so, her reply was that she was simply too bored! To clear all the difficult trials just because she was bored... The little princess words had truly dealt a huge mental trauma to all the geniuses in the Sanctum of Sages back then. While Zhang Xuan was a very talented individual, he still paled inparison to those monsters. I understand. Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively and nodded. The preceding sanctum heads before him had gone around challenging others, showing tant disregard for the prestige of the other ns and powers. It seemed like he had really been too low profile all this time! To destroy only a Corridor of Puppets and pummel three offspring of the Zhang n so far... it really did feel like he was not doing enough! It would be difficult for him considering his humble personality and his motto of maintaining a low profile, but for the sake of building up prestige for his inauguration as the next sanctum head, he had no choice but to force himself to go high profile! If Fei shi were to learn of Zhang Xuans thoughts, he might very well faint from anger. Even though the other sanctum heads were high profile, they only did so after building up a powerful foundation, cultivating for a century or even several centuries before rising to the top in a single shot. Yet, this fellow... On the very first day after arriving at the Sanctum of Sages, when his cultivation was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, he was thinking of how to wreak havoc! There was not a single preceding sanctum head who had been as unruly as him! Seeing that Zhang Xuan understood what he was getting at, Fei shi nodded in approval. Its good that you understand. Over the next two days, find an opportunity to apologize to those of the Zhang n. Possessing great talent was not frightening. Only those who knew how to adapt and could live till a ripe old age were truly fearsome. He harbored great expectations in Zhang Xuan, and naturally, he did not wish to see thetter being suppressed by others in his time at the Sanctum of Sages, resulting in the stagnation of his growth. Apologize? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats right. Itll be extremely helpful to your future if you can get on good terms with them. For one, if you can just obtain the position of an honorary elder in the Zhang n, you wont have to fear not having sufficient resources for your cultivation. With their help, youll be able to rise to the top of the Master Teacher Continent easily! Fei shi exined. What unaffiliated cultivators tended tock was resources, be it spirit stones or cultivation technique manuals. If Zhang Xuan could obtain those two, he would surely be able to advance his cultivation swiftly. Honorary elder? Yes. Powers as big as the Zhang n often establish systems simr to empires and sects. In addition to their n members, they also have many subordinate powers and experts under them, and a huge bulk of their power actuallyes from them! Fei shi remarked. Of course, considering that you are a master teacher, it would be best if you could join the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. However, there are many requirements and tests one has to undergo in order to enter the headquarters, so that course of path will be much more difficult. I see! Zhang Xuan came to a realization. In essence, what Fei shi was saying was that the extent of the Zhang ns influence did not just stop at their own n members. It would be more urate to liken it to a warship with countless frigates surrounding and protecting it. There were many unaffiliated cultivators who would try to forge a good rtionship with the powerful ns or organizations so that they could join them after graduating from the Sanctum of Sages. Of course, the best option for master teachers was to get into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but it was terribly difficult to do so. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters only epted the strongest of experts across the entire Master Teacher Continent, such that even experts like Fei shi were unqualified to join their ranks. Alright, before I stop right here, let me just offer you onest piece of advice. The Sanctum of Sages revolves around connections, and the Zhang n is a power in the Master Teacher Continent that one cannot circumvent. I hope you can choose what is best for you, Fei shi said earnestly before he turned around to leave. At this moment, however, a student suddenly rushed over and eximed, Fei shi, bad news! The King of Destruction is here! King of Destruction? What is he doing here? Fei shi was taken aback. The King of Destruction was a figure in the Sanctum of Sages that left all the teachers and personnel with a huge headache. He loved to challenge trials, or maybe, it would be more urate to say that he loved to cause destruction under the pretext of challenging trials. Wherever he appeared, pandemonium was soon to follow. As a result, it did not take long for his presence to be associated with trouble. Just that... they were in the Hall of Attainment, a ce where lessons were held! Why would the fellow run over here? There were no trials for him to destroy here! I dont know either... but hes currently making his way over! Barely after those words were spoken, a tall, dashing young man suddenly barged into the main hall. As soon as he stepped in, he began scanning the room, as if trying to find a certain someone. Several figures immediately walked up to Luo Xuanqing to block his path, and one of them coldly bellowed with a frown, Luo Xuanqing, this is where the sses of the Elite Division are located. If youre here to cause trouble, Ill have to ask you to leave! He was the genius of the Zhang n, Zhang Yu! Elite Division? Wow, how formidable! You speak as if thats a huge deal. Let me tell you, back when I was in the Elite Division, you were still ying with mud! Dont waste my time; scram to the side! Luo Xuanqing replied coldly with a wave of his hand. Given that they were from two of the strongest ns on the Master Teacher Continent, the two were long acquainted with one another. You... To be told such words in public, Zhang Yus face turned livid. Not wanting to waste his breath with the other party, Luo Xuanqing waved his hand impatiently. Scram! Boom! A rampaging might suddenly swept across the area, and before Zhang Yu could even process what was going on, he was already sent flying across the room. Padah! He was mmed forcefully into the wall, unable to move at all. Even though Zhang Yu possessed incredible talent, due to the difference in their ages, he was still nowhere close to being a match for the older Luo Xuanqing. Upon seeing that Luo Xuanqing had made a move on Zhang Yu, the other offspring of the Zhang n immediately rushed forward with hostile looks on their faces. However, before they could even get close, Luo Xuanqing waved his hand once more. In an instant, as if smacking away flies, the offspring of the Zhang n were all mmed into the wall as well. Even though Luo Xuanqings actions might have seemed violent, his actions were actually well-controlled. He had only smacked them to the wall, taking care not to hurt them severely. Unable to take it any longer, Fei shi stepped forward and said, Luo Xuanqing, this is the Elite Division. Theres nothing for you to destroy over here. Youd better leave right now. No matter what, he was still the person in charge of this ss. If he remained idle when his students were being mmed into the wall by another, it would not reflect well on him either. Ill leave after I find the person Im looking for. Luo Xuanqing waved his hand as he continued looking around the room. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. Zhang... Zhang Xuan, right? Ive been looking for you! Youve been looking for me? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Hes here to find Zhang Xuan? Luo Xuanqing is known to be a very violent individual. It seems like Zhang Xuan is in for a good beating! Well, hes as obstinate as a mule, listening to no one but his younger sister. It seems like Zhang Xuan has offended him somehow, so he decided toe over here to exact vengeance. Over the years, he has beaten up nearly all of the seniors and juniors in the school. I bet that Zhang Xuan is a goner. ... Hearing the words of the crowd, the eyes of Zhang Zhuo and the others lit up. Luo Xuanqing was known throughout the Sanctum of Sages as an unreasonable individual. The very fact that they had been smacked into the wall when they had not even done anything was more than enough to show that. Now that Zhang Xuan had been eyed by Luo Xuanqing, he would surely be pummeled to the point where he would regret being born in this world! Thats right, brother. Come with me. I have something big to talk to you about! Before Zhang Xuan could even process what was going on, Luo Xuanqing had already grabbed his neck with a heartyughter and dragged him out. ... Zhang Zhuo, Zhang Yu, and the others. Arent you the King of Destruction? Where is the fight you promised us? Hey, you should y the rules, shouldnt you? Chapter 1337 - A Group of Eccentrics (1)

Chapter 1337: A Group of entrics (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan waspletely stunned. He had only met this brother-inw of his once in the past, and thetter had even sent him flying with a punch. Why would thetter suddenlye to look for him? Could it be that... he hade to learn of his rtionship with Ruoxin and was agreeable to it? As these thoughts shed across his mind, Zhang Xuan could not help but tremble in agitation. If he could receive the approval of this future brother-inw of his, things would be much more convenient for him in the future. Following the other party out of the Elite Division, Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when his body suddenly shuddered. A cold burst of energy suddenly rose from the depths of his body. I forgot about the matter of my breakthrough... After consuming the Wintry Spirit Essence, before he even had chance to cultivate, Fei shi had suddenlye over to talk to him. Right after that, his future brother-inw suddenly appeared and dragged him out hurriedly. Even the geniuses of the cier in Court could be turned into ice pops if they drank a single sip of the Wintry Spirit essence directly, and Zhang Xuan drank three bottles sessively. Had it been anyone else, there was no doubt that the person would have already frozen to death by now. While Zhang Xuan was able to endure it due to his possession of the Heavens Path zhenqi, he could notst too long without assimting the energy either. As soon as the cold burst of energy began to act up, it swiftly grew more and more powerful with imposing momentum. Zhang Xuan felt as if his inner organs were going to be frozen solid, causing him to tremble non-stop. This wont do. I need to cultivate and assimte the energy swiftly. Knowing that it would be unsafe for him to remain in this state, Zhang Xuan swiftly drove his zhenqi to ward off the cold energy while converting it into zhenqi, preparing to push for a breakthrough. What are you doing? Sensing the changes in Zhang Xuans body, Luo Xuanqing halted his footsteps and frowned. I... need to... cultivate, Zhang Xuan uttered, quivering from the coldness. The cold energy had already permeated the depths of his body, such that even speaking felt like an arduous task to him. He tried to use zhenqi telepathy as well, but he found that he was too busy trying to ward off the cold to divert his zhenqi away for other uses. You can always cultivate whenever you like. I have urgent matters for you right now! Luo Xuanqing was still wondering what kind of important matter it was when he heard that it was just cultivating, so he waved his hands impatiently and said, Hurry up and follow me. Forget it, you walk a little too slowly. Ill just carry you there! Before Zhang Xuan could even exin the matter, he suddenly felt his body being wrapped a surge of energy Hu! His body suddenly flew forward as if leaping through space. There was a terrifying gale howling loudly in the surroundings, but Zhang Xuan could only see flickering lights around him. It was hard to tell how fast he was moving, but it seemed to be even faster than his Heavens Path Movement Art. As expected of a genius from the Luo n... Zhang Xuan thought. Considering how this future brother-inw of his was Ruoxins brother, his grasp over space was clearly more formidable than most other people. Naturally, there was no questioning his speed either. Even though Zhang Xuan had cultivated the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel and the Unbounded Voyager, due to the limitations of his cultivation, the average speed that he was able to move at was still a little beneath that of the other party. Forget it, I need to focus my attention on assimting the power in the Wintry Spirit Essence, or else I will be an ice sculpture! Knowing that this was not the time for him to be shocked, Zhang Xuan quickly closed his eyes and desperately processed the cold energy in his body into his own zhenqi. As time passed, the amount of zhenqi in Zhang Xuans body swiftly built up, pushing him closer and closer to a breakthrough. At some point in time, while Zhang Xuan was still busy cultivating, his body suddenly jolted. They had finallye to a stop. Opening his eyes, the scenery that appeared before Zhang Xuan was not the familiar buildings of the Sanctum of Sages but an empty field. He was still sealed within the bundle of zhenqi that Luo Xuanqing had wrapped around him, and thetter was standing not too far away with his hands behind his back, seemingly thinking of something. With his lips still quivering from chill, Zhang Xuan asked, Brother-in... Brother Luo... where are... we? Why did you... bring me here? Dont speak! Luo Xuanqing eximed sharply. Silenced, Zhang Xuan waspletely bewildered. The other party had brought him here without saying a word at all, and when he asked, the other party told him not to speak. Just what in the world was the other party up to? Wuwuwu! Just as Zhang Xuan was still racking his brain to figure out his current circumstances, a sound reminiscent of the moaning of the air suddenly echoed in the area. Peculiarly, the sound seemed to echo closer one moment yet farther the next. Heh! Harrumphing coldly, Luo Xuanqing took a step forward. Boom! A powerful aura burst forth from him, and Zhang Xuan immediately saw the space before him warping due to some kind ofpelling force. At the same time, his Spiritual Perception was also uncontrobly brought into some kind of dimension. This is the prowess of a Phantasmal Space realm expert? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. At Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm, not only would ones Dominion be harder and more unfathomable to guard against, more importantly, one would also gain the power to construct a Phantasmal Space. Within this area, as long as one disallowed it, it would be difficult to notice ones presence even with ones Spiritual Perception. This was the ability that Luo Xuanqing was executing at this very moment. When Zhang Xuan attempted to extend his Spiritual Perception toward Luo Xuanqing, it felt as if he was dropping a stone into a marsnd. Whatever entered the space around Luo Xuanqing would bizarrely vanish, leaving him unable to sense anything within it at all. He knew for sure that Luo Xuanqing was right before him, but it was as if thetter had vanished from the world. No matter how he tried to perceive his surroundings, he could not find thetter. Phantasmal Space realm experts were already able to control the space around them to a frightening degree. If they really hoped to conceal their presence, it would be impossible to find them, regardless of whether it was with ones eyes or Spiritual Perception. Unless one had reached Saint 7-dan as well, one would bepletely helpless before them! Eye of Insight! Intrigued by the prowess of Phantasmal Space realm cultivators, Zhang Xuan decisively halted his cultivation to examine the situation before him closely. Hu! The vanished Luo Xuanqing appeared before his eyes once more. While his silhouette was still a little blurred, he was no longer imperceptible anymore. Boom! Under the discernment of his Eye of Insight, he could vaguely tell that Luo Xuanqing was currently fighting with someone else, and immense power was diffused into the surroundings from their shes, causing powerful shockwaves to ripple across the field. It had to be said that despite Luo Xuanqings violent and reckless personality, his fighting prowess was not to be underestimated. Even if Zhang Xuan were utilized all of his current means against him, it was unlikely that he would be a match for him. Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, Vicious, would you be able to defeat him in your current state? Vicious had once said that Saint 7-dan cultivators would not be a match for him, but it was apparent that Luo Xuanqing was no ordinary Saint 7-dan cultivator. I can easily destroy any ordinary Saint 7-dan cultivator, but as for that young man over there... I dont think that Ill be able to defeat him, Vicious said awkwardly. Devouring the Vicious of the Northern Marsnds had induced a significant rise in his fighting prowess, allowing him to match most Saint 7-dan experts. However, as the elder brother of Luo Ruoxin, Luo Xuanqing was likely a figure who stood at the very center of the Luo n, so putting aside his superior talents, the resources that he was entitled to were bound to be top-notch. Besides, without sufficient strength, how could he be known as the King of Destruction in the Sanctum of Sages? I thought that you have grown so strong that no Saint 7-dan cultivators would be a match for you... Zhang Xuan grumbled in displeasure. Back when that fellow first regained consciousness, he bragged as if there was not a single person who would be a match for him in the world. Back then, Zhang Xuan had really thought that he was formidable, but looking at it now, it seemed it was all empty talk after all. This... Hearing the displeasure in Zhang Xuans voice, Vicious voice grew noticeably anxious. Master, as long as you let me devour that (Erudition) character, Ill definitely be able to defeat that fellow with ease! Add another (Solidarity) in, and even Saint 8-dan cultivators wont be a problem. And if you were to top up with another (Attainment) character in, Saint 9-dan cultivators might not necessarily be a match for me anymore... Alright, stop bragging. Dont even dream about devouring those characters, you hear me? Zhang Xuan replied in disdain. Those were the treasures that Kong shi had left for the Sanctum of Sages, and they held the crucial role of sealing the luck in thend. To even dream of devouring those characters... he sure was brazen! But thinking about it again, Vicious was a figure who was able to trap even an expert like Kong shi for numerous days back in his peak, so naturally, the value of Kong shis writing was not as significant in his eyes. Alright then... Having been reprimanded, Vicious did not dare say anything. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the fight before him. Haha, as expected of a genius from the Luo n, you are indeed formidable. Ill take you up on your offer then! Hu! The blurred scenery abruptly reverted to normal, and Zhang Xuan saw a young man of short stature standing just by Luo Xuanqings side. To emphasize how short that young man was, he was only half of Luo Xuanqings height, barely even reaching up to thetters chest. His skin was as ck as charcoal, but his eyes gleamed with a blinding light that seemed to warp space itself. Due to the intense battle that had transpired between the two of them earlier, the field in the surroundings was filled with huge depressions and deep gorges. If Zhang Xuan had not seen the state of the field before, he would have thought that he was in the midst of a mountain range gued with treacherous terrain. That young man is a Saint 7-dan cultivator, too, Zhang Xuan thought. He could not tell how powerful the short young man was at the moment, but the fact that thetter was able to sh with Luo Xuanqing and even end up in a draw, it could only mean that thetters fighting prowess was definitely not beneath Saint 7-dan. Who is he? Why did you bring him here? At the same moment that Zhang Xuan noticed the short young man, thetter also noticed him, and a conspicuous frown surfaced on his forehead. He is... Luo Xuanqing was just about to exin the situation when the resounding call of a crane echoed through the sky. Following which, a massive divine crane descended swiftly in their direction. The divine crane was notpletely white in color. Instead, reminiscent of a phoenix, its tail was filled with feathers of all colors, and if one stared at it intently, it felt as if mes were flowing through them. Thats a... Seven-colored Heaven Crane! Zhang Xuan noted in astonishment. This crane waspletely different from those buffoons he had attracted with his zither ying back when he was taking the demonic tunist examination. The Seven-colored Heaven Crane was a lineage of saint beast that came from the ancient era, and even without cultivating, they would attain strength equivalent to a Saint 7-dan cultivator upon maturity! The both of you sure came early! Raising his head, Zhang Xuan realized that there was a young man seated on top of the back of the crane. The young man was in his early thirties, too. He had a towering stature, a head taller than Luo Xuanqing in fact, but his figure was rather plump. ced next to him, Sun Qiang would look nothing more than a mere chubby child. It must be difficult on the Seven-colored Heaven Crane to have to carry him... Zhang Xuan remarked internally. To be honest, be it in his past life or his current life, this was the first time he had seen someone as plump as that. Just the thought of having to carry a person that huge sent shivers down his spine. Its not that we came early; you arrivedte. Come down! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly as he raised his hand and grabbed forward. In an instant, the surroundings began warping once more. The divine crane in the sky seemed to have knocked into a wall, causing it to shake uncontrobly. Oh? Your ability to manipte space seems to have grown significantly stronger, but you will need much more than that to hurt me! The fatty chuckled softly. Without bothering to dodge, he stepped forward powerfully and leaped down from the back of the divine crane. Hu hu hu hu! Due to his weight and the momentum of his leap, it took only a moment for his speed to reach a frightening level, exceeding even the speed of sound. Kacha! His plump body collided heavily on the sealed space, and a massive crack swiftly slithered across the seal swiftly before shattering with a resounding explosion. Under the impact, even Luo Xuanqing was forced to retreat several steps. Boom! The fattynded on the ground, creating a massive depression beneath him. Chapter 1338 - A Group of Eccentrics (2)

Chapter 1338: A Group of entrics (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... Zhang Xuans lips twitched. After reaching the Transcendent Mortal realm, it was already extremely difficult for a cultivator to die from falling from great heights. Considering how the fatty was no weaker than Luo Xuanqing, there was no way he would have any trouble falling from such a height. However... to be able to destroy a spatial seal set up by Luo Xuanqing in midair and still create such a huge depression beneath him, that was already a force far greater than smashing a mountain right upon ones head! Zhang Xuan could not help but think what would have happened if he had been in that fattys ce. Would he have died from the impact? That would have been a rather hrious situation. Before Zhang Xuan could remain shocked for long, a plump silhouette rose up from the huge depression and shook his body. The dust that he was cloaked in fell from his clothes, and shockingly, he waspletely unharmed! It was as if the person who had just fallen to the ground was not him but someone else. Zhang Xuan was astonished. What incredible defensive ability! After cultivating his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to its limits, his physical body was already on par with Saint intermediate-tier artifacts. However, if he had fallen with the momentum that the fatty did earlier, his organs would have ruptured from the impact of the fall. Even if he did not die, his health bar would at least have depleted by half. This meant, in terms of physical body resilience, the fatty had already reached a level far beyond his! That was truly frightening! Whos thisd? I have never seen him before. After shaking off the dust on him, the fatty took a look at Zhang Xuan, and his lips cracked into a smile. Sealed on the spot, and it seems like theres something wrong with his body as well. Did thisd offend you somehow? Do you need me to crush him for you with my bottom? Well, itll be his honor to die beneath my bottom... ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Did this fatty have the same hobby as Golden Origin Cauldronsitting on others? Fearing that the fatty would really do as he had said, Luo Xuanqing quickly waved his hand and exined, Hes a person whom I have specially invited here to assist us! You specially invited him over? Looks of disbelief surfaced on the faces of the fatty and the shorty. They knew Luo Xuanqings personality very wella proud and condescending person, a troublemaker who refused to submit to anyone. For such a person to engage the help of a twenty-year-oldd who was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage... just what was the background of thisd? Indeed. Luo Xuanqing nodded. Just as he was about to begin on his introduction, he noticed that the surroundings had, at some point, been shrouded with a light mist. Following which, an entrancing melody sounded. A melody of sorrow to mark the passing of the beautiful years of youth, reced by tears upon ones robe. I have kept you waiting... The voice was fleeting, sounding as if it was a whisper in ones ears or a resonation within ones soul. It carried a quality that seemed to hook one in,pelling ones emotions to sway along with it. Grave looks surfaced on the faces of Luo Xuanqing, the fatty, and the shorty, and they drove their zhenqi to the point where white smoke was rising from their heads, seemingly desperate to keep out the attack of the voice. Demonic tune! Zhang Xuan noted in rm. Even though the effects of demonic tunes were not as pronounced on him since he cultivated the Heavens Path zhenqi, the slightest carelessness could still end with him being ced in a trance, resulting in the breeding of inner demons. For the time being, he already had enough inner demon subordinates. Sensing that the offense of the voice was growing more and more intense, Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly in displeasure. Bi Hongyin, it has been long since west met, but it seems like your means are still the same as ever! Oh? Why dont you give it a try to see if they are still the same then? The tone of the voice abruptly changed to take on a more seductive edge. At the same time, the mist in the area seemed to intensify, and apparitions seemed to sh in the air, ying on the deepest fear within ones heart, making it difficult for one to focus ones attention. Sure, give it your best shot! Do you think that Ill be afraid of you? Luo Xuanqing stepped forward and stomped on the ground. A resounding boom reminiscent of a drumbeat reverberated in the surroundings. A blinding burst of zhenqi erupted from Luo Xuanqing, making it hard for one to open ones eyes before him. With the diffusion of the light, the mist was forced to dissipate considerably. After which, Luo Xuanqing scanned his surroundings with keen eyes, and a momentter, he abruptly grabbed at the space ahead of him. A massive palm print immediately appeared in the sky, covering more than tenmu 1 . Immense energy coiled endlessly around his body. In that moment, it felt as if the space of the sky above had been frozen in ce, threatening to copse at any moment. Your control over space is superb. I didnt think that you would have made such huge progress since thest time we met. The demonic tune seemed to have grown a little weaker, a sign that the demonic tunist had suffered a setback in the previous sh. Of course. How could I possibly be the only one who remained stagnant? Luo Xuanqing retracted his palm and returned to Zhang Xuans side. Tzzzzzz! The mist in the distance began to gather, and a tall, slender figure slowly materialized before everyones eyes. It was an extremely beautiful youngdy. Her slim figure paired with her tall stature gave her a type of unique elegance, and this was especially entuated by her pair of beautiful legs. In terms of height, she was even taller than Zhang Xuan. After cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body, Zhang Xuans skin had not only be smoother than a babys, his height had also risen to 1.8 meters. At that height, he could already be considered one of the taller ones among the males in the Master Teacher Continent. It was truly rare to see ady whose height was even above his. Since everyone is here, allow me to make the introductions. As the youngdy walked over, Luo Xuanqing took a look around him before getting straight to the topic at hand. Zhang Xuan here is a freshman who enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages just a day ago. We met for the first time yesterday. Luo Xuanqing, why did you bring a freshman over here? Its not as if you dont know the strength of the freshman. Hell drag us down if you bring him there as well! That ce is extremely dangerous! What are you thinking, bringing a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator there? Wait a moment... If his surname is Zhang, could he be from the Zhang n? No, thats not right. You have always hated those from the Zhang n, so how could you be willing to work with them? ... Upon hearing that the person whom Luo Xuanqing had brought over was only a freshman, the trio frowned in displeasure. It was no wonder they would react in such a way. They were all Saint 7-dan experts, and yet, Luo Xuanqing actually brought a mere Saint 5-dan primary stage cultivator over. This course of action was clearly detrimental to the sess of the mission that they were about to undertake. Dont underestimate Zhang shi. He might be young, but hes an incredibly talented formation master. The speed that he can construct formations at is unmatched by anyone that I know of. In fact, even 8-star pinnacle formation masters might not necessarily be a match for him! Luo Xuanqing exined. Even though he was rather displeased that the young man had insulted his sister yesterday, that did not hinder the awe he felt for the young mans talent in formations. To be able to construct a grade-8 formation that he had never seen before, albeit the most basic one, in just several breaths... With this young man with them, their chances of sess would be increased manyfold! Formations? Zhang Xuan finally understood what was going on. He had thought that Luo Xuanqing had brought him over because thetter had found out about the rtionship between him and Luo Ruoxin, but it was apparent to him now that he was mistaken. Most likely, Luo Xuanqing required some help concerning formations for some kind of mission or trial, and recalling his incredible ability in setting up formations, Luo Xuanqing chose to specially invite him over. Yes, specially invite him over! You are telling us that a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator is able to set up a formation faster than a grade-8 pinnacle formation master? Are your eyes ying tricks on you? The shorty frowned doubtfully, clearly not believing Luo Xuanqings words at all. The other two also shot looks of skepticism toward Luo Xuanqing and Zhang Xuan. It was not without reason that formations masters had strict cultivation requirements on ones promotion. Without sufficient strength, it would be impossible for one to set up a certain formation. Considering how Zhang Xuan was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, it was hard for them to take Luo Xuanqings assessment of the other party seriously. Do you all think that Im lying? Luo Xuanqing clearly looked at little displeased. I took the 8-star formation master examination with him, and back then, before I could even finish browsing through the formation blueprint, he had sessfully set up the formation. If not for that, do you think that I would go through so much trouble to invite him here? He had set up the formation before you could even finish browsing through the formation blueprint? The trio was taken aback for a moment before the disbelief on their faces deepened. As a cultivators cultivation advanced, their Primordial Spirit would gradually grow stronger, which would in turn further the prowess of their Spiritual Perception. As Saint 7-dan experts, as long as the content was not too profound, they would be able to memorize most cultivation techniques and secret arts with a sweeping nce. Yet, for the young man to sessfully set up the formation before Luo Xuanqing was done browsing through the formation blueprint... it was a little hard for them to conceptualize just how fast that was. The talldy, Bi Hongyin, casually pulled her hair behind her ear as she suggested with a smile, I happen to be quite proficient in formations, too, so why dont I assess him? Hu! Before Zhang Xuan could even say a word, his surroundings suddenly blurred, and the seal that Luo Xuanqing had ced around him vanished without a trace. He could tell in an instant that he was standing in the midst of a formation activated from a formation te. His surroundings were pitch-ck, and a sinister wind whistled in the area. There was a powerful mental pressure weighing down on his mind, attempting to inflict him with a splitting headache. It seems like that Bi Hongyindy has achieved quite a deep understanding of formations as well, Zhang Xuan thought. Thinking back, the appearance of the mist around them as soon as she appeared was likely to be the doing of some kind of formidable formation te as well. It would be hard to produce such an effect otherwise. To be able to activate a formation te instantaneously and trap all of them, it meant that Bi Hongyinsprehension of formations had already reached 8-star at the very minimum. Bi Hongyin, what are you up to? Not expecting the talldy to make a move on Zhang Xuan all of a sudden, Luo Xuanqing was enraged. He was just about to step forward to stop her when he suddenly felt a tug on his hand pulling him back. Dont worry, she wont go overboard... Just let her give it a try, otherwise itll be hard for us to entrust our safety to himter on. The person who had just spoken was the fatty. Clearly, he also harbored some reservations toward the ability of the freshman. Thus, he hoped to see what thetter was capable of through Bi Hongyins move. This... Luo Xuanqing hesitated for a moment before grumbling reluctantly in agreement. Fine then! Those who were gathered there were his close friends. While none of them were willing to submit to the other, they were very conscientious individuals, and they would never hurt others for no good reason. Luo Xuanqing says that you are highly skilled in the field of formations. This is the formation te that I had an 8-star high-tier master teacher craft for me, and if you can break out of it within four hours, Ill acknowledge your skills and allow you toe along with us. Unaware of the happenings outside, Zhang Xuan swiftly heard a voice from within the formation. Acknowledge my skills and allow me toe along with you all? Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He was in the midst of attending a social event to interact with the other students of the Elite Division when he was suddenly dragged off by Luo Xuanqing. It was one thing for Luo Xuanqing to not exin anything to him, but before he knew it, they were suddenly trying to assess his skills. This bewildering turn of events really left him feeling deeply stifled. Does it look like Im really all that interested in joining your group? But after taking in a deep breath and calming down, he thought through his circumstances once more, and the fact that Luo Xuanqing had invited him over showed that thetter acknowledged his skills. Since that was the case, if he could prove himself worthy this time around, he might just be able to win the goodwill of his future brother-inw. As troublesome as it would be, for the sake of Luo Ruoxin, he would just have to do it! ws! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan immediately leaped into action. A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Taking a look at the content of the book, Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in disdain. What a trashy formation te this is. There are so many ws in it! The talldy had said that she had specially engaged the help of an 8-star high-tier formation master to craft this formation te for her, so he had thought that it would be some ingenious artifact. Perhaps, his expectations were simply too high from the start. I can think of 138 ways to decipher the formation. It took only a moment of calction for Zhang Xuan toe up with this conclusion. After studying all the 8-star formation books over at the Formation Master Build branch in the Hall of Erudition, hisprehension of formations had already reached 8-star pinnacle. In fact, in terms of knowledge, he might even be a match for some 9-star low-tier formation masters. With his knowledge, it was a walk in the park for him to ovee a grade-8 formation te like this! Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before making up his mind. I guess I should use the most direct and fastest method to decipher the formation so as to please my future brother-inw. After choosing the method to use, Zhang Xuan was just about to realize his n when his body suddenly stiffened. To his astonishment, the meridians in his body had frozen solid. Crap, I forgot. I have yet to assimte the Wintry Spirit Essence... Chapter 1339 - What an Easy Lightning Ordeal!

Chapter 1339: What an Easy Lightning Ordeal!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shortly after he consumed the three bottles of Wintry Spirit Essence, before he could even start assimting them, Fei shi had suddenly came over to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Following which, his future brother-inw had suddenly dragged him to this field. While he did assimte a portion of it on the way, there was still a lot left within him. There had not been much of a problem when he was still seated on the ground, but as soon as he attempted to draw upon his strength to break the formation, he suffered bacsh. The rampaging cold energy within his body caused his face to turn ghastly pale, and his body shuddered non-stop. He felt as if his organs had turned into ice sculptures, and even driving his zhenqi became an extremely difficult act. This wont do... I need to assimte the cold energy right now, or else Ill really freeze to death there! Zhang Xuan thought in rm. He had been hoping to break the formation swiftly and leave a good impression on Luo Xuanqing, but that was clearly impossible now. It was one thing for him to waste the Wintry Spirit Essence, but in the worst-case scenario, the rampaging cold energy might leave some trauma in his body, resulting in unexpected situations with his body. Assimte! Knowing that there was no time to waste, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before swiftly gathering his Heavens Path zhenqi together to push for a breakthrough in his cultivation. Due to the attributeless nature of the Heavens Path zhenqi, not only was it capable of neutralizing all types of poison in the world, it could even imitate the ughter of Zhenqi unique to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Back then, not even the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage were able to see through his disguise. Due to that, the Wintry Spirit Essence, which even the members of the cier in Court were fearful of, posed very little threat to him. Gugugugu! Driving his zhenqi swiftly, his stiffened body gradually regained flexibility, and with imposing momentum, he drove his zhenqi to crash into the bottleneck hindering his advancement. Kacha! Kacha! It took only an instant for the bottleneck leading to Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage to be torn through. Even after the breakthrough, the zhenqi in Zhang Xuans body continued to surge furiously with imposing momentum, charging right for the next bottleneck. Zhang Xuan had longmitted the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Divine Art to mind after a few hours of reading through it, and with ample spiritual energy to fuel his breakthrough at this moment, the rest was easy. Driving his growing umtion of Heavens Path zhenqi, it took less than five breaths for him to sessfully ovee the bottleneck to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage. And ten breathster, he sessfully reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle! Hu! It was only after achieving three breakthroughs that the spiritual energy in the Wintry Spirit Essence finallypletely sapped up. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. I seeded... As expected of a treasure from the cier in Court. It was indeed not without reason that Chen Leyao wanted to save it for her breakthrough to the Grand Dominion realm! It was far easier to convert the Wintry Spirit Essence into zhenqi, thus making it much easier to push for a breakthrough with it. I should just clear the lightning ordeal while I am at it, Zhang Xuan thought. Boom! Storm clouds emanating frightening might were swiftly drawn over. Upon achieving a breakthrough in the Leaving Aperture realm, as long as a cultivator did not intentionally suppress their cultivation and conceal it, the lightning ordeal would be immediately drawn over. On top of that, the prowess of the lightning ordeal would also vary ording to the strength of individual drawing it over. The stronger one was, the more formidable the lightning ordeal would be. ... Luo Xuanqing, since you have so much confidence in Zhang Xuan, why dont you guess how long he will take to ovee Bi Hongyins formation te? the fatty asked Luo Xuanqing with an interested smile. Bi Hongyins formation te is at grade-8 intermediate, so it might still take him quite a bit of effort in order to decipher it. At this point, Luo Xuanqing paused and thought contemtively for a moment before adding, My guess is that he will take at least an hour. Deciphering a formation was slightly easier than setting one up. Considering how Zhang Xuan was able to set up a grade-8 formation within just a few breaths, even if it was the most basic one, it was more than enough to show that he possessed an extraordinarily deep understanding of formations. As formidable as Bi Hongyins formation te was, Luo Xuanqing did not think that Zhang Xuan would have a problem with it. Nevertheless, this should have been first time Zhang Xuan wasing into contact with such a formidable formation te, so it would still take an hour or so at the very least. An hour? Heh, you are confident in him. However, my thoughts differ from yours. I dont think that hell be able to seed! The shorty shook his head with a sneer. Its not like you have never experienced Bi Hongyins formation yourself. Its intertwined with her demonic tunes and soul attacks, making it difficult to focus ones attention inside. In such a state, deciphering the formation wont be easy. Even an average 8-star pinnacle formation master would require at least six hours in order to do so. Regardless of whether thatd inside is as formidable as you make him out to be or not, it will be impossible for him to seed without at least two hours of work! The fatty shook his head. You all sure have ample confidence in thatd. My take is that he might not even seed at all! As a Saint 7-dan expert, he had seen plenty of formidable formation masters in his time, and he had a clear gauge of what the capabilities of a top-notch formation master were. Bi Hongyin was not just a skilled demonic tunisther prowess in formations was equally terrifying. By pairing those two abilities with one another, her grade-8 intermediate formation could disy mightparable to a grade-8 pinnacle formation. This was likely the first time that thed inside had experienced such a formation, so it would already be a huge blessing if he could keep himself from panicking, let alone deciphering the formation in time. This... Hearing thements from the duo, Luo Xuanqing found his previous confidence in Zhang Xuan eroding slightly. It was possible that Zhang Xuan might really possess an extraordinary talent in formations, allowing him to identify the various cruxes in any formation and set it up in an instant. But as unlikely as it was, he could not discount the possibility that Zhang Xuan might have seen and practiced beforehand. He might not have seen the grade-8 primary formation used in the formation master examination before, but he could not say the same for Zhang Xuan. If Zhang Xuan had really seen the formation before and practiced it multiple times, it was only natural that he could set it up within a few breaths. Boom! Just as Luo Xuanqing was feeling a little uncertain inside, the formation before him suddenly jolted. It seemed like there was a huge mass of power swiftly building up inside. Itsted for roughly twenty breaths before the sky above abruptly darkened. A frightening Power of Lightning was starting to gather right above them. They could not assess the situation in the formation due to the formations mist hindering their Spiritual Perception, but the overwhelming might harnessed by the storm clouds gathering right above them caused goosebumps to rise all over their arms. Whats going on? The person who was controlling the formation, Bi Hongyin, was astonished by the abrupt changes in the surroundings. She had only activated this formation to test Zhang Xuans strengthit was not as if she wasmitting some kind of heinous crime! Why were the heavens sending lightning upon her, as if she was some kind of sinner? Surely her little actions should not warrant such extreme punishment? Bi Hongyin did not think that Zhang Xuan would make much progress at the start, so other than infusing her zhenqi into the formation, she did not pay much attention to the situation inside. As such, she had no idea that the young man inside had advanced his cultivation from Leaving Aperture realm primary stage to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle within less than twenty breaths. Of course, she could not have fathomed that the lightning ordeal was summoned by the young man inside either. Damn it! Seeing that the lightning was directed toward her formation te, ready to reduce it to smithereens at any moment, Bi Hongyin clenched her fists tightly and leaped up,unching an attack at the storm clouds. Boom! However, before her attack could strike the storm cloud, a lightning bolt roughly the thickness of a humans waist suddenly descended. Kacha! With seemingly unlimited power, the falling lightning bolt instantaneously devoured Bi Hongyin and her offense. Tzzzzzzzzz! Bi Hongyin fell back to the ground with her body spasming now and then. Her hair was standing on end, and her face had been charred ck. The elegant and seductivedy from a moment ago had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a wretched victim of a lightning strike. Even though her cultivation had reached Saint 7-dan, her strength was still far from sufficient to stand against the imposing might of the natural world. Fortunately, her sacrifice was not in vain. The ominous clouds in the sky seemed to dissipate slightly after that powerful lightning strike, seemingly ready to vanish at any moment soon. Just as Bi Hongyin heaved a sigh of relief, another surge of energy suddenly exuded from within the formation, and upon sensing that surge of energy, the ominous clouds in the sky began gathering together once more. In just a few breaths, the storm clouds had already grown two timesrger than before. What in the world is going on? Bi Hongyin felt a numbing sensation on her scalp, and her head felt as if it would blow at any moment. At this rate, she really felt like she would go insane. Luo Xuanqing and the others were bbergasted by the scene before them as well. They had no idea what to make of the situation. Kacha! Kacha! There was no time to think at all. Almost right after the storm clouds had formed together, a bolt of lightning immediately surged down. This time, it was farrger than before. Just the diameter was already more than two meters wide! With legs trembling in fear, Bi Hongyin watched the lightning bolt with a pale face. Knowing that she would not be able to avoid it, she gritted her teeth and bucked up her courage. Raising her hands, she drove her zhenqi to its maximum and sent a burst of force upward to counter the lightning bolt. Kacha! While her desperate move did manage to weaken the lightning bolt considerably, it was not sufficient to neutralize it entirely. It fell on her once more, and her body waspletely charred ck. The smell of burnt flesh drifted from her, and a stream of white smoke rose from her body. Due to the severity of her injuries, she could not help but spurt a mouthful of blood. I have at least managed to hold on for the time being... Bi Hongyins knees caved in from weakness, and she fell onto the ground on her bottom. Despite her current state, she still heaved a sigh of relief. The previous bolt of lightning was extremely powerful, but judging from the magnitude of the storm clouds, two strikes should have depleted its energy entirely. It would dissipate very soon. But barely after this thought formted in her mind, another surge of energy exuded from the formation yet again. Hong long long! The dispelling ominous, storm clouds suddenly gathered together once more, and this time, they were far stronger and condensed than before. The previous storm clouds only covered an area of roughly several hundred meters, but this time around, they covered roughly five to six li 1 . Even before the fall of the lightning bolt, the crowd could feel the cataclysmic might harnessed within the storm clouds, as if an imposing dragon was hidden in their midst. It rumbled and roared, seemingly dering its intention to reduce everything to dust. Why? Bi Hongyin could only stare at the sight above her with her mouth agape. From sheer shock, even her mind had whirred to a halt. The previous lightning bolt had nearly imed her life. If she faced the next one head-on, there was no doubt that she would be reduced to ash! But why was it so intent on striking her? From the looks of it, it seemed like it would not rest until it had aplished that! Knowing that she would not be able to cope with something of this scale alone, Bi Hongyin anxiously bellowed, Stop looking at themotion! Come over and help! A-alright! Realizing the severity of the matter as well, Luo Xuanqing and the others quickly rushed over. Hula! Under the coboration of the four experts, a hole was torn right through the sky. A seven-colored burst of energy shed directly with the lightning bolt, and a deafening explosion echoed over a hundred li. With the collision of the two devastating forces, cracks began surfacing on the earth. The faces of Luo Xuanqing and the others were flushed crimson from all their exertion. They had driven their zhenqi to the extent that it felt like their bodies would burst apart. Every single one of them was charred from head to toe, and their hair was standing on end. One by one, they spurtedrge mouthfuls of blood. Powerful as they were, the lightning bolt descending from the sky was simply too fearsome. Even with their prowess put together, theirbined might still fell slightly short of the lightning bolt. It was fortunate that they were all offspring from powerful ns or organizations, so they had plenty of life preservation means up their sleeves. Otherwise, that lightning bolt would have inflicted severe injuries on them, the kind that they would have to spend several months in bed to recover from. ... While the crowd outside the formation was being tortured by the lightning tribtion, inside the formation that severed ones sense of hearing and Spiritual Perception from the outside, Zhang Xuan was staring at theyer of mist above him in confusion. After my breakthrough, the heavens should have noticed the power I am exuding and cast the Leaving Aperture Ordeal upon me. So, why isnt iting? He had been waiting there for quite some time now, but nothing had happened at all. Could there have been a problem in the way that he exuded his strength? Hu! He exuded another surge of energy. Silence. He exuded yet another surge of energy. Still silence. Could it be that I cleared the lightning tribtion too easily the previous time, and now it doesnt dare appear before me again? Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in bewilderment as he continued exuding his strength. I thought that the Leaving Aperture Ordeal would at least be as difficult as the Saint Ascension Ordeal, but this is really disappointing. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Outside the formation, Luo Xuanqing and the others were jolted by the lightning bolt again and again, and a stream of white smoke rose from their heads. Chapter 1340 - This Is My Leaving Aperture Ordeal?

Chapter 1340: This Is My Leaving Aperture Ordeal?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Xuanqing and the others might have been Saint 7-dan experts, but they were still far too weak against the lightning that represented the might of the world. As the ominous clouds grew denser andrger, the lightning bolts also became thicker and thicker. The group of four was in no danger yet due to the multitude of life preservation means they possessed, but under the relentless zapping of the lightning, they still ended up being charred ck. In this moment, rather than experts, they looked like wretched beggars. Having been in lofty positions ever since they got into the Sanctum of Sages, they had never suffered such indignation before! After suffering four consecutive zaps, Bi Hongyin finally reached her limit, and a furious spurt of blood escaped from her mouth. Of the four of them, she was currently in the most pitiful plight. She used to be graceful and noble like a fairy, but at this moment, she seemed more like a witch. If one did not look at her closely, it would be hard to even ascertain whether she was a human or not. Why does it want to strike my formation te so badly? Bi Hongyin simply could notprehend it no matter how she racked her mind. Why would such a powerful lightning tribtion be so intent on destroying her formation te? It was as if her formation te had done something unforgivable to it! She had paid a heavy price to an 8-star high-tier formation master to inscribe it for her, and she only had one. If it was destroyed, her fighting prowess would be halved at the very least! At this moment, a thought suddenly struck Bi Hongyins mind. Luo Xuanqing, could it be that the fellow in the formation has just achieved a breakthrough? The storm clouds had gathered too fast, and its might had already far exceeded the scale of ordinary Leaving Aperture Ordeals, so that possibility did not strike her mind. However, watching as the storm clouds gathered again and again, she began to realize that something was amiss. She had used her formation te so many times in the past, but it had never drawn the ire of the heavens before. It was only after she trapped thatd in it that the lightning bolt was so determined to destroy it. Could that really be the case? A breakthrough? That shouldnt be possible. When I met him earlier, I heard that he had achieved a breakthrough from Primordial Spirit realm to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage just yesterday. Luo Xuanqing shook his head. Considering that he has just raised his cultivation by two cultivation stages, how could he possibly achieve another breakthrough now? Even though it had not been long since that fellow enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages, his affairs had already been spread far and wide in the Elite Division and Ordinary Division, to the point that he could nearly be considered a legend. Based on the news he had heard, the fellow had achieved a breakthrough within an interval of ten breaths while fighting against someone else. Given so, he should not have the momentum to push for another breakthrough again. After all, cultivation was a process of umtion. Putting him aside, even his incredibly talented younger sister had to advance a step at a time. Never had he heard of anyone who could achieve a breakthrough one day and still continue doing so the next. He achieved a breakthrough just yesterday? Bi Hongyin was taken aback for a moment before shaking her head. She had been wondering if the mess was caused by the fellow in the formation, but given what Luo Xuanqing had said, that was unlikely to be the case. Are you thinking that this is the lightning tribtion he drew over due to his breakthrough? Luo Xuanqing asked. Thats right. Bi Hongyin nodded. Even if he did achieve a breakthrough, he would only face the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. His lightning tribtion couldnt possibly be so powerful. Luo Xuanqing shook his head, expressing his skepticism toward Bi Hongyins thoughts. Regardless of the truth, given how the lightning tribtion is growing stronger and stronger, well all die here if we continue like this. Bi Hongyin, why dont you just give up on your formation te? At this point, the shorty had also been zapped to the point where he felt like he was already on the verge of a mental breakdown. The lightning bolts that had fallen were clearly all directed toward the formation te. As long as they abandoned the formation te, the problem would be resolved. It really was not worth it to lose their lives over a mere artifact. You want me to abandon my formation te? Impossible! Clenching her fists tightly, Bi Hongyin dered resolutely, It is the foundation of my strength; Ill never give it up, even at the cost of my life! Only she knew how much she had to go through in order to obtain the formation te. She had nearly lost her life for it! How could she give it up that easily? There was no way she could ept its destruction just like that! Theres no way Ill allow my formation te to be destroyed, over my dead body! Bi Hongyin looked at the lightning gathering in the sky above, racking her mind for a solution. In this moment, a deafening explosion suddenly sounded beside her. Kacha! A powerful shockwave rippled into the surroundings, causing Bi Hongyins already feeble body to stagger weakly. Following that, cracks began creeping across the formation te floating not too far away from her, and with a crisp echo, it shattered in half. Pu! Watching the sight before her, Bi Hongyins breathing hastened, and her eyes reddened in frenzy. Unable to withstand the mental blow from the destruction of her precious artifact, she spurted yet another mouthful of blood. In order to protect it, she had gritted her teeth to endure the lightning strikes, so why did it still shatter in the end? Hu! Just as she was trying to figure out what was going on, the mist produced by the formation dissipated, and a young man walked out from within. Alright, I have deciphered the formation... Ah? You all... What happened? Zhang Xuan had tried multiple times, but he found that he was unable to call forth the lightning tribtion at all. Eventually, he could only attribute it to some kind of property of the formation shrouding him hindering the fall of the lightning tribtion. Thus, after some thought, he used the most direct method to escape from the formationdestroying the formation te. He was hoping to make a majestic return after escaping from the formation so as to win some goodwill from Luo Xuanqing, but who Would have thought that he would see a couple of charred figures instead? He had to squint his eyes before he could finally recognize them as the various experts whom he had met previously. How did they end up in such a state all of a sudden? Are you the one who destroyed my formation te? Bi Hongyin asked with a quivering tone. Yes. There were simply too many ws in the formation, such that I couldnt even decide which one I should exploit to escape from the formation. In the end, I decided to just go with the easiest onedestroying the formation te. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. How is it? I should have cleared your test, right? While he did hesitate a little before destroying the formation te, considering how the talldy had chosen to trap him without any prior warning or the sort, he eventually decided that there was no reason to stand on ceremony with her either. At this point, earning the recognition of his future brother-inw was more important than anything else. Y-you... Ill kill you! Bi Hongyin roared in a craze. It was just a moment ago that she had said that she would only allow the formation to be destroyed over her dead body, but then the young man shattered it. In the face of such a situation, her rage burst forth like an erupting volcano. She raised her hand, preparing tounch a killing strike against Zhang Xuan. However, the next moment, a violent rumbling echoed from the sky. The storm clouds had built up sufficient power once more, and another frightening lightning bolt was just about to descend upon the world. Kacha! Despite her life preservation artifacts protecting her, Bi Hongyins hair was still jolted up from the lightning, and white smoke rose from all around her. Even though the one who should have been undergoing the lightning tribtion was Zhang Xuan, Bi Hongyins act of hindering the lightning tribtion was considered as an act of defiance against the authority of the heavens, thus incurring their ire. From the looks of it, it seemed like the lightning tribtion would not let this matter rest until it finally struck down Bi Hongyin. This... Is she going through a lightning tribtion as well? It was only at this moment that Zhang Xuan noticed the storm clouds that had gathered from all around. Lightning dragons were traversing imposingly amid the dark sky, threatening to dive down at any moment. Wait a moment, thats not exactly right. It seems like the lightning tribtion is rted to me... Zhang Xuan was bewildered. It was a little bewildering to him why the lightning bolt was specifically striking Bu Hongyin, but when he drove his zhenqi, the storm clouds in the sky visibly grew more rampant. Without a doubt, this lightning tribtion was his! Then, realization struck Zhang Xuan as he widened his eyes in horror. Its not that my lightning tribtion is easy, but these guys have been blocking it all along, preventing it from falling into the formation... B*stards! Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth furiously as his eyes reddened from rage. It was no wonder nothing happened no matter how long he waited within the formation. It turned out that the talldy had been sabotaging him! There was no way to circumvent the lightning tribtion, and it was impossible to find a substitute to endure the lightning tribtion for one. Otherwise, the offspring of powerful ns could simply have their elders fend off the lightning tribtion in their stead. There would be nothing for them to worry about. On the contrary, any attempts to interfere in the lightning tribtion would only cause the lightning tribtion to grow more and more powerful, to the point that the cultivator who had drawn in the lightning tribtion would be struck to death. This was also the reason none of them dared to interfere back when Hall Master Xing found himself in a precarious position while undergoing the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. In other words... due to Bi Hongyins interference, his lightning tribtion had grown so powerful that not even Saint 7-dan cultivators could withstand it anymore. How in the world was he supposed to survive such a lightning tribtion? If it really fell on him, he would be dead in a heartbeat! The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more enraged he felt. Are you sick in the mind? Its not your lightning tribtion, so why are you interfering in it? Look at what you have done! With the storm clouds that have gathered here, its only a matter of time before you sumb to it. And once its done with you, Ill be next! Its one thing for you to want to seek death, but surely you need not drag me down with you! At this point, Zhang Xuan really felt like crying. Boom! As stifled as he was feeling, the lightning tribtion would not grant Zhang Xuan the time to soak in his despair. A deafening rumble echoed from above, and raising his head, he could not help but shudder in fear. The lightning tribtion had already grown to a scale countless times stronger than the Saint Ascension Ordeal. The one that he had faced in the square right after the Mountain Gate examination back then could not begin to hold a candle to this. Even after raising his cultivation to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, there was no way he would be able to survive a lightning bolt of this scale. But... only I can resolve my own lightning tribtion. Theres no way I can escape from it. If I allow her to continue wreaking havoc here, my chances of clearing it will only grow slimmer, Zhang Xuan thought anxiously. With this in mind, he could not help but curse at Bi Hongyin once again. You crazy bastard, why in the world are you messing with something that is none of your business? Look at the trouble you have caused me! In his moment of panic, a thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuan. Right! Is it possible for me to see the ws of the lightning tribtion? Compile! Zhang Xuan quickly willed in his mind. The Library of Heavens Path has the ability to discern the ws of everything in the world, so the lightning tribtion should be no exception too, right? Hu! With a jolt, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open to take a look. Ah? Why is it empty? Completely empty, there was nothing on the book at all It seems like the Library of Heavens Path is unable topile a book on anything that concerns me... Zhang Xuan swiftly came to a conclusion. He had given it a try in the past, and he realized that anything that was directly associated to him could not bepiled as a book. For one, he was unable topile a book on himself in the Library of Heavens Path. Perhaps, the lightning tribtion that he faced was also considered an extension of him, so the Library of Heavens Path could notpile any information on it either. Eye of Insight! Realizing that he could not count on his Library of Heavens Path, he swiftly activated his trump card to analyze the lightning in the sky, hoping to find any ws that he could exploit. At that very moment, the storm clouds had already covered up an area of several dozen li around them, and the lightning that was traversing amid them was at least ten meters thick, reminiscent of massive dragons soaring in the sky. Every single bolt of lightning wielded strengthparable to a Saint 7-dan. Even Luo Xuanqing and the others would be injured in a direct encounter with them. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly uneasily. With my current strength, theres no way Ill be able to withstand all of that. Under the analysis of his Eye of Insight, he found that there was no possible way he could withstand the overwhelming lightning in the sky, even with his enhanced cultivation. A sharp glint shed through Zhang Xuans eyes. But theres no other choice; I have to give it a try no matter what. It seems like I can only dash into the midst of the storm clouds, just as I did yesterday. It might seem to be a highly dangerous action to dash into the storm clouds in the midst of ones lightning tribtion, but as someone who had done so personally, he knew that it was actually much safer than waiting for the lightning bolt to fall upon one below. This was because the lightning bolt would only fall after the energy harnessed within it reached the peak, making it highly difficult to withstand. However, if one were to dash up into the storm clouds before the energy had been concentrated into the lightning bolt, one would be in a considerably safer position. Of course, this might only have been applicable to Zhang Xuan. For a typical cultivator, plunging into an environment permeated with lightning would still result in their body being slowly worn down, resulting in gradual electrocution to death. In a sense, that was even more frightening than facing an entire bolt of lightning at once. However, Zhang Xuan, who possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi, could easily recover any damage sustained by his physical body and soul. As such, the most frightening maneuver ironically turned out to be the safest option for him. Chapter 1341 - Charging into the Lightning

Chapter 1341: Charging into the Lightning

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 But... Im still too weak at the moment. If I could advance my physical body and soul cultivation a little more, at least to the point where I can match a Saint 7-dan cultivator, I would be able to ovee the lightning tribtion. Asplicated as the thought process was, it took only an instant for Zhang Xuan toe to realize all of it. At this moment, the storm clouds were beginning to charge up energy once more after striking down Bi Hongyin. After spurting several mouthfuls of blood and swallowing two pills, Bi Hongyin finally recovered slightly from her injuries. As soon as she regained her strength, she immediately directed an antagonistic re toward Zhang Xuan. It was to protect her formation te that she offended such a powerful lightning tribtion, and yet... that fellow actually destroyed her formation te! I dont care whether you were invited here by Luo Xuanqing or not, Bi Hongyin roared furiously. If I dont teach you a lesson today, my surname wont be... But before she could finish her words, the young man opposite to her interjected with a frosty face. Shut your mouth! Zhang Xuans voice was not too loud, but it was infused with the power of his demonic tunes and Impartation of Heavens Will. It sounded loud and clear even amid the deafening rumbling of the thunder, and it left a lingering buzz in their ears. That Leaving Aperture realmd actually told Bi Hongyin to shut her mouth? The shorty nearly fell to the ground from shock. Luo Xuanqing also widened his eyes in frenzy. As the King of Destruction, he rampaged freely in the Sanctum of Sages, fearing not even the managerial elders. But before the Bi Hongyin, who would turn into a banshee whenever she got angry, he always made sure to watch hisnguage and actions. Yet, not only did that fellow destroy her formation te, he even told her to shut her mouth. Arent you being a little too brazen? What did you say? Bi Hongyin asked with a threatening edge to her voice. The bulging, crimson eyes that red at Zhang Xuan could truly send shivers down ones spine. If not for her charred face, she would have definitely been extremely frightening. Shut your trap if you want to live! Given the precarious situation he was in, Zhang Xuan could not even be bothered to maintain a polite front anymore. With a leap, he slowly advanced toward the storm clouds above. Hong long long! As soon as he approached the storm clouds, the lightning immediately sensed the aura he was emanating and slowly gathered toward him. He... Is he intending to withstand the lightning tribtion for me? Zhang Xuans abrupt action had bewildered Bi Hongyin so much that she even forgot about her rage in this moment. But if even I am unable to withstand the lightning tribtion, theres no way he can survive it! Even a Saint 7-dan expert like her waspletely helpless against the devastating might of the lightning bolt above. Given that the young man was a mere Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, there was no way he stood a chance against it! Is he intending topensate for my broken formation te with his life? Bi Hongyin widened her mouth in shock. As this thought came to her mind, all of her fury vanished without a trace, and she even felt a little touched inside. Despite facing death, the young man still charged forward to protect her. It seemed like he was not that bad a person after all. Wait a moment, is that... his lightning tribtion? In contrast to the emotional Bi Hongyin, Luo Xuanqing, the shorty, and the fatty noticed that the storm clouds were swiftly gathering toward Zhang Xuan, and realization dawned upon them. That exined everything; it was all due to that fellow. The fatty gulped unconsciously. Didnt you say that he just achieved a breakthrough yesterday and cant possibly make any advancement today? Why does it seem like... hes at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle? That really seems to be the case... Luo Xuanqings lips were twitching as well. Based on what he had heard, that fellow had made a breakthrough from Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage within ten breaths the previous day, and he had spent that afternoon taking the 8-star formation master examination at the Hall of Erudition, so he should not have had any time to even reinforce his cultivation. How in the world did he manage to make a breakthrough again now? Not to mention, a breakthrough of three cultivation stages! Boom! Boom! While the crowd was still in a state of shock, the storm clouds had already finished gathering around the young man, and lightning energy was swiftly gathering together, threatening to spill forth at any moment to tear the young man apart. This wont do. Even if his cultivation has reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, he wont be able to withstand something of that scale, Luo Xuanqing eximed. Even with his recent breakthroughs, the young mans strength was still far too weak inparison to the lightning energy that had gathered above. Even Saint 7-dan experts like them were unable to withstand the lightning energy in the storm clouds, let alone that young man! He could already see the young man being reduced to ash as soon as the lightning bolt fell, and no one would be able to save him. I was the one who brought him here; I cant let him die as a result of this, Luo Xuanqing uttered in panic. Even someone as domineering as him feltpletely helpless before this situation. He was the one who had brought Zhang Xuan over, and they were also the ones who had blindly interfered with the lightning tribtion, resulting in it growing stronger and stronger. He would not be able to get past his guilt if the young man died as a result of that. Just as he was in aplete state of loss, the young mans voice suddenly sounded. Ill deal with the lightning tribtion. If you have any physical body cultivation technique manuals or soul cultivation technique manuals, hurry up and bring them out. I need as many of them as possible. Cultivation technique manuals? Everyone was taken aback. The important thing now is to resolve the current quandary we are in, so why are you seeking cultivation technique manuals? The lightning bolt is going to fall on you anytime soon! Even if we give you cultivation technique manuals now, will you have time to study them? Seeing that the crowd was still hesitating, Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously, Hurry up! Yes! They had no idea what Zhang Xuan wanted cultivation technique manuals for, but since he was adamant about the matter, Luo Xuanqing and the others quickly nodded in agreement. Were it any other situation, they surely would have killed the other party if a Leaving Aperture realmd dared to speak to them in such a manner. However, with the threat of the lightning bolt weighing down on them, none of them had the time or effort to bother about his attitude. They knew that they had incurred the wrath of the lightning tribtion too, and if the young man failed to clear his lightning tribtion, they would be its next victims. I have physical body cultivation technique manuals here! The fatty flicked his wrist, and a huge collection containing several thousand books appeared before him. With just the sheer power of his physical body, he was able to knock Luo Xuanqing back and shatter sealed spaces. Considering how the prowess of his physical body had already reached an extremely frightening level, it was not too surprising for him to have plenty of physical body cultivation technique manuals. I have some soul cultivation technique manuals here! Bi Hongyin also whipped out some books. I have both physical body and soul cultivation technique manuals, but I dont have too many of them... The shorty and Luo Xuanqing took out a few books as well. It was apparent that they were all from powerful ns or organizations just by how they were able to reach Saint 7-dan at their young age. These manuals might have been rare treasures to other cultivators, but to them, these were resources that they had nock of. Thank you. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon seeing the number of manuals before him. He hurriedly scanned through them with his eyes. Hu! It took just an instant for him to collect them all into the Library of Heavens Path. Not only are there physical body and soul cultivation techniques, there are even Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm and Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm cultivation techniques! Its a pity that their quantity is a bitcking, so Im still unable topileplete Heavens Path Divine Art manuals from them, Zhang Xuan thought in pity. Even though there were Grand Dominion realm and Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals amid the pile, he was still a long way frompiling the Heavens Path Divine Art. Even if they collected them all, it would not do much to help his current situation. Forget it, Ill take a look at the physical body cultivation technique manuals instead...Zhang Xuan thought. Compile! His mind jolted slightly, and a new book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. He ced his finger on the book, and the knowledge harnessed in it swiftly flowed into his mind. Sess! As expected of a top-notch physical body cultivator! The books he had were numerous, and they covered over a wide range of aspects concerning physical body cultivation. Throughpiling all of them together, Zhang Xuan actually managed topile aplete Heavens Path Golden Body! As long as he cultivated ording to it, he would be able to temper his physical body to achieve a level of resilience on par with Saint high-tier artifacts! Lets see if its the same for the soul cultivation technique manuals... Knowing that time was a luxury he could not afford to waste, Zhang Xuan swiftly turned his sight to the other group of books that he had just collected. As a demonic tunist, Bi Hongyin specialized in soul offense. As such, she had a huge collection of books regarding souls. As for Luo Xuanqing and the fatty, even though they specialized in neither physical body cultivation nor soul cultivation, as offspring of powerful ns or organizations, they still had plenty of books regarding those topics. All in all, the collection of books the three of them had numbered over a thousand. Taking out the soul cultivation technique manual he had obtained from Vicious and cing them together, Zhang Xuan willed, Compile! A new book materialized before his eyes. Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. I only managed to perfect the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Soul Art from that... Ever since the eradication of the soul oracles lineage, there had not been any upation or power that had been able to disy prowess on par with them with regards to the soul. Even with the soul cultivation techniques that he had obtained from Vicious, he had only managed to form the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Soul Art. The Grand Dominion realm Heavens Path Soul Art was still gued with ws, and it would be hard for him to cultivate it right now. Forget it, I should just use whatever I can get for the time being. Every slight increment in strength will mean a higher chance of survival for me... Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and asked once more, Do any of you have pinnacle spirit stones, Jade Spirit Essence, or cultivation resources that harness concentrated spiritual energy? Even with the required cultivation techniques in hand, it would be futile if he did not have any spiritual energy to raise his cultivation. I have the Jade Pearl Sap! It has simr properties to the Wintry Spirit Essence of the cier in Court! I have a piece of Jade Spirit Essence over here, but it isnt too big... I have a grade-8 Origin Spirit Pill... ... Upon hearing Zhang Xuans needs, the crowd hurriedly took out the pills, spirit stones, and spirit essences they had and tossed them toward Zhang Xuan. Thanks! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It would have taken him a great deal of effort to gather these items on any other asion, but due to the crucial moment, the others also understood the urgency of the situation and did not hesitate to pass their resources over to him. With a sweep of his hand, Zhang Xuan took the Jade Pearl Sap, Origin Spirit Pill, and Jade Spirit Essence and swallowed the former two decisively without any hesitation. After which, he turned his gaze back to the storm cloud and noted that the bolt of lightning was done forming and was about to strike down. Knowing that he had no time to waste, he immediately dashed into the storm clouds. What is he doing? Hell die if he dashes in recklessly like that! Everyones body recoiled from horror upon seeing Zhang Xuans actions. Dashing straight into the storm clouds was equivalent to cing oneself in the midst of a sea of lightning! Under such conditions, it was only a matter of time before ones physical body and Primordial Spirit wore down and dissipated into nothing! Hong long long! Zhang Xuans charge into the storm clouds seemed to have angered the lightning. Countless smaller bolts of lightning swiftly gathered in the area that he had disappeared into, and it took only a blink of an eye for the entire sky to be filled with lightning sparks. It was to the extent that one would be shocked just by attempting to extend ones Spiritual Perception into the storm clouds. What should we do? Theres nothing we can do but to wait. This is his lightning tribtion, and if he manages to clear it, it will disappear soon after. Otherwise... theres a good chance that none of us will be getting out of here alive! Luo Xuanqing said with a livid face. They had all interfered with the lightning tribtion, so unless Zhang Xuan cleared his lightning tribtion, it would only continue to growrger andrger until it struck down every single one of them. This was also the reason they did not hesitate to take out whatever Zhang Xuan demanded earlier. After a moment of silence, the fatty suddenly remarked, For a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator to clear such a formidable lightning tribtion... things arent looking too optimistic! He was known for his superior defensive ability, but even he had no confidence that he would be able to survive the onught of such powerful lightning. If such was the case for him, the chances that the young man would survive the ordeal were even slimmer. Indeed. Prepare yourselves. If the lightning tribtion continues its attack, well just have to use the ability of our bloodlines to vanquish it, the shorty said. I guess theres no other choice... The others nodded in agreement as well. The lightning tribtion might have been powerful, but they had their trump cards as well. If they went all out, it was notpletely impossible for them to destroy it. However, they would sustain grievous damage in the midst of it, and that could potentially hinder the future advancement of their cultivation. Unless they were truly cornered, they would not even consider such a course of action. Chapter 1342 - The Lightning Tribulation Escapes

Chapter 1342: The Lightning Tribtion Escapes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Kacha! As soon as he stepped into the storm clouds, a bolt of lightning immediately came zapping his way. Zhang Xuan swiftly gathered his zhenqi to defend against it. Pu! A spurt of fresh blood escaped from his mouth as his hair stood up from the static electricity. Due to Bi Hongyin and the others interference, the lightning tribtion had already grown to a level far beyond what he could deal with. Even if he used all of his means possible, he was not absolutely confident that he would be able to withstand it. Zhang Xuan swiftly realized that even when driving his Heavens Path zhenqi to its maximum to heal up his injuries, his recovery was unable to keep up with the rate at which the lightning was burning away his body. Thus, he raised his eyebrows and tapped at the area before him. Flowing Water Sword Intent! Tzzzzzz! Countless surges of sword qi burst forth from his acupoints, forming a massive barrier. It had to be said that the Flowing Water Swordsmanship was indeed very powerful. It formed an absolute defense shell that not even the fluidity of water was able to breach. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Nevertheless, under the relentless strikes of the lightning bolts, Zhang Xuans face swiftly paled. Even though I am able to keep the lightning boltspletely at bay with my Flowing Water Swordsmanship, the might that they harness is simply too strong. I wont be able to sustain this for long... This was simr to how even though an umbre was able to fend off a downpour, it could not shelter one from a hailstorm. The absolute defense shell formed by his Flowing Water Swordsmanship allowed him to keep the lightning bolts at bay, but due to the limitations of his cultivation, he could not maintain it for too long. In at most ten breaths, his sword qi would dissipate under the furious onught of lightning, and he would be back to square one. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drew out his Primordial Spirit without any hesitation. I wont be able to survive at this rate. I must raise my physical body cultivation and soul cultivation swiftly. Unlike the time when he made a breakthrough right above the entrance to the Mountain Gate, he had dived into the depths of the storm clouds this time around, so no outsider was able to see what he was doing, and this cover allowed him to utilize all of his means without any fear. Cultivate! Zhang Xuans body had alreadyprehended Mind of Void, which granted it the ability to cultivate independently. It would be much more efficient if he cultivated both his soul and body simultaneously. Tzzzzzz! After ingesting the Jade Pearl Sap and Origin Spirit Pill, Zhang Xuans body reflexively drove its zhenqi ording to the method detailed in the Heavens Path Golden Body, and his physical body grew stronger at a rate visible to the eye. Dead skin peeled offyer afteryer from his body, creating a sight reminiscent of a cicada escaping from its shell. Once ones physical body cultivation had reached Zhang Xuans current level, advancing it even slightly was an incredibly difficult feat. Typical means such as tempering ones body with mes or ice were no longer effective anymore. In one of the manuals that the fatty had taken out, it detailed how an expert physical body cultivator studied the molting of cicadas when a sudden inspiration struck him, and he created a technique that allowed humans to strip off their old cells, a little like cicadas. Each time one molted away old cells, ones physical body would be able to grow a little stronger. Through repeating this process over a long period of time, one would be extremely powerful. The Heavens Path Golden Body that Zhang Xuan had justpiled was centered around this notion. As Zhang Xuan shed more and moreyers of old cells, his skin grew younger and supple. However, in contrast to his appearance, his body was actually growing more and more resilient, slowly creeping up from the level of a Saint intermediate-tier artifact to Saint high-tier artifact. While his physical body swiftly grew stronger, his Primordial Spirit was also frenziedly absorbing spiritual energy from the Jade Spirit Essence. As he drove his zhenqi ording to the Leaving Aperture realm Heavens Path Soul Art, spiritual energy was diving into the acupoints on his Primordial Spirit like mini vortices, nourishing it. Hong long! In the blink of an eye, his soul had already achieved a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm, and it was swiftly surging forth toward Leaving Aperture realm primary stage... However, it did not take long before the spiritual energy within the Jade Pearl Sap, Origin Spirit Pill, and Jade Spirit Essence waspletely depleted. Even though items that Luo Xuanqing and the others had given him were superior cultivation resources, the simultaneous cultivation of his physical body and soul required too much spiritual energy. They simply were not sufficient for him to master those two cultivation techniques together. I cant keep up with the Flowing Water Swordsmanship much longer. As if adding to his injury, the sword qi that was protecting him was starting to falter as well, threatening to copse in on him at any moment. Knowing that he was still in no state to face the lightning tribtion yet, Zhang Xuan quickly flicked his wrist and instructed the figure materializing before him, Clone, help me fend off the lightning tribtion for a while and buy me some time! He and his clone were considered a single entity, so even if he were to use his clone to fend off the lightning tribtion, it would not result in the intensification of the ordeal. Its just a mere lightning tribtion. Look how scared it has made you... Pass the Heavens Path Soul Art to me! As soon as his clone appeared, he harrumphed coldly with a lofty look on his face. Without any hesitation, he leaped right into the sea of lightning. Kacha! Kacha! Bolts of lightning immediately surged toward him, but his clone stood fearlessly in their face. Stretching his backzily, he casually whipped out a towel and began scrubbing his back. The scrubbing of the towel spread the lightning shocks equally throughout his clones body, and his aura and soul began to grow at a visible rate. This... Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He had also used this method to temper his Primordial Spirit back at the entrance of the Mountain Gate, but who would have thought that this fellow had actually learnt this from him... If hes able to endure the lightning, I should be able to do so. Perhaps, I might even be able to induce a significant enhancement in my soul and physical body under the tempering of the lightning bolts! Watching as his scrubbing clone sent a disdainful look toward him, seemingly mocking his weakness, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He did not have any other cultivation resources that were suited for his cultivation at the moment, and he waspletely surrounded by lightning bolts, leaving him nowhere to escape to. If he did not find a solution soon, he really might lose his life. Since his clone was able to survive the lightning bolts without trouble, surely, he, as the main body, should be able to do so as well! Thus, Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his physical body and retracted the defensive barrier of sword qi that he had put up, allowing the lightning in his surroundings to wash over him. Pu! The immense surge of electricity caused his body to stiffen, and a mouthful of blood sttered from his mouth. A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. Perhaps, if I could have my Heavens Path zhenqi imitate the attribute of the lightning energy around me, I might be able to withstand its might? Considering how the Heavens Path zhenqi was able to imitate even the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Zhenqi of ughter, it should have no trouble copying the lightning attribute of the energy around him as well! Thus, Zhang Xuan began focusing his attention in an attempt to grasp the Power of Lightning around him, and as he slowly circted the zhenqi in his body, a hint of the lightning attribute really emerged in his Heavens Path zhenqi! Kacha! Right after he converted his zhenqi to the lightning attribute, another lightning bolt fell upon him. Even though it still left him feeling deeply ufortable, it was no longer as intolerable as it had been previously. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in delight. Great! He had only tried it on a whim, but it really worked out for him! Another thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind, and his body began trembling in agitation. Since my zhenqi has changed to the lightning attribute, will I be able to absorb the lightning energy in the surroundings? Just as a practitioner of cold attribute cultivation techniques like Chen Leyao could cultivate through absorbing the Wintry Spirit Essence, considering that his zhenqi was currently of the lightning attribute... would he be able to absorb the surrounding lightning energy as well? Just looking at the unimaginable congregation of lightning energy around him was enough to make the edges of Zhang Xuans lips creep up uncontrobly! His soul had once absorbed the lightning energy within Qiu Wu Pce. Of course, the lightning energy he had absorbed back then had originated from a formation, so naturally, it could not hold a candle to that of lightning tribtions, the violent might of the heavens. But still, that showed that the notion was notpletely impossible! I should give it a try... Knowing that absorbing the rampaging energy of the lightning tribtion was bound to be extremely difficult, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and resolved himself. Swinging the sword in his hand, he began executing the Flowing Water Swordsmanship to protect himself once more, but he left a small gap to allow a small spark of lightning to creep in. Hong long long! As soon as Zhang Xuan absorbed the lightning spark into his body, it began wreaking havoc, knocking forcefully here and there to cause as much destruction as it could. In the blink of an eye, several of Zhang Xuans meridians were torn apart. Even with lightning attribute zhenqi, it was still extremely difficult for a cultivator to control the violent energy of the lightning tribtion. Otherwise, with lightning attribute cultivators drawing upon the might of the heavens at their whim, who would be able to match them? I should try merging the lightning spark with my zhenqi. Zhang Xuan had expected at least this amount of damage to ur. Even though the rampaging lightning spark left him feeling as if thousands of needles were ripping him apart from the inside, he forced himself to keep his calm and began converging his Heavens Path zhenqi on the lightning spark. Tz! Perhaps due to the epassing nature of the Heavens Path zhenqi, as soon as his lightning attribute zhenqi came into contact with the lightning spark, they immediately merged together, forming a much purer, more powerful surge of energy. It really works! This sess meant that he would be able to use all of the lightning energy gathered there as spiritual energy to fuel his cultivation! Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Xuan retracted his sword and simultaneously opened all of his acupoints wide. The surrounding lightning energy was swiftly drawn to his body as if a vortex, and he desperately assimted the massive influx with his Heavens Path zhenqi. It did not take long for Zhang Xuans soul cultivation to exceed Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, and his physical body was swiftly growing stronger and stronger as well. ... Are you all ready? Luo Xuanqing asked. Un. Bi Hongyin and the others nodded. As powerful as the lightning tribtion before them was, they had no other choice at this point. After all, they could not possibly watch idly by the side as Zhang Xuan was zapped into ashes. Thus, after some discussion, they eventually decided to dash in to save him, and at the same time, they would use their most powerful moves to forcefully dissipate the storm clouds. If everything worked out, they would be freed from the danger they were in. Even if their attempt failed, at the very least, they would have another pair of hands on their side. Alright, ready yourselves! Luo Xuanqing looked at the storm clouds above as he drove his zhenqi furiously. However, just as he was about to call for them to set off, a shocked voice suddenly eximed beside him. Wait a moment! Is it just me, or is something amiss with the lightning tribtion? The one who had just spoken was the shorty. His eyes were fixated on the sky, and there was a doubtful frown hanging on his forehead. Something amiss? Luo Xuanqing was perplexed by shortys sudden remark. What do you mean by that? The other two also turned their sights over. Take a closer look. Doesnt it seem like the storm clouds... are moving? the shorty asked. Moving? Bewildered, the crowd quickly turned their gazes to the sky as well, and just as what shorty had said, the storm clouds were indeed moving. The densest congregation of storm clouds had been right above them a moment ago. However, at that moment, it seemed to have deviated to the side. Bi Hongyin frowned in iprehension. Once the lightning tribtion falls, unless the person undergoing the ordeal flees, it shouldnt move. Lightning tribtion was an ordeal from the heavens. As long as the one undergoing the ordeal did not flee, the lightning tribtion would not move easily. Considering that Zhang Xuan was currently in the midst of the storm clouds,pletely surrounded by lightning energy, there was no way he would be able to move around the ce. So, why were the storm clouds moving then? While they were still perplexed, the storm cloudspletely evacuated from the area just above them, revealing a figure in the blue sky. It was Zhang Xuan. Hes fine? Seeing that the young man had not yet been burnt to a crisp, Luo Xuanqing and the others instinctively heaved a sigh of relief. Just as they were about to beckon him to hurry down, the young man suddenly opened his eyes and bellowed furiously. Where do you think you are going? After which, the young man dashed forward and charged right into the midst of the storm clouds. Pilip! A series of lightning sparks and thunderous rumbling echoed. Following which, the clouds deviated to the side, revealing the young mans figure once more. Hey, stop running away! the young man roared before dashing forward once again. Hu hu hu! This time, even though Zhang Xuans movements were swift, the storm clouds were even faster. As if chased by some kind of monster, they flitted away desperately. You... Seething with rage, Zhang Xuan chased the storm clouds persistently. However, the fact that the lightning tribtion was able to appear whenever a cultivator was to undergo an ordeal meant that the speed that it could move at was far beyond that of any cultivator. It took only a few moments before it disappeared beyond the horizon. This... He scared away the lightning tribtion? All along, it has always been the lightning tribtion who chased after cultivators, but he actually made the lightning tribtion flee in a fluster? Luo Xuanqing, Bi Hongyin, and the others grasped at their hair as they stared at the sight before them in utter shock. Chapter 1343 - Treasure Finders

Chapter 1343: Treasure Finders

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric What a pity! Seeing that the lightning tribtion had been scared into fleeing, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. After converting his Heavens Path zhenqi to lightning attribute, he was indeed able to absorb the lightning energy to advance his cultivation swiftly. But upon witnessing how happy he was absorbing the surrounding lightning energy, his clone also began absorbing as well... And the result of that was the sight which everyone had just seen. Seeing how furiously its energy was being devoured, the lightning tribtion was terrified, and it immediately turned around and fled... For the lightning tribtion, the existence of fear to all cultivators, to end up running away instead... There was no way they would have believed such a thing to be possible if they hadnt seen it unfolding before their very eyes. However, even though the lightning tribtion didnt have any sentience, considering how it had the ability to grow stronger in ordance to the strength of the one undergoing the ordeal, it wasnt too surprising to think that it would have the ability to avert danger as well. Given how furiously he and his clone were absorbing its energy, it was only natural that it would be frightened. I should have absorbed more while I could! I only managed to advance my cultivation up to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, and Im not done cultivating my Heavens Path Golden Body yet. My physical body is only on par with half-Saint high-tier artifacts at the moment... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. He was still thinking that given how huge the lightning tribtion was, he would at least be able to master the Heavens Path Soul Art and Heavens Path Golden Body. Who could have thought that it would suddenly turn around and run away? Oh well! At the very least, I did manage to advance my fighting prowess considerably. With my current strength, I should be able to match Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm pinnacle experts even without using the Three Swords of Lingxu. In fact, even Half-Phantasmal Space experts shouldnt pose too much of a threat to me! Zhang Xuan consoled himself. In this short period of time, not only did he manage to raise his zhenqi cultivation to Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, he also managed to advance his soul cultivation to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage, and his physical body achieved a level of resilienceparable to half-Saint high-tier artifacts... All in all, they added up to a severalfold increment in his fighting prowess. Previously, there was no way he would be able to defeat the puppet of the Jia Corridor without using the Three Swords of Lingxu, but with his newfound strength, he would be able to crush thetter with just a single finger. In fact, even if he stood on the spot and allowed the puppet to attack him freely, thetter would still be unable to inflict the slightest bit of injury on him. And of course, if he were to use the Three Swords of Lingxu, he would be able to match even Saint 7-dan intermediate stage experts! If he were to face Luo Xuanqing once more, even if he was still no match for the other party, at the very least, he wouldnt be as powerless as he was previously. Alright, Ill be heading off to rest first. Remember to inform me the next time something as good as a lightning tribtion urs, I havent had my fill yet... the voice of Zhang Xuans clone echoed in his mind. As soon as the lightning tribtion showed signs of fleeing, his clone had decisively returned back to the Myriad Anthive Nest in order to prevent anyone from noticing his presence. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Just like how Zhang Xuans fighting prowess had grown substantially from absorbing the energy from the lightning tribtion, his clone had also benefited greatly from the earlier free buffet. In fact, it seemed like his clone had grown by a greater degree at that. In the first ce, his clone was forged out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, which was invulnerable to lightning. Due to the immense amount of lightning energy it had absorbed, it gained the ability to infuse the power of lightning in its attacks, thus resulting in a significant enhancement in its fighting prowess! Even without crossing hands, Zhang Xuan was well aware that he was no match for his clone in his current state... Thinking of this, he couldnt help but sigh deeply once more. Others might think that he possessed decent talent, but the truth was that he was someone who couldnt even match up to his disciple, subordinate, his girlfriend... and even his own clone! Was there anyone in the world who was as pathetic as him? He couldnt help but feel deeply stifled within. It felt like the long year he had spent cultivating had been all in vain. Are you... alright? When Zhang Xuan finally returned back to Luo Xuanqing and the others, he saw that everyone was staring at him with looks of disbelief. Im fine. Zhang Xuan nodded before grumbling indignantly, If not for that coward fleeing so quickly, I would have definitely taught it a good lesson! ... The crowd. Let me introduce this bunch over here to you. Knowing that they would only feel more stifled if they were to continue chatting about the topic, Luo Xuanqing gestured to the other three and introduced them, You should know Bi Hongyin by now, shes a genius from the Demonic Tunist Guild headquarters. This towering fatty over here is a prodigy from the Yuan n, Yuan Xiao. Andst but not least, this shorty over here is a genius from the Yun n, Yun Lianhai. Pleased to meet all of you. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted them. Indeed. People of a certain social standing did tend to hang out with those of the same standing as them. The Yuan n and Demonic Tunist Guild headquarters... He had never heard of the Yun n before, but given how the shorty was able to fit into their group as well, the Yun n must be a rather formidable power as well. As for this young man over here, hes Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi. I met him yesterday while I was taking the 8-star formation master examination. I believe you all should have gotten a good glimpse of his capabilities by now. Luo Xuanqing said. Of course, of course... The others quickly nodded in agreement. Not only did the young man manage to shatter Bi Hongyins formation te with ease, he even sent the lightning tribtion fleeing in fear... They had no idea of knowing what the young man did in the storm clouds to produce such an inconceivable oue, but just based on what he had aplished so far, they dared not to underestimate him anymore. Brother-in... Brother Luo, you havent exined why you brought me here yet. Seeing that he had received the acknowledgement of the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned a doubtful gaze toward Luo Xuanqing and asked. He was in the midst of aworking event in the Elite Division when Luo Xuanqing suddenly dragged him here. Despite all that had happened, he still wasnt too sure what thetter was up to. Luo Xuanqing sealed the surroundings with a wave of his hand in order to prevent others from eavesdropping in before whispering with a hushed voice, Just a while ago, I discovered a blessednd, and within it, I found a growing [Dongxu Gourd]! Dongxu Gourd? Zhang Xuan frowned. Despite the huge number of books he had read, he had never read of the Dongxu Gourd before. Dongxu Gourd is a treasure of nature. Using the earth veins as its roots, it absorbs the essence of the sun and the moon, and it takes ten thousand years before it flowers, and another ten thousand years before it bears fruit. In each earth vein, there can only be one Dongxu Gourd... As a result of that, Dongxu Gourds are extremely rare and valuable. If one can cultivate it and fuse it into ones body, the chances which one would be able to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan would be increased by at least 50%! Luo Xuanqing said. 50%? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Beyond Saint 5-dan, while cultivation resources were still as important as always, the cultivator must also achieve a deep understanding of the surrounding heaven and earth and the spatialws too... As such, any artifact which could increase ones chances of sess by 10% or 20% would be highly sought after by all cultivators! It was unimaginable for an item to be able to raise ones chances of achieving a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan by 50%! Indeed. However, the blessednd I have found is fraught with dangers, and itll be difficult for me to seed alone. Thats the reason why I gathered everyone here, and as long as I can obtain the Dongxu Gourd, Illpensate all of you handsomely for your efforts. Luo Xuanqing said with a sharp glint in his eyes. The Dongxu Gourd would a crucial factor in determining whether he would be able to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan or not. He was determined to obtain it, by hook or by crook. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He thought that they had gathered here to challenge some kind of trial, but that was clearly not the case now. Luo Xuanqing had invited all of them here to engage their help in obtaining the Dongxu Gourd! Is there a powerful formation guarding the Dongxu Gourd or something? Zhang Xuan asked. Considering how his cultivation paled far inparison to the rest of the group, the only reason he could think of why Luo Xuanqing would invite him here was due to his proficiency in formations. Un, theres a grade-8 pinnacle formation around the Dongxu Gourd. Im not too sure who set the formation up, but I have attempted to breach the formation twice but failed on both asions. Luo Xuanqing replied with a nod. As one of the top ns on the Master Teacher Continent, the Luo n should have plenty of capable formation masters. It shouldnt be too difficult for you to engage the help of a couple of them to help you breach the grade-8 pinnacle formation, right? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Given the strength and standing of the Luo n, putting aside a grade-8 pinnacle formation, they would surely have talents who could easily decipher grade-9 formations as well. Why would Luo Xuanqing seek his help instead? The situation is not that easy. The blessednd I spoke about has strict restrictions on it. Those whose ages are over forty or cultivations are at Saint 8-dan or above are prohibited from entering. If one were to forcefully barge in, theres a very good chance that the blessednd would copse inward, thus causing the treasures within to disappear for good! Luo Xuanqing said with a bitter smile. Theres such a restriction? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind, and he asked, Is it be possible that... the blessednd is an ancient domain left behind by an old expert? As Luo Xuanqing had said that the Dongxu Gourd was a treasure of nature, he instinctively assumed that the blessednd it was located in would be a natural terrain as well. However, the presence of a formation and restrictions sounded too much like a manmade work. Of course! The Dongxu Gourd can grow in natural conditions too, but as soon as it starts to flower, the aura that it emanates will swiftly draw others to it. Under such circumstances, theres no way it would be able to survive until maturity! Luo Xuanqing replied. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded. Treasures like the Dongxu Gourd were extremely valuable. If it wasnt guarded by a formation or something of the sort, there was no way they would have been able to get a shot at it. This is how it is. So, I would like to formally invite you to join our team, and regardless of whether we seed or not, Illpensate you with a pinnacle spirit stone and a half-Saint high-tier artifact for your efforts! Luo Xuanqing said. Pinnacle spirit stone? Those three words immediately sparked up a radiant glow in Zhang Xuans eyes. Putting aside that Luo Xuanqing was his future brother-inw, a close kin of Luo Ruoxin and soon-to-be close kin of his, just on the pinnacle spirit stone itself, there was no way he would turn down this mission! After all, that was what he wascking the most at the moment. If he could obtain even a pinnacle spirit stone, he wouldnt have to worry over ack of spiritual energy for quite a while. At the very least, it should be sufficient for him to reach Saint 6-dan, or if luck had it, perhaps even Saint 7-dan as well! Thats right. I dont have the pinnacle spirit stones on me yet, but I have already applied for them from my n. They should be here by the time we return from the blessednd. Luo Xuanqing continued. Alright, Ill ept your offer! Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan expressed his agreement. Other than the pinnacle spirit stone, there were also several other reasons why he chose to ept the mission. Firstly, through the shared experiences they would have while trying to obtain the Dongxu Gourd, they should be able to swiftly grow close with one another. And as long as he could take down this future brother-inw of his, he just might be able to convince the other party to bring him to meet Ruoxin! Of course, from his previous experiences, it was apparent that Luo Xuanqing was a sis-con. Until they grew sufficiently close enough to one another, it was best for him not to speak of or express any interest in Ruoxin before thetter. Otherwise, all of his efforts could very well be undone. Also, given that he had already been dragged here and learned of such a confidential secret, there was already no room for him to back down! Otherwise, should the news leak out somehow, he would definitely be the first suspect! Good! You are stillcking in strength at the moment, but worry not. Ill protect you, so just follow closely behind me. You just have to make a move when we reach the grade-8 pinnacle formation. Seeing that he had managed to bring Zhang Xuan to his team, Luo Xuanqing heaved a sigh of relief and patted the young man on the shoulder with a peal of heartyughter. A cost of his domineering attitude in the Sanctum of Sages, he didnt have too many friends. He did know quite a few individuals who were skilled in formations, but he didnt feel safe revealing the existence of the Dongxu Gourd to them. After all, the significance of the Dongxu Gourd was simply too great to Saint 7-dan cultivators. It would be a disaster if his own teammate were to sabotage him at thest moment. On the other hand, even though Zhang Xuan possessed extraordinary capability as a formation master, his cultivation wasnt too high and he didnt have a powerful background either. Such a person was easier for him to control, which was the reason why he chose Zhang Xuan eventually as well. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. To be honest, with his current strength, if he were to utilize all of his means, he was confident that he would at least be on par with the rest of the team... But well, it was still best for him to maintain a low profile wherever possible. Otherwise, as awe-inspiring he would be after using all of his trump cards, he would only end up with the others putting their guard against him and his means. That would only put him in an even more dangerous position in the future. Besides, his strongest trump cards werent really suited to be shown in public either, such as Vicious... Since we are going to be working together, allow me to give you a brief introduction of these threes abilities so that we can better coborate with one anotherter on. Luo Xuanqing said. Bi Hongyin specializes in demonic tunes and formations, you should have seen her prowess for yourself earlier, so I wont borate too much about that. Yuan Xiao boasts superior defenses, such that it would be no exaggeration to call him a human shield. As for Yun Lianhai... his fighting prowess is slightly beneath the rest of us, but hes from the Sage n, Yun n... And as you might know, the Yun n specializes in seeking out treasures, and they are known around the Master Teacher Continent as a n of treasure finders! Treasure finders? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Theres such an upation in the world? Chapter 1344 - The Zhang Clans Secret (1)

Chapter 1344: The Zhang ns Secret (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Indeed. The activation of their bloodline can grant them heightened sensitivity toward treasures, allowing them to perceive the presence of treasures even through obstacles such as formations! Luo Xuanqing nodded with a hint of envy in his eyes. For this reason, despite being only a Tier-2 Sage n, the standing of the Yun n is not beneath that of the Shui n and the Mu n. Cultivators required a huge deal of resources in order to advance their cultivation, and there were countless treasures and ancient domains that had been hidden by old experts using all kinds of mystical means. Just the ability to perceive the presence of treasures through formations was already an ability that would leave countless brimming with envy. Is that considered a unique upation? Zhang Xuan asked in curiosity. Of course not! They are only able to seek out treasures through their bloodline, so its impossible for them to propagate such an ability to the masses. Luo Xuanqing chuckled. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Kong shi had determined that in order for a certain heritage to be considered a unique upation, it had to meet two requirements. Firstly, it needed to form aplete, individual system with a perfect heritage. Secondly, it had to be able to be avable to the masses, such that most cultivators would be able to learn it. Herbologists met the second requirement, in the sense that most cultivators were able to learn it, but there were simply too many different heritages in order to form aplete and wholesome system. As for the Yun n, they probably had aplete heritage, but due to their capability being built on a bloodline, ordinary individuals were unable to learn it, so it could not be considered a unique upation. It seems like theres no way for me to learn it then... Zhang Xuan shook his head regretfully. What hecked at the moment were cultivation resources. If he could gain the ability to perceive the presence of treasures, he would be able to easily gather the resources he required to advance his cultivation. However, since it was only limited to the bloodline of the Yun n, it seemed like there was no way for him to learn it. As powerful as the Library of Heavens Path was, there was no way it could allow him to imitate the bloodline ability of others. If it was a unique upation, there would surely be countless willing to die to learn it! Luo Xuanqing nodded. After a moment of chatter, Zhang Xuan gained a deeper understanding of the strengths of the group. His future brother-inw was the strongest of all with a cultivation of Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, followed by Bi Hongyin at Phantasmal Space realm advanced stage. The one who boasted the strongest defensive prowess turned out to possess the weakest offensive power in the group, such that even subduing Yun Lianhai would be a trouble to him. But at the same time, due to his superior defensive prowess, even Luo Xuanqing would have trouble defeating him. Alright, lets set off now! After gaining an understanding of each members strengths and weaknesses, they swiftly got onto the back of the Seven-colored Divine Crane. With a resounding chirp, the divine crane warped into a sh of seven colors and soared into the horizon. There were no protective formations or structures on the Seven-colored Divine Crane, so there was nothing to guard one against the unrelenting assault of the wind resulting from the swift movement of the divine crane. As Saint 7-dan experts, Luo Xuanqing and the others were unaffected by the wind, but they could not help but be surprised to see that Zhang Xuan waspletely unfazed by it as well. Even if the young man had made a massive breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, there should have been a huge gap between his fighting prowess and theirs. To be able to stand steadily before the raging winds despite hiscking cultivation, it was apparent that the young mans astounding talent did not just stop at formations. Given Brother Zhangs deep understanding of formations and decent strength, you must have achieved quite a result in the Mountain Gate examination, right? the shorty, Bi Lianhai, asked with a rather unnerving grin. The others also directed curious gazes over as well. Most senior students who had reached their level of cultivation had already grown disinterested in the affairs of the freshmen, so very few of them paid heed to the entrance examinations. As a result, despite the hugemotion that Zhang Xuan had caused, they werepletely unaware of it. I did just alright, Zhang Xuan replied. Im ranked fiftieth, just enough for me to get into the Elite Division. You are fiftieth? Yun Lianhai was shocked. Just who in the world is in your cohort? To think that we would have so many formidable freshmen this year! With the level of proficiency in formations the young man before him had, he should have been able to easily get into the top three. Why would he only be fiftieth? That was a really dangerous position to be in! The slightest carelessness could have spelt the loss of his candidacy for the Elite Division! There are indeed quite a few talented students in their cohort. Before Zhang Xuan could reply, Luo Xuanqing had already spoken up. You should have heard of the Zhang ns Zhang Yu before, right? Hes in the same cohort as them! Zhang Yu? You mean thed who possesses Earth-tier bloodline? I have met him once, and hes indeed a formidable individual. In time toe, theres a good chance that he could reach a level on par with you! Humph! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed in displeasure upon hearing those words. Theres no need for you to get so mad at that. Even though there have been many talented individuals among the Zhang n in recent years, none of theme close toparing with the little princess of your Luo n! Yun Lianhai chuckled softly. Speaking of the little princess, a hint of admiration unwittingly crept into the depths of his eyes. Clenching his fists tightly beneath his sleeves, Zhang Xuan asked with feigned nonchnce, Brother Yun, is the little princess you speak of... the renowned figure who managed to cultivate the Dimension Silencer? Indeed! Im referring to Xuanqings younger sister! Paying no heed to Luo Xuanqings darkenedplexion, Yun Lianhai began gossiping enthusiastically. Speaking of which, Xuanqing, I heard that your younger sister has been betrothed to the young prodigy of the Zhang n since her birth. May I know if that young prodigy is really as talented as everyone makes him out to be? Shut your mouth! Luo Xuanqing bellowed as he red at Yun Lianhai with narrowed eyes. I warned you never to bring up this matter before me, or else dont me me for getting nasty! The fatty, Yuan Xiao, shrugged nonchntly at Luo Xuanqings rage. Regardless of whether we speak of the matter or not, that is a decision made by the elders of both ns. Your rage wont change anything. As an offspring of the Yuan n, which was second only to the Three Great Sage ns, he was well-informed of the matter concerning the betrothal between the little princess of the Luo n and the young prodigy of the Zhang n. He knew that the overly-affectionate brother was afraid that his younger sister would be unhappy after marrying into the Zhang n, but as the offspring of one of the strongest Sage ns, there were some responsibilities that they simply could not shirk off. Such an important decision was bound to have received the mutual consensus of the elders of both ns. Not even the head of the Luo n had the power to reverse the decision at this point. I might not be able to change anything from my side, but I can at least try to pull some strings from the other end. If I ever get my hands on that fellow, Ill definitely pummel him until he backs down from the engagement! Luo Xuanqing gnashed his teeth furiously. Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself? Yun Lianhai sighed deeply. If that young prodigy of the Zhang n is really as great as the legends make him out to be, the purity of his bloodline will be a match for even that of your younger sister. Do you really think that youll be a match for him? I... Luo Xuanqings face flushed crimson. As powerful as he was, he was well aware that he came nowhere close to matching his younger sister! Even though his younger sister was more than a decade younger than him, her cultivation and fighting prowess had already reached a level far beyond his. If that young prodigy of the Zhang n was really a genius of the same caliber as his younger sister, there was no way he would be a match for the other party. At this point, the silent Bi Hongyin suddenly chirped, Speaking of the young prodigy of the Zhang n, I happen to have overheard of some secrets surrounding him. Are you all interested in hearing them? Secrets? Everyone quickly turned their gazes over, and even the cold-faced Luo Xuanqing pricked up his ears to listen in as well. Twenty years ago, my teacher was invited to the Zhang n as an honorary guest. One night in his amodation, the head of the Zhang n suddenly knocked on her door, requesting her to follow him to save someone, Bi Hongyin said with a contemtive look in her eyes, seemingly trying to recall the conversation she had with her teacher back then. The head of the Zhang n? Are you referring to the Xingmeng Sword Saint? Yuan Xiao asked with a hint of respect in his voice. Indeed, thats him! Bi Hongyin nodded. Back then, my teacher was extremely perplexed by his actions. As a demonic tunist, she wasnt adept in treating and curing others, so it was bewildering to her why the head of the Zhang n would suddenly request her presence. However, as soon as she saw the patient, the answer was immediately apparent to her. The person who was ill was an infant. My teacher couldnt tell whether the infant was poisoned or what, but his soul was in an extremely feeble state, about to dissipate at any moment. The Xingmeng Sword Saint wanted my teacher to y a demonic tune to stabilize his soul. The crowd nodded. Demonic tunes could crumble a persons mental fortitude and destroy their mind, but at the same time, it could also reinforce ones soul and induce a significant rise in ones cultivation. It would be unwise to feed medicine to a weak infant, so in such a scenario, it was indeed much more suitable to engage the help of a demonic tunist than a physician. My teacher agreed to make a move, but the effects werent too pronounced. Nevertheless, the Xingmeng Sword Saint stillpensated my teacher handsomely for her assistance. Following that, my teacher was escorted out of the residence, and she has no idea what happened to the infant afterward... Coming to a realization, Yuan Xiao could not help but ask, Are you trying to say that the infant that your teacher treated back then is likely... the young prodigy of the Zhang n? Well, theres no way to tell for sure anymore, but considering how coincidental the timing was and the fact that the Xingmeng Sword Saint invited my teacher over personally... But thinking again, given how the young prodigy was assessed to possess unmatched purity in his bloodline even when he was still in his mothers womb, there should be no doubt that the Zhang n would devote all of its resources into protecting him. Its unthinkable that anyone would be able to breach the tight defenses of the Zhang n and harm him! Bi Hongyin analyzed with a confused frown. My teacher didnt think too much into the matter then, but since that encounter then, it seems like no one has seen the young prodigy in public. Thus, she couldnt help but harbor some doubts about the matter. If nothing was wrong with the young prodigy of the Zhang n, how could he have hidden from the sight of the world for twenty whole years? Not to mention, to even opt against enrolling into the Sanctum of Sages? There were indeed too many doubts shrouding the young prodigy that one could not help but think deeper into. If the person whom your teacher treated twenty years back was truly the young prodigy of the Zhang n, that would mean that someone severely injured him shortly after he was born. Its really hard to believe something like that to be true... Yuan Xiao frowned. As offspring of Sage ns, they knew how protective their ns were toward offspring who possessed the purest of bloodlines. This was the first offspring in the several dozen millenniums history of the Zhang n to possess a bloodlineparable to their founder, so how could they possibly allow anyone to harm him right after his birth? Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, Could it be the work of internal rivalry within the Zhang n? If the person who was severely ill back then was truly the young prodigy of the Zhang n, that would truly be for the best. Naturally, the worse state the young prodigy was in, the more unworthy he was of marrying Luo Ruoxin! Impossible! A Sage n like the Zhang n pays particr heed to its reputation and prestige. Theres no way internal strife or anything of that sort could happen in their midst! The one who spoke up was Luo Xuanqing. As a genius of the Luo n, he was deeply aware of how Sage ns operated. But just because the Zhang n pays particr heed to its reputation and prestige doesnt mean that its impossible for such a thing to happen. Who knows? There might just be an ambitious elder who would attempt to assassinate the young prodigy out of desire for the position of n head! As a librarian in his previous life, Zhang Xuan had read plenty of books and stories. This was amon plot in most family strife. Before Luo Xuanqing could speak, Yuan Xiao shook his head and replied, You arent from a Sage n, so you arent aware of the rules that govern us... I can tell you very clearly right now that the situation you have proposed is impossible to happen! Impossible to happen? Zhang Xuan blinked in iprehension. Power could blind the eyes of others, and not even 9-star master teachers were infallible to that, let alone the elders of the Sage ns. How could anyone guarantee that it was impossible for such a thing to happen? There was bound to be a reason such a plotline became a clich! Seeing the look of confusion on Zhang Xuans face, Yuan Xiao shook his head once more. You might not be able toprehend it if I exin it from our perspective, so why dont I phrase it this way instead? You should know that theres a sanctum head to our Sanctum of Sages, right? Chapter 1345 - The Zhang Clans Secret (2)

Chapter 1345: The Zhang ns Secret (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I do! Zhang Xuan nodded. Not only was he aware of that there was a sanctum head to the Sanctum of Sages, he was also the only candidate in line for that position. Theres a set of unique selection criteria in order to decide ones eligibility to be the sanctum head. Those who are unqualified will not be able to inherit the heritage of the Sanctum of Sages. You should have heard of this too, right? Yuan Xiao asked. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. In order to be the head of the Sanctum of Sages, one must possess the Eye of Insight, be a master teacher, have an upright, humble, and low-profile personality, be of noble character, and possess dashing looks that were second to none and charisma that could capture the hearts of others. It was only after clearing all of that criteria that Sage Kui finally bestowed the Sanctum Head Token to him. Without achieving those factors, there was no way he would have been a candidate for the position of sanctum head. Such is the same for the heads of Sage ns! Only those whose bloodline has reached a certain level of purity are qualified to be the next head of the n. One cant just im authority within the Sage n on the basis of strength alone. Take the current head of the Zhang n for example. In fact, the Xingmeng Sword Saint is only the stand-in n head of the Zhang n at the moment. The real n head is the young prodigy! In the past several millenniums, hes the only one whose bloodline has reached the level of purity necessary to be the head of the Zhang n! Yuan Xiao said. The same goes for the Luo n as well. Even though Brother Xuanqing possesses a pure bloodline as well, its still insufficient for him to inherit the position of the n head. The real head of the Luo n is his younger sister. Its just that his younger sister is still too young at the moment, so everything is still being managed by the elders for the time being. Zhang Xuan came to a realization. The situation in the Sage ns was indeed rather simr to his current circumstances. Even though the Sanctum of Sages had a deputy sanctum head who was managing the affairs for the time being, once Zhang Xuan broke the seal on the Sanctum Head Token and became the real sanctum head, there would be no one who could steal his position from him. This was the rule that Kong shi had set, and this was in ordance with the virtue of propriety that Kong shi had preached. No one would dare undermine Kong shis ideology, especially not in a ce where his heritage was passed down. Otherwise, the public would immediately turn against that person, and that person would be criticized and insulted for their immoral actions for many years toe. So, its impossible for any n member of a Sage n to turn against the incumbent n head in an attempt to wrestle power away from him. Not to mention, with the sheer purity of the bloodline that the young prodigy possesses, his maturity will only bring the Zhang n to greater heights in terms of power, bringing every single member greater honor and prestige. Just who would be so foolish as to foil their own future by harming the young prodigy? Yuan Xiao exined. Ah... Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. He really did not think that even the powerful Sage ns would be restrained by so many conventions. If everything that Yuan Xiao had said was true, it was indeed not too likely for anyone to have assaulted the young prodigy of the Zhang n. I heard this secret from my teacher many years ago, and to be honest, I cant verify whether the details are exactly as I remembered them or not. Bi Hongyin shook her head. Furthermore, for a n as big as the Zhang n, there would at least be several thousand infants who are born in the same year, and we cant discount the possibility that the infant my teacher encountered is a child of the Xingmeng Sword Saints friend. With over several dozen millenniums of history behind it, the Zhang n had already grown to be a massive empire by itself. The poption of the entire n was so numerous that it was impossible to count all of them, and the family structure of both the main family and the side family had grown incrediblyplicated. Each year, the n would usher in several thousand new members, so there was no way to ascertain for sure that the person whom Bi Hongyins teacher had treated was definitely the young prodigy. Furthermore, it was a ridiculous notion to think that a peerless genius that the Zhang n had never seen before ever since the time of its founder would actually be left on the verge of death not too long after his birth! Thats true... Everyone nodded. Alright, lets not discuss the Zhang n anymore. Knowing that it would be pointless to talk about this matter, especially since they had no way of verifying it anymore, Bi Hongyin turned her gaze to Luo Xuanqing and asked, Brother Luo, I heard that the little princess left the Sanctum of Sages a while ago. Has she returned yet? Upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes immediately lit up, and he anxiously turned his gaze to Luo Xuanqing. Her words eroded all grudge and anger Zhang Xuan had felt toward her, leaving nothing but gratitude instead. She has long returned, Luo Xuanqing replied with a slight nod. She has returned? Wonderful! If theres a chance, do bring me to meet her. Despite being fellow students of the Inner Sanctum, I still havent got a chance to meet her yet! Bi Hongyin said excitedly. Even though it had been two years since the little princess arrived in the Sanctum of Sages and she had left behind countless records as well, there actually were not too many people who had truly met her before. There were only countless rumors of her floating around in the Sanctum of Sages, some praising her unparalleled beauty and others in awe of her talent. She has been in seclusion ever since her return, desperately cultivating non-stop as if she has offended someone powerful. Even I am unable to meet with her, let alone others! Luo Xuanqing shook his head and sighed deeply. Desperately cultivating non-stop? But shes already so powerful... Zhang Xuan eximed beneath his breath as he felt a sharp pain stabbing into his chest. Back at the Qiu Wu Pce, the youngdy had hesitated for a very long while before epting his confession. Most likely, she had known then that it would be difficult for her to go against the engagement, and it was unlikely that there would be a happy ending for the both of them. Nevertheless, she still courageously took a leap of faith and epted him. But this eptance came at a price. It would mean that she would have to defy the orders of the elders of her n, and in order to do so, she had no choice but to desperately immerse herself in her cultivation in the hope that she could soon wield the strength to dictate her fate. Otherwise, she could only be swept along by the pace of others. Noticing the huge fluctuations in Zhang Xuans emotions, Luo Xuanqing shot a narrowed nce over. You seem to be very interested in my younger sister. I... For a moment there, Zhang Xuan thought ofing clean and telling him, Your younger sister has already agreed to be my girlfriend. But at thest moment, he eventually abandoned the idea. Putting aside whether Luo Xuanqing would be able to believe his words or not, even if the other party did, this matter would only turn in a catastrophe. Just thinking about it, the fiance of the young prodigy of the Zhang n had fallen in love with an unaffiliated cultivator with a humble background... That was bound to cause a huge uproar, and if things went wrong, he might even be putting more on Luo Ruoxins te for her to deal with. She was already cultivating hard for their future together, so naturally, he could not possibly allow a moment of recklessness to drag her down. Just wait till I break the seal and be the real sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages... With such a position, no one will dare underestimate me anymore... Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and suppressed his agitation. What was more important for him at the moment was to cultivate humbly and strive to break the seal on the Sanctum Head Token as soon as possible. He did not fear trouble, but it would be unforgivable if he caused more trouble for Luo Ruoxin in the midst of doing so. Driving his state of mind, Zhang Xuan swiftly returned to a state ofposure before replying with a smile, The fame of the little princess has spread far and wide. I heard of her affairs back when I was still in the Qingyuan Empire, and to be honest, I have nothing but praise and admiration for her. Thats why I cant help but be rather curious about her affairs! Humph, thatd better be the case! If I learn that you harbor any kind of thoughts toward my younger sister, even though we are acquainted with one another, rest assured that Ill pummel you to the point that you wont even be able to recognize which ways up! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed with a voice dripping with threat. Of course, of course... Zhang Xuan nodded with a bitter smile. To be threatened by his future brother-inw... Just what was this! At the same time, he felt incredibly d that he had stopped himself from bbering earlier, or else he could very well have been lying on the ground, bruised all over. Alright, lets not talk about that anymore. After chuckling softly, Yun Lianhai changed the topic. Right, Zhang shi. In your cohort, other than Zhang Yu, theres another student who possesses incredible talent despite not being from any Sage n. If I recall correctly, his name should be... Feng Ziyi! Do you know him? Feng Ziyi? I know of him. Hes the person who was ranked in first ce for the Mountain Gate examination this time around! Zhang Xuan nodded. ording to what I know, he seems to be the direct disciple of one of the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Indeed. There is a total of three grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and their whereabouts are usually a mystery. To be able to be one of their direct disciples, I must say that Feng Ziyis luck is really good. On top of that, the person who took him in is the person who is the strongest of the three grand elders... Yang shi! Yun Lianhai remarked in envy. Yang shi? That familiar name made Zhang Xuan instinctively turn his gaze toward Yun Lianhai. Indeed. Yang shi, Yang Xuan! Yun Lianhai replied. Yang... Xuan? Zhang Xuans body stiffened. Chapter 1346 - Killing Intent

Chapter 1346: Killing Intent

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 All along, Zhang Xuan had been introducing himself as Yang Xuans disciple. He did not think there would be really such a figure since it was a name that he hade up with, but to think that there would actually be such a huge coincidence! To think that there would actually be a master teacher named Yang Xuan in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters... and he was even one of the three grand elders! Just how lucky did he have to be to meet with such a coincidence? It was no wonder Luo Chengxin panicked upon meeting and hearing the name Yang Xuan! It was not that he had impersonated Yang Xuan wellthere was really such a person in real life! That was why the other party was horrified and panicked. Throughout his journey, as long as he reported Yang Xuans name, the Master Teacher Pavilion would immediately suppress all news concerning him. Most likely, they had seen that it involved one of the three grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and decided that it would be best for them to keep out of the matter! So thats the reason... He had thought that his disguise was so good that he managed to fool everyone into thinking that he had a powerful backer and that was why no one dared toy their hands on his Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path techniques... But it turned out that there was really a Yang Xuan in the world! Everything had only gone smoothly for him because he had borrowed the other partys reputation to bolster his authority! How can there be such a huge coincidence in the world? Zhang Xuan could hardly ept this fact all of a sudden. He knew that it was only on a whim that he came up with his Yang Xuan persona, and it was simply too much of a coincidence for the persona he had created to actually be a real person! Could it be the Library of Heavens Path? Zhang Xuan thought in rm as he dived his consciousness into his mind. He returned to the entrance of the Library of Heavens Path and stared at the four words inscribed on the que above the massive gates. They emanated an aura of ancient history, reminiscent of an artifact that had lived through the eons, traversing from world to world. It was hard to describe the sensation that those words evoked, but the closest phrase that he could think of was the solemnity of age. Perhaps, this might be what they mean by the threads of destiny? Theres a certain trajectory that the world gravitates toward under the will of the heavens. Even a decision made seemingly at a whim could have far greater implications than one can ever imagine, Zhang Xuan thought as his body tensed up. He had no idea why he would feel like that, but his intuition was telling him that this matter was far more than a coincidence. Perhaps, the Library of Heavens Path might have even influenced his subconscious mind to mouth out those two words. He suddenly felt like the will of the heavens was omnipresent, and it was gradually guiding him along the road it wanted him to tread on. The authority of the heavens is invible; the will of the heavens is absolute. Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a shiver run through his body as a possibility came to his mind. I might control the Library of Heavens Path, but... what if the heavens want to destroy me one day? Will I bepletely helpless then too? Zhang shi? Zhang shi? Whats wrong? Just as Zhang Xuans thoughts were wandering, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Lifting his gaze, he saw Yun Lianhai looking at him with a worried expression. Zhang Xuan quickly suppressed his apprehensions and fears and replied with a smile. Ah, Im fine! For someone of his state of mind, it was not too difficult for him to conceal his emotions from the eyes of others. The Library of Heavens Path was his greatest secret, and he could not allow anyone to learn of its existence. I was just surprised to hear that Feng Ziyi would have such a background... Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Indeed. I was almost as shocked as you when I first heard of the news. The grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were deeply elusive figures, and each one of them was more secretive than the others. Yun Lianhai nodded before leaning forward with a look of curiosity. Right, Zhang shi. Someone as young and talented as you should also have a capable teacher, right? May I ask who your teacher is? The fact that the other party was not from the Zhang n and yet possess cultivation on par with the geniuses of the Zhang n was more than enough to tell that he had the backing of a strong teacher. This... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans lips twitched. If it had been in the past, he would have unhesitatingly replied, My teacher is Yang Xuan. However, with Yang Xuans real direct disciple, Feng Ziyi, being in the Sanctum of Sages, it would only be a matter of time before his lie was exposed if he said such words! Noting Zhang Xuans silence, Yun Lianhai quickly waved his hand to shrug the matter off. Its fine if its inconvenient for you to answer my question. I know that there are some old hermits out there who dislike their students using their name to brag before others, so theres no need to worry. He had only intended it to be a casual question. If the other party felt ufortable replying to that, he had no intention of pressing for a response. After all, everyone had their own secrets, and it was not like they were close friends. It was understandable that the other party harbored some reservations about revealing his background to him. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Thank you for your understanding. Its nothing, Yun Lianhai replied with a smile. The group chatted for a while longer before dispersing to do their own things. Zhang Xuan calmed down his unnerved heart before sitting on the ground to reinforce his newfound strength. It was meaningless for the current him to think about matters that were too far aheadit was not as if he could make a difference in this moment anyway. The best thing he could do at the moment was quickly raise his strength in preparation of what was toe. Ultimately, there was nothing to rely on but cold, hard strength. In silence, the group swiftly advanced toward their destination. During this period of time, Zhang Xuan had tried to sound Yuan Xiao out for some news regarding Yuan Tao, but as Yuan Xiao had not returned back to the Yuan n over the past year, he did not know too much about the genius who had recently returned to their n. In response to that, Zhang Xuan could only sigh deeply in disappointment. It was five dayster that the Seven-colored Divine Crane finally arrived at a meandering mountain range, which extended as far as the eye could see. After the past few days of hard work, Zhang Xuan had managed to fully reinforce his cultivation. He was not able to make any breakthroughs without the relevant cultivation technique manuals and spirit stones on hand, but having adapted to his power, his fighting prowess still grew a fair amount. If Jian Qinsheng were to challenge him with his strength lowered to a hundredth once more, there was a very good chance that Zhang Xuan would be able to kill him before he could even react to his move. The Dongxu Gourd is hidden over there. Luo Xuanqing gestured to the area beneath him as he instructed the Seven-colored Divine Crane to stop near a valley. Turning their gazes downward, the crowd saw a long gorge that slithered through the vicinity like a gigantic anaconda. It was conspicuous from where they were currently situated, but had they been anywhere else, their sight would have definitely been impeded by the towering mountain cliffs all around, causing them to overlook this gorge. And that naturally harnesses wind and water, its the type of terrain where spirit veins 1 tend to form, Zhang Xuan noted internally. With his knowledge as an 8-star pinnacle formation master, he could tell that the gorge beneath them was the center line that connected the entire mountain range together, thus forming a natural deposit of spiritual energy. But on second look, a frown emerged on his forehead. However, it seems like someone has altered the terrain in a manner that prevents it spirit mines from developing. ces where spiritual energy tended to gather, such as the gorge beneath them, would usually result in the development of spirit mines over time. Zhang Xuan could not tell for sure whether it was due to someones intentional action or some sort of natural fault, but the earth veins beneath had beenpletely destroyed. While they could still gather the surrounding spiritual energy, it had already be physically impossible for spirit mines to form. While Zhang Xuan was still analyzing the situation contemtively, Luo Xuanqing said, Lets head down! Following which, the divine crane began descending, and before long, the group was standing at the entrance to the valley. This ce is called the Valley of Earth Spirits. Due to the rich spiritual energy harnessed within this area, there are many saint beasts who choose to reside in this area, and theres nock of Saint 8-dan experts among their ranks. As such, we cant afford to fly straight in. Otherwise, if we catch the attention of any Saint 8-dan beasts, theres a good chance that well lose our lives here, Luo Xuanqing exined grimly. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was astonished. The Seven-colored Divine Crane was already the strongest saint beast that he had seen so far, but to think that there would be plenty of beasts that were stronger than it within the valley. The Master Teacher Continent was farrger than he had thought, and there were countless experts hidden all over the world. It would be foolish of him to gauge it by what he had seen so far. But thinking again, if not for the powerful saint beasts guarding the valley, it would be impossible for the Dongxu Gourd to remain undiscovered for such a long period of time. Try your best to rein in your aura when we enterter on; make sure not to leave any traces behind. Otherwise, we could very well meet with trouble even before arriving at our destination, Luo Xuanqing instructed solemnly. He then moved on to instruct the divine crane to keep a lookout for them from afar and cover them should any unexpected situations happen before leading the way into the valley. The remaining members of the group quickly followed suit. Due to Zhang Xuans cultivation being the lowest of the group, he was positioned at the center so that they could protect him should any unexpected situation arise. The gorge was unnervingly calm. Stepping in, all they could hear was the moaning of the wind flitting through the gorge. The spiritual energy within the gorge was indeed considerably more concentrated than the rest of the mountain range, but due to the deficiencies in the terrain, it was impossible to concentrate the spiritual energy at one point. Nevertheless, it was still a decent area to cultivate in. Following closely behind Luo Xuanqing, Zhang Xuan warily assessed his surroundings with his Eye of Insight. He could see surges of spiritual energy slowly flowing forward peacefully like a stream. Is such an environment really sufficient to fuel the growth of the Dongxu Gourd? The more Zhang Xuan studied his surroundings, the more perplexed he became. He was not too sure what requirements the Dongxu Gourd needed to be in to mature well, but ording to what Luo Xuanqing had said, it could only grow in the presence of a spirit vein. There was indeed a spirit vein flowing through the gorge, but the deficiency in the terrain had weakened it so much that he felt hesitant to call it a spirit vein anymore. Perhaps noticing the doubtful look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Xuanqing sent a telepathic message over. Actually, we are already in the midst of the formation that ancient expert set up. We are already in the midst of a formation? Zhang Xuan was astonished. Given that he had already mastered the 8-star Heavens Path Formation Art, there was no way he could not have realized that they were standing in the midst of a formation... unless the formation had reached grade-9! A grade-9 formation... Just how powerful was the ancient expert who had left behind the Dongxu Gourd? Thats right. This formation serves to alter the flow of the spiritual energy in the surroundings, rendering it impossible for one to find the real spirit vein and locate the Dongxu Gourd. If not for this, the Dongxu Gourd would have long been harvested by someone else! Luo Xuanqing exined. Its also out of sheer luck that I managed to find this ce... Luck? Zhang Xuan shook his head. It would have been hard to discover this with luck alone! Even he was unable to notice any anomaly in the surroundings with his Eye of Insight activated. The notion that one would discover the possible presence of a Dongxu Gourd in the area based on sheer luck itself was improbable. Well... to be honest with you, I heard of this matter from my younger sister. Reading is a huge hobby of hers, and she loves to put clues together to make deductions about the various ces, Luo Xuanqing remarked proudly. Through a certain formation and a detailed map of the entire mountain range, she deduced that theres a high chance that there is a grade-9 Hidden Formation located in this region, and I took note of it back then... After which, I came to examine this area carefully, and as expected, there was indeed something amiss about this gorge! Several dozen millenniums was a very long duration, even with the long lifespan of cultivators. If it was possible to find this location on sheer luck, someone would have found the Dongxu Gourd long ago. It was only with the help of his ridiculously talented younger sister that he was able to zone in on this gorge. Your younger sister was able to deduce all of this with just a formation and a map in hand? Zhang Xuan was shocked. As expected of his girlfriend! Her eye of discernment and analytical prowess were indeed nowhere weaker than his. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before sending another telepathic message. Right! Brother Luo, I have something that I am really curious about that I would like to ask you! Feel free to speak, Luo Xuanqing said with a slight nod of his head. I was wondering, given how powerful the Luo n is, is there really a need for the little princess, the head of the Luo n, to be betrothed to the young prodigy of the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. This was something that had been guing his mind over the past few days. The purity of ones bloodline determined ones standing in the Sage ns. Since Luo Ruoxin was the head of the Luo n, was there really a need to go to the point of forcing her to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n? Was that not equivalent to entrusting their entire n to the hands of the Zhang n? Luo Xuanqings face darkened upon hearing those words, and he uttered with a dangerous edge to his voice, Who told you to ask such a question? In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt a surge of cold air pressing up toward him as overwhelming killing intent pressed down on him. Chapter 1347 - Zhang Xuan, the Formation Master

Chapter 1347: Zhang Xuan, the Formation Master

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This killing intent was so powerful that it felt palpable, permeating through his skin and into his soul, causing his body to stiffen uncontrobly. With eyes narrowed in rm, Zhang Xuans mind swiftly whirred into action. This was not the first time he had asked about Luo Ruoxins affairs, but back then, Luo Xuanqing had not shown such an agitated response to his question. Could there really be some kind of secret involved? As if oblivious to the threatening aura that Luo Xuanqing was emanating, Zhang Xuan replied with an innocent smile, I just find the matter rather bewildering. Luo Xuanqing stared at Zhang Xuan intently, as if trying to find any falsehood in his words. However, all he saw was an earnest smile from an honest man, so he eventually released the killing intent that he was emanating with a harrumph and coldly said, This is a matter between our Luo n and the Zhang n. As an outsider, you shouldnt get too involved in this matter. Understood? Yes, Brother Luo. Zhang Xuan nodded. Luo Xuanqing might not have said anything at all, but his very response told Zhang Xuan a very important factthe two ns were determined to go through with the betrothal by hook or by crook, and no one would be able to stop them! It was apparent to all how doting and protective Luo Xuanqing was of his younger sister, as well as how much he abhorred the Zhang n, but even so, he was still unable to do anything to terminate the engagement between both ns. Most likely, there were other factors that made it critical that the engagement carried on as nned. This is really a huge dilemma! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. His previous thought was that as long as he could be the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, he would be in a position not beneath that of the head of the Zhang n. On top of that, given that Luo Ruoxin and he were in love, there should have been a good chance that he would be able to gain the approval of the Luo n. However, it seemed like there was a need to reassess the current situation now. Despite being the head of the Luo n and possessing extraordinary strength, she was still unable to struggle free from the engagement she had with the Zhang n. He would really have to look into this matter when he got back. Wuwuwu! While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, a sound simr to the buzzing of a group of mosquitoes suddenly echoed through the air. Bi Hongyin narrowed her eyes and eximed with a hushed voice, Crimsontail Wasps! Shortly after Bi Hongyins exmation, an entire legion of wasps, each roughly around the size of a longan, suddenly pressed in their direction in the form of an ominous, ck cloud. Crimsontail Wasps? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat after hearing those words. This saint beast was detailed in some of the beast tamer books that he had read. The Crimsontail Wasp was small, and its strength was not too frightening, typically being only at Saint 3-dan to Saint 4-dan. However, what was frightening about it was the potent poison it carried on its sting. In a group, even a Saint 7-dan expert could easily be poisoned to death in a moment of carelessness. What was worse was that they tended to hide within mountain forests in legions. In a sense, they were even more frightening than Saint 8-dan beasts. The killing intent that Luo Xuanqing released earlier has rmed them! Zhang Xuan swiftly realized what was going on. They had concealed themselves really well ever since entering the mountain valley, keeping their auras tightly reined in within their bodies. Under normal circumstances, they should have been able to bypass the detection of most saint beasts, and yet, a legion of Crimsontail Wasps was suddenly heading their way. Most likely, the Crimsontail Wasps had felt threatened by the earlier burst of killing intent and decided to seek out and kill the source of the threat. Looking at the fearsome cloud of wasps heading in their direction, Yun Lianhais face suddenly turned ghastly pale. What should we do? It was a rather unnatural reaction for an expert of his caliber. It seemed like he had an innate fear toward lifeforms that carried poison in them. Well cause too much of amotion if we engage the Crimsontail Wasps in a battle, and that would likely draw in even more powerful foes. More importantly, there are simply too many Crimsontail Wasps. Putting aside the question of whether well be able to eliminate all of them or not, Crimsontail Wasps have a group defensive mechanism that prompts it to release poison clouds upon their death. Once the poison clouds build up to a certain concentration, well be doomed as well. Bi Hongyin swiftly analyzed the situation for the group. The Crimsontail Wasps were the very enemies that they feared encountering in the valley. The Crimsontail Wasps were currently standing in their way from advancing deeper into the valley, but killing them was not an option, and there was no way they would be able to circumvent the entire legion safely. It was truly a helpless situation they were in. Theres no choice, lets just retreat out of the valley and find a way to get rid of them outside, Luo Xuanqing instructed decisively. As a member of the Luo ns main family, as well as a future leader of the Luo n, Luo Xuanqing definitely was not as rash and hot-headed as he appeared on the surface. In times of adversity, he would weigh his options rationally and make the most logical choice on the spot. Very well! Knowing that this was the best course of action they could take, the group immediately began retreating. After fleeing barely several hundred meters, with a shake of his head, Zhang Xuan remarked, It doesnt seem like well be able to make it in time... Following which, another legion of Crimsontail Wasps suddenly appeared right in front of them with a resounding buzzing noise that left one with goosebumps. As Saint 3-dan to 4-dan beasts, there was no doubt that the Crimsontail Wasps possessed intelligence. It was not easy for a meal to walk onto their te, so they had made preparations beforehand to corner their prey. Theres no other choice. Knowing that a fight was inevitable, Luo Xuanqing roared, Prepare for battle! Zhang shi, Ill be counting on you to set up an Aura Istion Barrier to prevent the shockwaves or sounds from the battle from leaking into the surroundings. Bi Hongyin, use your demonic tunes to hinder theirmunication so that they wont be able to arrange themselves in formations and coborate with one another. Yun Lianhai, use your secret art to determine the whereabouts of the Wasp King. Yuan Xiao, your body boasts the highest defensive capability and immunity to poison, so Ill need you to follow meter on to strike down the Wasp King. Once the Wasp King is killed, the remaining Crimsontail Wasps would fall into confusion. We can make use of the opportunity to escape! The crowd nodded grimly. Yes! Hearing how concise and rational Luo Xuanqingsmands were, each of them aimed right at the ws of the enemies, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in approval. Were it to be anyone else in his position, they would have already lost their nerve. However, not only was Luo Xuanqing able to remain perfectly calm, he was even able to instantaneously capitalize on everyones strengths to craft the ideal n to cope with the danger they were facing. The geniuses groomed by the Sanctum of Sages were indeed on a whole new level, reactingpletely differently from the others in times of danger. After seeing that everyone had received hismands, Luo Xuanqing bellowed, Move! At the same time, he lifted his hand and closed his palm. As if falling under his control, the surrounding space suddenly turned incredibly viscous, and even the slightest of movements would be met with the greatest of resistance. Zhang shi, Ill fend off the wasps for the time being, but I wont be able tost too long like that, so I need you to set up the formation as soon as possible! I understand, just that... A hint of embarrassment suddenly surfaced on Zhang Xuans previously solemn face, and he looked at the group around him awkwardly. Do any of you have grade-8 formation gs? He had cleared the 8-star formation master examination just one day ago, and he had not had time to purchase any grade-8 formation gs yet... if he could afford some in the first ce, that was. You dont even have any formation gs? Bi Hongyin face twitched upon hearing those words. The expert formation master whom Luo Xuanqing had specially invited into their group actually had no formation gs at all! The other members of the group could not help but feel a little light-headed. Their journey had barely started, but everything was already looking so grim. Here, take mine! Exhaling deeply in frustration, Bi Hongyin flicked her wrist and threw roughly five to six hundred formation gs over to Zhang Xuan. As one who specialized in formations, it was a given that she would bringrge quantities of formation gs wherever she went in case of emergencies. Of course, considering that she was a genius from the Demonic Tunist Guild, there was no questioning their quality too. Thank you. Zhang Xuan swiftly grabbed all of those gs as he drove his zhenqi. Sou sou sou! The next moment, the gs flew out in all direction. You... Seeing how Zhang Xuan tossed all of the gs out without even giving them a second look, Bi Hongyins face flushed scarlet in fury. I only have that many gs! If you throw all of them out at once and fail to form a formation, well have no choice but to force our way through using brute... But before she could finish her sentence, a huge congregation of mist suddenly settled into the surroundings. A formation had been sessfully formed and activated. Grade-8 Aura Istion Formation, typically used to prevent any noise, shockwaves, or any sort of intangible disturbances from traveling in and out of the formation. T-this... Hes already done? Bi Hongyin gulped in awe, but that hardly helped alleviate the hoarseness in her throat. Not only was she in such a state, even Yun Lianhai and Yuan Xiao werepletely dumbstruck as well. Even though Luo Xuanqing had showered plenty of praise upon Zhang Xuan about how swift he was in setting up formations, the sight before them was still too inconceivable. It was simply beyond the limits of their imagination! Toplete a grade-8 formation within less than a breath... Could 9-star formation masters even set up a grade-8 formation that quickly? After all, setting up a formation was a veryplex business. It involved analyzing the surrounding geographical terrain, environment, strength of the opponent, diffusion of power, and many other factors. Yet, to finish it in the blink of an eye without even assessing any of those conditions... or was his mind capable of processing all of thatplex information in an instant? Recalling that they were still in the midst of a battle, Bi Hongyin swiftly shook herself out of her shock and whipped out her zither, preparing to y an offensive demonic tune. However, she suddenly realized something then, and she widened her eyes in astonishment. Wait a moment... this formation doesnt seem to have just concealed our presenceit seems to harness the effects of a Beguilement Formation as well. Look, those Crimsontail Wasps are clearly in a disorientated state, traveling aimlessly around the area. To her shock, she realized that the formation did not just iste their presence from the rest of the world. It seemed to be trapping all of the Crimsontail Wasps within it as well, not allowing even a single one of them to escape. This was extremely significant to their current situation. If even a single Crimsontail Wasp got away, they could possibly draw the powerful saint beasts in the valley over to save theirrades. Oh. You gave me quite a few gs there. There were still some remaining after I finished the Aura Istion Formation, so Ipounded a Beguilement Formation while I was at it, Zhang Xuan replied with a cheery smile. Youpounded a Beguilement Formation while you were at it? Everyones cheeks convulsed wildly after hearing how casually Zhang Xuan spoke of the matter. Within a short span of less than a breath... that fellow actually set up two formations! And as if that was not enough... the both of them werepounded upon one another! Ovepping two formations on top of one another was a task that was many times moreplicated than just setting up just a single formation. Many more variables and factors had to be taken into ount when making the calctions. Even expert formation masters would have to spend several months working with multiplepasses in hand, and yet, that fellow was actually able to achieve it on a whim. Bi Hongyin felt a searing pain on her cheeks, as if someone had just dealt a tight p to her face. She was considered a genius formation master as well, butpared to the other party, she felt like she was not anything at all. It was almost as if she was aplete amateur standing before a professional. Yun Lianhai also quickly shook himself out of his shocked state before asking, With this Beguilement Formation, those Crimsontail Wasps shouldnt be able to get away. With that, we shouldnt have to fight them anymore, right? This... The others were dazed for a moment before hurriedly nodding in agreement. Indeed! Their goal was not to kill these Crimsontail Wasps but to bypass them so that they would not hinder the group from finding the Dongxu Gourd! Since they were already trapped by the Beguilement Formation, there was no reason for them to fight anymore. They could just walk away, and the disoriented and trapped Crimsontail Wasps would not be able to stop them. That wont do. Luo Xuanqing shook his head and said, A formation that is set up on a whim wont have sufficient spiritual energy to sustain it for too long. Soon, it will run out of energy and deactivate. We might be able to get away from them now, but if we encounter them once more in the depths of the valley, well be in a far more dangerous position! Formations required a constant input of spiritual energy in order to remain active. This was simr to how a carriage required a horse to drive it. Once the horse ran out of strength, the carriage would not remain moving for long. The Beguilement Formation might have been able tost for quite a while if it was only trapping one or two Crimsontail Wasps, but there was an entire legion of them in here! Under their furious thrashing, the Beguilement Formation would only deplete its spiritual energy faster than ever. By Luo Xuanqings estimate, it should be copsing very soon. Rather than be ced into an even more dangerous situationter on, it would be much wiser for them to get rid of the threat then and there, while they still had the upper hand. Run out of energy? Brother Luo, that wont be a problem. I also noticed that problem while I was setting up the formation earlier, so Ipounded a Spirit Gathering Formation on top of that. With the Spirit Gathering Formation drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy to fuel the other formations, I think it should have no trouble running for several hundred years! Zhang Xuan quickly rified. You evenpounded a Spirit Gathering Formation on top of that? The others staggered upon hearing those words. They quickly turned their gazes over to assess the formation, and indeed, it was as sturdy and stable as it could get. It seemed like there was an endless source of spiritual energy fueling its power depletion. This... The crowd felt as if their minds had just blown up. A triplepounded formation... and finished in a breath at that. Brother, are you high? It took a long while before the deeply stifled Luo Xuanqing was able to find his words once more. Since thats the case, it should be safe for us to leave then... He had prepared so many contingency ns, but in the end, he did not get a chance to use any of them at all. Just by throwing out a pile of gs, the young man had already resolved the crisis they were facing. This left him with a crushing feeling of defeat. Leave? Isnt it a huge waste to leave behind so many formation gs? Zhang Xuan blinked in confusion. These formation gs were of top-notch quality, and every single one of them was worth a bomb! It would be too wasteful to toss away such a huge fortune here! What other choice do we have? These Crimsontail Wasps produce poison clouds upon their death. Even if we manage to ughter everyst one of them, well also suffer heavy damage, Luo Xuanqing said with a frown. Heavy damage? Why would that be the case? There were still some spare formation gs after setting up those three formations, so I decided to add in a ughter Formation. It will activate automatically once the formation gathers sufficient spiritual energy. All we have to do is wait here, Zhang Xuan replied with the same cheery smile. Chapter 1348 - I Am a Physician

Chapter 1348: I Am a Physician

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There were no words that could describe the shock that the other members of the group were feeling. In fact, they might even have started to feel numb to it already. There was an exponential rise in the difficulty for each additional formation ovepped on apounded formation. Even the most talented of 8-star formation masters that they knew of would require a minimum of four months to set up the most basic grade-8 doublepounded formation and sixteen months for the most basic triplepounded formation. As for a quadruplepounded formation... Without at least two decades of work, there was no way one could seed! Yet, with just a shake of his hand, the young man before them managed to set up four of them in less than a breath... Hisprehension of formations could not just be defined with the word formidable anymore. It was already beyond their imagination, reaching the realms of terrifying! Bi Hongyin could not help but ask, Zhang shi, did you really just clear your 8-star formation master examination just a few days ago? I did. I took it together with Brother Luo, and it was really quite troublesome... Recalling the examination he had that day, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Troublesome... In this instant, Luo Xuanqing was seriously contemting whether he should never speak to the young man ever again. From looking through the formation blueprint to activating the formation, it took you only five breaths... and you freaking call that troublesome? If anyone was troubled by that examination, it should be me! Even until now, my 8-star formation master emblem hasnt arrived. The ughter Formation is about to execute! Zhang Xuan suddenly interjected. While they were chatting, the ughter Formation that he had set up seemed to have absorbed sufficient spiritual energy, and with a brilliant burst of light, it began to whir into action. The next moment, countless bursts of sword qi shot forth. All the others could see was innumerable cold glints shing before all of the Crimsontail Hos copsed to the ground, severed into two. How powerful... Witnessing the might of the ughter Formation, the others felt shivers running down their spine. Even though it was only a grade-8 primary ughter Formation, it wasplemented by a Beguilement Formation and Spirit Gathering Formation, which raised its prowess to an unbelievable extent. Even for them, they would require a great deal of effort before they could break out of the formation. Something is wrong... Luo Xuanqing suddenly noticed something. Considering the powerful might of the ughter Formation, why are the Crimsontail Wasps floating stationary in the air, allowing the sword qi to slice right through them? Even if their sense of direction has been confounded by the Beguilement Formation, their innate sensitivity to danger should still prompt them to dodge the sword qi! Youre right! Whats going on? Luo Xuanqings words had jolted everyone into realization as well. As formidable as a grade-8 ughter Formation was, it should not have the power to kill Crimsontail Wasps so easily. Yet, the situation before them... the Crimsontail Wasps were floating around idly, as if they werepletely oblivious to the assault of the ughter Formation! This was a really mystifying situation. Oh. Regarding that, I had set up an Illusory Formation as well. These Crimsontail Wasps arent too powerful, and their minds arent too resilient. As such, they are particrly susceptible to Illusory Formations, Zhang Xuan replied with a light chuckle. Again? Luo Xuanqings cheeks twitched intensely, and unable to stand it anymore, he asked, Just how many formations did youpound in here! He had only expected Zhang Xuan to set up a single formation to prevent sound and shockwaves ofbat from leaking out. Yet, he actually ended up performing far beyond expectations, setting up five formations on top of one another! Just how many more were in there that they did not know of? Well, didnt you all say that the Crimsontail Wasps would release poison clouds upon their death? I implemented a Gathering Formation to channel the poison clouds together. Other than that, I also set up a Compression Formation. Considering how the poison of the Crimsontail Wasps could kill even a Saint 7-dan expert, if I can just extract some, I should be able to sell it for quite a hefty sum! Zhang Xuan continued calcting with his fingers. Oh, theres also a formation to search for the Wasp King. Since that fellow is the king, its bound to have many valuable parts to it. However, I still am not too sure how powerful the Wasp King is, so out of safety considerations, I set up a Confinement Formation so that I would at least be able to trap it should I fail to kill it. Other than that, theres also a Visibility Formation for us to look through the mist, a Venttion Formation to ensure that we receive fresh air so that it wont feel too suffocating here. Oh, and not to forget, a Temperature Regtion Formation as well so that we can watch the showfortably... I think that should be all. After saying those words, he turned back to the crowd and saw Luo Xuanqing and the others with their mouths wide open. They were all looking at him as if he was a monster. It took a long while before they managed to recover from their shock, but even so, a stifling sensation still continued to suffocate their chests. Talking to that fellow felt almost as if they were stabbing a dagger into their own hearts. Their current feelings could totally be described in five words Screw this sh*t, Im out. Brother Luo, I heard that the little princess is quite a proficient formation master as well. Bi Hongyin turned to Luo Xuanqing and discreetly asked, Is she able to set up formations this quickly, too? S-she... Shes unable to do it that quickly! Luo Xuanqing replied while gulping. But again, my younger sister didnt spend too much time studying each upation eithershe simply masters them too quickly. Well, perhaps except for pill forging I guess. His younger sister was not just a highly talented cultivatorshe also grasped each of the upations extremely quickly. What took others several decades to master, she could be proficient within just several months and reach the peak. The only supporting upation that she was slightlycking in was pill forging. This was just like how formations were what he was the worst at. He had to take the 8-star formation master examination three times before he managed to barely scrape by. I see... Bi Hongyin nodded. A momentter, she turned to Zhang Xuan and asked out of curiosity, Zhang shi, are you proficient in pill forging? Im afraid I cant really forge pills. Zhang Xuan shook his head dejectedly. He had a tight grasp over the various theories and knowledge concerning pill forging, but hecked the skills to put this knowledge into practice. Otherwise, he would not have to engage the help of others each time. Upon hearing that, the others heaved a sigh of relief. Considering how monstrous he already was in the field of formations, he would really be inhuman if he was equally formidable in the other supporting upations. At the very least, the fact that he could not forge pills showed that he was not infallible. Wait a moment, dont you have the 7-star apothecary emblem? Luo Xuanqing asked with a doubtful frown. Back then, the fellow had even whipped it out to unt to him that he had received the emblem through special application. That was one memory that he would probably never forget. Ah, regarding that, I really am unable to forge pills. I only managed to be promoted through clearing the Pill Debate examination, Zhang Xuan exined. Pill Debate... Another bout of light-headedness assaulted Luo Xuanqing. At this point, he really wanted to bang his head on the wall. There was no apothecary who did not know that Pill Debate was many times more difficult than the pill forging examination! The clearance rate for the pill forging examination was at least several dozen in a thousand, but there might not even be a single apothecary out of a group of a hundred thousand who would be able to clear the Pill Debate examination! A momentter, after sensing that the formation was not moving anymore, Zhang Xuan told the other members, Alright, all of the Crimsontail Wasps are dead. The others did a swift sweep of their surroundings, too, and as expected, all of the Crimsontail Wasps had copsed to the ground. With a quick scanning of his formation, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. I have managed to capture the Wasp King too. Lets head over to take a look! After which, he hurriedly advanced forward. Fearing that they would make a misstep and end up being attacked by the formation, the other members of the group followed tightly behind him. Not longter, they saw a withered Crimsontail Wasp floating in the air, seemingly on the verge of death. In terms of appearance and size, this wasp was actually not much different from the others, making it nigh impossible to differentiate it from the rest. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to conduct a closer examination of the Wasp King. While the other Crimsontail Wasps were at Saint 3-dan to 4-dan, the Wasp King wielded a cultivation of Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. The Wasp Kings poison is too strong; I think it would be best to just kill it so that needless trouble doesnt arise from this, Luo Xuanqing proposed. Even ordinary Crimsontail Wasps could kill Saint 7-dan experts when sufficient poison built up. Given how this one was able to be the Wasp King, its poison was bound to be far more potent. Just to be safe, it would be best to kill it quickly. After all, it would be a disaster if any single one of them was pricked. Yes, its poison is indeed rather potent! Zhang Xuan nodded as he reached out to grab the Crimsontail Wasp between his forefinger and middle finger. Be careful! Seeing that Zhang Xuan actually used his bare hands to grab the Wasp King, cold sweat immediately trickled down everyones back. Weng! At that moment, an unexpected change urred. The seemingly debilitated Wasp King dived forward, and the venomous sting on its tail shot straight toward Zhang Xuans skin. Puhe! A small incision was made on Zhang Xuans forefinger, and the venom immediately flowed into his bloodstream. The Wasp King had actually been feigning weakness all along! As soon as it saw that Zhang Xuan was going to grab it, it immediately leaped up to retaliate! Thats the Wasp Kings Lifebound Venomous Sting! Its known to be lethal to even Saint 8-dan cultivators. This is really bad. Theres no antidote in the world for it! Seeing how Zhang Xuan had ended up being stung in his moment of negligence, everyones face paled in fright. The Crimsontail Wasps Lifebound Venomous Sting was a weapon that even 8-star pinnacle physicians were helpless before, and any cultivator of Saint 8-dan and beneath would die within moments after being stung. Without a doubt, the countdown to the death of this genius formation master had already started ticking. Padah! While everyone was panicking, the Wasp King suddenly copsed to the ground. It convulsed twice before breathing itsst breath. Even at its death, its eyes were widened in indignation. The Wasp King... has been poisoned to death? Everyone leaped in shock. It was apparent from the situation that not only did the Wasp King fail to poison Zhang Xuan, it even ended up being poisoned to death instead. This... Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly, unsure of how he should exin the situation. The Wasp Kings assault was so sudden that he did not even have the time to react before the sting was plunged into his finger. At the same time, the Heavens Path zhenqi flowing through his body also ended up entering the Wasp Kings body, and as a result of that... the Wasp King died. You are a poison master? Everyone turned to Zhang Xuan with shocked faces. I... Zhang Xuan was at a loss as to what to say. The Wasp King attempted to poison him, only to be poisoned to death instead. This situation had unfolded right before their eyes, so there was very little he could say to vindicate himself. If I said that it died on its own, would you believe me? Zhang Xuan asked hesitantly. The others shook their heads. Alright, Ill tell you the truth then. Driving his state of mind, Zhang Xuan calmly exined, Actually... I am a physician! Prior to entering the valley, I swallowed some antidotes. The Wasp King tried to kill me, but it ended up being afflicted by the poison of the antidote I consumed, thus resulting in its death. Poison masters were capable of poisoning others to death, and so could physicians. It was just that the former specialized in the concocting of poison whereas thetter sought to create medicine. Nevertheless, both upations still intersected at some points. Physician? Antidote? Just what kind of antidote could possibly poison the Wasp King to death? The others frowned in disbelief. Its this one. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a pill. This one? The others took the pill and examined it closely. Before long, deep frowns were etched onto their foreheads. No matter how they looked at it, it was only an ordinary antidote pill. Could such a thing really be able to poison even the Wasp King to death? If you dont believe me, you can give it a try. There are many poisonous substances in the area, so you can just take a few breaths here and there to test the potency of the antidote. Zhang Xuan shrugged. Forget it... well believe that you are a physician. The eyebrows of the others twitched upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. Who in the right mind would willingly ingest poison, even to test out the effects of an antidote pill? In any case, every single one of them had their own secrets keep. There was no reason for them to pursue the matter to the very end. Alright, lets go then. Seeing that the others had given up on interrogating him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a wave of his hand, he swiftly retracted the formation gs in the surroundings, and after a moment of hesitation, he eventually decided to chuck the carcass of the Wasp King into his storage ring as well. While the carcass of the Wasp King was not of much use to him, he could always use it to deal with others. After retracting the formation gs, their surroundings returned to absolute silence. It seemed like their earlier battle did not draw the attention of other saint beasts. The group heaved a sigh of relief. Holding the antidote that Zhang Xuan had passed them tightly, Luo Xuanqing hesitated for a moment before carefully storing it in a jade bottle. After which, he hurriedly headed to the front of the group once more and began leading the way forward. Chapter 1349 - Soulbinding Golden Bead

Chapter 1349: Soulbinding Golden Bead

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 These are your formation gs. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan passed the pile of formation gs back to Bi Hongyin. You can keep them for the time being. They are much better off with you than with me, Bi Hongyin replied. After witnessing the other partys proficiency in formations, she knew that the formation gs would be put to much better use in the other partys hands. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Thank you. These formation gs were indeed of much use to him. If he could only kill a Half-Phantasmal Space expert with his current strength, with these formation gs in hand, as long as he could catch the enemy off-guard, even a Phantasmal Space realm intermediate stage expert could be cornered by him! After their previous encounter with the Crimsontail Wasps, the group was far more careful than before. They continued advancing deeper into the valley for four hours straight. Within those four hours, they got into several small skirmishes with saint beasts, but thanks to Zhang Xuans formations and the superior fighting prowess of the group, it did not take them too much effort to resolve those situations. At some point in time, Luo Xuanqing suddenly stopped behind a massive boulder and gestured to the area ahead of him. The Dongxu Gourd is located in the cavern just ahead. Tracing the trajectory of the valley, the others soon saw an average-sized cavern appearing before their eyes. Due to the lush vines that grew along the cliff, the entrance was concealed to the point that only small slits could be seen. If one did not pay close attention, one would have overlooked the presence of the cavern easily. This ce... doesnt seem to be any different from the other areas though, Bi Hongyin said with a confused frown. In her view, there was nothing unique about the cavern. There was no astoundingly powerful aura or concentration of spiritual energy. It felt no different from the other parts of the mountain range. Would something as valuable as the Dongxu Gourd really be inside? Thats because theres an Aura Istion Formation around his cavern. Otherwise, someone else would have long harvested the Dongxu Gourd, Luo Xuanqing said. The others also nodded in agreement after hearing these words. Indeed. If the cavern emanated a powerful aura or had a high concentration of spiritual energy, even the saint beasts would have charged in upon noticing it to dig out the treasure within. Lets head in then. Why are we waiting out here? Yun Lianhai urged excitedly. As a qualified treasure hunter, his blood raced in exhration upon hearing that the treasure was right before them. We cant head in right now. We have to wait till nighttime, Luo Xuanqing informed the group through zhenqi telepathy. Nighttime? Why? Yun Lianhai was baffled by Luo Xuanqings words. The others also could not understand why Luo Xuanqing wanted to wait till nighttime before making a move. One must know that they were currently in the midst of a valley where Saint 8-dan beasts lurked. Every additional second there put them in greater danger. A Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast lives in the cavern, Luo Xuanqing exined. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Bi Hongyin and the others narrowed their eyes in astonishment. Noting the changes in the expressions of those around him, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, Is it a really formidable saint beast? So far, his knowledge of beast taming had only reached 6-star. While he had read quite a variety of books ande to learn of some of the more formidable saint beasts, he still was not too well-versed with the rarer and more elusive saint beasts. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast is a saint beast that possesses the bloodline of the Dragon Tribe. Just by reaching maturity, they would already achieve a strength on par with Saint 8-dan experts, Yuan Xiao exined grimly. Saint 8-dan? Zhang Xuans expression turned grave. To be honest, he had never seen a saint beast of that tier before. If he could just tame one of those, he would stand a much better chance in the struggle against the Zhang n for Luo Ruoxin. Indeed. Even with all of our strengthsbined, we wont be a match for that fellow, so it would be best for us to wait till nighttime so as to not draw its attention, Luo Xuanqing said grimly. Due to their innate talents and superior physical prowess, Saint 8-dan beasts tended to wield fighting prowess far stronger than Saint 8-dan cultivators. Even though they were offspring of powerful ns and organizations, possessing multiple means up their sleeves, they were still insufficient to deal with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Saint beasts of that tier should possess a keen awareness of their surroundings and be able to perceive even the slightest disturbance in their surroundings. Is there any difference between entering now and at nighttime? Zhang Xuan asked. Saint beasts would also unlock their Spiritual Perception at Saint 2-dan, allowing them to be impervious to the reduced visibility of nighttime. At Saint 8-dan, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast could be considered one of the strongest saint beasts in the world, so what difference would day and night make to it? Its because I have this artifact. Luo Xuanqing flicked his wrist, and a jade container appeared in his palm. He pried it open lightly, and a ray of brilliant light flickered out. Sitting at the center of the jade container was a golden bead. It was made of a material that Zhang Xuan could not recognize, but its radiance was amazing. What is it? Bi Hongyin asked. It seemed like Zhang Xuan was not the only one who did not recognize what the golden bead was. This is a Soulbinding Golden Bead that I had someone specially craft for me, Luo Xuanqing replied. Soulbinding Golden Bead? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast possesses the Dragon Bloodline, and due to that, its particrly sensitive to golden, shiny objects. So, I specially had this artifact forged so as to capture its attention. Look at the formation marks inscribed on top of it. Its carved in a way to induce drowsiness if one stares at it for an extended period of time, Luo Xuanqing exined. However, in the day, sunlight wouldpromise the effectiveness of the Soulbinding Golden Bead, making it harder to draw the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts attention. So, it would be best to wait till nighttime. The crowd nodded in realization. It was no secret that those of the Dragon Bloodline possessed a crazed fancy for objects that were particrly shiny or dazzling. As long as they used the Soulbinding Golden Bead well, it could indeed lead to exceptional results. Once they lulled the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to sleep, they would be able to bypass it safely as long as they proceeded carefully. Brother Luo, can you allow me to examine your Soulbinding Golden Bead? Zhang Xuan asked. Here you go, Luo Xuanqing said as he tossed the golden bead over. Catching it, Zhang Xuan began examining it closely. He had to admit that it was an exquisite work. The person who had forged the bead must have been an 8-star celestial designer at the very minimum. ws! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Soulbinding Golden Bead, forged by 8-star Celestial Designer Jiang Feifei... The book detailed the origin of the Soulbinding Golden Bead, its effects, and its ws. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was studying the Soulbinding Golden Bead closely, Luo Xuanqing asked in curiosity, Zhang shi, are you well-versed in the artifacts of celestial designers too? I have read quite a few books regarding that, so I do know a thing or two about that field. Zhang Xuan nodded. He was still a 6-star celestial designer at the moment, not having taken the examination ever since leaving the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. 6-star celestial designers could already be considered professionals in the field, but inparison with the true experts in the Sanctum of Sages, his mastery and knowledge could only be considered minor at the very most. Oh? Since you are well-versed in celestial designer artifacts too, what do you think about my Soulbinding Golden Bead? Luo Xuanqing asked in interest. Since there was some time to waste before nighttime, he was curious to see how much this genius formation master knew about celestial designing. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking up. Judging from the exquisiteness of the work, I deduce that this artifact was forged by an 8-star celestial designer. However, as exquisite as the work is, there are still quite a number of ws in it, so I am a little apprehensive as to whether it will be sufficient to deal with a Saint 8-dan beast or not. He had to admit that the Soulbinding Golden Bead was well-designed, such that it could easily lull any Saint 7-dan beasts to sleep. However, if it was used against a Saint 8-dan beast... it probably would not be that simple. I spent a heavy price to get the genius celestial designer of the Inner Sanctum to forge it for me. There are no saint beasts possessing the Dragon Bloodline that could resist its allure and remain unfazed by the effects of the formation marks on it, Luo Xuanqing dered confidently. Out of safety consideration, he had even had the elders in his n appraise the Soulbinding Golden Bead after it was forged, and the response he had received was that it was highly effective against Saint 8-dan beasts. The formation marks do harness the secrets of the soul, which makes it highly hypnotizing to humans. However, I cant say for sure whether itll have the same effectiveness when used on a saint beast. After all, the soul of a beast is vastly different to the soul of a human. When you engaged the help of the genius celestial designer, did you tell the person that you were intending to use the artifact to deal with a Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Zhang Xuan asked. This... Luo Xuanqing was taken aback by Zhang Xuans questioning. As this involved the confidentiality of his mission to acquire the Dongxu Gourd, he had only told Jiang Feifei that he was intending to use the Soulbinding Golden Bead to deal with a Saint 8-dan expert, not specifying the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in his request. He had thought that as long as it could work on Saint 8-dan experts, it should not have any trouble with saint beasts too! In proportion to their physical mass, saint beasts tend to possessrger and stronger souls than humans. Nevertheless, as long as the Soulbinding Golden Bead is well-used, its not entirely impossible for it to lull the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to sleep. However, it would probably require quite some time, so it might not be as convenient as you thought it to be, Zhang Xuan said. As long as it seeds in lulling the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to sleep, the duration doesnt matter! Luo Xuanqing shook his head. As long as he could knock out that massive fellow, what would an additional hour or two matter? He had already made half a year of preparations for the Dongxu Gourd; another day or two would not make a difference to him. Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before replying. Considering that its a Saint 8-dan beast we are dealing with, every second will spell a greater degree of danger. What Im trying to say here is that if you have any other alternative means, it would be best to use it instead. Counting solely on the Soulbinding Golden Bead wont be a safe option. Standing before a Saint 8-dan beast was almost equivalent to being in the same room as a ticking time bomb. It would be one thing if they seeded in lulling the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to sleep, but what if they were to fail? Alternative means? Can you forge an even better Soulbinding Golden Bead? Luo Xuanqing asked impatiently. Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. Due to the limited number of celestial designer books he had read, he was not too sure what he could do to resolve the ws in the Soulbinding Golden Bead. Then, whats the point of saying so much? I had to look through many books before I was able to discover this method to deal with saint beasts possessing the Dragon Bloodline. Alright, theres no need to say anything more. Lets just give it a try first. If it doesnt work out, well just have to resort to forceful measures. Even if we are unable to kill the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, as long as we can stall it for a few hours, we should still be able to harvest the Dongxu Gourd, Luo Xuanqing said. In any case, his goal was to obtain the Dongxu Gourd, not to kill the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Even if they could not knock out thetter, as long they could find a way to stall it for some time, it was still possible for them to seed in their mission. Alright then. Having no better solution in mind either, Zhang Xuan could only go along with the current n. The group continued discussing for some time to sort out their n to deal with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Just as they were about to rest up to prepare themselves for the battleter in the night, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up. Someone is here. Someone is here? The crowd frowned. They were all Saint 7-dan experts, but even they did not perceive anyones presence. How would the young man know? I left some small formations while making my way here. As long as someonees into their vicinity, they will activate and alert me, Zhang Xuan exined. His Spiritual Perception was farrger than that of ordinary cultivators, but of course, he could not possibly tell them that. So, he could only find another excuse. Who is it? Luo Xuanqing asked. I dont know either. They are currently making their way over here. They should be emerging from behind that boulder over there soon, Zhang Xuan said as he pointed behind him. Luo Xuanqing immediately turned around to stare at the boulder behind him, and right after, a couple of figures emerged from behind the boulder. Its him? Luo Xuanqings face immediately turned livid. Who are they? Zhang Xuan asked. Luo Xuanqing clenched his fists tightly and narrowed his eyes. Theyre from the Zhang n... Zhang Heng! Chapter 1350 - Ill Poison Him to Death

Chapter 1350: Ill Poison Him to Death

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Heng? Why is he here? Yuan Xiaos face immediately darkened. Bi Hongyin and the others also frowned upon hearing that name. He is...? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. Of the Zhang n members, he had only heard of Zhang Yu and the young prodigy. He had never heard of Zhang Heng before. Brother Luo and Zhang Heng are geniuses who entered the Sanctum of Sages in the same cohort. They have alwayspeted with one another, and their rtionship... Yuan Xiao took a nce at Luo Xuanqing before whispering with a suppressed voice, They are not too amiable! Not too amiable? Hearing those words, Bi Hongyin burst outughing. More like mortal enemies! No matter what they do, they just have topare with and outdo the other. If Luo Xuanqing destroys a hall, that fellow would run off to destroy two. Just think of all the trouble they have caused throughout the years! This... She did not bother lowering her voice, so Luo Xuanqing heard her words loud and clear. His face immediately reddened in embarrassment. He wanted to retort, but he found that there was nothing he could say. Destroys a hall? You are saying that Brother Luos reputation of being a King of Destruction... is intentional? Zhang Xuan was shocked. Of course not! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed in displeasure. Its just that... I was too focused on winning and forgot to hold back a little... Too focused on winning? If Zhang Heng clears a trial in ten minutes, Luo Xuanqing would desperately do everything he could to clear the trial in nine minutes. Of course, theres no way he would be able to control himself when hes going all out! Bi Hongyin uttered leisurely. It was indeed hard to control ones strength when one was attempting to break a record, so it was inevitable that mishaps would ur. Looking back, Zhang Xuan found that even though he had caused a fair bit of destruction as well, he was at least in control of himself. He never caused trouble for the sake of it, and more often than not, they were all freak idents resulting from unfortunate coincidences or misunderstandings. Inparison to Luo Xuanqing, he felt like he was just a gentlemb. If thats the case, does this mean that Zhang Heng heard news about the Dongxu Gourd and came here to stick his nose into the matter as well? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Given that Zhang Heng and Luo Xuanqing were rivals of one another, their cultivation was likely around the same level as one another. If Zhang Heng was really there to meddle in the matter, things could get really troublesome for them. Dont worry, I have only told you about the matter concerning the Dongxu Gourd. Theres no way he could know about that. Hes here for somethingpletely different, Luo Xuanqing replied confidently. Oh? The others were slightly surprised by Luo Xuanqings words. What other business would Zhang Heng have there other than the Dongxu Gourd? The Sanctum of Sages was at least several million li away, so he could not possibly have been there to sightsee, could he? Look at the group with him. Zhao Xun and Zhao Yi from the Beast Tamer Hall, Li Heng from the Celestial Designer Guild, and Yu Wen from the Physician Guild hereif Im not mistaken, hes here to tame a saint beast, Luo Xuanqing replied. Tame a saint beast? Yun Lianhai pondered for a moment before widening his eyes in realization. Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing something rted to that. Not too long ago, Zhang Heng posted a beast taming mission, offering three Jade Spirit Essence for helpers to aid him in the taming of a saint beast that possesses the Dragon Bloodline. Could it be that the saint beast he is hoping to tame is the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? I also recall something like that! Everyone was taken aback by those words. Even Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised. A few days ago, Sun Qiang had told him that there was a beast tamer mission that offered generous rewards. He had intended to take it up, but he had eventually forgotten about the matter because he was in a rush to report for the Elite Division. Who would have thought that the mission was actually posted by Zhang Heng! More importantly... to think that they would meet one another here! That seems to be the case! Luo Xuanqing said as a sharp glint shed across his eyes. Thats way too much of a coincidence! Indeed! Just as we were nning to deal with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, they suddenly arrived here to tame it. Brother Luo, could this actually be your doing? Everyone quickly turned their gazes toward Luo Xuanqing. Considering how many saint beasts there were in the world, it was far too much of a coincidence for them to meet one another in somewhere as remote as this. It was hard to believe that Luo Xuanqing did not y a part in orchestrating this matter. Who else could it be? Luo Xuanqings lips crept up gleefully. That fellow constantly keeps a tab on my whereabouts. So, I knew that it was only a matter of time before he found out what Im up to no matter how discreet I am. In order to prevent the secret of the Dongxu Gourd from getting out, I went around buying beast taming tools and had the Soulbinding Golden Bead forged so as to create an image that my goal is to tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Who could have known that fool would really fall for my ploy? The crowd nced at one another. Such a thing was possible? But thinking again, everything made sense. There had always been bad blood between the both of them, so it was only natural that Zhang Heng would attempt to sabotage Luo Xuanqings efforts after learning that thetter was intending to tame a Saint 8-dan beast. Smart! Zhang Xuan remarked. This was truly two birds in a stone. Not only did he manage to turn Zhang Hengs attention away from his real goal, he even managed to get thetter to clear away the danger for him! Regardless of whether Zhang Heng would sessfully tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in the end or not, he would surely be a great aid to them by helping them distract thetters attention, thus opening a gap for them to sneak past thetter. As expected of an offspring of the Luo n, his future brother-inw sure was skilled in scheming against others. Hidden beneath his reckless, brash exterior was a calctive, ck-hearted soul! Aftering to realize what was happening, Yun Lianhais eyes glowed in respect as he asked, Since hes intending to tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, should we hide ourselves and wait for the two to engage one another first before heading in? He had been feeling a little apprehensive about how they would deal with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast should the Soulbinding Golden Bead fail to work its wonders. Since Zhang Heng was willing to confront that beast in their ce, they were more than willing to sit back and enjoy the show. That wont do either. Luo Xuanqing shook his head. I havepeted with Zhang Heng for many years, and as much as I hate to admit it, I can roughly fathom his train of thoughts. Most likely, he realized that I was on my way here, so he quickly chased over here as well. He will be suspicious if I am nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, if he chooses to explore the cavern further, theres a good chance that he will notice the existence of the Dongxu Gourd as well. What should we do then? Yun Lianhai asked. Simple, Luo Xuanqing said with a sharp glint in his eyes, arent they intending to tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Well act as if we are hindering them while luring the saint beast over to them. Once they have their hands preupied with it, we will be able to do whatever we want! Good idea! The others quickly gave their approval to that course of action. Since they were putting on a show, they should go all the way. Since you are here, dont you think that you will be letting down the audience if you dont make a move? So, why dont I set the stage for you? It will be two birds with one stone like that. Not only will your vanity and pride be satisfied, I can also reap the fruits of victory at the same time. It was apparent that Luo Xuanqing had an idea in mind from how confident he was, so Zhang Xuan asked, Brother Luo, do you have a n in mind? Of course! Luo Xuanqing nodded. My n is for us to split into two teams. One team will aim to hinder their advancement whereas the other will engage the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and act as if they are trying to tame it. Once Zhang Heng realizes that I am a step ahead of him, he will surely panic and hurriedly make a move... and the rest will be simple! The others nodded upon hearing his n. Considering that Zhang Heng knew that Luo Xuanqing was there to tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, he would surely realize that something was off if Luo Xuanqing allowed him to engage it without hindering him. Since that was the case, it would be best for them to struggle a bit and enrage the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast while they were at it before passing the mess over to Zhang Heng. With Zhang Hengs strength and means, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would not be able to kill him. However, it would be able to give him a hell of a time and stall him, thus preventing him from stopping them from obtaining the Dongxu Gourd. Since everyone agrees that theres no problem with this, Ill start making arrangements. Seeing that the crowd approved of his idea, Luo Xuanqing first turned to Zhang Xuan and Yuan Xiao and said, The two of you will proceed ahead to engage the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Yuan Xiao, you possess stronger defense so you should take the front line whereas Zhang shi will support you from the back with his formations. If that bastard Zhang Heng hasnt appeared, we still might have some trouble dealing with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but since he just has to stick a leg into my business, theres no need for us to hold back agaisnt him anymore. Try to make the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast as angry as you canter on, well find a way to make Zhang Heng take over. Got it? Un. Zhang Xuan and Yuan Xiao nodded. The instruction was actually rather simple. He and Yuan Xiao were in charge of pulling the aggro of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast until Zhang Hengs group appeared. As for Hongyin and Lianhai, follow me. Well be engaging Zhang Heng and his group. Remember, we must try our best to stop them from advancing! Luo Xuanqing said. After saying those words, he began making his way over Zhang Hengs group, and Bi Hongyin and Yun Lianhai followed behind. We should make a move, too. Seeing that the others had left, Yuan Xiao walked past the boulder and carefully entered the cavern. Zhang shi, you should set up your formation over here first. It doesnt have to be too strong, just sufficient to trap the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast for a short while. Meanwhile, Ill try to draw it out of the cavern and into your formation. That should suffice for our part, Yuan Xiao told Zhang Xuan telepathically as he proceeded ahead. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. That was indeed the simplest way to go around doing that. Their goal was not to tame or kill but to anger that huge fellow. After trapping the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, well have to rush over to assist Luo Xuanqing and the others. Zhang Heng isnt a weak opponent; even in the Inner Sanctum, he is considered one of the strongest experts! The battle between the both of them is spectacr even by the standards of the Inner Sanctum. Im sure youll be able to learn a lot from spectating their battle, Yuan Xiao said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Cultivators loved to watch duels between true experts as they were a good opportunity for them to reflect on themselves and learn new things. Luo Xuanqing and Zhang Heng were figures who stood at the very top of the Inner Sanctum, so naturally, a fight between them was worth watching. Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded indifferently. To be honest, he was not too interested in the fight between the two of them. As his cultivation had not reached Saint 7-dan yet, there were bound to be many details that he would not really be able to make sense of. Besides, he would definitely have to invoke the Library of Heavens Path in the midst of watching the battle, and he was certain that he would feel so disgusted that he might even puke once he saw all of those ridiculous ws in their techniques. What? You arent interested? Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Yuan Xiao chuckled. Are you thinking that a fight between the both of them will just be another ordinary spar? You are greatly mistaken then. Whenever the two of them cross blows, each and every single move they make is sharp and deadly! Sharp and deadly? Zhang Xuan was astounded. Just what kind of grudge do they have to go that far? As fellow students, surely there could not be a reason for such animosity. You are really unaware of the matter? Well, I guess thats to be expected, considering how you have only arrived at the Sanctum of Sages a couple of days ago, Yuan Xiao said with a nod. He swiftly scanned his surroundings, and after confirming that there was no one around, he said with a hushed voice, ording to rumors within the Sanctum of Sages, its said that Zhang Heng intends to court the little princess of the Luo n... Wait, where are you going? Before Yuan Xiao could finish his story, the young man behind him suddenly turned around and left. Im going to poison that Zhang Heng to death! Zhang Xuan uttered coldly. ... Yuan Xiao. Chapter 1351 - The Shameless Zhang Clan

Chapter 1351: The Shameless Zhang n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Despite being filled with indignation, Zhang Xuan eventually decided against going. With a deep frown, he asked in a doubtful voice, Isnt the little princes of the Luo n already engaged to the young prodigy of the Zhang n? As an offspring of the Zhang n, does that Zhang Chun really intend to vie for his n heads bride? He definitely wouldnt dare do something as brazen as vying for his n heads bride, just that... the young prodigy has been missing for a very long time, and there are... some rumors going around. Yuan Xiao warily scanned his surroundings once more, and after confirming again and again that there was no one eavesdropping on their conversation, he secretly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Its said that even if the young prodigy doesnt appear by the third month of the next year, the Zhang n will still send an outstanding offspring with pure bloodline of around the same age toplete the marriage ceremony... and Zhang Chun happens to be in the list of candidates! In the end, whats important is for the marriage to go through, by hook or by crook. Theres actually such a matter? Zhang Xuans face reddened in fury, and he nearly exploded on the spot. Even though he had been displeased about Luo Ruoxins engagement with the young prodigy in the past, he had still been able to reluctantly tolerate it given that both parties were top-notch geniuses from their respective ns. But the young prodigy was simply showing tant disrespect for Luo Ruoxin over here. Not only did he disappear irresponsibly into thin air, he even wanted to find others to rece him in the engagement! That was far too much! It was not like Luo Ruoxin was amodity for sale! Did the Zhang n think that just anyone would be worthy of her? How could the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent be so shameless? If I have a chance to visit the Zhang n, I swear that Ill raise up a storm there or else my surname isnt Zhang! Zhang Xuan vowed in his heart with gritted teeth. But again, that is only hearsay. I cant guarantee its authenticity, so do take it with a pinch of salt, Yuan Xiao exined with a frown upon noticing that something was wrong with Zhang Xuansplexion. The little princess of the Luo n isnt just supremely talented; shes also renowned for her unparalleled beauty as well. Theres no one who wouldnt be charmed by her after catching a glimpse of her allure. Zhang Chun had the honor of meeting her once, so I guess it wouldnt be too surprising for him to be infatuated with her. And as you know, Luo Xuanqing is an overly-affectionate brother. How could he remain calm upon seeing that Zhang Chun is lusting over his younger sister? Due to that, whenever they start fighting, theres no one who can pull them apart. Recalling the previous few times that the two of them battled with one another, Yuan Xiao could not help but cower a little. Even though he boasted nigh invincible defense, he knew that he would be no match for Luo Xuanqing once thetter activated his bloodline ability. The reason that human-shaped tornado had left so many managerial elders with a splitting headache was not just due to his aptitude in causing destruction. More importantly, it was due to the overwhelming fighting prowess hemanded. Suppressing the fury in his heart, Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Got it. Ill set up a formation here, so you just have to lure the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast over, and Ill immediately activate the formation to have it trapped temporarily. That fellow dared lust over his girlfriend? He would have to see just how formidable that fellow was! If that fellow was not up to standards, he would have him poisoned to death! It happened that he had just acquired the poison essence of the Crimsontail Wasp King, so he could poison even a Saint 8-dan expert to death. Considering how Zhang Chun was roughly around the same cultivation realm as Luo Xuanqing, he should not be able to withstand the effects of the poison either. Alright. Yuan Xiao nodded. With a grim look, he lowered his body and began rolling toward the cavern as a round ball. Upon reaching the entrance of the cavern, he had to struggle a bit before he could squeeze his way in. After seeing that Yuan Xiao had entered the cavern, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before waving his hand, and several hundred formation gs immediately floated into the air. Due to the limitations of his cultivation, he was only able to set up grade-8 primary formations. Anything beyond that would be putting far too great a strain on his strength. But the problem was that it was impossible to trap a Saint 8-dan beast without a grade-8 intermediate or even advanced formation! My cultivation is still far toocking... If one were to just look at Zhang Xuans current understanding of formations, setting up a grade-8 pinnacle would not pose a problem to him. In fact, even grade-9 primary formations would not be too much trouble. However, hiscking cultivation was a problem that no amount of understanding of formations could resolve. In order to set up a grade-8 intermediate formation, he would require the ability to construct Phantasm Space. No amount of zhenqi could substitute that. Zhang Xuans mind quickly spun into action, and in just the blink of an eye, a formation surfaced in his thoughts. Its not viable for me to set up a formation to confine the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in for long, but if its just trapping it for an hour or so... I should be able to do it with the Ptilopsis Confinement Formation! Even though the Ptilopsis Confinement Formation was just a grade-8 primary formation, it had the remarkable ability to seal all of ones senses, and this included Spiritual Perception. Those who stepped into its area of effect would find themselves plunged intoplete darkness, leaving a feeling of helplessness and despair arising from the bottom of their hearts. It was said that the elder who designed the formation had once captured 108 owl-type saint beasts that were adept in navigating through the darkness. By the time his formation was constructed, every single one of them was trapped within it, unable to escape. It was not particrly effective against human cultivators, who could navigate their way through using apass or the sort, but it was definitely a powerful weapon to deal with saint beasts. Of course, he would be being too optimistic to think that it could trap a Saint 8-dan beast for too long, but an hour should not be too difficult. Ill choose this one then! Zhang Xuan swiftly imagined a few scenarios to gauge the viability of this course of action, and he eventually came to the conclusion that the Ptilopsis Confinement Formation was the most suitable one of the formations that he could construct. Thus, he flicked his fingers. Sou sou sou sou! Formation gs darted across the air, falling into ce in the surroundings. They dived forcefully into the various gaps in the nearby boulders or soil, disappearing from sight. It did not matter whether formation gs were located above ground or underground. As long as they urately harnessed the flow of spiritual energy from the surroundings, there would not be too much difference in the prowess of the formation. After this was done, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and began waiting patiently for Yuan Xiao to return with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. But after waiting for roughly ten minutes or so, Yuan Xiao still did not appear. A frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead. All Yuan Xiao has to do is pull the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast over, should it really take such a long time? I should head over to take a look! Deciding to check out the situation, Zhang Xuan began making his way over to the cavern. However, before he could even walk through the entrance, an overpowering shockwave suddenly burst forth from within. His eyes narrowed in rm, and he hurriedly executed the Unbounded Voyager and retreated from the scene. Peng! However, Zhang Xuans reaction was still a little too slow. The powerful shockwave struck him forcefully from the back. Pu! A sweet sensation gripped his throat, and he was sent flying into the nearby cliff, smashing out a huge hole in it. From the impact of the collision, Zhang Xuan felt his entire body being strained to its limits. The muscles throughout his body were mostly torn, and it felt as if his bones were on the verge of being shattered into innumerable pieces. A pain that was so excruciating that it seemed to stab right into his soul assaulted him. It was just a brief instant, but Zhang Xuan had already sustained severe injuries. If not for his recent breakthroughsespecially the enhancement of his physical resilience through the cultivation of the Heavens Path Golden Body, which made his body as strong as a half-Saint high-tier artifactthere was a good chance that he might have died on the spot. Who is it? Zhang Xuan roared as he swiftly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to heal his injuries. At the same time, he pushed his palm against the wall to turn himself around, wanting to see who the culprit was. However, before he managed to do so, he suddenly felt goosebumps rising all over his body once more. Another shockwave wielding crushing might was pressing down on him. It seemed like the other party was intent on forcing him into a corner. Damn it! Knowing that he could very well lose his life if this shockwave were to strike him, Zhang Xuan hurriedly activated his Dominion. With his cultivation reaching Leaving Aperture pinnacle, his Dominion no longer spanned over a radius of one meter. Instead, just like a normal Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator, it covered a radius of five meters around him. On top of that, the power of his Dominion was extremelypact, making it far stronger than a Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivators. The emergence of his Dominion managed the iing attack significantly, but before Zhang Xuan could heave a sigh of relief, cracks suddenly began creeping across his Dominion. Kacha! Kacha! They swiftly consumed his entire Dominion before eventually shattering it with a resounding explosion. Pu! Another spurt of fresh blood spilled forth from Zhang Xuans mouth as the iing shockwave pushed him further into the cliff, threatening to reduce him into a lump of meat paste. The other party is simply too strong! At the very least, they must be a Saint 7-dan pinnacle expert! Zhang Xuan thought as a chilling sensation arose in his heart. After the two consecutive blows they had traded, it was apparent that Zhang Xuan was in an absolutely disadvantageous position. In fact, he did not even manage to catch who his opponent was throughout the entire encounter. This deeply reminded him of the plight that he had been in when he first met Luo Chengxin. In face of the devastating strength that the other party wielded, Zhang Xuan found a hint of helplessness arising in his heart. Just who in the world are you? Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand as he roared, Puppets, block him! Hu! The hundred or so puppets he had in his storage ring immediately emerged in the area. These were the puppets that he had managed to tame from the Vicious of the Northern Marsnds. While most of them were only at the Leaving Aperture realm, theirbined strength was still a sight to behold! Boom! As soon as the puppets appeared, they immediately positioned themselves in a formation beforeunching an assault on the fellow who had attacked him from behind. After bing an 8-star formation master, Zhang Xuan had made some rearrangements to the coborative formation of the puppets, thus bringing their prowess to a whole new level. Sonic booms erupted here and there under their powerful might. Back then, while the puppets were using the offensive formations of the Combat Master Hall, they had been able to defeat the Saint 6-dan primary stage Pavilion Master Yue with ease. With their current enhanced ability, even dealing with Saint 7-dan opponents was within their means! Sou sou sou sou! What was frightening about them was how relentlessly their attacks fell, reminiscent of the endless waves of an ocean. However, before they could reach their full strength, another powerful force burst forth once more. It was a strength that carried the imposing air reminiscent of an avnche. It felt as if, no matter how one struggled, there was just no way to escape from it. Peng peng peng peng! Amid a series of sonic booms, the coborative formation of the puppet was forcefully torn apart. Following which, the puppets were sent flying one after another. With astounding force, they were mmed into the cliff face around the area, incapacitating them for good. Sou! While the puppets were sent flying one after another, a slight buzz suddenly sounded in the air. At some point in time, a sword had appeared right above them. It warped into a streak of light blue as it charged forth with incredible prowess. It was apparent that this sword had been charging up for a very long time. Its emergence swiftly caused a massive vortex to gather in the area, and it took just an instant for it to appear behind the assant. Lingxu Sword! Zhang Xuan knew from the start that the puppets would be no match for the assant, so he had hidden the Lingxu Sword among them to ready the true killing strike! Even though he had no time to execute the Sea Severing Sword, the Lingxu Sword was still a de that was no weaker than Saint 7-dan experts. Its assault clearly disyed its superior might, and it charged forth with strength that threatened to slice even the world apart! Weng! Zhang Xuan thought that this assault would send the assant into a panic, but then he suddenly heard a slight buzz. Following which, the structure of the surrounding space warped, and it felt as if the Lingxu Sword had fallen into a folded space, resulting in aplete termination in their telepathic link. Saint 8-dan... Zhang Xuan thought as his body stiffened in horror. Chapter 1352 - Ill Accept Your Challenge!

Chapter 1352: Ill ept Your Challenge!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, cultivators would gain the ability of Dimension Sundering, allowing them to temporarily iste spaces from the world and establish dominance over it. This ability would usually be manifested in their Dominion, and it wouldpletely sever any telepathy links, making it impossible for other cultivators to evenmunicate remotely with their weapons within their sphere of control. At the same time, any attacks that wereunched into the Dominion would simply run out of control, like a boulder being thrown into the sea. To draw aparison, if one could be said to have gained a primary control over the space around them at Grand Dominion realm and Phantasm Space realm, at Dimension Sundering realm, their strength would have already fully matured, granting them the strength to create their own personal space! As long as they willed it, they could steal a space from the world and establish their dominance over it! The strikeunched by the Lingxu Sword was indeed powerful, such that even Phantasm Space realm experts would falter before its might. However, against Dimension Sundering realm experts, its strength was trulycking! Weng weng weng weng! The Lingxu Sword trembled non-stop in horror, but no matter how it struggled, it was unable to advance or retreat in the slightest. It was as if it was a nail hammered into a wall. Vicious, prepare to make a move too! Zhang Xuan was astonished by the situation as well, but he knew that panic would be of no use to him. He immediately entered the Heart of Tranquil Water state and establishedmunication with Vicious within the Book of Heavens Path. Unless pushed to it, he would never tap into the power of Vicious, his clone, and his poison master abilities. Once those means were used, he would have no choice but to kill his opponent. There was no second alternative to that! He had thought that he could cope with just his puppet and the Lingxu Sword, but clearly, the assant who had attacked him far exceeded what he could cope with those means. Thus, he could only resort to his trump card. Knowing the perilous situation Zhang Xuan was in, Vicious swiftly replied, Yes, Master! At Zhang Xuans will, a finger suddenly materialized behind the assant. Hu! With a seemingly light tap, a mysterious power shot forth from the finger, and the Dominion began shattering as if a mirror. Even though Vicious cultivation was only at Saint 7-dan pinnacle, and even subduing Luo Xuanqing would pose some difficulty to him, he was still a figure who had once stood at the very top of the Master Teacher Continent, so his eye of discernment and experience were still spectacr. On top of that, the assant had his hands full dealing with Zhang Xuans puppets and suppressing the rampaging Lingxu Sword. As a result, the assant actually ended up being caught off guard by Vicious attack. Kacha! Kacha! As the Dominion swiftly approached its limits, Zhang Xuan also felt the overwhelming force that was pressing down on him abruptly releasing, so he quickly pushed himself out of the cliff and turned around to face the assant. What he was met with a thirty-meter-long dragon-shaped beast floating nearby. Its body was grayish in color, and its eyes were dyed crimson. It emanated an aura of imposing authority. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Gedeng! Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. He had thought that Luo Xuanqing and the others might have lost, and Zhang Chun and the others had proceeded over to make a move against them. However, who would have thought that the person who was making a move on him was actually the saint beast they were supposed to be dealing with! If it was standing here... didnt that mean that there was nothing in the cavern at all? It was no wonder Yuan Xiao still was not out yet! Most likely, he was still busy looking through the empty cavern, unaware of the fact that the massive beast that he was looking for was not inside at all! A Saint 8-dan beast... It was only natural that his means did not work on the other party. Against an expert of such a caliber, there was indeed very little that he could do. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast harrumphed coldly. Brazen fools, do you really think that you are able to tame me? Its voice was not too loud, but it seemed to echo endlessly within ones mind, reminiscent of the reverberations of a bell. Zhang Xuan heart shuddered upon hearing those words, and he quickly spoke up to refute that im. How could someone of my strength possibly dream of taming you? I think there must be a misunderstanding somewhere. Why would that huge fellow suddenly speak such words? Saint beasts were proud, lofty individuals, which made taming them an incredibly difficult act. This was also the reason 8-star beast tamers were particrly respected in the Master Teacher Continent. Under normal circumstances, in order to tame a saint beast, one would need to prepare all kinds of gifts and find a way to befriend it. Only after one had reached a certain level of intimacy with the saint beast would they extend an invitation to it. As such, even for 8-star pinnacle beast tamers, it would take several years before they were able to tame a Saint 8-dan beast! And yet, to be told such words when they had not even done anything yet... Just how did the situatione this? Saint beasts hated the notion of submitting to others. It was one thing if the other party was stronger than them and helpless to retaliate, but for a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator to even dream of taming it, it was no wonder the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was enraged! Hah! What other business can you possibly have here if thats not the case? Someone has already told me that your group ns on enving me to make me a tool to further your ambitions! the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast roared furiously, and its voice caused the entire ground to tremble. Someone has told you that? Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. It must be that Zhang Chun... It was just a moment ago that he had thought that Zhang Chun was foolish to have been yed by Luo Xuanqing, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like they were the ones who were being yed. He had specially paid a visit to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast beforehand to inform it that someone wanted to tame it. Firstly, he would be able to obtain the other partys goodwill through that, and secondly, he would be able to turn the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast against Luo Xuanqing, making it impossible for thetter to tame it! As expected of someone from the Zhang n, he was indeed as shameless as he could get! Just that... If you want to pick a bone with someone, look for Luo Xuanqing! Why are you assaulting me instead? Feeling deeply stifled, Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands and said, Im not the one whos nning on taming you, but the person who told you that is. His name is Zhang Chun, and hes intentionally saying those words to use you against... Humph! None of you humans are trustworthy! Boom! Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the tail of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast suddenly swept in his direction with devastating force. Hu! At the same time, he felt as if the surrounding space had turned into a vortex, firmly holding him in ce, preventing him from fleeing. Knowing that he only had himself to rely on in this critical juncture, Zhang Xuan desperately willed, ws! Wu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path, and touching it, a huge influx of information flowed into his mind. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast cultivates independently, so itsprehension of the Dimension Sundering realm isnt too deep... After reading the content in the book, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Despite being a Saint 8-dan beast and wielding frightening power, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had a fatal w. Due to cultivating independently, itsprehension and ways of manipting spatialws were rather narrow, thus limiting the prowess of its offense. Vicious! Upon realizing that, Zhang Xuan swiftly sent the information that he had received over. With a slight sway, Vicious finger seemed to have flitted through space. The next instant, it suddenly appeared at the nk of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and it pierced forward once more. Kacha! The Dominion of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, which harnessed the power of Dimension Sundering, dissipated once more. Hmm? Not expected a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator to possess the means to undo its attacks twice, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast widened its eyes in confusion. Even though it had cultivated independently, that did not mean that it had never encountered human cultivators before. It knew that it was abnormal for a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator to possess the strength to undo its attack, and it didnt expect thetter to be able to see right through its ws either. Hu! Along with the dissipation of the power, Zhang Xuan felt the pressure weighing on him disappearing once more. Knowing that it would be dangerous for him to remain in the vicinity of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, he decisively flitted a hundred meters away through the Unbounded Voyager. There was no way he would be able to defeat the massive fellow with his current strength, so he could only stall for time and wait until Luo Xuanqing and the others returned. While the strength of those fellows was beneath the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, they should still be able to defeat thetter if they were to coordinate closely with one another and exploit its ws. There is really something weird about the finger you have here! Harrumphing coldly, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast swept its tail over once more. Having its power of Dimension Sundering foiled twice, it was curious to see whether the other party had managed to do so through sheer luck or real strength. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan knew that there was no way he would be able to withstand the other partys attack, so he had Vicious aim his attack at one of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts ws once more. Kacha! Just like before, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts Dominion was shattered. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast widened its eyes in disbelief. You are able to see through the ws in my Dominion? If it had been an expert of the same caliber who managed to achieve this feat, it would not have thought much of the matter. However, a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle nobody actually seeded in crushing its Dominion thrice. This had really piqued its intrigue. Seeing that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had actually stopped its attack, a thought swiftly arose in Zhang Xuans head, and he spoke with an imposing tone. Of course! I am a master teacher. Not only am I able to see through the ws in your Dominion, I can correct them as well. As long as I offer you guidance on your cultivation, your strength will be far greater than it is now! He did not n for this at the start, but if he could convince the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast into bing his tamed beast now, the remaining problems would be resolved. Not only so, he would also be able to make use of the strength of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to teach Zhang Chun a lesson! He had long thought that that fellow was an eyesore. You, offer me guidance? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast pondered for a moment before calmly replying. If you can defeat me with your own strength, Ill acknowledge you as my teacher! Defeat you with my own strength? This finger over here has apletely different aura from yours, so it should be a type of artifact, right? As for these puppets and sword, they are just external tools. If you can defeat me without relying on any of these, putting aside bing my teacher, Ill even acknowledge you as my master! the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast said. Despite being only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, the young man before it was actually able to see through the ws in its Dominion easily. If it could receive the young mans guidance, it might just really be able to achieve heights far beyond its imagination. Of course, the young man would have to disy strength worthy of bing its teacher and master first. Otherwise, as a proud saint beast who had the Dragon Bloodline flowing through its veins, how could it bow down to others easily? Defeat you? Zhang Xuan frowned. To be honest, even his clone was no match for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, let alone him! Beyond Primordial Spirit realm, every difference in cultivation realm would result in a vast difference in fighting prowess. This was especially apparent between the Phantasm Space realm and the Dimension Sundering realmthey were truly worlds apart from one another! Even while utilizing all of his means, he was only just able to fend off the other party through exploiting the other partys ws that he had found using the Library of Heavens Path. If he fought the other party bare-handed, victory was clearly impossible! Wait a moment... I can use that on it, right? A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind, and he swiftly raised his head to look at the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Since your name is Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, that should mean that you possess rather concentrated Dragon Bloodline, right? If the other party really possessed the Dragon Bloodline, perhaps, he might just be able to win by his skills. Indeed, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast said proudly. Since thats the case... A confident smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips as he gazed down on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast with the disposition of an expert from above. If you can withstand this call of mine, Ill consider it as my loss. Call? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was slightly taken aback by the abrupt change in disposition of the young man. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, he took in a deep breath and spoke. Moo! Mou! Two sounds echoed resoundingly through the air. Following which, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts body suddenly began convulsing. Padah! It copsed to the ground with white foam spilling out from the edges of its mouths. Chapter 1353 - Give Him a Taste of the Floor!

Chapter 1353: Give Him a Taste of the Floor!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon that he had learned back then allowed him to subdue any beast possessing the Dragons Bloodline as long as it had not reached the purity of a Pureblooded Dragon. At the start, he had been a little apprehensive at using the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon as he thought that it would not be too effective against a Saint 8-dan beast. On top of that, it also expended a great deal of his zhenqi, which would only result in his weakening. Yet, contrary to his expectations, it worked much better than he predicted! If only he had known that it would be like that, he would have just done so right from the start and spared himself some pain. You are... a Pureblooded Dragon? While Zhang Xuan was still in thought, the convulsing Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast stared at him with deep terror reflected in its eyes. The hierarchy within the Dragon Tribe was extremely strict. Even though it was known as the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, it was still far from matching up to a real member of the Dragon Tribe. I am not a Pureblooded Dragon, but as long as you submit to me, I can help you refine your bloodline and make you stronger. Zhang Xuan walked over with a domineering attitude, as if saying that he would use the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon against it once more if it dared say no. It did not take too long for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to lower its head. Ill submit... The fact that the other party was able to voice out the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon meant that the young man was definitely associated with the Pureblooded Dragon, even if he was not one of them. Submitting to such a figure was not only not a shame, it could be said to be a blessing even! He would have to be a fool not to grasp such an opportunity. Seeing that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had agreed to it, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He hade here only to help Luo Xuanqing find the Dongxu Gourd, but who would have thought that he would end up taking in a Saint 8-dan beast instead? However, this was good too. Among the student popce, there were not many who would be able to defeat the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. With such a tamed beast, he would be able to stand unmatched in the Sanctum of Sages. ... Within the cavern, Yuan Xiao was still slowly advancing. Knowing that there was a Saint 8-dan beast in the cavern, he dared not use his Spiritual Perception too far nor fly for fear of rming it. He could only cautiously advance, relying solely on his sense of sight to detect danger. However, the cavern was simply too big. Despite advancing for ten whole minutes, he still had not reached the end of it. Just where in the world is the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? After walking a little longer and finding himself back at the entrance of the cavern, Yuan Xiao frowned. He had already walked an entirep around the cavern, so why was the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast still nowhere to be seen? Could it be that it was out hunting and was not back yet? It would be wonderful if that was the case. He would be able to set up a formation at the entrance of the cavern and activate it as soon as the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast returned to trap it. This way, he would not have to endanger himself by luring it. If thats the case, I should hurry out to inform Luo Xuanqing and the others of this matter... With this thought in mind, he extended his Spiritual Perception throughout the cavern and swiftly swept across it. As expected, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was really nowhere to be seen. Thus, he quickly made his way out of the cavern. The fact that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was not around meant that they could not rely on it to deal with Zhang Chun and the others anymore, so there was no point for them to wait anymore. Squeezing out of the entrance of the cavern once more, he was just about to beckon Zhang Xuan over when he suddenly saw a massive figure lying on the ground, licking the young mans feet subserviently. This... Yuan Xiao widened his eyes in horror, unable to believe what he was seeing. Zhang shi, w-what is going on? How in the world did something like this happen? Its one thing for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, which he had been searching all around the cavern for, to be outside, but for it to be lying before Zhang Xuan, licking his feet subserviently... Am I dreaming? Oh. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast happened to meet with me while it was on its way back to the cavern, and I happened to be free, so I decided to tame it, Zhang Xuan replied. You decided to tame it... Yuan Xiao nearly fainted on the spot. Thats a Saint 8-dan beast! Its a figure that we would have to flee as far as possible from when encountering it, and yet, to just decide to tame it... Furthermore, how long has it been? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? In any case, it hasnt even been thirty minutes yet! Suppressing the frenzy that was threatening to turn him hysterical, he looked at Zhang Xuan deeply for a long while before asking, You... are skilled at beast taming too? I did clear the beast tamer examination, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. At that very moment, Yuan Xiao felt so stifled that he was not even sure what he should say anymore. It was one thing for that fellow to possess inconceivable prowess in terms of formations, but for him to wield such formidable capabilities as an apothecary, physician, and now a beast tamer as well. Really, was there anything in the world he was incapable of? With the danger of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast resolved, there was no longer any point in them remaining there. So, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, Lets head over to check up on Brother Luo and the others! Considering how there could be formations within the cavern and that Yuan Xiao dared not use his Spiritual Perception for fear of rming the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, it was understandable that he was oblivious to themotion outside. However, Luo Xuanqing and the others should not have been too far either, so they should have heard themotion. Yet, for none of them to attempt toe over to check things out, it could only mean that either things were really tight on their side or something had already happened to them. Thus, the both of them quickly headed over to where Luo Xuanqing and the others were. Before even arriving, they could feel a powerful gale rushing at them, and pebbles and boulders were flying all around. However, perhaps out of fear that their fight would draw in even more saint beasts, there was an intentional attempt on both sides to suppress their strength such that the shockwaves of their attacks would disappear after travelling a certain distance. Walking through the various boulders flying around the area, Zhang Xuan and Yuan Xiao soon saw two figures exchanging blows in the air. Every single move they executed harnessed astounding might; even someone of Zhang Xuans prowess would hesitate to close in on them recklessly. Zhang Xuan could recognize that one of the figures belonged to Luo Xuanqing, so he turned to Yuan Xiao and asked, Is he Zhang Chun? The person whom Luo Xuanqing was facing was a young man in his thirties. He had thick, bushy eyebrows and a pair of long and slender arms. Hemanded a wholesome power that seemed to have very few openings for one to exploit. Just like Luo Xuanqing, he was at Saint 7-dan pinnacle, too. Un. Yuan Xiao nodded. Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the battle, and just as Yuan Xiao had said, the blows that both parties were using were indeed vicious and callous. However, it seemed like both parties were extremely familiar with one another, such that they could actually predict the move of the other party in advance. As such, despite how dangerous the battle was, neither side was actually able to harm the other, even slightly. On the contrary, they felt like brothers of the same lineage trying to feed one another moves. To the side, Bi Hongyin and Yun Lianhai were standing opposite two people from Zhang Chuns side with their arms crossed before their chests, watching the battle interestedly from the sidelines. Yuan Xiao walked up to Bi Hongyin and Yun Lianhai and asked with a suppressed voice, Why did the both of them start fighting with one another? Was the n not to put on a show to stop Zhang Chuns advancement? Why did Luo Xuanqing end up fighting so seriously with the other party? We tried to stop him, but Zhang Chun proposed that they settle the problem through force, saying that the winner would gain the right to tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast whereas the loser would have to scram as far away as he could! Provoked by those words, Brother Luo ended up fighting with him. However, as they are on the same level and are simply too familiar with each others moves as well, the battle has dragged on till now, Bi Hongyin exined. Then, she suddenly recalled a matter and asked with a frown, Where is the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? You didnt lure it over? Regarding that... Recalling what he had seen earlier, Yuan Xiao was not sure how he could exin this matter to Bi Hongyin, so he shook his head and said, It would be best for you to ask Zhang shi instead. Bi Hongyin shot Yuan Xiao a perplexed look, but she still turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang shi, how did the matter with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast go? Oh. I fought with it earlier, and... Zhang Xuan was just about to exin the matter that had just happened when a powerful shockwave suddenly burst forth from ahead. In the sky, Zhang Chun forcefully pushed Luo Xuanqing away before retreating from the battlefield. Then, he noticed Zhang Xuan and Yuan Xiaos figures and frowned. The both of you are actually fine? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had clearly marched off angrily to deal with the two of them, so how could they have returnedpletely unharmed? Zhang Chuns words made Luo Xuanqing realize that there was something amiss with the situation as well, and he questioned, What do you mean by that? Xuanqing, that fellow met with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast before us and told it that you were going to tame it in order to provoke it. This way, it would harbor hostility toward us and attack with the utmost aggression if we were to ever encounter it, Yuan Xiao exined. Zhang Xuan had already exined the matter to him while they were making their way over, and this made him realize that he had fallen for the other partys ploy too. Indeed, I did meet with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast before you. I knew that you were intentionally trying to block my way, but tough luck for you, that happened to work in my favor. You know, I was actually quite curious to see how powerful an enraged Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would be! Zhang Chun chuckled heartily, admitting to the matter forthrightly. However, he still could not help but direct questioning gazes toward Zhang Xuan and Yuan Xiao. The both of you should have encountered with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, so how can you bepletely fine? It was no wonder he was perplexed by the matter. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was a Saint 8-dan beast, and even he would be no match for it when it was in an enraged state. Yet, those two actually managed to escape unscathed from its clutches... This was simply illogical! His n had been to intentionally stall Luo Xuanqing from saving the others, thus causing two of hispanions to sustain some injuries and be incapacitated. After which, he would lure the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast over to deal with Luo Xuanqing. Through this, not only would he be able to sabotage Luo Xuanqing, he would be able to earn the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts goodwill too. If the two of them managed to return unscathed, could it mean that they did not manage to meet with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Instead of answering Zhang Chuns question, Zhang Xuan instead asked, You are Zhang Chun? Thats right. Who are you? Zhang Chun asked with a frown. For a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle fellow to address him directly with such an insolent tone, he sure had guts. You dont need to know who I am. I heard that you have intentions of courting the little princess of the Luo n. Is that true? Zhang Xuan asked. What are you getting at? Zhang Chun asked with narrowed eyes. He turned to Luo Xuanqing and asked coldly, Luo Xuanqing, is he your man? Zhang shi... Hearing how his younger sister had been brought up, a frown emerged on Luo Xuanqings forehead as well. Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Xuanqing and said with a firm voice, Brother Luo, just tell me if he harbors any inappropriate thoughts toward the little princess. Humph, hes just a toad lusting over the flesh of a swan. How could someone like him possibly be worthy of my younger sister? Luo Xuanqing was not sure what Zhang Xuan was getting at either, but hearing about the matter between Zhang Chun and his younger sister still made him harrumph in displeasure. In the first ce, he was already filled with many dissatisfactions about the Zhang n, especially with the disappearance of the young prodigy. Yet, that bastard Zhang Chun still dared to harass his younger sister. If not for the limitations of his strength, he would have had Zhang Chun pummeled to the point where not even his parents recognized him! Since Brother Luo has said such words, he really does deserve a beating, Zhang Xuan said with an affirmative nod, seemingly making up his mind on something. Deserve a beating? Hah, you are thinking of beating me up? Zhang Chun was still wondering what this nobody was up to, but upon hearing that the other party was dreaming of beating him up, he felt so enraged that he actually beganughing instead. He was one of the top experts in the Inner Sanctum as well as an influential offspring of the Zhang n. There was no one who would not shudder before his wrath. And yet, a Leaving Aperture realm nobody actually uttered such arrogant words to his face, showing aplete disregard for him! Zhang shi... Luo Xuanqing was bewildered by those words, too. Did someone knock Zhang Xuan silly earlier? Zhang Chun was a figure who even he had trouble defeating, and that young man actually dered that he would give the other party a beating? Oh? You are smarter than I thought. I thought that I would have to repeat those words a few more times before you were able to get my point, Zhang Xuan replied condescendingly. You... Very well! I hope you possess the strength to back up the arrogant words you have spouted here! With a cold sneer, Zhang Chun flicked his hand, and an overwhelming pressure immediately crushed down upon Zhang Xuan. Give him a taste of the floor! Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers leisurely, showingplete nonchnce toward Zhang Chuns offense. Roar! The next moment, a massive shadow abruptly covered the entire area above them. Following which, something reminiscent of a whip suddenly swept over with frightening speed. Peng! Before Zhang Chun could even process what was going on, he had been sent flying into a nearby cliff, creating a huge pit in it. Chapter 1354 - The Strength of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast!

Chapter 1354: The Strength of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There was a moment ofplete silence as everyone stared at the sky with a dazed look in their eyes. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast... is heeding Zhang shismands? Luo Xuanqings lips twitched as he finally awoken from his dazed state. He had seen that massive fellow from afar the first time he came over, and it was iparably ferocious. Most Saint 8-dan cultivators would struggle to be a match for it. It was for that reason that he had gone to the extent of forging out the Soulbinding Golden Bead to knock it out so that he could sneak into the cavern without facing the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. It was aplete coincidence that Zhang Chun appeared just then, so he had decided to lure the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to thetter instead. But before they could even carry out that n, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had suddenly flown over itself, and from the looks of it, it seemed like it waspletely devoted to carrying out Zhang Xuans orders, not daring to disobey them in the least. Luo Xuanqing quickly turned his gaze over to Yuan Xiao, seeking an exnation. Perhaps harboring the same thoughts in mind as well, the others also turned their gazes over. Dont look at me, I dont know whats going on either! Facing the gazes from the crowd, Yuan Xiao could only shrug helplessly as well. Earlier, I went into the cavern to search for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, intending to taunt it and lure it out, but I wasnt able to find anything at all in the end. But as soon as I walked out of the cavern, I saw the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast lying right before Zhang shi, licking his feet. I have no idea what happened in the time that I was gone! You say that it was licking Zhang shis feet? Luo Xuanqings eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Are you saying that... Zhang shi has already tamed the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Just look at that! Is there even any doubt about it? It should be apparent to anyone who isnt blind! Yuan Xiao eximed. But... Luo Xuanqing did not dare believe what he was seeing. It has only been twenty minutes so far, and he has already managed to tame a Dimension Sundering realm saint beast despite being at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle himself? Fast in terms of forging pills? Possible. Fast in terms of neutralizing poison? Possible. Fast in terms of setting uppounded formations? Arguably possible. But taming beasts required the cultivation of intimacy and feelings between the beast and the beast tamer! To seed in such a short period of time, are you actually some kind of love guru? Not even 9-star beast tamers could aplish something like this! Seeing the disbelief in Luo Xuanqings eyes, Yuan Xiao asked, Before meeting this fellow, would you have believe it if someone told you that its possible to set up a grade-8 formation faster than one can activate a formation te? This... Luo Xuanqing was stifled. Coming from the main family of the Luo n, he had seen plenty of formidable formation masters. In fact, he had many opportunities to meet with and interact with 9-star master teachers too, but not even they were able to set up formations that swiftly! Even his younger sister, who was known to possess unparalleled talent, could note close to that speed! Would you believe it if someone told you that its possible for one to remainpletely fine after being stung by the Crimsontail Wasp King and even poison thetter to death? Yuan Xiao pressed his point on. Would you believe it if someone told you that its possible for a cultivator to send a lightning tribtion fleeing in fear? Luo Xuanqing did not know how he should respond to those words. All along, he had viewed his younger sister as the very peak of talent in the Master Teacher Continent, and he was only second to his younger sister. However, upon seeing this fellow, he realized that he might have been too narrow-minded. The world sure was far bigger than he had thought. While Luo Xuanqings group was discussing with hushed voices, Zhang Chun pushed himself out from the cliff face and flew over with a furious look on his face. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, what are you doing? We have a deal with one another! He had not thought that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would turn against him all of a sudden. Deal? That doesnt matter anymore. Since my master has asked me to give you a taste of the floor, I have no choice but to imprint that vor in your mind. Come, be obedient and dont fight back, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast replied nonchntly as it sent another tail whip toward Zhang Chun. Previously, that human had promised it valuable treasures in exchange for a truce. However, since it had already acknowledged a master, it could not possiblymit acts that were contrary to its masters orders. Kacha! Driving its Dimension Sundering realm strength to its limits, the surrounding space around it seemed to have suddenly froze in ce, thus hindering Zhang Chuns attempts to retreat. As a result, it ended up being mmed into the cliff face once more. This time, his state was even worse than before. His internal organs had been jolted out of position, and several of his bones had splintered. Before he could climb out from the cliff face, a sudden spurt of blood escaped from his mouth, and his face paled. Zhang Chun swallowed a pill, and after recovering slightly from his severe wounds, he pushed himself out from the depression in the cliff and stared at the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast with gritted teeth. You... actually acknowledged this fellow as your master? In order to tame this fellow, he had prepared many good items, and he had been extremely confident of sess. Yet, who would have thought that within a short span of twenty minutes, the saint beast was actually tamed by another person and evenunching a barrage of attack against him! How dare you speak of my master in such disrespectful terms? You are courting death! The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast narrowed its eyes menacingly as it swept its tail over furiously. The might of its assault was far stronger than the previous two times, such that it nearly burst even the space in the valley itself. In the form of a ck streak, its tail appeared before Zhang Chun, carrying might so imposing that it threatened to tear him apart. Zhang Chun instantaneously realized that there was no way he would be able to withstand that attack with his current strength, so he gritted his teeth, whipped out a jade token, and crushed it without any hesitation. Weng! A series of ripples reminiscent of flowing water appeared before Zhang Chun, and in the face of the water-like barrier, the might of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts tail whip vanished without a trace. Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet! What an extravagant move! Yuan Xiao remarked in astonishment. Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet? Zhang Xuan repeated doubtfully. Its a protective amulet that only 9-star master teachers are capable of forging. Once activated, as long as the opponents cultivation isnt beyond Saint 9-dan, one will be able to withstand any assault with ease, Yuan Xiao exined. As expected of a genius from the Zhang n, to think that they would have such an item in their possession as well! Zhang Xuan was astounded as well. The fact that the protective amulet could only be forged by 9-star master teachers and that it could withstand the attack of any opponent whose cultivation was not beyond Saint 9-dan was sufficient to show that the artifact was of immense value. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, dont think that I am afraid of you! You might be strong, but youll need far more than that to kill me! Seeing as his protective amulet sessfully intercepted that devastating attack, Zhang Chun heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, however, he could not help but feel a pinch in his heart. He had spent a heavy price in order to obtain the protective amulet, and it could almost be said to be the most valuable artifact he had on him. It was his final trump card to fall back on in a critical situation, but who would have thought that he would have ended up using it there? Paying no heed to Zhang Chuns fury, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast continued flicking its tail over, causing the water-like barrier to ripple endlessly. Seeing that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was relying solely on brute force, Zhang Xuan shook his head. You wont be able to break the protective amulet that way. Follow my instructions. Gather your strength in your tail and pierce the point three chi left of the intersection of the ripples... Yes! Hearing that, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast nodded before gathering all of its might at its tail and piercing it forward at a point. Kacha! A shattering sound echoed in the air, and as if a balloon popped by a needle, the ripples in the air abruptly burst. Pu! With his protective amulet destroyed, Zhang Chun swiftly sumbed to the overwhelming might of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. His chest deted inward as his body was mmed into the air, and fresh blood spewed endlessly from his mouth. This... This time, it was not just Luo Xuanqing and the others who were shocked speechless. Those who hade along with Zhang Chun also widened their eyes in disbelief, unable to believe what they were seeing. No matter how strong a protective amulet was, it was still impossible for it to provide absolute defense. After all, it was only an artifact. There was no way it would possess the flexibility to adapt to situations like a 9-star master teacher. However, an artifact on the level of the Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet would have already been refined to the point where no one of Saint 9-dan and beneath would be able to see through its ws. Yet, that young man was actually able to see through it with just a look. Just how was that possible? Zhang Chun flew out from the cliff face and furiously roared, Who in the world are you? This is a grudge between me and Luo Xuanqing, are you certain that you want to barge into this matter? Do you understand the consequences of your actions? Blood could be seen trickling down the edges of his lips, and a look of absolute fury was reflected on his features. Taming the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast should have been apetition between him and Luo Xuanqing, and that young man should only have been an assistant recruited by Luo Xuanqing. Typically speaking, he would not even have bothered to spare someone of that young mans caliber a second nce, but to think that the young man would actually cross him time and time again. Do you know what the consequences of offending the Zhang n are? With just a word from me, I can make it so that every single thing you attempt to do in the Sanctum of Sages will be fraught with difficulty! Do I know the consequences of my actions? Of course I do, Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly before turning his gaze to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast once more. Continue pummeling him. I dont want to hear the slightest rubbish from his mouth anymore! Yes! The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast nodded before abruptly charging forward. Despite its immense size, its speed was truly no joke. In the blink of an eye, its sharp ws were already right before Zhang Chun. With its medium of attack switching from its tail to its ws, the offensive might of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast instantaneously surged by a significant degree. You... Not expecting the young man to actually disregard him, choosing adamantly to make a move on him despite all that had been said, Zhang Chun felt so enraged that he could have vomited blood. He swiftly flicked his wrist and drew a sword before piercing it forward to defend against the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts offense. Zhang Chuns swordsmanship was vastly different from the two Sword Quintessences that Zhang Xuan hadprehended. His movements were simple and concise; there was no particr elegance or beauty to them. But for some reason, his swordsmanship felt extremely heavy, and it carried an unstoppable momentum to it, as if aet falling from the high heavens above. Not too bad, I must say, Zhang Xuan remarked. The sword that Zhang Chun wielded was at least on par with the Lingxu Sword, which meant that it was a Saint high-tier artifact at the minimum. Furthermore, he could tell that the other party possessed an understanding of swordsmanship that was far deeper than Shui Qianrous, at least reaching the level of Half-Quintessence. It was no wonder the other party was able to draw with Luo Xuanqing in a battle; his strength was indeed not to be underestimated. However, as frightening as his strength might have been, it was still far from matching up to the Saint 8-dan Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. The ws continued advancing forward, unimpeded by the sea of sword qi standing in its path. Then, with a light grasp... Peng! The sea of sword qi immediately dissipated without a trace. Weng! With a resounding ng, Zhang Chuns sword was knocked into the cliff face, and Zhang Chun himself coughed a mouthful of blood. Eight bones of his ribcage had shattered under the impact, and crimson blood dyed his body. Knowing that he could very well lose his life if this continued, Zhang Chun bellowed, You lot, listen to my instructions. Well fend off that massive beast together! Yes! The other four young men who had apanied him there swiftly flew over. These four were roughly around the same strength as Yuan Xiao and the others, each of them reaching Saint 7-dan. If the five of them were to put their strength together, they would indeed be a match for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Hu! Coborating with one another, the five experts swiftly formed a light noose and hooked it around the neck of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Zhenqi Bind? They have reallye prepared! Bi Hongyin harrumphed coldly. Whats a Zhenqi Bind? Zhang Xuan asked. Its a technique that high-tier beast tamersmonly use. In essence, its a noose formed by putting the zhenqi of a huge crowd together to bind a beast. Once caught within the Zhenqi Bind, it will be difficult for even a Saint 8-dan beast to be able to struggle free! Bi Hongyin said. Many high-tier beast tamers use this method to capture a saint beast before slowly taking their time to make the beast submit to them! Hu! While they were speaking, the Zhenqi Bind finally tightened around the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts neck. In response to that, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast roared furiously and raised its ws to tear it apart. Peng! The Zhenqi Bind was torn apart. The five experts immediately felt a suffocating sensation assaulting their chests, and as if being struck by a massive hammer, all of them plummeted down from the sky. Even with the prowess of all five of thembined, they were still no match for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast! Chapter 1355 - One-On-One!

Chapter 1355: One-On-One!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric So thats Saint 8-dan! Looking at how the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was able to deal with the five experts with absolute ease, Luo Xuanqing felt deeply envious. Havingprehended the power of Dimension Sundering, Saint 8-dan experts were able to tear a rift in the world and create their own miniature world when they activate their Dominion. Within this miniature world, they were the absolute conquerors. Unless one had achieved the same level of cultivation as them, otherwise there was no way to defeat them. Zhang Chun might be one of the strongest students of the Inner Sanctum, but even he didnt wield the ability to breach this gap in strength! Truly formidable. Zhang Xuan uttered in agreement too. He thought that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had used its full strength against him previously, but from the looks of it now, it hadnt even brought out a tenth of its true strength back then. Otherwise, he would have been crushed into minced meat before he could even bring out Vicious finger. If I could wield such strength too, I would be in a much better position to ask for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage in the Luo n... A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Saint 8-dan might not mean much to top-notch Sage ns like the Luo n, but it was already a representation of the top-tier fighting prowess of the Master Teacher Continent. Considering how he was only twenty this year, if he could reach that level before the time for Luo Ruoxins engagement, he should be able to make the Luo n take him seriously. Boom boom boom! While Zhang Xuan was still contemting over such thoughts, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast swiftly struck out at the five experts, mming all of them into the nearby cliff. Lad, what hero are you if you can only rely on your tamed beast to fight with us? Do you dare to fight me one-on-one? Knowing that the odds were not in his favor, Zhang Chun spat through gritted teeth. You want to fight me one-on-one? Hah, a Saint 7-dan pinnacle expert like you is actually challenging me, a Saint 5-dan cultivator, to a one-on-one? You sure are a hero! Zhang Xuan sneered disdainfully. While he wielded the strength to rival opponents stronger than him, he knew that he was still a far way off from matching up to a Saint 7-dan pinnacle expert. Naturally, he wouldnt be so foolish as to fall for Zhang Chuns taunting! He would only be asking for a beating if he were to ept that duel! Ill suppress my cultivation down to your level! Zhang Chun added. Zhang Xuan waved his hand derisively, Im not free! As a beast tamer, the strength of his tamed beast was considered as a part of his strength too, so there was nothing dishonorable in his actions by the conventional standards of the Master Teacher Continent. Since he was able to make their life a living hell without making a move, there was no need for him to soil his hands at all. On the other hand, seeing that nothing that he said was working, Zhang Chun was on the verge of going berserk. As an individual who was born with astounding talent, his life had always been smooth-sailing, be it back in the Zhang n or at the Sanctum of Sages. He had never suffered such grievances before! You coward! Zhang Chun clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers nearly fractured from the pressure. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was simply too strong, it would be nigh impossible for them to defeat it. Even if he were to utilize the power of his bloodline, he would only be able to barely escape... However, the price that he would have to pay for tapping into his bloodline was extremely heavy, such that he dared not to use it lightly. As such, the best solution out of the current predicament he was in was to defeat that young man! As long as he could subdue that young man instantaneously, not only would be able to exact vengeance for the humiliation he had suffered, he would also be able to force the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to obey hismands and teach Luo Xuanqing a lesson too. Otherwise, if others were to learn of the humiliation he had been put through here, how could he possibly uphold his position and honor in the Sanctum of Sages? Youre right, Im a coward. Zhang Xuan nodded. ... Zhang Chun staggered on the spot. Other cultivators, especially ones that were as young as them, would turn blind in rage and charge forth furiously as soon as they heard those words. Yet, the fellow before him was actually able to remainpletely nonchnt to his provocations, and the smug look on his face even suggested that he was proud of his cowardice... How could he be so thick-skinned? Tell me what Luo Xuanqing gave you. Ill pay you the same price as long as you are willing to have a duel with me. Zhang Chun took in a deep breath and said. Since that fellow had followed Luo Xuanqing here to help him tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, it was safe to assume that thetter would have offered him handsome rewards in exchange. Right now, he was offering the same sum of money just to have a duel with him... Surely that fellow wouldnt turn him down with such a generous offer! As long as that huge fellow didnt make a move, teaching a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator would be a walk in the park for him. Brother Luo gave me one... I mean five pinnacle spirit stones! If you can take out that many too, not only will I have a duel with you, Ill even allow your entire group toe at me simultaneously! Upon hearing Zhang Chuns offer, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. ... Once again, Zhang Chun was stifled speechless. You were going to say one pinnacle spirit stone just now, right? I clearly heard you say one! It is just a moment ago that you were professing your cowardice haughtily, but as soon as I said that I will pay you for it, you immediately epted the offer and even said that the five of us cane at you together... Do you really need to be that greedy? Fine, Ill pay you five pinnacle spirit stones. However, I dont have any of it with me at the moment. As long as you agree to have a duel with me, regardless of whether you win or lose, Ill apply for those five pinnacle spirit stones as soon as I return to the Sanctum of Sages andpensate you! Even though Zhang Chun felt so furious that he could explode, he still forced himself to calm down. This... Hearing that Zhang Chun didnt have any pinnacle spirit stone with him, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, Why dont you write down a debt note first to indicate that you owe me five pinnacle spirit stone? Once I obtain the debt note, Ill have the duel with you! Very well! Afraid that Zhang Xuan would back out, Zhang Chun didnt dare to hesitate for too long before making a decision. He took out a paper, bit his finger, and wrote a line of words on it. This is a debt note writing using my blood, so it contains the power of my bloodline. Theres no way for me to shirk off the debt with this. Zhang Xuan took the debt note and examined it closely. It was only after confirming that there was no trick hidden within the debt note did he finally nod his head in satisfaction. He turned to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and said, Let go of them. Yes! the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast replied. The power of Dimension Sundering which was trapping the Zhang Chuns group in ce dissipated. Hu hu hu hu hu! The five of them immediately plummeted to the ground, but fortunately, they still managed to stabilize their posture in midair, thus avoiding an embarrassing fall to the ground. Take this. Zhang Chun took out a jade bottle and poured out five pills. He gave one each to the other members before swallowing one himself, and only then did he feel his injuries alleviating slightly. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was simply too powerful. Even with the five of them coborating with one another, they still came nowhere close to being a match for it. Alright, suppress your cultivation! Zhang Xuan allowed them a long moment of recuperation before uttering nonchntly. I know. Suppressing his cultivation, Zhang Chuns aura swiftly fell from that of a Saint 7-dan pinnacle to one that was of equivalent level to Zhang XuanSaint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. The suppression of his cultivation might have led to a dip in his fighting prowess, but at the same time, it also helped to alleviate the severity of his injuries as well, thus enhancing his mind, spirit, and soul. Since its a formal duel, I hope that you can obey by our agreement earlier. I wont unseal my cultivation, but simrly, you shouldnt have the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast interfere in the duel either! Zhang Chun harrumphed coldly. Of course! Zhang Xuan replied. Thats good then. A cold glint flickered across Zhang Chuns eyes as a hint of savagery emerged on his face. Currently, the only thing that was holding him back was the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. As long as thetter didnt make a move, a mere Leaving Aperture realm cultivator couldnt possibly pose a threat to him. With his superiorprehension of battle and talent, he would be able to crush the other party with ease! Even though the young man had managed to tame the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Zhang Chun felt that the other party had used some kind of unique means instead. Over the many years of heritage, beast tamers hade up with many innovative ways to make powerful beasts submitting to them, and there were a handful of them which didnt require one to possess too high of a cultivation. As such, he didnt have too high of a view of Zhang Xuans fighting prowess either. Lets begin! Zhang Chun bellowed as he prepared to make his move.. Hold it for a moment. Zhang Xuan suddenly interjected. Whats wrong? Are you having regrets now? You must be joking. I just want to suggest having the other four of yourpanion to suppress their cultivation and join the battle as well. I fear that youll be crushed if you were to face me alone. Zhang Xuan shook his head and said. It was not that he was looking down on Zhang Chun, but it was simply a fact that there would be no one of the same cultivation realm who could possibly be a match for him. He had already made the other party write a debt note for him, so the least he could do was to offer the other party some benefits in return for the pinnacle spirit stones. After all, he was a principled man. Zhang shi... Itll be best not to underestimate Zhang Chun. Even amongst Saint 7-dan experts, there are very few who could match him... Luo Xuanqing couldnt help but advise. As one who hadpeted with him for the longest of time, he knew very well what Zhang Chun was capable of. In the first ce, it was already worrying how Zhang Xuan had epted a one-on-one match with Zhang Chun, and yet, he was still insisting on a one-on-five... Wasnt he being a little too conceited over here? Its fine. Zhang Xuan waved his hand to gesture for Luo Xuanqing not to worry. He had just reinforced his cultivation and hadnt found someone to try his hand out on yet. Since the five of them happened to be around, why not? But... Luo Xuanqing still wanted to persuade Zhang Xuan against it, but in this moment, Yuan Xiao stepped forward and interjected. Zhang shi must have an idea in mind for proposing something like this, so it should be fine. Besides, given how Zhang shi was able to even scare a lightning tribtion away, he might just wield the strength to subdue Zhang Chun! Thats true! Nodding in realization, Luo Xuanqing decided to remain silent and watch the situation first. Nevertheless, he still felt that it was important to remind the crowd to remain on their guard, Most likely, the reason why Zhang Chun challenged Zhang shi to a one-on-one is to make use of this opportunity to capture Zhang shi and use him against us. So, as soon as you realize that things are going awry, dont hesitate to leap forward and save him! Un. The others nodded. Luo Xuanqing hadpeted with Zhang Chun for many years, so his grasp over thetters temperament and style of doing things was bound to be rather urate. You are the one who said those words yourself, I hope that you donte to regret your decision. Even though Zhang Chun was so furious that he could explode, he knew that the situation was currently disadvantageous toward himLuo Xuanqing and the others would surely move as soon as they realized that something was amissso he beckoned the others over and sent a telepathic message over, Later on, Ill be focusing on attacking that fellow. What you all should do is to help to stall Luo Xuanqing and the others, along with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, from saving him... As long as you can keep them at bay for a single breath, Ill definitely be able to put that fellow back in his ce! Hearing those instructions, the other four members of Zhang Chuns team nodded discreetly. They also felt deeply stifled after being pummeled by the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and if there was an opportunity to get back at the culprit, they wouldnt hesitate to y a part too. Hu! After deciding on their course of action, the four members suppressed their cultivation as well and stood in a circle around Zhang Xuan, encircling the young man. Lets begin! With a resounding roar, the five of them made a move simultaneously. Even with their cultivation suppressed, their experience, eye of discernment, and reflexes as Saint 7-dan experts still remained, not to mention that they were still top geniuses of the Inner Sanctum. Their zhenqi swiftly permeated the entire valley, and it took only an instant for a barrage of sword qi, saber qi, and the sort to congregate all around Zhang Xuan, leaving no space for thetter to escape at all. Formidable! The bodies of Luo Xuanqing and the others stiffened after seeing this sight. In order to deal with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Zhang Chun and the others had practiced a grade-8 coborative formation. While their cultivation was lowered to Leaving Aperture realm, the tier of their formation still remained the same. With theirbined might, even a Saint 7-dan primary stage cultivator could be killed in the blink of an eye! Will Zhang shi be fine? Bi Hongyin asked worriedly. The others also directed apprehensive gazes over. They hadpletely no confidence that they would be able to withstand the onught of the five of them were they to be in Zhang Xuans ce, even if they were to suppress their cultivation down to Saint 6-dan pinnacle instead of Saint 5-dan pinnacle! Thus, they swiftly drove their zhenqi, preparing to dive forward to save Zhang Xuan. However, in this moment, a voice carrying a tinge of confusion sounded in the air. Is this all you are capable of after coborating with one another? A momentter, the voice turned from one of confusion turned into one of disappointment, This sure is a huge letdown. Peng peng peng peng peng! A total of five crisp echoes sounded in the air, and following which, all of the sword qi and saber qi vanished from the surroundings, and the five experts were sent flying in the distance like footballs. They were embedded back into the cliff face once more, and fresh blood flowed profusely down the edges of their lips. For an instant, one could see utter despair in their eyes before their heads abruptly hung loosely from their neck, passing out. This... Luo Xuanqing and the others widened their eyes in horror. Turning into the direction of the voice, they saw Zhang Xuan clicking his tongue in disappointment as he pped the dust off his hand while walking back toward them with a look that seemed to be saying The top sure is lonely. Just when will I be able to find a worthy rival in this world? Chapter 1356 - Distorted Space

Chapter 1356: Distorted Space

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To be honest, Zhang Xuan was really disappointed. He had thought that Zhang Chun, as one of the top geniuses of the Zhang n, in coboration with four other experts, should at least have been able to pose a challenge to him even when they had their cultivation suppressed down to the same level. However, as soon as they beganunching attacks, he realized that he had been expecting too much from them! But thinking about it again, this was to be expected. Previously, when his zhenqi cultivation had just reached Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, he had already been able to sessfully clear the Jia Corridor. Now, with his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation brought up to an equivalent level, there was no way Zhang Chun and the others, no matter how talented they were, could possibly catch up. Stretching his backzily, Zhang Xuan turned back to the crowd and said, Itll probably be an entire day before they wake up. Dont worry, Ill have the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast look after them, so they wont be harmed by other saint beasts! Since we have time now, lets quickly find the Dongxu Gourd. Even though Zhang Xuan detested the Zhang n for how frivolously they were treating Luo Ruoxin, it had note to the point where he wished for their deaths. If he simply left Zhang Chun and the others lying unconscious there, it would not be long before they were eaten by the other saint beasts in the valley. In a sense, that could be considered indirect murder by them. By having the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast guard them, first and foremost, no saint beasts would dare cause any trouble, and secondly, they would not dare to enter the cavern anymore even if they did regain consciousness. Suppressing the astonishment in his heart, Luo Xuanqing nodded. Very well! To see his long-time rival, Zhang Chun, being knocked out so easily... This little friend that he had met just a day before sure was not an ordinary figure! Given the setback and humiliation that Zhang Chun has suffered today, theres no way hell let this matter go easily. You must proceed carefully in the Sanctum of Sages from this day onward. If he attempts to find any trouble with you, make sure to inform me as soon as possible, and Ill help you settle the matter, Luo Xuanqing told Zhang Xuan telepathically as the group made their way over to the cavern. He knew Zhang Chun very well. As an offspring of the esteemed Zhang n, as well as an 8-star high-tier master teacher, thetter would not resort to despicable deeds. However, with the power and influence thetter wielded in the Sanctum of Sages, he did not even have to resort to despicable deeds in order to make life difficult for others. For one, just a stand made by Zhang Chun was more than sufficient reason for others to shun Zhang Xuan like the gue. Considering how Zhang Xuan had offended Zhang Chun while trying to stand up for him, he was bound to get into lots of trouble in the future. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. In truth, while a huge part of the reason he had decided to teach Zhang Chun a lesson was due to thetter harboring lustful thoughts for Luo Ruoxin, he also felt that this was a good opportunity to win this future brother-inw of his over to his side. In a sense, that would kill two birds with one stone, definitely well worth the trouble he would potentially face in the future as a result of this conflict. He could feel that Luo Xuanqing no longer perceived him as an ordinary talented friend but a close buddy now. Of course, it seemed to still be a little too early for him to talk about his rtionship with Luo Ruoxin with the other party, but nevertheless, the deepening of their friendship would surely be of great help to him in winning Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage in the future! In any case, his strength was not up to par yet, and he had not unlocked the Sanctum Head Token either, so it was still too early for him to make a move. It would be good for him to work on Luo Xuanqing for the time being instead. With the threat of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast resolved, the group swiftly advanced into the cavern. While the entrance to the cavern was narrow, its interior was vast. The cavern seemed to extend along with the entire mountain range, meandering up and down. Xuanqing, I took a look at the ce earlier, but I didnt notice anything peculiar in here, Yuan Xiao remarked. He had examined the entire ce thoroughly while searching for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but it was just an ordinary cavern within the mountain. There was nothing peculiar about it at all. Instead of replying to Yuan Xiaos remark, Luo Xuanqing turned to Yun Lianhai and asked, What about you? Did you notice anything? Considering how Yun Lianhai was a treasure hunter and possessed natural sensitivity toward treasures, there was a good chance that he could sense something that they could not. Let me give it a try. Yun Lianhai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A droplet of blood flew up to his be, and a ring third eye abruptly opened up between his brows. It began scanning the surroundings intently. A momentter, Yun Lianhai shook his head and said, I dont sense anything either. Is this the ability that treasure hunters possess? I guess there is really no way for me to learn that! Zhang Xuan remarked in wonderment. He had used his Eye of Insight to assess Yun Lianhais state earlier, and he had concluded that thetter was using his bloodline ability to scan the surroundings for artifacts rich in spiritual energy. However, what was unique about that ability was how it could see through obstacles, like how apass could detect the maic field of an object even from a distance away. Since the very foundation of this abilityy in the unique bloodline of the Yun n, it could be said to be an innate talent. It was not a skill that one could learn through hard work. Ultimately, while cultivation opened up a world of possibilities, cultivators were still fundamentally limited by their innate talent in many ways. Using an example from the world Zhang Xuan previously lived in, it would be just like how no matter a policeman trained himself, there was no way he would be able to be a K9. With this, Zhang Xuans hopes of picking up the art of treasure hunting were dashed. Zhang shi, what about you? Luo Xuanqing asked. The others also turned their heads over in curiosity. It was just a short few days since they had firste to know one another, but this young man had already brought them an entire lifes worth of shock. They were interested to know if this miraculous young man would be able to notice anything amiss or not. In response, Zhang Xuan discreetly concentrated on the lines of insight in his eyes and began examining his surroundings carefully. Unless a formation was active, the Library of Heavens Path would not be able to perceive it. Thus, he could only rely on the Eye of Insight to search for clues. But very quickly, he shook his head and said, I cant find anything either. As powerful as the Eye of Insight was, it was limited by his own cultivation. He was unable to discern items that were too much stronger than he was, just like how he had not been able to find Kong shis folded space back at the Saint Ascension tform 1 . Seeing that they were making no progress at all, Bi Hongyin frowned in impatience. Just where is it? Luo Xuanqing, stop keeping us in suspense! Haha, I was just curious to see if you would be able to find it, Luo Xuanqing replied with a light chuckle. To be honest, I wouldnt have been able to find the location of the formation myself either. It was my younger sister who managed to deduce the rough location of the formations Life Gate through a map, and I only managed to locate it by following her instructions. The little princess was able to deduce the location of the formations Life Gate through a map? Everyone gasped in shock. Wasnt the little princess of the Luo n a little too talented? It was already an incredible feat to be able to tell that there was an ancient domain here just by looking at the map, but to be able to find the rough location of the formations Life Gate as well... That was really inconceivable! This is a map that my younger sister drew for me. Its using this that I was able to find the core of the formation and enter the ancient domain where the Dongxu Gourd is! Luo Xuanqing flicked his wrist, and a palm-sized jade token appeared in his hand. He tapped on it lightly, and amid a brilliant shimmer of light, faint mist emanated from the jade token and shrouded the entire cavern. Vaguely within the mist, one could see rocks and crevices... In a sense, it was somewhat simr to a painting. It slowly fused together with the real world until there was no way of distinguishing the two from one another anymore. What incredible maniption of space! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. The mist emanating from the jade token was not a type of ink or formationit was a manifestation of a type of spatial energy. To be able to paint on space and fuse it together with reality... this was truly an incredible technique! After the mist fused fully with the cavern, the jade token floated up from Luo Xuanqings hand and began drifting forward. The group quickly followed behind the jade token. It did not take them long to arrive before a dead end. A towering stone wall blocked their path ahead, preventing them from advancing any further. Upon reaching this point, the jade token also stopped advancing and spun on the spot. Luo Xuanqing turned around and said to the group, Due to the massive design of the formation, the Life Gate moves with time. Its located at a different location from where it was the previous time I was here, but since the jade token has stopped here, this should be it. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately activated his Eye of Insight to look at the space before him. Theres indeed a distortion in space here... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. With the location confirmed, he was indeed able to tell that something was amiss in the area. There was a sesame-sized spatial distortion right beneath the jade token. If one was not sure where to look, it would have been practically impossible to find it. After all, it was not too rare for slight spatial distortions to arise. Even a bunch of Transcendent Mortal cultivators putting their might together would suffice to create a slight spatial distortion, so most cultivators would instinctively turn a blind eye to it. It was no wonder the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, a Saint 8-dan beast, would fail to notice the secrets hidden within the cavern despite living here for so many years. Just how in the world was one supposed to find something like this? At the same time, to be able to deduce this much just by looking at a map and even craft a jade token specially for it... Zhang Xuan could not help but feel deeply pressured by the astounding capabilities that Luo Ruoxin wielded. In the past, he had not been particrly concerned about Luo Ruoxins identity or background, choosing to confess to her solely because he liked her. However, in order to win the approval of the Luo n, he had no choice but to face the difference in their strength and standing. And if even someone as powerful as Luo Ruoxin was not able to turn down the engagement with the Zhang n, things were truly not optimistic for them. No matter what, Ill definitely wed you openly as my wife! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Yuan Xiao and the others stared at their surroundings with squinted eyes for a very long time, but they were still unable to find anything at all. Eventually, they could only shake their heads and give up. I really am unable to see what is so special about this ce. Why dont you just open the Life Gate? Well follow behind you. Alright. Without wasting any time, Luo Xuanqing raised his finger and tapped the area right ahead of him. A droplet of blood dripped out from the tip of his finger. Following which, he formed a few hand seals, and a unique power was imbued into the jade token. Weng! With a resounding buzz, the sesame-sized spatial distortion began rotating swiftly, reminiscent of a mini vortex. Si! A rift was torn through space with the sesame-sized spatial distortion at its very center. At the same time, the vortex grew bigger and bigger, forming a cone-shaped spiral. Lets enter, Luo Xuanqing said. Perhaps due to having expended too much strength, Luo Xuanqings face was slightly pale. Alright. Yuan Xiao nodded. Without any hesitation, he took the lead and leaped into the cone-shaped spiral. He was the one who boasted the greatest defensive ability among their group, and considering that they were entering uncharted territory, it was a given that he should be the first one to enter. Hu! His two-meter-wide figure was still rather massive while it was at the top of the cone-shaped spiral, but as he descended, his figure grew smaller and smaller, until it was roughly the size of a needle, before vanishing into the distorted space. This... This was the first time everyone had seen such a bizarre sight, and their eyebrows could not help but leap up in astonishment. Is this the ability of the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Creation? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though it seemed like Yuan Xiao had be smaller after jumping into the cone-shaped spiral, in truth, it was just a visual effect arising from the distortion of light due to the bending of space. For example, it was just like how a person would appear to be different in size from a meter away and a hundred meters away. Naturally, a person who was a hundred meters away, no matter how tall and big they were, would appear to be as small as a sesame seed. Such was the situation over here as well. While the cone-shaped spiral appeared to be only several meters away from them, there were actually manyyers of space concealed within it. In terms of absolute distance, it was likely to be several li away from them. Using space as a foundation to create stable space, and even make it so inconspicuous at that... It seems like the person who has left behind this ancient domain is likely to at least be a Saint 9-dan cultivator. On top of that, theirprehension of spatialws is also extremely deep, perhaps still not on par with Ancient Sage Qiu Wu yet but definitely far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators,Zhang Xuan thought. It was no wonder he had not been able to find anything with his Eye of Insight previously. This ability to manipte space was already far beyond what someone of his level couldprehend. Lets head in, too. Seeing that Yuan Xiao had entered, the others also forged ahead. Bi Hongyin leaped in first, followed by Yun Lianhai. Watching as the two of them disappeared, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before jumping into the cone-shaped spiral as well. Hu! In an instant, he felt as if he was plummeting through an abyss, heading somewhere he could hardly fathom. Chapter 1357 - Why Arent You My Brother-In-Law!

Chapter 1357: Why Arent You My Brother-In-Law!

The wind whistled deafening by Zhang Xuans ears. Even though it only appeared to be two or three meters, it felt as if he was falling from a height of several thousand meters. Not only was his speed swiftly elerating, the pressure of the surrounding space on him was rapidly intensifying. The moment that he dived into the sesame-sized spatial distortion, his surroundings suddenly blurred. When he came to once more, he was already standing in the midst of a lush green field. White clouds drifted in the beautiful blue sky, and vibrant verdant grass covered the earth; it almost felt like a utopia. Taking a deep breath, the air was rich with spiritual energy, as if one was standing right above a spirit vein. It made ones cells dance in exhration. Its indeed impossible for those of Saint 8-dan and above to enter this area... Zhang Xuan noted. The entrance of the distorted space was only strong enough to carry cultivators of their strength over. If those of the Dimension Sundering realm attempted to enter, the distorted space would copse. Looking forward, Zhang Xuan saw Yuan Xiao and the others standing nearby. Confusion could be seen reflected in their eyes; they were shocked by the sight before them as well. There were plenty of elders in the Sanctum of Sages who wielded a deep understanding of spatialws too, but they were only capable of creating folded spaces. It was unimaginable that anyone would be able to create a space that bore such a deep resemnce to reality and harnessed such concentrated spiritual energy. The elder who left behind this ancient domain has ced the spirit vein in the valley into this folded space as well. Otherwise, how could he possibly breed an artifact on the level of the Dongxu Gourd? said someone from behind. Luo Xuanqing had entered the area as well. ced the spirit vein into this folded space? Yuan Xiao and the others were astonished. Even Zhang Xuan felt that this matter was inconceivable. He had seen plenty of folded spaces, and he even had one with him at the moment. Under normal circumstances, folded spaces were separate entities from reality, so to put an entire spirit vein in and even have it continue producing spiritual energy... It was unimaginable what it would take to aplish that. Brother Luo, do you know who the expert that left behind this ancient domain is? Zhang Xuan asked. A person who could leave behind such a formidable ancient domain was bound to be a famous figure even among the countless experts who had risen in the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent. Luo Xuanqing paused for a moment before saying, Im not too sure whom the ancient domain was left behind by, but this ce seems to have some links to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Indeed. In the past several dozen millenniums, other than Kong shi and the old ancestor of our Luo n, only Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has managed toprehend the highest realm of space. This folded space is so exquisitely created that it could even sustain the growth of a treasure like the Dongxu Gourd. I really cant think of anyone who could achieve such a feat other than him, Luo Xuanqing exined. Zhang Xuan also nodded in realization. It was no wonder he was able to gauge the distortion space in terms of the levels of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel prior to entering. In the end, it turned out that it was highly likely that this folded space had been left behind by that expert. Previously, he had quite a delightful chat with the Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented soul, but it was a pity that thetter could not stay for too long. If he could meet thetter here in this folded space, it would definitely be a good opportunity to exchange some insights regarding space. The Dongxu Gourd is right ahead, but theres a formation blocking the way. The previous time I came here, I studied the formation for quite a few days, but I was still unable to find a way to resolve it, Luo Xuanqing said as he pointed forward. Looking in the direction that Luo Xuanqing was pointing, they saw a river flowing in the midst of the sky. There was a long, thin vine wrapped around the river at a certain point, and connected at the other end of the vine was a lush green gourd. The gourd was not too big, and there were no physical traits to suggest that there was something exceptional to it. But for some reason, there was a bizarre distortion in the space around it that gave a feeling that the gourd existed in another dimension. It was a sensation that made one feel as if one would be unable to touch the gourd even if it was right before one. Upon seeing the gourd, everyones eyes lit up. They were still wary of the dangers they would have to go through before reaching the gourd, but to think that it would actually be so close to them. Let me take a look... Out of curiosity, Yuan Xiao took a step forward, intending to fly forth to harvest the gourd. However, the next moment, cold sweat rained down his body, and he hurriedly retreated in fear. Despite his swift reaction, he was still a step toote. A huge force that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere abruptly struck his chest. Peng! Before he could even grasp what was going on, he was sent flying. He skidded several dozen meters across the fields before he was finally able to dispel the force, and his face paled in fear. If not for his swift reaction and superior defense, he could have died right there! Thats a formation? The eyes of the crowd narrowed in apprehension. From the current looks of it, it was apparent that the gourd that seemed to be within reach to them was not as easily obtainable as it seemed. The entire area was filled with all kinds of formations, and one would have to ovee all of them before reaching the gourd. I was stuck at this point the previous time I came here, too. I was unable to ovee the formations. Luo Xuanqing nodded. The previous time he was there, through his superiorprehension of spatialws, he had managed to advance much deeper than Yuan Xiao did. Nevertheless, he was still unable to get close to the gourd, as if it could only be watched from afar. Zhang shi, are you able to recognize what kind of formation that is? Bi Hongyin asked. That isnt a formation. Zhang Xuan shook his head. It isnt? The crowd was perplexed by those words. Its a type of maniption of space. To summarize, its somewhat simr to the seals in the Subterranean Gallery that serve to keep the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at bay. The stronger an individual is, the greater the rebound they will face from the seal. On the other hand, if the individual isnt a cultivator, they wont face any rebound at all, Zhang Xuan exined. He had triggered his Library of Heavens Path previously when Yuan Xiao was attacked by the seal, and it was through the bookpiled that he realized that it was a utilization of space instead. So, it should do as long as we suppress our cultivation, right? Luo Xuanqing nced at the injured Yuan Xiao and frowned. Ill give it a try then. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was right or not, someone would have to give it a try. Since Yuan Xiao was injured, he could only do the job himself. Taking a deep breath, he sealed the zhenqi within his body, making him appear no different from an ordinary human. Cultivators who had reached his level were already more than capable of concealing their zhenqipletely in their dantian, making them appear to be no different from ordinary humans. On top of that, it seemed like Luo Xuanqing was using some kind of secret art to suppress his cultivation even further, such that Zhang Xuan would not be able to tell even with his Eye of Insight without examining closely. Incredible! Zhang Xuan remarked excitedly. He had seen plenty of techniques that would allow one to conceal ones aura and cultivation, but those would usually fail before the Eye of Insight. It was truly frightening that Luo Xuanqings secret art was able to deceive him too. Noticing the shocked gazes all around, Luo Xuanqing exined, Its a technique created by our old ancestor. It uses folded space to seal and conceal ones strength, making it impossible to circumvent even through Spiritual Perception. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded before moving on to grimly warn, After proceeding in, no matter what you encounter, you mustnt tap into your cultivation. Remember, the higher the cultivation, the greater the rebound. The surrounding space was reminiscent of a wooden log floating atop a body of water. The more one tried to push it down, the faster and more forceful it would push back. Only ordinary humans would be able to remain unfazed by its attacks. Un. Luo Xuanqing nodded as he took a step forward. As expected, due to his sealed cultivation, he really did note under attack at all. However, barely after taking a few steps, his face suddenly paled. It seemed as if he had been through something inconceivable, and the fear in his eyes was palpable. Dont release the seal on your cultivation... Zhang Xuan bellowed upon noticing Luo Xuanqings peculiar state. However, before he could finish his words, his future brother-inw still failed to hold it in, and zhenqi gushed out of his body. Boom! A resounding explosion sounded, and just like Yuan Xiao, he was sent flying as well. Brother Luo... rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly rushed forward and passed over a recovery pill infused with his Heavens Path zhenqi. Luo Xuanqing took the pill and swallowed, and a momentter, when his injuries alleviated slightly, he opened his eyes once more and shook his head apologetically. Im fine... I told you earlier that you mustnt tap into your cultivation no matter what you encounter. Zhang Xuan frowned. Why did you still... He had made it loud and clear to the other party that he had to suppress his cultivation by hook or by crook, but barely three breaths after entering, the other party forgot what he said and was forcefully thrown out... Arent you a little too absent-minded? I encountered an illusion in there, and I saw... someone bullying my younger sister. Thats why I wasnt able to hold myself back, Luo Xuanqing replied awkwardly. He had resolved himself to keep his cultivation firmly suppressed at all costs prior to entering the area of the seal, but as soon as he saw his younger sister being bullied by others, all of those thoughts instantaneously vanished from his mind. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head with a helpless smile. As expected of this overly-affectionate brother. Despite knowing that it was an illusion, he was still unable to stop himself from making a move. The little princess is much stronger than you in terms of fighting prowess, so what can you possibly do against an opponent who can even bully her? Bi Hongyin grumbled in displeasure by the side. Yun Lianhai and the others also found themselves speechless after hearing what Luo Xuanqing had said. The little princess of the Luo n did not just possess superior talents in cultivation, more importantly, she had assimted the Dimension Silencer. With just a mere thought, she would be able to seal the surrounding space and crush even Saint 9-dan experts with ease. Considering that Luo Xuanqing was only at Saint 7-dan, how could he possibly help his younger sister? If there was anyone who had to do the protecting, it was the little princess! My strength might be beneath my younger sisters, but I still wont hesitate to pit my life against anyone who dares bully her! Luo Xuanqing dered with conviction. A hint of gentleness and sadness surfaced in his eyes. Our mother died while we were very young, so she became my only true kin in the Luo n. Thus, I resolved myself to not allow the slightest grievance toe to her! Is that why you harbor such deep enmity for the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan asked. Indeed. In terms of bloodline purity, that bastard young prodigy of the Zhang n is indeed worthy of my younger sister. However, hes so arrogant that ever since the engagement was set, he has never appeared before my younger sister, not even once! This is a show of tant disrespect and disregard toward my younger sister. How can I possibly not be mad at him? Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly. Recalling that fellow who was snatching his girlfriend form him, Zhang Xuan puffed up in rage too. He could not help but agree. That bastard young prodigy of the Zhang n really needs someone to pull him off his high horse! If he was the one who was engaged with Luo Ruoxin, he would surely spend every single second of his life by her side! Thats right! Luo Xuanqing roared furiously. If I ever catch sight of that bastard young prodigy, Ill definitely smash his head into his neck! Thats right! Zhang Xuan waved his hand grandly and said imposingly, Count me in! Ill make that bastard young prodigy crawl all over the ground, searching for his teeth! This... Watching as the enraged duoshed out at the young prodigy of the Zhang n, Yuan Xiao, Bi Hongyin, and Yun Lianhai nced at one another in bewilderment. And this bewilderment was directed right at Zhang Xuan. Its understandable that Luo Xuanqing is worried that his younger sister will have to spend her life in misfortune. But as an outsider, why on earth are you getting involved in this matter for? Not to mention, to even get so indignant at the matter... Is there really a need for that? Unable to withstand it anymore, Yuan Xiao turned to Zhang Xuan and cleared his throat. Ahem! Zhang shi, if I recall correctly... the young prodigy of the Zhang n shouldnt have offended you before, right? I... Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment as he recalled his current position, so he fumbled for a moment before hurriedly replying, I am just... just feeling a little indignant for Brother Luo! To anger someone as kind and tolerant as Brother Luo to such an extent, that bastard young prodigy must definitely be a shameless and despicable scoundrel! As master teachers, we have the responsibility to teach such scum of the world a lesson they will never forget! This... The crowd nced at one another. Kind and tolerant... Well, putting that aside, there was not anything wrong with what the young man was saying, but why did feel like there was something rather weird about his words? Luo Xuanqing was also slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuans impassioned response. He took a closer look and noted that the young man was truly furious; it was not just an act to win his favor. Thus, he could not help but remark, What a great brother you are! Why arent you my brother-inw? Chapter 1358 - 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Chapter 1358: 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that the others would get suspicious if he continued dwelling on this matter, Zhang Xuan decisively changed the topic. Brother Yuan and Brother Luo are injured, so Ill be counting on you to take care of them. Ill head in to take a look. Let me do it instead! Bi Hongyin stepped forward and said, I specialize in dealing with illusions and soul attacks, so I should be able to withstand them better. Alright then. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before nodding. Theres a good chance that there are many different formations in there, so be careful. Make sure that you dont use your cultivation regardless of the situation. The illusion formation was a separate entity from the spatial seal, which was the reason why Zhang Xuan did not notice it through the Library of Heavens Path. Otherwise, he would have surely reminded Luo Xuanqing in advance. Un. Bi Hongyin nodded before sealing her cultivationpletely. Her ability to seal her cultivation was not as absolute as Luo Xuanqings, so Zhang Xuan was still able to see through her using his Eye of Insight. However, she was still able to keep her zhenqi from emanating, and the formation was unlikely to be sensitive enough to sense the zhenqi concealed in her dantian either. Hu! The youngdy began proceeding forward, and in just a few steps, she arrived at where Luo Xuanqing and Yuan Xiao came under attack. As if something hade to her vision too, she abruptly stopped as well. Be careful! Yun Lianhai could not help but remind her. Theres no point shouting. The spatial seal in there prevents sound and even ones Spiritual Perception from getting through! Luo Xuanqing shook his head. It seals off Spiritual Perception as well? Astonished, Zhang Xuan tried to extend his Spiritual Perception over, but upon reaching a certain point, his Spiritual Perception seemed to disappear in an abyss. No matter how he pushed on, he was unable to sense anything at all. It was a very perplexing and bizarre situation. It was obviously something that was right before them, but due to a profound maniption of space, it felt like these two spaces were inpletely different worlds. Amid everyones worried gazes, Bi Hongyin continued advancing forward steadily, but eventually, she was still unable to hold herself back from driving her zhenqi, and as a result of that, she was jolted out of the spatial seal just like everyone else. Zhang Xuan rushed over and asked, What happened? After entering the spatial seal, I was teleported into another space where a saint beast was rampaging all around, devouring everyone in its sight. Unable to withstand it, I could only make a move in the end, Bi Hongyin exined with a reddened face. She had been determined to suppress her cultivation down to the very end, but she simply could not bring herself to stand by as the saint beast attempted to bite off the head of a child. Teleported? But you didnt move at all! Yun Lianhai eximed. All of them could clearly see Bi Hongyin with their own eyes, so there was no way she could have been teleported somewhere else. Dont you think its weird that we are able to look into the spatial seal despite being unable to perceive it with our Spiritual Perception? Luo Xuanqing suddenly interjected. This... Yun Lianhai fell into deep thought. Sometimes, what the eye saw might not necessarily be real. Just like mirages in the desert, no matter how lifelike and authentic they seemed to the thirsty explorers, they were actually all illusions. The reason cultivators believed in their Spiritual Perception was because they were extending their consciousness directly toward their surroundings to perceive it, so it was much more unlikely for them to perceive something incorrectly. In their current situation, they were indeed able to see the entire situation clearly with their eyes, but who could guarantee that what they were seeing was real? Brother Yun, can you help us sense if that Dongxu Gourd is real? Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. Alright! Yun Lianhai nodded. If what they were seeing within the spatial seal was false, there was a good chance that the Dongxu Gourd could be fake as well. A droplet of blood flew toward Yun Lianhais be, and an eye abruptly opened up between his brows. The eye quickly turned its gaze toward the gourd in the sky. A momentter, he shook his head and said, I cant sense the presence of any treasure... You cant sense it? Luo Xuanqings face turned pale. He had prepared for a very long time in order to acquire this Dongxu Gourd. If it turned out to be an illusion, he really might break into tears! Let me take a look at it, Zhang Xuan said with a frown. He could not make a clear assessment of the situation with what they had gathered so far, so the most effective way was for him to enter the spatial seal personally to check things out. Be careful, Luo Xuanqing instructed. Un. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan suppressed his cultivation before making his way into the spatial seal. The method he used to seal his cultivation was not as advanced as Luo Xuanqing, but the zhenqi he cultivated was the Heavens Path zhenqi. As long as he willed it so, not even Saint 9-dan experts would be able to discern his level of cultivation, let alone the others! Hu! As soon as he entered the spatial seal, his surroundings abruptly turnedpletely white. He tried to extend his Spiritual Perception to the limits, but he was still unable to perceive anything at all. It was as if he was standing amid a barrennd where he was the only man existent within this world. Luo Xuanqing and the others had already vanished without a trace, as if they had not even been there in the first ce. This sure is a little unnerving... Zhang Xuan thought with a frown as he slowly proceeded ahead. Shortly after, a mountain range appeared before his sight. After which, he arrived before a waterfall with ake at the bottom. The cascading water sounded deafening in the surroundings. This is... Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuans heart began beating in agitation. He had been there before. That was where he had first met Luo Ruoxin! The Verdant Mountains of the Huanyu Mountain Range! In this very ce, he had witnessed countless spirit beasts gathering around the waterfall, and he had thought that they were intending to do Luo Ruoxin harm. So, he had charged forward in the hope of saving her. That was how they had first met. He quickly turned his gaze over to the waterfall, and a beautiful figure stood calmly over there. Just as always, she stood with an air of indifference, reminiscent of an invible lotus. It seemed as if there was nothing in this world that would be able to faze her. Ruoxin... This was not the first time they had met one another, but even so, Zhang Xuans heart still could not help but skip a beat as if it was the first time. He had thought that he would be able to meet Luo Ruoxin as soon as he came to the Sanctum of Sages, but as he came to learn more about their current situation, he felt more pressured. It was to the point where he was not sure how he could face her anymore. Even so, the yearning in his heart never died down even for a moment; on the contrary, it had only been growing stronger with time. No, this isnt real. This is just an illusion... Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan endured his urge to charge over, and his breathing gradually calmed down as well. His mind had been confused for a moment, but as rationality slowly returned to him, he recalled that he was in the midst of finding the Dongxu Gourd, and there was no way he could appear in the Verdant Mountain all of a sudden, let alone meet Luo Ruoxin. Even if it was not an Illusory Formation, it was likely to be some clever maniption of folded space that allowed for the reflection of his memories. Sou! Having calmed down, Zhang Xuan was just about to advance forward when a sharp glint of light suddenly shed across the sky. In the blink of an eye, it sliced right across Luo Ruoxins body. Following which, a young man with a vile look on his face appeared before Luo Ruoxin, and he uttered with a cold sneer, You are my fiance, but you fell in love with someone else. Since thats the case... why dont you just drop dead! The young man had a demented look in his eyes, and his facial features were deeply reminiscent of Zhang Chun. But for some reason, the young man seemed to bear some resemnce to him too. The young prodigy of the Zhang n... Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth in fury. How dare that bastard young prodigy of the Zhang n make a move against Luo Ruoxin? Hes courting death! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to unseal his cultivation, the Library of Heavens Path in his mind jolted. For an instant, he felt as if a resounding bell had chimed right next to his ear, causing his body to stiffen in shock. He was forcefully jolted back to rationality, and he told himself, Its just an illusion. Its just an illusion... At the same time, he drove his state of mind swiftly and re-entered the state of Heart of Tranquil Water. When he looked over once more, the young prodigy had already disappeared, and Luo Ruoxin was nowhere to be seen. In fact, even the entire Verdant Mountain had vanished. Everything had returned to apletely white space. That was a close shave, Zhang Xuan thought as cold sweat trickled down his body. Even though he knew that it was an illusion, he still could not help himself from making a move upon seeing Luo Ruoxin being injured. It seemed like the spatial seal did not just seek to confoundit intended to y on the emotions and feelings of others as well. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Its fortunate that I have the Library of Heavens Path, or else I would have been jolted out like Luo Xuanqing and the others... Just as he was about to proceed ahead once more, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him giving way, and he abruptly plummeted downward. The piercing whistling of the wind reverberated in his ears. When he lowered his head, he could see the earth elerating toward him at a fearsome speed, and it seemed like he would collide anytime soon. He had suppressed his cultivation entirely, so his current strength was only at that of an ordinary human. If he fell from such a height, he would definitely lose his life. In response to the danger perceived, his zhenqi began jumping into action, attempting to push its way out of the seal so that he could break the fall. Its an illusion. Its an illusion! Zhang Xuan suppressed his zhenqi with greater force as he slowly closed his eyes. If not for what he had experienced earlier, he surely would have sumbed. However, the previous experience had left him prepared for whatever was toe, so he was no longer as panicked or affected as before. If he really used his zhenqi, the spatial seal would immediately rebound against him, and that would cause him to get injured. Hu! As soon as his heart had returned to perfect calmness, the deafening whistling of the wind and the falling sensation disappeared without a trace. When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself still standing amid the white space. Using space to conjure effects reminiscent of illusions, I have never really thought of that possibility before... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he examined his surroundings once more. Hisprehension of formations had reached the level of 8-star pinnacle, and he had learned the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel as well. Under normal circumstances, a folded space would not be able to trap him. However, this ce was actually able to breach his mental fortitude without him sensing that anything was amiss. The means of the owner of the ancient domain were truly astounding, Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan noted that the structure of the surrounding space was reminiscent of a beehive, consisting of small cubes ced together. However, unlike an ordinary beehive, the cubes were not stationary. Instead, they were flowing along with drifting water, forcing one to go along with its momentum and fall under its effects. Space is basically ripples moving at a frequency. As long as I can find the true nature of this space, Ill be able to manipte it too, Zhang Xuan thought as he went through what he had learned in the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Some timeter, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. I see! Through analyzing the structure of the space around him, the various parts of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel that did not make sense to him previously suddenly madeplete sense. Back when he cultivated the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, his cultivation was still a little too low, making it highly difficult for him toprehend the deeper nature of space. However, with his cultivation being raised to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, he was able to better analyze the space around him and advance his understanding of spatialws to a higher level. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Its no wonder this spatial seal is able to evoke illusions. Space can be formed using formations, and the inverse is true as well. So, naturally, it can be used to influence the thoughts of others as well. Formations could be used to set up space, and space could be set up as formation. Building on this, that would mean that it was possible to embed formations within space itself to make one see the things that they desired the most. Exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, Zhang Xuans eyes glowed in excitement.Havingprehended this, my understanding of space should have reached the level of Control! There were mainly five levels of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction. Compress allowed one topress space and hasten ones movements. Traverse could be considered as a deepening of the concept of Compress. Through a greater understanding of space, one would be able to execute movements reminiscent of teleportation, covering a distance of several hundred meters in an instant. One who hadprehended this realm would be able to breach the Dominion of a Phantasm Space realm expert without being affected by thetters control of space. Control referred to gaining the ability to manipte space. Upon reaching this realm, folded space and the sort would no longer be able to trap one. In fact, one would even be able to tap into the strength harnessed within these spaces to suppress ones opponent. As for Creation and Destruction, Zhang Xuan still had not managed to fullyprehend those two concepts. He could tell that the creator of this ancient domain had reached the level of Creation at the very least, but for the time being, he still could not say for sure what Creation in terms of space represented. Since I have managed to reach the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, this spatial seal wont be able to trap me any longer... Zhang Xuan chuckled inwardly. With his currentprehension of spatialws, this beehive-like space was an enigma to him no more. Even the various formations embedded into the spatial seal that induced illusions in his head earlier also appeared clearly before his eyes, and he could destroy him on a whim. I should leave now. Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and lightly waved his hand. Then, he took a step forward, and the next moment, he was standing right before the river. A lush green gourd floated right before him, emanating an overpowering aura. Chapter 1359 - Zhang Xuan Got Beaten Up

Chapter 1359: Zhang Xuan Got Beaten Up

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The river was a spirit vein, and the spiritual energy flowing through it was so concentrated that it felt almost tangible. The gourd was just hanging right beneath it, absorbing the spiritual energy as nutrition and growing slowly. Now, I just have to pluck it and take it back... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. If he wanted to level up, he just had to collect sufficient cultivation technique manuals and spirit stones. As valuable as the Dongxu Gourd was, it was of very little use to him. It would be more worth it for him to use it to develop a good rtionship with Luo Xuanqing. As long as he could win Luo Xuanqings goodwill and get him to speak up on his behalfter when vying for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage, everything would be worth the effort! Thus, he reached out to grab the Dongxu Gourd. Even though he did not use any strength, with hisprehension of Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel reaching 3-dan, his grasp easily caused the surrounding space to turn viscous. As if a fish trapped in a, all escape routes for the gourd were sealed. Just as Zhang Xuans hand was just about to reach the gourd, the lush fruit suddenly woke up and began struggling. Kacha! The sealed space immediately broke, and Zhang Xuan felt an overwhelming force pressing down on him, threatening to grind his arm down to dust. Hmm? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He quickly drove his zhenqi to form a massive barrier before him. With his enhancedprehension of space, even if he were to drive his zhenqi now, he would not suffer a rebound from the spatial seal. Hu! The gourd hanging on the vine shook its bottom. Si! The massive barrier was immediately torn apart as if it was a piece of paper. Zhang Xuan hurriedly ced his hands up to guard against the attack. An intense pain assaulted his arm, and the next moment, he was smacked down onto the ground. With a pale face, Zhang Xuan struggled to his feet. His entire arm had already gone numb from the impact, and his bones were creaking in protest, as if saying that they would shatter if they had to endure any more than that. Zhang Xuans physical body had currently reached a level of resilience on par with half-Saint high-tier artifacts. Thus, he would not feel anything even if a Saint intermediate-tier artifact tried to slice him. Yet, with a slight shake, the gourd was able to leave him in such pain. The strength of the gourd had far surpassed his imagination. Damn it! Zhang Xuan quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to recuperate from his wounds as he red at the gourd with reddened eyes. I dont believe that I wont be able to capture you! Taking in a deep breath, he flicked his wrist, and a sword appeared in his palm. With a slight flick, a burst of sword qi shot toward the gourd. The Lingxu Sword! Considering how the Dongxu Gourd could help one achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm, its tier was probably quite high. Having suffered against it a moment ago, Zhang Xuan dared not take the gourd lightly, so he used his most powerful weapon right from the start. Tzzzzzz! As soon as the Lingxu Sword appeared, the surrounding space immediately began distorting, seemingly ready to be torn apart at any moment. In the first ce, folded spaces were not as stable as the spaces outside. On top of that, Zhang Xuan had alreadyprehended the third dan of Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Even if he could not rip the folded space open, it was not too difficult for him to create a distortion in it. Hu! Watching as a burst of sword qi flew in its direction, the gourd shook its body once more, reminiscent of arge-bottomed individual unting their figure. Tz! A powerful shockwave rippled from the gourd, halting the iing sword qi in ce, preventing it from moving even an inch closer. This... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Even though he did not use the Three Swords of Lingxu, he had still harnessed its offensive Sword Quintessence in the attack. Not even a Saint 7-dan Phantasm Space realm primary stage expert would dare take the attack head-on. Yet, just by shaking its body, the gourd actually managed to neutralize his attack. Was it not a little too strong for a mere gourd? Knowing that he could not afford to hold back, Zhang Xuan quickly whipped out 108 swords andmanded them to attack. Go! Sou! A barrage of sword qi instantaneously filled the area as the zhenqi in Zhang Xuan was swiftly sapped dry. The 108 swords warped into shes of cold light as they charged in the direction of the gourd. Padah! The gourd also seemed to sense the devastating might wielded in the move, and it shook its bottom even more joyously. Puhe! Due to its excessivelyrge movements, it dropped off the vine and flew over in Zhang Xuans direction. Boom boom boom! It shed directly with the sword qi, sending ripples diffusing into the surroundings amid brilliant bursts of colorful light. As powerful as the Sea Severing Sword was, it seemed to bepletely ineffective on the gourd. The swords qi simply bounced off it without causing the slightest mark on its surface. Instead, the gourd was even able to speed up in the midst of those attacks, tiding across the entire barrage of attack in just an instant. Its actually so powerful? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Sea Severing Sword was already his strongest move, and even Yuan Xiao and the others would suffer a great deal if they were to take the attack head-on. Yet... it was actually so easily neutralized by the gourd. This was really inconceivable. Was it normal for gourds to be that powerful? However, the gourd also did not n on allowing Zhang Xuan any time to rest. Right after breaking through the Sea Severing Sword, it mmed its body forcefully toward his chest. After executing the Three Swords of Lingxu, the zhenqi in his body was already on the verge of running dry. Fortunately, with the recent breakthrough in his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation, he was notpletely powerless without zhenqi anymore. Without any hesitation, he raised both of his palms while driving the Heavens Path Soul Art to draw upon his soul energy to augment his defenses. Peng! The crisp sound of a shattering bone echoed clearly in the air. Zhang Xuans arm had fractured under the impact. His body was sent flying into the distance before crashing heavily onto the ground. This short encounter had caused several bones of his ribcage to shatter as well. Despite being a mere artifact, the fighting prowess of the Dongxu Gourd was simply too powerful. If not for the Sea Severing Sword neutralizing a portion of the offense, that previous m would have left himpletely incapacitated. Sou! Before Zhang Xuan could climb up from the ground, the gourd shook a little in the air and charged toward him once more. This time, its movement was way faster than before, to the point where its figure was nothing more than a slight blur. It seemed as though it would not rest until it was able to smash him into his grave. Zhang Xuans face paled. In a frontal encounter, he waspletely no match for the Dongxu Gourd. On top of that, his zhenqi waspletely expended at the moment, and he was severely injured as well. If he allowed the gourds attack to fall on him, he really might just lose his life there and then. Spatial Seal! Clone! Zhang Xuan was not sure whether those outside were able to see what was happening within, but to prevent Luo Xuanqing and the others from seeing his trump card, he still snapped his fingers to seal the surrounding space, preventing anyone from seeing what was within. At the same time, he released his clone. After cultivating the Heavens Path Soul Art, the prowess of his clone had risen by leaps and bounds. Its fighting prowess was significantly higher than his, so it should at least be able to defend against the Dongxu Gourd for some time. Hu! As soon as his clone appeared, Zhang Xuan immediately filled him in on the situation through their telepathic connection, and the other party charged forward to engage the Dongxu Gourd. However, as fast as his clone was, he was stillckingpared to the Dongxu Gourd. Before he could even throw a punch, thetter was right before him. Padah! The Dongxu Gourd crashed right into his clones face, imprinting its shape onto his face. Screw you! Zhang Xuans clone immediately went berserk. How dare you hurt my handsome face? Im going to kill you! Each time he was released from the Myriad Anthive Nest, he would derive great joy from mocking his main body and unting his overwhelming strength. But this time, before he could say or achieve anything, he ended up being quashed by a mere gourd instead. This unprecedented humiliation left him feeling so angry that it felt as if he would explode from sheer rage. While roaring, the clone did not forget to throw a furious punch toward the Dongxu Gourd too. Boom! It was a direct hit, but the clone felt a jolt run through his body instead. With quivering lips, he quickly turned to the main body and said, I cant defeat him. You should quickly run away! Even though his fighting prowess was far stronger than the real Zhang Xuans, it was still a huge way off from matching up to the gourd before him. Run away? Zhang Xuan hesitated upon hearing those words. He was here to obtain the gourd for Luo Xuanqing, and to run away after all the effort they had put into this mission... was really a little hard to ept. If you arent going to run, you can face that fellow yourself. I wont be apanying you, goodbye! the clone roared with gritted teeth. Under the furious onught of the gourd, his body already bore no semnce of a human anymore. Of course you can still afford to hesitate when all you are doing is hiding behind my back! If you dont want to run away, why dont you try facing this monster of a gourd yourself? Alright then... Zhang Xuan nodded with a reddened face. He also knew that he would not be a match for the Dongxu Gourd with his zhenqi sapped dry at the moment, so without any hesitation, he waved his hand and withdrew his clone and all of the swords back into the Myriad Anthive Nest and his storage ring respectively before fleeing back the way he hade. Kacha! However, it seemed like the Dongxu Gourd still had no intention of letting him off. It charged over in his direction once more with the same astounding speed that was nigh impossible to dodge, so he had no choice but to reinforce his defenses and brace himself against the impact. Pah! He was sent flying once more, but fortunately, he had managed to retreat back to the area where the illusions were generated once more, and with a sh, his figure vanished from the spot. Before vanishing from the spot, Zhang Xuan vaguely saw the gourd in the sky shaking its bottom triumphantly before leisurely made its way back to the vine and hanging itself back on it. In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened at all. ... Some time ago prior to Zhang Xuans fight with the Dongxu Gourd... After seeing the young man off into the spatial seal, Luo Xuanqing and the others could not help but pace around the area worriedly. Zhang shi... should be fine, right? Zhang shi has a deep understanding of formations. Even though this isnt exactly a formation, it does bear some resemnce to one. I think he should be fine... As long as he can resist the urge to release his cultivation, he wont be affected by the rebound of the spatial seal. Even though these were the words that they spoke, uncertainty and apprehension still continued to gue their hearts. This was especially so for Luo Xuanqing. He had paid a heavy price in order to obtain the Dongxu Gourd, and if he could not touch it after all that, he would really be at a loss. Look, Zhang shi is heading forward, Yuan Xiao said. The crowd quickly turned their heads over and saw Zhang Xuan slowly making his way over to the gourd in the sky. However, barely after taking two steps, he abruptly vanished from the spot. He must have cleared the illusions... Luo Xuanqings eyes lit up in agitation. However, just two breathster, a figure suddenly flew out of the spatial seal, and with a resounding peng!, it crashed into the ground just beside them, coughing huge mouthfuls of blood. Zhang shi! Horrified, the crowd hurriedly rushed toward him worriedly. I-Im fine... As he struggled to his feet, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had fled swiftly, decisively leaping out of the spatial seal. Otherwise, he could have died at the hands of that fellow. Looking at the severe wounds that Zhang Xuan had sustained, Luo Xuanqing could not help but ask, Was Zhang shi also evicted by the spatial seal? They had all been injured by the spatial seal due to them unintentionally exerting their strength while inside. Could it be that the young man had faced the same inside too? But... his wounds appeared to be slightly different from the ones they had sustained though? Thats not it... Zhang Xuan shook his head. What happened? the intrigued Yuan Xiao asked. Could it be that other than the spatial seal, there was still something else within the space that could hurt them? If that was really the case, they would have to proceed carefully. I was... With a face filled with embarrassment, Zhang Xuan scratched his head and said, ... attacked by a gourd... Chapter 1360 - Vine

Chapter 1360: Vine

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was no wonder Zhang Xuan would be so crestfallen by the matter. All along, he had performed splendidly before his future brother-inw, even impressing thetter through the taming of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. His image in thetters heart should have been wless and impable... but who would have thought that a mere gourd would undo all of his efforts at this critical juncture! It was one thing if he could not defeat a saint beast or an artifact, but for even a gourd hanging on a vine to pummel him to the point where he was forced to flee frantically as if a mischievous son being evicted out of his house... this must really be the greatest humiliation in his life! You were pummeled by a gourd? Luo Xuanqing was startled for a moment before he finally understood what was going on. That means to say that... Zhang shi, you have met the Dongxu Gourd? So, that thing really exists, and what we see isnt just an illusion? Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. Due to Yun Lianhai saying that he could not sense the presence of a treasure, everyones heart was left on an edge, fearing that their efforts had all gone to waste. Zhang Xuans reassurance made all of them heave a sigh of relief. Since it really existed, they still stood a chance then. Seeing the dejected look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Xuanqing patted his shoulders and consoled him. As an item that could help othersprehend the Dimension Sundering realm, its fighting prowess is likely to be on par with Saint 8-dan primary stage experts. As talented as you are, Zhang shi, your cultivation is still only at Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, a great distance from it. Its only natural that you wont be a match for it. In fact, even I wont fare too well against it... Considering how the Dongxu Gourd raised the chances of a cultivator achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm by 50%, how could it possibly be anything ordinary? As long as ones strength was not on par, putting aside capturing it, even if one were to capture it, there was no way one would be able to assimte it! It was only after hearing those words that Zhang Xuan finally felt a little better inside. He turned to the crowd and said, I have already deciphered the crux to the spatial seal before us, and Ill bring you all to the gourdter on. However, I just want to warn all of you beforehand that the fellow is extremely violent, and theres a good chance that itll make a move on us as soon as it sees us. So, I think you all should heal up first and condition your physical state to your peak. Alright then. The crowd nodded before taking a seat. Zhang Xuan took a seat as well. He opened up his acupoints and swiftly absorbed the spiritual energy in the surroundings so as to replenish the zhenqi that he had lost earlier and heal his wounds. Thanks to the concentrated spiritual energy that was present in the folded space, it took him less than four hours to recoverpletely. While reinforcing his cultivation, Zhang Xuan began strategizing against the Dongxu Gourd. That gourd is really a little too powerful. It wont be easy to deal with it even with our current forces... He had considered several ideas, but after some careful rumination, they did not seem to be feasible against the Dongxu Gourd. Just as Luo Xuanqing had said, that fellow was likely to possess fighting prowess on par with Dimension Sundering realm primary stage experts, a level that was far beyond the current them. Unless... he released Vicious finger and head to coborate with Luo Xuanqing and the others! But of course, that would mean exposing Vicious existence, and for a master teacher to be rearing an Otherworldly Demon... If the matter got out, he would surely draw the wary gaze of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters upon him, and there was a chance that his master teacher license might even be revoked. After quite some thought, Zhang Xuan was still unable to think of any good ideas. In this moment, Luo Xuanqing and the others suddenly stood up and said, Lets head off! While they had sustained rather severe injuries from the earlier rebound of the spatial seal, after swallowing the recovery pill that Zhang Xuan had given them and utilizing the various means they possessed, they had managed to mostly recover from their wounds. Make sure to follow closely behind me. Dont even stray off by a single step, Zhang Xuan instructed severely. Understanding the dangers thaty within the spatial seal, the others nodded. Zhang Xuan swiftly sealed his cultivation before taking the lead into the seal. Havingprehended the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, his grasp over space was stronger than ever. On top of that, he had alreadyprehended the secret of the spatial seal, so in truth, there was no longer any danger in here for him. In terms of absolute ability to manipte space, Luo Xuanqing was likely a little stronger than him, but within the spatial seal, Luo Xuanqing would not even be able toe close to matching to him. With the prior experience of traveling through the spatial seal, the second attempt proceeded much smoother. It did not take too long for them to arrive in the vicinity of the river of spiritual energy, and they could clearly see the gourd hanging just beneath it. Its the Dongxu Gourd... Luo Xuanqings body trembled in agitation. He could not see it clearly from afar, but now that he was already in its vicinity, he could see that it was the Dongxu Gourd. If he could assimte it into his body, his chances of achieving a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm would be increased by 50%. I dont think that Ill be of much help to you from this point onward, so Ill just wait for you here, Zhang Xuan said. Unless he were utilized all of his trump cards, his actions would not mean much inparison to the fighting prowess of the crowd. So, it did not matter whether he involved himself in the fight or not. Its fineyou have already done enough. Luo Xuanqing and the others were pumped up. With our strength, we should be able to subdue it easily! Zhang Xuan raised his clenched fist and gave a cheer of encouragement. Good luck! Three minutester... The group was back outside the spatial seal, and Luo Xuanqing and the others were lying on the ground with bruised, miserable faces. Their coboration was superb, and every single move they utilized was well-calcted to corner their opponent. Nevertheless, they were still no match for the gourd, and they ended up being viciously pummeled instead. This was especially so for Yuan Xiaohis entire body was covered with round imprints of the Dongxu Gourd. Yun Lianhai hesitated for a moment before saying, Zhang shi, why dont you bring the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in? With it making a move, we should be able to destroy the Dongxu Gourd easily! The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast possessed strengthparable to a Saint 8-dan pinnacle expert, and even if the four of them coborated with one another, they still would not be a match for it. With its help, they should be able to subdue the Dongxu Gourd with ease. This... Zhang Xuan was slightly troubled by that request. It was not that he did not want to do that... but it had not been long since he had constructed an awe-inspiring image before the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and if he had to engage its help just to deal with a mere gourd now... His pride could not take it! Besides, the folded space seemed to be constructed in a manner that did not allow Saint 8-dan experts to enter. Well, it might still be possible for him to bring the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in if he were to first store thetter in his Myriad Anthive Nest before letting it out, but such a course of action could possibly result in the folded space bing unstable as well. If so, that would cause much more trouble than it was worth. While the crowd was still conflicted as to what they should do, Luo Xuanqing suddenly gritted his teeth and resolutely dered, Forget it, Ill use my bloodline ability then! Ill need you all to assist meter on. You are going to use your bloodline ability? Bi Hongyin frowned. Are you certain? Youll have to rest for at least a month if you use it, and that might cause you tog behind Zhang Chun... While activating the bloodline ability would briefly grant an offspring of a Sage n overwhelming fighting prowess, it would also put a great strain on their body. For this reason, they would only choose to resort to it in desperate situations. I know, but as long as I can capture it, I should be able to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan as soon as I recover after the month. This price is something that I can ept! Luo Xuanqing replied. Given his current rate of cultivation, he would at least require a few more years or even a decade or two of effort before he would be ready to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan. However, with the Dongxu Gourd, he should be able to seed within just three months! So, resting for just a month was just a small price to pay. I see. Bi Hongyin nodded. Since you have made up your mind, lets do it. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. It would be blind optimism if a person expected toy his hands on a treasure without giving something in return. Prior to making the journey here, Luo Xuanqing had already resolved himself to make sacrifices for this aim. Havinge to a decision, they quickly scattered to recuperate from their injuries and condition themselves back to their peak state. Six hourster, they stood before the Dongxu Gourd once more. Hongyin, use your demonic tunes to interfere with its attacks. Yuan Xiao, try to draw the gourds aggression upon you. Yun Lianhai, you will be going on the offensive alongside me. We only have one chance, so we have to seed this time around! Luo Xuanqing said solemnly. Alright! the crowd replied resoundingly. Lets begin then! Luo Xuanqing bellowed. The next moment, overwhelming energy began billowing intensely within Luo Xuanqings body, and it felt like his aura had been lit on fire. Following which, the space around him began to distort randomly. He took a step forward and raised his palm, and the space around the gourd seemed to instantaneously freeze in ce. Hu! Sensing hostility directed toward it, the gourd immediately charged out indignantly, wanting to strike down its enemy. However, the strength that Luo Xuanqing wielded from activating his bloodline was simply too strong. Despite multiple attempts to dash out, the gourd was actually unable to break out of the confined space. Triiing ting! Trriiiiiiinnng ting! The melody of a zither began yingBi Hongyin had started her performance. Yuan Xiao and Yun Lianhai also charged forward to make their moves. Watching the happenings, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. They should be able to seed this time around... After activating his bloodline ability, Luo Xuanqings prowess had more than doubled, and his current strength was not any beneath that of a Dimension Sundering realm expert. As expected one of the top geniuses of the Luo n, the rise in his fighting prowess from activating his bloodline ability was frightening. He had fought with Zhang Qian in the past, and he had seen thetter activating his Zhang n bloodline ability as well. Even though Zhang Qians strength did grow significantly upon the activation, it came nowhere close toparing to this. It seemed the purer ones bloodline was, the more formidable the effects when ones bloodline ability was activated. While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the four experts had managed to suppress the Dongxu Gourd to the ground, and they were kicking it furiously. Bi Hongyin even raised her zither and smashed it down on the gourd furiously. Under the crazed onught of the crowd, the gourd could only tremble fearfully on the ground, forming a miserable sight in contrast to the arrogance it had shown before. Recalling how badly he was pummeled previously, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction at that sight. You sure acted smug just now, didnt you? Take this to your heart, revenge is a dish best served cold! This is the price you have to pay for acting arrogantly before me! Lets see if you dare do something like that in the future! Knowing that the battle was as good as concluded, Zhang Xuan turned his head over to the flowing river of spiritual energy in the sky. This proved that there was indeed a spirit vein within the valley at one point in time, but someone had dug it out from the ground to nourish the Dongxu Gourd. On top of that, it had been used to sustain the folded space as well, so at this point in time, it was already on the verge of drying up. What a pity... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. If this spirit vein had only been extracted from the ground not too long ago, the concentration of spiritual energy flowing within it would have been on par with pinnacle spirit stones. While there was still plenty of spiritual energy flowing within the river, the concentration had already dipped considerably. At this moment, its concentration was only equivalent to high-tier spirit stones, so it was not of much use to him anymore. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to retract his gaze from the river, he suddenly caught sight of the vine hanging over it in his peripheral vision. This vine seems to be good stuff... It was roughly around the thickness of a finger, but its gleaming, jade-like exterior seemed to suggest that it was rich in spiritual energy. Previously, he had been paying so much attention to the Dongxu Gourd that he had neglected it, but examining it intently with his Eye of Insight, he realized that the vine was actually incredibly resilient, and the concentration of spiritual energy within it was far purer than that of a concentrated high-tier spirit stone. Let me take a closer look! Unable to hold back his curiosity, he flew over with eyes gleaming in excitement. It did not take long before he was standing in front of the vine. The vine had a brilliant green color that was reminiscent of emerald, and it felt cold to the touch. It was hard to put a finger on the feeling that the vine gave him, but it felt like there were countless folded spaces packed densely within it, simr to a beehive. This... Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise. He had felt such a sensation from the gourd as well. This should be what others called the power of Dimension Sundering, which was also what one had toprehend in order to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan. He had thought that such a power should only be existent in the gourd, but to think that the vine would carry traces of such power as well. Will I be able to assimte it? Zhang Xuan wondered as he touched it once more, and amid a cooling feeling that rippled through his body from his finger, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan retracted his finger and took a few steps back away from the vine before immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path to read the book. Kacha! Kacha! However, at this moment, a series of crisp echoes reminiscent of squeals of delight sounded from the vine, and it dashed straight for Zhang Xuan. rmed, Zhang Xuan raised his hand and grasped forward. Store! Hu! In the blink of an eye, the vine was deposited into his storage ring. Chapter 1361 - You Poisoned the Wine?

Chapter 1361: You Poisoned the Wine?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The disappearance of the vine seemed to have robbed the river of spiritual energy of its support, and with a resounding boom, it exploded. Rampaging spiritual energy diffused around the folded space, causing the entire folded space to ripple unstably. Sensing the disturbance in the spiritual energy, Luo Xuanqing and the others were visibly stunned for a moment. They took a look at their surroundings before swiftly returning to pummeling the gourd. Peng peng peng peng! With the four Saint 7-dan experts utilizing all kinds of means and weapons against it, be it swords, sabers, spears, hammers, it did not take long before the gourd was lyingpletely paralyzed on the ground, seemingly on its final breath. The gourd is going to die if you continue pummeling it. Why dont you rest for a moment before continuing? The rmed Zhang Xuan hurriedly rushed forward to persuade them to stop. Un. Luo Xuanqing waved his hand, and the crowd finally came to a halt. At the same time, he grasped his hand tightly together, and surrounding space distorted to form a bubble around the Dongxu Gourd. Alright, its done... Sealing the Dongxu Gourd seemed to have sapped thest bit of energy within Luo Xuanqing. His face turned pale as he slumped feebly to the ground. There was a time limit on how long the bloodline ability could remain activated for. Back then, Zhang Qian had only used three moves before he was unable to lift his fist at all. On the other hand, Luo Xuanqing must have executed at least a hundred moves considering how long he had fought with the gourd, and that was really an impressive feat. Congrattions! The eyes of Yuan Xiao and the others were filled with envy, but they still sped their fist and offered their sincere congrattions to Luo Xuanqing. Even though they would have loved to make the Dongxu Gourd their own, they were not willing to sacrifice their principles for that. Besides, given Luo Xuanqings strength and standing, even though they were considered peers, they dared not offend him either. If not for all of your help, theres no way I could have seeded, Luo Xuanqing said. Just as he was able to ce the spatial bubble into his storage ringhe would only be able to assimte the gourd after conditioning his body back to its peak statea powerful shockwave abruptly burst forth from the seemingly lifeless gourd. Si! A huge rift was torn in the spatial bubble, and the gourd dashed out. Sh*t! Luo Xuanqing narrowed his eyes in horror. He had already depleted all of his strength due to the activation of his bloodline ability, and he could not even summon the slightest bit of energy in his powerless body anymore. If the Dongxu Gourd fled at this moment, there was no way he would be able to stop it! Stop right there! Yuan Xiao and the others were startled for a moment, but they swiftly recovered and moved decisively to take down the Dongxu Gourd. After all of the suffering they had gone through and effort they had put in to take down the Dongxu Gourd, how could they allow it to escape now that they were only a step away from sess? Sou sou sou! However, the gourd seemed to have known their attack trajectories in advance, and with just a slight shake, it managed to avoid the rain of attacks with ease. In the blink of an eye, it elerated beyond the speed of sound, and it was headed in one specific direction. Toward Zhang Xuan! This... Zhang Xuan felt as if ants were running on his scalp, and he nearly fainted on the spot. I didnt even make a move this time around, so why are youing for me? Zhang shi, be careful! the crowd shouted anxiously. Given how quickly the gourd was moving, Zhang Xuan knew that it was already toote for him to hide. Thus, he gritted his teeth and braced himself to withstand the impact of the collision, just as he had done before. Hu! As soon as his palm came into contact with the Dongxu Gourd, he felt a searing pain assaulting his hand. The Dongxu Gourd had actually managed to puncture a ring hole in his palm, causing fresh blood to spurt all around. Weng! In the presence of blood, the Dongxu Gourd did not bother dodging at all. Instead, it shook its bottom and prepared to make a second move. Hu! This time, it dashed straight toward Zhang Xuans abdomen. Given the strength of the gourd, should its attack really connect, his intestines would surely be ruptured, resulting in severe injuries! Its not me; Im not the one who pummeled you just now. The party who wanted to capture you is them, and the party who made a move on your earlier is them too! Why on earth are youing for me instead? Tears nearly streamed down Zhang Xuans eyes this time around, but he knew that this was no time for crying. He drove his zhenqi and attempted to grab hold of the gourd before it struck its abdomen, but it was futile. He only caught air. But surprisingly, the pain that he had anticipated did not arrive. Instead, the gourd vanished into his abdomen. This... Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had no idea what to make of the current situation. The others also turned doubtful gazes in his direction. Where is the gourd? Zhang Xuan looked around him anxiously, but the gourd was nowhere to be seen. He used his Spiritual Perception to gaze inwardly into his body, and his lips suddenly quivered. W-why... why is it in my dantian? Seatedzily in the depths of his dantian was the Dongxu Gourd. Upon sensing the presence of Zhang Xuans Spiritual Perception, it even intentionally shook its bottom gleefully, as if unting its victory. What? Everyone quickly rushed forward and scanned Zhang Xuans body with their Spiritual Perception. A momentter, Luo Xuanqing slumped to the ground with a dazed look and muttered, You have actually assimted the Dongxu Gourd into your body... Assimted? The Dongxu Gourd can help its ownerprehend the Dimension Sundering realm. As long as one assimtes it, one will be able to infuse it into ones dantian, Luo Xuanqing exined with his eyes widened in disbelief. However, the assimtion process is extremelyplex. Not only does it require the cultivator to tribute their blood essence to it, more importantly, their cultivation must also have reached Saint 7-dan pinnacle at the very minimum in order to make it acknowledge them as its master. Considering that your cultivation is only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, two realms away from Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle... just what on earth is going on here? He had put in so much effort and paid such a heavy price before he managed to take down the Dongxu Gourd, but before he could assimte it, it ended up diving into someone elses dantian. Luo Xuanqing could not help but clutch his suffocated chest, patting it forcefully to alleviate the pain. Zhang Xuans face paled upon realizing what had happened, and he anxiously bellowed, But I never intended to assimte it! Gourd, youd bettere out right now! He hade here to help his future brother-inw procure what he needed, and to end up taking it for his own instead... You are really bent on destroying the noble and righteous image I have established before my future brother-inw, arent you? You homewrecker! Hu hu! The gourd continued shaking its body gleefully. You... Seeing how the gourd continued unting its victory smugly, Zhang Xuan felt so angry that his body quivered in rage. Left with no choice, he could only face Luo Xuanqing with a deeply apologetic look. Brother Luo, I really had no intention of assimting the Dongxu Gourd... I know. Luo Xuanqing shook his head and sighed in resignation. Artifacts possess spirit as well. Whats not meant to be is simply not meant to be; theres no point forcing it... Even though he felt so stifled that he could spurt a bucketful of fresh blood out at the moment, he still managed to think things through. Given how the Dongxu Gourd had chosen to dive into Zhang Xuans dantian despite all he had done, it could only mean that it had never been interested in him from the start! I... Zhang Xuans face turned scarlet from embarrassment. He really did not know what he should say in such a situation. What the heck was this? He was supposed to be there to help, but with such a happening, who else would dare ask him out to hunt treasures in the future? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking up. Brother Luos intention of procuring the Dongxu Gourd is to push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm, right? If I can help you achieve a breakthrough, would it mean that it wouldnt matter whether you had the Dongxu Gourd or not? Considering how gleeful the Dongxu Gourd was acting, it did not seem like it would being out anytime soon. This matter could not be considered his fault, but nevertheless, he still felt deeply guilty for taking what should have belonged to Luo Xuanqing. Help me achieve a breakthrough? Luo Xuanqing was visibly surprised by Zhang Xuans remark for a moment before he shook his head glumly. Achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm is not a small matter... Countless experts in history have been stuck at the Phantasmal Space realm, unable to take the final step forward. If not for that, I wouldnt have traveled so far and paid such a heavy price to obtain the Dongxu Gourd! Despite the various miraculous means the young man had disyed so far, the difficulty in achieving a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan was simply too great! Even cultivators who were privileged enough to receive the guidance from a 9-star master teacher might not necessarily be able to take the final step forward, let alone the fact that Zhang Xuan was only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle! Since this has already happened, why dont you just give it a try? Zhang Xuan asked. If it had been a while ago, without having seen any Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals, there was no way he would have been able to help Luo Xuanqing achieve a breakthrough even if he couldpile a book on thetters ws through the Library of Heavens Path. However, with hisprehension of space achieving the level of 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, as well as his assimtion of the Dongxu Gourd, he had already gained a significant understanding of the power of Dimension Sundering. With that and the Library of Heavens Path, he just might be able to help Luo Xuanqing achieve a breakthrough to higher realms! Give it a try? With the current state I am in, how can I give it a try? Luo Xuanqing said with a bitter smile. The activation of his bloodline ability had depleted all of his energy. Putting aside pushing for a breakthrough to higher realms, even walking normally was an arduous task to the current him! Oh right... Dont worry, Ill find a way to help you alleviate the side effects resulting from the activation of your bloodline ability. Saying those words, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness back in the Library of Heavens Path and began studying the book he had justpiled on Luo Xuanqing. He hadpiled this book while Luo Xuanqing and the others were fighting against the Dongxu Gourd. He had been intending to use it to explore the secrets concerning the unique bloodlines of Sage ns, especially since he felt that it woulde useful when he vied with the Zhang n for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage. The activation of the bloodline ability would result in damage to ones spirit, mind, and vitality, putting ones body in a state of extreme deficiency. In such a state, the cultivator would be unable to exert any strength, and any forceful attempt to do so would result in ones cultivation declining... Reading the description in the book, Zhang Xuans eyebrows knitted together. There was a fundamental limit to ones potential, vitality, and spirit, and the activation of ones bloodline would lead to excessive depletion of those. Without sufficient time, there was no way one could recover to full health. The Heavens Path zhenqi is able to heal injuries, open up blockages in the meridians, and restore the spirit, mind, vitality of the ill... I wonder if it will be effective in this situation too? Zhang Xuan wondered. Due to the incredible purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, it was able to easily dive into a cultivators meridians and cells to repair the damaged portions. In a sense, the depletion resulting from the activation of a unique bloodline was a simr problem. Perhaps, it might be of some use. With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan looked at Luo Xuanqing straight in the eye and said, Brother Luo, I have thought of a way that could possibly help you recover from your weakened state swiftly! Oh? What kind of method is it? Luo Xuanqing asked curiously. The young man before him had produced too many miracles in the time they had spent together. While he did not bear too much hope in the matterif there was truly such a method, top-notch Sage ns like the Zhang n and the Luo n would already have been using it by nowhe still wanted to hear what the young man had in mind. Simple. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a vat over with a confident look on his face. You just have to drink this! You want me to drink wine? Luo Xuanqing was still wondering what kind of solution the young man had in mind, but to think that it would be this. His eyebrows could not help but shoot up. Bi Hongyin stepped in and intervened. Luo Xuanqings body is currently in a bad shape. Drinking wine at this moment will only worsen his condition. Are you serious about having Luo Xuanqing drink your wine? Look at how frail he is at the moment! Yuan Xiao also stepped forward and offered, Zhang shi, if you really wish to drink, why dont I apany you instead? This is the method to help him recover swiftly from the side effects of activating his bloodline ability, Zhang Xuan exined to the crowd before turning his gaze back to Luo Xuanqing. Brother Luo, if you believe me, you should give it a try. If it seeds, Ill help you achieve a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan by today. Even if it fails, its just a vat of wine. It wont cause too much harm to your current condition! This... Seeing Zhang Xuans insistence, Luo Xuanqing hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. Alright then. He took the wine from Zhang Xuans hands and stared at it for a moment before raising his head and gulping down the wine. Gugugugu! As soon as the wine washed down his throat, a spicy feeling arose in Luo Xuanqings body. However, it did not seem to be making any difference to his current condition at all. Just as he was about to berate the young man for fooling around, his body suddenly shuddered involuntarily. He widened his eyes in astonishment and eximed, This wine... Theres something wrong with this wine! You poisoned the wine? Yuan Xiao immediately turned to Zhang Xuan with a darkened face, and a powerful aura immediately burst forth from him. ... Luo Xuanqing. ... Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1362 - Luo Xuanqings Breakthrough

Chapter 1362: Luo Xuanqings Breakthrough

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No, its not poison. Luo Xuanqingsplexion is improving! Before Zhang Xuan could exin himself, Bi Hongyin had spoken up. Her meticulous nature allowed her to immediately notice the slight changes within Luo Xuanqing. Even though Luo Xuanqing still looked as weak as before, unable to draw forth the slightest strength in his body, redness had started returning to his previously ghastly pale face. Seeing that he had misunderstood Zhang Xuan, Yuan Xiao hurriedly reined in his aura and scratched his head in embarrassment. He had seen how the young man had poisoned the Crimsontail Wasp King to death and dered that he would poison Zhang Chun to death, so as soon as Luo Xuanqing said that there was something wrong with the wine, the first thing that came to his mind was that the wine was poisoned. Gudong! Gudong! It did not take long for Luo Xuanqing to down the entire vat of fine wine. Without his zhenqi protecting his body, he swiftly became intoxicated by the high concentration of alcohol in the wine. Nevertheless, hisplexion and body seemed to have recovered significantly from before. If he had appeared to be a terminally-ill patient who seemed like he was standing at the gates to hell a moment ago, right now, he seemed more like a young man who had just been afflicted with a slight fever or something. Luo Xuanqing looked at Zhang Xuan with zed eyes and asked, Is there still any more wine? Here you go! Zhang Xuan took out another vat and passed it over. Thank you... Taking the vat, Luo Xuanqing began gulping it down in huge mouthfuls. It was an established fact that after the activation of ones bloodline ability, one would be unable to exert any might for an entire month. Yet, just by drinking a vat of wine, he felt the frailty that seemed to gue him right from the depths of his body starting to vanish! This was something that was unbelievable to him! One must know that the frailty after activating ones bloodline ability was a problem that had gued Sage ns for countless years. Much research had been done to alleviate the problem, but there was still no feasible and affordable solution to resolve it. But as he gulped down more and more wine, he could feel his vitality swiftlying back to him, returning to his peak state. By the time he was done with the second vat of wine, all frailty he felt had already vanished without a trace! Zhang shi... The astounded Luo Xuanqing turned to look at Zhang Xuan, wanting to know how he managed to do it. Close your eyes and dont resist me... Zhang Xuan interrupted Luo Xuanqings words with wave of his hand. Then, he flicked his finger, and countless needles flew over. Tzzzzzzz! As soon as the silver needles pierced into his body, Luo Xuanqing immediately felt a unique energy coursing through his body. The meridians that had ended up getting blocked as a result of him activating his bloodline ability slowly opened up once more. To make an analogy, activating ones bloodline ability was like causing a machine to go on overdrive. Once it cooled down, the energy that had gotten into narrow meridians would slowly agglutinate, causing blockages in the area, making it difficult for one to drive ones zhenqi through them. In other words, what was blocking the meridians was not impurities but ones own zhenqi! However, the energy that flowed through the silver needle melted the agglutinated zhenqi as if ice in the face of boiling water, clearing those meridians swiftly. In just moments, Luo Xuanqing felt refreshed and energized, and strength swiftly returned to his body, surging through his entirety. This... Yuan Xiao and the others nced at one another, bbergasted. Recovering ones vitality through drinking wine could still be rationalized by the wine being concocted using potent recovery medicinal herbs... but to replenish ones zhenqi just by sticking a few silver needles in, that was a little too exaggerated! Having recovered his zhenqi, Luo Xuanqing no longer felt as withered before. He flicked his wrist, took out a pill, and threw it into his mouth. Geji! Geji! As he absorbed the energy harnessed within the pill, the energy in his body grew stronger and stronger. In less than an hour, he had already returned to his peak state. You are really able to resolve the side effects from activating ones bloodline ability... Getting to his feet and feeling the strength coursing through his body, Luo Xuanqing stared at the young man before him with a look of disbelief. Ever since he was young, his n elders had always warned him against activating his bloodline ability easily, or else he would have to undergo a long period of recuperation. Who knew that the formation master he had coincidentally met would actually be able to resolve his problems so easily? This is a secret art of mine, and it depletes my energy greatly as well, so I earnestly request for you all not to let this matter out, Zhang Xuan said with a pale face as he sped his fist. Luo Xuanqings cultivation was simply too much higher than his. He had needed to expend nearly all of his zhenqi before he was able to heal the other party. It would be best for him to avoid doing this in the future, or else he would probably die of overexertion after treating a couple of people. Un. It was apparent that Zhang Xuan had also pushed himself a little too much in the recovery process, and the others also understood the significance of this matter. Thus, they swiftly nodded in agreement. After a short moment of rest, Zhang Xuan said, Since Brother Luo has already recovered fully, lets push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan right now then! Alright. Luo Xuanqing nodded. Then, with a slightly lost look on his face, he asked, What should I do now? Even though he had managed to recover to his full strength, he was still some way off from pushing for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm. Otherwise, he would not have gone through the trouble of looking for the Dongxu Gourd either. You should assimte this item first. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a vine over. Although the power of Dimension Sundering within the vine was slightly inferior to that of the Dongxu Gourd, it was apparent that assimting it would do one much good in pushing for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm. It was due this vine that he dared promise Luo Xuanqing that he would help him achieve a breakthrough. Alright. Nodding, Luo Xuanqing began pumping his zhenqi into the vine, attempting to assimte it for his own. This was only a small segment of the entire vine, so it was not too difficult to assimte it. It took him less than six hours to seed. Within the period of time Luo Xuanqing spent assimting the vine, Zhang Xuan had managed to recover fully as well. Alright, store it in your dantian! Zhang Xuan instructed. Seeing how slow Luo Xuanqings movement was, he tapped his finger forward. Tz! The vine immediately dived right into Luo Xuanqings dantian. This... Luo Xuanqing widened his eyes in disbelief. In his view, the vine was only an ordinary item. Even if he were to assimte it, there would be nothing that woulde out of it. However, when he fused it into his dantian, he realized that the vine actually harnessed countless folded spaces packed together! In fact, it could be said that the effect of the vine was nearly no different from assimting the Dongxu Gourd itself! Seeing that Luo Xuanqing finally understood, Zhang Xuan casually said, Alright, you can push for a breakthrough now. It was only with the Eye of Insight that he could discern the power of Dimension Sundering that was harnessed within the vine. The otherscked the ability to do so, so naturally, they were not able to notice it. Alright. With his body back to its peak state and having assimted the vine, Luo Xuanqing knew that it was the ideal opportunity for him to achieve a breakthrough. Thus, he took a seat on the ground and began conditioning his breathing, preparing himself for a breakthrough. Some timeter... With a resounding explosion, a powerful aura flowed forth from his body. His aura abruptly surged, and in just a few moments, he had already ovee his bottleneck. However, as he advanced into the Half-Dimension Sundering realm, his cultivation gradually came to a halt. Seeing as Luo Xuanqings flow of energy gradually came to a halt, Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully, Whats wrong? Are youcking the strength to push for a breakthrough straight to Saint 8-dan? Under normal circumstances, considering that Luo Xuanqing was in his peak state and that he had assimted the vine, he should have been able to push for a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm with ease. Why did he stop at just Half-Dimension Sundering realm? As long as I wish to do so, I can push for a breakthrough at any moment. However, at Saint 8-dan, ones Dominion will be imbued with the power of Dimension Sundering, which is equivalent to wrestling power from the surrounding space. However, the space in this folded space is considerably weaker and less stable, so even if I do achieve a breakthrough here, the increase in my fighting prowess will not be as great, Luo Xuanqing exined. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Even though he had alreadyprehended the third dan of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he still knew close to nothing about the Dimension Sundering realm. As such, he was unable to anticipate such a possible pitfall. At the Dimension Sundering realm, cultivators would seek to sunder the space from the world to strengthen themselves, and naturally, the space sundered from folded spaces would inevitably be weaker than those sundered straight from the natural world. The space of the natural world hade to achieve an exquisite bnce over countless years of development, so achieving a breakthrough there would be much more beneficial to one in terms of increment in fighting prowess or future potential. More importantly, when a cultivator achieves a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan, a lightning tribtion will be drawn in. If I challenge the trial back at the Sanctum of Sages, Ill be less susceptible to the offense of inner demons, making it easier for me to seed. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The Sanctum of Sages carried the aura left behind by Kong shi and generations of master teachers, and due to the righteous air that lingered in the area, inner demons dared not wreak havoc when one was challenging a tribtion. As such, achieving a breakthrough in the Sanctum of Sages would be much easier than doing so outside. After all, not everyone was like him, capable of talking an inner demon into submission. He really seeded... How did he manage to do it? Seeing how Luo Xuanqing, who had difficulty even standing up not too long ago due to the side effects from activating his bloodline ability, sessfully made a breakthrough to Half-Dimension Sundering realm, the faces of Bi Hongyin and the others flushed red in agitation. Even though they had not reached Phantasm Space realm pinnacle yet, as long as they were to cultivate hard, they should be able to reach it within a few years. If they could engage Zhang shis help then and push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, their ns would surely view them with far greater regard and grant them greater authority! Brother Luo, how much has your strength grown after achieving a breakthrough to the Half-Dimension Sundering realm? Yun Lianhai asked curiously. How much has my strength grown? Hearing that question, Luo Xuanqingughed heartily and grabbed the space in front of him. Kacha! He tore off a fragment of space, creating a rift ahead of him. Everyone widened their eyes in shock. Even though they were in a folded space and Luo Xuanqing had always possessed exceptional control over space, this was still an astounding feat. Even Dimension Sundering realm intermediate stage experts would have incredible trouble achieving such a feat! Theres no need to worry. Theres no problem in the breakthrough method that Zhang shi has imparted to me. If I meet with that bastard Zhang Chun again, Ill be able to beat him up to the point where even his own father wont be able to recognize him, Luo Xuanqing said in excitement. He had beenpeting with Zhang Chun for many years, and each time he achieved a breakthrough, thetter would swiftly follow suit as well. Neither of them was able to shake the other off. It was for this reason that he was determined to find the Dongxu Gourd so as to surpass thetter once and for all. Who would have thought that, even though the Dongxu Gourd did not recognize him, he would still be able to sessfully make a breakthrough? With his newfound strength, he would make sure to put that fellow through a round of suffering when he returned to the Sanctum of Sages! Thats a relief... Everyone first heaved a sigh of relief before they slowly directed heated gazes toward Zhang Xuan. Ah... Facing everyones passionate gazes, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment and said, Since we have resolved the matter concerning the Dongxu Gourd, shall we return to the Sanctum of Sages now? Wait a moment first, Luo Xuanqing said with a smile. I dont think that theres only the Dongxu Gourd in this ancient domain. In fact, the reason I invited Yun Lianhai over is to borrow his ability to scan the surroundings. Perhaps, we might be able to find much more valuable treasures in here! Chapter 1363 - Looped Space

Chapter 1363: Looped Space

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A spirit vein was torn out of the mountain valley and ced into this folded space in order to supply it with energy. Surely the person who had left behind this folded space would not have conducted this huge operation just to nourish a mere Dongxu Gourd, right? There had to be something more to it. At this moment, Zhang Xuan also came to the same conclusion. He shot a nce at Bi Hongyin and the others and noticed theck of surprise on their faces. From the look of it, it seemed like they had known this in advance as well, which was also the reason they were willing to lend their strength to help Luo Xuanqing obtain the Dongxu Gourd despite the danger involved. Yun Lianhai, well be counting on you! Luo Xuanqing said with a solemn nod. Un. Leave it to me, Yun Lianhai replied. Without any hesitation, he executed his secret art once more, and a series of ripples diffused from his be into the surroundings. The folded space expanded far beyond the spatial seal where they had previously been. The ripples diffused for a very long time, to the point where Yun Lianhais body was beginning to tremble, before they finally came to a halt. How is it? Yun Lianhai had to gasp for air for quite a while before he managed to recover enough to reply. I have sensed some ancient objects, but Im not too sure if they are treasures. Lead the way! Luo Xuanqing said. As soon as the order was given, Yun Lianhai began making his way forward. After a roughly ten minutes journey, the crowd suddenly came to a halt with perplexed frowns on their faces. Judging from the river in the sky, it doesnt seem like we are getting anywhere. Could we possibly be trapped within a Confinement Formation? Bi Hongyin asked with a slightly perturbed voice. Throughout their journey, she could not help but realize that no matter where they traveled to, the river of spiritual energy still appeared to be at the exact same rtive position to them in the sky. It was almost as if they had not advanced a single step forward! Facing such a situation, Luo Xuanqing lowered his head and pondered for a moment before saying, It isnt a Confinement Formation but the effects of the distortion in space. Achieving a breakthrough to Half-Dimension Sundering realm had granted him a deeper understanding of space, allowing him to swiftly notice what was amiss with the surroundings. Distortion in space? Bi Hongyin asked doubtfully. The scenery around them appeared topletely normal, devoid of the bizarre warps simr to the cone-shaped vortex they had seen prior to entering this folded space. As such, she could not help but harbor some doubts toward Luo Xuanqings judgement. The distortion in space here spans across the entire folded space, so it isnt visible to the eye. The space that wemonly see is three-dimensional in nature, and it stretches endlessly into the surroundings. On the other hand, the space within this folded space seems to take the form of a ring. Traveling in a straight line will result in us walking in a loop, bringing us back to the point that we started from, Luo Xuanqing exined. On top of that, a distortion in space will cause light to distort as well, and this creates the illusion that we are walking in a straight line even though we are effectively walking in circles! If we could jump out of this folded space and look at ourselves from above, we should see that our bodies are distorted instead of upright! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Distorted spaces were not apparent to those who were standing within them. In a sense, this was simr to how it was not apparent to an individual that the earth was round just by looking at their immediate surroundings. The situation they were currently facing was simr to two endpoints in space connecting with one another, forming a closed loop that resulted in them walking in endless circles. If thats the case... how do we leave this folded space? Yuan Xiao asked apprehensively. Luo Xuanqing hesitated for a moment before replying, Shatter the folded space! Hearing that, Bi Hongyin shook her head and said, Folded spaces arent stable. If anything goes wrong while shattering the folded space, theres a good chance that we might be trapped here for life! Folded spaces were not as stable as spaces in the natural world, and they were incapable of regenerating on their own. So, if someone exerted too much strength, it could result in itsplete copse, and all of them would be reduced to dust. It was also for this reason that it would be unsafe for them to bring the Saint 8-dan Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in. This... Luo Xuanqing frowned. He also understood this much, or else he would have made a move immediately instead of wasting his breath on words. Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. Actually, theres no need to shatter this space. Oh? The crowd quickly turned their sights over. Look at the flow of the spiritual energy above us. No matter where we walk, it remains right above us. This only means that the space around the river is stable, or in other words, it isnt within the folded space we are in! Zhang Xuan exined. Looks of realization dawned upon the crowd. Indeed, if the river was within the looped folded space as well, its rtive position to them should change along with their movement. It did not make sense for it to remain fixed in position. If we wish to escape from here, we just have to find a way to delve into the river and move against its current, Zhang Xuan said. Thats right! Luo Xuanqings eyes lit up upon hearing those words, and he quickly nodded in agreement as well. Since thats the case, lets make a move! Without any hesitation, the crowd immediately flew toward the river. The river was actually a spirit vein. As soon as the crowd made their way into it, they felt overwhelming spiritual energy pouring toward them at an incredible speed, causing their breathing to hasten. Luo Xuanqing waved his hand and formed a massive spatial bubble around the crowd, alleviating the pressure resulting from the strong currents in the river. With that, the difort was reduced significantly, and they began to make their way forward slowly. This spirit vein could have been passed off as pinnacle spirit stones, but it has expended itself too much in order to sustain this space. What a pity! Zhang Xuan thought inmentation. If this massive spirit vein had still been in the mountain valley, it surely would have developed into a spirit mine filled with plenty of pinnacle spirit stones. However, in order to allow the space to remain operating normally, the spiritual energy within it had been slowly depleting, to the point where even producing high-tier spirit stones was a problem for it now. But again, if this spirit vein had actually produced pinnacle spirit stones, it would have long been harvested by the other powers. There was no way they would have gotten a chance to obtain the Dongxu Gourd. Right! I should try and see if I canmunicate with that fellow! Knowing that he would not be in any danger with Luo Xuanqing around, Zhang Xuan turned his consciousness into his body, toward his dantian. He swiftly saw the fellow who had willfully dived into his body lying leisurely on the ground, exuding vibes simr to azy Sunday morning. Seeing how the gourd was able to remainpletely unfazed after all the trouble it had caused him, displeasure swiftly filled Zhang Xuans mind. Since that fellow has absorbed my blood and acknowledged me, I should be considered as its master now! Thus, he began trying to establish control over the Dongxu Gourd. Tzzzzz! Under the drive of his power, the Dongxu Gourd began revolving in the air. The power of space contained within the Dongxu Gourd began flowing through his body. Hu! Wherever the power of space swept by, the Heavens Path zhenqi in the area of his dantian would suddenly copse inward, as if it had fallen into a depression. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. He had spent a great deal of effort to recover his zhenqi, so how could the Dongxu Gourd make it disappear just by emanating a bit of power? No, thats not it. Its not that my zhenqi has disappearedthe space within my dantian has been changed. I can store much more zhenqi in here now... After a swift scan, Zhang Xuan was stunned. It was not that his zhenqi had vanished into thin air; the surrounding space had been distorted, allowing him to store much more zhenqi had before. Wait a moment. A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. If I could set up a closed loop within my dantian as well and keep my zhenqi in perpetual revolution, not only will I be able to store more zhenqi, Ill be able to draw it swifter than before as well, granting me more explosive power. As perplexing as the idea of a looped space might have sounded to one who was encountering it for the first time, it was actually a rather simple concept, and it was not too difficult for him to implement. If I could exert all of my zhenqi in an instant, I might just be able to execute the Ocean Cataclysm Sword... With that thought, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Even though the Ocean Cataclysm Sword still had a few ws here and there, the main reason he could not execute it yet was mainly due to his output of zhenqi being too low. No matter how huge a tank was, the amount of water it could pump out was still limited by the width of its pipes. The Ocean Cataclysm Sword required far greater outburst of zhenqipared to the Sea Severing Sword, but if he could set up such a looped space within his dantian, he might just be able to draw forth sufficient zhenqi instantaneously to execute the technique. Let me give a try... Tzzzzzzz! Sensing his strength, the Dongxu Gourd began to revolve slowly, gradually releasing the power of space around Zhang Xuans dantian. It was a little simr to a bee constructing its beehive. It seems like itll take a while before the construction isplete. Owing to the limitations in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan knew that it would take him a lot of effort to construct a looped space within his dantian even with the help of the Dongxu Gourd. Nevertheless, it was a relief to see that he was able to drive the Dongxu Gourd without it resisting him. This meant that he had really managed to assimte thetter. Watching the construction of the folded space in his dantian, Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. Itll be fine as long as it doesnt cause any trouble. Just that, Ill need quite a bit of spiritual energy toplete the construction, so I need to start looking for spirit stones once more... Due to his cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher, his zhenqi capacity far exceeded that of an ordinary cultivator. However, with the setting up of a looped space, he would require a lot more zhenqi in order to fill it up. Making a rough calction, he would require ten times as much as what he had at the moment! This meant that he would have to gather spirit stones, absorb the spiritual energy within them, convert that into zhenqi, and deposit it into his looped space. But given how poor he was at the moment, where was he supposed to look for more spirit stones? If it reallyes down to it, perhaps I should get Sun Qiang topile a list of cultivators who are on the verge of a breakthrough in the Sanctum of Sages and share their lightning tribtion when ites, Zhang Xuan contemted seriously. He had benefited greatly from absorbing energy from the lightning tribtion during his previous breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. Since he was able to do that for his lightning tribtion, there should not be any reason he could not do the same for the other lightning tribtions. With that, he should be able to fill up his dantian easily without any trouble. I should have a discussion with Brother Luoter on and request to observe his lightning tribtion. Zhang Xuan nodded as he made up his mind on the matter. After the previous absorption, the energy harnessed within ordinary lightning tribtions would not have much use to him anymore. However, the lightning tribtion that Luo Xuanqing would have to face when he pushed for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm should be able to meet his standards. Look, whats that? While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, a sudden exmation from the group pulled him back to reality. Raising his head to take a look, he realized that they had already reached the end of the river flow. A mountain range filled with peaks that rose right above the clouds appeared before his eyes. However, on second look, he realized that the mountain was not real. It felt fleeting and beyond reach, a little like a painting someone had hung at the horizon of the world or perhaps just a mere mirage, a product of ones imagination. Thats the highest level of painting, World Composition! Luo Xuanqing remarked grimly. World Composition? A painting at the level of World Composition far exceeds the realm Evocative Vividness, reaching a level where even humans can enter and live within the painting, Luo Xuanqing said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. He took a closer look at the painting, and suddenly, a feeling of dj vu came to him. He racked his brain in an attempt to capture the source of this feeling of familiarity when his eyes narrowed in astonishment. This mountain range... Isnt it the same as the one in the painting that the Qingtian Emperor made me decipher? Chapter 1364 - You Again!

Chapter 1364: You Again!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Back in the Qingyuan Empire, the Qingtian Emperor visited the Painter Guild with a copper mask in hand, seeking help to remove the seal on a painting he had. In the end, Zhang Xuan was the one who managed to remove the seal, and beneath it, he found an illusory image of Kong shi. And for him to see a higher level painting that depicted the identical mountain range to the one he had seen before... Could they be depicting the same location? Kong shis image isnt on the painting though. Did the painter intentionally choose not to draw it, or did he not notice Kong shis presence? Zhang Xuan frowned. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the painting he had acquired from the Qingtian Emperor andpared it to the mountain range on the ninth level painting before him. The features werepletely identical to one another, well, with the exception of theke of bathingdies. Thats the [White Creek Mountain] of the Empire Alliance. Its located at a ce very far away from the Sanctum of Sages, such that even a Saint 7-dan beast would require a flight of three months in order to reach there! Taking a nce at the painting in Zhang Xuans hand, Luo Xuanqing said. He was slightly surprised initially to see that Zhang Xuan had a painting of the same scenery as the ninth level painting before them, but he didnt think too much into it. After all, due to the splendid scenery at the White Creek Mountain, there were quite a few paintings of it circting out there in the world. White Creek Mountain... Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath as he tightened his fists. While the painting you have cantpete with the ninth level painting up there, its still amendable work of art. It has managed to bring out the splendor and beauty of the mountain range in full. Luo Xuanqingplimented. This was a painting that could astound all painters in the Qingyuan Empire, but to Luo Xuanqings eyes, it could only be considered to be mendable. Indeed... Zhang Xuan replied perfunctorily as he kept the painting back to his storage ring with his mind wandering somewhere else. Now that he knew that the mountain range depicted in the painting was the White Creek Mountain, he would have to make a trip over there to take a look. Since Kong shis apparition was spotted there, there was a good chance that he might find Kong shis ancient domain over there too. Hu! While the two of them were chatting, the spatial bubble rose up from the river and arrived before the massive ninth level painting. Are we able to enter this painting too? Looking at the lifelike painting before him, Zhang Xuan asked in curiosity. There was bound to be a reason as to why the elder who had left the Dongxu Gourd here would leave a ninth level painting here as well. If they could enter the painting, they might just be able to unravel the secrets behind this folded space. It should be possible... Luo Xuanqing pondered for a moment before nodding. Ill head in to take a look then. Zhang Xuan said with a smile before heading in. This painting was not drawn on a paper but on top of the folded space. It consisted of multipleyers stitched together by the fabric of space, so Zhang Xuan had to fly for quite some time before he finally arrived before the massive mountain range. The sheer expanse the mountain range took granted it an imposing and grand aura. Flying upward, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at where he had reced Kong shis image with the bathingdies, and he swiftly scanned the area. A momentter, he shook his head in disappointment. There was nothing special to be seen here. There was no apparition of Kong shi or any hidden folded spaces and the such. Nevertheless, there should still be some reason why the elder chose to leave this ninth level painting in here... Zhang Xuan mumbled contemtively beneath his breath. If this ancient domain was really left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, everything would make perfect sense. He was Kong shis servant, and the reason why he left behind this painting was likely to remind future generations that there was something lying in the White Creek Mountain! Zhang Xuan continued scanning through the mountain range, but he was unable to find anything or note. Eventually, he could only return with empty hands. When he finally returned back to Luo Xuanqing and the others side, the mountain range suddenly shuddered slightly before dissipating silently. This painting has been around for too long. Its likely that time had already left it tattered throughout, and the only reason why its still able to maintain its original appearance is likely only because no one has touched it yet. Your act of entering the painting had ced too much stress on the painting, thus inevitably resulting in its dissipation. Luo Xuanqing exined. The slightly stunned Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. In a sense, this was simr to how even if old possessions were able to retain their beautiful outer appearances, their worn out within would only cause them to crumble to dust upon touch. Zhang Xuan took onest nce at the dissipated painting before turning his gaze back forward. A rather wide passageway had appeared before them. Following behind Luo Xuanqing and the others footsteps, hended on top of the passageway. After all of the spatial distortion he had been through, it felt reassuring to have his feet nted onto solid ground. The artifact that I sensed is in there! Yun Lianhai said with eyes gleaming with excitement. As soon as he stepped onto the passageway, the fuzzy feeling he had received from the treasure before suddenly turned extremely distinct. As long as they were to walk down this path, they should be able to find quite a few good stuff. Great! Hearing that the treasure was located not too far away from them, the crowd immediately felt energized, and they began making their way forward. Before long, a pce unfolded before their eyes. While it was called a pce, it wasnt too big or extravagant. Instead, its ancient design seemed to bemunicating the long history behind it. Its likely that there might be danger in here. Let me head in to take a look first. Luo Xuanqing said before taking the lead forward. The gates of the pce were carved from stone, and it was densely filled with inscriptions. These are Spatial Inscriptions, unique characters which Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has created! Through studying these characters, one couldprehend the essence of space. Our n has a detailed interpretation of these words. Luo Xuanqing eximed in astonishment. Spatial Inscriptions? Zhang Xuan looked at those characters contemtively for a moment before nodding. He had seen those words at the Qiu Wu Pce as well. The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm was written using these words. Back then, he had no idea what those words meant, but he still managed to learn the battle technique through emting the form of those words. If thats the case, does that mean that the ancient domain is really left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? Bi Hongyin asked in agitation. Even though Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was Kong shis servant, his true strength was no weaker than the founder of the Sanctum of Sages, Ancient Sage Bo Shang. More importantly, hisprehension of space had reached an extremely high level. If they could obtain his heritage, it would only be a matter of time before they achieved a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan or even Saint 9-dan. Thats most likely to be the case... But its a little weird though. My n has a huge collection of books detailing the life of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, but we have never heard that he has left behind such an ancient domain before! Luo Xuanqing said with a bewildered frown. Asplicated as this ancient domain appears to be, to experts of the caliber of an Ancient Sage, its something that they can create on a whim. I think its likely that not even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu remembered about this ancient domain he had left behind... Yun Lianhai said. Coming from a n of treasure hunters, he hade into contact with simply too many treasures in the world. There were many ancient domains which appeared to be mystifyingly profound to those of theter generations, and the treasures within them were incredibly valuable too. However, to those who had left them behind, those might not bear much significance at all. The difference in realms inevitably led to a huge difference in how they assessed the value of things. Thats true. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Take him for example, he wouldnt even blink an eye if someone were to throw a million high-tier spirit stones before him. However, in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, just the possession of a single high-tier spirit stone could already be considered as a great wealth. Simrly, while the Dongxu Gourd might seem to be iparably valuable to them, it might just be something that an Ancient Sage would just toss away casually. Luo Xuanqing, since you recognize those characters, what is written on there? Yun Lianhai asked. Its a message intended for theter generations who discover this ancient domain. The general meaning is that those who are able toe this far are bound to have a deep understanding of space and are qualified to obtain his heritage. Ah, the way to open the door is also detailed on it... Luo Xuanqing said as he examined the inscriptions on the wall closely. After many years of studying these Spatial Inscriptions, the Luo n had alreadypiled a book that allowed others to interpret the meaning behind these characters. Heritage? Does this meant to say that the heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu lies in the pce? That seems so. Luo Xuanqing nodded. Taking a deep breath, he said, Im going to open the door now, so be careful. It isnt easy for us toe to this point, so nothing must go wrong at this moment... After saying those words, he took a step backward before he raised his hand and tapped his finger forward. A surge of zhenqi poured forth and struck the gates. He sent out a total of three such surges of zhenqi in a Ʒ formation, and energy began rippling across the surface of the gates. Jiyaya!, it began to slowly open. Luo Xuanqing immediately drove his zhenqi to create a protective barrier around him in preparation for what would appear. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was a respected and celebrated figure, but since he had left his heritage behind here, he must have set up all kinds of trials in order to assess the qualification of those who sought his heritage. It would be better for them to proceed carefully. Luo Xuanqing stepped into the pce, and some timeter, he waved his hand to beckon for the others and said, Theres no danger. Come in! The crowd quickly swarmed in and found themselves standing within a hall. It waspletely empty, except for a sculpture erected not too far away. Its Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! Upon seeing the face on the sculpture, Zhang Xuan eximed. He had seen Ancient Sage Qiu Wu back in the Qiu Wu Pce, so naturally, he could recognize the sculpture here too. This is Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? Despiteing from illustrious backgrounds, this was the first time they were seeing Ancient Sage Qiu Wus sculpture. I have seen before Ancient Sage Qiu Wus painting, thats indeed him. Luo Xuanqing replied before directing a perplexed nce at Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, how did you know its him? Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had maintained a low profile in his lifetime, so there werent too many records on him. The Luo n was only able to recognize the other party through a painting they had in their possession, so how was the young man before him able to recognize it with a look? You said earlier that those words were left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, so I thought that the sculpture must be him as well... Zhang Xuan replied sheepishly. The Qiu Wu Pce carried the secret of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, so it was best for him to avoid talking about it for the tie being. On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to speak about the matter, Luo Xuanqing also didnt push him for a response either. Everyone had their own private encounters and secrets, and there was no purpose in insistently dredging them up. Instead, he walked over to the sculpture, kneeled onto the ground, and respectfully kowtowed a few times before standing up once more. Our Luo ns understanding of spatialws originated from Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage, so our ancestor has made a rule that if any member of the Luo n were to encounter Ancient Sage Qiu Wus sculpture or will, we must kowtow to him to honor him as our grandteacher! Luo Xuanqing exined. The Luo ns understanding of spatialws originated from Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He turned to look at Yuan Xiao and the others, but they seemed to already be aware of this matter. Space is an intrinsic nature of the world, so unlike swordsmanship and the others, which can be developed into many different Quintessences, it has only one true path. As such, their heritages are more unified... Zhang Xuan came to a realization. He should have known this earlier. It was no wonder why the Annal of Bedstead Disquisition Sage Luo had left behind was able to perfect the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. It turned out that the both of them had originated from the same source. Junior Luo Xuanqing ys respect to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! After saying those words, Luo Xuanqing reached out his hand and ced it on the lower pedestal of the sculpture. Weng! A light buzz echoed in the air for a moment before brilliant light burst forth from the sculpture. The unmoving sculpture slowly opened its eyes. The will of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu... Bi Hongyin, Yuan Xiao, and the others widened their eyes in shock, and without any hesitation, they kneeled to the ground. One must know that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was an expert which was even older than the founder of their respective heritages, such that even those founders would have to kneel down and address him as senior. Back then, while I was passing by here, I happen to chance upon the seed of the Dongxu Gourd, so I decided to nt it, hoping that it would be of some help to theter generations. The fact that you are able toe this far shows that you have achieved a deepprehension of space and is qualified to obtain my heritage... the sculpture began speaking. Thank you, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu... Everyone felt agitated to receive Ancient Sage Qiu Wus recognition. Luo Xuanqing was just about to utter some words of gratitude when he suddenly realized that not too far away, Zhang Xuan was still standing. A frown emerged on his forehead as he berated, Zhang shi, why are you not paying your respects to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu... But barely after those words were spoken, Ancient Sage Qiu Wus sculpture had also turned his head over, and a horrified look appeared on his face, You again! Chapter 1365 - Collapse of the Ancient Domain

Chapter 1365: Copse of the Ancient Domain

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You recognize me? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. You made mee to see the ws in my cultivation, so you can be considered half a teacher to me. How could I not recognize you? the sculpture replied. ws in Ancient Sage Qiu Wus cultivation? Half a teacher? Does this mean that... Zhang shi has actually offered pointers to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? The teeth of Luo Xuanqing, Bi Hongyin, and the others ttered from shock upon hearing those words. The significance of this matter was truly big, to the point that knowing too much might even cost them their lives! But... arent you a fragmented soul? Zhang Xuan asked in intrigue. Even though they had met once another in the Qiu Wu Pce, each fragmented soul should have been an independent existence. Normally, it should have been impossible for any of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus fragmented souls outside of the Qiu Wu Pce to share memories with those within, so how did the one before him recognize him? Each fragmented soul is an independent existence, but the order in which they are created is significant, too. Itll be nigh impossible for fragmented souls that are created earlier to read into the memories of those who are createdter, but as for fragmented souls that are createdter, through some special means, it isnt too difficult for them to share the memories of those that were created earlier. Not to mention, you are even carrying my heritage along with you, so its even easier for me to do so, the sculpture exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had been carrying the Qiu Wu Pce with him wherever he went, and while it was currently stored in his storage ring, considering Ancient Sage Qiu Wus unfathomable mastery over space, it was not too difficult for him to figure out what had happened within. Its no wonder you tamed the Dongxu Gourd and got here so quickly. Your presence here exins everything. Ahem, I still have some things to attend to, so... Goodbye! With a sudden kacha!, a crack ran through the sculpture. Following which, the imposing aura that waspelling subservience in the crowd receded like an ebbing tide. Boom! Following which, the sculpture abruptly exploded into countless fragments amid a cloud of dust, and it took a long while before everything settled on the ground. This... Ancient Sage Qiu Wus will... has dissipated? But he hasnt told us what the heritage is yet! With twitching eyebrows, Luo Xuanqing and the others wed at their hair, unable to believe the situation unfolding right before them. They had traveled far to get there, and after a great deal of hard work, they had finally been just a step away from obtaining the heritage when the sculpture abruptly exploded before their eyes, and the will harnessed within it dissipated. What the heck was this? They slowly turned toward Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi... Facing the res of the crowd, Zhang Xuan waspletely dumbfounded as well. Was that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu not a little too unreliable? He had also dissipated the previous time before saying what the heritage was! In fact, this time around, he had barely said anything at all. He had seen so many wills... but in terms of speed, that fellow was surely the first! It was no wonder he coulde up with battle techniques such as the Unbounded Voyager. It turned out to bepletely aligned with his innate nature! But thinking of it again, Kong shi was rather fast as well. They had met two times so far, but each time, he did not manage to get the solution for the Innate Fetal Poison out of him. This master and servant pair... No wonder the two of them managed to click with one another! Under the murderous res that were intensifying by the moment, Zhang Xuan replied with twitching lips, Ahem, maybe this is a test posed to us by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? He might have hidden the heritage somewhere in this folded space and want us to find it ourselves? That had been the case in the Qiu Wu Pce too. After Ancient Sage Qiu Wus will dissipated, he had managed to find the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel through studying the three words Qiu Wu Pce at the entrance. Considering that it was the same Ancient Sage Qiu Wu they were talking about, he was likely to go by the same pattern. Hearing those words, the crowd traded doubtful gazes, seemingly trying to ascertain the likelihood of Zhang Xuans words being true. Luo Xuanqing pondered for a moment before saying, Back then, before our old ancestor obtained Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage andprehended the spatialws, he also seemed to have gone through a simr experience. Zhang shi is right. A person like Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would only pass down his heritage to those who have undergone his careful selection. It wouldnt make sense for him to give his all to someone he has only met once! Letsb through the area. We might just be able to find something. Seeing that Luo Xuanqing had covered up for him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Bi Hongyin and the others nodded before getting to their feet to search the area. The walls of the pce were also made of some kind of mysterious stone, and just like the gates, there were characters inscribed on them as well. Bi Hongyin and the others could not interpret those characters, so they could only turn to Luo Xuanqing for help. These characters arent a cultivation technique but just inscriptions to fortify the defenses of the pce. Even though this is a folded spacethus, there are no storms to weatherthis fortification yed a crucial role in allowing the pce to remain standing even after the passing of many millenniums, Luo Xuanqing exined. Regardless of weather conditions, all structures would still eventually wear down with time. Without the fortification inscriptions, the pce would have long copsed from the rued damage. Seeing that these characters meant nothing at all, the crowd was a little disappointed. At this point, Bi Hongyin suddenly thought of something and turned to Yun Lianhai. The heritage should also be considered a treasure, too. Yun Lianhai, do you sense anything in the area? Since Yun Lianhai had been able to lead them there, there was a chance he would be able to lead them to the heritage left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu as well. Ill give it a try. Yun Lianhai nodded before activating his unique ability. This ability of his could only be considered to be tapping into his bloodline rather than activating it, so while it would cause some damage to him, it was not to the point where he would be incapacitated for an entire month. Opening the third eye in between his eyebrows, he swept the area swiftly before suddenlying to a halt. I sense something weird in that direction... He pointed in a direction as he said those words. The crowd quickly turned their gazes over. It was directed toward the area just beneath the sculpture. Rummaging through the shattered stone fragments, they soon found traces of a folded space. Wonderful! The eyes of the crowd lit up, and Luo Xuanqing raised his finger and tapped on the folded space. Weng! With a brilliant burst of light, a line of words surged out of the folded space and appeared before the crowd. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist! Zhang Xuan read out. He had thought that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had just said those words on a whim, but who would have thought that he had really left his heritage behind? Legend has it that Ancient Sage Qiu Wus strongest battle techniques involve his finger, sword, fist, and palm, and they carry the prefix Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow. The palm art is at Saint intermediate-tier, the fist art is at Saint high-tier, and the sword art is at Saint pinnacle... Even the old ancestor of my Luo n was unable to find those battle techniques, but to think that we would actually stumble on one of them here... Luo Xuanqing was so agitated that his eyes were glowing. Finger, sword, fist, and palm? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had learned the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm before, and it was indeed a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique. He had thought that it was just an independent battle technique, but to think that it would actually be part of an entire series! He quickly looked at the words in the sky andmanded in his mind, ws! Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. cing his finger on it, a constipated look swiftly appeared on Zhang Xuans face. There are even more ws with it, Zhang Xuan thought with a shake of his head. Just the 27 ws in the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm had left him feeling deeply ufortable within, but this one actually had 31 ws. To be fair, it was a decent battle technique with formidable strength, but... how could he bring himself to cultivate such a wed technique? Ever since he started cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art, he had already grown ustomed to practicing skills that were devoid of ws. Like a germaphobe, even the slightest hint of a fault would leave him feeling deeply ufortable, as if bugs were crawling over his skin... and there were actually 31 of them in this manual! Zhang Xuan swiftly gathered all of the fist art manuals that he had practiced so far andpiled them together with it. Compile! There are still 28 ws. Even though Zhang Xuan had seen quite a number of fist art manuals in the past, their tier was simply too low. They were still sorelycking toplement the faults found in a Saint high-tier fist art. Several hundred thousand books, but they only managed to remove three ws in total. Zhang Xuan shook his head and consoled himself. Forget it, Ill just have to find more fist art manuals when I return to the Sanctum of Sages to perfect the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist. In any case, there were plenty of secret manuals in the Sanctum of Sages. As long as he could clear the examination for them, he should be able to gather quite a number of fist art manuals. With time, he would surely be able to perfect it! At this moment, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began trembling, and the space around them began distorting. Crap, this is bad. The dissipation of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus will and the taking away of the Dongxu Gourd have led to instability within the space. At this rate, itll soon copse, Luo Xuanqing eximed in shock. Simr to the Mountain Gate of the Sanctum of Sages, the structure of this folded space was simply tooplicated. Without someone to sustain its operations, it would swiftly copse at the slightest hint of impact. And clearly, this was what was happening at the moment. Copse? Everyones face paled. As powerful as they were, they were still limited by the space they were in. If the folded space were to copse, there was a good chance that they would be crushed between dimension rifts and die... unless they could achieve a level that surpassed this folded space! But that would require them to be at Saint 9-dan at the very minimum! We need to leave right now, or else we might just die in here! Luo Xuanqing eximed anxiously. But... I have only remembered two lines of the entire fist art! Bi Hongyin eximed with a reddened face. I have also only managed to remember two lines, Yuan Xiao said. There were countless cultivators who dream of obtaining Ancient Sage Qiu Wus battle technique, and it was a stroke of luck that they had managed to find it. Yet, to have to leave without memorizing its entirety... they just could not get over the indignation in their hearts. Your lives are more important. No matter how powerful the battle technique is, itll be futile if you dont have the life to practice it. I have also only managed to memorize four lines myself. Hurry up, lets go! Luo Xuanqing urged with a wave of his hand. This battle technique had been created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, and it harnessed the essence of his wisdom. All in all, it contained more than several hundred lines, and despite their superior memory as cultivators, it would still take them at least an hour to memorize everything. Barely a minute had passed so far, and it was already a formidable feat for them to have been able to memorize two to four lines. But again, between a battle technique and their lives, it was clear which was more important! Alright! Seeing that the surrounding space was shaking more and more intensely, such that dimension rift cracks had started appearing around the area, Bi Hongyin and the others realized that they could not afford to waste any more time. They quickly followed behind Luo Xuanqing to dash out of the folded space. Naturally, Zhang Xuan followed suit. They had proceeded slowly to carefully scan the area so as to ensure that they did not miss anything important when they were walking through the passageway toward the pce earlier, but with danger right behind them, they could not afford to do that. They flitted forward desperately as if their lives were on the line, and it took merely two breaths before they returned to the top of the river flow. Luo Xuanqing swiftly summoned a spatial bubble once more and wrapped it around the entire group before driving it forward with all his might. Ten breathster, they returned to the bottom of the river, where they had first encountered the Dongxu Gourd. Kacha! Kacha! Barely after they returned there, they saw a huge dimension rift swiftly devouring the pce and the river behind them. That was a close shave... Cold sweat trickled down the crowds backs. It was fortunate that they did not hesitate for too long there, or else they might have died. Lets quickly get out of here, Luo Xuanqing said as he used a secret art of the Luo n to forcefully tear open an exit in the folded space. Everyone quickly leaped up and headed out. Huuu huuuu! A deafening gale whistled by their ears, and intense vertigo swallowed them, leaving them in a deeply disoriented state. Fortunately, this onlysted for a moment. When they opened their eyes once more, they were already back at the cavern. Po! Barely after they managed to find their footing once more, the sesame-sized spatial distortion suddenly emanated a blinding burst of light before vanishing from view. The ancient domain had really fully copsed! Chapter 1366 - Let Me Teach You!

Chapter 1366: Let Me Teach You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist... The disappearance of the folded space meant that the ancient domain had be nothing more than a part of history. Even though they were relieved that they had managed to survive the copse, they still could not help but feel dismay regarding the loss of Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage. An unparalleled battle technique was right before them... and they missed it just like that. Even though I only managed to memorize a few lines, its still a battle technique left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. If I can internalize it well, I should be able to raise my fighting prowess significantly, Yuan Xiao said. Why dont we do this? Lets regurgitate the content that we memorized, put it all together, and analyze it. This way, we can at least make the best out of what we know of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist? I guess thats all we can do now! Bi Hongyin and the others quickly nodded in agreement. A battle technique of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fists tier was extremely difficult toprehend. Every single line carried a deep conception and great significance. Even though they had only managed to memorize a couple of lines, if they could just study it thoroughly, they should still be able to benefit greatly from it. Luo Xuanqing, you have the best memory of us all. Why dont you go first? Un. Luo Xuanqing nodded. The four lines that I have memorized are... As one of the top geniuses of the Luo n, he possessed superb memory. In just a short one to two minutes, he actually managed to memorize more than a hundred words. Hearing that what they had memorized was the exact same as what Luo Xuanqing had said, Yuan Xiao and the others heaved a sigh of relief. Just as they were about to start analyzing what those four lines meant, Yun Lianhai suddenly spoke up. I think I got the fifth line... Everyone quickly turned their gazes over with their bodies trembling in agitation. You memorized the fifth line? I think so. Yun Lianhai nodded as he quickly regurgitated the fifth line. As a treasure hunter, possessing a good memory was of vital importance in order to be able to put clues together. As good as Luo Xuanqings memory was, it was still slightlyckingpared to Yun Lianhais. Amazing. Even though its only five lines, it seems to have already opened up a new world to me, Luo Xuanqing remarked in awe as he ruminated over the words for a moment. At this point, a thought suddenly shed across his mind, and he turned to the silent Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, what about you? How many lines have you remembered? Me? Zhang Xuan had been too preupiedmenting over the destruction of the folded space that he had not really heard what the others were saying. He felt that if he could have gotten the Myriad Anthive Queen to swallow the space, he would have been able to increase the space in the Myriad Anthive nest significantly. He was slightly startled by the abrupt question before responding, Oh, I managed to memorize everything. You m-memorized... everything? bbergasted. They were all Saint 7-dan and Half Saint 8-dan experts, possessing superior analytical abilities, but even so, they only managed to memorize five lines in total. But he actually memorized everything? Indeed. Zhang Xuan nodded. Then... can you recite the content for us? Luo Xuanqing asked in agitation. Sure. Actually, why dont I just write it down for you? This way, you can refer to it whenever you want to... With a tap of his finger, a surge of zhenqi shot forth from Zhang Xuans fingers before abruptly bursting apart in the sky, forming a massive screen of light. Slowly, words began surfacing on the light screen. It was the cultivation method for the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist! He just had to use the Library of Heavens Path to collect the entire manual, so it did not even take him half a breath to memorize everything. All he had to do now was bring it out word for word, so it was no trouble at all. This... Looking at the screen filled with words before them, everyone gulped as they shot nces of disbelief at Zhang Xuan. To memorize so many words within just a minute or two... Just how in the world did he manage to do it? At this moment, Yun Lianhai suddenly eximed, Wait a moment, Zhang shi. There are a few words in your manual that are different from what I memorized. Everyone turned their gazes over and saw Yun Lianhai pointing toward the third line. Indeed, there were three words in the third line that were different from what they had discussed and agreed on earlier. Even though it was only a difference of three words, this alteration gave apletely different direction and conception to the battle technique. Could it be that... even though that fellow did manage to memorize the entire manual, his memory on certain portions was wed? If that was the case, they should not practice this version of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist even if it formed aplete manual. It was still fine if one failed to memorize a cultivation technique or battle techniquewhat was truly dangerous was if one had remembered it incorrectly. Even the slightest mistake in cultivation could possibly lead to one treading down the wrong path, possibly resulting in ones cultivation going berserk. Oh. After I was done memorizing the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist, I had some time to examine it closely. I realized that the cultivation technique had quite a few problems, so I made some alterations to it. However, due to the limitations of my knowledge, I was only able to correct a couple of the ws. Zhang Xuan sighed, and his head reddened in embarrassment. If he had more Saint high-tier fist art manuals to refer to, he would have been able to correct more of the ws. So far, of the 31 ws, he had only managed to correct three of them, which was not even a tenth of the total. This was truly a huge failure on his part. A-alterations? The crowd nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. While we were struggling to memorize two to five lines of the manual, you managed to memorize everything and even alter it. Their faces flushed red, and they felt as if they were about to explode from the sheer frustration bubbling within them. Quick at setting up formations? Fine, well tolerate that! Quick at deciphering poison? Alright, well ept that too! Quick at helping others achieving a breakthrough? Fine, well take that grudgingly as well... But to be able to memorize a manual that quickly and even have time to alter it... Dont you think that you are showing off a bit too much? Why dont you just give me a while first? If I can refer to the fist art manuals back at the Sanctum of Sages, I should be able to perfect it further, thus bringing its might up to a new height, Zhang Xuan said. It would not be nice for him to pass down such a disgustingly wed battle technique to others. It would be best if he could perfect it before imparting it to them. Yuan Xiao pondered for a moment before replying. Its fine. Ill just memorize the original version... I think Ill go with the original version. Zhang shi, may I trouble you to pen down the battle technique prior to your alterations? Bi Hongyin asked as well. Even their old ancestors would dare not alter a battle technique from an expert of that caliber easily. Despite the extraordinary feats that Zhang Xuan had achieved so far, they were hesitant to put themselves on the line to cultivate a battle technique that he had altered. Alright then. Knowing what the crowd was worried about, Zhang Xuan did not insist on the matter. With a wave of his hand, he reverted the portions that he had altered to their original version. Seeing that the content had been changed to its original state, the crowd hurriedly took out some paper and brushes to copy the content down. It would be disastrous if they memorized the content incorrectly, so it would be much safer for them to copy everything down instead. An hourter, they were finally done copying the manual. Zhang shi... earlier, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu said that he knows you. Have the both of you met one another before? Luo Xuanqing asked curiously. I happened to stumble into one of his ancient domain once, and after clearing his tests, I obtained his Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, Zhang Xuan said without going into detail or revealing the existence of the Qiu Wu Pce. I see! The crowd nodded in realization. Then... what about when Ancient Sage Qiu Wu talked about you seeing through the ws in his cultivation? Yuan Xiao asked. How could that possibly be true? The truth is that I happened to chance upon a book that detailed the ws in the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, so I spoke about it casually before Ancient Sage Qiu Wus will. Who would have thought that he would think so highly of me after the matter? Zhang Xuan said. Offering pointers to an Ancient Sage was simply too shocking a matter. Having something like that pinned to his reputation was not necessarily something good, especially considering how well-respected Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was. In any case, he was determined to deny this matter to the end. As for whether the others would believe him or not, that was not his problem anymore. This... Luo Xuanqing and the others felt that Zhang Xuan was not beingpletely honest to them, but his exnation was something that they could ept, so they decided to probe no further. Lets return! Even though Luo Xuanqing had failed to obtain the Dongxu Gourd this time around, he did manage to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation. As for the others, they also managed to obtain the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Fist, so it was not a wasted trip for them either. Shortly after walking out of the cavern, they were met with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. From it, they learned that Zhang Chun and the others had already regained consciousness two hours ago and left the area immediately. Toward this matter, Luo Xuanqing could not help but feel a tinge of disappointment. He had been hoping to try my newfound strength on that fellow so as to vent his many years of frustration, but who knew that the fellow would actually flee? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was not an aerial saint beast. While it was capable of moving at an incredible speed due to its superior cultivation, in terms of endurance, it still came nowhere near the Seven-colored Divine Crane. So, Zhang Xuan moved the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast into the Myriad Anthive Nest before leaving the valley with the others on the back of the Seven-colored Divine Crane. Here are your formation gs! Zhang Xuan walked up to Bi Hongyin and passed a huge stack of gs over. He had borrowed them from the other party for the mission, and since the mission hade to an end, it was only right for him to return them. Otherwise, how would he be any different from bandits? My understanding of formations is still deeplycking, so you can keep the gs. I think you will be able to do much more with them, Bi Hongyin said with a wave of her hand. In the view of others, she was not just a talented demonic tunistshe was also a proficient formation master, a true genius. However, after meeting the young man standing before her, she realized that her skills were still sorelycking. After witnessing what the young man was capable of, she was embarrassed to even tell others that she was a formation master. This wont do. How can I simply take your stuff like that? Zhang Xuan quickly shook his hands. Those were grade-8 formation gs, capable of setting up even grade-8 pinnacle formations. Even a single one of those was worth a huge fortune, let alone an entire bunch of them. He did not want to owe a debt to others over material possessions. Not to mention that the other party was ady, and they were currently before his future brother-inw. He had to make sure to conduct himself well! If you think its too much as a gift, itll do as long as you offer me some pointers when Im ready to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan. That way, I will be the one who has gotten a good deal instead, Bi Hongyin said. Of course, it was not because she was too rich that she gave so many valuable formation gs away for free. She was intending to make use of this opportunity to win Zhang Xuans goodwill so that she would be able to engage his help in the future, especially when she needed to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. He did not think that he would have much trouble helping Bi Hongyin achieve a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan, but the main problem was that how long would she take. Beyond the third month of the next year, he probably would not have time to attend to such misceneous matters anymore. With this thought in mind, he turned to Bi Hongyin and asked, How long will you need before you are ready to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan? How long? A confident smile emerged on Bi Hongyins lips as she replied, Im currently at Saint 7-dan advanced stage, ready to achieve a breakthrough soon. As long as I cultivate diligently, I should be able to sessfully make a breakthrough within three years. After reaching Saint 7-dan pinnacle, I will have to slowly reinforce my cultivation in order to build up a strong foundation for Saint 8-dan. I will require ten to twenty years for that. Three years and ten years? That is to say that you will need at least thirteen years before you can push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats right. Bi Hongyin nodded. My rate of cultivation can already be considered to be fasterpared to the others in the Sanctum of Sages. You might not feel it that much at the moment, but every step forward beyond the Leaving Aperture realm gets increasingly arduous, and the time and effort one has to put in increases exponentially. Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words. He could rte to that. Ever since he reached the Leaving Aperture realm, he could sense that the quantity of spiritual energy he needed to push for a breakthrough was much greater than before, and the time he took to achieve a breakthrough had increased from two hours to four hours. Really, the difficulty was so great that it left a numbing sensation on his scalp. If not for that, he would not have been so troubled by the matter. Seeing the awfulplexion on the young mans face, Bi Hongyin asked, Zhang shi, is my rate of cultivation too fast or too slow? This... Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying. Thirteen years is a little too long for me. I dont think I can wait till then... Why dont we do this instead? You should try to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan pinnacle on the spot and reinforce your cultivation, and when we finally reach the Sanctum of Sages, Ill help you push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan straight! Achieve a breakthrough on the spot? Bi Hongyins face twitched upon hearing those words. Zhang shi, you must be messing with me. If I really could really achieve a breakthrough as and when I like, I would have already done so. Im not messing with you. Zhang Xuan chuckled. Its just a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan pinnacle, no problem at all. Here, Ill impart a method to you. Twenty minutes, no, thats too long... Five minutes! Ill have you achieve a breakthrough within five minutes! Chapter 1367 - Ill Take You There

Chapter 1367: Ill Take You There

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Five minutes? Bi Hongyins eyelids twitched. She forcefully suppressed the disbelief that was rising in her heart and asked, What should I do? If anyone else had said those words to her, she definitely would have had the other party thrown off the back of the crane. However, it was different with the young man before her. Through his guidance, he was able to make Luo Xuanqing achieve a breakthrough within just a short span of time. That was more than enough to prove that he was a man of great abilities. Achieving a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan pinnacle was not a small matter, butpared to a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan, it was indeed a walk in the park. Let me take a look at the cultivation technique manual you are practicing. I need to know the nature of your cultivation technique in order to determine a feasible direction to work in, Zhang Xuan said. Alright! Bi Hongyin flicked her wrist and passed a book over. Zhang Xuan took the book and casually flipped it open. Seven Strings Music Forging Art! The cultivation technique that Bi Hongyin practiced was the strongest technique of the demonic tunists. With her body as the zither and her breaths as strings, she was able to produce music on thought. Even a simple word or hum from her was imbued with great power, drawing others under her control. After looking through the other partys cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan took out the book he hadpiled on Bi Hongyin when she executed her battle technique earlier and studied both of them together. Some timeter, he finally arrived at a solution. Cultivators of the Seven Strings Music Forging Art are able to temper their zhenqi into the seven strings of a zither, and upon breaking through to the Phantasmal Space realm, they are able to form the Seven Strings Dominion. Enemies who step into the Seven Strings Dominion will feel as if they have fallen into a world filled with demonic tunes. The slightestpse in ones guard against it could result in the injuring of ones Primordial Spirit and the breeding of inner demons within ones mind. Its indeed not too easy to achieve a breakthrough with this cultivation technique. However, you have already umted a strong enough foundation for a breakthrough, just that you are currentlycking onest thing, Zhang Xuan analyzed with a frown. May I know what it is? Bi Hongyin asked anxiously. Your Seven Strings Dominion isnt sharp enough yet. If an equally-skilled demonic tunist could put you under great pressure through attacking your openings, it should be possible to trigger your potential, allowing you to push for a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said. There were quite a few major ws in Bi Hongyins cultivation technique, but considering how far she hade cultivating it, it was already toote to change it. If she wanted to surpass her current bottleneck, there was only one way to do itto use music to stimte her music! By attacking the biggest openings in her body, her body would be ced under immense stress, and this would force her body to achieve a breakthrough. Put me under great pressure? Bi Hongyin was stunned for a moment before a bitter smile broke on her face. Suppression by demonic tunes requires one to achieve a very high level of mastery in demonic tunes. The only person I know who can achieve this feat is my teacher, but its a pity that shes not here. As simple as the idea is, it wont be easy to carry it out in practice. I happen to have some experience in demonic tunes as well. If you trust me, we can give it a shot, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. You are a demonic tunist too? Bi Hongyin could hardly believe what she was hearing. I did learn it for a while. Right, do you have any books regarding demonic tunes? Let me take a look through them. I need as many books as possible so as to find a detailed way as to how I can help you achieve a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said. Alright. Bi Hongyin nodded. She flicked her wrist, and a huge pile of books immediately appeared on the back of the crane. She turned her gaze to Zhang Xuan and said, These are all of the books rting to demonic tunes that I have with me at the moment. There are around two thousand of them here. Responding with a nod, Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned through the books with his eyes and collected them all into the Library of Heavens Path. After which, he picked up a book and began flipping through, but meanwhile, his consciousness was immersed in his Library of Heavens Path, studying these books. Even though he had the 7-star demonic tunist emblem, he had only browsed through 6-star demonic tune manuals before, so effectively, hisprehension of demonic tunes was only on par with 7-star primary demonic tunists. Such a level of proficiency was still far from enough for him to resolve the problems Bi Hongyin was facing. Compile! After somemotion, a book materialized in the air. Fortunately, a Heavens Path Demonic Tune Art waspiled. With just a simple tap, he assimted the knowledge contained within it. Thus, he opened his eyes once more and said, Alright, I have found a solution to the problem. Bi Hongyin nced at the Discourse on Sheet Music in Zhang Xuans hand and asked in disbelief, So fast? She had read the book when she had just be a 7-star demonic tunist. It simply introduced some of the simpler grade-7 demonic tunes and ying techniques. To make an analogy, it was somewhat simr to A Collection of Nursery Rhymes. Was the young man really going to induce a breakthrough in her using such a book? Un. Without exining the matter, Zhang Xuan instructed, Sit down and take out your zither. Despite harboring an ocean of doubts in her mind, Bi Hongyin still sat down, took out her zither, and gently stroked it with her fingers. Ting trringg! The melody of a zither began sounded in the air. As soon as Bi Hongyin started ying, her disposition changed. It grew towering and imposing, reminiscent of a tall tsunami that threatened to drown one within it. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a zither as well. This was the zither that School Head Jiang had made for him using a unique branch procured from his own residence. Even with his current level of proficiency in demonic tunes, it could still be a considered a decent zither. Stroking on the zither lightly, a melody drifted gently into the surroundings. His zither ying did not harness too much offensive power; instead, it carried a fleeting and distant feeling that seemed to gradually draw one deeper into the melody, putting one in a trance. Even though he had managed topile the 7-star Heavens Path Demonic Tune Art, he had not had a chance to cultivate it yet, so his prowess in demonic tunes was still onlyparable to a 7-star primary demonic tunist. Nevertheless, every note yed was impably timed in between Bi Hongyins ying, messing up her tempo. In terms of prowess, Bi Hongyin felt as if she was facing a 7-star pinnacle demonic tunist head-on. Tring trringg ting tring! In just moments, Bi Hongyins face had turned crimson, and she nearly spurted blood on the spot. Hes really powerful... Initially, Bi Hongyin still had some reservations about Zhang Xuans proficiency as a demonic tunist, but just from this short encounter, she found that the other partys grasp of demonic tunes had reached a level far above hers! This was truly frightening! Formations, medicine, beast taming... It was already formidable that he possessed such astounding mastery in those upations, but to think that he would possess such superb talent in demonic tunes as well! Just how in the world did he study? While Zhang Xuan was stimting Bi Hongyins potential to help her push for a breakthrough to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, Yuan Xiao and the others were looking on with envy on their faces. However, their envy did notst for too long before Yun Lianhai remarked, Is it just me... or is the divine crane moving downward? Luo Xuanqing and the others lowered their heads and saw that the Seven-colored Divine Crane, which had been flying steadily a moment ago, was suddenly going on a downward trajectory. Its indeed moving downward. However, at the speed its moving, this shouldnt pose any trouble, Luo Xuanqing replied. Not even a second after saying those words, the divine cranes neck suddenly arched backward, and its eyes were bulging so much that it seemed as if they would pop out at any moment. Hu! It fainted on the spot. This... The mouths of Luo Xuanqing and the others twitched. They were all Saint realm experts, so even if their aerial saint beast were to plummet, they would still be able to maintain their flight. But... Cant the two of you calm down a bit? Look, even the Seven-colored Crane cant tolerate you two anymore! If something really happens to it, how do you n on returning to the Sanctum of Sages? Luo Xuanqing hurriedly waved his hands to support the divine crane and the others, slowly guiding the group to the ground. All the while, Zhang Xuan and Bi Hongyin remained oblivious to the suffering of the divine crane, and they were stillpletely engrossed into ying against one another. As such, despite having lost consciousness andnded on the ground, the divine cranes body continued convulsing endlessly, and white foam flowed out from the edges of its mouth. It was almost as if whipping a corpse! Boom! Just as Luo Xuanqing and the others were hesitating over whether they should stop those two so as to save the divine crane from its agony, a resounding buzz reverberated from Bi Hongyins direction. Her aura surged, breaking straight through the clouds and into the heavens. The bottleneck that had confined her at Phantasmal Space realm advanced stage had been broken! Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle? She really achieved a breakthrough... and its just been five minutes! Yuan Xiao and Yun Lianhai nced at one another with widened eyes. Previously, Zhang Xuan had said that he could help Bi Hongyin achieve a breakthrough within five minutes, and putting together the time he had spent on reading through a book and ying the zither... it just happened that five minutes had passed! This... Wasnt his calction a little too precise? Alright, its done! ying the veryst note, Zhang Xuan put his zither back into his storage ring before exhaling deeply. He stood up and stretched his backzily. It was only at this moment that he finally recovered his trance, and after a short moment of confusion, a frown emerged on his forehead. Hmm? Why are we on the ground? With his limited proficiency in demonic tunes, he had needed to focus his attention fully on his ying, so he did not notice the falling of the crane. As such, he could not help but be perplexed by the situation before him. Logically speaking, they should still have been some distance away from reaching the Sanctum of Sages, so... why would they suddenlynd on the ground? Why dont you take a look for yourself? Seeing the confused look on Zhang Xuans face, the veins on Luo Xuanqings temples bulged as he pointed to the side. Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his head and saw the divine crane lying unconscious on the ground. Its tongue was stretched out, and its slender legs were twitching every now and then. Amazingly, he realized that its spasms were in tempo with the melody he had been ying before. It must have truly enjoyed the music I have yed earlier to be dancing along to my melody even in its sleep! Zhang Xuan remarked in awe. It sure has fine taste in music! ... The crowd. Zhang shi, I happen to have reached a bottleneck in my cultivation as well. Can you give me some guidance too? Im just a step short of a breakthrough, too. ... Bi Hongyins breakthrough had left Yuan Xiao and Yun Lianhai deeply moved. They realized that this was a good opportunity for them as well. Zhang Xuan had initially nned to turn down their requests, but in view of the great sincerity they were showing himneither of their sincerity was worth any less than the grade-8 formation gs that Bi Hongyin had gifted himhe solemnly pondered over the matter for a split second before reluctantly agreeing to help them as well. Yun Lianhais cultivation was the lowest of the group, and his fighting prowess was not too strong, so helping him achieve a breakthrough was much easier. On the other hand, due to his powerful defensive prowess and strong foundation in cultivation, it was much more difficult for Yuan Xiao to achieve a breakthrough. Nevertheless, that did not pose much of a problem for Zhang Xuan. He summoned the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast andmanded it to give Yuan Xiao a beating he would never forget, and not too longter, thetter sessfully achieved a breakthrough. The group rested on that spot for an entire day and reinforced their cultivation before continue their journey back. By then, the Seven-colored Divine Crane had already recovered from its previous trauma. Well, it would still make abrupt halts and plummet several hundred meters from time to time in the midst of its flight, but all was still well. However, due to that, their journey ended up being much longer than expected. What that should have been a five-day flight ended up taking them ten whole days. Fortunately, this time could not be said to have been wasted. The crowd managed to reinforce their cultivation, thus increasing their fighting prowess significantly. This was especially so for Luo Xuanqing. At Half-Dimension Sundering realm and ready to achieve a breakthrough at any moment, he was already standing at the very top of the Inner Sanctum. Zhang shi, are you interested in apanying me to look for Zhang Chun? Luo Xuanqing suddenly asked while he was leaping down the back of the divine crane afternding in a vast courtyard. Look for Zhang Chun? Indeed. It isnt easy for me to one-up him, so it goes without saying that I should make use of this opportunity to vent my many years of pent-up frustration. Otherwise, wouldnt my breakthrough have been in vain? Luo Xuanqing said as he licked his lips savagely. This... Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, Actually, Im nning to take the 8-star examinations for my other supporting upations so as to push for a breakthrough to 8-star master teacher. It had been quite some time since he had obtained the Sanctum Head Token, and time was rather tight for him too. It was about time for him to at least clear the 8-star master teacher examination and unlock one of the seals. Otherwise, he might not be able to make it in time for Luo Ruoxins marriage. You want to take the 8-star examinations for your supporting upations? Luo Xuanqing looked at Zhang Xuan contemtively. Which examinations are you nning to take first? Hmm, spirit awakener, apothecary, physician, painter, beast tamer, celestial designer, terpsichore, and appraiser... Any of these should be fine, Zhang Xuan replied. In order to qualify for the 8-star master teacher examination, he would need to have eight 8-star supporting upations, and so far, he had only cleared his 8-star formation master examination. He really needed to work much harder. Ah, I have dest... I mean cleared those examinations before, so I am quite close with the personnel there. Why dont you follow me to pummel Zhang Chun, and Ill take you on a walk through all of them right after? Luo Xuanqing said with a grand wave of his hand. Chapter 1368 - Shrine of Seers

Chapter 1368: Shrine of Seers

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ill be counting on you then, Brother Luo! Zhang Xuan was unfamiliar with the Sanctum of Sages, which made it difficult for him to find his way around. Hearing Luo Xuanqings confident deration, Zhang Xuans eyes immediately lit up. If he could have someone show him around, he would be spared from a great deal of trouble. Besides, he was more than willing to pummel Zhang Chun, not to mention the fact that the fellow still owed him quite a few pinnacle spirit stones. A few days had passed since then, so it was about time for him to collect the debt. Theres no need for formalities with me! Luo Xuanqingughed heartily as he took the lead forward. Even though the cultivation of the young man before him was ordinary, he had shown extraordinary expertise in setting up formations and guiding others to achieving a breakthrough. Even for him and the Luo n, there were many benefits that could be derived from befriending such a person. Not to mention, the young mans personality happened to be to his liking as well. While proceeding ahead, Luo Xuanqing sent out a few messages with his Communication Jade Token, and a momentter, he turned to Zhang Xuan with a smile and said, That fellow isnt in the Inner Sanctum but the Shrine of Seers. Lets corner him there. Shrine of Seers? Zhang Xuan frowned. Its a branch of the Seer Guild, simr to the ce where you took the 8-star formation master back then, Luo Xuanqing exined. You mean... theres a branch of the Seer Guild here? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He had heard of this upation in the past. It was an Upper Nine Paths upation that was shrouded with mystery. Seers were known to be able to use mysterious methods to foresee the events of the near future and use this knowledge to harness fortune and ward off bad luck. Most Sage ns would have a few seers serving as their honorary elders, assisting them in making important decisions. All along, Zhang Xuan had only heard rumors about the upation, but so far, he had not met a single seer in real life. Who would have thought that there would actually be a branch of the Seer Guild in the Sanctum of Sages? Of course! Where do you think the Sanctum of Sages is? Most likely, Zhang Chun is trying to get a seer to look into your background after getting done in by your tamed beast, Luo Xuanqing said with a chuckle. The fact that Luo Xuanqing was able to find out that Zhang Chun was in the Shrine of Seers so quickly could only mean that he had many pair of eyes in the Sanctum of Sages. Hes getting a seer just to look into my background? Wouldnt it be far more efficient for him to just ask around? Zhang Xuan shook his head. In his view, engaging the help of a seer for something so trivial was truly meaningless. After all, his background was stated in detail in his records, so all it would take was for Zhang Chun to tap into his connections to ess it. Furthermore, there was likely a certain degree of error in the ability of any seer. It felt counterintuitive to go through so much trouble just to obtain possibly inurate information. The Zhang n has always been rather superstitious, and they regard seers and their ability of divination very well. The current n head, Sword Saint Xingmeng, has even invited all the 9-star seers to the Zhang n over the past few years, Luo Xuanqing said with a disdainful sneer. Why would he invite so many 9-star seers over to the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. As the number one n in the Master Teacher Continent, the Zhang ns position was extremely stable, and it was blessed with many talented offspring as well. Just what were they so dissatisfied about that they needed to engage the help of seers to look into? Who knows whats going through the minds of those lunatics? Luo Xuanqing shrugged. The Shrine of Seers was located in the Hall of Erudition, just like the other examination grounds. Flitting swiftly forward, it did not take them too long to arrive at their destination. Even though the Shrine of Seers was located within the Hall of Erudition, it emanated apletely different vibe from the examination grounds of other upations. The building was extremely old, carrying the slight scent of the primordial ages. The entire building felt like an upside-down tortoiseshell, covered with all kinds of bizarre cracks on its surface. It was a rather mysterious feeling that was hard to describe, but it seemed like the building was infused with the will of the heavens, serving as a window to peer into the secrets of the world. The doors to the other examination halls were all wide open, but this particr building had its gates tightly shut. This is the Shrine of Seers? Un. I tried picking up the seer upation at one point in time too, but despite studying it for several days, I wasnt even able to qualify as an apprentice, so I chose to give up on it in the end. Well, its really quite an enigmatic upation. Its not right to say that they are a bunch of frauds as their prophecies and insights do turn out to be astoundingly urate from time to time. Then again... the notion of using just a few tortoiseshells or copper coins to predict ones fate is just in ridiculous to me. Luo Xuanqing shook his head. Every established upation has a reason for its existence. The fact that the seer upation has been able to survive several dozen millenniums without being phased out shows that it has its own meaning of existence, Zhang Xuan replied. Survival of the fittestthose that were inept and useless would eventually be phased out with time. The fact that the seer upation was able to be passed down for such a long period of time meant that it was not as simple as it seemed. You really talk like my younger sister. Thest time I spoke with her about this matter, she said those words to me as well. Luo Xuanqing nced at Zhang Xuan with a displeased look. Its my honor to share the same thoughts with the little princess. Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in response. Dont even bother trying to bootlick me! Luo Xuanqing shot a nce at Zhang Xuan before continuing. Its only because I have a good impression of you that Im giving you this advice right here. Dont harbor any thoughts toward my younger sister. Firstly, theres no way youll be able to catch her eye with your strength, and secondly, an outsider like you cant possibly go against the will of the Zhang n and the Luo n. This might sound a little harsh, but youd do well to sever any wishful thinking you have toward her! Hidden within Luo Xuanqings blunt exterior was a meticulous heart. After spending several days with one another, he could not help but notice that the young man had an unnatural interest in the affairs of his younger sister. If anyone else had been so nosey, he would have simply resorted straight to his fists. After all, his title as the King of Destruction was not for show. However, the young man had helped him greatly and even aided him in achieving a breakthrough. In view of that, he decided to persuade the young man instead. It was not that he was resistant to the idea of having the young man be his brother-inw, but he knew that such a matter was absolutely impossible. Even he, one of the core members of the Luo n, was unable to change his younger sisters fate, so what could a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle fellow do? Thus, it was better to sever all wishful thinking right from the start, or else it would only hurt more as time went by. It was not easy for him to meet a person whom he could get along with, and he would hate to see the other party falling into danger over the matter concerning his younger sister. Theres no way Ill be able to catch her eye? Thats hard to say. After all, who could fathom the capriciousness of life? Zhang Xuan remarked deeply. It was a sheer coincidence that he stumbled upon Luo Ruoxin in the midst of the Verdant Mountain back then, and it was also a sheer coincidence that those spirit beasts had gathered around her then, prompting him to make a move to save her. Without all of those coincidences, their fates probably would have never intersected, and they would not have gotten to know one another. It was truly a marvel how fate was able to bring about a meeting of two people from twopletely different worlds. Half of those who harbored those thoughts have been crippled by me, and the other half have been crippled by Zhang Chun... Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly. Jiya! Just as he was about to continue speaking, the doors to the Shrine of Seer suddenly opened. Following which, a young man wearing a long robe walked out from within. Seniors, my teacher invites you in! The young man sped his fist to greet Luo Xuanqing and Zhang Xuan before disying an inviting gesture to usher them into the Shrine of Sages. Is your teacher... Master Feng Zhongquan? Luo Xuanqing assessed the young man before him intently before his eyes suddenly lit up. Indeed. The young man nodded quietly, but he was not able to fully conceal the glee that was beaming on his face. Master Feng Zhongquan has always been an elusive figure in the Sanctum of Sages. I heard that Zhang Chun has paid a visit to him seven times, only to be shut out each time around. Are you sure that your teacher really wants to meet me? Luo Xuanqing could hardly control his body from trembling in agitation. Those of the Zhang n had a deep respect for seers, and Master Feng Zhongquan could be said to be the most formidable seer in the Sanctum of Sages. Zhang Chun had visited him on many asions, only to be turned away before he could even pass over his name scroll. Yet, for Master Feng Zhongquan to send his student to invite him in... Didnt that mean that he was far more respected and esteemed than Zhang Chun? With this, he would be able to give Zhang Chun a good mockingter on. Hearing those words, the young man shot a nonchnt nce at Luo Xuanqing and said, My apologies, I should have been clearer in my words. The one whom my teacher wishes to meet is the young friend beside you. Your teacher wants to meet me? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Why? He had only recently arrived at the Sanctum of Sages, and he did not even know who Master Feng Zhongquan was. Why would thetter suddenly request to meet him? Im afraid that I dont have the answer to your question. Youll have to head in to find out. In truth, the young man also found the matter inconceivable. His teacher was a deeply esteemed figure on the Master Teacher Continent, such that he could even afford to snub the deputy sanctum head and the other elders if he wanted to, and there would be nothing they could do to him. Yet, he was actually requesting to meet a twenty-year-old freshman who had no particrly noteworthy background, and he had even instructed him to personally invite the other party in. This was truly perplexing. It would have been understandable if the other party was like the little princess, wielding formidable prowess, but he was only a humble Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator! He might have been considered a genius anywhere else on the Master Teacher Continent, but in the Sanctum of Sages, there were plenty of students who could rival or even surpass him. Even at the very most, his talents could only be considered average. Master Feng Zhongquan wants to meet Zhang shi? Luo Xuanqing widened his eyes in disbelief. He had thought that this was a good opportunity for him to mock Zhang Chun, but who would have thought that the person whom Master Feng Zhongquan wanted to meet with was the person beside him? Alright then. Zhang Xuan was bewildered by the abnormal situation, but seeing that the young man before him really knew nothing at all, he decided to head in to take a look. After all, he had been intrigued by the mysterious abilities that seers wielded for a long time, and this would be a good opportunity for him to see what they were capable of. So, under the young mans lead, he walked into the Shrine of Seers. The interior of the Shrine of Seers seemed to be even older than how it appeared outside. There were many bizarre gs nted on the ground, and they divided the main hall into many narrow sectors. There were several dozen young men sitting in a circle in each of these narrow sectors; some were holding onto a copper coin whereas others were holding onto a tortoiseshell. Their eyes were firmly shut, and the tight contemtive frown between their brows suggested that they were trying to fathom something. At the middle of the circle was a reddish-green beetle ced on top of searing mes, and it looked so withered that it seemed like it was just a push away from falling into the embrace of death. Is that... the Light-shelled Beetle, renowned for being able to survive amid lightning? Zhang Xuan wondered doubtfully. He had never seen a Light-shelled Beetle before, but he had read records on them. ording to the rumors, these lifeforms neither ate nor drank. Only on stormy days where the rain poured and lightning raged would they rise from their hiding ces and dash into the sky, taking in the power of the lightning to sustain their existence. Light-shelled Beetles were extremely elusive, and their numbers were severely limited as well, such that it was viewed as one of the hardest beasts to find in the world by the beast tamers. Yet, to think that they would be roasting it on the mes... this was really perplexing. He had never heard of the Light-shelled Beetles being edible! And even if they were edible, how were they going to split it among the several dozen young men? It would not even be enough to stuff the gap between their teeth! Noticing the doubtful look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Xuanqing sent a telepathic message over to fill him in. This is one of the daily training that seers have to undergo. The crux behind this exercise is to seal all of their senses and use their will to fathom the will of the heavens to predict whether the Light-shelled Beetle has been burned to death or whether itll climb out from somewhere. He might not be a seer himself, but he had spent a few days of his life attempting to learn divination, so he had some idea of what was going on within the Shrine of Seers. This... Luo Xuanqings exnation only served to plunge Zhang Xuan deeper into confusion. ced upon mes, there was a chance that the Light-shelled Beetle could be burn to death at any moment. But simrly, there was also a chance that it would manage to rise from the searing heat and flee. In a sense, was this not the same as Schr?dingers cat? Until the oue was determined, all guesses would be naught but guesses. Seemingly noticing themunication behind him, the young man turned around and exined to them, The Light-shelled Beetles ability to resist lightning is, in truth, a struggle against the heavens. For this reason, its known as the Seer Beetle. Through predicting the life and death of such a lifeform, one is able to better grasp the elusive and capricious nature of the will of the heavens! I see. Zhang Xuan nodded, but it was difficult to tell whether he truly understood those words or not. He shot a nce at the beetle on the charcoal and asked with a frown, Given the intense heat of the charcoal there, that Light-shelled Beetle should already be on the verge of death, no? On the verge of death? Hearing those words, the young man shook his head with a chuckle. Ive divined that beetle before. Itll live up to a hundred years... But before he could finish his words, the sound reminiscent to a balloon popping echoed in the air. The Light-shelled Beetle that was lying on the charcoal a while ago abruptly swelled up and exploded into dust. Peng! Ah... Zhang Xuan shot a bizarre look at the young man and asked, Could it be that... today is its hundredth birthday? Chapter 1369 - Voyeur

Chapter 1369: Voyeur

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Instead of replying to Zhang Xuans words, the young man walked up to the Light-shelled Beetle and examined it closely in disbelief. His divination ability as a seer had reached the level of 8-star, allowing him to foresee many events with a high level of uracy. He had divined the beetle before him multiple times, and the result he got each time was that it would die of old age. Why would it suddenly blow up now? Of course, saying that it would be able to live up to a hundred years old was just a metaphor. It wouldnt just literally live to its hundredth birthday! Furthermore, even if that was the case, it didnt make sense for it to explode into dust right after those words were spoken? The young man stared at the beetle with a conflicted look on his face for quite a while, but he was still unable to make sense out of the situation. In the end, he decided not to think too much into it and continued leading the duo forward. Not too longter, they arrived before a room. Before he could even knock, a voice already sounded from within, Come in. Following which, the room to the door slowly cracked open. Taing a look within, Zhang Xuan saw an elder seated at the center of the hall. The young man standing beside him was no other than the person they were looking for, Zhang Chun! At this moment, he had already recovered from the injuries he had sustained, and his aura felt a little sharper and purer than before. It seemed like the vicious pummeling he had received previously had helped to beat out the impurities in his body, bringing about a considerable rise in his fighting prowess. A blessing in disguise indeed. Its you? Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walking through the door, Zhang Chuns face immediately turned livid. As a genius of the Zhang n, he never thought that he would be pummeled by the tamed beast of a nobody in the Sanctum of Sages, nearly losing his life in the valley. Recalling the embarrassment and humiliation he had been put through, his face swiftly reddened in fury. However, he swiftly remembered something and turned to look at the old man beside him in astonishment, Elder Feng, is the esteemed guest you spoke of... him? Previously, in the midst of their conversation, Elder Feng suddenly tasked his student to head out and usher an esteemed guest in. Back then, he had thought that it would be a top-notch expert or a respected elder of the Sanctum of Sages. Never in his mind had he even fathomed that it would actually be this fellow! That fellow only managed to overwhelm him by lucking out and taming the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Otherwise, there was no way a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle would possibly be able to face him straight on! Surely there was no need for Master Feng, whom even their n head would have to show deep respect to, to view him so highly? Thats right. Elder Feng stood up and assessed Zhang Xuan intently. The more he looked, the brighter the gleam in his eyes became, and a whileter, he couldnt help but exim in amazement, Its indeed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination! Discarnate Constitution of Divination? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. Even though he was unable to determine his own condition through the Library of Heavens Path, he did possess a deep knowledge of the various unique constitutions there were out there from the books he had assimted so far, and there was none that corresponded to his own condition. In other words, he was an ordinary man who couldnt be any more ordinary! So, what in the world was the Discarnate Constitution of Divination? Why hadnt he heard it before? If he really possessed such a unique constitution, why would his cultivation still advanced so slowly, such that he wouldnt even be able to catch up with his student and his girlfriend? The Number of Grand Divination, 49 with a discarnate 1, and you happen to possess that discarnate physique. Elder Feng stroked his beard and exined. To use conventional terms, it means that its impossible to use the means of divination to determine your fate and thus, future! (The Number of Grand Divination is a terminology from Zhou Yi, which is the core of Yi Jing or I Ching, an ancient Chinese divination text. However, there is no clear grasp as to what Grand Divination truly means, and so, the Number of Grand Divination remains an enigma to the world.) Before Zhang Xuan could make sense of what was being said, the young man beside him had already widened his eyes in disbelief. Teacher, that legendary unique constitution really exists? I also thought that it was a legend until that incident, which made me understand that not only does such a unique constitution exists, there are even a couple of them out there in the world... Elder Feng shook his head and said, seemingly unwilling to linger too long on this matter. If you dont believe me, you can give it a try. This... Alright then. The young man was stunned for a few seconds before taking out three copper coins. He held them tightly in his grasp and mused for a moment before tossing them into the air. The copper coins swiftly dropped onto the ground and spun non-stop, but before a divination could appear, resounding Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! sounded, and cracks appeared on the coins. And soon after, just like with the Light-shelled Beetle, peng!, the copper coins exploded into dust. The young mans face immediately turned pale, and as if having sustained a heavy blow, he was forced to retreat several steps back. A trail of blood seeped down the corner of his lips as stupefaction rippled across his face. The young man was clearly right before his eyes, but for some inexplicable reason, his divination was unable to work on the young man, or to be more exact, it felt as if he was attempting to divine something that didnt exist in the world at all, a discarnate entity. How could the concepts of karma and history possibly apply to a discarnate entity? How is it? Having known this oue, Elder Feng looked at his disciple and said. The young man took in a deep to suppress his injuries before replying in resignation, I really cant divine anything at all... Of course, hes a void in the world. Not only his fate, even everything he has done and is going to do will be veiled from the eyes of the world! Elder Feng said. This... In this moment, the young man could finally understand why his teacher wanted to meet this fellow. Discarnate Constitution of Divination, this was the constitution that was most suited to be a seer. There werent any records of anyone possessing such a constitution, but even in the entire history of mankind, there should only be several dozen of them existent in this world. He could have never thought that the ordinary-looking man before him would actually possess it as well. Everything I have done and am going to do will be veiled from the eyes of the world? Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing the words exchanged between the duo. It took him a while before he could fully grasp that notion. Most likely, the reason why divination didnt work on him was due to the Library of Heavens Path. The Library of Heavens Path could probably be considered as the very manifestation of the heavens, so naturally, concealing the will of the heavens and impeding others from looking in was probably just a walk in the park for it. In other words, he didnt possess the Discarnate Constitution of Divination at all. Indeed. In other words, you are a fault in the world. If you were to be a seer, no matter how you peer into the secrets of the heavens, you still wouldnt suffer any bacsh at all! Elder Feng eximed with glowing eyes. The act of divining the future was equivalent to revealing the secrets of the heavens, and naturally, seers would have to suffer the retribution of the heavens for their actions. For this reason, high-ranking seers usually didnt end well. When one looks into the abyss, the abyss looks back at one. If one were to just divine smaller affairs, one might still be able to avoid the notice of the heavens. However, if one were to attempt to divine something that would affect the trajectory of the world... they would soon find the very ill will of the heavens directed against them. Eventually, most of them would meet their ends while undergoing the tribtion of the heavens. Despite the seemingly morous exterior of seers, they were, in essence, voyeurs who sought to peer into the secrets of the heavens, and thus, the dangers they faced were greater than any other upation. However, there was one exception to the rulethe Discarnate Constitution of Divination. Those who possessed such a constitution were existences who werent even within the calctions in the heavens, and no matter how they peered at the secrets of the heavens, they wouldnt face any punishment from the heavens... A constitution that allowed others to flout the rules openly without being punishedit was as if it was made just for seers! I was only able to notice it when Zhang Chun requested me to divine your background and your teacher. Elder Feng exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Chuns face turned crimson. He felt so stifled that he could explode on the spot. After the pummeling he had received, he had been wanting to get even with Zhang Xuan. For this reason, he spent a heavy price to request for Elder Fengs help, wanting thetter to help him divine Zhang Xuans background... Yet, his efforts only seemed to have ced Zhang Xuan on a higher pedestal! Not only had he not found out anything more about Zhang Xuan, thetter even became Elder Fengs esteemed guest! It was as if even the world was on his side! Your Discarnate Constitution of Divination is most suited for seers. Elder Feng looked at Zhang Xuan with pulsating excitement in his eyes. So, what do you think about bing my direct disciple? Elder Feng, you want to take that fellow in as your direct disciple? But you have never taken in any direct disciples before... Zhang Chuns face twitched in shock. While seers might not possess exceptional fighting prowess, due to the unique nature of their upation, they were respected as one of the Upper Nine Paths upations. This was especially so for Elder Feng, who was considered to be one of the greatest seers in the world... Just the fact the polite attitude their n head maintained before Elder Feng showed his standing on the Master Teacher Continent. If Zhang Xuan were to really be Elder Fengs direct disciple, all his hopes of vengeance would be dashed! Direct disciple? The young man by the side showed a face full of envy and admiration. He was only Elder Fengs ordinary student, which meant that he wasnt entitled to inheriting the crux of Elder Fengs heritage. Most likely, he would only remain an 8-star seer for life, unable to take a step forward anymore. But again, there was nothing he could do. The Discarnate Constitution of Divination was something one was born with, and no amount of hard work would change that. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didnt expect Elder Feng to request him to be his direct disciple on their first meeting. Instead of responding to that question straight, he looked at Elder Feng with a doubtful look and asked, Is the Discarnate Constitution of Divination very rare? Very much so. I only know of four people in the Master Teacher Continent who possesses that constitution, and thats including you. Elder Feng replied. Four people? May I know who are they? Not expecting that there would be three people who would possess that constitution, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but be a little curious. At the same time, Zhang Chun also quickly stemmed the thoughts in his mind and turned his attention over. You must be the Luo ns Luo Xuanqing, right? Instead of replying Zhang Xuans question, Elder Feng suddenly turned to Luo Xuanqing and asked. Xuanqing pays respect to Elder Feng! Luo Xuanqing sped his fist and said. Un, theres no need to stand on ceremony. Back then, when your younger sister sealed her cultivation and left the Luo n, your n head paid me a visit and requested my help in divining her location. However, I was unable to divine her exact whereabouts, and if my guess fails me not... its like that that she possesses the Discarnate Constitution of Divination too! Elder Feng said. My younger sister possesses the Discarnate Constitution of Divination? Luo Xuanqing was surprised by the revtion before nodding in realization. Previously, he had been wondering why despite the many seers there were in the Luo n, they were still unable to find his younger sisters whereabouts for such a long period of time... It was due to this incident that he had a biased view toward seers, thinking that they were just fraudsters out to dupe money and prestige out of others. However, if his younger sister possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, that would exin everything. Elder Feng nodded in response. What about the other two? Zhang Chun asked. The first person I have found to have possessed that constitution is the young prodigy of your Zhang n... No matter how I attempt to divine his whereabouts, I was simply unable to find any trace of him anywhere. Its as if he has never existed in the world at all! Elder Feng said. The young prodigy? Zhang Chun heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that the young prodigy possessed such a constitution as well, or else he would be spending the next few years hearing the gleeful Luo Xuanqing harping on this matter. Thest person is a mysterious youngdy I met a few months back. She is roughly Zhang shis age, and she possesses extraordinary strength, unlike anything I have seen before... However, its a pity that she disappeared before I could catch a word with her. Elder Feng shook her head and sighed. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded. All along, he had been hearing about how formidable the young prodigy was, and after hearing what Elder Feng had said, he was really starting to catch a glimpse into what kind of figure he was going up against. He was only able to avoid the divination of seers due to his possession of the Library of Heavens Path, but to think that the young prodigy would actually possess the Discarnate Constitution of Divination... It was no wonder why he was able to remain hidden for so long... It turned out that not even the Luo n had any way to figure out where he was! Wait a moment... You said that its impossible to fathom my fate and my history due to my Discarnate Constitution of Divination. If thats the case, how did you know that Brother Luo and I have just arrived before your doorstep previously, even sending out your student to receive us? Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something, and he couldnt help but frown in confusion. Since it was impossible to divine his whereabouts, there should be no way Elder Feng should have known that he would being by today! Furthermore, thinking back, the door to the room also opened right when they have just arrived outside it... This... Seemingly not expecting to hear such a question, Elder Feng was visibly taken aback for a moment before directing a bizarre look at Zhang Xuan. Have you... never used your Spiritual Perception before? This room isnt located too far away from the entrance, so its very easy to extend ones Spiritual Perception over. ... Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1370 - Sage Xi’s Tortoiseshell

Chapter 1370: Sage Xis Tortoiseshell

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Perhaps it was due to the awareness that he was at the Shrine of Seers, everything that had happened seemed to be veiled with ayer of mystery in his head. For this reason, he thought that it was due to the unique abilities of a seer that Elder Feng was able to divine his arrival and dispatch a student to receive them... But who could have thought that it would just be a simple Spiritual Perception scan! That was an ability that all cultivators would unlock upon reaching Saint 2-dan. Once activated, one would be able to perceive everything within a given radius. With this ability, it was indeed not too difficult for Elder Feng to notice their arrival. How is it? Are you willing to be my direct disciple? After exining the matter, Elder Feng continued directing his heated gaze upon Zhang Xuan. There was no way he would be able to take in the little princess of the Luo n, the young prodigy of the Zhang n, or the mysterious youngdy as his students, but as for Zhang Xuan, he felt that he stood quite a huge chance. If he could take Zhang Xuan in as his direct disciple, with thetters tremendous potential in the upation, they would be able to make seers great again! Pardon me, but I already have my own teacher and heritage, so it wouldnt really be convenient for me to acknowledge anyone else as my own teacher. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I have the fortune of meeting your teacher, Yang Xuan, once before. While he does have an entric temperament, he wouldnt have any qualms about you acknowledging someone else as your teacher for other supporting upations. Instead of getting mad at Zhang Xuans rejection, Elder Feng reasoned calmly. Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, Zhang Chuns body jolted, and he eximed in disbelief, Yang Xuan? Elder Feng means to say that... Zhang Xuans teacher is Yang shi of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Even Luo Xuanqing also widened his eyes upon hearing those words. They did mention Yang Xuans name during the journey to obtain the Dongxu Gourd, but Zhang Xuan didnt say anything about him then... Why would he suddenly turn out to be Yang Xuans student? If that was really the case, it would be understandable why Zhang Xuan would have no fear about the repercussions from pummeling Zhang Chun. Even though the Zhang n was the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, it still paled far inparison to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. As the First Grand Elder, other than the seat of the pavilion master, which had been empty for several millenniums now, Yang Xuans standing was second to none in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Due to your constitution, I am unable to divine anything rting to your lineage. Nevertheless, through using my authority in the Sanctum of Sages, Im still able to ess your record files. To rise through the ranks from the humble Tianxuan Kingdom and reach such a height, not to mention that you have always identified yourself as Yang shis student, I really cant imagine any other master teacher who is capable of grooming a student as talented as you! Elder Feng said with a chuckle. While he was unable to divine Zhang Xuans profile, he was still able to ess thetters records. Considering how often Zhang Xuan had identified his teacher as Yang Xuan before others, it wasnt too difficult to dig that up too. I... Zhang Xuan immediately broke out in cold sweat. The only reason why he identified himself as Yang Xuans student was because he thought that it was just a made-up name, so he used it as he pleased! How was he supposed to know that that fellow really existed, and even possessed such a high standing at that... This was really a huge headache! If Yang Xuan were to drop by the Sanctum of Sages and say that he didnt have such a student, his lie would be immediately exposed! Without this protective umbre, it wouldnt take long before greedy individuals turned their eyes to him, wanting to uncover the secrets behind the swift rise in his cultivation and supporting upation. How is it? Noticing the changes on Zhang Xuans face, Elder Feng thought that the other party was seriously contemting over the issue, so he chuckled softly and said, If you still harbor some reservations regarding the matter, I can send a message into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and seek his opinion on this matter on your behalf! Regarding that... Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up upon hearing those words, and he immediately spoke up anxiously, ... I am very thankful to Elder Fengs high opinion of me. However, I have nevere into contact with anything rting to seers, so if possible, I would like to ess the books rting to it. If I do possess some talent in the art of divination, I would be more than delighted to take up your offer. Otherwise, I would feel guilt-ridden if myck of talent in the field were to blemish your reputation! This sure was a difficult position he was in. He had onlye here with Luo Xuanqing to get a go at Zhang Chun, but who could have thought that he would end up getting such a passionate offer by someone else to be his student, and that person was even threatening to tell on him to Yang Xuan if he were to reject his offer... Hai, being too outstanding sure was troublesome! Was his simple wish of living an ordinary life really that difficult to achieve? Since that was the case, he decided to first take a look through all of the seer-rted books first. By then, lets see who would be whose student! You want to ess our library of books? Seeing that Zhang Xuan wasnt resistant to the idea of bing his student, Elder Feng heaved a sigh of relief. With a look that said theres no way you cant possibly not be a genius, he chuckled, There are simply too many things to learn as a seer for you to master the art within just a day or two. Actually, theres no need to go through so much trouble. Theres a far simpler way to gauge your talent as a seer. Gauge my talent as a seer? Zhang Xuan frowned. Un. Yu Chen, bring the tortoiseshell over here! Elder Feng instructed with a wave of his hand. Yes! The young man turned around and left, and not too longter, he returned with an ancient tortoiseshell carefully held between his hands. The ancient tortoiseshell was slightly grayish in color, and its surface was densely filled with slight cracks. Even beforeing close to it, Zhang Xuan could already feel a slight quivering in the space surrounding it, as if the secrets of the world were sealed within it, awaiting curious minds to peer into it. Could this be... Sage Xis Tortoiseshell? Zhang Chun widened his eyes in astonishment. Stroking his beard, Elder Feng turned to confused Zhang Xuan and exined with a smile, Sage Xi is a renowned expert whose time predates even that of Kong shi. Through observing the patterns on the back of the long-living tortoise, he managed to grasp the will of the heavens and founded the seer upation. He has passed down many divination-rted artifacts, and the most famous of them all is a tortoiseshell... That tortoiseshell is known to be the number one treasure of the Seer Guild, and its stored in the deepest and most secure region of the guild. Its used to divine the trajectory of the continents fate and the rise and fall of the world... Of course, not even I have the rights to use it. The one before you is a replica which a 9-star pinnacle seer, Elder Ji Chan, created many years ago. However, dont underestimate it just because its a replica. Its through the divination of this tortoiseshell that Ancient Sage Bo Shang found that several dozen millenniums worth of fortune was gathered in thisnd, allowing it to survive the trial of time, thus leading to him establishing the Sanctum of Sages on thisnd. That should be more than enough to verify its prowess! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. It wasnt too difficult to gather spiritual energy and fortune within andhigh-ranked formation masters were capable of doing that too. However, to retain spiritual energy and fortune within and for several millenniums or even several dozen millenniums, especially amidst an ever-changing world and environment... This was not something that they were capable of. To do that would require one to not only foresee the changes in thend itself but those surrounding it as well... To be able to divine it urately, the tortoiseshell could definitely be considered as a priceless treasure. This tortoiseshell has been passed down 121 generations so far, and all 102 9-star pinnacle seers who have appeared within this timeframe have all used it as some point in their life. As a result of that, their wills are all infused within the tortoiseshell as well... So, just by cing your hand on top of it, they will be able to assess whether you possess talent as a seer or not. Elder Feng said as he lightly stroked the ancient tortoiseshell in front of him. Zhang Xuan didnt expect the other party to take out such a valuable artifact to assess his talent. At this point, it would only be disrespectful of him if he were to turn down the other party any more than this, so he asked, I just have to ce my hand on it? Un. If you still harbor some doubts toward its effects, I can have others showcase it to you... Elder Feng turned his gaze to Zhang Chun before continuing on, You have been wanting to learn divination from me for many years, only to be turned away each time around. Its not that Im intentionally making things difficult for you or trying to test your patience, but you are simply unsuited for this upation! ce your hand on this tortoiseshell and see for yourself. This... Zhang Chuns face twitched. He would have never thought that a day woulde where he would actually be used as a counterexample. As displeased as he was, he still walked forward and slowly ced his hand on the tortoiseshell. Seemingly sensing the touch of a living being, a slight radiance emanated from in between the many cracks on the tortoiseshell. Kacha! Kacha! It was a rather bizarre sight. The light seemed to be weaving across the many cracks on the tortoiseshell, and as if ying an instrument, a crackling sound echoed in the air. Very soon, two ancient runes surfaced before everyones eyes. Elder Feng nced at the runes and shook his head, Yu Chen, exin these two runes to the others. Yes! The young man stepped forward and said, What these runes over here mean is that the individual tested is of ordinary aptitude and is unfated with the art of divination! Ordinary aptitude? Then what would the runes for the talented be like? Zhang Chun asked with a hint of indignance in his voice. The current n head and elders of the Zhang n held seers in high esteem. If he could achieve a high level of mastery in the art of divination, it was likely that he would be regarded highly and them, and perhaps, he might even be brought into the circle of the upper echelon of the n. It was for this reason that he persistently visited Elder Feng despite being rejected time and time again. He was still harboring hope that the rejection might just Elder Fengs way of testing him, but who could have thought that the real problemy in hisck of talent? The aptitude of a seer can basically be divided into six tiers, namely inferior, ordinary, fair, superior, and pinnacle. the young man exined. For those who are unable to read the runes, theres a far easier to interpret them. The greater the number of runes, the higher ones aptitude toward divination is. A single rune would mean inferior, two runes would mean ordinary, so on and so forth. If six runes were to appear, it would mean that the individual possesses unparalleled aptitude in divination! After saying those words, the young man ced his palm on the tortoiseshell. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Brilliant light weaved across the cracks of the tortoiseshell, and the same crackling sound echoed in the air once more, but this time, it was more numerous. Slowly, five runes surfaced from the tortoiseshell. Superior? Zhang Chun gulped down a mouthful of saliva in shock. He had met Yu Chen many times around, and he thought that thetter only caught Elder Fengs sight by sheer luck. He had never thought that thetter would actually possess such a high aptitude toward divination. Given that Yu Chen was only an ordinary student despite his superior aptitude... as a mere ordinary, he really didnt stand a chance at all. I would like to give it a try too... Stepping forward, Luo Xuanqing ced his palm on it, and two runes appeared. Just like Zhang Chun, his aptitude was ordinary too! Luo Xuanqing was initially a little disappointed, but he consoled himself by telling himself that his aptitude was at least not any beneath Zhang Chun. Afterward, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, you should give it a try too! Alright. Knowing theres no way for him to back out of this, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. Previously, he had said that he would take Elder Feng as his teacher if he showed aptitude toward divination... Was he really going to have to acknowledge another person as his teacher? This was really a little difficult for him to ept. Perhaps, he could try using the Heavens Path zhenqi to conceal the results? On the other hand, watching as Zhang Xuan stepped forward, an excited gleam surfaced in Elder Fengs eyes. The Discarnate Constitution of Divination was a legendary physique that all seers sought for. There were no precedents which he could use as a reference to fathom how many runes the young man would be able to induce, but most likely, it would be beyond six. Hu! Before his expectant eyes, Zhang Xuan ced his palm on the tortoiseshell. Weng! A light buzz sounded in the air, and a blinding light began streaming across the cracks in the tortoiseshell. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha... Crackling sounds echoed one after another in high frequency, almost as if one was stir-frying beans. With so many crackling sounds echoing, I wonder how many runes would appear? Zhang Chun clenched his fists tightly as he looked at the sight before him with reddened eyes. Previously, when he ced his hand on the tortoiseshell and it crackled twice, two runes appeared. Following which, when Yu Chen ced his hand on the tortoiseshell and it crackled five times, five runes appeared. And now, the tortoiseshell had already crackled for several dozen times in response to Zhang Xuans touch... It couldnt be that several dozen runes were going to appear, right? If thats the case, just how immense of a talent did he possess? In his state of shock, he suddenly saw Elder Fengs face warping into horror, and thetter dashed forward furiously. However, it was already toote. With a particrly conspicuous hong long, the ancient tortoiseshell exploded into dust. Chapter 1371 - The Tragic Elder Feng

Chapter 1371: The Tragic Elder Feng

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric ... Zhang Xuan waspletely dumbstruck, not knowing whether he should retract his hand from the tortoiseshell or not. Whether I am talented or not, itd do for you to just reflect it ordingly... Why the heck did you explode on the spot for? All I had done was to use a bit of my Heavens Path zhenqi and the power of the Library of Heavens Path to disguise myself... Do you really have to do this to me? Previously, when Elder Feng took out the tortoiseshell, he had treated it extremely carefully, as if it was his child. For it to explode just like that... wouldnt the other party pit his life against him? Just as Zhang Xuan was at aplete loss as to what to do, he saw the old man who was still smiling a second ago suddenly standing before him, staring at the remains of the tortoise shell on the ground with a twitching face, seemingly on the verge of going berserk. Teacher... Not expecting such a situation to ur either, Yu Chen was shocked beyond words too. While others might not understand the significance of the tortoiseshell, he knew how important it was to his teacher. Having it reduced to dust like that was no different from iming his teachers life. My tortoiseshell... The trembling Elder Feng reached out to stroke the remains on the ground, and in just an instant, he looked as if he had withered many years. Elder Feng, he didnt do it on purpose. Why dont I have a new one forged out for you? Your tortoiseshell was already old and decrepit prior to this, filled with many cracks. It was only a matter of time before it broke. Justst year, I came to know an extremely skilled craftsman at the Chen Vige; his handicraft is truly exquisite, and the price he charged is fair as well. Shall I introduce him to you? Luo Xuanqing consoled. Pu! Unable to take it anymore, Elder Feng spurted a mouthful of blood. Cough cough... Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes at his future brother-inw before shaking his head speechlessly. You shouldnt try to console others if you dont know how to go around doing it. You are only making things worse! A tortoiseshell of this tier was incredibly valuable... Do you think that you would be able to rece it just by forging a close replica? Seeing that Luo Xuanqing couldnt be relied on, Zhang Xuan could only make a move himself. He pondered for a moment before speaking up earnestly, Elder Feng, what is done cannot be undone, so theres no use remaining upset about the matter. Its just a tortoiseshell anyway. Why dont I capture a few over tomorrow so that you can make as many of it as you want? If you like, you could even boil a pot of fine soup with their flesh too... Pu! Pu! Elder Feng spurted even more blood. Or else, why dont I make a new one for you then? Seeing that the situation seemed to only be getting worse with his constion, Zhang Xuan was really at a loss as to what to do. While he was touching the tortoiseshell previously, he managed topile a book on it in the Library of Heavens Path. Despite the long heritage behind it and its high tier, it was gued with many ws too. As long as Zhang Xuan was willing to set his mind to it and managed to gather sufficient books on it, he should be able to forge another tortoiseshell that was of the same tier or even higher! With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan decided to immerse his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path to study the book so as to analyze the feasibility of creating an exact replica of the tortoiseshell when Yu Chens anxious voice suddenly sounded. Teacher... His voice was quivering, carrying deep fear toward something. Sensing the anxiety in the voice, the depressed Elder Feng turned his head over. Look at that... Yu Chen pointed to the roof above them. Elder Feng hurriedly raised his head, and what he saw caused his eyes to narrow in fear. At the same time, noticing the peculiar reaction of the duo, Zhang Xuan and the others raised their heads as well, and in the next instant, they froze on the spot. A huge crack had appeared on the tortoiseshell-shaped building above them, and it was swiftly creeping its way across the area. The inscriptions that were used to fortify the building seemed to have been rendered useless in this very moment, as if they had encountered a force which even they were helpless before. How could this be? Elder Feng wed his head in horror. The explosion of the Sage Xis Tortoiseshell could still be attributed to its old age and wear and tear, thus resulting in retribution from the heavens. On the other hand, the tortoiseshell building had a huge investment in manpower and resources to construct it, and in terms of durability, not even a Saint 8-dan pinnacle experts full strength attack would be able to cause the slightest damage to it. Why would it copse all of a sudden? Stop! Bellowing furiously, Elder Feng rushed forward in an attempt to stop the destruction. No matter what, he couldnt allow the Shrine of Seers to copse just like that. However, despite his furious output of zhenqi, he was still unable to stop the copse of the building. It was as if an inexplicable force that no man could rival was acting upon the building, forcing the copse to ur. And before this force, even Saint 9-dan experts were nothing more than ants, not even worth a mention. Kacha! Kacha! Finally, the roof reached the limits of its durability, and with a series of explosions, rubble began plummeting from above. Many of the seers were immediately jolted out of their focused state, and they anxiously opened their eyes and darted out. As for Zhang Xuan and the rest, it somehow felt wrong if they were to run away in this moment, so they could only drive their zhenqi and form a barrier above them to fend off the falling rubble. Hula! Even amidst a cloud of dust, it took just a mere nce to see that the ancient tortoiseshell building was no more, reced by a mere lump of rubble. All of the formations and the sort that it harnessed had also beenpletely destroyed as well. This... Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in a daze as he remarked, Isnt this building a little too poorly-built? Just who is the architect behind it? If any ordinary humans had been in here, they would have been crushed to death! The building still appeared rather sturdy when he looked at it from the outside, but it turned out to be just a false sense of security! It was fortunate that he was strong, otherwise he would have never been able to survive the copsing rubble no matter how many lives he had! Pu! Once again, Elder Feng spurted a mouthful of blood. Teacher, whats going on? Yu Chen rushed over to Elder Fengs side and asked anxiously. It took a while before Elder Feng managed to calm down the stifled sensation in his heart. He looked at the rubble all around him with a dested look and sighed deeply, It must be the retribution of the heavens... Retribution of the heavens? Hearing that phrase, Zhang Xuan asked in iprehension. Seers sought to peer into the secrets of the heavens in order to receive insights into what the future holds, which is a vition of the naturalws of the world. For that reason, our upation is deeply abhorred by the heavens. As such, we have to use unique means in order to conceal our presence from the will of the heavens, thus leaving the retribution of the heavens nowhere to strike... However, even such means arentpletely infallible. After all, the heavens possess means which none of us can fathom. Take the situation just now for example, it seems that the will of the heavens have somehow slipped past the barriers we have put up and destroyed the entire ce from within, thus resulting in the current state of affairs... Elder Feng hesitated for a moment before exining slowly. As a 9-star seer, even though everything had happened abruptly, he was still able to fathom roughly what had just happened with a swift divination. Those who had reached the top in a certain field were bound to catch the envy of the heavens, and this envy would often manifest in a physical form such as the Leaving Aperture Ordeal and the Dimension Sundering Ordeal. In a sense, this could be considered to be the heavens retribution toward those who dared to vie power from it. And this was even more so for seers, who sought to peer into the secrets of the heavens. The only reason why they were able to survive so long was due to the borate preparations they had made to guard against the will of the heavens. Using thenguage of Zhang Xuans world, it would be simr to how illegal gambling dens would swiftly hide all traces of their activities as soon their sentries caught sight of the arrival of the police, leaving the policemenpletely helpless against them. And of course, when seers dared to peer into the secrets of the heavens, they didnt just rely on their courage and bravado either. They would have made ample preparations in advance. However, they just didnt expect that despite the tight guard they had put up against it, they were still noticed. Not only was the tortoiseshell destroyed, even the Sanctum of Sages several dozen millenniums old Shrine of Seers was destroyed as well... Elder Feng clutched his chest as a stabbing pain assaulted his heart. On the other hand, upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. He had previously attributed the incident to theck of durability of the tortoiseshell and the building, but it turned out to be rted to the will of the heavens instead. When he used the Library of Heavens Path to examine the tortoiseshell, the tortoiseshell broke. When he used it to help him assess whether he would be able to create an exact replica, the entire shrine copsed on them... Could the will of the heavens slipping past the barriers which Elder Feng had spoken about possibly be rted to the Library of Heavens Path? If that was the case, he would have a huge responsibility to y in the destruction. Zhang Xuans face turned crimson red, and he had no idea how he could exin this matter to Elder Feng at all. But at this moment, Elder Feng shook his head bitterly and patted Zhang Xuans shoulder consolingly, Zhang shi, you need no me yourself for this matter. This has nothing to do with you! Our Shrine of Seers probably gotcent and cked off in maintaining the defensive barriers, thus resulting in the current circumstances. I know that it might seem that our upation might seem quite dangerous after everything that has happened, but I can ensure you that this is an anomaly. As long as one were to speak prudently and make proper preparations beforehand, one wouldnt face with any danger at all, not to mention that you possess the Discarnate Constitution of Divination! Safe? Seeing that Elder Feng didnt me him for the matter, Zhang Xuan internally heaved a sigh of relief. There was no way he could mention the Library of Heavens Path before the other party. Since the other party didnt realize a thing, it would be foolish for him to speak up and give himself away. As for the damage he had cost, he would just have to find another way topensate them. Indeed, this is just a freak ident. Usually, it wouldnt even happen once in ten thousand years... Fearing that the genius he had set his eyes on would back out due to this matter, Elder Feng hurriedly exined. If you are still feeling a little skeptical about the matter, you can take a look at our library over there. We maintain anotheryer of defensive barrier around it, so it was able to avoid the retribution of the heavens. As such, despite the copse of the Shrine of Seers, its still able to remain standing. As long as sufficient defensive measures are made in advance, its really extremely safe! As he spoke, he gestured over in a direction. Looking at where Elder Feng was pointing at, Zhang Xuan saw a building standing not too far away. It was connected directly to the Shrine of Seers, but the destruction of the Shrine of Seers didnt seem to have fazed it in the least. Through its open entrance, he could see shelves and shelves of books stacked neatly within. Despite the cloud of dust drifting in the area, the interiors of the library remained perfectly clean. Thats your library? Zhang Xuan asked as his eyes lit up. The destruction of the Shrine of Seers had already left him a little panicked, causing him to rack his brain desperately to find a way for him topensate them. However, if he could ess the library andpile aplete Heavens Path Divination Art, he would be able to make it up to them in full. Thats right! Elder Feng nodded with a hint of pride in his voice. Even though the members of our Shrine of Seers branch number much less than the other upations in the Sanctum of Sages, our collection of books doesnt pale inparison at all. Sage Xis Tortoiseshell might have been destroyed due to the little ident we had previously, but you can still assess your talent through browsing through the books! Previously, when the other party said that he wanted to browse through the books to determine whether he was suited for the upation or not, he proposed using Sage Xis Tortoiseshell instead only because he thought that it would be too troublesome and too long. But with the destruction of Sage Xis Tortoiseshell, there was no other way around it anymore. They could only rely on the most primitive method now. Alright then, Ill go take a look. Hearing that he was free to browse through the books, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He instinctively began walking over to the library when warning bells suddenly rang inside his head, and he quickly halted in his footsteps. If I were to use to the Library of Heavens Path in there, would the library copse as well? Zhang Xuans heart jolted in trepidation. But thinking again, the reason why the Shrine of Seers copsed was probably because the will of the heavens sensed someone attempting to peer into its secrets, so perhaps, it might not work on books? Besides, it wasnt certain that the copse of the Shrine of Seers was due to him using the Library of Heavens Path either. Nevertheless, just to be safe, Zhang Xuan decided to activate his Library of Heavens Path from where he stood so that even if his guess was wrong, the defensive barrier would still be able to defend the library. Thus, he muttered lightly in his mind, ws! Hong long! In the next moment, a wild inferno swept across the books, burning them down into ashes in an instant. Following which, a massive crack crept across the entire library, simr to what that had happened to the tortoiseshell previously. And in just a few breaths, the building copsed into a pile of rubble. ... My library! Elder Fengs eyes widened to their brim, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth. Frenzy consumed his mind. Just what in the world was happening? Why would multiple cmities strike the Shrine of Seers in such short session? If it was just once, it could still be reasoned as them failing to conceal their presence well, resulting in the notice of the will of the heavens. However, for it to happen thrice... at this point, even he was unable to find any reason to justify it anymore. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans lips twitched in horror at that sight as well, Even books arent spared either? He wasnt too certain before, but this around, watching with his own eyes the inferno spreading across the library, there was no way for him to deny it anymore. He quickly turned to look at the dazed elder beside him and called out, Elder Feng. Elder Feng? Elder Feng!! Zhang Xuan called out thrice, but the other party didnt respond at all. rmed by the unnatural state that Elder Feng was in, he began worrying whether the other party had ended up sustain grievous internal injuries due to the multiple shocks he had suffered, so he immediately walked toward the other party to take a closer look. But in the next moment, a thick streak of lightning suddenly appeared from nowhere and fell right on top of Elder Feng. Kacha! Elder Feng copsed to the ground. Elder Feng, you... Horrified, Zhang Xuan hastened his footsteps. Hong long! Hong long! Hong long! Hong long! Multiple streaks of lightning drowned the old man, leaving only a pair of spasming legs outside. Promoting my Discord here: https://discord.gg/ATHVehx Chapter 1372 - How Can a Man Say That He’s Unable to Do It

Chapter 1372: How Can a Man Say That Hes Unable to Do It

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Some timeter, the lightning finally receded, and Elder Feng climbed out from the ditch he was in an unkempt state. The expression on his face looked as if he had been ravaged by countless savage beasts, wretched and disconste. It was one thing for the Shrine of Seers and library to bepletely destroyed, but to be struck relentlessly by lightning when an azure clear sky stood right above him... what was he supposed to make of this situation? All he wanted to do was to take in a student! It was not as if he had vited some heavenly rules or something, did his actions really warranted being struck by lightning? It was fortunate that the lightning only sought to punish and not to kill, or else even a Saint 9-dan pinnacle expert like him would have been reduced to ashes too. Teacher... Yu Chen hurriedly pulled Elder Feng out of the ditch. At this moment, he had no idea what he could and should say in this situation either. This was the first time he had seen his teacher in such a state aftering under his tutge two hundred years ago. Its all my fault... Seeing how the lively and energetic old man being reduced to such a state within just a short span of ten minutes, Zhang Xuan lowered his head apologetically. After all that had happened, it was apparent that the situation was just as what the other party put it out to beit was retribution from the heavens. Peering into the secrets of the heavens was something forbidden by the heavens. It would still be fine if they werent caught in the act, but once they were... As the master of the Library of Heavens Path, unless he were to seal off the Library of Heavens Path,ing into proximity with the seers would cause the will of the heavens to swiftly notice the existence of such desecrating actions. In a sense, it was simr to how students cheating in the examination would be able to get away scot-free with they werent caught, but once they were, there was no way they could be let away lightly. Otherwise, how could the school uphold the integrity of the examinations? The authority of the heavens mustnt be challenged! If it were to allow everyone to just peer into its secrets as when they liked, what would be of the world? Initially, Zhang Xuan was nning topile a book on Elder Feng to see if he could help thetter treat his injuries, but who could have known that this simple action would result in the will of the heavens noticing the nature of Elder Fengs upation and sending a streak of lightning down on him? And for every time he tried to check, another streak of lightning would fall. After multiple tries, it was finally absolutely clear to him that he was the one who had brought the lightning here... His primary intention was to save Elder Feng, but his goodwill had only ended up causing even more damage... Just the thought of it left him feeling deeply embarrassed. Given that Im unable to look at the books of seers or even examine those of the seer upation... theres really no way for me to learn the art of divination then... Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. No matter what, as an Upper Nine Paths upation, seers were deeply respected in the society. If he could master the art of divination, his standing would surely rise to greater heights, thus giving him more chips to win Luo Ruoxins marriage in hand. But not only was the Library of Heavens Path unwilling to help himpile a Heavens Path Divination Art, it was even bent on destroying every single book rting to divination that hey his eyes upon... From the looks of it, it seemed like he waspletely unfated with this upation. Elder Feng, Im truly apologetic about what have happened here today. If I hadnte here, such a situation wouldnt have happened either... Zhang Xuan walked up to the dazed-looking Elder Feng, sped his fist, and apologized earnestly. As one who possessed the Library of Heavens Path, it could be said that he carried the will of the heavens along with him. And to enter a ce where others were peering into the secrets of the heavens with the will of the heavens with him... To be honest, it was already a huge blessing that none of the seers had died in this cmity. Even though it waspletely unintentional, he still couldnt shirk off responsibility for what that had happened here, so he could only admit to it candidly. This has nothing with you... With lifeless eyes, Elder Feng shook his head and sighed deeply. In his view, their upation had simply revealed too many secrets of the world that the retribution of the heavens was falling upon them. No matter how talented the young man before him was, there was no way he could dictate the will of the heavens to attack them. So ultimately, the fault stilly in them. Elder Feng, with all that had happened, I think that you might want some time to yourself, so I wont impose on you any longer... Knowing that there was no way for him to exin the matter, Zhang Xuan decided to say no more. Alright, you should return first. Ille and look for you after I make sense out of what had happened here... Elder Feng nodded. After witnessing what had happened to the Shrine of Seers, the young man should be filled with apprehension for the seer upation at the moment. It would be best for him to first figure out the root of the problem before approaching the young man to alleviate his fears and talk him into bing his direct disciple. Otherwise, who in the world would be willing to join an upation which would put one at risk of being struck by lightning at any moment? Farewell then! Zhang Xuan sped his fist once more toward Elder Feng before leaving the area. Luo Xuanqing took onest look at the surroundings before quickly leaving together with Zhang Xuan. As soon as he was in a safe distance away from where Elder Fengs Spiritual Perception could reach, he finally couldnt hold back his curiosity any longer. He walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked with a hushed voice, Zhang shi, what exactly happened back there? Im not too sure either... Zhang Xuan shook his head. It wouldnt be safe for him to talk too much about this matter even if the other party was his future brother-inw. After all, there were simply too much at stakes here. You arent sure? Hearing Zhang Xuans response, a displeased frown appeared on Luo Xuanqings forehead. But eventually, he still decided against probing any further. He wasnt too sure about what had happened either, but without a doubt, it must have something to do with the young man before him. Otherwise, why would the Shrine of Seers remain perfectly intact for several dozen millenniums, only to copsepletely as soon as he appeared? Everyone had been saying that he was the King of Destruction, causing devastation and ruination everywhere he went. But within this short period of time that he came to know this young man, somehow, he felt that the young man was far more fearsome than he was. At the very least, the destruction he caused was explicable, caused mainly by excessive use of strength or failure to rein in his cultivation properly... On the other hand, the young man managed to tear the entire Shrine of Seers down, and no one knew how he did it at all! This must be the highest realm in the Art of Destruction. It seemed like he still had much to work on. I really should interact more with him so as to learn the art of causing destruction inconspicuously... Luo Xuanqing thought as he stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Right! I have been too preupied with all that was going on that I forgot about Zhang Chun! Luo Xuanqing suddenly recalled something at this moment and smacked his forehead regretfully He had been too caught up in trying to figure out if what had happened to the Shrine of Seers was rted to the young man before him that he forgot his primary motive there. Zhang Chun was still within the Shrine of Seers, and he hadnt found an opportunity to beat up that fellow yet... It wasnt easy for him to achieve a breakthrough, so how could he let Zhang Chun off without giving him a huge gift? It would reflect poorly on you if you were to simply run over to pummel him... In my opinion, theres no need for you to go to him at all. You should make hime and find you instead. Zhang Xuan said. Oh? Luo Xuanqing looked over in interest and asked, How should I go about doing that? Simple. Of the many upations in the Sanctum of Sages, are there any which the offspring of the Zhang n particrly excels in? Zhang Xuan asked. Hmph! Upon speaking of the Zhang n, Luo Xuanqing immediately harrumphed in disdain. While theres nothing good that can be said about the personality of those of the Zhang n, I have to admit that their reputation isnt just for show. There are plenty of experts amongst them, and their names are often brought up when speaking of the top geniuses of most supporting upation as well... The talents of the Zhang ns offspring didnt just manifest in their fighting prowess, they also had outstanding aplishments in other upations too. It was due to this reason that they were able to enjoy such a lofty reputation as the indubitable number one influence in the Sanctum of Sages, both feared and respected by the masses. Thats good. Other than Zhang Chun, who is the next most renowned offspring of the Zhang n? Bring me to him, and Ill challenge him in his field of speciality! Zhang Xuan dered. As long as we do a sweep of all members of the Zhang n, it should only be a matter of time before Zhang Chunes to us personally. It was only a matter of time before the matter that had happened at the Shrine of Seers was traced to him. On top of that, the fact that Yang Xuan was a real figure amongst the top echelons of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was also a ticking time bomb threatening to explode on him at any moment... It would be one thing if Yang Xuan were to never appear, but once the other party did and denied the teacher-student rtionship that Zhang Xuan imed, it wouldnt take long before greedy individuals would set their eyes upon him, determined to uncover the secrets behind his swift rise. While the Master Teacher Pavilion had rules against such actions, it didnt necessarily have the resources to enforce it. Furthermore, it also had many other strategic goals as well, such as uniting the various powers of the Master Teacher Continent to fend against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If it had to choose between maintaining friendly rtions with a powerful organization and protecting an individual master teacher, even if a talented one, it would indubitably choose the former. Sometimes, for the sake of more important objectives, one had no choice but topromise and turn a blind eye to other matters. The only reason why Zhang Xuan was able to remain safe so far was due to his lineage, and this was also an important factor to preventing the top echelons of the Master Teacher Continent from falling into utter chaos. Kill a disciple, and his teacher woulde knocking for vengeance; this was actually just a gross simplification of the effects of a lineage. One had to be extremely careful when dealing with lineages because it was extremely difficult to say for sure just who was connected to whom... For this reason, unless it was a truly irreconcble grudge, most powers would avoid making a move on one another. There was an incident in the past where a Tier-3 Sage n casually sentenced a Transcendent Mortal cultivator from a minor n to death for crossing them. But as luck would have it, a 9-star cksmith turned out to be their great great great grandfather... In the end, the Tier-3 Sage n was nearly entirely wiped out from the face of the world. As such, most cultivators and powers would avoid making a move a person who could have possiblye from a powerful heritage. It was also for this reason that Zhang Xuan was able to rise through the ranks safely, such that there wasnt even any attempted assassination on his life. The protection he had received from the name Yang Xuan had truly been invaluable. If not for the fact that Yang Xuan really existed, given how he had seeded in crashing two Master Teacher Pavilions, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have long sent some men down to investigate his secrets. In other words, he was currently in a very precarious position. He had to be an 8-star master teacher and remove the seal on the Sanctum Head Token or raise his cultivation to a level where he would be able to protect himself before Yang Xuan came knocking. If he could be the next head of the Sanctum of Sages, even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have to think twice before making a move on him. Just as what Fei shi had said previously, generations of sanctum heads would challenge the students of powerful ns and organizations while they were students themselves in order to build up prestige, and this would allow them would swiftly gain control of the Sanctum of Sages after their inauguration. Since he was going to be the next sanctum head anyway, there was no need for him to hesitate about the matter either. It just happened that he had the poorest rtionship with the Zhang n, so it went without saying that he should start from challenging them! If he couldnt flip the entire Sanctum of Sages upside down, his surname shant be Zhang! You want to challenge the Zhang n offspring in their field of specialty? Luo Xuanqing asked with a frown. I know that you possess incredible means in the field of formations and beast taming, but it wont be easy for you to defeat them in the other supporting upations. Are you certain that youll be able to emerge victorious? It wasnt that Luo Xuanqing didnt trust Zhang Xuan, but it was impossible for even the most talented master teacher to be skilled in everything. While the young man before him possessed exceptional prowess in the field of formations and beast taming, such that he didnt think that there would be anyone in the Sanctum of Sages who could rival the young man, he couldnt say the same for the other supporting upations too. Just recalling the various unbelievable records that the Zhang ns offspring had set in some of the supporting upations was enough to send shivers down his spines. It was one thing if they managed to seed, but if they were to fail in their challenge, things would get really embarrassing for them... Dont worry. As long as I can receive an ample amount of books, it wont be easy for me to lose! Zhang Xuan said confidently. If you are really confident about it, I guess it should be fine. It happens that I have some business at the Spirit Awakener Guild. Do you want toe along with me? Recalling the various miracles that the young man had produced, Luo Xuanqing hesitated for a moment before saying. Spirit Awakener Guild? Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Xuanqing. Are there any offspring of the Zhang n there? Zhang Chuns younger brother, Zhang Feng, is the Inceptive Sage there. However, his proficiency of spirit enchantment has already reached the level of 8-star... Are you sure that youre able to do it? Luo Xuanqing asked worriedly. Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan replied, Dont worry, how can a man say that hes unable to do it? If hes still of decent character, Ill let him off after a quick challenge. Otherwise, I wont be standing on ceremony then... Promoting my Discord here: https://discord.gg/ATHVehx Chapter 1373 - Changes in the Library of Heavens Path

Chapter 1373: Changes in the Library of Heavens Path

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Zhang Xuan carried some prejudice against the Zhang n, he did not intend to make things difficult for every single one of them indiscriminately. As long as the other partys personality was not too bad, he would not go overboard. As for Zhang Chun... as a shameless toad lusting for the flesh of a swan, he definitely had to be punished! After making up his mind, Zhang Xuan turned a confused look toward Luo Xuanqing. You mentioned Inceptive Sage earlier. What does that mean? There are many upations in the Sanctum of Sages, and as long as a student achieves proficiency superior to all other students and bes the indubitable number one in a specific upation, they will receive the esteemed title of Inceptive Sage. This title isnt merely honorary; more importantly, it is a symbol of power and standing. As long as one is able to be an Inceptive Sage, they will be considered as the representative of all students in that specific upation, as well as their senior! Luo Xuanqing exined. Zhang Feng sessfully enchanted the guardian golem in the Spirit Awakener Hall and made it move seven whole steps, thus breaking the record for thest three thousand years. Due to that, he became the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall. Guardian golem? Zhang Xuan frowned. Enchanting a guardian golem should not have been too difficult a task. After all, he was someone who had even sessfully enchanted a whole guild before! Youll know how difficult it is once you see it with your own eyes! Seeing how Zhang Xuan thought little of that matter, Luo Xuanqing shook his head with a bitter smile. Naturally, the guardian golem was no ordinary statue, or else Zhang Feng would not have been the only one to have sessfully enchanted it in the past three thousand years. The Spirit Awakener Hall was also located in the Hall of Erudition, so it did not take them too long to arrive at their destination. When Zhang Xuan saw the guardian golem standing at the entrance of the guild, he immediately understood why Luo Xuanqing would say such words. Standing at more than a dozen zhang tall and six to seven zhang wide, it towered like a massive building before the Spirit Awakener Hall. On top of that, it was made of some kind of bizarre ck stone that wielded the ability to absorb ones will, making it difficult to light up the spark of enchantment within it. This... There would indeed be some difficulty in enchanting it, Zhang Xuan remarked grimly. Even he would require a lengthy period of time and deplete himself greatly in order to enchant this golem. The biggest issue was not the golems size but the material it was made of. The material was not particrly suited for harnessing a spirit, causing any spirit enchanted into it to dissipate swiftly. In a sense, attempting to enchant it was like pouring a pail of water into a basket. The faster one poured the water, the quicker the water just seemed to flow away, making it seem like an impossible feat to achieve. As long as the rate one enchanted the golem was beneath the rate at which the spirit infused into the golem was dissipating, it would be impossible to seed. For Zhang Feng to not only seed but even get it to move seven steps, he was indeed a formidable figure. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan stepped forward, ced his hand on the golem, and sent his consciousness into it. In an instant, he felt as if he had been plunged into a domain ofplete darkness, devoid of any hint of light. He could not see the slightest trace of the outstretched hand he had ced before him, and to make things worse, he found that he could not extend his Spiritual Perception outward either. With a light tap of his finger, he conjured a brilliant spark that illuminated the surroundings. However, before the light could even diffuse around, a powerful suction force suddenly devoured the light. This reminded him deeply of the Starluster Stone. Under the suppression of the surrounding suction force, the spark could only coil around his fingertip, unable to illuminate any further than that. Hu! Zhang Xuan brought his consciousness back into his body and opened his eyes once more. Enchanting the golem would indeed be a huge challenge to him, even greater than the challenge of enchanting the entire Spirit Awakener Hall. Even with his current strength, it would not be too easy for him to seed. How is it? Luo Xuanqing asked. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying. Can you bring me to where the 8-star spirit awakener books are located? I have some doubts concerning spirit enchantment, and Ill need to browse through some books in order to resolve them. He had only essed 7-star spirit awakener books before, so his understanding of spirit enchantment was still a littlecking at the moment. As long as he could gather sufficient books topile the 8-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, he would be able to easily clear whatever test there was to be an Inceptive Sage. You want to browse through 8-star spirit awakener books? Luo Xuanqing nodded. Youll have to clear the 8-star spirit awakener examination first for that. The examination hall is right ahead. I still have some matters to attend to, so Ill be leaving for now... Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded in response before heading into the Spirit Awakener Hall. Simr to the ce where he had taken the formation master examination previously, there was hardly anyone in sight in the rtively big Spirit Awakener Hall, making the area appear exceptionally empty and cold in contrast. Zhang Xuan quickly made his way over to the front receptionist and passed his emblem over. Zhang shi, this way please! The receptionist was a youngdy who appeared to be in her early twenties. After learning of Zhang Xuans identity, her attitude became exceptionally friendly, and she quickly led him over to the library. All 7-star spirit awakener books are within. There are quite a lot of books here, so if you need help finding any, feel free to approach me, and Ill find it for you! the female receptionist said. Its fine, I think I can manage by myself. Thank you, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile before walking into the library. The number of high-tier spirit awakener books in the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Hall was rathercking, so it would be best for him to browse through more 7-star spirit awakener books prior to taking the 8-star spirit awakener examination just to be safe. The library here did not disappoint. As soon as he stepped in, a massive collection of books immediately unfolded before him, causing his eyes to light up in excitement. Without any hesitation, he dived straight into collecting them into the Library of Heavens Path. ws! Hula! Books were swiftly replicated in his Library of Heavens Path at a swift speed. Zhang Xuan swiftly noticed that something was different. Hmm? Why does it seem like the speed at which I am collecting the books has improved? It was true that he could collect the books just by looking at them directly with his eyes, but there was still a slightg between his sight and the materialization of the books in the Library of Heavens Path. Usually, while he was already done sweeping across the third shelf, the Library of Heavens Path would still be materializing the second. But this time around, it felt as if the Library of Heavens Path was running right behind his back. Just as his eyes reached the third shelf, the Library of Heavens Path reached the third shelf. There hasnt been anything peculiar with the Library of Heavens Path recently though, and I havent fallen into aa either. Zhang Xuan began racking his brain to make sense of the peculiar situation he was facing. The only time the Library of Heavens Path had undergone a metamorphosis was when he met Luo Ruoxin once more in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. That metamorphosis had allowed him to collect books with not just his touch but with just a look from his eyes. However, that metamorphosis knocked him out for three whole days. This time, nothing of the sort had happened, but the book collecting rate had grown much faster than before. What was going on? A thought shed across Zhang Xuans mind, and he widened his eyes in disbelief. Could it be... It was a little hard for him to believe, but that was the only reason he coulde up with no matter how he racked his mind. And that was... destroying the Shrine of Seers! In the view of the heavens, destroying a Seer Guild branch was probably equivalent to sessfully raiding a den of criminals, ridding the world of a poisonous tumor. Could the changes in his Library of Heavens Path be rted to that? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Could it be that there is a reward for me bringing ruination upon the seers, something like a bounty? As powerful as the Library of Heavens Path already was, he would not hesitate to grab an opportunity to evolve it further. After all, it was the strongest trump card that he had in his possession as well as the foundation of his growth. Without a doubt, its metamorphosis would grant him great benefits one way or another. I guess I should go out and destroy a few more Seer Guilds when I have some free time on my hands... Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. Of course, all of this was just his conjecture at the moment, so it would require further verification in order to determine whether his hypothesis was true or not. In any case, with the enhanced speed at which he could collect books into the Library of Heavens Path, he managed to collect all of the books in the library and assimte them into his mind within four hoursin the past, it would have taken him six hours. Once he was done, he returned to the main hall to find the female receptionist. I wish to take the 8-star spirit awakener examination. May I know what the processes for that are? Zhang Xuan inquired. In order to read the books of 8-star spirit awakeners, he would have to clear the 8-star spirit awakener examination first. You wish to take the 8-star spirit awakener examination? A slight hint of astonishment could be seen in the female receptionists eyes for a brief moment before she nodded. The spirit awakener examination it actually rather simple, unlike those for apothecaries and cksmiths. All you have to do is sessfully enchant a grade-8 puppet before an elder of our Spirit Awakener Hall branch, and youll be considered to have cleared the examination. Ill be troubling you to bring me over to the examination hall then. Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, under the lead of the youngdy, Zhang Xuan arrived at a rtively spacious hall. The elder invigting his examination was an old man who appeared to be in his sixties. The eight brilliant stars on the emblem pinned in front of his robe indicated that he was an 8-star spirit awakener. The internal structure of the puppet was extremely simple, somewhat simr to the ones he had seen at the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Guild. Its purpose was to gauge ones mastery of spirit enchantment, so there was no need for excessiveplexity. Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan ced his palm on the puppet. A sliver of his consciousness slipped from his Primordial Spirit into the puppet, and it did not take him long to light up thetters consciousness. In truth, the puppet had only barely met the basic requirements to be considered a grade-8 puppet. Anyone who had met the minimum requirement to be an 8-star spirit awakener would be able to clear it with ease. Here is your 8-star emblem! Not expecting the young man to clear the examination in a single try, the elder was visibly surprised. He quickly helped the young man apply for an emblem and passed it over. Seeing that he had managed to clear the examination without any unfortunate idents urring, Zhang Xuan secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Taking his new 8-star spirit awakener emblem, he headed for the section containing the 8-star spirit awakener books in the library and continued his studying session. Six hourster, he finally walked out of the library. It was exhausting going through so many books at once, but he did manage to master the 8-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, thus raising his mastery of the art up to the level of 8-star pinnacle. Zhang shi, how is it going? Barely after taking a step out of the library, Zhang Xuan encountered Luo Xuanqing. Un, I think I should have... Zhang Xuan nodded as he replied, but halfway through his words, he suddenly stopped. He stared at the sight before him with utter shock, and it took a while before he managed to find his voice once more. W-what is going on? The majestic building that he had been in just six hours ago had copsed, and white smoke was rising here and there. Oh... I was intending to get Elder Zhao of the Spirit Awakener Hall to help me reinforce my Primordial Spirit, but that fellow was simply too ipetent. He ended up ejecting my Primordial Spirit out of my body, and in a moment of carelessness... Well, it just became like that... Luo Xuanqing scratched his head in embarrassment. You were able to cause such a mess just by fortifying your Primordial Spirit? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Previously, when Luo Xuanqing said that he had some business at the Spirit Awakener Hall, he had already guessed that the other party was intending to find someone to help him reinforce his Primordial Spirit in preparation to facing the Dimension Sundering Ordeal. He thought that a matter as simple as this should not have been too much of a problem, but such a mishap still ended up happening. Honestly, can you stop causing destruction wherever you go? You are a huge embarrassment, you know! Someone must have cut corners while building this Spirit Awakener Hall, or else how could it possibly be so fragile... Luo Xuanqing harrumphed unabashedly. Before Luo Xuanqing could finish his words, a furious bellow suddenly sounded. Luo Xuanqing, can you be any more shameful than that? Following which, a group of men rushed out angrily. The one leading the group was a young man in histe thirties. Taking a closer look, the young mans facial features bore some resemnce to Zhang Chuns. Zhang Feng, what do you mean by that? You have barged into our Spirit Awakener Hall a total of two times, and each time around, you somehow manage to leave it inplete shambles. From today onward, our Spirit Awakener Hall no longer wees you. If you dare to take even the slightest step into here, dont me us for getting nasty with you! Zhang Feng roared with gritted teeth. Humph, how is it my concern that your Spirit Awakener Halls building is so fragile? If you have the time to be roaring at me, why dont you spend it finding better bricyers instead? Luo Xuanqing snapped coldly. You still have the cheek to be saying those words... If you hadnt lost control of your own Primordial Spirit, would such a thing have happened? You really are a piece of work, you know? With a grand wave of his hand, Zhang Feng stepped forward and loudly dered, With my authority as the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall, I hereby pass an Inceptive Sage Decree. As long as Luo Xuanqing steps into the perimeter of our Spirit Awakener Hall, all spirit awakeners are allowed to attack him without any qualms over injuring him or even killing him! Chapter 1374 - Luo Xuanqing Runs Amok

Chapter 1374: Luo Xuanqing Runs Amok

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Xuanqings expression turned livid upon hearing Zhang Fengs words. A frightening aura lingered around him, reminiscent of a crouching tiger prepared to pounce forth at any moment. Do you really think that I dare not cripple you? Ever since he entered the Sanctum of Sages, he had always stood unchallenged by others, stepping over those who had dared stand in his way. When had anyone dared speak to him in such a manner before? Not even his elder brother, Zhang Chun, would dare talk to him like that! You want to cripple me? Sure, do it then! You might be stronger than me, but youd better not forget that we are in the Spirit Awakener Hall right now. As the Inceptive Sage, I can control the countless puppets that are in here to subdue you with ease! Zhang Feng sneered coldly. The Spirit Awakener Hall was filled with puppets here and there. Once enchanted, all of these would be weapons at Zhang Fengs disposal. With these soldiers to fight in his stead, what would Luo Xuanqings strength count for? As long as he retained his identity as the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall, he would be an invincible existence here. Not even Saint 8-dan experts would dare to pull their weight before him! You... Luo Xuanqing gritted his teeth in fury as his breathing hastened. Whats wrong with that? Unlike you, causing trouble and expecting others to pardon you just because you are a member of the Luo n, I forged a ce for myself in the Spirit Awakener Hall through my own capability! If you werent the brother of the little princess, do you think that our Zhang n or even the Sanctum of Sages would have tolerated you for so long? You would have long been minced into countless bits and fed to the fish! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly with a haughty swing of his sleeves. Also, tell your little princess that its her honor that the young prodigy of our Zhang n is willing to wed her. If she dares to flee once more, dont me us for resorting to extreme measures! Honor? Extreme measures? Hahahaha! Before Luo Xuanqing could even say a word, Zhang Xuan had already interjected. Come, why dont you tell me in detail just how much of an honor it is to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n and how extreme the measures you n to use will be? That young prodigy of the Zhang n must have rued several generations of fortune for him to be engaged to be Luo Ruoxin at birth, and yet, he still dared to put on a disappearing act. And as if that was not enough, the rest of them still had the cheek to spout such words. You are really challenging the limits of my tolerance! To be honest, Zhang Xuan also thought that Luo Xuanqing had gone overboard with the damage, and the haughty attitude he put on after that only further worsened the situation. I can understand why you are mad at Luo Xuanqing and want to get back at him, and I wont stop you from doing it either. But how dare you speak of Luo Ruoxin in such a manner? You are really asking for a beating! Who the hell do you think you are? Is this any ce for you to speak up? Zhang Feng did not think that he would be bellowed at by Luo Xuanqingsckey, and he narrowed his eyes menacingly. Regardless of who I am, I just want to ask you a simple question. If the little princess of the Luo n were to turn down the engagement with your Zhang n, what kind of extreme measures do you intend to resort to? Zhang Xuan asked. His attitude was seemingly casual, but the frostiness in his eyes was unconceble. Humph, do you think that she has any ce in turning our Zhang n down? Little princess is a mere title she upholds before others! To our Zhang n, shes nothing at all! Zhang Feng sneered coldly. You bastard! Try saying those words once more, and Ill rip you to shreds! A powerful aura instantaneously burst forth form Luo Xuanqing, surging right into the clouds, seemingly threatening to tear the sky apart. It was one thing for someone to insult him, but he would never forgive anyone insulting his younger sister! Sure, Ill say it as many times as you like! Pure and innocent little princess, my ass! Despite having an engagement with our young prodigy, she still ran out to hook up with some other guy. She has really sullied everyst bit of honor that we Sage ns have, Zhang Feng spat out disdainfully. You scum! With a furious bellow, Luo Xuanqing dashed out like a cannonball, and it took only an instant for him to appear right before Zhang Feng. Boom! The abrupt outburst of overwhelming mightpressed the surrounding air so much that a deafening cacophony of sonic booms resounded here and there. Humph, could there still be any mistake about it? Your Luo n should have received the news, and just a few days ago, they sent a few elders over to our Zhang n to exin the matter to us. Most likely, that little princess of yours that you hold so dearly should still be under house arrest! Zhang Feng mocked coldly as he dodged Luo Xuanqings attack and retreated. Since she dared to do it, why cant we say it out loud? Only that fool of an elder brother I have would think of that disgraceful woman as a treasure. If it was me, I would have marched right up to her to confront her over the issue! You are courting death! With eyes crimson with frenzy, Luo Xuanqing dashed forward with astounding speed. At the same time, he sped his fist together, and the surrounding air suddenly seemed to have frozen in ce, leaving Zhang Feng with nowhere to escape. Peng! Overwhelming might punctured Zhang Fengs chest. Pu! With a spurt of fresh blood, Zhang Feng was sent flying into the distance. He was by no means weak, but even so, he was only at the same level as Bi Hongyin and the others, still a distance away from matching up to the Half-Dimension Sundering realm Luo Xuanqing. Just a single strike, and he was already severely wounded. Luo Xuanqing, youve asked for it! After crashing heavily to the ground, the unkempt Zhang Feng forcefully pushed himself back to his feet and red at Luo Xuanqing with scarlet eyes. Raising his hand, hemanded, Beat him down into his grave! Hu! As soon as thatmand was issued, a dozen puppets immediately leaped out from the surroundings. These puppets were neither works of celestial designers or cksmiths. Rather, they were enchanted artifacts. At first nce, it might appear that there was no specific grade to them, but their prowess was not to be underestimated. This was especially so with the inferno giant among them. Standing at four meters tall, its presence caused the surrounding air to distort from overwhelming heat. Besides the inferno giant, there was a metal giant as well. Zhang Xuan could not tell with just a normal look what it was made of, but it was extraordinarily resilient. In terms of defensive prowess, it was probably on par with Saint high-tier artifacts. It would really take a great deal of effort to deal with it. It would not be too much trouble for Luo Xuanqing to deal with Zhang Feng ordinarily, but the appearance of the dozen puppets immediately ced him out of tempo, causing him to fumble around a bit. Damn it! Luo Xuanqing roared with rage bubbling within him, releasing all of the strength he harnessed in his body. Si! Releasing the entirety of his Half-Dimension Sundering realm cultivation, the surrounding space began to distort under the rampaging outpour of his zhenqi. Under his immense might, the settled dust and rubble rose into the sky once more, bringing greater chaos upon the world. His original intention was to conceal his cultivation and spring a surprise on Zhang Chun, but Zhang Fengs words had exceeded his bottom line. At this point, he did not care that much either. Peng peng peng peng! It might have seemed as if there was only a small step of difference between the Dimension Sundering realm and the Phantasmal Space realm, but just like between a cocoon and a butterfly, there was a world of a difference between them. With his full might as a Half-Dimension Sundering realm expert released, the puppets swiftly found their movements sealed, as if they had fallen into a bog. As much as they struggled, they were unable to escape from whatever was holding them in ce. Kacha! With a downward press of his hand, the dozen puppets did not evenst another breath before being suppressed forcefully into a lying position on the ground. Indignant roars red from their mouths, but as if the weight of an entire mountain was upon them, even getting to their feet seemed to be a daunting task. You... Zhang Feng never thought that Luo Xuanqing would have already reached such a level. His eyes narrowed as he hurriedly retreated. You arent going anywhere until you make things clear today! With a deep bellow, Luo Xuanqing dashed forth with the momentum of a human-sized massive dragon. His movement caused countless ripples to appear in the surrounding space, reminiscent of a water surface disturbed by a pebble thrown into it. Peng! These seemingly light ripples struck Zhang Feng as if massive clubs hammering down on his body, causing fresh blood to spurt form his mouth once more. The impact of the blows forcefully pulled him down from the sky. Hu! After striking Zhang Feng down, Luo Xuanqing took another step forward, appearing before Zhang Feng in an instant. Then, he raised his leg and stomped toward Zhang Fengs face. With the speed and the strength of the stomp, if the attack were to reallynd on Zhang Feng, he would be crippled for good even if he did survive this ordeal. It seemed like hearing his younger sister being insulted right before him had truly enraged Luo Xuanqing, and that snapped thest bit of rationality in his mind, causing him to disregard all rules and consequences of his actions. Those who dared touch the inverted scale of a dragon would meet with swift deaths! 1 Formidable, Zhang Xuan muttered. For a moment there, rage had consumed his mind as well, and he had been nning to dash forward as well. However, seeing that his future brother-inw had already made a move, he eventually forced himself to remain still. It simply was not the right time for him to express his identity yet. Of course, if Luo Xuanqing were to be ced in a disadvantageous position in the battle, he would step in and intervene. Zhang Feng was justified in confronting Luo Xuanqing over the destruction of the Spirit Awakener Hall and passing the Inceptive Sage Decree. After all, Luo Xuanqing did go overboard in that matter. However, he did one thing that he never should have doneinsult Luo Ruoxin. Based on that alone, he was deserving of dying a hundred times over! You... Seeing the prowess behind the stomp heading for his face, Zhang Feng quivered in fear. Not daring to hold back anymore, he swiftly triggered the bloodline ability in his body. Boom! The surrounding time seemed to have slowed, but at the same time, it felt like Zhang Feng had gotten fasterpared to the rest of the world. With a powerful push of his hand against the ground, he rolled several meters away, dodging the stomp by just a hairs breadth. Boom! The stomp imprinted a depression of thirty-meters right beneath the floating Luo Xuanqings feet, raising countless stone fragments into the sky. Luo Xuanqing, you are insane! Zhang Feng eximed as he cowered in fear at that sight, not daring to imagine what would have happened if that attack hadnded on him. Even though the Spirit Awakener Hall had copsed, as long as they gathered sufficient workers, they should be able to get it rebuilt swiftly. However, now that even the ground beneath was devastated, how were they supposed to rebuild their base? Boom! Not bothering to respond to Zhang Feng, Luo Xuanqings figure flickered, and he appeared before Zhang Feng once more with a palm flying right for thetter. This palm strike seemed to have forcefully dragged Zhang Feng into a sundered dimension, leaving himpletely cornered and with nowhere to escape. In the face of the might of the palm, Zhang Feng only felt a numbing sensation rising all over his body as his aura was suppressed to the point where it felt as if he would explode from within. Even before the palm strike couldnd, the unbearable pressure weighing down on him had already drawn a spurt of blood from his mouth. Even after activating the power of his bloodline ability, it was still far from sufficient to bridge the disparity in the strength of the two of them. Just when did you achieve a breakthrough? How can you possibly be so powerful? Zhang Feng eximed as he felt a prickling sensation run through his scalp. At this point, he was filled with regret. He had known from the start that this fellow would lose all sanity when his younger sister was mentioned, so why in the world did he have to use those words to trigger him? Wasnt that just asking for trouble? Driving his bloodline ability to the maximum, Zhang Feng barely managed to break out of the sundered dimension and dodge the overwhelming palm strike. Boom! Another massive palm print appeared on the ground. The remaining buildings that had yet to copse in the area began trembling non-stop, seemingly on the verge of falling into the depression created previously by the powerful shockwave. Seeing how the other party was still dashing at him as if a crazed lunatic, Zhang Feng felt deep fear arising from his midst, and he anxiously bellowed, Luo Xuanqing, I am an Inceptive Sage. If you dare hurt me, thats no different from going up against the entire upation. You will be hunted down in the future. Not even the Luo n will be able to protect you! Let theme! In any case, Ill be sending you down to theherworld today! Boom! Amid another resounding sonic boom, Luo Xuanqing vanished from the spot. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the Zhang Feng once more with a palm strike. This time, he had sealed the surrounding spacepletely, turning it into a solid cage. Even if Zhang Feng were to drive his Zhang ns bloodline to its limit, he would still be unable to escape from it. Are you done messing around yet, Luo Xuanqing? Dont think that well just tolerate everything that you do! Hong long long! Just as the palm was about to strike down on Zhang Fengs head, a resounding bellow sounded, and three elders suddenly appeared right before the crowd. One of them waved his hand, and a surge of light deflected the might of Luo Xuanqings palm strike. Chapter 1375 - Luo Ruoxin Is Under House Arrest

Chapter 1375: Luo Ruoxin Is Under House Arrest

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A Saint 8-dan expert! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. To be able to teach Luo Xuanqing a lesson while protecting Zhang Fengpletely from the attack, it was truly an exquisite move. He could not be too sure about the other two elders, but the one who had made a move was likely at Dimension Sundering realm advanced stage at the very least! Those who possessed such strength were ranked at the top of the Master Teacher Continent. They would be able to start their own sects and dominate a region of their own. Peng! Under the rebound of his own might, Luo Xuanqings face paled as he was forced to retreat several steps back to ward off the force. He raised his head to look at the trio in the sky with an awful look on his face. Elders, Zhang Feng dared insult my younger sister. My rage wont be quelled unless I teach him a lesson! Luo Xuanqing bellowed with eyes widened like bells. Enough! the elder who had made a move earlier roared angrily. Luo Xuanqing, does the Spirit Awakener Hall or the Sanctum of Sages still mean anything to you? In view of the little princess and the Luo n, we allowed you to get away with destroying our guild without any repercussions. What else do you want other than that? Will you only be content after you wipe our Spirit Awakener Hallpletely off the face of the world? Luo Xuanqing stepped forward and sped his fist tightly. I bear no ill will toward the Spirit Awakener Hall. The one whom I have a grudge with is Zhang Feng. Ill give the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages a satisfactory exnation after Im done with him, so I ask of the three elders not to interfere in this matter. He simply could not allow the other party to get away so easily after insulting his younger sister! Audacious! Zhang Feng is our guilds Inceptive Sage. By making a move on him, you are showing tant disregard for our entire guild! Scram right now, and we can still overlook todays matter. Otherwise, even if you are from the Luo n, well make sure you have hell to pay for your actions today! another elder berated sharply with an electrifying look in his eyes. It was one thing for Luo Xuanqing to reduce the entire Spirit Awakener Hall to such a state, but he even wanted to make a move on their Inceptive Sage after that. This was truly intolerable. If they allowed such a thing to happen, what would be of their dignity? Are you threatening me? Let me tell you this, I, Luo Xuanqing, fear no threat! Luo Xuanqing bellowed with his eyes narrowed coldly, and once again, his aura surged. It seemed like even if he had to tap into his bloodline ability, he would make Zhang Feng pay the price for his actions. That fellow really is a lunatic! Seeing his actions, a shudder ran through Zhang Fengs body. Had it been anyone else, considering that even the elders had gotten involved, he would have made use of this opportunity to resolve the matter peacefully. Yet, Luo Xuanqing still refused to back down, determined to go all the way through regardless of the consequences. He really was a true psycho. Once he got psychotic, there was no such thing as rationality in his head. Seeing as a battle was about to break out at any moment, Zhang Xuan ced his palm on Luo Xuanqings shoulder and said, Brother Luo, just leave the rest to me. The crowd thought that the young man who dared talk to the berserk Luo Xuanqing would surely be pummeled beyond recognition, but contrary to their expectations, thetters powerful aura began receding instead. This... Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief, unable toprehend the situation unfolding before their eyes. Luo Xuanqings temperament could be clearly seen from what had happened earlier. Most likely, other than his younger sister, there was no one else in this world who could shake him out of his berserk state. Yet, the twenty-year-old young man beside him actually made him back down with just a couple of words? Just what was the background of that young man for Luo Xuanqing to actually be so obedient to him? Zhang shi... Ignoring the shocked crowd, Luo Xuanqing turned his head to the young man behind him. The person who was grabbing his shoulder was, of course, none other than Zhang Xuan. It was not that he wanted to withdraw his strength, but the palm on his shoulder was pressed on the acupoint required for the activation of his bloodline, forcefully suppressing his strength. Dont worry, Ill bring justice to the little princess. Knowing what the other party was thinking, Zhang Xuan raised his head and looked at the three elders in the sky with a sharp glint in his eyes. Elders, I dont think that theres any way to resolve this matter peacefully anymore. Its a private matter between the both of them, so I ask of you not to interfere in their affairs. The elder who had spoken up previously harrumphed coldly. Lad, do you know whom you are talking to? Regardless of who you are, Ill just say this once. Step back and allow the both of them to settle this matter among themselves, and I can promise you Zhang Fengs life wont be endangered. Otherwise, Im afraid that this wont look good on any of us here, Zhang Xuan said. He did not like to cause trouble either, but Zhang Fengs mouth was truly horrid. To dare nder his girlfriends reputation in public, no matter how good his temper was, he still could not let this matter go without giving the other party a good beating. All along, he had tried to steer clear of trouble, never provoking others wherever possible, to the point where humility was etched right into his bones. However, he was fine with going high profile just this once. Very well! Not expecting a twenty-year-old young man to act so arrogantly before them, the three elders trembled with rage. Having been in the Sanctum of Sages for several decades now, they had seen plenty of haughty young masters and talented geniuses, but there were none who had dared speak to them in such a tone barely after enrolling into the academy. Who do you think you are? The next sanctum head? A Celestial Master Teacher? Know your ce! Well just make it very clear to you right now. If you dare touch even a single strand of Zhang Fengs hair, well consider it as waging war against our Spirit Awakener Guild. You can be very sure that well make you regret having ever been born! one of the elders replied with a wintry tone. Given that they had already made a move, they would lose respect from their students and peers if they allowed the other party to just beat up their Inceptive Sage as they liked! The authority they had built up over the years would vanish in an instant! Alright then. Since none of you are willing to back down, I wont stand on ceremony then... Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, knock those three impediments down! Roar! The next moment, the massive Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast appeared before everyones eyes. With a resounding roar, it swooped right for the three elders in the sky. Ah? Not expecting such a powerful saint beast to be released on them all of a sudden, the three elders were scared out of their wits. Before they could even react, the saint beast had already swiped its ws toward them. Si! The space before them was immediately torn apart, and a ck gorge harnessing rampaging might appeared. The incredible might that Luo Xuanqing had disyed earlier was already extremely shocking, butpared to that of this Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, it was nothing at all. They were not even at the same level as one another. What? Saint 8-dan pinnacle... The faces of the three elders instantaneously flushed white. They hurriedlyunched their strongest attacks, not daring to hold anything back in the face of an expert of such caliber. The crux to Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realmy in theprehension of spatialws, and there was a significant difference in fighting prowess across the cultivation stages within the realm. On top of that, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was one of the stronger saint beasts, even possessing the Dragon Bloodline. Not even a master teacher of the same cultivation realm would necessarily have been a match for it, let alone weak spirit awakeners like them. In an instant, various powers rippled through the air, raining down like a torrent. At the same time, many puppets materialized in the air, but they swiftly exploded one after another. It was just a simple charge for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but its superior might and nigh invincible defense were more than enough to destroy everything that the three elders sent at it. In less than ten breaths, the heads of the three elders were stabbed into the ground, and white foam was leaking from their mouths. Their bodies werepletely stiffened. As powerful as they might have been, they were still far toockingpared to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Hu! After defeating the three elders, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast swiped forward and grabbed Zhang Feng in its hand. With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked at Zhang Feng and said, I want you to apologize. Even though his voice was calm, it carried invible authority to it,pelling others to bow down to him. I... Zhang Feng bit his lips so tightly as fresh blood was flowing down his chin. What I have said is the truth! Why should I apologize? The little princess of the Luo n has already confessed that theres someone she likes, and she intends to cancel the engagement with our Zhang n. This is a matter that the top echelons of the Luo n and the Zhang n are aware of. If you dont believe my words, you can get Luo Xuanqing to send a message back to his n to ask about it! Bullsh*t! If my younger sister has someone that she likes, how can I possibly be unaware of it? Luo Xuanqing said with veins popping from his head. Cough cough! Brother Luo, theres no need to get so agitated... Zhang Xuan quickly held the almost rampaging Luo Xuanqing back. While Luo Xuanqing distrusted Zhang Feng, he thought that it was more likely that what Zhang Feng had said was the truth. Considering that Ruoxin had agreed to be his girlfriend, it was indeed possible for her to have told both ns that she wanted to cancel the engagement with the Zhang n. He knew his girlfriend very well. She was a silent and perhaps even cold person, but she was extremely decisive and headstrong when it came to crucial situations. Just like him, as long as she had decided upon something, she would never back down or look back, no matter how great the difficulties thaty ahead were. Even if the entire world were to block her path, she would continue marching forward without fear. Recalling what Zhang Feng had said earlier, with a tight knit between his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan asked, You said that the little princess is likely under house arrest in the Luo n... What does that mean? He could not allow Ruoxin to be wronged because of him. As a man, he would have to step forward and bear the responsibility. If he could not even protect the woman that he loved, what was the point of being a master teacher? What was the point of growing strong? Being held tightly in the grasp of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Zhang Feng knew that even if the duo did not kill him, they could easily inflict great suffering upon him should he choose to remain silent. Thus, he gritted his teeth and eventually revealed everything that he knew. Half a month back, an elder of our Zhang n sent over a betrothal gift, as per usual, but the little princess suddenly appeared then and personally rejected the gift. She told him that she already has someone whom she loves, and she doesnt intend to proceed with the engagement with the Zhang n. Thus, she said, theres no need to waste time no such matters anymore. Herments caused huge ripples. It didnt take long for the upper echelons of the Zhang n and the Luo n to learn of the matter, and soon after, the Luo n dispatched several elders to subdue the little princess and ce her under house arrest. This... Zhang Xuans body jolted. Someone of Ruoxins wits must have known the consequences of saying those words, but even so, she still unhesitatingly spoke them out loud. Just how much courage would it have taken her to go against the will of two of the strongest Sage ns on the Master Teacher Continent, not to mention that one of them was her family? Zhang Xuan clenched his teeth and asked, Where is she being held? Im not too sure either. I only heard of this matter from an elder in my n, Zhang Feng replied anxiously. On the other hand, Luo Xuanqing was still unable to believe what he had just heard. Bullsh*t! Everything that you have said is bullsh*t! How can my younger sister possibly fall in love with someone else? Who in the world can possibly be worthy of her? Cough cough! Seeing the extreme reaction Luo Xuanqing had toward this matter, Zhang Xuan could not help but turn his head over and say, Brother Luo, calm down! I know that the little princess is outstanding, but theres bound to be someone worthy of her. Someone worthy of her? A glint shed across Luo Xuanqings eyes as he turned to Zhang Xuan and snorted. You? Chapter 1376 - The Dancing Golem

Chapter 1376: The Dancing Golem

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I... Zhang Xuan suddenly fell silent. For a moment, he was tempted to admit that Ruoxin was indeed his girlfriend. However, he eventually still swallowed those words back then. Considering how the Zhang n and the Luo n were already in a mess after hearing that the little princess had someone that she fancied, he would only be making things worse if he revealed the matter right now. He would have to reveal his rtionship with Luo Ruoxin eventually, and now was definitely not a good time. First and foremost, he would require an identity that would allow him to withstand the pressure exerted from the Zhang n. This way, Luo Ruoxin would be able to face her family as well. Otherwise, if others knew that the person whom she liked was just an ordinary person from a humble Unranked Kingdom... not only would it not ease the predicament they were in, it would only beplicating it. It was traditional thinking, but marriage had to be between two equals, or else there was no way Luo Ruoxins family would be willing to ept him. He did not wish to see his girlfriend falling out with her family over him, criticized by the world. Zhang shi, I am thankful for what you have done, but I am in no mood to joke with you! Luo Xuanqing said grimly. He turned to Zhang Feng and said, You said that this incident happened half a month ago? All in all, their journey to obtain the Dongxu Gourd had taken roughly twenty days. If the incident had happened half a month ago, it would mean that it had happened right after he left the Sanctum of Sages. If that was the case, it would exin why he had not caught wind of the matter. Thats right. Zhang Feng nodded. Luo Xuanqing stood on the spot with a livid expression on his face for a while before he suddenly turned his head to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, Ill leave this fellow to you. Make sure to give him a good lesson so that he learns how to watch his mouth in the future. Ill be right back. After which, he leaped up into the air and flew off in a certain direction. Before Zhang Xuan could say a word, he had already disappeared into the distance. Brother Luo... Zhang Xuan frowned, not expecting the other party to leave just like that. The other party moved so quickly that even the execution of the Unbounded Voyager would have been insufficient for him to catch up, so he could only hold back the urge to chase him. He turned his gaze to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and said, Teach him a lesson, but dont kill him. Roar! Nodding, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was just about to make a move when a whiz sounded. The three elders who had been nted into the ground had flown back up into the sky. This friend over here, Zhang Feng is our guilds Inceptive Sage. Hurting him is no different from going against the entire Spirit Awakener Guild. I hope that you can think things through before making a move, an elder said through gritted teeth. Furthermore, the system of Inceptive Sages is something that is determined by the Sanctum of Sages. To show public defiance for it is equivalent to opposing the Sanctum of Sages, and youll be expelled for it. Expelled? Indeed. Luo Xuanqing is one of the core members of the Luo n, and his cultivation had reached Half-Dimension Sundering realm, so expulsion from the Sanctum of Sages doesnt really mean anything to him. However, its different for you. Judging from your age, you must be a freshman who has just enrolled this year, right? You still have a long future ahead of you, so why ruin your entire life just to vent a moment of anger? another elder added. Ruin my entire life? Zhang Xuan shook his head with a light chuckle. He turned to the three elders and said, Since we are in the Sanctum of Sages, lets settle this matter by the rules of the Sanctum of Sages then. I am currently an 8-star spirit awakener, so as long as I rece him as the Inceptive Sage, it wont be considered a vition of the rules no matter what I do to him, right? Of course! If you can be the Inceptive Sage, even if you were to beat him to death, our guild will help you cover up the matter, an elder replied with a nod. An Inceptive Sage could be considered the most outstanding member within a certain upation among the younger generation, so if there were to be any conflicts with others, they were inclined to help him. With the current situation, for example, if not for the fact that Zhang Feng was their Inceptive Sage, they would not have rushed out at all. After all, it was apparent that both Luo Xuanqing and the young man before them were tough nuts to crack. In all honesty, the copse of the Spirit Awakener Hall was not a big matter; they could easily have it fixed by enchanting a couple of puppets. However, having their Inceptive Sage beaten up would really be a huge p to their face, and this was something they could not ept. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Ill have to trouble you all to tell me how the test for the Inceptive Sage works then. I still have some matters to attend to after this, so I dont have much time to waste. There was no backing out of this matter anymore given how far they hade. In order to ensure that there would be no negative implications from the days events, he would have to rece Zhang Feng as the next Inceptive Sage. After all, what he was aiming to do was build up his reputation in preparation for his inauguration as the sanctum head, not sully it. How embarrassing would it be if he were to be the next Luo Xuanqing, hated by the entire student popce? You want to challenge the Inceptive Sage? Hearing those words, the three elders nearly snorted their beards off. They had seen plenty of arrogant people in the past, but they had never met one that was so conceited! Only those who were the greatest of geniuses would be able to be the Inceptive Sage of an upation, and Zhang Feng was one who had even broken many of their records. Initially, they had still intended to have him represent their Sanctum of Sages branch to challenge the candidacy for the position of the headquarters hall master, but who could have known that he would end up being nearly beaten to his death by someone else instead... and the culprit was even nning to rece him! Even though spirit awakener was not an Upper Nine Paths upation, it still had aplete heritage to it, and it was considered one of the top upations of the Master Teacher Continent. For someone who had merely cleared the 8-star spirit awakener examination just six hours ago to spout such arrogant words... The trio felt that the young man was simply taking spirit awakeners too lightly. Gritting their teeth, they were just about to berate Zhang Xuan to put him back in his ce when they suddenly noticed the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast looking at them intently with malicious intentions in its eyes. It seemed as if it was ready to swipe its ws down on them should they speak a single unnecessary word. Knowing that they were no match for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, one of the elders suppressed his anger and exined, The challenge to be the Inceptive Sage is very easy. As long as you can enchant the guardian golem and have it move more than the previous record holder, itll be considered your victory. Zhang Feng, this young man over here says that he wants to challenge your position as the Inceptive Sage. Are you willing to ept his challenge? With irrepressible fury in his eyes, Zhang Feng nced at Zhang Xuan before nodding. Ill ept his challenge! He had been beaten up for no good reason earlier, and even though it was Luo Xuanqings doing, this fellow was an aplice. Since this fellow was looking for trouble, he did not mind teaching him a lesson and showing him what a true expert was! There are two golems right in front of our Spirit Awakener Hall, and the both of you can choose either one of them to enchant. If you manage to get your golem to travel further than Zhang Fengs, you will be able to rece him as the next Inceptive Sage of our Spirit Awakener Hall! one of the elders said as he pointed forward. First and foremost, Ill have to ask you to let go of Zhang Feng. Tracing the elders finger, two guardian golems sat where the entrance to the Spirit Awakener Guild used to be. Even though they were slightly tilted due to the various prior events, they were not damaged in the slightest. Upon hearing that the rules of the challenge were so simple, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before waving his hand. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast nodded as well before releasing Zhang Feng. Nevertheless, it still continued ring at the other three warily, as if saying that it was ready to crush them into minced meat should any of them dare make a move against its master. Zhang Feng shot a spiteful nce at Zhang Xuan and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast before walking over to one of the golems. A sharp glint shed across his eyes, and he waved his hand grandly. Lets waste no time and begin right away! Very well, Zhang Xuan replied calmly as he made his way over to the other golem. He had taken a look at the golems before, and it would indeed be rather difficult to enchant them considering their sizes and the materials that they were made of. However, after reading through the 8-star spirit awakener books, he had managed to gain a deeper understanding of spirit enchantment, so it would not be too difficult for him to seed anymore. On my count, start! At the eldersmand, Zhang Xuan suddenly sensed a huge disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy. Following which, Zhang Fengs Primordial Spirit leaped out from his be and entered the interior of the golem. I guess his title as the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall isnt just for show. His Primordial Spirit is indeed rather strong, Zhang Xuan remarked internally. While the other partys Primordial Spirit was still far fromparing to his, it was still a sight to behold. Just its very presence was able to exert immense pressure upon others. Ones ability to enchant was deeply rted with the strength of ones Primordial Spirit. The stronger ones Primordial Spirit was, the easier it would be for one to enchant an artifact. In terms of cultivation, Zhang Feng was far from a match for Luo Xuanqing and Zhang Chun, but when it came to the strength of their Primordial Spirit, he was much stronger than the both of them. Tzzzzzzz! As soon as his Primordial Spirit seeped into the guardian golem, a unique energy began gathering and diffusing all over it. A slight gleam appeared on the surface of the golem, and it looked as if it woulde to life at any moment. Even though Zhang Feng had already started his enchantment, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to start. Instead, he activated his Eye of Insight and observed Zhang Fengs actions closely. It had to be said that while Zhang Fengs personality was so-so, his ability as a spirit awakener was indeed notable. He pulled forth the various abilities of an 8-star spirit awakener perfectly with grace and elegance, such that there was even a peculiar kind of beauty to his actions. Alright, its about time for me to start too... A whileter, Zhang Xuan turned his eyes back to his own golem and ced his hand on it. Tzzzzzzz! Submerging a hint of his consciousness into the golem, he was immediately plunged into a world of endless darkness. Driving the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, he tapped his finger forward, and a ball of mes was immediately conjured before him. The ball of mes was not too big, but it was expanding to the surroundings at a steady pace. Expand! Zhang Xuan willed with raised eyebrows, and in an instant, the ball of mes exploded into a sea of mes that rapidly spread across the area. Even though the golem was steadily absorbing in the mes as well, the area which the mes covered was simply too great such that the rate it was growing at far exceeded the rate at which it was being absorbed. It did not take long for darkness to be fully vanquished from this space, reced with radiant light. Seeing that the enchantment was a sess, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It wasnt too difficult after all... Even with a leaking pail, as long as ones influx of water was fast enough, it was still possible to fill it fully. After mastering the 8-star Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, the speed at which he could enchant artifacts had be much faster than before. He was able to easily exceed the speed that the golem was undoing his enchantment at. Turning his head to look at Zhang Feng, he saw that thetter was just about to finish as well. With a light chuckle, he snapped his finger, and a sliver of his consciousness flew over. Right after he was done making preparations, he heard a voice beside him. Elder, I am done... After which, a Primordial Spirit slipped out from the golem and floated in midair with a look of agitation and excitement on its face. Good. Make it move, and well count how many steps it can take. Lets see if we can break your previous record. One of the elders nodded. Yes! Zhang Feng nodded as he gestured his hand forward grandly. Hu! The stationary golem abruptly opened its eyes, and amid a cacophony of noises, it stood up. Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! The golem began to walk forward, and each time its massive foot stepped down on the ground, the surrounding area would tremble under its sheer weight. With every step that it took, the spirit harnessed within the golem would dissipate considerably. Nevertheless, it still continued to make its way forward. One step. Two steps. Three steps... The elder in the sky counted as the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. Dong dong dong dong! The golem continued forward, and soon, it came to its seventh step. In the sky, agitation could be clearly seen on Zhang Fengs face, and his fists were tightly clenched together. He willed with all of his might for the golem to make the seventh step. Boom! Zhang Fengs golem lifted its leg with great difficulty and took a small step forward before finally losing consciousness with a resounding buzz, copsing back to the ground. A triumphant look emerged on Zhang Fengs face as he turned to Zhang Xuan with a gleeful smirk on his lips. The golem I enchanted has managed to take seven and a half steps in total. Its your turn! Alright, Zhang Xuan replied casually before snapping his fingers. Hu! His golem stood up, but despite moving its arms here and there, it did not advance forward at all. Your golem hasnt moved a step at all, so Im afraid that well have to consider this your... one of the elders began announcing with a frown. However, before he could finish his words, another elder beside him eximed with a shrill voice tinged with disbelief. Its not that his golem isnt movingits dancing! Chapter 1377 - Luo Xuanqings Dimension Sundering Ordeal

Chapter 1377: Luo Xuanqings Dimension Sundering Ordeal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Dancing? Astonished, the other two elders quickly took a closer look, and indeed, the movements of the golem had a unique rhythm to it, as if it was doing some kind of exercise. They quickly turned their sights to the young man and saw that he had stood up at some point in time as well. His hands were ced behind his back, and he seemed to be muttering something beneath his breath. Chest expansion exercise. One two three four, five six seven eight; two two three four, five six seven eight; three two three four, five six seven eight; four two three four, five six seven eight. Hip twisting exercise. One two three four... Side stretch exercise... Toe touch exercise... The three elders looked at one another as they felt their mouths dry up. It took a long while before one of them managed to find his voice. Rather than dancing, it seems like the golem is... doing warm-ups? That does seem to be the case. The other two elders nodded stiffly. They could not help but wonder if their eyes were ying tricks on them. It was simply too difficult to enchant the guardian golems, such that even those who seeded would only be able to get it to move a few steps. Yet, after enchanting the golem, the young man actually made it do warm-ups instead of moving forward? Are you messing with us? Not only were the three elders frenzied by what they saw, even Zhang Feng was so dumbfounded that he forgot to return his Primordial Spirit back to his body. Instead, his Primordial Spirit trembled so intensely that it seemed like it would sumb to shock very soon and dissipate. He had nearly died from exhaustion just by having his golem move seven steps, but that fellow was actually making the golem do warm-ups. Arent you way too arrogant? Seeing the frenzied crowd clutching their hair in the air, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disapproval. Just one look, and I know all of youck basic understanding about exercising. These golems have been stationary for far too long. If they get up without doing a short warm-up, they could be easily injured! Did your physical education teachers not teach you to first warm-up your body first before exercising? Thats elementary knowledge, you know! Even little children know that they have to warm-up prior to exercising, and yet, these elders and geniuses actually still made the golem proceed without warming up. Honestly, where did theirmon sense go? As he criticized the crowd internally, Zhang Xuan continued instructing the golem. Alright, warm-up is over. Now, two sets of high knees. Go! Peng peng peng peng peng! The golem raised its knees up to chest height one at a time, causing endless tremors to ripple through the ground as a result of its movement. It felt as if it would soon create a massive basin in the area. Seeing that the golems form was perfect, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval before issuing another instruction. Good! Two sets of frog leaps, go! Peng peng peng peng peng! This time, the tremors on the ground was even worse. Under the relentless shaking, those buildings that had barely managed to survive the previous cmity eventually caved in and copsed to the ground, raising a dust storm. Even the library, which had beenpletely intact a moment ago, also copsed under the intense shaking of the ground. Alright, warm-up is over. We shall start running around the Spirit Awakener Hall. You are only allowed to stop when I tell you to, got it? Zhang Xuan said in an imposing voice reminiscent of a strict instructor. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! The golem nodded excitedly as it began running. Every step it took felt as if a newet had just crashed down onto the world, causing the earth to cave in and mountains to shake. More and more buildings fell victim to this bizarre sports meet. ... The minds of the three elders and Zhang Feng hadpletely turned nk from shock. They could hardly process what was going on at all. Ever since the founding of this Spirit Awakener Hall, even the most talented of spirit awakeners had only been able to allow the golem to move a few steps. Yet, not only did this fellow make itplete an entire set of warm-up exercises, he even made it sprintps around the Spirit Awakener Hall. Is this considered my victory? While the crowd was still at a loss as to what to make of the situation, the young mans calm voice suddenly rang out. O-of course! Swallowing their saliva, the three elders nodded with uncanny harmony, almost a little like little chicks pecking on rice. The golem had alreadypleted quite a fewps, and the buildings of the Spirit Awakener Hall had already copsed to the point where there was nothing left to copse. If this still could not be considered his victory, what else could? So, am I the new Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall now? Zhang Xuan asked. Yes, of course! The elders nodded once more. Good. I hope that you dont have any qualms about me settling my own private grudges then, Zhang Xuan said. Then, he turned his gaze away from the three elders over toward Zhang Feng and said, Since you have a foul mouth, lets start with hundred ps for your mouth. Make sure to use your full strength for that. Hearing the order from Zhang Xuan, Zhang Feng was appalled. He quickly turned his sights over to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and to his relief, thetter was not moving at all. Just when he was about to retort, he suddenly heard a series of pah pah pah noises. Lowering his head, he saw that his physical body had stood up at some point in time, and his hands were striking his face forcefully one after another at a certain tempo. In just a few moments, there was already a long stream of blood flowing down his chin, and a couple of his teeth had been knocked out as well. You... Zhang Feng widened his eyes in shock, and he bellowed with a hint of fear in his voice, What kind of sorcery did you use on me? Why is my body obeying your orders? Considering that his Primordial Spirit was still up in the sky, his body should have beenpletely unconscious, reminiscent of a corpse. Why would his hands suddenly start pping his face? Well, I had some free time after enchanting the golem, so I enchanted your body while I was at it, Zhang Xuan said leisurely before turning his gaze back toward Zhang Fengs body to instruct, Yes, thats good. That posture is perfect. Dont stop, harder, harder! Pah pah pah pah! The ps grew even sharper. You enchanted my body? Zhang Fengs Primordial Spirit jolted upon hearing those words, and he nearly lost his sanity in that instant. He was not even dead yet, and that fellow actually sessfully enchanted his body... Just how did he manage to do it? My body... Unable to watch on any longer, Zhang Feng rushed back toward his body and began wrestling control over his body from the spirit Zhang Xuan had enchanted into it. However, the spirit that Zhang Xuan had enchanted was simply too powerful. While he was still in the midst of fighting for control over his body, the spirit finished the hundred ps, and after that was done, it maneuvered his body to lie on the floor, allowing the sprinting guardian golem to step on it every now and then. An hourter... Zhang Feng had finally wrestled back control over his body, but for some reason, cactuses and flowers had started sprouting on his head. At the same time, his body was also in a tattered state after all of the horrors it had been throughmost of the bones in his ribcage were shattered, and his face was swollen to twice of its previous size. Even his own brother would have to stare intently at his face before finding any traces of the previous him at all! Alright, I am done settling my grudge. Farewell! After teaching Zhang Feng a lesson, Zhang Xuan ced the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast back into the Myriad Anthive Nest with a wave of his hand before leaping into the sky, heading off in the direction in which Luo Xuanqing had left. Most likely, Luo Xuanqing must have headed back to his n in order to check on Luo Ruoxin. However, with how long he had been gone for, Zhang Xuan could not help but worry that something might have happened to Luo Ruoxin. Zhang shi... Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was going to leave, the three elders hurriedly rushed forward to stop him. While young man before them was busy settling his grudge with Zhang Feng, they had managed to gather some information on his background. It had only been six hours or so since he had cleared the 8-star spirit awakener examination, and he already wielded the ability to make the guardian golem runps around the Spirit Awakener Hall. His talent in spirit enchantment had really reached a level far beyond their imagination. It was not easy for them to stumble by such a talented spirit awakener, so how could they allow him to leave so easily? Seeing that the crowd was blocking his path, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. What? Are you all nning on exacting vengeance for Zhang Feng? Of course not, of course not! It is Zhang Fengs own fault for having such a foul mouth. He deserves to be punished for that, an elder hurriedly said with a smile. Spirit awakeners were not as particr about rules and conventions as master teachers. While Zhang Feng was a formidable genius as well, he wasckingpared to the young man standing before them. Naturally, they knew full well whom they should side with. Then? Hearing that they did not stop him for Zhang Feng, Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. Its like this. In three months, there will be a selection in the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters for the selection of our next hall master. Our Sanctum of Sages initially intended to dispatch Zhang Feng, but since you possess such astounding mastery in enchantment, we would like to send you there instead, one of the elders said. Selection for the next hall master? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats right. The three elders hurriedly nodded in unison. The Spirit Awakener Hall in the Sanctum of Sages could be considered a branch of the Spirit Awakener Guild as well. If the person they dispatched became the next hall master, they would stand to benefit greatly as well. Not only would there be a massive boost to their reputations, they would stand to earn handsome rewards. It was for this reason that they had been determined to protect Zhang Feng regardless of the cost. However, after witnessing Zhang Xuans unbelievable mastery in spirit enchantment, they swiftly redirected their high expectations from Zhang Feng to him. Three months? Ill give it some thought, Zhang Xuan replied, neither epting nor rejecting the offer. It was the tenth month at the moment, and three months from now would be the first month. There was still some time before the agreed marriage date between Luo Ruoxin and the young prodigy of the Zhang n. If he could pay a visit to the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters, he would be able to meet Wang Ying. He hadnt heard anything from thatss ever since she left with the envoy from the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters, so he had no idea how she was doing at the moment. Hopefully, the Spirit Awakener Guild was treating her well. Otherwise, he did not mind enchanting everything there was in the headquarters and tearing everything down. Do give the matter serious consideration; this is a very good opportunity for you. Speaking of which, I havent introduced myself yet. My name is Han Fu, and this is my Communication Jade Token. Ill check up with you some timeter to hear your decision, one of the elders said as he passed a jade token over. Zhang Xuan took it and threw it into his storage ring before hurrying away. Luo Xuanqing had left roughly an hour ago, and his trail had mostly vanished. On top of that, he had intentionally concealed his trail, making it difficult to track him down. Even when using his Eye of Insight, his trail was extremely faint, abruptly vanishing at some points. It took Zhang Xuan some fumbling around before he was able to find where the trail reappeared. The Sanctum of Sages covered an area far greater than the Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Even with the considerable rise in his cultivation over the past few months, it still took him quite a white before he was finally out of its perimeters. Ten minutester, he arrived before a mountain range. It was a true sight of devastation before him. As if someone had torched the area with mes, ck patches of charrednd and billowing white smoke could be seen here and there. A battle broke out here not too long ago, Zhang Xuan thought grimly as he scanned the wreckage around him. Judging from the various marks, it should not have been more than fifteen minutes since the battle ended. Considering how Luo Xuanqing had been heading in this direction, could the damage have been left behind by him? But Luo Xuanqing had left in order to find Ruoxin and his own n, so who could he have been fighting against? Eye of Insight! Zhang Xuan examined the marks carefully, and a momentter, a grim look appeared on his face. These marks are indeed from Luo Xuanqing! Through analyzing the various marks around in detail, he could tell that some of the marks had been caused by Luo Xuanqings abilities. The opponent he had crossed blows with seemed to be rather powerful as well, a Saint 8-dan expert at the very least. It cant be that something has happened to Ruoxin, right? Such a thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and it immediately sent him into a state of anxiety. Just as he was about to quickly follow the trail ahead, he suddenly noticed a huge ominous cloud looming over a valley not too far away. Countless streaks of lightning crackled frighteningly, ready to unleash their devastating might on the world. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. Thats... a lightning tribtion! Having just cleared one himself not too long ago, he was extremely familiar with it. Turning his gaze to the storm clouds, Zhang Xuan swiftly saw a familiar figure. Is that... Luo Xuanqing? But he hasnt finished reinforcing his cultivation yet! Could it be that he has encountered something that left him with no choice but to call forth his Dimension Sundering Ordeal prematurely? In any case, this doesnt seem good. The other party was currently standing at the very center of the storm, and countless streaks of lightning raged around him, threatening to reduce him to ashes. Luo Xuanqing was going to face his Dimension Sundering Ordeal! Chapter 1378 - The Shameless Gourd

Chapter 1378: The Shameless Gourd

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Dimension Sundering Ordeal was iparably dangerous. Luo Xuanqing had intended to challenge it in the Sanctum of Sages, where he would be protected by Kong shis will, thus making him less susceptible to inner demons. However, he had ended up calling the lightning tribtion in the middle of this mountain range instead. Without a doubt, something unexpected must have happened, leaving him with no choice but to face his Dimension Sundering Ordeal prematurely. After making sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan did not rush forward to assist Luo Xuanqing. Instead, he activated his Eye of Insight and assessed the surrounding area, and a momentter, a frown surfaced on his forehead. There was no one in the surroundings at all. Was he mistaken? Or did the person Luo Xuanqing was fighting with previously flee in fear upon seeing the arrival of the lightning tribtion? Seeing that there was no one in the area, Zhang Xuan quickly turned his sight back to the young man standing amid the sea of lightning. Forget it, theres no time to think about that now. Luo Xuanqing has a rather irritable temper, which makes him very prone to the assault of inner demons. Facing the Dimension Sundering Ordeal without ample preparation could be extremely dangerous to him. The Dimension Sundering Ordeal was dangerous not just because of the lightning tribtion but also because of the transformations in the surrounding space and the inner demons. Even he would have some trouble clearing it. At this moment, Luo Xuanqings eyes were already crimson, and it was apparent to anyone looking at him that he was not in the right state of mind. Forcefully challenging the Dimension Sundering Ordeal in his current condition could very well spell failure and even death! I have to save him! Without any time to hesitate, Zhang Xuan rushed straight toward the lightning. Shortly after he flew into the area of the lightning tribtion, just three hundred meters away from where he had been standing before, two figures slowly materialized into existence. It felt as if they were non-existent beings that were squeezed out of the void. Not even sweeping across them with ones Spiritual Perception would allow one to perceive their presence. One of them was an elder dressed in a golden robe. Looking at Zhang Xuans disappearing back with a tight frown, he asked, Who is he? The other elder standing behind him sped his fist and exined, Elder, that young man is Zhang Xuan, a friend whom Young Master Xuanqing recently got acquainted with. The both of them have set out to find the Dongxu Gourd together, and thats what allowed Young Master Xuanqing to sessfully make a breakthrough to Half-Dimension Sundering realm! Zhang Xuan? The Zhang n? the golden-robed elder asked. ording to our investigations, he isnt from the Zhang n but an orphan from an Unranked Kingdom. Its said that hes Yang shis direct disciple! the second elder replied. Yang Xuan? That fellow has started taking in disciples too? The golden-robed elder was slightly surprised to hear those words. A momentter, he shook his head in iprehension and said, Since that young man is Yang Xuans disciple, he should know better than to charge right into the lightning tribtion. Did he think that he would be of any help to Xuanqing with his Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivation? A cultivator had to clear their ordeals with their own strength. Help from others would only cause the lightning tribtion to growrger andrger, possibly causing the situation to run out of control. While it was true that the young man would not make much difference to the might of the Dimension Sundering Ordeal considering how weak he was, charging in recklessly was just in suicidal. Just what in the world was he thinking? Based on the rumors, this Zhang Xuan is a rather hot-tempered person who causes destruction wherever he goes. It might be due to their simr personalities that they forged a tight bond. Thus, when he saw that Young Master Xuanqing was facing the lightning tribtion, he couldnt help but leap in to offer his help, the second elder exined. Couldnt help but leap in? The golden-robed elder harrumphed coldly. Courageous butcks wit. Tell Xuanqing to steer clear from such reckless individuals after he clears his Dimension Sundering Ordeal. In the first ce, he was already extremely displeased by how Luo Xuanqing was causing destruction everywhere he went. Naturally, hearing that he was friends with someone of a simr nature, his anger only intensified further. Yes. The second elder nodded. Oblivious to the two figures who had escaped the detection of his Eye of Insight and materialized behind him, Zhang Xuan had already arrived at a location not too far away from Luo Xuanqing. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Luo Xuanqing anxiously bellowed, What are you doing here? You wont be able to clear the Dimension Sundering Ordeal in the current state you are in. Im here to help you, Zhang Xuan exined. Help me? This is my lightning tribtion, what can you possibly do to help me? Luo Xuanqing shook his head. Get out of here fast. Im not even certain if I can withstand the lightning that is gathering above, much less protect you... Before Luo Xuanqing could finish his words, the lightning bolt in the sky had finally finished charging up its power, and it abruptly bolted down with imposing momentum. Kacha! Kacha! A ten-meter-wide streak of lightning tore open a ck gorge through space as it fell straight for Luo Xuanqing. Dont even think about it! Luo Xuanqing hurriedly gathered immense might in his palms and thrust them upward to fend off the lightning strike. The overwhelming might he wielded as a Half-Dimension Sundering realm expert collided head-on with the lightning, causing the surrounding space to crumbleyer byyer. Kacha! Even though he managed to ward off most of the energy harnessed within the lightning bolt, there were still some remnants that breached his defense and struck his head, causing his hair to stand up and his body to be charred ck. The Dimension Sundering Ordeal was many times stronger than the Leaving Aperture Ordeal that Zhang Xuan had summoned previously. Even with his recent breakthrough to Half-Dimension Sundering realm, he still felt a numbing sensation rippling through his body, and the zhenqi within his body nearly dissipated under the zap. Hurry up and leave the area. I really wont be able to withstand this lightning tribtion! Luo Xuanqing panted rapidly as he howled with reddened eyes. He had spent nearly half of his entire capacity of zhenqi just to fend off that single streak of lightning, and the zap of lightning that struck him caused a feeling of weakness to spread throughout his body, making him feel as if there was lead in his arms and legs. There was a total of six lightning streaks that one had to face in the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, and every single streak was more formidable than thest. Even the first one had left him nearly incapacitated, so he did not know if how he could persevere through the remaining five. You dont need to worry about me. Ill just head up to take a swift look. Paying no heed to Luo Xuanqings words, Zhang Xuan suddenly leaped up, diving straight toward the storm clouds. You... Not expecting the other party to leap into the most dangerous region of the lightning tribtion just to save him, Luo Xuanqing could not help but feel a little touched inside. Really, it was only in a life-and-death situation that a person would be able to tell their true friends apart from their fair-weather friends. In fact, putting aside friends, most cultivator couples would also choose to abandon theirpanion in times of danger. The fact that the other party was willing to dive deep into danger in order to save him at this crucial moment truly meant a lot to him. Zhang Xuan was a person who was truly loyal to his friends! Wait a moment... A thought suddenly came into Luo Xuanqings mind, and he shuddered. Could it be that he likes me? Looking back, it really felt like Zhang Xuan had treated him exceptionally well, to a point that was already beyond the normal rtionship between friends. Could it be that he harbors lustful thoughts toward me? Regardless of what hes thinking of, theres no way Ill submit to him, not even at the cost of my life. Humph! Luo Xuanqing quickly shook away the thoughts in his mind as he swallowed a pill and quickly replenished the zhenqi that he had lost. He had to prepare himself to face the second streak of lightning. ... Is that fellow insane? Not only was Luo Xuanqing taken aback by Zhang Xuans actions, the two elders spectating outside were dumbfounded as well. They had seen cultivators dashing into their lovers lightning tribtion to shoulder the suffering together, and they had also seen those who stood resiliently in the face of the lightning, determined to protect their loved one even if it meant death. But not once had they seen anyone charging straight into the storm clouds to seek death! How in the world did a master teacher as formidable as Yang Xuan end up with such a crackbrained disciple? Not even Saint 8-dan experts would dare dive into the midst of the storm clouds of a Dimension Sundering Ordeal. For a mere Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator to dive right in, thats practically suicide. The golden-robed elder shook his head. Forget it, lets collect his corpseter on and bury him well. This was the first time he had seen such an irrational individual. This was no longer saving others but leaping to ones death! Tzzzzzzz! Unaware of the frenzy he had induced among the crowd, an excited gleam surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes as soon as he dived into the clouds. Little Tribtion, Big Brother Zhang Xuan is here. Zhang Xuans voice quivered in excitement as he opened all of his acupoints and began taking everything around him in. It had taken them five to six days to find the Dongxu Gourd, but the return trip had taken them ten days in total. It had taken him only a couple of hours to help Bi Hongyin and the others achieve a breakthrough, and he did not waste the remaining time either. He had been using the Dongxu Gourd to expand his dantian, creating a looped space. Hard work never fails. He did manage to seed with the construction of the looped space prior to returning to the Sanctum of Sages... but a new problem had swiftly arisen. The creation of the looped space increased the capacity of his dantian more than tenfold, and all in all, his zhenqi was only sufficient to fill a tenth of it. Just as he was racking his brain to find a way to fill it up, this lightning tribtion came his way. How could he possibly not be excited? With this, he would be able to fill his zhenqi right to the brim! Tzzzzzz! The lightning that seeped into his body was swiftly converted into lightning zhenqi before being deposited into his dantian. Sensing the sudden influx of power, thezily lying Dongxu Gourd jolted upward, and it swiftly leaped out of his body. What are you going to do? The sudden appearance of the Dongxu Gourd immediately left Zhang Xuan feeling wary. Nothing good seemed to happen whenever it appeared. Paying no heed to Zhang Xuans question, the gourd let loose a joyful exmation as it began to circle around the area. Along with its circr motion, the surrounding lightning was swiftly drawn toward it, and as if falling into a ck hole, the lightning disappeared from the world. The heck... Slow down! You are just a mere gourd; do you really need that much energy? It was his clone thest around, and now, even a mere gourd was stealing the lightning tribtion from him! What the heck is this? It wasnt easy for me to bump into Luo Xuanqings lightning tribtion, you know? Theres still a huge vacuum within my dantian that I havent filled up. Dont you feel ashamed profiting off my hard work? As an artifact, shouldnt you learn to respect your masters will? Zhang Xuan soon realized that there was no way he would be able to stop the Dongxu Gourd, so he eventually gave up on talking to it and focused back on absorbing as much lightning energy as he could. But soon, he suddenly felt a rapid decline in the concentration of lightning around him. Turning his head, he saw another vortex forming within the storm cloud. At some point in time, the vine that he had stored inside his storage ring had flown out, and it was gobbling down the lightning energy at an insane rate as well. Screw this... All this lightning is mine, mine! Zhang Xuan was on the verge of going insane. All of you are really too shameless! How can you snatch my stuff publicly? While Zhang Xuans face was still twitching from rage, his clone suddenly popped out beside him, and after directing a cold harrumph toward Zhang Xuan, as if ming him for not inviting him to the party, he dashed to the center of the lightning tribtion and began absorbing the lightning energy too. You... Seeing how each of these fellows was absorbing at a rate far quicker than him, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be foolish to waste his time getting angry. He could always berate them afterward. Thus, gritting his teeth, he drew out his Primordial Spirit and began absorbing the surrounding lightning energy furiously in unison with his body. Zhenqi was swiftly deposited into his dantian, filling up the void in his body. But barely after he had filled up a third of his capacity, he sensed that the surrounding lightning had already grown pathetically thin. Taking a swift look around him, he saw that the rate at which the gourd, the vine, and his clone were devouring the surrounding lightning was increasing, causing the initially concentrated sea of lightning to turn so thin that it looked like a thinyer of mist instead. You bastards... The more he thought about it, the more furious Zhang Xuan felt. Gritting his teeth, he hastened his rate of absorption as well. And while he was on the verge of exploding of anger, Luo Xuanqing, who had spent his time desperately replenishing his energy, finally heralded the arrival of the second lightning streak. Piii! A sound reminiscent of tulence echoed in the air, and a finger-thick streak of lightning weakly fell upon his head. Puhe! With a might that was probably insufficient to snap a branch, it dissipated after finishing its job. ... Luo Xuanqing. ... The two elders. Chapter 1379 - No One Is Worthy Of Her!

Chapter 1379: No One Is Worthy Of Her!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric What happened? It took a while before the two elders finally recovered from their shocked states. Nevertheless, the disbelief in their eyes remained apparent for all to see. Having lived for several centuries, they had witnessed plenty of lightning tribtions, and they had undergone quite a few themselves too. Each time it appeared, they still couldnt help but tremble slightly in trepidation before its overwhelming might... But what the heck was the fart-like thing they had just seen? Could it be that the lightning tribtion has a problem releasing the energy it has charged up? the second elder couldnt help but ask. Are you trying to tell me that the lightning tribtion is constipating? the golden-robed elder nced at the second elder sharply. Lightning tribtion was the retribution that the heavens brought upon those who stepped beyond their own boundary. The purpose was to establish its authority and instill fear into all lifeforms. The immense energy it had charged up would eventually be channeled into a devastating streak of lightning to strike down the offender who dared to overstep his boundaries, and Luo Xuanqings lightning tribtion had been charging up for quite some time already. Yet, the eventual lightning streak released ended up being so unimpressive... Most likely, the earlier streak of lightning is just a starter. It should be releasing a much stronger streak very soon... Ah? W-whats going on? In the midst of analyzing the situation, the golden-robed elder suddenly widened his eyes, as if he had just seen the impossible being realized. The second elder hurriedly turned his gaze toward the sky too, and he saw the storm clouds covering several dozen li of the surrounding sky billowing furiously all of a sudden, as if an ill patient coughing violently. This coughing continued for quite a while before it abruptly jolted forward, and a figure was puked out of the clouds. It was the same young man who had dived into its midst earlier. Seemingly enraged at being coughed out, the young man bellowed furiously as he wagged his finger threateningly at the storm clouds. You rascal, you sure have grown arrogant. How dare you puke me out? While saying those words, the young man dashed back toward the storm clouds. But before he could evene close to it, the fear-inducing storm cloud suddenly trembled intensely, as if falling into a state of panic. Following which... Tz! It whizzed off into the distance, vanishing from view in the blink of an eye. He actually made the lightning tribtion flee in fear? The two elders nced at one another, and the overwhelming shock coursing through their minds nearly caused them to lose control of their strength and appear from their invisible state. All this while, they had thought that the young man was doomed to die after diving into the midst of the storm clouds. Yet, when the young man ced his hand on his hip and berated with lightning tribtion with a wagging finger, not only did thetter dare not to retaliate, it even fled frantically as if a terrified ostrich... This sight made them realize that it wasnt that there was a problem with Luo Xuanqings lightning tribtion, but that this seemingly ordinary young man wasnt as ordinary as they thought him out to be. That fellow is a true talent. No matter what, we must pull him over to our Luo ns side! the golden-robed elder said resolutely. As unbelievable as the matter may seem to him, the Sanctum of Sages was still a ce where geniuses all over the Master Teacher Continent gathered. It wasntpletely impossible for a person who possessed the unique ability to deal with heavenly tribtions to appear here. No matter the cost, they had to bring this talent over to their Luo n so that they could study the secrets behind his means. But hes Yang Xuans disciple. It wont be easy for us to pull him over to our side... the second elder shook his head. Yang Xuan was one of the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and naturally, his student was bound to enter the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. There was no reason for the young man to join their Luo n at all! Thats true... the golden-robed elder sighed in pity. As much as they wanted the young man to join their n, they dared not to vie with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and they didnt have the ability to do so either. After some thought, the golden-robed elder was still unable to think of any viable solution to the matter at the moment, so he waved his hand and said, Itll do to just report this matter to the n head. Yuxin should have been escorted back at the n by now, so we should be hurrying back too so as to not hold up the Elders Conference. Un. the second elder nodded. With a slight wave of his hand, something simr to a massive Teleportation Formation appeared before the duo, and stepping into it, they vanished from the spot, as if they had never been there before. ... Zhang Xuan cursed and cursed, but the rage in his heart couldnt be quelled. However, there was nothing he could do about it either. With the size of the lightning tribtion, it should have been more than enough to fill up his dantian fully. However, due to the Dongxu Gourd, the vine, and his clone messing around, he only managed to fill up half of it... The more he thought, the more stifled he felt. It seemed like he would just have to rely on Luo Xuanqing and Zhang Chuns yet-to-arrive pinnacle spirit stones for that then. It was only the filling up of his dantian for the first time that would require the purest of energies. For subsequent times, there was no need to go through so much trouble anymore. To make an analogy, this was simr to expanding ones territory and developing new grounds. It was only the first time that would require an immense inflow of resources; subsequently, once the foundation wasid, one would only have to put in minimal resources in order to maintain it. It was for this reason that he had to use resources harnessing spiritual energy far more concentrated than concentrated spiritual energy for the first charge up, and subsequently, even absorbing the spiritual energy from ordinary spirit veins would suffice to replenish his zhenqi. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan lowered his head and saw the Dongxu Gourd lying gleefully in his dantian, shaking its bottom from time to time, as if challenging him. At the same time, his clone had also returned back to the folded space, lying contentedly on the ground and letting loose a majestic burp. As for the vine, its reaction was a little more normal. Ity motionlessly in his storage ring, seemingly still trying to assimte the energy it had just taken in. These bastards... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but curse beneath his breath as he shook his head helplessly. If any cultivator wielded the power to absorb the energy harnessed within lightning tribtions, they would surely be the envy of others... And yet, even just the artifacts he carried was capable of doing that, and on top of that, it turned out that he was the weakest of them all in contrast... Deep indignance filled Zhang Xuans mind. Just when could he be more awe-inspiring? Hai, it seems like Im too ordinary after all... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. It was one for thing for him to lose out to his clone, girlfriend, and clone... but now, even a clone and vine that he had picked up on a whim turned out to be so formidable too! If not for his resilient mental fortitude, he would have killed himself out of embarrassment by now! Zhang shi... Just as Zhang Xuan was feeling deeply stifled inside, a voice suddenly sounded not too far away. Turning his head over, he saw Luo Xuanqing staring at him with his mouth agape. All this while, Luo Xuanqing thought that Zhang Xuan only wielded the ability to scare away his own lightning tribtion, but to think that he had the ability to do the same to others too... Didnt this mean that if he were to look for Zhang Xuan each time he was to face a lightning tribtion, he would be able to clear it without any danger? Brother Luo... Seeing through Luo Xuanqings thoughts, Zhang Xuans reddened face quickly turned slightly pale, and his legs trembled feebly beneath him. I hope that you wont speak of this matter to others. I had to use a secret art earlier, and simr to the side effects from the activation of your unique bloodline, this secret art carries severe side effects too, so it would be unsafe for me to use it recklessly... ... Luo Xuanqings cheeks twitched wildly. Do you think that Im blind? Putting aside how superficial your acting is, the very least you could do is to put up the act right from the start, not when I approached you! However, seeing how the young man before him was unwilling to talk about the matter, Luo Xuanqing inwardly gave thetter a thumbs up for being as humble as him before dropping the matter from his mind. Zhang shi, you have my deepest gratitude. If not for your help, I could have very well lost my life to the lightning tribtion. Luo Xuanqing sped his fist and said. At the same time, a shudder ran through his heart and he imagined what would have happened if the young man hadnt been here. It was out of a moment of anxiety that he triggered the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, paying no heeds to the consequences at all then. It was only when the lightning tribtion appeared did he realize what kind of frightening force he was going against. If the young man had been anyter, he could have very well been electrocuted to death. Not even his bloodline ability would have been able to save him. Brother Luo, werent you intending to challenge your Dimension Sundering Ordeal back at the Sanctum of Sages? Why would you... What happened? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. I came here to look for my younger sister, wanting to ask her if what Zhang Feng said was true... Halfway through his words, Luo Xuanqing couldnt help but shake his head glumly. Forget it, theres no point talking about it... The little princess, is she... Seeing how Luo Xuanqing stopped halfway through his words, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but panic a little. Is she injured? Where is she? Injured? Luo Xuanqing shook his head. How can that be? My younger sister has assimted the Dimension Silencer. If she were to tap into its full prowess, not even our father will be able to do anything to her! Its no exaggeration to say that no one in the Luo n is able to hurt her even in the slightest... Then, a thought suddenly came to Luo Xuanqings mind, and he raised his head and red at the young man before him warily, Why are you asking me this? I... Zhang Xuan was caught off guard by Luo Xuanqings sudden question. Im warning you right now. Even though I think of you as a brother, you better not dream of touching my younger sister... This... May I ask the reason for that? Unable to take it anymore, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. You know that shes unwilling to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n, so why would you still go along with that? I know that shes unwilling to do that too, but being born in the Luo n means that there are responsibilities that she cannot shirk off. Theres simply no other way around it... Luo Xuanqing shook his head. Lets drop this matter here. I dont want to talk about it anymore. But... Zhang Xuan eximed anxiously. There are no buts. Speaking of which, I happen to have a matter which I have to trouble you for. Luo Xuanqing raised his head and said. Zhang Xuan was still a little reluctant to drop the matter with the answer he had been searching for dangling just ahead of him, but seeing the stern look on Luo Xuanqings face, he could only give up on it. Brother Luo, feel free to speak. As long as its within my means, Ill definitely aplish it. I want you to help me find the person whom my younger sister insists to be with even at the defiance of the entire n. Luo Xuanqing said with a sharp glint in his eyes. This... Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He hesitated for a brief moment before probing carefully, What do you intend to do after finding him? What do I intend to do? Luo Xuanqing gnashed his teeth together as he spat, If I dont break his third leg, my surname wont be Luo! ... Veins popped up all over Zhang Xuans temples. Whats wrong? Noticing the bizarre expression on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Xuanqing asked doubtfully. Ah, its nothing much. Im just a little curious. Considering how much you dote on your younger sister, why would you want to beat up the person whom your younger sister loves? Zhang Xuan asked. As a legitimate siscon, Luo Xuanqing should wish for his younger sisters happiness... so why would he make a move on his younger sisters boyfriend then? Isnt the reason obvious? Its because hes unworthy of my younger sister! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed. Unworthy? You havent even met him before, how would you know that hes worthy of your younger sister? Zhang Xuan replied indignantly. It was understandable how the likes of Zhang Chun and the others were unworthy of his younger sister... but surely he should be able to meet the mark! He might still be a little weak at the moment, but with sufficient time, he would be the next sanctum head and rise to the very top of the Master Teacher Continent! Hmph, the man who is worthy of my younger sister hasnt been born in this world yet! Luo Xuanqing replied adamantly. But... surely your younger sister has to marry someone eventually? You cant possibly stay by her side for life, right? Zhang Xuan questioned on. Thats for the future. In any case, I just dont think that theres anyone in this world who is worthy of her. Not to mention, ording to what I heard, the person whom she likes isnt too strong either... Luo Xuanqing said. Isnt too strong? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat as he asked carefully, Did she say who the person she likes is? Of course she did! Luo Xuanqing suddenly turned his head to Zhang Xuan as killing intent red from his body. Chapter 1380 - Only the Blind Would Be Interested in You!

Chapter 1380: Only the Blind Would Be Interested in You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric She said it? Zhang Xuan cowered his neck back as a prickling sensation broke out all over his scalp. He hurriedly drove his zhenqi furiously, ready to escape immediately should the other party charge at him. This future brother-inw of his could be rather unreasonable at times, and Zhang Xuan had no intention of getting pummeled for no good reason either. Naturally, the wisest course of action was to flee first and return tomunicate only after thetter had calmed down. Indeed! Luo Xuanqing waved his hand in irritation. Seeing that Luo Xuanqing didnt make a move on him, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before asking warily, Then... who is he? I dont exactly know who it is, but its a person that she met in the period that she left home. ording to her, hes a master teacher who has a heart vast enough to embrace the entire world, never hesitating to help those who are in need. Despite his low cultivation, his character is nothing short of perfection. On top of that, his mastery in pill forging is unrivaled in the world, unprecedented even in history... The more he spoke, the more furious Luo Xuanqing became. In the end, he swung his sleeves backward angrily as he eximed, But she refused to reveal his name! So, I have no idea who he is either. She didnt reveal his name? Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he couldnt help but feel deeply touched inside. He would have never thought that he would appear to be so perfect in Luo Ruoxins heart. As expected of his soulmate, she was able to discover the goodness in him. Harboring such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Luo Xuanqing once more and said, Since the little princess has described that person to be so perfect, what else do you have to worry about? It was iprehensible to him why this future brother-inw would reject such a perfect man. It would be impossible to find another person as outstanding as that out there in the world! If Luo Xuanqing was going to reject such a guy, just who in the world could catch his eye then? Perfect? Hmph! The more she says such words, the more apparent that she has been scammed by that fellow... How can there be any perfect man in the world other than me? Luo Xuanqing waved his hand indignantly. Cough cough! Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched upon hearing those words, and he nearly choked to death on his saliva. He didnt think that this future brother-inw of his would be so narcissistic... Perfect? A person who wreaked havoc across all halls in the Sanctum of Sages, bing a figure whom the entire school has picked up their pitchforks against... Is that your definition of perfect? Do you really have no idea what other people think of you? With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head and say, When ites to perfection, Im afraid that you still have much to work on. Perhaps only I havee the closest to it... You? Those words immediately induced Luo Xuanqing to send a disdainful nce over. Stop daydreaming over here! I admit, you do possess incredible means,manding formidable capability in formation, beast taming, and dealing with lightning tribtions. However, with your entricity andck ofmon sense dealing with situations, yourck of thought before speaking, and your pathetically weak social awareness, I really have no idea how you can the cheek to call yourself perfect! In fact, I doubt whether there would ever be a girl in the world who would be interested in you. Even if there is one, she must most definitely be blind! Even though he had only known this young man for roughly twenty days, he had already gained a deep understanding of the other party from the time they had spent together. Poor social awareness,ck of sensitivity to his surroundings, often choking others with his words, and not to mention, apleteck of response that an ordinary man should have when facing thedies! This had led Luo Xuanqing to deeply suspect if the young man had some kind of weird interests. If anyone could fall in love with such a person, she must be blind! You... ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Speak for yourself! Arent you very much single? Given your hot-tempered personality, it would take a miracle for any girl to be interested in you! I only speak to you politely out of respect for you as my future brother-inw, but how can you say that theres no one in the world who would like me and even im that your own younger sister is blind... The one who is blind is you! The same bloodline, the same n, and the same parents; how could there be such a huge difference between the both of them? It is no wonder why you are still single despite already treading into your thirties! You... Bullshit! Its not that I cant find a girlfriend but that those who get close to me are usually due to my identity as the Young Master of the Luo n! Luo Xuanqing bellowed with eyes bulging in agitation. Stop finding excuses for yourself! Theres just no one who is interested in you as a person, thats all there is to it! Zhang Xuan harrumphed. You... So furious that his lips were quivering non-stop, Luo Xuanqing was on the verge of erupting. Just like that, the two men red at one another angrily with a fiery inferno zing in their eyes, seemingly wanting to tear the other party apart. Some timeter, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and harrumphed coldly, To tell you the truth, I have a girlfriend, and my girlfriend loves me a lot. Hah hah. Luo Xuanqing. What Im saying is true! My girlfriend is really pretty, and shes strong at that. Zhang Xuan continued. Hah hah. Luo Xuanqing. Are you doubting me? Just think about it, how can someone as outstanding as me possibly not have a girlfriend? ck lines were starting to emerge on Zhang Xuans forehead. Hah hah. Luo Xuanqing. ... Zhang Xuan. A whileter... To tell you the truth, I have a girlfriend too. Luo Xuanqing said. Hah hah. Zhang Xuan. Shes extremely pretty, and she possesses great strength on top of that. Luo Xuanqing said. Hah hah. Zhang Xuan. You... Luo Xuanqing gritted his teeth furiously. Just like that, the duo red at one another furiously once more. The standstill continued for quite a while before Luo Xuanqing finally waved his hand and said, I wont waste my breath with you anymore. Anyway, help me look into the person whom my younger sister likes. This was the matter which he wanted to entrust to Zhang Xuan. You want me to help you look into the matter? Zhang Xuan frowned. As the Young Master of the Luo n, you possess a much wider informationwork than I do. Why would you want to go through me instead? Even though Luo Xuanqing appeared to be extremely reckless, often acting without much thought, through the matter with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Zhang Xuan knew that that was only how he appeared on the exterior. In truth, he was a rather meticulous person on the inside. I have already promised my younger sister not to investigate that man. However, it cant really be helped if you were to investigate the matter and unwittingly speak of it before me, and I identally overhear that mans background, right? Luo Xuanqing said. It was not that he didnt want to look into this matter himself but that his younger sister had pleaded with him not to disturb the man whom she loved. He was unwilling to ept her request initially, but looking into her sorrowful eyes, he still eventually sumbed to her request. But still, he couldnt let this matter go just like that. If he were to go through another person instead, that wouldnt be considered as breaking his promise, right? This... Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. Most likely, Ruoxin knew that it would be impossible for him to stand against Luo Xuanqing and the entire Luo n with his current strength, so she chose to keep his identity hidden so as to prevent him from being harassed and hurt. Hai! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He felt like he really owed the other party far too much. Alright, Ill help you find the other party. However, do you have any clues? Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before nodding. By agreeing to the other party, he would be able to forge a long-term connection with Luo Xuanqing, possibly allowing him to enquire into Luo Ruoxins current situation at any moment. At the same time, he would also be able to control the flow of information that got to Luo Xuanqing, thus cing him in a safer position. The clues are as I have told you before. The person she likes is a master teacher, and it seems like hes of good personality and his looks are fairly decent too... As for where she has been to during that period of time, Im not too sure yet. Ill get to you if I manage to hear anything about that. Luo Xuanqing paused for a moment before saying. His younger sister had concealed herself so well that there waspletely no news about her during the period of time she left home. As such, not even he was aware of her whereabouts then. Perhaps, there might someone in the n who was aware of the matter, but he would have to ask around. Alright. Ill be waiting for your news then. Seeing that Luo Xuanqing didnt know much about the matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. This meant that there was still some time for him to bring up his cultivation before his rtionship with Ruoxin got out. He wasnt ready to appear before the Luo n as Ruoxins boyfriend yet. At the very least, he would have to clear the 8-star master teacher examination and officially be the sanctum head before then. Only then would he be qualified to stand beside Luo Ruoxin and stand against the will of the two Sage ns. I have just achieved a breakthrough, so I need some time to reinforce my cultivation. Here is the pinnacle spirit stone I have promised you a while back. Luo Xuanqing flicked his hand and passed a jade container over. It seemed like he had met his n members earlier and received the pinnacle spirit stone form them. Thank you. As this was what they had agreed on earlier, Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate to take it. As soon as he ced his hand on the jade container, he immediately felt a pure surge of spiritual energy flowing into his meridians, and the Heavens Path zhenqi in his body began to tremble in excitement. As expected of a pinnacle spirit stone! It could induce such a reaction in him even without opening the jade container. There was truly a vast difference between it and concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Ill find you after reinforcing my cultivation... After saying those words, Luo Xuanqing activated a formation te before sitting down to cultivate. Since he had survived his lightning tribtion, it meant that he had already sessfully achieved a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm. Un. Seeing that Luo Xuanqing had already made preparation measures, Zhang Xuan decisively left the area and returned in the direction where he came from. Returning back to his living quarters, he was just about to use his pinnacle spirit stones to replenish his zhenqi when he saw Sun Qiang rushing over. Young Master, someone has been waiting for you here for quite a few days. Waiting for me? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had been too busy ever since he enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages such that he hadnt even returned to his residence for quite some day already, let alone getting to know others here... Just in the world was looking for him? Not to mention, to be so determined as to wait day after day for him? Thats right. Sun Qiang nodded. Who is it? From what power? Zhang Xuan asked. Hes a young man in his twenties. Im not too sure what power hes from, but he did mention his name. At this point, Sun Qiang pondered for a moment. I think his name... Feng Ziyi! Feng Ziyi? Isnt that Yang shis real student? Gedeng!, Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Chapter 1381 - Crossing Hands with Feng Ziyi

Chapter 1381: Crossing Hands with Feng Ziyi

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Feng Ziyi was the top ranker of the Mountain Gate examination, outdoing even Zhang Yu of the Zhang n. Zhang Xuan had met him once during the gathering of their Elite Division ss prior to being abruptly taken away by Luo Xuanqing. Previously, he had only known Feng Ziyi to be the direct disciple of a grand elder from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but during the journey to obtain the Dongxu Gourd, he learned from Yuan Xiao and the others that he was actually the real Yang Xuans direct disciple... In other words, the real counterpart to the fake persona he hade up with! And for the other party to have waited for him here for several days... It couldnt be that the other party had found out about him faking his identity and came over here to apprehend him? Did... he mention the reason why hes looking for me? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. It would still be fine if it was just Feng Ziyi, but if Yang Xuan were to find out as well, he would have no choice but to flee. As the most enigmatic and strongest grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, there was little doubt that Yang Xuan had already achieved a level far beyond Saint 9-dan. There was no way he would be able to stand against a figure like that. Well, he didnt say anything at all, but hes oddly patient. Despite being well aware that you arent around, he still refuses to leave, insistently waiting here for a few days straight... Sun Qiang said with a deep frown. Thats clearly an attempt to corner me... Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon hearing those words. There had beenpletely no interaction between him and Feng Ziyi in the past, so other than the matter of him being Yang Xuans direct disciple, he couldnt think of another reason why thetter would willingly wait here for a few days straight. Right, Zhang Jiuxiao is here as well. Just like Feng Ziyi, he has been here waiting for you for quite a few days now too. Sun Qiang suddenly recalled another matter and said. Jiuxiao? Whats he doing here? Is he acquainted with Feng Ziyi? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. Considering how Zhang Jiuxiao was a student of the Ordinary Division, barely meeting the mark to qualify as a student of the Sanctum of Sages, it didnt seem too likely for him to be acquainted with the number one expert of their Elite Division ss. Young Master, are you intending to meet them? Otherwise, I can just ry a message to them that you are currently in seclusion. Noticing a hint of dilemma on Zhang Xuans forehead, Sun Qiang proposed. Its fine, Ill meet them. Zhang Xuan replied. What that woulde would eventuallye. There was no point evading the matter. He might as well meet the other party to see what the other party was intending to do. Besides, considering how the Shrine of Seers and Spirit Awakener Hall were reduced to rubble, the other party should have already received the news of his return by now... There was no way he could continue hiding from the other party anymore. Having made up his mind, he didnt hesitate to make his way over to the main hall of his residence. Walking in, he saw two young men seated patiently on the guest seats. One of them stood up in agitation upon seeing him and eximed, Zhang shi, you are finally back! You sure have kept up waiting for long. I believe you should be familiar with Senior Feng over here too. I didnt expect that hes actually Yang shis direct disciple too,ing from the same roots as you, so I specially brought him over to meet you... Naturally, the young man who had stood up was Zhang Jiuxiao. Yang shis direct disciple? Zhang Xuan asked as he directed a long, meaningful look at Zhang Jiuxiao. If thoughts could kill, Zhang Jiuxiao might have died a thousand times over in that short moment. All this while, he had been wondering who was the culprit that revealed the news of him being Yang Xuans student, but who could have thought that it would actually be an insider leak... Zhang Jiuxiao had been in Qingyuan City during the same period of time as him, and he was rather close with Wu shi and the others too. All it would take was a simple ask for him to find out Zhang Xuans lineage... So, it wasnt too surprising for him to know about his rtionship with Yang Xuan. But... its one thing for you to know, but why do you have to boast about it in front of Feng Ziyi? If, touchwood, this news were to get to the ears of the real Yang shi, wont I be a goner? Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. Rage bubbled furiously within him, but there was no outlet for him to vent it at all. In the end, he could only suppress his overflowing fury and chuckle awkwardly, You... are from Yang shis lineage too? Feng Ziyi stood up, and instead of answering the question, he raised his palm and gestured to the center of the hall, I would like to request to have a duel with you. A duel? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Thats right. Not bothering to exin his intention, Feng Ziyi drove his zhenqi, and an intense aura rippled forth from him, threatening to crush the surrounding air into fragments. This is... Phantasm Space realm primary stage? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. The previous time he met Feng Ziyi, thetter was only at Grand Dominion realm advanced stage. Yet, in just a short twenty or so days, he actually managed to raise his cultivation by two stages, reaching Phantasm Space realm primary stage... This was truly fearsome! While the bottleneck that one had to ovee in order to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan Phantasm Space realm was significantly lower aspared to that of Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, it was still inconceivable for any cultivator to do so within a short span of twenty days. What was even more astounding was that the other party was only in his mid-twenties, roughly twenty-four or twenty-five this year... With such talent, it was just a matter of time before he became one of the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent! Noticing Zhang Xuans hesitation, Feng Ziyi chuckled coldly and said, I did manage to make some advancements during this period of time, but it seems like you have achieved quite a few breakthroughs yourself too. The previous time we met, you were only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, but in just a short twenty days, you have already managed to reach Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. You were able to defeat Zhang Zhuo and the others as a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator, so you should be far stronger now, right? You didnt hesitate to challenge those of the Zhang n, so why would you hesitate at the notion of fighting against me? While Zhang Xuan was astounded by the rate at which Feng Ziyi was advancing his cultivation, the vice-versa was true as well. Feng Ziyi remembered that Zhang Xuan was only at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle when he challenged the Mountain Gate examination, but in less than a month, his cultivation had actually risen by an entire realm, reaching Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. This rate of cultivation was one which even he would pale far inparison against! Furthermore, the other party also wielded superior fighting prowess that allowed him to challenge cultivators far beyond his tier, as shown by how he managed to defeat Zhang Zhuo and the others back then. In truth, Feng Ziyis initial intention was to confront Zhang Xuan on the rumors of him being Yang Xuans direct disciple too, but upon recalling the peculiarities surrounding thetter, his blood suddenly raced in excitement, and an urge to challenge thetter to a battle struck him. Since you are so earnest in your request, it would be impolite for me to turn you down. Knowing that there was no way to shun the matter, Zhang Xuan walked to the center of the room and gestured, Feel free. As long as Yang Xuan didnt appear in the picture, there was nothing for him to fear. A de was already above his neck, regardless of whether he pushed ahead or retreated. Since that was the case, he might as well retaliate. If Feng Ziyi wanted to make a move on him, he would have to first defeat him! Hu! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had epted his battle, Feng Ziyi stepped forward as well and flicked his hand softly. Hu! A Dominion swiftly engulfed the main hall. Any Spiritual Perception that attempted to perceive within the barrier would abruptly vanish, as if falling into another dimension. At the same time, Feng Ziyi also pushed his palm downward, and an oppressive might froze the surrounding space, leaving one feeling as if one was standing in the midst of a vacuum, making even breathing nigh impossible. Hes indeed rather strong. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Even though Feng Ziyi was only at Phantasm Space realm primary stage, the strength he had disyed so far was already on par with the Phantasm Space advanced stage Bi Hongyin! True, Bi Hongyin was still slightlycking aspared to Luo Xuanqing and the others, but with her caliber, she could already be considered as one of the top geniuses of the Sanctum of Sages, far surpassing most of the other students... And yet, to wield strengthparable to her despite being two cultivation stages weaker, Feng Ziyi was truly a frightening individual! A feeling of tightness swiftly constricted Zhang Xuans chest. He knew that he would only be plunged in a worse position if he were to retreat at this point, so he roared furiously, Break! His voice seemed to be tinged with a powerful force that hammered down on ones soul like a wreaking ball. In just an instant, cracks swiftly spread across the Dominion before it shattered with a resounding explosion. Through studying the books Bi Hongyin had rting to demonic tunes, he managed to raise hisprehension and mastery of demonic tunes to the caliber of an 8-star demonic tunist. He was still unable to exert the full prowess of an 8-star demonic tunist due to the limitations of his cultivation, but nevertheless, his attacks were still plenty fearsome. Without a transcendental state of mind, it would be impossible to withstand it. After breaking the Dominion with a roar, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and sent a surge of sword qi in Feng Ziyis direction. Considering that his cultivation was far beneath the other party, it would be extremely dangerous for him to hold back. Thus, he infused the full prowess of his offensive Sword Quintessence into the attack. Tzzzzzzzz! In the midst of its trajectory, the surge of sword qi suddenly burst open to engulf the entire area, creating something reminiscent to the sea. It wasnt the Sea Severing Sword of the Three Swords of Lingxu, but thebined prowess of the countless sword qi within this sea was plenty terrifying. They converged like a vortex and crushed down on Feng Ziyi with devastating might. Formidable! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon seeing this move. Under normal circumstances, it should be impossible for any cultivator beneath Saint 7-dan realm to withstand the Dominion of a Phantasm Space realm cultivator. Yet, with just a roar, he was able to sever my control over my Dominion before creating his own Dominion using his sword qi to suppress me... The reason why Grand Dominion realm experts were so powerful was because theymanded absolute authority within the territory of their Dominion. Considering that the other party was only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, having yet toprehend Dominion, the other party would inevitably be in a disadvantageous position facing him straight-on. In view of that, the other party actually chose to craft out his own Dominion using his sword qi in order to rue sufficient power to fight on equal grounds with him... This was something he had never thought of before. It was truly a brilliant move! Peng! As soon as the other partys sword qi collided with his palm, Feng Ziyi was forced to retreat two steps. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat eight steps. In this short encounter, it was apparent who wielded the absolute advantage in terms of sheer strength. For someone who is two cultivation realms weaker than me to be able to withstand my attack, I must admit that you are indeed a person of great capability. However... lets see if youll be able to do the same for this too! With eyes gleaming in excitement, Feng Ziyi charged forward once more. Hu! His silhouette swiftly turned illusory, as if he had warped into a phantasm. In just the blink of an eye, he had already covered ten meters to stand right before Zhang Xuan. His speed is incredible too... Zhang Xuan was rmed. In terms of instantaneous burst speed, the other party was actually no slower than his Heavens Path Movement Art! The reason why Luo Xuanqing was capable of moving faster than him was due to his high cultivation realm and superior grasp of spatialws, but to think that Feng Ziyi would be so fast as well... As expected of Yang shis direct disciple, a genius from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! His abilities were truly off the charts! From the previous encounter, it was apparent that it would be unwise for Zhang Xuan to face Feng Ziyis attacks head-on, considering the disparity in their strength. Thus, in response to thetters sudden approach, he quickly activated his Heavens Path Movement Art to retreat. Tzzzzzzz! But as fast as he retreated, Feng Ziyis advancement was even faster. Thetters outstretched finger seemed to be ready to pierce a hole open in his throat at any moment. Hu hu hu! Zhang Xuan quickly switched between various movements arts in hopes of shaking Feng Ziyi off, but as if his shadow, thetter remained tight on his tail. Slowly, he began to panic a little. At this rate, I just might lose... Even though Zhang Xuan was still able to keep the other partys finger off his throat for the time being, he would risk losing control over the momentum of the battle at this rate. Once that were to happen, it would only a matter of time before his loss. Ill just have to take a risk! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan made up his mind, and his eyes turned solemn. He abruptly halted his footsteps as he forcefullypressed the muscles before his neck. Hu! As a result of his sudden stop, Feng Ziyis finger struck Zhang Xuans neck. However, the anticipated piercing didnt ur. On the contrary, a sound reminiscent to the metallic reverberation of two weapons shing with one another sounded instead. Heavens Path Golden Body! After learning the newest version of Heavens Path Golden Bodypiled from Yuan Xiaos physical body cultivation technique manuals, the resilience of his physical body had beparable to half-Saint high-tier artifacts. To put it in other words, as long as Feng Ziyi didnt wield a Saint high-tier weapon in his hands, it would be nigh impossible for him to impale him! It should be my turn now! Feng Ziyi was visibly stunned by the failure of his finger to impale Zhang Xuans throat. Knowing that this was a good opportunity for him to strike, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly and thrust it forward. This punch harnessed not only the strength derived from his zhenqi but from his physical body and soul as well. Even beforending on its target, the other partys Phantasm Space realm Dominion had already begun shattering inch after inch, reminiscent of a popped bubble. You... How is this possible? Feng Ziyi was aghast. Chapter 1382 - A Sixth

Chapter 1382: A Sixth

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric It was one thing for a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator to be able to call forth strength that was on par with a Phantasmal Space realm primary stage expert like him, but more importantly than that, the timing and positioning of the other partys fist was indescribably ingenious. It was timed right in thepse between the dissipation of his previous surge of might and the regathering of his strength. In other words, the other partys had managed to see through the ws in his fighting style despite only having exchanged a single blow! One must know that the cultivation technique and battle techniques he practiced were no weaker than the top-notch techniques that the core members of the Zhang n and Luo n practiced! It would be impossible for even Fei shi to see through such profound battle techniques and cultivation techniques in such a short period of time, and yet, the young man before him was already able to find their ws and exploit them even. But if you think that you can defeat me just like that, you are being far too optimistic! Feng Ziyis shock only remained for less than a tenth of a breath before a sharp glint surfaced in his eyes. He tilted his body slightly sideways in order to bring forth sufficient power to return a fist of his own toward Zhang Xuan. His fist was directed straight toward the other partys chest, and thetters punch was directed toward his chest too. He was aiming for a direct showdown! Lets see how formidable your defense is! A hint of callousness shed across Zhang Xuans eyes when he saw Feng Ziyis response. Without bothering to even change his positions, he drove the Heavens Path Golden Body, and a slight golden shimmer flowed across the surface of his body. Peng! Zhang Xuans fist smashed into the other partys chest, and in that instant, he felt as if he was punching a boulder. A numbing sensation swiftly crawled from his fingers up his arm. At the same time, Feng Ziyis fist also smashed into his body, and a stifled feeling welled up in his chest, forcing him to retreat several steps. Your physical body... Zhang Xuan was astonished. It was due to cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body that the resilience of his physical body was on par with half-Saint high-tier artifacts, but to his astonishment, the resilience of the other partys physical body was actually on par with him! Even though it seemed like their direct confrontation had ended in a draw, the truth was that he had lost out a little due to his limited cultivation. Hahaha, wonderful! Feng Ziyi roared inughter. Even in a sh of brute strength, the young man before him was actually able to stand toe-to-toe with him. He flexed his arms a little, and as if someone had blown air into his muscles, his body began bulging out, filling his loose robe. It seemed as if he had just eaten some kind of incredible tonic that transformed his slender body into that of a bulked up, brawny man in an instant. Peng! Taking a step forward, he immediately felt immense pressure weighing down on him. In just a short instant, Feng Ziyis aura and strength had actually surged to twofold. What kind of secret art is that? Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly in astonishment. In his past year of journey through the Master Teacher Continent, he had seen plenty of secret arts that gave one an explosive boost of strength, but he had never seen one which allowed an individual to enhance his muscle mass without any side effects at all. However, he knew that he didnt have the luxury of allowing his thoughts to wander in this moment either. Driving his Heavens Path Golden Body to its limits, he sent another punch over. Peng peng peng peng! In just the blink of an eye, the two of them had already traded more than ten blows. A deafening gale raged within the hall, threatening to tear the entire building down. At this point, Sun Qiang and Zhang Jiuxiao had already backed out of the hall. Nevertheless, even the lingering air current that escaped from the hall was sufficient to leave them with a stinging sensation all over their body, as if a fearsome inferno was zing on them. It wasnt too long ago that my strength was still on par with Zhang shi... But in just a few months, such a huge gap has been pulled between us! Zhang Jiuxiao was shocked. žȻ. He could still clearly remember the days back in Qingyuan City when they were still an equal match for one another, and there was hardly any disparity in their strength at all. It was in remembrance of those days that he worked exceptionally hard during this period of time, hoping that he would be able to catch up with the other party. Yet, who could have thought that despite all the effort he had put in... the gap between the both of them only grewrger! With the other partys current strength, even a punch from afar was sufficient to smash him into a lump of meat. The difference between the both of them was already immeasurable at this point. H! At this point, Feng Ziyi suddenly flicked his wrist and drew a sword. He shed it lightly in the air, and the air in the room seemed to flow naturally along with the movements of his sword. Why dont we move on to a weaponry battle instead? Sure, why not? Zhang Xuan casually tapped his finger forward, and in the next moment, more than a hundred swords suddenly materialized floating around him. What are you doing... Feng Ziyi narrowed his eyes in astonishment, and before he could finish his words, what that could only be described as an entire sea of sword qi suddenly crushed down on him. Peng! Peng! He was immediately sent flying by the immense force, and his back crashed right through a wall of the residence. An instantter, the wall was reduced into dust under the furious assault of the sword qi too. Feng Ziyi flew back for roughly seven to eight hundred meters before the force pushing him back finally alleviated enough for him to regain his bnce. At this point, his face waspletely pale, and his hands were shaking non-stop. The web in between his thumb and forefinger felt as if it would tear apart at any moment. He had to take quite a few huge mouthfuls of air before he finally managed to catch a breather and calm down his billowing zhenqi. He turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan with a look of disbelief and said, You... J-just what kind of move is that? He was a Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm primary stage expert whereas the other party was merely a Saint 5-dan pinnacle expert. Yet, despite their vast disparity in cultivation, the other party was still able to render him helpless with just this single move... Just what technique was it for it to be so formidable? Its the Old Sword Maestros Sea Severing Sword. Zhang Xuan replied calmly. There was no reason for him to hide this matter. Considering how famous the Old Sword Maestro was, as long as Feng Ziyi were to do some digging up, he should be able to uncover this easily. Impossible! Feng Ziyi immediately eximed. Putting aside Sea Severing Sword, not even the Heaven Desecration Sword wields that much strength! The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters possessed a vast collection of battle techniques manuals from all over the continent. While the Old Sword Maestros Three Swords of Lingxu wasnt passed down, there was still some brief information regarding it in the library. Through analyzing the Old Sword Maestros history and sword style, it wasnt too difficult for those who hadprehended an offensive-type Sword Quintessence to make a rough deduction of the prowess of the Three Swords of Lingxu. Putting aside Sea Severing Sword, not even the strongest sword move of the Three Swords of Lingxu, Heaven Desecration Sword, was able tomand such explosive power. Its true that the Old Sword Maestros original sword art didnt wield such power. However, I did some modification to it. Zhang Xuan exined. To be fair, the Old Sword Maestros version of Sea Severing Sword wasnt weak, but without a doubt, it paled far inparison to the current version of it he was using. The main reason why his Sea Severing Sword was so powerful, allowing him to even sent Jian Qinsheng flying back then, was because he had managed to resolve the hulking number of ws it was gued with, thus forming a perfect Heavens Path Sword Art. You did some modification to it? Feng Ziyi widened his eyes in utter shock. He could believe it if it was his teacher who had modified the Old Sword Maestros sword art to such an extent, but the young man before him was only a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator! Was it really possible for him to alter the Sea Severing Sword to this level? Indeed. Without altering it, how could I possibly send you flying using just a third of its strength? Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. A third of its strength? Feng Ziyis cheeks twitched uncontrobly upon hearing those words. He had to use his strongest means just to fend against the sword art the other party had executed earlier, but even so, he was still sent flying several hundred meters away. He thought that this was already very exaggerated, but this turned out to just be a third of its strength? Suppressing the urge to spurt blood, Feng Ziyi turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuan and said, Considering the imposing might that your sword art harnesses, theres no way it could only be a third of its original strength... Considering what a close match they were earlierto be more exact, he was even slightly in the upper hand thenhow could the other party possibly be able to suppress him using just a third of his strength just after wielding a sword? Could this be psychological warfare from the other party in order to crush his confidence? This... How embarrassing! I didnt think that you would be able to see through it. Well, I am actually quite a humble person, so I thought that it wouldnt be good for me to brag too much. But since you have seen through my lie, I guess it would be rude for me to continue deceiving you. Actually, I have only used a sixth of my true strength in the earlier attack... Zhang Xuan scratched his head as he revealed awkwardly. After all, Feng Ziyi was Yang shis direct disciple, so he had made sure to hold back a little while making his move. Thus, he only used a sixth of his original strength in the earlier attack. He was hoping not to shatter the other partys confidence by being a little humbler, but he ended up being exposed instead. Since that was the case, as embarrassing as it was, he could only admit to it. On the other hand, upon hearing those words, Feng Ziyi nearly fainted on the spot. What he meant was that the other party had used his full strength but attempted to pass it off as just a third of his full prowess so as to strike a blow to his morale... but who could have thought that the other party would im that the inuracy was a result of his humility instead! Since thats the case, I want you tounch an attack of full might against me. I want to see just how powerful that sword art of yours is in its most powerful form! Feng Ziyi harrumphed with gritted teeth. He didnt believe that it was possible for the young man before him to actually be so powerful. You want me tounch an attack of full might against you? Zhang Xuan frowned. Im afraid that apse in control might result in your death instead. Part of the reasons why he didnt dare to use his full strength was because the other party was Yang shis direct disciple, but more importantly than that, if he were to devote his full strength to executing the Sea Severing Sword, he would have to expend all of his zhenqi before the sword art could be stopped... It was one thing when his zhenqi capacity was still lower, but after the alteration he had made to his dantian through the Dongxu Gourd, the amount of zhenqi he had in his dantian rose to fivefold of what it previously had. If he were to lose control of the sword art once more, a huge problem could very well ur. Lose control? Hearing those words, Feng Ziyi gritted his teeth and said. Dont worry, I am a Phantasmal Space realm expert. I possess many means, such that even if you were to lose control of your attack, it wont be that easy for you to hurt me! This... Zhang Xuan was still a little hesitant. I do acknowledge your strength, but we are currently surrounded by the freshmen residences. If I were to let loose here, I fear that I would identally destroy the buildings in the area... It had barely been half a day since he returned from outside, but he had already brought down the Spirit Awakener Hall and the Shrine of Seers. If he were to destroy the freshmen residences as well, he might very well end up giving away the pinnacle spirit stone in his hand aspensation. This... Feng Ziyi took a look at his surroundings. Zhang Xuans residence had be rather tattered due to the battle they had earlier. Considering how the defense formation cast over each residence wasnt too strong, they really just might cause huge destruction if they were to continue fighting like that. Since thats the case, lets head to the Hall of Propriety then. It happens that Fei shi has brought the students from the Elite Division there to conduct mock battles today. Do you dare to have a duel with me there? Feng Ziyi pondered for a moment before proposing. Hall of Propriety? Very well then. Zhang Xuan nodded. The Hall of Propriety was the ce where students would fight against one another. There were top-notch defensive formations there in order to minimize the destruction resulting from any battle, and there were even spectator stands and mechanisms to analyze ones stats. Not only was there no need to fear causing unnecessary damage, more important, one would be able to gain an insight into ones current strength and ws and grow stronger through working on them. Lets go. Seeing that other party had agreed to it too, Feng Ziyi turned around and headed straight for the Hall of Propriety. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan quickly followed along too. So far, of the five halls, Zhang Xuan had been to the Hall of Erudition, Hall of Attainment, and Hall of Solidarity, but he hadnt been to the Hall of Propriety yet. If the ce was really as sturdy as the rumors put it out to be, he would be able to head there often to try out his skills. Chapter 1383 - You Aren’t

Chapter 1383: You Arent

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In contrast to the bleak emptiness of the other halls, there was a huge flow of crowd in and out of the Hall of Propriety. Cultivators were everywhere the eye could see. Even though there were many esteemed upations in the Master Teacher Continent, it still didnt change the fact that fighting prowess was still the most vital foundation to a cultivator. For this reason, battling was an integral part of any cultivators life, and the Hall of Propriety served as a location for that purpose. Each day, it would attract countless students who sought to raise their fighting prowess and cultivation through practical battles. Following behind Feng Ziyi, it didnt take long for them to arrive at an independent hall. The vast hall was divided into countless dueling rings, each of which was covered in a transparent barrier a little reminiscent of a ss enclosure. Fei shi and the others are over there. Feng Ziyi pointed forward. Turning his gaze over, Zhang Xuan saw Fei shi, Zhang Yu, and the other students of the Elite Division standing before a dueling ring. Walking closer, he noted that there were two figures battling in a nearby dueling ring, and upon a closer look, a smile crept onto his lips. The two fighting individuals happened to be familiar faces. Chen Leyao and Zhang Zhuo! The previous time Zhang Zhuo fought with Chen Leyao, he suffered a humiliating defeat, being pped publicly and even knocked out shortly after. He had been resting over the past few days, and not only did he manage to recover fully from the injuries he had sustained, his strength had also risen to greater heights. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he immediately challenged Chen Leyao to a duel, hoping to avenge himself. Powerful surges of zhenqi flew here and there within the dueling ring as the two fighters utilized their means one after another, but surprisingly, they were actually equally matched with one another for the time being. Not bad! Upon seeing the sight, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Chen Leyao had achieved a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm under his guidance twenty days ago, so he thought that her cultivation would still be a little shaky. Contrary to his expectations, she had already sessfully reinforced it, allowing her to stand against Zhang Zhuo on equal grounds. It seemed like she hadnt been cking off for the past twenty days. She had already managed to assimte everything he had taught her. Zhang shi, who do you think will be able to achieve victory? All of a sudden, a voice sounded by the side. Turning his head over, Zhang Xuan saw the second ranker of the Elite Division looking his wayZhang Yu. Previously, Zhang Yu didnt think much of Zhang Xuan, feeling that a person who had barely met the mark to enrolling into the Elite Division wasnt worthy of his attention. However, after seeing how thetter was able to guide Chen Leyao into making a breakthrough, he swiftly realized that thetter actually possessed extraordinary strength and eye of discernment, so thoughts of winning thetter over to his side began formting in his mind. They... Zhang Xuan was just about to answer the question when his eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise. He turned to Zhang Yu once more and asked, You offered some pointers to Zhang Zhuo? He had seen the extent of Zhang Zhuos prowess with his eyes in the battle twenty years ago. While his cultivation was not too bad, hisbat skills were still sorelycking. It was due to that that Chen Leyao was able to easily defeat him under his guidance. Had he been as skilled as Feng Ziyi instead, things would have never proceeded so smoothly then. Yet, in this very moment, Zhang Zhuo was managing to fend off most of Chen Leyaos move, a huge contrast from the ipetent fighter he was before. Most likely, this matter had a lot to do with Zhang Yu. I gave him five minutes of my time. Zhang Yu ced his hands behind his back and said inposure. However, the glee and pride in his eyes couldnt be concealed. The young man before him managed to induce Chen Leyao to achieve a breakthrough within five minutes and defeat Zhang Zhuo, so he decided to offer five minutes worth of pointers to Zhang Zhuo and have him defeat Chen Leyao. His purpose was simple. He just wanted to prove that he was stronger than the young man before him, and his eye of discernment was far superior as well. Its indeed rather impressive that you can induce such improvement in Zhang Zhuo in just five minutes. Zhang Xuan nodded. As expected of the man who was second only to Feng Ziyi in the Mountain Gate examination. It seemed like Zhang Yu was no simple character either. The talent and eye of discernment he had shown were already on par with Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng; he only lost out to those two in terms of time and umtion. It was no wonder why the Zhang n was publicly recognized to be the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent. As much as Zhang Xuan was unwilling to recognize it, there was no denying that they had many talents amongst their ranks. What do you think of the situation? Who do you think will emerge victorious? Zhang Yu nced at Zhang Xuan and asked once more. Zhang Zhuo did improve by quite a bit within this period of time, but Chen Leyao hasnt been cking off either. Id say that since Chen Leyao has won the battle twenty dates ago, she should be able to do so this time around too. Zhang Xuan replied with a light chuckle. Back then, when he was offering pointers to Chen Leyao in order to deal with Zhang Zhuo, he had brought up many of thetters ws. While thetter did make substantial advancement in hisbat skills within this period of time, it was still impossible for him to shake off all of those bad fighting habits that had already been lodged deep into his bones within such a short period of time. As long Chen Leyao was no fool, she should be able to uncover quite a few of them easily, exploit them, and achieve the final victory. It was luck the previous time around, and luck wont favor you every single time... Zhang Yu remarked casually with a slight smirk and he watched the duel with his hands behind his back. In his view, the reason why Chen Leyao was able to achieve victory thest time around was because the young man before him had made a thorough investigation into Zhang Zhuos profile, thus winning the battle of preparations. So, he made sure to look into Chen Leyao carefully and offered Zhang Zhuo very specific pointers in dealing with her. With this, there was just no way on earth that Chen Leyao would stand a chance against Zhang Zhuo. On the other hand, noting Zhang Yus response, Zhang Xuan shook his head. In truth, it mattered not to him whether who won or lost the duel. Sometimes, the loser could stand to earn much more out of a duel aspared to the winner. Just take him for an example, he had won so many battles everything was starting to feel meaningless. In the deepest region of his heart, he deeply craved a defeat from a cultivator of the same cultivation realm... But it was a pity that this simple request of him was never meant to be. No one in this world could give him what he wanted, so this wish was doomed to remain unfulfilled for the rest of his entire life. Kacha! Kacha! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, in the dueling ring, Zhang Zhuo seemed to have suddenly activated some kind of secret art, causing his aura to intensify all of a sudden. This abrupt change caught Chen Leyao off guard. She was still able to stand toe-to-toe with Zhang Zhuo straight on previously, but in this moment, even dodging was starting to get real difficult for her. She was forced to retreat time and time again, and it didnt take long before she was forced to the corner of the dueling ring. For the looks of it, it seemed her loss was sealed. Theres no need to watch any longer. The conclusion is clear! Seeing how Chen Leyao was trapped,pletely losing control of the momentum of battle, Zhang Yus lips curled up in delight. Indeed. The conclusion is clear. Zhang Xuan nodded. What he saw was apletely different image from Zhang Yu. Even though Chen Leyao was indeed forced to the corner of the dueling ring, every single step that she moved was very steady, seemingly intentional actions to lure the opponent in. On the other hand, even though Zhang Zhuo appeared to hold the upper hand, being in the offensive position, the truth was that he had already lost allposure due to the time limit resulting from the activation of his secret art. Looking at the situation from this perspective, it was clear that who was the one that truly wielded the upper hand in this battle. It must be said that Chen Leyao had really been working hard during this period of time. She had managed to internalize all of his teachings to heart and even achieved an even deeper level ofprehension to them. It was heartening to see that his efforts were not wasted. Just as the conclusion of the duel was just around the corner, a voice suddenly sounded, Zhang shi, theres no need to worry about causing any idental damage here. This way please. Feng Ziyi had already gotten up to another dueling ring with a sword in his hand, and he was looking at Zhang Xuan with fighting will burning in his eyes. Feng Ziyi wants to challenge Zhang Xuan? But Zhang shi is ranked at the very bottom of the Elite Division! Even though he possesses an exceptional eye of discernment and outstanding ability to guide others, his cultivation is only at Leaving Aperture realm. Theres no way he could be a match for Feng Ziyi! Isnt Feng Ziyi going a little too far by challenging him? Indeed. Whats going on? A hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd. Without a doubt, Feng Ziyi was the most prominent figure in their batch, and most viewed him as their goal. They hoped that they would be able to surpass him one day, but naturally, they also understood how slim the possibility was... Considering how powerful Feng Ziyi was, if he was going to challenge anyone, it should be Zhang Yu or the others who were ranked in the top few in the Mountain Gate examination. Why was he challenging thest person in the Elite Division instead? Even if he won the battle, his victory would only be frowned upon by others. After all, what kind of glory could one earn from defeating the weak? Brother Feng, I can be your opponent instead if you need a sparring partner. Zhang Yu stepped forward and said with a frown. However, Feng Ziyi simply waved his hands and said, You arent a match for me. Those words immediately caused Zhang Yus eyes to turn cold. He leaped onto the dueling ring and harrumphed frostily, How would you know without a fight? In the first ce, he was already displeased at being outdone by Feng Ziyi back at the Mountain Gate examination. He was willing to concede that Feng Ziyi was a formidable adversary, but he couldnt ept been told by thetter to his face that he wasnt a match for him. Instead of challenging me, the second ranker of the Mountain Gate examination, you chose to challenge the fiftieth ce candidate instead... Since you dare to snub me, Ill just have to show you what Im worth then! Hong long! While Zhang Yu was still in the midst of his leap toward the dueling ring, he had already gathered strength in his palm and forcefully pushed it down upon the figure who stood at the middle of the dueling ring beneath him. He was afraid that Feng Ziyi would reject his battle, so he used the most powerful capability he had at his disposal right from the start, not holding back at all. Not bad. Zhang Xuan nodded upon seeing the might of Zhang Yus move. It seemed not Feng Ziyi wasnt the only one who had grown substantially during his absence; clearly, Zhang Yu hadnt been cking off either. He had already reached Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, just a step away from reaching Phantasmal Space realm. As expected of the most talented genius of the Zhang n in this intake. Regardless of which aspect one assessed him from, he was indubitably a formidable figure. Like I have said, you arent a match for me. Standing in the face of Zhang Yus attack, Feng Ziyi didnt even lift his eyelid. Instead, he tilted his body and thrust his palm up in a leisurely motion. Stop being so full of yourself. You might be a talented individual, but Im also a one-in-a-million genius as well. You never know who will be the one standing at the very end of this battle! Hearing the haughty wordsing out of Feng Ziyis mouth, Zhang Yu felt so furious that it almost seemed as if he would erupt like a volcano. As he roared furiously, he drove the zhenqi in his body to its limits and channeled it all toward his palm, as if he wouldnt be content unless he reduced the entire dueling ring into dust. However, before this surge of strength could even strike Feng Ziyi, Zhang Yu suddenly felt the might of the other partys palm piercing right through his attack and striking his chest squarely. Peng! With a look of disbelief on his face, Zhang Yu was sent flying into the sky before being nted into the ground not too far away. In the view of others, he was sent flying as if he was a mere pesky fly before he could even leap onto the dueling ring. There was probably no better way to highlight the huge disparity in strength between the both of them. A one-in-a-million genius? Feng Ziyi shook his head with a trace of mockery on his lips. He gazed down derisively at Zhang Yu as he said, Perhaps its about time for you to wake up from your delusions! Chapter 1384 - Too Low Profile!

Chapter 1384: Too Low Profile!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You... Not expecting that he would be knocked down by a single p from Feng Ziyi despite using his full strength, Zhang Yu forcefully pulled his head out from the ground and red at Feng Ziyi with frenzied eyes. He was a person blessed by the heavens. Even within the powerful Zhang n, he was known as an invincible existence to those around his age. He thought that even if he wasnt a match for Feng Ziyi, he would at least be able to put up a good fight. Yet, who could have thought that he would be knocked down before he could even get onto the dueling ring?! And most importantly of all... he was even viewed in such disdain! The sheer humiliation he felt from Feng Ziyis actions left him feeling a crazed inside. But as angry as he was, he also swiftly realized that Feng Ziyi had managed to enter Phantasmal Space realm a step earlier than him... It might only be a small step of difference between the two of them, but this small rift simply unbreachable. Forcing himself to calm down, several doubts began surfacing in Zhang Yus mind, If he has already reached Phantasmal Space realm, why does he still want to challenge Zhang shi? If Zhang Xuans strength was around their level, it could still be understandable that Feng Ziyi could feel threatened by his existence and wanted to challenge him in order to establish his dominance. However, with his breakthrough to Phantasmal Space realm, thetter would be considered to have reached the higher echelons of the Sanctum of Sages, such that even some of the senior students wouldnt be a match for him at all. It simply didnt seem logical that Feng Ziyi would still be so caught up with a mere freshman despite his immense strength. Peng! While Zhang Yu was still in a state of confusion, a dull thud suddenly echoed, and a figure suddenly flew over in his direction andnded right beside him. It was Zhang Zhuo, whom he had thought would win without any trouble earlier. In this moment, Zhang Zhuos face was swollen like a pigs head, an indescribably wretched sight. The ferocious aura that hemanded previously had vanished without a trace, and he was lying with a rather bizarre posture on the ground. Zhang Yus eyebrows immediately shot up in disbelief. He hurriedly turned to the stage and saw Chen Leyao walking down the dueling ring with a slightly pale face, but there was an exhrated gleam in her eyes. She headed straight toward Zhang Xuans direction before sping her fist and bowing deeply. Impossible... This is impossible! How can she win against Zhang Zhuo? It was understandable why he would be sent flying by Feng Ziyi in a single pafter all, thetter had already reached Phantasmal Space realmbut Zhang Zhuo wielded the absolute advantage in the earlier battle! It was irrational for it to end in such an oue! It could be said that Zhang Zhuos loss was even more inconceivable than his own loss. Impossible? Hearing those words, Chen Leyao puffed up her chest angrily and harrumphed, If I cant even defeat Zhang Zhuo after Zhang shis guidance, wouldnt that mean that I am regressing as time passes by? Zhang shis guidance isnt something that just anyone can learn! Zhang Xuan was their young court chiefs teacher, and it was a huge insult topare the guidance from such an esteemed elder to that of an insignificant figure like Zhang Yu! But... Zhang Yu clenched his fists tightly in indignation. It was one thing for him to lose to the Phantasmal Space realm Feng Ziyi, but to lose to a mere Leaving Aperture realm fellow as well... He couldnt ept this! He just couldnt ept this! This wont do. Others will eventually find out that I have offered pointers to Zhang Zhuo... What will be of my honor if I were to be found losing to someone as weak as Zhang Xuan? Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes menacingly. Should I just challenge him to a battle? If I subdue him with absolute strength, I should be able to suppress with those rumors... At this moment, Feng Ziyis voice suddenly sounded from the dueling ring once more, Zhang shi, show me if your full strength is really as formidable as you have put it out to be! As you wish. Seeing that the other party was determined to try him out, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly leaped up to the dueling ring and tapped his finger forward. Wu wu wu wu! Over a hundred swords immediately materialized all around Zhang Xuan. Every single one of them was pointed toward Feng Ziyi, each of them carrying a solemn aura. Good! Having tasted how powerful the sword art was earlier, Feng Ziyi dared not to take it lightly. He immediately drew out a semicircle with the sword in his hand and used it as a medium to channel his sword qi together, thus forming something reminiscent of a light barrier. Is that... the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Descending Cotton Sword Art? Zhang Yu eximed grimly. Descending Cotton Sword Art? a bewildered individual amidst the crowd asked. Its a Saint high-tier battle technique created by a master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters while observing the drifting cotton in the air. In terms of defensive ability, its only second to the Flowing Water Swordsmanship of the Third Sanctum Head. Once executed, a world full of flying cotton would drift around reminiscent of falling flowers, creating an effect simr to that of the ultimate technique of the Yinyang Court, the Fallen Snow Sword... Zhang Yu exined. At this moment, he finally realized just how powerful Feng Ziyi was. Even without using his prowess as a Phantasmal Space realm expert, it would be nigh impossible for him to defeat thetter once the Descending Cotton Sword Art was activated. Unless... he activated the ability of his unique bloodline! But unless in a life and death situation, it would be best for him not to tap into that power, or else he would only be depleting himself needlessly. Even though hemanded quite a high standing in the Zhang n, which granted him ess to a lot of resources, recovering from the side effects of activating his bloodline would still be extremely troublesome. Despite his deep understanding of swordsmanship, he still chose to take a defensive stance right at the start of the battle... Does this mean that Zhang Xuan really wields the strength to stand against Feng Ziyi? Amidst his shock, Zhang Yu also seemed to have dawned upon something as he turned his gaze to the young man standing opposite to Feng Ziyi with a look of intrigue. If even someone as powerful as Feng Ziyi opted to take a defensive stance right at the start of the battle... wouldnt that mean that Zhang Xuan was even more powerful than him? But no matter how powerful Zhang Xuan could be, hes only a mere Leaving Aperture realm cultivator. Theres bound to be a limit to how powerful he is. Zhang Yu shook his head as he turned his gaze back to the dueling ring, not wanting to miss anything of the duel. He saw Feng Ziyi tapping his left hand forward, and weng!. Along with a surge of zhenqi, anotheryer of light barrier was formed in front of him. Thats the Big Dipper Origin Aegis! Zhang Yus lips twitched in disbelief. If Feng Ziyi execution of the Descending Cotton Sword Art had already left him deeply bewildered, the activation of this light barrier had left him disconcerted. The Big Dipper Origin Aegis was a secret art which a 9-star master teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters came up with while observing the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper. This technique was known for its imprable defense to those of the same cultivation realm. But to execute this technique on top of the defensive Descending Cotton Sword Art... just what in the world was Feng Ziyi trying to guard against? H! However, that wasnt the end of his shock yet. Feng Ziyi flicked his finger and crushed a jade token which materialized from his storage ring. Weng! Ayer of light purple shimmer swiftly covered him. Thats a protective amulet forged by a Phantasmal Space realm expert! Even though its not as powerful as the Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet, its still more than enough to guard against the attack of any Saint 7-dan expert... Zhang Yus lips twitched once more. Arent the two of you going to fight with one another? Why is Feng Ziyi throwing out so many defensive measures then, even activating an invaluable protective amulet for it? Just what in the world is Zhang Xuan capable of that is able to instill such deep fear in him? Kacha! Kacha! While Zhang Yu still in a state of absolute bafflement, Feng Ziyis body began bulging once more, and in the blink of an eye, he made the transformation into a muscr, brawny man. Wait a moment... isnt that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Golden Toad Metamorphosis? Its said to be created by a master teacher while observing the cultivation method of the Golden Toad. This technique will cloak one in a thickyer of scales, granting one unparalleled defense and strength! Zhang Yu tore his hair in frenzy. Just what the hell is he guarding against?! The first thing every cultivator would learn was how to defend. Only when one was capable of protecting himself would he be able to y his opponent. Understanding this logic, Zhang Yu often spent his time studying the various defensive techniques out there in the world, so he was extremely knowledgeable about the subject. But... to activate so many formidable defensive means at once, had Feng Ziyi gone insane or was Zhang Xuan really worthy of him setting up so many defensive measures for? Are you ready? Paying no heed to thepletely bbergasted crowd below, Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. Im ready. You can start now. Feng Ziyi took in a deep breath before nodding. While he thought that it was very likely that Zhang Xuan was bragging, just to be safe, he still chose to utilize every single defensive mean at his disposal. Very well. Brace yourself! Saying these words, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger ahead. The zhenqi in his body was immediately infused into the swords in the sky, and in the blink of an eye, the swords had already whizzed forward, forming a massive sea of sword qi, drowning Feng Ziyi within it. This... Zhang Yus face turned aghast at the sight, and he subconsciously retreated eight steps as cold sweat rained down his head. He had just made a quick calction and found that even if he were to devote his full strength into defense, he would still stand no chance at withstanding that attack! Wasnt Zhang Xuan just a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator? How could he possess such astounding offensive prowess? Zhang Yu felt his throat turning hoarse from sheer fear. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Fei shi staring into the dueling ring with his mouth agape, and as if someone was gripping onto his throat, his body trembled uncontrobly. Astonished by Fei shis reaction, Zhang Yu turned his gaze over and asked, Fei shi, you arent able to withstand that sword art either? Fei shi slowly closed his eyes before shaking his head. Suppressing the horror he felt within, he replied with a bitter smile, Im afraid so. If he were to execute it against me in a real battle, theres a fair chance that I might lose my life! Its that powerful? Zhang Yus eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. It was fortunate that he didnt challenge Zhang Xuan earlier on, or else he could have very wellnded himself in a far worse state than Zhang Zhuo was in. No wonder why hes able to make Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng submit to him... I didnt think that I would fail to see through him as well. Without a doubt, hes the most terrifying individual in your batch! Fei shi eximed. What? Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng submitted to him? Zhang Yu felt as if a lightning bolt had just fallen upon him. He had been too busy cultivating over the past few days that he wasnt aware of the most recent happenings in the Sanctum of Sages. Indeed. Zhang Chun came to look for me yesterday to obtain Zhang Xuans profile, saying that he has been beaten up by thetter and wanted to exact vengeance... And from the looks of it, it seems like he hasnt fully recovered from his injuries yet! Fei shi said with a nod. Zhang Xuan was a freshman, and Fei shi was the person-in-charge of this new batch of students. Naturally, if Zhang Chun wanted to uncover anything concerning Zhang Xuan, the best way was to go through him. It was due to this that he found out about the matter of Zhang Xuan beating up Zhang Chun. Even though Zhang Chun refused to borate on the matter, the tragic state he was in was more than sufficient for Fei shi to fathom a good guess about what had happened. As for Zhang Feng... I just heard news that Zhang shi had just challenged the Spirit Awakener Hall and became its Inceptive Sage. The first thing he did after bing the Inceptive Sage was to enchant Zhang Fengs body andmanded it to hit itself hard... Fei shi flicked his wrist and threw a Communication Jade Token over. Considering the huge ruckus that his student had caused, naturally, as the person-in-charge, he had already received the relevant news. He became the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall... and he enchanted the physical body of a living human? Zhang Yus lips twitched, and he nearly copsed to the ground. All along, he thought that the only one who was worthy of his attention in this batch of freshmen was Feng Ziyi, but who could have thought that there would be a true monster lurking in their midst... Others might not be familiar with them, but he knew the Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng brothers very well. They were top geniuses in the Zhang n, his idol for a period of time. And yet, they actually were defeated by a freshman... If these words hadnte directly from Fei shi, he wouldnt have dared believe such a thing to be true! Given his strength and capability, why is he only ranked in the fiftieth ce in the entrance examination? A question suddenly surfaced in Zhang Yus mind, and he asked. Since even he was able to clinch the second ce, Zhang Xuan should be able to take the first ce easily with just the swordsmanship he was executing. Its probably because he has a humble personality and wishes to maintain a low profile... Otherwise, isnt it too much of a coincidence for him to be exactly in the fiftieth ce, no more no less... Recalling what had happened back then during the entrance examination, Fei shi said. It was only in thest three minutes that Zhang Xuan shot up to the fiftieth ce, not showing any hints of his astounding talent prior to that. Very clearly, he had been holding himself back throughout the examination. Youre right... Having heard of that incident as well, Zhang Yu nodded in realization as admiration seeped into his eyes. He couldnt help but exim, He really is too low profile! Chapter 1385 - Call Me Senior!

Chapter 1385: Call Me Senior!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In order to increase their chances of eventually bing Inceptive Sages in the Sanctum of Sages, every single one of them pushed themselves to perform to the best of their abilities during the entrance examination. Just take him for example, he didnt sleep a wink for the three days of the examination, fearing that a moment of ck could mean a loss in opportunity for him. On the other hand, the young man was content with just enrolling into the Elite Division. Ranking and the sort didnt mean a thing to him at all! In fact... even when he was doubted by so many people, he didnt even bother to speak up against them. As tranquil as a stillke, achieving a state of perfect inner peace; this must be what true experts, true talent, and true humility truly were. Indeed. If not for Feng Ziyis challenge, I would have never known that there would be such a formidable figure in this batch of freshmen. Fei shi remarked as well. He was just about to continue showering praises on Zhang Xuan when a student suddenly rushed over to him and whispered a few words in his ears. His eyebrows suddenly shot up, and he quickly turned around. Elder Han Fu, what brings you here today? Fei shi asked with utmost politeness. Zhang Yu also quickly turned around, and he saw an old man with snowy white hair and beard standing before him. This old man seemed to exude a transcendental aura, simr to a deity from the heavens. Elder Han Fu? Zhang Yu quickly recounted everything rting to the Sanctum of Sages he had seen in the Zhang n, and his face swiftly turned grim. The first elder of the Sanctum of Sages Spirit Awakener Guild, a Saint 8-dan pinnacle expert... Zhang Yu noted in shock. He hurriedly sped his fist and bowed, Zhang ns Zhang Yu pays respects to Elder Han! Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Elder Han casually waved his hand before turning his gaze to the dueling ring anxiously. When will Zhang shi be done with his battles? May I know the reason why Elder Han is looking for Zhang shi? If its an urgent matter, I can help you stop the duel. Fei shi said. The other party was the strongest expert of the Sanctum of Sages Spirit Awakener Hall. Even if Zhang shi had be the Inceptive Sage, it still shouldnt warrant the other partying down here personally to look for him. I dont know how I should speak of this... Hearing Fei shis question, Elder Hans face turned scarlet in embarrassment. Actually, I just want to ask him when the guardian golem he has enchanted earlier will finish its run. Due to its increasing speed, it has already knocked down the halls of four other guilds in the vicinity of the Spirit Awakener Hall. If it doesnt stop soon, Im afraid that our Spirit Awakener Hall will be a public enemy in the Sanctum of Sages... Just by having the guardian golem walk seven steps, one would have already broken the record for the Spirit Awakener Hall for the past three thousand years. Yet, not only did the young man make the guardian golem do warm-ups, he even made it run non-stop... It had already been a few hours now, but it was still sprinting relentlessly, refusing to stop. He had tried to stop it, only to be knocked over every single time. He waspletely helpless against it. And honestly speaking, it would still be fine if the guardian golem were to obediently run itsp. Due to the unique nature of the material used to craft the golems, it was only a matter of time before it came to a halt... but the golem just had to do frog leaps, push-ups, squats, leg raises, sprints, fast sprints, front rows, back flips, and somersaults on top of that... And that wasnt the worst of it yet. Thep it was running was growing bigger and bigger, such that it was beginning to expand its running course through the various guilds situated in vicinity to the Spirit Awakener Hall, crashing down everything that stood in the way of its run... If it didnt stop soon, the other guilds might just destroy their guardian golem out of rage, and that would be truly problematic. The guardian golem of the Spirit Awakener Hall is running non-stop? It has knocked down quite a few guilds already? Fei shi and Zhang Yu staggered on the spot. Also, when I came over, I saw that the Shrine of Seers had been reduced to rubble. ording to what I have heard, it seems to be rted to him too. So, I was a little worried that they might attempt to cause him trouble. Elder Han said. The Shrine of Seers has been reduced to rubble? Fei shi and Zhang Yu looked at one another with twitching lips... What happened to being low profile? These were matters that no low profile individual could possibly pull off! Unable to take it any longer, they raised their gazes toward the dueling ring. And what they saw was Feng Ziyi being pressed against the transparent ss-like barrier around the dueling ring, his face warped like a fried dough twist. Sword qi continued assaulting him relentlessly from behind, and his eyes seemed to have lost all light, as if he had lost all hope for life. Too powerful... The four barriers which Feng Ziyi had prepared in advance had all shattered, and his entire body was filled with sword shes. At this moment, he appeared no different from a miserable beggar. Seeing this sight, the two of them couldnt help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva. For the might of the sword qi to remain so powerful even after tearing down so many defensive barriers... This level of offensive power was something which not even Fei shi was capable of. Zhang shi, I would like to ask when will... Seeing that the barrage of sword qi was still pushing forward relentlessly, showing no signs no stopping at all, Fei shi shouted. However, before he could finish his words, Feng Ziyis furious bellows echoed in the air, You liar! Liar! You said that you only used a sixth of your full strength, but you only used a tenth earlier! The direct disciple of Yang shi was already on the verge of going insane. When the other party first said that he had only used a third of his strength, he immediately thought that it was a lie. Then, when the other party said that it was actually a sixth instead, he became even more convinced of his prior assumption, which was also the reason why he proposeding over here to see for himself whether the other partys words were true... But in the end, a sixth did turn out to be a lie as well... Because it wasnt a sixth but a tenth! If its a tenth, just say that it is a tenth! Why in the world would you say that its a sixth? Because of that, I didnt put up sufficient defensive measures, and I nearly got beaten to death! Do you know that your humility nearly cost my life? Hong long long! Hong long long! It was only when the zhenqi in Zhang Xuans body was drained of its final drop did the Sea Severing Sword finally came to an end. While gasping for air, a look of helplessness could be seen on his face. Even if the massive increment in his zhenqi capacity to fivefold of its original amount and the recent breakthrough of his cultivation from Leaving Aperture realm primary stage to pinnacle, he was still unable to fully control the Sea Severing Sword yet. Once executed, he would have to deplete his zhenqi dry before he could stop. In the past, due to hiscking zhenqi, the Sea Severing Sword would stop after a few breaths. This time around, however, the barrage of sword qisted for a whole ten minutes before finally fading to an end. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan retracted his swords from the dueling ring before raising his head. The first thing he saw was Feng Ziyi being pressed against the transparent barrier of the dueling ring in a very weird position. Nearly all of his clothes had been ripped at this point, and while he still had breath remaining in him, he had sustained severe injuries. I didnt lie to you. While I was executing my sword art, new inspiration suddenly came to me, allowing me to raise its prowess by a little bit more... Zhang Xuan quickly rushed over to help Feng Ziyi down from the protective barrier while exining in a slightly awkward tone. This time around, it really wasnt his fault. He hadnt lied to the other party at all. It was simply because he had never executed the Sea Severing Sword with such might before, so there was plenty of time for him to experiment with new things in the midst of its execution. Through trial and error, he managed to gradually refine the might of the Sea Severing Sword, thus resulting in its offensive might growing stronger and stronger. While there were already no ws in the Sea Severing Sword at this point, the might of his attack was still affected by how well he could coordinate his spirit and his movements together. Naturally, the more in harmony he was with his swordy, the stronger his swordsmanship would be. You are able to raise the might of your sword art by such a huge proportion in the midst of its execution? Feng Ziyi spurted blood. It is already such a powerful sword art, and you were still able to enhance its prowess in matters of minutes... All those who called themselves swordmasters would really have to lower their heads in embarrassment before you! It took a long while before Feng Ziyi finally recovered from his distraught state. He red at Zhang Xuan furiously and said, You are indeed formidable, but as master teachers, our core responsibility lies not inbat but teaching. So, I would like to challenge you to a duel of impartation! At this moment, Zhang Xuan had already finished instructing Elder Han Fu how he could control the guardian golem. Hearing that Feng Ziyi still wanted to continue on with the duel, he couldnt help but say, Why dont we just forget it? Im afraid that youll be traumatized by it. He had no idea why the other party was so insistent on challenging him, but if they were to reallypete in the duel of impartation... there was really a good chance that the other party might just sumb to his mental trauma and go insane. Theres nothing for me to be traumatized over! My teacher has told me that Ill be his only direct disciple, but all of a sudden, you appeared as well. I would like to see just how formidable of a person you are that he would make an exception and take you in as well! Feng Ziyi harrumphed. Make an exception? Those three words made Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Judging from those words, it seemed like the other party still hadnt realized that he was a fake yet. The other party thought that Yang shi had secretly epted another student behind his back, so he came over to confront him out of jealousy. And of course, the other party hadnt expected to suffer such a tragic defeat as well. There are some formidable master teachers in the world who would leave their eptance of students up to fate. As a result, other than he himself, not even his own students might necessarily know of each others existence. Having read quite a few books, Zhang Xuan was aware of some of the entric quirks of master teachers. Take him for example, if he were to take in another student right now, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and the others would definitely be unaware of the existence of their new junior. Its only out of sheer luck that I managed to win teachers favor. Seeing that Feng Ziyi really wasnt intending to expose his fake identity, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the other party with an expectant look and asked, I havent met teacher for quite a long time now. May I know where he is at the moment? I have lost contact with teacher two years ago, so Im not too sure of his whereabouts at the moment either. I have tried to reach him through a Communication Jade Token, but it doesnt seem like hes able to receive my message. Feng Ziyi shook his head. Thats a relief! Zhang Xuan nearly leaped up in joy upon hearing those words. All this while, his heart had been leaping in trepidation, fearing that the other party would tell on him. However, since the other party was unable to contact Yang shi, that would mean that he was at least safe for the moment. As long as he became the sanctum head before Yang shi returned, with his newfound esteemed standing, no one would dare to challenge him even if his lie were to be exposed then. In other words, time was vital to him at the moment. He would really have to make haste, or else everything could just blow up on him. Thats a relief? Feng Ziyis eyebrows shot up. Shouldnt you be disappointed that I am unable to contact our teacher? Why are you getting so excited instead? Ah, I misspoke. What I meant to say is Thats a bummer... Realizing that he had identally spoken his thoughts out loud, Zhang Xuan quickly changed his words. Your words dont seem to match your attitude... Feng Ziyi eyed Zhang Xuan in skepticism for a moment before asking, So, how is it? Will you ept my challenge? Junior Ziyi, you arent a match for me, so why dont we just drop the matter? Since we are both Yang shis students, I dont want to traumatize you unnecessarily. Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually. Junior Ziyi? Feng Ziyi nearly exploded on the spot. I have been with teacher since I was seven, and Im older than you too. You should be addressing me as senior instead! Isnt there the saying that its the proficient one who should be viewed in esteem? Im stronger than you, so it should go without saying that Im your senior. If you can defeat me any day, Ill be more than happy to call you senior. Zhang Xuan replied leisurely. Since Feng Ziyi was unaware of his lies, he could make use of him as a shield in order to verify his identity as Yang shis student. You... Feng Ziyis face turned scarlet as words choked up his throat. Despite possessing cultivation far beneath his, it was a fact that the other partys fighting prowess was way greater than him. Just on the sword art executed earlier, had the other party not redirected the might of the sword art elsewhere to reduce the impact on him, there was no way he would have still been alive right now. Considering that they were both direct disciples and that their teacher hadnt explicitly stated their seniority, the convention was to view the stronger disciple as the senior. And given that he was unable to defeat the other party, there was indeed no convincing reason why he should be the senior. Well decide that after the duel of impartation. If you can defeat me once more, Ill willingly acknowledge you as my senior. Feng Ziyi flung his sleeves and harrumphed coldly. Seeing that Feng Ziyi was reluctant to give up on the idea, Zhang Xuan frowned. Just as he was about to speak up, a young man suddenly rushed into the hall with a peculiar look on his face. Fei shi, Elder Liao of the Corridor of Puppets is waiting outside. He says that he wishes to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher... Elder Liao wishes to acknowledge... Zhang Xuan as his teacher? Whoosh! Deathly silence devoured the entire hall. Chapter 1386 - Boreal Fire Poison

Chapter 1386: Boreal Fire Poison

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Elder Liao was just a bottom-level managerial elder, his cultivation had already reached Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm. For such an expert to run over and acknowledge a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator as his teacher... Was there not something really wrong? The group of Elite Division students shot horrified nces at one another. Feng Ziyi felt a stinging sensation on his face, and he felt so stifled that he could have spurted blood. It was just a moment ago that he had insisted on challenging the other party to a duel of impartation when an elder possessing far higher cultivation than him came over to acknowledge the other party as his teacher. It was as if he had lost the battle even before it was even fought! That face p had simplye too quickly! On the other hand, Zhang Yu feltpletely crazed. For even an elder to acknowledge him as a teacher, how was that low profile! Elder Liao from the Corridor of Puppets? Zhang Xuan was also taken aback for quite a moment before realization struck him. More than twenty days ago, while he was challenging the Corridor of Puppets, he had failed to rein in his strength and identally destroyed the entire corridor. Feeling deeply guilty of his actions, he had decided to offer some pointers to Elder Liao, advising him against practicing the Hiemal Yin Form. Back then, the other party did not seem to have paid much mind to his advice. However, the fact that he had rushed over to acknowledge him as his teacher meant that something must have gone wrong. Upon making sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Let him in. Yes! The student shot a nce at Fei shi, and upon receiving thetters approval, he quickly backed out of the room. Not too longter, two students walked into the hall with a stretcher. There was a frail-looking old man lying on the stretcher, and he looked as if he would lose consciousness at any moment. Standing by the side of a stretcher was an elder with a flowing white beard. His eyebrows were tightly knitted, reflecting a grim expression. Feng Ziyis eyebrows shot up upon seeing the elder, and he eximed in astonishment, Divine Healer Bai Yu! Bai Yu? Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over to the elder as well. Even though it had been more than twenty days since he enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages, he had spent a huge portion of his time outside, so he was unfamiliar with most of the elders and experts there. Hes the person-in-charge of the Physician Guild in our Sanctum of Sages. His medicinal skills are said to have reached an unfathomable level, to the point that hes said to be able to breathe life back into any dying patient. Due to that, others respectfully address him as the Divine Healer! Feng Ziyi exined. In terms of fighting prowess, Divine Healer Bai Yu was nowhere near the top, but without a doubt, he was one of the most esteemed figures in the Sanctum of Sages. Countless experts were indebted to him, and they would rally upon his call. As such, hemanded great prestige and fame. Zhang Xuan nodded in response to Feng Ziyis words. To have to be brought in on a stretcher with the Divine Healer following beside him... did Elder Liao ignore my advice and continued practicing the Hiemal Yin Form? Zhang Xuan frowned in disapproval. He had specially warned the other party against cultivating the technique, but the other party stillnded himself in such a state. It was almost as if the other party was toying with his own life! Physician Bai Yu stepped forward and asked, Are you Zhang Xuan? On the stretcher, Elder Liao eximed, Yes, hes Zhang shi... Zhang shi, please save me! In this moment, his face waspletely pale, and it seemed as if there was ayer of frost atop his skin. His body was trembling non-stop, and before Zhang Xuan could even respond, he was already struggling to push himself upright. What happened? Zhang Xuan asked Elder Liao with a grim voice. To be honest, the reason he did not deal with the problem regarding Elder Liao on the spot back then was not only because thetter had ack of trust in him. Even if the elder continued practicing the Hiemal Yin Form, it should not have caused too much of a problem in the short-run. His warning should have led to thetter taking preventive measures as soon as he realized that something was amiss, so how did thetter end up in such a state still? Quiet down, or else no one will be able to save you! Divine Healer Bai Yu tapped Elder Liao back onto the stretcher before turning to look at Zhang Xuan. Are you the one who told him to stop practicing the Hiemal Yin Form a while ago? I did, Zhang Xuan replied. Utter nonsense! Divine Healer Bai Yu waved his hand angrily as he red at Zhang Xuan coldly. Have you tried to fully understand theplexity of his physical condition before offering such advice? Do you know how severe a consequence you have caused by running your ignorant mouth? What do you mean by that? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown, not expecting to be bellowed at by the other party. In order topensate Elder Liao for the damage he had caused, he had used the Library of Heavens Path to check on the other partys condition. The other party was suffering from some kind of trauma, which would only be further aggravated by the cultivation of the Hiemal Yin Form. The continued cultivation of the technique would bring greater strain to his body, so he had decided to offer a word of advice to the other party. Yet, why was this Divine Healer Bai Yu making it seem as if Elder Liaos current condition was caused by the advice he had offered? Taking a step back, even if he was wrong, surely a Saint 7-dan elder would not be so obedient as to stop cultivating the Hiemal Yin Form altogether, especially if it would cause huge problems to his body! What do I mean by that? cing his hands behind his back, Divine Healer Bai Yu sneered coldly. Liao Xin was afflicted with fire poison while fighting with others a long time ago, so he requires the Hiemal Yin Form in order to suppress it. Yet, you advised him against cultivating it, resulting in the fire poison to rpse. Are you going to deny that this is your fault? If you dont know the slightest thing about medicine, you should never diagnose others on a whim. If you are a physician, that makes it even worse. Did your teacher not teach you never to jump to a conclusion without analyzing the patients physical condition carefully? A misdiagnosis can easily cost a persons life! Divine Healer roared vehemently in anger. He had a close rtionship with Elder Liao, and he did not think that he would find thetter on the verge of death just after a few days of absence. How could he possibly not be angry? If not for thetter listening to the atrocious advice of this young man, such a thing would never have happened. Are you trying to tell me that his condition is a result of the fire poison acting up? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. A body coated with ayer of frost, and you are telling me that its the working of a fire poison... Are you messing with me? Indeed. What hes afflicted with is the Boreal Fire Poison. Once it acts up, the surface of his body will be as cold as ice, but his innards will burn as if the magma underground. Before long, his zhenqi will be burned dry, and his dantian could very well be crippled. Thats the reason he has to practice the Hiemal Yin Form in order to keep the fire poison under control! Physician Bai Yu harrumphed coldly. Boreal Fire Poison? While Zhang Xuan did not think much of the term, Fei shi trembled in horror upon hearing those words, and his face paled conspicuously. Physician Bai, are you referring to the Boreal Fire Poison that is found in Hanqi Subterranean Gallery? Hanqi Subterranean Gallery? Of the many Subterranean Galleries that link the Master Teacher Continent to the otherworldly battlefields, there are seven that are known to be extraordinarily dangerous, and the seventh on the list is the Hanqi Subterranean Gallery! I have heard of it, too! The most frightening aspect of the Hanqi Subterranean Gallery is this Boreal Fire Poison. Despite being a me, it harnesses all of the attributes of frost as well,manding both the powers of heat and cold. Even a Saint high-tier artifact would find itself melting instantaneously into liquid in its face! Such hushed discussion could be heard from the crowd in the surroundings. Most of the students in the Sanctum of Sages were top geniusesing from all kinds of major powers and ns, so they had some knowledge of the various Subterranean Galleries even though it was ssified information. Indeed, its the Boreal Fire Poison. Back then, in order to prevent the Otherworldly Demons from reaching the Master Teacher Continent, he bravely dived into the midst of mes to fend them off. While he managed to survive the ordeal by sheer luck, he was unfortunately afflicted with fire poison as a result. Physician Bai Yu sighed with a shake of his head. I have tried all kinds of means in order to treat him, even blood and bone switching, but none of them worked. In the end, I could only make him practice the Hiemal Yin Form in order to suppress it temporarily. The reason I left a while ago was to seek the Nymphaea Tetragona, hoping that it could resolve his problems once and for all. Yet, who would have thought that a freshman like you would actually convince him against cultivating the Hiemal Yin Form, causing the fire poison to rpse and even assault the depths of his soul? Even I ampletely helpless before such a situation! This... Hearing Divine Healer Bai Yus words, everyone subconsciously turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan. Even Fei shi had a deep frown on his face. Physicians carried a heavy responsibility on their shoulders. As the saying went, an ipetent doctor kills. As such, if a physician was uncertain about a patients condition, it would be best for him not to treat the patient. Otherwise, he would only be harming himself and others. Physician Bai, I know that you are worried about me, but that isnt entirely the case. The reason I stopped practicing the Hiemal Yin Form is because I could feel problems cropping up in my cultivation. Zhang shi really doesnt have any me in this matter, Elder Liao said feebly. Even after what he has done to you, you are still speaking up for him? Divine Healer Bai Yu harrumphed coldly in response to Elder Liaos words. He was able to tell that I practice the Hiemal Yin Form with just a look, so I found his words credible, Elder Liao said weakly. The Hiemal Yin Form was one of the rare cultivation techniques that would not manifest its properties in ones zhenqi, making it extremely hard to discern. Yet, the young man was still able to recognize it with just a single nce. He had been overwhelmed by shock at that moment, and after returning back to his residence, he had given the matter much thought and felt that the young mans words made perfect sense. Thus, he had eventually decided to reduce his cultivation of the technique. Initially, he could feel himself getting better and better, but who knew that the fire poison would suddenly act up three days ago, cing him in the current condition he was in? Even Divine Healer Bai Yu found himselfpletely helpless before his condition. With no other choice, he had suddenly recalled the words of this young man, so he had decided to seek him out. Considering how the young man was able to see through his Hiemal Yin Form and wield such astounding strength despite his young age, achieving feats that even the little princess of the Luo n failed to achieve, he thought that the other party just might have a way to resolve his current condition. And that was what led to the previous deration that he wanted to acknowledge the young man as his teacher. As long as his affliction could be resolved, what qualms did he have with taking the young man as his teacher? Not to mention, if the young man was really able to cure the Boreal Fire Poison, it would mean that his medicinal skills had reached a level that even the higher elders of the Sanctum of Sages would be deeply impressed by! Credible? If hes really credible, do you think that youd be reduced to such a state? Divine Healer Bai Yu was so angry that he could have exploded on the spot. He really could not understand the mindset of this old friend of his. He was the Divine Healer of the Sanctum of Sages, but instead of believing him, his old friend chose to trust a mere student who had cleared the entrance examination just a couple of days ago. Enough! Let me take a look at his condition! Seeing how the duo was still arguing with one another at this point, Zhang Xuan walked toward Elder Liao. He had checked on Elder Liaos condition using the Library of Heavens Path, and given the state he was in then, there would be no problem with him stopping the Hiemal Yin Form altogether. So, why would the fire poison suddenly rpse? You want to take a look at his condition? Do you even know medicine? Divine Healer Bai Yu sneered coldly. In response to that, Zhang Xuan casually flicked his wrist and threw an emblem over. Catching it, Divine Healer Bai Yu lowered his head to take a look, and a slight hint of astonishment flickered across his eyes. It was a physician emblem with seven glistening stars on it. As a 7-star physician, even if the young mans medicinal skill was far beneath his, he should not be someone who would take a patients condition lightly and spout nonsense. Knowing that the young man was not just fooling around, Divine Healer Bai Yus hostility alleviated slightly, and he said with a wave of his hand, Fine, take a look then. I hope that you can give me a satisfactory answer today! Fei shi and the others also looked on the situation intently, curious about what the young man would do. Zhang Xuan had disyed amazing prowess in swordsmanship earlier, and his ability to guide others on their cultivation was also extraordinary. Not to mention, he had also managed to be the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall. If he was proficient in the Way of Medicine too, that would truly be incredible. Paying no heed to the crowd, Zhang Xuan walked up to Elder Liao and ced his fingers lightly on thetters pulse. A momentter, he shook his head. Seeing that there was something wrong with the young mans expression, Elder Liao asked with a deeply apprehensive tone, Whats wrong? This... Zhang Xuan was silent for quite a while before saying hesitantly, Elder Liao, I would like to discuss something important with you. Zhang shi, feel free to speak. As long as I can be freed from my pain, I wont turn down any request that you have, Elder Liao replied in a feeble tone, reminiscent of an old man on his deathbed. Thats good. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With an earnest look, he said, I would like to knock you out for a moment. Knock me out? Thats right. If its not convenient for me to do it, you can also faint by yourself. In any case, as long as youre out, Ill be able to discern the root of your illness and treat you. Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. ... Elder Liao. ... Physician Bai Yu. Chapter 1387 - You Are an Incompetent Physician!

Chapter 1387: You Are an Ipetent Physician!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Given Elder Liaos current condition, it was clearly infeasible to have him stand up and execute a punching routine. The fastest way was to knock the other party and analyze him through the Library of Heavens Path as an artifact. Previously, he could still rely on medicinal herbs to knock others out, but that would not work on a Saint 7-dan expert like Elder Liao. Utter nonsense! Before Elder Liao could say a word, Divine Healer Bai Yu had alreadyshed out furiously. As the head of the Sanctum of Sages Physician Guild, he had a deep understanding of the various diagnosis methods out there, and this was inclusive of those entric and unorthodox ones. But one that required the patient to be knocked out... Pardon his ignorance but he had really never heard of something like that! Once a person was knocked out, there would be some deviation in their metabolism and other internal functions. While it was still possible to examine external injuries, it would be hard to analyze the internal traumas that the patient was afflicted with in such a state. So, for the young man to ask to knock Elder Liao out right from the start, just what the heck was he up to? How about it? Will you knock yourself out, or should I do it instead? Payingpletely no heed to the raging Divine Healer Bai Yu, Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Liao with apassionate smile. I... Elder Liao also doubted the existence of such a diagnosis method in the world, so he instinctively turned to Divine Healer Bai Yu with a confused gaze to seek confirmation. Forget it, Ill just do it myself then. Noticing Elder Liaos hesitation, Zhang Xuan decisively raised his hand and chopped down toward the top of Elder Liaos head. Hu! The surrounding air swiftlypressed together, making breathing highly difficult. Just as Zhang Xuans chop was about to reach the other partys forehead, he abruptly pulled his hand back. Poof! A short but resounding sonic boom echoed, and Elder Liao immediately fainted. That is... the Air Compression Spirit Clearing Art? The secret art that not even 8-star physicians are capable of pulling off? Divine Healer Bai Yus eyes narrowed in shock. Air Compression Spirit Clearing Art? Fei shi asked in iprehension. There are some injuries and illnesses that the treatment process is simply too difficult for thosecking in mental fortitude to bear. Thus, in order to prevent any unnecessaryplications during the treatment, it would be best for the patient to be knocked out. However, regardless of whether its the use of anesthesia or any other means, it would leave a certain degree of damage to the patients body. This Air Compression Spirit Clearing Art makes use of a sonic boom resulting from the movement of ones palm to stimte ones Primordial Spirit, forcing one to lose consciousness temporarily. It goes without saying that the ability to knock out a patient without causing any damage to his physical state can make a huge difference to patients who are already in a critical state and cannot take any more trauma. For this reason, most physicians would seek to learn it even though its a demonic tune in the strictest of sense, but unfortunately, its an extremely difficult skill to master. Even I am still unable of performing it, but who would have thought that that fellow over there would be able to pull it off? At this point, a hint of doubtfulness surfaced in the eyes of Divine Healer Bai Yu as he asked, Could it be that... hes a highly-skilled demonic tunist too? On the other hand, seeing that Elder Liao has been knocked out, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He ced his fingers on the other partys pulse once more. Weng! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path, and he quickly flipped it open. With just a look, his eyebrows immediately began twitching wildly. He turned to the elder behind him andshed out furiously. You ipetent physician, will you only be happy after you treat Elder Liao to his death? What did you say? Divine Healer Bai Yus face darkened upon hearing those words. Hailed as the Divine Healer in the Sanctum of Sages, putting aside managerial elders, even the top elders would have to address him respectfully. Yet, this fellow actually dared call him an ipetent physician? The burning rage within him nearly caused him to blow up on the spot. Hong long! Unable to control his temper, a terrifying aura immediately gushed forth from him, plunging the surroundings into the midst of winter. Everyones body immediately stiffened. Saint 8-dan pinnacle! An expert of this caliber could already be considered one of the top figures in the Master Teacher Continent! Unfazed by the pressure from Bai Yus aura, Zhang Xuan bellowed, Are you really unaware of what I am saying? If you dont know how to treat Elder Liao, just keep your hands off him! To think that you would call yourself Divine Healer... More like Goodbye Healer! You... Seeing the deep disdain in the young mans eyes, Divine Healer Bai Yu felt a feeling so suffocating in his chest that it felt as if he would explode. He had never been humiliated in such a way. He red coldly at Zhang Xuan before forcefully reigning his power back in. Flinging his sleeves coldly, he said, No matter what your background is, if you cant give me an exnation that I am happy with today, dont me me for getting physical on you! Those who were qualified to enroll in the Sanctum of Sages usually came from illustrious backgrounds. As angry as Divine Healer Bai Yu was, he still did not dare make a move recklessly. You still want me to exin to you? Zhang Xuan shook his head and snorted. He turned his gaze to the fainted Elder Liao and abruptly raised his leg and kicked thetters head. What are you doing! Divine Healer Bai Yu roared in shock. Given how the strength and speed behind Zhang Xuans kick, if it were to hit, Elder Liaos face would explode on the spot! Are you insane? You are here to treat, but first, you knocked out your patient, then you went ahead to berate me, and now, you are even attempting to murder your patient. You really need to get your head treated! Hu! Divine Healer Bai Yu rushed forward and flicked his hand, creating a ripple through space with his power of Dimension Sundering, thus sessfully deflecting Zhang Xuans attack. Get this hindrance out of the way. In the face of Divine Healer Bai Yus impediment, Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows and flicked his wrist. Divine Healer Bai Yu was slightly startled by Zhang Xuans words, and before he could even process what was being said, his heart suddenly jolted in fear. Hu! A Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast suddenly materialized right before everyones eyes, and a thick tail swept right in Divine Healer Bai Yus direction. You... Before Divine Healer Bai Yu could even react, he was struck squarely in his shoulder. An intense pain assaulted him as he was sent flying backward. He was in the same cultivation realm as the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but thetter was still more powerful than him due to its innate Dragon Bloodline. On top of that, its appearance was too sudden, so he was caught off guard, causing him to suffer a setback right from the start. You bastard! Divine Healer Bai Yu snarled with a livid expression. He immediately prepared himself to dash forward once more, but before he could make a move, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was already before him. Despite its massive physique, the movement of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was as swift as a bolt of lightning. Its enormous ws tore sharply through space, falling down upon him. Given the speed at which the ws were moving, Divine Healer Bai Yu knew that he would not be able to evade on time, so he clenched his fists tightly to face the attack. Hong long long! The collision between the two experts caused a turbulent shockwave to ripple into the surroundings. The transparent barriers that shielded the individual dueling rings from the surroundings wavered non-stop, flickering in and out of existence, as if they would sumb to the pressure and shatter. At the same time, conspicuous spatial ripples could be seen spreading outward, forcefully pushing the crowd back. What is happening? Why did that saint beast suddenly appear out of nowhere? Fei shi, Feng Ziyi, and the others were dumbstruck. Were they not in the midst of treating Elder Liao? Why would they suddenly start fighting one another? Furthermore, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was obeying Zhang Xuansmand, so it should be his tamed beast, right? But how in the world did he manage to tame a Saint 8-dan beast in the first ce? A tamed beast can be considered a beast tamers strength as well. If I had really challenged Zhang Xuan earlier, I would have been tragically defeated. Zhang Yu felt cold sweat pouring down his back. At this moment, he felt deeply thankful that Feng Ziyi had spoken up before he did. Otherwise, just a w from the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would have been sufficient to spell his death. The Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Hall, pummeling Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng, subduing Feng Ziyi with a single sword art, berating Divine Healer Bai Yu without any hesitation, and bringing out such a powerful saint beast in public... Previously, Zhang Yu had thought that Zhang Xuan was an extremely low-profile person, but from the looks of it now... it seemed that he just did not know thetter well enough! There was probably no one as high profile as him! In fact, even most high-profile individuals would only cause amotion every now and then, but this fellow was inciting incidents one after another, as if he would not be content until he was constantly at the forefront of everyones mind! To think that he had even thought that that fellow was unworthy of his notice at one point in time... Even if he had viewed that fellow as his rival, that fellow might not even think that he was worthy of his attention! The gap between the both of them was simply too great! Shaking his head helplessly, he turned his gaze to the young man not too far away once more, only to see that thetter was not paying any attention to the battle in the sky. Instead, he was looking at Elder Liao with a hint of viciousness in his deep, ck eyes. Time to begin! the young man muttered. Hu! He raised his leg once more and aimed it right toward Elder Liaos head. Peng! Itnded on thetters head, and in an unconscious state, thetter did not have the slightest ability to retaliate at all. He was sent flying right off the stretcher, smashing right through one of the walls of the dueling rings. This... Zhang Yus lips twitched. Just what kind of grudge did he have with Elder Liao? Or rather, what in the world was Zhang Xuan up to? He should have known that he would never get out of the Sanctum of Sages alive if he killed Elder Liao! While overwhelmed with shock, Zhang Yu saw Zhang Xuan rushing over in Elder Liaos direction, and before thetter could evennd on the floor from the previous kick, his leg whipped forth once more. Peng! As if a football, Elder Liao flew into the air once more. It was hard to tell whether it was an intentional action or not, but the direction that Elder Liao was flying toward happened to be where Physician Bai and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was shing. Both parties were pitting their full might against one another, causing an insane amount of power to ripple into the surroundings. Even ordinary half-Saint 9-dan experts would not dare get close, let alone the unconscious, Saint 7-dan Elder Liao. Before he could evene close, the might was already beginning to ravage his body, threatening to tear him to shreds. Its over... Fei shi nearly copsed to the ground from the sheer horror of what he was seeing. Given how intensely the two experts were shing with one another, unless a Saint 9-dan expert were to intervene in the battle, it would be impossible to stop them. Fei shi knew that even he would lose his life if he got involved at this point, much less the unconscious Elder Liao! Liao Xin! Not expecting Zhang Xuan to make such a move either, Divine Healer Bai Yu was appalled. However, he had already released his full might, and it was toote to retract it now. No matter how he shouted, it would not make a difference. Weng! Just as everyone thought that Elder Liao was doomed to die, a light buzz suddenly sounded from his body, and the frost shrouding his body abruptly expanded outward, forming a sphere of mist that extended for a radius of three meters. After which, the sphere began to surge upward, forming something that was reminiscent of a giant lotus flower. The overwhelming power between the sh of might of Divine Healer Bai Yu and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast struck the lotus squarely, and astonishingly, even though it wavered slightly, it was not destroyed at all! As such, the unconscious Elder Liao did not sustain any damage. It seemed like the lotus had saved his life in this desperate moment. This... Upon seeing that, Divine Healer Bai Yu and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast were startled for an instant. The sh of their strengths was strong enough to cause even the massive protective formation cast over the Hall of Propriety to waver, and yet, a mere lotus that sprouted from Elder Liao was actually able to neutralize their attack entirely... Just what in the world was it? Now! As if having expected this situation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the pinnacle spirit stone that Luo Xuanqing had given him previously. Holding it tightly in his left hand, he began furiously absorbing its energy. Hong long long! Concentrated spiritual energy surged into his body, swiftly filling up the depletion he had sustained previously. Then, he lifted his right hand and tapped forward. Si! The Lingxu Sword abruptly burst forth to strike down upon Elder Liao. In the midst of its movement, the sword qi imbued within the Lingxu Sword extended to over several dozen meters, as if attempting to sever the world into two. Puhe! The sword cut down on the lotus shrouding Elder Liao, and shockingly, the seemingly invincible lotus actually began shattering like a mirror. How is this possible? Divine Healer Bai Yu was stunned. Even thebined might between him and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was insufficient to destroy the lotus, and yet, the other party managed to cut it apart with just a surge of sword qi. Could it be that the young man was even stronger than him? Perhaps even reaching Saint 9-dan? Chapter 1388 - Treating Elder Liao

Chapter 1388: Treating Elder Liao

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After a moment of shock, Divine Healer Bai Yu swiftly came to a realization. It was not that the young man was far stronger than him or anything else. Rather, the lotus was already left on the verge of shattering after thebined attack between him and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and the young man had aimed his attack at the very opening of the lotus. Because of that, he was able to destroy the lotus with a single strike. Nevertheless, it was still an extremely formidable feat. Even he had not managed to find the opening of the lotus that had appeared out of nowhere yet, but the young man was able to see right through it, even urately striking down on it from afar with his sword qi to destroy the lotus, not harming Elder Liao in the slightest. It had to be said that his eye of discernment and control over his strength had reached an astonishing level. While Divine Healer Bai Yu was feeling deeply impressed by the young mans feat, he lowered his head to look at the young man, only to see that thetter did not show the slightest hint of joy at having sliced apart the lotus. Instead, there was a tight knot between his eyebrows, and his face was slightly pale. Hmm? Whats going on? Theres something bizarre about the lotus... Just as Divine Healer Bai Yu was just about to ask what was wrong, he suddenly heard shocked voices from the crowd below. He immediately turned to look in Elder Liaos direction and saw that the scattered mist of the shattered lotus had attempted to dive into Elder Liaos body once more, as if it had a life of its own. Humph, dont you dare! With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuan flicked out several dozen silver needles and flung them in Elder Liaos direction. Wuwuwuwu! The silver needles fell right on the various acupoints all over Elder Liaos body, impeding the mist from delving back into his body. As if meeting its nemesis, the mist released a sizzling sound upon contact with the silver needles before dissipating. Hu! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and pulled Elder Liao back from the sky, gently cing his back onto the stretcher. Then, he tapped his finger lightly on thetters be. Cough cough! While violently coughing, Elder Liao opened his eyes once more and spurted out ck blood. After which, he sat up from the stretcher. Pipa! A resounding cracking sound reminiscent of snapping bamboo shoots sounded from within his body. This is... Divine Healer Bai Yu widened his eyes in shock. Hes making a breakthrough in his cultivation! He was well-aware of the circumstances surrounding his old friend. Under the assault of the fire poison, his friends vitality had been waning constantly, putting him on the verge of death. Even with his superior medicinal skill as the Divine Healer, he was still unable to treat him. Who would have thought that with just a few needles and a simple tap on the forehead, the young man would actually be able to induce a breakthrough in his old friend? Could he be seeing things? Hong long long! Before he could recover from his shock, more and more cracking sounds echoed from Elder Liaos body. Following which, his cultivation swiftly surged, rising from Saint 7-dan intermediate stage to pinnacle within moments. Even so, the momentum in his surge of strength showed no sign of calming down. Elder Liao shattered his Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle bottleneck within ten breaths, and a Dominion tinged with the power of Dimension Sundering suddenly extended from his body. It was only then that the rise in his cultivation gradually slowed to a halt. Half-Dimension Sundering realm! To rise from Phantasmal Space realm intermediate stage to Half-Dimension Sundering realm in a single shot, this rate of cultivation could be said to be unprecedented! Divine Healer Bai Yus lips twitched uncontrobly. The cultivation of his old friend had never risen ever since he was afflicted with the fire poison. For several centuries now, he had remained stagnant at Phantasmal Space realm intermediate stage. Who would have thought that he would suddenly experience such a tremendous surge in his cultivation, shattering all of the bottlenecks thaty in his path? I... Elder Liao was also shocked beyond words. Feeling the overflowing power harnessed within his body, he sat in a daze on the stretcher, wondering if he was in a dream. Before he was knocked out, his vitality had been swiftly dissipating, putting him on the verge of death. But when he opened his eyes, not only did he fully recover from his illness, his cultivation had also risen by leaps and bounds. At this point, he was deeply frightened that he would simply wake up and find that it was all a lie. Pah! He pped his face, and to his relief, stinging pain assaulted his cheeks. I am still alive? The sudden realization of this fact made Elder Liao tremble in agitation, and even to his own surprise, tears began streaming down his cheeks. For how many years, he had teetered on the edge of death. He had thought that his time had finallye, and death had descended upon him to im his dues. Yet, at the veryst moment, a savior appeared, and not only was his affliction cured, he even achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation. He pushed himself up from the stretcher and walked up to Zhang Xuan. Standing before the young man who had brought him out of his anguish, his knees fell to the ground. Zhang shi, thank you for saving my life. Even though he had been unconscious and was oblivious to what had happened, he could tell that Zhang Xuan had paid a heavy price for him just by looking at thetters pale face and trembling body. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. To be honest, I didnt have much confidence either, considering the critical state you were in. Its a huge relief that everything turned out fine, Zhang Xuan replied with a forced smile. Puhe! He suddenly copsed to the ground. This time, his injuries were not faked. He had just depleted himself from executing the Sea Severing Sword when he had to deal with Elder Liaos fire poison. Even if he had a pinnacle spirit stone in hand to replenish his spiritual energy, the immense mental toll he had been put under still left him on the edge of fainting at any moment. Zhang shi! Elder Liao hurriedly stood up to support Zhang Xuan. Hu! Divine Healer Bai Yu also quickly descended from the sky to examine Zhang Xuan. Dont worry, hes just suffering from overexertion. With sufficient spiritual energy and time, he should be able to fully recover from his condition without any lingering trauma. The reason he wanted to make a move on Zhang Xuan earlier was because he thought that the young man bore malicious intentions toward Elder Liao. But with all that had happened, it was apparent that he had misunderstood the young mans intentions, so all hostility he bore toward the young man had disappeared without a trace. More importantly, he had been looking into his old friends condition for several centuries now, only to remain deeply helpless before it. Yet, in less than three minutes, not only did the young man manage to resolve his old friends affliction, he even induced a breakthrough in thetter. On top of that, there was no medicine or anyplex procedure to the treatment process at all. This left him feeling deeply perplexed. Thats good. Thats good. Hearing that Zhang Xuan was fine, Elder Liao heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang shi, just... what is going on? Divine Healer Bai Yu asked. He had been a physician for many centuries now, but he had never seen any treatment method like this. And what was even more confounding was that it was actually extremely effective, vanquishing the affliction in just a few moments. Pardon me for my earlier insult. I had to provoke you in order to treat Elder Liao, so I hope that you wont take it to heart. Struggling up for a moment, Zhang Xuan sped his fist apologetically. Dont worry about that, I wont take it to heart. Divine Healer Bai Yu waved his hand. Putting aside being berated, even if he had been beaten up, he felt that it would have been well worth the price for his old friend to be treated. Not to mention, he had been able to witness such miraculous medical skills on top of that. This had deeply incited his curiosity as a physician. Divine Healer Bai Yu sped his fist and requested with an earnest look in his eyes, Zhang shi, I ask of you to answer my doubts. Hearing those words, Fei shi, Feng Ziyi, Zhang Yu, and the others also quickly turned curious gazes over in their direction. If Elder Liao had ingested a pill and driven his zhenqi in certain cirction pathways in order to resolve the fire poison, it would have been understandable that he achieved a breakthrough. But what had happened earlier... knocking out the patient, criticizing the principal physician, and pummeling the patient to the ground... how the heck did it turn out to be another treatment method? It waspletely inconceivable to the crowd. If it was that easy to treat an affliction, there would not be so many patients who died of illnesses every single day in the world. This... Seeing Divine Healer Bai Yus intent gaze, Zhang Xuan said with a bitter smile, My apologies, but will you allow me to heal up a little before answering your doubts? He was feeling so feeble that he could faint at any moment now, let alone exin the situation to the other party. Of course, of course. Please pardon myck of consideration, Divine Healer Bai Yu quickly replied in embarrassment. He had been too focused on learning that he had forgotten the young mans current state. I have an Energy Repository Pill here that can help you recover from your depletion! Divine Healer Bai Yu flicked his wrist and passed a jade bottle over. As the top physician of the Sanctum of Sages, there were countless patients who sought his treatment each year. As a result, he had plenty of good items on him. Zhang Xuan took out the Energy Repository Pill from the jade bottle, and after taking a look at it, he shook his head helplessly. The pill was of good quality, but to him, it was not of much use anymore. Due to his Heavens Path zhenqi, there was a strict requirement on the concentration of the spiritual energy he could absorb. The higher his cultivation became, the higher the requirement was. While the Energy Repository Pill would be effective to even the average Dimension Sundering realm expert, it was no different from popping a sweet to him. Thank you, but Im afraid that this pill ispletely ineffective to me. Zhang Xuan shook his head as he passed the pill back into Bai Yus hands. Its ineffective? Bai Yu was taken aback. I still have a couple of them here if you need more. Physician Bai, I appreciate your goodwill, but I think Ill find a way myself. At which point, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment, but he still could not bring himself to use his pinnacle spirit stone. So, he turned to the elder by the other side and said, Elder Liao, may I trouble you a little? Zhang shi, theres no need to stand on ceremony. Feel free to say whatever you require. As long as its within my means, consider it done! Elder Liao nodded. Thats a relief. Zhang Xuan nodded as a hint of excitement shed across his eyes. Then, Elder Liao, Id need to trouble you to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm! Achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm? Elder Liao was stunned. Chapter 1389 - Frenzied Hu Qing

Chapter 1389: Frenzied Hu Qing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Should the first instinct of a drained cultivator not be to look for spirit stones and pills to recover his vitality? Why was the young man asking Elder Liao to push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm? It did not make sense at all! Furthermore, pushing for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm meant that Elder Liao would have to face a lightning tribtion. After years of turmoil from the fire poison, his body had already been emptied out. If he attempted to push for a breakthrough right now, it was likely that he would be zapped to death. Surely you arent intending to send him to deaths embrace shortly after pulling him back from the gates of hell? Elder Liao waspletely dumbstruck as well. Ill need you push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm in order for me to recover. The reason you were able to make a breakthrough so quickly is due to the energy you have umted over several centuries. If Im not mistaken, you should have enough drive in you to push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm, right? Zhang Xuan asked feebly. The reason Elder Liao was able to achieve so many breakthroughs at once was not because of his exceptional talent or Zhang Xuans miraculous treatment but because of the hard work he had put into cultivating over the past several centuries. Previously, his cultivation had stagnated mainly due to the fire poison, but once that had been resolved, the energy he had umted over this long period of time immediately burst forth, allowing his cultivation to soar. Considering how much he had umted over the years, Elder Liao should not have just stopped at Half-Dimension Sundering realm. It would be sufficient for him to push to higher realms, just that he chose to suppress it forcefully out of fear for the Dimension Sundering Ordeal. But... Elder Liao was conflicted. Dont worry, you will seed, Zhang Xuan told him with a resolute gaze. Alright then. Seeing the deep desire in Zhang Xuans eyes, Elder Liao gritted his teeth and removed the limitation he had ced on his cultivation. Boom! As soon as the energy was released, the surrounding air began growing viscous. Following which, through their Spiritual Perception, the crowd realized that storm clouds were beginning to congregate above them. Dont challenge your Dimension Sundering Ordeal here, or else the formations could cause the lightning tribtion to run amok. Lets head out instead... Halfway through his words, Zhang Xuan suddenly widened his eyes in realization and halted. On top of the defensive formations cast over the individual dueling rings, there were also aura isting formations that served to prevent anything within from getting out. As such, it was likely that the lightning tribtion would not be able to find its target and strike the area in frenzy instead, simr to what had happened when he challenged his Leaving Aperture Ordeal. But while this might end in a tragedy to others, this was exactly what he was wishing for! The storm clouds would grow bigger as a result of being unable to find its target, thus providing a greater source of energy to him. Just thinking of how it would be bigger than Luo Xuanqings, Zhang Xuan could not help but tremble in agitation as he looked at Elder Liao with eyes filled with desire. Youre right, Ill go out... Elder Liao nodded, but just as he wanted to leave the main hall, the young man suddenly shook once more, and his body seemed to have be even feebler. Its fine. You dont have to head out anymore. Doing it here is fine. Elder Liao blinked nkly. Its just a moment ago that you told me to head out so that I dont destroy the Hall of Propriety identally, but all of a sudden, you are asking me to stay? Zhang Xuan turned around and instructed, Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, you head out to attack the lightning tribtion first. You want me to attack... the lightning tribtion? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast cowered backward, and it nearly plummeted from the sky. It had been through the Dimension Sundering Ordeal before, and it had nearly died from that darned lightning tribtion. Its fear toward the lightning tribtion was so great that it would be paralyzed in the face of it, and yet, to attack it straight on... It was still young, and it did not want to die yet! Master, can I... not go? the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast looked at Zhang Xuan withrge, pleading eyes, which might have possibly looked like puppy eyes had its eyes not been as big asnterns. If you feel that I havent done a good job beating up that Bai Yu guy earlier, I can continue hitting him till you are happy. Just... dont make me face that lightning tribtion! Divine Healer Bai Yus mouth quivered upon hearing those words. Stop with your nonsense and hurry up and do it! Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Alright... Grumbling beneath its breath, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast headed out with a despaired look on its face. Hong long long! A momentter, the ominous clouds grew even bigger. What had only covered the Hall of Propriety earlier expanded to epass an area of over several hundred mu 1 . Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction before turning to Bai Yu. Physician Bai, Ill need you to attack the lightning tribtion too. Me too? Divine Healer Bai Yus lips twitched upon hearing those words. Ill be troubling you. Dont worry, there wont be any problem. Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. I know what Im doing. You know what youre doing? Bai Yus body trembled upon hearing those words. Is this what you mean by you know what you are doing? Your head! Isnt this obviously an attempt to murder Elder Liao? Noting the other partys hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, Since I have a way to drag him back from the gates of hell, I hope that you can believe me when I say that I have a way to him help tide through the lightning tribtion too. Alright then. After a long moment of hesitation, Divine Healer Bai Yu looked at Zhang Xuans confident look and recalled the miracle that the young man had pulled off earlier. Thus, he gritted his teeth and dashed out. ... Seeing how Zhang Xuan had instructed the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Divine Healer Bai Yu to intercept Elder Liaos lightning tribtion, Fei shi, Feng Ziyi, and the others werepletely bbergasted. They had never seen anyonemitting suicide in such a manner. Just what in the world was the young man up to? ... In a certain room of the Hall of Propriety, several elders were seated in an oval. The green-robed old man sitting at the end of the oval was the person-in-charge of the Hall of Propriety, Elder Hu Qing. For those matters, they can be resolved in such a manner... Elder Hu Qing was in the midst of instructing the other elders when his eyebrows suddenly shot up, and he sprung to his feet. What happened? Someone is undergoing their lightning tribtion? Who in the world is so inconsiderate as to face their Dimension Sundering Ordeal here? This is really bad. The entire Hall of Propriety could very well be destroyed! Sensing the congregating storm clouds and ferocious crackling of lightning in the sky, the other elders also swiftly noticed that something was amiss. If such powerful bolts of lightning really fell upon the Hall of Propriety, the entire ce could very well be reduced to rubble! Assemble all of the elders. Well protect the Hall of Propriety! Hu Qing roared decisively before leaping up into the sky. Hu! Hu! Hu! In the blink of an eye, another dozen managerial elders leaped up as well, and floating in the midst of the sky, they looked at the umtion of lightning with awful looks on their faces. They had looked over the Hall of Propriety faithfully for many years, so how could they allow anything to undo their hard work? After seeing that all of the elders had gathered around, Hu Qing bellowed an instruction with gritted teeth. Elder Zhao, I need you to check who is undergoing the lightning tribtion here. Of all ces that person could undergo their lightning tribtion, why did they have to choose there? In fact, there was a facility in the Hall of Integrity built solely for the purpose of assisting cultivators in facing their lightning tribtion through alleviating the effects of the inner demons. Yet, to choose to do it here instead, was he intending to bring the entire Hall of Propriety down with him? Yes! Elder Zhao quickly nodded. But just as he was about to head into the main hall, he suddenly saw a Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast rushing out with a sonic boom, and with a golden hue infused into its ws, it dashed straight toward the storm clouds. Kacha! Kacha! Havinge under the assault of another party outside of the cultivator supposed to face the ordeal, the area of the storm clouds immediately expanded. What is that fellow trying to do? Is it attempting suicide? All of the elders were frenzied by what they saw. It isnt even your lightning tribtion, so why are you trying to attack it so desperately? Do you have a grudge with the person undergoing the ordeal? Hurry up and stop that fellow! Hu Qing immediately barked out an order. However, before any of the elders could move, the highly-esteemed Divine Healer Bai Yu suddenly flew out of the main hall as well. With a flick of his wrist, he channeled imposing might in his palm, and with a forceful thrust, he struck it out toward the storm clouds in the sky. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The storm clouds immediately expanded to over a thousand mu wide, covering the vast expanse of the entire Hall of Propriety. Bai Yu, what are you doing! Hu Qing nearly went insane on the spot. Chapter 1390 - Bon Appétit

Chapter 1390: Bon Apptit

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Divine Healer Bai Yu had a rather close rtionship with the other elders in the Hall of Propriety, and they often went out for expeditions in seek of treasures and medicinal herbs together. Yet, in this crucial moment, despite seeing that someone was undergoing a lightning tribtion, not only was he refusing to help, he was even attacking it. This was no different from seeing a burning house and quickly grabbing a bottle of gasoline to pour on it! Are you trying to seal off all chances of the individual undergoing the Dimension Sundering Ordeal from surviving the lightning tribtion, or are you uncertain whether the lightning tribtion wasrge enough to devastate the entire Hall of Propriety, so you chose to head out here to ensure it? Hong long! Paying no heed to Hu Qing, Bai Yu channeled might into his palm once more and sent another strike toward the storm clouds. Kacha! Provoked by those who dared challenge its rules, the lightning tribtion sent down two thick streaks of lightning down upon the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Bai Yu. In just an instant, the bodies of the duo stiffened as their hair and dragon scales stood on end before plummeting from the sky. The authority of the heavens isnt to be challenged, Hu Qing remarked with a shake of his head. After which, he raised his hand and roared, Activate the Grand Defensive Formation of our Hall of Propriety to fend off the lightning tribtion. At the same time, dig out that fellow who is undergoing his Dimension Sundering Ordeal and have him sent off to the Hall of Integrity immediately! Yes! Two elders quickly nodded, but just as they were about to dash into the main hall to grab the cultivator undergoing the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, the charred Bai Yu and Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast suddenly flew up once more and sent a furious surge of power toward the storm clouds. Kacha! Kacha! The lightning grew evenrger. Lightning sparks crackled imposingly amid the storm clouds, as if heralding an impending catastrophe. Divine Healer Bai Yu and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast were both Saint 8-dan pinnacle experts, so their provocation easily caused a massive intensification of the lightning tribtion. At this point, what was above them could no longer be considered a Dimension Sundering Ordeal anymore. Even a Saint 9-dan expert would have ayer of skin torn off facing something of that caliber. This... How am I supposed to survive such a lightning tribtion? Elder Liao copsed weakly to the ground, paralyzed on the spot. Just who in the world did he offend to warrant such a treatment? It was just a moment ago that he was dragged back from the gates of hell, rekindling hope more in him. However, in the blink of an eye, he was shoved down into the abyss of despair once more! Even though he had built up an extremely powerful foundation over the years, he knew very well that he would never survive even the first bolt of lightning from the billowing storm clouds above him! Calm down, everything will be fine. Just let those two make it a bitrger, and well be done. Noticing Elder Liaos panic, Zhang Xuan patted his shoulder and reassured him. ... Elder Liao felt even more stifled on the inside. Alright, I think it should be about time. Lets head out now. Seeing that the lightning tribtion had already congregated to its limit under thebined assault from the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Bai Yu, seemingly about to lose control at any moment, Zhang Xuan shook his head slightly in pity before beckoning Elder Liao to follow. Theoretically speaking, it was possible for a lightning tribtion to grow stronger endlessly as long as it were toe under continual assault, but limited by its foundations, it would start crumbling apart once it grew beyond a certain size. It was just like an engineer trying to modify a simple bucket and a spade into a massive excavator. It was simply an impossible act because of how poor the foundations they were working on were. Well die if we head out at this point! Elder Liao eximed with a pale face, his legs trembling uncontrobly. Even though he had been through many life and death situations, he still could not help but feel natural apprehension and fear toward the might of the heavens. Die? Dont worry, that wont happen under my watch. Knowing what Elder Liao was frightened of, Zhang Xuan assured him with a radiant smile. Ill help you deal with your lightning tribtionter on. What you have to do is release your strength whenever you see that the lightning tribtion is getting smaller or on the verge of escaping. Got that? Lightning tribtion getting smaller? On the verge of escaping? Elder Liao was dumbstruck by those terms. He could understand those words individually, but it became iprehensible to him when strung together in a sentence. Zhang shi, can you phrase it clearer? I dont understand what you are saying... I really dont... The lightning tribtion was a natural force sworn to never rest until the individual facing it finally sumbed, but why did it somehow be an adorable entity when filtered through your mouth? What getting smaller and escaping... Do you take the lightning tribtion to be a pet in your house? Its fine that you dont get what Im saying at this point. Just keep my instructions in mind and act ordinglyter on. Knowing that it would be hard for him to exin this matter in a way that sounded convincing to Elder Liao, Zhang Xuan did not bother to borate further on the matter. Instead, he flicked his wrist and took out various items to prepare as he began making his way out of the main hall. This... Seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was, Elder Liao was a little lost for a moment. He briefly hesitated before he finally bucked up his courage and followed Zhang Xuan with a severe look on his face, reminiscent of a soldier marching to his death. Zhang Yu gulped nervously before asking, Fei shi, shall we head out to take a look too? Un. Fei shi nodded. Even though they were indoors, they could still somewhat sense the sheer size of the storm clouds through their Spiritual Perception. From how densely the lightning tribtion was gathered around them, they roughly estimated that it spanned over an area of a thousand mu. If it were to descend on them, it was likely that none of them would be able to escape. But since Zhang Xuan was so confident about the matter, it would be worth heading out to see how he intended to deal with this crisis they were in. Feng Ziyi quickly headed out as well, but barely after taking a few steps, he saw Zhang Yu stumbling over his own feet, nearly falling to the ground. He immediately frowned. Whats wrong? As a genius of the Zhang n, Zhang Yu should have been through plenty of huge affairs before. Surely, he need not be so frightened as to stumble over his own feet when they were not evenpletely out of the main hall yet, right? Completely oblivious to Feng Ziyis question, Zhang Yu stared at the sky with widened eyes as he muttered in a daze beneath his breath, What the heck... is Zhang shi doing? Frowning, Feng Ziyi turned his gaze to the sky as well, and the sight that he saw left him frozen silly on the spot. In this very instant, Zhang Xuan had whipped out a white cloth from somewhere and folded it neatly before his chest. He elegantly took out a cup of water and gargled his mouth, as if he was about to enjoy a sumptuous course in a top restaurant. Is he... going to eat? Feng Ziyi scratched his head frenziedly at that sight. He had been with his teacher for many years, but he had never heard of anyone getting so excited before the deeply feared lightning tribtion before! Was that fellow here to challenge the lightning tribtion or dine on delicacies? Kacha! Kacha! In his moment of shock, he saw Zhang Xuan and Elder Liao walking out of the main hall. As soon as the star of the show appeared, the storm clouds in the sky immediately began rumbling intensely, seemingly ready to fall at any moment. Zhang shi, regardless of whether I am able to tide across this lightning tribtion or not, I would still like to thank you for saving my life. Elder Liao was still a little afraid prior to this, but upon seeing the vast expanse of storm clouds that plunged the entire world into darkness, he realized that there was no way he would be able to escape anymore. It was either do or die. Perhaps it was the realization that he waspletely helpless in this situation that made him ept the position he was in instead. As someone who had bravely charged into the midst of the Boreal Fire Poison in order to fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Elder Liao was definitely no wimp, or else he would not have been promoted to be a managerial elder in the Sanctum of Sages in the first ce. Theres no need to waste your breath on such emotional words; nothing will happen to you. Just stay right here and wait for me. Ill be right back! Zhang Xuan interjected with a wave of his hand before decisively leaping into the midst of the sea of lightning above. Hes dashing right into the storm clouds? But hell die like that! Everyone was stunned. Even Hu Qing nearly fell from the sky upon seeing this sight. They had seen cultivators who turned around as fast as they could upon meeting lightning, and they had also seen those who would bury themselves as deep underground as they could to hide from the lightning, but this was the first time they had seen someone dashing right into the lightning tribtion. Zhang shi... Not expecting Zhang Xuan to make such a move, Elder Liaos eyes reddened in agitation. The other party was dashing into the lightning tribtion all for him. Just as he was about to dash in as well to assist the young man in fending off the lightning tribtion, the storm clouds suddenly billowed, and oddly enough, just as the young man had told him earlier, the storm clouds seemed to have contracted considerably. Hmm? Perplexed, Elder Liao was just wondering whether he should release his energy as the young man had instructed him to do earlier, but then the lightning tribtion suddenly turned around and fled as if it had met its own nemesis. Its speed was so fast that not even the fastest cultivator could possibly catch up with it. Hu! With the escape of the storm clouds, the sky swiftly cleared up, revealing Zhang Xuans profile in the sky. In this moment, the young man was looking at the escaped storm cloud with a helpless look on his face. Just as he was about to speak up, his chest suddenly puffed up. Urrrrrpp! A resounding burp simr to the beating of a drum echoed crisp and clear. Chapter 1391 - The Way to Resolve the Poison

Chapter 1391: The Way to Resolve the Poison

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Did he really dive into the storm clouds to eat? But whats edible inside the storm clouds? Feng Ziyi, Zhang Yu, and the others looked at one another with utterly horrified expressions. That was a lightning tribtion, something that even the most powerful of cultivator would have a headache facing! Yet, that fellow actually rushed right in to have a meal, even releasing a resounding burp right afterward. Do you need to be so arrogant? More importantly, you even scared the lightning tribtion away! It fled away so quickly that it almost felt as if a vicious dog was chasing after it. Unable to hold it back anymore, Fei shi asked in agitation, Elder Liao, thats your Dimension Sundering Ordeal, right? Whats going on? How am I supposed to know whats going on? Elder Liao was on the verge of insanity as well. True, that was indeed his lightning tribtion... but from the start to the end, it was as if it had nothing to do with him at all! While others had to struggle desperately to survive their lightning ordeal, he simply took a look at his lightning ordeal, and a few momentster, it fled. To be honest, he waspletely dumbfounded by the matter as well, and he did not know what to make of the situation. Try your cultivation. If you are able to tap into the power of Dimension Sundering, that means that you have sessfully cleared the lightning tribtion, Feng Ziyi suddenly suggested. Un. Elder Liao nodded as he took a look into his current condition with his Spiritual Perception. A momentter, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened. I made a breakthrough... Without even lifting a finger, he had already gone through his lightning tribtion. This had to have been the easiest breakthrough anyone had made in the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent! As expected! Hearing Elder Liaos acknowledgement, Feng Ziyis mouth twitched. He lifted his head once more to take a look and saw the young man who had dived into the storm clouds a moment earlier slowly descending with a look of pity and bitter regret on his face. Seeing the young mans state, Elder Liao hurried forward and asked worriedly, Whats wrong? Its nothing much... Zhang Xuan waved his hand. He had thought that with how much the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Divine Healer Bai Yu had expanded the storm clouds, he would be able to make a full recovery. Yet, who could have known that the lightning tribtion had grown cunning after being absorbed twice, fleeing exceptionally decisively this time around. As soon as he dived into the storm cloud, he immediately began absorbing the lightning energy around him frenziedly, but barely after he recovered the zhenqi in the looped space of his dantian by 70%, the lightning tribtion had already noticed that something was amiss, and it unhesitatingly turned around and escaped. From the looks of it, I really should frequent the Hall of Integrity... Since thats the ce where students and elders of the Sanctum of Sages visit in order to aid them in achieving breakthroughs, there should be plenty of lightning tribtions there.Zhang Xuan stroked his chin as he made up his mind. Attainment, Solidarity, Propriety, Erudition, and Integrity; each of the five halls served their own purpose. Of them, the Hall of Integrity served to reinforce ones mental resilience, thus reducing ones vulnerability to inner demons when pushing for a breakthrough. For this reason, countless students would visit it each day. If there was really no way around it, he could consider camping at the Hall of Integrity to absorb the lightning tribtions that arrived there. He should be able to make substantial progress in his cultivation that way. Liao Xin, you managed to achieve a breakthrough? While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of contemting over his future ns, Divine Healer Bai Yu descended from the sky, and upon seeing the Dominion Sundering realm Dominion extending from his old friend, a deep hint of astonishment surfaced on his face. He had thought that this breakthrough would surely be fraught with danger, but who would have thought that it would pass by so calmly, as if all of the build-up before was nothing but empty threats? In the midst of his shock, he directed a look of admiration toward the young man before him as well. Just... whats going on? Divine Healer Bai Yu could not help but ask once more. The matter concerning the lightning tribtion is a secret art imparted to me by my teacher, so Im afraid that itll be inconvenient for me to speak too much of it before others, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. In any case, he already had a junior, Feng Ziyi, to validate his identity, so he could still push everything that was inconceivable about him to his teacher. In any case, the current Yang shi was uncontactable anyway, so no one would be any the wiser. Then... what about the fire poison that Liao Xin was suffering from before? Seeing that the young man was unwilling to speak about the lightning tribtion, Divine Healer Bai Yu turned the topic to the fire poison, which he had been deeply intrigued about all this while. Its true that the Boreal Fire Poison that Elder Liao was afflicted with could be suppressed using the Hiemal Yin Form, but as time went by, it started to develop its own consciousness, Zhang Xuan exined. Consciousness? You mean that a spirit developed within the Boreal Fire Poison? Divine Healer Bai Yu pondered for a moment before nodding. There were indeed poisons in this world that possessed consciousness, granting them the ability to avoid danger. These were the poisons that usually left both patients and physicians helpless. Since it had developed its own consciousness, the Boreal Fire Poison began to consciously avert the suppression of the Hiemal Yin Form. As a result, the cultivation of the technique would not only be ineffective in suppressing the poison, it would cause his physical condition to further deteriorate as well. Its for that reason that I persuaded him to stop cultivating the Hiemal Yin Form, Zhang Xuan continued. He had gathered this through the Library of Heavens Path earlier, which was also the reason he had offered Elder Liao the advice to stop practicing the Hiemal Yin Form. Under normal circumstances, as long as Elder Liao stopped cultivating the technique, considering that the fire poison was under the control of a conscious spirit, it shouldnt have acted up in the short-term. With ample preparation, it should have been possible to get rid of it once and for all in a single go. But you just had to bring in the Nymphaea Tetragona at this moment! Recalling what he had just seen after knocking Elder Liao out a moment ago, he couldnt help but shake his head. The Nymphaea Tetragona is indeed one of the nemeses of the Boreal Fire Poison, and it would have worked had the fire poison not awoken its consciousness yet. Unfortunately, that wasnt the case. When Elder Liao ingested the Nymphaea Tetragona, it swiftly induced a violent response from the Boreal Fire Poison. Under the conscious control of the Boreal Fire Poisons spirit, it managed to assimte the power of the Nymphaea Tetragona and further its prowess. In the first ce, Elder Liaos vitality was already waning, and the strengthening of the fire poison further worsened his physical state. As a result, he rapidly sumbed to the onught of the poison, thus resulting in his frail state a while ago. Uponing to realize what had happened, Divine Healer Bai Yus face reddened in embarrassment. It was just a moment ago that he had felt indignant at the other party saying that he was an ipetent physician, but after hearing everything that Zhang Xuan had said, what was he if not an ipetent physician? It was because of his careless prescription of the Nymphaea Tetragona that his old friend had nearly lost his life! There was a slight moment of silence from Divine Healer Bai Yu before he asked once more, Then... how did you manage to resolve the fire poison? Even though the other party had resolved the poison right before his eyes, he was still unable to make sense of how it had been done. Its actually rather simple. The birth of a spirit in the Boreal Fire Poison does make it a far more fearsome adversary, but at the same time, its possession of consciousness meant that the Boreal Fire Poison would have a goal and thus could be manipted. The goal of the fire poison was actually rather simpleit simply wanted to absorb more energy and grow as fast as possible. In a sense, the Boreal Fire Poison could be viewed as a parasite, and it had a somewhat symbiotic rtionship with its host. Or to put it in simpler terms, it was against its interests to allow its host to die quickly or else it would lose its source of nutrients. Thats also why I intentionally provoked you and had you sh with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. By having the both of you execute your strongest moves and cing Elder Liao in the midst of your sh, the Boreal Fire Poison would feel deeply threatened. In order to sustain Elder Liaos life, it would have to morph into a lotus and protect him from your attacks. While it did seed in protecting Elder Liao, your attacks were so powerful that it suffered tremendous damage, cing it on the verge of dissipation. In this timely moment, I used my sword to strike down on its opening, causing it to be unable to hold its form anymore and dissipate. However, this didnt mean that the threat of the fire poison was over. In its severely injured state, the remnants of the Boreal Fire Poison sought to delve back into Elder Liaos body, where it would slowly bide its time and recover, but it ended up being halted by my silver needles, thus eventually resulting in itsplete dissipation. And without the fire poison suppressing his cultivation, the energy that Elder Liao had umted over many years swiftly burst forth, allowing him to achieve sessive breakthroughs. And as for the happenings afterward, its exactly as you have seen, so Ill just stop here, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Actually, the entire matter was not thatplex at all. The main issue onlyy in the Boreal Fire Poison within Elder Liaos body developing a spirit. To think that the consciousness of a poison could actually be used against it in such a manner, Divine Healer Bai Yu remarked in awe as he nodded in realization. It was a well-known fact among high-rank physicians that lethal poisons that had developed their own spirits were the most difficult to deal with, but who knew that it was possible to resolve theplicated issue with such a simple solution? Indeed, Zhang Xuan said with a nod. He was just about to continue on when his eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. The Innate Fetal Poison within me is also a poison that possesses a spirit. Is it possible for me to use the same method to deal with it? Chapter 1392 - Yang shis Strength

Chapter 1392: Yang shis Strength

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan took a look into his body, and eventually, he shook his head helplessly. All it took was one nce to tell that the Innate Fetal Poison was not as passionate as the Boreal Fire Poison. Putting aside saving its life, it would already be a great blessing if it did not backstab him when he was in serious danger! It would be better for him not to take the risk. It was one thing if he failed to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison, but if he were to lose his life a result of it as well, it would really be a huge tragedy. After all, he did not possess Vicious ability to revive from scraps. Young Master... Speak of the devil. As soon as he thought of Vicious, thetters voice immediately sounded in his ears. Yes? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. As the Sanctum of Sages was filled with innumerable experts, Vicious would usually avoidmunicating him unless there was something truly important. Under the onught of the lightning earlier, Kong shis will that permeates the entire Sanctum of Sages dulled slightly, and for a moment, I felt the presence of my skeletal frame! Vicious voice was filled with agitation and excitement, and the entire Book of Heavens Path seemed to be trembling in resonance to his emotions. Skeletal frame? Which part? Zhang Xuan asked. Vicious was simply too fragmented. If it was just a small bone or finger, it would make not much of a difference to his current fighting prowess. Its the skeletal frame of my entire upper body. Im certain of itit is definitely in the Sanctum of Sages! Vicious eximed excitedly. The skeletal frame of your entire upper body? Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. Just by fusing with a few bones, he already wielded strength on par with Saint 7-dan experts. If he were to fuse together with his entire upper body, would he not be able to defeat even Saint 9-dan experts easily? If Vicious were to really wield such power, he would have more cards to deal with the Zhang n if the situation fell through. Thats right! Vicious replied. It seemed like even he did not expect that a part of him would actually be sealed within the esteemed Sanctum of Sages. Can you sense the general direction of where it is? Zhang Xuan asked. As long as Vicious could identify the exact location of it, he would be able to make some preparations to retrieve it. Of course, that would also depend on whether the skeletal frame had its own consciousness or not. If it did, the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path might just end up being assimted into that Vicious instead. Kong shis will is simply too strong, so I cant sense its exact location anymore. Unless... At which point, Vicious hesitated for a moment before continuing. If a lightning tribtion asrge as the previous one urs, it should be able to suppress the aura temporarily, granting me sufficient time to determine the exact location of my skeletal frame. Due to the presence of Kong shis writing all over the ce and the several dozen millenniums of respect and adtion from the student popce and elders, the entire Sanctum of Sages was permeated with his will and spirit, hindering Vicious perception. Only during a lightning tribtion, when the will was busy vying with the inner demons contained within the ordeal, would it thin a little. Another lightning tribtion asrge as the previous one? Zhang Xuan shook his head. The only reason the previous Dimension Sundering Ordeal had been so powerful was due to Elder Liaos massive umtion and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Divine Healer Bai Yu striking the ordeal simultaneously. Otherwise, there was no way the lightning from a Dimension Sundering Ordeal could possibly cover over a thousand mu. Ill find a way for that. Just make sure to find your skeletal frame when the timees, Zhang Xuan instructed. It happened that he required lightning tribtions to replenish his strength and raise his cultivation too. Since he could achieve both goals at once, he was more than willing to do it. Alright, Vicious replied before falling silent. As the both of them hadmunicated telepathically, the entire conversation onlysted roughly two breaths before Zhang Xuan returned his attention to reality. In the next moment, he saw Divine Healer Bai Yu staring him in excitement, saying, Zhang shi, since you know so much about medicine, are you interested ining over to our Physician Guild to conduct a lecture? Conduct a lecture? Thats right. It happens that our guild is currently studying a rather bizarre type of poison that we are still unable to remove even after twenty years of trying. We have invited many physicians over on many asions to discuss the issue, but we still remainpletely helpless before it. Since you were able to resolve the Boreal Fire Poison in Elder Liaos body, its apparent that you are a person of great ability. If you could just conduct a lecture in our Physician Guild, I believe that you would be able to provide many fresh perspectives that might just allow us to resolve the poison! Divine Healer Bai Yu eximed in agitation. This... Zhang Xuan was slightly hesitant. I am just an ordinary 7-star physician, not even reaching 8-star yet. If I conduct a lecture, theres bound to be many who would doubt my words. The fastest way to gain respect in an upation was to show sufficient strength and proficiency in it. While Zhang Xuan had managed to resolve the Boreal Fire Poison, he had relied heavily on the Library of Heavens Path. He had not read any 8-star physician books yet, so his knowledge was still a littlecking to lecture in the Physician Guild. Considering how you were able to see through Liao Xins affliction with a single nce and resolve it so easily, Ill report this matter to the headquarters and have an 8-star physician emblem applied for you this instant! Divine Healer Bai Yu said with a smile. Their Physician Guild branch had studied the condition of his old friend for many years now, but they had all beenpletely helpless before it. Just the fact that the young man was able to resolve it so easily bore testimony to his abilities. Alright then. However, Ill have to take a trip to your library in order to brush up on my knowledge first, Zhang Xuan said with a nod. It would be good if Divine Healer Bai Yu could apply for his emblem. He would be spared from taking the examination. Thats simple. Follow me... Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to his request, Divine Healer Bai Yu heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly walked in front and led the way forward. Before leaving, Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Feng Ziyi and said, Junior Feng, is there anything else you wish to challenge me in? If there is, you can feel free to look for me anytime you want. Feng Ziyis lips twitched uncontrobly, unable to say a word at all. When he challenged the other party to a duel of fighting prowess, he ended up being pummeled pitifully despite possessing superior cultivation. When he challenged the other party to a duel of impartation, Elder Liao suddenly rushed, crying for Zhang Xuan to take him in as his student. Somehow, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt like a towering mountain before him, one that he could not ovee or circumvent. ... While Zhang Xuan was following Divine Healer Bai Yu to the Physician Guild, back in his residence, Sun Qiang was looking at the nearby Zhang Jiuxiao with a look of bewilderment. They had not tagged along to watch Feng Ziyi and Zhang Xuans duel but instead found some craftsmen to repair the copsed main hall. Young Master Jiuxiao, you said earlier that Feng Ziyi and our Young Master are from the same lineage. Sun Qiang could not help but ask, Could Feng Ziyi be our old masters student too? He had heard the other party saying those words as soon as Young Master walked in, but he simply found the matter a little unbelievable. No matter how he looked at Feng Ziyi, thetter just looked weak and dim-witted. Why would his old master take in a person of that caliber as his student? Indeed, Feng Ziyi is Yang shis student as well. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded in admiration. If he could take Yang shi as his teacher as well, he would surely be regarded with the highest of esteem when he returned to the Zhang n. He would not be just an ordinary member of the side family without the slightest standing at all. Hearing Zhang Jiuxiaos confirmation, Sun Qiang hesitantly asked, Do you know... what our Old Masters master teacher rank is? All along, the Old Masters strength seemed to be growing along with the Young Masters cultivation, which made him suspect that the Old Master was actually not as powerful as he initially thought. Since Zhang Jiuxiao was aware of the Old Masters true identity, this would be a good opportunity to ask about it. If the Old Master was really that powerful, he would not have to lie low and hold himself humbly anymore. At the very least, he would not have to suffer the bad attitude from others when gathering intelligence in the Sanctum of Sages. I wasnt too aware of Yang shis affairs previously, but aftering to know of Feng Ziyi, I heard some of my n members speaking of him. At this point, Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes suddenly lit up. He had first heard of Yang shi when he was in the Qingyuan Empire, but due to thetter being too high ranking, he had no idea what the significance of the name was. It was only upon arriving in the Sanctum of Sages and hearing others speak of Feng Ziyi that he finally realized just how high a standing and how great a power that that man possessed. Hes one of the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the man who wields the greatest power in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion aside from the pavilion master himself. On top of that, hes a true 9-star master teacher, wielding unfathomable strength in his hands thats on par with even the old ancestor of our Zhang n! In fact, hes renowned to be one of the strongest experts in the world! Chapter 1393 - Sun Qiangs Rage (1)

Chapter 1393: Sun Qiangs Rage (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The man who wields the greatest power in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion other than the pavilion master himself? One of the strongest experts in the world? Sun Qiangs body trembled in agitation. In the past, he had thought that it would have been great if their Old Master was an 8-star master teacher. However, in the Sanctum of Sages, master teachers of such a rank were aplenty. As such, he had been forced to lie low and remain humble at all times. But who would have thought that the Old Master was actually such a formidable figure? One of the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, a 9-star master teacher, and one of the strongest experts in the world; just any one of those titles was sufficient to leave the entire Master Teacher Continent trembling at its core! To think that a mere realtor of second-hand houses in Tianxuan Kingdom like him would actually catch the eye of such an incredible figure. In that moment, a feeling of pride sprouted in Sun Qiangs heart. Considering the unfathomable eye of discernment that 9-star master teachers possess, the fact that I was able to catch the eye of the Old Master might mean that I possess great talent that even I am unaware of. Sun Qiang widened his eyes in realization. All along, he had thought that he was an ordinary person, farckingpared to the many geniuses in the world. However, after learning that the Old Master was such a formidable expert, he came to realize that he had to be a one in a million expert as well. Otherwise, why would a 9-star master teacher treat him so well and even entrust him with the heavy responsibility of taking care of his direct disciple? Its Zhang shis fortune to have caught the eye of such a figure. But of course, I believe that Yang shi must be delighted to have taken in a student like Zhang shi as well, Zhang Jiuxiao remarked. While others might think that Zhang Xuan had to rue several incarnations of luck in order to find a teacher like Yang Xuan, he knew very well that as long as the young man revealed his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, there would be no master teacher in the world who would not be willing to take him in as their student. A momentter, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly recalled the other partys previous question and frowned in doubt. You arent aware of Yang shis true identity even though you are his butler? It was one thing for him to not know of Yang shis true identity, but Sun Qiang was someone who had seen Yang shi on multiple asions, so how could he possibly not know of the matter? Our Old Master is a humble and low-profile person, and he dislikes being in the public eye or talking about himself. As such, Im not too sure about his affairs either, Sun Qiang replied. I see. I guess thats the attitude that master teachers should have, Zhang Jiuxiao said with a meaningful nod. True master teachers should never allow their reputation to weigh down upon them, and clearly, Yang shi was such a person. Alright, the reparations for the residence are done. I still have some matters to attend to, so Ill be taking my leave first. Farewell. After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Jiuxiao bade farewell before leaving. Watching as Zhang Jiuxiaos figure disappeared into the distance, Sun Qiang thought about what they had discussed earlier, and a brilliant gleam twinkled into his eyes as he clenched his plump fists tightly together. Previously, when the Young Master tasked me with gathering some intelligence on the acquirement of pinnacle spirit stones, I wasnt able to get the job done properly due to the hesitation and fear from facing those experts. However, now that I know of the Old Masters identity, why should I have any fear? If anything, they should be the ones fearing me! Laughing heartily, Sun Qiang stood up from the chair, flung his sleeves, and began walking out of the room with widened strides. As the butler of the number one expert in the world and a 9-star master teacher, his standing should at least be on par with the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages. Surely it would be nothing much for him to enquire some information? Thus, he swiftly made his way over to the Hall of Integrity. On top of reinforcing ones mental fortitude and tempering ones character, the Hall of Integrity served as an information hub for important news. Most of the missions for the students of the Sanctum of Sages were allocated here. After taking a swift look around, Sun Qiang was soon standing in front of a vast hall, and with deep confidence, he strutted in. Seated in a corner of the room was a young man in his early twenties dressed in a ck robe. He turned his gazezily toward Sun Qiang and said, Please take out your identity token. Sun Qiang flicked his wrist and hand over the token that Zhang Xuan had given him. A butler of a freshman? Upon taking a look at the token, the young man scoffed disdainfully before tossing the identity token back. Speak, what kind of information are you looking for? Is your Young Master looking for missions to participate in? From time to time, there would be young students who would purchase news concerning missions from him toplete. My Young Master isnt looking for missions to participate in. Sun Qiang shook his head. Im here to ask where I can exchange for pinnacle spirit stones or equivalent spirit essences and pills here in the Sanctum of Sages. Pinnacle spirit stones? A frown surfaced on the forehead of the young man, and he waved his hand perfunctorily. I dont have such news here. You should return. You dont have such news here? Sun Qiang frowned in doubt. I have visited the other ces in the Hall of Integrity, and all of them said that this is the only ce with such news. How can you possibly not have such news? The reason he had headed there directly was because he had already gathered some news on the mater the previous time he was there. ording to what the others said, this hall was the only ce where one could exchange for pinnacle spirit stones. I told you that theres no such news here. Send our guest off... Just as the impatient young man was about to order the servants to drag this fatty out, an old man suddenly walked into the room. I need a pinnacle spirit stone to reinforce my cultivation. Ill have to trouble you to help me process the exchange. As he said those words, the old man took out a couple of rare ores and the hair of saint beasts and passed them over. With just a look, Sun Qiang could tell that these were all good items. The hair and ws of powerful saint beasts could be used to make weapons or armor that were far stronger than the typical ones forged by cksmiths, thus making them exceptionally valuable. Elder, please wait for a moment! Seemingly recognizing the identity of the elder, the young man hurriedly turned around and rushed into another room. Some timeter, he returned with a jade container in hand. Prying it open lightly, overwhelming spiritual energy immediately poured into the surroundings. A spirit stone emanating a blinding radiance came into sight. You have my thanks. After confirming that it was a pinnacle spirit stone, the old man took the jade container and ced it into his storage ring before leaving the room. At the other partys departure, a look of displeasure surfaced on Sun Qiangs face. Didnt you say that you have no news concerning pinnacle spirit stones? Why did you process the old mans exchange straight away then? That old man that you are speaking of is the Sanctum of Sages Elder Qian, an 8-star master teacher! Do you think that a mere freshman butler like you can bepared with him? Scram to the side! the young man scoffed as he waved his hand impatiently. What do you mean by that? Sun Qiangs face turned cold. I might be a freshman butler, but its not as if Im asking you to give the pinnacle spirit stone to me for free. As valuable as a pinnacle spirit stone may be, I am still able to afford it at the very least! Afford it? the young man sneered coldly. Are you even qualified to buy it? Pinnacle spirit stones are an extremely rare and limited resource in the Master Teacher Continent! Every single one of them expended means that theres one less to go around. How in the world did a freshman butler gain the notion that you are qualified tomand such a valuable resource? How ludicrous! Due to the limited quantity of pinnacle spirit stones, the Sanctum of Sages had a strict restriction on who was qualified to procure them. Those whose standing was beneath the necessary requirement would not be able to exchange for one. This was also the reason it was not used as a currency even in the Sanctum of Sages. You are saying that Im unqualified to purchase the pinnacle spirit stones from you? Sun Qiangs face darkened, and his eyes narrowed threateningly. Werent my words clear enough? Hurry up and scram, or else Ill just have to find someone to toss you out! the young man bellowed impatiently. Toss me out? Sun Qiang flung his sleeves furiously, and the air of an invible existence drifted off him. Audacious! Do you know who I am? Chapter 1394 - Sun Qiangs Rage (2)

Chapter 1394: Sun Qiangs Rage (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Like I give a damn who you are! the young man snapped. A freshman butler like you should already be d that you are allowed to walk around the Sanctum of Sages without obstruction. How dare you attempt to pull your weight here! Were this not a ce where master teachers gathered, you would have been long thrown out for daring to speak so haughtily! Get out of here right now, otherwise Ill have no choice but to pass a Restriction Order on you, banning you from entering the Hall of Integrity for the rest of your life! the young man bellowed in irritation. Even the weakest of the butlers of top-notch powers would be at Saint 6-dan or 7-dan at the minimum. On top of dealing with misceneous affairs, they would be able to protect their master too. On the other hand, the fellow before him was not even at Saint realm. What the heck was he talking big for? To use such a weak butler, it could only mean that the so-called Young Master was from a humble background too. Yet, instead of feeling honored that he was willing to waste so many words on him, that fatty actually dared to speak to him so arrogantly. He really did not know what was the best for him! You are saying that you want to pass a Restriction Order on me? Hearing those words, Sun Qiang was so furious that he startedughing instead. With a grand wave of his hand, he walked straight toward the main seat in the room and sat down. Ill sit down right here and wait for you to pass your Restriction Order. What are you waiting for? Go on. I really will look down on you if you dont pass it today! You... Not expecting the fatty to be so arrogant as to sit right down on his teachers seat, the young man nearly erupted on the spot. Nevertheless, he still reigned in his rage at the veryst moment, and with narrowed eyes, he asked sharply, Do you know what you are doing right now? For a fellow who hasnt even reached Saint realm like you to act so arrogantly, not even putting a Saint 5-dan expert like me in your eyes, arent you being a little too brazen? Of course I do! Sun Qiang sneered coldly with a voice filled with confidence. Rather, do you know whom you are facing, speaking to me in such a manner? With a deep frown, the young man took in a deep breath and asked lividly, Who in the world are you? Given how the other party dared to act so arrogantly before him, there could be a chance that the other party might really have strong backing. Having been in the Sanctum of Sages for so long, he never would have survived through the years if he was not discerning enough to differentiate the real from the fake. You arent worthy of knowing who I am. Get the elder managing your Hall of Integrity or the deputy sanctum head over here! Seated calmly on the spot, Sun Qiang waved his hand imposingly with the air of a person in authority, reminiscent of a conqueror grasping innumerable lives in his hands. Had he known that the Old Master was so formidable, he would not have had to lie so low. This was the kind of attitude that someone of his standing should be taking, otherwise he would only be an embarrassment to the Old Master. You want to speak to our elder or the deputy sanctum head directly? The young mans lips twitched upon hearing those words. There were various differing tiers to the teachers and elders in the Sanctum of Sages. Those at the bottommost level of the staff were the managerial elders. They were usually positions taken up by Saint 7-dan experts, such as Elder Liao, and they were in charge of resolving most misceneous affairs and overlooking the various examinations and trials in the Sanctum of Sages. Above that were the people in charge of the individual upation branches in the Sanctum of Sages, such as Physician Bai Yu. This group of people were usually Saint 8-dan experts. And on top of them were the five elders who governed the Hall of Attainment, Hall of Solidarity, Hall of Propriety, Hall of Erudition, and Hall of Integrity, such as Elder Hu Qing from the Hall of Propriety. Even the weakest of them possessed the might of half-Saint 9-dan. As for the deputy sanctum head, he was even stronger than that, possessing a cultivation of Saint 9-dan. These figures were top-notch experts whom he would not even dare to breathe loudly before in their face, and yet, a butler who had not even reached the Saint realm was demanding that they go to him, as ifmanding a subordinate. Was it just empty confidence, or did he really have something to back up his words? Indeed. My initial intention was to lie low and maintain a low profile, but since this is the attitude you wish to take with me, I demand to meet them here today. No matter what, they have to offer me an exnation as to why a mere subordinate like you dares to speak to me in such a manner, Sun Qiang uttered coldly. The more he spoke of the matter, the more furious he felt. What the heck is this? Who am I? The butler of one of the strongest experts in the world. Putting aside you, even the deputy pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have to talk to me amicably, not daring to offend me. Yet, a mere Saint 5-dan ant like you actually dared to snub me in such a manner. You must be out of your mind! This... In the face of the other partys imposing disposition, the young man was starting to doubt if the fatty seated before him really had an esteemed identity or not. Just as he was at a loss as to what he should do, an old man suddenly walked in, and his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly rushed forward and greeted, Teacher! The old man was his teacher, as well as the person-in-charge of the entire Hall of Integrity, Elder Ge Xiong! Since this matter was already beyond his jurisdiction, it would be best for him to leave it in the hands of his teacher instead. Perhaps, his teacher might recognize his fatty and know of thetters background. If so, they would not have to take such a passive stance anymore. Seeing that someone was sitting on his seat, Elder Ge asked with a frown, Whats going on? You are Ge Xiong? Before the young man could even respond, Sun Qiang had already spoken up with a face as cold as a winters night. You sure have taught your student well. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and offer your apologies to me! He had long heard of the person-in-charge of the Hall of Integrity, and he had seen the other party from afar once before. As such, he was able to recognize the other party with a single nce. Offer my apologies? Elder Ge frowned. A weak cultivator who had not even reached the Saint realm was taking up his seat and even demanding that a half-Saint 9-dan expert like him apologized? Was he hearing things? Where did this imbecile pop out from? Indeed. Your student said that he would chase me out from the Hall of Integrity and even issue a Restriction Order against me. I never thought that I would hear something so insolent from the mouth of a junior. Apologizing is already thexest punishment I can think of. Otherwise, Im afraid that Ill have to find someone to rece you as the head of the Hall of Integrity! Sun Qiang narrowed his eyes menacingly as he harrumphed coldly. There are plenty of candidates in line to take over your position. Dont think that youre safe just because of the position you are in! Rece me? Completely speechless by what he was hearing, Elder Ge turned to the young man beside him and asked, Who in the world in this imbecile? Just who did that fatty think he was? Not even the deputy sanctum head had the right to remove him on a whim! To speak such arrogant words before him, was he tired of living? Teacher, you dont know him either? the young man asked in surprise. He had thought that his teacher would surely know this person given how knowledgeable he was, but who would have thought that his teacher would be at aplete loss as to what was happening as well? I took a look at his identity token earlier, and hes the butler of a freshman who has just enrolled this year! the young man informed his teacher through zhenqi telepathy. Hes the butler of a freshman? Dark streaks immediately filled Elder Ges forehead. Were the butlers of the freshmen now all so arrogant? Demanding for him to apologize and even threatening to find someone to rece him... If theres a problem with how I teach my student, the Sanctum of Sages will step in and correct me ordingly, so theres no need for you to worry about it. Rather, I would just like to ask, what right do you have to make a half-Saint 9-dan expert like me apologize to you? Elder Ge asked with a hint of displeasure in his voice. As a high ranked master teacher, even though he was deeply infuriated by Sun Qiangs insolence, he was still able to suppress his emotions and maintain hisposure. Otherwise, he surely would have sent a p right over to the other party. How could he possibly allow such a weak fellow to spout this bunch of nonsense before him? What rights do I have? Sun Qiang stood up and ced his hands before his back. He slowly took a step at a time toward Elder Ge with a lofty air surrounding him. Since you have asked such a question, fine, Ill fulfill your curiosity. My Young Master is a student from thetest batch of freshmen, Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan? Elder Ge frowned. Even though Zhang Xuan had caused a hugemotion in the other halls, his reputation had not reached the Hall of Integrity yet. Thats right. Well, you might not have heard much about my Young Master, but I believe that the name of my Old Master should strike a chord in your mind! Harrumphing coldly, Sun Qiang tilted his chin upward with a proud look on his face. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Yang Xuan! Chapter 1395 - You Imposter!

Chapter 1395: You Imposter!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yang Xuan? You are... Yang shis butler? Elder Ge was stunned for an instant before his face abruptly warped in shock. As the number one grand elder in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it went without saying that he had heard rumors about the other party. But who would have thought that this fatty standing before him would actually be that legendary mans butler? It was no wonder the other party was so arrogant and haughty! If he was truly the butler of the man who stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, then he definitely had the right to speak in such a manner to him! Indeed! A hint of majesty could be seen on Sun Qiangs plump face as he took another step forward. After the initial shock, Elder Ge grimly questioned, Yang shis whereabouts have been a mystery to even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. You im that you are his butler, but do you have any evidence to prove that? Even if he was willing to believe the fattys words, it simply did not make sense for Yang Xuan to take in such a weak butler! A powerful general had no feeble soldiers under hismand. For a person who was not even at Saint realm to im that he was Yang Xuans butler, this was simply too much of a stretch to be true! Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was Kong shis servant as well, but he still managed to reach an unparalleled level of strength in the world! To take in such a person as his butler... it would be like a smudge on Yang shis name! After all, if Yang shi really wanted a butler, not even 9-star master teachers would turn him down. Why would he choose a weakling who had not even reached Saint realm yet? Not to mention, just by what he had seen so far, the other party was a dim-witted and crude individual! However, he could sense that the other party meant the words that he said. All of his vitals showed that he was not lying, and this was exactly what left Elder Ge feeling rather perplexed. Audacious! With a livid face, Sun Qiang bellowed furiously. Are you doubting my words, or are you doubting my Old Masters judgement? I wouldnt dare to doubt Yang shis judgement. Elder Ge shook his head. However, as the butler of a 9-star master teacher, he should have imprinted his blessing within you. If its convenient for you, I hope that you would allow me a look. Once I verify your blessing, Ill have my student apologize to you immediately. Otherwise, Ill have no choice but to hold you liable for impersonating the butler of a 9-star master teacher and publicly humiliating the head of the Hall of Integrity, and the severity of these two sentences warrants the death penalty. Considering that the Sanctum of Sages was a subsidiary power to the Master Teacher Pavilion, naturally, Elder Ge dared not doubt the judgement of a grand elder from the headquarters. But so far, they had only heard empty ims from the fatty before him, so naturally, he held some reservations toward the matter. For a fellow whom even he would snub to be taken in as Yang shis butler... this simply sounded too ridiculous to be true! Blessing? Sun Qiang was slightly startled to hear that word. He had met the Old Master on many asions, but he had never heard of such a thing before! Just a surge of zhenqi from someone of Yang shis prowess can bring unimaginable benefits and strength to an individual. If you are truly his butler, he will have left a will or something simr within you. Otherwise, you could be killed very easily by enemies given your cultivation realm, and that would make it extremely difficult for you to work for him, dont you agree? Elder Ge exined. Since the butler was working for the master teacher, it was only natural for the master teacher to offer some degree of protection to the butler. Under normal circumstances, the subordinates of high-ranking master teachers would have some kind of blessing infused into them so as to ensure that their lives would not be threatened when facing an enemy. If the fatty before him was truly Yang shis butler, he was bound to have a blessing or something simr within him. Otherwise, it would reflect poorly on Yang shi if his butler was killed. I... Of course my Old Master has bestowed upon me his blessing! Sun Qiang was trembling fearfully on the inside, but on the surface, he continued putting up a brave front and harrumphed furiously. Just that, how can I possibly show his blessing to anyone else so easily? What if I scare you out of your wits? As far as he knew, the Old Master had not imprinted a blessing on him before, but... it was already toote for him to back down at this point. Thus, he could only thicken his skin and push his way forward. In any case, as long as he refused to take out the blessing, the other party should not be able to do anything about it. Dont worry, itll be all good as long as you have Yang shis blessing. Theres no need for you to take it out, Elder Ge replied with a smile. A master teacher of Yang shis caliber is able to instill instinctive deference from other ordinary master teachers. As long as you follow me to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, well be able to discern if your words are true via the reflection of a unique formation. Teacher Acknowledgement Hall? Sun Qiangs face twitched slightly upon hearing those words. Even though he was not a master teacher, he had been to all kinds of Master Teacher Pavilions in his time with Zhang Xuan. He knew the significance of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to master teachers and that the will of countless predecessors resided in there. There was no trickery nor falsehood that would be able to escape their eyes. The fact that he did not have the Old Masters blessing would be exposed in an instant if they headed there. Dont you think its deeply disrespectful to trouble the wills of the predecessors over something as trivial as this? My Old Master has always preached that a person should always rely on himself as far as possible so as to not trouble others unnecessarily! Sun Qiang replied haughtily without the slightest tinge of redness in his face. The days he had spent as a realtor back in the Tianxuan Kingdom had allowed him to refine his art of lying. Its not a trivial matter at all. This matter concerns the honor of a 9-star master teacher, so its imperative that we take it with utmost seriousness. Otherwise, I will have to report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them send an envoy to verify the matter. That truly would be troubling others, Elder Ge replied earnestly. The other partys firm confidence had left him a little doubtful earlier, but with the other party insistently refusing to verify his identity, he was starting to be more and more convinced that the other party was a fake. Without bothering to give Sun Qiang any opportunity to argue, Elder Ge turned around and instructed, Escort Yang shis butler to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall! Yes! the young man replied. He stepped forward, and a burst of energy surged from his palm and wrapped around Sun Qiang like iron chains, rendering thetterpletely immobile. As one who had not even reached the Saint realm yet, his strength was nothingpared to the Saint 5-dan young man. Butler Sun, this way please! the young man gestured forward with a smile. I... Not expecting to be treated in such a manner, Sun Qiangs face reddened in rage. How dare you bind the butler of a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Will any of you be able to bear the consequences once my Old Master learns of the matter? Bind? We would not dare bind a person as esteemed as you. All we are doing is inviting you over to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to verify your identity. As Yang shis butler, you should be well aware of how important lineages are to master teachers, so even if Yang shi does learn of this matter, he will agree with our actions, Elder Ge said as he walked out of the room. The young man quickly followed behind while dragging Sun Qiang along with him. Not too longter, they arrived before a vast hall. Within the hall was a massive altar filled with innumerable tablets. These had been left behind by the generations of outstanding predecessors of the Sanctum of Sages. Erected at the very center of the room was Kong shis sculpture, and he was looking at the sky with eyes filled withpassion for the entire world. By the side of the hall, there was a row of smaller sculptures. The sculpture at the very forefront of the row was an old man whose eyes were tightly shut. He was the founder of the Sanctum of Sages, Ancient Sage Bo Shang. To the right of him was Sage Kui. After which was the Second Sanctum Head, the Third Sanctum Head, and so on. The sculptures of these sanctum heads were significantly shorter than Kong shi, and it seemed as if they were listening to his teaching,prehending the true nature of the world. We have arrived at the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. If you really do possess the blessing of Yang shi, we should be able to tell easily here, Elder Ge said with a smile before waving his hand grandly. Hu! Many rays of light shot forth from the tablets and the sculptures and fell upon Sun Qiang, embracing his body. It seemed like they were trying to detect the presence of any blessing within him. Hu! A momentter, the light shrouding Sun Qiang dissipated into the surroundings. You have no blessing imprinted on you at all! As expected, you have been lying all this time! the young man bellowed in agitation. Preposterous! How can you even think of impersonating Yang shis butler? You must really be tired of... Elder Ge nced at Sun Qiang with eyes that looked ready to kill. Kacha! But before Elder Ge could finish his words, a resounding explosion suddenly echoed in the hallone of the tablets had exploded. Following which, the other tablets swiftly followed suit, as if fearing that it would be considered an act of disrespect if they were to detonate themselveste. In just the blink of an eye, the room was filled with wooden shavings all around. Chapter 1396 - The Deputy Sanctum Head Appears

Chapter 1396: The Deputy Sanctum Head Appears

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... The lower jaw of both Elder Ge and the young man fell to the ground,pletely bbergasted by what they were seeing. The situation had far exceeded their imagination. If Yang shis blessing was imprinted within Sun Qiangs body, all of the predecessors whose strength was beneath Yang shis when they left behind their will would fall down as a sign of respect to him. And based off what they knew of Yang shis strength, there were definitely not too many predecessors in the Sanctum of Sages who would be a match for him. If Sun Qiang was truly Yang shis butler, they estimated that roughly half of tablets would fall, leaving behind just a few incredible experts and the sanctum heads. But instead of falling, they ended up exploding. What the heck was going on? Elder Ge anxiously looked at the altar of tablets before him, but as if meeting with some kind of supernatural urrence, they were exploding one after another with increasing frequency. In just a few breaths, they had all already been reduced to wooden shavings with none surviving the ordeal. Its fortunate that the sculptures of the sanctum heads are still intact... Elder Ge heaved a sigh of relief. It was already bad enough for the tablets to be destroyed under his watch, so if anything had happened to Sage Kui and other sculpture as well, he really would have been in deep trouble. But before he could finish his words, cracks began creeping across the sculpture of the Ninth Sanctum Head, growing more and more numerous. Kacha! Kacha! A secondter, it was nothing more than a pile of rubble on the ground. And as if a contagious disease, the same symptoms struck the Eighth Sanctum Head, followed by the Seventh Sanctum Head, then the Sixth... Even Ancient Sage Bo Shang was not spared from this mysterious mdy and split in two, leaving behind Kong shi standing silently on the spot. At this point, Elder Ge and the young mans minds had gonepletely nk. The sanctum head of each generation was an astounding genius, be it in terms of their fighting prowess or eye of discernment. They would not pale inparison even against the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion! This was even more so for Ancient Sage Bo Shang. As one of Kong shis direct disciple, he had achieved a level of cultivation that not a single generation of deputy pavilion masters of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were able to match up to. So why would they shatter all of a sudden while in the midst of recognizing Yang shi? Just when in the world did Yang shi reach such a level of power? If that was the case, as an elder of the Sanctum of Sages, Elder Ge should have heard of the joyous news by now! Those two were not the only ones who were taken aback by the happenings. Even the perpetrator of the entire affair, Sun Qiang, waspletely dumbstruck as well. He had thought that he would be exposed this time around, but who could have known that this would happen instead? While the Old Master had never imprinted a blessing on him, the Young Master did infuse several surges of zhenqi into his body before, saying that it would protect him in times of danger. It was out of a moment of desperation that he tried driving them earlier, but who would have thought that it would lead to the tablets exploding instead? It was as if they had met a being whom they dared not oppose. The whole debacle was too bizarre! You... Just as Sun Qiang was deep in thought, he saw Elder Ge looking at him with a speechless expression on his face. Do you believe that I am Yang shis butler now? Seeing that he was finally out of danger, Sun Qiang heaved a sigh of relief on the inside while ncing down on Elder Ge imposingly, as if everything had been under his control all this while. This... Elder Ge was just about to nod when a resounding creak filled the room, and the next instant, Kong shis sculpture ced his hands together and bowed deeply, seemingly greeting a peer. Hu! Following which, cracks began surfaced on Kong shis sculpture as well, and it took just a few moments for it to explode into smithereens. And just as everyone thought that the worst was over, the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall suddenly began shaking non-stop, and the roof began plummeting down on them one chunk at a time. Hong long long! In less than two breaths, the majestic building copsed inward, bing nothing more than a pile of rubble. Just what in the world is going on? Elder Ge and the young man looked at one another with frenzied expressions on their faces. They had been nning to bring that fellow over to verify if that fellow really had Yang shis blessing imprinted on him or not, but who could have known that the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall would end up copsing instead? The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was a ce where the wills of the predecessors were stored. Even if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe managed to destroy every single hall of the Sanctum of Sages, it would still be nigh impossible for them to tear down the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. Yet, the impregnable fortress was actually reduced to such a state. Are you an envoy sent by the God of Destruction to bring ruination upon us! What happened? Barely after diving out of the rubble, they swiftly heard a voice in the sky. Looking up, they saw various silhouettes rushing over in their direction. The one taking the lead was an old man, and upon seeing the current state of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, his lips began twitching uncontrobly, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing. He was the incumbent deputy sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, Zhan Tiancheng. Zhan shi... Seeing that the deputy sanctum head hade down personally, Elder Ge hurriedly sped his fist and exined everything that had happened in detail. While verifying for the presence of a blessing, the tablets all shattered, and Kong shi ced his hands together and bowed deeply? Upon hearing the story from Elder Ge, Zhan shi and the other elders in the sky looked at one another with unbelievable expressions on their faces. For Kong shi to actually bow to another man as his peer... What a joke! Who in the world could possibly be worthy of having the Worlds Teacher bow down to them as a peer? What Im saying is the absolute truth! If you dont believe me, you can have him try it again once the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall is fixed! Elder Ge eximed in agitation, seeing the doubt in the others eyes. The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall harnesses the will of many predecessors. Itll take at least half a year in order to restore it to its previous state. Zhan shi shook his head and frowned. Why dont we do this instead? We shall temporarily seal our cultivation and use our own perceiving methods to examine Butler Suns condition so as to determine whats going on. Their strength was already no weaker than the predecessors, so they could use the same means to determine if there was truly a blessing in Sun Qiang or not. At the same time, they would be able to find out what had happened earlier as well. Sounds good. Elder Ge nodded. Lets begin then! Zhan shi instructed. The various elders quickly surrounded Sun Qiang, and with a flick of their wrist, a ray of light burst forth from their hands. Hong long! Just like before, the light congregated on Sun Qiang, forming a sphere of light around him. They really wont learn, will they? Seeing that the crowd was still insisting on examining him, Sun Qiang shook his head helplessly. He drove the zhenqi that the Young Master had infused into his body before turning to look at one of the elders. Padah! A slight jolt sounded, and the elder abruptly plummeted from the sky before lying in a daze on the ground, as if having encountered something terrifying. Then, Sun Qiang turned his gaze to another one of the elders. Paji! That elder plummeted from the sky, too. This... Scratching his head, Sun Qiang turned to the third elder. Hu hu hu! Wherever Sun Qiangs eyes fell, the elders in that direction would suddenly lose control of their strength and plummet to the ground. In just the blink of an eye, only Zhan shi was left in the sky. You... Watching as Sun Qiang slowly turned his head around, Zhan shi could not help but shudder in fear. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a towering figure appearing right before his eyes. That figure was so big that he seemed to cover the entire world, or perhaps, he was the world itself, a manifestation of the authority of the heavens. Padah! A jolt struck Zhan shis heart, and he suddenly found his zhenqi slowing to a halt. Just like that, he plummeted from the sky as well and struck the ground headfirst, dyeing his hair with dirt. Watching as the deputy sanctum head and other elders fell from the sky, Elder Ges eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. His teeth ttered together in fear as he looked at the fat silhouette before him with a hint of apprehension in his eyes. The Young Masters zhenqi is actually so useful? While the crowd was overwhelmed by shock and fear, Sun Qiang was reveling in his newfound ability. He excitedly drove the zhenqi that the Young Master had infused into his body and swept his gaze across the crowd once more. In response to that, Zhan shi and the others convulsed on the spot. Another sweeping gaze, and they convulsed on the spot once more. Sun Qiang could not help but find the situation deeply interesting. Chapter 1397 - The Real Butler (1)

Chapter 1397: The Real Butler (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was some timeter before Sun Qiang reluctantly came to a halt. It was not that he did not want to continue ying with the various master teachers, but the zhenqi that the Young Master had left in his body was limited in the first ce. He could not just waste it all on trivial ying; he had to keep some for times of danger as well. Hu hu! With Sun Qiang ceasing to abuse the Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhan shi and the others finally managed to rise back up into the sky. They instinctively turned their gazes toward the fatty beneath themfear and shock could be seen reflected in the depths of their eyes. The detection method required them to seal their cultivation so that they could better sense the presence of a master teachers aura with their senses. Under normal circumstances, as long as the person who had left behind the blessing was not too much stronger than them, they would only feel a surge of respect and admiration for the individual. What that had happened earlierthe loss of ability to move their bodiesshould have been impossible! There had never been such an incidence of something like that happening before. But the impossible had reallye true this time around. One of the elders cowered back fearfully before turning his gaze over to the others and asking, What did you all see? I saw a silhouette that towered even against the sky, an existence that seemed to epass the entire world... it was almost as if that figure was the heavens themselves! an elder said. Thats exactly what I saw too! Could it be that Yang shi has already achieved that level of strength? The crowd gulped before they gasped in shock. Just what kind of realm had Yang shi reached in order for the blessing he imprinted to harness such astounding power? Yang shi has close ties with the old ancestors of the Three Sage ns, especially with the Zhang n and the Luo n. In fact, he was the witness to the betrothal of the young prodigy and the little princess! He surpassed Saint 9-dan many years ago, reaching an unfathomable level in his cultivation. Furthermore, he possesses exceptional sensitivity toward souls and bloodlines, such that it would be no exaggeration to say that hes the number one expert in that field in the world! Zhan shi said. Other than him, I can think of no one else who wields the power to reduce the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to such a state and render every single one of uspletely powerless! While most elders in the Sanctum of Sages might not know much about the elusive grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, as the deputy sanctum head, Zhan shi still knew a thing or two. And honestly, other than that legendary man, he could not think of anyone else who could make them plummetpletely helplessly from the sky with just his aura. Does this mean that... hes really Yang shis butler? Elder Ges body stiffened. Thats most likely the case. Zhan shi nodded. Then, he turned to Elder Ge and berated him in displeasure. As Yang shis butler, its natural for Butler Sun to put on airs, or else what would be of the strict hierarchy of order among the master teachers? Yet, you doubted him and forcefully dragged him over to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to verify his identity. Its no wonder he was unhappy and reduced the entire ce to such a state. Elder Ge, this is a mess that you caused, so youd better put some thought into how you intend to resolve it! Would anyone in their right mind dare impersonate Yang shis butler? Considering the heavy price that one would have to pay once caught, no sane person would attempt to impersonate as Yang shis butler! Yet, he just had to doubt Butler Sun. Look at the good work you have done! The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall has copsed, and the several dozen millenniums of pride and honor of the Sanctum of Sages has beenpletely ruined! Yes... Elder Ge nodded with a bitter smile on his face. Gritting his teeth, he slowly walked toward to Sun Qiang, but before he could say a word, thetter had already put his hands behind his back once more and questioned with a haughty look on his face, How is it? Have you verified my identity? Of course, of course! Elder Ge quickly nodded. Humph! Your student tried to throw me out of the Hall of Integrity and pass a Restraint Order on me, and you forcefully brought me to the Hall of Acknowledgement in order to verify my identity. How do you think we should resolve this matter? Sun Qiang asked with an authoritative tone. It was really fortunate that the Young Master had left a surge of zhenqi in his body, or else things would have gotten really awkward! Of course, it was impossible for the Young Masters zhenqi to be so formidable by itself. In his view, the Old Master must have left behind some kind of means within him that even he was oblivious to. But thinking over the matter once more, despite being a butler of the number one figure in the Master Teacher Continent, he had actually been messed around by a minor figure like that. The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became. Butler Sun, Elder Ge was just ignorant of your identity, so if you could be so kind as to... Zhan shi quickly stepped in and intervened. I told him whom my Old Master is, but he chose to doubt my words instead. I, Sun Qiang, have traveled here step by step from the Tianxuan Kingdom, and I have braved countless storms. But this is the first time I have seen someone that conceited! Sun Qiang sneered coldly. If everyone were to behave in such a manner, what would be of Yang shis authority? What would be of the Master Teacher Pavilions authority? This... Zhan shi frowned in a dilemma. While humility was celebrated among the master teachers, there was still a need to regard the leaders of mankind with respect so as to not undermine their authority. If everyone disregarded the authority of those in power, it would be hard for the leaders of mankind to rally the popce together to fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Knowing that he was at fault for this incident, Elder Ge clenched his fists tightly and stepped forward. Butler Sun, feel free to say what you want me to do. As long as its within my means, consider it done. You are a master teacher whereas I am just a butler; I dont have the right to issue any punishment to you. Sun Qiang shot a nce at Elder Ge. There was a short pause before he waved his hand and continued. However, if you wish to make reparations, it just happens that our Young Master is in dire need for pinnacle spirit stones. If you can bring some over, I think we can let this matter rest. Dont worry, Ill pay an equivalent price for the exchange. Its not my habit to ckmail or coerce others into things. Having followed Zhang Xuan for quite some time, as he came into contact with higher ranked master teachers, he began to gain a deeper understanding of the rules concerning master teachers. It was true that even 8-star master teachers would have to show him respect out of deference to the Old Master, but ultimately, he still was not a master teacher, so he was not qualified to pass judgement upon them. It would be a breach of etiquette. Thats simple, consider it done! Hearing that the other party just wanted to exchange for pinnacle spirit stones, Elder Ge immediately heaved a sigh of relief. He flicked his wrist, and a jade container materialized in his hand. Here are five pinnacle spirit stones. Please consider them an apology for my undeserving disciples insolent actions. If you wish to make any further exchange for pinnacle spirit stones, feel free to look for me. As long as its not beyond fifty pinnacle spirit stones, I should be able to sort it for you! You are a wise man. Sun Qiang nodded with a pleased smile on his face as he epted the jade container. The very purpose of his visit was to acquire the pinnacle spirit stones, and not only did he gain five of them for free, he was even given the right to exchange for them whenever. This oue was one that he was extremely content with. At the same time, he could not help but think how convenient it was when there was someone above that he could rely on. Had these master teachers not found the Old Masters blessing in him, putting aside earning these pinnacle spirit stones, he might not even have been allowed to walk out of there alive! Seeing that the conflict was resolved, Zhan shi stepped forward and asked with a smile, Butler Sun, if I may, what level of cultivation has Yang shi reached, and where is he at the moment? The imposing figure that he had seen earlier was simply too frightening, such that his heart was still beating in trepidation. Could Yang shi have really crossed that bottleneck and achieved that unfathomable realm? Our Old Master has always been a rather elusive figure, and even I dont have any means of contacting him. Usually, hes the one who looks for me instead. Im also not too sure on the specifics regarding how powerful he is either, but I do know that the strength he wields has reached a level far beyond anyones gauge... such that its no exaggeration to say that hes unrivalled in this world! When speaking of Yang Xuan, a brilliant gleam lit up in Sun Qiangs eyes, and his voice grew conspicuously agitated. Despite his overwhelming strength, the Old Master still remained amiable andpassionate, and this left him deeply in awe. Yang shi is truly a person worthy of respect. Zhan shi nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, an elder beside him suddenly rushed up to him with a bizarre look on his face. Zhan shi, theres someone looking for you outside. Looking for me? Zhan shi frowned. Who is it? As the deputy sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, a Saint 9-dan expert, he was not a figure whom just anyone could meet. The elder shot a nce at Sun Qiang, and his lips twitched slightly. Then, with a slightly awkward tone, he said, That person ims that he is... Yang shis butler! Chapter 1398 - The Real Butler (2)

Chapter 1398: The Real Butler (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ya-Yang shis butler? Which Yang shi? Zhan shi was stunned by the elders report. Its Yang Xuan! the elder replied. Zhan shi froze on the spot. They had finally recognized the plump man standing before them as Yang shis butler when another one popped up all of a sudden. Was this some kind of borate prank working against them? When did the position of Yang shis butler be so worthless that one could be found at every turn? Whats going on? Zhan shi sent a telepathic message privately to the elder. What the heck was this? This was the Sanctum of Sages, not some Guess Who Yang shis Real Butler Is event venue. For Yang shis butlers to pop up one after another... were they trying to stress him to death? I have no idea. My student just sent me the message. At which, the elder suddenly paused for a brief moment before continuing on. Furthermore, it seems like the person is someone whom you are acquainted with. Someone whom I am acquainted with? Zhan shi was bewildered by those words. While he had heard of many affairs surrounding Yang shi, most of them were concerning official matters instead of thetters private life. On top of that, he had not had the honor of meeting thetter in person. Thus, he was not familiar with thetters personal rtions. For example, he had not even heard of such Butler Sun prior to this matter. So, it was really perplexing to him that another one of Yang shis butlers would pop up and all of a sudden im that he was acquainted with him. Thats right. Do you still remember Hu Yiwei? the elder replied telepathically. You are speaking of... the Thousand Hands Poison Monarch Hu Yiwei? Zhan shi subconsciously tightened his fists upon hearing that name. Thats right, its him! the elder nodded grimly. The top echelon of the Poison Hall headquarters is ssified by the Two Guardians, Four Eminences, Twelve Poison Kings, and seventy-two Tier-1 Hall Masters. As the Left Guardian of the Poison Hall, Hu Yiweis name is often raised alongside Right Guardian Shen Jue, and hes known for his exceptional mastery of poison! Recalling the history surrounding Hu Yiwei, an involuntary shudder ran through Zhan shis body. Its said that his mastery of poison has already reached a level so high that he could even nt poison within an embryo through the mothers body without harming either of the two, cursing the child to a life of suffering. The poisons that he concocts are so potent and powerful that even 9-star physicians would find themselvespletely helpless before them! Indeed. There was a period of time when he wreaked havoc in the Master Teacher Continent, poisoning every single person that he came by. Eventually, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were forced to dispatch their forces to surround and take him down. If I recall correctly, Zhan shi, you were involved in that operation back then, right? the elder asked. Thats right, I did participate in that operation. Combining the forces dispatched by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Sanctum of Sages, and Combat Master Hall, there was a total of nine Saint 9-dan experts in total. We managed to corner him at an ancient city, and we set up an unbreachable trap in order to force him to surrender. Yet, who could have thought that the fellow would actually manage to forcefully break out of our defenses through the sheer potency of his poison? Six of the Saint 9-dan experts died on the spot, and its only by a stroke of luck that I managed to survive the ordeal. As Zhan shi recalled the affairs that had happened back then, hostility rippled in his eyes, and he seemed to grow slightly agitated. It is due to that lethal poison that my cultivation hasnt progressed at all for the past twenty years, stagnating at Saint 9-dan primary stage. After that matter, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters organized a couple more operations, but the cunning Hu Yiwei managed to get away each time. However, all news surrounding him abruptly stopped two months afterward, and he has not been seen since then. There are rumors saying that he encountered Yang shi, and thetter subdued him and made him his subordinate! the elder said. Due to the vast implications of the matter, the operations conducted over the past two decades had been kept confidential among the top brass of the Master Teacher Pavilion. As such, those who had not participated in those operations would never know of these matters. Un, I have heard of that rumor, too. No matter how powerful Hu Yiwei is, theres no way he would stand a chance against the powerful Yang shi. If that man who is requesting to meet me is really Hu Yiwei, then there might just be some credibility to the rumors! Zhan shi said. While he harbored deep anger toward the Hu Yiwei, if it was true that thetter had be Yang shis subordinate, he would have no choice but to forsake all thoughts of exacting vengeance. It was true that the Thousand Hands Poison Monarch had erred greatly in the past, but if Yang shi could guarantee that the other party would use his powers to contribute to mankind in the future, that would surely be preferable to killing the other party. After all, Saint 9-dan experts were not easy toe by, and mankind was in need of all the strength it could get in order to deal with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The rumors that Yang shi had subdued Hu Yiwei had spread like wildfire at one point in time, but there had been no concrete evidence then to determine the authenticity of the rumor. As such, they could only take the matter with a pinch of salt. But... who would have thought that it would actually be real! Youre right... The elder hesitated for a brief moment before asking, Should we invite him in? Since hes Yang shis butler, he should be acquainted with Butler Sun over here. It would be good to allow them to interact with one another, and perhaps, we just might be able to determine the cause of the peculiar situation earlier, Zhan shi said. Only someone as powerful as Yang shi could have the strength to possibly make the vicious Hu Yiwei bow in submission. If the person requesting an audience with him was truly Hu Yiwei, there should be little doubt that he was really Yang shis butler. After all, why else would someone as esteemed as the Left Guardian of the Poison Hall im that he was the butler of a master teacher? That would only be lowering his standing! Considering how the plump man before him was Yang shis butler as well, there was a good chance that the both of them knew one another. Alright. The elder nodded before leaving the room. Some timeter, he returned with a gray-robed elder behind him. This elder had particrly thick eyebrows, and there was a gloomy tone to his eyes, making it hard for one to read his emotions. His true cultivation was buried deep within his body, making it impossible for one to urately gauge his strength. However, based on what Zhan shi had said, he was likely to be a Saint 9-dan expert at the very minimum. Hu Yiwei walked right up to Zhan shi and said with a slight smile, Zhan Tiancheng, we meet once more. Indeed, we meet once more, Zhan shi said with narrowed eyes as he tried his best to suppress his fury. You need not get angry. I was the Left Guardian of the Poison Hall back then, so its a given that we would attempt to kill one another. But since I have be Yang shis butler, we can be considered allies standing on the same front now. Theres no reason for you to view me hostilely, Hu Yiwei said. Indeed, theres no reason for that anymore. Zhan shi shook his head. May I know the reason behind your visit? If theres nothing much, why dont I show you the way out? Dont be so quick to send me off. Why dont you take a look at this first? Perhaps, it might change your mind! Hu Yiwei flicked his finger, and a jade bottle flew over. Zhan shi casually grabbed the jade bottle and pried it open. A momentter, his eyes narrowed, Is this... the antidote to the poison in my body? Ever since bing afflicted with the poison from the other party twenty years ago, he had sought out countless physicians, but none of them had been able to do anything about it. As a result of that, he had been unable to advance his cultivation. It was exactly for this reason that he was filled with rage for the other party. Yet, who would have thought that the other party would deliver the antidote right to him? Indeed. My master wishes me to cure all those patients whom I have poisoned over the years. Even though the poison you were afflicted with wasnt too severe, it still must have caused you quite some suffering over the years. Thus, I hope to make it up to you one way or another, Hu Yiwei exined. Help me ry my thanks to Yang shi. With Zhan shis eye of discernment, he was able to tell whether the antidote was real or not with just a single nce, and he could hardly control his excitement with the cure to his long-term affliction right in his hands. He hurriedly ced it into his storage ring before recalling the other matter he had in mind, so he gestured to Sun Qiang and said, Right, why dont I introduce the both of you to one another? This gentleman over here is also Yang shis butler, Sun Qiang. Butler Sun, this elder over here is Hu Yiwei, Yang shis butler. Well, I guess the both of you should be acquainted with one another, right? Yang shis butler? Hu Yiwei frowned in doubt. I am the only butler that Yang shi has. How could there be another butler? On the other hand, Sun Qiangs eyebrows shot up upon hearing those words, and displeasure surfaced on his face. Little Zhan, you said that hes the Old Masters butler too? You must be joking with me! After which, he turned his sights to Hu Yiwei and bellowed, Preposterous! How dare you impersonate the Old Masters butler? Men, take him down! Chapter 1399 - Sun Qiangs Wrath

Chapter 1399: Sun Qiangs Wrath

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A wave of silence swept across the room. The teeth of every single elder in the room were ttering non-stop, and they looked at Sun Qiang as if they were looking at a monster. The gray-robed elder wielded strength that even Zhan shi could not match, and yet, that plump man actually said that the other party was preposterous and evenmanded for others to take him down. Even if we want to take him down, we need the strength to do so first! If we really attempt to do so, every single one of us will probably be poisoned to the ground by the end of today! On the other hand, Hu Yiwei was taken aback for an instant before his eyes narrowed into thin slits. What did you say? He had been following Yang shi for more than twenty years now, and he knew very well whether thetter had more butlers and subordinates or not. In fact, he was the one who dealt with almost all of the misceneous matters. It was one thing for him to have never met the plump man standing before him, but to think that the other party would dare speak to him in such a manner! Are you deaf? Didnt you hear what I said? Sun Qiang waved his hand in impatience. Speak! Whats your motive for pretending to be the Old Masters butler? You might have been able to get away with it if you did it elsewhere, but it seems that you have lucked out. You never thought that you would meet me, Yang shis real butler, hmm? Real butler? Sensing thepleteck of nervousness within Sun Qiang while saying those words, Hu Yiwei could not help but turn his gaze to Zhan shi. Zhan Tiancheng, who is this fellow? You dont know one another? Zhan shis lips twitched. He had thought that as fellow butlers of Yang shi, the both of them should have been acquainted with one another. Yet, who could have thought that a meeting between the both of them would end up so tense instead? It was not only the case that the both of them hadnt met one another, it was more like they did not even know of each others existence! This almost felt like a wife meeting the mistress for the first time! Am I supposed to know every insignificant person out there in the world? Hu Yiwei flung his sleeves coldly. His master was one of the strongest experts in the Master Teacher Continent, and even the weakest cultivator in his social circle was at Saint 9-dan at minimum. Given so, how could his master possibly take a fellow who was not even at the Saint realm yet as his butler? He... ims to be Yang shis butler, and we validated his identity through the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall earlier. Yang shi has indeed imprinted his blessing on him, Zhan shi exined. The person who had imprinted a blessing onto Sun Qiang was an expert far stronger than their imaginations. Other than Yang shi, they could think of no other person who was powerful enough for that. He possesses my masters blessing? Hu Yiwei was taken aback by those words. He turned his gaze toward the plump man by the side once more, and deep creases slowly etched themselves onto his forehead. My master is a person who values peace and quietness, such that he has only taken in a single student to date. Given that, how could he possibly take you in as his butler? Fatty, exin yourself! Even if Yang shi wanted to take in a butler, he would at least take in someone who was much more qualified! There was simply no reason he would take in a person as weak as the fatty before him as his butler! Audacious! How dare you question our Old Masters judgement! Naturally, he has his own considerations for making his decisions. Or could it be that you feel that our Old Master is ountable to you for every decision that he makes? Sun Qiang waved his hand and harrumphed coldly. He turned around and sat back down on the main seat in the room before continuing. Theres no point wasting any more time here. Hurry up and confess your identity and the reason you are impersonating as our Old Masters butler? What the heck was this? People nowadays sure were getting more and more arrogant! How in the world could a fake like the other party possibly have the cheek and the courage to stand before him without the slightest hint of fear? Not to mention, to even be putting on such an act in the Sanctum of Sages... His audacity was truly incredible! Impersonating? Hu Yiwei nearly exploded on the spot. Do you know who I am? Had it been in the past, he definitely would have poisoned the other party to death for daring to conduct himself so arrogantly before him. As the Left Guardian of the Poison Hall, possibly the top poison practitioner in the world, how could he allow another man to insult him in such a manner? Do I look like I give a damn as to who you are? Sun Qiang replied with a deeply annoyed tone. Rather, do you know who I am? Our Old Master is one of the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and very possibly the strongest expert in the world! As his butler, I have the responsibility to uphold his dignity and standing. Yet, a mere impersonator like you actually dares to question me in such a manner. I hate to say this, but are you tired of living? To think that even a mere impersonator would speak to him so arrogantly! It seemed like even the world was not a big enough ce to house the other partys ego anymore! Even though Hu Yiwei was on the verge of erupting, he still suppressed his rage and harrumphed. You im that Yang shi is your master, but do you have any evidence of it? After years of listening to Yang shis teachings, his temper had cooled down significantly. Had anyone dared to speak to him in such a manner in the past, he would have flipped the entire Sanctum of Sages upside down. Evidence? Little Zhan has already verified it earlierthe Old Masters blessing is right within me! Instead of speaking of me, why dont you take a look at yourself instead? Do you have any evidence to prove your identity? Who doesnt know how to make empty ims? Why dont you show some evidence first before pointing your finger at others? Sun Qiang sneered coldly. He had used the Young Masters zhenqi in order to clear the identity examination, but given that the Young Master was the Old Masters direct disciple, that could also be considered a method of the Old Master, so it was not entirely inurate to say that he possessed Yang shis blessing. You... Unwilling to waste his breath on futile exnations, Hu Yiwei flicked his wrist and whipped out a token. This is the token that my master has given to me! Token? Zhan shi and the others quickly turned their gazes over, and very soon, they nodded in approval. Thats a token specially crafted by the Master Teacher Pavilion! Indeed, it belongs to Yang shi. Theres no way to fake that. As elders of the Sanctum of Sages, they would never make a mistake with something as important as this. Its real? Sun Qiang was stunned for an instant before hurriedly snatching the token to take a look. The token was roughly the size of ones palm. The majestic insignia of the Master Teacher Pavilion was imprinted on the front, and the back was a (Yang) character written in seal script. It was difficult to determine what material it was made of, but just from the solemn and heavy air that it exuded, it was apparent that the token was no weaker than any Saint high-tier artifact! Putting aside whether the token was real or not, just the very material and craftsmanship of the token made it a highly valuablemodity, and not to mention, one could still vaguely feel the unique aura of the Master Teacher Pavilion within it. To think that the Old Master didnt give one to me... The more Sun Qiang stared at the token, the more indignant he felt. This is too much! Isnt the Old Master too biased? Its one thing that he dumped the Young Master on me to take care of, but he actually didnt leave anything for me either. This is really unfair! As your student, I understand why you might want to cultivate independence in the Young Master and thus didnt want to interfere in his growth too much... but Im your butler! Not only did you not give me any money or a blessing, you even gave someone else such a good token instead of me. Were both your butlers, but why does it seem like Im your step-butler instead? This wont do. The next time I meet the Old Master, I must really talk sense into him. At the very least, I should receive at least one or two tokens from him. Otherwise, how am I supposed to uphold my pride, my dignity, if everyone doubts my identity? As the butler of the man who stands at the top of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, I need to at least maintain a front thats worthy of my standing so that I dont bring shame to the Old Masters name! Seeing the look on Sun Qiangs face, Hu Yiwei harrumphed coldly. How is it? Can this token prove my identity? Even though Sun Qiang felt deeply indignant inside, he still swiftly regained his poise and calmly replied, Well... since Little Zhan and the others have already verified the token to be real, I guess you are indeed a butler of the Old Master as well. Considering how powerful an expert the Old Master was, it was understandable that he would have other butlers behind his back. As the main butler, he needed to be understanding and magnanimous to the Old Masters needs. Ever since I became the Old Masters subordinate, I have followed closely in his footsteps, never leaving his side. Tell me, why am I unaware of your existence? Hu Yiwei flicked his token back into his storage ring before gazing at Sun Qiang coldly. Do you think that you are truly capable of following every single one of the Old Masters moves with your current capabilities? Sun Qiang sneered coldly before slowly raising his head to look into the distance, seemingly reminiscing the old days. The Old Master picked me out from the market, saying that he was in awe of my character and temperament. He tasked me with taking care of the Young Master and protecting him till he matures. It was then that I made the decision to serve as his butler for life! But those are matters back from very long ago, so theres no point bringing them back up now. Right, you mentioned earlier that you are the Old Masters butler? Since thats the case, you should just listen to mymands from now on. Its fine, you dont have to feel touched. Its my responsibility to share the burden of the Old Master in taking care of the other subordinates... Chapter 1400 - Cant Be Poisoned to Death

Chapter 1400: Cant Be Poisoned to Death

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back when he was still in the Tianxuan Kingdom, Sun Qiang had been with the Old Master for quite some time, but he had never heard that the Old Master had another butler Had he known this earlier, he would not have tired himself out like this. He could simply have ordered this fellow around to get things done! After all, he was the butler whom the Old Master had entrusted the Young Master to, so it went without saying that his standing had to be higher. You want me to listen to yourmands? Hearing those words, Hu Yiweis cheeks twitched wildly, and he nearly rushed forward to strangle the other party to death. Could you be any more shameless? Even if I have concealed my cultivation, you should be able to tell how powerful I am from Zhan shi and the others attitude, right? I am a figure whom others would faint in the face of, and yet, you actually dare to say such words to me. Are you really that brave, or are your eyes that bad? Indeed! You are only a subordinate in charge of handling the Old Masters misceneous affairs whereas I am butler whom the Old Master has recognized and entrusted great responsibility to. Shouldnt it be your honor to listen to mymands? Sun Qiang nodded matter-of-factly. After all, it was clear that the other party was a mere subordinate in charge of handling misceneous affairs. On the other hand, he was a butler who had been entrusted with a direct disciple! Given so, was it not obvious which of the two of them was of higher standing? A subordinate might still require a token for others to validate their identity, but as the real butler, it went without saying that he did not need such a thing! With such a thought in mind, Sun Qiang suddenly felt his indignation subsiding significantly, and his pride swelled once more. You want me to listen to yourmands? Luo luo! Hu Yiwei clenched his teeth tightly together as a hint of killing intent shed across his eyes. With a flick of his finger, he inconspicuously sent a surge of poison into the plump mans body as he thought callously, Sure, as long as you can survive this! After which, he decisively turned his gaze toward the elder, not wanting to waste any more of his breath on a dead man. Zhan shi, I have apanied the Young Master here this time. He has already sessfully enrolled in the Sanctum of Sages, so my mission is alreadyplete, and theres no reason for me to stay here anymore. The reason Im paying a visit right now is to request for you to take good care of him. My master has very high expectations of the Young Master. But before Zhan shi could respond, a loud voice suddenly interjected. Theres no need for you to worry. Ill take care of the Young Master well. Hu Yiweis eyes widened in astonishment upon hearing that voice. He quickly turned his gaze over and saw Sun Qiang waving his hand calmly. H-how is this... possible? Hu Yiweis heart jolted in shock. The poison he had used was so potent that even an expert of Zhan shis caliber would bleed from his seven apertures once afflicted with it. Considering the dose that he had injected into the plump mans body, how could he possibly remainpletely fine and even speak so energetically? Was this for real? What do you mean by that? Not knowing the peril that he had just been through, Sun Qiang waved his hand derisively and harrumphed. If not for me taking care of the Young Master along the way, how could he have be a student of the Sanctum of Sages so easily? You neednt worry about anything; the Young Master is in good hands! ... Hearing how the plump man was speaking with increasing fervor,pletely devoid of the weakened state that a poisoned man should be in, Hu Yiwei narrowed his eyes grimly. Unable to believe what was happening before him, he discreetly flicked his finger a few more times, sending more surges of poison into the other partys body. Even though his temperament had calmed down over the years under Yang shis teachings, the plump man before him had simply gone too far, stomping right across his bottom line. As a Saint 9-dan expert, there was no way he could allow a weakling to humiliate him like that! Wu wu wu! In an instant, the few most lethal poisons that Hu Yiwei had with him were injected right into Sun Qiangs body. Enough! Is there any point in you flicking your fingers again and again? Are you hearing what Im saying, or are you ying deaf with me? As a subordinate, you should know your ce! Its no wonder the Old Master is unwilling to entrust greater responsibilities to you! Sun Qiang flung his sleeves in disapproval. He had been speaking nicely to the other party all this while, but that fellow just had to flick things at him again and again, provoking the zhenqi that the Young Master had left within his body to surge all around the ce. Dont you know about respecting your seniors? Or do you think that I have mellowed out so much over the year that you feel that you can climb over my head? Otherwise, would you dare to act so brazenly before me? It seems like you are really mistaking my kindness for weakness. You... Seeing that there was really no sign of the other party being poisoned, Hu Yiweis eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. The poisons that he had flicked into the plump mans body earlier were the most potent that he possessed. Even Yang shi had to struggle a bit to deal with them, and yet, the other party was actuallypletely fine before them. Could it be that the plump man really was not as weak as he seemed? Was he actually a formidable expert in disguise? Just a while ago, he had met with ady, whom despite her young age, was able to subdue him with ease! Furthermore, he had heard that the founder of the Poison Hall had returned recently, and she seemed to be a youngss, too! All of this taught him to never judge a person by their appearance. Not to mention, his masters eye of discernment had always been exceptional. Most likely, there was a deeper reason as to why he chose this crude plump man as his butler. After all, there was no reason for his master to recruit a useless man into his service! In an instant, the silhouette of the plump man whom he had been looking down at all this while suddenly grew towering. Zhan shi had noticed Hu Yiweis actions, but seeing that Sun Qiang remainedpletely unharmed, he thought that Hu Yiwei had decided against it in the end. Heaving a sigh of relief on the inside, he hurriedly asked, Ill definitely take good care of Yang shis student... Hes a freshman who cleared this examination just earlier this year, right? May I know his name? Zhang Xuan! Feng Ziyi! Sun Qiang and Hu Yiwei spoke simultaneously. Zhang Xuan? Before Zhan shi could respond, Hu Yiwei had already turned to look at Sun Qiang with a deep frown. My master only has a single student, and his name is Feng Ziyi. Who in the world is the Zhang Xuan you speak of? All those who were close with Yang shi would know that he had only officially epted a single student in his lifetime, and that person was Feng Ziyi. That was the Young Master whom he had been speaking of, and he had been following the other party all this while in order to protect him from the shadows, ensuring that he arrived at the Sanctum of Sages safely. As for that Zhang Xuan... he had never heard of this person before! It was one thing for him to have never heard of his master taking in another butler, but would it not be truly ridiculous if he remained oblivious to his master taking in another student as well? Feng Ziyi and our Young Master are from the same lineage. They have already met one another, and they even had a friendly spar. Sun Qiang waved his hand as he exined with a smile. From the looks of it, it seems like he has already be our Young Masters junior! So, that fellow was in charge of taking care of Feng Ziyi. That would exin everything! He had thought that it was weird when that fellow talked about how he had apanied the Young Master here. It turned out that the Young Masters they were talking about were referring to different individuals! Based on what he knew of Zhang Xuan, thetter would surely have Feng Ziyi pummeled till Feng Ziyi willingly addressed him as senior. Junior? Hu Yiwei froze on the spot. We could have been spared from all that trouble if you had just mentioned Feng Ziyis name earlier! I wouldnt have doubted you if that was the case. Since we are all working for the Old Master, we should at least try to get along with one another. Seeing that Hu Yiwei still had an uprehending frown on his forehead, Sun Qiang continued exining with a smile. For an expert as powerful as the Old Master, its perfectly normal for him to take in a couple of students and butlers outside without informing you. After all, as subordinates, its not our ce to inquire too much into our masters affairs. He knew full well how low profile the Old Master was. For one, despite knowing the Old Master for more than a year now, he would still have been oblivious to how incredible of a figure the Old Master was if not for Zhang Jiuxiaos exnation a while ago! ... Hu Yiwei was stifled into silence. With how confidently the plump man was speaking, and given that the other party had cleared Zhan shi and the others verification and even his most potent of poisons could not kill the other party, he suddenly felt deeply uncertain on the inside. He might have been apanying Yang shi for the past few years, but in the end, he was just a subordinate. There were still some matters that he was not privy to. Could it be that his master had really taken in another student and butler behind his back? His initial intention had just been to request Zhan shi to take care of Feng Ziyi, but in a weird twist of fate, it somehow turned into a reunion event. Chapter 1401 - His Name Is Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1401: His Name Is Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To share the same position as an insignificant figure who had not even reached the Saint realm yet... Hu Yiwei suddenly felt deeply stifled on the inside. Forget it, Ill just ask my master when I returnter on! Hu Yiwei knew that he would only be lowering his status if he were to argue with a nobody. Furthermore, there was just a chance that what the other party said was true. If that was the case, his actions would only lead to others mocking Yang shi for being unable to keep his subordinates in check, thus bringing shame to his master. Thus, he remained silent. However, as the indignation suffocating his chest continued to grow, he was eventually unable to keep his poise and harrumphed. Young Master Feng Ziyi is an extraordinarily talented individual. Even if the Zhang Xuan person you spoke of is a direct disciple of my master, too, there is little doubt that Young Master Feng Ziyi is the senior. Feng Ziyi was an extremely talented individual, such that even the core members of top Sage ns would struggle to remain on par with him. On top of that, he was a hardworking person as well, knowing that he had to work hard to achieve what he wanted in life. It was due to thebination of his unyielding diligence and his superior talent that he was able to achieve the cultivation of Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm despite only being in his twenties. Even if that Zhang Xuan fellow was Yang shis student as well, there was no way he could possibly best Feng Ziyis aplishment! Our Young Master has never been defeated by his peers! Sun Qiang waved his hand confidently. He had been with the Young Master for so long, but when had thetter ever allowed himself to suffer the slightest grievance? Those who dared stand against the Young Master eventually ended up bing his student or grandstudent, or else they would find their reputationpletely shattered, stripped of their master teacher identity even. No matter how powerful that Feng Ziyi fellow was, there was no way he could hold a candle to the Young Master! Hearing the plump mans boasting, Hu Yiwei could not help but frown in displeasure. Your Young Master has never been defeated by his peers? Humph! Thats only because he hasnt met our Young Master yet! In the younger generation, the most talented offspring of the Sage ns was indubitably Zhang Yu, but even he was nothingpared to Feng Ziyi. Even if that Zhang Xuan fellow the other party spoke of was truly powerful, there was no way he would be a match for Feng Ziyi! Not wanting to waste his breath with the obstinate old man, Sun Qiang harrumphed. Its pointless for you to quibble about it here. Youll know the answer very soon... In the midst of his words, however, an anxious voice suddenly interrupted them. Elder Ge, a disaster has urred! Following which, an elder rushed into the room in a fluster. Seeing that the person who had rushed into the room was a managerial elder of the Hall of Integrity, Elder Ge asked with a frown, Whats wrong? For an elder to fly into such a fluster, something huge must have urred. I-its the bunch from the Physician Guild! All of them suddenly came to the Hall of Integrity as a group under Divine Healer Bai Yus lead, and for some reason, they actually managed to make breakthroughs in their cultivation simultaneously! Now, we have more than a dozen elders undergoing the Dimension Sundering Ordeal. Due to the close proximity of their locations, the lightning tribtions began fusing together with one another, and they are showing signs of running amok! the elder reported with a pale face. They managed to make breakthroughs in their cultivation simultaneously? You said that the lightning tribtions began fusing together with one another? Everyone jolted on the spot upon hearing that news. Even Zhan shis eyes were widening in utter horror, unable to believe what he had just heard. The might of a lightning tribtion was, by no means, constant. If two people were to make a breakthrough simultaneously in close proximity to one another, the might of the lightning tribtion that they would draw in would not be as simple as just one plus one equals to two. Rather, the resonance between the lightning tribtions could cause the might of the lightning tribtion topound to four or even more. For this reason, cultivators would always avoid making a breakthrough at the same time as others, especially when the breakthrough would bring about a cultivation ordeal. Even if two cultivators had to make a breakthrough simultaneously, they would attempt to distance themselves from one another as much as possible so as to reduce the chances of the lightning tribtion fusing with one another. Once any fusion urred, the possibility of sess would be near zero. Yet, the Physician Guild actually had more than a dozen of their elders achieve breakthroughs simultaneously. As if that was not bad enough, they just had to make their breakthrough in the Hall of Integrity! Just what did the Hall of Integrity do to you all to treat us like that? Will you only be content after reducing us to rubble? I know most of the managerial elders in the Physician Guild. While most of them are indeed at Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm, a huge proportion of them have been stuck at the realm for many years, such that any chances of a breakthrough would have been bleak at most. Why would they suddenly achieve a breakthrough together? Zhan shi frowned in iprehension. Due to the poison that he had been afflicted with by Hu Yiwei, he often frequented the Physician Guild, and the elders had been coborating together to study the poison in his body as well. Thus, over time, they had grown rather close to one another. Most of the managerial elders had been too reliant on medicinal herbs and pills to push up their cultivation in their earlier years, which resulted in a lot of medicinal dregs being left behind in their meridians and veins. On top of that, too many years had gone by, and their vitality had already withered, thus making it nigh impossible for them to make a breakthrough anymore. Why would they suddenly achieve a breakthrough all at once? It waspletely illogical! The elder pondered for a moment as he reminisced on the sight that he had seen earlier before replying. I have no idea. ording to the rumors, it seems Divine Healer Bai Yu invited a freshman who is exceptionally skilled in medicine to conduct a lecture for them, but instead of conducting a lecture, the freshman offered them pointers on the various ws they had in their cultivation, and this insight seems to have helped them to ovee their bottlenecks. Freshman? Offered them pointers? Helped over a dozen Saint 7-dan cultivators ovee their bottlenecks simultaneously? The crowd froze upon hearing those words. Even Hu Yiwei waspletely bbergasted by what he had just heard. Even his master, Yang shi, would have great difficulty making more than a dozen Saint 7-dan pinnacle cultivators achieve a breakthrough simultaneously! That is second-hand news that I have heard from the personnel in the Physician Guild, so Im not too sure about the exact situation myself. However, with more than a dozen on them achieving a breakthrough simultaneously, the lightning tribtion has already grown to a scale that spans over five thousandmu 1 ! Not even the formation in the Hall of Integrity can withstand something of this scale! the elder eximed anxiously. Lets go take a look! Knowing that there was no time to waste for this matter, Elder Ge hurriedly got up and rushed toward the Hall of Integrity. Zhan shi and the others quickly followed behind him. Sun Qiang hesitated for a brief moment before tagging along as well. With how huge the matter was, the very first thought that came to his mind actually turned out to be the Young Master! It could not be that this was really the doing of the Young Master, could it? ... It did not take long for the crowd to arrive at the Hall of Integrity. Looking at the ominous storm clouds looming over them in sky, covering the sunpletely, everyone could not help but feel a little crazed inside. It was true that the Hall of Integrity was the ideal ce for any cultivator to face their cultivation ordeal in, but this... this was way out of proportion! If it really fell, the entire Hall of Integrity could very well be zapped into ashes! Elder Ge shuddered involuntarily in the face of the hulking lightning tribtion before him. In this instant, he could not help but marvel and, at the same time, fear the sheer prowess of the natural world. He turned his gaze to Zhan shi anxiously and asked, Zhan shi, what should we do? It was just a moment ago that the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall had been reduced to rubble. If something happened to the Hall of Integrity as well, he might as well retire from being an elder right now! I have no idea. Zhan shi shook his head grimly. If the lightning tribtion had been any smaller, he might still have been able to forcefully dissipate it with his strength as a Saint 9-dan primary stage expert. However, what was before him had already grown to a scale of five thousand mu. Its might was so great that it could wipe him off the face of this world easily, so how was he supposed to dissipate it! If it reallyes down to it, we might have to activate the Sanctum Custodian Formation of the Sanctum of Sages! Elder Ge said grimly. Sanctum Custodian Formation? That wont do. As anxious Zhan shi was, he still rejected Elder Ges proposition. The formation should only be used in the worst-case scenario, when the survival of the Sanctum of Sages is at stake. As powerful as the lightning tribtion is, it hasnt reached that point yet. The Sanctum Custodian Formation of the Sanctum of Sages had been built painstakingly by generations of predecessors. Unless the Sanctum of Sages was on the verge of destruction, they were not to activate it. As despairing as the massive congregation of ominous clouds was, it had not reached the level where the Sanctum Custodian Formation could be activated. If we dont activate it, the Hall of Integrity will be a goner! Elder Ge eximed in panic. This... Zhan shisplexion turned awful. He pondered for a moment, but he was still unable toe up with a viable alternative solution. However, another thought came to his mind instead, and he hurriedly turned his gaze toward the elder who had reported the incident to them previously. What is the name of the freshman who offered pointers to the dozen elders from the Physician Guild earlier, and where is he? Considering the freshmans ability to make more than a dozen Saint 7-dan pinnacle cultivators achieve a breakthrough simultaneously through his teachings, there was a chance that he just might have a way to deal with this stupendously massive lightning tribtion. I have no idea where he is at the moment, but I think I heard someone mentioning his name earlier. The elder contemted deeply for a moment before finally continuing. His name should be... Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1402 - Zhang Xuan Is Electrocuted

Chapter 1402: Zhang Xuan Is Electrocuted

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan? Zhan shi was taken aback by that name. He had just heard that name earlier. Was that not the name of the plump butlers Young Master, Yang shis direct disciple? The rest of the crowd were visibly startled as well. They turned to look at the plump butler standing not too far away, and to their surprise, not only was thetter not astounded by what he was seeing, he even seemed to be... heaving a sigh of relief? To Sun Qiang, relief was indeed the emotion that he was feeling. He knew that there was no one other than the Young Master who would dare toy with such a thing! In fact, he only would have been shocked if the culprit behind this had not been the Young Master! Some days in his life, he could not help but feel really helpless at the plight he was in. All he wanted was to quietly fulfill his responsibilities as a butler, living a humble and peaceful life. But as if fate had yed a trick on him, he just had to be paired with such a troublemaking Young Master! Given how much the matter had blown up this time around, even he would have trouble resolving this dispute! With such thoughts in mind, Sun Qiang slowly closed his eyes as resignation crept onto his face. Low profilethese were the two words that the Young Master chanted every single day, but honestly speaking, everything that thetter did was simply contrary to those two words. In a way, it felt as if he was trying to humblebrag about his abilities! It had really been hard on him over the past few months having to support such a person! Hai! But again, if it was an easy task, the Old Master would have entrusted the Young Master to Hu Yiwei instead of him. Upon learning the culprit behind the matter, Elder Ge was unable to hold back his rage any longer and roared furiously at Sun Qiang. Just what the heck is your Young Master trying to do by making dozens of people achieve a breakthrough simultaneously? This... Sun Qiang scratched his head awkwardly. To be honest, even after the many months that he had spent with the Young Master, he was still unable to fathom thetters thoughts. This isnt the time to be pursuing responsibility for this matter, Zhan shi instructed severely. We need to hurry up and find the elders who are making a breakthrough this instant and convince them to suppress their cultivation and relocate before facing their cultivation orde... It would be impossible to make a cultivation ordeal disappear once it had been summoned, but it was still possible to dy the falling of the lightning tribtion by suppressing ones cultivation temporarily. As long as they could buy sufficient time to get all of them to relocate, there was a chance they could undo the fusion of the lightning tribtions. Boom! But before Zhan shi could finish his words, a powerful shockwave suddenly rippled into the surroundings, and at the same time, a powerful burst of energy shot forth toward the storm clouds. Hu! The powerful burst of energy seemed to have sessfully provoked the storm clouds. In the blink of an eye, the congregation of the storm clouds grew even denser and vaster. This... Seeing such a sight, everyone anxiously turned their gazes toward where the powerful burst of energy had originated, and theirplexions immediately darkened. It was from a Saint 8-dan pinnacle Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast! With a crazed look on its face, it was furiously sending more and more bursts of energy toward the storm clouds, almost as if it would not rest until the entire world was reduced to ash! The hell! Where in the world did that fellow pop out from? What the heck are the rest of you idling around for? Hurry up and stop it! Elder Ge bellowed with a tone intermixed with fury and panic. At the same time, he swiftly dashed forward to stop the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast from worsening the situation, but before he coulde close to thetter, an elder who had been standing on top of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast suddenly leaped up and sent a devastating surge of sword qi toward the storm clouds. Kacha! Kacha! That attack brought about an immediate response from the lightning tribtion. In an instant, the five thousand mu of storm clouds expanded to over six thousand mu. Upon getting a closer look of the elders face, Elder Ge shrieked in horror. Bai Yu, are you insane! The elder who had justunched the devastating surge of sword qi was none other than Divine Healer Bai Yu! As a physician, Bai Yu was a man who had greatpassion for all living beings in the world, such that he would hesitate to even crush an ant. Why would someone like that proactively seek to strengthen the lightning tribtion? If my Hall of Integrity has wronged you in any way, we can always talk things out! Theres no need for you to go this far! At this moment, Divine Healer Bai Yu, in the midst of his furious assault toward the storm clouds, suddenly caught sight of Elder Ge and the others, and his eyes immediately lit up. Ge Xiong, you are here. Great! Hurry up,e and help me attack the lightning tribtion. Zhan shi, youre here as well? Wonderful! Quick, we need help attacking the lightning tribtion. We need to act fast; it will be toote once the lightning bolt falls! Attack the lightning tribtion? Elder Ge and Zhan shi widened their eyes upon hearing those words. They exchanged nces with one another, and they could see confusion in the depths of each others eyes. Had that fellow gone mad from treating too many patients? The more the lightning tribtion was attacked, the stronger the lightning bolt falling would be. At this rate, everyone would be electrocuted to death! Hu hu hu! Just as the crowd waspletely bewildered by what Divine Healer Bai Yu was up to, the furious whistling of the wind suddenly sounded. Several figures were flying over from afar, and they were the elder in charge of the Hall of Propriety, Elder Hu Qing, Fei shi, and the entire Elite Division ss. Catching sight of a person amid the iing group, Hu Yiwei immediately rushed forward to a young mans side and sped his fist. Young Master. Elder Hu? I thought that youd left the Sanctum of Sages. Feng Ziyi was slightly surprised to see the other party here. Ah, I still had some other matters to attend to. Have you heard that the Old Master has taken in a new direct disciple named Zhang Xuan? Hu Yiwei asked. You are talking about Senior Zhang? Feng Ziyi nodded. I have heard of the matter. Senior Zhang is a man of great capability. In fact, if Im not mistaken, hes probably the one who is behind this lightning tribtion. As much as Feng Ziyi hated to admit it, deep down, he knew that Zhang Xuan was indeed stronger than him. Senior? Hu Yiweis lips twitched. That meant that what the fatty had said was true! His Young Master had really fallen to the position of a junior! But isnt that fellow being way too negligent? He knew that those elders were going to achieve a breakthrough, so how could he still make all of them gather in the same location? How in the world does he n to deal with such a huge lightning tribtion? Hu Yiwei harrumphed angrily. The more he thought about the matter, the more unreasonable he felt that Zhang Xuan fellow was. Had it been just a moment ago, he might still have been able to forcefully dissipate the lightning tribtion with his cultivation. However, with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Divine Healer Bai Yu messing around with the storm clouds, that small hint of a possibility had beenpletely extinguished. Even if he seeded by some stroke of luck, he would be severely injured to the point where he could potentially be crippled for life. He was not a master teacher, and he did not possess anypassion for the masses or that sort of value. Naturally, there was no way he was going to sacrifice himself for others. Negligent? Senior Zhang isnt being negligent here. Hes intentionally strengthening the lightning tribtion! Feng Ziyi replied with a hint of admiration in his eyes. Back at the Hall of Propriety, he had nearly fainted from fear after seeing how huge Elder Liaos lightning tribtion had be, too. However, after witnessing how it was so easily resolved, the fear of lightning tribtions hadpletely disappeared from his mind. Hes intentionally strengthening the lightning tribtion? Hu Yiwei widened his eyes in iprehension upon hearing those words. He could not understand what his Young Master was getting at. It might sound ridiculous to you, but Senior Zhang is capable of devouring lightning tribtions. Only when the lightning tribtion isrge enough for him will he be able to have his fill, Feng Ziyi exined calmly. Devouring... lightning tribtions? Zhan shi and the others overheard Feng Ziyis words, and they nearly lost their bnce and plummeted from the sky. A lightning tribtion was a form of punishment from heavens! Standing against it was no different from standing against the heavens! Could such a thing really be eaten? You must be pulling our legs! Seeing the looks of disbelief amongst the crowd. Elder Hu Qing spoke up. Feng Ziyi isnt joking. Zhang shi really wields such a capability! I also saw it with my own eyes, too, Fei shi added. Even though the lightning tribtion back at the Hall of Propriety wasnt asrge as the one before us, it was still immensely powerful. Nevertheless, Zhang shi was able to devour it with ease... and more importantly, he even scared the lightning tribtion off! Scared the lightning tribtion off? Is it even possible for a lightning tribtion to be scared? The consecutive shocks that had been dealt to their minds left the crowd in a state of utter stupefaction. The more they listened to the ount of events from the group of eye-witnesses, the more they felt like they were listening to those exaggerated heroic tales that were spoken of in taverns. Rationally speaking, such a thing could not possibly be true, could it? But it did not make sense for so many esteemed figures to lie about such a matter. After a brief moment of silence, Zhan shi stepped forward and said, Where is Zhang shi at the moment? Bring us to him. After all that had been said, they still had not met that legendary freshman. Just what kind of person could that man who was already on everyones lips barely a month after enrollment possibly be? Hes currently with those elders who are facing their cultivation ordeal, Feng Ziyi said as he pointed in a direction. Everyone quickly turned their gazes over and saw a young man sitting cross-legged in front of several elders. His lips were opening and closing non-stop, seemingly lecturing the elders before him. On the other hand, the managerial elders of the Physician Guild seemed to be almost intoxicated on the young mans lecturing. They were releasing their strength non-stop, as if fearing that their lightning tribtion would not be strong enough. Hes Zhang shi? Zhan shi asked with a hint of admiration in his voice. Honestly, considering how the entire sky was crackling fearfully with lightning, and given the fearsome shes of light every now and then, it was truly incredible how the young man was still able to continue conducting a lecture soposedly. Even Hu Yiwei could not help but nod in awe. Over the years, the only person that he knew who had the mental fortitude to remain calm even in the face of a cataclysm was his master! It was no wonder that Zhang Xuan fellow had been able to win the Young Masters admiration. Just this deed alone was one that no ordinary man would be capable of pulling off. At the very least, he knew that he would not have been able to do the same. Look, look! Zhang shi is going to devour the lightning tribtion! Just as everyone was in a state ofplete shock, the young man suddenly halted his lecture and stood up. With a light leap, he swiftly rose to an altitude just beneath the disquieting storm clouds. From the position the young man was in, there was no doubt that he would catch the attention of the lightning tribtion ande under its attack. He will be zapped to death like that! Zhan shi could not help but exim in trepidation. Heh, theres no need to worry about that! I saw this sight earlier, and I can tell you for certain that Zhang shi will dash into the midst of the storm clouds next. Before long, the storm clouds will swiftly contract and... Seeing that Zhang Xuan had gone into motion, Zhang Yu turned to the crowd and began exining confidently. But the next moment, a bizarre expression surfaced on everyones faces. Perplexed by the odd response, Zhang Yu quickly turned his head toward the sky, and the sight that he saw made him freeze on the spot. T-this... Before the young man in the sky could make a move, a powerful bolt of lightning had already zapped down on him. Kacha! The lightning bolt roasted the young man well, and a fragrant smell wafted through the area. All that might have beencking at that moment was a pinch of cumin Is this... what you all mean by devouring the lightning tribtion? Zhan shi and the others looked at those who had been full ofpliments for Zhang Xuan earlier, speechless. Chapter 1403 - Hu Yiweis Doubt

Chapter 1403: Hu Yiweis Doubt

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before the lightning bolt fell, they were almost convinced by the others that Zhang Xuan was a living deity and that there was nothing in this world that he was incapable of. After all, even lightning tribtions were frightened of him! But the sight before them was clearly telling them that they had been deceived. Was the young man not supposed to dive right into the storm clouds and make the lightning tribtion tremble in fear? So, why would he end up being struck by lightning instead? From the looks of it, it seemed like he had no strength to go against the lightning tribtion at all. Maybe... he might still be in a period of adaptation? He should get better in a moment... Zhang Yu proposed meekly. Even though the situation had gonepletely differently to what he had expected, he still had deep trust in Zhang Xuans capability. After all, what he had witnessed earlier waspletely beyond reason. But once more, before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan was struck by another bolt of lightning. This time, the sheer might of the lightning was so great that it crushed him right back down to the ground, and his body convulsed uncontrobly as the lightning coursed through him. Boom! Boom! More and more lightning bolts zapped down on Zhang Xuan, and his convulsions grew more and more intense. Elder Ge could not help but ask, Should we... leap in to save him? Even he could not stand looking at the situation any longer. After all the praise that everyone had heaped on the young man, thetter turned out to be an utter disappointment. How do you want to save him? Zhan shi asked with a bitter smile. The lightning tribtion was already extremely powerful as it was, and their interference would only cause it to grow even stronger. They would only be worsening the situation if they leapt in recklessly! Then... are we to look as thatd gets electrocuted to death? Elder Ge asked with a frown. This... I dont know either... Zhan shi shook his head with a conflicted look on his face. It was his duty to protect the students of the Sanctum of Sages as the deputy sanctum head, but this was the first time he had encountered such a powerful lightning tribtion. He had no idea how he could possibly stand against it. While the crowd was looking on the situation helplessly, the one who was being ravaged by the violent lightning bolts, Zhang Xuan, was busy urging Vicious telepathically, Are you done finding it yet? Hurry up! It was not that he did not want to dash right into the storm clouds to absorb the lightning energy, but it had not been easy for him to create such a massive congregation of storm clouds, and it was unlikely that he would be allowed to do so once more. Naturally, he had to make full use of this opportunity for Vicious to locate his upper body. It was hard to tell when the lightning tribtion would flee once he started absorbing its energy, so Zhang Xuan had no choice but to allow the lightning tribtion to strike him. It was fortunate that his physical body and Primordial Spirit had been tempered by lightning on many asions, thus granting him an exceptional resistance against lightning. Even with the storm clouds relentlessly sending bolts of lightning his way, it would still be a while before his life was truly at risk. Master, I can sense my body distinctlyits definitely here! But for some reason, I cant zone in on its exact location. Its almost as if its hidden within some folded space, Vicious replied in distress. He was also feeling rather anxious, seeing his master being zapped by lightning in order to buy some time for him to locate his upper body, but despite searching far and wide, he was simply unable to locate it. He was certain that his body was there, but for him to be unable to zone in on its location... most likely, it was located in a different dimension from that of the Sanctum of Sages. Folded space? Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before his heart suddenly skipped a beat. I recall hearing that the Inner Sanctum is located in a folded space. Could it be that your upper body is located there? Zhang Xuan had never fully explored the massive Sanctum of Sages, but he did get an overview of it from the sky. One thing that he had found rather peculiar was that he could not find any traces of the Inner Sanctum, and after asking around, he learned that it was actually located in a folded space. This was somewhat simr to the ancient domain that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had left behind. Vicious could clearly sense the presence of his body but was unable to find it. This would mean that there was a chance that it was hidden within a folded space, which would hinder Vicious from urately pinpointing its location. There is such a possibility, Vicious replied. Alright. Ill absorb the lightning tribtion now, and well continue our search once I get to the Inner Sanctum. Knowing that he might really be electrocuted to death if he allowed the lightning tribtion to continue striking him, Zhang Xuan pushed himself up from the depression he was in and dashed up into the sky, heading right toward the congregation of storm clouds. Earlier, he had headed to the Physician Guild at Divine Healer Bai Yus invitation in order to conduct a lecture concerning poison. However, when he saw that those attending the lectures were all Saint 7-dan pinnacle cultivators who were just a step away from achieving a breakthrough, he could not resist making use of the opportunity to help them achieve a breakthrough. He did not possess any manuals concerning the breakthrough from Saint 7-dan to Saint 8-dan, but through pointing out and resolving the main ws in their cultivation, along with some assistance from the vine, it was not too difficult for him to help all of them to achieve a breakthrough. All of that eventually culminated into the scene that nearly left Elder Ge fainting from shock earlier. As expected of a lightning tribtion formed by more than a dozen cultivators undergoing their Dimension Sundering Ordeal simultaneously, the energy that it harnessed was indeed incredible. By diving right into the storm clouds and devouring the surrounding lightning energy furiously, it did not take him too long to fill the loop within his dantian. At the same time, he managed to raise his cultivation to the point where he was just a step away from making a breakthrough. Very soon, the lightning tribtion came to realize that someone was stealing its energy and quickly fled in fright. I managed to reach Half-Grand Dominion realm, Zhang Xuan thought. Even though the lightning tribtion had fled very quickly, Zhang Xuan had still managed to make the final step forward and shatter his bottleneck, reaching Half-Grand Dominion realm. From the looks of it, it was about time for him to really start looking for Grand Dominion realm cultivation techniques so that he could push for higher realms. After entering the lightning tribtion, Zhang Xuan quickly changed his clothes and tidied himself, such that when the lightning tribtion left, he was no longer in the unkempt state that he had been in before when he descended from the sky. It was only then that he noticed that the crowd below were all dumbstruck. To his surprise, Sun Qiang was among the crowd, too. Young Master! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was fine, remaining as awe-inspiring as he usually was, Sun Qiang heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly rushed forward, and with a flick of his hand, he took out a jade container and handed it over. These are the pinnacle spirit stones that Elder Ge has prepared in order topensate you! Compensation? Pinnacle spirit stones? Zhang Xuan was stunned. It had taken him so much effort just to earn one pinnacle spirit stoneswhile thinking of this, he suddenly recalled that Zhang Chun still owed him fivewhereas a butler who had not even reached the Saint realm yet actually managed to find five so easily. But the terms that Sun Qiang used, pensation... why would an elder feelpelled topensate him? You are Yang shis direct disciple? Just as Zhang Xuan was going to rify the matter, a doubtful voice suddenly sounded. Zhang Xuan turned his head and saw an old man walking up to him with a deep frown on his forehead. Hes Feng Ziyis butler, Yang shis subordinate. Noting the hint of confusion in Zhang Xuans eyes, Sun Qiang stepped forward and introduced the man with a smile. Hes currently under mymand. Yang shis subordinate? Under yourmand? Zhang Xuan felt his head spinning wildly upon hearing those words. The Yang shi that had beening from his mouth was a fake. It was already a huge blessing that he had been able to convince Feng Ziyi to trust him, but why would Yang shis subordinate be here too, and not to mention, be under Sun Qiangsmand? Knowing that his butler was not a reliable person, Zhang Xuan turned to the old man and asked, You are... I am Hu Yiwei, Yang shis butler. Hu Yiwei introduced himself before assessing the young man before him intently. A momentter, he could not help but pose the doubt in his heart. Zhang shi, pardon me for asking, but are you from the Zhang n? Im not. Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. You arent? Hu Yiwei seemed to be a little surprised by the answer. Zhang shi, if its not too much for me to ask, could I take a look at your hand? Theres a thought I have in mind that I would like to verify. You want to borrow my hand? Zhang Xuan was bewildered by Hu Yiweis bizarre actions, but after a slight pause, he still extended his hand. The old man ced his fingers on his pulse lightly, seemingly trying to scan his vitals for certain signs. As time went by, the frown on the old mans forehead grew deeper and deeper. This is weird. Are you really not from the Zhang n? Are you referring to my bloodline? I am really not from the Zhang n, so I dont have the bloodline of the Zhang n either, Zhang Xuan exined as he retracted his hand. Previously, he had already borrowed Zhang Jiuxiaos blood essence to check this matter, and from the fact that there was no resonance between their bloodlines, it was clear that he was not an offspring of the Zhang n. Then, has Zhang n been afflicted with... Hu Yiwei was just about to ask something when his words abruptly halted. A momentter, he shook his head and said, Never mind, its not an important issue. I still have things to attend to, so Ill take my leave for now! After saying those words, Hu Yiwei turned around, and with a slight flicker of his silhouette, he vanished from the spot. Chapter 1404 - Tower of Master Teachers

Chapter 1404: Tower of Master Teachers

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 His words sure were incoherent, Zhang Xuan remarked internally with a shake of his head. He had thought that Hu Yiwei, as Yang shis butler, would surely be an imposing and formidable figure, but who would have thought that he was such an unreliable figure? But speaking of which, it was a little coincidental that the Innate Fetal Poison suddenly worked up just as Hu Yiwei ced his fingers on his pulse earlier. It was fortunate that he managed to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison from thrashing around via his Heavens Path zhenqi and the lightning energy that he had absorbed earlier, or else it truly would have been awkward if he wasbeled a poison master as a result of that. In any case, since Hu Yiwei had already left at a speed even faster than Luo Xuanqings, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to dawdle any longer on his affairs anymore. Thus, he turned his gaze to Sun Qiang and asked telepathically, You said that these pinnacle spirit stones are Elder Gespensation. What happened? Its like this... Sun Qiang quickly filled Zhang Xuan in on what had happened earlier. Y-you gave away your identity... and even cleared the assessment of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall? Zhang Xuan nearly keeled over after hearing the entire ount of events. This butler of his sure was courageous! Despite being a fake, he actually brazenly pointed his finger at the real one and used thetter of being a fake instead. He really should have been counting his blessing that he was still alive! Ill let this matter slide, but youll really have to rein yourself in more in the future. As you know, my teacher is a low-profile person and likes his peace, so it wouldnt do for his butler to be so high profile. Understood? This had to be the reason the predecessors warned individuals against lying. Whether one liked it or not, it would always spiral out of control in one way or another. While he was deeply frustrated by Sun Qiangs actions, to be fair, thetter was only working within the web of lies that he had crafted, so it was not fair to pin the me entirely on him. With all that had been said and done, it was already impossible for him to back out of this matter. All he could do at this point was quickly meet the requirements for unsealing the Sanctum Head Token before Yang shi found out about his existence. Zhang shi, regarding the lightning tribtion earlier... Zhan shi walked over and began speaking. To be honest, he was still a little overwhelmed by what he had seen earlier. Considering the sheer scale of the lightning tribtion, it would not have been surprising if it had torn down the Hall of Integrity, but who could have known that the fellow would actually scare it away! Its a technique that my teacher has imparted to me. It allows me to curb the might of a lightning tribtion, but at the same time, it deals grievous wounds to me. Itll take me quite some time to recover from the wounds that I have sustained this time around, Zhang Xuan exined. At the same time, his face abruptly turned pale, and his body wobbled on the spot, seemingly ready to fall at any moment. The keen-eyed Sun Qiang immediately caught the signal and rushed forward to support him. Its a technique that our teacher imparted to you? Why didnt he impart it to me too? By the side, Feng Ziyi brooded unhappily over the unfair treatment between him and his senior. He nearly died from the overwhelming might of a lightning tribtion back when he was facing his Leaving Aperture Ordeal. Yet, it turned out that his teacher actually possessed a technique to curb the might of a lightning tribtion... and his teacher had only taught it to his senior! That would not do. He really needed to get in contact with his teacher soon to inquire about this matter. Otherwise, he would just have to ask his senior to teach him! They were from the same lineage anyway, so if his senior could grasp it, he would surely be able to do so, too! This... Hearing those words, Zhan shi felt so stifled that his cheeks began twitching uncontrobly. Sanctum Head Zhan, this might not be the best asion to ask about this matter, but I wish to enter the Inner Sanctum. May I know what conditions are required for that? Knowing that the other party could tell that he was faking weakness, Zhang Xuan decisively changed the topic. Through Sun Qiangs introduction, he hade to learn that Zhan shi was the incumbent deputy sanctum head, so he made sure to put on a respectful attitude. Even though he was the only candidate in line for the sanctum head position, he was stillcking in strength and capability to inherit the position, so it would not be convenient for him to unt his identity yet. Thus, he could only assume the identity as an ordinary student before the other party for the time being. You wish to enter the Inner Sanctum? Not expecting to hear such a question, Zhan shi pondered for a moment before replying. There are two conditions that you have to meet in order to enter the Inner Sanctum. Firstly, your age must not be over forty, and secondly, you have to achieve proficiency of 8-star in your primary upation. Zhang shi is registered at our Sanctum of Sages as a master teacher, so in order to enter the Inner Sanctum, you have to clear your 8-star master teacher examination! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. Judging from Zhan shis words, primary upation clearly referred to ones main upation, which was likely determined by which avenue one had enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages from. Bi Hongyin, for example, should have been nominated by the Demonic Tunist Guild, so she would have to achieve 8-star proficiency as a demonic tunist in order to enter the Inner Sanctum. As Zhang Xuan had been nominated by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so his primary upation was master teacher. In other words, having just his supporting upation reach the proficiency of 8-star would not be sufficient. He would have to be an 8-star master teacher in order to be qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum. In order to take the 8-star master teacher examination, I will require eight 8-star supporting upations. Currently, the only 8-star upations that I have are spirit awakener, physician, and formation master. As for beast tamer and demonic tunist, I should be able to acquire their emblems pretty easily as well... but even with that, I will still becking three supporting upations! Zhang Xuan swiftly made a mental calction and sighed. He turned to Zhan shi and asked, Sanctum Head Zhan, I am stillcking a couple of supporting upations to clear the 8-star master teacher examination. May I know if theres a more efficient way for me to clear the examinations as quick as possible? At the current rate the news was spreading, not to mention that even Hu Yiwei was alerted of the matter, most likely, it would not take long for the real Yang shi to catch wind of the news. And if he was not even an 8-star master teacher by the time Yang shi arrived, he would be in very deep trouble. Well, considering his own talent, he was rather confident that even the real Yang shi would be more than d to have him as his direct disciple, so the matter might not really as bad as he feared... but that would only be his final resort. After all, it would be unwise to leave ones fate to chance. Furthermore, Luo Ruoxin had been punished by her own n for revealing her reluctance to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n, so he had to quickly gain sufficient strength in order to save her. As such, it was of the utmost importance for him to find Vicious upper body so that he would at least have a powerful trump card to y should the situation truly turn awry. Most importantly of all, there was a chance that he might be able to meet Luo Ruoxin if he entered the Inner Sanctum. You want to clear the examinations as quickly as possible? Zhan shi frowned upon hearing those words. Due to the unique nature of the master teacher upation, one must first meet a certain prerequisite in ones supporting upations before one is allowed to take the promotion examination. Under normal circumstances, you would have to go around it systematically, clearing each of the supporting upations individually before challenging the 8-star master teacher examination. However, the Sanctum of Sages happens to have a more efficient system to go around that, and that is... challenging the Tower of Master Teachers! The Tower of Master Teachers? Zhang Xuan asked. Despite having read plenty of books in the Sanctum of Sages, he had never heard of the Tower of Master Teachers before. In essence, the Tower of Master Teachers is a trial. There are nine floors to it in total, the first eight of which are for the various supporting upations you have studied before. Each of floor is guarded by the Inceptive Sage of the upation, and as long as you can earn the other partys recognition, you will have cleared the floor, and the passageway to the next floor will open up. As for the ninth floor, it will be guarded by a young 8-star master teacher of the Sanctum of Sages. If you are able to clear his trial too, you will be granted the 8-star master teacher emblem, Zhan shi exined. However, I can tell you that the trial that you will face on every single floor will be of unimaginable difficulty. After all, the Inceptive Sages are representatives of the best of the younger generation in an upation, so winning their recognition and getting past them wont be an easy feat. In fact, in the several dozen millenniums since the founding to the Sanctum of Sages, there have only been three people who have cleared the Tower of Master Teachers! Three people? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. To be able to receive the recognition of eight Inceptive Sages was, without a doubt, an incredibly arduous task. It was rather surprising to hear that there were a handful of people who had cleared this trial before. Thats right. The first one to clear the Tower of Master Teachers was our Seventh Sanctum Head. Back then, he was still in his early thirties when he challenged it, and it took him three days to clear the entire tower and sessfully be an 8-star master teacher. That incident eventually became a legend that students still speak of in admiration! The second one was the current head of the Zhang n, Sword Saint Xingmeng. Like our Seventh Sanctum Head, he took just three days to clear the Tower of Master Teachers, and he was only in his early thirties, too. As for thest one... At this point, Zhan shi could not help but shake his head bitterly before continuing. Her record is far more frightening than her two predecessors! Frightening? Yes. In just four hours, she managed to dash up from the first floor to the ninth by forcing all of the Inceptive Sages to submit to her! Even though the incident had happened a few years ago, astonishment and wonderment still flickered across Zhan shis eyes as he recalled the event. More importantly, when that person cleared the Tower of Master Teachers, she was only seventeen years old! Seventeen years old? Zhang Xuan was astonished. A seventeen-year-old 8-star master teacher? Could it be... He was already in his twenties, but he still was not an 8-star master teacher. On the other hand, the other party had already been an 8-star master teacher when she was seventeen years old. At this moment, a figure could not help but float into his mind. You should have heard of her as well! Zhan shi chuckled. Shes none other than the little princess of the Luo n! Chapter 1405 - Kill Him!

Chapter 1405: Kill Him!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its indeed Ruoxin! Zhang Xuan eximed inwardly. Who else other than his girlfriend could have the ability to create a record that even Zhan shi was still shocked by and be an 8-star master teacher at seventeen years old? However, as proud of Luo Ruoxin as he was, this matter also increased the pressure on him. His girlfriend had already been an 8-star master teacher for a couple of years, but he was only taking the examination now. It seemed like he was reallygging behind. He would have to work much harder to make up for it. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had fallen into contemtion after hearing of the various records concerning the Tower of Master Teacher, Zhan shi could not help but ask, Does Zhang shi want to challenge the Tower of Master Teacher, too? I do intend to. Zhang Xuan nodded. But before that, I would like to browse through some books first so as to refresh my knowledge and prepare myself for the trial. Not expecting Zhang Xuan to raise such a simple request, Zhan shi replied with a smile. You wish to browse through some books? What books do you want to browse through? Putting aside the fact that the young man before him was Yang shis direct disciple, just his ability to neutralize the lightning tribtion made him a person worth befriending. Be it his friends or family, there were bound to be important people in his life who would have to face cultivation ordeals in the future. If he could just engage the help of this young man, he would be able to guarantee their safety, and there was nothing more valuable than that! Knowing that Zhan shi was trying to express his goodwill toward him, Zhang Xuan requested, Apothecary, painter, celestial designer, terpsichore, beast tamer, and appraiser; if it isnt too much trouble, I would like to visit the respective libraries of these upations! He did not like to be indebted to others, but he could not afford to waste time anymore. Oh? You wish to look through the books concerning your supporting upations? Zhan shi was slightly surprised for a moment before nodding. He had expected Zhang Xuan to request for permission to ess part of the confidential book collection in the Sanctum of Sages. That isnt a problem. If you simply wish to ess the books of those supporting upations, I can lend you my token for a while. This way, even if you havent achieved an 8-star proficiency in those supporting upations, youll still be able to ess the 8-star books. However, there will be a time limit on how long you can ess those books for. For each supporting upation, you will only have half a day, and I fear that even I cannot grant you any more time than that! Even as the deputy sanctum head, Zhan shis authority in the Sanctum of Sages was still rather limited. It was already the limit of his authority to grant Zhang Xuan half a day of unrestricted ess in each of the supporting upations libraries. Half a day? Thats more than enough! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. To others, half a day was only barely enough to grant one an extremely rough overview of the entire upation, but to him, that was plenty of time! With so much time, he would definitely be able to transfer all of the books within a library into the Library of Heavens Path Thats a relief. Alright, here is my token! With a smile, Zhan shi passed his token over. Thank you, Sanctum Head Zhan! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and uttered his words of gratitude. Due to Zhan shis help, he would be able to master the various supporting upations in the shortest time possible and push for a breakthrough to 8-star master teacher! If theres nothing else, Ill be taking my leave. With the token in his possession, Zhang Xuan hurriedly headed in the direction of the Hall of Erudition. The first ce he headed to after reaching the Hall of Erudition was the Apothecary Guild. The token that Zhan shi had provided him truly worked wonders. It did not take too long for him to sessfully ess the library. Four hourster, he was done browsing through all of the 8-star books. After spending roughly two hours more reinforcing his knowledge, he stood up and set forth for the Painter Guild. Just like that, Zhang Xuan spent an entire day traveling between the various guilds. He would only spend a maximum of six hours in each guild, and just like that, in little more than a day, he managed to raise his proficiency in all of his supporting upations, with the exception of poison master and soul oracle, to 8-star. ... While Zhang Xuan was busy mastering his supporting upations, Luo Xuanqing was finally done reinforcing his cultivation. In the depths of his eyes, one could vaguely see the intricacies of space twinkling brightly, reminiscent of a starry sky. As a member of the Luo n, hisprehension of spatialws was far deeper and more profound than that of other Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm cultivators. He closed his eyes slowly and focused his senses on perceiving the spatial energy coursing through his body. Some timeter, a deep frown suddenly formed between his eyebrows, and he turned in a certain direction and roared, Who is it? The space where his gaze fell waspletely empty; there was not a single person to be seen. Even when scanning the area with ones Spiritual Perception, there was nothing to be found. But the next moment, bizarre folds began rippling from that empty space, and an elder slowly materialized. It seems like the Young Masters bloodline has beenpletely awakened upon reaching the Dimension Sundering realm... Congrattions! The elder sped his fist while giving his congrattions. Upon getting a closer sight of the elders figure, Luo Xuanqing heaved a sigh of relief before asking, Elder Qi, what are you doing here? The First Elder wishes to meet you! Elder Qi reported. First Elder? Luo Xuanqing subconsciously clenched his fists tightly as he asked, Wheres my younger sister? Young Master, you can rest assured that the little princess is doing perfectly fine. Its just that she is under temporary confinement and is unable tomunicate with the outside world at the moment. However, you can be certain that she isnt injured at all. Besides, given her strength, not even the First Elder would be able to hurt her, Elder Qi replied. Humph, that had better be the case! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly as the apprehension he felt within alleviated slightly. In terms of cultivation, his younger sister was far from the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, but when equipped with the Dimension Silencer, it was doubtful if even Zhang Xuans teacher, Yang Xuan, would be a match for her! Naturally, the First Elder of the Luo n stood even less of a chance. Knowing that his younger sister was safe, Luo Xuanqing turned to Elder Qi and instructed, Bring me to the First Elder! With a nod of his head, Elder Qi flicked his hand lightly. Tz! A unique energy began shrouding the space between the both of them, isting them from the rest of the world. Following which, Elder Qi tapped his finger forward, and a light barrier appeared right before them. A ripple diffused across the light barrier, and the silhouette of an elder gradually grew more and more clear. It was the golden-robed elder who had witnessed Zhang Xuan standing against the lightning tribtion back then! Not bad, not bad! Upon seeing Luo Xuanqing, the First Elder nodded in approval. Your improvement is faster than I anticipated! First Elder... Luo Xuanqing spoke up anxiously, but before he could finish his words, the other party interjected. Alright, I know what you are going to ask, but now isnt the time. I have two missions for you that you will have to aplish as soon as possible! The First Elder looked at Luo Xuanqing with such intent eyes that it almost seemed as if he would materialize through the light barrier and arrive right before them. First Elder, feel free to ask anything of me! Luo Xuanqing took a deep breath before sping his fist. As an offspring of the Luo n, he was indebted to the Luo n for grooming him. Naturally, he was duty-bound to aplish the missions that the Luo n assigned to him. Firstly, I want you to get on close terms with that young man who had helped you pass your cultivation ordeal, the First Elder instructed. The young man who had helped me tide across my cultivation ordeal? Are you referring to Zhang Xuan? I can do that. Luo Xuanqing nodded. After everything Zhang Xuan had done for him, he already considered him a friend. Even without the First Elders instruction, he definitely would have gotten on close terms with him. Secondly... in the Qingyuan Empire, theres a ce known as the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. I want you to head there to conduct an investigation as soon as you get time. Based on what we have found, your younger sister went under a pseudonym during the period she was gone. At this point, a sharp glint shed through the First Elders eyes as he continued. If my intuition is right, the person she likes is there as well. I want you to root that man out and kill him silently! You want me to kill him? Luo Xuanqings body froze upon hearing those words. He hurriedly lifted his gaze and anxiously said, But my younger sister has feelings for him! She will be devastated if we kill him! He knew his younger sisters temperament very well. She was an extremely obstinate person, and once she had decided upon something, she would never change her mind even till death. If that man whom his younger sister loved were to die, she would definitely go berserk! Theres nothing that time cannot heal. I have seen plenty of cultivators who thought that their feelings for one another wouldst an eternity, but time makes everything fade. Shell eventually get over it. Furthermore, even if she doesnt understand, you should know how important the engagement with the Zhang n is! The First Elder paused for a brief moment before continuing. The Zhang n was enraged to hear of the matter, and we anticipate that they will attempt to bring the marriage ceremony forward. Theres a good chance that the ceremony will be held before the end of the year, so we need to make sure to kill that man before then to sever any thought of her getting together with him. Otherwise, neither you nor I will be able to shoulder the consequences! Even if your younger sister manages to get together with that man, she will still have to pay the price for her actions and live an entire life of misery! I trust that you dont wish to see your younger sister bing an outcast of the Luo n and a sinner to all mankind! I... Luo Xuanqing clenched his fists tightly. Chapter 1406 - Challenging the Tower of Master Teachers

Chapter 1406: Challenging the Tower of Master Teachers

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Xuanqing resented the idea of his younger sister bing a sacrificial pawn in a political marriage with the Zhang n, but at the same time, he understood how important it was for this marriage to go through. Anyone who attempted to halt this marriage would be as good as the sinner of humanity. If there was any other alternative, there was no way he would allow such a fate to befall his younger sister. Luo Xuanqing was silent for a moment before saying, I have already promised my younger sister not to investigate that mans affairs, and I have no intention of breaking my promise to her. However, rest assured that Ill get someone to look into it and make a move against that man in my stead! Youll get someone to do it in your ce? Who is it? You should know how important it is to keep this matter confidential, or else we will be in deep trouble! the First Elder said with a frown. If it was found that the Luo n had attempted to kill the man whom the little princess loved, the Luo n would surely be condemned for its actions. Thus, it was imperative that they found someone trustworthy to carry out the job. The person Ill be entrusting this matter to is a close brother of mine, so theres no need to worry about him turning against us! Luo Xuanqing replied. Hes none other than the person whom you told me to get close to earlier, Zhang Xuan! Him? The First Elder was startled for a moment before he nodded slowly. Its indeed admirable how he dived fearlessly into the storm clouds in order to save you. Such rtionships are hard-toe-by, so treasure it well. However, you must make sure that the brother of yours doesnt give anything away, or else the little princess rage will be hard for any of us to withstand! Dont worry! Luo Xuanqing nodded. My brother, Zhang Xuan, has no ties with my younger sister at all. The both of them dont even know one another, so theres no way on earth he would possibly leak the information to her! That would be for the best. This matter is of grave importance, so make sure to handle it promptly. Ill be waiting for your report. Following which, the light barrier began flickering. Hu! The First Elder disappeared from both of their views. Luo Xuanqing closed his eyes as unnerving tranquility floated in the air, reminiscent of the calm before a storm. Slowly, his body began to tremble uncontrobly, and a quivering voice came from his lips. Elder Qi... there are so many experts in the n, why is he entrusting this mission to me? If his younger sister ever learned that he had sent someone to kill the person she loved, that would probably spell the end of their kinship. They would never be able to return to the good old days. Sigh. Knowing what Luo Xuanqing was thinking, Elder Qi shook his head and said, I know that its hard on you, but the First Elder has his considerations for making such a choice, too. Considerations? Are my feelings part of his considerations? Or am I nothing more than a mere tool to the Luo n? Luo Xuanqings voice was suppressed, but the deep emotions behind his words seemed to be on the verge of bursting forth. Elder Qi shook his head for a moment before quietly replying, Shes your younger sister. If you are the one to make the move, she will only consider it a personal conflict between the both of you. The rest of us can feign ignorance, and there will still be some ground for reconciliation between her and the rest of the n. However, if she learns that that man was killed by the experts of our n, this matter will be blown out of proportion. She will bepletely estranged from our Luo n! As one of the core members of our Luo n, you should be able to understand this logic. Geji! Geji! The sound of Luo Xuanqing clenching his fists was not loud, but it echoed conspicuously amid the still air. As a core member of the Luo n, how could he possibly be unaware of all this? As a doting brother, this was not the first time that he had made a move against those foolish men who dared approach his younger sister. Thats why, if he made a move against that man, he would be able to take the full me for doing so. The Luo n would not be implicated, and its reputation would not be besmirched. Also, you should know what happened to the five elder brothers that came before you. Our Luo n owes you. Treat this as a trial. As long as you can aplish whats asked of you, no one will dare speak another word when you rise to the position of the n head in the future. Otherwise, theres no saying that dissidents will not start to act up... Elder Qi continued. Enough! Hearing about his five elder brothers, Luo Xuanqings eyes could not help but redden slightly. A heavy silence drifted in the air for a while before it was broken by a sigh from Elder Qi. Even if not for anyone else, you should think in their stead as well. I believe you know better than me what the right decision to make is. Once again, there was a long moment of silence before Luo Xuanqing finally muttered, Ill do it. That would be for the best. Dont drag it out for too long. It will only prolong your misery. And make sure that no one else hears of the matter, Elder Qi said with a wave of his hand. Following which, his silhouette suddenly faded before vanishing from the spot. With his departure, the sealed space around them broke open, and the callings of the cicadas and beasts around him immediately gushed in. Hu! However, Luo Xuanqing remainedpletely motionless on the spot, seemingly deep in thought. A long timeter, all of his emotions eventually converged into a long sigh. Younger sister, Im sorry. Luo Xuanqing hated the notion of putting his younger sister through an arranged marriage, but admittedly, only the young prodigy of the Zhang n was worthy of her. On the other hand, the person she liked was a nobody from a Tier-1 Empire. Before behemoths like the Zhang n and the Luo n, that man was nothing at all. Even if I dont make a move, the Zhang n will make a move, too! And once they do so, things could very well spiral out of control. Luo Xuanqing shook his head. There was no way he could miss that implied meaning behind the First Elders words. The young prodigy of the Zhang n was as important to the Zhang n as his younger sister was to the Luo n. For the young prodigys fiance to be stolen by another man was, no doubt, a p to the Zhang ns face. There was no way they would let that man get away scot-free! If the Luo n were to make a move first, at least the Zhang ns rage would be cated, and his younger sister would not be snubbed after marrying over. Even though the Luo n and the Zhang n were both top Sage ns whose names were echoed in unison, those who were in the upper society of the Master Teacher Continent were all deeply aware that the Zhang nmanded far greater influence and power than the Luo n. I guess theres no choice but for me to y the viin. Luo Xuanqing shook his head. Ill have to entrust this mission to someone reliable. After regainingposure, a glint shed across Luo Xuanqings eyes. Given that Zhang Xuan already knew bits and pieces of this matter, there was no one more suited than him to carry this task out. It was just that... this mission could be as good as throwing the other party into the abyss. Once his younger sister learned of the matter, there was no way she would let the other party go. But in return, he would fully acknowledge the other party and protect him for life. As he rose in standing, he would make sure topensate the other party for that. This could both be an opportunity or a crisis for the other party. Dashing straight ahead, it did not take long for him to arrive at Zhang Xuans residence. After realizing that thetter had headed out, he quickly asked around for his whereabouts before heading off to the Hall of Erudition. Zhang shi isnt around anymore. Hes headed off to the Tower of Master Teachers! Tower of Master Teachers? Is he nning to clear his 8-star master teacher examination? Luo Xuanqing was surprised to hear that. As his younger sister had challenged the Tower of Master Teachers in her time as well, it went without saying that he was aware of this trial in the Sanctum of Sages. However, he did not think that Zhang Xuan would want to challenge it too. Due to the massive uproar that happened as a result of the terrifyinglyrge lightning tribtion at the Hall of Integrity, it was no longer a secret that the culprit behind the incident, Zhang Xuan, was nning on challenging the Tower of Master Teachers. Rather, it had already be public knowledge. It wont be easy to clear the Tower of Master Teachers. That fellow sure is daring! Luo Xuanqing remarked with a shake of his head before rushing in the direction of the Tower of Master Teachers. The Tower of Master Teachers was indeed the most efficient way for one to be promoted to an 8-star master teacher, but if it was easy to clear, there would not only be a handful of sessful challengers in the several dozen millenniums since the founding of the Sanctum of Sages. In fact, he had thought about challenging the Tower of Master Teachers in the past, but eventually, he had decided against it because he knew that it would be impossible for him to aplish with his current level of strength. That trial not only required one to possess superior fighting prowess and talent. More than that, onesprehension of the various supporting upations had to have achieved an extremely high mastery as well... and this was exactly what had stopped many in their footsteps. After all, not everyone was a true genius like his younger sister, capable of grasping anything in an instant. Flitting forward, it did not take long for him to arrive before the Tower of Master Teachers. By the time he arrived, a huge crowd had already gathered around the area. Even the deputy sanctum head, Zhan Tiancheng, was standing close by with eyes filled with expectations. At around this moment, someone amid the crowd shouted, Its starting! Following which, the first floor of the Tower of Master Teachers lit up. Chapter 1407 - Xingyun Puppet

Chapter 1407: Xingyun Puppet

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The first floor... Luo Xuanqing turned to one of the managerial elders watching themotion by the side and asked, What will Zhang shi be challenging in the first floor? He knew that Zhang Xuans strengths mainlyy in formations, beast taming, and spirit enchantment. As long as one of these three was the challenge for the first floor, the other party would be able to clear it with ease. Turning his head, the managerial elders eyes immediately twitched upon seeing Luo Xuanqing, and he hurriedly replied, Hes challenging celestial designer first! Celestial designer... So, the one guarding the floor should be... Jiang Feifei? Luo Xuanqings face paled. The Inceptive Sage of the Celestial Designer Hall in the Sanctum of Sages is Jiang Feifei, so Zhang shi should be facing her, the managerial elder replied nervously. Thats not good, Luo Xuanqing muttered anxiously. A freshman like Zhang Xuan might not have heard of Jiang Feifei, but there was no one in the Inner Sanctum who did not know who she was. In fact, the Soulbinding Golden Bead that he had intended to use against the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast back then had been forged by her. As one of the top three Sage ns, the geniuses of the Jiang n were in no way inferior to him, and Jiang Feifeis talent in the field of designing and creating artifacts was unmatched by any of her peers. The elders of the Sanctum of Sages Celestial Designer Hall were full of praise for her, and they believed that there was a good chance that she could be a 9-star celestial designer in the next few decades! Even though it might seem as if it would not make much of a difference, the sequencing of opponents in the Tower of Master Teachers mattered hugely. The challenger should always start with the easiest supporting upation in order to boost their confidence before slowly moving on to the harder ones. But with Jiang Feifei on the very first floor... it could be said that Zhang Xuan was facing hell mode right from the very start. There was no hope of victory at all! It was doubtful whether his younger sister would be able to clear Jiang Feifeis trial or not, let alone Zhang Xuan! And to face such an opponent on the very first floor was not confidenceit was blind recklessness! In the midst of Luo Xuanqings anxiety, he heard someone say, Jiang Feifei has always been very strict on herself and those around her; she would never go easy on anyone. It seems like that fellow is going to be defeated right from the get-go. Turning his head over, he saw an elder standing right next to Zhan shi, stroking his beard leisurely as he looked at the Tower of Master Teachers. He was the managerial elder of the Celestial Designer Hall! Clearly, he did not think that Zhang Xuan stood much of a match against Jiang Feifei. Hearing those words, Luo Xuanqings gaze slowly turned grim as he clenched his fists tightly. He could not help but sigh deeply as he thought, I dont know why that fellow is so eager to be an 8-star master teacher, but admittedly, he does possess both capability and wits. Its just a pity that my younger sister has an engagement with the young prodigy of the Zhang n, or else he would have been a good choice as well. Its truly a pity. ... Entering the first floor of the Tower of Master Teachers, Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned his surroundings, and soon, he caught sight a youngdy seated by the corner with a peculiar-looking artifact in her hands. Her eyes werepletely focused on the artifact, and with a small knife in her other hand, she seemed to be carving the artifact. The movements of her hands were so fluid that it almost felt like she was painting a beautiful picture. Without raising her head, the youngdy quietly said, Wait there for a moment. Ill assess you after Im done carving this. Very well. Zhang Xuan nodded as he waited patiently on the spot. Even though the youngdy had not looked up, it was not too hard to tell that she was likely a stunning beauty just by looking at her profile. More importantly, she was actually a Saint 7-dan pinnacle expert, just like Zhang Chun! Despite that, she still sat unreservedly on the ground,pletely absorbed into her carving. Even Zhang Xuan was slightly impressed by the sheer intensity of her focus. He lowered his head to take look at the object which she was carving, and while it was still too early to tell for sure, it seemed to be a small part of a celestial designer artifact. The artifacts created by celestial designers were known for their exquisiteness. Every stroke of the knife from the youngdy would cause a thin slice of metal to fall to the ground, and in just a few breaths, it had already formed a uniquely-shaped spare part. It connected perfectly with arger artifact that she had before her, such that even the crevice between the two artifacts could not even be seen. What exquisite carving skills! Zhang Xuan remarked in amazement. Even though he did not have much experience with the work of a celestial designer, through the description of the books, he could tell that the carving skills of the youngdy before him were top-notch, even among 8-star celestial designers! To possess such skills at her age, it seemed like her title as the Inceptive Sage of the Celestial Designer Hall was not for show. Im done! After fixing the various spare parts together, the youngdy heaved a sigh of relief before cing the item by the side. Following which, she stood up and said, For the trial of the Tower of Master Teachers, you dont have to best me. All you need to do is disy capability worthy of my recognition! This was not a celestial designer examination but a master teacher trial. As such, the requirement was not so demanding as to require the challenger to disy skills surpassing that of the Inceptive Sage. However, I have very high expectations, so know that it wont be that easy to win my recognition! Of course, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Theres no way it could be easy to win the recognition of someone who is capable of carving impably without drafting a blueprint beforehand. Usually, celestial designers would first draft a blueprint before carving the various parts of their artifact so that they would have a rough idea of the dimensions. However, the youngdy was actually able to carve a spare part impably without any hesitation in her movement or referring to any blueprints. Putting aside the youngdys mastery as a celestial designer, just this feat in itself was sufficient to tell that she was a highly demanding person, possibly even a perfectionist. So, how could it possibly be easy to clear the trial of a person like that? Its good that you understand that. As you can see, Im a very busy person, and I still have a lot of things to do, so lets not waste any more time. I have a pile of materials over here, and we will both carve a puppet based on this blueprint I have over here. As long as the puppet you have created is able to withstand three hits from mine, it will be your victory. As the youngdy spoke, she flicked her hand, and a pile of materials, carving knives, and a blueprint materialized on the ground. The blueprint was filled with many intricate details and words. Without scanning it with ones Spiritual Perception, it would be impossible to interpret the microscopic words and details on the blueprint. Putting aside the drawings of the spare parts and their joints, just the sheer number of words on the blueprint totaled over several ten thousand! Howplex... Zhang Xuan frowned. He had seen plenty of grade-8 blueprints, but this was the first time that he had seen one that was this intricate. This is the blueprint of the Xingyun Puppet, the youngdy said with a nod. Its a grade-8 puppet, wielding strengthparable to a Grand Dominion realm master teacher. The foundation of its design lies in the ster sky. Every single one of its parts represents a star in the sky, and since there are countless stars in the sky, the number of parts it includes is innumerable as well. As such, even with the blueprint to refer to, it harnesses countless possibilities. The slightest difference in the carving of the part could result in a vast disparity in its final fighting prowess! At which point, the youngdy lowered her head to nce at the blueprint before continuing on. I should take roughly a day to finish carving this puppet. Ill give you three days after Im done, and if you still havent finished it by then, you will have failed my test. You should also know that time is one of the primary assessment criteria of a celestial designers mastery, so three days is already the longest I can offer you. After the youngdy was done with her exnation, she grabbed one of the materials on the ground and raised her head, preparing to begin her crafting. However, the next moment, she suddenly froze on the spot. Unbeknownst to her, the young man before her had conjured over a hundred swords at some point in time, and every single one of them was busy carving a material with its sword qi. In less than two breaths, arge heap of parts of varying sizes had piled up before the young man. Then, the young man waved his hand. Hu! The freshly carved parts swiftly came together to form a puppet. Alright, Im done! Zhang Xuan said with a p of his hand before raising his head to look at Jiang Feifei. Chapter 1408 - I Did Go Easy On Her

Chapter 1408: I Did Go Easy On Her

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Seeing the neatly assembled puppet standing right in front of her, Jiang Feifei was visibly stunned. Even with her fastest carving speed, she would still require an entire day at least, but how long did the other party take? Ten breaths? Eight breaths? How could he carve such delicate parts precisely while manipting so many swords at once? Thats not right. After a moment of shock, Jiang Feifei swiftly noticed something was amiss, and she asked in a deeply perplexed tone, My puppet doesnt have any clothes, so how could yours be perfectly dressed? Under normal circumstances, the Xingyun Puppet should have beenpletely nude. Yet, the one carved by the young man before her was impably dressedin fact, there was an ornament on its chest, and the ripples on its clothes flowed beautifully like real silk. This waspletely at odds with the blueprint! Ah... I happened to have some additional time, and I thought that it would be inappropriate to disy the body of a nude male puppet to a youngdy like you, so I thought I would make a set of clothes for it. It doesnt look too bad, right? Zhang Xuan replied with a gentlemanly smile. A puppet it might be, but it would have been severe breach of etiquette if he had allowed it to appear nude before a youngdy. As a civilized gentleman, it went without saying that he could not allow something as indecent as that to happen! You even had time to make a set of clothes for it? Jiang Feifeis body froze in sheer astonishment. She slowly proceeded forward to take a closer look at the puppet that Zhang Xuan had crafted. The puppets clothes were in perfect harmony with its body. Every single stitch was done so impable that it was impossible to tell that it had been made with spare parts with ones eyes. In fact, even when she scanned the puppets clothes with her Spiritual Perception, she could hardly tell the difference between them and real silk at all! H-how did you do it? Jiang Feifei asked with eyes widened with shock. Her mind could hardly process what was going on. In terms of carving speed, she could be said to be at the forefront of 8-star celestial designers, but even so, it would still take her at least an entire day to finish carving the Xingyun Puppet. On the other hand, the other party managed toplete it in just a few breaths... and to add insult to injury, its finish was actually far better than hers! What was with this monstrous ability? After looking at the blueprint, I thought that it would be too troublesome and time-consuming to use a carving knife, so I decided to use my swords instead. Fortunately, it seems to have worked out fine, Zhang Xuan exined with a nod. For a celestial designer to carve swiftly, there were only three requirements that they would have to meet. First and foremost, they needed to have a sharp memory that would allow them to remember every single detail on the blueprint impably onmand. Given that Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heavens Path, he could retrieve the details of the blueprints onmand, so that was not a problem for him at all. Secondly, the celestial designer had to possess precise control over their movements and exertion of strength. The Flowing Water Swordsmanship was known for its unparalleled defense, capable of even keeping the thinnest strand of Spiritual Perception at bay. As its practitioner, it went without saying that Zhang Xuan possessed near absolute control over his swords. Thirdly, due to how precise and exhausting the job would be, one had to possess an exceptionally powerful soul and a sharp eye of discernment. As a soul oracle, there was no way the resilience of Zhang Xuans soul could possibly becking. As for eye of discernment, there was probably nothing in the world that couldpete with the Eye of Insight. Since Zhang Xuan had met all the criteria, it was a given that he would be able to carve swiftly. Its too early for you to celebrate. Just because you were able to carve your puppet so fast doesnt mean that itll necessarily be strong! Jiang Feifei harrumphed after hearing the exnation. Being capable of crafting a puppet fast was indeed a formidable skill, but more important than that was for the various parts to be aligned in a manner that did not differ too much from the blueprint. Otherwise, it would be nothing more than random parts connected together to form a figurine; there was no way it could exert the exceptional strength that the Xingyun Puppet wielded. You dont have to worry about that. It would be a little troublesome and time-consuming to wait for you to craft a puppet, so why dont you suppress your cultivation to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle and test its strength yourself? Zhang Xuan asked. You are asking me to fight with your puppet personally? Jiang Feifei was taken aback by Zhang Xuans proposal. Had the other party gone mad? She was a Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm expert! Even if she suppressed her cultivation to Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm, the strength that she wielded would still be unmatched by any other Saint 6-dan cultivators. Did the other party really think that a puppet he had crafted in just a few seconds would be able to match her? Just what in the world was he thinking? Noting the hesitation in Jiang Feifeis eyes, Zhang Xuan quickly added with a smile, Indeed. Theres no need to worry. Ill make sure that it holds itself back properly so that it doesnt injure you by ident. You... Jiang Feifei nearly blew up on the spot. What she meant was that the puppet could not possibly be a match for her, but this fellow actually thought that she was worried about being injured by the puppet. His head was really in the clouds! Initially, she had still had a good impression of the other party for his courtesy of clothing his puppet, but in that instant, every shred of goodwill that she harbored for the other party had vanished without a trace. Very well! Ill suppress my cultivation and test your puppet out personally. I wont make things difficult for you either. As long as its able to withstand three blows from me, you will have cleared my trial! Jiang Feifei harrumphed coldly. She had no idea what the fighting prowess of the puppet that Zhang Xuan had crafted would be, but it would have to be extremely resilient to be able to withstand three blows from her. If the other partys puppet was really that powerful, it would not be too much of a deal for her to acknowledge the other party. Great! Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, he walked over to his puppet and whispered a few words into its ears in a hushed tone. Then, he nodded, and the puppet took a step forward and assessed the youngdy before it sharply. Humph! Seeing that the other party was really so conceited as to have his puppet challenge her, Jiang Feifei harrumphed coldly. She swiftly drove her zhenqi, and in the blink of an eye, her cultivation had already been suppressed down to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. Hu! Right after she had suppressed her cultivation, she immediately saw a fist flying straight for her face. The puppet had made its move! What? Jiang Feifei initially did not think that the puppet that had been crafted in a matter of seconds would be anything much, but the sheer might and speed of its punch left her face swiftly warping in astonishment. Despite being a Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle expert, she actually felt threatened by the puppets offense! She hurriedly raised both of her hands to fend off the puppets punch. Peng! The palm and the fist collided, and a crushing shockwave rippled into the surroundings. Before Jiang Feifei could even react, she was flying backward at a furious speed as if a kicked ball. Pu! Her back crashed heavily into the wall, and crimson blood spewed from her mouth. It was fortunate that she had released the seal that she had ced on her cultivation at the veryst moment, or else the entire wall could have been knocked down. You have lost. Before Jiang Feifei could say a word, the puppet before her waved its hands with a forlorn expression, as if deeply regretting the fact that it had been born with such great strength that it would never find be able to find a proper opponent. You... are able to speak? Jiang Feifei widened her eyes in disbelief. Without a doubt, the Xingyun Puppet was indeed very powerful, but it should not have been capable of speech! Yet, the one that the other party had crafted had actually begun speaking human speech. What the heck was going on? There was a huge difference in a puppet that was unable to speak and one that was able to speak! Ah. I had some time after assembling it, so I enchanted it while I was at it, Zhang Xuan exined. ... Jiang Feifei. It took her some time before she was able to steady her breathing once more. In less than ten seconds, not only did you manage to carve the puppet, you were even able to make some clothes for it and enchant it? Even with speed like hers, ten breaths would only be sufficient for her to carve two parts, and the puppet standing before her had to have tens of thousands of parts. Was this not a little too exaggerated? Yes. I am the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Guild, so Im able to conduct spirit enchantment quite quickly, Zhang Xuan exined. So, have I cleared your assessment yet? Of course, Jiang Feifei replied with a bitter look on her face. She had thought that it would take a miracle for the puppet to be able to withstand three blows from her, but contrary to her expectations, she did not even manage to withstand a single strike from the puppet. There were no words that could describe how stifled she felt at that very moment. But unbeknownst to her, the worst was yet toe. Just as the other party was about to make his way up to the next floor, he suddenly halted his footsteps and nced at the puppet that he had crafted with a disapproving look. Didnt I tell you to go easy on her? Why didnt you heed my instruction? I did go easy on her, I really did! How was I to know that she would be so weak as to be unable to withstand even a single punch of mine? the puppet cried in indignation. ... Jiang Feifei nearly wed her hair out. Chapter 1409 - Forging a Weapon

Chapter 1409: Forging a Weapon

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric After appeasing the indignant puppet, Zhang Xuan headed up to the second floor. The assessment on the second floor wasnt regarding beast tamer, formation master, or the other supporting upations he was more skilled in but cksmith. As soon as he entered the room, he immediately saw a young man standing before a cauldron. Holding a fiery red hammer in his hand, he struck a metal ingot relentlessly. Gradually, the metal ingot took shape, and a cold glint reflected off of it. The Tower of Master Teachers required him to choose eight different supporting upations, and just so to save him from putting in additional effort in the future, the supporting upations that he chose were all those which he hadnt obtained the 8-star emblem yet. Ever since he had cleared the 6-star cksmith examination in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he hadnt really touched it much anymore. This would be a good opportunity for him to raise his cksmith rank up to 8-star. Hu! Noting Zhang Xuans presence, the young man halted his hammering and introduced himself, I am the Inceptive Sage of the cksmith Guild, Wu Youdao. The test I have for you is extremely simple. I have an ore over there, and as long as you can forge it into a Saint high-tier artifact within a single day, Ill deem you to have cleared my test! As the young man spoke, he gestured toward a weapon cauldron. In the weapon cauldron, Zhang Xuan found an ore floating amidst a fearsome inferno. The mes were so intense that heat waves rippled relentlessly from it, but even so, the ore still showed no signs of melting whatsoever. Is that the Violet Firmament zestone? Zhang Xuan frowned. The Violet Firmament zestone was known to be the hardest grade-8 ore to process. Even 8-star pinnacle cksmiths would struggle to melt it down and refine it properly. Yet, the young man before him actually wanted him to refine such an ore! It seemed like clearing the Tower of Master Teachers was truly not going to be easy. Nevertheless, there was still an upside to this. While the Violet Firmament zestone was extremely difficult to process, it was an incredibly valuable material that could be easily forged into a Saint intermediate-tier weapon once refined and forged. Just by using a slightly more refined forging technique, it wouldnt be too difficult to forge a Saint high-tier artifact out of it. In other words, the hardest aspect of the assessmenty not in the forging of a Saint high-tier artifact but the melting and smithing of the ore into a suitable weapon. Indeed. This serves to assess your understanding of processing ores and smithing. If you are unable to melt the Violet Firmament zestone within a day, Ill have no choice but to fail you. Wu Youdao replied with a wave of his hand before turning his attention back to forging his weapon, not bothering to pay any heed to Zhang Xuan anymore. Alright. Knowing that this was was a part of the assessment, Zhang Xuan immediately dived straight to work. He activated his Eye of Insight and began examining the Violet Firmament zestone carefully. There was no problem with the heat conductivity of the weapon cauldron or the coal fueling the mes; it was just that the melting point of the Violet Firmament zestone was way too high. It would require the hottest of the earth mes in order to melt it, and that was a temperature that would be nigh impossible to reach even if a cksmith were to pump his zhenqi into the mes as quickly as he could. However, the young man hadnt given him a formation to retrieve earth mes to work with, so that would probably mean that he would have to find some way to cope with the current materials he had at hand. This will be really troublesome... It must be said that this assessment was far more difficult than what Zhang Xuan had expected. Nevertheless, theres no way I could let something like this impede my footsteps! Were it to be any other 8-star cksmith, they might have really felt utter helplessness at the situation. However, to Zhang Xuan, this actually wasnt too much of a problem at all. He had gone through all of the books in the cksmith Guild, so his understanding of smithing had already reached a levelparable to 8-star pinnacle cksmiths, perhaps on par with some 9-star primary cksmiths even. Even without using the Library of Heavens Path, there were at least several dozen methods he had at the top of his head to melt the Violet Firmament zestone. With a leisurely chuckle, Zhang Xuan walked up to the cauldron and tapped his finger forward. Several dozen surges of zhenqi immediately shot forth from his finger and shrouded the mes. Tzzzzzzzz! Surrounded by Zhang Xuans zhenqi, the mes suddenly surged in intensity, as if someone had breathed life into it. The crimson mes began taking on a blue tint, and the astounding heat that it emanated caused even the surrounding air to warp slightly. That is... a grade-8 Spirit Gathering Formation? Upon seeing the sight, Wu Youdao halted his forging and eximed in astonishment. Most formidable weapons would have unique formations carved onto them in order to reinforce their durability and bolster their fighting prowess. For this reason, most expert cksmiths were highly skilled in formations too. But to be honest, while he had expected the other party to attempt to toss in some kind of me catalyst in order to bolster the intensity of the mes, he hadnt thought that the other party would actually dive straight into constructing up a mini Spirit Gathering Formation! Furthermore, the other party actually managed to construct such a small-scale Spirit Gathering Formation with just his zhenqi... And more importantly, he did it within such a short period of time as well! Tzzzzz! With the massive influx of spiritual energy, the temperature of the coal swiftly rose. However, it was still some way off from reaching the level of heat required to melt the Violet Firmament zestone. Even though the violet ore reflected a brilliant blue-tinted light, there didnt seem to be too much change to its physical state under the searing mes. Its not a bad idea to intensify the mes in the weapon cauldron by concentrating spiritual energy into it, but its still insufficient to melt down an ore of the tier of the Violet Firmament zestone... Shaking his head, Wu Youdao was just about to turn his attention back to his weapon when the leg of the young man opposite of him suddenly sprung forth, kicking the weapon cauldron straight. Dang! A resounding metallic ng reverberated through the weapon cauldron. In the next moment, the mes within weapon cauldron began swiftly converging together at a single point, as if there was some kind ofpelling force attracting them together. It took just an instant for the massive outburst of mes to bepressed down to a size reminiscent of the tip of a sword, and it began slicing the Violet Firmament zestone up into innumerable pieces. That is... a fire concentration technique? But such a technique would require the cauldrons unconditional assistance! How in the world did he manage to pull it off? Once again, Wu Youdao found himself dumbstruck. Just as the name suggested, fire concentration technique was a skill that allowed one to focus the mes at a single point, thus driving the temperature up to an unbelievable degree. Indubitably, it was an extremely useful and effective technique, but unfortunately, it was a highly demanding exploit for both the cauldron and the cksmith; the two would require a rtionship of mutual trust and impable coordination in order to pull off a fire concentration technique. Considering that it had only been several dozen breaths since the young man opposite of him had only met the cauldron, how in the world did they manage to aplish a fire concentration technique? Just as Wu Youdao waspletely bbergasted by the situation, the weapon cauldron suddenly wobbled its massive body over to him and opened up its lid. A voice so deep that it was reminiscent of the rumbling of thunder echoed loudly in the room, Lend me your Blue Incandescence Stone for a use! Ah... Not expecting his own weapon cauldron to speak to him in such a manner, Wu Youdao froze on the spot in shock. Before he could even answer, the weapon cauldron had already replied, Thanks. After which, without even bothering to seek Wu Youdaos agreement, it lifted up one of its tripod foot and stomped on the ground lightly. H! An ore immediately flew into its cauldron. Xiong xiong xiong! As soon as the me came into contact with the Blue Incandescence Stone, the mes immediately burst forth, and the temperature began surging at an insane pace once more. You are going to snatch my ore for that guys sake? Wu Youdaos face twitched non-stop. It had been many years since that weapon cauldron had acknowledged him as its master, and they had been constantly together ever since then. He was only lending it out for the other partys temporary use, and yet... Not only did the cauldron coordinate perfectly with the other party to execute the fire concentration technique, it even helped him steal his ore! Do you still know who your true owner is? While he was leaping with rage, the cauldron suddenly turned to look at Wu Youdao once more and said, Ill need your blood now. After which, the cauldron suddenly leaped into the air and descended onto the young man vertically downward. Pu! Struck squarely on his chest, a pool of blood spurted forth from Wu Youdaos mouth andnded right within the weapon cauldron, and the mes intensified for the third time. Tzzzzzzzz! With the multiple surges in the temperature, the Violet Firmament zestonewas finally unable to retain its state any longer, and cracks began appearing on its surface. Following which, its tough exterior began to soften, showing signs of liquefying. Seeing that it was a sess, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He swiftly shot forth a burst of zhenqi with a tap of his finger. Hu! The ore in the cauldron immediately flew out, and with the hammer in hand, Zhang Xuan swiftly hammered on the ore with incredible deftness. Three breathster, the forged weapon was plunged into a specially-concocted cold fluid. A stream of white smoke rose amidst a resounding sizzle. Soon, Zhang Xuan fished out thepleted product and remarked with a satisfied smile, Im done smithing! Youre done? Perplexed, Wu Youdao turned his head over to thepleted product, and just a single look was more than enough to send his cheeks into endless spasms, Is that... even a weapon? What that was ced on the table wasnt a sword or anything that he would consider as a weapon. It was a perfectly square brick. Chapter 1410 - Grooming Log of the Brick Master Blacksmith

Chapter 1410: Grooming Log of the Brick Master cksmith

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Be it setting up a Spirit Gathering Formation to intensify the mes or concentrating the mes together to heighten the heat, the other party had already disyed a deep understanding of maniption of mes, such that it was very likely that the other party was almost on par with him when in terms of proficiency in smithing. But... why would he so slipshod when it came to forging the weapon? That was a Violet Firmament zestone! It was an incredibly valuable ore even from the perspective of an Inceptive Sage like him! Even if it wasnt enough to forge a saber or a spear, there shouldnt be too much problem making a dagger out of it! And yet, of all possibilities, he chose to make a brick instead... Wu Youdaos face twitched non-stop, and he felt himself getting a little short on breath from the sheer state of agitation he was in. As the Inceptive Sage of the cksmith Guild, he had something that could be described as an extreme obsession with perfecting weapons. If there were to be the slightest millimeter of imperfection in his forging, he would simply melt down the entire weapon and redo it right from the start. In view that he was assessing another persons work, he had no choice but to tolerate slight imperfections in the other partys work... But this brick didnt have the slightest thing to do with a weapon at all, so how could he possibly ept this? It was not as if the other party was a bricyer, so why in the world did he choose to forge a brick? You can check on it. It should have reached Saint high-tier. Paying no heed to the frenzied look on Wu Youdaos face, Zhang Xuan said with a casual wave of his hand. Saint high-tier? Thest remark from Zhang Xuan was the veryst straw for Wu Youdao. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he snapped, Whats the use of a mere brick even if it has really reached Saint high-tier? On the other hand, facing Wu Youdaos questioning, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disapproval, as if disappointed by the other partys inability to recognize a treasure before his eyes, before picking up the metal brick from the table and saying with a hint of pride, Its uses are far greater than what you can imagine. It would be no exaggeration to say that its the most formidable weapon in the world! However, those words only seemed to further fan Wu Youdaos rage, and it was to the point that he beganughing out of sheer anger, The most formidable weapon in the world? Why dont you show me just what is so formidable about the brick you have forged? There should at least be a limit to ones lies! A perfectly square brick, bulky and heavy,cking in reach and devoid of a sharp edge... How was one supposed to fight with such a weapon?! Do you still have any weapon forged out of Violet Firmament zestone? Whether my brick is truly strong or not, well be able to tell with a swift test! Zhang Xuan replied calmly. You want to test out your brick? Hmph, lets do just that then! As he said those words, Wu Youdao flicked his wrist and retrieved three weapons. Saber, spear, and sword! These were all forged out of the Violet Firmament zestone, and the overwhelming cold aura that emanated from them left one feeling as if ones skin had been pierced through and that ones blood was about to freeze over. With just a look, it was apparent that all three of those weapons were of extremely high tier, wielding formidable strength. The forging of these three weapons had taken Wu Youdao tremendous effort, especially with the processing of the Violet Firmament zestone. As long as any of these three weapons of yours is able to withstand the might of my brick, Ill consider it as my loss! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Very well. Let me see what kind of might does that brick of yours wield! Hearing the arrogant words spoken by the young man before him, Wu Youdao harrumphed coldly. With a flick of his wrist, his sword flew forth in Zhang Xuans direction. In the face of the iing sword, Zhang Xuan didnt make any particrlyrge actions. Instead, with a simple fling of his sleeve, he flung his brick forward to fend against the sword. Kacha! The brick and the sword collided forcefully with one another, and in the next instant, the sword shattered into two with a resounding ng. This... Wu Youdao widened his eyes in horror. He had reforged this sword time after time in order to refine it into the sharpest and most resilient de it could be. Yet, against a mere brick, it actually shattered in an instant! How could this be? Hu! To make things worse, the brick didnt stop after shattering the sword. It swiftly flew for the saber and spear floating behind Wu Youdao. Kacha! Kacha!, two crisp echoes sounded the end of the other two weapons that Wu Youdao had forged with great difficulty. Y-you... Wu Youdaos teeth ttered at that sight, a little overwhelmed by the situation going on before him. It was one thing for one of his weapon to be destroyed so easily, but for all three to be shattered by a simple brick so easily... No matter how slow-witted he was, it was more than obvious to him that there was something much deeper to the simple-looking brick before him! It was at apletely different tier from the other weapons he had forged so far! A brick mightck a sharp edge, but its bulkiness allows it to ovee any weapon through sheer force. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan nced at Wu Youdao with the air of an unfathomable expert. Weapons are tools intended to raise a cultivators fighting prowess. Their forms are only of secondary concern, whats truly important are their might! While the Violet Firmament zestone allows for the forging of extraordinarily sharp weapons, there is a fatal w with such weaponsbrittleness. They might still fare fine against other light weapons, but once faced with a heavy weapon, they would swiftly shatter like fragile crystals under the immense pressure exerted on them. Can a weapon that breaks in the middle of a battle be considered as a good weapon? This... Wu Youdao was stumped by those words. He had used the Violet Firmament zestone to forge quite a few weapons, but just like what the other party had said, they werecking in resilience. But he didnt view thisck in resilience as a major problemafter all, there was no way they could be too fragile as Saint high-tier weapons. Furthermore, the strength of a swordy primarily in its sharpness and flexibility, and it would be impractical to expect it to be resilient as well. He thought that all weapons forged out of the Violet Firmament zestone would face this fundamental w, but who could have thought that this problem would be resolved easily just by forging a simple brick! How is it? Have I cleared your assessment? Seeing that Wu Youdao was in a state ofplete shock, Zhang Xuan shook his head before asking. He had always been a humble person, and his purpose here was to clear the trial, not to traumatize others, so there was no need for him to add salt to the other partys wounds. ... Yes, you have cleared my assessment... Wu Youdao replied in a deted voice, a deep contrast against the confidence he had exuded earlier. With a frown on his face, he asked, There should be no way to carve a formation on the brick, and furthermore, you were rather easygoing and leisurely in your hammerings too. So, how did manage to forge a weapon of this tier? Even with the superior sturdiness the brick wielded over his three weapons, it shouldnt have been possible for it to shatter all three of his weapons so easily. That could only mean that the other partys brick was of a far higher quality of his weapons. In order to raise the tier of a weapon, the regtion of temperature within the weapon cauldron while the ore was being refined and the quenching process were of utmost importance. On the other hand, when it came to heightening its prowess, the forging process and carving of formations would be the key. Generally speaking, the longer an ore had been hammered for, the morepact the material would be. Thus, weapons that had undergone a longer forging process would tend to be considerably more resilient. However, the other party had taken three breaths to craft his weapon, using only half a breath to hammer each side of the metal ingot once in order to shape it into the form of a brick... So, how could it possibly be of higher tier than the weapons he had spent hours or even days forging? Are you interested in learning the secret behind my forging technique? Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. Please enlighten me! Knowing that the other party possessed capabilities surpassing him in the field of smithing, Wu Youdao sped his fist and bowed humbly, not daring to pull his weight. Even though the forging of the brick would appear simple and crude to untrained eyes, theres actually profound knowledge in it. None of the hammer strikes were done haphazardly; they were carefully controlled to ensure that they are in alignment with the essence of smithing... Picking the brick up, Zhang Xuan exined with a deep look in his eyes. His understanding of smithing had already reached 8-star pinnaclenot to mention that what he had learned was the Heavens Path Smithing Artso even the most casual of pointers from him could be deeply insightful to any 8-star cksmith. Just by listening to Zhang Xuans words for a while, Wu Youdao was left with nothing but awe and respect for him. Despite the other partys young age, his exnation of smithing was concise and spot-on. Through simple words, the other party was able to bring out the most profound of concepts, leaving him feeling deeply enlightened, as if many epiphanies were striking him one after another. Very soon, the intricacies behind the mysterious brick forging techniques were deciphered to Wu Youdao. Farewell! After finishing his piece, Zhang Xuan bade his leave and began heading for the third floor. Seeing the young man off with his gaze, Wu Youdao swiftly ran through what he had just learned, and his eyes gleamed in excitement, So, my conceptualization of smithing has been wrong all along. From this day onward, I shall smith swords and sabers no more and dedicate the entirety of my time and effort into forging bricks! What swords, sabers, spears... All those meant nothing to the absolute brick! Offering the heaviest of offense and the sturdiest of defense, what other weapons could possiblypete with the brick? This was a weapon that was worth dedicating his entire life into pursuing! With such a thought in mind, Wu Youdao swiftly took out several ores and began forging. On the other hand, the culprit who had just led a talented cksmith astray was currently heading up a flight of stairs, wondering, I took almost ten minutes before I could clear the second floor... Is this a little too slow? Ill really have to speed up for theter floors... And soon, he found himself standing before the Inceptive Sage of the Seer Guild. What was unbeknownst to Zhang Xuan in this very moment was that he had unwittingly groomed a true brick master cksmith. This was the very day that a certain man vowed that no other weapons other than a brick would be produced by his hands, and countless experts viewed it as the greatest of glory to obtain a brick personally forged by that man... Chapter 1411 - I Want To Change My Clothes

Chapter 1411: I Want To Change My Clothes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang shi! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the Inceptive Sage of the Seer Guild quickly greeted him with a sped fist. Is Elder Feng still doing well? Zhang Xuan replied the greeting. Back then, while he was in the Shrine of Seers, he had unwittingly destroyed the other partys treasure and tore down the entire ce. In the end, he even caused the other party to be struck by lightning too, and that had left him feeling deeply guilt-ridden. Hes in the midst of a seclusion at the moment. the Inceptive Sage of the Seer Guild replied. He seems to be a little down at the moment for some reason... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. He could still remember the imposing air that Elder Feng carried with him when they had first met, and he couldnt help but feel that he was the cause of the other partys slump. I know that Elder Feng intends to take you in as his direct disciple, but still, as one of the guardians of the Tower of Master Teachers, I cant be going easy on you. This is to uphold the integrity and sanctity of the trial. the Inceptive Sage said. Of course, I understand. Zhang Xuan replied with a polite smile. Of the supporting upations he hadnt reached a proficiency of 8-star yet, poison master and soul oracle were automatically excluded from the list of choices, so he had no choice but to pick seer as well. While he hadnt read any books regarding the upation, he didnt think that it would be too difficult for him to clear its trial... Good. The assessment will be very simple. The both of us shall be divining an event simultaneously, and as long as your conclusion is the same as mine, Ill consider it as your victory. the Inceptive Sage exined the rules. It went without saying that the assessment for seers would be rted to divining. While each seer possessed a different level of ability from one another, as long as their divination was right, they should still arrive at the same conclusion. Understood. Zhang Xuan nodded. Alright. Ill divine that you wont be able to clear the Tower of Master Teachers today. the Inceptive Sage said with a smile. You are going to divine that I wont be able to clear the Tower of Master Teachers today? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. This was a paradoxical statement. Clearly, the other party was intentionally setting up a trap for him. If he were to say something that he would be able to clear the trial, that would be at odds with the deration made by the Inceptive Sage, thus spelling his instantaneous disqualification. But even if he were to agree with the Inceptive Sage and temporarily clear this floor, the Inceptive Sage still had the option to choose not to acknowledge his victoryter on as long as there was a valid reason behind it. In other words, even if he were to clear the remaining six floors afterward, the Inceptive Sage could still revoke his acknowledgement under the grounds of his inurate divination, and thus, resulting in the overall failure of the trial. This sure was a scheming move. As expected of the Inceptive Sage of the Seer Guild, he sure knew how to corner others effectively. Indeed. As long as you agree with my words, Ill let you pass right now. the Inceptive Sage said with a smile. To be honest, even though it wasnt exactly the young mans fault, he still couldnt help but feel that the young man had some me to y behind the Shrine of Seers copse and Elder Fengs slump. As the Inceptive Sage of the Seer Guild, he felt that he should get back at the other party a little. Otherwise, what would be of their dignity as the most mysterious Upper Nine Paths upation? Can we divine something else instead? Pardon me, but I dont think that Ill be able to answer that question of yours! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Unfortunately, this is the only question I have for you. the Inceptive Sage said with a wave of his hand. The other party possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, which meant that it was impossible to predict anything that had him in the picture. As such, apetition with the other party would simply result in his divination running awry. Since that was the case, he decided to y it foul just this once. And to be honest, he was also very curious to see how the young man whom Elder Feng was so obsessed with would deal with such a situation too. This is the only question you have for me? I see... Alright, I understand. Knowing that the other party was intentionally making things hard for him, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. With a thought, he essed the Library of Heavens Path in his mind. Kacha! Before the Inceptive Sage could process what was going on, his body suddenly wentpletely numba bolt of lightning had fallen on him. Following which, more and more bolts of lightning struck down furiously one after another on the Inceptive Sage, and before long, he was already lying on the ground convulsing non-stop. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan immediately rushed forward with eyes widened in a mixture of astonishment and worry. Have you revealed too many secrets of the heavens that you are suffering heavenly retribution at this moment? I... Kacha! Kacha! The Inceptive Sage could barely force out a single word before another two streaks of lightning fell upon him, causing his body to spasm once more. It seems like you arent in a really good state to assess me at the moment. Since thats the case, it doesnt seem appropriate for me to impose on you any further. If you have no rejections, Ill be heading up first, alright? Zhang Xuan sped his fist. No... Kacha! Kacha! Under the furious assault of lightning bolts, even speaking a single word was extremely arduous to the Inceptive Sage. Ill thank you for your magnanimity then. If I have a chance in the future, Ill surely pay you a visit to ry my gratitude to you. Zhang Xuan sped his fist before heading up the stairs. If the other party didnt make things difficult for him, he still could have consideredpeting fairly with the other party. But since the other party was bent on cornering him, there was no reason for him to hold back either. In the first ce, the actions of seers could be considered as not too much different from petty theft from the eyes of the heavens, so the other party was just reaping what he had sowed. You... the Inceptive Sage eximed in agitation, wanting to stop Zhang Xuan from heading up. However, he noticed that the lightning bolt above him had grown morepact instead. Horrified, he hurriedly tried to flee, but he realized that no matter how agilely he moved, he was unable to escape from the lightning bolts at all. Eventually, the resigned him could only find a ce which was morefortable for him to lie at, allowing the lightning bolts to ravage him with deadpan eyes. On the fourth floor was the Inceptive Sage of the Painter Guild. The moment Zhang Xuan stepped in, it felt as if he had stepped into an illusory world. Majestic mountains towered around him, creating a particrly aesthetic sight. Knowing that he was in an 8-star painting, it didnt take long for him to escape from it, thus clearing the assessment. The supporting upation for the fifth floor was terpsichore, the one for the sixth floor was appraiser, and the one for the seventh floor was demonic tunist, and the one for the eighth was apothecary... Having read all of the books for those upations, Zhang Xuan was able to clear those floors extremely quickly. In just a matter of minutes, he was already right before the final floor. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward his final assessment. Since he had already cleared the prerequisite eight supporting upation, all he had to do was to clear the final cultivation assessment and he would be able to be promoted as an 8-star master teacher. Pushing the door and entering the room, as soon as Zhang Xuan got a clear sight of the person in the room, a tight knit immediately surfaced on his eyebrows. Its you? The person before him was no other than the person who was viciously pummeled by the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast before, the Zhang n genius who owed him five pinnacle spirit stonesZhang Chun! The Tower of Master Teachers requires an 8-star master teacher to invigte the trial. Both Luo Xuanqing and I were qualified to be the invigtor, but it just happens that he has recently made a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm, thus exceeding the cultivation realm allowable for one to serve as an invigtor here. So, Ill the one who is assessing you today. Zhang Chun chuckled softly. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a jade container and flicked it over to Zhang Xuans direction, Here are the five pinnacle spirit stones that I owe you. Catching the jade container, Zhang Xuan kept it into his storage ring without bothering to check on it. His eyes remained firmly on Zhang Chun as the knit between his eyebrows tightened. Previously, he had the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast pummel the other party, so it could be said that there was a deep grudge in between the both of them. Now that there was such a good opportunity for the other party to exact vengeance, how could the other party possibly let him go easily? The other party had already expressed his attitude clearly by returning the spirit stones now that I owe nothing to you, I no longer need to have any reservations when dealing with you! May I know how will this assessment go? Understanding this fact, Zhang Xuan heaved a deep sigh before asking. In order to be an 8-star master teacher, you need to possess strength equivalent to a Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm cultivator... Unfortunately, it appears that your cultivation realm is only at Half-Grand Dominion realm at the moment, so Ill have to assess your strength personally to ensure that it has reached the required mark. A sharp glint shed across Zhang Chuns eyes as he looked at Zhang Xuan with a slightly unnerving smile, Rest assured, my assessment will be very easy. As long as you can withstand three punches from me, Ill consider it as your victory. If you fail to withstand it... I apologize, but Im afraid that Ill have no choice but to fail you! Withstand three punches from you? Zhang Xuan frowned. Considering how the other party had once fought him with his cultivation suppressed, the other party should have known his true fighting prowess. And to propose such a duel despite that... clearly, the other party had no intentions of suppressing his cultivation at all. While Zhang Xuan had made considerable advancement in his cultivation and fighting prowess recently, he was still a far way off from matching up to the Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle Zhang Chun. Zhang Xuans mind swiftly whirred into action, but he was unable to find any way how he could clear this assessment fairly. Thus, after a slight moment of silence, he replied, Fine by me. However, before the duel, I would like to change my clothes... You want to change your clothes? Feel free. Zhang Chun was a little bewildered by Zhang Xuans abrupt request, but he still waved his hands leisurely, not paying Zhang Xuans request any mind. After all, the crux of a duely in ones fighting prowess. It was not as if Zhang Xuan would be able to defeat him just by changing his clothes. Thank you. With a casual wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan set up an istion barrier by the corner of the room and walked in. Chapter 1412 - 8-star Master Teacher

Chapter 1412: 8-star Master Teacher

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not even twenty minutes have passed so far, right? Within such a short period of time, he actually managed to reach the ninth floor. T-this... Before the Tower of Master Teachers stood a group of spectating master teachers and members of other upations, and every single one of their teeth were ttering from astonishment. Their initial thought was that even if the young challenger was able to clear the trial, most likely, he would take several days at the very minimum, needing to ovee many difficulties before finally reaching the top. Yet, who would have thought that he would actually be able to reach the top within less than twenty minutes! This meant that he had received the recognition of the Inceptive Sages of the eight supporting upations within just two to three minutes after meeting each of them. Was that not too fast? Even though he has sessfully reached the final floor, I dont think things are optimistic for him, an elder standing not too far away remarked grimly. Why would you say so? Luo Xuanqing asked. This brother of his had truly surpassed his wildest imagination. All along, he had thought that there was no one who could possibly best his younger sisters record, but who knew that he would actually be able to reach the final floor so quickly? The final floor was mainly a trial to assess the challengers cultivation, and considering Zhang Xuans frightening fighting prowess, it should be a walk in the park for him to clear the trial. Why would the elder say otherwise? From what I know, the person guarding the floor is Zhang Chun! Ive heard that the both of them had some grudges with one another in the past, the elder said. Zhang Chun? Hearing that name, Luo Xuanqing was startled. He could not help but clench his fists tightly together. Why would it be him? He knew about Zhang Xuans conflict with Zhang Chun as well, and if thetter was the one guarding the floor, it could prove hard for Zhang Xuan to clear the trial. But under normal circumstances, considering that it was just a simple assessment of cultivation, it would suffice to find an ordinary 8-star master teacher to do the job. There was no need for a top-notch genius of the Zhang n to make a move himself. Im not too sure about the details either, but it seems like he applied for the role himself, the elder replied. As one of the core members of the Zhang n, Zhang Chun had a massive intelligencework all over the Sanctum of Sages, allowing him to remain up to date with the various affairs going on. Considering that he had a grudge with Zhang Xuan, it went without saying that he would apply to be one of the guardians of the Tower of Master Teachers. Damn it. If that fellow makes things difficult for Zhang Xuan, Ill surely give him a beating he will never forget once hees out of the Tower of Master Teachers! If I dont make him bedbound for at least half a year, my surname wont be Luo! Luo Xuanqing vowed viciously with gritted teeth. He had been wanting to pummel Zhang Chun ever since achieving a breakthrough in his cultivation, but before he could make a move, he had ended up learning about his younger sisters affairs, and in the midst of settling the matter, he had been forced to summon his lightning tribtion. In the end, before he could make a move, the other party had ended up making the first move! If that darned Zhang Chun intentionally made things difficult for Zhang Xuan and failed him, he would never let that bastard go! If he did not beat that fellow up till the point where even his parents would not be able to recognize him, his name would not be Luo Xuanqing! In the first ce, the Tower of Master Teachers is known to be one of the hardest trials in the Sanctum of Sages. If Zhang shi clears it too easily, others will only question the legitimacy of the trial in the future... Shaking his head, the elder was in the midst of his words when the ground suddenly began trembling. Boom! He quickly raised his head and saw a human-sized protrusion appearing on the walls of the ninth floor of the Tower of Master Teachers. Zhang shi has been beaten up! the elder eximed. Luo Xuanqing anxiously turned his gaze upward too. Boom! Another resounding explosion sounded, and the human-sized protrusion on the wall became even bigger. Stone fragments that had chipped off from the tower rained ceaselessly on the ground. Zhang Xuan, Luo Xuanqing muttered worriedly as he contemted rushing in to save the other party. However, the next instant, he suddenly noticed something that made his eyebrows shoot up. Wait a moment, that body shape... doesnt seem to belong to Zhang Xuan. The one who is being pummeled isnt Zhang Xuan? It isnt Zhang Xuan? Taken aback by those words, the elder turned his gaze upward once more, but before he could examine the protrusion on the wall clearly, the protrusion suddenly burst open. Hu! A silhouette burst forth from the protrusion, heading straight to the ground. Peng! He fell headfirst into the ground, leaving only a pair of legs trembling non-stop outside, reminiscent of a leek nted in the ground. Judging from the clothes and the body shape... he was none other than the top-notch genius of the Zhang n, Zhang Chun! How can this be? The elders mouth opened wide in shock. He knew Zhang Chuns strength very well. Even at Saint 7-dan pinnacle, he wielded strength that wasparable to ordinary Half-Dimension Sundering realm experts. Yet, facing a mere Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivator, he was actually pummeled right down from the ninth floor, even to the point where he was unable to gather the strength to steady himself through his ability of flight. The elder rubbed his eyes forcefully, and he had to take several good looks at the situation before he was finally able to convince himself that he was not seeing things. The elder was not the only one who was bbergasted by the situation. Even Luo Xuanqings eyes were wide open. Zhang Chun had been viciously pummeled the previous time he challenged Zhang Xuan with his cultivation suppressed. Could it be that he still had not learned his lesson and chose to suppress his cultivation yet again? If that was the case, he really was a true masochist through and through! Boom! However, before he could think too much into it, the ground suddenly shook. A brilliant light burst converged from the surroundings toward the top of the Tower of Master Teachers, and a token materialized in midair. 8-star master teacher emblem! Congrattions to Zhang Xuan for sessfully clearing the Tower of Master Teachers and being promoted to 8-star master teacher. The voice reverberated throughout the Sanctum of Sages, echoing loudly in everyones ears. Zhang shi... has cleared the 8-star master teacher examination? Within a certain room, Zhang Jiuxiao heard the voice from the sky and froze on the spot. At the same time, the cultivating Chen Leyaos body also stiffened, and a hint of disbelief surfaced in her eyes. The other party was only at Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle when they first arrived at the Sanctum of Sages, possessing a fighting prowess that was beneath hers. But in less than a single month, he was already an 8-star master teacher. Even when witnessing everything unfolding with her own eyes, she still could not help but find it inconceivable. Such scenes were happening throughout the entire Sanctum of Sages, especially with those cultivators who had entered the Sanctum of Sages together with Zhang Xuan. Shock was an understatement for what they were feeling at that moment. Even Zhao Xingmo waspletely rooted to the spot, incapable of speaking a word at all. He had known from the very start that Zhang Xuan would aplish great things in the future, but he had never thought that thetter would actually be able to be an 8-star master teacher within less than a month... and without attending a single lesson at that! As an 8-star master teacher, that young man could already be considered a figure that stood at the very peak of the continent, qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum. Senior... sure is formidable! Feng Ziyis mouth was agape, too. Previously, he had still thought that as long as he worked hard, considering that they were from the same lineage, he would be able to surpass the other party one day. However, the voice had clearly told him that the other party had already reached a level far beyond his reach, and it was nigh impossible for him to catch up now. Its no wonder Teacher would choose to take him in. With the other partys talent, it was no wonder his teacher would take in another disciple even after telling him that he would be the only direct disciple that he would ept. Hu! Reaching out to grab the floating 8-star master teacher emblem, a unique energy surged into Zhang Xuans body. Of course, there was no way he would be a match for Zhang Chun given his current strength. The reason he had been able to defeat thetter so easily was because he had let his clone out to take his ce. After absorbing the energy from the lightning tribtion, his clone had be so strong that even a Saint 7-dan pinnacle expert like Zhang Chun was bashed right into the wall with a single punch. By the third punch, thetter had already beenpletely knocked out, falling down from the Tower of Master Teachers helplessly. I have finally reached 8-star. ncing at the emblem in his grasp, Zhang Xuan could hardly suppress the excitement in his heart. Just as he was about to stow it into his storage ring, his eyebrows suddenly shot up, and a token surfaced in his palm. The Sanctum Head Token! The token was emanating a warm glow, and it seemed like a seal ced on it was gradually undoing itself. Chapter 1413 - The Location of Vicious Upper Body

Chapter 1413: The Location of Vicious Upper Body

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There were three conditions required to unsealing the Sanctum Head Token. Firstly, his master teacher rank had to reach 8-star. Secondly, he had to cultivate his Eye of Insight up to the fourth realm, Demon Vanquisher. Thirdly, his cultivation had to reach Saint 8-dan! He was still some way off from aplishing thetter two, but with his master teacher rank reaching 8-star, he had already managed to activate a portion of the authority and strength harnessed within the Sanctum Head Token. Knowing that this was not a good time for him to check on the changes in the Sanctum Head Token, he swiftly stowed both the token and the 8-star master teacher emblem into his storage ring before slowly descending down from the top of the Tower of Master Teachers. Zhang shi, congrattions on clearing the Tower of Master Teachers trial and breaking its record! Zhan shi stepped forward and sped his fist. Even at this point, he still could not help but feel as if he was in a dream. To clear all nine floors within twenty minutes, winning the acknowledgement of nine top geniuses of their Sanctum of Sages... that was a feat that even the little princess of the Luo n was incapable of! If I may ask, am I qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum now? Zhang Xuan asked with a polite smile. Of course! If you wish to head there now, I can bring you over, Zhan shi said with a nod. To tell you the truth, there isnt much of a difference between the Inner Sanctum and the rest of the Sanctum of Sages, perhaps except for the concentration in spiritual energy. I understand, but I would still like to head there. Ill be troubling you to lead the way then, Sanctum Head Zhan! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. At the other partys insistence, Zhan shi nodded with a hint of approval in his eyes. The young man had just challenged a major trial, but he still insisted on heading to the Inner Sanctum instead of resting. Perhaps it was the difference in attitude that made the difference between him and the rest of the students! With such a thought in mind, he turned around and led the way forward, and Zhang Xuan quickly followed him. Zhang shi... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was leaving, Luo Xuanqing hurried forward, wanting to talk to the young man about the matter concerning his younger sister. But at thest moment, he stopped himself. Facing Zhang Xuans perplexed gaze, he waved his hand and said, Its fine. You should take a look around the Inner Sanctum first. Ill look for youter at night. Considering that he was going to entrust the young man with a mission to kill the person whom his younger sister loved, he would have to ensure utmost secrecy for this matter. There were many experts present on the scenesome of them were adept in soul arts evenso it would be best for him to find the young manter on and speak to him in a more private environment. After all, this was not a particrly honorable matter to speak of in public. Alright. Zhang Xuan swiftly assessed Luo Xuanqing carefully and noted that the other partys cultivation was already fully reinforced. He nodded with a bright smile before following Zhan shi to the Inner Sanctum. The Inner Sanctum of the Sanctum of Sages was not located in any of the Five Halls but within ake far away from the major infrastructure. Zhan shi took out an insignia and waved it over theke, and the seal cast over theke swiftly came undone. Following which, a massive gate surfaced from the depths of the water, and particrly overwhelming spatial energy rippled forth from it. What formidable control of space! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. He had alreadyprehended the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, which granted him a deep insight into the essence of space. But to his shock, even with the Eye of Insight, he was actually unable to see through the gate before him! This could only mean that the person who had set up the door had achieved a level of spatial maniptionparable to 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel or perhaps even 5-dan! Folded spaces created by experts of that caliber were extremely steady, such that putting aside perceiving it, even if he really found their folded spaces, he would be unable to open them without using keys such as the insignia that Zhan shi had used. This is the insignia required to open the doorway to the Inner Sanctum. All students of the Inner Sanctum have one, and it serves as a representation of their identity, Zhan shi said as he passed the insignia over to Zhang Xuan. Taking the insignia, Zhang Xuan lightly stroked its surface to feel its material before taking a closer look at it. There was a dense congregation of inscriptions on its surface, and surprisingly, these inscriptions bore a striking resemnce to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery that was used to cut off the otherworldly battlefields from the Master Teacher Continent. They were marks of a Spatial Formation. Dripping a droplet of blood on it to im ownership of the insignia, Zhang Xuan ced it in his storage ring. Alright, lets enter, Zhan shi said as he led the way in, and Zhang Xuan quickly followed suit. The moment Zhang Xuan stepped through the door, he felt as if he had been transported through space. Before he knew it, he was already standing within a building. The very first thing that he noticed about his surroundings was that the concentration of spiritual energy was nearly twofold of that in the Sanctum of Sages. It was so concentrated that it felt as if it would form liquid spirit essence with just a simple grasp of his hand. What was iparably valuable in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy turned out to bemonce here. Its indeed a blessednd for cultivation! Zhang Xuan remarked. The higher the concentration of spiritual energy, the faster one would be able to cultivate. With how dense the concentration of spiritual energy was, even if one did not actively cultivate, the spiritual energy would still dive into ones body through ones acupoints of its own ord, pushing ones cultivation up gradually. If Zhang Xuan had been there right from the start, even without using a single spirit stone, he would still be able to reach his current level of strength within a single year... or perhaps even higher! It was truly no wonder there were so many outstanding young experts in the Sage ns. With decent talent and the best resources at theirmand, they would have to be a true sluggard to not achieve anything at all. Noting Zhang Xuans astonishment, Zhan shi exined with a smile, The most valuable resource in the Inner Sanctum isnt the higher concentration of spiritual energy but the cultural atmosphere. Just by being here will grant one greater rity of thoughts and a sharper spirit, thus enhancing ones rate of cultivation and learning! Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment after hearing those words before nodding. The Inner Sanctum had been set up by Ancient Sage Bo Shang personally many years ago, and he had infused Kong shis will into this very space. This will had been further enhanced by the countless geniuses who had studied and cultivated there over the past several dozen millenniums, thus creating a unique atmosphere in the area that made one subconsciously desire to learn, cultivate, and reach greater heights. After allowing Zhang Xuan some time to soak in the areas atmosphere, Zhan shi said, Lets go and pay our respects to Sage Kuis sculpture first! Sage Kuis sculpture? Zhang Xuan asked with a hint of confusion. Even though the folded space was set up by Ancient Sage Bo Shang, its mainly due to Sage Kui that its survived up till now, grooming many generations of experts! Zhan shi exined. As you know, folded spaces are inherently unstable, and this is especially so for spaces such as this that harness such concentrated spiritual energy. In order to prevent any mishap from happening, some kind of order must be actively sustained in here, and if not Sage Kuis efforts over the many years, the Inner Sanctum would have long copsed! Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words. In a sense, folded spaces could bepared to balloons. If they were not maintained carefully, putting aside growingrger, they would even slowly dete as time went by. The only reason the Myriad Anthive Nest, for example, had been able to remain so stable so far was due to the Myriad Anthive Queen sustaining it. Otherwise, it likely would have copsed long ago. The same went for the Mountain Gate. It was due to the dissipation of Sage Kuis will that resulted in its swift copse afterward. Considering how spiritual energy was even more aplenty within this folded space, it went without saying that it would be even more prone to instability. There was no way such a space could be sustained for several dozen millenniums without a powerful will guarding it. Soon, the both of them arrived before a massive sculpture. The sculpture was dressed in a long robe, and there was a particrly gentlemanly and refined look on his face. He shared the exact same appearance as the Sage Kui that Zhang Xuan had seen back at the Mountain Gate, and the aura that he exuded was incredibly powerful. Even though the will within the sculpture was incapable of materialization, unlike the Sage Kui in the Mountain Gate, the sculpture seemed to harness some kind of spiritual power. With just a look, a cultivator would feel their thoughts suddenly bing lucid. As expected of the First Sanctum Head of the Sanctum of Sages... To be able to instill a slight hint of deference within him just through a mere sculpture, there was no doubt that the strength that Sage Kui wielded back when he was still alive far exceeded that of the deputy sanctum head standing before him. Zhang Xuan took a step forward and bowed deeply to pay his respect. Putting aside how powerful Sage Kui was, just on the grounds that he had cultivated many generations of experts, allowing mankind to enjoy several dozen millenniums of rtive peace and prosperity without fearing the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he was indeed worthy of respect. Not to mention, he had received the other partys heritage, the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. However, it was a pity that despite the books that he had read over the past few days, he had not been able to find any that were rted to optic arts. Otherwise, he surely would have perfected the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld and cultivated it well. Master, I sense my upper body! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, Vicious voice suddenly sounded in his head. Where? Part of the reason he wanted to enter the Inner Sanctum was to find Luo Ruoxin, but the other part was to help Vicious regain his strength. Hearing that his upper body had been found, Zhang Xuans eyes could not help but light up in agitation. Its inside this sculpture, Vicious replied. Chapter 1414 - Cultivation Technique Forest

Chapter 1414: Cultivation Technique Forest

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the sculpture? Zhang Xuan was startled. He found this matter a little hard to believe. He would not have been too shocked if Vicious had told him that his upper body was ced within some ancestral hall or sealed deep underground, but to actually be hidden within Sage Kuis sculpture... How could that be? Sage Kui was the direct disciple of Ancient Sage Bo Shang, which meant that he was Kong shis grandstudent. As the First Sanctum Head of the Sanctum of Sages, his hatred for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was so deep-seated that it could be said to be carved right into his bones. If he could, he would have unhesitatingly wiped the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe off the face of the world. On the other hand, as one of the strongest experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Vicious body was bound to harness extraordinary power even upon death. In order to prevent it fromnding back in the hands of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely seek to destroy it. Taking a step back, even if they were unable to destroy it, the least they could do was seal it off and hide it where no one would ever find it. But instead of doing that, it was actually ced in Sage Kuis sculpture. Zhang Xuan could hardlyprehend the rationale behind such a course of action. More importantly... despite storing Vicious upper body within it, not only did the sculpture not harness the slightest killing intent, it was even exuding a particrly soothing and refined aura. How in the world was this done? Zhang Xuan could not help asking, Is it possible for you to have made a mistake? It was not that he did not want to believe Vicious, but this matter was simply too hard for him to believe. The only reason he was able to hide Vicious existence from others was through having thetter sealed in his Book of Heavens Path. It should go without saying that Sage Kui could not possibly have possessed the Library of Heavens Path, so there was no way he would have been capable of suppressing Vicious strength to the point where even his Eye of Insight was unable to sense it. If it was before fusing together with my head, it might still have been possible for me to make a mistake, but now... theres no way I am mistaken! Vicious replied affirmatively. Before fusing with his head, due to his iplete memory, he would still have been uncertain about many things. But in his current state, he was a hundred percent certain that his upper body was contained within the statue before them. This... Hearing how certain Vicious was, Zhang Xuan frowned. Let me take a look at it first. He activated his Eye of Insight and examined Sage Kuis sculpture intently once more, and a momentter, he shook his head. Even the generations of sanctum heads were unable to see through it; considering how the realm of his Eye of Insight was lower than theirs, it was not too surprising that he would be unable to see anything. He stretched his hand out and touched the sleeves of the sculpture inconspicuously. Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. A sculpture of Sage Kui forged personally by Sage Kui himself. Forged using Celestial Bluestone, it harnesses both Ancient Sage Bo Shangs will and Vicious upper body. It is a vital keystone in stabilizing the space in the Inner Sanctum and regting the spiritual energy in the air... The description and origin of the sculpture was jotted in detail in the book. Its really inside! Zhang Xuans eyebrows scrunched up further. There was no way the Library of Heavens Path could have made a mistake. Without a doubt, Vicious upper body was really in the sculpture. But still, to use the skeletal frame of an Otherworldly Demon expert to stabilize the Inner Sanctum and yet still prevent its killing intent from permeating the area... Just how did they manage to do it? Zhang shi! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had fallen into a daze, Zhan shi called out loudly. Pardon me, I was so overwhelmed by Sage Kuis imposing disposition that I lost myself for a moment. Zhang Xuan quickly sped his fist and apologized. This matter concerned Vicious, so there was no way he could say it aloud before Zhan shi. Nevertheless, it felt like there was more to this issue. He would have to first make sense out of the matter first before making a move so as to prevent any unnecessary implications from urring. Its fine, I understand that feeling. I was also stunned for quite a while myself when I first saw Sage Kuis sculpture. It really felt as if an ancestor was standing right before me, imparting valuable knowledge! Oblivious to Zhang Xuans true thoughts, Zhan shi let out a light chuckle. Zhang Xuan nodded silently. At this point, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. If Vicious upper body has been sealed in Sage Kuis sculpture and is suppressed by Sage Kuis will, could this mean that its unable to develop a new will? Each of Vicious body partsbe it the heart, finger, or headhad all birthed an individual consciousness of their own. However, under the constant suppression of Sage Kuis will, there was a good possibility that the upper body might not have been able to sessfully birth a consciousness. This would mean that his Vicious would have a much easier time assimting it. Nevertheless, another major problem still stood in his way. In order for Vicious to assimte his upper body, the sculpture would first have to be destroyed. However, that could very well cause the copse of the entire Inner Sanctum. This was not an oue that was eptable to him. As the future sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, how could he destroy such a precious legacy left behind by his ancestors just like that? Zhan shi, may I know if theres anywhere like a cultivation technique library in the Inner Sanctum? My cultivation has recently reached Half-Grand Dominion realm, but I still havent found a suitable Grand Dominion realm cultivation technique yet! The Inner Sanctum doesnt have any libraries, but it does have the Cultivation Technique Forest, which contains the heritages left behind by the predecessors. Students who have just entered the Inner Sanctum are usually brought there, and as for what they receive, that is dependent on their luck! Zhan shi said. Cultivation Technique Forest? Indeed. The cultivation techniques that are qualified to be passed down in the Inner Sanctum are all of Saint high-tier or Saint pinnacle quality at minimum, but as you know, each cultivator possesses a constitution unique to them. Cultivating a cultivation technique thatplemented ones strength could lead one to the very top whereas cultivating an ipatible cultivation technique could very well cause ones cultivation to go berserk. As such, a cultivator mustnt choose their cultivation technique just by the merit of the might it wields! Zhan shi exined. The Cultivation Technique Forest is a ce for cultivators to find out what cultivation techniques are suited for them and choose from them. All students in the Inner Sanctum get a chance to enter the Cultivation Technique Forest to select among the cultivation techniques they arepatible with. Once they have made their choice, they will be unable to change it anymore! I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. Cultivation techniques were simr to upations in the sense that they would be suited to some people but not others. As such, cultivators would have to assess their own aptitude and choose the path they wished to tread on. Of course, advice from seniors could prove to be useful, but ultimately, no one would be able to make the choice for them. This was also the reason Kong shi promoted the idea of teaching an individual based on their talents. There was no way a systematic lesson n could possibly cater to all students, and this would lead to some of their talents going to waste. If you wish to give it a try, I can take you there, Zhan shi said. That would be deeply appreciated. Zhang Xuan nodded. Other than learning of the location of Vicious upper body, another important motive for him going to the Inner Sanctum was to raise his strength. Since Luo Ruoxin had been ced under house arrest by the Luo n, there was no way she would be there. Rather than wasting his strength searching all around for her, it would be far more practical for him to raise his strength so that he would at least have the ability to protect her when the time came. Please follow me, Zhan shi said before leading the way forward. Not too longter, they arrived in a ce filled with stone tablets. Looking at it from afar, it really resembled a graveyard. This is the Cultivation Technique Forest. Every single tablet represents a certain cultivation technique. Drive your zhenqi and proceed through the forest slowly. Once you reach the end, the cultivation technique suited to you will jump out on its own, Zhan shi said. Theres no need to feel tempted by other cultivation techniques in there. If they are unsuited for you, they are bound to inflict some grievous side effects on you, which will limit your future aplishments. It simply isnt worth it. I understand. You mentioned that the suitable cultivation technique will jump out on its own? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. This was the first time he had heard of a cultivation technique jumping forward on its own, and he found the notion rather intriguing. Usually, he would be the one who would be actively seeking out cultivation technique manuals topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art for him to cultivate, so he could not help but be a little curious as to just what kind of cultivation technique would be deemed suitable for him. Thats right. The Cultivation Technique Forest doesnt just contain cultivation technique manuals but the wills of the predecessors as well. They are able to sense your constitution and your current cultivation technique as you walk through the forest, and if you arent able to meet their prerequisites, you wont even be able to interpret the content on the stone tablet. This is a mechanism put in ce to prevent greedy students from biting off more than they can chew, Zhan shi said. Even though the young man before him was an 8-star master teacher, he was still much too young. So, Zhan shi could not resist warning him beforehand. In response to Zhan shis nagging, Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. This was the usual concerned nagging that teachers would direct at their students. Thinking back, he often nagged at his students in such a way as well. Alright, Ill head in to take a look. Coming to understand what was with the Cultivation Technique Forest, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and walked in unhesitatingly. Chapter 1415 - Saint 6-dan Pinnacle

Chapter 1415: Saint 6-dan Pinnacle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric There was only one road through the Cultivation Technique Forest, and the both sides werepletely filled with stone tablets. Taking a closer look, one could feel a few silhouettes moving on the surface of the tablets, seemingly practicing some sort of profound martial arts. The movements of these silhouettes were extremely slow, and for some reason, it seemed as if they were cloaked with ayer of thin mist. Even if one were to examine the tablet closely, it would still be hard to perceive their movements distinctly. However, Zhang Xuan didnt need to perceive their movements to learn what they were cultivating. All he really had to do was to direct a nce over at the stone tablets while muttering ws! in his mind. Illusory Arcane Dragon Art, True Inferno Yang Form, Xuanmin Ancestral Impact, Water Undtion Divine Art... Books swiftly materialized in Zhang Xuans mind. There werent just Grand Dominion realm cultivation technique manuals on the stone tablets; some were Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals as well. If one were to cultivate ording to them, there was no doubt that ones cultivation would surely improve by leaps and bounds, granting one fighting prowess far exceeding that of their peers. Those who were qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum were all geniuses, and those who were qualified to leave behind these cultivation technique manuals were, even more so, geniuses amongst geniuses, individuals who had stood at the top of their generation... Zhang Xuan thought as he slowly proceeded forward. Through taking in the cultivation technique manuals into his Library of Heavens Path, he was able to swiftly convert it into his own knowledge, thus allowing him to analyze the pros and cons of each cultivation technique swiftly. While these cultivation techniques were far from matching up to top cultivation techniques like the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, to most 8-star master teachers, they could still be considered as invaluable treasures. If any single one of them were to be taken out to the Master Teacher Continent, it would surely induce a massive fight over it as countless cultivators vied toy their hands on it! Of course, this could bring in the question of why the Inner Sanctum didnt open up the books to the public. The Sanctum of Sages did allow those whose main upations were not master teacher to pick up a cultivation technique from the Cultivation Technique Forest as well so long as their main upation had reached 8-star and they were qualified to enter the Inner Sanctum. Nevertheless, this didnt change the fact that it still wasnt essible to most cultivators outside. The reason for that was that the stronger a cultivation technique was, the more demanding it was on ones talent. If one simply didnt have the aptitude for the cultivation technique but still forcefully attempted to cultivate it, not only would ones cultivation not improve as swiftly as expected, more importantly. It could potentially leave major traumas on ones body, resulting in unpredictable consequences. It was the same reason as why each upation would only allow their members to view books corresponding to their current rank and below, and not those that were above their current rank. Without building up the necessary fundamental knowledge first, attempting to learn advanced content would, more likely than not, confuse one and possibly distort onesprehension of the upation. There was an inherent tendency within humans to overestimate their abilities, so in order to prevent such tragedies from urring, there was a need to regte the flow of information and knowledge so as to ensure that they would only reach appropriate hands. While others are spending numerous hours in here just to receive the recognition of one predecessor and obtaining his cultivation technique, I am already collecting nearly every single one of the cultivation techniques... Zhang Xuan thought gleefully. There was a diverse range of cultivation techniques here, and most of the stone tablets here were infused with the will of the creator of the cultivation technique too. Even if Zhan shi were here, he wouldnt be able to learn all of the cultivation techniques either. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Wherever his eye could reach, those stone tablets within his range of sight would be automaticallypiled into a book within his Library of Heavens Path, and even their corresponding ws would be apparent to him. As such, he was able to learn the cultivation techniques even without receiving the recognition from their respective creators. Slowly walking forward, Zhang Xuan relentlessly took in all of the cultivation techniques inscribed on the stone tablets around him. Over several dozen millenniums, the Cultivation Technique Forest had umted more than a thousand cultivation techniques, so it took quite a while before Zhang Xuan finally reached the end. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed. Countless books quickly gathered together within the Library of Heavens Path, fusing together to form the Grand Dominion realm and Phantasmal Space realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Swiftly flipping open the two books before him to take a look, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head in slight disappointment. Just like what he had guessed, the Grand Dominion realm Heavens Path Divine Art had been fully perfected, devoid of any ws, but the Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique still had quite a few mistakes here and there. Clearly, he hadnt collected sufficient Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals yet. How could Zhang shi... not receive the recognition of even a single predecessor at all? Seeing that Zhang Xuan had walked out of the Cultivation Technique Forest without inducing the slightest bit of response from the stone tablets, Zhan shi frowned in bewilderment. Be it in terms of talent or fighting prowess, the young man before him had already reached an astounding level. Why would he receive no recognition from the predecessors of the Cultivation Technique Forest at all? I havent been driving my cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. His goal was just to collect the cultivation technique manuals in the Cultivation Technique Forest, so he chose not to drive his cultivation technique. As a result of that, he hadnt received the recognition of any of the predecessors either. Besides, the cultivation technique he practiced was the Heavens Path Divine Art! Which predecessors eyesight would be so bad as to dare to recognize him? You have to drive your cultivation technique while walking through the Cultivation Technique Forest in order to receive the recognition of the predecessors so that you can obtain their secret manuals! To simply walk through it just like that... You wont be able to obtain anything like that! Zhan shi eximed anxiously. Its fine, I have already obtained what I wanted. May I ask if theres any silent chamber here where I can cultivate in? I would like to digest what I have just learned. I think I might be able to make a breakthrough in my cultivation. Knowing that it would be difficult for him to exin the matter to Zhan shi in a way that was eptable to thetter, Zhang Xuan didnt bother delving too deeply into the matter either. Theres a silent chamber right there. A Spiritual Gathering Formation has been inscribed in it; it can help you gather the surrounding spiritual energy. Zhan shi said as he pointed toward a specific direction. Since the Cultivation Technique Forest was a ce for cultivators to pick up a cultivation technique and learn, the Inner Sanctum had also provided some silent chambers nearby for cultivators who suddenly had a sudden stroke of inspiration to sit down and ponder over it. Zhang Xuan directed a nod at Zhan shi before walking over to the silent chamber. He pushed on its entrance lightly and walked in. Perhaps it was due to the presence of the Spirit Gathering Formation, the spiritual energy was even more concentrated than outside. At the same time, the silent chamber seemed to be made of some kind of unique material thatpletely isted the space within from the external world, keeping all noises and even Spiritual Perception at bay, thus ensuring absolute silence to the cultivator inside. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still swiftly took a look around the chamber, and only after ensuring that it was absolutely safe did he finally heave a sigh of relief. He flicked his wrist and took out the pinnacle spirit stones which Sun Qiang and Zhang Chun had given to him. As his cultivation rose, the spiritual energy requirement of his Heavens Path Divine Art had been steadily increasing too. Nevertheless, with ten pinnacle spirit stones on hand, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to push for a breakthrough straight for Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. Grabbing the spirit stones tightly in his hand, he quickly went through the Grand Dominion realm Heavens Path Divine Art once more as he conditioned his physical condition to his peak before finally starting his cultivation. Gugugugu! As if a lifted dam, spiritual energy swiftly gushed through the meridians in his body, and they were swiftly converted into Heavens Path zhenqi, nourishing his entire body. Kacha! It didnt take too long for him to bash through his Half-Grand Dominion realm bottleneck, and his one-meter radius Dominion immediately began expanding, till the point that it covered a radius of ten meters around him. Not only so, his Dominion was clearly much denser and heavier than that of ordinary Grand Dominion realm cultivators. Those who had unfortunately fallen into his Dominion would bepletely frozen on the spot as if they had been shackled by heavy chains. Even though its radius was only at ten meters, in terms of prowess, it was on par with even Grand Dominion realm pinnacle experts. Continue! Expecting at least this much from the Heavens Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan wasnt surprised in the least. With a slight smile, he continued his cultivation. Under the drive of his zhenqi, his cultivation swiftly rose, bing stronger and stronger. Grand Dominion realm primary stage! Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage! Grand Dominion realm advanced stage! Grand Dominion realm pinnacle! In just four hours, his cultivation had already reached Saint 6-dan pinnacle, just a step away from achieving a breakthrough to Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm. With the breakthough in his cultivation, his Dominion had grownrger enough to cover a radius of fifty meters, more than twofoldrger than that of the twenty meters radius of an average Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivator. Not only so, he also realized that the Dominion he created was an isted space from the rest of the world. Any external Spiritual Perception that attempted to delve into his Dominion would bepletely severed, as if falling into a folded space... From this phenomenon in itself, he could tell that his Dominion was already nowhere weaker than that of Saint 7-dan cultivators. With my current strength, I should be able to subdue even Zhang Chun easily...Zhang Xuan thought with a smile. With his cultivation reaching Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, the Phantasmal Space realm Zhang Chun was no longer a match for him anymore. He didnt have to take a passive stance anymore. But again, Zhang Chun probably hadnt recovered from being pummeled by his clone yet, and at the same time, Luo Xuanqing was also eyeing him tightly. Even if he didnt make a move, Zhang Chun probably didnt have any good days ahead of him anymore. The spiritual energy harnessed within pinnacle spirit stones sure is immense! It took me only eight of them to up my cultivation by an entire realm! It was no wonder why Luo Xuanqing, Zhang Chun, and the others were able to achieve breakthroughs so quickly, reaching such high cultivation realms at their young age. With such resources to support their growth, it would be hard for them to not to grow so swiftly! While Zhang Xuan was busy raising his cultivation, Zhan shi was pacing outside the silent chamber with a tight knit between his eyebrows. Whenever other students entered the Cultivation Technique Forest, they would drive their cultivation techniques to their limits, hoping to gain the recognition of as many predecessors as possible. Yet, that fellow simply took a walk through it before heading straight for the silent chamber... Could it be that none of the cultivation techniques in the Cultivation Technique Forest caught his interest? But that shouldnt be. Those are all Saint high-tier and Saint pinnacle cultivation techniques! Its more likely that he had driven his cultivation technique but failed to obtain the recognition of any of the predecessors... With such doubts in mind, Zhan shi turned his sights to the stone tablets by the side. With just a single look, he suddenly froze on the spot. The silhouette moving on the stone tablet had all stopped disying their cultivation techniques. As if they were faced with something deeply frightening, they were shivering at the corner of the stone tablet, not daring to move or make any noise at all. Suppression of Cultivation Technique, Inborn Deference of the Heart... This is the cultivation technique of an Ancient Sage? Could it be that... Zhang shi is the direct disciple of an Ancient Sage? Zhan shi narrowed his eyes in astonishment as he clenched his fists tightly together. Chapter 1416 - Accompany Me to the Zhang Clan

Chapter 1416: Apany Me to the Zhang n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Most of the cultivation techniques in the Cultivation Technique Forest originated from Sage Kui and the others lineages, so if an Ancient Sage level cultivation technique were to appear, the wills in the stone tablets would swiftly be suppressed. For all of these wills to suddenly be like that after Zhang Xuan passed through the Cultivation Technique Forest... it could not be that the cultivation technique that he practiced had already reached such a level, could it? If that was the case, it would be understandable why he was not interested in any other the techniques in the Cultivation Technique Forest! Then, the reason he still chose to enter it would be to... source some inspiration from them? Has Yang shi already reached such a realm? Zhan shi pondered in awe. Zhang Xuan was Yang shis student, so the fact that he was able to learn a cultivation technique of such a tier should mean that Yang shi had reached such a realm himself. Otherwise, it would mean that they had obtained the heritage of a true Ancient Sage. Regardless of which one it was, this was a matter that he could not afford to speak of lightly. This matter mustnt be leaked, Zhan shi thought warily. If his deduction was true, he would have to warn Zhang Xuan not to carelessly disy his cultivation technique in public, or else once the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe or some other greedy cultivators noticed it, his life could very well be danger. Even though he had already reached Saint 9-dan in terms of his cultivation, the truth was that he was still only a half 9-star master teacher. A true 9-star master teacher was an existence that had already transcended the limits of the Saint realm. Rumor had it that those who had reached that level would have their bodies tempered by Celestial mes, thus cleansing their physical body and soul once more and refining them to a higher level of existence. With that, they would enjoy a massive increase in their lifespan! At such a level of cultivation, they would be immune to poison. Even if they had been afflicted with some kind of deadly poison in the past, the Celestial mes would also torch it clean, leaving no trace of it behind. It was for this reason that he had been trying his hardest to push for a breakthrough over the years, but unfortunately, despite his hard work, he had not been able to make a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan intermediate stage. At his cultivation realm, there was a huge rift even between each cultivation stage within a realm. Each breakthrough would require a massive umtion in ones cultivation before one could attempt to make the leap forward. Jiya! Just as Zhan shi was still deep in thought, the door to the chamber suddenly creaked open, and a figure walked out. Directing a nce over, Zhan shis eyes immediately widened into full circles, and he nearly copsed on the spot. Zhang shi, y-your cultivation... It was only four hours ago that the other party had entered the silent chamber, so why would his cultivation suddenly leap from Half-Grand Dominion realm to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle? That was practically equivalent to an entire realm. Was that not a little too fast? Noting Zhan shis expression, Zhang Xuan exined, I had a sudden stroke of inspiration, so I was able to make a swift breakthrough. However, I think my cultivation will slow down in the future. With sufficient spiritual energy, the Heavens Path Divine Art allowed him to advance his cultivation swiftly. However, as his cultivation grew stronger and stronger, the speed at which he could raise his cultivation was noticeably decreasing, so in a sense, his words could not be considered lies. It took a while for Zhan shi to recover from his shock, and he could not help but givee advice. Its good that you are able to advance your cultivation so quickly, but you mustnt rush things too much. If your cultivation increases too quickly, it could lead to your zhenqi bing lesspact and the foundation of your cultivation bing unstable. That would lead to a great deal of trouble in the future. In truth, it was not too difficult for a cultivator to raise their cultivation swiftly. Consumption of pills, Cultivation Impartation, and the awakening of unique bloodlines and unique constitutions; any of those would allow ones cultivation to reach unprecedented heights within a very short period of time. However, if one failed to reinforce ones cultivation firmly before making a breakthrough, it would lead to the foundation of ones cultivation bing shaky, thus making it extremely difficult for one to push for a breakthrough in the future. In a sense, this was simr to building a castle. If even the bottomyer was shaky and unstable, there would be a limit to how high it could rise in the future. For this reason, even those who possessed unique bloodlines and constitutions would have to pause for a moment after aplishing some breakthroughs to reinforce their cultivation firmly before pressing on. I know. I have reinforced my Half-Grand Dominion cultivation for roughly a day now, and its already about time for me to make a breakthrough. Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly in agreement. A day? Zhan shis cheeks twitched, and he staggered backward weakly, nearly falling to the ground from shock. He could not help but ask, How long have you reinforced your Saint 5-dan cultivation? Even for top-notch geniuses, it would take several months before they were able to fully reinforce their Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivation, and yet, the young man was actually saying that one day was enough. More importantly, he said such words with such a natural expression, as if saying this was to be expected! Do you really need to be so traumatizing? After a moment of pondering, Zhang Xuan replied in a regretful tone, Saint 5-dan? I made my breakthrough to the Leaving Aperture realm the day that I enrolled in the Sanctum of Sages, but due to being gued with work during that period of time, it ended up taking me roughly twenty days before I was able to make a breakthrough to Half-Grand Dominion realm. Twenty days... Zhan shis body began shaking intensely. Staring at Zhang Xuan intently, he asked, Then... how long has it been since you started cultivating? Since I started cultivating? Not expecting such a question, Zhang Xuan did a quick calction before replying, Roughly thirteen months I think, a little more than a year! If he had not transcended over to the Tianxuan Kingdom but to the Sanctum of Sages, he would have been able to reach his current level of cultivation within just a month. That was a hulking thirteenfold difference in time! Just the thought of it was enough to leave him feeling deeply suffocated on the inside. Zhan shi suddenly did not want to speak to the young man before him anymore. To rise from Fighter realm all the way to Saint 6-dan pinnacle within just thirteen months, that was a speed that was even faster than the little princess of the Luo n! And yet, that fellows expression seemed to be saying that he was discontented with the speed that he was cultivating at. Is it possible for anyone to get even more spoiled than that? Oblivious to the thoughts running through Zhan shis mind, Zhang Xuan asked, Sanctum Head Zhan, do you have any Saint 7-dan cultivation technique manuals? Can I borrow them for a look? Since his cultivation had already reached Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, he needed to look around for Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals. If he could perfect the Saint 7-dan Heavens Path Divine Art, he just might be able to use thest two pinnacle spirit stones to push for another breakthrough. In any case, the higher his cultivation was, the safer he would be. Saint 7-dan cultivation technique manuals? Im afraid that I dont have any of those with me at the moment. If you really need them, you can head over to the Corridor of Puppets. Youll be given a chance to choose from a collection of secret manuals if you clear the trial there, Zhan shi replied. A Saint 9-dan cultivator like him would have no use for Saint 7-dan cultivation technique manuals, so naturally, he would not carry them with him. I see. Thank you for your suggestion. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had been to the Corridor of Puppets twice, and considering the devastating destruction that he had caused over there, he felt really embarrassed to head there once more. However, since the other party did not have any Saint 7-dan cultivation technique manuals with him, it would not be good for him to keep asking. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to ask another question, Zhan shis eyebrows suddenly shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token appeared in his palm. Taking a nce at the Communication Jade Token, he frowned in confusion. Why would he be contacting me? Zhan shi tapped his finger on the Communication Jade Token, and the confusion on his face deepened. Wait, he isnt looking for me but... you? Someone is looking for me? Zhang Xuan was startled. Who is it? Jian Qinsheng, Zhan shi replied. Jian Qinsheng is looking for me? Zhang Xuan frowned. Jian Qinsheng was the descendant of the Third Sanctum Head, Jian Liushui, and Zhang Xuan had learned the Flowing Water Swordsmanship from him. After unintentionally pummeling the Jian Qinsheng the previous time around, he had not heard any news from the other party. Why would the other party suddenly be looking for him at this moment, not to mention, even contacting Zhan shi to get to him? Lets head out. Hes waiting for you outside, Zhan shi said. Alright. Zhang Xuan did not know why Jian Qinsheng was looking for him, but it was thanks to thetter allowing him to browse through his collection of sword manuals that he had achieved his current mastery of swordsmanship. He felt deeply grateful to the other partys generosity, so naturally, he would not turn down a meeting with the other party. The two of them quickly left the Inner Sanctum, and as soon they stepped out of the door, they saw Jian Qinsheng standing in a gazebo just by the side of theke. Upon seeing the both of them, Jian Qinshengs eyes lit up, and he quickly walked up to them. Zhan shi, Zhang shi! Jian Qinsheng sped his fist and greeted. After trading some pleasantries, Zhang Xuan got straight to the topic at hand. May I know the reason behind your visit? This... Actually, I do have something that I need to trouble you on! Jian Qinsheng spoke up with slight awkwardness in his tone. Zhang shi, are you willing to apany me to the Zhang n? Chapter 1417 - The Zhang Clans Clan Assembly

Chapter 1417: The Zhang ns n Assembly

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You want me to apany you to the Zhang n? Which Zhang n? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Is there a second Zhang n? It goes without saying that Im referring to the number one Sage n in the world! Jian Qinsheng harrumphed. Im about to head there soon, and I hope that Zhang shi can apany me there. Me? Zhang Xuan was unable to keep up with the situation. Pardon me, but why would you need me to head there with you? It was not like he was from the Zhang n, so there was no point in him heading there, right? Besides, it was just a moments ago that he had given Zhang Chun a good pummeling, and to run to the enemys home base right after... He still had many good years ahead of him, and he did not want to die a premature death just yet! Well, its like this... Jian Qinshengs face flushed slightly red before he started speaking. In truth, I have some history with the Xingmeng Sword Saint of the Zhang n, and I once vowed that I would groom a sessor who would surpass his. You should have met my students; none of them are really strong enough to shoulder this burden, so I can only hope for Zhang shi to make a move in my stead. If he had not really been cornered to this point, he never would have troubled the other party. As fellow swordmasters, he and the Xingmeng Sword Saint had been rivals in the Sanctum of Sages, and they hadpeted with one another frequently. Eventually, he had be an elder of the Sanctum of Sages whereas thetter had returned to his n to serve as the deputy n head. In view of their identities, they could notpete like they did back then anymore, so they agreed onpeting through their students instead. And in the previous few battles, his students had lost tragically. The talent and bloodline of those in the Zhang n were simply too powerful. Even their aptitude toward swordsmanship was also far stronger than that of his students. Initially, he had given up hope on this matter, but upon meeting Zhang Xuan, one of the few aspiring, young swordmasters outside of the Zhang n, he had suddenly seen a ray of hope. Unwilling to simply ept his loss just like that, he had chosen to buck up the courage to ask Zhang Xuan this favor. Compared to the young man before him, all of his students were like frogs in a well. In fact, in terms of swordsmanship mastery, even he was not a match for the young man. What you mean is that you want me to challenge the Xingmeng Sword Saint in the capacity as the sessor to your swordsmanship? Zhang Xuan finally understood what was going on. He had seen Jian Qinshengs students, and indeed, it would be rather embarrassing to bring them out in public. Even the strongest Senior Xie had been utterly defeated by him with just a strand of hair,pletely unable to retaliate. Thats not it. You wouldnt be able to stand against the Xingmeng Sword Saint even with your current proficiency in swordsmanship. What I hope for you to do is to challenge his sessor, Jian Qinsheng said awkwardly. Considering how the other party had not learned the slightest thing about swordsmanship from himon the contrary, the other party even provided him valuable pointers to bringing his swordsmanship to another higher levelit was indeed a little embarrassing for him to ask the other party to act as his sessor. This... Taken off guard by the abrupt request, Zhang Xuan found himself at a loss. Even though he was extremely displeased with how the Zhang n was treating Luo Ruoxin and wanted to teach them a lesson, he would still rather challenge them in his capacity as Luo Ruoxins boyfriend than as Jian Qinshengs sessor. Instead of turning down Jian Qinshengs request immediately, Zhang Xuan frowned. Elder Jian, if you wish to turn the tables on the Xingmeng Sword Saint, you should be able to win fair and square soon enough if you use the modified version of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship that I have given you to groom your sessor. It shouldnt take too long for the effects to show, so there shouldnt be any need for you to be in such a rush, right? Out of guilt for destroying Jian Qinshengs residence and unintentionally severely injuring the elder, he had altered the Flowing Water Swordsmanship and handed the manual over to Shui Qianrou. Given Shui Qianrous aptitude toward swordsmanship, as long as she cultivated the modified manual strictly, there should be a massive leap in her fighting prowess very soon. Considering how she was Jian Qinshengs direct disciple, the honor and glory that he would derive from the victory should be far greater. After all, even though it had only been less than a month since Zhang Xuan hade to the Sanctum of Sages, considering the variousmotions surrounding him and his current identity as Yang shis student, it was likely that the Xingmeng Sword Saint would swiftly realize that he was not Jian Qinshengs student. Once that happened, it would render Jian Qinshengs efforts meaningless. The sword art that you have imparted to us is truly formidable, such that even I have benefited greatly from its ingenuity. If Shui Qianrou studies it diligently, she should be able to improve swiftly within a short period of time. However, I am indeed in a rush. The Zhang ns n Assembly is just about to start, and if I were to miss this one, I dont know how much longer Ill have to wait for the next opportunity, Jian Qinsheng said. n Assembly? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. What does the Zhang ns n Assembly have anything to do with the challenge between you and the Xingmeng Sword Saint? This is a private grudge between you and the Xingmeng Sword Saint, right? Is there really a need for you to confront the other party during their n Assembly? Or does this mean to say that you intend to wreak havoc in the Zhang n? But if the Zhang n could be bullied so easily, there is no way it would have been able to survive so long and retain its position as the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent! All of the top geniuses of the Zhang n would be returning to attend the n Assembly, so well be able to challenge their strongest sword practitioners if we challenge them at this event. Only when their best sword practitioners have been defeated can this be considered a victory for me! Jian Qinsheng exined. And most importantly of all, if my sessor can defeat all of the sword practitioners of the Zhang n during such an asion, I will be able to embarrass the Xingmeng Sword Saint and force him to acknowledge his loss to me! This... Zhang Xuan was renderedpletely speechless. However, there was indeed some sense into what Jian Qinsheng was saying. If he wanted a good tform to defeat the Xingmeng Sword Saint once and for all, the Zhang ns n Assembly was definitely a good opportunity to do so. If he could triumph over the Xingmeng Sword Saint before the entire Zhang n, he would be able to cleanse all of the humiliation that he had suffered thus far. Of course, if he lost in such a setting, his reputation would be swept into the gutters. Thats equivalent to putting your reputation and honor on the line. The stakes are simply too high; I fear that Im unworthy of your confidence. Zhang Xuan pondered for a while, but eventually, he still decided to turn down the offer. As much as he wanted to get back at the Zhang n, he did not dare gamble with Jian Qinshengs reputation and honor. While everything would be great and wonderful if he won, he could not bear to imagine the consequences if he lost. As confident as Zhang Xuan was in his strength, the implications behind this matter was simply too big. As an outsider to the grudge, he was unwilling to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. Ah... Hearing Zhang Xuans rejection, a bitter smile surfaced on Jian Qinshengs face. It seems like my request is really a little too abrupt. It was indeed a little inappropriate of me to attempt to involve you in my private affair, and I apologize for that. He had only met Zhang Xuan once, and he had not imparted anything to the young man at all. On the contrary, it was the young man who had corrected the ws in his cultivation, so in that sense, the young man could even be said to be his benefactor. And instead of repaying the kindness of his benefactor, he had made such an inappropriate request to the other party. It was understandable why the young man would turn down his request. Elder Jian, you neednt feel disheartened. If theres still some time, I can offer some pointers to Shui Qianrous swordsmanship, and hopefully, she will be able to bring you glory during the n Assembly! Zhang Xuan offered with a smile. Im afraid that theres no time for that anymore. The Zhang ns n Assembly will be held a month from now, and Ill have to start making my way over now in order to make it in time. Jian Qinsheng shook his head. Considering how the young man before him had been able to see through his ws and offer pointers to correct them, there was no doubt that Shui Qianrous fighting prowess would improve immensely under his guidance. However, it was a pity that time did not allow it. The Zhang ns n Assembly will be held a month from now? Zhang Xuan was slightly intrigued. Shouldnt the n Assembly be usually held during festive seasons and the like? Why now? He seemed to recall Zhang Jiuxiao saying that the n Assembly would be held during the start of the new year, and it would only be the eleventh month a monthter. Did they bring their n Assembly forward? I heard that some unexpected situations urred. It seems like the Zhang n decided to hold their n Assembly earlier to discuss the bringing forward of the matrimony with the Luo n! Jian Qinsheng paused for a moment before adding, However, thats just spection on my part. The Zhang n intends to bring forward the matrimony with the Luo n? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Indeed. ording to the rumors, it seems like the little princess of the Luo n has someone she likes, and that has provoked the ire of the Zhang n. Thus, they decided to bring forward the matrimony from the third month of the next year to the start of the year so as to prevent any unexpected situations from urring. Jian Qinsheng told Zhang Xuan everything that he knew about the matter. Start of the year? A bolt of lightning shed across Zhang Xuans mind as his clenched fists trembled intensely in agitation. Chapter 1418 - Zhang Jiuxiao Acknowledges a Teacher

Chapter 1418: Zhang Jiuxiao Acknowledges a Teacher

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If it was the third month of the next year, considering how it was only the start of the tenth month at the moment, he would still have had five months to prepare. Given how swiftly his cultivation was growing, it would not have been too difficult for him to be the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages by then. However... if it was the start of the next year, he would only have two months to prepare. Time would simply be too tight for him! It was just a moment ago that he had heard that the Luo n had grounded Luo Ruoxin, and the next instant, the Zhang n had already brought their n Assembly forward. Were they really in such a rush to marry Luo Ruoxin? Those shameless bastards! Zhang Xuans face turned livid, and he felt raging fury burning in his chest, threatening to blow up at any moment. Ever since his transcension over to this world, other than the incident where Lu Chong was nearly killed while trying to save him, he had never been so angry before. To think that the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent wouldpletely disregard a youngdys feelings and forcefully push her into a marriage. How were they any different from petty bandits? He had not wanted to blow things up out of proportion, but since they were this shameless, there was no need for him to hold back. Zhang shi... Noticing the huge fluctuations in Zhang Xuans emotions, Jian Qinsheng and Zhan shi were startled. 8-star master teachers possessed a transcendental state of mind, and they would be able to remain perfectlyposed even as mountains copsed right before their eyes. Yet, why would the young man get so agitated all of a sudden? Realizing that he had identally allowed his emotions to flow through, Zhang Xuan quickly reined in his rage and replied, Im fine. Then, he turned to Jian Qinsheng and said, Elder Jian, when are you heading off to the Zhang n? Ah? Not expecting the young man to ask such a question, Jian Qinsheng was dazed for a brief moment before he quickly replied, I have already prepared an aerial saint beast, and Im intending to set off right after this. Very well. Ill apany you to the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan said affirmatively. Hearing those words, Jian Qinsheng traded nces with Zhan shi. The situation was changing so quickly that he found himself being unable to keep up with it. It was just a moment ago that the young man had said that he was unworthy of his confidence, clearly expressing his reluctance to be involved in this mess. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had suddenly agreed to follow him to the Zhang n. After some careful thought, I feel that theres a dire need to teach the Zhang n a lesson and bring our Sanctum of Sages Flowing Water Swordsmanship the glory that it deserves! Zhang Xuan eximed with a grand wave of his hand. Arent you intending to hold a n Assembly to discuss the matter of marrying Luo Ruoxin at the start of next year? Very well... I shall make sure to wreak havoc such that you wont even have time on your hands to broach that subject during the n Assembly! This... Jian Qinsheng was deeply moved by Zhang Xuans words. Bliss had simplye too quickly to him. He had never thought that Zhang Xuan would suddenly ept his proposal just like that. Just that... he waspeting with the Xingmeng Sword Saint to settle a private grudge between the two of them. What did this have to do with the Flowing Water Swordsmanship of the Sanctum of Sages? Despite the doubts in his mind, Jian Qinsheng was still delighted to have Zhang Xuan onboard with him. The young man before him hadprehended two different Sword Quintessences, so it was likely that his aptitude in swordsmanship far exceeded even that of the Xingmeng Sword Saints. With the young man making a move, he should be able to crush the Zhang ns morale and cleanse the shame that he had been put through over the years. Its truly wonderful that Zhang shi is willing to apany me to the Zhang n. When would be a convenient time for you to set off? Jian Qinsheng asked. Ill have to make some preparations beforehand, so lets set off tonight! Zhang Xuan replied. Luo Xuanqing had said that he had some business for him, and this could very well concern Luo Ruoxin. Thus, he felt that he should first listen to what Luo Xuanqing had to say before heading off to the Zhang n. Hearing those words, Jian Qinsheng heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, Very well. Ill be waiting for you in my residence, soe and find me there once you are ready! Zhang Xuan nodded in response before turning to sp his fist toward Zhan shi. Sanctum Head Zhan, Ill be taking my leave now. Un. Knowing that Zhang Xuans mind was already made up, Zhan shi did not bother to dissuade the young man out of this. Instead, he said, If the Zhang n makes things difficult for you, let me know. Rest assured that the Sanctum of Sages will definitely stand up for you! Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile in response to those words. He had half expected Zhan shi to try and stop him, but looking at it once more now, how could the deputy sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages possibly be a cowardly person who was afraid of trouble? As one of the two major subordinate powers of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, if the Sanctum of Sages were to cower in fear before a mere Zhang n, it really would not be worthy of the standing and prestige that the world had orded it! Hu! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly bade farewell and left. Not too longter, he arrived at his residence. As soon as hended on the ground, he was immediately weed by Sun Qiang. Young Master, Zhang Jiuxiao is here. He has been waiting for you for some time now. Jiuxiao? Ill go and take a look Frowning, Zhang Xuan quickly made his way over to the main hall. Entering the main hall, he saw Zhang Jiuxiao pacing around the room with an anxious look on his face. Thetter visibly heaved a sigh of relief upon noticing him. He hurriedly walked up to him and sped his fist. Zhang shi! Is this regarding your n Assembly? Zhang Xuan asked. How did you know? Zhang Jiuxiao was startled. Lets put that aside for now. Are you here for that? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats right. Im here to thank you for the guidance that you have offered over the past few months. Theres no way I would have ever been qualified to attend such a major event without your help. To tell you the truth, Im here to bid you farewell. My n has already sent a saint beast over, and its currently waiting outside for me. Most likely, I wont return to the Sanctum of Sages until next year, Zhang Jiuxiao said. As a member of the side family, he should not have been qualified to attend such a major event of the Zhang n, but under Zhang Xuans guidance, he had sessfully enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages as a student. That was the only reason that he had been invited to the n Assembly too. As tight as his schedule was, he still feltpelled to pay onest visit to Zhang Xuan to express his gratitude prior to leaving. After all, none of this would have happened without thetters help. You didnt mention this thest time we met. Why are you leaving for your n Assembly all of a sudden? Zhang Xuan asked. Despite hisposed exterior, his heart was actually beating in trepidation. He was hoping that he would not receive the answer that he expected. To be honest with you, Im not too sure either. I only received the notice to set off today. Those of the younger generation who are invited to the n Assembly must return to the n within a months time. Im not too clear about the details, but it seems like they will be conducting some kind of selections. Zhang shi, you also know that I dont possess much standing in the Zhang n. Its already a huge blessing for me to even be invited into the n Assembly; theres no way that they would inform of something as confidential as that, Zhang Jiuxiao said awkwardly. It was not that he wanted to hide anything from Zhang Xuan, but he was truly ignorant of the matter. Alright, I understand. Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Take care of yourself. Most likely, I will be heading to the Zhang n too, so if you find out anything, do make sure to inform me! Zhang shi, youre going to attend the n Assembly, too? Zhang Jiuxiao was startled. Un, Ill be heading there to settle some affairs, Zhang Xuan said. This matter could very well draw the hostility of the Zhang n, but dont worry, I wont put you in a difficult position. Fearing that the other party would think that he was asking him to spy for him, Zhang Xuan swiftly reassured the other party to ay his fears. Zhang shi, please dont say such words. Its only due to your guidance that I am what I am today. Otherwise, I could very well still be the self-assuming young man that I was back in Qingyuan City! Zhang Jiuxiao eximed in agitation. These were his earnest feelings. If not for the young man before him generously imparting invaluable knowledge to him, putting aside enrolling into the Sanctum of Sages, he would not have been able to clear Zhao Xingmos selections at all! It was precisely due to this that he was filled with veneration for the young man before him. Youre too kind. As friends, its only right for us to help one another, Zhang Xuan said. I would love to be friends with Zhang shi, but I know that Im not good enough for that. Be it in terms of talent, knowledge, or eye of discernment, I am far beneath you. In fact, Zhang shi, I hope that you can take me in as your student! Zhang Jiuxiao stepped forward and lowered his head deeply. This was something that he had been thinking about since a very long time ago. Having received the other partys pointers in his swordsmanship and cultivation, the other party could already be considered half a teacher to him. At this moment, since he was already on the verge of leaving, he could not hold this urge of his back anymore. You want me to take you in as my student? Not expecting to hear such words from Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes slightly in astonishment. Chapter 1419 - Help Me Kill a Man

Chapter 1419: Help Me Kill a Man

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While he might have offered a fair number of pointers to Zhang Jiuxiao, he had viewed thetter as a friend rather than a student all along. Who would have thought that the iparably prideful genius would actually want to be his student instead? Thats right! Zhang Jiuxiao replied with a resolute gaze. The others might not know much about the young man before him, but having been with thetter ever since his time in the Qingyuan Empire, he still knew a fair bit about him. For one, he knew that, of the young mans students, Zheng Yang had be the Progeny of Combat of the Combat Master Hall, Zhao Ya had be the young court chief of the cier in Court, and Yuan Tao was the most talented offspring and possibly the next n head of the Yuan n. Those were the only three students of the young man that he knew about, but just the three of them were already more than enough to shake the Master Teacher Continent at its core! And it was one thing for his students to be formidable, but more than that, the young man himself was the only man to be a Celestial Master Teacher in the past several dozen millenniums after Kong shi! Not to mention, he was the direct disciple of the most esteemed grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was no doubt that the young man possessed unimaginable potential within him. If he could be the young mans student, he would be able to soar into the boundless sky along with him instead of remaining as a nobody in his n. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, I dont go easy on my students. Are you certain that you want me to be your teacher? Yes, I am certain! Zhang Jiuxiao replied. Very well. From today onward, you shall be my student! Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though Zhang Jiuxiaos talent and bloodline were not on par with Zhang Chun, Zhang Feng, and the others, the greatest merit that he had over the rest of them was that he was incredibly tenacious. Under his guidance, the other party would surely be able to reach great heights. However, he was only going to take in Zhang Jiuxiao as his student and not his direct disciple. With so many uncertainties surrounding his life at the moment, he was not ready tomit to epting another direct disciple. Thank you, Teacher! A hint of slight disappointment shed across Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes when he heard Zhang Xuan address him as his student rather than his direct disciple. Nevertheless, he quickly kneeled onto the ground and kowtowed. Being the student of a Celestial Master Teacher was a great honor as well. To him, this meant much more than bing a core member of the Zhang n. I have a cultivation technique here. I want you to practice it well and reach Grand Dominion realm pinnacle before we reach the Zhang n! With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan transferred a cultivation technique into Zhang Jiuxiaos mind. Currently, Zhang Jiuxiao was only at the Leaving Aperture realm, a huge way off from reaching the Grand Dominion realm. While Zhang Xuan had offered the other party pointers in the past, those pointers were intended to resolve the ws in his cultivation rather than to enhance it. After all, Zhang Jiuxiao was not part of his lineage, so he was not obliged to impart anything to the other party. But now that he had imparted a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art to the other party, as long as he had ample resources, it would not be too difficult for him to push for a breakthrough of two cultivation realms within a month. In a sense, this could be considered a trial for Zhang Jiuxiao as well. If the other party could not even achieve this much, he would not be worthy of being his student! Hearing that he had to reach Grand Dominion realm pinnacle within a single month, Zhang Jiuxiaos cheeks visibly twitched. However, he swiftly gritted his teeth and replied solemnly, Teacher, I wont let you down! The higher ones cultivation realm was, the more difficult it was to raise ones cultivation realm. Even for the geniuses of the Sanctum of Sages, it would take several months of cultivation for them to push for just a breakthrough in their cultivation stage. Nevertheless, since his teacher had already given him the instruction, he would just have to aplish it regardless of the cost! Boom! Seeing the resolve in Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to issue a few more instructions, his mind suddenly jolted. A book had floated out from the shelves in the Library of Heavens Path, and it slowly flipped open, revealing a golden gleam within it. A golden page? It had been so long since Zhang Xuan had taken in any students that he had nearly forgot that the Library of Heavens Path still had such a function. The power harnessed within each formed golden page was immense. Back then, he had nted one within Wei Ruyan in order to ensure her safety in the Poison Hall, and eventually, it had actually seeded in killing one of the Four Eminences with ease. With the golden page as a trump card, there was no longer anything for him to fear in the Zhang n! Hmph, Zhang n, just you wait! This time, I wont rest until my reputation as the God of Destruction is imprinted deeply into every single one of your minds! Zhang Xuans clenched fists trembled in agitation as a vicious glint shed across his eyes. ... Not too long after Zhang Jiuxiao left, Luo Xuanqing came over. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was in his residence, Luo Xuanqing heaved a sigh of relief. Using a particrlyplex set of hand seals, he sealed the surrounding space tightly before walking up to Zhang Xuan. Brother Zhang. As you know, I dont like to beat around the bush, so Ill just get straight to the main issue at hand. I want you to kill a man for me. You want me to kill a man for you? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that the matter that Luo Xuanqing was going to talk to him about was regarding Luo Ruoxin, but who would have thought that thetter would actually ask him to kill a man instead! As a master teacher and a member of civilized society, he believed that violence should always be thest resort, and he always made sure to conduct himself as such. Putting aside the couple of unfortunate idents that would happen every now and then, the only time that he had truly yed the role of an aggressor was when dealing with the Xuanyuan Kingdom. If possible, I would not make this request of you. But as long as this man remains alive, our Luo n will never be able to live in peace! Luo Xuanqing shook his head and sighed deeply. He would not make a move if there was another option, but this was a direct order from the First Elder, and he himself knew what was at stake. There was simply no way around it. For his younger sisters sake, he would have to carry this out! What kind of man could possibly wield so much influence over the Luo n? Zhang Xuan was astonished. As the second strongest Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, the ranks of the Luo n were filled with countless experts. And yet, there was actually a man in the world who could leave them feeling so uneasy? Just who could this incredible figure be? Surely, he would be helpless before a person whom even the Luo n struggled to deal with! Do you still remember what I told you about my younger sister the previous time we met? Luo Xuanqing asked. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Shes currently grounded in our n. I recklessly summoned my Dimension Sundering Ordeal in hopes of gathering sufficient strength to save her, but... its a pity that Im still far too weak, Luo Xuanqing said with a solemn expression on his face. Zhang Xuan nodded once more. Even if the other party did not exin it to him, he had already guessed as much. Like I told you the previous time, the reason shes being grounded is because the n found out that theres someone whom she already likes, and I requested you to help me investigate his identity, right? Luo Xuanqing continued. Yes, I still remember that. I thought that there isnt any concrete news concerning that man yet, Zhang Xuan said with a frown. Thest time that the other party had spoken to him about this matter, he had nearly been shocked out of his wits. Fortunately, it seemed like Luo Ruoxin had not revealed his identity. Nevertheless, that matter still left him feeling deeply pressured. Eventually, in order to save time and be an 8-star master teacher as quickly as possible, he had ended up challenging the Tower of Master Teachers. I have managed to gather new intelligence regarding the matter. During the period that my younger sister disappeared, she seems to have resided in a ce known as the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy for quite a long period of time. I suspect that that man might be there as well, so I hope that you can head down there and root out that man, Luo Xuanqing said. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... Zhang Xuans lips twitched inconspicuously upon hearing those words, and his pupils narrowed slightly. With a slightly astonished voice, he asked, It cant be that you want me to kill that man, can it? Judging from where the flow of the conversation was heading, it appeared that Luo Xuanqing was about to request him to assassinate himself! He really had no idea what he should make of this situation. While others might not know who the rumored lover of the Luo ns little princess was, how could he possibly not know who that man was! It was already hard on him to be asked to investigate and uncover his own identity, and now, he even had to assassinate himself as well. This was ridiculous! As expected of my brother! You understand me well! Luo Xuanqing nodded in satisfaction. Why do you want to kill him? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Wont the little princess be upset if he were to be killed? Luo Xuanqing imed that he doted on his younger sister, but here he was, plotting to kill the man his younger sister loved. Was that not hypocritical? Was it that difficult to simply grant her this simple wish? Would he only be happy after sending his younger sister down a road of tragedy, marrying a man who had never once appeared after their engagement? I know that shell be upset, but this involves... Luo Xuanqing eximed in agitation, but halfway through, he suddenly froze. After which, he shook his head with a deep sigh, clearly not wanting to delve any deeper into this topic. He raised his head to look at Zhang Xuan once more and said, Just tell me whether you are willing to do it or not. As long as you root out that man and kill him, Ill ord you the position of at least an elder in the Luo n! Elder? Zhang Xuan shook his head. I dont need anything like that. I only want to ask if the little princess knows if you are aiming to kill the man she loves. You do know that once she finds out about the matter, this will be a permanent rift in the rtionship between the two of you. Youll never be able to go back to the old days anymore. I understand all of that, but... I have no choice! the diposed Luo Xuanqing cried out with reddened eyes. How can there be no other choice? At this rate, shell be nothing more than a pawn for power! Why cant she pursue her own happiness? Does she really have no choice but to marry that young prodigy from the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan eximed fervently. Under Zhang Xuans relentless questioning, Luo Xuanqing finally snapped. Yes! She has no choice but to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n! Theres no other option for her to choose! Chapter 1420 - Xingmeng Sword Saint

Chapter 1420: Xingmeng Sword Saint

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Why? Zhang Xuan asked lividly. To have to push his younger sister down a path that he knew she would never be happy with... No matter what, the Luo n was still one of the most powerful Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent. They might be second to the Zhang n, but they were definitely not subordinates of the Zhang n. Shouldnt they at least possess dignity worthy of their positions? Honestly speaking, if he had not heard the news directly from the Young Master of the Luo n, he would have thought that he was hearing fake news! That is your own younger sister! How can you possibly sacrifice her for a mere political marriage? Realizing that he had lost himself in the moment, Luo Xuanqing forced himself to calm down before replying quietly, There are some things that you arent qualified to know given your current standing and identity. Even I only have a partial understanding of the matter. I only know that in order to push forward this marriage, our Luo n has already sacrificed far too much. If it fails to go through, not only will our Luo n be in deep trouble, even mankind could very well find itself facing a catastrophe! Mankind? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in skepticism. To say that the failure of the marriage going through would actually result in a catastrophe for mankind, was this for real? Was it not making a mountain out of a molehill? No matter how he looked at it, Zhang Xuan just could not help but find Luo Xuanqings words utterly nonsensical. Judging from the look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Xuanqing could tell that the other party would not agree to his request if he did not make things clear today. So, he hesitated for a short moment before saying, On the ount that you are a trustworthy person and a brother of mine, I can share the news with you. However, this matter has major implications, so you mustnt speak of it to another soul. Otherwise, it could possibly lead to a disastrous oue! In truth, the marriage between the Zhang n and the Luo n concerns the secret behind the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! Celestial Amulet of Legacy? Zhang Xuans eyes slowly widened in astonishment as he heard those four words. He had heard of the Celestial Amulet of Legacy before. It was an artifact left behind by Kong shi, and it served as a key to the Temple of Confucius where the Great Codex of Spring of Autumny. Was the marriage between the Zhang n and the Luo n really that important? If Kong shis most powerful artifact was really at stake, then saying that the entire fate of mankind was at stake would really be no joke! Indeed! However, I only heard of this news while eavesdropping on the conversation between our First Elder and n head, so unfortunately, Im not too sure about the exact circumstances surrounding the matter, Luo Xuanqing replied grimly. That is my younger sister we are talking about! How can I possibly be willing to shove her into the embrace of a person she has no fondness for? If not for theplicated circumstances surrounding the issue, putting aside him, not even the elders of the Luo n would allow this marriage to go through! After all, given his younger sisters talent, there was a good chance that she could surpass even their ancestors! Once that happened, what would the Zhang n count for? Nothing at all. Well, that was unless the young prodigy of the Zhang n was even more powerful than her. But again, such a possibility was only minuscule at best. After all, in so many years, the only one whom he had seene close to matching up to his younger sister was the young man standing before him, Zhang Xuan. Given what is at stake, regardless of whether its me or my younger sister, this is a responsibility that we wont be able to escape from. More importantly, this matter involves her as well. In any case, that man has to be killed at all costs. However, I cant do it myself, and theres no one other than you that I trust enough to entrust such an important task in! After saying those words, Luo Xuanqing directed a deep gaze at Zhang Xuan. This... Zhang Xuan found himself at a loss for words. He knew that Luo Xuanqing was in a difficult position. Even though he was close to Yuan Xiao, Bi Hongyin, and the others, it was unfortunate that they were affiliated with other major powers. They could be trusted under normal circumstances, but if there was a conflict of interest somehow in the future, they could very well choose to sacrifice their friendship to support their own n. After all, they would soon take on important roles within their own ns, and by then, they would be responsible for the overall welfare of their n. With such a heavy responsibility on their shoulders, they would have no choice but to sacrifice their personal will at times. Considering that the reputation of the Luo n and Zhang n were at stake for this matter, it would not be a good idea to entrust this matter to them. And after eliminating them from the picture, the only one who could be trusted and would not have any conflict of interest was him. Whats your choice? Luo Xuanqing asked intently. Im sorry, but Im afraid that I wont be able to ept your request. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even if there are many things at stake, what does that have to do with me? Why should I sacrifice my everything in order to fulfill others? Besides, to make me assassinate myself... How do you expect me to ept such a request? I want to know why. A deep frown appeared in between Luo Xuanqings forehead. He thought that the young man would ept his request unhesitatingly, but he had been rejected instead. Zhang Xuan paused for a moment, and eventually, he still decided against revealing his identity. To tell you the truth, I have some urgent matters at the moment, and I need to head over to the Zhang n right now. I dont think that Ill have the time to head down to the Qingyuan Empire and assassinate that man. Even if he wanted to reveal his identity, this was not the right moment to do so! If he had to do it, it should be done before the Zhang n with him carrying the air of a conqueror! You need to head over to the Zhang n? For what? Luo Xuanqing was visibly surprised to hear that news. The Zhang n is holding its n Assembly very soon, and Jian Qinsheng hopes that I can challenge the Xingmeng Sword Saints sessors so as to exact vengeance for the humiliation he has suffered in the past, Zhang Xuan exined. Jian Qinsheng? That old sword freak? I do recall him having a grudge with the head of the Zhang n. Indeed, this is a good opportunity to put down the Zhang n, so you should definitely go. Luo Xuanqing was dazed for a moment before nodding in realization. What happened between the two of them? Is their grudge really just due to the difference in the Sword Quintessences they haveprehended? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. The Sword Quintessence that Jian Qinsheng hadprehended was rting to the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, a defensive Sword Quintessence. Even though he had never seen the Xingmeng Sword Saints swordsmanship before, it should be safe to assume that the Sword Quintessence that thetter hadprehended was vastly different from Jian Qinshengs. Otherwise, the Zhang ns genius, Zhang Xu, would not have been rejected by the will of the Third Sanctum Head. Actually, it isnt thatplicated. Do you know where the title Xingmeng Sword Saint originated from? Luo Xuanqing asked. Zhang Xuan shook his head. All he knew about the Xingmeng Sword Saint was that thetter was the incumbent head of the Zhang n, the father of the young prodigy. As for his true name and the origin of his nickname, he really did not know a thing at all. Could it be that his name is... Zhang Xingmeng? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. It would be truly hrious if the head of the Zhang n, one of the top experts on the Master Teacher Continent, had such a feminine name. Of course not! In truth, the Xingmeng in Xingmeng Sword Saint refers to two different individuals. Its derived from taking the Xing character from the name of the head of the Zhang n and the Meng character from his wifes. When addressed separately, they are known as the Xing Sword Saint and the Meng Sword Saint. However, due to the overwhelming prowess from thebined might of their swordsmanship, which struck fear even in the hearts of the elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, they eventually came to be collectively known as the Xingmeng Sword Saint! Luo Xuanqing exined. Hearing that, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. In order to be an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, ones cultivation needed to have exceeded Saint 9-dan, and yet, the both of them were still able to instill deep fear into the hearts of such experts. It was already beyond Zhang Xuans imagination how powerful they could possibly be. Indeed. Back then, the both of them traveled across the entire Master Teacher Continent as a pair, and there was nearly no one who could match them. Even your teacher is filled with praise for them! Eventually, the Xing Sword Saint inherited the position of the deputy n head and received the deepest heritage of the Zhang n, thus pushing his strength and swordsmanship to greater heights. On the other hand, the Meng Sword Saint has rarely appeared since then, and as time went by, her previous reputation ended up being heaped on the Xing Sword Saint instead, resulting in very few knowing of her existence, Luo Xuanqing exined. As a core member of the Luo n, Luo Xuanqing was well-informed on those who stood at the top echelon of the Master Teacher Continent. I see. However, what does that have to do with Elder Jian Qinsheng? Could it be that he lost tragically to the Xing Sword Saint back then? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. If there was not a deep-seated grudge between the both of them, there should not be a need for Jian Qinsheng to make use of the Zhang ns n Assembly to get back at the Xing Sword Saint, right? That was almost as good as dering his hostility toward the entire Zhang n! Lost tragically? Tragically is an understatement... Luo Xuanqing shook his head. If the news I have is urate, it would appear that Elder Jian Qinsheng used to be a fervent pursuer of the Meng Sword Saint! Chapter 1421 - Revelation

Chapter 1421: Revtion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Fervent pursuer... Zhang Xuan was stumped into silence. He had thought that it was just a simple rivalry, but to think that there would be so much drama behind it! Then again, he should have thought of it. Only such an emotion could possibly lead to so many years of persistence from Jian Qinsheng. For example, if he were to steal Luo Ruoxin away, the young prodigy of the Zhang n would surely challenge him frenziedly for decades or even centuries toe! In the first ce, those who practiced swordsmanship tended to be extremely obstinate and unyielding individuals, so how could they possibly be able to keep an open mind to other things? Indeed. I really have to say kudos to Jian Qinshengs obstinacy. Even now, hes still unwilling to find another mate. Forget it, lets not talk about them anymore. Well, I do understand that its important for you to head over to the Zhang n. Luo Xuanqing was deeply conflicted. Killing the man whom his younger sister had fallen in love with was important, but he was not willing to let such a good opportunity to humiliate the Zhang n go either. Due to his younger sister, he had been tirelessly finding ways to put them down, and this was clearly a darn good asion to do so! Indeed. Pardon me for not being of any help to you in this matter. Zhang Xuan shook his head. A momentter, he raised his gaze once more and asked deeply, Is it the Luo ns or Zhang ns intention to kill that man? Is there a difference between the two? Even if we dont make a move, the Zhang n will very soon make a move too. By then, things would only get far more troublesome. Luo Xuanqing shook his head. Ever since his younger sister had admitted her love for that man, that mans fate had already been sealed. There was no way that the Zhang n and Luo n could allow this ticking time bomb to continue existing. Zhang n... On the other hand, hearing that the Zhang n had intentions to kill him too, Zhang Xuan clenched his teeth in fury. How can they have the cheek to call themselves the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent when all they do ismit such despicable acts... Wait a moment, they are shameless, thats why! It was one thing to force Luo Ruoxin to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang n, but now, they were even intending to kill him as well. Just howwless could they get! Its fine. Luo Xuanqing sighed deeply. It goes without saying, but you must keep all of this a secret. No matter the circumstances, it mustnt reach the ears of another soul! Dont worry, my lips are tightly sealed! Zhang Xuan nodded. Actually, I think that it would be good for you to discuss this matter with the little princess before making a decision. Otherwise, this incident could drive a wedge in the rtionship between you and your younger sister. Un. Luo Xuanqing was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. Ill think about that. The main issue was that his younger sister was still grounded, and he had no way to contact her, or else he definitely would have found a way to do so. Ill be taking my leave first then! Zhang Xuan sped his fist before heading for Jian Qinshengs residence. Luo Xuanqing watched as Zhang Xuan vanished in the night sky before he shook himself out of his daze. He left the residence, too, but instead of returning back to his own amodations, he headed to the Hall of Integrity. Walking up to the counter, he instructed, I want detailed intelligence about the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Its an organization located in the Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Since he was unable to engage Zhang Xuans help for that matter, he had no choice but to do it himself. Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Noted! Young Master Luo, please give me a moment. Ill look it up right now! The attendant was a youngdy in her early twenties, and recognizing Luo Xuanqing, she did not dare show the slightest bit of disrespect toward him. She quickly rushed into a room, and not too longter, she returned with a book in hand. Any information concerning master teachers would have to be submitted to the headquarters, and considering that the Sanctum of Sages was a subsidiary organization of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, there were various channels that they could use to procure the information. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is located in Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, and the strongest expert there is only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. The attendant began to recite the information in the book. Only Saint 1-dan pinnacle? Luo Xuanqings cheeks twitched. Were his younger sisters eyes not a little too poor? Even the strongest expert in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was only at that level! Just what charm did that man possess to be able to win her fancy, such that she would even go against the Luo n and Zhang n for him? Its a low-ranked Master Teacher Academy capable only of grooming 6-star master teachers, so its inevitable that the cultivators there would be slightlycking, the attendant hurriedly replied. Where is it located? Luo Xuanqing asked. Its located more than a million li away from here. Saint 8-dan beasts require roughly half a month of flight in order to reach there. Here is a map for your reference, the attendant said as she took out a map and showed it to Luo Xuanqing. Half a month? Thats still fine. Luo Xuanqing heaved a sigh of relief. If he could get to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy within half a month, he should be able to eliminate that man ahead of the Zhang n. With a quick scan, Luo Xuanqing swiftly memorized all of the details on the map before turning around to leave. However, before he could walk out of the doorstep, he suddenly recalled a matter and turned around to ask, Do you happen to have any information on some of the more outstanding master teacher from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy in recent years? Considering how his younger sister liked that man and was even full of praise for him, even if that mans cultivation and master teacher rank were only so-so, he should still at least possess some exceptional talent in some fields! In a small ce like the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he should be able to shine like a pearl amid pebbles, catching the eyes of everyone. The attendant pondered for a moment before replying, Im afraid that Im unable to ess that information with my level of clearance. If Young Master Luo isnt in a rush, I can invite an elder over to help you check on the matter! She was only an attendant of the Hall of Integrity, so she could only look into more general information. In order to obtain more detailed information such as the names of the master teachers residing in a location, they would require the clearance of an elder. After thinking about it for a brief moment, Luo Xuanqing nodded. If he could find out the identity of the man whom his younger sister liked, he could assign others to do the job in his stead, thus avoiding the long journey down to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. He waited for roughly an hour on the spot before an elder hurriedly walked out from one of the inner rooms of the Hall of Integrity. Whether it was Luo Xuanqings standing as a core member of the Luo n or his notorious title as the King of Destruction in the Sanctum of Sages, he was not someone whom ordinary managerial elders could afford to offend. The elder hurriedly walked up to Luo Xuanqing and retrieved a book from his storage ring. He took a moment to swiftly flip through the entire book before he closed it and said, Young Master Luo, I have browsed through the records of all notable master teachers in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy over the past five years, and there is indeed one who enjoys great fame and prestige there. Enjoys great fame and prestige? Tell me more! Luo Xuanqings eyes immediately lit up. This master teacher came to fame roughly half a year ago. He originates from a humble Unranked Kingdom, and with his own strength, he slowly paved his way up through the ranks. He has sessfully crashed two Master Teacher Pavilions, and he has foiled a major ploy from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and in ten Otherworldly Demon Kings and one Otherworldly Demon Emperor, thus contributing immensely to mankind! Furthermore, he has sessfully built a kingdom into an empire and groomed many talented students. Eventually, he even became the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! the elder said. No doubt about it, he must be the person I am looking for! Only their ancestor had ever sessfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion before. The fact that the other party was able to do it too showed that he was a man of great talent. That aligned with his younger sisters description. Most likely, that fellow was the person whom his younger sister liked! Whats that persons name? Is he still in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Luo Xuanqing asked. This... Young Master Luo, Im afraid that I dont have the authority to track down his recent whereabouts. But as for his name, I think I should still be able to find it. His name is... As he spoke, the elder flipped open the book once more and took a closer look at the records. A momentter, his eyes narrowed in astonishment. Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1422 - I Thought Of You As My Brother, But You Flirted With My Younger Sister?

Chapter 1422: I Thought Of You As My Brother, But You Flirted With My Younger Sister?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuan? Luo Xuanqings eyes narrowed as well. He anxiously turned his gaze over to the elder and asked agitatedly, Which Zhang and which Xuan? 1 Zhang, as in the Zhang with the side characters of bow and long, and Xuan, as in the Xuan from hanging on a noose. 2 the elder exined. The both of them have the exact same name? This... cant be possible... right? It was as if an explosion had urred in Luo Xuanqings mind. With widened eyes, he staggered backward weakly, his face pale with disbelief. That name was identical to that of his good brother. They couldnt possibly... be the same person, right? He had only hung out with Zhang Xuan because the young mans temperament was to his liking, and to him, all that really mattered was that the young man wasnt from the darned Zhang n. As such, he had never thought of looking into the young mans origin. Could he really be from Qingyuan Empire too? If that was truly the case... Wouldnt that mean that the man he had been looking for was the very same person he had called his brother all this while? Luo Xuanqings body trembled uncontrobly as the various scenes of how he came to met Zhang Xuan shed across his mind. The first they met, the young man had said Your sister to his face and ended up being pummeled into the ground. After the incident, the young man suddenly became exceptionally nice to him, never hesitating to offer a helping hand in his time of need. And all of this, it went without saying that he attributed them to his personal charisma... But could it actually be because of his younger sister? Young Master Luo... Noticing the huge fluctuations in Luo Xuanqings mood, the elder couldnt help but quiver in fear, fearing that the other party would vent his anger on him. Im fine, you dont have to worry about me. Luo Xuanqing exhaled deeply and calmed himself down. I would like to look into the background of a student from our Sanctum of Sages Elite Division. It should be much easier to obtain information on a student in the Sanctum of Sages. Young Master Luo, whose background do you want me to look into? the elder asked. I want you to look into a student who has just enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages just earlier this year, Zhang Xuan! Luo Xuanqing said. Actually, theres no need to look up that. Zhang shi is the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy that I have just spoken about. Hearing that name, the elder couldnt help but chuckle softly, and he remarked in admiration, Despiteing from an Unranked Kingdom, Zhang shi has managed to progress this far within a short period of time, sessfully bing an 8-star master teacher when he had just barely stepped into his twenties. Due to his legendary aplishments, Zhang shi is regarded as the new idol amongst the student popce of the Sanctum of Sages. In fact, the youngdy who has attended to you earlier is his loyal fan! Idol? Fan? Luo Xuanqing quickly turned his gaze toward the youngdy who had attended to him earlier and saw that thetters eyes were twinkling in reverence upon hearing her idols name being called. It was to the point that he could almost imagine saliva streaming down the corner of her lips. Damn it! Luo Xuanqing bellowed furiously as he stabbed his fingers deep into the flesh of his palm. In this moment, he felt as if a million ants were running across his scalp, and unimaginable rage bubbled furiously within him. In less than a month aftering to the Sanctum of Sages, that fellow had actually seduced so many youngdies, converting every single one of them into his devoted fan. Given how his younger sister had no experience with the opposite gender, it was no wonder why she would end up falling into that fellows trap! I thought of you as my brother, but you flirted with my younger sister? More importantly, you even acted so innocently before me... Zhang Xuan, just how much more shameless can you get? Luo Xuanqing couldnt stop his lips from quivering in shock. He felt like he had fallen into the other partys trap right from the very start. He intentionally got close to me in order to obtain news about my younger sister... This wont do. I must kill that despicable bastard! Frenzied with fury, killing intent billowed through Luo Xuanqings veins. Previously, he was still a little hesitant at the notion of killing his younger sisters lover, but now that he knew who that man was and the despicable means that man resorted to, he couldnt suppress his fury any longer. All along, you are the person whom my younger sister likes, and yet, you feigned ignorant whenever I brought up the topic, acting as if you were an outsider to the matter. To think that I actually thought of someone like you as my brother... This must be the greatest stain of my life! More importantly, I even foolishly told you everything I knew... Its no wonder why he turned down my request... How could he possibly kill himself? The more Luo Xuanqing thought about this matter, the more infuriated he became. If his emotions could materialize, the area around him would be swiftly overwhelmed by a raging inferno and burned down to cinders. This isnt good... Hurry up and get Elder Ge over! Tell him that the King of Destruction is going to destroy the Hall of Integrity! Seeing that the young mans strength was on the verge of bursting forth, the elders face immediately paled in fright, and he hurriedly turned his head around to instruct the female attendant. As a managerial elder, his cultivation was only at Saint 7-dan, a long way off from matching up to Luo Xuanqing. If they were to go head-to-head with one another, there was no way he would be a match for the other party. Sensing the dangerous aura shrouding around the young man before him, he couldnt help but recall the various incredible aplishments of the young man before him. At this point, there was little doubt that the young man was going to do something very soon. Yes, elder! the attendant hurriedly nodded. But as just as she was about to turn around and leave, Luo Xuanqing suddenly appeared right before her eyes. With reddened eyes, he roared, Tell me, why do you revere that Zhang Xuan so much? Is he stronger than me? Is he more good-looking than me? In terms of strength, he was a Saint 8-dan expert whereas Zhang Xuan was only at Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. In terms of looks, that fellow was no different from a Fighter 1-dan to his Saint 9-dan! He just couldnt understand why others would idolize that fellow instead of him! I-I-I... Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Feeling the immense pressure that Luo Xuanqing was emanating, the youngdys face paled in fright, and she began to bawl uncontrobly. Let go of her! the elder bellowed angrily. I... It was only in this moment that Luo Xuanqing finally regained his rationality, but even that was insufficient to quench the indignance that he felt inside. To show a look of reverence when speaking of Zhang Xuan, only to be scared into tears when facing him... Why? WHY?! The elder could guess what Luo Xuanqing was thinking of just by the look on his face, and he suddenly feltpletely speechless. Just by that terrifying look on your face, it would take a miracle for any girl to like you! Take a look at Zhang Xuan! Even before the most frightening lightning tribtion, he was still able to stand firmly with aposed smile on his face, diving into it fearlessly and eventually send it fleeing even... Now, take a look at yourself! How can you ever begin topare with him? Forget it, Ill kill that fellow right now! Knowing that he wouldnt be able to get an answer out of the female attendants mouth, Luo Xuanqing spat coldly as he dashed straight for Jian Qinshengs residence. Now that he had found out that Zhang Xuan was the culprit who had seduced his younger sister, there was no reason for him to hesitate anymore! There would be more than enough time for him to think the matter through after smashing that fellows head into the ground! It didnt take long before he was standing right above Jian Qinshengs residence, and he bellowed loudly, Luo Xuanqing is here to pay a visit to Elder Jian! His deep voice reverberated deafeningly throughout the entire residence, reminiscent of the rumbling of thunder. Luo Xuanqing, what are you up to this time around? A mere instant after Luo Xuanqings loud voice echoed throughout the entire residence, an infuriated voice suddenly sounded. Following which, a beautiful figure flew over. Shui Qianrou! Qianrou... What are you doing here? Luo Xuanqing was so surprised to see the youngdy that the imposing disposition he carried a moment ago began withering away. Jian Qinsheng is my teacher, so there shouldnt be any problem with me living in his residence, right? Shui Qianrou harrumphed coldly. Like I have told you before, I dont have the slightest bit of feelings for you. If you continue harassing me like this, Ill have no choice but to call on my n to deal with you! I... Luo Xuanqing was rendered speechless. The truth was that when he boasted to Zhang Xuan back then that he had a beautiful girlfriend, he wasnt entirely lyingit was just that his beautiful girlfriend of his hadnt epted his confession yet! And the unbelievably beautiful girlfriend he had referred to then was none other than Shui Qianrou! Luo Xuanqing was intending to say that he wasnt here for Shui Qianrou but Zhang Xuan, but thetters words triggered the intense feelings of indignance within him once more, and he eximed, Just what kind of man do you like? I can always change if theres anything Imcking in! Given the outstanding and dashing man he was, why didnt the other party like him? He simply couldnt understand it! What kind of man do I like? Shui Qianrou harrumphed coldly. The man that I like must possess unparalleled talent in swordsmanship. He must possess utmost discerning eyes that are capable of seeing through andplementing all of my ws, and more importantly, he must be able to impart to me profound swordsmanship... Impart to you profound swordsmanship? It cant be that... Luo Xuanqing suddenly widened his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief, hoping that everything was just his imagination. Thats right, I like men who are like Zhang Xuan! As for you... Shui Qianrou waved her hands disdainfully, You should just give it a rest! Chapter 1423 - The Little Princess’ Request

Chapter 1423: The Little Princess Request

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You bastard! Luo Xuanqings rage finally reached the peak and exploded. It was one thing for the younger sister whom he doted on so dearly to be seduced by that fellow whose emotional quotient could be said to be pretty much zero, but to think that the goddess whom he had been infatuated with for so many years would actually be full of admiration for him too... At this moment, no words could begin to describe how crazed he felt on the inside. I treated you as my brother, but you ended up seducing my younger sister and the person I love... Unforgivable! Zhang Xuan, you better scram out here right now! Unable to hold it back any longer, Luo Xuanqing roared in fury. Seeing how the other partys words were getting more and more overboard, daring to threaten Zhang shi even, Shui Qianrou finally snapped, Luo Xuanqing, Zhang shi has already left for the Zhang n together with my teacher. If you continue causing trouble around here, dont me me for activating the Sword Formation! What the heck is wrong with you? I have already made everything clear to you, why are you still going on a rampage over here? Previously, you imed that as long as I were to meet someone I like, you would give up and back away quietly... I should have already made it very clear to you that I like Zhang shi, so why are you still causing such a hugemotion here, even threatening to beat him up? Do you really think I dare not activate the formation on you? If you were to continue causing trouble here shamelessly, I dont mind teaching you a lesson! After receiving Zhang Xuans pointers, Shui Qianrou had be more highly regarded by Jian Qinsheng, such that she was even imparted with the method to control the formation inscribed into the residence. He has already left? Hmph, Ill just have to chase him back then! Making a quick calction, Luo Xuanqing realized that it was indeed very likely that Zhang Xuan had already left. Thus, he immediately flitted off in the direction of the Zhang n without any hesitation. That madman... Not expecting Luo Xuanqing toe over in the middle of the night to cause such a huge uproar, only to leave before finishing his piece, Shui Qianrou was rendered speechless. She would have to be an utter fool to fall for a person thatcking in maturity! In the end, Zhang shi was the only one who could really be thought of as perfect. Well, he would have been even more perfect if his words could have been any nicer... But again, geniuses tended to have extremely individualistic personalities, and she was perfectly fine with his personality too... Oblivious to Shui Qianrous fangirling, Luo Xuanqing dashed straight for three days and three nights, till thest droplet of zhenqi within his body had been depleted. But even so, he was still unable to find any traces of Zhang Xuan and the others. Before long, he waspletely sapped of his strength and had no choice but toe to a halt, and in the next instant, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth. He had been too overwhelmed with rage earlier that he waspletely oblivious to his current physical state, but as soon as he came to a halt, he felt a feeling of weakness swiftly consuming his entire body, cing him on the verge of fainting. Even as a Saint 8-dan expert, he was still incapable of maintaining flight at full speed for three days straight without any rest. Not to mention, the consecutive shocks he had sustained earlier had caused his zhenqi flow to descend into severe disarray. If not for the strong cultivation foundation that he had built up over the years, his cultivation could have very well gone berserk. From the looks of it, it seems like theres no way Ill be able to catch up with them anymore... Seated by the edge of a cliff, Luo Xuanqing panted heavily as he thought with gritted teeth. Jian Qinsheng and Zhang Xuan had left on an aerial saint beast. As fast as he may be, if he couldnt see any traces of them after chasing them for so long, it didnt seem too usible that he would be able to catch up with them anymore. But... not only did that fellow dupe him, he even seduced his younger sister and his goddess! It would be hard to quell the burning rage within his heart if he couldnt at least give the other party a beating he would never forget. Should I contact my n and have them liaise with the Zhang n to deal with that fellow? A thought suddenly popped up in Luo Xuanqings head. As long as he told his n that the person whom his younger sister liked had gone to the Zhang n, they would surely be able to make ample preparations to trap and eliminate that fellow! With the two most powerful Sage ns moving in unison to deal with him, there was no way Zhang Xuan would be able to get away! But somehow, the thought of Zhang Xuan dying made the usually decisive him hesitate a little somehow. But the First Elder has also instructed me to get close and avoid any conflicts with him. Furthermore, hes the direct disciple of Yang shi too... Luo Xuanqing was in a dilemma. It was imperative for him to aplish the missions assigned to him by the n, and the First Elder did give him two clear missions. One was to get on close terms with Zhang Xuan, and the other one was to kill the man his younger sister liked! But now that the two of them turned out to be the same person... was he to get close to him, or should he kill him? At the same time, he suddenly felt that it might have been a little too rash of him to conclude that Zhang Xuan was the person whom his younger sister liked. While it was true that thetter was from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy too, it could have just been a coincidence. All of these thoughts swarmed Luo Xuanqings mind at once, leaving him feeling deeply lost all of a sudden. At this moment, his eyebrows suddenly shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token appeared in his palm. Tapping his finger on it lightly, there was a light Hu! before an iparably beautiful and seemingly wless figure appeared before his sight. Sis... Arent you grounded by the n? How did you manage to contact me? Luo Xuanqing widened his eyes upon seeing the other party, and he asked in agitation. The person who was at the other end of the Communication Jade Token was no other than his younger sister, the little princess of the Luo n! The n might have grounded me, but sending out a message is nothing too difficult to me. the youngdy replied. After assimting the Dimension Silencer, herprehension of space could be said to have reached a levelparable to their founder. If she wanted to, she could easily decipher the seal which the First Elder and the others had set up without alerting them. Thats a relief! I happen to have something I need to verify with you... Heaving a sigh of relief, Luo Xuanqing was just about to begin speaking when the youngdy before him anxiously waved her hands and interjected. Brother, I need you to hear me out first. Even back when we were still young, you have always been very doting of me, looking out for me at every corner and secretly getting me what I want, and I am really grateful for that. There is one thing which I really need your help, and I hope that you can offer me your strength! Luo Xuanqing could roughly fathom what his younger sister was about to say, but facing her pleading and desperate eyes, he hesitated for a brief moment before eventually nodding in agreement, As long as its within my means, Ill do my best to help you. For his younger sister, he would even tread up a mountain of des or dive into a sea of mes for her if he needed to! Hearing those words, relief visibly flickered across the youngdys face. As you know, I already have someone that I like... Our n has already dispatched some men to the ce where I have been to, and theres no doubt that they will attempt to kill him. I hope that you can protect him. Please, dont allow any harm toe to him! You want me to protect him? Luo Xuanqings eyes widened in astonishment. Thats right. The youngdy nodded. Hes only an ordinary cultivator. He shouldnt lose his life just because I like him. This isnt fair for him! She turned her gaze toward Luo Xuanqing, and with an expectant and pleading look in her eyes, she said, Brother, you know that I have never pleaded anyone for anything, but just this once... Im pleading with you, please protect him! I... Luo Xuanqings clenched fists trembled uncontrobly. He wanted to tell her that he had already promised the n to kill that fellow, but in the end, he still held himself back at the veryst moment. In the end, he still couldnt bear to see his younger sister unhappy. He took in several deep breaths before nodding in resignation, Ill protect him... I knew that you are the best! Ill be entrusting him to you then. A beautiful smile reminiscent of a flower bloomed on the youngdys lips. No matter what, please look after him and dont allow anyone to hurt him... Ill have to go now. Even though Im able to send messages out, the others might notice that something is amiss if I do so too frequently, and that could cause unnecessaryplications. As she said those words, the youngdys silhouette began to flicker, and it seemed as if her image would dissipate at any moment soon. Wait a moment! You told me to protect the person that you liked, but you havent told me what his name is and where he is at the moment. Even though he had a good idea whom the person was, he still wanted to verify it with his younger sister. His name Zhang Xuan, and hes currently in Qingyuan Empire! the youngdys voice drifted across with a tone filled with saudade and fondness before gradually dissipating along with her silhouette. As I expected! Hearing his younger sisters confirmation, Luo Xuanqings face turned frighteningly livid. Zhang Xuan... Even Luo Xuanqing himself was unable to clearly discern his current emotions, whether it rage or indignance that he was feeling. But these emotions swarmed relentlessly to his mind and to his heart, leaving him feeling as if he would explode from them. ... Ah choo! Amidst the sky, Zhang Xuan was seated on the back of a saint beast when he suddenly sneezed. Rubbing his nose, a confused look appeared on his face. Is someone thinking of me again? Being too outstanding sure is troublesome, hai! Chapter 1424 - Studying the Sanctum Had Token

Chapter 1424: Studying the Sanctum Had Token

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had been sneezing ever since he left the Sanctum of Sages. The person who was thinking of him sure was persistent! Thats why I should maintain a low profile at all times. Otherwise, if Luo Ruoxin realizes that so many people like me, she wont be happy, Zhang Xuan thought with a nod. And to be honest, he had indeed been much more low profile ever since he entered the Sanctum of Sages. The only time he had been high profile was when he challenged the Tower of Master Teachers. Otherwise, how could the Cultivation Technique Forest and even the entire Inner Sanctum still be intact? He had already been actively trying to y it cool! Ah, it sure is tiring maintaining a low profile, Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his be. If not for his wish to maintain a low profile, he would have simply taken Vicious upper body out. At the very least, he would not have just stopped with challenging a mere Tower of Master Teachers and breaking a couple of records. Do you know how difficult it was to suppress myself? However, this worked out fine as well. It was aligned with his humble personality anyway. Having spent a year as a cultivator, he understood the deep importance of maintaining a low profile. If he had gone around boasting about his strength and trump cards like his clone did, he probably would have already died. After a brief moment of thought, he flicked his wrist, whipped out a token, and began assessing it closely. It was the Sanctum Head Token that he had received from Sage Kui. The firstyer of the seal on it had unraveled back when he received his 8-star master teacher emblem after clearing the Tower of Master Teachers. However, he had not had the time to examine it closely back then. Since he had some time on his hand now, it would be a good opportunity to study its changes. At this very moment, the Sanctum Head Token was emanating a warm glow. Stroking it lightly with his hand, he could immediately feel a will surging into his consciousness. Even though his physical body remained motionless in the real world, he felt as if his consciousness was being dragged into a peculiar space. Hu! The next thing he knew, Sage Kui was standing right before him with a faint smile on his lips. You sure became an 8-star master teacher fast. The rate at which you are growing has far surpassed my imagination! A hint of approval could be heard in Sage Kuis voice. How far have you cultivated your Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld to? Let me take a look! Regarding that... to be honest, I havent started cultivating that optic art yet, Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. There were simply so many errors in that optic art that he could not bring himself to cultivate it. In fact, after he had obtained it, he could not even be bothered to give it a second nce. Hearing those words, Sage Kui frowned. If you dont cultivate the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, how are you going to remove the seals on the Sanctum Head Token and be officially inaugurated as the new sanctum head? The most crucial requirement for bing the real sanctum head was the cultivation of the Eye of Insight to the realm of Demon Vanquisher, and it was impossible to reach that level without cultivating the optic art. I do want to cultivate it, but the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld is a little... Never mind! Do you have any optic arts with you? If possible, I would like to borrow a couple of them for reference purposes! Fearing that Sage Kui would be unable to take the trauma if he criticized the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld once more, Zhang Xuan swiftly changed his words. The cultivation of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld would only be a viable option to him after he sessfully upgraded it into a Heavens Path battle technique. After all, he had no intention of cultivating a battle technique only to end up bing color blind or evenpletely blind at that! Only my teacher, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, has the ability to create a battle technique as profound and abstract as optic art. Theres no way you will be able to find another optic art out there on the Master Teacher Continent! Sage Kui shook his head. May I know which part of the optic art you are confused about? Feel free to speak of it, and Ill slowly exin it to you. Its fine. Ill try deciphering it myself for now. Zhang Xuan shook his head. It seemed like, in terms of capabilities, Sage Kui still came nowhere close toparing to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Thetters fragmented souls were still capable ofmunicating with one another whereas the Sage Kui in front of him was clearly unaware of his conversation with the Sage Kui in the Mountain Gate examination. Its fine? A displeased look materialized on Sage Kuis face. What do you mean by that? In order to be the next sanctum head, you must cultivate the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld! I have spent many years cultivating that technique, and my insights will allow you to swiftly grasp the technique! Or perhaps, do you think that your understanding of the technique is even deeper than mine? Elder, thats not what I mean. To tell you the truth, theres a doubt that has been in my mind for a while that I would like to rify with you. Knowing that Sage Kuis time was probably limited, Zhang Xuan did not want to waste time talking about the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. At this point, he suddenly recalled what he had noted back at the Inner Sanctum, so he decided to make use of this opportunity to obtain some answers. Feel free to speak! Hearing that Zhang Xuan had a question to ask him, Sage Kui flicked his hand behind his back grandly and assumed the image of a powerful expert. If Im not mistaken, theres a skeletal frame of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor in a sculpture of yours in the Inner Sanctum. Im curious to know how you managed to suppress its aura to the point where its almost indiscernible. Zhang Xuan revealed his doubts. He had been wondering about this matter ever since leaving the Inner Sanctum, but he was just unable to make sense of it. Since Sage Kuis will had appeared before him once more, this would be a good opportunity for him to seek an answer to that. You know that theres a skeletal frame of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor in my sculpture? Sage Kuis eyes widened in astonishment. In an instant, the image of a powerful expert that he had just built up shattered, and disbelief could clearly be seen on his face. Indeed. If Im not mistaken, the Otherworldly Demon Emperor was an ancient figure in your era known as Vicious! Zhang Xuan borated. Considering that Sage Kui was Kong shis grandstudent, he should have heard of Vicious. You... know of Vicious? Sage Kuis cheeks began twitching. How did you manage to seal his upper body in your sculpture without any hint of his aura leaking out? Zhang Xuan asked once more. This... Sage Kui was stunned. Hearing the affirmative tone behind the young mans voice, Sage Kui hesitated for a brief moment before sighing deeply. Since you have already seen through this much, I guess theres no harm in telling you the truth. Youre right, the skeletal frame that is sealed in that sculpture in the Inner Sanctum indeed belongs to Vicious. Many years ago, when I first found it, a will had already developed within it. In order to prevent its resurrection, I could only make use of Kong shis strength to suppress it. Kong shis strength? Yes. The Inner Sanctum is located in the very center of the formations of the Five Halls, and by using Kong shis personal handwriting and the fortune harnessed in this verynd, I was able to suppress it thoroughly, to the point where its renderedpletely helpless to retaliate, Sage Kui exined. Hearing that, Zhang Xuan swiftly went through the rtive position of the Inner Sanctum to the Five Halls, and indeed, the Inner Sanctum was located at the very center of their formations. That would exin why it was so rich in spiritual energy and the overwhelming academic aura that lingered there. Back then, when Vicious fought against Kong shi, his strength had already reached a level surpassing all Ancient Sages on the Master Teacher Continent. At his peak, he was an entity whom none of us could match. In order to prevent his resurrection, I could only make use of all resources I had at my disposal to suppress him. Sage Kui shook his head. After which, he turned a doubtful gaze to Zhang Xuan and asked, The aura of the skeletal frame should have been suppressed to the point where itspletely indiscernible. How did you manage to notice it when your Eye of Insight is only at the third realm? There had been several generations of sanctum heads prior to him, and their mastery of the Eye of Insight had far exceeded his, but even so, they had been unable to notice the presence of the skeletal frame. Yet, the young man before him had actually noticed that something was in the sculpture and was even able to discern what it was clearly. How in the world did he manage to do it? I only managed to notice it by coincidence, Zhang Xuan replied perfunctorily, not bothering to exin. Regardless of how you noticed it, listen to my advice and dont even try to touch it. Even Saint 9-dan cultivators might not necessarily have the strength to stand against it. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to talk too much about the matter, Sage Kui did not probe. Nevertheless, he still feltpelled to issue a warning. What if I have the confidence to tame the skeletal frame and prevent it from doing harm? Would it be fine if I take it out? Zhang Xuan asked. Given that he possessed the Book of Heavens Path, not to mention that Vicious head was under his control, he was very certain that he would be able to take down Vicious upper body too. However, he was just unsure if there was any way that he could retrieve the upper body without resulting in any adverse consequences for the Inner Sanctum. You want to tame Vicious skeletal frame? Hearing those words, Sage Kui was clearly startled for a moment before he shook his head. Its good that you intend to contribute to mankind, but I can tell you for certain that its impossible. Even Kong shi failed to do it back then, so do you think that youll really be able to do it? Chapter 1425 - Who Is the Sanctum Head?

Chapter 1425: Who Is the Sanctum Head?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric It was no wonder why Sage Kui didnt believe Zhang Xuan was able to do it. If even Kong shi was unable to aplish that deed, there was little hope that anyone in the Master Teacher Continent would be able to do so. Just the fact that Vicious was able to trap Kong shi back then was more than enough to show how powerful he was. Considering how Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at a mere Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, it wouldnt make any difference no matter what kind of incredible means he had up his sleeves. You dont believe me? Noting Sage Kuis expression, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly and said, Follow me! After saying those words, he retracted his consciousness back to his physical body and went into his Myriad Anthive Nest. Then, he grabbed the token tightly once more. Boom! A massive head appeared within the Myriad Anthive Nest. It floated quietly in midair, emanating a frightening aura. Master. Vicious greeted. T-this... Sage Kuis will flickered wildly, nearly dissipating on the spot. Having once suppressed Vicious, he could identify thetters will and body with ease. Even though the massive head was a celestial designer artifact, the will and life within it was indubitably Vicious. To think that the legendary Vicious who had Kong shi trapped for three whole months in the ancient era would actually end up serving a youngd as his master... I have sessfully tamed his heart, finger, and head, and Im in the midst of collecting his other parts. Since his skeletal body with you, is there any way I can retrieve it safely? I think this would also be much safer in the long run as well. Zhang Xuan said. Naturally, the best case scenario was for him to retrieve the skeletal frame without causing the copse of the Inner Sanctum. In the very depths of his heart, he didnt like causing destruction at all. Wherever it could be avoided, it should be avoided. Besides, once he became the sanctum head, the Inner Sanctum could be said to be under him as well, and destroying his own home base didnt seem like a very good idea... T-this... This cant be happening! Sage Kui was still overwhelmed by the sheer shock of what he had seen, and his body flickered in and out of existence. Hes already right before your eyes, and I believe you can tell for yourself whether hes really Vicious or not. Seeing Sage Kuis excessive reaction toward such a trivial matter, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head in disapproval. How in the world can you be shocked at every single thing? Are you sure that you are really Kong shis grandstudent... Somehow, it feels like you are a countryside bumpkin who hasnt seen therger world outside yet! No matter how formidable Vicious was when he was alive, he had been divided into many pieces after his death, and every individual part wasnt particrly powerful. As such, it shouldnte as much of a shock that he managed to tame them. It took some time before Sage Kui finally recovered from his shock. With a bitter smile, he said, Since you are capable of taming him, I guess there should be no harm handing the skeletal frame over to you. However, the seal to decipher it is ratherplicated, so it might be quite troublesome on your part... Please enlighten me. Hearing that there was a method to retrieve Vicious upper body without causing any destruction, Zhang Xuan hurriedly sped his fist. I sealed the skeletal frame using a spatial secret art so as to fuse it entirely with my sculpture. If you wish to separate the both of them, you must destroy it and... In the midst of his words, Sage Kuis will flickered once more, and before he could finish his words, he had already vanished from the spot with a light hu!, as if an extinguished candleme. It seemed like the shock he had received had far exceeded his tolerance limit, causing him to dissipate on the spot. You... Zhang Xuan was frenzied. Just what in the heck was wrong with these ancestors? How in the world could each of them be so unreliable? Kong shi disappeared in the midst of his words, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu did so too, and now, even this fellow was doing it too... Was it some kind of tradition for them to do that, or was this just a twisted sense of humor they had back in their era? Forget it... Even though Zhang Xuan felt deeply stifled, he knew that there was no point for him to lose temper now especially since Sage Kui was already gone. Thus, he could only rub his be and turn his eyes back to the Sanctum Head Token. After the removal of the first seal, it had visibly be more smooth and radiant, and ripples of powerful energy could be seen flowing on its surface, reflecting the massive might that it wielded. Is this... a Saint pinnacle artifact? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement as he stroked its surface with his fingers lightly. He wasnt too sure just what tier the item was, but he was certain that it was far stronger than the Lingxu Sword in his possession. If the two of them were to sh with one another, it was almost certain that the one to shatter would be his Lingxu Sword... Just from that in itself, it could be seen that the token was definitely a Saint pinnacle artifact at the very minimum. But perhaps it was due to the presence of the seal, despite its high tier, there wasnt the slightest hint of spirit infused into the token. Its only unique property seemed to be its resilient exterior and its peculiarly sharp tip. Nevertheless, it could still disy exceptional might when utilized in the right situation. Even a Saint 8-dan cultivator could be easily cornered by the prowess of a Saint pinnacle artifact! As long as he were to use it well, he might be able to y even the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast! As expected of the personal artifact of the sanctum head, it was indeed no ordinary treasure. I wonder what kind of changes would happen to the token once I unseal the secondyer of seal... The changes in the token after the unsealing of its first seal was already quite a huge surprise in itself, so Zhang Xuan couldnt help but wonder what would happen once the second seal was unsealed too. While Zhang Xuan was chatting with Sage Kui and examining the Sanctum Head Token closely, in the Premier Hall of the Sanctum of Sages,where generations of sanctum heads and deputy sanctum heads resided, brilliant rays of light began bursting forth in close intervals, and the flurried chimes of a bell could be heard booming across the entire area. Whats happening? Zhan shi, Elder Ge, and the others hurriedly rushed over to the grand hall as they eximed in astonishment. As a representation of the authority of the Sanctum of Sages, no one would ever dare to fool around here. Just what in the world could have happened to induce such a hugemotion? Itsing from the sculptures of the preceding sanctum heads! an elder eximed. Everyone hurriedly turned their sights over and saw the many sculptures of the many generations of sanctum heads shaking non-stop. The deafening bell chimes were echoing from them. The trembling of the sculptures should be a representation... of their shock? But what could have happened to leave them in such a state? Elder Ge muttered in astonishment. Every single generation of sanctum head was a top-notch expert, possessing experience and eye of discernment that far surpassed any other cultivator in the Master Teacher Continent. It was unimaginable just what kind of major incident could have happened to have ced them in such a state. This was inconceivable! Could this mean... the Sanctum Head Token has surfaced? A thought suddenly came to Zhan shis mind, and he muttered softly with a pale face. The Sanctum Head Token has surfaced? Do you mean that the Sanctum of Sages is about to usher in another true sanctum head? The many elders gathered in the area hurriedly turned their sights to Zhan shi. Only a true sanctum head candidate would have the right to wield and control the Sanctum Head Token. If that artifact had surfaced once more, it would spell that the real sanctum head was on the rise as well. Thats right... That person should have received Sage Kuis approval and sessfully removed one of the seals on it. Otherwise, it shouldnt be possible for such a hugemotion to ur. Zhan shi nodded. But in order to be the sanctum head, one must possess the Eye of Insight! Just who could that person be? The faces of the crowd reddened in agitation. Each time a real sanctum head appeared, the overall prowess of the Sanctum of Sages would surge forth, as if entering an era of swift development. It would be truly beneficial to them with a true sanctum head were to appear at this moment and lead them forward, especially during this era which felt like the calm before the storm! The sanctum head candidates identity wont be revealed until he fully awakens the Sanctum Head Token... Zhan shi said grimly. It was a tradition for the sanctum head candidate to conceal his identity until the inauguration ceremony. This served as a mean to protect the sanctum head until he gained the strength to protect himself. Given the hugemotion that had urred, it seemed like the sanctum head candidate had received the approval of the preceding sanctum heads, but the fact that he hadnt revealed his identity yet likely meant that he wasnt fully ready to seed as the next sanctum head yet... A momentter, Zhan shi instructed, Go and check who recently made a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan or sessfully became an 8-star master teacher... As the deputy sanctum head, he was still aware of the various conditions required to remove the seals on the Sanctum Head Token. Alright! one of the elders hurriedly backed out of the room, and soon, he returned with a look of disbelief on his face. Reporting to Zhan shi, Yang shis student, Feng Zyi... has challenged the Tower of Master Teachers and cleared it! Chapter 1426 - Connate Sainthood

Chapter 1426: Connate Sainthood

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Feng Ziyi also sessfully cleared the Tower of Master Teachers? A wave of silence swept across the crowd. Zhan shi and the others were rendered speechless. In the several dozen millenniums since the creation of the Tower of Master Teachers, there had only been three people who had managed to clear the trial. Just what in the world had happened recently? There had been two consecutive challengers, and both of them had actually cleared it. How long did he take? one of the elders could not resist asking. Zhang Xuan had used roughly fifteen minutes, so how long did Feng Ziyi take to clear it? Almost an entire day, the elder who had gone out to investigate earlier replied. A day... His record might be beneath that of Zhang shi, but its definitely an outstanding achievement. Considering how the wills of the sanctum heads began reacting right after he became an 8-star master teacher... could he possibly be the sanctum head candidate? Zhan shi deduced. I think its very likely! The other elders swiftly nodded in agreement. Even though Zhang shi had cleared the Tower of Master Teachers very quickly, there was no peculiar phenomenon urring right after he cleared it. On the other hand, just moments after Feng Ziyi became an 8-star master teacher, the wills of the sanctum heads began trembling in shock. Could it be that he had received Sage Kuis recognition and be the only current candidate to the position of the sanctum head? But considering how Feng Ziyi is Yang shis direct disciple, its only a matter of time before he returns to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Why would Sage Kui choose him as a sanctum head candidate? I have no idea either. However, Sage Kuis wisdom is not something that the likes of us can fathom, and perhaps, he might have seen something far beyond what we can see. To be honest, if a sanctum head does appear in this generation, I would think that the likelihood of Zhang shi being him is higher. ording to the rumors I have heard, hes Feng Ziyis senior, and on the whole, the capability and the potential that he has disyed far surpasses that of the other students. One of the requirements to bing a sanctum head candidate is the possession of the Eye of Insight. No matter how talented Zhang shi may be, even if hes on par with the little princess of the Luo n, as long as he doesnt possess the Eye of Insight, all would be for naught! Thats true... Frowns emerged on the elders faces as they heatedly discussed the issue with one another. Both Zhang Xuan and Feng Ziyi were possible sanctum head candidates. It was still impossible for them to confirm which of the two it would be, but most of them were leaning toward Feng Ziyi. I think theres at least a 90% chance that its Feng Ziyi. Zhang shi would likely be the one to seed Yang shis position in the future, so there wouldnt be a problem for Feng Ziyi to take on the role of our sanctum head. In the first ce, the elders were all working on spection, so even after a lengthy discussion, they were still unable toe to a conclusion. Eventually, Zhan shi stepped forward and said, Alright, theres no point debating this anymore. We have narrowed the potential sanctum head candidate to just two people, and thats good progress. For the time being, make sure that none of what we have discussed today gets leaked. Also, none of you are to show any disrespect to the two of them, and make sure to satisfy every one of their requests wherever possible. The elders nodded. Understood! ... The Zhang n was located a far distance away from the Sanctum of Sages. Even when riding on Jian Qinshengs tamed aerial beast, it would still take nearly an entire month to get there. With too much free time on his hands, after he was done examining the sanctum head token, Zhang Xuan began reinforcing his cultivation. It took him three days to fully reinforce his Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivation, and after that, he spent a couple more days retempering his physical body and Primordial Spirit. Afterward, he suddenly found himself at aplete loss over what he should do. Eventually, he ended up spending most of his time discussing swordsmanship with Jian Qinsheng, and thetter benefited greatly from his unique and sharp insights regarding swordsmanship. With that leisurely atmosphere, twenty days passed in a sh. We should be reaching the Zhang n in around two days time. Studying the meandering mountain range and long rivers beneath them, Jian Qinsheng swiftly deduced their location, and he could not help but tremble in agitation. Just two more days, and he would be able to cleanse himself of the humiliation that he had suffered so far. He would be able to trample that haughty and boastful Xingmeng Sword Saint beneath his feet. Just the thought of it was sufficient to leave surges of exhration coursing through his body. If we barge in on the Zhang ns n Assembly and challenge them on such a grand asion, wouldnt it be in breach of the master teachers value of propriety? Zhang Xuan asked Jian Qinsheng. As much as he wanted to teach the Zhang n a lesson, he was also well aware of his identity as a master teacher. He had to pay careful heed to his standing and act within the scope of what was deemed appropriate by society. To tell you the truth, Im not the one who initiated this challenge. On the contrary, they were the ones who invited me over to challenge them. The Zhang ns n Assembly is more than just an asion for the members of the Zhang n to gather and discuss major affairs; more than that, its also used as a tform for the Zhang n to reinforce their prestige and influence as the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent! Jian Qinsheng harrumphed coldly. The Zhang n would usually send out invitations to others to attend their n Assembly. The motive was simpleto disy the overwhelming might of the Zhang n to the rest of the world! If it had been in the past, Jian Qinsheng would have surely be nothing more than a stepping stone to further the Zhang ns reputation. But now that he had Zhang Xuan, a one-of-a-kind genius who had sessfully grasped two Sword Quintessences, on his side, no matter how powerful the younger generation cultivators of the Zhang n were, who could possibly be a match for him? Do they send out invitations to all major powers? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Im not too sure either, but that does seem to be the case. For every n Assembly that theyve hosted so far, they invited many people from all walks of life to participate. There were demonic tunists, apothecaries, cksmiths, beast tamers... Most upation guilds received a couple of invitations, and they dispatched their most outstanding juniors to attend. While the pretext was to have them observe the n Assembly, in truth, it was to allow those of the younger generation to spar with one another and further their experiences. Even though Jian Qinsheng did not like the Zhang n, he still could not help but remark, Even though its clear that they were utilizing the n Assembly as a tform to boast of their prowess, they are indeed a force to be reckoned with. There are simply too few in the younger generation who are able to match their counterparts in the Zhang n! Most upation guilds received a couple of invitations? At this point, Zhang Xuan could not help but recall what he had heard from Bi Hongyin back then. Back then, when the young prodigy was born, it seemed like they had invited quite a few renowned figures from the various upations, and her teacher happened to be one of them. The previous Zhang ns n Assembly happened twenty years ago, during the young prodigys full month celebration. Back then, the few students of mine were all defeated by a single person. Recalling the situation back then, a bitter look appeared on Jian Qinshengs face. Just the direct disciple of the Xingmeng Sword Saint had been enough to render all of his studentspletely helpless, and that incident had truly shredded his dignity into many pieces. That matter had been on his mind throughout the years, bubbling furiously inside of him without any avenues to release it. If not for meeting Zhang Xuan, there was a good chance that he would never have been able to exact vengeance in his entire lifetime. The young prodigys full month celebration... Speaking of which, since you attended the previous n Assembly, did you meet the young prodigy? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course I did! Even though he was still very young then, there was an imposing air shrouding him, as if the essence of the heavens was infused right into him. Just a nce at him left me trembling at my core, feeling deeply ashamed of my form. Recalling that sight from twenty years ago, Jian Qinsheng could not help but fall into deep thought. Really, I just cant understand why the Xing Sword Saint would be blessed with such luck. Not only does he possess amazing aptitude in swordsmanship, he also sure has a way with giving birth. I can tell you that never in my life have I seen a child as talented as that boy! A child whos just barely a month old... just what kind of talent could he possibly have? Isnt that a little too exaggerated? Zhang Xuansplexion did not look too good. If that child was really as outstanding as Jian Qinsheng made him out to be, his name would have resounded throughout the Master Teacher Continent by now. How could he not have appeared publicly even once? Exaggerated? Jian Qinsheng shook his head. Its no exaggeration at all. Oh? What Im saying reallyes from the bottom of my heart. If you dont trust me... let me ask you this. Have you ever heard of Connate Sainthood? Jian Qinsheng asked. Connate Sainthood? Zhang Xuan frowned, unsure of what that term was referring to. It refers to a person born intrinsically with Saint realm cultivation, Jian Qinsheng said. Born with Saint realm cultivation? H-how could that be? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. It had taken him a great deal of effort in order to cultivate to Sainthoodjust the fact that it had taken him more than six months to do so said a lot about the matter! And yet, there actually existed individuals in the world who were born with Saint realm cultivation? Surely not even the heavens would be so biased toward an individual? At the very least, there was not a person whom he knew who was a Connate Saint, and this included Luo Ruoxin as well. Indeed. I couldnt believe it the first time I saw it either, but the truth is as such, Jian Qinsheng remarked deeply. At this point, he could not help but recall something, and he remarked, It might seem weird to say this, especially since the young prodigy was only a month old when I saw him, but I must say that theres really some degree of resemnce between you and him... Chapter 1427 - It’s Him?

Chapter 1427: Its Him?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Theres some degree of resemnce between me and the young prodigy? Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before he shook his head bitterly. How could that be? He had already checked it with Zhang Jiuxiaos blood essence, and it had already been proven that he was not a member of the Zhang n. Besides, if he really was the young prodigy of the Zhang n, how could he have ended up as an orphan in the Tianxuan Kingdom without a single person looking for him at all? Furthermore, the fact that the young prodigy was a Connate Saint further disproved that hypothesis. Zhang Xuan could still remember that he had only been at Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm when he first transcended to the Master Teacher Continent, so how could he possibly be the young prodigy? Well, the young prodigy might have been a person blessed by the heavens... but so what? He would make sure that anyone who dared vie with him for Luo Ruoxin would end up crawling around the floor, searching for his shattered teeth! Im not saying that you are from the Zhang n, just that the look in your eyes really resembles that of the young boy I saw back then. But of course, considering how long it has been since then, I think my memory could be failing me too. Jian Qinsheng shook his head and chuckled softly. Considering the talent that the young prodigy harnessed, he would surely be put under the tightest guard of the Zhang n and put through the strictest of education. There was no way that he would have been allowed to roam outside and be an itinerant cultivator! Unless the Zhang n had their heads kicked by a donkey, there was no way that they would allow such a thing to happen! ... While Jian Qinsheng was chatting with Zhang Xuan on the back of the aerial saint beast, a figure was swiftly flitting toward the cloud-shrouded Zhang n, and it did not take long for him to arrive at its doorstep. The figure handed a name scroll over and sped his fist. Yang shis butler Hu Yiwei requests an audience with the head of the Zhang n! It was none other than the man whopeted with Sun Qiang for the position of Yang shis butler, the Left Guardian of the Poison Hall, Hu Yiwei. In this instant, he lookedpletely exhausted, and even his aura seemed to be a little unstable. After leaving the Sanctum of Sages, he did not rush off to look for Yang shi but headed for the Zhang n. Looking back, he had been flying for roughly an entire month now. Please give me a moment! Hearing that the visitor was Hu Yiwei, one of the guards hurriedly rushed in, and not too longter, he returned and ushered Hu Yiwei in. Elder, this way please! Yes. Hu Yiwei followed the guard into the courtyard, and after a few twists and turns, he finally arrived at a rather spacious room. In the room, a middle-aged man sat on the main seat, and there was a fatigued look on his face. Upon seeing Hu Yiwei, the middle-aged man stretched his hand forward and said, Brother Hu, it has been long since west met. Please, take a seat. Paying respects to the Xing Sword Saint! Not daring to carelessly take a seat even at the other partys invitation, Hu Yiwei respectfully sped his fist and bowed down. He was a 9-star poison master who was capable of causing devastating damage with a wave of his hand, but before the middle-aged man, he dared not pull his weight. Putting aside swordsmanship, just in terms of fighting prowess, he was far from a match against the middle-aged man standing before him. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! The middle-aged man waved his hand. Im here to ask about my masters whereabouts. Half a year ago, when I parted with him, he said that he was heading for the Zhang n. Hu Yiwei lifted his head and asked, May I know if hes here at the moment? Yang shi is indeed here, but hes currently in seclusion. Im afraid that this wouldnt be a good time to contact him, the middle-aged man replied. Seclusion? Hearing those words, a hint of anxiety shed across Hu Yiweis face. It seemed like he had something to say, but he had no idea how he should bring it up. Whats wrong? Feel free to speak your mind... Seeing through Hu Yiweis thoughts, the middle-aged man frowned. Hu Yiwei hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth with determination and revealing, Its like this... Just a while ago, I found a talented young man who is in his early twenties, and while Im not too sure about it, I seem to have vaguely sensed the presence of the Innate Fetal Poison that I nted twenty years ago! The Innate Fetal Poison that you have nted? Hearing those words, the middle-aged man immediately stood up from sheer agitation, and his body trembled non-stop. Seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard, he anxiously asked, Are you certain about it? It has been years since I nted the poison, and it has been whittled down to the point that its extremely weak, but still, I dont think I would make a mistake recognizing it. Im quite certain of it, Hu Yiwei said with an affirmative nod. Whats his name, and where is he now? the middle-aged man asked in agitation. His previousposure had vanished without a trace, and his voice had be a little hurried. His name is Zhang Xuan, and hes currently in the Sanctum of Sages, Hu Yiwei said. Zhang Xuan? His name is a little off, but his surname is still Zhang. The middle-aged man frowned for a moment before a thought seemed to have suddenly struck him, and his eyes lit up in excitement and agitation. It must be him. Theres no doubt about itit must be him! Quick, invite him over to the Zhang n... Halfway through his instruction, the middle-aged man suddenly halted for a moment before shaking his head. No, that would take too long. Ill head over there myself! As he said those words, he walked down from his seat as he whipped out a Communication Jade Token and sent a message through it. Not too longter, a middle-ageddy flew over in a fluster. Even though age had left its marks on her, one could still vaguely see traces of the ravishing beauty that she had been in her youth from her face and figure. On top of that, she also carried a sharp disposition reminiscent of an unsheathed sword that would split one in two in an instant. The Meng Sword Saint, Wang Mengya! Theres news on him? Is that true? With reddened eyes, Meng Sword Saint questioned him with a deeply apprehensive look, as if frightened to raise her expectations only to have everythinge crashing down on her once more. The middle-aged man gestured to Hu Yiwei and said, Brother Hu said that he encountered a talented young man in his twenties in the Sanctum of Sages, and he sensed the Innate Fetal Poison that he nted back then in him. The Meng Sword Saint anxiously turned her gaze toward Hu Yiwei to seek confirmation. Madam, I can swear on the heavens that my words are true. Hu Yiwei bowed deeply to the Meng Sword Saint before swiftly going through what he had said earlier once more. By the end of it, Meng Sword Saints body was already shaking uncontrobly, and her eyes were glistened with tears. With a hoarse voice, she turned to her husband and said in agitation, It must be him; its definitely him! Ill be heading off to the Sanctum of Sages right now. Are youing with me? Of course Iming as well! the middle-aged man eximed. The n Conference is just about to begin. Arent you afraid that your old ancestor will be angry if you, the n head, arent around? The Meng Sword Saint harrumphed. We have given up so much for the n that we should at least be entitled to this much selfishness! We have been searching for him for so many years, and this is the only time we have received concrete news on his whereabouts. If anyone stops me from making my way over, I swear that Ill slice him into shreds! The middle-aged man flung his hand backward furiously as a domineering aura flowed forth from him. The Sword Intent that poured out from him at that instant felt as if it would soar into the heavens and pierce through the boundless sky. Indeed, we have already done enough for the n... So many years have passed since then, and we still dont know whether hes living well or starving. At this point, Meng Sword Saint found herself unable to continue any further, and she lowered her head quietly. Droplets of tears dribbled down from her cheeks to the floor. Seeing this, the middle-aged man wrapped his arm around his wifes shoulders and said, Lets go. Then, he waved his free hand. Boom! A furious roar sounded, and a saint beast swiftly appeared right before them. With a leap, the Xing Sword Saint and the Meng Sword Saint leaped onto its back. Brother Hu, I hope that you can keep what you have just said confidential. Also, I hope that you can keep our whereabouts a secret as well! Standing on top of the aerial beast, the middle-aged man sped his fist. Xing Sword Saint, please rest assured. I wont speak a single word of this matter before others! Hu Yiwei nodded. He knew that the unbelievably powerful couple standing before him would surely chase him to the end of the world until he was finally escorted to his grave should he reveal a single word about the matter, so without the slightest bit of hesitation, he epted their requests. You have my gratitude for that. If that person you spoke of is the person we have been searching for, the both of us will surely pay you a visit another day to thank you, the middle-aged man said. Also, you need not worry about Yang shi. Hes currently cultivating in the Zhang n, and I can tell you for certain that his safety is guaranteed. You can stay here without worry; I have already informed him to look for you once hes out of his seclusion! Thank you, Xing Sword Saint! Hu Yiwei sped his fist. Un. The middle-aged man nodded before tapping his feet lightly. H! The next instant, the saint beast immediately surged forth toward the skyline, heading in the direction of the Sanctum of Sages. Shortly into their flight, they saw a saint beast flying in the opposite direction as them. Recognizing the saint beast, the middle-aged mans eyebrows knitted together. Its Jian Qinshengs Cloudlight Saint Beast! Chapter 1428 - The Five Classifications of Swordsmanship

Chapter 1428: The Five ssifications of Swordsmanship

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Jian Qinsheng, that obstinate fellow? Lets take a detour around him. If we bump into him, we will end up wasting a great deal of time. Right now, I only want to meet Zhang Xuan. The Meng Sword Saint nodded in agreement. Alright. Knowing that an encounter with Jian Qinsheng would probably dredge up all of their old grudges and stall them significantly, the middle-aged man tapped his feet lightly. The aerial saint beast that they were riding on immediately dived into the clouds, disappearing without a trace. Hmm? In the portable room on the Cloudlight Saint Beast, a deep frown suddenly appeared on Jian Qinshengs forehead. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked. Under normal circumstances, no one would keep their Spiritual Perception active at all times, so he did not notice the saint beast ahead of them diving into the clouds. It seems like a rather powerful aerial saint beast that was in our path has flown away. Jian Qinsheng shook his head. Its fine! Its good that it didnt notice us, or else we would have been in deep trouble. As the head of the Zhang n, the Xing Sword Saint had multiple saint beasts under hismand, and the one that he was currently riding on happened to be one that Jian Qinsheng did not recognize. On top of that, they were quite some distance away from one another, so Jian Qinsheng was unable to urately discern the people riding on the saint beast. There was, however, only one thing that Jian Qinsheng was certain ofthe saint beast that had just moved out of their path possessed far greater strength than the Cloudlight Saint Beast that he was currently riding on. To wield greater strength and yet simply turn around and leave, it was likely that the other party had not noticed them. Otherwise, they would have been in for a tough battle. Even though his cultivation had reached Saint realm and he could fly freely without fear of plummeting to the ground, it was still rather disadvantageous for them to fight against a powerful aerial saint beast in the skies. If it was possible to avoid a fight, it would be best to do so. Thats fortunate! Having understood this, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Deciding not to pay too much heed to the saint beast that had been in their path earlier, Jian Qinsheng swiftly confirmed their location and said with a chuckle, Were not too far away from the Zhang n anymore. As long as we speed up a little, we should be able to arrive in half a days time! Elder Jian, since we are going topete with the Zhang n in the field of swordsmanship, may I know what outstanding sword practitioners there are in Zhang n and what kind of Sword Quintessence they haveprehended? Zhang Xuan asked. Know ones strength and ones opponent, and one would attain a hundred victories in a hundred wars! He did not think that there were any sword practitioners in the same cultivation realm who were capable of matching him, but it was still best to tread carefully. Otherwise, if he ended up being defeated by those small fries... what right would he have to challenge that young prodigy and vie for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage? He only had a single goal for this trip to the Zhang nestablishing dominance! As such, nothing could go wrong. Even if that young prodigy appeared in the n Assembly, he would ensure that the other party learned of his prowess! Currently, in the younger generation of the Zhang n, the person who possesses the deepest understanding of swordsmanship is Zhang Xu. The Xingmeng Sword Saints once offered him pointers in his swordsmanship. Jian Qinsheng harrumphed. Hes also the fellow who came to my residence before, wanting to ess my library, only to be chased away by me. Zhang Xu? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. He had heard of the matter between Zhang Xu and Jian Qinsheng from Shui Qianrou, and it was precisely due to that incident that led to him thinking that Jian Qinsheng had an entric temper. From the looks of it now, it was rather clear that it was not on a whim that Jian Qinsheng chased Zhang Xu away. Given the deep grudge between him and the head of the Zhang n, it was only natural that he would not be too fond of the offspring of the Zhang n. Thats right. In total, Sword Quintessences can be divided into five main ssifications. The Old Sword Maestros devastating offensive swordsmanship and Ancestor Liushuis impregnable defensive swordsmanship correspond to Strength and Defense respectively. Other than that, there are also Dexterity, Speed, and Void, Jian Qinsheng exined grimly. Void? Hearing a foreign term, Zhang Xuan could not help being confused. He could roughlyprehend what Dexterity and Speed entailed, but what would Void be? To be honest, I dont have a clear grasp of what Void is at the moment either. In the present day and age, it could be said to be somewhat like a legend among sword practitioners. Rumor has it that Kong shi reached this level back then, and with just a casual swing of his de, even if his swing wasnt fast, wascking in strength, and was riddled with loopholes, his sh would still, by some inexplicable phenomenom, be able to ovee his opponents move with ease! Jian Qinsheng exined. Only that which is truly non-existent can be considered as void. If my guess fails me not, in order toprehend a Void Quintessence, one must fuse the other four Quintessences together. However, justprehending a single Quintessence would already take a sword practitioner an entire lifes worth of time and effort. Toprehend four at once... to be honest, other than Kong shi, I dont think that theres anyone in this world who is capable of doing that. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. He hadprehended two Sword Quintessences, and in the field of swordsmanship, he was by no means weaker than Jian Qinsheng. Even though thetters description was very vague, he was still able to form a decent picture of what thetter was talking about. While Sword Quintessence wasmonly known as the pinnacle of swordsmanship on the Master Teacher Continent, it did not mean that it was the end of the road for sword practitioners. Those who had achieved Sword Quintessence would onlye to realize that there were limitations to the current path of swordsmanship that they were pursuing, and there was still a greater peak above them. Most likely, the Void Sword Quintessence was a concept that would push one closer to that peak. The Sword Quintessence that the Zhang n specializes in is Speed. The swordsmanship that they execute pushes their speed to the extremes, to the point where the concept of time seemed to fall apart. It is due to this that the Zhang ns swordsmanship is deeply feared on the Master Teacher Continent. Speed? Zhang Xuans face turned grim. The Zhang ns unique bloodline was capable of controlling the flow of timehe had experienced that for himself, and without a doubt, it was an incredible ability. Most likely, the Speed Sword Quintessence that theyprehended had something to do with their unique bloodline. As the saying goes, of all martial arts in the world, there is no might that cannot be ovee; only true speed stands undefeated! Speed would always be one of the crucial factors that determined the oue of a battle. For example, as powerful as Zhang Xuans Sea Severing Sword was, it required lengthy preparation before it was ready for execution. If his opponent moved fast enough, it was possible to his opponent to interrupt him in the midst of his preparation. Indeed. The speed of their swordsmanship tears down the very boundaries of time, such that even the Flowing Water Swordsmanship wouldnt be able to hold its grounds too long against it before being breached. On top of that, any attempts tounch a counterattack would only be rendered futile by their absolute speed. This is also the reason my students suffered a tragic loss thest time around. Jian Qinsheng shook his head. Even though he knew where the foundation of the Zhang ns swordsmanshipy, he simply was not able to find a sure-proof way to break it. If thats the case, doesnt it mean that its impossible to achieve victory? Zhang Xuan frowned. If even you arepletely helpless against the Zhang ns swordsmanship, even if Im slightly stronger than you, it should be impossible for me to win against them too, right? It wouldnt be easy to achieve victory, but its definitely not impossible. Other than the Void Sword Quintessence, the remaining four types of Sword Quintessences are able to curb one another. By itself, it would be difficult for your Strength Sword Quintessence to stand against the overwhelming speed of the Zhang n. However, if it is used together with the Flowing Water Swordsmanship as well, there is a good chance that you will be able to ovee their Speed Sword Quintessence! Jian Qinsheng said. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. It was just a moment ago that he felt that it would be difficult for him to achieve victory because it would simply take too long for him to charge up sufficient momentum tounch the Sea Severing Sword. How would the Flowing Water Swordsmanship make any difference? You are cornered by your own train of thought! Seeing how even the usually knowledgeable young man would have his moments of foolishness, Jian Qinsheng could not help but chuckle softly. By itself, the Flowing Water Swordsmanship isnt sufficient to fend off the Zhang ns swordsmanship for too long, but all you need is just to stall your opponent for several breaths! As long as you can gather sufficient strength during this period of time tounch the Old Sword Maestros ultimate technique, you should be able to subdue your opponent easily! The Speed Sword Quintessence is formidable, but it isnt infallible. Before the might of your sword art, theres no doubt that you will be able to easily subdue your opponent! This... Widening his eyes in realization, Zhang Xuan could not help but burst intoughter. Indeed! He had been thinking of the two Sword Quintessences as separate entities, so he had failed to consider this point. As long as he could use the two Sword Quintessences with one another, their might could be brought up to a whole new level. The tight defense of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship and the crushing power of the Old Sword Maestros sword art... As long as he could buy sufficient time tounch the Sea Severing Sword, no matter how fast his opponent was able to move, the other party would still be renderedpletely powerless under the relentless onught of sword qi! Chapter 1429 - Arriving at the Zhang Clan!

Chapter 1429: Arriving at the Zhang n!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 So, when fighting with those of the Zhang n, you can use the Flowing Water Swordsmanship to first protect yourself as you prepare for a counterattack with the Sea Severing Sword. As long as you time your de well, even Zhang Xu will struggle to match you! Jian Qinsheng said. Even though none of his students were able to deal with the sword practitioners of the Zhang n, the young man before him had the ability to do so. As someone who hadprehended two different types of Sword Quintessences, the young mans mastery of swordsmanship was far above his. As long as the young man was able toplement his two Sword Quintessences with one another impably, he would be invincible among his peers. Even if the young man faced the Xingmeng Sword Saint at the same cultivation realm, Jian Qinsheng was confident that the young man would be able to eventually achieve victory! Unless the Xingmeng Sword Saint had managed toprehend two Sword Quintessences as well, he would not stand a chance against the young man at all. However, I would also like to highlight that Zhang Xu is only the strongest sword practitioner from the Zhang n who has enrolled into the Sanctum of Sages, so he might not necessarily be the best sword practitioner in the Zhang n. Thus, you mustnt underestimate your opponents once we are there! At this point, Jian Qinshengs expression suddenly turned grim. This is especially so for the young prodigy of the Zhang n. So far, theres still no concrete news about him yet, and if Im not mistaken, theres a good chance that he might appear in this n Conference. After all, this is a good opportunity for the Zhang n to build up the reputation of the young prodigy ahead of the marriage with the Luo ns little princess! Young prodigy? Indeed. The previous n Conference held by the Zhang n was during the young prodigys full month celebration, and it served as a deration of strength to the rest of the world. In the twenty years since then, there has been absolutely no news about the young prodigy, so I suspect that this is an intentional ploy from the Zhang n in order to build a powerful entrance for him. As long as the young prodigy is able to disy overwhelming strength during this n Conference, the prestige of the Zhang n will be brought to an entirely different level! Jian Qinsheng said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The other party was right. Considering the usual shameless shenanigans that the Zhang n resorted to, this was indeed something that sounded like what they would do. Intentionally hiding the young prodigy from view so as to create some controversy and confusion, only to bring him out at the crucial moment so as to solidify their reputation once and for all. Connate Saint... To be honest, it would be a lie if Zhang Xuan said that he did not feel the slightest bit of stress at having to face the young prodigy of the Zhang n. After all, Luo Ruoxin had been able to reach a realm far higher than the current him despite not being a Connate Saint. Considering the talent and resources that the young prodigy had at his disposal... just what kind of realm could he have reached by now? Noticing the unnatural look on Zhang Xuans face, Jian Qinsheng attempted to console him. You dont have to worry too much about the young prodigy. It isnt much for you to lose to him. Not even Kong shi was born as a Connate Saint; even if you cantpete with him, no one will say anything about it! However, Jian Qinshengs constion only served to make Zhang Xuansplexion even more awful. Losing to that fellow who was only good for bragging? Dream on! Elder Jian, do you happen to have any Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals? Zhang Xuan asked grimly. He had already reinforced his Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm cultivation for more than twenty days. Since it was likely for the young prodigy to appear, he would really have to think of a way to make a breakthrough in preparation of a fight against the other party. Otherwise, he probably would not stand a chance at all. Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals? I only happen to have one of them, and it was left behind by my ancestor. Knowing that the young man had an interest in reading, Jian Qinsheng was not surprised by the request at all. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a book and passed it over. Thank you! Zhang Xuan took the book and collected it into the Library of Heavens Path. It was indeed a Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manual, and it was of a particrly high tier. What was unique about this cultivation technique was that it harnessed Sword Intent, so it was probably a unique cultivation technique passed down in the other partys lineage. With a thought, Zhang Xuan swiftlypiled the various Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals that he had together. Theres still a w in the Saint 7-dan Heavens Path Divine Art... Zhang Xuan frowned. He had already gathered quite a few Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals a while back andpiled them into a Heavens Path Divine Art, but due to the limited number of books in his possession, there had still been several ws with it. Perhaps due to the high tier of the cultivation technique manual from Jian Qinsheng, it had managed to resolve most of the ws, leaving just a single one behind. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to take a closer look at the w and ponder on how it could be resolved, he suddenly heard Jian Qinshengs voice once more. Oh right, I almost forgot about it. You wont be challenging the Zhang n under the identity as my student but as my senior from the same lineage! Senior? Surprised by those words, Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at Jian Qinsheng. You were able to learn the Flowing Water Swordsmanship just by studying the (Sword) character on the wall; this is a feat that even Im incapable of pulling off, so naturally, I am unqualified to have you treat me as your teacher. Since thats the case, its much better to have youe as my senior instead. This way, it will be less likely for us to get exposed, Jian Qinsheng said. Considering how his mastery of swordsmanship was not even close to matching up to the young mans, it would clearly be inappropriate to have the young man y the role of his student. Just the fact that the young man had learned the Flowing Water Swordsmanship throughprehending the (Sword) meant that the young man had inherited his ancestors most direct heritage. From such a viewpoint, it was not exactly wrong for him to address the young man as his senior. Understanding Jian Qinshengs intentions, Zhang Xuan nodded. To him, the identity that he used to enter the Zhang n did not matter at all. As long as he could teach them a lesson, he would not mind anything at all. After exining what needed to be exined, Jian Qinsheng said, Alright, I think you should rest for a moment. Things will get really hectic once we arrive at the Zhang n. Zhang Xuan nodded silently before closing his eyes to condition his state. Not too longter, his body suddenly jolted, and soon after, he felt an immense pressure crushing down on him from the air. He hurriedly opened his eyes, and soon, he heard a voice booming across the air. May I know which friend is approaching? Please report your name so that we can register you. Through the windows, Zhang Xuan could see several old men standing atop another aerial saint beast some distance away, and they were currently looking at them with sped fists. It was difficult for him to gauge how powerful they were from where he stood, but he could sense that their power had locked down the surrounding space, making it impossible for them to barge past them. I am Jian Qinsheng from the Sanctum of Sages. I have been invited here by the Xing Sword Saint, and here is my invitation letter! Jian Qinsheng flicked his wrist and tossed a jade token over. One of the elders caught the jade token and examined it carefully before replying, Ah, so its Sword Saint Jian! Im deeply apologetic for our rudeness. This way please! Ill be troubling you then! Nodding, Jian Qinsheng prompted the saint beast beneath him to slowly continue moving forward. Zhang Xuan took a look at the scenery ahead, and he soon noticed a massive city appearing on the horizon. This city was located against the mountains, which bestowed it with a majestic aura. There were many formations erected all over it, such that it would be nigh impossible for Saint 9-dan or even real 9-star master teachers to breach it. The base of the Zhang n is also known as Dracotiger City. The formations cast over the city were personally set up by the ancestor of the Zhang n, and the prowess they harness is unimaginable, Jian Qinsheng exined through zhenqi telepathy. The group that we encountered earlier are the elders of the Zhang n. Even though it might appear that they are weing their guests, the truth is that they are unting their strength to the rest of the world so as to construct an invible image. Zhang Xuan nodded. Through tapping into the prowess of the surrounding formations, the elders emanated an aura that felt as if they wielded absolute control within the area. Those whose mental resilience was slightly weaker might even have found themselves feeling deferential toward the Zhang n, giving up all thoughts of resistance against them. And once this thought was born within ones mind, it would be hard to overlook it anymore. What huge airs they are putting up! To be unting their strength even to their guests... Really, where did they learn their manners? Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as the nced at the massive formations ahead of him. Proper etiquette dictated that a host should offer the most earnest wee to their guests, but instead of doing so, the Zhang n chose to put down their guests instead. This felt extremely distasteful to Zhang Xuan. Very well! Since this is the game you want to y, lets see how far you can go! Staring at the formation intently, Zhang Xuan willed in his mind, ws! Hu! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Chapter 1430 - Challenging the Formation

Chapter 1430: Challenging the Formation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Grade-9 Defensive Formation Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation, set up by the old ancestor of the Zhang n. The formation harnesses the might of both dragons and tigers, and for this reason, its also known as the Dracotiger Formation. The might of the formation makes it difficult for Saint 9-dan cultivators to ovee it. ws: No.1, it requires a high input of spiritual energy in order to sustain the formation. No.2, the heart of the formation is sustained by a Dragon Spirit and a Tiger Spirit. While this allows the formation to be more flexible to different situations, it also means that the formation will be swayed by the wills of the two spirits. No.3... Information concerning the formation surged into Zhang Xuans mind. All in all, there were seventeen ws to the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation. As a grade-9 formation, it had already developed its own spirit. As time went by, the spirit would gradually grow stronger and stronger, and it would instinctively remove or mitigate any perceived ws that it noticed. As a result of that, even if one knew the ws of the formation, it still would not be easy to exploit them. This formation can be considered one of the stronger ones even among grade-9 formations, Zhang Xuan grimly remarked in his heart. The formation turned out to be far stronger than he had expected. While he had not seen the blueprint of any garde-9 formations yet, the might and transformations harnessed within the formation before him had already far surpassed his imagination. Ill have to study it carefully first. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to take a closer look at the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation, the elder who had spoken to them earlier suddenly flew over and sped his fist. Esteemed guests, please hand over your storage rings. Please rest assured that well seal them right before you so as to ensure that we wont inspect or take anything from them, and well return them to you when you leave. You want us to hand over our storage rings? Zhang Xuan frowned. Several of his secrets were concealed within his storage ring, and he brought it wherever he went. Yet, to have to hand it over just to enter the Zhang n... was this not a little too domineering? The elder nodded. Indeed. This is a rule in the Zhang nif you wish to step across the Dracotiger Formation, youll have to hand over your storage rings. Dont worry, the Zhang n has everything you need. You will be able to use our items easily once you familiarize yourself with them, so theres no need to worry. Noticing the awful look on Zhang Xuans face, Jian Qinsheng took out his storage ring and passed it over to the elder as he exined the matter telepathically to him. This isnt a rule imposed just by the Zhang n; most major blessednds have such restrictions as well. Outsiders are expected to take off their storage ring, and in more extreme cases, they might be prohibited from bringing their weapons along. He had been to the Zhang n before, so he was well aware of the rules. Many other major organizations, such as the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, enforced simr rules, too. Firstly, it was a symbol of respect to the host. Secondly, it was to avoid possible menace from getting into the base. Many years ago, there had been a master teacher who had been ckmailed by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to bring a storage ring filled with a massive army of Otherworldly Demons into one of the strongholds of humanity. That incident had resulted in huge losses for that stronghold, and they had almostpletely been wiped out. Considering that the Zhang n was the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent, they were definitely one of the major targets that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would want to bring down. Even if they were confident in their strength, it would still be best for them to maintain a high level of wariness. Watching as the elder took the ring from Jian Qinsheng and sealed it without peeking into what was inside, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, What if I refuse to hand over my storage rings? Stored in his ring was Vicious head, the Qiu Wu Pce, and many other secrets; he could not afford to let any one of these secrets get exposed! Even though the elder had said that he would only seal the storage ring, there was still a good chance that something might go wrong should he leave the storage ring with the other party. Furthermore, considering that the purpose of his visit was to challenge the Zhang n, there was no guarantee that thetter would not attempt to peek into his storage ring after a falling out, and that could ce him in grave danger. As unlikely as those scenarios were, Zhang Xuan still felt that the Zhang n was too shameless to be trusted. Its fine if you dont want to leave behind your storage ring. As long as you can clear our Formation Trial, youll be permitted to bring your possessions into the Zhang n, the elder replied nonchntly, not showing the slightest hint of anger at Zhang Xuans rude question. It appeared that there were quite a few guests before him who had refused to leave behind their storage rings too, and the elder was ustomed to dealing with such problems. Formation Trial? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. The Zhang n has a Defensive Formation which is able to detect and fend off both cultivators and spatial artifacts. If anyone attempts to barge through the formation with a storage ring in possession, they will find themselfpletely suppressed by the formation, even if they are a Saint 9-dan cultivator. Formation Trial simply means walking through the formation with a spatial artifact in your possession, Jian Qinsheng said. While he was speaking, another group of cultivators, who were unwilling to hand over their storage rings just like Zhang Xuan, began making their way toward the Defensive Formation. Recognizing the other partys identity, Jian Qinsheng said in a hushed voice, Thats an elder from the Empire Alliance. He wields strength thats on par with me. Hu! The instant the elder stepped into the formation, his surroundings immediately burst into mes. A golden-crimson dragon of mes dived down from the heavens, and its sharp talons tore through the air, crushing the space around the elder so tight that it robbed his ability to breathe. Shocked by the destructive might wielded by the formation, panic visibly appeared on the elders face. He hurriedly flicked his wrist to draw a sword before swinging it desperately, sending a furious torrent of sword qi forward. Despite the eldersck ofposure, the strength that he wielded was remarkable. Not even the mighty Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would not dare face him straight on. Even so, the strength that hemanded was trifling before the massive me dragon. In just two shes, he was already struck in the head and plummeted straight down from the sky, charred. At the same time, under the raging assault of the mes, the storage ring that he wore also exploded, and the possessions that he had stored within it fell and scattered all over the ground. Due to the lingering heat and shockwave from the sh with the me dragon, quite a number of them ended up sustaining severe damage. After which, the me dragon dissipated into nothingness, and the formation reverted to its original form. One of the Zhang n elders walked over to the Empire Alliance elder with an impassive look on his face. Now that you dont have a storage ring anymore, feel free to enter. The Empire Alliance elder meditated for a moment to recover from the injuries that he had sustained before walking into the Zhang n with an awful look on his face. And as expected, the formation didntunch any attacks toward him anymore. Jian Qinshengs face paled upon seeing that sight, and he quickly turned to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, you should hand your storage ring over. They will definitely prepare a suitable sword for youter on, so you dont have to worry about not having a suitable weapon for the fight. An elder whose strength was on the same level as him did not even manage to survive two blows in the formation before being knocked out! Even if the young man before him was a prodigious swordmaster, his cultivation was simply far toocking. He would surely be ravaged should he challenge the formation! The elder shot an impassive nce at Zhang Xuan and said, Hand over your storage ring or attempt to barge through the formationthe choice is up to you. However, I would just like to say that the Zhang n wont be responsible for the consequences. He believed that the young man would know what was best for him, especially after witnessing what had happened to the Saint 8-dan elder from the Empire Alliance. The Zhang n wont be responsible for the consequences? Zhang Xuan raised his head and asked earnestly, Are you certain? The elder frowned upon hearing such a bizarre question, unsure of what the young man was getting at. Nevertheless, he still nodded. Im sure. Are you qualified to speak on the behalf of the entire Zhang n? Zhang Xuan continued asking. Cough, cough, Zhang shi. The elder over there is the Third Elder of the Zhang n, Zhang Wuchen. Horrified, Jian Qinsheng hurriedly exined to Zhang Xuan, Given his position, hes definitely more than qualified to speak on the behalf of the entire Zhang n! The Third Elder of the Zhang n? His words should carry some weight then. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding slowly. A smile crept on his lips as he turned to the Zhang Wuchen and said, I have made up my mind. Since you have said that the Zhang n wont be responsible for the consequences, I shall... challenge the Formation Trial! In the Zhang n, the ranking of the elders was decided by their strength, and the seniority of their positions was proportionate to the authority that they wielded. Considering that the elder before him was the Third Elder of the Zhang n, he certainly had the authority to speak on behalf of the entire n. You are going to challenge the Formation Trial? Jian Qinshengs face paled. With a deeply anxious look on his face, he urged, Zhang shi, you mustnt! Chapter 1431 - Dragon Spirit Tiger Spirit

Chapter 1431: Dragon Spirit Tiger Spirit

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In this very moment, Jian Qinsheng felt as if the world had gone insane. It was just a moment ago that you saw a Saint 8-dan expert attempting to barge through the formation, only to be roasted crispy on the surface and sulent on the inside, ready to be ted and served. Despite that, you still made the decision to challenge the Formation Trial too... Is it really worth going that far for a storage ring? Furthermore, its not as if it isnt going to be given back to you! This is just a temporary deposit, and the same rules apply to everyone as well. There is really no need for you to cause trouble right now; we arent even in the Zhang n yet! Youll only die tragically at this rate! Be my guest! The Third Elder, Zhang Wuchen, didnt expect that the young man before him would be so insolent. He nonchntly gestured for the young man to go ahead while standing idly on the spot. Nodding, Zhang Xuan began making his way over to the formation. Zhang shi! Jian Qinsheng rushed forward to stop Zhang Xuan. Its alright, Im just giving it a try. Knowing that Jian Qinsheng was worried about him, Zhang Xuan assured him with a bright smile. Jian Qinsheng stared at Zhang Xuan for a moment, and through the determined look in the young mans eyes, he could tell that the young man had already made up his mind. Thus, he could only sigh deeply and take a step back, Be careful. The formations attack only served as a warning against those who infringed on the rules of the Zhang n, so Zhang Xuans life wouldnt be in any danger. At most, he would only suffer some pain. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan leaped forward and flew for the formation. Hong long long! In the instant that he stepped into the formation, a massive dragon immediately materialized. However, it wasnt a me dragon this time around but a water dragon. The dragon formed in the formation wasnt a real dragon but a spirit. It harnessed the power of the Five Elements, thus allowing it to change its form and attribute at will. The congregation of water formed a being reminiscent of a true dragon, and as soon as it appeared, a towering wave immediately covered half of Zhang Xuans vision. At the same time, an overwhelming pressure weighed down on the surroundings, causing the earth to tremble ever so slightly non-stop. mes could burn everything down to cinders, creating barrennds where no life could survive in. Flood was equally frightening as well. The excessive concentration of water vapor in the air left one feeling as if ones lung would burst, leaving one sputtering for oxygen. Its a water dragon... Jian Qinshengs face turned pale, and his body trembled in agitation. Over 90% of a humans body was made up of water, so those whomanded water would actually be able to cause far more damage to a human aspared to those whomanded mes. This is the punishment for your arrogance! Zhang Wuchen flung his sleeves backward and harrumphed coldly. Even the renowned swordmaster, Jian Qinsheng, whose name was sung alongside that of their n head had chosen to obediently hand over his storage ring, and yet, this fellow just had to choose the difficult way out of this... It was as if he was asking to be walloped! Knowing that the formation would surely teach the arrogant young man a lesson, Zhang Wuchen couldnt be bothered to look on any longer, so he turned to Jian Qinsheng and asked, Sword Saint Jian Qinsheng, is he your student? He... is my senior! Jian Qinsheng replied awkwardly. On the journey here, he had spent much time conversing with the young man on the subject of swordsmanship, and he had benefited greatly from the young mans deep insight. Despite the difference in their age, the young man could already be considered as half a teacher to him. He dared not even contemte the possibility of the young man being his student, let alone say something as ridiculous as that out loud. This was also the reason why he changed his mind eventually, deciding to have Zhang Xuan appear before others as his senior instead. Senior? Zhang Wuchens eyebrows shot up in amazement. That young man is your senior? Seniority in the lineage usually came with the connotation of being more powerful and skilled. Just what qualifications could that young man possibly have to be considered as Jian Qinshengs senior? Third Elder, Ill have to ask you not to look down on him. My senior might be still young and weak, but with sufficient time, hell surely astound the entire continent! Noticing Zhang Wuchengs doubt, Jian Qinsheng shook his head and said. Astound? Zhang Wuchen couldnt help but sneer. To challenge the formation when he knows that he doesnt stand a chance at all, is that how he astounds others? Even a Saint 8-dan pinnacle expert was left on the verge of death from the powerful assault of the formation, and yet, a mere Grand Dominion realm cultivator like him still insisted on challenging it. No matter how one looked at the matter, it was pretty obvious that the fellow had a screw loose in his head! Astound... More like aghast! Is the Third Elder doubting my words? Noticing the disdainful look on Zhang Wuchens face, Jian Qinsheng frowned in displeasure. Of course... Zhang Wuchen harrumphed coldly. Just as he was about to remark that Jian Qinshengs judgement had been clouded by his age, he suddenly stiffened up on the spot. His eyes were fixated at the sight in front of him, and his pupils dted intorge circles. The words he had been wanting to say choked his throat, leaving him feeling so suffocated that he could die of asphyxiation. Whats wrong? Noticing that there was something wrong with Zhang Wuchens expression, Jian Qinsheng traced his gaze and looked over as well, and in the next instant, his body also stiffened. In the formation, not only did the massive water dragon not assault the young man who dared to challenge the formation, it was even rubbing its huge head against the young mans robe, as if an adorable pet! On the other hand, the young man snapped his finger, and a wooden stick that he had conjured out of nowhere suddenly flew outward. The water dragon immediately turned around and dashed out to catch the wooden stick between its teeth before dashing back to pass it into Zhang Xuans hands. Then, it stuck out its tongue yfully, as if a dog fawning upon its owner. But with a displeased expression, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disapproval and tossed out the wooden stick once more, Too slow, faster! Sou! The water dragon burst forth once more, and this time, before the wooden stick could even fall on the ground, it had already caught it in between its teeth and flew back to Zhang Xuan. This is more like it... Zhang Xuan finally gave it a nod of approval. Alright, retract the formation. I want to enter. Roar! The water dragon hurriedly nodded, and it raised its talon and swiped it down forcefully. In the next instant, a surge of flowing water appeared beneath Zhang Xuans feet, and it extended along with his footsteps like a bridge. Junior, we can go in now. Noting the new identity he had adopted, Zhang Xuan beckoned for Jian Qinsheng to enter as well before cing his hands behind his back and walking forward leisurely. You... Not expecting the formation spirit to fawn on him as if apdog, Zhang Wuchens face turned incredibly livid. He hurriedly flew toward the formation while eximing in a fluster, Wait a moment... Noisy! Zhang Xuan waved his hand in displeasure. Kacha! In the next moment, Zhang Wuchen saw the massive water dragon diving straight toward him with rming speed. Completely caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Zhang Wuchen didnt even manage to react before he was struck head-on and smacked right down onto the ground. This... Watching as Zhang Wuchen convulsed helplessly on the ground, Jian Qinsheng felt a hoarse sensation at the back of his throat. With rather stiff movements, he walked into the formation in a daze and followed behind Zhang Xuan, as if a puppet under control. Back in the Sanctum of Sages, he had heard several rumors that the young man was a rare prodigy in formations as well, and from the looks of it now, the rumors were definitely no exaggeration. To think that the young man would be able to tame the Dracotiger Formation which the old ancestor of the Zhang n had set up personally in the blink of an eye... Just how many more insane abilities did he have up his sleeves? ... Third Elder! The other elders in the surroundings saw the earlier happenings as well, and they hurriedly rushed over to pluck Zhang Wuchen out of the ground. That fellow actually tamed the formation spirit? How in the world did he manage to do that? Straightening his back, Zhang Wuchen gazed at the young man who was leisurely making his way through the formation, and his teeth couldnt help but tter in disbelief. The Dracotiger Formation was formidable, but there were still cultivators in the world who would be able to pass through the formation easily even if they didnt hand over their storage ring. One such person was the grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Yang shi! Each time he came here, it was as if the formation couldnt register his presence at all, allowing him to pass through it without any obstruction. There were also those who were able to barge right through it through sheer force. The head of the Yuan n boasted a defense so powerful that he was impervious to the attacks of the formation spirits, allowing him to walk right through the formation unharmed. But never had anyone managed to tame the formation spirit into a loyalpdog and even y fetch with it... This was really challenging the boundaries of his rational mind! However, there was one thing that the young man had overlookedthe formation spirit of the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation was constantly changing. Just because the young man had managed to tame a single spirit didnt mean that he had gained absolute control over the entire formation yet. Even if he has managed to win over the Dragon Spirit, theres still the Tiger Spirit ahead... Zhang Wuchen muttered beneath his breath. And as if responding to his words, a ferocious tiger suddenly materialized in the air. Raging inferno wrapped around its body, granting it a presence reminiscent of a Qilin. It was the other spirit of the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating FormationTiger Spirit! It was formidable that the young man had managed to tame the Dragon Spirit, but the Tiger Spirit was the stronger of the two, and it was known for not conforming to authority as well. Zhang Wuchen was deeply interested to see just what the young man would do in the face of such a situation. Roar! The moment the Tiger Spirit materialized in the air, it immediately let loose a ferocious howl and tore its ws down upon Zhang Xuan. The overwhelming strength behind the Tiger Spirits attack caused the structure of the surrounding space to copse, and as if a cmitous tornado, a ferocious surge of might crushed right down on Zhang Xuan. In the face of this surge of might, a hint of trepidation surfaced in the eyes of the water dragon as it trembled on the spot, not daring to take a single step forward. The two spirits in the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation werent of equal standing and strength; there was a clear hierarchy between the Tiger Spirit and Dragon Spirit. Just as Zhang Wuchen thought that the young man would be subdued by the Tiger Spirit, the young man suddenly took a single step forward and tapped his feet lightly on the ground. Boom! Amidst a deafening rumble, and the entire formation began shaking non-stop. At the same time, the Tiger Spirit hurriedly retracted its attack, and it began trembling in fear. The Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation shrouded many towering and majestic buildings and the instability of the formation caused the buildings below to shake intensely as well, seemingly ready to be copse into rubble at any moment. No! The many millenniums of heritage of the Zhang n! Zhang Wuchens eyes widened in horror. Chapter 1432 - The Magnanimity of the First Elder

Chapter 1432: The Magnanimity of the First Elder

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Tens of thousands of years of prosperity had allowed the Zhang n to grow to a scale that was evenrger than that of the capitals of Conferred Empires. Even though the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation had been constructed against the mountain and covered a vast area, it only guarded the entrance to the city. Nevertheless, the prowess of the formation was not to be underestimated. It was only under its protection that the Zhang n was able to remain standing for so many years, oveing multiple crises without anyone sessfully shaking its core. Thus, everyone thought that as long as the formation erected by the old ancestor stood, the city would be unshakable. Yet, who could have known that a mere Grand Dominion realm pinnacle fellow would actually be able to render it on the verge of copsing with just a stomp of his feet? Stop it! Zhang Wuchen yelled in agitation. However, it was already toote. With onest violent tremble, the formation finally reached its very limit and burst apart, bringing down innumerable buildings along with it. A cloud of dust swept across the area, and countless shadows flitted out from the many buildings in a hurry, staring dumbfounded at the devastation before them,pletely oblivious to what was happening. Padah! Zhang Wuchen suddenly felt strength receding from his entire body, and he copsed weakly to the ground. In this moment, he finally understood why the young man asked if he was able to speak on the behalf of the Zhang n. It seemed like he had known that this would happen right from the start! The copse of their Defense Formation and the destruction of innumerable buildings... Even if he was the Third Elder of the Zhang n, this was not something that he could take responsibility for! It would be no joke to say that this was a tight p to the Zhang ns face, an irredeemable botch on its reputation! At the same time, Jian Qinsheng could not help but flinch at the destruction before him as well. It was true that he hated the Xing Sword Saint for stealing the person he loved, and he desired nothing more than to embarrass the Zhang n. However, to destroy the other partys Defense Formation before even officially entering the city and even bring about the copse of so many buildings, raising such a hugemotion... Even he was unable to avoid feeling frightened jitters in his heart. He could not help but wonder if it was really the right choice for him to have invited the young man along. This... Zhang Xuan was also a little startled by the happenings before him, but unlike the rest of the crowd, he quickly nodded in realization. He had never seen any grade-9 formations in action before, so he did not have a clear gauge of their strength. He had not thought that the copse of the formation would actually bring about such a powerful explosion. But, so what? What was done was done. In the first ce, his goal was to wreak havoc in the Zhang n, and since the so-called Third Elder had said that the Zhang n would not take any responsibility for whatever happened in the formation, there was no reason for him not to pull his punches. He should just let himself loose! If he could not force the so-called young prodigy out to face him, he would not be called Zhang Xuan! ... Third Elder, whats happened? A powerful gust of wind blew over, and following which, a figure suddenly appeared right before the scene of devastation. His face twitched upon seeing the extent of the destruction before him, and he hurriedly turned to question Zhang Wuchen. First Elder, I was collecting the storage rings here when a person who is supposedly the senior of the Sanctum of Sages Jian Qinsheng suddenly insisted on challenging the Formation Trial, and the next thing I knew, this had already happened! Zhang Wuchen swiftly went through the events that had just urred. This was caused by someone who challenged the Formation Trial? The First Elder was also visibly stunned by the matter. He quickly turned his sights over to Zhang Xuan, only to see the young man looking back at him with a nonchnt expression. There was not the slightest hint of nervousness or fear that would usually be on the face of one who had done wrong. A frown emerged on his forehead as he asked, May I know who you are? I am Zhang Xuan, Jian Qinshengs senior. I came to the Zhang n this time around to test the Zhang ns famed swordsmanship, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Zhang Xuan? The First Elder muttered the name beneath his breath before waving his hand lightly. He turned to another elder and said, Wuzhen, bring Zhang Xuan and Sword Saint Jian Qinsheng to our guest rooms to rest. What? But First Elder... Hearing the First Elder instructing Zhang Wuzhen to bring the culprit behind the destruction to their guest rooms,pletely paying no heed to the copsed formation and buildings, Zhang Wuchen could not help but panic. Enough. Since our esteemed guest has cleared the Formation Trial in ordance to the rules, regardless of the oue, well have to ept it, the First Elder lectured. The First Elder had an impassive expression on his face that made it extremely difficult to read his mood, so it was hard to figure out whether he had truly chosen to let this matter go or was simply suppressing his rage. Zhang Wuchen clenched his fists tightly for a moment before eventually relenting with a nod. Yes. As indignant as he felt, there was nothing he could do either. In the Zhang n, the word of the First Elder was thew. No one would dare to question hismand. On top of that, the n head had needed to leave a while ago on urgent business, so the one who truly called the shots in the Zhang n at the moment was the First Elder. First Elder, itll take us several months in order to reconstruct the destroyed formation. One of the elders could not help but ask, In the meantime, what do we do about the storage rings of the guests? The formation was used in order to determine whether the guests had brought any spatial artifacts along with them. Now that it had been destroyed, it would be hard for them to check the guests who arrive subsequently. What should they do? All those who have traveled far and wide toe to the Zhang n are our esteemed guests. The collection of the storage ring is more of a formality from our old ancestor rather than a safety concern, and all this while, I have thought that it was rather inappropriate to treat our guests so rudely. Because it has been part of our tradition for so many years, I didnt want to abruptly bring up this matter and cause contention within the n. However, since our young friend over here has helped us destroy it, this could be a blessing in disguise. Theres no need to rebuild the formation. Please return the storage rings that all of you have collected so far to the guests, the First Elder said with a smile. Return the storage rings? But... Not expecting the First Elder to make such a call, the elders face warped in horror. Considering how many outsiders there were visiting the Zhang n, would they not be in deep trouble if even one of them bore malicious intentions toward them? Theres no need to worry. Since our Zhang n is famed as the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent, I believe that no one will overstep their boundaries here either! The First Elder flung his sleeves majestically, revealing deep confidence and pride. This... Yes, I understand! Feeling the powerful aura that the First Elder was emanating, the elder hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding. As expected of the First Elder of the Zhang n, he does have the magnanimity of arge n. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had thought that he would be criticized for his actions, but it seemed like the other party had no intentions of doing so. Not only that, he even made use of this opportunity to implement such a change. Through doing so, not only would he be able to preserve the reputation of the Zhang n as the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, at the same time, the world would also be awed by his magnanimity. This was truly two birds in a stone. On top of that, it would also reinforce the strong image of the Zhang n, thus instilling deference in others. It seems like the Zhang n isnt all that bad. The young prodigy of the Zhang n could learn a thing or two from his elders, Zhang Xuan remarked internally. The young prodigy of the Zhang n was engaged to Luo Ruoxin, but not once had he appeared before Luo Ruoxin or done anything for her at all. This had reinforced the reprehensible image of the young prodigy in Zhang Xuans mind, which also led him to feel that the Zhang n was a den of despicable individuals. After all, they allowed the young prodigy to act as he pleased, showingpletely no regard for others at all. However, after seeing how the First Elder dealt with the situation, he suddenly felt that his perception might have been mistaken. Perhaps, the Zhang n was notpletely irredeemable. Maybe, the young prodigy was just an exception. The elder whom the First Elder had instructed earlier, Zhang Wuzhen, walked up to Zhang Xuan and Jian Qinsheng and said, This way please. Seventh Elder, Zhang Wuzhen. Thank you. Nodding, Jian Qinsheng quickly followed behind the other party, and Zhang Xuan followed suit. After the three of them left, Zhang Wuchen walked over to the First Elder and asked doubtfully, The formation is a symbol of the Zhang ns many years of history. Are you really going to let it go... just like that? What else are you going to do? Are you going to teach him a lesson? The First Elder shot a nce over. Zhang Wuchens face flushed crimson upon hearing those words. As a n of master teachers, our Zhang n must pay careful attention to rules and propriety. If we dont even follow our own rules, how can we expect others to follow them? Since Zhang Xuan was able to ovee our formation with his own ability, we have no choice but to let it go. No, not only should we let it go, I also want you to make this matter known to every single member of our Zhang n so that they can learn from it, the First Elder said. Chapter 1433 - Is It Not Him?

Chapter 1433: Is It Not Him?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Make this matter known to every member of our Zhang n? Zhang Wuchen was taken aback for a moment before his eyes narrowed in realization. You mean to... incite our n members? As the entrance formation to the Zhang n, the Dual Spirit Heaven Dominating Formation could be said to be a symbol of the Zhang ns dignity. If it was made known that it had been destroyed by a twenty-year-oldd, the other n members would surely be trembling with rage. Hearing those words, the First Elder chuckled softly as he remarked with a deep look in his eyes, The Zhang n has been in a high position for far too long. Its about time to stir the pot a little so as to get them riled up. Only when every single individual of the Zhang n is powerful can the Zhang n truly prosper and incite fear in others. Inparison to that, the destruction of the formation is nothing at all. I understand. Realizing the First Elders intentions, Zhang Wuchen nodded in awe. As expected of the First Elder. Every single move that he made was profound and meaningful, bringing the greatest benefit to the Zhang n. The seeming infallibility of the Defense Formation had left the members of the Zhang n feeling so safe that they were beginning to lose their wariness. However, this was only a false sense of security, and this could pose a great danger to the Zhang n. If enemies were to assault the Zhang n, they would surely strive to swiftly uncover and exploit the ws in the Defense Formation like Zhang Xuan did. It would have been sheer foolishness if the members of the Zhang n were to stand idly and leave their fates up to the resilience of the Defense Formation. On the contrary, without the formation, the members would be forced to constantly keep their guard up, ready for a battle at any time. It was exactly such an environment that would ce the Zhang n in a much safer position. In a sense, this was simr to learning how to swim. If one relied on swimming floats all the time, there was no guarantee that they would be there when one truly needed them. It was only by taking away the floats that would one be able to truly learn to swim. If the Zhang n hoped to retain its position as the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent, it would do much better investing in its talents than its defense formations and whatnot. In crucial situations, it was always the people who made the difference. Go and have it done. Seeing that Zhang Wuchen understood what he was getting at, the First Elder also chose not to exin any further. He was silent for a brief moment before adding, Also, I want you to look into Zhang Xuans background. Yes, First Elder! Zhang Wuchen nodded before turning around and leaving. Not too longter, he returned with a jade token in hand. As the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent, their intelligencework was not to be underestimated. It was a walk in the park for them to uncover Zhang Xuans profile, which was well detailed in the Master Teacher Pavilions records. A new student of the Sanctum of Sages this year, and he sessfully cleared the Tower of Master Teachers within fifteen minutes. On top of that, he pummeled Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng and is brothers with Luo Xuanqing. Wherever he steps, destruction follows. Reading the details on the records, the First Elders lower jaw nearly fell to the ground. Even the most talented genius of their Zhang n was incapable of such a fate, so how did the young man manage to pull it off? Yang shis student... Yang shi has been in our Zhang n for more than half a year now, so when did he take in this student of his? The First Elder frowned in thought. Even though Yang shis whereabouts remained a huge mystery to the world, as the First Elder of the Zhang n, he was still privy to some inside information. Yang shi had been in seclusion in their Zhang n for half a year, and he had not left since then. Just when did the other party take in such a formidable student whose talent outshone even that of the geniuses of the Zhang n! Yang shi does have a student, and if Im not mistaken, his name should be Feng Ziyi, Zhang Wuchen said. I know of Feng ZiyiI have met him once. Hes indeed quite a talented youngd, but even so, his aptitude is only slightly above that of Zhang Chun and the others. If Yang shi truly had such a talented disciple, why havent I heard of him before? The First Elder was deeply perplexed. Yang Xuan had close rtions with their Zhang n, and if he truly had such a talented disciple, there was no reason the Zhang n would bepletely unaware of it! Possessing unparalleled talent and having the surname of Zhang, could he possibly be... Suddenly recalling a matter, an excited glint shed through Zhang Wuchens eyes. Impossible, the First Elder interjected affirmatively. I saw his soulntern extinguishing with my own eyes a year ago. Theres no way he could still be alive. But... the n head and Sword Saint Meng have been reluctant to believe that news, and they are still searching for him even now. In fact, isnt the reason they left in such a hurry earlier because they obtained some news concerning him? Zhang Wuchen said hesitantly. Even if they arent able to divine the future, experts of their level still possess intuition far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. They are able to sense things just by their gut feeling, and given how certain they are that he isnt dead... there might be a good chance that hes really alive! Hearing those words, the First Elder pondered for a moment before replying, The bond of blood is an inexplicable rtionship. It is true that cultivators of their caliber are able to perceive the status of those who are closely rted to them, but I was the one who was monitoring his soulntern, and theres no doubt that it has extinguished. Considering that he was just an ordinary mortal, theres just no way he could have survived! At which point, the First Elder released a deep sigh filled withmentation, and he stared at the sky above, deep in thought. A momentter, he muttered quietly, I guess theres no harm trying. Turning his gaze back to Zhang Wuchen, he continued. Check where Zhang Xuan is from and whether he has any family members or not. Understood! Zhang Wuchen sped his fist politely before leaving. This time, he was gone for a while longer. It took roughly four hours before he finally returned. Reporting to the First Elder, Zhang shies from a remote kingdom in the Qingyuan Empire, where not a single master teacher exists. Furthermore, ording to the records of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it appears that hes an orphan without any kin, and he happens to be twenty this year! Remote kingdom... Ancient domains? Could it be... The First Elder widened his eyes in astonishment, not daring to believe what he had just heard. But that shouldnt be possible! He shook his head vehemently as he paced around the room. A momentter, he suddenly turned his gaze toward Zhang Wuchen and instructed, Wuchen, I want you to find a way to get Zhang Xuan into the Blood Reservoir and see if theres any resonance. The Blood Reservoir is a ce where the offspring of the Zhang n are able to awaken their bloodline, but you should also know the circumstances surrounding that person. Even if he isnt dead, its impossible for any resonance to ur between him and the Blood Reservoir, Zhang Wuchen said in iprehension. I know that, but hes not a person whom we can gauge by normal standards. Hes the most talented person our n has seen in the past several dozen millenniums. His very presence in the Blood Reservoir should be able to trigger some kind of phenomenon. As long as theres the slightest reaction, we should be able to confirm his identity, the First Elder replied. I see... Consider it done. Zhang Wuchen nodded. Make sure to conduct this in utmost secrecy. Dont let anyone learn of it, and this is including Zhang Xuan. Observe him from the shadows, and report any movements he makes to me, the First Elder said. Zhang Wuchen nodded once more before taking his leave. The First Elder watched intently as Zhang Wuchens figure disappeared into the distance. An unreadable light flickered in the First Elders eyes as he seemed to muse over something of vast importance, and a momentter, he began making his way toward the depths of the Zhang n. Not too longter, he arrived before a door. It was an average-sized round door, and it was seamlessly shut with the rest of the chamber. From the outside, it would appear that there was nothing extraordinary about this chamber, but when one tried to extend ones Spiritual Perception in, one would realize that it waspletely impossible to perceive what was inside. It was as if the interior of the chamber waspletely isted from the rest of the world. The First Elder paced outside the stone chamber for a while. He considered knocking on the door, but eventually, he held himself back. ording to what Yang shi said, he should being out in a few days time. It would be unwise to interrupt him at this crucial moment. If something were to go wrong with his cultivation, not even I would be able to bear the consequences, the First Elder thought as he retracted his hand, shaking his head quietly. Yang shi was currently in seclusion within the stone chamber before him. The First Elder intended toe over to see if Yang shi was out of his seclusion so that he could inquire about Zhang Xuans background, but seeing that the doors were still tightly shut, he eventually gave up on the idea. Yang shis seclusion this time around was simply too important, such that even despite the First Elder of the Zhang n, he did not dare interrupt the other party abruptly. Otherwise, if the other partys efforts ended in failure due to him, he would be a sinner of mankind. However, it was fortunate that Yang shi had said before that his seclusion would onlyst half a year at most, so the other party should being out very soon. With such thoughts in mind, the First Elder turned around and slowly walked out. ... Meanwhile, after receiving the orders from the First Elder, Zhang Wuchen immediately headed for the guest rooms. After that spection surfaced in his mind, he could not help but wonder about the capabilities that Zhang Xuan wielded. Flitting swiftly ahead, before he reached his destination, he encountered the flustered Seventh Elder anxiously heading his way. As soon as thetter noticed him, thetter eximed in desperation, Third Elder, a disaster has happened! Zhang Wuchens heart skipped a beat as an ominous sensation loomed above his heart. What happened? Chapter 1434 - Greetings, I Am Kong shi

Chapter 1434: Greetings, I Am Kong shi

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I dont know how to exin the situation to you... Third Elder, follow me! Youll know once you see it for yourself! Elder Wuzhen struggled internally to find a way to describe what he had just seen, and eventually, he chose to simply bring the other party to the disaster instead. Swiftly dashing forward, the two of them soon arrived at the guest rooms. As the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent, the Zhang n would wee many challengers and visitors alike every year into their city. The so-called guest rooms were actually an entire district covering a huge area, allowing them to amodate many guests concurrently. Right after arriving in the square just outside the guest rooms, Zhang Wuchen could not help but notice something that was simply too visibly different from before. He halted in his footsteps and pointed in a certain direction. Where did the sculptures go? What should have been erected in the square was a row of sculptures of the notable ancestors of the Zhang n. Every single one of them had achieved incredible feats in their lifetime, making great contributions to mankind. As such, sculptures had been created of them so that generation after generation of the Zhang ns offspring would honor their deeds. The reason the sculptures had been ced in the square near the guest rooms was to show off the massive contributions that the Zhang n had made to mankind, and that they had yed a huge role in ensuring the continued peace of the Master Teacher Pavilion throughout the many years. Strength was not the only reason the Zhang n had been able to rise to be the number one Sage n. More importantly, it was their willingness to charge into the depths of danger and sacrifice themselves for the sake of mankind that had enabled them to rise to their current standing. The deference that the guests had toward the Zhang n was not just due to their strength; it was due to their aplishments and contributions too. And yet, all of the sculptures that represented that had actually vanished without a trace, leaving behind a massive hole in the ground. What in the world had happened? This is the very matter that I wanted to tell you... With a face that was twisted like a bitter gourd, Elder Wuzhen looked as if there were a million words that he wanted to say but did not know where to start. After a long moment of contemtion, he eventually gestured forward and said, Forget it, I think you should just take a look for yourself! Seeing Elder Wuzhens reaction, Zhang Wuchen felt even more perplexed. He quickly walked forward, and a short distance away from the square, he heard a hoarse and rather rigid voice. This voice did not sound as if it hade from a human. Rather, it seemed like it was produced by some kind of mechanical system, and it felt extremely unnatural. Books and ys sway the heartsettle on the road that paves straight ahead. Kindness and evile in circless, the path to virtue remains tough indeed! The hoarse voice continued. I am Zhang Lingran, the 157th generation of offspring of the Zhang n. I lived in the era more than twenty thousand years ago, and my greatest achievement was charging into the Subterranean Gallery alone to y three Otherworldly Demon Emperors, thus foiling their n to invade the Master Teacher Continent. I have also in four Saint 9-dan beasts with a single sh of my sword and fought with the Malevolent Eminence for seven days straight before eventually defeating him. Since everyone is interested to hear, why dont I share those incidents in greater detail with you? Zhang Lingran? Ancestor Lingran? Hearing that voice, Zhang Wuchens lips immediately twitched in astonishment. He quickly walked over, and at the bend, he saw a bunch of guests surrounding a sculpture. As if someone had breathed life into it, the sculpture began sharing the various ups and downs in his life, and his lively expression had the crowd around himpletely captivated. From time to time, thunderous apuse would echo from them. This... Zhang Wuchens eyebrows leaped around the ce, and he nearly fell to the ground. The reason there was a que ced next to each of the sculptures was to inform the onlookers of the outstanding contributions that they had made in their lifetime. But to think that they would actuallye to life and recite those contributions themselves! Suppressing the urge to go on a frenzy, Zhang Wuchen stared intently at the sculpture of Ancestor Lingran. Thetters hands and legs were flying around the ce, gesturing desperately like a storyteller as if he was afraid that the crowd would not be able to understand his descriptions. Unfortunately, this also meant that the lofty aura he had assumed just a moment ago had vanished without a trace. I am Zhang Xiaosuo, the 212th generation of offspring of the Zhang n. I was once the deputy n head of the Zhang n, and the battle techniques I have created have spread far and wide across the Master Teacher Continent, practiced by countless cultivators even to this day... I am Zhang Mofeng, the 225th generation of offspring of the Zhang n. I left many astounding records in the Sanctum of Sa... Hey, dont run away! Youd better stop right now and listen to my story, or else Im going to beat you up... Moving ahead, Zhang Wuchen saw two more sculptures. One of them was exining his affairs to the audience around him, just as Ancestor Lingran was doing, whereas the other one was chasing a guest furiously, just a short step away from tearing the other partys ears to force him to listen to him. What the heck is going on? Zhang Wuchen scratched his head inplete bewilderment. Proceeding ahead, he saw one of the ancestral sculptures sitting on one of the guests, reciting his story with a ferocious look on his face. Unable to stand it any longer, he turned around and demanded an exnation from Elder Wuzhen. These ancestral sculptures were physical representations of the outstanding aplishments and contributions achieved by the Zhang n over the years, and they formed the basis of the Zhang ns prestige and reputation. It was one thing for them toe to life, but to be bragging about their own aplishments... Not to mention, they were even pummeling those who were unwilling to listen to their story. E-earlier, I brought Zhang shi here to i-introduce the various glorious aplishments achieved by our a-ancestors, Elder Wuzhen said with a pale face. Perhaps out of astonishment, he was stuttering a little. T-then... this just somehow happened! How could this just happen somehow? Zhang Wuchen bellowed furiously. I want you to recount everything that happened earlier to me thoroughly. Dont even leave the slightest detail out! Y-yes! After I introduced him to the sculptures, I suddenly recalled some matters andmented at how our heritage is slowly fading away. None of those of the younger generation are interested in learning about the affairs of the ancestors, and they have barely any respect or admiration for them, Elder Wuzhen exined slowly. Those of the younger generation were much more impetuous than their predecessors. He had brought many guests to visit the sculptures, but very few of them would choose to stop by the sculptures and patiently read the various aplishments achieved by the Zhang ns ancestors. Most of them felt that there was no purpose in listening to the deeds of the dead. This had left Elder Wuzhen deeply displeased for a very long period of time, which eventually led to himining about the matter to Zhang Xuan. After saying those words, Zhang shi said that he had a way to reverse such a situation, so... he began touching each of the sculptures in order to enchant them, Elder Wuzhen said with a deeply stifled face. Looking back, it seemed like he was the trigger behind this incident. If not for hismentation, the other party would not have made such a move. It truly was a cmity. After those sculptures were enchanted, they had begun stopping the guests to exin their deeds to them... and what was worse was that the guests were forced to listen! The entire area had descended into chaos. This... Zhang Wuchen nearly spurted blood. The sculptures had been left here in order to let the guests know of the various aplishments and sacrifices that the Zhang n had made for mankind, but for them to be pulling the ears of others and reciting their tales gleefully... how was that different from boasting? Wait a moment... There should be quite a number of sculptures in the square, right? Do you mean to tell me that he enchanted all of them in a single breath? Zhang Wuchen suddenly realized that, and his eyes widened in disbelief. There had to be at least a hundred predecessors who had their sculptures, names, and aplishments left in the square, so it would have been impossible for even a 9-star spirit awakener to enchant all of them. Yet, it seemed like he had seeded in enchanting all of them. To make things even more exaggerated, every single one of them was actually capable of independent thought! Indeed, and thats not all... Elder Wuzhen suddenly recalled a certain matter, and a shudder ran through his body. Thats not all? Zhang Wuchen felt as if his mind was going to explode from the sheer scale of trouble this was. He quickly followed behind Elder Wuzhen to a certain area, and thetter suddenly stopped and gestured in front. Regarding that... its right ahead. I simply dont dare toment too lightly on this matter, so you should take a look for yourself. With eyes filled with doubt, Zhang Wuchen walked forward, and shortly after passing by a bend, before he could even scan his surroundings, a deep and heavy voice suddenly sounded in the air. Greetings, I am Kong shi... Putong! Zhang Wuchen fell onto the floor. Chapter 1435 - Fearsome Spirits

Chapter 1435: Fearsome Spirits

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a n of master teachers, on top of their ancestors, it was natural that they would also pay respects to Kong shi as well. Earlier, Zhang Wuchen had been so shocked to see all of the sculpturesing to life that he had not even contemted this possibilityor rather, such a thing was simply too ridiculous for him to believe to be true. So, the sheer horror he felt upon hearing that voice nearly jolted his Primordial Spirit into dissipation. He anxiously turned his head, and his heart nearly stopped. He saw Kong shis sculpture standing before a group of guests, introducing himself warm-heartedly. Zhang Wuchen felt hoarseness at the back of his throat, and he widened his eyes in shock as he asked, He enchanted Kong shis sculpture as well? In this very instant, he saw the entire world spinning around him. That was Kong shi, the man whom no human on the Master Teacher Pavilion did not respect! Even if it was just a sculpture of him, no one would even dream of desecrating it in the slightest. And yet, to actually enchant it... Its not just Kong shi, Elder Wuzhen said as he pointed in another direction Zhang Wuchen quickly turned his head over and saw the founding father of the Zhang n seated on the ground, lecturing a group of guests. The founding father clearly grew more and more passionate as he spoke, to the point where there was absolutely no doubt that saliva would have sttered out of his mouth had he possessed any in the first ce. Ridiculous! This ispletely ridiculous! Zhang Wuchen bellowed in frenzy. The reason the sculptures were erected in the square was to disy the Zhang ns strength and contributions to the rest of the world. While the sculptures were indeed speaking of true incidents, still... this was simply too embarrassing! This was not just a showcase anymore but cheap bragging! And most importantly of all... why in the world did that fellow enchant Kong shis sculpture too? Was there a single person in the Master Teacher Continent who did not know of Kong shis existence? Was there any need to introduce him at all? The predecessors of the Zhang n were awe-inspiring figures who induced respect in those standing before them, but in that very moment, with them reciting their aplishments tantly in such a manner, they seemed more like proud kids showing off their aplishments. Where was the honor in this? What would be of their reputation? Destroying the formation as soon as he arrived, and ying with the ancestral sculptures in the guest area and making them out to be fools... That fellow is clearly here to wreak havoc! Zhang Wuchen was so angry that he was on the verge of exploding. While most guests were there to challenge the Zhang n, the deference in their eyes was clear; it was almost if they were entering the royal pce to meet the emperor. This was because, regardless of whether they were able to triumph over the offspring of the Zhang n or not, there was still no denying the strength and influence that they wielded in the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, not only was that fellow devoid of the slightest respect for the Zhang n, he even brought mayhem over, causing the situation to spiral out of control. That darned b*stard... Theres no way he could be that person! Theres just no way that he could be... Zhang Wuchen shook his head relentlessly. Those of the Zhang n had always been upright and honorable individuals, so how could that person possibly pull off something like that? Therefore, there was just no way on earth that he could be that person. And as long as he was not that person, he would be able to teach the other party a lesson, carving deep in his mind that the Zhang n was not to be humiliated by anyone! Get the spirit awakeners of our n over and have them destroy the spirits in the sculptures. After some time, Zhang Wuchen finally calmed down, and he swiftly issued a set of instruction to resolve the situation. Naturally, since it was possible to enchant spirits into objects and artifacts, it was possible to destroy the spirits as well. However, it would be best to have spirit awakeners do the job, or else there was a good chance that they could identally damage the sculpture. Elder Wuzhen hurriedly nodded before rying the instruction to another member of the Zhang n. Soon, two elders rushed over to the scene in a hurry. Third Elder, Seventh Elder! the two elders greeted. Elder Wu and Elder Mo, well be troubling you on this matter. Zhang Wuchen sped his fist. The reason the geniuses of the Zhang n were skilled in most of the major upations was because they had recruited plenty of experts from each of those upations. Both Elder Wu and Elder Mo were 9-star spirit awakeners, and they were famed figures even in the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters. Dont worry, Third Elder. This is no major issue! Elder Wu chuckled as he stroked his beard leisurely, emanating an air of confidence. Ill have the spirits in the sculptures destroyed right now and have the sculptures return to where they should be! Un. The Third Elder nodded. Even though he was extremely assured by the prowess of the two elders, he still felt that he should oversee the situation by the side. After all, these sculptures had been passed down through the generations by the predecessors. There was simply no recement for them. Lets deal with this one first... Elder Wu took a look around the ce before walking over to Zhang Lingrans sculpture. His Primordial Spirit dove out of his be and dived into the sculpture. Hu! Zhang Lingrans sculpture immediately stopped speaking, and it froze motionlessly on the spot, as if the spirit within it had beenpletely destroyed. Alright, its done! Returning his Primordial Spirit to his body, Elder Wu chuckled softly. Spirit enchantment was an extremely delicate process, such that even 9-star spirit awakeners would have to proceed with it carefully, especially when dealing with important artifacts. However, if it was just destroying spirits, they could do it with ease. Seeing how simple the process was, the Third Elder heaved a sigh of relief. Since the sculptures of the predecessors would not be damaged in the process, it should be safe to leave them be. As long as the spirits were destroyed swiftly, the damage to Zhang ns reputation would be kept to the bare minimum. Ill be troubling the both of you with this matter then, the Third Elder said once more politely. This is no trouble at all; theres no need to stand on ceremony! Ill have all of the spirits destroyed swiftly, too. Elder Wu waved his hand casually, and he began making his way over to the other enchanted sculptures. However, halfway through his motion, he suddenly caught sight of the frozen Elder Mo in his peripheral vision. ncing over, he saw that thetters eyes were widened in horror. Perplexed, he asked, Whats wrong? Your head... Elder Mo eximed anxiously. My head? Bewildered by that remark, Elder Wu swiftly scanned his body with his Spiritual Perception, and the next instant, his knees caved in, and he nearly copsed to the ground. He found that innumerable cacti and flowers had sprouted on his head, and they were growing bigger and bigger by the moment at an ever-increasing rate! Coming to realize what was going on, Elder Mo eximed in agitation, You didnt manage to destroy the spiritpletely earlier! It managed to dive into your Primordial Spirit, and its nning on vying with you for the control of your body! Previously, Elder Wu had sent his Primordial Spirit into the sculpture to destroy the spirit within it, and he thought that he had seeded. Little did he know that not only was the spirit not destroyed, it had even made use of this opportunity to sneak a seed of itself into his Primordial Spirit to take root. Just that single moment of carelessness was more than sufficient to ce Elder Wu in the precarious situation that he currently was in. Of course, with Elder Wus strength, it would be impossible for the spirit, which was much weaker rtively to him, to sessfully possess his body. Nevertheless, it was still embarrassing for him to walk around with a head covered with cacti and flowers. This would be more than enough to provide him with an entire lifetime worth of shame! Damn it! Coming to realize what had happened as well, Elder Wus body trembled in fury. As if responding to his rage, the cacti on his head also quivered non-stop He swiftly scanned his Primordial Spirit, and a momentter, he said, This spirit has taken root in my Tianhai acupoint, so I wont be able to deal with it alone. I need you to help me destroy it using your Qinzhens Ethereal Destruction Art! Very well! Elder Mo nodded. He walked up to Elder Wu, and taking in a deep breath, he sent a rapid wave of soul energy into thetters Tianhai acupoint. Padah! With a sound reminiscent of a needle popping a balloon, it sounded like something had been destroyed. Elder Wu swiftly inspected his Primordial Spirit before heaving a sigh of relief. Phew, it seems like it has beenpletely destroyed this time around... Ah? Before he could finish his words, he caught sight of a cactus sprouting on Elder Mos head. Lush like a bright green hat, it covered the entirety of Elder Mos head. Y-you... Elder Mo was also shocked beyond words. All he had done was use his soul energy to vanquish the spirit. Fearing that the spirit would gue him, he had even made sure to retract his soul energy immediately upon contact! How in the world did he fall for the spirits assault, too? What in the name of heavens is going on here? Elder Mo was really on the verge of tears. While other spirit awakeners were able to easily destroy any spirit just by suppressing it with their Primordial Spirit, they had actually ended up being possessed by it instead. As 9-star spirit awakeners, this was a situation that never should have happened to them! Yet, both of them had actually fallen for the same thing. Just who in the world was the culprit that had enchanted such an irksome and troublesome spirit? Just as the duo waspletely crazed by the situation before them, not knowing what they should do, the cacti on their heads suddenly shuddered a little before voicing out a series of words that vaguely sounded like human speech. I am Zhang Lingran. Is there anything I can help you with? ... Elder Wu. ... Elder Mo. ... Zhang Wuchen. Chapter 1436 - Zhang Ziqing

Chapter 1436: Zhang Ziqing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric It took a very long time before Elder Mo finally managed to eliminate the cactus fully from his head. The two 9-star spirit awakeners stared at the many sculptures not too far away, and apprehension and fear inconspicuously flickered across their eyes. They hadplete confidence in their spirit enchantment ability, but they had never met with something as bizarre as this before. There were many different spirit enchantment techniques in the world, so there were significant variations to the spirits that each spirit awakeners could create. Each of these variations had their own strengths and ws, but when it came to the spirits in the sculptures before them... it was hard for even them to believe it, but it seemed like the spirits werepletely wless! No matter what kind of means they used against the spirit, the spirit would be able to put up its guard against it and even retaliate! It was to the point where they almost felt utterly helpless before it. Is there any other way to resolve this issue? After waiting for almost an hour but having none of the spirits of the sculptures destroyed, Zhang Wuchen couldnt sit still anymore. This... Hearing those words, Elder Wus face immediately flushed red in embarrassment. He awkwardly turned to Zhang Wuchen and sped his fist, Third Elder, Im afraid that the both of us arent skilled enough to resolve this situation. Pardon me if I may ask, but in which master spirit awakeners hands were these sculptures enchanted? They were enchanted by... a sword practitioner from the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Xuan! Zhang Wuchen replied awkwardly. Zhang Xuan? Elder Wu and Elder Mo traded nces, and they could see the confusion in each others eyes. They did know a thing or two about the few extraordinarily talented spirit awakeners in the world, but never had they heard of this name before! Furthermore... a sword practitioner? What the heck was that? His spirit enchantment differs vastly from the style that we have learned, so Im afraid that theres very little that we can do to help. If I may suggest, Third Elder, why dont you look for the person in question? Most likely, hes the only one who will be able to stop all of these sculptures. Elder Wu hesitated for a moment before saying. Considering how even 9-star spirit awakeners like them were helpless before these sculptures, most likely, only the person in question would have the capability to stop the sculptures. Hearing those words, the Third Elder couldnt help but rub his be. To think that the lofty Zhang n would be unable to resolve the problem bought about by a youngd! If it were to be made known to outsiders that they had to plead with the other party to resolve the situation, it would surely impair the Zhang ns reputation. But from the current look of things, they would only be in a worse position if they were to allow the sculptures to continue messing around. Wuzhen, lead the way... Sighing deeply in resignation, Zhang Wuchen waved his hand and said. Knowing how serious the mater was, Elder Wu hurriedly led the way forward. The Third Elder quickly followed too, and after a moment of hesitation, Elder Wu and Elder Mo decided to follow too. They were interested to see the man who was able to enchant a spirit so powerful that even was able to render thempletely helpless against it. Zhang shi and Jian Qinsheng havee here to challenge the Zhang ns swordsmanship, so they are staying in thepetitors residences. Elder Wuzhen exined while making his way over. There were countless visitors who woulde to the Zhang n every single day. Some came to challenge the Zhang n whereas others came to pay a visit... In order to better differentiate between the types of visitors, the locations of their amodations were divided by the intentions behind their visit. Considering how Jian Qinsheng had a private grudge with their n head, it went without saying that the ce he resided in was the challengers amodation. There were also many other experts living in those amodations, and their field of specialties ranged from swordsmanship, spearmanship, and saber arts to fist arts, palm arts, so on and so forth... You name it, there they would be. Of course, there were also plenty of upational experts too. Quick, lets go over and take a look. Someone is challenging Zhang Ziqing! Zhang Ziqing? You mean the talented youngdy whos renowned as the number one genius painter in the Zhang n? Indeed! She started learning painting when she was just three; by seven, she has reached Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude by nine, Spirit Wisdom by twelve, Suspended Imagery by fifteen, and while shes only eighteen this year, and shes already capable of painting at the level of Evocative Vividness! Even the head of the Painting Guild is filled with praises for her! He views her as the number one genius in painting in the past several thousand years... Not only so, there are hardly any peers who couldpete with her in zither and chess either. Just who could be so blind as to challenge her? Im not too sure either, but it seems to be a guest named... Zhang Xuan. From what I heard, that fellow saw that there were several people vying for her paintings, so he walked up to take a closer look. It seemed like he said some awful sounding words that caused Zhang Ziqings rage to flurry, thus eventually leading to the challenge! Awful sounding words? Im not too sure about it either, but that fellow seemed to have said that her foundations in painting were pathetic, and he even offered to teach her. Given that Zhang Ziqing is the number one genius of the Painter Guild, one of the famed prodigies of the Zhang n, its only natural that she would be enraged by those words... As Zhang Wuchen headed forward, he could hear the surrounding crowd discussing heatedly. Lets head over to take a look... They hade here to find Zhang Xuan, but who could have thought that the young man would get himself embroiled in another mess before the matter regarding the sculptures could even be settled yet? Following the footsteps of the crowd, they soon found Zhang Xuan standing in the midst of a square. Jian Qinsheng was standing by the side with his hand on his forehead, revealing a look of distress. The other star of the show, Zhang Ziqing, was ring at Zhang Xuan with a face reddened in fury, and her body was trembling non-stop. You wish topete with me in the field of drawing? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up nonchntly as he asked. What are the stakes? If there are no stakes, I have no interest in wasting my time with a nameless nobody. He had heard that there were many people vying for the work for this youngdy, so he came here in hopes of seeing a work that could astound him. However, after taking a closer look, he couldnt help but shake his head in disappointment. It was indeed amazing that the youngdy of her age was able to draw out a Evocative Vividness painting, but at the same time, it was precisely due to her young age andck of experience that caused her conceptualization to be extremely immature, resulting in her expression of emotions being rather forced and awkward even. In a way, this was simr to how most beautiful poems from his previous world that were able tost through the ages were those that were crafted from the poets own experiences and emotions. Only through personal experience would one really be able to create a work so vivid that others would be able to image and conceptualize, granting it great meaning and thus longevity through the ages. On the other hand, those who drew solely through imagination would risk their feelings and imagery being underdeveloped, and as a result, it was inevitable that their conceptualization would be slightlycking, Had it been anyone else, given Zhang Xuans low profile personality, he wouldnt even have bothered to waste his words. It was in view that the other party was a genius of the Zhang n that he couldnt resist giving a few feedbacks. But who could have thought that the other party would suddenly rage at him like that? You... Zhang Ziqing stared at Zhang Xuan so intensely that it almost felt like her eyes could kill. The young man before her was simply too maddening. It was one thing for him to say that her painting was aplete nonsense, but to im that she was a nameless nobody on top of that... Know that I, Zhang Ziqing, am a famous figure even in the Painter Guild! Im a person whom no one in the upper society didnt know of... Just who do you think you Zhang Xuan are? To dere that you wouldntpete with me without anything on the stake... Are you even qualified to be saying such words? Fine, Ill ce a stake! This picture is known as the Winter Snow Treading Portrait. This is a masterpiece I have drawnst year in winter. As long as you can triumph over me, I can give it to you for free! As angry as Zhang Ziqing was, she could tell that the young man might really walk away if she were to refuse to make a bet. Thus, she flicked her wrist, and a scroll appeared in her hands. Unrolling it freely, a world of drifting snow and utmost coldness materialized before her eyes. It felt as if one would sink into that endless world of chill with just a single look. Seeing her taking out that painting, the crowd released shock exmations before looks of envy appeared of their faces. For Ziqing to be provoked into taking out that painting, it seems like shes really angry this time around! Zhang Wuchen remarked while stroking his beard. Indeed. That is the single painting that Ziqing fancies the most, and she has always regarded it as her prized possession. There was once a master of the Painter Guild offered fifty pinnacle spirit stones for it, but even so, she still refused to sell it! Elder Wuzhen nodded. The painting was the work Zhang Ziqing produced under her best state, and it was unknown when she would be able to create a masterpiece of this caliber once more. As such, she treasured this painting as if it was her child, and even the elders of the Zhang n didnt get too many chances to see it. Yet, to think that she would take it out as a stake for this challenge... It seemed like she was really provoked this time around. You sure as a stingy fellow! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was still wondering what Zhang Ziqing would put on the line when he saw that it was only a painting, and he couldnt help but shake his head in disappointment. Dont you think its embarrassing for a genius of the Zhang n like you to try to hoodwink me with such an inferior painting? Lets just do this instead. If you were to lose to you, you have to give me one pinnacle spirit stone! One pinnacle spirit stone? Those words made Zhang Ziqing subconsciously clench her fists tightly together. Spitting through gritted teeth, she asked, Are you certain? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded nonchntly. To him, the possession of the greatest value was spirit stones. As for a mere painting... he could always draw it out himself whenever he wanted it, so it held little value to him. Chapter 1437 - Wu Dao Mirror

Chapter 1437: Wu Dao Mirror

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing how that fellow was unable to see through the value of her work and simply deemed it as an inferior good, Zhang Ziqing harrumphed angrily. Fine, one pinnacle spirit stones then! If you lose, I wont demand anything but a formal apology. Apologize? Thats impossible. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I have never lost in a challenge before. If you wish to challenge me, hurry up and get along with it. I still have much more important things to handle, so I dont have much time to spare you. You... Fine! Zhang Ziqing took in a deep breath and suppressed her emotions before looking at Zhang Xuan once more. Just like how its impossible to objectively determine which martial art is superior, its also extremely difficult to discern between the quality of paintings of the same level. After all, everyones preferences are shaped by their experiences and personality, so naturally, what appeals to each person can be vastly different. In order to ensure the fairness of our challenge, I have an artifact here known as the Wu Dao Mirror, and its able to urately determine the superiority and inferiority of a painting without the slightest discrepancy! As she said those words, she whipped out a round copper mirror, and it immediately floated quietly in the air. Wu Dao Mirror? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Indeed. This is an artifact created by the founder of the Painter Guild, Founder Wu Dao. Its capable of discerning the true level of a painting urately. Even though the artifact I have over here is just an imitation, its still more than enough to discern paintings of our level! Seeing how the young man did not know this at all, Zhang Ziqings displeasure and scorn visibly deepened. The Wu Dao Mirror was an artifact that had been created by the founder of the Painter Guild, and it was capable of discerning the level of any painting in the world. Of course, the original artifact was stored within the guild, so the one in Zhang Ziqings possession was just an imitation created by an expert. Nevertheless, it was still more than capable of impably discerning paintings of the eighth level. Can you allow me to take a closer look at the artifact? Zhang Xuan asked. Here you go! Knowing that the other party would surely have to check the artifact in order to ensure the fairness of the assessment, Zhang Ziqing flicked her wrist, and the Wu Dao Mirror flew over. Zhang Xuan ced his finger on the mirror momentarily before pushing it back to Zhang Ziqing, saying, Alright, Im done checking on it. Can we begin now? A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path, and a swift nce through it allowed him to confirm the capability of the artifact in assessing the level of a painting. Youre already done examining the mirror? Zhang Ziqing was taken aback. It was just a moment ago that they young man did not even know what the Wu Dao Mirror was, and yet, after the briefest contact with the mirror, he had already pushed the mirror back to her, saying that he was done checking on it. Are you kidding with me? This Wu Dao Mirror you have over there was created by 9-star Painter Zhi Yang three hundred years ago. It was forged out of the Golden Pearl Ore, and there are thirty-seven formation marks harnessing the power of painting conceptualization inscribed on the mirror. The spirit infused into the mirror embodies Elder Zhi Yangs deepprehension of paintings, so it will indeed be fair to use this artifact as the judge for thispetition! Zhang Xuan nodded. Y-you... How did you know? Zhang Ziqing was astonished. This Wu Dao Mirror had been stored in the Painter Guild ever since it was forged, and only upon hearing that the Zhang ns n Conference wasing up and that there would be challengers did she apply with her teacher to take it out. It had taken her great effort in order to assimte the artifact before she was able to learn this information, and yet, with just a single nce, the other party was already able to recite it with ease. Not even her teacher was capable of this! Oh. I happen to be an appraiser too, so I was able to recognize it with just a look, Zhang Xuan replied with a casual wave of his hand. Appraiser? Zhang Ziqing was even more bewildered upon hearing this. Given that the other party had not even heard of the Wu Dao Mirror before, it was a ridiculous notion for him to be able to identify the background of the Wu Dao Mirror in her possession. This isnt an ability that appraisers possess! Who do you think you are trying to fool? Then again, Zhang Ziqing knew that this was not the time to dwell on such matters. Thus, she flicked her wrist, and a piece of white paper appeared on her table. Different from the xuan paper that painters usually used, this white paper had a glossy surface that seemed as if ink would be unable to soak through it. This is known as the Legacy Paper. Its made out of the fresh blood of saint beasts and tempered using the Legacy Rock. Paintings that are made on it are able to easilyst a dozen millenniums without the slightest loss in color. For this reason, every single sheet of Legacy Paper is worth a huge fortune, Zhang Ziqing said. At the back of the crowd, Zhang Wuchen nodded. Paper to a painter was rather simr to a sword to a sword practitioner. The higher the grade of paper was, the more the conceptualization in their artwork would be able to be brought out. The Legacy Paper was considered a prized possession to all painters in the world. Due to its low production, even 9-star master teachers would only choose to use them on important asions. The fact that Zhang Ziqing was willing to take it out for this challenge reflected how seriously she took the matter. A thought shed across Zhang Wuchens mind, and the truth suddenly dawned on him. Most likely, the news of the formation copsing has reached her ears, and it just happened that the other party criticized her painting at this moment. Thus, she decided to take this opportunity to teach the other party a lesson! The news that the Defense Formation of the Zhang n had been destroyed by Zhang Xuan four hours ago had already spread far and wide across the entire Zhang n. Those of the younger generation should have already heard of the matter by now. As a person who took pride in her identity as a member of the Zhang n, Zhang Ziqing surely felt angered by Zhang Xuan humiliating the Zhang n. As such, she decided to use this matter to teach that young man that there were just some people in the world whom he could not afford to offend! Otherwise, considering that this was the guest area, how could she, as one of the top geniuses of the Zhang n, possiblye here? Not to mention, to so coincidentally get into a fight with Zhang Xuan at that? Coming to realize this, Zhang Wuchen immediately did a quick scan around the room, and a momentter, he shook his head. Noting Zhang Wuchens actions, Elder Wuzhen could tell what he was thinking, and he sent a telepathic message over. With all of them here, it seems like Zhang Xuan will be in for some misfortune. This is fine, too. Zhang Wuchen harrumphed. Its about time for that fellow to learn that the members of our Zhang n are no pushovers so that he will learn to tone down that haughtiness of his. Most of the top figures of the younger generations hade over to watch the show, so it seemed like the First Elders n was working as expected. Given that Zhang Xuan was here to challenge the Zhang n in the first case, it was perfectly fair for the younger generation of the Zhang n to challenge him back! Hu! While the both of them were secretly talking to one another, Zhang Ziqing flicked her wrist, and a brush materialized in her hand. Thats the Empyrean Saint Fox Brush, made using the tail of the Empyrean Saint Fox! In terms of value, it far exceeds that of the Legacy Paper! To take out two invaluable treasures, one after another... it seems like the fellow whom Zhang Ziqing is facing is going to be utterly humiliated! That might not necessarily be the case. Considering how he chose to ept Zhang Ziqings challenge despite having seen her mastery in painting, its likely that he has some skills in painting as well. Perhaps, he might have artifacts that are even more formidable than that! Well, thats true too... Upon seeing the brush that Zhang Ziqing had taken out, a hugemotion immediately broke out amid the crowd. Those who had been invited there by the Zhang n were all the top talents in their fields. While they might not necessarily have been painters, they would still have heard of some of the more renowned artifacts in painting. The Empyrean Saint Fox Brush happened to be one such artifact. Even when looking across the entire Master Teacher Continent, there were very few brushes that couldpete with it. The time limit is when this incense finally burns out. If you fail toplete your painting by then, it will be considered as your loss, Zhang Ziqing said casually as she took out an ink b. As she dabbed her brush in the ink b, she lightly flicked her finger, and the incense stick at the center of the courtyard immediately lit up, emanating a slight fragrance. Since this was a challenge between the two of them, it was a given that there should be a time limit. Otherwise, one party would be able to postpone the challenge indefinitely under the pretext that they had not finished their painting yet. Very well, Zhang Xuan replied. Judging from the rate at which the incense was burning, it appeared that they had less than an hour to finish their painting. And to be honest, it was no easy task to create a satisfactory painting within an hours time. Lets begin then. Seeing that the young man had agreed to it, Zhang Ziqing lightly tapped her brush on the Legacy Paper, and a beautiful stroke of ink flowed out from the tip. Chapter 1438 - Zhang Xuan Is Going to Get Serious

Chapter 1438: Zhang Xuan Is Going to Get Serious

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That is... the Snowearth Painting Technique! Legend has it that back then, while Founder Wu Dao was observing the swallows in the air, he noted how their ws sunk deeply into the snowden earth, and inspired by that, he created the Snowearth Painting Technique. Paintings that are produced using this painting technique tend to have deeper conceptualization, and even before the final artwork ispleted, just the painting process itself is enough to grip the hearts of the viewers! This painting technique has been passed down through the years, but only a small handful of incredibly talented painters are able to learn it. Who could have thought that not only would Ziqing be able to learn it, shes even able to execute it so smoothly? Without a doubt, this duel is going to end in our victory! From the looks of it, unless that fellow is able to produce a painting of the ninth level, or else theres no way he would be able to achieve victory... ... Amotion broke out in the surroundings. The instant that the young genius of the Zhang n made her move, the crowd was immediately captured. Be it her brush, paper, ink, painting technique, or even state of mind, there was simply no w that one could pick with her painting. It was so impable that even naysayers could only sigh in awe at that sight. Not bad. Zhang Xuan also nodded in approval. As an 8-star painter himself, his eye of discernment far exceeded that of the crowd. Naturally, he was able to tell that the youngdy before him would not be an easy opponent to deal with. In fact, her skills were even above that of the Inceptive Sage of the Painter Guild, whom he had faced back at the Sanctum of Sages. Even though there were plenty of incredible geniuses all over the Master Teacher Continent gathered in the Sanctum of Sages, the Inceptive Sages there did not necessarily represent the pinnacle of their corresponding upation. For example, even though Zhang Feng was the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Guild, wielding incredible spirit enchantment abilities, if hepeted with the genius who had just entered the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters, Wang Ying, he would still pale slightly inparison. Otherwise, the elders of the Spirit Awakener Guild would not have had to lower themselves to seek Zhang Xuans help. The same applied here. Even though the Inceptive Sage of the Painter Guild in the Sanctum of Sages was a rare genius in painting, it was still rather clear that he paled inparison to Zhang Ziqing. Hu! Zhang Ziqings brush seemed to dance nimbly in the air, creating a sight that pleased ones eyes. Despite her rxed movements, every single movement that she made was pinpoint urate, impably controlled without the slightest deviation. Every single brush stroke that materialized on the piece of paper seemed to emanate an intoxicating radiance, drawing one deeper and deeper into the world that Zhang Ziqing was creating under her hand. Zhang shi... She has already drawn so much! You should get started, too, or else you might really lose the challenge! While Zhang Xuan was still leisurely observing Zhang Ziqing, an anxious voice suddenly sounded next to him. Turning his head, he saw Jian Qinsheng sping his forehead helplessly. Theres no need to panic. Zhang Xuan took a nce at the incense stick and saw that there was still plenty of time for him to work, so he waved his hand leisurely, paying no heed at all to Jian Qinshengs concern. He was an efficient painter, capable of finishing a painting within just ten to twenty breaths. There was no need for him to rush at all. On the other hand, Jian Qinsheng suddenly recalled that the young man before him had defeated the Inceptive Sage of the Painter Guild in the Tower of Master Teachers, so he decided not to say too much about the matter. Its good that youre confident. Cough cough, Zhang shi, is it fine if I discuss something with you meanwhile? Junior, feel free to speak your mind! Zhang Xuan said. Jian Qinsheng pondered for a moment to sort out his words before speaking carefully. Its like this. Youre currently a representative of the swordsmanship of our Sanctum of Sages, so if possible, can you not dabble too much in the other supporting upations? To be honest, he was starting to regret bringing that fellow here! They should have been there to challenge the Zhang ns swordsmanship, but before they could face any of the Zhang ns sword practitioners, the young man had already torn down the other partys formation and enchanted all of their sculptures. And now, he was even challenging one of the Zhang ns geniuses in painting. Formations, enchantment, painting, and appraising... at this rate, will anyone still remember that you are a sword practitioner? So, Im begging you, can you pay some heed to your identity before doing anything else? You are currently my senior! Is it really fine for you to be showing off in the other upations as well? This... I guess I have been acting a little carelessly ever since arriving in the Zhang n. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. Pardon me, it seems like I have beencking thought in my actions. He had been so focused on trying to put down the Zhang n that he almost forgot the primary reason he was at the Zhang n. He was supposed to challenge the top sword practitioners of the Zhang n so as to cleanse Jian Qinshengs humiliation, and it was indeed inappropriate of him to allow his attention to wander to other stuff. Others would think that he was just a jack of all trades, specializing in nothing at all. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had caught his drift, Jian Qinsheng nodded in relief. Its fine. Itll do as long as you remember our primary purpose here. While he did feel a little ufortable at seeing the young man dabbling in other upations and provoking the Zhang n at every turn, by no means was he mad at the young man. Rather, his feelings were still more sided toward gratitude. After all, if not for the young man, there was a good chance that he never would have found an opportunity to get back at the Xing Sword Saint. I understand. Ill keep that in mind. Zhang Xuan nodded. At this moment, a resounding round of apuse suddenly broke out around them. Amazing! Shes already going to finish her work soon! What marvelous artwork! Fairy Ziqing, would you consider selling your painting to me? To be able to finish such a beautiful piece within a short period of time, as expected of the top genius of the Painter Guild! ... Impassioned discussion could be heard from the surroundings. Zhang Xuan nced over and saw that Zhang Ziqing had already put down her brush, and apleted painting showed its form to the world. It was a bamboo painting. There was no other greenery or nt toplement the beauty of the bamboo, but what was particrly striking about it was how each of the towering, emerald bamboo culms seemed to rise out of the surface of the painting. They shuddered in response to the light breeze whisking across the square. It felt like each of the dozen or so bamboo culms had their own life and emotions, their own unique form and soul. As such, despite theck of any otherplementing details in the painting to act as contrast with the bamboos, the painting did not feel monotonous at all. If anything, each individual bamboo seemed to contrast with one another. To be able to bestow your painting life... Not too bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. He had thought that he would be able to win with just a casual drawing, but from the looks of it, things would not be as easy as he thought. The youngdys caliber was much higher than he had expected. Painting did not necessarily have to beplicated. Just because a painting was more colorful and intricate did not mean that it would be of a higher level. Just like how the greatest sound was soundless and the greatest form was formless, most masterpieces tended to be exceptionally simple as well. In a sense, this was simr to how it was easier to gauge a chefs ability through having them prepare the simplest of dishes. In fact, the simpler the painting was, the more it would reflect the painters capability. If one were to just take a brief nce at her artwork, its simplicity would make it appear to be just at the level of Reality Depiction. But in truth, if one examined it closely, one would realize that every single one of these bamboo culms was so detailed that it was almost as if they were all alive. Rather than calling it a work of art, it would be more urate to say that new lives had been created. If not for Zhang Ziqings young age and the limitations of her cultivation, she would have already been able to produce pinnacle artwork and take the final step forward to be a real 9-star master teacher. Its no wonder others said that it would be difficult to triumph over her without a painting of the ninth level, Zhang Xuan thought. Given the quality of Zhang Ziqings artwork, it would really require a true ninth level painting in order to outdo her. What? Does Zhang shi intend to admit defeat? While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, a youngdys voice sounded. Turning his head over, he saw Zhang Ziqing looking at him with a cold sneer on her lips. She finally understood why the young man chose to gamble with just a pinnacle spirit stone instead of with her painting. Considering how valuable her painting was, the young man might not necessarily have been able toe up with something of equivalent value to it once he lost! In the end, he was just preparing an escape route should things not go in his favor. Admit defeat? Why would I do that? Zhang Xuan shook his head. I do acknowledge that your painting is not too bad, and out of respect for you as a painter, Ill be getting serious. As he said those words, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword. He test-swung it in the air before shaking his head and stowing it back into his storage ring. After which, he took out another sword and swung it, but he also shook his head and ced it back into his storage ring. He repeated the same action another three times before he finally seemed to have found a sword to his liking. He swiftly scanned his surroundings before stomping his feet lightly on the ground. H! A stone next to his leg flew up, catching everyones attention in an instant. Im going to start now, Zhang Xuan said casually as he drove his sword toward the stone. You arent going to use a brush or the Legacy Paper topete with me... but a mere sword and stone? Zhang Ziqing widened her eyes in disbelief. In an instant, she felt as if the other party was intentionally trying to humiliate her, and a burst of rage surge through her veins. Chapter 1439 - Its Zhang Xuans Victory?

Chapter 1439: Its Zhang Xuans Victory?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 She was the number one genius of the Zhang n, as well as one of the top geniuses of the Painter Guild. It was already an insult for her to lower her standing topete with a nameless nobody, but the other party was even taking the entire challenge as a joke, doing whatever he pleased without any regard. Is this what you meant by getting serious? Which painter doesnt use a brush and paper in their painting but a sword? While Zhang Ziqing was feeling so stifled that she could have exploded on the spot, Jian Qinshengs body also trembled upon seeing the sight, and he nearly spurted blood. It was just a moment ago that he had told the other party that he hade here as a representative of the Sanctum of Sages swordsmanship when the next moment, he really used a sword to paint. The de of a sword was sharp and cold, making it far more difficult to draw and paint using itpared to a brush. My intention was only to remind you of your own identity and responsibility so that you wouldnt lose sight of your goal due to these insignificant matters. I didnt ask you to make things difficult for yourself and put yourself at risk of losing a challenge! The youngdy is equipped with the Empyrean Saint Fox Brush and Legacy Paper, and she has even executed the formidable Snowearth Painting Technique. On the other hand, as if an ordinary sculptor, you chose to carve a stone instead. Do you really have to take the challenge so lightly? In this moment, despair was written all over Jian Qinshengs face. Without a doubt, it was their loss this time around. He could not even bear to bring himself to look on anymore. Could that fellows brain possibly be rusty? Zhang Wuchen was also shocked to the point where he could not close his mouth. He had seen plenty of lunatics, but he had not seen one who was so mentally challenged before! To paint using a sword... just what kind of lunacy was that young man up to this time around? Most likely, he feels that hes unable to surpass Ziqing, but at the same time, he doesnt want to embarrass himself, Elder Wuzhen hypothesized. That could possibly be the case. After some thought, Zhang Wuchen was still unable to decipher Zhang Xuans intentions, so he could only nod in agreement. As the number one painting genius of the Zhang n, Zhang Ziqings aptitude in painting far surpassed that of her peers, and her skills were on par with most veteran 8-star pinnacle painters. Even if the young man had sessfully cleared the Tower of Master Teachers, the crowd still did not think that it was likely for him to emerge victorious. Since the young man was unable to win, the only way he would be able to save some of his pride was to mess up the entire challenge. This way, even if he lost, he could still shirk the responsibility to his brush and paper. Coming to realize the young mans motive, Zhang Wuchen shook his head as he shot the young man another nce, and once again, he found himself in a bbergasted position. Wielding a sword in his hand, Zhang Xuans sword tip was more than a chi away from the stone. He swung his arms non-stop, covering the stone with a barrage of sword qi. But for some reason, all of the sword qi seemed to brush past the stone, not leaving the slightest mark on it. To the crowd, it appeared as if he was possessed by some kind of spirit. There was not a single person in the square who couldprehend what he was up to! Could that fellow possibly... have gone mad? I think so, too. Otherwise, why the heck would he suddenly dance with his sword at this moment? The only expressions that could be seen on the crowds faces were dumbstruck looks. Most of them were from privileged backgrounds, and they had been blessed with the opportunity to see all kinds of painting techniques from master painters. Some painters preferred a more refined painting method, some adopted a wilder painting technique, some were fond of a more flirtatious painting style, and some chose a more stable and dignified painting manner. With Zhang Ziqing, for example, every single one of her brush strokes was elegant, making it a pleasure to behold. On the other hand, the young man before him was dancing around wildly as if he was suffering from a stroke, and to make things worse, he was not leaving the slightest mark on the stone at all. Did hee here just to fool around? Even Zhang Ziqing could not help but rub her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things. It was just a moment ago that the young man had haughtily dered that he had never lost in any challenges before, and all of a sudden... he had suddenly be a madman prancing around the area? Im done! While the crowd was still in a stunned state, the young man exhaled deeply and wiped off the sweat from his forehead before wearily flicking his sword back into his storage ring. H! The stone fell onto a table not too far away, just beside the Bamboo Painting that Zhang Ziqing had created. Youre done? Zhang Ziqing eximed in astonishment. She subconsciously nced at the incense stick that she had lit earlier, and it happened to extinguish at this very moment. The young man did manage to finish his work on time, but... just what the heck was with that stone? Impeting with you in the field of painting, not sculpting! Furthermore... even if we werepeting in the field of sculpting, you have to at least leave some marks on the stone in order for it to even be considered a sculpture. Every single person here can testify that your sword hasnt touched the stone at all, so... what the heck are you up to? More importantly... all you did was randomly swing your sword for around ten to twenty breaths? You didnt even do anything at all, so how did you get so tired that even your face has turned pale? Even if you want to act, at least do it in a more convincing situation than this! Its almost as if you are taking all of us for fools! Unable to stand it, Zhang Ziqing turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Are you certain that this is the work you wish to challenge me with? If you arent done yet, I dont mind giving you more time! Since she waspeting with the young man, it would only be worthwhile for her if she defeated the young man when the young man was in his peak state. If the young mans condition had been a little off in the past hour, she did not mind giving him another chance to showcase his true capability. Theres no need for that. Im already done painting, Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle. He gestured forward gentlemanly with his hand and said, We should get the Wu Dao Mirror to check on our work now. Check? Seeing the smile on the young mans face, Zhang Ziqings cheeks could not help but quiver in frenzy. All you did was carry a b of stone over! Even though you did swing your sword wildly for roughly twenty breaths, you didnt leave the slightest mark on it. Do you honestly think your b of stone is able to match my pinnacle eighth level painting? I really want to pry open your brain and see where you get your confidence from! Indeed. Zhang Xuan nodded. Of course, if you admit defeat, we can simply skip the checking phase. Admit defeat? Zhang Ziqing nearly burst intoughter. You want me to admit defeat to a mere stone? You must be off your rocker! Have you not taken your medicine today? Indeed! You should have seen with your own eyes how much effort I put in toplete this masterpiece. I think it would be impossible for me to produce a second one like this within a short period of time! Zhang Xuan said with an air of solemnity. He gazed into the distance, and the solitude of a man who stood at the top of the world could be seen reflected in his eyes. Effort? Masterpiece? The crowd nearly fell to the ground hearing those impetuous words. The young man did not even leave the slightest mark on the stone, such that not even the slightest dent or chip could be seen. If this could be considered a masterpiece, then even a dog could be considered a master painter! And the young man still had the cheek to say effort... Effort my ass! Seeing how fearless the young man was, Zhang Ziqing harrumphed in displeasure. Are you sure you want to use the Wu Dao Mirror? Of course! Zhang Xuan eximed with a wave of his hand, assuming the disposition of a true expert. Very well... Ill make you concede to me! Zhang Ziqing harrumphed coldly. She waved her hand, and the Wu Dao Mirror appeared once more. She stretched her finger forward and tapped the Wu Dao Mirror lightly, and a brilliant ray of light immediately reflected from the mirror. Junior Zhang Ziqing beseeches the Wu Dao Mirror to help assess the mastery of the paintings we have before us! Hu! In an instant, the Wu Dao Mirror was brought to life. It emanated a radiance of seven colors, which swiftly shrouded the Bamboo Painting. A short momentter, a voice emerged from the Wu Dao Mirror. Bamboo Painting. The bamboo culms are infused with life, and a breeze whispers amid the mountain, thus cing the painting in harmony with nature. Its neither abrupt nor excessive, a truly rare pinnacle eighth level masterpiece! Upon hearing the judgement, Zhang Ziqing visibly heaved a sigh of relief, and a look of pride surfaced on her face. The fact that she had received such an appraisal from the Wu Dao Mirror meant that even if her Bamboo Painting still was not at the level of her Winter Snow Treading Portrait, it did not pale too much inparison to it. Knowing that everything was in her grasp, Zhang Ziqing shot Zhang Xuan a haughty nce. Humph, lets see how the Wu Dao Mirror will judge your work! Tzzzzz! After assessing her work, the Wu Dao Mirror began scanning the stone on the table too. All of a sudden, it paused for a brief moment before resuming its scanning once more. As if it could not fully perceive the artwork before it, it scanned the stone for the third time. Only then did it finallye to a halt, and the voice from before appeared once more. This painting is truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I hereby judge this painting to be superior to the one from before! Superior? Zhang Ziqing staggered on the spot, and her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. She could not help but wonder if she was hearing things. Why would the Wu Dao Mirror suddenly say such iprehensible words? That shabby stone had just been picked off the street, so how could it be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece? What is going on here? Zhang Wuchen and the others were dumbstruck, too. Chapter 1440 - M-Marriage?

Chapter 1440: M-Marriage?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Wu Dao Mirror, you said that... I have lost? Unable to ept what she had just heard, Zhang Ziqing asked once more. Indeed. Even though his artwork utilizes the simplest drawing method, it harnesses the very essence of painting. I can tell you that this is a feat which even the average 9-star painter would be incapable of. Your painting is indeed not too bad, but it pales far inparison to his. Wu Dao Mirror replied. Artifacts on such a level already possessed their own consciousness and were able to interact with humans. But all he did was to swing his sword a few times, and he didnt even leave a single mark on the stone... How could this be something which even 9-star painter would be unable to match up to? Zhang Ziqing felt like wing her hair in frenzy. You cant just spout nonsense like that! All of us are looking over here! Everyone here can testify that all that fellow did was to pick up a mere stone and swing his sword at it... Not the slightest bit of his sword qi had nicked the stone, and the stone looked the exact same as when he had picked it up. Where was the drawing you spoke of then? Come closer and examine it carefully, you will surely be able to notice its ingenuity. Noting Zhang Ziqing iprehension, the Wu Dao Mirror simply left these words behind before falling silent. Its voice carried a dreamy tone to it, seemingly still deeply immersed in the beauty of the artwork it had just seen. Zhang Ziqing hesitated for a moment before walking over to the table. She lowered her gaze to examine the stone in closer detail. There was still some dirt stuck to the surface of the stone, but other than that, there was nothing particr to note about it, Theres nothing here at all... Even after a close-up look, Zhang Ziqing was still unable to find any marks that could have been left behind by the earlier burst of sword qi, so she couldnt help but feel even more perplexed. Thus, she released her Spiritual Perception to take an even closer look at the stone. What that was not visible to the eye, perhaps, it would be visible to her Spiritual Perception. Hm? As soon as her Spiritual Perception wrapped itself around the stone, Zhang Ziqings body visibly stiffened, and her body began trembling non-stop, T-this... Her lips quivered ceaselessly, fully disying her disbelief at what she was seeing. Whats wrong? Noticing the peculiarity with Zhang Ziqig, Zhang Wuchen and the others frowned as well. They extended their Spiritual Perception toward the stone too, and what they saw left them frozen on the spot. Indeed. This stone is an artwork which I drew out using my sword. The stone that I picked up earlier has, in fact, been reduced to dust and is currently stored in my storage ring, and the one right before your eyes is a painting... Seeing that they had managed to notice what was different about his stone, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. While it might appear as if he was just wildly releasing a barrage of sword qi earlier, leaving nary a mark on the stone at all, in truth, he was creating an exact replica of the stone that was earlier seen. Back when he was just a 7-star painter, he had alreadyprehended Suspended Imagery, allowing him to paint on mid-air. Naturally, now that he was an 8-star painter, his proficiency in it was much higher than before. Even though the painting was created by sword qi, it would still be difficult even for a 9-star painter to discern its true form without taking a closer look with his Spiritual Perception. It was to the point where even the two elders of the Zhang n, Wuchen and Wuzhen, despite watching the entire process from the start to the end, didnt notice the slightest anomaly with the stone. They couldnt have imagined that the stone that was picked up from the ground had already vanished altogether, and what was right before their eyes was actually a painting! To think that we didnt notice that the stone is actually a painting... Ziqing was able to grant life to the bamboo, making it appear real, but he has already transcended that level. Under his deft hand, the distinction between reality and painting has been torn down, confounding everyone with his artwork... Coming to realize the situation, Zhang Wuchen and Zhang Wuzhen were trembling in disbelief. Real 9-star painters were indeed capable of producing artwork that seemed so lifelike that itpletely fused into the real world, making hard for one to determine what was real and imaginary. Just that... no one thought that the young man would be capable of the same feat too. Could it be that he was already a 9-star painter? If that was the case, wasnt it a little too terrifying? I... have lost! Zhang Ziqing reached out to stroke the stone, only to find that its texture was also of no difference from that of a real stone. Without using her Spiritual Perception, there would really be no way for her to discern that it was just a mere drawing. In that instant, her face flushedpletely pale. All along, she had thought the other party was just messing around, but who could have thought that he had been painting seriously? Furthermore, his artwork was of such a high caliber that no one was able to discern it. It was no wonder why the Wu Dao Mirror had dered the match to be her loss... She did indeed lose, and it was an utter defeat at that. From the very start, she never stood a chance against him. If you are able to create an artwork of such a tier with just your sword... just what kind of paintings would you be able to produce with a brush in hand then? Unable to take it any longer, she turned her gaze to the young man and said. Previously, when the other party said that he was going to get serious, she thought that he would really go all out. Yet, contrary to her expectations, he whipped out a sword instead of a brush. If the young man was already able to produce such an artwork far beyond her capabilities with a sword in hand... she really shuddered to imagine just how formidable his painting prowess would be with a brush in hand. I wasnt lying to you when I said that I was going to get serious. I did give my everything in this painting, and I wasnt going easy on you by using a sword. Noting the youngdys astounded face, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. I must admit that you have a deep understanding of painting. Otherwise, I would have simply painted with just a de of grass instead of with my sword. Actually, as long as you put your heart into your painting, it doesnt really matter whether you are wielding a brush or a sword. de of grass? Hearing that the young man was actually intending to use something like that topete with her, Zhang Ziqings face twitched a little. How were you intending to paint with that? Simple. Zhang Xuan quickly took a look at his surroundings before tapping his finger lightly. In the garden not too far away, a de of grass flew over and fell into his palm. Following which, he flicked the de of grass lightly. Hu! The water in a nearby pond immediately rose up and lightly soaked the de of grass. Following which, he began moving the de of grass slowly in the air. Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! The surrounding air grew increasingly viscous along with Zhang Xuans movements, and in just a short moment, a majestic flowing river appeared before everyones eyes. It raced rapidly with a ferocious roar, and it felt as if it would overflow and flood the entire square in an instant. Using just water, he was able to draw out a river flow using Suspended Imagery? Zhang Ziqing gulped down a mouthful of saliva. She would always need to use the most valuable brush and ink in her artworks as she felt that these were necessary tools in order for her to truly bring out the essence of her painting and pieces that she would be satisfied with. However, after watching the other partys creation, she realized that her line of thought might have been too shallow. Painting didnt necessitate the use of a brush. Look closely, and the entire world would be a brush and a canvas! There was no element which one couldnt incorporate into ones painting! So, this was a true prodigys interpretation of painting... as well as the true essence of painting. The conception behind this river painting of yours is also of a much higher level than my Bamboo Painting! Zhang Ziqing shook her head and sighed deeply. As reluctant as she was to admit it, the young man was indeed far ahead of her in the field of painting. Even this river painting which he had created at a whim was far more profound than the Bamboo Painting which she carefully produced with all her might. Ah, you need not get so disheartened. I was able to deepen my understanding of painting significantly while drawing out the stone, and thats the only reason why Im able to create a decent painting with just a de of grass now... Zhang Xuan exined. He hadnt drawn much after assimting 8-star painter books, and the earlier drawing of the stone was the first time he had drawn seriously in a long while. This practical experience had granted him a much deeper insight into painting, thus bringing his mastery to a deeper level. And it was with this experience that he was able to surpass Zhang Ziqing with a work he painted at a whim. You managed to deepen your understanding of painting while drawing out the stone? Zhang Ziqing nearly keeled over. She had always prided herself on her unparalleled talent in painting, but it seemed like she was really no match against the young man before her. The gap between them was so huge that for the first time in her life, she felt a hint of despair and helplessness, as if she was in a race, facing a rival whom she would never be able to catch up with. All of a sudden, a young man amidst the crowd shouted out, Fairy Ziqing, I remember that you once said that if anyone of the younger generation surpasses you in the field of painting, regardless of whom the person is, you would marry him without any hesitation... Does that vow still holds now? This... Zhang Ziqing was visibly stunned by that remark for a moment. She couldnt help but turn her gaze to Zhang Xuan, and a frown slowly deepened itself on her forehead. Chapter 1441 - Zhang Jiang

Chapter 1441: Zhang Jiang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Known as one of the most talented female offspring of the Zhang n, Zhang Ziqing was a celebrity among the younger generation. On top of that, she had a graceful disposition and ravishing looks, which led to her having many suitors. Each day, there would be many men who tried to approach her, hoping that they might just luck out and win her fancy, and this had be a major source of annoyance for her. As such, she had once dered that no matter who the person was, as long as his age was not beyond thirty and he was able to surpass her in the fields of zither, chess, and painting, she would marry that man without any hesitation. While she did say such words, it was just to stop others from harassing her. After all, she did not think that there would be anyone in the world who could best her in those three fields. But who could have thought that there would a man who was actually able to triumph over her in the field of painting so easily? Even though this fellows personality isnt too good, and his words are very jarring, theres no denying that hes a person of great ability. It might not be too bad to marry him. Such was the thought that shed across Zhang Ziqings mind upon hearing someone amid the crowd reminding her of the matter. Never in her life had she contemted the notion of marrying any man before as she had always felt that they were all unworthy of her consideration, but if it was this man... she might just be able to grudgingly ept it. As soon as such a notion took root in her mind, it swiftly grew at a pace where even she was unable to repress it anymore. Thus, she turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, May I know if Zhang shi is skilled at the zither too? I do y it from time to time, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Well, he was actually an 8-star demonic tunist, but it would still be best for him to keep a low profile. Then... what about chess? Im afraid that I dont know a thing about it. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had learned many upations, but chess simply was not in the set of skills that he was interested in, so he had never really sought to learn it. As such, it could be said that he knew next to nothing about it. Its fine, I can teach you. Does Zhang shi want to drop by my humble abode to have a further discussion about the arts? Zhang Ziqing asked with a slightly reddened face. The intention behind her words was very clear. In a sense, this could already be considered as good as a confession. Discussion about the arts? Zhang Xuan frowned a little before shaking his head. Its only out of convenience that I have picked up those arts, and I consider them a pastime. I have already spent two days studying painting, and pardon me, but Im afraid that I have no interest in devoting any more time into it. He was here to face p the Zhang n and force the young prodigy to appear, so how could he possibly have any spare time to learn about the arts or the whatnot? Besides, I can further my understanding of the arts just by collecting the relevant books. Do I need to waste my time discussing them with you? Hearing the young mans rejection, Zhang Ziqingsplexion immediately turned rather awful. However, she swiftly noticed a certain detail in the young mans statement, and she could not help but ask, Did you say that you have only spent two days studying painting? Id reckon so. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. I think that should be roughly it. The only reason he had learned painting was to meet the prerequisites required for his master teacher promotions. He had spent roughly two hours for each level, so to reach 8-star, it would have taken him around sixteen hours. Even adding up the time he had taken to browse through painting books and practice hands-on painting, the duration still should not exceed two days. However, being the humble man that he was, he chose to round the number up. You have only studied painting for two days, but you were able to achieve such a deep understanding of painting? Zhang Ziqing was unable to believe the words the young man was spouting. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was not willing to dwell too much on such a useless topic, so he reached out his hand and demanded, Since youve lost the bet, its about time for you to pay up what you owe me. It was only because of the pinnacle spirit stone that he had epted the challenge. Since he had won the challenge, it was a given that he should im his rightful reward. The bet... Recalling their bet, Zhang Ziqing could not help but chuckle at how trivial the matter was. You should have heard what the young man said earlier. As long as any one is able to best me in painting, zither, and chess, I will marry that person without any questions asked. Considering how you are far beyond me in the field of painting, as long as your mastery in zither ying and chess are decent... I can consider spending the rest of my life with you... As her voice trailed off, Zhang Ziqings face reddened in embarrassment. For ady, it was already very bold for her to speak of such an embarrassing matter so forthrightly. What are you talking about? Are you trying to talk your way out of paying me my pinnacle spirit stone? Seeing that the youngdy had no intention of paying the pinnacle spirit stone, Zhang Xuans eyes immediately bulged in fury. They had already agreed upon it prior to the duel; there were so many eye-witnesses around them that could testify to that! How could she renege on her promise after losing the bet... and not to mention, even force him to marry her? You must be dreaming! Ah? Zhang Ziqing was startled by the unanticipated response. Nothing was going as she had imagined. A loss is a loss. No matter what, you must pay me one pinnacle spirit stone! Zhang Xuan eximed indignantly. Dont bothering up with excuses. Theres no way Im going to let you avoid payment today! You... Zhang Ziqing nearly lost her sanity in that instant. In the young mans eyes, was she not even worth a single pinnacle spirit stone? If others learned that she, one of the top geniuses of the Zhang n, had been snubbed over a mere pinnacle spirit stone, she would be theughingstock of the entire Master Teacher Continent! T-this... Zhang Xuans mind really works in a very odd manner! Zhang Wuchen could not believe what he was hearing. It took a very long moment before he was able to mutter those words. Indeed. This is the first time Ive seen someone daring to reject Ziqing, and not to mention... with such an absurd reason at that! Elder Wuzhen also found the situation inconceivable. As the saying goes, even the mightiest of heroes are unable to ovee the ordeal of a beauty. With Zhang Ziqings capabilities and looks, she was a person whomanded countless pursuers in the upper society, and yet, she had been rejected for a mere pinnacle spirit stone. Taking a step back, if the young man had really married Zhang Ziqing, given thetters connections in the Zhang n, he would have been able to obtain all of the pinnacle spirit stones that he wanted in the world! So, was it not simply irrational to fuss over a single pinnacle spirit stone? After a moment of thought, with a shake of his head, Zhang Wuchen remarked, Most likely, he doesnt want to have any ties with the Zhang n! Someone as talented as Zhang Xuan could not possibly be a fool, so there was no way he would be unable toprehend the intention behind Zhang Ziqings words. Nevertheless, he still chose to say those maddening words. From this, it was apparent that he did not want to be too deeply involved with the Zhang n. ... Perhaps Zhang Xuans rejection of Zhang Ziqing had provoked the other geniuses of the Zhan na young man flew forth from the crowd andnded right in the center of the square. Zhang Xuan, I am Zhang Jiang from the Zhang n. I would like to challenge you. What do you want to challenge me in? Zhang Xuan asked leisurely. He would have to be blind to not notice the younger members of the Zhang n lurking all around the crowd. He knew that they were trying to put him down, presumably due to what had happened to the Defense Formation at the entrance earlier on. However, since the purpose behind his visit to the Zhang n was to stir the pot as much as possible, he did not mind having theming at him. I dont have many talents, but I do have some confidence in my beast taming ability. Since you dared to insult an esteemed member of our Zhang n, I hope that you have the guts to ept my challenge too! Zhang Jiang said with fury burning in his eyes. In contrast to Zhang Jiangs hostile attitude, Zhang Xuans response was rather cid, as if he waspletely unperturbed by the other partys words. How do you wish topete? Simple. Three years ago, the Zhang n managed to capture a ferocious saint beast. Till now, no one has been able to tame it, and even I have failed against it. As long as you can sessfully tame that saint beast, Ill ept my defeat, Zhang Jiang said. What if I cant tame it? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Judging from what Zhang Jiang was saying, he seemed to be implying that it would be his loss if he failed to tame the saint beast, but this would be an unfair challenge. The fact that Zhang Jiang was unable to tame the saint beast showed that the saint beast was a tricky fellow to deal with. If he failed to tame the saint beast, it could only mean that the saint beast was beyond their abilities to deal with; it did not necessarily mean that Zhang Jiangs beast taming skills were superior to his. While Zhang Xuan was confident in his beast taming skills, the effectiveness of his tricks was limited to beasts who possessed the Dragon Bloodline or were slightly weaker than him. Against those that were much stronger than him, he had no foolproof method of taming them. I heard that you were able to easily tame the spirit in our Defense Formation, so you shouldnt have any trouble taming a saint beast, right? A smile crept onto Zhang Jiangs lips as he continued. I have been with the saint beast for three days so far, but our intimacy is already at twenty-five points. If you can reach a level of intimacy exceeding that within three days, Ill admit that you are superior to me! Twenty-five points? Hearing that there was a fairer basis forparison, Zhang Xuan finally nodded in agreement. Then... if I tame the saint beast, will I be able to take it away with me? This was something that had to be discussed beforehand. After all, this saint beast belonged to the Zhang n, so naturally, they would have to discuss its allocation beforehand, or it could lead to unnecessaryplications. Even though this saint beast was caught by the n head, if you are able to tame it, it should be fine for you to take it away! Zhang Jiang said. At this point, a vicious glint shed across his eyes before he continued. If you lose the challenge, I wont demand any pinnacle spirit stones or the like from you. However, I want you to kneel down, apologize to Ziqing, and scram right out of the Zhang n! Chapter 1442 - Do You Want to Exact Vengeance?

Chapter 1442: Do You Want to Exact Vengeance?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Very well, I ept your challenge. Zhang Xuan nodded. While he wasnt too sure whether he wielded the ability to tame the saint beast or not, he didnt think that it would be too difficult for him to surpass the record of the young man before him. Not to mention, the saint beast was captured by the father of the young prodigy. Perhaps, if he could tame that saint beast, he might just be able to lure the young prodigy out? And what better way was there to exact vengeance for Jian Qinsheng than to pummel the son of his nemesis? Well, if that young prodigy still didnt dare to appear even after that, surely at least the father would appear? While it would be regrettable not being able to beat up the young prodigy, beating up the father would at least help alleviate some bit of his rage... After all, who asked him to bear such a shameless son? And as the saying goes, the son errs, the fathers mistake 1 ! Lets begin then! Seeing that he had managed to obtain Zhang Xuans agreement, a hint of excitement shed across Zhang Jiangs eyes. With a wave of his hand, an elder behind him hurriedly left the area. Not too longter, the elder returned back to the square, and with a wave of his hand, a massive ck cage appeared before everyones eyes. The cage spanned roughly forty meters in length, and mysterious-looking inscriptions marked its surface. It was apparent that some powerful formation had been cast on it so as to prevent the lifeform imprisoned within it from escaping. WIthin the cage, a saint beast which bore some resemnce to a lion could be seen lying on the ground. Itzily scanned its surroundings for a moment before closing its eyes and returning back to sleep. The saint beast wasnt toorge in size, spanning only four meters from head to tail. Its appearance wasnt particrly frightening, and its aura wasnt particrly overwhelming either, but for some reason, upon seeing the saint beast, the crowd in the area narrowed their eyes in astonishment. Its the Inferno Qilin! This is the legendary saint beast whose cultivation reaches Saint 9-dan at maturity! They are extremely rare beings, and even throughout the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, there have been very few cases of them being caught and tamed... Its no wonder why even a beast taming genius like Zhang Jiang would be helpless before it! If I could tame a saint beast like that, I would instantaneously gain the prowessparable to a Saint 9-dan expert! Hah, easier said than done! The Ancient Qilin Bloodline runs through the veins of the Inferno Qilin, and its ego is much bigger than whatever you can ever imagine. Putting aside taming it, you would have difficulty just trying to approach it! If its really that easy, Xingmeng Sword Saint wouldnt have to resort to imprisoning it in the Zhang n for three years straight! Thats true... After the shock of seeing the Inferno Qilin with their own eyes, the faces of the crowd gradually turned grim. Third Elder, should we stop the challenge? Elder Wuzhen hesitated for a moment before directing this question to Zhang Wuchen. Its fine, let them be. Zhang Wuchen shook his head. But... in order to tame the Inferno Qilin, Zhang shi would have to enter the metal cage. As soon as he does so, he woulde under its frenzied assault! Over the past three years, the Inferno Qilin has already hurt thirteen 9-star beast tamer! Considering how Zhang shi is here to challenge our swordsmanship, if it were to get out that he was injured by our saint beast... I fear that this might reflect badly on our Zhang n! Elder Wuzhen said. He was not making a mountain out of a molehill. While others might not be aware of the circumstances surrounding the Inferno Qilin, he knew full well how vicious that fellow could be. It was simply too difficult a fellow to deal with! No matter what kind of delicious food or treasures one ced in front of it outside the cage, it wouldnt even bother shooting it a second nce. And when one attempted to enter the cage to negotiate with it, one would swiftlye under assault too... It was precisely due to this that many 9-star beast tamers were injured by it over the past three years. Clearly, Zhang Jiang had malicious intentions in mind when he made such a challenge to Zhang Xuan. He was intending to make use of this huge fellow to teach the other party a lesson! I can tell what that fellow Zhang Jiang is thinking of. If it reallyes to a precarious situation, Ill step in. Zhang Wuchen said. How could he possibly have risen to his current position if he couldnt even discern the intentions of a youngd? The reason why he chose not to say anything about the matter was because Zhang Xuan had simply brought too much shock to them. He wanted to let things run for the moment so that he could get a clearer gauge of Zhang Xuans abilities and determine a suitable course of action for dealing with that young man. This... Alright, I understand. Hearing how even the Third Elder had already granted his implicit approval to the matter, Elder Wuzhen decided not to think too much into the matter anymore. He turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and saw that the young man was in deep contemtion, seemingly trying to figure something out. Inferno Qilin... In this moment, Zhang Xuan was standing motionlessly on the spot, gathering every piece of information he had regarding the saint beast from the Library of Heavens Path. The saint beasts vicious nature was described within the beast tamer books he had browsed through. All it took was putting a few links together for him to deduce Zhang Jiangs ulterior motive. This fellow doesnt possess the Dragon Bloodline, and the strength it wields is far beyond my ability to deal with either. It really wont be easy for me to tame it...Zhang Xuan rubbed in be in frustration. To be honest, if he knew that he had to face a saint beast of the Inferno Qilins caliber, he would have never epted the duel in the first ce. While his Beast Pummeling Taming Method was indeed formidable, it didnt seem too likely that it would be effective against such a powerful fellow. Would the Inferno Qilin even be willing to allow him to approach it? Given his current strength, it was much more probable for him to be roasted to crisp before he could even get close to it! How was he supposed to tame the Inferno Qilin like that? Roasted to crisp? At this point, Zhang Xuan nced at the fearsome mes burning on the Inferno Qilin and abruptly froze on the spot, as if a sudden epiphany hade to him. Are you ready yet? Can we start now? Seeing how Zhang Xuan was frozen on the spot as if a block of ice after seeing the Inferno Qilins prowess with his own eyes, a gleeful smirk inconspicuously emerged on Zhang Jiangs lips as he urged impatiently. Sure, lets start. Zhang Xuan raised his head and nodded without any hesitation. Open the cage. Seeing how swiftly the young man had replied to him, Zhang Jiang was slightly taken aback. He was expecting the young man to be hesitant from fear. Nevertheless, he soon burst intoughter and nodded, Very well! No matter whether Zhang Xuan really had a n in mind or it was all false bravado, everything would eventuallye crumbling before the superior prowess of the Inferno Qilin! Zhang Jiang waved his hand, and the elder who had brought the metal cage over previously quickly walked forward and pressed his palm against the cage. In an instant, a door appeared on the cage. It wasnt too big nor too small, perfect for a grown man to pass through. Naturally, a saint beast of the Inferno Qilins size wouldnt be able to pass through it. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan began walking toward the door. Zhang shi... Jian Qinsheng hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade the young man against participating in this challenge. He might not know too much about beast taming himself, but he did have a clear understanding of what kind of person Xing Sword Saint was. That fellow was a particrly boastful and haughty person, always wanting to show off at every turn. However, that fellow did wield abilities was indeed able to match up to his boasting... and if even that fellow was unable to tame the Inferno Qilin, it must truly be a difficult saint beast to deal with then. To walk in and confront such a fearsome saint beast straight on... That was simply too dangerous! Rest assured! Zhang Xuan turned around and directed a confident nod at Jian Qinsheng. Ill use my sword to make them learn of the greatness of the Sanctum of Sages swordsmanship! What? Jian Qinsheng was taken aback by Zhang Xuans reply. He waved his hand in a fluster and said, No, thats not what I mean... It was just a moment ago that he thought the other party was dabbling in too many things, diluting his identity as a sword practitioner of the Sanctum of Sages, so he stepped in to remind the other party of the matter previously... But this time, he was stopping the other party because he was truly worried! A saint beast of that caliber was already frightening enough when motionless; if Zhang Xuan were to execute his swordsmanship before it, wouldnt he be killed? Its fine, its fine. I understand. Zhang Xuan waved his hand perfunctorily before leaping right into the cage. Hu hu hu! As soon as he stepped into the cage, it was as if he was transported into another world. Waves of searing heat gushed at him relentlessly, seemingly vowing to burn him down into cinders. The blistering heat umted within this cage distorted the space so much that there was nothing one could see that wasnt warped, making it hard to perceive size and distance. The Inferno Qilin thrives off earth mes. Its body is able to produce a massive cloud of mes on thought and reduce everything within a three hundred li 2 radius into ashes. Due to its high aptitude for destruction, not even the powerful Sage ns dare to offend it easily... Recalling the description concerning this saint beast, Zhang Xuan nodded. To be perfectly honest, it seemed like the only n that wielded the power and resources to trap this massive fellow for three years straight was the Zhang n. Had it been any other ns, whatever artifact that they were using to imprison it would have been burned down into ashes by now. Hu! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, he suddenly felt the surrounding temperature growing higher and higher. Upon realizing that there was a foreign intruder, the Inferno Qilin, which had been lyingzily on the ground all this while, suddenly revealed a hint of savagery in its eyes, and it began making its way over slowly. Inferno Qilin, I believe that you should be able to tell that Im not from the Zhang n. Watching as the Inferno Qilin made its way over threateningly, Zhang Xuan showed no signs of fear. Instead, a warm smile formed on his lips as he said, An esteemed like saint beast like you have been imprisoned in a cage for three long years by the Zhang n, stripped of your honor and dignity. At this point, I only have a single question for you... Do you want to exact vengeance? Chapter 1443 - I Can Help You Achieve a Breakthrough!

Chapter 1443: I Can Help You Achieve a Breakthrough!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Inferno Qilin finally halted upon hearing those words. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he continued. Just like you, I also hate the Zhang n with a passion. If you dont want to be trapped and tortured anymore, I can bring you out of here. Together, well make a huge uproar in the world, and if you wish, we can even destroy the Zhang n too... Destroy the Zhang n? Just... what does that fellow intend to do? Upon hearing those words, Zhang Wuchen and Elder Wuzhen felt their hair standing on end, and they nearly fainted on the spot. What in the world are you doing? Youre supposed to tame the Inferno Qilin! Why are you bringing the Zhang n into the equation? Well, a mere Saint 9-dan beast wont pose much of a threat to our powerful Zhang n, but still... if it goes on a rampage and relentlessly emanates its mes in the middle of the city, we will be put in a difficult position! More importantly... our reputation would bepletely ripped to shreds! With awful looks on their faces, the two elders turned their gazes to Zhang Jiang and saw that the young mans face had already turned pale in fright. Humph! If that fellow really manages to tame the Inferno Qilin and cause a mess in the Zhang n, Ill hold you responsible for the damage! Zhang Wuchen flung his sleeves coldly and harrumphed. But... Zhang Jiang wanted to protest, but meeting with the wintry gazes of the two elders, he could only lower his gaze meekly and ept their judgement. I understand.... Seeing how the young man before him was speaking such big words, the Inferno Qilin sneered in disdain. Destroy the Zhang n? Are you sure you have the guts and strength to challenge the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent? If it was one of the minor ns, it could still afford to run rampant for a while, but in here... even it had no choice but to lie low! Putting everything aside, just the man who had captured it and brought it to its current prison had been able to suppress its mes with a flick of his hand. If that man had truly intended to kill it, it would have fallen at a single sh of his! The Zhang n is indeed powerful, with many experts filling its ranks. However, as a n of master teachers, it has to obey by the rules. If they truly had no regard for the rules, they would have already tortured you into submission. There is no way you would be able to lie here peacefully and live your days quietly, Zhang Xuan said. Humph! The Inferno Qilin turned its head away. It was furious at the Zhang ns act of imprisoning it, but it had to admit that the Zhang n had never treated it too poorly. Otherwise, there were many ways they could have forced it into submission, such aspletely halting any spiritual energy from getting to it and depriving it of food and drink. Even though it would not have sumbed to those cheap tricks, still, its life could have been made a living hell. And the reason for that was because the Zhang n was a n of master teachers. There were rules that they had to obey, or else they would risk losing their prestige and honor that they had built up over the many years. No matter how powerful a n was, if it paid heed only to the ends and not the means, it would be nothing more than a tyrant. A powerful n that paid attention to only the ends and not the means would be nothing more than a tyrannical monster, and tyranny could only get one so far. Besides, if the Inferno Qilin did not choose to serve the Zhang n willingly, it would be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode at any moment. If it acted up while its master was away, perhaps killing a few of the younger offspring secretly, that would cause far greater damage to the Zhang n! Seeing that the Inferno Qilin was listening to his words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he continued his persuasion. I can bring you out to pummel the person who hasnded you in the plight you are in. Not only that, I can even cleanse your bloodline, bringing you to greater heights! Cleanse my bloodline? You? the Inferno Qilin harrumphed coldly. A me cloud immediately rose from its body, and the already blistering heat in the surroundings further intensified. Kacha! Zhang Xuan felt a deeply stifling sensation in his chest choking him from within. It felt like he would be reduced to ashes should the wrong wordse out from his mouth. Indeed. Do you doubt my words? Despite knowing he was knee deep in danger, Zhang Xuan did not show the slightest hint of nervousness. Instead, a confident smile materialized on his face. I can prove it to you. Prove it to me? The Inferno Qilin frowned. Indeed. I am only a Grand Dominion realm cultivator, an individual who poses no threat whatsoever to you. Whether Im lying or not, you should be able to tell with a swift look. Think about how long you have been imprisoned here. Dont you desire to attain more power and make those who have humiliated you pay the price for their actions? Or are you satisfied being treated as a tool for the beast tamers of the Zhang n to test their skills on you? Are you really fine with allowing the Zhang n trample all over your dignity? Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze to look right into the Inferno Qilins eyes as he further enticed it with his voice. The opportunity is right before your eyes; its your choice whether you want to seize it or not. But know that if you were to let it slip, such an opportunity might nevere once more. This... The Inferno Qilin fell into deep contemtion, and confusion could be seen reflected in its eyes. But at this moment, someone amid the crowd shouted, Agree to his request! It was from Zhang Ziqing. Her shout immediately caught the attention of the crowd, and many gazes fell upon her. Ah... Seeing that she was suddenly in the spotlight, Zhang Ziqing widened her eyes in realization at what she had just done, and her face immediately flushed red. At the same time, her hands trembled in shock as she muttered, Demonic tunist? The words that she had just spoken simply escaped from her throat before she could even notice it. The young mans voice seemed to carry some kind of unique quality to it that drew her into a confounded state,pelling her to bend to his will. And the fact that the young man was able to pull this off showed that he was not an amateur in demonic tunes as he had earlier imed. On the contrary, he was an expert whose mastery in the upation far surpassed hers! Otherwise, there was no way a demonic tunist prodigy like her would have fallen for his beguilement and even shouted out such embarrassing words. What was even more unfortunate was that she was the only one who had fallen for his demonic tunes. There were plenty whose cultivation was far lower than hers amid the crowd, but none of them had fallen for his demonic tunes. She knew that this was not due to Zhang Xuan acting against her, but rather, her high affinity toward demonic tunes had worked against her. It was precisely due to her sharpness toward music that resulted in her being subconsciously swayed by Zhang Xuans demonic tunes in her moment of carelessness, thus resulting in that embarrassing event. In a sense, this as simr to how skillful musicians were able to hear subtle differences in the melody where an ordinary man perceived no difference in the tune at all. The young mans demonic tune was directed solely toward the Inferno Qilin, so the effects on others were not too pronounced. It was only due to her innate sensitivity toward music that resulted in her falling for it. To others, there werepletely no effects whatsoever... well, for the time being, that was. As time went by, the others would also slowly find themselves unwittingly sinking into the young mans demonic tune, too. After recovering from her shock, Zhang Ziqing gritted her teeth in fury. Humph! Despite possessing such deep capabilities in demonic tunes, he still ims that hes just an amateur in it. His im that he doesnt know chess is probably a lie, too! She had already lost to the young man in the field of painting, and it was apparent that she would be no match for him in terms of zither skills. All that was left was chess, and it was honestly hard for her to believe that the young man before her did not know a thing about chess at all. She would have to make sure to challenge him after he was done taming the Inferno Qilin! Paying no heed to Zhang Ziqing, Zhang Xuan continued his persuasion. Whats your decision? Its just a try, and it wont cause the slightest damage to you at all. On the contrary, if it seeds, you will gain the power to escape from this confinement. So, why are you still hesitating? Just as Zhang Ziqing had guessed, he was not only using demonic tunes but also Impartation of Heavens Will. With the two abilities stacked on top of one another, further augmented by his Celestial Master Teacher aura and Heart of a Teacher, as powerful as the Inferno Qilins will might have been, it was already starting to be swayed. After a long moment of contemtive silence, the Inferno Qilin eventually nodded. Very well, Ill just give you one chance. It had been trapped for far too long. It would be for the best if it could achieve a breakthrough and escape... and if this young man dared to lie to it, it did not mind devouring him whole! You are indeed a wise beast! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he flicked his wrist. A jade bottle materialized in his hand, and shaking it lightly, a pill dropped into his other hand. This pill is able to cleanse your bloodline. Once you eat it, I guarantee that youll be able to achieve a breakthrough within ten minutes! Breakthrough? The Inferno Qilin lowered its gaze to eye the pill in the other partys palm. It was a golden pill, and it emanated an alluring fragrance. Rich spiritual energy shrouded its body, but other than that, there did not appear to be anything extraordinary about it. Chapter 1444 - The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast’s Breakthrough

Chapter 1444: The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts Breakthrough

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hu! The Inferno Qilin picked up the golden pill and squeezed it lightly. The longer it stared at the pill for, the more perplexed it became. No matter how he looked at it, the pill was just an ordinary Energy Replenishment Pill; there was nothing unique about it at all! While it was true that it harnessed quite a substantial amount of spiritual energy within it, to a beast of its caliber, it was not even worth a mention. Yet, the young man said that this pill would help it achieve a breakthrough? Was the young man taking it for a fool? Youll be able to make a breakthrough just by consuming it. Dont hesitate anymore, such an opportunity doesnte every day! Noting the skeptical look on the Inferno Qilins face, Zhang Xuan urged. The Inferno Qilin hesitated for a moment before tossing the pill back to Zhang Xuan and harrumphing, Ill never eat a pill of dubious origin. Who knows whether it has been poisoned or not? Even the Zhang n was unable to make it achieve a breakthrough, so how could a mere twenty-year-old brat possibly do any better than that? Besides, it had already taken a close look at the pill, and other than the spiritual energy within it being a bit more concentrated than usual, there was nothing unique to it. It would still be fine if it failed to achieve a breakthrough after consuming the pill, but if some kind of formidable poison that was undetectable to it were to be concealed in the pill, it would be in for a tragedy. This was a risk that the Inferno Qilin wasnt willing to take. Poison? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock upon hearing those words, and he eximed with a deeply aggrieved voice, Are you doubting my integrity? Theres no way I would do something as despicable as that! Besides, I am only at Grand Dominion realm! Do you think that I would be able to use any poison that would be capable of fazing you in the least? Not to mention, theres nothing I would gain from harming you! The Inferno Qilin fell silent after hearing those words. Indeed, the young man didnt have the ability nor motive to poison it. But humans were known to be a particrly scheming and devious race. Who could tell what kind of deeper plots that fellow could be hatching in the shadows? In any case, it seemed like an utter foolish act as to consume something of unknown origin. Thus, it decided not to pay the young man any more heed, and ity back down on the groundzily, preparing to drift off to sleep. Seeing such a sight, Zhang Xuan harrumphed indignantly, Since you dont believe me, Ill just have to prove it to you then! As he said those words, he flicked his wrist. Hu! A massive Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast materialized on the spot. Master! the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast lowered its head and greeted Zhang Xuan humbly. Eat this pill. Ill help you achieve a breakthrough! Zhang Xuan said as he flicked the golden pill in his hand over. Yes, master! the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast nodded its head. Without any hesitation, it opened its mouth and swallowed the golden pill. Gu gu gu! As rich spiritual energy burst out from the pill, a look of pleasure surfaced on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts face. However, contrary to its expectation, the long-awaited surge of energy that would take him on a ride toward a breakthrough didnt appear. The pill didnt seem to be as effective as it thought it would be. Master... the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast turned a perplexed gaze at Zhang Xuan. Calm down, everything is under control. Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he flicked his wrist once more. Hula! More than a hundred swords materialized in the air. After a swift shuffling in the air, they formed a bridge by connecting their ends to one another. Lie down on my swords, Zhang Xuan instructed. Even though the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was perplexed by the intention behind Zhang Xuans action, it still obediently flew over andy down tly on the bridge of swords. Due to the long and slender body frame of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, the scene of it lying t on the bridge of swords somehow bore a striking resemnce to a skewered sausage. Good, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. With a wave of his hand, he formed numerous threads of zhenqi to secure the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in ce, ensuring that it wouldnt fall from the bridge of swords. After which, he turned to the Inferno Qilin and said, This medicine of mine is particrly difficult to assimte. Ill require your Qilin mes as a medium in order to fully break down the contents of the pill. Since you dont trust me, why dont you allow me to prove you wrong by lending me your mes? Even though the Inferno Qilin appeared as if it was sleeping, it was actually sneaking curious nces over to see what the young man was up to. Sumbing to its intrigue to find out what would happen to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, it eventually gave a nod of agreement. While it dared not to casually eat the young mans pills, lending thetter its mes wasnt much of a deal. And if the pill really harnessed the miraculous effects of allowing it to achieve a breakthrough, perhaps it might not be that bad of an idea to ally with the young man. After giving a nod of agreement, the Inferno Qilin opened its mouth, and crimson mes burst forth from it. In the blink of an eye, its mes had already swept across the entire cage. This side, this side! Direct it straight toward the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast! Zhang Xuan instructed. Tzzzzzzzzzzz! Those mes were at a temperature which warped even the surroundings out of shape. As soon as they fell on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts back, a resounding sizzle echoed in the air. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also began to rotate the sword, as if barbecuing a meat skewer. ... Outside the cage, Zhang Wuchen and the others nced at one another with stupefied looks on their faces. Even the genius beast tamer, Zhang Jiang, wasnt able to make sense of the situation at all. It was apparent to everyone that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was Zhang Xuans tamed beast. As a mere Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivator, that fellow really should be counting his blessing for being able to tame a Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle saint beast... So, why was he roasting it right now then? The mes of the Inferno Qilin was more intense than the hottest earth mes; even Saint high-tier artifacts would melt swiftly under its searing heat! No matter how powerful the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was, there was no way it would be able to survive for too long when exposed to such overwhelming heat. At this rate, it might just really die! Is this what he means by disying his swordsmanship? Jian Qinsheng muttered in utter disbelief. It was just a moment ago that the young man said that he would bring glory to the Sanctum of Sages swordsmanship, so Jian Qinsheng simply assumed that the young man was going to use his sword to sh with the Inferno Qilin face on. Yet, it turned out that he was only using it as a skewer stick for his tamed beast so as to give it a good roasting... Can you get any more misleading than that? Tzzzzzzz! Under the zing heat, oil began to seep out on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts skin, and a peculiarly appetizing meat aroma wafted in the air. Master... The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was beginning to reach its limits. It tried to thrash its body around, but the zhenqi threads had bound it in a way that prevented it from effectively exerting its strength, thus rendering its efforts futile. Seeing that its life was hanging by a thread, despair surfaced in the depths of its eyes. Grit your teeth and endure it! If you wish to make a breakthrough, this is pain that you must ovee! Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts harness the coldness of theherworld in their bodies, thus their cultivation are also leaning toward the cold attribute too. While the Qilin mes are at odds with your primary attribute, it can help to neutralize any blockages in your meridians and cleanse your bloodline, allowing you to push right for a breakthrough! The pill which Zhang Xuan took out previously was infused with his Heavens Path zhenqi, so naturally, it had the effect of cleansing bloodlines too. Unfortunately, its effectiveness was extremely limited on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, whose cultivation was much higher than him. In other words, from the very start, his promise of allowing the Inferno Qilin to achieve a breakthrough just by eating the golden pill had been a big fat lie. His true purpose was to make use of the intense heat of the Qilin mes to refine the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts bloodline and grant it the momentum to ovee its Saint 8-dan pinnacle bottleneck! I understand! Realizing that its master was doing all of this for it, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast gritted its teeth tenaciously and endured the excruciating pain. When the mes dived into its body, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast felt the blood coursing through its body bubbling furiously, threatening to evaporate dry at any moment. A feeling of frailty gradually rippled through its body, and its consciousness was beginning to slip away from it. Just when it was on the verge of caving in, the pill that it had swallowed previously suddenly released a burst of soothing energy which maneuvered the mes in its body to knock open all of the bottlenecks within its body. As a result of that, its turbid blood began to turn clearer as well. Its working! The eyes of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast twinkled in excitement. Even though it had absolute trust in its master, relief and exhration still gushed in upon seeing the changes urring within its body. From the looks of it, it should be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon. Thus, it gathered all of its grit and forced itself to persevere on. Eventually, its suffering paid off. Three minutester, it felt the invisible ceiling that had capped its cultivation at Saint 8-dan pinnacle was beginning to loosen, and cracks were gradually creeping all over it. Now! All of a sudden, its masters voice echoed loudly in its ear. Without any hesitation, it gathered all of its remaining energy together as it released a majestic roar. Boom! Even the sturdy metal cage rattled under the deafening roar! Kacha! Kacha! The power that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast harnessed within its body began to surge to a new peak, and eventually, as if its body couldnt contain that power anymore, a tremendous burst of energy shot upward into the clouds. It managed to pull off a breakthrough... The golden pill could actually allow one to achieve a breakthrough? Retracting its mes, the Inferno Qilin couldnt help but freeze on the spot. It was still deeply skeptical when the young man said that the golden pill would allow it to achieve a breakthrough within ten minutes, but from the looks of it now, it was apparent that the young man wasnt lying... The golden pill was truly a miraculous pill! It hurriedly turned its gaze over to the young man, only to see that thetterpletely preupied with controlling the hundred of swords he had brought out. The jade bottle that he had taken the golden pill out from previously was currently ced on the ground not too far away from the young man, open for anyone to take. Hehe, its all mine! A glint shed across the Inferno Qilins eyes as it flicked its paw. Hu! In the blink of an eye, the jade bottle was already in its grasp. Taking a look inside, he saw that there were seven golden pills inside. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, it swallowed all of them down. Chapter 1445 - Submit To Me!

Chapter 1445: Submit To Me!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You... In the midst of retracting his swords, Zhang Xuan happened to chance upon this sight, and he froze on the spot. I must say that Im really thankful for your generous gift, but you need not put on an act anymore. I know your motive. You speak of helping me exact vengeance, but in the end, arent you just trying to make me submit to you? I can tell you this loud and clear right nowdream on! Driving its Qilin mes to break down the contents of the pill, the Inferno Qilin looked at Zhang Xuan and sneered coldly, We, of the Qilin Tribe, and proud and noble beasts. How can we possibly submit to a mere human? Hidden under those impassioned and rousing words was the ugly intention of the human to enve it. Given how it refused to submit to even the head of the Zhang n, how could it possibly willingly submit to a mere Grand Dominion realm brat? You must be kidding me! The only reason why it chit-chatted with the other party for so long was because it was bored with its confined istion, and it wanted to chat with someone a bit. Who could have thought that the young man would actually bring him some unexpected gains? The Inferno Qilin had been paying close attention to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. While thetters cultivation had indeed reached Saint 8-dan pinnacle, it was limited by the potential of its bloodline. Achieving a breakthrough for it would be a feat nearly as difficult as scaling the heavens. Yet, just by consuming the golden pill, it managed to push through its bottleneck and rise to the next realm... From this, it was certain that the pills in the jade bottle did harness mystical effects. Even if they werent as effective on it, it would still benefit greatly from consuming them. At the very least, pushing for a breakthrough of a small cultivation stage shouldnt pose too much trouble! My pills! Paying no heed to the Inferno Qilins taunting, a look of absolute horror appeared on Zhang Xuans face. I have already swallowed them, what are you going to do about it? Make me spit them out? the Inferno Qilin taunted coldly. You deserved it for cing a treasure like that before me unguarded. Its not as if Im bounded by the code of honor or those rubbish principles that you master teachers follow. Survival of the fittest; since I was able to snatch it, it goes without saying that its mine! No, thats not what I mean... Zhang Xuan eximed in a fluster as he shook his head hurriedly. Like I give a damn as to what you mean! Since I have presented me with such fine medicine, Ill let you off the hook this time around. Scram out of this cage right now, or else, dont me me for getting nasty on you! The Inferno Qilin swung its thick tail menacingly before returning back to the area where it hadid down on earlier. I... The Inferno Qilins words did little to cool down the agitated state Zhang Xuan was in. He continued eximing anxiously, Im not concerned about you taking my pills but... I only have a single one of that breakthrough pill, and I have already fed it to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast! A single one? Those words immediately left the Inferno Qilin halting in its footsteps. It turned his head around and asked doubtfully, If you only have a single one of those breakthrough pills, what are the other pills you have stored in that jade bottle of yours then? Those... are all poison! Zhang Xuan eximed. Poison? The Inferno Qilin was visibly startled for a moment before it clicked its tongue in disdain. Dont think that you can get me to spit out those pills just because you said that they are poison. Let me tell you this, I have already assimted those pills into my body! Even if the young man felt indignant at having his pills eaten by it, surely it didnt have toe up with such a ludicrous lie! It had made sure to scan the pill carefully with its Spiritual Perception prior to consuming it, and it was certain that those seven golden pills were identical to the one the young man had offered it previously. If they were really poison, his tamed beast should have been dead by now! And besides, who in the world would ce a pill intended for achieving breakthroughs into a bottle filled with poisonous pills? What if one were to consume the poison by ident? At least put some effort into crafting out your lie! I cant feel your sincerity at all! Hearing those words, the young mans face immediately turned white, and he lowered his gaze despondently as he muttered, You have already assimted the pills? Oh no, this is a disaster... Enough of your act. Get out of here right now, and Ill spare... Fed up with the young mans theatrics, the Inferno Qilin harrumphed coldly and turned its body around. But halfway through its motion, it suddenly froze up entirely, and an intense pain abruptly exploded through its innards. Kacha! Kacha! It was a kind of sensation that felt as if someone was tugging desperately at the two ends of its heart in opposite directions, attempting to rip it apart. At the same time, the Inferno Qilin felt a flowing current of power seeping into the thinnest meridians in his body and gnawing at his nerves viciously, causing an unending wave of pain to assault his senses. Facing such a situation, the Inferno Qilin panicked. Qilin mes were capable of turning anything to cinders. As such, most poisons would be reduced to ashes before they could do any harm to its body, so why would its body suddenly be tormented by great pain all of a sudden? Tzzzzzzzz! While it was still deep in thought, the pain assaulting him from the inside swiftly intensified, sweeping through every nook and cranny of his body like an unstoppable flood. Padah! The Inferno Qilin copsed weakly to the ground, devoid of even the strength to get back to its feet. Its definitely the golden pills that I have just eaten. Damn it! the Inferno Qilin cursed with his ttering teeth. It was very certain that the cause of the pain was the golden pills that it had just eaten. When it was assimting the pills earlier, several surges of energy burst forth from them and converged together before diving into the narrowest meridians in its body to lie in wait. Y-you poisoned me! the Inferno Qilin red at the young man before it in fury. Everything was as clear as day to it now. The young man had intentionally ced the jade bottle on the ground in order to prompt it to steal it from him. By doing this, not only would he not be infringing on his dignity as a master teacher, he would be able to corner it too. More importantly, it wouldnt have anyone to me because it was due to its own foolishness that it leaped ahead of itself and snatched the pills... Indeed, there was nothing more frightening than a shameless master teacher! You should have just asked me instead of leaping forward to snatch it! Why are you so reckless? Those pills are poisonous, you know! Zhang Xuan eximed with a hint of helplessness in his voice. You... Trembling with fury, the Inferno Qilin found itself at a loss for words. What else could it say? All the young man did was to ce the jade bottle beside it. In the first ce, the young man had offered the golden pill to him at one point in time, and it refused it. After which, it was also the one who snatched away the jade bottle and downed its content... From the perspective of the outsiders, the young man hadnt done anything morally questionable at all from the start to the end! Directing a vicious re at Zhang Xuan, the Inferno Qilin growled, Give me the antidote! Since the young man had such a poison in his possession, it didnt make sense for him to not have the antidote. To be perfectly honest with you, I dont have any antidote for that poison. However, I do know of a method to alleviate the effects of the poison... As long as you submit to me, I can help you! Zhang Xuan said with a look of difficulty. You want me to submit to you? Dream on! After despicably luring it into eating the poison, that fellow still wanted it to submit to him? The Inferno Qilin nearly exploded on the spot. Malicious killing intent burst forth from it as it roared ferociously, Even if I were to die today, I shall bring you down together with me! Boom! The Inferno Qilin leaped into the air, and it swiped its hoof down on Zhang Xuan. In an instant, mes surged to every corner of the cage, and an overwhelming burst of energy which was powerful enough to even rip pitch-ck rifts in space tore through the air, descending down upon the young man. Padah! But before the attack could reach, the Inferno Qilin suddenly plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground. Its body convulsed ceaselessly from the excruciating pain coursing through its innards, and white foam was leaking out from the corner of its mouth. The poison was simply too potent that it had exceeded its tolerance limit. Zhang Xuan walked up to the Inferno Qilin and gazed down on thetter impassively. He shook his head and persuaded, Submit to me. Youll only die at this rate. You want someone who possesses the Ancient Qilin Bloodline like me to submit to a filthy and despicable human like you? Dream on! the Inferno Qilin roared with gritted teeth. The lineage of the Qilin Tribe could be traced back to the ancient times, and the Qilin Tribe had been a dominant power even in the era where powerful beasts roamed the surface of the Master Teacher Continent. While the purity of its bloodline wascking aspared to its ancestors, there was no way its pride would allow it to submit to a mere human! It would rather die than to submit to them! Otherwise, the Zhang n wouldnt have beenpletely helpless despite having captured it for three whole years. I guess theres no choice then... Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was just about to further goad the Inferno Qilin on with his words when an oppressive pressure suddenly weighed down heavily on him from above. In an instant, even his breathing had beborious. Raising his head, he saw dark, ominous clouds swiftly filling the previously clear sky. Lightning crackled angrily from within, as if heralding the arrival of a catastrophe. Is this the Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment Chapter 1446 - Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal

Chapter 1446: Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm. Macrocosm refers to the entire spatial world we perceive formed by the three dimensions. Those who had reached this realm would be able to wield an understanding of space far greater than at Dimension Sundering realm, allowing them to dictate the changes in the spaces around them, granting them the strength required to stand at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan thought that it would be a huge blessing if he could help the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast rise to Half-Macrocosm Ascendancy realm, but perhaps due to the firm foundation it had built up over many years, it was actually able to crash down two bottlenecks in rapid session using the Qilin mes, charging up to Saint 9-dan in a single breath! The ability to dictate space was a skill that should be unique only to the heavens themselves. Those who sought to steal this ability from them would have to suffer an equivalent punishment for their actions. As such, the ordeal that one had to face at this level was exceptionally formidable. If Dimension Sundering Ordeal was difficult, the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal would be despair-inducing. To make aparison, even the might of ten Dimension Sundering Ordeal wouldnte close to matching up to the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Tzla! In barely the blink of an eye, the ominous clouds in the sky had already covered an area of four to five thousand mu 1 around them, and it was still expanding at a frightening rate. This is really a disaster... Outside the cage, Zhang Wuchen and Elder Wuzhen were trembling in horror. The both of them had been through the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal themselves, and even with their current cultivation realms, they would still shudder at the notion of facing it once more... One must know that the prowess of the ordeal was, in fact,parable to a full strength attack by an expert surpassing Saint 9-dan. And for such a powerful lightning tribtion to be called in the middle of their city... The entire guest area could very well be reduced to cinders! That young man had already destroyed countless buildings near the entrance formation previously, and now, he was going to destroy their guest amodations as well? That Zhang Xuan was really a symbol of misfortune! How were they to exin this to their n head when he returned? Everyone, hurry up and evacuate this area! Knowing that the crowd standing within the perimeter of the lightning tribtion would only induce it to grow stronger and stronger, Zhang Wuchen immediately instructed. Sou sou sou! Realizing the dangers, the crowd also didnt dare to linger in the area. They hurriedly flitted as far away from the guest area as they could. There was no way to stop the lightning tribtionit would only grow stronger the more they tried to curb it. It was one thing if they seeded in eliminating the lightning tribtion once and for all, but if they were to fail, the entire city could very well be reduced to ashes... That Zhang Xuan is really a herald of misfortune... He should have known better than to allow his saint beast to achieve a breakthrough here! Zhang Wuchen spat through gritted teeth. Whenever the Zhang n had anyone who was on the verge of making a breakthrough to Macrocosm Ascendancy realm, they would make sure to prepare a location for him in advance, and in some cases, set up formations even in order to ensure that the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal wouldnt cause too much damage to the surroundings. Yet, this fellow actually brought one right into the middle of their home base... Considering how many guests there were here, there was no way they would be able to protect all of them! If any of them were to lose their life while under the Zhang ns care, it would really be a huge smirch on the Zhang ns reputation. Taking a step back, even if no life was lost in this catastrophe, the massive damage that it would sustain as a result of the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal would still make it aughingstock on the Master Teacher Continent! Zhang Xuan, hurry up and bring your tamed beast out of here. Theres a Dracotiger Mountain not too far away with specialized formations that could help your tamed beast deal with the lightning tribtion! Unable to take it any longer, Zhang Wuchen urged anxiously. At the very end of the city was a ce known as the Dracotiger Mountain. It was used by the Zhang n as a specialized ground for their offspring to deal with their cultivation ordeals. For this purpose, there were plenty of formidable formations set up around the area, and while it wouldnt help to fend off the lightning, it would at least suppress the growth of inner demons within the cultivators mind, thus allowing him to focus his full attention on coping with the lightning tribtion. As long as he could get the saint beast there, the Zhang n would be able to avert this crisis. Very well... Zhang Xuan shot a nce at the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast before nodding his head. But just as he was about to instruct the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast over to head over to the ce which Zhang Wuchen had spoken of, a powerful surge of might suddenly burst forth from behind him. Following which, the Inferno Qilins furious bellow sounded in the air, Since Im going to die anyway, I might as well bring down all of you bastards along with me! mes began emanating from the Inferno Qilins body. This is really bad... Zhang Wuchen was horrified to see this sight. Due to being gued with lethal poison, the Inferno Qilin had already resolved itself for death. As such, it had chosen to use its full strength to further provoke the lightning tribtion so as to bring down the darned Zhang Xuan and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast together with it. As it was standing at the very center of the lightning tribtion, the instant that it drove its strength, the lightning tribtion was immediately rumbled furiously in response to its provocation. Wuuuuuuuuu! In the blink of an eye, the five thousand mu field expanded to cover over ten thousand mu 2 , and there were no signs that its growth was going to stop anytime soon either. If the lightning tribtion had only covered the guest area previously, at this moment, it was covering a huge chunk of the area where the Zhang ns offspring resided in too. You... Well done! Seeing how cooperative the Inferno Qilin was at such a crucial moment even without having him to prompt for it, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in delight. Given the size of the lightning tribtion, it should beparable to at least ten pinnacle spirit stones at the very least. If he could devour it, his cultivation would definitely surge to higher realms. Hahaha, I want all of you to suffer along with me! Completely oblivious to Zhang Xuans thoughts, the Inferno Qilin was only focused on a single matter this very instantmaking the lightning tribtion grow asrge as possible. Roaring furiously, it released everyst bit of energy it had within it. In the midst of doing so, it realized that the release of its strength seemed to lessen the excruciating pain from the poison, so it gritted its teeth and pushed itself on. Kacha! Kacha! Even before the lightning could fall, the overwhelming pressure it emanated had already destroyed the formation cast on the cage. At the same time, countless buildings also caved in to the pressure and copsed abruptly. Master, what should I do? Seeing how his Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal had gonepletely out of control, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast couldnt help but cower back in fear. It had been too focused on pushing for a breakthrough that it overlooked the possible consequences of his action. It had never thought that things would get to this point. If even its master was helpless before this situation, it would really be electrocuted to death. Theres no need to panic. Continue drawing in the lightning tribtion. Therger it is, the better itll be. Zhang Xuan instructed before flying over to Zhang Wuchen and the others side. Third Elder, Seventh Elder. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted. With his current cultivation realm, he could walk around freely without catching the attention of the lightning tribtion. Do you have any ways to resolve this situation? Zhang Wuchen asked grimly. If the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast didnt leave right now, everyone would be doomed once the lightning tribtion fell! I do have an idea in mind, but I would require a few things to carry them out. Do you happen to have Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm, Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering, and Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm cultivation technique manuals? I need as many of them as possible! Zhang Xuan asked urgently. Since the lightning tribtion was already prepared for his consumption, it went without saying that he needed to have the cultivation techniques required to up his cultivation too. Otherwise, he would be wasting this precious source of energy! Cultivation technique manuals? What do you need those for? Zhang Wuchen was taken aback by Zhang Xuans abrupt request. The matters that had urred at the Sanctum of Sages had been ssified as confidential, and students had been sternly warned not to let this matter out. Of course, it would only be a matter of time before it spread amongst the top brass of the major ns, but for the time being, Zhang Wuchen was still unable to fathom the notion of the young man making use of the lightning tribtion to push for breakthroughs. Theres no time to exin it to you! I need you to bring them to me right now. This is the only way we can resolve the crisis standing before us, or else... Im afraid that there would be nothing I could do either! Zhang Xuan said with even greater urgency in his voice. This... I do have a few Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals with me at the moment. I was nning to impart them to my students, so I have been bringing them along with me... As for Dimension Sundering realm cultivation technique manuals, almost all of them are all locked in the ns book vault, and Im afraid that even with my authorization as the Third Elder, I still cant bring you in. Only those amongst the top brass of the Zhang n are authorized to ess it, and even so, they could only pick out a single cultivation technique from there. Even I am no exception to the rule! Zhang Wuchen paused for a moment before eventually replying. Those who had reached Dimension Sundering realm could already be considered as individuals who had reached the apex of the Master Teacher Continent. As such, despite being the Third Elder of the Zhang n, he only had several of them in his private collection. And as for the ns secret art, it went without saying that there was no way he would be able to show them to an outsider! I guess I would have to make do with Phantasmal Space realm cultivation technique manuals then... Seeing that the lightning was about to fall at any moment, Zhang Xuan knew that he didnt have much time to waste. Thus, he waved his hand and urged, Hurry up and take them out. I just have to take a swift nce at them! Un. Seeing that the young man had an idea in mind, Zhang Wuchen didnt dare to waste any time. Flicking his wrist, a bunch of books appeared before him Chapter 1447 - Please Take Me In!

Chapter 1447: Please Take Me In!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric There werent too many books amidst that pile, numbering just roughly twenty to thirty of them. After scanning through them, a deep frown surfaced on Zhang Xuans forehead. They were all rting to Saint 7-dan Phantasmal space realm, but those books were not something which Zhang Xuan would even call cultivation technique manuals. If he really had to give a name to it, they were more like assignment booklets. Written on those books were what that appeared simr to assignment questions which teachers would pass down to their students in his previous life. All in all, there was only a single book that could be said to be useful. This... Zhang Xuan shot a deep look at Zhang Wuchen. Its against the rules to impart the Zhang ns cultivation techniques to outsiders, so I can only show you these. Nevertheless, its still quite a formidable cultivation technique, suited for cultivators of any attribute to practice... Noting Zhang Xuans gaze on him, Zhang Wuchen exined with an awkward chuckle. ... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Unlike in academies, the cultivation techniques that were passed down in ns were limited in variety. As all members of the Zhang n shared the same bloodline, they were likely to be simr in terms of attribute and could cultivate the same cultivation technique. At the same time, honorary elders who chose to ally with the Zhang n were likely to already have their own cultivation techniques and lineage as well. As such, despite the Zhang ns influence and standing in the Master Teacher Continent, its collection of cultivation technique manuals was actually not too big. If thats the case, do you have any physical body cultivation technique or soul cultivation technique? Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking. The massive lightning tribtion was like a big feast to him; he might just regret it for life if he couldnt make good use of this opportunity to push for a breakthrough or two. I do have quite a few physical body cultivation techniques here! Elder Wuzhen flicked his wrist, and a pile of books numbering over a thousand appeared right before him. I also have a few soul cultivation technique manuals with me. Zhang Wuchen said as he took out a pile of books too. As they werent confidential secrets arts of the Zhang n, there was no problem with him showing these books to Zhang Xuan. Seeing that these two fellows were finally reliable for once, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He swiftly shot a nce at those books and collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. Alright, Ill go and fend off the lightning tribtion! Saying those words, Zhang Xuan leaped up and soared right into the midst of the storm clouds. W-what? Hes going to fend off the lightning tribtion? This... Zhang Wuchen and Elder Wuzhen were visibly shocked by Zhang Xuans abrupt actions. Even Zhang Ziqings face had turned pale in horror. They thought that the young man would have a good solution to deal with the lightning tribtion, but he ended up dashing over blindly instead. Wasnt that as good as courting death? ... Hu! Zhang Xuan dashed right into the dark clouds. At the same time, he swiftlypiled the physical body cultivation technique manuals and soul cultivation technique manuals he had gathered into a higher tier Heavens Path Golden Body and the Grand Dominion realm Heavens Path Soul Art. I probably wont be able to finish absorbing a lightning tribtion of this size, and if it were to really fall, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would lose its life... Alright, you lot,e out as well! Looking at the storm clouds which extended past the horizon, Zhang Xuan knew that no matter how huge an appetite he had, it would be impossible for him to devour it clean within a short period of time. Thus, he chose to bring out his clone, the Dongxu Gourd, and the vine out too. What a splendid lightning tribtion this is! Looking at the sheer scale of the storm clouds that had congregated in the area and feeling the immense lightning energy harnessed amidst it, his clone, the Dongxu Gourd, and the vine couldnt help but release an excited shriek as they dashed right in. Zhang Xuan didnt ck around either. He drew out of his Primordial Spirit and began furiously devouring in the lightning energy around him. At the same time, under the effects of the Mind of Void, his body also began drawing in the lightning energy and cultivating the Heavens Path Golden Body instinctively too. Some timeter, as per the norm with previous lightning tribtions, it fled in fear after realizing that there were several mysterious powers robbing its energy. Zhang Xuan swiftly kept his clone, the Dongxu Gourd, and the vine back into his storage ring before heaving a sigh of relief. He assessed his gains during this period of time, and he couldnt help but nod in contentment. His soul cultivation had sessfully reached Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. At the same time, his physical body had also surpassed its previous bottleneck, reaching a levelparable to half-Saint pinnacle artifacts. With the current resilience of his physical body, even if he were to standpletely unguarded before a Saint 7-dan cultivator, thetter would still be unable to harm him in the slightest. In the truest sense, he could be said to be a human-shaped weapon. And that wasnt the happiest news yet. It seems like the Innate Fetal Poison has been further suppressed as a result of my breakthrough! He realized that the more lightning energy he absorbed, the more he was able to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison. After digging into the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal, it had been forced to cower quietly by a corner, not daring to move in the slightest. It seems like the lightning energy harnessed within cultivation ordeals is indeed highly beneficial to me. I must make sure to look for more in the future... Zhang Xuan thought as he casually shot his nce downward to take a look. And what that came into his sight left his eyelids twitching in horror. The resplendent guest amodations of the Zhang n had been reced by rubble. Even though Zhang Xuan had charged up to absorb the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal, the lingering might that the lightning tribtion emanated was still too powerful. At the same time, these buildings had quite some age to them, so they eventually sumbed to the pressure. Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned is gaze to Zhang Wuchen and the others, and just as he had expected, he saw that they had an awful look on their faces. He couldnt help but shudder a little. To think that he would actually reduce this ce to ruins just like that! This was really... really... exhrating! With the mess that he had caused, even if the young prodigy were to continue holing up wherever he had been hiding for all those years, surely Xing Sword Saint should show up? Zhang shi, thank you for helping us resolve the lightning tribtion. Otherwise, our Zhang n would have been in deep trouble... Clenching his trembling fists tightly, Zhang Wuchen suppressed his anger and sped his fist. No words could describe what he was feeling at this moment. Even though the lightning tribtion was brought here by that young man, he had only done so in order to tame the Inferno Qilin. Not to mention, this incident had happened under his watch, so he also had to take responsibility for this incident too. It would only reflect badly on him and the Zhang n if he were to push the me to Zhang Xuan right now. It was truly fortunate that the problem was resolved in the end, or else the consequences would be truly dire. Not only would the guest area be destroyed, a huge part of the Zhang ns establishment could have been reduced to ruins too! At the very least, this was all he could tell himself to soothe his indignant heart right now. Zhang Wuchen turned his gaze to Zhang Jiang and bellowed furiously, Zhang Jiang, for acting on your own ord, you have to take responsibility for the mess that you have caused. I hereby order you to return back to your residence and await your punishment. Until any further orders are given, you are not to leave your room! Yes... Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Jiang lowered his head despondently. Turning around, he was just about to return back to his residence when he suddenly recalled something and halted in his footsteps. He hurriedly turned back around and sped his fist humbly toward Zhang Wuchen and said, I have no qualms about being punished for this matter, but... my duel with Zhang shi isnt over yet! Third Elder, I beseech you to give me some time to wait for the results. Once the results are out, regardless of whether its my loss or victory, Ill make my way over to the Hall of Punishments to take responsibility for my recklessness... He recalled that his duel with Zhang Xuan was still ongoing, and if he was going to be punished for this matter, the least he could do was to make things difficult for Zhang Xuan too. Results? Zhang Wuchen frowned. Thats right, Third Elder. I have made a bet with Zhang shi whether he would be able to reach a higher intimacy level with the Inferno Qilin than me within three days. However, looking at how fixated the Inferno Qilin was in dragging that fellow down to the depths of hell with it, I dont think that we would need three days to determine the victor... Zhang Jiang hurriedly exined. Just by how Zhang Xuan had resorted to schemes to poison it, there was no way the Inferno Qilin would feel the slightest shred of goodwill toward it. If a saint beast could submit to a man like that even after all that had happened, there would really be no need for beast tamers in the world! Everyone would have just be a poison master instead! Just like humans, saint beasts had their own pride too. They would only submit to people whom they recognize, and naturally, for a person like Zhang Xuan who resorted to underhanded means such as poisons and schemes... Only someone with a loose screw would be willing to acknowledge such a person as their master! This was especially so for a fiery-tempered saint beast like the Inferno Qilin. Using underhanded means against it would only intensify its hostility, making it nigh impossible to tame it. Hearing the conversation between the two, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but scratch his head in embarrassment. He thought that he could win the Inferno Qilins respect by having the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast achieve a breakthrough before it, thus convincing it submit to him. However, just by looking at how the Inferno Qilin didnt hesitate to provoke the lightning tribtion just to deal with him, most likely, it would be impossible for him to tame it anymore! Forget it, I admit... Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was just about to admit his defeat when he suddenly felt a slight warmth on his leg. Turning his head over, he saw the Inferno Qilin lying right next to him, licking him with its tongue. With a face filled with respect and awe, it pleaded, Master, please take me in! Chapter 1448 - Your Teacher Is Here!

Chapter 1448: Your Teacher Is Here!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Ah? Zhang Jiangs body froze upon hearing those words. Zhang Wuchen and the others also stared at one another nkly. What was wrong with this fellow? It was just a moment ago that it dered impassionately that those of the Ancient Qilin Bloodline werent to be sullied, and if it could, it would have probably ughtered Zhang Xuan without any hesitation. Yet, why would it suddenly cast away its pride and end up kneeling on the floor subserviently all of a sudden? Zhang Xuan was also clearly taken aback by the abrupt change in attitude by the Inferno Qilin too. He had to stare intently at the Inferno Qilin for a long while before he was able to convince himself that it was the same arrogant beast that he had dealt with just a moment ago. With a bizarre look on his face, he asked, Are you certain that you want to acknowledge me as your master? Yes! I swear on my Ancient Qilin Bloodline that Ill heed anymands that master instructs me without anyints! the Inferno Qilin anxiously nodded its head, as if fearing that the young man before it would change his mind. Alright then. Zhang Xuan nodded. A mere instant after giving his two words of approval, he immediately saw a droplet of blood harnessing the Inferno Qilins soul diving gently into his be. And with their master-servant rtionship being sealed by a soul contract, he swiftly became cognizant of the massive fellows thought process. Under normal circumstances, the Inferno Qilin would have never submitted to anyone. However, when it saw him diving into a lightning tribtion so powerful that even it would have fled in fear, it changed its mind. While saint beasts were born physical constitutions that were far stronger than humans, their Primordial Spirits were much weaker in contrast. As such, they possessed natural deference toward lightning, and those who were able to conquer lightning were not too much different from deities in their eyes. As such, just on the basis that the young man was able to chase it away the lightning tribtion so easily, it didnt seem too bad of an idea to be his tamed beast... Furthermore, since the other party was able to help the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast achieve a breakthrough, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to do the same for it too! The thought process of beasts was sometimes just much simpler than humans. It was not to say that they were less intelligent, but the way that they perceive friends and foes was much more straightforward aspared to humans. I dont believe it... How can this be?! Seeing that the Inferno Qilin had actually acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master, Zhang Jiangs face turned as white as a sheet of paper. That was a saint beast which even their n head was unable to tame! Yet, to be able to win its loyalty within just a short twenty minutes... Not to mention, it was just a moment ago that the Inferno Qilin was baring its fangs at Zhang Xuan, dying to rip the young man into shreds... Why would it suddenly change its attitude all of a sudden? Do you know that your abrupt change in attitude has put me in a spot? Not only have I lost the duel, the n head would also punish me severely for this once he returned! He had to pay a heavy price in order to capture that huge fellow! If he were to learn that it had fallen into the hands of an outsider... Pu! Zhang Jiangs face reddened from all of the frustration bottled up within in, and a spurt of blood escaped from his lips. You are an Inferno Qilin, a beast who possesses the noble Ancient Qilin Bloodline! Zhang Jiang couldnt help but exim in agitation. So what if the noble Ancient Qilin Bloodline flows through my veins? Zhang shi is an outstanding young talent whos both righteous and humble. Such a person is worthy of me devoting my entire life into pursuing! The Inferno Qilin shot a haughty look toward Zhang Jiang, fully expressing its delight in bing Zhang Xuans tamed beast. You... Zhang Jiang nearly copsed to the ground. What happened to your pride? What happened to your dignity? It wasnt too long ago that you were screeching impassionately about how you would rather die than to submit yourself up to another and be sullied, and all of a sudden, you are acting in such a manner... It cant be that your soul has been swapped with another persons, can it? Since you have acknowledged me as your master, then I guess it would be inappropriate for me not to bestow you with a greeting gift, right? Completely ignoring the blood-spurting Zhang Jiang, Zhang Xuan snapped his finger with a slight smile. With an expectant look, the Inferno Qilin waited excitedly for its master present when all of a sudden, it felt a surge of energy gushing out from the depths of its dantian. Under the surge of energy, it found its meridians, which were previously riddled with blockages here and there, were being swiftly knocked open This is... the lethal poison from before? The Inferno Qilin widened its eyes in disbelief. The sensation of the energy coursing through its body was very familiarit was the exact same feeling it felt when the poison in the pills diffused throughout its entire body. Just that, instead of wreaking havoc this time around, this surge of energy was clearing away all of the bottlenecks limiting its cultivation, thus pushing it toward a higher realm! To turn a lethal poison into a tonic with just a mere thought, this was a feat which even 9-star master teachers were incapable of! The Inferno Qilin found itself trembling uncontrobly in agitation. It was at this very moment that it truly realized how wise of a decision that it had just made. It was an instinctive action that it chose to acknowledge the young man as its master, but who could have thought that the capabilities the young man wielded would be far beyond its imagination. Possessing the Ancient Qilin Bloodline, it was blessed with superior prowess at birth, putting it at a much higher starting point at the others. But at the same time, this overwhelming strength had be its limitation too. Without a doubt, the Qilin mes was the strongest weapon that it wielded, but it was also precisely how powerful it was that it was hard to bring it under control, thus making it nigh impossible for Inferno Qilin to cultivate the smaller and thinner meridians in its body. As a result, its rate of cultivation had been very slow. However, in this very moment, that surge of energy was helping it to pave open all of these smaller and thinner meridians, thus clearing all of the bottlenecks in its way! In an instant, the Inferno Qilin felt that the invisible ceiling capping its cultivation was starting to loosen up, and it would be able to push for a breakthrough at any moment. Master... Hurry up and make a breakthrough. Dont waste this precious opportunity, Zhang Xuan interjected nonchntly. Yes! Knowing that this wasnt the time for soppy words, the Inferno Qilin closed its eyes and drove the energy in its body. Boom! A powerful pressure swept across surroundings, and in this instant, the Inferno Qilin appeared to be an indomitable conqueror. The Inferno Qilin... is going to make a breakthrough too? Zhang Wuchens face immediately warped in absolute shock. With a tearful look, he eximed, Zhang shi, please take the Inferno Qilin away from here. The Zhang n cant take another lightning tribtion! On behalf of Zhang Jiang, Ill formally concede defeat to you, alright? Just the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts breakthrough was sufficient to turn the entire guest area into ruins. If the more powerful Inferno Qilin were to make a breakthrough too... the entire Dracotiger City could very well be turned into ruins! Ah... Theres no need to worry. Its currently at Saint 9-dan advanced stage, so it wont draw in any lightning tribtion! Zhang Xuan exined awkwardly. Through the soul contract, he was able to urately perceive the Inferno Qilins currently cultivation realm and strengthSaint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm advanced stage! Even when utilizing the momentum granted by his zhenqi, it would only be able to push for a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan pinnacle at most... And based on what he knew, just like with Saint 8-dan, there was no lightning tribtion between each cultivation stage within Saint 9-dan. That would be for the best... Zhang Wuchen suddenly recalled that the Inferno Qilins current cultivation realm and heaved a sigh of relief. Once bitten, twice shy. Perhaps it was due to the fright from seeing what happened with the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast that he became particrly sensitive to this issue. Indeed, a breakthrough of a cultivation stage within Saint 9-dan wouldnt draw in any lightning tribtion. As Zhang Wuchen finally calmed down, many questions began floating in his mind. So, with a slightly intrigued voice, he asked, Even a breakthrough of a cultivation stage within Saint 9-dan is as difficult as attempting to scale the heavens... If I may just ask, how did Zhang shi manage to induce a breakthrough in it? The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts breakthrough could still be attributed to the strong foundations it had built up prior to its breakthrough and Zhang Xuans deep understanding of it... But considering that he had just tamed the Inferno Qilin and hadnt had a chance to understand its constitution on a deeper level yet, how in the world did he manage to induce a breakthrough within it too then? If that young man really wielded the ability to induce breakthroughs in saint beast as and when he liked, he could pretty much tame any saint beast that he wanted! This... I guess it can all be attributed to luck. The Inferno Qilin happens to have made sufficient umtion over the years, so by using some special means, I was able to tap into its potential and help it push for a breakthrough. Things wouldnt have proceeded as smoothly as this if I had been dealing with another saint beast instead. Zhang Xuan exined. There was no way he could reveal the existence of the Heavens Path zhenqi, or else it could bring him great trouble in the future. Ultimately, everything still boiled down to low profile and humility! Those were the two greatest virtues in the world, after all! Pardon me, it seems like I havecked consideration in my words. Seeing how the young man was beating around the bush, Zhang Wuchen realized that his actions may appear as if he was probing into the other partys secrets, so he hurriedly apologized. Following which, he sped his fist and smiled, I have heard news from our younglings in the Sanctum of Sages that your teacher is Yang shi, Yang Xuan. Is that true? My teacher is indeed Yang Xuan, Zhang Xuan replied. At this moment, he wasnt ready to throw out his identity as Yang Xuans student yet. Considering the abilities that he wielded despite his low cultivation realm, there was no telling that greedy individuals would attempt to do him harm so as to uncover his secrets. Hu Yiwei wasnt around anyway, and they werent at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters either. Even the Sanctum of Sages was unable to uncover the authenticity of his identity, so surely it wouldnt be too difficult to fool the Zhang n too? No wonder... Zhang Wuchen nodded in realization. May I know if Zhang shi knows where Yang shi is currently at? My teacher has always been a free man, wandering thends without allowing himself to be restrained by anything. As such, Im afraid that I am unaware of his whereabouts either. Zhang Xuan replied. Zhang Wuchen was slightly taken aback for a moment before finally understanding why Zhang Xuan hade to the Zhang n and yet, instead of paying a visit to his teacher, chose to wreak havoc here. It turned out that he was unaware that his teacher was right in the Zhang n! Its truly a work of coincidence that you came at this timing. Yang shi is currently in seclusion in the Zhang n, and I believe that he could being out very soon. The two of you will soon be able to reunite with one another! Zhang Wuchen said with a smile. Yang shi is here too? Zhang Xuan asked with a surprised smile on his face, but on the inside, his blood had already run cold. Chapter 1449 - Blood Reservoir

Chapter 1449: Blood Reservoir

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric All along, he had been openly using Yang shis name in order to conceal the existence of his Library of Heavens Path. Yet, who could have thought that by some mysterious workings of the world, a character whom he had created at a whim turned out to be truly existent... and not only so, he was even a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, one of the strongest experts in the world! It was already extremely awkward for him to be faking as the other partys student, but who could have thought that the other party would even be in the Zhang n? If the both of them were to meet, wouldnt his fake identity be exposed on the spot? Before Zhang Xuan could say a word, Zhang Wuchen had already asked with a frown, Yang shi? Ah, look at what Im saying. Its been too long that I havest met teacher that I identally addressed him wrongly by mistake! Zhang Xuan hurriedly glossed over his mistake. He had been too overwhelmed with shock that he unintentionally addressed Yang Xuan as Yang shi instead of teacher. Un, Yang shi has been in seclusion at our Zhang n for more than a half a year now, so its indeed been quite some time since the two of you met, Zhang Wuchen nodded in agreement, seemingly epting Zhang Xuans excuse. Would it be inconveniencing my teacher if I were to visit him while hes in the midst of his seclusion? Zhang Xuan looked at Zhang Wuchen and asked. Considering how Zhang Wuchen knew that he was Yang shis student, and that given the fact that Yang shi was currently in the Zhang n, it was weird that no one had called Yang shi over yet. There could only be two possibilities for this. Firstly, Zhang Wuchen was trying to sound him out. Secondly, Yang shi was in the midst of a crucial point of his cultivation and was unable to leave his seclusion just yet. Regardless of which of the two it was, they worked out to Zhang Xuans advantage. Yang shi did instruct us not to allow anyone to interrupt him while hes in his cultivation. However, he should being out in a few days time. If Zhang shi is in no rush to move, you should be able to reunite with Yang shi. Zhang Wuchen said. Ah, thats a relief. Im in no hurry to leave, so I guess Ill impose on the Zhang n while waiting for my teacher toe out of his seclusion then. Zhang Xuan nodded as he secretly heaved a sigh of relief on the inside. It seemed like he still had a few more days to spare. However, to be safe, he should still hasten his n. As soon as he lured the young prodigy of the Zhang n out and pummeled him, he should leave straight away. Otherwise, it could pose to be a huge trouble if he were to bump heads with Yang shi! May I know where my teacher is in seclusion at the moment? Ill just head over to pay my respects first without interrupting him, Zhang Xuan asked. The least he could do was to first confirm the enemys location. This way, he would know where he should flee to if he were to hear that the other party hade out of seclusion. Im afraid that I dont really know. Only the First Elder is aware of where Yang shi had gone into seclusion at. Zhang Wuchen shook his head and replied. You dont know? Zhang Xuan shook his head in feigned disappointment. While the two of them were still speaking, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and the Inferno Qilin were finally done with their breakthroughs. Incredible energy pulsated from their bodies, and it felt as if it would burst out of their bodies at any moment. The surrounding crowd couldnt help but eye the two Saint 9-dan beasts gathered around Zhang Xuan warily, apprehensive of the strength they wielded. Even Jian Qinsheng was a little agitated too. One must know that even the deputy sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages was only at Saint 9-dan primary stage, but Zhang Xuan, despite being a student, had already tamed a Saint 9-dan primary stage and a Saint 9-dan pinnacle beast... What this meant was that there was effectively no one else who could stand against him in the Sanctum of Sages anymore! With such strength at his disposal, he was more than qualified to be an elder of the Sanctum of Sages! At the same time, conflicted looks appeared on the faces of the Zhang ns offspring. They hade here to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson, but after witnessing the formidable capabilities he wielded in painting and beast taming, they found their resolve wavering. Zhang Ziqing and Zhang Jiang could already be considered as the two most talented individuals amongst them, but nevertheless, they didnt evene close to being a match to Zhang Xuan. If they were to challenge the young man at this point, they would only be embarrassing themselves and sullying the reputation of the Zhang n further. As a result, this led to an awkward standstill... Well, awkward for everyone except for Zhang Xuan. He was simply happy to have his moment of peace. After all, fending off all those pesky challengers was exhausting on his part too! There was only one opponent he was interested in here, and that was the little prodigy. The rest were simply too weak to even catch his interest. Zhang shi, the guest area is already not suited for your amodation anymore. I happen to have another residence prepared. Allow me to bring you over. Seeing that the geniuses of the Zhang n had thoroughly lost their fighting will, Zhang Wuchen couldnt help but sigh deeply on the inside. Another residence? Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before nodding, Ill be troubling Third Elder then. Indeed. With the current state of the guest amodations, there was no way he could stay here anymore. Its no trouble at all. Follow me. The Third Elder nodded. After instructing Elder Wuzhen to fix up the guest amodations as soon as possible, he swiftly headed into the distance. Before leaving, Zhang Xuan didnt forget to impart the method to stopping the sculptures to the two 9-star spirit awakeners, and before their shocked gazes, he departed into the distance. Not too longter, he arrived at the residential area of the Zhang n members. Sword Saint Jian Qinsheng, you can use this room for the moment. After I settle in the other guests, well be holding the tournament for the younger generation. Following that, well be hosting a socializing session so that everyone can exchange cultivation insights and catch up with one another! Afternding in a residence, the Third Elder exined the uing events for the day with a smile. Alright, thank you. Jian Qinsheng nodded. He had been to the Zhang n for three times now, but this was the first time he had entered the residential area of the Zhang ns core members. In a sense, he was benefitting from Zhang Xuans halo. The spiritual energy here wasnt as rich as that in the guest area, but there was a unique aura in the air which seemed to energize ones body and mind, enhancing ones rate of cultivation. Zhang shi, will you apany me to take a walk around? After settling Jian Qinsheng down, Zhang Wuchen turned to Zhang Xuan and asked. Ill be pleased to, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. It just happened that he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the Zhang n in the off case that he ever needed to snatch his bride away from them. Since Zhang Wuchen was inviting him for a walk, there was no reason for him to turn him down. Even if there was danger, he had the Inferno Qilin and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to guard him. Besides, he was a guest, and the Zhang n seemed to value their reputation too much to make a move on their guests. This way, please. Zhang Wuchen gestured with a smile before leading the way forward. This time, they didnt fly in the air but walked instead. After everything that had happened, the sun had already set. A crescent moon was apanied by a sky of twinkling stars in the night sky, showering the world with a dim, cold light. Somehow, everything appeared particrly cold and forlorn on this very night. The two men walked along the pavement, one at the front and one at the back. Silence drifted between the two men before Zhang Wuchen suddenly asked with a casual tone, Zhang shi, where did youe from? Do you have any siblings? I am an orphan. I dont even know who my parents are, let alone my siblings. Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Even the previous him had no idea whom his parents are, so of course, he would have even less of an idea over here. An orphan, huh... Zhang Wuchen muttered beneath his breath before realizing that he had allowed his thoughts to wander. So, he quickly pulled his attention back and carried on asking, Since you are an orphan, why is your surname Zhang? Who gave you your name? Hmmm... Zhang Xuan pondered contemtively before shaking his head. It has been too long. I dont remember anymore. In the first ce, the memory he had inherited from the previous him wasntplete, so how could he be aware of suchplications? Based on the memories of the previous him, it seemed like he had been hung on a noose looped over a tree when he was very young and nearly lost his life, and the man who had saved him bestowed him with the character, Xuan 1 . As for why his surname was Zhang... well, beats him too. What was important to him was that his Zhang was not the same Zhang as the Zhang of the Zhang n. You cant remember anymore? Your parents must have departed while you were very young... Zhang Wuchen remarked. Then, he abruptly chuckled softly before asking, Then Zhang shi, what do you think of our Zhang n? Do you have any interest in joining our ranks? Thank you for your goodwill, but Ill have to turn down that offer. Zhang Xuan replied firmly. After forcing Luo Ruoxin to marry a man who had never taken responsibility for her and despicably scheming to kill him, they still had the cheek to ask him to join them? Dream on! I see... Not expecting the young man to reject his offer so affirmatively, Zhang Wuchen was left in a slightly awkward position. Silence drifted between the both of them for quite some time before Zhang Wuchen caught something ahead of him, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Were here! Here? Where? Taken aback, Zhang Xuan raised his head and saw two massive characters appearing before his eyes. Blood Reservoir! Chapter 1450 - He Isn’t! (1)

Chapter 1450: He Isnt! (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Those two characters were written using a rather ancient script. That being so, there didnt seem to be any particr might or power to them. In fact, looking at them from afar, they would have looked like the scrawlings of a child who had just learned calligraphy. But taking a closer look, one would notice that there was a unique aura imbued in those words. This was an aura that carried the scent of history, signifying the existence of an artifact that transcended through time. It had existed since ancient times, and it felt like it would continue on for many years toe. Just by looking at it, ones will seemed to drift through history, seemingly undergoing a baptism of time. Where is this ce? Zhang Xuan asked in astonishment. This is the ce where the offspring of the Zhang n awaken their bloodlines. As long as one is of the Zhang n, their bloodline would be awakened by entering the Blood Reservoir, and be it theirprehension of cultivation or their understanding their upations, they would soar by leaps and bounds! Zhang Wuchen said. Awaken their bloodlines? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. It was no wonder why those two words would leave him feeling so temporally disorientated. In the first ce, the Zhang ns bloodline was rting to the control of time, so naturally, a ce where their bloodlines were activated would surely have intricate ties to the Time Quintessence. Zhang shi, are you interested in heading in to take a look? Zhang Wuchen asked with a smile. Head in? Am I allowed to go in? Zhang Xuan was astonished. It was obvious how important the Blood Reservoir would be to the Zhang n, and yet, to invite an outsider like him in...? Our Blood Reservoir is only effective on offspring of the Zhang n. Outsiders wont be affected by it, and simrly, they wouldnt affect it either. Dont worry, its not a big deal to go n to take a look. Its not umon for some guests of the Zhang n to request to take a look at our renowned Blood Reservoir, and from time to time, we would bring them over for a tour too. Zhang Wuchen nodded. Of course, those were all lies. The Blood Reservoir was a forbiddennd for the Zhang n, such that even offspring of the Zhang n would have to receive permission from the elders first before they could be granted ess. The reason why he created that load of nonsense was to dispel the other partys suspicions. I see. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan waspletely oblivious to the Third Elders intention. All that was on his mind at the moment was curiosity as to what would be inside the Blood Reservoir. Considering that it was a ce where unique bloodlines could be awakened, perhaps entering the grounds would grant him a deeper understanding as to the abilities of the Zhang n. This might put him in a better position to deal against the young prodigy in the future. Lets go! Seeing thepleteck of suspicion on Zhang Xuans face, Zhang Wuchen heaved a sigh of relief. He walked up to the seal in front of the gates, took out his token, and pressed it against the seal lightly. Weng! The massive gates to the Blood Reservoir slowly creaked open. After Zhang Wuchen walked into the room, Zhang Xuan warily followed suit too. As soon as he stepped across a formation barrier erected all around the Blood Reservoir, his body immediately jolted. It was a rather perplexing sensation that was extremely difficult to describe, but if he really had to put it in words, it would be that there was a difference in the flow of time. He could feel an incongruity in the flow of time around him Perhaps it was because he was too ustomed to the natural flow of time that he had never really perceived it before, but as soon as he stepped into the Blood Reservoir, the difference became very apparent to him. This is... Zhang Xuan asked questioningly. This is a folded space which our predecessors left a long time ago. It harnesses the quintessence of time. The flow of time within this space is random; it would be fast at one moment and slow at the other, so itsmon for those who have entered this area for the first time to feel a little ufortable. However, once the bloodline of a Zhang n offspring fuses together with this space, he would immediately find himself descending into the river of time. In that state, the offsprings perceived time would slow down, granting him the span of a year within a single month outside. This would mean that the offspring has more time toprehend his supporting upations and cultivation. But of course, as the difference in the flow of time only applies to the soul, so there would be no difference in his real cultivation and mastery during this period of time. Zhang Wuchen exined. So, they would be able to study for a year when only a month has passed outside? Zhang Xuan was astonished. Even if they couldnt achieve any concrete growth in their cultivation during this period of time, it was still an extremely formidable ability. A year in a month, that would mean a temporal slowdown of twelvefold. In other words, the offspring of the Zhang n who had awakened their bloodline would be able to study at a rate twelve times faster than others as long as they were in the Blood Reservoir... It was no wonder why the Zhang n had far more geniuses than the Luo n! Just this Blood Reservoir was enough to cement their position as the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent! Eye of Insight! After recovering from his shock, Zhang Xuan discreetly activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning the Blood Reservoir in detail. The folded space that formed the Blood Reservoir was indeed significantly different from those he had seen in the past. Under the Eye of Insight, he saw manyyers of light ovepping on one another, reminiscent of a rainbow. They were all flowing in a single direction, albeit there being some differences in their speed. If one were to move along with the flow of light, one could clearly sense a change in the flow of time around them. However, these flowing currents of light were intangible existences. They could neither be touched nor even affected. In fact, without staring intently at them, it would be hard for even Zhang Xuan to perceive their existence, let alone fuse into them and alter their speed. While Zhang Xuan was proceeding ahead, Zhang Wuchen was observing him discreetly by the side, and the knit on his eyebrows was slowly growing deeper and deeper. There isnt the slightest bit of anomaly on him... Could he not be it? Previously, both he and the First Elder had suspected Zhang Xuan of being the person who had gone missing, and that was the reason why they intentionally brought him to the Blood Reservoir to verify their doubts. Upon entering this room, ordinary Zhang n members, even if those who had never been to the Blood Reservoir before, would find their bloodlines being activated and fall into an unconscious state. Their Primordial Spirit would be brought into the unique flow of time, granting them more time to learn and cultivate. But it was clear that the Blood Reservoir wasnt reacting to the young man at all. It seemed like not only did the young man not possess the Zhang ns bloodline, he didnt have anything much to do with the Zhang n at all. Right, his Primordial Spirit... A thought came into Zhang Wuchens mind. Even if something were to happen to the bloodline of a Zhang n offspring, he would still be able to achieve resonance with the Blood Reservoir through his Primordial Spirit or soul. After all, even if a person were to change everything of his, he still couldnt change his soul. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Wuchen stepped forward and suggested with a smile, Zhang shi, the Blood Reservoir harnesses the Time Quintessence. Youll need to be in your Primordial Spirit form if you wish to get a closer look at it. Why dont you try it? Perhaps, you might just be able toprehend something from it. Primordial Spirit? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Got it. Possessing the means of the soul oracles, he had cultivated his soul into a gigantic form, but after learning the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he had gained the ability to morph its size freely. Given so, it would be nigh impossible for even a cultivator of Zhang Wuchens caliber to see anything wrong with his Primordial Spirit, so there was nothing for him to conceal either. And it just happened that he wanted to explore the secrets of the Time Quintessence harnessed within the Blood Reservoir too. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Zhang Xuan drew his Primordial Spirit out from his be. And indeed, the sight that he saw as a Primordial Spirit was vastly different from that he saw with his physical eye. In an instant, it felt as if he had been plunged into the midst of a frosty winter, and what that somewhat resembled snowkes could be seen drifting all around him. Zhang Xuan instinctively understood that these snowkes were a physical manifestation of time created by the Blood Reservoir, so he reached his hand out and attempted to grasp them. H! His hands simply passed through the snowkes, ... The Blood Reservoir isnt reacting to his Primordial Spirit either. Is there really no hint of the Zhang n bloodline in him at all? Meanwhile, Zhang Wuchen was assessing the reaction of the Blood Reservoir intently, and a hint of disappointment surfaced in his eyes. If the young man was really a member of the Zhang n, he would surely be able to affect the surrounding physical manifestation of the Time Quintessence and even absorb it into his soul. Yet, for his hands to simply pass right through them, there could only be one possibility... He waspletely unrted to the Zhang n! It seemed like all of their deductions had been off. Sighing deeply, Zhang Wuchen shook his head before calling out to Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi, its time for us to leave. Leave? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan swiftly returned his Primordial Spirit to his body and stood up. Un. Even though the Blood Reservoir is open to outsiders, its still a forbidden ground of the Zhang n, so theres a limit on how long you can stay in here, Zhang Wuchen said with a wave of his hand. This... Seeing the stern look on Zhang Wuchens face, Zhang Xuan found himself being rendered speechless. It was not as if I was the one who had requested to enter the Blood Reservoir! You pulled me in here, and barely after staying here for five minutes, you suddenly urged me to head out with such an austere look on your face, as if Im causing trouble for you... Really, every single person of the Zhang n should really bring a screwdriver wherever they go so that they could tighten up the screw that keeps getting loose in their head! Farewell! Seeing that the smile hadpletely vanished from Zhang Wuchens face, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to stay on any longer either. So, he turned around and left. If you dont want me to see, so be it. Its not as if I really wanted to see it anyway! Hmph! Ill have to report this matter to the First Elder... Shortly after Zhang Xuan left, Zhang Wuchen quickly left the Blood Reservoir as well. He shut the massive gates well before flying swiftly in the direction of the First Elders residence. He had left too quickly that he didnt realize that the Time Quintessence in the Blood Reservoir was shuddering non-stop. As if having witnessed something terrifying, it dared not move in the least Chapter 1451 - He Isnt (2)

Chapter 1451: He Isnt (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Flitting forward, he soon found himself where the First Elder was. How is it? the First Elder asked. He isnt! Zhang Wuchen shook his head. He isnt? I took him to the Blood Reservoir, but there was no reaction at all. I tried testing his Primordial Spirit too, but he was unable to retain the physical manifestation of the Time Quintessence. That should be more than enough to verify that he isnt a member of the Zhang n! Zhang Wuchen swiftly filled the First Elder in on what he had seen in the Blood Reservoir. It seems like I have been thinking too much into it. The First Elder shook his head as his eyes turned cold. Since hespletely unrted to our Zhang n, dispatch someone to challenge him in swordsmanship so as to teach him that there are powers whom he cant afford to offend. Also, with all the mess that he has made in our Zhang n, you must make sure to resolve the issue well. He mustnt be allowed to leave easily, otherwise what will be of the dignity of our Zhang n? That young man had destroyed their entrance formation, made the sculptures of their predecessors run amok, and caused the copse of their guest area. If not for the hint of doubt at the back of their minds, there was no way that they would have allowed the young man to do as he pleased! The Zhang n could not appear weak before others, or else the powers that had chosen to ally with them would lose confidence in their leadership! That fellow has tamed the Inferno Qilin. I fear that if we push him too far... he might just cause some mishap, Zhang Wuchen replied hesitantly. While that fellow appeared to be a mere Grand Dominion realm cultivator, he had tamed the Inferno Qilin, whose cultivation had reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle. If he really caused an uproar, while the Zhang n would be able to suppress it eventually, it would have to pay quite a heavy price to do so! Simple. The First Elder ced his hands behind his back and harrumphed coldly. Have the inner n members suppress their cultivation and challenge him with a bet. Force him to remain in the Zhang n and devote his entire life to serving it. Since he has taken away our n heads saint beast, how can we allow him to walk away just like that? And if he loses the bet fair and square, we will also be able to exin the matter to Yang shi. It was true that master teacher ns were bound by principles and rules, but that did not mean that they were foolishly honest people. Putting aside those destroyed buildings, just talking about the Inferno Qilin itself, the Zhang n had devoted unimaginable resources over the prior three years in order to tame itjust the fact that they had brought in 9-star beast tamers one after another should make that very apparent. How could they simply gift it to Zhang Xuan just like that? Not to mention, it was obvious that the young man hade with the intention of challenging the Zhang n! Honestly speaking, if not out of deference for his identity as Yang shis direct disciple, they would have had him captured and forcefully retained! Youre right. Zhang Wuchen looked at the First Elder and asked, Who will be a suitable candidate for dealing with him then? For a n to continue growing stronger and stronger and eventually reach the top, they had to resort to underhanded means from time to time. There were simply some problems that could not be resolved otherwise, so this was something that could not be helped. The First Elder pondered for a moment before nodding. Zhang Xu, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Qin should be fine. Their understanding of swordsmanship has reached a decent level, and their strength is formidable for their level. It shouldnt be too difficult for them to deal with a Grand Dominion realmd. Very well. Ill instruct them to challenge Zhang Xuanter on, Zhang Wuchen replied. How is the preparation for the n Assemblying along? When will it be held? The reason they had gathered all of their outstanding n members and the experts of every upation was to conduct their n Assembly. Since most people had arrived, it was about time to hold the n Assembly. Well be conducting it once day breaks. As you know, this involves the marriage with the Luo n, so we cant afford to have any hups! the First Elder said as a glint shed across his eyes. I understand. Just that, the young prodigy is still missing to date, so... Zhang Wuchen said hesitantly. Like I have said, well be using this n Assembly as a tform to conduct a tournament, and the person who finishes in first ce will marry the little princess of the Luo n in ce of our young prodigy. Theres no time to be wasted, or else things might just spiral beyond our control! the First Elder said grimly. I guess thats the only way around it. Zhang Wuchen nodded. sping his fist, he bowed deeply and said, Ill make arrangements right now. However, I think challenging Zhang Xuan should stille after the n Assembly. Otherwise, Zhang Xu and the others could be disadvantaged during the tournament. Alright, Ill leave it up to you to determine the specifics. The First Elder nodded before falling silent. ... While they were discussing Zhang Xuan, the man himself had already returned back to his residence. While he was making his way in, he saw a human silhouette heading his way. The human silhouette sped his fist and greeted, Teacher! It was Zhang Jiuxiao. What are you doing here? I heard of themotion that youve caused, Zhang Jiuxiao replied with a bitter smile. This teacher that he had just acknowledged caused turmoil like there was no tomorrow. He had been causing a ruckus ever since he arrived at the Zhang n, and if not for the First Elder holding everyone back, someone might have just assassinated him by now. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan waved his hand to signify that it was nothing before asking hurriedly, Why is your n in such a hurry to conduct the n Assembly? Without a doubt, the reason the n Assembly had been brought forward was because of Luo Ruoxin. However, that was all he knew at the moment. Even now, he still was not too sure just what kind of despicable n the Zhang n was hatching this time around! I just finished looking into the matter. It seems like theres only one reason the n Assembly has been brought forwardit seems like the n is intending to hold a selection to select another person from the younger generation to marry the little princess from the Luo n, Zhang Jiuxiao replied. Select another person to marry the little princess? Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up in astonishment. With his fists tightly clenched, he asked, What about your young prodigy? Isnt he supposed to be the little princess fianc? Based on rumors that have been going around, the young prodigy has gone missing. No one knows where he is. However, with the marriage with the little princess of the Luo ning right up, theres no time to be lost. Thus, the elders decided to find the most outstanding talent of the younger generation in the Zhang n to take his ce and marry her. Zhang Jiuxiao revealed all that he knew about the matter. Screw this! Zhang Xuan felt blood rushing to his head, threatening to take his sanity away. It was already shameless for them to force a marriage on Luo Ruoxin, and now, they were even randomly finding a recement for the young prodigy just because thetter willfully went missing. Had they ever considered the Luo ns feelings before doing this? What did they take Luo Ruoxin to be? How can they take the marriage with the Luo n so lightly? Zhang Xuan roared in fury. This was truly the most ridiculous thing that he had ever heard! How could the Zhang n even think of finding someone to rece the young prodigy in the marriage? Was this not apleteck of respect for the other party? It seems like the Zhang n has no choice in this either. Im not too sure about it, but it appears that theres something much more important tied into this. In any case, one thing is for certain. The Zhang n is determined to go through with this marriage, and they wont allow anyone to foil it! Zhang Jiuxiao said. When will the tournament be held? Zhang Xuan asked with a livid expression. Zhang Jiuxiao clearly felt a cold killing intent leaking from Zhang Xuans body, and he shuddered slightly in fear. A bad premonition suddenly surfaced in his head, and he hurriedly eximed in horror, Teacher, there will be many experts at the tournament! You mustnt act recklessly! Otherwise... I fear that you might be ced in a precarious situation! He knew the personality of his teacher very well; obstinate and fearless, never hesitating to go through with whatever he believed in despite the risks. Back in the Qingyuan Empire, he had also stood against the emperor and a vice pavilion master without any hesitation. However, the Zhang n could not be ced on the same level as the likes of the Qingyuan Empire. As the number one Sage n, the Zhang n was one of the strongest powers on the Master Teacher Continent. If his teacher interfered during the tournament, the Zhang n would not allow this matter to be resolved peacefully. Not even a Saint 9-dan pinnacle expert would be able to survive the wrath of the Zhang n. Knowing what Zhang Jiuxiao was thinking of, Zhang Xuan replied with a sinister smile, Rest assured, I wont be the one causing trouble. The one who will be causing trouble is you! Me? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback. Indeed. I want you to participate in the tournament and win the champion seat! Zhang Xuan waved his hand grandly. Chapter 1452 - The Eighth Direct Disciple

Chapter 1452: The Eighth Direct Disciple

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Me? Champion? Zhang Jiuxiao was stunned. He hurriedly shook his head and said, How can I possibly be the champion? He was currently only at the Grand Dominion realm. Even if he immediately made a breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm, he would still be far from matching up to Saint 7-dan pinnacle experts like Zhang Chun and Zhang Feng. It was doubtful whether he could clear the first match or not, let alone vie for the champion seat. This was something that he did not even dare dream of! It was already a wonder to him how he, a member of the side family, was able to attend such an important n event. Obtaining the champion seat on top of that was something that he did not dare dream of! Nothing is impossible in this world. As long as you trust me, I can grant you strength far surpassing the other members of the Zhang n within a short period of time, Zhang Xuan replied. This... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not joking around, Zhang Jiuxiao replied with a bitter look on his face. Of the younger generation, the strongest individual that I know of, Zhang Chun, has already reached Half-Dimension Sundering realm. ording to the rumors, there might even be others who have already reached the Dimension Sundering realm. Against them... I am simply far toocking at the moment! It was not that he did not believe the young man before him, but some things were simply impossible. He knew full well howrge the gap between Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm and Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm was. Against a real Dimension Sundering realm expert, even if there were a thousand of him, he would only be able to run for his life! Besides, the core members of the Zhang n were top-notch geniuses, and it was questionable whetherbat masters of the same level would be able topete with them or not! Thus, the chances of him achieving victory was pretty much zero! Theres no need to put yourself down like that. Just the fact that you have chosen to acknowledge me as your teacher means that you have far better eyes than the others, Zhang Xuan said. Its my honor to be able to be your student, but still... Zhang Jiuxiaos face still as bitter as a bitter gourd. He would have loved to be confident as well, but the tournament was the very next day, and his current strength was just too... I know what youre worried about. With his hands ced behind his back, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Zhang Jiuxiao. I, Zhang Xuan, have risen through the ranks from the Tianxuan Kingdom. Within less than fourteen months, I have advanced by cultivation from Fighter 3-dan to Saint 6-dan pinnacle. All in all, I have seven direct disciples. My first disciple, Zhao Ya, is the young court chief of the cier in Court. My second disciple, Wang Ying, has entered the Spirit Awakener Guild, and shes a strong candidate to bing their future hall master. You have met my third disciple, Liu Yang, before. Even though his whereabouts are unknown at the moment, hes a person with both guts and determination. I have no doubt that he will find his own way in the future. My fourth disciple, Zheng Yang, is currently the Progeny of Combat of the Combat Master Hall, in the line of session to bing its next hall master! Zhang Xuan slowly walked toward Zhang Jiuxiao as he spoke, and the presence he exuded seemed to grow taller and taller. My fifth disciple, Yuan Tao, is the young master of the Yuan n. Possessing the purest Emperors Bloodline of the Yuan n, hes in the line of session for the position of its n head. My sixth disciple, Lu Chong, will be inheriting the heritage of soul oracles, and hisprehension of soul arts will be matched by none in the world! My seventh disciple, Wei Ruyan, is the newly-appointed head of the Poison Hall. Possessing the Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution, only the foolish would dare stand in her path! All seven of my direct disciples have achieved great aplishments and made me proud. The reason I took you in as my student is because I bear great expectations of you too, but are you going to retreat in the face of my high expectations? At this point, Zhang Xuan was already standing right before Zhang Jiuxiao. Their heights did not differ too much from one another, but for some reason, it felt as if he was towering over Zhang Jiuxiao. There was a sharpness in his eyes that seemed to peer right into the depth of ones soul. I... Zhang Jiuxiaos hands were trembling non-stop. At this point, he could not even tell whether it was excitement or trepidation anymore. He had known that his teacher had quite a few direct disciples, but he had not known that they were all such formidable figures! The young court chief of the cier in Court, the Progeny of Combat of the Combat Master Hall, the head of the Poison Hall, the young master of the Yuan n... All of these titles were not beneath that of the deputy n head of the Zhang n, and yet, they were all his students! If he had not heard it with his own ears, this was something that he never would have believed! Hearing all those exploits left his blood running wildly in excitement. He desired to be as powerful as the rest of them, but at the same time, he could not help but doubt himself. Was he really able to reach such a height, too? But even that hint of doubt was swiftly eliminated from the back of his mind. His teacher was a man of great ability, someone who had redefined what was impossible over and over again. Since such a great figure was willing to believe in him, why should he not believe in himself? If he truly wanted to make it big, this was the leap of faith that he would have to take! Seeing that fighting spirit that was ignited in Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He looked Zhang Jiuxiao straight in the eye and threw out the veryst bomb. If you can win the champion seat in the tournament, Ill take you in as my eighth direct disciple. Eighth direct disciple... Zhang Jiuxiaos breathing hastened upon hearing those words, and his face reddened in agitation. He could not believe what he was hearing. The only other Celestial Master Teacher that the world had ever known was Kong shi, and of his seventy-two direct disciples, even the weakest of them had sessfully be an Ancient Sage! In fact, even the founder of the Sanctum of Sages, the legendary Ancient Sage Bo Shang, could not be considered one of his stronger direct disciples! From this, it could be seen just how formidable a thing it was to be the direct disciple of a Celestial Master Teacher. The young man standing before him was a Celestial Master Teacher, too, and while his seven direct disciples were still little known figures on the Master Teacher Continent, there was little doubt that they would rattle the continent at its core in the near future. If he could be the eighth direct disciple of the young man, his future would be boundless! Even the founder of our Zhang n didnt possess extraordinary bloodline from birth. It was only after he reached the pinnacle that his abilities were passed down generation after generation through his bloodline! So what if Im from the side family? That doesnt mean that Im unable to surpass the others and reach the very top! The more Zhang Jiuxiao thought about the matter, the more excited he felt. Kings, dukes, generals, and ministers, did they only attain the influence that they possessed because power and nobility was etched into their bloodline? Who said that ones bloodline would determine ones final destination? If that was the case, despite so many outstanding geniuses possessing the purest of bloodlines being born in the Zhang n over the past several dozen millenniums, why had none of them been able to surpass the founder? Of the seventy-two Sages of Kong shi, none of them had been born with powerful innate bloodlines! Sess did not hinge on ones bloodline but relentless hard work and perseverance! It was only with the grit to push through the tough and unyielding will to forge a way to the top that the slim chance of getting a glimpse at the peak would open up to one. Of course, a good teacher to point out the right way was crucial, too! Right now, those two factors were already in ce. He had the best possible teacher in the world, and he also had the grit to climb to the top. Now, he just had to make the journey there! As long as he could clear this trial and be his teachers eighth direct disciple, a whole new world would appear before him! Teacher, what do I have to do? Just give me your instructions, and Ill definitely achieve it! Deciding to leap right in, Zhang Jiuxiao looked at Zhang Xuan with burning passion in his eyes. Good! Seeing that the young man had made up his mind, Zhang Xuan nodded. Alright, kneel down and pay respects to me! Right now? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback. Wont I be qualified to be your eighth direct disciple only after I emerge as the champion in the tournament? He dared not believe his ears. It was just a moment ago that his teacher had said that he would only take him as his direct disciple after he became the champion of the tournament. It should have been something very far away and uncertain, so why would... In response to Zhang Jiuxiaos doubt, Zhang Xuan directed a confident smile at Zhang Jiuxiao and said, Since I said that Ill make you the champion of the tournament, youll definitely emerge as the champion. What harm is there in conducting the acknowledgement ceremony in advance? Hearing those words, Zhang Jiuxiao felt goosebumps rising on his skin, and his heart began beating faster and faster in agitation. The unwavering confidence of his teacher had eliminated every shred of uncertainty from his mind. He felt that as long as his teacher said that he could do it, he would definitely be able to achieve it. All of a sudden, those insurmountable mountains that had once stood in his path did not seem impossible to scale anymore. Zhang Jiuxiao kneeled onto the floor and conducted eight resounding kowtows before solemnly rising to his feet,pleting the teacher acknowledgement ceremony. Teacher, what should I do now? he asked. Since his teacher had such deep confidence in him, he clearly had a n in mind. Currently, your cultivation is only at the Grand Dominion realm. If you wish to win the tournament, you will have to raise your cultivation swiftly. It would be nigh impossible to push your cultivation up to Saint 8-dan within a single night, unless... At that point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment as he looked in a certain direction. ... we make use of the Zhang ns Blood Reservoir! Chapter 1453 - Bloodline Enhancement

Chapter 1453: Bloodline Enhancement

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Blood Reservoir? Zhang Jiuxiao scratched his head in embarrassment upon hearing those words. Thats a ce where only the core members of the Zhang n are allowed to enter. Someone like me isnt qualified to enter at all... The Zhang ns Blood Reservoir was a ce of utmost importance. Only those whose bloodline had reached a certain level of purity would be allowed to enter the area and cultivate. People like him had no rights to enter at all. Ill bring you in, Zhang Xuan said. If he wanted to raise Zhang Jiuxiaos cultivation from Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm to a level where he could subdue experts of Zhang Chuns level, normal training methods wouldnt work at all. After all, the other party didnt possess the Library of Heavens Path and couldnt cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art. On the other hand, the cultivation of its simplified version took a significantly longer period of time. Given so, there was only onest resortusing the Zhang ns Blood Reservoir to alter the flow of time! With this, they would be able to increase the time on their hand by twelvefold, thus raising the possibility of sess significantly. Youll bring me in? Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback. Arent there seals and formations preventing unauthorized personnel from entering? If everyone could enter the Blood Reservoir of the Zhang n so easily, the Zhang n would probably have been destroyed a long time ago! Considering how his teacher was an outsider who had just arrived in the Zhang n, how could he possibly be able to enter the Blood Reservoir, let alone bring him in? I might have no way to enter it if it had been a while ago, but right now, it isnt a problem anymore! Zhang Xuan harrumphed. Previously, when Zhang Wuchen led him in, he had taken a close look at the formation. Despite its ingenuity, it was still exposed to be riddled with ws under the discerning gaze of the Library of Heavens Path. Just using any single one of those ws was enough for him to sneak in without catching anyones notice. Lets go! Without much exnation, Zhang Xuan led the way forward. It didnt take too long for them to arrive before the entrance of the Blood Reservoir once more. This is the ce! Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan circled around the entrance before stopping at a certain spot and tapping lightly on the formation before him. Weng! There was a slight buzz, and the massive gates sealing the Blood Reservoir slowly opened. At the same time, a small opening appeared in the entrance formation as well. Hurry up and enter! Zhang Xuan quickly walked in, and Zhang Jiuxiao followed closely behind him. The formation quickly closed up once more, and from the outside, it was impossible to tell that someone had been here. This is the Blood Reservoir? As soon as Zhang Jiuxiao stepped in, he immediately felt his cells trembling in excitement and his Primordial Spirit shaking non-stop. Not bad. Try activating your bloodline and see if you can harmonize with the Time Quintessence in here, Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes, teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded before swiftly sitting on the ground to meditate. He activated his bloodline and attempted to forge a connection with the surrounding Time Quintessence. But soon, he stood up with an awful look on his face. Till this instant, he finally understood why those of the side family like him wasnt allowed to enter the Blood Reservoir. It wasnt that the Zhang n was miserly and was discriminating against them but that... their bloodline was simply too thin! Even if they were to enter the Blood Reservoir, they would still be unable to fuse together with the Time Quintessence and cultivate like the inner n members. And since they couldnt do it, there was no point for them to waste their timeing here either. Teacher... Zhang Jiuxiao looked at his teacher with a look of guilt on his face. His teacher had gone through all the trouble of bringing him here, but in the end, due to his own problems, he was unable to trigger the Blood Reservoir. Even though this was something which he couldnt control either, he felt like he had let his teacher down. Calm down. Seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao was unable to forge a link with the Time Quintessence, Zhang Xuan frowned. For the time being, you should carry on cultivating first. Ill think of a solution. Yes, teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao closed his eyes and began cultivating. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning the area. Beautiful flowing currents reminiscent of rainbows could be seen all around him, but as if oil floating on top of water, Zhang Jiuxiao was simply unable to immerse himself within it no matter how he tried to activate his bloodline. Its due thecking purity of his bloodline... Zhang Xuan frowned. The Time Quintessence in the Blood Reservoir was left behind by the founder of the Zhang n as a gift to his descendants. While Zhang Jiuxiao possessed the Zhang ns bloodline too, it was so thin that he couldnt even activate its ability. As a result, the most he could do was only to draw the rainbow toward himself, but immersing himselfpletely into it was far beyond his means. If only his bloodline is a little purer... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but think. In the midst of hismentation, his Library of Heavens Path abruptly jolted. Following which, a golden page materialized before his eyes before flying forth with a resounding whistle, heading straight for the cultivating Zhang Jiuxiao. Shit... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. The Book of Heavens Path was a weapon which even 9-star poison masters werepletely helpless before. Given Zhang Jiuxiaos current strength, there was no way he would be able to withstand it! He hadnt thought of killing anyone, so why would it fly out all of a sudden? Zhang Xuan tried to stop the golden page, but it was already toote. It dived right toward Zhang Jiuxiaos be, but instead of smashing him into meat paste, it slipped into his mind instead. Following which, he clearly saw the surrounding Time Quintessence bubbling furiously, gushing toward the meditating young man in the fastest time possible. Is this... Bloodline Enhancement? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes, clearly shocked by the effects produced. It was just a moment ago that he wished for Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline to be purified when the golden page suddenly flew forward... Could it be that other than rising his Soul Depth, assimte the content of the books in the Library of Heavens Path for his own, sealing Vicious, and crushing others to death, it had the ability to enhance ones bloodline too? If that was the truth, it would be truly fearsome! One must know that he had studied unique bloodlines several times, but even with the help of the Library of Heavens Path, he was still unable to find a feasible way to purify them. Who could have thought that the golden page would actually wield such a capability? Teacher, my bloodline... At this moment, Zhang Jiuxiao had also sensed the changes ongoing in his body, and he trembled in agitation despite not being too sure what was going on. I have helped you purified your bloodline. Here are some pinnacle spirit stones. Use them and quickly make a breakthrough! Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his wrist and tossed over all three of the pinnacle spirit stones he had left. Even though he had taken Zhang Jiuxiao as his direct disciple, he still didnt feel toofortable speaking about the golden page before him. Thus, he decided to simply circumvent the topic altogether. Yes, teacher! While Zhang Jiuxiao had no idea how his teacher managed to do it, he knew that this wasnt the time to be asking about it. Grabbing one of the pinnacle spirit stones tightly in his hand, he closed his eyes and began furiously absorbing the spiritual energy inside. Hong long long! Due to the enhancement in his bloodline, the rate at which he absorbed spiritual energy became much faster than before. All of the meridians which had been blocked previously swiftly cleared up, and it almost seemed as if cultivation bottlenecks was a concept that didnt apply to him. Kacha! Kacha! In the blink of an eye, he had already sessfully reinforced his recent breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm. Knowing that Zhang Jiuxiao had stopped due to theck of a suitable cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan swiftly tapped his finger and imparted to him a simplified version of the Grand Dominion realm Heavens Path Divine Art. With the enhancement in the purity of his bloodline, Zhang Jiuxiao was finally able to draw the surrounding Time Quintessence into his body, and he used this twelvefold slowdown in time toprehend the cultivation technique he had just been imparted with. It didnt take him too long to fully grasp it. At this point, Zhang Jiuxiao was intending to break out of the unique state he was in to make the breakthrough in his cultivation, but Zhang Xuan stopped him. Instead, he imparted to him a simplified version of the Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm Heavens Path Divine Art as well. While this cultivation technique had yet to reach the level of a true Heavens Path cultivation technique yet, it only had a single w. Even though it was difficult for Zhang Xuan to swallow, to Zhang Jiuxiao, it could already be considered as an iparably ingenious cultivation technique. Still, this single w made the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art derived from it needlessly moreplex than it should be, thus making it significantly more difficult toprehend. Chapter 1454 - The Tournament Begins

Chapter 1454: The Tournament Begins

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This time, Zhang Jiuxiao spent a much longer time than before. It was only till the sun had risen in the east did Zhang Jiuxiao finally open his eyes, and a sharp brilliance could be seen reflected in his eyes. How is it? Zhang Xuan asked. Teacher, I have managed to grasp the cultivation technique all the way up to Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle. I believe that I shouldnt take me too long to reach it if I were to start cultivating now! Zhang Jiuxiao replied excitedly. Even though the Blood Reservoir was able to grant a cultivator the time of an entire year within the passing of a month in the real world, this temporal distortion only applied to ones consciousness. It wasnt, in the truest sense, a slowdown of time. As such, while Zhang Jiuxiao was able to achieve a deep understanding of Grand Dominion realm and Phantasmal Space realm by making use of the twelvefold time, in truth, his real cultivation hadnt changed at all. He was still the same Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator he was when he first entered the Blood Reservoir. Nevertheless, having fully familiarized himself with the cultivation technique, he should be able to raise his cultivation swiftly if he were to start cultivating now. It was also using such a method that the offspring of the Zhang n was able to constantly stay above the geniuses of the other ns. Zhang Xuan took a look at the sky, and after confirming the time, he frowned, The sun has already risen, so the tournament should be starting very soon. There isnt any time for you to cultivate anymore; we have to head there right away. While making our way over, grab onto one of the pinnacle spirit stones I have given you and cultivate. Try to at least make a breakthrough before the tournament begins. If Zhang Jiuxiao had been any faster in hisprehension of the cultivation techniques, they might still have been able to make it in time. However, it seemed like his expectations were too high after all. At this current time, they didnt have any time to dilly dally anymore. It seemed like the only thing they could do was to try to have Zhang Jiuxiao raise his cultivation as much as possible while they make their way over. Alright. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. Grabbing a pinnacle spirit stone tightly in his hand, he absorbed the spiritual energy in it swiftly as he hurriedly followed behind his teacher. The ce where the tournament is held is the sparring grounds in the Zhang n. However, teacher, outsiders are prohibited from entering the sparring grounds, so I fear that you might not have the authorization to enter the grounds as an outsider! Zhang Jiuxiao said hesitantly after leaving the Blood Reservoir. Even outsiders werent allowed to spectate this internal tournament, so there should be little doubt that his teacher wouldnt be able to enter either. Are n members allowed to bring their subordinates into the sparring ring? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Of course. Injuries aremon in such tournaments, so they would have to bring someone in to take care of them. Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. Very well. Ill y as your subordinate and enter the sparring grounds together with you then! Zhang Xuan said. This wont do! You are my teacher, how can I treat you as my subordinate? Something like that is simply too... Zhang Jiuxiao seemed to be put in a spot. It would be deeply insolent of him to regard his teacher as his own subordinate! There was no way he could do something as unfilial as that! Even though you have gone through the cultivation techniques several times in your head, its still inevitable that you might identally make some mistakes while cultivating them. To be safe, youll need me to offer you pointers on the spot, Zhang Xuan said. Zhang Jiuxiao might have grasped the cultivation method of the simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art all the way up to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, but there would still be all kinds of practical issues that he might face while cultivating his way up. To be safe, it would be best for Zhang Xuan to be around to offer pointers and ensure that nothing went awry. I understand! Understanding his teachers intentions, Zhang Jiuxiao hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Un. With a slight jolt, Zhang Xuans appearance swiftly morphed into that of a yellow-skinned old man. As formidable as his disguise art was, there were simply too many experts in the Zhang n. If he were to feign as a subordinate, at least no one would pay much attention to him. On the other hand, if he were to feign as Zhang Jiuxiao and participated in the tournament on his behalf, there was a good chance that he would be swiftly exposed. If it was truly that easy to impersonate as one of the core members of the number one Sage n, it would have been destroyed ages ago! It was precisely for this reason that Zhang Xuan had no choice but to raise Zhang Jiuxiaos cultivation and have him make a move in his stead. On the other hand, seeing how even he was unable to recognize the disguised Zhang Xuan, Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he swiftly led the way forward to the sparring grounds. Zhang Jiuxiao, it would be best for you not to use your bloodline in the tournamentter on, or else it would be difficult to exin the vast difference in the purity of your bloodline, Zhang Xuan instructed. If it were to be known that there was actually a way to raise the purity of ones unique bloodline, all Sage ns on the Master Teacher Continent would swiftly go into a frenzy. Once that happened, there could be deep trouble. In any case, it was just an internal tournament. It shouldnte to the point where he would need to use his bloodline ability. Rest assured, teacher! Understanding the possible implications of the matter, Zhang Jiuxiao nodded grimly in response. ... Gathered in the Zhang ns sparring grounds were all of the talented members of the younger generation. The First Elder was seated at the topmost seat, and seeing the spirited and confident looks on the faces below, he nodded his head in approval. Typically speaking, most ns tended to decline over time, whether it was due to their talent pool drying up or a culture ofcency going around the younger generation. However, even after several dozen millenniums of heritage, while the offspring of the Zhang n was indeed a little spoilt, most of them were still driven to grow stronger. It was precisely with such a culture that the Zhang n was able to remain at the very top over so many years, their position unmovable by anyone. In this tournament, well bepeting not in supporting upations or any other capabilities but true fighting prowess. Those who believe that they have the strength to challenge the ring, step forward. Those whock trust in their strength, back off. Every single one of you will be able to utilize any means in your possession, but if I were to find that any of you have resorted to depraved arts prohibited by the Master Teacher Pavilion such as poison and the sort, not only will you be eliminated from the tournament, dont expect me to let you off easily either! the First Elders voice boomed across the entire sparring field as he nced down on the faces beneath imposingly. Yes! The crowd beneath replied resoundingly. In this tournament, upational means were fair game, meaning that participants were allowed to use demonic tunes, celestial designer creations, tamed beasts, so on and so forth... But poison and the sort were not allowed for very obvious reasons. Alright, I hereby dere the start of the tournament! Hu! As those words were spoken, the eight dueling rings on the sparring field immediately sprung to life. The Zhang n offspring who were in for the first round swiftly leaped onto their respective rings. Dueling Ring D, fourth battle, Zhang Linqing and Zhang Jiuxiao! After three matches, an elder supervising the duel shouted to the crowd. H! Zhang Linqing leaped onto the dueling ring and drove his zhenqi, revealing his Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivation. Even though he was one of the sidelined members in the Zhang n, unable to ess the better resources, he was still in a much better off position than Zhang Jiuxiao. Wheres Zhang Jiuxiao? Does he dare not face his challenge? Zhang Linqing nced around the area after noting that Zhang Jiuxiao was nowhere to be seen. He had looked into his opponent for the match beforehand. The other party was just an offspring of the side family who had managed to get into the Sanctum of Sages by some stroke of luck, thus winning himself an invitation to the n Conference by sheer luck. Otherwise, given his identity, he wouldnt even be allowed through the main door! Thus, in his view, this duel was just for show. He would be able to advance up easily without much trouble. I know who Zhang Jiuxiao is. Hes a mere Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator... He probably is shuddering somewhere in fear at the notion of facing Linqing, not daring to show up at all! Hes from the side family after all, what can we expect from him? Elder Fengchen, I dont think that fellow will be showing up anymore. Lets just dere it as his loss. Seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao was nowhere to be seen, a hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd below. A mere offspring of the side family, even if present, would stand no chance of advancing through the ranks. Since that was the case, they might as well just dere his loss straight instead of wasting time here. After all, how could an offspring of the side family possiblypare up to core members like them? Ill give him a teas time 1 . If he isnt here after that, Ill take it as he has forfeited the match, the person presiding over the duel, Elder Fengchen, waved his hand to suppress themotion and said calmly. There was an elder supervising each of the dueling rings in order to ensure the fairness of the duels. Even though Zhang Jiuxiao hadnt appeared yet, from the official rules, they would still have to give him some time before considering it as a forfeit. This is pointless. Its obvious that that fellow had fled in fear! Its just a few minutes, what are you getting so anxious about? Actually, Id love to see him appear and challenge Linqing. It would be fun to see him struggling desperately... The Zhang n members beneath the dueling ring chuckled softly in disdain. The clear hierarchy in the Zhang n had put them in a position of superiority from birth. So, to them, those of the side family wereplete nobodies who werent even worth a mention. It seems like he really wont being after all... Time crept by amidst those chatters, and very soon, a teas time was up. Seeing that there was still no one in sight, Elder Fengchen shook his head and dered, Since Zhang Jiuxiao isnt here yet, Ill take it as he has... Pardon me, Imte! At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded from the sky above. Following which, a tall and slender figure descended onto the dueling ring. Chapter 1455 - First Round, Victory

Chapter 1455: First Round, Victory

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom! The impact from falling onto the dueling ring jolted a cloud of dust into the air. Zhang Jiuxiao wiped away the sweat on his forehead. It was fortunate that his teacher had pushed him forward for a significant part of the journey, or else they really would have failed to make it in time. He looked below the dueling ring and saw that the middle-aged man whom his teacher was disguised as was currently standing by an inconspicuous corner, smiling at him. Then, he turned his eyes to Zhang Linqing and said, I should have made it in time, right? So what if you have made it in time? Zhang Linqing shook his head with a sneer as he raised up a single finger. Zhang Jiuxiao tilted his head in confusion, unsure about what that finger gesture meant. Against you, a single move is all I need! Zhang Linqing dered proudly. Even if your cultivation has reached Grand Dominion realm primary stage, its still nothing at all to me. Let me show you the difference between the core members of the Zhang n and those of the side family like you! After saying those words, Zhang Linqing took a step forward, and six shadows immediately appeared all around him in the blink of an eye. With a seemingly light downward thrust of his palm, a ferocious might burst forth. It might have appeared as if his attackscked skill and preciseness, but the palm strike had, in actuality, sealed the surrounding space, making it impossible for others to escape from it. Formidable! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. As expected of a member of the main family. He was not to be underestimated! Any other Grand Dominion realm primary stage cultivator might have panicked in this situation, but Zhang Jiuxiao had already deepened his understanding of cultivation up to Saint 7-dan pinnacle in the Blood Reservoir. On top of that, having been taught by Zhang Xuan, his understanding of battle techniques did not even pale inparison to top Zhang n geniuses like Zhang Chun, so naturally, he would not fall for such a simple move. Thus, he lightly took a step backward and drifted out of range of the palm strike. At the same time, he still continued holding the pinnacle spirit stone tightly in his left hand, furiously absorbing spiritual energy from it. While the speed of his retreat could not be said to be fast, it still caused Zhang Linqings attacks and possible follow-ups to fall empty. In other words, his first move had ended in aplete failure, failing to harm Zhang Jiuxiao in the least or achieve any strategic purpose. Zhang Linqing harrumphed. Ill admit, you do have some means, but this is as far as youll go! He had not expected this nobody of the side family to actually be able to find the opening in his attack and evade his offense. With a livid expression, he turned his palm into a w and struck forward. Tzzzzzzzzzz! Zhang Jiuxiao immediately felt as if his body had been bound by a rope, and a powerful force pulled his body toward Zhang Linqing. Given the huge disparity in power between the both of them at the moment, he knew that it would be disadvantageous for him to get into close-quartersbat with Zhang Linqing. Thus, taking a deep breath, he drew the spiritual energy from the pinnacle spirit stone in his hand with greater intensity before and roared, Come on, make a breakthrough! Zhang Jiuxiaos aura burst into the clouds, and following which, his strength began to surge forth. In the blink of an eye, he had already torn down the bottleneck before him to rush straight toward Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage. This breakthrough had caused his aura and fighting prowess to rise by nearly twofold, allowing him to hold his own against the powerful might that Zhang Linqing was using to pull him in. You are still able to make a breakthrough? Zhang Linqing widened his eyes in astonishment. He knew that Zhang Jiuxiao had only achieved a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm primary stage in recent days, so he should still have been busy reinforcing his cultivation during this period of time. Yet, he had actually managed to find enough momentum within him to make a breakthrough in the midst of their duel! However, so what if he had reached Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage? He was still a far way off from reaching the pinnacle! Dont you think its a little toote for you to be sharpening your edge? Zhang Linqing sneered coldly as he drove the zhenqi in his body with greater ferocity, causing the prowess of his tug to intensify. Ji ji ji! Deep gorges emerged on the surface. Zhang Jiuxiao found himself sumbing to the strength once more, and his body began to be gradually dragged in Zhang Linqings direction. Zhang Linqing had been at Grand Dominion realm pinnacle for quite a number of years now, and he had already familiarized himself fully with his cultivation technique and abilities. As such, his movements were extremely fluid,pletely devoid of the stiffness that those who had just reached the realm would have. Toote? You should learn to hold your tongue until the very end! With a sneer, Zhang Jiuxiao threw the pinnacle spirit stone back into his storage ring before abruptly stomping his feet forcefully. Boom! Two massive pits appeared on the ground, and Zhang Jiuxiaos forward moving body immediately stabilized on the spot. His strength might still have been a littlecking against the other party at Grand Dominion realm primary stage, but intermediate stage was more than enough! Even though the core members of the Zhang n were capable of challenging opponents beyond their cultivation realm, one would do well not to forget about the incredible purity of his bloodline at the moment. Even without activating the ability of his unique bloodline, it would still enhance his physical abilities significantly, such that defeating an opponent of two cultivation stages higher than him would not pose too much of a problem! What? Zhang Linqing could hardly believe his eyes. He tried to further intensify the strength of his pull, but the other party did not budge in the slightest. In this moment, he realized that he had been underestimating his opponent all this while. The smug look on his face was reced with grimness, and transforming his w into a punch, he dashed forward to strike. In the depths of his heart, he still felt that it was beneath him to be fighting against an offspring of the side family, but after the previous two blows that they had traded, he had no choice but to recognize the possibility that he might lose this match if he did not get serious. And that was not something that he could ept. Boom! As his punch surged forth, a sphere of power that somewhat resembled the shape of an umbre appeared at the tip of his fist, crushing the surrounding air so much that it creaked furiously in protest, on the verge of crumbling apart at any moment. Its a Saint high-tier battle technique, Fist of Void! This is a fist that channels all of the strength a cultivator harnesses in their body through a unique method and releases it in a single burst. The overwhelming strength in the resulting punch can even cause a void to be created in the air, making it a technique thats extremely difficult to defend against! Thats a technique that only the core members of the Zhang n are able to practice. A mere offspring of the side family like him probably hasnt even seen it before. Lets see how he ns to deal with something like that! Everyones eyes were gathered upon Zhang Jiuxiao, curious to see how the youngd would fare against an attack of this caliber. On the other hand, Zhang Jiuxiaopletely disregarded themotion around him. In this moment, there was not the slightest hint of nervousness or anxiety in his heart. Before the overwhelming attack rushing toward him, he slowly closed his eyes instead. Through his Spiritual Perception, he could feel the other partys fist art growing slower and slower, almost like an old man practicing the Taiji Fist 1 . So, this is the benefit of possessing a pure bloodline, Zhang Jiuxiao thought as an excited smile crept onto his lips. He had not fully awakened his enhanced bloodline yet, but he could already feel the groundbreaking changes in his body. Zhang Linqings attack was impressive, but to him, it appeared as if it was moving in slow motion, allowing him to uncover all of the ws in it easily. Teacher once said that to deal with such a forceful attack, all that has to be done is to strike its crux and tear it apart, Zhang Jiuxiao thought as he utilized his finger as a sword and tapped it lightly ahead of him. Hu! Before Zhang Jiuxiaos finger could reach Zhang Linqing, a crack already appeared in thetters Fist of Void, and like fragile ss, the umbre-shaped sphere of power swiftly shattered. A look of horror appeared on Zhang Linqings previously triumphant face. Peng! Struck in the middle of his chest, Zhang Linqing fell forcefully onto the ground. Excruciating pain engulfed every inch of his veins, and a gush of fresh blood spilled out of his mouth. Y-you... Zhang Linqing stared at the young man before him in disbelief. He knew just how powerful his Fist of Void was, and under normal circumstances, not even a Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm primary stage cultivator would have dared to face it head-on. Yet... not only did his opponent do so, he even overcame it with ease! From this, it was apparent that the other party had already reached a level far beyond his. Was this really the strength that an offspring of the side family should possess? It was illogical! How could he be so strong? You have lost. Instead of answering Zhang Linqings questions, Zhang Jiuxiao ced his hands behind his back and gazed down at him nonchntly. While Zhang Jiuxiao was standing imposingly before his opponent, beneath the dueling ring, a certain middle-aged man was trembling uncontrobly with rage. That moronic show-off! He could have settled this duel in a single move, and yet, he just had to waste his effort and use three instead. Why the heck did I ept such an unreliable disciple? Chapter 1456 - I Can Make a Breakthrough Now!

Chapter 1456: I Can Make a Breakthrough Now!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Zhang Xuan was on the verge of spurting blood, the other core members in the sparring grounds had their mouths hanging agape, unable to speak a word at all. Given that Zhang Jiuxiao was an offspring of the side family and was far weaker, they had thought that Zhang Linqing would be able to destroy him in an instant. Who could have known that after three moves, Zhang Jiuxiao would be the one standing triumphantly on the stage? Not expecting such a conclusion either, Elder Fengchen was stunned for a moment before he remembered his role and hurriedly announced, Zhang Jiuxiao... has won. In his long life, there had only been an asion or two where he had seen a cultivator defeating an opponent far stronger than him with just a single finger. But again, anything could happen in the dueling ring. It was not all that umon for weaker cultivators to defeat stronger opponents, and as such, while he did find it rather incredible, he did not think too much into it. Next round, Zhang Lin and Zhang Fengyun! After achieving victory, Zhang Jiuxiao headed down from the dueling ring and sat down to rest. He took out the pinnacle spirit stone once more and absorbed the spiritual energy within it to convert it into his strength. What he wascking the most at that moment was time, so he could not waste even a single second. On the other hand, after being helped down from the dueling ring, Zhang Linqing immediately found himself surrounded by his peers. What happened up there? a tall young man asked. As everything had happened too quickly, and Zhang Jiuxiao had struck his opening squarely, most of those within the crowd did not manage to make sense out of what was happening. Theres something weird about that fellow... Zhang Linqing shook his head. To be honest, even he himself was still unable to understand how he had lost. His cultivation was higher than the other partys, and the battle technique that he had executed was far superior as well, yet it had still ended in his loss. He really found himself unable toe to terms with it. A cold harrumph suddenly sounded, and a slender young man walked over. To think that an inner n member like you would lose to a mere member of the side family. Linqing, you have really disgraced all of us this time around. If I were in your ce, I would have killed myself out of embarrassment! Zhang Quanyi, what do you mean by that? Zhang Linqings face turned livid with rage. Nothing. I just feel embarrassed on your behalf, the young man named Zhang Quanyi replied with a look of disdain. You... Zhang Linqing clenched his fists tightly in anger. Zhang Quanyi hade from the same lineage as him, and the both of them had often argued with one another. As angry as he felt at the moment, he found himself unable to speak a single word of rebuttal after the tragic loss that he had suffered. Thus, he took a few deep breaths and replied coldly, If I remember correctly, you will be facing him next, right? I hope you remember what you have said here and dont disgrace yourselfter on! Disgrace myself? You must be joking! Is there even the slightest possibility that I will lose against a mere Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage cultivator? Zhang Quanyi waved his hand furiously, and an indomitable aura burst forth from his body. Half-Phantasmal Space? Zhang Linqing narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He had often fought with the other party, and their cultivation had always been equal to one another. How did the other party achieve the breakthrough after just a night of absence? Even though there was only a cultivation stage of difference between Grand Dominion realm pinnacle and Half-Phantasmal Space realm, in truth, there was a world of difference between the two realms. Indeed! Whats most important to a cultivator is their cultivation! Before true strength, skills and battle techniques mean nothing at all. If your cultivation had been at Half-Phantasmal Space realm, do you think that the fellow would have been able to withstand your Fist of Void? Zhang Quanyi sneered coldly. This... Zhang Linqings body stiffened. The other party was right. If his attack had been any stronger, even if Zhang Jiuxiao had struck his opening, thetters finger would only have been snapped in two. There was no way his attack would have been neutralized! Rest assured. Even though we are rivals, no matter what, we are still from the same lineage. Since you have been bullied by an outsider, Ill surely exact vengeance for you! Zhang Quanyi sneered coldly as he turned his gaze in Zhang Jiuxiaos direction, and a cold light flickered across his eyes. I wont be as soft as youter on. Ill make sure to defeat him in a single blow! Hearing those words, Zhang Linqing was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. Having fought with Zhang Quanyi for many years, he knew just how powerful the other party was. Now that the other party had taken a step ahead of him and reached Half-Phantasmal Space realm, he should be able to subdue that fellow from the side family with ease! The tournament continued, and it was roughly an hourter before the second roundmenced. As expected, Zhang Quanyi was indeed paired with Zhang Jiuxiao. Just as he had said previously, Zhang Quanyi used his full strength as soon as he got onto the field. It was hard to tell whether he did it intentionally or not, but he executed the Fist of Void as well. The mighty forcemanded behind the fist caused even the seal cast on the dueling ring to waver slightly. Zhang Jiuxiao frowned in the face of the fist. Instead ofunching a counterattack as he had done with Zhang Linqing, he chose to take evasive measures this time around. Do you think that Id allow you to dodge my attack that easily? Zhang Quanyi sneered coldly. Utilizing his newfound abilities as a Half-Phantasmal Space realm cultivator, he sealed the surrounding spacepletely, such that even ones Spiritual Perception would not be allowed to enter or leave the space. It seems like I wont be able to match him with my current level of strength... Seeing that the enemys palm was going to fall on him at any moment, Zhang Jiuxiao muttered beneath his breath. Since thats the case, Ill just have to make a breakthrough! Boom! Before Zhang Quanyi could even react, he suddenly felt a powerful force bursting forth from the young man in front of him. In the blink of an eye, that Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage fellow had already sessfully taken a step forward into Grand Dominion realm advanced stage. With the advancement of his cultivation, Zhang Jiuxiaos strength had risen by leaps and bounds once more. He swiftly raised his hand and retaliated against the Fist of Void with a punch of his own. Peng! The two fists collided, and both parties were pushed back simultaneously. How is this possible? Zhang Quanyi widened his eyes in disbelief. He had clearly seen the young man making a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm intermediate stage while he was battling with Zhang Linqing earlier, so how could he continue making a breakthrough right now? Not even Cultivation Impartation could be this fast! I dont believe it! Zhang Quanyi roared as he dashed forward once more. This time, he chose not to use the Fist of Void but the battle technique that he specialized in. Hu hu hu! Flitting swiftly around the dueling ring, Zhang Quanyis afterimages filled the entire area, forming a circr cage that trapped Zhang Jiuxiao in ce. Saint high-tier battle technique, Revolving Dragon Art! This battle technique was aligned with the essence of a Confinement Formation, and once executed, even his long-time rival, Zhang Linqing, would find himself in a pickle. Even if Zhang Jiuxiao had made a breakthrough, he was still only at Grand Dominion realm advanced stage. There was no way that he could escape from there! What swift movements! Trapped at the center of the circle, Zhang Jiuxiao felt himself being deprived of not just spiritual energy but oxygen as well, and giddiness was starting to fill his head. His face soon turned grim. You should be d that you have managed to force me to the point where I have to use this move. Youll be able to boast about this to others for the rest of your life! Zhang Quanyi sneered coldly as he thrust his palms several times. Peng peng peng! From the whirling shadows around him, several palms suddenly struck Zhang Jiuxiao without any forewarning, and he ended up being struck squarely before he could even react. Heh, rest assured. I wont let you lose that easily. Ill slowly drive it deep into your mind that theres no way mere offspring of the side family like you will be able to stand against core members like us! Zhang Quanyi smirked as he continued his attack. At this moment, Zhang Jiuxiao was still fumbling around, unable to find an opportunity to counterattack. Arent you good at making breakthroughs? Why dont you make a breakthrough right now? Seeing the awfulplexion on the young mans face, Zhang Quanyi burst intoughter. You had your fun making breakthroughs earlier, didnt you? Why dont you do it again? Zhang Jiuxiao patted his forehead in realization. Oh, youre right. I could just make a breakthrough, right? How silly of me! Following which, before Zhang Quanyi could even process what was going on, the aura of the fellow trapped at the center suddenly surged once more, and in just half a breath, he had already ovee his bottleneck and reached Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. The next instant, Zhang Quanyi suddenly felt a powerful force grabbing his neck. Like a rabbit, he was lifted up into the air. Chapter 1457 - Breakthroughs Are as Easy as Drinking a Cup of Water (1)

Chapter 1457: Breakthroughs Are as Easy as Drinking a Cup of Water (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not expecting the other party to be able to continue achieving breakthroughs and even grab his neck in a single move, Zhang Quanyi struggled with all of his might, as if a fish being pulled onto the shore. He had just mocked Zhang Linqing and sworn to defeat Zhang Jiuxiao a moment ago, but everything had gone contrary to his expectations. Was that man really a member of the side family? Even the most talented members of the main family were not able to make breakthroughs so frighteningly fast! He made two consecutive breakthroughs in a match? From beneath the stage, Zhang Linqing saw the sight and staggered in shock, nearly fainting in that instant. He had thought that he had only lost to Zhang Jiuxiao by a hairs breadth, but who would have thought that the other party had much more in him? Before he knew it, the other party was already of the same cultivation realm as him! To make the breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm, Zhang Linqing had prepared for two whole years and paid a hefty price, but the other party did the same within just a short hour. Was he still a human? An uproar broke out amid the crowd below, and even the supervising Elder Fengchen found his throat turning dry. He had been in the n for many years, and he had seen plenty of outstanding geniuses. There had also been quite a few who had made breakthroughs in their cultivation during crucial moments in a battle and sessfully turned the tables on their opponents, but... to achieve a breakthrough on a whim, and not to mention, in short intervals one after another, this was really the first one that he had seen! This was not talent anymore but absurdity! That dimwit! If he had followed my instructions, he should have already reached the Phantasmal Space realm by now. To still be at Grand Dominion realm pinnacle... just how did I manage to get myself this fool of a disciple? In contrast to the shocked crowd, Zhang Xuan was berating Zhang Jiuxiao beneath his breath, angered by histest disciples slow progress. Given the enhancement in Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline, its partial awakening in the Blood Reservoir, and the impartation of the simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art, he was bound to be able to make consecutive breakthroughs one after another. But an hour had already passed, and he had only raised his cultivation by three stages. This was too freaking slow! Had he known that the fellow was actually such a dunce, he never would have epted him as his direct disciple! This was an embarrassment, a permanent smirch on his clean record! ... On the highest tform erected on the sparring grounds, the First Elder was currently stroking his beard calmly while overlooking the duels when an elder suddenly rushed in and whispered something into his ears. You said that... an offspring of the side family has managed to advance into the third round? Thats right, First Elder! The elder nodded. That person is Zhang Jiuxiao. His first opponent was Zhang Linqing, a Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivator from the main family. At the start of the match, Zhang Jiuxiao was only at Grand Dominion realm primary stage, but in the course of the battle, he managed to ovee his limits and make a breakthrough, thus defeating thetter in a single move! The fact that hes able to make a breakthrough in the midst of a battle shows that hes a person of incredible mental resilience. There arent too many members in the Zhang n who are able to do that. It seems that even though Zhang Jiuxiao is from the side family, hes a talent that we should keep our eyes on. The First Elder nodded in approval. It was a constion to him to see how outstanding the younger generation of the Zhang n was. The elder continued his exnation. Youre right, First Elder. In the second round, Zhang Jiuxiao was faced with Zhang Quanyi, a Half-Phantasmal Space realm cultivator from the main family. He made a breakthrough once more to Grand Dominion realm advanced stage, eventually forcing Zhang Quanyi to execute the Saint high-tier battle technique, Dragon Revolving Art... The First Elder nodded again. The Dragon Revolving Art can be considered one of the stronger Saint high-tier battle techniques. I have seen Zhang Quanyi before; hes a decently talented individual who will be a valuable asset to the Zhang n in the future. A momentter, he nced at the elder with a look of confusion. If Zhang Quanyi used the technique while activating his bloodline ability, while its offensive power might be a littlecking, it should have been able to reach a speed far beyond Zhang Jiuxiaos ability to deal with, especially given the significant gap between both of their cultivation. How did Zhang Jiuxiao manage to emerge victorious? This... Its just as youve said, Zhang Jiuxiao was cornered by the technique... so he made another breakthrough and rose to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, the elder said with a bitter smile. He made another breakthrough? The First Elder was stunned. You mean to say that Zhang Jiuxiao was at Grand Dominion realm primary stage early in the morning, and he managed to make three consecutive breakthroughs and is currently a Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivator right now? Not only so... Based on what weve heard, he was only at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle a few days back, the elder said. To be able to rise to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle that swiftly... thats one whole cultivation realm! Wheres thatd? the First Elder asked anxiously. Hes on Dueling Ring D, in the midst of fighting against Zhang Ningxin! Zhang Ningxin? The talented grandson of Elder Wuxiao? He should have reached Phantasmal Space realm primary stage, right? the First Elder asked as he turned his gaze over to Dueling Ring D. Indeed. The person standing opposite to him is Zhang Jiuxiao, the elder said. The First Elder took a closer look and saw that the person facing Zhang Ningxin was a young man in his mid-twenties. The young mans cultivation was only at Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, and it did not seem that he had practiced any particrly profound battle techniques either, causing his fighting prowess to be slightlycking. However, hisbat sense and ability to adapt in battle were formidable. Zhang Ningxins attacks were sharp and powerful, such that any other Grand Dominion pinnacle cultivator facing him would have sumbed by now, but the young man was always able to dodge at his attacks at the critical moment in inconceivable ways. After watching for a while, a deep frown appeared on the First Elders forehead as he asked, Dont you find it weird? Given how hes able to dodge Zhang Ningxins attacks with ease, he must have already seen through his attacks. Since thats the case, why doesnt he try to counterattack? So far, the two of them had already traded more than a dozen blows, but despite possessing the higher cultivation, Zhang Ningxin did not appear to be in an advantageous position in this duel. It was as if he was being read like a book; the weaker Zhang Jiuxiao would always move ording to whatever attack he was nning to make and dodge it in advance. But since Zhang Jiuxiao had the ability to read Zhang Ningxins moves, why did he not attempt to counterattack? It would be foolish to take a constant defensive stance in a battle; defense should only be considered a temporary approach in order to find the perfect opportunity to counterattack. No matter how well Zhang Jiuxiao was dodging Zhang Ningxins attacks, it was only a matter of time before he slipped up. Noticing the same problem, the elder pondered for a moment before replying, I think... he probably has no way to counterattack. After all, theres a huge disparity in their strength. No way to counterattack... the First Elder repeated those words before a thought suddenly came to his mind, and he narrowed his eyes in shock. No, youre wrong. It isnt that he has no way to counterattack but that... that... At this point, the First Elder found himself unable to continue speaking anymore, as if he could hardly believe the thought in his mind. What? The elder looked over with a doubtful look. The reason he isnt exerting any strength is so as to conserve it to push for a breakthrough to Half-Phantasmal Space realm! the First Elder eximed with tightly-clenched fists. Hes conserving his strength? The elder was stunned. Didnt he just make a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle? Its precisely because he has just made a breakthrough and depleted his energy that he has to save up as much of it as possible in order to build up the momentum required to push for a breakthrough to higher realms, the First Elder said hoarsely. Look at his left hand. From the very start of the battle, he has not opened his grip even once! Youre right! The elder nodded in realization. Zhang Jiuxiao had been ced in several seemingly precarious situations under Zhang Ningxins relentless offense, but even so, he had still kept his left hand firmly by his side, not releasing his grip at all. He had thought that this was a battle n that Zhang Jiuxiao was using, so he did not pay much heed to it then. What hes holding in his palm is a pinnacle spirit stone, the First Elder said. The elder was stunned for a moment before quickly activating his Spiritual Perception. Upon clearly seeing what was in Zhang Jiuxiaos hand, he widened his eyes in disbelief and said, Does this mean to say that while coping against Zhang Ningxins offense, hes still absorbing energy from the spirit stone and raising his cultivation? Isnt that obvious? the First Elder said with a quivering voice. He had seen plenty of formidable geniuses in his time, but he had never seen one who was that confident in himself! To be cultivating in the midst of a battle against an opponent far stronger than him... Was he not afraid of death, or did he simply have that much confidence in his strength? You are courting death! I was still nning on hiding it, but you are forcing my hand! While the two old men were still in shock, on the dueling ring, Zhang Ningxin suddenly bellowed furiously, and his aura began surging up. Zhang Ningxin is going to make a breakthrough, too? the elder eximed hoarsely. Chapter 1458 - Breakthroughs Are as Easy as Drinking a Cup of Water (2)

Chapter 1458: Breakthroughs Are as Easy as Drinking a Cup of Water (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 They had expected Zhang Jiuxiao to make a breakthrough first after learning that he was cultivating in the midst of the battle, but who would have thought that Zhang Ningxin would beat him to it? A powerful might rippled through the dueling ring as massive spurts of spiritual energy descended from the sky, diving into Zhang Ningxins be. His strength swiftly grew stronger and stronger, to the point where his aura felt reminiscent of a titan. Zhang Ningxin reached Phantasmal Space realm primary stage quite some time ago. He should have been able to achieve a breakthrough three months ago, but he chose to suppress it till now! The more a cultivator tries to suppress their breakthrough, the greater the momentum and strength they will gain right after the breakthrough. Given that Zhang Jiuxiao has barely been coping with Zhang Ningxins attacks all this while, after his breakthrough, he will stand even less of a chance. The gap between Grand Dominion realm pinnacle and Phantasmal Space realm intermediate stage is simply too huge. Theres no way Zhang Jiuxiao can win now! Heh, isnt that fellow good at making breakthroughs? Try to match that then! Such words could be heard from the crowd below. The news of Zhang Jiuxiaos consecutive breakthroughs had already spread far and wide among the core members of the Zhang n, causing the attention on Dueling Ring D to far exceed that of the other dueling rings. It was no joke to say that everyones eyes were currently on this battle. Everyone had been to see if the offspring of the side family would be able to continue his miraculous breakthroughs, but no one had ever thought that Zhang Ningxin would beat him to it! A powerful gush of zhenqi flowed through Zhang Ningxins body, causing a sound reminiscent of the rapid tides of a river to fill the air. Standing at the very center of the dueling ring, Zhang Ningxin looked at Zhang Jiuxiao with coldness in his eyes. You must be proud. Despite being a mere offspring of the side family, you were able to force me into using my trump card. H! Without waiting for Zhang Jiuxiaos response, his ws flew forth,unching another round of offense. With his cultivation reaching Phantasmal Space intermediate stage, his fighting prowess had almost been doubled. Even as the w was still making its way to him, Zhang Jiuxiao felt like a massive hand was holding his body in ce, and no matter how he struggled, he was unable to break free from it. In his current state, even if he was still able to see through the ws in Zhang Ningxins attacks, he was no longer able to evade them in advance. Jiya! Zhang Jiuxiaos body was slowly lifted into the air. Arent you good at making breakthroughs? Come on, make a breakthrough for me, wont you? Zhang Ningxin sneered. It was one thing for Zhang Jiuxiao to be able to achieve sessive breakthroughs within the Grand Dominion realm, but a breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm would require a much highermand of the spatialws, so how could it possibly be that easy? If it was that easy, the number of n members who had sessfully reached Phantasmal Space realm beneath thirty would be far more than fifty! Despite being trapped in ce, there was not the slightest sign of panic to be seen on Zhang Jiuxiaos face. Instead, he shook his head with a frustrated frown on his face. I would love to make a breakthrough to, but I just havent fixed some of the details yet. Fixed? What details do you need to fix for a breakthrough? Zhang Ningxin burst intoughter. Hrious! Stop putting up that fake bravado of yours. Its clear that you have already lost the momentum required for a breakthrough. If you had umted enough, a breakthrough woulde easily to you. A breakthrough was something that came naturally once a persons cultivation had reached a certain point. As long as a cultivators umtion andprehension had surpassed a certain point, they would be able to make a breakthrough. If one could achieve a breakthrough by fixing details as you have said, everyone would be an expert! Zhang Jiuxiao shrugged nonchntly at Zhang Ningxins questioning. I really am fixing some details. I cant help it if you dont believe me. Humph, try fixing all you want then. If you have the ability to make a breakthrough, I suggest you do it now. Otherwise, this match will have to end right here... Zhang Ningxin could not be bothered to waste his breath anymore, so he began tightening the force of his grip. JIya! Jiya! A loud creaking sound reverberated in the air as the pressure on Zhang Jiuxiaos bones intensified. Sigh, I intended to find a way for me to achieve a breakthrough silently so that I wouldnt draw too much attention, but you just had to force me to make a breakthrough like that... Silently? Catch too much attention? Is that fellows head still fine? Hes currently only at Grand Dominion realm pinnacle; what would be so eye-catching about him achieving a breakthrough to Half-Phantasmal Space realm? The crowd was rendered dumbstruck by those ridiculous words. As expected of an offspring of the side family, he sure wascking in worldly experience! There would be several dozen members of the Zhang n who made a breakthrough to Half-Phantasmal Space realm each year; that fellow was simply making a big fuss out of nothing! On the erected tform, the elder asked, First Elder, do you think that hell really be able to make a breakthrough to Half-Phantasmal Space realm? It had not even been an hour since the young man had raised his cultivation from Grand Dominion realm primary stage to pinnacle. To be honest, it seemed a little too convenient for him to be able to make a breakthrough to Half-Phantasmal Space realm right now. I cant tell. Under normal circumstances, rising to a new realm would require a massive amount of umtion and familiarization ahead of the breakthrough. Considering how Zhang Jiuxiao made several breakthroughs not too long ago, I dont think that its very likely for him to be able to push his cultivation up any further, the First Elder analyzed contemtively. It was no wonder the First Elder would think as such. Such a rate of breakthrough was simplypletely unheard of! Hong long long! Forget it, I cant lose the tournament just over something like that! Before the First Elder could finish his words, on the dueling ring, Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head in regret as he opened his arms wide, and all of a sudden, his body jolted. Following which, a resounding buzz echoed as an immense surge of energy exploded. His aura began surging swiftly, rising at an unstoppable pace as if a raging storm. Huhuhu! In this moment, even the sky above the sparring ground seemed to have darkened, and a huge congregation of dark clouds swiftly gathered above. T-this... Seeing the gathering of the clouds, the First Elders face paled in shock. He isnt making a breakthrough to Half-Phantasmal Space realm but... straight to Phantasmal Space realm primary stage? Only a breakthrough from Half-Phantasmal Space realm to Phantasmal Space realm primary stage would draw in a lightning tribtion! The fact that the dark clouds had started settling in meant that Zhang Jiuxiao hadpletely circumvented the Half-Phantasmal Space realm to make a breakthrough to Phantasmal Space realm primary stage directly! It was no wonder he said that he needed to fix some details. A breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm meant that he had to face the Phantasmal Space Ordeal, so of course, he would need to fix some details and make some preparation! Boom! In his moment of shock, lightning had already started gathering in the sky, ready to fall at any moment. You... Zhang Ningxin did not expect the other party to actually make a breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm and draw in a lightning tribtion. His palm trembled in fright, and he nearly lost control of his zhenqi. Even if you have made a breakthrough, Ill just have to defeat you before you face your lightning tribtion! Forcefully calming himself down, a cold glint flickered across Zhang Ningxins eyes. Boom! He gathered all of the strength in his palm and struck down on Zhang Jiuxiao. At that moment, the lightning tribtion had yet to fully gather. He wanted to make use of this opening where Zhang Jiuxiao was in a vulnerable position to subdue him, and victory would be his to im! Kacha! But before Zhang Ningxins palm strike could even reach its target, a streak of lightning fell on his head, causing smoke to rise from his head. Pu! Fresh blood spurted out of his mouth as his body swayed weakly from side to side. Disbelief could be seen reflected in his eyes as he gasped. How could the lightning bolt be so powerful when the lightning tribtion hasnt fully formed yet? Theres no way the Phantasmal Space Ordeal could be this powerful! Who told you that this is the Phantasmal Space Ordeal? Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head. Following which, a sound reminiscent of snapping bamboo echoed from his body. Phantasmal Space realm primary stage! Phantasmal Space realm intermediate stage! Phantasmal Space realm advanced stage! Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle! Half-Dimension Sundering realm! In an instant, he had already reached Half-Dimension Sundering realm, and he was on his way to making a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm! In other words, this lightning tribtion was actually the Dimension Sundering Ordeal! Chapter 1459 - Irreplicable

Chapter 1459: Irreplicable

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Dimension Sundering Ordeal? How could that be possible? Leaping two cultivation realms in a single breath... Everyone was stunned. Even the First Elder was shocked beyond words. His cheeks were puffed crimson in agitation, and he opened and closed his mouth several times, but he was still unable to find his voice. It was just a moment ago that he had said that it was not too likely for the young man to make a breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm, but who would have thought that the other party would actually rocket right up to the Dimension Sundering realm! It was amon saying in the Master Teacher Continent that formidable geniuses were able to achieve breakthroughs as easily as drinking water... but not even drinking water would be as fast as this! Was the young man really an offspring of the side family and not the young prodigy in disguise? This is... This cant be... This is impossible! Zhang Ningxins face had turnedpletely pale in shock, and he retreated several steps while shaking his head in disbelief. For a Grand Dominion realm pinnacle cultivator to charge straight toward the Dimension Sundering realm... It was no wonder the other party said that he had to fix some of the details so as to avoid drawing too much attention. This was no longer at the level of drawing attention; this was at the level of stroke-inducing! To actually step across an entire realm... How in the world did he manage to do that? In order to advance from Phantasmal Space realm primary stage to intermediate stage, Zhang Ningxin had spent many long months cultivating, and he had paid a hefty price to obtain the resources needed for him to hasten his cultivation. Yet, the other party had actually managed to make the breakthrough in an instant. The frustration he felt left him on the verge of spurting blood. At this point, it seemed more like he was the one from the side family whereas the other party was from the main family! While the crowd was shocked beyond words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. This is more like it. Back when Zhang Jiuxiao was cultivating, he had noticed that there was a tremendous surge of energy lying dormant within Zhang Jiuxiao, ready to burst forth at any moment. During the previous break, Zhang Xuan had used the Library of Heavens Path to analyze the surge of energy before telling Zhang Jiuxiao the way in which he could draw out that surge of energy. However, he had not thought that Zhang Jiuxiao would be able to push right for the Dimension Sundering realm. If Im not mistaken, this surge of energy was left in him after his bloodline was purified and partially awakened in the Blood Reservoirst night, Zhang Xuan thought. Previously, he had used the golden page to enhance Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline, and at this moment, the purity of his bloodline was likely to exceed even that of the legendary young prodigy. With the current level of purity of his bloodline, not only would he be able to effectively absorb the Time Quintessence in the Blood Reservoir and activate it, he would also be able to raise his cultivation explosively, just like how Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao had done in the past. As the time that he had spent in the Blood Reservoir was severely limited, not to mention that he had spent most of the time going through the Saint 6-dan and Saint 7-dan cultivation techniques from Saint 6-dan to Saint 7-dan, he had not noticed the presence of the energy lying dormant in his body. It was only after he achieved a breakthrough to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle that Zhang Xuan noticed it. Thus, he had told Zhang Jiuxiao to use a special method to activate it, but he did not think that it would be so effective. In the blink of an eye, he had broken through the bottleneck of the Phantasmal Space realm and rushed right for the Dimension Sundering realm. Most geniuses of the Sage ns would have their bloodlines activated from a young age, and they would slowly use the energy to raise their cultivation. On the other hand, Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline had only been activated after he reached the Grand Dominion realm, so the sheer scale of the energy that he had in there was not too difficult to imagine. As expected of the bloodline of the strongest Sage n... Zhang Xuan thought in envy. But of course, whats more important is that he has simted the cultivation to the Phantasmal Space realm in his consciousness prior to his breakthrough, thus allowing him to control the energy within his body effectively. Otherwise, such swift sessive breakthroughs would have been extremely hard to achieve, and in the worst-case scenario, his energy might even have run amok, causing him to literally explode. While the energy from his bloodline was a reason behind his swift breakthrough, equally important was how familiar he had be with the Phantasmal Space realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Otherwise, tapping on this huge reserve of energy all of a sudden could really pose to be a great danger. In the worst-case scenario, he might have blown himself to dust. It could be said that this swift breakthrough was really dependent on luck and timing, and it was irreplicable. Not even Zhang Xuan himself would be able to do the same. I need to quickly make a breakthrough, too. Otherwise, it will be too embarrassing if I cant even match up to my own students, Zhang Xuan thought awkwardly. Even a student whom he had just taken in was stronger than him. Could it be that he was more suited to be an educator than a cultivator? Seeing the people around him overtake him had really left with a deep feeling of defeat. If not for Sun Qiang serving as a counter-benchmark for him, he really would have thought that he was not suited for cultivation. However, theres still a w in my Phantasmal Space realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Recalling the cultivation technique that was still iplete despite all of his efforts to perfect it, Zhang Xuan frowned. He would have loved to make a breakthrough if he could, but until his cultivation technique was impable, he was too disgusted by the ws in it to cultivate it. Given how many experts there are around here, as long as I can ess their collection of cultivation technique manuals, it shouldnt be too difficult for me to fill in that onest w. Given so, I should be able to reach Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle within the next few days! Zhang Xuan tossed aside his concerns and turned his gaze back to the dueling ring. More and more storm clouds were gathering in the area, ready to fall at any moment. In this moment, everyone in the sparring grounds was already panicking. No one was fighting anymore, and they had all fled out of the radius of the lightning tribtion, assessing the situation warily from a distance away. Even the First Elder had backed out of the area with a livid expression. Watching as the storm clouds grewrger andrger, Zhang Jiuxiao was starting to panic. He anxiously sent telepathic messages over to Zhang Xuan. Teacher, what should I do? You are my direct disciple. You have to ovee this lightning tribtion with your own strength! Zhang Xuan replied sternly with a wave of his hand. He would not mind helping others tide through their lightning tribtion but not his own direct disciples. As dangerous as lightning tribtions were, they could be considered a trial to the cultivator. This was an experience that was crucial to make cultivators mature and grow. After all, Zhang Xuan could not always be around to cover his students from their lightning tribtions, so he could not allow them to be dependent on him. I understand! Seeing the determined look on his teachers face, Zhang Jiuxiao realized that there was no room for negotiation on this matter. Thus, he gritted his teeth and turned his gaze back to the sky. Follow what I have taught you, and you should be able to ovee the lightning tribtion with ease! Zhang Xuan instructed. Back when they were in the Blood Reservoir, he had imparted not only the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art but also a way to deal with the lightning tribtion. While Zhang Xuans method of dealing with lightning tribtions was something that others could not learn, he was still able to tally the insights of predecessors to devise a set of strategies that a cultivator could use to minimize the risk of the lightning tribtion. I understand. Knowing that he only had himself to count on, Zhang Jiuxiao took in a deep breath and roared loudly before dashing right into the sky. From how he was willing to venture alone to the Qingyuan Empire just to vie for the slot to the Sanctum of Sages, it was not too hard to tell that he was a tenacious person full of grit. His teacher had already handed him all the tools that he needed; what he needed to do now was take thest step forward with his own strength! T t! Seemingly provoked by Zhang Jiuxiaos actions, the lightning tribtion crackled in fury. An eight-meter thick lightning bolt descended from the heavens. Gritting his teeth tightly together, Zhang Jiuxiao dashed fearlessly toward it. Boom! By the time the lightning bolt dissipated, Zhang Jiuxiao was already lying on the ground, his body scorched with severe burns. His body was convulsing slightly, seemingly having sustained severe injuries. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan feltpelled to dash forward to support his student, but at thest moment, he forced himself to stay put and averted his gaze. He must survive this with his own strength. Only then will he mature and be independent. Zhang Xuan believed that grooming a student was simr to raising a child. It was fine to guide them on every step of their journey when they were still younger and unprepared, but eventually, they had to learn to face the world on their own. While he had only taken in Zhang Jiuxiao a day ago, he believed that Zhang Jiuxiao was already ready for it. If anything, this trial was what he needed in order for him to affirm his own strength and gain confidence in his capability. It would sever the inferiorityplex that he had always felt as an offspring from the side family, allowing him to stand on his own two feet. It was also with simr reasons that he had sent his other students out to venture out and find their own paths and reasons to fight. Parents love their children by nning ahead for them. Teachers love their students by creating opportunities for self-discovery so that they can learn and mature. Currently, Zhang Jiuxiao had reached this important juncture in this life. Charge through it, and he would be like a fish morphing into a divine dragon, soaring into the boundless heavens where the sky was the limit. On the other hand, if he failed, naturally, Zhang Xuan would step in and save him, but by then... he would no longer be worthy of remaining as his direct disciple. Chapter 1460 - Zhang Xuan Disappeared

Chapter 1460: Zhang Xuan Disappeared

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If Zhang Jiuxiao is able to survive this lightning tribtion, there will be no need to hold the tournament anymore, Zhang Wuchen mumbled as he looked at the overcast sky above crackling with lightning currents. Indeed. The First Elder nodded in agreement. This lightning tribtion is clearly far stronger than that of ordinary Dimension Sundering Ordeals, such that even Saint 8-dan intermediate stage cultivators would find it hard to survive it. If he can emerge from it alive, he will indubitably be the number one figure of the younger generation! At their level of cultivation, they could already gauge the prowess of a lightning tribtion with just a nce. Zhang Jiuxiaos lightning tribtion was as vast as an ocean, spanning a ridiculous size. Just the sheer prowess that was harnessed within the storm clouds was enough to leave goosebumps rising on their arms. If the young man could survive something of this tier, it would effectively mean that even the currently spected strongest individual of the younger generation, Zhang Chun, would not be close to being a match for him, thus cing him firmly in the top seat. How did an offspring of the side family like him manage to grow so quickly? Zhang Wuchen was still unable to ept the sudden turn of events. The First Elder shook his head and said, That is a question well have to ask him once he ovees the lightning tribtion. While the two of them were speaking, the second streak of lightning was gradually forming. Kacha! This time, it was not just an ordinary lightning bolt. There was the cold glint of a weapon harnessed within it as it streaked downward, tearing through the space that stood in its way, leaving behind a dark gash in its wake. Thats the Lightning Warrior of the lightning tribtion... One of the elders amid the crowd gulped in horror. If lightning tribtions were considered to be a simple punch, the emergence of a Lightning Warrior would be equivalent to the usage of a weapon. Though they were both lightning bolts, there was a vast difference in their prowess. Come! Swallowing a pill that his teacher had given to him, Zhang Jiuxiaos injuries swiftly recovered. With a furious roar, he whipped out a Saint high-tier weapon and drove it straight toward the lightning tribtion. The strongest weapon that he had previously was only at Saint intermediate-tier, but for sessfully getting into the Sanctum of Sages, the n had gifted him with a Saint high-tier artifact, and in this crucial moment, he decided to take it out without any hesitation. Kacha! As the Saint artifact collided with the Lightning Warrior, it was split in two in an instant. Despite that, the might of the lightning bolt did not seem to weaken in the slightest. Zhang Jiuxiao did not seem to be surprised by that at all. He spread open his fingers and formed a semispherical barrier of zhenqi above him. When the lightning struck the barrier, a deafening explosion erupted, and a powerful shockwave burst through the sparring grounds, shaking the dueling rings intensely. It was very fortunate that they were in the sparring grounds, so many Reinforcement Formations were in ce. Otherwise, everything could have reduced to rubble from that single lightning bolt. Peng! Eventually, Zhang Jiuxiao managed to fend off the Lightning Warrior, but the sheer intensity of the lightning still seared his arms ck. At the same time, He was pushed deep into the ground like a heavy cannonball, creating a huge pit above him. Could he have been electrocuted to death? He shouldnt have, right? This lightning is simply too fearsome. Even the managerial elders of the n wouldnt be able to survive something of this scale! Considering how he has just barely made a breakthrough, not to mention that he even leaped an entire realm without reinforcing his cultivation at all... things really dont look too optimistic. Lets hope that hes fine. Even though he might be from the side family, its still a blessing for the n to have someone as talented as him in our ranks. Nothing can happen to him! Such words could be heard from the n members all around as apprehension and nervousness colored their faces. While there was significant internal rivalry within the Zhang n, the individual members still celebrated the rise of new geniuses instead of suppressing them. This was because they knew full well that the prosperity of the n was dependent on the number and quality of the talents that they had, and only when the n remained strong would there be good days ahead for them. Hu! While everyone was staring intently in worry, Zhang Jiuxiao leisurely flew up from the bottom of the pit. The current him was charred ck from head to toe. Nevertheless, resolve still could be seen reflected on his face. It seemed like he was devoid of any fear toward the lightning in the sky. Hong long long! The third lightning bolt was about to fall very soon. The Dimension Sundering Ordeal consisted of three lightning bolts, and each of them was stronger than thest. Countless experts had fallen to it in history. The third lightning bolt is not only powerfulit also harnesses a Heart Ordeal in it. Being from the side family, Zhang Jiuxiao has never undergone proper training to temper his mental resilience before, so it wont be easy for him to ovee his inner demons, the First Elder remarked worriedly. Indeed. To ovee this hurdle, on top of possessing great strength, he must have an unwavering will. I fear that he might not be ready for this yet, Zhang Wuchen replied apprehensively. If this genius who had just barely emerged through the ranks were to fall to the lightning tribtion, it would really be a huge loss to the Zhang n. However, a lightning tribtion of this scale is no longer something that we can interfere in. Lets do this then. Go and look for Zhang Xuan, and if he can help us settle the lightning tribtion and save Zhang Jiuxiao... we can let everything that he has done previously go, the First Elder said. Based on what Zhang Wuchen had told him, he realized that Zhang Xuan was indeed Yang shis student. Considering how he was able to resolve even the devastating Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast with ease, asrge as Zhang Jiuxiaos Dimension Sundering Ordeal was, it should not be too difficult for him to chase it away as well. Very well! Knowing how important this matter was, Zhang Wuchen quickly flew toward Zhang Xuans amodation, and it did not take long for him to arrive at his destination. Hmm? He isnt around? Zhang Wuchen swiftly swept through the amodation with his Spiritual Perception, but Zhang Xuan was nowhere to be seen. With a frown, he pushed open the door and walked in. Elder Wuchen. Jian Qinsheng stood up. Do you know where Zhang shi is? Zhang Wuchen got straight to the topic at hand. Back then, he had brought Jian Qinsheng and Zhang Xuan here together, and after taking thetter to the Blood Reservoir, Zhang Wuchen had left him to return here alone. Under normal circumstances, he should have obediently stayed put in his residence or at least stayed within the vicinity, so why was he nowhere to be seen? Jian Qinsheng pondered for a moment before saying, Zhang shi was taken away by youst night, and I heard that he met Zhang Jiuxiaoter on and went out with thetter. Zhang Jiuxiao hade here to look for Zhang Xuan, andter on, the two of them had left and nevere back. For Zhang Wuchen to be looking for Zhang Xuan at this moment, could something have happened? Wait a moment, are you saying that Zhang Jiuxiao... came to look for Zhang Xuanst night? Zhang Wuchen narrowed his eyes at this surprising information. Just to verify, are you speaking of the offspring of the Zhang ns side family who has gotten into the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Jiuxiao? Of course, its not a habit of mine to memorize the names of the offspring of the Zhang n otherwise! Jian Qinsheng harrumphed. How does Zhang Jiuxiao know Zhang Xuan? Zhang Wuchen could hardly believe what he was hearing. The new, rising genius of the Zhang n was actually acquainted with the dastardly Zhang Xuan? How am I supposed to know that? In any case, they are very close to one another! Jian Qinsheng replied impatiently. Alright, I understand. Sorry for imposing on you. With a look of disbelief on his face, Zhang Wuchen quickly flew back to the sparring grounds. In the time that he had spent looking for Zhang Xuan, the lightning bolt in the sky had already finished charging up, and it surged down with a deafening rumble. In an instant, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly found himself standing confusedly in the midst of a junction, and his soul flickered weakly in uncertainty, on the verge of being extinguished at any moment. He was just an ordinary member of the side family. In the behemoth known as the Zhang n, he did not have the slightest shred of standing, dignity, or even presence. Even if he had died in the Qingyuan Empire, it would not have caused the slightest ripple in the Zhang n. Just like how he had been born a nobody, he would have died a nobody as well. It was his teacher who had ced control of his life back in his hands. His teacher had helped him get into the Sanctum of Sages as a student, and after which, he had even bestowed him with the strongest bloodline. Since my teacher said that I can ovee the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, Ill be able to do it. No, I must do it! Even if it costs me my life, I cannot disappoint him! Such was the strong will that burned in Zhang Jiuxiaos heart, and it brought unimaginable strength to his body. Astonishingly, it actually caused the lightning ordeal to simply slip right past his body, unable to cause the slightest harm at all. The First Elder narrowed his eyes. This is... the power of the bloodline? And its even purer than mine? But... this is impossible! Chapter 1461 - Surviving the Lightning Ordeal

Chapter 1461: Surviving the Lightning Ordeal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The activation of Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline happened so silently that it was hard for anyone to discern anything. However, due to the purity of the First Elders bloodline, he immediately felt a faint resonance with Zhang Jiuxiao. And to his shock, he found that the bloodline that Zhang Jiuxiao possessed was even stronger than his! In the entire Zhang n, his bloodline was only second to the deputy n head, the Xing Sword Saint. For an offspring of the side family to be able to suppress his bloodline... even after double checking it multiple times, he still found the matter inconceivable. The First Elders body stiffened in astonishment. I have only seen this level of purity in the young prodigy before. Could it possibly be him? The young prodigy had been born with a bloodlineparable to the founder of the Zhang n, and due to that, he had directly been chosen as the next n head, and a life of greatnessy ahead of him. However, it was a pity that a certain incident had urred, and shortly after... he had gone missing! Given how pure Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline was, could it possibly be him? No, thats not right. Zhang Jiuxiao is already in histe twenties whereas the young prodigy should only be twenty this year. Theres a huge difference in their age, so they cant be the same person. Also, it doesnt make sense for us to have missed the high purity of his bloodline in the past! Offspring of the Zhang n, regardless of whether they were from the main family or the side family, would have their bloodline checked at birth. In fact, there were some top geniuses whose bloodline purity could be checked through a unique method even while they were in their mothers womb. Naturally, Zhang Jiuxiao would have gone through such a check, and it would have been detailed in the records. If the young man really possessed such a pure bloodline, there was no way that he could have been overlooked! Or could the First Elder have remembered incorrectly and unintentionally overlooked this genius of the Zhang n? Wuzhen, head to the Hall of Rituals and bring Zhang Jiuxiaos record over to me, instructed the First Elder as turned his head. Yes! Hearing the First Eldersmand, Elder Wuzhen hurriedly left the area. It did not take long for him to return with a book in hand. Zhang Jiuxiaos record was stored in the archive room for the side family in the Hall of Rituals, so it had not been too difficult for him to find it. The First Elder hurriedly took the record and flipped it open. The age indeed doesnt tally. His soul is stable, perfectly fused with his body, so the possibility of him being possessed by another person is zero. During the previous check, he only possessed the lowest bloodline that isnt even worth mentioning. How is there such a huge difference now? The First Elder swiftly finished looking through the record, and he could not help but shake his head in iprehension. A unique artifact was employed in order to check the bloodline of the Zhang n members so as to avoid human error and oversight. As such, the chances of any errors urring were as good as zero. Besides, if someone with such a pure bloodline had been born, the Hall of Rituals would have responded through some kind of phenomenon, such as how the entire hall rattled and Kong shis sculpture rose when the young prodigy was born. All in all, there was simply no way that an offspring with a bloodline that pure could have been born without them realizing, lying low for more than twenty years before suddenly dazzling their eyes with his brilliance! I want you to investigate Zhang Jiuxiaosplete history,pile it into a report, and bring it to me! the First Elder instructed. The Zhang ns intelligencework was not to be scoffed at, and the fact that Zhang Jiuxiao was a master teacher made it even easier to look into his affairs. Thus, it did not take long before Elder Wuzhen returned once more with a book in hand. The First Elder swiftly browsed through the content within, and he could not help but fall into deeper confusion. It did seem like Zhang Jiuxiao was quite a talented individual, but to put it in Zhang ns standards, it was still ratherckluster. The turning point seemed to be around three to four months ago, when his rate of cultivation suddenly quickened. Nevertheless, it still had not reached a level where the Zhang n would need to pay much attention to him.. Zhang Wuchen walked up and worriedly reported, First Elder, I found out that justst night, Zhang Jiuxiao went to look for Zhang Xuan. Not only so, Zhang Xuan is currently not in the amodation that we have assigned him. Zhang Jiuxiao met Zhang Xuanst night? The First Elder was bewildered to learn of the association between the two. He stroked his lower jaw and pondered for a moment before remarking, Zhang Xuan seems to havee from the Qingyuan Empire as well... He had looked through the intelligence that the Zhang n had acquired on Zhang Xuan as well, and considering how Zhang Xuan also hailed from the Qingyuan Empire, it was likely that the both of them had gotten acquainted with one another then. Thinking about it, they did enter the Sanctum of Sages together, so it was impossible for the both of them not to know about one another. The First Elder pondered for a while longer, but he was still unable to figure out what was happening. He rubbed his be and instructed, Dont tell anyone about this matter yet. For the time being, dispatch some personnel to continue looking for Zhang Xuandont let him cause any trouble in the n! To be honest, even he had to admit that the fellow named Zhang Xuan was a top genius, be it in terms of his mastery as a master teacher or the skills that he had disyed in his supporting upations. s, it was a huge pity that he simply loved causing damage everywhere he went! In less than a day after arriving at the Zhang n, he had already induced a hugemotion. Countless buildings had already fallen victim to his tyranny. No one would be able to take it if he was allowed to continue wreaking havoc in the n! Understood! Zhang Wuchen nodded before swiftly leaving the area. After handling these issues, the First Elder turned his gaze to the lightning tribtion once more and saw that Zhang Jiuxiao had already survived the final streak of lightning. Gradually, the ominous clouds were starting to clear up. The Dimension Sundering Ordeal had left Zhang Jiuxiao in a battered condition. Whether it was his physical body or his soul, they were in an unprecedentedly fragile condition. Despite so, his aura was quickly surging toward a greater height, and at the same time, a mysterious bundle of energy seemed to be manifesting within his body, ready to burst forth at any moment to cause great destruction. Thats the power of Dimension Sundering... He has sessfully made a breakthrough! the First Elder eximed in agitation. To be able to reach such a level below the age of thirty, Zhang Jiuxiao was indubitably the most talented offspring of the entire Zhang n. Hu! The First Elder quickly flitted down from the tform that he was on to stand before Zhang Jiuxiao. He whipped out a pill and said, Hurry up and swallow this. Itll help you recover swiftly from your injuries. Thank you, First Elder! Zhang Jiuxiao took the pill. It was a grade-9 pill that had tremendous effectiveness in recovering the wounds sustained by the body and soul. However, Zhang Jiuxiao did not rush into consuming it. He quickly thanked the First Elder before fumbling his way over to a middle-aged man, and with an excited look on his face, he said telepathically, Teacher, I have seeded! Yes, I saw it. Swallow the pill that the First Elder has given you and quickly recover from your injuries. Its effects are so-so, but its exactly what you need in your current state, Zhang Xuan replied telepathically with a nod. Also, given how huge amotion you have caused, the First Elder is bound to ask about the matter. As you know, I like to be low profile and dont wish to reveal my identity, so think well before you speak, got it? Yes, Teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly nodded. Following that, he swallowed the pill, and the fatigue and aching pain he was suffering significantly lessened. He quickly sat down and channeled the medicinal energy within the pill throughout his body. In less than an hour, he had already recovered from most of his injuries. Seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao was done recuperating, Elder Wuzhen flew over and said, Zhang Jiuxiao, the First Elder is looking for you. Understood! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. He shot an inconspicuous nce toward his teacher behind, only to see thetter looking focused at the ground, seemingly dazing off. Knowing that his teacher did not want to attract too much attention to himself, he turned around and instructed, You should return to the amodation first. Ill head over after meeting the First Elder. Yes! Zhang Xuan sped his fist politely. He was acting as Zhang Jiuxiaos subordinate at this moment, so naturally, his actions had to be fitting of one as well. As every offspring that hade to the tournament had brought some of their subordinates along, Zhang Wuchen did not think much of their interaction. He led the way forward, and Zhang Jiuxiao followed closely behind him. They left the sparring grounds and headed toward the center of the city. In that moment, Zhang Jiuxiao was feeling deeply nervous inside. As an offspring of the side family, he had never been in such close proximity to the main family before. Putting everything aside, just the formations set up around the area were enough to trap those who did not know their way around for life. Zhang Wuchen came to a stop before a hall. The First Elder is right inside. Understood. Zhang Jiuxiao assessed the building before him. It was a vast hall, reminiscent of a guest lounge of some sort. Without much hesitation, he made his way inside. Barely after stepping through the door, just as he wanted to scan his surroundings, he suddenly felt a powerful pressure crushing down on his body. Boom! It was an aura filled with malicious intent, reminiscent of a vicious beast baring its fangs at someone. It engulfed his surroundings in an instant, leaving him feeling as if he would be torn to shreds. What? Sensing a powerful force heading his way, Zhang Jiuxiaos body stiffened. Chapter 1462 - Professionally Humble

Chapter 1462: Professionally Humble

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The force in the hall did not show the slightest hint of mercy. If Zhang Jiuxiao remained rooted to the spot, he could very well lose his life. Knowing that there was no time to be lost, Zhang Jiuxiao took a deep breath and quickly retreated. Peng! He found his back pressed against the door. Only at that instant did he realize that the door behind him had been closed and sealed with multipleyers of formations. Even with his strength as a Dimension Sundering realm cultivator, he was still unable to inflict the slightest bit of damage to it. Darn it! Knowing that it was toote for him to dodge, Zhang Jiuxiao flicked his wrist and retaliated with a palm strike of his own. Boom! His palm collided with the assants. Kacha! Zhang Jiuxiao immediately felt a crushing pressure on his chest that pushed out all of the oxygen in his lungs. The injuries that had barely recovered from the earlier lightning tribtion tore open once more, and a searing pain engulfed Zhang Jiuxiaos body. Dimension Sundering realm primary stage? However, this exchange of blows did give Zhang Jiuxiao an idea of the strength of the assantthe other party was at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage as well. Humph! Since they were of the same cultivation realm, there was nothing for him to fear. With a forceful push against the ground, Zhang Jiuxiao leaped upward as he directed a barrage of palm strikes in the direction of the assant. H! It took just an instant for raging air currents to fill the roompletely, as if a brewing tornado. Powerful bursts of might were shot forth here and there, inducing ceaseless sonic booms. Even though Zhang Jiuxiao had barely reached Dimension Sundering realm primary stage, the simtion that he had gone through in the Blood Reservoir had allowed him to fully grasp his strength up to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle. He had also tried to simte a breakthrough several times then, and this had given him some experience in driving the power of Dimension Sundering. As such, his movements were still considerably fluid, devoid of the usual stiffness that a cultivator unustomed to their strength would have. Boom boom boom! Zhang Jiuxiaos counterattack was swift, but his assant was even faster. Thetter sessfully fended off all of his palm strikes without sustaining the slightest bit of damage. Nevertheless, while he was in the air, he was able to catch a good sight of the person who had assaulted him. The other party was dressed in a rather loose-fitting robe, making it hard to gauge his exact physique. At the same time, he was wearing a mask, which blocked even Spiritual Perception from looking beneath it. All in all, that individual felt like a particrly enigmatic figure. Who are you? Why are you in the First Elders residence? Zhang Jiuxiao asked with narrowed eyes. Hu! Instead of answering his question, the assant raised his palm and sent another palm strike over. The other partys movements were rather gentle, thus making it appear as if his palm strike did not harness much force. However, the goosebumps that rose on Zhang Jiuxiaos arms in response to the palm strike told a very different story. Knowing that the assant would not give himself away that easily, Zhang Jiuxiao could not be bothered to ask anymore. Raising his hands, he charged forward to face his opponent directly. While his talent might have beencking inparison to Zhang Xuan, no matter what, he had still been a famed genius back in the days when he was still in the Qingyuan Empire. Naturally, his aptitude forbat was decent. Furthermore, the current him had already undergone one-to-one lessons with Zhang Xuan, and that had brought his proficiency inbat to a whole new level. In the blink of an eye, he had already exchanged eight blows with the masked assant. While there seemed to be many times where Zhang Jiuxiao was in peril, he was always able to slip out in the crucial juncture, thus averting the danger in the end. Even though the battle was difficult for Zhang Jiuxiao, the masked man was not faring too well either. Zhang Jiuxiao had just made a breakthrough and was still injured, but no matter what, he had still received Zhang Xuans individual tutge. It would be no exaggeration to say that Zhang Jiuxiaos currentbat skills were ranked among the top in the Master Teacher Continent, even if they still came nowhere to Zhang Xuans. As such, in just a few blows, the masked assant was already struggling to keep up. Heh! Knowing that he was getting cornered, the masked assant suddenly sneered coldly. Following which, a powerful aura burst forth from his body, and his silhouette suddenly blurred like a specter. The next instant, he was already standing before Zhang Jiuxiao with his palm thrusting forth at an incredible speed. Peng! Unprepared for this, Zhang Jiuxiao was sent flying by that palm strike, and he crashed into the wall behind him. Bloodline ability! You are from the Zhang n? Zhang Jiuxiao eximed in shock. He was certain that the ability that the masked assant had just used was the unique ability of the Zhang ns bloodline! Humph! However, there was still no response from the masked assant. Instead, thetter flitted forward again, and the surrounding time seemed to have slowed down in contrast to his movements. Before Zhang Jiuxiao could realize it, he had already been struck squarely once more, and a mouthful of blood escaped through his lips. The Zhang ns bloodline allowed one to struggle free from the restraints of time and move at a speed faster than the limits of a human. To the eye of an outsider, it would appear as if Zhang Jiuxiao had slowed instead and was unable to keep up with the masked assant. This wont do. At this rate, Ill really be beaten to death by that fellow! After sustaining a few more punches, Zhang Jiuxiao felt his body swiftly creeping toward its limits. He knew that he would not survive a few more punches, and his eyes reddened in agitation. He hade here to meet the First Elder, but instead of finding the First Elder, he had found himself faced with a masked assant. Every single move that thetter executed was deadly, aimed right at his vitals, and if this continued, he really might lose his life! I cant afford to hold back anymore. Knowing that this was no time for him to be holding back his strength, Zhang Jiuxiao took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He began driving his bloodline, and in an instant, everything before him suddenly seemed to have started ying in slow motion. This was the ability of the Zhang ns bloodline! He had been unable to use it in the past, but as his bloodline became purer, he found himself being able to activate the ability with just a simple thought. As the surroundings slowed down, the movements of the charging masked man immediately came into sight. Everything that he had not been able to perceive previously appeared before him with the utmost rity. Humph! Zhang Jiuxiao raised his foot and sent a powerful kick over to the other party. Peng peng peng peng! Leg, palm, fist, finger... all sorts of attacks rained down on the masked assant like a storm. The masked assant never thought that Zhang Jiuxiao would be able to move even faster than him, and before he could even react, he had already been struck numerous times. His body was forcefully pushed back, and with a spurt of blood, his back mmed heavily into the wall. Die! Knowing that there was a time limit to how long he could keep his unique bloodline activated for, Zhang Jiuxiao had absolutely no intention of holding back. If he showed mercy to the assant now, he could very well lose his life once the duration of his unique bloodline went into cooldown. He was not so kind as to give his life up for a stranger who wanted his life! Peng peng peng peng! A barrage of attacks fell on the masked assant,pletely overwhelming thetter, leaving him no room to counterattack at all. But just as Zhang Jiuxiao was about tounch the decisive move, a huge surge of power suddenly burst forth from the assant before him, knocking him away. Following which, Zhang Jiuxiao felt an unbelievably strong power holding his body in ce, rendering himpletely unable to move. W-what? How can you be so powerful? Zhang Jiuxiao narrowed his eyes in horror. He had already reached Dimension Sundering realm primary stage, but even so, the power emanating from the masked assant was still able to render himpletely helpless. This meant to say that the person was at least at Saint 9-dan... or perhaps even higher than that! A person wielding such strength could be considered one of the strongest figures in the n, but it was iprehensible why such a powerful person would go to the extent of masking himself and attempting to assassinate him! Enough, lets stop here. The masked assants deep voice reverberated across the room. Following which, the masked assants aura continued to surge, and in just the blink of an eye, it had already reached a level that Zhang Jiuxiao had never before dared fathom. This voice... At that moment, what had caught Zhang Jiuxiaos attention was not the overwhelming strength of the masked assant but the familiarity of his voice. He raised his head, only to see the masked assant taking off his mask, revealing a very familiar face. First Elder, you... Zhang Jiuxiao was stunned. How could the vicious assant whose every move had been aimed at his vitals, determined to drag him down into the depths of hell, be the First Elder? Your bloodline is purer than even mine... Tell me, Zhang Jiuxiao, how did you do it? the First Elder asked in a calm, inquisitive voice, devoid of any malice or hostility. You were... testing me out earlier? Zhang Jiuxiao widened his eyes in astonishment as cold sweat trickled down his back. It was just a moment ago that his teacher had reminded him to maintain a low profile, but he had already given himself away! It seemed like he really had much more to learn from his teacher. His teacher had been able to keep his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher under wraps from the rest of the world for such a long period of time, but he could not even keep his bloodline concealed for more than a day. Indeed, when it came to being humble and low profile, he still had a long way to go! Chapter 1463 - I Have a Humble Teacher

Chapter 1463: I Have a Humble Teacher

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I could already tell while you were facing your lightning tribtion that your bloodline is even purer than mine, but I simply found it too hard to believe then that I wanted to test it for myself to confirm the matter. To think that it would really be true! the First Elder replied. He stared deeply into Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes, seemingly trying to peer deep into thetters soul as he said, I have looked into your background. Your Zhang n bloodline should have been so thin that its nearly negligible, so how did it be so pure? This was a matter that had been bugging his mind all this while. Such a thing had never happened in the history of the Zhang n. I... Zhang Jiuxiao stopped for a brief moment as he swiftly went through the excuse that he had prepared in advance before saying, To be honest, Im not too sure either. It simply happened shortly after I achieved a breakthrough to the Grand Dominion realm. All of a sudden, my bloodline just grew purer and purer... While Zhang Jiuxiao was indeed an offspring of the Zhang n, he was simply too far off from the main family, so he hardly knew anything about the bloodline. In any case, his understanding of the topic was bound to be beneath that of the First Elder. Instead of wracking his brain in search of a wless story, he might as well feign ignorance and let the First Elder fill up the gaps on his own. That would be more believable than any story that he could cook up. Are you saying that your bloodline was hidden too deep in your body, so it could only be awakened after you cultivated to a certain level? the First Elder asked contemtively with a deep frown. Such a situation was not too umon with unique constitutions. Most unique constitutionsy dormant within the cultivators body, awakened only when the cultivator finally reached a certain level of strength. Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible to detect the presence of the unique constitution within his body. Zhang Jiuxiao ruminated deeply on the First Elders words before nodding slowly in agreement. That... Im not too sure how it works, but that does seem to be the case! Thats impossible! The First Elder abruptly shook his head. The Zhang ns bloodline harnesses the Time Quintessence, so theres no way it could possibly circumvent the detection of our artifacts! As a n specializing in the interpretation of Time Quintessence, the First Elder was certain that their means of measuring the purity of a Zhang n offsprings bloodline were infallible. In a sense, this was simr to how a person looking at the night sky would never miss aet streaking across the darkness. Besides, due to the unique nature of the Zhang ns bloodline, the possibility of it being awakened reduced exponentially as one advanced past his twenties. Considering how Zhang Jiuxiao was already nearing his thirties, even if the Zhang n were to devote all of its resources into helping him, it would still take a grueling amount of time and effort in order to awaken it. So, how could Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline possibly awaken within such a short span of time, not to mention, even achieving breakthroughs all the way to the Dimension Sundering realm? Besides, I can sense lingering traces of the Time Quintessence that should only have been in the Blood Reservoir infused in your bloodline. Clearly, you have been tempering your bloodline at the Blood Reservoir! An offspring of the side family like you shouldnt be qualified to enter the premises of the Blood Reservoir, and I havent found any records approving your entry to the Blood Reservoir. So, tell me, Zhang Jiuxiao, how did you get into the Blood Reservoir? the First Elder questioned in a sharp voice. At the same time, the pressure that he exerted through his aura also grew significantly stronger, causing the air in the room to suddenly grow thinner. Putting aside the fact that the Blood Reservoir only worked on offspring with sufficiently pure bloodlines, even offspring whose bloodlines had met the mark would have to absorb the Time Quintessence under the guidance of an elder, or else they would risk their cultivation going berserk. It was in view of such dangers that ess to the Blood Reservoir was limited to even the core members of the Zhang n. Yet, somehow, Zhang Jiuxiao had still managed to get in and even sessfully tempered his bloodline! I... Cold sweat began trickling down Zhang Jiuxiaos forehead as he fell silent. It felt almost as if the First Elders eyes were able to see right through all of his deception and falsehood. He knew that he could not give away his teachers participation in this matter, but at this moment, he felt as if he had already been cornered. I have also looked into your performance after entering the Sanctum of Sages. Your cultivation did grow faster a little, but it was still within a normal range, not too different from the average genius of our Zhang n. The anomaly only startedst night! You left your amodation and disappeared for the entire night, and when you appeared once more, you suddenly started pushing for consecutive breakthroughs, reaching your current realm in the blink of an eye. At this point, the First Elder looked at Zhang Jiuxiao with perfectly calm eyes as he spoke particrly unnerving words to thetter. There are very few people in this world who are able to tantly lie to my face, so I suggest you think carefully about how you should speak in order for me to believe you. A shudder ran through Zhang Jiuxiaos back. The discerning eyes of a high-ranked master teacher were not to be underestimated. The old man standing before him was a true 9-star master teacher, a person who stood at the very zenith of the Master Teacher Continent. One had to weather countless storms and survive multiple catastrophes in order to reach that position of power, and it would have been nigh impossible for one to do so without learning how to read into the hearts of others. Zhang Jiuxiao fell into deep panic as he realized the quandary that he was in. However, at the same time, he could not help but feel a little awe for his teacher. How did Teacher manage to do it? His teacher hade a long way without revealing his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher to anyone. Through this, one could see how well he was able to reel in his thoughts and conceal himself. On the other hand, when he attempted to hide his bloodline, all it took was half a day for him to be caught. I only want to hear the truth. You need not fear me; I dont mean any harm to you. However, I need to know whats going on within the Zhang n in order to ensure that no harmes to it. I know that you have your own secrets that you have to keep, so the least I can promise you is that what you say to me today will not be heard by a third person, and Ill make no attempts to dig this matter up any further after this. Seeing that Zhang Jiuxiaos will was wavering, the First Elder pushed a little more. Alright then... After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Jiuxiao finally caved in. He realized that there was no other way out of this, so he swiftly sorted out what he should and should not reveal before saying, To tell you the truth, First Elder, the reason I have been able toe this far today is because I have found myself a good teacher! Found yourself a good teacher? The First Elder frowned. Indeed. My teacher is a highly talented man who is unmatched by any other that I have seen in this world. It might seem like I am exaggerating when I say this, but I believe that his capabilities would even match Kong shis back then! It was he who taught me how to fight and purified my bloodline, allowing me to rise to the top. Without him, I would be naught but an ordinary man! As Zhang Jiuxiao began speaking, the pressure that had been weighing on his mind gradually dissipated as his words grew more and more impassioned, clearly reflecting the respect and awe that he had for his teacher. You believe that the capabilities of your teacher areparable to Kong shis? Hearing those words, the First Elder could not help but shake his head. There was no one in this world who could match Kong shithere was no questioning this fact. But from the earnest emotions tinged within Zhang Jiuxiaos words, the First Elder could see that the young man indeed believed that to be the case. Nevertheless, this did make perfect sense. Without a good teacher, how could an ordinary side family member possibly be able to overpower even him when the two of them were fighting at the same cultivation level. The First Elder pondered for a brief moment before saying, I know of all of the 9-star master teachers on the Master Teacher Continent. May I know which friend of mine your teacher is? In his view, in order to bring about such a massive change in Zhang Jiuxiao, at the bare minimum, the teacher whom thetter had spoken of had to at least be a 9-star master teacher. And there were only so many 9-star master teachers on the Master Teacher Continent. Even if he did not know Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher in person, he should have heard of that persons name at the very least. Just who in the world possessed such great ability to be able to achieve what even he would be unable to aplish? I beg of the First Elders pardon. My teacher is an extremely low-profile individual, and he doesnt wish for me to speak of his name to others. As his student, I am deeply reluctant to go against his will! Zhang Jiuxiao sped his fist. He was not really lying when he said this. Even if the conflict between his teacher and the Zhang n had not urred, his teacher still would not have wanted to see his name being tossed around. After all, his teacher had always been a low-profile person, so such ostentatious actions would only draw his ire. Low-profile individual... The First Elder swiftly went through all of the 9-star master teachers, and there were none that fit that requirement. He shook his head and said, Since thats your teachers will, it would be inappropriate of me to ask you to reveal his identity. Nevertheless, the fact that your teacher possesses the ability to purify your bloodline to this extent and bring about such tremendous growth in your cultivation is more than sufficient to show that hes a person of great capabilities, very possibly ranking amid the top of the Master Teacher Continent! Even he, despite being the First Elder of the Zhang n, did not possess the ability to induce such massive changes in a seemingly average talented individual. In fact, not even Yang shi would be capable of doing so! But Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher had managed to do it, and that was more than enough proof of his capabilities! The true experts lurked in the shadows. While Yang shi was reputed as the number one expert of the world, the First Elder knew that there were definitely other experts in the Master Teacher Continent who could stand on par with or even above him! The Master Teacher Pavilion might have been thergest and most powerful organization on the Master Teacher Continent, but not even it had the ability or resources to keep track of every single expert on the continent! Chapter 1464 - Marry Her!

Chapter 1464: Marry Her!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yes, I have no doubt that my teacher is the number one teacher in the world! Hearing the First Elderspliment, Zhang Jiuxiao nodded readily in agreement. Putting him aside, even his seven seniors were figures who would rattle the entire continent in the near future! Considering how each and every one of his teachers students was so outstanding, who could dare im to be able to rival him? Listening to Zhang Jiuxiaos response, the First Elder naturally attributed it to the innate respect that a student would have toward their teacher, and he simply smiled politely at those words, not bothering to refute them. He flicked his wrist and passed a token over. Since your teacher wishes not for his identity to be revealed, I wont question you any further on the matter either. However, the fact still remains that he has helped us groom such an outstanding offspring in our Zhang n, so theres no questioning that hes a great benefactor of our Zhang n! This is our highest honorary guest token of our Zhang n; I hope that you can pass it over to him in my stead. As long as he holds this token in hand, any member of the Zhang n who encounters him will have to ord him the utmost respect and fulfill his demands to the best of their ability! Thank you, First Elder! Seeing that the other party had chosen not to pursue this issue, Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief and took the token. Despite the small size of the token, it was actually much heavier than it looked. It carried an air of history to it, reminiscent of an ancient artifact. With just a nce, it was apparent that it was an extremely valuable item. In the entire history of the Zhang n, we have only given out this honorary guest token thrice. Its in view of the fact that hes your teacher and his ability to groom you to be such an outstanding individual that we have decided to show the utmost goodwill of our n, the First Elder said grimly. In terms of the sheer purity of bloodline, Zhang Jiuxiao could be said to nearly be on par with the young prodigy back then. With such a figure amid their ranks, it seemed like the Zhang ns greatness would be secured for the next millennium toe. Not only so, the issue that they had been worrying about all along would also be sessfully resolved! On this in itself, Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher was indeed a benefactor of the Zhang n. Putting aside an honorary guest token, as long as the other partys demands were not too overboard, the Zhang n would surely try their best to fulfill his needs. I understand! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. Considering that his teacher was a Celestial Master Teacher, he was bound to be a figure who would stand at the very top of the Master Teacher Continent in the end. Naturally, it was only right for the Zhang n to fawn over him. I wont pursue the matter concerning the identity of your teacher, but theres one matter that I need you to exin to me. The First Elder looked at Zhang Jiuxiao sternly before continuing on. I heard that you were with the Sanctum of Sages Zhang Xuanst night. Do you know where he is at the moment? Also, what were the both of you doing? That Zhang Xuan was truly the herald of catastrophe. The Zhang n had to tread carefully around him, or else, before they knew it, everything around them would be turned to rubble. Naturally, they had to keep a close eye on his whereabouts so as to guard against him. As for associating Zhang Xuan together with Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher... honestly speaking, such a thought had never shed across the First Elders mind. In his view, Zhang Xuan could only be considered a slightly more talented youngster. How could he possibly be able to achieve something that even he and Yang shi were incapable of pulling off? Not to mention, considering how talented Zhang Jiuxiao was, he surely did not have to take someone younger and weaker than him as his teacher! Te... Zhang shi is a close friend of mine. I visited himst night in order to ask him about some matters, but we went our separate ways shortly after. Im not too sure about where he went afterward, Zhang Jiuxiao replied. You arent too sure? the First Elder asked with a frown. He was just about to continue questioning Zhang Jiuxiao when he suddenly raised his eyebrows. Following which, he whipped out his token and took a swift nce at it before turning his gaze back to Zhang Jiuxiao. You have just undergone the lightning tribtion and utilized your unique bloodline, so your body is currently quite frail. For the time being, you can use this room to recuperate from your injuries. I have some matters to attend to at the moment, so Ill have to take my leave for a short while. After which, the First Elder took out a pill and passed it over to Zhang Jiuxiao. This is a pill specially forged for our n members. It has the effect of allowing one to quickly recover from the side effects of activating ones unique bloodline. Under normal circumstances, a Zhang n member who has activated their bloodline would have to recuperate for an entire month before they regain their fighting prowess and are able to continue cultivating, but this medicine allows one to make a full recovery within just ten days! Of course, given the higher purity of your bloodline, you should be able to recover fully within just three days! Just like the Luo n, the activation of the Zhang ns bloodline would require at least a whole months rest before one was able to make a full recovery. In view of this problem, for many generations, the Sage ns had been trying to formte a medicine that could alleviate this problem, and after much research, they had finally managed to create this pill. It could allow one to swiftly recover from the side effects of the activation of their unique bloodline, but unfortunately, the medicinal herbs required to forge the pill were simply too valuable, such that, unless it was an extremely important situation, not even core members of the Zhang n like Zhang Chun were allowed to use one. Only the older generation of the Zhang n had ess to the pill. It was only upon hearing those words that Zhang Jiuxiao finally realized how exhausted and fatigued he was. He had been so preupied with dealing with the First Elder that he had not realized that his body waspletely sapped of energy. Thus, he swallowed the pill without any hesitation. As soon as the pill melted within his body, a warm and powerful surge of medicinal energy suffused his entire body, slowly replenishing his depleted energy. Gradually, his withered aura recovered. What a fine medicine! Zhang Jiuxiao could not help but exim as he felt his injured body and depleted bloodline recovering at a visible pace. It indeed is! Seeing how fast Zhang Jiuxiao was recovering, the First Elder nodded in satisfaction. After which, he turned around and left the room. Not too longter, he encountered Zhang Wuchen, who was heading in his direction, and he immediately asked severely, Has Zhang Xuan returned to his amodation? Yes, I have just checked on it, Zhang Wuchen said. Has Zhang Jiuxiao exined the reason behind his sudden surge in cultivation? It seems like he has acknowledged a formidable expert as his teacher, the First Elder said. An expert? Yes. I have no idea what means that person used, but he was actually able to alter the purity of Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline. I cant say for sure at the moment, but I suspect that theres a spy in our n! The First Elder harrumphed coldly. Someone discreetly took Zhang Jiuxiao into the Blood Reservoir in order to temper Zhang Jiuxiaos bloodline... This means that theres someone on the inside liaising with Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher! There were currently two possibilities. Either Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher was an elder of the Zhang n, or Zhang Jiuxiaos teacher was liaising with someone within the Zhang n to ess the Blood Reservoir. Furthermore, since Zhang Jiuxiao did not leave the nst night, his teacher was likely to currently be in the n as well. Regardless of which of the two possibilities it was, it meant that there was someone in the Zhang n working behind their backs. The art of removing a unique bloodline and grafting it over to another individual is an ability that very few people in the n know of. Do you suspect that its one of them? Zhang Wuchen eximed in shock. Its hard to say for sure. This art has been passed down since ancient times, so even I cant say for sure whether the art has been leaked out to others or not. However, I have already prepared countermeasures against the matter. In the honorary guest token that I have passed to Zhang Jiuxiao, I have hidden just a tinge of my will. If a foreign handes into contact with it, Ill be alerted of the matter immediately, the First Elder said with a wave of his hand. Then... how should we deal with Zhang Jiuxiao? Zhang Wuchen asked. I have checked his bloodline, and theres no doubt that he possesses the purest bloodline in the Zhang n at the very moment. Regardless of how he obtained his bloodline, he is already one of the top geniuses of our n. From this day onward, the Zhang n shall devote its resources into grooming him so as to push him toward a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan or even higher before the end of the year. Afterward, we shall have him take the young prodigys ce in the engagement, the First Elder said. Given his strength, theres probably no one in the younger generation whos able to match him. Hes indeed the best choice we have toplete the engagement we have with the Luo n, Zhang Wuchen said with a nod. Then, what about his rtionship with Zhang Xuan? Based on what Ive gathered so far, it seems like the both of them are only acquaintances, so theres no need to be too concerned about that. Bring me to meet him! If hes willing to pledge loyalty to the Zhang n and support Zhang Jiuxiao, he will indeed be an invaluable asset to our Zhang n. Otherwise, well have to send him on his way as soon as possible so that he doesnt cause any more damage! At this point, the First Elders eyes turned cold as he continued. Even if hes Yang shis student, I have no mercy whatsoever toward those who intend to harm the Zhang n! Chapter 1465 - A Challenge from Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1465: A Challenge from Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Oblivious to the hugemotion that his disappearance had caused to the upper echelons of the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan reverted to his original appearance and returned to his amodation. He had not been out for too long, just from the previous night till the morning, but out of fear that Zhang Jiuxiao would err in his cultivation, he had been watching over thetter very intently. As a result, he was feeling rather spent at the moment. Zhang shi, one of the genius sword practitioners of the Zhang n hase to visit, and he has been waiting for you for quite a while now! As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the main hall, Jian Qinsheng immediately walked over to inform him. A challenger hase knocking? Got it. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. With Zhang Jiuxiaos abrupt breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm, there was no longer any meaning in continuing with the tournamentits goal had already been met. Given so, it was indeed about time to move on to the next activity. Zhang Xuan followed Jian Qinsheng into a room and saw three young men standing within it. Their taut backs and sharp auras made it feel as if they were three swords towering on the spot, biding their time for the correct moment to reveal their sharp edges. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked in, the three young men immediately turned their heads over, and one of them stepped forward. Are you Zhang Xuan? I heard that you are here to challenge our Zhang ns swordsmanship. This young man had a thin frame, slightly resembling a sickly young man. There was a red mole at the side of his lips that gave his face a rather incongruous feeling on the whole. Indeed, Zhang Xuan said as he leisurely walked to the main seat and sat down. He nced at the trio before him casually as he discreetly drove his zhenqi to recover his strength. I am Zhang Xu, and these two beside me are Zhang Hen and Zhang Qin. We have spent several years studying swordsmanship together, and we would like to challenge you to a fair duel! the red mole young man, Zhang Xu, said. Fine by me! Zhang Xuan nodded. Are you all intending toe at me one at a time, or do you want to save some time ande at once? When Zhang Xuan agreed to follow Jian Qinsheng to the Zhang n, other than to cause the Zhang n some trouble so as to get back at them for making light of Luo Ruoxin, he had also been interested to see just what level their swordsmanship had reached and just what was so special about the Speed Sword Quintessence. Arrogant! Zhang Xu spat coldly. It was one thing for the young man to ignore them when he came in, walking straight to the main seat as if they did not exist at all, but now, he was even iming that he could deal with all three of them at once! This was a huge blow to their pride, and displeased looks appeared on the faces of the trio. Considering how you are Yang shis direct disciple and the sessor of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, your swordsmanship shouldnt be too bad. Allow me, Zhang Qin, to challenge you first! Unable to take on any longer, Zhang Qin took a step forward and flicked his sword, which produced a metallic reverberation in the air. Before we fight, do you dare ept my bet? Bet? What do you want to bet on? Zhang Xuan asked. I do know some things regarding you. From the moment you came to the Zhang n, you have been causing great damage here and there, Zhang Qin said. The Defense Formation that protects the entrance of the Zhang n and the guest area has beenpletely ruined by you. While the First Elder and the other seniors are magnanimous enough to let those matters pass, Im not so kind as to simply let someone who wreaked havoc in the Zhang n get away scot-free. Thus, what I propose is very simple. Well have a duel on our swordsmanship, and if our Zhang ns swordsmanship proves to be superior to yours, youll have to vow to devote your life to the Zhang n, never to betray it. On the other hand, if you emerge victorious, our lives will be yours to deal with. At the same time, well also forget about the damage that you have caused the Zhang n so far! You want me to vow to devote my life to the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan nearly burst intoughter. From those words, it was apparent that the duel was merely a cover. In truth, the Zhang n was just using it as an excuse to force him to swear loyalty to them. Otherwise, how could those three of the younger generation possibly be qualified to make a call on such an important matter? Do you ept the bet or not? Zhang Qin sneered. Im fine with it, but Im afraid that your lives mean nothing at all to me. So, I want you to fulfill two of my demands if I win instead, Zhang Xuan said nonchntly. Zhang Qin immediately shot a nce at Zhang Xu to seek his opinion on the matter, and thetter raised his hand and said with a frown, Speak. Clearly, Zhang Xu was the de facto leader of the trio. Firstly, I wish to browse through the manuals of your Zhang ns swordsmanship! Zhang Xuan said. Our Zhang ns swordsmanship was created by our founder, and those who doesnt possess the Zhang n bloodline wont be able to practice it. If you wish to see it, I can show you the manuals. However, how much you manage toprehend will be up to your own aptitude, Zhang Xu said with a nod. It would be nigh impossible to practice the Zhang ns swordsmanship if one did not possess the bloodline required for it. Even if they showed it all to the young man, it was unlikely that the young man would be able to make sense of it. As such, there were no qualms about showing the young man the Zhang ns swordsmanships manuals. Good! Zhang Xuan nodded. As for the second point, I want to challenge your n head, the Xing Sword Saint, to a sword duel with his cultivation suppressed to my level! Even if he could not challenge the young prodigy, the least he could do was challenge the Xing Sword Saint and help Jian Qinsheng vent his frustrations. Even though he was not too sure how proficient the Xing Sword Saint was in swordsmanship, he did not think that thetter would still be a match for him after he browsed through the Zhang ns swordsmanship manuals andprehended three different types of Sword Quintessence. You wish to challenge our n head? The second request ced the trio on a spot as they nced at one another with uncertainty. They were only members of the Zhang n; they could not possibly make a decision on behalf of their n head. If you need to, go ahead and contact the person who sent you here to see if that can be done. If you are able to ept my second demand, Ill take you up on your bet. Otherwise, I dont think that theres any reason I should waste my time here with you all! Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually. Those words made the trio gnash their teeth together in anger. Zhang Xu suppressed his rage and spat out, Very well, wait here a moment. Zhang Xu walked out of the room, and as soon as he was outside, he immediately took out his Communication Jade Token to send a message over. Zhang shi, you mustnt agree to their duel! During this period of silence, Jian Qinsheng anxiously sent a telepathic message over. Didnt you invite me here topete against their swordsmanship? Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Theres a trap with their words. They said if our Zhang ns swordsmanship proves to be superior to yours rather than that if they were to defeat you. If they dispatch the First Elder against you and defeat you using the Zhang ns swordsmanship, wont that still count as their victory? Jian Qinsheng remarked anxiously. While Zhang Qin might have appeared a little reckless, his words had been carefully crafted to corner Zhang Xuan. Based on what he had said, it meant that Zhang Xuan would only be victorious if no one was able to defeat him using the Zhang ns swordsmanship. Their defeat would only represent their individual loss, and they could bring in more proficient sword practitioners to challenge him. As long as one of their members defeated him eventually, it would mean that it was their victory! Clearly, those were terms that were deeply unfair to Zhang Xuan! Its fine. I only worry that they dare not challenge me, Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. How could he possibly miss such an obvious verbal trap himself? The reason he had gone along with it was because he wanted to see just how formidable the Zhang ns swordsmanship was! Besides, if he was going to make a move, he might as well go all the way and grind fear deep into their minds! While he was exchanging messages with Jian Qinsheng, Zhang Wuchen seemed to have received a reply on his end too. ... Competing with the n head? Does he really think that he will be able to defeat Zhang Xu and the others? Zhang Wuchen shook his head. Regardless of who wins, this matter concerns the n head, and it would be inappropriate for us to speak on his behalf. Ill send a message to the n head and have him decide on the matter, the First Elder said. He might have been the First Elder of the Zhang n, but he would be overstepping his boundaries if he made a promise on behalf of the n head. No matter what, he still had to consult the n head on this matter Thats a good decision. Given that it has been less than two days since our n head left, he shouldnt be too far away. If we send a message over right now, he should be able to receive it easily, Zhang Wuchen said with a nod of his head. ... In the skies countless li away from the Zhang n, an aerial saint beast was surging ahead. Two figures could be seen standing on its back, a middle-aged man and a middle-ageddy. The middle-aged man seemed to have sensed something and took out a jade token. The beautiful middle-ageddy standing beside him turned her gaze over and asked, Whats wrong? Its nothing much. The Third Elder sent a message to me, saying that Jian Qinsheng has brought a talented sword practitioner this time around, and that fellow demanded to challenge me if he manages to emerge victorious over Zhang Xu and the others. The middle-aged man shook his head with a light chuckle. Zhang Xu has received both our impartation, so there are very few sword practitioners of the same cultivation level who will be a match for him, the middle-ageddy remarked. Its already questionable whether hes able to defeat Zhang Xu, but he still dares challenge you. It seems like the person whom Jian Qinsheng has brought over this time around is quite a haughty individual! Hahaha, its good for youngsters to have such gusto! The middle-aged man chuckled heartily, not offended by the fact that a junior had brazenly challenged him to a duel. That being said, Jian Qinsheng isnt a reckless individual. Since the sword practitioner whom he brought over dared to issue such a challenge, that person might just possess the skills to back those words. Ask him what the name of the sword practitioner is. The both of us know most of the outstanding sword practitioners of the younger generation, so Im really quite curious about just who is so confident as to challenge you to a battle, the middle-ageddy said. Let me ask! The middle-aged man sent a message back, and a momentter, his jade token trembled. A name surfaced on the jade token, and upon seeing it, the middle-aged mans body froze on the spot. Whats wrong? the middle-ageddy asked, bewildered by herpanions response. With a hoarse voice, the middle-aged man replied, The Third Elder said that the person who seeks to challenge me... goes by the name of Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1466 - Next!

Chapter 1466: Next!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuan? The middle-ageddy was taken aback by that name as well, and her body stiffened. Is it the same person whom Hu Yiwei spoke of? Jian Qinsheng came from the Sanctum of Sages as well, so the person he brought is most likely him. To think that we missed each other by such a close shot! the middle-aged man eximed with a bitter smile. The reason why they had ignored the objections of the elders within the n to head to the Sanctum of Sages was to find Zhang Xuan and see if he was the person whom they had missed for twenty whole years... But who could have thought that the person they were looking for would actually head to their n instead! If they hadnt chosen to willfully leave the n back then, they might have already met him by now! More importantly, on their way here, they even encountered Jian Qinshengs aerial saint beast, but as if fate was ying a trick on them, they missed him just like that. Had they known this would happen, they should have paid a greeting to Jian Qinsheng when they heard that he was in the vicinity. Since hes in the Zhang n, lets hurry back now! the middle-ageddy urged anxiously. It was fortunate that they had found out early, or else it would be toote for tears once they reached the Sanctum of Sages, only to find out that the person they were looking for wasnt there. H! Hearing the order, the aerial saint beast they were riding on hurriedly made a u-turn and flew its way back to the Zhang n. Quick, ask the Third Elder what kind of person Zhang Xuan is, what he looks like, and how his personality is! Seeing that the saint beast was swiftly making its way back, the middle-ageddy heaved a sigh of relief. She turned her gaze back to the middle-aged man and asked anxiously. As if having guessed what his wife was worrying over, the middle-aged man took her hand and squeezed it tightly before saying, Rest assured. Since Hu Yiwei has confirmed it, theres a good chance that its the real one this time around. The middle-ageddy looked at her husband, but she couldnt help but shake her head, I know, but I still cant help but worry... In the past two decades that we have spent looking for him, we have been disappointed so many times, so what does one more count as? Besides, even if it isnt him, hes bound to have some kind of rtionship with our child! the middle-aged man said. Not to mention, the chances are pretty high this time around. Otherwise, how could he be so formidable as to astound even Hu Yiwei if he hasnt inherited my genes? Pfft! Hearing those words, the middle-ageddys worried frown copsed intoughter, and she patted her husbands chest and said, Stop getting narcissistic over here! Hu! The Communication Jade Token flickered once more as information was sent over. The middle-aged man tapped on it lightly, and a video slowly yed out before the duo. The video showed a young man walking majestically into the Zhang ns Defense Formation, and shortly afterward, the Dragon Spirit submitted to him, and the Tiger Spirit dissipated into nothing. A short momentter, countless buildings copsed behind him. At this point, the young man slowly turned his body around, revealing what that would have been considered as a nonchnt face if not for the slight hint of haughtiness and glee in his eyes. Its him! It must be him! Upon seeing the young mans appearance, the middle-ageddys body jerked in astonishment. She sped her mouth with her hands, seemingly unable to control her rampaging emotions. But his appearance looks neither like yours nor mine. I dont think... the middle-aged man said with a deep frown. But before he could finish his words, the middle-ageddy had already interjected in agitation, His appearance might not bear much resemnce to yours and mine, but his eyes are the exact same as how I remembered them to be when he was younger. I am certain of it, theres no way I can be wrong about this! For the past twenty years, she had seen that pair of eyes thousands of times in her dreams, to the point that they were carved right in her mind. His appearance might have changed drastically over the years, but she was certain that those pair of eyes definitely belonged to her son! Not only so, there was also an instinctive jolt in her heart when she first caught sight of him, and she believed that her feeling wouldnt lie to her. Perhaps this was the natural bond between a parent and a child, a connection that couldnt be severed even with time. But... the Third Elder has brought him over to the Blood Reservoir, and it was shown that not only does he not possess our Zhang n bloodline, but even his soul showed no signs of resonating with the Time Quintessence as well. Its almost certain that he has nothing to do with our Zhang n! the middle-aged man wasparatively more rational as he tried reasoning with his wife. Blood Reservoir? the middle-ageddy scoffed in utmost derision. Those bastards actually still have the cheek to talk about that? Have they forgotten how they have treated my ill-fated child back then? Even if he has survived the ordeal, theres no way he would have any Zhang n bloodline in him, so it goes without saying he has nothing to do with your Zhang n anymore! But my blood still flows in his body, and I know for sure that hes my child! Since you are certain about it, that should probably be the case then. However, it appears that Zhang Xuan is a particrly worrisome individual. In less than a day since he has arrived in the Zhang n, he has already raised a couple of incidents, resulting in many buildings being torn to the ground! Seeing how adamant his wife was on the matter, the middle-aged man wisely decided not to argue with her on this matter. He continued to browse through the remaining content on the token and shook his head, It seems like the First Elder has decided to have Zhang Xu and the others teach him a lesson so as to make him learn that the prowess of our Zhang n. The prowess of your Zhang n? How dare that Zhang Wuhengy his hands on my son? If a strand of hair were to fall from my son, I swear on my name, Wang Mengya, that Im going to tear down your Zhang ns ancestral hall! the middle-ageddy narrowed her eyes menacingly as a domineering aura burst forth from her body. Under the tremendous pressure of her aura, the aerial saint beast stiffened in fright, and it ended up plummeting for several hundred meters before it finally managed to find the strength within itself to remain afloat. I understand your feelings, but theres no meaning in us arguing about all this right now. We have to see with our own eyes to confirm whether Zhang Xuan is truly our son or not! the middle-aged man said as he patted his wifes back to calm her down. After which, he instructed the aerial saint beast beneath him to speed up back to the Zhang n before falling silent. ... Our n head has already agreed to your demand! As long as you are able to defeat us, hell face you in a swordsmanship duel! Zhang Xu and the others walked back into the room. Good! Lets not waste any time and get on with it then! A smile crept on Zhan Xuans lips as he stood up and walked to the center of the room. He beckoned toward the trio with his finger as he asked, Whos going first? Me! Zhang Qin stepped forward with a powerful bellow. With a simple flick of his wrist, a white trail was dragged out along with the motion of his sword. Formidable... Even though the battle hadnt started at all, Jian Qinsheng could tell from Zhang Qins simple gesture that none of his students would be able to match up with thetter, Ill suppress my cultivation down to your level right now. Zhang Qin took in a deep breath and suppressed his cultivation down to the same level as Zhang Xuan, Grand Dominion realm pinnacle. Draw your sword! Zhang Qin said as he pointed his sword toward Zhang Xuan. Theres no need for me to use my sword to deal with you. My fingers will suffice! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he raised his forefinger and middle finger up. A surge of zhenqi flowed in between his fingers, forming a projection of roughly three chi 1 long, around the same length as a sword. Youre courting death! Seeing how Zhang Xuan dared to underestimate him, Zhang Qin harrumphed in anger. He unhesitatingly drove his sword right toward Zhang Xuan. T! In an instant, it seemed like time had frozen. Both Zhang Qins silhouette and his sword seemed to vanish from sight, undetectable through both sight and Spiritual Perception. Zhang shi, be careful! Jian Qinsheng could immediately tell that Zhang Qin had already executed the Speed Sword Quintessence, and he swiftly sent a telepathic message over to warn Zhang Xuan. Most of his students had lost to this very sword move. In fact, most of them didnt even have time to put up their defenses before they were defeated. And to make things worse, Zhang Qin had used his strongest move right from the start. There was a good chance that Zhang Xuan would be caught off guard and wounded by the move... If that were to happen, things could get really troublesome! Peng! Just as Jian Qinsheng was panicking, a dull thud suddenly sounded. Following which, the vanished Zhang Qin was suddenly sent flying out of the battlegrounds, and he fell headfirst into a nearby wall. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan appeared as if he hadnt moved at all, and a calm expression could be seen on his face. Easier than I thought. Next! Chapter 1467 - The Zhang Clan’s Swordsmanship

Chapter 1467: The Zhang ns Swordsmanship

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You... Seeing the upside-down, already fainted Zhang Qin, the looks of Zhang Xu and Zhang Hens face froze in ce. In this moment, they found themselves unable to utter even a single word. All along, they felt that no matter how talented Zhang Xuan was in swordsmanship, there wouldnt be too much of a disparity between his skills and theirs. After all, they were also renowned swordsmanship geniuses themselves too! Yet, who could have thought that despite Zhang Qin using his full strength right from the start, he would still be defeated in just a single move! Not to mention, the other party didnt even use his sword qihe simply sent a kick right over... and it was all over! Let me try your skills! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xu bucked up his courage and walked forward. He knew Zhang Qins fighting prowess very well. While thetter paled inparison to him in swordsmanship, he could still be considered as a top-notch expert. Despite so, Zhang Xuan still managed to defeat him without drawing his sword. Given so, there was no way Zhang Hen would stand a match against him. Thus, he decided to step forward and face the other party. But in this moment, Zhang Hen stepped forward as well and said, Allow me to fight him first. Even if I cant defeat him, Ill at least force him to execute his swordsmanship. This way, youll stand a better chance at victory! Dont bother. The both of you cane at me together! Seeing how the two young men were bickering with one another as to who should go first, Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently. I still have to cultivate, so I dont have the leisure to be spending my time fooling around with you two! As he spoke, he opened up his acupoints to absorb the rich spiritual energy in the surroundings. Hmph! Since thats what you asked for, dont me us for not going easy on you then! Knowing the limitations of their strength, Zhang Xu and Zhang Hen didnt turn down Zhang Xuans offer due to their pride. They shot a nce at one another before walking up to the middle of the room together. Considering your earlier move, it would indeed be difficult for us to defeat you individually. Just to avoid any contentionter on, while the both of us will be coordinating with one another against you, the moves we will use would still be in the scope of the Zhang n swordsmanship, so there wont be any breach in the rules! Zhang Xu said. After which, he sped his fist and bowed slightly as a show of courtesy toward his opponent. Lets start! Zhang Xuan said impatiently. He had known all along that the Zhang n was shameless, so they were bound to find all kinds of excuses to put a righteous name to whatever they did. As such, he couldnt be bothered to argue with Zhang Xu on what constituted as fair y. Zhang Xu and Zhang Hen swiftly suppressed their cultivation down to Grand Dominion realm pinnacle, and with a powerful push, they dashed forward in diverging directions and nked Zhang Xuan from both sides. A screeching moan echoed loudly in the air as they shed their swords viciously down upon Zhang Xuan. On the surface, it might appear as if there was nothing unique about their swordsmanship, perhaps a little slow even, but their attacks were ingeniously directed right at Zhang Xuans blind spots. No matter how he attempted to maneuver out of the situation, they would still be able to swiftly alter their moves ordingly and continue cornering him further. True speed wasnt just about swinging ones sword in the fastest way possible butunching effective attacks in rapid session. This is... the Xingmeng Swordsmanship! Qin Jiansheng eximed in astonishment. The Xingmeng couple were known for their astounding expertise in swordsmanship. Just the fact that even Yang shi was full of praises for them was sufficient to show just how powerful they were. The swordsmanship that Zhang Xu and Zhang Hen were pulling off at the moment was a sword art that the two of them hade up with. While this sword art wasnt as fast as the other moves in the Zhang n swordsmanship, its sharp movements and flexibility in adapting to any situation made it a frightening adversary to face. Putting everything aside, if the two of them were of the same cultivation realm as him, even he would have no choice but to admit defeat to them! The Xingmeng Swordsmanship was named after its two creators, and its conception was centered around the capricious nature of life, an endless series of ups and downs, as if a mere dreamy illusion. If executed well, putting aside its astounding physical prowess, it had the ability to sway ones Primordial Spirit and ce one into an unstable state of mind. Just on this basis, those of weak minds would stand no chance against it at all! Your swordsmanship is not too bad! Zhang Xuan nodded his head slightly in approval. The swordsmanship of the duo left Zhang Xuan with a disoriented feeling as if he was transcending through history, watching as countless dynasties rose and fell before his eyes. Countless grand buildings ascended and copsed before his eyes... Wealth and power, these were things that humans had always been fixated with, but in the face of time, it seemed like none of these mattered at all. Even the greatest of splendor would eventually be buried under the sands of time. Had it been anyone else facing such an attack, no matter how resilient their mental fortitude was, they would still find themselves in a distraught state under the attack. However, Zhang Xuan was an exception to the rule. Not even inner demons were able to faze him, let alone an attack of this caliber! He remained perfectly conscious before the attack of the duo. As if a mere spectator of those passing sights, he calmly tore his sword through facade after facade, seemingly tearing down dynasty after dynasty. Pu! Pu! Zhang Xu and Zhang Hens faces paled as blood spewed from their lips. They found that their swords had, at some point in time, flown out of their grip and plunged into the wall behind them, trembling ceaselessly from the impact. As powerful as their coborative swordsmanship was, it was simply still too weak before Zhang Xuan. He was able to easily destroy their conceptualization and inflict grievous damage on them. We have lost... Zhang Xu muttered despondently as he retreated several steps back. At this point, it was clear that they didnt stand a chance against the young man before him at all. He thought that afterprehending the Speed Sword Quintessence and inheriting the n heads swordsmanship, he would be matchless amidst the younger generation. But before this young man, all of his strength that he had taken pride in just seemed soughable, as if he was just a small kid ying house. The young mansprehension of the sword had exceeded them by far too much, to the point where he didnt how he could start breaching the gap between them. You have lost, Zhang Xuan said. I hope that you will carry out your end of the bet and bring me to browse through your Zhang n swordsmanship manuals. While he did manage to get some insight as to what the Speed Sword Quintessence consisted of from his brief sh with Zhang Xu and the others, he would still have to browse through the books in question in order topile a Heavens Path Sword Art and learn it. Dont worry, Im not one to break my promises, Zhang Xu shook his head and said. However, you are only allowed to browse through our books for at most two hours. Im afraid that this is the longest duration I can buy for you given the limitations of my authority! While it was indeed impossible for those who didnt have the Zhang n bloodline to learn the Zhang n swordsmanship, no matter what, they couldnt have outsiders browse their manuals so casually and spread it around. From the very start, Zhang Xu had already decided to grant Zhang Xuan only two hours at most when he promised thetters request. Within such a short period of time, it would be impossible for anyone to make sense of something as profound as the Zhang n swordsmanship. Its fine. Knowing Zhang Xus intentions, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to say anything more. In any case, he only needed to sweep his gaze past a book in order to collect it into his Library of Heavens Path. Two hours should be more than enough for him to take everything away. This way, please. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to it, Zhang Xu and the others swiftly led him over to a vast hall. Within the hall was a room which bore some resemnce to the one which Jian Qinsheng had brought him to back in his residence. At the very center of the room as a massive (Sword) character. This (Sword) character had a vastly different aura from the ones left behind by the Old Sword Maestro and Jian Liushui. It was a sensation a little like a flitting surge of light, somewhat simr to that of lightning, and it felt as if it would slip away as soon as one averted ones gaze away from it. Here are the manuals which our founder has left behind. If you possess the aptitude to our Zhang n swordsmanship, youll be able to naturally grasp it. Otherwise, theres nothing I can do to help you either, Zhang Xu said. Un. Zhang Xuan waved his hand perfunctorily in response. The more profound a school of swordsmanship was, the greater the importance a sword practitioners aptitude yed inprehending it. For something of the level of the Zhang n swordsmanship, without a certain level of disposition toward it, it would be impossible for one toprehend it. Simr to that of the Sword Lagoon, beneath the (Sword) character, there were many texts detailing the insights that preceding sword practitioners had grasped while practicing the swordsmanship so as to inspire theter generations. With a swift sweeping nce, Zhang Xuan collected all of these texts into a book into the Library of Heavens Path. He lightly flipped thepiled book open and began browsing through it. He cant really be trying to learn our Zhang n swordsmanship, can he? Seeing the serious look on Zhang Xuans face, Zhang Qin turned to Zhang Hen and whispered worriedly. The current Zhang Qin had already awoken from the blow he had sustained in the duel he had with Zhang Xuan previously. While his head was still hurting a little from the impact, he was already able to function as per normal. Our n head is famed to be the most talented swordmaster in our n over the past few millenniums, but nevertheless, it still took him three months before he couldprehend the Speed Sword Quintessence. Theres no way that fellow will be able to make sense out of our profound Zhang n swordsmanship in just two hours! Zhang Hen replied calmly,pletely unworried about this matter. Besides, he doesnt possess our Zhang n bloodline, so theres no way hell be able toprehend the conceptualization of time in our swordsmanship! Zhang Xu also joined the conversation and analyzed, Most likely, he just wants to browse through our books so as to uncover the ws in our swordsmanship and gain an advantage in future duels! ws? Our Zhang n swordsmanship has been practiced by many generations of predecessors, but no one has ever been able to truly curb our swordsmanship before. How can there possibly be ws in our swordsmanship? Zhang Qin scoffed. Kacha! Barely after those words were spoken, a crisp echo sounded. The rmed crowd quickly raised their heads to search for the source of the sound, and very swiftly, they noticed a slight crack in the (Sword) character in the middle of the room. Chapter 1468 - Fusion of Quintessences

Chapter 1468: Fusion of Quintessences

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric As soon as that crack appeared, the destruction could no longer be curbed. It swiftly grewrger andrger, and in less than two breath, it had already covered the entire character with a weblike pattern. This... Whats going on? Zhang Xu and the others leaped in fright. It was still doing fine just a moment ago, so why would the character be ruined all of a sudden? Its you? The first one who came to be was Zhang Qin, and he hurriedly turned his head over to Zhang Xuan. That fellow had been causing damage wherever he went, so there was no one else other than him! But still, to be able to reduce the (Sword) character to such a state just by looking at it... It seemed like they had really been underestimating that fellow! In this very moment, Zhang Xuans eyes were tightly shut. A powerful burst of imposing Sword Intent shot forth from his body into the sky, reminiscent of a powerful sword ascending toward the heavens. The Sword Intent he was releasing grew stronger and stronger at the moment, almost as if he was going to slice the heavens into two. Weng weng weng! The swords hanging on the wall began trembling non-stop, as if some kind of pressure was pressing down heavily on them, inducing the deepest of fears in them. Not only so, Zhang Hen and the other also felt themselves losing control over the sword qi in their bodies, drawn toward the young man standing before them. It was as if there was some kind of massive ma within the young mans body, wielding naturallymand over all of the sword qi surrounding him. That is... Sword Quintessence? Zhang Hens face paled. That cant be! We have allprehended Sword Quintessences, and theres no way it could be so powerful! Zhang Hen eximed in disbelief. To be able to stand out amidst the Zhang n offspring in the field of swordsmanship, it went without saying that they had alreadyprehended Sword Quintessences. Even against the seniors of the Zhang n, they would still be able to stand their grounds. But back when they wereprehending their respective Sword Quintessence, they didnt induce such a frightening phenomenon either! It was one thing tomand the servitude of all swords, but to overpower theirmand over their sword qi and even induce cracks in the (Sword) character... One must know that they hadprehended Sword Quintessence themselves, and the (Sword) character was left behind by the founder of the Zhang n! This was already far beyond what an ordinary Sword Quintessence could do. Wait a moment! Could this be... Fusion of Quintessences? Zhang Xu suddenly thought of something, and he couldnt help but widen his eyes in astonishment. Fusion of Quintessences? The other two turned their heads over, unable toprehend the term which Zhang Xu had just used. I believe you should have also heard that there are five categories of Sword Quintessences, Zhang Xu said. The other two nodded their heads. Sword Quintessences could mainly be divided into Strength, Defense, Dexterity, Speed, and Void. This was something which all swordmasters, which hadprehended at least a Sword Quintessence, would know of. Its not too difficult for those who possess particr aptitude toward swordsmanship toprehend a Sword Quintessence, but progressing beyond that would be of great difficulty, such that there are hardly any cases in the world. Its rumored that both our n head and Sword Saint Meng haveprehended two Sword Quintessences, Zhang Xu continued with a slight hoarseness in his voice. However, there are also a few astoundingly talented swordmaster who has managed to advance beyond that... As long as oneprehends three Sword Quintessences, the individual Sword Quintessences would begin to fuse with one another, and the phenomenon is known as the Fusion of Quintessences! Any expert who manages to pull off this feat would find their mastery of swordsmanship progressing by leaps and bounds, reaching a level unimaginable by any sword practitioner... Hearing those words, Zhang Hen and Zhang Qins bodies quivered intensely as a look of disbelief surfaced on their faces, Do you mean to say that... Zhang Xuan has managed toprehend three Sword Quintessences? How is that possible? Hes only twenty this year! Even if he were to start learning swordsmanship back in his mothers womb, theres no way he could possibly be able to pull this off! Even grasping a single Sword Quintessence had already taken them many years, and picking up a second Sword Quintessence would only be manyfold of that difficulty because one would have to consciously cast away ones habits and fighting style in order to pull off a different style. Yet, for a twenty-year-oldd to master three Sword Quintessences and even pull off the Fusion of Quintessences... How could there be someone that monstrously talented in the world? This was terrifying! Other than that, I cant think of any other reason as to what is happening anymore! Zhang Xu shook his head. At this point, he pondered for a moment before continuing on, If its really Fusion of Quintessences, the (Sword) character should reform very soon after it absorbs the further refined Sword Intent that Zhang Xuan is emanating... Reform? The two of them were slightly surprised to hear those words. Even though our founder has alreadyprehended the Speed Sword Quintessence when he left behind this character, he knew that his mastery of swordsmanship wasnt any close to perfection. Thus, he designed this character to fall apart automatically when an offspring of the Zhang n reaches a higher level of mastery than him in Speed Sword Quintessence, and it would be reced with the other partys deeperprehension... I have heard of this matter directly from the n head, so it should be true, Zhang Xu said. The reason why the founder had left behind the (Sword) character was so as to aid his descendants to be able to better grasp the Speed Sword Quintessence that he had passed down... But would hisprehension really be the best way toprehend the Speed Sword Quintessence? Of course not! To put it inly, this character only showed a path that a sword practitioner could take toprehending the Speed Sword Quintessence. There was nothing to say that this path was the shortest or even the best one for one to take, and the founder recognized the limitations of his ownprehension too. And the fact that the (Sword) character was cracking at this instant also proved that point as well. If the power of the world was the greatest treasure that every man sought for, Quintessences could be considered as the pathway leading to the treasure. There were countless paths that one could take to the treasure, and as long as one knew the general direction, one would eventually reach the destination by pushing forth... But every path was unique, and the amount of treasure one could toil back would depend on the path one had taken as well. Some paths were narrower than the others, so the amount of treasure they would able to bring back home would be lesser. If a more convenient and wider path were to be found, wasnt the most natural thing to do was to make the switch over? Hu! While the three of them were speaking, the (Sword) character finally reached its limits and shattered apart. Weng! In the moment that the character shattered, another new surge of Sword Intent gushed into the clouds, and the overwhelming pressure held them perfectly in ce. Following which, the Sword Intent that suffused the room began swiftly gathering on the wall, where the shattered (Sword) character previously was. Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! In the blink of an eye, a new, massive character had already appeared on the wall. From afar, the character, be it its shape, size, or form, was perfectly identical to the one before it. There was no discernible difference at all. Whats going on? Zhang Qin turned to Zhang Xu and asked, a little taken aback by the situation. The recing (Sword) character turned out to be perfectly identical to the previous one... Did this character really surpass the one that their founder had left behind? Dont use your eyes to see it. Use your Sword Intent to perceive it! Seeing the uprehending look on Zhang Qins face, Zhang Xu shook his head and exined. Use my Sword Intent to perceive it? Zhang Qin and Zhang Hen nced at one another in confusion. They still werent able to understand what Zhang Xu was saying. In other words, look inward into your Sword Intent to feel the character on the wall! Zhang Xu exined patiently. I see... Ill give it a try. With still a slightly perplexed look, Zhang Qin turned to the Sword Intent in his body and slowly extended it outward into his surroundings. Very soon, his Sword Intent came into contact with the character on the wall, and in that instant, he froze on the spot. It was almost as if the character had imprinted itself in his head as soon as he perceived it. Even though it appeared to be identical to the one before on the surface, the imposing air that itmanded previously had alleviated significantly. In fact, it felt far simpler and purer than before, and the reducedplexity of the intent behind the character seemed to be more in harmony with the world. Harnessing the very same concept of speed, but the reformed (Sword) character before him guided him right toward the core of the Speed Sword Quintessence. It was almost as if he had turned into the concept itself, swimming amidst an ocean of sword qi. Unknowingly, tears began trickling down Zhang Qins eyes as his body quivered from agitation. I have actually erred so much in myprehension of the Speed Sword Quintessence... To be able to perceive the crux of the Speed Sword Quintessence with his senses, he would have no regrets in life even if he were to drop dead in this instant! This was what he was feeling in this instant. It was only upon perceiving the character before him did he realize howughable the diligence he had put into refining his swordsmanship over the years was. If their foundersprehension of the Speed Sword Quintessence were to be described as a small hole barely big enough for a human to pass through, the one before him would be the same as a vast passageway big enough for multiple horse carriages to charge their way through side by side! If he were to use this feeling to practice his swordsmanship, he would definitely be able to improve at least two times faster than before! For a twenty-year-old young man to be able to achieve a higher level of understanding of the Speed Sword Quintessence than them and even their founder within less than ten minutes... This was inconceivable! At this point, Zhang Qin couldnt help but turn his gaze toward the young man, only to see that thetter had finally lifted his head. He couldnt tell what was in the young mans mind, but an air of solitude, as if an expert who would never find an equal to converse with, seemed to flow from his body. Chapter 1469 - Phantasmal Space Realm Pinnacle

Chapter 1469: Phantasmal Space Realm Pinnacle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its too simple... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Usually, even with the insights of many predecessors serving as a foundation, it would still take some time for him to achieve a breakthrough. However, this time around, everything had gone so smoothly that he had achieved a breakthrough within a few minutes without even realizing it. This was really at odds with his humble and low-profile personality. He had been nning on holding it off for at least an entire hour so that the others would not be surprisedafter all, it would not do for him to be too eye-catching. But who would have thought that it would be so easy, that just by swiftly browsing through thepiled book, he would somehow achieve a breakthrough? Nothing seemed to be going his way that day. Was it really that difficult for the world to just allow him to achieve a breakthrough a little slower so that he could maintain a low profile? Was it really that difficult to be ordinary? More importantly... why in the world did that (Sword) character shatter while he was practicing his swordsmanship? What if the Zhang n demandedpensation? Forget it! Since it has alreadye to this, theres no point keeping a low profile anymore! Zhang Xuan thought with a shake of his head. Breakthrough! Without any hesitation, he released the overwhelming energy that had been generated from the fusion of his Speed Sword Quintessence and the other Quintessences. Hong long! As his aura gushed into the sky, a furious gale whipped up in the surroundings as ominous clouds began gathering above. At the same time, Zhang Xuans cultivation, which had remained stagnant for quite some time, began to surge forth, reminiscent of grass rising in the early spring or a butterfly breaking free of its cocoon. This is... the Phantasmal Space Ordeal? Hes going to make a breakthrough? Zhang Xu and the others could hardly believe what they were seeing. Not only did that fellow manage to master the Zhang n swordsmanship, he was even going to break his Grand Dominion realm bottleneck! This is a disaster! We are currently at the very center of the Zhang n; we cant allow his cultivation ordeal to fall here! Recovering from his shock, Zhang Xu suddenly realized the implications of Zhang Xuans breakthrough and yelled in horror. There was no doubt that lightning tribtions were among the most frightening forces on the Master Teacher Continent. While the devastation that they brought differed ording to the cultivation realm, the main headachey in that it was nigh impossible for an external party to control the damageany attempts to interfere in the cultivation ordeal would only cause it to grow stronger! It was already bad enough that the fellow had induced a Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal in the outer perimeters of the city, but they were currently in the n vault, where countless secret manuals and heritages were stored! Buildings could still be rebuilt, but these secret manuals and heritages could very well disappear for good once destroyed! If Zhang Xuan failed to deal with the lightning tribtion carefully, this could pose a heavy, irreversible blow to the entire Zhang n! Kacha! The ominous clouds above their heads continued to grow denser at a terrifying pace, and a suffocating pressure crushed down on them, stifling them. In the face of such stupendously great power, Zhang Xu could not help but tremble in fear. He had seen plenty of Phantasmal Space Ordeals in the pastnot to mention that he had even undergone one himselfbut the storm clouds gathered before him were on apletely different level from what he had seen before. The wild lightning energy that crackled within them carried power that not even the Dimension Sundering Ordeal couldpare to. In fact, in terms of the intensity of the lightning energy, it was already on par with the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal! There was little doubt that the entire area would be reduced to dust if it really fell! And the worst thing was that the lightning tribtion was still growing stronger! Was this really just a Phantasmal Space Ordeal? How can it be so powerful? Watching the sight from the corners, the First Elder and Zhang Wuchen were stupefied by what they were seeing as well. The power that the storm clouds harnessed was so great that it had already exceeded what they could cope with. At the same time, the formations protecting the vault were also creaking in protest under the pressure, on the verge of dissipation. They quickly turned their gazes to the young man, but they did not see fear in the young mans eyes. Instead, what they saw was intense excitement. He should be able to deal with it, right? Zhang Wuchen asked worriedly. The cultivation ordeal that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast underwent was slightly weaker than this, but he did manage to resolve it quite easily, so I dont think this will be too much of a problem for him, the First Elder replied uncertainly. While the lightning tribtion drawn by the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts breakthrough had been powerful, it had still been slightlyckingpared to what was currently before them. Nevertheless, since the young man had been able to resolve the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal so easily, this should not pose a problem either. Otherwise, he would not have been so confident. That would be for the best. Zhang Wuchen nodded hesitantly. He had heard that the young man had resolved quite a few lightning ordeals to date, but he still could not help but feel a little worried. However, there was nothing that they could do, so they could only watch helplessly by the side and pray for the best. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was looking at the dense storm clouds above him as he scoffed in his mind. It seems like that fellow knows that its my lightning tribtion, so he called everyone thats avable over to join the party! His recent absorption of the lightning tribtions seemed to have really angered the other party, such that the other party had been biding its time for this very day. Seeing that he had finally achieved a breakthrough, it immediately summoned everything that it had to put together something that was even more powerful than the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. However, this just so happened to work in Zhang Xuans favor. The more lightning energy there was for him to absorb, the better it would be for him. With the sheer amount of lightning energy in the storm clouds, he should be able to push for a breakthrough straight to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle! There had still been a w in the Phantasmal Space realm Heavens Path Divine Art previously, but theprehension of the Speed Sword Quintessence happened to hold the key to resolving the w, allowing him to cultivate it without any worries. Come! Zhang Xuan roared excitedly as he pushed himself off the ground to dive right into the storm clouds. With a wave of his hand, his clone, the gourd, and the vine appeared around him. At the same time, he also separated his Primordial Spirit from his physical body, and together, they began digging into the feast of lightning energy around them. Geji! Geji! Zhang Xuans cultivation sprinted ahead, rising furiously to Phantasmal Space realm primary stage. Phantasmal Space realm intermediate stage! Phantasmal Space realm advanced stage! Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle! In less than two minutes, he had already reached Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, a mere step away from reaching Half-Dimension Sundering realm. At the same time, his Primordial Spirit also grew more wholesome. Even without cultivating the Phantasmal Space realm Heavens Path Soul Art, the sheer amount of energy that his Primordial Spirit had absorbed had already granted it strength equal to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle. Furthermore, under the tempering of the lightning energy, his physical body had gained a brilliant glow, as if it was made out of the toughest metal in the world. In terms of resilience, he would definitely be on par with any Saint pinnacle artifact. But I have barely absorbed only a fifth of the energy in the lightning tribtion... Zhang Xuans cultivation surged at an unprecedented rate, but the lightning energy around him was still showing no signs of declining. He could not help but frown in apprehension. In the past, the lightning tribtion would swiftly flee in fear after realizing that it was being rapidly absorbed, not daring to fight back at all. But now... his cultivation had already risen by an entire realm, but there were still four-fifths of the lightning tribtion left. It appeared that the lightning tribtion was going to go to the very ends with him today. Of course, his clone, the gourd, and the vine were absorbing the surrounding lightning energy furiously as well, but their efforts did not seem to pose too much of a threat to the lightning tribtion. If ites down to it, I might have to find a way to push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm! Making a rough estimate, a breakthrough to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle would have taken him at least a hundred pinnacle spirit stones ordinarily, but the scale of the lightning tribtion before him had far exceeded what he had seen in the past. At the current rate that they were absorbing its energy at, they would not be able to scare the lightning tribtion away. To make matters worse, his body and Primordial Spirit were already reaching their absorption limits. Unless he made a breakthrough, he would not be able to absorb any more lightning energy. However, the problem was that he had not read any Dimension Sundering realm cultivation techniques yet, so he had absolutely no idea how he should cultivate and push for a breakthrough. With this, Zhang Xuan was caught in a dilemma. In the past, his problem had always been ack of spirit stones to fuel his cultivation, but at this moment, the problem was that he had too much spiritual energy to absorb. To make matters worse, as this was his cultivation ordeal, he could not simply stop absorbing and take his leave. ... Beneath the storm clouds, the First Elder and the others heaved a sigh of relief after watching Zhang Xuan dive into the midst of the lightning tribtion as he had done during the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Since he had been able to send the lightning tribtion fleeing the previous time around with this move, he should not have too much trouble doing the same. That fellows aptitude toward swordsmanship is formidable, and it seems like his mastery in his other supporting upations isnt too bad either. Its no wonder he was able to catch Yang shis eye and be his direct disciple. However, this bad habit of his of inducing cultivation ordeals wherever he goes really needs some changing! The First Elder sighed with a shake of his head. Other cultivators would slowly take their time to prepare for their cultivation ordeal before summoning it. They would go around borrowing artifacts and buying pills before searching for a fitting location where they could face their lightning tribtion quietly. Nevertheless, they would still proceed very warily, fearing that something would go wrong. On the other hand, that fellow simply achieved a breakthrough wherever and whenever he wanted to, payingpletely no heed to the time, ce, and asion at all. It was really a wonder to him how someone with that fellows personality had managed to live for so many years without being beaten to death! While the First Elders thoughts were wandering, a rift suddenly appeared in the midst of the storm clouds above. Following which, a head popped out. With a smile, the head asked, First Elder, may I know where your Zhang ns library is? Library? The First Elder was slightly taken aback by the abrupt question before replying with a deep frown. Why do you want to know that? The Zhang ns library is a ce that only members of the Zhang n are allowed to enter. Why would that fellow ask that question in the midst of dealing with his cultivation ordeal? Chapter 1470 - Sprouting of Killing Intent

Chapter 1470: Sprouting of Killing Intent

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This lightning tribtion is simply too huge. I dont think that Ill be able to deal with it at my current strength. So, I was hoping to borrow some Dimension Sundering realm cultivation technique manuals from the Zhang n to push for a breakthrough... or else, I fear that your Zhang n might be destroyed if the lightning tribtion falls as it is! Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Are you threatening me? the First Elder asked lividly. Of course not! Zhang Xuan shook his head. However, the lightning tribtion is simply too huge. I fear that I wont be able to keep it under control! At this moment, the storm clouds seemed to have finished charging up their energy and sent a bolt of lightning down on Zhang Xuans popped out head. rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly retracted his head back into the storm clouds. Kacha! The lightning bolt streaked all the way down to the ground, tearing through the formations to strike down on the (Sword) character in the vault. The lightning tribtion would only strike the cultivator who was undergoing his cultivation ordeal. While Zhang Xuan was hiding inside, there would be very little that it could do. Naturally, when Zhang Xuan emerged from the storm clouds, it tried to attack him as furiously as it could. The First Elder clenched his fists tightly together in frustration. Had it been anyone else, he surely would have dashed right up to crush that person to death. However, he knew that if he charged into the lightning tribtion, it would cause it to intensify, and perhaps, he might even be a target of the lightning tribtion as well, thus cing him in a worse position. Thus, he gritted his teeth and harrumphed coldly. I can make an exception for you if you really want to browse through our Zhang ns secret manuals. However, my condition for you is that you have to be a member of our Zhang n. Take it or leave it! His voice reverberated all the way up to the clouds. You want me to be a member of the Zhang n? Zhang Xuans head popped out from the storm clouds once more. Forget what I just said then. Ill find a way to deal with the lightning tribtion myself! Considering how shameless the Zhang n was, there was no way that he would demean himself by joining their ranks! Kacha! Another bolt of lightning zapped down, and Zhang Xuan hurriedly pulled his head back into the storm clouds, dodging it by just a hairs breadth. Boom! Another cluster of buildings was destroyed. Y-you! If you have guts, face your own lightning tribtion yourself! Stop hiding cowardly inside the storm clouds! the First Elder roared frenziedly. Face my own lightning tribtion? Very well then! Zhang Xuan replied calmly as he dashed out of the clouds and took a position right beneath the storm clouds. He could not absorb any more lightning energy, so there was no point in him remaining in the storm clouds. Since that was the case, it was indeed worth a try for him to face it head on like an ordinary cultivator. Perhaps, he just might be able to tide through it like that. Boom! Boom! Boom! As soon as Zhang Xuan came down, the lightning tribtion seemed to have found an outlet for its rage, and many bolts of lightning immediately streaked down furiously. As dozens of lightning bolts, each roughly the width of a water vat, gathered together, the devastating force that theymanded was so great that a massive, pitch-ck spatial rift was torn in the surroundings. This is too much! Not expecting the lightning tribtion toe at him with such zeal, Zhang Xuan leaped in fright. He hurriedly raised his hands to fend against the lightning bolts. Boom! The two forces collided, but Zhang Xuan swiftly found himself being overwhelmed and knocked into the mud from the formidable force of the lightning. However, that was not the end of it yet. Many more streaks of lightning continued to fall, causing the earth to tremble as formations and buildings copsed one after another. In terms of the devastation, it was much worse than when Zhang Xuan had just popped out his head. Damn it! the First Elder cursed furiously. His teeth were gnashed so tightly together that they would chip at any moment. If the lightning tribtion was allowed to continue as it was, in less than five minutes, the entire city would cease to exist. To think that the number one Sage n in the Master Teacher Continent would be threatened by a mere Phantasmal Space realmd like that but still bepletely helpless to retaliate... Raging fury bubbled within him as he red at the young man in cold hostility. First Elder, what should we do now? Hes currently in the midst of his lightning tribtion, so its inconvenient for us to interfere, but if it gets out that our Zhang n was destroyed by a Phantasmal Space Ordeal... Zhang Wuchen eximed, panicking. If it was a true Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal or something even stronger that had destroyed Zhang n, that would have been more eptable, but it was a mere Phantasmal Space Ordeal. If it became known that the Zhang n had been destroyed by something of this caliber, the n would lose the trust and confidence of its subordinate powers! We only have two options at the moment! the First Elder spat as he stared at Zhang Xuan with a wintry look. One, we could grant him entry to the library and have him deal with the lightning tribtion. But the library contains all of the precious secret manuals that the Zhang n has rued over the years! If he enters those grounds, the lightning tribtion will surely follow him, and by then, everything will be destroyed! That would be equivalent to ruining the very foundation that built up the Zhang n! This wont do... Zhang Wuchen anxiously rejected the First Elders words. They could indeed make an exception to the young man considering the dire circumstances, but the problem was that the lightning tribtion would follow him no matter where he went! If they allowed him into the library, there was little doubt that the library would bepletely wrecked! If so, how could they face their ancestors and everyone that was in the Zhang n? If they lost even their cultivation technique manuals, the Zhang n would be crippled for good! We only have the second option then, the First Elder mumbled with his eyes narrowed coldly. Kill Zhang Xuan! Thats his cultivation ordeal, so it will surely dissipate once hes dead! Kill Zhang Xuan? Zhang Wuchen was slightly astonished at the start, but he soon fell into deep contemtion. Making light of a master teachers life was a taboo to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but it had to be said that it was the best solution avable to them. Since the lightning tribtion hade due to the young man, as long as the young man died, the lightning tribtion would swiftly scatter as well. But... Zhang Xuan is Yang shis student! If we kill him just like that, I fear that we will incur Yang shis wrath! Zhang Wuchen said worriedly. They were well aware of Yang shis strength. Killing his direct disciple would be infringing on his bottom line, and a falling out with him could result in massive losses for the Zhang n. Even as elders of the Zhang n, that was something that they could not take responsibility for. Are we to let that fellow fool around just out of fear of Yang shis wrath? Do you have any better ideas? The First Elder flung his sleeves furiously. This... Zhang Wuchen fell silent. To be honest, there were no other solutions that he coulde up with. Didnt he say earlier that he requires Dimension Sundering realm cultivation technique manuals? Since thats the case, why dont we give them to him first and get back at him after the lightning tribtion passes? Since he has made such a demand, he probably has an idea in mind, Zhang Wuchen said hesitantly after some thought. To be honest, be it taking the young man to their library or killing him, both were rather bad options. In any case, their main goal at the moment was to resolve the lightning tribtion. As for the problem of their secret manuals leaking out, they could always find some way to force the young man to join their Zhang n afterward as long as they sessfully overcame the crisis right before them. Whats the use of bringing him Dimension Sundering realm cultivation techniques? Is he going to make a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm on the spot? Besides, what if he brings in the Dimension Sundering Ordeal after his breakthrough? Wouldnt the lightning tribtion simply grow evenrger and more uncontroble? the First Elder hissed furiously. He did not think that providing the young man with Dimension Sundering realm cultivation technique manuals would resolve the problem. Even if the young man managed to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm by some chance, that could potentially ce them in greater danger. Perhaps, the young man might even be thinking that the Phantasmal Space realm was not strong enough to destroy them and wanted to give them an even bigger one! If they agreed to his request, they might just bring about the Zhang ns demise! Hong long long! While the two of them were speaking, lightning bolts continued streaking down with increasing intensity, and many more formations and buildings copsed around them. Fortunately, the storm clouds in the sky seemed to have dissipated slightly. At that moment, the young man standing in the midst of this disaster, Zhang Xuan, was stillpletely charred ck, and a look of exhaustion could be seen on his face. Even though he had sessfully made a breakthrough to Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle and absorbed a fair portion of the lightning tribtion, it was still much too powerful for him to deal with. We should do it now. There are many cultivators that sumb to their cultivation ordeal each year. Considering the sheer strength of this cultivation ordeal, surely Yang shi will be unable to say anything if his direct disciple falls to it, the First Elder said with a cold glint in his eyes. Chapter 1471 - Exposed Identity

Chapter 1471: Exposed Identity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Just like there were those who sessfully cleared their cultivation ordeal, there were also those who fell to it. While the Phantasmal Space Ordeal was not the most frightening of the various cultivation ordeals, there were still plenty of cultivators who would fall to it each year. Besides, given the monstrous scale of the cultivation ordeal there, even if the young man was zapped to death, Yang shi would only be able to me his beloved disciple for acting too arrogantly. Of course, they would also have to make sure to put on a convincing act so as to not give themselves away! Zhang Wuchen was silent for a moment before softly asking, What should we do? While the First Elders actions infringed on the values that master teachers embraced, in order to protect the Zhang n, there was no other choice. Zhang Xuan had only been in the Zhang n for a day so far, but he had brought great losses to them. If they allowed him to continue acting as he pleased, their entire heritage could very well be wiped cleanly away, and they would soon be a thing of the past. Seal his movements and render him incapable of dodging the lightning bolts. Given the current state hes in, he wont be able to withstand the might of the lightning tribtion, the First Elder said coldly. While Zhang Xuan wielded extraordinary prowess for a cultivator of his level, he was still far too weak to be dealing with such a powerful lightning tribtion. As long as they were to bind his movements and allow the lightning to ravage him, he would surely drop dead soon enough! We have to move quickly. If he summons the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Inferno Qilin, well lose our chance to strike! Those two saint beasts were both Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm experts. Once those two noticed that something was amiss, they would surely cook up a hugemotion. While they would not have any problem suppressing them eventually, such an incident would surely produce doubts in Yang shis mind. I understand! Zhang Wuchen nodded. I want you to operate our n formation and grant the lightning tribtion greater power. Meanwhile, Ill seal the space around Zhang Xuan so as to prevent him from fleeing! the First Elder instructed grimly. Zhang Wuchen shot a sweeping nce at the widespread destruction around him and heaved a deep sigh before slowly nodding his head. As long as that young man remained alive, their Zhang n would not survive this cmity. Instead of waiting for their own doom, they might as well make the first move! Its been twenty years since our n has faced such a catastrophe, Zhang Wuchen thought grimly as he flitted toward the central tower of the n. Twenty years ago, the wife of their n head, the Meng Sword Saint, had gone on a rampage and destroyed innumerable buildings, and more than half of the elders had been injured while attempting to subdue her. While the scale was much smaller this time around, and no elders had been harmed yet, there was no question that this incident had brought great shame to the Zhang n. Boom! Controlling the formation, Zhang Wuchen channeled the surrounding spiritual energy toward the storm clouds, and in just a few moments, the weakening storm clouds abruptly buffed up once more. Whats going on? The charred Zhang Xuan noticed the anomaly with the storm clouds as well, and his eyebrows shot up in astonishment. It was already difficult enough for him to cope with the lightning tribtion as it was, but why would abruptly buff up at this point once more? Activating his Eye of Insight, he quickly scanned his surroundings and saw that the formation of the Zhang n was focusing its spiritual energy toward the storm clouds, causing the lightning tribtion to strengthen rapidly. Is the Zhang n nning to make a move on me? The truth was clear to Zhang Xuan, and his face immediately darkened. He hurriedly leaped up, hoping to dive into the lightning tribtion to avoid the lightning bolts, but in the next moment, he felt his body being held firmly in ce. It was as if heavy chains were wrapped around him, binding him firmly on the spot, preventing him from making the slightest move. Spatial Suppression... Zhang Xuans eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going on. A formidable expert had sealed the space around himpletely. Even though he had reached Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, and hisprehension of spatialws surpassed even that of Dimension Sundering realm experts, he was stillpletely helpless before this power! The gap in their absolute strength was simply too great for him to defy the Spatial Suppression. Hong long long! With his body bound in ce, Zhang Xuan could only watch helplessly as rumbling thunder crescendoed amid the storm clouds above him, a sign that another powerful bolt of lightning about to descend upon him. Theres no way Ill be able to survive such a powerful force, Zhang Xuan thought as he desperately attempted to struggle free of his bindings. However, even as veins popped up on his temples and sweat drenched his clothes, his body still would not budge at all. His body might have reached a level of resilienceparable to Saint pinnacle artifacts, but what he was facing was a lightning tribtion surpassing the might of a Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. If it really fell on him, not even an immortal would be able to bring him back to life! Its him... Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his head around and saw the First Elder standing inconspicuously a distance away, looking at him with a frighteningly impassive expression. There was no doubt about itthis First Elder of the Zhang n was prepared to kill him! At this rate, I might really die here! I have to find some way to stall the lightning or at least slow down its charging! Zhang Xuan swiftly quelled the panic in his heart and began analyzing his situation calmly. With his current strength, it would be impossible for him to free himself from the bindings of someone as powerful as the First Elder. The only thing he could do was slow down the buildup of lightning or possibly neutralize the main bulk of its force! And there was only one way to go about doing that... frenziedly absorbing the lightning energy harnessed within the storm clouds! My clone, gourd, and vine are currently still absorbing energy from the lightning tribtion, but they wont be able to keep up with how fast the Zhang ns formation is supplying energy to it, unless... Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan could not care less about the consequences of his actions anymore. With a thought, he swiftly drew out his Primordial Spirit from his be. Spatial Suppression was more effective on corporeal bodies than incorporeal ones. As such, his Primordial Spirit would likely able to gather sufficient strength to break free of the restraints that the First Elder had cast on his surroundings. H! As soon as Zhang Xuan drew out his Primordial Spirit, he immediately dived straight toward the storm clouds. Whats that? A Primordial Spirit? Controlling the space around Zhang Xuan, he immediately noticed the emergence of a foreign object within his sphere of control. He swiftly extended his Spiritual Perception to the area, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment. No, thats no ordinary Primordial Spirit. You... are a soul oracle? Zhang Xuan had spent some time learning how to morph his Primordial Spirit to appear like that of an ordinary cultivator, but ultimately, there was still a fundamental difference between his soul and those of other cultivators due to him practicing soul cultivation techniques. He might have been able to hide it from other cultivators without much of a problem, but to the First Elder, a 9-star master teacher, his disguise was clearlycking. Soul oracles had once betrayed humanity, and not even the Master Teacher Pavilion was able to tolerate their existence. Was that fellow not a master teacher, a direct disciple of Yang shis? How could he possess the means of a soul oracle? Hold it right there! the First Elder bellowed as he thrust a palm strike forward, hoping to knock the Primordial Spirit out of the sky. Si! A spatial rift was immediately ripped open as a powerful surge of searing yang energy burst forth toward the Primordial Spirit. Due to the nature of their upation, soul oracles were extremely vulnerable to yang energy. Just exposure to an environment rich in yang energy was enough to weaken them considerably, let alone the condensed surge of yang energy that the First Elder had shot out. However, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit was not even afraid of lightning, so how could it possibly fear yang energy? With just a slight shudder, he temporarily phased his Primordial Spirit out of existence, thus causing the burst of yang energy to shoot right past him. Following which, he continued dashing straight for the storm clouds. This... Not expecting that an attack of his full strength would fail to hurt the other party, the First Eldersplexion turned awful. The reason he had been unwilling to openly make a move against Zhang Xuan previously was because he was Yang shis student and a master teacher, but since it had been exposed that he was a soul oracle, there was no need for him to hold back anymore. Si! With a tap of his finger, a surge of sword qi shot forth from his fingertip. The space standing in its path was ripped apart as if it was just a flimsy sheet of paper. As if breaking through the barriers of time, the sword qi seemed to suddenly materialize right before Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit, leaving him with a burning sensation. Seeing how persistently the First Elder was biting at him, refusing to let him go, Zhang Xuans face darkened as well. Turning around, he used his finger as a sword to face the First Elders sword qi. Ding! The two surges of sword qi shed with one another. While Zhang Xuans strength was far beneath that of the First Elder, he still barely managed to breach the gap through his deeper understanding of swordsmanship and redirected the opposing sword qi. As a result of the sh, the First Elders sword qi ended up being deflected right into the storm clouds. Hong long! Coming under the aggression of another cultivator, the lightning tribtion immediately grew in size. Following which, a thick bolt of lightning flowed down the trajectory of the sword qi to strike the First Elder. What! The First Elders face twitched in horror. Chapter 1472 - Ill Tame You Too

Chapter 1472: Ill Tame You Too

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The First Elder had thought that he would be able to kill the other party easily with his sword art, but who could have known that the other party would redirect his strength into the lightning tribtion instead? It was a taboo to intervene in the cultivation ordeal of another cultivator. If someone did intervene, not only would it grow in size and intensity, it would evenunch a barrage of destructive attacks on the aggressor. It was for this reason that he did not dare stop the falling lightning bolts despite the devastating damage they had been causing to the city. He did not think that he would actually slip up just like that. Knowing that he would be zapped to death if he did not defend against the bolt of lightning falling on him, the First Elder could not afford to focus his attention on dealing with Zhang Xuan anymore. He swiftly flicked his wrist and sent a powerful palm strike forward. Kacha! The sh between the ferocious bolt of lightning and the First Elders mighty palm strike induced ripples of shockwaves to diffuse into the surroundings, resulting in theplete copse of all buildings and formations in the vicinity. As powerful as the lightning strike was, the First Elder was even stronger. As a 9-star master teacher, his cultivation had already surpassed the bottleneck of Saint 9-dan; there was no way a bolt of lightning of this caliber would be able to hurt him. Hu! While he was fending off the lightning, Zhang Xuan made use of this opportunity to slip his Primordial Spirit into the storm clouds and vanished from sight. To slip into the lightning in his Primordial Spirit form... isnt he courting death? The First Elder could hardly believe what he was seeing. Previously, he had thought that the other party was dashing toward the storm clouds in order to conceal his true goal, but to think that he was really nning to get into the storm clouds! Due to the strong yin attribute of a soul oracles Primordial Spirit, soul oracles were deeply fearful of lightning. Was diving right into the storm clouds not as good asmitting suicide? Regardless of whether hes seeking his own death or not, since hes a soul oracle, the Master Teacher Pavilion will not fault me for killing him! The First Elder harrumphed as he turned his gaze to Zhang Xuans still-trapped physical body with his eyes filled with killing intent. In the first ce, it was his duty as a master teacher to y all soul oracles that came his way! He had still had some considerations aboutying his hands on the young man in the past, but given the current situation, there was no need for him to hesitate anymore! He swiftly gathered sword qi at his fingertip once more, preparing to reduce the young mans physical body into meat paste so that his Primordial Spirit would have nowhere to return to, but before he could make his move, another thick bolt of lightning zapped down in his direction. You... The First Elders hair immediately stood on end, and he hurriedly used his sword qi to fend off the lightning bolt. Boom! The collision of the forces ended with the triumph of the First Elders sword qi, but at the same time, it seemed like the lightning tribtion had determined him to be its primary target. It relentlessly sent bolts of lightning one after another toward him, leaving him a little flustered. What a relief that everything worked out ording to n! Zhang Xuan thought as his Primordial Spirit gazed down at the situation. Given his current strength, he was absolutely no match for the First Elder. Even if he hurled all of his means toward thetter, he still would not stand the slightest chance. Thus, he was left with no choice but to intentionally release a slight hint of his soul oracle aura in hopes of drawing the First Elders attack toward him and redirecting it toward the lightning tribtion. Once the First Elder got caught up with the lightning tribtion, even if he was one of the strongest experts in the world, it still would be no easy feat for him to struggle free of its pestering. But this lightning tribtion is ultimately still a threat to me, so Ill have to deal with it as soon as possible. Given whats happened so far, theres no way Ill be able to deal with it face-on. I guess theres only that way then, Zhang Xuan analyzed. Knowing that he had gotten the First Elder off his back for the time being, Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his attention toward the storm clouds. So far, he only knew of one feasible way to get rid of the storm cloudsabsorb its energy furiously until it finally fled in fear. However, his body and Primordial Spirit were already in a bloated state, and he had no cultivation technique that he could use for a breakthrough either. To make matters worse, time was not on his side. All it would take was a split second of freedom from the lightning tribtion for the First Elder to destroy his physical body. Absorb! Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth viciously, and with a deep roar, he began devouring the surrounding lightning energy as if a massive whale swallowing water. Geji! Geji! As Zhang Xuan began absorbing the lightning energy unreservedly, his Primordial Spirit, which had already reached ten meters in height due to his reckless absorption of energy in the past, swiftly broke free of its bottleneck and began growing once more at an unprecedentedly rate. It was only out of fear that his Primordial Spirit would grow too big and be unable to fuse back into his body properly, as had happened several times in the past, that he had not dared to absorb energy recklessly anymore. However, given the predicament that he was in, he could not care about that anymore. If he could not control the lightning tribtion soon, he would be the one to lose his life! Tzzzzzzz! Energy gathered around him at an ever-increasing rate, and very soon, a vortex appeared in the ocean of lightning energy with him at the very eye, supplying him with seemingly endless energy. Eleven meters! Twelve meters! Thirteen meters! ... In less than a minute, his Primordial Spirit had already grown to a size of twenty meters. Even amid the vast expanse of storm clouds, he still towered like a giant. I can still continue on, you know? At the very most, Ill just perish together with you! Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. He could sense that the arrogant lightning tribtion, which had been determined to im his life from a moment ago, had grown a little hesitant. The lightning energy in his surroundings had visibly grown quieter than before, and the storm clouds were trembling a little, seemingly out of fear. It had thought that by gathering all of its kin and friends, it would be able to get rid of this fellow once and for all. However, not even in its wildest dreams could it have imagined that the young man would actually have such a trump card up his sleeve, allowing him to take in lightning energy endlessly, as if a ck hole. At this rate, its entire tribe might just lose their life! Hu! Decisiveness is a mark of a true hero. Fully understanding this logic, the lightning tribtion did not spend too long hesitating before it decisively chose to turn around and flee. Knowing that it would react in such a manner, Zhang Xuan swiftly sent a telepathic message to it. Do you think that Ill allow you to get away after everything that youve done? Mark my words, if you flee right now, Ill vow to sap you dry every time you appear in this world! If you dont want that to happen, youd better listen to my instructions right now. I have some things that I want you to do for me! He had no idea whether the lightning tribtion was capable ofprehending his words or not, but he was certain that it possessed its own consciousness. Otherwise, it would not have been scared into fleeing each time it encountered him. ... It has finally stopped its attacks... Beneath the storm clouds, the First Elder finally managed to catch a breather from the relentless assault of the storm clouds. As powerful as he was, it was still difficult to cope with the seemingly endless barrage of attacks from the lightning bolts, not to mention that each lightning bolt was by no means weak. Even at this moment, he could still feel his heart pounding in diposure. He might have sumbed to the lightning bolts if the lightning tribtion had continued striking him at that rate, but since it had stopped, it probably would not attack anymore. Thus, he quickly turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuans physical body with animosity reflected in his eyes. From the moment you began practicing the arts of soul oracles, you should have known that this was the oue that you would face! The First Elder harrumphed as he thrust a palm strike toward the young mans motionless body. The killing intent behind the First Elders attack immediately triggered the Mind of Void, and Zhang Xuans body instinctively attempted to move to dodge the attack. However, the First Elders Spatial Suppression was still locking him firmly in ce, rendering all of his struggling futile. Kacha! At this moment, once again, before the palm strike could reach Zhang Xuan, a streak of lightning bolted down toward the First Elder. Unlike the ones that the First Elder had faced before, this very lightning bolt was several timesrger and stronger, to the extent that it seemed as if it wouldbust the surrounding air. It was the kind of attack that fully disyed the overwhelming prowess of nature in subduing everything that dared defied it, leaving those standing against it feeling utterly helpless and despaired. This... Goosebumps rose all over the First Elders body from the sheer danger he felt from the bolt of lightning. I did attack you earlier, but I didnt do it on purpose! You also had your vengeance striking me again and again, so surely you dont have to be so perverse as toe after me again and again, right? Or will you only be happy after you send me down to my grave? Furthermore... I can understand why you would want to strike me, but the person who has summoned you here is just over there, sleeping with his eyes closed. Shouldnt you strike him as well? As stifled as the First Elder was, he knew that he would have to focus all of his strength into dealing with it, or else even with his cultivation realm, he would still sustain severe injuries from it. Thus, he swiftly redirected the might of his palm strike over to deal with the lightning bolt. Si! As the two powers met one another, a devastating shockwave rippled into the surroundings, tearing open a massive spatial rift at the center and disintegrating everything that it came into contact with. Cough cough cough cough! Eventually, the First Elder did sessfully withstand the lightning bolt, but he still sustained a certain degree of damage. Charred marks could be seen all over his body. I have to kill that b*stard before this lightning tribtion dissipates! Knowing that it would be dangerous if several more lightning bolts of this caliber fell on him, the First Elder clenched his jaw furiously and sent a punch toward Zhang Xuan. But as if the lightning tribtion was intent to protect Zhang Xuan, it struck down rapidly on the First Elder once again before the punch could connect. Kacha! Kacha! Smoke rose from the First Elders convulsing body. The frenzied elder turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan once more, only to see that thetter had opened his eyes at some point in time and was looking straight at the storm clouds. Ill leave him to you for the time being. Im going to rest for a moment. After saying those words, Zhang Xuan made use of the shockwave from one of the lightning bolts to break free of the Spatial Suppression before leisurely making his way down to the ground. Chapter 1473 - Shes Your Teachers Wife-to-Be!

Chapter 1473: Shes Your Teachers Wife-to-Be!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... The First Elder would have wed his hair from the insanity that was happening before his eyes if his hands had not been too preupied with dealing with the lightning bolts. This is your freaking lightning tribtion! Im here to kill you, not to help you fend off your tribtion! The First Elder was seething with so much fury that he was even contemting the possibility of casting aside his defense just to kill that b*stard young man, but before he could make up his mind, another bolt of lightning was already heading his way. It was a muchrger one this time around, and before he could evene close, the overpowering energy harnessed within it was already threatening to tear him apart. Thus, he had no choice but to continue focusing his strength into dealing with the lightning bolts. Swiftly, his body grew more and more charred, and his aura was beginning to wither as well. This lightning tribtion was even more powerful than the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. While the First Elder had already reached a level surpassing the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm, it was still extremely difficult for him to deal with something of this caliber. It did not take long before he felt his blood beginning to sizzle from the lightning that had bypassed his defense and seeped into his body, and even his internal organs sustained some degree of damage as well. First Elder... At this point, Zhang Wuchen returned from themand tower as well. He had expected to find a dead Zhang Xuan lying on the ground upon his return, but contrary to his expectations, not only was the young man still alive and jumping, it was the First Elder instead who was struck till he was on the verge of death. This sight left him frozen on the spot, unsure of what he should do. Dont bother with me, hurry up and kill that Zhang Xuan! Once hes dead, the lightning tribtion will dissipate! the First Elder shrieked anxiously as he defended against yet another bolt of lightning. Y-yes, I understand! Knowing that the situation was urgent, Zhang Wuchen quickly turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. At this moment, thetter was already sitting on the ground. As if a drunk man, his body swayed uncontrobly on the spot, and from time to time, a spasm would run through his body in the form of a shudder. It was a truly bizarre sight to behold. Quick, kill him! the First Elder urged. Upon hearing themand, Zhang Wuchen gritted his teeth and dashed over. Kacha! Before Zhang Wuchen could reach Zhang Xuan or evenprehend what was happening at all, he found himself abruptly copsing powerlessly onto the ground, his body charred from head to toe. A bolt of lightning had fallen on him too. Argh! Just what the heck is going on here! the First Elder howled in frenzy. Really, why did it feel like the lightning tribtion was protecting that fellow? In normal cultivation ordeals, the lightning tribtion would be dying to eradicate the cultivator who had summoned it... so why in the world was the lightning tribtion protecting this young man so desperately? It was obvious that it was striking down on anyone who dared make a move on him! And this was not all... While the lightning tribtion tortured us with its unending barrage of lightning bolts, it actually left you to rest leisurely on the ground... what the heck is this? Zhang Wuchen was caught off guard by the abrupt assault, but he swiftly recovered and continued dashing toward Zhang Xuan. He knew that he had to kill the young man for everything to end. However, before he could get to thetter, yet another bolt of lightning fell on him once more, crushing him back down to the ground. Not only that, as if it was frightened that he would get back up, the lightning tribtion sent countless bolts of lightning down upon him in rapid session, such that in the blink of an eye, Zhang Wuchens body had already scrunched up together, and an aroma was wafting from his barbecued body. ... The First Elders wed at his hair. The lightning tribtion was definitely doing it on purposedefinitely! First Elder, Third Elder... At this moment, themotion had already drawn in another dozen Zhang n elders, and when they saw the sight before them, their mouths opened in shock. The First Elders face paled upon seeing them, and he hurriedly bellowed, Donte over... Unfortunately, his warning came toote. Before the group of elders could grasp the First Elders warning, a cluster of lightning had already fallen on them And just like that, the group of elders fell helplessly from the sky onto the ground, forming a particrly miserable sight. Why? Why! Looking the copsed elders around him, and then the utter ruination that extended to the horizon, the First Elder screamed in deep agony. Twenty years ago, the Meng Sword Saint had gone on a rampage and caused great damage and injured many of the elders, butpared to what was happening at that moment, the destruction back then was nothing at all. Something of this caliber could no longer be termed as destructionit was annihtion! Zhang Xuan, our Zhang n will never forgive you for this! I will never forgive you for this! the First Elder shrieked furiously as a mouthful of blood spilled out of his mouth. The spewed blood seemed to have alleviated the stifled sensation in the First Elders chest significantly, and he immediately pushed against the ground and flitted in Zhang Xuans direction. Even if I die from the lightning tribtion today, I swear that Im going to rip you apart! Hla! In the midst of his movements, lightning continued falling relentlessly on the First Elders body. In response to that, the First Elder scrunched his body as tightly as possible to protect his vitals and reduce the area of contact with the lightning bolts. He would still sustain severe injuries despite so, but with his cultivation, he would still be able tost for a quite a while. Regardless of how severe the injuries that he sustained were, he was determined to kill the young man and terminate that madness! Once the young man was killed, everything would be resolved! That fellow... On the ground, the giddy-headed Zhang Xuan watched as the desperate First Elder ced his life on the line in order to get to him, and he could not help but shake his head. Has that old fellow lost his mind? In truth, Zhang Xuan was in a bad state as well. If the First Elder really got to him, he was in no position to retaliate. In order to curb the lightning tribtion, he had ended up absorbing far too much lightning energy into his Primordial Spirit. While he still did manage to fit his Primordial Spirit back into his body through the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, the imbnced power between his Primordial Spirit and his body still left him with near-intolerable vertigo, such that even standing up was a difficulty for him. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Inferno Qilin, go and ward him off for me! Knowing that he was in no state to escape, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration as he issued an order to his tamed beasts. Hu hu! The two beasts materialized from the Myriad Anthive Nest and swiftly charged toward the First Elder in order to stop him in his tracks. Dont block my way, or else Ill show you two no mercy either! The First Elder red at the two saint beasts with eyes even colder than the most cold-blooded of beasts. He tapped his finger forward, and two massive palm prints immediately fell toward each of the two saint beasts. Geji! Geji! The Inferno Qilin and Netherworld Azure Dragon beast did not back down from the First Elders offense. With the strongest attacks they had, they collided head-on with the two palm strikes, and a sea of mes swiftly engulfed the surroundings with an explosion. Hu! Hu! With the widespread destruction that was happening, even Zhang Jiuxiao, who was currently recuperating from his wounds, was jolted awake. The room that he was in was one of the very few buildings that were still standing due to the powerful formation protecting it, but when he walked out of the room and saw countless heaps of rubble recing the majestic buildings that had once towered in their very exact spot, he immediately fell into a daze. Teacher... A thought suddenly came to Zhang Jiuxiaos mind, and he immediately rushed for the center of themotion. Very soon, he saw a pale-faced Zhang Xuan sitting on the ground, wobbling feebly on the spot, and he hurriedly dashed over to support thetters body. T-this... Teacher, are you fine? What happened? Zhang Jiuxiao asked worriedly. While he was a member of the Zhang n as well, he had always been belittled and neglected as a mere offspring of the side family. The Zhang n had never seemed to consider him as one of their own, and in reciprocation to that, Zhang Jiuxiao had never strongly identified as a member of the Zhang n. His loyalty toward the Zhang n could only be considered shallow at best. As such, while the magnificent city being reduced to rubble did leave him rather appalled, what he was more concerned about was the feeble state that his teacher was in. Im fine. Its just that Im a little unustomed to this... Ill be alright after some rest. Zhang Xuan waved his hand weakly. A soul too powerful would have problems fusing back with its body; this was something that he had realized a long time ago. For this reason, he had been careful to avoid taking in excessive spiritual energy into his soul. Had it not been an emergency, he never would have resorted to such a course of action. Hearing that his teacher was fine, Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief and said, Teacher, Ill protect you! Thank you. Zhang Xuan nodded before closing his eyes. He swiftly drove the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel in order to reduce the pressure that his Primordial Spirit was exerting on his body. But even so, the splitting headache that felt as if his brain was being grated still refused to subside. Realizing that it would be difficult for him to recover in the short run, he shook his head and opened his eyes once more. He knew that it would not be so easy to resolve this problem. Otherwise, he would not have fainted from this issue back then. Zhang Jiuxiao, given everything that has happened, theres unlikely to be any room for reconciliation between me and the Zhang n anymore. Thus, there are some matters that I will have to entrust to you in advance, Zhang Xuan said grimly. Teacher, please speak! Zhang Jiuxiao replied. Given the purity of your bloodline, I reckon that the Zhang n will likely send you to marry the little princess of the Luo n. If that happens, you mustnt ept it at any cost, Zhang Xuan said. I understand! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. After which, he waited for his teacher to continue, but thetter did not continue speaking. Perplexed, he asked, Teacher, is that all? If I may ask, why cant I marry the little princess of the Luo n? His teacher had used such a grave tone just to inform him of such a minor matter. Why? Thats because... Zhang Xuan looked at Zhang Jiuxiao intently before continuing. The little princess of the Luo n is your teachers wife-to-be! Chapter 1474 - Zhao Yas Call For Help

Chapter 1474: Zhao Yas Call For Help

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wife-to-be? Zhang Jiuxiao was stunned. Given the widespread fame of the little princess of the Luo n, Zhang Jiuxiao had naturally heard of her. He also knew that the little princess was engaged to the young prodigy of the Zhang n... but who would have thought that his teacher was the man who stood between the both of them! This exined why the little princess would say that there was someone whom she fancied. No wonder his teacher would go around tearing down everything in the Zhang n! In fact, thinking back, his teacher had pummeled him the first time that they met. In the end, this was the actual reason behind everything! Teacher, rest assured! Now that I know the little princess of the Luo n is your wife-to-be, I wont overstep my boundaries even if Im beaten to death! Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly sped his fist. A teacher for a day, a father for life 1 . Since his teacher was equivalent to his father, his teachers wife-to-be would be his future mother. Even if someone inted his guts to ten times the size, he would never dare to marry his mother! Good. Just keep that in mind! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Knowing that he could not remain like that, despite the giddiness he felt, Zhang Xuan still wobbled up to his feet. All of a sudden, he sensed something and swiftly flicked his wrist, and a token appeared in his palm. The Sanctum Head Token. In this moment, the token was emanating a faint light, as if something had brought it to life. He had encountered this situation once in the past, and that was when he had sessfully be an 8-star master teacher and deciphered the first seal on the token. Could it be that the second seal had been removed? Zhang Xuan swiftly took a closer look at the Sanctum Head Token, and he could vaguely sense a powerful aura leaking from it. There are three conditions that have to be met in order to awaken the Sanctum Head Token. Firstly, bing an 8-star master teacher. Secondly, achieving the cultivation of Saint 8-dan. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. While I have yet to fully made a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan, in terms of fighting prowess andprehension of spatialws, even a true Saint 8-dan expert would be no match for me. Perhaps this has led the Sanctum Head Token to conclude that I have cleared the second condition, thus deciphering the second seal. While the requirements to unsealing the Sanctum Head Token appeared to be fixed, it still depended on the exact conditions that Sage Kui had imposed on the Sanctum Head Token to gauge if those requirements had been met. Perhaps, the token gauged whether an individual had reached Saint 8-dan by measuring their zhenqi. If that was the case, it would not be too surprising for the token to decide that Zhang Xuan had reached Saint 8-danafter all, he was a cultivator of the Heavens Path Divine Art, which put him far in front of his peers. Let me see what is beneath the second seal... The deciphering of the first seal had turned the token into a powerful weapon and granted him greater control over it. Given so, the deciphering of the second seal should have some kind of reward as well. Thus, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the seal, and a few lines of information swiftly surfaced in his mind. This... Zhang Xuan had thought that the deciphering of the second seal would turn the Sanctum Head Token into an even more powerful weapon that would help him out of his current situation, but that was not the case. What was hidden beneath the second seal was a Teleportation Formation that brought one into a hidden dimension left behind by the founder of the Sanctum of Sages. Contained in it was the heritage of the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld and the insights regarding it left behind by the predecessors. This was indeed great for deciphering the third seal, but to the current him, it was not of much use at all. What he needed right now was the strength to go against the First Elder. He had to resolve the issue with the Zhang n once and for all, or else given the influence that the Zhang n wielded in the Master Teacher Continent, even if he escaped for the moment, he would not be able to escape forever. Furthermore, there was no saying that the Zhang n might even use his students as hostages against him. Not to mention, this Teleportation Formation was an only one-time use. Once he activated it, it would lose its effectiveness. So, he should at least prepare himself before heading over and aim to master the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld in a single push! More importantly, he was in no state to cultivate. The giddiness that he was experiencing from the ipatibility between his Primordial Spirit and his body made even standing up difficult for him, let alone practicing a profound optic art! Boom boom boom! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, sonic booms in the air abruptly drew his attention back to reality. Lifting his gaze, he saw the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and the Inferno Qilin being forcefully knocked back. In their shes with the First Elder, the both of them had sustained significant injuries. As powerful as the two saint beasts were, they still came nowhere close to matching up to the First Elder of the Zhang n If not for thetter being constantly struck by lightning, they would have long fallen in defeat. Zhang Xuan took a look at the storm clouds above and shook his head. The lightning bolts wontst for too long either... The continued release of lightning bolts had almostpletely depleted the lightning tribtion, and its might was already beginning to wane. From the looks of it, it would only be able to deal a couple more lightning bolts before dissipating for good. Xiong xiong! At this moment, the Inferno Qilin finally released its trump card. Tapping into the veryst hue of Qilin mes that it harnessed, it shot several searing me dragons toward the First Elder simultaneously. The scorching heat of the attack swiftly charred the ground ck and dyed the sky crimson. At the same time, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast made use of this opportunity to sneak behind the First Elder tounch a secret assault. The coboration between the two beasts would leave even a real 9-star master teacher in a fluster, but the First Elder did not show a hint of panic. He calmly sealed the space behind him before dispelling the mes before him with several palm strikes, thus neutralizing their assault with ease. As the lightning tribtion grew smaller and smaller, the strength that the First Elder could exert became greater and greater. Previously, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and the Inferno Qilin had still been able to stand on equal grounds with the First Elder, but it was clear that the tables were swiftly tilting in the First Elders favor. Master, we arent a match for him. You have to quickly find a way to leave this area! the Inferno Qilin urged Zhang Xuan anxiously through their telepathic link. Zhang Xuan nodded. While this was the first time that he had encountered a battle of this caliber, he was still able to tell that it was only a matter of time before his two tamed beasts fall in defeat, and there was no doubt that the First Elder would reap his life the moment that happened. I have to leave right now, Zhang Xuan muttered as he leaped into the sky and flew in the opposite direction. However, before he could get far, he suddenly wobbled in the middle of his flight before crashing back down to the ground. Teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly rushed forward to support Zhang Xuan. Im fine, Zhang Xuan said as he rubbed his head. It seemed like he would not be able to leave until he resolved the problem concerning the ipatibility in his Primordial Spirit and physical body. Suppressing the giddiness in his head, he looked up and saw that the First Elder was closer to him than before. The storm clouds in the sky had already depleted all their energy and were beginning to dissipate. Scram! Without the lightning tribtion to keep him in check, the First Elder roared furiously as he decisively released two palm strikes with his full force harnessed in them. Boom! Boom! The overpowering palm strike struck the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and Inferno Qilin into two separate rubble piles. The impact of the attack caused all of the injuries that they had sustained throughout the battle to rpse all at once, and they swiftly lost their consciousness. After knocking out the two beasts, the First Elder turned his menacing gaze toward Zhang Xuan. Recalling the humiliation that he had sustained within this short period of time, a cold sneer crept onto his lips as he uttered, Zhang Xuan, its time for you to meet your maker! The First Elder tapped his finger, and a surge of sword qi tore its way toward Zhang Xuan. Weng! Before it could strike Zhang Xuan, a token abruptly appeared in the midst of the sword qis path, neutralizing it entirely as if a barrier. Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be able to withstand the First Elders attack in his current state, so he decisively threw the Sanctum Head Token out. First Elder of the Zhang n, I, Zhang Xuan, am an 8-star master teacher recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if I have erred, you should seek rpense through reporting me to the Master Teacher Pavilion. You should be well aware that only the Master Teacher Pavilion is qualified to pass judgement on master teachers! Are you nning on turning a blind eye to the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan bellowed imposingly. Master teacher? You actually have the cheek to call yourself a master teacher? Those words reignited the First Elders rage once more. How could a person who practiced the unorthodox arts of the soul oracle have the cheek to proim himself as a master teacher? Definitely, he would report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion and have them thoroughly investigate the matter, but before that, he would first have this young man killed in order to quell the burning rage in his heart! Die! the First Elder bellowed as he crushed his palm down upon Zhang Xuan. Hu! The palm strike first collided with the Sanctum Head Token, and unable to withstand the might of the palm strike, it was knocked right back into Zhang Xuans hands. Following which, the First Elder firmly pushed on with his palm strike, as if he would not rest until he finally reduced Zhang Xuan into meat paste. You... Zhang Xuan panicked. His words had not worked. It was clear that the First Elder would not rest until he was dead. At the same time, the intolerable giddiness consuming his mind rendered himpletely incapable of fight and flight. In this desperate moment, he flicked his finger. Boom! A massive head materialized right before him, crushing heavily down on the First Elder. While the actual fighting prowess of Vicious head could not evenpare to a Saint 8-dan expert, its sudden appearance and its sheer weight, coupled with the exhaustion and injuries that the First Elder had umted from dealing with the lightning tribtion and Zhang Xuans two tamed beasts, actually managed to catch the First Elder off guard and suppress him temporarily. Teacher... Upon seeing the head that his teacher had brought out, Zhang Jiuxiao widened his eyes in absolute horror. He anxiously turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter abruptly flicking his wrist to whip out a jade token. It was a Communication Jade Token with particrly intricate inscriptions on it. It was shimmering with a light glow, as if some kind of important information was being transmitted. Zhang Xuan tapped his finger lightly on it. Weng! An indistinct face appeared on the surface of Communication Jade Token. Despite the blurriness of the image, one could still tell that the other party was an indescribably beautiful youngdy. Zhang Jiuxiao was captivated by the face for a short moment beforeing to a dyed realization that the other party was his First Senior, Zhao Ya! While he had not seen Zhao Ya in person before, he had heard much about her beauty. In this very moment, Zhao Yas face was colored in distress, and with a deeply frightened voice, she eximed, Teacher, save me! Poof! The image abruptly vanished from view, and following right after, the Communication Jade Token shattered with a light explosion. Chapter 1475 - Pursuing Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1475: Pursuing Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhao Ya... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly as a violent aura quietly leaked out from his presence. Under normal circumstances, due to the incredible distance, it should have been impossible for his Communication Jade Token to receive Zhao Yas message. Most likely, the message hade from Chen Leyao instead. She had probably received Zhao Yas call for help and used a special method to store her message and forward it to him. However, at the same time, the burden on the Communication Jade Token was likely so great that it ended up shattering. Just what in the world had happened for her to send such a message to him? Was she not the celebrated young court chief of the cier in Court? Could this mean that something had happened to the cier in Court? Teacher... Zhang Jiuxiao said anxiously. Something has happened to your First Senior. Im going to save her, Zhang Xuan said with narrowed eyes. At that moment, his back suddenly straightened up as if a taut pir that would shoulder even the weight of the world fearlessly. He did not know what had happened to Zhao Ya, but as her teacher, he would protect her even if he had to venture up a mountain of des and descend into a sea of mes to do so! But... how are you going to save her? Zhang Jiuxiao asked worriedly. He knew that this First Senior of his was the young court chief of the cier in Court, and in terms of fighting prowess, she was likely to above him and his teacher. Given so, would his teacher really be of much help there? To make matters worse, the other party had only said three words, Save me, Teacher, so they had no idea what had happened at all, let alone prepare for a rescue operation! No matter what, as a teacher, I wont allow the slightest harm toe to my direct disciples. This doesnt just apply to her but you as well. This is my promise to all of you! Zhang Xuan said. Following which, he flicked his wrist and took out his Sanctum Head Token. I thought that this one-time teleportation wouldnt be of much use, but it has reallye at a timely moment, Zhang Xuan thought. When he deciphered the second seal on the Sanctum Sage Token, he had found a Teleportation Token that would transport him to a hidden dimension in the Sanctum of Sages. Initially, he had thought that it was of little use in his current situation, but from the looks of it now, it was just what he needed! In order to find out the full story, he would have to first return to the Sanctum of Sages to figure out what had happened, but even if he rode on the Inferno Qilin, it would still take him at least half a month to return to the Sanctum of Sages. Considering the danger that Zhao Ya was in, he could not afford to waste that much time! However, it would be different with this Teleportation Formation. He would be able to return to the Sanctum of Sages instantaneously without wasting any time! Jiuxiao, Ill be leaving first. Tell Jian Qinsheng that Im sorry that I failed to aplish what I promised him. If I have a chance in the future, Ill make sure to teach that Xing Sword Saint a lesson in his stead, Zhang Xuan said as he gripped the Sanctum Head Token in his hand tightly. Jian Qinsheng had brought him here in the hope that he would defeat the Zhang ns swordsmanship in his stead and bring honor back to him. While he did manage to defeat Zhang Xu and the others, he did not manage topete with the head of the Zhang n in a duel, so strictly speaking, he had not fullypleted the task that he had set out to achieve. However, the matter with Zhao Ya was much more important than anything else. He had no choice but to abandon everything else. Yes, Teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly nodded. Suppressing the giddiness in his head, Zhang Xuan swiftly infused his zhenqi into the Sanctum Head Token, and in the blink of an eye, the Teleportation Formation on it was activated. Weng! A brilliant burst of light swiftly swallowed Zhang Xuan whole. Inferno Qilin, Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Vicious, were leaving! Zhang Xuan yelled as he waved his hand. Hu! The two saint beasts and Vicious immediately disappeared from the spot. Following which, Zhang Xuans silhouette swiftly turned incorporeal as well before vanishing without a trace. An Otherworldly Demon... Hes an Otherworldly Demon! Damn it! Right after Zhang Xuan disappeared from the spot, the First Elder emerged from the pit that he had been crushed in and howled frenziedly. Even though he had no idea what exactly the giant head crushing down on him was, he could still clearly feel the aura and bloodline of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor from it! In other words, not only was Zhang Xuan a soul oracle, he was also allied with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... or perhaps, he might even be an Otherworldly Demon himself! For an Otherworldly Demon to disguise as a master teacher... the only ones who were capable of this feat were the Otherworldly Demon Emperors! The truth could not have been any clearer nowZhang Xuan was definitely an Otherworldly Demon Emperor in disguise! This would also exin why he was so bent on destroying the Zhang n! Given the grudge between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it was no wonder Zhang Xuan would desire to destroy the number one Sage n! As soon as the First Elder rose from the ground, he immediately extended his Spiritual Perception to the surroundings in order to find Zhang Xuan. However, no matter how he looked, there was not the slightest trace of the young man to be found. Where is he? The First Elder turned a hostile gaze toward Zhang Jiuxiao, his voice dripping with killing intent. He had seen how close Zhang Jiuxiao was with Zhang Xuan with his own eyes. Te... Zhang shi has used a Teleportation Formation to leave this area! Zhang Jiuxiao replied with a slightly dazed look on his face, as if he was still trying to make sense out of what had happened. Thats impossible! the First Elder eximed with bloodshot eyes. Teleportation Formations can only be set up by Saint 9-dan cultivators, not to mention that a heavy price has to be paid with each activation. Not even the Zhang n has the resources to use it lightly, so how could that fellow possibly be able to teleport away? Teleportation Formations involved the warping of space to swiftly transport an individual from one end to the other. While 9-star formation masters were able to set up Teleportation Formations, such extreme warping of space was not easy to pull off and required a heavy price to be paid in order to aplish it. Even as the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, they could not afford to use it lightly. Otherwise, their n head would not have left on a saint beast earlier. Thus, how could that fellow manage to leave on a Teleportation Formation? Zhang Wuchen flew over and said, It was really a Teleportation Formation. I saw the disturbances in space with my own eyes. He had sustained severe injuries from the lightning bolt earlier, but after some recuperation, he had managed to recover sufficiently to move around. Nevertheless, given the tattered condition that he was in, it would take at least half a month of recuperation in order for him to return to his peak state. Hearing Zhang Wuchens words, the First Elder swiftly scanned the surroundings once more and noted that Zhang Xuans aura had indeed disappeared without leaving a trail. Gritting his teeth, he spat hoarsely, To possess such a powerful formation despite his young age and low cultivation realm, theres no doubt that hes an Otherworldly Demon Emperor! If he still had not been too sure previously, this was more than sufficient evidence to prove his hypothesis! Despite being in his early twenties, he possessed strength far superior to those of his peers, wielded the means of soul oracles, was capable of utilizing Otherworldly Demons means... and now, it had been found that he even had a priceless Teleportation Formation on him! This showed that not only was he an Otherworldly Demon Emperorhe was a rather high-ranked one too! It was ridiculous that Yang shi would take in an Otherworldly Demon Emperor as his student! I, Zhang Wuheng, in my capacity as the First Elder of the Zhang n,mand all Zhang n members and subordinate powers to devote all resources to pursuing Zhang Xuan. Regardless of the means they use, they are to kill him on the spot so as to safeguard the security of the Master Teacher Continent! the First Elder bellowed. Weng! As those words were spoken, a token flew into the air. It emanated a light glow that swiftly shrouded the entire city. In an instant, every member of the Zhang n received the First Elders orders. A decree from the First Elder was only second to the n heads decree. Once issued, all n members were to obey it without any questions! Devote all resources into pursuing Zhang Xuan? While everyone was still bewildered by themand, the furious voice of ady suddenly boomed across the air. Zhang Wuheng, you brazen skunk! Chapter 1476 - Yang shi Is Out of Seclusion!

Chapter 1476: Yang shi Is Out of Seclusion!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hong long! Shortly after those words were spoken, the crowd suddenly felt a heavy pressure from the sky pushing down on them. Following which, a middle-ageddy flew straight over with a sword in hand. Before she even arrived, the crowd could already feel the sharpness of her sword qi. It felt almost as if their flesh was being torn to shreds. The First Elder felt his goosebumps rising, and he hurriedly sped his fist. Meng Sword Saint... But before he could finish speaking, the sharp glint of a sword was already flying straight toward him. Peng! The First Elder was immediately sent flying before tumbling along the ground. At the same time, a bloodied wound appeared on his chest. You! Not expecting the Meng Sword Saint to make a move on him without any hesitation right after returning, the First Elder was so furious that he nearly exploded on the spot. He struggled to his feet agitatedly, and flicking his wrist, he whipped out a sword before charging right at the Meng Sword Saint. Zhang Wuheng, are you challenging me to a fight? It has just been a few days since west met, but it seems like your guts have grown quite a bit! The Meng Sword Saint harrumphed coldly as she gracefully flicked the sword in her hand. Tzzzzzz! The next instant, the First Elder suddenly found himself turning uncontrobly on the spot, as if he was trapped in a vortex. Sword punctures swiftly appeared all over his body, and crimson blood spurted from each of those punctures. The First Elder was one of the top experts on the Master Teacher Continent, but he was still renderedpletely helpless against the Meng Sword Saints swordsmanship. Peng! The next instant, the First Elder found himself crashing into a heap of rubble, and he coughed uprge mouthfuls of blood. After all he had gone through earlier, he was already severely injured. Thus, when the Meng Sword Saintunched an assault on him, he felt his entire body going entirely limp, devoid of the slightest strength. Cough cough! Awkward coughing echoed across the air, and a middle-aged man descended from the sky. My wife, why dont you listen to the First Elders words first? n head! Upon seeing the middle-aged man, the elders in the area hurriedly sped their fists and bowed deeply. The head of the Zhang n, the father of the famed young prodigy, the Xing Sword Saint. Upon learning that Zhang Xuan was currently in the Zhang n, they had rushed back as fast as they could, so they had been able to return within a rtively short period of time. However, it seemed like they were still toote. Listen to his words? What else is there to listen to? Didnt you hear the decree he made earlier? the Meng Sword Saint bellowed with a dark look on her face. Its precisely because I heard it that I didnt stop you from making a move on him earlier! But look at the state hes in... If you continue hitting him, he really might lose his life! Why dont we first calm down and listen to the full story before deciding on what to do? Xing Sword Saint said as he stroked his wifes back to calm her down. Meng Sword Saint shot the First Elder a wintry re before flinging her sleeves furiously. Humph! Seeing that his wife had stopped her attacks for the time being, the Xing Sword Saint secretly heaved a sigh of relief before turning his gaze toward the First Elder. With an authoritative voice, he questioned, What happened? Why did you issue a decree ordering for Zhang Xuans death? n head! Zhang Wuchen quickly stepped forward and said, That Zhang Xuan has been willfully destroying everything that he set his eyes upon aftering to the Zhang n. It was only after being left with no choice that the First Elder issued such a decree! Willfully destroying everything? The Xing Sword Saint raised his eyebrows. Are you saying that all of this rubble is his doing? He had been rather perplexed to see the state that the Zhang n was in, but who could have thought that it would actually be Zhang Xuans doing! Indeed, hes the culprit behind this! Zhang Wuchen spat with gritted teeth. Look at what he has done to our many millenniums of heritage! This... The Xing Sword Saint was visibly dazed for a moment. He subconsciously turned to his wife and muttered, That really resembles you... His wife was a walking wrecking ball, often causing destruction wherever she went. Her rampages had not stopped even after marrying into the Zhang n, and it was to the point that the elders often kept a close eye on her in order to keep her in check. Who would have thought that Zhang Xuans prowess in destruction would actually be a level above hers? Isnt it just a couple of buildings? To kill a person over a couple of rocks and stones... is this the magnanimity that you should have as elders of the Zhang n? If you are that afraid of your buildings being torn down, why dont I just help you demolish your ancestral hall so that you dont have to worry about it anymore? Meng Sword Saint harrumphed as she wrapped her sword qi around her body, seemingly showing the members of the Zhang n that she was not joking around. What the heck is this? You are going to kill my son over just a couple of copsed building? Very well, just watch as I dig up the tombs of your ancestors then! Its not just about the buildings... The First Elders deep voice sounded. At this point, he had finally managed to recuperate enough to talk. He knew that the Meng Sword Saint was a lunatic who would not hesitate to destroy their ancestral hall, so with a flushed face, he hurriedly spoke up to stop her. What else is it then? The Meng Sword Saint nced down at the First Elder with narrowed eyes. I know what youre thinking. You must be suspecting that Zhang Xuan is him... but I can tell you for certain he isnt! I have already tested his bloodline and soul, and its been proven that he doesnt have the slightest hint of a rtionship with the Zhang n! the First Elder quickly said. Bloodline? How can you have the cheek to talk about bloodline before me? The Meng Sword Saint widened her eyes in agitation as she shouted furiously. Fine! Putting that aside, I sensed traces of a soul oracle in his Primordial Spirit, and he even brought out an artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! This should show that theres a very high chance that he isnt a human but an Otherworldly Demon in disguise! The First Elder quickly changed his words. Soul oracle? Artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? The Xing Sword Saint and Meng Sword Saint were taken aback upon hearing those words, and they swiftly exchanged nces with one another. They had suspected that Zhang Xuan might be their missing child, but if he was a soul oracle... Indeed! I believe I need not say more about the depraved arts that soul oracles practice. Im very certain that his Primordial Spirit is not one of an ordinary cultivator but that of a soul oracle. Even if you doubt me on that, theres no questioning that the artifact he used to attack me is one of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The pit over there was caused by that artifact, and the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons is still lingering! the First Elder said as he pointed in a certain direction. The Xing Sword Saint and Meng Sword Saint turned their gazes over. The pit was roughly several dozen meters deep, and while it appeared ordinary at first nce, with their sharp eye of discernment, they were still able to sense the faint aura of an Otherworldly Demon lingering within it. The artifacts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe could only be driven using the Zhenqi of ughter, which only Otherworldly Demons possessed, so it was impossible for a human to activate it. Could Zhang Xuan really not be their child but an Otherworldly Demon in disguise? Its indeed the aura of an Otherworldly Demon. The Xing Sword Saint nodded in confirmation before asking the First Elder. What happened? Its like this... The First Elder quickly exined the swordsmanship duel, the sudden breakthrough, and the cultivation ordeal in detail. A Phantasmal Space Ordeal that brought a lightning tribtion even stronger than a Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal? Upon hearing the full story, the Xing Sword Saint quickly looked at the marks of lightning strikes all around him before falling into deep thought. There was no doubt that his child would have achieved great things if he was still alive, but to draw in such a powerful lightning tribtion in his Phantasmal Space Ordeal, not to mention sessfully clearing it... this was something that he simply could not fathom even with the wildest of imagination. Could the other party really be an Otherworldly Demon in disguise, just as the First Elder had said? The Meng Sword Saint harrumphed. Isnt he Yang shis student? We should be able to uncover the truth by asking him! Indeed, we will know the truth just by asking him about him. The Xing Sword Saint nodded. However, Yang shi is currently still in seclusion, so it isnt a good time to disturb him... Hong long! Before he could finish his words, an overpowering aura gushed into the clouds. It emanated such a powerful pressure that it immediately silenced the entire surroundings. Yang shi is out... Upon feeling this aura, everyones eyes immediately lit up. The Xing Sword Saint and the others quickly headed off in a certain direction, and the other elders followed suit. Soon, they saw an old man floating in midair. The energy in his body was fluctuating greatly, making it hard to determine his current level of cultivation. Yang shi! The crowd quickly sped their fists upon seeing the old man. Un. Yang shi nodded with a faint smile. After trading some pleasantries, the First Elder got to the matter at hand. Yang shi, pardon me, but theres a question that I have to ask you. Theres a young man going by the name of Zhang Xuan who ims to be your student. May I know if thats true? Chapter 1477 - He Isnt My Student

Chapter 1477: He Isnt My Student

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I only have one student, Feng Ziyi, Yang shi replied with a frown. Zhang Xuan isnt your student? Everyone was taken aback, especially the First Elder and Feng Wuchen. They could not help but stare at one another with widened eyes. They had asked about this matter previously, and from the start to the end, Zhang Xuan had imed to be Yang Xuans direct disciple, inheriting the exclusive arts of his lineage. Was this all a lie? I have been busy over the years, so I havent had any time to ept any other students. You should be well aware of this yourselves. Whats wrong? Did someone im to be my student? Yang shi asked. Indeed. This Zhang Xuan person imed to be your direct disciple, and just a moment ago, he was even wreaking havoc in the Zhang n! the First Elder reported. Someone imed to be my direct disciple? Yang shis face immediately darkened. Where is this Zhang Xuan person you spoke of? Lineages were of the utmost importance in the Master Teacher Continent. Naturally, iming to be anothers student was an extremely disrespectful action and considered a taboo. Furthermore, from the sound of it, that person had been throwing his name around to cause trouble, and this was something that Yang Xuan could not ept. He has already left via a Teleportation Formation! the First Elder replied awkwardly. Teleportation Formation? What happened? Yang shi asked with a frown. Thus, the First Elder went through the entire story once more. You are saying that a youngd who has just achieved a breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm was able to withstand a cultivation ordeal that wielded prowess surpassing that of a Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal? Not only so, he was able to triumph over the geniuses of your Zhang n, be it in terms of swordsmanship, painting, enchantment, appraising, and so on? Yang shi was slightly taken aback by what he had heard. That is indeed the case! The First Elder nodded. Its understandable for him to possess astounding abilities in a field or two, but to show such high expertise in so many fields at his age... I believe that theres a high chance that hes an Otherworldly Demon in disguise! Its indeed possible for an Otherworldly Demon Emperor to disguise as a master teacher, but its irrational for an Otherworldly Demon Emperor to act so ostentatiously. Yang shi shook his head, disagreeing with the First Elders point of view. While Otherworldly Demon Emperors were able to disguise as master teachers, their disguises were not infallible. To prevent being exposed by 9-star master teachers, they would definitely try their best to lie low as much as possible. There was no way that they would drop by the Zhang n and cause such a hugemotion. After all, was that not as good as exposing himself? If that was the case, what was the point of disguising himself in the first ce? Unconvinced by Yang shis words, the First Elder argued, If he isnt an Otherworldly Demon, how could he possibly be able to utilize the means of a soul oracle? How could he possibly be able to activate an artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? To pretend to be my student and wreak havoc here, and the possession of the knowledge of soul oracle arts too... that youngd seems to be quite an interesting figure. I would very much like to meet him. Do you know where his Teleportation Formation leads to? Yang shi asked with a soft chuckle. The First Elder shook his head. Im afraid that we arent able to tell! If it was an ordinary Teleportation Formation, they might still have been able to fathom a guess. However, the Teleportation Formation that Zhang Xuan had used was extremely advanced, such that even an expert of the First Elders caliber was not able to interpret it at all, let alone guess where the young man had teleported to. You arent able to tell? Yang shi frowned. Where did he he teleported from? Bring me over. I want to take a look. The First Elder and the others quickly led the way, and it did not take long for them to reach where Zhang Xuan had teleported away from. Yang shi lowered his head to study the area, but the more he looked, the deeper the frown of his forehead became. A momentter, he turned to the First Elder and asked, Did the other party have a token that resembles something like this in hand when he teleported? He tapped his finger lightly in front of him, and an illusory image of a token that emanated a light golden glow appeared in midair. Indeed, he did have this artifact with him. The First Elder nodded. He used it to dodge my sword qi, so I believe that it should be a Saint pinnacle artifact at the very minimum! The young man had used this token to block his attack earlier, so he had a particrly deep impression of it. Is that so... Hearing the First Elders confirmation, the frown on Yang shis forehead seemed to have further deepened. Realizing that there was something amiss with Yang shis expression, the First Elder asked, Yang shi, do you recognize this token? Recognize? If Zhang Xuan really has this token in hand, just as you have said, theres a good chance that he might be... At this point, Yang shi abruptly halted his words. There was a short moment of silence before he waved his hand. Never mind, this isnt a good time to speak about it. Ill have to confirm it with my own eyes first! The implications regarding the Sanctum Head Token were simply too great, such that even he did not dare speak of it lightly, especially since he was a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Even if he imed it to be a mere hypothesis on his part, others would likely take his words as the truth due to the lofty position that he was in, and if it turned out that he was wrong, it could possibly lead to dire consequences. However, speaking of the token, he knew that the Sanctum Head Token was distributed by Sage Kui himself, and there was no way that Sage Kui could have made such a major slip up as to pass down the sanctum head position to an Otherworldly Demon. Even if Sage Kui existed just as a sliver of will now, he had still been a powerful expert back in his era, as well as one of the very few possessors of the Eye of Insight. It was unthinkable that Zhang Xuan would be able to fool him if he truly was an Otherworldly Demon. While Yang shi was still deep in thought, Hu Yiwei suddenly rushed over and greeted, Old Master, you are finally out! Un. Yang shi nodded. Through his sharp eye, he was able to tell that Hu Yiwei had something on his mind, so he asked, Whats wrong? Old Master, I was in the Sanctum of Sages a while back, and I found a student named Zhang Xuan. I found the Innate Fetal Poison that I nted back then in his body... Hu Yiwei quickly ryed what he had found. Innate Fetal Poison? Hes the young prodigy of the Zhang n? Even Yang shi was taken aback by that revtion. He turned to look at Sword Saint Xing at the others. At that moment, he could not help but feel a little dazed by the situation. On top of being the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages, a soul oracle, and an Otherworldly Demon, that Zhang Xuan person was actually the young prodigy of the Zhang n too? Just what was wrong with that fellow? Was he suffering from dissociative personality disorder? Yang shi pondered for a moment before speaking. Since his identity as my student has been proven false, I believe that theres a need to look deeper into the matter to verify the authenticity of his other identities. Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng, the both of you shouldnt get your hopes up too much for the time being. We all know the circumstances surrounding the young prodigy, and the chances of him surviving are extremely slim. Why dont you allow me to meet him first and verify his identity before deciding on anything? Im going with you! Sword Saint Meng said firmly. I feel like Ill regret it for life if I dont at least meet him in this moment! This was the best lead that she had found rting to her child in the past two decades. Even though the First Elder and the others had found evidence that suggested the contrary, she was still reluctant to ept it until she verified it with her own eyes. Understanding Sword Saint Mengs feelings, Yang shi nodded. Thats fine with me. I dont think that its possible for Hu Yiwei to be wrongly about thisthat youngds surname also happens to be Zhang, and hees from the ancientnds. Everything seems to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. It will indeed be hard to ept it unless you verify it with your own eyes. Yang shi, could it be that... you know where he has teleported to? Sword Saint Xing suddenly asked at this moment. If the First Elder is right about the token, I think I have a good idea where he has teleported to. Yang shi nodded. If my guess is right, he should have returned to the Sanctum of Sages! Sanctum of Sages? Sword Saint Xings lips twitched upon hearing those three words. He and his wife had rushed to the Sanctum of Sages after hearing Hu Yiweis news, but halfway through their journey, they had heard that Zhang Xuan was in their Zhang n, so they had rushed all the way back. Yet, Yang shi was now telling them that he had gone back to the Sanctum of Sages? Just how could their luck be so bad, missing him each and every time? If I recall correctly, the Zhang n doesnt have a Teleportation Formation leading to the Sanctum of Sages or anywhere in its vicinity. Since thats the case, Ill first teleport to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and teleport to the Sanctum of Sages from there. The journey should take one day, thus saving us much time, Yang shi said. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had Teleportation Formations leading all over the Master Teacher Continent, not to mention that the Sanctum of Sages was its subsidiary. As such, it would be faster to take this detour instead. Considering the severity of this matter, it would be best for them to resolve it as quickly as possible. Alright, Yang shi. Well follow you! Sword Saint Xing nodded. Chapter 1478 - Ninth Netherworld Dimension

Chapter 1478: Ninth Netherworld Dimension

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The world spun around Zhang Xuan, leaving him in a constant state of vertigo, when all of a sudden, he fell to the ground with a resounding crash. The teleportation had left him in such a disorientated state that he could not keep track of the flow of time; a second could have passed, but it could have been a year. Everything around him just kept changing, and the surrounding space warped like there was no tomorrow. Eurgh! Zhang Xuan found himself retching for a long while. After meditating for a while, the difort alleviated a little. Recalling the experience that he had just undergone, a bitter smile appeared on his face. No wonder its impossible to make Teleportation Formationsmonce. Theres no way weaker cultivators would be able to survive something like this! He had been wondering for a long while why the Master Teacher Pavilion had gone to the extent of building branches all over the continent but not built Teleportation Formations along with that. However, this single experience had himpletely convinced about the impracticality of the matter. His physical body wasparable to a Saint pinnacle artifact, but despite that, he still ended up retching at the end of it. Other cultivators, especially those beneath Saint 8-dan, might very well find their own bodies disintegrating into dust from the sheer pressure caused by the Teleportation Formation. He was still feeling deeply ufortable due to the ipatibility between his body and Primordial Spirit, but he knew that there was no time to be wasted. Thus, he slowly got to his feet and scanned his surroundings. Where is this ce? Based on the information on the Sanctum Head Token, this should have been a hidden dimension left behind by Sage Kui. Only potential sanctum head sessors who had fulfilled the first two conditions would be qualified to enter this space. Its a folded space! Upon taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan swiftly found that the fabric of space there was much weakerpared to that of the Master Teacher Continent, and the concentration of spiritual energy was rather low. The ground that he was currently standing on was a round tform with a particrly profound formation inscribed on it. To be able to teleport him right into a folded space, it was apparent that the Teleportation Formation on the Sanctum Head Token was a rather formidable one. Walking down from the round tform, Zhang Xuan carefully explored the area, and he soon found a manor with lush greenery growing around it. There was a small stream flowing not too far away from it, giving it the feeling of a tranquil garden away from the secr world. Walking into the manor, the first thing that Zhang Xuan saw was a hulking stone tablet, and carved on it were the words Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld! ncing lower down on the stone tablet, he found smaller words inscribed below, detailing the various cirction pathways required to cultivate the optic art. It was even more detailed than what Sage Kui had imparted to him before. Wee to the Ninth Netherworld Dimension! Just as Zhang Xuan was taking in the content on the stone tablet into the Library of Heavens Path, a light voice suddenly filled the air. Recognizing the voice, Zhang Xuan asked as he looked around his surroundings, Sage Kui? Theres no need to look for me. All that is left of me here is a slight sliver of my will, and Im already unable to manifest in a physical form anymore! the will said with a slight deste edge to its tone. The fact that you were able toe to this dimension means that you have already sessfully deciphered the first two seals and are qualified to practice the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld! Qualified? Indeed. The optic art manual that I have given to you is correct, but it isnt detailed enough for you to sessfully master the optic art. Its not that Im intentionally making things hard for you, but in order to master the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, you will have to cultivate it in a certain environment. Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible to seed! Sage Kui said. A certain environment? Zhang Xuan was bewildered by those words. It was just a mere optic art, why would it still need a certain kind of environment in order to cultivate it? There are nine levels to the heavens, and simrly, there are nine levels to theherworld. In order to master the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, you will have to be in an environment that emtes the environment of theherworld. The environment stimtes your Eye of Insight and draws out the potential into it, and its for this purpose that this very folded space was created, Sage Kui exined. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Having browsed through countless cultivation technique manuals, there were indeed some unique techniques that required cultivation in a specific type of environment in order to master them. For example, some fire attribute techniques could be mastered much more easily when cultivated in locations in close proximity to the earth mes. Simrly, there were also ice attribute techniques where cultivating them in icykes would enhance their prowess significantly. Since the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was a technique on par with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, its cultivation was bound to be difficult as well. Otherwise, the generations of sanctum heads would not have failed to fully master the optic art. In this folded space are Beguilement Formations, Illusory Formations, Hidden Formations, and the like. There wont be any danger, but without a sharp eye, its impossible for you to ovee those obstacles and get to the exit! You will have to rely on cultivating your Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld to sharpen your eyes so as to find the ws in those formations and ovee them, Sage Kui said. This is manual that my teacher left behind back then, and the others are the insights left behind by generations of sanctum heads. You can refer to them, but ultimately, you will still have toprehend it by yourself in order to grasp the technique! H! As Sage Kui spoke, a few more stone tablets appeared in the courtyard of the manor. Zhang Xuan swiftly swept his gaze over the optic art manual and insights in order to collect them into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! A new book materialized before Zhang Xuans eyes. He swiftly flipped it open to browse through it, and what he saw caused an involuntary sigh to escape from his lips. As expected of a top-notch optic art... even with the insights from the previous generations of sanctum heads, it was still a long way off from being perfected. The Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld did improve significantly after several of the ws were resolved. With this, I should be able to master the optic art faster. Yet, its cultivation is still highly damaging to the eyes, which means that theres a high chance that Ill turn blind if I really master the technique! The greatest hesitation behind why Zhang Xuan refused to cultivate the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld was not just because it was imperfect but because there was a high likelihood of going blind cultivating it. Even the very creator of the technique, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, was not spared from the eventual tragedy of going blind, and Zhang Xuan had no intention of walking in the same footsteps as his predecessor. Zhang Xuan continued examining the optic art a little longer, but unable to figure out a feasible method to resolve the underlying issues, he shook his head and said, I dont have any intention of cultivating the optic art for the time being. Can you allow me to leave this folded space first? You want to leave? Theres only one chance for you to get into the Ninth Netherworld Dimension. If you dont cultivate your Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld to the fourth realm now, it will be hard for you to grasp it in the future! Not expecting the young man to be thinking of leaving when he had only just entered the area, Sage Kui advised him with a frown. The position of the sanctum head was at stake here. Was the young man not acting a little too carelessly? Elder, a student of mine is currently in great peril. As her teacher, I cant ignore her safety for the sake of my own cultivation. I wish for your understanding on this matter! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. He did not know what Zhao Ya was facing at the moment, so he could not afford to waste his time there. He had to find Chen Leyao as soon as possible to find out more about the situation before devising a n to save her. Even if he could cultivate the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld safely, it was likely that he would take quite some time to master it, so he could not afford to do it right now. You said that your student is in danger? Sage Kui looked at Zhang Xuan. Are you certain that you wish to give up this rare opportunity for the sake of your student? Elder, I cant leave my student in peril! Zhang Xuan replied resolutely. If he had topromise Zhao Yas safety in order to master the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld and be the next sanctum head, he would throw away those opportunities in a heartbeat! While it was true that bing the sanctum head would give him an edge when asking for Luo Ruoxins marriage in hand, he was not willing to sacrifice his students life for it! Sage Kui was silent for a long while before nodding slightly. To be willing to give up on so much for your student, you are really a good teacher! However, rules are rules. Theres only one chance to enter the Ninth Netherworld Dimension, and I cant change the rules just because of the circumstances you are in, so you wont be able to return here once you leave. However, the lengths you are willing to go for your student is truly respectable. Thus, if you are able toprehend the fourth realm of the optic art outside, Ill grant you an opportunity toprehend the fifth realm! Chapter 1479 - Too Far

Chapter 1479: Too Far

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 An opportunity toprehend the fifth realm? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. Indeed. The fifth realm of the Eye of Insight is known as Phantasmagoric Construct. An illusory world created through the eye, this technique allows one to plunge even experts surpassing Saint 9-dan into living hell, a nightmare that they will never awake from. Back then, with this very technique, my teacher, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, eradicated over a million Otherworldly Demons with just a single nce, creating an undefeatable legend! Under normal circumstances, its impossible for one toprehend this realm without being in the Ninth Netherworld Dimension, but in view of the fact that you are leaving in order to save your student, Ill make an exception just for you. As long as you canprehend the fourth realm, Demon Vanquisher, and decipher the final seal on the Sanctum Head Token, Ill grant you an opportunity toprehend the fifth realm, Sage Kui said. Thank you, elder! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed deeply to Sage Kui. It did not seem likely that he would ever master the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, but nevertheless, he was still very appreciative of the kindness and opportunity that Sage Kui had given him. Lineages were important within the Master Teacher Continent, and those who were willing to go to great lengths for their teacher or students were highly respected. For his student, Zhang Xuan was willing to give up on this precious opportunity to master the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld. To a potential sanctum head, this was really a huge sacrifice. Once he left the Ninth Netherworld Dimension, there was a high chance that he would neverprehend the fourth realm of the Eye of Insight, thus missing the opportunity to be the real sanctum head. Theres no need to thank me. Its not too difficult to leave this area; you just have to return to the round tform that you were on when you first teleported in and will to leave this area with the Sanctum Head Token in hand. You will automatically be teleported out, Sage Kui said. Thank you! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Without any hesitation, he turned around and walked toward the round tform. He took out his sanctum head token and grasped it tightly. Weng! A powerful force tugged at his body, and with a slight jolt, he disappeared from the spot. Watching as Zhang Xuan left without the slightest hint of hesitation, Sage Kui muttered, A teacher should have apassionate heart. To be willing to give up so much for his student, perhaps he might just be able to lead the Sanctum of Sages to unprecedented heights... Compassion might seem to be of little importance to those in important positions, ying a secondary role to ones capability. However, it was often the mark of a truly great leader as those with greatpassion would find it easier to win others over. Given how the young man before him was able to stick unwaveringly to his beliefs, decisively abandoning all else to protect what he deemed to be the most important to him, he would likely rise to a great height in the future. He might even surpass the many generations of sanctum heads before him! Hu! Unaware of Sage Kuis high evaluation of him, Zhang Xuan found himself crashing onto the floor once more. This time, perhaps because the distance teleported was shorter, he did not feel as much difort as before, and the temporal disorientation that he had experienced previously did note. He shook his head lightly before slowly getting to his feet. When he saw familiar sights in his surroundings, he subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he had thought, he had returned to the Sanctum of Sages. He was currently in the Inner Sanctum, not too far from Sage Kuis sculpture, which held Vicious upper body. Could it be that... the so-called Ninth Netherworld Dimension is actually within Sage Kuis sculpture? Zhang Xuan frowned. Since he had appeared there, the folded space that he had been in should not be too far away. Could it be that it was hidden within the sculpture, just like Vicious upper body? Forget it! I should first look for Chen Leyao to understand the situation regarding Zhao Ya first! Knowing that this was no time to allow his mind to wander, he quickly took out the Inner Sanctum token and walked over to the exit before swiping it in the air lightly. Si! A rift appeared in space. Zhang Xuan walked into the rift and left the Inner Sanctum. The sun had already set outside, and the Sanctum of Sages was particrly quiet. This peace felt peculiarly out of ce to Zhang Xuan, especially considering what he had just encountered in the Zhang n. He quickly figured out the direction to Chen Leyaos residence and flew over. Zhang shi, you... Chen Leyao was astounded by Zhang Xuans sudden arrival. When she sent the message earlier, the young man had still been several million li away. To arrive before her in just a few minutes... even someone as calm as her could not help but be bbergasted. What happened to Zhao Ya? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. I dont know. Chen Leyao shook her head grimly. I was in the midst of my cultivation when I suddenly received that message from the young court chief. I knew that you werent in the Sanctum of Sages, so I could only send her message to you via the formation. Unfortunately, the transmission stopped after shed barely said a few words. From the looks of it, it seemed like Chen Leyao was perplexed by the matter as well. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, Aside from Zhao Yas message, is there any news from the cier in Court? As soon as the transmission from the young court chief was terminated, I immediately sent a message to my sisters in the cier in Court, but the responses that I received were that everything was fine, and the young court chief hadnt left the cier in Court, Chen Leyao replied. Could it be a false rm? Impossible! Zhang Xuan immediately refuted Chen Leyaos guess. He knew Zhao Ya well. She would never call for his help unless she was in a truly dire situation. Something was definitely amiss. Then... what do you n to do? Chen Leyao asked with a frown. To be honest, she was more inclined to believe that the young court chief was still safe. After all, thetters position was second only to the court chief, so there was no way that the cier in Court would remain idle if thetter was in danger. Still, given that a cry for help had been sent, it would be foolish to simply shrug the matter off. Zhang Xuan pondered in silence for a long while before demanding with narrowed eyes, Bring me to the cier in Court! You want to go to the cier in Court? Chen Leyao was taken aback. Right now? Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded resolutely. But the cier in Court is several million li away from here! It will take at least a month even if you ride on a Saint 9-dan beast. If the young court chief is really in danger, it will be toote by the time we arrive, Chen Leyao said. The distance from the Sanctum of Sages to the cier in Court was further than the distance from there to the Zhang n. It would take more than a month, and if something had really happened to the young court chief, everything would be over by the time they arrived. A month? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. A month was indeed too long. Since Zhao Ya had sent such an urgent message over, there was no way that she could hang on for that long! However, there was no way for him to cover several million li swiftly, unless... Are there any Teleportation Formations in the Sanctum of Sages that lead straight to the cier in Court? Zhang Xuan raised his head and asked. Having used a Teleportation Formation before, he knew that it was possible for it to cover a journey that would usually take a month in just a few breaths. If there was a Teleportation Formation in the Sanctum of Sages that led to the cier in Court, he would be able to resolve this conundrum. Im afraid there arent. Chen Leyao shook her head. The cier in Court has only constructed Teleportation Formations to a few powers that it is closer with, and this doesnt include the Sanctum of Sages. In fact, my sisters and I had to take aerial saint beasts over back then. Considering how a Teleportation Formation would allow a cultivator to instantaneously teleport from one ce to another, unless the two powers had close ties with one another, there was no way that they would build a Teleportation Formation between them. Otherwise, the other party could potentially make use of the Teleportation Formation to cause harm. Then, whats the closest teleportation location to the cier in Court from the Sanctum of Sages? Zhang Xuan asked. That would be the Yuan n, but still, it would take half a month from the Yuan n to get there, Chen Leyao said hesitantly. She understood how the young man before her felt, but the cier in Court was located in the frostynds at the very north of the continent, so there was no way one could get there easily! Half a month... Thats still too long! Since you know the specific location of the cier in Court, is it possible for me to just construct a Teleportation Formation to take us there directly? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Chapter 1480 - Heavens Path Teleportation Formation Art

Chapter 1480: Heavens Path Teleportation Formation Art

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yuan Tao was in the Yuan n, so he would not face any problems teleporting into their n. However, the half a month that it would take to travel from the Yuan n to the cier in Court was much too long! Since there was no other more convenient Teleportation Formation for him to take... why not just construct one? You wish to construct a Teleportation Formation? Chen Leyao was startled by the unexpected suggestion. Following which, she shook her head bitterly and said, Teleportation Formations can only be constructed by real 9-star formation masters, especially since they require a deepprehension of space in order to build them properly. On top of that, their structure is incredibly intricate, requiringplex calctions that must be perfectly precise. Even the slightest error in a calction could cause a vast difference in the end result! I have never seen the construction of the Teleportation Formations in the cier in Court before, but I have had the opportunity to see how they repaired one. Back then, our cier in Court hired three 9-star formation masters, and despite their coboration, it still took them three whole months before theypleted the calctions required to calibrate the Teleportation Formation! Putting aside ourck of strength andprehension of formations, even if we do have the ability to set up a Teleportation Formation, theres no way we could build it swiftly! Putting aside everything else, just the calibration of the Teleportation Formation to the determined destination was enough to take them several months of calctions. For a distance of several million li, the slightest difference in calibration could lead to a massive deviation in the final destination! All in all, with all of these factors at y, the construction of a Teleportation Formation was bound to be a highly time-consuming project. It would not help their current situation. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Pavilion would have already set up Teleportation Formations all over the continent. There would not just be a couple of them located in the major powers in the continent, such that most average cultivators had seen them before. Three months? Zhang Xuan felt yet another headache assaulting his already hurting head. If it took that long to repair a formation, its construction was bound to take even longer. Was there really no way for him to reach Zhao Ya quickly? Zhang Xuan pondered for a long moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. It might take others a long time toplete the calctions required to calibrate the formation, but I should be able to shorten the process significantly! Regardless of what formation one wanted to set up, one would have to first take the environment into ount and assess how the formation should best be set up in order to align it with the surroundings before cing down the formation gs. For this reason, setting up formations, especially higher-grade ones, often took formation masters a great deal of time. They had to use theirpass to make all kinds of measurement, such as the direction, concentration, gradient of spiritual energy in the surroundings, the effects the surrounding geography would have on the formation, and so on. However, Zhang Xuan was different! With his Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to resolve the problems through simple trial and error. There was no need for him to go to great lengths calcting this and that! Since he could do so for other formations, naturally, he would also be able to do the same for Teleportation Formations! With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan decided to dive straight to action. Lets go, were heading to the Hall of Erudition! Im going to see if there are any books rting to Teleportation Formations that I can refer to. It would be best if I can set one up, but if that fails, Ill just have to find another solution, he said. Study? Right now? Chen Leyao asked with twitching lips. Putting aside how difficult it would be to set up a Teleportation Formation, just the maniption of space required for its construction was more than enough to leave any ordinary formation master utterly helpless. Was it not a little toote to start studying? Instead of pursuing something futile, would it not have been much wiser to set out that instant? We have no time to waste, hurry up! Without exining anything, Zhang Xuan took the lead and walked out. He had been to the Formation Master Guild branch in the Hall of Erudition once and even taken the 8-star formation master examination there, so he knew the route there very well. While Chen Leyao had no idea what Zhang Xuan was thinking, she knew that everything he did was to save their young court chief, so she eventually chose to follow him as well. It did not take long before the two of them were standing before Elder Su of the Formation Master Guild. Elder Su was the person who had supervised his 8-star formation master examination back then, so he was still a more familiar figure to Zhang Xuan. Elder Su, I would like to browse through books rting to Teleportation Formations. May I ask if there are such books in the Formation Master Guild? Zhang Xuan revealed the purpose of his sudden visit. Teleportation Formations have always been an important research topic for the Sanctum of Sages. In fact, during Sage Kuis era, the Sanctum of Sages was even reputed to be the number one authority in this field! He has left behind many books regarding the topic, and if you wish to browse through them, I can take you there! Elder Su nodded. Zhang Xuan was already an 8-star formation master, so he was qualified to look through those books. Ill be troubling Elder Su then! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. It did not take long before they arrived in the library. Heading in the direction that Elder Su had pointed toward, Zhang Xuan soon saw multiple shelves storing countless books rting to Teleportation Formations. The Sanctum of Sages had nevercked geniuses, and while the field of Teleportation Formations was particrly profound, there were still plenty of talented individuals studying the subject, hoping to further it. As such, there were many books rting to how a Teleportation Formation could be set up, how the location could be calibrated, how the space should be manipted, and so on. Zhang Xuan swiftly swept his gaze through those books and collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! A new book materialized, and Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open. Heavens Path Teleportation Formation Art... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Perhaps because there were ample books in there, he managed topile the Heavens Path Teleportation Formation Art. Tapping his finger lightly on it, the knowledge immediately flowed into his head, assimting with his previous understanding of formations. Previously, he had already finished browsing through all 8-star formation master books, which granted him knowledge of formations that was on par with 9-star primary formation masters. On top of that, his mastery of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel had also reached the third realm. Thus, while Teleportation Formations was a rather difficult subject for most toprehend, he did not have much trouble understanding its content. It did not take long before he fully grasped the Heavens Path Teleportation Formation Art. Knowing that he was ready, he quickly walked out of the library, and after finding Elder Su, he asked, Elder Su, do you have any grade-9 formation gs on hand? I would like to borrow them! Teleportation Formations were all grade-9 formations, so naturally, they required grade-9 formation gs in order to set up. I dont have any grade-9 formation gs on me! Elder Su shook his head and apologized. He was only an 8-star formation master, so how could he possibly have any grade-9 formation gs on hand? Do you happen to know of anyone who has grade-9 formation gs? Zhang Xuan asked. Grade-9 formation gs... Elder Su pondered for a moment before replying. If Im not mistaken, our deputy sanctum head, Zhan shi, should have some. Other than that, Im afraid I dont really know anyone else who has them! Zhan shi? Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. He had met Zhan shi once. Back then, he had just cleared the Master Teacher Tower, and the other party had taken him into the Inner Sanctum and given him his Inner Sanctum token. Considering how he was a Saint 9-dan expert and the deputy sanctum head, it did make sense for all of the grade-9 formation gs of the Sanctum of Sages to be with him. After all, others did not even possess the strength to control them. In the past, the Sanctum of Sages had been an extremely powerful organization with plenty of 9-star master teachers in its ranks. However, due to theck of a powerful sanctum head to lead them for many years, it had declined greatly, such that it could notpete with the more powerful Sage ns in terms of absolute strength. Nevertheless, its rich heritage, vast connections, and the very fact that it was a direct subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters still gave the Sanctum of Sages a lot of influence and authority in the Master Teacher Continent. Swiftly making sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan asked, Elder Su, Im really grateful for your help today. Do you know where the deputy sanctum head is at the moment? He should be in the Sanctum Head Hall. You can try looking for him there! Elder Su said with a smile. Very well! Zhang Xuan called for Chen Leyao, and the both of them swiftly headed over to the Sanctum Head Hall. However, barely before he took flight, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation over his entire body. He quickly sidestepped in midair. Tz! Barely after he did so, the space where he was standing before was suddenly ripped open by a surge of sword qi. The sword qi surged straight for the ground, tearing out a deep gorge. Im going to kill you! Following which, an infuriated bellow echoed. Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly turned his head over, only to see a young man standing not too far away, ring at him with infernos zing in his eyes. Luo Xuanqing, are you insane? Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously. Chapter 1481 - Luo Xuanqings Wrath

Chapter 1481: Luo Xuanqings Wrath

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The person who had assaulted him was none other than his future brother-inw, Luo Xuanqing! Before he went to the Zhang n, he had helped Luo Xuanqing deal with his lightning tribtion, and as a show of trust in him, thetter had also confided in him his ns to assassinate him and tried to entrust the task to him. They had been as close as real brothers then! Why would Luo Xuanqing suddenly turn against him now? If not for his recent breakthrough, which allowed him to dodge swiftly, he might have sustained heavy injuries by now! Die! Luo Xuanqing bellowed. Boom! With a deafening roar, Luo Xuanqing flitted forward like a streak of lightning, and in the blink of an eye, his punch was already right before Zhang Xuan. He had already reinforced his Dimension Sundering realm cultivationpletely, allowing him to call forth far greater strength than before. For one, the sheer might of his strength hadpressed the space so much that Zhang Xuan felt as if someone had lifted a metal sheet and was hurling it at him. Are you out of your mind? Zhang Xuan did not expect the other party to make a move on him without any hesitation, using such a vicious technique toward him. His hair immediately stood on end. At this moment, he had not fully fused his Primordial Spirit and physical body together, and if not for his tenacity pushing him on, he would have already fainted. While he had recovered sufficiently to move about, he could only summon a fifth of his original strength in his current state. Thus, he had no choice but to evade Luo Xuanqings attack. Kacha! Barely after he had dodged, a resounding explosion echoed, and another spatial rift was torn open where he had been standing at previously. Luo Xuanqings Saint 8-dan cultivation, paired together with the innateprehension of space due to his Luo n bloodline, granted him tremendous fighting prowess. Even ordinary Saint 8-dan pinnacle experts would not stand a chance against him! Si! Despite his strike missing, Luo Xuanqing continued rushing at Zhang Xuan,unching attack after attack frenziedly. His silhouette seemed to be weaving through the very fabric of space, shockingly moving at a speed faster than even the Heavens Path Movement Art. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing right before Zhang Xuan once more, not giving thetter any chance to take a breather. I went to the Zhang n because I had something up. I really didnt have time to kill your target for you! Thinking that Luo Xuanqing was angry at him for not helping him assassinate himself, Zhang Xuan anxiously tried to exin himself as he dodged from side to side. Unfortunately, the exnation only seemed to have provoked Luo Xuanqing further. After seducing my younger sister, how dare you act as if nothing is wrong at all? You shameless cad! You b*stard! Luo Xuanqing roared angrily as he thrust both of his palms toward Zhang Xuan. Puhe! In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt the surrounding space copsing on him, rendering him immobile. If not for his current condition, he definitely would have been able to break Luo Xuanqings Spatial Seal even with his Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle cultivation. However, the giddiness guing his head was already making it an arduous task for him to remain in the sky. He was in no position to protect himself. Peng! A punch sunk into Zhang Xuans chest, causing his face to turn pale. He was rammed right into the ground, creating a huge pit beneath him. Please, Im begging you all, dont fight here, alright? We have just fixed this ce... Elder Su cried desperately as he watched the battle between the two. The Formation Master Guild would be destroyed each time the King of Destruction descended upon them. It was one thing if the two of them had gone there to take an examination, but why the heck did they have to choose to fight there? Just how in the world did our Formation Master Guild offended the two of you for you to do this to us? Paying no heed to Elder Sus cries, after punching Zhang Xuan into the ground, Luo Xuanqing pushed himself against thin air and whizzed right toward him once more. Peng peng peng peng! It was as if Luo Xuanqings arms had multiplied into eight; countless punches just kept raining down upon Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan waspletely incapable of dodging the punches at all. Under the furious barrage of attacks, blood spurted from his lips. Stop it, are you insane? Zhang Xuan hurriedly drove his zhenqi to heal his wounds as he bellowed angrily. Just how had he hit Luo Xuanqings nerves this time around? They had parted on a good note, so why would the other party suddenly assault him as if a madman without saying a single word at all? Insane? If Im insane, you are the one who has driven me so! With reddened eyes, Luo Xuanqing charged forward and sent a kick toward Zhang Xuan. You... Knowing that he would sustain severe injuries if he was hit, Zhang Xuan suppressed his giddiness and waved his hand. Boom! The space before him copsed slightly, warping Luo Xuanqings kick away from him. While he might only be at Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, as one who had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he was already able to go toe-to-toe with ordinary Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle experts. As powerful as Luo Xuanqing was, if he used his Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, the other party would not stand a chance at all. Padah! Luo Xuanqings kick ended up striking the ground, sending a massive tremor through the earth as a huge crater was formed on the spot. After missing his strike, Luo Xuanqing huddled his body together and rammed it right toward Zhang Xuan. Peng! Zhang Xuan wanted to dodge, but another sudden bout of dizziness caused his reaction to be dyed, resulting in him being struck squarely in his chest. Hong long long! As if a steel plow, he rolled several rounds on the ground, tearing a gorge several dozen meters long. A sweet sensation welled up at the back of his throat, and yet another mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth. Hmm? After spurting the blood, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze on the spot, seemingly realizing something. There was no doubt that Luo Xuanqings attacks were very powerful, and the words that he had said were also filled with anger toward him, but Zhang Xuan found that the other partys attacks were, in fact, superficial. The impact of his blows did not sink deep into his body to puncture his organs and ruin his physiological functions. In other words, he would only sustain external injuries from the assault, and this was far from sufficient to im his life! Furthermore, his attacks also seem to be hastening the fusion between my body and my Primordial Spirit. On top of that, Zhang Xuan also realized that Luo Xuanqings attacks were highly beneficial to him. The two heavy blows that he had sustained had alleviated the giddiness in his head significantly, and his body did not feel as heavy and hard to maneuver as before. It looks like he isnt really trying to kill me... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he no longer tried his best to dodge Luo Xuanqings attacks. At the same time, he could not help but be even more bewildered as to what Luo Xuanqing was up to. Peng peng peng peng! As Zhang Xuan was not dodging anymore, all of Luo Xuanqings attacks fell squarely on his body. While the powerful might striking his body caused him excruciating pain, his overpowered Primordial Spirit was also slowly fusing together with his physical body once more, alleviating the difort and heaviness he felt. Every single move that Luo Xuanqing has executed harnesses the energy of space, and its precisely this energy that is resolving the ipatibility between my body and my Primordial Spirit. Zhang Xuan was able to swiftly make sense of the situation. It might not have been an intentional action on Luo Xuanqings part, but perhaps due to his Luo n bloodline, every single strike of his caused some spatial energy to seep into his body, which aided in pushing for the fusion. He had been deliberating over this problem for a very long time, not knowing how to resolve it, but who could have thought that suffering a beating from Luo Xuanqing would actually be the key to it? All along, he had been the one to pummel others in order to treat them of their ailments... What goes around doese around after all! Peng peng peng! Soon, upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had beenpletely disfigured from his pummeling, the heavily panting Luo Xuanqing finally came to a halt. It had to be said that Zhang Xuan was really resilient to beating. He had expended all of his strength punching that fellow, but even at the end of it, that fellow was still standing as if nothing had happened at all. From the looks of it, that fellows defenses were at least on par with Yuan Xiaos. Stretching his fatigued body, hey down on the rubble not too far away from where Zhang Xuan was. You must make sure to treat my younger sister well! If I ever learn that you have let her down, Ill make sure to kill you with my own hands! Y-you... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. Chapter 1482 - Luo Xuanqing

Chapter 1482: Luo Xuanqing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was just a moment ago when he had still been wondering which screw was loose in Luo Xuanqings head to suddenly pummel him relentlessly like that, but those words had cleared all doubts in his mind. It was not that Luo Xuanqings violent streak was acting up once more, but that... he had found out about the rtionship between Luo Ruoxin and him! He had thought of telling Luo Xuanqing about this matter in the past, but every single time, he would stop at the final moment because he had no idea how he should broach the subject. Yet, to think that the other party would actually find out about it himself... In that moment, he was so shocked that it felt as if his mind would blow up. Just as he was about to ask how Luo Xuanqing found out about that matter, it suddenly dawned on him that Luo Xuanqing had already stumbled onto the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy lead. It would not be too hard to trace him down from there, especially since he was the principal! Xuanqing, I... Abruptly ced in such a situation, Zhang Xuan had no idea what he should say. It was true that he had gotten close with Luo Xuanqing in order to get to Luo Ruoxin, so it was understandable that he would be unhappy to learn of his ulterior motive. The other party had thought of him as a true friend, but it turned out that he was only getting close to him in order to flirt with his younger sister. Who would be happy about that? My younger sisters talents are both a gift and a cursing. Throughout her life, she has never met anyone whom she could truly call a friend. While the entire Luo n treats her well and respects her, its that attitude of theirs that created an invisible boundary between her and the others, effectively isting her. Every night, I would see her sitting alone on the roof, watching her gaze at the starry night sky. You cant even begin to imagine how forlorn her profile looked. Despite being her elder brother, I was unable to assuage the loneliness she felt, so I could only use all of my strength to protect her and offer her the best. I have always thought that her loneliness would dissipate once she found someone whom she loves, and I have always envisioned the person whom she would fancy to be someone stronger than her, possessing astounding capabilities unmatched by anyone else in the world... but who would have thought that she would end up choosing you! Paying no heed to Zhang Xuans shock, Luo Xuanqing gazed deeply at the starry sky above and muttered to himself. I... Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Indeed. When he first got together with Luo Ruoxin, thetters cultivation had been far above his, such that it would be no exaggeration to say that they were from two entirely different worlds. To this day, he still could not say that he was worthy of her. But ones feelings simply did not obey rational logic. The fondness that he felt for Luo Ruoxin would not vanish just because of the gap in their standing. In fact, from the moment that he first set eyes on her, he had felt an inexplicable feeling of intimacy to her, as if they were meant to be. It took only an instant to realize that she was the missing piece that he had been looking for his entire life, and he would never feel whole without her. I have been thinking about this matter over the past few days. My younger sister really likes you, and the notion of you getting together with her doesnt seem as revolting as I thought it would be. At the very least, Im familiar with you! While you do get into trouble often, you tend to be unreliable at times, your words sound like a pile of dog sh*t, and you are doltish at times, on the whole, Im still quite satisfied with your capabilities! Luo Xuanqing continued. ... ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Big bro, are you praising or berating me? Get into trouble often? To think that I would hear such words from the likes of your mouth! Unreliable? How am I unreliable? You are the one who is unreliable! Also, my words sound like a pile of dog sh*t, and I am doltish at times? You are the one who is doltish! Its a known fact that my younger sister has sessfully assimted the Dimension Silencer and is the number one genius of the Luo n. Evenpared to the young prodigy of the Zhang n, hescking inparison. Not only so, her looks are also top-notch, almost as if she was the favored one of the heavens... but I know that she isnt happy. A heavy responsibility weighs down her shoulders, and no matter how she struggles, shes unable to free herself of the constraints fate has shackled on her, Luo Xuanqing said with a heavy voice. If shes unable to struggle free out of the shackles of fate, then at the very least, I hope that she will be granted the joys of a passionate love. I want her to be with someone she loves and not someone shes engaged to! Hearing the thoughts of his future brother-inw, Zhang Xuan said, I understand. Dont worry about the engagement, Ill deal with it! As long as the young prodigy did not appear, the Zhang n would be dispatching Zhang Jiuxiao for the engagement. Given the fact that Zhang Jiuxiao was his student, it would be for him to decide whether the engagement went ahead or not. So, there would not be much of a problem regarding that. Unless... the shameless young prodigy appeared at that moment! Youll deal with it? How do you intend to deal with it? Luo Xuanqing scoffed. If the engagement could be resolved that easily, given my younger sisters strength, she would have broken free of it by herself. Would she be ced in such a quandary over it? I dont understand. If your younger sister doesnt will for it, she could always choose not to marry. Why is this such an issue? Zhang Xuan asked. He could understand that it was political marriage with much on the line, but if both the groom and the bride refused to marry, surely the marriage would be called off. What was so difficult about this matter? It seems like you are really unaware of it. This marriage isnt just a simple political marriage between both ns. More important than that... At this point, Luo Xuanqing suddenly paused. A momentter, he shook his head and said, Forget it, you wouldnt understand even if I told you. I once promised the elders in my n that I would kill the man whom my younger sister loves, but you are simply too strong. So, its not that I didnt try to kill you but that Im unable to do it. Thus, I have not ignored the order from my n. Ah... Zhang Xuan was dazed. In the end, the reason the other party seemed so desperate to kill him was because of the orders from his n! It would be best if he could aplish his mission, but if he could not do it, there was nothing that could be done. However, since I was able to uncover your identity, it shouldnt be too difficult for the elders in the n to find out about it as well. I do not hope to see the person my younger sister likes to die so young. Luo Xuanqing stood up and ced his hands behind his back. She told me to take care of you and not allow you toe to harm. Your strength is currently not beneath mine, so its already beyond my capability to take care of you. However, you have to know that powerful ns possess many means to deal with a person. Be careful! Thank you for your reminder! Zhang Xuan sped his hand. Were it anyone else, he would have long let out the Inferno Qilin and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. There was no way that he would have allowed the other party to beat him up like that. With these two saint beasts on his side, even the experts of the Luo n would have difficulty killing him! Even in the worst-case scenario, he would still be able to escape. Dont die, Luo Xuanqing muttered before dashing ahead, disappearing into the night sky. Jeez... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he used his zhenqi to swiftly heal his injuries before slowly standing up. He knew just how much Luo Xuanqing doted on his younger sister, so upon hearing that a person whom he had trusted so deeply turned out to be his younger sisters lover, it was no wonder he was so furious. For someone as hot-tempered as Luo Xuanqing, it must have taken a lot of self-restraint for him to hold himself back so much. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly and muttered, Dont worry, Ill definitely treat Ruoxin well. I wont let the slightest harme to her! No matter how much effort he would have to put in, as long as he could be together with Luo Ruoxin in the end, he would not utter a single word ofint! This was his promise to Luo Xuanqing, as well as his promise to Luo Ruoxin and himself! You are good brother, Zhang Xuan said. Between his responsibilities to the n and his younger sister, he eventually chose to side with her younger sister. Such an action could be considered a betrayal to the Luo n, and as someone who had grown up as the Young Master of the Luo n, this was definitely not an easy decision to make. Alright, I should get to looking for Zhan shi now! After resting for a moment, Zhang Xuan finally recovered fully from his injuries. Without any hesitation, he flew straight for the Sanctum Head Hall. Chapter 1483 - You Should Stay Here For a While!

Chapter 1483: You Should Stay Here For a While!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Sanctum Head Hall, Zhan shi was pacing around with a tight frown on his forehead. Elder Ge, how do you view this matter? In the main hall, an elder was seated in one of the chairs, holding a Communication Jade Token in his hands with an unreadable expression on his face. The head of the Hall of Integrity, Elder Ge. Zhang Wuheng has led the Zhang n for many years, and hes very particr about the Zhang ns reputation on the Master Teacher Continent. Since he passed a decree in his capacity as the First Elder, Zhang Xuan must have really done something unforgivable to the Zhang n, Elder Ge said severely. They had some formal ties with the First Elder of the Zhang n, and they knew thetter to be a rational and dignified individual. For him to fly into such a rage and send a message to them overnight, even requesting for their help to apprehend Zhang Xuan, it seemed like that fellow had raised quite a storm in the Zhang n this time around. I am of the same view as you, but no matter what, hes still Yang shis student, Zhan shi said with a frown. So what if hes Yang shis student? All are equal in the eyes of thew! Back then, when Kong shis direct disciple made a grave mistake, he was also punished before the crowd. As talented as Zhang Xuan may be, I think his arrogance is clear for us all to see. Just look at what he has done in his time here. Im not in the least surprised that he would wreak havoc in the Zhang n! Since Elder Wuheng has already made this request of us, why dont we help him apprehend Zhang Xuan? This way, not only will we be able to win the Zhang ns favor, itll also show the impartiality of our Sanctum of Sages in not blindly siding with our students, Elder Ge said. What you have said does make some sense. While Im still not too sure what Zhang Xuan has done in the Zhang n, we cant just one-sidedly cover up for him. For the time being, you should dispatch some men to investigate what happened at the Zhang n, as well as whether Zhang Xuan has really utilized some means of teleportation that allowed him to secretly return to the Sanctum of Sages. Also, if you catch sight of Zhang Xuan, apprehend him right away. No matter what, we have to offer an exnation to the Zhang n, so we cant let him slip away at this point in time, Zhan shi instructed. Previously, he had thought that Zhang Xuan might be a potential candidate to bing the Sanctum Head, but the investigation over the past month had left him more and more convinced that it would be Feng Ziyi instead. Given so, there was no point offending the powerful Zhang n over a mere Zhang Xuan, especially given the weakened state that the Sanctum of Sages was in. Alright, Ill have it done! Elder Ge nodded as he got to his feet, preparing to head out. However, at this moment, knocking suddenly sounded on the door. Is Zhan shi inside? I am Zhang Xuan, and I have something that I need your help with! Zhang Xuan? He actually came knocking of his own ord? The two elders nced at one another in astonishment. That fellow was way too gutsy! It was just a moment ago that they had been discussing how they should go about apprehending thatd when he suddenly came rushing over in the next moment. Given how he was able to escape from right beneath Elder Wuhengs nose, he must possess some kind of extraordinary technique. Later on, Ill try to sound him out to see if things are really as Elder Wuheng made them out to be. If its proven true, I want you to quickly control the formation in this room so as to prevent him from getting away, alright? Zhan shi sent a telepathic message to Elder Ge. Elder Ge quickly nodded in response. After swiftly sorting out their ns, Zhan shi spoke up with a slightly louder voice. Please enter! Jiya! The door open, and Zhang Xuan walked in. Zhang shi, Elder Ge! Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised to see that Elder Ge was around as well, but he did not neglect to greet thetter. After trading some pleasantries, Zhan shi looked at Zhang Xuan intently and asked, May I know the reason behind yourte-night visit? I am currently studying 9-star formations, and I am having some trouble procuring grade-9 formation gs to test out a formation. I heard that Zhan shi is adept in formations, so I came over hoping to get some from you. If its required, I dont mind paying any price to purchase them, Zhang Xuan said. Grade-9 formations gs? I do have some with me, and if Zhang shi really needs them, its not a problem for me to give them to you either. Just that... Zhan shi directed a doubtful look toward Zhang Xuan before continuing. Grade-9 formations require some degree of spatial maniption in order to set up, so they are exceptionally difficult to construct. Considering Zhang shis current cultivation realm, you should still be unable to utilize them, right? Grade-9 formations exploited the secrets of space, allowing the formation master to create spaces that were entirely isted from the environment, thus granting arger variety of effects. In order to be able to set up even the simplest grade-9 formation, ones cultivation had to be at Saint 9-dan at the very minimum. Zhan shi had studied grade-9 formations for over a hundred years now, but even so, it was highly difficult for him to set up the most basic of grade-9 formations. Considering how the young man before him had only recently cleared his 8-star formation master examination, as well as the fact that his cultivation was still far from reaching Saint 9-dan, it seemed a little too early for him to start trying to set up grade-9 formations. I just want to try out some of my theories that I thought of in a moment of inspiration. Im not expecting immediate sess, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. While he did learn Heavens Path Teleportation Formation Art, due to the limitations of his cultivation and apleteck of experience in the field of Teleportation Formations, he was not so naive as to think that he would be able to seed on the first attempt. At the very least, he felt that it would take two or three tries before he seeded. Its always good to explore new things! Thinking that Zhang Xuan was serious about learning and researching, Zhan shi nodded in approval as he picked up his teacup and sipped on it. There are roughly a hundred basic grade-9 formations. May I know which one Zhang shi is studying at the moment? As you know, the effects of formation gs can differ greatly due to their properties, and it would be a disaster if the formation gs rebounded on you while you were constructing the formation! Due to the immense power that grade-9 formations wielded, it was important to pay careful attention while treading around it. The slightest mistake could lead to the massive power it harnessed running amok, so at the very least, the preparatory work should be as perfect as it could get so as to avoid a disaster. Regarding that... I intend to set up a Teleportation Formation, Zhang Xuan said. Teleportation Formation? Taken aback, Zhan shi nearly spurted tea out of his mouth. Looking at Zhang Xuan as if he was looking at a monster, he eximed in shock, Teleportation Formations are difficult to learn, even by the standards of grade-9 formations. Are you sure that youre going to start with that? Teleportation Formations could be further divided into various other levels, such as the transmission of information, long-distance projection of images, teleportation of non-living beings, andst but not least, the teleportation of living beings. Transmission of information was at the most basic level; those 3-star to 4-star formation masters who specialized in this field would be able to construct them. As for projection of images, that would require a 6-star or 7-star formation master at the minimum. The teleportation of non-living beings was slightly harder, but 8-star formation masters who specialized in that field should be able to pull it off with sufficient effort. And as for the teleportation of living beings... there were simply too many factors that one had to pay attention to, especially since the teleportation conditions had to be carefully controlled so that the person teleporting would not be injured. Even 9-star formation masters would have trouble coping with the many issues that could arise from the construction of a Teleportation Formation, let alone a Phantasmal Space realm 8-star formation master like the young man before him. It was just like a person who had not even learned to walk yet was attempting to spread his wings and soar into the sky. Noticing the incredulous look on Zhan shis face, Zhang Xuan swiftly exined, I actually possess exceptional sensitivity toward spatialws, and I have spent quite some time studying the topic. Its because Ive met a bottleneck in my studies that I would like to try setting it up so as to verify some of my hypotheses! He could not reveal the existence of the Heavens Path Formation Art, so he could only use such vague terms to pass it off. Exceptional sensitivity toward spatialws? Zhan shi and Elder Ge traded nces before nodding inconspicuously. They had still been harboring some doubts toward the message that they had received from Zhang Wuheng earlier, but considering the conversation about Teleportation Formations... it might just be true that the young man had teleported back into the Sanctum of Sages to flee from the Zhang n! This was especially so given Zhang Xuans abrupt arrival. Based on what they knew, the young man should have been in the Zhang n at that moment, and that was at least a months journey away from the Sanctum of Sages. Thus, Zhan shi paused for a brief moment before asking, Right, didnt you head to the Zhang n a while back? Did Jian Qinsheng not return with you? I had some urgent matters to attend to, so I came back in advance. Elder Jian should being back very soon, Zhang Xuan replied. Urgent matters? Is this rting to the Zhang n? Zhan shi asked with a frown. Knowing that it would be impossible for him to conceal the conflict with the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before admitting, I did get into a conflict with the Zhang n, but Ill resolve it once I manage to clear the urgent matters I have at hand! Its good that you intend to resolve the conflict with the Zhang n... Seeing that the matter had been verified, Zhan shi did not hesitate to take action. ... but my apologies, Zhang shi. Ill need you to remain here for the time being! As he said those words, he waved his hand and swiftly sealed the space in the room. Zhang Xuan found his body being locked in ce, unable to move in the slightest. Chapter 1484 - I Am Really Not Free

Chapter 1484: I Am Really Not Free

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What do you mean by this? Feeling his entire body being bound in ce, as if shackled with heavy chains, Zhang Xuans face darkened. He would have understood it if Zhan shi had refused to lend him any grade-9 formation gs, but what did thetter mean by making a move on him? The First Elder of the Zhang n, Zhang Wuheng, has sent a message over, requesting for the Sanctum of Sages to hand you over for wreaking havoc in their territory. I thought that there might be some misunderstandings, but since you have admitted to it, Im afraid that its our responsibility to hand you over to the Zhang n to face the consequences for your actions, Zhan shi said. Rest assured though, since you are a student of the Sanctum of Sages, well definitely try our best to protect you. Its also with you in mind that we chose such a course of action. The Zhang n is a behemoth on the Master Teacher Continent, and the longer you drag this matter on, the more unlikely itll be for you to reconcile with them. You should take this opportunity to resolve the conflict with them once and for all; Elder Ge and I will be helping you by the sidelines. The First Elder of the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan frowned. Pardon me, but I still have some matters that I need to attend to, so I dont have time to wait for them toe over! Zhao Yas life was at stake, so there was no time to be lost. Otherwise, he would not have teleported back using the Sanctum Head Token. All in all, he had already wasted more than ten minutes there. A second wasted meant a second longer Zhao Ya would be danger. If he did not rush, he would regret it for life if something were to really happen to Zhao Ya! Besides, the conflict between him and the Zhang n was not something that could be resolved with just a couple of words. Zhan shi might have been the deputy head of the Sanctum of Sages, but even his words would not be strong enough to resolve the situation. Hearing Zhang Xuans obstinate words, Elder Ge harrumphed. That isnt up to you! Whether you like it or not, you will be waiting here obediently till the Zhang n arrives! As he spoke, he flicked out his wrist and whipped out a rope, which tied Zhang Xuan up real tight. I assure you two that I wont implicate the Sanctum of Sages in the conflict between the Zhang n and me, and Ill pay a visit to the Zhang n in the near future to resolve the conflict. For the time being, I really have urgent matters to attend to, so I ask of you two to let me off, Zhang Xuan said anxiously. No matter what kind of urgent matters you have at hand, you wont be going anywhere till the problem with the Zhang n is resolved, Zhan shi replied sternly. Elder Ge, take him down for the moment. Ill inform Elder Wuheng right now to send his men over! Yes! Elder Ge nodded. With a pull, the rope tied around Zhang Xuan immediately tightened, sinking into his flesh. Since you arent going to let me off, Ill have to beg your pardon for what Im about to do... Seeing that the other party had their minds set on sending him over to the Zhang n, not leaving any room for discussion at all, Zhang Xuan knew that it was meaningless for him to say anything else. Shaking his head, he said, Inferno Qilin, Ill be leaving them to you! Hong long! The next moment, an Inferno Qilin appeared before everyones eyes. The moment that it appeared, a powerful burst of mes gushed outward, leaving the room feeling as if it was a furnace. With just a light flick of its hoof, the rope binding Zhang Xuan fell to the floor. Hu! After cutting the rope, the Inferno Qilins powerful hoof thrust forward once more. Peng! Peng! Before Zhan shi and Elder Ge could even react to the situation, they were smashed right into the wall, stered to it as if a lizard. A powerful impact reverberated through their bodies as fresh blood trickled down their lips. The Inferno Qilin was a Saint 9-dan pinnacle beast possessing the Ancient Qilin Bloodline, and it possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. While it had sustained considerable damage in its fight with the First Elder earlier, even in its wounded state, it was still an adversary far beyond the means of Zhan shi and Elder Ge to deal with. Not expecting the young man to bring out such a powerful tamed beast, Zhan shis face immediately turned livid. He swiftly tapped on the space ahead of him as he bellowed, Activate! Weng! The formation in the room swiftly whirled into action. A powerful pressure crushed down from the surroundings, suppressing the Inferno Qilin tightly. They had nned to use this formation to trap Zhang Xuan, but it seemed like they would have to deal with this massive fellow before deciding anything. If they allowed the beast to run rampage, it would not be long before the Sanctum of Sages was reduced to dust. Roar! Trapped in the formation, the Inferno Qilin released a furious bellow. It swept its tail forth with formidable force, but its tail was swiftly impeded with spatial ripples in the air. The formation in the Sanctum Head Hall was something left behind by their ancestors, and its might was not to be underestimated. As powerful as the Inferno Qilin was, it was still unable to struggle free of its restraints in the short-term. Capture Zhang Xuan first! Once we subdue him, his tamed beast wont dare to do anything! Zhan shi bellowed furiously. Knowing that they would not stand a chance once the Inferno Qilin struggled free from the formation, he immediately rushed forward to grab Zhang Xuan and hold him hostage. As the saying went, To take down a den of bandits, subdue the chief first! No matter how powerful the Inferno Qilin was, it was still nothing more than a tamed beast. Once its master was taken hostage, there would be nothing that it could do. Humph! It was already enough for him toe under attack from the elders of the Zhang n, but to think that even the elders of the Sanctum of Sages would be so eager to apprehend him... With an ireful wave of his hand, hemanded coldly, Take down those two fellows! Hu! The next moment, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast materialized and grabbed forward. Peng! Peng! Zhan shi and Elder Ge were swiftly sent flying once more. Saint 9-dan? Wasnt it at Saint 8-dan pinnacle just a month ago? Elder Ge widened his eyes in horror. He had experienced the frightening strength of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast once before, but back then, it had only been at Saint 8-dan pinnacle. How did it manage to make a breakthrough in just a single month? There was a nearly unbridgeable rift between Saint 8-dan and Saint 9-dan. This final step was one that was exceptionally difficult to make, but once a cultivator managed to pass the threshold, their fighting prowess would be at a whole new level. Elder Ge was not the only one shocked. Zhan shi also felt as if his head was exploding, as if he was going mad. It was already a shocker to see that Zhang Xuan had a Saint 9-dan beast with him, but to bring out two at once... just how in the world did he tame those beasts? It was no wonder he could wreak havoc in the Zhang n and still manage to get away scot-free. With just these two saint beasts, it would be difficult for the ordinary guards of the Zhang n to stop him! Hold it right there! However, knowing that this was not the time to be shocked. Zhan shi flicked his wrist and wielded his sword. With just a simple sh, a barrage of sword qi had already burst forth, sealing the movements of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. It was initially nning on charging forth to continue the pummeling, but under the onught of sword qi heading its way, it could only stop and defend against it for the time being. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had only reached Saint 9-dan recently whereas Zhan shi had already been in this realm for many years. Not to mention, he even wielded his sword and used a battle technique, so the fight ended in a stalemate for the time being. Dont bother too much with them, help the Inferno Qilin break free of the formation first. Strike there! Knowing that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was at a disadvantage strength wise, Zhang Xuan quickly issued an instruction while pointing to a certain location in the room. Knowing the severity of the situation, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast also hurriedly rammed its way toward the area that Zhang Xuan had pointed out, and with a powerful whip of its tail, it struck the spot with absolute precision. Kacha! A crisp echo sounded in the air, followed by intense tremors. The trapped Inferno Qilin swiftly tore free of the formation, and at the same time, the Sanctum Head Hall sumbed to the pressure and began copsing. As soon as it was free from its restraints, the Inferno Qilin immediatelyunched a vicious counterattack, as if to cleanse itself of the humiliation that it had just suffered. With a ferocious roar, it rammed right through Zhan shis defensive swordsmanship, and raising its hoof, it thrust it down forcefully on the two elders. Padah! Padah! Zhan shi and Elder Ge hurriedly raised their arms to cushion the blow, but the colossal strength behind the hoof was too much for them to bear. Their backs gradually bent under the astounding might as the creaking of bones sounded in the air, ready to snap at any moment. Saint beasts had always possessed an advantage in terms of strength over cultivators of the same tier. This included even the powerfulbat masters, let alone them. Sensing that he was swiftly reaching his limit, Elder Ge bellowed, Zhang Xuan, do you know what you are doing? This is the Sanctum of Sages, the root of countless powerful experts! Do you understand the consequences ofying your hands on a deputy sanctum head and an elder? Dont let your own recklessnesspel you to make a decision that youll regret for life! Chapter 1485 - Surrender or Die!

Chapter 1485: Surrender or Die!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing that Elder Ge wanted to pin such a heinous crime on him, Zhang Xuan could not help but scoff on the inside. Nevertheless, he still waved his hand and ordered, Inferno Qilin, stop. As awful as Elder Ges words sounded, they also made sense. The Sanctum of Sages was the highest academy on the Master Teacher Continent. Even though its standing was not on par with the Master Teacher Pavilion, and its strength had declined over time, its prestige and rallying power were still not to be underestimated. In the first ce, making a move on the incumbent deputy sanctum head and an elder could already be considered an extremely contemptible action. If it were to be known that he had severely wounded or even killed them, he could be making himself an enemy of the entire upper echelon of the Master Teacher Continent! Roar! Upon hearing themand, as infuriated as the Inferno Qilin was, it did not dare go against Zhang Xuans order. Thus, it reluctantly retracted its hoof and backed off. Zhan shi and Elder Ge heaved a deep sigh of relief. It was only at this moment that they suddenly realized that their robes werepletely soaked in sweat. Had the Inferno Qilin continued its attack, even if they walked out of there alive, they could have ended up being crippled for life. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan suppressed his emotions before stepping forward and sping his fist. Its not my intention to make a move on the two of you. However, I really do have urgent matters to attend to, and I cant afford to waste any time. I beg your pardon for this. He was deeply displeased by Zhan shi and Elder Ges actions, but this was not the time for him to fall outpletely with them. The Zhang n was already on his back; he did not need to add the Sanctum of Sages into his list of pursuers. Zhan shi shot a slightly apprehensive nce at the Inferno Qilin before harrumphing coldly. Humph! He felt infuriated inside, but there was no way he could vent his rage. All along, he had viewed Zhang Xuan as someone who was within his control, but who would have thought that in a month of absence, the other party had already be a dragon soaring in the sky, far beyond his reach? Allow me to reassure you that Ill personally resolve the unhappiness with the Zhang n in the near future, so theres no need to worry about that. The reason Im here today is to borrow the 9-star formation gs, and I hope that Zhan shi can grant my request! Zhang Xuan said. Zhan shi looked at Zhang Xuan deeply for a long moment before sighing deeply and saying, Very well then, Ill take your word for it. I hope that you wont let me down. Following which, he flicked his wrist and took out over a hundred formation gs. Every single one of them was made of a particrly resilient material. It was clear that they were all high-tier. Grade-9 formation gs! With the Inferno Qilin and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast watching from the side, Zhan shi felt that Zhang Xuan would order his tamed beast to snatch the formation gs from him by force if he refused. Rather than suffer for nothing, he thought that it would be wiser to hand them over first. Thank you, Zhan shi. Zhang Xuan took the formation gs and examined them closely. After verifying that these formation gs were indeed suited for the construction of Teleportation Formations, he heaved a sigh of relief before turning his head toward the copsed doorway. Come in! It was only upon hearing Zhang Xuans words that Zhan shi and Elder Ge realized that there was someone standing by the doorway. She was the genius from the cier in Court who had just enrolled earlier in the year, Chen Leyao! At that moment, the youngdy was staring at the rubble lying around the ce with widened eyes. When she caught sight of the trail of blood trickling down from Zhan shi and Elder Ges lips, she could not help but sp her agape mouth in shock. They were only there to borrow formation gs, not to raid the ce. Was it really necessary to go so far? How were they supposed to resolve the situation peacefully now that such a situation had happened? However, she also knew that it was meaningless to think too much about it nowwhat was done was done. Thus, she quickly walked over to Zhang Xuan. Paying no heed to Chen Leyaos shock, Zhang Xuan hurriedly sent a telepathic message over. Tell me the exact location of the cier in Court. Without any hesitation, Chen Leyao quickly informed Zhang Xuan of the exact location of the cier in Court telepathically. Its located in the extreme north... Got it! After hearing the location from Chen Leyao, a map swiftly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind as he quickly gauged the distance and direction of the destination from the Sanctum of Sages. When setting up a Teleportation Formation, especially for ones with intended destinations as far as the one that Zhang Xuan was going to set up, there could be no mistake in the direction at all. Otherwise, even the slightest degree of deviation in the calibration could possibly result in the result being off by countless li. After calcting for roughly five minutes, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply in relief before flicking his fingers. Hu! The formation gs that he was holding with his other hand immediately flew all over the ce. Weng! As soon as they took their ces, energy ripples began diffusing into the surroundings, forging a rather stable folded space. However, before it could fully take shape, it abruptly exploded. First attempt, fail! My strength is still insufficient. Sensing that single attempt had taken away half of his total zhenqi, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. There was no mistake in his setting up of the formation gs and maniption of energy earlier. In fact, the reason behind his failure was not because he had made any mistake but because he was not able to supply sufficient energy for the creation of the formation! With his Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle cultivation, Heavens Path zhenqi, and deepprehension of space, his fighting prowess was at least on par with Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle experts. However, it was still insufficient for him to construct a Teleportation Formation. Now! While Zhang Xuan was still deliberating over what alternatives he could use in order to resolve theck of energy, he suddenly heard a bellow from behind him. The next moment, Zhan shi and Elder Ge charged forward simultaneously. The cold shimmer of a sword shed across the room, freeing the two of them of the Inferno Qilins control. Following which, the two of them swiftly fled into the air. The Inferno Qilin and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had been so focused on their master that they were caught off guard by the duos abrupt movements. They had to block their attacks in a fluster, so they failed to keep them from getting away. In the sky, Zhan shi flicked his wrist and whipped out a token. Following which, with a resounding voice that echoed clearly to the corners of the Sanctum of Sages, he dered, All elders of the Sanctum of Sages, hear my words! Zhang Xuan and his tamed beasts have audaciously made a move against me and Elder Ge, so I hereby dere him to be an enemy of the Sanctum of Sages. All of you are to immediately move out and apprehend him, and should he try to retaliate, you are permitted to take extreme actions... even at the cost of his life! As the deputy sanctum head, he could be considered the face of the Sanctum of Sages. Even if his pride could take it lying, he could not allow the long history of the Sanctum of Sages to be besmirched in his hands! Hong long! As soon as the decree was passed, a hugemotion broke out within the Sanctum of Sages. Countless figures emerged in the air, easily numbering in the tens of thousands. Earlier, during the battle with the Inferno Qilin, Zhang Xuan had known that things could turn out bad if people started gathering there, so he had discreetly set up an istion formation in the room in order to prevent any sound from getting out. As a result of that, despite the entire room copsing, it had not caught anyones attention. However, the decree that had just been passed had reached the ears of every single elder and student in the Sanctum of Sages, so they swiftly flew up in order to see what was happening. This is bad... Inferno Qilin, hurry up and knock him down! Not expecting Zhan shi to suddenly act in such a way, Zhang Xuans face darkened. He hurriedly ordered the Inferno Qilin to make a move. Roar! With a furious roar, the Inferno Qilin dashed into the sky and raised its hoof, preparing to knock Zhan shi down back onto the ground. Guardian Formation! Grasping the Deputy Sanctum Head Token in his hands tightly, Zhan shi swiftly activated the power in it, and a blinding burst of light suddenly shed into the surroundings, seeminglymunicating with a dormant ancient power in the Sanctum of Sages. The surrounding space suddenly seemed to have been frozen solid, such that even the Inferno Qilin ended up freezing in ce, unable to move in the slightest. Guardian Formation? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The Sanctum of Sages had declined considerably over the years. Theck of a legitimate sanctum head had resulted in its inability to draw in and retain talents, resulting in an endless spiral of weakness. As a result, even the strongest expert within its ranks at the moment was only at Saint 9-dan primary stage. However, this had not always been the case. There was a period of time when the Sanctum of Sages had stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, second only to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! After all, every single true sanctum head had possessed the Eye of Insight and was an expert that had exceeded Saint 9-dan, reaching a realm unthinkable to most. Even the First Elder would amount to nothing much before their eyes! The Guardian Formation that they had left behind was the ultimate trump card of the Sanctum of Sages. Even if the Zhang n dispatched all of its forces over, it was questionable whether they would be able to breach it or not, let alone a mere Inferno Qilin! It was also for this reason that the Sanctum of Sages had been able to remain standing even after all these years, retaining its prestige. Otherwise, given the weakness of the current deputy sanctum head, they would have been destroyed by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe long ago! Sensing the despairing power of the formation, the Inferno Qilin anxiously sent a telepathic message over to Zhang Xuan. Master, Im unable to breach this formation! At this rate, we might all lose our lives here! Tzzzzzzz! While the formation was trapping the Inferno Qilin, the other elders of the Sanctum of Sages also made their way over, and they swiftly took their positions behind Zhan shi. Zhang Xuan, surrender now or die, Zhan shi said impassively as he gazed down upon the young man below him with utterly cold eyes. Chapter 1486 - Grand Formation of the Sages

Chapter 1486: Grand Formation of the Sages

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ever since the founding of the Sanctum of Sages many millenniums ago, this was the very first time that a student hadid their hands on the deputy sanctum head, as well as the first time that someone had utterly destroyed the Sanctum Head Hall. If something like that could be pardoned easily, how would the deputy sanctum head and the elders keep students in line in the future? Zhang shi, what do we do now? Seeing the huge array of elders and students floating above them and the Guardian Formation sealing the space around them, Chen Leyaos face paled in fright as she trembled uncontrobly. Even though she had been through many battles as a genius of the cier in Court, this was her first time facing something as huge as this! To stand singlehandedly against the entire Sanctum of Sages, this was unprecedented in history! What else can we do? Once we are caught, it will be impossible for us to save Zhao Ya! Zhang Xuan shook his head. The situation with Zhao Ya was far more urgent, so he could not afford to waste any time there. Not to mention, just by looking at the faces of Zhan shi and the others, it was apparent that he would be done in for good if he was captured. Thus, he could not surrender. Otherwise, there would be no second chance for him! Until he had met all three conditions, he could not show the Sanctum Head Token to the others, or else it would be considered forfeiting his right to session. This was the rule that Sage Kui had imposed to ensure that each generation of sanctum head truly possessed the capability to lead the Sanctum of Sages to greater heights. As such, it seemed like he had no choice but to fight it out. Understanding this, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the already activated Guardian Formation and uttered softly, ws! Following which, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Tapping on it lightly, the knowledge within it swiftly flowed into his mind. Heaven Weaving Formation, grade-9 pinnacle formation... Truly formidable! The Guardian Formation of the Sanctum of Sages had been left behind by Sage Kui, and it had been enhanced by many sanctum heads over the years. Every single generation of true sanctum head possessed the Eye of Insight, which allowed them to easily pick out ws and resolve them. After many millenniums of improvement, the formation could already be considered as the crystallization of the wisdom of the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent. Of course, it still could not be considered wless in the eyes of the absolute Library of Heavens Path yet, but it was very close to that. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Only seven ws. This must be the fewest ws Ive seen among higher grade formations... But no matter how few ws were in the Guardian Formation, that did not make the slightest difference to what Zhang Xuan was about to do. Inferno Qilin and Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, Ill be counting on the two of you to defend against the lot of them and break this formation. I need to continue studying the Teleportation Formation! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan sent the information regarding the ws of the Heaven Weaving Formation over to the two saint beasts via their telepathic link. Roar! Upon receiving the message, the two saint beasts roared furiously. They had already known that that their master possessed extraordinary eyes at seeing things despite his young age, but who would have thought that he would actually be able to find so many ws in a formation that waspletely unfathomable to them? Alone, these ws might not amount to much, but when put together, they were confident that they would be able to shake its foundations. On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Xuan was still busy examining the formation gs despite the warning that he had issued, Zhan shi narrowed his eyes threateningly. Zhang Xuan, I acknowledge the strength of your tamed beasts, but before the Guardian Formation, they are nothing at all. I advise you take a good look at your current circumstances before making a decision... Roar! But before he could finish his words, the Inferno Qilin abruptly broke free of its restraints, and with a deafening bellow, it thrust its massive hoof in a certain direction. At the same time, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast glided along the ground as it dashed right into a certain building not too far away. The core reason behind the strength of the Guardian Formationy in the fortuitous aura that the Sanctum of Sages had umted over the many years, as well as the spiritual energy that had gathered in the area through the earth veins below. The Inferno Qilin struck at one of the center points of the formation whereas the Netherworld Azure Dagon Beast crashed right into a spot where the spiritual energy drawn in through the earth veins umted, causing the spiritual energy to dissipate into the surroundings immediately. With two critical strikes on its vitals, the incredibly powerful Heaven Weaving Formation swiftly deted as if a balloon leaking air, losing the imposing might that it hadmanded just a moment ago. Hong long! The energy that had frozen the surroundings earlier spurted out, falling right upon Zhan shi and the others. This... this is impossible! Zhan shi uttered with his eyes widened in disbelief. In the past several millenniums, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had attempted to attack the Sanctum of Sages thirteen times, but each and every single time, they had ended up fleeing without achieving anything. While it would be too much of an exaggeration to say that the Heaven Weaving Formation was unbreachable, still, there were few experts in the world who were capable of oveing it! And yet, those two saint beasts actually deciphered it so easily. How in the world did they manage to do it? Stop them! Knowing that there was no use getting nervous, the person in the air flicked his wrist and thrust his palm downward. Saint pinnacle battle technique, River Flipping Palm! This was a move created by the Fourth Sanctum Head. It was a strike that descended from the heavens, wielding strength far beyond ones imagination. Augmented by the fortuitous energy that was billowing out from the ground, this technique could strike down even a Saint 9-dan intermediate stage cultivator in a single blow. Unfortunately, his opponent was no Saint 9-dan intermediate stage cultivator but the Inferno Qilin. Payingpletely no heed to the palm, the inferno Qilin simply charged right into it, as if it was no threat at all. Hong long! The palm fell on the Inferno Qilins head, but as if striking a Saint pinnacle artifact, it simply jolted Zhan shis palm numb. The next moment, its head crashed right into Zhan shis chest, forcefully pushing him away. Sou! Zhan shis figure was sent flying, surging into the distance as if a shooting star. Zhan shi! Not expecting the Inferno Qilin to be so powerful, Elder Ge and the others hurriedly put their might together and charged forward to suppress it. In response to their aggression, the Inferno Qilin roared furiously, and in the blink of an eye, its figure had already expanded to roughly forty meters tall. With this towering physique, it rammed right toward the group of elders. Hu! Tzzzzzz! Elder Ge and the other elders were simultaneously knocked flying, and their brows and hair were charred ck. What was truly fearsome about the Inferno Qilin was not its hooves or tail but its body! Tempered day and night by the Qilin mes, its body had grown to be as strong as a Saint pinnacle artifact. Its ram would render even a Saint 9-dan cultivator powerless, let alone those elders. Is that really Zhang shis tamed beast? How could it be so powerful? To outright defy and even utilize violence against the deputy sanctum head and the elders, does Zhang shi intend to betray the Master Teacher Pavilion? The students that had gathered around to spectate the sight were all bbergasted by what they were seeing. In their eyes, the deputy sanctum head, Elder Ge, and the others were figures far out of their league, perhaps invincible even! Seeing these figures standingpletely helpless before a saint beast was something that they never could have dreamed off, and it seemed to shatter all of their previous notions of greatness of these elders. But more important than that, to make a move against the elders of the Sanctum of Sages could already be considered an act of defiance against the authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion. No matter what, the Sanctum of Sages was still a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion and was protected by it. Did Zhang Xuan no longer want to remain as a master teacher? Damn it, damn it! While spurtingrge mouthfuls of blood, Zhan shi flew back to the Sanctum of Sages from the distance, and before reaching the area, he bellowed furiously, Elders of the Sanctum of Sages, heed mymand! Form the Formations of the Sages and subdue the Inferno Qilin together! Seeing how the Guardian Formation had been destroyed and the elders were falling from the sky one after another, Zhan shi could not take it any longer. If he did not punish Zhang Xuan, the entire Sanctum of Sages would be a joke! As the deputy sanctum head, he could not allow the legacy of the organization to be destroyed under his leadership! Yes! the elders replied resoundingly. Following which, they swiftly scattered around to get into their positions. Putting their strength together, they formed something that resembled a fish in the air. Its the Formation of the Sages... Chen Leyaos face paled in fright as she hurriedly turned to the young man before her, who was still busy trying to figure out how to make the Teleportation Formation work. Zhang shi, this isnt good. Run! Chapter 1487 - We’re Leaving

Chapter 1487: Were Leaving

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Other than the Guardian Formation, the next strongest trump card of the Sanctum of Sages was the Formation of the Sages formed by the elders. This formation allowed all of the elders to channel their powers together tounch a devastating attack, thus making it a highly fearsome weapon. Putting aside Zhang Xuan, even the Saint 9-dan beast might not necessarily be a match against the Formation of the Sages. Hu! Before Chen Leyao could finish her words, the in the sky had already finished forming, sealing the entire area. Roar! Sensing danger from the newly formed, the Inferno Qilin roared ferociously and charged right for it, intending to ram it down before it stabilized. Hu! The that extended across the entire sky formed a massivework of zhenqi. It gathered together under Zhan shis maniption, instantaneously forming a pulse of energy that raced right for the charging Inferno Qilin. Boom! As if a forlorn boat drifting in the stormy oceans, the Inferno Qilin swiftly found itself overwhelmed by the tremendous might in the pulse. The pulse shoved it right into to the ground, raising a huge cloud of dust above it. Roar! The Inferno Qilin bellowed angrily as it struggled desperately against the raging pulse battering on it, but it was unable to break free of it at all. While most of the elders hadnt reached Saint 9-dan, theirbined prowess, which was further augmented by the unique energy seeping out of the Sanctum of Sages, still formed a force which even the Saint 9-dan pinnacle Inferno Qilin was unable to match. It was only after a massive pit had been sted in the ground did the pulse finally slow to a halt. The Inferno Qilin spurted a mouthful of golden blood as it attempted to return to its feet, only to find itself too wounded to stand. Hmph! Seeing that they had finally managed to down the Inferno Qilin, Zhan shi swiiftly turned his gaze coldly toward another direction as he prepared the formation for another attack. Hu! Another white pulse of energy burst forth, headed in the direction where Zhang Xuan was standing. In terms of might, it was far stronger than the one which had struck the Inferno Qilin earlier. If it were to really strike Zhang Xuan, he would die without any doubt! Master! The rmed Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast immediately dashed back, but it was still a step toote. Before it could reach its master, the white pulse of energy had already swallowed the young man whole. Zhang Xuan... Not too far away, Chen Leyao watched the sight in utter shock. A sudden feeling of weakness consumed her legs as she fell onto the ground, paralyzed. From where she stood, she could clearly feel the energy pulsating from the attack. It was a force which even her teacher, a Saint 8-dan pinnacle expert, wouldnt be able to withstand. Would the young man really die like that? He actually didnt dodge? Up in the sky, Zhan shi couldnt help but freeze in astonishment as well. While the attacksunched by the Formation of the Sages were incredibly powerful, they needed considerable time to charge up. He had expected Zhang Xuan to flee before the attack fell, and he was banking on the shockwaves of the pulse to incapacitate that fellow instead. But who could have thought that that fellow would remain rooted to the spot, allowing the pulse to strike directly on him! Hmph, he deserves it! Given the heinous deeds he hasmitted, destroying the Guardian Formation and tearing down the Sanctum Head Hall, not even Yang shi would be able to speak on his behalf! Elder Ge harrumphed as he discreetly shot a nce toward Zhan shi. He knew that thetter was still harboring some reservations toward this matter. After all, Zhang Xuan was Yang Xuans direct disciple, and it was hard to tell what that legendary man would do once he heard of this matter. However, they couldnt be med for this matter either. There are many students here who could testify that the actions that they had made were out of self-defense. To actually dare to run rampant just because he had tamed a strong beast, that fellow deserved to meet with such an oue! Im not worried about that. Its just that its saddening to see someone as talented as him passing away just like that... Zhan shi shook his head. As high as Yang shis standing was on the Master Teacher Continent, he was still a person who respected the rules. Considering the actions that Zhang Xuan had done, there was no way Yang shi could still side with his direct disciple! But... that young man was truly extraordinarily talented. It was a huge loss for mankind to lose such a talent. Given that fellows character, his talents would only eventually be a huge scourge to humanity! Elder Ge harrumphed. What was the use of being talented? If he were to devote his capabilities to doing evil, his talent would only turn out to be a bane for mankind. In the history of the Master Teacher Continent, there was nock of talented geniuses who ended up straying from the right path due to their difficult temperament. I guess youre right... Zhan shi shook his head, deciding not to think too much into it anymore. Clear up the ce. We have to report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters as soon as possible. Yes! Elder Ge replied. He lowered his head to look at the rubble below when he suddenly caught sight of something that made his eyes narrow in shock. He nearly lost control of himself and plummeted to the ground. Whats wrong? Zhan shi frowned. Zhan shi... look! Not knowing how he should exin the matter, Elder Ge anxiously eximed as he pointed to the ground. In a huge pit in the ground where the energy pulse had struck previously, Zhang Xuan stoodpletely unharmed. There were dozens of formation gs nted in front of him, and light was shimmering off their surface. The space around the pit was rippling a little, emanating warm energy. Thats... Teleportation Formation? He managed to construct it? There was no mistaking itthe formation constructed by those formation gs was definitely a Teleportation Formation! Not only so, the space around the formation was considerably stable, which meant that there wasnt the slightest mistake in the construction! It was one thing for a mere Phantasmal Space realm cultivator to emergepletely unharmed under the attack of the Formation of the Sages, but to sessfully construct a Teleportation Formation in the meantime as well... Was this for real? Inferno Qilin, Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and Chen Leyao,e over. Were leaving! The young man in the pit chuckled softly before turning his gaze to the sky, Zhan shi and fellow elders of the Sanctum of Sages, I really have to thank you all for your energy. Otherwise, god knows how long it would take for me to finish this formation... Alright, I still have things to attend to, so Ill be taking my leave first. Lets meet again in the future! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and kept his two saint beasts into the Myriad Anthive Nest. At the same time, he quickly grabbed Chen Leyao and wrapped her in his zhenqi before activating the Teleportation Formation. A brilliant light shrouded the both of them, and they immediately vanished from the spot. Dont let him get away! Dumbfounded by the sight before him, it took some time before Zhan shi could think once more. He shouted angrily as he dashed right for the Teleportation Formation, intending to head into it as well so as to chase Zhang Xuan. However, just as he was getting close, he suddenly noticed a surge of energy swiftly swelling up in the formation, reminiscent of a full dam that was on the verge of copsing. Following which... Boom! In the next moment, the formation abruptly copsed. Dozens of formation gs were rooted off the ground and swept into the surroundings, causing the Teleportation Formation to vanish altogether. Everything happened so swiftly that it was almost as if the formation hadnt appeared in the first ce at all. The Teleportation Formation he created has a self-destruction sequence too? Zhan shi felt as if his sanity was on the verge of crumbling. Naturally, he was a skilled formation master himself, or else he wouldnt have grade-9 formation gs in his possession. For the young man to be able to create a Teleportation Formation under their attack and even embed a self-destruction sequence with it... Wasnt he able to do a little too much within too short a period of time? With the destruction of the Teleportation Formation, there was no way they would be able to figure out where he had been teleported to and chase after him anymore. They had lost their only lead to the young man. ncing at the rubble all around him, Zhan shis eyes turned wintry. That fellows escape will eventually culminate into a catastrophe for mankind. Elders and students of the Sanctum of Sages, hear mymand! From this day onward, if anyone were to catch sight of Zhang Xuan, report upward without any dy! If theres a chance to strike, kill him without any hesitation! Chapter 1488 - City of Glacier

Chapter 1488: City of cier

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 H! Amid intense wobbling, Zhang Xuan crashed down onto the floor and spurted a mouthful of blood. Just like the previous time around, he felt his entire body aching as if it had been ripped apart many times over. Multiplecerations could be seen all over his body. In truth, with his current strength, it should have been impossible for him to construct a Teleportation Formation. However, knowing that the matter with Zhao Ya could not be dyed, he could only take a gamble and face Zhan shi and the other elders attack face on, hoping to sessfully redirect the force into the formation to activate it. Fortunately, things did work out as nned. Thebined might of the elders of the Sanctum of Sages formed a surge of energy that even the Saint 9-dan pinnacle Inferno Qilin was unable to withstand. With such immense power being infused into the formation, the formation immediately received sufficient energy to be activated. It was with this that Zhang Xuan managed to flee from that dire situation. But while the activation of the Teleportation Formation was a sess, he also sustained unprecedentedly severe injuries in the midst of carrying out his n. Putting aside the severe vertigo caused by the long-distance teleportation, just the redirection of the elders attack was more than sufficient to make his innards churn around, inflicting grievous internal injuries on him. Furthermore, while he did redirect the attack away from him, lingering shockwaves from it still managed to slip into his body, gnawing at him from within. Even with the Heavens Path zhenqi, it would be hard for him to recover quickly. Peng! Zhang Xuan tried to struggle to his feet when he heard another dull thud beside him. Turning his head over, he saw that Chen Leyao had fallen beside him. Her injuries were astonishingly more severe than his. Her body was covered with cuts, and her breathing was very weak. It seemed as if she might stop breathing at any moment. No matter what, she was only at the Leaving Aperture realm. While the Teleportation Formation that Zhang Xuan had created was far more stable than that of other Teleportation Formation, it still was not something that she was able to endure. In view of this, Zhang Xuan had tried his best to cover her with a thickyer of his zhenqi so as to protect her during the teleportation, but it seemed like he had still underestimated the strain of the teleportation. He quickly looked at Chen Leyaos condition, and after confirming that her injuries were treatable and would not leave behind any permanent issues, he heaved a sigh of relief. What a relief... He slowly stood up, but as soon as he began moving, his injuries rpsed, causing him to spurt two mouthfuls of blood. This was probably the worst injury that he had sustained ever since he started cultivating. He struggled his way up to Chen Leyao, and with a few flicks of his fingers, he sent several surges of zhenqi into her meridians, mending her wounds. Watching as herplexion gradually improved and her wounds closed up, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before quickly treating himself. He spent ten minutes driving his zhenqi three circtions around his body before the excruciating strain that he felt in his body finally alleviated considerably. While he had not fully recovered yet, he could already move around without much problem. I should stop taking such risks in the future, or else I really might lose my life like that one day, Zhang Xuan thought. Just thinking of what he had gone through was enough to leave his heart beating in trepidation. Everything turned out well in the end, but had he made the slightest mistake, he could have lost it all then. It was reassuring to see that Lady Luck was still shining down on him. He turned his gaze to look at Chen Leyao once more and saw that thetter was still unconscious. Nevertheless, her breathing had steadied considerably, and those ring wounds from before had already vanished. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a pack of silver needles, and after infusing his zhenqi into them, he inserted them all over her body. Having read all of the 8-star physician manuals in the Sanctum of Sages, even without using the Library of Heavens Path, he possessed abilities on par with a 9-star physician. Chen Leyao had only fainted due to the trauma from the jolt in the spatial disturbance. With her injuries out of the way, it was not too difficult to rouse her consciousness. As expected, the moment that the silver needles were inserted, Chen Leyaos eyebrows fluttered for a moment before she slowly opened her eyes. She was dazed for a moment before she slowly sat up and gazed at her surroundings with a wondrous look on her face, muttering, Im still alive... The severe pressure that had pressed down on her during the teleportation had left her feeling as if death was swiftly encroaching on her, and she had never thought that she would survive the ordeal. Hearing Chen Leyaos response, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Im around. How could I possibly allow you to depart to the other world under my watch? Then, his tone turned slightly more serious before continuing. Alright, I need you to help me see where we currently are and how far we are from the cier in Court! Un. Chen Leyao nodded as she got to her feet. With a leap, she headed into the sky and scanned her surroundings. A look of disbelief crept onto her face as she eximed, This... is the suburbs of the City of cier? We managed to get here so quickly? The first experience at teleportation would often leave one with a feeling of spatial and temporal disorientation. Even Zhang Xuan was no exception to this rule, let alone her. City of cier? Hearing that this foreign term, Zhang Xuan frowned. How far is that from the cier in Court headquarters? He had strictly followed the directions given by Chen Leyao during the construction of the Teleportation Formation. Could something have gone wrong? Noticing the frown between Zhang Xuans brows, Chen Leyao quickly rified, The cier in Court headquarters is right within the City of cier. Theres a Sect Formation that prevents any outsiders from teleporting right into the city, so the coordinates that I gave you were the suburbs instead. I really didnt think that you would be able to teleport here so urately! As one of the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent, there was no way it would allow unidentified personnel to teleport straight into their sect. If they had really attempted that, they might have lost their lives before they could even get to the young court chief. However, Teleportation Formations were known to be highly unstable. Often, the destination tended to diverge from the location set by quite a bit, especially for long-distance Teleportation Formations. Yet, in the first try, the young man was actually able to calibrate the Teleportation Formation to the exact spot that she had given! That was something that even 9-star pinnacle formation masters would find it hard to achieve! In fact, 9-star formation masters would usually leave a portal artifact at the destination of their Teleportation Formation in advance so that they would be able to lock onto the destination with greater certainty. To be able to achieve such precision with nothing but coordinates and mental calction... that young mans capability was truly inconceivable! Did he really know nothing about Teleportation Formations before this and spent just a couple of minutes learning it? Hearing that they were in the vicinity of the cier in Court headquarters, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Alright! Since were here, lets quickly enter the city. We need to find a way to figure out whats happened to Zhao Ya! Un. Just by how the young man was willing to turn against the entire Sanctum of Sages to save his student, his determination to rescue his student was clear to see. Without wasting any time, Chen Leyao immediately flew over to a city wall not too far away. Due to the City of cier being upied by the powerful cier in Court, despite its eternal frost, it was still one of thergest cities in the Master Teacher Continent. There were towering walls surrounding the massive city, and perhaps because the night setting in, the city gates were tightly shut, turning away all visitors. However, with her token as one of the inner disciples of the cier in Court, Chen Leyao was still able to gain entry with ease. Snowkes drifted quietly into the city, adding on to the knee-high piles of snow shoved to the sides of the street. Despite the piercing cold, the streets were still vibrant and lively. Huge crowds milled about the area, and from time to time, there would be a carriage passing by. Chen Leyao nced at Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang shi, shall we head straight into the cier in Court? Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. Why not? Chen Leyao asked in iprehension. Was the reason they had gone through so much trouble rushing there not to get to the young court chief as quickly as possible? Why was the other party suddenly backing out after reaching their destination? The important matter at hand is not to enter the cier in Court but to find out what has happened so as to make preparations in advance. Otherwise, if we slip in carelessly and something goes wrong, not only will we be unable to save her, we might even lose our lives, Zhang Xuan said with a deep frown on his forehead. What could go wrong in the cier in Court? Or could it be... Zhang shi, do you mean to say that... Chen Leyao was stunned for a moment as realization fell on her like a bucket of ice-cold water. ... something bad has happened within the cier in Court? Chapter 1489 - My Name Is...

Chapter 1489: My Name Is...

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 She had asked close sisters of hers within the cier in Court about the young court chief, but the replies that she had received all said that nothing had happened. But thinking about it, that did not make sense at all! How could something possibly happen to the young court chief, a person whose standing was only beneath that of the First Elder, without anyone noticing? There were only two possibilities to exin this peculiar situation. One, the young court chief was lying. Two, the crisis happened from within the sect, and someone was intentionally suppressing the news. Thinking about it now, the young court chief should have informed the elders and the experts within the cier in Court directly in order to deal with the crisis instead struggling to send a message to trouble her rtively much weaker teacher. After all, that would have been the most rational thing to do! Clearly, it appeared that there was no one she could trust within the cier in Court! This realization made goosebumps rise all over Chen Leyaos body as she shook her head in disbelief. She had only known that the young court chief was facing some kind of danger, but she had not really thought that deeply into the matter before. This also exined why Zhang shi was against having her recklessly contact the cier in Court! I understand that you are a member of the cier in Court. If this matter puts you in a spot, I can deal with it myself. However, I still have to ask of you not to reveal my whereabouts to anyone! Zhang Xuan turned to Chen Leyao and sped his fist. If something had really happened within the cier in Court, it would indeed be too much to ask of her to choose between him and the cier in Court. Instead of putting her in a spot, it might be better for her to stay out of this matter altogether. That way, she could at least feign ignorance and steer clear of trouble. This... Chen Leyao was stumped. Her previous realization had also led her to a certain deduction. If it was true that the cier in Court had turned hostile toward the young court chief, there was only one person who wielded the ability to pull it of... the First Elder! For as long as she could remember, the First Elder had been responsible for managing everything in the cier in Court. Be it internal or external affairs, everything was decided upon her words. For this reason, even though she was not the court chief, her position was as good as that. If her previous guesses were correct and someone inside had indeed tried to make a move on the young court chief, the culprit was most likely the First Elder herself! No one had the ability to conceal anything happening within the cier in Court from the First Elder, and if the matter truly had nothing to do with the First Elder, she definitely would have stepped in and saved the young court chief by now! But if the First Elder was truly the culprit... as a disciple of the cier in Court, could she really disobey hermands? Dont worry, I understand. Farewell! Not wanting to put Chen Leyao in a spot, Zhang Xuan turned around and walked away. However, barely after he took a couple of steps, Chen Leyao suddenly rushed over from behind and stopped him. With a resolute look on her face, she said, Wait a moment! The young court chief is an amiable person, and I am also indebted to Zhang shi. I wish to lend you my aid in rescuing the young court chief... even if this means going against the First Elder! Zhang Xuan looked at Chen Leyao deeply and asked, Have you thought it through it? This matter could have severe implications. You do understand that theres no turning back from this, right? Chen Leyao sighed before nodding grimly. I understand! She had grown up in the cier in Court, and naturally, she was greatly attached to it. However, the young man before her was the person who had modified the cier in Courts cultivation technique and saved many of her sisters from meeting a premature death, and the young court chief seemed to be a kind person as well. More than that, she was also deeply in awe at how the young man was willing to stand against the Sanctum of Sages for the sake of his student. She earnestly hoped to lend him her strength. Very well, allow me to thank you on Zhao Yas behalf then! Seeing that the other party had made up her mind, Zhang Xuan nodded. Is there anyone in the cier in Court whom you are closer with that has a high standing? I think we should start tackling the matter from there. Perhaps, we might be able to find some clues. First and foremost, he would have to uncover what had happened to Zhao Ya before he could start designing some countermeasures. But to hear about matters in the cier in Court, it went without saying that they would need someone on the inside. Chen Leyao pondered for a long while before saying, Those who are closer to me are of the younger generation, so I doubt that they will know much about the plight of the young court chief. However, theres a certain elder whom I happen to be closer with. She has always been very caring to me, so I think I could try asking her. Elder? Whats her cultivation realm? Zhang Xuan asked. Saint 8-dan advanced stage. She isnt too strong among the elders, but shes in charge of managing the basic necessities in the cier in Court. If something has happened to the young court chief, I think she would know, Chen Leyao said. I see. Very well, bring me to meet her! Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though the elder whom Chen Leyao spoke of did not have too high a position, being in charge of the basic necessities, she should have a good grasp over the happenings in there. If something had happened to Zhao Ya, she definitely would have heard of it. Considering how night has set in, I think she should be resting in her amodation at the moment. However, her amodation is located in the depths of the cier in Court, so it might not be easy to slip in at the moment, Chen Leyao said with a deep frown. Judging from the time, the cier in Court would have already closed its gates. As such, it would not be easy for them to get in. Can you invite her out for a meeting? Zhang Xuan asked. Chen Leyao shook her head and replied, It wont be easy. The rules of the cier in Court are enforced quite strictly. Even though shes an elder, she still wont leave the cier in Court easily. However, she will head out at dawn to procure fruits, vegetables, and the sort, so we should be able to get to her then! Dawn? Zhang Xuan frowned. Theres still six more hours before dawn. Too many things can happen within six hours; I cant wait that long. Is there any other way to get to her? Time was of the utmost importance. Until they finally uncovered what had happened to Zhao Ya, they could not waste a single second. This... Chen Leyao fell silent. She had always been one of the more obedient ones in the cier in Court, so she had no experience of sneaking out at night before. As a result, she found herselfpletely stumped by Zhang Xuans question. The elder you spoke of should have a certain supplier whom she works with in order to procure rations for the cier in Court, right? As one of the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent, the cier in Court only takes in high-quality rations that are cultivated by professionals and contain minimal impurities, Chen Leyao said. To be honest, Im not too sure whom the supplier is, but from what I know, the only supplier in the City of cier that has the ability to meet the cier in Courts needs is the Han n! They are also thergest n here. Therger a power was, the more stringent their demand on rations would be. In order to cultivate their younger generation, it was important to pay careful attention to their diet, so they would not simply purchase any food from roadside vendors. Besides, this was also a security issue. Otherwise, if someoneced their vegetables with poison, would the entire organization not be done in? As such, it was certain that they would have a specific supplier. The Han n? Do you know where they live? Zhang Xuan asked. Understanding Zhang Xuans intention, Chen Leyao nodded. Yes, I know where they are. It might be difficult for her to invite the elder out, but if the supplier was the one to do the inviting instead, it should be much easier. Lead the way! Zhang Xuan nodded. The two of them swiftly strode through several streets, and roughly ten minutester, a resplendent manor appeared before their eyes. Zhang shi, this is the Han n! Chen Leyao introduced. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded as he examined the massive manor before him. To be qualified to supply rations to one of the top powers of the Master Teacher Continent, the Han n was certainly quite a powerful n. Send in a name scroll! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. It was clearly not viable to barge into the n. Besides, if he caused a hugemotion, it could cause more trouble than it would be worth. For the time being, it would be best to get the person-in-charge to meet him willingly. Name scroll? Do I put down my name? Chen Leyao was taken aback. While she was indeed one of the more talented disciples in the cier in Court, the other party was a figure who was able to talk on equal terms with an elder of the cier in Court. Considering the ungodly hour that they hade knocking, it was not too likely that they would be able to meet the master of the manor. Use my name instead! Zhang Xuan said. Yours? Chen Leyao widened her eyes in astonishment. While Zhang Xuan was the young court chiefs teacher, this was something that was only known by very few members of the cier in Court, so he did not have much fame. And more importantly, he had just gotten into a conflict with the Sanctum of Sages, so was it not too dangerous to use that name? Pardon me for saying this, Zhang shi, but I dont think your name will work either... However, before she could finish her words, Zhang shi suddenly turned around, and a foreign face came into her sightthe other party had morphed his appearance into that of a middle-aged man with yellowish skin tone. With a perfectly nonchnt expression, he said, From now on, my name is... Yang Xuan! Chapter 1490 - Han Shuiliu

Chapter 1490: Han Shuiliu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yang Xuan? It took a moment before Chen Leyao processed what Zhang Xuan was saying, and she was nearly scared out of her wits. Y-you... are going to use Yang shis name? Yang Xuanthere was no way she could not have heard of this name before. The number one grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters that carried the reputation of being the number one expert of the Master Teacher Continent, he was a figure that most could only look up to... but Zhang Xuan was going to use his name? Even if hes your teacher, you cant just borrow his name like that, right? This is the only way we can get the head of the Han n to meet us, Zhang Xuan said. Given that Zhao Ya is his grandstudent, he should be fine with it... I guess. Chen Leyao was still a little uncertain about this matter. The young man before her was simply too daring. It was one thing to make a move on the elders of the Sanctum of Sages, but to act as his own teacher as well... It would still be fine if he did not get exposed, but if others found out about it, this was a matter that would bring even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters into the picture! All of a sudden, Chen Leyao found herself regretting having agreed to help him. At this rate, there was no telling what kind of mess this brazen man would stir up. Dont worry, itll be fine! Seeing Chen Leyaos expression, Zhang Xuan could tell what she was worried about, so he waved his hands reassuringly. He was already ustomed to impersonating Yang Xuan, and he was confident that he would be able to deal with whatever the other party threw his way. Given the current circumstances, his name would not be of much use. However, if he brought the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Yang Xuan into the picture, he would be able to swiftly get people to do his bidding, and that should allow him to quickly uncover Zhao Yas whereabouts. In any case, the real Yang Xuan should still be in seclusion in the Zhang n. Considering how the other party still had not emerged when he left, it was unlikely that the other party would be out anytime soon. Given so, there was nothing for him to worry about. Very well then... Knowing that she was already onboard this darned ship and was unable to back down anymore, Chen Leyao resignedly took out a scroll and began writing on it. Theres no need to write Master Teacher Pavilion. Just the two words, Yang Xuan will do! Zhang Xuan instructed. Very well! Chen Leyao was not sure why Zhang Xuan would make such a request, but she felt that the other party would have his own motive for making such a request, so she took out a new scroll and began writing on it once more. After she was done, she walked up to the door and knocked on it. Jiya! A guard opened the door and shot Chen Leyao a questioning gaze. Our old master wishes to pay a visit to your master! I ask of you to pass this name scroll to him, Chen Leyao said as she passed the scroll over. Look at the time! Our old master is already resting in his room, so if you have any business, please return tomorrow! The guard shook his head, refusing to take the name scroll. At the guards rejection, Chen Leyao flicked her wrist and shed a token to the guard. I advise you take the name scroll and have your master take a look at it. Should there be any dy in this matter, a mere guard like you wont be able to take responsibility! You are an inner disciple of the cier in Court? The guard might not know who Yang Xuan was, but he could at least recognize the token. rmed, he hurriedly epted the name scroll and said, Please wait here in our main hall for a moment. Ill ry your name scroll to the master! A person whom even an inner disciple of the cier in Court had to address as old master must at least be the equivalent of an elder at the very least. A guard like him could not afford to offend such a figure. Un. Chen Leyao put away her token before walking back to Zhang Xuan and taking her position behind him. Under the lead of the guard, the two of them slowly made their way into the courtyard and took a seat in the main hall. After preparing some tea for the two guests, the guard quickly rushed over to the n heads room. Despite thete hour, the n head had yet to turn in for the night, still busy discussing something with the n elders. The guard quickly walked into the room and sped his fist. Master, someone requests your presence! At this hour? Who is it? the head of the Han n, Han Shuiliu, asked with a frown. This is his name scroll. Not daring to say too much, the guard quickly passed the name scroll over. Han Shuiliu took the name scroll and opened it slowly. There were only two words written on itYang Xuan. Yang Xuan? Han Shuiliu was bewildered to see such an uninformative name scroll. What kind of background does that person have? The purpose of a name scroll was to express ones identity to the other party, so he had never seen such a name scroll consisting of just a single name before. The guard pondered for a moment. Hes a middle-aged man dressed in a master teacher robe. He doesnt have an emblem on, so Im not too sure what his master teacher rank is... A master teacher without an emblem? Han Shuiliu was even more perplexed. Master teachers would usually pin their emblem on their chest to allow others to recognize them. To hand over a name scroll consisting of just a name and not pin his emblem on his chest, and more importantly, toe knocking at such an ungodly hour... just who could that fellow be? Hes probably some arrogant brat who came to try his luck. Unable to make sense of the situation, Han Shuiliu ced the name scroll on the table and instructed, Tell him toe again tomorrow morning and send him away! But Master, that Yang shis subordinate is an inner member of the cier in court! the guard quickly said. His subordinate is an inner member of the cier in Court? Han Shuilius expression froze in ce. A master teacher, Yang Xuan... Could it be... could it be... As he muttered beneath his breath, his face gradually warped into one of utter shock. ... him? n head, who are you talking about? one of the elders asked. The other elders who had been conferencing with Han Shuiliu earlier also shot doubtful gazes over. Han Shuiliu turned to the elders and said, If I recall correctly, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has a legendary grand elder whom few have ever met, and his name happens to be Yang Xuan. Could that person be him? Grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Thats a figure who lives in the cloudstheres no way he would pay a visit to mere mortals like us. The elder shook his head. While their Han n was of considerable standing in the City of cier and wielded considerable influence in the cier in Court, still, inparison to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it was not even worth mentioning. There was no way a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would pay them a visit, let alone hand over a name scroll. The very notion of this was simply too ridiculous to be true! I also dont think that its likely, but that person is a master teacher and is named Yang Xuan. I cant think of another person who fits... Han Shuiliu shook his head. I think you should alle out to greet him with me. Its one thing if he isnt that man, but if he really is and we fail to wee him properly, our Han n would be in jeopardy. It was rtivelymon to see two people with the same name on the Master Teacher Continent, but Yang Xuan was a rather rare name, and he did not know of another master teacher who went by that name. While he felt that the matter was very unlikely, he did not want to take chances. As a small n, it was best for them to tread carefully. Un! The other elders nodded as they swiftly followed Han Shuiliu out of the room. Soon, they arrived in the main hall and saw a middle-aged man with slightly yellowish skin sitting by the side, nonchntly sipping on his tea. As soon as he entered the room, Han Liushui immediately sped his fist and asked, May I know if you are Yang shi? His cultivation had already reached Saint 8-dan pinnacle, but to his astonishment, he was unable to gauge the depths of the other partys cultivation. His aura felt ordinary, but hidden amid the ordinary was a certain vibe that sent shudders running through his heart. It was hard to describe that feeling, but it was like facing a dormant volcano. One might not even pay it a second nce usually, but once it began erupting, it would definitely end with a catastrophe. Even with thebined might of the entire Han n, Han Shuiliu was not sure if he would be able to stand against him. I happened to pass by this area, and there were some things that I would like to enquire about. Pardon me for imposing on you at this hour, Zhang Xuan said as he slowly rose to his feet. It was the same gesture that Han Liushui had done, sping of fist, but there was a natural air of loftiness in his actions. It was not an intentional action, but it seemed to emanate the air of a lonesome expert. Expert! He must definitely be an expert! Han Liushui narrowed his eyes in shock. Chapter 1491 - Three Birds with One Stone

Chapter 1491: Three Birds with One Stone

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While the other party had not revealed his exact strength so far, much could be said just by the natural majesty that hemanded. It was clear that he had experienced the vicissitudes of life and braved through countless storms. Even if the other party was not the legendary Yang shi, it was likely that he was of considerable standing, someone a small n like them could not offend. Understanding this, Han Shuiliu immediately humbled himself and said, Yang shi, theres no need to stand on ceremony! Its the honor of our Han n to have you here. May I know what you need to ask of us? As long as its within the means of our Han n, we will definitely try our utmost to aplish it! Its nothing much. I happened to be passing by the area when a saint beast attempted to attack me, so I swiftly subdued it. But in light of the fact that it wasnt an intentional act on its part and that it expressed willingness to submit to me, I decided to treat its injuries. However, I never bring medicine on me during my travels, and I happened to hear that the Han n has an inventory of medicinal herbs, so I came over hoping to request some! Zhang Xuan said with a slight smile. Medicinal herbs? Han Shuiliu nodded. May I know what saint beast it is, and what kind of medicinal herbs does it require? As each saint beast had its own constitution, the medicinal herbs they required to treat the same injury could be different. For one, fire attribute medicinal herbs would be more effective for the Inferno Qilin whereas the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would do better with cold attribute medicinal herbs. Only by learning what kind of saint beast they were dealing with would they be able to retrieve the medicinal herb that it required. Its them... Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his wrist, and two saint beasts immediately appeared right in the middle of the main hall. As soon as they appeared, a fearsome aura immediately filled the room, leaving one feeling as if the entire main hall would be flipped upside down. Saint 9-dan Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast? Saint 9-dan pinnacle Inferno Qilin? He was actually able to injure those two saint beasts without sustaining any injuries? ... Seeing the two massive fellows appearing all of a sudden, the room suddenly plunged into silence. The elders of the Han n began shivering involuntarily out of fear. It was just a moment ago that some of them had felt that the n head was making a big fuss bying over to greet the guest personally, but after seeing the two gigantic saint beasts, such thoughts were utterly vanquished from their minds. To be able to wound Saint 9-dan beasts so easily, not to mention the utter nonchnce he had when speaking of the matter, as if it was nothing at all... just how powerful was he? Just imagining it was enough to make their guts churn in horror! Ill require a Rubysun Grass, Amityfire Flower, Green-leafed Violet Stem, Pristine Vine... ... That should be all. After stating roughly a dozen medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed, Their injuries are truly regrettable. I failed to control my strength well and identally exerted a tenth more, resulting in this unfortunate oue. It seems like I really should pay careful attention to this in the future! Just by exerting a tenth more strength, he was able to cause this much damage to the two Saint 9-dan beasts? Han Shuiliu gulped unconsciously. He swiftly went through the herbs that the other party had stated, and a momentter, hisplexion suddenly turned a little awful. With a slightly hesitant voice, he sped his fist and said, Yang shi, regarding those medicinal herbs... Rest assured. Since Im asking for them, Illpensate you ording to the market rate, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Thats not what I mean, Han Shuiliu quickly rified. Of the medicinal herbs that you have listed, Im afraid that we can only procure seven of them. It might be beyond our means to procure the other eight... You can only procure seven of them? A frown slowly etched its way onto Zhang Xuans brows. It was a subtle gesture, but it fully disyed his displeasure. In an instant, the surrounding air turned viscous, stifling the breath of everyone in the room. A powerful aura that seemed as if it would tear even the world apart abruptly burst forth from the middle-aged man. Geji! Geji! Under this suffocating aura, Han Shuiliu and other elders could not stop trembling. It was as if a mountain was sitting on their shoulders, pushing them down onto the ground. Ah. Pardon me, my thoughts wandered... Just as they were about to reach their limits, the frown on the middle-aged man suddenly cleared, turning back into a slight smile. And just like that, the tempest that they were in vanished altogether, as if the pressure they had felt earlier was just a figment of their imagination. I-its fine... As the pressure vanished, Han Shuiliu and the other elders swiftly noticed that their robes were firmly clinging onto their sweat-soaked backs, and they could hardly suppress their shock. I didnt mean to rm you. I was just thinking of how inconvenient it would be for these two pitiful fellows to recover without the required medicinal herb that I lost control of myself for a moment. Zhang Xuan shook his head apologetically. As the saying goes, worry provokes mayhem. After experiencing the fearsome might of the middle-aged man, how could Han Shuiliu dare to say no anymore? Gritting his teeth, he said, Actually, Yang shi, there might be a way to procure those herbs. Our Han n might not have them, but the cier in Court might have them. If you really need them, Yang shi, Im willing to enquire on your behalf. Given our Han ns rtionship with the cier in Court, this shouldnt be too difficult! Is that so? Zhang Xuan shot a nce at Han Shuiliu. Yes, Yang shi! Han Shuiliu nodded. Our Han n has always been responsible for procuring the rations of the cier in Court, so we have a close working rtionship with Elder Bai. Given our ties, it shouldnt be too difficult to engage her help for this matter! Ill be counting on you, n Head Han! I dont mean to urge you, but I require the medicinal herbs as soon as possible. Is it possible for you to contact Elder Bai and have her send the medicinal herbs over right now? While the injuries sustained by these two saint beasts might not be too severe, it might leave behind some trauma if their treatment is dyed for too long! Zhang Xuan said. Of course, of course! That wont be a problem at all! Yang shi, please give me a moment as I contact Elder Bai right now to have her deliver the medicinal herbs! Han Shuiliu swiftly nodded. Also, I dont like to cause a huge fuss over nothing, so... I understand! Ill make sure to keep your identity a secret! Han Shuiliu replied before swiftly taking his leave. At the same time, the other elders swiftly got into action as well. They arranged for the other party to take a seat in the most resplendent room in the Han n and readied their finest tea. How impressive... Watching as everything unfold before her eyes, Chen Leyao was shocked beyond words. Her red lips remained agape for a very long time. What incredible slyness this was! Through showcasing the Inferno Qilin and the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, not only was he able to fully convince the Han n of his standing, he was also able to make use of this to utilize the Han ns connections to gather the medicinal herbs required for their recovery... and more importantly, he even managed to use it as an excuse that was not too abrupt to have them invite Elder Bai over! Three birds with one stone! Inparison, her initial thought of Zhang Xuan requesting the Han n to help them contact Elder Bai was truly crude and possibly infeasible. After all, for an unfathomably powerful master teacher to name an elder of the cier in Court and request to meet her... such an action would surely draw suspicion. And once the news reached the ears of the cier in Court, it would surely rm them. By using his tamed beasts as an excuse, he was able to conceal his true intention and achieve his goal without drawing any suspicion. This was truly cunning! Had she not seen Zhang Xuan altering his appearance, she would have thought that Yang shi hade in person! While sipping leisurely on the fine tea prepared, roughly ten minutester, Han Shuiliu suddenly walked in with a middle-ageddy wearing a hat. Yang shi, Elder Bai is here! Han Shuiliu swiftly walked forward and sped his fist. Zhang Xuan nodded, but just as he was about to speak, the middle-ageddy suddenly frowned as she caught sight of the youngdy standing beside him and asked, Leyao, what are you doing here? Chapter 1492 - Earth Vein Lotus

Chapter 1492: Earth Vein Lotus

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Chen Leyao had gone to the Sanctum of Sages; this was something that the entire cier in Court knew. Why would she suddenly appear here when barely three months had passed since then? Elder Bai, I have followed Yang shi here in order to... deal with some matters! Chen Leyao swiftly got up and greeted Elder Bai. This was the elder whom she was closest with in the cier in Court. She didnt wish to lie to her. Yang shi? At this moment, Elder Bai finally turned her gaze toward Zhang Xuan. The middle-aged man before her didnt seem to be too old, but his cultivation was like an abyss. She found that she was unable to gauge the depth of his strength. I have heard of many Yang shis, may I know who you are? Elder Bai frowned in hostility. Chen Leyao was one of the disciples which the cier in Court had devoted its resources to grooming, and yet, instead of cultivating diligently in the Sanctum of Sages, this fellow actually brought her back here. This had made her a little displeased. I am Yang Xuan, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Yang Xuan? Which Yang Xuan? Elder Bai replied instinctively when a momentter, her eyebrows shot up as she uttered in astonishment, Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Yang Xuan? Hahaha! Zhang Xuan didnt respond to Elder Bais question, choosing to chuckle softly instead. He stood up and said, Elder Bai, you have a glowingplexion, but it seems like you have an energy clot in your Tuihai acupoint, resulting in a sh in the searing and cold energies in your body. If Im not mistaken... the hair beneath your hat has already on the color of snow, am I right? You... Elder Bai widened her eyes in shock. She had always appeared before others with a hat on her head in order to conceal her snowy hair, and even the disciple whom she favored the most, Chen Leyao, was unaware of this matter. Yet, the middle-aged man before her was able to see through it with a simple nce? Theres no need to geet nervous. Execute a punching routine. Paying no heed to Elder Bais shock, Zhang Xuan took two steps forward as he spoke with a calming voice. Upon hearing those words. Elder Bais expression suddenly turned dazed for a moment, and before she realized it, she had already executed a punch. Upon realization of what had just happened, her face turned livid in anger and embarrassment, but just as she was about to berate the other party, the other party had already begun speaking once more, You have practiced your Arctic Arcane Art since young, and as you have nevere into contact with the opposite gender, guarding the purity of your yin through such, you were able to bring out the full prowess of the cultivation technique. However... have you noticed that you are unable to advance your cultivation by even the slightest bit anymore? No matter how many pills you consume or how many master teachers you consult, you just arent able to make the breakthrough to Macrocosm Ascendancy realm! You... How did you know? Horrified by having her secrets exposed by a stranger, Elder Bai couldnt help but take a step back. It had been a long while since she had reached Saint 8-dan pinnacle, but for some reason, she was simply unable to make a breakthrough to the next realm. She had tried many methods, but all of them turned out to be futile in the end. By now, she had alreadypletely given up hope. Just that, she had only mentioned this matter to the elders whom she was closest with in the cier in Court, and yet, for a stranger to know of all this as well... Did he really analyze all of this from her punch? Surely there would be no one in the world with such prating eyes! Macrocosm in Macrocosm Ascendancy realm refers to the spatial world we perceive that is formed by the three dimensions. In order to grasp the concept of the macrocosm, one must possess a deep understanding of the spatialws. While the Arctic Arcane Art is indeed a fairly powerful cultivation technique, it would require one to use frost as a catalyst to induce an impetus for a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm, but such a method of breakthrough happens to be ipatible with your disposition. As a result, it caused an uneven distribution of the hot and cold energies in your body, and the strain your body is under has resulted in the premature whitening of your hair... At this point, Zhang Xuan raised his eyelids and asked, Do you experience feelings of irritation when you cultivate at night, resulting in your inability to calm down? Does your body experience inner heat seizures from time to time? This... Yes, thats true... Elder Bai was intending to refute his words, but after a slight moment of hesitation, she eventually nodded in admittance. With a doubtful look, she asked, Yang shi, may I know what do you mean by disposition? I have practiced the Arctic Arcane Art for more than a century now, but nothing has happened in the past. Why would the issue of ipatibility suddenly crop up at this moment? Since the other party was able to see through the root of her problem, she felt that this could be a good opportunity to resolve this long-term ailment that had put her through great suffering. Thus, she decided to not to conceal it anymore. Just that, what the other party had said left her feeling slightly perplexed. She had cultivated the Arctic Arcane Art for many years now, and never had she faced any problem with it. Why would there be an ipatibility all of a sudden? And also, what did the other party mean by the word, disposition? By disposition, Im referring to the force field that you generate around you. Its something thats affected by the cultivation technique you practice, your personal habits, and even your surroundings! Zhang Xuan exined. Your constitution harnesses the yin attribute, so its indeed suited to cultivate the Arctic Arcane Art. Then... Elder Bai frowned in confusion. Even Chen Leyao had no idea what Zhang Xuan was driving at too. It was just a moment ago that he said that her disposition wasntpatible with the cultivation technique, so why would he say that her constitution waspatible now? Calm down and allow me to exin. Theres indeed no problem with your constitution; the problemys in the change in your disposition! Zhang Xuan said. Change in my disposition? Indeed. If Im not mistaken, after your cultivation reached Saint 8-dan, did you start cultivating a Earth Vein Lotus in your own residence? Zhang Xuan asked. That... Yes, thats right! Elder Bai nodded. The seeds of the Earth Vein Lotus does have the effect of eternalizing ones youthful appearance, so its a popr nt to cultivate amongst thedies. I can understand why you would want to cultivate one as well, but do you know that the Earth Vein Lotus doesnt just survive by taking in the energy from the earth veins? More than that, it requires the nourishment of earth mes in order to mature! While it only takes in a small flicker, thats already more than sufficient to change the environment you live in, causing the surrounding force field to take on a fire attribute. A day or two wouldnt cause too much harm, but with your Arctic Arcane Art and cold attribute constitution, a huge problem would arise when you are exposed to such an environment in the long run! The fire attribute will slowly umte within your body. If you are married, you might still be able to expel it out, but the act of guarding the purity of your yin has also caused the fire poison to be trapped in your body as well. As a result, when you cultivate the Arctic Arcane Art, your cold energy would collide with the fire poison umted in your body, resulting in your hair taking on a snowy color. At the same time, the clots resulted from the sh causes your zhenqi to be trapped as well. As a result, no matter how you cultivate, you arent able to achieve a breakthrough... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. This... Elder Bais eyes widened in shock as she staggered weakly backward. She couldnt say for sure whether the other party was right or not, but it was indeed true that there was an Earth Vein Lotus nted in her courtyard, and there were also several clots in her meridians that impeded her flow of zhenqi. Thinking back, her condition also seemed to have started after she began cultivating the lotus... Could the other party be right? What should I do then? Yang shi, please enlighten me! At this point, Elder Bai already harbored no doubts about the capabilities of the middle-aged man before her. Previously, she still thought that it was impossible for that legendary man toe to a ce like this, but the very feat that the middle-aged man standing before her had achieved, discerning the root of her ailment with absolute ease, showed that his eye of discernment far surpassed that ofmon 9-star master teachers... She couldnt fathom anyone else other than that legendary man who would possess such incredible capabilities! Simple. Destroy the Earth Vein Lotus you have nted in your courtyard and soak yourself in the cier Lake for a whole month. Not only will your afflictions be resolved, youll also have no trouble reaching Macrocosm Ascendancy realm afterward! At this point, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly before continuing on, Alternatively, if you arent able to endure a month in the cier Lake, you can also find a man to reconcile your yin and yang. You should be able to resolve the problem within three days! This... Elder Bais face reddened upon hearing those words, and she hurriedly shook her head. Ill endure a month in the cier Lake! Having lived a life of purity up to this day, she wouldnt break something she had insisted on just because of her affliction, especially when there was an alternative solution. There was a brief moment of silence before Elder Bai spoke up once more, Yang shi, given your standing and strength, even if your saint beasts are injured, you should be more than capable of treating them without medicinal herbs, right? Besides, even if you require medicinal herbs, you also dont need me to deliver it personally either, right? May I know the reason why you have invited me over in such a roundabout manner? While everything seemed to fit rationally, as an elder of one of the powerful cier in Court, Elder Bai was highly experienced and worldly. On top of that, the fact that Chen Leyao was together with him was a huge anomaly too. Putting all of the clues together, she was able to keenly notice that something was amiss. Chapter 1493 - Threat

Chapter 1493: Threat

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 She was not considered to be too powerful among the elders of the cier in Court, and under normal circumstances, even till the day of her death, it was highly unlikely for her toe into contact with someone of Yang shis level. However, with the fact that Chen Leyao was with him and the message that n Head Han Shuiliu had sent over, everything seemed to be pointing toward that direction. Elder Bai is indeed a candid person! Knowing that it was impossible to conceal it anymore, Zhang Xuan chose to admit to the matter frankly. With a smile, he shot a nce at Han Shuiliu and the other elders of the Han n and said, n Head Han, you have my gratitude for rying the message. Yang shi, theres no need to stand on ceremony. Its the Han ns honor to be able to work on your behalf! Han Shuiliu quickly sped his fist respectfully. The middle-aged man standing before him was a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Given that even Elder Bai had acknowledged it, his identity could not possibly be fake. If it were to be known that the Han n had some ties with Yang Xuan, even if it was just a brief contact, its standing could be elevated to a whole new level! For one, its enemies would hesitate to challenge them for fear of retribution from Yang Xuan. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded before he retracted his smile, looked away, and fell silent. Seeing the look on his face, Han Liushui swiftly understood what was going on and quickly sped his fist. There are still a couple of matters that we have to attend to, so well be taking our leave now. After saying those words, he left together with the elders. Clearly, the words of thanks that Yang shi had said earlier were an indirect way of dismissing them. If they did not leave soon, they could very well incur his rage. Soon, only Elder Bai and Chen Leyao were left in the room. Turning away, Zhang Xuan walked over to the main seat and sat down before turning his gaze back to Elder Bai. Since Elder Bai has already guessed it, I shant beat around the bush anymore. Zhao Ya is my grandstudent! There was still no discernible change in his expression, but for some reason, the air around him suddenly grew pressurizing. The young court chief... is Yang shis grandstudent? Elder Bai was rmed. Clearly, this was the first time that she had heard of this matter. Indeed. How has she been doing? I wish to hear nothing but the truth, Zhang Xuan said. This... Elder Bais face paled. She was at a loss as to how she should respond to Zhang Xuans question. I received a message saying that shes in danger. Since shes the young court chief of the cier in Court, I believe you should know the truth very well! As Zhang Xuan spoke, one could hear his voice growing more and more wintry. He tapped his finger on the table periodically, but as time went by, this seemingly simple gesture seemed to carry a tinge of impatience and even fury to it. You know my identity. Every move I make represents the will of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. I dont want to cause too much trouble, which is why I chose toe to the Han n to invite you over. Otherwise, if I were to go straight to your First Elder and question her on the matter, I believe there is anyone in this world who would dare snub me! I... Elder Bai quivered in fear. The very fact that the other party had not taken out his identity token nor marched straight into the cier in Court was a sign that he intended to resolve this matter discreetly without rming too many master teachers. Otherwise, given his identity, a singlemand would be all it took for the cier in Court to cease to exist. Ill give you some time to think it over, but know that my patience has its limits. If you cant give me the answer I want, the cier in Court will be my next destination. Someone as intelligent as you should understand what kind of implications will arise from that without having me to exin it. I understand... Elder Bai felt a cold shudder running through her spine upon hearing those words. She hesitated for a brief moment before gritting her teeth in determination. Something did happen to the young court chief. Earlier in the afternoon, the First Elder passed a decreemanding the Fourth Elder, Fifth Elder, and Seventh Elder to make a move together in order to suppress and imprison her in the Chanting Serenity Hall 1 , not allowing her to leave the area or evenmunicate with anyone. This matter is the highest secret of our cier in Court, and not even elders are allowed to speak of the matter, or else... they will be killed without fail! Chanting Serenity Hall? But thats a ce where prisoners are locked in! Just what kind of mistake did the young court chief make to deserve such treatment? Chen Leyao eximed in astonishment. While she had guessed that something might have happened within the cier in Court, she could still hardly believe her ears when hearing of it from Elder Bai. The Chanting Serenity Hall was a ce used by the cier in Court to imprison sinners, and most of those who were ced in there were those who hadmitted unpardonable crimes. Before she left the ce, the young court chief had still been the hope and future of the cier in Court. So, why would she be imprisoned all of a sudden? Leyao, you also know that my identity is rather awkward in the cier in Court, so I dont really know much about whats happening among the upper echelon within the court. I dont know what kind of mistake the young court chief has made, but its a fact that the three elders have apprehended the young court chief and bound her in the Heaven Sealing Lock, Elder Bai replied. Heaven Sealing Lock? Zhang Xuans body tensed up upon hearing those three words. He had read a brief introduction about the artifact in a book back in the Sanctum of Sages. The Heaven Sealing Lock was a kind of torture tool used only on the most contemptible of sinners. Not only would the individuals meridians be sealed, preventing them from exerting any strength, they would also have to suffer grievous pain each and every day. Never had he imagined that Zhao Ya would one day be subjected to such a vile torture tool! This was truly intolerable! Feeling the icy-cold aura that the middle-aged man before her was emanating, Elder Bai instinctively cowered backward in fear before quickly adding, Yang shi, despite what has happened, I ask you to rest assured that theres no threat to the young court chiefs life. Just earlier on, the First Elder instructed me to prepare some fine dishes to deliver them to the young court chief periodically so as to ensure that she doesnt starve. She had no idea why the First Elder would make such a move on the young court chief, but judging from the First Elders attitude, it did not seem like she truly intended to harm the young court chief. Thus, there should not be any threat to the young court chiefs life at all. Most likely, it was just some kind of punishment. Bring me to meet her! Zhang Xuan ordered with a wintry voice. Meet her? This... A look of hesitation surfaced on Elder Bais face. The First Elder is supervising her imprisonment personally at the moment, and only during mealtimes am I able to get close to her. Otherwise, not even Ill be able to get past the security the First Elder has set up... I understand. You just have to bring me to the cier in Court and direct me to the Chanting Serenity Hall, thats all. You dont have to bother about what happens afterward. Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently. As long as he could uncover where Zhao Ya was, with his ability, he should be able to figure out a way to save her. Of course, he would have to rify what had happened with Zhao Ya in person first before proceeding with any further action. If it turned out to be some kind of training to temper Zhao Yas mind and body, no matter how much he doted on her, he would not get in the way. A look of deliberation appeared on Elder Bais face as she lowered her gaze in uncertainty. Knowing that Elder Bai was worried of the consequences of her action, Zhang Xuan coldly added, If you are reluctant to do it, its fine by me as well. Ill just have to walk into the cier in Court through the main gates and demand Zhao Yas release. However, Im sure you understand the differences between the two courses of action! I... Elder Bai had truly been put in a tough position. If she brought the other party in, that would be equivalent to betraying the First Elder. But if she refused, the other party was a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! If he blew his top, it could bring endless cmity to the cier in Court. The cier in Court might even be destroyed! The other party was simply too strong. Even as a lone individual, it was questionable whether the entire cier in Court would be a match for him! Rest assured, I only want to pay a visit to my grandstudent so as to rify the situation. If she has indeed erred, I have no intentions of covering up for her. However, if I find out that the fault lies in the cier in Court, I might have to pay that so-called First Elder of yours a visit and have a good talk with her about revising the rules! Zhang Xuan said with narrowed eyes. It was still the same nonchnt voice that he was speaking in, but amid the nonchnce was an unconceble air of dominance. It felt like the other party would teach the cier in Court an unforgettable lesson if they had wronged Zhao Ya in the slightest. This... Hearing those words, Elder Bai could tell that the other party had already made up his mind. Very well. Yang shi, Ill bring you in! Chapter 1494 - Glacier Plain Court

Chapter 1494: cier in Court

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You have my gratitude, Elder Bai. Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Zhang Xuan stood up calmly as he discreetly sent a telepathic message to the youngdy behind him. Chen Leyao, you are an inner member of the cier in Court, so its best for you not to follow me anymore. Also, after I leave, dont linger around in the Han n. Leave the city first and wait for my notice. Due to Chen Leyaos identity, she would be put in a tough position if something happened between him and the cier in Court afterward. As for getting her to leave the city for the time being, that was on the off chance that his identity was exposed. This way, she would be in a much safer position. I understand. Chen Leyao nodded. After issuing those instructions, Zhang Xuan had the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and the Inferno Qilin move back into the Myriad Anthive Nest before following Elder Bai out of the Han n, heading straight toward the cier in Court. He had already fed the two saint beasts the medicinal herbs that the Han n and Elder Bai had prepared, and using his Heavens Path zhenqi in unison with the treatment, they were recovering fast. Nevertheless, it seemed like they would still need two to three days before they were able to make a full recovery. I should avoid bringing them out unless when Im truly cornered. In the fight with the First Elder of the Zhang n, the two saint beasts had already sustained considerable injuries. After which, they had shed with Zhan shi and the others, and the Inferno Qilin had even suffered the might of the Formation of the Sages directly. If not for their formidable physical resilience, they would have lost their lives by now! While the Heavens Path zhenqi could heal all injuries, it was a pity that his cultivation was only at Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle, so the effectiveness of his zhenqi on the wounds of Saint 9-dan cultivators was severely limited. Not to mention, the two saint beasts also possessed hulking physiques, so even if he expended all of his zhenqi on them, he still would not be able to nurse them back to full health. This meant that he should avoid bringing the two of them out unless the situation was truly dire. After flying for a moment, the two for them arrived before a huge cluster of buildings. At this point, Elder Bai turned her gaze over and said, Yang shi, we have arrived at the cier in Court. It has limited ess to outsiders, so Ill have to beg for your pardon in advance. Its fine. Zhang Xuan waved his hand as he examined his surroundings quietly. Most of the buildings ahead of him seemed to be made of a crystalline material, and they emanated a faint, forlorn light beneath the starry night sky. White snow drifted amid these crystal buildings, and there were some beautiful ice sculptures that could be seen here and there. It felt as if one had stepped into a world created of snow and ice. Thats a relief! Hearing that the middle-aged man did not mind, Elder Bai heaved a sigh of relief. She walked over to the gates, where two disciples of the cier in Court were stationed. Greetings, Elder Bai. May I know who the person beside you is? Recognizing Elder Bai, the two disciples quickly greeted her before directing doubtful gazes at the unfamiliar face beside. He is Han Chu of the Han n. Hes here to deliver resources, and we happen to have some important matters to discuss too, Elder Bai replied. I see! Hearing that the other party was from the Han n, the two disciples swiftly opened up the pathway for the both of them to enter. Zhang Xuan followed closely behind Elder Bai while advancing forward. An air of serene silence drifted within the cier in Court. There were not too many people around. After walking for some time, they finally arrived at an independent residence. This is where I live. Given my current authorization, Im afraid that I can only bring Yang shi up to this point. Even I dont have ess to ces beyond here, Elder Bai said as she pushed open the door and headed in. Its fine. Zhang Xuan nodded. You just have to tell me where the Chanting Serenity Hall is. As for the rest, Ill deal with it myself. He had never intended to have Elder Bai lead him straight in. Firstly, that would be putting thetter on the spot, and secondly, the more people there were, the easier they would be spotted. The Chanting Serenity Hall is southwest from here, roughly ten li away... Elder Bai quickly exined the rough location and the appearance of the building. Carefully remembering everything that Elder Bai had said, he headed into a room in the residence and set up a formation around him so as to prevent any outsiders from getting in before drawing his Primordial Spirit out. The cier in Court was filled with experts. With his current strength, it was impossible for him to get to Zhao Ya discreetly without rming anyone, so he could only depend on his Primordial Spirit. His Primordial Spirit was formless and intangible, which would allow him to bypass most formations and sentries, thus giving him a better chance of reaching the Chanting Serenity Hall safely. However, his Primordial Spirit was still a little too big at the moment, so he would have to be careful. After leaving the formation that he had constructed, Zhang Xuan made sure to stick close to the surface as he discreetly left the residence. Through his deep understanding of formations and the utilization of his Eye of Insight, he was able to bypass the surrounding formations without much problem. He advanced roughly ten li before a tall building came into his sight. This should be the Chanting Serenity Hall! The building before him fitted the description that Elder Bai had given him, so it should be where Zhao Ya was imprisoned. What a formidable formation! Examining the building closely, Zhang Xuan swiftly realized that there was an active formation shrouding the building, and if he just looked at it in terms of prowess, it was only slightly beneath that of the Sanctum of Sages Guardian Formation. As formidable as it is, it has far more ws than the Sanctum of Sages Guardian Formation. It wont be difficult for me to slip past it... In the eyes of others, the powerful formation cast over the Chanting Serenity Hall might appear to be unbreachable, but in Zhang Xuans eyes, it was riddled with loopholes. As powerful as it was, there were simply too many ways he could use to circumvent it. He began making his way toward the formation, preparing to slip in, but just as he was about to make a move, he heard footsteps crunching on snow from afar. He quickly dove into the pile of snow not too far away to hide himself. Just a moment after he was fully concealed, he immediately saw two figures appearing before him. They were both female, and from their backs, it was difficult to gauge their age. Nevertheless, from their revealed skin, it was apparent that that they were not too young. They are strong! Even though the two of them were not intentionally showcasing their strength, Zhang Xuan could still feel imposing might harnessed within their bodies. This was especially so for thedy standing on the left. Her strength could notpete directly with the First Elder of the Zhang n, but at the very least, she was around Zhang Wuchens level, which meant that she was an expert who had surpassed Saint 9-dan. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Could she be the First Elder of the cier in Court? He had intended to find Zhao Ya discreetly without anyone noticing, but he had ended up meeting this fellow first. If she truly was the First Elder, he would be in deep trouble if he was noticed by her. At the very least, he did not wield the power to oppose her yet. How is it? What did she say? While Zhang Xuans mind was still wandering, he suddenly heard the First Elder speaking in a hushed voice. She isnt giving in yet! the other figure replied. The First Elder harrumphed coldly. Humph, she has no choice in this matter. It is because I was too lenient the previous time around that her mother managed to get away. It wont happen again! But... if she doesnt cave in, we cant just continue keeping her imprisoned like this either! the other figure said. Dont worry, I have my own ways. For the time being, we should first lock her up for two days and make her suffer a bit! The First Elder waved her hand and said, Right, doesnt she have a teacher? It seems like she does respect him quite a bit. Try to find a way to capture him here and use him as a hostage to force her toply! Her teacher? You mean Zhang Xuan? But hes the benefactor of our cier in Court! What about that? You also know how important this matter is. As long as we seed, the cier in Court will be able to be brought to a whole new level. I wont allow anyone to stand in the way at this point in time! The First Elder flung her hand backward majestically. Hidden in the snow, Zhang Xuans face darkened upon hearing those words.They intend to capture me? The fluctuations in Zhang Xuans emotions swiftly caught the First Elders attention. She immediately turned her head around and stared intently at the pile of snow where Zhang Xuan was hiding in. Who is it? Chapter 1495 - Teacher, I Miss You

Chapter 1495: Teacher, I Miss You

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What? Under the First Elders gaze, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit stiffened. He quickly curled up and drove his Soul Depth to enter the state of Heart of Tranquil Water, concealing everyst hint of emotion and aura he was emanating. Despite the massive size of his Primordial Spirit, after cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art and undergoing the tempering of multiple lightning ordeals, it had already grown as wholesome as a crystal. As long as he did not intentionally release any trace of himself, it would be difficult for Saint 9-dan cultivators or even experts stronger than that to notice his presence. Whats wrong, First Elder? Surprised by the abrupt actions of the First Elder, the other figure quickly turned her head around to examine the surroundings as well. With her keen eyes, the First Elder examined the pile of snow closely and even scanned the area using her Spiritual Perception, but in the end, she could not find anything at all. Thus, she could only rub her be and say, Its nothing much. It might be due to myck of sleep recently that Ive gotten a little too sensitive. She was certain that she had felt some fluctuations in the surroundings earlier, but when she tried to check it, the presence had vanished altogether. However, she did not think that there was anyone in this world who was capable of escaping her detection, so since she was unable to find anything, it could very well just have been her imagination. Seeing that the First Elder had not found anything, the other party replied with a chuckle, While the security of the cier in Court cant bepared to that of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it still isnt a ce that just anyone can enter. First Elder, you need not think too much about it! Un. The First Elder nodded slowly before continuing to advance toward the Chanting Serenity Hall. She really is the First Elder! When the duo was finally some distance away, Zhang Xuan rose from the pile of snow and gazed at the two distant figures with narrowed eyes. From their conversation, it seemed like they were trying to force Zhao Ya to do something, but she was unwilling to carry it out, thus resulting in a conflict. Given Zhao Yas personality, if shes willing to go so far as to oppose the First Elder, the matter that they want her to carry out is probably nothing good. To thi nk that the cier in Court, one of the top powers of the Master Teacher Continent, would actually stoop so low as to coerce its own young court chief into doing something that she was unwilling to do. Not only so, they actually had no qualms about holding him hostage so as to threaten her. Were they not being a little too despicable? Let me head over and take a look, Zhang Xuan thought as he proceeded forward silently. Very soon, the gates of the Chanting Serenity Hall came into Zhang Xuans sight. He saw the First Elder and the other figure walk up to the gates, and the First Elder tapped her finger lightly in the air. A token materialized right in front of her, and following which, a rift swiftly opened up in the formation, creating a passageway for them to pass through. The duo made their way through the rift, and as soon as they stepped in, it started closing. rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly rushed forward, and fortunately, before the rift could fully close, he managed to slip in. As soon as he entered, he abruptly felt his connection with the external world being severed, as if he had entered a folded space. It was actually a decoy? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He had thought that the Chanting Serenity Hall was just a building with a powerful defensive formation around it, but who could have thought that the formation was actually just a distraction. Even if he had breached the defensive formation, he still would not have found anything in it at all. Rather, the true Chanting Serenity Hall was located in a folded space! Furthermore, this folded space was extremely stable, simr to the ce where he had discovered the Dongxu Gourd back then. Even if he used his Eye of Insight, if he did not know the exact location of the folded space beforehand, it would have been nigh impossible for him to find it! Calming his astonishment, Zhang Xuan swiftly assessed his surroundings. The folded space that he had entered was not too big. In essence, it was actually not much different from entering arger room. Were it not for the fact that he hadprehended the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he would have thought that he had walked through a doorway into a building instead of being transported into another dimension. While scanning his surroundings, he slowly advanced forward. As he was within a folded space, he dared not make any big movements for fear that it would cause a spatial disturbance. Otherwise, once the First Elder noticed his presence, he would not be able to escape. As such, it took him five whole minutes just to advance ten meters. As soon as he arrived by the doorway to the main hall, he could hear the infuriated voice of the First Elder. I have told you many times, this is the only way to fully awaken the Pure Yin Body! Why are you so obstinate about this? A bell-like voice yelled back, Theres no way Ill do it! Even if Ill never awaken my Pure Yin Body, I still wont do it! Hearing the bell-like voice, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Im really at the right ce... He could tell that the owner of the voice was none other than Zhao Ya. Even though it had been half a year since they hadst met, her voice was still fresh in his mind. There was no way that he would recognize it incorrectly. Zhang Xuan sneaked in the main hall and carefully moved behind a particrly thick pir before warily taking a nce forward. He saw Zhao Ya sitting on the ground. Unlike what he had expected, there were no shackles on her body. It seems like Elder Bai isnt aware of the exact situation either... Previously, Elder Bai had said that she was bound by the Heaven Sealing Lock, but that was nowhere to be seen at all. Perhaps, there might be some error in the information that she had received. Ill give you some time to think it through. However, you should know that I have already failed once, and Ill never allow it to ur again. You may refuse if you want to, but I have plenty of ways to change your mind. I would prefer it to note to that, but if you push me, I will have no choice! the First Elder said as she flung her sleeve. Theres no need for that. Give me all the time you want, and Ill still make the same choice! Zhao Ya replied obstinately. Very well! Let me see how long you can hold out for then! Harrumphing coldly in anger, the First Elder turned around and stomped away. The other elder in the main hall nced at the departing First Elder and shook her head. You are also well aware of the First Elders temperament, so why do you still choose to go head on against her? Second Elder, you need not say anything else. Theres no way Illpromise on this matter! Zhao Ya said resolutely. Since shes able to awaken your unique constitution, naturally, she wields the ability to destroy it too. That person is an example of that. Are you really going to walk down the same path as her? the Second Elder eximed anxiously. Even if I am crippled, I will have no regrets at all! Zhao Ya replied with an air of valiance. This was simply how she was. Once she had set her mind on something, no amount of persuasion would make her change her decision. In fact, thinking back on it, it was precisely due to that attitude of hers that initiated the series of events that eventually led to her bing Zhang Xuans student. Jeez, you... Forget it! Just give the matter some good thought, alright? Seeing how adamant the youngdy was on her stance, the Second Elder shook her head before heading out. Seeing that the two elders were walking over, Zhang Xuan quickly went into the wall and remainedpletely motionless, not even daring to look at all. Experts of the First Elders caliber possessed a keen sensitivity that allowed them to perceive the presence of others just by sheer instinct. Even if he remained perfectly calm, the First Elder might still be able to sense his gaze. Hmm? Just as Zhang Xuan had managed to seal his aurapletely, the First Elder arrived before the pir, which he was hidden in, and shot a perplexed look at it. First Elder? the Second Elder called out from behind. The First Elder shook her head and said, Its nothing. Its just that I have been getting a rather weird vibe today, as if someone is following me! Following you? How could that be? Even that Zhang Wuheng wouldnt be able to follow you without getting noticed! The Second Elder chuckled away the First Elders concerns. Thats true... The First Elder nodded. Still feeling a little uneasy from the feeling that she had been getting, she instructed, Just to be safe, I want you to help me conduct a quick survey of the surrounding area. If you were to notice anything, report to me immediately! The intuition of an expert of her caliber was rarely wrong. Since she had felt something, something had to be going on. Perhaps, someone might really be observing every single one of their actions. Very well. Understanding her concern, the Second Elder nodded lightly before the two of them left together. Returning to the entrance, they took out their tokens and swiped them lightly. The next moment, they vanished from the spot. Seeing that the two of them had left, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As he slipped out from the pir that he was hidden in, he saw Zhao Ya staring dazedly at a book in front of her. Soft whispers escaped from her mouth. Teacher... I really miss you... Chapter 1496 - Art of Harvesting

Chapter 1496: Art of Harvesting

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thisss! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan flew over and nced at the book Zhao Ya was staring at. To his surprise, it was actually his handwritten manual. That was the cultivation technique that he had prepared for her while they were still in the Tianxuan Kingdom in order to resolve the afflictions that she was suffering from as a result of her unique constitution. To the current her, this book was of no use anymore. Nevertheless, the book was still in pristine condition. There was not the slightest hint of a crumple on its pages. Clearly, it had been stored and treated with the utmost care. Back then, when he gave this manual to her, he had requested that she destroy it after she had memorized the content, but who would have thought that she would have kept it to this day! As the saying went, a youngdy metamorphoses at eighteen. Over the past half a year, the youngdy had grown taller, and her disposition had be more refined and graceful. The awakening for her Pure Yin Body had also made her much more beautiful than before. In terms of looks, the only person whom Zhang Xuan knew that could triumph over her was Luo Ruoxin. It seems like the cier in Court had indeed treated her fairly well in the past half a year, or else there was no way that she would have been able to awaken her unique constitution to such an extent. Zhang Xuan proceeded on to assess the youngdy with his keen eyes. But a momentter, a deep frown emerged between his brows. Even though the youngdy was not physically bound, her cultivation seemed to have been restricted by some kind of power. The current her was no different from an ordinary mortal, possessing not the slightest hint of zhenqi. Teacher, are you... still doing fine? While Zhang Xuan was trying to figure out what was going on with her, he suddenly heard the youngdys voice once more. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan replied, Im doing perfectly fine! Who is it? Hearing a response to her words, Zhao Ya was rmed. She quickly leaped to her feet and crossed her arms before her chest, taking up a defensive posture. Who else can it be other than me? Zhang Xuan replied as he gradually revealed his figure. After being tempered by lightning, his Primordial Spirit had grown so consolidated that he could materialize it if he wanted to let his presence be known. The only issue with it was that he was more than twenty meters tall, reminiscent of a giant. Teacher... Seeing the familiar face and aura of the young man before her, Zhao Yas eyes reddened in agitation. Day after day, the young man had never left her mind. There were countless words that she had bottled up in her mind, vowing to say to the young man when they were finally reunited. Yet, when the moment came, she found her mind goingpletely nk, rendering her incapable of constructing her sentences. Un, its me. Tell me, whats going on over here. Knowing that this was not the time to be catching up on times, Zhang Xuan asked grimly, Arent you the young court chief of the cier in Court? Why would you be imprisoned here? He first had to make sense of what was going on before he could concoct a n to save her. Teacher... is it really you? Wait... d-did you hear what I just said then? Instead of answering Zhang Xuans question, Zhao Yas face reddened in embarrassment. What? Zhang Xuan asked. Its... its nothing! Zhao Ya swiftly waved her hand as she sneaked a peek at her teachers face. Seeing that the other party did not take the matter to heart, she heaved a sigh of relief. Falling to her knees, she kowtowed deeply and said, I know that its unfilial to ce you in such grave danger, but I really am unable to think of another way to resolve this problem. So, I could only ask of you to save me! Since Im here, Ill definitely help you. Tell me, whats going on? Zhang Xuan asked. The reason he was willing to go to the extent of offending the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages was to save her, but still, he would first have to understand the situation before making his move. I... identally discovered a secret of the cier in Court. Zhao Ya bit on her lips tightly. My mother is actually the previous court chief of the cier in Court! Your mother? Zhang Xuan was taken aback by the abrupt revtion. How did Zhao Yas mothere into the picture? Zhao Ya was the daughter of the City Lord Zhao Feng of Baiyu City, and she had a butler called Yao HanZhang Xuan knew that. But thinking about it, it did seem like he had never heard anything about Zhao Yas mother before. To think that her mother would actually be the court chief of the cier in Court, a power on par with Tier-1 Sage ns! How did the court chief of the cier in Court end up getting together with a minor city lord in somewhere as remote as the Tianxuan Kingdom and even have a daughter together? In the cier in Court, every single generation of court chief must possess the Pure Yin Body, and my mother happens to have it! Looking at her teacher, Zhao Ya revealed everything that she knew without any hesitation. Back then, due to some incident, my mother departed from the cier in court and sealed her own cultivation, fleeing to an ancient ground where no master teacher exists, Tianxuan Kingdom. It was there that she met my father, and the both of them happened to have manymon interests. Love eventually blossomed from their rtionship, and they married one another. However, while giving birth to me, she failed to rein in her power properly, resulting in a leak in her powers. The cier in Court swiftly found her, and in order to prevent any harm froming to me and my father, she willingly surrendered and returned with them. You said that your mother was brought back to the cier in Court? Zhang Xuan frowned. Yes. Just like me, shes imprisoned somewhere in the cier in Court as well. To this day, I have been unable to find her! Zhao Ya clenched her fists in indignation. From a very young age, her father had shared many stories about her mother with her, and the bits and pieces of those stories formed an image of a loving and doting mother in her mind. The very idea that her mother was suffering in the cier in Court left her feeling distressed, but despite her efforts, she had been unable to locate her whereabouts. Is it because of that that you were captured here? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even if the previous court chief was Zhao Yas mother, that should not have been a reason to imprison Zhao Ya as well. After all, the cier in Court was banking on the rise of a court chief to bring them to greater heights. It had not been easy for them to find a person with the Pure Yin Body, so surely, they would not be so foolish as to sever their own hopes! Thats not it. The reason I was captured is because I found out about the final step to awakening the Pure Yin Body! As Zhao Ya spoke, her face turned livid, and her clenched fists began trembling by her sides. What is it? Zhang Xuan asked, slightly bewildered by Zhao Yas response. Considering how Zhao Ya would eventually have to fully awaken the Pure Yin Body before taking over as the court chief, there should not have been any reason for the First Elder and the others to imprison her just because she had found out about it prematurely. The Pure Yin Body is a manifestation of the purest yin in the world within the body of a female, Zhao Ya said. Even across the entire Master Teacher Continent, its rarely seen. As of this moment, the only ones who possess such a constitution are most likely my mother and me. Once fully awakened, the Pure Yin Body will allow ones cultivation to surge straight up. Regardless of whether its battle techniques or cultivation techniques, one will be able to grasp them swiftly with minimal effort. However, theres always an equalizing power in the world. The world will never allow an individual power to grow beyond a certain point, simr to the saying, A lonesome yin never grows; an individual yang never flourishes! The yin and yang in this world dont exist as separate entities. They areplementary powers, born and destroyed in pairs. Despite the opposing nature of the two forces, they are necessary for the existence of the other... Recalling what she had read, Zhao Ya trembled slightly. So, the final step to awakening the Pure Yin Body is the amalgamation of yin and yang to reconcile the two together! Amalgamation of yin and yang? Un. Other than female disciples practicing yin attribute cultivation techniques, there are also a small handful of male disciples practicing yang cultivation technique, Zhao Ya replied. In order to achieve the full awakening of the Pure Yin Body, Ill have to regard them as mere cauldrons and harvest the yang energy in their bodies! Regarding humans as cauldrons? The cier in Court actually has such vicious practices? Zhang Xuan was astonished. Regarding a human as a cauldron meant treating them as a tool to harvest energy. Once the victims had been sapped dry, they would wither and pass away. This was exactly the kind of practice that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters abhorred and forbade. In fact, the reason the soul oracles had been vanquished back then was due to their malevolent arts that allowed for the possession of other cultivators and the forging of cultivators as Soulless Metal Humanoids! To think that the cier in Courts final step to awakening the Pure Yin Body would actually be something like that. It was really too frightening! Indeed. I rejected that course of action, and as a result of that, the First Elder ordered for my imprisonment, hoping to force me to change my mind through this! Zhao Ya aid. Chapter 1497 - Heaven Sealing Lock

Chapter 1497: Heaven Sealing Lock

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I see! Putting together what he had just heard with the conversation between the First Elder and Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan came to a realization. Such an art of harvesting would mean treating living humans as mere tools to further ones cultivation, and it would lead to the deaths of many innocent individuals. For someone as prideful and righteous as Zhao Ya, there was no way she could ept such a course of action. My mother was also reluctant back then, which was why she eventually chose to seal her cultivation and flee from the cier in Court, Zhao Ya said. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. As one of the strongest powers in the Master Teacher Continent, the cier in Court was bound to possess some means to track down their disciples, not to mention that Zhao Yas mother possessed the Pure Yin Body. Once she exerted her strength, the cier in Court would be able to swiftly pick it up and find her. The only way she would be able to really get away was to seal her own cultivation! This was simr to how Luo Ruoxin had to seal her own cultivation in order to get away from the Luo n. However, due to the dire situation that he had been in back at the Qiu Wu Pce, she had chosen to release her seal so as to subdue the Skyleaf King and save him. This had led to the Luo n finding her whereabouts, and she had been left with no choice but to leave his side. And shortly after, he had met with Luo Chengxin in the Qingyuan Empire. I also think that such a practice is abhorrent. Dont worry, if you are reluctant to do it, no one will be able to force you into it. Ill bring you away right now! Zhang Xuan waved his hand with unquestionable dominance. So what if this is the cier in Court? If my student is reluctant to learn your damned arts, no one will be able to force her into it! Not even the heavens will be able to make her to do something against her will! Teacher... Feeling the deep concern that her teacher had for her, Zhao Yas eyes reddened. Her teacher had been several million li away, but as soon as he received her message, he had immediately rushed over and appeared before her within less than two hours. Such actions spoke much louder than any words ever could. Alright, lets leave the folded space first before deciding on the next course of action! Zhang Xuan said. He reached out to grab Zhao Ya, intending to pull her up and take her away, but contrary to his expectations, he found his Primordial Spirit being dragged down to the ground instead. Whats going on? Considering how Zhao Ya did not possess any cultivation at the moment, he should have been able to lift her up easily with just a finger. But for some reason, no matter how he tugged and pulled, the youngdy remained firmly rooted to the spot, as if she was one with the room. Teacher, my zhenqi has been sealed by the Heaven Sealing Lock, Zhao Ya uttered weakly as her face abruptly paled and her breathing hastened. As if some kind of excruciating pain was assaulting her, her body copsed weakly to the ground and scrunched up together. Your zhenqi has been sealed by the Heaven Sealing Lock? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in utter horror, and in that instant, he nearly exploded from rage. You are telling that the First Elder fused the Heaven Sealing Lock with your body in order to seal your meridians? He had already heard from Elder Bai previously that it was very likely that the First Elder had used the Heaven Sealing Lock on Zhao Ya, but when he saw that there was nothing binding her body, he had heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that the First Elder was unwilling to go to that extent in view of their rtionship, but who would have thought that thetter would be worse than he thought? That wretched hag actually fused the Heaven Sealing Lock into Zhao Yas body! The Heaven Sealing Lock was a torture tool that even Saint 9-dan experts were apprehensive of. It could inflict great pain on a cultivator just by using it to bind their limbs, but to go to the extent of fusing it into the body to seal the meridians... the slightest mistake could have led to the utter destruction of her meridians. Her cultivation would have beenpletely destroyed, turning her into a cripple! Yes, thats right, Zhao Ya replied feebly. Her body twitched uncontrobly on the ground, and her breathing was growing weaker and weaker. It seemed as if the excruciating pain was going to rob her of her consciousness very soon. Damn it! Ill take that seal off you right now! With an awful look on his face, Zhang Xuan hurriedly rushed forward to touch Zhao Yas body, intending to use the Library of Heavens Path in order to uncover the ws of the Heaven Sealing Lock. However, when there was no jolt in his head, he realized that he was currently only in his soul form! While he could collect books into the Library of Heavens Path through his Primordial Spirits gaze, due to his incorporeal form, he was unable to truly touch an object, so he was unable topile a book to analyze Zhao Yas current condition. Unless... Zhao Ya could stand up and execute a battle technique! However, given her current circumstances, that was off the table. As infuriated as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that rage would be of no use to him at the moment. He quickly released his grip and instructed, Dont try to drive your zhenqi, and if possible, dont exert any strength derived from your cultivation at all! Nodding slightly, Zhao Ya quickly halted her flow of energy. Five minutester, the pain finally receded. By then, her clothes were already soaked with her own sweat. Im fine... Zhao Ya struggled to her feet weakly. The Heaven Seal Lock is fused into your body, sealing your meridians. Not only will you be unable to use your strength, there mustnt be another external force acting on you either, or else it will immediately trigger the punishment, plunging you into excruciating pain! Zhang Xuan said. The First Elder sure was callous. To disallow her from exerting any energy and preventing anyone from saving her... this was really a dead end. Until the Heaven Seal Lock was removed, there would be nothing he could do. Knowing that the thing he had to do first was to remove the Heaven Seal Lock, Zhang Xuan said, Try to execute a punching routine for me! Yes! Zhao Ya nodded as she executed a light punch. While she did not use much strength in that punch, it still left cold sweat pouring down from her head, and her face turned pale from exhaustion. Weng! Fortunately, the effort was not wasted. A book materialized in Zhang Xuans head. He quickly flipped it open. Zhao Ya, the young court chief of the cier in Court... ws: 1, the Pure Yin Body has only been awakened to the seventh level. 2, her meridians have been sealed by the Heaven Sealing Lock, preventing her from exerting any strength. 3... After browsing through the content of the book, Zhang Xuans face turned even darker. The book did mention the Heaven Sealing Lock, but it only depicted Zhao Yas current condition, not the ws of the lock. In other words, the bookpiled on Zhao Ya only showed him the ws regarding her cultivation. Even though the Heaven Sealing Lock was mentioned, it was more of a passing remark, containing no useful information as to how it could be removed at all. It seemed like even the Library of Heavens Path did not possess the ability to fathom something beyond direct contact with him! Unless Im able to find the exact location of the Heaven Sealing Lock in her body ande into contact with it or... get the First Elder to remove it personally, I wont be able to do anything about it! Zhang Xuan thought as hisplexion turned more and more awful. What the First Elder did was no different from nting a bomb in Zhao Yas body. She was the only one who could resolve it, and if anyone else touched it, it would immediately blow up! Teacher... Zhao Ya turned her gaze over. Dont worry. Since Ive said that Ill save you, Ill definitely do it. Follow me, Zhang Xuan said before heading forward, and Zhao Ya quickly followed along. As long as she did not utilize the strength derived from her cultivation, she would note under the punishment of the Heaven Sealing Lock. In other words, while she did not possess any cultivation at the moment, she was at least able to walk around like an ordinary mortal. Soon, they arrived at the entrance, where the First Elder had left from. Zhang Xuan gazed at the formation before him and lightly muttered, ws!. A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. While it was difficult to find the folded space from the outside, finding a way out from the inside was much easier. After swiftly browsing through the book, Zhang Xuan found a w in the formation and focused his soul energy on that single point. Kacha! A crack swiftly appeared in the previously stable space, and it swiftly grewrger andrger before forming a huge crevice. Itll mend itself very soon, so we need to leave quickly! Zhang Xuan instructed before leaving the folded space. Zhao Ya also quickly followed him. As soon as the two of them walked out of the folded space, they saw the spatial crevice behind them swiftly closing up and vanishing without a trace. Seeing that they were finally out of the Chanting Serenity Hall, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings, and seeing that no one was around, he heaved a sigh of relief. Well be heading toward Elder Bais residence... Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over. Chapter 1498 - Confront the First Elder!

Chapter 1498: Confront the First Elder!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It appeared that the First Elder was extremely confident in her defensive measures, so she did not station too many sentries in the vicinity of the Chanting Serenity Hallor perhaps, she was afraid that nting sentries in the area would give it away. As such, there were only a couple of normal disciples patrolling the area. With his exceptionallyrge Spiritual Perception, Zhang Xuan was able to detect the presence of the few sentries stationed in the area and avoid them in advance. Without taking too long, they arrived at Elder Bais residence very soon. Is teachers physical body in here? Entering the residence, Zhao Ya scanned her surroundings curiously. Following which, she heard one of the doors creak open, and a middle-aged man with yellowish skin walked out. Grandteacher! Astonished, Zhao Ya quickly bowed deeply to pay her respects. The other party was none other than her teachers teacher, Yang Xuan! Un! Yang shi nodded. Grandteacher, why... are you here? Wheres teacher? Zhao Ya asked in bewilderment. She had clearly seen her teachers Primordial Spirit entering the room, but why would it be her grandteacher walking out instead? After receiving your message, your teacher came to request for my help, Yang shi exined with a wave of his hand. Dont worry, your teacher is in a folded space that I have created, so hell be fine. Hes still a little too weak at the moment, so he wont be able to deal with the current situation. Thank you, grandteacher! Seeing that her even her grandteacher had chosen to make a move, Zhao Ya heaved a sigh of relief. What she was the most afraid of was something happening to her teacher while he was trying to save her. With her grandteachers strength, they should be safe now. After bing the young court chief of the cier in Court, she had swiftly learned about the true identity of her grandteacher. He was one of the three grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, as well as one of the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent. Even the First Elder would have to bow down to him if she was there. Zhang Xuan has already told me about your situation. Follow me, I want to take a look at the Heaven Sealing Lock on you, Yang shi said with a wave of his hand. Yes! Zhao Ya hurriedly nodded before entering a room. The two of them sat down, and Yang shi ced a finger on Zhao Yas wrist. As time passed, the frown on her forehead grew deeper and deeper. Naturally, this Yang shi was none other than Zhang Xuan. The reason he had chosen to conceal his true identity from Zhao Ya was out of fear that she would panic after learning the truth. Given Zhao Yas current standing, she likely knew of the true identity of her grandteacher already. If she learned that her teacher was actually her grandteacher as well, her state of mind could be rattled. This could be an unstable variable that would potentially expose him when he made use of Yang shis identity as a chip against the cier in Courtter on. Even if he wanted to tell the truth to Zhao Ya, it should only be done after they had escaped from the cier in Court. Otherwise, the slightest mistake on their part could lead to their descent into the abyss. After all, the man whom he was attempting to impersonate was one of the strongest experts in the world, Yang Xuan! He could not afford to make a single mistake! In order to use the Library of Heavens Path through touch, he would have to knock Zhao Ya out first. However, from the looks of it, even if he did so, he would likely get the same results as before. If he truly wanted to find the ws of the Heaven Sealing Lock and resolve it, he would have to slice apart the Zhao Yas flesh and touch the lock directly! Zhang Xuan retracted his hand and asked, How did the Heaven Sealing Lock get into your body? Zhao Ya pondered for a moment before speaking. The Heaven Sealing Lock is slightly different from the one created by the cksmith Guild. Its forged out of the threads produced by the Icy Silkworm. After the elders subdued me, the First Elder had the Icy Silkworm bite my finger and dive into my body. Before I knew it, I was already in my current condition. After suppressing her, the elders had sealed her powers entirely, rendering herpletely helpless. Thus, she could only helplessly watch as the Icy Silkworm crawled its way into her body. Icy Silkworm? A deep frown appeared on Zhang Xuans be. He contemted for a moment, but he was still unable to fully make sense of the situation, so he said, Lets try this then. Ill send a surge of zhenqi through your body, and if I am able to locate the Icy Silkworm, Ill try to eliminate it. He had never heard of the Icy Silkworm in his life before, so he could not say for sure what would work. In any case, he had to give it a try. Alright! Knowing that her grandteacher would not hurt her, Zhao Ya extended her wrist out once more. With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan sent a surge of zhenqi into her meridians. Hmm? Feeling the meridian that had entered her body, Zhao Ya could not help but raise her eyebrows in astonishment. The quality of the zhenqi that had just entered her body was extremely familiar to her. It was almost identical to that her teachers, the only differences being that it was even purer, more soothing, and stronger. Well, Teacher dide from grandteachers lineage, so it shouldnt be surprising that the nature of their zhenqi is simr to one another... Zhao Ya rationalized with a nod of her head. Those of the same lineage would likely possess simr constitutions, and if they practiced the same cultivation techniques, the nature of their zhenqi would also be simr. Soon, after driving his zhenqi through Zhao Yas body once, Zhang Xuans face turned even more grim. The Heaven Sealing Lock created by the Icy Silkworm had turned all of Zhao Yas meridians and even her dantian into ice! If she attempted to drive her zhenqi, she would be putting herself at risk of shattering her meridians, and the injuries that she would sustain as a result of that could very well im her life! Even though he had only sent in a small surge of zhenqi in, and he had made sure to move extremely carefully, he still nearly caused her meridians to rupture. If he attempted to remove the Heaven Sealing Lock forcefully, chances were that Zhao Ya would lose her life before the problem could be resolved. What a vicious tool... Zhang Xuan could not help but curse the First Elder with all of the expletives that he could think of in his mind. Who would have thought that the person in charge of a major power would actually use such ruthless means on her fellow people? This was unforgivable! Suppressing his raging fury, Zhang Xuan asked, Has the First Elder ever said how the Heaven Sealing Lock can be resolved? With his current means, there was nothing he could do to resolve the Heaven Sealing Lock. Even with the Heavens Path zhenqi, there was nothing he could do. If the Icy Silkworm had still been alive, he could have tried to poison it to death. However, based on what he had found, it had already fused into her meridians and was shrouded with thick ice. If he attempted to break the ice to get to it, that could potentially cause Zhao Yas already fragile meridians to copse entirely. In other words, he waspletely helpless. I dont think so. All she said was that she would help me resolve the problem once I took the final step to awaken my Pure Yin Body, Zhao Ya said with a shake of her head. After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan was still unable find a feasible solution. Shaking his head, he said, It seems like well have to ask her in person then! The longer the Heaven Sealing Lock remained in Zhao Yas body, the greater the damage it would cause to her body. They would have to get rid of it as soon as possible. From the current looks of it, the only one who wielded the ability to resolve Zhao Yas condition was the First Elder. So, the most direct and effective solution would be to question her and have her reveal the cure to her condition. Just that... After what had happened to Zhao Yas mother, the First Elder must have hardened her heart to take such extreme means. It would not be easy to get her to reveal the cure. Theres no way she will reveal it if I ask her and Zhang Xuan; if things go badly, we might evene to blows. However, it will be different if I confront her as Yang Xuan! Zhang Xuan thought with narrowed eyes. He was currently assuming the identity of Yang Xuan from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Even if the other party was the First Elder of the cier in Court, she would still have to show some respect! Zhao Ya, you should wait in my folded space for the time being. Ill be heading over to meet the First Elder of your cier in Court! Zhang Xuan stood up with a fling of his sleeves. Since he was there to save Zhao Ya, naturally, he would have to resolve her affliction too before taking her away. Since he could not think of any other solution, he could only take a gamble. If he pulled it off, he might just be able to fool the First Elder and obtain the solution to Zhao Yas problem. But if he was discovered... Well, he had no qualms with reducing the cier in Court to ruins! Chapter 1499 - Elder Qu of the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Chapter 1499: Elder Qu of the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the conference room of the cier in Court, on the main seat, the First Elder was looking at a jade token in her palm. There was another elder who was sitting quietly by her side, seemingly patiently waiting for the First Elder to be done. Hu! cing down the jade token, the First Elder turned her gaze toward the elder sitting beside her. The elder also turned his gaze over and said, You should understand now, right? Yes, I do! The First Elder nodded grimly. Good. The reason I was sent here was to exin this matter to you in detail. It should be obvious even without me saying it, but nothing can go wrong this time around. This matter concerns the survival of mankind, so no mistakes will be tolerated. Otherwise, not just your cier in Court, none of us will be able to bear the consequences! The elder stood up and ced his hands behind his back. With a slightly uneasy expression on his face, he gazed upward and said, Sess or failure, everything banks on this. I dont wish to see everything falling apart due to the inability of your cier in Court! Dont worry, I have already locked her up in the Chanting Serenity Hall and nted the Heaven Sealing Lock in her body. Most likely, we should be able to make her give in within three days. As long as she awakens her unique constitution, the n should be able to move on without any problems! The First Elder stood up and sped her fist. That would best be the case! The elder nodded. Alright, Ill be taking my leave now. I hope to hear good news from you! The elder turned around and headed to the door. However, barely after taking two steps, a soft voice suddenly sounded from the doorway. It was not too loud, but it seemed to dive right into ones eardrums, making it impossible not to hear what was being said. Master Teacher Yang Xuan seeks an audience with the First Elder of the cier in Court! Yang Xuan? The First Elder narrowed her eyes in astonishment. Not too far away, the elder also halted his footsteps upon hearing that voice from astonishment. With a voice carrying a hint of disbelief, he muttered, Why would Grand Elder Yang appear here? Elder Qu, this... The First Elder hurriedly looked at the elder before her with a look of apprehension. Grand Elder Yang has always roamed thends freely, such that even our deputy pavilion master is unaware of his whereabouts. Im also not too sure why he would suddenly appear here either. Hurry up and invite him in! Elder Qu urged. Alright! Knowing the other partys standing in the Master Teacher Continent, the First Elder dared not keep him waiting. She quickly walked over to the doorway to the conference room and sped her fist. First Elder of the cier in court, You Ruoxin, pays respect to Yang shi! Hu! A moment after those words were spoken, a figure slowly descended from the sky. The speed of his flight was not too fast, but his movements exquisitely avoided all of the dangers from the defensive formations cast around the area. It was as if his eyes could see all imminent dangers, allowing him to avoid them in advance. You Ruoxin anxiously lowered her head subserviently. As the person-in-charge of the cier in Court, she knew full well how formidable the formation that was set up around the conference room was. Yet, it seemed as if it was nothing more than childs y to the other party. He could simply walk straight through it without sounding any warning rms, making it impossible to guard against him. Without a doubt, the man before her had reached a level far beyond her imagination. The figure in the skynded gently on the ground. The First Elder You Ruoxin carefully raised her head to assess the person standing before her. He had slightly yellowish skin, and his outward appearance was simr to that of a person in histe thirties or early forties. He had exceptionally deep eyes that seemed to conceal all of his emotions and thoughts. It was impossible to gauge the extent of his strength just from the aura he emanated, and even when she attempted to weigh him up through discreetly extending her Spiritual Perception to him, she shockingly found that she could not even perceive his presence at all. Despite so, You Ruoxin narrowed her eyes and asked, You arent Yang shi... Who in the world are you? She had never met Yang Xuan in person before, but she had heard some rumors about him and his appearance. From what she knew, Yang Xuan should have been in his fifties with a flowing white beard, and that waspletely at odds with the person standing before her. I take on many identities as I roam around the world. Do I have to inform you of every single one of them in advance? Yang shis face darkened as a powerful aura burst forth from his body. In this moment, it felt as if the entire conference room would copse under the pressure of his aura. I dare not! You Ruoxin hurriedly lowered her head fearfully. She quickly turned her gaze toward Elder Qu, only to see thetter slowly walking toward her. Grand Elder Yang does assume many different identities as he roams the world, but when he pays a visit to another in his capacity as a master teacher, he would appear with his real face. You arent Yang shi, who in the world are you? Do you know the crime of impersonating a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Elder Qu uttered sharply as he looked straight at Yang shi. You Ruoxin might not have met Yang Xuan before, but he had! But the middle-aged man before him, be it in terms of appearance or aura, waspletely different from the Yang shi whom he knew, so how could they be the same person? If they were really the same person, he would relinquish his eyes! Hmm? Hearing the words spoken by Elder Qu, Yang shis heart skipped a beat. The person before him was dressed in a master teacher robe, and pinned on his chest was a master teacher emblem with nine stars glistening on it. The word headquarters could be seen at the bottom of his emblem, indicating his identity as a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Why would there be a 9-star master teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters in the cier in Court? Of course, this Yang shi was still Zhang Xuan. After moving Zhao Ya into the Myriad Anthive Nest, he quickly asked Elder Bai for the First Elders location, and without bothering to hide his tracks, he had flown right over. He had thought that with the unique properties of his Heavens Path zhenqi and his deep experience in disguising, he would be able to scare the First Elder right from the get go and convince her that he was Yang Xuan. Who could have thought that there would actually be a master teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters around? Just what kind of bad luck was this? He had barely started his act, but the tables had already turned against him. Coming from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the person before him was bound to have met the real Yang Xuan before. How was he supposed to continue acting? While Zhang Xuans heart was beating in trepidation, he did not allow his emotions to show on his face. With a slight flick of his finger, he sent a surge of sword qi right toward Elder Qu. This surge of sword qi was infused with the essence of the Speed Sword Quintessence. As if slicing right through the fabrics of time, as soon as it escaped the tip of Zhang Xuans finger, it immediately appeared right before the other partys face, Hmm? Not expecting the imposter to make a move on him right after having his identity exposed, Elder Qus face darkened. With a swift flick of his hand, a light barrier appeared on the surface of his skin. Hu! Elder Qu thought that the sword qi would collide with his light barrier, but contrary to his expectation, it dissipated upon contact with the light barrier, as if it had never been there in the first ce. The sword qi carried no offensive power at allthe other party was testing him! Everything had happened so quickly that he had failed to tell that it was just a mere test. Narrowing his eyes, Elder Qu was about to berate the other party when the fake Yang Xuan before him suddenly frowned. Gazing down on him coldly, the other party sent a telepathic message to him. Qu Buping, have you resolved the problem of meridian distortion in your Streaming River Art, or have you recovered from the trauma you sustained in the battle against Emperor Baiyu? Otherwise, what gives you the guts to doubt my identity? Ah? The words that Elder Qu was just about to speak fell back down his throat, and he froze on the spot. The Streaming River Art was a cultivation technique that he had created. It allowed a cultivator to drive their zhenqi forth relentlessly, as if a flowing river, granting them immense might. Unfortunately, it had a fatal w. The Streaming River Art ced great strain on ones meridians, and if one used it for too long, it could cause ones meridians to be distorted. This was simr to how if a river current was too strong, it would cause its meanders to distort out of shape. The cultivation and physical condition of 9-star master teachers were top-notch secrets, and they would never reveal a word about the cultivation problems they were facing to others. Otherwise, should the Otherworldly Demons catch wind of it, it could potentially pose a security threat. Yet, the middle-aged man before him actually knew of his past afflictions and even the trauma that he had sustained in his fight against Emperor Baiyu. If that was the case, could he really be Yang shi? But what about hispletely different disposition and appearance then? This did not make sense! While Elder Qu was still trying to make sense of the situation, someone spoke. I have recently made a breakthrough in my cultivation, which resulted in my appearance and disposition being vastly different from what it used to be. I dont me you for failing to recognize me! Chapter 1500 - I Have Brought Her Away

Chapter 1500: I Have Brought Her Away

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You managed to achieve a breakthrough? Elder Qu was stunned for a moment before widening his eyes in disbelief. Ever since Kong shi and his direct disciples disappeared, something seemed to have vanished from the face of the Master Teacher Continent. In fact, in the past ten millenniums, there had not been a single known case of anyone sessfully achieving a breakthrough to that realm. It was for that reason that Yang shi had to roam the world, in search of a fortuitous encounter to take the final step forward. Could it be that his effort had paid off? If that was really the case, it would really be a huge blessing to the Master Teacher Pavilion and mankind! A master teacher of that caliber was bound to have a far deeper understanding of cultivation than the rest of them, and just a simple pointer from him could benefit one immensely. Under his guidance, the prowess of mankind would be brought to a whole new level! Just that... even if Yang shi had reached the level, he should not have changed to the extent where even he could not recognize him anymore! Indeed. I was unable to solve your distorted meridian and trauma in the past, but those no longer pose a problem to me anymore! Seeing the hesitation in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan decisively pressed on. At the current moment, what was truly important was not whether the other party believed in his identity or not but to scare him into not daring to make a move first. After all, his goal was just to obtain the key to resolving the Heaven Sealing Lock from the First Elder. Once that was done, he would be able to make his escape right away. And once he was gone, it would not make any difference whether the other party realized that he was a fake or not. After all, once he reverted to his original appearance, the other party would not be able to find him anymore. They dont pose a problem to you anymore? Those words caused a jolt in Elder Qus heart. Do you mean to say that... you have found a way to resolve the issues I am facing? Thats right. The Streaming River Art allows a cultivator to pump their zhenqi through their meridians swiftly, but if a cultivator drives their zhenqi through his meridians with too much force for a prolonged period of time, the impact will injure their foundations and distort their meridians. Once the problem sets in, it is difficult for normal herbs to resolve it. However, if there is a purer surge of zhenqi flowing through ones body to continuously nourish the meridians, the problem will be resolved once and for all, Zhang Xuan said lightly. Due to the limitations in his cultivation and experience, it would be difficult for him to resolve the usual cultivation problems that Elder Qu was facing. However, if it was just regarding the recovery of meridians... that was simply too easy for him! The Heavens Path zhenqi was capable of recovering all damage sustained by the meridians and reverting them back to their initial condition. The problem that Elder Qu was facing was just a mere distortion of the meridians. With a sufficient infusion of Heavens Path zhenqi, it should not be too difficult to heal the other party. Hearing Yang shis proposed solution to the matter, Elder Qu shook his head helplessly. I understand that, but where am I to find purer zhenqi? He had sought out many 9-star physicians for the condition he was in, and there were a couple of them who had proposed such a solution. However, he was already a 9-star master teacher himself, and in terms of the purity of zhenqi, there was barely anyone in the world who could surpass him. Where was he to find someone whose zhenqi was far purer than his? Try this... Zhang Xuan had been waiting for those words. With a flick of his finger, a surge of zhenqi shot over. Perplexed, Elder Qu raised his hand and gathered the surge of zhenqi that Zhang Xuan had shot over on his fingertip. Taking a closer look at the surge of zhenqi, he could not help but narrow his eyes in astonishment. That surge of zhenqi was rather weakin terms of prowess, it was onlyparable to that of a Phantasmal Space realm cultivator. However, the purity of the surge of zhenqi was spectacr. Just being in contact with it left Elder Qu feeling as if his cells were pulsating in exhration. His instincts told him that if he fused this surge of zhenqi into his cells, he would be able to easily resolve his injuries. Under the nourishment of zhenqi of such purity, his distorted meridians would swiftly revert to normal, and his fighting prowess would soar by leaps and bounds. Elder Qu could not help but ask, Where did this surge of zhenqie from? I refined it. However, I have only figured it out up to Phantasmal Space realm so far. With time, I should be able to further raise its realm, but for the time being, you will just have to make do with it. I still have a few more surges here. You should test the effects first to see if it works on your injuries, Zhang Xuan said as he flicked a few more surges of zhenqi over. Much thanks! Elder Qu swiftly caught the surges of zhenqi that Zhang Xuan had shot over. Extending his Spiritual Perception to study the surges of zhenqi closely, he was astounded to realize that he could not find the slightest impurity in the zhenqi. Taking in a deep breath, he tapped his finger on the surges of zhenqi gathered on his fingertip and allowed them to flow freely into his body. Tzzzzzzz! As soon as those surges of zhenqi entered Elder Qus body and fused together with his distorted meridians, those dried up meridians swiftly puffed back up as if a sponge taking in water. In just a few moments, the distortions were straightened back up, allowing zhenqi to flow through his meridians unhindered once more. This... Elder Qus body trembled in agitation. If the appearance of the surges of zhenqi had reignited the hope of the recovery of his distorted zhenqi, the confirmation that the surges of zhenqi were indeed able to repair the damage sustained by his body brought him indescribable ecstasy. While the distortions of the meridians would not affect his strength too much at the start, if the condition persisted, it would gradually cause his cultivation to decline. However, if he could resolve the problem, he would be able to remain in his peak state at all times. Perhaps, he might even have a chance to make a breakthrough in the future! Clenching his fists tightly, he could not help but reassess the middle-aged man before him once more warily. In the depths of his heart, he still did not think that the other party was Yang shi. However, given how the other party was able to see through the underlying traumas that he was suffering from and even resolve them, there was little doubt that the other party was one of the top powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent! Even at the very least, the other party had to be an expert of the same caliber as him, if not higher! Watching as Elder Qu took his zhenqi into his body, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and said, Elder Qu, you should be able to trust my words now, right? Everything that he had said with Elder Qu earlier was through zhenqi telepathyeven if You Ruoxin was the First Elder of the cier in Court, she still was not qualified to learn of the condition of a 9-star master teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. After seeing that he had managed to deal with Elder Qu for the time being, he turned his gaze to You Ruoxin and said, The reason I have paid your cier in Court a visit this time around is to ask you for a favor. I ask of you to let my grandstudent off the hook! Grandstudent? Yang shi, please feel to speak of any request that you have! Seeing that Elder Qu had fallen silent after trading some telepathic messages with the middle-aged man standing before her, You Ruoxin could not help but feel a little nervous on the inside. She had never met Yang shi before, but as an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, there was no way Elder Qu could not possibly fail to recognize Yang shi. So, for thetter to fall silent after trading a few telepathic messages, it was likely that they had touched on some confidential secrets concerning the Master Teacher Pavilion that she was not privy to. In other words... there was a very good chance that the middle-aged man standing before her was truly Yang shi! A grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters... Even if someone were to inte her guts ten times over, she would not dare offend someone of that standing! Seeing that Elder Qu was not interfering anymore, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a nonchnt but imposing voice, he said, My grandstudent, Zhao Ya, was once recognized as the young court chief of your cier in Court. But earlier today, I received a message saying that you have imprisoned her and used the Heaven Sealing Lock to seal her meridians. Thus, I came over intending to plead on her behalf. I ask of the First Elder to free her shackles and return her freedom! Zhao Ya? Shes... Yang shis grandstudent? You Ruoxin nearly leaped up in fright. Was Zhao Ya not the student of the unaffiliated cultivator Zhang Xuan? If Zhao Ya was Yang shis grandstudent, did that not mean that Zhang Xuan was Yang shis direct disciple? First Elder! In You Ruoxins moment of astonishment, a panicked cry sounded. The Second Elder rushed over, and upon seeing that there were two foreign faces in the conference room, a hint of hesitation flickered across her face. Nevertheless, she still quickly rushed over to the First Elders side. Whats wrong? Seeing the fluster that the Second Elder was in, You Ruoxin could not help but frown deeply. Bad news! The Chanting Serenity Halls formation is stillpletely intact, but Young Court Chief Zhao Ya... has gone missing! the Second Elder eximed with a pale face. You said that Zhao Ya has gone missing? You Ruoxin narrowed her eyes in horror. Her first thought was to rush over to check on the formation at the Chanting Serenity Hall when a thought came to her mind, and she slowly turned her head toward the middle-aged man in the conference room. Yang shi... Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves back and said impassively, Indeed. I have brought her away. Chapter 1501 - Let the Glacier Plain Court Vanish Hereafter!

Chapter 1501: Let the cier in Court Vanish Hereafter!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hearing the words from the middle-aged man before her, the Second Elder was astounded. You said that you brought her away? Thats impossible! The Chanting Serenity Hall is shrouded by a 9-star pinnacle formation set up painstakingly by the ancestors of the cier in Court. Without the token, its impossible to enter its premises. Not even the guild leader of the Formation Master Guild headquarters would be able to take her away discreetly! She did not believe something like this could be true nor even possible. The Chanting Serenity Hall was the ce where criminals were housed, and its security was so tight that it was impossible for anyone to sneak in discreetly without rming them! Putting aside the head of the Formation Master Guild headquarters, even the head of the Luo n, who could be considered the leading expert in the field of spatial maniption, was not capable of achieving this feat. But... the impossible had indeed happened. Zhao Ya had disappeared, and the middle-aged man before her imed that he had taken her away. If so, just who could this middle-aged man be? And how powerful could he be? This... While You Ruoxin could not help but hold some skepticism toward this matter, she still swiftlyposed herself and sped her fist. Yang shi, I was unaware that Zhao Ya is your grandstudent, so I ask of you to forgive me if I have offended you in any way. However, I would like to rify that it wasnt my intention to make things hard for her by cing the Heaven Sealing Lock on her! While Zhao Ya was a member of their cier in Court, now that Yang shi was involved, the entire nature of the matter had changed. Lineage was of the utmost importance on the Master Teacher Continent. If a student was humiliated, it was normal for the teacher to step forward and stand up on their behalf. In fact, as long as the teacher did not go too overboard, the Master Teacher Pavilion would not restrict such behavior. Humph! You used the Heaven Sealing Lock to seal her meridians, cing her through great suffering... Do you honestly believe that Ill let this matter go just because it wasnt your intention to do so? Zhang Xuan spat as his voice gradually turned wintry. This... You Ruoxin bit her lips nervously. To tell you the truth, Yang shi, Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body must be awakened as soon as possible because it involves the major affair of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so I had no other choice! The major affair of the Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan repeated questioningly. Indeed. Hearing Zhang Xuans doubtful voice, Elder Qu asked with a hint of wariness in his voice, Yang shi, are you not aware of the matter? Arent you from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? While he still did not think that the other party was Grand Elder Yang Xuan, considering that the other party had been able to point out the root of his ailment and treat it swiftly, he felt that it was still very likely that the other party was someone from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Perhaps, he might be one of the more senior elders who had long gone into seclusion. Harboring such doubts in his mind, he had decided to take a step back and simply watch things progress by the side so as to figure out the intentions of the middle-aged man before him, especially since the other party had not really shown any breach of respect or caused any trouble so far. Furthermore, he hade in order to save his grandstudent, which was a perfectly valid reason. Just that... that matter was something that had resulted in the mobilization of the entire Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, yet the person before him actually knew nothing about it at all. Could he be not from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters after all? If he was not a master teacher and yet possessed the ability to cure his affliction and save his grandstudent from the cier in Court silently... this matter might not be as simple as it seemed! Of course I am. I am just not too sure about some matters! Zhang Xuans heart jolted in rm, but he did not allow it to surface on his face. Maintaining his ever-nonchnt face, he waved his hands casually. What did Zhao Yas unique constitution being awakened have to do with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? What was going on? Serving as the role model for the whole of mankind, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had its reputation to uphold and would not do or allow anything that was too immoral. It was hard to believe that they would condone the First Elders act of forcing Zhao Ya to use the art of harvesting to awaken her unique constitution. You arent too sure? Thats impossible. That matter was decided by Yang shi himself, and he entrusted it to the deputy pavilion master to carry out. Theres no 9-star master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters who doesnt know of this matter, so how could you be unsure of it? You... who in the world are you? Elder Qu said as he took a step toward Zhang Xuan. Even if the other party had treated his injuries and was his benefactor, as long as the other party was not from the Master Teacher Pavilion, he would have to take the other party down. That matter was simply too important to allow anything to go wrong. He could not afford topromise on it, and he could not take responsibility for the consequences if anything went wrong. You arent Yang shi? Then who are you? What do you mean bying over to the cier in Court and kidnapping our young court chief? Seeing that Elder Qu had turned on the middle-aged man, You Ruoxins heart jolted in astonishment as she began assessing the middle-aged man before her with narrowed eyes. The auras of the two experts pressed down on Zhang Xuan heavily, leaving him short on breath. Elder Qu, Ill exin this matter to you when we return. I need you to remain silent for the time being. Not expecting to give himself away in such a manner, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers. Padah! Elder Qu suddenly felt the zhenqi that he had just assimteding to life. It dived into the most remote corners of his body and began tearing apart everything. Ahhh! The sudden assault of pain nearly left his knees crumbling to the floor. Cold sweat rained down his cheeks. He tried to open his mouth, but he found himself unable to say a word at all. Even his zhenqi telepathy was being interrupted. In an instant, he understood that he had fallen for the other partys scheme. Could he be... the newly-appointed hall master of the Poison Hall? Elder Qu thought in rm. He tried to move, but as if he was trapped within quicksand, his stiffened body simply would not budge. Not too long ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had received news that the Poison Hall headquarters hidden in the deep mountains had ushered in a new hall master. It was said that she was the reincarnation of their founder, and despite her young age, she possessed unparalleled affinity with poison, making her a force to behold. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had sent a 9-star master teacher skilled in the art of concealment to sneak into the heart of their base and scout the matter. But before he could even reach the hall masters residence, he had already been afflicted with lethal poison and nearly lost his life. Unexpectedly, not only did the hall master cure the 9-star master teacher of his poison, she even told him that her teacher was a master teacher, and she had no intention of going against the Master Teacher Pavilion, so there was no need for them to be so tense. Further investigations on the matter had shown that the Poison Hall had truly toned down significantly after the inauguration of the new hall master, and only then did the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters heart finally rest easy. Could all of that actually have been a facade? They had toned down on the surface, but in truth, they were moving in the shadows, preparing tounch a devastating blow on the Master Teacher Pavilion, starting with the cier in Courtwas that it? Otherwise, who else in the world could be capable of nting poison into a 9-star master teacher like him without incurring his notice? Possessing such formidable means, if that fellow truly intended the cier in Court harm, he could easily start a massacre! rmed, Elder Qu drove his zhenqi anxiously in hopes of gathering the strength required to move his body. However, the more he tried to drive his zhenqi, the stiffer his body became. The pain engulfing his body intensified, and he felt as if he would be torn to pieces. How can this be? How did he manage to get the poison into me? The poison had originated from the surges of zhenqi that the middle-aged man had given him previously. However, he had checked on the surges of zhenqi beforehand and ensured that there was nothing wrong with them. Had the Poison Hall really grown so powerful? Damn it! Knowing that it was futile to get anxious, Elder Qu took a deep breath and forcefully calmed himself. He began driving his zhenqi with greater intensity, hoping to suppress those surges of zhenqi that he had just taken in. While that would not resolve the poison, with his strength, it should not be too much of a problem for him to suppress it temporarily. Elder Qu! On the other hand, seeing that her pir of support had fallen silent, You Ruoxins heart leaped in trepidation. She knew just how powerful Elder Qu was, and yet, by some kind of sorcery, he had really fallen silent with just a few words from the middle-aged man before her. Was the middle-aged man before her really that powerful? Theres no need to turn to him for support. Qu Buping has been suppressed by my will, and he cant even fend for himself anymore. Since it has alreadye to the point, I dont think theres any need for me to maintain my act. Indeed, Im not Yang shi. However, not even the Yang shi whom all of you look up to so much will be able to hold a candle to me! Raising his eyelids to look at You Ruoxin directly, Zhang Xuan took a step forward, and an indomitable aura flowed forth from his body. It was almost as if he was a deity from the heavens. Every single move that he made represented the will of the heavens, and at that very moment, the will of the heavens bore malevolent intent, seeking to bring divine retribution to the world. Just because I havent made a move yet doesnt mean that I wont. Tell me how the Heaven Sealing Lock can be resolved, and Ill spare you and your cier in Court. Otherwise, I dont mind... ... letting the cier in Court vanish hereafter! Chapter 1502 - Severely Wounded

Chapter 1502: Severely Wounded

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Vanish? The First Elders face paled as she staggered backward fearfully. Given how the other party was able to render Elder Qupletely silent and immobile with a word, as well as enter the depths of the cier in Court without drawing anyones attention and take Zhao Ya away... In terms of strength, there was indeed no one in the world whom she could think of that would stand a chance against the middle-aged man before her. If a fight broke out, would the cier in Court stand a chance against him? As this notion came into the First Elders mind, she felt as if her heart had been plunged into icy water. This was meaningless posttion. There was no way that they stood a chance. In terms of strength, she was beneath that of Elder Qu. Given how the other party was able to subdue Elder Qu with ease, killing her would pose even less of a problem! Indeed. cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan took another step forward. Doubt my strength if you want to, but just be prepared to face the consequences if so. The only reason I havent made a move yet is to avoid meaningless bloodshed. My motive here is to save, not to kill. Even though it was impossible to see the depths of his cultivation, the pressure he exerted was more than enough to sink anyone into the abyss of despair. He flicked his wrist, and Zhao Ya appeared beside him. Gazing intently at You Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan said, All you have to do is free her from the Heaven Sealing Lock. As for the final awakening of her unique constitution, Ill handle it myself. You dont need to interfere in this matter anymore! Zhao Yas unique constitution would definitely have to be awakened, but there was plenty of time in the future to figure out a solution. The important matter at hand was to remove the Heaven Sealing Lock and free her from pain. You are able to help her aplish a full awakening? You Ruoxin was stunned. Indeed! Zhang Xuan tilted his head upward confidently. If theres something in this world I cant aplish, no one else will be able to! It was a bold im, but Zhang Xuan meant everyst word he said. With the Library of Heavens Path in his possession, his existence embodied the possibilities of the world. If there was something in this world that he was incapable of, no one else would be able to aplish it, and this was including the legendary Yang shi! But... You Ruoxins face paled further upon hearing those words, and her body began trembling slightly. The Heaven Sealing Lock of the cier in Court is created by the Icy Silkworm. Once it enters a hosts body, it will swiftly freeze all of its hosts meridians. Theres only one known way to resolve the issue... and that is to absorb the pure yang energy. Other than that, theres no other solution. What did you say? A furious bellow escaped from Zhang Xuans lips. At the same time, cracks swiftly crawled through the surrounding ground, covering the entire conference room in an instant. Zhao Yas body also stiffened upon hearing those words. She had thought that with her grandteacher making a move on her behalf, the problem that she was facing would be resolved easily. Yet, after all was said and done, they were still back to square one. After what happened with her mother, I had no other choice but to make this move. I thought that after undergoing a few days of suffering, she would give in and cultivate in ordance to our cultivation technique. The past generations of court chiefs have all undergone this process, so I didnt think much about it, You Ruoxin exined fearfully. In fact, the very reason our cier in Court bred the Icy Silkworm as the Heaven Sealing Lock is to force the court chiefs to cultivate the final level of the cultivation technique and fully awaken their Pure Yin Body. Its not meant to be curable... You... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly as he red at You Ruoxin with an inferno burning in his eyes. As someone who possessed the Eye of Insight, he could tell that You Ruoxin was not lying to him. In other words, other than harvesting the pure yang energy of young men, there was no other way to resolve he the Heaven Sealing Lock! This was really the worst-case scenario! Pu! All of a sudden, Elder Qus face reddened, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. Due to the massive fluctuations in Zhang Xuans emotions, he was unable to control his zhenqi as finely as he usually could. Making use of this opening, Elder Qu used a secret art to fuse the other partys zhenqi into his blood and forced it out of his body! How dare you try to poison me! Even if Im not a match for you, Im going to drag you down to hell with me! With a furious bellow, Elder Qu flicked his palm up and thrust it toward the middle-aged man before him. A furious tempest whipped up in the area, and in that moment, it felt as if the world was spinning around them. The full might of a 9-star master teacher was more than enough to rip apart the spatial fabric of the Master Teacher Continent. Under Elder Qus raging might, the formations in the conference hall groaned in protest before being torn apart, raising up a massive dust storm. Elder Qu, dont... Not expecting Elder Qu to suddenly go on a rampage when she had barely cated the supreme expert before her, You Ruoxin cried in horror. If they provoked the other party and the other party decided to start a massacre, would the cier in Court not vanish from the face of the world? Hong long! However, there was already no stopping Elder Qu. His poisoning and the other partys impersonation of Yang Xuan had already gone beyond what he could tolerate. Who do you think you are making a move on... Despite the bravado that he was putting on, Zhang Xuan really had not expected Elder Qu to be so hot-tempered as to make a move all of a sudden. Knowing that he would not stand a chance in a direct encounter, he hurriedly flicked his wrist and ced the Sanctum Head Token before him as a shield. Peng! The might of Elder Qus palm strike rippled through the Sanctum Head Token and gushed right toward Zhang Xuan like an unstoppable storm. Pu! Blood spewed frenziedly from Zhang Xuans mouth as he felt the bones throughout his body shattering. The sheer might of the force nearly struck the final breath out of his body. Elder Qu had thought that Zhang Xuan was an unparalleled expert, so when he made his move, he had been prepared to meet his end. As such, he drew all the strength that he could muster in his attack, and the might behind his offense far surpassed what Zhang Xuan could withstand in his current state. If not for the Sanctum Head Token cushioning most of the blow, he would have turned into meat paste. Nevertheless, just the shockwave from the palm strike was enough to incapacitate him. Following which, Elder Qus shocked exmation sounded in the air. How could he be so weak? He had already resolved himself for death when he made the move. He had thought that even if he lost his life, the least he could do was inflict an irrecoverable wound on the other party. But never in his wildest dreams had he expected the middle-aged man before him to be so weak! Preposterous... Preposterous! How dare a weakling like you threaten me! Disciples of the cier in Court, take him down! You Ruoxin clearly had not expected the middle-aged man before her to be so weak. He had appeared before her as a formidable expert wielding peerless strength, but his true strength turned out to be so meager that it was not even worth her batting an eyelid over. Her face flushed crimson as she bellowed furiously for the disciples of the cier in Court to apprehend him. As the First Elder of the cier in Court, she could also be considered a distinguished figure of the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, a Phantasmal Space realm cultivator actually managed to scare her into submission. If others learnt of this matter, how was she to uphold the cier in Courts dignity before the world? While the First Elder was barking out orders, Zhao Ya was staring in horror at the helpless young man twirling in the air from the shockwave of Elder Qus attack. Her body trembled in shock as tears trickled down her pale cheeks. He... isnt grandteacher but... teacher! Elder Qus attack had only been directed toward Zhang Xuan, so despite Zhao Ya being so close to Zhang Xuan, she was not affected by the shockwave at all. Otherwise, given the frail state that she was in, she would have lost her life in a breath. However, watching as the retreating middle-aged mans disguise faded due to his severe injuries, she swiftly understood what was going on. The abrupt appearance of her grandteacher and the striking simrity between their zhenqi... All of a sudden, the miniscule doubts that had surfaced at the back of her mind were answered. So, it had really been her teacher all along. Of course, it could not have been anyone else. Only her teacher would rush over regardless of the cost after receiving her message. Only her teacher would risk his life regardless of how hopeless the situation seemed just to clutch onto the faint ray of hope for her. Only her teacher would dote her so much as to put his life on the line just so that she would not have to do something against her will! Teacher, you have done far too much for me. How can I let anything happen to you? Feeling an irrepressible pain tearing her heart apart, Zhao Ya clenched her teeth tightly together and drove her zhenqi furiously. You Ruoxin narrowed her eyes at the sight and bellowed anxiously, Dont move your zhenqi, youll really die! Chapter 1503 - A Master Teacher I Shant Be Anymore!

Chapter 1503: A Master Teacher I Shant Be Anymore!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Heaven Sealing Lock formed out of the Icy Silkworm had already frozen her meridians into ice. Just the very attempt to move her zhenqi would cause unbearable pain to engulf her body, causing strength to swiftly recede from her body. If she forcefully continued after that, her meridians would swiftly copse, and the damage that she sustained would really be irrecoverable. In the worst-case scenario, she might even lose her life. The reason You Ruoxin had nted something so vile in Zhao Ya in the first ce was to strip her of her choices. As long as she refused to sumb and awaken her unique constitution, she would be constantly ced in a state of suffering. On the other hand, as long as she chose to submit, she would be able to be a top expert in an instant! Which the better option was, surely any rational person would be able to tell. But... thisss would rather take the suffering than choose what would have been better for her and the entire cier in Court! This had left her feeling extremely enraged. She had intended to lock her up for just a few days to make her change her mind, but she never would have thought that someone would actually break her out. Who in the world is that person? Is he so important to you that you would even give up even your life for him? At this point, You Ruoxin did not pay any attention to the person impersonating Yang shi. She quickly rushed forward to strike down on Zhao Ya with her palm. Stop it! A powerful surge of energy swiftly covered Zhao Yas body, suppressing her flow of zhenqi entirely. Hong long! However, Zhao Ya had already resolved herself for death, such that even You Ruoxin found herself unable to suppress her zhenqi. Thetter swiftly suffered a rebound, causing blood to trickle down the corner of her lips. Are you insane! You Ruoxins head nearly exploded. She had known this youngdy for half a year now, and thetter had always treated her earnestly and respectfully. No matter what she demanded of the youngdy, the youngdy would always follow her instructions without any hesitation. Just what in the world happened for the youngdy to defy her even at the expense of her life? She raised her head to the sky, and when she saw Zhang Xuans true face, she could not help but jolt in astonishment. Hes actually this young! Could he be... You Ruoxin narrowed her eyes as something clutched her heart tightly. Could he be... Zhang Xuan? Over the past half a year, she had managed to understand Zhao Yas character, and she knew that the youngdys teacher was her breaking point. She would allow no harm toe to her teacher, and she would make anyone who dared touch him pay dearly! Considering the current situation, there was no doubt that the young man was indeed her teacher! Scram! While You Ruoxins mind was wandering, she heard the youngdys furious shriek exploding in her ears. The next moment, her chest caved in, and a powerful might sent her flying. She tumbled in the air as fresh blood spurted forth from her lips. Suppressing the jolted zhenqi, You Ruoxin forcefully stabilized her body as she howled at the youngdy from a distance away. Your meridians will shatter, dont! To use her strength in her current state was no different from suicide! Pu! As expected, as soon as the First Elder was sent flying, Zhao Ya seemed to have reached the limits of her body as well. Her face reddened, and blood spewed out from her mouth. Her body trembled weakly, and it seemed as if she would copse to the ground at any moment. Yet, she remained firmly standing. She walked over toward Zhang Xuans body, ced her palm on his body, and sent her zhenqi into his body to help him recover. Gazing at the young man lying in front of her with gentle eyes, she muttered with a voice filled with worry, Teacher, nothing can happen to you. Ill protect you, so you have to be fine... Y-y-you... Do you want to die! You Ruoxin roared as she rushed forward to stop her, only to be impeded by the powerful bursts of energy that the youngdy was emanating. Finding that she was unable to get close, she could not help but feel even more anxious. In the first ce, the youngdys act of forcefully using her zhenqi had already caused her meridians to copse, but despite that, she was still expending her zhenqi to help another. This was tantamount to suicide! Shes nning on burning herself dry to save her teacher... Elder Qu walked to You Ruoxins side as he looked at the sight with clenched fists. He had thought that the other party was the head of the Poison Hall or perhaps even an Otherworldly Demon pretending to be a human. However, contrary to his expectations, the other party was only a weak cultivator putting on a disguise! If he had known that the other party was that weak, he never would haveunched such a powerful attack. ... In his semi-conscious state, Zhang Xuan could vaguely feel Zhao Ya pumping her strength into his body. Shocked, he was jolted awake. He opened his eyes and saw the pale-faced Zhao Ya looking down on him with a satisfied smile on her lips. Teacher, you have finally awakened. Im... relieved... After saying those words, her drooping eyelids finally shut as she fell to the ground. She had always stood tall and valiant, but at that moment, she appeared so frail and helpless. Zhao Ya! Understanding what was going on, Zhang Xuan screamed in horror. He hurriedly got up and ced his palm on her hands. Hong long! Without any reservation, he furiously drove all of the Heavens Path zhenqi that he could muster into her body. But the moment his zhenqi entered her body, his body stiffened as if someone had poured a pail of cold water over him. The youngdys previously frozen meridians had all shattered into nothingness. In other words, even if she could be treated, she would remain a cripple for life! She would no longer be a cultivator anymore. Nooo! Zhang Xuan roared. She had spent her entire life cultivating, taking a step at a time toward the top. If she really became a cripple, her reason for living would bepletely destroyed. There was no way that she would be able to ept such an oue. Without Zhao Yas zhenqi forcing them back anymore, You Ruoxin stepped forward, and upon seeing the state Zhao Ya was in, she shouted furiously, Let go of Zhao Ya! You... You are the culprit... The entire cier in Court is the culprit! Hugging the youngdys body tightly in his embrace, Zhang Xuan slowly got to his feet as he stared at You Ruoxin and Elder Qu with crimson eyes filled with hatred. The reason he had sent Zhao Ya to the cier in Court was so that she could awaken her unique bloodline swiftly ande to be independent. If he had known that the cier in Court would treat his beloved student in such a manner, resorting to such callous means to force her to do something against her will, he never would have agreed to it, even at the expense of his life! When he first saw Zhao Yas frozen meridians and the suffering that she was in, he should have just toughened his heart and taught the cier in Court a lesson. It was his hesitation that had led to this tragedy. I have always said that if anything happened to my student, I would eradicate the cier in Court, Zhang Xuan said with an utterly cold voice, almost as if a demon that had walked out of the depths of hell. Back then, when Liu Xuan took Zhao Ya away, he had said that if he ever found that Zhao Ya had suffered any grievances due to them, he would eradicate the entire cier in Court. Since you view Zhao Ya as nothing more than a tool to further your cier in Court, not hesitating in the least to put her through great suffering so as to achieve your own goals, what else do I have to hesitate over? Seeing the deranged state that the young man before him was in, Elder Qu howled out a threat. You are Zhang Xuan, right? As a talented master teacher who has sessfully ovee the Tower of Master Teachers, you have a bright future ahead of you. Youd better not act recklessly. Since the Master Teacher Pavilion is able to bestow you with prestige and honor, its also able to take it away and turn you into a sinner wanted throughout the Master Teacher Continent... He had a rough idea about the situation concerning Zhao Ya, and since You Ruoxin was able to figure out the identity of the young man, there was no reason he would not be able to do so. Zhang Xuan was indeed tremendously talented; master teachers of his caliber were rarely seen even in the entire history of the Sanctum of Sages. Was he really going to give up on the bright future ahead of him just like that? Master teacher? Hah! Hahaha! Well said, Qu Buping! A master teacher should follow rules, isnt that so? Very well then! Today, I am not a master teacher but her teacher! Im going to redress her grievances and avenge her! Zhang Xuan grabbed the master teacher robe on him and ripped it apart as he sneered maniacally. All along, he had tried his best to remain in line due to the many rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but from that day... that would not be the case anymore! Regardless of what happened, he would avenge Zhao Ya! Chapter 1504 - Let Lightning Strike on the Glacier Plain Court!

Chapter 1504: Let Lightning Strike on the cier in Court!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Audacious! Seeing the young man before him ripping his master teacher robe apart and saying that he was not a master teacher, Elder Qu nearly exploded on the spot. Do you think that you are able to choose when you want to be a master teacher, as if it is just a robe you wear? If everyone took it so lightly, what would be of the dignity of the Master Teacher Pavilion? How could the number one upation of the world possibly be so ruleless? Me, audacious? My audacity cant even begin topare to the likes of yours! The Master Teacher Pavilion should be the most concerned about the rules, but just to fulfill your own interests, you turned a blind eye to the cier in Court using depraved means to awaken a unique constitution. Why? Do the lives of those young men mean nothing to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Not only so, the First Elder of the cier in Court even shackled a disciple of the cier in Court with the Heaven Sealing Lock in order to force her tomit atrocities... I must have been blind to have handed my student over to you! Hugging the youngdy tightly in his embrace, Zhang Xuan slowly flew into the air as his voice grew louder and louder. Such a filthy organization... I dont think theres any reason the cier in Court should exist in this world! Hearing how the young man was getting more and more overboard with his words, You Ruoxin sneered coldly as she raised her palm, prepared to make a move. A mere Phantasmal Space realm brat like you doesnt have any right to determine whether or not the cier in Court has the right to exist in the world! The next moment, however, her face suddenly distorted in horror. What is going on? The clear sky, filled with innumerable stars a moment ago, was suddenly filled with ominous clouds. Lightning crackled furiously within them, seemingly ready to bring devastation down upon the world at any moment. This is... the Dimension Sundering Ordeal? That fellow is going to push for a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm now? Elder Qu was taken aback. The fellow in the sky imed that he wanted to exact vengeance for Zhao Ya by reducing the cier in Court to ruins, but why would he end up summoning his Dimension Sundering Ordeal instead? During an ordeal, he would not even be able to guarantee his own safety, let alone deal with them. Seeing how that fellow was not showing the slightest hint of remorse, even attempting to push for a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm in order to deal with them, You Ruoxin sneered coldly. Its toote to be sharpening your edge at this moment. So what if you achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm right now? As one of the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent, the cier in Court wont stand for a brat like you besmirching our reputation! Raising her palm, she bellowed with a voice that jolted even the storm clouds, Disciples of the cier in Court, heed my words! Someone dared humiliate the cier in Court; its time for you to stand up for your home! Yes, First Elder! Hu! Shortly after those words were spoken, the disciples and elders of the cier in Court flew into the sky, swiftly filling the area. They positioned themselves in a certain pattern, seemingly forming a massive formation. As a Tier-1 organization on the Master Teacher Continent, second only to Premier ns like the Zhang n and Luo n, the sheer number of experts they had among their ranks would leave any ordinary powers trembling in fear. Just the number of Saint 8-dan experts that they had numbered a few thousand! To spout arrogant words when you havent even reached the Dimension Sundering realm, it seems like you are really oblivious to the strength that the cier in Court wields! You Ruoxin scoffed as she stood above the massive formation formed by the army of elders and disciples. So what if Zhang Xuan wielded strength far beyond his realm? Before absolute strength, he was nothing at all! Just as You Ruoxin was just about to issue themand for the elders and disciples to apprehend that audacious young man, Elder Qus anxious voice suddenly sounded in her ears. No, something is wrong. First Elder, theres something abnormal about that Dimension Sundering Ordeal! Hmm? You Ruoxin nced at Elder Qu doubtfully. An event that would be able to make even a 9-star master teacher panic was bound to be something major. Thus, she quickly looked upward to uncover what was wrong with the summoned Dimension Sundering Ordeal, and with just a nce, her eyes had already widened in horror. The congregation of storm clouds above had reached a density that she had never seen before, and not only so, it was still swelling up at a frightening rate. In just a few moments, it had already covered tens of thousands of mu 1 , and it still was not showing any signs of calming down. It was almost as if it would only rest when it had brought down the entire City of cier. A lightning tribtion thats tens of thousands of murge? Not even the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal can begin topare to this... You Ruoxin shuddered in fear. Even the strongest Macrocosm Ascendancy realm that she had seen was several thousand murge, yet the young mans Dimension Sundering realm actually formed a lightning tribtion at least ten timesrger! Just what was going on? To draw in such a powerful lightning tribtion, surely even Zhang Xuan would lose his life! Holding Zhao Ya tightly in his embrace, Zhang Xuan coldly bellowed, Lightning tribtion, heed my order! Lay waste to everything beneath! A deafening roar sounded from the storm clouds, as if responding to hismand. The next moment, countless lightning bolts descended from the storm clouds, ravaging the surroundings. Hong long! Hong long hong long! It was an absolute cataclysm. Wherever the eyes could see, buildings were being torn down, copsing onto the ground as rubble. A massive storm of dust swirled around the area. Protect the cier in Court! Protect the cier in Court! You Ruoxin never could have imagined that the Dimension Sundering Ordeal summoned by that fellow would actually follow his orders. Completely thrown off guard by the abrupt situation, her face paled in fright as she desperately barked out orders. Sou sou sou sou! The elders and disciples quickly flew to the key buildings of the cier in Court, intending to use their strength to protect its long lineage and history. Kacha! Kacha! However, the lightning tribtion was the very manifestation of the rage of the heavenshow could mere mortals like them possibly be able to withstand it? Perhaps it was due to Zhang Xuansmand, but the lightning strikes did notnd a fatal blow on any of the disciples or elders. Nevertheless, the lightning strikes still paralyzed their bodies, incapacitating them for the time being. No... No... You Ruoxin shook her head in disbelief as she staggered backward weakly. She could not ept what she was seeing. Standing beside her, Elder Qu was looking at the sight of absolute devastation with narrowed eyes. The sheer scale of the lightning tribtion was already more than enough to leave their eyes widened in shock, and yet, to actually follow the young mans orders to attack the cier in Court... how in the world did he do it? It was no wonder he dared to make the bold im of eradicating the cier in Court... who could possibly stand against the wrath of the heavens? Watching as the majestic buildings that had once towered being reduced to rubble and the formations that had protected the cier in Court dissipating, leaving nothing behind at all, You Ruoxin fell into a state of frenzy. Ill kill you! Roaring furiously, she charged right toward Zhang Xuan. This was her sect, her home! How could she ept its destruction? There was no way she could! Return to the dirt. Thats where you belong! Zhang Xuan sneered as he waved his hand. Hong long! A thick bolt of lightning streaked down toward You Ruoxin, and before she could do anything, she had already been struck. Just like the disciples and elders of the cier in Court, her charred body plummeted back to the dust-covered ground. Hong long! Hong long! Hong long! A hundred more lightning bolts fell down one after another, striking down on You Ruoxins body. Before long, the awe-inspiring First Elder of the cier in Court was convulsing helplessly on the ground. With each strike of lightning, a spurt of blood would escape from her mouth. Even at the end of the lightning strikes, her body was still twitching non-stop, making it impossible to tell whether she was still alive or not. Even the Phantasmal Space Ordeal that he had summoned was enough to render the Zhang ns First Elder, Zhang Wuheng,pletely helpless. Naturally, the Dimension Sundering Ordeal that he summoned was bound to be far beyond what even someone of You Ruoxins caliber was able to deal with. As a 9-star master teacher, you condoned the evil deedmitted by the cier in Court for your own interests. You should be punished as well... After striking You Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Elder Qu and waved his hand. Kacha! Kacha! The next moment, countless bolts of lightning descended from the storm clouds, drowning Elder Qu in devastating lightning energy. Soon, there was no one left standing in the cier in Court. Zhang Xuan took a look at the storm clouds and noted that the lightning energy harnessed within them was about to run dry as well. He gazed down at the youngdy in his embrace, and a pained look appeared on his face. He muttered softly beneath his breath, Zhao Ya, dont worry. Ill heal you back to how you were and return your strength to you. Ill awaken your Pure Yin Body and make you one of the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent so that youll never have to suffer such injustice ever again! Holding Zhao Ya tightly, he headed into the distance, and in the blink of an eye, their silhouettes vanished into the darkness of the night. Chapter 1505 - Reporting to the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Chapter 1505: Reporting to the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Time ticked by. A crack of light appeared over the eastern horizon, and the brilliant sun slowly rose into the sky. Gradually, You Ruoxin regained consciousness. She struggled to her feet, and when she saw the endless waste that extended as far as she could see, her body staggered a little. The cier in Court had existed on the Master Teacher Continent for many millenniums, and it had been through its fair share of tragedies. There were even a few battles that had resulted in more than half of their disciples dying, but despite all those crises, the City of cier had always survived and continued standing firm. While some buildings might be destroyed by the enemies from time to time, it would only be a small portion of the entire city. Yet, at that moment, everything had been torn to the ground, reduced to debris... While none of the disciples and elders had lost their lives, they were all severely wounded. From the looks of it, it seemed like none of them would be able to recover without at least half a month of recuperation. For an individual to be able to summon lightning and wield such immense strength... You Ruoxin could not help but shudder when she recalled the sight that she had seen the previous night. In all honesty, she had never really thought of Zhang Xuan as a threat. After all, a Phantasmal Space realm cultivator should have been nothing more than an antpared to her. With her strength, she could crush dozens of them with just a flick of her finger, but the other party turned out to possess a trump card far stronger than her wildest imagination! With just a Dimension Sundering Ordeal, he had reduced the cier in Court to such a state... If he underwent his Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal, would the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters be torn down as well? First Elder... the cier in Court has beenpletely destroyed! Struggling to You Ruoxins side, the Second Elder shook her head with a look of destion. Indeed, its all destroyed, You Ruoxin replied in a daze. Having served as the de facto leader of the cier in Court for so many years, she had thought that she would be able to bring it to greater heights under her leadership. Yet, as if fate was ying tricks on her, her attempts to achieve her ambition had ended up reducing it to ruins instead. As long as our disciples remain, well have a chance to rise back up. From this day onward, Zhang Xuan shall be the greatest enemy of our cier in Court. Any disciple who spots him is to kill him on sight! You Ruoxin spat with gritted teeth. Yes! the elders and disciples who had just awoken replied resoundingly. You Ruoxin turned to the awoken Elder Qu and said, Elder Qu, you witnessed what happened with your own eyes. That Zhang Xuan has kidnapped our young court chief and destroyed the entire cier in Court. I hope that you can report his heinous sins to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters so as to put a bounty on his head! Rest assured, Ill report this matter as I have seen and have him brought to justice! Elder Qu nodded as he rubbed his be. Despite being a master teacher, Zhang Xuan had disregarded the rules and acted as he pleased. A person like him had to be punished severely. Otherwise, if everyone wreaked havoc just because they possessed a bit of strength, the entire Master Teacher Continent would swiftly be reduced to chaos! ... Peng! After flying for some time, Zhang Xuan finally reached the limits of his strength and plummeted to the ground. While the Sanctum Head Token had blocked off some of Elder Qus desperate attack, a portion of the shockwave had seeped into his body, and even at that moment, it was still tearing apart the vitality in his body, worsening his injuries. If not for the energy that Zhao Ya had infused into his body, putting aside summoning the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, he might have simply died on the spot. Even so, he still found himselfing to the limits of his body after just flying for a night. Of course, he could have chosen to ride on the Inferno Qilin as well, but the problem with that was that thetters fire aura was simply too conspicuous. While it did fly fast, it would also make it easier for them to be tracked down. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the Heavens Path zhenqi, he was to perfectly conceal his aura. On top of that, through the Eye of Insight, he was able to check if he had identally left behind any tracks and erase them in advance, thus making it difficult for even real 9-star master teachers to find him. Struggling to his feet once more, he found that he was standing in the midst of a primitive jungle. Seeing that there was no one in sight, he heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan lowered his head to gaze at the youngdy in his embrace. Her eyes were still tightly shut, and even though she was breathing, it was extremely frail, almost as if she would stop breathing at the slightest trauma. Zhao Ya, since I have said that Ill save you, Ill definitely do it! If not for Zhang Xuan holding her throughout the entire journey, sustaining her vitals with his Heavens Path zhenqi, she might have already departed from the world. cing her lightly on the ground, Zhang Xuan ced his finger on her meridians and willed, ws! Weng! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path, and Zhang Xuan quickly browsed through it. Her injuries are too severe. Everyst one of her meridians had crumbled... Zhang Xuan shook his head hopelessly. Zhao Yas condition was worse than he had thought. Due to her forcefully driving her zhenqi, her frozen meridians had ended up shattering into countless fragments. If there was anything fortunate about the situation, it would be that the effects of the Heaven Sealing Lock had vanished as well. In other words, while shattering her meridians, she had seeded in shattering the Heaven Sealing Lock with her strength, resolving its threat. If its a cut or a tear, the Heavens Path zhenqi would still be able to repair it, but her meridians have shatteredpletely, ceasing to exist, Zhang Xuan murmured with an awfulplexion. The Heavens Path zhenqis restorative property far surpassed that of any medicinal herbs or pills... but despite its seemingly miraculous effects, it did not have the ability to recreate meridians out of nothing. Even the most skilled of cksmith would be unable to forge a weapon without tools and ores. This was exactly what was going on with Zhao Ya. Given that her meridians had beenpletely destroyed, how could the Heavens Path zhenqi heal something that was no longer there? Without meridians, I wont be able to drive my zhenqi through her body effectively, and thatll make it much more difficult to treat her... In a sense, meridians were like the capiries of the body; they could be found everywhere so that the bloodstream could transport oxygen to every cell in the body. The destruction of the meridians was somewhat simr to the copse of the roads. The Heavens Path zhenqi would not be able to get around her body easily, thus slowing down the treatment significantly. Lets try using the silver needles! Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a couple of silver needles and infused a surge of his zhenqi on each of them before flicking them away. Weng weng weng weng! Several hundred silver needles immediately pierced into the acupoints of the youngdy. Cough cough... Zhang Xuan swayed on the spot before falling back down onto the ground. His injuries were not light, and he was in no state to expend too much energy. While attempting to save Zhao Ya, he had also nearly depleted himself dry. Knowing that he could not afford to copse at this moment, he swiftly took out a pill and swallowed it. A whileter, when he felt that some strength had returned to his body, he quickly turned his sight to the youngdy once more. After infusing several hundred surges of zhenqi into Zhao Yas body via the silver needles, herplexion alleviated significantly. However, due to the severity of her injuries, she was still a long way off from regaining consciousness. The trauma to her body as a result of the copse of her meridians is simply too great. If she ever wants to recover her strength as a cultivator, her meridians will have to be reconstructed... A deep frown surfaced between Zhang Xuans brows. As formidable as his medical skills were, this was his first time meeting with such a situation. There was nothing like this detailed in the medical books, so he was also at aplete loss as to what he could do. At this point, it was not a matter of whether he knew how to reconstruct meridians or notsuch a matter waspletely unheard of in the Master Teacher Continent in the very first ce! A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. But just because its unheard of doesnt mean that its impossible. All I have to do is be the first one to achieve it! So what if no one had achieved it in the past? If no one had done it before, he would just have to be the one to break new grounds then! But... what can I use to rece her meridians? The material must allow zhenqi to pass through it without any obstruction, be sufficiently flexible and resilient, and be able to store energy. Meridians were simr to expressways tailored for zhenqi. In order to reconstruct them, the first thing that Zhang Xuan had to do was find a material suitable to rece it. But what in the world had the properties necessary to rece meridians and yet not harm a persons body? After some contemtion, Zhang Xuan was unable toe up with anything good, so he could only shake his head helplessly. It seems like I should drop by the cksmith Guild or Physician Guild to take a look... If it were toe down to it, he might have to try fusing several materials together and forge out a new set of meridians for her. However, the problem was that his forging abilities were simply too unremarkable! Forging a brick was already the limits of his ability, let alone forging something that had to be small, delicate, precise, and allow zhenqi to pass through without any obstruction. That was really asking the impossible of him! Besides, it was not even certain yet if meridians could be reced by other materials. So, he would have to hit the books to determine his next course of action. Chapter 1506 - Zhao Ya Regains Consciousness

Chapter 1506: Zhao Ya Regains Consciousness

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Aftering up with a rough idea as to how he could treat Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan felt the burden in his heart alleviating slightly. He continued his acupuncture treatment, infusing tens of thousands of zhenqi surges into Zhao Yas body before her condition finally stabilized. It had been said time and time again, but Zhao Ya was truly in a horrible condition. Had it been any other physician in Zhang Xuans ce, even if the person was a 9-star pinnacle physician, they would still have found themself utterly lost as to how to help Zhao Ya. Pills would not work as there were no meridians to diffuse the medicinal energy, and the usual zhenqi cirction methods would not work for the same reason. Even with the miraculous Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan could only infuse it bit by bit through the silver needles into the injured parts of her body to slowly induce her recovery. By the time he was done, a day had already passed. Other than asionally going around to find some wild fruits, mashing them up, and feeding them to Zhao Ya to alleviate her hunger, he spent most of his time treating Zhao Ya and himself and recovering his cultivation. Fortunately, his hard work paid off. He finally managed to expel the ravaging might from Elder Qus attack that had seeped into his body and sessfully healed his injuries. At the same time, he also managed to ustom himself to his Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm primary stage cultivation as well. Thest round of acupuncture! As long as I seed, Zhao Ya should be able to regain consciousness! Seeing that the sun was rising once more, Zhang Xuan quickly conditioned his own state before taking his silver needles out. Gazing down on the peaceful face of the youngdy lying not too far away, he flicked his wrist. Hu! Several hundred silver needles immediately floated before him, and he stroked each of them lightly as if ying the zither. As Zhao Yas meridians had beenpletely destroyed, making it impossible for her body to transport zhenqi around, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to infuse his Heavens Path zhenqi directly into the wounded areas of her body. After a day of hard work, she had mostly recovered from her injuries. As long as nothing went wrong, he would be able to stimte her nerves after this final round of acupuncture and rouse her from her deep slumber. Go! The silver needles infused with unique energy surged forth and pierced into Zhao Yas body. Not daring to loosen up in the slightest, Zhang Xuan raised his hands and pped them together. Pah pah pah! A series of resounding ps timed impably to produce a certain beat sounded in the air. It was a simple but strangely intoxicating melody, reminiscent of demonic tunes. As it echoed in the forest, the fingers of the unconscious youngdy twitched a little. Following which, her curled eyshes fluttered a little before her eyes gradually opened. Teacher... Struggling to sit up, Zhao Ya looked at the young man before her with a hint of wonder in her eyes. Im... alive? With her meridianspletely destroyed, she had thought that she would die without fail. However, it seemed like the merciful heavens had given her another chance to meet with her teacher. Dont worry. Im aroundI wont let death im you so easily! Zhang Xuan replied with a gentle smile. Wei Ruyans condition had been much worse than this back then, but he had still sessfully treated her. With the Library of Heavens Path to uncover all ws and the Heavens Path zhenqi to heal all wounds, given sufficient time, Zhang Xuan would surely be able to bring anyone back from deaths embrace! Un! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhao Ya managed to wobble up to her feet, but due to the feeble state she was in, she was still unable to maintain her bnce too well. Zhang Xuan quickly stretched his hand out to support her before sighing deeply. I have managed to stabilize your condition for the time being, but due to the copse of your meridians, the zhenqi you have cultivated so far has ended up dissipating. However, you dont have to worry. Ill find a way for you to recover your strength as soon as possible! Thank you, Teacher, Zhao Ya replied with a faint smile. She was already very thankful to the world for allowing her to remain in this world and see her teacher once more. Whether she could recover her cultivation or not was no longer important to her; she was already satisfied with what she had received. Whatever else fate had in store for her, she would ept it graciously. Zhang Xuan quickly took out the spring water and wild fruits that he had harvested and passed them over for Zhao Ya to consume, and only then did the youngdy regain some strength. She scanned her surroundings doubtfully and asked, Teacher, where are we? Arent we in the cier in Court? How did we get here? She remembered seeing the First Elder and Elder Qu closing in on her teacher menacingly... Given how disadvantageous the situation had been for her teacher back then, how did he manage to get away? Im not too sure where we are at the moment, but as for how we managed to get here, Ill fill you in on the detailster. For the time being, we have to move. After saying those words, Zhang Xuan lifted the youngdy up and wrapped her amid ayer of zhenqi before flying into the distance. Not too longter, they arrived in a small city. While Zhao Ya was unable to tap into her cultivation anymore, after mostly recovering from her injuries, she was still able to move around without much trouble, just like an ordinary human. We are in Longyuan City... After asking some passers-by, they managed to figure out their current location. I have seen Longyuan City on the map before, Zhao Ya said. Its roughly thirty thousand li away from the cier in Court and several thousand li away from the Empire Alliance. Oh? So, this city is in close proximity to the Empire Alliance. Zhang Xuan was taken aback. That night, he had fled in a fluster, and he had even changed directions eight times midway in order to ensure that any trackers sent after him would not be able to find him easily. As a result of that, even he had no idea which direction he had headed in. Perhaps it was due to the breakthrough in his cultivation to the Dimension Sundering realm that resulted in a significant boost in his speed, but despite the detours that he had taken, he had still managed to fly thirty thousand li away in a single night. Thats right. Zhao Ya nodded. Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before saying, Since the Empire Alliance is in the vicinity, lets head over there! The problem regarding Zhao Yas copsed meridians had to be treated as soon as possible, and a city as small as Longyuan City was unlikely to have the necessary resources required for her treatment. On the other hand, the Empire Alliance was the very center of the Conferred Empires, and in terms of its overall development, be it in terms of military might or economic prowess, it could be said to almost be on par with the current Sanctum of Sages. Perhaps, he might just be able to find the materials and books necessary to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians there. Zhao Ya nodded in agreement. She would follow wherever her teacher went. After all that she had been through, she no longer wanted to be apart from her teacher anymore. Knowing that he had gotten into a fair bit of trouble recently, and it would simply be asking for trouble to appear before others in their original appearance, Zhang Xuan proposed, But before we make our way over, well have to alter our appearances a bit... Zhao Ya gave a nod of agreement. Zhang Xuans disguise was rtively easy. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Golden Body, he was able to move his muscles freely to alter his appearance. On the other hand, due to Zhao Yasck of cultivation, it was slightly more troublesome for her. Nevertheless, by using a couple of unique artifacts, they still managed to conceal her ravishing looks. ... While the duo was heading toward the Empire Alliance, the Teleportation Formation in the Sanctum of Sages suddenly shook, and several figures materialized on the spot. They were the group that had taken to detour from the Zhang n to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters before teleporting overYang Xuan, Sword Saint Xing, Sword Saint Meng, and First Elder Zhang Wuheng. What happened? Why is it so messy around here? Walking out from the portal, Yang shi assessed his surroundings with a deep furrow on his forehead. The Sanctum of Sages was the number one academy on the Master Teacher Continent, and it was one of the two major subsidiaries of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, ced on equal footing with the Combat Master Hall. But at that moment, its buildings had been torn down, and pirs of smoke could be seen here and there. It was almost as if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had just been there! Zhan Tiancheng pays respect to Yang shi! Zhan shi quickly rushed forward and lowered his head in embarrassment. He had no idea how he should exin this matter to the other party. Regarding this... He had already mostly recovered from his injuries, but the very thought of a mere Phantasmal Space realm student being able to corner him so far was enough to leave him so stifled that he could have spurted several liters of blood out. More importantly, that fellow was actually Yang shis direct disciple! How was he supposed to exin this matter to Yang shi? Zhan shi, I requested you to hold Zhang Xuan here by hook or by crook. May I know where he is at the moment? Zhang Wuheng asked anxiously. Zhang Xuan... Upon hearing that name, Zhan shis face twitched, and unquenchable fury surfaced in the depths of his eyes. He slipped past our defenses and fled! He fled? Zhang Wuheng was taken aback. This is the Sanctum of Sages! How did he manage to get away right beneath your nose? He constructed a Teleportation Formation and teleported right through our defenses, how was I supposed to stop him? The current state of the Sanctum of Sages is also all his doing! Zhan Shi spat through gritted teeth. You said that Zhang Xuan constructed a Teleportation Formation? Tell me more, Yang shi requested with a deep frown. Yang shi, I know that Zhang Xuan is your direct disciple, but that man really has no regard for the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion at all. I wouldnt have wanted it toe to this if I had a choice, but this is already far beyond what I can tolerate. I have already reported this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and I seek your understanding for this matter! Zhan shi sped his fist and bowed slightly. Yang shi shook his head and rified, You have misunderstood. Zhang Xuan isnt my student! Chapter 1507 - Yang shi Meets Sun Qiang

Chapter 1507: Yang shi Meets Sun Qiang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He isnt your student? Zhan shi was taken aback. The other elders in the area were dumbstruck as well. The news that Zhang Xuan was Yang shis direct disciple had caused a huge stir a while back, such that there was probably no one else in the Sanctum of Sages who did not know of the matter. Why would Yang shi deny it? Its been less than a day since I first heard that name. I only have one studentFeng Ziyi! Yang shi rified with a shake of his head. It seemed like Zhang Xuans disguise was really impable. To think that even a master teacher of Zhan shis caliber had been fooled by his words! This made Yang shi even more curious about the young man. Just what kind of capabilities did that fellow who had barely achieved a breakthrough to the Phantasmal Space realm possess that he could leave the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages in a state of unrest? Not only so, he had even managed to utterly convince everyone that he was his direct disciple! Seeing that Yang shi was not joking, Zhan shi swiftly realized that he had been fooled, and he furiously bellowed, That would exin everything... Who would have thought that the fellow would actually be so bold as to impersonate as Yang shis student and go around fooling others! Thats another heinous crime that he hasmitted! He must be severely punished so as to send out a stern warning to the others! All this while, he had been conflicted about Zhang Xuans identity, which had put him at a loss as to how he should deal with that fellow. However, since it had been rified that the fellow was actually not Yang shis student, there was no need for him to hesitate anymore. You said that he should be severely punished? Hearing those words, Yang shi looked at Zhan shi with a bizarre expression on his face as he asked, Do you not know who he is? Who he is? Who could he possibly be? Zhan shi flung his sleeves furiously. No matter who he is, as long as he isnt your student, Ill make sure that he pays the price for daring to wreak havoc in the Sanctum of Sages! Whatever pleases you... I just hope that you dont regret your decisionter on! Yang shi shook his head before falling silent. He had only heard of the appearance of the token from the First Elders description, so there was no way that he could say for sure whether it was truly the Sanctum Head Token or not. In other words, everything was still his spection at that point. He did not think that it would be appropriate for him to make ims that were yet to be verified. Yang shi, what do you mean by that? Hearing the words of the other party, Zhan shi could not help but look at him doubtfully. Forget it, theres no point talking about it for now. Not wanting to linger on this topic, Yang shi swiftly scanned the surroundings before asking, You said earlier that Zhang Xuan constructed a Teleportation Formation and fled through it. How did it happen? Its like this... With an embarrassed look on his face, Zhan shi swiftly went through the events that had urred. You say that he borrowed your formation gs and made use of the energy from the attack from your Formation of the Sages in order to construct and activate a Teleportation Formation, and he fled through it... Yang shi, the First Elder, and the others looked at one another in astonishment. They could understand the words individually, but when those words were strung together, they formed gibberish that they simply could notprehend. With their level of cultivation andprehension of the spatialws, they were well aware of how difficult it was to set up a Teleportation Formation. It was still a minor matter if one failed to construct it within a short period of time, but more importantly, if one made the slightest error in its construction, one could very well be torn to shreds by the flow of space! Thebined might of the elders enhanced by the Formation of the Sages was already a perilous danger to deal with, and yet, he was still able to turn this threat into a supporting force to help him construct the Teleportation Formation and flee. Not only so, he even had the leisure to set up a self-destruction sequence in the formation... Was that still humanely possible? Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng turned toward Yang shi, and understanding the intention behind their gazes, Yang shi shook his head and replied, Im incapable of doing that! He did wield incredible might, worthy as being dubbed the strongest man of the new generation, but despite that, he was still incapable of setting a formation impably within a short period of time in the face of danger. Then, do you know where he teleported off to? Sword Saint Meng asked anxiously. The more outstanding Zhang Xuan proved himself to be, the more convinced she was that the young man was her child. Hearing that she had missed him once more, she could not help but feel deeply anxious inside. He destroyed the Teleportation Formation utterly, leaving no trace at all. I have no way of knowing where he went, Zhan shi replied with a shake of his head. Bring me to where the Teleportation Formation was, Yang shi instructed. Yes. This way, please! Zhan shi led the way, and very soon, they arrived before a massive pit. The explosion of the formation had left behind charred marks on the walls of the pit. Floating in the air above, Yang shi examined the pit for quite a while before saying, I can only roughly estimate the distance of the formation from the lingering energy in the area. He has teleported several million li away, but as for the direction and destination of where hes heading to, Im afraid thats beyond my current capabilities to determine! He teleported several million li away? He couldnt have returned back to the Zhang n, could he? the First Elder eximed with a face pale in horror. While that fellow was by no means strong, he had too many mysterious means up his sleeves that made him a difficult opponent to deal with. Given that they hade all the way to the Sanctum of Sages, the Zhang n was somewhat vulnerable at the moment. If that fellow returned to the Zhang n and wreaked havoc, it would be hard to say whether those remaining in the n would be able to stop him or not! Since he has left the Zhang n, I dont think that the possibility of him returning is too high, Yang shi said. Since Zhang Xuan had already teleported from the Zhang n to the Sanctum of Sages, it made little sense for him to teleport right back. After all, that would be too risky. And more important than that... given the state that the Zhang n was in, was there anything else that he could destroy? Sword Saint Meng pondered for a moment before asking, Does Zhang Xuan... have any kin, or perhaps, people that hes close with? Judging from what youve all said, it seems likely that hes heading to find someone whom hes close with. He doesnt have any kin as far as I know... Oh right, he does have a subordinate right here in the Sanctum of Sages. Ill have him apprehended right now! Zhan shis eyes lit up upon stumbling across a potential clue, and he hurriedly issued some instructions. He had thought that Sun Qiang was Yang shis butler, so despite the mess that Zhang Xuan had caused earlier, he still did not dare apprehend thetter. However, since Yang shi had already rified that he had no rtionship with Zhang Xuan, there was no longer any need for him to hold back. Yes, Zhan shi! Without any hesitation, Elder Ge and the others swiftly flew into the distance. Since Sun Qiang is Zhang Xuans subordinate, can you bring him here? I would like to hear some things from him, Sword Saint Meng said. She wanted to verify whether Zhang Xuan was her son or not, and as Zhang Xuans butler, that Sun Qiang person should know a lot about him. It did not take too long for Elder Ge and the others to bring a rather plump man back with them. The plump man had his strengthpletely sealed, and his bulging cheeks flew around the ce as he struggled to break free of his restraints. As soon as the plump man caught sight of Zhan shi, he shouted furiously, Little Zhan, what do you mean by this? Audacious! Previously, it was because Sun Qiang was Yang shis butler that Zhan shi had overlooked the other party addressing him in such a rude manner. However, having learned that it was all a lie, he could not help but feel rage seething through his body when he heard the plump mans words. Indeed, how dare you so audaciously apprehend me? Let me go right now, and I might still be able to overlook your insolence. Otherwise, once our Old Master learns of this matter, not even Zhan shi will be able to save you anymore! Sun Qiang roared in anger. Are these fellows insane? Dont they know who I am? How dare they make a move on me? Unforgivable! Old Master? Hahaha! Seeing how the plump man was still sticking to his act, trying to scare them with lies built upon thin air, Zhan shi could not help but burst intoughter. He gazed down on Sun Qiang with a scornful look and sneered, Tell me then, who is the Old Master whom you speak of? Our Old Master is Yang shi, Yang Xuan, a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as one of the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent! Just who in the world gave you the guts toy your filthy hands on me, Yang shis butler? Do you want your head to roll? Hurry up and let me go! Sun Qiang harrumphed coldly. Hahaha, hahahaha! Thinking about how he had actually been scared by those ridiculous words in the past, Zhan shi could not help butugh in fury. Yang shi was standing right before him, and yet, that fellow still dared to continue impersonating his butler. Were there no limits to that fellows arrogance? Hearing the conversation between the two of them, Yang shi finally came to the limits of his tolerance. He walked forward and asked, You said that you are Yang shis butler? Do you know what Yang shi looks like? You want to know our Old Master looks like? Our Old Master is one of the top experts in the world, and his appearance is the greatest secret of the Master Teacher Pavilion! You want to know how he looks like... At that point, Sun Qiangs lips curled up into a sneer, and with a voice filled with derision, he continued. Are you worthy of knowing? Chapter 1508 - Sun Qiangs Breakdown

Chapter 1508: Sun Qiangs Breakdown

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Sun Qiang was not a master teacher, having spent a long period of time with Zhang Xuan, he was still aware of most of the rules concerning master teachers. Their Old Master, Yang Xuan, was one of the top experts of the continent, but even the strongest of experts would have their own weaknesses that others could exploit. In order to prevent the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe from designing a trap to deal with them, the appearance, strength, cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and other private information of those experts were made ssified secrets that only the top echelon of the Master Teacher Pavilion was privy to. Yet, an old fogey who came out of nowhere actually had the cheek to ask him for those details! Was he unaware of the rules? You are asking if I am worthy? Yang Xuan could not help but chuckle softly upon hearing those words. He had never thought the day woulde when someone would ask him if he was worthy of knowing his own appearance. What are youughing at? Now that you know that Im Yang shis butler, you should hurry up and release me! Otherwise, if the Old Master hears of this, none of you will get off the hook easily! Sun Qiang bellowed angrily. Im afraid its impossible for what you have said to ur. Yang shi shook his head as he looked at Sun Qiang with a pitiful gaze. Theres no point letting this farce run any longer than this. Sun Qiang, I am the Old Master whom you have speaking of all this while, Yang Xuan! Sun Qiang was taken aback for a moment before he finally understood what Yang shi was saying. In an instant, he exploded. Yang Xuan? How dare you impersonate the Old Master in front of me? Dont you know that its a heinous crime to pretend to be a high-ranked master teacher? He had been with the Old Master for almost a year now, so he was familiar with thetters looks and habits. Yet, this old fogey who had popped out of nowhere actually dared im to be the Old Master. Hu! Barely after Sun Qiang stopped roaring, a token appeared right before his face. This is the master teacher token that represents my identity. You may have a look at it, Yang shi replied calmly. Usually, he would have gotten angry at seeing another person using his name and acting all self-important, but he did not. This was because he could hear the conviction in the plump mans words. In other words, the plump man was not putting on an act at all. He truly believed in what he was saying, and that meant that he was also a victim of the entire deception. If that was the case, could it be that someone had impersonated him and epted Zhang Xuan as his student... and the both of them were victims of the lies another person had cooked up? Yang shi suddenly felt more determined than ever to uncover the truth. Sun Qiang shot a wary nce at Yang Xuan before slowly turning his attention to the token. On the token, he saw two huge characters, Yang Xuan, inscribed on it. These two characters had an imposing aura to them that it seemed to pierce right into ones soul. I am Yang Xuan, a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Your Old Master is the one who has impersonated me! This... Sun Qiang suddenly fell silent as a frightening realization crept into his mind. Slowly, his body began to shudder uncontrobly. The reason he had dared to throw his weight around was in view of the fact that they were in the Sanctum of Sages, and the persons-in-charge were master teachers. As long as they were master teachers, they would have no choice but to defer to his identity as Yang Xuans butler. On top of that, even though the Young Master did cause a huge fuss, he had not made any mistakes. In view of his identity, they would not dare do anything to him. So, the Sanctum of Sages was paradoxically the safest ce for him to be. He had never thought that the foreign-looking old man before him would actually be Yang shi. If that was the case, who was the fellow whom he had met previously? The shock at having been told such a huge lie made his body turnpletely cold, and he could not help but doubt everything that he had held faith in. Ever since the Old Master had chosen him back in the Tianxuan Kingdom, he had followed him all the way up the ranks. Many things had happened along the journey, but every single time, the Old Master would appear at the most crucial of moment and save them from the crises that they were in. It did not take long for the Old Master to take on an indomitable image in his mind, bing his faith and hope. In fact, when he first heard of Yang Xuans title as one of the strongest cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent, he had never, even for a single moment, doubted that the Old Master would be a fake. Yet, the old man before him was telling him that the Old Master was the impersonator. In an instant, it was as if his entire world had copsed. Impossible... This cant be true... You are lying to me! Sun Qiangs face paled, and he nearly copsed to the ground. What is so impossible about this? Its time for you to open your eyes to reality! Someone as esteemed as Yang shi would only take in top-notch experts like Hu Yiwei as his butler! Just think about it, what right does a weakling like you have to be Yang shis butler? Elder Ge sneered coldly. But... Sun Qiang tried to refute, but he could not find the words to say. Noticing the traumatized state that Sun Qiang was in, Sword Saint Meng swiftly realized that if she did not pose her question now, she might no longer get a chance to do so. So, she quickly interjected and asked, Sun Qiang, how old is your Young Master, Zhang Xuan, this year? Do you know his birthday? Impossible... How could someone as formidable as our Old Master possibly be an impersonator? However, Sun Qiang simply shook his head non-stop, as if he could not hear Sword Saint Mengs words at all. Alright, theres no point asking him anymore. He has always believed himself to be my butler, and the revtion that the person whom he has been following all this time is a fake has caused his world to shatter into pieces. Given his current state, he wont be able to respond coherently to any of your questions! Yang shi shook his head and sighed. In the days that he had spent roaming around the Master Teacher Continent, he had seen many such cases. There were some individuals who had hypnotized themselves into believing that they were something that they were not, to the extent that they had even adjusted their behavior and actions to correspond with their beliefs as well. Clearly, the plump man before him was also one such person. Given that his Old Master had introduced himself as Yang Xuan right from the start, it was inevitable that the other party would simply take that for granted. Lies weaved upon a lie, he eventually ced himself into a non-existent identity, ying a character that he believed to be his own calling. As time went by, it became harder and harder for him to jump out of that identity, to the point where the truth was no longer something that he could ept. But... Sword Saint Meng began to protest anxiously. Theres no need to panic. I understand how you feel, but no matter how many rumors you hear, theres no way you can be certain whether Zhang Xuan is your son or not. The only effective way for you to verify it is to meet him in person! Yang shi said. No matter how many rumors one heard, the only way to verify if something was true was to check it with ones own eyes. Since that was the case, it did not really matter whether Sword Saint Meng was able to question Sun Qiang or not. Eventually, she would still have to meet Zhang Xuan personally in order to confirm his identity. But... where did he go? Sword Saint Meng eximed anxiously. I dont know either, but as long as we continue looking, I believe that well be able to find some traces of him, Yang shi said. It was impossible for anything to appear or vanish without leaving any traces. As long as they investigated carefully, they would be able to find some clues to where Zhang Xuan was heading. Hmm? All of a sudden, while Yang shi was rifying some details regarding the incident with Zhan shi, his eyebrows shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token appeared in his hands. His Communication Jade Token was different from the ones held by other master teachers. It was made out of a crystalline material, giving it a transparent exterior. Vaguely, one could sense a powerful formation harnessing great energy embedded within the token. The Communication Jade Token of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was a tool that was powerful enough to allow one tomunicate with others no matter where one was on the Master Teacher Continent! However, it was a pity that an exorbitant price had to be paid to forge even a single one of these tokens, so only the highest-ranking master teachers were qualified to hold one. Whats wrong? Noticing the anomaly in Yang shisplexion, the First Elder Zhang Wuheng quickly turned his gaze over. Theres news on Zhang Xuan... After reading through the information on the Communication Jade Token, Yang shi exhaled deeply before stowing the token back into his storage ring. Where is he? Sword Saint Meng asked anxiously. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have just received news that he has used my name to wreak havoc in the cier in Court and kidnapped their young court chief, Yang shi said. Used Yang shis name? Kidnapped the cier in Courts young court chief? Everyone was stunned by the scale of what they had just heard. Just what was that fellow up to? Was he unaware of the extent of the influence that the Master Teacher Pavilion had over the Master Teacher Continent? To be causing trouble everywhere he went, was he tired of living? Thats right. From the looks of it, it appears that the Teleportation Formation leads right toward the cier in Court. Im going over to take a look personally. Whos going to follow me? Im afraid that if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters get ahead of us, we might just lose the chance to meet him! Yang shi said. At this point, his curiosity toward Zhang Xuan was starting to be a little unbearable. To think that that fellow would head to the cier in Court disguised as him... just what was his goal? Hearing that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was likely to make a move, Sword Saint Meng pleaded anxiously, Yang shi, may I ask you get the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to hold back on this matter for now? Zhang Xuan... h-hes still young... it might just have been a moment of folly! The Master Teacher Pavilion was not the strongest power on the Master Teacher Continent for nothing. Once they made a move, not even the deities would be able to save Zhang Xuan. Im afraid that even I am helpless before this matter. Unless your Zhang n, the Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court let this matter drop, the Master Teacher Pavilion ispelled to step in and resolve this conflict. Most likely, the news should have reached the top echelons of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters now, and the deputy pavilion master will be the one to make the final call. Its been a long time since I participated in the matters of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so I fear that I no longer possess the authority to overwrite his decision! Yang shi shook his head. Chapter 1509 - Empire Alliance

Chapter 1509: Empire Alliance

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 But... Sword Saint Meng eximed in agitation If Zhang Xuan was truly their son, would they still be able to protect him now that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had chosen to officially intervene in this matter? Calm down, dear. For the time being, we should try to find Zhang Xuan as quickly as possible. As long as we can get to him before the Master Teacher Pavilion, in deference of our standing, there might still be some room for reconciliation, Sword Saint Xing said as he grabbed his wifes hand and squeezed it to reassure her. Un, youre right. Sword Saint Meng took in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Reverting back to her usual decisive and valiant self, she nodded. If hes really my son, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters get involved, they will have to step over my dead body to get to him! Of course! Sword Saint Xing replied with a smile. It has been quite some time since the two of usst fought alongside one another. I think its about time to remind the world of our prowess lest they forget! We shall let them know that anyone who tries to trifle with the son of the Xingmeng Sword Saints will have hell to pay for! By the side, the First Elder Zhang Wuheng and Zhan shi looked at the spirited couple before them, and their lips could not help but twitch slightly. Was destruction actually a trait that was coded in the genes and could be inherited? Theres a Teleportation Formation in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters that leads straight to the cier in Court. Lets go! Yang shi waved his hand. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something and turned his gaze to Zhan shi. Spare Sun Qiang for the time being. Wait for me to rify the situation before deciding on how he should be dealt with! No matter what, Sun Qiang was also a victim of this incident, and the many uncertainties tied into the matter made Yang shi reluctant to pass judgement for the time being. Besides, there might be some use in keeping Sun Qiang alive. I understand! Zhan shi sped fist. Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Yang shi nodded silently. The group returned back to the Teleportation Formation that they hade from, and with a brilliant flicker of light, they vanished from the spot. ... Looking at the majestic city in front of him and the towering buildings that rose into the sky, Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath, This is the Empire Alliance? In the forest just outside of Longyuan City, he had tamed a random aerial saint beast that he had caught and had it fly them to the Empire Alliance. At this moment, the two of them had already altered their appearances, allowing them to bypass the checks along the way. Before long, they had already sessfully entered the city. Teacher, where shall we go now? Zhao Ya asked. With the nourishment of the Heavens Path zhenqi, most of her wounds had healed. Herplexion looked a lot better than before, and she no longer appeared as frail as she previously did. It was just that there was still not a shred of power in her body. Well first head over to the cksmith Guild to take a look, Zhang Xuan said. After much thought, he felt that there were only two ces that would aid him in reconstructing Zhao Yas meridiansthe cksmith Guild and the Physician Guild. For the time being, he felt that it would be better for him to head over to the cksmith Guild to find the materials required for forging the meridians. It would be best if he could find something useful there. Otherwise, he would just have to go to the Physician Guild to search for another method to reconstruct meridians. The two of them began making their way over to the cksmith Guild, but on their journey there, they could not help but notice that the crowd were converging toward a certain location. They shot perplexed nces in that direction, and coincidentally, a resounding voice also echoed at the same moment. Citizens of the Empire Alliance, please gather in the square in front of the Alliance Atrium... Hula! Barely after those words were said, many armored soldiers swiftly emerged from the alleys and sealed the area. They ushered the crowd to move in a single direction, presumably toward the square in front of the Alliance Atrium that the voice had just spoken of. What happened? I dont know either, but I think its likely that the alliance head has some important news to announce! I dont think thats the case. While the alliance head wields the greatest authority in the Empire Alliance, even he doesnt have the right to get the entire city to gather together in a single location. Its more likely that the Master Teacher Pavilion has something to announce! That makes sense. Oh well, well know once we get there... Such discussion could be heard in the surroundings. Teacher... Zhao Ya nced at Zhang Xuan with a slightly worried expression. We mustnt stand out too much. Lets head there as well! Zhang Xuan said. With all of the citizens in the area heading toward the Alliance Atrium, they would surely catch the attention of the guards if they turned around to leave now. While they were confident in their disguises, there was no need to stand out excessively and bring themselves needless risk. In any case, it would be good for them to find out what was going on. Un! Zhao Ya also swiftly came to realize the same logic, and nodding her head, she stuck close to Zhang Xuan and moved alongside him. One thing that was worth noting was that there were really many experts in the Empire Alliance. As soon as themand was issued, powerful zhenqi pulsations swiftly suffused the area. Mankind is indeed growing stronger collectively by the day under the leadership of the Master Teacher Pavilion! Zhang Xuan thought. Most powers carried some level of apprehension toward the Master Teacher Pavilion, but it had to be said that wherever the Master Teacher Pavilion existed, the humans in the area would grow stronger and stronger, such that the powerful Otherworldly Demons would not dare to make a reckless move. While the Empire Alliance was officially viewed as an individual governing entity, everyone was aware that the power that really held the final say was the Master Teacher Pavilion. Amand from the Master Teacher Pavilion would easily rally millions, such that even the authority and influence of the royal ns paled far inparison. Master teachers devoted their time and effort to grooming theter generations, passing down invaluable knowledge and lineages without any reservations. It was due to their selfless giving that theter generations were able to build on the knowledge of the previous generation and further the legacy of mankind. At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a renowned saying left behind by an ancient historian. Had the heavens not sent Kong shi, the days would have been as bleak as eternal night! The system of master teachers and the rules and regtions governing it had all been designed by Kong shi. Had it not been for his leadership, no one could have fathomed the plight that mankind would be in right now. Perhaps, mankind might still have been living under the tyranny of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, living from day to day in bleak hopelessness. With his own strength, Kong shi had managed to alter the course of history and changed the entire fate of mankind. Without a doubt, he had been a true sage through and through. I was still thinking that I would be able to resolve my Innate Fetal Poison once I became a 9-star master teacher, but now... Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. Based on the information that he had previously received, the Innate Fetal Poison in his body could be resolved once he became a 9-star master teacher. However, given that he had abandoned his identity as a master teacher... it seemed like he might just be unable to live past his thirties. Even so, he had no regrets. If he could not even protect his own students as a teacher, there was no point even if he could live forever! Teacher... While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a voice in his ears. Turning his head over, he saw Zhao Ya looking at him with a deeply worried look. Im fine, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile as he turned his gaze forward. Unknowingly, the two of them had arrived at the square in front of the Alliance Atrium. The square was not supposed to be so big, but it seemed like some kind of expert had set up a Spatial Formation that expanded the square to berge enough to house the entire city without it being too cramped. Simr to a folded space, but considerably cruder... Zhang Xuan thought as he assessed the Spatial Formation before him. He could tell that it was likely the work for a 9-star formation master. It would appear to be an incredible feat to any other cultivator, but to Zhang Xuan, the spatial maniption looked incredibly unrefined. Citizens of the Empire Alliance! A short moment after they found a position within the square, a resounding voice suddenly echoed in the air, traveling into the ears of every single person standing around. The reason I had everyone gather here today is because the Master Teacher Pavilion has an important announcement to make. Now, allow me to invite a master teacher from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters up here! Everyone turned to the center of the square, and very soon, they saw an old man wearing a master teacher robe floating in midair. There was a deep frown on his face, and he exuded a powerful aura. He was a half 9-star master teacher. While he had yet to be a full-fledged 9-star master teacher, he was more than enough to be considered one of the top experts in the Empire Alliance. Hu! The old man flicked his wrist and took out a scroll. He unrolled it gently, and a brilliant light immediately burst into the sky. Following which, a heavy, authoritative aura weighed down on the crowd in the square. Thats a Master Teacher Decree... What are they nning to do? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He recognized the scroll that the old man had unrolledit was a Master Teacher Decree. It was the most authoritativemand from the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it would never be used easily. He had never thought that he would see it just after entering the Empire Alliance City. Furthermore, for it to be personally ryed by a half 9-star master teacher... what was going on? Chapter 1510 - Fifth Acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher

Chapter 1510: Fifth Acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! Amid Zhang Xuans doubt, two massive characters floated up from the opened scroll, and they covered the entire sky with an air of valiance. Arrest Warrant? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Those two characters were the words Arrest Warrant written in an ancient script. What could that mean? While Zhang Xuan was still in shock, he heard an exmation from the crowd around him. Could the Master Teacher Pavilion be cing an arrest warrant on someone? Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, What does that mean? Based on what I know, if someone who hasmitted a heinous crime is on the run, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters can release an arrest warrant to have that person apprehended. Usually, once the arrest warrant is released, that person is done for because theres no way to escape from it! Any locations that have a Master Teacher Pavilion will surely receive the arrest warrant, so theres absolutely no way the wanted person could escape arrest! But ever since the founding of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the arrest warrant has been issued less than ten times... This... Hearing the exnation, Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched a little as an ominous premonition surfaced in his mind. Could it be... Before he could finish formting his thoughts, a deep voice boomed across the air 8-star Master Teacher Zhang Xuan has disrespected his seniors by disguising as a high-rank master teacher. He has willfully caused great destruction in the Zhang n, wreaked havoc in the Sanctum of Sages, and kidnapped the young court chief and leveled countless buildings of the cier in Court. In view of the atrocities that he hasmitted, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has decided to ce an arrest warrant on him. This is his soul aura and his appearance. Anyone who finds him can report him to the local Master Teacher Pavilion, and once the news is verified, the informant will be awarded one hundred pinnacle spirit stones! 100 pinnacle spirit stones? Just how desperate is the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to capture him? Destroying the Zhang n, wreaking havoc in the Sanctum of Sages, and kidnapping the young court chief of the cier in Court... Has he lost his mind? Wait, doesnt that mean that the Zhang n, Sanctum of Sages, and cier in Court all failed to capture him? Just who is that Zhang Xuan to wield such formidable capabilities... ... A hugemotion broke out amid the crowd as looks of belief surfaced all around. Those three powers symbolized the top echelons of the Master Teacher Continent, and yet, an 8-star master teacher had actually managed to cause trouble in their home turf and get away scot-free, forcing the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to put out an arrest warrant on him. Just what kind of formidable capabilities did Zhang Xuan wield to be able to pull off something like that? Teacher... Standing beside Zhang Xuan, Zhao Yas face turned ghastly pale upon hearing those words, and she hurriedly turned to look at him with concern. She knew that her teacher had rushed over from afar in order to save her, but she did not think that he would actually cause such a hugemotion for her. Zhang Xuans lips also twitched a little upon hearing the decree. To be honest, while he did cause quite a bit of destruction, those three powers, the Zhang n, the Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court, also held irrefutable me. The First Elder of the Zhang n, Zhang Wuheng, had tried to kill him, which eventually resulted in the ensuing tragedy. Zhan shi of the Sanctum of Sages had forcefully attempted to stop him and hand him over to the Zhang n, and it had been in retaliation to their hostility that a huge part of the Sanctum of Sages had ended up being destroyed. As for the cier in Court, they had actually forced their young court chief to resort to depraved arts, and not to mention, Zhao Ya was his student, so how could his actions be considered kidnapping. Yet, to think that they would be so shameless as to report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and push for the issuing of such a decree... All he wanted to do was to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison and live a peaceful life as a teacher. Why was this simple wish of his just so difficult to achieve? With the issuing of this decree, the entire Master Teacher Continent would swiftly know of him, and he would no longer be able to live quietly. This was something that he absolutely did not wish to see. Teacher, they said that you... destroyed the Zhang n and wreaked havoc in the Sanctum of Sages... Whats going on? At this point, Zhao Ya could not keep her cool any longer. Ever since she regained consciousness, her teacher had made sure to steer clear from mentioning what had happened earlier, so till now, she had still been unsure of what the exact circumstances were. She had willingly left with her teacher, so how did it be her teacher kidnapping her instead? Furthermore, the leveling of countless buildings of the cier in Court... Considering the limited cultivation of her teacher, surely there was no way he could have pulled something like that off. Knowing that he could not hide this matter from Zhao Ya anymore, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. This isnt the ce to speak. Ill tell you everything after we find a quiet ceter on... There were experts all around them, so zhenqi telepathy and the sort were not too safe. It would be better for them to find a safe location, where he would set up an istion barrier, before exining everything. Otherwise, he would only put this student of his in greater unease if he continued keeping silent about everything. Alright! Knowing that they were not in an appropriate ce for them to speak as well, Zhao Ya nodded. Soon, after the old man was done announcing the Master Teacher Decree, the crowd in the square dispersed. Suppressing his cultivation, Zhang Xuan brought Zhao Ya toward the suburbs of the Empire Alliance City. He had been thinking of entering the cksmith Guild, but from the looks of it, it was fortunate that he had not. Otherwise, he would have been caught as soon as he walked in. The two of them quickly left the Empire Alliance City and entered a rtively peaceful valley. Zhang Xuan set up an istion barrier around the area and checked once more that there was no one around before he began exining everything to Zhao Ya. From the conflict in the Zhang n, the teleportation at the Sanctum of Sages, to the lightning tribtion at the cier in Court, before Zhang Xuan could finish his story, Zhao Yas eyes were already widened to the brim. She waspletely dumbfounded by what she had just heard. She had thought that she was already very bold, butpared to her teacher, it seemed like her boldness was only childs y. Those were three major powers on the Master Teacher Continent! Just getting on the bad side of any one of them was enough to render any cultivator so uneasy that they would not be able to eat well or rest well. Yet, her teacher actually still had the guts to bring her into the Empire Alliance City and even listen to the Master Teacher Decree in person. Teacher, its all my fault. I shouldnt have sent that message to you... Zhao Ya could not help but bite her lips in regret. It was for her that her teacher had ended up offending so many powers at once. Otherwise, given his capabilities, he surely would have been highly regarded by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he would not have ended up in such a position. Its fine! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. He had intended to wreak havoc in the Zhang n anyway, so he did not mind souring his rtionship with them. As for the Sanctum of Sages, that was even less of a problem. He was the sanctum head candidate, and he had already unlocked two seals on the Sanctum Head Token so far. As long as he could find suitable optic art manuals to perfect the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, he would be able to unlock the final seal. By then, he would be able to reveal his identity, and the problem would be resolved by itself. Regarding the cier in Court, given what they had done to his student, putting aside destroying them once, he would have no qualms with destroying them a second time or even a third! So, the matters that had left the crowd lowering their jaws in shock were actually nothing much to him at all! It was just that with his notoriety spreading far and wide, it would be hard for him to maintain a low profile. Teacher, with the arrest warrant put on you, the master teacher rank that you have earned with great difficulty will bepletely put to waste, Zhao Ya eximed anxiously. Given that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had gotten involved, there was no doubt that her teacher would be stripped of his master teacher rank. She had seen with her own eyes how her teacher had advanced from an ordinary teacher to a master teacher and the painstaking effort that he had put in so as to scale the master teacherdder. For it all to be ruined just like that... Putting aside her teacher, even she felt indignant on his behalf! Whats the point of remaining as a master teacher if I had to abandon what I stand for? As long as I stand by my values as a teacher, what does losing a mere title matter? Zhang Xuan shook his head as he reassured his student. A momentter, he suddenly froze on the spot. The words that he had said to Zhao Ya had made him realize something. All along, he had thought that his Innate Fetal Poison would not be resolved if he lost his title as a master teacher. But back in Kong shis earlier years, the master teacher upation still had note into existence. If so, how did he resolve the Innate Fetal Poison? What was it that defined one as a master teacher? If one acted and behaved as a master teacher butcked the recognition from the Master Teacher Pavilion, would that mean that they were not a master teacher anymore? Ultimately, the Master Teacher Pavilion was just a formality. As long as one embraced the values of a teacher, why should they care about how others view them? Did it really matter that much whether a master teacher wore a master teacher emblem or not? As long as anyone saw themself as a teacher and conducted themself as one, even if they did not don the master teacher robe or have the recognition of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would still be a true teacher! Hong long! As soon as this thought emerged in Zhang Xuans mind, his body suddenly stiffened. A unique surge of power descended from the heavens and shrouded his body. The fifth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher had begun! Chapter 1511 - The Frenzied Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters (1)

Chapter 1511: The Frenzied Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Elder Assembly of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. The deputy pavilion master, Ren Qingyuan, was sitting at the main seat, browsing through the information that had just being sent over before directing a sweeping gaze over the room. Has the arrest warrant been announced in all of the major cities yet? A 9-star master teacher stood up, sped his fist, and replied, Reporting to Pavilion Master Ren, it has been all been announced. The news should spread all around the Master Teacher Continent within a single day. As soon as Zhang Xuan appears, the headquarters will receive the news immediately, and we will be able to mobilize our men to apprehend him! He was Elder Qu, the same 9-star master teacher whom Zhang Xuan had encountered in the cier in Court. As soon as he returned to the headquarters from the cier in Court, he had reported everything to Ren Qingyuan. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Decree would not have been issued so quickly. Pavilion Master Ren, the Master Teacher Arrest Warrant is no small matter, an elder remarked with a frown. Ever since the founding of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it has only been used nine times to date. Zhang Xuan might be a little willful, but hes still a master teacher. Furthermore, we havent gotten to the bottom of this matter yet. Isnt it making a mountain out of a molehill to issue an arrest warrant so recklessly? I fear that such a course of action might diminish the authority and prestige of our Master Teacher Pavilion! How is this making a mountain out of a molehill? Upon hearing those words, Elder Qu flung his sleeves furiously and harrumphed. Despite being an 8-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan has shown no respect for his elders at all. Not only did he cause great destruction at the Zhang n, Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court, he even had the audacity to attempt to pass off as Grand Elder Yang Xuan! On top of that, he has shown no remorse for his actions at all! He knew that I am from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but he still dared toy his hands on me! It would truly be diminishing the authority and prestige of our Master Teacher Pavilion if we let a person like him off the hook! Zhang Xuan possessed the ability to turn his zhenqi into lethal poison,mand the power of lightning to unleash great destruction, and impably disguise himself as another person, and more importantly, his eye of discernment far surpassed that of any 9-star master teacher whom he had ever seen. If a person like him strayed from the path and devoted his strength to evil, even the Master Teacher Pavilion would have trouble controlling him! It was necessary for them to deal with him as soon as possible, or else if he was left to his own devices, who knew how many more major powers would fall prey to his tyranny? While Zhang Xuan did treat his injuries, for the sake of the greater good, they had to eliminate this unstable factor in the world! I understand where you areing from, but I have looked into his records and found that he has progressed up from the Tianxuan Kingdom to where he is now within just the short span of a year. During this period of time, he has sessfully crashed two Master Teacher Pavilions and cleared the Tower of Master Teachers. Not only so, he even pulled off an Empire Building, sessfully raising the Xuanyuan Kingdom to an Unranked Empire. When he was in the Qingyuan Empire, he eliminated the Qingtian Emperor, saving the locals from an impending crisis. If we capture him just because of the Zhang n, the Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court reporting him and even issue the most authoritative Master Teacher Arrest Warrant after him, isnt that going overboard? the elder from before replied with a deep frown. Zhang Xuans achievements were all recorded within the archive of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it was not too difficult for the headquarters to look into them. I agree with Elder Wus viewpoint, another elder added. The Master Teacher Pavilion values young talents, and those who wield great capabilities do have a tendency to be candid and entric. While Zhang Xuan often contravenes thews of the Master Teacher Pavilion and causes trouble, its an undeniable fact that he has contributed greatly to mankind. In fact, he has countless students throughout the world, especially in the Qingyuan Empire. I dont think that its appropriate to ce an arrest warrant on him just like that! Also, we shouldnt forget that hes the teacher of the Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang. I think that such a course of action could cause disharmony within the ranks of the Master Teacher Pavilion! So what if hes the teacher of the Progeny of Combat? Elder Qu sneered coldly. The Combat Master Hall has provided him with a vast amount of resources, and the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters even lent him the Hall of Spring and Autumn for his use. Does he intend to turn against us over a mere teacher who brought him around while he was younger? You know what thats not what I mean. Zheng Yang is unlikely to turn against us over that matter, but that doesnt mean that he wouldnt take this matter to heart. The Progeny of Combat is the greatest fighting prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and this incident could very welle back to bite us in the future, the elder from before replied. Bite us? Humph! Everything that he has was bestowed to him by the Master Teacher Pavilion! If hes going to take a matter as minor at this to heart, what do we need him for? Elder Qu sneered. We cant allow such a twisted culture to seep into the Master Teacher Pavilion, or else it could lead to severe consequences in the future! You are distorting the facts to your convenience! Elder Wu argued. As the person who discovered him in the Tianxuan Kingdom, Zhang Xuan surely means a great deal to Zheng Yang. If he could remain nonchnt after hearing of Zhang Xuans plight, who would dare leave the Combat Master Hall in the hands of a heartless man? Since he cant be trusted, just find another person to rece him then! Elder Qu eximed. Elder Wu, you are an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, not the Combat Master Hall. Dont lose sight of your own allegiance... Enough! Frustrated by the squabbling duo, Deputy Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan shook his head and interjected. I have considered both your points of view. Its indeed the blessing of mankind for such a talented individual to emerge from the younger generation, but... we cant just ignore theints from the Zhang n, the cier in Court, and the Sanctum of Sages. Zhang Xuans actions have clearly breached the bottom line of the Master Teacher Pavilion. If we dont deal with him sternly, we might set a bad precedent. Other powers might learn from his example and exploit their strength as well tomit undesirable deeds! You should also know of the crisis that we are facing. This is the most perilous era mankind has been in for several dozen millenniums. Humanity must stay united as one in order to face the ordeal ahead of us, or else it could really mean the end of us... This... Hearing Ren Qingyuans words, the crowd fell silent. A worried expression surfaced on Elder Wus face as he asked, Pavilion Master Ren, regarding that news... is it really true? Indubitably so! Ren Qingyuan nodded. Recalling the intelligence that he had received, Elder Wu could not help but shake his head in disbelief. As leaders of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the Otherworldly Demon Emperors wouldnt easily put themselves in a risky position. What does he intend to do by sneaking into the Master Teacher Continent? Is he not afraid of being surrounded and hunted down by us? It isnt just him; there are also a couple others who came here along with him. Is there even a need to guess their intentions? Ren Qingyuan shook his head. I know that there has been some movement from that ce recently; there have already been two disturbances so far. However, its still uncertain at this point whether that ce will surface or not. Furthermore, we have gone to great lengths to keep the news confidential, but even so, how did they still manage to catch wind of it? Elder Wu asked doubtfully. Ren Qingyuan sighed. At this rate, its just a matter of time before the Master Teacher Continent is embroiled in bloodshed. During a time like this, its more important than ever for us to cate the major powers so as to ensure that our forces remain united! I believe all of you should understand what the matrimony between the Zhang n and the Luo n represents, so I wont waste your time talking about that. However, you all should be aware that the Sanctum of Sages contains the wills of the old sages, and they would be able to point out a direction for us. Not too long ago, I got into contact with Sage Kuis will, and he informed me that he has found a new sanctum head who is incredibly talented, and he assured me that the new sanctum head will be able to mature and be a strong ally to us before that matter urs. I have liaised with Zhan shi over that matter as well, and he has informed me that the new sanctum head is likely Yang shis direct disciple, Feng Ziyi! So, we cant afford to fall into disharmony with those two powers at this point in time. As for the cier in Court, all of you here should know how important the Pure Yin Body is in establishing connections with the Firmament. Given how Zhang Xuan has gotten on the bad side of all three powers at once, if we dont deal with this matter promptly, how can we appease them? In the first ce, as a deputy pavilion master, I am alreadycking in legitimacy and authority. If something happens at this point, putting aside me, even Yang shi wont be able to resolve the conflict! Unless... At this point, Ren Qingyuans gaze suddenly became a little distant as admiration rippled in the depths of his eyes. ... the legendary Celestial Master Teacher, as well as the legitimate head of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, appears! Celestial Master Teacher? How could it be that easy to receive the acknowledgement of the heavens? For several dozen millenniums, Kong shi has been the only one to be able to do so! Indeed. It doesnt seem too likely for a Celestial Master Teacher to suddenly appear at this point in time... Many of the elders shook their heads wryly. If a Celestial Master Teacher appears right now, I will kneel down and kowtow to him right away, acknowledging him as my teacher! Elder Qu harrumphed. Acknowledge him as your teacher? If theres really a Celestial Master Teacher among us right now, I doubt that you are qualified to be his student! Elder Wu shot a disdainful nce at Elder Qu. Humph! Even if Im unqualified to be his disciple, I will be more than content to serve as his subordinate! Elder Qu replied. Chapter 1512 - The Frenzied Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters (2)

Chapter 1512: The Frenzied Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Celestial Master Teacher, a person who had received the acknowledgement of the heavens and was qualified to stand on equal grounds as Kong shi. The appearance of such a person would surely be a turning point in history. That person would be the new leader of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and there would be no master teacher who would dare disobey theirmands. Who would not want to acknowledge such a great figure as their teacher? 9-star master teachers might seem to be in an incredibly prestigious position in the eyes of outsiders, but to a Celestial Master Teacher, they would not mean anything at all! Back then, of Kong shis three thousand students, which of them had not reached a proficiency of 9-star in their upation? Even his listening-in students were of 9-star proficiency. Elder Qu might want to be the student of such a person, but whether the other party would be willing to take him in or not was questionable! However, it seems like the Celestial Master Teacher is just a legend! Hearing Elder Qus remark, Ren Qingyuan shook his head and sighed. If a Celestial Master Teacher could emerge among us now, with their prestige and power, they would surely be able to swiftly unite the entire human race, such that even if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe rose once more, they would not dare provoke us! The other master teachers in the room swiftly nodded in agreement. The ancient era had contained the darkest times of the human race. Back then, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had wielded absolute power, and they had dominated all other races. The powers that they formed had all been as strong as the current Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, with his strength, Kong shi had been able to vanquish the darkness and bring the light of hope back to mankind. For this reason, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was extremely fearful of Kong shi. Just the mention of his name was enough to leave them in a state of unease. If another Kong shi rose among them once more, mankind would surely be able to rise to new heights, reaching an unprecedented altitude! Forget it, thats just wishful thinking; theres no point holding onto such thoughts. The reason I was able to be the deputy pavilion master is just because I am slightly stronger than the rest. I also know that my influence is still far from enough. The Master Teacher Pavilion might be able to tower above the Zhang n, the cier in Court, and the other major powers for the time being, but if we fail to deal with this matter appropriately, we could stand to lose their trust. By then, even if they still dare not defy us openly, they could still pull some strings in the shadows to make things hard for us, and that could easily culminate into a tragedy for mankind! Ren Qingyuan swept his gaze across the faces in the room before continuing on. Kong shi once said that a person should make it a habit to reflect on their actions 1 , and I have always kept his teachings in mind, not daring to forget them. While Zhang Xuan did achieve quite a number of contributions for mankind, his deeds are nothingpared to what the Zhang n, the Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court have done. In this situation, the only thing that I can do is pick the lesser evil. Alright, theres no need to argue over this matter anymore; I have already made up my mind. About the matter concerning Zhang Xuan, many of you have spoken up on his behalf, and I am also of the view that he should be given a second chance, so if any of you notice him, dont harm him for the time being. Well try to convince the three powers toy down their grudges with him and settle the matter peacefully, and if that works out, that will be for the best. Otherwise... well just have to see! Youre right, Pavilion Master Ren. Thats probably the best that we can do for now... Many of the elders in the room nodded in agreement. They had only considered from their perspectives as master teachers, but they had failed to think of the implications that could arise out of the decision. Fortunately, the deputy pavilion master had taken the bigger picture into consideration, thus avoiding a potential tragedy. Otherwise, if the Master Teacher Pavilion worked as it wished, without caring about the other parties involved, the others might deem their actions to be willful and unjust, and that would cause them to lose the support of the other powers. Given how powerful and influential the Master Teacher Pavilion was, that would not have mattered much under normal circumstances. However, with the looming crisis, it would be foolish to allow a fallout to ur. Its Zhang Xuans fortune that Pavilion Master Ren is willing to show such magnanimity to him. However, judging from Zhang Wuheng, Zhan shi, and You Ruoxins attitude toward him... it doesnt seem like reconciliation is too likely! Elder Qu shook his head. Once Zhang Xuan is found, even if we dont make a move, those three powers will surely swallow him whole... Boom! Before Elder Qu could finish his words, a mysterious power suddenly surged into the room, and the entire hall began trembling intensely, as if it would copse at any moment. Whats happening? rmed, Pavilion Master Ren jolted to his feet. Wu shi and the others also swiftly looked in the direction that the surge of power had originated from. A thought arose in Elder Qus mind, and his face twitched in horror. It cant be that Zhang Xuan has managed to make his way over to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, can it? Surely, he could not have the audacity to do something as insolent as that, right? But if it was not him, who else could it be? Due to the great power shrouding the Master Teacher Pavilion, it had stood firmly for the past several dozen millenniums. It was hard to think of any other culprit. Itsing from the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. Lets head over to take a look! Ren Qingyuan swiftly determined the direction of the tremors source and headed out. The other elders followed behind him. As 9-star master teachers, it took them just the blink of an eye to arrive before the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. They pushed the door open and headed in. Hulla! As soon as they entered, they saw countless ancestral tablets all around the room trembling nonstop, as if they were being attacked by some tremendous force. The energy that had caused the entire Master Teacher Pavilion to tremble uncontrobly had originated from there. The predecessors are trembling in fear? Whats going on? Elder Qus lips quivered as he nearly fainted in fright from the sight. Wu shi and the others also hurriedly scanned their surroundings to check if they had been attacked by enemies. It isnt an enemy attack, but... As realization of what the trembling ancestral tablets could possibly signify struck Ren Qingyuan, his eyes widened in utter shock as his words trailed to a halt, seemingly unable to continue on anymore. Hearing Ren Qingyuans words, Wu shi was the first to realize what the other party was thinking, and his body began trembling in disbelief. If it isnt an enemy attack, the trembling of the ancestral tablets would mean that... C-could it be... Hong long long! Before he could finish his words, the tablets in the room finally reached their limits and copsed to the ground simultaneously, as if they were bowing earnestly to pay their respects to an esteemed figure. Thats the Salutation of the Sages... Elder Qu also swiftlyprehended what was going on, and his eyebrows began twitching wildly. Those who were honored in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were all outstanding predecessors who had wielded great power in their era and contributed immensely to mankind. The fact that even Ren Qingyuan was unqualified to have his tablet erected within the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall after his death was sufficient to show just what kind of legacies those figures had left on the Master Teacher Continent. There was only one type of person in the world who could make master teachers of their standing simultaneously bow respectfully to offer their salutations. Kacha! While the crowd was still trying toe to terms with what was going on, at the very center of the room, Kong shis sculpture suddenly floated up and sped his fist respectfully in a certain direction. A slight smile slowly emerged onto his face, but at the same time, a hint of a crack suddenly appeared at the bottom of the sculpture. It swiftly engulfed the entire sculpture, and eventually... Hu! It copsed into rubble. Salutations of the Sages, Kong shis Greeting... Thats the mark of a Celestial Master Teacher! At this point, the truth had already be apparent to all of the master teachers in the room. It was hard to tell whether it was out of agitation or shock, but every single one of their faces was ghastly pale. As 9-star master teachers, they were aware of the significance of the various phenomena that would ur in the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was just a moment ago that they hadmented over theck of a Celestial Master Teacher to lead them through the crisis that they were in, but the next moment, they learned that there was actually a Celestial Master Teacher among them. Could there be a bigger fluctuation of highs and lows than this in the world? Boom! After the copse of Kong shis sculpture, it seemed like the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall had reached the limits of its tolerance, and it swiftly copsed inward. However, too overwhelmed by shock, the elders simply stood motionless on the spot, allowing the roof to copse freely on their heads. With their level of cultivation, the bricks falling on their heads felt no different from mere cotton. Ren Qingyuans eyes lit up as he clenched his fists tightly together. Theres hope for mankind! With the emergence of a Celestial Master Teacher, the Master Teacher Pavilion will rise to the top of the world once more! Ren Qingyuan burst intoughter as tears of agitation streamed down his cheeks. As the deputy pavilion master, despitecking in prestige, he still had the responsibility to unite the world to defend against threats. As such, the stress that he had been put under over the years was truly unimaginable. With the emergence of a Celestial Master Teacher, he would finally be relieved of the pressure that he had been ced under! Ren Qingyuan turned around andmanded, Master teachers, hear mymand! Find the source of the power, locate the whereabouts of the Celestial Master Teacher, and bring him back right away to inherit the position as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Yes! The 9-star master teachers sped their fists simultaneously, acknowledging the order. Chapter 1513 - The Return of the Progeny of Combat (1)

Chapter 1513: The Return of the Progeny of Combat (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wait a moment... Right after issuing the previousmand, Ren Qingyuan suddenly thought of something, and he hurriedly raised his hand and clenched his fist. Hu! The surrounding space immediately solidified to form an istion barrier. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were protected by a powerful formation, making it difficult for any outsiders to listen in on what was happening within. Yet, despite the defensive measures, Ren Qingyuan was still prompted to form an istion barrier to further ensure the confidentiality of the matter, which went to show how seriously he took this matter. The Celestial Master Teacher concerns the ultimate fate of mankind, so this matter must be kept absolutely confidential. I suspect that the sudden arrival of that person in the Master Teacher Continent might be tied to this matter; he might have noticed something, which prompted him to make this move. That fellow has always been skilled in disguise, so our scouts havent been able to find any traces of him yet. If news concerning the emergence of a Celestial Master Teacher reaches his ears, and he manages to find the Celestial Master Teacher ahead of us, things could really get troublesome! Ren Qingyuan said with a grim look on his face. So, I want all of you to head out under the pretext of looking for Zhang Xuan. Make sure to put on a sufficiently convincing act to show the Zhang n and the cier in Court that we are determined to bring them justice. At the same time, however, you are to discreetly search for the Celestial Master Teacher, and once you find him, dont rush into acknowledging him. Instead, protect him from the shadows. While he might be the Celestial Master Teacher, it is unlikely for him to have grown to Kong shis level yet, or else we would have already heard of him! Celestial Master Teacher only represented an individual who had received the acknowledgement of the heavens. It was a symbol of character and talent rather than a gauge of ones absolute strength. Even Kong shi had not been born strong; he had advanced a step at a time before maturing to be the great man he had been. If the Celestial Master Teacher had already matured into a formidable expert, he would have already made a name for himself in the world, and there was no way that Ren Qingyuan, as the deputy pavilion master, would not have heard of him. We understand! The master teachers nodded in acknowledgement. Un, Ill repeat it once more. The most important thing now is finding the Celestial Master Teacher and protecting him! Ren Qingyuan emphasized with a wave of his hand. Also, regarding the matter concerning the Celestial Master Teacher, I want all of you to maintain a silent restraint on it. Dont even mention it in passing among yourselves! I wont hesitate to strip you of your master teacher license and banish you to the Subterranean Gallery for life should you dare contravene this silent restraint! We understand, Pavilion Master Ren! the master teachers replied resoundingly. H! After the orders had been ryed, the master teachers swiftly scattered into the surroundings from the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, leaving only Ren Qingyuan behind. Ren Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before flicking his wrist, and a couple of puppets appeared before him. These puppets were of short stature, and they did not wield too much strength. However, their extraordinary long arms and their ten-fingered hands were particrly eye-catching. As soon as the puppets materialized, without the slightest word of dy, they immediately scattered around the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall and got to work. In less than an hour, the copsed rubble was restored to its original glory. Even the ancestral tablets had been ced neatly back onto their respective positions, as if nothing had happened at all. After collecting all of his puppets, Ren Qingyuan gazed into the distance with a deep look in his eyes. Some timeter, he exhaled deeply and muttered, Celestial Master Teacher... it seems like the heavens are looking after us! ... This time, the unique surge of energy lingered around Zhang Xuan for a longer time than before. Zhao Ya knew that a sudden epiphany must have struck her teacher, so she chose not to interrupt him. She took a seat not too far away and looked at him silently. During that period, Zhang Xuan remainedpletely motionless on the spot. Unlike previous times, he did not pass out, and there was not any peculiar phenomenon either. He felt as if he was swimming in the ocean of time, unable to urately discern the flow of time around him. Under the tempering of the unique aura, his Soul Depth soared furiously. His advancement this time around was far greater than any of the previous times, surging from the initial 25.1 to 29.1. For master teachers, Soul Depth was usually separated in intervals of three. With a Soul Depth of 29.1, Zhang Xuan was already at the level of the most pinnacle 9-star master teacher! With the rise in his Soul Depth, his analytical capabilities were further enhanced, allowing him to peer deeper into an issue and look further ahead. Many things that he had been unable to make sense of or unable to draw connections with suddenly cleared up in his mind. At the same time, his analysis of the many cultivation techniques and battle techniques in his mind also became much more thorough, as if he was suddenly able to look right into their crux. Even though I have never cultivated any Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm cultivation techniques before, I was still able to roughly figure my way forward from the cultivation techniques I have gathered in the past. Furthermore, Zhao Ya is my student, and her energy stems from the same origin as mine, so I was able to gather the momentum required for a breakthrough under her infusion of energy, thus reaching my current level. Previously, Zhang Xuan had still been a little perplexed as to how he was able to abruptly push for a breakthrough back when he was still at the cier in Court. Back then, he did not think too much into it, and the impetus to breakthrough simply came perfectly naturally to him. However, with the rise in his Soul Depth, the veil on this mystery was finally removed. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Its a pity that Im still unable to think of a feasible way to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians. Even though he had managed to form mental connections between the many fields of knowledge that he had learned, he was stillpletely clueless as to how he could help Zhao Ya reconstruct her meridians. From the looks of it, he only had his current n to rely onheading to the cksmith Guild and seeing if there was any suitable material that could be used to rece her meridians. Hu! Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. Teacher, are you done cultivating? Zhao Ya asked with a hint of doubt in her voice. She had thought that her teachers cultivation would surge after this round of cultivation, but nothing had happened at all. There was not the slightest change in his cultivation that she could perceive. If she had to point out something that was different about him, it would be that he appeared more spirited than before, and his eyes had grown deeper and more unreadable. Yes. Zhang Xuan nodded. I see! Zhao Ya heaved a sigh of relief. Well be heading back to the Empire Alliance City. This time, were going to resolve the problem concerning your meridians! said Zhang Xuan as he stood up. Teacher, the entire continent is looking to capture you. Its too dangerous, so lets not head there anymore... Zhao Ya spoke up worriedly. It had not been easy for them to leave the Empire Alliance City, yet her teacher actually wanted to head back there. Dont worry, even 9-star pinnacle master teachers would have trouble seeing through my disguise. I wont be in any danger, Zhang Xuan reassured with a smile. With his fifth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher, his Soul Depth had surged from 25.1 to 29.1, putting him amid the top even among 9-star pinnacle master teachers. Even if an expert of Elder Qus caliber came over, the other party would still be unable to find the slightest discrepancy in his disguise, let alone figure out his true identity! However, your disguise is still a littlecking at the moment. Alright, Ill impart a physical body cultivation technique to you! While Zhang Xuan was able to disguise himself even from the discerning eyes of 9-star master teachers, due to Zhao Yasck of cultivation, while her disguise might still be able to fool the eyes of ordinary cultivators, the same could not be said about high-rank master teachers. Due to the awakening of her Pure Yin Body, her appearance was simply too striking. Once her disguise was seen through, it would not be too difficult for others to figure out their true identity. Physical body cultivation technique? Teacher, my meridians have copsedpletely. Will I... still be able to practice it? Zhao Ya asked apprehensively. Despite the term, physical body cultivation technique usually required the infusion of zhenqi in order to temper ones body into a state that no ordinary mortal would be able to achieve. Given that Zhao Ya had already lost all of her meridians, she did not think that she would be able to practice a physical body cultivation technique. I have altered the cultivation technique so that you will be able to practice it even without using your meridians. However, youll have to practice it in apaniment with my silver needles... Here is the cultivation technique manual! Zhang Xuan raised his finger and tapped it lightly on Zhao Yas head, and knowledge swiftly surged into thetters mind. Zhao Ya spent roughly two hours looking through the cultivation technique manual before she was finally able to grasp it, and her eyes lit up in excitement. Her teachers physical body cultivation technique was truly formidable. Compared to that, all of the cier in Courts physical body cultivation techniques seemed like trash picked right off the street. Alright, lets begin! Seeing that Zhao Ya was done going through the manual, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and innumerable silver needles flew out from his hands, piercing all over Zhao Yas body. The surges of Heavens Path zhenqi infused in each of the silver needles nourished her body, enhancing her strength. ... While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of helping Zhao Ya cultivate the Heavens Path Golden Art, at the entrance of a sealed chamber of the Combat Master Hall, arge group of anxious-lookingbat masters were gathered. Today was the very day that the Progeny of Combat would finallye out of seclusion! Chapter 1514 - The Return of the Progeny of Combat (2)

Chapter 1514: The Return of the Progeny of Combat (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Progeny of Combat is about toe out. Have you thought about how you are going to report that matter to him? An elder broke the silence in the surroundings. Lets just report it straight to him as it is. Whats there to hesitate over? a valiant middle-aged man dressed in a full armor said with a wave of his hand. Report it straight to him as it is? Its not as if you dont know the personality of our Progeny of Combat! Back then, despite the heavy injuries that he had sustained after clearing the Dragon Gate Formation, he still gritted his teeth tenaciously and held on just so that he could issue his first Progeny of Combat Decree tomand all of thebat masters to treat his teacher with the utmost respect, the elder replied with a frown. Just think about the mess that has urred! If we report the matter as it is to him, given how highly he regards his teacher, do you think that hell be able to remain rational? If he kicks up a fuss, it could end up utter chaos! The Sanctum of Sages is a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so theres no need for us to worry about them. The problem lies mainly with the Zhang n and the cier in Court. Those two might be major powers on the Master Teacher Continent, but our Combat Master Hall hasnt grown so weak that we have to defer and exin our actions to them yet! The armored middle-aged man harrumphed coldly. Those powers have grown too ustomed to the peace, and they are already starting to rot on the inside. If not for the sweat and blood of ourbat masters, do you think that they would be able to enjoy the prosperity and peace that they have today? Elder Meng is right! When has our Combat Master Hall needed to exin our actions to others? another middle-aged man remarked with a fling of his sleeves. We have always used our strength to speak! Back then, the Soul Oracle Guildmanded countless Soulless Metal Humanoid, but they still ended up beingpletely eradicated by our forces! If I have to say, the Master Teacher Pavilion has simply been too soft on them. Its because we give them so much leeway that they had the guts to question the judgement of the Master Teacher Pavilion... If it was me, I would have just ordered them to back down, and should they dare to refute my words, I would force them into submission! The elder shook his head and replied, They are master teachers, not punks or tyrants. The reason the Master Teacher Pavilion has remained standing even after several dozen millenniums is by the virtue of its actions and not through forceful subjugation. If we force everyone into submission using brute force, how can we truly gain the respect of others? A middle-aged man standing not too far away sneered coldly. Respect? Do you think we really need to win their respect? The people nowadays are so ustomed to peace that they have already lost their sense of danger and the valiance in their blood. They have already forgotten the wretched suffering of our predecessors under the despotism of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. All they are interested in doing now is scrutinizing everyst actionmitted by the master teachers so as to findpses in their virtues. The moment they dig up the smallest of things, they cook up thergest of storms, as if a smallpse in ones virtue will bring about the end of the world. Simrly, once the Master Teacher Pavilion makes a decision that is unpopr among them, they im that the Master Teacher Pavilion has lost the virtue that it once embraced and is descending into corruption and nepotism. Just take the matter with Zhang shi for exampleits actually not a big deal at all. However, just because it wasmitted by a master teacher, people will question the credibility and the principles of the Master Teacher Pavilion if he isnt severely punished, and rumors about how the Master Teacher Pavilion is no longer the noble organization it used to be will start spreading around. But have they forgotten about the contributions that Zhang shi has made for mankind? For one, he single-handedly destroyed an entire Otherworldly Demon Emperors lineage, and that in itself should be more than enough to make up for all of his faults! This was simply how the world worked. Themon popce was ignorant and cared not about how much one had contributed to the world. All they were interested in were the faults one hadmitted, and they would exaggerate it just to fulfill their desire for drama. For example, based on what they knew, despite the huge fuss caused by the three powers, all Zhang Xuan had done was destroy a couple of buildings and formations. In truth, he had not imed a single persons life yet. However, for some reason, the news that had been announced came across in a very different manner. It was shaped in a way that made it seemed as if he had exploited his strength to willfully wreak havoc and destroyed everything in his path. And if the Master Teacher Pavilion could not inflict severe punishment on that ck sheep among them, then perhaps they might be unworthy of remaining as the leaders of the Master Teacher Continent. The elder cut into the middle-aged mans words and said, I understand what you have said, but the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have already announced their decision. Whatever decision they choose to make, its not our ce to question it. All we have to think about is how we should report this matter to the Progeny of Combat! He also knew that much, but what could he do? The purpose of the Master Teacher Pavilion was to protect mankind, so even if they were not understood by the rest of the world, they still could not watch as the entire world was reduced to ruins! That was the inescapable responsibility and burden that they shouldered. The crowd fell silent. Despite the short time that they had spent together, they hade to know of the feelings that the Progeny of Combat had for his teacher. If he learned that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had issued an arrest warrant on him, he would surely fly into a state of fury! By then, none of them would be able to predict what he would do in response to that! It was not easy for a Progeny of Combat to emerge from their Combat Master Hall, so they could not bear to allow anything to happen to him! Elder Cheng, didnt you say that you have thought of a solution to that? another middle-aged man asked the elder. The crowd swiftly gathered their eyes upon the elder. The solution that I have isnt perfect either. Since the news concerning Zhang shi is already everywhere, theres no way well be able to hide the matter from the Progeny of Combat for too long. Since thats the case, we should take the initiative to report it instead so that we can at least shape his perspective of the issue! Elder Cheng said. The Master Teacher Arrest Warrant had already made its way to the corners of the Master Teacher Continent. While the Progeny of Combat was still unaware of the issue because he was in seclusion, it would not take too long for him to find out about the matter once he was out. Instead of having the Progeny of Combat me them for hiding such an important issue from himter on, it would be much better for them to take the initiative to report the matter to him. This way, they would at least be able to hold some influence over how he viewed the issue. Understanding this logic, the otherbat masters nodded in agreement. Honestly, if they felt that they were able to hide the matter from the Progeny of Combat, they would have definitely done it so as to spare themselves the headache that they were suffering from. Elder Cheng hesitated for a moment before continuing on. While we are rying the matter to him, we should focus on the conflicts that Zhang shi has caused, and as for the arrest warrant and the others, well just brush through it swiftly. I believe that the Progeny of Combat should also understand the severe implications of this matter and not act too rashly! Since they had no choice but to report the matter to the Progeny of Combat, the only thing that they could change was the manner in which they ryed the information to him. I think thats the best we can do at the moment! The others nodded in agreement. Jiya! Barely after deciding on their general strategy, the doors to the chamber ahead of them suddenly creaked open, and a young man holding a spear walked out. Despite his young age, hemanded an aura that felt so sharp that it almost seemed as if he would pierce right through the heavens. One could vaguely feel the overwhelming zhenqi churning within his body, ready to unleash devastating might upon his enemies at any moment. Congrattions onpleting your cultivation! The crowd quickly sped their fists and congratted the young man. Un. The young man waved his hand and walked up to the crowd. Even without any particr actions, he exuded a natural air of authority that prevented others from daring to speak loudly before him. For all of you toe over at once, whats happened? The young man scanned the huge crowd before him, and his eyebrows shot up. Reporting to the Progeny of Combat, you instructed us to keep an eye on Zhang shi a while back, and justst night, we received news that he wreaked havoc in the Zhang n and injured dozens of elders. Following which, he headed to the Sanctum of Sages and injured the deputy sanctum head, Zhan shi, and many other elders. As if that wasnt enough, he went to the cier in Court right after, destroyed their buildings, and even kidnapped their young court chief... Elder Cheng swiftly stepped forward and gave the speech that he had carefully strung together beforehand. He had made sure to first speak of the deeds that Zhang Xuan hadmitted so that the Progeny of Combat would not get too worked up after hearing the verdict made by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. However, before he could finish his words, the Progeny of Combat interrupted his speech with a cold sneer. Did youe up with those words yourself, or is that the news you have received from the Master Teacher Pavilion? This... Elder Cheng was taken aback by the Progeny of Combats abrupt question. That is the news I have received from the Master Teacher Pavilion! Pinning false usations on others; is this how the Master Teacher Pavilion conducts its business? the young man muttered beneath his breath before directing a cold gaze toward Elder Cheng. You said that my teacher kidnapped the young court chief of the cier in Court, but do you know whom the young court chief is to dare spread such falsehood? I-I... Please pardon my ignorance! Elder Cheng heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly lowered his head and apologized. All my teacher has to do is say a word, and the young court chief would willingly abandon her identity and leave with him. Yet, you dare describe his actions with a word as vile as kidnap? Preposterous! The young man waved his hand furiously. This... Pardon me for asking, but how would the Progeny of Combat know? Elder Cheng asked carefully. Thats because the young court chief of the cier in Court... Holding his spear with a hand and cing his other hand behind his back, the young man raised his head proudly and said, ... is my senior! Chapter 1515 - Zhang shis Students (1)

Chapter 1515: Zhang shis Students (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Of course, the Progeny of Combat was none other than Zhang Xuans student, Zheng Yang! His previous hot-bloodedness had been reced withposure, and his cultivation had reached an unfathomable level. His face had be more distinct and masculine, and his words and gestures carried a dignified disposition. Within this short period of time, the reckless and na?ve young man of the past had matured. Senior? Upon hearing Zheng Yangs words, the elders of the Combat Master Hall widened their eyes in disbelief. If he addressed the young court chief of the cier in Court as his senior... did that not mean that she was Zhang Xuans student as well? Since that was the case, how did the matter with the cier in Court blow up so big in the first ce? Indeed! Zheng Yang harrumphed coldly. He turned to Elder Cheng and said, Bring me the report sent in by the Master Teacher Pavilion. I want to see with my own eyes what they have written! This... Elder Cheng never could have imagined that the young chief of the cier in Court would actually be the Progeny of Combats senior. In an instant, all of the words that he had prepared were rendered meaningless. He hesitated for a moment before fearfully handing a jade token over. The Master Teacher Pavilion didnt send over a report but... a Master Teacher Arrest Warrant! Arrest warrant? For who? My teacher? rmed to hear those words, Zheng Yang hurriedly grabbed the jade token from Elder Chengs eyes to look through it. Slowly, his face turned as cold as the night of the winter solstice. Ridiculous! This is utterly ridiculous! Ry my orders, allbat masters are to keep a close eye on the movements of the Zhang n, the cier in Court, the Sanctum of Sages, and the Master Teacher Pavilion. As soon as any sign of my teacher is found, they are to report to me right away... How dare they dream ofying their hands on my teacher? Very well, let me see who has the guts to do so! But... Hearing the order, Elder Chengs lips twitched in horror. Progeny of Combat, I understand your feelings, but our Combat Master Hall is ultimately still a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion... Considering that the Master Teacher Pavilion had released an arrest warrant for Zhang Xuan, issuing such an order could be taken as insubordination and tant defiance of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Subsidiary? Has our Combat Master Hall fallen so low as to simply watch helplessly as an innocent man is being framed? You dont have to worry about the Master Teacher Pavilion. Just rescue my teacher and bring him safely back here; Ill talk to the Master Teacher Pavilion about this! Zheng Yang said as he swung his spear to the side, producing a sharp and menacing reverberation in the air. For many years, the Combat Master Hall has shed its blood to protecting mankind. Its about time we show the other powers our edge and dampen their arrogance! Ill let the entire Master Teacher Continent know that anyone who daresy their hands on my teacher will have hell to pay! Yes, Progeny of Combat! The elders sped their fists, acknowledging Zheng Yangs orders. Some of the faces were marked with bitterness while others were glowing in excitement. But regardless of their own personal views, once the Progeny of Combat Decree was passed, nobat master would dare act in defiance against it. ... In the Poison Hall... The Master Teacher Pavilion issued an arrest warrant on my teacher? Humph! I was still thinking of existing peacefully with them in view of the fact that my teacher is a master teacher, but it seems like theres no need for that anymore! At the very center of the hall, a youngdy abruptly got to her feet as she gazed down at the people standing beneath her with ice-cold eyes. Contrary to what most would think, the youngdys figure was not imposing in the least. Her young age and slightly emaciated figure made her look less authoritative than she would have hoped. However, there was a slight greenish mist drifting around her body that would send any cultivator instinctively trembling in fear. It felt as if even a 9-star master teacher would easily lose their life should theye into the range of the green mist. The master of the Poison Hall, Wei Ruyan! With the help of countless poison masters, she had sessfully awoken her Innate Poison Body, bringing her prowess with poison to an unprecedented height. While she might still have beenckingpared to the founder of the Poison Hall, her means were definitely far above any of the current elders of the Poison Hall. If she made a move, not even 9-star master teachers would be a match for her. Lin Jianghai, one of the Four Eminences of the Poison Hall, sped his fist and said, The Master Teacher Pavilion has been on their high horse for too long; I think its high time for us to tear down their ivory tower! Hall Master, feel free tomand us! Due to his contribution in Wei Ruyans session as the new hall master, he was granted a position second only to Wei Ruyan herself in the Poison Hall. On top of that, Wei Ruyan had also offered him pointers on his poison arts, thus bringing hismand of poison to a level where even the two Guardians of the Poison Hall would not be a match for him anymore. I want all members of the Poison Hall to set out and search for my teacher. As soon as the whereabouts of my teacher are confirmed, you are to report the news to me right away while protecting him from the shadows. If anyone dares make a move on him, eliminate that person right away... Its high time for our Poison Hall made a move lest the continent forgets that we are still alive and kicking! Wei Ruyan harrumphed coldly. Despite her young age, she had already gone through numerous life and death situations. Perhaps due to those experiences, authority and power did not hold much significance to her. If there was anything that she truly valued, it would be her teacher. Her teacher had done simply too much for her. Without her teacher, there would not be the current her. So, if anyone dared toy their filthy hands on her teacher, well... If I dont wipe out your entire n, I shant be called Wei Ruyan! The elders excitedly sped their fist and bowed. Well listen to the hall masters orders! As prosperous as the Poison Hall headquarters was, they were aware that it was a prison that they had created for themselves so as to appease the Master Teacher Pavilion. Never had a day gone by where they had not dreamed of breaking out of their self-exile, and since there was an opportunity to do so right ahead of them, what did they have to hesitate for? ... In a faraway, remote corner of the Master Teacher Pavilion, there was a crepuscr ancient domain where no light existed. A massive figure slowly floated up from the ground as a powerful shockwave raged around the area, tearing the surroundings apart. Why did you wake me up? a thunderous voice echoed from the massive figure. Not too far away, a floating soul sped its fist and reported, Young Master... the Master Teacher Pavilion has issued an arrest warrant on Master! Agitated by the news, the figure swiftly rose up and questioned, The Master Teacher Pavilion is intending to make a move on my teacher? Why? As the figure spoke, the earth tremored, and the world seemed to have turned darker than ever. This is the news that I have gathered from the nearby cities, the soul reported. It flicked its finger, and a jade token flew over. The massive figure took hold of the jade token and swiftly browsed through it. Ludicrous! The Master Teacher Pavilion is asking for it... Mo Hunsheng, apany me to the cier in Court! Well be finding my teacher! The massive figure dived into a lifeless body lying motionlessly by the side, and a momentter, the lifeless body got to its feet, revealing the gant face of a young man. He was none other than Zhang Xuans direct disciple, Lu Chong! After inheriting the lineage of the soul oracles, Lu Chongs soul had be iparably powerful. With the slightest movement, he could cause the entire sky to darken. It felt as if he could even split the entire world in two at his will. Yes! Mo Hunsheng nodded. Before long, the two of them were already flitting swiftly toward the cier in Court. ... In the Yuan n... What did you say, an arrest warrant was ced on my teacher? Very well! This is the intention of the First Elder of the Zhang n, right? Standing before a group of elders, Yuan Tao bellowed with narrowed eyes. He could forgive a person for attacking and injuring him, but anyone who dared to hurt even a single strand of hair of his teacher was unforgivable! An elder stepped forward. Young Master, the n heads view is for us to steer clear of this matter. After all, thats a decree issued by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters... Peng! Before he could finish his words, he was already pped flying into the distance. Is there anyone else who has anything to say? With his hands behind his back, Yuan Tao gazed coldly at the many faces in front of him. Young Master, before the n head went into seclusion, he has requested for you not to get into any trouble... Argh! Yet another elder was sent flying with a cry of agony. Who else? Yuan Tao continued staring at the crowd in front of him coldly. After a moment of silence, the crowd quickly sped their fists and dered resoundingly, Well heed the Young Masters orders! Thats more like it! Yuan Tao nodded in approval. I believe all of you should be well-versed in the rules of the Yuan n, so you should know that I am the legitimate head of the Yuan n! So, right now, I shall issue my first order for you all as the head of the Yuan n. Imand all of you to follow me to the cier in Court to find the whereabouts of my teacher. If anyone dares to make a move on him, you are to kill that person right away regardless of who they are! Yes, n Head! the crowd replied. Our Yuan n might not wield strength like the Premier ns, but I wont allow even the Master Teacher Pavilion to touch a person under my protection! With narrowed eyes, Yuan Tao bellowed, Set off! Hu! Countless aerial saint beasts soared into the air, heading in the direction of the cier in Court. Chapter 1516 - Zhang shi’s Students (2)

Chapter 1516: Zhang shis Students (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters, countlessdies were standing in front of a tall tower, and every single one of them had a nervous look on their face. It has already been seven days. Will she be able to seed? a middle-ageddy among the crowd muttered worriedly. If she seeds, there will be no need for us to hold that selection in two months anymore. What would be the point of holding the selection when we have already found our next guild leader! anotherdy remarked. Indeed. Ever since the founding of the Spirit Awakener Guild, there has been hardly anyone who has seeded in clearing the Spirit Awakener Tower. She started learning spirit enchantment just a few months ago, and now, shes already challenging the Spirit Awakener Tower... And whats more, she actually managed to reach the eighth floor! This is something that has never happened before! the first middle-ageddy eximed in awe. Spirit awakeners require extreme precision in manipting their Primordial Spirit. Given the purity of her soul and zhenqi, it would be hard for her not to improve quickly! With her around, it seems like our Spirit Awakener Guild will be able to climb to new heights. Very soon, we wont have to rely on other powers to protect ourselves anymore! the seconddy chirped excitedly. As spirit awakener was an upation that was supportive in nature, it was severelycking in fighting prowess. As such, it had to ally itself with other powers in order to protect itself. However, the arrival of an unprecedentedly talented youngdy just a few months ago could possibly change the current miserable circumstances that they were in. As long as she seeded, they would not have to live subservient to another power anymore! I never would have thought that such a day woulde for our Spirit Awakener Guild! It seems like the heavens havent forsaken us yet... The crowd in the area nodded in agreement. Hong long! At that moment, the ground suddenly began trembling, and following which, the tall tower ahead of them began shaking as well. It slowly rose to its feet before racing ahead. She managed to enchant the Spirit Awakener Tower? S-she... actually seeded? The faces around the area flushed crimson in agitation. Not only so, she even received the recognition of our founder... In the time toe, Wang Ying could very well be the strongest spirit awakener aside from our founder... and perhaps, given sufficient time, she might even be able to exceed our founder! the first middle-ageddy said feverishly as her body trembled uncontrobly. The time has finallye for our Spirit Awakener Guild to rise up once more... The excitement in the air was so intense that it was almost palpable. Some timeter, the tower finally came to a halt, and youngdy slowly drifted down from the top. Dressed in a white robe, she looked as if a fairy descending from the heavens. She was the very first student whom Zhang Xuan had taken in, the adorable and innocent youngdy from Hongtian Academy, Wang Ying. She had undergone a transformative change from how she was a year ago. Her previous innocence had been reced with keen calmness. With just a sweeping gaze, she was able to exert her authority on the surrounding crowd, making them dare not speak against her. Paying respects to the guild leader! Thedies swiftly got to their knees and kowtowed deeply to their new guild leader. The fact that Wang Ying had managed to clear the Spirit Awakener Tower had given her the legitimacy to be the next leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild. After witnessing the movement of the tall tower with their own eyes, no one would dare question her credentials. Un, rise up. Wang Ying gazed down on the faces below and dered, Now, Ill issue my very firstmand as the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild! The crowd sped their fists and replied, Well listen to the guild leadersmands! From today onward, all members of the Spirit Awakener Guild are to treat my teacher, Zhang Xuan, as they would treat me. His orders are to be carried out with any question, and I wont tolerate anyone disrespecting him in any way. Anyone who contravenes this order shall be permanently stripped of their spirit awakener rank and prohibited from entering any Spirit Awakener Guild in the Master Teacher Continent! Wang Ying announced. Yes, guild leader! The crowd hurriedly received the order. A momentter, the first middle-ageddy suddenly raised her head and asked, Guild leader, you mentioned that your teacher goes by the name of Zhang Xuan. Could he possibly an 8-star master teacher of the Sanctum of Sages as well? Thats right! Wang Ying replied affirmatively. Given howrge the Master Teacher Continent was, it was inevitable that there would be some oveps in names. However, an 8-star master teacher in the Sanctum of Sages who went by the name of Zhang Xuan... that could not possibly be anyone other than her teacher. Guild leader, just a while ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion ordered for the apprehension of Zhang shi. This is the arrest warrant that they sent... With a flick of her finger, the middle-ageddy passed a jade token over to Wang Ying. Hmm? Wang Ying lowered her head to take a look, and a momentter, her eyes turned fearfully livid. Someone is trying to pin false usations on my teacher, huh? Very well, I would like to see who that insolent fellow is! With a cold harrumph, Wang Ying flung her sleeves back and roared, Hear my orders! All 9-star spirit awakeners are to follow me to the cier in Court, enchant every single Master Teacher Pavilion within a thirty thousand li radius, and wait for further orders! The crowd sped their fists and replied, Yes, guild leader! All along, the continent has viewed us spirit awakeners as weaklings whom they can trample on. Its time to prove them wrong. Well show them that the Spirit Awakener Guild also wields strength that they cant afford to underestimate. Wang Ying harrumphed coldly with her hands behind her back. ... Boom! Exhaling deeply, Zhao Ya slowly stood up once more. It was no easy feat for her to cultivate the Heavens Path Golden Body when she had lost her meridians, but with the assistance of her teacher, she had still managed to pull it off. With the sessful cultivation of the physical body cultivation technique, her skin became even more delicate, reminiscent of a newborn baby. While her strength had not increased by too much, she had gained the ability to alter her appearance freely. Along with her teacher using his zhenqi to help her conceal her soul, once she changed her appearance as well, it would be difficult for even 9-star master teachers to see through her disguise. Alright, try changing your appearance! Seeing that Zhao Ya had seeded, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With this, they would not have to worry about being seen through by anyone in the Empire Alliance City. Yes, Teacher! Nodding, Zhao Yas facial muscles began shifting around, altering the structure of her face entirely. Very soon, she had assumed a whole new look that would be nigh impossible for anyone to associate with the young court chief of the cier in Court. Good! Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. Even after altering her appearance, Zhao Ya was still very beautiful. However, it was at a level where it was not too umon in the Empire Alliance City, so she would not stand out as much. After they were done with their preparations, the duo began making their way over to the Empire Alliance City once more. At the entrance to the city, just as Zhang Xuan had expected, the checks had be much more stringent than before, such that there were even 6-star and 7-star master teachers supervising the checking process. However, it was impossible for those master teachers to see through their disguises, so they managed to get into the city with ease. Lets head to the cksmith Guild first. I want to see if theres a suitable material that could be used to rece your meridians! Zhang Xuan said. After asking around, Zhang Xuan led Zhao Ya toward the cksmith Guild. The Empire Alliance cksmith Guild was around the same tier as the one in the Sanctum of Sages. The highest-ranking cksmith in the guild was at 8-star, but there was still a sizeable collection of 9-star cksmith books there. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the cksmith Guild and walked in confidently. Teacher, who should we find? Zhao Ya asked. In order to look into possible materials to rece meridians, they would have to find someone to inquire. Otherwise, they would not be able to make much progress just by roaming around the area aimlessly. The guild leader, of course! Zhang Xuan replied as a matter-of-fact. The one who would know the cksmith Guild the best was definitely none other than the guild leader. There was no one else better to find than him! Guild leader? Will he be willing to meet us given our current identities? Zhao Ya asked with a frown. As they had to conceal their identities, Zhang Xuan could not take out his emblem and proim himself to be a master teacher or a cksmith. However, without sufficient standing, there was no reason for the busy guild leader to spare some of his time for them. Thats simple! Zhang Xuan chuckled. He scanned the surroundings, and upon seeing something, his eyes lit up as he said, Come, follow me! Seated by the corner of the main hall was a cksmith, and there were eight brilliant stars gleaming off the emblem on his chest. An 8-star cksmith! He was currently in the midst of tutoring his disciple. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked up to that 8-star cksmith and eximed in agitation, You really are here! Do you know how difficult it was for me to find you? You are... The 8-star cksmith was stunned by the abrupt performance from Zhang Xuan. Have you forgotten me so quickly? I am your Senior Uncle! Zhang Xuan remarked with a hint of displeasure in his voice. Chapter 1517 - The Empire Alliance Blacksmith Guild

Chapter 1517: The Empire Alliance cksmith Guild

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Senior Uncle? The 8-star cksmith was stunned for an instant before a deep frown surfaced on his forehead. With a livid expression, he growled, Friend, just who in the world are you? Dont you think its inappropriate to say such a joke? How could he possibly not recognize his own Senior Uncle? He was certain that he had never met the person standing in front of him before, so it was obvious that the other party was teasing him. You said that Im joking? Do you really not recognize me? Zhang Xuan shook his head as he raised his hand. Hong long! A powerful might swiftly shrouded the 8-star cksmith, threatening to crush him into bits. After his cultivation had advanced to Dimension Sundering realm primary stage, his grasp over his strength had be further refined. In fact, he could already deal with most Saint 9-dan primary stage cultivators with ease. While the person before him was an 8-star cksmith, his cultivation was only at Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle. The 8-star cksmiths body instinctively tensed up in the face of the impending threat, and he hurriedly drove his zhenqi andunched a palm strike to counterattack. But before his palm could strike, the crushing pressure that was pressing down on him abruptly vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared in the first ce. Perplexed, he quickly looked at the young man before him once more, only to see that thetter had already ced his hands behind his back at some point in time. The young man was looking at him too, and with a slightly displeased look on his face, he asked, Since you im that you dont know me, allow me to ask you then. Is your name Chen Mo? Yes, I am indeed Chen Mo! the 8-star cksmith, Chen Mo, replied. There was no one in the cksmith Guild who did not know of his name, so it did note as a wonder to him that the young man knew his name. Your teacher is 9-star cksmith Lu Yang. You inherited the Lu Yang Forging Art from him, but you specialize in the Hong Dian Forging Art instead. The ring finger of your left hand was once scorched by earth mes while you were in the midst of smithing... I didnt make a mistake, right? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. T-this... You are right! Chen Mo was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. That information can easily be found by asking around in the cksmith Guild, so it doesnt mean a thing at all... I know that it can be easily uncovered, but... the Hong Dian Forging technique requires precise coordination of all ten fingers in order to bring out its full prowess. Back when you were studying the technique, due to a small error, you ended up hurting your ring finger. As such, whenever you are tempering a weapon, it will begin curling in uncontrobly. While it doesnt affect the final product that you are creating too much, still, it does prevent you from achieving fine control over your strength. There arent too many people who are aware of this, right? Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Y-you... Chen Mos body stiffened straight. He did have such a habit in his smithing. While it was nothing major, there were not too many people in the cksmith Guild who were aware of this little quirk of his. So, for the other party to speak of it so decisively as if he had seen it with his own eyes, could the other party really be from the same lineage as him? Not only so, I also know that there are many ws in your Hong Dian Forging Art. In fact, Senior Lu Yang instructed me toe here in order to correct your problems in the hope that you can push for a breakthrough soon. However, Im also aware that I dont have any token or the sort that I can use to prove my identity either, so if you still dont trust me after what I have said, theres nothing I can do about it! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. You are here to correct my problems? Chen Mo frowned doubtfully. Indeed. There are three major ws in your forging technique. Firstly, you have a tendency to oveplicate the forging process. You attempt to bring every single phase of the forging process to the level of perfection, refining every ore to the extremity, but ironically, your attempts to do so often end up affecting the fusion of the ores... Zhang Xuan pointed out with a light smile. Chen Mos body jolted upon hearing those words. The other party was right; he did have such a habit. He had tried to get rid of the habit before, but whenever he tried to do so, he would end up missing the ideal fusing time for the ores, thus resulting in a failed product. As time went by, he had eventually given up on it. Smithing was an extremelyplicated and delicate process, and even the slightestpse could cause the greatest difference. Despite being an 8-star cksmith, he was still unable to ensure perfection in his smithing. Secondly, your Hong Dian Forging Art is focused on searching for the crux of the material you are processing and hammering right on it so as to create an even more wholesome product. You have no trouble finding the crux of the ores that you are processing, but its a pity that you are slightlycking in speed... Zhang Xuan continued. I... Chen Mos body jolted once more. It was almost the other party had seen him forging with his own eyes. Astonishingly, every single point that the other party had raised was spot-on! Thirdly... Zhang Xuan continued speaking. By the time all three ws were raised, Chen Mos body was already drenched in cold sweat. Those were indeed the three greatest errors in his smithing. He was aware of them and had tried to change them several times, only to have failed. It was precisely due to those issues that his smithing had ended up meeting a bottleneck. Is there any way to resolve my problems? Unable to remain calm any longer, Chen Mo sped his fist and bowed. He still was not too sure whether the other party was really his Senior Uncle or not, but one thing was for surethe other party was far ahead of him in the field of smithing. Like I said, your teacher has sent me over to correct your mistakes. It goes without saying that I have my own ways to resolve your ws! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. It was not convenient for him to take out his 8-star cksmith emblem at the moment, but in terms of his knowledge in smithing, even 9-star primary cksmiths would struggle to match up to him. All it took him was a slight moment of contemtion after browsing through Chen Mos ws in the Library of Heavens Path for him toe up with a solution to resolve those problems. Zhang Xuan swiftly imparted several methods to Chen Mo that he could use in order to resolve those three major ws in his smithing. I see... After hearing Zhang Xuans pointers, Chen Mo could not help but widen his eyes in awe. The other partys words had truly enlightened him. Thank you, Senior Uncle! As he spoke, he kneeled down to the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan earnestly. Zhang Xuan nced at the kneeling man before him and said, You arent going to doubt me anymore? No, no, of course not... Chen Mo replied with an embarrassed chuckle. Just the fact that the other party had pointed out the many ws in his forging technique and even raised feasible methods to resolve them, even if the other party was not his Senior Uncle, he was already as good as a half-teacher to him! Good. To tell you the truth, other than to correct your smithing, I also have some business here that I will have to trouble your guild leader with. Ill need you to bring me to him! Zhang Xuan said. You wish to meet our guild leader? That wont be a problem at all! This way, please, Chen Mo said as he quickly led the way forward. This... Having witnessed the entire scene, Zhao Ya was more awestruck than ever by her teacher. She had known all along that her teacher was a very resourceful man, but she did not think that he would actually be able to win an 8-star cksmith over with just a couple of words and turn the other party into his junior. Even when witnessing the entire process with her own eyes, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. With an 8-star cksmith leading the way, it did not take too long for them to meet the guild leader. The guild leader appeared to be an elder in his sixties. His hair had already turned snow white, and with a swift examination, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other party was a Saint 8-dan pinnacle cultivator. Chen Mo stepped forward and said, Guild leader, my Senior Uncle hase to visit, and he wishes to have a word with you. Your Senior Uncle? Surprised by Chen Mos words, the guild leader swiftly got to his feet and sped his fist. Senior, may I know how I should address you? He was peers with Chen Mo, so that would make Chen Mos Senior Uncle his senior as well. I am Wu Zhangxuan, and this youngss beside me is my student. To be honest with you, my student got injured a while back, so I came over hoping to request your aid! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Ah, so its cksmith Wu! May I know what you need my help on? As long as its within my power, Ill definitely try my best to assist with your students treatment! the guild leader replied with a kind smile. My student made a mistake in her cultivation, resulting in her meridians sustaining some damage. So, I havee to your cksmith Guild in hopes of seeing finding a material that I could possibly use to substitute her meridians in driving zhenqi, Zhang Xuan said. Chapter 1518 - Indeed, I Am Him

Chapter 1518: Indeed, I Am Him

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A substitute for meridians? The guild leader contemted deeply for a moment before saying, Meridians are pathways within a cultivators body that allows for the movement of spiritual energy and zhenqi. As a cultivator advances their cultivation, they will be able to strengthen and widen their meridians, allowing energy to flow even smoothly through them... Im afraid that I cant think of any material in our cksmith Guild that has such properties! The meridians of a cultivator were not lifeless objects; they could evolve along with a cultivators advancing cultivation as well. A stronger cultivator would be able to expand their meridians so as to allow them to harness more power, and vice-versa... While there was a huge range of artifacts and materials in the cksmith Guild, none of them had the properties suited for substituting the role of meridians. There isnt any material in your cksmith Guild that can be used to substitute meridians? Zhang Xuan frowned. If I recall correctly, there are some weapons that can extend and contract at will. Is it not possible to use those to substitute as meridians? There were formidable weapons in this world that could alter their sizes freely. For example, while the Sanctum Head Token in Zhang Xuans hands was roughly only the size of a palm usually, it could grow to the size of a huge shield at hismand. While there are weapons that cultivators can alter the form of at will, those are usually unable to harness zhenqi for too long. Furthermore, the development of the meridians isnt as simple as expanding and reinforcing themtheres a limit to how far one can do that. Eventually, it wille a point where the cultivator has to enhance the effectiveness of their meridians through spatial maniption. Besides, it wont be easy to achieve delicate control over those materials, and one could easily get hurt as a result of that, the guild leader said with a bitter smile. Darn... Zhang Xuans face turned livid. He was also aware that it was unlikely that there was any material that could be a perfect substitute for human meridians, but he could not allow himself to give up just like that. He hoped that he might be able to receive a different answer from the mouth of another, but judging from what he had just heard, it seemed like reconstructing Zhao Yas meridians through smithing did not seem to be something achievable. The guild leader was also able to roughly fathom Zhang Xuans intentions, so he could not help but shake his head as well. At this moment, a thought suddenly came to his mind, and he said, Actually, there might still be hope for your student. While its not too usible to reconstruct your students meridians through smithing, I did hear some rumors that someone had managed to pull off the recement of meridians before! Someone managed to pull off the recement of meridians? Who is it? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If someone in the world had seeded in the recement of meridians, that would mean that it was possible! Even if he could not do it himself, he could still search for the person in question and ask for their help. Before I go on, I would like to first say that these are only rumors that I have heard, and I am unable to verify their authenticity. From what I know, the matter didnt happen too long ago, just roughly twenty years if I recall correctly. An expert of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters went around the Master Teacher Continent in search of a way to rece a persons meridians, and it seems like he seeded in the end! the guild leader said. An expert of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Who is it? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. This would determine whether Zhao Ya would be able to recover or not, so he had to clutch at every possible lead that he could find. That person is Grand Elder Yang Xuan of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! the guild leader replied. Yang Xuan? Zhang Xuan was stunned. For the longest period of time, he had been impersonating Yang Xuan and iming to be Yang Xuans student. It seemed like fate really had a way of pulling pranks on others. After all that had happened, the clue to resolving Zhao Yas condition ended up being with a man whom he was so intricately linked with and direly wanted to avoid. Indeed. Yang shi is a highly talented person. Putting aside the tremendous strength he wields, hes also well-versed in all of the upations. Back then, in order to uncover a way to achieve the recement of meridians, he even paid a visit to the head of our cksmith Guild headquarters and maintained correspondence with him for several years. Of course, I have no way of verifying those matters, so Im afraid that youll have to find the person in question to ask about it! the guild leader said. I see... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. It seems like Ill have to pay Yang shi a visit then! Most likely, Yang shi should still be in the Zhang n... It would be dangerous, but it seemed like he would have to pay the Zhang n another visit. Just that, he had impersonated the other party and imed to be the other partys student, and now, he was even wanted by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. If he met the other party, would the other party be willing to listen to what he had to say? Against First Elder Zhang Wuheng, he might still stand a chance of escape, but against Yang shi, one of the strongest experts of the Master Teacher Continent... If the other party meant him harm, would he be able to get away even if he utilized every method at his disposal? Yang shi? Hearing those words, Zhao Ya felt a little light-headed. Having seen Yang shi transforming into her teacher with her own eyes, she knew that grandteacher of hers was actually just a persona that her teacher had created. Yet, to hear the name again... what was going on? Yang shi often spends his time roaming the world, such that he rarely returns to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters at all. So, I dont think that itll be too easy for you to catch wind of his whereabouts. If the situation with your student is urgent, Physician Huang of the Physician Guild happens to be a close friend of mine. I could invite him over to have him help diagnose your student... Seeing the young man deep in thought, the guild leader thought that Zhang Xuan was worried about his students condition, so he sincerely offered his help. Guild leader, thank you for your kind intentions, but I think it should be fine for the time being. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. He was just about to continue speaking when a cksmith abruptly rushed into the room and said, Guild leader, theres a master teacher outside who seeks your presence! The guild leader turned his head over and asked, Master teacher? Who is it? Whats his rank? The cksmith hesitated for a moment before replying. He isnt wearing his emblem, so Im not too sure what his rank is either. However, I think his surname is... Yang! His surname is Yang? The guild leader fell into deep thought, but he could not think of any notable master teachers who went by the surname of Yang in the Empire Alliance. Nevertheless, he still nodded and said, Invite him in! Yes, guild leader! The cksmith turned around and left the room. Since you have a guest waiting for you, I shant impose on you any longer and take my leave! Having found what he needed, there was no longer any reason for Zhang Xuan to remain in the cksmith Guild any longer. Thus, he sped his fist before leaving together with Zhao Ya. However, before he reached the entrance of the room, footsteps suddenly sounded ahead of him, and following which, the cksmith from before returned with an elder beside him. As the elder walked into the room, he suddenly turned his head toward Zhang Xuan and asked with a smile, This young friend over here, you just arrived, right? Are you leaving so soon? Hmm? Are you speaking to me? Zhang Xuan was taken aback by the abrupt words from the elder. The elder should be here to meet the guild leader, so why was the other party striking up a conversation with him instead? Thats right. Rather than saying that Im here to pay a visit to the guild leader, it would be more exact to say that I am here for you! The elder stroked his beard as he spoke. For me? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. The elder before him looked perfectly ordinary. While he was dressed in a master teacher robe, there was not an emblem signifying his rank pinned on his chest. There was an amiable smile on his face, which seemed to suggest that he bore no ill-will. However, one thing was for certainhe had never met the elder in front of him before. Have I met you before? Zhang Xuan asked. Hahaha! Instead of replying to Zhang Xuans question, the elder chuckled softly before turning to the guild leader and cksmith Chen Mo. Pardon me, but there are some private matters that I would like to talk to the young friend over here about. After saying those words, the elder flicked his finger, and an emblem came into the sight of the two cksmiths. On the emblem were nine gleaming stars. 9-star cksmith? Upon seeing the emblem, both the guild leader and Chen Mo leaped in shock. They hurriedly sped their fists and replied, O-of course, feel free to use this room! They had thought that the elder would show them his master teacher emblem, but who could have thought the other party would be a 9-star cksmith as well. With a clear hierarchy established among them, they could not afford to defy a directmand from the other party. Hula! The duo quickly backed out of the room, leaving just Zhang Xuan, Zhao Ya, and the enigmatic elder. Wu Zhangxuan, Wu (Im) 1 Zhang Xuan. Isnt the name you havee up for yourself a little too perfunctory? Seeing that there was no one else in the room, the elder chuckled softly as he gazed deeply at Zhang Xuan. Isnt that so, Zhang shi? Or perhaps, should I address you as... Sanctum Head Zhang? You... Not expecting the other party to not only be able to see through his disguise but even be aware of his identity as a sanctum head candidate, Zhang Xuans goosebumps immediately rose in rm. He immediately alerted his clone so that the other party would be ready to make a move at any moment. You are a master teacher, and you go by the surname Yang... Could you possibly be... Well, it seems like you have figured it out. Stroking his beard once more, the elder said with a smile, Indeed, I am the person whom you have been impersonating all this time... Yang Xuan! Chapter 1519 - Discovering Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1519: Discovering Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Half a day earlier... Through the Teleportation Formation of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Yang shi and the others swiftly arrived at the cier in Courts and saw the devastation that had urred there. All of the buildings had copsed down to the ground, and beacons of smoke could be seen here and there. There were charred marks everywhere, be it on the copsed rubble or the ground. ... and that was how he reduced the cier in Court to its current state! Just thinking about what had just happened, You Ruoxins body could not stop trembling in rage. He had just undergone the Phantasmal Space Ordeal in the Zhang n and left the entire ce in tatters, but youre telling me that he underwent his Dimension Sundering Ordeal here shortly after... Zhang Wuheng couldnt believe what he was hearing. He had witnessed that fellows Phantasmal Space Ordeal with his own eyes, and even he had nearly been struck to death by it. Who could have thought that in less than a night, he would run over to the cier in Court and undergo his Dimension Sundering Ordeal? Did that not mean that he had managed to raise his cultivation by two whole realms within the span of a single day? Was it really possible for anyone to be that overpowered? And more importantly... he had actually been able to make the lightning tribtion heed hismands and strike whatever he wanted it to! How in the world did he manage to do that? ording to what you have said, he should have been severely wounded in the encounter, so it doesnt seem likely that he would be able to get too far away. Do you know which direction he headed off in? Yang shi asked. Im not too sure. You Ruoxin shook her head. Hepletely erased all traces of his presence, making it impossible to track him. I have already ordered the members of the cier in Court tob through the surrounding area, but none of them have been able to find any traces of him! Considering the young mans flight speed, he could not have gotten too far. However, when they finally recovered and started trying to track him down, it was as if he had vanished into thin air. Despite searching for more than a day now, they had not been able to find any traces of him at all. It was almost as if the young man had not been there in the first ce! It seems like hes a hidden expert. He must have used some kind of special means to erase his presence, Yang shi remarked. Since there were cultivators who specialized in tracking, naturally, there were also those who were skilled in anti-tracking. There were experts in the world who could sneak from ce to ce without leaving any traces. If Zhang Xuan truly possessed such means, then even someone as powerful as Yang Xuan would have trouble tracking him down. That seems to be the case, but considering the injuries that he has sustained, Im confident that hes still within a radius of 100,000 li around the cier in Court. As long as web this area thoroughly, we would be able to dig him out! You Ruoxin said confidently. Given how severely wounded Zhang Xuan was, it would be impossible for him to get too far away. Furthermore, the Master Teacher Pavilion had also released an arrest warrant for him, and traveling in the open air would make it too easy for others to find and capture him. Building on these assumptions, she felt that Zhang Xuan would still be within a radius of 100,000 li from the cier in Court. As long as they dispatched enough manpower tob through the area, they would surely be able to find that scoundrel! Yang shi turned to the group behind and proposed, Sword Saint Xing, Sword Saint Meng, and First Elder, since there are no longer any clues on where he is, why dont we split up and search for him separately? It should be easier for us to find him this way, and whoever finds him first can alert the rest through our Communication Jade Tokens! I guess thats the best we can do for now... Sword Saint Meng nodded worriedly. When she heard that the young man who could very well be her son was severely injured, she felt as if a knife had stabbed into her heart. She had considered exacting vengeance for her son on the cier in Court, but seeing the pitiful state that they were already in, she had eventually dropped the idea. All she could think of at that moment was her injured son. Worried sick, she did not want to waste any more precious time dawdling around here. Lets go then! Knowing how his wife felt, Sword Saint Xing swiftly chose a direction, and the two of them left together. On the other hand, Zhang Wuheng hesitated for a moment, seemingly contemting over something, before eventually choosing a direction and leaving as well. Elder You, Ill take my leave as well! Yang shi bade his farewell before leaving in a certain direction. In just a few moments, the four of them had already vanished over the horizon. Shaking her head, You Ruoxin turned her gaze back to the cier in Court in order to supervise the disciples in its reconstruction. However, barely a momentter, the First Elder of the Zhang n, Zhang Wuheng, suddenly flew back over. You Ruoxin quickly walked over and asked, Elder Wuheng, could it be that you have managed to find him? That isnt it. Zhang Wuheng shook his head. With an unreadable look on his face, he asked, Which direction did Yang shi leave in earlier? Yang shi? You Ruoxin was taken aback. Indeed. As one of the top experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Yang shi wields the ability to track down a person from their lingering presence. Even if Zhang Xuan has concealed his aura, I find it hard to believe that Yang shi would be unable to track him. Instead, I believe the reason he has suggested for us to split up is to shake us off and find him himself. I want to see just what hes up to... Zhang Wuheng harrumphed. You are saying that Yang shi knows where Zhang Xuan is? So... as long as we follow Yang shi, we would be able to find Zhang Xuan as well? A glint flickered across You Ruoxins eyes. Indeed. However, in view of Yang shis strength, we have to make sure to keep a safe distance away from him. It will be hard for us to exin our actions to him if he catches us tracking him, Zhang Wuheng said. I understand! You Ruoxin nodded as a wintry gleam surfaced in her eyes. This time, theres no way Ill allow him to slip through my fingers... We have to make that fellow pay the price for his actions! Zhang Wuheng nodded in agreement. A fellow who had appeared out of nowhere actually had the guts toy waste to the Zhang n. If they did not teach that fellow a lesson, how would the entire continent view the Zhang n in the future? They could not allow the humiliation that they had suffered to slide just like that! While the two of them were discreetly discussing their ns, some distance away, Yang shi stopped on a peak amid a mountain range. He flicked his wrist, and a mirror materialized in his hand. He swiftly formed several hand seals, and light began swirling on the surface of the mirror. Soon, the light converged to form something resembling a map. Ultimately, the Sanctum Head Token is still an artifact forged by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Yang shi muttered with a smile. He did wield extraordinary skills in tracking, just as Zhang Wuheng suspected, but Zhang Xuan really did not leave the slightest trace at all when he left the cier in Court. Even to someone of his prowess, it appeared as if Zhang Xuan had simply vanished into thin air. However, the Sanctum Head Token that Zhang Xuan had in his possession was an artifact belonging to the Master Teacher Pavilion. He could simply track the Sanctum Head Token in order to find the young mans whereabouts. Studying the image on the mirror, Yang shi was able to swiftly determine the location of the Sanctum Head Token. It seems he has headed off to the Empire Alliance City! With a leap, he vanished from the spot. To be honest, he was not too concerned about the fact that Zhang Xuan had impersonated him or imed to be his student. Instead, the dominant feeling that he felt at this moment was pure curiosity. Despite his low cultivation, that young man had been able to impersonate him and fool even 9-star master teachers... How did the young man manage to pull something like that off? ... Roughly an hour after Yang shi left the peak, the surrounding space suddenly distorted slightly, and two figures materialized into existence. The First Elders of the Zhang n and the cier in Court, Zhang Wuheng and You Ruoxin. Yang shi had not intentionally concealed his presence, so it was not too difficult for the two of them to track his movements. It seems like hes heading toward the Empire Alliance City... After confirming the direction that Yang shi had left in, Zhang Wuheng asked with a frown, Could Zhang Xuan be in the Empire Alliance City? Very possibly. The closest major city to the cier in Court is the Empire Alliance City. Given the severe injuries Zhang Xuan has sustained, theres no way he would be able to flee too far away. His best bet is to hide within arge crowd, and for that, theres nowhere better than the Empire Alliance City! You Ruoxin nodded in agreement. The best way to conceal ones presence from the world was not to dive into some remote mountain valley but an ocean of people. The more people there were, the harder it would be for one to be found. Going by such an analysis, it was indeed very likely for Zhang Xuan to be in the Empire Alliance City. It boasted the greatest poption count among the cities in the area, and there was a diverse range of people within the city. There was a Master Teacher Pavilion within the city, which might make such a choice of location appear risky, but sometimes, it was the most obvious location that one was likely to overlook. After all, which sane person would dare loiter right beneath the nose of the Master Teacher Pavilion when an arrest warrant had been issued on him? Thus, the Master Teacher Pavilion would not devote too much of its manpower searching the Empire Alliance City either. Inform the Master Teacher Pavilion right away and tell them that we have found some traces of Zhang Xuan in the Empire Alliance City. Regardless of whether hes there or not, lets have the Master Teacher Pavilion first conduct a thorough search throughout the city! Zhang Wuheng harrumphed coldly. Un, Ill inform them right away! You Ruoxin nodded. While they could conduct the search, they did not have the legitimacy and manpower of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so their efficiency was bound to be much lower. All that was left to do was bide their time in the Empire Alliance City. Once Zhang Xuan was found, they would swoop right in and apprehend him! Chapter 1520 - Be My Student (1)

Chapter 1520: Be My Student (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yang Xuan... Zhang Xuans heart jolted in horror. His first instinct was to escape, but he forced himself to remain calm. From the looks of it, it seemed like the other party had seen through his disguise from the start. The fact that the other party had not made a move yet and instead chose to converse with him calmly showed that he bore no ill will. On top of that, he had been trying to assess the other partys strength, but as if staring into the abyss, he found himself unable to see the bottom of the other partys cultivation. It was questionable whether he would really be able to escape or not even if he tried. Rather than jumping into action, it seemed wiser for him to sound out the other partys aim first. While Zhang Xuan was in a state of utter shock, the elder standing opposite of him was alsopletely astounded. He could tell with his eye of discernment that the person standing opposite to him was only in his early twenties, but the young mans state of mind was so deep that even he was unable to see through him. It was no wonder that no one had been able to see through the young mans impersonation for so long. More importantly, despite knowing who he was, the young man was still able to remain perfectly calm, not showing the slightest hint of fluster at all. Just from that, his state of mind had already surpassed all master teachers that he knew of. There was a short moment of silence before Zhang Xuan remarked, I have always taken pride in my disguise ability. If Yang shi doesnt mind sharing, I am interested to know how you managed to see through me. He would not be so arrogant as to actually think that his disguise was impable, but with his Soul Depth of 29.1, which was on par with top 9-star master teachers, and the extraordinary flexibility of his body, not even Elder Qu and the others had been able to see through him. Just what kind of fatal opening was there in his disguise that made Yang shi so certain that he was Zhang Xuan? Your disguise was remarkable. From your outer appearance down to the aura of your soul, theres no way I could have guessed it was you. The only reason I was so certain is because of the Sanctum Head Token in your possession, Yang shi replied. Sanctum Head Token? Zhang Xuan was stunned, not expecting to hear such an answer. He quickly flicked his wrist and took out his Sanctum Head Token. After using it to defend against the attack from Elder Qu back at the cier in Court, he had ced it back into his storage ring, and he had not taken it out since then. Who could have thought that it would actually be the crux for Yang shi to find him? Thats right. The Sanctum Head Token is an artifact that Sage Kui, together with a group of powerful master teachers, painstakingly forged. While it isnt the strongest weapon in the world, it harnesses the wills of the predecessors and the schrly aura of the Sanctum of Sages. Even if you store it in your storage ring, you still cant fully conceal the aura it emanates. Its due to this property of the Sanctum Head Token that even with the untimely deaths of the preceding sanctum heads, the Sanctum of Sages was still able to eventually retrieve the Sanctum Head Token without fail! Yang shi replied with a smile. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The Sanctum Head Token could be considered an insignia of authority and nobility for the Sanctum of Sages. Perhaps in a bid to sustain the legacy of the token, Sage Kui and the others had devised some method that would allow the top echelons of the Sanctum of Sages and Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to trace the whereabouts of the Sanctum Head Token. And it was using such a method that Yang shi had been able to find his whereabouts and confirm his identity. Since Yang shi has found me, do you intend to apprehend me? Zhang Xuan asked. I havent returned to the Master Teacher Pavilion for a very long time, and the decrees they issue have nothing to do with me. The reason I came looking for you is solely out of curiosity... A person as talented as you couldnt have just appeared out of nowhere. Im interested to find out what lineage you are from and whom your teacher is! Yang shi replied with a smile. Along the way, he had carefully browsed through Zhang Xuans records. The young man had imed to be his student, but he knew very well that he had never met the young man before, let alone imparted any knowledge to him. He knew all of the 9-star master teacher on the Master Teacher Continent, but he did not think that any of them wielded the ability to raise such a formidable student. In fact, even the student whom he had personally groomed, Feng Ziyi, was nothingpared to the young man standing before him. He wanted to find out just whom the person behind Zhang Xuan was. This... Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, Ill be frank with you. I have never acknowledged a teacher before! Before others, he could still im that his teacher was Yang Xuan, but with the person in question standing right in front of him, such lies no longer held any meaning. You have never acknowledged any teacher before? Yang shis smile copsed into a look of disbelief. How could that be possible? I have looked through your records, and you were just an ordinary cultivator in the Tianxuan Kingdom. Within a single year, you have already grasped the strength of the Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm. How could you grow so quickly without the guidance of a teacher? Be it in terms of cultivation or supporting upations, the young man before him seemed to grasp everything in an instant. Even when it came to his cultivation, everything seemed to bank on his whims. He could achieve breakthroughs as and when he liked, as if the concept of bottlenecks did not apply to him. As unbelievable as it seemed, it might still have been possible if he did have a formidable teacher to guide him along. However, to achieve all of that by himself... this was something that even Yang shi himself was unable to believe! One must know that even the legendary Kong shi had not grown at this breakneck speed either! I dont know why, but be it cultivation or supporting upations, Im able to grasp and master everything in an instant. Theres nothing I can do about how talented I am! Zhang Xuan replied with a helpless edge to his voice. He could not possibly talk about the Library of Heavens Path, so he could only attribute everything to his own aptitude. There should have been individuals who were so monstrously talented that they could not be defined usingmon sense in history, such as the young prodigy of the Zhang n. Did they not say that he was already a Saint realm expert at birth? Considering how there were people in the world who were born as Saints, surely his talent of mastering everything in an instant was nothing to gawk at. This... Yang shi frowned. In his lifetime, he had met plenty of prodigies, and there were indeed those who possessed such talent toothe little princess of the Luo n was one such examplebut... none of them were as overpowered as this! Besides, the Luo ns resources were there for all to see. It was due to the massive influx of resources, and this was including the guidance of 9-star master teachers, that she had been able to grow that quickly. On the other hand, the young man before him was an unaffiliated cultivator... and yet, he was actually growing at a rate faster than the little princess! There was no way that such a thing could be achieved if he did not have a teacher! Furthermore, based on what he had heard, the young man also wielded many extraordinary means as well, such as taming the lightning tribtion into subservience... Even he was incapable of pulling something as ludicrous as that off! Yang shi hesitated for a moment before flicking out a jade token and passing it over. I have a battle technique here. Its a finger art that Feng Ziyi was unable to achieve Major Aplishment in despite having cultivated it for three years. Since you possess such talents, may I request that you try learning it so as to convince me that you really dont have a teacher? Since the young man had imed that he was able to master everything swiftly, there was a very simple method to verify this im. If the young man was really able to master the finger art swiftly, that would mean that there was some truth to his words. A finger art? Zhang Xuan took the jade token and swiftly browsed through it. Severing Yang Finger! It was a Saint pinnacle battle technique that wielded unparalleled might. If used well in a battle, it could easily serve as a trump card in dire situations! Fortunately, I do have quite a few finger arts in the Library of Heavens Path... Compile! Knowing that Yang shi was testing him, and he would clear this test as long as he could master the finger art, Zhang Xuan did not hesitate to collect the Severing Yang Finger into the Library of Heavens Path. After which, hepiled it together with the finger arts that he had collected back in the Combat Master Hall. The Severing Yang Finger was a little simr to the Grand Constetion Finger, which he had practiced back then. Its cruxy in focusing ones strength at a single point and releasing it all at once. Soon, a new book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open and browsed through it. Just as he had expected, thepiled finger art was devoid of ws. With a touch, the knowledge regarding the perfected Severing Yang Finger flowed into his head. This finger art of mine is a little too heavy on its killing intent, but its still a formidable weapon when dealing with Otherworldly Demons, Yang shi said. This finger art allows one to sever the vitality and longevity of ones opponent, but due to its might, it also inflicts a certain degree of damage on the practitioner as well. One must be able to concentrate ones strength, mind, spirit, and will together in order to execute it perfectly. Ill give you three days to learn this skill. If you are able to reach Minor Aplishment within three days without my guidance, Ill believe that you possess the capability to have reached your current altitude without a teacher to guide you along... Three days? Theres no need for that! Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and looked at Yang Xuan. I am already done learning it! Chapter 1521 - Be My Student (2)

Chapter 1521: Be My Student (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You are already done... learning it? Yang shis eyebrows shot up, thinking that he might have heard wrongly. You have only grabbed the jade token and nothing else. Heck, you didnt even infuse your zhenqi into it to browse through its contents, and yet, you are telling me that you are already done learning it? Furthermore, the Severing Yang Finger isplex and hard to grasp. Even when I came into contact with it the first time, it took an entire hour before I was able to finish reading through the manual andprehend it. Yet, right after grabbing hold of the jade token, you are telling me that you have already mastered it? Surely, you jest! Since its your battle technique, you can lower your cultivation and try it out, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. You should be able to tell whether I am lying or not once we trade blows. Very well then! Seeing how confident the young man before him was, seemingly not fearing his identity or strength at all, Yang shi nodded. The young man was right. The best way to test a cultivators mastery of his battle technique was to trade blows with him! If the young man was able to execute it fluidly in the midst of battle, that would mean that he had truly mastered the technique. Boom! Yang shi took in a deep breath, and the next moment, his cultivation plummeted to the same level as Zhang Xuan, Dimension Sundering realm primary stage! Im going to make my move now... Yang shi raised his forefinger and middle finger, gathering a rotating surge of energy at the tip of his fingers. In an instant, the surge of energy had already gathered together in a cataclysmic storm. Devastating might roared furiously from the midst of the storm, on the verge of tearing the surrounding space into shreds. Simply replying with a nod, Zhang Xuan raised his finger casually and lightly tapped the space in front of him. His finger did not wield the power of the storm, unlike Yang Xuans, and his movements were slow as if an old ox plowing the fields. Yang shi was intending to say that he had executed the finger art incorrectly, but when he saw the tip of the finger pointed at him, his eyes narrowed in rm. In that moment, he could not even spare a shred of his attention toward speaking anymore. He swiftly focused the crippling energy that he had gathered together and shot it forward to defend against Zhang Xuans finger art. Boom! As the two fingers collided, the storm that had gathered abruptly vanished without a trace. Following which, Yang shi felt an enormous force striking him head on, forcing him to retreat uncontrobly. He swiftly released the seal on his cultivation, and only when he had recovered up to Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle did he finally regain his bnce. You... Suppressing the turbulence in his zhenqi, Yang shi was utterly shocked by what had just happened. At first nce, the finger art that the young man had executed bore no resemnce to the Severing Yang Finger at all. However, the moment that the finger art struck him, it had suddenly made the full transformation into the Severing Yang Finger. While he had altered the execution of the Severing Yang Finger, the might of the finger art did not weaken in the least; on the contrary, it had grown almost two times stronger! Furthermore, the intent of the finger art was on point as well. He could feel the force of the finger consuming his entire body, nearly severing the zhenqi in his body into half! This was a level of power that even he did not possess despite having mastered the Severing Yang Finger! Are you injured? Zhang Xuan asked sheepishly. Im fine, Yang shi replied. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he asked, You didnt just master the Severing Yang Finger; you have even improved it as well, right? Through the previous sh, it was apparent that the young man had not only mastered the Severing Yang Finger but even managed to improve it. How in the world did he do it? To do all of that within just a few minutes... even when he was seeing it with his own eyes, he still felt as if he was dreaming! Was it really possible for someone to be so formidable in the world? In the first ce, to design a battle technique solely for the sake of killing isnt optimal. The purpose of battle techniques is to allow a cultivator to better utilize their zhenqi, exerting force that would have otherwise been impossible, Zhang Xuan exined. The Severing Yang Finger is too domineering, cing it at disharmony with the world. Thus, I altered it a little so as to ce the focus on severing the enemys zhenqi instead. This way, not only will it not result in unnecessary bloodshed, it will also be able to let the opponent realize that they are outmatched. The Severing Yang Finger was indeed a formidable technique, but it was simply too demanding on a cultivators zhenqi, spirit, mind, and will. If the attack missed, the cultivator could end up creating an opening for the enemy to strike. But afterpiling the Severing Yang Finger with many other finger art manuals, Zhang Xuan had managed to resolve the w. Its true that severing the opponents zhenqi is a less violent way of subduing ones opponent and can avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but... what if the enemy that you are facing is an Otherworldly Demon? Your act of mercy will not necessarily be reciprocated. Often, just the slightest difference in intent could bring one the greatest of cmities! Yang shi said. While killing arts were at disharmony with the world, there was still a reason for their existence. One would not use it when fighting against fellow master teachers, but when facing the Otherworldly Demons, the slightest mercy could end up creating an opening for the other party to exploit, cing oneself and ones allies in danger. Such cases were simply toomon. Back then, when he entered the Subterranean Gallery for the first time with his teacher, out of a moment ofpassion for the enemy, he had given the enemy an opportunity tounch a counterattack. Eventually, his teacher had ended up being severely injured while trying to save him, nearly losing his life. He had spent a very long time regretting his indecisiveness back then. That incident had taught him a lesson that he would never forgetit was fine to have mercy when fighting a friend, but against ones enemies, one had to cast aside ones morals and be as ignoble as possible. Otherwise, the ones who would pay the price would not be the enemy. Indeed. You cant afford to go easy against the Otherworldly Demons! Zhang Xuan nodded. If you agree with my point of view, why did you still diminish the destructive might of the Severing Yang Finger? Yang shi asked in bewilderment. If the young man understood his logic, it seemed counterintuitive for him to still choose to alter the battle technique into such a form. Ah. To be honest with you, I only used thirty percent of my strength in the fight earlier so that I could exert and retract my strength freely. If I used my full strength, the might itmands is still not too bad! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Thirty percent? Yang shi staggered on the spot, and he thought that his mind would blow up. You said that... you only used thirty percent of your strength? Using just thirty percent of his strength, the young man had actually managed to push him back and force him to raise his cultivation to Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle before he was able to steady himself once more. Was the young man really serious about this? Indeed. A full might attack would be something like this... Zhang Xuan nodded as he raised his finger once more. This time, the young mans movement was even slower, but for an instant, Yang shi felt as if the entire world had copsed on him. A feeling of despair swiftly crept its way into his mind, leaving him feeling as if he would bepletely helpless no matter how he struggled. Kacha! Kacha! Not daring to hesitate in the least, Yang shi quickly released the seal on his cultivation, and in an instant, his cultivation rose back up to Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm. Following which, he thrust his finger forth to face Zhang Xuans attack. Peng! The young mans strength surged toward him like a relentless tide, threatening to disintegrate his meridians and render himpletely helpless. Once again, Yang shi was forced to retreat more than twelve steps back. His zhenqi was jolted into turbulence under the impact, and he had to take deep breaths in order to calm himself down. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, marked with utter disbelief. As one of the strongest experts in the world, even if he had suppressed his cultivation, the young man should not have been able to be a match for him. Yet, the young man actually overpowered him using his move after learning it for just a couple minutes... That was too frightening! Were there really geniuses in the world who could grasp anything upon sight and even alter it stronger in just moments? The strength isnt too bad, right? Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. Yes... Calming down the turmoil he was undergoing inside, Yang shi exhaled deeply. With glowing eyes, he asked, Since you dont have any teacher at the moment, will you consider taking me as your teacher? The fact that the young man had imed to be his teacher showed that the young man did have an interest in his lineage. He had still been able to remain calm about it in the past, but after witnessing the young mans unbelievable talent, his heart as a teacher immediately lit up into a passionate inferno. He could not even begin to imagine just how far the young man could go under his guidance. Chapter 1522 - You Are a Celestial Master Teacher?

Chapter 1522: You Are a Celestial Master Teacher?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You want me to ept me as your student? Indeed. As long as you agree to be my student, the Master Teacher Arrest Warrant, the Zhang n, and the cier in Court, I can help you resolve them all! Yang shi said with a smile. In the first ce, even though the Zhang n and the cier in Court had been humiliated by the matter, they had not lost any of their men due to that. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan was the head of the Sanctum of Sages, so the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would be lenient on him, especially considering the current circumstances. Thus, as long as he spoke up on Zhang Xuans behalf, in deference to his standing and power, this seemingly unresolvable issue could be resolved rather easily. At the very most, he would just have to bring Zhang Xuan around to make more contributions so as to strike off whatever misdeeds he had done in the past. As a grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he believed in his appeal to others. As long as he proimed his interest in taking in a student, countless masters teachers would immediately rush over to him. Considering how he had even made a direct offer to Zhang Xuan, he believed that thetter would not turn him down. Just as he thought that the young man would delightfully kneel down and acknowledge him as his teacher, the young man shook his head instead and said, Yang shi, thank you for your high opinion of me, but... I dont have any intention of acknowledging a teacher just yet! Having undergone five Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgement, his eyes were already set on higher grounds. Even if Kong shi offered to take him in as his disciple again, he might not necessarily agree to it, let alone Yang shi! Hmm? Yang shi was stunned for a moment before his eyes slowly widened in astonishment. You do have a strong foundation, possessing unique insights into battle techniques and cultivation. Under normal circumstances, its true that you wouldnt need a teacher. After all, you have already found your own way of cultivation, and it would be meaningless for you to forcefully adopt another persons lineage. That being said, the Master Teacher Pavilion still heavily emphasizes the idea of lineage. With a good teacher, your standing in the Master Teacher Pavilion could be increased significantly, thus bringing you greater convenience in whatever you intend to do in the future. Furthermore, beyond Saint 9-dan, there wont be any predecessors whose path you can emte. Without a teacher to guide you along, theres a high chance that you might identally head down the wrong path, and that could pose to be deadly! There wont be any predecessors whose path I can emte? Zhang Xuan turned to look at Yang shi with a doubtful look in his eyes. As he had not raised his cultivation or master teacher rank to the corresponding level yet, he had not been able to acquire any news regarding the affairs of 9-star master teachers. As such, he waspletely oblivious to whaty beyond Saint 9-dan and how such a level of cultivation could be achieved. Bing a 9-star master teacher isnt just about ones cultivation or Soul Depth. More than that, one must find their own philosophy of education and achieve a certain level of aplishment in the field of teaching. Take Kong shi for example, the philosophies that he left behind include teaching without discrimination, individualized impartation of knowledge, cultivating a passion toward learning, wholesome education, and so on. The beliefs that he left behind havested through the ages, inspiring generation after generation of teachers. Not only so, one of the core requirements to bing a 9-star master teacher is to achieve a breakthrough beyond Saint 9-dan, but it is no easy feat to do so at all. Even I had to tread carefully as if walking on thin ice, fearing that the slightest mistake would lead to my downfall! Its during times like this that the guidance of a teacher ys a crucial role. If you simply rely on fumbling your way through, itll be difficult for you to get far! Yang shi said with a shake of his head. Cultivation is a struggle against the heavens, so its bound to be fraught with difficulties. However... Knowing that Yang shi bore good intentions at heart, Zhang Xuan pondered deeply for a moment, seemingly deciding on an important decision. A momentter, he exhaled deeply before walking up to Yang shi and saying, Yang shi, please take a look at this! After which, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger forward, and a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi slowly gathered at the tip of his finger. At the same time, a unique aura was slowly being released from his body, pushing toward the elder. Yang shi was initially a little perplexed over what Zhang Xuan was going to do, but upon sensing the aura that the young man emanating, he hurriedly retreated two steps as his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. His finger trembled non-stop as a furious tempest broke out in his heart. Y-you are... Zhang Xuan nodded silently. This... But... No wonder! Yang shi took a deep breath before conducting a solemn, proper bow toward Zhang Xuan. He felt light on his feet, almost as if he was floating on cloud. The situation was simply too unbelievable to him. It was no wonder the other party was unwilling to be his student. It turned out that he was a Celestial Master Teacher! Having the acknowledgement of the world, it would be no exaggeration to say that he was the disciple of the very world itself. In terms of standing, the young man before him could be said to be on par with even Kong shi! Putting him aside, even if Kong shi was reincarnated, he might still be unqualified to take the young man before him in as his student! Seeing that Yang shi understood what was going on, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and exined, You should also understand how astounding my identity is. I know that revealing my identity could help me out of the quandary I am currently in, but it would surely draw the frenzied aggression of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I think it would be utterly foolish to ce my life in the hands of another, so until I am powerful enough to protect myself, I dont intend to reveal my true identity. Its also for that reason that I imed to be your student and used it as a cover to rationalize my aplishments... I hope for your understanding for using your name without your consent! Back then, when he first impersonated Yang shi, he had been unaware of the other partys existence. Perhaps, this was the path that destiny was veering him toward. Since things had already worked out this way, he might as well just y along with it. This way, he would also be able to justify why he had chosen to impersonate Yang shi in the first ce. I-its my honor! Yang shi nodded with a dazed look on his face, having yet to recover from the shocking revtion. It was his utmost fortune to have the Celestial Master Teacher iming to be his disciple. He would have never dared imagine such a thing happening otherwise! I guess thats to be expected. Who else other than the Celestial Master Teacher could wield such tremendous abilities? It took Yang shi a long moment of rumination before he was able to regain himself. It was no wonder the young man had been able to pull off so many inconceivable feats, such asmanding the lightning tribtion! In his lifetime, Yang shi had seen plenty of geniuses, but none of them could match up to even a tenth of Zhang Xuans capabilities! His direct disciple, Feng Ziyi, was one such example. In the eyes of others, he was a hard-toe-by genius who possessed unparalleled talent, and he could very well join the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters in the future. However, whenpared to the young man before him, the difference between the two of them was so great that he could not bear to look at his direct disciple anymore. They were simply on two entirely different levels! Yang shi, the implications concerning a Celestial Master Teacher are too great, so I ask of you to keep this matter a secret, said Zhang Xuan as he sped his fist. Dont worry, I wont speak of this matter to another soul, Yang shi replied with a nod. The term Celestial Master Teacher hade to take on too great a significance throughout the entire world. If it became known that Zhang Xuan was the Celestial Master Teacher, it would raise a hugemotion, such that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would be rattled at its core. At the same time, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would alsounch an all-out assault against mankind, not caring about the damage that they would sustain as a result of their actions, just so that they could prevent another Kong shi from rising among the humans. This would ce mankind in grave danger, and the situation could very well run out of control. You have my gratitude! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Even though this was the first time that he had met Yang shi, for some inexplicable reason, he felt that thetter was someone whom he could trust and rely on, which was also the reason he had chosen to reveal his identity to Yang shi in the first ce. The greater the number of people who knew of his identity, the higher the risk that the news would leak out. As such, he could not afford to have the entire Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters learning of his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher. But at the same time, he also understood the unfavorable situation that he was in. If he could just bring Yang shi over to his side and have thetter mediate on his behalf, this matter could very well be resolved peacefully without him having to expose his identity to too many people. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. This is part of my duty as a master teacher. At this point, Yang shi turned a serious gaze to Zhang Xuan as he continued speaking. You are a Celestial Master Teacher, and I understand that I dont have the qualifications to take you in as my student. However, without exposing that you are the Celestial Master Teacher or having youe under any lineages, Im afraid that itll still be hard for me to convince the Master Teacher Pavilion to get off your back. Hard? Zhang Xuan frowned. He knew that the person standing right before him was the First Grand Elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Surely, with the other partys esteemed standing, he would be able to resolve this matter easily. Why would it be hard for him? You have had quite a few shes with the Master Teacher Pavilion, so I believe that you should be able to tell that the current Master Teacher Pavilion is no longer what it used to be, Yang shi said with a deep sigh of resignation. Zhang Xuan blinked, not expecting to hear such words from Yang shi. The purpose behind the founding of the Master Teacher Pavilion was to empower mankind and grant it the strength required to fend off any external threats. Anything aside from its primary purpose, master teachers would strive not to get involved with or even pay attention to at all. After Kong shis passing, most of the predecessors continued to embrace such a tradition. s, all men have ambitions and desires; the allure of power corrupts them so. Woefulness rippled in Yang shis eyes as he shook his head bitterly, seeminglymenting the vicissitudes of life. The effects of power appear benign in the short-run, but those who have enjoyed it for far too long fear having it stripped from their hands, and they will do anything to preserve their grip on power. Such is the case with the current Master Teacher Pavilion. They feel that the scars on their bodies and the blood that they have shed make them the rightful leaders of the Master Teacher Continent, and theres no human and no power who is worthy of refuting their contribution to the world. They feel that the Master Teacher Pavilion deserves the very prestige that its orded, and anyone who shows them any disrespect is contemptible. Its a true pity that they have already lost sight of the very people who granted them their power in the first ce. Without humans, who would care about whatever sacrifices the master teachers have made? I simply couldnt stand such snobbishness. So, I chose to spend my days roaming outside, rarely returning to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Chapter 1523 - Junior Yang Xuan

Chapter 1523: Junior Yang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before he slowly shook his head. He had encountered many different master teachers on his journey. He had met master teachers who addressed others humbly and amiably regardless of their ranking, as well as those who worked hard to ensure that their students matured to be upstanding and capable individuals in the future. At the same time, there were also master teachers who were self-important and abused their power for their own satisfaction, making them no different from tyrants. The Master Teacher Pavilion was built with good intentions at heart, but as time passed, its primary purpose had inevitably dulled. Power ced one in a lofty position and would corrupt ones heart. Not even master teachers were infallible to that. The arrest warrant that the Master Teacher Pavilion has ced on you is one such example. Yang shi shook his head and sighed. I have checked your records, and on top of your outstanding talent, you have also mademendable contributions to mankind. Under normal circumstances, the stand that the Master Teacher Pavilion would take should be reconciliatory, working to mediate in the conflict between you and the other powers. However, your ability to control the lightning tribtion is simply too attractive for them to miss out on. To make matters worse, the fact that you dont have a lineage means that they can force you to spit out your secret arts without fearing retribution from those in your lineage. With so many people desiring to obtain your secret arts, its no wonder they have chosen such an extreme approach this time around. Currently, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters is split into several factions, each of them keeping their secret arts and skills under wraps, aiming to outdo the other factions instead of striving for collective growth. Long gone are the days when master teachers are truly open with one another, sharing their insights and knowledge unreservedly with one another. As long as a faction obtains your secret arts, they will be able to surpass the other factions and suppress them, thus gaining dominant power in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Kong shi left the Master Teacher Pavilion behind in order to strengthen mankind, but ultimately, even his teachings arent able to ovee the fundamental nature of humans... Damn! Indeed... Zhang Xuan sighed. No matter how good a system Kong shi put in ce, the humans who manage the system are ultimately still fallible! In the early years of the Master Teacher Pavilion, master teachers had sought not power or recognition. They had believed that their responsibilityy in the betterment of mankind, and they had never hesitated to share their knowledge with others so as to achieve that goal. But tens of thousands of years had passed since, and mankind had progressed to a stage of stability and prosperity. There was no longer any urgent threat for mankind to unite against, so they had turned their sights inward and begun fighting for power instead, forgetting their initial purpose. Sometimes, even the character of the most pinnacle master teacher might notpare with the lowest 1-star master teacher. At the very least, the lowest 1-star master teachers had not been corrupted by power and authority yet. For the past tens of thousands of years, there has been a pre-established cap on how high ones cultivation can go, so most people lose their motivation to continue cultivating once they reach that perceived cap. Thus, they sought new ways to allow them to live grander and more pompously instead. Yang shi heaved yet another dejected sigh. The problem with the Master Teacher Pavilion was an intrinsic issue, and the corruption had already permeated right into the core of the organization. It was not something that he alone could resolve. Much of the Master Teacher Pavilions virtue has eroded over the past tens of thousands of years... but even though the master teachers nowadays have already forgotten the lofty ideals that they once embraced, they remain unrelenting in dealing with the Otherworldly Demons and protecting mankind, Zhang Xuan noted with a nod. Perhaps it was in view of this that the preceding deputy pavilion masters thought little of the ailments that the Master Teacher Pavilion is suffering from! While power had caused the nature of the Master Teacher Pavilion to change, as long as they remained united when dealing with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it would show that the master teachers had not truly cast away their values and purpose yet. Ever since Kong shi left us so, Great Sage has been the highest realm that any cultivator could reach. No one has been able to ovee the final hurdle to reach the level of the Ancient Sages. However, your very emergence signifies a change in the eras. As a Celestial Master Teacher, I believe that youll be able to lead mankind through its current threats and usher in another era of prosperity! Yang shi eximed excitedly. The preceding generations of deputy pavilion masters had beencking in legitimacy and prestige, so they had not been able to garner the support of everyone in the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, things would be different for the Celestial Master Teacher. Great Sage? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Above Saint 9-dan lies the realm of Great Sage, but unlike the Saint realm, Great Sage only consists of four dans. Beyond Great Sage lies Ancient Sage, which is also the level that Qiu Wu, Bo Shang, and the other disciples of Kong shi reached. However, in the dozens of millenniums since the passing of Kong shi, no one has been able to achieve a breakthrough to that level, Yang shi replied. This... Zhang Xuans heart jolted in astonishment. All along, he had thought that Ancient Sage was just a manner of addressing the predecessors in the ancient era, but who could have thought that it would actually be the name of a whole cultivation realm! What realm did Kong shi reach? Zhang Xuan could not help but ask out of curiosity. Since his subordinates and disciples had all reached the level of Ancient Sage, as the number one expert of all mankind and the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, just how powerful could he have been? Kong shi reached an unfathomable level, far beyond our means to specte! Yang shi said as he gazed into the distance deeply. At his peak, Kong shi had reached a level that no man had ever reached. No one could tell how powerful he was, or taking a step back, even if someone knew how powerful he was, it was not something that young juniors like them were qualified to look into. After all that has been said and done, I believe that you should have gained some understanding of the current Master Teacher Pavilion. If we dont expose your identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, you will need another identity to increase your standing so that others wont doubt you so. Otherwise, your feat of rising through the ranks within the span of a single year and sessfully crashing two different Master Teacher Pavilions will be simply too eye-catching. Together with the huge uproar this time around, I fear that it will be hard to resolve this matter peacefully! Yang shi said. This...Zhang Xuan fell silent. There was some truth in what Yang shi had said. If the majority of the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters wanted toy their hands on Zhang Xuan, even with Yang Xuans influence as the First Grand Elder, it would still be difficult for him to overthrow a verdict that had the approval of the majority. No matter how much prestige Yang shi wielded in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the one who was truly in power and had the right to make the final call was still the deputy pavilion master. Unless Zhang Xuan had a sufficiently high standing that could induce the deference of those 9-star master teachers, it would be difficult for Yang shi to gather sufficient momentum to stop the arrest warrant. I dont have the right to ept you as my student, but I could take you into my lineage in the stead of my teacher. This way, you could assume the identity of my senior in front of others. My teacher has already passed on, so even if others question your identity, as long as I insist on it, there will be nothing that they can say. Of course, this is just an empty title to uphold in front of others. After all, even my teacher has no right to take you in as his student... Yang shi revealed his thoughts. So, Id be your senior? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. But would you really be fine being my junior? Celestial Master Teachers are individuals who can stand on equal grounds as Kong shi. If not for fear that it would be too shocking to others, I would have liked to acknowledge you as my teacher. Having you as my senior can already a huge honor in itself! Yang shi hurriedly said. As the First Grand Elder, there were very few who could match his standing on the Master Teacher Continent. However,pared to the Celestial Master Teacher, even his standing paled too much inparison. To act as Zhang Xuans junior and address him as his senior could already be considered insubordination, and it left him feeling a little jittery inside. After a moment of contemtion, knowing that there was no other way around it, Zhang Xuan very reluctantly nodded and said, I understand. Lets go with that then, Junior Yang Xuan! Senior Zhang... Yang shi heaved a sigh of relief. It sure was a bizarre turn of events. He had been intending to take the other party as his student, but it had eventually ended up with him finding himself a senior instead... Nevertheless, he was still delighted by the oue. With the emergence of the Celestial Master Teacher, the disjointed Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would finallye to be united as one. Mankind would grow stronger and stronger, and there would be no need to fear the crises thaty ahead of them anymore. Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the other matter he had at hand, so he asked, Junior, I heard that you once helped a person reconstruct their meridians. May I know if thats true? Previously, the guild leader had said that Yang shi had once sessfully helped a cultivator rece their meridians. Since the person in question was standing right in front of him, it was a good opportunity to inquire about the matter. There was indeed such a matter! Yang shi nodded in response. Chapter 1524 - Reconstructing Meridians (1)

Chapter 1524: Reconstructing Meridians (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The reconstruction of meridians is a veryplicated process, involving the Blood Reincarnation of the Ancient Sages. I had to browse through many ancient manuals before I was able to a feasible method, Yang shi said. Blood Reincarnation? Zhang Xuan asked. Noting Zhang Xuans confusion at the term, Yang shi exined, After making the breakthrough to Ancient Sage, one will be able to achieve Blood Reincarnation. In other words, as long as the cultivator retains a single droplet of their blood, there would be a way for them toe back to life. This... Zhang Xuans heart jolted in astonishment. Vicious had reached the level of Blood Reincarnation as well. Because of that, he had been able toe back to life despite having his body shredded into innumerable pieces. That being said, it was important to note that there was still a fundamental difference in the lifespan of humans and Otherworldly Demons. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was blessed with inherent longevity, so an Ancient Sage human cultivator would not evene close to living as long as an Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon. As such, even if traces of Ancient Sage human cultivators were found, it would be impossible to revive them anymore. Nevertheless, if Ancient Sages were able to revive from mere droplets of blood, surely reconstructing meridians would be a piece of cake for them! The meridians of my student over here, Zhao Ya, have copsedpletely. I wish to restore her meridians so that she can continue cultivating. Do you have any way that I can possibly do so? Zhang Xuan asked. Her meridians have copsedpletely? Astonished, Yang shi quickly turned his gaze upon the youngdy. He did not think that the youngdy with a healthy glow on her face would be afflicted with such a severe condition. A momentter, he nodded grimly and said, Her meridians have indeed copsed entirely. I fear that itll be extremely difficult for her to recover to her former state. Extremely difficult? Zhang Xuan frowned. Indeed. The person whom I helped reconstruct his meridians had sustained some tears in his meridians as a result of old age, so all I had to do back then was connect them together. On the other hand, Zhao Yas meridians have copsed entirely, leaving nary a trace at all. That means that you will have to reconstruct her meridians from scratch, and I fear that she wont be able to take the strain that will be ced on her during the reconstruction process given her current weakened state. Yang shi shook his head. If we use my method on her, the chances of sess will be exceedingly slim. Whats the method that you used to reconstruct meridians? Zhang Xuan asked. I want to see if I cane up with an alternative method that will be feasible on her! While Yang Xuan felt that the chances of sess were slim, the same might not necessarily apply for Zhang Xuan. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he would be able to resolve any ws in Yang Xuans meridian reconstruction technique and uncover the most feasible and correct method to do so. That should increase the chances of sess considerably. The theory behind my meridian reconstruction technique is rather simple. I extracted the meridians from high-tier saint beasts and used a unique method to connect them with the meridians of the patients body. As the meridians of most saint beasts are simr in terms of flexibility to those of humans, while it might not be as easy to use, it should still suffice! Yang shi said. You used the meridians of high-tier saint beasts? Zhang Xuan frowned. In a sense, this was simr to the act of organ transnt from his previous life. Saint beasts also differ in their constitutions as well, so their meridians should be different from one another. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before raising a doubt. I dont think that it would be viable to use the meridians from any saint beasts, right? Just like how it was possible for a body to reject a transnted organ, the same problem should apply to meridian transnts. Of course, the saint beasts selected should possess a simr constitution to the patient. Your student possesses the Pure Yin Body, but saint beasts of the pure yin attribute are nearly non-existent. Thats also the reason I said that it would extremely difficult or perhaps even impossible! Yang shi shook his head. This... Zhang Xuan fell silent. It would be difficult to find even a human with Pure Yin Body, let alone a saint beast. This was indeed not a viable solution. Hearing the conversation of the duo, Zhao Ya interjected for the very first time with a smile. Teacher, Im fine with this. If I cant recover from my condition, I have no qualms with living as an ordinary human for the rest of my life! She had seen how far her teacher had gone for her. If it still did not work out despite that, perhaps this was just the path that fate had chosen for her. There was no need to force the impossible. Rest assured. Since I have said that Ill cure you, I will definitely pull it off! Zhang Xuan said with a confident wave of his hand before turning his gaze back to Yang shi. Other than this, are there any other feasible solutions? This... Yang shi paused for a moment before saying, Its indeed not too easy to find beasts of the pure yin attribute. Alternatively, it might be possible to rece her meridians using nts! nts? Thats right. nts are more adaptable to their surroundings, especially those of neutral attributes, thus making them suitable to be molded into meridians. Unfortunately, most nts have a cap to their strength, and that means that the future aplishments of the cultivator will be limited as well, Yang shi exined. Even the formidable millennium old herbs could note close toparing with the vitality of saint beasts. While they could be used to reconstruct ones meridians, that could only be considered a mediocre solution, used only when there were no other alternatives avable. This was because the limits of the nts would spell the limits of the cultivator, thus preventing the cultivator from reaching greater heights. Youre right. Unless the nt is extremely high-tier, it wont work out well. However, its no easy feat to find such nts... Hmm? Just as Zhang Xuan was in a state of loss, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, and he pped his forehead in realization. The vine of the Dongxu Gourd! The vine of the Dongxu Gourd was an artifact that could absorb even the violent energy of a lightning tribtion. On top of that, it harnessed the power of space, such that in terms of prowess, it would not pale inparison to a Saint 8-dan cultivator. There was no doubt that it would serve as a much better meridianpared to a saint beasts. After all, not even saint beasts would dare devour lightning! Hu! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the vine immediately appeared in his hand. He hurriedly brought it toward Yang shi and asked, Junior, can you have a look to see if this will do? This? Yang shi quickly turned his gaze over, and it took only a few seconds for his face to warp with shock. What is this nt? Astonishingly, he could not tell what it was even with his eye of discernment. Its the vine of a Dongxu Gourd! Zhang Xuan exined. Dongxu Gourd? Yang shi pondered for a moment before shaking his head. No, thats not right. I have seen a Dongxu Gourd before, and its vine isnt like that. The one that you have should have been nourished by a spirit vein for at least several dozen millenniums, and on top of that, it seems to harness the power of space and lightning... This... Zhang Xuan blinked before exining, The anomaly might be due to this vine absorbing plenty of lightning energy! No, that isnt it. As powerful as the Dongxu Gourd is, it still flees as far as it can in the face of lightning. After all, thats retribution from the heavens. It shouldnt be possible for it to absorb any lightning energy! Yang shi refuted Zhang Xuans words. Lets just put that aside for the moment. Is this vine suitable for recing my students meridians? Zhang Xuan asked. The Dongxu Gourd that he had was left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. It had slipped right into his dantian shortly after its appearance, refusing to leave no matter what Zhang Xuan did. From such a perspective, there was indeed something rather bizarre about it. However, this was not the time to look into it. At this point, Zhang Xuan was only interested in knowing if he could use the vine to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians and cure her. Considering that it harnesses the power of space and lightning, its indeed the ideal artifact to use to rece ones meridians. Yang shi examined the vine closely, and his eyes lit up in agitation. If Zhao Yas meridians are reconstructed using this vine, her cultivation will surely be brought to new heights. In the future, she might even be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. The vine in front of him harnessed incredible energy and properties, such that even he had some trouble trying to discern it. If it was used to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians, she would surely be able to drive her zhenqi much easier and more efficiently. Not only so, her zhenqi capacity would also be enhanced to an unbelievable level. Thats great... Hearing that it was a viable option to use as Zhao Yas meridians, and it would benefit her cultivation as well, Zhang Xuan could not help but heave a sigh of relief. Chapter 1525 - Reconstructing Meridians (2)

Chapter 1525: Reconstructing Meridians (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Let me take a look at your meridian reconstruction technique! Zhang Xuan requested. Here you go. Yang shi flicked his wrist and passed a jade token over. cing his finger lightly on the jade token, the content within it swiftly surfaced in his head. The next moment, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The method used by the other party was indeed able to reconstruct a cultivators meridians, but there was a fatal w in itit was too violent. Regardless of whether the reconstruction process was a sess or not, it would ce a great strain on the cultivators body. In a sense, this was also simr to the organ transnt process in his previous life. Even if the organ transnted was a match, the process was still highly dangerous and taxing on the patient. Furthermore, meridians were pathways linking the various parts of the body together. Just a single mistake in the meridian pathway could lead to unimaginable oues. Junior, do you have any books regarding meridian reconstruction with you? Zhang Xuan asked. I need as many of them as possible! After reading through the book that Yang shi had passed to him, Zhang Xuan could tell that given the current limits of his knowledge, it would be difficult for him to find a feasible method to resolve the w in the short run. Given that Yang shi had researched the topic for quite some time, even maintaining correspondence with the head of the cksmith Guild headquarters in order to trade insights regarding the issue, he likely had plenty of resources regarding this topic. I do have quite a few books on it. Back then, I used my influence in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to gather everything on the topic that I could find for several years... However, it turns out that most of them are just thoughtless bber, beautiful in theory but infeasible in practice... Yang shi shook his head as he flicked his wrist, and a huge pile of ancient books materialized before him. Back then, in order to reconnect his close friends meridians, he had spent quite a lot of time browsing through all of the books that he couldy his hands on regarding the topic. To date, he had umted around nine thousand of them, but it was a pity that most of them were not of much use. Its fine. Ill just take a quick look and get whatevers useful from them, Zhang Xuan said as he swept his eyes across the huge pile of books. The next moment, all of them materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed as he merged the nine thousand or so books together with the meridian reconstruction technique manual that Yang shi had made previously. Soon, a brand-new meridian reconstruction technique manual was formed. Zhang Xuan anxiously flipped it open to take a look, only to shake his head in disappointment once more. Thepiled meridian reconstruction technique was much simpler than the one that Yang shi hade up with, but there were still plenty of ws in it. The meridian reconstruction process was still fraught with danger, and the slightest mistake could spell Zhao Yas death. The main issue is that Zhao Ya is too weak after losing her cultivation entirely...Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. The meridianwork of a human was simply tooplicated. Had Zhao Yas cultivation not dissipated, he could still have given it a try. However, after what had happened, she was already no different from an ordinary mortal, and in contrast to that, the vine of the Dongxu Gourd was simply too strong. If some mishap urred in the reconstruction phase, the devastating power harnessed in the vine would terminate her life in a heartbeat. To put it simply, Zhao Yas body was so feeble that fusing the vine of the Dongxu Gourd into her would very likely result in her death, let alone manipting the vine to form an intricate meridianwork in her body. All of a sudden, a certain thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and he froze on the spot. Wait a moment... Is the meridianwork of a human necessarily the most idealyout? All of the nine thousand or so books that Yang shi had gathered were all built upon the fundamentalyout of the human meridianwork, and that made the reconstruction phase exceptionallyplex and dangerous. But was the meridianwork of a human necessarily the best way to go about doing it? That was not necessarily the case! He knew of many formidable battle and cultivation techniques that had exceptionally awkward zhenqi pathways, making them difficult to execute and master. So, could there be a more efficient meridianwork than that of the humans? If there really existed one, that would significantly increase the chances of sess of the meridian reconstruction process, and it would be highly beneficial for Zhao Yas cultivation in the future. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan decided to get right to it. He raised his head to look at Yang shi and asked, Junior, do you have books on meridianworks? It doesnt necessarily have to be about humans; those of saint beasts will work as well! Meridianworks? I do have quite a few books regarding that with me. I studied that back then as well, so I have books on humans, saint beasts, and even Otherworldly Demons... Yang shi was not too sure why Zhang Xuan was asking about that, but he still flicked his wrist and took out all of the books that he possessed regarding meridianworks. Just like how the Otherworldly Demons were researching master teachers, master teachers were researching Otherworldly Demons. Only through understanding how the Otherworldly Demons drove their zhenqi would the master teachers be able to better deduce the might of their cultivation techniques and devise feasible battle ns to better deal with them. You have my gratitude... Those books were bound to be incredibly valuable, but Yang shi had still shown them to him without any reservation. Zhang Xuan nodded in gratitude before sweeping his gaze across them. Very soon, a brand-new meridianwork book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. It was vastly different from that of a human meridianwork. Humans had Eight Mystic Meridians, but the meridianwork reflected in thepiled book only consisted of core meridians leading to the four limbs. The previous unnecessaryplexity in thework had vanished without a trace. There are the least ws in this meridianwork, so its bound to be much stronger than that of a human... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Through the Library of Heavens Path, it was apparent that the human meridianwork was riddled with ws, making it highly inconvenient for one to cultivate. On the other hand, the newlypiled meridianwork was simple but nearly wless. It consisted only of the portions that were absolutely required, removing all of the extraneousplexity in thework. With fewer misceneous and secondary meridians, it would be much easier to cultivate, and the chances of one sustaining internal injuries would also be significantly lowered. Zhang Xuan examined the new meridianwork several times to ensure that it was feasible on a human body before heaving a huge sigh of relief. He turned to the youngdy before him and said, Ill help you reconstruct your meridians right now. No matter how much pain you are in, you must grit your teeth and endure it. Otherwise, if any mishap happens, not even the deities will be able to save you! Teacher, rest assured! Zhao Ya nodded resolutely. After seeing everything that her teacher had done for her, how could she chicken out right now and disappoint him? She had already gone through death once, so no matter how much pain she would be inter, she was determined to grit her teeth and get through it! I have reconstructed meridians before, so I can help you... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was going to make a move right after reading the books for a moment, Yang shi hurriedly offered his help out of worry. Theres no need for that. Im intending to use a different method, so Im afraid that you wont be of much help. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The new meridianwork was different from that of an ordinary human. As talented as Yang shi was, there was still a high chance that the other party would make a mistake given that it would be his first timeing into contact with something like this. On the other hand, the reconstruction of meridians was a delicate process that allowed for no mistakes at all. Zhang Xuan could not afford to take the risk. A new method? Yang shis face twitched in shock. It could not be that his senior had already devised something new after barely researching the topic for a moment, could it? As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher! His talent was truly something that could not be measured usingmon sense! Im starting now! Zhang Xuan instructed Zhao Ya to sit cross-legged on the floor before flicking his wrist. Hu! The vine of the Dongxu Gourd materialized in his hand. He swiftly infused his zhenqi into it, and under the rapid inflow of his energy, the massive vine swiftly contracted. In less than ten minutes, it was already roughly as thin as a strand of thread. Cold sweat dripped down Zhang Xuans forehead. It was fortunate that he had the ability to eliminate the spirit within the vine, and his Heavens Path zhenqi was also a powerful suppressant against it. Otherwise, it would have taken much more effort for him to tame it. Go! Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and the vine slipped into Zhao Yas body through her be and slowly unfolded itself within her body. As soon as the narrow vine entered her body, a burst of cold sweat swiftly broke out throughout the youngdys body as a pained frown appeared on her face. The areas where her meridians used to be had already closed up, so the vine had to pave out new pathways within her body slowly, which was almost equivalent to drilling multiple holes within her body simultaneously. The pain that she would have to suffer as a result of that was imaginable. Reconstructing meridians is a very delicate process. You mustnt go too fast, and you mustnt stop halfway, Yang shi advised. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Even if Yang shi had not said it, he knew as much as well. In order to reduce the strain on Zhao Yas body, he would have to make sure to progress bit by bit, or else she would first copse under the massive stress piled on her body before the reconstruction process could bepleted. And the same time, the meridian reconstruction process could not be halted halfway through. Otherwise, the reversal of zhenqi would cause all of the meridians that had just barely formed to shatter once more. She might be able to survive the impact the first time around, but given the feeble state that she was in, if it happened again, not even the Heavens Path zhenqi would be able to save her. However, that would not be a problem at all. He had plenty of time on his hands, so all he had to do was take his time. Chapter 1526 - News on Sun Qiang

Chapter 1526: News on Sun Qiang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Geji geji! As the vine gradually paved its way throughout Zhao Yas body, her disposition was also undergoing a transformative change. It had grown even more refined and transcendental, as if an ethereal fairy. What an extraordinary meridian reconstruction technique... Zhang Xuan had seen the meridian reconstruction technique that Yang shi had devised as well, and while both would ce the patient in great pain, Yang shis meridian reconstruction technique was inferior in the sense that the patient would have to rest for quite some time before they would finally regain their strength. On the other hand, this meridian reconstruction technique was actually able to induce a transformative change in the patients disposition even during the reconstruction process. With this, it was clear which meridian reconstruction technique was more advanced. However, the rate at which the meridians are being reconstructed is rather slow. It seems like itll take roughly a day or so... Zhang Xuan remarked. Thats really a little too slow! Ever since he started cultivating, there had rarely been times where he would require more than two hours for his cultivation. Yet, the reconstruction of meridians actually took up an entire day! This left him feeling deeply helpless. But no matter what, Zhao Ya was his direct disciple. No matter how long it would take, he would still have to advance slowly so as to ensure her safety. Slow? Hearing Zhang Xuans muttering, Yang shis eyebrows twitched wildly. Back then, just to repair a single meridian, I spent three whole years! On the other hand, you are using only a single day to reconstruct an entire meridianwork, and yet, you are calling this slow? It seemed like his senior was really unaware of the difficulty in meridian reconstruction. Even with his strength, it had taken him three years to mend a single meridian, and yet, his senior was actually unsatisfied with taking up a single day! Three years? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. If he had to take three years just to mend a single meridian, he would have immediately chosen against it. He would simply have found some other way to restore Zhao Yas strength. Soon, half a day ticked by. With his mind working under high intensity to ensure the highest possible level of precision in the reconstruction process, it did not take long for exhaustion to set in on Zhang Xuan. Fortunately, Zhao Ya was making great progress. As more and more of her meridians were healed up, her aura was gradually growing stronger and stronger. At the same time, her disposition and appearance were undergoing a massive change as well. If she was just a bud that had yet to fully blossom in the past, at that moment, her petals were starting to open into a full blossom. Noting the changes with his student, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like her Pure Yin Body will be fully awakened once her meridians recover! He had been feeling a little distressed as to how he could awaken her unique constitution after reconstructing her veins, but from the looks of it, that was not a problem that he had to worry about anymore. Just by using the vine of the Dongxu Gourd as her meridians seemed to be sufficient to further awaken her Pure Yin Body. Even if her Pure Yin Body was not fully awakened by the end of the reconstruction process, it would not be too far from that anymore. With this step forward, she would no longer need to resort to harvesting yang energy from men in order to fully awaken her Pure Yin Body. Truly incredible... Looking at what was happening from behind, Yang shis eyes lit up in agitation. With his eye of discernment, it went without saying that he could tell that the meridian reconstruction technique that Zhang Xuan was using was far more than advanced than his. Even when seeing it with his own eyes, there were still many aspects of it that he could notpletelyprehend. He had to ponder deeply over them and browse through several materials before he could make sense of them. For someone who had barely learned about meridian reconstruction to be able toe up with something as ingenious as this... Hmm? All of a sudden, Yang shi was drawn out of his thoughts and whipped out a jade token. Lowering his gaze to browse through its content, a deep frown slowly etched its way onto his forehead. Whats wrong? Noticing the change in Yang shis expression, Zhang Xuan shot a nce in his direction while continuing with the reconstruction process. As long as he did not abruptly halt the meridian reconstruction process, he could still afford to look around him and speak without bringing any adverse effects to Zhao Ya. Senior, its about your butler, Yang shi replied with a troubled look on his face. My butler? Are you referring to Sun Qiang? What happened to him? Zhang Xuan frowned. As he had been in too much of a hurry to leave the Sanctum of Sages then, he did not have time to liaise with Sun Qiang. However, as long as thetter did not leave the Sanctum of Sages, he should still be rather safe. Yang shi hesitated for a moment before revealing what was written on the jade token. While I was making my way over to you, I instructed someone to take him over to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquartersit seemed like Zhan shi and the other elders of the Sanctum of Sages bore him ill-will, so I didnt think that it would be safe leaving him there. However, I just received a message saying that he got too depressed after learning the truth, resulting in him making a mistake in his cultivation. At the moment, hes already on the verge of death... Thats impossible! Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed menacingly. The cultivation technique that he practices originates from me, and not to mention, he has always been an indolent individual. How could there be any problem in his cultivation? Sun Qiangs cultivation had originated from him. Even if it had not reached the tier of Heavens Path, it was far superior to the other cultivation techniques on the Master Teacher Continent, possessing very few ws. As long as he cultivated it properly, it was impossible for his cultivation to go berserk. How could anything happen just because he was upset? My guess is that someone is trying to uncover the secrets of your cultivation technique from your butler, so they intentionally gave him incorrect guidance to test some things out, thus resulting in an error in his cultivation, Yang shi exined with a reddened face. He was well aware of the nature of the group in the Master Teacher Pavilion. He did not think that those people were doing this out of malice; rather, they were probably just curious about his cultivation technique. After all, it was unthinkable for a butler ofpletely ordinary aptitude to advance through the cultivation ranks so quickly. It was no wonder they would be curious about his cultivation technique. Furthermore, Sun Qiang had already been in a mentally distraught state before due to the revtion. It would be no wonder he would be swayed so easily by the master teachers at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. That being said, despite the condition that Sun Qiang was in, it was still unlikely that his life would be in any danger. While he was a prisoner, the master teachers in the headquarters were at least principled enough not to take a persons life lightly. Of course, it still would not do to leave Sun Qiang just like that. Un, that should be the case... Hearing Yang shis analysis, Zhang Xuan nodded. His first instinct was to rush over to save Sun Qiang, but he had his hands full with Zhao Ya at the moment. Thus, he could only suppress his urge, turn to Yang shi, and request, Junior, you are also aware that I have my hands full and cant leave this area yet. Thus, Ill have to ask you to help me rescue Sun Qiang and bring him over to me. He has followed me since our time in the Tianxuan Kingdom, and I cannot stand seeing any harme to him! As long as Yang shi stood up for him, with his influence and prestige, the other master teachers would not dare do anything to Sun Qiang. Thats simple. Since I was the one who got your butler into the headquarters, you can count on me to ensure his safety! Yang shi nodded. However, you are currently in the midst of a meridian reconstruction process, and you cant afford to be interrupted by anyone at this point in time. If something happens while I am away... Meridian reconstruction was an extremely delicate process, so Zhang Xuan could not afford to be interrupted during this period of time. He did not dare imagine what would happen if he left right then and some mishap urred as a result of that. Its fine. Im still rather confident in my ability to disguise myself. Just help me give a heads up to the guild leader of the cksmith Guild, and I believe that no one will dare cause any trouble here. So, there shouldnt be any trouble on my side... On the other hand, Sun Qiangs matter cannot be dyed! Zhang Xuan said. While there was a Master Teacher Pavilion in the Empire Alliance, given his disguising ability, it would be nigh impossible for them to find him. Besides, as long as Yang shi issued amand to the guild leader of the cksmith Guild as a 9-star cksmith, the guild leader should be able to keep any uninvited guests away from him. After all, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion would dare barge into the cksmith Guild carelessly! Furthermore, he would be done with reconstructing Zhao Yas meridians in another four hours or so, and they would be able to leave right after. Surely, nothing bad would happen within that short period of time. Yang shi pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. Alright then... Ill help you seal this area first. Ill be using the Teleportation Formation from the cier in Court, so I should be able to return very soon. The matter with Sun Qiang was indeed more urgent. With a flick of his hand, he sealed the areapletely before swiftly heading in the direction of the cier in Court. Chapter 1527 - Zhang Xuan, Come Out and Accept Your Death!

Chapter 1527: Zhang Xuan, Come Out and ept Your Death!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A short moment after Yang shi left the cksmith Guild, he suddenly widened his eyes as a thought surfaced in his mind. How could I have forgotten about the matter concerning Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng? Sword Saint Meng had always thought of his senior as her son, and that was also one of the matters that Yang shi had sought to verify. However, the revtion that the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher had left him deeply shocked, and following that, he had been too deeply immersed in the ingenuity behind the other partys meridian reconstruction technique. As a result, that matter hadpletely slipped his mind. If it had been anyone else, given his eye of discernment, he would have been able to tell with a single look. However, his seniors Soul Depth was far higher than his, and he also had the ability to morph his physical body freely. It was difficult for him to discern his seniors original appearance, let alone determine the origin of his birth. Yang shi shook his head as he continued heading forward. Forget it! Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng should be in the cier in Court at the moment. Ill just have to discreetly inform them of the matter and have them head over to take a look. Considering their blood ties, it should be easier for them to recognize him! While he did know quite a few things surrounding the young prodigy, it would still be best to have his own parents verify his identity. Since that was the case, he would just leave this matter to them. They were not very far away anyhow. ... Shortly after Yang shi left, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. To be honest, it had been quite stressful for him to be standing before the man whom he had impersonated for so long. It was fortunate that the other party bore no malice toward him and was deferential to his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher. Otherwise, this matter might not have been able to be resolved so peacefully. Seeing that his surroundings were finally quiet, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply as a gleam surfaced in his eyes. Alright, I should get to the real deal now... The new meridianwork that he was going to reconstruct within Zhao Ya was simply too shocking, so he did not dare showcase it before Yang shi. On top of that, he was not too sure how it would turn out. As such, he had only focused on building up the foundations and reconstructing the parts that still bore some resemnce to that of the human meridianwork, avoiding the portions where the meridianwork had changed as far as he could. But now that Yang shi had finally left, there was no need for him to hold back. Zhao Ya, from this point onward, Ill be paving open new meridians in areas where you didnt have meridians before, so the pain that you will be ced in will be ten times more excruciating than before. You must hold on and maintain your consciousness no matter what happens, understood? Knowing that the process would be unbearable for Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan warned her grimly to allow her to prepare herself mentally for what was toe. The new meridianwork would differ greatly from the Eight Mystic Meridians that was within a humans body, so there was no choice but for him to forcefully forge a way forward through unpaved terrain. The pain resulting from that would be as good as having a weapon stabbed into ones body and twisted around, and the worst part was that the weapon would be inching forward bit by bit. This was a pain that even the toughest of cultivators would find hard to endure. However, this was a necessary process in order to reconstruct her meridians, and even with his Heavens Path zhenqi, there was not much that he could do to alleviate her pain. He could only pray that she would be able to grit her teeth and persevere to the end. Teacher, I understand. Rest assured, Ill surely pull through! Zhao Ya replied resolutely. As the vine slowly unfolded throughout her body, she could feel the changes in her body, and the hope for recovery was beginning to blossom in her. Not only so, she could sense that as long as she could pull through this ordeal, she would be able to push for a breakthrough directly. With her newfound power, she might just be able to help her teacher out of the current quandary that he was in. Thus, no matter what, she had to hold on. It was not just for her but for her teacher as well! Good! Hearing the resolve in Zhao Yas voice, Zhang Xuan was reassured. He hesitated for a brief moment before flicking his fingers forward. Tzzzzz! Numerous surges of zhenqi swiftly shot forth in the form of thin threads, and they wrapped themselves around Zhao Ya as if creating a cocoon. They served to protect the vital acupoints and organs within Zhao Yas body. After that was done, he continued pushing the thin vine forward, hastening its speed as it paved its way through Zhao Yas body. The new meridianworkpiled through the Library of Heavens Path was pretty much wless, but ultimately, he still had not tested it. Thus, he had no way of knowing what would happen to Zhao Yas body as a result of the new meridianwork. As such, he had taken every protective measure possible just to be safe. By using his zhenqi to seal Zhao Yas vital acupoints and organs, the moment that something went wrong, he could use his zhenqi to ward off any damage and heal her vitals at the same time, thus opening up the possibility for an emergency rescue. Otherwise, if he made a move only after something had happened, it would already be toote. Huhuhu! As the vine began making its way toward the unpaved regions, Zhang Xuan heightened his attention to keep a closer eye on things. Teacher... the youngdy moaned. Her body was shivering intensely from the excruciating pain drilling through her body. It was at a scale far beyond what she had felt before. Even death had not left her as frightened as this! If not for her sheer willpower pushing her on, she might have already fainted. Grit your teeth and hold on. The meridians here will be useful for your future cultivation! Zhang Xuan bellowed. I-I will hold on! Zhao Ya nodded feebly. Good! Hearing that Zhao Ya could still respond to him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he continued driving the vine forward. Hong long! As the vine finally pushed through a bottleneck, the aura emanating from Zhao Yas body suddenly warped into a foreign form. It was tinged with sharpness and ferocity, reminiscent to the aura of a diator charging toward his enemy. This aura pierced right into Zhang Xuans soul, shaking him at his core. This is... the aura of an Otherworldly Demon? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. This aura was simply too familiar to himit was something that only Otherworldly Demons should possess! He could emte it using his Heavens Path zhenqi, but even his emtion was not able to reach this level of purity. It was as if Zhao Ya had suddenly turned into an Otherworldly Demon Emperor, possessing a bloodline that was even stronger than Vicious. Could it be because of the involvement of the Otherworldly Demons meridianwork in thepiled meridianwork? Zhang Xuans face turned livid. The new meridianwork that he was paving for Zhao Ya waspiled out of the books that detailed not only human meridianworks but those of saint beasts and Otherworldly Demons too. The area that the vine was paving open did not exist in the human meridianwork, but it was present in the Otherworldly Demon meridianwork. Zhang Xuan thought that a simrity in meridianwork should not mean anything at all, but contrary to his expectations, it actually caused the warping of her aura. Zhao Ya, how are you feeling right now? Zhang Xuan asked nervously. I... am... fine... Zhao Yas voice was very soft and strained. It seemed like she had to exert all of her strength in order to squeeze out those three words from her mouth. Hearing that Zhao Ya was fine, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he swiftly analyzed the situation before him. Otherworldly Demons do possess vastly different meridianworkspared to that of humans... Could the reason behind the difference in the level of existence between humans and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe be due to the difference in their meridianwork? Otherworldly Demons possessed strength equivalent to Transcendent Mortals at birth, and their lifespan was far longer than any human. As long as they were not killed due to some external event, they could easily live for tens of thousands of years... This was something that even Ancient Sage human cultivators were unable to achieve! Just from that in itself, it could be seen that Otherworldly Demons were beings that were more biologically advanced than humans. Just by altering Zhao Yas meridians to resemble those of an Otherworldly Demon, her aura swiftly changed from that of a docile human to that of a ferocious Otherworldly Demon. Was that not evidence that it was the difference in meridianworks that resulted in the difference in the level of existence of the two races? If that was the case... were humans able to ept the meridianwork of the Otherworldly Demons? If it was possible for the meridians of a human cultivator to be reconstructed in likeness of the Otherworldly Demons, and the method to do so was propagated throughout the Mater Teacher Continent, would the human race not grow far stronger and live far longer? As this thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, he quickly established a mental connection with Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path, and soon, he received his answer. Master, theres indeed a fundamental difference between the meridianworks of humans and Otherworldly Demons. However, I fear that there wont be too many of the vine you have in the world. Furthermore... you are probably the only person in the world who is able to save a cultivator whose meridians have copsed properly. Even that Yang shi fellow from before wouldnt be able to pull something like that off. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. I guess youre right... Indeed. He only had this single vine from the Dongxu Gourd, and judging from what Yang shi had said, it seemed like the vine in his possession was an anomaly as well. Furthermore, the only reason Zhao Ya was able to survive even after having all of her meridians shattered was due to Zhang Xuan spending an entire day infusing his Heavens Path zhenqi into every single part of her body. Without either of those two, it would be impossible to replicate this miracle. Besides, the utter copse of meridians and the excruciating and lengthy reconstruction process... Honestly, this was not something that a normal cultivator could endure. It seems like it will be impossible to spread this procedure throughout the Master Teacher Continent... Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity. If humans could possess as much potential and as long a lifespan as the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Kong shis goal of a strong mankind could very well be achieved. Even if the Master Teacher Pavilion ceased to exist, mankind would still wield the power to protect itself. However, it was a pity that the vision would nevere to be. Furthermore, it was still too early to tell whether the new meridianwork would truly be beneficial or not. If Zhao Ya became as brutal and callous as the Otherworldly Demons as a result of the altered meridianwork, then the creation of the new meridianwork might not necessarily be a blessing for mankind. Until the results were conclusive, it was best to just wait and see. Continue! Despite the risks of the new meridianwork, Zhang Xuan knew that it was already toote to back out. Thus, he continued driving the vine to pave a way forward in Zhao Yas body, and slowly, the aura of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that thetter emanated grew stronger and stronger. All of a sudden, a loud bellow echoed throughout the entire hall, causing even the roof to shudder. Zhang Xuan,e out and ept your death! Si! Following which, the seal ced over the hall was torn apart by a powerful force. Chapter 1528 - Who Dares Touch My Teacher? (1)

Chapter 1528: Who Dares Touch My Teacher? (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What? Zhang Xuan raised his head, only to see the First Elders of the Zhang n and the cier in Court, Zhang Wuheng and You Ruoxin, floating in the air, gazing down on him coldly. Without a doubt, the attack that had destroyed the seal had been executed them. The seal that Yang shi had left behind would have had no trouble withstanding the attack of Saint 9-dan cultivators, but under the devastating force of two top-notch experts who had already surpassed Saint 9-dan, there was no way it could possibly stand a chance. You sure know how to disguise yourself well! If not for your Otherworldly Demon aura leaking out, even I would have had trouble trying to recognize you! Zhang Wuheng sneered coldly as he red fixedly at the young man within the hall, seemingly fearing that thetter would disappear from his sight if he averted his gaze for a moment. Zhang Xuan, what else do you have to say for yourself? As he spoke, a powerful aura burst forth from him, crushing the hall beneath so heavily that it almost seemed as if the ground would be reduced to dust. Standing right in its face, Zhang Xuan felt his body freezing in ce. The surrounding air suddenly grew so heavy that it suffocated him. Despite having achieved a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, he still was not close to being a match for the First Elder. The other party had definitely already reached the level of a Great Sage, or else he could not possibly have survived a cultivation ordeal that had already surpassed the scale of a Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Seeing the confident looks on the faces above, he knew that the other party had seen through his disguise too. Thus, he reverted to his original appearance and gazed upward. I have nothing to say for myself. However, I plead for you all to just give me four more hours. I have something important that I have to finish! Zhao Ya was currently in a crucial phase in the reconstruction of her meridians. If he halted right now, even if she survived this ordeal, the wounds that she would sustain as a result would be irrecoverable! In any case, after her meridians were healed up, he would be able to slowly deal with the Zhang n, cier in Court, and the Sanctum of Sages. Four hours? To give you time to escape? Do you take us for fools? Dream on! Zhang Wuheng sneered coldly as he turned around and gestured grandly. The rest of you can appear now. If you harbored any doubts toward my previous report, I believe that this should be more than enough to prove the authenticity of my words. The thing in front of him is emanating such concentrated killing intent... Even if it isnt an Otherworldly Demon, its bound to be some kind of precious artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Despite being a master teacher, he dares to collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to conspire against mankind! Surely, I need not say more about the implications of his actions, right? Hu! Right after those words were spoken, multiple bursts of wind echoed in the surroundings as fifteen master teachers flew over from all around. Each of them emanated a powerful aura that paled nowhere inparison to that of You Ruoxin or Zhang Wuheng. As their auras weighed down on the entire cksmith Guild, it created a sensation that felt as if the world was copsing on one. They are all 9-star master teachers? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror. Each of these master teachers had a 9-star emblem pinned on their chests, just like Elder Qu. In fact, even without their emblems, their esteemed standing was apparent just from their strength that theymanded! For fifteen 9-star master teachers to appear in a single area simultaneously... just to apprehend him? They sure held him in high regard! While he had caused quite the uproar in the Zhang n and the cier in Court, considering how Zhang Wuheng and You Ruoxin were already around, it would be an impressive lineup with just another one or two 9-star master teachers with them. Yet, for fifteen to appear along with them... When did 9-star master teachers be so cheap andmonce? It could not be that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had actually dispatched all of its experts to deal with him, could it? Are you Zhang Xuan? In his moment of shock, a voice suddenly sounded from above. It was from an elder in the sky who was gazing down on him with a look of iprehension andmentation. Deputy Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan! After hearing the reports from the three powers, Ren Qingyuan had thought that the fellow who had been causing trouble all around would be some kind of formidable figure. As such, he was a little bewildered to see that the person in question was just a twenty-year-old young man with a perfectly ordinary appearance. His cultivation was only at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage, and honestly, there did not seem to be anything particrly outstanding about him. If one really had to point out something that was extraordinary about him, it would be how calm he was able to remain despite standing in the face of all of them. In terms of mental resilience, he could already surpass some of the 9-star master teachers. I am indeed Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. I have looked through your records. You have sessfully crashed two pavilions and conquered the Tower of Master Teachers as well. You have shown outstanding talent in many of your supporting upations, and you also managed to foil the ploy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Qingtian Lineage. There is no denying that you have made outstanding contributions to mankind. However, as a master teacher, virtue should alwayse first. You wreaked havoc in the Zhang n, Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court, and that is more than enough to strike off any contribution that you have made. Why are destroying your own future? Ren Qingyuan said. A person as talented as the young man before him was bound to achieve great things in the future, but why did he have to ruin everything for himself? Before Zhang Xuan could speak, Zhang Wuheng interjected with a cold sneer. Pavilion Master Ren, why are you wasting your breath on him? You arent intending to cover up for him just because hes a master teacher, are you? Cover up? First Elder, I have to ask you to watch your tongue. Be it master teachers or ordinary cultivators, as long as he has sinned, he would be punished. All are equal before thew! Ren Qingyuan said. Humph, that would be for the best. Zhang Xuan has wreaked havoc in the Zhang n, destroying countless buildings and injuring many of our elders. The sins that he hasmitted are more than enough to put him to death many times over. Since Pavilion Master Ren has agreed that he should be punished, I wont stand on ceremony... Men, seal the area. Make sure that he cant get away! Zhang Wuheng waved his hand grandly. Hu! Another eight more men dressed in robes imprinted with the Zhang n insignia rose into the air. They were experts from the Zhang n, and their cultivation had all reached Saint 9-dan. With theirbined strength, they swiftly sealed the surrounding space firmly, rendering even Teleportation Formations unusable within this space. He destroyed our Sanctum of Sages and showed tant disrespect to me and my elders. The Sanctum of Sages will not turn a blind eye to this matter either! someone bellowed from the distance. Sou sou sou! Deputy Sanctum Head Zhan shi of the Sanctum of Sages swiftly flitted over with more than a dozen experts from the Sanctum of Sages following behind him. They took their stance above the cksmith Guild as well as they gazed down at Zhang Xuan with menacing eyes. Despite being a student of the Sanctum of Sages, he had willfully destroyed the Sanctum Head Hall and its surrounding buildings. Not only so, he had even openly defied and injured Zhan shi and the others. This had gone far beyond what they could tolerate. Zhang Xuan, its one thing for you to destroy our cier in Court, but how dare you kidnap our young court chief as well! Theres no way we are going to forgive you for this! You Ruoxin also stepped forward as an imposing aura burst forth from her. That fellow had acted as Yang Xuan and sneaked their young court chief away, destroying countless buildings of the cier in Court in the midst of doing so... If not out of deference for Pavilion Master Ren, she would have dashed right forward to tear that fellow into pieces. Paying no heed to Zhang Wuheng and Zhan shi, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward You Ruoxin and scoffed. Kidnapped your young court chief? Are you really saying that I have kidnapped Zhao Ya? To think that the cier in Court would have a habit of spinning lies to your convenience! He was willing to admit that the fault was with him for what happened at the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages, but for the cier in Court to im that he had kidnapped Zhao Ya, that was truly ridiculous! If not for them resorting to depraved means in order to awaken their Pure Yin Body, cornering Zhao Ya to the point where she had to turn to him for help, those subsequent events would not have happened. If they looked back to the root of the matter, the primary culprit was the cier in Court. Yet, they actually twisted the story to suit their purpose, iming that he had kidnapped Zhao Ya instead. Preposterous! To allow the other powers to spout such tant lies, had the Master Teacher Pavilion really turned sox? Or perhaps, just like what Yang shi had said, the truth mattered not to them as long as they could achieve their personal motives. At this point, Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at the 9-star master teachers above him with wintry eyes. What irony. I thought that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would be able to remain a neutral and impartial party on the Master Teacher Continent, but right now, it appears to me that it has already chosen to align itself with the cier in Court and be its spokesperson. Just how much lower can the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters fall? Chapter 1529 - Who Dares Touch My Teacher? (2)

Chapter 1529: Who Dares Touch My Teacher? (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Audacious! Upon hearing those words, the 9-star master teachers in the sky immediately bellowed furiously. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was the top power on the Master Teacher Continent, and it had always been known as the embodiment of impartiality and justice. Yet, the young man spoke as if they were acting in collusion with the cier in Court. In an instant, all of the 9-star master teachers flew into rage. You said that Im audacious? So be it! You are already determined to pin all of those crimes on me anyway, so what difference would one more make? Zhang Xuan shook his head as he spoke with a voice filled with destion. It was no wonder Yang shi was so disappointed in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and refused to return there. Their actions were truly hard to ept. It should not have been too difficult for the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to find out that Zhao Ya was actually his direct disciple, and that should cast some doubts on the cier in Courts ims that he had kidnapped Zhao Ya. Yet, without bothering to rify the matter, they had simply chosen to go along with the cier in Court simply for their own convenience. This was truly an embarrassment to all master teachers! Since you know your guilt, you should just surrender straight! You Ruoxin harrumphed coldly. Where is our young court chief? Where have you hidden her? Your young court chief is in here! Zhang Xuan harrumphed as he gestured to the cocoon in front of him. What did you say? You Ruoxins heart skipped a beat. The cocoon made of zhenqi threads did have the shape of a human, but from the killing intent emanating from within, it was apparent that an Otherworldly Demony within. Yet, the other party had actually said that their young court chief was inside. Could it be that the other party had used some secret art to turn their young court chief into an Otherworldly Demon? But was there really such a technique in the world? Was ones race not decided at birth? Dont listen to his nonsense. Hes just stalling for time, waiting for an opportune moment to escape. Lets just attack him all at once and apprehend him first! We can slowly interrogate him once weve sealed his cultivation! Zhang Wuheng bellowed loudly. Indeed, we should apprehend him first before deciding on anything else! That fellow has simply too many tricks up his sleeves. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that hell try to pull something! Elder Qu yelled in consent amid the crowd. While the young mans prowess was nothing much to fear, he had powerful tamed beasts and possessed the ability to manipte the lightning tribtion. After all that they had been through, they knew better than to underestimate the young man. If the young man brought out some unbelievable trump card and sessfully escaped right before their eyes, the lot of them would really be theughing stock of the entire continent! After saying those words, Elder Qu turned around and sped his fist. Pavilion Master Ren... Just seal his cultivation. Dont go too heavy on him! Ren Qingyuan gave his word of approval. Since the Master Teacher Pavilion had already gone to the extent of issuing an arrest warrant, naturally, they could not just this matter go without doing anything. As for interrogation and the like, that coulde after they grasped control of the situation. Yes! Hu! Elder Qu turned to Zhang Wuheng and said, First Elder, you have heard it. Make your move! Alright! A cold smile crept onto Zhang Wuhengs face as he waved his hand grandly. H! The eight experts of the Zhang n immediately encircled Zhang Xuan. They gathered their strength together in order to form an energy barrier around the young man, slowly tightening it as they walked closer and closer to him. Knowing that the meridian reconstruction process would be forcefully halted if he was captured by them, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. He flicked his wrist and released the Inferno Qilin as he bellowed, Inferno Qilin, stop them! He was bound to the spot at the moment, so he could only rely on his tamed beast. It was fortunate that he had used medicinal herbs and his Heavens Path zhenqi to heal the Inferno Qilins injuries over the past two days. Otherwise, he would have beenpletely helpless at this moment. Hong long! As soon as the Inferno Qilin appeared, it let loose a resounding roar before swiping its w ferociously at the surroundings. Si! Perhaps it was because it had seen through the ws of their coboration, or maybe its might was simply that great, but the Inferno Qilin sessfully tore apart the energy barrier created by the eight Zhang n experts instantaneously, forcefully pushing them back. While they were all at Saint 9-dan, the Inferno Qilin still wielded an advantage due to its superior strength and physique. With its strength, unless the opponent was a Great Sage, ordinary Saint 9-dan cultivators would not stand a chance against it at all. You ungrateful scoundrel! The Zhang n fed you for three years, yet you chose to conspire with others to deal with us. You are courting death! Knowing that Zhang Xuan would bring out the Inferno Qilin to protect him, the First Elder took a step forward and thrust his palm forward. H! He tossed an artifact reminiscent of a fis outward, and it swiftly grewrger andrger in midair. Roar! Upon seeing the fis, a hint of fear surfaced in the eyes of the Inferno Qilin. It immediately retreated, attempting to flee. However, the artifact in the air seemed to have sealed space in a manner such that no matter how the Inferno Qilin tried to retreat, it was still unable to escape from the fis. To think that the First Elder would actually bring the Dragonsnare along with him! Thats the artifact that our n head used to capture the Inferno Qilin back then, right? If I recall correctly, its a Saint pinnacle artifact, right? Paired by the First Elders strength, theres no way the Inferno Qilin will be able to get away no matter how powerful it is... Upon seeing the fis-like object falling toward the Inferno Qilin, the experts of the Zhang n heaved a sigh of relief. The Dragonsnare was an artifact that could even trap Saint beasts that possessed the Dragon Bloodline. While the Inferno Qilin was powerful, its strength was stillcking inparison to beasts that possessed the Dragon Bloodline. Hu! While the crowd was still discussing the matter, the Dragonsnare fell right on the Inferno Qilin, trapping it in ce. Thetter struggled desperately in the hope of fleeing, but it was unable to free itself from the Dragonsnare. Come over! Zhang Wuheng waved his hand, and the Dragonsnare began contracting in size as it flew over to his palm. On the other hand, the Inferno Qilin appeared to have been sealed in another parallel dimension. It roared in fury, but there was nothing that it could do at all. Hmm? Not expecting Zhang Wuheng to have such a powerful artifact in his possession, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. With his current strength, without making use of the power from lightning tribtions, he waspletely helpless against experts of Zhang Wuhengs caliber. Now that his greatest trump card has been nullified, theres no need to fear him anymore. Continue! Zhang Wuhengmanded as he threw the trapped Inferno Qilin into his folded space. H! The eight experts swiftly got to their positions and gathered their strength together to form an energy barrier around Zhang Xuan once more, limiting his area of movement. Surrender right now, and you can be spared from some pain! one of the experts of the Zhang n sneered coldly as he thrust his finger toward Zhang Xuans be. In face of that attack, Zhang Xuans body stiffened. If he was struck by that finger strike, his cultivation would swiftly dissipate, rendering himpletely helpless. At the same time, the meridian reconstruction process would be interrupted as well. However, he was in no state to avoid the attack either. While he could still multitask to some extent, he could not afford to channel his energy elsewhere or even move away, or else it would disrupt the meridian reconstruction process, and that would likely result in adverse consequences for Zhao Ya. From the looks of it, he had no choice but to release his clone and Vicious together to fend off those Zhang n experts for the time being. It was a small matter for him to be apprehended, but if the meridian reconstruction process was disrupted, Zhao Ya could very well lose her life! That was not an oue that he could ept. However, releasing Vicious would really be the final straw. Once he brought it out in public, there would be no way that he could exin it to the Master Teacher Pavilion without revealing his Celestial Master Teacher identity anymore. Also, he was a little apprehensive about bringing his clone out. After all, it was a God-tier artifact, and it could serve as a powerful trump card in times of emergency. Forget it, theres no choice anymore. At this point, theres no backing down anymore... Seeing that the finger strike of the Zhang n expert was about to reach him and that there was not any time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and flicked his wrist, intending to let Vicious out. However, in this crucial moment, a voice rumbled furiously from afar. Who dares touch my teacher? Boom! The next moment, the energy barrier created by the eight experts abruptly dissipated. Following which, the Zhang n expert that was making a move on Zhang Xuan suddenly started convulsing, causing him to crash right into the ground. Blood spurted wildly from both his mouth and nose. What? The other Zhang n experts also did not expect to meet with such a turn of events, and they hurriedly turned their heads over to see the culprit who had made a move on them. However, before they could see the other partys face, they suddenly started convulsing and plummeted to the ground as well. Poison Halls Right Guardian Shen Jue, Toxic Hand Eminence He Guangyu, and Myriad Poison Eminence Lin Jianghai havee under orders to offer Zhang shi our aid! We implore Zhang shi to pardon us for arrivingte! Sou! Sou! Sou! Three silhouettes suddenly appeared right before Zhang Xuan, and they swiftly kneeled down on a single knee. Chapter 1530 - Heed My Commands

Chapter 1530: Heed My Commands

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Why are the lot from the Poison Hall here? Its said that the new head of the Poison Hall is the reincarnation of their founder. As a possessor of the Innate Poison Body, she possesses fearsome means. Just a while ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion dispatched a 9-star master teacher to scout out the Poison Hall, but he ended up being knocked out by poison instead... I dont understand. Why are they getting involved in this conflict as well? I have read Zhang Xuans records, and it seems like he once met the poison masters in a Poison Hall and integrated them into the ranks of the Combat Master Hall. Could they be repaying the debt from there? Thats a rather low-tier Poison Hall over there. Surely it wouldnt warrant the Right Guardian and two of the Four Eminences personally heading over to protect him, right? Just a moment ago, I heard someone shout, Who dares touch my teacher? Could it be that these poison masters are actually Zhang Xuans students? ... The abrupt turn of events caused a hugemotion amid the crowd. Everyone had thought that Zhang Xuan was doomed, but who could have thought that three top brass from the Poison Hall would actually arrive at this moment to save him? These three men were figures who could cause the entire Master Teacher Continent to rattle with just a stomp of their feet. There was a famous quote in the Master Teacher Continent that if a 9-star poison master was locked in the same room as a 9-star master teacher, the one who would walk out alive would likely be the 9-star poison master. And these three men happen to be the cream of the crop of 9-star poison masters. That should be more than enough to show how fearsome they were. The Poison Hall has always been a reclusive power, holing itself within the depths of a mountain range and refusing to submit to the Master Teacher Pavilions control. Since they dared step out of their self-exile, why dont we just... Elder Qu whispered to Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan as he pulled his thumb across his neck, making a gesture for death. Over thest few years, many things have happened to the Poison Hall. The Left Guardian, Hu Yiwei, was taken in by Yang shi as his butler, and the other two Eminences have been killed. Ren Qingyuan pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. This is indeed an ideal opportunity to take them down once and for all. However, these three can be considered as the strongest experts in the Poison Hall aside from their hall master. Even if we make a move on them, well have to move very carefully. It would be pointless if we sustain heavy losses while apprehending them! The Poison Halls reputation had never been good. It was only because they had chosen to hole themselves up in a mountain range filled with all kind of traps and shrouded by a poisonous mist that the Master Teacher Pavilion hadnt been able tounch arge-scale invasion on them just yet. However, since they dared step out from their home base to wreak havoc there, they could very well make use of this opportunity to encircle and eliminate them once and for all. Ren shi, rest assured. The Poison Hall has always been an unstable factor on the Master Teacher Continent, and we have long made preparations to encircle and eliminate them. If they had continued holing up in their mountain valley, we might still have had problems dealing with them. However, since they have decided to run out here... Humph, today shall be their death date! Elder Qu spat with a cold glint in his eyes. Alright then. Ren Qingyuan nodded before waving his hand lightly. The fifteen 9-star master teachers in the air swiftly understood his gesture and discreetly spread around the surroundings, sealing all paths of escape from the area. On the other hand, oblivious to the movements of the master teachers above and the impending danger that loomed just ahead of them, Shen Jue, Lin Jianghai, and He Guangyu raised their gazes to look at the young man ahead of them. They were interested to see just who the man worthy of being their hall masters teacher and winning her absolute loyalty was. To be honest, they were slightly disappointed by what they saw. The person standing before them was younger than they had expected, and while his cultivation was exceptional for his age, it came nowhere close to matching to their hall master... They did not think that the young man was worthy of having their hall master mobilize their entire Poison Hall just to save him. It was truly hard for them to understand why their hall master would think so highly of the young man before them. But despite the doubts in their hearts, they dared not allow it to show on their faces. Thatss... Not expecting that Poison Hall to actually dispatch men to save him, Zhang Xuan felt a little moved and helpless at the same time. The Poison Hall had always been on bad terms with the Master Teacher Pavilion. He was indeed thankful for their timely arrival, but at the same time, this could also lead to unnecessaryplications. While continuing to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians, he gazed at the trio kneeling before him and asked, Where is your hall master? He was certain that he had heard Wei Ruyans voice earlier even though it had been quite some distance away. However, since she hade to save him, why did she disappear all of a sudden? Reporting to Zhang shi, our hall master said that the Master Teacher Pavilions acts of encircling and assaulting you are deplorable and utterly shameless... She ordered us to rush over to protect you first while she takes a trip to the Master Teacher Pavilion in the vicinity to repay the favor to them... Lin Jianghai sped his fist as he reported. She is going around the Master Teacher Pavilions in the vicinity to repay the favor? Wei Ruyan had been in a sickly state from a very young age, living a life that could hardly be counted as a life. Those difficulties had left her with little regard for rules and convention... If it was her, she really might go around poisoning master teachers just to vent anger against the Master Teacher Pavilion on his behalf! Hearing those words, the master teachers in the area nearly plummeted to the ground from a mixture of horror and rage. You cowards! This was especially so for Ren Qingyuan; he nearly exploded on the spot. Possessing the Innate Poison Body, the head of the Poison Hall was as good as a walking cmity. Even 9-star master teachers would not be able to withstand the poison that she emanated, let alone ordinary master teachers! If she made a move personally, this would really end in a widespread massacre for all of the master teachers in the vicinity! Unable to hold back his rage anymore, Ren Qingyuan bellowed in fury, Take down Zhang Xuan and those three fellows right now! It was in consideration of his identity that he had been unwilling to have the master teachers make a move previouslyafter all, it would be dishonorable for 9-star master teachers like them to gang up on a junior. However, with the head of the Poison Hall on the loose, he could not care that much anymore. They had to quickly apprehend those four so that they could devote their forces to dealing with the head of the Poison Hall. A second wasted could mean the deaths of a hundred more master teachers. Aside from that, they would also be able to use those four as hostages in order to force the head of the Poison Hall to stop what she was doing and cure the master teachers that she had poisoned. Yes! Upon hearing the orders, the master teachers immediately released furious roars and rushed forward. Elder Qu charged ahead of the group and kickstarted the duel with a palm thrust toward Shen Jue. Si! In an instant, the surrounding air suddenly grew incredibly viscous, and overwhelming might poured down like a raging waterfall, threatening to bore a hole into the ground. Elder Qu could not be considered too strong among the 9-star master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but he was still unmistakably a Great Sage expert. Powerful shockwaves rippled out from his furious palm thrust, and unable to take the impact, the cksmith Guild abruptly copsed into rubble. Facing Elder Qus devastating attack, Shen Jues lips curled up. Do you think that you alone will be enough to kill me? Think again! With a cold harrumph, he retaliated with a palm strike of his own. As the Right Guardian of the Poison Hall, as well as an individual who had almost seeded in bing the hall master, Shen Jues strength was definitely not one to be underestimated. The moment that the two palms collided with one another, Elder Qu felt the power that hemanded being swiftly corroded by some intangible force, to the point where he could almost feel a burning sensation on his skin. Its lethal poison! Elder Qu narrowed his eyes in realization as he quickly flicked his free wrist and took out a jade bottle. Without any hesitation, he crushed the jade bottle into bits. Boom! A gush of water shot out from the bottle, and it swiftly dissipated Shen Jues zhenqi as soon as it came into contact with it. Tianyun Divine Water? The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters sure is extravagant! Shen Jue sneered with an awful look on his face. The Tianyun Divine Water could be said to be the closest thing that the Physician Guild headquarters had created that could be termed as an all-cure panacea to poison. However, it was also incredibly difficult to concoct, making it a priceless treasure. However, Elder Qu did not hesitate to use arge quantity at once, and as a result of that, Shen Jues poison art was severely weakened. Of course, its important to be prepare before dealing with underhanded scoundrels like you! Seeing that the Divine Water had effectively neutralized Shen Jues attack, Elder Qu bellowed loudly, Comrades, hurry up and make a move as well. This is a good opportunity to rid the Master Teacher Continent of the vermin known as the Poison Hall! Charge! The morale of the master teachers was raised tremendously, and they swiftly whipped out all kinds of treasures to enter the fray. Hu! In an instant, attacks from all directions rushed toward Zhang Xuan, forming a frightening storm. Facing the onught of the master teachers, Lin Jianghais face turned livid as he furiously roared, Protect Zhang shi at all costs! Very well! The other two swiftly moved their focus to defense, and they hurriedly drove their zhenqi to form a protective barrier around them to ward off the attacks. Hong long long! As powerful as the three of them were, there was no way that they could stand a chance against fifteen master teachers together with Zhang Wuheng, You Ruoxin, Zhan shi, and the others simultaneously. In just two breaths, a crack had already appeared in their barrier, and the three of them spurted mouthfuls of blood simultaneously. The situation was truly disadvantageous for them. Seeing that the three poison masters were swiftly reaching their limits, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, Abandon the energy barrier and heed mymands! Chapter 1531 - The True Might of the Poison Masters

Chapter 1531: The True Might of the Poison Masters

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The offensive prowess of the simultaneous assault from fifteen 9-star master teachers was simply too frightening. Putting aside the three poison masters, even if Yang shi was around, he would also have sumbed swiftly! Heed yourmands? Shen Jue and the others were surprised to hear such words from Zhang Xuan. Even they were helpless against so many 9-star master teachers, so what could a mere Saint 8-dan cultivator possibly do? Thats right! Zhang Xuan replied as he met the gazes of the three of them one by one. This... Seeing that the young man was not joking around, the three poison masters traded gazes as deep frowns appeared on their foreheads. The opponents that they were facing were 9-star master teachers. Every single one of them was unimaginably powerful! If they followed the young mansmands on this matter, they could very well be wiped out! Lin Jianghai sent a telepathic message to Shen Jue and He Guangyu. Guys, lets just listen to him. Our hall master instructed us to hold him in higher regard than her! Shen Jue and He Guangyu hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. From their interactions with the hall master, they also knew how highly the hall master viewed her teacher. If something happened to him today, she would surely have them killed in a moment of fury. The current situation was already bad enough as it was. Since they did not have any better ideas in mind, it could be worth gambling on the young man; he might just hold the key to leading them out of this crisis. Forcefully holding the barrier up to fend off the barrage of attacks, Lin Jianghai quickly asked Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi, what do you want us to do? Zhang Xuans voice echoed by the ears of the crowd. Dissipate the energy barrier. Shen Jue, drive your Golden Yang Poison Art, take twenty steps forward, and flick your left hand. I know that theres the venomous essence of Dustbreaking Twilight in your fingernails, so flick them out. Lin Jianghai, take twenty-seven steps to your right and prepare to release your Crimson Consonance. Theres no need to aim it any specific personjust scatter it lightly into the surroundings and youll see its worth. He Guangyu, nicknamed the Thousand Hands Poison, I know that you bring a huge variety of lethal poison on you, or more specifically, fifty-four poisons. Remain where you are and scatter eight of them toward the sky. After which, shoot seventeen of them right ahead of you. Then, remain on standby and await my next orders. You can decide then whether its worthwhile to continue following my orders or not! Y-you... know of my Dustbreaking Twilight? Shen Jues body clearly stiffened upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. He was certain that this was the first time that he had met Zhang shi, but even if that was not the case, the Dustbreaking Twilight was a lethal poison that he had concocted not too long ago, not to mention that he had just decided on a name for it on his way there... Not even the hall master would be aware of it, yet the young man was able to name it and point out that it was hidden in his left fingernail. Shen Jue was not the only one who was shocked. With a look of disbelief on his face, He Guangyu eximed in shock, You know that I have fifty-four different poisons on me? As those poisons were his trump card, not even the closest people to him knew the number of poisons that he carried with him. On top of that, he reserved two of them for only the direst of situations, vowing to keep them hidden unless the situation truly called for them. Despite that, the young man had still been able to urately point out how many poisons he had with him. And that was not all. Each poison had an optimal way of nting them, depending on their properties and forms. There were exactly eight poisons in his possession that were discreet enough to be scattered upward without anyone noticing, and simrly, there were exactly seventeen of them that could be fired as swift projectiles, making them suited for direct offense. In other words, there was no doubt that the young man really knew what poisons he had in his possession! Was the young man actually a mind reader? Seeing that the three poison masters were still dawdling around after hearing hismands, Zhang Xuan growled in displeasure, If you still treasure your lives, hurry up and get to it! Yes! Knowing that this was not a good time to allow their thoughts to wander, the trio swiftly acted ording to Zhang Xuans instructions. While they could not fathom what the purpose of making those moves was, the fact that the young man waspletely aware of their trump cards was more than enough to say that he was not messing around and had a n in mind. Shen Jue swiftly drove his Golden Yang Poison Art before he decisively abandoned the energy barrier and dashed forward. He took exactly twenty steps forward, just asmanded. Si! Barely after he stopped his footsteps, he felt a powerful force sweeping way. The attacks of two master teachers were already right before him. He flicked his left finger lightly and shot out the Dustbreaking Twilight venomous essence that he had hidden beneath his fingernail. Tzzzzzzzzz! As soon as the venomous essence came into contact with the master teachers attacks, their zhenqi immediately began corroding. This is bad; its lethal poison! Narrowing their eyes in shock, the two master teachers immediately retreated in a fluster. At this moment, Lin Jianghai had already taken twenty-seven steps right at this point and scattered the Crimson Consonance powder outward, and the two master teachers happened to step right into its area of scatter. As soon as they came into contact with the Crimson Consonance, their zhenqi immediately began bubbling as if it was boiling. Pu! Pu! The two master teachers immediately spurted blood out. In no state to attack anymore, they quickly retreated out of the area of battle and sat on the floor to suppress the poison running through their veins. The fifteen master teachers were moving as a whole in a formation, so with the abrupt disappearance of two members, the formation swiftly copsed. He Guangyus lethal poison dispersed into the surroundings, forcing the master teachers to back off a hundred meters away. It was almost as if a vacuum had been created in an instant. All of a sudden, the master teachers who had been ferociously attacking a moment ago dared not approach. This... Seeing how the crisis that they had been facing was resolved with just a few simple movements, the three poison masters traded incredulous nces with one another. They were confident of their strength, but the enemy had the Tianyun Divine Water to suppress them, which ced them in a highly disadvantageous position. If the fight had dragged on, it was only a matter of time before they sustained heavy injuries. However, by following Zhang shismands, not only did they manage to avoid direct confrontation with the Divine Water, they also managed to incapacitate two master teachers and sessfully drive back the others. This was a result that they could brag about for many years and pass down to their descendants. At the same time, it would also serve as a testimony of the might of the Poison Hall! Zhang shi... Unable to hold back their agitation, the three turned intrigued gazes to Zhang Xuan. They had simply followed the young mans orders, but even at that moment, they were unable toprehend how it had produced the effect that it did. Knowing that the three poison masters were curious about what had just happened, Zhang Xuan exined the earlier happenings to them. Earlier, there were fifteen 9-star master teachers attacking us simultaneously, and three of them only managed to clear the 9-star examination in the recent decade. As such, their state of mind and fighting prowess were clearly a notch lower aspared to the rest of the group. Of the remaining twelve, seven of them have sustained some traumas in their long years of battle against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and they havent fully recovered even now. Four of them were serving as the lynchpins of the formation, so they could not move too quickly or else they would have risked the formation copsing. Shen Jues advancement of twenty steps forward happened to be where the three newly promoted 9-star master teachers were stationed. By sending them into a fluster, an opening was created in the formation for He Guangyu to drive away the seven injured master teachers and force the lynchpins to swiftly retreat. With that, there was no way for their formation not to copse! Of course, as master teachers, it would be foolish to underestimate their flexibility in adapting to their situation and their fighting prowess. The key to the earlier maneuver actuallyy in Lin Jianghais twenty-seven steps to the right. That area happened to be the point of convergence for their zhenqi in the formation. In other words, your maneuver effectively poisoned all of them with the Crimson Consonance! While they might appear to bepletely fine on the surface, the truth is that they are currently busy suppressing their poison. Of course, given that the poison was distributed among all fifteen of them, its effectiveness has been reduced considerably. Nevertheless, it still managed to scare them off for the time being. At the very least, they will not dare attack recklessly any time soon! Well, given theck of time, I couldnte up with a wholesome n. Thats all I coulde up quickly! Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Is that still not considered a wholesome n to you? To think that you can calcte all of that in the spur of a moment... Timing, formation, analysis of the opponent... You were actually able to achieve an impable evaluation on all of those with just a swift look... Shen Jue and the others trembled as if they had seen a ghost. Chapter 1532 - First Elder of the Luo Clan

Chapter 1532: First Elder of the Luo n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As members of the top echelon in the Poison Halland this was especially so for Shen Juein order to find the legendary Tome of Poison Legacy that their founder had left behind, they had spent most of their days roaming the world. On their journeys, it was inevitable that they would meet with several powerful master teachers, and there were even some asions where they had exchanged blows with the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Even so, they had never heard of any master teacher being able to analyze everyones condition urately with just a look and devise strategies on them in just a few seconds! This was not just at the level of being discerning anymore but being omniscient! Un! It isnt a good timing for us to attack yet, so just focus on defense for the time being. I have a few surges of zhenqi here, and I want you all to discreetly nt them in the area. Make sure that no one notices them. Once you are done, return here and sit down! Zhang Xuan instructed as he flicked his finger. The three poison masters each received several surges of zhenqi. These surges of zhenqi were rich in spiritual energy, and they harnessed a nourishing aura, contrasting sharply to their destructive, poisonous zhenqi. While Lin Jianghai and the others had no idea why Zhang Xuan was issuing such instructions, they still followed his orders and discreetly nted those surges of zhenqi around the area. A poison masters strengthy in nting poison in their victim without thetter noticing anything at all, let alone that these surges of zhenqi werepletely attributeless, making them even less detectable. It did not take them long to finish nting the zhenqi, and they swiftly sat down in front of Zhang Xuan. They closed their eyes and started meditating, paying no heed to the menacing res from the master teachers above. It did not take long for the master teachers in the air to sessfully dispel the poison in their bodies, and they quickly turned their sights in Zhang Xuans direction. Upon seeing how defenseless the four of them were, frowns appeared on their foreheads. To be honest, they could have made use of their moment of panic to escape earlier, but not only did they choose not to do so, they had even sat down and meditated on the spot. Just what were they up to? Humph, they are just putting on a front! The only reason we suffered a setback earlier is because we were unprepared for their attacks. As long as we proceed carefully, we will surely be able to ughter them! Elder Qu spat coldly. Indeed! If we cant even subdue three poison masters, what right do we have to lead mankind against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? another master teacher growled in agreement. While the Poison Hall had always been considered vermin on the Master Teacher Continent, in truth, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had never considered it as a threat. They felt that as long as they were willing to devote their forces to deal with them, they would be able to destroy them anytime they wanted to. As such, they had charged into the battle expecting to be able to subdue those three poison masters with ease, especially given the powerful forces that they had present. Who could have thought that the other party would suddenly make such a bizarre maneuver that ended in all of them getting poisoned instead? In the end, the only powerful threat that they have is poison. I happen to be a 9-star physician specializing in the treatment of poison, so I have quite a few antidotes with me in my storage ring. Allow me to serve as the vanguard and pave a way forward for the rest of you! With a cold bellow, a master teacher stepped forward. He flicked his wrist and popped an antidote into his mouth. Without waiting for Ren Qingyuans approval, he strode toward Zhang Xuan and the others and thrust a powerful palm strike downward upon them. His power was colossal as if numerous mountains were falling from the sky, but then, it came into contact with one of the surges of zhenqi that the poison masters had nted around the area. This surge of zhenqi swiftly flowed against the master teachers zhenqi, and in the blink of an eye, it had already dived into the master teachers body. If it was lethal poison, the protectiveyer of zhenqi that maintained around him would have automatically filtered and deflected it away. Even if it managed to breach his defenses and slip into his body, the antidote that he had swallowed earlier would also have immediately moved to neutralize it. However, the surge of zhenqi just happened to be pure and attributeless. It sessfully bypassed all defensive mechanisms and entered the master teachers meridians before swiftly making its way toward his vital organs. Hu! The next moment, the master teachers face abruptly warped in pain, and the might behind his palm strike dissipated entirely. Putong! He plummeted from the sky and curled up from excruciating pain on the ground. This... Elder Qu widened his eyes in shock. He hurriedly rushed up to check the master teachers condition before uttering in rm, Elder Bai has been poisoned. He had also encountered this condition back at the cier in Court. Zhang Xuan, disguising as Yang shi, had managed to poison him using some means that remained a mystery to him even now, stripping him of his strength. Otherwise, he would not have allowed the young man to act as he pleased and destroy the cier in Courts long heritage. Poisoned? Everyone hurriedly turned their sights over, only to see Elder Bai trembling non-stop, seemingly ced in immense pain. The antidote that he had swallowed previously did not seem to be working at all. What kind of poison is that? Ren Qingyuan was stunned. He knew how skilled Elder Bais medical skills were, and it was not as if he had been unprepared at allhe had even gone to the extent of swallowing an antidote in advance! Yet, he had still ended up being incapacitated by the other partys poison... Just what kind of poison could be that lethal? I have no idea either... the trembling Elder Bai exined through ttering teeth. Its no different from ordinary zhenqi, but as soon as it slipped into my body, it swiftly turned into lethal poison, making it impossible to guard against! Ordinary zhenqi... Could this be Will of Poison? This... Ren Qingyuan eximed in astonishment. He immediately turned to the other 9-star master teachers andmanded, Everyone, stand back! Dontunch an assault recklessly! Wait till we have found a countermeasure before making any moves! Will of Poison referred to the poisons that were harmless usually, making cultivators lower their guard around it. However, it would turn into the most lethal of poisons at the poison masters will, making it a frightening tool of assassination. If the poison masters had nted such a formidable poison in the area, the tables could swiftly turn on them if they charged in recklessly. Thus, they had to find a countermeasure first before making a move. I havee into contact with this poison before. Without a doubt, its indeed formidable, but its also very easy to deal with as well. Come, let me help you... With a flick of his finger, Elder Qu sent a surge of zhenqi into Elder Bais body. Having experienced such poison in the cier in Court, he knew how to resolve. While it did inflict great pain on the ones afflicted with it, it could not hurt ones core. As expected, with his help, the master teacher managed to resolve the poison within just three minutes. However, after seeing what had happened to the master teacher, the others did not dare approach Zhang Xuan and the others easily. Lets try finding the areas where the poison is nted and uncover what kind of poison it is. We wont make any progress just waiting idly here! Dont worry. As long as this area is sealed, they have nowhere to escape to. Besides, theres a time limit to how long a poison can be exposed to open air before it loses effectiveness. I dont believe that the poison can continue remaining as potent as it is... The crowd discussed their next course of action. No one dared to attack, but no one left the area either. Zhang shi... is actually a master at poison too? Seeing how the young man was able to render the fifteen 9-star master teachers and a deputy pavilion master helpless, the gazes that Lin Jianghai and the others directed at the young man changed. Unlike before, they were filled with respect and awe. As poison experts, they knew how powerful the Will of Poison was. What was even more formidable was how the young man was able to infuse his normal zhenqi with the Will of Poison and bring out formidable prowess. They had never seen such an incredible use of poison in their life before. Previously, they had thought that the hall master was only respectful to the young man due to the gratitude that she had for him in her earlier years, but after witnessing this sight, it seemed like that was not all. In terms of mastery of poison, the young man was definitely above them, possibly on par with or even exceeding their hall master! It was no wonder the young man was their hall masters teacher. At this point, they had no doubt that their hall masters poison art had truly originated from him! As long as we can buy enough time for the hall masters return, we will be able to turn the tables on them... Seeing how the master teachers dared not approach despite how infuriated they were, Lin Jianghai and the others heaved a sigh of relief. If they could buy sufficient time till the arrival of their hall master, their danger would be resolved. Whats going on here? Which one of you is Zhang Xuan? In this moment of silence, a voice suddenly sounded in the air. Following which, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance. It was an elder with a white, flowy beard. Its the First Elder of the Luo n! someone amid the crowd eximed. Upon seeing that man, Ren Qingyuans eyes lit up in agitation. Hahaha! Luo Qingchen, you arrived at a timely moment! Do consider joining my Discord to chat about the novel: https://discord.gg/ATHVehx If you like my work, do consider dropping a small tip via Paypal: https://donatebot.io/checkout/277761613128531969 Chapter 1533 - Wei Ruyan Arrives

Chapter 1533: Wei Ruyan Arrives

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This is bad! In contrast to Ren Qingyuans excitement, Shen Jues face turned livid upon seeing the arrival of the elder. Whats wrong? Lin Jianghai and the others turned doubtful gazes toward him. Luo Qingchen is the First Elder of the Luo n, and he possesses exceptional aptitude toward the maniption of space. The poison that Zhang shi instructed us to nt around the area might be able to fend off most cultivators, but I fear that he will be able to ovee it easily! Shen Jue exined. What? What do we do then? Grave expressions surfaced on Lin Jianghai and He Guangyus faces. In this world, every single existence had its own nemesis. No matter how formidable a poison was, there would definitely be a way to deal with it. While they knew that the poison zhenqi that Zhang shi had left around the area would not stop the 9-star master teachers for too long, they did not expect them to ovee the problem so swiftly! They had been banking on itsting till their hall master came back, and everything would have been resolved swiftly. Who could have thought that the First Elder of the Luo n would arrive at this moment? ... thats how it is. Elder Qingchen, I beseech you to lend us your strength! Ren Qingyuan swiftly exined the matter to Luo Qingchen before sping his fist to make a formal request. That isnt a problem at all! Luo Qingchen chuckled softly as he reached out and grasped at the space before him. Si! The next moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if the space around him had been isted. The zhenqi and lethal poison that they had nted around the area previously seemed to have been severed by some mysterious power and stored in another dimension, causing him to lose control over them. Thank you... Seeing how easily Luo Qingchen resolved the problem they had been gued with, Ren Qingyuan delightfully ryed his gratitude. With sufficient time, they could have achieved the same as well. However, if they wanted to achieve the same level of precision and uracy as Luo Qingchen in carrying out the feat, not harming the surroundings in the least, that would have been truly difficult. Let me do it! After all of the surrounding poison had been spatially isted, Zhang Wuheng chuckled as he raised his hand and dashed forward. When he started saying those words, he was still in the sky, quite some distance away from Zhang Xuan and the others. However, by the time he spat out hisst word, he was already standing right before Shen Jue and the others. The instant that he thrust his palm down, it felt almost as if the heavens had been overthrown,pletely eradicating the concepts of time and space. There was almost no timepse in between Luo Qingchens separation of space and Zhang Wuhengs move, making it nigh impossible for Zhang Xuan and the others to respond to the situation. Block him! Shen Jue bellowed as he flicked poison gas off from his fingertip to engage Zhang Wuheng. Humph! Without bothering to dodge, Zhang Wuheng simply heightened the might of his palm strike. Kacha! The poisonous gas was immediately forced back by the overwhelming might of the palm strike, seeping through Shen Jues pores. Pu! Shen Jue spat a spurt of blood as ck patches appeared all over his face. He quickly took out an antidote and consumed it before feeling a little better. However, by the time all of it was done, it was already toote for him to dodge Zhang Wuhengs palm strike. His chest caved in under thetters attack, and his entire body was knocked into the ground. Seeing how Right Guardian Shen Jue, the most powerful man of the group, was swiftly incapacitated under the coboration of the duo, Ren Qingyuan could not help but nod. Its no wonder the Zhang n and the Luo n want to ally with one another. Thebination of temporal and spatial powers is indeed fearsome. Individually, the Zhang n and the Luo n paled far inparison to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but if the two of them allied with one another, even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have to think twice before challenging them. I think theres no need to trouble Elder Wuheng any further than this. Ren Qingyuan turned to the 9-star master teachers behind him and ordered, All of you, take those two down as well! Yes! Elder Qu, Elder Bai, and the other elders quickly flew forth. Previously, it had been due to Zhang Xuans arrangements and the sudden onught of many unseen lethal poisons that their encirclement had failed tragically. However, with their eye of discernment, they were able to swiftly analyze the mistakes that they had made and the properties of the poisons that they had just faced, thus putting them in a much better position this time around. Peng peng peng! In the blink of an eye, Lin Jianghai and He Guangyu were already exchanging blows with Elder Qu and the others. The difference in the fighting prowess of both sides is simply too big... Zhang Xuan thought anxiously. His means could only induce fear in the 9-star master teachers temporarily, making them dare not attack them. However, it was unfortunate that it had been foiled by the First Elder of the Luo n. Even though those three poison masters were among the top echelon of the Poison Hall, ultimately, it was nigh impossible for them to challenge the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, which had dominated the Master Teacher Continent for many years. Not to mention the fact that they could only stand their ground in order to protect him, or else they might still have been able to try other maneuvers. Pu! Pu! In less than ten blows, Lin Jianghai and He Guangyu had already sustained considerable damage. Just like Shen Jue, they were forced to the ground by apelling force,pletely sealing off their movements. Dont kill them yet. If the head of the Poison Hall really dares to make a move on our master teachers, well use them as chips to negotiate with her! Ren Qingyuan said with a wave of his hand. While the newly inaugurated head of the Poison Hall might be young, the terrifying reputation of the Innate Poison Body had been passed down from generation to generation. With her unparalleled mastery of poison, if she really made a move on the Master Teacher Pavilions in the vicinity, there was no way that they would be able to stop her. Besides, it was toote for them to rush over to save them. More likely than not, they would be blindly chasing after her tail, thus putting them in an even more disadvantageous position. Rather than that, it would be better for them to capture her subordinates so that they would have something over her. Alright! Elder Qu nodded as he quickly walked over to Shen Jues side to ce him under control first. All of a sudden, he felt a dangerous aura assaulting him, and he hurriedly backed away in fright. But before he could get too far away, his face suddenly turned ck, and he found himself losing control over the zhenqi within his body. Putong! He was unable to sustain his flight any longer and copsed to the ground. What happened? rmed by the sudden twist, Ren Qingyuan, Zhang Wuheng, and the others immediately tensed up as they assessed their surroundings carefully. A quiet but imposing voice echoed in the air. I shant trouble Master Teacher Pavilion to take care of my poison masters! Following which, a youngdy dressed in red robe slowly descended from the sky. She was not too old, probably only around seventeen to eighteen, and she had a skinny and not-too-tall stature. However, there was a pink aura rippling around her, covering a radius of ten meters or so. Be it nts or zhenqi, anything that came within its range would be swiftly corroded into nothing. Ren Qingyuan attempted to extend his Spiritual Perception toward the youngdy in order to assess her closely, but before his Spiritual Perception coulde close to reaching her, it was abruptly severed. In fact, the lethal poison around her even traversed through his Spiritual Perception toward him and would have afflicted his Primordial Spirit if not for his decisive severing of the connection. What formidable poison... Ren Qingyuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. To be able to be the deputy pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, his strength could be considered to be the cream of the crop among the elders. He still could notpare up to the distinguished grand elders who had been around for a long time, but without a doubt, his strength was ranked amid the top of the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, despite his strength, he was not even able to peer into the youngdys strength. This was too fearsome! Are you the newly-appointed hall master? Ren Qingyuan asked. To be honest, he was really caught off guard by how powerful the new head of the Poison Hall was. He was not certain if he could defeat her even if he used his full strength. On the other hand, the red-robed youngdy continued descending silently from the sky, paying no heed to Ren Qingyuans question at all. Seeing how disrespectful the other party was, one of the 9-star master teachers furiously howled, Youss! Are you deaf or mute? Cant you hear our deputy pavilion master is talking to you? Hearing those words, the youngdy shot a cold nce over to the 9-star master teacher before flicking her hand lightly, as if swatting a fly. Ahhh... The next instant, theplexion of the 9-star master teacher turned pitch ck, and he sped his neck tightly as if he could not breathe at all. Following which, he fell from the sky to the ground as well, just like what had happened to Elder Qu earlier. Ren Qingyuan quickly rushed over to the 9-star master teacher and fed him an antidote, and only then did thetters condition improve slightly. However, terrified by the previous experience, the 9-star master teacher no longer spouted any nonsense anymore. To be able to poison him with just a casual swat of her hand... just what kind of ability was that? He was not the only one in such a state. The other 9-star master teachers also tensed up as they gazed at the youngdy in front of them warily with uglyplexions. For an individual to induce such fear in sixteen 9-star master teachers and the leaders of three major powers... no one would dare believe such a thing to be possible! This was the Innate Poison Body, one of the strongest unique constitutions in the world, an existence deeply feared by even Kong shi back then! Hu! Before everyones fearful gazes, the red-robed youngdynded on the ground, and she swiftly kneeled with both of her knees. Teacher, please pardon Wei Ruyan for arrivingte! Chapter 1534 - Pavilion Master Seal

Chapter 1534: Pavilion Master Seal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing how the sickly youngdy who could only afford to live from day to day, never daring to imagine what woulde in the future, had already grown to be a powerhouse of the Master Teacher Continent, capable of inducing fear even in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Zhang Xuans eyes reddened in agitation as he nodded with a heartened smile. He reached out his hand and lightly patted the youngdys head. Not bad. You have finally grown up! Zhang Xuan said as he gazed deeply at the youngdy before him in reminiscence. The first time that he met the youngdy, she had still been lying unconscious on a bed. Just so that her sickly body couldst a little longer, her father had cast aside his morals andmitted many atrocities. In the end, despite knowing that it was a sure-death journey, he had unrelentingly hiked up the Cloudmist Ridge, which was filled with saint beasts far stronger than him, and in the end, he never did find his way down. After entering the Poison Hall, she had many capable poison masters working tirelessly to help her awaken her unique constitution. In a matter of months, her disposition and strength had undergone massive changes. From a weak youngdy who wielded not even the strength to snap the neck of a chicken, she had be someone whomanded deference even from 9-star master teachers. If Wei Changfeng was looking down from above, he would surely be ddened to see how she was doing! Geji! Geji! While Zhang Xuan was stroking the youngdys head as his thoughts wandered into the past, Shen Jue, Lin Jianghai, and He Guangyu were looking at the shocking sight with absolute fright. That person whose head was being fondled was their founder! Possessing the Innate Poison Body, shemanded absolute authority in the Poison Hall. Anyone who dared stand against her in the Poison Hall would swiftly be reduced to ash. It was with such overwhelming strength that she had been able to gain full control over the fractious Poison Hall within just a few months. Even as a Guardian and Eminences of the Poison Hall, they still had to tread carefully around her, fearing that a single mistake would bring her wrath upon them. Yet, that fellow actually reached out to fondle her hair, as if doting on a young child. Is our hall master... not angry? They cowered backward in fright, fearing that the hall master would fly into a rage and implicate them as well. But contrary to their expectations, there was not the slightest hint of rage in her eyes. Instead, they could see agitation and longing in her eyes, simr to that of a reunion with close kin. As they came to realize what was going on, the trio thought, It seems like Zhang shi isnt just our hall masters teacher; hes her benefactor as well. We must ry these words to the others when we returncross the hall master rather than cross Zhang shi! If they offended the hall master, perhaps they might still be able to defuse the situation by apologizing. However, if they offend Zhang shi and the hall master learned of it... it was very likely that the hall master would kill them without bothering to listen to their exnation! The head of the Poison Hall... is Zhang Xuans student? So, the reason she spared Gong shi back then was out of consideration for him? The fact that a student that he raised was able to be the head of the Poison Hall means that he is a formidable poison master as well! Its no wonder he was able to wreak havoc in the Zhang n, Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court despite his low cultivation realm! The Way of Poison is unorthodox and depraved; those who practice it cant possibly be of honorable character! With deadly poison in their possession, the Master Teacher Continent will remain threatened as long as they live. We have to deal with them promptly! Otherwise, if they ever decide to use their strength for evil, it would end in a bloodbath for the Master Teacher Continent! Watching the sight in front of them, an uproar broke out amid the 9-star master teachers. The head of the Poison Hall had made a domineering entrance, and her every movement and gesture further created her image of invincibility. Yet, as soon as she arrived before Zhang shi, she immediately kneeled down and allowed thetter to fondle her head as he pleased, as if she was just a little girl before him. While they were shocked by the matter, it had also made them further their resolve. Without a doubt, Zhang Xuan would be an even more frightening force if he matured. If they could not control him now, the world would be a mess in the future! We must try to pull them over to our side, and if that doesnt work out... well have no choice but to destroy them! Ren Qingyuan told the 9-star master teachers telepathically with a grim look on his face. Prodigies were indeed the greatest treasure of mankind, but only obedient prodigies were useful prodigies. Those who refused to bow down tomand and simply did as they pleased would eventually culminate into a cmity! Over the past tens of thousands of years, countless geniuses had risen in the Master Teacher Continent, and there was nock of cases where they had turned into demons due to the urrence of an event in some point of their life. As such, the Master Teacher Pavilion hade to take only two stances when it came to themthe geniuses could either choose to submit to the Master Teacher Pavilions authority ande under itsmand or choose death! To protect mankind from the threats surrounding it for many years, the Master Teacher Pavilion could not afford to be all good and virtuous. Ideals and morals were only for the privileged. When the fate of mankind was on the line, they would have no choice but topromise their morals for the sake of the greater good. Elder Qu and the others nodded in agreement to what Ren Qingyuan said. After issuing his instructions, Ren Qingyuan nced at the teacher-student pair beneath and began speaking in an amiable voice. Zhang Xuan, the fact that you have chosen the path as a master teacher means that you feel a belonging to the Master Teacher Pavilion. As long as you surrender and face the consequences of your actions, Ill ensure your safety. Perhaps, you might still have an opportunity to be a master teacher once more in the future. However, if you continue struggling, not only will you be cornering yourself, even your student could very well lose her life because of you! The Poison Hall and the Innate Poison Body are admittedly powerful, but you should know that the Master Teacher Pavilion didnt remain as the top power of the Master Teacher Continent with just those petty means that we have shown you! Pavilion Master Ren! Hearing that Ren Qingyuan was going to ensure his safety, Zhang Wuheng and You Ruoxin immediately turned their heads over anxiously. But before they could say anything else, Ren Qingyuan had already interjected. I know what you want to say, but the Master Teacher Pavilion has its own considerations in making this judgement. As long as he agrees to our conditions, Ill give you all a satisfactory answer! Alright then. Well put our trust in you. Since Ren Qingyuan had already said so much, even though the two of them were still a little indignant at letting Zhang Xuan off the hook so easily, they still reluctantly nodded in agreement. How about it? Ill give you ten minutes to consider the matter! Ren Qingyuan said. Face the consequences of my actions? Zhang Xuan directed a deep gaze at Ren Qingyuan as he repeated the words that thetter had said earlier. What kind of consequences will there be for my actions? While you did cause a huge uproar, given that no lives were lost, I believe that theres still some ground for reconciliation. Since I have already made this guarantee on your behalf, the other powers also wont go too overboard with their demands, Ren Qingyuan replied. I trust your words, Pavilion Master Ren, but what I am curious about is how the Master Teacher Pavilion intends to deal with me, Zhang Xuan replied. If the Master Teacher Pavilion guaranteed his safety, the Zhang n, cier in Court, and the Sanctum of Sages certainly would not dare to go too far against him. No good woulde from snubbing the most powerful organization in the world, after all, and they still had their future to consider. At most, the Master Teacher Pavilion would justpensate them by helping rebuild their infrastructure, formations, and giving them some treasures. That should cate those three powers considerably. The key to this matter stilly in the Master Teacher Pavilion. In the past, the Master Teacher Pavilion did not hold him in high regard, thinking that he was just an ordinary prodigy whose death would be inconsequential to the Master Teacher Continent. However, now that it had been shown that even the head of the Poison Hall was his student... Without a doubt, he had already be a dangerous figure in their eyes. As the ones governing the Master Teacher Continent, the Master Teacher Pavilion would not wish to see the rise of individuals beyond their control. So, while Ren Qingyuan had spoken of allowing him to be a master teacher once more, in truth, his goal was simply to bring him under control so as to prevent the situation from running amok. You are a person of great talent, and I believe that you will eventually be a pir of support for mankind. You can trust the Master Teacher Pavilion to do everything we can to ensure your safety for this matter. In fact, we are willing to offer you the best resources that we have so that you can raise your strength swiftly. However, youll have to imprint your soul on the Pavilion Master Seal! Ren Qingyuan flicked his hand, and a token appeared in his grasp. It was roughly the same size as the Sanctum Head Token, but it had a peculiarly ethereal presence, almost as if it would vanish at any moment. Even when using the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was unable to discern what tier of artifact it was. This is an artifact that Kong shi left behind after founding the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it serves as the insignia of authority for the deputy pavilion masters. Only a true pavilion master is able to tap into its true strength, but as a deputy pavilion master, Im still able to wield a tenth of its might. With just that, it already grants me power that makes me unmatched against any men beneath Ancient Sage! Ren Qingyuan said as he gently stroked the Pavilion Master Seal and infused his zhenqi into it. The next instant, a heavy pressure suddenly crushed down on the crowd, trembling their souls. Chapter 1535 - Negotiations Falling Through

Chapter 1535: Negotiations Falling Through

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It felt like as long as Ren Qingyuan willed it, he could destroy the souls of any of them present in an instant. This was the tremendous power harnessed within the Pavilion Master Seal! Other than the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, the Pavilion Master Seal could be said to be the number one treasure of the Master Teacher Pavilion. While the deputy pavilion masters could only wield a tenth of its true prowess, it was more than enough to solidify the Master Teacher Pavilions standing on the continent, making all of the major powers deferential to its authority. Granting the deputy pavilion master might that was unmatched beneath Ancient Sage, even experts of Yang shis caliber would not dare sh head on with him! Your student might be powerful, but with the Pavilion Master Seal in hand, I will be able to crush her soul directly, and not even her Innate Poison Body will be able to stop me! Ren Qingyuan said as he allowed the Pavilion Master Seal to float freely in front of him. The carrot and the stick. Since he had already shown them a possible way out of the dilemma that they were in, he should also let them know that the prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion did not just stop at words so that they knew the decision that they had to make. Wei Ruyan nced at the seal before turning to her teacher. However, before she could speak, Zhang Xuan had already shaken his head and interjected. You wont be a match against it. The Pavilion Master Seal floating in front of Ren Qingyuan was many times stronger than his Sanctum Head Token. If Ren Qingyuan really tapped into its power, they would indeed stand no chance at all. Since thats the case, may I ask how imprinting my soul on it will affect me? Zhang Xuan asked. Dont worry, the effects will only be beneficial to you. Firstly, it ensures that youll never be able to turn your back on the Master Teacher Pavilion, so no one will be able to doubt your loyalty to mankind. Secondly, if you are in any danger, youll be able tomunicate with the Master Teacher Pavilion through your soul imprint on the Pavilion Master Seal, and well be able to bring reinforcements to you in the fastest time possible! Ren Qingyuan replied. It ensures that Ill never be able to turn my back on the Master Teacher Pavilion? In other words, I will be signing a soul contract and putting my soul under your control, wont I? Zhang Xuan asked. Based on what he had heard, it was simr to the contract between a beast tamer and their tamed beast. If he imprinted his soul on it, that would be as good as cing his life in the hands of the Master Teacher Pavilion. The only reason I am asking you to imprint your soul on it is just to avoid the possibility of you evermitting treacherous acts against mankind. You can rest assured that I wont force you to do anything at all! Ren Qingyuan replied. The reason he was asking Zhang Xuan to put his soul imprint on the Pavilion Master Seal was in case the worst-case scenario ever happened. It was not to make things difficult for Zhang Xuan. This procedure was just to forge an inseverable link between the other party and the Master Teacher Pavilion so that they would not have to worry about him anymore. This would be a win-win situation for both sides. The Master Teacher Pavilion would gain a powerful, reliable ally, and the other party would have the full backing of the Master Teacher Pavilion. My apologies, but even if you wont use the soul contract against me, Im unwilling to entrust my life to you! Zhang Xuan shook his head. As long as his soul imprint remained on the Pavilion Master Seal, even if Ren Qingyuan said that he would not force him to do anything, there was no guarantee that his promise wouldst. Should Ren Qingyuan ever decide to go against his word, he would be forced to do whatever Ren Qingyuanmanded him to do, as if a human tamed beast. How could he possibly agree to such derogatory treatment? Their grounds were simply not equal. It would be an irreversible decision, and it could very well haunt him for life. For one, what if Ren Qingyuan ordered him to cripple Wei Ruyan and destroy the Poison Hall right after he imprinted his soul on the Pavilion Master Seal? In the eyes of the world, that would simply be the duty of a master teacher, and very few would criticize Ren Qingyuan for making such a call! In such a case, Ren Qingyuan would have nothing to lose whereas he had everything to lose. Are you turning down my offer? Ren Qingyuans face darkened. Do you understand the consequences of your decision? No matter what, he could not allow someone who wielded as much influence as Zhang Xuan to remain uncontrolled. In his view, it was only a matter of time before he became a threat to the world. I do. Zhang Xuan nodded before turning to the youngdy before him with an apologetic look. Im sorry. It seems like I have implicated you this time around... If he refused to submit, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely choose to eliminate him. Considering that Wei Ruyan was there to save him, the stance that he had chosen would be equivalent to cing Wei Ruyan on the opposing side of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. Teacher, please dont say that you have implicated me. You are the one who gave me a new life, so theres no need for such words between us, Wei Ruyan replied with a tender smile. Following which, she stood up and gazed coldly at Ren Qingyuan and the other 9-star master teachers before continuing. However, if they really want to make a move against us, they should first prepare themselves to lose half of their personnel! With a flick of her wrist, countless people materialized in front of her. They were all dressed in master teacher robes, and one thing that the crowd immediately noticed was that their faces were all pitch-ck. Despite having lost consciousness, they were still writhing on the ground in agony. It would not take a genius to figure out that they had all been poisoned. They are... our master teachers? She actually poisoned so many of our master teachers? Shocked gasps echoed from here and there. Ren Qingyuansplexion also turned extremely ugly. He recognized some of those master teachers lying on the ground. They were the top experts of the Master Teacher Pavilions within a sixty thousand li radius of the cier in Court, and many of them were 8-star master teachers. In their respective Master Teacher Pavilions, they were powerful figures who could determine the fates of countless people with just their words, but against the head of the Poison Hall, they stood no chance at all. It was inevitable that they would be captured by her. What do you want? Ren Qingyuan spat coldly with narrowed eyes. Nothing in particr. If you wish to make a move on me and my teacher, be my guest. However, I can promise you that if we die here today, the poison masters of the Poison Hall will immediately leap into action, and at least half of all master teachers across the Master Teacher Continent will lose their lives in the time toe! Wei Ruyan replied haughtily as she ced her hands behind her back in emtion of her teachers usual posture. A few months ago, she had still been a youngdy reliant on her teacher, but at this very moment, she was already a true leader who could stand her ground on the Master Teacher Continent. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters no longer wielded the power to kill her at will. Outrageous! This ispletely outrageous! How dare you threaten us? It seems like the Master Teacher Pavilion has really erred by not destroying you miscreants sooner! Upon hearing those words, the 9-star master teacher in the air trembled from sheer rage. As the number one upation on the Master Teacher Continent, they were used to being treated with the utmost respect and honor. No one had ever spoken to them like that. ring coldly at Wei Ruyan, Ren Qingyuan said, Every single one of our master teachers has already resolved themself toy down their life for mankind when they became a master teacher. Its futile to threaten me with their lives! Your poison masters are indeed a difficult bunch to deal with, but know that your poisons arent omnipotent! As long as we devote our effort to it, the Master Teacher Pavilion will be able to find a way to nullify all of the poisons that you have. Back then, the treacherous soul oracles were a powerful force as well, but the Master Teacher Pavilion still managed to destroy them at their very roots. Its only in view of the fact that the poison masters unique insight into medicinal herbs could aid the advancement of mankind that we have tolerated you all so far. I advise you not to end the Poison Halls long legacy due to your own selfishness! Seeing how Ren Qingyuan was devoid of fear, Wei Ruyan burst intoughter. You said that your master teachers are willing toy down their lives for mankind? Wonderful! I have always wanted to see how deep their resolve is. Lets see which of us is the first to cave in then! With a wave of her hands, the poisonous air that shrouded her immediately diffused into the surroundings. The closest 9-star master teacher to her failed to escape in time, and his face immediately turned pitch-ck as he copsed to the ground and vomited non-stop. Ah? Seeing how fearsome the poisonous air was, Zhang Wuheng, You Ruoxin, and the others hurriedly fled in fear. The prowess of the Innate Poison Body was really as fearsome as its reputation made it out to be! Since you are courting death, Ill fulfill your wish! Ren Qingyuan uttered coldly. The poisonous air that Wei Ruyan was diffusing could very well reduce the entire Empire Alliance into a state of living hell. Unable to watch such atrocities beingmitted right before his eyes, Ren Qingyuan reached out and tapped the Pavilion Master Seal ahead of him. Weng! The Pavilion Master Seal buzzed softly in response, and following which, a dizzyingly immense force burst forth from it, intending to obliterate Wei Ruyans Primordial Spirit straight! Hong long long! Wei Ruyans eyebrows shot up as she quickly gathered all of her zhenqi to defend against that attack. Hong long! Just as Wei Ruyan was about to reach her limits, a wintry voice echoed in the air. You speak of soul oracles in contempt, and yet, you use the very soul arts that you frown upon to deal with my teacher and my junior. Just how far can the hypocrisy of the Master Teacher Pavilion go? A massive soul abruptly appeared right in the sky, looming over the crowd. With a slight wave of his finger, the Pavilion Master Seal flew right into the hands of the soul. The seal struggled intensely to escape, but it was unable to break free from the grasp of the massive soul. Chapter 1536 - Disciple Lu Chong Returns!

Chapter 1536: Disciple Lu Chong Returns!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That is... a soul oracle? Wasnt the entire lineage of the soul oracles destroyed many millenniums ago? How could there still be one around? The soul oracle said something about dealing with his teacher and junior earlier... Could it be that hes Zhang Xuans student as well? Not only did Zhang Xuan teach a poison master, he even groomed a soul oracle? Everyones face distorted in shock. Even the 9-star master teachers who could remain calm before the worst of turmoil looked as if they had seen a ghost. It was one thing for him to have taught a hall master who possessed the Innate Poison Body, but for such a massive soul oracle to im to be his student too... was this for real? Even though the heritage of the soul oracles had already vanished many millenniums ago, the person was still able to steal the Pavilion Master Seal from Ren Qingyuan in a single move, rendering him helpless. Without a doubt, it was apparent that he was an expert too. For the students that he had taught to actually be stronger than him... and more importantly, there were actually two of them! Let go of the Pavilion Master Seal! Ren Qingyuan roared furiously as he rushed upward to snatch the Pavilion Master Seal back. He had been so focused on Wei Ruyan that he let his guard down for a moment and allowed a soul oracle to approach him and snatch the Pavilion Master Seal. The Pavilion Master Seal represented the very dignity and standing of the Master Teacher Pavilion. He could not allow anything to happen to it! Si! Ren Qingyuan moved so quickly that the surrounding space actually distorted under his movement. As the deputy pavilion master, Ren Qingyuans strength was significantly above that of Zhang Wuheng and You Ruoxin. With him exerting his full strength, the crowd felt as if someone had robbed the surrounding sound and light, leaving them with nothing but despairing darkness. It was almost as if the world had been torn into two, and they had fallen into a crevice of nothingness. Of course, it was all just a misperception of the senses. Nevertheless, this move was already powerful enough to send ones Primordial Spirit into a disorientated state, making it nigh impossible for one to set reality apart from illusion anymore. Powerful, Ill admit. However, you are too naive if you think that you can catch me like that! The soul oracle in the sky chuckled as his silhouette swiftly turned ethereal before phasing out altogether, as if he had never been there in the first ce. Its the long-lost art of Soul Traverse! Luo Qingchen narrowed his eyes in shock. Soul Traverse? the confused Zhang Wuheng asked. In the first ce, souls are formless and intangible. As long as ones will is strong enough, its possible for a soul to break the restrictions of space and traverse freely through space, bypassing all restrictions that stand in its path. Of course, due to the limitations of ones strength, its impossible for a soul to conduct long-distance teleportation simr to that of Teleportation Formations, but still, the ability to pull off short-distance teleportation can bring one a massive advantage in battles! Luo Qingchen exined. Due to the Luo n bloodline flowing through his veins, he had a higher grasp over the spatialwspared to the other cultivators gathered in the area, so he was able to see through Lu Chongs maneuver swiftly. Teleportation was extremely taxing on ones body as one had to bear the brunt of the spatial storm while moving from one ce to another, but due to the intangible and formless nature of souls, the effects of the spatial storm were significantly reduced for soul oracles, thus making it more feasible for them to traverse through space. Ren Qingyuan was indeed very powerful, but against an opponent capable of Spatial Traverse, it would not be easy for him to catch the other party. Hu! Right after those words were spoken, the disappeared soul oracle suddenly phased back into existence right in front of a 9-star master teacher. Boom! As soon as he appeared, he immediately channeled a powerful burst of energy right toward the chest of the 9-star master teacher. Peng! Before the 9-star master teacher could even react, he was struck squarely in the chest and knocked flying, destroying countless buildings in his path. It was fortunate that Ren Qingyuan had been concerned that a hugemotion would break out while apprehending Zhang Xuan, so he had ordered the local Master Teacher Pavilion to evacuate ordinary citizens away from this area. Otherwise, who knew how many innocent lives would have been lost from that single attack? You... redirected my attack? Ren Qingyuan hurriedly withdrew his attack as he red at the soul oracle in front of him with fiery eyes. With his eye of discernment, he could tell that the other party had swept away a portion of the might of his attack using his Spatial Traverse, which was how the other party had managed to severely wound hispanion in a single strike. Not too bad! Come, lets continue. I see that there are still many 9-star master teachers around, so Ill be counting on your help to knock all of them out! the soul oracle said with a chuckle. You... Ren Qingyuan clenched his fists tightly together as he tried to suppress his rage. The fact that the soul oracle was able to traverse through space swiftly meant that his attack would not be of much use. Not only so, if the other party redirected it toward hispanions, would he not actually be harming his ownrades instead? In order to achieve Soul Traverse, one has to be a 9-star soul oracle at the very least, but wasnt the heritage of the soul oraclespletely destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion? Who in the world are you? Where did youe from? Ren Qingyuan roared furiously. Strength of the other partys level could not be molded in just a day or two. If there was still a settlement of soul oracles existent in the world, there was no way that the Master Teacher Pavilion could have remained oblivious to it for so long! The Master Teacher Pavilion did utterly destroy the Soul Oracle Guild back then, but they didnt manage to wipe away all traces of their heritage. Alright, hurry up and make up your mind whether you want to continue attacking me or not. Otherwise, I dont really want to be wasting time on an old fart like you! the soul oracle mocked in a contemptuous tone. Hand the Pavilion Master Seal over, or else the Master Teacher Pavilion wont mind destroying the Soul Oracle Guild a second time! Ren Qingyuan bellowed as he dashed toward the soul oracle furiously once more. Si! The space around the soul oracle suddenly solidified as if someone had encased it in ice, preventing him from making any movement. Battle technique, Frozen Space! This was a technique that could seal all disturbances in space, thus rendering even Teleportation Formationspletely ineffective. The reason he had wasted so many words on the soul oracle earlier was to gather sufficient energy in order to cast this technique. Lets see where else you can escape to this time around! After sealing the soul oracle in ce, Ren Qingyuan flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword. Without any hesitation, he brandished the sword right toward the soul oracle ahead of him. This sword carried an intense killing intent, such that even before the de had arrived before its target, the killing intent was already stifling its target. Such an attack could easily inflict grievous wounds even to a soul oracle. In face of the powerful sword strike, the soul oracle knew that he would not be able to escape, but he did not panic. Instead, with a mysterious smile, he swiftlypressed his massive body into the size of the Pavilion Master Seal before hiding right beneath it. Weng! Ren Qingyuan did not expect the soul oracle topress himself at this point in time. At this rate, his sword strike would definitelynd on the Pavilion Master Seal. Thus, he hurriedly redirected his attack and pulled back his sword. As the redirection of his might happened too quickly, it resulted in a reflux in his zhenqi, causing an aching pain to strike his chest. Following which, fresh blood spewed out of his lips. The soul oracle knew that Ren Qingyuan would try to grab the Pavilion Master Seal right after, so as soon as thetters sword flew past the Pavilion Master Seal, he immediately reverted to his original size, grabbed the Pavilion Master Seal, and retreated before Ren Qingyuan could do anything else. Hahaha! The soul oracle chuckled triumphantly. Feel free to make your move, but as long as the Pavilion Master Seal remains with me, you wont be able to kill me! You... Ren Qingyuan narrowed his eyes in fury as his chest puffed up and down from rage. His face was so red that it reminded one of a volcano on the verge of eruption. First, the poison masters who had not dared to leave their headquarters for at least ten millenniums, and now, an upation that should have already vanished in the annals of history. Nothing was really going his way that day, and words could not begin to describe how frustrated he was feeling. Had someone told him that this would happen in the past, he never would have believed it! Taking a deep breath, Ren Qingyuan suppressed his rage and said with forcedposure, The Pavilion Master Seal contains the will of generations of deputy pavilion masters. You might have used your soul energy to snatch it away and sever my connection with it, but you will never be able to truly control it. In fact, you have to constantly guard against it, fearing a rebound from it! I know that despite your leisurely appearance, the Pavilion Master Seal is searing your soul as if you are grasping ontova itself! The Pavilion Master Seal was the symbol of authority for the Master Teacher Pavilion. If anyone could snatch it away that easily, what would that say about the Master Teacher Pavilion? While the soul oracle might seem as if he was holding it with ease, in truth, he was under constant attack from the wills of preceding deputy pavilion masters, cing great strain on his soul. Well, Ill admit that your thing is indeed hard for me to handle... The soul oracle chuckled. However, it isnt time for me to return it to you yet! After saying those words, he turned his sights away from Ren Qingyuan and headed down toward the young man and the youngdy standing in the midst of the rubble below. He kneeled onto the ground and said, Teacher, Lu Chong has returned! Chapter 1537 - Lu Chongs Transformation

Chapter 1537: Lu Chongs Transformation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Good, good! Zhang Xuan watched as the soul oracle before him reverting to the size of an ordinary human, and the appearance of the slightly reclusive young man came clearly into his sight. He could not help but nod in dness. The soul oracle before him was none other than the student of his that had headed to the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles previously, Lu Chong! When he had first taken the young man in as his student, thetter had been quiet and reticent. In fact, he had gone on not speaking a single word for years, fearing that his enemies would find him. Yet, he had be a man who dared mock even the deputy pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion. That was a sign that he had finally walked out from the trauma resulting from the massacre of his n. To be honest, Zhang Xuan was not bothered about the talents or even the strength of his students. With him around, no matter how strong his students currently were, he was confident that he could groom them into powerhouses of the world. As such, what he was the most concerned about was their character. A persons character would ultimately determine their path and their fate. Only a person driven to surpass themself would be able to reach the peak and even beyond. To Zhang Xuan, that was really the only criterion that he felt one needed to be an expert. On the other hand, a person who was unmotivated and indolent, spending precious time thinking only of how they could brag to others instead cultivating, such a person would never be an expert even with the best teacher and best resources. The person whom he was speaking about was, of course, Sun Qiang. Sun Qiang had followed him for the longest period of time and used thergest bulk of his resources. Yet, in the end, he was still the weakest of them all. Hearing his teacherspliment, Lu Chongs eyes lit up in agitation as he sped his fist. Teacher, I have sessfully awakened the Combat Soul Constitution! Ive seen, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Back then, in order to save him, Lu Chong had charged into harms way and ended up being severely wounded by the crown prince of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, thus ending in a deep sleep. It was after going through much trouble to wake him from hisa that he had found that Lu Chongs soul was iparablyrge. Once it was awakened, there was no doubt that it would surely grant him tremendous strength. Given how the current Lu Chong was able to fool around with even Ren Qingyuan, it was apparent that he had already sessfully awakened his Combat Soul Constitution and gained full control over it. There was no other way that he could have advanced his cultivation so much within the span of a single year. Un! Seeing his teachers smile, Lu Chong suddenly felt fulfilled within, as if the hard work that he had put in over the past year had finallye to fruition. Nodding, he quickly passed over the Pavilion Master Seal that he had taken from Ren Qingyuan. Teacher, Ill leave this with you for now. If that old fogey gets it back, we wont stand a chance against him anymore! Understanding the logic behind that, Zhang Xuan reached out to take the Pavilion Master Seal from him. The reason Lu Chong had been able to snatch the Pavilion Master Seal from Ren Qingyuan was not because he was stronger than him. Rather, when soul oracles intentionally hid their presence, it would be difficult for any cultivator to find them. On top of that, Ren Qingyuans attention had beenpletely focused on Wei Ruyan then. It was due to these two factors that Lu Chong had managed to catch Ren Qingyuan off guard and seize his Pavilion Master Seal. Had Ren Qingyuan been guarded against him from the very start, even if Lu Chong had been two times stronger than he currently was, he still would have been unable to seize it the seal from Ren Qingyuans grasp. As soon as Zhang Xuan came into contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, he immediately felt a feeling of intimacy to it. It was almost as if the seal was made just for him, and he could tame it for his own use at any moment. Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Whats going on? He was certain that this was his first timeing into contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, and he had thought that it would be difficult for him to control an artifact so much stronger than him. Yet, when he held it in his hand, it felt almost as if it was an artifact that he had personally forged. It was filled with fondness and affection for him. Should I try assimting it? Zhang Xuan wondered as he ced his hand over it, wanting to try to fuse his blood into it. However, just as he was about to do so, he suddenly felt a heavy pressure weighing down from above. Raising his head, he found all of the 9-star master teachers gathering together as one, coborating with one another to form a formation that manifested in the form of a massive light barrier in the air. Teacher, thats the City Defense Formation of the Empire Alliance! Its built with the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion at its very center, and it was constructed to defend against enemies that threatened the security of the Empire Alliance. It seems like the 9-star master teachers have activated it! Wei Ruyan said grimly. After learning that her teacher was in Empire Alliance, she had swiftly gathered all of the intelligence avable on the Empire Alliance so as to heighten the chances of sess for the rescue operation. City Defense Formation? Un. The formation isnt really too powerful by itself, but with so many 9-star master teachers augmenting it with their zhenqi, it has formed a powerful force that we cant afford to underestimate, Wei Ruyan exined. For many years, the Master Teacher Pavilion had seeded in keeping the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe off the Master Teacher Continent. The strength of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters did y a part to that end, but more than that, the Master Teacher Pavilion had also set up many branches across the continent, and each of those branches had constructed massive formations in the cities that they resided in. Those massive formations hadin dormant for many years, nourished by the spiritual energy in the surroundings, such that when an invasion finally happened, they would be able to call forth devastating might once they were activated. Such was the case at that moment. In the first ce, the Empire Alliance was not a weak power, so its City Defense Formation was of considerable power. With so many 9-star master teachers working together to augment it, once it was activated, it formed a formidable force that even Yang shi would have found hard to deal with. Teacher, rest assured. With my Soul Traverse and juniors poison art, no matter how strong their formation may be, they wont be able to keep us in here easily! Lu Chong replied with a confident smile. The journey to the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles had made him mature considerably as well. He was no longer the helpless young man that he had once been. Just like Wei Ruyan, he had also be a powerhouse on the Master Teacher Continent, and his every word and gesture carried an imposing air to it thatmanded respect of others, making others dare not cross him. Indeed. Their formation might be powerful such that it would be impossible for me to face it straight on, but if its just escaping, that wont pose a problem for me at all! Wei Ruyan replied as the poison aura around her billowed, seemingly ready to sweep into the surroundings and corrode everything in its path. Seeing how confident his students were, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, I have never been worried about escaping. While my cultivation might not be too high at the moment, if I really intend to escape, theres no way they would be able to keep me here! His cultivation might have been far beneath his students, but formations, to him, were really not much different from a free gift from the enemies. Ever since he walked out from the Tianxuan Kingdom, he had never seen a formation that could truly trap him before! Then... Perplexed looks surfaced on Wei Ruyan and Lu Chongs faces. Since their teacher was able to escape from the encirclement by himself, why was he still idling around the area? While they were able to hold their ground for the time being, the situation was really not in their favor. I cant afford to leave right now. Your Senior Zhao Ya is at a crucial period in her cultivation, and if we leave now, itll be one thing for her efforts to be rendered futile, but she might even lose her life as a result of that, Zhang Xuan exined. Senior Zhao Ya? Cultivating? Where? Hearing that their senior was here as well, the two of them were taken aback. Zhang Xuan had wrapped Zhao Ya tightly using his zhenqi, forming something resembling a cocoon around her. Even the two of them could not fathom that the cocoon-like item emanating the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons would actually be their senior. Shes in there... Something happened with her meridians, and in order to increase the chances of sess, I used the blueprint of a more efficient meridianwork to reconstruct the meridians in her body, but a side effect of that is that she emanates such an aura! Zhang Xuan exined. Reconstruct the meridians in her body? Used the blueprint of a more efficient meridianwork? Wei Ruyan and Lu Chong gasped in astonishment. They had never even heard of such a thing before. Indeed, only their teacher would have the guts and ability to do something as bold as that. Since our senior is here, well have to protect her even at the cost of our lives! Wei Ruyan dered as she straightened her back imposingly. Since their teacher was willing to face an army of so many master teachers fearlessly for the sake of their senior, as his students, what did they have to fear? At most, they would just die together! I also swear to protect teacher and senior! Lu Chong dered resolutely. I understand your feelings. Dont worry, it wont be easy for them to kill us even with the formation they have over there. For the time being, I need the two of you to protect me while I study this seal over here. I think that I might just be able to use this seal to get us out of our current quandary! Zhang Xuan instructed before turning his sight back to the Sanctum Head Token. Chapter 1538 - The Master Teacher Pavilion Ran Away

Chapter 1538: The Master Teacher Pavilion Ran Away

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Since it was the Pavilion Master Seal, it should have some kind of ability that allowed it to rally ormand the master teachers. If he could tame it, he might just be able to find a way out of their difficult situation without causing bloodshed. Grasping the token tightly, Zhang Xuan willed, ws! Hu! A book materialized in his head. The Pavilion Master Seal of the Master Teacher Pavilion, an artifact forged by an Ancient Sage. Its created by fusing three droplets of Kong shis divine blood, and it wields formidable offensive prowess against souls... ws: Undetectable! Zhang Xuan froze on the spot. Undetectable? How could this be? On his journey, he had seen a diverse range of weapons. Regardless of whether the weapon had been forged by a formidable master or a rookie cksmith, he would be able to find the ws in it easily. There were no secrets that they could hide from the Library of Heavens Path. Yet, the bookpiled on the Pavilion Master Seal actually reflected the ws as undetectable. What was going on? A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Could Kong shi be of the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well? The seers found those with the Discarnate Constitution of Divination unreadable, and even the Library of Heavens Path would have difficulties trying to peer into it. Both he and Luo Ruoxin possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, and that would exin why the Library of Heavens Path did not work on either of them. Considering that the Pavilion Master Seal was made from three droplets of Kong shis blood essence, perhaps the reason that the Library of Heavens Path was unable to find a w in the token was because of his Discarnate Constitution of Divination affecting the results. Zhang Xuan pondered for a while before nodding. That should be the case... Considering how even the young prodigy of the Zhang n possessed such a constitution, surely it should note as a shock that a man as great as Kong shi would possess such a constitution as well. That was also probably how he had managed to dominate thend, oveing the countless traps that the Otherworldly Demons hadid for him, and eventually ushering in an era of prosperity for mankind. But if I dont know the ws in the seal, how am I to tame it? Zhang Xuan frowned. In the past, whenever he tamed a weapon, he would first find a w in it before exploiting the w in order to tame it. Otherwise, going by normal means, even ordinary Saint artifacts would require a year or two before pledging their servitude. Clearly, he did not have that much time to waste. Let me try my blood! Zhang Xuan tapped his finger, and a droplet of blood dripped from the fingertip onto the seal. Hla! As if a smooth lotus leaf, his droplet of blood simply flowed around on the surface of the seal, showing no signs of being taken in. After flowing for a while, the seal fell onto the floor. Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up. Ordinary artifacts would absorb swiftly absorb any blood that they came into contact with, thus taking in the will that was infused into the blood as well. However, for some inexplicable reason, the Pavilion Master Seal was not taking in his blood at all. This was the first time that Zhang Xuan had seen such an artifact. It expresses intimacy toward me, but it refuses to take in my blood. How in the world am I supposed to tame this artifact? He had thought that given the surprising intimacy between him and the Pavilion Master Token, he should be able to tame it with ease. Yet, who could have known that it would turn out to be even more troublesome than any artifact he had seen before? Hong long! While Zhang Xuan was still distressed by theck of response from the seal, he suddenly heard a resounding explosion, and raising his head, he saw that the City Defense Formation had already fully formed. Ren Qingyuan and the others stood loftily in the air above, and they gazed down on them with such coldness in their eyes that it almost seemed like they were helpless goats waiting to be ughtered. Forget it, theres no time to tame it anymore. Ill just have to look into itter...Zhang Xuan thought as he ced the Pavilion Master Seal into his storage ring. In response to his act of putting it away, the Pavilion Master Seal obediently entered his storage ring, not resisting at all. This reminded Zhang Xuan of an urrence in his previous world. An ordinary looking fellow fell in love with a diva, and he could ask her out and chat with her. However, whenever he wanted to further their rtionship, he would be heartlessly pushed back. In the end, what he thought was love was actually just a backup n for the diva! Such was the case with the Pavilion Master Seal. It was very obedient to his touch, and it did not resist even when he tried to stow it into his storage ring. However, when he tried to tame it, it simply refused to respond at all. Zhang Xuan, if you still have the slightest nostalgia for your identity as a master teacher, I ask you to hand the Pavilion Master Seal over. Otherwise, I shall make sure that the Poison Hall and the soul oracles be a thing of the past today! Ren Qingyuan bellowed coldly. Previously, he had still been considering the possibility of capturing Zhang Xuan alive and forcefully putting him under control. However, the fact that the other party dared to snatch his Pavilion Master Seal and even stow it into his storage ring... there was no longer any room for reconciliation. To have the Pavilion Master Seal snatched away in public was a huge disgrace to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and to make the situation worse, his two students were influential figuresone of them controlled the Poison Hall while the other one had inherited the heritage of the soul oracles. If he did not exact swift punishment upon them, things could really blow up. For one, the enemies of the Master Teacher Pavilion could seek to ally themselves with the Poison Hall after hearing that they had seeded in snatching the Pavilion Master Seal, thus bolstering their might. At the same time, the failure of the Master Teacher Pavilion in protecting their insignia of authority could result in their allies losing confidence in them, and that had to be avoided at all costs given the impending crisis looming ahead of them. Make us a thing of the past? Try it then! Lets see how many people you are willing to offer as tributes for our deaths! Wei Ruyan harrumphed coldly. She flicked her wrist once more, and the poisonous aura around her swiftly diffused around the area to form something reminiscent of a barrier around her and the others. Regardless of whether it was weapons or zhenqi, anything that came into contact with the light barrier would be afflicted by the poisonous aura. Not even 9-star master teachers would be spared from that. Fools! Ren Qingyuan sneered coldly as he raised the sword in his hand. Master teachers, activate the Kui Xing 1 Formation! Hu! The 9-star master teachers swiftly got to action, and in the blink of an eye, an unimaginable amount of energy was channeled from the surrounding buildings and the formation into the tip of his sword, imbuing it with the air of a conqueror. Break! The energy focused on the tip of the sword shot forth as a golden ray of light, tearing a massive rift in space as it crushed downward. When it came into contact with the barrier of poisonous aura, it visibly paused for a brief moment, but the next instant, it pierced right through it as if tearing a sheet of paper in two. Humph! With a furious bellow, Lu Chong expanded his soul to several dozen metersrge once more, and he swiftly traversed through space consecutively, using his soul energy as a thread to forcefully stitch up the spatial rift so as to forcefully stop the ray of light. Using your soul energy to stitch the spatial rift? As expected of a soul oracle, you do have some unique means. However, I would like to see how long you canst! Ren Qingyuan jeered as he pushed the sword in his hands downward along the ray of light. Si! The sword descended with overwhelming might. Pu! Lu Chongs face turned crimson as the stitches made out of his soul energy creaked under the immense pressure of the sword, visibly reaching the limits of its durability swiftly. He was not weak by any means, but the formation that consisted of sixteen 9-star master teachers, including Ren Qingyuan, was simply something far beyond his league. At the same time, the sword was also attempting to forcefully drill a way through the poison barrier that Wei Ruyan had formed, causing her face to turn pale and sweat to flow profusely from her forehead. Teacher, we are already reaching our limits! Wei Ruyan eximed anxiously as she shot a swift nce toward Zhang Xuan. Un... Zhang Xuan nodded. While his two direct disciples were defending against the attack from the formation, he had not been cking around either. He had made use of the time that they had bought to examine the formation closely, and he had managed to find quite a number of ws that he could exploit. However, those ws were some distance away, and given his current circumstances, he was not able to reach them. Ill point a direction out to you two, and one of you will have to rush out to strike it hard. Once thats done, the formation will immediately be undone... Zhang Xuan said. But halfway through his words, a resounding boom filled the air, as if something had broken. Following which, the imposing Ren Qingyuan from a moment ago suddenly lost all of his momentum, causing him to nearly plummet from the sky. The abrupt dissipation of energy from his sword caused his zhenqi to go into turmoil, and he spurted a mouthful of blood out. Ren Qingyuan forcefully calmed down his jolted zhenqi before turning around to bellow, What happened? Just a moment ago, the energy that the formation was supplying to him had suddenly halted. If not for his powerful cultivation, he could very well have died from the rebound. Reporting to Pavilion Master Ren, we arent too sure either. A master teacher flew over and eximed with trembling lips, The Master Teacher Pavilion that stands at the center of the formation... suddenly ran away! Chapter 1539 - Wang Ying Arrives

Chapter 1539: Wang Ying Arrives

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Master Teacher Pavilion ran away? Ren Qingyuans body jolted at thatpletely unexpected answer. Can you repeat that? The others also could not help but freeze upon hearing those words as well. How in the world could the Master Teacher Pavilion run away? Not to mention, at such a crucial juncture! Even if the master teacher was pulling their legs, pulling like that was a bit much! I saw it with my own eyes! The Master Teacher Pavilion ran at a very fast speed, heading toward a specific direction as if it was obeying someones orders... Seeing that thepleteck of trust from the surrounding crowd, the master teacher quickly exined himself anxiously. It even grew legs! If you dont believe me, take a look at it for yourself! As he spoke, he pointed into the distance. Everyone quickly turned around, and the first thing that they saw was a huge sandstorm that seemed to be heading their way. Upon closer examination, they realized the sandstorm was actually caused by countless buildings sprinting in their direction, as if cavalry charging toward an enemy on a battlefield. Even the earth began trembling in fear at their imposing charge! The heck... Is that a cluster of houses? Those buildings are actually charging right at us... What in the world is going on? Is this a building stampede? What the heck is a building stampede? I have only heard of beast stampedes before! All of the 9-star master teachers felt as if mini explosions had urred in their minds, threatening to st apart their rationality. Even Zhang Wuheng, Luo Qingchen, and the others werepletely dumbfounded before that scene. They did not even realize that their beards were being blown up by their shocked gasps. They had seen rmed beasts running amok, and they had seen schools of fish and flocks of birds escaping frenziedly from their predators. However, this was the first time that they had seen an army of buildings charging in a neat formation. At this point, they could not help but remember the old adageas long as you live long enough, there is nothing that you will not see. Someone has enchanted those buildings... Ren Qingyuan was the first one to realize what was going, and he immediately bellowed out to inform the others. Of course, there was no way non-living things like buildings could possibly stand up and run of their own ord. The very fact that they could prance around and even make catcalls at them like street ruffians meant that someone had enchanted them to life! No, wait a moment... Those buildings over there... Arent those our Master Teacher Pavilions? Now that you mention it, that is indeed the case. Thats the City of cier Master Teacher Pavilion, the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, the Thousand Leaf City Master Teacher Pavilion, and the Violetaroma Quarters Master Teacher Pavilion... I have been to those ces before! To think that a day woulde when I would see theming to life. Wait! That particrly gigantic thing over there, why does it look so familiar? Isnt that the city wall of the Empire Alliance? As the buildings came closer and closer, the crowd managed to get a closer look at the buildings within the sandstorm, and their eyebrows immediately began twitching. As if their lower jaws had dislocated, they could not close their gaping mouth at all. There were Master Teacher Pavilions from within tens of thousands of li of the Empire Alliance amid the army! These towering Master Teacher Pavilions were symbols of the highest authority within a region, and they were often viewed with deference. Yet, for those buildings to be making catcalls and even shaking their bottoms provocatively as they charged over... It must be the Spirit Awakener Guild! Just what kind of insanity hase over those women? Ren Qingyuan cursed furiously. Other than the Spirit Awakener Guild, there was no other power on the Master Teacher Continent that was capable of creating such a huge army of enchanted Master Teacher Pavilions! But had the Spirit Awakener Guild not alwaysin low, trying to stay out of sight wherever possible? Due to the nature of their upation, their members numbered very few, and they were severelycking in offensive prowess. In fact, they even had to ally themselves with other powers in order to protect themselves! Given so, they had always tried to stay out of conflict, never daring to offend any of the major powers, let alone the Master Teacher Pavilion. So, why would they suddenly enchant so many Master Teacher Pavilions and wreak havoc here? The Master Teacher Pavilions are made out of resilient materials, and each of them is shrouded by a massive formation, giving them a wholesome building structure. As a result, unlike most buildings, which would swiftly copse soon after they started moving around, the Master Teacher Pavilions are significantly easier to enchant and maneuver around... But why did the Spirit Awakener Guild suddenly choose to do something like this? Arent they afraid of offending the Master Teacher Pavilion? Indeed. What in the world are those bunch of women up to? Ive heard that the Spirit Awakener Guild has just elected a rather youngdy as their new guild leader. Could this matter have anything to do with this? I have heard of that matter as well. If I recall correctly, her name seems to be Wang Ying... I have even ryed my congrattions to her over her inauguration. Could it be that their new guild leader intends to oppose the Master Teacher Pavilion? Arent they thinking too highly of themselves? The other master teachers also swiftly understood the situation, and they could not help but fall into a state of confusion. While spirit awakeners wielded the ability to enchant spirits into all beings, there was really nothingmendable about their fighting prowess. Spirit enchantment was a very consuming technique, and the long recovery period did not make things any better. Furthermore, the stronger an artifact was, the harder it would be to enchant it. Sometimes, it might even take dozens of enchantments in order to fully enchant an artifact! To make matters worse, most of the more powerful offensive artifacts of the Spirit Awakener Guild were highly consuming and had to be re-enchanted frequently, or else they might just return to being inanimate in the midst of a battle. For such reasons, the Spirit Awakener Guild had always been one of the most docile and peaceful groups on the Master Teacher Continent. It was really hard to understand why they would suddenly be so brazen as to make a move on the Master Teacher Pavilion! Hu! In the midst of their hesitation, the Master Teacher Pavilion building charging at the forefront of the army finally arrived before them, and without any hesitation, it banged its roof down upon one of the 9-star master teachers. You... Facing the attack of the Master Teacher Pavilion building, theplexion of the 9-star master teacher turned rather awful. He raised his palm and thrust it toward the building before him. Hu! His palm strike caused an entire half of the building to copse to the ground, but even so, the building did not seem to be discouraged by its sudden weight loss. Instead, it rammed its body forward, cloaking the 9-star master teacher in a thickyer of dust. With the weight of the Master Teacher Pavilion, even Saint 5-dan cultivators would sustain severe injuries under such a ram. Despite that, it was still far from being sufficient to deal with a full-fledged 9-star master teacher! Looking at how one of the Master Teacher Pavilions had been reduced to rubble just like that, Ren Qingyuan could not help but anxiously bellow, Dont make a move on those buildings... Otherwise, we might just end up destroying all of the local Master Teacher Pavilions at this rate. Those buildings were the face of their Master Teacher Pavilion! Even if it was their own master teachers destroying it, it would not reflect well on them at all! How humiliating would it be if others heard of the matter? But those buildings are attacking us! Are we to allow those buildings to do as they please? a 9-star master teacher protested as he was struck in the face by one of the catcalling Master Teacher Pavilions. Those enchanted buildings would not stop their attacks just because the master teachers were willing to make peace! Of course, those buildings could not possibly kill them due to the limits of their offensive prowess, but it would not look good on them to be chased around by a cluster of buildings either, not to mention the coteral damage that it would cause the Empire Alliance! I know that! These buildings are bound to be controlled by spirit awakeners, or else they wouldnt charge right at us either. As long as we can find the spirit awakeners behind this, we will be able to force them to stop this farce! Ren Qingyuan said as he swiftly scanned his surroundings. Based on his deductions, it was likely for the spirit awakeners responsible for this mess to be in the vicinity as well. As long he could find the spirit awakeners and apprehend them, he would be able to resolve this problem. While scanning his surroundings, his gaze suddenly halted on a specific location, and a glint shed through the depths of his eyes. There they are... He raised his palm in preparation tounch an attack against them. Hu! But before he could even make his move, a building suddenly rammed right into him, and its massive roof crushed right down on his body, pinning him forcefully onto the ground. You... Ren Qingyuans rage immediately flurried at being treated in such a manner. He raised his hands and released the entirety of his strength without reservation. Si! The building exploded, sending countless rock shards shooting out into the surroundings. Hu hu hu! Right after that building was destroyed, another eight more buildings rushed right up to Ren Qingyuan. It was almost as if those buildings were facing their archenemy. Countless tables, chairs, beds, and every type of furniture that one could think of were furiously tossed out of the windows and gates of the buildings, bombarding Ren Qingyuan. Despite Ren Qingyuans tremendous strength, he still flew into a brief fluster while trying to cope with the furious onught of so many buildings at once. The Spirit Awakener Guild, are you trying to start a revolt? Unable to hold back his fury any longer, Ren Qingyuan roared with a deafening voice that reverberated throughout the entire Empire Alliance City. The Master Teacher Pavilion has always been preached on the importance of respecting ones roots and lineage. Someone is trying to frame my teacher for a crime that he hasntmitted, and some ignominious organization is even seeking his life without bothering to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. Its precisely out of respect for Kong shi and the noble values that he has passed down that I havee here to save my teacher! Has Master Teacher Pavilion forgotten the teachings of the great Kong shi to view my actions as a revolt? the powerful voice of a female responded. Following which, on the great walls of the Empire Alliance City, a figure stood up. It was a youngdy dressed in a long purple robe that flowed along with the wind. The swirling dust around her did not diminish her disposition in the least; on the contrary, the sharp contrast made her seem as if she was the valiant goddess of war descending upon a battlefield. Chapter 1540 - Zheng Yang Appears

Chapter 1540: Zheng Yang Appears

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Is she the newly-appointed guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, Wang Ying? Thats definitely her; Ive met her before! She might be young, but her talent in spirit enchantment is definitely peerless in this world. It took her only a few months in order to raise her mastery in spirit enchantment to a level where she could clear even the Spirit Awakener Tower. She mentioned that she came here to save her teacher. Does that mean that Zhang Xuan is her teacher too? T-this... First, the head of the Poison Hall; then, a soul oracle expert; and now, the new guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild... All of the master teachers could not help but shudder as they lowered their gazes to look at the young man sitting on the ground beneath. No words could describe the shock in their hearts. As 9-star master teachers, they knew very well just how difficult it was to groom a student to be an expert. Each of them had countless students all over the world, but hardly any of their students had seeded in reaching the top echelon of the Master Teacher Continent like them. This was apparent just by seeing how low the number of individuals who had reached a proficiency of 9-star in any upation was. Yet, the young man below, despite being only at Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, actually had multiple powerhouses as his students. Just how in the world was this possible? More importantly, those students were willing to even defy the powerful and influential Master Teacher Pavilion in order to save him. Just how deep did their feelings for him run? While the prevalent culture on the Master Teacher Continent prompted one to remain loyal to ones lineage, there were still plenty of cultivators who paid it no regard. Furthermore, given that Zhang Xuan had been condemned by even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, no one would me them for noting to the rescue of their teacher. They could have simply feigned ignorance and steered clear of this mess. After all, the verdict of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was absolute on the continent. But for their teacher, those people were willing to disregard all rules and risk the bright futures that they had ahead of them to dive right into this mess. If things went wrong, they could very well lose their lives! Just what in the world did Zhang Xuan impart to them for them to be so loyal to him? Gritting his teeth tightly, Ren Qingyuan harrumphed with an utterly cold voice. Guild Leader Wang, do you understand who you are going against at this very moment? I do, but I am heavily indebted to my teacher. Whoever daresy a finger on my teacher, no matter who they are, Ill pit my life against them without any hesitation! the youngdy replied calmly. So, if I understand your words correctly, you are saying that Zhang Xuan is your teacher. Is that right? Ren Qingyuan asked. Indeed. Zhang Xuan is the name of my teacher, and hes the person who made me the person I am today! the youngdy replied once more. The person who had just arrived with a huge army of buildings was none other than Wang Ying. All of the buildings within a thirty thousand li radius from the cier in Court had been enchanted by the elders of their Spirit Awakener Guild, and together, they formed a massive army that even 9-star master teachers would have trouble dealing with all of a sudden. Zhang Xuan has willfully wreaked havoc in the Zhang n and injured dozens of their elders, including the First Elder Zhang Wuheng. After which, he went to the Sanctum of Sages and severely wounded its deputy sanctum head, Zhan shi. Following that, he ran over to the cier in Court, kidnapped their young court chief, and destroyed many of their buildings while doing so, Ren Qingyuan spat coldly. Even if we put all that aside for the moment, just the fact that he is the teacher of the vicious head of the depraved Poison Hall and a deplorable soul oracle, along with the existence of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe artifact that is ced right in front of him, is more than enough for the Master Teacher Pavilion to deem him an enemy of mankind. He might be your teacher, but his sins are unpardonable! Vicious? Deplorable? Hahaha! Wang Ying sneered coldly upon hearing those words. You imed that my Junior Wei Ruyan is a vicious person. Very well, why dont you tell me what vicious deeds she has done? Has she massacred millions in cold blood? Look at the poisoned master teachers in front of her! Is that not sufficient evidence to prove her vicious character? Ren Qingyuan sneered. They might be poisoned, but arent they still alive? In fact, if my Junior Wei Ruyan hadnt incapacitated them and used them as a chip to protect her and my teacher, you would have been the ones to murder them in cold blood! You imed that my junior is vicious, but can you name anyone whom she has killed to date? I reckon that theres probably more blood on your hands than hers! Wang Ying snapped. This... Wang Yings outburst left Ren Qingyuan speechless for a moment. The head of the Poison Hall had indeed gone around poisoning their master teachers one after another, but she had only knocked them out. Despite the terrible states that they were in, it did not seem like anyone had lost their life yet. Even though they were on the opposing side, looking at it once more, it did appear that the head of the Poison Hall was not intending to kill any of their master teachers, at least not yet. You also mentioned that my Junior Lu Chong is a deplorable individual. Very well, why dont you tell me what deplorable deeds he hasmitted? Just what great sin has hemitted for the impartial Master Teacher Pavilion to denounce him so? Wang Ying asked imposingly. Once again, Ren Qingyuan was rendered speechless. To be honest, he would not even have known that there would still be a living soul oracle in the world if Lu Chong had not appeared there. From the fact that he had never heard of the young man before alone, it showed that the young man had not done anything wrong that was worthy of the Master Teacher Pavilions attention. Why arent you speaking? After all the suffering that her teacher and juniors had gone through, Wang Ying was not intending to let Ren Qingyuan off just like that. With a cold sneer, she continued. The Master Teacher Pavilion has always prided itself on being just and impartial. Just when did it be so presumptuous as to state its own opinions as facts and pass judgement on others based on its own biases? You imed that my teacher kidnapped the young court chief of the cier in Court, but let me ask you one question. Do you know whom the young court chief is? Whom the young court chief is? Ren Qingyuan frowned. Shes a cultivator who possesses the rare Pure Yin Body. The cier in Court went to great lengths in order to find her... Seeing that Ren Qingyuan really did not know any thing at all, Wang Ying did not have the patience to listen to him speak any longer. I dont know what lengths the cier in Court has gone in order to find her, but theres one thing I do know, and that is... cing her hands behind her back, she said, ... shes my senior! Your senior? You mean to say that... the young court chief of the cier in Court is Zhang Xuans student as well? Ren Qingyuan narrowed his eyes in shock. He quickly turned his gaze toward You Ruoxin and asked lividly, Is this true? The cier in Court had not mentioned this when they reported the matter to them back then. Zhang Xuan was indeed Zhao Yas teacher for a period of time, but its also a fact that he impersonated Yang shi, took away our young court chief, and wreaked havoc in the cier in Court! Furthermore... the fact that hes the teacher of a poison master and soul oracle shows that hes a person of questionable character. Pavilion Master Ren, I ask of you not to be blinded by the words of despicable scoundrels... You Ruoxin quickly spoke up. Questionable character? Despicable scoundrels? How dare you use such words on my teacher and senior? Hu! Before You Ruoxin could finish speaking, a furious bellow suddenly echoed from afar. Following which, a spear burst forth from the distance, and before she knew it, it was already right before her chest. Ahhh! You Ruoxins face turned pale, and her eyes widened in absolute fright as she desperately retreated. As powerful as she was, she could tell that the might of that spear had already far surpassed her means to deal with. Even before the spear could reach her, she could already feel the force that itmanded threatening to pierce right through her heart. Hu hu hu! While retreating, she anxiously formed over a hundred hand seals in the blink of an eye. Following which, a transparent barrier reminiscent of crystal materialized right in front of her. The strongest defensive technique of the cier in Court, Immacte cial Yin Wall! Kacha! The next instant, the flying spear collided head on with the wall, but the wall did not evenst for a breath before cracks began appearing throughout it. You Ruoxin could tell that the barrier that she had created would not be able to withstand the might of the spear, and once the spear prated her barrier, even if she survived the ordeal, she would be crippled for good. Thus, she turned to Ren Qingyuan and shrieked, Pavilion Master Ren, save me! Humph! Ren Qingyuan harrumphed coldly, and as if he had teleported, he appeared instantaneously before the spear with a powerful leap. He immediately swung the sword in his hand toward the tip of the spear, intending to forcefully change its trajectory. Ding ding ding ding! However, there was some kind of bizarre vibration to the spear that caused it to continuously strike down on his sword with incredible force, and every single tremor held such tremendous force that it felt as if entire mountains were ramming into his sword one after another. Deng deng deng deng! Ren Qingyuan was forced to retreat several steps under the formidable might of the spear, but fortunately, he still seeded in altering the spears path. However, he was in no mood to celebrate at all. Shaking his numbed hand, he stared at the deflected spear with a look of disbelief on his face. That spear hade from a distance away, but even after piercing through You Ruoxins Immacte cial Yin Wall, it still wielded enough strength to force him back. Just how powerful was the man who threw the spear? His doubt did notst for too long. A young man flitted in from the distance, stopping right before the crowd. He stood with a perfectly upright figure in the air, emanating an aura of sharpness that seemed as if it could pierce the heavens. The young man raised his hand, and the spear that Ren Qingyuan had just deflected flew into his grasp. Following which, he turned his gaze toward Ren Qingyuan and said, Pavilion Master Ren, Ill be taking my teacher back. I presume that you have no objections. Chapter 1541 - Teacher, Allow Me to Vent Your Anger for You!

Chapter 1541: Teacher, Allow Me to Vent Your Anger for You!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Progeny of Combat, what do you mean by this? Recognizing who the other party was, Ren Qingyuans face twitched uncontrobly. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he said, You have to remember that everything you have now was given by the Master Teacher Pavilion. As long as we will it so, the Master Teacher Pavilion can take away everything that you have anytime we wish! Take away everything I have? Completely unfazed by what Ren Qingyuan had said, Zheng Yang waved his hand nonchntly and replied, Do whatever pleases you! After which, he descended toward Zhang Xuan. Progeny of Combat Zheng Yang, just what kind of attitude do you think you are showing us? Unable to tolerate the young mans unconcerned reaction, Elder Qu dashed forward and blocked his path. Even though he had been poisoned by Wei Ruyan earlier, as a 9-star master teacher, he had a deep understanding of medicine, and on top of that, he was also a powerful cultivator himself. After recuperating for a moment, he had already recovered enough to move around without any trouble. Dont block my way. Zheng Yang nced at the elder standing before him with narrowed eyes. Scram. Audacious! Is this how you address a 9-star master teacher? the infuriated Elder Qu snapped as his face turned crimson. Every single one of Zhang Xuans student was more arrogant than thest. We might not have the influence to interfere in the affairs of the Poison Hall, soul oracles, and Spirit Awakener Guild, but the Combat Master Hall is a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion! How dare you bite the hand that feeds you? Then how do you want me to address you? Shall I kneel to you? Zheng Yang scoffed. You dont have to kneel to me, but you should understand that the strength and influence you possess right now is all due to the credit of the Master Teacher Pavilion. You are indebted to us. Dont bite the hand that feeds you and ruin your own future... Halfway through Elder Qus words, he suddenly felt his goosebumps rising up. The next instant, he saw a spear piercing right in his direction, and the powerful aura that itmanded seemed as if it would tear his Primordial Spirit to shreds. You... rmed, Elder Qu quickly whipped out a sword to defend against the spear. Ding! As the tip of the spear and the sword collided with a metallic ng, Elder Qu felt overwhelming might surging up his arm, seemingly threatening to jolt his meridians into shreds. Pu! The sword flew out of his hands, and he spurted a mouthful of blood as he was forced back a couple of steps. But before he could regain his footing once more, he saw the body of a spear flicking forcefully in his direction. He instinctively cowered in fear, and he hurriedly raised his palms to defend himself. Kacha! Kacha! Under the astounding might of the spear whip, Elder Qus body mmed right into the ground, creating a huge pit beneath him on impact. I am already sparing your pride, but you still want to lecture me? Zheng Yang scoffed as he pped the dust off his hands and put his spear back leisurely, as if he had just done something insignificant. Elder Qu! Progeny of Combat, just what in the world are you doing? Not expecting the other party to knock Elder Qu flying without the slightest hesitation, the surrounding master teachers flew into an uproar. They rushed forward to surround Zheng Yang, seemingly intending to lynch him. Are you thinking of making a move on me? Despite the precarious situation that he was in, Zheng Yang did not show the slightest hint of anxiety. Instead, he lifted his gaze and bellowed, These people are thinking of killing your Progeny of Combat! If you dont wish to be without a hall master, stop them! Hu! Right after those words were spoken, the master teachers saw the scene before them blurring. The surrounding space distorted for a moment before revealing eight elders. Each of them emanated an aura of bloodshed, reminiscent of valiant warriors who had just walked out of a battlefield. Weng! The eight elders drew their swords simultaneously, and a massive spatial rift created a gap between the master teachers and them. One of the eight elders swept his gaze across the master teachers before saying in a firm voice, Ill have to ask you all not to advance any further than this. It wasnt easy for the Combat Master Hall to find a Progeny of Combat, and we dont wish for anything to go wrong at this point. Hearing the words of the elder, Ren Qingyuan felt blood rushing into his head as he roared, Preposterous... This is utterly preposterous! Are you all starting a mutiny here! Ever since the founding of the Master Teacher Pavilion many millenniums ago, it had always taken the role of the leader of mankind, standing in a position thatmanded respect and deference from the masses. There had never been a single power who dared oppose it. Yet, in the course of a single day, four powers had raised their arms against them! Mutiny? Just like how water can float the boat, it can also devour it whole as well. If the Master Teacher Pavilion is just and impartial, no one will question its judgement. But if it has strayed from the principles that it embraced, itll find many standing up to oppose it! Zheng Yang replied coldly before turning his attention away from the master teachers altogether. He descended to the ground and kneeled on the floor. Disciple Zheng Yang pays respect to teacher! Zhang Xuan looked at his student from head to toe and nodded with a warm smile. Get up. Over the past few months, Zheng Yang had grown far more than he had expected, reaching a level that even he could hardly see through. Teacher, I heard that the Master Teacher Pavilion has issued an arrest warrant on you due to the Zhang n reporting that you have utilized an artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Zheng Yang stood up and asked respectfully, May I know if thats true? After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan nodded. That seems to be the case. To be honest, he was not too sure why the Master Teacher Pavilion had chosen to release an arrest warrant on him, but the cause should be tied to the incident that had happened back at the Zhang n. Back then, he had been in a rush to save Zhao Ya, so he had ended up borrowing Vicious strength to deal with Zhang Wuheng. That could be the reason the Master Teacher Pavilion had ended up taking such a severe stance against him. After all, the Master Teacher Pavilion had always been wary of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and when the security of mankind was at stake, it was understandable that they would rather be safe than sorry. Teacher, you have fought against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and singlehandedly destroyed an entire Otherworldly Demon Emperor lineage. Yet, due to an inkling of doubt that had to be verified, the Zhang n insisted that you are guilty and demanded your punishment. Years of holding onto their title as the number one Sage n sure has inted their guts. They seem to think that they can do as they please without facing the consequences! Zheng Yang sneered coldly before sping his fist and bowing grandly to Zhang Xuan. Teacher, please allow me to vent your anger for you! You want to help me get back at them? Knowing Zheng Yangs hot temper, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before nodding. Dont take anyones life. It will do just to teach them a lesson! I understand, Teacher! Nodding, Zheng Yang mmed the spear in his hand onto the ground, causing the ground to tremor. He turned his gaze upward and scanned the crowd above before saying, Ruyan and Lu Chong, the Zhang n, the Sanctum of Sages, and the cier in Court have framed our teacher and attempted to take our teachers life. Are you willing to help me exact vengeance for our teacher and bring honor and dignity back to his name? Of course! Wei Ruyan took a step forward. Its my responsibility to do so! Lu Chong replied as he walked forward, too. Good! Zheng Yang replied heartily. He directed a cold and severe re toward an old man amid the crowd above and bellowed, Zhang Wuheng, not only have you injured my teacher, you even issued an order to have him surrounded and killed! For the humiliation that you have caused to my teacher, I, Zheng Yang, shall challenge you to a duel in the stead of my teacher! Do you dare ept my duel? Hu! Zheng Yang flicked his spear to the side, and spatial ripples appeared along the movement of his spear. You are challenging me to a fight? Not expecting a youngd who was not even in his twenties yet to dare challenge him to a duel, Zhang Wuheng sneered in disdain. Very well,e... Boom! Before Zhan Wuheng could finish his sentence, a piercing shrill like a sharp st of wind suddenly echoed from above. He quickly raised his head, only to see a massive figure falling from the sky, heading right in his direction. Kacha! Before he could even react, a massive bottom had already mmed him down all the way into the ground, causing several of his ribs to fracture. A huge number of his teeth scattered all over the ground as he coughed mouthful after mouthful of blood. Seniors and Juniors, how can you leave me out for a gathering like this? It seems like I have arrivedte to the party, the owner of the massive bottom said with a bright smile, revealing his gleaming, white teeth. Chapter 1542 - Unexpected Changes with the Pavilion Master Seal

Chapter 1542: Unexpected Changes with the Pavilion Master Seal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the familiar face on the figure sitting on top of Zhang Wuheng, Zheng Yang replied with a heart chuckle, You came at the perfect time! With his eye of discernment, he could tell that Yuan Tao was far from a match for Zhang Wuheng. However, it seemed like while the rest of them had been protecting their teacher from the master teachers, this junior of his had not been cking. Thetter had flown to the highest altitude possible given the limits of his strength, likely tens of thousands of meters up in the sky, and he had dived all the way down from that height toward them. By the time Yuan Tao reached them, the speed of his fall had already reached several times the speed of sound. As the attack hade too quickly from an unexpected angle, not to mention that his attention had been captured by Zheng Yang, Zhang Wuheng had been caught off guard by the attack from above. This briefpse in attention had been more than enough for the swiftly plummeting Yuan Tao to get him. The impact of the fall from someone who had been elerating furiously for tens of thousands of meters was not one to be underestimated. While it was not enough to kill Zhang Wuheng, it had inflicted grievous injuries that would incapacitate him in the short run. Who could have thought that the First Elder of the Zhang n, one of the top experts in the world, would actually end up being incapacitated by someones bottom before he could even use his bloodline ability? This would really be a huge smirch on his reputation. Thats a relief! Yuan Tao patted his bottom before getting to his feet. Then, as if suddenly realizing that someone was beneath his bottom, he turned around and eximed with an exaggeratedly shocked expression, Elder Wuheng, what are you doing under me? You... Pu! Seeing the innocent look on the fellow who had nearly crushed him to death, Zhang Wuheng spurted another mouthful of blood out of indignation. Elder Wuheng, our Yuan n has always been on close terms with Zhang n, and we have never crossed one another before. Why would you appear beneath my ass of all ces? Do you know how many days it has been since Ist washed my ass? Furthermore, I went to the toilet before this, and I couldnt find any toilet paper... H-how embarrassing it is! Quick,e out,e out! Ill heal you up right now... With an anxious look on his face, Yuan Tao stretched his hand forward to grab Zhang Wuhengs head, and as if pulling a radish out from the earth, he plucked thetter out from the hole that he was in. Pu! Feeling as if his neck was on the verge of snapping apart, the First Elder spurted another mouthful of blood. The sheer embarrassment from the situation made his eyes red in anger, and he was on the verge of erupting at any moment. He was the most authoritative individual in the Zhang n other than the n head! How could he tolerate being humiliated by such a brat so much younger than him! In a state of rage, Zhang Wuheng was just about to drive his zhenqi to teach the brat a lesson when thetter suddenly turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Teacher, it seems like the First Elders injuries are really quite severe. I remember that you have a Pummeling Healing Therapy Technique. Can I ask you to impart it to me so that I can treat him so as to make up for my previous mistakes? Pummeling Healing Therapy Technique? Hearing those words, Zhang Wuheng nearly choked on his saliva. Just that bottomnding on him had nearly knocked him out of shape. If the other party pummeled him on top of that... Is this how you treat an elder from a n that is close with your Yuan n? Junior Yuan Tao, your memory is really failing you! That skill is called Beast Taming Pummeling Technique, not Pummeling Healing Therapy Technique! No matter how formidable a saint beast it was, as long as our teacher gave it a good beating, it would submit to him obediently! Zheng Yang kindly reminded by the side. Ah, yes, youre right. Its Beast Taming Pummeling Technique... Huh, how did I remember it wrongly? My apologies, I guess it might be because he doesnt look too humane to me... But back to the topic at hand, I came out in such a hurry that I forgot to bring any recovery medicine with me. Yuan Tao turned his sight to the youngdy not too far away and asked, Junior Ruyan, do you have any good ointment or the sort that you could lend me? You poison masters often concoct all sort of stuff, so you should have quite a few with you, right? I do have quite a few incredible pills with me. Within ten breaths after consumption, the patient will be permanently relieved from all pain and suffering, Wei Ruyan replied with a sweet smile as she passed a jade bottle over. You really are my savior, Junior Ruyan! I can tell that its an incredible medicine with just a nce. Elder Wuheng, I really didnt do it purposely earlier... Eh, Elder Wuheng? Dont run away, I havent treated you yet! After grabbing the jade bottle, Yuan Tao was intending to feed the pill to the First Elder when he found that the fellow whom he had just plucked out of the ground had already fled far away with a frenzied look on his face. If not for the fact that he was severely injured, he would have torn Yuan Tao apart right there and then! What a pity... You do know this is really good medicine, dont you? You sure dont know how to appreciate good stuff, Yuan Tao grumbled with a look of pity on his face. Shaking his head, he turned to Zheng Yang and asked, Since Im notte, whom shall I face? You can just sit by the side and enjoy the show. That woman is mine to deal with! With an imposing wave of her hand, Wei Ruyan directed a piercing gaze at the First Elder of the cier in Court and said, Elder You Ruoxin, you framed my teacher and incited the Master Teacher Pavilion to issue an arrest warrant on him. Ill officially challenge you to a duel right now. Since you have the guts to harm my teacher, I believe that you should have the gut to face me in a battle too, right? You... You Ruoxins face paled. She had already witnessed the youngdys prowess earlier, and her poison art was truly indomitable. You Ruoxin had confidence in her own strength, but she was not so arrogant as to think that she would be able to match someone who could poison even a 9-star master teacher to death with ease. Why? Getting scared now? Wei Ruyan scoffed in disdain before turning her sights to Zhan shi. What about you then? I... Zhan shis lips twitched, but he did not dare reply to Wei Ruyans provocation. He was only at Saint 9-dan primary stage, a long way off from matching up to Elder Qu and the others. If the youngdy really made a move, he would probably be defeated in a heartbeat. Very well, I wont take advantage of you all. Wei Ruyan flung her sleeves and dered majestically, Your cier in Court and Sanctum of Sages can rally all of your experts together; Ill face them all at once! Unable to take the provocations anymore, You Ruoxin bellowed, Hall Master Wei, dont go too far! Are you saying that Im going too far? When you brought so many people to encircle my teacher, did you ever think that you were going too far? Whether you like it or not, none of you will be getting away from here unscathed! Wei Ruyan harrumphed coldly as she dashed right for You Ruoxin. Before she even arrived, her poison aura had already scattered into the surroundings in the form of a pink mist. Dont think that Ill be scared of you! Your poison art might be formidable, but I wont allow you to humiliate me that easily! Knowing that there was no way out of this, You Ruoxin bellowed furiously as she thrust a finger forth. The surrounding temperature suddenly plunged along with her movement, and it almost felt as if everything within a radius of tens of li would be frozen. She knew that Wei Ruyan would be a powerful adversary, so she had no intention of holding back at all. She drove her pure yin energy to its very limits and released it all at once. Seems like you can at least put up a fight... Wei Ruyan scoffed. Without paying any heed to the chilling energy that You Ruoxin was emanating, she continued dashing forward. When she was only two hundred meters away from thetter, she suddenly raised her hand and clenched it. Boom! A light-yellow shockwave burst forth, and when You Ruoxins chilling energy came into contact with it, it was first forcefully pushed back before abruptly sinking into the ground, as if infused with lead. What a formidable poison art that is... The surrounding crowd felt a numbing sensation on their scalps. To be able to render even ones zhenqi immobile, the reputation of the Innate Poison Body truly was not unfounded. These children have really grown up... Zhang Xuan nodded with a heartened smile. The previous time that his students had helped him exact vengeance was back when they were still in the Tianxuan Kingdom. It had taken every single one of them to coborate with one another before they had been able to defeat Lu Xun then, but now, they had all grown into powerhouses that could fight toe-to-toe with even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! The rate that they had changed at left him feeling a mixture of happiness and nostalgia. At least, it seems like the effort that I have devoted toward them wasnt wasted, Zhang Xuan remarked. As a teacher, there was probably no happier asion than seeing ones student maturing. In that moment, it would feel as if all of the hard work that one had put in was worthwhile. All of a sudden, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a seal appeared in the middle of his palm. At this moment, the seal was trembling excitedly, such that it felt searing to Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1543 - The Unreliable Kong shi

Chapter 1543: The Unreliable Kong shi

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. It didnt take in my blood, and I have unable to delve my consciousness into it either. Why would it suddenly grow so hot? Previously, he had been thinking of all sorts of ways in order to tame the seal, but no matter what he did, there was no response at all. Why would it suddenly grow so hot after being ced inside his storage ring? It was the greatest treasure of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it had been snatched away by Lu Chong so that Ren Qingyuan could not use it to deal with him. No matter how the matter was resolved, he would likely have to return it in the end. If the Master Teacher Seal was ruined in his hands, it might really result in a full-blown war with the Master Teacher Pavilion! While it might seem that his direct disciples had managed to one up the Master Teacher Pavilion, the unfortunate truth was that they still came nowhere close to matching it. For countless years, the Master Teacher Pavilion had been the de facto leader of the entire Master Teacher Continent, and given its umtion and influence, the couple of them there would still be far from sufficient to oppose it. Since cing it in my storage ring, it has beenpletely silent. It was only when I was thinking of my students growth that it suddenly grew warm... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before a thought came to his mind. Could it be that the Pavilion Master Seal is not tamed through blood but through the virtues of a teacher? If thats the case... it should be easier for me tame it if I use the Celestial Master Teacher aura, right? The Celestial Master Teacher was an individual who was recognized by the heavens, such that even Yang shi dared not pull his weight before one. If the token was really rted to the virtues of a teacher, who would be more qualified than a teacher recognized by even the heavens? Let me give it a try! With this thought in mind, he discreetly drove his Celestial Master Teacher aura and infused it into the token. Due to the increment of his Soul Depth, hemanded a greater control over his aurapared to before. Through careful maniption, he was able to limit the emanation of his Celestial Master Teacher aura to the area in contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, thus making it nigh impossible for any 9-star master teacher or even Yang shi to detect it. Tzzzzzzz! As soon as the aura came into contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, thetter immediately became even hotter. There was an abrupt burst of wind, and Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the weight in his hand disappearing entirely. He hurriedly lowered his gaze, and it was indeed the worst-case scenario. The Pavilion Master Seal had vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there in the first ce. In an instant, goosebumps rose all over Zhang Xuans body, and his vision turned dark as he nearly fainted on the spot. He quickly released his Spiritual Perception and searched his surroundings, but it waspletely empty. There was no sign of the token anywhere at all. Its over... Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears. The Pavilion Master Seal was supposed to be some Ancient Sage artifact forged using Kong shis blood essence, and even Yang shi would have trouble dealing with it, right? Yet, why would it suddenly disappear after he grasped it for a moment, as if an ice cube? Just by its name alone, Pavilion Master Seal, even a fool could figure out its deep significance to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even when Lu Chong took it, while Ren Qingyuan did panic, he could tell that it was out of apprehension that the Master Teacher Pavilion would be humiliated rather than the worry of never getting it back... But now that the Pavilion Master Seal had disappeared into thin air, how was he supposed to give it back to the other party? While he did cause a huge fuss with the three powers, it was still something that could be resolved eventually. However, if he took away the Pavilion Master Seal as well, he would really be eaten alive. What the heck was this? Hurry up ande out. Stop messing around, Zhang Xuan muttered anxiously as he searched his surroundings frantically. Soon, his eyes fell on his palm, and he froze. He found that three conspicuous crimson droplet imprints had unknowingly appeared on his palm, and it felt like they harnessed some kind of mysterious power. What is this? Zhang Xuan pondered as he tapped on one of the crimson droplets lightly. Weng! All of a sudden, with a resounding buzz amid a slight moment of disorientation, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself being teleported into a void dimension. In this dimension, the concepts of time and space did not seem to exist. All that could be seen around him was a ring white background and a smiling elder. Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment upon seeing the elders face. There was no way he could not recognize the other party when his sculpture could be found in every single Master Teacher Pavilion across the continent. Kong shi? At that moment, Kong shi had a gentle and warm look on his face. A hint of agitation could be seen in depths of his eyes as he said, Finally, after so many years... Pleased to meet you, the new Celestial Master Teacher! Junior Zhang Xuan pays respect to Kong shi! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted the elder before him. Kong shi stroked his beard and nodded with a kind smile, acknowledging Zhang Xuans greeting. The Pavilion Master Seal is an artifact that I forged with three droplets of my blood essence after founding the Master Teacher Pavilion. Only a true Celestial Master Teacher will be able to tame it. The fact that you can activate the seal and summon my will proves that you have met this condition... Kong shi, pardon me for saying this, but would you allow me to speak first? Theres something urgent that I have to ask you... Seeing that Kong shi was about to jump into his usual long speech once more, Zhang Xuan immediately interjected into his words and stopped him anxiously. From past experience, he hade to learn that despite Kong shis great achievements, he was actually a particrly unreliable person. Each and every time that he managed to speak to Kong shi, the other party would vanish right before getting to the main point! If he allowed Kong shi to go first this time, chances were that the same would happen. Having learned his lesson, Zhang Xuan was determined to go first this time around. Oh? Noting Zhang Xuans anxiety, Kong shi looked at the young man for a moment before raising his hand. Please, feel free to speak! I am afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison, and I heard that you underwent the same experience back then as well. May I know how you managed to resolve it? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. Innate Fetal Poison? Kong shi frowned as he examined Zhang Xuan intently. A momentter, he nodded and said, Its indeed the Innate Fetal Poison! The poison itself isnt too difficult to cure, but... But? The thing that is hidden inside the Innate Fetal Poison might not be that easy to get rid of, Kong shi said with a grim look on his face. The thing that is hidden inside the Innate Fetal Poison? Whats that? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. He had noticed the Innate Fetal Poison early and used his Heavens Path zhenqi to have it suppressed in a corner, rendering it immobile. But from Kong shis tone... it seemed like there was more to the Innate Fetal Poison than met the eye. Theres no point talking about it now; you wille to know of it yourself once you cure yourself of the Innate Fetal Poison. Its not that I want to conceal this matter from you, but there could be adverse consequences if I tell you in advance, so I can only seek your understanding for that. For the time being, let me tell you the method to resolving the Innate Fetal Poison first, Kong shi said. Please enlighten me! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. While he still had some years before the triggering of the Innate Fetal Poison, he still hoped to cure himself of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would be unable to shake off the tensioning from the feeling that he was already standing in deaths jaws. The Innate Fetal Poison is nted into the body of an expecting body in order to strip a fetus bloodline or to destroy its vitality. As the poison is nted during a fetus developmental phase, its viewed to be an inherent condition by the body, so ordinary medicines are ineffective on it. Theres only one way to resolve it for good, and thats to be a 9-star master teacher and undergo the Tribtion of Heavenly mes. If you can draw the mes into your body and use the heat to sear the poison aura, youll be able to resolve the poison easily. Of course, the heavenly mes are a violent and dangerous power to deal with, and the slightest carelessness could result in one being reduced to ash. I had to pay quite a heavy price in order to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison back then, Kong shi exined. The Tribtion of Heavenly mes... Got it. Thank you, Kong shi! Zhang Xuan sped his fists once more. Given that these words hade from Kong shi himself, the Tribtion of Heavenly mes should be effective. With this, he would finally have a concrete direction to work toward. Given his current strength, he still had some way to go before bing a 9-star master teacher. Nevertheless, with his rate of cultivation, it should not be too difficult for him to get there before thirty. The Innate Fetal Poison only triggers after stepping into your thirties, but still, it would be best for you to resolve it as soon as possible. You have just reached your twenties not too long ago, and if you can resolve it before twenty-five, you can avoid having your strength and potentialpromised by it! Kong shi warned grimly. Zhang Xuan nodded. I understand! Indeed, this matter should be resolved as soon as possible. After wrapping up the current mess that he was in, he should put his attention solely into raising his cultivation and strive for a breakthrough to 9-star master teacher within two months! Once he seeded, everything would swiftly fall into ce. Now that we have resolved your problem, I would like to talk to you about the Pavilion Master Seal. This artifact is forged using three droplets of my blood essence, and once you tame it, itll assume the form of droplets on your palm. By touching it, you will be able to... Hu! Kong shis figure suddenly flickered. Will be able to? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat upon seeing this sight, and he hurriedly urged Kong shi to finish his sentence. ... able to... H! Reaching his limit, Kong shis silhouette dissipated into thin air. Hong long! Zhang Xuans mind jolted, and he found himself still sitting right before Zhao Ya. Up in the sky, Wei Ruyan and You Ruoxin had barely begun their battle, and everyone was still where he remembered them to be. Nothing seemed to have changed at all. It was as if that conversation had urred in frozen time. It was fortunate that was the case, or else it could have ended in a disaster for Zhao Ya. That fellow didnt finish his words again! Everyone says that hes the Worlds Teacher, but who in the world disappears halfway through passing down important information! Zhang Xuan grumbled furiously beneath his breath. How many times had this happened to date? To think that the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a figure respected by so many people, would actually be so unreliable! Forget it... Zhang Xuan nced at the crimson droplets on his palm and murmured curiously, He mentioned something about touching it earlier. If I really touch it, what will happen? Chapter 1544 - A Sudden Intruder

Chapter 1544: A Sudden Intruder

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 When he touched it previously, a Kong shi had popped up. Even if he touched it once more, nothing bad would happen, right? With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the crimson droplet once more. Hong long! As soon as his finger came into contact with the crimson droplet, immense power suddenly began surging into his body. Following which, the crimson droplet that he touched began shrinking at a visible rate before vanishing without a trace. T-this... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment at the changes in his body. His entire body was filled with power, and he felt as if he couldmand and destroy the world at his will. What strength is this? Zhang Xuan thought in disbelief. He was a Saint 8-dan primary stage cultivator, but after taking in the power from the crimson droplet, he found himself far surpassing his limits, reaching a level that was beyond his imagination. Even though he could not clearly assess how powerful he was at the moment, he could feel that he wielded enough power to crush the space around him with ease. Could this be what Ren Qingyuan said earlier about a level that is invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage? Previously, when Ren Qingyuan first took out the Pavilion Master Seal, he had said that those who were able to tame it would be able tomand strength invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage. He had thought that the other party was simply exaggerating, but to think that it would be true! The crimson droplets in his palm seemed to be the blood essence that Kong shi had infused into the Pavilion Master Seal, and by touching one, he would be able to take in the energy in the blood essence andmand devastating power. However... this power ultimately still isnt mine, so there should be a time limit to it,Zhang Xuan concluded after some thought. As strong as this power was, it was different from Cultivation Impartation. Rather than saying that it had raised his cultivation, it was more like a cloak of power that he donned temporarily. For a set amount of time, he would wield tremendous power. However, as time passed, the power would swiftly diminish, and once it had been depleted, he would return to how he originally was. Three crimson dropletsthat should mean that I can use this ability thrice... Having made sense of the matter, Zhang Xuan finally understood what Kong shi wanted to say before disappearing. Most likely, Kong shi was going to exin how the Pavilion Master Seal worked, but his unexpected question about the Innate Fetal Poison resulted in him not having enough time to talk about the matter. No matter how powerful one was, as long as one sessfully tamed the Pavilion Master Seal, one would have three opportunities to wield strength invincible beneath Ancient Sage. As expected of the Worlds Teacher! The artifacts that he created were indeed on a whole new level. No matter what kind of mystical effects an artifact could have, nothing was safer than raw power. With this trump card in his possession, his safety would be assured! With such strength at my disposal, the Zhang n, the cier in Court, and the Sanctum of Sages wont pose a threat to me anymore! Zhang Xuan thought with a soft chuckle. He had still been wondering how he should resolve the problem before him, but with such strength at his disposal, he had nothing to fear anymore. In the worst-case scenario, he would just have to force all of them to submit to him! However, I still need to resolve the problem with Zhao Yas meridians first... As excited as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that his priority should be the tightly-wrapped youngdy before him. He continued to forge the pathways for Zhao Yas meridians, but in the midst of doing so, he realized that due to the rise in his strength, he was able to control his zhenqi more finely, allowing him to hasten the process significantly. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It should have taken at least two more hours, but with this, I should be able toplete it within ten minutes. While Zhang Xuan was treating Zhao Ya, the battle in the sky came to an end as well. You Ruoxins face had turnedpletely ck from poison, and her convulsing body plummeted to the ground. Be it in terms of poison art or even just raw power, she was far from a match for Wei Ruyan. In fact, had it not been for Zhang Xuan instructing his students not to kill anyone, she would have already been dead by now. Seeing that her junior, Wei Ruyan, had dealt with one of the culprits, Wang Ying turned to Zhan shi and said, If I recall correctly... Zhan shi, you issued an instruction to have my teacher arrested and killed as well, right? I reckon that you wouldnt like it if my other juniors such as Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were to challenge you... So, you wont turn down a fight from a spirit awakener like me, right? I... Zhan shis face twitched in fright upon hearing those words. Considering how Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were able to stand squarely against Ren Qingyuan, he would indeed stand no chance against those two monsters. However, the youngdy in front of him was not a weakling either! She was the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild, and it would be foolish to underestimate the means that she had at her disposal! If you are unwilling to fight, theres another way out of this. Apologize to my teacher now and retract your orders! Wang Ying harrumphed coldly with a fling of her sleeves. Apologize? Thats impossible! Zhan shi roared resolutely. Even if I die, I wont stand for anyone humiliating the Sanctum of Sages! I see. Ill fulfill your wish for a valiant death then! Seeing that the other partys mind was set, Wang Ying could not be bothered to waste her breath anymore. She raised her palm, and one of the Master Teacher Pavilions immediately charged toward Zhan shi. Hu! A huge gale roared under the Master Teacher Pavilions charge. The charge of something as colossal as an entire Master Teacher Pavilion was a rather imposing sight. Zhan shi stood his ground and gathered his zhenqi to form an eight-meterrge palm print, and he thrust it right into the charging Master Teacher Pavilion. Kacha! The palm strike burst right through the Master Teacher Pavilion, causing it to copse entirely. However, Zhan shi was also forced to retreat under the impact as well. Stop it! Thats our Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion! an 8-star master teacher yelled in despair by the side. If you want to fight, do it somewhere else! Why do you have to use our buildings and property as coteral damage? He shi, I cant care that much at this point, Zhan shi replied helplessly as he leaped forward and dashed for Wang Ying. Kill a cavalry by shooting down its horse; destroy a band of thieves by nabbing its leader! If the situation continued, it would only be a matter of time before he was worn down by the endless assault of buildings. In order to get out of this quandary, he would have to nab Wang Ying first! Do you really think that my strength onlyes from my enchantments? Wang Ying scoffed as she looked at Zhan shis swiftly approaching figure. Unlike Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan, she had not met with any fortuitous encounters nor did she possess a unique constitution, but as the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, she had amassed the strength of her predecessors. No longer was she that naive and powerless girl of the past. She raised her hand and thrust her palm forward. Her movements were not fast, but they carried fearsome might. In the midst of his charge, Zhan shi suddenly felt a shudder run down his spine. Knowing that he would not be able to withstand the attack head on, he quickly leaped upward. But following his movement, he suddenly found his surroundings turning dark. Turning his gaze upward, he saw a massive puppet towering above him, and it was in the midst of swinging its fist toward him. Its the Guardian Artifact of the Spirit Awakener Guild, the Empyrean Puppet! Ren Qingyuan bellowed in shock. H! Unfortunately, his warning came toote. There was no way that Zhan shi could avoid the massive fist of the Empyrean Puppet anymore. Once it struck him, even though he was a Saint 9-dan primary stage expert, he would be inflicted with severe injuries that would leave him incapacitated for months on end. At that crucial moment, a sharp, cold glint shed across the sky, deflecting the puppets fist, apanied by an imposing voice. Stop! Chapter 1545 - A Duel with the Sword Saint

Chapter 1545: A Duel with the Sword Saint

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That sword qi was powerful and magnificent, carrying a wholesome intent to it. Even though it hade from afar, it did not seem to be restricted by the concept of time. It seemed to have abruptly materialized right before the puppets fist, thus saving Zhan shi in the nick of time. That was a full might attack from the Empyrean Puppet, yet it had easily been deflected by the other party. An expert... Wang Ying narrowed her eyes warily. She hurriedly turned her gaze in the direction that the sword qi had originated from. At the same time, Zheng Yang also tightened his grasp on his spear, prepared to make a move at any moment. To be able to deflect Wang Yings attack from such a long distance away, the persons strength was at least on par with Ren Qingyuans. In fact, in the field of swordsmanship, that person might even have surpassed Ren Qingyuan! Its the Speed Sword Quintessence! Zhang Xuan, who was still in the midst of reconstructing Zhao Yas meridians, suddenly spoke up at this point. With a nod, he answered the doubt that was in everyones mind. Its probably the head of the Zhang n, the father of the young prodigy, Sword Saint Xing! He had already learned the essence of the Zhang n swordsmanship back in the Zhang n, and he knew its capabilities very well. It was capable of allowing ones sword qi to break free from the restraints of time and reach ones opponents in an instant. However, the only one who could pull off such fine control of it even from a long distance away was the legendary head of the Zhang n, Sword Saint Xing! I was intending to challenge him back when I was still at the Zhang n, but he was nowhere to be seen. Since hes here, its a good opportunity to see if hes really as strong as the others make him out to be! Zhang Xuan thought with a smile. During his trip to the Zhang n, he had managed to make an appointment to duel with Sword Saint Xing, but in the end, he did not get to meet the other party. Who could have thought that they woulde by one another here? Since that was the case, he could use the other party as a sparring partner to try out his newfound strength while exacting vengeance for Elder Jian. More importantly, he would make it clear to the other party that if his son wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin, he would have to get past him first! H! Barely after those thoughts surfaced in his head, the space ahead of him suddenly rippled, and two figures came into appearancea middle-aged man and a middle-ageddy. They were the couple who had been going around in search of their son, Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng! Those two had been going in the opposite direction from the Empire Alliance when they received Yang shis message and rushed over. n head... Upon seeing the two of them, Zhang Wuheng immediately rushed up to them in agitation, as if he was looking at his savior. First Elder, what happened to you? Sword Saint Xings eyebrows twitched in astonishment. As the number one n on the Master Teacher Continent, even the Master Teacher Pavilion would have tread carefully around the Zhang n. Yet, for its First Elder to be pummeled to such a state, not sparing any heed for the Zhang ns dignity at all... Just who could the culprit be? Its all because of that darned Zhang Xuan and his students! Zhang Wuheng spat as he pointed at the youngd below. n head, you must redress my grievances! Otherwise, what will others think of our Zhang n? If we dont deal with this promptly, well be theughingstock of the Master Teacher Continent! Zhang Xuan? Upon hearing Zhang Wuhengs words, Sword Saint Meng immediately followed the First Elders finger, and soon after, a young man gazing in her direction appeared in her field of vision. In that instant, her body began shuddering uncontrobly. It must be him! Dear, I am certain about itit must be him! Sword Saint Meng turned to her husband and eximed passionately through zhenqi telepathy. Even she had no idea why she was so certain that the young man before her was her son. She was aware that her ims were unfounded, but she had always trusted her intuition, and she could feel an inexplicable connection with the young man. Fearing that his wife might run amok, Sword Saint Xing hurriedly grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Calm down, dear. As long as hes our son, well surely be able to reunite with him today... He had no idea what was going on, but given the fact the First Elder could still be pummeled to such a state despite the presence of so many 9-star master teachers, it would appear that Zhang Xuan was no ordinary figure. It was one thing if the other party was really their son, but if he was not their son and they still rushed over to acknowledge him, that would really make things awkward. In the first ce, it was already a huge embarrassment for the Zhang n to be forced to such a position. If they made a mistake at this point, the Zhang ns reputation might really be lost for good! Seeing right through her husbands concerns, Sword Saint Meng bellowed telepathically with gritted teeth, Are you doubting my words? Theres no way I would fail to recognize my own son! Even if he has matured, my blood still flows in his veins! I know what you are feeling. As much as hes your son, hes my son as well! You are anxious to reunite with him, but so am I! However, its precisely at a time like this that we must remain calm and ensure nothing goes wrong! Isnt there a scarlet birthmark on our childs bottom? Ill find an excuse to ask about itter on, and as long as we can verify that, well reunite with him right away, alright? Sword Saint Xing appeased his wife. Even though their son was a Connate Saint, that did not change the fact that he had only been an infant when he left their side. Furthermore, the other party seemed to have a slightly different soul aura from their son, which made it more important to verify the matter. And the easiest and least intrusive method to do so was through his birthmark. All parts of a persons body could change over time, but ones birthmarks would never disappear. Very well! Knowing that there was some sense in what Sword Saint Xing was saying, Sword Saint Meng nodded andposed herself. Seeing how the couple had been mumbling between themselves intimately ever since arriving, Zheng Yangs eyebrows shot up, and he walked forward. Are you the head of the Zhang n? You came at the perfect time. I havent had a chance to make a move yet, so do you want to be my opponent? Fearing that Sword Saint Xing would not recognize the young man, Zhang Wuheng quickly reported telepathically, That young man is Zhang Xuans student, as well as the Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang! So, you are the Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang! I have long heard your name, but I didnt think that you would be Zhang shis student... Sword Saint Xing sped his fist and greeted the young man. Dont bother wasting your breath on cr*p like that; you just have to say whether you wish to fight or not! Your Zhang n has humiliated my teacher, but your First Elder still refuses to apologize for his misdeeds. If you dont wish to have a duel with me, Im willing to drop the matter at an apology from you as well! Zheng Yang looked at Sword Saint Xing haughtily as he raised his spear imposingly, causing the air to moan under the pressure of his movement. He knew that Sword Saint Xing was a formidable expert who had made his name ages ago, but as the Progeny of Combat, he had already resolved himself not to back down from any opponent. Courage and tenacity would be his strongest weapons. Since he had gone there to vent his teachers anger, he would have to make sure to beat the three powers into submission so that they would not dare utter another word. Im fine with having a duel with you as well, but... Sword Saint Xing paused for a moment as a smile surfaced on his lips. ... I happen to have an appointment for a duel with your teacher. Since the both of us are here, I would rather settle that matter first before dealing with whatever you have for me! Do you think that any random person on the street is qualified to duel with my esteemed teacher? Zheng Yang harrumphed. Of course, if you can get past me, there will be nothing I can say about you challenging my teacher... but if you cant, just know that I wont stop until you finally apologize! Your words do make sense. Its perfectly normal for a student to stand up on his teachers behalf, and theres nothing I can say about it, Sword Saint Xing said. However... the perpetrator behind the grudge with the Zhang n is your teacher, and only when he resolves it personally can others ept the oue. As a student, dont you think that it might be too disrespectful of you to meddle in every single one of your teachers affairs? If word spreads, people will think that the matter was resolved only because Zhang shi took in a good student, and that wouldnt look too good, right? That... Zheng Yang was put at a loss for words. His mind had been preupied with how he could vent his teachers anger, so he had not thought too deeply about the possible implications for his teacher as a result of his actions. He hated to admit it, but Sword Saint Xing was right. Of course, there was no issue with a student stepping forward to protect their teacher, but if they went overboard, it would make the teacher appear ipetent instead. And ipetence was one word that no master teacher would ever want their name to be associated with. Teacher, I... Realizing all of these, Zheng Yang turned to his teacher in seek of his opinion, only to see thetter chuckling softly. Its fine, I can handle this matter. Its true that I had an appointment for a duel with the head of the Zhang n, and since he wishes to proceed with it, Im more than willing to entertain him! Chapter 1546 - Zhang Xuan Offers His Pointers (1)

Chapter 1546: Zhang Xuan Offers His Pointers (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Teacher, your current cultivation realm... Zheng Yang eximed anxiously. His teacher was only at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage whereas the fact that the head of the Zhang n was able to execute a burst of sword qi to deflect Wang Yings puppet from such a long distance away showed that his cultivation was surely above Saint 9-dan! Considering the huge disparity in their cultivation, how were they supposed to fight with one another? Making use of the crimson droplets formed from the Pavilion Master Seal, Zhang Xuan currently wielded strength far beyond his limits, but due to his high Soul Depth, the nature of the Heavens Path zhenqi, and the fact that he had not showcased it at all, not even Zheng Yang was aware of the massive change in his teachers fighting prowess over the past few seconds. Knowing what Zheng Yang was worried about, Sword Saint Xing added with a smile, I can lower my cultivation to Zhang shis level, and itll only be a simple duel of swordsmanship, so you can rest assured that I wont injure your teacher! If I lose, Ill apologize to you on behalf of the Zhang n and not pursue everything that happened before. However, if I win, Ill have to ask Zhang shi to abide by the agreement that we made previously! When Zhang Xuan challenged Sword Saint Xing to a duel back then, he had promised that he would join the Zhang n as an elder if he lost the duel. Of course, I wont renege on my promise! Zhang Xuan nodded. However, since its a duel, I wont take advantage of you either. Theres no need for you to suppress your cultivation. Just bring forth your strongest move against me! You want me to use my strongest move against you? Sword Saint Xing was taken aback. Given his cultivation realm, if he used his strongest move, even Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan would have trouble dealing with it. Did the Dimension Sundering realm primary stage young man really mean the words that he said? Has that fellow gone mad? Ren Qingyuan, Zhang Wuheng, and the others were perplexed by Zhang Xuans words as well. They had seen the young mans strength earlier, and other than his many means and powerful students, there was really nothing spectacr about him at all. To actually ask Sword Saint Xing to use his strongest move against him without suppressing his cultivation... that was as good as asking to be killed! Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded. On top of that, Ill sit here and fight you with a single hand. If my body moves in the slightest or my other hand is utilized, Ill admit my defeat! ... Sword Saint Xings face twitched uncontrobly upon hearing those words. He had two reasons for challenging Zhang Xuan to a fight. Firstly, he wanted to check if the young man was his son. Secondly, he could better resolve the enmity between the young man and the Zhang n through this manner, appeasing the elders of the Zhang n while carefully controlling his strength to ensure that the young man did not sustain any grievous wounds. It was one thing for the young man not to reciprocate his goodwill, but to utter such arrogant words on top of that... He sure is like you... Just as Sword Saint Xing was just about to explode from rage, he suddenly heard his wifes voice in his ears, and his body twitched in horror. Am I really that arrogant? You were even more arrogant than him when you were younger! Sword Saint Meng replied with a smile. This... Sword Saint Xing scratched his head before looking at Zhang Xuan helplessly. Alright then. Since thats your request, Ill do just that! After saying those words, he descended from the sky to the ground. But the moment that his foot came into contact with the ground, the telepathic voice of his wife echoed in his mind. If you so much harm a single strand of hair on my son, do not dream of getting into my bed in the future! I... Sword Saint Xing staggered upon hearing those words, and he nearly burst into tears. Just what have I done so wrong to warrant such a fate? Could the young man have expected this oue when he proposed to face his attack with one hand while sitting on the ground? Teacher... In contrast to Sword Saint Xings tearfulness, Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and the others directed worried gazes at Zhang Xuan. Each of them had a fortuitous encounter of their own that had allowed them to improve swiftly. However, their teacher had not been lucky enough to have such an encounter, so his cultivation had ended upgging behind them at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage. With his current strength, there was no way that he could stand a chance against the full-powered Sword Saint Xing! There was absolutely zero chance of victory at all! Dont worry. When has our teacher waged a war that hes unconfident of winning? Since our teacher has said such words, he definitely has a n in mind! Yuan Tao said with a smile. I guess thats true... Zheng Yang pondered for a moment before nodding. Wei Ruyan hade under Zhang Xuans lineage a littlete, so she was unaware of many of his past exploits. Nevertheless, she still had a rough grasp of thetters temperament and character. If there was one thing that she was certain about, this teacher of hers would never take the short end of a stick! Those who dared challenge him would only end up tragically defeated! Wait a moment! Have any of you realized that our teachers aura seemed to have... changed. Wang Ying suddenly spoke up. I could still roughly gauge the depth of his strength earlier, but right now, no matter how I look at him, its like staring into an endless ocean, unable to see the end of it no matter how one squints. Those words prompted Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and the others to take a good look at their teacher once more, and indeed, there were some significant changes with thetter. Even though he was still seated on the spot, the energy within his body appeared to have been amplified many times over, reaching a level that even they could not urately gauge anymore. Our teacher might have made a breakthrough again... Lu Chong suggested uncertainly. As a soul oracle, his sensitivity to his environment was much higher than the others. Just a moment ago, his teacher had still been at a level that he could defeat easily, but right now... just by standing in the vicinity of his teacher, he felt a powerful pressure pressing down on him, suffocating him. He had no idea just what could induce such a massive change in his teacher within such a short period of time, but considering that it was his teacher whom they were talking about, even the impossible did not seem too impossible anymore. Seeing that his teacher was prepared, Zheng Yang was finally able to put down the worries in his heart. With a light chuckle, he ushered the others to the side and said, Since thats the case, theres no need for us to worry then. Lets just sit back and watch our teacher teach Sword Saint Xing a lesson! Remembering dearly his wifes threat, Sword Saint Xing took a deep breath before he flicked his wrist and whipped out his sword. Make your move! I fear that I might identally injure you if I wield my sword. Since its a friendly duel, Ill pass on using my sword, Zhang Xuan nced at Sword Saint Xing and spokeposedly. You arent going to wield a sword? How are you intend to fight then? In that moment, Sword Saint Xing felt like wing his hair out. There was really no way tomunicate with such arrogant fools! Fine, he admitted that he had been pretty egoistical when he was younger, often trying to humblebrag whenever the opportunity arose. However, even he had not reached this level of boastfulness before! It was almost as if the young man was trying to p his face with his every sentence! Anyone else in his shoes would have already turned irrational from rage at this point, but somehow, toward the young man sitting before him... he could not get angry even if he wanted to. He still was not too sure whether the young man was truly his son or not, but he could grasp what his wife was saying. It was hard to put it into words, but it felt like there was an inseverable connection between him and the young man. Ill just fight you like this. Oblivious to the thoughts running through Sword Saint Xings mind, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and a surge of sword qi exactly three chi long gathered at the tip of his finger, emanating a cold glint. Very well then, do whatever pleases you. Just... try to avoid getting hurt, alright? It was hard to tell if it was out of rage or frustration, but Sword Saint Xing heaved a deep sigh. Following which, he flicked his sword and pierced it right toward Zhang Xuan. He had only used a tenth of his might, but he did not hold back on his Sword Intent at all. The moment that the sword stabbed forth, it transcended through space and appeared right in front of Zhang Xuans be the next moment. Not bad, I have to say that your swordsmanship is quite decent! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. As expected of the number one expert of the Zhang n swordsmanship! As soon as he made his move, it was immediately apparent that his swordsmanship had reached a much higher level than Zhang Xu and the others. Without bothering to dodge, Zhang Xuan remained seated on the spot. He continued to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians with his left hand while raising his right hand and tapping the space in front of him. A burst of sword qi shot forth from his fingertip, and it transcended the limitations of space in an instant. Be it the initiation move, the intent, or the release of the technique, the sword art that Zhang Xuan had just executed waspletely identical to that of Sword Saint Xing. If the others were not aware of the hostile rtionship between Zhang Xuan and the Zhang n, they would have thought that they were brothers from the same lineage sparring with one another. However, even though it was the exact same move, Zhang Xuans attack managed to reach its target first despite itster release. From the looks of it, Sword Saint Xings swordsmanship would be undone before it could push even the slightest centimeter further. This... Sword Saint Xings body recoiled in astonishment at the unexpected turn in events as he gasped in disbelief. How is this possible? Chapter 1547 - Zhang Xuan Offers His Pointers (2)

Chapter 1547: Zhang Xuan Offers His Pointers (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sword Saint Xings understanding of the Zhang ns swordsmanship had already reached an inconceivable level. Every subtle movement that he made was in alignment with the essence of the Speed Sword Quintessence, yet the young man was still able to get to him faster despite releasing his sword artter. Not only so, the young mans strength had also far surpassed his! If he failed to dodge this move, the young man would swiftly nullify any strength that hemanded, such that his sword would not be able to deal any damage even if it fell on the young mans body. Humph! Knowing that he was facing a true expert, Sword Saint Xing decisively gave up on the idea of going easy on the young man. He took a deep breath before sliding his feet half a step back. After which, his sword curved in a unique and bizarre trajectory, forcefully transforming a pierce into a hack. You are going to the extent of executing the Dragon ying Sword? You... Upon seeing the move that her husband had executed, Sword Saint Meng nearly exploded on the spot. If there was anyone in this world who knew Sword Saint Xing the best, it was indubitably her. The two of them had practiced the Dragon ying Sword for quite some time before they had been able to achieve some level of aplishment in the sword art. While it was not the strongest sword art that they had, the might that itmanded was mind-boggling. Even Ren Qingyuan would fluster in its face! To execute such a move against him barely after the battle had started... didnt I tell you to go easy on him? Is that how you take my instructions? Sword Saint Meng gnashed her teeth furiously. If I allow you to evene close to my bed, Ill write my surname upside down from this day forth! You reacted faster than I thought! While Zhang Xuan had managed to outdo the head of the Zhang n at the first encounter, he had to admit that the other party was a pretty formidable opponent. The other party was actually able to instantaneously determine that his defense would arrive faster than his offense, and he decisively changed his assault andunched a counterattack. Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan raised his right hand once more and tapped his finger forward. It was the same move as before; however, this time, the target was not Sword Saint Xings be but his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, Sword Saint Xings strike would have struck down on Zhang Xuans head first due to the longer distance from Zhang Xuans finger to Sword Saint Xings shoulder. However... from the trajectory of his hack, if Sword Saint Xing continued with his offense, his wrist would cross paths with Zhang Xuans burst of sword qi. With the sharpness of his sword qi, there was no doubt that Sword Saint Xings wrist would be severed before his sword could manage to strike down on Zhang Xuans head. Sword Saint Xings face twitched upon realizing this fact, and his face turned even more severe than before. He had thought that given the disparity in their cultivation, he should be able to defeat the young man easily. Who would have thought that even when he utilized his full strength, he would still be unable to outdo the young man? The young man might have been young, but his eyes seemed to see right through his sword arts and maneuvers. Each and every time, the young man was able to read his movements and seal his offense swiftly. Not only so, the worst thing was that... the other party was still using the exact same move! That move was the most basic sword art of the Zhang n swordsmanship, and it was known as the Probing Sword. Just as the name suggested, the purpose of this was to probe the other partys moves and gauge the depth of the other partys strength beforeunching a decisive counterattack at the critical moment... Yet, using such a basic move, the young man had actually managed to seal off his offense twice. Just how deep was his mastery in swordsmanship? I dont believe this! Sword Saint Xing knew that his wrist would be sliced right off if he forcefully pushed on with his current assault, so he took half a step back and flicked his sword once more. In an instant, innumerable cold glints shed across Zhang Xuans eyes, reminiscent of the countless stars in the sky, and they darted right for Zhang Xuans eyes. Falling Sword of Starry Sky! This was a sword art that had taken him three years to create. It still was not his strongest move, but it was at least two times stronger than the Dragon ying Sword that he had executed previously. This move consisted of countless pierces from differing directions, which made it extremely difficult to deal with. On top of that, it also had a beguiling effect on ones mind and soul. The first time that he had executed it, even Sword Saint Meng had suffered a bit under its incredible prowess. Since his first two moves had been foiled, Sword Saint Xing had no intention of holding back anymore. As soon as the attack was executed, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was standing amid countless stars. His surroundings seemed to have emptied out, and it felt as if he was standing in the midst of a void devoid of the concepts of time and space. In such a state, it was difficult for him to even perceive his directions clearly, let alone determine where the attacks wereing from. To make an analogy, it was simr to how a celestial body looked the exact same no matter how fast it was approaching one, making it hard to gauge its exact distance away from one using ones eyes. This was currently the kind of attack that Zhang Xuan was facing. In the face of the sword art, he found himself unable to urately perceive how far he was from the sword pierces, and that was something extremely dangerous in battle. Teacher... Zheng Yang grasped onto his spear tightly as cold sweat trickled down his body. Even he could not say for sure if he would be able to ovee that sword with his current strength. Would his teacher be in danger then? Before the many anxious gazes centered on him, Zhang Xuan finally moved. No different from his previous movements, he executed another Probing Sword right toward Sword Saint Xing. Hu! The sword qi flew forth, but just when it was some distance from reaching its target, it suddenly seemed to have struck something. Following which, all of the stars copsed, and the phenomenon that the sword art had created vanished without a trace. Deng deng deng deng! Sword Saint Xing felt his blood churning furiously as he retreated eight steps, and his widened eyes stared intently at Zhang Xuan in disbelief and shock. The Probing Sword was actually able to ovee my Falling Sword of Starry Sky... How is this possible? While this move was not the strongest sword art that he had cultivated, its might was still not to be underestimated. He could not ept the fact that his Falling Sword of Starry Sky could actually be ovee by such a simple techniqueit was no different from a Mortal battle technique overpowering a Saint battle technique! Hehe! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. With the voice of a wise elder, he said, The sword is the extension of ones strength. As long as one is able to bring it to a certain point at a certain moment, it will be able defeat any enemy. Sword arts are auxiliary maneuvers that serve to achieve that aim. The Probing Sword might be the simplest move in the Zhang ns swordsmanship, but its precisely due to its simplicity that its flexible enough to be used in many unpredictable situations. In the hands of an expert, its strength can be truly fearsome. Its simr to a drunkard holding a sword, hacking around randomly. There might not be any order of any sort to it, but its fearsome precisely because of its unpredictable nature. Its impossible to fathom the intention of the attacker, along with when and where the next attack willnd. Of course, just the randomness and unpredictability of ones offense isnt enough. The reason why a cultivator is able to curb an armed drunkard easily is due to theck of purpose in his offense. Only when one could grasp the enemys intents and attack trajectory would one be able tounch attacks purposefully to curb the enemys offense! I have to admit that your Fallen Sword of Starry Sky is formidable. It locks onto its targets mind, spirit, and psyche, making it difficult to escape from it. However, in order to lock onto the targets mind, spirit, and psyche, there must be some kind of intermediary to establish a connection, and that intermediary is the very opening in your move. My counterattack was simple, but it urately struck the intermediary. Given so, its inevitable that your sword art would copse altogether! To make an analogy, this is simr to the concept of bringing down a fortress. It might seem impregnable on the surface, but as long as one strikes it at its crux, one can easily bring an entire fortress to the ground! Simplicity in ones swordsmanship might not necessarily be a bad thing. If utilized well in the right manner, it can achieve spectacr results. At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Sword Saint Xing and sighed deeply before saying, Sword Saint Xing, its not that I want to lecture you, but you are overly obsessed with the form and movement of your sword, to the extent that youve lost sight of what swordsmanship truly is! I... Sword Saint Xings face reddened. As one of the strongest sword practitioners in the world, he had actually ended up being lectured by a young man who could very well be his child. His face immediately burned bright red from embarrassment. Theres no need to be embarrassed by that. Its already very rare for someone of our age to be able toe up with such a sword art and Sword Intent... Zhang Xuan consoled with a smile. If you are willing to learn, I can offer you some pointers in your swordsmanship so that you can further your skills! Chapter 1548 - Admits Defeat

Chapter 1548: Admits Defeat

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pfft! Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Sword Saint Meng began trembling uncontrobly, and eventually, she could not hold herself back and burst into heartyughter. As expected of her son, he sure was gutsy! Well said! she shouted. Her husband had grown too arrogant from being in a high position for too long. For some reason, she felt exceptionally refreshed to see him getting pummeled by their son. This... Hearing Sword Saint Mengs words, many of the 9-star master teachers and the experts of the Zhang n exchanged nces. Just whose side was the matriarch of the Zhang n on? Wei Ruyan, Wang Ying, and the others were dumbfounded as well. Despite seeing her husband getting pummeled and lectured, she was still able to cheer the other party on so happily. Those of the Zhang n sure were peculiar! ... Sword Saint Xing looked at his wife, who wasughing so hard that she seemed about to fall from the sky, before turning his sight to the young man, who was staring at him earnestly, and he suddenly felt so frustrated that he could spurt blood. Hisplexion was as poor as it could be. Were it not for his cultured upbringing, he would have been hurling vulgarities at this moment. It just so happens that my mastery of swordsmanship surpasses yours a little, and I wish to trade some insights with you. Theres no need to get too nervous, Zhang Xuan said. Theres no need for that! Sword Saint Xing flung his sleeves and harrumphed. We can trade insights after the duel is over. I still have another move here, and if you can block it, Ill consider it your victory! Hu! Without waiting for the other party to respond, Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly and thrust his sword straight forward. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan shook his head and tapped his finger over once more. It was still the same Probing Sword, but this time, his sword qi was much sharper than before. It pierced right through space as soon as it appeared, creating a pitch-ck trail along the path of its movement. Is that... Dimension Severing Sword Qi? To be able to cleave space with his sword qi... But thats an ability that only the strongest Great Sages possess! Isnt he only in the Dimension Sundering realm? How is he that powerful? The expressions of all those present warped in shock. This was especially so for Zhang Wuheng, You Ruoxin, and the others. Their faces had turned ghastly white in disbelief. All along, they had attributed the damage that Zhang Xuan had caused due to his ability tomand lightning tribtion. His strength should have been nothing of concern to them at all. When in the world did he be so powerful? Had they known in advance, they would have simply left the matter be instead of causing such a huge fuss only to embarrass themselves! T-this... Ren Qingyuan also widened his eyes in horror. If he had known that Zhang Xuan was such a powerful master teacher, he never would have issued an arrest warrant on him. Just the ability to pull off Dimension Severing Sword Qi meant that the strength that Zhang Xuan wielded was alreadyparable to the grand elders, and even as the deputy pavilion master, he had no right to deal with a master teacher of that caliber. Its no wonder he was able to groom so many formidable students... Ren Qingyuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he turned his gaze to Zheng Yang and the others. However, he swiftly noticed something peculiar among the group of students. There waspletely no sign of surprise on their faces, as if Zhang Xuans abrupt power growth was perfectly normal. It was almost as if they felt that it was only a given for Zhang Xuan to be that powerful! Monsters... Those are really a bunch of monsters... Ren Qingyuan thought as his body shuddered in fear. Hu! Before everyones shocked gaze, Zhang Xuans sword qi finally arrived before Sword Saint Xing. Sword Saint Xing did not seem to be intending to go down without a fight either. He flicked his sword, and with a silver streak of light, it flew right for Zhang Xuans throat. Three Swords of the Grim Reaper! Upon seeing that move, Sword Saint Meng widened her eyes in horror. The Three Swords of the Grim Reaper was the ultimate technique that she and Sword Saint Xing had cultivated for many years in order to serve as their ultimate trump card, only to free themselves from the direst of situations. So far, they had not been cornered to the point where they had to use it, but to think that its first use would actually be on their son! Sword Saint Meng immediately whipped out her sword and prepared to dash forward to save her son. However, at that moment, she saw a smile creeping onto the edges of the young mans lips, and he calmly opened his mouth to speak. Stop! Hu! Everything in the surroundings seemed toe to a halt along with his word. The iparably sharp sword that Sword Saint Xing was dragging toward Zhang Xuans neck abruptly froze in midair, as if a fish frozen within a block of ice. Go! With another calm word, the sword qi gathered at Zhang Xuans fingertip shot outward, and the Three Swords of the Grim Reaper immediately unraveled. At the same time, Sword Saint Xing sustained a heavy blow, and he was forced to retreat several steps. Y-y-you... Was that Dimension Sealing Diction? Sword Saint Xing widened his eyes in shock as his body trembled in fear. Only a demonic tunist who had refined their art to the level of an Ancient Sage should be able to wield the ability to seal space at their word. No one in the Demonic Tunist Guild had achieved it in countless millenniums, yet Zhang Xuan had actually managed to pull it off. How could that be possible? That isnt exactly Dimension Sealing Diction. It just happens that your state of mind is a little weak, so Im able to easily influence you with my words and force you to stop driving your zhenqi! Zhang Xuan said. He might have wielded powers invincible beneath Ancient Sage after taming the Pavilion Master Seal, but it was still beyond his means to execute the demonic tunists Dimension Sealing Diction. The reason he could get the other party to stop was through his Impartation of Heavens Will, augmented by his exceptionally high Soul Depth and Heart of Teacher, thuspelling Sword Saint Xing to follow his bidding without any questions asked! In truth, even if he did not use this move, given his current strength, he would still have been able to defeat Sword Saint Xing with ease. However, this was the method that would bring the most shock to the crowd, and knowing that there was a limit to the duration of the droplet of power, this was what he needed as well. Incredible! Incredible! Sword Saint Xing pondered for a moment before making sense of what had happened. His eyes glowed in agitation as he turned his gaze to the young man. The fury in his eyes had subsided, and recing it was pride and delight instead. A hugemotion had urred when his son was born, and that was more than enough to tell anyone of the extraordinary fate that hadin ahead of his son. However, several unfortunate events had urred afterward, and he had thought that his sons talents would forever be buried in the dust, never to shine brightly. Who would have thought that when they met once more, his son would be stronger and more talented than he had expected? Theres no need to test him out anymore, hes definitely my son! Only my son could wield such capabilities and means... This thought sent surges of exhration through Sword Saint Xings veins, and he beganughing heartily. When he finally calmed down once more, he looked at Zhang Xuan and said, Since you were able to ovee even my strongest Three Swords of the Grim Reaper, Ill admit defeat! Youre going to admit defeat? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Going by previous scripts, the opponent should have continued provoking him out of concern for their dignity and reputation, all the way till they were severely wounded and incapacitated. He did not think that Sword Saint Xing would give up so easily. This was a matter that concerned the entire Zhang n, but Sword Saint Xing was still able to remain rational and not allow the weight of his responsibility to blind himself. This gave Zhang Xuan a very favorable impression of him. I would only embarrass myself further at this point. Since thats the case, I might as well admit defeat! Sword Saint Xingughed. As one of top sword practitioners on the Master Teacher Continent, his pride would not allow him to lose to others. However, if it was his own son, he would be more than delighted to do so. But n head... By the side, Zhang Wuheng did not expect such an oue, and a look of panic surfaced on his face. Sword Saint Xings admittance of defeat meant that not only would the Zhang n have to drop all charges against the young man, it would even have to apologize to him! As the number one Sage n with a heritage that could be traced back many millenniums, it had never suffered such humiliation before! I know what you want to say, but my decision is the ns decision. Nothing you say will change anything! Sword Saint Xing waved his hand to stop the First Elder from speaking anymore. After which, he turned his sight back to Zhang Xuan and hesitated for a moment before switching over to zhenqi telepathy. Zhang shi, theres something that I would like to ask you! Sword Saint Xing, feel free to ask. If its something I can speak of, Ill answer your doubts! Zhang Xuan nodded. To be willing to take the initiative to admit defeat and even shoot down Zhang Wuhengs words... Zhang Xuans impression of him was getting more and more favorable. Its like this... Sword Saint Xing stared at him with a slightly awkward and nervous look as he asked, Is there... a scarlet birthmark on your bottom? Chapter 1549 - Zhang Xuan Is My Son!

Chapter 1549: Zhang Xuan Is My Son!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Birthmark? On my bottom? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. After transcending over to this world, he had washed his body innumerable times, and he had spent some time examining and learning his body before. Indeed, there was a scarlet birthmark on his bottom, but this should have been something that only he would know of. How would this middle-aged man before him know about it? Zhang Xuan eyed the middle-aged man before him suspiciously. Could he possess some ability simr to the Library of Heavens Path that would allow him to look at his opponents body? But having a birthmark was not a w, so it would be impossible for the Library of Heavens Path to detect it! Moreover, he possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, so if by any chance any seers tried to divine his body, they would not be able to find anything at all! Thinking again, it was not that rare for a person to have a birthmark on the bottom either, right? You... Zhang Xuan could not help but look at Sword Saint Xing doubtfully, uprehending of the intention behind his question. Seeing the implicit admittance from Zhang Xuan, Sword Saint Xings heartbeat quickened, and with irrepressible agitation, he continued asking, Is your birthday on the tenth day of the ninth month, Teacher Appreciation Day? Birthday? Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. I am an orphan, so Im afraid I dont really know when my birthday is. His previous self had been wandering in the world as far as he could remember. Nowhere in his recollections had his father, mother, or any clues to his birthday appeared. As such, the only thing that Zhang Xuan knew was that he was twenty-something this year. Anything other than that was really beyond his knowledge. Ill just be perfectly honest with you... Noticing the confusion on the young mans face deepening, Sword Saint Xing decided not to beat around the bush anymore and got straight to the point. If Im not mistaken, you are very likely to be my long-lost son! Your son? Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before a miniature explosion happened in his head. By your son... are you referring to the young prodigy? Sword Saint Xing was not only the head of the Zhang n but also the father of the young prodigy. As far as he knew, Sword Saint Xing seemed to have only a single son, so the other partys words would mean that... he was the young prodigy. Zhang Xuans mind was immediately plunged into chaos. For the past few months, he had been cursing the young prodigy for being engaged to Luo Ruoxin and yet never being around for her, and if he could, he would have already pummeled him into the ground several times by now. Never had he thought that... the young prodigy would actually be him! No, thats not right. Ive checked for the presence of the Zhang n bloodline in me as well, but it has been shown that theres no rtionship between me and the Zhang n! Zhang Xuan swiftly raised his rebuttal. He had once wondered if he was from the Zhang n as well, and for that, he had even borrowed Zhang Jiuxiaos blood essence to conduct a blood test. The result from that test showed that there was absolutely no rtionship between him and the Zhang n at all! Taking a step back, even if that blood test was inurate, he did enter the Zhang ns Blood Reservoir at one point in time, but he did not feel the slightest resonance with it at all. All of the clues went to show that there was no rtionship between him and the Zhang n. So, how could Sword Saint Xing possible be his father? The matter concerning your Zhang n bloodline has serious implications, so Ill exin it to you when we are in a more private setting. However, if you still harbor any doubts regarding the matter, you can verify your blood with my wife. Even if you have lost your Zhang n bloodline, your mothers blood should still flow through your veins! Sword Saint Xing said as he gestured for Sword Saint Meng toe over. Sword Saint Meng could tell that the two men had beenmunicating telepathically with one another, so she swiftly flew over with an agitated look on her face. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, How do we conduct the test? Given Sword Saint Xings strength and standing, there was no need for him to cook up such a lie. Furthermore, to point out that there was a scarlet birthmark on his bottom, while that might not be conclusive evidence, it might be good to check it. Whether it was real or not, at least there would be some closure for him and the Xingmeng Sword Saints. Otherwise, this matter would weigh on their minds. If, by chance, he really happened to be the missing young prodigy, there would no longer be anyone to stop him from marrying Luo Ruoxin. Everything would fall into ce, and it would be a happy ending. Of course, it would be a little awkward for him to suddenly find himself with two parents, but perhaps because he had been an orphan in his previous life as well, he was not too put off by the notion of it. It would not be too difficult for him to ept the matter with time. Even if that was not the case, it would not make any difference to his ns anyway. After the other party apologized to him, he would have nothing to do with the Zhang n anymore. The current him already wielded sufficient power and influence to stand against the Luo n and the Zhang n. If they were not willing to budge, he would just have to force them. This was one matter that he simply was not willing to relent on. Give me a droplet of your blood! Sword Saint Meng told Zhang Xuan telepathically. Zhang Xuan tapped his finger forward, and a droplet of blood flew forth from his fingertip. Taking in a deep breath, Sword Saint Meng took out a jade token and carefully ced the blood droplet on it. After which, she made a small incision on her finger and squeezed out a droplet of blood on the jade token as well. Weng! As the two droplets of blood made contact with one another, they swiftly fused together. With a light buzzing sound, the jade token exuded a blinding crimson light. T-this... Sword Saint Mengs eyes immediately reddened, and her body trembled from agitation. Your name is Zhang Xuan, right? My son, I have finally found you! ... Zhang Xuan was still in a dumbfounded state. He turned his gaze toward the jade token to examine it closely. He recognized the artifactit was a tool used to test ones bloodline. Those who had direct blood rtions would not only have their blood droplets fusing together, the jade token would also emanate a blinding crimson light. In other words... he had direct blood rtions with Sword Saint Meng! Could this mean that he was really the son of the Xingmeng Sword Saints? So, he was the very same young prodigy whom he had hated with a passion. Could this be the will of heavens? Not only was Yang shi, whom he had mentioned on a whim, a real person, even his fate with Luo Ruoxin was also predestined. Sword Saint Xing was also stunned by the results before he took in a deep breath and burst into heartyughter. Hahaha, we have finally found him! He had still been uncertain before this. After all, what were the odds of finding the son whom they had lost many years back amid the massive Master Teacher Continent? However, seeing the two droplets of blood fusing perfectly with one another, even this final sliver of doubt vanished from the bottom of his heart. After the two men were done fighting with one another, they had begunmunicating telepathically with one another. Then, all of a sudden, everyone had be agitated at once. Unable to take the suspense any longer, Ren Qingyuan hurriedly asked, Sword Saint Xing, whats wrong? Pavilion Master Ren, our Zhang n shall drop all enmity with Zhang Xuan! Well no longer pursue the previous matters... Also, I hope that the Master Teacher Pavilion will sell our Zhang n a favor and retract the arrest warrant! Sword Saint Xing sped his fist. You want us to retract the arrest warrant? This... Ren Qingyuan could hardly believe what he was hearing. Previously, it was the Zhang n who had stirred the pot the most violently. Why would they suddenly drop the matter and even request him to retract the arrest warrant? Once the Master Teacher Pavilion issues an arrest warrant, it cannot be retracted easily, unless... there are some kind of unique circumstances. What has happened? Ren Qingyuan asked once more. If the Master Teacher Pavilion issued and retracted its arrest warrant lightly, that would be as good as undermining the authority of its words. Even if they wanted to retract it, they would have to find a valid reason to do so! It was not so cheap as to be retracted after the two of them fought a battle and decided to make peace! Zhang Xuan is the missing young prodigy of my Zhang n! We have just verified it with a blood test, so theres no mistake about it! Sword Saint Xing said. Our teacher is... the young prodigy of the Zhang n? Zheng Yang and the others stared at one another in shock. They had followed their teacher ever since their time in the Tianxuan Kingdom, and they were painfully aware just how poor their teacher was. He had slowly paved his way forward with his own strength, having no one to rely on at all. How in the world did he be one of the core members of the Zhang n within such a short period of time? Not to mention, the legendary figure who was born as a Connate Saint, the young prodigy! With an incredulous look on his face, Zhang Wuheng roared in disbelief, Thats impossible! I tested his bloodline, and he definitely has no rtionship with the Zhang n at all! Zhang Wuheng, are you insinuating that I cant even recognize my own son? Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly. As the First Elder of the Zhang n, you actually tried to assassinate and issued an arrest warrant on your own n head... Return to the n right now and await your punishment! Dont force me to make a move! I... Zhang Wuheng staggered weakly on the spot, and his face became ghastly pale. If Zhang Xuan was truly the young prodigy, that would mean that he was the real n head of the Zhang n! Even as the First Elder, the crime for attempting to kill the head of the Zhang n was more than enough to put him to death multiple times! Hes your son? Ren Qingyuan widened his eyes in disbelief as well. He had run a check on Zhang Xuans background before issuing the arrest warrant, and it was stated that the young man was an orphan from the Tianxuan Kingdom, having no background at all. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they were actually telling him that he was the head of the Zhang n. If that was true, the Zhang n was perfectly justified in requesting for the retracting of the arrest warrant! Chapter 1550 - Sword Saint Mengs Temper

Chapter 1550: Sword Saint Mengs Temper

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Indeed, theres no mistake about this! Sword Saint Xing roared inughter, his delight showing clearly on his face. Ever since his son disappeared, they had traveled far and wide in search of him. The past twenty years had not been easy for them at all; they had lived in trepidation, uncertain of the fate of their child. It was fortunate that the heavens had not abandoned them yetthey had managed to find their child in the end! Furthermore, not only had their child managed to grow to be an outstanding individual wielding power stronger than them, the students that he had groomed had also be powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. With such a son, what more could they wish more for? All of a sudden, they felt as if they were the most blissful people in the world. Ren Qingyuan pondered for a moment before replying. Since your Zhang n has decided to make peace with Zhang Xuan, and hes the young prodigy of the Zhang n as well, it would indeed be illogical for the Zhang n to continue pursuing this matter... If the other two powers are willing to settle this matter peacefully, I have no qualms with retracting the arrest warrant! Were it anyone else, even if both parties had decided to settle the matter peacefully, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely have made him pay a hefty price. However... the five students that Zhang Xuan had raised were the head of the Poison Hall, an expert of the soul oracles, the future hall master of the Combat Master Hall, the young master of the Yuan n, and the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild... and now, it had even been revealed that Zhang Xuan himself was the head of the Zhang n. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion would find it difficult to punish such a person! Before they could eveny a finger on him, more than a dozen 9-star master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had already been incapacitated. If they insisted on dealing with Zhang Xuan, even if they won the war, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be in shambles afterward! By requesting for the arrest warrant to be retracted, Sword Saint Xing had effectively provided a tform for the Master Teacher Pavilion to back out of this mess without suffering a heavy hit to its reputation. Naturally, there was no reason for him not to grab this opportunity. Simple! Chuckling softly, Sword Saint Xing turned to You Ruoxin and said, Elder Ruo, we were once sparring partners, and I already consider you an old acquaintance of mine. Will you be willing to sell me this favor and let this matter go? Ill surely pay you a visit in the future andpensate the cier in Courts loss! Sword Saint Xing, this is no longer a matter aboutpensating our loss anymore but our dignity! You Ruoxin harrumphed furiously. So what if hes the young prodigy of the cier in Court? He has destroyed the many millenniums of heritage of our cier in Court and kidnapped our young court chief! The grudge between the cier in Court and him is already irreconcble! With the severe damage that it had suffered this time around, along with the loss of its future court chief, it was only a matter of time before the cier in Court was reduced to a third tier power. A power that had enjoyed many millenniums of glory had ended up falling so far in her hands... The greatest pride in her life was when she had been chosen to be the First Elder of the cier in Court. She had be a celebrated figure on the Master Teacher Continent, respected wherever she went. However, beneath this glorious exterior, she knew that she had to shoulder the hopes and dreams of everyone in the cier in Court. Thus, she had vowed solemnly to bring the cier in Court to a height that it had never seen before, and she viewed it as her purpose in life. But that day, when everything had been destroyed by lightning, her hopes and dreams had been utterly crushed, and all that was left was raging fury for the culprit behind it. As such, even though she knew that the winds were no longer in her favor, her anger and indignation still bit tightly into her rational mind, not allowing her to let this matter go. Seeing the infuriated state that You Ruoxin was in, Sword Saint Xing was just about to cate her when another wrathful voice sounded. So what if its irreconcble? Are you nning to make a move on my son? Just try touching a strand of his hair, and Ill make sure the entire City of cier is dyed crimson. My son might have been kind enough to only destroy your buildings, but I wont be aspassionate as him! If you dont back down here, you can rest assured that there wont be a tomorrow for your cier in Court! The one who had just spoken was Sword Saint Meng. She had just been rejoicing over the fact that her son was still alive when You Ruoxin suddenly uttered such words. Seeing that there was someone threatening the life of her son, how could she possibly remain calm? It was only in view of the pathetic state the cier in Court was in that she chose to let them off despite their attempts to kill her son. Yet, who could have thought that they would still be so unrelenting on this matter? Why? Do you think that my son is a pushover or that Im a pushover? I know that Im no match for Sword Saint Meng, and if you wish to massacre our cier in Court, theres nothing I can do to stop you. But justice is in the hearts of every single one of us here. The Zhang n might be powerful, but the world wont turn a blind eye to you abusing your power in such a manner! You Ruoxin gritted her teeth. Sure, let the world look with their eyes wide open as I massacre your cier in Court! Seeing how You Ruoxin was still trying to y the role of a victim after what she had done, Sword Saint Meng flew into a state of rage. In this moment, she was not in any mood to catch up with Zhang Xuan anymore. She raised the sword in her hand up high, ready to make a move on You Ruoxin. Seeing his wife flying into a fit of anger, Sword Saint Xing was shocked. He hurriedly rushed ahead to stop her. Dear, calm down! Calm down! You Ruoxin might not pose any threat to them at all, but she represented the entire cier in Court. If she was killed right before Ren Qingyuan and the others, not even the Zhang n would be able to resolve this matter easily. Are you still a man? Someone is bullying your son! Its one thing for you to not stand up for him, but you are even stopping me too? Sword Saint Mengs eyebrows shot up in fury. I... Sword Saint Xings face turned bitter. Look, arent I trying to mediate the situation here? If mediation works, why the hell would we still need to cultivate? Sword Saint Xing flung her sleeves furiously. If she doesnt agree to it, we just have to beat her into submission! I, Wang Mengya, have dominated the continent for so many years, and I can tell you that my fist and my sword have won others over, not my virtue! If anyone dares oppose me, Ill just have to beat them till they cave in! This... Sword Saint Xings eyebrows twitched uncontrobly, not knowing how to respond to that. He knew his wifes character very well; in fact, her hotheaded temper had thrown the Zhang n into disarray on multiple asions in the past too. If You Ruoxin continued pursuing this matter, there was no doubt that his wife would really wipe out the entire cier in Court! Our teachers mother sure is formidable... Zheng Yang and the others gulped as they watched the sight with widened eyes. To threaten to even destroy the entire cier in Court... It was no wonder their teacher was never on the losing end of things! With such domineering genes in his body, it was a given that those who intended him harm would end up paying the price instead! Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing those words as well. To be honest, he had still been a bit skeptical about the sudden appearance of his father and mother. He had never experienced any familial rtionships before, be it in his current life or the previous one, so he had no idea how it would be. However, watching at Sword Saint Meng stepping forward domineeringly to protect him, he suddenly felt that it might not be that bad after all. Sword Saint Meng, please calm down. Fighting will not resolve anything here... Ren Qingyuan stepped in to defuse the situation. Hah! Ren Qingyuan, you still have the cheek to say those words! Sword Saint Meng immediately turned her head over and red daggers at Ren Qingyuan. Since you know that fighting wont resolve anything, why did you bring so many 9-star master teachers here to encircle my son? Is it because he looks weak to you? Since you want to speak up on You Ruoxins behalf, why dont you take her ce instead then? I havent settled the score with you for making a move on my son yet! Cough cough... Carry on, carry on. Treat it as if I never said anything... Ren Qingyuans hair stood on end upon hearing those words. Sword Saint Meng was like a bucket of oil, triggering at the slightest spark. Her character had already been so back in her younger years. Back when she was still a student at the Sanctum of Sages, she had caused many uproars among the student popce, and when the elders lectured her for it, she simply told them that she would quit the Sanctum of Sages and stomped out without any hesitation. Many had thought that she would tone down after marrying and having her own child, but who could have thought that not even time or motherhood could calm her temper! And if it was only Sword Saint Meng, Ren Qingyuan still would not have been that fearful. The problemy in Sword Saint Xing... If the two of them coborated together, he really would not stand much of a chance! As the head of the Zhang n, Sword Saint Xing was an intelligent and rational person who knew what to do and what not to do in a situation, but when it came to matters concerning his wife, his rationality would be blown away like a straw hut in the face of a hurricane. There was no one among the upper echelon of the Master Teacher Continent who did not know how doting he was of his wife, and if anyone dared hurt her, he would immediately go berserk! Back then, while they were roaming the continent, there had been an elder from a minor power who was foolish enough to insult Sword Saint Meng. Without any hesitation, Sword Saint Xing had flown right over to his sect and wiped it out entirely! In any case, it would be best to avoid provoking this couple as much as possible. Sword Saint Meng, I know that you are strong, but our cier in Court wont back down! Unless you kill every singlest one of us, theres no way well let this matter go! You Ruoxin spat as she looked at Sword Saint Meng with deep resolve. She knew that her deeds would earn the ire of the young court chief, and she would suffer the consequences for her actions once the court chief fully awakened her Pure Yin Body, but as long as the cier in Court could rise to the top, her sacrifice would have paid off. However, Zhang Xuan had reduced the cier in Court to rubble and kidnapped the young court chief, dashing everyst hope that she had. Her desire for vengeance had already exceeded her fear for anything. Even at the cost of her life, she was determined to bring Zhang Xuan down! Very well, let me see how deep your resolve runs! Seeing that You Ruoxin was still obstinately holding on, Sword Saint Meng raised her sword high in the sky. But in that moment, a cold voice suddenly echoed in the air. Sword Saint Meng, please calm down. Allow me to settle this matter instead... Hong long! As soon as those words were spoken, the cocoon-like object in front of Zhang Xuan suddenly emanated an astounding aura that pierced straight through the clouds, seemingly tearing the heavens apart. Zhao Yas meridian reconstruction wasplete! Chapter 1551 - The True Sanctum Head (1)

Chapter 1551: The True Sanctum Head (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Y-young court chief! Upon hearing that voice, You Ruoxins eyes narrowed in shock. She quickly turned her gaze over, only to see the cocoon sting apartyer afteryer. At the same time, the Otherworldly Demon aura that was emanated a moment ago swiftly transformed into a pure yin aura, and it felt as if everything within tens of thousands of li would be turned into ice under the aura. Hu! A slender figure burst forth from the cocoon and rose into the air. The surrounding spiritual energy swiftly surged toward her, forming a huge vortex with her at its center. At the same time, the water vapor in the air formed into a glistening icy robe around her, emanating a bone-freezing chill. That is... the perfect awakening of the Pure Yin Body? You Ruoxins body stiffened in astonishment. While the preceding court chiefs had managed to awaken their Pure Yin Bodies, most of them had still been far from achieving a perfect awakening. There was a legend in the cier in Court that if one achieved a perfect awakening of the Pure Yin Body, one would be able bring frost to over ten thousand li with just a wave of ones hand. It would not pale inparison even against the Innate Poison Body; if anything, its prowess might exceed it even! Even the founder of the cier in Court had failed to achieve this level, only barely managing to awaken it through the reconciliation of yin and yang. Who could have thought that Zhao Ya would actually sessfully awaken it! Did her meridians not copsepletely, causing her cultivation to be destroyed? What in the world happened? Its our First Senior! Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists in agitation. Not bad... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Using the new meridianwork to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians was a risky move, but it had paid off. Not only had her cultivation been restored, her Pure Yin Body had also been fully awakened. With this, she would be able to push her cultivation up to an unfathomable level. It was fortunate that his effort had not been in vain. Its me! As the vortex of spiritual energy vanished, the youngdys figure appeared before everyones eyes. She wore a robe made purely out of white snow, and the cold air in the surroundings seemed to bend to her will, as if she was the overlord of ice. You Ruoxin watched the imposing figure in a daze for a moment before hurriedly falling to her knees. You Ruoxin pays respect to the new court chief of the cier in Court... With theplete awakening of her Pure Yin Body, Zhao Ya would be officially viewed as the court chief of the cier in Court. This was the rule that had been passed down by the ancestors. Not to mention, Zhao Ya had even achieved a perfect awakening! With this, there was no longer anyone in the cier in Courtand this was including the wills of the preceding court chiefswho would dare oppose her! Very well, it seems like you still recognize me as your court chief. Right now, I shall make my decree! With her hands behind her back, Zhao Ya gazed down coldly on You Ruoxin. From this day forth, my teacher, Zhang Xuan, will be the greatest benefactor of the cier in Court. Any disciples of the cier in Court must ord him with the respect toward a teacher. Should anyone fail to abide by this decree, she shall be expelled from the cier in Court and executed upon sight! Yes, court chief! You Ruoxin replied with a forceful yet slightly quivering voice. My teacher has devoted his time and effort in order to awaken my unique constitution, but you abused your authority and influence to frame him for sins that he hasntmitted,pelling the Master Teacher Pavilion to issue an arrest warrant on him. I hereby order for You Ruoxin to be imprisoned in the Chanting Serenity Hall, and shes not to leave thepounds without mymand! Zhao Ya spat coldly. Also, you are to release my mother and return her freedom! Her mother had been imprisoned by the First Elder for willfully escaping from the cier in Court. Now that she had be the court chief and wielded unparalleled authority, it went without saying that the first thing that she should do was have her released! Yes, court chief! You Ruoxin hurriedly nodded. Very well, go on and execute my orders! Zhao Ya waved her hand authoritatively. You Ruoxin might have been hostile to her and her mother previously, but her loyalty to the cier in Court was unquestionable. Zhao Ya had no doubt that You Ruoxin would abide by hermands now that she had be the court chief. Thus, she turned her sight to Ren Qingyuan and said, Pavilion Master Ren, I believe that you should have heard my decree as well. Zhang Xuan is my teacher and my benefactor, and the cier in Court will do everything within its means to protect him, even if it means going against the Master Teacher Pavilion. I ask of you to reconsider your options! This... Ren Qingyuans eyebrows shot up. Who could have thought that the court chief of the cier in Court would actually be his student too? The cier in Court, the Poison Hall, the Zhang n, the Spirit Awakener Hall, the Combat Master Hall, the Yuan n... Those were behemoths that could send tremors running through the Master Teacher Continent just with a stomp of their feet, and yet, they had all bowed to themand of a single man. Zhan shi... Sighing helplessly, Ren Qingyuan turned his sight to the deputy sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages and asked, The cier in Court and the Zhang n have already expressed their intentions to reconcile with Zhang shi. May I ask what the stance of your Sanctum of Sages is? I... Zhan shi lowered his gaze in a dilemma. This was really a difficult position for him to be in. The Sanctum of Sages was indubitably weaker than both the cier in Court and the Zhang n, but it still had to uphold its long legacy as the number one academy where countless powerhouses had originated from. Considering the devastation that had urred to it, if they let the matter go so simply, what right would they have to serve as the teachers of the geniuses of the world? More importantly, he would not be able to face those injured elders back in the sanctum either! If I drop the matter at this, the preceding generations of sanctum heads will never forgive me... So, I can only stake my life in the end. Even if I die from this, at the very least, I wont have let the ancestors down! Zhan shi said resolutely. He could chicken out, but the Sanctum of Sages could not! If others learned that the Sanctum of Sages had bowed down to another person, even if the other party was the head of the Zhang n and had many formidable experts, what authority would it have left? This... Knowing Zhan shis thoughts, Ren Qingyuan also did not know what he could say to dissuade the other party. Zhang Xuan was a student of the Sanctum of Sages, yet he had refused to abide by its orders and even injured the elders and the deputy sanctum head, not to mention that he had destroyed many buildings. If they let this matter go just like that, the Sanctum of Sages would really lose its dignity! Given that even Sword Saint Xing isnt your match, theres no way that Ill be able defeat you either. Zhan shi flew into the air and dered resoundingly, Zhang shi, I have brought the Deputy Sanctum Head Token here, and as long as you withstand its attack, the Sanctum of Sages will let this matter go! Deputy Sanctum Head Token? Thats right, Zhan shi said. This token represents my identity, and it harnesses the wills of the predecessors. Its one of the Guardian Artifacts of the Sanctum of Sages, which only generations of deputy sanctum heads are qualified to wield. I wouldnt be a match for you given my limited cultivation, but through the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, I will still be able to put up a fight against you. If you are able to withstand my strength even then, it can only mean that you are already beyond the Sanctum of Sages current means to deal with, and there will be no purpose in it pursuing this matter any longer! Zhan shi did not think that it was too likely that he would be able to defeat Zhang Xuan even with the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, but this was something that had to be done in order to make the Sanctum of Sages stance clear. If he was still unable to defeat Zhang Xuan with the strength of the Deputy Sanctum Head, that would mean that even the predecessors were unable to defeat him. It would show that while the Sanctum of Sages had no choice but to back down due to itsck of strength, by no means had it grown cowardly or lost its dignity! Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded. He was currently invincible against all beneath Ancient Sage, so no matter how powerful the Deputy Sanctum Head Token was, he was confident that he would be able to withstand it with ease. Good. Zhan shi tapped his finger forward, and a token emanating a faint violet glow appeared before him. Zhan shi bit his finger, and a droplet of blood fell on it. In an instant, the token turned burningly hot, and a powerful, formidable aura burst forth from it. Countless experts had risen from the Sanctum of Sages over its many years of history, and it was with their wills that the Deputy Sanctum Head Token was created. While it came nowhere close to matching up to the real Sanctum Head Token, its power was not to be underestimated. Noticing the hint of the anxiety of Sword Saint Mengs face, Sword Saint Xing grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. Rest assured, given that even I am no match for him, he should be fine... Go! Boom! Under Zhan shis control, the Deputy Sanctum Head Token released a light buzz, and unbelievable burst of energy shot forth from it. Even before reaching its target, the space in its path was already crumbling inch after inch. Chapter 1552 - The True Sanctum Head (2)

Chapter 1552: The True Sanctum Head (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not bad! In face of the immense pressure exerted by the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, Zhang Xuan did not panic in the least. Instead, with a light smile, he raised his finger in preparation to deal with the attack before him. In this moment, he had already fully reconstructed Zhao Yas meridians, so there was no longer any need for him to remain seated on the ground. Straightening his back, he swiftly drove the energy within his body, intending to seal of the space ahead of him to seal the advancement of the Deputy Sanctum Head Token. However, before he could do so, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and his body stiffened in horror. Cr*p... he muttered. Following that, he felt strength receding from his body like an ebbing tide, vanishing in an instant. At the same time, his spirit also seemed to have been sapped from his body, and he nearly copsed to the ground. At this crucial moment, the power that he had gained from the Pavilion Master Seal actually vanished! Could this be what Kong shi wanted to say previously, that the power onlysts ten minutes? Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears on the spot. The unreliable Kong shi had vanished without exining the use of the Pavilion Master Seal, and it was the first time that he had used it as well. He had thought that he would still have enough time in order to ovee the current crisis, but who could have thought that he would only have a short ten minutes! It would have been perfectly simple for him to deal with this attack when he was infused with the strength from the Pavilion Master Seal, but now that it had disappeared, as a Dimension Sundering realm primary stage cultivator, he might just end up being squashed into meat paste! Boom! Such thoughts swiftly shed across his mind before vanishing. By this point, the token had already arrived right before him. Geji Geji! Even under the pressure of the token, he could already feel his bones creaking in protest, and his head was squeezed to the point that it seemed almost as if it would burst at any moment. Any more than that, and he would really be exceeding the limits of his body. It looks like I can only try to escape... Knowing that the current him did not wield the strength to ovee the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and prepared to flee. However, as he was about to do so, a brilliant light suddenly glowed from his body, and following which, the imposing token charging at him in the sky started vibrating intensely. Padah! It fell to the floor andy down on the ground, not daring to raise itself in the slightest, almost as if a servant paying respects to its master. This... Zhang Xuan was struck dumb for a moment before discreetly heaving a sigh of relief. The close shave with death earlier had already left his back drenched with sweat. While he was still trying to make sense of the situation that had just happened, in the sky, Zhan shi narrowed his eyes in shock after seeing what had happened, and his face immediately turned utterly pale. Despite not exerting the slightest strength, he was still able to force the Deputy Sanctum Head Token to bow subserviently to him... There is only one possibility for such an urrencethe Deputy Sanctum Head Token has viewed Zhang Xuan to be a person more esteemed than me and dares not make a move on him! However, the Deputy Sanctum Head Token harnesses the wills of countless experts, and to make them bow so deferentially... could it be that... But how could that be possible? Isnt it Feng Ziyi? How could it be him? Zhan shi shook his head vehemently in disbelief. There was only one thing in the world that could make the Deputy Sanctum Head Token submitpletely, and that was the Sanctum Head Token! While they had learned that Sage Kui had chosen a new sanctum head candidate recently, they had always thought that the person was Feng Ziyi. Yet, contrary to their expectations, it turned out to be Zhang Xuan instead! After all the mess and damage that you have caused to the Sanctum of Sages... After making an enemy out of the entire Sanctum of Sages... Are you seriously telling me now that you are actually the sanctum head? This massive shock left him feeling as if he would explode on the spot. Since you are the sanctum head, the entire Sanctum of Sages is yours... Why did you cause such a huge fuss then? How is this different from destroying your own home? In his moment of distress, Zhan shi turned his head and saw Zhang Wuheng, and all of a sudden, he felt much better. Indeed, no matter how vicious Zhang Xuan had been with the Sanctum of Sages, at the very least, it was not as bad as with the Zhang n. The fellow would go to the extent of destroying his real home, let alone the Sanctum of Sages! The dismal Zhan shi could not take it any longer and sent a telepathic message over. Zhang shi, you are the sanctum head... Yeah. Zhang Xuan nodded. After receiving the Sanctum Head Token, Sage Kui had warned him not to tell anyone of his identity until the three seals had been deciphered. However, in this case, it was Zhan shi who had guessed the truth himself, so it could not be considered a breach of the rules. This was just like how Yang shi had guessed it back then on himself as well. As expected... Hearing the confirmation, Zhan shis body staggered weakly. For a deputy sanctum head to actually issue an arrest warrant on the real sanctum head... that was truly a count of insubordination! It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had managed to get away then! Otherwise, if he had really killed the sanctum head, he would have be a great sinner! Seeing that there was ack of movement from Zhan shi after the Deputy Sanctum Head Token fell to the ground, Ren Qingyuan turned his gaze over and asked, Zhan shi, are you admitting defeat? While the Deputy Sanctum Head Token had beenunched with astounding force, it had fallen to the ground before it even reached Zhang Xuan. In the eyes of the outsiders, it appeared as if Zhan shi was intentionally going easy on him. I admit defeat! Zhan shi hurriedly nodded. You said earlier that your grudge with him is irreconcble, and yet, you went easy on him as soon as the battle started. Arent you taking this matter too lightly? Is that all there is to the dignity of your Sanctum of Sages? Elder Qu sneered coldly by the side. The cier in Court and the Zhang n had already submitted so far. He had thought that at least the Sanctum of Sages would push its case to the very end, but who could have thought that it would be the one mostcking in backbone! Elder Qu, this is an internal affair of our Sanctum of Sages. An outsider like you should hold your tongue and refrain from interfering in our issues! Zhan shi replied sharply before pocketing the Deputy Sanctum Head Token and backing away. Then, he turned around to face the crowd from the Sanctum of Sages and dered, From today onward, our Sanctum of Sages shall be under Zhang shis leadership. His words are the very decree of the Sanctum of Sages itself, and if anyone dares oppose him, that person will be banished from the Sanctum of Sages and never to be recruited again! His voice resounded across the entire city, carrying a firm resolve behind it. This... Zhan shi, even if you choose to let him off, surely our Sanctum of Sages hasnt lowered so much as to have to submit to a person like him! Why? I cant ept this decree! The elders who had followed Zhan shi there looked at one another, bbergasted by what they had just heard. Even if you cant defeat Zhang shi, surely you didnt have to make the entire Sanctum of Sages bow down to him, right? This is illogical! Do you want to know the reason? Zhan shi asked. Yes, I want to know! Without a convincing reason, theres no way I can follow such an order! Indeed! Even if our Sanctum of Sages isnt a match for him, we still cant bow to another man so easily, let alone someone like him! The elders of the Sanctum of Sages protested indignantly. Very well, Ill tell you the reason then... Hearing those words, Zhan shi shook his head. With a resounding voice, he revealed the truth. Zhang Xuan is our new sanctum head! Our new sanctum head? W-what does that mean? Everyone was stupefied. It means exactly what it sounds like. Hes the sanctum head that Sage Kui has chosen, and thats why my Deputy Sanctum Head Token submitted to him, not daring to injure him. Naturally, as the real sanctum head, his authority over the Deputy Sanctum Head Token is greater than mine, so it heeded his orders instead! Zhan shi said. Our sanctum head... But... All of the elders were not able to process the shocking revtion that they had just heard. Not only them, Sword Saint Xing, Ren Qingyuan, and the others were also shocked silly as well, and they stared at Zhang Xuan as if they were looking at a monster. The head of the Zhang n, the teacher of cier in Courts court chief, and now, he had another identity to his name... the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages! From a man who the three powers had been dying to tear apart, within less than a single hour, he had be a man whomanded all three of them. Could there be anything more dramatic than this? My son has be the head of the Sanctum of Sages? The Xingmeng Sword Saints stared at one another with eyes widened in shock. Just finding their son was able to bring them utmost bliss, but who could have thought that their son would be like a pile of mystery boxes, bringing them surprises from unexpected corners one after another! H-how is this possible? Elder Qus body twitched, and before that moment, he had never felt so tearful in his life. Chapter 1553 - Senior!

Chapter 1553: Senior!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Elder Qu had never had a good impression of Zhang Xuan. The first time that they met at the conference room of the cier in Court, the young man had disguised himself as Yang shi and discreetly poisoned him. Everything that the young man had done was at odds with the conventions and formalities of the Master Teacher Pavilion, which only furthered his hostility for the young man. As such, when he reported the matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he had intentionally exaggerated certain matters and twisted some facts in order to convince Pavilion Master Ren to issue an arrest warrant on the young man. He had thought that with so many master teachers after him, that young man would never be able to get away. Yet, who could have thought that his students would suddenly appear, and each of them was stronger than thest! But even if his students were powerful, as long as the three powers stayed united on the same front and insisted on punishing the young man, they would still have been able to get him in the end. Yet, momentster, he had been revealed as the true head of the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages. Even the court chief of the cier in Court turned out to be his student too. At this rate, the Master Teacher Pavilion might really turn out to be young mans before he knew it! He turned his head to look at the crowd. Every single person in the area had a dazed look on his face,pletely shocked by the revtion. Hahaha! Well done, my son! Sword Saint Xings heartyughter broke the silence. My son is a person bound for great things! Putting aside how you were at his age, even the current you cant match him! Sword Saint Meng boasted proudly. Her son had still been an infant when she lost him, and for the years after that, there had been many times that she had woken up frightened after dreaming of her son being put through all kinds of hardship and suffering, living a life worse than death. But when they met once more, her son had already be the head of the Sanctum of Sages, and his students had all be powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent, figures who could stand their own ground in the world without fearing anyone. In fact, it might not be an exaggeration to say that he was one of the most influential figures on the Master Teacher Continent at this moment! I almost forgot! Son, to tell you the truth, we betrothed you to someone else before you were even born, Sword Saint Meng told Zhang Xuan hesitantly. Then, she decisively turned her head to the First Elder of the Luo n, Luo Qingchen, and harrumphed. Luo Qingchen, what should we do about the engagement then? I heard that your little princess already has someone whom she fancies. This doesnt seem to be what we have agreed on back then! Well go ahead with the marriage as soon as possible! Hearing those words, a chuckle escaped from Luo Qingchens mouth. As for the person whom our little princess fancies, I suppose there wont be any problem with that anymore. You can ask Zhang shi about that; he should be clearer about that than any one of us here! Sword Saint Meng turned her gaze back to her son and asked doubtfully, Do you know of the matter? She had heard rumors that the little princess of the Luo n had someone whom she liked, but as the Luo n had insisted that they would deal with the matter themselves, she still had no idea whom the little princess lover was. This... With a slightly awkward look on his face, Zhang Xuan scratched his head and replied, If Im not mistaken, her person whom she likes should be me. You? Sword Saint Meng widened her eyes in bafflement. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded with a helpless smile. Thinking back, the entire course of events seemed almost like a bad joke that the world was ying on them. First, the Luo n had found out that the little princess had someone whom she liked and dispatched Luo Xuanqing to assassinate him. Afterward, Luo Xuanqing delegated the task to him, wanting him to do the deed on his behalf... And after several incidents, it turned out that he was actually the young prodigy that was supposed to marry the little princess! In this moment, it felt as if he had been cheated of his emotions. If, in the first ce, he was Luo Ruoxins fianc, why the heck did he need to undergo all that anxiety, desperation, and hostility over the past few months? Everything would have simply ended with a happy ending with his identity exposed! Oh? When did you manage to seduce her? Quick, share the story with your mother... Sword Saint Meng immediately cast aside her expert-like aura and put on her gossip face. Seduce... Cant you use a better phrase than that? Zhang Xuan stared at Sword Saint Meng speechlessly before shaking his head. Lets talk about thatter. Theres still a few more things that we have to settle first! After saying those words, he turned his sights to Luo Qingchen not too far away and said, Elder Qingchen, since I am the young prodigy and the head of the Zhang n, your Luo n should be able to ept my rtionship with the little princess, right? If thats the case, I believe that there shouldnt be any need for you to put her under house arrest anymore, am I right? Of course! Luo Qingchen hurriedly nodded. Previously, he had still been afraid that the rtionship that the little princess had outside would foil the Luo ns ties with the Zhang n. Who could have thought that the person whom she liked would so coincidentally be the young prodigy of the Zhang n, whom she had an engagement with? Since that was the case, why would the Luo n have to restrict their rtionship anymore? Let their love take flight! They would not bat an eye even if a baby popped out that instant! Luo Qingchen stroked his beard as he asked Sword Saint Xing, Ill return right now to ask for her release. When does your Zhang n intend to proceed on with the marriage? This future son-inw of the Luo n was not only the head of the Zhang n but also the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages. On top of that, his students governed the Poison Hall, Combat Master Hall, Spirit Awakener Guild, cier in Court, and the Yuan n! If the Luo n could ally together with those powers, its standing would be far stronger than before! Naturally, they could not let go of such good son-inw material. If possible, they would prefer the marriage to happen as soon as possible. Otherwise, once news spread, who knew how many ns would attempt to betroth their daughters to the Zhang n? Ill first bring him back to the ancestral hall to acknowledge the ancestors before preparing the betrothal gifts to be sent over! Sword Saint Xing replied. The matrimony of the Zhang and the Luo n was extremely important. Initially, they had still been a little worried about how it would go, especially considering that the young prodigy was missing, and the little princess was reluctant. Such unhappiness could eventually culminate into a tragedy. Since all those problems had been resolved, and both parties were intent on getting together, it would be best to put them together as soon as possible. Very well. Ill head back to make preparations as well! Luo Qingchen chuckled before bidding his farewell and leaving. Alright, we should be making a move! Sword Saint Xing turned to Zhang Xuan with an expectant smile. This... Knowing that his father was inviting him back to the Zhang n to acknowledge the ancestors, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, but eventually, he still nodded in consent. Since his previous self was really the young prodigy of the Zhang n, there was no qualms with him acknowledging the ancestors of the Zhang n. Besides, he had a very favorable view of his parents. He was not too certain how the rtionship between a parent and a child should be like, but he could feel how protective they were of him. He was also fond of their decisive character, never allowing conventions or formalities to blindly guide their actions. Just as the group was about to leave, Elder Qu suddenly stepped forward and bellowed, Hold on a moment! You cant leave yet! Whats wrong? Sword Saint Xing turned around and directed a hostile frown at Elder Qu. H-he has only resolved the problem concerning the three powers, but the conflict between him and the Master Teacher Pavilion hasnt been resolved yet! Elder Qu eximed. Look at the mess that his students have caused! The head of the Poison Hall, Wei Ruyan, has poisoned so many experts of our Master Teacher Pavilion, and the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, Wang Ying, has enchanted all of the Master Teacher Pavilions in the area, resulting in massive losses on our part. How should we settle this problem? Indeed! Theres the matter of the Pavilion Master Seal as well. n Head Zhang, I have to request you return it to me. This concerns the honor and prestige of our Master Teacher Pavilion! Ren Qingyuan added. This... Hearing the other party demanding the return of the Pavilion Master Seal, Zhang Xuans face twitched slightly. He turned to Wei Ruyan and the others and said, Ruyan, release the poison that you have ced on these master teachers! Wang Ying, get your spirit awakeners to ce all of the buildings back to where they belong. As for the Pavilion Master Seal... pardon me, but I cant return it to you yet! You cant return it to me? Why? Ren Qingyuan frowned in displeasure. Rest assured! Since no one is able to tame the Pavilion Master Seal, no one will bother to steal it from him either. I really have no idea how you can find the courage in you to talk about honor and prestige after sullying my sons innocence. Come back to ask for it after you have reinstated his master teacher identity and restored his reputation! Sword Saint Meng interjected impatiently. You... Ren Qingyuan red at Sword Saint Meng furiously. Pavilion Master Ren, we mustnt reinstate his master teacher identity! A master teacher must be virtuous in order to serve as a role model for the rest of the world. Just the fact that he dared pass off as Yang shis student shows that he has absolutely no regard for the sanctity of lineage at all. We cant let someone who has tantly crossed the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion remain as a master teacher... Elder Qu argued vehemently. But before he could finish his words, the space ahead suddenly warped, and two figures came into appearance. One of them was an elderYang shi! Yang shi, you came at the perfect time! Zhang Xuan over here has imed to be your student, and not only so, he even attempted to pass off as you... Seeing that it was Yang Xuan, Elder Qu immediately called out excitedly, only to see Yang shi walking up to Zhang Xuan and bowing with sped fist. Senior! Chapter 1554 - Apologize, Master Teacher Pavilion! (1)

Chapter 1554: Apologize, Master Teacher Pavilion! (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Senior? It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Elder Qu, and his body wobbled unstably on the spot. What the heck was going on? Yang shi was not only the strongest cultivator in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he was also considered the most senior of them all as well. Despite being the deputy pavilion master, even Ren Qingyuan would still have to address Yang shi as his Senior Uncle. One thing that Yang shi was known for was how forbidding he could be when it came to rules and formalities, so Elder Qu had thought that the other party would fly into a rage and teach Zhang Xuan a lesson once he heard of this matter. But Yang shi simply walked straight up to Zhang Xuan, bowed to him, and addressed him as Senior! If Zhang Xuan is your senior, doesnt that make me... his junior? Not only him, Ren Qingyuan nearly keeled over after hearing those words. Having students as the head of the Combat Master Hall, chief of the cier in Court, master of the Poison Hall, leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild? Fine, I can ept that. His true identity being the head of the Zhang n? Alright, there might really be such a coincidence in the world... But to having Yang shi address him as his senior? What the heck? When did the most senior member of the Master Teacher Pavilion be your junior? Going down this road, doesnt this mean that all of the master teachers on the Master Teacher Continent are actually your juniors? A mouthful of blood welled up at the back of Ren Qingyuans throat, ready to spurt forth at any moment. He felt so stifled within that he might just explode from the inside. Having served as the deputy pavilion master for several centuries, he had seen all kinds of geniuses and experts, but this was the first time that he had seen someone like that. To be honest, he had intended for the Master Teacher Pavilion to be the first one to get to Zhang Xuan so that he could force the young man to spit out his secret to advancing his cultivation so swiftly. As for whether the young man should be punished or not, that was just a secondary concern of inconsequential importance. However, in the end... not only did he suffer trauma after trauma, the other party even became his Senior Uncle in the blink of an eye. To have a twenty-year-oldd as his Senior Uncle... something felt very off! Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng traded gazes too, and they could not help but gulp in shock. They had thought that the greatest shocks were already over, but from the look of it, what they had encountered previously was nothing at all. To actually be Yang shis senior, that was truly insanity! If that was the case, would that not put them a generation more senior than Yang shi? Paying no heed to the astounded crowd, Zhang Xuan shot a nce at the plump man following behind Yang shi, and after confirming that thetter was still fine, he heaved a sigh of relief. Young Master, I thought that I would never see you again... Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang immediately rushed forward, and tears and snot dribbled down his face. It might just have been a single day, but not once in his life had he ever felt so frightened and helpless before. When he heard Yang shi say that the Old Master did not truly exist, he had realized that he had been living in a web of lies all along. All of the confidence that he had built up copsed in an instant, and his mind had nearly broken down. He had no idea how he arrived in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but he had found himself surrounded by many 9-star master teachers. Their words wielded somepelling power, forcing him to cultivate ording to his words, and eventually, his cultivation had ended up going berserk. He had thought that he would really meet his end then, but who could have thought that Yang shi would return at that moment? This time, Yang shi was much more amiable than before. Without the severity in his voice, the other party told him warmly that he had made a mistake and that his Young Master was actually his senior. In that instant, Sun Qiang felt as if he had been pulled out from the abyss of despair and ced on cloud nine. All those twists had happened one another so quickly that he almost felt as if it was all a dream. If not for the fact that they were in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he would have really thought the Yang shi whom he had met there was a fake. Seeing that the fellow had grown slightly plumperpared to when theyst met, Zhang Xuan waved off Sun Qiangs agitation and instructed, Make sure to cultivate properly in the future, got it? Yes! Sun Qiang hurriedly nodded. Turning to his students, Zhang Xuan said, Zheng Yang, Ill be leaving Sun Qiang in your hands. If he doesnt listen to your instructions, you are free to use the torture tools in the Combat Master Hall to force him to submit. Make sure to train him well! Yes, Teacher! Zheng Yang sped his fist. After which, he turned his gaze to Sun Qiang and chuckled softly. Uncle Sun, this way please! Hearing that he would have to cultivate, Sun Qiangs agitation swiftly waned, and it did not take long for him to bepletely spiritless. After dealing with Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan turned to Yang shi and said, I have troubled you, Junior! Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Its my pleasure to be able to do something for you, Yang shi replied. Seeing how the number one expert in the world was so courteous to Zhang Xuan, the Xingmeng Sword Saints remained in their stunned state. Youre too polite! Given that he was a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Xuan was not too surprised by the incredibly respectful attitude that Yang shi was treating him with. However, he shot a nce toward thetter to gesture for him to be low profile. The sharp Yang shi swiftly understood the gesture, and his face reddened a little. After which, he turned his gaze to Zhao Ya and nodded in amazement. Incredible! Senior, your means are indeed formidable. It hasnt been long since I left, but Zhao Ya has already fully recovered, and her cultivation has even advanced a notch... He had checked on Zhao Yas personally, and he knew that all of her meridians had ruptured. Even with his abilities, he would have had no way of treating her at all. Yet, this senior of his had only taken two hours topletely heal her. As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher, his means were indeed unfathomable! Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before recalling that he had not resolved the problem concerning the Pavilion Master Seal yet. He turned back to Ren Qingyuan and said, Pavilion Master Ren, its not that I dont want to return the Pavilion Master Seal to you, but... I was the one who asked my senior to take possession of the Pavilion Master Seal, Yang shi abruptly interjected. Ren Qingyuan, you issued an arrest warrant without careful investigation, cing the Master Teacher Pavilions impartiality and capability under question. With what you have done, if you continue holding onto the Pavilion Master Seal, youll only diminish the Master Teacher Pavilions authority and honor! I... I understand... Knowing that he was at fault for this matter as well, Ren Qingyuan could only shake his head. He beckoned the elders behind him and said, Lets go! After mobilizing such a huge group of 9-star master teachers simultaneously, who would have thought that the matter would end in such a manner? Hold it right there! The master teachers barely managed to move a few steps before the crowd from the Combat Master Hall abruptly surrounded all of them. Ren Qingyuan turned to Zheng Yang and asked with a livid expression, Progeny of Combat, what do you mean by this? You did manage to resolve your issues, but my teachers matter isnt over yet! You pinned such a grievous crime on my teacher, ordered his arrest, and even attempted to take his life. If we hadnte in time, you would have already killed him in cold blood! After sullying my teachers reputation, trampling on his dignity, and trying to assassinate him... dont you think that its too convenient for you to leave just like that? Zheng Yang nced at the master teachers coldly as the spear in his hand trembled with a buzz. Just because my teacher ispassionate enough to forgive the Master Teacher Pavilion doesnt mean that the rest of us are magnanimous enough to allow that. If you dont give us a good exnation today, dont dream about taking a single step out of here! Wei Ruyan stepped forward as her poison aura billowed around her. The Master Teacher Pavilion might have chosen to drop the arrest warrant on Zhang Xuan after he came to a peaceful agreement with the three powers, but that did not change the fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion had ipetently framed their teacher of crimes that he did notmit, sullying his innocence. There was no way that they could allow them to get away that easily! Otherwise, their teachers reputation would forever be stained by this incident! Since they had gathered together to bring their teacher justice, they should go all the way. Otherwise, what if others attempted it again in the future? Hu! After those two spoke up, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Lu Chong, and the others also walked over to encircle the master teachers. Powerful auras burst forth from them, sending a clear message to the Master Teacher Pavilion that they would not be allowed to leave until they gave a satisfactory answer. This... Ren Qingyuans face twitched upon seeing this side. When had the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters fallen so far as to be cornered in such a manner? Just what do you want? a 9-star master teacher bellowed furiously. Nothing much, we just want you to apologize, and the apology must reach every single Master Teacher Pavilion on the continent. Also, throw in ten million or so pinnacle spirit stones, and well let this matter go! Yuan Tao said. Chapter 1555 - Apologize, Master Teacher Pavilion! (2)

Chapter 1555: Apologize, Master Teacher Pavilion! (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ten million or so pinnacle spirit stones? The 9-star master teacher from before nearly exploded on the spot. This is daylight robbery! The other 9-star master teachers also red at Yuan Tao furiously. Pinnacle spirit stones were an extremely raremodity, such that not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had the ability to take out ten million or so pinnacle spirit stones. In their eyes, Yuan Taos request was an insult to them! Daylight robbery? How could that be? We are all very reasonable people, and theres no way wed resort to something as despicable as that! Chuckling softly, Yuan Tao turned around and said, Comrades, if they arent able to take out that many pinnacle spirit stones, lets just make do with taking their storage rings. While their master teacher robes are specially tailored by the headquarters and are bound to be very expensive, lets spare their dignity and not strip them clean, alright? After all, we are reasonable people, notmon thieves! You... Hearing those words, the crowd from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters nearly cked out. Is this still not considered daylight robbery? You are worse than amon thief, do you not know that? Unable to take it any longer, Ren Qingyuan turned to the young man idly watching the scene from afar and bellowed, Zhang shi, is this your intention as well? Alright, you lot should stop messing around! Seeing how mischievous his students were, Zhang Xuan waved his hands helplessly and said, Junior Qingyuan, pardon me. It seems like I have failed to keep my students in line! Junior? Ren Qingyuans goosebumps rose upon hearing that term. The matter regarding the storage rings is of course a joke. However... cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said, I stand by what my students have said. I, Zhang Xuan, have always lived by my principles. I wouldnt be so brazen as to say that I have never faulted, but I have always tried my best to uphold the virtues of a teacher. Yet, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has issued an arrest warrant on me, making me out to be an immoral viin who willfully caused damage and kidnapped others. If the Master Teacher Pavilion simply walks away after all the mistakes it hasmitted, I think that would really chill the hearts of the master teachers around the world! You... Very well, I admit that I have done you wrong this time around, and I am willing to ept my punishment. Speak your mind. As long as its something that the Master Teacher Pavilion can afford, Ill try my best topensate you. As furious as Ren Qingyuan was, he knew that what Zhang Xuan had said was right. Thus, he suppressed his anger and lowered his head. I dont ask of you topensate me, but it happens that theres something that the Master Teacher Pavilion has that I am deeply interested in. Having governed the Master Teacher Continent for many years, the Master Teacher Pavilion has amassed countless cultivation technique manuals. To be honest, I have long desired to ess your collection so as to further my studies. If the Master Teacher Pavilion could be so kind as to provide me with a copy of all of its cultivation technique manuals from the Dimension Sundering realm to just before the Ancient Sage realm, I would be extremely thankful! Zhang Xuan said. To him, there was nopensation that was as practical as cultivation technique manuals. With those, he would be able topile corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art manuals and advance his cultivation swiftly. The cultivation technique manuals of the Master Teacher Pavilion are confidential, so I cant show them to an outsider. I will have to ask you to request something else of me, Ren Qingyuan replied. One of the reasons that the Master Teacher Pavilion was able to remain at the top of the continent for so many years was due to its massive repository of top-notch secret arts. Knowledge would only be powerful in the right hands, so the Master Teacher Pavilion only imparted the cultivation technique manuals to those with exceptional talent and good character. Furthermore, most of those secret arts were too domineering, such that without the guidance of the predecessors, not only would it be unlikely for one to master it, the chances of ones cultivation going berserk was extremely high as well. Even a 9-star master teacher would have to study the insights of the predecessors before carefully practicing it bit by bit. Thus, there had never been an asion when all of the secret arts were copied down and given to someone! I wont demand those cultivation techniques that are too profound or confidential. Ill just take those that the Master Teacher Pavilion is willing to impart to others, but I want as many of them as possible! Zhang Xuan said. While master teachers did embrace the idea of impartation to all without discrimination, there were limitations to how far they could do so. Most of the confidential secret arts passed down only within the lineages were extreme profound, and they would require special guidance in order to master. Carelessly passing on their secret arts to others would only encourage others to incorrectly practice the secrets that they had devoted their lives to developing and refining, and that was not something that they wanted to see! Back then, Kong shi had taught three thousand students and seventy-two direct disciples, and the cultivation techniques that he had imparted to each of them was different from one another. The same went for Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and the others. In fact, when he lectured all of them together back when they were still in Hongtian Academy, he had only imparted the most basic knowledge concerning cultivation to them. Beyond that, he had always chosen to tutor each of them individually. This... Hearing that Zhang Xuan did not require the more confidential cultivation techniques, Ren Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before nodding. Very well then. However, Id like to inform you beforehand that the Master Teacher Pavilion only has Saint 8-dan and 9-dan cultivation technique manuals... Beyond this realm, every cultivator will have to find their own way to forge a path forward, so there arent any established cultivation techniques anymore. Furthermore, all of the cultivation technique manuals beyond the Saint realm that our Master Teacher Pavilion has are locked in the Azure Vault. If you wish to browse through it, you will have to enter the premises yourself! This... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shot a nce at Sword Saint Xing, and thetter confirmed Ren Qingyuans words with a slight nod. Thus, he could only turn his gaze back and sigh helplessly. Alright then! We have quite a number of Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals on hand, so we can pass them over to you right now. As for the Saint 9-dan manuals, most of them are in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, so you will have to wait patiently for a moment as we copy them for you! Ren Qingyuan said. Considering the standing of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would not stoop so low as to renege on their own words. Thus, Zhang Xuan gave a nod of agreement. I understand. So, Ren Qingyuan turned around and instructed, Everyone, please pass all of the Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals that you have to me! Yes, Pavilion Master Ren! The 9-star master teachers hurriedly took out their Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals, and they added up to several thousand books. Ren Qingyuan stowed the books into a storage ring before passing them over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang shi, Ill take responsibility for the injustice that you have experienced today. Once I return to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Ill resign from my position as the deputy pavilion master. I hope that this will be able to resolve the grudge that you have with the Master Teacher Pavilion. Knee-deep in this mess, the Master Teacher Pavilion could no longer make a clean getaway from this matter. In order to restore the dignity and reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Ren Qingyuan had no choice but to shoulder all of the me so as to absolve the Master Teacher Pavilion. But once he did that, there was no way that others would allow him to remain as the deputy pavilion master. Rather than be criticized by the masses afterward, he decisively chose to resign from his position. After bowing deeply to Zhang Xuan and Yang shi, Ren Qingyuan left with all of the 9-star master teachers. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had not expected Ren Qingyuan to actually resign from his position over this matter, and he shook his head and sighed. At that moment, he suddenly recalled Yang shis abrupt interjection earlier, so he turned a doubtful gaze over to thetter. Junior... He had not told the other party anything about the Pavilion Master Seal, so why would the other party suddenly speak up on his behalf? Knowing what he wanted to ask, Yang shi sent a telepathic message over. As a Celestial Master Teacher, you should be able to easily tame the Pavilion Master Seal. The reason you are unwilling to hand it over is because you have already tamed it, and it has already fused into your palm in the form of three droplets, right? Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. It seemed like Yang shi did know about the Pavilion Master Seal, so there was no need for him to waste his breath exining the matter to him. Through the power of the droplets, you will be able to wield power unmatched by those beneath Ancient Sage. If Im not mistaken, you were nning to reveal your identity as the Celestial Master Teacher earlier, right? Yang shi continued. Zhang Xuan nodded before asking, Is there anything wrong with that? The reason he had not dared to reveal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher before was because he had been too weak. He had been afraid that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would devote its effort to assassinating him once they learned of the matter, and he did not feel safe entrusting his safety to others. However, having tamed the Pavilion Master Seal, as long as he activated the power of the droplets, he would be able to wield strength unmatched by all beneath Ancient Sage! Surely, it should be fine for him to reveal his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher with the strength he currently possessed, should it not? After all, he would be granted ess to the massive trove of resources that the Master Teacher Pavilion had once he revealed his identity, thus allowing him to advance his cultivation faster than ever! Was there really a need for him to continue concealing the matter? Senior, I know what you are thinking, and Ill be very frank with you. We have recently found that one of the strongest Otherworldly Demonic Emperors is currently on the Master Teacher Continent, Yang shi said grimly. At this point, we are still unable to confirm the intention behind this course of action. However, if the news concerning you being the Celestial Master Teacher is leaked now, theres no doubt that you will be in grave danger! Grave danger? How powerful is the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor? Zhang Xuan asked. He was invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage, and while he was not too sure of the matter, it seemed like it was impossible for any cultivators to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore. With that, there should be no one on the Master Teacher Continent who was more powerful than him! Im afraid that the Otherworldly Demonic Emperors cultivation has already reached... Yang shi looked in the sky with an apprehensive frown on his face. Ancient Sage! Chapter 1556 - The Secrets of the Master Teacher Continent

Chapter 1556: The Secrets of the Master Teacher Continent

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock, not daring to believe what he had heard. Didnt you say that its impossible for anyone to make a breakthrough beyond Ancient Sage anymore? Previously, Yang shi had stated that it was no longer possible for anyone to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Even he himself had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, and the reason he had chosen to roam the world was to search for inspiration that could possibly allow him to make a breakthrough. Since that was the case, how could that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor be so powerful? When I said that he has reached Ancient Sage, I fear thats only a conservative estimate on my part. Yang shi shook his head worriedly. Theres a good chance that his cultivation is far higher than that! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was confused by the seeming contradiction in his words, Yang shi paused for a moment before exining, Its true that its nigh impossible for cultivators to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, but the Otherworldly Demons are of a different level of existence from us humans. Given the difference in our constitutions, how they achieve a breakthrough is drastically different to how we break through, so I cant say for sure whether they are still able to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage or not. However, I can tell you for certain that this particr Otherworldly Demonic Emperor did not make a breakthrough in thest ten thousand years! What do you mean by that? Zhang Xuan was still unable to make sense out of what he was hearing. If the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor did not make a breakthrough in the recent ten thousand years, did that not mean that the other party had already been an Ancient Sage ten thousand years ago? But surely that could not be! As powerful as Ancient Sages were, there was still a limit to their lifespan. Otherwise, Kong shi and his disciples would not have disappeared without a trace either! In fact, I suspect that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor could very well be the same one that fought with Kong shi back then! Yang shi said with deeply narrowed eyes. The one that fought with Kong shi back then? T-this... Zhang Xuans eyes widened in shock. But Kong shi departed from the continent tens of thousands of years ago, no? Was it really possible for the Otherworldly Demon Emperor who had fought with Kong shi tens of thousands of years ago to still be alive? In the first ce, the Otherworldly Demons enjoy greater longevity than us humans, and they might have used some sort of secret art that allows them to hibernate for long periods of time. As such, we cant discount the possibility that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor is still alive! Yang shi exined. In fact, there are many powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent that have lived through the ages in such a way as well! Those words immediately rose a great storm in Zhang Xuans heart. It seemed like he had underestimated the Ancient Sages. He had thought that once a person reached the limits of their lifespan, whether they were a human or an Otherworldly Demon, they had no choice but to ept his death. Who would have thought that there would actually be such a secret art to extend their lifespan! Then again, Vicious was the very embodiment of this. He had fought with Kong shi back then, but even tens of thousands of yearster, he had still sessfully been brought back to life. He had no idea how powerful Vicious was in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but considering the high opinion that Yang shi had of that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor, they should be of equal standing at the very least. Given so, it should note as much of a surprise that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor was still alive. My guess is that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor has sneaked into the Master Teacher Continent for the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Currently, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion has been able to acquire any information concerning his whereabouts. As such, it would be best to remain prudent! You are only mankinds second Celestial Master Teacher, and if that Otherworldly Demon Emperor catches wind of your existence, Im afraid that it will be difficult for us to stop him with our current strength! Yang shi said worriedly. I understand... Zhang Xuan nodded. Given that he had hidden his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher for so long, he had no qualms with keeping it a secret a little bit longer. Just that, he really did not expect the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to still have such a powerful expert among them! But if the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor is that powerful, and the Master Teacher Continent no longer has any Ancient Sages, why hasnt the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe conquered it yet? Its their dream, isnt it? Considering that mankind was already without Kong shi and his disciples, it should not be too difficult for that Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demonic Emperor to lead his men over to conquer the Master Teacher Continent once more! That should be the rational course of action, should it not? They have tried to invade the Master Teacher Continent many times, but it isnt as easy as that. While its possible for the Otherworldly Demons to slip through the seals in the Subterranean Galleries, they have to pay a heavy price for that. As such, it isnt easy for them to amass their armies in the Master Teacher Continent, Yang shi exined. Furthermore, while no humans have been able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore, that doesnt mean that we dont have any Ancient Sages among us... What? Zhang Xuan blinked nkly, not following Yang shis words. If it was impossible to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, how could there still be any human Ancient Sage cultivators in the world? Didnt I say it earlier? There are many powerhouses on the Master Teacher Continent that have used a secret art to survive through the ages. In fact, the reason even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has to tread prudently around the Zhang n is because the Zhang n also has an Ancient Sage who survived in such a way! However, the Ancient Sages are in a state of hibernation most of the time, and only when the Master Teacher Continent is truly in danger will they be awakened! Yang shi replied. The Zhang n... also has an Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan was shocked. He had always thought that the strongest experts in the Zhang n were Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng. Who could have thought that they would actually have such a powerful trump card? Indeed. This is one of the greatest secrets of the continent, and only 9-star master teachers are qualified to learn of the matter. Senior, I have to ask you not to speak of it lightly to others... Yang shi sped his fist. Rest assured, I understand! Zhang Xuan replied. The Ancient Sages of mankind are usually in a state of hibernation. They are woken only when theres a battle to be fought, and they return to hibernation right after. For every battle they undergo, their lifespan will be reduced significantly. Eventually, they will run out of time and breathe theirst breath. Every single Ancient Sage is of the utmost importance to the safety of mankind, so we cant afford to wake any of them up in order to protect you. Since your identity as the Celestial Master Teacher hasnt been leaked yet, it would be best to keep it a secret for as long as we can. Furthermore, we still have no idea what the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor looks like, where he currently is, and in what form the danger from him will manifest. Even if we had an Ancient Sage constantly following you around, it would still be difficult to guarantee your safety! Speaking up to this point, Yang shi suddenly paused for a moment as he looked at Zhang Xuan earnestly. Any of us can die, but Senior, you must continue living. You are the Celestial Master Teacher, an existence on par with Kong shi. You are the hope of mankind. Whether mankind will be able to rise once more and enter another era of prosperity depends on you! Zhang Xuans heart jolted in astonishment. He did not think that Yang shi would have such a high opinion of him. He was silent for a moment before nodding. I understand. At the same time, he felt incredibly relieved that he had never revealed his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher carelessly. Otherwise, if he had really caught the eye of that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor whom Yang shi had mentioned, he would probably have been killed in a heartbeat. Junior, you said earlier that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor hase for the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Can you exin more about that matter? Zhang Xuan asked. The Great Codex of Spring Autumn was known to be the strongest artifact that Kong shi had created, and it wielded unimaginable capabilities. Previously, he hade across the Qingtian Emperor, who had been searching for the Celestial Amulet of Legacy for this very purpose. As you might have heard, the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is an unparalleled artifact that Kong shi left behind. It has the ability to affect the weather and control time. Before Kong shi left the continent, he ced the artifact in the Temple of Confucius in Qufu 1 ... Unfortunately, no one knows the exact location of where the Temple of Confucius is. Countless master teachers have attempted to find it, but none of them seeded. Legend has it that only by gathering all of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy together will the road leading to the Temple of Confucius finally appear. However, a year ago, we detected some spatial distortions in Qufu, and someone reportedly witnessed a mirage of the Temple of Confucius. As soon as the news came out, it caused a hugemotion among the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. The Master Teacher Pavilion moved quickly to seal the newspletely, but unfortunately, it seems like the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe still managed to catch wind of it. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is an unparalleled treasure, and if we sessfully obtain it, well have a powerful weapon in our hands to protect ourselves. However, if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe obtains it instead, theres a good chance that they could use it to tear down the seals in the Subterranean Galleries and march back into the continent. If that happens, it would be a catastrophe! Yang shi said grimly. If its an artifact that Kong shi forged, why did he choose to seal it in the Temple of Confucius instead of entrusting it to the Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful frown. Since it was a creation from Kong shi, it went without saying that he intended to pass it down to future generations so as to benefit mankind. Yet, instead of handing this artifact over to the Master Teacher Pavilion to use it, he chose to seal it up instead. This did not seem to make sense. I dont know the exact reason either. Most probably, well only know after entering the Temple of Confucius! Yang shi said. Chapter 1557 - Returning to the Zhang Clan

Chapter 1557: Returning to the Zhang n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A matter concerning the Temple of Confucius was already way beyond what Yang shi could ess. The matter had happened tens of thousands of years ago, and no matter how carefully the Master Teacher Pavilion passed down its heritage from one generation to the next, there was still bound to be some information that was withheld or lost in the process. With the limited information he knew, all he could do was specte. And since it was just mere spection, it would be better for him to hold his tongue than to spread uncertain information. On the other hand, seeing that Yang shi was uncertain of the matter, Zhang Xuan decided to ask no more as well. The two of them chatted a while longer before Sword Saint Xing suddenly walked over and said, Yang shi, we are very thankful to you for helping us reunite with Xuan-er 1 . We wish to bring him back home now to acknowledge the ancestors. Would you be interested in following us along so as to witness the process? Yang shi nodded. I happen to have something that I have to do back at the Zhang n. Lets head over together. Great. Lets set off then! Seeing that Yang shi wasing along as well, Sword Saint Xing inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before turning to Zhang Xuan. Well first be heading to the cier in Court to teleport to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters before teleporting to the Zhang n. Theres no need to go through that much trouble. I can just set up a Teleportation Formation straight back to the Zhang n here, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. While the power from the droplet had already faded, with his current Dimension Sundering realm primary stage cultivation and the assistance from Yang shi and the Xingmeng Sword Saints, it would not be too difficult for him to construct another Teleportation Formation. In any case, he had been to the Zhang n once before, so he knew its coordinates very well. As long as he calcted carefully, he should be able to arrive at the destination with pinpoint uracy. That would be great! It was only after hearing those words that the crowd suddenly remembered the young mans ability to set up Teleportation Formations with a wave of his hand, and they quickly nodded in agreement. Before that, allow me to talk to my students a while first! Since Zhang Xuan had already decided to head to the Zhang n, there was no longer any need for him to hesitate. He quickly headed to where Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others had gathered. Teacher... With the crisis resolved, they were no longer able to suppress the longing that they felt, and they quickly gathered around Zhang Xuan in agitation. If not for their teacher, they would still have been living their lives groggily in the remote Tianxuan Kingdom. They would never have grown to be the formidable powerhouses that they were that day. They would never forget what their teacher had done for them. Not bad! Looking at the faces before him, Zhang Xuan could not help but smile hearteningly. Those immature children that had waddled behind him in the past had be figures who could stand their own ground. There was indeed nothing constant in the world except for the passing of time. After chatting for a bit, Zhang Xuan turned to the spear-wielding young man and asked, Zheng Yang, how did you manage to grow so quickly? Wei Ruyan had been able to advance her cultivation swiftly due to her Innate Poison Constitution, and the same applied to Zhao Ya, Lu Chong, and Yuan Tao as well. While Wang Ying did improve considerably, her strength was mainly derived from her spirit enchantment art and the puppet that shemanded. Yet, it was Zheng Yang, who only had hard work to count on, who had improved the quickest among them, such that even Ren Qingyuan would hesitate to face him. Teacher, I only managed to improve so quickly due to the Master Teacher Pavilions Hall of Spring and Autumn! Zheng Yang replied honestly. Hall of Spring and Autumn? Zhang Xuan muttered. Its a unique artifact of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and its said to have been left behind by Kong shi as well. Its somewhat simr to the Blood Reservoir of the Zhang n, but its more advanced than that. A year inside the Hall of Spring and Autumn trantes to only the passing of a month outside... I spent a total of three months inside, which is equivalent to the passing of three years, with the Combat Master Hall generously supplying whatever I needed for my cultivation! Zheng Yang said. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was no wonder the other party had grown so much within just a couple of months, such that even Zhao Ya and the others were not able to catch up to him. It turned out that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters still had such a formidable artifact with them. With the slowing of time, Zheng Yangs diligence, the heritage of the Combat Master Hall, and the vast resources devoted to him, it was understandable that he had grown so quickly within such a short period of time. The Zhang ns Blood Reservoir only allowed one to cultivate mentally, but the effects of the Hall of Spring and Autumn applied to the cultivator as a whole. Naturally, there was a vast difference in the effects as well. As they chatted and chatted, before they knew it, the sky had already begun to dim. Seeing that it was gettingte, Zhang Xuan said, All of you are already leaders of your respective organizations, so you cant follow me as you did in the past anymore. Your people need you, so return to them. Im not in any danger anymore, so theres no need to be worried about me! He knew that his students missed him, and he missed them as well. However, their circumstances were different from before, and they could not afford to act willfully. They had each found their own way forward, so it was inevitable that their paths would have to diverge. We understand, but its just that we cant bear to... The thought of separation after barely reuniting with one another made Zhao Yas eyes redden slightly. She had thought that she would be able to remain with her teacher a little longer, but to think that they would have to separate so soon again. Zhao Ya, even though I have helped you reconstruct your meridians, your foundations are still a little weak at the moment. Here is a cultivation technique manual that I have just written. Cultivate ording to it, and itll do you much good for your future cultivation. Zheng Yang, the heritage of the Combat Master Hall isnt too bad, but due to the swift advancement in your cultivation, you ended up incurring some traumas. I have a prescription over here. Get a skilled apothecary to forge the pills for you ording to my prescription. Consume one a day for a week straight, and it should resolve the traumas that you have sustained and advance your cultivation further. Wang Ying, your talent iscking inparison to Zhao Ya and the others, and you havent been blessed with the same fortuitous encounter as Zheng Yang. Here are the cultivation technique manuals that I havepiled for you recently, as well as the insights I have regarding spirit enchantment. Ill entrust all of them to you, and as long as you practice them diligently, you should be able to improve quickly as well! Lu Chong... Wei Ruyan... Yuan Tao... Zhang Xuan carefully went through the problems with each of his students cultivation, but even after doing so, he still felt a little worried. Thus, he left several surges of Heavens Path zhenqi in each of them before finally heaving a sigh of relief. They might have matured and grown even stronger than him, but somehow, he could not help but see them as children that needed taking care of. Teacher, since you are intending to head to the Luo n very soon to seal your engagement, lets meet again in the Luo n! Zheng Yang said with a smile. Ill bring a huge present then to celebrate the asion! Indeed! How can we be absent for our teachers marriage? Wei Ruyan chuckled softly. Well definitely be there! Zhao Ya and the others nodded in agreement. Seeing the earnest faces all around him, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and said, Alright, feel free toe if you want to. Right, theres a matter that I need to entrust you all with. Liu Yang disappeared after leaving Qingyuan City, so I would like you to help me keep a lookout for him. If you find him, make sure that no danger befalls him! Recalling that disciple of his who had left to venture into the world, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little worried. Alright! The others nodded in agreement. While they had been chatting, the elders of the Spirit Awakener Guild had already moved the enchanted buildings back to where they belonged, and the experts of the Poison Hall had also cured the poisoned master teachers and released them. By the time that Zhang Xuan parted with his students, night had fallen. Lets go! Knowing that Zhang Xuan was not in a mood to chat, Sword Saint Meng did not bother him too much. She took out a bunch of grade-9 formation gs and passed them over. Taking the formation gs, Zhang Xuan quickly calcted the coordinates of the Zhang n and began constructing the Teleportation Formation. Due to hiscking cultivation, he still needed Yang shis assistance before he finally activated the Teleportation Formation sessfully. Hu! The group vanished on the spot, and the next instant, they were standing right before the Zhang ns entrance formation. Chapter 1558 - News Reaches the Luo Clan

Chapter 1558: News Reaches the Luo n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Luo n, before a massive seal, a youngdy pleaded with a desperate look on her face, Elder Brother, please let me go. Ille right back after saving him... With her ck, silky hair and a delicateplexion that looked as if it would tear with a gust of wind, she was indescribably beautiful, almost as though a goddess that had descended to the mortal world. Words could not even begin to describe her ravishing looks. Standing before her was a young man in his early thirtiesLuo Xuanqing! You should abandon that thought, Yuxin. The only reason I was allowed to return using the Teleportation Formation was to stop you from messing around... Looking into his younger sisters pleading eyes, Luo Xuanqings heart ached a little. However, he still toughened his resolve and shook his head adamantly. He brought this upon himself. If hes able to survive the ordeal, Ill believe that he truly has the ability to marry you. However, theres no need for you to be too worried about him. Since the Master Teacher Pavilion has gotten involved, I dont think that they will go too far. At the very most, they will only punish him harshly. There shouldnt be any threat to his life! Is that so? Hearing her elder brothers words, the youngdy heaved a sigh of relief. As long as theres no danger to his life, I believe that he will be able to ovee the crisis eventually! You... Jeez! I really dont know what kind of sorcery thatd used to charm you so! Staring at the infatuated look on his younger sisters face, Luo Xuanqing could not help but shake his head. He had interacted with Zhang Xuan on many asions, so he had a clear idea about the means that the young man possessed. While he was formidable, faced against a behemoth like the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it was unlikely that he would stand much of a chance. Even if there was no danger to the young mans life, chances were that he would be put through great suffering! He really could not understand why his younger sister had so much confidence in him. Its not sorcery. I simply trust him, the youngdy replied. It doesnt matter whether you trust him or not. Its not as if you dont know our ns resolve on this matter, and you should understand the severe implications that could arise from this matter. They wont allow you to marry anyone other than the young prodigy of the Zhang n. Theres no future between you and him! Luo Xuanqing sighed as he lowered his gaze to the ground, not wanting to see his younger sisters disappointed face. The deeper the feelings his younger sister had for that fellow, the greater the disappointment she would eventually face. The marriage between the Zhang and the Luo n would affect the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, and the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. They would not allow any problems to ur just because of her personal feelings. I know... I know that theres no future between me and him. As long as hes safe, Ill be content, the youngdy replied quietly as she hugged her knees to her body. You... Jeez! Luo Xuanqing wanted to knock some sense into his younger sister, but seeing the forlorn look on her face, he really could not bring himself to put her down any more than that. She had always been lonely despite the crowds of people that swarmed around her. It had not been easy for her to find someone whom she truly liked. Even if there was nothing but tragedy in the end, perhaps it might be good to allow her to live in the moment. In that moment of heavy silence between the two of them, flurried footsteps sounded from the distance, and soon, a figure could be seen rushing over. Young Master, Little Princess... Upon catching a clearer sight of the figure, Luo Xuanqing anxiously asked, Elder Chengxin, whats wrong? He was none other than the Luo n expert who had threatened Zhang Xuan back in Qingyuan CityLuo Chengxin! At this moment, his face was flushed red in agitation, as if he had heard some news that even he had difficulty believing. Young Master, I have been keeping a close eye on the situation over in the Empire Alliance, and I have just received some news from my men there. After Zhang shi was cornered by the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, there should have been no way that he could have escaped. However, at the crucial moment... his students appeared! Luo Chengxin reported. His students? Are you referring to Wang Ying and the others? the youngdy asked anxiously. Thats right! The first one to arrive was the head of the Poison Hall, followed by a soul oracle, the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild... As he reported the news that he had just received, Luo Chengxin could not help but gulp unconsciously. He had verified the matter again and again, but still, he could not help but find it too incredible to be true. You are telling me that the students that fellow took in have be the head of the Poison Hall, the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, the master of the Combat Master Hall, the head of the Yuan n... Luo Xuanqing widened his eyes in disbelief. Those were major powers that did not pale much inparison to the Luo n... and yet, they were all headed by his students! Was Zhang Xuan not only a Phantasmal Space realm cultivator himself? How could his students be so formidable? That isnt all! Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng from the Zhang n also arrived shortly afterward... Luo Chengxin continued. After fighting an intense battle with Zhang shi, Sword Saint Xing admitted his defeat and said that... that... Seeing how Luo Chengxin was stuttering to no end, Luo Xuanqing frowned in displeasure. What did he say? He said that... Zhang shi was actually... his son! In other words, hes the young prodigy who hasnt appeared all this time! Luo Chengxin eximed with eyes widened in disbelief. When he first saw this piece of news, he had thought that his eyes were ying tricks on him. He had needed to carefully read it eight times and verify it again and again before he was able to confirm that there was no mistake. Nevertheless, he still could not help but feel as if he was in a dream when speaking of it. It was simply too unbelievable! It had not been easy for the little princess to find someone whom she fancied, but the heavy responsibility that she shouldered had made it impossible for them toe together. Yet, who would have thought that her fianc would turn out be the person whom she fancied! What did you say? Luo Xuanqing fell into a daze. The little princess body also stiffened upon hearing those words. Her voice quivered in disbelief as she asked, Did you say that... Zhang shi is the young prodigy of the Zhang n? Yes! I have verified the information many times, so there cant be any mistake with it. Ive heard that our First Elder is rushing back to the n because of the matter, and I believe it wont be long before news spreads all around our n! Luo Chengxin nodded in agitation. He was the old butler of the little princess, and he had been taking care of her ever since she was young. Due to that, he had a clear idea of what her temperament was like. It was precisely out of worry for her that he secretly went to look for Zhang Xuan in order to warn him. He had thought that since it was impossible for them to get together, it would be better to sever their rtionship as quickly as possible so as to lessen the pain. However, when he found out that the little princess could really be together with the person whom she liked, the excitement and delight that he felt was no less than what the two people in question felt. T-this... That fellow is actually the young prodigy! Unable to contain his agitation, Luo Xuanqing punched the air excitedly. In his head, the image of the young prodigy whom he had hated with a passion slowly ovepped together with Zhang Xuans figure, and soon, an indescribable sense of joy rippled through his body, washing away all of his fatigue. The reason he hated the young prodigy previously was because he knew that his younger sister was likely to suffer in this political marriage. Marrying someone whom she did not love, she coulde to regret it for life. However, if Zhang Xuan was the young prodigy, that would no longer be the case. They had mutual feelings for one another, and as an elder brother, it went without saying that his younger sister finding her own happiness was something that was worth celebrating. Zhang shi... Upon learning that the person whom she was engaged with was actually the person whom she fancied, the worries and hesitation that had gued the youngdy in recent days were suddenly swept clean. Before she knew it, her vision blurred. Tears were already streaming down her face. With this engagement between them, she would finally be able to be with him openly. There was no need for her to be afraid of anything anymore. All of a sudden, she remembered something and hurriedly wiped away her tears. She turned to Luo Chengxin and asked nervously, How... did he react after learning that hes the young prodigy of the Zhang n? It goes without saying that hes overjoyed! It seems like he has even made a promise with our First Elder that after acknowledging the ancestors of the Zhang n, he will immediately head over to ask for your hand in marriage! Luo Chengxin said. Hes heading over to ask for my hand in marriage? The youngdys face instantaneously turned bright red, but her brilliant eyes reflected deep expectations for the future ahead. Ill be waiting... Chapter 1559 - The Whole World in Uproar

Chapter 1559: The Whole World in Uproar

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As a newly-promoted empire, the Xuanyuan Empire did not stand out among the many empires. However, it was one of the few empires that were extremely sessful at attracting talents all over the world, allowing it to develop at an incredible pace. In just half a year, it had already be one of the more outstanding Tier-2 Empires, well beyond the league of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. At this very moment, Empress Mo Yu was seated on her royal throne, assessing the crowd beneath her regally. Dont you all have a lot of opinions usually? Why arent any of you speaking today? One of the officials stepped forward and eximed, Your Majesty, we cant afford to interfere recklessly in this matter! If we help Zhang shi, that would be equivalent to opposing the Master Teacher Pavilion! That could very well revert our newly-promoted empire back into a mere kingdom! I disagree with Minister Chens viewpoint. Were it not for Zhang shi, our Xuanyuan Kingdom never would have been sessfully promoted into an empire. If we remain silent while our benefactor is being insulted by others, how will our people view us? said another official as he stepped forward. I am of the same opinion as Censor Lis opinion. If it had been another master teacher, we might still have been able to turn a blind eye to the matter, but its Zhang shi that we are talking about over here! Back then, he went to great lengths in order to develop our Xuanyuan Kingdom into an empire, so we cant simply leave him in the lurch now that hes in need of help! That would chill the hearts of our people! Given our strength, what can we possibly do for Zhang shi? Do you think that our Xuanyuan Empire has the power to oppose a decision made by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Well only be destroyed! Even if we cant do anything much, I dont want others to view our Xuanyuan Empire as an ungrateful country that forgets its benefactors... Even if you wish to repay the debt, you cant just drag our entire Xuanyuan Empire into the mes like that! ... Enough! Looking at the chaos below, Empress Mo Yu abruptly rose to her feet and bellowed, Zhang shi must be saved; this is my decision. Censor Li, I want you to start a petition using my name and rally everyone in the empire who is indebted to Zhang shi! So what if the other party is the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? If they have made a mistake, we ought to speak up against them! Yes... Hearing that the empress had already made her decision, the arguing officials lowered their heads subserviently, not daring to argue anymore. Your Majesty! Just as Censor Li was about to begin drafting a petition, a fully-armored general rushed into the pce and anxiously reported, I have just received news that Zhang shi... Zhang shi has managed to resolve the crisis and is fine! You said that Zhang shi is fine? Mo Yu hurriedly took the letter that the other party was passing over and opened it. Slowly, her eyes widened in disbelief. Zhang shi is actually... the head of one of the Premier Sage ns, the Zhang n? And Zhao Ya is the court chief of the cier in Court, wielding strength that even Pavilion Master Ren had trouble dealing with? Thatss, Wang Ying, has be the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild? Zheng Yang is the new Progeny of Combat of the Combat Master Hall, and that fatty, Yuan Tao, had actually be the head of the Yuan n... Even Lu Chong has grown into a master soul oracle, capable of standing his ground against 9-star master teachers! Mo Yu could not help but wonder in her heart, If I had relinquished my royalty and followed him back then... would I have already be a top-notch expert of the continent, too? Back then, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and the others had been far weaker than her, not evening close to being a match for her. Yet, in the short span of a single year, they had be figures whom she could only look up to. She had known all along that it was only a matter of time before someone of Zhang shis caliber rose to the top, but who could have thought that even his students would be experts standing at the zenith of the continent as well? Its a pity, but it seems like I have already missed my opportunity to do so... Mo Yu lowered her head with a hint of sorrow in the depths of her eyes. She had viewed being the empress of the Xuanyuan Empire as a great honor, but it was bing apparent that even this honor might note close to being a humble student behind Zhang Xuan. Mo Yu shook her head and muttered, It looks the Master Teacher Continent will be Zhang shis in the future. ... White clouds drifted amid the mountain range. By a mountain stream, a youngdy was seated atop a small boulder with a worried look in her eyes. Yu Fei-er. Shortly after leaving Qingyuan City, Yu Fei-er stumbled by 9-star Master Teacher Ji Ruochen and became her student. Junior, our teacher told me to bring this letter to you! A young man suddenly flew over from the distance and ced an envelope in her hand. Yu Fei-er anxiously tore it open, and upon swiftly browsing through it, her body stiffened in shock. If hes the young prodigy of the Zhang n, doesnt that mean that... Indeed, Junior! Zhang Xuan is indeed a person of great talent. Not only does he possess extraordinary abilities, all of his students are outstanding. Even our teacher is filled with respect and praise for him! the young man eximed in agitation. It wont be long before his name is known throughout the entire continent! Y-yes, youre right... Yu Fei-er replied with a dazed look on her face, seemingly contemting something deeply. ... In the Jiang n, a middle-aged man turned around with a bbergasted look on his face after hearing an elders report. You said that Zhang Xuan singlehandedly fended off the pursuers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and in the blink of an eye, he became the head of the Zhang n. Furthermore, his students are also powerhouses of the continent, possessing great power, too? Thats right, n head! Prepare some gifts and send them over to the Zhang n to congratte them for finding their son... Wait, they are intending to head to the Luo n to ask for the little princess hand in marriage, right? Deliver the presents straight to the Luo n and ry my blessings to them... No, that wont do either. The middle-aged man waved his hand grandly. I shall make a trip personally! ... In the Mu n, Mu Yuan had been kneeling outside the manor, not moving in the slightest. In order to be epted back into his n, he had been kneeling on the spot for ten days straight, but not a single person had bothered to pay him any heed. Even when he tried to beg with the butler, thetter had simply disregarded him. He had never faced such treatment back when he was still a genius from the Mu n. However, he could notin about it. He knew that he was the one who had done wrong back then. As long as the Mu n was willing to take him back, putting aside ten days, he would wait for as long as he needed. Enduring the fatigue in his body, Mu Yuan gritted his teeth tightly. Jiya! Just as he was about to reach his limit, the massive doors of the Mu n suddenly creaked open, and the head of the Mu n rushed out. Quick, get up... The n head quickly walked over to Mu Yuan to support him up before feeding him a recovery pill. As soon as he swallowed the pill, Mu Yuan immediately felt incredible energy coursing through his body. In an instant, the fatigue that he had umted over the past few days vanished without a trace. This is... a grade-9 pill? Mu Yuan jolted in rm. Even when he was still a genius of the Mu n, he had not been qualified to consume such pills. Yet, after his heinous deeds, the head of the Mu n had still fed such a pill to him. Mu Yuan, I have looked through your experiences over those years, and I noticed that you were under Zhang shis care for some time... Alright, Ill allow you to return to the Mu n and grant you a suitable position within the n! Zhang shi will be heading to the Luo n to ask for the little princess hand in marriage, so I want you to head over in representation of our Mu n and present him with our congrattory gifts! the n head said with a smile. Zhang shi? Which Zhang shi? Mu Yuan was a little overwhelmed by the situation. Who else could I be referring to other than Zhang Xuan? You probably havent heard yet. Hes actually the young prodigy of the Zhang n, as well as its n head! the n head replied. Z-Zhang shi has be the head of the Zhang n, and hes actually the young prodigy at that? Mu Yuan was stunned. All of a sudden, he understood the reason behind the n heads abrupt change in attitude. It turned out that the turning point of the matter was his link with Zhang shi! It was Zhang shi who had changed the course of his destiny. ... The same scene was ying out among most powers in the top echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. On that day, there was a name that was imprinted in the minds of those all across the Master Teacher Continent. Everyone hade to know of the master teacher named Zhang Xuan. Some were delighted to learn of the matter, some despaired after hearing about it, and some were simply nonchnt, but without a doubt, his name would continue to resound on the Master Teacher Continent for many years toe! Chapter 1560 - I Didnt Hear Clearly

Chapter 1560: I Didnt Hear Clearly

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the newly repaired buildings and halls before him, Sword Saint Xing eximed with a smile, Were home! It should have been the same Zhang n as before, but it did not seem that way to Zhang Xuan anymore. A few days ago, when he came over, the only thought on his mind had been to teach the young prodigy a lesson and give the Zhang n a piece of his mind. However, when he learned that the young prodigy was actually him and the Zhang n that he had hated all along was actually his n... Honestly, he still was not too sure how he should feel about the matter. If only Id found you earlier, this mess wouldnt have urred... Recalling the tragedy that he had witnessed when he returned to the Zhang n back then, Sword Saint Xing could not help but shake his head. With Zhang Xuans current standing, no member of the Zhang n would dare oppose him anymore. However, due to the events before, it was inevitable that most members of the Zhang n would have some reservations or even bear hostility toward him. Isnt this fine, too? Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly. Your Zhang n has grown arrogant over the years, acting all high and mighty just because of that number one Sage n title. I have always despised that of the Zhang n! Id say that our Xuan-er did well stirring them up a little; that will make them learn that the bloodline that they are so proud of is not even worth mentioning! Sword Saint Xing knew better than to argue with his hot-tempered wife at this moment, so he could only shake his head helplessly and concede defeat. Yes, my dear. You are always right... With Sword Saint Xing at the lead, the group managed to proceed ahead without any impediment, and very soon, they arrived at the Zhang ns Conference Hall. This was where Zhang Xuan had shed with the First Elder several days ago. The buildings that had been destroyed in that encounter had already been repaired, and they looked exactly the same as before, betraying no signs of the devastation that had urred just a few days ago. Noticing the doubtful look on Zhang Xuans face, Sword Saint Xing discreetly exined through zhenqi telepathy. Your mother has rampaged in the Zhang n a few times in the past, destroying quite a number of buildings each time. For that, the Zhang n has specially employed a group ofndscapers to conduct emergency repairs whenever required. Hearing that his mother was actually a harbinger of destruction as well, Zhang Xuans face twitched slightly. To be honest, the destruction that he caused was always circumstantial. Unlike his mothers intentional actions, it was always due to a series of coincidencesing together in an unfortunate manner that resulted in tragedy for him. Weing the return of our deputy n head and the young prodigy! As soon as they stepped into the hall, Zhang Xuan heard a voice echoing from within. Lifting his head, he saw the elders of the Zhang n standing within, waiting patiently for their arrival. Sword Saint Xing nodded to acknowledge the greeting before walking straight to the main seat. Under normal circumstances, with Yang shis standing, he should have been orded the highest seat in the room. However, due to him acknowledging Zhang Xuan as his senior, that put the Xingmeng Sword Saints a generation above him, so he could only make do with the seat at the very back. Sword Saint Xing looked at the elders before him and said, I believe that all of you should have heard by now that Zhang Xuan is the young prodigy of our Zhang n, who went missing twenty years ago. Since he has finally returned to our Zhang n, Ill have to trouble you all to prepare the tributes and make arrangements for the acknowledgement ritual. Tomorrow morning, well first pay respects to the ancestors before holding the inauguration ceremony! Inauguration ceremony? n head, do you mean to say that you intend to pass down the n head position to the young prodigy tomorrow? Isnt that a little too fast? The elders were caught off guard by the sudden announcement. With the return of the young prodigy, it was only a matter of time before Sword Saint Xing passed down his position to him. However... this was a little too rushed! Zhang Xuan had only just returned to the Zhang n, so he was unlikely to know anything about the current state of affairs surrounding it. Was he really in a good position to be making the final calls in the Zhang n? If anything, it seemed like he would only lead the Zhang n into a spiral of decline! Someone from the crowd suddenly bellowed, I oppose it! The gazes in the room swiftly turned toward the source of the objection, and following that, the First Elder Zhang Wuheng stepped out from the crowd. Upon seeing that it was him, Sword Saint Xing frowned. He had ordered Zhang Wuheng to return to the Zhang n to ept his punishment, but who could have thought that he would actually attend this Elder Conference? Speak! Whats the reason behind your objection? Sword Saint Xing asked with narrowed eyes. It had not been easy for him to get his son back, and he was nning on making up the twenty years of absence to his son. Yet, who could have thought that someone would oppose his decision at this point in time? This made him extremely displeased. n head, I dont mean to be rude, but the position of n head has always been inherited by the offspring with the purest bloodline. Zhang Xuan might be your son and the young prodigy of the Zhang n, but his Zhang n bloodline is already undetectable. Under such circumstances, I believe that hes unqualified to inherit the position of n head, Zhang Wuheng said calmly. His Zhang n bloodline is undetectable? Does that mean that the blood of the Zhang n doesnt run in his veins? First Elder, what does that mean? The other elders were taken aback by the news. Back then, Zhang Wuchen had moved discreetly under Zhang Wuhengs orders to test Zhang Xuans bloodline in the Blood Reservoir, so other than the two of them and the Xingmeng Sword Saints, no one else was aware of the matter. Elder Wuchen, why dont you report the results of your investigation to everyone here? Zhang Wuheng gestured grandly. Yes, First Elder! Zhang Wuchen walked to the front of the crowd before continuing. When Zhang Xuan was in our Zhang n a few days ago, I had a hunch that he could be the young prodigy, so I secretly took him into the Blood Reservoir to test his bloodline. However... Very soon, Zhang Wuchen went through the details of what he had seen in the Blood Reservoir. This... Without the Zhang n bloodline, he cant even be considered a member of the Zhang n! How can such a person be our n head? ... A huge uproar broke out amid the crowd after hearing the ins and outs of the matter. They had tested the bloodline of the young prodigy when he was born, and the sheer purity of his bloodline shocked the entire n. It was in view of this that they had unanimously nominated him to be their n head despite his young age. However, when he returned twenty yearster, there was not the slightest drop of the Zhang n bloodline in his veins. How could they still ept him as their n head? The Zhang n bloodline is the very symbol of authority in our Zhang n. Since our n head has already verified the matter, I dont doubt that Zhang Xuan is indeed an offspring of our Zhang n... However, if he has lost his Zhang n bloodline, Im afraid that it would be contrary to the teachings of our ancestors to make him our n head! Zhang Wuheng sped his fist and bowed deeply. I am opposing this for the sake of our Zhang n! n head, I beseech you to reconsider your decision! You... Sword Saint Xingsplexion turned iparably awful after hearing Zhang Wuhengs words. After all the trouble that he had gone through to find his son, he had thought that everything would swiftly fall back into ce. Yet, who could have thought that Zhang Wuheng would be able to stop him so easily? The reason that Zhang Wuheng had given was simple but powerful. There was indeed a rule in the Zhang ns teachings stating that only offspring who had achieved a certain level of purity in their bloodline would be qualified to be the n head. Considering how his son did not have the slightest bit of the Zhang n bloodline running through his veins, there was no legitimacy to him bing the n head. What do you propose then? Sword Saint Xing spat coldly as he stared piercingly at Zhang Wuheng. What I propose is very simple. Well nominate the offspring whose bloodline has reached the mark to be our next n head! Zhang Wuheng replied with a grand wave of his hand. Even my bloodline hasnt reached the level of purity required to be the n head! Who else in the n could possibly have met the mark? Sword Saint Xing narrowed his eyes coldly. It was apparent that Zhang Wuheng was intentionally making things difficult for them. He currently possessed the purest bloodline in the Zhang n, with the exception of his son twenty years ago, but still, he had not reached the level of purity required to be inaugurated as a true n head. Given so, who else could possibly meet the mark? Clearly, Zhang Wuheng was cooking up this fuss just to stop Zhang Xuan from bing the next n head! n head, just because your bloodline hasnt reached the required level of purity doesnt mean that no one elses has! I have already found someone in the n whose bloodline purity reaches the mark and, perhaps, far exceeds it even! Zhang Wuheng burst into heartyughter as he raised his hand and gestured. Come in! Hu! Following which, a figure slowly walked into the hall. I have already tested his bloodline, and I am certain that it meets the mark required to be the n head. In fact, in terms of sheer purity, hes on par with even the young prodigy back then. If he isnt qualified to be the n head, no one else is! Zhang Wuheng raised his hand and shrouded the figure with his energy. Following which, a brilliant burst of light shone from the figure. What formidable purity this is... Everyone in the hall narrowed their eyes in astonishment. Even amid the blinding light, they could feel that the energy harnessed in the other partys bloodline far exceeded theirs, almost as if the searing sun. Even Sword Saint Xing could not help but frown upon seeing this. He could sense that the other partys bloodline was far stronger than his, such that they were not even on the same level as one another. His bloodline has exceeded every single one of us here, and I believe none of you should have any doubt that he has already met the mark required to be the n head. I presume that none of you will have any objections to him bing the n head, right? Zhang Wuheng gazed at the astounded crowd andughed triumphantly. But at this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. Come here. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan interjecting at this critical moment, Zhang Wuhengshed out furiously. Zhang Xuan, you might be the young prodigy, but without the slightest droplet of our Zhang n bloodline in your veins, Im afraid that you dont have a say here. Our Zhang n is currently in the midst of nominating our next n head, so Ill have to ask an outsider like you to hold your tongue... But before he could finish his words, the figure who had just walked in hurriedly strode over to Zhang Xuan and kneeled to the floor. Zhang Jiuxiao pays respect to teacher! The figure who had just entered the hall was none other than Zhang Jiuxiao! Un, rise! Zhang Xuan reached out to fondle Zhang Jiuxiaos head lightly before turning an amused gaze toward Zhang Wuheng. With an impassive voice, he asked, First Elder, can you repeat what you said earlier? Im afraid that I didnt catch your words clearly. Chapter 1561 - Zhang Xuan’s Birth Name

Chapter 1561: Zhang Xuans Birth Name

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! Zhang Wuheng shook his head in disbelief as he staggered backward. He felt as if thunder was rumbling ceaselessly in his mind, threatening to blow his head up. He knew that Zhang Jiuxiao was on friendly terms with Zhang Xuan, but he did not think that thetter would actually be Zhang Xuans student! The Combat Master Hall had finally found a talented genius worthy of bing its next hall masterZhang Xuans student. The Poison Hall had finally found a person who possessed the Innate Poison BodyZhang Xuans student. The Spirit Awakener Guild had finally discovered a genius who managed to clear the Spirit Awakener TowerZhang Xuans student. The cier in Court had finally stumbled upon a prodigy blessed with the Pure Yin BodyZhang Xuans student. The Yuan n had located an offspring who possessed exceptionally pure Emperors BloodlineZhang Xuans student. And as if all of that was not enough... How many years did it take the Zhang n to birth an offspring with a bloodline of such purity, and that offspring was freaking Zhang Xuans student as well? Was everyone talented in the Master Teacher Continent Zhang Xuans student? Could things get any more ridiculous than that? This... Zhang Wuheng was not the only one whose mind was on the verge of exploding at that moment. Sword Saint Xing nearly fell from his chair after seeing Zhang Jiuxiaos actions as well. Xuan-er, he... is your student, too? Hahahahaha! Before Zhang Xuan could reply, Sword Saint Meng had already burst into frenziedughter. It was apparent that Zhang Wuheng wanted to exact vengeance for the humiliation that he had suffered, but that narrow mind of his would probably never have been able to fathom that the trump card that he had prepared would actually turn out to be her sons student! With his knees still on the ground, Zhang Jiuxiao nced at the elders and dered solemnly, I was just an offspring of the side family who possessed a humble bloodline purity. If not for my teacher refining my bloodline, I wouldnt even be qualified to practice the cultivation techniques of the Zhang n! Refining your bloodline? So, its all because of the young prodigy refining your bloodline that your bloodline became this pure? Once again, a hugemotion broke out amid the elders. In truth, due to the tournament back then, most of them had been aware that Zhang Jiuxiao possessed extraordinarily pure bloodline. However, they had not expected his bloodline to not be innate but refined postnatally. Thats right! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded. Is it really possible to refine the purity of ones bloodline? How in the world was it done? I heard that not only is the young prodigy a powerful expert himself, his students are also formidable figures. The head of the Combat Master Hall, the chief of the cier in Court... In fact, even Yang shi is his junior! I suppose it shouldnt be too difficult for a person like him to be able to refine our bloodline. That does make some sense. Zhang Jiuxiaos words caused the eyes around to light up in excitement. The hierarchy within Sage ns was centered around the purity of ones bloodlineit was both a symbol of status and power. If the young prodigy really possessed a way to refine their bloodline, the prowess of the Zhang n would grow by leaps and bounds, possibly reaching a level unthinkable to them in the past. Ignoring the discussion among the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to Sword Saint Xing and replied, Hes thest student Ive epted... His intention for epting Zhang Jiuxiao as his student back then was to deal with the young prodigy, but who could have thought that he would turn out to be the young prodigy himself? This... Hearing the confirmation from his son and seeing the deep respect and admiration in Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes, Sword Saint Xing burst intoughter. Zhang Wuheng, you said that my son doesnt have a droplet of the Zhang n bloodline in his veins and is unqualified to be the head of the Zhang n, right? I... Zhang Wuhengs face flushed crimson. n head, Zhang Wuheng has disregarded the interests for the Zhang n over his private grudge. I suggest we strip him of his position as the First Elder and lock him up! Indeed! How dare he cast doubt over the legitimacy of the young prodigy just to fulfill his personal interests? This is uneptable! I propose that we send him down to the Subterranean Gallery to have him reflect on his own mistakes! ... In the blink of an eye, all those who had supported Zhang Wuheng a moment ago turned their backs on him. The ability to refine the Zhang n bloodline effectively meant that the young prodigy was able to dictate the distribution of power within the Zhang n. No one in the Zhang n would be foolish enough to oppose him. As such, even if Zhang Xuans bloodline had not met the required level of purity to be the n head, just his ability to refine the bloodline of others was enough to win him a unanimous vote from the elders to be the next n head! Men, take Zhang Wuheng away! Sword Saint Xing waved his hand before turning his gaze back to the crowd. Does anyone else have any objections to my son bing the next n head? The young prodigy was the head of our Zhang n from the very start! Its only a matter of affirming his title and announcing it to the world! I concur! Soon, all of the elders had sped their fists and bowed down as a symbol of submission. Seeing that there was no more opposition, Sword Saint Xing nodded in satisfaction before instructing, Very well! I need all of you to coordinate together to prepare for the ritual and inauguration ceremony tomorrow. Also, make sure not to speak of anything that has happened here to others. I wont hesitate to brand anyone who tattles a traitor, and all of you should be aware of the eventual fate of traitors! If news was leaked that his son possessed the ability to refine bloodlines, it would surely cause a massive uproar in the Master Teacher Continent. Naturally, he did not wish for any unnecessary trouble toe to his son. We understand! the elders replied resoundingly before leaving the hall. Jiuxiao, you can leave as well. I want you to make full use of your bloodline to advance your cultivation over the next few days. Once your cultivation surpasses that of the First Elder, youll be able to take over as the n head! Zhang Xuan instructed. Even though he would prefer to pass the position on to Zhang Jiuxiao right away, thetter was still a little too weak at the moment. It would be difficult for him to bear the reputation of the Zhang n and establish his dominance over other powers. Yes, Teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao nodded before backing out of the hall. Hearing that his son was intending to pass the position of n head down to Zhang Jiuxiao, a hint of panic surfaced in Sword Saint Xings eyes. Xuan-er, you... Its just a n head position, I dont have any desire for it. The only reason I would want this identity is to ask for the little princess hand in marriage from a better position. Beyond that, anyone who wants the position can be the n head for all I care... Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. To be honest, he really did not think much about being the head of the Zhang n. In fact, he felt that it would be more trouble than it was worth. Since that was the case, he might as well toss it down to Zhang Jiuxiao. But... Sword Saint Xing was just about to protest when Sword Saint Meng abruptly interjected. My son is someone who will achieve great things in the future! What does the n head position count as? Only a person as inept as you would think so highly of it... Cough cough! Seeing that his mother had begun putting down his father again, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and interjected with a cough. With most of the problems ahead of them resolved, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the various doubts that he had regarding his identity, so he asked, Since I am your son and the young prodigy of the Zhang n, why would I end up in the Tianxuan Kingdom? Also, why isnt there any of the Zhang n bloodline flowing through my veins? This was the matter that had left him baffled for a very long time. There was no doubt that the Zhang n was powerful, and as the top genius of the Zhang n, a Connate Saint at that, how did he end up in a ce as remote as the Tianxuan Kingdom, where there was not even a Master Teacher Pavilion? Not to mention, it did not make sense for him to be Sword Saint Xings son when he did not have the Zhang n bloodline in him! Also, if he was a Connate Saint at birth, how could his cultivation only have been at Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm when he first transcended over to this body? Its a long story... Back then, when you were born, a brilliant aurora filled the sky. A lofty aura descended from the heavens, and the tablets of the predecessors swiftly bowed in submission. Even Kong shis sculpture rose into the air as a gesture of recognition. It was due to these phenomena that the entire world came to know of you as the young prodigy who possessed the purest Zhang n bloodline... Sword Saint Xing sighed deeply as he spoke of the past. Even Kong shis sculpture rose into the air? Is that why Im called Zhang Xuan1 ? Zhang Xuan asked excitedly. Ah? No, of course not. Your birth name isnt Zhang Xuan, Sword Saint Xing said. If you had retained the name that we gave you, we would have found you ages ago... Whats my birth name then? This... Sword Saint Xings face reddened. It might be better for you not to hear it... Is there something inappropriate about my birth name? Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered by Sword Saint Xings reaction. It was with the agitation from witnessing Kong shis sculpture rising into the air that inspired your father to name you so. However, it doesnt evene close to sounding as nice as Zhang Xuan, Sword Saint Meng grumbled furiously by the side Your name is... Zhang Diaofei 2 ! Chapter 1562 - Sword Saint Xings Name

Chapter 1562: Sword Saint Xings Name

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! Zhang Xuan spat out a mouthful of saliva, and he nearly cried on the spot. Zhang Diaofei... Diaofei, like in the sense of hanging on a noose 1 ? Is this a name that a human should have? As a father, is it really alright to name your son so carelessly? Appalling, right? Back then, I ignored him for days on end over the name that he gave you! Sword Saint Meng harrumphed indignantly. Its not as if you didnt know the circumstances surrounding him! Theres a superstition that the more down-to-earth ones name is, the more resilient one will be. I was also praying for an auspicious omen here! Besides, its just a birth name. We could always give him a more decent official nameter on! Sword Saint Xing retorted with an awkward smile. Often, children who were born with poor health or natural defects would be given awful sounding names such as Gou Dan 2 , Gou Sheng 3 , Mao Dan 4 , orEr Pi 5 . It was believed that the more awful sounding a childs name was, the more tenacious they would be. Outsiders might have believed that his son had a bright future ahead of him, but Sword Saint Xing knew very well that was not the case. The least he could do for his son was give him an awful sounding name in hopes of bringing him luck to get through that difficult phase. Besides, it was only a birth name. Once they had gotten past the difficult phase, they could simply give him a more decent official name, and the others would slowly forget his birth name with time. You still dare speak about official names! Why dont you tell our son what the official name that you have chosen for him is? Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly. This... Sword Saint Xing scratched his head embarrassedly, seemingly finding it difficult to speak of the matter. Staring at Sword Saint Xing intently, Zhang Xuan asked, What is it? Your official name is... Anbang! Sword Saint Xing eventually caved in under the piercing gaze of his wife and his son. Zhang Anbang 6 ! Pu! Zhang Xuan spat out another mouthful of saliva, nearly choking himself to death in the process. This name did not sound as awful as Diaofei, but still, it was too old-fashioned! It really doesnt sound awful at all! I am Zhenxing 7 while you are Anbang 8 , how fitting! Zhenxing? Your name is Zhang Zhenxing? Zhang Xuans face twitched upon hearing those words. He knew that the title Xingmeng Sword Saints was derived from taking a character each from their names. All along, he had thought that his father had some kind of domineering name, but who would have thought it was... Zhang Zhenxing? It was even more old-fashioned than Anbang! Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead in despair. It was fortunate that he had gone missing while he was still young. Otherwise, just the thought of having to introduce himself to Zhang Anbang to friends and foes alike... he would not have been able to live with the shame! Ill just stick with Zhang Xuan. I think it sounds alright... Zhang Xuan shook his head, firmly refusing the notion of using the names that Sword Saint Xing had decided for him. Getting back to the topic at hand, Zhang Xuan asked, Given that I was born with an exceptionally powerful bloodline, not to mention the fact that Im a Connate Saint, it would make sense that the Zhang n would protect me carefully. Why would I... Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Sword Saint Xing fell into a moment of silence, unsure of how he should exin the matter to his son. A momentter, he stood up and said, Dear, Yang shi, I think it would be better for me to talk to Xuan-er privately about this matter. Alright then... Yang shi and Sword Saint Meng nodded in agreement. Alright, follow me! Sword Saint Xing told Zhang Xuan before leading the way forward. Soon, the two of them arrived in a massive hall. The hall was a dark and gloomy, devoid of any light. There was a unique seal shrouding the area. Sword Saint Xing walked right up to the seal and ced his palm lightly on it. Hu! The torches within the hall abruptly burst into mes, lighting up the interior. Zhang Xuan quickly looked ahead, but instead of a vast hall, what had appeared before him was a narrow passageway with innumerable relief carvings. Walking into the passageway, Sword Saint Xing stopped before one of the relief carvings. It depicted a white-beard elder battling ferociously against hordes of Otherworldly Demons. It was an intense battle with incredible surges of energy bursting forth from here and there, and it seemed almost as if the world would be burned down. Behind the elder was a group of powerless civilians. If the elder fell, there was little doubt that the Otherworldly Demons would move on to ughter them all. This elder over here is the first-generation ancestor of our Zhang n, and hes also our very first n head. Hes one of the few cultivators who managed to advance his cultivation to the level of Ancient Sage in his time, and he fought tenaciously in a total of thirty-seven deadly wars for mankind. In each war, he drove himself to the very limits, never hesitating to risk his life to strike a heavy blow on the Otherworldly Demons. If not for him, the Zhang n wouldnt have survived the tragic war back then, and at least half of mankind wouldnt have made it through the war. Theres no doubt that hes a hero among us! Sword Saint Xing exined with deep respect in his eyes. Zhang Xuan nodded. If not for the rise of countless hot-blooded heroes during that dark era, mankind never would have enjoyed the peace and prosperity that it had in the current age. He had heard of the affairs of the founder of the Zhang n as well. While his radiance was diminished by the presence of Kong shi back in that era, there was no doubt that he was a highly talented man whose very presence brought hisrades courage back in that era of turmoil. With just a sword in hand, he had barged into the camps of the Otherworldly Demons and ughtered many of their emperors. All in all, the 9-star master teachers that he had rescued from the jaws of death numbered at least twenty! There was even on asion when the Otherworldly Demonsunched a sudden assault, catching everyone off guard. He had fought desperately for three days straight, single-handedly keeping them at bay until reinforcements arrived, thus saving the lives of millions of people. This valiant middle-aged man over here is the second n head of our Zhang n. He also managed to reach Ancient Sage, and all in all, he fought in more than a hundred battles with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Due to the severe injuries that he sustained over the years, he ended up dying a premature death. It was said that even at his time of death, there was a finger of the Otherworldly Demon buried deep in his chest, symbolizing the courage and tenacity that he had disyed in protecting mankind... This is the third n head of our Zhang n. In his early years, he ventured deep into the Subterranean Gallery, only to have his hand severed in the midst of a battle. He decisively used the talons of a saint beast in ce of his hand in order to continue the fight, and eventually, he created a unique battle technique based on that... This is the fourth n head of our Zhang n... ... This is the ninth n head of our Zhang n... Every single carving along the passageway was a monument of a hero in their era. In the tens of thousands of years since Kong shi departed from the Master Teacher Continent, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe hasunched many attacks, only to be forced back each time. This isnt just the credit of the Master Teacher Pavilion and Combat Master Hall; our Zhang n has yed a vital role as well! In fact, it can be said that our title as the number one Sage n was forged through our flesh and blood! Sword Saint Xing said. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Looking at the relief carvings as he listened to the stories of the past, he could imagine just how precarious a situation mankind had been in back in those eras. The predecessors had unhesitatingly sacrificed everything that they had in order to forge an era of prosperity for mankind. All along, he had thought that the Zhang n had abused its position as the number one Sage n to force others to do its bidding, leaving him a little skeptical about its title. However, upon seeing these relief carvings, he realized that the Zhang ns position on the Master Teacher Continent was derived not just from their strength but the massive contribution that they had made as well. But around ten thousand years ago, the world underwent a massive change, and all of a sudden, no one was able to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore. It didnt take long for people to realize that mankind might have reached the end of the line. With a grim look on his face, Sword Saint Xing exined, In order to fend off the Otherworldly Demons so as to preserve the heritage of mankind, the Ancient Sages of that generation made an agreement to use a special temporal method to hibernate. They would only be awoken when a battle broke out, and after defeating their enemies, they would return to their hibernation. This was probably a life worse than death, but for the sake of mankind, they willingly chose it! This... Zhang Xuan widened his mouth in astonishment. He had heard from Yang shi that there were human Ancient Sage cultivators who had survived the ages through using some sort of temporal secret art, but he still could not help but respect them for the sacrifices that they had made for mankind. As Ancient Sages, they stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, enjoying unparalleled honor and prestige. As long as they willed it, they could have dominated that era with their strength and obtained everything that they wanted. Yet, for the future generations, they chose to hibernate so that they could protect mankind as long as they could. Chapter 1563 - Origin of the Innate Fetal Poison

Chapter 1563: Origin of the Innate Fetal Poison

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Such a decision condemned them to an endless cycle of battle, ughter, and pain... But in exchange for a spark of hope for mankind, they were willing to make such a sacrifice! Sword Saint Xings eyes reddened a little as he spoke. It is thanks to their protection that mankind has been able to develop stably over the past ten thousand years. Humans are still able to live in peace in huge cities instead of being enved by others! Based on what I know, theres an Ancient Sage who was only five hundred years old when he went into hibernation. He still had at least a good thousand year ahead of him, and more importantly, he had just wedded another Ancient Sage during that period of time... However, when he came to learn that it was impossible to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore, he decisively used the temporal secret art on himself and fell into a deep sleep. Over the thousands of years, the only asions that he got to see his wife from afar was when war broke out, but even so, they never found a chance to say a single word to one another. What was even more tragic was that during a major battle five thousand years ago, his wife was cornered by three Otherworldly Demonic Emperors... In order to save her, he set his life force ame, and eventually, he departed from the world with his loved one in hand. Had he not chosen such a life, he and his wife would have had a good thousand years ahead of them. They would have been able to roam the world freely, enjoying a carefree and blissful life. Perhaps, they would also have had many students and children. Yet, in order to defend mankind, he gave up all of that! Theres also an Ancient Sage whose daughter had just been born when she made the decision to go into hibernation. Her daughter wasnt too talented, such that she didnt even managed to reach Saint realm. On one asion, she sustained grievous wounds in a battle with an enemy, causing her to die before she could even reach a hundred years old... There was no war during that period of time, so the Ancient Sage remained asleep. To the day that her daughter had died, she had not been able to see her! When she was finally woken, she learned that her daughter had already been dead for dozens of years, and she was silent for a very long while before charging solemnly into the battlefield... Eventually, she met her end in that very battlefield... Sword Saint Xing could not help but tremble a little as he recounted the sacrifices that the predecessors had made in order to protect mankind. There was a long moment of silence before Zhang Xuan asked, Does the temporal secret art of the Ancient Sages halt their time, or do they continue ageing? This secret art reminded Zhang Xuan of the cryonics technology in his previous world. The concept of cryonics technology was centered around freezing a human body to seal its current condition, thus allowing the possibility of resuscitation in the future. But no matter how well a persons body was sealed using cryonics technology, there would still be gradual wear and tear over time. Even if someone was sessfully resuscitated in the future, there was no way that their body could function as well as it did before. The secret art of the Ancient Sages allows ones lifespan to be extended significantly, but even in the state of hibernation, their vitality will still slowly seep away. In other words, they will continue to age even while they are in hibernation, just that the ageing process is slowed considerably! While it soundsplicated, the concept behind it is actually rather simple. To put it in other words, they are sleeping in a dimension where the flow of time is slower than the real world! One year within the dimension is equivalent to ten years outside! Sword Saint Xing said grimly. However, even with a one to ten ratio, they still age. The passing of ten thousand years means that they have already aged a thousand years. Even the younger Ancient Sages during the time of the hibernation are already reaching the end of their lives, not to mention that the frequent battles with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe have caused destructive killing intent to seep into their body, thus hastening the ageing process! The Ancient Sages who chose to go into hibernation then are already approaching their final years... The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has yet to sessfully ovee the seals andunch a mass invasion, but once we lose the strength of the Ancient Sages, it will only be a matter of time before we are annihted! Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion. To make an analogy, Ancient Sages were somewhat equivalent to the atomic bombs in his previous life. Even without using one, the very possession of such a weapon deterred enemies from running amok. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been eyeing the Master Teacher Continent for many years, lying patiently in wait for the humans to expose an opening for them to strike. In this matter, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe held the definitive advantage due to their longer lifespan. Even if they did not go into hibernation, they would still be able to easily outlive the hibernating human cultivators. This was the fundamental difference in their constitution. There was nothing that could make up for it. Twenty years ago, a spatial disturbance was detected in Qufu, and a mirage of the Temple of Confucius surfaced, which provoked the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. They began amassing their armies in the Subterranean Galleries, heralding an impending war. But mankind already didnt have many Ancient Sages left, so the final Ancient Sage of our Zhang n had no choice but to awaken and join the fray! Sword Saint Xing shook his head grimly. The final Ancient Sage? How many Ancient Sages of the Zhang n went into hibernation back then? Zhang Xuan couldnt help but ask. There was a total of nine of them, but... the many years of war caused them to either pass away or go into eternal sleep. As a result, we only have one living Ancient Sage to date, and hes the 27th n Head, Zhang Hongtian! Theres only one Ancient Sage remaining out of nine? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Nine Ancient Sagesthat had probably been the entirety of the Zhang ns top-tier fighting prowess then. It seemed that the glory the Zhang n enjoyed was cemented by many sacrifices. Indeed. The war twenty years ago was indescribably treacherous. Ancestor Zhang Hongtian sustained grievous wounds from battle, putting him on the verge of death. There was only one way to save him, and that was to infuse even purer Zhang n bloodline into him! Talking up to this point, Sword Saint Xings face visibly stiffened a little as his eyes started taking on a tint of red. Back then, there was no one in the n whose bloodline reached the mark to save Ancestor Zhang Hongtian... Only you, who were still in your mothers womb back then, reached the mark! Me? Zhang Xuans body jolted. He could finally see why his father had brought him here. There were only two options back then. Firstly, if we chose not to use your bloodline, Ancestor Zhang Hongtian would have passed away, and mankind would have lost one of its few remaining guardians against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Secondly, we could use your bloodline to save him... but that would mean putting your life at risk... At this moment, Sword Saint Xing looked deeply at Zhang Xuan before sighing. Your mother vehemently opposed it, but I eventually went against her will and chose the second option! This... Zhang Xuan fell silent. This was not an easy decision to make, especially for Sword Saint Xing, who had just had his first child. If he chose the first option, while his child would be saved, mankind would lose one of the few precious Ancient Sages that it had remaining, cing it in an even more treacherous position than before. Such a decision would be equivalent to cing the cart before the horse. If mankind was destroyed, what would the Zhang n count as? Even if his child survived, he would have a difficult life ahead of him. But choosing the second option was no different from strangling his unborn child to death with his own hands. There was no father in the world who could possibly make such a decision easily! Sometimes, having to make a choice was worse than being forced into a situation. Zhang Xuan could not say that he knew Sword Saint Xing well, but he could tell that thetter was not a heartless person. He could feel that thetter cared deeply for him, so making his decision back then must have really broken his heart. It was apparent to any rational mind which the correct decision to make was, but it was never easy to sever ones emotions and make the correct decision. There is only one fate left for those who have been stripped of their bloodlinedeath. But I was indignant. I couldnt ept such an oue! I approached Yang shi and begged for his help. He told me about the existence of a unique poison in the world that could emte the effects of a bloodline... He had a poison master nt the poison in your mothers womb, thus granting you a hope of survival even after your bloodline was torn away from you. After you were born, Yang shi personally grafted your bloodline to Ancestor Zhang Hongtian and sessfully saved him. Shortly after, Ancestor Zhang Hongtian went back into hibernation. However, the operation left you severely wounded, cing you on the verge of death. In order to save you, we had to swiftly teleport you to one of the ancient domains, hoping that your bloodline would slowly heal with time. However, despite all of the protective measures that we ced on you in order to fend off the spatial turbulence from teleportation, you were simply in too weak a state to take the stress of teleportation. It didnt seem like you would have survived to the end of the teleportation, so I made the decision to forcefully eject you from the Teleportation Formation. That decision might have saved your life, but it made us lose sight of you as well. It seems like everything has worked out well in the end, but still... At this point, Sword Saint Xing lowered his head apologetically and bowed down. Xuan-er, please forgive your incapable father who has caused you so much suffering! Chapter 1564 - Surge in Prowess

Chapter 1564: Surge in Prowess

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I see! All of Zhang Xuans doubts were finally resolved. It was no wonder his previous self would end up in somewhere as remote as the Tianxuan Kingdom, living a pitiful life as an orphan. Even when he finally breathed hisst, he was still a nobody, devoid of anyones care and concern. Even though he was not too sure how his bloodline had been torn out of his body, it was bound to be at least as deadly as back when all of Zhao Yas meridians ruptured. If not for his previous selfs superior physical resilience as a Connate Saint, as well as the Zhang ns vast resources, he could very well have died back then. Wait a moment... Something is wrong! If the Innate Fetal Poison was an intentional doing by the Zhang n, why would Kong shi be afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison, too? Zhang Xuan frowned. Kong shis body had been afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison; this was something that he had just verified earlier. However, in Kong shis era, it was still possible for cultivators to be Ancient Sages. Surely there was no need for anyone to go to the extent of tearing his bloodline out of his body? With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan hurriedly asked, May I know what form the poison that you mentionedes in? Also, what kind of effect does it have on ones body? The Innate Fetal Poison can be used to substitute ones bloodline, thus allowing ones bodily functions to continue as per usual in the short term. However, the poison ces an immense strain on the body, such that a person afflicted with it will usually die before stepping into their twenties if they havent found a way to cure or suppress it by then! Speaking up to this point, Sword Saint Xing looked at Zhang Xuan and said, You are already in your early twenties, and you have sessfully raised your cultivation beyond the Saint realm. From the looks of it, you should have already resolved the Innate Fetal Poison, right? One of his sons students happened to be the master of the Poison Hall, so he was bound to have a deep understanding of poison as well. Furthermore, his son did not look sickly or debilitated in the least, so he assumed that his son had already cured himself. This... Yes, I have already resolved it! Not wanting his father to overthink this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded. Earlier, his father had said that the Innate Fetal Poison would kill its host within twenty years, so it was very likely that his previous self had died from the Innate Fetal Poison. But now, he was starting to wonder if the poison that he was afflicted with was the same Innate Fetal Poison that his previous self had died from. From the sound of it, the Innate Fetal Poison that had been nted into him back then was not too formidable, given how unworried his father was about the matter. However, when he spoke to Kong shi a while ago, thetter had said that the true problem woulde after the Innate Fetal Poison was cured. Could it be that the appearance of the Library of Heavens Path had caused some kind of unpredictable change to the Innate Fetal Poison? However, that was no longer important. What was most important was for him to raise his cultivation swiftly and be a 9-star master teacher as soon as possible. Noticing the dazed look on Zhang Xuans face, he thought that thetter was just a little overwhelmed by the news that he had just heard and needed some time to digest all that shocking information. Thus, Sword Saint Xing said with a smile, Alright! You should be exhausted from all the information that you have just received, so lets stop here for tonight. Rest well. Tomorrow, well be bringing you to the Ancestral Hall to pay respects to your ancestors and hold the inauguration ceremony to officialize your position as the n head. After that, well be heading over to the Luo n to ask for your little lovers hand in marriage! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had not even realized it himself earlier, but he was indeed feeling a little drained at the moment. He had already been feeling a little sapped back when the power from the Pavilion Master Seals droplet receded from him, but due to the many matters that he had to deal with, he had been left with no choice but to hold on till now. Thus, the two of them walked out of the passageway, and right before they parted, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned to Sword Saint Xing and asked, Sword Saint Xing, do you have any pinnacle spirit stones or items rich in spiritual energy on hand? I want to reinforce my cultivation and try pushing for a breakthrough if possible! While he had already recognized the middle-aged man before him as his father, he still found it a little difficult for him to address the other party as father. On the other hand, Sword Saint Xing knew that he had been absent for most of his sons life, so it was understandable that it would be hard for his son to ept him all of a sudden. He was a little disappointed by the matter, but he knew that this was a problem that could only be slowly resolved with time. Thus, he smiled and said, You wish to reinforce your cultivation? I dont have too many pinnacle spirit stones with me at the moment, only around two thousand of them. You can use them for now... I do have quite a few items that are rich in spiritual energy, too. These ten jade bottles here each have a grade-9 pill in them, and they are fantastic for replenishing depleted energy... Right, I also have two gourds of Earth Vein Marrow Essence over here, and they are fairly great too. Oh, I also have two Whitescar Spirit Stones here. I obtained them during a mission a while ago. They can aid you in the advancement of your cultivation... As Sword Saint Xing spoke, he took out object after object from his storage ring. This... Zhang Xuans lips twitched. All along, he had thought that he could be considered fairly rich, butpared to Sword Saint Xing, he was really as good as a beggar! Two thousand pinnacle spirit stones, ten grade-9 pills, two gourds of Earth Vein Marrow Essence... Any single one of those items was worth more than his entire fortune! It was no wonder everyone admired those who were born inrge ns. Just the amount of resources that they had ess to was something that unaffiliated cultivators would never be able topare to. If he had possessed these resources back when he was still in the Tianxuan Kingdom, he might already have be an Ancient Sage by now! Noticing that his son was standing quietly on the spot, Sword Saint Xing thought that his son was snubbing him for the meager wealth that he possessed, so he quickly rified with an awkward look on his face, This is just my private stash. If it isnt enough, you can ask for more from your mother. She has many more good items than me... No no no, this is more than enough! Zhang Xuan shook his head in horror. In the end, this was only his private stash... It seemed like having parents was not too bad after all. At the very least, he did not have to worry about ack of resources in his future cultivation anymore! Thats a relief! We have always kept your residence empty in case you ever returned. Come, let me show you there... After Zhang Xuan stowed the items into his storage ring, Sword Saint Xing quickly led the way forward. Before his son was even born, he had specially ordered that a residence be constructed for him. Things did not go as nned, but Sword Saint Xing never allowed anyone to move into the residence. Perhaps with the hope that their son would return one day, they had the servants clean the residence every day, but they never allowed anyone to stay there. Since his son had finally returned, it went without saying that he should stay in that residence. Before long, the two men arrived in a rtivelyrge residence. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked in, he immediately felt rich spiritual energy shrouding him, revitalizing him. He scanned the residence with his gaze, and he had to admit that he was rather satisfied with the amodation. Thus, he sped his fist and said, Alright, Ill be taking my rest then... Knowing that his son was bound to be exhausted after his long day, Sword Saint Xing patted his shoulder before walking out. Zhang Xuan walked Sword Saint Xing out before walking around the residence to find the spot with the highest concentration of spiritual energy. After which, he took out his pinnacle spirit stones and began recovering his depleted energy. After recuperating for roughly four hours, he finally recovered to his peak condition, and he felt reinvigorated once more. Its about time to push for a breakthrough... Zhang Xuan thought excitedly. The Master Teacher Pavilion had not sent over the Saint 9-dan cultivation technique manuals yet, but from the thousands of books that he had collected from the 9-star master teachers, he had managed to sessfullypile the Saint 8-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. Immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, he ced his finger on thepiled Heavens Path Divine Art manual, and the content of the book swiftly flowed into his mind, bing his knowledge. Upon reaching Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, a cultivator would be able to create isted spaces from the rest of the world through their Dominion. Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi ording to the cirction pathway in the Heavens Path Divine Art, and his cultivation and strength slowly rose. Within two hours, he had already reached Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle, on the verge of making a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm. Knowing that pushing for a breakthrough would draw in the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal, and that would potentially cause devastating damage to the Zhang n, he suppressed the sensation and turned his attention to his soul cultivation instead. Previously, through Vicious memories, he had managed to obtain soul cultivation techniques up to Saint 9-dan, but he had not been able to find suitable soul-rted books topile together with it to form Heavens Path Soul Art manuals. However, when he met Lu Chong earlier, he had managed to obtain the soul cultivation techniques of the soul oracles from him, and that had allowed him topile Heavens Path Soul Art manuals all the way up to Saint 9-dan. Since he had ample spirit stones in hand, it was a good opportunity for him to raise his soul cultivation all the way up to Saint 9-dan. Chapter 1565 - Great Sage Realm

Chapter 1565: Great Sage Realm

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He first ced the pinnacle spirit stones that Sword Saint Xing had given him into a Spirit Gathering Formation before drawing his soul out of his body. Focusing his attention, he began to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy as he drove his soul energy in ordance to the Heavens Path Soul Art manuals. Geji! Geji! His soul cultivation advanced at an incredible rate. With his Soul Depth rising to a levelparable to a 9-star pinnacle master teacher, he was able to exert extraordinary focus in his cultivation, thus significantly increasing his rate of cultivation. It might have taken him two hours in order to raise his cultivation by a single stage in the past, but now, he could do it within just an hour. Some timeter, he finally opened up his eyes. With a light wave of his hand, a pitch-ck rift appeared right before him. Not even space could withstand the powerful might wielded by his soul! Its a pity that Soul Traverse hasnt been perfected yet, so it isnt convenient for me to practice it! Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity. Naturally, when Lu Chong imparted the heritage of the soul oracles to him, the secret art, Soul Traverse, had been among the heritage. However, it was a pity that it had far too many ws for him to swallow, and his cultivation was also a little too low at the moment to cultivate it. Otherwise, if his soul could freely leap through space just like his student, his fighting prowess would be raised another notch. Of course, while the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters seemed to have reluctantly epted the fact that he practiced the arts of the soul oracles, most cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent were still a little apprehensive about soul oracles, so it would be best for him to avoid using such means in public. If not for Yang shis appearing at a timely moment and addressing him as Senior, putting asidepensating him, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would still have been hounding him over his dabbling in poison and soul arts. Hu! Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his body. Standing up once more, he lightly flicked his arm, and he could feel a furious torrent of power racing through his body, granting him much more strength than before. He flicked his finger lightly. Si! A huge rift was torn open in the room, and any object that fell into the rift would be utterly eradicated. Zhang Xuan nodded contentedly. Its still nowhere close to the power that I wielded after activating the Pavilion Master Seal, but ordinary Saint 9-dan cultivators should no longer be a match for me. In fact, I should be able to put up a decent fight against the First Elder of the cier in Court, You Ruoxin! This time, he had managed to advance his zhenqi and soul cultivation considerably, and with thebined prowess of the two, even Half-Great Sages would have trouble dealing with him. With this, he could already be considered one of the top cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent. Alright, I should try to raise the cultivation of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and the Inferno Qilin now... Those two saint beasts had been put through great suffering while trying to protect him, and this was especially so for thetter. In the earlier battle, the Inferno Qilin had been captured by Zhang Wuheng, and if not for the sudden change in his identity to the young prodigy of the Zhang n, it might very well have lost its life. Given that the First Elder had been imprisoned, it went without saying that the Inferno Qilin had been returned to him. Zhang Xuan released the two of them and bestowed them with a couple of grade-9 pills. Under the nourishment of the medicinal energy within the pills, the Inferno Qilin recovered swiftly from its injuries. It was not able to push for a breakthrough, but it did manage to reinforce its cultivation further, and from the looks of it, it would not be long before it overcame its Saint 9-dan bottleneck and pushed for higher realms! On the other hand, with the nourishment of the grade-9 pills and Zhang Xuans guidance, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast managed to advance its cultivation from Saint 9-dan primary stage to Saint 9-dan pinnacle within just a single night. In terms of strength, it would not pale too far inparison to the Inferno Qilin! By the time Zhang Xuan was done with this, the sun had already risen in the east. Stretching his backzily, he pushed open his door to walk out of his room, only to see that Sword Saint Xing was already waiting in the courtyard. Its about time for us to pay respects to the ancestors... Lets head over! Sword Saint Xing said. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up as he took a closer look at his son, and a momentter, he eximed excitedly, Your cultivation... Thest time that he had seen his son, his sons cultivation had only been at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage. Yet, in the span of a night, his cultivation had grown so powerful that even Saint 9-dan cultivators would have trouble fighting against him! I managed to achieve a breakthroughst night, but it was just a fluke, Zhang Xuan exined. Fluke? Sword Saint Xings lips twitched upon hearing that word. When he fought against his son the day before, thetter had exerted strength surpassing even that of his own. Initially, he had thought that his son was really that strong, but very soon, he had realized that thetter had used some kind of secret art to artificially inte his strength. He had been worried that there might be some side effects as a result of using the secret art, but from the looks of it, he had been worrying needlessly! Not only had his sons cultivation not declined, it had improved by leaps and bounds instead! It was really a wonder how his son cultivated to improve so quickly. Try hitting me. I want to see how powerful you are without relying on your secret art! Sword Saint Xing said. Very well! Knowing that his strength would be insufficient to faze his father without relying on the Pavilion Master Seal, Zhang Xuan had no intention of holding back. Taking a deep breath, he sent a punch out with his full might. Boom! The space in front of him copsed as a formidable shockwave rippled into the surroundings. Sword Saint Xings eyebrows shot upward in astonishment as he raised his palm to halt Zhang Xuans punch. Hu! He managed to dissipate the force of Zhang Xuans punch, but at the same time, he was forced to retreat a step in order to ward off the impact of the punch. Impressed, he could not help but remark, Your strength doesnt pale inparison even to Introspective Convalescence realm experts... Introspective Convalescence realm? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Having reached Saint 9-dan, you should have be acutely aware that Saint 9-dan isnt the endpoint to cultivation. Above Saint, theres Great Sage! Sword Saint Xing exined. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had heard Yang shi speak of this matter in the past, but he was not too aware of the details. There are nine dans to Fighter, Transcendent Mortal, and Saint. However, there are only four dans to Great Sage! Sword Saint Xing exined. The very first realm to Great Sage is the Introspective Convalescence realm! In the Saint realm, a cultivator develops their Primordial Spirit and physical body to the very limits, but this development oftenes with some degree of imperfection. In the Introspective Convalescence realm, a cultivator separates their Primordial Spirit from their physical body and trims both of them carefully, achieving invulnerability to indisposition and infirmity. Those who have sessfully reached this realm have their lifespan extended by five hundred years, thus allowing them to live up to 1,500 years old. Ordinary Saint experts would only have a thousand years to their lifespan. While some might be able to live a little longer than that, it would not stray too far from that. However, if a cultivator was able to reach the Introspective Convalescence realm, they would be able to alleviate the ageing process of their body, thus extending their lifespan to 1,500 years. Five hundred years might not seem too long, but with sufficient luck, a cultivator could potentially reach higher realms with this additional time. The realms in Great Sage are far moreplex than those in Saint, so while there are only four cultivation stages in Saint realms, there are six cultivation stages in Great Sage realms! They are namely primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, pinnacle, perfection, and consummation! Each of these six stages is harder to scale than thest. In fact, there are some cultivators who require over a hundred years to raise their cultivation a single stage. At the same time, a tremendous amount of spiritual energy is required as well. For this reason, Great Sage is a huge hurdle for one to ovee, and in history, very few cultivators have eventually made it to Ancient Sage! The punch that you executed earlier wields strength that is roughly on par with Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage cultivators. While it cant be said to be impressive among the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent, without a doubt, none in the younger generation will be able to match your strength! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Curious about the realms of Great Sage, he could help but ask, The first realm of Great Sage is the Introspective Convalescence realm, but what about the second realm? The second realm is the Aureate Body realm! Sword Saint Xing said. Introspective Convalescence grants one self-awareness through introspection, and the undefble Aureate Body grants one evesting divinity. mes and ice will no longer be able to injure one, and ordinary wounds will recover swiftly without the use of pills. Through fully awakening his Emperors Bloodline, your student, Yuan Tao, has reached such a realm! Chapter 1566 - Engagement!

Chapter 1566: Engagement!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Of course, the term Aureate Body is just figurativenguage, Sword Saint Xing exined. Ones body and physical body will grow far more resilient than before, almost as if diamond, impermeable to water or mes. Even if one travels through a Teleportation Formation without protection, one still wont be harmed by the spatial turbulence. Even when falling into spatial rifts, one will be able to walk out alive! On top of the frightening growth in strength and resilience, one will gain considerable resistance against soul arts as well. Demonic tunes and even the Impartation of Heavens Will wont be able to sway one easily anymore! The third realm of Great Sage is the Intuitive Impulse realm! To put it in simpler terms, it refers to an enigmatic sense toward danger or the unknown. Its rather simr to the ability that seers wield, but its far more feasible to experts, especially in battle. Without using tortoise shells or copper coins, one will be able to intuitively sense impending cmities or fortune and select the most suitable course of action to take. Your mother and I have reached this realm. Last year, your soulntern extinguished, but your mother and I could sense that you are still alive, and thats what that drove us to continue searching for you... My soulntern extinguished? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. The Zhang n has my soulntern? When did it extinguish? He had learned of soulnterns from the books in the Sanctum of Sages. It was an artifact forged by weaving a sliver of an individuals soul in a unique manner. Usually, it would be located in a discreet location, ced under the care of special caretakers. The moment that the me in the soulntern was extinguished signified that the individuals soul had dissipated as well. It was typically used in most major powers so as to take note of the statuses of those who had left the n. As such, it was not too surprising that he had a soulntern, but the fact that it had extinguished... This was a matter worth looking into. Your mother and I feared that something would happen to you, so I created a soulntern out of your soul right after you were born. As for when it extinguished... it was at the start of the ninth monthst year, Sword Saint Xing said. ... Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched a little upon hearing the date. The start of the ninth monthst year... That happened to be around the time that he transcended to this world, the start of a new semester in the Tianxuan Kingdoms Hongtian Academy. Did his soul dissipate before I transcended over or when I possessed his body? Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder a little. However, there was no point specting about the past anymore, so he simply shook his head and dropped that thought. Whats the fourth realm? Zhang Xuan asked. The fourth realm is the pinnacle of Great Sage, as well as the level that Yang shi has reached. Its known as the Sempiternal realm. Sempiternal epasses the idea of deathlessness, but its with reference not to the flesh but to the Primordial Spirit. No external force will be able to sway ones mental state, and with a mere thought, one is not only able to kill but tear space apart as well! Only one who has reached this realm can be considered invincible beneath Ancient Sage! Sword Saint Xing remarked. Your mother and I have been searching for an impetus to achieve a breakthrough to that realm, but its a pity that we havent been able to seed... Introspective Convalescence, Aureate Body, Intuitive Impulse, and Sempiternal... Zhang Xuanmitted the names of those four realms to memory. He was not too sure about thetter three, but he had definitely felt the power of the Sempiternal realm back when he activated the droplet of blood from the Pavilion Master Seal. He had felt absolute power in his grasp, and with just a flick of his hand, he could easily have torn the world into pieces. There was nothing in this world that could possibly have endured his might. If even the Sempiternal realm was that powerful, it was hard to imagine just how formidable Ancient Sage would be! Alright, lets quickly leave! After exining the four realms of Great Sage, Sword Saint Xing beckoned for them to set off before leading the way forward. The ancestor acknowledgement ritual was not tooplicated. All of the elders of the Zhang n, including those retired and in seclusion, hade to witness the ceremony. In the ancestral hall, an esteemed elder of the Zhang n announced Zhang Xuans identity and history to the ancestors. Zhang Xuan stood obediently in his allocated position, and the entire ceremony proceeded smoothly without any hups. It concluded right before noon, and Zhang Xuans name was inscribed onto the Zhang ns genealogy book. Following that was the n head inauguration ceremony. There were all kinds of formalities and conventions to be respected for this solemn event, making it both bothersome and frustrating. However, he also knew that it was of the utmost importance to respect these traditions. This was in line with the virtue of propriety that Kong shi had preached. It would be impossible to establish order and legitimacy without propriety, which made it ever so important inrge powers like the Zhang n. The ceremonysted all the way till sunset before it finally concluded. With this, Zhang Xuan had officially seeded as the n head, bing the most authoritative figure in the Zhang n. Phew, the ceremony is finally over! Son, well be heading to the Luo n tomorrow to ask for the little princess hand in marriage! Looking at the excellent man that his son had be, Sword Saint Xing could not help but feel satisfied within. Zhang Xuan did not think that his parents would be so impatient as well, and he nodded helplessly. Alright! The truth was that he was also feeling a little apprehensive inside. Everything seemed to be proceeding so smoothly that he was starting to fear that it was all a dream. Sword Saint Xing walked up to Yang shi and sped his fist with a smile. Yang shi, I hope that you can follow us to the Luo n as well and bear witness to this joyous event! My Senior is going to be weddedit goes without saying that I have to tag along! Yang shi stroked his beard. The second Celestial Master Teacher in the world was going to marry the little princess of the Luo nthis was a historic event that he could not afford to miss! The night passed in surprising silence. This time, Zhang Xuan chose to have a good sleep to reinvigorate himself instead of cultivating. As soon as dawn settled in, a huge crowd had already gathered around the Conference Hall of the Zhang n. All sorts of items and artifacts were loaded upon forty massive saint beasts, producing a sight of majesty and extravagance. Isnt this... a little too grand? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. How can it not be grand? This is the wedding ceremony of the n head of our Zhang n! If there isnt at least this much, it would poorly reflect on us as the number one Sage n! Sword Saint Xing replied haughtily. Beside him, Sword Saint Meng nodded with a ravishing smile on her face, reminiscent of a blooming flower. She was surprisingly quiet despite the matter at hand. Looking at the heavily loaded saint beasts, Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful frown, How far away is the Luo n? The Master Teacher Continent was vast, such that even when one was riding on saint beasts, a journey could easily take several days or even months. If the destination was too far away, it might be better for him to construct a Teleportation Formation so that they could head there right away. Why? Just a few days of absence, and you are already in a rush to meet your little girlfriend? Sword Saint Xing teased yfully. Thats not it... Zhang Xuans face reddened in embarrassment. The Zhang n and the Luo n arent located too far away from one another. We specially prepared these aerial spirit beasts beforehand, and they are all at Saint 9-dan. If they fly at their full might, we should be able to reach our destination within three days, so theres no need to get anxious! Seemingly seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Sword Saint Meng added with a smile, While a Teleportation Formation will allow us to get to the Luo n much faster, well have to pay an astronomical price in order to teleport this many resources and saint beasts over. On top of that, the journey there is also a symbol of sincerity on our part, and it serves to inform the world of the matrimony between the Zhang n and the Luo n. Its a formality that we have to respect so as to not sully the reputation of both the Zhang n and the Luo n! I understand... Zhang Xuan nodded. In any case, it was only a three-day journey, so there was no real need to use the Teleportation Formation. He was not so impatient as to be unable to wait three days. Alright, lets set off then! Since everyone was already present, Sword Saint Xing gave amand, and the saint beasts rose into the air. Zhang Xuan and his parents got onto the saint beast at the very front of the formation, and just like that, the magnificent marriage convoy began making its way toward the Luo n. Chapter 1567 - The Secret Behind the Marriage of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan

Chapter 1567: The Secret Behind the Marriage of the Zhang n and the Luo n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Chilling wind battered ceaselessly on the convoy of the Zhang n. It was already in the midst of winter. While it was not as chilling as the usual weather at the cier in Court, most of the mountains were already cloaked with a thickyer of snow. ced along with the white clouds in the air, it formed a mystical scenery of beauty. Zhang Xuan stood in the room at the back of the aerial saint beast, frowning. Unable to hold back his curiosity anymore, he turned to the Xingmeng Sword Saints and asked, Whats the reason behind the engagement between the Zhang n and the Luo n? Since Im the n head now, I should know of it as well, right? Initially, Zhang Xuan had thought that his parents impatience had stemmed from wanting to see him settle down, but after flying for some time, he could not help but feel that something was amiss. Of the items carried by the forty aerial saint beasts, there were pills, artifacts, secret manuals, beast skin, inner cores... There was basically everything that a cultivator would ever need. Even with the Zhang ns fortune, it was not something that could be prepared on the spur of a moment. The only possibility was that they had already prepared it in advance! Of course, that was to be expected. After all, they even held the tournament back at the Zhang n to find someone to marry the little princess in his ce. However, this served to remind him of how adamant the Zhang n and the Luo n were in pushing this marriage forward. Putting this together with what he had heard from Luo Xuanqing a while back, about how determined the elders of the Zhang n and the Luo n were in realizing the marriage... He would have to be fool not to realize that something was amiss! Furthermore, he had barely reunited with his parents. Surely his parents would not want to send him away so quickly. This... Hearing his sons question, a hesitant look surfaced on Sword Saint Xings face. It was clear that his son had already guessed something, and it would be impossible to hide it from him any longer. I told you that we shouldnt hide it from our son, but you just wouldnt listen! Given how smart my Xuan-er is, how could he possibly not figure it out? Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly. Turning to Zhang Xuan, she scoffed impatiently. The Zhang n and the Luo ns arrangement is for mankind or whatever nonsense! For mankind? What does the marriage with the Luo n have to do with mankind? Zhang Xuan was even more confused. It was just a marriage between him and Luo Ruoxin! Surely it would be exaggerating to say that the whole of mankind would be affected by their marriage. Let me tell him instead! The previously-silent Yang shi suddenly sighed deeply and spoke up. Un. Seeing that Yang shi was going to speak, the Xingmeng Sword Saints nodded before falling silent. The bloodline ability of the Zhang n is time whereas the bloodline ability of the Luo n is space, Yang shi said. Senior, I believe you should be very familiar with this, right? Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He had been surprised by it at the start, but after witnessing it so many times, he had already gotten used to it. Those two abilitiese together to form the power of spacetime, and this power is the key to unlocking the seal of the Temple of Confucius! Yang shi revealed. The seal of the Temple of Confucius? ording to legend, in order to ess the area where the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is sealed, on top of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy required, one must also wield the power of spacetime! However, this is an ability that only the strongest of Ancient Sages wield! Yang shi exined. However, its a pity that no one has been able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage over the past ten thousand years. The few living Ancient Sages are also reaching the limits of their lifespan, such that while they are still capable of fighting short battles, it would be difficult for them to decipher the flow of spacetime in order to break the seal. More importantly, it seems that Ancient Sage experts might not be able to enter the depths of the Temple of Confucius! This... Zhang Xuan was bewildered. If Ancient Sages are banned from entering the depths of the Temple of Confucius, why did Kong shi create a seal that requires one to wield the power of spacetime to decipher it? What in the world was Kong shi intending to do? It was one thing for Kong shi to ce the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Temple of Confucius instead of handing it over to mankind, but he had even created an insurmountable obstacle for challengers to ovee. Was he really intending for mankind to obtain the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn? s, Kong shi had already long passed on, so it was impossible for them to fathom his thoughts anymore. Yang shi shook his head and said, I dont know the details either. Due to the seal ced in the Temple of Confucius, even if we gather all of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy, we still wont be able to ess the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. However, if we fuse the bloodlines of the Zhang n and the Luo n together, it might just be possible to pull it off! Fuse the bloodlines of the Zhang n and the Luo n? If both bloodlines can be perfectly fused together, one will be able to harness the power of spacetime that usually only the most pinnacle Ancient Sage could wield! Yang shi exined. Its for this reason that you were engaged to the little princess of the Luo n even before the both of you were born. No matter what happens, the marriage has to go through! But... I have already lost my Zhang n bloodline. Even if I marry the little princess now, it would be futile... Not expecting to hear such a story before the engagement, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in rm. As mankind slowly lost its Ancient Sages, the tables would gradually turn in favor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, this made obtaining the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn of utmost importance to mankind. This matter could determine the very survival of mankind. As such, even the Master Teacher Pavilion was pushing this matter forward. But considering that he had already lost his Zhang ns bloodline and his grasp over thew of time was still rather elementary, even if he were to marry Luo Ruoxin, it would not help at all! You might have already lost your Zhang n bloodline, but the fact that you once possessed it means that your body carries the aptitude for it. As long as the Zhang n bloodline is infused back into your veins once more, you should be able to wield its power easily, so theres no need to worry about that. Besides, the mutual feelings between you and the little princess will allow for greater synergy in your coboration, making it easier for the two of you to produce the power of spacetime! Without a doubt, the two of you are the ideal candidates for this matter! Yang shi affirmed with a smile. There was still one more thing that he had neglected to mention, and that was the fact that Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Master Teacher. Kong shi had been a Celestial Master Teacher as well, so while others might have difficulties obtaining the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Zhang Xuan might just be able to pull it off. For this reason, even though the Zhang n had already found an individual who possessed even purer Zhang n bloodline than Zhang Xuan, he was still more supportive of having Zhang Xuan marry the little princess. Ill be able to use the abilities of the Zhang n bloodline just by having it infused back into me? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. He could understand how the chemistry between him and Luo Ruoxin would allow for a more harmonious coboration between the two of them, but the notion of being able to use the abilities of the Zhang n just by having their bloodline infused into him sounded a little ridiculous. Its true that your Zhang n bloodline has been torn away from your body, but this can also be said to be a blessing in disguise. You wont be limited by your bloodline, thus granting you the potential to exceed the founder of the Zhang n! Yang shi exined. Inheriting a unique bloodline is simr to inheriting the lineage of the predecessors. It grants one an iparable advantage when ites to intrinsic talent, but there is also a fatal w to itone will be limited by ones bloodline. It will be far more difficult for one to surpass the level of ones predecessor aspared to an ordinary cultivator. Furthermore, the purer ones bloodline is, the greater the bottleneck will be! This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. To make an analogy, a unique bloodline would be equivalent to walking down a safe pathway that ones predecessors had already paved in advance. However, the downside of walking down an established pathway was that one would not know where one could safely advance toward once one reached the end of the pathway. Perhaps, the pathway might not even be suitable! Under such circumstances, it would be nigh impossible to go any further than ones predecessor! A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. Could this be why Kong shi was afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison? The purpose was not to heal an Ancient Sage but to... surpass the predecessors? The reason the Innate Fetal Poison was so little known on the Master Teacher Continent was likely due to how inefficient it was as a poison. After all, there were far more convenient and certain poisons to kill an infant as opposed to the Innate Fetal Poison, so it was more likely that Kong shi had nted it for its other purposesubstitution of bloodline. Previously, he had been wondering what reasons there were to tear away Kong shis bloodline and afflict him with the Innate Fetal Poison, and this could very well be the case. After all, Kong shi did manage to achieve what others failed in, surpassing all that came before him. Back then, Sword Saint Meng suddenly interjected with reddened eyes, the reason I agreed to having your bloodline torn out was because they promised me that nothing would happen to you and that you might even get an opportunity to strive for greater heights... Chapter 1568 - Hundred Schools of Philosophers

Chapter 1568: Hundred Schools of Philosophers

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sword Saint Meng had little care about the greater good of mankind or anything of the sort. What really mattered to her was just those whom she cared about, and if anyone dared to hurt her precious child, she would pit her life against that person. The reason she had eventually relented was due to those words reassuring her. As a mother, it was inevitable that she would bear great ambitions for her childs future. With Yang shi volunteering to assist in the process and her husband reassuring all of her fears, she had eventually caved in. Otherwise, given her strength, no matter how powerful Hu Yiwei was, there was no way he could possibly have nted the Innate Fetal Poison in her sessfully. Knowing how difficult it would have been for his mother to make such a decision back then, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply within. Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back to Yang shi and said, I still dont really get how infusing the Zhang n bloodline back into my body would allow me to use its abilities easily. Pardon me, it seems like I have identally strayed off topic. As you used to possess the purest Zhang n bloodline, you still wield the innate ability to activate the Zhang n bloodline. As long as you have sufficient blood essence of the Zhang n bloodline, you will be able to use its bloodline ability without burning your own bloodline. Naturally, that means that there wont be the one-month downtime for you after activating the bloodline ability! Yang shi exined. While activating the unique bloodline would grant one a temporary surge of power, it would also severely deplete ones vitality and zhenqi afterward, resulting in a months downtime afterward. However, those who had once had their bloodline torn out would not face such a limitation as they would be using the bloodline of others. As long as they had sufficient blood essence on hand, they could raise their cultivation freely! This... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. If that was really true, this could be another major trump card of his! Its too early for you to get happy. Your bloodline previously was simply too pure, such that theres hardly anyone in the n who has bloodline that can match yours. After gathering all the blood essence that we could within the n and refining it again and again in order to raise its purity, we only managed to squeeze out three droplets. Even if there isnt any downtime afterward, you must make sure to use them sparingly! Sword Saint Xing said as he flicked his hand, and a jade bottle flew over. I understand! Holding the jade bottle tightly in his hand, Zhang Xuan could feel the rich power harnessed within the three blood droplets inside. Without a doubt, Zhang n must have paid a heavy price in order to refine these three droplets. He was about to thank Sword Saint Xing when a thought suddenly struck him. The Pavilion Master Seal had also been created through three droplets of Kong shis blood, and by assimting them into his body, he would be able to temporarily wield power invincible against those beneath Ancient Sage. Was this not identical to the situation with the blood droplets from the Zhang n? Could it be that Kong shi had some kind of unique bloodline, and the prerequisite to activating the bloodline was... being a Celestial Master Teacher? Zhang Xuan nodded. That does seem likely to be the case... It was no wonder no one had been able to truly tame the Pavilion Master Seal in the tens of thousands of years since Kong shi had left the Master Teacher Continent. Limited by their constitution, it was already formidable that they could wield a tenth of its power. Its said that one must cote all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy in order to enter the Temple of Confucius. May I know how many of them we have at the moment? Zhang Xuan suddenly asked. Back then, the Qingtian Emperor had paid a heavy price to sneak onto the Master Teacher Continent in order to find one of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy, but even after searching for countless years, his efforts had still been rendered futile. Zhang Xuan could not help wondering how many of them the Master Teacher Pavilion had found to date. Of the six Celestial Amulets of Legacy, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has one, the Zhang n has one, and the Luo n has one. As for the remaining three, some say that Kong shi sealed them beneath some mountain in the world, and others say that they were taken away by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. In any case, even with the influence of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Im afraid that their whereabouts still remain a mystery to date! Yang shi shook his head. Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. He had heard of the Three Premier ns and the Five Elements Sage ns... but what was the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Kong shi took in three thousand students and seventy-two direct disciples, and these seventy-two direct disciples were all Ancient Sage experts! Yang shi said. They were all Ancient Sages? Zhang Xuans breathing hastened in agitation. For all seventy-two direct disciples of his to be Ancient Sages... Just how powerful was mankind back then? It was no wonder that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was so frightened of Kong shi, apprehensive of the rise of another Celestial Master Teacher among mankind even after so many years! If another seventy-two Ancient Sages emerged among mankind, the tables could very well be turned! The reputation of the Worlds Teacher was indeed not baseless! They have been conferred with the title of Philosophers, and their descendants are collectively known as the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! They disappeared soon after Kong shi disappeared from the world, which led to the rise of the Zhang n and the Luo n shortly after. Otherwise, if the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were still around, even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have to defer to them! Yang shi swiftly exined one of the ancient secrets of the history of mankind. Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment. Are the Hundred Schools of Philosophers actually that powerful? While the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters did suffer a setback due to him this time around, he knew full well that the waters ran far deeper in the Master Teacher Pavilion than what he was seeing. If their conflict had worsened, even with Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and even the Zhang n on his side, he still would not have stood a chance against the Master Teacher Pavilion! Without such strength, how could the Master Teacher Pavilion go unchallenged for the past tens of thousands of years? It was precisely out of deference for their strength that even the top experts of the continent were apprehensive of provoking them! For one, no one knew exactly how many hibernating Ancient Sages there were in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters... And despite the Master Teacher Pavilions prowess, it was still afraid of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? They are the descendants of Kong shis direct disciples. Other than their powerful bloodline, they also have theplete heritage of their predecessors. Given so, it might be difficult for the Master Teacher Pavilion to match them! Yang shi shook his head. However, they disappeared from the Master Teacher Continent many years ago, so its unlikely for them to appear once more. Thus, theres no need to worry about them! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Since they had disappeared just like Kong shi, there should be no need to worry about them. He pondered for a moment before asking once more, If the three remaining Celestial Amulets of Legacy are missing, how do we enter the Temple of Confucius? Given that they had not even gathered all of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy yet, were they not jumping ahead of themselves to push forward a marriage between the Zhang n and the Luo n at this point in time? Typically speaking, its indeed true that it would be impossible for one to enter the Temple of Confucius without gathering all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy. However, through years of research, the Master Teacher Pavilion has managed to find a way to circumvent that requirement. Back then, Kong shi acquired the blood essences of six unique bloodlines in order to forge the six Celestial Amulets of Legacy, so even if we fail to find the three remaining amulets, we can substitute them with the three fully awakened unique constitutions! Yang shi said while stroking his beard. Unique constitutions? Could the Pure Yin Body be one of those unique constitutions? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Indeed, the Pure Yin Body is one of the unique constitutions. Other than that, theres also the Poison Halls Innate Poison Body, the Yuan ns Emperors Bloodline, the Shui ns Truewater Constitution... As long as these unique constitutions are fully awakened, they can be used to substitute the amulets! Yang shi replied with a nod. Thats also the reason You Ruoxin was in such a rush to awaken Zhao Yas unique constitution. As long as she seeded, the cier in Court would have been able to enter the Temple of Confucius. The Temple of Confucius houses Kong shis heritage, and the treasures and secret manuals found there will be unmatched by anything currently on the Master Teacher Continent! Without a doubt, the exploration of the Temple of Confucius will change the power dynamics on the Master Teacher Continent, and the powers who fail to enter the Temple of Confucius will find themselves swiftly falling behind those who do. And if, by any chance, the heritage falls into the hands of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it could very well spell the end of mankind! There was a good chance that the solution to achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage would be found in the Temple of Confucius as well, and that would be a turning point for many powers in the world. Who would be willing to give up on this opportunity? Do you still have any doubts in mind? Yang shi asked. None at the moment, Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. For the time being, that was all he was perplexed about, and after Yang shis exnation, he had gained a good grasp of the situation. It was no wonder the Luo n was so adamant about marrying Luo Ruoxin to the young prodigy of the Zhang n. Considering that the Temple of Confucius was involved in this matter as well, her will alone would not be enough to change their mind. Alright then. Ill be taking a rest for a moment. Seeing that Zhang Xuan did not have any more doubts, Yang shi sat down and closed his eyes, and Zhang Xuan got to reinforcing his cultivation as well. ... Three days passed in a sh. When morning came, as soon as the brilliant sun rose from the horizon, a massive city came into sight beneath the group. Sword Saint Xing walked over to the windows and eximed, Thats the Luo ns Shrouding Ethereal City! We have finally arrived at our destination! Chapter 1569 - Luo Xuanqing Visits

Chapter 1569: Luo Xuanqing Visits

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shrouding Ethereal City? Zhang Xuan lowered his head and saw that the city below seemed to be hiding beneath an illusory space. The city was situated in the midst of a mountain range, shrouded by endless clouds, reminiscent of abyrinth. Without knowing the way beforehand, it would be nigh impossible to find the Shrouding Ethereal City. What a formidable formation! Zhang Xuan eximed. Simr to the Zhang ns Guardian Formation, its intended to protect the Luo n in times of emergency. It harnesses thew of space, distorting ones sense of direction and thus entrapping one. Of course, this formation cant hope to keep us out... Sword Saint Xing chuckled as he flicked his wrist, and a mirror appeared before Zhang Xuan. Looking through the mirror, one could clearly see the correct pathway to navigate through the formation. The formation was constantly changing, making it impossible for one to determine any fixed pattern to it. To be able to discern the correct pathway with just a nce, it seemed like his father was quite a skilled formation master. Is it our guests from the Zhang n ahead? After advancing a while longer, a hearty chuckle suddenly echoed from the distance, followed by the appearance of several figures. The person standing at the forefront was the First Elder of the Luo n, Luo Qingchen. Indeed! Sword Saint Xing flew out of the room and greeted the elders of the Luo n, and Zhang Xuan and the others quickly followed suit. We have been waiting for your arrival! Our Luo n has already prepared amodations for you all, so do quicklye in! Luo Qingchen greeted with a smile as he led the way forward. The convoy of saint beasts from the Zhang n quickly followed behind Luo Qingchen to enter the city. The amodation that the Luo n had prepared was a massive manor, vast and spacious. Even with forty saint beastsnding in the courtyard, it did not appear to be cramped in the least. After settling the crowd from the Zhang n into their amodation, Luo Qingchen said with a warm smile, Ill require some time to gather all of the elders and grand elders who have gone into seclusion, so lets discuss the details of the marriage tomorrow. The matrimony between our ns is a huge matter for the Master Teacher Continent, so we have to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly! Indeed, First Elder. This matter must be handled with the utmost care! Sword Saint Xing nodded politely in response. Alright, I shant impose on you all anymore. Please do have a good rest, and Ill see you tomorrow! Luo Qingchen sped his fist and bade farewell. Before taking his leave, he instructed an elder to properly attend to the needs of the Zhang n. So, this is Luo Ruoxins n? Theyout of the guest rooms was particrly exquisite. All sorts of formations came together to form a massive Spirit Gathering Formation, artificially creating what could be considered a blessednd to a cultivator. Strolling around the massive manor, Zhang Xuan could hardly curb the excitement in his heart. He had seen many beautifuldies, and there were also a couple of them who harbored romantic feelings for him. However, there was only one who had truly moved his heart. As if a fine wine, his feelings for her only seemed to deepen with time. It was as if he was already intoxicated with her entire being, such that losing her was no longer something that he could imagine. Seeing her son walking impatiently around the manor, Sword Saint Meng walked up to him and teased, What? Cant you even wait till tomorrow? Her son was someone who could remain perfectly calm even while he was surrounded by the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, yet at thatmoment, he was wandering around aimlessly. There was no way she would be so dense as to be unable to see through her sons thoughts. How could that be? Im just taking a look around... Having his thoughts exposed, Zhang Xuans face reddened in embarrassment. The marriage between the both of you will surely go through, so theres no need to worry about that. Besides, even if this engagement didnt exist, as long as its a girl you fancy, Id help you snatch her! Imagining the sight of his mother kidnapping Luo Ruoxin, a slight chuckle escaped from Zhang Xuans lips. Given his mother personality, there was really a chance that she could pull something like that off! Just as he was about to speak, the Luo n elder who was in charge of taking care of their needs suddenly walked up and reported, n Head Zhang, Young Master Xuanqing hopes to meet you! Bring me over! Hearing that Luo Xuanqing was in the Luo n as well, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had thought that the other party would still be in the Sanctum of Sages, but who could have thought that he would have already returned? But thinking about it, given that his younger sister was going to be married, there was no way that he would obediently remain in the Sanctum of Sages. Given what a sister-doting monster he was, he would surely rush back to the Luo n in the fastest time possible! Following behind the Luo n elder, they soon arrived in the main hall. Luo Xuanqing was seated with a teacup in his hand, deep in thought. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, he quickly stood up, sped his fist, and bowed. Luo Xuanqing pays respect to n Head Zhang! Brother Luo, youre too courteous! Seeing how formal Luo Xuanqing was with him, Zhang Xuan quickly walked forward to help him up. Luo Xuanqing raised his head to look at the young man before him once more, and he could not help but exim internally how swiftly things had changed. When they first met, the young man had just been an ordinary student in the Sanctum of Sages. It was only because he had found the young mans temperament to his liking that he had befriended the young man. When he found out that the young man had duped his younger sister of her feelings, he had flown into a rage, wanting to pummel him to death... But before he knew it, the young man had transformed into the young prodigy of the Zhang n, the fianc of his younger sister. Not only so, he had also be the head of the Sanctum of Sages, and every single one of his students was unimaginably powerful. No matter how many times he verified the news, he still found the matter hard to believe. Initially, when his younger sister told him that the fellow from the remote Hongyuan Empire was actually a remarkable genius, he had snorted in disdain, thinking that his younger sister was blinded by her feelings for the other party. However, from the looks of it now, the one who was truly blind was him! While Luo Xuanqing was still deep in thought, he suddenly noticed the anomaly in the young mans cultivation, and he widened his eyes in astonishment. Your cultivation... You have already reached Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle? Just a few days ago, when he pummeled Zhang Xuan, the young man had only been at Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle. Yet, within this short period of time, the young man had already reached Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle! While he had never expressed it before others, the truth was that he took great pride at having reached Dimension Sundering realm primary stage despite his young age. Yet, it was as if achieving breakthroughs came as easily to the young man as eating or drinking... Did the young man really have to be so exaggerated? Ah, it was a stroke of luck, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. A stroke of luck... Luo Xuanqing felt so stifled that he thought that he would suffer grievous internal injuries from talking with the young man at this rate. Each time he asked about the young mans cultivation, thetter would simply perfunctorily attribute it to luck. Even though we all know that you are just making up an excuse, surely you can be more sincere than that! Would it kill you to think of a different line? Luo Xuanqing took in a deep breath and asked, n Head Zhang, may I have the honor of sparring with you? Back when he first met the young man, the young man had only been a Saint 5-dan minor figure, not even worthy of his attention. Within just two to three months, the young man had already surpassed him. While he knew that the young man was an incredibly talented individualthere was no one in the world who would dare underestimate the young prodigy of the Zhang nhe was still unable to ept this reality. Sure! Zhang Xuan nodded. He was also itching to try his hand since he had just made a breakthrough. Since Luo Xuanqing had challenged him to a spar, there was no reason for him to turn him down. Lets begin then! Without any hesitation, Luo Xuanqing forcefully pushed against the ground and dashed forth, reaching Zhang Xuan in the blink of an eye. He raised his hand and thrust his palm down upon thetter forcefully. Hu! Along with the movement of his palm, the surrounding space grew viscous, creating great inertia to any movement made in the area. While Zhang Xuan had been pushing ahead, Luo Xuanqing had not been cking either! Through his diligence, he had also made considerable advancements in his fighting prowess! Come! With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi as he raised his palm to sh against Luo Xuanqings offense. But all of a sudden, his hand froze in midair. Seeing the young mans abrupt halt in actions, Luo Xuanqing retracted his palm strike and harrumphed coldly. Whats wrong? Are you intending to go easy on me just because you think Im no match for you? If you still think of me as a brother, use your full strength! He knew that it was unlikely for him to be a match for Zhang Xuan, and he was prepared to ept his loss. However, his pride would not allow thetter to take pity and go easy on him! No, thats not it... Zhang Xuan raised his hand to stop Luo Xuanqing as his lips twitched frenziedly. I identally exerted too much force earlier... I think... I am going to achieve a breakthrough soon... Hong long long! Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the entire sky darkened. Storm clouds converged above the area, and shes of lightning streaked furiously across the sky. Zhang Xuans Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal hade! Chapter 1570 - Scare It Away!

Chapter 1570: Scare It Away!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back when Zhang Xuan was still at the Zhang n, he had already reached the peak of the Dimension Sundering realm, ready to push for a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm at any moment. However, he feared the massive destruction that mighte as a result of the lightning tribtion, so he had forcefully suppressed his cultivation. However, earlier, as he was sparring with Luo Xuanqing, he had identally pushed his zhenqi a little too far, oveing the bottleneck of the Dimension Sundering realm, causing his cultivation to begin advancing right for Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm. You can achieve a breakthrough just like that? Looking at the ominous clouds gathering all around and sensing the energy raging within the young mans body, Luo Xuanqing nearly fainted on the spot. Werent you still at Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle a moment ago? How in the world did you manage to make a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm just by driving your zhenqi? Luo Xuanqing nearly spurted blood from frustration. It was with the thought that Zhang Xuans cultivation might not be too stable due to his swift breakthroughs that he had dared challenge the young man to a duel. Yet, before the duel could even start, the young man had already achieved another breakthrough. Inparison, his rate of cultivation was as slow as a tortoise... no, more like a crawling snail! With such a contrast between the two of them, he no longer dared identify himself as a prodigy before others. Hong long long! As Luo Xuanqing was still grumbling gloomily over the matter, the storm clouds in the sky were swiftly growing bigger and bigger, cloaking everything in their shadow. Before one knew it, the clouds already spanned tens of thousands of mu! Luo Xuanqing gulped in fright as he turned his trembling body toward Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang Xuan, are you here to ask for my younger sisters hand in marriage or to tear our Luo n down? The young mans Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal was simply too powerful. If it really fell, no matter how powerful the Luo ns formations were, the formations would not stand a chance against it! Arent you here to propose a marriage? But what you are bringing in over here could very well wipe out the entire Luo n! This... I didnt do it on purpose... Should I try suppressing my cultivation? Zhang Xuan eximed with a reddened face, showing a rare sign of panic. He had been suppressing his cultivation all this while, intending to find a quiet ce to push for a breakthrough once everything had been settled. Who could have thought that he would make a mistake at this crucial moment and achieve a breakthrough? This wasnt what he had intended at all! Suppress your cultivation? Your cultivation ordeal is already right above you! Do you think suppressing your cultivation right now will work? Luo Xuanqing roared furiously. Are you messing with me? Do you think that the cultivation ordeal will obediently disperse just because you have suppressed your cultivation back down? What you should be thinking of right now is how you can ovee this ridiculously powerful lightning tribtion! Even Saint 9-dan experts wouldnt stand a chance against a lightning tribtion of this level... Are you really not frightened at all? Y-youre right! I have to scare the lightning tribtion away... But... Zhang Xuan frowned in distress as he spoke. I dont think Ill be able to do it right now... His soul cultivation had already reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle, and he had notpiled the Saint 9-dan Heavens Path Divine Art to further his zhenqi cultivation yet. On top of that, he had just cultivated his physical body a few days ago. What was he supposed to do with the massive pool of spiritual energy in the air? He would explode if he absorbed all of that! You wont be able to do it right now? What do you mean by that? Dont you have some kind of means to chase the lightning tribtion away? Luo Xuanqing urged anxiously. Since his Dimension Sundering Ordeal had been chased away by the young man before him, surely the young man should be able to do the same for his own Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Ill just say this clearly to you right here and right now. If you fail to chase away the lightning tribtion and it falls on the Shrouding Ethereal City, dont even dream of our Luo n forgiving you. It goes without saying that your engagement with my younger sister will be over as well! Luo Xuanqing spat in fury. This... Zhang Xuan was really on the verge of tears. Why did he have to achieve a breakthrough now of all times? He had already raised all of his cultivations as far as he could, so there was nothing he would require spiritual energy for at the moment. And without absorbing the energy of the lightning tribtion, how was he supposed to scare it away? Wait a moment, perhaps I could try that... Knowing that the lightning would fall at any moment, and there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan clenched his jaw and leaped into the air. He swiftly assumed a cold and forbidding appearance as he ced his arms behind his back, facing the lightning tribtion before him fearlessly. How can Xuan-ers Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal be so powerful? Dear, rest assured! Our son has managed to drive away several lightning tribtions in the past, so he should be able to do it easily this time around. This is a good opportunity to see what hes capable of! Yes, I have also heard the rumors as well. If I recall correctly, our son dove into the storm clouds, and before long, the storm clouds trembled uncontrobly before eventually dissipating... In the courtyard, the attention of the Xingmeng Sword Saints was captured by the unbelievably massive lightning tribtion in the air as well. However, recalling the previous deeds of their son, they reassured themselves and heaved sighs of relief. Their son had simply produced too many miracles, especially when it came to dealing with lightning tribtions. The legends that he had created were something that would eventually go down in the annals of the Master Teacher Continents history, never to be forgotten even after many generations! As powerful as the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal before them was, he should be able to resolve it with ease! Look, hes flying into the air. He should be diving into the storm clouds very soon, Sword Saint Xing eximed excitedly. The First Elder of the Luo n, Luo Qingchen, turned to the elders behind him and instructed, This is truly a rare sight, make sure to watch it closely! If we can figure out the secrets behind Zhang Xuans technique, our Luo n offspring wont have to worry about their cultivation ordeals when they achieve a breakthrough anymore! Yes! The many elders of the Luo n nodded in agreement. Luo Qingchen had witnessed with his own eyes how the young man helped Luo Xuanqing drive away his Dimension Sundering Ordeal, but back then, he had been unable to make sense of how it had been done. Since he had the privilege to witness it once more, he would really have to observe it closely. If they could learn the young mans secret art, the offspring of their Luo n would not need to fear lightning tribtions anymore! Bring the Dimension Mirror over, I want this scene to be perfectly recorded! Luo Qingchen instructed once more. Even if we fail to make sense out of it now, we can slowly examine itter on. As long as we study it long enough, it will only be a matter of time before we uncover his secrets! As a 9-star master teacher himself, Luo Qingchens eye of discernment was not to be underestimated. Yet, even an expert of his caliber was unable to figure out how Zhang Xuan had managed to drive away Luo Xuanqings lightning tribtion back then. Thus, there was a good chance that they would not be able to figure it out easily even with most elders of the Luo n present here. Just to be safe, it would be best for them to record this sight so that they could refer to it again and again in the future. Thats a good idea! An elder swiftly flew away, and it did not take him long to return with a massive mirror in hand. It was one of the mystical artifacts from the Luo ns treasure vault, the Dimension Mirror. It could be used to record anything that it saw. Hes going to dash into the lightning tribtion... Right after the elders had finished preparing the mirror, Luo Qingchens excited exmation sounded in the air. Turning their gazes over, the elders saw the young man rising into the air, stopping right beneath the storm clouds. Everyone watched the scene with bated breath. They could not wait to see how the legendary young prodigy of the Zhang n would deal with the lightning tribtion. Hong long long! Provoked by Zhang Xuans approach, the lightning tribtion crackled wrathfully, threatening to annihte everything beneath it. Facing the imposing lightning tribtion before him, Zhang Xuans heart could not help but shudder in dread. Nevertheless, he did not allow it to show on his face. With a perfectlyposed expression, he said, Little Leilei 1 , we meet again! Hong long! Upon hearing that voice, the lightning tribtion seemed to fall into a daze, such that the thunderous rumbling appeared to have toned down a little. Stop kicking up a needless fuss. Ill give you a chance. Scram before I fly into a rage! Zhang Xuan snorted impatiently. Boom! The lightning tribtion seemed to have fallen even quieter. It was hard to tell if they were overthinking it, but the crowd witnessing this scene felt as if the lightning tribtion was trembling in fright, seemingly fearful of the young man before it. Seeing that the lightning tribtion was still refusing to leave, Zhang Xuans voice grew even sharper and colder. I am not a patient person, so youd better quickly make up your mind whether you want to cross me or not. However, you should know that Im not one to give second chances, so I hope that you wont make a decision youll regret. Boom! After a moment of hesitation, the lightning tribtion seemed to have made the greatest decision in its life, and it released an indignant rumble. Hu! Following which, it turned around and took flight. In the blink of an eye, it had already disappeared without a trace. Earlier, when the ominous clouds set in, everyone had thought that the end of the world hade. But in the blink of an eye, a clear sky had been returned to them, leaving no trace of the impending cmity from earlier. The heck! This works as well? Its possible to scare away the lightning tribtion with words? When did the lightning tribtion be such an easy existence to deal with? Luo Qingchen and the others were shocked beyond words. Chapter 1571 - Unforeseen Circumstances (1)

Chapter 1571: Unforeseen Circumstances (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Lightning tribtions were the worlds punishment toward cultivators for getting ahead of themselves. There was no cultivator who was not fearful of lightning tribtions. Even someone as powerful of Luo Qingchen would turn pale in the face of a lightning tribtion, requiring much preparation before he dared sh with it. Yet, this young man had simply crushed all of their expectations. Everyone had thought that he would utilize some kind of formidable technique in order to chase away the lightning tribtion, but who would have thought... with just a simple reprimand and threat, the lightning tribtion actually backed off in fear! No cultivator on the Master Teacher Continent could have imagined that such a thing would actually be possible! Was this still the lightning tribtion that they knew of? Have you recorded it? We have recorded it, but... will we really be able to learn something like this? An elders apprehensive voice sounded from behind. Its unlikely... Luo Qingchen shook his head and sighed. If any of them dashed right up to the lightning tribtion and spouted such words, they would be reduced to cinders in the blink of an eye. Such an action was as good as challenging the authority of the heavens! Yet, despite his brazen actions, the young man had actually walked away from the ordeal unharmed. Could he actually not be the son of the Xingmeng Sword Saints but the illegitimate son of the heavens themselves? Phew, I managed to ovee this hurdle... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had already traumatized the lightning tribtion through his past experiences with it. Otherwise, if the lightning tribtion had really fallen, he would have been in deep trouble. Returning to the ground, Zhang Xuan walked up to Luo Xuanqing and smiled. Alright, I have driven off the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Lets continue our fight! ... Luo Xuanqing felt a prickling sensation on his scalp. Continue your head! How can an ordinary mortal like me possibly fight against someone who could scare off a lightning tribtion with just words? Isnt that asking for a beating? Forget it! It would be impolite for me toy my hands on a guest like you... Luo Xuanqing hurriedly shook his head vehemently. He had already made up his mind. From that day forth, he would no longerpare himself with the inhuman freak before him! Hearing that Luo Xuanqing was unwilling to fight with him anymore, Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. A momentter, he raised his head and looked at Luo Xuanqing expectantly. Then... Brother Luo, can you bring me to meet your younger sister? With what he desired finally within reach, he could no longer retain his usualposure. Knowing that his younger sister was the only edge that he had against Zhang Xuan at the moment, Luo Xuanqing waved his hand in feigned impatience. Youll meet during the engagement ceremony tomorrow. You can at least wait one more day, right? Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Alright then! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was really disappointed, a yful smile emerged on Luo Xuanqings face as he asked, Do you really want to meet her? He was delighted to see Zhang Xuans disappointment, not just for his personal vengeance but for his younger sister as well. After all, this meant that his younger sister carried significant weight in Zhang Xuans heart. Of course! Zhang Xuan quickly nodded. Well, I guess it cant be helped if thats the case, Luo Xuanqing said. I can arrange for a secret meeting with my younger sister for you, but just for a short moment, alright? The real reason he hade here to find Zhang Xuan was to test thetters feelings for his younger sister, as well as to allow the two lovebirds to have a short meeting prior to the engagement. Without a doubt, he was certain that Zhang Xuan really harbored feelings for his younger sister. Given so, it would be pointless for him to make things difficult for thetter. While it was a breach of propriety for the couple to meet privately just ahead of the engagement, rules were ultimately just rules. Even if they were caught, the elders of both ns would only shrug it off as the recklessness of youth and turn a blind eye to it. Besides... the young man before him was not only the young prodigy and n head of the Zhang n but the head of the Sanctum of Sages and Yang shis senior! Is this for real? Zhang Xuans face immediately lit up in happiness. Of course, when have I ever not meant my words! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed impatiently. Wait here for a moment, Ill go make some arrangements... Zhang Xuan anxiously nodded in response. Just as he was about to thank Luo Xuanqing for his help, an elder of the Zhang n suddenly rushed into the main hall. n Head! Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan frowned upon seeing the grim look on the elders face. We have just received news that Court Chief Zhao and Hall Master Wei of the cier in Court and Poison Hall have gone missing! the elder reported anxiously. Missing? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words, and he abruptly rose to his feet. Narrowing his eyes coldly, he questioned, What do you mean by that? What happened? I-I dont know... It appears that there was some kind of fight, then the both of them suddenly went missing. The Zhang n has already dispatched some men to investigate the issue, the elder reported. After fully awakening her unique constitution, Zhao Ya is able to stand her ground even against Great Sage experts. On the other hand, Wei Ruyans poison is able to curb even Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan... Yet, the two of them actually went missing? Did they not even have any time to send out a help message? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in disbelief. Even when Zhao Ya was captured by You Ruoxin back then, she had still been able to find an opportunity to send a message to him asking for help. Just who in the world had the ability to make the two of them vanish, such that they could not even afford to send a help message to him? Im afraid I dont know! the elder shook his head fearfully. Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath to calm himself down before instructing, Do you know where the battle urred? Bring me over to take a look! The Zhang ns intelligence was unlikely to be inurate. Chances were that something had really happened to Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, so there was no time for him to be idling around. If he wanted to know what had happened, he would have to drop by the area personally. Otherwise, it could already be toote by the time the others were able to get to the bottom of the matter! The elder nodded in response. The battle urred in the vicinity of the Empire Alliance. Court Chief Zhao and Hall Master Wei were on their way back after resolving the issue that day when something happened to them... In the vicinity of the Empire Alliance? Very well! After confirming the location, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Xuanqing and sped his fist apologetically. Brother Luo, I... Knowing that this matter was far more important, Luo Xuanqing nodded in understanding. Dont worry, you should hurry over to investigate the situation. If theres anything that I can help you with, feel free to contact me! Thanks! Zhang Xuan walked out to the courtyard and took out the grade-9 formation gs that his mother had given him. It did not take him too long to construct a Teleportation Formation. Xuan-er, Ille with you! Seemingly having heard of the matter as well, Sword Saint Meng suddenly rushed over. Dont worry, your father and Yang shi are here, so they will be able to handle matters here promptly. I dont feel too assured leaving you on your own. If anything happens on the other side, at least Ill be able to cover you! Most preparations for the engagement had been prepared, and Sword Saint Xing and Yang shi were around to settle whatever administrative matters there were, so there should not be any problems on their end. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. While he had managed to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan, it was still a little difficult for him to activate the Teleportation Formation with his current strength. Thus, it would indeed be helpful to have his mother tagging along. Lets go! Having made up their minds, the duo swiftly got to action. With Sword Saint Meng infusing her strength into the Teleportation Formation, it soon shone into activation. Hu! Hu! The duo vanished simultaneously from the spot. The next moment, they were already in the vicinity of the Empire Alliance. ording to the directions from the Eighth Elder, it should be over there... Sword Saint Meng quickly scanned the surroundings and pointed in a direction. Swiftly advancing ahead, it did not take the two of them too long to arrive at the foot of a mountain. This mountain had been forcefully sliced in half by some formidable force, and the greenery on it had beenpletely destroyed. From this, it could be seen that an earth-shattering battle had urred not too long ago. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. There was ayer of frost over the entire area. Without a doubt, it had been left by Zhao Ya. At the same time, the nts in the area had taken on a dark yellow shade, a sign that they had been poisoned to death. From the looks of it, that seemed to be Wei Ruyans doing. Initially, Zhang Xuan had thought that they had been taken down separately, but contrary to his expectations, the two of them had actually been fighting side by side when they were subdued. Just who in the world wielded such tremendous power? Putting aside the Zhang n and the Luo n, probably even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would not be able to take those two away discreetly! Could it be... that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. Chapter 1572 - Unforeseen Circumstances (2)

Chapter 1572: Unforeseen Circumstances (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In terms of prowess, Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan were still far beneath Yang shi. Nevertheless, due to their unique abilities, in a real battle, even Yang shi would have much difficulty dealing with them. But despite their strength, they were still unable to send a signal for help before they were taken away. Unless it was him with the Pavilion Master Seal activated or an Ancient Sage personally making a move, he could not think of anyone who could pull this off. Eye of Insight! Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned the surroundings. A momentter, a frown appeared on his forehead as his face turned livid. There isnt any trace of at all? The Eye of Insight had never failed him before, but at that very moment, it was not working! In the past, as long as he observed close enough, he would be able to find something amiss. However, no matter how he squinted, he could not find any traces of the assant or the trail of his students. It was almost as if they had evaporated on the spot! Those two students of yours are considerably powerful. For the assant to be able to kidnap them without leaving any trace behind, it must be a formidable foe! Sword Saint Meng remarked grimly. Could it be the doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Zhang Xuan asked. The killing intent that Otherworldly Demons emanate is too powerful for it to be concealed entirely. Since there isnt any trace of their killing intent here, it stands to reason that it shouldnt be their doing... However, if the culprit is an Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon, that might not hold anymore, Sword Saint Meng replied. Ancient Sage... Zhang Xuansplexion turned terribly awful. While he did have some conflict with the Master Teacher Pavilion, they had already been resolved. It was unlikely that the master teachers would do something as ignoble as getting back at him through his students afterward. As for the other powers, the only way that they could nab his students was to mobilize their Ancient Sages. However, the human Ancient Sages did not have much time left, so to awaken them just to capture his students... the notion did not seem too probable. Thus, that made the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor the most likely culprit. Noticing her sons agitation, Sword Saint Meng quickly stepped forward and took charge of the situation. Calm down, lets check the area once more. We might be able to find something. The most important thing that we have to do right now is confirm whom the culprit is and whether your students are in any danger! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. It was hard to remain rational when it came to something that affected one. Instead of panicking, the most important thing at hand was indeed to confirm if the two of them were safe. So, they went through every single detail that could be found in the vicinity, checking every nook and cranny carefully. Did you manage to find anything? Sword Saint Meng asked. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The culprit is either very skilled in concealing their tracks or they really vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind at all! What about you? The person who had nabbed Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had utilized some kind of unfathomable means that rendered even the Eye of Insight useless in identifying and tracking them down. I managed to figure out a few things! Sword Saint Meng replied. Firstly, based on the battle marks, the culprit used a total of two moves in order to subdue Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, rendering the both of thempletely helpless. Two moves? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Thats right. While there are many smaller holes on the ground, which makes it seem as if there was an intense battle, there are only tworger pits. The first pit is cloaked with ayer of frost, so I deduce that it should be the area where Zhao Ya faced off with the culprit! Tracing Sword Saint Mengs finger, Zhang Xuan saw a slightly deeper pit with chilling frost lingering around it. Its likely that Zhao Ya was intending tounch an attack, but it was deflected by the culprit. The deflected energy ended up scattering around the area, resulting in the many smaller holes. From that, it could be seen that even when Zhao Ya was utilizing the limits of her strength, she was still no match for the culprit at all, Sword Saint Meng analyzed. Zhang Xuan examined the surroundings once more and realized that the smaller holes seemed to congregate around therger pit, which lent credibility to Sword Saint Mengs analysis. Furthermore, there were no notable marks of battle aside from that, so it was safe to assume that the battle had ended with that single collision. The same applies to Wei Ruyan through the other pit. Furthermore, from the proximity of the tworger pits, my guess is that the both of them made a move simultaneously, but the culprit still managed to subdue them with ease! Sword Saint Meng said with a grim look on her face. To be honest, she was a little astounded by her own discovery. For an individual to be able to subdue two top-notch experts in a single move... just who in the world could the culprit be? And what was their motive for doing this? Did the culprit not know that their actions would turn the cier in Court, Poison Hall, Sanctum of Sages, and even the Zhang n against him? Each of those powers had extraordinary trump cards in their grasp that they would never use unless in desperate situations. Otherwise, they would not have been able to remain standing on the Master Teacher Continent for so many years. n head! While the two of them were still trying to make sense out of the situation, an elder of the Zhang n suddenly flew over and called out. He was the Eighth Elder, the person who had delivered the message to Zhang Xuan earlier. Zhang Xuan turned his head over questioningly. The Eighth Elder sped his fist and reported anxiously, Reporting to the n head, the Yuan n has just sent a request for help. Their young master has been kidnapped by someone as well! Yuan Tao has been kidnapped, too? Zhang Xuan nearly exploded on the spot. This is the message that an elder of the Yuan n just sent over... The Eighth Elder passed a jade token over. Zhang Xuan lowered his head and browsed through it gravely. Unlike the case with Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, the culprit had stomped right into the Yuan n, breaching all of its defenses in an instant. Not even the full might of the Yuan n was enough to stop them. Before they could even clearly see whom the culprit was, the culprit had already fled with Yuan Tao in their grasp. Wheres the Yuan n? Zhang Xuan asked the Eighth Elder anxiously. The Yuan n is located here! Sword Saint Meng said as she quickly sent the coordinates over. Lets head over right now! After confirming the location, Zhang Xuan took out another bunch of grade-9 formation gs and constructed a Teleportation Formation. Hu! The duo disappeared from the spot. The next instant, they were already in the vicinity of the Yuan n. n Head Zhang, Sword Saint Meng... Very soon, the deputy n head of the Yuan n led the two of them to the main hall. We didnt manage to catch the appearance of the culprit clearly, but he was wearing a long robe when he entered the Yuan n. Our first thought was that he was a master teacher, but there were some discrepancies in his attire. As soon as he arrived, he immediately captured Yuan Tao. We tried to stop him, but he simply sted through out Guardian Formation with a single palm strike, the deputy n head said as he pointed at the formation above. Zhang Xuan and Sword Saint Meng turned their gazes upward and saw a palm print on the roof and even the formations above them. A formation should not have any tangible form other than its formation gs, thus making it highly difficult to deal with. Yet, to be able to tear a hole right through multiple formations and even prevent the formations from converging back in to repair the hole... the culprit would truly be a troublesome person to deal with. As one of the top Sage ns on the continent, the Guardian Formation of the Yuan n was the crystallization of the wisdom of many generations of experts. Even among grade-9 formations, it was ranked at the very top. It would be no exaggeration to say that even those who had reached the pinnacle of Great Sage would be unable to do so, yet the culprit was able to do it with a single palm strike. It was no wonder he could capture Yuan Tao, who had already awakened his Emperors Bloodline, so easily... It seemed like the culprit had already achieved an inconceivable level of strength. Even Yang shi would not necessarily be able to pull this off... Sword Saint Mengs lips twitched at the sight as well. She had sparred with Yang shi before, so she had a rough idea of just how powerful thetter was. Since she had said such words, it was likely the case. With a concerned frown, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, Is the culprit... an Ancient Sage? Having reached the pinnacle of Great Sage, Yang shi was indubitably one of the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent, matched by very few in the newer generation. The only ones who could really outdo him would be the Ancient Sages. And the only one whom Zhang Xuan knew had the ability to do so was the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor. No, the culprit isnt an Ancient Sage. The deputy n head shook his head. I still can recognize the aura of Ancient Sages, and Im certain that the other party hasnt reached such a level yet! The culprit is so powerful despite having yet to reach Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuans heart jolted in astonishment. Does the culprit possess some means reminiscent to the Pavilion Master Seal, granting him strength invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage? Chapter 1573 - Just Who Could It Be?

Chapter 1573: Just Who Could It Be?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Yang shi was unable to pull off a palm strike that could st a hole right through the Yuan ns Guardian Formation, Zhang Xuan felt that he should be able to do it with the power of the Pavilion Master Seal. Could this mean that the culprit wielded strengthparable to him even in his enhanced state? But he was already making use of Kong shis blood essence! Did the culprit have something on par with that? But thats impossible! The fact that the Pavilion Master Seal containing three droplets of Kong shis blood was considered one of the strongest artifacts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was enough to show how valuable and rare it was. It did not seem too probable for there to be a second artifact in the world that couldpare to it. Even if the other party had Kong shis blood droplets in their possession, based on what he knew, only Celestial Master Teachers should be able to utilize the power within them. So, it should not be possible for them to utilize the power within the blood droplets. Unable to make sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan asked, Could it be an Ancient Sage intentionally lowering his cultivation? That isnt too likely... If an Ancient Sage was truly here, the Ancient Sage of our Yuan n would surely have sensed his presence and awoken replied the deputy n head, shaking his head. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. If the Yuan n had a hibernating Ancient Sage, it would make sense for him to awaken upon sensing the presence of other Ancient Sages. The fact that their Ancient Sage remained motionless despite the assault from the culprit showed that even though the culprit wielded incredible strength, he had yet to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. To wield such strength despite not being an Ancient Sage... just who could it be? Zhang Xuansplexion was turning worse and worse. It might have been better if the culprit was a real Ancient Sage so that the Yuan ns Ancient Sage had awoken and stopped him or, at the very least, found out who the culprit was. However, that was unfortunately not the case, and that effectively left them with no clues to work with. All of a sudden, Zhang Xuan recalled something and asked anxiously, Yuan n, do you know where the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters is located in? I have a map over here! The head of the Yuan n flicked his hand and passed a jade token over. Are you worried that the culprit might make a move on Wang Ying too? Sword Saint Meng immediately understood Zhang Xuans intentions. Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao... Three of his direct disciples had been kidnapped just like that. If the culprit was intentionally working against him, Wang Ying was likely to be the next victim! As for Zheng Yang, he should be safe with the Combat Master Hall. Even if the culprit really wielded prowess invincible beneath Ancient Sage, the culprit was still unlikely to provoke the powerful Combat Master Hall easily, so Zheng Yang should be in a considerably safer position. Lets quickly head over! Zhang Xuan quickly set up a Teleportation Formation, and before long, they were already in the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters. After having expended her energy in activating three Teleportation Formations and using her zhenqi to protect Zhang Xuan from the spatial turbulence, Sword Saint Meng was starting to show signs of exhaustion. Teacher, why are you here? We were just nning to head over to the Luo n to celebrate your engagement! Wang Ying was delighted by Zhang Xuans arrival, but a slight hint of bewilderment could be seen in the depths of her eyes. She knew that her teacher would note to visit her all of a sudden without any reason, especially since they were soon going to meet in the Luo n. Wang Ying... Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao have been kidnapped! Zhang Xuan exined grimly. They have been kidnapped? Wang Yings eyes dted in disbelief as her body trembled in shock. But... who could possibly have the strength to kidnap them? I have no idea either. I was worried that something might have happened to you, so I rushed over to check on you, Zhang Xuan said. Teacher, you suspect that the person might make a move on me next? Wang Ying swiftly understood what was going on. She turned around and instructed, Elder Qin, inform all spirit awakeners to prepare themselves. A battle could being very soon! Yes! Understanding the severity of the situation, Elder Qin quickly left the area to make preparations. After making arrangements, Wang Ying turned to Zhang Xuan worriedly. Teacher, do you how Senior Zhao Ya and the others are doing at the moment? I dont know that either. The culprit didnt leave behind any trail, so even Im unable to track the other party down... Zhang Xuan shook his head with a deep frown. For the time being, Im thinking of lying in wait here. As long as the culprit strikes once more, well be able to apprehend and interrogate him! I understand! Realizing her teachers intentions, Wang Ying nodded before falling silent. She arranged a ce for the two of them to rest before sitting down to cultivate, not wasting any time at all. She was unable to match up to Zhao Ya and the others in terms of talent, so she could only make it up with her diligence. Along with the ample resources that she had as the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild, she was still able to improve considerably quickly. As they waited, the day soon went by. Before they knew it, the sun had already risen once again. However, there was still no movement from the culprit. It was as if the culprit knew that they were there and had chosen to lie low for the time being. Unable to wait patiently any longer, Zhang Xuan stood up and asked, Do you have any long-range Communication Formations here? Send a message over to Zheng Yang to check if hes alright. Alright, Teacher! Wang Ying replied before leaving the room. Not too longter, she returned. Teacher, Senior Zheng Yang has already arrived in the Luo n. It doesnt seem like he has met with any trouble along the way... Nothing happened on his end either? Zhang Xuan frowned. As the culprit had made a move on Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao one after another, he figured that the culprit meant him and his students harm. That was the reason he had chosen to camp in the Spirit Awakener Guild for an entire day, waiting for the culprit to appear. Yet, it turned out that nothing had happened during this duration. Could he have mistaken the intentions of the culprit? All of a sudden, Zhang Xuans body stiffened as he eximed in horror, Unique constitutions! Previously, Yang shi had said that in order to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, other than gathering all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy, one could also break the seal through substituting the amulets with the blood of those possessing specific unique constitutions. Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Taos unique constitutions happened to be the few unique constitutions that could be used to substitute the amulets. On the other hand, Wang Ying and Zheng Yang did not possess a unique constitution, which might exin why they had not been targeted. Could that be the reason why the three of them had been targeted? If that was the intention of the culprit, in a sense, this could be considered good news as the three of them should not be in any danger for the time being. After all, the purpose for the culprit capturing them was to open the seal to the Temple of Confucius and not to kill them. In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, it was unlikely for the culprit to harm them until the seal was finally deciphered. From this moment onward, Wang Ying, you should follow me around. Try not to stray too far away! Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before instructing. In the end, the matter about unique constitution was just spection on his part. It would still be best for him to be careful. Where do you intend to head to now? Sword Saint Meng asked. After a day of rest, she had recuperated from her exertion the previous day. Her aura had regained its usual sharpness, reminiscent of a keen edge that could slice the heavens in two. Lets return to the Luo n! Zhang Xuan said. Right now? Sword Saint Meng was surprised to hear those words. She could tell that there was a deep bond between her son and his students, so she had thought that her son would want to further investigate the issue. There are some things that I would like to ask Yang shi. Also, if the culprit is really searching for unique constitutions, I suspect that he might go for the little princess next. If thats the case, theres a chance that he might wreak havoc during the engagement ceremony! Zhang Xuan said. There was also one more thing he had neglected to mention, and that was that the Zhang n and the Luo n each possessed a Celestial Amulet of Legacy! If the culprit had really captured Zhao Ya and the others for the sake of opening the Temple of Confucius, there was no way he would pass on the real Celestial Amulets of Legacy. Furthermore, today was the day of the engagement between him and the little princess of the Luo n, so nearly the entire upper echelons of the two ns would be around. From such a perspective, it could be an ideal opportunity for the culprit to strike if he wanted to acquire the real Celestial Amulets of Legacy! Thus, the most effective move that he could make at this moment was actually to return to the Luo n! Besides, if he could learn from Yang shi how the unique constitutions could be used to decipher the seal in the Temple of Confucius, he might be able to uncover some useful clues that would help him track down the culprit. Lets go then! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had made up his mind, Sword Saint Meng decided not to say too much. They swiftly constructed a Teleportation Formation and warped back to the Luo n. Chapter 1574 - The Little Princess’ Happiness (1)

Chapter 1574: The Little Princess Happiness (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was a bustling sight within the Luo n. Festiventerns were hung all around, and auspicious red cloth cloaked the buildings throughout Shrouding Ethereal City, indicating a joyous celebration. On this jolly day, the First Elder of the Luo n, Luo Qingchen, was dressed in a grand robe stitched with golden lining as he stood at the entrance to the main hall of the Luo n with a radiant smile on his wrinkled face. The head of the Jiang n, Jiang Fangyou, has arrived with thirty Saint 8-dan beasts to congrattion the Zhang n and the Luo n on their engagement! The head of the Mu n, Mu Hengzhen, has arrived with three boxes of thousand-year-old medicinal herbs and ten stalks of the Truespirit Pipa Tree to congratte the union of the Zhang n and the Luo n! The head of the Shui n, Shui Fangtian, has arrived with three thousand Wateranima Crystals, five thousand Southern Sea Diamonds, and two hundred 7-star Dragon Eyes to offer early congrattions to the Zhang n and the Luo n for their matrimony! ... Such derations sounded one after another as eminent figures of the Master Teacher Continent arrived one after another with wide smiles on their faces. Even a stomp of one of these figures feet would resound loudly throughout the continent, but at that moment, they were personally delivering invaluable gifts to the Luo n, not daring to show the slightest hint of impoliteness. Looking at the bustle all around, one of the elders in charge of weing the guests could not help but remark in awe. It seems like the entire continent has heard of Zhang shis affairs in the Empire Alliance just a few days ago. This is just the engagement ceremony, but they are already delivering such generous gifts. I cant begin to imagine how long the queue of gifts will be for the official wedding... While the Luo n wielded considerable influence on the Master Teacher Continent, it was far beyond its means to gather so many powerhouses together on the spur of the moment. In fact, even the Zhang n would have trouble pulling something like that off. But Zhang Xuan, the current head of the Zhang n, had managed to do it during a mere engagement ceremony. There was no doubt that the official marriage ceremony would be far grander than this, such that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would feelpelled to send an envoy down to ry their blessings. Of course, the reason for this unprecedented grandeur could only be attributed to the magnificent show of power from Zhang Xuan a few days earlier. By now, the news should have already spread far and wide across the entire continent. In the tens of thousands of years since the establishment of the Master Teacher Pavilion, no one had ever sessfully escaped from its arrest warrant before. However, Zhang Xuan had created history on that very day. Not only did the world learn that the future head of the Combat Master Hall, the master of the Poison Hall, the chief of the cier in Court, and so on were all his students, he was even the head of the Sanctum of Sages and Yang shis senior. That news had really shocked the entire world. With so many distinguished identities to his name, how could these shrewd powers possibly remain oblivious to the stance that they ought to take? It was also with knowledge of this that the Zhang n did not hesitate to conduct the inauguration ceremony to officialize Zhang Xuans position as the n head. Under Zhang Xuans halo, the Zhang ns position was immediately brought to an unprecedented height. With so many formidable powers under the Zhang ns sphere of influence, the Zhang n would only grow stronger with time. Given so, who would dare snub the Zhang ns dignity and refuse to offer their congrattions? Putting aside something as important as an engagement ceremony, even if Zhang Xuan suffered the slightest cold, there was no doubt that an army of n heads and sect leaders would swiftly deliver medicine and artifacts over as a disy of goodwill! Indeed. How many years has it been since our Luo nst enjoyed such splendor? another elder by the side replied deeply. Even when their little princess had shocked the world by sessfully assimted the Dimension Silencer, thus elevating the reputation of the Luo n to new heights, only a couple of ns hade to the Luo n to offer their congrattions. Yet, in this very moment, nearly all of the notable powers throughout the Master Teacher Continent had arrived to convey their best wishes. It was no wonder the two elders felt as they did. Previously, when there waspletely no news from the young prodigy of the Zhang n, I had still beenmenting at how unfair the engagement was for the little princess. Who could have thought that the young prodigy would suddenly appear before our eyes once more with such magnificence, reminiscent to how it was when he was born back then! Indeed, indeed! Born as a Connate Saint, even Kong shis sculpture levitated into the air to pay its respects to him, and the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters specially sent an envoy down to ry their goodwill. There was no one in the world back then who didnt know about the extraordinary young prodigy of the Zhang n! Truly, he didnt disappoint us even after all these years! Well, a star will eventually shine, but more importantly, who could have thought that person the little princess likes would actually be him too! I cant even begin to describe how happy I am for the little princess. After all the heavy tension over the past few months, it seems like everything will be resolved perfectly... Many elders nodded delightfully in agreement at those words. Despite the glory cast on the Luo n as a result of the marriage with the Zhang n, as long as the little princess was not fond of her fianc, it would be like dynamite had been nted in their midst, waiting to explode at a trigger. Fortunately, it had been found that the little princess and the young prodigy actually had mutual feelings for one another, and this was the best ending that everyone hoped to see. ... Away from the bustle at the forefront, there was a small residence deep in the Luo n that was filled with resplendent flowers. Within one of the rooms, a youngdy sat before a mirror, carefully dressing herself up. A maid standing behind the youngdybed her hair carefully as she excitedly eximed, Young Mistress, doesnt it sound very lively outside? I heard that many distinguished figures havee to our Luo n! I know, I know. This is the third time that you have said that! The youngdy shook her head with a helpless smile. Back then, I couldnt understand why someone as outstanding as our Young Mistress would fancy a principal from a Tier-1 Empires Master Teacher Academy, but it turns out that the future Young Master is actually a remarkable figure! Without saying a word at all, so many powers have alreadye to offer their congrattions. Other than the Master Teacher Pavilion, I cant think of any power that could possibly wield such influence! the maidbing the youngdys hair remarked with admiration twinkling in her eyes. Not to forget, the Master Teacher Pavilion is without its real pavilion master at the moment, so it would be difficult for it to rally so many people at once! another maid chirped in with a chuckle. Our Young Mistress is truly a person blessed by the heavens! Just like that, the two maids chatted delightfully among themselves. The youngdy seated in front of the mirror looked at her impable appearance in the mirror, and a blissful smile crept onto her lips. All of a sudden, the youngdy turned around to look at the maid behind her, and the blissful smile on her face was reced by uncertainty and apprehension. Have you found out what I asked you to investigate? Zhang shi... did he say anything when he arrived yesterday? This... The maid was taken aback by the youngdys sudden actions. Just as she was about to speak, footsteps abruptly sounded outside, and cheerfulughter filled the air. Theres no need to ask them. I have already checked on your behalf! Young Master! Upon seeing who the person who had just walked into the room was, the maids quickly bowed down. Un! Luo Xuanqing waved his hands, gesturing for the maids to rest easy. Looking at his younger sister, he chuckled. When I spoke of you before thed yesterday, he was so agitated that he would have flown right to your side if he could. If not for me holding him back, he really might have done so! He was... agitated? The youngdys face reddened in embarrassment. Elder Brother, please dont make fun of me! Are you certain that he was agitated because of me? Arent you asking the obvious? Hes already here to ask for your hand in marriage, so how could he not know who you are? Theres no need to worry! Luo Xuanqing shook his head, not understanding his younger sisters worries. Perhaps this was how brides were. The closer they were to their marriage, the more unnerved they became. Thats a relief. I was just thinking that when I had disguised my appearance when I first met him... the little princess replied with an awkward smile. I was afraid that he wouldnt recognize me after seeing my true appearance. Young Mistress, rest assured! I have seen your disguised look, too, and the current you looks at least ten times prettier than you did back then! Theres no way the future Young Master wouldnt be charmed by your beauty! a maid remarked joyfully. Thats surely the case, Young Mistress. I can swear on my life that if you meet him with your current looks, he will swiftly fall in love with you all over again, the other maid teased with a smile. The two of you only know how to tease me! the youngdy retorted with a crimson blush on her face. Turning her gaze back to Luo Xuanqing, she asked, Elder Brother, where is he at the moment? He has some matters to attend to, so hes currently out at the moment, but he should be returning very soon. Yuxin, you dont have to worry about anything. Im sure that you dont want him to see you with a fretful frown on your face, right? Luo Xuanqing chuckled as he massaged the youngdys be to loosen the deep creases there. Un! The youngdy nodded with a smile. As far as she could remember, she had always carried the burden of an engagement. She had thought that this was the only path that she could follow, and the only thing that she could do waspromise. As such, she had never dared imagine a life where she walked down the long journey of life with the person whom she loved till the end of their time. Perhaps, the heavens were not as heartless as she thought. Chapter 1575 - The Little Princess’ Happiness (2)

Chapter 1575: The Little Princess Happiness (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing the euphoric look on his younger sisters face, Luo Xuanqing said with a relieved smile, Sword Saint Xing of the Zhang n is currently discussing the ns for the marriage ceremony with our father, and we have already epted their betrothal gifts. Most likely, you will return to the Zhang n with thatd today. You should quickly head out once you are done preparingthe guests are dying to meet you! While he was a little reluctant to see his younger sister marrying another man, this was already the best possible situation there could possibly be. Such a coincidence was one that he never would have dared imagine to be possible. Un! The youngdy nodded before turning her gaze back to the mirror. Help me check if theres anywhere that needs more tidying up... Dont worry, Young Mistress. Theres no one who could be more beautiful than you today! the maid behind replied with a smile. All along, the Young Mistress had been a cold andposed person. Who could have thought that she would have such a side to her when it came to the person whom she loved? Is that so? Heaving a sigh of relief, the youngdy stood up and looked at her elder brother with a demure smile. Elder Brother, lets go! Un! Luo Xuanqing nodded as he led the way out. The two maids quickly followed behind them. The youngdy could not resist asking, Elder Brother, who is here today? While she had heard rumors about the formidable lineup of guests from the maids, she was not too clear about the specifics. Nearly all of the n heads and First Elders of the Sage ns are present. It seems like thatds reputation is really one to behold! Luo Xuanqing chuckled. To be honest, even he could hardly believe that so many people hade. All of the Sage ns n heads are present? The youngdy widened her eyes in astonishment. They are all here... to congratte us on our engagement? Why else do you think? Luo Xuanqing replied. Thest time something as grand as this happened was when our founder established the Luo n, but there werent even as many guests back then. Your engagement has really pushed the Luo n back to the top of the Master Teacher Continent once more. While thatd can be unreliable from time to time, I must say that he has really done well this time. He has allowed our little princess over here to marry in fashion, not suffering the slightest grievance at all! Un! The youngdy nodded as a warm surge flowed into her heart. Despite having assimted the Dimension Silencer and bing the strongest expert in the younger generation, she knew that even she did not have the influence to rally so many people at once. This glory would be eternally carved in the history of the Luo n, remembered even after many millenniums. The Young Mistress has always wished to marry the person whom she loves with the blessing of the entire world. Can this be considered as her wishing true? one of the maids behind asked with a smile. Of course! If this cant be considered as the blessing of the entire world, what else could be? Luo Xuanqing replied. The main hall is right ahead. You should put on your veil first! While merrily chatting, they finally arrived before the main hall. With a gaze from Luo Xuanqing, the maids behind quickly covered the youngdys ravishing looks with a red veil. ording to tradition, the bride had to cover her face with a red veil during the engagement ceremony. With so many powers observing the ceremony, this tradition had to be respected. After putting on the red veil, the youngdy walked into the main hall behind Luo Xuanqing. Before they could even assume their positions, a loud deration came from behind. Deputy Sanctum Head Zhan Tiancheng and the many elders of the Sanctum of Sages have arrived to congratte the fated couple from the Zhang n and the Luo n! Deputy Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan and ten other 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters havee to ry their blessings to the engaged couple! Even the personnel from the Sanctum of Sages and Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters havee? Furthermore, its the deputy sanctum head and the deputy pavilion master! The youngdy was astounded. It was already shocking to see that all of the heads of the Sage ns hade to offer their best wishes, but to think that even the deputy pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion would arrive with so many 9-star master teachers to ry their blessings! There was truly no greater honor than this. With a ceremony of such a scale, there was nothing more that she could ask for! Grand Elder Huo Shiqing of the Master Teacher Pavilion hase with his disciples to congratte the Zhang n and the Luo n! Huo Shiqing? Isnt that the grand elder who has already retired from the secr world? Why would he attend this wedding ceremony as well? I have no idea. Previously, when Ren Qingyuan was inaugurated as the deputy pavilion master, an invitation was sent to Huo Shiqing as well, but he turned down the invitation. Who would have expected him to attend this wedding instead? Could there be any greater honor than this? If I were the little princess of the Luo n, I would have died of bliss by now! ... Shocked and envious exmations erupted all around. Even Grand Elder Huo Shiqing is here as well... The youngdy clenched her fists tightly in agitation. When she was still a young child, her father had taken her to Huo Shiqing in the hope of convincing thetter to tutor her, only to be turned down. Who would have thought that the other party would actually attend her engagement ceremony! Mystical Hands Gentleman hase to ry his blessings! Grand Elder Wu Qing of the cksmith Guild hase to congratte the soon-to-be-wedded couple! Priest of the Calm Lake Du Yiyao havee to ry their blessings! Frenzied Saber Ling Huchong hase to offer his best wishes! ... The shock did not stop with just the arrival of Grand Elder Huo Shiqing. Soon, many more derations sounded outside. Many familiar names who had left a mark in the history of the Master Teacher Continent sounded one after another in the ears of the crowd, raising an uproar in the main hall. Mystical Hands Gentleman is a figure who rose into prominence a thousand years ago. He was once the head of the Physician Guild, but he suddenly disappeared from the world five hundred years ago. Many thought that he had passed on, but who knew that not only is he still alive, he even came to ry his blessings to the newlywed? That legendary man has saved the lives of countless experts during his time, such that many of the experts from the older generation are indebted to him! Isnt Grand Elder Wu Qing known as the Heartless cksmith, devoid of any sentiments or emotions even to his loved ones? Its said that his son personally begged him to forge a weapon for his lover, only to be shut out of his door. Yet, he actually came for this engagement ceremony... I have taken a look at his gift, and it seems to be a Great Sage-tier treasure! Who is the Priest of the Calm Lake? That man is quite an entric figure on the Master Teacher Continent. He made a name for himself three hundred years ago when he defeated three 9-star master teachers simultaneously with his swordsmanship. Hes very fond of chess, and he has gone around the world challenging chess experts one after another, only to be unable to find a worthy rival. But one day, he abruptly disappeared from the face of the continent, his whereabouts known to none. I never would have thought that he woulde for the engagement ceremony today! Actually, the one whom I respect the most is still Frenzied Saber Ling Huchong... I came here hoping to forge a good rtionship with the Luo n and the Zhang n, but who could have thought that I would actually have the honor of meeting these distinguished experts as well... This is really a huge eye opener for me. This trip here hasnt been wasted! Indeed. I would have regretted it for life if I had missed out on such a huge gathering! ... As the names that only existed in legends in the minds of the crowd sounded one after another, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd. Even the esteemed heads of the Sage ns trembled excitedly in face of these legendary figures, as if little kids meeting their idols. Zhang shi was the one who got all of them here? With her face veiled, the youngdy was unable to see what was happening around her. However, she could still roughly figure out what was going on from the discussion of others, and her eyes reddened in agitation. As a female offspring of a major n, her fate had already been determined at birth. Knowing that she could only walk down the path that others had carved for her, she had never dared dream of the future. She had never thought that her life could ever be so dazzling and magnificent! Thank you... Knowing that Zhang shi must have gone through a lot of effort to specially invite them over for this asion, the youngdys heart was filled with gratitude. Look, Zhang shi is here! At that moment, anothermotion broke out amid the crowd. Zhang Xuan and Sword Saint Meng were making their way into the main hall from afar. Chapter 1576 - The Storm After the Calm

Chapter 1576: The Storm After the Calm

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Howe there are so many people around? Zhang Xuan had rushed all the way back to the Luo n, but before he even arrived at the main hall where the guests were hosted, he had already nearly fainted from shock. He was only here to ask for Luo Ruoxins marriage in handit was not even their marriage yet! He had thought that it would just be a small ceremony consisting mainly of his students, but that notion had swiftly been overthrown by the sight before him. Given themotion that youve caused, its a given that you would draw so many people here! As for those experts who have already gone into seclusion, I figure that they havee on Yang shis ount! Sword Saint Meng said. Yang shis ount? Thats right! Grand Elder Huo Shiqing of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters once received Yang shis guidance, and the two of them are very close friends with one another. As for the Mystical Hands Gentleman, its said that Yang shi once saved him from a treacherous predicament. Im not too sure about Wu Qing, but for the Priest of the Calm Lake, its said that he challenged Yang shi to a chess battle several hundred years ago, only to lose tragically. Eventually, he could only resign himself to bing a guard for Yang shis residence, Sword Saint Meng exined with a smile. Those were confidential secrets, but due to the close rtionship between the Zhang n and Yang shi, she was still aware of quite a few things. Considering that most of them were seniors who had already retired from the secr world, who other than Yang shi could possibly have the ability to rally them together? Ill have to make sure to ry my thanks to Yang shiter on then, Zhang Xuan remarked as he shook his head with a bitter smile. He hade to ask for Luo Ruoxins hand in marriage, but it turned out to be something farrger than what he had thought it would be. However, it was apparent that Yang shi was doing this for him too. The more imposing the engagement ceremony was, the greater his influence would be. In the future, when he revealed his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher, his authority and prestige would be greater, too! Lets enter the main hall! Sword Saint Meng said. As soon as the two of them entered the main hall, Lu Chong and Zheng Yang swiftly rushed up to him. Teacher! They had also heard the news, and it had left them deeply worried and anxious. Ive been to the scene, and with the culprits strength, he could easily do away with Zhao Ya and the others if he wanted to. The fact that he chose to go through the trouble of kidnapping them instead means that they wont be in any danger for the time being! Zhang Xuan reassured the two young men before him. However, we still mustnt let our guard down. Since the culprit has made the first move, we can anticipate more actions from him in the future. If Im right, theres a good chance that the culprit might appear here today... So, prepare yourselves for battle at any moment! Un! Zheng Yang and Lu Chong traded nces before nodding simultaneously. Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan were by no means weaker than them, yet the culprit had still managed to kidnap them so easily. If the culprit went to the Luo n, they would really have to use everything at their disposal in order to prevent the culprit from getting away! n Head Zhang, I am the sect leader of the Lucid River Sect. Its really an honor to be able to witness the engagement between the Zhang n and the Luo n... Shortly after Lu Chong and Zheng Yang walked away to make preparations, the others in the room swiftly swarmed over after confirming Zhang Xuans identity. Thats Zhang shi? He sure is an extraordinary young man! Despite only being twenty this year, not only has he be the head of the Sanctum of Sages, all of his students are also powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. I really wonder how he managed to do this... I heard that even the esteemed Yang shi has to call him Senior! Given Yang shis guidance and the fact that he possesses the purest bloodline in the Zhang n, its no wonder he has achieved such heights at his young age! ... Everyone, theres always time to get together and chat in the future. It wouldnt be good if we made the pair of soon-to-be-newlyweds miss their auspicious hour 1 ! Luo Qingchen stepped forward and calmed the crowd down. Be it for engagement or marriage, it was always best to pick out the most auspicious moment in order to bless the couple. Such traditions were exceptionally important forrge ns with a long heritage such as the Luo n. Knowing this, the crowd shared some pleasantries before swiftly opening a pathway into the main hall. Zhang Xuan inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before following Luo Qingchen to the center of the main hall. There were three chairs at the very center, and Sword Saint Xing and Yang shi were seated in two of them. As for thest one, it was taken up by a rather imposing-looking middle-aged man. His facial features bore some semnce of Luo Xuanqings, but they were a little deeper and more authoritative. Without a doubt, the middle-aged man was the little princess father, as well as his future father-inw. Standing behind the middle-aged man was Luo Xuanqing and a demure youngdy with a red veil concealing her appearance. Ruoxin... Zhang Xuans body tensed up upon seeing the youngdy, and indescribable joy surged through his body. The several months that they had been apart from one another felt like several decades to him. There was no day or night when the youngdy had not crossed his mind. Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath to calm his agitation before forcefully turning his attention back to the discussion between the heads of the two ns, wanting to hear the details for the wedding. However, his eyes still could not help but drift over to the youngdy, and he swiftly noticed that something was amiss. Her physique... looks a little different? He had sealed his rtionship with Luo Ruoxin at the Qiu Wu Pce, but they had ended up parting from one another not too long after that. While the time spent together was extremely short, her beautiful physique was imprinted in the depths of his mind, never to be forgotten. While there was no w to be picked with the demure youngdy beneath the red veil too, the differences were still apparent to him. Could it be that she has not only disguised her appearance but her physique back then too? He had indeed used the Eye of Insight on Luo Ruoxin before, and he was aware that she had disguised her appearance. However, as for her physique, he really had not paid too much heed to it. Could this be what her body truly looked like? Just as Zhang Xuans mind was wandering around the ce, conflicted as to whether he should use his Spiritual Perception or Eye of Insight on the youngdy to assuage the uncertainty in his mind, Sword Saint Xings voice suddenly sounded ahead of him. Xuan-er, our opinion is that the marriage ceremony should be carried out as soon as possible after we return to our Zhang n. Whats your view on the matter? I have no objections to that! Zhang Xuan hurriedly nodded. Marrying Luo Ruoxin had been his greatest desire ever since he arrived on the Master Teacher Continent, and with the end point already in sight, how could he possibly back out at this moment? Great, its settled then! I would like to thank our friends foring all the way here for us, and I would like to formally invite every single one of you to the Zhang n to witness this joyous asion for both our ns! Sword Saint Xingughed heartily. Of course, of course! I wouldnt want to miss out on the wedding toast! The crowd quickly sped their fists and replied. Having decided on the procedures for the marriage ceremony, there was nothing else that needed discussion. Thus, Sword Saint Xing stood up from his seat and gestured grandly. Great! Lets set off then! At this point, he realized that his son was still standing in a daze by the side, and he could not help but chuckle. What are you spacing out for? Shouldnt you be leading your future wife to the bridal sedan chair 2 ? Yes! Zhang Xuan shook himself out of his daze and hurriedly walked over to the youngdy. Just as he was about to hold the youngdys hand, a hugemotion suddenly erupted outside, followed by deafening explosions. Whats happening? The head of the Luo n hurriedly stood up and looked outside. One of the elders of the Luo n rushed over and reported, n head, bad news! Two intruders are barging into our main hall, and our men arent able to stop them... So many experts have gathered here today to witness the marriage between the Zhang n and the Luo n, yet theres still someone who is so brazen as to dare wreak havoc here? Very well, allow me to meet that person then! The face of the head of the Luo n turned livid, and his eyes narrowed menacingly. To dare stir trouble on such an important asion, not to mention in the face of so many experts, were the intruders not too impertinent? It should be him... Zhang Xuan quickly shot a nce over to Zheng Yang and the others, only to see that they had already prepared themselves. Previously, he had already guessed that the culprit who had kidnapped Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao would appear at this important asion in order to acquire the Celestial Amulets of Legacy from the Zhang n and the Luo n, and considering the fuss that was happening at this moment, it seemed like his intuition was spot-on! Lets head over to take a look as well! Unable to remainposed upon realizing that the culprit who had kidnapped his students was in the vicinity, Zhang Xuan quickly followed the head of the Luo n out. As he reached the doorway of the main hall, he saw all of the elders of the Luo n and the experts who had charged out earlier being knocked back forcefully. Even with their strengthbined, they were not a match for the intruders! Are they the ones who have kidnapped Zhao Ya? With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the intruders and saw that the person who had made a move earlier was an adolescent boy, appearing to be only around thirteen to fourteen years old. Standing behind the adolescent boy was a veiled youngdy. While it was impossible to discern her appearance through the veil, it was apparent from her silhouette that she was a rare beauty. Her physique... Zhang Xuans body suddenly stiffened as a bad premonition arose in his heart. Hu! At the same moment, the veil concealing the youngdys face slowly drifted to the ground, revealing a ravishing face that would leave any man frenzied over it. Firesource City, I opened my heart to you. Qiu Wu Pce, I swore my future to you... Zhang Xuan, you have promised to be with me no matter what the future holds, but why do I see you marrying another woman here? Many emotions rippled in the reddened eyes of the youngdyanger, indignation, sorrow, resentment... Y-you are Luo Ruoxin... As if a streak of lightning had shed through his brain, Zhang Xuans mind was plunged into chaos. The youngdy before him was none other than the person whom he had sworn to walk down the long journey of life with, Luo Ruoxin! But if she was Luo Ruoxin... who could the little princess be? Hurriedly turning around, Zhang Xuan saw the other youngdy removing her red veil, revealing a breathtaking countenance that carried some semnce of someone he knew. Zhang Xuan froze on the spot. Qiqi... Chapter 1577 - Who Dares to Hurt Him?

Chapter 1577: Who Dares to Hurt Him?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 She was much more beautiful than the Luo Qiqi that he knew, but from her disposition, gaze, and gesture, he could still see the student who was filled with admiration for him in her, Luo Qiqi! It was in the Huanyu Empire that they first met. Despite her cold exterior, she was a very hardworking and driven person, never hesitating to lower her pride in order to improve herself. At Qingyuan City, she confessed to him earnestly, only to be pushed away then. He had thought that it would be unlikely for them to meet once more after their parting then, but who could have thought that... their reunion would actuallye in such a form? How could Qiqi be the little princess? Zhang Xuan felt as if he was going to crumble into pieces. All this time, he had thought that Luo Ruoxin was the little princess of the Luo n. In order to be with her, he had desperately trained and cultivated; he had wreaked havoc in the Zhang n; he tried his best to get close with Luo Xuanqing... But all of a sudden, it turned out that the little princess was actually Qiqi, not Luo Ruoxin... His mind simply could not ept that fact all of a sudden. Luo shi... Luo Qiqi had also noticed Luo Ruoxin as well, and her body trembled a little. She knew that Zhang Xuan had always viewed her as his student, and his feelings for her were not romantic in nature. So, when she heard that the other party hade to ask for her hand in marriage, she had been surprised. It had been like a dreame true for her, but she did not dare harbor any expectations about it. She had thought that it might have been a mistake, so she had kept urging her elder brother to verify the matter for her. And the moment that she saw Luo Ruoxin, she immediately understood everything. Could it be that... Zhang Xuan had thought that she was actually Luo Ruoxin? Could it be that... the person whom Zhang Xuan truly loved was the master teacher of the Hongyuan Empire, Luo shi? Otherwise, what could her words about Firesource City and the Qiu Wu Pce possibly mean? Luo Qiqi felt as if a knife had plunged deep into her heart. All of the bliss that she had felt receded like water flowing through her hand. She found herselfpletely helpless as despair encroached on her. There was nothing she could do but tremble powerlessly as the tragedy unfolded before her eyes. Using the Dimension Silencer to seal her cultivation hade with many ws. A huge portion of her memory had been locked away in the sealing process as well, and it could only be recovered after her cultivation reached a certain level. Despite that, there was no doubt that this young man was the first person to have walked into her heart, and this had not changed even with her memories unlocked. Her feelings for him remained as vivid as before. She had been born with great talent, and those around her expected great things from her. She had always tried to meet their expectations, but meeting him had made her realize that such a life was not what she truly wanted. The time spent with him had given rise to a very simple yet faraway dream for her. She wished that the person she loved would one day marry her with blessings from the entire world! Everything had been perfect. The person she loved hade to propose to her, and the entire world had pretty muche to offer their blessings for her marriage. Yet, everything beyond had veered off course. It was no wonder Zhang Xuan had refused to ept her feelings, forcefully changing the conversation to turn her down subtly. It turned out that he already had someone whom he fancied then, and the both of them had already gotten together. Otherwise, there was no way Luo shi would have rushed in at this moment and uttered those words. As this thought came to mind, a tear flowed down Luo Qiqis cheek. ... You said that you would wait for me. You said that no matter how difficult it would be, we would eventually be together... Ignoring the gazes from the surroundings, Luo Ruoxin gazed at Zhang Xuan with eyes reminiscent of an inferno, as if wanting to bore a hole through this man and peer into his heart. Due to her birth, she had never dared devote her feelings to anyone. She could not afford to allow herself to be vulnerable. She had always maintained an icy-cold exterior before others, and it had protected her well until the frost in her heart had slowly been thawed by the young man before her. In Qiu Wu Pce, he had sworn that he would be with her no matter how much suffering and pain he had to go through, and his vow had convinced her to take a leap of faith this once to pursue this uncertain future with him. Yet, in just a few short months, she had found that he was actually going to marry another woman. Was this all his feelings for her amounted to? Ruoxin, this is a misunderstanding! I... Seeing Luo Ruoxins state, Zhang Xuan panicked. I thought that you were the little princess of the Luo n... What? Luo Ruoxin was caught off guard by the unexpected response. You never told me your real identity, but those around me told me time and time again that you are the little princess of the Luo n... I thought that given your surname and the strength you wield, that would be the case... Zhang Xuan felt as if his scalp was exploding. He had no idea how he should exin the situation to the other party! To fail to recognize even his own girlfriend, that was simply courting death! But back then, Ruoxin had left without saying a word or exining anything at all, and if one had to think of a person who wielded such tremendous strength at such a young age, it could only have been the little princess of the Luo n. It was not that he had never tried to verify this matter himself, but when he tried to do so, he had realized that he did not even know Luo Ruoxins real name! Thus, he could only clutch on desperately to this clue that he had, or else he would have beenpletely lost. And the affairs afterward only further confirmed his suspicion. An elder of the Luo n sought him to warn him against getting close to the little princess of the Luo n, and shortly after, the little princess of the Luo n also dered her feelings for him... More importantly, out of some sheer coincidence, he had actually never met with the little princess of the Luo n to date! Luo Ruoxin stared at Zhang Xuan intently, wanting to see if the young man before her was speaking the truth. After a long while, she sighed deeply and said, I cant tell you my true identity for the time being... Come with me, Ill bring you somewhere else! Somewhere else? Where? Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was giving him a chance to exin, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Youll know once we get there, Luo Ruoxin replied before turning to leave. Alright... Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief instant before taking a step forward, intending to leave together with her. After his huge botch-up, if he did not leave with Luo Ruoxin right now, they might very well never meet again in the future. Wait a moment! Barely after taking two steps, a figure suddenly stood in Zhang Xuans pathLuo Xuanqing. The young man was trembling with sheer rage, reminiscent of a volcano that would erupt at any moment. Zhang Xuan, what are you doing right now? Who is that person over there? Brother Luo, I have to... Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying, but before he could finish his words, a punch was already smashing right for his face. Hu! This punch harnessed Luo Xuanqings full strength, such that even space warped before his might. Brother Luo... Zhang Xuan eximed as he took a step back. Dont call me your brother, I am unworthy of it! Luo Xuanqing bellowed as he charged toward Zhang Xuan, seemingly reluctant to rest until he finally reduced the person before him into meat paste. This is actually... While dodging the attacks, Zhang Xuan tried to exin the matter to Luo Xuanqing, but he had no idea where he should start. It was only because he had thought that Luo Ruoxin was the little princess of the Luo n that he agreed to the marriage. So many esteemed guests hade to witness the ceremony, yet he wanted to turn around and leave at this crucial moment... all because he had recognized the wrong person. This was as good as viciously trampling on the Luo ns pride! There was no one who could ept such a thing! Stop hiding! If you are a man, face me straight on in a battle! Either you give me a satisfactory exnation here, or youll have to step over my dead body when you leave! Luo Xuanqing bellowed furiously as he continued his assault. As if six more arms had sprouted out of his body, heunched powerful punches one after another. Despite being only at Saint 8-dan primary stage, the might that he exerted was actually on par with a Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle expert! Brother Luo, I... Zhang Xuan tried to exin as he retreated. Enough! I told you not to address me as Brother Luo! Seeing that his attacks were not reaching the other party, Luo Xuanqing gritted his teeth furiously. In the next moment, his strength swiftly surged to an unbelievable level. Bloodline ability! Luo Xuanqing had actually activated his bloodline ability without much hesitation! Si! Before long, Luo Xuanqings strength had risen to a levelparable to Saint 9-dan primary stage cultivators. He swiftly whipped out a sword and continued his frenzied assault against Zhang Xuan. His sword art was far stronger than the barrage of fists that he hadunched previously, and his swings tore right through space, creating spatial rifts one after another in the air. In the first ce, the Luo n was skilled in spatial maniption, and Luo Xuanqing had activated his bloodline ability at that. The prowess that he exerted was so fearsome that even a Macrocosm Ascendancy realm pinnacle cultivator would have trouble coping under his furious assault. However, even though Zhang Xuan was only at Macrocosm Ascendancy realm primary stage, his fighting prowess was already on par with Great Sage 1-dan experts. With nimble movements, he managed to dodge Luo Xuanqings sword perfectly. Brother Luo, I know that I have done your Luo n a great injustice this time around, and rest assured that I will definitely give you a satisfactory exnation in the future... Theres no need for you exin anything anymore! Today, only one of us will leave here alive! Hong long! With frightening momentum, Luo Xuanqing continued hacking down on Zhang Xuan with his sword. His sword severed the fabric of the surrounding space, and after several strikes, his attack culminated to form a spatial storm. If hitting me will make you feel any better, do it then! Seeing that it was impossible to converse with Luo Xuanqing, Zhang Xuan eventually came to a halt, choosing not to dodge anymore. In the first ce, this matter was his fault. Puhe! Luo Xuanqings sword pierced right through Zhang Xuans shoulder, creating a gaping hole. Fresh blood trickled down to the floor. Die! After piercing through Zhang Xuans shoulder, Luo Xuanqing twisted his de, intending to tear Zhang Xuan in two. But barely after twisting the de, he suddenly felt his entire body freezing in ce, as if some kind ofpelling might was shackling him down, preventing him from moving. Hes the man that I, Luo Ruoxin, love! I would like to see which of you dares to hurt him! Boom! A powerful shockwave burst forth from Luo Ruoxin, and Luo Xuanqing was forced to retreat continuously. At the same time, the sword in his grasp also flew into the horizon, disappearing without a trace. Chapter 1578 - The Adolescent Boy

Chapter 1578: The Adolescent Boy

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Audacious! Men, take that demoness down! Seeing that the youngdy had actually made a move on Luo Xuanqing, the head of the Luo n also swiftly understood what was going on, and with a wrathful look on his face, he bellowed furiously. If the youngdy really took Zhang Xuan away with her, their Luo n would be theughingstock of the entire continent! Yes! Hu! After those words were spoken, several dozen Luo ns elders rose into the air and surrounded Luo Ruoxin and the adolescent boy beside her. No! Not expecting things to turn out like that, Zhang Xuan panicked. However, when he tried to make a move, he felt something constricting his body. He quickly turned around and saw that two elders of the Luo n had sealed the space around him. He immediately tried to activate the power of Kong shis blood droplet in his hand, but he found himself unable to close his hand to touch the blood droplet, thus rendering him unable to activate it. Demoness! Since you have darede here today, why dont you allow our Luo n to give you a warm wee? Harrumphing coldly, Luo Qingchen flicked his finger furiously, shooting a burst of sword qi forth. At this moment, the youngdy had already reverted to her usual cold and lofty demeanor. Gazing at the elders around her, she was just about to make a move when the adolescent boy beside her took a step forward and said, Mdy, please allow me to handle these lowly beings. You mustnt dirty your hands over them! Un. Luo Ruoxin nodded before cing her hands behind her back, not moving at all. It was as if the attack from the First Elder of the Luo n could not even catch her eye. Die! Not expecting the other party to be so arrogant, Luo Qingchen felt blood rushing to his head in fury. He pumped even more energy into his sword qi, causing it to glow menacingly in the air as it sliced through the space in its pathway. Just as it was about tond on Luo Ruoxin, the adolescent boy suddenly walked up with a smile and grabbed the burst of sword qi in between his fingers. Po! The burst of sword qi exploded. After dissipating Luo Qingchens sword qi, the adolescent boy raised his palm and spat, Grovel! In an instant, Luo Qingchen felt as if the world was shaking around him, causing him to be unable to bnce himself. If not for him exerting all of his strength to bnce himself, he might have fallen right from the sky. Attack him together! Luo Qingchen barked out amand. Despite the young appearance of the adolescent boy, there was no doubt that the other party was a formidable expert! It would be foolish to underestimate the other party after what had just happened. The elders in the area also realized that the adolescent boy was far stronger than he appeared after seeing the powerful First Elder meeting a setback while shing with the adolescent boy. Without any hesitation, they charged forth simultaneously. Even the weakest of the dozens of elders was at Saint 9-dan, and their powers rained down on the adolescent boy and Luo Ruoxin like rapid rain. In the blink of an eye, a spherical light barrier formed around the two of them. The area around the spherical barrier was pitch ck, a sign that the surrounding space had been torn to shreds by the very emergence of the barrier. Within the barrier, a fearsome spatial storm raged, such that even pinnacle Saint artifacts would be swiftly reduced to dust before its might. Its the Luo ns Demon Subduing Sphere! Even I wouldnt be able tost long within it, Yang shi remarked grimly. Individually, these elders came nowhere close to being a match for him. However, when their prowess was put together, it would be truly foolish to underestimate the might that they could exert. Even a Sempiternal realm cultivator like Yang shi would be unable to withstand its prowess. Heh, interesting! The adolescent boy showed no signs of panic against the attack. He stretched his fingers outward, and they seemed to transform into the meandering branches of a tree as they struck specific points in the air. Po! The surrounding space immediately swayed unstably, reminiscent of a rock being thrown into a calmke. Under the intense swaying of the surrounding space, the prowess of the spherical light barrier was diverted upward into the sky before vanishing without a trace. This is... Spatial Interference? Just what kind of level has that adolescent boy reached? Yang shi eximed in shock. He had already been surprised by how the adolescent boy was able to withstand Luo Qingchens attack, but who would have thought that he would be able to defend against the Luo ns strongest Demon Subduing Sphere so easily by redirecting its might upward? Such a feat could only be described as terrifying. Spatial Interference? Whats that? Sword Saint Xing asked. Even he was unable to make sense out of the move that the adolescent boy had executed earlier. The Demon Subduing Sphere is a coborative formation that an elder of the Luo n has created. It serves tobine the might of twenty-one experts through ovepping three Big Dipper Formations upon one another to channel their might into forming a dimensionally-isted spherical space. As this space exists in a different dimension from the one that we are in, it is impossible for ordinary cultivators to flee from it, and it would just be a matter of time before those trapped in the space are killed. Its due to this reason that I said that even I would be no match for it! At this point, Yang shis face grew incredibly grim as he continued, However, through simple taps, the adolescent boy was able to send ripples of spatial disturbance through the space, tearing it apart with ease. Using an analogy, the Demon Subduing Sphere could be described as a cloth with ants crawling on it. As long one remains on the cloth, it will be impossible to avoid the ants. However, if one just jumps out of the cloth and flicks it, the ants will be diverted elsewhere, thus rendering their offense futile... This is basically how Spatial Interference works! Simrly, through stirring up the surrounding space, even the Demon Subduing Sphere wont pose a threat anymore! This... Sword Saint Xings body jolted in astonishment. For Great Sage cultivators, severing space did not pose much of a problem at all, but this Spatial Interference was clearly far more fearsome than simply severing space! For even the adolescent boy to be this formidable... just who in the world could the youngdy whom his son fancied be? Forget it, I wont y with you all anymore. All of you, grovel! After undoing the Luo ns Demon Subduing Sphere with a single move, the adolescent boy chuckled and raised his palm once more. Hu! The next moment, Luo Qingchen and the other elders plummeted from the sky and crashed onto the ground. Their faces turned ghastly pale, and fresh blood spurted from their mouths. Activate the Guardian Formation! the head of the Luo n bellowed. He had not thought that the two intruders would wield such frightening prowess. He flicked the token in his hand into the sky, and soon after, an intense energy disturbance rippled through the surroundings. Then, everything suddenly calmed down, as if nothing had happened at all. It might have seemed as if nothing had happened to weaker cultivators, but those who had gathered there were all top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, and they could clearly feel that a formidable formation had enveloped them, sealing the sky away from their reach. As a n whose heritage could be traced back to tens of thousands of years ago, the Luo ns Guardian Formation was truly formidable. Once it was activated, as long as one could not find the right way to decipher it, even an expert of Yang shis caliber could only remain trapped in it. The reason Zhang Xuan had been able to easily escape from the Zhang ns Guardian Formation back then was because he had been able to find its ws easily through the Library of Heavens Path. To him, formations were no different from a sheep stripped bare of its fleece, its secretsid bare before him. But it was different for others. Most spatial arts could not be utilized within sealed spaces, thus reducing ones fighting prowess significantly. On top of that, the Guardian Formation was bound to have an offensive aspect to it, such that even Sempiternal realm cultivators would fall into a fluster once they were trapped within it, making it difficult for them to escape. Seeing that even the coboration of the many elders was insufficient to subdue the other party, the head of the Luo n had decisively chosen to execute his trump card! So, this is the Guardian Formation of the Luo n. Not too shabby. However, you are still too naive if you think something of this level is sufficient to trap me! With a chuckle, the adolescent boy leaped into the sky. Tla! At the same time, the Luo ns Guardian Formation began coiling innumerable spatial threads around the adolescent boy, intending to tear him into shreds. Faced against such an attack, the eyebrows of the adolescent shot up as he raised his hands to his side and pulled them down lightly. Boom! Astonishingly, the Luo ns Guardian Formation copsed without the slightest resistance under his pull! A devastating shockwave rippled into the surroundings as the spiritual energy in the Guardian Formation diffused into the surroundings. After dealing with the Luo ns Guardian Formation, the adolescent boy ced his hands behind his back as he gazed down coldly on the crowd from the sky. What other means do you have? Throw everything at me at once! In an instant,plete silence devoured the surroundings. Chapter 1579 - Qiqi, I’m Sorry

Chapter 1579: Qiqi, Im Sorry

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Everyone simply stared at the adolescent boy in the air with aghast expressions. The Guardian Formation of the Luo n had stopped many experts in their tracks since the inception of the Luo n. Innumerable assaults of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been foiled by its formidable prowess. Yet, it did not evenst a single second against a small, adolescent boy! How was that possible? Just what realm had the adolescent boy reached? The experts in the area could not help but gulp in shock, unable to believe what they were seeing. Have any of you seen that person before? Under normal circumstances, a person as powerful as thatd couldnt possibly have remained unknown. So, why do I have no impression of him at all? I have never seen him before either. Its as if hes appeared out of nowhere... If even the adolescent boy is this powerful, I cant begin to imagine how strong the youngdy must be! Just who in the world is she? The n heads of the Sage ns subconsciously backed away, fearing that they would be implicated in this conflict. To the eyes of ordinary cultivators, these n heads represented the top fighting prowess of the Master Teacher Continent, but even they did not dare stand against an expert of this caliber. They had no doubt that the adolescent boy would be able to im their lives with a single flick of his finger. It would be utter foolishness to stand against such an opponent! Without a doubt, they were severely outmatched! You... Seeing how the adolescent boy had been able to ovee the coboration of the many elders and tear apart the Luo ns Guardian Formation so easily, the head of the Luo ns face flickered with rage and fear. After a moment of silence, he turned around and sped his fist. Yang shi, I beseech you to lend us your help in this matter! The Luo n still had its final trump card, but it should only be used in times of absolute emergency. As such, the head of the Luo n could only ce his hopes on Yang shi. Of course, theres no way I can simply turn a blind eye to this matter! Yang shi said as he turned his gaze to the sky. How could I be oblivious to the existence of an expert of your caliber on the continent? I really must be growing old! Hu! As he said those words, he slowly took step after step upward. His movements were very slow, but with every step that he took, an inconspicuous glow emanated from his feet. At the same time, the space that he trod on seemed to grow even stabler, seemingly reinforced by some mysterious energy. The adolescent boy was initially unfazed by Yang shis provocation, but watching as thetter slowly walked over, his eyebrows knitted together into a frown. Who are you? You arent from the Luo n, are you? The Luo n doesnt have an expert of your caliber. I am Yang Xuan! Yang shi sped his fist. Yang Xuan of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? The adolescent boy widened his eyes in realization. He sped his fist in reciprocation and said, This is a problem between Mdy and the Luo n, so I ask you not to interfere in this matter! The Master Teacher Pavilion is responsible for maintaining order on the continent. You have chosen to wreak havoc in the Luo n at an important asion like this,pletely disregarding the dignity of everyone here. I might be getting on in my years, but its still my responsibility as a master teacher to stop you! Yang shi replied coldly. Since you arent going to back down, make your move then. Let me see how powerful the rumored number one expert of the Master Teacher Continent is! the adolescent boy spat coldly. He crossed his arms, ready to make his next move, but at this moment, a nonchnt voice sounded beside him. Enough, stand down, Luo Ruoxin instructed. Yes, Mdy! Not daring to say a second word, the adolescent boy quickly retracted his palm and returned to his position behind Luo Ruoxin. At the same time, perhaps out of apprehension for Luo Ruoxins strength, upon seeing the adolescent boy backing away, Yang Xuan also stepped back and fell silent. Luo Ruoxin swept her gaze across the crowd, and after seeing that no one else was going to make a move, she turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang Xuan, lets go! The next moment, Zhang Xuan felt the restraints on his body being released. Seeing that the adolescent boy had not killed anyone, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He nodded in response to Luo Ruoxins words, but he still could not help but turn around to face the beautiful youngdy dressed in red behind him. Looking at her tear stained cheeks, he felt a sharp ache in his heart. He walked up to her and said, Qiqi... Im sorry. He really had no idea how he should express his apology toward this youngdy. The engagement with the Zhang n and the Luo n was a huge matter on the Master Teacher Continent. Innumerable n heads, powerful experts, and esteemed seniors hade to witness this momentous event, yet he was simply going to walk out of this. He knew that his actions would inflict grievous damage on the youngdy, but he could not imagine a life without Luo Ruoxin, and he could not let Luo Ruoxin down. Why? Luo Qiqi asked silently. In the eyes of outsiders, she was an unparalleled genius who had broken innumerable records. But those who knew her would know that she was simply an innocent little girl whocked a sense of security. It was due to this that Luo Xuanqing had constantly been looking out for her, fearing that she would be taken advantage of by others. I... Zhang Xuan had no idea how he should respond to the youngdys question. It had never been his intention to hurt her, which was also why he had never rejected her confession directly. He had thought that their fate would have ended with her departure, but who could have thought that life had something like this in store for them? While trying not to harm her, he ended up inflicting the greatest damage upon her. After a long moment of silence, Zhang Xuan spoke up. I always thought that you were the princess of the Baiyuan Empire... Back then, when they parted at the Qingyuan Empire, Yu Fei-er had said that the reason Luo Qiqi had been able to enroll into Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy back then was because of an insignia from the Baiyuan Empires royalty, which left him thinking that Luo Qiqi was the princess of the Baiyuan Empire. Not even in his wildest dream would he have thought that Luo Qiqi had anything to do with the Luo n. In order to hide my tracks from the Luo n, I used the powers of the Dimension Silencer to seal my bloodline and cultivation. While I have assimted the Dimension Silencer, I have yet to fully master it, so there are abilities that Im still unable to fully control. As a result, not only did my cultivation fall to the Transcendent Mortal realm, some of my memories ended up being sealed, too. I had to slowly raise his cultivation in order to unseal my memories once more... Luo Qiqi looked into the sky and said solemnly, That is also why I was unable to save you back in the underground cavern despite the danger we were in. Zhang Xuan nodded. When he found out that Luo Qiqi was the little princess, he had already figured most of the story out. There were indeed some methods on the Master Teacher Continent that allowed a cultivator to seal their cultivation and bloodline. For example, Zhao Yas mother had sealed away her Pure Yin Body and hidden herself away in the ancient domains. Afterward, she had married Zhao Yas father, and despite having been together for many years, no one was any the wiser of her true strength. As for the reason that Luo Qiqi had been in Grade 2 back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... Considering when she left the Sanctum of Sages, there was no way that she could have been in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy for more than a year. However, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy worked by a system where a student was promoted by their strength and master teacher rank rather than the time that they had spent in the academy. Rational exnations could easily be found for most parts of Luo Qiqis history, but there was just one doubt that he was unable to make sense of. The Luo ns little princess possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, which should have made it impossible for him to use the Library of Heavens Path on her. At the very least, this was the reason he thought that the Library of Heavens Path did not work on Luo Ruoxin. However, he did use the Library of Heavens Path on Luo Qiqi, and a book had sessfully beenpiled on her. Yet, her true identity had not been detailed within the book. Could this mean that those who possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination possessed the ability to fool and provide incorrect answers to the Library of Heavens Path? If that was really the case, that would be really fearsome! He would have to slowly search for the answer in the future, or else he could not fully believe the information provided by the Library of Heavens Path anymore. Back when I was still the little princess of the Luo n, I did the royal family of the Baiyuan Empire a great favor. Even though I had sealed my cultivation, they were still more than willing to introduce me to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as a 4-star master teacher. It was with such an identity that my n was unable to find me easily. I had always been the center of attention from the moment I was born, and I know that many would love to be in the position I am in. But this is not what I wanted. All I wanted was an ordinary life, living my days out peacefully and happily, Luo Qiqi muttered with a deste look on her face. Even though she had sealed her cultivation and bloodline, due to her past rtionship with the royalty of the Baiyuan Empire, she had easily been able to convince them to do her a favor and rmend her to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Furthermore, given her standing, the Baiyuan Empire had been more than willing to allow her to pass off as their princess. It was due to this convincing identity that she had been able to remain in the Hongyuan Empire for so long without anyone noticing. Even her close friend, Yu Fei-er, was oblivious to her true identity. In a sense, this was simr to how Zhang Xuan passed himself off as Yang shis student. As long as one had a convincing cover, it would be unlikely for others to dig too deeply into ones identity. I told you before that theres someone whom I like, and that person is actually Luo shi. All along, I thought that she was the little princess of the Luo n, which resulted in this misunderstanding... Zhang Xuan lowered his head as he spoke softly. He had to exin this matter properly to the youngdy before him, or else the person who would be hurt would not only be her but Luo Ruoxin as well. I guessed... Luo Qiqi nodded quietly before lowering her head, concealing the tears glistening in her eyes. Qiqi, I am sorry... Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. He finally understood why she had been able to take out so many thousand-year-old medicinal herbs the veryst time that they met, as well as why Luo Chengxin suddenly appeared before him shortly after she left. From the looks of it, it seemed like Luo Chengxin had found her in Qingyuan City, and aware of her impending departure, she had made use of the excuse of needing to practice her pill forging techniques to gift those medicinal herbs to him. At this moment, he also recalled Luo Xuanqing saying that his younger sister had high aptitude in most upations, but somehow, when it came to pill forging, her talents seemed to fall t. He had not thought too much about the matter back then, but everything seemed to fit like pieces of a puzzle to him now. That would also exin how a 5-star master teacher like her had been able to easily track down the underground cavern that Wu Yangzi had been locked in through the peculiar smithing method when no one in the Hongyuan Empire had been able to... Even with a huge portion of her memories sealed, her instincts were still far beyond those of ordinary cultivators. That would also exin why she had been able to improve far quicker than Yu Fei-er and even his direct disciples. Most likely, when she achieved a breakthrough to the Saint realm in the Qingyuan Empire, the seal that she had ced on herself had begun to unravel, rendering it impossible for her to conceal her bloodline anymore. This had allowed Luo Chengxin to find her, eventually leading to this series of events... Lifting her eyes to take one final nce at the young man before her, Luo Qiqi decisively turned around, bellowing, Scram! I never want to see you again! Thank you... Understanding Luo Qiqis intentions, Zhang Xuan muttered softly before turning around and walking away. Nothing that he could say would mend the damage that he had done. Staying there would only worsen the other partys pain. Where do you think you are going? Hu! Barely after taking two steps, innumerable cold glints suddenly shimmered from the surroundings. The wounded elders of the Luo n, along with Luo Xuanqing, had drawn their des, and every single one of them was ring at Zhang Xuan with wintry eyes. Zhang Xuan! If you dare walk away today, you will be an eternal enemy of the Luo n! The rtionship between the Zhang n and the Luo n will be irreconcble! the head of the Luo n roared furiously. If you dare leave with that demoness, youll be my sworn enemy. I, Luo Xuanqing, swear that Ill devote my life to hunting you down and killing you! Luo Xuanqing bellowed wrathfully. Zhang Xuans footsteps visibly halted for a brief moment, but he still chose to continue advancing toward Luo Ruoxin. Die! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still adamantly walking forward, Luo Xuanqing flicked his palm and thrust it toward Zhang Xuan. Hold it right there! With a flick of his spear, Zheng Yang dissipated the force of Luo Xuanqings palm strike. At the same time, Lu Chong, Wang Ying, and the others also quickly stood in between their teacher and the Luo n. Chapter 1580 - Zhang Xuan Breaks the Engagement

Chapter 1580: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Engagement

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Progeny of Combat and Guild Leader Wang Ying, are you two nning to make enemies out of our Luo n? the head of the Luo n growled menacingly. Didnt your Luo ns Luo Xuanqing nearly take our teachers life earlier? You should be d that he failed. Know that I wont allow any of you to put our teachers life in jeopardy anymore! If you wish to harm even a single strand of my teachers hair, youll have to step over my dead body! Zheng Yang red down at the crowd of the Luo n intimidatingly. Anyone who intends harm to our teacher will be our enemy! Wang Ying and Lu Chong stepped forward as well. The auras emanated by the three of them towered as if an unscble mountain. The elders who had intended to make a move earlier were forced to stop in their footsteps, not daring to move at all. They could not have cared less about the enmity between the Zhang n and the Luo n, but anyone who daredy their hands on their teacher would be their enemy! Well said! Sword Saint Meng stepped forward and swung her sword threateningly too. My son will have my full support no matter what he does. If you intend to hurt him, dont even expect my de to take mercy on you! You... The head of the Luo ns face turned red with rage. He immediately turned his gaze toward Sword Saint Xing and questioned sharply, Is this your intention too? I... Sword Saint Xing was put on the spot. The marriage between the two ns should have been happy news, but who could have thought that it would end in such a state? Seeing Sword Saint Xings hesitation, Sword Saint Meng roared furiously. Zhang Zhenxing! You have already sacrificed your son once! If you make him suffer any more grievances, Ill take my son and leave the Zhang n immediately for a ce where you will never find us! This... Sword Saint Xing scratched his head in embarrassment before sping his fist toward the head of the Luo n and bowing. My apologies, n Head Luo, but Ill have to side with my own son! As he said those words, he went over and stood beside Sword Saint Meng. It was not just because he was afraid of his wife but also because he was painfully aware of the fact that he was indebted to his son. Good. Very good! It seems like all of you are intending to sever rtions with our Luo n today! The head of the Luo n ground his teeth and roared with seething fury. Since thats the case... elders of the Luo n, heed my orders! Seal the Shrouding Ethereal City and prevent anyone of the Zhang n from escaping! Yes, n head! Hula! Upon receiving their orders, the elders of the Luo n immediately moved to seal the surrounding space, such that even Teleportation Formations were rendered ineffective. Seeing that the Luo n had chosen to make a move, one of the elders of the Zhang n bellowed in response, Disciples of the Zhang n, bear arms and protect your n head! Since both ns had already fallen out, there was no need for them to put up a front anymore. If a battle was inevitable, the Zhang n would not go down without a fight! This... If I knew that this would happen, I never would havee to this engagement ceremony... No one could have thought that the two ns, which had been chummy with one another a moment ago, would suddenly fall out in the blink of an eye. The n heads of the other Sage ns watched the situation hesitantly by the side, not knowing what they should do. Helping the Luo n would mean offending the Zhang n, and vice versa... but they could not afford to offend either of these two powers! From the looks of it, it seemed like this matter would not end well. Stop! Seeing that a battle would break out at any moment, a sharp voice echoed across the entire city. The next moment, the little princess of the Luo n, Luo Qiqi, stepped forward. Weng! A spherical artifact materialized in her hand, and with a slight jolt, the sealed space immediately shattered apart, reverting to its original form. The Dimension Silencer, the ultimate treasure of the Luo n! Its very presence carried an invible authority that made others not dare face it. Yuxin... Taken aback by his daughters actions, the head of the Luo n panicked. Little Sister... Luo Xuanqing was also uprehending of his younger sisters actions. Father, Elder Brother, and elders, I hope that you can allow me to deal with my own matters... Luo Qiqi sped her fist. This... Seeing his daughters determined gaze, the head of the Luo ns fury dissolved into tenderness. Forget it! If you suffer the slightest grievance, make sure to tell me. I might be getting old, but I havent grown senile. I wont allow others to bully my daughter! Thank you, Father! Luo Qiqi nodded. She turned her gaze toward Zhang Xuan, and with a pleading look in her eyes, she said, Teacher, you once told me that you would redress my grievances for me if someone bullied me... Do those words still count? I... Zhang Xuan was stunned, not knowing how he should respond. Those were the words that he had told her when they parted at Qingyuan City, but who could have thought that this would happen instead? When the one who had bullied her was him, how was he supposed to redress her grievances? Im the one who did you wrong, Qiqi... Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before saying, Lets nullify the engagement between the Zhang n and the Luo n. You will no longer be bound by the restraints of your engagement. You will finally be able live your life freely. He could not redress her grievances anymore, and the only thing that he could do was nullify the engagement and set her free. You are nullifying the engagement between the two of us? Luo Qiqi shook her head. She stared into the distance with zed eyes as a bitter smile spread upon her lips. Those that I hold dear will not necessarily be with me for life. Just like the broken artifact back then, no matter what I do, it can just never be the same anymore... You might be granting me the freedom I seek, but if that means that the person I love will leave me, never to return again... Teacher, you also know that Im an obstinate person. I disagree to the nullification of our engagement! You... Why do you have to do this to yourself? Zhang Xuan looked at the youngdy with a pained expression. If you announce the nullification of our engagement, your Luo n will at least be able to preserve its dignity and honor! I know! I know it... but my heart doesnt allow me to do so! Luo Qiqi cried. If she proposed the nullification of their engagement, while this matter would still be a huge stain on the Luo ns history, it would at least preserve their reputation and honor. However, that would also mean extinguishing the final flicker of hope that they could be together. It was simply too cruel for her to make such a decision. She had put all of her heart into this rtionship, only to meet with such an ending. She could not ept it, and she did not want to ept it either! You should know that theres no other way out of this, Zhang Xuan said. Since the person that he had chosen was Luo Ruoxin, he had to nullify the engagement. Otherwise, he would only be further hurting everyone around him. Luo Qiqi turned around and said, Then... you should be the one to do it... Im sorry... Knowing that Luo Qiqi would not be able to do it, Zhang Xuan tossed his n head token into the air and dered, I, Zhang Xuan, in my capacity as the head of the Zhang n, hereby announce the nullification of my marriage with the little princess of the Luo n. This nullification stems from my own problem, and I am unworthy to take her as my wife! Those words reverberated across space, causing the air to tremor. Yuxin... Upon hearing those words, the head of the Luo n widened his eyes in shock. At the same time, Luo Xuanqing also red at Zhang Xuan as if he was facing his sworn enemy. Even with Zhang Xuans rification, the world would not remain oblivious to the truth. Word would spread, and the reputation of the Luo n would inevitably be sullied. Pavilion Master Ren, I have already made up my mind. Ill have to trouble the Master Teacher pavilion to ry my deration to the world word for word! Zhang Xuan took back his n head token before sping his fist toward Ren Qingyuan to make that request. The fastest way to disseminate the news would be through the Master Teacher Pavilion. I understand, Zhang shi! Ren Qingyuan nodded. When it came to rtionships, no matter how one tried, it was impossible for everyone to be happy. There would never be a clear right or wrong. Qiqi, take care of yourself! Having done that, Zhang Xuan took onest nce at the forlorn back of the youngdy before walking away. The elders of the Luo n wanted to stop him, but looking at the Dimension Silencer floating in the air, they had no choice but to hold themselves back. Teacher... Barely after taking a few steps, the youngdys voice sounded once more. Zhang Xuan stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to look at the youngdys back. It was a long while before the youngdy spoke once more. Will you... still teach me pill forging in the future? Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded. Ill teach you whatever you want to learn! Trantors Note: This is one of the arcs that I like the most yet feel the most resentful toward too. In this arc, we saw Zhang Xuans rise to power and Luo Ruoxins return. Honestly, the reveal that the little princess as Luo Qiqi should have been much less obvious, but its always easy to put the clues together once you have been spoiled and know the endpoint. I have been following thement section, and its apparent how much spoilers have ruined all the suspense for future plot details. As always, I would ask for those who have read the raws or heard spoilers not to post future content in thement section because it really ruins immersion. If you have read the raws or looked up spoilers, Im sure you do have some love for this book, so please dont kill it through posting spoilers here. There are other more appropriate ces to post and ask for spoilers. Even if I could deletements, it would be hard for me to distinguish between legitimate theories and spoilers, so I can only appeal to your goodwill not to post spoilers, as well as themunity to denounce those who spoil the story and not give a thumbs up to theirments. Authors Note: The Eleventh Arc [Zhang Xuan Breaks the Engagement] herebyes to an end. The confession from Qiqi was designed in ordance to a song that I really liked half a year ago, by Xiao Quan, the idea that my feelings for you dont just stop at the level of like, but I cant find the answer I am seeking for in your eyes. Each time that song ys on the car radio, I couldnt help but think of the second female lead of that drama and cry. For this character, I have cried many times. Anyway, let the curtain unfold on the next arc [Finale at the Master Teacher Pavilion]. In the next arc, Zhang Xuan shall be a Great Sage realm expert and stand at the top of the continent. Anyway, with this arcing to an end, pour in your power stones and lets secure the top spot together! Chapter 1581 - Why Not Marry Them Together!

Chapter 1581: Why Not Marry Them Together!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The crowd from the Zhang n flew out of the Shrouding Ethereal City. Looking at the majestic buildings beneath, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel as if he had just been through a dream. He knew that he had really hurt that kind youngdy this time around, but there was no way that he could dictate his emotions. If he forced himself to act against his will, he would only end up hurting everyone in the end. Rather than resorting to that, it would be better for him to end it decisively. It would be difficult at first, but once the youngdy was able to let him go, she would be able to seek the true happiness that she deserved. Luo Ruoxin nced over and asked, You cant bear it? Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, This misunderstanding only happened because I thought that you were the little princess of the Luo n... Its alright, I understand. You dont have to exin anymore. Luo Ruoxin nodded as she reverted to her usual nonchnce. I can still discern the truth. Seeing that Luo Ruoxin had chosen to trust him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. You said that you would bring me somewhere. Where are we going? You were investigating the kidnapping of Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao, right? Luo Ruoxin asked with a smile. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. You know where they are? I dont know where they are, but I have a good idea who the culprits that took them away are, Luo Ruoxin replied. Who are they? Zhang Xuan asked with clenched fists. He would never forgive those who dared to make a move on his students. If he could just find out who the culprits were, he would never let them go! I still cant confirm their background yet, but one of the reasons I came to find you is to stop them! Luo Ruoxin said. Stop them? Are they still intending to abduct more people? Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes. Thats not it. They are looking for a certain object, Luo Ruoxin exined. Most likely, its a Celestial Amulet of Legacy! They are really eyeing the Temple of Confucius! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. It seemed like it was really the doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, just as he had thought. It might get troublesome if there are too many people around, so itll be best if your n members do note along. While Zheng Yang and Lu Chong are considerably powerful, the ce that we are heading to will be quite dangerous, so my view is that it would be best not to bring them along for the time being, Luo Ruoxin said. The more people around, the more likely that they would be detected by the culprits. Furthermore, if anyone was caught by the culprits in the midst of the operation, that person would likely be used as a hostage against them. While Zheng Yang and the others were considerably powerful, they were stillcking in worldly experience. In treacherousnds, they might not necessarily have the intuition to avoid danger, and that would ce their team in a vulnerable position. I concur with your view, but... what if the culprits go after the Zhang n and the Luo n while we are away? Wouldnt that simply put us in more trouble? Zhang Xuan was still a little worried. Rest assured, with Yang shi and so many experts around, even if the culprits go for them, they will eventually have to retreat in disappointment! Luo Ruoxin replied with a smile. I guess youre right... Zhang Xuan nodded. With Yang shi, the Xingmeng Sword Saints, Zheng Yang, Lu Chong, and the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to hold the fort while they were gone, even if an Ancient Sage arrived, he might not necessarily be able to get away unscathed. Alright, lets go! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly spoke with his parents to fill them in on what was going on. After which, he handed back the n head token and advised them to help groom Zhang Jiuxiao as the next n head before heading off with Luo Ruoxin. Just who in the world is that Luo Ruoxin? Watching as the two of them flew into the distance, Sword Saint Meng could not help but turn her gaze toward Yang shi. He was the most knowledgeable of them there, so if anyone could recognize her, it was him. Yang shi pondered for a moment before saying, Im not too sure either, but I think that she might be rted to that ce! That ce? Sword Saint Meng asked in iprehension. However, the very next moment, Sword Saint Xing suddenly interjected. Yang shi, are you referring to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Indeed. Shortly after Kong shi departed back then, all of his students vanished one after another. While no one had any concrete news on them, based on some of the records and conjectures of our predecessors, it seems like they took root in a ce away from the continent! Yang shi replied. A while ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion sent me a message saying that shortly after the Temple of Confucius came into sight, suspicious figures that could possibly be the descendants of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were spotted in the vicinity. In fact, they possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, which prevented the seers from divining their identities. They disappeared very quickly from the area, so our men werent able to interrogate them. Considering the sudden appearance of Luo Ruoxin, and the formidable might wielded by the adolescent boy beside her, I think that theres a good chance that it might be them! The Hundred Schools of Philosophers possess the true heritage of Kong shi, cultivating unparalleled secret manuals. On top of that, they are also blessed with superior innate strength. Now that you mention it, it does seem likely. Sword Saint Meng also came to a realization. I was thinking that Xuan-er was too short-sighted to have given up on a watermelon for a sesame seed, but since shes an offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, I can rest easy now! After saying those words, a gleeful smile emerged on her lips. The marriage with the Luo n should have been the most perfect ending. Not only would it have widened the Zhang ns influence, it also would have propped her son up to the top of the Master Teacher Continent in an instant, granting him strength to stand against even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. However, since her son did not like it, there was nothing that she could do. She owed her son simply too much, so the least she could do was allow him to pursue his own happiness. Nevertheless, she still understood that this was a great loss to the Zhang n, considering that they had made enemies out of the Luo n. However, who would have thought that this mishap would actually end up drawing connections with the powerful Hundred Schools of Philosophers instead? If thats truly the case, not only did the Zhang n not make a loss, its future growth potential had also be unlimitedly great! Can feelings even be measured using gains and losses? Seeing his wifes response, Sword Saint Xing was rendered speechless. The marriage between the Zhang n and the Luo n should have provided us with the key to opening the Temple of Confucius, but with the fallout with the Luo n, we wont be able to break the seal anymore. Not only have the ns of the Master Teacher Pavilion fallen through, the safety of mankind could very well be at risk! As Sword Saint Xing spoke, a hint of jealousy seemed to seep into his voice. Ever since his son had appeared, his position in the family seemed to have been falling lower and lower. It was one thing for him to be scolded every single day, but to think that he would end up having to fuss over minor matters such as his sons future wife instead of conferring over major matters that affected the safety of mankind. Really, just how low had he fallen? Why should my son be sacrificed for the rest of the world? There are plenty of people out there to think about the Temple of Confucius anyway! All I hope is for my son to live his life happily and peacefully! Sword Saint Meng waved her hands indifferently. Narrow-minded! Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly. Zhang Zhenxing, I dare you to repeat those words! Sword Saint Meng flew into a rage. Alright, alright! While the Temple of Confucius has started to surface, it seems like theres still some time before it truly appears, Yang shi said. My senior should still have time to mend the rtions between both ns. Furthermore, judging from the little princess attitude, it seems like she still harbors deep feelings for my senior. As long as we exin the matter properly to her, I think she should be willing to go along with us! While things had not gone very well, as long as the little princess did not harbor that deep a grudge toward Zhang Xuan and the Zhang n, there should still be some room for reconciliation. Besides, the predecessors of the Luo n had also made many sacrifices to protect mankind, which showed that they were not narrow-minded people who would allow personal grudges to get in the way of important matters. While they had been humiliated by Zhang Xuans actions, when the safety of mankind was at stake, they would still be likely to swallow their grudges temporarily and grudgingly coborate with the rest of them. Yang shi is right. Later on, Ill try to talk to my son about this matter. Its nothing much for a man to take several wives at once, and if it reallyes down to it, he could just marry the little princess of the Luo n as well. The youngdy is quite a beauty anyway. More importantly, she has quite a bottom, which means that shes suited to bear children! Regardless of whether its Luo Ruoxin or Luo Qiqi, wouldnt it be good to take all of them in? That would be a happy ending, right? Sword Saint Meng nodded. Of course, dear. Its nothing much for a man to take several wives, so having two wives is not too big a deal! Sword Saint Xing nodded in agreement. Having two wives is not too big a deal? Zhang Zhenxing, are you nning to take in another woman? Sword Saint Meng sneered as she red at Sword Saint Xing murderously. I... I... Im referring to our son... As if plunged into an icy cavern, Sword Saint Xing felt his hair raising on end. I really am not talking about myself! Ahhh, save me! Ill never dare to say such words in the future again... Yes, youre right... No, I wont even think of it anymore... Please dont kill this book by posting spoilers. Chapter 1582 - White Creek Mountain

Chapter 1582: White Creek Mountain

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Standing atop the back of an aerial saint beast while gazing at the white clouds that were swiftly flitting past them, Luo Ruoxin exined, The ce that we are heading to is the Empire Alliances Whitestream Mountain! White Creek Mountain? Zhang Xuans body jolted in astonishment. I know that ce... That was the name of the mountain range that had appeared on Qingtian Emperors painting. He had seen Kong shis illusory figure on the mountain range, and in order to conceal the truth from the Qingtian Emperor, he had altered it into a picture of bathing beauties. He had learned its name from Luo Xuanqing a while back, but with too many matters on hand, he had not had a chance to check on it yet. Could it be that the illusory figure of Kong shi actually hinted at the location of a Celestial Amulet of Legacy? There might just be such a possibility, or else it would not havepelled the entire Qingtian Lineage and even Vicious to risk exposing themselves for it! Since we know the location, why dont we just teleport right over? It would be faster that way, Zhang Xuan suggested. Theres no need for that! Luo Ruoxin replied with a smile. It would be too troublesome to travel there through teleportation, and it isnt safe either... Wu Chen! Yes! The adolescent boy nodded. He walked up to the window and tapped his finger lightly on it. Hu! The surrounding air suddenly began warping frenziedly, and spatial folds appeared all around. Before long, a massive vortex was formed around them. As the vortex spun faster and faster, the area that it covered grewrger andrger. Very soon, the eye of the vortex formed a stable white region. Hu! The aerial saint beast beneath them seemed to be ustomed to such a situation. pping its wings, it dived right for the middle of the vortex. This is... Spatial Compression! A look of disbelief surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. It was said that those who had mastered space would be able topress it infinitely, allowing one to traverse over a thousand li with a single step. He had thought that it was just a legend, but who could have thought that the adolescent boy would be able to pull it off so easily? It isnt Spatial Compression but the exploitation of a unique trait of space! the adolescent boy exined nonchntly. The space that we see appears to be stable and impable, such that even our Spiritual Perception cant notice any anomalies in it. However, there are inherent wormholes weaved into it that can be utilized to swiftly leap from one location to another. I see... Zhang Xuan could roughly grasp the concept, but it sounded a little faraway to him. Even though he had learned the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he had only reached a mastery of 3-dan in it. There was still some way off before he could reach the top. Spatial Leap is a technique that only Ancient Sages are able to utilize. Wu Chen is only able to pull it off due to the unique bloodline of the saint beast and his deepprehension of space, Luo Ruoxin added. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded. At this point, he could not resist asking out of curiosity, Given how young Wu Chen is, how can he wield such formidable strength? No matter how he looked at the adolescent boy, thetter appeared to be only around thirteen to fourteen. Yet, the boy already possessed strength that he could only match while using Kong shis blood essence. This was inconceivable to him. Even if the adolescent boy was a Connate Saint, causing his body to age much slower than others, it was hard to imagine him achieving such strength within a short period of time. Wu Chen looks younger than he actually is due to his unique bloodline, Luo Ruoxin exined with a shake of her head. Not intending to linger too long on this topic, she pointed to the area ahead and said, Weve arrived. Looking ahead, Zhang Xuan realized that the aerial saint beast that they were on had already traversed through the passageway, and a majestic mountain range had appeared around him. The mountains around him pierced right through theyers of clouds, and they spanned a vast area around him. The imposing scale of the mountain range felt incredibly pressurizing, leaving ones breathing a little ragged. Its the White Creek Mountain! Zhang Xuan remarked grimly. This was indeed the mountain range that he was depicted on the painting of the copper-masked figure back then. They would have been identical if not for the real mountain range being even more towering and imposing. A Celestial Amulet of Legacy is within the mountain range. Im not too sure about its exact location at the moment, but we can check using a unique artifact. As Luo Ruoxin spoke, she flicked her wrist in the air, and a book materialized in front of her. This book carried an aura that left one with a dreamy feeling. Looking at it curiously, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask what it was when he suddenly sensed something. He quickly flicked his wrist, and a crystal sphere materialized in his hand. This crystal sphere was none other than the Qiu Wu Pce! That was the ancient domain left behind by Kong shis follower, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. He had entered its premises with Luo Ruoxin previously, and it had also been the location where they confirmed their rtionship. At this moment, the Qiu Wu Pce was shaking non-stop, as if it was resonating in harmony to the book that Luo Ruoxin had taken out. This... Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. As the master of the Qiu Wu Pce, he could clearly feel that the book before him hade from the same origin as the crystal sphere. There was an inseverable connection between the two of them. I acquired this book from the Qiu Wu Pce. Using it, we will be able to find the exact location of the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Luo Ruoxin answered the doubts in Zhang Xuans mind. However, that only left Zhang Xuan even more taken aback. This... He had been together with the youngdy in the Qiu Wu Pce, so why was he unaware that she had acquired such a book? There were rumors that the Qiu Wu Pce contained a clue to finding the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, so he had searched the entire ce multiple times, only to be unable to find the supposed clue. Who could have thought that it was already in her hands? The reason I wanted to enter the Qiu Wu Pce was to find this item. Do you remember how I wandered freely for quite a while after entering the Qiu Wu Pce? It was during that period of time that I found this book, Luo Ruoxin exined. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded. To be honest, he had found it bizarre how the youngdy had insisted on entering the Qiu Wu Pce with him, only to refuse all treasures, cultivation technique manuals, and the like. Not to mention, she had even helped him assimte the entire Qiu Wu Pce! So, it turned out that she had already acquired what she had been looking for! Weng! While the two of them were speaking, a light hum sounded from the book as it began surging toward the top of the mountain. Lets follow it. The two of them quickly followed the movements of the book so as to not lose sight of it. Not too longter, just when they were roughly at the midpoint of the mountain, the book finally came to an abrupt halt. This is the ce... Zhang Xuan swiftly cast a sweeping gaze over the surroundings before nodding slowly. This was indeed the exact spot on the painting where he had altered Kong shis silhouette for the bathing beauties. It would be too much of a coincidence for the two clues to point to the same point by sheer coincidence. Chances were that there was a folded space somewhere here that would lead them to an ancient domain where the Celestial Amulet of Legacy was hidden! Its good enough that we have confirmed the location. If my intuition fails me not, the culprits who have captured Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao should be heading here very soon! With a wave of her hand, Luo Ruoxin ced the book back into her storage ring before standing patiently on the spot, not anxious about finding the hidden folded space at all. The Zhang n, Luo n, and the Master Teacher Pavilion have a Celestial Amulet of Legacy each. Are you certain that the culprits wille here instead? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. If the goal of the culprits was to open the Temple of Confucius, they were already halfway there with the capture of Zhao Ya and the others. It was a known fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the Zhang n, and the Luo n had a Celestial Amulet of Legacy each, so those three powers should have been the primary targets for the culprits! Furthermore, it should have been impossible to find this location without the map from the Qingtian Emperor or the book in Luo Ruoxins possession! Chapter 1583 - Luo Ruoxin’s Identity

Chapter 1583: Luo Ruoxins Identity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its stated in the records of the Master Teacher Pavilion that there are six Celestial Amulets of Legacy. However, that isnt entirely correct. Instead of responding to Zhang Xuans question directly, Luo Ruoxin began exining slowly. The six Celestial Amulets of Legacy are the Subordinate Amulets that are used to open the six Subordinate Halls in the Temple of Confucius. However, to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, one must enter the Prime Hall, and the key to the Prime Hall is the Prime Amulet! Prime Amulet? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Thats right. Luo Ruoxin nodded. If the culprits are who I think they are, its likely that they have a clue to finding this ce too. After all, Kong shi couldnt possibly have just left a single clue leading to the Prime Amulet. Furthermore, the one who possesses the Prime Amulet will be able tomand the Subordinate Amulets too. Rather than wrestle the Subordinate Amulets from the experts of the Zhang n, the Luo n, and the Master Teacher Pavilion, it would be much easier for them to head here and obtain the Prime Amulet! Thats true... Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. If that was indeed true, with the capture of Zhao Ya and the others, all they required was the Prime Amulet. Given so, all the two of them had to do was camp there and wait for the culprits to arrive. Just that... the matter concerning the Prime Amulet and Subordinate Amulets should be confidential. In fact, it was likely that even Yang shi was unaware of it, or else the other party would have informed him of it. How did Luo Ruoxin know such details? Unable to take it any longer, Zhang Xuan asked, Ruoxin, if you arent from the Luo n... who are you? Why do you know of so many secrets that even the Master Teacher Pavilion is unaware of? He reached out to grab the youngdys hand gently. Since we have decided to be together, I hope that youll allow to help shoulder the burdens that you carry! Even though Luo Ruoxin had said that it was not inconvenient for her to reveal her true identity, Zhang Xuan still could not help but worry, especially after the huge misunderstanding earlier. At the very least, if he knew Luo Ruoxins identity in advance, he would be able to prepare himself to face whatever came in the future. I... Luo Ruoxin instinctively attempted to retract her hand upon being grabbed, but meeting the young mans earnest eyes, she eventually decided against it. Shaking her head helplessly, she said, You will only be hurt if you learn of my identity right now. More importantly, it might foil the greater scheme of things, and that will only bring great trouble to you... Im sorry... Im not afraid! Zhang Xuan said resolutely. I know you arent afraid... but I am! Luo Ruoxin shook her head with a distressed frown. She looked at the young man said tenderly, Dont worry. As long as you trudge on, well eventually be together. Not even the heavens will be able to stop us! Judging from the look on Luo Ruoxins face, Zhang Xuan could tell that it would be impossible for him to change her mind, so he could only sigh deeply. Relenting on his stance, he asked, Then, at the very least... can you tell me if you are an... Otherworldly Demon? It took Zhang Xuan a lot of courage in order to ask this question. Despite not being the little princess of the Luo n, the strength that she wielded was truly incredible, especially given her young age. Not to mention, the adolescent boy that followed her was a formidable expert who could stand equal grounds with Yang shi, if not surpassing him. If she was not a member of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, chances were that she was rted to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! This possibility was further supported by how knowledgeable she was regarding Kong shi and the secrets of the Master Teacher Continent, possibly knowing even more than the esteemed Yang shi... The only possibilities that Zhang Xuan could think of was that she belonged to either of those two major powers! If she was from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, considering how the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was under Kong shis lineage, even if she was not a master teacher, her identity would still be epted on the Master Teacher Continent. The problem was that Zhang Xuan had looked into the ns of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and there was no Luo n among them. If she was really an Otherworldly Demon, that would spell trouble. Ultimately, Zhang Xuans allegiance stilly with mankind. Even if he loved Luo Ruoxin, he could notpromise on his values and principles! This was his bottom line. Love was important, but it could not be ones everything! Im not an Otherworldly Demon. Knowing what Zhang Xuan was worried about, Luo Ruoxin shook her head and chuckled softly. Dont worry, Ill never do anything that would harm mankind. Im here just to find something that a very close rtive of mine lost... A very close rtive? Un. He is someone that I really respected. He imparted my values and principles to me when I was younger. Those days that I spent with him were happy and worriless, but... At this point, Luo Ruoxin suddenly fell silent as she lowered her head in contemtion. An aura of sorrow seemed to gloom around her as her hands trembled slightly in Zhang Xuans grasp. If I had a choice, I would rather the one who had met such a mishap be me instead of him! This... Hearing that Luo Ruoxin had no rtions with the Otherworldly Demon, Zhang Xuan inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before hurriedly consoling her. If that rtive of yours is ill, I might be able to help him... Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to trace down the root of any illness. Even if he was unable to treat Luo Ruoxins close rtive due to the limitations of his cultivation, he might at least be able to offer a usible direction to work toward in order to treat him. Its not a problem of medicinal skills... Luo Ruoxin shook her head before directing a tender smile toward Zhang Xuan. Its fine, you dont have to worry about these problems. If you really wish to be with me, you must raise your cultivation as quickly as possible. That would be the best way you can help me! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded as he squeezed the youngdys hand reassuringly. If Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to speak of her affairs to him, it was likely that she already had some other thoughts in mind. As long as her actions did not vite the principles that he embraced, he would give her all of his support. Luo Ruoxin had always been a cold and lofty person, emanating a distant aura that kept everyone at bay. Even Zhang Xuan found himself unable to see through her thoughts and understand her. But in this moment, it felt like Luo Ruoxin had finally started opening up to him, viewing him as a person whom she could share her inner thoughts with. She was still keeping some secrets from him, but so what? He was certain that the day woulde when she would befortable with opening up to him, so there was no need for him to rush into it immediately. For the time being, what he had to do was trust her and give her support! You are currently at Saint 9-dan primary stage. You should try to achieve a breakthrough to Great Sage as soon as possible, Luo Ruoxin said. Due to my special constitution, the cultivation techniques that I practice arepletely different from yours, and Im not in a good position to offer you any guidance. More importantly... if I share too much with you, not only will that bring trouble to you, it could potentially ce a cap on your future growth. Wu Chen over here is quite knowledgeable, so feel free to raise any doubts with him. Having someone to trade insights with should help you in your cultivation! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. After scaring the lightning tribtion away the day before in the Luo n, his cultivation had already reached Saint 9-dan primary stage. While he could already walk unmatched among the younger generation on the continent, he still could not help but feel deeply pressured at this moment. Zhao Ya, having awakened her Pure Yin Body, was stronger than him! Zheng Yang, after bing the Progeny of Combat and cultivated in the Hall of Spring of Autumn, was stronger than him! Wei Ruyan, Yuan Tao, Lu Chong, and even Wang Ying were all stronger than him! To be at the very back of the pack despite being their teacher had left him feeling deeply indignant and frustrated. The prowess disyed by his girlfriend was not helping either. Even her subordinate was able to easily stir up a storm in the Luo n, and it was questionable if Yang shi would be able to stop him. Without a doubt, Luo Ruoxin would be even stronger than her subordinate! As her boyfriend, the pressure that was on him could really drill him to the opposite end of the continent. If he could not raise his cultivation quickly, how embarrassing would it be if others said that he was a person who could only rely on his girlfriend? So as to not interrupt their conversation, Wu Chen had tactfully chosen to stand by the side, but upon hearing Luo Ruoxin calling for him, he quickly walked over. Macrocosm refers to the entire spatial world that we perceive formed by the three dimensions. Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm is intricately linked with onesprehension of space. While you have reached Saint 9-dan primary stage so far, in order to reach the pinnacle of the realm, not only must you umte sufficient energy, more importantly, you must also deepen yourprehension of space. I have a few books containing my insights of spatialws here, and they might be of some use to your cultivation! Wu Chen said as he passed a couple of books over. He might have appeared to be a thirteen to fourteen year old boy in his adolescence on the surface, but when it came to cultivation, he swiftly assumed the air of an old expert, reminiscent of a grandmaster of the current era. Thanks! Having witnessed the adolescent boys skillful maniption of space, Zhang Xuan knew that the books that the other party had offered him were bound to be extraordinary. He quickly picked up the books and browsed through them, and before long, he was nodding in approval. These books came nowhere close to matching the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, but their contents were worth ruminating over. If hepiled those books with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he should be able to resolve a handful of the ws in thetter. Just as he was about to do so, he suddenly saw the adolescent boy looking over with a grim look on his face. These books are profound, so you must make sure to go through them very carefully. If theres anything that you dont understand, make sure to rify it with me as soon as possible. Dont get greedy and attempt to forcefully push your way ahead. As long as you study diligently, given your talent, it wont be impossible for you to reach Saint 9-dan pinnacle within a single month! A single month? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Indeed. The adolescent boy ced his hands behind his back and dered confidently, I know that its inconceivable to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan pinnacle in such a short period of time, but with my deep understanding of space, Im confident that youll be able to achieve it with my strict guidance! No, thats not what I meant. What I am saying is that one month... is too long! Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Too long? The adolescent boy was bbergasted by what he had just heard. Indeed... Itll be hard to exin it with words, so just give me a moment, and Ill show you, Zhang Xuan said before closing his eyes. Hong long! In an instant, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi to its limit, and soon, his cultivation began surging ahead. After leaving the main hall of the Luo n, his parents had passed him a storage ring filled with the Saint 9-dan cultivation technique manuals that Ren Qingyuan had entrusted to them. With a swift nce over those books, he had collected them into the Library of Heavens Path andpiled them to form the Saint 9-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. While the adolescent boys books on spatialws were a great help, ultimately, they were only supporting material when it came to raising ones cultivation. In this world, there was nothing more suitable for raising ones cultivation than the Heavens Path Divine Art. Back when he was still at the Zhang n, Sword Saint Xing had given him a huge stockpile of cultivation resources. Even after raising his zhenqi cultivation, soul cultivation, and the cultivation of the Inferno Qilin and Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, he still had more than half of the stockpile left. Since there was nothing to do at the moment, this was a good opportunity to push for a breakthrough. Gugugugu! His zhenqi raced furiously through his meridians before umting in his dantian, and in just a few moments, he had already broken through his previous bottleneck. Macrocosm Ascendancy realm primary stage! Macrocosm Ascendancy realm intermediate stage! ... T-this... The adolescent boy could not help but stagger backward with a pale face. How can he grow so quickly? The Macrocosm Ascendancy realm required a cultivator to enhance their understanding of spatialws and umte sufficient energy simultaneously in order to achieve a breakthrough. It was just a moment ago that he had handed over his books, and the young man was already achieving breakthroughs as if it was nothing at all. Furthermore, he was improving with an imposing momentum that showed no signs of slowing down at all, such that it almost seemed as if he was just releasing a seal on his cultivation! How could someone be so talented? Seeing how shocked Wu Chen was, Luo Ruoxin exined with a light chuckle, His condition is a little special, so its no surprise that he can achieve breakthroughs so quickly. As a Celestial Master Teacher, a person whose talent was recognized by even the heavens, it did note as a surprise no matter how fast he grew. Special? But no matter how special his condition is, such an extent is inconceivable... the adolescent boy eximed in disbelief. Boom! Before the adolescent boy could even finish his words, Zhang Xuans cultivation had alreadye to a halt. He exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas as his cultivation stabilized at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Done! Zhang Xuan pped his hand in satisfaction before directing a smile at Wu Chen. Hows that? It didnt take a month, right? Chapter 1584 - Who Is Guiding Whom?

Chapter 1584: Who Is Guiding Whom?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The adolescent boy shook his head vehemently, almost as if he was expecting to see something different once he was done shaking. He had seen geniuses and experts from various races, and he had shed with the top experts of the continent. It went without saying that he had confidence in his judgement and talent. But... to advance ones cultivation so easily as if it was just walk in the park... he had never even heard of something like this before, let alone seen it! Even Kong shi back then did not seem to have improved so quickly! Was this still a humanly possible deed? You managed to achieve a breakthrough from the books I just gave you? the adolescent boy questioned. It was only after taking his books and flipping through them that the young man abruptly achieved breakthroughs to Saint 9-dan pinnacle... Could it be that his books had inspired the young man? Then again, he had written those books personally, and he knew their contents by heart. There should not have been anything in them that would allow one to advance ones cultivation so quickly! Oh. I had a look at those books, and while they do offer a fresh perspective, there are simply too many ws with them. It would be problematic to cultivate them directly! Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. Too many ws? Problematic? Those words immediately riled the adolescent boy up. He was able to ovee the Demon Subduing Sphere of the Luo n easily with a flick of his hand and carry out a Spatial Leap to cover several million li in just a few moments. No matter how one looked at it, hisprehension of spatialws was definitely on par with the heritage of the Luo n, if not surpassing it. Yet, for what he had personally written to be described with too many ws and problematic... And that disdainful look on the young mans face was not helping either! Disdain your head! May I know what kind of ws there are in my books that made you find them problematic? Why dont you share them so that I can learn from my mistakes? It took some effort for the adolescent boy to calm himself down and squeeze those words politely out of his mouth. If not for Luo Ruoxin watching by the side, he would have given that arrogant young fellow a good smack! I guess I could enlighten you since you are asking so politely! Zhang Xuan nodded. You wrote in the book that the more stable a space is, the more unlikely it will copse. Only in stable spaces should one find wormholes and conduct Spatial Leaps, or else the stress from the Spatial Leap could potentially cause the space to copse inward, and that would be dangerous! Thats indeed the case! The adolescent boy nodded. The stability in folded spaces is severelycking. If one ces it under too much stress, it will copse on itself. Thus, abilities like Spatial Leap are only feasible on the Master Teacher Continent, where space is far more stable. Is there any mistake in that interpretation? Such an interpretation of space had been acknowledged by expert cultivators over the past tens of thousands of years. It was impossible for there to be a mistake with it! Yes, there is a huge mistake in that interpretation. You are assuming space to be stationary, Zhang Xuan replied. Assuming space to be stationary? Are you implying that space flows like a river? The adolescent boy burst intoughter. You must be messing with me! If the space we live in is moving, how can we possibly be unaware of it? The world we are standing on is constantly moving. Are you able to feel its movements? Zhang Xuan replied. This... The adolescent boy was taken aback. He had flown high enough to see the entire Master Teacher Continent before, and from afar, he could tell that the continent was in a state of constant rotation, giving it day and night. But when he was standing on the continent, its rotation was imperceptible to him. Its due to the movement of space that the locations of spatial wormholes are constantly changing. If one is able to grasp the movement of space and move alongside it, movement through the spatial wormhole will result in minimal instability to the surrounding space, and naturally, the space wont copse either! Zhang Xuan exined. In truth, this was not a theory that he hade up with but something derived from Lu Chongs Soul Traverse. Through Soul Traverse, soul oracles were able to pull off short distance teleportation discreetly, thus allowing them to conduct surprise attacks. If space was truly stationary, their abrupt movements would create a huge disturbance in space each and every time, making it impossible for their movements to be discreet. However, if they moved in harmony with the flow of space, the disturbance caused by their movements could be reduced to the minimum. This... The adolescent boy fell into deep thought. This was the first time that he had encountered a theory of moving space, so it was inevitable that he would be somewhat skeptical toward it. However, when he gave it further thought, he realized that it reconciled all of the spatial phenomena that contradicted the concept of flowing space. To put it in simpler words, it was indeed very likely for space to be flowing! This had really overthrown everything that he had thought in the past. Theres one upation in the world that boasts the greatest understanding of space... I have read all of the theories and spections as to what the foundation of space truly is, and all of them are built on the idea of stationary space. This is the first time that I have heard something like this! the adolescent boy remarked in astonishment. The upation you are referring to is soul oracle, right? Soul oracles are an agglomeration of will, which makes them more sensitive to the world around them. As a result of that, they have finer control over space than ordinary cultivators. However, you mentioned that you have books from the soul oracles? Zhang Xuan frowned. Of all the upations that he hade into contact with, the one that had the greatest control over space was indubitably the soul oracle. In fact, Soul Traverse was the very proof of the soul oracles ingenuity when it came to space! It was unfortunate that the soul oracles and their heritage had been destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion after they had chosen to ally themselves with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Even Lu Chong had only managed to obtain their heritage through entering the secret Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles, so where in the world did the adolescent boy find the books of the soul oracles? Furthermore, judging from his tone, it seemed like he had essed quite a huge collection of them at that! Or... could it be that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers still had the heritage of soul oracles with them? That was possible, considering that their heritage hade directly from Kong shi. Hmm... Instead of answering Zhang Xuans question, the adolescent boy looked at him earnestly and asked, Other than the idea of stationary space, may I know what other errors the books have? If he thought that Zhang Xuan was spouting nonsense previously, after that exchange, it had already be apparent to him that the young mans understanding of space was likely to be deeper than his. There is a total of thirteen major conceptual ws in your books... Zhang Xuan replied honestly. ... Luo Ruoxin. Her intention was to have Wu Chen offer pointers to the person that she loved so as to help him advance his cultivation. But somehow... things seemed to have gone in a different direction from what she had expected. Not only so, Wu Chen was even nodding vehemently, as if having epiphanies one after another. Just who was guiding whom? Just as Zhang Xuan was about to go through the thirteen ws in detail, Luo Ruoxin suddenly sent a telepathic message to the two of them. Someone ising. The two of them widened their eyes in rm as they quickly fell silent. Earlier, when theynded in the vicinity, they had already used a secret art to seal the space around them and conceal their presence. As such, even if they continued speaking, no one in the external world would be any the wiser. Zhang Xuan turned his head forward, and without him realizing, several long-robed figures had appeared in the midst of the mountain range. Their robes were made in a simr fashion to that of the master teacher robe, but perhaps because they were made of ck cloth, Zhang Xuan could not help but find them a little incongruent and odd. He activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look. There were four people in total. They did not look too old on the surface, seemingly only in their early to middle thirties. Are they the Otherworldly Demons who have kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others?Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. His previous analysis of the incident was that the culprits could only be the Hundred Schools of Philosophers or the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Since Luo Ruoxin was not an Otherworldly Demon, it stood to reason that the group in front of him was from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Clenching his fists tightly, he took a deep breath as he readied himself to activate the blood droplet in his hand at any moment. He turned to the youngdy beside him and asked, Now? Wait a moment first. Luo Ruoxin shook her head. We arent too familiar with the ancient domain, so it would be best to let them enter first before deciding our next move. Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded. Chapter 1585 - Ancient Sage Ran Qiu

Chapter 1585: Ancient Sage Ran Qiu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had only learned about this ce from the copper-masked figures painting. As for the exact location of where the ancient domain was, what was hidden in the ancient domain, and what kind of dangersy in it, he waspletely oblivious. Since these Otherworldly Demons were intending to enter the ancient domain, he was more than happy to let them scout the way ahead for them. Even if they were discovered afterward, he could activate Kong shis blood droplet to deal with them. As long as none of them were Ancient Sages, he was confident that he could kill or even apprehend them all. Where is it? While they were lying in wait, the four new arrivals were carefully scanning the area, seemingly trying to determine the exact location of the folded space. Give me a moment, Ill check on it! A frail-looking young man took a step forward, and with a tap on his finger, a book materialized and floated right in front of him, emanating a faint turquoise glow. It looks quite simr to the book you have, Zhang Xuan remarked to Luo Ruoxin. In terms of appearance, it could be said to be identical to the one that she had acquired from the Qiu Wu Pce. It seemed like she was indeed right. There was more than one clue leading to the ancient domain. It seemed like it was not without reason that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been able to render mankind utterly helpless until Kong shi appeared. They were indeed far more resourceful than he had thought. Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion was aware of the distinction between the Master Amulet and the Subordinate Amulets, yet the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had already acquired the artifact required to track the Master Amulet down. Weng! The book gradually drifted ahead, slowlybing the entire area before abruptly jolting. With a light buzz, it came to a halt. Its here! the frail-looking young man eximed. Un! The young man who had issued themand before nodded as he quickly rushed over. This young man had a clean-looking face and the air of a schr, which formed a stark contrast to the vicious appearance of the Otherworldly Demons that Zhang Xuan had met before. If not for the fact that he had appeared there, there was no way that one would have been able to imagine that he was one of the culprits who had made a move against Zhao Ya and the others. Previously, Zhang Xuan had heard that the Otherworldly Demonic Emperors were able to impersonate humans, such that even master teachers would have difficulties seeing through their disguise. From the looks of it now, that was indeed true. Open! The schrly young man raised his hand and pumped a surge of tremendous power into the space in front of him. Jiyaya! A deafening noise echoed in the air as a door made solely out of light materialized before their eyes. Incredible energy flowed within the door of light, making it impossible to discern where the door would lead one to. Instead of entering the ancient domain immediately, the schrly young man turned around and instructed severely, Everyone, be careful. This ancient domain was left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, so we must maintain the utmost caution! The other three young men quickly nodded in response. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu? Zhang Xuan gasped in astonishment. The seventy-two direct disciples of Kong shi were known as the seventy-two Philosophers. Of them, the ten strongest disciples were collectively known as the Ten Apostles, and Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was one of the apostles. He was equal to Ancient Sage Bo Shang in terms of standing, and in terms of strength, he was reputed to be the strongest among the Ten Apostles. Back during the war with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had charged into armies of enemies with just a single spear in hand, killing innumerable Otherworldly Demonic Emperors. In fact, he was the founder of the Combat Master Hall! If he was indeed the man behind the ancient domain, there was little doubt that the ancient domain would be fraught with dangerous trials. Lets go! After warning the others to keep their guard up, the schrly young man walked into the door of light, and with a pulsation of energy, he disappeared from everyones sight. The other three young men followed behind him, and they vanished in the blink of an eye as well. Lets head in, too! Seeing that the four of them had entered the door of light, Zhang Xuan was just about to step out of their concealment when Luo Ruoxin suddenly grabbed his arm and said, Wait a moment first. Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before widening his eyes in realization. Have they noticed our presence? I dont think they are able to sense our presence, but I think its better to be safe, Luo Ruoxin replied before falling silent. They waited on the spot for roughly half a teas time before the door of light suddenly wavered once more. The schrly young man who had entered first earlier walked out, scanned the surroundings, and heaved a sigh of relief after finding nothing. After which, he entered the door of light once more. This time, the door of light did notst too long before dissipating. What a cautious bunch they are! To think that they would be hiding on the other side of the door, waiting to ambush anyone tailing them! If we had entered earlier, we would have been attacked! Zhang Xuan was astonished. All along, he had been the one scheming against others, but who would have thought that hiscency would nearly get the better of him? If not for Luo Ruoxin stopping him, he might have fallen into their trap! It was true that activating Kong shis blood droplet would grant him strength that was unrivalled by all those beneath Ancient Sage, but if he came under the simultaneous assault of four experts, it was questionable whether he could really hold his ground or not. He really would have to pay more attention to such matters so as to not fall into such traps again in the future. Humph, you want to y with me? Lets see who will be yed with at the very end! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Back then, despite his weak cultivation, he had still managed to eliminate the entire Qingtian Lineage. Now that he had reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle and had Kong shis blood droplet with him, he could not possibly allow himself to fare worse than he did back then! Lets enter. Removing the spatial secret art around them, Luo Ruoxin walked up to the space where the four men disappeared from previously. Wu Chen walked to her side, and taking a deep breath, he syed his hand and pressed it downward. Weng! By infusing his energy into the space, just like what the schrly young man had done previously, a door of light gradually materialized out of nowhere. Wu Chen was the first to enter the door, and he vanished on the spot. Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin traded nces before entering the door of light together. With a light buzz, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself standing in the midst of a vast grasnd. There was a clear sky, and the surrounding air was crisp and refreshing. With a quick look, it felt as if they had been teleported away instead of entering a folded space. The space in here is really stable, Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment. Even folded spaces on the level of the Qiu Wu Pce were extremely crass in construction, and exertion of excessive strength could easily result in their copse. On the other hand, the space that they were currently in was extraordinarily stable, such that it made them doubt if they had really entered a folded space. The greater stability of the space only goes to show how dangerous it will be here. Ill first look ahead to scout the path they have taken. As long as we trace their footsteps, we should be able to avoid most of the dangers! Wu Chen sped his fist. Luo Ruoxin nodded, granting her permission. Wu Chen quickly examined the surroundings. Slowly, a deep frown etched itself onto his forehead. Its very dangerous in here. There are formations and spatial rifts all around, and the slightest misstep could possiblynd us in one of those. We need to be... Before Wu Chen could finish his sentence with the word careful, Zhang Xuan had already taken a huge stride forward. As he walked, he even beckoned to them leisurely, saying, Quick, over here. Follow me... You... Taken aback by the young mans reckless action, Wu Chen suddenly felt his heart tightening in anger. What are you doing? Dont you know what kind of treacherous ce we are in? I havent found the path that they have walked in yet! Its very dangerous to be roaming dangerously in here... Just as Wu Chen was about to grab the young man back, he saw Luo Ruoxin following the young mans footsteps without saying a word. Mdy! Its dangerous... Wu Chen eximed anxiously. It was one thing for the weak Zhang Xuan to not know better, but why would Luo Ruoxin be so rash as well? While Wu Chen was still panicking inside, Luo Ruoxins voice drifted to his ears. He has the Eye of Insight. Itll do to follow him. Eye of Insight? The ability that allows one to see through all facade? Wu Chen widened his eyes in astonishment. To possess the Eye of Insight andmand such a deep understanding of space... Am I the expert, or is he the expert? Why does it feel like my feeling of superiority as an expert seem to vanish before the young man? Chapter 1586 - Yellow Water of the Netherworld

Chapter 1586: Yellow Water of the Netherworld

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The trio slowly advanced ahead. As they were following the trail of the group of four before them, they did not meet much danger along the way. Those four young men did not leave the slightest trail behind when they kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others, which went to show that they had intentionally destroyed all marks of themselves. In this ancient domain, however, perhaps because danger was all around, they could not bother about it anymore, or maybe they felt that no one would be able to follow them thereregardless, they had lowered their guard. That being said, their trail was still very faint, to the point of nearly being indiscernible, but fortunately, it was still barely visible through the Eye of Insight. Those four are indeed powerful... Zhang Xuan thought grimly. If not for his Eye of Insight improving along with his cultivation, even he would have had trouble making out their nearly indiscernible trail! To be able to do so without intentional concealment, just how powerful would they really be? Most likely, even if they were not on Yang shis level yet, they were not too far from it. If the four of them coborated with one another, even Yang shi would be no match for them! With their cultivation and the element of surprise on their side, it was no wonder Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had fallen to them. They are likely notable figures even within the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Zhang Xuan thought with narrowed eyes. While those of the Otherworldly Demon Tribe were born with greater innate strength and longer lifespans than humans, there was no doubt that only a small handful would be able to reach such a level, which meant that the group of four consisted of the elite of the elites. Otherwise, there was no way mankind would have been able to keep the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe away from the Master Teacher Continent for so many years. Even if Zhang Xuans group was able to subdue the four of them, chances were that they would sustain severe damage in the process. ... There are signs of battle ahead... After proceeding ahead for a moment, the adolescent boy Wu Chen suddenly raised his hand to warn the group before walking over alone. Zhang Xuan quickly followed behind him, and he swiftly noticed pits of varying sizes and depths all around the area, a sign that an intense battle had just urred. No, something is wrong... Doubts surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes as he analyzed the surroundings. While these marks appear to originate from a battle, the fact is that they originate from a single source. In other words, its the doing of an individualthere are no marks around that suggests that he was facing an opponent! Through the discerning Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could tell that despite the chaotic marks all around, they were all inflicted by the zhenqi of a single person. There was no other person to fight with if a battle had truly happened here! Could it be... Luo Ruoxins eyebrows shot up. ... a hallucination? There could only be one reason for a person to desperatelyunch attacks one after another in the presence of no opponent at allhe was in a disorientated state, thuspelling him to make such irrational actions. Such was the case when they entered the Qiu Wu Pce back then. They had immediately been exposed to a demonic tune, which ced them in a poor state of mind. If not for Zhang Xuan finding the core of the formation and destroying it, the group would have marched on till they finally died of exhaustion. That does seem to be the case! Wu Chen nodded. Illusory Formations blur the distinction between reality and hallucinations, and that could be extremely dangerous in here. Mdy, Zhang shi, please wait here for a moment while I find a way to destroy the formation! Be careful. The fact that this formation was able to trap one of those four shows that its of formidable prowess, Luo Ruoxin warned. I understand! Wu Chen nodded. Gritting his teeth, he began advancing slowly. However, barely after taking two steps, he suddenly found Zhang Xuan walking right past him before halting at a certain point and stomping his foot forcefully on the ground. Hu! The surroundings seemed to waver for a moment, as if something hade undone. pping his hands together, Zhang Xuan turned around and said, Jobs done. The Illusory Formation has been dispelled! Wu Chen felt goosebumps rising all over his body. He hurriedly walked forward and extended his Spiritual Perception to the surroundings before he was able to convince himself that the formation had indeed been deciphered! You... Wu Chen stared at the young man not too far away in frenzy. It was one thing for the young man to be more formidable than him when it came to spatial maniption and eye of discernment... but to think that the young man would wield such amazing prowess in formations as well! He had not even located where the formation was when the young man was already done deciphering it... How could that be? Was there anything that the young man was incapable of? It was almost as if they had been given the wrong scripts! He was supposed to be the knowledgeable expert whereas the young man was the countryside bumpkin! Mdy... Wu Chen quickly turned to the youngdy behind him, wanting to see her reaction to this matter, only to see a faint smile on her face. It was as if she had known that the young man wielded such capabilities from the very start, and she was not surprised in the least. Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was not saying anything, he did not feel that it would be appropriate for him toment on the matter. Thus, despite the strange feeling in his heart, he decided to keep his silence and trudge on ahead. This time, the group did not walk too long before a river came into sight. The river water was slightly yellowish and translucent, making it hard to see through it. Looking at it from afar, it did not seem to be flowing either, almost as if it was a still painting. Wu Chen observed it for a while before flicking his wrist to take out a Saint high-tier artifact to toss into the river. Tzzzzzzzz! A trail of smoke rose from the tip of the weapon, and it did not take long for the Saint high-tier artifact to bepletely corroded by the river water, leaving nary a trace at all. Following which, Wu Chen took out a Saint pinnacle artifact and ced it in the river water. In less than ten breaths, a scorched mark had already appeared on the surface. This is the Yellow Water of the Netherworld. Its highly corrosive, capable of devouring a Saint high-tier artifact within moments. Even Saint pinnacle artifacts wontst too long in it. Its also extremely harmful to cultivators and their zhenqi. If one falls into the water, their Primordial Spirit will swiftly be corrupted, inflicting irrecoverable damage! Wu Chen said grimly. Yellow Water of the Netherworld? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had read many books, but he had never heard of such a liquid before. Un. Its a natural product of the world, and its alsomonly known as Yellow Springwater. Even Great Sage realm cultivators would not daree into contact with it easily. From the looks of it, well have to cross this river in order to advance further in the ancient domain. However, the river corrodes the air directly above it as well, so even flying past the river will be extremely dangerous. Unless... Wu Chen paused for a moment before continuing. Unless we build a Netherworlds Bridge! Netherworlds Bridge? Zhang Xuan was even more confused. Was it not a little troublesome to construct a bridge on the spot? How did the group of four ahead of them manage to get past the river then? To cross theherworld without falling into it, the Netherworlds Bridge is of paramount importance. Most likely, the four of them were able to cross because they were aware of the situation in the ancient domain and made preparations in advance, such as bringing along the Netherworlds Boat or artifacts of a simr nature, Wu Chen exined. Simr to the Netherworlds Bridge, the Netherworlds Boat allows one to traverse through the Yellow Water of the Netherworld freely without falling into it. However, its construction method has long disappeared from the world! Considering how the Yellow Springwater is able to corrode even Saint pinnacle weapons, does that mean that the Netherworlds Boat is a Great Sage artifact? Zhang Xuan asked out of curiosity. In the three days that he had spent traveling to the Luo n, he had conversed at length with Sword Saint Xing and Yang shi, and he had learned much about the higher realms. Saint artifacts were divided into low-tier, middle-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle, and beyond that were Great Sage artifacts! There was no finer distinction to Great Sage artifacts as most of them had unique properties that would be difficult to ssify properly. Nevertheless, depending on how they were forged, there could still be vast differences in their quality. To date, Zhang Xuan had yet to see any Great Sage artifacts, so he was not in a good position toment either. Since the Netherworlds Boat that Wu Chen had mentioned was able to travel through the Yellow Water of the Netherworld safely, could it possibly be a Great Sage artifact? Otherwise, how could it withstand the corrosion of the Yellow Water? You might not believe it when I say this, but it isnt a Great Sage artifact but simply... Wu Chen shook his head bitterly. Paper! The Netherworlds Boat is a type of paper boat! Chapter 1587 - Delicious

Chapter 1587: Delicious

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Paper boat? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Even Saint pinnacle artifacts are unable to withstand the corrosion of the Yellow Water of the Netherworld, so how could they travel safely through it in a paper boat? The entire matter was simply too unbelievable. Even Saint 9-dan pinnacle experts would not be able to destroy Saint pinnacle artifacts, and yet, such an artifact could notst long under the corrosion of the Yellow Water either. On the other hand, even ordinary mortals would be able to tear paper apart, so it was ridiculous to think that a paper boat would be able to float one across the river. To be honest, I dont know either. This is beyond my understanding as well. Its said to be a method that Kong shi came up with back then, but the art has long been lost. Its unlikely for even the Master Teacher Pavilion to have a record on it! Wu Chen shook his head. Doesnt that mean that itll be impossible for us to cross this river? Zhang Xuan frowned. Just by hearing the term, he could already imagine how troublesome it would be to construct the Netherworlds Bridge. At the same time, he had no idea how to construct the Netherworlds Boat either, so there was nothing more they could do, right? Could they only wait there helplessly? If it was any other asion, I would still be able to cross the river without much trouble... but without sufficient power and resources on hand at the moment, I fear that theres nothing much I can do! Wu Chen remarked helplessly. This... Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Luo Ruoxin, only to see thetter shaking her head too. I do know of some methods that would allow us to cross the river, but with my current strength, it would be a little difficult for me to execute them. I see... Ill try to think of an alternative solution then! Zhang Xuan said. Considering that the group of four ahead of them had already crossed the river, if they continued wasting time, it was likely that the Master Amulet would be gone before they could even set their eyes on it. Thus, after some hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked up to the river and ced his hand into the water. Are you insane! Seeing the young man touching the water directly with his hand, Wu Chen nearly fainted from shock. Was he tired of living? Wu Chen was just about to rush over to drag the young man away when he saw a bizarre look surfacing on the young mans face. After which, the young man scooped a mouthful of water from the river and licked it with his tongue before gulping it down. A brilliant gleam shone from the young mans eyes as he eximed in agitation, Its actually quite delicious! Come, try some! Try some? Wu Chen nearly fainted on the spot. As the name suggested, the Yellow Water of the Netherworld would send those who dared touch it into the cycle of reincarnation. Yet, not only did that fellow touch it, he even drank it... Did the young man really have to be so tenacious? Seriously speaking, arent you over exaggerating? Zhang Xuan said as he took another mouthful, and a feeling of invigoration consumed his body. It was almost as if he was drinking the nectar of life! The adolescent boy had described the water to be so treacherous that even Great Sages would avoid it like the gue, but when he touched it, he did not feel any of that at all. He also activated the Library of Heavens Path on it, and it was not as frightening as the adolescent boy had described. Not only was it not dangerous, it was delectable with a nice texture to it! Was this an attempt by the adolescent boy to scare him? ... Seeing how the young man waspletely unaffected by the Yellow Springwater, not sustaining the slightest damage even when ingesting it directly, Wu Chen could not help but gape at the young man doubtfully. Could he have really made a mistake? As such a thought arose in his mind, he slowly walked over to the river and ced a finger in. Tzzzzzzzzzz! A heart-wrenching pain assaulted him, and he swiftly retracted his hand like a bolt of lightning. Even so, it was already charred ck. Had he been even a split instantter, he might have lost his entire finger! Clenching his jaws tightly together to bear through the pain, the adolescent boy took another look at the young man, who was sshing the water around merrily as if a little child, and he felt like bursting into tears. The adolescent boy had absolute confidence in his strength. Even when taking the entire Master Teacher Continent into consideration, he did not think that there would be anyone who was a match for him. Even so, his finger still swiftly corroded upon contact with the water... yet the young man was actuallypletely fine? This was illogical! No, thats not right... Theres something wrong with your physical body and soul! Wu Chen widened his eyes in a mixture of realization and astonishment. Theres something wrong with my physical body and soul? Zhang Xuan stopped his merrymaking and turned a doubtful look toward the adolescent boy. Even though his body had been tempered by the Heavens Path Golden Body and wasparable to Saint pinnacle artifacts, it was still nowhere close to that of Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm cultivators. Considering how the adolescent boy would challenge even Yang shi to a battle, it was likely that he had already reached this level. To be honest, he was not really able to make sense out of the bizarre turn of events. I can sense the presence of lightning within your body and soul. It is the lightning energy thats keeping the corrosion of the Yellow Springwater at bay! Wu Chen said. Lightning? Indeed. The Yellow Water of the Netherworld is hidden deep underground, cold and eerie. On the other hand, lightning is the element of absolute yang, the manifestation of the authority of the heavens. In the face of the heavens, the demons and specters of theherworld would dare not step out of line, Wu Chen eximed in disbelief. But how can your body and soul harness the Power of Lightning without crumbling? While cultivators would have to face the lightning tribtion from the Leaving Aperture realm onward, they could only take a passive role in the process, gritting their teeth and praying for the lightning tribtion to be over as soon as possible. There were indeed experts in the world who had sessfully cultivated lightning attribute cultivation techniques, but even they were unable to infuse lightning into their very body and soul without sustaining permanent damage! This was especially so for ones soul. Even after metamorphosing into a Primordial Spirit, it still remained extremely vulnerable to lightning, just like how fire would always remain the nemesis of ice. The young man before him had not reached Great Sage yet, but his body and soul were charged with the Power of Lightning. It was this Power of Lightning that protected him against the corrosion of the Yellow Springwater! I see... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He had spent hisst two months absorbing the lightning energy within lightning tribtions in order to achieve breakthroughs, so his body and Primordial Spirit were already suffused with the Power of Lightning. If the Yellow Water of the Netherworld was indeed fearful of the Power of Lightning, it was understandable why he possessed such strong resistance against its corrosion. Since lightning energy is able to oppose the corrosion of the Yellow Springwater, wont we be able to cross the river easily as long as we summon lightning here? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as an idea crossed his mind. As long as they could summon something that the Yellow Springwater feared, they would be able to curb it and cross the river with ease! Summon lightning? Hearing those ridiculous words from the young mans mouth, Wu Chen could not help but shake his head in disapproval. You are putting it too lightly. Lightning is the authority of the heavens. While its possible to summon a lightning tribtion by making a breakthrough, who of us here will be able to make a breakthrough right now? Taking a step back, even if we sessfully summon a lightning tribtion here, we will already have our hands full dealing with it, let alone channel its powers to help us cross the river! There were times that the young man disyed incredible acuity for things, seeing through the very nature of things without being restrained by prior ideas. However, there were also times where he seemed like aplete amateur, showing an absoluteck ofmon sense! Lightning was the retribution that the heavens brought upon cultivators... Just how naive did one have to be to even conjure the notion of using it to cross the river? Seeing that this was what the adolescent boy was worried about, Zhang Xuan replied with a smirk. Dont worry, that isnt a problem at all... With a flick of his wrist, a saint beast flew forth from his storage ring and circled in the sky, emanating a frightening aura. Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast! I have just checked on it, and the water in here should be able to help you achieve a breakthrough. Ill point out the ws in your cultivation right now, so use the Yellow Springwater here to stimte the acupoints that I mention. With that, you should be able to push for a breakthrough to the next realm... Zhang Xuan looked at the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast flying above him and issued his instructions. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast harnessed the cold attribute of theherworld, too. Absorbing spiritual energy of a simr attribute to it would help to elerate its cultivation, and the Yellow Water of the Netherworld happened to be one such source. While the corrosion would also deal significant damage to it, as long as it was utilized carefully, it could potentially achieve unexpected effects. Perhaps, it might even sessfully push for a breakthrough to Great Sage! Chapter 1588 - Offering Pointers to the Lightning Tribulation

Chapter 1588: Offering Pointers to the Lightning Tribtion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Great Sage realm is the greatest hurdle for Saint cultivators. Its like bridging the gap between the earth and the heavens for human cultivators, and even more so for saint beasts. Without a sufficiently pure bloodline, its impossible to seed. Yet, you want it to achieve a breakthrough on the spot and summon a lightning tribtion? You... are you actually serious about this? Wu Chen was beyond frenzied. It was as if thed was jumping from one impossibility to the next! If it was that easy to make a breakthrough to Great Sage, there would not be so many cultivators who departed the world with regrets due to being unable to take the final step forward. And the case was much worse for saint beasts. The requirement on their bloodline was extremely strict, so most saint beasts would require further refinement of their bloodline before they could advance their cultivation. However, to use the Yellow Water of the Netherworld to refine its bloodline? To think that thed could even think of something as ridiculous as that! Wu Chen turned to look at Luo Ruoxin, hoping that she would talk the young man out of his futile pursuit. Contrary to his expectations, she simply looked at the situation with a calm smile, not finding the young mans actions nonsensical at all. In fact, her demeanor seemed to suggest strong confidence in the young man! Even after he suggested something so ridiculous, Luo Ruoxin still trusted that fellow. Gritting his teeth furiously, he turned his gaze back to the young man and saw that thetter had already gotten to work. The young man had taken out many swords and ced them together from end to end, forming a straight line. After which, the young man tied the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast on it with zhenqi treads. From afar, it really looked like a skewer. After all was ready, the young man ced his hand into the river and scooped up the water. Tzzzzzzzz! The Yellow Water of the Netherworld was sprinkled on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and charred marks of corrosion swiftly appeared on its scales. Hai, just what heinous sins did the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beastmit in its previous life to be this fellows tamed beast? This is not helping it advance its cultivation but kill it... Wu Chen could not help but shake his head. The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast seemed to trust Zhang Xuan deeply, but the price of its trust turned out to be being corroded to death by the Yellow Water of the Netherworld. It sure was unlucky. Sighing deeply, Wu Chen could not bring himself to watch on any longer. Just as he was about to avert his gaze, perhaps because watching his tamed beast being corroded by the Yellow Springwater was not enough to satisfy his depraved urges, the young man took out another dozen swords and plunged them right into the body of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. However, as soon as the swords were plunged in, the Yellow Springwater began seeping into the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beasts body, and something seemed to have been stimted. The Saint 9-dan beast began writhing intensely, and a momentter, devastating might suddenly burst forth from its body. It seemed as if its bloodline had been filtered by the Yellow Springwater in an instant, raising its purity to a new level. Not only so, its body had also been tempered, and in the blink of an eye, its cultivation was already surging toward the level of the Introspective Convalescence realm. Hong long long! A deep rumble echoed as innumerable storm clouds slowly gathered overhead, carrying a might that could tear even space apart. He really managed to summon a lightning tribtion... Wu Chens eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he tore out clump after clump of his hair. He had thought that it was utter nonsense, but the young man really had helped the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast achieve a breakthrough and summon the lightning tribtion! To think that there was a breakthrough method that would require one being tied up like a skewer, lubricated, and pierced... His eyes had truly been opened that day! Then again... what use was summoning the lightning tribtion? It was not as if they could use it to cross the river! Wu Chen turned a doubtful gaze over, wanting to see what the young man would do next, only to see the young man directing an amicable smile toward the ominous clouds in the sky. Little Leilei, you are finally here... Come to your Brother Xuans side. I need you to bring us across the river! Boom? The lightning tribtion in the air quivered a little as an aggrieved rumble echoed within it. However, after a moment of hesitation, a surge of lightning still streaked across the air, forming a massive tangible bridge. Lets go! Zhang Xuan said. He moved the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast back into his Myriad Anthive Nest to have it slowlyprehend the strength that it had just gained before stepping onto the bridge of lightning, taking huge strides toward the other end of the river. There... theres actually such a method? Wu Chen waspletely stumped. He had seen cultivators taming beasts, taming weapons, and even taming humans... However, he had never seen anyone taming the lightning tribtion before. This sight had really overturned what he had deemed to be possible and impossible! Lets go. Just as Wu Chen was shocked beyond words, he heard Luo Ruoxins voice by the side. Following which, he saw her stepping onto the bridge of lightning as well, slowly making her way over to the opposite end. Forget it, theres no point thinking too much into it at the moment... Seeing that the two of them were moving far ahead, Wu Chen knew that this was not the time for him to get shocked, so he quickly followed along as well. Countless volts of blue lightning crackled wildly beneath his feet, but unlike ordinary lightning tribtions, it did not deal the slightest damage to him. Instead, it felt warm and nourishing. With the presence of the lightning, the Yellow Water of the Netherworld beneath dared not run rampant, so it could only lie there peacefully. It should have been impossible for them to cross the river without the Netherworlds Bridge or Netherworlds Boat, but who would have thought that they would actually be able to pull it off in such an inconceivable manner? He really could not help but wonder if it was all a dream. He hade into contact with innumerable top-notch master teachers, and many of them were extremely talented individuals. However, none of them would be able to achieve this feat. In fact, even Kong shi would not have been able to do so! It did not take long for the trio to reach the opposite shore of the river. After they got down from the bridge of lightning, Zhang Xuan turned around and smiled. You should return for now. Ill look for you the next time I need you! Right, I realized that you made a lot of mistakes when you gathered your lightning energy together earlier, resulting in the rate of gathering being needlessly slow and its final output being diminished. If you have time, feel free to look for me. Ill give you some pointers to help you improve yourself! Boom! The thunder seemed to rumble with a quaver, seemingly unable to believe what it had just heard. It was actually... possible for it to improve itself too? Seemingly seeing through its doubts, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and nodded. You have a total of seven ws. Listen to my words obediently, and Ill reveal these ws to you along with the method to correct them slowly over time! How embarrassing it was for him to trouble Little Leilei each and every time! Earlier, when the storm clouds began gathering, he had observed the process carefully using the Library of Heavens Path and found that there were many ws in the process. Thus, he could make it up to Little Leilei by offering it some guidance when he was free. Boom! Upon hearing those words, the lightning tribtion rumbled excitedly before slowly dissipating before everyones eyes. It actually heeds yourmand? Furthermore... you are able to lecture it? Seeing that the lightning tribtion had really left like an obedient child, Wu Chen clutched his hair in frenzy. Un, its a good kid! Zhang Xuan nodded. Good kid? Wu Chen nearly spurted a mouthful of blood. The lightning tribtion had always been the nemesis of cultivators. Every year, countless cultivators would die in its hands, making it their object of fear. This was the very first time that he had heard someone describing the lightning tribtion as a good kid! If word were to spread, the cultivators of the world would go insane! If even the lightning tribtion could be obedient, was there anything in the world that could not be obedient? If... the lightning tribtion has no ws and is able to gather even faster, wont that mean that there will be even more cultivators dying from it? Wu Chen could not help but voice the question on his mind. Putting aside how the fellow was able to make the lightning tribtion heed his orders, more importantly, if he was really able to correct its ws and make it grow stronger, would the lightning tribtions for human cultivators not be harder? The death toll was already as high as it was. If the lightning tribtion grew any stronger, who would dare cultivate in the future? Dont worry, Ill teach it ways to exploit the ws of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe so that it will only strike down Otherworldly Demons in the future. Im pretty free at the moment anyway... Zhang Xuan replied with a shrug. You... Not expecting the young man to be so shameless, Wu Chen felt his hair standing on end. Just as he was about to say something, Luo Ruoxins voice suddenly sounded. Look! Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen quickly turned their heads over, and they swiftly noticed that a pce was floating quietly in the air not too far away Chapter 1589 - Dimensional Sand

Chapter 1589: Dimensional Sand

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The pce carried an ancient and distant aura to it, as if it had existed for innumerable years. It felt like a construction that had transcended history. This was likely left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. If theres really a Celestial Amulet of Legacy here, its probably inside! Luo Ruoxin said. With just a nce, it was apparent that the pce was extraordinary. It was not an infrastructure that ordinary beings were capable of constructing, and the means that were concealed within would strike fear even in the hearts of Great Sages. This did seem like the work of Kong shis strongest disciple. Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area around the pce, and a momentter, he said grimly, The trail ends here. Most likely, the four of them have already entered the pce. Lets quickly enter as well! Knowing how important this matter was, the three of them quickly flew for the pce ahead of them. While the pce might not have appeared to be too far away from them, roughly twenty li at most, they swiftly found that something was amiss. No matter how swiftly they tried to fly toward it, they found that the pce was still the same distance away from them, as if the gap between them and the pce had not reduced at all. Have we fallen into another Illusory Formation? Zhang Xuan asked with an awful expression. He had met with such a situation back at the Old Sword Maestros Sword Lagoon. It was like a supernatural incident. No matter how far he walked, he would end uping back to the same spot. Could this be the same situation as well? No, thats not it. Luo Ruoxin had noticed the problem as well, and a frown formed between her eyebrows. If Im not mistaken, its likely to be Dimensional Sand! Dimensional Sand? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Even Wu Chen was unable to make sense out of it. I read about it in a book of records. Dimensional Sand is the byproduct of a copsed space, and if the sand is gathered back together, it is possible to recreate aplete space. However, traveling through Dimensional Sand poses a huge challenge, Luo Ruoxin exined. To make an analogy, it is simr to rowing a boat against the currentsthe faster you row, the greater the counter force will be. As a result, no matter how powerful a cultivator is, they will be forced to stand helplessly before it, unable to advance a step at all. In other words, while we might feel as if we are traveling at a normal speed, the flowing space amid the Dimensional Sand is constantly repelling us, causing our movements to be as slow as a snail, thus creating the effect that we arent advancing at all! Theres actually such a thing in the world? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He had never heard of Dimensional Sand before, but Luo Ruoxins exnation made perfect sense to him. In a way, it was simr to running on a treadmill. While one was attempting to run forward, the treadmill would push one backward, thus resulting in zero progress. No matter how fast one ran, one would be bound to the spot, unable to advance at all. If thats the case, it should be impossible to advance through here. Yet... how did those four manage to get through this obstacle? Wu Chen frowned in doubt. In terms of strength, they did not pale to the group of four that hade ahead of them, so why would the four of them be able to advance sessfully through the Dimensional Sand while they could not? Most likely, they must have used some kind of artifact to seal the movement of the Dimensional Sand. Once the flow of the sand is stopped, it shouldnt be too difficult to travel past it, Luo Ruoxin exined. Isnt it possible for us to use spatial wormholes to leap past the Dimensional Sand? This way, we will be able to circumvent it, right? Zhang Xuan asked. Previously, Wu Chen had made used of spatial wormholes to cover a distance of several million li in the blink of an eye. Considering how the distance between them and the pce was just twenty li, it should be much easier than before. The theory behind traveling through spatial wormholes is somewhat simr to that of Teleportation Formations. Youre not wrong in saying that we would be able to leap past the Dimensional Sand, but the problem is that Dimensional Sand is not stable in the first ce. If we attempt to travel across it using a spatial art, I fear that it might create spatial turbulence. While this folded space is unexpectedly stable, I dont think it would be wise to try its resilience against spatial turbulence, Luo Ruoxin replied with a deep frown. Even an Introspective Convalescence realm cultivator would have trouble surviving in spatial turbulence, so attempting to leap over it would be extremely dangerous to Zhang Xuan. Furthermore, it could lead to instability in the folded space that they were in, and that could potentially lead to many undesired oues. So, is there no way for us to get past it? Zhang Xuan frowned. It was impossible to fly over it, and Spatial Leaps were too dangerous to be utilized. The pce was right in front of their eyes! Was there really no way for them to get over there? That isnt necessarily the case. As long as we are able to hold the Dimensional Sand still like they did, we should be able to travel through it easily, Luo Ruoxin said. Hold the Dimensional Sand still? As Zhang Xuan asked, his gaze instinctively drifted over to Wu Chen. The adolescent boysprehension of space was on par with even the experts of the Luo n. Perhaps, he might have a solution to the quandary that they were in. Sensing Zhang Xuans gaze on him, Wu Chen shook his head. If I had the Luo ns Dimensional Silencer, I might still be able to pull it off. However, I fear that I wont be able to do so in my current state! Dimensional Silencer? Its a treasure that the founder of the Luo n found by chance. It wields the ability to hold space still and calm spatial turbulences. The Dimensional Sand in front of us is difficult to deal with, but with the Dimensional Silencer, we would be able to halt its flow directly! Wu Chen said with a nod of his head. The Dimensional Silencer is so formidable? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. He had long heard that the little princess of the Luo n, together with her Dimensional Silencer, wielded frightening prowess that would strike fear in the hearts of any cultivator. However, he had not sparred with her before, and deep within his heart, he still regarded her as the innocent and courteous littless who addressed him as her teacher. He had never really thought that the Dimensional Silencer would actually be so formidable. The Dimensional Silencer is a formidable artifact, and from the feeling I get, Luo Qiqi is still far from unlocking its true prowess, Luo Ruoxin remarked with a nod. However, theres no point talking about this right now. The Dimensional Silencer isnt here, and even if we were to head out to fetch it right now, we wouldnt make it back in time. Thats true... Zhang Xuan nodded helplessly. As powerful as the Dimensional Silencer was, they did not have it with them at the moment. Furthermore, after the deep wound that he had dealt to Luo Qiqis heart, no matter how thick-skinned he was, he could not possibly bring himself to head to the Luo n and borrow their Guardian Artifact! Speaking of the Dimensional Silencer, an idea suddenly came into my mind. If we were to... No, that wouldnt work either. Never mind! Wu Chen suddenly interjected, but halfway through his words, a bitter smile broke out of his face, and he shook his head. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and asked, Feel free to voice of any ideas you have in mind. We might be able to build on them to derive a feasible solution. Actually, the Luo n and Ancient Sage Qiu Wusprehension of space are derived from the Dimensional Silencer. As such, the Quintessence of their spatial heritagey in sealing and stabilizing space. If any of us are able toprehend it, we will be able to halt the flow of the Dimensional Sand and easily fly across it! Wu Chen said. However, Spatial Quintessence is much harder to grasp than other Quintessences. It took me countless years to achieve my current understanding of space, and I had to browse through innumerable ancient texts before I finally seeded... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a matter and asked, If I divide space by the levels of Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction, which realm would I have to reach in order toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of the Luo n? If you were to divide it by those levels... Wu Chen pondered for a moment before replying, You should be able toprehend the Luo ns Spatial Quintessence by reaching the fourth level, which is the level of Creation! The fourth level? Those words made Zhang Xuans eyes light up in agitation, and his lips crept up confidently. With a heated look in his eyes, he asked, You mentioned earlier that you have many ancient books concerning space... Do you, by any chance, have them with you? I would like to browse them! Chapter 1590 - 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Chapter 1590: 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You want to read right now? Wu Chen was stunned to hear those words. He could not figure out what the young man was up to. Everyone is discussing how to escape from the Dimensional Sand and enter the pce in order to find the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, but at this crucial moment, you are telling us that you want to read books... Can you propose anything more inappropriate for the situation than that? Zhang shi, we are currently in a tough spot. We cant get to the pce, and theres no ce for us to retreat to either. Why dont we discuss how we should proceed from here on instead? Wu Chen advised awkwardly. To be honest, if not for the fact that Luo Ruoxin liked this fellow, he would have already killed him with one crisp p! The least you can do is get your priorities straight, right? I said that in order to get us out of this situation, Zhang Xuan said. I have seen the Luo n using their bloodline ability and their spatial secret arts. As long as you give me the books that you have concerning space, I think I might just be able to derive a simr cultivation technique,prehend Spatial Quintessence, and resolve the current situation! You want to cultivate right now? Wu Chen nearly spurted blood. So, that was what the fellow was thinking of... He sure knew how to daydream! Suppressing his overflowing rage, Wu Chen took in a deep breath to calm himself down before saying, Zhang shi, I know that you are a man of great talent, but spatialws are the most difficult set ofws to grasp among the variousws of the world. This is even more so for the Spatial Quintessence of sealing space. Countless geniuses have devoted their lives to exploring this field of study, only to make no progress... Im afraid that it might be toote for you to start cultivating right now! If it was that easy to grasp spatialws, the Luo n would not enjoy such prestige on the Master Teacher Continent! To only be thinking of studying after you are trapped... Do you think that Spatial Quintessences are like cabbages by the road, ready to be picked whenever you need one? Just as Wu Chen was about to continue speaking, he suddenly heard Luo Ruoxins slightly displeased voice sounding by the side. Since Zhang Xuan has said so, he must have his considerations in mind. Pass him the books. Yes, Mdy! Since Luo Ruoxin had already spoken, Wu Chen did not darein anymore. Thus, with a flick of his wrist, he took out the massive collection of books that he had gathered over the years. Piled on top of one another, they resembled a mini mountain. As he took out those books, he could not help but grumble in his heart, I really wonder what kind of spell that fellow has cast over Mdy for her to trust him so much! Oblivious to Wu Chens internal thoughts, Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned through the books and collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. As hepiled them together with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel in his head, he casually picked up one of the books from the pile and began flipping through it as a cover. Unfortunately, the book that he had picked up on a whim only drove Wu Chens mind into greater turmoil, and he nearly spurted blood. That was because written on the cover of the book were the words Spatial Laws for Dummies. To be reading the bare basics of spatialws right now... I will have already died of old age by the time youprehend Spatial Quintessence! But as stifled as Wu Chen was, with Luo Ruoxin backing Zhang Xuan, he had no choice but to suppress his fury. On the other hand, as he flipped through the Spatial Laws of Dummies, his consciousness was actually already within the Library of Heavens Path. Previously, when hepiled the various manuals that Wu Chen had given him with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he had already managed to remove quite a number of its ws. With the hulking number of books that he had right now, he sessfully perfected the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, bringing it to the level of Heavens Path! The level of Creation is centered around the concept of creating stable folded space. If one is able to create space, it goes without saying that one will be able to stabilize existing spaces as well... Allowing the content of the book to flow through his head, Zhang Xuan slowly closed his eyes. The five levels of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel were namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction. His initial thought upon seeing them was that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had gotten the levels wrong. Typically speaking, one shouldprehend the notion of Destruction beforeprehending Creation, right? However, as he began to understand the crux of Creation in the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he realized that there was not any mistake at all. The level of Creation did entail the idea of creating new space, but it was limited to creating small folded spaces rather than naturally stable spaces like the Master Teacher Continent. On the other hand, Destruction was at a different level. It was about tearing through space to achieve true freedom. To put it in simpler terms, a cultivator who hadprehended Destruction would not only be able to traverse freely with their soul, even their body would be able to tread through space freely! Only upon reaching that realm would one be considered to have reached the pinnacle of space, achieving true freedom and strength. However, it would be incredibly difficult to reach such a realm. Even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu only had a partial understanding as to what Destruction consisted of when he left the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel behind, having yet to reach the level of Major Aplishment. Fortunately, Zhang Xuan did not need to cultivate up to the fifth level. Just the fourth level would suffice to get them out of the current quandary that they were in. Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan went through the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel once more before starting his cultivation. Geji! Geji! The energy in his body began circting in a unique pathway, and in an instant, his meridians and zhenqi seemed to have disappeared within a sealed space, making it impossible for one to sense them anymore. I see! Sensing the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan immediately widened his eyes in enlightenment. While Zhang Xuan had stopped after cultivating the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel up to 3-dan, his understanding of space had still gradually grown deeper and deeper as he raised his cultivation. Of course, the deepening understanding of spatialws as a result of the advancement of his cultivation was different from what he learned in the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, but the two branches of knowledge didplement one another. The epiphany that had struck him induced greater rity in his consciousness, allowing him to perceive the very foundations of space. Complete spaces are like parts of a honeb fitted together, fixed in structure. Even if an object falls on it, there wont be much of a change to its structure. Its such a property that allows one to move through space. On the other hand, Dimensional Sand is simr to quicksand in nature. As soon as it encounters any external force, it will swiftly pull the foreign object in, preventing it from advancing any further... This deepening inprehension of the nature of space also allowed Zhang Xuan to see through Dimensional Sand for what it really was. The reason a space could be stable was because it was built up by countless smaller blocks ced over one another, simr to wooden sheets stacked over one another like a sandwich panel. Dimensional Sand was essentially bits of space scattered loosely around the ce, and traveling across it was like attempting to walk across water?there was simply no solid ground for one to step on. One had to first stabilize the Dimensional Sand in ce first before traversing across it. While Zhang Xuan wasprehending the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Wu Chen was shaking his head grimly. Mdy, it isnt a solution to wait on like this. Those men have already gotten into the main hall. If they obtain the Master Amulet, there wont be anything more we can do... Do you have any other idea in mind other than waiting? Luo Ruoxin nced at Wu Chen leisurely, showing no anxiety at all. If it reallyes down to it, why dont I... Wu Chen gritted his teeth and suggested. No, that will rm more people andplicate the situation. Luo Ruoxin shook her head. Dont worry and put your trust in Zhang Xuan. Since he says that he has an idea in mind, hell surely find a way through. Put my trust in him... Wu Chen was rendered speechless by Luo Ruoxins blind trust. He has only begun to learn spatial arts, and the book that he picked up was the most elementary one. Who knows how many years it will take him toprehend the Spatial Quintessence? By then, it will already be toote... Hu! Before Wu Chen could finish his words, a slight breeze blew across his face. A breeze? How could there be a breezeing from the Dimensional Sand? Wu Chen widened his eyes in astonishment. Under normal circumstances, even if one fanned as hard as one could, it would not raise the slightest draft amid the Dimensional Sand... So, how could there suddenly be an air currenting from the Dimensional Sand? Hong long long! Before Wu Chen could make sense out of what was happening, he suddenly felt the space around him tremoring intensely. Spiritual energy converged furiously toward the young man before him. The next instant, the young man opened his eyes, and a light smile crept onto his lips. Freeze! With a resounding bellow, the scattered Dimensional Sand suddenly froze in ce. Chapter 1591 - The Excited Deputy Clan Head of the Luo Clan

Chapter 1591: The Excited Deputy n Head of the Luo n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 T-this... Wu Chen nearly burst into tears. It was just a moment ago that he had thought that he would have already withered away like an aged flower by the time the young manprehended Spatial Quintessence, but before he knew it, the young man was already freezing the Dimensional Sand in ce. Did the young man really have to be so fast? In this moment, Wu Chen felt a stinging pain on his face. If there was a hole in the ground, he would have dived right in out of embarrassment. He was an expert! An expert! An expert ! But in less than half a day aftering to know Zhang shi, he had already been pped three times in the face, and each time, it left him dizzy with disbelief. He had thought that since the young man was proficient in one field, he was bound to be weaker in another... Yet, as the facts had shown time and time again, the young man was strong in every respect! It was as if the concept of weakness did not apply to him at all! Each time he doubted the young man, the situation would turn on him and leave him too embarrassed to meet anyone. Just that... how did the young man do it? Did he really justprehend Spatial Quintessence by reading an elementary book on spatial arts? Could it be that the key to spatial arts actuallyy in the bare foundations? So, all of the secrets were actually contained within that elementary manual? It seemed like he would really have to study it carefully in the future. Perhaps, he might just be able toprehend something from it and improve! Unaware of the adolescent boys inner thoughts, Zhang Xuan casually tossed the book in his hand back into the pile before calmly announcing, I have dealt with the Dimensional Sand. We can move on now. Un. Luo Ruoxin nodded with a smile before heading for the pce. Wu Chen picked up the book that Zhang Xuan had been reading previously and stared at it meaningfully. In the past, he would not even have spared a second nce at a book of this caliber, but in that moment, he could not even bear to grab the book too tightly, fearing that he would make the slightest dent on this unparalleled secret manual and hinder the progression of his fighting prowess. ... In the Luo n, two ordinary disciples were currently walking toward the ancestral hall, where the tablets of Founder Luo Yuntian and countless other predecessors were ced. These two disciples were on duty, and they had to clean the ancestral hall, offer incense sticks, and conduct the routine rituals to honor the predecessors. We have really embarrassed ourselves today! Itll be hard for the Luo n to make aeback after this... the green-robed disciple walking on the left grumbled with a shake of his head. When has our Luo n suffered such humiliation since its founding? the gray-robed disciple on the right replied. Whats even more infuriating is that our n head doesnt pay any heed to the matter despite being rejected publicly! The green-robed disciple sighed in frustration. If shes unwilling to make a stand, what can the rest of us do? The gray-robed disciple harrumphed. She isnt our n head yet! The inauguration ceremony hasnt been conducted, remember? It was only put off due to the engagement. If not for the engagement, given her bloodline and control over the Dimension Silencer, she would have already be the n head ages ago! the green-robed disciple said. But after seeing how she dealt with the humiliation we suffered earlier, I really cant bear to think what will be of the Luo n under her leadership... The gray-robed disciple sighed. Even if the Luo n declines under her leadership, theres nothing we can do about it! The green-robed disciple sighed. Its not as if you are unaware of our n rules! Only those whose bloodline has reached a certain level of purity can be the n head, but theres no one other than her who has reached the mark! Unless someone who hasprehended our ancestors Spatial Quintessence appears... but in the past tens of thousands of years, no one has been able to achieve that! So, its only a matter of time before she bes the n head! We cant possibly go against the teachings of our predecessors over this one single matter! I know that, too, but I really cant stand... Whats happening? Halfway through his words, the gray-robed disciple was suddenly disrupted by intense tremors beneath his feet. Itsing from the ancestral hall. Quick, lets head over to take a look! Sensing that the tremors had originated from the ancestral hall right ahead of them, the face of the green-robed disciple warped in horror as he quickly dashed toward it. The gray-robed disciple swiftly followed suit. As soon as they entered the room, they were left in a daze by what they were seeing. The sculptures of their founder, Luo Yuntian, had turned toward the doorway, where they were standing, gazing deeply into the distance. With a slight smile on his lips, he sped his fist and conducted a ceremonial greeting toward a fellow peer. At the same time, the many ancestral tablets behind him also seemed to bow down deferentially, as if standing in the face of a superior, not daring to look up at all. At the same time, the two characters that Founder Luo Yuntian had left behind, (Silence) and (Space), were shaking non-stop, as if they would break out of the wall at any moment. The tremors that they had experienced outside had originated from those two characters. Could it be that... our founder hase back to life? the green-robed disciple muttered in a daze. Founder Luo Yuntian passed on countless years ago, so how could he possibly havee back to life? The gray-robed disciple was much calmer in the face of this unexpected turn of events, but even so, he was unable to make sense of the situation. Im not too sure whats going on here, but something huge must have happened. We have to inform the deputy n head, First Elder, and the others right away. They might be able to figure out what has happened! Alright! Not daring to waste any time, the green-robed disciple quickly whipped out his Communication Jade Token and ryed the happenings in the ancestral hall to the elders. Soon, a sharp gust of wind sounded from above. The deputy n head, First Elder Luo Qingchen, Luo Xuanqing, and the others were heading in their direction with anxious looks on their faces. After the Zhang n left the premises, the members of the Luo n had loitered around the main hall, unable toe to terms with what had happened. It was just moments ago that they had finished clearing up the mess, but before they could return to their amodation and rest, they received news that something had happened to the ancestral hall. Given the importance of the ancestral hall to the Luo n, they did not waste a single moment in rushing over here. What happened? Before the crowd couldnd on the ground, the deputy n head, Luo Ganzhen, had already bellowed out to the two below. This... Not knowing how to exin the situation, the gray-robed disciple sped his fist and said, Deputy n head, I think it would be best for you to see for yourself! Un. Landing on the ground, Luo Ganzhen quickly walked into the ancestral hall. When he saw the sight within, he was visibly stunned for a moment before his hands began trembling in agitation. A crimson shade dyed his cheeks as he stuttered in excitement, T-this... Father, whats going on? Taking Luo Ganzhens expression into sight, Luo Xuanqing frowned in iprehension. The other elders were taken aback by the deputy n heads bewildering response as well. Their deputy n head had always been a calm person. Even during the fallout with the Zhang n earlier, he had not lost his cool. Just what in the world could have happened for him to act in such a manner? Haha! Hahahaha! The heavens are truly helping our Luo n! Our Luo n will rise to greatness once more! Luo Ganzhen roared inughter before turning to face the crowd with glowing eyes. Are you all curious what this phenomenon means? This is the Submission of the Predecessors! Without a doubt, someone has managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing! Someone hasprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? Could it be... Luo Qingchen widened his eyes in astonishment. Indeed! The Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is the very core of our Luo ns cultivation technique. If anyone can grasp it, they will be able to perfectly execute all of the secret arts of our Luo n! In the tens of thousands of years since the founding of the Luo n, only Founder Luo Yuntian has managed to reach such a realm. The fact that someone else has managed to do it means that our Luo n will rise to greatness once more! Luo Ganzhen eximed in agitation. He hurriedly issued instructions to the surrounding crowd. Quick, investigate the matter and find out which elder or offspring has managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence. After we find them, well immediately conduct the inauguration ceremony and crown them as our next n head! Chapter 1592 - Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy

Chapter 1592: Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yes! Upon hearing themands, the elders quickly nodded before scattering. Comprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing would mean reaching the very peak of spatial arts. With such an expert among them, there was no one who would be able to stop the Luo ns rise to power! They would also be able to get back at the Zhang n for the humiliation that they had suffered as a result of the rejection earlier! With this, they would let the world know how foolish it was for Zhang Xuan to have rejected the Luo n! Zhang Xuan, you probably couldnt have imagined that someone in our Luo n would make a breakthrough so swiftly after your rejection! Luo Ganzhen uttered as his eyes turned cold. Wait till we find this person and establish him as the n head... Ill surely return this humiliation to you twofold! A person who hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing would have already grasped the very crux of the Luo ns heritage. As long as that persons cultivation got up to par, the young prodigy of the Zhang n would not mean anything at all! Indeed! I wont be able to quench my hatred if I dont slice that b*stard in two! Luo Xuanqing spat furiously. He had thought of the young man as his good friend, but the young man had actually trampled on his younger sister as if she was nothing at all! Huhu! It did not take long for the elders who had scattered to return once more. Reporting to the deputy n head, we have checked all of the experts at the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm within the n, but none of them haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing! Reporting to the deputy n head, none of the members at the Dimension Sundering realm haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing! ... The elders swiftly revealed the results of their findings, and disappointed looks surfaced all around the room. The fact that even the founder had paid his respects was more than enough to show that someone hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealingthere could not possibly be any mistake there. However, they had asked all of the cultivators in the n, and none of them had noticed any peculiar phenomenon that could have suggested a breakthrough. This was truly baffling. There was nothing? How could there be nothing? Spatialws have always been incredibly difficult toprehend, and this is especially so when ites to sealing space! Without the Luo ns bloodline and heritage, it would be difficult for one to even grasp the bare basics... Luo Ganzhen could hardly believe the oue of the investigation. Even Founder Luo Tianyun had only seeded inprehending it due to him acquiring the Dimension Silencer and stumbling upon Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage by a stroke of luck. If the person who hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing was not a person from their n, who else could it be? We have even checked on the cultivators who have gone into seclusion... Could that person really not be from the Luo n? Luo Qingchen asked with a deep frown. If the person was from the Luo n, they would surely understand what it meant toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Even without them looking around for the person, they would surely appear before the elders of their own ord. However, no one was stepping forth at all. All of the evidence seemed to suggest that the person was not from the Luo n. Look into it right now, we have to find that person! Regardless of the means, we have to get them into the Luo n, even if it means locking them down by... Luo Ganzhens eyes narrowed. ... marriage! Marriage? Luo Xuanqing was taken aback. Thats right! The fact that that person hasprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing means that all of the Luo ns secret arts no longer hold any secret to them. If that person bes our enemy, the Luo n would be doomed! Thus, no matter what condition we have to offer them, we have to get them into our n. Even if they want to marry your younger sister, we can only allow it! Luo Ganzhen waved his hand decisively. No, but that... Hearing those words, Luo Xuanqings eyes widened in horror. This matter is not open for discussion. Theres already no hope between Zhang Xuan and your younger sister, and since thats the case, we might as well find someone who hasprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. This way, we will be able to get vengeance on the Zhang n... Well tell the world that our Luo n will be able to stand at the very pinnacle without relying on anyone! Luo Ganzhen spat coldly. Hearing those words, Luo Xuanqing stared at his father with aplicated look in his eyes. He did want to get vengeance on Zhang Xuan and the Zhang n as well, and he would be able to do so if they could get that person who hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing on their side. At the same time, the Luo n would be able to recover its dignity. But after what had happened during the wedding... he could not bear to watch his younger sister being sacrificed again. Once was enough. Alright, this matter is settled. Hurry up and dispatch our men to search for that person! Once that person has been found, report to me immediately. Ill personally pay that person a visit! Luo Ganzhen flung his sleeves imposingly. Yes! The elders hurriedly scattered into the area. ... Without the Dimensional Sand to block their path, the trio was able to advance ahead swiftly. Soon, they stopped at the entrance of the pce. Zhang Xuan raised his head and looked beyond the towering stairs in front of him. On both sides of the entrance gate were two rock sculptures shaped in the fashion of adolescent boys. They were dressed in rather ancient-looking clothes and sported long hair. They were bent into a bow, seemingly paying respects to the visitors of the pce. There was a que above the entrance with three massive words written on it. It carried a sharp aura that felt reminiscent of a spear piercing in ones direction, threatening to tear intruders into shreds. It was a rather bizarre pairingthe respectfulness of the bowing adolescent boys and the menacing words on the que. Ran Zi Hall! Wu Chen read out loud. It seems to have been personally written by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, Zhang Xuan remarked with a nod. Looking at it from the perspective of a painter, those three words could not be considered to be too skillful. Nevertheless, it had a high and lofty conception that even someone of Zhang Xuans eye of discernment was not able to see through. It was hard to imagine that it hade from a hand other than that of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan bowed deeply to both of the adolescent boys and the que at the center. Attainment, Solidarity, Propriety, Erudition, and Integrity. The fact that Propriety was ced before Erudition and Integrity showed how much Kong shi valued this trait. Since they were in the ancient domain of one of his direct disciples, it was best for them not to forget their etiquette. Hu! Right after paying his respects, there was a slight tremor. The adolescent boy sculpture on the left slowly opened his eyes before looking upon them with a smile. Guests of the Ran Zi Hall, I apud you for havinge this far. Unfortunately, I have to inform you that you have yet to earn the right to enter the Ran Zi Hall yet. If you wish to enter it, you will have to clear the trial! the adolescent boy sculpture said. May I know what trial it is? Zhang Xuan asked as he sped his fist. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu has never liked excessive formalities, so the trial that he has set is very simple as well. Youll have to challenge one of our warriors of strength equaling yours, and if you are able to achieve victory, you will be granted passageway. Otherwise, Ill have to ask of you to turn around and leave! the adolescent boy sculpture said as he raised his palm. Hu! The three massive words on the que abruptly fell onto the ground, and with a slight waver, they warped into three identical-looking golden-armored soldiers. This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. With his eye of discernment, he could tell that those three soldiers were not any kind of special artifact but true embodiments of the words on the que. They carried the same strikingly sharp aura as the words on the que, sending shivers down ones spine. Noting the look of bewilderment on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Ruoxin exined, These are Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy! Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. He had heard of Impartation of Heavens Will and Heart of Teacher, but he had never heard of Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy before. Legend has it that powerful master teachers are able to retain their own spirit and psyche in the form of words. Under specific conditions, these words will transform into Golden Warriors to battle with others, Luo Ruoxin exined. As these Golden Warriors are the manifestation of the master teachers spirit and psyche, they possess the master teachers fighting instinct and moves, thus making them formidable foes. Possess the master teachers fighting instincts and moves... Since these words were left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, doesnt that mean that these Golden Warriors possess his fighting prowess? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. Chapter 1593 - Wu Chen’s Terrifying Strength

Chapter 1593: Wu Chens Terrifying Strength

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was reputed to be Kong shis strongest direct disciple, so naturally, his strength was not to be underestimated. If these Golden Warriors really possessed his fighting instincts and moves, it would be nigh impossible for those of the same realm to defeat them! Actually, it isnt as exaggerated as that. While the Golden Warriors do possess the battle instincts of the master teacher behind the calligraphy, the circumstances in battle are ever changing. The slightestpse in response can create thergest difference in the results of the battle. It would be amazing if the Golden Warriors could wield even half of Ancient Sage Ran Qius true strength, Luo Ruoxin remarked with a light chuckle. In the end, even if the calligraphy was infused with Ancient Sage Ran Qius will and psyche, it was ultimately just a couple of characters. It was not really as fearsome as it sounded. Youre right! Zhang Xuan nodded. Who should go first? Allow me! Wu Chen stepped forward and volunteered himself. Allow me to pave the way forward for Mdy and Zhang shi! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. While Wu Chen might have appeared to only be a thirteen to fourteen-year-old adolescent boy on the surface, the strength he had disyed so far waspletely unlike what Zhang Xuan had seen before, so he did not think that there was anything to worry about. Instead, this would be a good chance to see what those Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy were capable of! Lets begin! Seeing that someone had stepped out, the adolescent boy sculpture nodded, and the Ran-word Golden Warrior walked over with widened strides. Its body shuddered a little before its aura began surging right to the level of the Great Sage realm, equivalent to that of Wu Chen. Formidable! Zhang Xuan nodded in awe. For calligraphy to be able to raise its cultivation and fight like a human... he never would have believed such a thing to be possible if he had not seen it with his own eyes. It was no wonder the ns would go fight desperately just to obtain a small scroll of Kong shis personal writing. It seemed like every single word of an Ancient Sage wielded extraordinary capabilities. H! After raising its strength to Wu Chens level, it whipped out a spear and thrust it toward Wu Chen without any hesitation. Even while the spear was bolting for Wu Chens heart, it tore a rift through space in its path, exhibiting the frightening might infused into this thrust. What impressive spearmanship... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists excitedly. The skills of a true expert would show even in a simple thrust. As the one who had imparted his spearmanship to Zheng Yang, it went without saying that Zhang Xuans mastery of the spear had reached a truly profound level. Admittedly, the spearmanship of the Golden Warrior was not as simple and effective as his, but it had still managed to capture the crux of spearmanship. Its sharpness was keenly directed to seal its opponents movements and will, thus making it extremely difficult to withstand or escape from. Naturally, Wu Chen also noticed the dangers behind the spear thrust, and he chuckled softly. Good move! That being said, instead of dodging the spear thrust, he raised his finger and directed it right toward the spear tip, seemingly intending to face the Golden Warriors attack straight on. Under normal circumstances, facing a spear with ones finger was a foolproof method to win a date with death, but Wu Chen had channeled a revolving sphere of energy at his finger tip. If the spear tip really came into contact with this sphere, it would swiftly plunge the attack into the midst of a spatial turbulence, thus creating an opportunity for Wu Chen to turn the tables on the Golden Warrior. Perhaps the Golden Warrior had instinctively sensed danger from Wu Chens revolving sphere of energy, but without the slightest emotion on its face, it raised its spear abruptly. This transformation in moves did not have the slightest hint of hesitation or dy in it, as if the earlier thrust was only a feint, and this was the real killer move. To be able to switch from one move to another so swiftly was definitely not an easy task. Even for Zhang Xuan, it would take quite some effort. Truly impressive. Just this transformation grants the attack a third of my strength! Zhang Xuan could not help butpliment. With the Library of Heavens Path and Eye of Insight, he was able to easily see through the ws of the opponents moves. As such, if he proimed himself the number two in executing offensive transformations, no one would dare dere themself number one! The fact that the Golden Warriors, who were solely made out of words, could wield a third of his true strength was already quite a terrifying feat. Heh! Taken aback by the transformation in the Golden Warriors spear art, Wu Chen harrumphed coldly as he bent his finger downward and flicked it. Weng! A burst of sword qi surged forth from the tip of his finger and struck the Golden Warriors spear, inducing a metallic ng. The spear was immediately sent flying from the Golden Warriors hand. Deng deng deng deng! At the same time, the Golden Warrior was forced to retreat four steps before its body abruptly dissolved like flowing water, transforming back into the Ran-word before flying back into the que. Incredible! Zhang Xuan looked at Wu Chen with narrowed eyes. In terms of individual fighting prowess, this Golden Warrior would be stronger than even Zheng Yang, yet Wu Chen had achieved victory with just two moves, and from the looks of it, the other party had not even gone all out... It seemed like there was more to Wu Chen than he had thought. ws! Zhang Xuan willed. Previously, he had attempted to use the Library of Heavens Path to check Luo Ruoxin, only to end up fainting. After that incident, he did not dare peek at her anymore... However, surely peeking at the information of the adolescent boy who followed her around should be fine. Once he knew the identity of the adolescent boy, it would not be too difficult for him to figure out Luo Ruoxins identity. Hu! The Library of Heavens Path jolted, but no book waspiled. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan was astonished. After battling with the Golden Warrior, Wu Chen was still driving the zhenqi in his body, and such an action could be considered as executing a battle technique. Under normal circumstances, the Library of Heavens Path should havepiled a book on him, revealing his history and ws. Why was nothing happening at all? This should not be! Does this mean to say that the adolescent boy possesses the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well? Zhang Xuan frowned. There should only be one possibility if the Library of Heavens Path was unable to look into a person... and that was if the other party was an existence unseen by the heavens, a host of the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, just like himself! There were many experts and geniuses on the Master Teacher Continent, but to this very day, there were only three people known to possess such a constitution. The first one was him, the second one was Luo Qiqi, and while thest one still remained a mystery... the chances were that the mysteriousdy that Elder Feng had mentioned back then was Luo Ruoxin. The fact that seers were unable to peer into this girlfriend of his and the Library of Heavens Path was unable to read her proved this fact. It was one thing for Luo Ruoxin to have the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, but to think that it would be the same for the adolescent boy... This was too fearsome! When did such a constitution be so cheap andmonce? Its really about time for me to raise the level of the Library of Heavens Path... Maybe I should find some time to pay a visit to the Shrine of Seers... Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw and pondered. He had been raising his cultivation, but he had not really upgraded his Library of Heavens Path over time. While the Library of Heavens Path was still plenty formidable without being upgraded, it was a little unnerving that there were some things that he could not see through. Perhaps this problem could be resolved after it was upgraded. To date, he still had not fully figured out how upgrading the Library of Heavens Path worked. The first time that it happened, he had been with Luo Ruoxin and passed out for three days straight. The second time, it had been right after he punished the Shrine of Seers. He could not hope to emte what had happened with Luo Ruoxin that day since he had no idea how that had happened either, but as for punishing the Shrine of Seers... that was a walk in the park! He could easily find the major Shrines of Seers over the continent and pay them a visit! Of course, that was something to be thought about afterward. For the time being, he had to resolve the current situation first. Raising his head, he saw Luo Ruoxin staring at him with aplicated look in her eyes. Words seemed to be at the tip of her tongue, but she chose not to speak in the end. Turning around, she looked at the two remaining Golden Warriors and said, Ill deal with the second one. Chapter 1594 - Challenging Two Words

Chapter 1594: Challenging Two Words

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Let me do it instead! Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. He had been so focused on observing Wu Chen that he had forgotten about this matter. How could he allow his girlfriend to fight while he watched on from the side? He was not intending to return to singlehood just yet! It doesnt matter who goes first, the adolescent boy sculpture replied nonchntly as he waved his hand. The Zi-word morphed into a Golden Warrior too and stepped forward. It does matter. You have three words over there to deal with the three of us... but if I am able to defeat the rest of your Golden Warriors single handedly, does that mean that she wont have to make a move? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. You wish to face two words single handedly? the adolescent boy sculpture was stunned. Are you certain? Of course! Zhang Xuan replied with an affirmative nod. He had been paying close attention to the battle between Wu Chen and the first Golden Warrior, and thetters prowess was only so-so, far from reaching a level that would worry him. It would not be too difficult for him to achieve victory. Since that was the case, there was no need to trouble Luo Ruoxin. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Luo Ruoxin frowned. Zhang Xuan, the Golden Warriors of the Mentors Calligraphy grow stronger with each passing word... Its fine. Its just two words. Ill be able to deal with them! Zhang Xuan replied. ... Very well then. Be careful. Seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was, Luo Ruoxin sighed deeply and nodded. Lets begin! Zhang Xuan chuckled as he walked up to the two Golden Warriors. He raised his palm, and a formidable aura surged into the clouds, creating an imposing sight. I guess he does have some valiance to him after all... Wu Chen thought. All along, he could not figure out why someone as formidable as Luo Ruoxin would actually fancy this ordinary young man. However, watching as the young man bucked up his courage and challenged two words simultaneously for the woman that he loved, he felt like he could understand Luo Ruoxins feelings a little. Despite the young mans boastfulness and showy character, it seemed like he was still rather reliable at crucial moments! H! At the same time, the two Golden Warriors also swiftly raised their cultivation up to the level of Saint 9-dan pinnacle, and without any hesitation, they charged forward and nked Zhang Xuan from both sides. The moves that they executed differed from one another, but the timing and coordination of their moves were impable, almost as if they were a single entity. Their attacks were sharply directed to strike at Zhang Xuans ws and blind spots, making it difficult for him to dodge. Not bad! Through their outstanding coordination, the prowess that they exerted was many times more fearsome than that of the Ran-word character. Despite that, Zhang Xuan did not show the slightest hint of panic. With a faint smile, he tapped his finger forward. Seal! H! The light breeze that had been blowing their way abruptly vanished without a trace. The surrounding space had been entirely sealed. As if fish frozen in ice, the two Golden Warriors found themselves unable to advance even a single step further. If there had been anything falling at that moment, it would have frozen in midair as well. Afterprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, while Zhang Xuan might still have difficulties sealing the movements of Great Sage realm experts, he definitely did not have a problem with subduing those in the same cultivation realm as him. It could be said that with this ability, no one in the same cultivation realm as him would stand a chance at defeating him! He was invincible in his power ss! Of course, that was unless the other party hadprehend the same Spatial Quintessence as well or something on par with it, such as the Zhang ns Time Quintessence... Scatter! After freezing the two Golden Warriors in ce, Zhang Xuan raised his finger with the intention to dissipate the two of them when the adolescent boy sculpture suddenly eximed at this point in time, Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? You are the sessor of Qiu Wu Zi 1 ? Please have mercy on the Golden Warriors! Oh? Not expecting the sculpture to be able to see through the root of his technique, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over curiously. Hu! In the moment that Zhang Xuans mindxed, the sealed space around the two Golden Warriors loosened, and the light breeze continued whistling once more. At the same time, the frozen attacks of the two Golden Warriors continued bolting forth toward him. Heh! In the face of the two attacks, Zhang Xuan simply smirked triumphantly. Without making a move at all, the attacks from the two Golden Warriors abruptly curved in unnatural angles, causing them to slide past him. This is... Spatial Interference? Wu Chen widened his eyes in shock. This was the move that he had used to deal with the Demon Subduing Sphere of the Luo n eldersSpatial Interference! To put it simply, Zhang Xuan had distorted the space around him to tilt in an upward trajectory instead, such that an attack that was headed straight for him would be deflected away. At the Great Sage realm, it was extremely easy for Wu Chen to pull off this move, but for a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator... such a feat could only be described as impossible! Yet, the fellow before him did it easily, and it was at a level far beyond him... In his long life, he had seen his fair share of experts executing Spatial Interference, and he had also read plenty of books depicting how it should be executed and the anticipated oue. However,pared to the Spatial Interference executed by the young man before him, all of that was no different from toddlers waddling around before a running adult! They were not even close to being at the same level! To be able to pull off such strength within ten minutes afterprehending a Spatial Quintessence, surpassing even those experts who had devoted their lives to studying the art... just what was going on? It seemed like Wu Chens doubts were shared by the adolescent boy sculpture as well. With a deep frown on his forehead, he asked in iprehension, Qiu Wu Zis Spatial Quintessence is formidable, but not even the person in question would be able to pull of Spatial Interference as smoothly as you did! Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was reputed to be one of the few grandmasters of spatial arts, but even he had not reached this level of expertise! Oh. I found some ws in Ancient Sage Qiu Wus spatial heritage, so I altered it a little! Zhang Xuan replied leisurely. The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel could probably be considered the pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continents spatial arts, but when reflected under the Library of Heavens Path, there was still a hulking number of ws with it. What Zhang Xuan had cultivated was the perfected manual, a Heavens Path technique, so it went without saying that the prowess would be on apletely different level! Ancient Sage Qiu Wus version might still have required the cultivator to gather energy, thus resulting in some time dy, but the one that Zhang Xuan had perfected through the Library of Heavens Path had no such need! A-a-altered? Before the adolescent boy sculpture could say a word, Wu Chen had already shrieked in disbelief as he nearly keeled over. He had witnessed the young manprehending the Spatial Quintessence through browsing his books, and he had thought that it was already a formidable feat that the young man was able to grasp the spatialws within it so quickly. Yet, who could have thought that within this short period of time, the young man had leisurely been picking bones with the current system of spatial arts and correcting its ws... And more importantly, his corrections were all spot-on, thus bringing the prowess of the spatial art to a whole new level. How in the world could the heavens give birth to such a monster? This was unfair and inhumane! Or... could that elementary spatial art manual really be that formidable, granting someone the ability to alter even Ancient Sage Qiu Wus ultimate technique right after browsing through it? If that was the case, he would really have to study it carefully once he got back so that he would one day possess the same mastery over spatial arts as Zhang Xuan! You corrected it? The adolescent boy sculpture also found it hard to believe Zhang Xuans words, but he decided to attribute Zhang Xuans sess to the support of his seniors and chose not to ask any more about it. Thus, he got back to the topic at hand and said, Since you have attained Qiu Wu Zis heritage and cleared the test, you are more than qualified to enter the Ran Zi Hall. Please! As adolescent boy sculpture spoke, he bowed deeply before walking toward the Ran Zi Hall to lead the way in. Jiyaya! The tightly-shut doors to the Ran Zi Hall slowly creaked open, and the scent of ancient history burst forth from within. Chapter 1595 - The Stone Doors

Chapter 1595: The Stone Doors

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Lets go! Seeing that the sculpture had entered, Zhang Xuan and the others quickly made their way into the Ran Zi Hall as well. The passageway had many brilliant Night Illumination Pearls embedded in the ceiling, lighting up the entire ce. As such, despite the closed space that they were in, the surroundings were as bright as day. There were ancient inscriptions carved along the passageway that detailed desirable values that a person should cultivate and the etiquette one should preferably adhere to. Didnt you say that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu is not one to care too much about formalities? Why would... Zhang Xuan could not help but ask the adolescent boy sculpture. Earlier, the adolescent boy sculpture had said that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was a person who paid little attention to formalities, so it seemed highly contradictory to see inscriptions of values and etiquette in the passageway of the Ran Zi Hall. Its precisely because he paid little attention to it that he was criticized by Kong shi over it. Thus, he carved these inscriptions to remind himself to adhere by these values and etiquette at all time! the adolescent boy sculpture replied. Kong shi had once said that one should seek to reflect and learn from ones actions, and as one of Kong shis direct disciples, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was bound to adhere by his teachings. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking with a hushed voice, Did the four people who came prior to us cleared the trial as well? So far, they had not seen any traces of the four Otherworldly Demons who hade ahead of him. Could they possibly have failed the test? Of course, it was not to say that the four Otherworldly Demons who hade before them were weak, but surely the ancient domain left behind by the number one student of Kong shi should at least have the capability to discern between Otherworldly Demons and humans? Otherwise, what a huge disgrace it would be! They have cleared the trial and entered thepounds, the adolescent boy sculpture replied politely. After learning that Zhang Xuan had inherited Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage, the attitude of the adolescent boy had be much more courteous. They cleared the trial, too? Then, did you notice... any anomaly with them? Zhang Xuan frowned. Anomaly? The adolescent boy sculpture shook his head in response. Theres nothing of that sort. They have defeated the Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy and cleared the trial fair and square. However, one of them did have one of Ancient Sage Yan Yans treasures with him. Ancient Sage Yan Yans treasure? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Ancient Sage Yan Yan was one of the Ten Apostles under Kong shis lineage, too. Viewed to be of equal standing with Ancient Sage Bo Shang, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, and the others, he had specialized in the field of music 1 . He had yed a huge part in passing down the heritage of the Demonic Tunist Guild, and for that reason, most demonic tunists viewed him as their founder. But to think that those four Otherworldly Demons would actually have one of his possessions. To be able to arrive on the Master Teacher Continent while avoiding the detection of the master teachers, find ancient domains that even the Master Teacher Pavilion is unaware of, and even be in possession of one of Ancient Sage Yan Yans treasures... it seems like the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has really prepared! Zhang Xuan thought grimly. The war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind had caused immense damage to both parties over the years. Mankind had lost a lot of its treasures to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so it was not unthinkable for them to be in possession of one of Ancient Sage Yan Yans treasures. However, Zhang Xuan was a little surprised by how well-prepared they were. It was definitely no easy feat for one to fool the eyes of the adolescent boy sculpture. The reason Zhang Xuan had asked that question was to warn the adolescent boy sculpture. If those four fellows had shown the slightestpse in their disguise, the adolescent boy sculpture would surely have raised his guard against them. However, from the looks of it, there was no point bringing up the matter anymore since he had no evidence against those four fellows. It would be one thing if he failed to convince the adolescent boy sculpture of the matter, but it would be a catastrophe if he identally turned the adolescent boy sculpture against him in the midst of doing so. Without a doubt, they must have prepared for this matter for a very long time. It was no wonder they had been able to capture Zhao Ya and the others so easily. Indeed, it would not be easy to deal with those four after all. We have arrived. In the midst of his thoughts, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard a voice from the side. Raising his head, he found that they had already arrived in an atrium. The atrium was round in shape, and there were doors all around. With just a quick nce, he could already spot nearly a hundred of them. There are ny-nine doors here, and each of them represents a different trial. Each of you can only enter one of the doors, and no two persons can select the same door to enter. If you sessfully clear the trial and reach the very end, you will be able to find what you seek. The adolescent boy sculpture turned around and addressed them. If you fail to clear the trial, you will have to spend the rest of your life here with me till your time is finally up! This... Zhang Xuan looked at the doors around him as he confirmed once more. So, we can choose any door that we like here? Thats right, feel free to enter any door you want. You only have an incenses time, so make your decision quick! After saying those words, the adolescent boy sculpture took two steps back and stood quietly. Knowing that it would be futile to ask the adolescent boy sculpture for any hints, Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin, and Wu Chen exchanged nces as they began examining each of the doors carefully. All of the doors were made of granite and were identical in appearance. There was nothing that allowed them to set any of the doors apart from one another. If not for the doorway that they had entered the atrium from, had they closed their eyes and spun around, it would have been impossible to tell which doors they had set their eyes upon previously. This is no different from abyrinth... Looking at the doors around left Zhang Xuan feeling a little light-headed. Unable to make sense of the situation, he willed in his heart, Eye of Insight! H! Lines of insight surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes, and he quickly scanned his surroundings carefully. Since the four Otherworldly Demons had entered the pce before them, they would havee to this atrium and made a decision as well. The fact that they hade well-prepared for this ancient domain, bringing with them the Netherworlds Boat and even a treasure of Ancient Sage Yan Yan, would suggest that they had prior knowledge of this ce. So, it should be much safer to follow their footsteps. With a swift scan of the surroundings, a deep frown formed in between Zhang Xuans brows. Hmm? Why arent there any marks around? He had thought that he would be able to find some clues, just as he had done outside. However, who could have thought that those four fellows did not leave any clues behind, such that even the Eye of Insight was unable to catch the slightest trace of them? Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Luo Ruoxin sent a telepathic message over. Dont bother. Since this is a trial, theres no way it would allow you to see through anything. Furthermore, the stone sculpture has also said that no two people can enter the same door, which means that even if you find the doors that theyve entered, we wont be able to enter them. This... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Indeed. Since this was a test, there was no way that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu would have left such an obvious loophole. After all, after someone had entered one of the doors and triggered all of its traps and formations, there would no longer be any danger in it. What do we do now? Zhang Xuan asked. Lets leave it to fate and pick a random one, Luo Ruoxin said as she randomly picked a door and pulled it open without any hesitation. You... Be careful! Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was going to enter the door just like that, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little apprehensive on the inside. Rest assured! Luo Ruoxin replied with a faint but confident smile. Ancient Sage Ran Qius trial is unlikely to be easy, but to keep me here is not an easy feat either! After saying those words, she decisively entered the door. Thats true... Zhang Xuan had never seen Luo Ruoxin making a move before, but considering how powerful Wu Chen was, it stood to reason that Luo Ruoxin was a formidable expert as well. The trial left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu might still pose a great challenge to ordinary geniuses, but to her, it was unlikely to pose any threat at all. Ill be entering as well! Seeing that Luo Ruoxin had already entered one of the doors, Wu Chen also randomly picked a room and strode in. Youre the only one who is left... the adolescent boy sculpture remarked calmly by the side. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to select a random room too when his heart suddenly skipped a beat. The Eye of Insight might be unable to see through what lies beyond the door, but what about the Library of Heavens Path? Chapter 1596 - My Hands Itch to Draw

Chapter 1596: My Hands Itch to Draw

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With different encounters behind each of the ny-nine doors, the danger levels were bound to be different too. Without a doubt, there would be a huge difference between selecting a right door and selecting a wrong door. Otherwise, the adolescent boy sculpture would not have given them a whole incenses time to make their choice. Considering that this was a trial left behind by an Ancient Sage, due to the limitation of his cultivation, it was understandable why the Eye of Insight did not work. However, what about the Library of Heavens Path? It boasted the ability to see through everything beneath the heavens. Since that was the case, what better tool could there be than to have it make a choice in his stead? It should be easy for it to discern which ones were the right ones and which ones were the wrong ones! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan immediately got to action. He flicked his wrist, took out a white sheet of paper and a brush, and began drawing. As an 8-star painter, the speed and quality of his drawing had already reached a superb level. In less than three minutes, he had already replicated a lifelike view of the entire atrium. After that was done, he swiftly wrote the words Correct on each and every door. Given how many doors there were here, there was bound to be one that was more correct than the others. The Library of Heavens Path was able to analyze the ws and mistakes of objects, so by looking at the ws, he would be able to determine which door he ought to enter. While Zhang Xuan was busy doing all of this, the adolescent boy sculpture looked on with apletely bewildered expression. He had thought that the young man would simply select a door and enter, but who could have thought that he would suddenly take out a brush and paper and begin drawing and writing? All you have to do is choose one of the doors! Surely you dont have to go through so much trouble just to choose one, right? Do you have difficulties making choices or something? Times almost up. If you dont enter soon, your qualification to challenge the trial will be revoked, the adolescent boy sculpture warned. Noted. Ill make my choice soon... Zhang Xuan replied as he finished scribbling Correct on the final door. Once that was done, he ced his finger on the painting. Hu! An identical painting appeared in his mind. Soon, upon finding the correct door to enter, he heaved a sigh of relief. Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan said with a smile, Alright, I have made my choice... Seeing the confused look on the adolescent boy sculptures face, he exined with a light chuckle, Actually, Im also an avid painter. Whenever I see interesting scenes, I have an urge to draw them... This bad habit of mine kicked up earlier when I saw this splendid atrium, so I ask for your understanding! Interesting scenes? Splendid atrium? The adolescent boy sculpture was rendered speechless. All thats in this atrium are granite doors... If even such a sight is interesting to you, your right hand must be really busy! Well, I dont me you for not understanding. You are just a stone sculpture, so its understandable that you dont share the aesthetics of us humans! Zhang Xuanughed heartily a little as he patted the shoulder of the adolescent boy sculpture sympathetically before heading toward one of the doors. You... Realizing that he had just been mocked, the adolescent boy sculpture bared his teeth furiously. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had been an upright and austere person, so how in the world did he end up taking in such an infuriating little brat as his student? A person as troublesome as you is doomed to be single for life! To think that you can be so indecisive about choosing a door... Huh? Wait a moment! Looking at the direction that the young man was heading in, the adolescent boy sculpture suddenly widened his eyes in astonishment. Jiya! He stared with his mouth agape as the young man opened the door and disappeared into it. He actually chose that door? But that is... How did he know? The adolescent boy sculpture blinked in disbelief. Of the ny-nine doors, the chances of that young man choosing that door randomly was simply too slim, so he did not think that the young man would be able to select that one. Who would have thought that he would be so lucky as to choose that door out of so many choices? It was almost as ifdy luck was shining on him! Soon, the adolescent boy sculpture recovered from his shock and harrumphed coldly. Even if his luck is good, hell need some strength to match his luck. That fellow in the door is far more violent and merciless than I am! Even if he has chosen the correct door, he could very well lose his life in there! ... Jiya! As the granite door closed, Zhang Xuan found himself standing within a passageway. He took a few more steps forward, intending to scan his surroundings so as to see what was around, but before he could do anything, an overwhelming pressure suddenly pressed down on him, causing his body to stagger a little. This pressure seemed to seep right into his soul, carrying a force that threatened to crush him into bits the moment that he let his guard down. Its a soul attack... Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had undergone plenty of soul attacks in the past, but this was the first time that he had encountered one as forceful as this. It seemed to pierce right through his physical body, leaving him feeling as if he was standing in the midst of a turbulent ocean, powerless against the overwhelming force before him. Heavens Path Soul Art! Knowing that it would be bad if he allowed such an attack to continue getting to him, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and began driving his soul energy furiously to fend off the attack. While his soul was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, it had undergone the tempering of lightning, making it farrger and more resilient than other souls. As such, even though the soul attack was formidable, he was still able to just about withstand it. Heaving a sigh of relief, he quickly advanced forward. He wanted to see just what kind of existence could execute such a powerful soul attack. Geji! Geji! However, the further he advanced, the stronger the pressure on his soul became. After taking roughly a dozen steps, he was forced toe to a halt. In the end, it seemed like his cultivation was still too low for this trial. At this point, his body and soul were already at their breaking point. It seems like I have already reached my limit... Should I activate Kong shis blood droplet then? Zhang Xuan pondered grimly. With the enhanced power from Kong shis blood droplet, there was no doubt that he would be able to fend off the soul attack with ease. However, the problem was that there were only three droplets in total, and he had already consumed one. He would definitely need one when he encountered the Otherworldly Demons who had kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others, so he was a little hesitant about using one right now. After all, it was his strongest trump card. He could not afford to squander it away so easily! The first time that I encountered the lightning tribtion, I was also helpless before it. I thought that I would be electrocuted to death... but afterward, I found that I was able to absorb its energy! While this pressure is hard to bear, I could use it as a medium to temper my soul and make it even purer. Perhaps, this might just be the impetus for me to master Soul Traverse! Thest time that Zhang Xuan met Lu Chong, thetter had already imparted the secret art of Soul Traverse to him. He had attempted to learn it, but due to several ws in the secret art, he had ended up losing his motivation. Furthermore, his soul had also been a littlecking then... However, with such heavy pressure pressing down on him, it was a good opportunity for him to try tempering his soul! Perhaps, he might just find unexpected rewards. Alright, lets begin... Zhang Xuan thought as he went through the secret manual of Soul Traverse in his mind. As Zhang Xuan went through the secret manual of Soul Traverse, a thought arose in his mind. Soul Traverse is achieved by slipping ones soul in between the building blocks of space, thus allowing one to transcend the limitations of space... Previously, it was due to myck of understanding of what the building blocks of space truly meant that I felt that it was gued with ws. However, now that my Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel has reached 4-dan, will I be able to perfect Soul Traverse bypiling the two together? As much as Soul Traverse was a soul secret art, it could also be said to be an ingenious maniption of the properties of space. Considering the books rting to space that he had recently collected, if hepiled them together with Soul Traverse, would he just be able toplement the ws in them? Compile! Getting right into action, Zhang Xuanbined the Soul Traverse manual with the other spatial secret art manuals, and before long, a new book materialized into existence. Chapter 1597 - The Power of the Zhang Clan Bloodline

Chapter 1597: The Power of the Zhang n Bloodline

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan hurriedly grabbed thepiled book and flipped it open. The content swiftly flowed into his head and imprinted into his mind. It has indeed reached the level of Heavens Path! Hahahaha! Zhang Xuan nearly leaped up from joy. He had wanted to practice Soul Traverse for a very long time now, and he had been searching for books rting to souls in order to perfect the technique. However, who would have thought that what he wascking was not soul-rted manuals but space-rted manuals! Ill temper my soul first before cultivating Soul Traverse! Zhang Xuan decided. Thus, he crossed his leg and sat down. With a thought, he drew his soul out from his be. Tzzzzzzzzz! Without the protection of the physical body, the pressure that pressed down on Zhang Xuans soul immediately intensified. In an instant, he felt as if he was standing amid a raging hurricane that was trying to tear him apart. Heavy like a boulder, firm like a mountain! Knowing that if he would lose his life if he could not withstand this ordeal, Zhang Xuan focused on the imagery of a massive mountain, the White Creek Mountain. There was a type of soul training that was known as conceptualization training. Through focusing ones thoughts on a single conceptualization, it would help to refine ones soul energy in the form of the conceptualization. For example, if one thought of mes, ones soul energy could be scorching like the raging inferno, and if one thought of ice, ones soul energy would be chilling like the heartless winter. Zhang Xuan had done conceptualization training back when he had just started cultivating, but with the Heavens Path Soul Art to raise his soul cultivation, he had found that there was not much need for him to do it, so he had not paid much attention to it. However, in this very moment, he knew that he had to do it or risk having his soul torn into shreds. Weng! Focusing on the conceptualization of a mountain, Zhang Xuans wavering soul swiftly stabilized in ce. As if an imposing mountain towering in the midst of a storm, no matter how the gale huffed and puffed, it remainedpletely unfazed, unable to be blown down. After stabilizing his figure, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and drew the crushing pressure into his soul, tempering the weaker parts of his soul. Geji! Geji! Under the tempering of the crushing pressure, his massive soul grew more and more concentrated and powerful. The pressure isnt as unbearable anymore. Advance! A few minutester, when Zhang Xuan had finally adapted to the pressure, he took a few steps forward before sitting down to continue the tempering process. ... In the atrium, the motionless adolescent boy sculpture opened his eyes once more. Lets see how that fellow is faring! Even if that fellow inside doesnt make a move, just the pressure that it exerts should be able to stop that young man in his tracks or even crush his soul entirely! Muttering beneath his breath, the adolescent boy sculpture raised his finger and tapped the space before him. A screen of light appeared in the air, and a disy of Zhang Xuans plight within the door came into appearance. Heh, the young man should have... Ah? W-whats going on? The adolescent boy sculpture was still uttering smug words when he noticed that something was amiss with the disyed scene before him. His eyes swiftly widened to the brim, seemingly ready to pop out from their sockets. In the screen of light, the young man had his hands on his hips, and he howled indignantly with an infuriated look on his face. Where the hell is the pressure? You coward, I dare you toe out and face me straight on! I havent absorbed enough of it yet! If thats all youve got, how dare you call yourself a trial? If you donte out now, dont me me if I tear this entire ce down! Hes actually provoking the it? The adolescent boy sculpture nearly cked out. He had thought that with that person making a move, just the aura that the fellow emanated would be enough to crush the young man. Who would have thought that not only would the young man be perfectly fine, he was even mocking it for being too weak! Just where did this monstere from? This was too ridiculous! Forget it. Since there isnt any pressure anymore, Ill just head in... After hurling provocations one after another without the pressure returning, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head in resignation. To be honest, it was not that he wanted to brag but the pressure had simply disappeared too abruptly. He had just barely gotten into the mood of training, and the results had just started showing on his soul when the pressure suddenly vanished without a trace. Anyone would have been infuriated in such a situation! After all, if he could just cultivate a little more, there was a good chance that he would reach the prerequisites to carrying out Soul Traverse, thus raising his fighting prowess by a notch! Lets see where the source of the pressurees from first. I might just be able to do something about it... Zhang Xuan thought as he advanced forward. H! Barely after taking a few steps, as he was turning a corner, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation consuming his body. Following which, he sensed a powerful might rushing in his direction. He quickly pressed himself tightly against the wall by the side. Pu! A small hole appeared in the wall of the passageway. What the... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in rm. What had just shot over was not a hidden weapon, sword qi, or anything of the sort. It was an ordinary droplet of water! Just a droplet of water had seeded in breaching his defenses and piercing the wall of the passageway. Without a doubt, the person who had made a move on him had to be at the Great Sage realm at the very minimum! Ill wait and see who the person is before deciding whether I should use Kong shis blood droplet or not. cing his finger right above the droplet mark in his hand, ready toe into contact with it and activate the power at any moment, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before taking another step forward warily. He only had two more uses of Kong shis blood droplets, so he could not afford to waste it. Hu! Barely after walking around the bend, he saw dozens of water droplets of varying sizes flying over rapidly, sealing all his paths of escape. These water droplets were not really infused with tremendously powerful zhenqi, but the speed of their movements was simply frightening. Given his current cultivation, if they got a clean strike on him, he would definitely sustain severe wounds or even lose his life! Bloodline activate! Knowing that there was no time for him to escape, Zhang Xuan immediately activated the Zhang n bloodline, which Sword Saint Xing had given him previously. Hu! In an instant, time seemed to have slowed down. The water droplets that had been surging in his direction furiously a moment ago seemed to have be mired in a swamp, such that he could perceive them clearly even with his in eyes. He raised his finger and tapped the closest water droplet to him lightly. Po! The water droplet immediately scattered apart, moistening his finger. He moved on to tap the remaining dozens of water droplets, and they scattered into the surroundings, too. Knowing that he was finally out of danger, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he nodded in awe. As expected of the Zhang n bloodline! Its prowess was even more fearsome than the Luo n bloodline, disying astounding might upon activation. If he had not utilized this ability, there was no doubt that he would have sustained severe injuries from the barrage of water droplets. However, through the eleration of his time, the water droplets were slowed to the speed of a snails crawl, thus posing no threat toward him anymore. Unfortunately, the rate of depletion of the blood essence is simply too great... As excited as Zhang Xuan was, he could not help but shake his head helplessly after seeing the amount of power that he had left from the droplet of Zhang n blood essence. Just to pop a couple of water droplets, he had actually expended more than half of a droplet of Zhang n blood essence... In other words, he could only repeat what he had done six more times beforepletely depleting the Zhang n blood essence that he had. This was simply too wasteful! Hu! With another thought, he returned from his state of time eleration, and the scenery before him reverted to its original state. It was then that he realized that he was standing in the midst of a vast hall. At the very center of the hall was ake of a radius of several hundred meters. The water in theke were bubbling furiously, as if it was being boiled. Just as Zhang Xuan was perplexed as to how theke could conjure such swift bullets of water, he heard an intense rumbling from beneath the water. Following which, a bizarre entity spurted forth from theke of water, surging upward. Hu! More water droplets whizzed into the surroundings. Chapter 1598 - Dragonbone Divine Spear

Chapter 1598: Dragonbone Divine Spear

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wuu wuu wuu! Carrying the might to pierce through the air, the water droplets tore through everything that stood in their path. Even the water droplets that it flicked out so casually wield such formidable might!Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He was still wondering how the water droplets hade about, and the answer had surpassed his wildest imagination! If even the water droplets flung out by a casual flick from the fellow in theke harnessed such might, just how powerful would that fellow be? Would Yang shi even be a match for it? Bloodline activation! Knowing that it was no time for him to be dozing off, he quickly burned the remaining half a droplet of Zhang n blood essence, and the time around him slowed once again. I have to get rid of the problem from its roots, or else itll just be a matter of time before I lose my life! Zhang Xuan thought as he swiftly traversed past the water droplets toward the edge of theke. Hu! Right after doing so, the half a droplet of blood essence also burned dry, and the water droplets ended up striking the wall all around. Pah pah! Zhang Xuan raised his head to take a look at what was ahead of him. The fellow that had risen from theke was a massive skeleton. From its head to its tail, it was dozens of meters tall. Every single one of its translucent bone glistened with jadeite, and even though it was impossible to tell just how tough it was, just the fact that a casual flick of its body was able to fling out water droplets that wielded the strength to kill Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivators was more than enough to instill fear. Upon catching the true appearance of the skeleton, Zhang Xuan jolted in shock. This is... the skeletal frame of a dragon? Having tamed the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, he had some understanding of the physical structure of such lifeforms. He could tell that the skeletal frame before him had a much more natural and harmonious structurepared to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, making it highly likely that it was the skeletal frame of a dragon. Even if it was not a Pureblooded Dragon, it was bound to possess a far purer Dragon Bloodline than the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Seeing that the young man had sessfully dodged its water droplets, the skeletal dragon nced down at the young man as its deafening voice boomed in the air. You wield the ability to control time? No, your power seems to be dependent on a bloodline... Who are you? Which Sages descendant are you? I am Zhang Xuan! Noting that the skeletal dragon had no intention of attacking him for the time being, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he sped his fist and bowed toward the massive fellow before him while discreetly examining it. The skeletal dragon had a dark exterior, and the voice seemed to have originated from the dragons head. Its eyes were basically two holes imbued with faint green light. If not for the fact that it had spoken, it would be difficult for one to imagine that the skeletal dragon was a living being with independent consciousness. Zhang? You arent a disciple of Kong shi? the skeletal dragon asked. Im not! Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was only after the Hundred Schools of Philosophers left the Master Teacher Continent that the Zhang n rose to power. As such, the founder of the Zhang n was indeed not a sessor of Kong shis heritage. To be able toprehend thews of time, which only Kong shi is able to utilize, despite not being one of Kong shis disciples, it seems like theter generations are filled with plenty of talents! The skeletal dragon nodded slightly. Ill give you some credit for being able to withstand my pressure and dodge my water droplets, but that is far from sufficient. If you wish to win my acknowledgement, youll have to defeat me! Win your acknowledgement? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. Indeed. This passageway contains the greatest treasure of the ny-nine doors, but its also the most dangerous of them. The one who wins my acknowledgement will be able to take me away, and those who fail my trial shall have their lives reaped by me! the skeletal dragon said impassively. You said that... the one who wins your acknowledgement will be able to take you away? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement at that notion. Even the droplets casually flung out the skeletal dragon wielded the strength to ughter Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivators with ease! That prowess was definitely nowhere beneath Yang shis. If he could take this skeletal dragon away with him, his overall prowess would surely rise by leaps and bounds! Indeed. However, if you wish to earn my acknowledgement, youll have to first disy prowess surpassing mine! Back then, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu also used his strength to convince me to serve him for life. I have already slept here for tens of thousands of years, awaiting another worthy individual to serve! the skeletal dragon replied. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu... You are Ancient Sage Ran Qius weapon? Could you be... the Dragonbone Divine Spear? Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something, and his body shuddered in astonishment. He had read some books concerning Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, so he knew bits and pieces of his history. The Dragonbone Divine Spear was the weapon that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had wielded as he slew hordes of Otherworldly Demons as if a mortal manifestation of the God of War. Even Kong shi had once praised the formidability of the Dragonbone Divine Spear... Could this skeletal dragon really be that legendary weapon? If that was the case, he really had made the right choice choosing this passageway! Indeed! the skeletal dragon replied nonchntly. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu has sealed my powers, such that my fighting prowess is only at the level of Great Sage at the moment. Nevertheless, as long as you are able to defeat me, Ill willingly leave with you. Otherwise... no matter who you are and what background youe from, Ill pierce a gaping hole through you for your arrogance of daring to challenge me! Of course, of course! Its only right that you should do so, just that... Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at the skeletal dragon earnestly. As you can see, Im only a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator myself. Even if you can only tap into the strength of a Great Sage at the moment, Im still no match for you... Wont you consider suppressing your cultivation to my level before fighting it out? You want me to suppress my cultivation to match your level? the skeletal dragon asked with a hint of displeasure in its voice. Having been sealed here for a long time, I believe that you are craving to dive into the world and sh with some worthy opponents. Right now, Im the only one who has chosen this passageway, and if no one elsees by after me, doesnt that mean that youll never be able to get out? That would be the greatest tragedy for a top-notch weapon like you, wouldnt it! Zhang Xuan eximed passionately. Since its a duel, it will only be meaningful if the both of us are on equal standing, right? Otherwise, what fun will it be if you win in a single move? The skeletal dragon hesitated upon hearing those words. Its settled then! You are the trump card of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, so your fighting prowess is bound to be at the very top! Theres no way a weak cultivator like me will be able to pose a threat to you even if you do suppress your cultivation down to my level! Zhang Xuan remarked admiringly. But if you arent feeling too confident... I guess it cant be helped then! Humph! Theres no way I would lose to you with my cultivation suppressed! Provoked by Zhang Xuans words, the skeletal dragon harrumphed coldly. Fine, Ill suppress my cultivation down to Saint 9-dan pinnacle! In truth, the skeletal dragon knew that Zhang Xuan was intentionally provoking it, but its pride still got in its way. More importantly, it did not think that it could possibly lose to Zhang Xuan. Boom! The next moment, the Dragonbone Divine Spears powerful aura gradually reduced to a level equivalent to Zhang Xuans, Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Humph, lets begin then... After sealing its cultivation, the skeletal dragon was just about to make its move when the vision before it abruptly blurred. Unknowingly, the young man who had been standing right there a moment ago was already standing before it, sending a punch right toward its dragon head. You... Caught off guard by the other partys swift movement and abrupt assault, the skeletal dragon felt a little stifled inside. It swiftly whipped its tail to strike down the young man, but the next instant, it found that the space around it had beenpletely sealed. As if a frozen river, it was unable to move at all. Ancient Sage Qiu Wus Spatial Sealing Art? the skeletal dragon eximed in shock. The next instant, a splitting pain ripped through its skullthe young mans fist had alreadynded squarely on its head. Peng peng peng peng! Punches and kicks rained down on the skeletal dragon, sending stabbing pain reverberating through its body. It was almost like being battered by the ceaseless rapids of a river,pletely messing up its momentum, not giving it the opportunity to recover at all. Under the relentless attack, not only were the skeletal dragons bones slowly umting damage, its soul was also severely jolted. The skeletal dragon was frenzied. How is he so powerful? Chapter 1599 - Acknowledge Your New Master

Chapter 1599: Acknowledge Your New Master

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though the skeletal dragon had lowered its cultivation, there was no doubt that it was the absolute pinnacle among Saint 9-dan pinnacle entities. Putting aside the fact that its body had already been tempered to a level exceeding Great Sage realm cultivators, just its battle instincts alone had been refined over the many years of battle with Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. It had encountered all kinds of cultivators and many different ultimate techniques, but this... what the heck was this? Seemingly devoid of skills, the young man simply rushed in to rain down a barrage of attacks on it as if some street hoodlum. And what was even more stifling was that it was actually unable to dodge at all! This had to be the greatest humiliation that it had ever faced since its birth! Roar! As the fists and kicks continued raining down on its head, the skeletal dragon finally reached the limits of its patience. With a furious roar, itpressed its body tightly together. H! The entire body of massive bones swiftly converged together to form a ck spear. Break! With a powerful pierce, as if a block of ice struck by a hammer, the sealed space shattered instantaneously with a resounding reverberation. Deng deng deng deng! Due to the feedback, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat several steps as his chest ached a little under the impact of the previous encounter. The ability to seal space was indeed powerful, but in the face of a true expert, its effectiveness was discounted. While the force that the Dragonbone Divine Spear exerted was still within the range of Saint 9-dan pinnacle, it was able to gather all of its might in a single point to conduct a burst attack that exceeded the limits of the sealed space. Of course, this also had something to do with the fact that he had justprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. If he spent more timeprehending it so as to advance his level of mastery of spatial arts, he would be able to use it more smoothly, and it would not have been so easy for the Dragonbone Divine Spear to break it. How dare you humiliate me? Ill make you pay the price for your actions! After breaking the sealed space and achieving freedom once more, the skeletal dragon howled furiously. From its spear form, it reverted back to the appearance of a skeletal dragon as it dashed forth with its mouth wide open. Sou! Barely after arriving before the young man, another blur shed across its eyes, and the young man vanished from sight. It hurriedly searched the surroundings for the young man, only to see a leg flying toward its face. Peng peng peng peng! Four consecutive kicks threw the skeletal dragon into a state of disorientation, and its skull was nearly lopped off its neck. Screw you... the skeletal dragon bellowed hysterically. Since its a duel, surely we can have a fair fight, right? Why do you have to keep aiming for my face? Are you sure that you are a master teacher? Dont you know that the face is out of bounds? Hu! Seething with fury, the skeletal dragon whipped its thick tail toward the young man in the air, wanting to crush him to bits. However, barely after raising its tail, it suddenly felt a tension stopping the movement of its tail. Unknowingly, the young man was already beneath him, grabbing its tail bone. Bam bam bam bam! With overwhelming might, the young man mmed it from left to right as if a whip, causing its head to crash relentlessly with the ground, creating huge pits here and there. ... The skeletal dragon... is being pummeled? The adolescent boy sculpture watching the happenings through a screen of light shuddered in horror at that sight. It was simply too shocking that his head even fell to the ground and rolled to the side. He swiftly picked it up and secured it on his neck before turning his gaze back to the screen. The more he watched it, the more horrified he seemed to be. Even though the skeletal dragon had suppressed its cultivation down to Saint 9-dan, it should still have been the absolute pinnacle existence among Saint 9-dan entities! Yet, the young man was actually able to render itpletely helpless, almost as if an adult toying with a child. Do you really have to be this savage? If not for the skeletal dragon tempering its bones to the level of near invulnerability, this vicious pummeling would have already reduced it to powdery remains. The adolescent boy sculpture had considered most possibilities, including one where the young man waspletely destroyed by the skeletal dragon, but not even in his wildest imagination did he fathom such an oue. How could he have? That was the personal weapon of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, the Dragonbone Divine Spear! ... Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Ill kill you! mmed to the point where its head was spinning endlessly, the skeletal dragon could not stand it any longer and released the seal on its cultivation. Its powers immediately pierced the heavens, and in the blink of an eye, its cultivation had risen from Saint 9-dan to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm! With the huge boost in its prowess, the skeletal dragon sessfully struggled free from Zhang Xuans grip, and it twisted its body forcefully and tore its w down upon Zhang Xuan! Hu! But with a burst of wind, the young man vanished from the skeletal dragons vision once more. The next instant, he appeared right above the skeletal dragons head as he sent a powerful kick toward its temple. ... The skeletal dragons frenzy had already transcended words. It was one thing for it not to be a match for the young man in the same realm, but it had already raised its cultivation by one realm, and the young man was still able to dodge its attack with ease! Just how powerful was the young man? Not even the powerful Ancient Sage Ran Qiu possessed such fighting prowess! In a battle in the same cultivation realm, it was likely that even Ancient Sage Ran Qiu would not be a match for the young man! The skeletal dragon hurriedly cowered back to dodge the attack. While its agility and reaction speed had been enhanced significantly after raising its cultivation up to the Introspective Convalescence realm, it was still nowhere near enough topete with the young mans speed. If the young man executed that time bloodline ability once more, it could still have epted its loss. After all, there were no moves that could possibly outdo time. But... the young man was only relying on some unique movement arts and his understanding of spatialws to render him powerless. Honestly, the skeletal dragon was still trying to figure out how this had happened! It was as if the other party knew where it would attack in advance, easily finding the blind spots and ws in its attacks! The more the skeletal dragon fought, the more stifled it felt. Peng peng peng peng! After suffering yet another four-kick chainbo, its rage finally exploded, and its cultivation surged forth once more. Despite wielding such strength, the young man had actually duped it into lowering its cultivation! Without a doubt, it was a vicious scheme, and against schemers, there was no need for it to uphold its principles! Thus, it decided not to suppress its cultivation anymore, and in the blink of an eye, its cultivation broke through the bottleneck of Introspective Convalescence... Aureate Body, Intuitive Impulse, Sempiternal... In less than a single breath, it had returned to the overwhelming expert from before. Lad, didnt you have a lot of fun pummeling me? Very well, let me see how youll cope with this! the skeletal dragon roared furiously. But even so, the young man still vanished from its sights once more. Hurriedly raising its head, it saw that the young man was already sitting on a stone bench not too far away from theke, holding a cup of tea in his hand like a refined gentleman. Hmm? Hearing the skeletal dragons roar, Zhang Xuan put down his teacup calmly and replied, Dont you think its really barbarous to be talking about pummeling and killing? Since you are Ancient Sage Ran Qius personal weapon, you should understand the propriety of respect and magnanimity. Since you have already lost, you should obediently acknowledge me as your master! You want me to acknowledge me as your master? An insolent brat like you actually dares to... If its emotions could be materialized, the skeletal dragon would have burst into mes there and then! You were the one who was viciously pummeling earlier, but now that I have restored my cultivation, you suddenly said that you dont want to fight anymore... How can there be something so convenient in the world? Dream on! If I dont leave several holes in you and reduce you to a pile of meat, I shant be known as the Dragonbone Divine Spear anymore! Are you sure you dont want to acknowledge me as your master? the young man asked calmly. Hah! If you want me to acknowledge you as my master, why dont you try defeating me right here and... the skeletal dragon sneered furiously. But before it could finish its words, a loud rumble echoed in its head. Moo! Mou! Padah! All of a sudden, the skeletal dragon felt its body stiffening in ce. It felt as if a superior being was exerting dominance over it, suppressing it very down to the core. Unable to move at all, it plummeted from the sky. Its out of respect for you that I allowed you to sh with me, but you seem to be climbing over my head! Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuanposedly rose to his feet and ced his hands behind his back. Acknowledge me as your master right now or face the consequences of your insolence! Chapter 1600 - Golden Origin Spirit Stone

Chapter 1600: Golden Origin Spirit Stone

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Regardless of whether the huge fellow carried the Dragon Bloodline or was a pile of dragon bones, since there was a Dragon in its name and it had not reached the level of a Pureblooded Dragon, it would be suppressed by the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. Even before the battle, Zhang Xuan had known this, but being the low profile person that he was, he had intended to use his raw strength to win the Dragonbone Divine Spear over. However, who would have thought that the other party would be so shameless as to raise its strength after seeing that it was on the losing end? I could still turn a blind eye to you raising your cultivation by a realm, but raising it by several at once, that would really be going too far. Even someone as magnanimous like me cant turn a blind eye of it! Thus, he had mercilessly used the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon... and of course, as expected, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was immediately suppressed. Lying on the ground, the skeletal dragon asked through chattering mrs, Y-you... are a Pureblooded Dragon? Suppressed by the power of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon, it felt as if its consciousness was on the verge of slipping away from it. It was not the primary consciousness of the dragon bone but a weapon spirit that had grown after the dragon bone had been forged into a spear. As such, it had retained the traits of the Dragon Tribe, and the instinctive deference and fear toward Pureblooded Dragons was ground in its bones. Pureblooded Dragons were existences that represented the pinnacle of the Dragon Tribes authority, and no lower dragons could ever buck up the courage to oppose them! Must I be a Pureblooded Dragon in order to use the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon? Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. This... The skeletal dragon was rendered speechless. Having fought alongside Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, it had met the strongest being of the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shi, before, but not even Kong shi had the ability to vocalize the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon... Yet, the young man before it was actually able to do so. Just who in the world was the young man before it? The skeletal dragon hesitated for a moment before eventually lowering its head. I-Im willing to acknowledge you as my master! The hierarchy within the Dragon Tribe was based on their bloodline. It was natural for those of a lesser bloodline to serve those of a higher bloodline. On top of that, it was a fact that the young man had defeated it, so there was no shame in its actions. Good! Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as it was about to ask how the acknowledgement ceremony would go, the skeletal dragon suddenly began contracting rapidly, and just like before, it turned into a massive spear. Weng! It circled in the air for a bit as it shrank to the length of roughly a zhang 1before falling into Zhang Xuans hand. Lowering his head to take a closer look, Zhang Xuan assessed his winnings. The spear in his hand was ck in color, and a cold glint reflected off its tip. Just the sight of the spear left one with the sensation that the spear would pierce a hole through one the next moment, sending shivers down the spines of the weaker-minded. Excellent spear! Zhang Xuan eximed in agitation. Just by stroking the spear lightly, he could hear the roar of a dragon echoing around him. When he attempted to infuse his zhenqi into the spear, he delightedly realized that there were no obstructions at all, as if the spear was just an extension of his meridians. It was actually capable of harnessing his power with full efficiency! Padah! A droplet of his blood fell on the spear tip, and it was swiftly absorbed in. In the blink of an eye, a brilliant surge of light burst forth from the spear, and slight cracks appeared in the space all around. With this powerful weapon, my fighting prowess would be heightened by at least twofold! Zhang Xuan trembled in agitation. There was no doubt that this Dragonbone Divine Spear was the most powerful artifact that he had acquired ever since he arrived on the Master Teacher Continent. While Ancient Sage Ran Qiu might have sealed its power, the might that it wielded was still beyond formidable! Of course, due to the limitations of his current cultivation, it was inevitable that he would still be unable to bring out the true prowess of the spear. Nevertheless, once he triggered Kong shis blood droplet, with this spear in hand, there would be absolutely no one beneath Ancient Sage who would be a match for him! In fact, even Half-Ancient Sages would be well within his means to deal with! Its no wonder the Library of Heavens Path guided me to this passageway! With this alone, the long journey here wont have been in vain! Laughing heartily, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the spear warped back into a skeletal dragon. With a thought, the skeletal dragon turned into a belt that wrapped around his waist. After taming the spear, he found that the skeletal dragon had the ability to freely change its form. As a spear, it could pierce through anything that stood in its way. As a whip, it could leave deep gashes on the world. After that was done, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he scanned his surroundings once more. At this point, theke had already quietened down, returning back to its initial tranquility. In the empty-looking hall, there were no visible exits. Have I... cleared the trial yet? Zhang Xuan asked the skeletal dragon in confusion. Of course, you have already cleared the trial! Id send you out right now, but... there are some of my possessions over here that I hope to take away with me! the skeletal dragon said. I see... Alright then! Zhang Xuan said. Go and take them then! The skeletal dragon swiftly flew out from Zhang Xuans waist and rose into the air, reverting back to the massive several-dozen-meter-long dragon. It descended to the top of the water and swiped its ws into theke. H! Theke immediately billowed furiously under the overwhelming might, and a circr tform slowly rose into the air. It was roughly three meters in diameter, but it emanated a shockingly concentrated spiritual energy that felt nourishing like the warm breeze of spring. This is... the ultimate treasure of smithing, the Golden Origin Spirit Stone? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief. Despite being a failure of a cksmith who could only forge bricks, hisprehension of smithing and ores was at least up to standard. Or to be more exact, even 9-star cksmiths might not be able topete with him in terms of sheer knowledge! Even with a nce from afar, he could tell that the circr tform was the ultimate treasure that the top cksmiths dreamt of even with their eyes wide openthe Golden Origin Spirit Stone! In the forging of an average Saint high-tier artifact, just adding a single gram of the Golden Origin Spirit Stone into the forging process would be enough to enhance the artifact into a Saint pinnacle artifact... and there was actually a huge circr tform of it right in front of him! Just how many tons would that weigh? Even someone as calm as Zhang Xuan could not help but feel his face flushing red in agitation, and uncontroble desire sprouted in the depths of his heart. It could be said that just this circr tform, in terms of value, would not pale inparison to a pinnacle Great Sage artifact! Indeed, this is the Golden Origin Spirit Stone! Back then, when Ancient Sage Ran Qiu sealed me here, he instructed me to wait for the next destined person to appear and win my acknowledgement... However, I have waited here for so long that I have already lost track of time! Ultimately, as a weapon spirit, my lifespan is still limited. Knowing this, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu ced this artifact into theke. As long as I rest above it, my strength wouldnt dissipate, and my lifespan can be significantly lengthened! the skeletal dragon exined. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. This was also a question that he had been wondering about. Even if the Dragonbone Divine Spear had been one of the strongest weapons tens of thousands of years ago, after the passing of so many years, its weapon spirit should have already aged to the point where battling would be impossible for it. Fortunately, it seemed like Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had already predicted this problem and made preparations in advance! With the Golden Origin Spirit Stone to sustain the Dragonbone Divine Spear, the vitality of its weapon spirit could be sustained. Even after hibernating for tens of thousands of years, it was still able to exert its greatest fighting prowess without any problem! However, since I have already awakened, this Golden Origin Spirit Stone is of no use to me. Thus, Im willing to offer it to you, Master! With a wave of its w, the Golden Origin Spirit Stone flew toward Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan hurriedly caught it and stowed it into his storage ring. Hahaha, I wont turn down your gift then! Seeing the possessions and magnanimity of Sword Saint Xing had made him acutely aware of how shallow his view of valuable waspared to others. While this Golden Origin Spirit Stone might be an invaluable treasure to him, it likely meant nothing to an expert of Ancient Sage Ran Qius caliber. Since the skeletal dragon was willing to offer it to him, he had no reason to turn it down. Furthermore, it just so happened that the Golden Origin Spirit Stone was an ideal resource to reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron. With this, he would be able to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron once more, and it would be able to aid him in his future battles! Master, we can leave right now! After handing the Golden Origin Spirit Stone over, the skeletal dragon warped back into a belt and wrapped itself around Zhang Xuan. Raising his head, Zhang Xuan found that there was an identical stone door to the one that he had entered through not too far away. He quickly walked over to it and pushed it open. Jiya! When the stone door opened, he found that he had returned to the atrium, where two groups of people were standing against one another. Their zhenqi crackled in the air, hinting at an impending battle. Chapter 1601 - The Emergence of the Celestial Amulet of Legacy

Chapter 1601: The Emergence of the Celestial Amulet of Legacy

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The first group of people whom Zhang Xuan managed to process consisted of Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen. They had grim looks on their faces. On the opposite side were the four young men who emanated a vicious killing aura. Even before making a move, their auras had already permeated the entire room, as if signaling their dominance. They were the four Otherworldly Demons who they had tailed here. At close proximity, Zhang Xuan was finally able to get a clear look of the appearances of the four of them. Donned in a ck robe, they had tall hats and a little stubble beneath their chins. These are the culprits who have kidnapped Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes menacingly as he casually ced his hand on his waist, ready to make a move at any moment. The final candidate has finally cleared the trial as well. In this moment, a calm voice sounded in the air, breaking the heavy tension in the air. The adolescent boy sculpture walked over and faced the crowd. Since you have sessfully cleared your respective trials, you are qualified to inherit the treasure that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu has left here. Hu! Right after those words were spoken, radiant light shimmered all around the room as a stone tform slowly rose from the ground. At the very center of the stone tform was an amulet the size of a palm. Ancient inscriptions were carved on the amulet. While it appeared to hold no extraordinary prowess at all, if one attempt to peer into it through ones consciousness, one would immediately experience a searing sensation in the mind. Is that the Celestial Amulet of Legacy? Zhang Xuan wondered with a frown as he hurried over to Luo Ruoxins side. The Prime Amulet was the very reason for their visit there. Since it had already emerged, it seemed like a fight could not be avoided anymore. Not only did they have to secure the amulet, they also had to capture those four and force them to reveal the whereabouts of Zhao Ya and the others! It has finally appeared! The four young men could not conceal the agitation from surfacing on their faces when they saw the Prime Amulet, and an excited gleam shone from their eyes. Paying no heed to the group of four, Zhang Xuan discreetly looked at the youngdy beside him and asked, Are you fine? Since he had gone through so much danger in his trial, it was likely that Luo Ruoxin had encountered quite a bit of trouble as well. Dont worry, Im fine. Luo Ruoxin shook his head as she nced at the belt around Zhang Xuans waist and nodded in approval. It seems like you have gained quite a lot from your trial! Not expecting to be found out so quickly, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. Haha, I guess so! Really, it felt as if there was nothing that he could do that could escape from her sight! The Dragonbone Divine Spear is powerful. With your current strength, you wont be able to draw out even a hundredth of its full prowess, but even so, its already more than sufficient! Luo Ruoxin remarked with a smile. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to continue speaking when the voice of adolescent boy sculpture sounded once more. I can tell that both sides desire to obtain this Celestial Amulet of Legacy... Since thats the case, lets decide the allocation through your strength then! Feel free to use any means at your disposal, and whoever manages to acquire it shall be the new owner of this Celestial Amulet of Legacy! The adolescent boy sculpture chuckled softly as he addressed the crowd. Since the elder has already said such words, we shant stand on ceremony then! The schrly young man of the group of four immediately dashed right toward the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, intending to swipe possession of it. Weng! However, before his hand could reach the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, it suddenly struck something hard. No matter how much might he exerted, he was unable to push his hand any closer toward the amulet. It was an istion barrier. You want to take away the amulet? Have you asked for my permission yet? Wu Chen smirked disdainfully as he dashed forward as well. Unlike the schrly young man, his target was not the amulet. Devastating might rumbled in his hand as he directed it toward the back of the schrly young man. Audacious! Seeing that Wu Chen was intending to make a move on one of theirrades, a fragile looking young man leaped forth, and with a furious roar, an ancient zither appeared at his fingertips. He stroked his fingers gracefully across the strings, and a ferocious melody burst forth. Triiingg tingg! Its indeed an artifact of Ancient Sage Yan Yan! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. This zither was not the strongest of Ancient Sage Yan Yans artifacts, but it had been personally refined by him. Even the slightest stroke could produce the most imposing of notes, as if an army of thousands charging forward with an unstoppable momentum! Any Ancient Sage artifacts that could be preserved to this very day, even the simplest of them, were tools that could not be underestimated. Heh! Under the assault of the fragile young man, Wu Chen retracted his attack toward the schrly young man and redirected his might to sh with the demonic tune. In the sh, ripples of shockwaves diffused into the surroundings. Over the course of the sh, Zhang Xuan could tell that both the schrly young man and the fragile young man wielded fighting prowess that could match Yang shi! They had reached the pinnacle of Great Sage, the Sempiternal realm! It was no wonder they could take Zhao Ya and the others away so easily! With their strength and the Ancient Sage artifacts in their possession, they were indeed a force that would be hard to stand against! Ruoxin, Ill be counting on you to stop the fellow attempting to snatch the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. If possible, try to find a way to snatch the amulet yourself. As for the rest, leave them to Wu Chen and me! Zhang Xuan said. Taking a deep breath, he touched the blood droplet in his palm, and a powerful surge of energy swiftly swept through his body. Since the culprits who had kidnapped Zhao Ya and his other students were there, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony. He would pry open their mouths and get their locations out of them! Un. Knowing that the current Zhang Xuan had the ability to deal with those four young men, Luo Ruoxin nodded before dashing toward the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Heh, how can I possibly allow you take the amulet so easily? With a deafening roar, a dark-skinned young man dashed forth, intending to hinder Luo Ruoxin. But barely after he took a step forward, he felt an immense pressure crushing down on him, forcing him to stop in his tracks. The next moment, he saw that Zhang Xuan was already standing right before him with a cold smile on his face. Get your facts right! Your opponent is me! Astonished by Zhang Xuans sudden appearance, the dark-skinned young man instinctively realized that he would not be able to get past the other party easily, so he quickly barked an order to thest young man in the group. What are you dawdling around for? Stop her! Thest young man finally recovered from his daze and hurriedly nodded. Alright! Following which, he stretched his hand forth to grab Luo Ruoxin. Thisst young man was the tallest among the group of four, and his body was slightly bloated as well, giving an impression that he was not too nimble. However, the fighting prowess that he disyed was extraordinary, not losing out to the other three at all! A powerful might rumbled from thest young mans hand, as if he wielded strengthparable to a devastating bolt of lightning. Hahaha, dont waste your effort! The two of you are mine! But before thest young man could get too far, a cold chuckle echoed in the air. Following which, a ferocious pressure pressed down on thest young man, dissipating whatever might he wielded in his hand. Astonished, the four young men could not help but shoot a nce at Zhang Xuan, who was holding a pitch-ck spear in his hand, emanating a cold and lofty aura. Realizing that Zhang Xuans strength was far beyond what they could deal with individually, the dark-skinned young man yelled anxiously, Lets make a move together! Hu! Thus, the dark-skinned young man and thest young man whipped out their swords and flicked two bolts of sword qi over simultaneously. Even space itself seemed to moan under the tremendous force of their sword qi, and it appeared as if the bolts would rip Zhang Xuan apart if they struck him. Let me show you just how frightening an existence you have provoked when you chose to kidnap Zhao Ya and my other students! With a flick of his wrist, a sound reminiscent of a dragons roar sounded from Zhang Xuans spear as it bolted forward. Kacha! Kacha! A ck hole appeared in the point of collision between the spear and the two bolts of sword qi, causing the entire atrium to shake intensely. Even though the folded space that they were in was extraordinary stable, it was ultimately still an artificial space. It could not possibly withstand such frightening might! Peng! Peng! The faces of the dark-skinned young man and thest young man warped in horror as their bodies were sent flying into the distance, as if they had been struck squarely by a hammer. They crashed heavily into the wall, creating a massive hole behind them as blood seeped down from the corners of their mouths. With just a single flick of his spear, Zhang Xuan had sessfully suppressed a coordinated attack from two Sempiternal realm experts. For the first time, the ultimate fighting prowess derived from Kong shis blood droplet and the Dragonbone Divine Spear was shown to the world! Chapter 1602 - Otherworldly Demons Indeed!

Chapter 1602: Otherworldly Demons Indeed!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Where are Zhao Ya and my other students? After sending the two young men flying, Zhang Xuan continued walking toward them as a cold glint shone from the tip of his spear. In that instant, it felt as if he was a War God who had descended from the heavens. Tringg tingggggg! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to capture one of the young men for interrogation, a sonic wave swept in his direction, piercing toward his soul. Turning his head over, he saw the fragile young man wielding Ancient Sage Yan Yans artifact stroking his zither in his direction. He immediately turned his sight to Wu Chen, only to see that thetter was currently bogged down by three Golden Warriors. These Golden Warriors wielded incredible strength that left the space around them crumbling with their punches. Even with Wu Chens strength, he was still unable to subdue them within a short period of time. They sure do have plenty of artifacts... These three Golden Warriors were simr to the ones that they had encountered when they entered the Ran Zi Hall. They were also the soldiers created by the personal writing of an Ancient Sage expert, harnessing his spirit and psyche. However, unlike the Golden Warriors that had materialized previously, these three did not suppress their cultivation at all, and their coordination was impable. As a result, even Wu Chen was having some difficulty dealing with them! A doubt arose in Zhang Xuans mind. Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy, the ancient zither used by Ancient Sage Yan Yan... Are they really Otherworldly Demons? Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion was able to whip out so many precious treasures at once. Yet, these Otherworldly Demons actually had so many in their possession, and they used them as if they were not worth much at all. Could they possibly not be from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe but from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? However, if those four young men were truly from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, who were Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen? After all, Luo Ruoxin had told him personally that she was not an Otherworldly Demon, and he really wanted to trust her. ws! With such a doubt in mind, Zhang Xuan decisively activated the Library of Heavens Path on them in hopes of uncovering their identity. Weng! The Library of Heavens Path jolted, but no books werepiled. Whats going on? It cant be that they possess the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well, right? There cant possibly be so many people who have that constitution in the world! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He could still ept not being able to read Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen, but why was he unable to read these young men? Just what was going on? Those young men were currently executing their battle techniques, so he should have been able to read them easily! Could it be... Yes, that seems to be very likely! Even if they dont possess the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, theres a very high chance that they might still have some artifacts on them that allow them to conceal themselves from the heavens... Otherwise, theres no way the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and the Zhang n could have been unaware that they were going to kidnap Zhao Ya and the others! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Given the importance of Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao in the expedition to the Temple of Confucius, the Master Teacher Pavilion had their most skillful seers keeping close tabs on them. If they were going to be captured, those seers definitely would have divined it, but that did not happen. The only reason for that was that the four young men were in possession of some method of concealing themselves from the view of the heavens! In a sense, this was simr to how the Sage Xis Tortoiseshell was concealed from the detection of the heavens under the istion barrier of the Shrine of Seers back then. It seems like I really should journey around the Shrine of Seers after leaving this ancient domain... Zhang Xuan thought. If this went on, it felt like his Library of Heavens Path would be rendered obsolete in no time! It was really high time for him to upgrade his Library of Heavens Path. If that did not work either, the least he could do was learn about the various means to avoid the detection of the heavens so that he would be able to deal with them in the future! Forget it! Even if I cant see through them, Ill know after trying them out! Zhang Xuan thought as he nced at the three men before him coldly. Just because the Library of Heavens Path could not see through them did not mean that he did not have any other ways of finding out! Even if Otherworldly Demons were able to disguise themselves as humans, they were still unable to alter the fundamental nature of their zhenqi. In times of danger, their instinctive responses would immediately kick in, thus exposing their true identity. Unless they were so powerful that they could deal with his attacks with ease... However, considering the strength of the four young men, the possibility of such a situation happening was nonexistent. In any case, Zhang Xuan did not believe that anyone beneath Ancient Sage would be able to hide their true forms from him! The three of you shoulde at me together! Zhang Xuan roared inughter as he flicked his wrist and thrust the spear forth. Weng! The sonic waves produced by the fragile young man were kept at bay by the spear tip, and taking a huge stride forward, Zhang Xuan swept his spear in a horizontal arc in front of him. Hu! The spear flew toward the dark-skinned young man closest to him. Humph! With his flick of his wrist, the dark-skinned young man took out a brush to defend against Zhang Xuans spear sweep. Ding ding ding ding ding! The brush swiftly chipped away at the might of the Dragonbone Divine Spear with multiple strikes. While the dark-skinned young man was still forced to retreat eight steps in the end, he managed to walk out of this encounter rtively unscathed. Is that brush another Ancient Sage artifact, too? Zhang Xuan wondered in astonishment. However, knowing that this was not the time to allow his mind to wander, he smoothly maneuvered his spear into an upward flick to pierce thest young man. Tzzzzzzzz! A furious storm swept through the air like a hurricane, and thest young mans face immediately paled in the face of the spear. Trriiing ting! Just as the spear was about to strike thest young man, the fragile young mans zither started ying once more. This time, Zhang Xuan did not resist the demonic tune. Instead, he drew the entire soul attack into his body. Kacha! In an instant, the metamorphosis that he had started under the pressure of the Dragonbone Divine Spear was immediatelypleted, and his soul began undergoing a qualitative change. Zhang Xuan could clearly feel his soul cultivation being raised to a whole new level. While it had not reached the level of Great Sage yet, it had be much purer, and the size of his soul was also reduced by almost half. With the current state of his soul, he was already able to pull off Soul Traverse. Refreshed from his breakthrough, Zhang Xuan could not help but burst intoughter. Hahaha, you have my deepest gratitude! Then, he took a step forward. Cold sweat immediately rained down from thest young man as rm bells rang endlessly in his head. He hurriedly retreated, but Zhang Xuans spear traced him relentlessly as if it was his shadow. No matter how thest young man maneuvered around the ce, trying all kinds of movement techniques, he was unable to shake off the spear piercing toward him. Damn it! the dark-skinned young man cursed beneath his breath as he poured ink all over the ce and began painting swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he had already painted a shield for thest young man to hide in. Si! The Dragonbone Divine Spear collided with the painted shield and tore it apart with ease. Nevertheless, the painted shield did manage to reduce the might of the spears pierce significantly. Thest young man swiftly turned around, and with all his might, he deflected the spear with his sword, thus surviving this ordeal. Seeing how thest young man did not whip out any peculiar artifacts despite being driven to a corner, Zhang Xuan thought, It seems like this fellow doesnt have any Ancient Sage artifacts... To be honest, while thebination of Kong shis blood droplet and the Dragonbone Divine Spear did grant him iparable fighting prowess, it would still take some time for him to capture those three young men alive. Unfortunately, there was a time limit to Kong shis blood droplet, so time was not a luxury that he could squander. Since that was the case, it would be best for him to focus his attention on the weakest young man who did not have any Ancient Sage artifacts in possession! Once one was down, it would be easier for him to take down the other two. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan decisivelyunched his spear toward thest young man once more. Tzzzzzzzz! If the previous attack was just a maneuver to try thest young mans hand, this would be the true deadly strike. Before the spear could even reach thest young man, a deafening sonic boom had already permeated the entire atrium. As if a fragile sheet of paper, the space standing between the spear and thest young man was callously torn apart, causing multiple spatial ripples to diffuse into the surroundings. Tiing trrrinnnng! Triiinnnng ding! Not expecting Zhang Xuan to neglect the other two of them and focus his offense solely on thest young man, the fragile young man hurriedly stroked his zither. But even though the demonic tune that he yed held fearsome might, it was kept at bay by the spatial ripples diffusing outward. Spatial Interference! Damn it! The dark-skinned young man hurriedly rushed forward to protect thest young man as well, but with just a flick of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, his brush was sent flying. Let me kill one of you first to quell my rage first! Zhang Xuan bellowed coldly as he drove his spear forth. Thest young mans face paled in fright. Knowing that he would be killed if he did not make a move, he raised his head and roared. Ahhh! Amid the deafening roar, his body swiftly increased in size. His already tall stature swiftly rose beyond two meters, and an overwhelming killing aura burst forth from his body, piercing into the heavens. You really are an Otherworldly Demon... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes menacingly. Chapter 1603 - Escape

Chapter 1603: Escape

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 His conviction had wavered when he saw the group of young men whipping out Ancient Sage artifacts one after another before him, and he had wondered if he might have got it wrong once more. However, with the tall young mans transformation, it was apparent that the group of young men before him were not from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers but Otherworldly Demons! To be honest, even though he really wanted to trust Luo Ruoxin, there had been just a hint of doubt at the back of his mind that he could not shake off. For that, he had even attempted to check on Wu Chen as well... In an instant, his face reddened in embarrassment. Luo Ruoxin had trusted him unreservedly, sharing any news that she had with him without any hesitation. She even gave something as precious as Kong shis personal handwriting to him as if it was nothing more than dirt. Yet, he had actually doubted her... The more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt. At the same time, Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen also swiftly noticed thest young man reverting back to its original form as an Otherworldly Demon, and they were visibly startled for a moment. Since you are an Otherworldly Demon, I shant stand on ceremony! Having verified the other partys identity, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his breath on words. With a furious bellow, he thrust the spear toward thest young man once more. Po! Regaining his true strength after reverting to his true form, thest young mans fighting prowess became much stronger than before. Nevertheless, he was still far from a match for the Dragonbone Divine Spear-equipped Zhang Xuan. Soon, he was pierced in his shoulder, and fresh blood gushed out from his gaping wound. At the same time, the fragile young man and the dark-skinned young man also had their hands full with the powerful attacks that Zhang Xuan sent their way from time to time. They could hardly find any time to catch their breath, let alone assist thest young man! Knowing that they would be defeated if this went on, the fragile young man bellowed anxiously, Quick, grab the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! Alright! the schrly young man before the amulet quickly replied. He was currently in the midst of battling Luo Ruoxin. The youngdys attacks were neither fast nor powerful, but every strike carried some kind of unpredictable danger that would kill him the moment that he let his guard down. After trading a few blows, the schrly young man found his arms bing numb, and his face paled from the damage that he had umted thus far. They were all Sempiternal realm cultivators, but for some reason, the members of trio before them were each more frightening than thest! The tides were simply not in their favor. If this went on, they might really lose their lives. Thus, the schrly young man gritted his teeth and tossed a book out. Boom! As soon as the book appeared, it warped into a cloth that could conceal even the heavens. It fell right upon Luo Ruoxin, isting her from the rest of the world. The writings of an Ancient Sage? Luo Ruoxins face darkened as she hurriedly raised her palm to strike the cloth around her. However, all of the force that she exerted waspletely absorbed by the cloth, preventing her from breaking out. The writings of an Ancient Sage harnessed immense powers, such that even Half-Ancient Sage experts would be unable to break free, let alone Sempiternal realm cultivators! Hu! Heaving a sigh of relief, the schrly young man turned his sight toward the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a token and pressed the token against the seal around the amulet lightly. Weng! As soon as the token came into contact with the seal, thetter began dissipating at a visible rate. Hu! With a swipe of his hands, the Celestial Amulet of Legacy was already in his grasp. Lets go! Having acquired the item that they hade for, the schrly young man quickly beckoned to hisrades as he whipped out another jade token. He crushed the jade token forcefully, and a spatial rift swiftly appeared around him and swallowed him whole. Hu! Lets go! Seeing that they had achieved their objective in the ancient domain, the fragile young man and dark-skinned young man quickly grabbed the exposed Otherworldly Demon before retrieving a simr-looking jade token and crushing it as well. Where do you think you are going? Not expecting the young man to actually have such a method of escape, Zhang Xuan quickly tapped his finger ahead. Weng! The space around the three young men froze in ce. The Spatial Quintessence of Sealing had the ability to seal all energy disturbances within a given space. The jade tokens that the young men were using were probably some sort of Teleportation Formation, so by sealing the space, he would be able to prevent them from escaping! As expected, the three young men who were just about to escape through the spatial rift abruptly froze in midair, unable to move or escape. Speak! Where did you take Zhao Ya and my other students? Zhang Xuan roared with wintry killing intent. Zhao Ya? Do you mean the host of the Pure Yin Constitution? the fragile young man asked. Thats right! Zhang Xuan eyed the three of them with a threatening gaze. If you want to find them, meet us at the Temple of Confucius! With a cold sneer, the fragile young man crushed an amulet that had appeared in his hand at some point in time. Hu! A cmitous surge of sword qi suddenly burst forth from the crushed amulet, tearing the sealed space in an instant. Weng! With the disappearance of the sealed space, the silhouettes of the trio immediately became illusory, signaling that their teleportation would be sessful the next instant. Since you arent willing to speak, you can die now! With crimson eyes, Zhang Xuan drove his spear right toward the three. He had gone easy on the trio in order to acquire news regarding Zhao Ya from them. However, since it was confirmed that they had taken her away, and they were already on the verge of escaping, he could not hold back his killing intent against them anymore. Those three young men might be powerful, but against the current Zhang Xuan, they were not even close to being a match at all. Hu! With raging might, the spear thrust forth. Humph! With a cold harrumph, the fragile young man flicked his finger, and another surge of sword qi burst toward Zhang Xuan once more. Zhang Xuan was intending to use his spear to crush right through the sword qi, but a force behind him suddenly tugged him away. H! Wherever the sword qi passed, the annihtion of space could be seen, leaving a long gorge of dark destruction. Seeing such a sight, cold sweat dripped down Zhang Xuans head. If someone had not pulled him back, he would have been sliced in two back there! But in the moment that he dodged the attack, the three young men also sessfully slipped through the spatial rift and vanished. A myriad of emotions bottled up in Zhang Xuanhelplessness, frustration, and angerculminated into a deep, long sigh. Turning around, he saw Luo Ruoxin standing right behind him with a disapproving frown on her forehead. Do you want to die? Thats an amulet left behind by an Ancient Sage, and it harnesses a tenth of an Ancient Sages strength... Theres no way you could have stood against something like that! A tenth of an Ancient Sages strength? Zhang Xuans face paled in realization of what he had just faced. It was no wonder that surge of sword qi was so powerful! Even if it was just a tenth of an Ancient Sages might, it was not something that the current him could stand against. Humph! I didnt think that they would have an Inscripted Amulet of an Ancient Sage and even a Dimension Flit Amulet! Wu Chen walked over with aplicated look on his face, seemingly pondering deeply over something. Dimension Flit Amulet? Its a special type of amulet inscripted by an Ancient Sage specializing in spatial arts. It works simr to a Teleportation Formation when crushed, transporting the user over a distance of a million li 1 . To even have such an artifact in their possession, it seems like they must have spent a very long time preparing for this operation, Luo Ruoxin exined grimly. It can transport a person over a million li away? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. If only he had known that those young men had such artifacts in their possession, he would have killed them right from the start! Had he just crushed their cultivation, they would not have been able to use the Dimension Flit Amulet! Even though the Dimension Flit Amulet allowed them to travel through space, if their cultivation was too low, they would not have been able to survive the spatial turbulence from the travel! After all the effort we have put into this, the Celestial Amulet of Legacy still ended up falling in their hands... Wu Chen shook his head bitterly. Its fine. No matter who obtains the amulet, they will have to unlock the seal at the Temple of Confucius eventually. As long as we camp there, well be able to get in as well. It was a huge disappointment that the Celestial Amulet of Legacy had slipped through their fingers, so they could only console themselves as such. Fret not. They might have gotten away, but they didnt manage to take the Celestial Amulet of Legacy away with them! Zhang Xuan said. They didnt manage to take the amulet away with them? Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen nced at one another, unable toprehend the young mans words. Hehe! Instead of answering the doubts of the duo, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the adolescent boy sculpture not too far away and asked, May I ask if my words are correct... Celestial Amulet of Legacy? Chapter 1604 - Prime Amulet

Chapter 1604: Prime Amulet

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The adolescent boy sculpture was taken aback for an instant before he chuckled awkwardly. W-what are you saying? Im just an artifact spirit left here by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu to guide the visitors around! Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen also had perplexed looks on their faces. This adolescent boy sculpture had been apanying them around the Ran Zi Hall from the moment that they arrived there. They had always thought of the other party as an enchanted sculpture, so how did he turn out to be the Celestial Amulet of Legacy? If that was really the case, how could the four young men before them not realize it despite the number of Ancient Sage artifacts that they possessed? Artifact spirit? May I know what kind of artifact spirit you are then? Would you care to share it with me? Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. I am the artifact spirit birthed from this stone sculpture! the adolescent boy sculpture eximed. An artifact spirit birthed from this stone sculpture? Zhang Xuans lips curved up as he ced his hands behind his back and circled around the sculpture. The material that you are made of is known as the Magi Rock. Its found in the far northeastern Luxu Mountain of the continent, slowly tempered over an unimaginably long period of time through the grinding of tectonic tes, the currents of the ocean, and the searing heat of the undergroundva. There arent many of these rocks in the continent, definitely numbering no more than ten! The greatest property of the Magi Rock lies in its ability to nourish a soul. Souls that are deposited into it will grow more resilient and powerful. Ironically, due to the overwhelming soul energy that is harnessed within the Magi Rocks, its impossible to gather the huge bulk of soul energy together to give birth to a conscious spirit. In other words... no matter how skilled a spirit awakener is, its impossible to sessfully enchant a Magi Rock! You mentioned that you are the artifact spirit of this stone sculpture. Why dont you tell me who the person that granted you life is then? I... The adolescent boy sculpture was visibly stunned by those words. He did not think that the young man before him would actually be able to identify a rock as rare as him, and he subconsciously took a step back out of apprehension as he replied, Its Ancient Sage Ran Qiu... The capabilities of an Ancient Sage go far beyond your imagination! Just because you arent able to do it doesnt mean that others arent able to do so! Hahaha! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans lips curled into a smile, as if he had managed to corner his prey. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu is one of the Ten Apostles, and I am indeed incapable of fathoming the full extent of his capabilities. However, enchanted artifacts tend to have deep feelings for the spirit awakener that granted them life, thus making it extremely easily for the spirit awakener to tame them. Since Ancient Sage Ran Qiu left the Ran Zi Hall in your hands and entrusted you the mission of bringing the visitors around, I dont see why he wouldnt tame you. After all, there would be a risk that you could betray him otherwise... Yet, since meeting you, Ive noticed that you have been addressing him as Ancient Sage Ran Qiu instead of... master. All enchanted artifacts harbored deep feelings for the spirit awakeners that enchanted them, and it was such a property that allowed spirit awakeners to easily control the artifacts that they had enchanted. This was simr to how the golems that he had enchanted before had only been willing to listen to him and no one else. Even a hatchling would view the very first life it saw as its parent, let alone an enchanted spirit. Since Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had left the important Ran Zi Hall, which even contained his personal weapon, to the care of the adolescent boy sculpture, there was no reason why he would not tame thetter, especially since he should have been able to do so easily. Yet, ever since they had entered the Ran Zi Hall, the adolescent boy sculpture had never once addressed Ancient Sage Ran Qiu as master. In fact, his attitude toward Ancient Sage Ran Qiu could not even be said to be respectful! I... The adolescent boy sculpture was unable to refute Zhang Xuans words. Silence loomed for a moment before he anxiously rebutted, Even if I didnt acknowledge him as my master, I cant possibly be the Celestial Amulet of Legacy either! Your deduction has no strong reasoning behind it at all! It seems like you wont admit it unless I spell it out clearly! A glint shed through Zhang Xuans eyes as he shook his head with a smile. When we arrived at the Ran Zi Hall, I challenged two Golden Warriors simultaneously and sealed the space around them. You mentioned that I was the sessor of Qiu Wu Zi and asked me to show mercy! Indeed. Whats wrong with that? The adolescent boy sculpture harrumphed doubtfully. He did recall saying such words, and he did not see any problem with them. While Ancient Sage Qiu Wu might have been Kong shis subordinate, he was much older than Kong shi, and Kong shi addressed him as a peer. Considering how Ancient Sage Ran Qiu is a disciple of Kong shi, even he would have to address Ancient Sage Qiu Wu with the utmost respect, not daring to overstep his bounds at all! Zhang Xuan said. In a sense, this was simr to how even though Sun Qiang was his subordinate, Zheng Yang and the others still addressed him respectfully as Uncle Sun. This was even more so for Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, who was much more aged than Kong shi. Even Kong shi regarded him with much respect, so how could Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, as a student, dare to address him casually? On the other hand, you addressed Ancient Sage Qiu Wu directly as Qiu Wu Zi, and thats an address that peers use to address one another! Zhang Xuan continued. As an artifact enchanted by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, dont you think its inappropriate for you to speak in such a manner? Y-you... Taken aback, the adolescent boy sculpture backed away several steps as he stared at Zhang Xuan with a horrified expression. To be able to deduce that he was the Celestial Amulet of Legacy just by the method of address... The young man was frighteningly sharp! Realizing that there was no longer any point in him concealing his true identity, the adolescent boy sculpture raised his head and asked, When did you see through me? He was confident in his disguise. Even if an Ancient Sage stood before him, the other party would not necessarily be able to see through his disguise. So, when did the young man see through him? Earlier, before entering the passageway, I noticed the peculiarity in your material when I patted your shoulder, and that was when I began suspecting you, Zhang Xuan replied. When he entered the granite door previously, he had walked up to the adolescent boy sculpture and patted his shoulder so as to use the Library of Heavens Path on him. Through thepiled book, he had learned that the material of the sculpture was not suitable for enchantment, but even so, he did not think too much about it. Or rather, with the danger that came right after, he did not have any time to think too much about it. However, with the escape of the four young men, he had suddenly recalled this matter, and putting it together with the peculiar address that the adolescent boy sculpture used for Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, he would have to be really dense not to figure it out! Considering how the Celestial Amulets of Legacy were artifacts that Kong shi had forged, it would not be inappropriate for them to address Ancient Sage Qiu Wu informally as Qiu Wu Zi. Even if they showed ack of respect for Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, thetter would not say anything. The true conclusive evidence was that he could feel a very familiar auraing from the adolescent boy sculpture. The other six Subordinate Amulets were forged using the blood essences of those possessing unique constitutions, but as for the Prime Amulet, if he was not mistaken, it was likely to have been forged using Kong shis blood essence! In other words, the familiar aura that he was feeling was that of a fellow Celestial Master Teacher! With such a feeling guiding him, it would not be too difficult for him to figure out who the adolescent boy sculpture truly was! I see... As expected of Qiu Wu Zis sessor! Not only have you mastered the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, you have also managed to tame the Dragonbone Divine Spear... Your eye of discernment is truly extraordinary... Hearing Zhang Xuans exnation, the adolescent boy sculpture confessed. Youre right, I am the Prime Amulet forged by Kong shi. What those young men have taken away is a mere imitation! Chuckling softly, a ray of light rose from the head of the adolescent boy sculpture and converged in the air. In just a few moments, he had already transformed into an amulet. It was identical to the Celestial Amulet of Legacy that the schrly young man had snatched earlier. I am the Prime Amulet that Kong shi forged. Only the one who holds me will be able to enter the Prime Hall in the Temple of Confucius! However, my one true master is Kong shi, and I wont bow down to just anyone. Putting aside the fact that you are Qiu Wu Zis sessor, even if Qiu Wu Zi stood before me this instant, theres no way hed be able to make me submit to him! the amulet dered regally. In response to those words, Zhang Xuan simply chuckled softly. You wont submit to me? Of course not! the amulet replied pridefully. Very well. Ill show you something first, and Ill ept any decision you make right after! Zhang Xuan raised his finger and tapped the amulet lightly. Theres nothing you can show me that will change my mind. As an artifact created by Kong shi, how can I possibly submit t-t-to... Just as the amulet was dering its stand pridefully, it suddenly shuddered before frightfully crumpling together in the air. Following which, it hurriedly stood in front of Zhang Xuan like an erect card and said in a fawning voice, Little Amulet pays respect to Master! Chapter 1605 - I Want to Go to the Luo Clan

Chapter 1605: I Want to Go to the Luo n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats more like it! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction as he held the amulet between his fingertips. Since the other party had been forged using Kong shis blood essence, he was confident a Celestial Master Teacher that he could get it to submit to him by revealing his true identity. And everything did go ording to his expectations. ... Wu Chen opened his eyes wide in disbelief. He was a veteran who could be considered one of the most knowledgeable individuals on the Master Teacher Continent, but the shocks that he had encountered that day were far more than a lifetimes worth for him. At this point, he really had to bow down to the young man. The amulet forged by Kong shi did not even regard Ancient Sage Qiu Wu or Ancient Sage Ran Qiu as much, and yet, with a light fondle, it actually submitted to the young man! Is there nothing that you cant tame with those fingers of yours? But what had truly left him shocked was not just that. Rather, after taming the Prime Amulet, which countless would murder to gain possession of, Zhang Xuan actually flicked it lightly into Luo Ruoxins grasp! Ruoxin, Ill entrust this Prime Amulet to you. In any case, it wont be much use in my hands! Wu Chens body froze in utter incredulity. Those four young men before them had been willing to whip out Ancient Sage artifacts one after another in order to snatch it away, and that was more than enough to show how valuable the Prime Amulet truly was. Yet, the young man did not hesitate to give it away to Luo Ruoxin... But what was even more shocking was soon toe... Since the Prime Amulet has acknowledged you as its master, itll do for you to keep it. I have even less use for it here... Luo Ruoxin shook her head coolly as she passed the Prime Amulet back to Zhang Xuan. Itll suffice as long as you bring me in when the Temple of Confucius opens. After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan took the Prime Amulet back and nodded. Alright then. No matter how formidable the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was, as one who possessed the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan did not think that it was something that he would necessarily require, let alone a mere Prime Amulet. The reason he had gone to this ancient domain was solely because Luo Ruoxin had invited him there. He had intended to uncover the identity of the culprits who had taken Zhao Ya and his other students away, as well as to rify the misunderstanding of the engagement to her... As long as she would not use it to harm mankind, he did not mind giving away the precious Prime Amulet to her! But who could have thought that the youngdy would have little regard for it as well. Seeing that it was pushed and shoved around, the Prime Amulet was on the verge of bursting into tears. As an artifact forged personally by Kong shi, not even Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was qualified to tame it, and yet, there it was, tossed around from person to person as if it was useless trash that no one wanted... Dont stop me, let me bang my head on the pir and die! Oh right, I am just a sheet of paper. Even if I bang my head against the wall, I cant die... Just as it was feeling deeply stifled, its new master suddenly turned his gaze to it with a greedy glint in his eyes. Little Amulet. Since you have already acknowledged me as your master, shouldnt you show me some sincerity? There should be other treasures in the ancient domain, right? Come, bring me to them! ... The Prime Amulet twitched upon hearing those words. There arent any treasures left in here... How can there be no treasures in here? Arent there ny-nine doors? Since the door that I went through has the Dragonbone Divine Spear, surely the others should contain some kind of valuable treasure, right? Zhang Xuan eximed in agitation. The other passageways are really just trials consisting of ughter Formations or Illusory Formations. There are no treasures in the rest... the Prime Amulet replied. Really? Zhang Xuan turned his doubtful gaze to Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen, only to see thetter two nodding in agreement. Its right. The passageways that we went through are really just trials. There was no treasure at the end. Is that so? Zhang Xuan could not help but lower his head in disappointment. He had thought that each of the ny-nine granite doors would contain top-notch treasuresparable to the Dragonbone Divine Spear, but it seemed like he had set his expectations too high. Since that was the case, Zhang Xuan had no choice but topromise. Right, Ill have to trouble you to help me gouge out the three words, Ran Zi Hall, on the entrance que. Those are good, too! ... Prime Amulet. He had met plenty of stingy people in his time, but this was the first time he had seen anyone like that. That was the entrance que to the Ran Zi Hall, and yet, he would not even let it go... Other people sought to im swords, spears, and legendary treasures from ancient domains, and yet, Zhang Xuan snatched even the very face of the esteemed Ran Zi Hall. ... Paying no heed to the tearful Prime Amulet, Zhang Xuan did as he pleased and took everything that was of the slightest value away from the Ran Zi Hall before leaving with a satisfied grin. As the old adage goes, only the breadwinner of a family knows how expensive every grain of rice is. It had not been easy for Zhang Xuan to happen upon such a rich household, so it was a given that he had to fill his pockets to the brim in case of rainy days! Teleport us out! Zhang Xuan instructed the Prime Amulet. The Prime Amulets paper body crumpled together, and a shadow devoured their bodies. The next instant, they were already standing in the midst of the White Creek Mountain once more. As soon as Wu Chen regained his bnce, he sped his fist and bowed deeply. Mdy, Zhang shi, I have some matters that I have to attend to, so Ill have to bid my farewell right now. Ill find you all once more after my business is done! There was a deeply worried look on his face. What happened? Do you need help? Zhang Xuan asked. Its just a couple of trifling matters. I am very grateful for your offer, Zhang shi, but Ill be able to resolve them on my own! Wu Chen nodded. Thats good. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Go on. Look for me after you are done with whatever you have on hand, Luo Ruoxin replied. Thank you, Mdy! With a tap of his finger, a spatial wormhole appeared before Wu Chen, and he leaped right in. In the blink of an eye, he had already vanished from sight. With his departure, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the youngdy before him and smiled. Ruoxin, what do you intend to do now? Having obtained the Prime Amulet, it no longer mattered whether they found the remaining Subordinate Amulets or not. The only thing that they had to do was wait for the Temple of Confucius to open. I dont have anything on at the moment, replied Luo Ruoxin as she shook her head. Since thats the case, why dont youe to the Zhang n with me? Zhang Xuan said with a smile. We left too hurriedly the previous time around, and I didnt get to introduce you to my parents! To be honest, he still felt a little awkward around his parents, especially since they had only reunited with one another a few days ago. But no matter what, they were still his blood kin, so it was only right for him to introduce his girlfriend to them. Furthermore, this would also show Luo Ruoxin that he was serious about her. This... A hint of redness crept onto Luo Ruoxins fairplexion as she replied with a slight hint of fluster in her voice, I snatched you away from the Luo n, causing a fallout between the Zhang n and the Luo n... Isnt it a bad time for me to pay them a visit? Theres nothing bad about the timing. Dont worry, my parents are very open people! Zhang Xuan reassured with a smile. Despite the slight awkwardness in their rtionshiphe had not even gotten around to calling them father and mother yethe had to admit that the Xingmeng Sword Saints were extremely doting. Putting everything aside, what he had done back at the Luo n had snubbed not only the reputation of the Luo n but that of the Zhang n as well. Had it been any other parents, they would have already killed that unfilial son of theirs, yet his parents actually offered him their full support! Just from that alone, he wanted to try epting his parents. This... Luo Ruoxin was still a little hesitant and worried about meeting Zhang Xuans parents. She could remain cold and nonchnt toward anything in the world, such that not even the prized Prime Amulet could cause the slightest fluctuation in her emotions. Yet, a simple matter like this actually left her at a loss. Theres nothing to worry about, Im around. Its only a matter of time before well have to meet them to affirm our rtionship! Knowing what Luo Ruoxin was worried about, Zhang Xuan held her hand tightly and consoled her. Lets meet them, alright? I... Looking into Zhang Xuans eyes, Luo Ruoxin hesitated for a moment before eventually sighing deeply. Alright, Ill meet your parents. Un! Seeing that Luo Ruoxin had agreed to it, a bright smile crept on Zhang Xuans face. At this moment, he suddenly recalled something and added, But before we head back to the Zhang n, I want to drop by the Luo n first! You want to drop by the Luo n? Luo Ruoxin frowned. Chapter 1606 - Luo Tianya

Chapter 1606: Luo Tianya

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After the huge upset with the Luo n, thetter would skin Zhang Xuan alive if they ever got their hands on him, so why did he want to head over? Even though Luo Ruoxin had a lot of doubts in her mind, she did not think that he was heading to the Luo n to have a rendezvous with Luo Qiqi. She might be unfamiliar with love, but she was still able to tell that the feelings that Zhang Xuan had for Luo Qiqi did not transcend those of a teacher-student rtionship. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. I have done them a huge injustice during the engagement ceremony, and since I haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, I want to impart it to them so as topensate them for what I have done! Its indeed unfair that they had to go through such a matter, and its only right for you to make it up to them. However, I fear that if you visit them right now, not only will they not appreciate your help, it might even worsen the conflict between the two ns, Luo Ruoxin replied grimly. Were it not for Yang shi and the Master Teacher Pavilion mediating by the side, a full-blown war between the two ns could have broken out during the engagement ceremony! Even if Zhang Xuan did not bear any malicious intent toward the Luo n, his goodwill toward them was unlikely to be looked favorably upon. In the worst-case scenario, they might evene to blows with one another! Thats also something that I am extremely concerned about. So, I was thinking of disguising myself so as to prevent any misunderstandings from happening! Knowing full well that he had already be the archenemy of every single member of the Luo n, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. The Spatial Quintessence of Sealing has always been an exclusive secret art of the Luo n. As far as I know, there has been no one in their n who has been able toprehend it ever since the era of their founder, so I believe this will be the best way to make it up to them. If he had tried to look into who the little princess was instead of rushing into the engagement, such a huge misunderstanding would not have happened. At the same time, the Luo n would not have been embarrassed before so many experts. There was a slight moment of silence before Luo Ruoxin replied with a nod. I think its a good idea. Seeing how readily the youngdy expressed her approval toward the matter, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, Arent you... angry? Honestly speaking, considering how he and Luo Qiqi had nearly be a couple, he could understand it if Luo Ruoxin felt ufortable about this matter. To ept this matter so readily, did she really have no qualms about it? Of course not! Luo Ruoxin replied with a light chuckle reminiscent of a blooming flower. To be honest, this was probably the reason that she liked Zhang Xuan in the first ce. To remain humble in the face of sess, constantly maintaining a low profile, never hesitating to admit his faults, keeping a magnanimous heart toward the world... Those were traits that a true man should have! And this was the kind of man that she, Luo Ruoxin, loved. Lets set out then! Laughing heartily, Zhang Xuan grabbed Luo Ruoxins hands tightly as he felt a surge of bliss racing through his heart. ... With his deepened understanding of space, through tapping into the prowess of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Zhang Xuan was able to find spatial wormholes and travel through them as well. With this, the speed of their journey was hastened significantly. It did not take long for them to arrive in the perimeter of the Luo n. Its true that even 9-star master teachers will have trouble seeing through your disguise, but you still wont be able to fool some of the unique identification artifacts. I have an amulet here that is used specifically for disguise. It should be able to bypass the detection of most unique identification artifacts. After closely inspecting Zhang Xuans disguise, Luo Ruoxin took out a piece of paper. That will really be a great help! Zhang Xuan took the amulet over excitedly. The previous time he tried to disguise himself carefully, he had still ended up being seen through by Yang shi. As such, if anything could further augment his disguise, he would take it willingly just to lower the risk of him being revealed. Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the amulet and saw unfamiliar characters and patterns inscribed on it. He had no idea what they meant, but he sensed tremendous energy from them. He tried to scan them with his Spiritual Perception, but he found that he could not see through it at all. Curious, he tried cing it lightly on his forehead. Weng! As soon as the paper came into contact with his face, it swiftly dissipated into a surge of energy that delved right into his body. With just a thought, Zhang Xuans body swiftly morphed into the form of a middle-aged man in his forties. Anky figure with yellowish, wrinkled skin, he would appear unspectacr at first nce. However, upon taking another look, one would swiftly notice that he had a pair of sharp eyes reminiscent of those of eagles, reflecting acuity and wisdom. This is a true treasure! Zhang Xuan eximed in astonishment. He had used his Spiritual Perception to scan his appearance multiple times, but he could not see any openings that suggested that he was different from how he appeared. In fact, even the Eye of Insight was unable to see through his own disguise! This disguise amulet was indeed far more effective than the disguise techniques that he usually used. With this, even if he met Yang shi once more, thetter would not dare doubt his true identity! After checking on himself, he turned his gaze to the youngdy not too far away and saw that she had already morphed into the appearance of a middle-ageddy to match him. Even though she had concealed her ravishing countenance, her grace still showed through her subtle gestures. Hahaha, this disguise is superb. Say, why dont we try creating a reputation for ourselves as the next Cmitous Couple? Zhang Xuan proposed with a chuckle. As the patriarch and matriarch of the Zhang n, as well as top-notch experts on the continent, no one would dare speak badly of the Xingmeng Sword Saint openly. While they addressed them respectfully as Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng on the surface, they did not neglect to spitefullybel them as the Cmitous Couple behind their back! Considering that the two of them were a middle-aged couple and their prowess stood at the top of the continent as well, it would not take too long for them to forge such a reputation for themselves! Who are you calling a couple? We are just... siblings! Luo Ruoxins face reddened upon hearing those words. Siblings? But siblings usually look simr to one another, no? Is it because... Im too handsome? Is that the reason Im so well-liked by others? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Narcissist! Luo Ruoxin burst intoughter. She had still been a little reluctant to pass off as a couple a moment ago, but all of a sudden, she felt that it might not be so bad after all. Fine, lets act as a couple then. However, we have to choose a name to call ourselves. Otherwise, it will appear suspicious if we cant even introduce ourselves when others ask who we are. My parents took a character from each of their names to derive the nickname Xingmeng Sword Saint. I think we can try doing the same too... How does Xuanxin Sword Saint sound to you? Zhang Xuan asked. Luo Ruoxin rolled her eyes. Whats the point of the disguise then? Right... I have used Yang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Wu Zhangxuan, and several other aliases before, so I should find a new one this time around... Right, I should pass myself off as a member of the Luo n. They should feel much safer around me if Im one of them, especially given the fact that Im going to impart the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to them. Otherwise, they might just think that I have stolen their heritage and try to kill me! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Since he was going toe up with a persona anyway, it would help in his cause if he assumed the identity of a member of the Luo n. After all, the heritage of sealing space had remained a unique heritage of the Luo n for many years. On top of that, the Luo n had also grown too big over the tens of thousands of years for it to track all of its members urately. They would have no way of verifying it even if he imed to be from their distant side family. Such was the case in the Zhang n as well. There were distant rtives of the Zhang n, due to their Zhang n bloodline being too thin, who would not even be recorded in the n genealogy. I think thats a good idea. I shoulde up with a name for myself too... How about Lingxi? I havent given much thought to the surname yet, but I think Lingxi should do, Luo Ruoxin said. Lingxi 1 ? Two hearts united by a profound connection... That is a wonderful name! Since thats the case, Ill call myself Luo Tianya 2 ! No matter how far away we are from one another, even if the boundaries of the world sever us so, our hearts will remain connected together with one another! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. That sounds great. Luo Ruoxin nodded with a slight smile. After resolving the issue regarding their names, the two of them quickly flew in the direction of the Luo n. The current Luo n was still in the midst of reconstructing their damaged buildings and returning the gifts that the many powers had sent to them. There were people scattered all around the area, and the ce looked incredibly messy. Zhang Xuan was intending to exploit this chaos to find Luo Xuanqing or Luo Qiqi to impart the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to them when he heard a gust of wind right above him. A few figures suddenly appeared above, and a deafening voice echoed in the air. Nangong Yuanfeng from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers Great Phrontistery of Confucianism hase with a couple of juniors to pay a visit to the head of the Luo n! Chapter 1607 - The Hundred Schools of Philosophers Wants a Duel

Chapter 1607: The Hundred Schools of Philosophers Wants a Duel

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Theyre from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Taken aback, Zhang Xuan raised his head to carefully assess the five people floating above. The person who was speaking was a middle-aged man in his forties. He had a gray, flowy beard and a tall hat, reminiscent of the typical image of ancient schrs. The long robe that he wore was simr to that of a master teacher robe, the only difference being that it was ck in color. From afar, he appeared a little severe. Hes wearing the same clothes as the four Otherworldly Demons who took Zhao Ya and the others away! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The middle-aged man was wearing the exact same attire as the four Otherworldly Demons that they had just encountered in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain! From the looks of it, it seemed like the four young men were intending to pose as experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers so as to fool Little Amulet! Yet, under the assault of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, they had still been forced to show their true form. There were four young men who appeared to be in theirte twenties standing around Nangong Yuanfeng. Each of them carried the imposing aura of an expert. They are all Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence cultivators, Luo Ruoxin remarked with a nod. If I recall correctly, Nangong Yuanfeng is the offspring of Ancient Sage Zi Rong, a Schstic Master of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! Ancient Sage Zi Rong? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Ancient Sage Zi Rong was one of the Kong shis seventy-two direct disciples, and he was famed as a sage. While his fame did note close to matching Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, or Ancient Sage Yan Yan, his name was still remembered even after the passing of so many years, and he continued tomand the respect of many cultivators. To think that Nangong Yuanfeng would actually be his descendant! Whats the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is somewhat simr to the Master Teacher Pavilion of the continent. However, while the Master Teacher Pavilion seeks to impart knowledge and values to ordinary mortals and cultivators, the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism specializes solely in the research and impartation of Kong shis teachings to the cultivated. Typically speaking, only cultivators who have reached Great Sage are qualified to join its ranks, Luo Ruoxin exined. Only Great Sage cultivators are qualified to join the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He had thought that the Sanctum of Sages was the highest academy of the Master Teacher Continent, but who knew that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would actually have a Great Phrontistery of Confucianism to top that! Zhang Xuan was just about to continue asking about it when a voice suddenly boomed in the air. Im the deputy n head of the Luo n, Luo Ganzhen. Its my pleasure to meet you, Elder Nangong. This way please! Following which, Luo Xuanqings father, followed by Luo Qingchen and the numerous other elders of the Luo n, flew out and sped their fists courteously. Lets head down! Seeing that the deputy n head hade to wee them, Nangong Yuanfeng returned the greetings before descending to the ground with the four young men. The crowd from the Luo n quickly did the same as well. For those of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to appear at this moment, something must be up! Lets follow them! Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to Luo Ruoxin. He knew that those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers hade to the Master Teacher Continent, but he did not expect five of them to suddenly pay a visit to the Luo n abruptly. Considering the timing, it was likely that their visit had something to do with the opening of the Temple of Confucius. Un. Luo Ruoxin nodded. With the extraordinary strength of the two and the chaotic situation that the Luo n was in, they were able to sessfully advance into the depths of the Luo n without drawing anyones attention. Of course, to be safe, they chose to keep a safe distance from Luo Ganzhen and Nangong Yuanfeng. Dong dong dong dong! Just as they were nning to sneak into the main hall, the loud chimes of a bell suddenly echoed throughout the Luo n. Thats the Assembly Bell of the Luo n? Did something happen? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he and Luo Ruoxin quickly followed the crowd from the Luo n to where the bell was chiming from. Not too longter, he arrived at a rtively spacious square. By that time, a huge crowd had already gathered in the area. As soon as the bell started chiming, all members of the Luo n had rushed over as fast as possible. Across the crowd, Zhang Xuan saw Nangong Yuanfeng and the others from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers sitting on top of an elevated tform at the center of the square, and Luo Ganzhen, Luo Qingchen, and the others were seated opposite them. Zhang Xuan scanned the crowd and quickly found a couple of Luo n offspring dressed in clothes that suggested that they were core members discussing quietly among one another. He quickly walked up to them and asked, Excuse me, may I ask what has happened? Why was the Assembly Bell rung? It just so happened that all members of the Luo n were gathered there, so it was impossible for the other party to recognize all of the faces there. You are... Seeing an unfamiliar face before them, one of the core members frowned. I am Luo Tianya, a member from the side family! Zhang Xuan replied. Ah, I see! The core member of the Luo n nodded. Based on what I have heard so far, it seems like the Hundred Schools of Philosophers wishes to acquire something that the Luo n has, but our deputy n head is reluctant to hand it over. Thus, Nangong Yuanfeng proposed a duel of spatial arts between the four students that he has brought with him and the offspring of the Luo n who are beneath a hundred years old... If they achieve victory, the Luo n will have to ce the treasure under the care of their Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. On the other hand, if they lose, they will hand over an equivalent treasure to the Luo n aspensation for their disrespect! What treasure did Nangong Yuanfeng offer in return? Zhang Xuan asked. There was little doubt that the treasure that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers wanted was the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. In order to goad the Luo n into epting the duel, the treasure that they would have to stake had to be of considerable value as well. Its a sword that was once used by Ancient Sage Zi Rong! the core member of the Luo n replied as he pointed onto the elevated tform ahead. There, you should be able to see it! Tracing the core members finger, Zhang Xuan saw a sword floating quietly above the elevated tform. Even though it was unsheathed, one could still feel a disquieting, chilling air emanating from it. Luo Ruoxin took a nce at the sword as well before sending a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Its a Great Sage artifact, but as it was once used by Ancient Sage Zi Rong, its might isparable to most Half-Ancient Sage artifacts... That being said, ites nowhere close topeting with your Dragonbone Divine Spear. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. It was too far away for him toe into contact with it, making it impossible for him to urately gauge the true rank of the sword. Nevertheless, with his current eye of discernment, he could tell that it was a formidable weapon, albeit far beneath his Dragonbone Divine Spear. After all, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was the weapon that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had wielded at his peak. Back in the ancient era, there was no one who would not tremble in the face of the Dragonbone Divine Spear! Thus, how could a sword that Ancient Sage Zi Rong had only used before possibly match it? Luo Ganzhen scanned the crowd and dered loudly, Offspring of the Luo n, Elder Nangong of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers has brought his students here in order to challenge the members of our Luo n to a duel of spatial arts. As long as you are beneath a hundred years old, youll be eligible to challenge them. Is there anyone who would like to challenge our guests here? His voice soundedposed on the surface, but Zhang Xuan could detect a furious undertone beneath the calm exterior. It seemed like despite the treasure offered by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, he did not intend to ept the duel. Most likely, the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had resorted to some degree of ckmail to force the Luo n to do their bidding. Considering how the Luo n had suffered a huge setback, they were indeed in no position to sh with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers at the moment. Allow me to test the strength of our guests over here! With a loud bellow, a figure leaped onto the elevated tform in the middle. ncing over, Zhang Xuan saw that the person who had volunteered himself was none other than Luo Xuanqing. Ill face them, too! Im willing to give it a try as well! They might be our guests, but arent they too insolent to challenge our Luo n to a duel of spatial arts? Humph, thats no different from courting death! ... Another three young men leaped onto the elevated tform in the middle. They were all young experts of the Luo n, and every single one of them emanated a powerful aura. In fact, two of them had reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle, just like Zhang Xuan, and they were already serving as elders in the Luo n. Very well! Seeing that their men had stepped up to the challenge, Luo Ganzhen nodded in approval. He turned his gaze to Nangong Yuanfeng and said, Elder Nangong, what do you propose for the format of the duel of spatial arts? Chapter 1608 - Spatial Top

Chapter 1608: Spatial Top

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I have a Spatial Top with me, which is able to gauge the stability of a space and determine ones level of control over a certain space. Whoever is able to keep this top spinning for the longest time possible will be deemed to have the deeper understanding of space! As Nangong Yuanfeng spoke, he flicked his finger, and a top of roughly a chi long 1 appeared before everyones sight. It stood motionlessly on the elevated tform, and even though there was no energy emanating from it, there were still many slight dimensional rifts around it. The presence of dimensional rifts hinted that the space was not stable. In order to get the Spatial Top to stand, one had to reconstruct a stable space, or to put it in simpler terms, mend the dimensional rifts around. As simple as that sounded, it was actually easier said than done. It required knowledge of the fourth level of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Creation. This... Luo Ganzhen could also see through that, and hisplexion turned rather awful. While the offspring of their Luo n did have a deep understanding of spatialws, especially since their bloodline bestowed them with natural aptitude in that field, it would still be difficult for them to achieve. If Nangong Yuanfengs students were really able to achieve this feat, then things were looking bad for them. Mo-er, youll go first. Give a demonstration to the experts of the Luo n! Nangong Yuanfeng took a nce at Luo Ganzhens dark expression and chuckled softly before issuing an instruction to one of the four young men that hade with him. Yes! The young man known as Mo-er appeared to be in histe twenties. He strutted out from the group arrogantly, walked up to the Spatial Top, and clenched his fist tightly together. Weng! There was a slight hum in the air as a surge of spatial energy wrapped around the Spatial Top. In an instant, the tattered space around the Spatial Top was mended, and it slowly stood up. However, itsted for no more than three seconds before faltering and copsing back onto the ground. Hu! By the time he ended the demonstration, the young man known as Mo-er was already sweating profusely, and he was panting heavily from exhaustion. He sped his fist toward the Luo n before retreating to his group. Mo-er is the weakest among my students here, so its a little difficult for him to make the Spatial Top stand on its end. I beg your pardon for this embarrassing demonstration! Nangong Yuanfeng chuckled softly as he addressed the crowd. He turned his gaze back to Luo Ganzhen and said, Deputy n Head Luo, shall we begin the duel? Luo Ganzhens face had turned utterly livid. The other party had well and truly cornered him. By showing a demonstration, it would reflect badly on the Luo n if they backed out of the duel at this juncture. Whether they liked it or not, they would have to ept this challenge. Deputy n head, allow me to give it a try! One of the two elders who had stepped up to the challenge earlier sped his fist and volunteered to go first. Ill be troubling you then, Elder Luo Fu! Luo Ganzhen nodded. Elder Luo Fu stepped forward and took a deep breath before clenching his fist together as well, just like Mo-er had done earlier. Weng! The same humming sound echoed around the Spatial Top, and it shook a little. With sweat dripping profusely from his head, Elder Luo Fu exerted his strength to his limit, to the point where he spurted a mouthful of blood and staggered backward weakly. But till the very end, the Spatial Top still did not stand up. With a pale face and trembling body, Elder Luo Fu apologized feebly, Im sorry, deputy n head... When he saw that Mo-er achieving the feat easily, he had thought that he would be able to pull it off easily as well. But despite using his full strength, he still was not able to make the Spatial Top stand up at all. It was no wonder the Hundred Schools of Philosophers dared to challenge them in their field of specialty. They did have confidence to achieve victory! Let me give it a try! The other Luo n elder walked up and tried to mend the dimension rifts around the top. A momentter, blood spewed out of his mouth. Just like Elder Luo Fu, he was unable to get the Spatial Top to stand up. This was a challenge that appeared deceptively easy on the surface. Only when one was trying to raise the Spatial Top with ones spatial prowess would one realize that it was heavier than a mountain! As long as onesprehension of spatialws was not deep enough, putting aside making it stand up, even making it move was a difficult feat in itself! Seeing that two of his n members had failed, Luo Ganzhensplexion turned even more awful. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had indeede to im their ns Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Given the dangers that their predecessors had gone through to acquire it, there was no way that they could simply give it away so easily. However, the other party had brought the Decree of the Ancient Sages left behind by the predecessors of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, as well as the rules that Kong shi had set back in his era. Left with no choice, they could only ept the duel. He had thought that even though none of the n members hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, given their expertise in spatialws, it should not be too difficult for them to achieve victory. Yet, who would have thought that they would be outdone so spectacrly? The Hundred Schools of Philosopher sure was fearsome! Deputy n Head Luo, is there no offspring in the Luo n who can make the Spatial Top rise? If so, I wont stand on ceremony anymore! Expecting such an oue, Nangong Yuanfeng stroked his beard and chuckled softly. Wait for a moment! A bellow suddenly sounded from the elevated tform, and Luo Xuanqing took a step forward. The Spatial Top is an artifact that you have brought out, so theres no way we can be certain that you havent tampered with it beforehand such that our n members wont be able to make it stand. Furthermore, despite all that has been said and done, dont you think whats most important is to be able to utilize ones spatial arts effectively in a battle? Why dont we have a duel instead? Your students will lower their cultivation to fight with us, and if they are able to win, well admit our defeat. Otherwise, Im afraid that we cant go with your judgement! You are suggesting a duel? Nangong Yuanfeng queried. Thats right! Luo Xuanqing nodded. Ultimately, the main purpose ofprehending spatialws was to raise ones cultivation and fighting prowess. Since that was the case, why should they waste their effort on something as extraneous as moving the Spatial Top? A duel would be a far more direct method to determine their qualification! You seem to be very confident. Very well, our Hundred Schools of Philosophers will go with your proposal! Nangong Yuanfeng chuckled confidently. The heritage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers originated from Kong shi, and they had received theplete inheritance from the predecessors. Not to mention, these students were all from the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism; they were elites who could easily fend off hundreds by themselves! There was no way they would fear battle! To challenge them to a duel was utter foolishness! Deputy n Head Luo, can I take his word for it? Nangong Yuanfeng turned to Luo Ganzhen and asked. ... Of course! Luo Ganzhen nodded. At the rate things were going, it was unlikely that there would be any eligible Luo n member who would be able to get the Spatial Top to stand up. In fact, even he did not have absolute confidence that he could do it. At the very least, there was still a hope of sess if it was just a simple duel. Since thats the case... Mo-er, youll be their opponent! Hearing that Luo Ganzhen had agreed to the matter, Nangong Yuanfeng nodded. While Mo-er might have exerted himself quite a bit in order to drive the Spatial Top, he should still suffice to deal with the juniors of the Luo n! Hearing Nangong Yuanfeng words, Luo Ganzhens nostrils red in fury. That was tant disdain for their Luo n! It was just a moment ago that the Zhang n had trampled on their pride and humiliated them, and now, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were doing the same. Were the heavens really heralding the fall of their Luo n? Equally infuriated by Nangong Yuanfengs words was Luo Xuanqing, and with a furious bellow, he walked to the center of the elevated tform and roared, Come on then, let me see just how powerful you are! Heh! The young man known as Mo-er chuckled softly as he walked up and said, You are at Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm primary stage. I shant take advantage of you and will lower my cultivation to the same level as you! Hu! After saying those words, Mo-ers aura swiftly declined to Luo Xuanqings level. Alright, lets begin! Seeing that Mo-er had finished suppressing his cultivation, Luo Xuanqing immediately dashed forward and thrust his palm forth. Kacha! The rumbling of thunder reverberated through the air as devastating might poured forth from Luo Xuanqings palm. His fighting prowess had advanced significantly since thest time he shed with Zhang Xuan at the Sanctum of Sages. While he still had not achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, he was not too far away from Dimension Sundering realm intermediate stage anymore. Chapter 1609 - Why Dont I Give It a Try Too?

Chapter 1609: Why Dont I Give It a Try Too?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Xuanqing wont be a match for him! Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. The fact that the young man from the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is able to make the Spatial Top stand for several seconds means that his grasp over space is already nearing the level of Spatial Quintessence. Luo Ruoxin nodded in agreement. Inparison, Luo Xuanqing still has much to improve on. Furthermore, the battle techniques that they cultivate are not on the same tier. Its only a matter of time before Luo Xuanqing loses. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers were filled with experts who had inherited Kong shis heritage. They had all kinds of powerful battle techniques that were on par with, if not surpassing, those of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. No matter how powerful the Luo ns battle techniques were, there was no way that they couldpete with them. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply in response as he continued watching the battle on the stage. At this moment, Mo-er had already begununching his counterattack. His movements were extremely simple; he raised his finger and tapped the space in front of him lightly. Hu! The space around Luo Xuanqing was immediately sealed up tightly, unable to be broken no matter how much force one exerted against it. Luo Xuanqing swiftly executed a series of ferocious assault in order to break free from the sealed space but to no avail. Recognizing the technique used, Luo Ruoxin exined, This is a spatial art known as the Mirror Sealing Art. Mirror Sealing Art? It serves to seal a person within apletely isted space, a little reminiscent to the world within a mirror. No matter how those within a mirror struggle, they will never be able to break free of their constraints and harm those on the other side of the mirror... That is basically the principle of the battle technique. To utilize the power of space to seal others in another dimension, unable to break free, Luo Ruoxin exined grimly. In terms of prowess, its inferior to your Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but the effects are roughly simr. Its indeed a formidable move, but... its true that Luo Xuanqing wont be able to harm the other party if he is sealed within a mirror-like space, but wont the other party be unable to attack him? As powerful as the battle technique sounded, it had a fatal w. The effect worked both ways. While the cultivator inside the sealed space was unable to harm those outside, those outside would not be able to harm the cultivator inside. It went without saying, it would still be a formidable technique in a group battle, but in a one-on-one duel, it seemed to be a waste of time and energy. After all, nothing would be achieved from this move! In contrast, there were some variations of spatial sealing arts where the caster could travel freely in and out of the sealed space in principle, which would make them a more efficient technique in a one-on-on. Its true that the other party wont be able to harm Luo Xuanqing unless the mirror-like space is destroyed... Nevertheless, the fact that the other party controls the mirror means that he has the initiative in the battle, thus putting him in a favorable position, Luo Ruoxin said. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded slightly before falling silent. Being in control of the mirror-like space meant that Mo-er could decide where and when the space should break, thus allowing him to make a move whenever he wanted and catch the person within the space off guard. I admit that this mirror-like space is a good concept, but it isnt that easy to trap Luo Xuanqing! Zhang Xuan said. Right after those words were spoken, Luo Xuanqings hair suddenly rose, and a unique surge of energy wrapped itself on the surface of his body. His aura grew more powerful and imposing, reminiscent of a ferocious tiger. He thrust his palm forward forcefully. Hu! The mirror-like space shattered into innumerable fragments. He has activated his bloodline? Luo Ruoxin frowned. With her eye of discernment, she could tell that Mo-ers mastery of space far surpassed that of Luo Xuanqing, and Luo Xuanqing himself should have realized that fact as well. Cornered, Luo Xuanqing had no choice but to activate his bloodline ability. With the augmentation of the Luo ns bloodline, Luo Xuanqings sensitivity toward space was enhanced tremendously, thus allowing him to break the mirror-like space and attack Mo-er directly. Boom! As the two palms collided, a furious gale raged in the area. Countless cracks surfaced on the floor of the elevated tform like a spiders web. Luo Xuanqing has lost... Zhang Xuan shook his head. The other partysprehension of spatialws, cultivation, and battle techniques are all above his. Theres no way Luo Xuanqing could have won... Luo Ruoxin shook her head and sighed. Right after those words were spoken, Luo Xuanqing was forced to retreat eight steps before a frenzied spurt of blood spewed from his mouth. His body wavered a little before eventually copsing to the ground. Teacher! After subduing Luo Xuanqing with a single palm strike, Mo-er sped his fist before turning around and returning to the group with a nonchnt look on his face, as if he had just aplished something insignificant. Young Master Xuanqing! An elder hurriedly rushed forward to feed Luo Xuanqing a pill and infused some zhenqi into him, and only then did thetter recover a little. The injuries that he had sustained and the side effects from activating his bloodline had left his limbs with a wobbly feeling, devoid of any strength. I have embarrassed the n. Please punish me... With a pale face, Luo Xuanqing staggered up to his father and kneeled down. Rise. You arent to be med for this matter... In that moment, Luo Ganzhen looked as if he had aged ten years. All along, while he would not be so arrogant as to say that the heritage of their Luo n was the top in the world, he did not think that they were too far from it. Yet, who would have thought that they would be utterly defeated in their field of specialty? Throughout the entire battle, that Mo-er person had only executed spatial arts, and faced with such a situation, they really had no choice but to admit their defeat. Yes... Luo Xuanqing lowered his head shamefully. It was one thing for him to be unable to defeat Zhang Xuan in the same cultivation realm, but to think that he would not be a match for these people either... The feeling of superiority that he had always felt as a genius of the Luo n suddenly popped like a bubble, leaving not a single trace behind. Father, what do we do now? Luo Xuanqing asked telepathically with clenched fists. While his cultivation was only at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage, due to the purity of his bloodline, he could already be considered the strongest expert among the younger generation of the Luo n. While there were plenty of other Luo n offspring beneath a hundred years old who were in a higher cultivation realm than him, they were unlikely to be a match for the crowd from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in a fight in the same cultivation realm. Furthermore, based on what Nangong Yuanfeng had said, it seemed like the person whom he had faced was the weakest of their group, and yet, he did not stand the slightest chance at victory at all... Things really were not in their favor! Luo Ganzhen hesitated for a moment before replying. Theres nothing we can do... unless your younger sister is willing to make a move! Currently, the person whomanded the highest control over space was not him or any other elders but that daughter of his! Having assimted the Dimension Silencer, while she had notprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing yet, her ability to manipte space would never lose against those fellows before them. But ever since the Zhang n departed, shes locked herself in her room, unwilling toe out, Luo Xuanqing said gloomily. As Luo Qiqis elder brother, he could feel the deep emotions that she had for Zhang Xuan, and for Zhang Xuan to reject her publicly and leave with another woman... this blow was simply too great for someone as young as her to take. She needed some time toe to terms with the matter, and he was unwilling to bother her at a time like this. This is an emergency situation, so its no time for her to be throwing a tantrum. Quick, call her out! Luo Ganzhen instructed. ... Yes! After a moment of hesitation, Luo Xuanqing nodded before rising to his feet, intending to head off to find his younger sister. However, at this moment, Nangong Yuanfeng suddenly chuckled softly and said, Deputy n Head Luo, if this is the capability that you and your n members wield, you shouldnt send them up here to publicly embarrass themselves. No matter how many weaklingse up to challenge my students, its only a waste of time and effort. So, if you dont have anyone more formidable than him, I suggest that you admit defeat. At the very least, you will be able to preserve a shred of dignity for your Luo n! You... Hearing Nangong Yuanfengs words, Luo Ganzhen nearly exploded on the spot. He was just about to refute those words when a calm voice suddenly sounded from beneath. Its just a duel, so why dont I... Following which, a middle-aged man with yellowish, wrinkled skin leaped onto the elevated tform from the crowd beneath. ... give it a try too? Chapter 1610 - The Spatial Top Wouldnt Stop

Chapter 1610: The Spatial Top Wouldnt Stop

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Who is that fellow? I have no idea! I dont recall seeing such a face before. Hes probably from the side family, right? I know most of the more notable individuals from the side family, but his face doesnt seem familiar... Why is he running up at this moment? I dont know that, but he doesnt seem too weak. Perhaps, he might just be able to pull something off! ... Seeing that a middle-aged man had barged out of nowhere, a hugemotion broke out beneath the stage. Everyone nced at one another in confusion, unsure of what was going on. Most of the notable figures in the side family tended to know one another, but the middle-aged mans appearance did not seem to jog anyones memory. Shockingly, it appeared that no one recognized him at all! You are...? Luo Ganzhen asked with a frown. I am Luo Tianya, a distant rtive of the Luo n. I am not often in the n, so its normal that you dont recognize me, deputy n head! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and reported. Since he was there topensate the Luo n, this was a good opportunity to recoup the reputation of the Luo n. Thus, after hearing Nangong Yuanfengs words, he had not hesitated much before leaping right up. Luo Tianya? Luo Ganzhen shot a nce toward the First Elder Luo Qingchen, only to see that thetter was equally confused. It seemed like not even the First Elder was aware of whom the other party was. Luo Qingchen stared at the middle-aged man before him for a long while, but he found that he was unable to identify the other party, so he could only respond with an awkward chuckle. The Luo ns heritage has been passed down for tens of thousands of years, and its offspring have spread far and wide across the Master Teacher Continent. There isnt a genealogy book for the side family, so theres no way to confirm his identity for certain. Nevertheless, we cant deny the possibility that there might be a member of the side family who has worked hard and climbed up with his own ability... This was a problem that arose when a n got too big. Each year, there would be a lot of disciples who headed out to venture into the world, and no one could guarantee that they would not have affairs outside. If they bore offspring, it would be hard to tell if that person was truly a member of the Luo n without checking their bloodline. Un! Understanding this logic, Luo Ganzhen shook his head helplessly before turning back to the man before him. Tianya, I understand your wish to stand up for the n, but they are the experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and the topic of the duel isprehension of spatialws. This isnt a problem that can be resolved with just sheer strength... Honestly, he did not think that it was likely that a member of the side family would be able to defeat the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Even Luo Xuanqing, who boasted one of the purest Luo n bloodline, had ended up suffering a tragic loss, so he dared not wish that a member of the side family would really be able to achieve victory. Why dont you allow me to give it a try? I am a member of the side family, so even if I lose, it wont bring shame to the Luo n! Zhang Xuan said. Luo Ganzhen fell into deep contemtion. The other party was right. They had already embarrassed themselves enough as it was, so even if another member of the side family lost in the duel, it would not really worsen the plight that they were in anyway. It also happened that they needed to buy some time for his daughter to get there. Very well then! Luo Ganzhen nodded. Turning to Nangong Yuanfeng, he said, Elder Nangong, Luo Tianya over here wishes to challenge your student... But before Nangong Yuanfeng could say a word, Mo-er had already eximed with the utmost contempt, Challenge? You want us to fight a mere side family offspring of the Luo n? It seemed like the Luo n had really gotten so desperate that they would clutch at every straw they had! Nangong Yuanfengs eyebrows shot up in displeasure as well. The blood of Ancient Sage Zi Rong flows in through veins of the offspring of our Nangong n. The rules of propriety from Kong shi state that one should regard a guest with courtesy and respect. Do you think that its appropriate for a member of the Luo ns side family to challenge us, or is the Luo n trying to humiliate us through this? Even the core members were not a match for them, so to find a nobody from the side family to challenge them... the Luo n really was not taking them seriously! Humiliate? Before Luo Ganzhen could respond to those words, Zhang Xuan had already shaken his head and uttered disdainfully, You sure have a grand view of yourselves! Worry not, a bunch of weaklings like you arent worthy of me going out of my way to humiliate! You... Not expecting to be despised by a mere offspring of the side family, Nangong Yuanfeng narrowed his eyes threateningly. If you dare not battle against me, just say so. Theres no need to find so many excuses! Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and spoke nonchntly. Arrogance of the ignorant! Mo-er harrumphed coldly. It was one thing for offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers like them toe down to a ce as remote as this, but to think that these countryside bumpkins would still dare to say such words to them! Did that fellow really not know how insignificant he was before them? Mo-er was not the only one who had such thoughts. By the side, Luo Ganzhen also clutched his forehead in distress. Did this member of the side family really not know the significance of the term Hundred Schools of Philosophers on the Master Teacher Continent? Otherwise, how could he bring himself to utter such ridiculous words? Hes really as shameless as that Zhang Xuan! Luo Xuanqing harrumphed coldly on the inside. As an ex-friend of Zhang Xuans, I have seen just how shameless that man was... However, as shameless as that man was, he did have the capabilities to back it up. As for you... is it really good for you to be saying such words? Even though Mo-er was so furious that he could kill, he still had to the reputation of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to maintain, so he pointed to the Spatial Top by the side and said, Fine, Ill have a duel with you if you like. However, you should at least show that you have the qualifications to challenge me first. If you can at least get this Spatial Top to stand, Ill give you a chance! You want me to make it stand? Zhang Xuan asked as he shot a nce at the Spatial Top. All of a sudden, thezing top suddenly sprung up and began spinning non-stop, as if fearing that it would be struck to death if it showed the slightest hint of indolence. Do you mean like this? Mo-er rubbed his eyes in disbelief. With his current proficiency, the most he could do was get the top to stand up. He still was not capable of making it spin. In fact, the only person who was capable of doing so was his teacher, Nangong Yuanfeng. Even so, his teacher would still have to put in a great deal of effort. Yet, for the Spatial Top to start spinning from a mere nce... Did that fellow shootsers out of his eyes or something? Nangong Yuanfeng was equally stunned by the abrupt happenings. He had thought that this was a y staged by Luo Ganzhen in order to reduce this duel to a farce, but after witnessing this sight, it had be apparent to him that the inconspicuous-looking middle-aged man was actually a true expert. At the same time, Luo Ganzhen, Luo Xuanqing, and the members of the Luo n stared at the sight with mouths agape, almost as if they had seen a ghost. Could it be... Luo Ganzhen suddenly thought of something, and he quickly turned his gaze toward the First Elder Luo Qingchen. Thats likely the case. Other than the person who hasprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, I really cant think of another man who has the ability to make the Spatial Top spin like that! Luo Qingchen nodded. We have been looking for him among the inner n members... but who would have thought that he was from the distant side family! Luo Ganzhens face reddened in agitation. He had already resolved himself to face a tragic loss, and he had thought that the Luo n would be utterly humiliated. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the anonymous expert whom they had been searching for all this time would appear at this crucial moment to save them from the crisis! On top of that, the other party was a member of a distant side family that even the First Elder did not recognize! I have really underestimated the Luo n. It seems like they still have many formidable experts hidden among them... Taking a deep breath, Nangong Yuanfeng suppressed his astonishment and instructed, Mo-er, you have to tread carefully. Hisprehension of spatialws is surely nowhere beneath yours! Yes, Teacher! Knowing that the middle-aged man standing before him would not be an easy target to deal with either, Mo-er quickly swallowed hiscency as he walked back to the center of the elevated tform. He sped his fist and bowed, Feel free to choose the format of your duel! The format of the duel? With his hands still behind his back, taking on a seemingly unguarded position, Zhang Xuan shot an impassive nce at Mo-er and said, Do you think that you are worthy of dueling me? You... Mo-ers face reddened in fury. Let that old fellow face me by himself, or if you still find that unreasonable, Ill allow the five of you toe at me together, Zhang Xuan said calmly. Chapter 1611 - Ill Give You One Second

Chapter 1611: Ill Give You One Second

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Audacious! You scoundrel, do you know whom you are talking to? I advise you not to let your ego get the better of you. Just because you have some talent, youve be socent as if theres no one better than you in the world. It seems like I really should pound some humility into those haughty bones of yours! ... Upon hearing his words, the other three students of Nangong Yuanfeng red at him furiously. If not for their position, they would have dashed right up and torn that fellows mouth apart. To challenge the five of them simultaneously... Who do you think you are? Do you think that you are Kong Shiyao? At the same time, Luo Ganzhen and Luo Xuanqings lips also twitched uncontrobly upon hearing those words. That middle-aged man is truly daring! To dare to humiliate even the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, is he really unafraid of death? That being said... why does it feel so exhrating to hear him say such words? Calm down, calm down, I mustntugh at this moment... That would be too embarrassing! In truth, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had appeared several times in the Master Teacher Continent before, but they had always taken a high and mighty position, which was also understandable since they had seeded the heritage of Kong shi and his seventy-two direct disciples... However, from the mans tone, it seemed as if those lot from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were the true countryside bumpkins! Really, so what if they were from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Was it really something worth bragging about? Well said! Werent you all arrogant just now? Screw them all! This is the kind of dominance that our Luo n should have! If we had maintained such an attitude from the very start, do you think that Zhang Xuan would have dared to reject the engagement with our little princess? Hah! Even if that Zhang Xuan inted his ego tenfold, he would not dare say such words! While those on the elevated tform were still astonished by the turn of events, the many spectators beneath were so excited that they almost began dancing. After all of the grievances that they had suffered, there was finally an outlet for them to vent their frustration! A duel is not won by having a sharp mouth! I hope that you have the strength to match your words! With a livid expression, Nangong Yuanfeng flicked his wrist and raised his head. The fact that you are able to keep the Spatial Top spinning shows that yourprehension of spatialws has already reached the fourth level. As such, its indeed true that Mo-er would not be a match of you. Why dont you propose the format of the duel that is fair for the both of us then? Dont worry, I wont take advantage of you all. Theres not much pointpeting over a mere top. So, just like Luo Xuanqing, Ill challenge you all to a battle of strength! As long as Zhang Xuan willed it, he could get the Spatial Top to spin for many days without falling, but that would not be enough to recoup the Luo ns reputation. Since he had already chosen to deal with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, he should go all out. Before Nangong Yuanfeng could say anything, Mo-er narrowed his eyes. You wish to challenge us to a battle of strength? Are you certain? Hisprehension of space was not on par with the other party, but as a genius of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, he was skilled in all kinds of top-notch battle techniques. On top of that, his cultivation was also higher than the other partys, so if they fought in a normal duel, he was confident that he would be able to achieve victory! This was an ideal opportunity to teach that arrogant brat a lesson and grind some humility into his bones! Of course Im certain! Make your move! Zhang Xuan replied arrogantly. Chuckling softly, a hint of viciousness flickered across Mo-ers eyes. Very well then. I wont take advantage of you either, so Ill suppress my cultivation down to Saint 9-dan pinnacle... He swiftly suppressed his strength, and in the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already fallen to Saint 9-dan pinnacle. After that was done, Mo-er clenched his fists tightly and dashed forward, intending to make the first move. Mo-er, exercise some prudence when you attack him. Make sure not to hurt him too much... Nangong Yuanfeng sent a telepathic message over. Teacher, rest assured. I understand! Mo-er replied telepathically as he suddenly morphed into a gust of wind, and his silhouette vanishedpletely from the spot. Where is he? Why did he suddenly disappear from view? A hugemotion broke out from the crowd. Clearly, Mo-er had not gone all out when he fought with Luo Xuanqing earlier. Perhaps viewing Zhang Xuan to be a dangerous opponent, he had gone all out from the very start and vanished from the elevated tform, leaving Zhang Xuan alone in the middle. Thats a unique spatial art! It utilizes the distortion of space to erase ones presence from the surroundings, allowing one to go into concealment! Luo Ganzhens face darkened. Putting aside Luo Xuanqing, not even Luo Ganzhen himself was confident that he would be able to ovee this move! Utilizes the distortion of space? Luo Xuanqing frowned in confusion. Light moves in a straight line, and thats how our vision work. The other party is exploiting this very property of light through warping the space around him, making it impossible for us to see him at all. Not only so, as its aplete distortion of space, not just a simple refraction of light, its impossible for our Spiritual Perception to perceive it. Of course, this maniption is extremely straining, making it infeasible to maintain it for an extended period of time, but considering how a battle could be determined within a fraction of a second, it could be a powerful tool if used under the right circumstances! Luo Ganzhen exined. This... Doesnt that mean that the geniuses of our n dont stand a chance at victory at all? Luo Xuanqings face paled. If one could not even locate ones opponent, how could one possibly win a battle? It seems like the chances at victory are extremely slim... Luo Ganzhen shook his head gloomily. Meanwhile, at the center of the elevated tform, Luo Tianyas eyebrows shot up in displeasure as heined grumpily, What are you leaping around for? You are giving me a headache over here! Right after saying those words, he flicked his palm out and struck the air. Pah! There was a crisp feedback to that p. A figure was instantaneously squeezed out of a space that was supposed to bepletely empty, and the figure crashed heavily down from the elevated tform and spurted a mouthful of blood before passing out. Mo-er! Junior Mo! Seeing the unconscious figure twitching on the ground, the faces of Nangong Yuanfeng and his three other students warped in horror. Even they would be hard pressed to locate Mo-er once he had activated that technique, and yet, without even taking a single step, the middle-aged man had actually been able to send Mo-er flying with a p... Just how in the world was this possible? Luo Ganzhen was also rendered speechless by that feat. He had just said a moment ago that their chances of victory were slim, but then the expert from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had been sent flying the next instant... Was that Luo Tianya not a little too fearsome? The three young men quickly rushed down to pop a pill into Mo-ers mouth. A few momentster, Mo-er slowly regained consciousness. He stared at the sky with a dazed look, almost as if he had lost his soul. Even at that moment, he still could not understand how the middle-aged man had managed to find him and p him out of the distorted space. Teacher, I wish to challenge him to a duel! Knowing that Mo-er had suffered a heavy setback and needed some time to recover, one of the young men from the remaining three students sped his fist and bowed. Alright, go ahead! Nangong Yuanfeng said as he clenched his fists tightly together. Theres something weird about that fellow. Be careful. At this moment, he knew better than to continue underestimating the man. Teacher, rest assured! The young man nodded. He turned to Zhang Xuan, and a cold glint shed across his eyes. I wish to challenge you to a duel. Are you willing to ept the challenge? You? Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue impatiently and shook his head. Like I said, you all shoulde me at once, or else all you will be getting is a good pummeling... Fine, I wont take advantage of you. Ill give you a second to do whatever you want, and I wont retaliate at all! Chapter 1612 - Full Strength

Chapter 1612: Full Strength

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Those words really provoked the young man. Rage surged into his head, and his face looked so red that it seemed as if it would explode at any moment. He felt as if he would die of anger if he said a word more to the other party, To those of their cultivation realm, putting aside an entire second, even a tenth of a second was enough for them to im a persons life in the midst of an intense battle. To give a second to him to do whatever he pleased without retaliating... that was really showing him utter contempt! I dont need it! I dare you to use whatever you have at your disposal and let me see the full extent of your strength! The young man gritted his teeth and howled. Are you certain? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Why not? Im not like Nangong Mo, who can only rely on movement techniques. Dont worry, Ill use my strongest move as well and show you that those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers arent to be humiliated! Hong long! With a roar, the young mans aura surged. Even though his cultivation was suppressed at Saint 9-dan pinnacle as well, his aura felt almost on par with that of a Great Sage expert, powerful and invible. Since thats the case, Ill be making my move then! Hearing the young mans response, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Feel free! Ill make my... The young man raised his palm, intending to make a move, but before he could do anything, a blur shed before him. Following which, he felt an intense pain assaulting his chest. Kacha! Kacha! With several bones of his ribcage shattered, he was immediately sent flying into the distance. He crashed heavily onto the ground, and just like Mo-er, he ended up cking out. Even so, his body continued twitching uncontrobly as if he was suffering from a stroke. You were the one who told me to use my full strength and not hold back at all, Zhang Xuan remarked as he gazed down on the young man lying on the ground with an innocent look on his face. All of you should have heard how I offered him a seconds advantage earlier, but he turned me down... I guess the Hundred Schools of Philosophers does value its reputation a lot. However, that might not necessarily be a good thing as it could very well be tarnished very soon! You are courting death! Hearing how the middle-aged man was shooting his mouth so smugly after knocking out one of their peers, the remaining two young men roared furiously. They stepped out with gritted teeth, fully revealing their intention to tear the young man before them to pieces. Never has there been anyone on the Master Teacher Continent who dared offend our Hundred Schools of Philosophers! The two young men took their positions on either side of Zhang Xuan, and the young man on the left growled, You are Luo Tianya, right? Do you care to duel with us? If looks could kill, Zhang Xuan would have burst into mes under their fiery gaze. Yes, the two of you should juste at me together. Well save some time this way. I dont know how it is for the two of you, but honestly, Im getting tired of this already! Zhang Xuan said with a disdainful wave of his hand. Tired? Tired your head! All you have done is execute a p and a kick, and you are already tired after that? The lips of the two young men twitched. You sent Mo-er flying with a punch and our other junior with a kick... yet you still dare toin about getting tired? Can you at least be any more perfunctory than that? This annoying vibe... Why does it feel so familiar to me? Luo Xuanqing was startled for a moment before he swiftly shook away that feeling and turned his gaze back to the confrontation. These two young men were clearly stronger than the previous two, and they would form a formidable foe if they coordinated with one another. Even though he had some confidence in Luo Tianya, he still could not help but worry. In this crucial moment, just as it seemed like a battle would break out at any moment, a deep voice suddenly echoed across the air. Both of you, stand down! The two young men quickly turned their heads around, only to see that their teacher had stood up and was looking at them. Teacher... Our friend over there has not onlyprehended the fourth level of spatial sealing, his cultivation is equally exceptional as well. It would be no exaggeration to say that hes invincible in his ss... Even if the two of you coborate with one another to fight against him, its highly unlikely that youll be able to match him! Nangong Yuanfeng said grimly. While the fellow who had popped out of the Luo n all of a sudden had an unseemly appearance, his true strength had really struck fear into their hearts. Those students that he had brought with him had been carefully selected among the student popce, the elites of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Of course, they were stillckingpared to those high rankers on the Heaven Board and Earth Board, but they could definitely match up to most talented master teachers andbat masters! Yet, for two of them to be defeated so easily... the prowess of the middle-aged man could only be described with a single word?horrifying! Even though his remaining two students were the stronger ones of the group, it was unlikely that they would be able to win against him. But he insulted the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Hearing their teacher proiming their likely loss, the two young men shed their fists tightly in frustration. The reputation of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers is built through our might. Its not so fragile as to be torn down by just a couple words of insults! Nangong Yuanfeng harrumphed. Following which, he turned a grim look toward Zhang Xuan and said, I know its inappropriate for an old man like me to be challenging you, but that item is something that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers is determined to obtain regardless of the cost. I cant afford to return empty-handed, so allow me to apologize in advance... Boom! An overwhelming aura burst into the clouds as distortions appeared in the surrounding space. It felt as if even the heavens would copse down from the immense amount of energy pouring into it. The very pinnacle of Great Sage, Sempiternal realm! He was an expert on par with the four Otherworldly Demons from before! Like I said earlier, the five of you should havee at me together! Look, isnt the oue still the same at the very end? Zhang Xuan nced at Nangong Yuanfeng indifferently. When it came to a duel of equal cultivation realm, not even the Dragonbone Divine Spear was a match for him. Those four young men were not weaklings, but they were still a long way off from catching up to Zhang Xuan. Perhaps, this Nangong Yuanfeng might still be able to entertain him for a bit. Very well! Taking a deep breath, Nangong Yuanfeng quickly suppressed the energy in his body, and in the blink of an eye, his cultivation was lowered to Zhang Xuans level. Given his standing and seniority, it was indeed inappropriate for him to be challenging a Saint 9-dan cultivator. However, the Celestial Amulet of Legacy was of the utmost importance to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. This was a mission from the upper echelons, and if he returned empty-handed, even if he was the descendant of an Ancient Sage, he still would not be able to bear the consequences. Please! Nangong Yuanfeng beckoned with his hand, gesturing for Zhang Xuan to make the first move. He could tell from the two earlier battles that once he suppressed his cultivation, it would be hard for him to match the middle-aged man. If he really wanted to win, he would have to give it his all. Of course, the prerequisite to that was that the middle-aged man had really used his full prowess in the fight against his other two students earlier. With such a thought in mind, Nangong Yuanfeng sped his fist and said, Brother Tianya, I have a request for make of you. I hope that youll fight me with your full prowess! With my full prowess? Zhang Xuan frowned. Are you sure? He did not even use his full strength when he fought with the Dragonbone Divine Spear, so would the other party really be able to withstand his full might? Of course! I am a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Rong, so even if my strength iscking, I still have my dignity to uphold... I hope that you can ede to my request! Nangong Yuanfeng sped his fist. If it was found out that a teacher of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, a descendant of an Ancient Sage, had won only by having his opponent giving him some leeway, he would never be able to raise his head even if he returned to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. This... Fine, I ept your request! Seeing the earnest look on Nangong Yuanfengs face, Zhang Xuan nodded. Ill be exerting my full force from now on then... Let me see how formidable an expert who has reached the fourth level of spatialws is! With a grand wave of his hand, Nangong Yuanfeng bellowed as he drove his zhenqi through his body. But barely after he had said those words, one of his students behind him eximed, Teacher, be careful! Sou! Before he could even react, Nangong Yuanfeng felt a stabbing pain assaulting his chest, and the next instant, the scenery around him retreated swiftly. The buildings of the massive Ethereal Shrouding City swiftly minimized into nothing more than a little ck dot beforepletely vanishing from sight. Chapter 1613 - Please Be Our Clan Head!

Chapter 1613: Please Be Our n Head!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! Only at that moment did Nangong Yuanfeng realize how powerless he was. There was a surge of energy that was coursing through his body relentlessly, and it almost felt as if he would explode from it. Unable to take it anymore, he spewed a mouthful of blood. Knowing that he might die if this continued, he immediately released the seal on his cultivation. Hong long long! Introspective Convalescence realm, Aureate Body realm, Intuitive Impulse realm... In an instant, his cultivation reverted to the level of Sempiternal realm, and by driving his zhenqi desperately, he finally managed to stabilize himself. Nevertheless, his face still remained ghastly pale from the near-death experience that he had just had. He scanned his surroundings, only to find himself in apletely foreignnd. Just how freaking far had he flown out for even something asrge as the Luo ns Ethereal Shrouding City to havepletely vanished from sight? This... Have I actually flown tens of thousands of li? Nangong Yuanfeng did a quick calction, and it was almost as if a mini explosion broke out in his head. It was just earlier that he had told the other party to use his full strength. To be honest, he had already resolved himself for defeat, but he did not expect it toe so quickly and decisively! The might that he had just been struck with was something that even Introspective Convalescence realm cultivators who had reached the level of Consummation would not necessarily be able to bring out! But as a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator, he actually managed to pull it off... Is this his true strength? Its no wonder he requested for the five of us to go at him together... We are indeed no match for him! Nangong Yuanfeng could not help but shudder from fear upon recalling what had just happened. If he had not released his cultivation at the crucial moment and restored his strength to the Sempiternal realm, he could very well have been crushed into bits! More importantly, had the other party focused his strength not on ramming him but killing him, even though his body had already achieved the level of Sempiternal, the strike would have still prated through him, bringing instantaneous death upon him... Terrifying! How could there be such a powerful Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator in the world? In terms of talent, it feels like hes on par with even Kong Shiyao... To think that there would be such a person on the Master Teacher Continent! Nangong Yuanfeng thought in astonishment. With that single punch, it was already apparent who the winner of the duel was. It seemed like he would be punished when he returned back to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. However, there was nothing he could do. A loss was a loss. As a descendant of an Ancient Sage, he could not abandon his dignity and steal from the Luo n just because he had lost the gamble. Forget it, Ill think about itter! Nangong Yuanfeng sighed deeply as he quickly headed back to the Luo n. ... Youre back! As soon as Nangong Yuanfeng returned to the square, he saw Luo Tianya sitting on his seat, and there was a steaming hot pot right in front of him. With a pair of chopsticks in his hand, Luo Tianya devoured the food before him greedily as he remarked, We got hungry while waiting for you toe back, so we decided to have some food first. Do you want to join in? ... Nangong Yuanfeng suddenly felt a deep pain in his chest. So frustrating! It was obvious that Luo Tianya was intentionally eating hot pot at this moment so as to embarrass them. If it was found out that experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers hade to challenge the Luo n, only to be sent flying with a single strike... And by the time they returned, the Luo n had already moved on to dinner... Their reputation would bepletely tarnished! Knowing that they would only embarrass themselves more the longer they remained here, Nangong Yuanfeng stowed the Spatial Top into his storage ring and sped his fist. I, Nangong Yuanfeng, admit my loss. Farewell! After which, he beckoned his four students over and said, Lets go! After saying those words, they swiftly flew off and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye. Lets go... Did we just defeat the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Long live Tianya! Tianya, you have just made a fan out of me! I want to bear your babies! From now on, my role model shall be Tianya! I shall strive hard to be like him... ... There was a brief moment of silence before a deafeningmotion broke out all around the Luo n. Everyone had thought that the Luo n would be humiliated like earlier, especially considering that their opponents were from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Yet, who would have thought that Luo Tianya would single-handedly turn the tables around and restore honor to the Luo n! In an instant, from a nobody whom no one had ever heard of, Luo Tianya had be the most respected and admired individual in the Luo n, the idol of both youths and elders alike! This... Looking at the reinvigorated looks of the n members all around him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. His rejection of the engagement with the Luo n had indubitably dealt a heavy blow not only to their reputation but their morale as well. However, it seemed like this incident had helped them recover from the trauma and unite as one again. Brother Tianya, allow me to thank you on behalf of the entire n for saving us from this dishonor, Luo Ganzhen said as he walked to the center of the elevated tform. With a wave of his hand, the sword left behind by Ancient Sage Zi Rong, which had been floating in the air all along, flew into his grasp, and he presented it to Zhang Xuan. This is the gift that Nangong Yuanfeng offered for the bet. Of the entire Luo n, theres no one more suited than you to wield it! Zhang Xuan was visibly taken aback by how generous Luo Ganzhen was being. To be honest, he had helped the Luo n in order to soothe his guilt-ridden heart, so he had not expected to receive anything in return. Thus, he quickly waved his hand and said, This is my responsibility as an offspring of the Luo n. This sword belongs to the entire Luo n, so I shant overstep my bounds... Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Brother Tianya. You have saved the entire n and united us once more. You are the only one among us who is worthy of holding this sword! Luo Qingchen insisted with a smile. This... Noticing the intent gazes that others were shooting him, Zhang Xuan swiftly realized that there was no other way out of this. Thus, he could only nod his head helplessly and take the sword. Since you have said so, I wont stand on ceremony... Possessing the Dragonbone Divine Spear, he did not have the slightest interest in Ancient Sage Zi Rongs sword. But in any case, he could always slip it back to the Luo ns treasure vault at ater date. If not, it would make a good weapon for Zhao Ya once he had rescued her. Luo Ganzhen heaved sigh of relief internally after seeing Zhang Xuan taking the de before asking, If Im not mistaken, the person who induced the Submission of the Predecessors earlier on was you, right? The Submission of the Predecessors? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. You are a member of the side family, so its understandable that you are unaware of it. Our Luo n is founded on the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, and if a person in the worldprehends such a Quintessence, they will be able to attain the acknowledgement of our founder and make the predecessors fall in submission! Luo Ganzhen exined. Ah! That should probably be me then! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. After leaving the Luo n earlier, he had gone to White Creek Mountain with Luo Ruoxin. Considering that the Submission of the Predecessors phenomenon urred during this period of time and was rted to theprehension of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, it was likely that it was really due to him. The fact that you haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing makes you eligible to be the head of the Luo n! Luo Ganzhen said before hurriedly sping his fist and bowing down. Brother Tianya, I implore you to lead our Luo n to greater heights! What? You want me to be the n head? No no no, how can that do? Zhang Xuan had still been wondering where this was going to when he heard the other party requesting for him to be the head of the Luo n, and he immediately leaped in fright. He was not even a member of the Luo n, so how could he possibly be its n head? The Luo n has just suffered the worst humiliation in its dozens of millenniums of history. That so-called young prodigy of the Zhang n publicly annulled the engagement with our Luo n before the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent, trampling on our dignity. You are the only one with the prestige and ability to unite the Luo n once more and restore confidence in it! Please lead our Luo n to greatness! Luo Ganzhen bent his back perpendicr to the ground, fully disying the sincerity in his request. Please lead our Luo n! Luo Qingchen and the other elders echoed Luo Ganzhens plea and bowed deeply too. This... Zhang Xuan was frenzied. He hade here topensate the Luo n for wronging it previously, not to be its n head... What the heck is this? How in the world could this happen to me? Where did the fairness and justice of the world go to? Is it my fault for being so outstanding and weing? If only Id known that, I would have acted average. Just that... what in the world is ordinary? Is it my fault for not knowing what average is? Please, can anyone save me from this... Why is being ordinary so difficult? Chapter 1614 - Zhang Xuan Is from the Luo Clan?

Chapter 1614: Zhang Xuan Is from the Luo n?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Frenzied, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Ruoxin amid the crowd, only to see her directing an indifferent, brilliant smile at him. It was almost as if she was saying, This is something that you stirred up, so solve it by yourself. You reap what you sow. Zhang Xuan immediately realized that she could not be relied on to get him out of this mess, so he could only face Luo Ganzhen and the other elders alone. I can understand your feelings, but... Im too used to living a carefree life. Im afraid that Im really not suited to being a n head! Brother Tianya, if thats your concern, theres really nothing to worry about. You can leave the misceneous matters to First Elder Luo Qingchen and me. All you have to do is help rally our Luo n together in times of need or during crucial moments. You can still spend the rest of your time traveling freely around the world or go into seclusion if you like! Luo Ganzhen hurriedly said. The rejection from the Zhang n had cost the Luo n its prestige and honor. At a time like this, they needed a strong leader to convince their followers that the Luo n had not fallen yet! Given how Luo Tianya had managed to subdue even the experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, if he could be the head of the Luo n, they would be able to rebuild the Luo ns reputation and let the whole world know that they were not a force to be trifled with! At the same time, they would also show the world that those of the Zhang n were fools for turning their backs on them! I... Seeing that it was impossible for him to turn down this matter, Zhang Xuan could only resort to his trump card. Even though my surname is Luo, I am only a very distant rtive of the Luo n. My Luo n bloodline is so thin that it might not even be detectable at all. I fear that it might not be too appropriate for me to be the head of the Luo n... Thats not an issue at all. First Elder, bring the Bloodline Basin over, Luo Ganzhen instructed before turning his gaze back to Zhang Xuan. Brother Tianya, if it isnt too much trouble for you, please allow us to check your bloodline! Check my bloodline? Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. If the purity of my bloodline is too low, Id ask you not to ask me to be the head of the Luo n anymore! Given that he had nothing to do with the Luo n at all, it was a given that the check would end with a negative result. With that, he would have a good reason to turn down Luo Ganzhens request. Luo Ganzhen hesitated for a moment before nodding. Very well! If the middle-aged mans bloodline was truly too thin, he would just have to marry his daughter to the other party to bind him to their Luo n. In other words, no matter what happened, the person who hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing would have to be the head of their Luo n. Otherwise, just the very existence of a man who had unlocked the secrets of the Luo ns heritage was enough to bring about the Luo ns gradual fall from grace. Upon hearing Luo Ganzhens orders, First Elder Luo Qingchen quickly rushed away. He returned not too longter, and with a flick of his wrist, apass-like object materialized right in front of him. It floated quietly in the midst of the elevated tform. This is the Bloodline Basin. Its used to gauge the level of purity of the Luo n bloodline within a cultivator. All in all, there are ten levels, and each level denotes a tenth of the founders bloodline. In other words, 1 means that the cultivator possesses a tenth of the founders bloodline, and 10 means that the cultivators bloodline is on par with the founders! One has to have a purity level of at least 3 to qualify as an inner member and 1 to qualify as an ordinary member... Anything beneath that will result in the individual being banished to the side family! Luo Qingchen exined. He raised his head to look at Zhang Xuan expectantly. Brother Tianya, even though you are from the side family, the fact that you have managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing shows that the talent you wield is unparalleled! As long as your bloodline surpasses 1, you will already be eligible to be our n head. No one in the Luo n would dare to voice their objection to the matter! Surpasses 1? Zhang Xuan did not think that there would be such a ssification for bloodlines within Sage ns. It was likely that it was through an artifact simr to the Bloodline Basin that he had been deemed to be an unparalleled prodigy of the Zhang n before he was even born. Thinking about it now, he had probably been an 8, 9, or perhaps very close to a 10 in terms of Zhang n bloodline back then! Thats right! Brother Tianya, you just have to ce a droplet of blood on the Bloodline Basin, and thepass will immediately reflect the result! Luo Qingchen said. Alright then. However, Ill just say in advance that my bloodline is so thin that its almost negligible... I hope that you wont raise the matter of having me be the head of the Luo n anymore after this test! Zhang Xuan said. As an offspring of the Zhang n, his bloodline definitely had no ties to that of the Luo n at all, so there was no need for him to worry at all. Hu! He flicked a droplet of his blood into the Bloodline Basin, and it fell into the groove at its very center. Weng! A slight whirring sound echoed in the air, and the droplet of blood suddenly burst into mes. Seemingly triggered by some unknown energy, thepass needle began spinning frenziedly. Jiya! A whileter, it came to a stop. The number that it was pointing at... 9! How could it be 9? This Bloodline Basin must be spoilt! As if a streak of lightning shed across Zhang Xuans mind, he nearly lost his mind at that ridiculous result. He was an offspring of the Zhang n! How could he possibly have the Luo n bloodline... and such a pure one at that! Or... did the Xingmeng Sword Saints make a mistake? But his blood did fuse perfectly with that of Meng Sword Saint! Wait a moment, he did check for the Zhang n bloodline in him, and there was not the slightest trace of it at all. Did that mean that... A mini explosion urred in Zhang Xuans head at this moment, preventing him from thinking any deeper than that. While Zhang Xuan was stillpletely frenzied by the oue, Luo Ganzhen, Luo Qingchen, and the others froze on the spot. Indescribable joy slowly coursed through their entire beings, and their bodies began trembling intensely in reaction. If not in consideration of their standing, they might have even begun skipping around the ce excitedly! A bloodline purity of 9... That effectively meant that the middle-aged man was not just a member of their Luo nhe was even a core member that was even more crucial than any one of them present! It was no wonder he couldprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing! Even if he had not done so, just his bloodline alone would have qualified him to be their next n head! Knowing that this was the opportune moment to make his move, Luo Ganzhen sped his fist and bowed down. Paying respects to our n head! The wily elders also swiftly understood Luo Ganzhens intention, and they quickly bowed down too. Paying respects to our n head! If it was because they had no other choice that they were pressuring the middle-aged man to be their n head before, after seeing the sheer purity of the bloodline he possessed, there was no way that they could possibly let him get away! They eyed Zhang Xuan intently as if cougars who had found their prey. I... I really am from the side family. I cant possibly qualify to be your n head... Zhang Xuan protested feebly. Thinking that the middle-aged man was just too shocked by the abrupt turn of events, Luo Ganzhen exined with a radiant smile on his face. Brother Tianya, you need not be so humble. The heritage of our Luo n bloodline happens by chance. Those from the main family can very well birth offspring whose Luo n bloodlines are negligibly thin. Simrly, from time to time, there are offspring from the side family whose bloodlines are even purer than that of the main family, leaving countless stumped by how such a thing could happen... Its for this reason that the n conducts a bloodline test on all offspring of the Luo n, regardless of whether they are from the main family or the side family. You might be from the side family, but due to the purity of your bloodline alone, you are more than qualified to return to the main family and be our next n head! It would not be inurate to say that the inheritance of a bloodline was a random event. In fact, there were many cases throughout the Luo ns history where the Luo n bloodline in the main family had suddenly died out, and someone else from the side family had risen to power instead. While the Luo n did conduct bloodline checks on all newborns of the main family and side family, it was inevitable that there would bepses in their checks from time to time, especially considering how huge the Luo n had be over the ages. There were cases in history where a grown up from the side family had suddenly been shown to possess unbelievably pure Luo n bloodline, so Luo Ganzhen and the others were not too surprised by the matter. Brother Tianya, I beseech you to lead our Luo n to greatness! Your bloodline has been shown to be one of the purest in the history of our Luo n, and you haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing as well. Theres no one who could be more worthy than you to take on this role! Our Luo n has just suffered a major setback. At a time like this, we need a powerful leader like you to rally everyone! You are the only one who can unite our members together! If you dont agree to it, our Luo n will really fall into decline! The elders also swiftly voiced their pleas as well, upping the pressure on the middle-aged man. On the receiving end of the pleas, Zhang Xuan clutched his hair in frenzy. He had only agreed to the bloodline test in order to create a legitimate excuse to reject the Luo n. Who could have thought he would end up cornering himself instead? After soothing the stifled feeling in his heart, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and said, I... To be honest with you, the reason I came here today is to impart the method of cultivating the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to you all. I didnte here for honor or power... Putong! But before he could finish his words, and a pair of knees fell to the ground. Luo Xuanqing was kneeling before him with a determined look in his eyes. Luo Xuanqing pays respects to teacher! Eh? Zhang Xuan was stunned. You said that I was fast, but arent you way faster than I am? To actually acknowledge me as your master all of a sudden, is this really fine? Chapter 1615 - Becoming the Clan Head Once More

Chapter 1615: Bing the n Head Once More

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan waspletely stupefied. He quickly shook himself out of his daze and walked forward to hold Luo Xuanqings arms, supporting thetter back to his feet. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! You can just think of me as a friend... To be honest, while Luo Xuanqings recklessness had left him with a splitting headache on many asions, he was actually quite fond of the other partys forthright personality. While it was a pity that the other party did not be his brother-inw in the end, his impression of the other party still remained rather favorable. I thought that you were my brother, but you actually wanted to be my pupil instead... The Zhang ns Zhang Xuan has infringed on the honor of our Luo n and broken my younger sisters heart. I can never forgive him for all that he has done! I know that given the limitations of my talents, Ill never be able to catch up with him alone, so I implore you to impart the method toprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to me! After I master the Spatial Quintessence, I shall exact vengeance and ughter that wretched b*stard! Luo Xuanqing dered with gritted teeth, refusing to stand up at all. ... Zhang Xuan staggered slightly as a feeling of helpless despair arose in his mind. With a splitting headache once more, he took a deep breath and attempted to counsel the reckless young man. Ahem... Have you ever considered the possibility Zhang Xuan also didnt intend for all of this to happen either? I thought of you as my brother, but not only do you want to be my pupil, you are even intending to use the skills you wish to learn from me to kill me! Just what in the world did I do in my previous life to deserve such retribution? Just because he didnt intend for it to happen, he can break my younger sisters heart and abandon her during the engagement ceremony? Just because he didnt intend for it to happen, he can humiliate our Luo n and trample our dignity as if it was worthless dirt? Luo Xuanqing raised his head as he spat with suppressed rage. Elder, I implore you to help me in my vengeance! As long as you are willing to take me in as your student, Ill devote my entire life to serving you once I have exacted my vengeance! This... Zhang Xuan really had no idea what he should say. If only he had known that this would happen, he never would havee to the Luo n. He really was asking for trouble! Its one thing for me to be forced to be the n head, but even the one friend that I have made wanted to be my student... and the motive for doing so is to kill me in cold blood... What am I supposed to do? Am I to teach you or not? Completely distressed by the situation he was in, Zhang Xuan directed another pleading gaze toward Luo Ruoxin, asking for her help. However, the youngdy simply looked back at him with a knowing smile on her face, as if she had known that this would happen from the very start. Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over and asked, Ruoxin, did you know that I would be tested to have the Luo n bloodline? Wait a moment... is it the effect of your disguise amulet? Despite the doubt he had earlier, the fact that his history was a perfect fit with the young prodigy of the Zhang n and his ability to trigger the Zhang n bloodline were more than enough proof that he was from the Zhang n. Since that was the case, the only possible reason that he could think of for the Bloodline Basin revealing a 9 was the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him! Un. The amulet is made from condensing the zhenqi of cultivators possessing unique constitutions. Not only is it able to alter ones appearance and aura, its even able to disguise ones bloodline as well, such that even Ancient Sages would not be able to see through it! Besides, given that you haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, if you reach Ancient Sage as well, the bloodline that you pass down to your offspring will bergely simr to that of the Luo n. Its no surprise that the test with the Bloodline Basin showed a 9, Luo Ruoxin replied calmly. This... Zhang Xuans face twitched upon hearing those words. In the end, the faulty in the disguise amulet! If he had known that this would happen, he never would have used it in the first ce! Just that... he did not think that the amulet would be able to disguise ones bloodline as well. Such an ability meant that one would be able to create an impable disguise in the truest sense! Why had he not heard of such an artifact in the world before? Seeing the many emotions flickering across Zhang Xuans face, Luo Ganzhen thought that the middle-aged man was intending to turn them down, so he quickly bowed his head deeper and urged, Brother Tianya, please stop turning us down. The Luo n urgently needs a powerful n head to lead us during this time of need! Its not that Im unwilling to do so, but Im really not suited to be the head of the Luo n! Zhang Xuan released an exasperated sigh. Give me some time. I need to consult my wife on this matter first! Really, Ruoxin should have told him in advance that the disguise amulet had such an effect! He never would have agreed to the bloodline test if he had known this would happen! Since it was partially her fault, she could not me him for using her as an excuse... Hearing that the middle-aged man was going to consult his wife, Luo Ganzhen was visibly surprised for a moment before asking, Oh? Is our sister-inw here, too? Indeed! Zhang Xuan replied with a bright smile as he turned his gaze to the crowd and beckoned. Lingxi,e here! ... Luo Ruoxin did not think that Zhang Xuan would really toss the ball to her. With everyone looking in her direction, she realized that she would not be able to continue watching the drama unfold as an idle spectator anymore. With a helpless sigh, she leaped onto the elevated tform as well. n Head Luo, I dont mean any disrespect, but power and authority mean nothing to me and my wife. We have vowed to spend our life traveling freely around the world, so I fear that I can only turn down your goodwill! Holding Luo Ruoxins hand tightly, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over and said, Ruoxin, help me turn him down! This... Having her hand held in front of so many people, Luo Ruoxins face reddened slightly. She discreetly shot Zhang Xuan a irked look before turning her gaze to face Luo Ganzhen. Since my husband has asked for my opinion, Ill give my view on this matter then. Actually... I dont think its an issue for Tianya to be your n head! Huh? Shocked by what he had just heard, Zhang Xuans eyeballs nearly popped out. This isnt the script we agreed on! Remember the script, the script! This isnt the time for you to be improvising! However, he wishes to devote his time to cultivating, so he wont have any time to manage the matters in the Luo n. Furthermore, his purpose foring here is to pass down the method toprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing so that the Luo n can recover from the setback of being rejected by the Zhang n... As long as n Head Luo is agreeable with this, I dont think itll be much of an issue for Tianya to be your n head! Luo Ruoxin said with a nod. Seeing a ray of hope, Luo Ganzhen immediately snatched at it. Of course, of course! I have no problem with that! In the first ce, they had already promised that they would deal with the misceneous affairs so that the middle-aged man would not be bogged down by administrative matters. In fact, it would be much better this way! If someone inexperienced in managing the Luo n forcefully attempted to interfere in its matters, it could cause a huge mess instead! Furthermore, considering that the middle-aged man would be passing down the method toprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to them, what did they have toin about? No matter how they looked at it, this deal was beneficial to the Luo n! They would have to be dimwits to turn it down! Luo Ruoxin shot a nce at the dumbstruck Zhang Xuan and chuckled softly. She exined through zhenqi telepathic, Considering the current circumstances of the Luo n, theres no way theyll let you go easily. Since thats the case, you might as well just ede to their request for the time being. Our identities are fake anyway, so if you wish to back out at any moment, you can revert back to your original identity. After being unable to find you for some time, theyll get to electing a new n head... Is that so? I guess it should be fine then! Zhang Xuan nodded helplessly. Luo Ruoxin was right. Given the current turn of events, he had no choice but to go along with Luo Ganzhen and the others. But still... he had only gone there topensate them for his earlier actions, but in a bizarre turn of events, he had ended up bing their n head as well. This really was a huge problem. The head of the Zhang n, the Luo n, and the Sanctum of Sages... And not to forget, there was also the Master Teacher Pavilion... At this rate, he really might end up uniting all of the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent, bing its supreme dictator! Speaking of which, of the Three Premier ns, there was still the Jiang n... Given the current rate at which things were developing, if he took a walk around the Jiang n, he might just end up bing their n head as well! The Luo n pays respect to n Head Luo Tianya! With Zhang Xuan agreeing to the matter, everything else swiftly flew into ce. It happened that all of the n members were still around, and in order to host the engagement ceremony, most of the items that were required for an inauguration ceremony were in ce, too. Thus, it did not take them long toplete the inauguration of their new n head. Meanwhile... After leaving the Luo n, Nangong Yuanfeng and the others were heading in a certain direction with a gloomy air surrounding them. Teacher, we didnt aplish the mission required of us. What should we do? one of the young men asked. What else can we do? Well just have to ept the punishment for our failure! Nangong Yuanfeng shook his head. For the time being, lets find a ce to recuperate. Once we have recovered from our depletion, well head to the Zhang n. I dont believe that the Zhang n will also have a monster as powerful as that Luo Tianya! I guess thats all we can do for now... The young man nodded. All of a sudden, the space around the group of five froze in ce, rendering them unable to advance any further. Narrowing their eyes in rm, they quickly scanned their surroundings. Soon, they noticed a ravishing figure standing not too far away with them. A round sphere spun leisurely in front of her, emanating astounding prowess. Dont you think its impolite for you to leave just like that after the fuss you have caused at our Luo n? the youngdy asked coldly. Chapter 1616 - Luo Qiqi’s Strength

Chapter 1616: Luo Qiqis Strength

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sensing an immense pressureing from the rotating sphere in front of them, Nangong Yuanfeng asked warily, Who are you? The youngdy in front of them did not seem to possess too high a cultivation level, but the sphere rotating in front of her induced a blood-curdling sensation within him. He could feel that the sphere wielded absolute jurisdiction over space. Typically speaking, the youngdy should not have been able to control the sphere given the limitations of her cultivation, but for some reason, the sphere seemed to harmonize perfectly with the youngdy, almost as if they formed oneplete entity. He instinctively knew better than to underestimate the youngdy standing before him. A thought came to mind, and Nangong Mo quickly eximed, Teacher, shes likely the little princess of the Luo n! Little princess? You are Luo Yuxin? Nangong Yuanfeng clenched his fists tightly together. He had heard that the Luo n had a highly talented little princess, but as he had not met her earlier, he had decided to simply shrug it off as a rumor. Who could have thought that the other party would actuallye all the way out here to stop them? Could it be that the other party thought that she would be able to stop them with her individual prowess? Luo Yuxin? You would have been right, but from this day forth, my name is... Luo Qiqi! the youngdy replied. All along, her real name had been Luo Yuxin. Luo Qiqi was simply another alias that she had gone by after she lost her memories while sealing her cultivation. No matter what your name is, the matter with the Luo n has already been resolved. We have already admitted defeat andpensated the Luo n with a Great Sage artifact. May I know what you mean by halting us here? Nangong Yuanfeng asked with a displeased frown. What do I mean? Luo Qiqis eyebrows shot up. Lets stop wasting time and get it over and done with! Get it over and done with? Nangong Yuanfeng was taken aback. If you arent going to make a move, Ill be going first! Luo Qiqi harrumphed coldly. The sphere in front of her hummed lightly, and all of a sudden, her body appeared before one of the young men. Peng! Fresh blood spurted out from the mouth of the assaulted young man, and he was struck into the ground. Before anyone could react, a person was already severely wounded, and from the looks of it, he would be bed bound for at least three to four months. Insolence! Not expecting the youngdy to abruptly attack them, the faces of the other three young men turned utterly livid. They immediately rushed forward to subdue the youngdy. Immense might burst forth from their bodies as their powerful auras surged right into the high heavens. In an instant, their attacks had already locked onto the youngdy. Despite seeing his students executing their strongest moves simultaneously, Nangong Yuanfeng did not feel relieved at all. Instead, his eyes narrowed in horror as he bellowed anxiously, Dont do it! However, it was already toote. Peng! Peng! Peng! Three consecutive thuds, and the three young men were already struck down before they could even figure out what was going on. Just like the first young man, they plummeted heavily onto the ground, unconscious and heavily wounded. Judging from the extent of damage they had sustained, it would be several months of treatment before they were able-bodied once more. You... Nangong Yuanfeng was on the verge of exploding. With wintry killing intent in his eyes, he red at the youngdy and growled, Just what in the world do you want? Like I said, lets not waste each others time. Make your move! The youngdy could not be bothered to exin herself to Nangong Yuanfeng. With a cold look on her face, she raised her foot and began walking toward him. Her movements were not too quick, reminiscent of a leisurely stroll in the park, but every step that she took mysteriously covered several hundred meters. Before Nangong Yuanfeng knew it, she was already standing right before him. Realizing that the other partysprehension of spatialws was actually far above his, Nangong Yuanfeng felt his hair standing on end. Knowing that he was in a very dangerous position, he quickly drove his strength to the limits, causing an overwhelming aura reminiscent to that of an indomitable dragon to pour forth. As expected of an expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Rong! When fighting with Zhang Xuan, he had needed to lower his cultivation, so he had been unable to pull off most of his battle techniques. However, as he invoked his true strength at this very moment, it felt as if the entire dimension was trembling under his dominance. The light of the world was stolen away, plunging the surroundings into disquieting darkness. Not only so, the air around them also seemed to have been sapped dry, creating a vacuum around him and the youngdy. Seal! Without the slightest disturbance in her expression, Luo Qiqi raised her finger calmly and tapped the area ahead of her. Hu! Nangong Yuanfengs raging might abruptly halted in ce, and the palm strike that he was executing was also frozen in midair, unable to advance any further at all. Following which, Luo Qiqi casually flicked her finger. Peng! Nangong Yuanfeng was immediately sent flying into the distance. Crimson blood spewed ceaselessly from his mouth, and the profuse loss of blood caused his face to turn frighteningly pale. It was apparent at a nce that he had already sustained severe injuries. They might not have been as severe as his students, but nevertheless, it would already take him several days to make a full recovery. With fear reflected in his eyes, Nangong Yuanfeng watched the youngdy slowly walking away into the distance with bated breath. Her ravishing looks and fluttering robe would have made her seem like a deity descending from the heavens, but after witnessing her frightening strength, Nangong Yuanfeng was unable to think of her as anything more than a demoness. At some point in time, the youngdy suddenly halted. Without turning her head around, she said, The Luo n might not be a match for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but it isnt a power to be trifled with either! If you ever wish to challenge the Luo n again, know that you will be making an enemy out of me as well! After saying her piece, she ripped a hole in space and stepped into the spatial rift, vanishing from the spot. What horrifying strength she wields! How can there be someone as powerful as that on the Master Teacher Continent? It was only after seeing the youngdys silhouette vanish from sight that Nangong Yuanfeng dared to catch his breath fearfully. He quickly rushed to the ground to feed his students a pill each. It was true that the Master Teacher Pavilion of the Master Teacher Continent had been left behind by Kong shi, but ultimately, the heritage that they had inherited from Kong shi was still inferior to that of the Hundred Schools of Philosopher, which consisted of Kong shis direct disciples. In a sense, this was simr to the rtionship between Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples in contrast to the Xuanxuan Faction. With the opening of the Temple of Confucius due, their Hundred Schools of Philosophers had decided to make a return to the Master Teacher Continent in a bid to im the treasures within. They thought that they should have been able to tower over the major powers of the Master Teacher Continent and force them to submit to them easily with their superior prowess, but who could have thought that even a single Luo n would wield such frightening prowess! More importantly... the youngdy did not seem to be in her twenties yet! To possess such strength despite not having reached her twenties... Her talents could be said to be on par with those monsters of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! Luo Tianya and Luo Qiqi... The Master Teacher Continent really isnt as weak as I thought... Nangong Yuanfeng remarked grimly. ... Teacher, what do we do from now on? Roughly half a dayter, one of Nangong Yuanfengs students finally recovered enough energy to be able to speak. Are we still heading to the Zhang n? We have to make a trip there eventually! However, given our current state, we wont be able to do it on our own! Nangong Yuanfeng frowned. It would take quite some time for them to recover to their peak, and even so, there was no guarantee that they would be able to get the Celestial Amulet of Legacy from the Zhang n. After all, they could not simply ignore the rumors that they had heard about the young prodigy of the Zhang n anymore, especially after experiencing the prowess of the little princess of the Luo n personally. Rumors might just be rumors, but if the rumors concerning the incredible strength wielded by the little princess were true, the young prodigy was also unlikely to be a weakling! Then, Teacher, what do you intend to do? the young man asked in confusion. Send a message to Zhenqingoshi 1 . Hasnt he been wanting topete with me? Let him make a move first, and well spectate by the side. If we can uncover the trump cards that the Zhang n wields, our chances of sess will be higher! We have already failed to acquire the Luo ns Celestial Amulet of Legacy, so we cannot afford to fail with the Zhang n as well! Nangong Yuanfeng harrumphed coldly. Hearing those words, the young man quickly nodded and took out his Communication Jade Token. Very well, Ill send a message over to Zhenqingoshi right now... The Zhenqingoshi whom his teacher was referring to went by the full name of Tantai Zhenqing, a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yu 2 . Un. You should quickly heal and condition your body before Zhenqing and the others get here. Otherwise, they will just mock us once more, Nangong Yuanfeng said before closing his eyes to focus on assimting the medicinal energy to heal his injuries. His student also quickly turned his attention to recuperating. They had thought that they would be able to easily force the Luo n to do their bidding, but their expectations had fallen t. The Master Teacher Continent had really changed a lot. Powerful dragons and ferocious tigers were hidden all around, and they could possibly be destroyed if they let their guard down! Chapter 1617 - Guiding Luo Xuanqing

Chapter 1617: Guiding Luo Xuanqing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Traveling through the spatial rift, Luo Qiqi returned to her room in the Luo n. She had thought that the heavens had answered her prayers, and she had waited in anticipation for the blissful life that the world had promised her to arrive. No one could have expected such an oue. Yet, by some bizarre working of fate, the deep fluctuations in her emotions ended up bing the catalyst that further assimted the Dimension Silencer together with her, granting her greater control over it. It was at that moment that the crowd from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers arrived. She had been in the midst ofprehending the powers of the Dimension Silencer, so she could not afford to head to the square as well. However, by the time she was done, the problem was already settled. Thus, she tore a spatial rift open to catch up with those aggressors so as to teach them a lesson. No matter what, she was still a member of the Luo n. She could not do nothing when it had been oppressed by some other power. Watching the inauguration ceremony outside through her Spiritual Perception, a slight relieved smile emerged on her face as she thought, That Luo Tianya is indeed a genius. Despite not possessing the Dimension Silencer, he still managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing... With him around, the Luo n will be in safe hands. Whether I am around or not wont make much of a difference anymore... Despite being a victim in the earlier incident as well, she knew that she had to take some responsibility for the huge setback that the Luo n had suffered. She would have to shoulder the burden of propping up the Luo n, at least until it was back on track... But at a time like this, Luo Tianya suddenly appeared, and there was no longer anything to worry about. Since thats the case, I want to pursue the happiness that belongs to me! Luo Qiqi muttered with resolve as she stood up. All along, she had lived her life passively. She had simply walked down the pathway that those around her guided her onto, and even when it came to a matter as important as her marriage, she had never tried to fight back or protest at all. But right now, she was already exhausted from living such a life. She did not want to continue living her life so passively, trudging down a road that others had paved out for her. She wanted to pursue what she wanted! So what if Luooshi was around? She, Luo Qiqi, would not lose out to anyone. Since Luooshi was able to win Zhang shis heart, she was confident that she would be able to do the same! As soon as she made this decision, the pressure that had squeezed her heart so tightly that it suffocated her suddenly vanished. An unprecedented feeling of rxation coursed through her body. Recalling the words that her teacher had said to her when he left, a slight smile appeared on the youngdys face. She walked out of the room and dashed into the air, swiftly vanishing from sight. ... This is the method toprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. You should quickly go through it right now. If theres any portion you dont understand, feel free to ask me. Ill help you decipher it! In a spacious room, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger and imprinted the cultivation technique manual of the simplified Heavens Path Spatial Sealing Art into Luo Xuanqings mind. Since the reason he had gone to the Luo n was topensate them, he would help them wherever possible. However, it was unfortunate that no one except for him was able to cultivate the true Heavens Path Spatial Sealing Art, so he could only alter it a little before passing it on to the Luo n. As for how much of it Luo Xuanqing would be able to make sense of, that would depend on his own aptitude and capability. Going through the new knowledge that had just been transferred over to his mind, Luo Xuanqing could not help but tremble in agitation, and he quickly kneeled onto the floor and eximed, Thank you, Teacher! As one of the core members of the Luo n, he had essed the full heritage of the Luo ns spatial arts, but with just a quick scan through Luo Tianyas heritage, it became apparent to him that the Luo ns spatial art heritage was incredibly shallow. It was like a small pond before a hulking ocean. To pass down such a formidable cultivation technique without any reservation... This was a debt that Luo Xuanqing might never be able to repay in his entire life! Like I have said, Im not your teacher... Zhang Xuan quickly rushed forward to help Luo Xuanqing up. Somehow, it just felt wrong to him to have Luo Xuanqing kneeling before him. The cultivation technique that you have just imparted to me is of unimaginable value. Teacher, I ask of you to ept me as your student! Otherwise, I fear to practice such a formidable technique! Luo Xuanqing eximed. This... Alright then! Seeing that Luo Xuanqing was insistent on the matter, Zhang Xuan could only nod in agreement. Lineage was extremely important in the Master Teacher Continent. There were some formalities that could not be disregarded, especially when a heritage was at stake. Seeing that he had received the middle-aged mans agreement, Luo Xuanqing hurriedly kneeled down once more, and just as he was about to kowtow, he suddenly heard a feminine voice by the doorway. After acknowledging Tianya as your teacher, you mustnt use the knowledge you have learned against him. Otherwise, youll suffer a rebound in your cultivation. You should be aware of that, right? Of course! Luo Xuanqing nodded firmly. While lineages were highly regarded on the Master Teacher Continent, there was still nock of incidents where students betrayed their teachers. In order to ensure that such an incident would not happen among the master teachers, the Master Teacher Pavilion implemented the rule that if a master teacher used the knowledge that they had learned from their teacher against their teacher, they would suffer a rebound in their cultivation. In order to enforce this rule, those who became master teachers would have to make such a vow under the supervision of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Its good that you understand that! Luo Ruoxin nodded. Rest assured. I, Luo Xuanqing, will never make a move against my teacher! If I ever do, before the rebound in my cultivation even happens, Ill first cripple myself in repentance of my deed! Luo Xuanqing dered majestically. Luo Tianya was not only his elder, he was also someone who had unreservedly imparted the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to him. He would really have to be a beast to attempt to harm someone who had helped him so much! After saying those words, Luo Xuanqing stood up once more. He still could not be considered Luo Tianyas direct disciple yet, but connected by amon heritage, he could already be considered half a student. Weng! The moment that Luo Xuanqing stood up, the Library of Heavens Path in Zhang Xuans mind jolted. A golden page had materialized in the Book of Heavens Path. Perhaps it might have just been his imagination, but it seemed like it was getting harder and harder to trigger the formation of a golden page. It had not appeared for such a long time that he had nearly forgotten about it. Luo Xuanqing spent the next few hours trying toprehend the simplified Heavens Path Spatial Sealing Art. For portions that he was unable toprehend, he wasted no time rifying them with Luo Tianya. It was only when the sky lit up once more that he finally internalized everything. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan said, Its good that you have managed to understand everything. Dont rush things and cultivate carefully. You should be able toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing within a single month! The simplified Heavens Path techniques were indeed not as easy and fast to cultivate aspared to the perfect versions. Nevertheless, with Zhang Xuans personal guidance, Luo Xuanqing should be able to avoid going on meaningless detours as a result of the few remaining ws, so achieving a breakthrough within a month should still be possible. Thank you, Teacher! Luo Xuanqing sped his fist. He began cultivating ording to the method that his teacher had just imparted to him, and to his delight, his mastery of spatial arts advanced at a rate that he would have never thought possible before. A thought came to his mind then, and he could not resist asking, Teacher, may I know how long it took you toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? It was one thing for his teacher to be able toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but his teacher had actually managed to create such a formidable cultivation technique as well. Countless highly talented predecessors of the Luo n had devoted their lives to searching for a way toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, and Luo Xuanqing knew that even his talent could only be considered averagepared to them. Yet, his teachers cultivation technique actually allowed him toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing within just a single month. Given so, just how masterful was his teachersmand over space? And how long did it take his teacher toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? Me? Zhang Xuan was caught off guard by that abrupt question. Let me think... I guess it should be roughly... At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for several seconds. ... this long. Yeah, about this long. Luo Xuanqing was visibly confused for a moment before he understood what his teacher was getting at. In that instant, he could almost see his internal world copsing. Teacher, you mean to say that... you only took a few seconds? I think so. I cant remember exactly how long I took; it might have been a few seconds longer too. I couldnt really feel the flow of time while I was cultivating... Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Back then, the Dimensional Sand had impeded their way forward, so his attention had been fully channeled intoprehending the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel in order to freeze the Dimensional Sand in ce. Looking back, it did not seem like he had taken too long. Likely a few seconds at most. I... Luo Xuanqing could not help but feel deep despair at the huge gap between him and his teacher. He had thought that it was already a considerable feat for him toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing within a months hard work, but his teachers inhuman feat had crushed all feeling of glee and satisfaction within him. Toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing within a few seconds... The heck, are you still a human? Seeing the look on Luo Xuanqings face, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Hurry up and cultivate! You should try to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible! Im just stating the truth! Surely you need not be so traumatized by the truth, right? Yes, Teacher! Knowing that his teacher was a figure whom he could not hope to match, Luo Xuanqing quietly reassured himself that he was still a sufficiently talented genius and took his leave. Shortly after Luo Xuanqing left, Zhang Xuan went over to the main hall. With a bright gleam in his eyes, he asked Luo Ganzhen, Are there any books in the n detailing insights and methods to achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage? May I know where they are? It had been nearly a day since he had made a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan pinnacle, so it was about time for him to make another breakthrough! Chapter 1618 - The Luo Clan’s Treasure Vault

Chapter 1618: The Luo ns Treasure Vault

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Due to the differing cultivation techniques that one cultivated, there was no specific method to achieving a breakthrough from Saint 9-dan to Great Sage. As such, Zhang Xuan could only refer to the insights of the predecessors to find a path that was suited for him. Insights and methods to achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage? Weve had countless Great Sage predecessors in our Luo n, so we do have a substantial number of such books. However, these books can only serve as a reference. You mustnt attempt to practice them directly... Luo Ganzhen warned. The insights of the predecessors could serve as a source of inspiration, but as everyone had different constitutions and encounters, what they needed to achieve a breakthrough would be significantly different as well. If one were to attempt to blindly follow the path of another, chances were that not only would one be able to achieve a breakthrough, ones cultivation might even go berserk. Thank you for your warning, Ill take note of it, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Hearing the middle-aged mans response, Luo Ganzhen quickly replied with a smile. You are the most talented cultivator in the many millenniums of our Luo ns history, so it goes without saying that youll be aware of something like this even without me pointing it out. Please follow me! Considering how the other party had managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, his talent was indubitably great. Luo Ganzhen would only be viewed in annoyance if he kept repeating the same thing again and again. Knowing that Zhang Xuan was going to read books, Luo Ruoxin nodded. Go on. Ill wait here for you. Un, Ill be right back! Zhang Xuan said before leaving with Luo Ganzhen. The both of them soon arrived in a library. The bottom three levels of the library are open to the inner members of our n, and everything beyond that are only essible to the elders... The insights to achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage are all contained at the higher levels! Luo Ganzhen exined as he brought Zhang Xuan up to the fourth level. Zhang Xuan swiftly looked through the massive collection books around him and noted that they were mostly notebooks. Most of the notebooks contained messy scribblings, and a couple of them had a lot of blurred words or missing pages, an inevitable result from having been stored for too long. These books dont have particr systems or an order to them, and they are only intended for reference purposes. Please feel free to look through them, and if theres anything you require, feel free to call me! Luo Ganzhen said. Thank you for your help! Ill just casually take a look around. Ill call you if I encounter any problems! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan quickly began browsing through the shelves of books. Seeing this, Luo Ganzhen quietly took his leave. Shortly after Luo Ganzhen left, Zhang Xuan began swiftly strolling through the shelves of books while echoing ws in his head. It took him roughly ten minutes to collect everything on the level into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed, and a new book materialized in his head. He quickly flipped the materialized book open and browsed through it. While these insights didnt form aplete Heavens Path Divine Art, they did give me a deeper understanding as to what a breakthrough to Great Sage signifies! Introspective Convalescence is basically the ability to immerse ones Spiritual Perception into every cell and meridian within ones body. This allows a cultivator to resolve their internal ws and induce a physical metamorphosis to surpass the limits of Saint 9-dan. At the same time, the correction of ones physical constitution would also enhance ones longevity, allowing one to live for a longer period of time. Upon reaching Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm, a cultivator would unlock their Incipient Eye, thus allowing them to inspect their own physical state through their Spiritual Perception. To achieve a breakthrough to the Introspective Convalescence realm, a cultivator would have to further refine their Spiritual Perception so as to make it fine enough to seep even within cells. As simple as it sounded, the effects it brought about were tremendous. If a cultivators cells were to be damaged or breached by some kind of bacteria or virus, they would inspect the root of the problem through their Spiritual Perception and channel their zhenqi to resolve the affliction. Through this, they would be able to ensure that their physical body was always at its peak state, thus allowing them to exert their full prowess at any moment. While ordinary Saint cultivators would be able to live up to roughly a thousand years, their physical functions would start deteriorating beyond their eight hundreds, thus causing their fighting prowess to decline. At the same time, the deteriorating physical functions would also make it more and more difficult to achieve a breakthrough. Push yourself to the limits while you are still young was a phrase that wasmonly said among master teachers. Once the physical functions started to deteriorate, it would be nigh impossible to achieve a breakthrough anymore no matter how hard one tried. This was also why there was such a thing as the golden age for cultivation. However, such a limitation was removed for those who had reached the Introspective Convalescence realm. The ability to immerse ones Spiritual Perception into cells allowed one to repair and rece wear and tear in the cells, ensuring that ones body remained in its peak condition at all times... In other words, one would always be able to exert the fighting prowess one wielded in ones prime! Furthermore, even when ones lifespan was reaching the end, if the impetus for a breakthrough came, one would still be able to advance ones cultivation. For this reason, the older a Great Sage cultivator was, the more formidable they were likely to be. This was in contrast to Saint cultivators, where older cultivators were much weaker and more prone to injuries than younger cultivators. Having cultivated the wless Heavens Path Divine Art, my zhenqi is much purer than that of other cultivators. This makes it much more difficult for me to make a breakthrough to Great Sage... Going through the insights that he had collected, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. It was indeed not easy to make a breakthrough to Great Sage. Even after reading so many books, he was still unable to find the most suitable way for him to do so. Forget it, Ill just collect all of the books in here first. If it still doesnt work out, Ill just have to collect the books in the Zhang n too. The Zhang n should have aption of the insights of predecessors too... Knowing that it was impossible to rush this matter, Zhang Xuan calmed his anxiety and headed to the upper floors. Given that the books on this level detailed the insights on making a breakthrough to Great Sage, it stood to reason that the books on the higher levels corresponded to that of the other realms of Great Sage. It did not take long for Zhang Xuan to collect all of the books in his path and reach the top level of the library. When he finally walked out of the library, he noted that Luo Ganzhen was still waiting around the vicinity. Thus, he walked up to Luo Ganzhen and smiled. I think Ill need some pinnacle spirit stones and items containing spiritual energy in order to make a breakthrough. May I know if theres anywhere in the n that I can take such resources from? Also, is there a limit to how much of such resources I could take as the n head? After reading through the books, Zhang Xuan realized that he needed quite a number of spirit stones in order to make a breakthrough. Sword Saint Xing had given him a clear glimpse into just how loaded the Premier Sage ns were. Considering that the Luo n was a Premier Sage n as well, a couple of pinnacle spirit stones and items containing spiritual energy would definitely not be much to them at all. Thus, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony for this matter either. Theres a quota to how much resources the n head is entitled to. However, you have just done the n a great service, so the elders have unanimously decided to give you free ess to the resources of the Luo n! Luo Ganzhen said as he led the way forward. Soon, they arrived at a treasure vault. This is the vault where we store the resources and treasures of the Luo n. The rewards that we offer to meritorious n members alsoe from here. n head, feel free to look around the vault. If theres anything that interests you, you can just take it away with you. Theres no need to hold back at all! Thank you! Not expecting such a privilege toe from being the head of the Luo n, Zhang Xuans eyes glowed in excitement. If he could take anything in the vault away with him... would he not be loaded if he stored everything in here into his storage ring? If so, he would not have to worry about acquiring resources for his cultivation anymore! But of course, those were just casual thoughts shing across his mind. He had no intention of realizing them at all. His principles would not allow him to do something like that. He was a master teacher, not a burr! Even if he had not been there topensate them, it would be despicable for him to take everything in there. In the first ce, he did not have a grudge with the Luo n, and such an action would be a huge blow to even the wealthy Luo n! There were many shelves ced around the treasure vault, and all kinds of weapons, gemstones, and spirit stones were ced on them. After gaining possession of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, not even Saint pinnacle artifacts could catch his eye at all. Simrly, pinnacle spirit stones were not of much use to him given his current cultivation realm, so he did not dawdle too much around them. Hmm? Whats this? Walking in between the shelves, Zhang Xuan suddenly halted in his tracks, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. On a shelf not too far away, there was a sealed jade box that emanated spiritual energy so concentrated that it actually moved his heart. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was looking at the sealed jade box, Luo Ganzhen exined, Its an extraterrestrial meteorite. Our predecessors obtained it by some chance. Im not too sure what it is, but over the years, no one has been able to find any way to refine it or extract the spiritual energy within it, so it ended up being stored in our treasure vault... Extraterrestrial meteorite? Zhang Xuan repeated in surprise. He walked up to the sealed jade box and slowly pried it open. Before Zhang Xuan could even see what was within the box, something within his body was already trembling in agitation, and a voice sounded in his mind. Give it to me! I want that hard thing over there... Who is it? Zhang Xuan eximed telepathically in rm. Chapter 1619 - The Speaking Pig Trotter

Chapter 1619: The Speaking Pig Trotter

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There were a few things within his body that couldmunicate with him telepathically. That fool of a clone of his, who always loved to fight for the limelight, was kept in the Myriad Anthive Nest. Vicious had not spoken much ever since the previous time they found his upper body in the Sanctum of Sages. Besides, thetter would not even dare to release his Spiritual Perception without his permission, so there was no way he could have been aware of what was happening outside here. As for Little Amulet, he had kept it in his storage ring, so thetter would not be able tomunicate telepathically with him at all. The voice clearly did not belong to that of the Dragonbone Divine Spear either. However, he had heard that voice loud and clear. It was reminiscent of that of a young child, crisp and sharp. It did not seem to be a product of his imagination... Just what could have slipped into his body without his noticing? Zhang Xuan quickly scanned his body, but to his shock, he could not find anything at all. Unable to take it any longer, he harrumphed inwardly. Who in the world is it? Stop fooling around! What do you mean by fooling around? Im Little Gourd! the voice replied anxiously. Little Gourd? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. Uh huh! Who else can it be other than me? As those words sounded, a certain gourd lyingzily in Zhang Xuans dantian shook its bottom slightly. The Dongxu Gourd? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He was aware that the Dongxu Gourd was within the body, and of course, he knew that it was a sentient being. How else could it possibly have been so annoying? But... the Dongxu Gourd was actually able to speak? Not to mention, to call itself Little Gourd... Dont you find it cringy to address yourself in such a cutesy manner? Thats right! After absorbing a lot of lightning energy, I have finally fully awakened! Quick, give me that extraterrestrial meteorite in front of you! I want to eat it! The Dongxu Gourd continued shaking its bottom gleefully. You want to eat it? Zhang Xuan frowned. Do you know what this meteorite is? He had guessed that the Dongxu Gourd was not as simple as it looked, but he did not think that it would actually be capable of speech. Furthermore, given how anxiously it wanted the meteorite... could it possibly have guessed what it was? I dont know what it is, but I know that its edible! the Dongxu Gourd replied. Edible? Zhang Xuan turned his gaze onto the extraterrestrial rock. He ced his finger on it, and the Library of Heavens Path jolted. A new book waspiled. He flipped it open and browsed through it, Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal, an object that has slipped through the cracks of space-time. It can be used to forge artifacts. Uncertain value. Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal? Uncertain value? What does that mean? Zhang Xuan frowned. This was the first time that the Library of Heavens Path had given such a vague appraisal of an artifact. In the past, as long as the item was touched, he would be able to uncover the full history of the object. Yet, for this extraterrestrial meteorite, the description in thepiled book was strangely vague. Uncertain value... Was this extraterrestrial meteorite something valuable or not? It seems like the Library of Heavens Path isnt reliable anymore... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Ever since he reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle and came into contact with the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, the Library of Heavens Path had not been as trusty apanion as before. To be unable to discern the history of a single rock... It seemed like he could not blindly rely on it anymore. I really should find some time to pay a visit to the Seer Guilds... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he reaffirmed his decision once more. He considered whether he should pass the Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal over to the Dongxu Gourd, but he eventually decided against it. You said that you are a Dongxu Gourd, but I dont believe that Dongxu Gourds are capable of ingesting something like this. Who in the world are you? Zhang Xuan demanded an answer. If the other party was just an ordinary Dongxu Gourd, he could have turned a blind eye to it staying in his dantian. However, with the realization that it was gaining greater sentience with time, to the point that it was even capable of speech, he could not help but be concerned about having it stay in his dantian. Should the other party intend to harm him, he would really be in deep trouble. What else can I be other than a Dongxu Gourd? Rest assured, I acknowledged you as my master before entering your dantian, so theres no way I can hurt you. I still have a bright future ahead of me! There are countless damsel gourds out there for me to court, so I would really have to be a fool to seek my death! the Dongxu Gourd replied haughtily. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. That wont do. I still dont feel safe with you being in my body. Why dont we make a trade? Ill give you the Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal, but in exchange, youll have to leave my dantian and enter my storage ring! Ill fall into a deep sleep once more after ingesting the Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal, so you dont have to worry about me bothering you... the Dongxu Gourd repliedzily. It seemed to be content with the amodation that it had at the moment, and it was reluctant to leave. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. He hated to admit it, but he waspletely helpless before the Dongxu Gourd. The Dongxu Gourd had entered his dantian without his permission, and he had tried time and time again to drive it out. He had tried once more not too long ago, after his cultivation reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle, but it was to no avail. As long as the Dongxu Gourd remained in his dantian, it would be equivalent to having a ticking time bomb in his body. While the other party imed that it would not wreak havoc, who could be certain that it would hold its end of the promise? Ultimately, it would still be best to get it out first! This matter is not open to discussion. You can either hibernate in my storage ring or never mention the matter concerning the Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal again! Zhang Xuan said as he shut the lid on the jade box. Tsk! Fine then... In the face of food, the Dongxu Gourd had no choice but to cave in. It shuddered a little, and before Zhang Xuan knew it, it had already vanished from his dantian and appeared in his storage ring. This... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. His dantian was within his body, a space that should have been under his control. On the other hand, his storage ring was a separate folded space, which should have been impossible for another being to ess without his permission as its master. Yet, the Dongxu Gourd was actually able to travel over without any impediment. This effectively meant that the Dongxu Gourd was above him in terms of spatial maniption! Just what in the world was the Dongxu Gourd? Humph, it doesnt matter what it is! As long as it dares wreak havoc, Ill throw the Book of Heavens Path on it! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Fortunately, after Luo Xuanqing learned the simplified Heavens Path Spatial Sealing Art from him, his gratitude had triggered the formation of a new golden page. Considering how the tool could subdue even Vicious easily, it should not be too difficult for it to curb a mere gourd. As long as he mmed the Book of Heavens Path down on the Dongxu Gourd, that darned fellow would be smashed into bits! With a trump card to rely on, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt more secure. In any case, he had managed to get the Dongxu Gourd out of his dantian for the time being, so there should be nothing to worry about at the moment. Thus, he turned his gaze to Luo Ganzhen and smiled. May I take this extraterrestrial meteorite away? Our predecessors have studied the meteorite many times but were still unable to figure out what it is. Feel free to take it if you want it! Luo Ganzhen nodded. Thank you. Hearing that he could take it, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a thought, he sent the jade box into his storage ring. Upon seeing the jade box in the storage ring, the Dongxu Gourd immediately rushed toward it excitedly. Its body distorted a little, and the Extraterrestrial Fallen Crystal in the box abruptly vanished without a trace. It was almost as if some mysterious force had swallowed it whole. Following which, just like what it had said, the Dongxu Gourd fell into a deep slumber, not moving at all. Seeing that the fellow had toned down for the time being, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. A momentter, he could not help but clutch his head in distress. A speaking gourd... Thinking about it, he sure had a lot of weird things with him... A talking amulet, a talking gourd, a talking spear... It was fortunate that those pig trotters that he had in his storage ring could not speakif he had speaking pig trotters too, he might just die of shock. Ignoring the issue with the Dongxu Gourd, Zhang Xuan continued looking through the treasure vault. Very soon, he spotted some decent resources. There were concentrated spiritual essences, precious pills, and unique herbs. He really had to say that the Luo n was crazy rich. The number of treasures that they had in their treasure vault would leave any cultivators mouth agape. After taking a couple of items that would help in his breakthrough, Zhang Xuan finally left the treasure vault. No matter what, these items had slowly been umted through the hard work of the predecessors of the Luo n. It would simply be too despicable of him to steal all of them. That being said, he did loot quite a few good things. To make an analogy, if the item that he had taken from Sword Saint Xing back then was referred to as a single unit, the items that he had taken were worth at least ten units. If not for the fact that he was currently the head of the Luo n, Luo Ganzhen would have surely thrown him out of the Ethereal Shrouding City by now. Stowing the items away carefully, Zhang Xuan told Luo Ganzhen, I am intending to head out to find an impetus to make a breakthrough. If anything happens to the Luo n, send me a message and Ill rush right back! Chapter 1620 - Kick Zhang Xuan’s Ass!

Chapter 1620: Kick Zhang Xuans Ass!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You are going to head out? Cough cough! Luo Ganzhen nearly choked on his saliva. It was in view of the fact that Luo Tianya was from the side family and didnt feel a sense of belonging toward the Luo n that he allowed the other party to take so many resources at once. His motive was simple?he wanted to bring Luo Tianya onboard the massive ship known as the Luo n and convince him to willingly serve as its captain. Yet, before that fellow even stepped out of the doors of the treasure vault, he was already thinking of slipping away... You callous man! Can you be any more heartless than that? I know that you dont have much regard for the n head position, but you cant just dump it aside like that as if its dirt! n head, please hold on for a moment. The elders of the Luo n has just pushed a motion forward, and they are waiting for your call on the matter... Once this matter is resolved, you can head anywhere you want to! Sighing helplessly, Luo Ganzhen said. What matter is it? Zhang Xuan asked. n head, I believe that you should have heard about how the Zhang n has publicly rejected us during the engagement ceremony! Luo Ganzhen said. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. As the primary culprit of the incident, how could he possibly have not heard of it? The Luo n is the secondrgest Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, and it has always been held in high esteem. Yet, it was humiliated before all of the powerhouses on the Master Teacher Continent, causing its reputation to be pulled through the gutter! Given that we are weaker than the Zhang n, we have resigned ourselves to the fact already... But n head, you are someone who can defeat even the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers... At this point, Luo Ganzhens eyes lit up. The middle-aged man before him hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, granting him invincible prowess within his power ss. Without a doubt, thetters talents had reached a height far beyond his imagination. So... our elders have proposed to have you return the humiliation we have suffered back to the Zhang n! We hope to re-establish the dignity of our Luo n and let the world know that we arent to be humiliated! You want to exact vengeance against the Zhang n? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in horror. Indeed! The head of the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan, is at Saint 9-dan primary stage, and he has only made a breakthrough three days ago. No matter how talented he may be, three days will only be enough for him to reinforce his cultivation. Theres no way he coulde close to matching you! n head, given how you were able to subdue even Nangong Yuanfeng, surely teaching that Zhang Xuan a lesson should be a walk in the park to you! The more Luo Ganzhen spoke, the more agitated he became. The intention of the elders is to have you challenge the head of the Zhang n and teach him a lesson he will never forget. Make him crawl around the ground searching for his fallen teeth! Through cleansing the humiliation that we have suffered, well rebuild the reputation of the Luo n and rise up once more! In the end, the reason why the Zhang n dared to be so arrogant was because Zhang Xuan was the head of the Sanctum of Sages, Yang shis senior, and the teacher of leaders of many powers. But in a fair duel, all those titles he had wouldnt do him any good! As long as n Head Luo Tianya disyed his dominance over Zhang Xuan, no one would dare tough at their Luo n anymore! Since the Zhang n dared to trample on their dignity to establish their authority, then they couldnt me them for doing the same as well! I... Zhang Xuan clutched his hair maniacally. What the hell is with this turn of events? Indeed, it is understandable that the Luo n would want to cleanse their reputation, especially after they have found themselves a powerful n head... but the problem is that the darned Zhang Xuan you have been cursing all this while is me! Are you seriously asking me to beat myself up? Just what did I do that gave you the impression that I have an interest in self-harm? Do I look like a masochist to you? Once this matter is settled, well be able to restore the lost confidence in the Luo n and even bring our reputation up to a whole new level... n head, I ask of you not to turn this matter down. Once this matter is done, you can go wherever you want to, and we wont question your decision... Luo Ganzhen quickly added. The reason why the Luo n wielded so much influence on the Master Teacher Continent was partly because there were many other powers subordinated to it. However, if those powers were to lose confidence in the Luo n, they could very well tear away from the Luo n and follow other powers such as the Zhang n instead. As such, it was of utmost importance for them to restore their reputation as soon as possible, or else there could be disastrous consequences. And just establishing a new n head wouldnt be enough to restore confidence in the Luo n. In the end, the most effective way to convince the other powers that the Luo n hadnt grown weak was to return the humiliation to the Zhang n and give that damned Zhang Xuan a hell of a pummeling! Of course, the earlier conflict with Nangong Yuanfeng did showcase the prowess of the Luo n, but the problem was that it might not necessarily be a good decision to besmirch the reputation of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. While they might have driven away Nangong Yuanfeng, Luo Ganzhen wasnt so arrogant as to think that the Luo n would actually be able to withstand the wrath of the entire Hundred Schools of Philosophers. At least for the time being, it wouldnt be a good decision to fall out with them. I need some time to think over the matter... Zhang Xuan replied with a stifled expression on his face. Why does everyone want to step down on me so much... Does my face look like a good stepping stone? Its not as if I had intentionally rejected the engagement to humiliate the Luo n... Theres no need to think about this matter. n head, we have absolute trust in your strength! Luo Ganzhen continued heaping pressure on Zhang Xuan as he led thetter out of the treasure vault. The elders are already waiting in the main hall. Once you are done preparing, we can set off right away! Set off right away? Zhang Xuan nearly fainted on the spot upon hearing those words. Indeed, vengeance is a dish best served piping hot! In the tens of thousands of years since the founding of our Luo n, when have we suffered such humiliation before? Of course, we cant and wont go around spreading the battle between the n head and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers due to the severe implications of the matter, but given the Zhang ns intelligencework, its only a matter of time before they find out about it. If Zhang Xuan were to flee in fear after hearing about it, we would no longer be able to exact our vengeance anymore! Luo Ganzhen eximed in agitation before sping his fist toward Zhang Xuan. n head, we implore you to ede to our request this once. This is for the members of our Luo n and its tens of thousands of years of heritage! ... Zhang Xuan had never wanted to cry as much as he did in this very moment. All of you are so preupied with thinking about the interests of the Luo n, but have you considered my feelings? I am not just the head of your Luo n but the head of the Zhang n as well... Are you all really going to be so cruel as to force me to challenge, p, and humiliate myself? Zhang Xuans instincts were to tly reject Luo Ganzhen, but looking into the burning desire in the older mans eyes, he found that he had no idea how to go about doing so. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, he could only try to put off the decision as long as he could, Allow me to listen to the opinions of the elders first... On the other hand, hearing that the n head didnt reject his request straight, Luo Ganzhen heaved a sigh of relief inwardly as he gestured Zhang Xuan forward, n head, this way please! As much as he hated Zhang Xuan, he had to admit that the fellow possessed extraordinary capabilities. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that he was the greatest pride of the Zhang n. If they could just give him a good pummeling, the disgrace suffered by the Luo n would be cleansed. Perhaps, they might even be able to bring its prestige to a whole new height! Very soon, the two of them arrived in the main hall. The elders of the Luo n were already seated within the main hall, and as soon as they saw Luo Ganzhen and Zhang Xuan, they quickly rose to their feet with agitated looks on their faces. n head, shall we set off right now? Lets rip that bastard Zhang Xuan a new one! Well make that bastard know that snubbing our Luo n is the greatest mistake he has ever made! ... Impassioned voices could be heard all over the room. It felt as if someone had poured gasoline all around the area, and raging mes would break out as soon as someone snapped his fingers. ... Two words shed across Zhang Xuans mind in this very moment Im doomed. It really felt as if he had dug a pit for himself this time around. He hade with good intention in mind, wanting topensate the Luo n for what he had done... But in a weird turn of events, he ended up bing its n head instead! And if that wasnt enough... before he knew it, he was being pressured to pummel himself! If he were to toss away his disguise and reveal his true identity as Zhang Xuan right now... not only would his pensation not be appreciated, the Luo n might even think that he was toying with them, thus removing any possibility of reconciliation between the two ns! In the worst case scenario, it could even provoke a war! It took Zhang Xuan a very long while to calm down all of the elders enough for him to speak, I understand your emotions, but I dont think its a good timing to challenge the Zhang n right now... I dont deny that Zhang Xuan is very powerful, such that theres nearly no one in his cultivation realm who would be a match for him... but n head, you are someone who managed to defeat even Nangong Yuanfeng! We believe that youll be able to thrash Zhang Xuan easily too! Well send an official challenge letter to the Zhang n and invite the Master Teacher Pavilion to officiate the duel... As long as we follow the proper procedures, the Zhang n would be forced to ept our challenge! Why do you say that its not a good timing to challenge the Zhang n? n head, I dont mean to refute your words, but I feel that this is the ideal opportunity for us to challenge the Zhang n too. You are from the side family, and hardly anyone in the Luo n has heard of you. If not for your pure bloodline, we would have even doubted if you are a member of our Luo n... Since this is the case for us, it would be even more so for the others. This means that well be able to catch the Zhang n off guard and teach that bratty Zhang Xuan a lesson. On top of that, well also be able to build your reputation and let the entire Master Teacher Continent know of your prowess... ... It didnt even take a minute for the impassioned elders to tear down all of Zhang Xuans arguments. ... Zhang Xuan. Wow, all of you make so much sense... I dont even know what I can say anymore. Chapter 1621 - What Is Your Relationship With Kong shi?

Chapter 1621: What Is Your Rtionship With Kong shi?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan could see Luo Ganzhen and the other elders point, and that was precisely why he found it difficult to turn them down. Putting aside the vengeance against Zhang Xuan, this was also an ideal opportunity to build up Luo Tianyas reputation. Luo Tianya might have be the head of the Luo n, but the world was still ignorant of who he was and what he was capable of. Who else would serve as a better stepping stone to build Luo Tianyas reputation than the celebrated young prodigy of the Zhang n, whose name had been hanging on the tip of everyones tongue in recent days? In this moment of frustration, Zhang Xuan caught sight of Luo Ruoxin in his peripheral vision. There was a dazzling smile on her facehe had no recollection of seeing such a bright smile on her cid face before. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt even more frustrated. Arent you my girlfriend? Arent you supposed to support me in my time of distress? How can you remain silent after seeing all this? Just as Zhang Xuan had no idea how he should respond to the expectant faces around him, he suddenly heard a telepathic message from Luo Ruoxin. Actually, I think it would be better for you to agree to their request. Agree to their request? Zhang Xuans face twitched. You want me to beat myself up? Thats not it. You should lead them first to the Zhang n, find a suitable moment to reveal your identity, and force the two ns to sit down and resolve the situation peacefully. Otherwise, given the hostility the Luo n bears toward the Zhang n, the more youpensate them, the more weapons they will have at their disposal to use against the Zhang n. In the worst-case scenario, the Luo n might even feel prompted to start a war with their newfound power. It wont be easy to reconcile the two ns, but you cant keep putting it off either, Luo Ruoxin exined. This... Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Ruoxins words made sense. The Luo n had a deep grudge against the Zhang n. While it was out of goodwill that he wanted topensate the Luo n for their loss, such an action was actually no different from stoking their desire for vengeance. Not only would it not resolve the conflict, it would only worsen it! Since our Luo n is already strong enough by ourselves, why should we reconcile with the Zhang n? Such poisonous thoughts could very well take root within the Luo n. If Zhang Xuan left things as they were, it would only be a matter of time before a fight broke out between the two ns. Instead of allowing this vtile situation to continue, he might as well resolve it once and for all! After all, he could not possibly keep alternating between Luo Tianya and Zhang Xuan! He would die of exhaustion that way! I guess theres no other way... Having thought the matter through, as frustrated as Zhang Xuan was, he eventually gave his nod of approval. Very well, Ill agree to your request. Lets head to the Zhang n right now! Woohoo! Off to the Zhang n we go! Kick Zhang Xuans ass! Kill that pathetic excuse of a man! ... The elders cheered in delight. ... Zhang Xuan. The crowd from the Luo n were already all prepared and ready to set off. Upon receiving Zhang Xuans approval, without any hesitation, they quickly rose to their feet and beckoned their aerial saint beasts over. Dozens of saint beasts immediately appeared in the sky above, forming a truly majestic sight. The purpose of the Luo n was to rebuild their reputation. As such, even though Zhang Xuan could easily teleport them over, especially since he had already grasped the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, they chose to fly over on aerial saint beasts instead to draw attention. Standing atop the aerial saint beast, Zhang Xuan nced at Luo Ruoxin, who was having trouble suppressing herughter, and he pouted unhappily. Do you think that I wanted to be in this plight? Just what did I do wrong in my previous life for the heavens to punish me like that? Forget it, I wont think about it anymore! Ill focus my attention on trying to achieve a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan instead! As frustrated as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that it was meaningless for him to think too much into it. Thus, he closed his eyes and focused on sorting out the insights that he had collected, hoping to find an impetus for him to make a breakthrough to Great Sage. Two days passed in a sh, and just as Zhang Xuan felt that he had found a feasible direction and was about to push for a breakthrough, a voice suddenly echoed in his head. Are you intending to push for a breakthrough to Great Sage right now? He turned his gaze over and saw Luo Ruoxin looking down at him. Thats my intention! Zhang Xuan nodded. There was no reason for him to hide this from the youngdy before him. If it had been anyone else, he might have feltpelled to exin how he managed to advance his cultivation so quickly or at least conceal it. However, he did not think that there was a need for him to do so before this youngdy at all. For some reason, Luo Ruoxin was not surprised by the swift advancement of his cultivation, and she had never questioned it. On the contrary, it was almost as if she expected it to happen. Dont rush into it yet. There are different ssifications for a breakthrough to Sainthood, such as Celestial Saint, and theres also something simr to that for Great Sage. It would be unwise for you to rush into an inferior breakthrough, Luo Ruoxin replied. Theres different ssifications for a breakthrough to Great Sage? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Back then, he had found the real Saint Ascension tform and used the energy there in order to push for a breakthrough as a Celestial Saint. It was precisely due to his extraordinary breakthrough that the capacity and concentration of his zhenqi far exceeded that of his peers. Was there something like that for a breakthrough to Great Sage too? Theres no such thing as a Celestial Great Sage, Luo Ruoxin replied, seeing through Zhang Xuans doubts, but depending on how one makes a breakthrough to Great Sage, there could be a vast difference in ones fighting prowess. This... Zhang Xuan had no idea what his girlfriends true identity was, but if there was one thing that he was certain about, it was that his girlfriend was far more knowledgeable than him in the field of cultivation. If not for her, he might never have sessfully be a Celestial Saint. Since she had said such words, he should indeed take note of the matter. The first realm of Great Sage is known as Introspective Convalescence. It allows a cultivator to immerse their Spiritual Perception into their cells and influence their body from a fundamental level, such as metabolism, Luo Ruoxin exined. An ordinary breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence requires a cultivator to temper their Spiritual Perception into a more refined and powerful form. Such a breakthrough isnt too difficult, but its an inferior method. Its known as the low-tier breakthrough method. Since there was a low-tier, there was bound to be a high-tier. That being said, this is the only method that all cultivators know of that will allow them to advance to Great Sage. Theres only one person on the Master Teacher Continent who has managed to design a superior method to achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage and seeded to doing so, Luo Ruoxin continued. Are you referring to... Kong shi? Zhang Xuan asked. In the history of the Master Teacher Continent, the most notable figure was indubitably Kong shi. If anyone could design a superior method to achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage, it would have been him. Indeed, its Kong shi. Luo Ruoxin nodded. When he was still at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, he drew the heavenly mes into his body to temper his Spiritual Perception through its searing heat, making it far more resilient and stronger than before. Due to that, he was far stronger than an ordinary cultivator after making a breakthrough. The capacity of his zhenqi and the strength that he wielded were unmatched by any normal Great Sage, and that formed the foundation for him to be the strongest person in history. Heavenly mes? Zhang Xuans body stiffened upon hearing those words. Previously, Kong shis will had told him that the key to resolving the Innate Fetal Poison was to be a 9-star master teacher and draw the heavenly mes into his body to sear it... A 7-star master teacher would have cultivation realms ranging from Saint 2-dan to Saint 4-dan, a half 8-star master teacher at Saint 5-dan, and an 8-star master teacher ranging from Saint 6-dan to Saint 8-dan. Saint 9-dan would conventionally correspond to half 9-star master teacher. There were some unique cases where Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivators were bestowed with the 9-star master teacher emblem in advance, but conventionally, the prerequisite to bing a 9-star master teacher was to be a Great Sage. Could it be that... when Kong shi mentioned bing a 9-star master teacher, it referred not to the emblem from the Master Teacher Pavilion but his cultivation realm? He had to push for a breakthrough to Great Sage, and he had to use the high-tier breakthrough method on top of that? Simr to the lightning tribtion, the heavenly mes are a kind of retribution the heavens inflict upon the cultivators. When you survived the Saint Ascension Ordeal and became a Celestial Saint, did you feel your soul and physical body bing far stronger than before, allowing you to defeat enemies stronger than you with ease? Luo Ruoxin asked. Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. Typically speaking, it was only at Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm that a cultivator would be able to use the lightning tribtion to temper their Primordial Spirit. However, having undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal, his soul and physical body were able to advance to a level far beyond his current cultivation realm, putting him far ahead of ordinary cultivators. Given so, it was understandable that the heavenly mes would make his Spiritual Perception stronger and grant him greater fighting prowesspared to other cultivators. I have browsed through many books regarding breakthroughs to Great Sage, but none of them mention the distinction between a low-tier breakthrough method and a high-tier breakthrough method... If Kong shi is the only one in history who has managed to pull it off, then Ruoxin, how did you learn of it? Unable to hold back his curiosity anymore, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and asked, What is... your rtionship with Kong shi? Chapter 1622 - The Sanctum of Sages Under Attack

Chapter 1622: The Sanctum of Sages Under Attack

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Back when they were still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Luo Ruoxin had taken him to the Saint Ascension tform, and they had managed to get into the folded space embedded in the area. They had found Kong shis personal writing, but Luo Ruoxin had given it to him without any hesitation, even iming that she could easily obtain as much of it as she wanted. Later on, when they entered the Qiu Wu Pce, she had said that she was searching for an object and disyed no interest toward Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage at all... And right now, she had even spoken of a high-tier breakthrough method that only Kong shi had managed to sessfully pull off... Could she possibly have some kind of intimate rtion to Kong shi? Otherwise, how could she possibly know so much about him? I... Facing the abrupt question, Luo Ruoxin was taken aback for a moment before lowering her head silently. When she raised her head once more, there was a slight pleading look in her eyes as she said, Please dont ask or guess anymore. I really cant tell you anything. But... Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to share anything about herself, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little frustrated. Knowing that there was no way around it, he sighed deeply and said, Alright, I promise not to probe any further on that. But in exchange, will you at least tell me if your current name is real? After saying those words, he looked at Luo Ruoxin with a nervous look on his face. Previously, it was precisely because Luo Qiqi hid her real name from him that he had ended up in such a huge misunderstanding. He was determined not to make the same mistake again. It was fine if Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to share her real identity. As long as he had her name, he was confident that he would eventually be able to find her. Luo Ruoxin was initially unwilling to answer, but looking at Zhang Xuans expression, her heart softened. Shaking her head helplessly, she replied, It isnt. It was as he had guessed! Staring intently at Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan asked on, If Luo Ruoxin isnt your real name, then... He had thought that it was weird how there was not a Luo n among the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and the fact that Luo Ruoxin did not really go by the surname of Luo exined a lot about this! Please dont ask me any more than this, Luo Ruoxin pleaded. Its not that I dont want to reveal my real identity to you, but I cant! If I speak, it wont just be me that sufferseven you will face a great cmity! ... I understand. I wont ask anymore. This was not the first time that Luo Ruoxin had said such words. While Zhang Xuan was not sure what kind of trouble they would face, considering how she was so frightened despite the power that she wielded, it was likely to be far moreplicated than he had thought. As far as I know, a normal breakthrough to Great Sage shouldnt draw in the heavenly mes. How did Kong shi manage to do it? Did he use some kind of unique secret art? Zhang Xuan quickly changed the topic back. Usually, it was only during a breakthrough to Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm that the heavenly mes would be summoned. The heavenly mes would then sear the impurities within ones body in order to form a truly undefble physique! In other words, Kong shi would have used some kind of secret art in order to draw the heavenly mes while pushing for a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not probing any deeper into her identity, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief before answering. Im not too sure how he managed to do it either, but I do know where to find the method to do so. Where? If he could find the secret art required to bring the heavenly mes upon him to temper his body and Spiritual Perception, not only would he be able to enhance his fighting prowess, he would also be able to resolve the threat of the Innate Fetal Poison. In a sense, this was killing two birds with one stone. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Luo Ruoxin replied. Back then, when Kong shi was pushing for a breakthrough to Great Sage, he had already founded the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was in the headquarters that he found the inspiration to create the secret art and sessfully advanced his cultivation to Great Sage. So, as long as you head to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, you should be able to find the secret art... Halfway through Luo Ruoxins words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token materialized in his grasp. Hmm? Seeing Zhang Xuans actions, the youngdy swiftly realized that something had happened. Did something happen? Something has happened to the Sanctum of Sages! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The message on the Communication Jade Token that he had just received hade from Zhan shi of the Sanctum of Sages. The Sanctum of Sages? Luo Ruoxin frowned. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. He quickly went through the contents of it and said, Someone has barged into the Inner Sanctum... I need to head over to take a look! As he said those words, he got to his feet. Ill follow you, Luo Ruoxin said. Alright! Knowing that his girlfriends prowess could easily match any Sempiternal realm cultivator, Zhang Xuan nodded without much hesitation. They quickly left the room on the back of the aerial saint beast and leaped away. n head! Noticing Zhang Xuans abrupt departure, Luo Ganzhen and the others hurriedly rushed over with astonished looks on their faces. I have some urgent matters that I need to attend to! Zhang Xuan said. He could not possibly reveal the fact that he was the head of the Sanctum of Sages, or else that would be equivalent to giving his identity as Zhang Xuan away. But the Zhang n... Luo Ganzhen eximed anxiously. Ill head to the Zhang n after Im done dealing with the matters there. You dont have to worry! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. The ones who had snuck into the Sanctum of Sages could very well be from the group that kidnapped Zhao Ya and his other students. They had managed to get away from himst time, and he was determined not to allow it to happen again. But... Luo Ganzhen frowned. Enough! This matter isnt open to discussion. Ille back in time to deal with the Zhang n! Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a spear and pierced the space in front of him. Tss! A dimension rift was ripped in the space in front of him. He quickly slipped right in, and Luo Ruoxin followed closely behind him. In the blink of an eye, they had already disappeared from sight. This is... traversing through dimension rifts? The faces of Luo Ganzhen and the other elders paled in fright. They had known all along that their n head was an incredible prodigy; someone of mediocre talent could not possibly have managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. However, the fact remained that he was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, so it was inevitable for them to feel that his powers had yet to fully mature. However, the feat that the n head had just pulled off made them realize that they might have been underestimating him all that time. Just what happened for our n head to head off in such a rush? Luo Qingchen asked. I dont know. However, since our n head has already given us his word, lets continue our journey to the Zhang n! Until we get that Zhang Xuan on his knees, begging for mercy, the rage in my heart wont be quelled! Luo Ganzhen spat with a cold glint in his eyes. The other elders roared in agreement. This was not the first time that they had headed to the Zhang n, but never had they felt so exhrated as they did that day. Finally, the Luo n would be ushering in its next spring! ... Hu! A dimension rift opened, and Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin jolted out. Taking a look at their surroundings, they had already arrived at the entrance of the Sanctum of Sages. Driving the zhenqi in his body, Zhang Xuan swiftly reverted to his original appearance. ncing at the youngdy beside him, he noted that Luo Ruoxin had also taken off her disguise. Thus, they quickly entered the Sanctum of Sages. What happened? Barely after entering the Sanctum of Sages, the first thing that Zhang Xuan noticed was that the ground was covered with the rubble of copsed buildings, and countless holes could be seen here and there. It felt as if the Sanctum of Sages had just been through an extreme battle. Its the aura of the Otherworldly Demons... Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan scanned the area and saw the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons and the auras of master teachers lingering around the area. Clearly, the Otherworldly Demons had invaded the Sanctum of Sages, and an intense battle had broken out. Sanctum head, you are back! While Zhang Xuan was still scanning the vicinity, Zhan shi, Ge shi, and several more elders of the Sanctum of Sages flew over. What happened here? Zhang Xuan asked grimly. Reporting to the sanctum head, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe invaded the Sanctum of Sages and barged right into the Inner Sanctum... Zhan shi sped his fist with a doubtful look in his eyes. However, they only left with Sage Kuis sculpture in hand. They didnt take anything else, and they didnt start a massacre either... All they did was destroy a couple of buildings and cause pandemonium before escaping the premises! They stole Sage Kuis sculpture? Otherworldly Demons? Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before his eyes narrowed in realization. He clenched his fists tightly as he mumbled, Could they be here for... Vicious upper body? Chapter 1623 - Stalking

Chapter 1623: Stalking

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhan shi and the others might not have been aware of the secret hidden within Sage Kuis sculpture, but Zhang Xuan was well aware of it. The upper body of Vicious, the formidable Otherworldly Demon who had fought on equal grounds with Kong shi back in his prime, was sealed within the sculpture! Back then, after he found that Vicious upper body was stored in the sculpture with the Library of Heavens Path, he had intended to smash that sculpture into bits to retrieve the upper body. But in the end, he had forced himself to calm down and decided against it. No matter what, he was still a master teacher and the head of the Sanctum of Sages. Even if it was to achieve his goals, he had to take note of how he went around doing it. In any case, for the Otherworldly Demons to barge into the Inner Sanctum and take only Sage Kuis sculpture, there was no doubt that it had something to do with Vicious upper body! No matter what, Vicious was still one of the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperors, so there were bound to be many uses for his upper body. In fact... one could even seek to revive Vicious through awakening and gathering his missing parts! Vicious? Hearing Zhang Xuans mumblings, Zhan shi was taken aback. Ah, its nothing! Zhang Xuan quickly replied. How many people were there? What cultivation realm were they at? There are four of them. I couldnt see through their cultivation realm, but they were able to breach the Guardian Formation of the Sanctum of Sages easily... We werent able to stop them at all! Zhan shi said in embarrassment. The Sanctum of Sages was the number one academy of the Master Teacher Continent, but its defenses had actually been breached twice within the short span of half a month. It had been their sanctum head the first time around, so it still was not too embarrassing, but to think that even the Otherworldly Demons would sessfully take their possessions... To be honest, they were even hesitant about reporting this to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. It was simply too humiliating! There were four of them? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Where did they escape to? That direction... We ended up losing them after chasing them for a while, so we could only send a message to ask for your help, Zhan shi replied as he pointed in a certain direction. Its fine, I understand. For the time being, focus on repairing the copsed buildings and restoring the formation, Zhang Xuan instructed as he gazed deeply in the direction that Zhan shi had pointed out. Meanwhile, Ill see if I can get Sage Kuis sculpture back! The theft of Sage Kuis sculpture didnt just concern the dignity of the Sanctum of Sages. More importantly, Vicious upper body was at stake! If he could not get it back, even though he had not officially been inaugurated yet, he would still be shamed for his ipetence. Through his deepprehension of space, Zhang Xuan was able to flit extremely quickly. In just ten breaths or so, he had already covered a distance of over ten thousand li. He nced backward and saw that Luo Ruoxin was still following closely behind him. With a grim look on his face, he activated the Eye of Insight and began scanning his surroundings carefully in order to find the trail of the assants. That wont work! Luo Ruoxin shook her head. Theres a good chance that the four assants are the four young men that we met earlier at the White Creek Mountain. They are all Sempiternal realm experts, and they possess special means to erase their trail. You wont be able to track them unless your Eye of Insight reaches the fourth realm! Youre right... Zhang Xuan had noticed that as well. At the crime scenes where Zhao Ya and the others had been kidnapped, the culprits did not leave any marks behind either. Even with the keen Eye of Insight, he had not been able to find anything at all. However, they wont be getting away that easy this time around... Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. With a flick of his wrist, a book emanating an air of invibility materialized in his hand. It was the Book of Heavens Path. It might have been difficult for him to locate Zhao Ya and the others, but Sage Kuis sculpture was a different matter! As long as Vicious could sense the general direction that his upper body had been taken to, he would be able to determine a general location and eventually find them! Unless... they were to use some kind of unique spatial secret art to conceal the whereabouts of the upper body! However, considering that it had not been too long since they snatched the sculpture, it was unlikely that they would have the time to do it yet. Luo Ruoxin nced at the book that Zhang Xuan had taken out, but she did not say a word. Little Vicious, time to wake up. I need you to sense where your upper body is! Zhang Xuan patted the book. Un! Vicious twitched a little upon hearing his new nickname, but he still swiftly got to action. After sensing for a moment, he pointed the Book of Heavens Path in a certain direction and said, That way! Alright! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan quickly flitted in the direction pointed out by Vicious. Luo Ruoxin also followed close behind him. They traveled for roughly five minutes before Vicious spoke up once more. They are in the city ahead of us... Sh*t! I cant sense my upper body anymore! Zhang Xuan quickly looked in front of him and saw a city just ahead. The city was massive. In terms of scale, it wasparable to the massive Alliance Empire City. You cant sense your upper body anymore? What do you mean? Zhang Xuan frowned. It feels like my body has been taken into some kind of barrier. I could still sense it a moment ago, but all of a sudden, the connection vanished without a trace, Vicious replied. Brought into some kind of barrier? Zhang Xuansplexion did not look too good. He had chased the enemy as quickly as he could, but he was still a step toote. If only he had sessfully tracked them down before they hid themselves, he might have just been able to take down all of them at once. Unfortunately, the enemy moved quicker than he had expected. It would be truly difficult for him to find the enemy in the midst of the massive city before him without any clues to lead him along. Do you still remember the location where the connection with your upper body vanished? Zhang Xuan asked. Vicious pondered for a moment before replying, I can only deduce the rough location... Lead the way! Zhang Xuan instructed, knowing that there was no time to be lost. To be honest, he could not have cared less about the loss in reputation for him and the Sanctum of Sages. The crucial thing was really Vicious upper body. Firstly, it would be dangerous if such a powerful weapon fell into the hands of the enemy. Secondly, if he could acquire the upper body, he would be able to enhance Vicious strength. Vicious fighting prowess had been ratherckluster recently, but there was no denying that Vicious had been a reliable ally for a very long time. Just the heart, a finger, and the head together had already granted Vicious strengthparable to a Saint 8-dan cultivator. If he fused together with his upper body too, would his fighting prowess not immediately surpass the level of a Great Sage? In fact, he might even reach the level of Ancient Sage. After all, that was his entire upper body! Of course, there was no way that Zhang Xuan would pass on the opportunity to gain an Ancient Sage subordinate! That would be the strongest trump card that he could ever wish for! Under Vicious lead, it did not take long for them to reach the center of the city. I think it was around here that I lost connection with my upper body. My estimate could be off though... Vicious said awkwardly. As an expert who had once dominated the Master Teacher Continent, it was truly shameful that he was unable to find even his own body parts right now. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. What is the degree of error for your estimate? The center of this massive city was filled with countless resplendent residences and manors. If they had tob every nook and cranny of the area, the enemy would have probably slipped away again by the time they found any useful clue. If Vicious coulde up with a more precise area for them tob through, it would make their work much easier. This... Roughly around... two hundred li 1 ... Vicious replied awkwardly. Two hundred li? Zhang Xuan suddenly felt an urge to tear Vicious into shreds. There had to be at least be a million people within a radius of two hundred li from where they were standing! To find a sculpture that was carefully hidden from the detection of Spiritual Perception and other tracking means within thisrge area... Unless a miracle urred, that was practically asking for the impossible! Knowing the impossibility of the matter as well, Vicious muttered meekly, It suddenly vanished without a trace. If we move quickly, I might just be able to pick up its whereabouts once more... Alright, I understand, Zhang Xuan replied with an exasperated sigh. Knowing that there was no better alternative at this point in time, he could only resign himself to it. Vicious upper body was of the utmost importance to him, so he could not possibly allow it to get away without at least trying to search for it. There was a huge flowing crowd traveling in and out of the city center, be it on the streets or in the air. Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin did not release their zhenqi, so the others were not able to see through their cultivation either. As such, their presence did not draw too much attention from the passersby. Otherwise, their astounding strength surely would have induced a hugemotion among the local popce. Chapter 1624 - The Harvest Valley City Seer Guild

Chapter 1624: The Harvest Valley City Seer Guild

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This should be Harvest Valley City. Located near a mountain, it enjoys the weather of eternal spring. Its the city that boasts the greatest agricultural produce within a radius of several hundred thousand li. Most of the food supply in the Sanctum of Sages originates from here! It did not take Zhang Xuan long to verify their current location. Back when he was still in the Sanctum of Sages, he had browsed through quite a couple of books regarding geography. By roughly gauging the direction and distance that he had traveled from the Sanctum of Sages, he could easily deduce his current location. With a swift scan of his surroundings, Zhang Xuan shook his head. It wont do to search around aimlessly like this. Let me try using the Library of Heavens Path to verify the location... With such a thought in mind, he flicked his wrist and took out an empty book. He drew out the streets around him and wrote Sage Kuis sculpture is in this direction. He touched the book lightly, and the Library of Heavens Path jolted. However, a book was notpiled. It didnt work again? Whats going on? Zhang Xuansplexion turned awful. Just what in the world was happening to the Library of Heavens Path? It had never failed him in the past, but nowadays, it was malfunctioning more frequently than ever, as if an old machine sputtering to its death. Was it really in an urgent need of an upgrade? Well, he had indeed been using it for more than a year now. Perhaps, it was starting tog behind his current power level, especially with how fast he had been growing stronger. No, thats not right. The Library of Heavens Path shouldnt have failed under normal circumstances. A thought suddenly arose in Zhang Xuans mind. Unless... the sculpture is ced in a location concealed from even the view of the heavens... The previous few times that the Library of Heavens Path had malfunctioned was probably because the individuals that he had sought to check possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, just like him and Luo Ruoxin. However, there were other means to bypass the Library of Heavens Path as well. For example, the culprits at White Creek Mountain had resorted to some unique means that would not only conceal their trail from the Eye of Insight but also the prying gazes of seers... The situation that Zhang Xuan was facing at the moment was rather simr to thetter. Was it possible that some kind of unique means had been cast upon Sage Kuis sculpture in order to prevent anyone from divining its whereabouts? If thats the case, theres only one possibility... A sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he quickly scanned his surroundings. He walked up to a nearby cultivator and sped his fist This friend over here, may I ask where the Seer Guild of the Harvest Valley City is located? Seer Guild? Its over in that direction, roughly a four li building. Its shaped like a tortoise, so you dont have to worry about missing it! The cultivator was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his mid-forties. He responded to Zhang Xuans question amicably. Many thanks! Zhang Xuan sped his fist once more. He beckoned Luo Ruoxin with a wave of his hand before flying in the direction that the middle-aged man had pointed out. Are you suspecting that a seer from the Harvest Valley City is colluding with the culprits in order to prevent other seers from divining the location of Sage Kuis sculpture? Luo Ruoxin swiftly grasped Zhang Xuans train of thought. A normal istion barrier might be able to prevent ordinary cultivators from tracking it, but it wouldnt be able to stop the divination of the seers. To be absolutely safe, the culprits would have to engage the help of a seer to conceal it from the view of the heavens too! Zhang Xuan said with a nod. Indeed. I think you are on the right track. Luo Ruoxin nodded in agreement. While the current Sanctum of Sages did not have too many experts, it still had a 9-star seer working in its serviceMaster Feng. If he divined the location of the sculpture, there was a good chance that he could fathom its rough location after a couple of tries. So, if the culprits wanted to make a perfect getaway, they would have to use some kind of anti-divination technique on the sculpture. In all of Harvest Valley City, there was only one group of people who were able to achieve that feat so quickly... the seers from the Seer Guild! Traveling ahead, it did not take long for the two of them to arrive before a tortoise-shaped building. There were some mysterious patterns inscribed on the surface of the building, and they seemed to wield some kind of inconceivable power that prevented even ones Spiritual Perception from seeping in. Well know whether we have gotten the right ce or not once we get in! Zhang Xuan thought as he walked up to the entrance of the tortoise-shaped building. At this moment, however, a young man walked out and blocked his path. Please halt your footsteps. Our Harvest Valley City Seer Guild doesnt wee any visitors! I am Zhang Xuan, the head of the Sanctum of Sages. We have just lost a precious artifact, and I have specially made a trip here in the hope of engaging the help of your guild leader to help us divine its whereabouts! Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his wrist and revealed his substitute Sanctum Head Token. You are the head of the Sanctum of Sages? Startled by the high standing of the guest before him, the young man quickly sped his fist politely and said, Elder, please hold on for a moment. Ill report your arrival to our guild leader right away! After saying those words, the young man hurriedly rushed back into the tortoise-shaped building. Roughly three minutester, a ck-haired elder walked out along with the young man. Pardon me for mycking wee, I was unaware of your arrival, Sanctum Head Zhang. Please,e in! The elder appeared to be in his sixties, and his cultivation was at Saint 8-dan pinnacle. Wearing the long robe of the Seer Guild, his appearance gave the impression of an enlightened expert. Ill be imposing on you then. To be honest, I havee with a request that I will need to trouble you with! Zhang Xuan sped his fist politely. Sanctum Head Zhang, you are too courteous. You must be unaware of how resounding your reputation is these days. I never thought that our guild would have the honor of hosting you. Please, this way! the elder said as he led the way forward. Soon, they arrived in a room. As soon as they walked in, a slight frown appeared between Luo Ruoxins brows. She quickly sent a telepathic message over. Zhang Xuan, be careful. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan replied discreetly. Did you notice something? This was the first time that Luo Ruoxin had sent him a telepathic message asking him to be careful. It seemed like there was really something wrong with this Seer Guild. Luo Ruoxin appeared to want to say something, but she seemed to change her mind at thest moment. Its nothing. I just think that it would be best to proceed warily. Un, I understand! Zhang Xuan replied telepathically. It would be foolish to turn a blind eye to Luo Ruoxins warning. Thus, Zhang Xuan casually ced his hand on his waist, ready to make a move as soon as anything happened. However, it seemed like his worries might have been unfounded. Even when he walked to the middle of the room, he still did not notice any anomalies. After everyone had taken a seat, the elder raised his gaze and asked, May I know the reason behind your visit, Sanctum Head Zhang? Not too long ago, a couple of burrs snuck into our Sanctum of Sages and stole our Sage Kuis sculpture. Following the trail of the burrs, we found that the trail abruptly ends here. Considering that we are both affiliated with the Master Teacher Pavilion, I would like to trouble you to divine the identity and whereabouts of the culprit! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Zhang Xuans words were roundabout, but the implied meaning was very clear to those hearing his message. He was effectively saying, My item disappeared in your territory. If you cant divine the identity and the whereabouts of the culprits, Im afraid that Ill have to doubt you! The trail of the burrs ends here? A displeased frown appeared on the elders face. Sanctum Head Zhang, are you suspecting our Seer Guild of hiding the burrs and the stolen possession of the Sanctum of Sages? The burrs who have stolen Sage Kuis sculpture are all Otherworldly Demons. However, they were able to conceal themselves perfectly, such that even my Eye of Insight is rendered helpless before their means. On top of that, our seers are unable to divine the whereabouts of the burrs or our missing possession. Id hate to use you, but Im afraid that I cant turn a blind eye to the evidence lying before me! Zhang Xuan replied calmly. The loss of our possession is a small matter, but the involvement of the Otherworldly Demons in the burry is a cause for concern. Things could turn ugly if I report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion, so I ask of you to give us your full support. This is the best way to cleanse your Seer Guild of suspicion! Sanctum Head Zhang, I respect you as the head of the Sanctum of Sages and the Zhang n, and its out of goodwill that I weed you into our Seer Guild. Yet, you are maligning my Seer Guild of conspiring with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... The elder abruptly rose to his feet and uttered coldly, Just what do you stand to gain from besmirching the reputation of our Seer Guild? Calm down, theres no need to lose your temper here. Zhang Xuan nced at the agitated elder. I dont mean anything by those words. All I want is to retrieve the treasure that was stolen from our Sanctum of Sages. If you are truly as innocent as you im, you wont mind me searching through your Seer Guild, right? If I fail to find anything, you can rest assured that Ill provide duepensation to your Seer Guild for my mistake! You wish to ransack our Seer Guild? Preposterous! Our Seer Guild shoulders the heavy responsibility of divining the future to protect mankind. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have to show us some respect! Yet, a mere sanctum head like you seeks to ransack our premises? the elder bellowed furiously. Chapter 1625 - Falling Out With the Seer Guild

Chapter 1625: Falling Out With the Seer Guild

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seer was one of the many unique upations in the world, but due to its unique capabilities, it was held in high regard in the Master Teacher Continent. Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion would dare to exert pressure on them easily. It was one thing for the young man to use their Seer Guild of colluding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe without ample evidence on hand, but to think that he would make a brazen request to ransack their premises too... This was intolerable! I dont deny that I am unqualified to request a search on your Seer Guild, but this matter concerns not only a treasure of the Sanctum of Sages but the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well. It might just be an unfortunate coincidence, but the trail of the burrs happens to end in the vicinity of your Seer Guild. With the safety of mankind at stake, Im afraid that I have no choice but to do this. I hope that you can understand my position, Zhang Xuan said. Seers usually avoid getting involved in worldly affairs, so I believe you would be reluctant to get into an unnecessary conflict. Regardless of whether I report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters or the Seer Guild headquarters, you will have a great deal of exining to do. That wouldnt be desirable to you, right? Are you threatening me? the elder growled coldly as he clenched his fists tightly. Threaten? I am the head of the Sanctum of Sages; I would never stoop to something as low as that! However... if there is evidence to suggests that Otherworldly Demons who have stolen Sage Kuis sculpture have slipped into the Seer Guild, for the safety of mankind, I believe that no one will question my judgement for demanding a search on your Seer Guild! Zhang Xuan replied coolly. Hah! What amazing pomposity this is from the head of the Sanctum of Sages! Before the elder could even respond, a cold harrumph sounded from the distance. Following which, two old men walked in from the side doors. Upon seeing the two old men, Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed warily. To his astonishment, he was unable to see through the cultivation of those two old men! Considering how he was currently at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, the fact that he was unable to see through their cultivation meant that they were at Great Sage at the very minimum. Saint 8-dan pinnacle should have been the limit for a city at the level of Harvest Valley City, so for two Great Sage cultivators to appear here simultaneously... If it was just a guess from Zhang Xuans part before, the appearance of the two old men had him convinced that something was indeed amiss in this Seer Guild. I beg your pardon if I have made you feel that way. May I know who the two of you are? I am currently addressing the leader of the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild, so I must ask the two of you to not insolently interject into our conversation and learn to hold your tongues! Zhang Xuan replied imposingly. If they were Great Sage cultivators from other guilds, he might still hesitate a little before going up against them. But since they were seers... All it would take was a mere thought for him to teach them a lesson. They could not even be considered a threat at all! I am the vice head of the Seer Guild headquarters, Qi Zhen! The person beside me is Elder Mo Qin! The old man who had spoken earlier flung his sleeves and harrumphed coldly. Theres no way there could be any Otherworldly Demons here, and the so-called treasure of your Sanctum of Sages isnt here either. Are you satisfied now? Unfortunately, no, Zhang Xuan replied coldly as he stood up and ced his hands behind his back. With an unwavering tone, he continued. Unless you allow me to search through the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild, I wont be leaving here today! You... Not expecting the young man to say such words despite having revealed his identity as the vice head of the Seer Guild headquarters, Qi Zhen narrowed his eyes furiously. He lifted his hand, seemingly preparing to make a move, but his movements suddenly paused for a moment. It appeared as if someone was talking telepathically to him. The next moment, he suppressed his rage and flung his sleeves back furiously once more. Very well, you can search the premises. However, Ill only give you three minutes to do so. At the end of the three minutes, regardless of whether you have found what you are searching for or not, Ill have to ask you to leave. We still have an important ritual that we have to carry out. If we miss the right moment to make the divination, not even your Sanctum of Sages will be able to bear the consequences! Three minutes? Very well! Zhang Xuan nodded calmly. With a thought, he took out the Book of Heavens Path and instructed, Vicious, scan the area and see if you are able to sense the presence of your upper body! Yes! Vicious replied. Barely a moment after he had begun searching the area, the Book of Heavens Path abruptly shuddered a little as an anxious exmation sounded, Master, theres something amiss here. The auras are chaotic, almost as if theres something extremely dangerous in here! Extremely dangerous? Zhang Xuan frowned. For Vicious to deem the surroundings with the term extremely dangerous, just what could be hidden within this Seer Guild? Hmm? The feeling vanished... Did I sense wrongly? My instincts seem to have lost their sensitivity after suffering a sharp decline in my cultivation, Vicious remarked doubtfully. He was certain that he had sensed something earlier, but the feeling had vanished without a trace in an instant. While he still harbored some doubts, he could not discount the possibility that he might have made a mistake. His body still was not iplete yet, so it was inevitable that his senses would be a little jumbled up from time to time. I see. Dont bother about the chaotic auras for the time being and check if your upper body is around here! Zhang Xuan instructed sternly. It was just earlier that Luo Ruoxin had given him a warning, and now, Vicious was saying something simr. This was making him feel a little unnerved on the inside. Nevertheless, he could not back down at this point. The culprits could very well be the same as the ones who had kidnapped Zhao Ya and his other students, so he could not afford to lose this lead. Not to mention, Vicious upper body was also of the utmost importance to him too. I understand! Vicious replied. He quickly cast aside the misceneous thoughts in his mind and did a rough sensing of the area. A momentter, he eximed, Master, I can sense it! My upper body is indeed here! However... However what? Zhang Xuan was delighted to hear that they had managed to find the correct ce, but this fact only introduced more doubts. For the Seer Guild to collude together with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to steal Sage Kuis sculpture, just what were they intending to achieve? Theres a peculiar aura shrouding my upper body. Previously, Sage Kuis sculpture was suppressing my upper body, so I couldnt sense it clearly. However, I can sense the presence of my upper body very distinctly now... It feels like they have destroyed the sculpture! Vicious replied. Destroyed the sculpture? It seems like they have indeed stolen Sage Kuis sculpture for Vicious upper body... Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. If it had just been a guess before, it was apparent to him right now that the main goal of the culprits was indeed Vicious upper body. Furthermore, it seemed too much of a coincidence for the vice head and an elder of the Seer Guild headquarters to visit a rtively remote branch together, especially at this point in time... From the looks of it, there was a good chance that a huge number of the higher-ranking seers were colluding with the Otherworldly Demons! Of course, that would still require further verification, but it would be best for him to assume the worst-case scenario until then. Where is your upper body at the moment? Zhang Xuan asked. Its currently at the back of this room, Vicious replied. Got it. Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned his gaze over. At the back of the room was a massive door, pitch-ck in color. He tried to extend his Spiritual Perception to sense what was beyond the door, but it seemed like some kind of istion barrier had been cast over it to prevent any nosey individuals from snooping around. Thus, he made his way over with the intention of taking a closer examination. However, it was at this moment that Qi Zhens voice sounded once more. Alright, three minutes are up. Sanctum Head Zhang, Ill have to ask you to leave right now! Leave? Zhang Xuan scoffed contemptuously. I have just confirmed that the missing treasure of our Sanctum of Sages is located behind this door, but you seem to be in a rush to chase me away. I really cant help but wonder what your intentions are! Qi Zhens pupils dted a little upon hearing those words, but he quickly concealed it with a cold harrumph. You said that you can just confirmed that your missing treasure is behind this door? How can you be certain of that? Just like how your Seer Guild has the ability to uncover vital information through divination, our Sanctum of Sages has our own ways to tracking down our possessions. If I cant even locate the whereabouts of our stolen treasures, wouldnt I be a failure of a sanctum head? Zhang Xuan replied coldly. Sanctum Head Zhang, I understand that you are anxious to find the treasures of your Sanctum of Sages, but making false usations like that wont get you anywhere. Our Seer Guild has an important ritual that we have to conduct right now, and we dont have any time to waste arguing with you. Ill have to ask you to leave right now, or else dont me us for getting nasty! Qi Zhen said with a majestic wave of his hands. Getting nasty? Are you still intending to make a move on me? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes threateningly. Who would have thought that the Seer Guild would actually be so brazen? It was one thing for them to collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to steal Sage Kuis sculpture, but to think that they would even dare to threaten him, the head of the Sanctum of Sages! We dont wish for it toe to that. However, if you continue making a scene, Im afraid that well have no choice but to forcefully evict you! Qi Zhen replied coldly as a belligerent aura burst forth from his body, rising straight into the heavens. He was a Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm expert! While he might have beencking inparison to Sword Saint Xing, the prowess that he wielded was more than enough to deal with a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator like him. Hu! Seeing that Qi Zhen was intending to make a move, Zhang Xuans hands moved for the Dragonbone Divine Spear wrapped around his waist, prepared to retaliate should the other party make any move of aggression. However, an explosion suddenly erupted at that moment, and the tortoiseshell-shaped roof burst open. A figure charged in from the opened roof. Wu Chen? The figure was none other than the adolescent boy following behind Luo Ruoxin, Wu Chen! The other party had imed that he had some matters to deal with after they left Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain back at the White Creek Mountain. Why would he suddenly appear here? Chapter 1626 - A Book to Crush an Ancient Sage!

Chapter 1626: A Book to Crush an Ancient Sage!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Attack! In Zhang Xuans brief daze, Qi Zhen released a deafening bellow. Together with the elder of the Seer Guild headquarters, Mo Qin, he charged right for Wu Chen in the air. Humph! Wu Chen harrumphed disdainfully as he thrust his palm downward in retaliation. Kacha! The surrounding space froze. Before Qi Zhen and Mo Qin could even react, they were already struck squarely on their chest, causing them to fall heavily onto the ground as blood spurted forth from their mouths wildly. Despite being Great Sage 2-dan experts, they were still far toocking inparison to Wu Chen. Tss! Wu Chen did not seem to have noticed Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxins presence. After knocking down the two old men, he thrust his palm once more toward the room at the back, where Vicious upper body was supposedly located. The space around the room at the back immediately copsed, causing the ceiling to be destroyed. Wuuuu! At that moment, a brush flew forth from the sinking ceiling and struck the copsed space above. Following which, a sharp sound echoed in the air and spatial ripples diffused into the surroundings. Its those four Otherworldly Demons! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. That brush that had just flown forth was extremely familiar to him. It was one of the artifacts of the four Otherworldly Demons that he had met in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain! He had not thought that he would meet them here once more. It seemed like after separating from them, Wu Chen had somehow managed to track them down here. I should make a move, too! Zhang Xuan thought. He grabbed the belt wrapped around his waist and whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear. After which, he darted toward the sky. Ding ding ding ding! After a few metallic ngs, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat with a pale face. Without igniting Kong shis blood droplet, he was simply no match for those four young men. Hu! While Zhang Xuan was being forced back, a ferocious bellow reverberated from beneath. The schrly young man charged forth from his hiding ce, and with a flick of his wrist, a long sword materialized in his hand. With the support of the demonic tune and the brush, heunched a decisive assault toward Wu Chen. A furious barrage of sword qi filled the sky above the Seer Guild. One could not help but feel blinded by the dense congregation of sword qi, almost as if the sword was the only existence in the world. As the surrounding air moaned under the intense pressure from the barrage of sword qi, ck dimension rifts were forcefully ripped open all around. The schrly young man had used his full strength right from the start. Evenpared to the time when Zhang Xuan had shed with him in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain, he seemed to be significantly stronger than before. But as powerful as the schrly young man was, Wu Chen was even stronger! Humph! Wu Chen harrumphed coldly. Without the slightest hint of panic, he thrust his palm downward once more. The ck dimension rifts scattered around began repairing at a visible pace, and the seemingly indomitable schrly young man suddenly froze in the air with his sword. Shockingly, he was actually unable to press forward at all! What formidable prowess! Zhang Xuanplimented with widened eyes. He truly did not expect Wu Chen to be so powerful. Even if he had ignited Kong shis blood droplet, it was unlikely that he would have been able to cope with the offense of the schrly young man any better than Wu Chen. H! Another explosion sounded within the Seer Guild beneath, and several more figures charged toward Wu Chen. Along with the appearance of those figures, blood-curdling killing intent settled into the surrounding air, leaving one feeling as if one had plunged into the midst of a harsh battlefield. They are all Otherworldly Demons! Zhang Xuans body stiffened in astonishment. He did not expect so many Otherworldly Demons to appear all at once. Furthermore, they did not even make any attempt to conceal themselves. No, its because this is the Seer Guild. Not only will it conceal their auras, it will also conceal them from the peering eyes of the heavens. Naturally, theres no need for them to conceal their identities at all... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Back when they were still at Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain, they still had to disguise themselves a little. Otherwise, if the Prime Amulet had figured out their true identity and attempted to suppress them, they could have faced serious problems. On the other hand, as long as they ensured that no survivors walked out of the Seer Guild alive, no one would be any wiser about their true identity. Activate! Knowing that any hesitation at this moment could very well cost their lives, Zhang Xuan immediately ignited the final droplet of Kong shis blood. It was his greatest trump card, which was why he was a little reluctant to use it. However, he knew that if he did not make a move right now and Wu Chen fell victim to them, he and Luo Ruoxin could very well be next! Hong long long! As soon as Kong shis blood droplet was ignited, Zhang Xuan immediately felt overwhelming strength wrapping around his body, bringing his fighting prowess to a whole new level. Wielding the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, he charged toward the closest Otherworldly Demon to him. Die! Without any hesitation, he pushed his spear right for the Otherworldly Demons vitals. It was due to his hesitation that those four young men had escaped the previous time. This time, he would not allow history to repeat itself! Roar! Caught off guard by the sudden emergence of such a powerful foe, the Otherworldly Demon had no choice but to forcefully twist his body and divert his attack on Wu Chen to defending against Zhang Xuan. An air of malicious intent rushed toward Zhang Xuan, and the Otherworldly Demon swiftly swept its w toward him. Whoosh! But given Zhang Xuans current prowess, how could he possibly allow the Otherworldly Demon to do as he pleased? He swiftly adjusted the trajectory of his spear to pierce right through the Otherworldly Demons w before thrusting right into the depths of thetters heart. While his spear was still lodged into the Otherworldly Demons body, he forcefully jolted it around. Psh! The next instant, the Otherworldly Demons body exploded, copsing into a lump of meat. Just like that, a Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm expert met his end. Roar! Roar! Roar! Seeing theirpanions losing his life in the blink of an eye, the remaining Otherworldly Demons were visibly stunned for an instant. Perhaps out of realization that Zhang Xuan posed the greatest threat to them, a handful of them immediately changed their target and focused their assault on him. Humph! With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan flicked his spear with a single hand. It warped into a majestic dragon and charged for the closest Otherworldly Demon to it. At the same time, he snapped his finger lightly with his other free hand. Freeze! Hu! As if the surrounding space had been frozen solid, everything around the Seer Guild suddenly halted. The assailing Otherworldly Demons did not expect Zhang Xuan to possess such a technique. As soon as they realized that they were outmatched, they immediately tried to turn around and flee, but it was already toote. The space around them was sealed, and they could not move an inch anymore. Kacha! The spear pierced right through the head of the closest Otherworldly Demon. It was instantaneous death. However, due to the frozen space, its body continued floating quietly in the air eerily. With two Otherworldly Demons in, the burden on Wu Chen lessened considerably. Heunched two consecutive palm strikes, sending the schrly young man flying with the first and destroying the zither of the fragile young man with the second. Weng! At this moment, a skeletal structure of an upper body rose into the air. It was hard to determine what kind of material the upper body was made of, but the ribcage had a crystal-clear transparency to it, reminiscent of top-quality jade. Instead of overpowering killing intent, it had an academic air to it. Master, its my upper body! Vicious eximed anxiously. Its finally out! Seeing that Vicious upper body was indeed here, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he flicked his wrist, and the Book of Heavens Path flew right toward the upper body. H! It took barely an instant for the Book of Heavens Path to seal the upper body within it. It had been much more troublesome with Vicious head and finger because they already possessed independent thought. On the other hand, the many years of suppression under Sage Kui within the Sanctum of Sages hadpletely purified Vicious upper body, removing any hint of consciousness from it. As such, it did not take much effort for the Book of Heavens Path to seal it. Witnessing this scene, Wu Chens eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Hahaha, I am going to make a breakthrough. Master, Im going into hibernation... You must take care of yourself... Vicious roared withughter, and slowly, his voice faded away. H! Zhang Xuan could feel Vicious consciousness falling into a deep slumber. It was probably the same as many times before. Assimting his upper body was probably a highly exhausting activity that required him to go into hibernation. He should be able to make a breakthrough to Great Sage once it awakes once more...Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh inwardly. While all this was being done, his body had not been cking around. He decisively drove his spear into the body of another Otherworldly Demon, intending to kill him as well. However, at that moment, a devastating aura suddenly gushed forth from the Seer Guild, and it rose right into the clouds. This aura was so ridiculously powerful that it felt almost as if it could even flip the heavens upside down! Could this be... an Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. The ignition of Kong shis blood droplet would have granted him strength invincible to those beneath Ancient Sage, but in the face of the ridiculously overpowered aura rising from the Seer Guild, he felt like an ant standing before an elephant. He could not even fathom just how powerful the individualmanding such an aura would be. Probably, this was the level of strength that only the Ancient Sages that he had heard so much aboutmanded. rmed, he quickly turned his sights in the direction of the aura, only to see a hulking Otherworldly Demon charging toward Luo Ruoxin at an absurd speed. Dread and panic exploded in Zhang Xuans mind as he roared in agitation, Ruoxin, careful! If the Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon really got to Luo Ruoxin, she would die without the slightest hint of doubt! Who could have known that an Ancient Sage would actually be hiding in the Seer Guild? And he was an Otherworldly Demon at that! Just what in the world could the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe be nning? Damn it! Damn it! NO! Zhang Xuan could not tell if it was a scream in his mind or one that he had actually voiced out, but his entire existence was telling him that he could not allow whatever was going to happen. Hu! A book flew forth from his be. Padah! It descended right upon on the Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon charging toward Luo Ruoxin. What? Paji! With a horrified look on his face, the Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon was smashed right into the ground, breathing hisst breath. Even at the moment of his death, he probably could not have imagined that someone as powerful as him would actually meet his end under the weight of a book. Chapter 1627 - Has the Master Teacher Pavilion Betrayed Mankind?

Chapter 1627: Has the Master Teacher Pavilion Betrayed Mankind?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Silence rippled across the entire battlefield. Even Wu Chen and the schrly young man were startled, resulting in a temporary halt of their battle. All eyes were gathered on the Otherworldly Demon smashed into the ground, and not a mouth could find any words to say. Every single one of them had sensed the surging aura earlier, and for the first time in many years, an Ancient Sage existence had made his appearance. Yet, he had only managed to say a single wordWhat?before meeting his end... This was too shocking! Ancient Sages were the pinnacle existences of the Master Teacher Continent. While it would be an exaggeration to say that they were indestructible, their life force was so resilient that most of them managed to live till the end of their time. Yet, right before their eyes, an Ancient Sage just had his physical body and Primordial Spiritpletely smashed into bits, destroying any chance of survival through and through. What in the world was going on? When in the world did Ancient Sage be so fragile, shattering at a simple touch? Or rather, what in the world was that book? Where in the world did that fellow obtain that book from? And... could that book still be used? With a pale face and a trembling body, the schrly young man bellowed anxiously, Retreat! An attack that even an Ancient Sage was unable to withstand, there was no way that they would stand a chance against that! With horrified expressions, the Otherworldly Demons each tore apart an amulet, and dimension rifts appeared around them. Where do you think youre going? Zhang Xuan sneered coldly as he raised his hand, intending to seal the space around them to prevent their retreat. But before he could do anything, a voice sounded in his head. Let them go. He quickly turned his gaze over to Luo Ruoxin, only to see thetter shaking her head with a deep frown between her brows. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, but he still decided to heed Luo Ruoxins instructions. Weng! Weng! Weng! Spatial disturbances rippled across the area as the schrly young man and the others who had ripped an amulet apart vanished into dimension rifts, leaving only Qi Zhen and the others from the Seer Guild behind. Knowing that it would be nigh impossible to catch them once they had gotten away, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and asked the youngdy beside him, Why? He knew that his girlfriend was not a person to do things without reason, so she was bound to have her motive for asking him to let them go. It was also in view of this that he had chosen to heed her instruction. You wouldnt have been able to stop them if they really wanted to get away, Luo Ruoxin replied calmly. Even if I cant stop them from getting away, I would at least be able to kill another one of them! Zhang Xuan replied with clenched fists. Considering how his enemies were all Sempiternal realm cultivators, while it might have taken some time, they would still have been able to undo his spatial seal eventually. From such a perspective, their escape was inevitable. Nevertheless, using the time that they spent on breaking his spatial seal, he was confident that he would have been able to y at least one more Otherworldly Demon! Killing another Otherworldly Demon wouldnt have made much of a difference, Luo Ruoxin said grimly. More importantly, there wasnt just a single Ancient Sage here earlier! There wasnt just a single Ancient Sage here earlier? Those words caused Zhang Xuans pupils to dte in horror as he suddenly realized how close he hade to death earlier. You are saying that... there were more Ancient Sages hiding in this Seer Guild other than the one I killed? There were at least three more of them. However, it seems like that decisive blow shocked them. Knowing that they dont have the strength to withstand the might of your book, they chose to flee... However, if you tried to stop them, they could haveunched a counterattack out of desperation. Even if its you, I dont think that you have the means to deal with three Ancient Sages simultaneously yet, Luo Ruoxin said. I... Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had used his only golden page earlier, which had been triggered from Luo Xuanqings gratitude from the impartation of the simplified Heavens Path Spatial Sealing Art. He had already used it on one of the Ancient Sages, and if another Ancient Sage had really appeared then, there would have been nothing that he could have done. That could have really spelled the end of all of them. While it was true that the crushed Ancient Sage had met his end even before he could disy his true prowess, Zhang Xuan could tell from the aura that the other party had emanated that he would not have stood a chance at all in a proper duel. In fact, just the overwhelming aura emanated by the Ancient Sages would have been enough to subdue him. It was not without reason that Ancient Sages were so revered in the world. Without absolute strength, there was no way they could possess so much influence. After calming down from the shock of just how close he hade to death, a doubt arose in Zhang Xuans mind. How did so many Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages manage to sneak into the Master Teacher Continent without rming the Master Teacher Pavilion? It was true that most human Ancient Sages were in hibernation. However, based on what he knew, the human Ancient Sages seemed to have some way of sensing hostile Ancient Sages. It was through such a system that they had been able to protect mankind from the threat of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages over the past millenniums! So, it should have been impossible for the Master Teacher Pavilion to remain oblivious to the arrival of so many Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages on the Master Teacher Continent! Unless... the entire Master Teacher Pavilion had betrayed mankind! As if seeing through the doubts Zhang Xuan harbored, Wu Chen exined, Its likely the doing of the Seer Guild headquarters. They used some kind of secret art to conceal the presence of these Ancient Sages, thus allowing them to slip past the detection of the Master Teacher Pavilion and the human Ancient Sages! Furthermore, they ingeniously chose Harvest Valley City as their base of operations. Its an inconspicuous city, located at a safe distance away from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and most major powers. More importantly, there is no Master Teacher Pavilion in the vicinity to curb the local Seer Guild, thus making it an ideal location for a hideout without incurring any suspicion! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Harvest Valley City was located against a mountain, making it a natural fortress. On top of that, it was located against a stream, which provided it with the water required to irrigate the fertilend around it. With such advantageous conditions, it was able to swiftly develop into an independent power, reminiscent to that of the Zhang n and the Luo n. Perhaps it was to prevent external powers from interfering excessively in its local affairs, but for many generations, the general popce had vehemently objected to any external powers taking root within the city, and this included the Master Teacher Pavilion. As a result, it had be one of the very few ces without a Master Teacher Pavilion branch. For this reason, it was the ideal location for the Otherworldly Demons to hide in. But even if the Seer Guild is helping to conceal the presence of these Otherworldly Demons, the Otherworldly Demons would still have to slip past Ancient Sage Qiu Wus seal in the Subterranean Gallery in order to get to the Master Teacher Continent. Every Subterranean Gallery is tightly guarded by master teachers, so isnt it ridiculous for so many Otherworldly Demons to be able to slip through? Zhang Xuan asked. I found that rather weird, too. I have been investigating this matter since parting with you and Mdy, but Im still unable to figure out the reason behind that... Isnt the answer to that obvious? Luo Ruoxin suddenly interjected. Theres someone within the Master Teacher Pavilion helping them. Zhang Xuans body jolted upon hearing those words. In truth, he had also arrived at the answer himself, but he simply dared not believe it. In order to pull something like that off, the person or group colluding with the Otherworldly Demons had to be of considerably high standing within the Master Teacher Pavilion. Who could they be? Why would they choose to betray mankind? Its very likely that the Otherworldly Demons were aiming for Vicious upper body this time around... Considering how anxious they were to find the upper body, willingly taking the risk of travelling over to the Master Teacher Continent, theres a good chance that they have already amassed Vicious other body parts! Zhang Xuan thought grimly. It was one thing for the Otherworldly Demons to be amassing Vicious body parts, but Zhang Xuan did not feel that their motives were that simple. Even if Vicious was one of the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor in history, surely they would not need so many Ancient Sages to personally supervise the operation of stealing back his upper body. Most likely, those Ancient Sages were there for a different purpose... but that purpose was not something that he could figure out at the moment. In any case, it seems like Ill have to tread warily around the Master Teacher Pavilion in the future... Zhang Xuan had been intending to report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but given the current circumstances, it would be better to put it off for the time being. He had never been to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters personally, so he could not be sure whom he could trust. If the information fell into the wrong hands, it could possibly lead to a disastrous oue. For one, those traitors could twist the facts against him if they deemed him a threat. The situation was currently rather vtile, so it would be best for him to lie low for the time being. It seems like even the Master Teacher Pavilion isnt trustworthy anymore! I have to swiftly unite all of the powers that I have at the momentthe Zhang n, the Luo n, the Sanctum of Sages, the Combat Master Hall... Zhang Xuan thought with an awfulplexion. We are simply too vulnerable to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at the moment! No one would have expected the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to have spies within the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters as well. Without knowing whom to trust, Zhang Xuan could only rely on himself. For the time being, he could only try to unite all of the powers that he had at his disposal and pray that the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would note too soon. Zhang Xuan, the corpse of an Ancient Sage is filled with treasures. This fellow might have barely stepped into the level of an Ancient Sage, but his corpse still has many useful materials that you can use, Luo Ruoxin suddenly said. Chapter 1628 - Sun Qiang’s Inflated Ego

Chapter 1628: Sun Qiangs Inted Ego

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Treasure? It was then that Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered that on top of iming Vicious upper body, he had also managed to kill an Ancient Sage. The body of an Ancient Sage was deeply coveted even as a corpse. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement as he pondered about what he could do with the dead Ancient Sages body, If I could forge his corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid, I would have another trump card at my disposal! Having inherited the heritage of the soul oracles, he knew the method to forging Soulless Metal Humanoids. If he were to use the corpse of this Ancient Sage as the foundation and sessfully forged a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of it, wouldnt he be able tomand the fighting prowess of an Ancient Sage just by slipping his soul into it? If that were to happen, he wouldnt have to fear anyone anymore! This had reallye at a timely moment. It just happened that he had expended his final droplet of Kong shis blood essence and his newly acquired golden page, and he wascking a suitable trump card to use in times of distress. If he could forge the corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid, this problem would be resolved! Its truly a treasure. Ill be taking it then! Seeing that Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen had no intention ofying im to the Ancient Sages body, Zhang Xuan waved his hand to keep the corpse into his storage ring. But to his shock, he found that it was as if he was attempting to move a mountain. Even as he was on the verge of expending all of his soul energy, the Ancient Sage corpse still refused to budge at all. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. No matter what, his soul cultivation was at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Along with hisprehension of space... it simply didnt make sense how he was unable to move a mere corpse over to his storage ring! Let me try moving it physically! Zhang Xuan thought as he wrapped the corpse with his zhenqi and tugged at it. T-this... Despite using his full strength, the corpse still didnt move an inch at all! One must know that his power enhancement from Kong shis blood droplet hadnt ended yet, which meant to say that the strength he wielded was still invincible beneath Ancient Sage! Upon reaching Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm, a cultivators body would gain significant weight, allowing him to stand his ground firmly regardless of the opponent he was standing against. Beyond that, if a cultivator were to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage too, his body would be further tempered to be even denser and more resilient. It would be impossible for those beneath Ancient Sage to leave a mark on an Ancient Sage corpse, let alone kill a living Ancient Sage. Its also due to this reason that Ancient Sages are known to be particrly troublesome to deal with. Seeing the look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Ruoxin couldnt help but chuckle softly. Doesnt that mean that its impossible for me to keep this Ancient Sage corpse into my storage ring? Zhang Xuan asked with a stifled look on his face. He was still intending to forge the corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid to serve as one of his trump cards. However, if he couldnt even lift its body, how could he hope to control it? It would have been impossible for you to lift its body under normal circumstances, but your Dragonbone Divine Spear happens to be an Ancient Sage artifact. While its strength has been sealed, it should still be able to move the corpse over to your storage ring, Luo Ruoxin said. Youre right! Zhang Xuan pped his forehead in realization. How did he forget about this matter? His strength might becking at the moment, but the Dragonbone Divine Spear used to be the weapon of the strongest Ancient Sage Ran Qiu! Even the water droplets it flung out wielded the strength to kill Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivators. In terms of sheer physical might, its prowess was even greater than the current him! Thus, Zhang Xuan tapped the spear in his grasp, and its body immediately morphed into that of a massive dragon. Hu! It easily picked up the Ancient Sage corpse on the ground and moved it over into Zhang Xuans storage ring. It works! Seeing that the Dragonbone Divine Spear was indeed able to do it, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With this matter out of the way, he finally turned his gaze back to Qi Zhen and the others. To think that the seers would actually collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Unforgivable! Boom! With just a thought, countless streaks of lightning descended from the heavens, trapping Qi Zhen and the others in ce. Miserable wails escaped from their mouths as the violent lightning devastated their bodies. With a light wave of his hand, the tortoiseshell ceiling was ripped apart by the onught of the lightning above, thus leaving the seers in the guildpletely exposed to the heavenly retribution. Seers sought to steal the secrets of the heavens, so their very existence wasnt permitted by the world. Despite so, they still dared to collude together with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to bring harm to their own brethren... They were truly seeking death! As the lightning ravaged the Seer Guild, Zhang Xuan could feel greater rity in his thoughts. It was hard to put a finger on the feeling, but he could feel the Library of Heavens Path growing stronger bit by bit. With a satisfied nod of his head, he took out his Communication Jade Token and instructed Zhan shi to bring the elders of the Sanctum of Sages over. It didnt take long for Zhan shi to arrive together with Ge shi and the others. Ill give these seers to you. They are guilty of colluding with the Otherworldly Demons who stole Sage Kuis sculpture. I want you to interrogate them and make them spit out their true intention! Zhang Xuanmanded authoritatively. Yes, sanctum head! While Zhan shi and the others were still a little confused by the turn of events, they hurriedly nodded their heads in acknowledgement of Zhang Xuansmand. Lets go! Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Ruoxin and said. While he had failed to apprehend the culprits who had stolen Sage Kuis sculpture, at the very least, they did manage to learn of the Seer Guilds treachery. Through uncovering the goals of these seers, they should be able to fathom a guess at what the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was up to. In any case, the Sanctum of Sages should bepetent enough to deal with this matter, so it would suffice to entrust this matter to them. The urgent matter at hand was for him to return to the Zhang n and resolve the conflict between the Zhang n and the Luo n. Otherwise, the rift in their rtions would hinder the two ns from cooperating with one another to deal with the impending crisis. Considering how even the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages had begun to move, he wasnt so naive to think that the Zhang n would be able to survive the impending crisis alone. Hu! After leaving the Seer Guild, the three of them traveled through the spatial passageway Wu Chen had opened up, and it didnt take them long to arrive at the Zhang n. Xuan-er, you are back! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Sword Saint Xing and the others quickly rushed forward to wee him. You must be Ruoxin! I am Zhang Xuans mother. Do you remember me? We met one another back at the Luo n, but I didnt really get to talk much with you then. Shall we have a walk together? Seeing the youngdy that her son had brought with him, Sword Saint Mengs eyes glowed so brightly in excitement that it seemed as if sparks would fly from them. Luo Ruoxin was unustomed to being so warmly weed that her face swiftly flushed in a fluster. Unsure of how she should respond, she turned to Zhang Xuan for help. In response to her distress signal, Zhang Xuan averted his gaze, feigning ignorance to her plight. He is... Sword Saint Xing gestured to Wu Chen and asked. He had seen with his own eyes just how powerful the adolescent boy was back at the Luo n. If it was possible, he would more than delighted to get acquainted with an expert of such a caliber and trade insights with him. His name is Wu Chen, and hes serving Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan introduced. Before Sword Saint Xing could say a word, a haughty voice had already sounded by the side, Serving? Hes a servant? I see! After our Young Master marries your Young Mistress, youll be under mymand then! Lets get along well! Unknowingly, Sun Qiang had walked over out of nowhere, and he patted Wu Chens shoulder with a gleeful smile on his face. After the incident at the Empire Alliance, Sun Qiang was forced to train under Zheng Yang at the Combat Master Hall. However, after Zhao Ya and the others were kidnapped, out of concern of the safety of his other students, he had Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others move over to the Zhang n. Naturally, Sun Qiang had to move over to the Zhang n as well. Upon learning that the Young Master he served was the head of the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages, his confidence was swiftly restored. From time to time, one would see him strutting haughtily around the Zhang n, almost as if he owned the ce. This was the airs that he felt he should put up as the butler of the head of the strongest Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent. Ill be under yourmand? Wu Chen nearly fainted on the spot hearing those words. You dont seem to be too pleased about it. Are you unwilling to follow my orders? Let me tell you, I am the only butler that our Young Master has! No one would dare to speak a word on your behalf even if I were to teach you a lesson! Sensing Wu Chens reluctance, Sun Qiang pped the adolescent boys head and harrumphed. You are just a mere servant! How dare you refuse to heed my orders? Just try frowning once more, and Ill give you a good pummeling so that you know who is boss here! This... Not expecting their sons butler to be so unreliable, the Xingmeng Sword Saint nearly keeled over. That adolescent boy barged into the Luo n and stood indomitable in thebined prowess of their elders. Yet, a fellow who had barely reached Saint realm actually dared to p his head... Are you tired of living? ... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but cover his head in embarrassment. If there was a hole in the vicinity, he would have definitely leaped right in to hide. It wasnt too long ago that this fellow suffered the greatest trauma in life, so how in the world did his ego inte so much after just a couple of days? Chapter 1629 - Nangong Yuanfeng Arrives at the Zhang Clan

Chapter 1629: Nangong Yuanfeng Arrives at the Zhang n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Sun Qiangs arrogance didntst for too long. All of a sudden, he found himself floating into the air without doing anything... And slowly, he drifted off into the horizon before disappearing altogether. Seeing that Wu Chen had only made Sun Qiang float away, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was a huge headache to him how Sun Qiang tried to boast of his standing at every opportunity he got. To be honest, he had wanted to teach that fellow some humility for a very long time! It was iprehensible to him how someone as low profile as him ended up with this braggart of a butler. Ah... He really should have been more stringent with his choice back then! If he had a choice to pick another butler in the future, he would really have to find one that was reliable... At the very least, his butler should like Wu Chen, capable of solving most problems on his own. Even if he couldnt find someone of Wu Chens caliber, at the very least, his butler shouldnt pull him down andnd him in trouble every now and then... If not for the fact that Sun Qiang had followed him since his time at Tianxuan Kingdom, there was no way he would tolerate all of this! ... n head, the Luo n has recently inaugurated a person known as Luo Tianya as their new n head. Rumor has it that he hasprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, and we believe that the reason behind their visit at this point in time is to have him challenge you to a duel and return the favor from the engagement ceremony... In fact, we heard that they have invited the Master Teacher Pavilion over to officiate the duel so as to ensure fairness... As they took their seats in the main hall, an elder stood up and reported with a sped fist. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress as he replied, I am aware of that. The reason why I have returned is to resolve this issue! The Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is the highest heritage of the Luo n. Those who haveprehended it are capable of freezing space, rendering onepletely helpless. Even we would have trouble dealing with something like that... Xuan-er, you have to be careful! Sword Saint Xing advised worriedly. The Zhang n and the Luo n had been rtively close to one another the past few years, so they were well aware of the prowess of the Luo n. Once a cultivator hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, it was only a matter of time before he reached the top of the continent. His son might be nigh invincible in his power ss, but it would still be difficult for him to triumph over an opponent of such caliber. The Luo n has already been humiliated once by the annulment of the engagement ceremony. Given how they dared to challenge us publicly at this juncture, its likely that they are confident of victory! Our Zhang n doesnt have any records on Luo Tianya, but we have just received news that he has managed to defeat an expert from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! the elder who had just spoken earlier added grimly. He has defeated an expert from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? That bunch of people has finally shown themselves? Sword Saint Meng asked with a frown. Un. It seems like Hundred Schools of Philosophers have challenged the Luo n to a duel with the Celestial Amulet of Legacy at stake. The Luo n was in a disadvantageous position when Luo Tianya suddenly appeared out of nowhere and defeated them. After which, they tested his bloodline and found that its purity was at the level of 9. As such, the elders unanimously nominated him to be the head of the Luo n, and they swiftly conducted the inauguration ceremony afterward! the elder replied. Due to their close rtions in the past, they had tabs on one another. On top of that, the Luo n made no attempts to conceal the news either. As such, the elder in charge of acquiring intelligence in the Zhang n didnt take too long to learn of the matter. Having inherited Kong shis heritage, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers wields nigh invincible prowess in their power ss. Even thebat masters would have trouble subduing them! Considering how Luo Tianya was able to defeat them with ease, his prowess is indeed not something that we can afford to underestimate... Sword Saint Meng frowned worriedly. Regarding that... Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. If I were to say that Im Luo Tianya, would you believe me? Stop messing around. The other party boasts the purest bloodline in the Luo n, so how could you be him? Sword Saint Meng shook her head. Her son possessed her bloodline?this was something which they had verified previously. Given so, there was no way he could possess the Luo n bloodline. On the other hand, Luo Tianya was someone who had been tested to have a purity level of 9 for the Luo n bloodline. Given so, there was no way the two of them could be the same person! This... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. He had already told them the truth, but why didnt anyone believe him? Sighing helplessly, he was just about to exin the entire matter when a furious gust of wind sounded above them. Following which, a loud voice echoed throughout the Zhang n, Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers Great Phrontistery of Confucianism hase with a couple of juniors to pay a visit to the head of the Zhang n! What are they doing here? Have they already recovered from their wounds? Zhang Xuan slightly startled by the deration. He quickly walked out from the main hall, and the others followed closely behind him. Floating in the air was Nangong Yuanfeng, and by his side was a stout middle-aged man with a rather disproportionate face. Behind them were a group of eight young men, presumably the students of Nangong Yuanfeng and the stout middle-aged man. Tantai Zhenqing? Is he the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yu? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. Ancient Sage Zi Yu went by thepound surname 1 of Tantai. Due to his disproportionate facial features, Kong shi had once judged him by his appearance and ended up wronging him. That resulted in the famous saying, Judge a man by his looks, and one shall wrong a Zi Yu. 2 With such doubts in mind, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at those men and noted that Nangong Yuanfengsplexion was still a little pale. His four disciples, Nangong Mo and the others, also looked a little sickly. It was apparent that they hadnt fully recovered from their injuries yet. Something is not right here. While I did send them flying in a single strike, their injuries shouldnt have been so severe. How did they end up like that? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. While he did use his full might during the duel with Nangong Yuanfeng, he didnt ignite Kong shis blood droplet, so the damage he would have caused should have been limited. It was true that Nangong Yuanfeng was a little more vulnerable during the duel, considering that he had his cultivation suppressed down to Saint 9-dan back then, but he should have been able to recover swiftly once he released the seal on his cultivation. So, why did Nangong Yuanfeng appear to be so heavily injured at the moment? I am the head of the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan. Its an honor for us to wee the envoys from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Please, lets talk inside! Knowing that this wasnt the moment for him to be dazing off, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and weed them. Very well! Seeing that Zhang Xuans etiquette was impable, there was nothing Nangong Yuanfeng and the others couldin about. Thus, they quickly descended from the sky. This way! Zhang Xuan gestured with a smile before leading the way into the main hall. After taking their respective seats, Nangong Yuanfeng got to the topic at hand, Time is very tight on our side, so allow me to get straight to the point. The Temple of Confucius will be opening very soon, and our Hundred Schools of Philosophers hopes to enter the premises to pay respects to the predecessors as well. We have heard that the Zhang n has managed to obtain one of the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, and we are hoping that you would be so kind as to offer it to us. Rest assured that we wont take advantage of you; well be offering something of equivalent value in exchange of the amulet! You want the Celestial Amulet of Legacy? Thats out of the question. Our Zhang n intends to enter the Temple of Confucius as well, so Im afraid that we wont be able to fulfill your request! Sword Saint Xing replied with a dark look on his face. It was as he had expected. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had indeede for their Celestial Amulet of Legacy. The Temple of Confucius was where Kong shi had stored his most valuable treasures and heritage in. Missing the opportunity to enter the Temple of Confucius was equivalent to being ousted from the race for the top... Furthermore, it was not by sheer luck that the Zhang n hade to possess the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, so how could they possibly hand it over to someone else so easily? Even if the other party was from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, this matter was not open for negotiation! As if he had expected such a response, Nangong Yuanfeng sighed deeply and said, Since thats the case, I guess well have topete for it then! Kong shi has always encouragedpetition amongst his students so that they would strive to improve themselves. Considering that the Celestial Amulet of Legacy was his gift to theter generations, he would hope for it to be in the hands of the most qualified individual. After all, only such a person would be worthy of inheriting his treasures and heritage! Since thats the case, we shall make a formal challenge to the Zhang n. If theres any Zhang n offspring of a hundred years old and below who is able to surpass our students in theprehension of temporalws, our Hundred Schools of Philosophers promises to never raise the matter regarding the Celestial Amulet of Legacy with the Zhang n ever again, and well offer a possession of the Ancient Sages as a formal apology to the Zhang n. Conversely, if theres no Zhang n offspring who is able to surpass our students in theprehension of temporalws, Id have to ask you to entrust the Celestial Amulet of Legacy to our care! Your students will be challenging our Zhang n to theprehension of temporalws? Zhang Xuan looked at Nangong Yuanfeng and frowned. Thats not it. Its Brother Tantais students who will be challenging the Zhang n offspring! Nangong Yuanfeng replied with a smile. Chapter 1630 - Tantai Zhenqing

Chapter 1630: Tantai Zhenqing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I am Tantai Zhenqing, a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yu. Its my honor to meet the head of the Zhang n! The middle-aged man with a disproportionate face seated beside Nangong Yuanfeng stood up and bowed deeply. His manners and etiquette were truly wless, making it impossible for one to pick a bone with him. Despite their visit being provocative in nature, his refined demeanor made it difficult for one to dislike him. So, this is a true philosopher... Zhang Xuan remarked internally. He had met plenty of master teachers and experts on his journey, and there was a handful who had conducted themselves with grace and propriety. However, none of them could match the middle-aged man before him. With just a look, one could tell that he was a true Confucian. Elder Tantai, you are too courteous... Zhang Xuan stood up and returned the greeting. I believe Brother Yuanfeng has already rified the reason behind our visit. Kong shis heritage is something that we hold dear, so Im afraid that we cant give up on it easily. The young men behind me are my direct disciples, and they have studied under me for quite some time. So as to not sully the rtions between us, I propose a duel of temporalws with your esteemed n between our juniors... Regardless of the oue of the duel, we are willing to gift this inkstone once used by my ancestor to the Zhang n as a token of apology. As he said those words, Tantai Zhenqing flicked his wrist, and a pitch-ck inkstone materialized in the air. This is a possession of Ancient Sage Zi Yu? Sword Saint Xing and the others were astounded by the gift. The inkstone wasnt too big, but it emanated a heavy aura that felt as if it could even weigh down the world. It was as though even disturbances in spacetime would be calmed by its presence. This is... a true Ancient Sage artifact! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. The sword that Nangong Yuanfeng had offered back at the Luo n was only an artifact once used by Ancient Sage Zi Rong; it could not be considered a true Ancient Sage artifact. It was not to say that it did not have any value, but it was not something that would truly drive others frenzied over it. On the other hand, the inkstone before them was an artifact that Ancient Sage Zi Rong had used in his peak! However, its still far from matching my Dragonbone Divine Spear... Putting aside the fact that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had been far stronger than Ancient Sage Zi Yu, just the fact that the Dragonbone Divine Spear was an artifact intended for battle whereas an inkstone was a literary device, the primary purposes of their existences already varied vastly from one another. Nevertheless, if they could just acquire the inkstone, its presence could help to contain good fortune within the Zhang n! Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to Tantai Zhenqing and remarked, With the sincerity you have shown, I suppose it would be rude for me to turn down the duel then. I ask for your understanding for this matter, Tantai Zhenqing replied with a gentle smile. The Temple of Confucius a ce that all master teachers of our generation hope to visit. Beneath the courtesy and politeness,petition over it is inevitable. Since thats the case, may the most qualified individual obtain the rights! Zhang Xuan waved his hand with a smile as he stood up. May I know what format you intend for the duel? The purpose behind the other partys visit was the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, and it was apparent that they had no intention of backing down. Since that was the case, there was no purpose in engaging in a verbal tug-of-war. It would be much better to get it over and done with. Since n Head Zhang has entrusted the decision to me, I shall propose a format for the duel then! Tantai Zhenqing nodded. Our Hundred Schools of Philosophers distinguishes duels into two main categories, namely academic and martial. An academic duel preserves the amity between two parties whereas a martial duel puts ones capabilities to the test. What would the academic duel and martial duel for this matter be then? I have a Temporal Mirror here. Through reflecting ones Primordial Spirit on it, it allows ones consciousness to seep into the mirror. There are many Temporal Formations and time traps embedded within the mirror that the challenger would have to ovee. This is the academic duel, Tantai Zhenqing said as a golden mirror materialized before him. Unlike normal mirrors, the surface of the Temporal Mirror was not t. It had many different vertices that reflected off one another, forming a dizzying image reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. As for martial duel, well suppress our cultivation to the same level and duel with one another. All is fair game, and the one who boasts superior strength shall emerge victorious! After exining the two duels, Tantai Zhenqing sat back and gazed at the crowd around him with a patient smile, waiting for the Zhang n to make their decision. The disciples of our Zhang n have never encountered the Temporal Mirror before, so they are unaware of the mechanisms and formations hidden within it. Itd be disadvantageous for us to face them in an academic duel. As for the martial duel, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers are known to wield superior battle techniques, so it wont be easy for our disciples to best them! an elder remarked grimly. Arent they simply proposing whatever is advantageous to them? It cant be helped. Our Zhang n isnt weak, but the foundations of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers are simply too strong. Furthermore, they have already made their stand very clear. Whether we wanted it or not, weve stepped into the ring with them! What should we do? Theplexions of the elders in the room did not look too good. While the proposed academic duel might have sounded fair, the asymmetry of information made the circumstances highly disadvantageous to the Zhang n. None of the disciples of the Zhang n had a clue about what they would face in the Temporal Mirror whereas the disciples of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were likely familiar with it. Even if theirprehension of temporalws was at the same level as one another, the one who was more familiar with the Temporal Mirror was likely to be able to clear more obstacles than the one who was unfamiliar with it. This was simr to running a marathon in another persons home turf. Even if the two runners were equally skilled, the runner who was familiar with the local terrain was bound to be in an advantageous position. The same applied for the martial duel. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had inherited their heritage directly from Kong shi and his direct disciples, so their collection of battle techniques and secret arts was bound to be far superior to that of the Zhang n. It was true that the Zhang n had been blessed with plenty of incredible geniuses over the past tens of thousands of years, but it would be expecting too much of them to outdo Kong shi and his direct disciples. In other words, be it the academic duel or the martial duel, things were not in their favor. Paying no heed to the worried crowd around him, Zhang Xuan replied calmly, The academic duel sounds interesting to me, but it feels like itll be rather time-consuming. Lets just go with the martial duel and end it quickly! Martial duel? Very well! Tantai Zhenqing nodded with an amiable smile. He raised his hand, and a young man walked out from behind him. This young man over here is Tantai Jiankui. Hes my direct disciple and is thirty this year. Hisprehension of temporalws is still rather superficial, so I beg your pardon if his skills appear to be unpolished! H! Right after those words were spoken, the young man walked to the center of the main hall and halted. A forbidding aura burst forth from his body, exerting heavy pressure on those around him. Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm! Sword Saint Xing narrowed his eyes. To reach Great Sage 1-dan despite having only being thirty this year... Other than his son, there was no one in the Zhang n who could match Tantai Jiankui in terms of talent! In fact, even Sword Saint Xing himself had been far beyond that age when he first stepped into Great Sage 1-dan. Tantai Jiankui. Please! The young man sped his fist and bowed. Xuan-er, even though your cultivation has already reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle, you have never systematically inherited our Zhang ns heritage of temporalws... If you find yourself forced to a corner, do not hesitate to use your secret art. Im referring to the secret art that you used to raise your prowess to the Sempiternal realm when you fought with me... Sword Saint Xing sent a telepathic message to his son. The most talented offspring below a hundred years of age within the Zhang n was indubitably Zhang Xuan. If he used the secret art that he had utilized before, he would surely be able to defeat the other party with absolute ease. Im afraid that I wont be able to use that secret art anymore... Zhang Xuan shook his head. He needed Kong shis blood droplet in order to activate that ability, but he had already expended all three droplets. In other words, this trump card had already been rendered obsolete. You arent able to use that secret art anymore? Sword Saint Xings eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Then... Even though the opponent would be suppressing his cultivation, the difference in their real cultivation realms would still result in a significant gap in their fighting prowess... Even for his incredibly talented son, it would surely be a tough battle. Dont worry, I wont be the one fighting the duel anyway! Zhang Xuan remarked with a light chuckle. You wont be the one fighting the duel? Hearing those words, Sword Saint Xing was visibly startled. The others also quickly turned astounded gazes over as well. If you arent going to fight, who will? Of course, it wont be me! Dont you think that well be taking advantage of our guests here if I fight them? Zhang Xuan scoffed matter-of-factly, and a smile crept onto his lips. I think that we should pass this opportunity onto the younger generation... Let my student, Zhang Jiuxiao, do the fighting instead! Chapter 1631 - Memorization Through Spiritual Perception, Recital of a Thousand Books

Chapter 1631: Memorization Through Spiritual Perception, Recital of a Thousand Books

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Younger generation? The lips of the crowd twitched upon hearing those words. Isnt Zhang Jiuxiao older than you? For a twenty-year-old young man to address someone older than him as the younger generation... Well, in terms of seniority, Zhang Jiuxiao was his student, so there was not anything wrong with that address, just that... There was just an inexplicable feeling of incongruity. Furthermore... Zhang Jiuxiao is only at Saint 8-dan pinnacle at the moment. Even though his bloodline is pure, he has never learned the core battle techniques and cultivation techniques of our Zhang n, so I fear... Sword Saint Xing said with a deep frown. It was during the n tournament that Zhang Jiuxiao had achieved a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan primary stage. During that period of time, the n had devoted many resources to grooming him, so it did not take long for his cultivation to advance to Saint 8-dan pinnacle. With such cultivation, he could indeed be considered as one of the most outstanding cultivators among the younger generation... However, the opponent that he was facing was a genius from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Tantai Jiankui! To make matters worse, he hade from the side family. As a result, he had never had the opportunity to ess the core heritage of the Zhang n. No matter how they looked at it, it did not seem like Zhang Jiuxiao stood much of a chance. The Celestial Amulet of Legacy was at stake! Was it really fine to take this matter so lightly? Paying no heed to the words of advice around him, Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually and instructed, Its fine. Invite him over! Yes! An elder bowed deeply in response before walking out of the main hall. It did not take long for him to return with a young man in tow. Teacher! Walking into the room, Zhang Jiuxiao quickly walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply. Un. I believe that the Ninth Elder should have filled you in on the situation by now. I want you to represent our Zhang n in a duel against the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and I want you to know that I wont tolerate a loss! Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back. I cant lose the duel? A distressed frown surfaced between Zhang Jiuxiaos brows. Teacher, I barely made a breakthrough yesterday, so I havent fully reinforced my cultivation yet... He had already heard the story from the Ninth Elder on the way there, and he knew just how important the duel with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was. If he lost, he would really be the sinner of the Zhang n! You havent fully reinforced your cultivation yet? Thats no problem at all. Zhang Xuan stood up and walked toward Zhang Jiuxiao. Sit down! Yes, Teacher! Zhang Jiuxiao had no idea what his teacher was going to do, but he knew his teacher would not instruct him to do something for no reason. Thus, he crossed his leg and sat down on the floor without any hesitation. Walking behind Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward and ced it on top of the other partys head. Slightly surprised by Zhang Xuans sudden action, Zhang Jiuxiao was just about to say something when he suddenly felt a warm surge of energy flowing in from the other partys palm. This warm surge of energy swiftly diffused throughout his entire body, clearing up all of the energy blockages and repairing all of the wear and tear that his body had sustained as a result of his recent breakthrough. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already harmonized perfectly with his mind, spirit, and psyche. Thepses in his control over his cultivation vanishedpletely, allowing his zhenqi to flow smoothly at will. It was almost as if he was a veteran who had been in this cultivation realm for many years. This... Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing traded shocked gazes. Disbelief could be seen reflected in their eyes. This was not Cultivation Impartation, so it could not be considered a breach of any rules. What the young man did was harmonize his students cultivation together with his body and soul through a secret art. This was a feat easier said than done. On top of possessing incredibly pure zhenqi and the utmost control over his energy, more importantly, he needed to have aplete understanding of his students physical condition. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was filled with experts, but there was hardly anyone who could achieve this feat. In fact, not even the Ancient Sages would confidently im that they would be able to pull it off! Yet, a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator had actually managed to do it so easily... Was the head of the Zhang n not a little too formidable? Alright, you should have already fully reinforced your Saint 8-dan pinnacle cultivation. As for the Zhang ns heritage... At this point, a slight frown emerged on Zhang Xuans forehead, and he fell into a brief moment of thought. A momentter, he raised his head to look at Tantai Zhenqing. With an apologetic look on his face, he sped his fist and bowed. Elder Tantai, it hasnt been long since my student returned to the Zhang n, so hes only adept in the battle techniques of the side family. If you would just give me some time, Id like to impart some moves to him right now. This way, he will be more prepared for the battle with your studentter on! You are intending to impart some moves to your student right now? Even someone with Tantai Zhenqings demeanor could not help but be taken aback by Zhang Xuans request. Temporalws were known to be incredibly abstract and difficult to grasp. This was even more so for temporal arts, which were derived from the temporalws. Even his students took several years under his guidance before they were finally able to grasp the bare basics, yet the young man actually intended to start teaching his student right now. Are you for real? Thinking that Tantai Zhenqing was worrying that he would take too long, Zhang Xuan added with a smile, Indeed. Please do not worry, I wont take up too much time. An hour will be sufficient! An hour... Tantai Zhenqing was even more dazed after hearing those words. What could the other party possibly learn within an hour? Furthermore, the opponent that the other party would be facing was his student, an Introspective Convalescence expert! Tantai Zhenqing was not the only one who was stunned by this seemingly ridiculous request. Nangong Yuanfeng and his students also nced at one another in confusion as well. The crowd could not help but lean closer a little, hoping to see how Zhang Xuan intended to impart temporal arts to his student within an hour. However, at this moment, they heard Sword Saint Xings frenzied voice. Xuan-er, it has only been two days since you returned to the Zhang n! You havent even inherited the heritage of the n yet, so how in the world do you n to impart it to Jiuxiao? ... Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing staggered. In the end, the young man was not even adept in temporal arts himself... and he still dared to im that he would impart it to his student within an hour. Really, can you tell us just what is going through your mind? Is the head of the Zhang n actually an idiot? Its fine, I can just learn them right now... Eighth Elder, you hold the key to the library of our Zhang n. I want you to bring the battle techniques and cultivation techniques of our ns over right now! Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes, n head! The Eighth Elder quickly rushed out of the main hall. A few momentster, he returned to the room. With a flick of his hand, a huge pile of books stacked on bookshelves materialized before the crowd. It was a tremendous collection consisting of several hundred thousand books. The reason the Zhang n was able to continuously groom generation after generation of experts and retain its position as the number one Sage n could mostly be credited to its rich heritage. The collection of cultivation techniques and battle techniques that it had amassed over the years was truly a sight to behold. In fact, the Eighth Elder had only brought over some of the moremonly practiced cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Considering the limited time that they had, he did not have time to take out all of the books. Ive troubled you! Zhang Xuan first thanked the Eighth Elder before turning his gaze to the books before him. He swiftly enveloped the bookshelves before him with his Spiritual Perception, and the next moment, the several hundred thousand books floated into the air and began flipping automatically. This is... Memorization Through Spiritual Perception, Recital of a Thousand Books? How is this possible? Tantai Zhenqing widened his eyes in disbelief. Memorization Through Spiritual Perception requires a cultivator to divide his Spiritual Perception into countless fragments in order to browse through and memorize the content in the books simultaneously. Even Kong Shiyao, who is known to possess the greatest talent in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, is only capable of browsing through three thousand books simultaneously, and that is already a feat that has broken records that have stood for tens of thousands of years... Yet, that young man is actually flipping through several hundred thousand books simultaneously... Just how powerful is his Spiritual Perception? Nangong Yuanfengs jaw had practically dropped to the ground. Any Saint 2-dan expert could easily use their Spiritual Perception to memorize a book swiftly, but it was a different story when it came to multiple books. Reading two books simultaneously would require a cultivator divide their attention between the two books, and this was not too easy for Primordial Spirit realm cultivators to pull off. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was filled with experts, but even the most talented prodigy was only capable of memorizing three thousand books simultaneously. Yet, this fellow was actually trying to browse through several hundred thousand books at once... Was he not afraid of overloading his mind with information and turning into a retard? Chapter 1632 - Time Quintessence

Chapter 1632: Time Quintessence

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Its also possible that hes just browsing through the contents with his Spiritual Perception and not memorizing anything at all... Nangong Yuanfeng remarked a short momentter. Browsing through the content and memorizing them were two entirely different concepts. The former only required one to scan through the book with ones Spiritual Perception; there was no need to attempt to understand or absorb the contents at all. On the other hand, thetter required one tomit everything that one had seen to memory. Naturally, the level of difficulty for both feats was vastly different. If it was just browsing through several hundred thousand books at once, he was able to do it as well. Lets keep watching. Well know very soon whether hes faking it or not! Tantai Zhenqing replied. Right after he finished those words, the hundreds of thousands of books in the air were flipped over to the veryst page before falling heavily back onto the bookshelves. Eighth Elder, Ill have to trouble you to take back all of the books! Zhang Xuan instructed before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, seemingly trying to assimte the knowledge that he had just taken in. Yes! the Eighth Elder replied as he stowed the shelves back into his storage ring before rushing off. Roughly ten breathster, Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes and said, Jiuxiao, you have practiced a simplified version of the Zhang ns cultivation technique previously. In the interest of time, Ill just correct a few simple ws. The main issue lies in your battle technique andprehension of temporalws. I havepiled two manuals based on the books that I have just read, and Ill impart them to you right now! After saying those words, he flicked his finger and directed a sliver of his will into Zhang Jiuxiaos consciousness. This... Taking in the knowledge that his teacher had imparted to him, Zhang Jiuxiaos body suddenly froze on the spot. Temporalws were known to be even more abstract and profound than spatialws, thus making them extremely difficult to grasp andprehend. There were many cultivators who had spent their entire lives trying to fathom them, only to fail miserably. It was for this reason that even Zhang n offspring were only able to tap into the prowess of time through their bloodline ability or the Zhang n swordsmanship. Zhang Jiuxiao had thought that even if he really possessed decent aptitude toward temporal arts, it would still take him quite some time before he could really grasp them. However, the manual that his teacher had just imparted to him was structured in a reallyprehensible manner, gradually establishing ones fundamental interpretation of temporalws before delving in deep. With this, the difficulty in grasping andprehending temporalws was lowered tremendously. At the rate that he was improving at, he was confident that he would be able to achieve a decent mastery of temporalws within less than half a month. Unfortunately, that was still too long. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Jiuxiao raised his head and said, Teacher, I dont think that theres enough time for me to master those two manuals... It was not that he did not want to bring honor to the Zhang n, but even with the two manuals that his teacher had imparted to him, he would still require some time before he was able to truly wield temporal arts in battle. This was not a matter that could really be rushed. One hour was simply too little time! Calm down, theres no need to panic. Ignite this droplet of blood in your body! Seemingly expecting such a situation, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger lightly, and a droplet of blood essence seeped into Zhang Jiuxiaos be. This was a droplet of the most concentrated blood essence of the Zhang n. Weng! As soon as the droplet seeped into Zhang Jiuxiaos body, it was immediately ignited. Following which, thetter was ced in a unique state of mind. This is... Time eleration? Tantai Zhenqing narrowed his eyes. As the droplet of blood seeped into Zhang Jiuxiaos body, he could clearly sense the other partys consciousness entering some kind of temporal whirlpool. The flow of time within this whirlpool was elerated from the external world. In other words, an hour in the external world could very well mean a day or even more to Zhang Jiuxiaos consciousness. One of the elders of the Zhang n saw through what Zhang Xuan had done, and he remarked in awe, elerating the time of ones consciousnessthis is rather simr to our Blood Reservoir. The Zhang ns Blood Reservoir allowed the offspring of the Zhang n to elerate the time of their consciousness, thus enhancing the speed at which they cultivated. It yed a crucial role in ensuring that the geniuses of the Zhang n remained ahead of their rivals. The Blood Reservoir only elerates time by roughly ten times whereas the ability used by the n head elerates time more than a hundredfold... another elder of the Zhang n added as he gulped. He used the most concentrated blood essence of our Zhang n to set up a Time eleration Temporal Formation within Zhang Jiuxiaos head. By limiting the time eleration effect to just the consciousness, he was able to lower the cost to the bare minimum! Sword Saint Xing remarked with a nod. Others might not have been able to see through what Zhang Xuan was doing, but as an ex-head of the Zhang n, as well as one of its top experts, he was able to easily see through his sons motives. Under normal circumstances, the activation of ones bloodline was extremely demanding on ones blood essence. There were often cases where offspring of Sage nspletely depleted their blood essence barely after executing one or two battle techniques. Zhang Xuan used a unique secret art to alter only the flow of time for Zhang Jiuxiaos consciousness. Through this, not only was the consumption of blood essence extremely low, the eleration of time could also be enhanced manyfold. Even if hes able to elerate time by more than a hundredfold, that would only amount to a couple of days at most. Will Zhang Jiuxiao really be able to gain the strength to defeat Tantai Jiankui within just a few days? the elder who had spoken earlier asked uncertainly. While the means of their n head were indeed astounding, Zhang Jiuxiaos starting point was simply too low. Even with the n heads time eleration, would a couple of days really be enough for him to defeat Tantai Jiankui? Most of the elders of the Zhang n had devoted several centuries of their lives to studying temporal arts, but they had barely been able to make any progress in it. Paying no heed to the skepticism among the crowd, Zhang Xuan returned to his seat and closed his eyes. He seemed to be assimting the knowledge that he had just taken in from the several hundred thousand books. The reason he had used his Spiritual Perception to flip through the books was simply to put up a cover before the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Zhang n. In truth, with just a scan of his eyes, he had already collected all of the books, memorized their content, and sessfully formed the Heavens Path Temporal Art. The manuals that he had imparted to Zhang Jiuxiao were the simplified version of it, and right now, what he was nning to do was cultivate theplete version. The predecessors of the Zhang n did have a deep understanding of time... Zhang Xuan thought in awe as he went through the Heavens Path Temporal Art in his mind. He really had to say that many of the predecessors of the Zhang n had achieved great things in the field of time. It was no wonder the Zhang n had been able to rise to the position of the number one Sage n on the continent, bing an existence that none could surpass in the past tens of thousands of years. Through their hard work, they had managed to decipher much of the secrets of time. ... Some timeter... Boom! Zhang Xuan suddenly felt as if he had grasped upon something tangible, and everything suddenly cleared up before him. A thought emerged in his mind, and it was slowly growing stronger and stronger. At the same time, a phenomenon simr to what had happened in the Luo ns ancestral hall was happening in the Zhang ns ancestral hall. Unfortunately, all of the members of the Zhang n were too preupied with the duel against the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so none of them noticed the phenomenon. Hu! When Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes, there was a brilliant light shining from his eyes. I have finallyprehended the Time Quintessence... It seems like the Zhang ns Time Quintessence is centered around the idea of time eleration for oneself. After fullyprehending the Zhang ns Time Quintessence, Zhang Xuan finally came to understand the crux of the Zhang ns heritage. Basically, the Zhang ns Time Quintessence allowed one to elerate ones time, thus allowing one to move at a speed faster than anyone could react. It was incapable of emting the effects of the Master Teacher Pavilions Hall of Spring and Autumn, where a year inside was equivalent to a month outside. Nevertheless, there was no denying that it was a formidable ability. At the very least, it had brought his fighting prowess up to a whole new level. Previously, a droplet of the Zhang n blood essence would be depleted after activating time eleration twice. However, with my deepened understanding of temporalws, I am now able to store it within my body and use it at will without wasting any of its energy! A droplet of blood will now be able tost me dozens of uses easily! Zhang Xuan thought in delight. Of the three droplets of Zhang n blood essence that Sword Saint Xing had given him, he had spent a droplet dealing with the Dragonbone Divine Spear and another droplet to elerate Zhang Jiuxiaos time. As such, he only had one droplet left. That being so, with his enhanced understanding of the Time Quintessence of eleration, he would be able to use it with far greater efficiency than before. Thinking back, he had really been too wasteful with the first droplet that he had used against the Dragonbone Divine Spear. It could be said that ny-nine percent of its energy had been wasted without achieving anything! However, with his enhanced control over temporalws, he would now be able to effectively utilize every sliver of energy within the blood droplet. As such, even though he only had a single droplet left at the moment, it would suffice tost him through dozens of uses! Chapter 1633 - Tantai Admits Defeat

Chapter 1633: Tantai Admits Defeat

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuansprehension of Time Quintessence did not induce any pulsations of power, but Tantai Zhenqing still noticed that something was amiss. He could not help but frown. To him, it was as if the disposition of the head of the Zhang n had abruptly changed. The other partys aura felt even heavier and reined in, creating a feeling of unfathomable depth. Time is up! The hour ticked by very swiftly. With a flick of Zhang Xuans finger, Zhang Jiuxiao awoke from his state of trance. He took a few deep breaths as he consolidated his newfound knowledge before walking over to Tantai Jiankui. sping his fist and bowing deeply, he gestured politely. Please! Very well! With a firm nod, Tantai Jiankui suppressed the energy in his body. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation was lowered to Saint 8-dan pinnacle, the same level as Zhang Jiuxiao. Lets begin the duel! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand by the side. Please guide me along! Without any hesitation, Zhang Jiuxiao took a step forward before abruptly vanishing. Before anyone realized it, he was already standing before Tantai Jiankui. With a light thrust of his palm, immense might poured forth from his hand. Swift and powerful! Initially, Tantai Jiankui did not think very highly of his opponent even after suppressing his cultivation. After all, he was already an Introspective Convalescence realm expert whereas his opponent was only at Saint 8-dan pinnacle. However, Zhang Jiuxiaos swift maneuver had caught him off guard, causing him to narrow his eyes in astonishment. He anxiously drove his zhenqi desperately as he swiftly retreated. Tantai Jiankui could tell that his opponent had not managed toprehend Time Quintessence yet, but he was not too far from reaching that realm. Toe so close to Time Quintessence within a single hour... was that even humanly possible? Tantai Jiankuis reaction was not slow, but Zhang Jiuxiao was simply faster. He abruptly opened up his thrusting palm and flicked his fingers lightly. Sou sou sou! Sword qi shot forth from his five fingers simultaneously. These strands of sword qi appeared to move at a terribly slow speed, but in truth, they were not limited by the constraints of time and space. They would arrive right before its target in the blink of an eye, making it nigh impossible to guard against them. This is the highest level of the Zhang n swordsmanship! H-he... Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng traded shocked gazes with one another. Even for them, they had to coborate closely with one another before they were able to execute the highest level of the Zhang n swordsmanship. Zhang Jiuxiao had clearly never learned the Zhang n swordsmanship prior to this, but he actually managed to reach such a level within a single hour... Furthermore, it was sword qi shot out from his fingertips and not a sword... Just what kind of mystical manual did their son impart to Zhang Jiuxiao? Pu pu pu! Even though Tantai Jiankuis retreat was swift, he was still unable to outrun the sword qi chasing after him. That being said, through his sheer battle instincts, he was still able to pull off an ingenious defensive maneuver at the veryst moment. As a result, the sword qi only scraped his clothes. Its my turn now... Tantai Jiankui had thought that he would be able to defeat his opponent easily and make a huge contribution to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but he had nearly sustained severe injuries in just the first encounter. Knowing that it would be foolish to continue underestimating his opponent, his expression turned serious. Without any warning, he charged forward with astounding speed tounch a counterattack. Through the augmentation of his temporal art, his movement speed was unimaginably fast. Putting aside ones naked eyes, it would be impossible to trace his movements even through ones Spiritual Perception. Before one could even process what was going on, a fist carrying tremendous might would be right before ones face. But despite the abrupt counterattack from Tantai Jiankui, Zhang Jiuxiao did not show the slightest hint of fear. Instead, he weaved his fingers before him and created a protective sphere made of sword qi around him, thus sessfully defending against Tantai Jiankuis assault. At this point, Tantai Zhenqing suddenly shook his head grimly and sighed pitifully. It seems like Jiankui is going to lose... Going to lose? His opponent might be formidable, but isnt Jiankui standing his ground? Nangong Yuanfeng was taken aback by Tantai Zhenqings remark. In his view, the two young men appeared to be equally skilled with one another. In fact, in the face of Tantai Jiankuis relentless punches, Zhang Jiuxiao seemed to have been forced into a disadvantageous position, unable to counterattack at all. So, why would Tantai Zhenqing say that Tantai Jiankui was going to lose? Jiankuis opponent hasnt made use of the power in his bloodline yet! Tantai Zhenqing pointed out. This... Hearing those words, Nangong Yuanfeng widened his eyes before falling silent. It went without saying that they would investigate the unique abilities of the Zhang n beforeing to challenge them. In their investigation, they had found that the Zhang n was able to ignite their bloodline to bring about a temporary surge in their speed and strength. Considering how Zhang Jiuxiao was already able to stand toe-to-toe with Tantai Jiankui without igniting his bloodline, it was clear who the victor would be once he did so. Furthermore, while it might appear that he has been forced into a defensive position, did you notice that hes gradually improving throughout the course of the battle? Initially, he could barely stand his ground against Jiankuis punches at all, but hes already able to return three out of ten punches now... Slowly but surely, hes familiarizing himself with his newfound strength. In fact, it seems like he might even be intentionally going easy on Jiankui just to make use of this opportunity to refine his control and further his understanding of temporal arts! Tantai Zhenqing said with a helpless smile. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, this was the truth. Previously, when he heard that Nangong Yuanfeng had failed with the Luo n, he had thought that it was utterly ridiculous for something like this to happen. But after witnessing the prowessmanded by the young talents of the Zhang n, he realized that the Master Teacher Continent had already be a formidable force that they could not afford to underestimate anymore. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had guarded the world from an isted dimension for tens of thousands of years, remainingpletely oblivious to the developments of the outside world. Before they even knew it, they had already be like frogs in a well 1 ! Hearing Tantai Zhenqingsmentation, Nangong Yuanfeng turned his gaze to the duel once more. Indeed, Zhang Jiuxiaos movements were bing smoother and smoother over the course of the battle. Very soon, he was already able to retaliate against seven out of ten punches. At this point, it was very clear that the tables were turning on Tantai Jiankui. H! In a momentarypse between Tantai Jiankuis attacks, Zhang Jiuxiao took a step forward and pushed a powerful punch through the other partys defenses. If the punch really connected, the other party would sustain severe injuries. Flustered, Tantai Jiankui hurriedly retreated as he eximed, I admit defeat! He had not expected such an oue at all. However, it was already apparent to him that his opponent had grown to a level beyond his means to deal with. He no longer stood a chance at victory. On the other hand, hearing Tantai Jiankuis surrender, Zhang Jiuxiao retracted his fist and halted his offense. cing his hands behind his back, he gazed quietly at the crowd from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, seemingly waiting patiently for his next opponent. Teacher, allow me! Sensing Zhang Jiuxiaos subtle provocation, another young man from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers stepped forward. Your strength is only slightly above Jiankuis. If Jiankui was unable to defeat him, you wont stand much of a chance either, Tantai Zhenqing said with a shake of his head. In truth, the fighting prowess of his four disciples did not differ too much from one another. While the young man who had just stepped forwardmanded a higher understanding of temporalws, it was still insufficient to defeat the current Zhang Jiuxiao. Even if they fought, there was little doubt that the duel would end in his disciples defeat. Realizing the same as well, Nangong Yuanfeng suggested, Why dont you try to suppress your cultivation and challenge him? Tantai Zhenqing pondered deeply for a moment before ncing at Zhang Xuan. Looking at the young mans impassive face, he released a deep sigh before shaking his head. Forget it! A loss is a loss. Even if I step forward, I doubt that things will go our way! To be honest, he did not think of Zhang Jiuxiao as a threat to him at all. He was confident of defeating the young man with ease... but the problem was that Zhang Jiuxiaos defeat did not trante to the Zhang ns defeat! The head of the Zhang n had pulled off the Memorization Through Spiritual Perception, Recital of a Thousand Books and even raise his studentsprehension of temporalws to a level surpassing that of his disciples within an hour... A person who wielded such capabilities could not possibly be weak. If he made a move, the head of the Zhang n was bound to make a move as well. In the end, the oue would still be the same. In the worst-case scenario, he might even be given free transportation through the Master Teacher Continent, just like what had happened to Nangong Yuanfeng back at the Luo n. Since the odds were not in his favor at all, there was no need for him to humiliate himself unnecessarily. Without much hesitation, Tantai Zhenqing sped his fist and said, Well admit defeat! Seeing that the other party had admitted defeat right after a single battle, Zhang Xuan sped his fist back and smiled. Elder, Im grateful for your leniency toward my student! He had fully expected Zhang Jiuxiao to be able to defeat Tantai Jiankui eventually... However, he did not think that the other party would make such a dignified admittance of defeat. Even Nangong Yuanfeng had struggled for quite a bit before being forced to admit defeat. A loss is a loss; theres no leniency here to speak of, Tantai Zhenqing replied. He flicked his wrist, took out Ancient Sage Zi Yus inkstone, and tossed it over. After which, he sped his fist and said, Farewell! After taking the inkstone, Zhang Xuan grabbed the floating Temporal Mirror and nced at it before tossing it over to Tantai Zhenqing. Your mirror! Thank you. Tantai Zhenqing took the mirror before leaving together with the others. In the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared from view. Chapter 1634 - The Luo Clan Arrives

Chapter 1634: The Luo n Arrives

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After flying for some time, the departing crowd of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers finally came to a halt. Teacher, I feel indignant at admitting our defeat just like that! one of the young men eximed. While Zhang Jiuxiao might be improving swiftly, another young man added through clenched teeth, as long as we go all out right from the start, we might still be able to defeat him. Also, the head of the Zhang n might simply be skilled at imparting knowledge. If Sword Saint Xings words were true, that would be the first time that the head of the Zhang n hade into contact with the heritage of the Zhang n! No matter how talented he is, theres no way hisprehension of temporalws could possibly surpass ours within a single hour! Given that they had notpleted the mission that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had entrusted to them, they would surely be severely punished upon their return! Seeing that his students were indignant at their loss, Tantai Zhenqing shook his head in disappointment. You said that the head of the Zhang nsprehension of temporalws is beneath yours? Thats right! A young man nodded vehemently. I might have agreed with you a moment ago. However... just take a look at the Temporal Mirror! Without exining a thing, Tantai Zhenqing flicked his wrist, and a golden mirror materialized on top of his palm. What happened to the mirror? The crowd quickly gathered around Tantai Zhenqing. With just a single nce, their eyes narrowed in astonishment. A long crack could be seen on the surface of the mirror, reminiscent of a ringceration. Teacher, what happened? Who damaged the Temporal Mirror? Tantai Jiankui asked in shock. The Temporal Mirror was one of the top treasures of their n. Even Great Sage experts would have trouble trying to damage it! Why would such a huge crack suddenly appear on its surface? It was caused by a single nce of the head of the Zhang n! Tantai Zhenqing said with a deep look in his eyes. It was caused by a single nce? The crowd frowned in iprehension. Given the resilience of the Temporal Mirror, there would not be the slightest dent even if they were to exert their full strength on it. The head of the Zhang n was only a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator, but he was able to produce such a long crack on the Temporal Mirror just by ncing at it? The Temporal Mirror was left behind by one of our predecessors as a trial to theter generations. Its embedded with all kinds of formations in order to challenge those whose consciousness has slipped within it... It might seem to be a casual nce from the head of the Zhang n, but in truth, his consciousness had already slipped into the Temporal Mirror and destroyed all of the formations within it! Tantai Zhenqing exined grimly. His consciousness slipped into the Temporal Mirror and destroyed all of the formations within it? The crowd narrowed their eyes in disbelief. The deeper onesprehension of temporalws was, the faster one would be able to escape from the Temporal Mirror. However, not only did the head of the Zhang n escape from the Temporal Mirror, he even destroyed all of the formations within it... Just how deep was hisprehension of temporalws in order to pull something like that off? Most likely, he has already reached the level of Time Quintessence... Tantai Zhenqing addressed the doubt that was in everyones mind. In a moment, the crowd fell silent. Time Quintessence and Spatial Quintessence were at a different order to Sword Quintessence and the like. Even Ancient Sages would face great difficulties trying toprehend those two Quintessences, but a Saint 9-dand actually managed to do it... It seems like the head of the Zhang n possesses talent on par with the Luo ns Luo Tianya. It wont be easy for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to aplish its goals! Nangong Yuanfeng sighed deeply. It was no wonder Tantai Zhenqing had left so hurriedly. Given the same cultivation realm, it was nigh impossible to defeat someone who hadprehended Time Quintessence, even if he was a Sempiternal realm cultivator suppressing his cultivation. Leaving was indeed the wisest decision they could make. Otherwise, all they would face was humiliation. ... We have won? We actually defeated the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? In contrast to the gloomy air hanging around Tantai Zhenqing and the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, exhrated cheers echoed throughout the Zhang n. When they heard that the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers hade to challenge them, they had thought that they would have their dignity trampled upon. Who could have thought that their n head would be able to drive them away so easily? This was something that they would not dare have imagined in the past. But what they had deemed impossible had really happened right before their eyes! I have won? Even Zhang Jiuxiao could hardly believe what had happened. To actually duel and win against a descendant of the Philosophers... Had it been half a year ago, he never would have thought that he would be able to pull off something like this! In his mind, he could not help but feel deeply grateful to his teacher once more. It was his teacher who had helped him acquire everything that he possessed at this very moment. I want you to properly cultivate the two manuals I have imparted to you over the next few days. Try your best toprehend Time Quintessence as soon as possible. Also, I want you to cultivate this cultivation technique ordingly. With this, you should be able to make a breakthrough very soon and raise your cultivation significantly! Zhang Xuan looked at Zhang Jiuxiao sternly. You are the weakest of my students at the moment, so you have to work harder to advance your cultivation. I hope that you will be able to be a stout shield for mankind in the future, just like your seniors! Yes, Teacher! I will not let you down! Zhang Jiuxiao sped his fist. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Following which, he turned his gaze toward the Xingmeng Sword Saints. Taking a deep breath, he called out, Father, Mother! The truth was that he had already acknowledged the two of them as his parents, but for some reason, he found it incredibly difficult addressing them as father and mother. However, he felt that it would be inappropriate to allow their rtionship to continue this way. It was likely that he would work closely with the Xingmeng Sword Saints in the future to protect mankind from the Otherworldly Demons, especially since the two of them still wielded greater influence in the Zhang n than him. It would not do for their rtionship to remain awkward. Thus, he bucked up his courage and did it. The Xingmeng Sword Saints were taken aback for a moment before irrepressible smiles crept onto their faces. They clenched their fists tightly in agitation as they called out, Xuan-er! They had been looking forward to this day ever since their reunion. However, they knew that they had done their son wrong, so they had not dared to impose their expectations on him. They could only wish that the day woulde when their child acknowledged them on his own ord. They did not think that their wish woulde true so quickly! Even though the cultivation techniques that you practice are top-notch, the distress you have been under in the past two decades has caused some blockages in your meridians, preventing your zhenqi from flowing smoothly. Ill impart a method for resolving the blockages to you so that you can achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible! Zhang Xuan said. His parents might be the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, but under the reflection of the Library of Heavens Path, there were still many ws with their cultivation techniques and physical conditions. These ws became the bottleneck that hindered the advancement of their cultivation. If they could resolve these problems, it would not take them too long to reach the peak of Great Sage! You... are going to give us some pointers? Hearing their sons words, the eyebrows of the Xingmeng Sword Saints shot up in astonishment. Their son was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle at the moment. Was he really capable of offering pointers to Great Sage 3-dan cultivators like them? Its not really pointers. Im just pointing out a few ws I have noticed in your cultivation so as to resolve the traumas you have sustained! Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. He had longpiled a book on them in the Library of Heavens Path, but he just had not had time to sort out their conditions and offer them some pointers. Having said that, Zhang Xuan took out two empty books and began writing on them. Soon, he had already jotted down the ws and problems that they were suffering from, as well as the solutions to resolving them. This... The Xingmeng Sword Saints took the books and flipped through them, and their bodies jolted in shock. There was nothing wrong with what their son had pointed out. Those were indeed the problems that they were facing! Zhang Xuan turned to the other elders and instructed, I need the rest of you to execute a battle technique so that I can offer you some pointers for your cultivation! With a war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe just around the corner, it was of the utmost importance for him to raise the fighting prowess of the Zhang n as much as possible. However, before the elders could do anything, a guard suddenly rushed in with an anxious look on his face. n head, bad news! The Luo n has arrived at the entrance of Dracotiger City! After three days of flight, the crowd from the Luo n had finally arrived! Chapter 1635 - Refining the Ancient Sage Corpse

Chapter 1635: Refining the Ancient Sage Corpse

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that he would have to face the Luo n eventually, Zhang Xuan instructed, Let them in! Yes! The guard nodded before rushing out. The Luo n sure is impudent! Did they not embarrass themselves enough thest time? Are they so desperate to make a fool out of themselves? Its hard to say. I heard that they have found themselves a n head who hasprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Most likely, they are here to cleanse themselves of the humiliation they suffered back at the engagement ceremony! Cleanse themselves of the humiliation? Humph! Just how far can their arrogance go? The name of their n head is Luo Tianya, right? What right does he have topete with our n head? Hes just a member of the side family who managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing by sheer luck. Just how arrogant must he be to dare challenge our n head! We must make sure to teach him a lesson that hell never forget... ... Such discussions could be heard around the room. Hearing how the crowd from the Zhang n were putting down Luo Tianya to prop him up, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt incredibly exhausted. When they learned that the new head of the Luo n was actually him... would they faint from shock? How should he deal with this matter in order to resolve the conflict between the two ns once and for all? If he told the Luo n that he was Luo Tianya, the Luo n would surely think that he was trying to humiliate them once more, especially after what had happened at the engagement ceremony... On the other hand, if he told the Zhang n that he was Luo Tianya, the matter about him having a Luo n bloodline purity level of 9 would convince them otherwise too. In the worst-case scenario, they might even think that his father had been cuckolded. What a frustrating situation to be in! Everyone wants to be outstanding, but they dont understand the woes of being too outstanding! All thates with it is endless frustrations! After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan was still unable to find a feasible solution to get him out of his current quandary, so he could only find a reason to excuse himself for the time being. Ill leave it to all of you to host the Luo n for the time being. I suddenly had an epiphany and would like to cultivate right now... As long as he and Luo Tianya were not around, surely things would not get too far between the two ns... His presence would onlyplicate things. Go ahead. Leave the Luo n to us, Sword Saint Xing replied with a nod. The reason behind the conflict between the Zhang n and the Luo n was the rejection of the engagement, and the primary culprit behind that was Zhang Xuan. It would indeed be best for Zhang Xuan to stay out of the Luo ns sight so as to avoid triggering them, especially when they were clearly still in the heat of their anger. After entrusting the problem to his father, Zhang Xuan quickly led Luo Ruoxin to his residence. He settled her down in the adjacent room before returning to his bedroom. With a thought, he entered the Myriad Anthive Nest. With his deepened understanding of space, he was able to expand and reinforce the Myriad Anthive Nest, making it far more resilient andrger than before. The entire folded space spanned several hundred li from one end to the other, and it was filled with countless buildings. In terms of size, it was alreadyparable to a major city. Zhang Xuan swiftly found an empty clearing in the Myriad Anthive Nest and sat down. With a thought, a massive corpse fell onto the ground, crushing the bluestone tiles underneath. A cloud of dust rose into the air. It was the corpse of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage that he had killed back at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild. It had been difficult for him to deposit it into the storage ring, but taking it out was much easier. He could do it even without the help of the Dragonbone Divine Spear. He had expended his three droplets of Kong shis blood, his golden pages had been used up, and Vicious was currently in hibernation. This meant that he had no life preservation means with him at the moment, and this was extremely dangerous considering the current state of affairs on the Master Teacher Continent. As such, it was of the utmost importance for him to forge the Soulless Metal Humanoid as soon as possible! Should I see if I can enter the corpse first? Zhang Xuan thought as he drew his Primordial Spirit out from his body. Even though the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage was already dead, its corpse still emanated a crushing pressure on beings around it. Even from a distance away, it felt as if a squall was sting his way, putting his Primordial Spirit under such strain that it almost seemed like it would be torn apart. The might of an Ancient Sage is indeed not to be underestimated! Zhang Xuan thought grimly. After tempering his Primordial Spirit under the pressure emanated by the Dragonbone Divine Spear, it had already be incredibly resilient. Even Great Sage cultivators would find it difficult to inflict any damage on his Primordial Spirit. Yet, he was actually having difficulties approaching a mere corpse... This was truly inconceivable! Zhang Xuan tried a few more times, but he was forced to retreat before he coulde into contact with the corpse time and time again. In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly. In order to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid, his Primordial Spirit must first be able to enter the corpse. If he could not evene into contact with the corpse, how could he forge it? It seems like Ill have to raise my soul cultivation as soon as possible. If I could just make a breakthrough to Great Sage, I might be able to sessfully enter the corpse!Zhang Xuan thought as he returned his Primordial Spirit to his body. He quickly sorted out the urgent matters that he had toplete in his mind. First, I have to find the cultivation technique that Kong shi left behind to push for a breakthrough to Great Sage. Second, I should try to take in more students, obtain their gratitude, and form more golden pages. Third, I need to push for a breakthrough in my soul cultivation so as to forge this corpse! While Zhang Xuan knew that the prowess of the golden page was formidable, he had not thought that it would actually be capable of smashing an Ancient Sage as well. After all, Ancient Sages were symbols of invincibility in the hearts of all cultivators. Cultivators who had not reached an equivalent level could be crushed by a single thought from them, so those who had not reached Ancient Sage yet would never dream of opposing an Ancient Sage... But he actually managed to kill an Ancient Sage with ease, using the golden page. There would be no better life preservation method than that, so he would really have to try to obtain as many golden pages as possible. The first and the second are rather difficult to aplish at the moment, but for the third... I think I might just be able to do it! He was not too certain about the circumstances in the Master Teacher Pavilion at the moment, so it would be particrly dangerous for him to head there, especially since he had lost his trump cards. If those who were in collusion with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sabotaged him, he might just lose his life there. Thus, he was not too keen on heading there at the moment. As for the second, as powerful as the golden pages were, the issue was that the formation of the golden pages was an extremely spontaneous process. He had previously deduced that its formation was triggered by the gratitude of his students, but it did not seem to happen for certain every single time. It might be due to the extent of their gratitude or perhaps some other factors, but in any case, it was not safe for him to bank on that. Thus, after some contemtion, it seemed like only the third was within his control at the moment. Having rified such thoughts, Zhang Xuan leaped out of the Myriad Anthive Nest and left his residence. He found one of the elders of the Zhang n and instructed, Bring me to the library! As the n head, it went without saying that he had the authority to enter the Zhang ns library freely. He did not have to snoop around like he had done before. ... Four hourster, Zhang Xuan walked out of the library with his head hanging in disappointment. Although the Zhang n was the number one Sage n on the Master Teacher Continent, it did not have too many advanced books rting to soul. While he did manage to gather quite a few new books, he was still unable to perfect the Great Sage 1-dan Heavens Path Divine Art. In other words, he was not able to cultivate it yet. Sighing deeply, he turned to the elder who had brought him over and asked, Hows it going with the Luo n? Reporting to the n head, the Luo n said that they havee to challenge you to a duel, but it happens that their n head, the newly inaugurated Luo Tianya, had some urgent affairs to attend to, so he wasnt able toe over with them... So, we have settled them down in the guest amodations for the time being! the elder replied. Un, thats good! Seeing that the situation did not blow up, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He pondered for a moment before asking once more, Are there any upations or powers that specialize in souls in the vicinity of the Zhang n? upations or powers that specialize in souls? The elder thought deeply for a moment before replying. The Terpsichorean Guild headquarters is located in the Terpsichorean City, roughly forty thousand li away from the Zhang n. Due to the nature of their upation, they are quite adept in the topic of soul. However, if we are speaking of the power thatmands the deepest understanding of souls, it would indubitably be the Jiang n of the Three Premier ns! Their predecessorsprehended Soul Quintessence, and their home base is located half a days journey away from our Zhang n! Chapter 1636 - Has the Jiang Clan Betrayed Mankind Too?

Chapter 1636: Has the Jiang n Betrayed Mankind Too?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Jiang n? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before pping his forehead in realization. Why didnt he think of that earlier? Of the Three Premier ns, the Zhang n was adept in temporal arts, the Luo n was well-versed in spatial arts, and the Jiang n specialized in soul arts. When the soul oracles were eradicated from the Master Teacher Continent back then, the heritage of soul cultivation nearly vanishedpletely. It was the founder of the Jiang n who stood up at that moment and resuscitated soul cultivation on the Master Teacher Continent. With hisprehension of the Soul Quintessence, he created countless formidable soul arts and became one of the strongest experts in his era. Speaking of which, he wasntpletely unacquainted with the Jiang n either. He had met the head of the Jiang n, Jiang Fangyou, during the engagement ceremony with the Luo n. He had also crossed blows with the top prodigy of the Jiang n, Jiang Feifei, during the celestial designer trial while challenging the Tower of Master Teachers back at the Sanctum of Sages too! Just that, he didnt think that the Jiang n would be located just half a days journey away from the Zhang n. n head, do you intend to pick up soul-rted techniques? the elder asked curiously. I have advanced my cultivation too swiftly in recent days, and that has resulted in instability in my Primordial Spirit. I was thinking of learning some soul cultivation techniques to reinforce my soul before pushing for higher realms! Zhang Xuan replied. Hearing those words, the elder nodded in agreement. Such problems did ur if one were to advance ones cultivation too quickly. The first time their n head came to the Zhang n, he was only at Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm. Yet, within such a short span of time, he had already reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle... That was indubitably a breakneck pace. Of course, the problems from advancing his cultivation so quickly might not be very apparent at the moment, but trying to build upon unstable foundations would indubitably cause him a huge amount of trouble in the future. Learning the n heads intent, the elder remarked, Our Zhang n doesnt really have a close rtionship with the Jiang n. However, as fellow Premier ns, I dont think the Jiang n would refuse your request as long as the books you require doesnt vite the privacy of their heritage! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in realization. Indeed, he was no longer the nobody he was! Soul arts might have been the most tightly guarded secret of the Jiang n, but as the head of the Zhang n, the head of the Sanctum of Sages, and Yang shis senior, if he were to request to browse through the more superficial soul art manuals in their collection, it was unlikely that they would refuse his request! After bidding the elder farewell, he informed Luo Ruoxin that he would be heading out for a moment before whipping out his Dragonbone Divine Spear to tear open a dimension rift and head off. He had obtained the precise location of the Jiang n from the elder he had chatted with earlier. Flitting at a neck-breaking speed, it didnt take long for him to arrive at the suburbs of a city. Simr to the Zhang n, this city spanned over many mu 1 , boasting a scale greater than that of the Empire Alliance. The Jiang n! One of the Three Premier ns, a behemoth on the Master Teacher Continent! Zhang Xuan scanned the city and swiftly noticed the many defensive formations erected around the ce. He couldnt help butpliment, It seems like every single one of the Premier ns wields power that shouldnt be underestimated! He had been to the Luo n and the Zhang n, and they had all kinds of formations that would put even Great Sage cultivators in a bad position if they were to charge in recklessly. Such was clearly the case for the Jiang n as well. However, it just happened that formations posed no threat to him at all. Through the Library of Heavens Path, all he could see were hulking ws after hulking ws. After looking around for a moment, he was just about to hand his name scroll to the guards stationed at the entrance of the Jiang n to have them report his arrival when he suddenly narrowed his eyes in rm. He hurriedly dashed into a nearby shrub to hide. Through the lush shrubbery, he looked into the sky above and saw a figure appearing in the aerial space above the Jiang n. Following which, the head of the Jiang n, Jiang Fangyou, personally rushed over to wee him, and the two of them descended to the ground together. Why is he here? Does this mean that... the Jiang n is colluding with the Otherworldly Demons too? Zhang Xuan thought lividly. The figure who had just appeared was no other than the schrly young man whom he had met back at the White Creek Mountain and the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild! Why would the schrly young man appear here? The fact that he was personally weed by the head of the Jiang n suggested a peculiar rtion between the two of them. Let me take a look! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings with the Eye of Insight before heading forward. He might not have too many trump cards at the momentif he were to engage the schrly young man in his current state, it would surely end in his defeat. However, he was still confident in his ability to hide his presence. Besides, havingprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing and Time Quintessence of eleration, he was confident that he would be at least able to escape even if he were no match from them! H! Countless spatial ripples diffused in the space in front of Zhang Xuan as he strutted boldly through the main gates of the Jiang n. There were plenty of guards stationed at the doorstep of the Jiang n, and their cultivation ranged from Saint 3-dan to Saint 4-dan. Yet, not a single one of them noticed Zhang Xuan, as if he didnt even exist. This was another skillful maniption of the spatialws. Through sealing an area around him and preventing any energy from entering or leaving this area, he would be able to prevent even light from revealing his presence. As long as ones cultivation was beneath him, it would be impossible for one to notice his presence. After walking through several corridors, he finally came to a halt before a majestic hall. Right ahead was the area where the Jiang Fangyou and the schrly young man hadnded at. As deep as hisprehension of spatialws was, he dared not toe too close. Thus, he found a location to conceal his figure before looking into the hall. On the inside, he saw the two men standing opposite one another, seemingly discussing some important matters. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan focused his attention into the hall. Soon, he began to hear snippets of their conversation. ... news that you have? I understand! The schrly young man nodded and said, Ill leave the arrangements to you. Nothing must go wrong. If we were to seed for this, it would bring a new day upon us. The dreams that we have harbored for many years would finallye to be! Yes, I understand! Jiang Fangyou nodded hurriedly. Its good that you understand. You must take precautions too. The upheaval will be happening very soon, and a huge war will be inevitable. You have to prepare yourselves to make a move at any moment! After saying those words, the schrly young man shook his head grimly. He quickly bade his farewell before leaving the vicinity. Even as the schrly young man departed, Zhang Xuan still dared not to move carelessly. He reined in his aura as tightly as possible while folding the space around him firmly, not daring to allow any leeway in whatever that could possibly betray his presence. As he left, the schrly young man nced downward for a moment, but it seemed to just be a sweeping look. It took only a few moments for him to vanish from sight, disappearing in some other direction. Hai! Watching the departure of the schrly young man, Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply. With aplicated look in his eyes, he walked out of the hall. Zhang Xuan figured that the other party was probably going to make whatever arrangements he had agreed on with the schrly young man. The Jiang n is in collusion with those bunch of scoundrels too. Have they betrayed mankind as well? Watching as Jiang Fangyou walked away, the frown on Zhang Xuans forehead scrunched tighter and tighter together. The Jiang n was one of the Three Premier ns! While their standing was beneath that of the Zhang n and the Luo n, they were still highly respected in the Master Teacher Continent, and their ranks were filled with many master teachers... Why would they betray mankind and collude with those bunch of scoundrels too? He had met the schrly young man twice so far. While he was unable to see through the other partys true appearance, the fact that the other party had close ties with Otherworldly Demons was a direct hint at his true identity. Even if the other party wasnt an Otherworldly Demon, the fact that he was in cahoots with them meant that he was a traitor of mankind. And for the head of the Jiang n to have a secret discussion with the other party at this juncture... It was truly hard for Zhang Xuan not to suspect anything. It would bring a new day upon us, a huge war will be inevitable... Just what in the world could they be up to? Are they conspiring something against the Master Teacher Pavilion, or perhaps, the entire continent? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. He was still unable to figure out what their ns were, but the fact that they had stolen Vicious upper body and brought over several Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages to the Master Teacher Continent showed that they had great ambitions in mind! If something were to happen to the Master Teacher Continent, everything that he cared about would be in peril. Be it the Zhang n, the Luo n, the Xuanxuan Faction, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... Once the nest was destroyed, there would be no egg in the nest that would be able to remain safe! A conspiracy between the Jiang n and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe could deal a huge setback to mankind. Since he had noticed it in advance, he would have to stop it at all costs! Ill have to discuss the matter with my parents to decide on a suitable course of action to deal with the Jiang n... Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly. If they couldnt root the Jiang ns influence in a single move, they would swiftly go into hiding. With the massive influence the Jiang n wielded across the Master Teacher Continent, their constant sabotage from the shadows would surely be a huge setback to mankind if a war with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to break out! In any case, since the Jiang n has betrayed mankind, theres no need for me to stand on ceremony with them... Let me head to their library to collect their books first! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area around him before heading off in a certain direction. Chapter 1637 - A Breakthrough in Soul Cultivation

Chapter 1637: A Breakthrough in Soul Cultivation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A momentter, he arrived before an imposing building. There was a que at the entrance of the building with three massive words gleaming on it?Jiang n Repository! This should be it, Zhang Xuan thought. While he had often snuck around to collect books in the past, ever since he became the head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had resolved himself to stop doing so. However, since the Jiang n had already chosen to betray mankind, there was no need to uphold principles and values toward them. Zhang Xuan walked up to the gates and tapped them lightly, opening a small passageway in the formation protecting the building. Without any hesitation, he walked in. After mastering the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, most seals and formations had be nothing more than ornaments to him. There is indeed quite arge collection of manuals rting to souls here, Zhang Xuan muttered delightedly beneath his breath as he quickly scanned through the books on the first level. However, most of the books on the first level were not too profound, so Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to collect them. Thus, he quickly made his way to the next level. The soul manuals on the second level were of a higher tier. Nevertheless, with a quick look through, he found that they were still too elementary for his current soul cultivation level. As such, he moved up five levels at once, stopping only at the seventh level. The number of books on the seventh level was considerably smaller. All in all, there were only several dozen bookshelves filled with tens of thousands of books. With a quick sweep, Zhang Xuan collected all of the books into his Library of Heavens Path before swiftly browsing through them. A crease emerged between his brows. Why are there so many books rting to soul oracles? To his bewilderment, he found that most of the books actually detailed soul cultivation techniques that should have been unique to soul oracles. There was a fundamental difference between the soul cultivation techniques practiced by soul oracles and modern soul cultivation techniques practiced by cultivators nowadays. The modern soul cultivation techniques that most cultivators practiced served to temper ones soul. On the other hand, the soul cultivation techniques of the soul oracle formed a full heritage that was intricately linked with the Soulless Metal Humanoids, soul rituals, and the like. To make an analogy, if modern soul cultivation techniques corresponded to physicians, the techniques of the soul oracles corresponded to poison masters. While there was no doubt that both sets of cultivation techniques were targeted at the soul, their cultivation methods differed vastly from one another! As one of the Three Premier ns, the Jiang n had always been held in high regards by the world. Why would they have so many soul oracle cultivation techniques? Could it be that... the founder of the Jiang n was a sessor of the soul oracles?Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched as this notion surfaced in his mind. The soul oracles had been annihted, and their heritage had been erased from the worldthis was a known fact throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent. Yet, the Jiang n had actually retained so many manuals regarding the heritage of the soul oracles... It was truly hard to believe that there were no ties between the two! With many doubts in his mind, Zhang Xuan moved on to the next floor. There were even fewer books on the eighth level, but most of them still stemmed from the heritage of the soul oracles. If the Jiang n has its roots from the soul oracle, that could exin why they would choose to betray mankind... Zhang Xuan thought with narrowed eyes. The vicious means of the soul oracles formed only a part of the reason that the Master Teacher Pavilion had decided to annihte them. More importantly, it was because they had chosen to betray mankind to collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! There were also many inhumane aspects in the heritage of the poison masters, but the Master Teacher Pavilion had only chosen to iste them instead of going all out to massacre their forces. If there was no mistake in his deduction, it exined why the Jiang n had ties with the schrly young man as well. After collecting the books, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to the final floor of the Jiang n Repository. There were even fewer books there, just a small handful. With a quick nce, he collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! Without much hesitation, he quicklypiled the books that he had collected with the cultivation technique that Lu Chong had passed on to him. Weng! Two books materialized before him in the Library of Heavens Path. Tapping lightly on the two books, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. I have managed to perfect the soul cultivation techniques for Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm and Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm! There are still some ws in the two remaining realms, but at the very least, I have managed to resolve most of the issues with them... There was a difference in achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan for ones zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation. For zhenqi cultivation, there was no standard form that a cultivator could follow to make a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. As such, one had to slowly figure out a feasible method of doing so. On the other hand, there were no meridians or the like within ones soul. As such, a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan for soul cultivation only required the cultivator to strengthen their soul and enhance their control over their soul energy. Ill push for a breakthrough in my soul cultivation! Zhang Xuan thought. He quickly set up a barrier in the corner of the room before entering the Myriad Anthive Nest. After swiftly finding an empty clearing, heid out his cultivation resources around the area. Following which, he took a seat on the ground before studying the newlypiled Great Sage 1-dan Heavens Path Soul Art in his mind. Some timeter, he drew his Primordial Spirit out from his be. With a grasp of his hand, the cultivation resources flew over to him. Hong long! The cultivation resources shattered simultaneously, and concentrated spiritual energy gushed into the surroundings. Zhang Xuan quickly absorbed the spiritual energy into his Primordial Spirit. He had obtained these cultivation resources from the Luo ns treasure vault. Putting aside using them to advance his soul cultivation, they would suffice even for a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation to Great Sage 1-dan. Gone were the days when he had to rely miserably on lightning tribtions to gather the energy required for his breakthrough! Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! With the nourishment of the rich influx of spiritual energy, his Primordial Spirit grew stronger and stronger. It swiftly overcame its bottleneck and advanced into uncharted territories. Weng! As he tempered his Primordial Spirit with the spiritual energy that he had absorbed, it slowly took on a crystalline appearance, bing much clearer than before. A brilliant luminescence of many colors glimmered around him, creating an image reminiscent of an enlightened immortal. The soul of a typical soul oracle would still remain turbid and chilling even after making a breakthrough to Great Sage, but the soul cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan practiced was the Heavens Path Soul Art. Furthermore, his soul had been tempered by lightning innumerable times, causing a qualitative metamorphosis in his soul. At this moment, his soul was already devoid of the usual chilling yin aura that a soul oracle would possess. Even if the 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion witnessed this sight, none of them would associate his Primordial Spirit with those of the soul oracles. Feeling the changes in his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Finally, Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm! His visit to the Jiang n had truly paid off. If not for those books that he had browsed through, who knew how long it would have taken him to make a breakthrough in his soul cultivation? Continue! Even after achieving a breakthrough in his soul cultivation to the Introspective Convalescence realm, he could still vaguely sense that his Primordial Spirit was not strong enough to enter the corpse of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage yet. Without much hesitation, he continued absorbing the spiritual energy around him and pushed determinedly for the next realm. Four hourster... Zhang Xuans rate of absorption came to a halt, and he slowly opened his eyes. I have reached Introspective Convalescence realm consummation... Unlike for Saint, each realm in Great Sage was divided into six cultivation stages, namely primary, intermediate, advanced, pinnacle, perfection, and consummation. Reaching consummation meant that he had reached the very peak of this realm. Its indeed much more difficult to push for a breakthrough in Great Sage aspared to Saint. Back then, two hours would suffice for me to advance a cultivation realm, but its taking me two times longer now... He had never thought that the day woulde when he would require four hours just to advance his cultivation by an entire realm... and it seemed like it would only be more and more arduous the higher he climbed. He shuddered to imagine that a day woulde where he would require an entire day to advance a cultivation realm... How terrifying! Cultivation sure isnt easy... If even a prodigy like me requires four hours to advance this far, how much longer would it take other cultivators? Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Forget it! No matter how exhausting itll be, I should get this over and done with. I should at least try to reach Aureate Body realm consummation before the sun sets... Whilementing how it was getting harder and harder to advance his cultivation, he carried on cultivating. No matter how long it would take him, in order to raise his fighting prowess, he had no choice but to carry on with this incredibly tedious and monotonous task. Who asked him to embark on this arduous path? No matter how exhausted he was, he could only grit his teeth and hang on! Chapter 1638 - Jiang Feifei

Chapter 1638: Jiang Feifei

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ten minutester, Zhang Xuan halted his cultivation with a helpless look on his face. I knew that it wouldnt be so easy... he thought as he rubbed his be in distress. He had thought that he would be able to easily push for a breakthrough to Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm consummation with the cultivation resources that he had obtained from the Luo n, but who could have known that... the spiritual energy would be insufficiently pure for him to make a breakthrough! These resources would have been sufficient for anyone else to cultivate up to Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm. However, what Zhang Xuan cultivated was not any ordinary soul cultivation technique but the Heavens Path Soul Art. Furthermore, his Primordial Spirit had been tempered by lightning, thus making it nearly devoid of any impurities. As a result, even though the purity of the spiritual energy in the cultivation resources was not too low, it was still insufficient for him. And having lost his source of energy, there was no way he could gather the momentum required to make a breakthrough. It had not been easy for him topile the Heavens Path Soul Art, but to think that he would be forced to stop his cultivation just because his source of spiritual energy was not sufficiently pure. Facing such a situation, he could only sigh helplessly. Well... I was hesitant to take too much from the Luo n because Luo Ganzhen was following behind me, but I dont think my conscience would hurt at all stealing from the Jiang n... Since they have already betrayed mankind, the more I take from them, the less harm they will be able to inflict on mankind! Zhang Xuan thought as a grin crept onto his face. Even though he had the authority to use the resources from the Luo n, he could not possibly just take all the good items from the treasure vault. But with the Jiang n, he had no such considerations at all. Given that they had already betrayed mankind, any resources that they had would only bolster the enemy. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony with them! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly returned his Primordial Spirit back into his body before leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest. It was still perfectly quiet on the outside when he returned to the Jiang n Repository. It was apparent that no one had thought that an intruder would be able to breach their defensive formation and ess their books. I recall seeing their treasure vault while making my way here. It should be in that direction. I should head over there to take a look! Through his skillful maniption of space, he managed to leave the Jiang n Repository safely without alerting anyone. After confirming a direction, he quickly made his way over. It did not take him too long to arrive at his destination. The seals ced on the treasure vault were clearly much stronger and more securepared to the library. The seals wereyered over one another in aplex manner, making it difficult to decipher. Zhang Xuan was just about to use the Library of Heavens Path on the seals to exploit their ws and slip into the treasure vault when he heard footstepsing from nearby. He darted to a remote corner, and with a wave of his hand, he swiftly set up a spatial barrier around him. Right as he was done, he saw two figures walking over. To his surprise, they were familiar faces. The figure on the left was the middle-aged man whom he had just seen a few hours agon Head Jiang Fangyou. The figure on the right was a tall youngdy who carried an air of valiance through her demeanor. She was the Inceptive Sage of the Celestial Designer Guild, Jiang Feifei! Jiang Feifei seemed to have been dragged back by Jiang Fangyou, and she had an unhappy frown on her face. She groaned in protest, Father... I allowed you to squander your time learning all that celestial designer nonsense in the past, but the circumstances are different now. The Master Teacher Continent will be undergoing a massive change very soon, and there could very well be an upheaval. As the prodigy who possesses the purest bloodline in our Jiang n, you have to bear this responsibility! Jiang Fangyou lectured sternly. Father, its not as if you dont know my current level of cultivation. Im still a long way off from reaching Saint 8-dan, so even if I want to shoulder the burden of the Jiang n, what can I possibly do? Jiang Feifeiined reluctantly. The strength of our Jiang n is derived not from our zhenqi cultivation but our soul cultivation! Due to your pure bloodline, your soul has always been far stronger than your peers. If you couldprehend our founders Soul Quintessence, youll be able to inherit theplete heritage of our founder and experience rapid growth in your fighting prowess! Jiang Fangyou exined. With an expectant gleam in his eyes, he continued. Im not joking around with you. This matter concerns the very survival of our Jiang n. If things go wrong, our Jiang n could very well face extinction! We cant afford to have you throwing a tantrum at a crucial moment! Alright, alright! I get it... Seeing how severely her father was making things out to be, Jiang Feifei could only nod her head helplessly. Ill try my best, alright? However, you should also know that its incredibly difficult to grasp the Soul Quintessence, such that many of our predecessors have failed to do so. I dont think that I stand much of a chance! ... Youll just have to do your best. We have just received intelligence that there are hints that suggest that Zhang Xuan from the Zhang n hasprehended the Time Quintessence, and Luo Tianya from the Luo n has been confirmed to haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence... Of the Three Premier ns, our Jiang n is the only one that isgging behind! Jiang Fangyou released a troubled sigh. That Zhang Xuan you speak of is a ridiculously talented prodigy. Despite his young age, hes already the head of the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages. Its no surprise that he was able toprehend the Time Quintessence. However... who is that Luo Tianya you spoke of? Jiang Feifei asked doubtfully. So far, the Luo n had not officially announced the inauguration of their new n head. As such, only the top echelons of the Jiang n were aware of the matter so far. Furthermore, Jiang Feifei spent most of her time in the Sanctum of Sages instead of the Jiang n, and she had not formed her own faction. As such, it was inevitable that she would be unaware of this matter. ording to the intelligence we have received, Luo Tianya is from the side family of the Luo n. It seems like he has maintained a low profile in the Luo n all along, but his suddenprehension of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing has brought him into the limelight. After a bloodline test, it was shown that he has a bloodline purity of 9. On top of that, he even defeated the descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Rong of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Jiang Fangyou exined. Even as he spoke, there was an incredulous look in his eyes. It seemed like he still bore some skepticism toward the existence of this figure who had appeared out of nowhere. But if the matter was true, he really had to say that the Luo n was really too lucky. It was not too long ago that the Zhang n had found their missing young prodigy and realized that thetter already wielded astounding influence on the continent, thus causing the reputation of the Zhang n to soar to new heights. Shortly after that, a person who hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing appeared in the Luo n... Given that their Jiang n wasgging behind the pack, it was inevitable for Jiang Fangyou to get anxious. Luo Tianya was from the side family of the Luo n? Father, why dont you try looking among our side family as well? We might just have some extraordinarily talented n members who haveprehended the Soul Quintessence... If you find one, you wont have to worry about finding a sessor anymore! Hearing his daughters words, Jiang Fangyou struck her head furiously and berated, How in the world did you manage to think of something as ridiculous as that! If even you, a core member of the Jiang n, are unable toprehend the Soul Quintessence, how do you expect those of the side family to do so? Are you dreaming? Its already a miracle in itself for a Luo Tianya to appear in the Luo n! Do you really think that experts of that caliber can be found that easily? Why are you denying the talents of our side family? If other ns have such formidable prodigies in their side family, we might just have some, too... Jiang Feifei grumbled with a pout. Despite her prodigious talent in soul cultivation, she was not fond of cultivating. Her interestsy in designing, and she was adept in the field as well. Otherwise, she would not have been able to be the Inceptive Sage of the Celestial Designer Guild. Unfortunately... it was apparent that the Jiang n would not permit her to pursue her interest. If such a figure truly exists, Ill invite him over right now and hand over the position of n head to him! Hearing his daughters words, Jiang Fangyou harrumphed impatiently. Alright, stop dreaming of the impractical and go in! Your job right now is to sit in front of the Jiang ns Jade Hieroglyph andprehend the Soul Quintessence as soon as possible. Dont bother thinking about other things. Otherwise, if you fail, in order to ensure that our n is able to deal with the impending upheaval... well have no choice but to betroth you to a stronger power in order to ensure the preservation of our Jiang n! Hearing that she would be forced to marry if she failed toprehend the Soul Quintessence, Jiang Feifeis eyes widened in horror as she hurriedly shook her head. Father, I dont want to marry! This matter isnt up to you anymore. The peril well face is far greater than what we have ever been through. Im afraid that our Jiang n wont be able to survive this upheaval alone given our current strength... Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply as he gazed at his daughter with a resigned look. However, you dont have to worry. Even if I betroth you to someone else, he will be either Zhang Xuan of the Zhang n or Luo Tianya of the Luo n... In any case, I wont allow any grievances toe upon you! Chapter 1639 - The Jiang Clan’s Treasure Vault

Chapter 1639: The Jiang ns Treasure Vault

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric I dont want to marry that Zhang Xuan! All he does is to humblebrag his strength and crush the confidence of others. Furthermore, he even rejected the little princess of the Luo n publicly! He has no considerations for the feelings of others at all! Jiang Feifei harrumphed furiously. ... Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. I humblebragged? I crushed the confidence of others? Please! I am already incredibly low profile, alright? Otherwise, I would have overshadowed all of you so much that none of you will be able to see the light of the day! Furthermore, what rights do you have to beining about me? You are speaking as if Im interested in marrying you! You wish! If thats the case, I guess itll have to be Luo Tianya then. It might be difficult on you though. I heard that he has quite an old appearance despite his rtively young age, and his facial features look as if someone has smashed the door in his face. Furthermore, it seems like hes already attached! Jiang Fangyou said. ... Zhang Xuan nearly exploded on the spot. Are you saying Im ugly? Ugly your head! You are the one who is ugly, your entire family is ugly! My Luo Tianya might not be dashing, but hes at least decent-looking! I refuse to marry anyone! Hearing that Luo Tianya was already attached, Jiang Feifei could feel her final string of sanity being pulled taut, on the verge of snapping at any moment. If you dont want to marry anyone, youll have no choice but toprehend the Soul Quintessence. Feifei, I dont want to force you into anything, but for the Jiang n, I have no other choice either... Seeing that his threat was working, Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply and said. ... I understand! Jiang Feifei could tell that her father was intentionally trying to scare her, but there was some truth in what he was saying. If someone in the main family was unable to pull her weight, the greatest way she could contribute to the n was through a political marriage. In order not to marry that Zhang Xuan, Ill have to give it my all then... Jiang Feifei clenched her jaws tightly together. ... Zhang Xuan had no idea what to make of the situation anymore. Am I that detestable? In order not to marry me, you are going to set your mind to cultivating as hard as you can... Is my reputation that bad? Alright, go on! Jiang Fangyou ushered her into the treasure vault. With a look reminiscent of a soldier marching to her death, Jiang Feifei walked up to the treasure vault and used a unique token to release the seal. Thats the grade-9 pinnacle Ether Ascension Concealing Dragon Formation! Zhang Xuan thought. Dragons were known for their ability to adapt their situation flexibly. Large, they could devastate. Small, they could ambush. Ascend, they could soar beyond the atmosphere. Conceal, they could mask themselves amidst spatial ripples. For this reason, dragons were extremely difficult beings to deal with. This was the rationale behind the naming of the formation as well. To use such an advanced formation to seal the treasure vault, it seemed like there was plenty of good stuff inside. You can only rely on yourself toprehend the Soul Quintessence. May the heavens bless you so that youll be able to reach a height that few in the Jiang n has ever reached before... Otherwise, Ill really have no choice but to betroth you to Zhang Xuan! Jiang Fangyou gazed quietly as his daughters silhouette disappeared into the treasure vault before shaking his head and leaving the area. The heck! Not expecting to receive another insult in such a roundabout manner, Zhang Xuan feltpletely stifled. Forget it! Let me head in to see what treasures there are inside... They should have known that retribution woulde to them when they chose to betray mankind!Tossing aside the unhappiness bottled in his heart, Zhang Xuan walked warily over to the treasure vault. If he didnt know what the formation was, he might have still required the help of the Library of Heavens Path. However, he had already seen through the nature of the formation earlier when Jiang Feifei entered. Thus, with just his Eye of Insight and deep understanding of formations, he could slip past the formation easily and enter the treasure vault. He casually walked around the perimeter of the treasure vault and kicked a few points here and there. After which, he made his way to the area where Jiang Feifei had entered the treasure vault from and walked into the premises too. As soon as he entered the treasure vault, he activated his spatial prowess to seal the space around him, thus preventing others from sensing his presence. Jiang Feifei had just entered the premises not too long ago, and he had no intentions of having a touching reunion with her inside. For one, it would reflect badly on him and the Zhang n if he were to be found sneaking into the treasure vault of another major power, especially since the treachery of the Jiang n wasnt revealed yet. Besides, he wouldnt want to rm the Jiang n either. Unlike the treasure vault of the Luo n, where artifacts seemed to be randomly scattered around the area, Zhang Xuan found himself standing in the midst of a vast hall. At the very center of the room was a jade wall which spanned roughly several dozen meters in length. He couldnt tell exactly what kind of jade material the wall was made of, but it had a smooth and glistening appearance. Vaguely, he felt spiritual energy pulsating within the jade wall. Jiang Feifei, who had entered a few minutes ahead of him, was standing roughly ten meters away from the jade wall, staring at the jade wall intently. Her body was trembling non-stop, and cold sweat was pouring down her forehead. There was a massive character inscribed on the jade wall, and it induced an indescribable sensation within one. Just by ncing at the jade wall, Zhang Xuan felt a powerful attraction force drawing his Primordial Spirit in. At the same time, the jade wall was emanating immense pressure, threatening to dissipate ones Primordial Spirit. Its the hieroglyph of the soul oracles... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes coldly. It would have been nigh impossible for ordinary cultivators to recognize the massive character inscribed on the jade wall, but having inherited the heritage of the soul oracles, he knew that the character was inscribed using the unique hieroglyph of the soul oraclesSoul! As a crucial aspect of the heritage of the soul oracles, this hieroglyph harnessed great power over souls. The hieroglyph seems to harness the method toprehending the Soul Quintessence. Its probably left behind by the founder of the Jiang n! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was no wonder why Jiang Fangyou had brought his daughter here toprehend the Soul Quintessence. The pressure of the hieroglyph would allow one to temper ones soul, and its conception was important inprehending the Soul Quintessence. In a sense, it had a simr purpose to the (Sword) character on the wall of the Zhang n. Ill just leave her to do whatever she wants here. Meanwhile, Ill head to the upper floors to take a look... Zhang Xuan had alreadypiled the books rting to the Soul Quintessence into a Heavens Path manual. He was just too busy trying to raise his soul cultivation that he didnt have the time to cultivate it earlier... While the pressureing from the jade wall would be hard for most cultivators to bear, something of this extent wasnt enough to faze him anymore. Besides, his purpose here was not to cultivate but to find suitable cultivation resources to support his soul cultivation. He didnt have the leisure to be wasting time here. Theyout of the second floor was vastly different from the first floor. Many shelves were ced in neat rows in the room, and countless treasures were ced neatly on them. It seems like the wealth of the Jiang n doesnt pale inparison to the Luo n at all! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he looked at the treasuresid before him with glowing eyes. Since he had already gone through the trouble to make his way in here, he wouldnt hold back with the Jiang n. Without any regards to whether they were valuable or not, Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception across all of the shelves on the second floor. Keep! H! All of the treasures on this floor were kept into his storage ring. With a gleeful smile, Zhang Xuan skipped his way joyfully up to the third floor. Were it to be any other power, no matter how much the treasures they had moved him, he would have made sure to hold himself back. After all, he was a master teacher. He had his own dignity and pride to uphold! Well... it was a different story regarding books. What was the use of knowledge if it was just going to be kept in a musky library, not effectively utilized to bring prosperity to the world? Besides, he had onlypiled copies of them in the Library of Heavens Path; it was not as if he had taken the physical copy of the books! So, it couldnt be considered as stealing... Probably... However, it was a different thing if he were to take their material possession! That was an act frowned upon by all master teachers worldwide! However, it would be a different matter if the person he was stealing from was a traitor of mankind. That would be equivalent to depriving the enemies of their resources, and it was considered as a heroic deed. The treasures on the third floor were clearly much more valuable than those on the second floor. Zhang Xuan swiftly swept them into his storage ring before heading up. The same happened for the fourth floor, the fifth floor, the sixth floor... Very soon, he arrived at the highest floorthe ninth floor. Compared to the floors beneath, the ninth floor appeared particrly empty. There was nothing except for a stone tform roughly half a chi 1 wide, and a seal floating directly above of it. Zhang Xuan couldnt discern what the seal was, but its very presence exerted tremendous pressure on his Primordial Spirit. He tried to approach the seal, but the incredible pressure halted him in his footsteps. What is this seal? A perplexed frown sat on Zhang Xuans forehead. Having advanced his soul cultivation to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm, ordinary soul offense shouldnt be able to faze him anymore. Yet, the seal before him was actually able to leave him with a suffocating sensation in his chest... Without a doubt, the seal was no ordinary artifact! Zhang Xuan circled around the stone tform when something suddenly caught his eye. Hm? There seem to be some words inscribed here... Chapter 1640 - Comprehending the Soul Quintessence

Chapter 1640: Comprehending the Soul Quintessence

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There were a few words inscribed on a certain side of the stone tform. These words were written with the hieroglyphs of the soul oracles, and they induced an uncanny feeling when viewed from afar. Grasp the Quintessence and seize the Seal of Souls! Zhang Xuan was able to decipher the meaning of the hieroglyphs on the stone tform. Through the soul oracle manuals that he had acquired from Mo Hunsheng, he was able to achieve a decent level of proficiency in thenguage. The seal floating on top must be the Seal of Souls. I cant really tell what tier it is, but it seems to be a rather powerful artifact, Zhang Xuan thought. He could not tell exactly what tier the Seal of Souls was, but just from the fact that it could halt him in his footsteps and prevent him from approaching it, it was likely to be at least at the level of Ancient Sage Zi Yus inkstone. I have to take it. Otherwise, many master teachers will likely lose their lives to this artifact. Judging from the close rtions between Jiang Fangyou and the schrly young man, there was little question to whom the Jiang n would side with should a war break out. The stronger the artifacts of the Jiang n were, the greater the damage they would cause. He did not have the ability to deal with the Jiang n at the moment, so all he could do was try to weaken them as much as he could. Let me give it a try! Taking a deep breath, he attempted to walk over to the seal. However, barely after taking two steps, his perspiration was already trickling profusely down his body. It felt as if countless needles were piercing relentlessly into his Primordial Spirit, making it hard for him to push on. This wont do. My soul wont be able to take it if I force my way forward... Zhang Xuan hurriedly retreated a few steps from the seal in order to alleviate the pressure on his Primordial Spirit. It seemed like it was indeed beyond his current capabilities to im the Seal of Souls. Since thats the case, perhaps I should try doing as the stone tform says... It says that I would be able to take the seal away byprehending the Soul Quintessence. Let me give it a try... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but no better ideas came to mind. Thus, he decided to go along with the instructions inscribed on the stone tform. In any case, it was just a matter of time before he would have to cultivate the Soul Quintessence, and it was likely to augment his fighting prowess significantly as well. His initial n was to take away the treasures of the Jiang n first and head to a safe ce before cultivating the Soul Quintessence, but it seemed like he needed a change of ns right now. Standing on the spot, Zhang Xuan immersed himself in the Library of Heavens Path and retrieved thepiled Heavens Path manual toprehending the Soul Quintessence. Touching the manual, he felt knowledge flowing into his mind. Gradually, his understanding of souls deepened. The reason he was able to grasp the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing so swiftly was because he had already cultivated the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. All he had to do was cultivate the fourth dan of the technique, so it did not take him too long. It was apparent that he had taken significantly more time toprehend the Time Quintessence, but it still took less than an hour. As forprehending the Soul Quintessence, he did have a strong understanding of souls, and his soul was extraordinarily powerful. In just ten breaths, he had already opened his eyes once more. Weng! Vortices suddenly formed within his eyes, dizzying those who dared peer into them. After cultivating diligently for ten breaths, he had already sessfullyprehended the Jiang ns Soul Quintessence. If he fought with someone, his soul energy would be a powerful offensive option for him. ... At the same time... Submission of the Predecessors... Someone has managed toprehend the Soul Quintessence! Standing in the midst of the ancestral hall, Jiang Fangyous face reddened in excitement as he watched the phenomenon urring around him. This is wonderful. Wonderful! I never thought that thess would actually be able toprehend the Soul Quintessence so quickly! It was just a moment ago that he sent his daughter over toprehend the Time Quintessence when this phenomenon urred a momentter. Naturally, it stood to reason that the one who hadprehended the Soul Quintessence was his daughter! The heavens are truly looking after our Jiang n! With this, the fighting prowess of our Jiang n will be significantly bolstered! As long as she inherits the heritage of our founder, even when an upheaval happens, our Jiang n will still have the strength to protect itself! Jiang Fangyou tensed body visibly loosened up significantly as he heaved a sigh of relief. After hearing the news from the schrly young man, he had been unable to calm himself. However, upon knowing that there would be someone whom he could count on to protect the Jiang n, his heart was finally at ease. The individual who hadprehended the Soul Quintessence would be able to wield the Seal of Souls. Even if they did not mobilize the Ancient Sage of their n, they would still be able to handle most crises by themselves. You can all start preparing for the n head inauguration ceremony. Ill go take a look at Feifei! Suppressing the glee in his heart, Jiang Fangyou instructed the elders behind him before heading out. Yes, n head! The elders also quickly left the ancestral hall with proud looks on their faces. The Zhang n had Zhang Xuan, and the Luo n had Luo Tianya. They had been worrying that their Jiang n would be doomed tog behind the other two Premier ns, but who could have thought that Feifei would sessfully make a breakthrough at this juncture? As expected, the talents of their Jiang n did not lose out to anyone at all! ... It took around ten breaths for Jiang Fangyou to rush into the treasure vault. The moment that he entered the hall on the first floor, he saw a youngdy standing ten meters away from a jade wall. She was still sweating profusely, unable to walk any closer to the jade wall at all. Taken aback by what he was seeing, Jiang Fangyou hurriedly rushed up to her and asked, Feifei, whats wrong? One who hadprehended the Soul Quintessence should be able to remain unfazed against the pressure of the jade wall... but why did it seem like his daughter was still unable to withstand the pressure? Father, you can rest easy. Ill try my best to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible... Seeing how her father was still worried despite the reassurances she had given him, even going to the extent of checking on her after just a few minutes, Jiang Feifei could not help but feel a little irritated. You haventprehended the Soul Quintessence yet? As if struck by lightning, Jiang Fangyous body stiffened in disbelief. He could not understand what was happening. It hasnt even been ten minutes since I came here. How could I haveprehended the Soul Quintessence so quickly? Jiang Feifei was rendered speechless. Had her father lost his mind? If it was that easy toprehend the Soul Quintessence, she would have alreadyprehended it long ago! She would not have dragged it out until then. But... Jiang Fangyous body trembled weakly. His mind could hardly keep up with the happenings, and he nearly fainted on the spot. He had thought that the person who had just achieved a breakthrough andprehended the Soul Quintessence was his own daughter... However, if it was not his daughter, who else could it be? Noticing the look on her fathers face, Jiang Feifei realized that something was amiss. She quickly stepped away from the jade wall before asking her father doubtfully, Whats wrong? Did something happen? After I parted from you, I went straight to the ancestral hall. Just a minute ago, the Submission of the Predecessors phenomenon urred, so I thought that... you were the one who had made a breakthrough! Jiang Fangyou exined. It wasnt me... Coming to understand the reason behind her fathers behavior, Jiang Feifei was a little startled as well. Could it be that a member of the side family hasprehended the Soul Quintessence, simr to Luo Tianya? Side family... How can our side family be that formidable? Jiang Fangyou did not think it likely to be the case. With a deep frown on his forehead, he mulled deeply over the matter, but he was still unable to figure out what was going on. Shaking his head helplessly, he turned to his daughter and asked, Did you notice anything amiss while you were cultivating here? Jiang Feifei thought for a moment before shaking her head. No, I didnt notice anything at all! She had beenpletely absorbed in trying toprehend the Soul Quintessence, so she had not noticed any anomaly at all. To be able to trigger the Submission of the Predecessors, the person who hasprehended the Soul Quintessence has to be our n member. Otherwise, theres no way he could possibly pull this off... However, is it really possible for anyone to make a breakthrough without the Jade Hieroglyph? Jiang Fangyou frowned in iprehension. Even with the aid of the Jade Hieroglyph, not a single core member of the Jiang n had been able toprehend the Soul Quintessence in the past tens of thousands of years. Just who in the world could be so formidable as to pull it off without the aid of the Jade Hieroglyph? All of a sudden, a thought came to Jiang Fangyous mind. His body trembled in horror as he eximed, Could it be... This is bad. Feifei, follow me up! He quickly dashed for the stairs after saying those words. Uncertain of the reason behind her fathers sudden outburst, Jiang Feifei hurriedly followed behind him. In the blink of an eye, they were already on the second floor. With just a nce, Jiang Fangyous face turned ghastly white. A room that should have been filled with treasures had beenpletely emptied. Not even a shred of rat poop could be seen in the room. A thief has managed to sneak into our treasure vault! From the looks of it, it seems like the incident happened not too long ago... I have to activate our n Seal! Jiang Fangyou eximed anxiously Chapter 1641 - Who Are You?

Chapter 1641: Who Are You?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 H! Right after those words were spoken, a jade token flew forth from Jiang Fangyous palm. It floated out of the window of the treasure vault, and the next moment, the surroundings seemed to suddenlye to life. An overwhelming aura suddenly shrouded the entire area. With Jiang Fangyous eye of discernment, he could tell that the treasures had not been taken too long ago. With a swift calction, he deduced that it was likely that the thief had not managed to escape from the treasure vault yet. As long as he sealed the area with the formation andbed the entire treasure vault carefully, he would surely be able to weed that darned thief out! After sealing the area, the two of them moved on to the third floor. Seeing that the third floor had been emptied as well, Jiang Fangyous eyebrows twitched in trepidation. His chest felt so stifled that it seemed as if it would blow up very soon. This was the fortune that the Jiang n had umted with difficulty over the past tens of thousands of years! To dare steal their entire wealth... Wait till I catch you! I swear that Ill shred you into pieces! ... Exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, Zhang Xuan stood up. Its done! Wrapping his body with his soul energy, he walked to the stone tform at the center. As expected, the pressure from before had lowered to a level that he could endure. He took a few steps forward and grabbed the seal floating atop the stone tform. H! To his surprise, his hand slipped right past the seal, leaving him to grab at thin air. What? Does this mean that... the seal is fake? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Due to the immense pressure emanated by the seal, he thought that it was an artifact that was at least on par with Ancient Sage Zi Yus inkstone. Yet, he was not able to touch it at all. Could this be an illusion? If only he had known that this would happen, he never would have wasted his effort cultivating the Soul Quintessence... That was ten breaths that he had wasted there! Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave the room in disappointment, a thought shed across his mind. Wait a moment, this artifact is called the Seal of Souls, right? Could it be that... it can only be grasped by a soul? He was certain that he had felt the pressure from the seal on his soul; there was no way to fake that... Since the pressure was real, it did not make much sense for the artifact to be a mere illusion. Yet, he was still unable to grasp it with his hands. Since that was the case, could it be that the seal was simply intangible in form, reminiscent of a soul? If that was the case, he would only be able to grasp it with his Primordial Spirit. Thus, Zhang Xuan took a seat on the floor and drew his Primordial Spirit out from his be. With a sweep of his hand, he felt a cooling sensation rippling across his Primordial Spirit as he grabbed something tangible. He immediately knew that his deduction was right, and his eyes lit up in excitement. He quickly closed his grip on the item and attempted to pull it out. Hu! He nearly fell to the ground while trying to do so. Heavy! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in surprise. While the seal might not have looked big, it felt even heavier than an entire mountain. With his Introspective Convalescence realm soul cultivation, he was still unable to pick it up in his unprepared state! Let me see just how heavy it is! Zhang Xuan thought as he took in a deep breath. He gathered his strength and attempted to lift the seal once more. Hong long long! The seal slowly rose up as innumerable surges of spiritual energy swiftly gathered around the seal. Following which, the treasure vault beneath his feet began shaking non-stop. It was as if the seal served as to contain the fortune within this building, and taking away the seal spelled the copse of the entire building. ... This is bad! Someone is on the top floor! On a floor below, Jiang Fangyou felt the shaking of the entire treasure vault, and his face turned incredibly livid. Knowing that there was no time to waste, he hurriedly rushed up the stairs. ... Store! Knowing that the shaking treasure vault would surely draw people over, Zhang Xuan knew that it was unsafe to remain in the area. Thus, he quickly kept the Seal of Souls into his storage ring. While the entire treasure vault had shaken intensely as he took away the seal, it did not copse as he had expected. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan returned his Primordial Spirit to his body, and just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps sounding below. Someone was rushing over. So fast? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. With a flick of his hand, he swiftly distorted the space around him, causing his body to vanish from view. H! The next instant, Jiang Fangyou and Jiang Feifei rushed into the room. Looking at the empty stone tform, Jiang Fangyou nearly lost his mind. He swiftly diffused his Spiritual Perception into the surroundings, leaving the area feeling heavy as though it had been infused with mercury. Father... This was the first time that Jiang Feifei had seen such a frightening look on her fathers face, and she trembled a little in fear. Check the surroundings. Its unlikely that the thief has gotten far! Jiang Fangyoumanded with a wintry voice. Yes! Jiang Feifei nodded and rushed down the stairs. Right after the youngdy left the area, Jiang Fangyou walked up to the stone tform and stroked its smooth surface lightly, seemingly unable to believe that someone had actually managed to rob the Seal of Souls. With twitching cheeks, he growled in anger, Just which b*stard could it be... Before finishing his words, he abruptly turned around and thrust his finger toward an empty corner of the room. This wily fox! Seeing a finger art darting in his direction, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered with concealing himself anymore. He hurriedly leaped away to dodge the attack. It was one thing for Jiang Fangyous strength to be on par with Sword Saint Xing and the others, but more importantly, he possessed an extraordinarily powerful soul as well. In truth, he had already noticed Zhang Xuan when he scanned the area with his Spiritual Perception earlier. However, he had chosen to feign ignorance in a bid to make the other party lower his guard. S! An attack harnessing the burning rage of a Great Sage expert, Jiang Fangyous finger art tore Zhang Xuans spatial barrier apart. Realizing that he would not make it in time to dodge the attack, Zhang Xuans goosebumps rose in astonishment. Activate! Knowing that there was no way he would be able to survive if he got into a direct confrontation with Jiang Fangyou, he immediately ignited the Zhang n blood essence within his body. In an instant, time seemed to have slowed down. The finger that he could hardly see earlier seemed to have frozen in midair, and the other partys infuriated expression appeared in high definition before him. Sensing the incredible might pulsating around him, Zhang Xuan felt his hairs stand on end. Hes too powerful! Even with time eleration, I wont be able tost too long against him... Thest time he saw Jiang Fangyou, thetter still had a smile on his face... Who could have thought that he would wield such frightening strength! This was especially so given the powerful soul pressure that he was constantly emanating. Even when tapping into the Zhang ns bloodline ability, Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be able tost too long. At the same time, his spatial barrier would not be of much use either. When a soul was too powerful, it would be able to suppress time and space! In the end, the problem was that his cultivation was simply too low. If the both of them had been at the same cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan would have been able to stroll leisurely before Jiang Fangyou without drawing his attention at all. Knowing that he was no match for Jiang Fangyou in his current state, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly dashed out of the room. Hu! But before he could even get too far away, Jiang Fangyous finger art broke Zhang Xuans time eleration before shattering the spatial barrier that he had set up. The shockwave from the collision exploded into the surroundings and struck Zhang Xuans back. A sweet sensation welled up at the back of his throat, and he nearly spurted blood. Are you from the Zhang n, or are you from the Luo n? Jiang Fangyou asked with an utterly cold voice. That scoundrel had been hiding in the midst of a spatial barrier earlier, but upon realizing that his hiding spot had been exposed, he immediately utilized the power of time to flee. As a result of that, he had failed to even catch the other partys appearance... To think that there was a person in the world who would haveprehended both the Spatial Quintessence and the Time Quintessence! Who in the world was the other party? H! Paying no heed to Jiang Fangyous questions, Zhang Xuan immediately darted for the windows. What was he to do after ravaging the other partys treasure vault if not flee? Was he supposed to wait for the other party to serve him tea? Seeing that the thief was intending to escape from the treasure vault, Jiang Fangyou bellowed furiously, Where do you think youre going? Tss! His soul energy rippled outward and shrouded the treasure vault swiftly, forming a massive barrier. But barely after Jiang Fangyou formed the barrier, the enemys deep voice echoed in the air. Break! Following which, the barrier formed of soul energy shattered apart. This is... Soul Quintessence? Y-you... Who in the world are you? Jiang Fangyou was startled. Chapter 1642 - Mental Breakdown, Jiang Fangyou

Chapter 1642: Mental Breakdown, Jiang Fangyou

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was already inconceivable that the person before him had managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence and the Time Quintessence... but who could have thought that he would have sessfully grasped the Soul Quintessence as well! In the past tens of thousands of years, nearly no one in the Three Premier ns had managed toprehend any of these three Quintessences. Even Ancient Sages would viewprehending any one of these Quintessences as their greatest pride, regarding it as their bragging rights toward their fellow Ancient Sages. But somehow, a single person had actually able to grasp all three of them. How in the world was this possible? Just what kind of monster was he? Kacha! In Jiang Fangyous moment of shock, the thief had already broken through the windows of the treasure vault, ready to escape at any moment. Do you think that Ill allow you to escape after emptying our Jiang ns treasure vault? You are really taking me too lightly! ( Boxno vel. co m ) With a face reddened with rage, Jiang Fangyou pushed his foot forcefully against the ground and leaped out of the window as well. Raising his right hand, he swiped forward ferociously. Hong long! A powerful surge of zhenqi burst forth with astounding speed, forming an energy wall which sealed all possible escape routes. At the same time, Jiang Fangyou concentrated his soul energy into his hand to forge a sharp sword and shed it down on the thief forcefully. Peng! Through the sheer congregation of soul energy, Jiang Fangyous sword overcame the limitations of space and time to sever the thiefs neck. Weng! However, as the sword of soul energy came into contact with the thiefs neck, a faint ripple of luminescence flowed out from the thiefs body. It easily deflected the sword, allowing the thief to escape unharmed from this offense. Barrier of Soul Ripple? You are... a soul oracle? Jiang Fangyous heart jolted once more as he nearly plummeted from the sky. The shock that he had received that day was far more than what he had encountered in his entire life! Barrier of Soul Ripple was a battle technique unique to the soul oracles. By wrapping ones body with flowing soul energy, one would be able to deflect most soul offenses. It was a technique which only the most authentic soul oracles were able to pull off. Even Jiang Fangyou wasnt capable enough to execute it... On top ofprehending the Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences, the thief was actually a soul oracle too? Just when in the world did such a formidable expert appear on the continent? However, Jiang Fangyou knew that this was not the time for him to remain stunned in shock. With a swift flick of his wrist, a triangr g materialized on top of his palm and rose into the air. Great Sage artifact, Darksoul g! This was an artifact that had been forged by an Ancient Sage of the Jiang n. It had been a hundred years since Jiang Fangyou gained possession of the g, and he had been nourishing it with his soul energy every single day. Furthermore, he had not used it since the major fight eighty years ago. In other words, there was eighty years worth of soul energy stored within the Darksoul g! With the activation of the Darksoul g, a profuse amount of soul energy gushed frenziedly into the surroundings, preventing anyone within its sphere of dominion from escaping. A sinister aura drifted across the air, and it felt as if the temperature around the Jiang n had abruptly plummeted. Even though Saint cultivators possessed a certain degree of resistance to heat and cold, the cold vibe seemed to seep right into their souls, leaving them shuddering uncontrobly. The soul energy emanated by the Darksoul g held malevolent intent. Those whose cultivation was weaker could end up turning into retards under the hostile assault of the g. Even those who were stronger would find themselves light-headed, inhibiting their reaction speed. This would create an opening for others to exploit. Many years ago, Yang shi had a friendly duel with Jiang Fangyou. He had been caught off guard by the prowess of the Darksoul g and nearly suffered a huge setback. Before the prowess of the Darksoul g, the body of the thief was forcefully halted on the spot. As if an ant cast within a block of ice, he was unable to escape no matter how desperately he struggled. Seeing that he had managed to seal the movement of the thief, Jiang Fangyou heaved a sigh of relief. You might be a true soul oracle, but you are simply too weak at the moment. You are no match for the prowess of the Darksoul g! Just as he was about to apprehend the thief to see the face of the culprit, he suddenly felt the g in the air trembling non-stop. To his astonishment, it felt like the Darksoul g was running out of control! Tzzzzzzz! The eighty years worth of soul energy umted within the Darksoul g suddenly surged into the seemingly-trapped thief beneath it. Before long, a huge whirlpool had already formed between them. H-he... is absorbing the soul energy in the Darksoul g? This is bad... Jiang Fangyous face turned ghastly pale, and he nearly cked out. The Darksoul g is one of the strongest artifacts in the Jiang n! Yet, not only are you unfazed by its attack, you are even absorbing soul energy from it... You monster! Show your true form! With a livid expression, Jiang Fangyou maneuvered the Darksoul g to pierce into the body of the thief. You b*stard, theres no way Ill let you do that! Die! The Darksoul g was not just capable of soul offense, it wielded formidable physical prowess as well. Under its full might, even a Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm cultivator would bepletely destroyed! H! The Darksoul g pierced right toward the thief with astounding speed. Jiang Fangyou thought that he would finally be able to subdue the thief with this move, but to his bewilderment, the thief raised his hand and stroked the g lightly. Following which... The Darksoul g suddenly twisted and twirled delightfully around the thief, and a moan of delight echoed from its body. It was almost as if it had just been reunited with its long-lost father! Pu! Jiang Fangyous face paled, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. To his horror, he could feel his mental connection with the Darksoul g being decisively severed! Y-you... You tamed my Darksoul g... Jiang Fangyou was on the verge of bursting into tears. It is one thing for you to be able to steal my soul energy within the Darksoul g, but to be able to tame it in the blink of an eye as well... What in the world is happening? Who am I? Where am I? Jiang Fangyou had been traumatized so badly that he was starting to doubt the reason behind his existence. That was an artifact that he had spent over a hundred years nourishing! Yet, it had actually betrayed him for a new master without any second thoughts... It was as if all of the tender love that he had showered upon it had gone to naught. This betrayal came like a dagger plunged into the depths of his heart... Huhu! After taming the Darksoul g, the thief quickly stowed it into his storage ring before continuing his escape. Is that the thief who has stolen from our treasure vault? Where do you think youre going? If I allow you to escape today, I shall cast away my Jiang surname! The shes between Jiang Fangyou and the thief had caused a hugemotion and rmed the members of the Jiang n. Dozens of elders from the Jiang n flew out and encircled the area, sealing all escape routes of the thief. Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Jiang Fangyou heaved a sigh of relief. With a wrathful look on his face, he whipped out a jade token and tossed it into the air. Hong long! As soon as the jade token appeared, a formation shrouding the entire Jiang n suddenly whirred into action, and an immense amount of energy swiftly gathered in the air. The Guardian Formation of the Jiang n had just been activated! Narrowing his eyes, Jiang Fangyou pointed his finger at the jade token andmanded, Seal! Weng! Amid blinding radiance, energy swiftly gathered in the area. This was not any maniption of space or soul art. Rather, it was the true umtion of raw, unrefined energy. There was no weakness to exploit in this massive umtion of energy. Once trapped within this raw energy, there would be nowhere for the thief to escape to. Seemingly noticing the frightening prowess of the umtion of energy, the thief cowered backward fearfully, even stumbling over nothing in the midst of doing so. Kacha! But all of a sudden, the umtion of raw energy suddenly exploded. A powerful shockwave swept across the area before everything vanishedpletely. The formation was halted? Jiang Fangyou was startled. At that moment, he felt as if ten thousand divine beasts were stampeding through his mind. Somehow, the thief seemed to wield some mysterious ability to ovee everything that he threw at the other party. Bro, is there anything in this world that you cant do? Unfortunately, that was not the end of it. Before Jiang Fangyou could even recover from his shock, the thief beckoned with his hand, and the jade token floating in the air swiftly flew over. Hu! The jade tokennded on the thiefs hand. With a slight stroke, an excited hum sounded from the jade token... It had been tamed as well! Pu! Another mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Jiang Fangyous mouth as he saw the world before him turning dark. He did not know how much trauma his old body could take before breaking down! Can you please stop stealing my possessions? Taming the Darksoul g and my n Head Token... Those are mine, not yours! How in the world did you even manage to tame them? Looking at it now, it seems like Im the outsider instead! Seeing the bad condition that her father was in, Jiang Feifei quickly rushed forward anxiously. Father... However, Jiang Fangyou quickly stopped her with a bellow. Donte over! Be careful and dont get tamed by that fellow... Given how the thief had managed to tame the Darksoul g, n Head Token, and even the Guardian Formation, he felt like the other party would tame his daughter if she rushed over. In fact... he was thinking that the other party would be able to tame even him if he were to rush over! ... Jiang Feifei. ... Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1643 - I Am Your Clan Head

Chapter 1643: I Am Your n Head

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that it would be dangerous to leave the situation be, Jiang Fangyou swiftly turned to the dozens of elders surrounding them and instructed, Elders, heed my orders. Take down that thief! Hong long! The dozens of elders charged forward simultaneously, driving their zhenqi and soul energy in unison tounch a devastating attack toward the thief at the center. Their prowess swiftly converged together like a domineering dragon, tearing countless dimension rifts around the area. This isnt good... Trapped at the very center, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. He had thought that as long as he could flee from the encirclement of the Jiang n, he would be able to buy enough time to teleport away using the Dragonbone Divine Spear. He did not think that these elders would suddenly make a decisive move on him simultaneously. Due to violent energies permeating the surroundings, the space around the Jiang n had be incredibly unstable. If he forced a teleportation right now, there was a chance that he would fall into spatial turbulence, thus plunging him in more danger than he was in now. In other words, he could not rely on his spatial arts to get him out of there. What the heck was this! Had he known earlier, he would not have been so eager to take the Seal of Souls. Perhaps, he might even have been out of the Jiang n by now! Boom! However, it was clear that the elders around him would not give him the time toment on hispse in judgement. Their might was swiftly pushing closer with unstoppable momentum. Judging from the scale of the attack, even the Sempiternal realm Yang shi would have trouble coping with this. Knowing that he would be reduced to a heap of meat if he confronted thebined prowess of the elders with his current strength, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and bellowed, Hold them off! Hu! The n Head Token of the Jiang n, which he had tamed just moments ago, floated up from his palm. Under themand of the token, the Guardian Formation swiftly formed a transparent barrier around him. Boom boom boom! The attacks of the elders fell on the barrier, causing devastating energy to ripple all over it. Fortunately, even theirbined strength was unable to breach the barrier. It worked... Zhang Xuan stared at the scene before him in trepidation before heaving a sigh of relief. He had recalled his experiences with the Guardian Formations of the Zhang n and Luo n, so he had quickly whipped out the Jiang ns n Head Token in a bid to control their Guardian Formation. It was truly fortunate that everything had worked out ording to n. The n Head Token was the key to controlling the Guardian Formation. Taming it would mean that he had all of the formations of the Jiang n at his disposal. In other words, the greatest trump card of the Jiang n that instilled fear in its enemies had already be his safety amulet. Y-you... Jiang Fangyou knew that the thief had tamed the n Head Token, but he did not think that the other party would sessfully manipte their formations on the first try. In fact, the reason he had ordered the elders take down the thief swiftly was so as to retrieve the n Head Token before the thief could figure out how to use it. Yet, at that moment, he felt as if he was going insane. It was not that he had never seen his fair share of experts before. In fact, the schrly young man who had paid him a visit earlier likely wielded strength that surpassed even Yang shi... but it did not seem like the schrly young man would be capable of pulling this off either. Continue the attack! Jiang Fangyou bellowed. Hearing themands of the n head, the elders persisted with their attacks. Knowing that he was protected by the Guardian Formation, Zhang Xuan was no longer flustered anymore. Hold it right there! With a light chuckle, he tapped his finger on the space before him. Hu! An overwhelming outburst of spiritual energy exploded into the surroundings, sealing the movements of the elders in the area. They could neither attack nor escape. Taken aback by the happenings, the elders nced at one another in confusion. Unable to take it any longer, one of the elders bellowed, n head, whats going on? Why is the n Head Token in his hand? Why is he able to control our Guardian Formation? Who in the world is that fellow? Questions flooded out from the bewildered elders. Whats going on? Who is he? Jiang Fangyou clutched his hair frenziedly.Thats something I would like to know as well! I darn well want to know who he is and what in the world is happening, too! Knowing that the urgent matter at hand was to apprehend the thief, Jiang Fangyou growled coldly, That scoundrel snuck into our treasure vault and emptied out all of our possessions... However, before he could finish his words, the thief shouted out as well, Elders, heed my words! That man is an Otherworldly Demon Emperor. He has disguised himself as me and stolen all of the treasures of our Jiang n. You mustnt let him get away! That voice echoed resoundingly in the air, piercing through the heavens. Taken aback by those words, Jiang Fangyou quickly turned his gaze toward the thief standing at the very center. The other party had already given up on escaping, and he slowly turned his body over to reveal a face identical to his! The simrity did not just stop at appearances. The other partys posture, demeanor, voice, and even soul aura werepletely indistinguishable from his! It was almost as if he was looking into a mirror! You... Jiang Fangyous body stiffened, taken aback by what he was seeing. He had seen others disguising themselves before, and he had done it quite often in the past too... However, no matter how a cultivator disguised themself, the most they could do was alter their appearance and demeanor. It waspletely unthinkable for a cultivator to disguise their soul aura and make itpletely identical to the person that they was impersonating! The elders were equally stunned by what they were seeing. All of a sudden, they found two n heads standing before them... and they were speakingpletely opposing words. Who should they believe? Seeing that the elders had started to waver, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The n Head Token only obeys themands of the n head. As elders of the Jiang n, surely you cant be oblivious to this fact? With a wave of his hand, the n Head Token released a magnificent glow. Following which, the elders felt the energy binding their body vanishing into thin air, granting them control over their bodies again. The n Head Token can only be tamed by the n head. That person over there must be the real n head! How can a person who can control our Guardian Formation possibly be a fake? ... The ability to control the Guardian Formation was a distinctive ability of the n head. With such persuasive evidence before them, it did not take long for the elders to be convinced by Zhang Xuans words. One by one, they directed hostile gazes toward the real Jiang Fangyou. ... Jiang Fangyou did not expect the thief to turn the tables on him like that. He could still tolerate the thief possessing the Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences, and he could ept the fact that the other party possessed the abilities of a soul oracle... But to disguise as him and impersonate the n head, even convincing all of the Jiang ns elders to turn against him... Unforgivable! Everyone, dont believe his words. I am the real Jiang Fangyou! Earlier, I used the Guardian Formation to attack him! Hes the one who stole the n Head Token... Jiang Fangyou quickly exined himself in the hope of salvaging the situation. Audacious! Do you think that the n Head Token can be tamed by just anyone? Even if it was stolen and tamed by another person, do you think that our Jiang ns Guardian Formation is that easy to control? Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. You should at least try toe up with something more convincing than that! After berating Jiang Fangyou, he turned his gaze to the elders around him and asked, Isnt that right, elders? Our Jiang ns Guardian Formation has been refined and reinforced by the hands of countless predecessors, to the point that it has be a unique entity in itself. Without inheriting the heritage of our Jiang n, not even the head of the Formation Master Guild headquarters would be able to control our Guardian Formation! Indeed! Given how smoothly he was able to manipte the Guardian Formation with the n Head Token, theres no doubt that hes the real n head! I heard that the Otherworldly Demon Emperors are able to disguise themselves as humans, such that even 9-star master teachers would find it difficult to discern the differences... Could the fake n head really be a disguised Otherworldly Demon Emperor? Im not too sure... To be honest, Im still rather confused by the situation... The crowd fell into deep thought. Putting aside the impossibility of taming the n Head Token within such a short period of time, even if the enemy had seeded in doing so, there was no way he could control the massive and intricate Guardian Formation so quickly, right? Without many years of effort, it would be impossible to achieve such a refined level of control over the formation! Who are you? Are you an Otherworldly Demon? one of the elders bellowed at Jiang Fangyou. Otherworldly Demon your head! I am Jiang Fangyou! Jiang Fangping, dont tell me that you cant even recognize me? I have known you ever since we were seven! When you were eight years old, you were unable to master the Heart Turmoil Art and looked to me for some guidance. Out of gratitude for my help, you gave me a Jadecrimson Fruit aspensation. However, I didnt know that those with low cultivation mustnt consume the Jadecrimson Fruit, and I nearly died from my energy running amok... Surely you should still remember this matter, right? Jiang Fangyou bellowed furiously. Chapter 1644 - The Indiscernible Duo

Chapter 1644: The Indiscernible Duo

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To be honest, the thief had left Jiang Fangyou feeling so traumatized that he was starting to feel that he would never feel well again. But putting that aside, considering that their appearances, demeanor, and even soul aura were identical to one another, it was pointless to be tussling over who was real and who was fake. The best way for him to prove that he was the real Jiang Fangyou was through memories! He had grown up in the Jiang n since a very young age, so he was extremely familiar with all of the elders there. No matter how good the other partys disguise was, he could not possibly know about the little things that had happened between them! Thus, he unhesitatingly revealed one of his personal secrets to verify his identity! ( Boxno vel. co m ) This... Those words left Elder Fangping stunned. Doubt surfaced in the depths of his eyes. Such a thing had indeed happened back when they were still very young, and the only ones who knew of this matter were the both of them. There was no way an outsider would know of this matter. In other words, if the person without the n Head Token was truly an imposter, there was no way he could have known of this matter! Could the person with the n Head Token really be an impostor? Whats wrong? another elder beside Jiang Fangping asked. What that person said... is true! Jiang Fangping replied awkwardly. It was quite embarrassing to have the little mistakes that he hadmitted back when he was younger dug up before such a huge crowd. Really? Hearing those words, the elders quickly turned their gazes back to Zhang Xuan with deep frowns. There was bound to be a fake between the two of them. If the person without the n Head Token was real, the person with it had to be a fake! Theres no need to look at me like that. Even though very few people know of this matter, its still not too difficult to hear about it from the elders in the n! Zhang Xuan did not expect Jiang Fangyou to react so swiftly, raising the crux of the issue right away. Nevertheless, he maintained a calm smile on his face, not showing the slightest hint of fluster. He turned his gaze over to Jiang Fangping as well and said, Jiang Fangping, the cultivation technique you practice is the Three Points Soul Tempering Art passed down by Elder Jiang Chao. However, due to several mistakes you made in your cultivation, you experience excruciating pain at your Qimen acupoint whenever a stormes in. You find yourself unable to control your zhenqi, and sometimes, it might even flow in reverse... Previously, when the dozens of eldersunched a simultaneous attack against him, he had swiftlypiled a book on all of them in the Library of Heavens Path. As such, he had a good grasp over the problems that they were suffering from. Since Jiang Fangyou wanted to y a game of who can go deeper, he did not mind ying along too. This... Jiang Fangping was taken aback by the revtion and nodded stiffly. Yes, thats right... but I have never told anyone about this affliction of mine before. How did you know? Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched. Cr*p. I was too focused on outdoing Jiang Fangyou that I identally blurted too much... The Library of Heavens Path could see through the ws of an individual. He could still pass off as an unfathomable expert with that knowledge at his disposal, but it was not so easy when it came to impersonating an existent person in the world, especially before those who were close to him. Often, the information revealed by the Library of Heavens Path was too much, such that even the individual themself might not even be aware of it. Despite feeling a little suffocated on the inside, Zhang Xuan put up apassionate front and sighed in sympathy. To be honest with you, I saw through it a long time ago! I was afraid to raise your expectations only to disappoint youter, so I decided to keep quiet about the matter. All along, I have been searching for a method to resolve your affliction. Fortunately, just two days ago, I seeded in finding a cure. Here, take a look at it! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger. H! A cultivation technique manual was imprinted onto Jiang Fangpings mind. Having browsed through all of the books in the Jiang n Repository, he had also collected the manual of the Three Points Soul Tempering Art into the Library of Heavens Path as well. As such, he knew what mistakes were within the cultivation technique. Bypiling it against the Heavens Path Soul Art, he could easily resolve the problems that Jiang Fangping was facing without much trouble. T-this... Browsing through the manual that had just been imparted to him, Jiang Fangping suddenly began trembling uncontrobly, as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. With his eye of discernment, he could easily tell just how valuable the cultivation technique was to him. If he cultivated in ordance with it, not only would his affliction be resolved, he would also be able to advance his cultivation considerably too! Could it really be true that the n head had already seen through his affliction and had been searching far and wide for a solution for him? If that was truly the case, he was really indebted to the n head then. Congrattions, Elder Fangping! Just by looking at Jiang Fangpings expression, it was apparent that the manual that had been imparted to him was truly effective. The elders beside him quickly sped their fists and congratted him. Dont be fooled by that fellow! Jiang Fangyou had not thought that the thief would actually be able to pinpoint an affliction that Jiang Fangping was suffering from and even have a solution for it. Just by thinking about the monster that he was faced, he felt his hair standing on end. I am the real Jiang Fangyou! Elder Fangcheng, we have known me for more than a hundred years now, and... Before Jiang Fangyou could finish his words, Zhang Xuan cut in. Elder Fangcheng, we have known one another for more than a hundred years now, and I believe your Soul Appeasement Art must have reached the third level, right? However, this soul art happens to be in conflict with the Lucid Soul Form that you practiced previously, so I advise you to switch to cultivating this for the time being. I guarantee that you will be able to advance your cultivation much faster than before! After saying those words, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and sent a sliver of his will over. Swiftly browsing through the cultivation technique manual imparted to him, Jiang Fangcheng also froze on the spot, bbergasted by what he had received. This cultivation technique was from the same lineage as the Lucid Soul Form that he had cultivated previously, and it was far stronger than the Soul Appeasement Art that he was currently cultivating! Actually, I havent just been paying attention to Elder Fangping and Elder Fangcheng. In order to bring our Jiang n to greater heights, I have been observing all of you closely, and I know the difficulties and problems that you are facing in your cultivation... Elder Fangzhen, if Im not mistaken, are you cultivating the Soul Codex 4-dan at the moment? Your cultivation isnt up to par yet, so I advise you not to do it forcefully. Otherwise, itll bring about more harm than benefit. Do you feel your breathing often bing ragged, and your soul and physical body seem to be losing harmony? Elder Fanglin, the deficiency in your vitality has been quite severe recently. I advise you stop taking in concubines for the time being, or else you might just have your lifespan shortened... Elder Fanghu, I know that you enjoy painting, but you mustnt allow it to hinder your cultivation. Your cultivation has been stagnant for a very long time now... ... Zhang Xuan slowly went through the dozens of elders around him one by one. Before long, the entire area was plunged into absolute silence. His words had struck a chord with them. He had managed to pinpoint the major ws and problems that they were facing at the moment. Could he really be their n head? Otherwise, how could he possibly know so much about them? It was almost as if he had stripped them bare and peered into all of their secrets! ... Seeing how all of the elders had fallen silent, Jiang Fangyou tore out yet another clump of his hair frenziedly. Just who in the freaking world are you? Even I am unclear about the cultivation of the elders in the n, so how in the world do you know? Furthermore, to pinpoint them precisely without any margin of error, winning all of the elders over to your side in the blink of an eye... And those elders too... What am I to do now that all of you have chosen to side with him? Has my life really been a lie? Am I really not Jiang Fangyou? Where am I? Who am I? What am I? Overwhelmed by the happenings around him, Jiang Fangyou felt a splitting migraine. He turned to Jiang Feifei, hisst ray of hope. Feifei, I am your father. You are able to recognize me, right? I am the real one! Even if all of the elders could not recognize him, his daughter should at least be able to recognize him, right? I... Jiang Feifei did not expect herself to be faced with two fathers all of a sudden, and she could not react instantly. What was she supposed to make of this situation? A momentter, she gathered her thoughts and said, Before entering the treasure vault, my father told me that I have toprehend the Soul Quintessence by hook or by crook, or else I will be forced into a political marriage. I will have to marry either Zhang Xuan from the Zhang n or Luo Tianya from the Luo n... Only my father will know my response to his words. If you are able to quote my response to that, it will prove that you are the real one! Chapter 1645 - Fake!

Chapter 1645: Fake!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Just from the appearance and soul aura, Jiang Feifei was unable to tell who was real and who was fake. Thus, she could only use her conversation with her father as a gauge. You said that... After pondering for a moment, Jiang Fangyou was just about to answer the question when a voice interjected him. You said, I dont want to marry that Zhang Xuan! All he does is humblebrag with his strength and crush the confidence of others. Furthermore, he even rejected the little princess of the Luo n publicly, not showing any considerations for the other partys dignity at all! This... Jiang Feifei was stunned for a moment before nodding slowly. Indeed, thats what I said... ... Jiang Fangyous body jolted once more. At that moment, he felt like the thief had slipped into his mind and taken a peek at his memories. Those were the words that his daughter had said to him earlier, so how was the other party able to recite them so urately? With veins popping on his temples, Jiang Fangyou roared angrily, No, thats not right... You were hiding by the side earlier, werent you? Otherwise, how could you have known the conversation between me and Feifei? He was supposed to apprehend the thief who had stolen the treasures of the Jiang n, but things had swiftly spiraled out of control, to the extent that he was even beginning to doubt his own identity. No words could begin to describe how he was feeling. Hah, I can also say that you were snooping around earlier! Zhang Xuan scoffed disdainfully. Alright, stop this pointless struggling and reveal your true form! Otherwise, if all of us make a move together, the only fate that will await you is death! I... Hearing those words, Jiang Fangyous body trembled in agitation. He wanted to refute the thiefs words, but he was unable to find any convincing argument to back himself. The tides were truly against him now. The elders did not believe him, and he did not have the n Head Token or any insignia to prove his identity. If they made a move against him, he would not stand a chance at all. In the worst-case scenario, he might even lose his life. Alright, why dont I speak some words of fairness? Just as Jiang Fangyou was at a loss over what to do, a voice suddenly sounded amid the elders. Following which, an old man walked out from the crowd. Zhang Xuan shot a nce over and recognized the other party to be Elder Fangyun of the Jiang n. Even though his standing within the n was not too high, he was a highly respected elder whose words carried much say in the Jiang n. Earlier, Zhang Xuan had also offered him guidance. Elder Fangyun, please feel free to speak! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Un! Elder Fangyun nodded. With aplicated look in his eyes, he said, Earlier, you offered us guidance on our cultivation. I was listening closely to it, and your words were directed right at the crux of soul cultivation. In fact, its no exaggeration to say that there are no ws in your words at all... I would have been truly delighted to have you as our n head. Under your lead, it would only be a matter of time before our Jiang n surpasses the Luo n and the Zhang n... A pity it is, but you arent! I am not? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. I truly am Jiang Fangyou... Elder Fangyun raised his hand to stop Zhang Xuan. To be honest with you, Im not the only one who has noticed it. All of the elders over here have be vaguely aware of it, be it consciously or subconsciously. All of us have known n Head Jiang Fangyou for at least a century now, and we are all well aware of the limits of his capabilities. To see through our ws and resolve them impably... he doesnt possess the ability to do so! If he really had that in him, our Jiang n wouldnt have been ranked at the bottom of the Three Premier ns... Elder Fangyun is right. Jiang Fangyou is a decent person, but theres really nothing outstanding about his capabilities! You are way more formidable than our n head! Right after Elder Fangyun said his piece, a few other elders quickly voiced their agreement. Hearing about his mediocrity, Jiang Fangyou really wanted to find a ce to hide. The hell! Is this how you all view me? Nothing outstanding about my capabilities? Good, Ill remember you! Well have a good talkter on! At the very least, cant you all not put me down in front of a stranger? It was just a moment earlier that he had been desperate to prove his identity to the elders, but now that they had finally recognized him as the real n head, instead of delight, he felt as if his heart had been pierced by countless arrows. In this moment of sorrow, he saw his daughter nodding in agreement. My fathers capabilities are indeed a littlecking. Theres no way he would be able to point out everything you just said! Jiang Fangyou clutched his chest tightly. I know that you are trying to convince the other elders for me, but surely you dont have to say such hurtful words! How in the world did Ie to have a daughter like you? It was just a moment ago that Jiang Fangyou had felt guilty about threatening his daughter with a political marriage. However, since his daughter did not seem to have much respect for him, he suddenly felt that it might not be such a bad idea to marry her off to Zhang Xuan... While Jiang Fangyous heart was bleeding profusely, Zhang Xuan could not help but be startled by the situation before him. He had thought that he would be able to win the crowd from the Jiang n over by pointing out their ws and resolving their issues, but it turned out to be the key that gave him away... It was indeed a difficult life for those who were too outstanding. No matter how he concealed himself, others would still see through him easily. No matter where he was, he would shine like a firefly in the midst of the night. So conspicuous, so outstanding... To be able to offer us guidance on our soul cultivation and not make the slightest mistake in the details at all... If Im not mistaken, you must have browsed through all of the books in our Jiang n Repository, right? Also, just a moment ago, the Submission of the Predecessors phenomenon urred. You are the one who hasprehended the Soul Quintessence, right? Jiang Fangyun asked. Even though he had been exposed, it did not seem like the elder of the Jiang n was intending to corner him. Thus, he nodded and admitted to it. Thats right! To be able toprehend the Soul Quintessence and have such a deep understanding of our Jiang n... Could you possibly be a member of the Jiang ns side family? Jiang Fangyun asked doubtfully. They were aware that a top-notch genius had appeared in the Luo nLuo Tianya! Despite being from the side family. Luo Tianya had managed toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Could the same have happened to them? Otherwise, how could the other party have such a deep understanding of them and their cultivation techniques? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was conflicted. He had no idea how he should answer that question. Actually, regardless of whether you are from the side family or not, the fact that you haveprehended the Soul Quintessence means that you are qualified to be our n head! Furthermore, you have already tamed the n Head Token and taken control of our Guardian Formation! With eyes glowing in excitement, Jiang Fangyou took a step forward, sped his fist, and bowed down. Thus... I hope that you can be our real n head and lead our Jiang n through the crisis that lies ahead of us! ... Zhang Xuan was startled by the sudden turn of events. It took him a moment before he could respond. He shook his head and said, To be frank, I am not from the Jiang n! It would have been one thing if he was a member of the Jiang ns side family, but he had absolutely no ties to the Jiang n at all! You arent from the Jiang n? Everyone was taken aback. Its fine. It doesnt make a huge difference. The fact that you haveprehended our Jiang ns Soul Quintessence means that you have an inseverable rtionship with our Jiang n... Why dont we marry Feifei to you then? This way, youll still be qualified to be our n head! Elder Fangyun offered. No way! Not expecting the Elder Fangyun to determine her marriage so casually, Jiang Feifei hurriedly shook her head in disapproval. Putting aside the fact that the person before her had disguised himself as her father, she did not even know who and how old the other party was! How could she possibly be willing to marry aplete stranger? Elder Fangyun, you are too courteous. Im willing to negotiate on the matter of bing the n head of the Jiang n, but as for marrying her... forget it! If the Jiang n did not mind an outsider bing their n head, he could still consider the matter. Jiang Fangyou did have some ties with the schrly young man, but as a n whose heritage could be traced back to tens of thousands of years ago, it was unlikely that the entire n had betrayed mankind. Most likely, it would just be a few ck sheep here and there. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Pavilion would have noticed something by now. More importantly, if the Jiang n had truly betrayed mankind, his position as the n head would help him steer them back to the right path and stop them from doing anything that would harm mankind. You said... forget it? What do you mean by that? Jiang Feifei exploded furiously. I havent even said my piece yet, and you are already in such a rush to reject me... Chapter 1646 - Unknown Secrets of the Soul Oracles (1)

Chapter 1646: Unknown Secrets of the Soul Oracles (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No matter what, she was a famed genius of the Master Teacher Continent. Furthermore, she was blessed with great beauty, so she had nock of suitors in the Sanctum of Sages... Yet, the other party actually showed such a disdainful look when Elder Fangyun proposed a political marriage with her... What did the other party mean by this? You dont need to think too deeply into it; my words mean exactly how they sounded. You are too ugly. I dont like it. After saying those words, Zhang Xuan paid no heed to the exploding Jiang Feifei and turned his gaze toward Elder Fangyun once more. I already have someone whom I fancy, so Im afraid Ill have to turn down your offer of marriage. If you are still willing to have me as your n head despite that, I wont turn down your offer anymore. Ill try my best to lead the Jiang n to greatness without straying down the wrong path! Otherworldly Demons had started appearing on the Master Teacher Continentthat was a sign that a war was just around the corner. He already had the Zhang n and the Luo n on his side. If he could rope in the Jiang n as well, that would be for the best. It would also be a good opportunity to find out what was with the schrly young man. After all, with the betrayal of the Seer Guild, the Jiang n, and the Master Teacher Pavilion... he felt that there was something deeper than what he was seeing. Perhaps, it might even be a huge misunderstanding. On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to marry into the Jiang n, the elders fell silent. They had never had an outsider as their n head before. That wont do. Were a n, not a sect! Our n members will never ept an outsider as our n head! But hes tamed the n Head Token, read through all of the books in our repository, and evenprehended the Soul Quintessence. If we allow him to leave just like that, it could bring us greater danger in the future! The fact that he hasprehended the Soul Quintessence means that he has forged an inseverable rtionship with our Jiang n. He might be unwilling to marry into the Jiang n for the time being, but as long as he stays in our Jiang n long enough, we should be able to convince him into doing so... Feifei might not be too pretty, and her temper is abhorrent, but I believe that they can cultivate their feelings for one another over time... Furthermore, those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers have alsoe to the Master Teacher Continent. Based on the news we have just received from them, the Otherworldly Demons have been making some movement in the Subterranean Gallery. The manpower of the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Combat Master Hall is already stretched thin... If an upheaval urs, our Jiang n will surely have to stand in the frontlines! Well surely require a strong leader to lead us at a time like this! Furthermore, he possesses a deep understanding of soul cultivation. Even some casual pointers from him could bring us great benefits... ... The elders discussed vehemently among themselves. There were some who were for it; there were some who were against it. After a long, fruitless discussion, Jiang Fangyun suddenly turned his head over and asked, If I may ask, if you arent from the Jiang n, who are you? The others also halted their discussion and directed curious gazes over as well. Even Jiang Feifei had forgotten about how others were insulting her looks and personality in this moment. To be honest, I am actually... Knowing that the Jiang n bore him no ill will, he knew that it was meaningless to maintain his disguise any longer. Thus, he reverted to his original appearance and said, ... Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan? You are the young prodigy of the Zhang n? The head of the Zhang n? The crowd looked at one another in utter shock. The head of the Zhang n had actually snuck into their Jiang n, browsed through all of their books,prehended the Soul Quintessence, and even tamed their n Head Token... They had thought that even if the fake n head was not really from the Jiang n, he would likely be some honorary elder who had resided in the Jiang n for a very long time. How else could he know so much about the Jiang n? Not even in their wildest dreams did they expect the other party to be a twenty-year-old young man! More importantly... the other party had never been to the Jiang n before! In other words, it was his first encounter with the heritage of the Jiang n, and he had already grasped the Soul Quintessence... Y-you... At the same time, Jiang Feifeis face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, and her eyes nearly popped out. She suddenly recalled how she had insulted the other party to his face... Did she just make a formidable foe for the Jiang n? But thinking again, the other party was even more overboard. He had actually said that she was ugly! She had initially been thinking of finding an opportunity to pummel the other party and exact vengeance, but from the looks of it, she would never have the chance to do so... That fellow was simply too powerful! Even more than a dozen 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, along with the Pavilion Master Ren, were not able to faze him at all. If she challenged him, it was likely that she would be sted off in a single strike! You are Zhang Xuan... That exins why you were able to utilize the Time Quintessence! Jiang Fangyou also found it hard to believe that the thief who had snuck into the Jiang ns treasure vault would actually be the famed Zhang Xuan. As if struck by lightning, he had a bbergasted look on his face. He had thought that it would be some formidable expert, but who could have thought that it was a youngd whose age was even smaller than that of his own daughter! No, something is wrong here. Other than the Time Quintessence, I recall that you had tapped into the power of the spatial sealing as well... Recalling the fight that he had with the young man, Jiang Fangyou suddenly narrowed his eyes in astonishment. It cant be that you haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing too, can it? Indeed. I haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing too! Zhang Xuan nodded. The situation had been too perilous for him earlier, and he had been left with no choice but to use everything at his disposal. It was toote for him to cover up the matter anymore, so he might as well admit it frankly. If you haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, then... the Luo ns Luo Tianya... Jiang Fangyou thought about how the young man was able to impersonate him, to the point that even the elders and his own daughter were befuddled as to who the real one was... Putting it together with the timing of Luo Tianyas appearance, Jiang Fangyou suddenly widened his eyes in utter horror. Luo Tianya is indeed one of my personas, too! Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. This... No wonder! Jiang Fangyous mouth remained agape for a long while before it morphed into a bitter smile. He had been wondering just how coincidental it was for such a formidable genius to appear in the Luo n shortly after they suffered a crushing humiliation. In the end, it turned out to be Zhang Xuan in disguise... Jiang Feifei was also dumbstruck by what she had just heard. The young man before her was actually the n head of two of the Three Premier ns... Was such a thing even possible? Putting herself against him, she realized that she could notpete with him in anything at all. The Time Quintessence, the Spatial Quintessence, and the Soul Quintessence... He had actually aplished something that no one had ever done in the past tens of thousands of years... When did Quintessences be so worthless that even a twenty-year-old young man could learn them? In the Three Premier ns, other than the founders, there were barely any descendants who had managed to grasp the Quintessences... Honestly, when put against the monster standing before her, it suddenly felt like the so-called geniuses that had been held in high regard in the Three Premier ns were actually no different from trash! Everyone! Recovering from his shock, Jiang Fangyou did a sweeping gaze across the crowd and said, I only have one thing to say. Ill leave it up to you to decide what to do after hearing my piece! n head, please feel free to speak your mind! Jiang Fangyun and the others quickly replied. The Seal of Souls in the treasure vault has vanished, Jiang Fangyou said. If Im not mistaken, it was taken away and tamed by him! I did take the Seal of Souls, but I have not tamed it yet! Zhang Xuan said with a reddened face. It was one thing for him to empty their treasure vault, but having it pointed out explicitly like that still made him feel rather embarrassed. From the looks of it, it seemed like he had no choice but to return those treasures to them... He took away the Seal of Souls? Hearing Jiang Fangyous words, the elders widened their eyes in astonishment. Following which, Jiang Fangyou took a step forward and kneeled down, Jiang ns Jiang Fangyou pays respect to the guild leader! The descendants of the Jiang n pay respect to the guild leader! The other elders also quickly kneeled down as well. Guild leader? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. Was he not supposed to be their n head? Why were they addressing him as their guild leader now? Noticing the confused look on Zhang Xuans face, Jiang Fangyou sent a telepathic message over. Since you have browsed through the cultivation techniques of our Jiang n, you should know that most of our soul manuals stem from the soul oracles heritage! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. This was something that he had been wondering about ever since going through the Jiang n Repository. Had the heritage of the soul oracles not been destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion? Why did the Jiang n still have books containing the heritage of the soul oracles? Furthermore, why were they allowed to exist so openly on the Master Teacher Continent despite the nature of their heritage? The Seal of Souls is the insignia of authority that was passed down within the Soul Oracle Guild back then. The person who wields the Seal of Souls is the chosen leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, as well the master that our Jiang n serves! Jiang Fangyou exined. Chapter 1647 - Unknown Secrets of the Soul Oracles (2)

Chapter 1647: Unknown Secrets of the Soul Oracles (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Seal of Souls is the insignia of authority of the Soul Oracle Guild? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. No wonder it was so heavy! Withoutprehending the Soul Quintessence, he was not even able to lift it with his Primordial Spirit. It turned out that there was actually such a history behind the seal! Whats going on? How did the Jiang n obtain the heritage of the soul oracle? Why would it serve the master of the Seal of Souls? Werent the soul oracles eradicated by the Master Teacher Pavilion for betraying mankind? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. He simply could not make sense of the situation. As one of the Three Premier ns, the Master Teacher Pavilion was bound to keep a close eye on the Jiang n. They should be able to discern that the Jiang n had inherited the heritage of the soul oracles. After all, being skillful at soul arts and being a soul oracle were two different things. So, why would the Master Teacher Pavilion still allow the existence of the Jiang n? Jiang Fangyou hesitated for a moment before saying, This matter concerns the most crucial secret of the Jiang n. It isnt convenient for us to speak of it here, so Id like to invite Zhang shi to follow us into the main hall to follow up on the conversation! Even though the Guardian Formation did prevent outsiders from eavesdropping on their conversation, this matter had great implications and required the utmost confidentiality, so it was best to take as many precautions as possible. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. This way, please! Jiang Fangyou heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Since he still had control over the Jiang ns Guardian Formation, he was not worried that they would pull anything on him. Following behind Jiang Fangyou, they soon arrived in a grand hall. After Zhang Xuan sat down on the main seat, Jiang Fangyou and the other elders swiftly took their seats by the side. They swiftly activated the barrier in the hall to iste itpletely from the world. After which, Jiang Fangyou turned his gaze over and said, Zhang shi, I heard that you once taught a direct disciple named Lu Chong. He has made great advancements as a soul oracle, reaching the level of Great Sage... May I ask if thats true? Theres indeed such a matter! Zhang Xuan nodded. In order to save him back then, Lu Chong had gotten into a huge fight against the 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Even though the matter had eventually been resolved, news had still spread far and wide. Thus, it was not surprising for Jiang Fangyou to be aware of the matter. If thats the case... would it be right to say that you are a soul oracle as well, Zhang shi? Jiang Fangyou asked. You can say so! Zhang Xuan replied candidly. Then theres no mistake... Seeing that Zhang Xuan had admitted to it, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. With an agitated look in his eyes, Jiang Fangyou continued his questioning. May I know where you acquired the soul oracle heritage from? Could you have, by any chance, met other soul oracles? My heritage originates from a soul who has coincidentally survived through the years. Im afraid that I havent met any soul oracles before! Zhang Xuan shook his head. In truth, Mo Hunsheng could not be considered as a true soul oracle anymore. In precise terms, he was simply a fragmented soul possessing a consciousness. And other than Mo Hunsheng and Lu Chong, he had not met any other soul oracles before. You have never met any soul oracles before? Jiang Fangyou asked with a hint of dejection in his voice. Thats right! Zhang Xuan replied with a doubtful edge in his voice. Arent soul oracles existences shunned by the world? I believe that their heritage should have already been eradicated from the Master Teacher Continent, right? Shunned? Hearing those words, Jiang Fangyou fell silent. A momentter, he shook his head bitterly and said, It seems like you are unaware of the truth! The truth? I know that it might be hard for you to believe it, but the truth is that the soul oracles never betrayed mankind! Jiang Fangyou said earnestly. They didnt betray mankind? Zhang Xuan was perplexed to hear those words. This betrayal of the soul oracles was an incident that had been recorded in detail by the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was no one on the Master Teacher Continent who was unaware of their treachery... Yet, Jiang Fangyou was actually denying it? Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply before beginning on his story. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was simply too strong. Back then, even under the leadership of Kong shi and his seventy-two direct disciples, the forces of mankind were still hardly a match for the Otherworldly Demons... In fact, there was a point in time when an Otherworldly Demon Emperor sessfully trapped Kong shi in Chen Cai 1 . Having lost Kong shi, mankind found itself driven into a corner... Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words. He recalled hearing this matter from Vicious before. The war was simply too disadvantageous toward mankind. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe knew us like the back of their hand, but our knowledge of them was terribly limited. For one, we werepletely helpless against their Zhenqi of ughter... Even if a human cultivator was equally powerful to an Otherworldly Demon, the human cultivator would swiftly lose their rationality uponing into contact with the overwhelming killing intent from the Zhenqi of ughter, thus making them easy prey for the Otherworldly Demon! Jiang Fangyou continued. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. This was something that he could rte to. When he first encountered an Otherworldly Demon during the Master Teacher Tournament in Myriad Kingdom City, the same had almost happened to him. If not for his Heavens Path zhenqi, he might have sumbed there and then. The Zhenqi of ughter affected ones soul directly. Even master teachers would find themselves unable to stand properly in its face, let alone ordinary cultivators. In order to salvage the situation, Kong shi made the decision to have cultivators specializing in soul cultivation infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and uncover the secrets behind their soul... At this point, Jiang Fangyous face suddenly darkened a little. Despite the dangers, the soul oracles took up the mission. However, in order to win the trust of the Otherworldly Demons, the soul oracles had to make aplete breakaway from the Master Teacher Pavilion. The result of that is what you see in the records of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Deemed to be evil as a result of their malevolent practices and treachery, the soul oracles were massacred by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and their heritage waspletely destroyed... This... Zhang Xuans body jolted upon hearing those words. If what Jiang Fangyou had said was true, the soul oracles had really made a huge sacrifice for mankind! They should have been the heroes of mankind, but they had been scorned by the very people that they had saved for tens of thousands of years... As if having read Zhang Xuans mind, Jiang Fangyou continued. Back in that era, mankind had suffered a life worse than livestock under the tyranny of the Otherworldly Demon. They didnt even have control over their life and death. There was not a single man whose hopes and dreams werent to drive them away and grasp control over his life back. The soul oracles viewed their sacrifice as necessary for the greater good, and they had no qualms doing so! In order to put up a convincing act before the Otherworldly Demons, the Master Teacher Pavilion mobilized a huge number of master teachers to encircle the soul oracles. In a single night, the entire upation fell into ruin. The leader of the Soul Oracle Guild was then captured by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and hemitted suicide shortly after. The leader of the Soul Oracle Guildmitted suicide? Zhang Xuan questioned in bewilderment. If the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild hadmitted suicide, how did the soul oracles manage to infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? The suicide was just a front. It looked as if he hadmitted suicide, but his soul had actually survived the ordeal. He entrusted his heritage to our founder before seeking refuge with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply. Having witnessed theplete destruction of the entire lineage of soul oracles, the powerful Otherworldly Demon expert who had sealed Kong shi didnt doubt the intentions of the guild leader at all. Over time, the guild leader sessfully uncovered the secret behind the Zhenqi of ughter and found a way to deliver the intelligence back to the Master Teacher Pavilion. He also designed a scheme to assassinate that powerful Otherworldly Demon expert! On top of that, he even designed inherently wed soul cultivation techniques in ordance to the unique traits of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. His ambition wasnt just to weaken an Otherworldly Demon or two but the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! However, in order to do so, he knew that he had to convince as many Otherworldly Demons as possible to practice his soul cultivation technique, and it went without saying that the Otherworldly Demons wouldnt be willing to practice a wed soul cultivation technique! As such, he designed the soul cultivation technique in a manner such that the ws wouldnt be apparent to the practitioners?. In the short run, practicing his soul cultivation technique wouldnt cause any trouble, and it would strengthen ones soul. However, if one continued practicing it, ones Zhenqi of ughter would gradually weaken, eventually resulting in an overall diminishment of ones fighting prowess! wed soul cultivation technique? Zhang Xuans body jolted as realization dawned upon him. Back then, when he entered the Subterranean Gallery beneath the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had managed to kill the Goldenleaf King and the Greenleaf King and acquired their possessions. There had been plenty of soul cultivation technique manuals in their storage rings, but to his astonishment, he had found that those techniques were riddled with ws! Back then, he had thought that it was weird how the soul cultivation techniques cultivated by the Otherworldly Demons were so mediocre, especially since they had the soul oracles on their side. However, if Jiang Fangyous ount on the soul oracles was true, everything made perfect sense! The mediocre soul cultivation techniques of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were an intentional action by the guild leader, and the aim was to weaken their forte! To willingly sacrifice themselves and bear a vile reputation just so that mankind had a shot at victory... the soul oracles were indeed the true unsung heroes of mankind! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. At this moment, he suddenly recalled a matter. You mentioned a certain powerful expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe who had sealed Kong shi earlier. Do you know... what his name is? Chapter 1648 - Descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan

Chapter 1648: Descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That Otherworldly Demon expert had been able to corner Kong shi to the point where thetter had no choice but to sacrifice an entire upation in order to infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as a spy... Given so, just how powerful could that Otherworldly Demon expert be? Would his prowess not have already exceeded that of an average Otherworldly Demon? Jiang Fangyou did not think that Zhang Xuan would ask such a question. He pondered for a long while before replying slowly. The name of that Otherworldly Demon expert has already been lost in history. All we know is that he wielded indomitable strength and viewed life as nothing more than dirt. He was callous and capricious, and when he was in a bad mood, he had no qualms killing his own brethren... As such, both the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind chose to address him as... Vicious! Vicious? Zhang Xuans body jolted. As expected! When he heard that Kong shi had been trapped in Chen Cai, he had already guessed as to who the culprit could be. Nevertheless, he was still shocked when he heard the answer. To think that the little Vicious whom he had sealed in his Book of Heavens Path would really be a formidable figure who had once cornered Kong shi! The soul oracles even had to bear a vile reputation that remained with them to this date in order to kill him... It was no wonder Vicious had been so haughty the first time they met. It turned out that he did have the power to match his ego during his prime! Indeed. ording to the news that the founder of our Jiang n received from the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, Kong shi concocted a scheme in advance after learning of Vicious movements and prepared an ambush for him. That fight was truly of epic proportions; even the sky and the earth cracked before their incredible prowess! In the end, Vicious waspletely destroyed by Kong shi, such that not even his corpse remained in the world! Jiang Fangyou said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent. It was indeed true that Vicious body had been torn into innumerable fragments. Having collected so many of Vicious scattered parts, he knew that better than anyone else. However, he had not thought that there would be such a heavy story behind it. There were simply too many sacrifices made in order to defeat Vicious once and for all. Regarding your ount of the soul oracles, I think its questionable whether even the Master Teacher Pavilion has any records of the matter or not. How can you be certain that the information on your hand hasnt been distorted over time? Zhang Xuan asked. This matter would definitely have to be kept with the highest level of confidentiality, such that even the current Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would not necessarily be aware of it. In other words, the Jiang n would be the only ones in possession of this piece of information. In order to ensure that the sess of the operation, the Jiang n could not possibly have been so foolish as to create a physical copy to detail this piece of information. That would be as good as leaving a tip-off to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! That was also probably the reason Zhang Xuan had remained oblivious to this matter despite having gone through all of the books in the Jiang n Repository. So, the chances were that the story was passed down through the Jiang n verbally. However, could verbal information that had been passed over for tens of thousands of years really be trusted? There was bound to be some distortion over the years, resulting in certain aspects of the story being warped to suit their convenience. Its recorded in the Seal of Souls by Kong shi personally! Jiang Fangyou replied. As long as the head of the Jiang n ces the n Head Token against the Seal of Souls, he will receive a message through soul telepathy informing him of the history of the soul oracles. Its through this system of inheritance that the members of our Jiang n have been able to remember the sacrifices our predecessors made even after the passing of tens of thousands of years! I see! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It seemed like Kong shi had thought the matter through in advance and prepared a countermeasure so that the soul oracles would not have to go down in history ignominiously. The soul oracles had sacrificed themselves for mankind and the greater good. If their descendants had to live in shame of their ancestors, unaware of the truth, how tragic would the soul oracles be? However, if they recorded it on paper, there would be an inevitable risk of information getting out. If the Otherworldly Demons obtained the piece of information by some chance, the soul oracles who had sessfully infiltrated the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would have all hell to pay for! This was indeed a huge dilemma. The sacrifice of the soul oracle could not be left unknown, but recording it could very well render their efforts futile. It was likely that Kong shi had been ced in a quandary as well, so he could only choose to seal the information within the Seal of Souls and pass it down to the sessors of the soul oracle. Hopefully, if there were to be a day where the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe waspletely eliminated, the soul oracles would finally be able to be cleansed of their disrepute! The Jiang n is the descendant of the guild leader, and his blood flows through our veins. Thus, if anyone gains control of the Seal of Souls, they will be deemed to be our new guild leader, and all members of the Jiang n will have to heed hismands unconditionally! Jiang Fangyou exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. At the same time, the many elders of the Jiang n also lowered their heads contemtively. They knew that the lineage of the Jiang n had its roots from the soul oracles, but they were not too certain about the details. However, hearing Jiang Fangyou revealing everything in detail, the questions that they had harbored for many years were finally answered. To think that our ancestors were actually the soul oracles... Jiang Feifei was also astounded by what she had just heard. All along, she had prided herself as a master teacher, and she had carried deep abhorrence for the soul oracles. She had viewed them as a bunch of despicable people who carried no regard for the sanctity of life. However, after hearing the sacrifices that the soul oracles had made for mankind, she realized that her view of them might have been twisted all along. Without them, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe might have still been the dominant power on the Master Teacher Continent, and mankind would still have been living a life worse than death. Zhang shi hasprehended the Soul Quintessence and sessfully retrieved the Seal of Souls. Be it from the perspective of a soul oracle or from the view of the Jiang n, I believe that theres no doubt that no one is more qualified than him to be our n head! Jiang Fangyou looked at the elders and dered his stance. Indeed. The fact that Zhang shi was able toprehend the Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences and achieve deeds that astounded even the Master Teacher Pavilion, he might just be able to cleanse the reputation of the soul oracles and allow them to stand beneath the light once more without facing the criticism of others! As the descendants of the soul oracles, this is what we have been waiting for all our life! Zhang shi, please lead us to a brighter future! ... The elders rose up and sped their fists respectfully. The Jiang n was a blood lineage, but the Soul Oracle Guild was not. The fact that Zhang Xuan had been able to grasp the Seal of Souls meant that he had been recognized as the rightful sessor as the head of the Soul Oracle Guild. He had also been the only person to sessfully do so in the past tens of thousands of years. The soul oracles had been wronged for far too long. As their descendants, the members of the Jiang n were unwilling to allow such a situation to continue any further. Even if their ancestors could not be praised for their heroic sacrifice, they did not deserve to suffer the condemnation of the entire world! This... Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. Im willing to be the head of the Jiang n... But prior to that, n Head Jiang Fangyou, theres a doubt in my mind that I hope that you can answer. Please feel free to speak, Jiang Fangyou said. When I arrived in the Jiang n just earlier today, I unintentionally saw youing into contact with a schrly young man... To be frank with you, I have met that schrly young man before, and we have even fought on two asions. If Im not mistaken, hes very likely an Otherworldly Demon! Zhang Xuan said before directing a piercing gaze at Jiang Fangyou. If everything that Jiang Fangyou had said was truethat the soul oracles had truly made such a huge sacrifice for mankindit would not make sense for their descendants to betray mankind and undo everything the efforts of their ancestors. But... no matter how Zhang Xuan looked at it, there was no way he could rationalize the apparent close rtions between Jiang Fangyou and the schrly young man. Schrly young man? Jiang Fangyou was taken aback by the question. He pondered for a moment before asking, Are you referring to Yan Xue? Yan Xue? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Yes, thats the name of the young man who has visited me earlier on. He isnt an Otherworldly Demon but a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. He has already reached the level of Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation for his cultivation, making him a renowned figure even in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. In fact, it was said that his name is on the Heaven Board, Jiang Fangyou exined. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan... You are referring to Kong shis first direct disciple, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan? Zhang Xuans body jolted in astonishment. How could that be possible? I saw him colluding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe with my own eyes! He waspletely bbergasted by what he was hearing. The first time that he had encountered the schrly young man was at the White Creek Mountain. While they were fighting over the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, a person among the group of four revealed his true form as an Otherworldly Demon. The second time they met was at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild. At that time, not only were there a handful of Great Sage cultivators, he even found himself facing an Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon! If the schrly young man was truly a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, why was he together with so many Otherworldly Demons? Furthermore, he had even aided the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in iming the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! This... He came to me requesting to establish connections with the soul oracles in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I am only a messenger, so Im not too sure about his true intentions. After all, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers has never been ountable to anyone for their actions, Jiang Fangyou said. Chapter 1649 - Taking Jiang Feifei in as a Student

Chapter 1649: Taking Jiang Feifei in as a Student

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Hes trying to connect with the soul oracles in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Zhang Xuan was getting a little confused. If that person was truly the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, the Seer Guilds betrayal might not necessarily be a true betrayal. The same went for the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. But still, it didnt make much sense for an expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to have close ties with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. After all, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were the direct descendants of Kong shis 72 direct disciples, so it was unthinkable for them to betray mankind. Taking a step back, even if they were to betray mankind, would the Otherworldly Demon be willing to trust them? Yet, at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild, they were residing peacefully with the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages! This was truly inconceivable. No matter how Zhang Xuan thought about the matter, he was unable to make sense out of it. After questioning a little longer, he found that Jiang Fangyou truly knew nothing about the schrly young man at all. His responsibility simply stopped at forming connections between the soul oracles and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Our ancestors have made such great sacrifices for mankind! As their descendants, how could we sully their heroism? Furthermore, our Jiang n is established upon the deaths of countless predecessors in the Subterranean Gallery over the past tens of thousands of years! We wouldnt be worthy of being called humans if we were to trample over their sacrifices and collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Upon realizing that Zhang Xuan was suspecting them of treachery, Jiang Fangyou stood up, sped his fist, and dered indignantly. I apologize for my reckless behavior. I shouldnt havee to such a quick conclusion! Zhang Xuan quickly rose to his feet and said. The soul oracles had done so much for mankind, yet he still doubted the loyalty of their descendants. It was not to say that he regretted his decision. He would still do it again if he had towhen the fate of mankind was at stake, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Nevertheless, since it was proven that he had made a mistake, it was only right for him to offer an earnest apology. Considering the reputation of the soul oracles in the world, its no surprise that you woulde to this conclusion... At this point, Jiang Fangyou suddenly widened his eyes in realization and asked, Is that the reason why you emptied our treasure vault? You thought that we were in cahoots with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Im afraid thats the case... Zhang Xuans face reddened in shame. Hearing those words, Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply and said, Well, I can at least understand why you did what you did. If we were truly in collusion with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it would be foolish to uphold propriety with us... Propriety only came in when the world was at peace. If extinction was on the line, it would be foolish to remain polite and courteous with ones enemies. If there was truly a major human power in the world who had betrayed mankind for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, robbing it of its resources would indeed be a fair move. Ill return your treasures back to your treasure vaultter on... Zhang Xuan replied hurriedly. Having learned that the Jiang n hadnt truly betrayed mankind and had even sacrificed a lot in order to protect it, no matter how thick-skinned Zhang Xuan was, there was no way he could continue to brazenly im their treasures for his own. On the other hand, seeing the look on Zhang Xuans face, Jiang Fangyou couldnt help but chuckle softly. Even though Zhang Xuans actions might have seemed a little unprincipled here, he had to admit that it was indeed an effective move. If the Jiang n had truly betrayed mankind, this single move would have set them back by a great deal After having cleared things up, the remaining issues werent too much trouble. Zhang Xuan agreed to be the stand-in head of the Jiang n for the time being. Until the matter with the soul oracles had been reviewed and resolved, they mustnt be shown to have any ties with the Jiang n. Otherwise, he would have surely rmended Lu Chong to the position instead. Considering that his student had found the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles and obtained their heritage, he was bound to be a leading figure of the upation in the future. And speaking of the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles, the truth was that Zhang Xuan had been harboring some doubts about its existence for a long time now. Considering that the Master Teacher Pavilion had gone all out to eradicate the soul oracles, how could they possibly spare thetters ancient domain? From the looks of it now, it seemed like Kong shi helped to conceal its existence so as to preserve the lineage and heritage of the soul oracles. Otherwise, with the prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it would have surely rooted it out and destroyed it a long time ago. By the time the inauguration ceremony concluded, it was alreadyte at night. Zhang Xuan quickly returned all of the treasures back to the treasure vault except for a couple of items which harnessed concentrated spiritual energy. After which, he called Jiang Feifei over and handed a book over to her. Recorded in here is myprehension of the Soul Quintessence. As long as you cultivate in ordance with it, you should be able toprehend it very quickly. You dont need to waste your time and effort at the Jiang ns Jade Hieroglyph anymore, he said. Yourprehension of the Soul Quintessence? Jiang Feifei flipped the manual open uncertainly and swiftly flipped through it. By the time her hand flipped over the final page, her eyes were already widened in disbelief. Formless and intangible, it was much more difficult to cultivate the soul aspared to the physical body. Despite her aptitude toward soul arts, she still had no confidence that she would be able toprehend the Soul Quintessence. In fact, she felt that even if she were to devote her entire life to it, the chances were that his efforts would be futile. However, the manual which the newly inaugurated n head had just given her harnessed the very crux of soul cultivation. It wasnt needlesslyplex, and it was structured in a logical manner which first reinforced her fundamental understanding of what a soul was before moving on to the moreplex aspects... With such a manual, she was confident that she would be able toprehend the Soul Quintessence with a month of hard work! One must know that this was a feat which countless predecessors had tried but failed at! T-this... Its too valuable! Jiang Feifei eximed with trembling hands. She bit her lips tightly, seemingly resolving herself to some important decision, before raising her gaze to look at Zhang Xuan, How can I ever repay you for this valuable manual... If you really wish to, Ill agree to an engagement with you... She still didnt like the young man before her, but she knew how important he was to the Jiang n. It would be a blessing if the young man were to be bound to the Jiang n, even if through a political marriage. At the very most, she would just have to sacrifice herself for this cause. Even though the young man said that there was someone whom he liked, in the worst-case scenario, she would just have to be his concubine. With her looks and standing, she believed that there was no reason for the young man to turn her down. Engagement? You are thinking too much. Even though the manual I have just imparted to you may seem easy to cultivate, theres a high chance your cultivation might go berserk if you were to practice it without my guidance! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head said. Alright, Ill take you in as my student and guide you on your cultivation of the Soul Quintessence! Student? Jiang Feifei was taken aback. She thought that the reason why Zhang Xuan was willing to hand such a precious manual to her was to force her to promise herself to him... Who could have thought that he was intending to take her as his student instead! The abrupt change in the train of thoughts left her a little dumbstruck. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pay your respects! Even if you are just an ordinary student of the n head, it would soon be your greatest pride! Jiang Fangyou eximed in agitation, jolting his daughter out of her daze. On top of being the head of the Zhang n, the Luo n, and the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Xuans students were also the Progeny of Combat, the chief of the cier in Court, the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, the head of the Yuan n... All in all, there was no mediocre student under his tutge. If his daughter could be his student, even if just in name, it would be highly beneficial for her future. Perhaps, she might even exceed him in time to time! Hearing her fathers words, Jiang Feifei was stunned for a moment before nodding hurriedly, Yes, I understand! She was still holding onto the notion that Zhang Xuan was the same young genius who had challenged her back at the Sanctum of Sages. She had failed to realize that over the span of less than a month, the young man had already reached the top of the Master Teacher Continent. Their standing was no longer the same as before. Putting aside all of his other identities, just on the ount that he was Yang shis senior, it wouldnt be overboard even if Jiang Feifei were to call him great grandfather! Jiang Feifei pays respect to teacher! Jiang Feifei knelt to the ground and greeted. Good! Come, get up! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Earlier, when the youngdy knelt down earlier, another golden page was formed within the Library of Heavens Path. Zhang Xuan couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief. The opponents he had to face was no longer limited to just Saint cultivators. There was no doubt that he would be forced to battle against Great Sages and even Ancient Sages in the near future. With a golden page in his inventory, his safety would at least be assured for the time being. Even if an Ancient Sage were toe after him now, he had the confidence that he would be able to subdue the other party with the golden page. Should I try to take in more students to gather more golden pages? Junior Yangs direct disciple, Feng Ziyi, isnt too bad either. Hmm... Should I negotiate with Junior Yang to let him to me? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw as he pondered seriously over this issue. Given his current standing, just the title of Zhang Xuans student was enough to put one on a high pedestal. Thus, he had to take absolute care in choosing the students he took in. However, it was easier said than done to find good students. After all, not everyone was as outstanding,passionate, righteous, and noble as him... Chapter 1650 - Heavenly Flame Tribulation

Chapter 1650: Heavenly me Tribtion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric In the end, Zhang Xuan gave up on the idea. The sanctity of lineages had to be upheld. Since Feng Ziyi was Yang shis direct disciple, it would be inappropriate for him to take the young man in as his student. It seemed like he would have to search carefully for suitable individuals to take in as his student in the future. Considering how powerful the golden page was, it would be best for him to collect as many of it as possible. If he were to have a few hundred golden pages in the Library of Heavens Path, he just might be able to defeat all of the Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe single-handedly! Wait a moment... Kong shi had three thousand students, right? Could his reason for taking so many students be for this as well? Such a thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. Kong shi only had 72 direct disciples, but he had over three thousand normal students. Could it be possible that Kong shi had the Library of Heavens Path as well, and the reason why he took in so many students was to form as many golden pages as possible? Perhaps, he might have even defeated Vicious by tossing golden pages at him as if they were nothing, forcefully smashing him into meat paste! It was one thing to be defeated by a powerful expert, but to be defeated under a barrage of books... Well, Vicious would have really suffered the most tragic defeat in history! I should look more into Kong shis affairs in the future and see if he has a history of using books as his weapon. That should give me a clue as to whether he possesses the Library of Heavens Path as well... In the end, this was only Zhang Xuans hypothesis at the moment. He needed to look further into it to know for sure. Putting those misceneous thoughts at the back of his mind, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on deciphering the crux of the manual to Jiang Feifei and rifying her doubts. By the time she had fully grasped the manual, it was alreadyte at night. Theres still some time before sunrise. Let me see if I can advance my soul cultivation so the Aureate Body realm! Knowing that it was still rather early, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before standing up. The main reason why he came to the Jiang n was to temper his soul so that he could enter the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse. Since he had already gathered the Introspective Convalescence realm and the Aureate Body realm Heavens Path Soul Art, and he had the required cultivation resources on hand too, it would be good for him to make a breakthrough as soon as possible. Zhang Xuan had Jiang Fangyou prepare a silent residence for him. He entered the cultivation chamber of the residence and sat down. After which, he drew his Primordial Spirit out from his body and began conditioning himself. Alright, I should start! Once he felt that his condition had reached its peak, he flicked his hand, and the spiritual energy-rich cultivation resources he had taken with permission from the Jiang ns treasure vault earlier fell all over the ground, emanating an invigorating aura. Gugugu! Spiritual energy began surging into Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit furiously. His aura was growing stronger at a visible pace, and within a teas time, he had already reached the very peak of Introspective Convalescence realm, seemingly ready to make the final step forward at any moment. Thus, he attempted to make a breakthrough. However, after a few attempts, he found that the bottleneck limiting him was a little too resilient. Zhang Xuan analyzed with a frown, It might be because I have just achieved a breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence realm and have yet to fully reinforce my soul cultivation yet, so my soul energy hasnt been fully condensed together yet... It had been less than half a day since he had reached Introspective Convalescence realm, so his soul energy hadnt fully settled down yet. He could attempt to force a breakthrough right now, but even if he were to seed, this weaker foundation would surelye to haunt him in the future. The difficulty in advancing his cultivation had already gotten much harder ever since he reached Great Sage. He had no wish to further up the difficulty for himself. But still, will I really have to spend two to three days just to reinforce my soul cultivation? Zhang Xuan rubbed his temple in distress. Two to three days just to reinforce a cultivation realm... That was too slow, too slow! With the perilous circumstances around him, he had to raise his cultivation as soon as possible. Otherwise, even with a weapon as powerful as the Dragonbone Divine Spear, he would still be unable to exert his full strength. If theres something I could use topress my soul energy together, I would be able to do it much faster... At this point in time, a spark shed across Zhang Xuans mind as his eyes lit up in excitement. Right, the Seal of Souls! Without using the Soul Quintessence, the pressure the Seal of Souls could exert on his Primordial Spirit was immense, unbearable even. If he had to reinforce his soul cultivation alone, the rate which he would improve at was extremely slow. Without at least three days of effort, it would be difficult for him to fully reinforce the foundations for Introspective Convalescence realm. However, through using the pressure of the Seal of Souls, the process could be sped up significantly. Perhaps, he might even be able to finish the task by tonight! Go! With a flick of his hand, a seal materialized at the center of the room. As soon as it appeared, Zhang Xuan immediately felt intense pressure crushing down on him. It felt as if his Primordial Spirit would bepressed infinitesimally under the pressure. Without driving the Soul Quintessence, he slowly approached the Seal of Souls with his Primordial Spirit. Tzzzzzzz! As if approaching a scorching inferno, his Primordial Spirit began corroding under the immense pressure, seemingly on the verge of dissipation. Heavens Path Soul Art! Harrumphing coldly, he began driving the Heavens Path Soul Art, and his dissipating Primordial Spirit slowly began to stabilize. This was simr to how he had used the pressure from the Dragonbone Divine Spear back then to temper his Primordial Spirit. The theory behind Introspective Convalescence realm for soul cultivation was simr to that for zhenqi cultivation. It focused on altering the basic underlying structure of a soul so as to make it more resilient and powerful. With the pressure, his soul energy swiftly condensed together, making his Primordial Spirit more and morepact and powerful. A vague golden glow was beginning to emanate from the surface of his Primordial Spirit, a sign that he was steadily advancing toward a breakthrough to the Aureate Body realm. Is this the Aureate Body realm? Noticing the golden glow from his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan quickly inspected on the changes and found that the parts of his soul shrouded in golden glow was much more resilient aspared to the others. Resilient was a word rarely used to describe intangible and formless souls. However, after being suffused with the golden glow, the resilience of his soul had astonishingly surpassed the level of Saint pinnacle artifacts. Incredible! Zhang Xuan remarked with an excited gleam in his eyes as he continued to temper his Primordial Spirit using the pressure from the Seal of Souls. Four hourster, he finally came to a halt After a tough session of cultivation, his Primordial Spirit, which had be a little bloated after reaching Introspective Convalescence realm, had been fullypacted once more. At the same time, his disposition had undergone yet another change. From afar, he gave off a fleeting presence, simr to that of an unworldly deity. There was a fine line between Great Sage and Sainthood. Traversing beyond this fine line meant a metamorphosis in ones level of existence. At this moment, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit was streaked with golden lines. If he were to drive his prowess to its maximum potential, a brilliant burst of golden light would shine from him, giving him an appearance reminiscent to that of a Buddha. Continue! Knowing that he had already reinforced his soul cultivation to its limits, he kept the Seal of Souls and began furiously absorbing spiritual energy into his Primordial Spirit once more. Simrly, his soul cultivation also began advancing for greater heights too. Hong long! There was a resounding buzz as the bottleneck limiting him and shredded apart. The golden lines streaking across his Primordial Spirit melted and shrouded his entire soul, giving off a golden glow that filled the entire room. Aureate Body realm, reached! This is truly formidable... Sensing the changes in his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan trembled in excitement. At his current level, he could execute Soul Traverse freely without fear that his Primordial Spirit would be harmed as a result of squeezing through space. It seems like Lu Chong has reached Aureate Body realm as well... Zhang Xuan thought awkwardly. It had always bothered him how his students were able to advance their cultivation faster than him. While it could be partially credited to their unique constitutions and the resources they had at their disposal, it still left him feeling deeply frustrated. Hong long long! Just as Zhang Xuans mind was wandering, thunderous rumbling suddenly echoed outside the room. Heading outside, he saw storm clouds congregating above the Jiang n. Overwhelming energy was swiftly gathering in the vicinity. Lightning tribtion? Achieving a breakthrough in ones soul cultivation to Aureate Body realm would induce a lightning tribtion too? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. However, in the next moment, the Dragonbone Divine Spear wrapped around his waist suddenly eximed, It isnt a lightning tribtion but a heavenly me tribtion! Lightning tribtion served to temper ones Primordial Spirit whereas heavenly me tempers the Aureate Body! Heavenly me tribtion? Zhang Xuan was startled for an instant before his face flushed in excitement, Wait a moment... Doesnt that mean that I would be able to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison in advance? Chapter 1651 - Empyrean Heavenly Flame

Chapter 1651: Empyrean Heavenly me

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Kong shi had once said that in order to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison, it would have to be seared with heavenly mes. He thought that this would require him to advance his zhenqi cultivation to Great Sage, but who could have thought that he would end up drawing it in with his soul cultivation? If he could make use of it to temper his physical body, wouldnt he be able to resolve the threat which had been worrying him over the past year once and for all? Will the heavenly me tribtion sear my Primordial Spirit directly? Zhang Xuan asked the Dragonbone Divine Spear anxiously. The Saint Ascension Ordeal was divided into the Soul Ordeal, Body Ordeal, and Heart Ordeal. Given that the heavenly me tribtion was also the retribution that the heavens brought upon the cultivators, would ite in the same order as well? Hearing the question, the Dragonbone Divine Spear pondered for a moment before replying, There are three phases to the heavenly me tribtion, namely Scorching Soul Tribtion, Scorching Spirit Tribtion, and Scorching Heart Tribtion. With your prowess, you should be able to survive the Scorching Soul Tribtion. However, Im afraid that the same cannot be said about the Scorching Spirit Tribtion and Scorching Heart Tribtion. Even the slightest carelessness can easily result in the dissipation of your existence! This is especially so for the final Scorching Heart Tribtion. Inner demons will attempt to break down your wil, and once the will extinguishes, everything else goes to rest as well. If your physical body had reached Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm, together with the formidable prowess of your Primordial Spirit, you might still be able to withstand the inner demons. However, in your current state, Im afraid that itll be difficult for you to oppose the inner demons with your Primordial Spirit itself! Countless soul oracles in the ancient era had died as a result of the heavenly me tribtion. It was only those who were blessed with great luck and the utmost talent who managed to survive this ordeal... ( .c om ) The Dragonbone Divine Spear had witnessed Zhang Xuan refining his Primordial Spirit using the pressure exerted, so he was aware of the fact that the young man cultivated his soul as well. You mean to say that... it would have been safer for me to challenge the heavenly me tribtion if my zhenqi cultivation were to reach Aureate Body realm as well? Hearing the words of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Zhang Xuan asked. Thats right. The body is much more formidable at fending off inner demons aspared to the soul. With the physical body bearing the brunt of the impact and the soul assisting by the side, the chances of oveing the heavenly me tribtion would be much higher. If you were to challenge it with just your Primordial Spirit itself... Honestly speaking, I dont personally know of anyone who has seeded in doing so yet! the Dragonbone Divine Spear flew out from Zhang Xuans waist and remarked worriedly. As a member of the Dragon Tribe, there was no way it could allow its master, which it had found with great difficulty, to be burned to cinders. Otherwise, if others were to learn of the matter, how embarrassing it would be for him! Even though it was just a pile of bones now, it didnt mean that it didnt have any pride! My physical body is indeed rathercking at the moment... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly. He hadnt acquired Kong shis superior breakthrough method to advance his zhenqi cultivation Introspective Convalescence realm, so he couldnt afford to force a breakthrough right now. Besides, even if he were to make a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation right now, he would still be an entire realm away from reaching Aureate Body realm. He hadntpiled the Aureaute Body realm Heavens Path Divine Art yet, so it wouldnt solve the quandary he was in. ( .c om ) Let ite then! I would like to see how formidable this heavenly me tribtion is! The Dragonbone Divine Spear had once conquered the world by Ancient Sage Ran Qius side. Even though it had lost much of its powers and memories after being sealed, its eye of discernment and worldly knowledge were still far superior to most cultivators in the world. Since it had said that the heavenly me tribtion would be a difficult foe to deal with, it was likely that would indeed be the case. However, as a practitioner of the Heavens Path Soul Art, he was an invincible existence amongst soul oracles of his level. The heavenly me tribtion might have been powerful, but he was confident that he would be able to ovee it. If there were soul oracles who could survive the heavenly me tribtion, surely I would be able to do so too! Hong long long! In the midst of his conversation, the ominous clouds in the sky had finally finished congregating together. Simr to the storm clouds of the lightning tribtion, the clouds of the heavenly me tribtion were also pitch ck in color. However, if one were to take a closer look, one would notice that the clouds were dancing around, reminiscent of mes. Even from a distance away, one could already feeling scorching heat blistering ones skin, and the air was gradually bing intolerably arid. T! A bundle of mes descended from the sky, aiming right for Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit. Unlike the conventional crimson color, the bundle of mes were pitch-ck in color, almost simr to ink. If not for the suffocating heat it was emanating, one could have mistaken it as a botch of ink floating in the air. This is the heavenly me? Even before the me even arrived, dimension rifts were beginning to surface around the area. A powerful aura burst forth from the me, imposing tremendous pressure on those standing beneath it. Zhang Xuan felt his hairs standing on end. He had encountered many mes over the past year, facing even the most formidable earth mes... However, he had never met such an eerie and oppressive me before! ck as if ink, it was devoid of the slightest radiance. Yet, the heat it exerted was so great that even space was unable to tolerate its existence. This was the heavenly me? Was this really something that a soul oracle could withstand? Putting aside his Primordial Spirit, even his physical body, whichy had already exceeded the resilience of an average Saint pinnacle artifact, would melt upon contact with it! T-this... This isnt an ordinary heavenly me but the Empyrean Heavenly me! While Zhang Xuan was overwhelmed by the frightening mightmanded by the heavenly me before him, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was also trembling in disbelief. ( .c om ) Empyrean Heavenly me? What is that? Zhang Xuan asked. Heavenly me could be divided into various tiers too. The Tier-3 Heavenly me has a fiery crimson color, and it would be summoned by most cultivators during their Aureate Body Ordeal. This is also the weakest heavenly me of all. The Tier-2 Heavenly me takes on an ashen white color, and its summoned only by the more formidablebat masters and master teachers. As for the Tier-1 Heavenly me, its azure in color, and only cultivators who have cultivated the best cultivation technique and possess the purest zhenqi would be able to summon it. So far, the only ones I have seen who were able to do that were Ancient Sage Ran Qiu and the other direct disciples of Kong shi. Naturally, it goes without saying that the higher the heavenly mes tier is, the more resilient the cultivators Aureate Body would be after oveing it... However, legend has it that theres an Empyrean Heavenly me which far surpasses the Tier-1 Heavenly me. Its also known as the me of Heavens Path, and its distinguished by its color of utmost darkness... As far as I know, Kong shi is the only one who has summoned the me of Heavens Path and survived it. Furthermore, it was said to have only appeared when his zhenqi cultivation reached Aureate Body realm... How in the world did you manage to summon it here? Floating in the air in agitation, the eyes on the tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear flickered in horror. The Empyrean Heavenly me was a force of nature that destroyed all beings that stood in its path. Putting aside Primordial Spirits, even Sempiternal realm cultivators would be burned to cinders in the face of its prowess! The young man had only achieved a breakthrough in his soul cultivation, so how did he end up summoning this fearsome heavenly me here? It was difficult enough to ovee an ordinary heavenly me, but the tribtion he had to face was actually that of the Empyrean Heavenly me... This was practically an impossible feat! Without a doubt, this was truly the worst card to draw at this moment! How would I know? Not expecting such an epic background to the heavenly mes he had summoned, Zhang Xuan cried in aghast. It should have just been an ordinary heavenly me tribtion! Was there really a need for the world to give him such a special treat? Zhang Xuan felt deeply stifled inside, but he knew this wasnt the time to be fussing over it. Barely after gathering his strength, the ck me had already arrived before his Primordial Spirit and wrapped itself around it. Xiong xiong! As soon as the ck me came into contact with his Primordial Spirit, his Primordial Spirit immediately began burning up. Intense pain caused his face to distort awfully as his body began shuddering uncontrobly. He thought that it would be reminiscent to the lightning tribtion, where he would just have to endure it. However, the ck me was far more formidable than what he had expected. Even the slightestpse in his concentration could cause his Primordial Spirit to be reduced to cinders, leaving nothing behind at all. Heavens Path Soul Art! Knowing that he had to make a move quickly, he gritted his teeth and gathered all of the energy he had to fend against the ck me. Weng weng! A brilliant golden light gushed out and enveloped his Primordial Spirit. His transparent Primordial Spirit was suddenly cased in a golden afterglow, contrasting him to be a massive Buddha idol. Tzzzzzz! The prowess of the golden light was formidable, but the ck me was even more potent. Even beforeing into contact with the golden light, it had already torn the surrounding space into shreds, seemingly ready to drag Zhang Xuan into the midst of spatial turbulence. Seal! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger ahead and executed the prowess of his Spatial Quintessence. Weng! The ripped space swiftly settled down once more. However, the might of the ck me was still as formidable as before. It swiftly corroded the golden light around Zhang Xuan, dyeing it the color of ck. Chapter 1652 - Tempering the Aureate Body

Chapter 1652: Tempering the Aureate Body

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric At this rate, Ill really lose my life... Knowing that nothing would be left of him by the time the mes finished burning, Zhang Xuan swiftly drove the Soul Quintessence. Gathering his power, he sent a burst of soul energy right into the ball of ck me around him. As the burst of soul energy collided with the ck me, it swiftly scattered into countless seeds of fire. However, before Zhang Xuan could react, they had already gathered back together around him once more, continue their relentless assault on his Primordial Spirit. Im able to forcefully split it apart, but the rate of regeneration of the ck me is simply too fast... Zhang Xuan analyzed grimly. The attack with his Soul Quintessence was a trial attack to see if soul energy would work on the ck me, and to be honest, he didnt think that it would be effective. Unfortunately, the ck me reconverged together too quickly for the attack to make much of a difference. Right! I can use the Time Quintessence... A thought came to Zhang Xuans mind. No matter how quickly the ck me gathered together, it would require some time. As long as there was apse in time, he would be able to use the Time Quintessence against it! Break! Thus, he gathered his soul energy together tounch a powerful attack against the ck me. At the same time, he raised his finger and tapped the space in front of him lightly. Weng! Everything around him suddenly grew incredibly slow. The ck me slowly split into countless seeds of fire, and when they finally reached a certain distance away from him, they began to reconverged together in the middle. Scatter apart! Pushing his mind to its limits, Zhang Xuan scattered his soul energy into each of the smaller seeds of fire and pushed them further away from one another. Barely after that was done, the time eleration came to an end. As expected, the searing sensation he felt on his Primordial Spirit alleviated considerably. The power of the ck me does indeed reduce ordingly to scale... Zhang Xuan thought as he heaved a sigh of relief. Even if they were of the same temperature, a zing inferno was surely much more menacing force aspared to just a couple sparks of fire. After continue the process several times, the ck me was finally split into a hundredth of its original size. Finally, the searing sensation had been reduced to a level which Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit could tolerate. Time, Space, and Soul, these are the three Quintessences that are the hardest to grasp... Hes probably the only one in the world who has managed to master the three of them... Not expecting to see such a maneuver, the Dragonbone Divine Spear muttered in a daze beneath its breath. When it first saw the Empyrean Heavenly me descending from the heavens, it had no doubt that the young man would be reduced to cinders. Who could have thought that the young man would actually be able to find a feasible way to cope with the Empyrean Heavenly me through the skillful maniption of those three powerful Quintessences? However, this isnt the end of the Aureate Body Ordeal yet. Even if hes able to withstand the Scorching Soul Tribtion, it would still be hard for him to ovee the Scorching Spirit Tribtion and Scorching Heart Tribtion... The Dragonbone Divine Spear shook its head, clearly unconfident in the young mans ability to withstand this trial. ... This is much better! Oblivious to the Dragonbone Divine Spears worries, Zhang Xuans pounding heart finally calmed down after he found that the searing sensation on his Primordial Spirit had reduced to a level where he could cope with. He couldnt help but be thankful that he had mastered the Spatial, Time, and Soul Quintessences. Otherwise, he would really have been helpless before his current situation. Weng! A golden light shone brilliantly on the surface of his Primordial Spirit, keeping the many seeds of fire scattered equally on the outside. It had reduced the intensity of the me, and the excruciating pain on his Primordial Spirit had diminished significantly too. As he continued driving his soul energy, the golden light grew brighter and brighter. Whenever the ck seeds of fire began gathering once more, he would use his Soul Quintessence to tear them apart once more. Of course, it was an extremely tiring process, but fortunately, he was still able to cope with his powerful Primordial Spirit. Let me try using the heat of the heavenly mes to drive away the Innate Fetal Poison... Seeing that he was finally out of danger for the time being, Zhang Xuan knew that his chance hade. This was a rare opportunity for him to try driving out the Innate Fetal Poison within him. As long as the Innate Fetal Poison remained unresolved, the countdown on his lifespan wouldnt stop. Since he had finally found a chance to take a breather, it was a good timing for him to give it a try. Gathering his consciousness together, he threw out yet another burst of soul energy and divided a bean-sized seed of fire into sesame seed-sized ones. With his will, he slowly nudged the divided seed of fire toward the area where the Innate Fetal Poison was. After which, he channeled the searing energy in from the seed of me through the golden light and into his Primordial Spirit. Szzzzzzzz! A heart-wrenching pain immediately assaulted Zhang Xuan, but he gritted his teeth and bore with it. If this was the pain he had to go through in order to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison, he would just have to pull through it. However, a momentter, a deep frown appeared on his forehead, Why isnt it working? Kong shi had once said that the heavenly mes could destroy the Innate Fetal Poison, but to his astonishment, the searing energy from the seed of me didnt seem to faze the Innate Fetal Poison in the slightest. It was almost as if the Innate Fetal Poison was impervious to it! Or... could it be that Ill have to pull the entire seed of me right into my Primordial Spirit? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror. He had only channeled the searing energy from the ck me into his body previously; the ck me itself still remained guarded by the golden light. In a sense, it was simr to scratching ones leg through ones shoes. Could this be the reason why the Innate Fetal Poison wasnt affected by it? But even if that was truly the case... It was true that his Primordial Spirit wasnt vulnerable to heat, unlike ordinary soul oracles. However, the ck me was no ordinary me either. It was the Empyrean Heavenly me, the strongest heavenly me of all! If he were to draw something that could even destroy a Sempiternal realm expert into his Primordial Spirit, the chances would be that he would die before he could even eliminate the Innate Fetal Poison! Forget it! At this rate, Im bound for death anyway... Knowing that he wouldnt be able to rest easy as long as the Innate Fetal Poison remained in his body, Zhang Xuan didnt hesitate for long before making up his mind. Driving the Heavens Path Soul Art furiously, he continued to uphold the barrier of golden light around his Primordial Spirit to fend off the ck me. But at the same time, he opened a small gap to take in a seed of me into his Primordial Spirit. Tzzzzzzz! As if fresh meat being pressed on top of burning charcoals, a deafening sizzling sound echoed in the air. This was a pain which Zhang Xuan had never experienced before. It felt as if something was consuming him from within, leaving him scrunching around uncontrobly. Gradually, he could feel his consciousness seeping away from him. He hurriedly lowered his head and saw the areas which hade into direct contact with the seed of me had already been reduced to a hole. At the same time, the parts of his Primordial Spirit around the hole was visibly much more sparse than before. At this rate, it was a matter of time before his Primordial Spirit dissipated for good. This... How am I supposed to do this? Zhang Xuansplexion warped in despair. He had only taken in a sesame seed-sized me, and it had already inflicted grievous wounds upon his Primordial Spirit. If he were to absorb any more than that, he would really be reduced into a wisp of smoke! What should I do? He was still thinking that he would be able to ovee the heavenly me easily and resolve the Innate Fetal Poison while he was at it. However, it was as if the difficulty of the game had suddenly switched from easy mode to hell mode. I have no choice now. If a sesame-sized seed of me wouldnt work out, Ill just have further divide till its the size of the tip of a needle! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists determinedly. The division of the ck me would reduce the intensity of the heat significantly. Since that was the case, he would just have to continue dividing it till it was at a level where his Primordial Spirit could endure. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan continued using his soul energy to further divide a seed of ck me. With his level of cultivation, even for a speck of dirt, he could still easily see the bumps on it through his Spiritual Perception. With his sharp control over his soul energy, he was able to aplish this fine maneuver with ease. After three more divisions, the sesame-sized seed of me was finally reduced to roughly the size of a needle tip. Even with such a small size, its imposing presence still gave one no room for doubt that it was capable of melting everything in the world. Absorb! Zhang Xuan carefully guided one of these needle tip-sized seed of me toward his Primordial Spirit and swiftly absorbed it in. Tzzzzzzz! Upon seeing the seed of fire, the Innate Fetal Poison hurriedly retreated out of fear. However, it was unfortunate that the seed of fire was too small. Even though the Innate Fetal Poison was frightful of it, it was incapable of dealing any substantial damage to the Innate Fetal Poison. Its effective! I need to press on! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan absorbed another needle tip-sized seed of me into his Primordial Spirit, thus forcing the Innate Fetal Poison to retreat in terror once again. However, it didnt take long for the small seed of me to extinguish too. Hmmm? My Primordial Spirit seems to have grown stronger? He realized that after absorbing two seeds of me, the parts of his Primordial Spirit where the seeds of me had passed through had grown much more resilient, as if they had been tempered a thousand times over. At the same time, the golden glow emanating from those areas became much more brilliant too. The heavenly me is indeed able to temper the Aureate Body! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Let me put aside the Innate Fetal Poison for now. By the time I have tempered my entire Primordial Spirit, that fellow wouldnt be able to run even if he wanted to! Trembling in agitation, Zhang Xuan was just about to crush the other seeds of me into smaller portions in order to temper his entire Primordial Spirit when the storage ring on his physical body suddenly shook. Following which, a figure materialized before him. He was Zhang Xuans clone! For some reason, this fellow hade out of the Myriad Anthive Nest of his own ord. You cant even handle a heavenly me properly? I cant bring myself to look on anymore... Shooting a disdainful look at Zhang Xuan, the clone dashed right into the ominous clouds above. Hong long long! As if in retaliation to the clones aggressive actions, a bundle of heavenly me descended from the heavens. However, the clone simply opened his mouth wide and swallowed it into his body. ... Zhang Xuans cheeks twitched. Chapter 1653 - Flight of the Innate Fetal Poison

Chapter 1653: Flight of the Innate Fetal Poison

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric At this moment, Zhang Xuan really felt like crying. If there was a hole he could dive into right now, he would do so without the slightest hesitation. He had to execute his Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences, and even so, he only managed to absorb two needle tip-sized seed of mes so far. Furthermore, he even felt aplished for being able to do so... But in the next moment, his clone appeared and swallowed an entire bundle of it whole... Furthermore, what the heck was with that fellows expression? Was that fellow putting up an attitude with him? Was that fellow looking down on him? Screw you! You are only a clone! You get it? A clone! Which part of being a clone do you not understand? Can you open your eyes and realize that Im the main body? Theres an unbreachable gap in the standing between the main body and the clone... Realize that! Thinking of standing, Zhang Xuansplexion turned even more awful... He had challenged that fellow ever since he appeared, but it seemed like every fight had ended with a tragic loss on his part... In terms of standing, it did really seem like he had none of that before his clone... In the midst of wallowing in his sorrow, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his head and looked at his clone with unreadable eyes. For the first time, he felt that it wouldnt be so bad to see his clone being torched to death by those ck mes. But contrary to his wish, what he saw was the other party burping leisurely, Delicious! H! After which, he dived right into the clouds and vanished. What? Watching the entire sight from start to end, the Dragonbone Divine Spear rattled in stupefaction. It was almost as if it had used up its entire lifetime worth of surprise today. The fact that its master had a clone wasnt really a big deal. Many experts had forged a clone out of themselves, and even Kong shi had one as well... However, this was the first time he had seen one which was even cockier than its master! More importantly... that was the Empyrean Heavenly me which even it was afraid of! Yet, not only was that fellow unfrightened by it, he even charged right into its midst... Was he not afraid of being burned down to cinders? In his moment of shock, he saw a pair of thighs poking out from the clouds, and a hand was scrubbing it leisurely. Pilip! A huge bundle of ck me was being spread equally over a body by a hand, and the sound of deafening explosions could be from above heard now and then. However, it didnt seem like the owner of the body was terrified at all. On the contrary, he was releasing pleasured moans instead, clearly enjoying the entire process... T-this... Is he still a human? the Dragonbone Divine Spear cowered in fear. To be honest, it was still a little apprehensive as to whether it had made the right choice submitting to Zhang Xuan or not. After all, it was the personal weapon of the renowned Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, a legendary existence in history! However, after seeing the prowess Zhang Xuans clone, it suddenly felt its pride being utterly crushed. If even the clone wasnt being choosy with his master, what rights did it have to be choosy? With such a thought in mind, the Dragonbone Divine Spear turned its gaze toward Zhang Xuan and saw thetter trembling with a livid look on his face. Whos afraid of who? Hmph! Sou! Before the Dragonbone Divine Spear could process what was going on, it saw the Primordial Spirit of its master dashing right into the clouds, vanishing from sight within the blink of an eye. ... The Dragonbone Divine Spear was utterly frenzied. The reason why the clone of its master dared to charge into the clouds could be attributed to the superior material used to make it, but as for its master... What in the world was he nning to do charging in with just his Primordial Spirit? Was he tired of living? If he were to die... Should I acknowledge his clone as my master instead? the Dragonbone Divine Spear pondered seriously as it began nning out its contingency ns. ... How could Zhang Xuan possibly tolerate being looked at so contemptuously by his clone? Without any hesitation, he dashed right into the clouds. Boom! Before he knew it, countless bundles of mes were already gushing in his direction. My clone does have a much stronger body than mine, especially since hes made out of the Nine Hearts Lotus. However, in terms of souls, hes on the same footing as me. Since hes able to endure the ck me, I should be able to do it too... It might have been a spontaneous decision on his part to charge into the tribtion clouds, but it definitely wasnt a reckless one. He had already calcted the risks and decided that it was feasible before heading in. After obtaining the subsequent levels of the Heavens Path Soul Art, it was automatically shared with his clone when he entered the Myriad Anthive Nest. While he had been cultivating his soul, his clone had been doing the same as well. In other words, his clone had also achieved a breakthrough to Aureate Body realm as well, just like him. Since his clone was able to withstand the ck me, why couldnt he do it too? He must have missed out some crucial information. Thus, he began to observe his clone not too far away. His clone was shrouded in the midst of ck mes, doing backstroke at one moment, front crawl in the other, dog paddle in the next, and lying leisurely in the ̫ shape after... It was as if he was out for a holiday, enjoying himself. The ck me continued to burn around him. Soon, his body began to emanate golden light, and his Primordial Spirit also grew significantly more resilient than before. I get it! Zhang Xuans eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. The Dragonbone Divine Spear said that the Aureate Body Ordeal is divided into the Scorching Soul Tribtion, Scorching Spirit Tribtion, and Scorching Heart Tribtion... I always thought that the Scorching Soul Tribtion is the very first phase, and the others will appear subsequently. That could have been true for ordinary heavenly me tribtions, but for the Empyrean Heavenly me, all three appear at once! The heat of the ck me is indeed formidable to the point that its nearly unbearable, but it hasnt reached the level where itspletely intolerable to me yet. After all, I have cultivated my soul with the Heavens Path Soul Art, and my Primordial Spirit has been tempered by many lightning tribtions. In terms of resilience, my Primordial Spirit already on par with most Great Sage artifacts... However, I was fearful of the ck me. I used all kinds of ways to avoid absorbing it... This must have been a test of my determination! My clone was able to charge unhesitantly in because he had absolute confidence in his physical body, and without fear in his heart, the prowess of the ck me is significantly reduced! This is simr to how walking in the dark could be a frightful experience to those who hold fear in their hearts. They would constantly check on their surroundings, fearing that someone would do them harm. However, if one were to tread forward with an open mind, the night would no longer be as terrifying of an entity to one anymore... As these thoughts shed across Zhang Xuans mind, he opened his Primordial Spirit wide in the face of the iing bundles of ck me. At the same time, he also dissipated the golden light around his Primordial Spirit, leaving himselfpletely vulnerable to the ck mes. It was as if he had already given up on himself. Tzzzzz! The mes began to sear his Primordial Spirit. Yet, due to his calmer state of mind, the ck me wasnt as excruciating as before. Instead, under the tempering of the mes, his Primordial Spirit was swiftly being tempered. Its indeed as I have expected! Seeing that it was effective, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The heavenly me was a mystical force of nature. It didnt just sear ones body but ones spirit and state of mind as well. The more afraid he was of the ck me, the greater its prowess would be. That was because its target wasnt just his Primordial Spirit but his mind and consciousness. Fear made ones mind vulnerable, making it easy to nt thoughts and delusions into one. And for cultivators of their level, thoughts were no longer mere thoughts anymore. Thus, when he abandoned his fear and embraced the ck me, the prowess of the ck me diminished instead. Nevertheless, despite the diminished prowess of the ck me, he still felt stabbing pain assault his Primordial Spirit, leaving him feeling as if it would be torn apart at any moment. I should focus on tempering my Primordial Spirit for the time being... Despite the pain, Zhang Xuan opened his Primordial Spirit wide and frenziedly absorbed the mes from the surroundings. Boom! The mes entering his Primordial Spirit swam around it relentlessly, tempering it with the amazing heat it was emanating. His Primordial Spirit gradually turnedpletely golden in color, and the light it emanated was growing brighter and brighter. It was almost as if he was turning into a living Buddha. Let me see if I can eradicate the Innate Fetal Poison now! Upon feeling that his Primordial Spirit had gotten used to the temperature of the ck me, Zhang Xuan began concentrating the ck me toward the Innate Fetal Poison. Gugugu! As if having encountered something terrifying, the Innate Fetal Poison retreated fearfully. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in response and continued driving the ck me toward the Innate Fetal Poison, cornering it. Jijiji! With an rmed shriek, the Innate Fetal Poison finally reached its limits and dashed out of his Primordial Spirit. It escaped in the form of ck smoke before vanishingpletely from sight. The Innate Fetal Poison had already gained its own consciousness, or else there was no way it could possibly escape from the onught of the Heavens Path zhenqi. Finally!! Seeing that the Innate Fetal Poison had finally escaped, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The Innate Fetal Poison had been a time bomb to him ever since he discovered its existence. He had lived his life in fear that he would die at any moment, and it had been his greatest motivation to continue cultivating as well. But today, he was finally free of this burden! Chapter 1654 - The Arrogant Innate Fetal Poison

Chapter 1654: The Arrogant Innate Fetal Poison

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After the Innate Fetal Poison escaped, Zhang Xuan made use of the ck mes to temper his Primordial Spirit for a while longer before the dark clouds gradually dispersed. With this, he had sessfully survived the heavenly me tribtion! After oveing the widely-feared Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body Ordeal, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit had turnedpletely golden. Even a snap of his fingers created a metallic reverberation. If one did not know that it was a Primordial Spirit in advance, one would surely have thought that it was another normal body. After tempering my physical body with the heavenly me, my Primordial Spirit is starting to take a form reminiscent of a physical body. Its no wonder Lu Chong is able to stand his ground even against those 9-star master teachers! Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. Primordial Spirits could change their forms ording to the individuals will. If one did not want to be seen, even with a shiny golden exterior, a Primordial Spirit could still be invisible to the naked eye. If one wanted to be noticed, a Primordial Spirit could be as tough as a weapon, such that even experts of the same caliber would not be able to tell that it was actually a soul. It was no wonder soul oracles were viewed in deference in the ancient era. Even if just a small handful of them were able to clear the Aureate Body Ordeal, those that seeded indubitably wielded far greater prowesspared to ordinary cultivators. More importantly, the lifespan of soul oracles far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators! Even if a cultivator nourished their flesh with their zhenqi and altered their cells after reaching the Introspective Convalescence realm, they would still only be able to live for 1,500 years before finally meeting their end. However, soul oracles were different. They could easily live up to three thousand years and even more! However, theres a fatal w to soul oracles too, and thats the Five Soul Declines... There were many advantages to being a soul oracle, but equally great were the disadvantages. The greatest hurdle for the soul oracles was the Five Soul Declines. Fortunately, the Heavens Path Soul Art that Zhang Xuan cultivated had made him impervious to this problem, so he did not have to worry about it. While he was still in awe over his improvements, he turned to look at his clone and saw that his body was golden. At the same time, his soul was also fully tempered. A powerful aura drifted off from his body, hinting at the frightening prowess he possessed. Aureate Body realm consummation? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He had ignited Kong shis blood droplet and utilized the prowess of a Sempiternal realm consummation expert before. As such, even though he had never cultivated the realms himself, he still had a rough idea as to what the indicators for the various realms were. His clone was golden all over, such that even his pupils had taken on a golden color. Without a doubt, he had already cultivated the Aureate Body to perfection! To think that he would actually be able to advance his cultivation so quickly... Zhang Xuan clutched his aching heart tightly. His clone sure knew how to traumatize him! He had thought that he had been improving fairly quickly, but this fellow turned out to be even faster than him! You should return to the Myriad Anthive Nest for the time being... Zhang Xuan instructed his clone to return and reinforce his cultivation. On the other hand, he descended from the sky and returned to the ground. Y-y-you... actually overcame the tribtion of the Empyrean Heavenly me? The Dragonbone Divine Spear shuddered uncontrobly as it spoke. It had thought that its master would surely be reduced to ash facing such a powerful heavenly me tribtion, but who would have thought that he would actually be able to ovee it so quickly? Was this still a feat a human was capable of? Yeah... Paying no heed to the Dragonbone Divine Spears astonishment, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in response. He was just about to return to his body when he narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Whats going on? His physical body sitting on the ground had its face turned dark, and ck smoke was rising from its head. It was trembling non-stop, as if being put through some kind of excruciating pain. Some kind of ck smoke escaped from the dark clouds earlier and dived into your body. I thought that it was the remnants of your Primordial Spirit, so I didnt stop it... the Dragonbone Divine Spear said awkwardly. On the other hand, ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Do I look dead to you? Just because you are a skeleton doesnt mean that you should judge everyone by your standards! Besides, how in the world does a dissipated Primordial Spirit return to its body? Knowing that it was pointless to waste his breath with this sack of bones, Zhang Xuan quickly dived his Primordial Spirit back into his body. Shortly after he opened his eyes once more, his face twitched in horror. He nearly exploded on the spot. The Innate Fetal Poison that he had just driven out of his Primordial Spirit was currently restingzily within his physical body. When he swept his Primordial Spirit across it, it even greeted him leisurely, as if meeting an old friend. He had thought that he had managed to clear the Innate Fetal Poison for good, but who would have thought that it would slip out from his Primordial Spirit just to return to his physical body! Did it think that it was simply moving homes? To slip from his body into his soul, and now from his soul back into his body... Do I look like someone to be trifled with? With an awful look on his face, Zhang Xuan channeled his Heavens Path zhenqi right toward the Innate Fetal Poison. Die! It was out of fear for the Heavens Path zhenqi that it had been forced to slip into his soul from his physical body. Since it dared to return to his body, he would just have to crush it! Hong long long! In a short instant, the Heavens Path zhenqi collided with the Innate Fetal Poison, forcefully pushing it back. However, the next instant, the Innate Fetal Poison dived right into the surge of Heavens Path zhenqi. Huhuhu! It began swimming leisurely within the Heavens Path zhenqi, just like his clone did in the midst of the ck mes earlier. You... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. The Innate Fetal Poison should have been extremely fearful of the Heavens Path zhenqi. Its arrival should have scared it into hiding, so how could it be swimming within it? Zhang Xuans heartbeat skipped a beat. Could it be that... it has upgraded after experiencing the heavenly me tribtion, such that its no longer afraid of the Heavens Path zhenqi anymore? The Innate Fetal Poison had fled in the face of the ck mes, but it had still been seared for quite a while before it managed to get away. It could not be that the short moment of searing had put it through a metamorphosis, such that it did not fear even the Heavens Path zhenqi anymore. As a poison master, he knew that there were quite a few poisons in the world that could be upgraded with time. If that was truly the case, he would be in great trouble. It was due to the suppression of his Heavens Path zhenqi that it did not dare wreak havoc in the past. Without anything to suppress it now, if it started wreaking havoc right now or even blew up entirely, he would be doomed! Zhang Xuan quickly tried a few more times, but it seemed like his zhenqi was really no longer effective against the Innate Fetal Poison. Let me see if I can suppress it using my Primordial Spirit! He began driving his Primordial Spirit toward the Innate Fetal Poison in the hope that it would be able to subdue it. In face of the approaching soul, the Innate Fetal Poison swiftly retreated in fear. Oh? It must be because my Primordial Spirit has been tempered by the heavenly mes and thus still contains remnants of it, so the Innate Fetal Poison is still rather fearful of my soul... Earlier, the Empyrean Heavenly me had tempered his Primordial Spirit. Simr to how absorbing the energy in lightning tribtions would suffuse his Primordial Spirit with lightning, his Primordial Spirit was now infused with the might of the Empyrean Heavenly me as well. Due to that, his soul was able to induce fear in the Innate Fetal Poison. Just that... He needed to harmonize his soul together with his physical body. He could not possibly constantly use his soul to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison! Let me see if I can drive it out of my body... Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and began to corner the Innate Fetal Poison. A momentter, a look of consternation surfaced. Cr*p, its stuck... It was true that he was able to alter the size of his Primordial Spirit afterprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but there was still a limit to the extent that he could do so. In face of the pursuit of his Primordial Spirit, the Innate Fetal Poison swiftly slipped into the thinnest meridian within his body, such that even his Primordial Spirit was unable to squeeze in. If he squeezed in, his meridians could explode, and there would be severe consequences. As soon as his Primordial Spirit retreated, the Innate Fetal Poison slipped out of the tiny meridian and danced gleefully in triumph. Unable to stand the Innate Fetal Poisons arrogance, Zhang Xuan immediately sent his Primordial Spirit back in, but the Innate Fetal Poison simply slipped back into the meridian to hide. The process repeated itself several times. It was as if the Innate Fetal Poison was provoking him. I am out. I am in. I am out again. I am in again... Hahaha, try to catch me if you can! Youd better not mess around. Otherwise, even at the risk of destroying my physical body, Ill crush you to death! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he fused his Primordial Spirit back with his physical body. He used his Heavens Path zhenqi to seal the meridian in order to prevent that fellow from messing around before rubbing his be in frustration. This is really the worst... Chapter 1655 - Pummeled by the Clone

Chapter 1655: Pummeled by the Clone

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It looks like Ill have to raise my zhenqi cultivation as soon as possible... Judging from how arrogant the Innate Fetal Poison was, there was no saying when it would act up. He had thought that he would be able to kill it through the heavenly me tribtion summoned by his soul, but who could have thought that he would only end up deepening the trouble he was in? He really had to raise his zhenqi cultivation as soon as possible so as to draw in a heavenly me tribtion for his body as well. This way, with thebined prowess of both his soul and his body, the Innate Fetal Poison would surely be eradicated once and for all! Alright, the matter with the Jiang n has been resolved, so I should head back and resolve the conflict between the Luo n and the Zhang n soon. Afterward, I should head to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! He would have to pay the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters a visit and find Kong shis superior breakthrough method in order to advance his zhenqi cultivation. Otherwise, who knew how long it would take for him to make a breakthrough? But before I return to the Zhang n, I should get to forging the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse first! With his Primordial Spirit reaching the Aureate Body realm, his prowess had been enhanced manyfold. With his current strength, he should be able to forge the corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid and put it to use. With such a thought in mind, he excitedly dived into the Myriad Anthive Nest, and after finding an empty clearing, he flicked his wrist. Peng! The corpse fell onto the ground, creating a huge depression around it. Zhang Xuan drew his Primordial Spirit out from his be and approached the corpse. Tzzzzzz! The overwhelming pressure emanated by the corpse assaulted his Primordial Spirit, making it difficult for him to even advance a single step. Weng! His Primordial Spirit emanated a brilliant golden glow, and the pressure immediately alleviated considerably. He began making his way toward the corpse. Hu! He sessfully dived into the corpse. Huge! As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the corpse, he found himself within a vast room that there was no end to. His enormous Primordial Spirit seemed to be nothing more than a toy there, not even worth a mention. Inparison to this, his physical body seemed like a straw cottage before a royal pce. He took a seat and began using the method to forge Soulless Metal Humanoids to slowly refine the body, harmonizing it together with his Primordial Spirit. ... Some timeter, he stood up once more. I have already sessfully forged a Soulless Metal Humanoid! Alright, lets see if I can fight with it... Zhang Xuan thought with gleaming eyes. Typically speaking, Soulless Metal Humanoid should have been made out of living beings so as to ensure greaterpatibility with ones soul. However, through the alterations that he had made with the Library of Heavens Path, he was still barely able to forge one out of the Ancient Sage corpse as well. Nevertheless, the Soulless Metal Humanoidspatibility with souls would still be slightly lower, resulting in a lower precision in control. Geji! Geji! Using his full strength, Zhang Xuan slowly controlled the Ancient Sage corpse to rise to its feet, raise its legs, and slowly take a few steps forward. After conducting a few simple basic movements, Zhang Xuans face twitched speechlessly. The Soulless Metal Humanoid was simply too demanding on his soul energy! Despite taking only three steps, a great half of the soul energy of his Aureate Body realm Primordial Spirit was already depleted! At this rate, putting aside battling, it was questionable whether he could evenunch a fist or not! I guess Ill have to give it a try to know... Gritting his teeth, he gathered his remaining soul energy, and the massive Ancient Sage corpse clenched its fist and thrust it forward. Hu! The space in the Myriad Anthive Nest immediately shook intensely, causing a deafening ripping sound to echo in the air. It was as if someone had torn the fabric of the world, revealing pitch ck cracks beneath. Incredible... Seeing how the folded space that he had reinforced time and time again had nearly been destroyed by a single punch, Zhang Xuan could not help but fall into a daze. While maneuvering the Ancient Sage corpse was extremely taxing on his soul energy, there was no doubt that the prowess that it wielded was tremendous! After all the effort that Zhang Xuan had put into reinforcing the Myriad Anthive Nest, even with the ignition of Kong shis blood droplet and the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, it would be difficult for him to tear this folded space apart. Yet, a simple punch from the Ancient Sage had nearly undone all of his hard work... This effectively meant that no matter how powerful a cultivator was, as long as he had not traversed the boundary to be an Ancient Sage yet, he would still be reduced to dust under a single punch from an Ancient Sage! There was truly a huge leap in prowess between Great Sage and Ancient Sage! With this Soulless Metal Humanoid, his safety would be guaranteed as long as he did not encounter any Ancient Sages. Even if he did encounter an Ancient Sage, he still had another golden page with him... Following which, he would have yet another Ancient Sage corpse for him to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of! Hehehe! With this, what do I have to fear? Zhang Xuan burst into heartyughter. He drew his Primordial Spirit out of the Soulless Metal Humanoid and absorbed several herbs to replenish his soul energy. After that, he re-entered the Ancient Sage corpse, ced his arms on his hips, and bellowed provocatively, Clone, get your ass out here! His clone was in the midst of reinforcing his cultivation when he heard the bellow and flew out. Come, let me test this on you! Without any regards to his clones response, Zhang Xuan snickered sinisterly and threw a punch right over. On the other hand, his clone did not expect that the main body would have already gained control over this Ancient Sage corpse and shuddered in fright. He realized that it would be toote for him to dodge, so he quickly protected himself with a punch of his own. Peng! Sou! The clone was sent flying into the distance before vanishingpletely from sight. Hahahaha! Zhang Xuanughed heartily. All along, he had suffered greatly during the duels with his clone. This was his long-awaitedeback, and it left him feeling deeply exhrated. Hah! The next time my clone dares brag before me, Ill feed him a punch from my Soulless Metal Humanoid! As exhrating teaching his clone a lesson was, he nearly depleted all of his soul energy after executing a single punch. Thus, he quickly drew his Primordial Spirit out of the Ancient Sage corpse and back into his body. Just as he was about to retrieve some items to replenish his soul energy, he saw his clone dashing back with an infuriated look on his face. How dare you punch me? Are you tired of living? On the verge of exploding from rage, the clone threw a fist at Zhang Xuan without the slightest hesitation. Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuans face warped in horror. What? Its not me! The Ancient Sage corpse is the one who hit you... Alright fine, I admit that its me! But at least wait till I recover and return back to the corpse first... Corpse your head! How could the clone possibly wait for Zhang Xuan to recover and return to the corpse? Peng peng peng peng! Ten minutester, a swollen-faced Zhang Xuany on the floor with tears streaming down his face. He had a deste look on his face, reminiscent of someone who had been ravaged all over. What the heck was this? It was already a horrible day for him, with the Innate Fetal Poison sneaking back into his physical body and acting all gleefully before him... On top of that, he still had to be pummeled by his clone! All of a sudden, he felt like his life was extremely bleak. He felt like a candle in the midst of a furious gale, constantly on the verge of being extinguished. Anyway, he left the Myriad Anthive Nest and returned to the room with his back slumped miserably. Driving his Heavens Path zhenqi, he swiftly recovered from his injuries before walking out of the room. It was not as if this was the first day knowing that his clone was an abusive subordinate, prone to resorting to violence at any moment. At the very most, he would just have to stay out of the other partys way in the future. It was already afternoon outside. After settling some administrative matters with Jiang Fangyou, Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear, opened a dimension rift, and left the Jiang n. ... Before long, he was already back at the Zhang n. It had been an entire day since he left the Zhang n. As soon as he returned back to his personal residence, he quickly called Sun Qiang over and asked, Whats the current situation? Before leaving, he had instructed Sun Qiang to pay close attention to the movement of the Zhang n and the Luo n. A day might not have been long, but it was not a short amount of time either. Surely the two ns would not suddenlye to blows with one another in his absence, would they? The situation between the two ns is still rtively calm. As the head of the Luo n isnt back yet, those from the Luo n are still lying low for the time being! Sun Qiang quickly exined. The motive behind the Luo ns grand march to the Zhang n was so as to return the humiliation that they had suffered. However, they could not do it alone given the limits of their abilities. Thus, they could only bank on their powerful n head to redress their grievances. As such, till their n head finally returned, they would not dare make a move recklessly. Thats a relief! Seeing that nothing major had happened yet, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had Sun Qiang head off, and after a moment of contemtion, he began warping his appearance once more. He really had to say that the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him was truly a handy tool. He could activate it whenever he wanted to, and that was how he had managed to disguise himself as Jiang Fangyou and fooled all of the elders. Under the effects of the disguise amulet, his appearance, soul aura, bloodline, and even cultivation realm would appear to be identical in the eyes of the outsiders. Of course, if a battle broke out, the difference would immediately have be apparent. After all, the disguise amulet was only a disguising tool in the end. Since the Luo n had been waiting for the arrival of their n head, it would not be polite to keep them waiting for too long. However, as for the fashion which their n head would arrive in, that was something worth pondering about. In any case, he was ready to give the Luo n a huge surprise! Chapter 1656 - Luo Tianya VS Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1656: Luo Tianya VS Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric An air of vexation floated in the guest rooms of the Zhang n. Say, where did our n head go? Why isnt he back yet? First Elder Luo Qingchen broke the heavy silence in the room. Who knows? Our n head seems to be a really carefree person, going wherever he wants as he pleases... Hai! We are supposed to be challenging the Zhang n to re-establish the honor of our Luo n, but somehow, it looks as if we are sponging off the Zhang n instead... How frustrating! Its the same for me too! Whenever I walk around the area, I would see the members of the Zhang n directing skeptical looks at me! Honestly, I dont even know I should deal with that anymore! Two elders of the Luo n spoke up in exasperation. Have you not heard of the recent news? Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers came to challenge the Zhang n, but they ended up being defeated by a student whom Zhang Xuan simply offered some pointers on the spot... Could our n head have fled in fear after hearing that news? Luo Ganzhen rubbed his be. They had marched here with an imposing momentum built up from the defeat of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. They felt that victory was already in their pockets, so they intentionally made a huge fuss out of this matter. Yet, as soon as they arrived, they heard that Nangong Yuanfeng and the others had visited the Zhang n too and were forced to retreat in defeat. To make things worse, the one who had made a move wasnt Zhang Xuan. It was Zhang Xuans student from the side family whom he had barely offered a couple of pointers too... Upon learning of the news, those of the Luo n couldnt help but feel a little unsettled. If even a student taught by Zhang Xuan was so powerful, they couldnt begin to imagine just how powerful the person in question was! At this point, they couldnt help but recall the hugemotion that had happened in the Empire Alliance. Back then, even Sword Saint Xing had fallen in defeat to Zhang Xuan... Would their n head really be able to defeat that monster of a person? As such thoughts weighed down their minds, the atmosphere grew even gloomier. Actually, Im feeling really conflicted right now. On one hand, I really wish our n head would appear as soon as possible. On the other hand, I dont know if its a good idea for our n head toe. The moment hes here, the duel would definitely have to go on. Its one thing if he wins, but if he were to lose, the Luo ns dignity would be utterly crushed... an elder said. They had marched imposingly to the Zhang n, effectively letting the entire world know that they would be challenging the Zhang n to a duel. If they were to be forced in defeat, the Luo n would really be aughingstock for the world! Actually, Im thinking the same too... A couple of elders voiced their agreement. But it would be even more embarrassing to us if he doesnt appear at all! another voice eximed anxiously. The crowd fell in silence once more. Indeed. It was embarrassing to be defeated, but it would be even more so if their challenger didnt appear from the start to the end. They hade here to find trouble with the Zhang n, but they ended up finding themselves being cornered instead. With the current state of affairs, they didnt know what they should do anymore. Luo Ganzhen knew that the concerns raised by the elders were legitimate, but he didnt have any solutions for them either. Thus, he could only shake his head helplessly and turn to Luo Qingchen, Forget it, lets not think too much into it! Shall we send a message to our n head to urge him to return? I have been sending messages to him all this while, but he hasnt been replying... First Elder Luo Qingchen shook his head bitterly. It might be because hes in seclusion. It hasnt been too long since he has be our n head, so he might not be too ustomed to the role yet. In any case, I dont think that hes the type to flee in the face of danger. Otherwise, he wouldnt have stepped up against the Hundred Schools of Philosophers for us back then! Luo Ganzhen reassured the elders around. Just as he was about to continue speaking, an old man suddenly barged into the room. Deputy n head! Whats wrong? Recognizing the old man who had just entered, Luo Ganzhen frowned. The other party was the Sixteenth Elder of the Luo n, Luo Qingyuan. For an elder to be running around so anxiously in another n, something major must have happened. Our n head... He has arrived! Elder Qingyuan reported anxiously. Our n head is here? Where is he? Startled, Luo Ganzhen asked as he hurriedly got to his feet. At the same time, delighted looks also surfaced on the faces of the other elders. They quickly turned their gazes toward the doorway, but there wasnt a figure in sight. As soon as he returned to the Zhang n, he headed straight to Zhang Xuans residence... I think hes intending on challenging the head of the Zhang n privately! Elder Qingyuan exined in a fluster. He has already gone to challenge Zhang Xuan? Why didnt you inform us? Everyone was stunned by the revtion. The reason why they hade here was to battle it out with the head of the Zhang n. Yet, they were actually unaware that their n head had gone ahead to challenge the other party privately? Our n head went to confront for the head of the Zhang n secretly! We only found out about the matter a while ago too! Elder Qingyuan exined. Quick, bring us over! Hearing that the n head had already gone to challenge Zhang Xuan, Luo Ganzhen and the others couldnt bring themselves to remain seated anymore. With Luo Qingyuan taking the lead, it didnt take long for the crowd to arrive before a vast residence. This residence had a powerful formation erected around it, preventing any energies within from leaking out. In a sense, it could be said to be an isted world in itself. At the very center of the residence, there was a dueling ring with two figures standing on opposite ends of one another. Fearsome auras were emanating from the two parties. They were the head of the Luo n and the head of the Zhang n respectively, Luo Tianya and Zhang Xuan! Our n head must have his own reason for not informing us about this, so lets just observe silently by the side. Make sure that you dont give yourself away, alright? Luo Ganzhen sent a telepathic message to the crowd, and they swiftly hid by a remote corner. Regardless of the underlying motive their n head had for not informing them about the duel, it was apparent that he didnt want them to know the oue of the duel. However, this worked out fine as well. At the very least, it wouldnt be an embarrassment for the Luo n if it were to end in a loss on their part. Hu! The two figures on the dueling tform finally moved. Luo Tianya flicked his palm, and the surrounding space was immediately sealed up. Si! Everything within the sealed space came to an absolute halt. As if trapped within a still painting, the young man on the opposite end was unable to move at all. Seeing how their n head had used the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing right from the start, the faces of the crowd flushed crimson in agitation. It seemed like their n head also knew that his opponent would be formidable, so he had decided to go all out from the start. However, their agitation didntst for too long. A light chuckle sounded from the other end of the field, and the young man who should have been sealed in ce nudged forward a little. Hu! The surrounding space abruptly reverted back to normal. At the same time, Zhang Xuan stepped forward lightly, and as thought teleportation, he appeared right before Luo Tianya in the next instant and threw a punch over. Seeing the means that Zhang Xuan had executed, Luo Ganzhens body stiffened as horror surfaced in his eyes, This is... the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing too? He might not haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but he could tell that the nature of Zhang Xuans means was simr to that of their n head. In other words, they were both Spatial Quintessence of Sealing! A member of the Zhang n actually executed the Luo ns Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? What in the world was going on here? Of course, none of the Luo ns elders had an answer to Luo Ganzhens question. Meanwhile, on the dueling ring, Luo Tianya seemed to realize that he was in a precarious position, so he swiftly struggled free of the sealed space around him and retaliated with a fist of his own, Peng! The two punches collided with one another, but it was Luo Tianya whose face paled and was sent flying into the seal erected around the dueling ring. Clearly, he had been overpowered by Zhang Xuan. Hes actually this powerful? The crowd from the Luo n was rendered speechless. They thought that they would be able to see their n head destroying Zhang Xuan, but who could have thought that their n head would actually lose in a direct encounter... Sou sou sou! Reluctant to admit his defeat, Luo Tianya got to his feet and charged forward. Thus, the two fighters collided with one another once more. However, it was as if Zhang Xuan was able to read his moves in advance. After trading a few blows, Luo Tianya was suppressed to the point where he could hardly catch his breath. Under the incredible outpour of power, the dueling ring flickered with brilliant lights. The relentless shockwaves that rippled out from the collisions of the two fighters rattled the surrounding seal to the point that it seemed as if it would copse at any moment. They are truly formidable! The faces of the crowd from the Luo n gradually turned pale as they watched the intense fight before them. There were a couple of them who had reached Great Sage, but they knew that it was likely that they would be defeated in a single blow if they were to face any of the two figures on the dueling ring. To be honest, the maneuvers executed by the two n heads werentplex at all, and their battle techniques were also rtively simple too. However, every move that they made was purposeful, or to use a more exact word, ingenious! Every action that they carried out had a deeper significance in theter stage of the battle, leaving the onlookers awestruck by their foresight. It was as if their eyes were able to peer into the future, allowing them to manipte the flow of the battle to their advantage. This is a duel between top-notch geniuses? Its indeed not at a level where ordinary mortals like us can fathom... Who could have thought that the Yellow Dust of the Descending Swallow could be used in such a manner? It seems like I have been too focused on the form of the technique to see through its crux... Is it just me or that Zhang shi seems to be really familiar with the battle techniques of our Luo n? Wait a moment... Youre right! How could this be? ... The more that they watched, the more shocked that they became. At this point, the initial excitement had already settled down, leaving nothing but a deep heaviness in their hearts. Chapter 1657 - Tianya’s Request

Chapter 1657: Tianyas Request

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Our n head... isnt a match for Zhang Xuan! Luo Ganzhen remarked with a helpless look on his face. Youre right. Its obvious that Zhang Xuan is giving some leeway to our n head. Otherwise, he could have defeated our n head within twenty moves! Luo Qingchen nodded. Shortly after Luo Qingchen said those words, the panting Luo Tianya suddenly dered with a bitter look on his face, I admit defeat! It seemed like he found it hard to ept this oue too. Brother Luo, you need not take this matter to heart. In truth, there isnt a great disparity in our fighting prowess at all... Zhang Xuan walked up to Luo Tianya without the slightest glee from his victory. Instead, with an earnest look on his face, he said, Why dont we consider it a draw instead? A loss is a loss! If I cant even admit that much, I might as well change my surname to Zhang! Luo Tianya replied with a dignified tone. That being said, I have to say that the reason behind my loss is due to my personal reasons. It doesnt show that our Luo ns Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is inferior to your Zhang ns Time Quintessence of eleration at all, but simply because Im too weak to bring out its true prowess! Of course, Brother Luo! Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. Space and time have always been considered as equal powers; it would be meaningless to rank one of them over the other. Its not my intention to put down the Luo n either. To be honest, Im extremely in awe of the Luo n. In fact, the main reason why I was barely able to win against you is because my understanding of the Luo ns Spatial Quintessence of Sealing surpasses yours! What do you mean? Luo Tianya frowned doubtfully. I believe that Brother Luo can tell that I have used the Spatial Quintessence earlier too! Zhang Xuan said. This... Luo Tianya was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. Indeed. Why are you able to utilize the strength of the Luo ns Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? The founder of the Luo n didprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but the lineage of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing could be further traced up to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! I happened to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wus heritage by a stroke of luck, which is why I wield the power of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing as well! Zhang Xuan said. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu? Luo Tianya widened his eyes in disbelief. This is the ancient domain left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! With a flick of his wrist, a crystal ball materialized before Zhang Xuan. It emanated a fleeting aura reminiscent of folded spaces. cing his palm on the crystal ball, Luo Tianyas body trembled in agitation and envy surfaced in the depths of his eyes,Its indeed an artifact left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu... I must say that Im truly in awe of Brother Zhangs luck! Haha, its out of coincidence that I managed to acquire it too. The reason why very few in your Luo n are able toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing isnt due tock of talent but that the heritage passed down through the generations isntplete, Zhang Xuan exined with a light chuckle. From this Qiu Wu Pce, I found theplete Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Ill entrust it into the hands of Brother Luo today. I believe that only in your hands will its true worth shine! Looking at the crystal ball in his hand, Luo Tianya quickly shook his head in astonishment, How I can ept such a valuable artifact from you? There was no one in the Master Teacher Continent who didnt desire to obtain the heritage of the Ancient Sages. Yet, the young man actually handed it to him just like that... This gift was simply too heavy for him to ept! At the same time, the hidden Luo Ganzhen and the elders of the Luo n nced at one another in bewilderment. It was true that the heritage of the Luo n originated from Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Thus, if they could acquire thepleted version of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, they would be able to deepen theirprehension of spatialws significantly. Even if they werent able toprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, their overall fighting prowess would soar by leaps and bounds. Just that... there was supposed to be a grudge between the two of their ns. In fact, the purpose behind their visit was to trample on the Zhang n. Yet, not only did the other party pay no heed to their pettiness, he even gifted them such a valuable gift... In an instant, the crowd suddenly felt deeply ashamed of themselves. Please dont be in a rush to turn me down, Brother Luo. Allow me to finish my piece first! cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuans expression suddenly turned grim. I believe Brother Luo should have also received reports regarding the observation of the mirages of the Temple of Confucius at Qufu. Based on that in itself, theres little doubt that the real Temple of Confucius would surface very soon! Un! Luo Tianya nodded. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers has already approached and challenged both of our ns. Their motive is very clearthey wish to obtain our Celestial Amulet of Legacy. They might have failed this time around, but considering that Kong shis heritage is at stake, theres no way they would give up just like that. They would surely try something in the near future. Furthermore, our Zhang n has found evidence that experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe have managed to sneak into the Master Teacher Continent. In fact, I have received intelligence from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters that the legendary Otherworldly Demon Emperor is amongst us right now! Zhang Xuan said grimly. Mankind is in a very vulnerable position at the moment. Our survival is at stake. If we were to engage in infighting during such precarious times, it would be a cmity not just for both of our ns but the entire human race! At a time like this, we cant be engaging in meaningless faction rivalry. We have to unite together as one and cooperate with one another to ovee this ordeal! Otherwise, the one who would have thestugh would only be the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Hearing those words, Luo Tianya fell silent. The reason why the Three Premier ns are able to stand strong even after tens of thousands of years is because of how we hesitate not to band together in times of need to fend against the greater enemy! I know that I have done your Luo n wrong on the engagement ceremony, but it was definitely not my intention for things to turn out like this. Feelings simply cant be forced! Ruoxin and I have already sworn our futures together. If I were to marry Yuxin when my heart isnt with her, its only a matter of time before the marriage descends into misfortune. In the end, I would only be letting both her and the Luo n down. I know that I have failed to settle the issue appropriately, and I do feel extremely guilt-ridden for the pain and suffering I have inflicted on Yuxin and the Luo n... So, please consider the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel and the Qiu Wu Pce as tokens of my apology. Ill have to ask Brother Luo not to turn me down, or else this matter might continue to haunt me for life... Zhang Xuan said. Brother Zhang is truly magnanimous. Since thats the case, I wont hold back either then! After a slight moment of hesitation, Luo Tianya took the crystal ball and kept it in his storage ring. ... Thinking about it, even though its indeed that fellows fault, he didnt do it intentionally either... If he had truly chosen to marry the little princess back then, I would have really doubted his character! If he could bring himself to abandon his lover, theres no reason why he couldnt abandon the little princesster on! Have we been overreacting to the matter? While our minds were still fixated on our own pride and reputation, hes already looking at the fate of the whole mankind from a much higher position than ours. Hes truly a noble individual! The hidden crowd from the Luo n fell silent as their faces reddened in shame. They had been too focused on the Luo n that they werent able to look at things from another perspective. If Zhang Xuan were to be a heartless person, would he be able to bring the little princess happiness even if he were to marry her? Unlikely! Thank you, Brother Luo! Zhang Xuan bowed deeply in gratitude. Ill surely ry your intentions to the Luo n and speak up on your behalf! Luo Tianya said. At this moment, he lowered his head contemtively for a moment, seemingly making up an important decision, before he sped his fist and said, Brother Zhang, theres something which I would like to request of you! Brother Luo, please feel free to speak! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in surprise. As long as its something within my means, Ill surely try my best to help you! Theres something which has been bothering me for a long time now, and I think its about time for me to put an end to it. Regardless of whether I seed or not, its unlikely that Ill be able to return to the Luo n afterward. Even though I have only be the head of the Luo n a few days ago, I dont wish to see the Luo n falling into decline in my absence... Luo Tianya said with a darkened look. Its unlikely that youll be able to return to the Luo n? Brother Luo, are you going to enter an ancient domain, or are you intending to exact vengeance? If you require my help, just give me the word and... Startled by those words, Zhang Xuan hurriedly said. Brother Zhang. I appreciate your kind intentions, but this is my personal affair. I wish to settle it with my own hands. Even if death lies at the end of the path I seek, Ill still willingly tread down that path! Luo Tianya shook his head and replied determinedly. The matter which I would like to entrust Brother Zhang with isnt that. Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. Taking a deep breath, Luo Tianya flicked his wrist and took out a token. It was the Luo ns n Head Token. Brother Zhang, I hope that you can take my position as the head of the Luo n! You want me to be the head of the Luo n? Zhang Xuans body trembled in astonishment. He hurriedly waved his hands in a fluster and eximed, How can I do that? Chapter 1658 - Head of the Three Clans

Chapter 1658: Head of the Three ns

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Our n head wants to make Zhang Xuan our next n head? Is our n head out of his mind? That wont do! I cant ept that! Luo Ganzhen and the others were shocked by Luo Tianyas words as well. They were impressed by Zhang Xuans magnanimity and were willing to forgive him for the affairs at the engagement ceremony, but that didnt mean that they could ept having him as their n head! Brother Zhang, your prowess with the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is even more adept than mine, and more importantly, you have inherited the heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Given that even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has acknowledged and imparted his lineage to you, you can be considered as a peer to our founder. Naturally, you are more than qualified to be the head of our Luo n! Luo Tianya said. But... Zhang Xuan continued waving his hands frantically, seemingly very resistant to the notion. Brother Zhang, correct me if I am wrong. You have just be the head of the Jiang n, am I right? Luo Tianya suddenly interjected sharply. This... Yes, thats indeed the case! Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked his wrist, and a token materialized before him. It was the Jiang ns n Head Token. Hes the head of the Jiang n? Is this for real? This is ridiculous! Why would the Jiang n allow an outsider like him to be their n head? Luo Ganzhen and the others couldnt believe what they were seeing. It was as if this matter hade right out of a fantasy novel. They could hardly wrap their minds around what was going on. Since the Jiang n is willing to ept you as their n head, I believe that our Luo n will be open enough to do the same as well! Furthermore, given the perilous times we are in, its of utmost importance for the Three Premier ns to work closely with one another. I cant think of any better way to do so other than this! Luo Tianya said. He sped his fist before continuing on, Brother Zhang, Ill have to implore you not to turn me down! I have heard how your lectures in the Jiang n and the Zhang n have helped many to achieve breakthroughs in their cultivation. If you were to be the head of the Luo n, Ill have to ask you not to discriminate against our Luo n and share your knowledge with our members generously too, so that our Luo n will be able to better itself! Zhang Xuan fell silent. The crowd from the Luo n also fell silent as well. While they didnt have a good impression of Zhang Xuan, there was no denying his ability in imparting knowledge to others. His aptitude as a teacher was far beyond their imagination. The only person they could think of who could possiblypete with him was only Kong shi. This fact couldnt be more apparent just by looking at his direct disciples. None of his direct disciples had reached their twenties yet, but every single one of them had already be powerhouses on the Master Teacher Continent. Even the Luo n would have to think twice before crossing any of them! If they could have such a formidable individual as their n head, the fighting prowess of their n members would surely improve tremendously! On the other hand, if they were to continue rejecting Zhang Xuan, it would only be a matter of time before the Zhang n and the Jiang n pulled their distance away from the Luo n. Before they knew it, the Luo n would have beenpletely overshadowed by the other two powers. If Brother Zhang could ede to this request of mine, I would be able to leave with my mind at ease. Otherwise, Ill never rest easy not knowing what would be of the Luo n in my absence! Luo Tianya bowed earnestly. He flicked his wrist, and the Luo ns n Head Token flew over to Zhang Xuan. This... Alright then, Ill help you look after the Luo n in your absence. Ill lead the Luo n in your stead until someone worthy emerges! After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan took the token and reassured Luo Tianya. Thank you, Brother Zhang. With this, my heart can finally rest easy... Farewell! Hu! After bidding his farewell, Luo Tianya turned around and left without any hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he had already vanished from everyones sight. Hai! Its not that Im greedy for power, but only with the Three Premier ns united will we have the strength to stand against the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Without sufficient strength to tide through this cmity, mankind would bepletely eradicated, bing nothing more than the dust of history! Watching as Luo Tianya left, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. With aplicated look on his face, he waved his hand and strolled back into his residence. Seeing that both Luo Tianya and Zhang Xuan had left the vicinity, Luo Ganzhen and the others finally emerged from their hiding spot. Deputy n head... Aside from Luo Tianya, Luo Ganzhen wielded the greatest say in the Luo n. As such, the crowd instinctively turned their gazes to him to seek his view on the matter. Tianya is right. To survive this adversity, our Luo n will require Zhang Xuans help... Luo Ganzhen said with a helpless sigh. But hes only a Saint 9-dan cultivator... an elder protested. I dont deny that hes still weak at the moment, but hes the senior of the most respected grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Yang shi! Not only that, hes also the head of the Sanctum of Sages, the teacher of the Progeny of Combat, the head of the Poison Hall headquarters, the chief of the cier in Court, the head of the Yuan n, and the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters... All of those powers would rally together on hismand! If we were to factor in the Zhang n and the Jiang n as well, its no exaggeration to say that hes the most powerful man on the Master Teacher Continent at the moment! If we were to let this opportunity slip by our fingers, we might really fall into a spiral of decline! Luo Ganzhen said. As an individual, the Saint 9-dan Zhang Xuan was not of much significance to the Luo n. However, it would be a different matter if one were to factor in his many identities as well. Even the Master Teacher Pavilion might not possess as much rallying power as Zhang Xuan did. In fact, if one were to take Yang shi into ount too, Zhang Xuans sphere of influence would epass even the Master Teacher Pavilion as well! Having such a powerful man as their n head would be crucial to ensuring the Luo ns survival in the impending crisis! Are we really going to... acknowledge him as our n head? another elder asked with a bitter look on his face. What the heck was this... They hade to humiliate the Zhang n, but not only did they fail in their aim, they were even on the verge of acknowledging their sworn enemy as their n head... It was not as if they couldnt understand the rationale behind it, but this pill was simply too difficult for them to swallow! The more they thought about it, the more stifled they felt. Everything is for the sake of the n! Knowing their thoughts, Luo Ganzhen heaved another helpless sigh and said. Alright, lets return. Tianya is probably waiting for us back at our amodations... Thus, the crowd quickly rushed back to the guest rooms. There, they saw Luo Tianya sitting within a room with a hesitant look on his face. Upon seeing that the crowd had returned, Luo Tianya hesitated for a moment before speaking up, Elders... n head, you need not say anything. I think its a wise move on your part to have Zhang Xuan unite the Three Premier ns together. We are willing to heed yourmand! Luo Ganzhen sped his fist and said. Luo Tianyas eyebrows raised up in astonishment upon hearing Luo Ganzhens words. A momentter, he shook his and said, Since you are already aware of the matter, I wont speak of it anymore. This is the Qiu Wu Pce which Zhang Xuan has given me. Take care of it well! Its very likely that Ill never return after I leave this time around. You must heed Zhang shis orders and make the Luo n far stronger than what it ever was! After saying his piece, Luo Tianya didnt wait for the response from the crowd before opening a dimension rift and leaping into it, vanishing without a trace. Facing the departure of their n head, the crowd from the Luo n remained silent for a very long while. ... Has our son returned yet? In the main hall of the Zhang n, Sword Saint Meng was pacing around a room restlessly with a tight frown on her forehead. The n head has already returned. However, he went out again shortly afterward, and Im afraid Im not too sure where he went this time around! an elder replied. Thatd! He should know that the Luo n is here to trample over the Zhang ns pride, but he still has the mood to be wandering around the ce... Sword Saint Meng remarked with a frown. The Luo n had created a huge fuss with their arrival. It was extremely clear to anyone watching the spectacle that the Luo n hade with the intentions of humiliating the Zhang n. Yet, as the head of the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan still had to mood to be roaming around at a crucial period like this... This was really uneptable! Xuan-er is a sharp-witted child. I believe that he has his motive for doing so. Theres no doubt that we are at fault for this matter, so its only right for Xuan-er to avoid them. His presence would only remind them of the humiliation they had suffered and stoke the hostility between the two ns... Sword Saint Xing shook his head. Its one thing for him to avoid the members of the Luo n, but it wont do for him to continue dragging this matter out like this! If I had a say in this matter, I would have Xuan-er marry Luo Ruoxin and Luo Qiqi together, and there wouldnt be so much trouble now! Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly. At this moment, an elder suddenly rushed into the main hall anxiously. Old n head... Upon stepping into the room, the elder first did a bow before proceeding ahead with his report, The matter concerning the Luo n has been resolved... Both Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng were stunned by what they had just heard. Sword Saint Xing hurriedly turned his gaze over and asked, How was it resolved? In their view, this was an extremely prickly matter to deal with. Until Zhang Xuan had a duel with that Luo Tianya, it was unlikely that the Luo n would back down on this matter. Yet, before anything could happen, the matter had already been resolved? With an incredulous look on his face, the elder reported, That... The members of the Luo n... acknowledged Zhang Xuan as their n head! They acknowledged Xuan-er as their n head? Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng nced at one another before falling into a daze. Starves Discord: https://discord.gg/ATHVehx Chapter 1659 - Let’s Go to the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters!

Chapter 1659: Lets Go to the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Luo n had arrived imposingly with the burning resolve to humiliate Zhang Xuan and the Zhang n, but before anything could happen, they had already acknowledged him as the n head... Was there a pit in the heads of those from the Luo n? Otherwise, why would they do something as foolish as this? I dont know the details either, but I heard that... The elder suddenly halted at this point. He was not sure if the rumors were true, so he was not certain whether he should report the matter or not. Speak. What is it? Sword Saint Xing asked authoritatively. There are rumors that our n head went to the Jiang n yesterday... and shortly afterward, the Jiang n conducted an inauguration ceremony and established him as their n head! ... Sword Saint Xing. ... Sword Saint Meng. Can anyone tell me what in the world is going on here? The Jiang n and the Luo n has actually acknowledged someone from the Zhang n as their n head... Is there a pit in heads of those from the Jiang n too? Could this be some kind of infectious disease among the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent? Maybe we should keep a lookout for it. The Xingmeng Sword Saints fell into a state of confusion. They could understand the words individually, but when those words were put together, it formed sentences that they simply could notprehend. And the fact was that the Xingmeng Sword Saints were not the only ones in state of confusion. Everyone in the Zhang n was bbergasted upon hearing the news. Startled expressions could be seen on the faces of the members of the Zhang n as the news swiftly made its way around. Our n head... sure is awesome! To actually be the head of the Three Premier ns... This was somethingpletely unprecedented in history! It also did not take long for the news to make its way to the Luo n, and everyone was dumbstruck to hear of the matter. Luo Xuanqing was in the midst of cultivating the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing when he heard the news. Putong! He copsed to the ground, and his eyes rolled up as he cked out. Can anyone tell me what in the freaking world just happened? Didnt the n head and the elders head over there to exact vengeance? Is this what they meant by exacting vengeance? ... Its finally resolved! Oblivious to the uproar that he had just caused, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and returned back to his room. As long as the matter concerning the Luo n was not resolved, it would have remained a thorn by his side. Left with no choice, he could only summon his clone and put on an entire skit for the Luo n. This gave rise to the show that Luo Ganzhen and the others saw. His actions could not be said to be honorable, but given the current circumstances of the world, he did not have the luxury to be picky with his means. As long as he could resolve the conflict with the Luo n and have them willingly coborate with the Zhang n and the Jiang n for the crisis ahead, everything would be worth it. He had only gone out for an entire day, but he had managed to make massive gains. He cultivated the Soul Quintessence, advanced his soul cultivation to the Aureate Body realm, forged the Ancient Sage corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid, collected another golden page, and most importantly of all, be the head of the other two Premier ns... It had truly been a fruitful day! Since Im free at the moment, I should advance my Primordial Spirit to Aureate Body realm consummation! Taking a deep breath, he activated the formation around the room to keep away any prying eyes before releasing his Primordial Spirit once more. After being tempered by the heavenly me tribtion, his soul cultivation had sessfully advanced to the Aureate Body realm. However, it was still some distance away from reaching consummation. Since he had some time, it would be good for him to quickly do so. Otherwise, the massive gap between him and his clone would only slowly drown him in depression. After all, how could the main body be weaker than the clone? How undignified was it for the master to be outdone by the clone? After taking out a couple of cultivation resources, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit began devouring spiritual energy furiously. ... Four hourster... His entire Primordial Spirit was gleaming with a golden sheen, as if it was made out of pure gold. I have finally reached consummation stage... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It was a little exhausting, but he had finally done it after four hours of hard work. With my soul cultivation and my zhenqi cultivation, even if I encounter an Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator, I will be able to triumph over him with ease. With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, I would stand a chance even against a Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivator! Feeling the great power coursing through his body, Zhang Xuan smiled in delight. Even though his Primordial Spirit was only at Aureate Body realm consummation, it had been tempered by the Saint Ascension Ordeal, lightning tribtions, and the Empyrean Heavenly me. In terms of fighting prowess, it was already on par with Intuitive Impulse realm cultivators! With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, he would be able to subdue even Sword Saint Xing in a direct confrontation! Ill be able to protect myself with such strength! As powerful as the golden page was, it was ultimately a consumable tool. It would disappear after it was used. The Soulless Metal Humanoid that he had forged from the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage was formidable as well, but it was highly demanding on his soul energy, and his control over it was not as sharp aspared to moving his own body. In the end, there was nothing more reliable than his own strength. Zhang Xuan! Just as Zhang Xuan returned his Primordial Spirit to his body, he suddenly heard a voice outside. He quickly tore down the barrier and walked out of his room. Luo Ruoxin was seated on one of the benches by the courtyard. Upon seeing him, her eyebrows shot up in astonishment. You have made a breakthrough in your cultivation? It was just a day of absence, but there was a visible difference in Zhang Xuans aura. It felt much deeper than before, making it difficult for one to gauge the depth of his strength in a single nce. I guess so! Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Its good that you have made a breakthrough. I have to make a trip to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to settle some matters, and I can bring you to the area where Kong shi left behind his superior breakthrough method, Luo Ruoxin said. You are going to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? Zhang Xuan asked in surprise. Un. I can see great energy coursing from your body, and its on the verge of running amok. Without a doubt, its about time for you to raise your cultivation. This way, even if something happens, you will have the strength to cope, and Ill... Luo Ruoxin paused for a brief moment before saying, ... also be able to rest assured... Un. Its indeed about time for me to push for a breakthrough! Zhang Xuan nodded. The Innate Fetal Poison was simply too smug. He had to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible and burn that fellowpletely with the heavenly me. Otherwise, if that fellow suddenly lost its rationality and attempted something, he would really be a goner. On top of that, if he achieved a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation to Great Sage, there would surely be a surge in his fighting prowess once more. Paired together with his Aureate Body realm Primordial Spirit, even without Kong shis blood droplet, he would be able to defeat any cultivator beneath Ancient Sage! In other words, even if he encountered the schrly young man once more, he would be able to apprehend him and force him to spit out the whereabouts of Zhao Ya and the others. The only constion for him right now was that Zhao Ya and the others were not in any major danger. As the heads of major powers, they were bound to have soulnterns. If something had truly happened to them, the cier in Court, the Poison Hall, and the Yuan n surely would have sent word over. Nevertheless, the close ties between the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe left him feeling rather unnerved. He had to find out the reason behind this uncanny partnership as soon as possible so as to determine whether the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was an ally or an enemy. Lets head off then! Luo Ruoxin said with a chuckle. Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded. He quickly called Sun Qiang over and delegated some matters to him before the both of them departed from the Zhang n. Shortly after leaving the perimeter of the Zhang n, he suddenly recalled that adolescent boy and asked, Oh right, will Wu Chen being along? Wu Chen had followed them to the Zhang n, but it did not seem like he had seen him around over the past day. Of course, he had also been busy during this period of time, so he was not one to speak. He had some matters to attend to, so he left earlier. We are heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to find Kong shis superior breakthrough method, not to pick a fight with anyone. There wont be any danger, so it wont matter whether hes around or not, Luo Ruoxin replied. Youre right. Zhang Xuan nodded before falling silent. He quickly went through a map that he had collected into the Library of Heavens Path and located the whereabouts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Following which, he flicked his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear flew into his hand. Break! With a thrust of his spear, a dimension rift was torn open, and a passageway appeared before them. Zhang Xuan took the lead, and Luo Ruoxin followed closely behind him. The next moment, the duo found themselves standing before a cluster of towering buildings that was reminiscent of the scale of a royal pce. The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Chapter 1660 - Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Chapter 1660: Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Despite the massive scale of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, its appearance could not be said to be extravagant. In fact, it might not even be on par with the royal pces of some Conferred Empires. Nevertheless, through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could still see righteous aura suffusing the area, creating a dignified and solemn atmosphere. Even the most impetuous individual would feelpelled to hold himself prim and proper under such an atmosphere. It is called academic aura, Luo Ruoxin said. The Master Teacher Pavilion has been spreading its teachings across the Master Teacher Continent for tens of thousands of years, bringing wisdom to the masses. The academic aura of the world could be said to have congregated in this area. Due to that, its much easier to achieve a breakthrough cultivating here. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had been a little perplexed to hear that Luo Ruoxin was able to see the academic aura just like him, but he chose not to fuss over it. Instead, he proceeded into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters together with her. The area right before the entrance was a clearing. There was a towering monument standing at a height of over a hundred meters tall erected in the midst of the clearing, and the tip of the tablet seemed to pierce right into the clouds. Is this... the Master Teacher Pavilions Monument of Valiance? Zhang Xuans expression suddenly turned solemn. While he had never been before, he had read many books rting to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. He knew that there was a Monument of Valiance erected in the empty clearing just outside of its entrance. It was used to record the names of the heroes who had sacrificed themselves in the midst of liberating mankind from oppression. There were no ornaments on the monument, but on the ground, there were a couple of flower baskets and incense sticks that left trails of smoke drifting into the boundless sky. There were several massive words written on the monument that induced a heavy feeling in one even before approaching it. This was a feeling that came from the depths of ones soul,pelling even Great Sage cultivators to lower their heads deferentially. These names were all written by Kong shi personally. They are the names of the heroes who fought against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe back then. Luo Ruoxin exined as she gazed upon the monument with an unreadable look in her eyes. So many lives were lost in the conflict. Indeed... Zhang Xuan nodded solemnly. Zhang Lingyuan, Chen Qiquan, Wu Lingzhi... They were just namesthere were nobels to indicate their aplishments or their standing. Yet, these names seemed to contain a soul of their own. They signified the burning spirits of those who had fought valiantly for freedom back in that tumultuous era. Their resolve was passed down from generation to generation, and even to this day, it still continued to motivate others to stand up bravely for themselves and their brethren. If not for their valiance, we wouldnt have the peace that we enjoy right now. Perhaps, we might still be under the oppression of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Zhang Xuan nodded. They are worthy of being deemed as heroes! The value of the monumenty not in Kong shis writing but the spirit of those who had died struggling against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. After a short moment of silence, the two of them walked through the entrance and entered the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Surprisingly, unlike other Master Teacher Pavilions or upation guilds, there was no one on guard to stop them. Seeing through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Luo Ruoxin exined with a slight smile, This is the headquarters of the greatest power on the Master Teacher Continent. Unless ones tired of living, wholl dare wreak havoc here? The reason the other Master Teacher Pavilion branches and upation guilds needed guards was because they feared troublemakers. However, even the most willful of troublemakers wouldnt dare to pick a fight with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Since that was the case, there was no point in wasting manpower to put up guards. Youre right! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The academic aura grew significantly stronger upon entering the premises. It seemed to rid one of the feelings of worry, frustration, and such, thus bringing about greater rity of mind. Luo Ruoxin was right. Not only would it be much more effective cultivating here, the chances of breeding inner demons would be significantly lower as well. With knowledgees the wisdom to ovee inner demons! Esteemed guests, wee to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. If you have any contacts you are looking for, I can help you ry the news of your arrival to them! a young man said after walking over. Taking a look at the emblem pinned on his chest, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in surprise. Even though the young man appeared to be in his early twenties, he was actually a 7-star master teacher! To think that a 7-star master teacher would be serving as a receptionist... This was an extravagance that he would have never dared think of! As expected of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters! Im looking for Ren shi, Ren Qingyuan! Zhang Xuan replied. Since he was there to look for Kong shis heritage, it would be much more convenient if he could seek the assistance of the deputy pavilion master. You are looking for Ren shi? the young man asked. Zhang Xuan could vaguely see from the depths of the young mans eyes that he was slightly startled by the request, but those emotions did not surface on his face. Instead, the young man continued asking politely, May I know how I should address you? Ah, please dont misunderstand. Its in order to inform our deputy pavilion master the identity of his guest! I am Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan replied. Zhang Xuan? You are Zhang Xuan? Despite being calm all this while, the young man jolted in shock upon hearing that name. His voice abruptly grew sharper, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard. His voice had been a little loud, causing the crowd in the surroundings to overhear their conversation. Curious gazes began gathering on them. Hes Zhang Xuan? After hearing of his deeds, I thought that he would have three heads and six arms, but he looks more ordinary than I thought! Ordinary is an understatement. Even his appearance is nothing outstanding. His looks dont evene close to matching mine! I sure pity you. To think that you would be blind at such a young age... ... Such discussions could be heard in the surroundings. Zhang Xuan did not expect to enjoy such great fame in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and his face twitched slightly upon hearing the chatter around him. Taking a deep breath, he focused his attention of the young man before him and sped his fist. Ill be troubling you then! Oh... Oh! This way please, Zhang shi! The young man quickly shook out of his daze and led the way forward. As he made his way over toward Ren shis office, he could not help but wonder... I heard that this fellow is a vicious figure. Would he pummel me due to my momentary discourtesy? But Im only a 7-star master teacher. Theres no way I could be a match for him! If he really wishes to make a move on me, should I lie down and let him do as he pleases, or should I at least try to put up a fight before being pummeled? Ahh, what a dilemma! Just what can I do in order to minimize my embarrassment while appearing awe-inspiring? In a sense, its an amazing feat to survive the beating of the legendary Zhang Xuan, right? Perhaps, I might just be able to win the heart of the woman I love once she hears of this deed! Just like that, the young mans thoughts drifted further and further. If Zhang Xuan knew of the thoughts of the fellow before him, he would have surely sent him flying with a single kick. I am a peace-loving, amiable, respectful, self-loving, magnanimous, low-profile person, alright? Just how in the world did youe to the conclusion that Im a violent man who kicks up a fuss over nothing? ... Putting aside their misceneous thoughts, it did not take long for them to arrive before a massive door. Our deputy pavilion master is inside. Ill see you off here then... Seeing that Zhang Xuan did not make a move on him, a hint of disappointment surfaced in the depths of the eyes of the young man. Nevertheless, his actions still remained incredibly polite. Dont you have to report my arrival? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Zhang shi, you are the head of the Zhang n and the Sanctum of Sages. Theres no need for you to report your arrival in order to meet the deputy pavilion master! the young man replied courteously. In terms of standing, Zhang Xuan could be considered an equal to Ren shi. Naturally, there was no need for him to go to the trouble of seeking an audience. Thank you for your help! Zhang Xuan told the young man before pushing open the door and walking in. The moment he stepped into the room, he immediately noticed that something was amiss. There were many familiar faces within the room. Many of the 9-star master teachers that he had met back in the Empire Alliance City were there, and there was quite a number of renowned experts as well. At the same time, the crowd also turned their heads over to the door and were taken aback by whom they saw. Zhang shi, you came at a timely moment. I was just about to look for you! The first one to recover was Ren shi, and he quickly cleared up the air with a light chuckle. You haveprehended the Spatial, Time, and Soul Quintessences, and your cultivation has reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle as well. Even though you havent met the formal requirements required to be a 9-star master teacher, you are already qualified to apply for a 9-star master teacher emblem. Since everyone is around today, why dont we carry out your 9-star master teacher examination right now? You are asking me to take the 9-star master teacher examination right now? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He did not expect Ren shi to raise such a matter all of a sudden. Im afraid that Im not prepared for it yet. I didnt even brush my teeth after waking up earlier today, so it might not really be a good idea for me to take the examination right now... Chapter 1661 - 9-star Master Teacher

Chapter 1661: 9-star Master Teacher

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It was not that Zhang Xuan was reluctant to be a 9-star master teacher, but he really was not prepared for it yet. The reason why he hade here was to find Kong shis superior breakthrough method and advance his cultivation to Great Sage 1-dan. He did not think that Ren shi would ask him to undergo the 9-star master teacher examination as soon as they met... Anyone in his position would be dazed. I have checked your supporting upations, and your proficiencies have already reached levelsparable to the Inceptive Sages. With your capabilities and talents, I dont think that youll face any trouble in the examination. Its just a matter of when you want to do it! Ren shi remarked with a smile. He had witnessed the prowess of the young man with his own eyes. Be it in the impartation of knowledge, his cultivation, or his capabilities in other fields, they could be said to be impable. It was inevitable that he would be a 9-star master teacher! In his view, there was no reason to put off the inevitable. Furthermore, this invitation could also be viewed as a symbol of goodwill and a desire for reconciliation from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. This... Alright then. May I know how the 9-star master teacher examination goes? Zhang Xuan asked. Since Ren shi had already put it out like that, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to hesitate too much. He would eventually take the 9-star master teacher examination anyway, so there was no reason for him to put it off. Given that Ren shi had already given him such an offer, he might as well get it over and done with. Just that... the process seemed a little too informal for something as important as the 9-star master teacher examination. It was almost as if it was no big deal at all! Typically speaking, the 9-star master teacher examination requires the examinee to dere his philosophy of pedagogy and find a way to ascertain its effectiveness... However, just the fact that you are able to raise disciples like Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others is more than enough to prove the feasibility of your philosophy of pedagogy. As such, theres no need to go through the trouble of examining that! Ren shi exined. 9-star master teachers had to have their own set of values and principles that they believed in when it came to teaching their students. While he was uncertain what Zhang Xuans values and principles were, the fact that he had been able to raise so many outstanding students was more than enough to show that his philosophy was effective. Aside from that, your Soul Depth must also reach 27, and you must be nominated by at least three 9-star master teachers. You have met the requirements for those two as well, so the only segment remaining is the trial of strength! In the interest of time, lets not make things tooplicated. Wang shi, lower your cultivation down to Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage and exchange blows with Zhang shi! Ren shi instructed. Alright! An elder known as Wang shi walked out from the crowd. He took in a deep breath, and the next moment, his aura swiftly weakened. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already been suppressed down to Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage. His true cultivation was only at Introspective Convalescence realm advanced stage, so it was not too difficult for him to suppress his cultivation. With a smile, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Zhang shi, be wary. Since its an examination, I wont be able to go easy on you! I expect nothing less! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Seeing that Wang shi was already prepared, Zhang Xuan swiftly sent a fist over. With a loud roar, Wang shi also retaliated with a fist of his own. Peng! Sou! Ahhhhh! Wang shi vanished into thin air. This... The master teachers in the room froze on the spot. Was this really the prowessing from a Saint 9-dan cultivator? Even if they were the ones facing the attack, they did not have any confidence that they would be able to fare any better than Wang shi! Even though your cultivation hasnt reached Great Sage yet, the fact that you were able to defeat Wang shi shows that your fighting prowess is already up to par... Liu shi, prepare the 9-star master teacher emblem. From today, Zhang shi is a 9-star master teacher too! Ren shi nodded with a smile. Thats it? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Everything had happened so quickly that he could hardly believe that this was real. Were it not the fact that he knew that he was in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and that the person standing before him was the deputy pavilion master, he would have thought that he was being scammed by a fraudster. Within half an hour of entering the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he had sent a person flying, and all of a sudden, he was being congratted for bing a 9-star master teacher... Even the 1-star master teacher examination that he had taken back then had not been this easy! If this was going to be the case, why did he even go through the trouble of advancing through the ranks? He could have just taken the 9-star master teacher examination right away and cleared everything in one go! Since you have officially be a 9-star master teacher, you are qualified to attend this meeting... Paying no heed to the speechless expression on Zhang Xuans face, Ren shi carried on with a grim look on his face. Knowing that the matters that they were going to confer about were confidential, Luo Ruoxin turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Ill wait for you outside. After which, she departed from the room. Knowing that Ren shi and the others would not allow an outsider to listen in on the meeting, Zhang Xuan did not stop her. Instead, he directed a questioning gaze at Ren Qingyuan and asked, What is the purpose of this meeting for you to be in such a hurry? By this point, he had also realized that the reason Ren shi and the others were so eager to have him promoted to 9-star master teacher was so that he would have the clearance to attend this meeting. Its the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... They have justunched a mass invasion on the Master Teacher Continent! Ren Qingyuan said with a deep frown. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has justunched a mass invasion? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A 9-star master teacher whom Zhang Xuan had met before walked to the wall and pointed to a map pinned on it. It was a full map of the Master Teacher Continent, and there were many red dots marked on the map. There is a total of 108 major Subterranean Galleries linked to the otherworldly battlefields across the Master Teacher Continent, and just a moment ago, we spotted movements in all of them concurrently. The attack hase so abruptly that the Master Teacher Pavilion and Combat Master Halls personnel stationed there are having trouble holding the fort, the 9-star master teacher said. 108 Subterranean Galleries? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He knew that there would be quite a number of Subterranean Galleries across the Master Teacher Continent, but he did not think that there would be so many of them. If the Otherworldly Demons spilled out from all of them simultaneously, even with the prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would have trouble curbing them. What in the world is going on? Zhang Xuan questioned anxiously. Im unsure of the details either. Everything happened too quickly for us to process whats going on. It started from a minor invasion in some of the Subterranean Galleries a day ago. It was still within a scale that we could cope with, so we were intending to handle it internally within the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, the scale of the invasion swiftly grewrger, and before we knew it, some of the seals are starting to be worn down. Many master teachers have already been injured! Ren shi said. Has an invasion of such a scale ever happened before? Zhang Xuan asked. It has happened before but never concurrently in all 108 major Subterranean Galleries! Ren shi shook his head. The Master Teacher Pavilion has already dispatched nearly all of the avable 9-star master teachers we have, but it still isnt sufficient to ward off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. At this rate, its likely that all of the seals will be breached within ten days, thus giving rise to arge-scale invasion on the Master Teacher Continent! Ten days? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. He did not expect time to be so tight. It was true that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was in an advantageous position at the moment, but a forceful, frontal assault like this would cause cmitous losses for them too! Time was currently on the side of the Otherworldly Demons. The longer they bided their time, the fewer Ancient Sages mankind would have to deal with them. Given that they had already waited for tens of thousands of years, surely they would be willing to wait a little longer to minimize their losses. It was irrational for the Otherworldly Demons to go on a rampage at this point in time! Or could it be... A thought came to Zhang Xuans mind, and he hurriedly asked, Does this matter have anything to do with the imminent appearance of the Temple of Confucius? Other than this, he could not think of any other reason for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribeunching such a reckless assault on mankind all of a sudden. The disturbances in the space around the Temple of Confucius are growing stronger and stronger. Its likely that the Temple of Confucius will surface very soon. Weve had to station most of our 9-star master teachers there in order to prevent any Otherworldly Demons from slipping in, so we dont really have sufficient manpower to deal with the invasion at the 108 Subterranean Galleries at the moment... I believe that the Zhang n and the other powers should have received word regarding the invasion by now, and we would like to formally request your help in quelling the Otherworldly Demons! With an expectant look in his eyes, Ren shi looked at Zhang Xuan solemnly and said, The circumstances are really not in our favor at the moment. Mankind has to unite as one in order to survive this crisis! This... Zhang Xuan finally understood why Ren shi and the others were in such a hurry to promote him to a 9-star master teacher. As a 9-star master teacher, one of the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, he had an indisputable responsibility to protect mankind in times of adversity! Clearly, Ren shi and the others had already heard of the news that he had be the head of the Three Premier ns and wanted to rope him onto this warship. After all, the Three Premier ns, the cier in Court, the Poison Hall... Those powersbined together formed a force sufficient to dictate the fate of the entire Master Teacher Continent! Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would dare underestimate the might of this force. Otherwise, they would not have deferred to those powers back then at Empire Alliance City either. Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded gravely in response. For mankind, theres nothing I cant do! Chapter 1662 - Shrine of Kong shi

Chapter 1662: Shrine of Kong shi

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan could not be said to be a noble and selfless individual. He was selfish from time to time, and the initial reason that he became a master teacher was not to save mankind but to make use of that identity to ess more books... However, there were times when one simply could not back down. If mankind was massacred, what use would his strength be? He was no longer the same individual as when he first transcended over to this world. He had his family and his students. The Luo n and the Jiang n were looking to him for directions. There were many people in this world whom he wanted to protect. In fact, the reason he was so determined to mend the rtions between the Luo n and the Zhang n was for this purpose. Since the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was already on their doorstep, there was no way he would back down at this point in time. Its truly reassuring to have you as our ally! Hearing Zhang Xuans agreement, relief broke out on Ren Qingyuan and the other 9-star master teachers faces. They had been wondering how they could talk Zhang Xuan into the matter, but who would have thought that he would ept it so decisively? Ill send out an order to have the Three Premier ns heed the Master Teacher Pavilions directive right now! Zhang Xuan replied. Watching as Zhang Xuan ryed his instructions to the Three Premier ns without stalling for time, Ren Qingyuan quickly turned his attention back to the 9-star master teachers and issued several strategicmands before dispersing the group. Having acquired the assistance of the Three Premier ns, Ren Qingyuan knew that they would be able to curb the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for the time being. Heaving a sigh of relief, he finally turned his gaze back to Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang shi, sorry to keep you waiting. May I know the reason behind your visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? When he first heard the name of the young man, he had been nothing more than an insignificant figure who had chosen to pass himself off as Yang shis student. But before he knew it, the young man had already be a powerhouse whose influence rivaled or even exceeded his. So many things had happened over the past month, and nearly everything was centered around him. As long as the young man did not suffer a premature death, it was likely that he would surpass Yang shi in the future. To be honest, I have a favor to ask of you. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. I would like to pay a visit to the Shrine of Kong shi! On their way there, Luo Ruoxin had told him that it was likely that Kong shis superior breakthrough method would be ced in the Shrine of Kong shi. The Shrine of Kong shi was a heritage site constructed after the departure of Kong shi in order to celebrate his achievements. It contained his personal writing, clothes, and personal possessions. I was still wondering what you were going to ask for. All newly promoted 9-star master teachers have to pay a visit to the Shrine of Kong shi as a part of the formalities, so it goes without saying that you are allowed to enter the Shrine of Kong shi! Allow me to bring you over right now! Upon hearing the request, Ren Qingyuan chuckled softly and said. Its fine. At a time like this, you probably have a lot of urgent matters to attend to, so I shant impose on you. However, if I may boldly request, I would like to bring Ruoxin with me into the Shrine of Kong shi, Zhang Xuan said. The superior breakthrough method was bound to be hidden in an inconspicuous location, so he might require Luo Ruoxins help on that. On top of that, if Ren Qingyuan followed along, it could hinder his search efforts. This... Ren Qingyuan frowned upon hearing the request. He pondered for a moment before saying, By convention, only 9-star master teachers are allowed to enter the Shrine of Kong shi, and newly promoted 9-star master teachers have to be apanied by a more senior master teacher in... But on ount of your contributions to mankind, Ill make an exception for you. However, Ill still have to ask you not to stay in the Shrine of Kong shi for too long, roughly a day at maximum! Thank you! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon hearing those words, and he quickly sped his fist in gratitude. As the Shrine of Kong shi contained Kong shis personal writings and possessions, just being in the vicinity of the shrine was highly beneficial to ones cultivation. Those who had entered the premises were likely to leave with new insights or considerable advancements in their cultivation. As such, it was not rare for 9-star master teachers to frequent the ce... However, it was unsaid of for a non-master teacher individual to enter the premises and even stay an entire day there. It truly was not easy for Ren Qingyuan to give such leeway to him. Ill head over right now! Zhang Xuan said. After receiving Ren Qingyuans approval, Zhang Xuan rified the location of the Shrine of Kong shi before walking out of the room. He quickly found Luo Ruoxin, and the two of them began making their way over to their destination. The Shrine of Kong shi was founded by Kong shis direct disciple, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, after his departure. Many of his handwritten drafts, clothes, weapons, and the sort could be found in the shrine. The main purpose for creating the shrine was to allowter generations to feel the spirit of the Worlds Teacher and experience his greatness. Many of the artifacts within the Shrine of Kong shi were not offensive in nature, wielding very little prowess. However, they were able to inspire deeper contemtion to cultivators, bringing them epiphanies. Walking along the shrine, they saw the bloodied robe that Kong shi had left behind while fending off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the letter that he had sent out after being trapped at Chen Cai... Zhang Xuan found himself at a loss for words for a very long time. Even someone as powerful as Kong shi had to go through so much in order to quell the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. After taking a walk around the room, Luo Ruoxin finally stopped before a certain artifact and pointed to it. This is the Sage Ascension tform that Kong shi left behind after his breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence realm back then. If he has left a cultivation technique behind, its likely to be hidden in there. Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze over and saw a round stone tform ced among the artifacts. Its surface was cloaked with ayer of beautiful light, reminiscent of jadeite. This is... a product from the heavenly me tribtion? Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment. There was no doubt that the material of the stone tform was themon blue jadestone. However, for some reason, it felt extraordinarily wholesome, as if it was oneplete entity by itself. Furthermore, it emanated a radiant sheen far beyond that of ordinary blue jadestones,parable to impable jadestones. The only force in the world that could turn an ordinary blue jadestone into an impable jadestone would be the heavenly me. More importantly, his Primordial Spirit felt a feeling of intimacy from the blue jadestone, which further confirmed his doubts. Its indeed the doing of the heavenly me! Luo Ruoxin nodded. After confirming the matter, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight and began examining the stone tform carefully. A momentter, a deep frown formed on his forehead. He had already figured out how the heavenly me had converted an ordinary blue jadestone into its current state, but he was stillpletely bewildered as to how Kong shi managed to summon the heavenly me tribtion for his breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. There was nothing that he could consider a clue on the stone tform. Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Ruoxin and asked doubtfully, If the superior breakthrough method is truly hidden in here, considering how many formidable 9-star master teachers have looked at this stone tform, its secrets should have already been uncovered by now, right? Master teachers were known for their sharp eye of discernment. While his Eye of Insight was particrly formidable in this field, there were still over a dozen experts before him who possessed the same ability as well, namely the preceding sanctum heads of the Sanctum of Sages. If even they could not find anything wrong with the stone tform, was there really a cultivation technique hidden in it? Did you bring the Saint Ascension tform Kong shi has left behind with you? Instead of exining the matter, Luo Ruoxin asked about apletely different matter instead. ... I did! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and another stone tform materialized before him. Before passing the orb containing the Qiu Wu Pce to Luo Ganzhen, he had already ced the Saint Ascension tform into his storage ring. Try using the cultivation technique of the Saint Ascension Decipher to infuse your zhenqi into the Saint Ascension tform, Luo Ruoxin instructed. Zhang Xuan was not sure where this was going, but he nodded in agreement. Taking a deep breath, he swiftly infused his zhenqi into the Saint Ascension tform. Tzzzzzzz! As his zhenqi coursed through the Saint Ascension tform, it began emanating energies of a myriad different colors and slowly floated into the air. At the same time, as if attracted by the energies of the Saint Ascension tform, the Sage Ascension tform was drawn over. The two stone tforms began fusing with one another, and before long, they were already a single entity. This... Zhang Xuan was startled. He did not think that the two stone tforms would actually be able to fuse with one another. Weng! Just as he was about to ask Luo Ruoxin what was going on, a brilliant burst of light exploded from the stone tform. An illusory ck silhouette appeared in the midst of the radiant surroundings, sitting on the stone tform with cross legs, his eyes tightly shut. This is the recording Kong shi left behind when he made a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. The breakthrough method is found in here! Luo Ruoxins voice sounded anxious. Chapter 1663 - Kong shi’s Cultivation Technique

Chapter 1663: Kong shis Cultivation Technique

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Recording? Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan noticed that the silhouette was cultivating. Surges of spiritual energy were gushing into his body, circting in a certain pathway. This is... Kong shi? Zhang Xuans face twitched. Rather than a human, the silhouette looked more like a burnt sweet potato instead. If not for Luo Ruoxins reminder, he would not have thought that it was a human... Was this blurred ck thing really Kong shi? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was distracted by such small details, Luo Ruoxin sighed helplessly. The recording will only appear once. Its only triggered due to your sessful breakthrough as a Celestial Saint. This opportunity wonte again if you dont pay close attention. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan hurriedly focused his attention on watching the movements of the ck shadow. Since it would only appear once, he would have to pay close attention to it. Otherwise, if he missed any crucial aspects, it would be toote for regrets. ws! Zhang Xuan willed. H! The Library of Heavens Path jolted, but no book waspiled. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. It had failed him at the crucial moment once more... Of course, it could be because Kong shi possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well, so the silhouette that he left behind could not bepiled by the Library of Heavens Path. Forget it, Ill just have to remember as many things as possible by myself! Seeing that the Library of Heavens Path was not working, Zhang Xuan could only observe the movements of the silhouette before him seriously. Sitting on the stone tform, spiritual energy continuously surged into the silhouette, and its aura was growing stronger and stronger. After a moment of examination, Zhang Xuan frowned. There is something bizarre about how spiritual energy is entering the body of the silhouette... When pushing for a breakthrough, cultivators would usually open all of their acupoints to take in spiritual energy equally throughout their body so as to better channel it toward the dantian, thus advancing their cultivation. However, this was not the case for the silhouette. He was taking in spiritual energy fastest from his head, followed by his innards, and finally his limbs. Furthermore, the attributes of the spiritual energy that he was taking in were different too. The spiritual energy that he was channeling into his head was overflowing with vitality, seemingly epassing all attributes. On the other hand, the spiritual energy that he was channeling into his innards was of the fire attribute, the wood attribute for his upper limbs, and the cold attribute for his lower limbs. Noticing Zhang Xuans confused frown, Luo Ruoxin exined, Its the four seasons. Four seasons? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. The world can be divided into four seasons. People often say that the natural world is devoid of consciousness, but it does instinctively obey a certainw in order to rid the impurities it has umted. For example, a poison master can concoct a poisonous substance and scatter it around thends, creating a blight. But with sufficient time, the world will still be able to neutralize the poison through the power of the changing seasons, thus healing the damage it has sustained, Luo Ruoxin borated. So, this is simr to removing the damaged cells in the Introspective Convalescence realm? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. The natural world wielded the amazing power to heal any damage it had sustained with time, no matter how severe it was. It could take hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, but eventually, any damage would be undone, leaving nary a trace at all. So, in terms of regeneration, there was nothing that could outdo the natural forces of the world. Not even Ancient Sages coulde close topeting with it. Zhang Xuan nodded in wonderment. What Kong shi did wasprehend the ingenuity behind the four seasons and incorporate it into his body in order to achieve a breakthrough to the Introspective Convalescence realm... As expected of the Worlds Teacher, he was truly extraordinary! It was no wonder he was able to summon the heavenly me tribtion as soon as he achieved a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. Using a cultivation technique that was in such close alignment with the world, it was inevitable that he would incur the envy of the heavens. The body as the four seasons, the innards as the five cardinal directions 1 , the spirit as the heavens, the body as the earth, the creations and Yin-Yang as the soul... The more Zhang Xuan looked, the more surprised he was. He slowly sat down and began to cultivate. The bottleneck that had limited his cultivation tightly in the past began to loosen, and it seemed as if he would take the final step forward at any moment. Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to push for a breakthrough, a thought suddenly came to his mind. No, thats not right... Kong shi has his own method of pushing for a breakthrough to Great Sage, but I dont share the same constitution as him. I can use his wisdom as a guiding direction for me, but I cant blindly imitate everything that he does... Kong shi had spent his life fighting against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and he had his own persistence and righteousness. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had his own encounters and experiences that were very different from Kong shis. With such divergence in their pathways, their cultivation method could not be identical to one another. If Zhang Xuan forcefully attempted to walk down the pathway of another, it was likely that his cultivation would go berserk instead. Possessing the Library of Heavens Path, the techniques I have cultivated have always been perfect. In terms ofprehension of the heavens, theres no one who canpete with me... Zhang Xuan thought with a brilliant light gleaming from his eyes. Ever since he started cultivating, he had never taken a single wrong step. Other cultivators could devote their lives to desperately scouring the world, but all they would discover eventually was just a superficial understanding of the world. On the other hand, what he had in his mind was the very embodiment of the heavens! Was there any being in this world who boasted a greater understanding of the world than him? Fighter cultivation techniques, Transcendent Mortal cultivation techniques, Saint cultivation techniques... As hisprehension of each cultivation level flowed through his brain, they swiftly strung together to form a magnificent coge. This is what I want! Zhang Xuan thought as his consciousness delved right into the coge. The next moment, he found himself standing in uncharted territories, a world that he had never known before. Boom! The bottleneck that had his cultivation sealed at Saint 9-dan pinnacle was forcefully torn apart, and his zhenqi began undergoing a qualitative metamorphosis. At the same time, his aura also grew stronger at a furious pace. I have made a breakthrough! So, this is the power of a true Great Sage... Feeling the incredible energy coursing through his meridians, Zhang Xuans heart pounded in excitement. It was fortunate that Luo Ruoxin had stopped him from making a breakthrough previously. If he had used the inferior breakthrough method instead, he would have been much weaker than how he was now. Huhuhu! Shortly after his breakthrough, dark clouds began copsing inward. An astounding amount of energy was gathering in the area, shrouding the entire Shrine of Kong shi. Whats happening? That fellow couldnt have made a breakthrough there, could he? Sh*t! Thats the Shrine of Kong shi! ... Upon seeing the dark clouds gathering in the area, the faces of those in the Master Teacher Pavilion paled in fright. They nearly spurted blood on the spot. Bro, surely you could have a chosen a much better ce to achieve a breakthrough, right? Thats the Shrine of Kong shi! Do you know that destroying it is no different from making enemies out of all the master teachers across the Master Teacher Continent? Thats a sin youll never be able to absolve yourself from! Quick, stop him! Ren Qingyuan cried out in despair. Had he known that this would happen, he never would have allowed that dastardly troublemaker in! Other 9-star master teachers entering the Shrine of Kong shi would have their souls cleansed, bing powerful experts who were willing toy down their lives for mankind. Yet, that fellow actually went in and called a cultivation tribtion upon that sacred ce... It was already bad enough for him to use his cultivation tribtion to tear apart the Zhang n and the cier in Court... but to think that he was not satisfied with just that! He actually wanted to tear down the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Shrine of Kong shi too! Didnt I treat you courteously earlier? Why do you still want to harm me? Havent I apologized enough for what I did to you back then? While cursing Zhang Xuan on the inside, Ren Qingyuan rushed to the Shrine of Kong shi with the other elders. Just as he was about to rush in, he felt a furious wave of intense heat gushing out from the shrine, keeping everyone out. Ren Qingyuan grabbed one of the 9-star master teachers and asked, Whats going on right now? The Shrine of Kong shi is surrounded by a unique power that prevents us from inspecting inside with our Spiritual Perception, so we have no idea... the 9-star master teacher hurriedly exined. A unique power? Its able to keep out the Spiritual Perception of 9-star master teachers too? Ren Qingyuan was taken aback. Chapter 1664 - Eradicating the Innate Fetal Poison (1)

Chapter 1664: Eradicating the Innate Fetal Poison (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Even the weakest 9-star master teacher who remained in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was at least at Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage. On the other hand, the strongest ones were around Sword Saint Xings caliber. Yet, with their strength, they were neither able to enter the Shrine of Kong shi or inspect the interiors with their Spiritual Perception... Just what in the world was going on inside? My ancestor, will you only be appeased after you tear down the Shrine of Kong shi too? Boom! In his moment of exasperation, he saw ominous clouds overflowing with power gathering swiftly in the area. Ferocious mes could be seen crackling amidst the clouds, on the verge of descending onto the world at any moment. Is this... the heavenly me tribtion? But why would the mes be ck in color? Isnt he only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle? How did he summon such a powerful cultivation ordeal? I dont know either! Maybe... its because hes a genius? ... The crowd was stunned to see the nature of the clouds gathering in the area. They had verified Zhang Xuans cultivation when they tested him during the 9-star master teacher examination earlier. There was no doubt about it, he was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Even if he managed to achieve a breakthrough, he should have only been at Introspective Convalescence realm too... But for some inconceivable reason, the cultivation ordeal he had summoned was the heavenly me tribtion, not to mention an extraordinarily powerful one at that... How the heck did you do it? Did you just absorb all of the treasures in the Shrine of Kong shi? A thought suddenly shed across Ren Qingyuans mind, and his body began trembling uncontrobly. He eximed in horror, Wait a moment... Thats the Empyrean Heavenly me! Its the strongest heavenly me tribtion! ck heavenly mesthis was a phenomenon which even the knowledgeable 9-star master teachers gathered here had never heard of. Even Ren Qingyuan only knew of its existence through vague information detailing its existence in the Pavilion Master Seal. The Empyrean Heavenly me existed in the color of dusk, and there was nothing in the world that it couldnt set aze. If left to free rein, there was little doubt that it would scorch down everything in the world. It was the most fearsome heavenly me tribtion, and the only cultivator that was known to have summoned it was Kong shi. Was the young man undergoing an encounter simr to that of Kong shi? Did he manage to find some kind of obscure heritage hidden in the Shrine of Kong shi which they have missed out on? But even if there was some hidden heritage, it didnt make sense for the young man to find it so quickly! Seal the news for the time being. Make sure that not a single word about this matter leaks out! Ren Qingyuan turned to the elders around him and ordered sternly. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was able to survive the heavenly me tribtion or not, it wasnt good news for the Master Teacher Pavilion. If he were to survive the heavenly me tribtion, it would mean that an expertparable to Kong shi had appeared on the world. With the Zhang n and many major powers under his leadership, the authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion would be swiftly diminished in the near future. On the other hand, if he were to die in the tribtion... How were they to exin to the Zhang n, the Luo n, and the Jiang n that their head had died in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? For the time being, the only thing they could do was to conceal the news as long as they could. The Three Premier ns had barely united together under Zhang Xuan, and it was through tapping into the young mans influence that the Master Teacher Pavilion was able to mobilize the Three Premier ns. If a mishap were to happen to the young man at this point in time, everything could swiftly unravel. Faced with internal disharmony and external crisis, even the powerful Master Teacher Pavilion would copse in the face of such pressure! We understand... Understanding the implications of this matter, the 9-star master teachers quickly created all sorts of formations around the area to conceal the phenomenon. ... Unaware of the panic urring outside, Zhang Xuans consciousness was immersed in the internal state of his body. He was carefully discerning the changes urring in his body. Slowly, he reconstructed the foundation of his body to a form that was in greater alignment with nature, thus allowing his energies to flow without any impediment. This resulted in a significant enhancement in his burst power. There are some changes to my meridianwork as well. Its starting to bear some resemnce to the meridianwork I have reconstructed for Zhao Ya back then... The breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation had introduced several changes to the mapping of his meridians too. His meridians had been shifted to assume a form reminiscent of Zhao Yas meridianwork. It seemed like the meridianwork he had reconstructed for Zhao Ya was indeed ideal for cultivators. To put it in other words, this proved that the reason why the Otherworldly Demons were stronger than humans was because they were of a higher level of existence. Otherwise, their meridianwork wouldnt have been so closely aligned to the ideal state. It was possible to raise ones level of existence through cultivation, but the difference in the starting point was still a gap that was hard to bridge. Take the Dragon Tribe for example, no one in the Master Teacher Continent had ever seen a true Pureblooded Dragon before, but there was no one who would deny that they were superior existences who wielded devastating strength, Even the Dragonbone Divine Spear would have to bow in the face of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. Honestly, Zhang Xuan couldnt even begin to fathom just how powerful Pureblooded Dragons would be. Most likely, they wielded strength far surpassing the Ancient Sages from birth. This was the gap stemming from the different level of existences between two beings. It was due to the fact that the Otherworldly Demons were blessed with a more logical constitution than humans that they were of a higher level of existence. This superior constitution allowed them to be born as Transcendent Mortals, and it bestowed upon them longevity far exceeding that of humans. The fact that his constitution had changed slightly upon reaching Great sage meant that he had undergone a qualitative evolution in his level of existence. If he were to bear any offspring in his current state, even if his offspring failed to inherit his bloodline ability, they would stillmand talents above ordinary cultivators due to their superior constitution. In fact, most of the founders of Tier-3 Sage ns were actually Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm experts who failed to reach Ancient Sage in their lifetime. It seems like there are some advancements in my Spiritual Perception and physical strength too! The changes werent limited to just Zhang Xuans meridianwork. His Spiritual Perception had grown much stronger than before too. In the past, it would have been impossible for him to scrutinize the internal structure of each individual cell, but with his enhanced Spiritual Perception, he could see even the slightest crease within each cell. At the same time, the range of his Spiritual Perception had increased to twenty li 1 as well. In other words, if he were to just activate his Spiritual Perception, nothing within a perimeter of twenty li would be able to escape his notice. just by activating his Spiritual Perception, there would be no one within a perimeter of twenty li who would be able to escape his notice. As for his physical body, the improvements werent significant yet, considering how he had barely achieved a breakthrough and hadnt gotten a chance to temper his body yet. Nevertheless, through the nourishment of the zhenqi coursing through his meridians, the resilience of his physical body had already surpassed that of Saint pinnacle artifacts. It was beginning to advance toward the level of Great Sage artifacts. Of course, the greatest change he had experienced was still his zhenqi. It had be much purer and denser than before. An unimaginable amount of zhenqi had congregated in his dantian to form a seemingly endless ocean. I should focus on oveing the heavenly me tribtion first! All of this information gushed into his mind with a simple sweep of his Spiritual Perception. However, he knew that this wasnt a good time to be analyzing his own current condition. Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze to the sky. Hu! In the moment that he turned his gaze to the sky, a bundle of ck me descended from the ominous clouds above. Absorb! With the previous experience of dealing with the Empyrean Heavenly me, there was no longer any fear in Zhang Xuans heart. Without any hesitation, he absorbed the ck me into his body. But in the next moment, excruciating pain assaulted his entire existence. An intense heat raged within his body, threatening to melt him down into a puddle of goo. I have to drive my zhenqi and use the heat to temper my body! Zhang Xuan knew that he was undergoing the Scorching Body Tribtion, Scorching Spirit Tribtion, and Scorching Heart Tribtion simultaneously. Whatever pain he felt was, in truth, a trial for him as well. three ordeals simultaneously, which included trials on his spirit and heart as well. He couldnt afford to give up now. The moment that he surrendered himself to fear would be the moment that he would be reduced to ashes. Knowing this fact ver well, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and forced himself to bear with the pain as he hurriedly drove his zhenqi to disperse the heat. Tzzzzzzz! Under the relentless ramming of his Heavens Path zhenqi, the huge bundle of me was swiftly reduced to many seeds of fire. Nevertheless, they continued to burn with the same fervor as before. Before Zhang Xuan knew it, the pain had further intensified. It felt as though it was stabbing deeply into him, rendering him light-headed. No, this isnt right... How can this be even more painful than the heavenly me tribtion my Primordial Spirit faced? Zhang Xuan thought in rm as cold sweat gushed down his body. With the experience of oveing the Empyrean Heavenly me once, he thought that he had nothing to fear this time around. Yet, he realized that his previous experience wasnt any use at all. Could it be that what I have encountered earlier was the heavenly me tribtion whereas this one is the... Sage Ascension Ordeal? They arent of the same level as one another? What his Primordial Spirit had faced previously was indeed the Empyrean Heavenly me, but it was summoned by the breakthrough of his soul cultivation to Aureate Body realm. On the other hand, the Empyrean Heavenly me he was facing at the moment was a cultivation ordeal summoned by the unique circumstances of his breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence realm. This was an unconventional tribtion which was summoned only by Kong shi in the past tens of thousands of years. There was a good chance that it was no ordinary heavenly me tribtion. Zhang Xuan could understand that this cultivation ordeal was unconventional, but wasnt this... way too strong? Even his Aureate Body realm consummation Primordial Spirit was having trouble coping with the intense heat of the Empyrean Heavenly me! It was to the point that it seemed as if his consciousness would simply fade away at any moment... He could hardly bring himself to think what would have be of him if he had he not advanced his soul cultivation to Aureate Body realm in advance! Perhaps, he would have lost his consciousness in the moment he absorbed the heavenly me in his body, thus allowing the heavenly me to ravage his body as it pleased! If it was already so difficult for him, how did Kong shi, who didnt possess the Library of Heavens Path, survive this nigh impossible ordeal? Zhang Xuan couldnt help but wonder in incredulity. Chapter 1665 - Eradicating the Innate Fetal Poison (2)

Chapter 1665: Eradicating the Innate Fetal Poison (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Knowing that this wasnt a good time for his mind to be wandering around the ce, Zhang Xuan curbed the dizziness in his head and focused his attention on the silhouette on the stone tform. At this moment, the silhouette seemed to be undergoing a simr experience as him. Heavenly mes descending from the heavens seared him mercilessly, turning him into the color of ck charcoals. His aura withered swiftly under the heat, and it felt as if he would wilt and breathe hisst. Just as his aura grew so feeble that it was nearly indiscernible, a small seed of energy suddenly sprouted from his body. The small seed of energy grew relentlessly in the face of the heat, umting power and vitality. Before long, it had already developed into a colossal tree. The silhouette remainedpletely motionless throughout the process, but his presence seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. It came to a point where it seemed to tower over everything in the world. This is... Resurgence After Destion, Revival After Demise? Zhang Xuans heart jolted in astonishment. With the arrival of autumn, the resplendent world would gradually wilt and lose all vitality, leaving nothing but piles of discarded autumn leaves on the ground. However, when spring returned to the world once more, everything woulde back to life. Vitality would surge back into the world, resuscitating the dead and bestowing new lives! This was the cycle of nature. And the silhouette on the stone tform was using this cycle to his advantage. The more I try to oppose the ck me, the greater the intensity itll burn with. In other words, if I choose not to oppose the heavenly me, the temperature of the me will lower ordingly too. If I could just lower the temperature of the ck me to a level thats tolerable to me, Ill be able to use the heat to temper my body and gradually adapt to the heat... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. This was actually amon trait amongst cultivation ordeal. Be it the lightning tribtion or the heavenly me tribtion, their prowess of the tribtion mirrored the strength of the cultivator it was dealing with. Take the lightning tribtion as an example, the stronger ones cultivation was, the more powerful the lightning tribtion would be. To put it in other words, the more feeble one was, the weaker the lightning tribtion would be... It was counterintuitive, but the key to oveing this cultivation ordeal was to not oppose it. Otherwise, even if his Primordial Spirit had reached Aureate Body realm, he would still eventually sumb to the intense heat and pass out. What he had to do was to feign weakness before the cultivation ordeal in order to give his body some time to adapt to the heat. The arrival of the winter solstice, the silencing of all beings! Finally seeing a usible way out of his current quandary, Zhang Xuan immediately abandoned all attempts to ward off the heat from the ck me. Consciousness seemed to have vanished from his body as he stopped breathing altogether. It was as if winter had descended, extinguishing the mes of life under a weight of coldness. In this moment, it seemed as if eternal silence had set upon the world. Tzzzzzz! Just as what Zhang Xuan had expected, as soon as he abandoned all resistance, the ck me realized that it had lost an opponent and swiftly calmed down. As a result of that, the temperature of the ck me plummeted sharply. To make an analogy, Zhang Xuans zhenqi was like gasoline to the ck me. The more he tried to fend off the ck me with his zhenqi, the more domineering the ck me would be in order to quell him. On the other hand, if he were to seal his zhenqi together and keep it froming into contact with the ck me, with time, the ck me would lose its momentum and extinguish. Having given up on resistance, Zhang Xuans aura gradually weakened down to the point where he seemed nothing more than an ordinary mortal. In reciprocation to that, the ck me also diminished to a level tolerable to him. Under the scorching heat of the ck me, ck gas began rising out of Zhang Xuans body. Slowly, a golden sheen emerged from his physical body. Having cultivated the Heavens Path Golden Body, Zhang Xuan knew that the ck gas was the impurities umted within his body. Even if he had refined his body time and time again, it was nigh impossible for him to cleanse it fully. In a sense, this was simr to no matter how many times a person washed his body, his body would never be perfectly clean. This was because the spiritual energy in nature was impure. This impurity was also the reason why spirit stones were divided into low-tier, middle-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle. Even the pinnacle spirit stone, which boasted the highest purity of the spirit stones, wasnt close to being devoid of impurities. Given that even the spiritual energy absorbed by a cultivator wasnt perfectly clean, it was inevitable that impurities would gradually umte within ones body. The heavenly me wielded the power to burn these impurities into ck gas and expel them from a cultivators body. Without these impurities to hinder his bodily functions, the cultivator would be able to wield greater power at his disposal. Gold was known to be the element that contained the least impurities. By tempering ones physical body over and over again, it would begin to emanate a beautiful golden sheen. This was also where the term Aureate Body originated from. As more and more ck gas was being expelled, the golden sheen emanating from Zhang Xuans body grew more and more brilliant. In the previous heavenly tribtion, he had only managed to refine his Primordial Spirit to assume a golden color. However, under the intense scorching of the ck me, his physical body and zhenqi were swiftly being purified, and they were beginning to turn golden as well. With a light knock, a metallic reverberation sounded from his body. It was almost as if his body was a legendary weapon in the making. I think I can start raising the temperature of the ck me... As the ck me tempered his body, he found that the excruciating pain he had suffered previously had been reduced to a level where he could hardly feel anything anymore. This was a sign that he had already adapted to the current level of heat emanated from the ck me, and it no longer posed a threat to him anymore. Thus, he began to drive his zhenqi. In an instant, it was as if the world hade back to life. The frost had melted, and a surge of vitality sprouted from the depths of his body. Hong long long! Sensing the changes in Zhang Xuans body, the ck me realized that it had been duped and flew into a rage. Innumerable bundles of ck mes descended one after another, threatening to burn the young man down to ashes. However, this was the exact reaction Zhang Xuan was anticipating from it. Without any hesitation, he absorbed the bundles of ck me into his body. Jijijiji! It wasnt too long ago that the ck me was a force far beyond his means to deal, but after undergoing a period of adaptation, his body had already built up some immunity against the heat. The damage and pain inflicted on his body had both reduced to a level eptable to him. ck gas continued being expelled from his body, and the golden sheen on his body was bing more and more brilliant. At the same time, the floor he was sitting on had initially turned ck under the heat of the ck me, but at this point, it was starting to grow translucent. Slowly but surely, it was assuming a simr appearance to the blue jadestone he had seen previously. Slowly, Zhang Xuan felt his body adaptingpletely to the ck me, and he heaved a sigh of relief. A glint shed across his eyes as he thought, Its about time to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison! The Innate Fetal Poison had managed to slip into his physical body and hide in his narrowest meridians, where he was unable to reach. This time around, he was determined to aplish the deed once and for all! Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath as he turned his gaze toward the ominous clouds above. With a powerful leap, he dashed right into the midst of the Empyrean Heavenly me. Since he had already resolved himself to eliminate the Innate Fetal Poison, he would have to make sure to utterly obliterate it this time around such that it wouldnt be able to make aeback again. The bundles of ck me that descended from the ominous clouds above wasnt sufficient to guarantee theplete destruction of the Innate Fetal Poison, so he would have to dive into the core of the ck me to carry out the deed. Back then, he did dive into the ominous clouds with his Primordial Spirit too, but he had remained near the edges. That created an opening for the Innate Fetal Poison to get away. He wouldnt make such a mistake again. Huhuhu! As soon as he dived into the midst of the dark clouds, he immediately felt innumerable bundles of ck me swarming in his direction, threatening to drown him whole. In the face of the frenzied assault from the ck mes, Zhang Xuan opened his acupoints and devoured them frenziedly. As the ck mes surged into his meridians, he channeled them toward the area where the Innate Fetal Poison hid. Jijiji! At this moment, the Innate Fetal Poison was still idling by one corner, oblivious to the fact that Zhang Xuan had already summoned the heavenly me tribtion for his physical body too. Caught off guard by the ferocious onught of ck mes, it released a shrill shriek and quickly took flight. Do you think you have anywhere to run to? After been tortured by the Innate Fetal Poison for so long, Zhang Xuan couldnt possibly allow it to do as it pleased anymore. Before the Innate Fetal Poison could get far away, ck mes surged into the path it was intending to escape to. Before it could even register the situation it was in, all of its paths of escape had beenpletely sealed. Zhang Xuan knew how agile the Innate Fetal Poison was when it came to fleeing, so he made sure that everything was in ce beforeunching the decisive assault. At this moment, due to the overwhelming quantity of ck me in him, his entire body had turned into a human-shaped ck fireball. If he still couldnt get rid of the Innate Fetal Poison with this, he could really just kill himself on a blob of tofu. Jijiji! Completely surrounded, the Innate Fetal Poison had no way to escape to. Engulfed in the midst of searing ck mes, a piercing shriek reminiscent of a banshees cry shook the air. The shriek slowly dwindled before everything was reduced to silence. Its finally over... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. His physical body and Primordial Spirit had been tempered by heavenly mes, and his Spiritual Perception had grown sharp enough to notice any anomaly in his body. No matter how crafty the Innate Fetal Poison was, there was no way it would be able to escape from this. Fearing that the Innate Fetal Poison would make aeback, even after the piercing shriek faded, Zhang Xuan continued to channel ck mes into his body to sear the Innate Fetal Poison. He continued the process for nearly ten minutes, stopping only when the dark clouds were beginning to dissipate. Retracting the ck mes, Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned the area where the Innate Fetal Poison hadst appeared with his Spiritual Perception. His eyes widened at what he saw. This... What is this? Zhang Xuan muttered in shock. Chapter 1666 - He’s Smithing?

Chapter 1666: Hes Smithing?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Innate Fetal Poison which had gued him for over a year had disappeared without a trace. However, remaining in its ce was a ball of ck smoke. This bundle of ck smoke wasnt too big, roughly the size of a fingernail. It sat quietly in the midst of his meridians, not moving at all. I have no idea what it is, but its unlikely to be anything good. Let me see if I can get rid of it!! Zhang Xuan continued to channel the ck me into his body to burn the ball of ck smoke, but it didnt seem to faze the ball of ck smoke at all. Even the Empyrean Heavenly me, which boasted the ability to be able to burn anything down, waspletely ineffective against it! What in the world is this ball of ck smoke? Following which, Zhang Xuan tried to use his soul energy and zhenqi to expel the ball of ck smoke out of his body, but to his astonishment, it seemed to have taken root in his body. No matter how he tugged and pulled, it refused to budge at all. Could this be the problem which Kong shi was referring to back then? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. After taming the Pavilion Master Token, he encountered Kong shis will, and thetter told him that it wasnt too difficult to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison. What was troublesome was the problem that came after it... He had sessfully eradicated the Innate Fetal Poison, but in its ce, this ball of ck smoke appeared... There was no doubt the problem which Kong shi was referring to was this! Something which even Kong shi deemed to be a problem was likely to be really difficult to deal with. This ball of ck smoke is residing in one of my smaller meridians, so my Primordial Spirit is unable to slip in. Furthermore, it doesnt seem like my Library of Heavens Path is working on it either... Zhang Xuan frowned in frustration. He had used his Eye of Insight, Library of Heavens Path, and everything at his disposal, but he was still unable to identify what the ball of ck smoke was. Forget it! Judging from its state, it doesnt seem to pose any harm to me for the time being. I guess Ill have to ask Kong shi about it the next time I meet him... Zhang Xuan examined the ball of ck smoke carefully, and it didnt seem to be poisonous. Deeming it unlikely to cause him any harm in the short run, he decided to put this matter aside for the time being. While he was a little unnerved by its presence, it didnt seem like he was able to get rid of it at the moment. In any case, he had finally managed to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison, and that was truly a huge load off his chest! The tension which had been weighing him down over the past year vanished without a trace, and he suddenly felt light and free. Huhu! At the same time, the dark clouds in the sky were already halfway through their dissipation, and the heavenly me tribtion was likely to flee very soon. The current heavenly me tribtion doesnt pose any threat to me anymore... Even when the tribtion was at its full prowess, it was unable to bring him down. Given that it was already in the midst of dissipation, there was no way it would be able to hurt him anymore. It would be a waste to allow the ck me to dissipate just like that though. Otherwise, who knows when Ill be able to encounter it once more? Zhang Xuan thought. The corners of his lips crept up as he flicked his wrist and took out a three meters wide round tform. Golden Origin Spirit Stone! This was the treasure which the Dragonbone Divine Spear had given him back at Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain. However, as he had no suitable me to process the material, he could only store it in his storage ring all this while. However, since there were remnants of the heavenly me in the sky, and it happened that he had no other use for it at the moment, this was an ideal opportunity to reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron! That fellow had been following him for a very long while now. However, as he had advanced his cultivation too quickly, it didnt take long before it was rendered redundant. Since he had some spare time at the moment, it would be a good chance to upgrade this loyal subordinate of his! Hu! As soon as the Golden Origin Spirit Stone came into contact with the ck me, the precious metal which even the most powerful earth me would have difficulty processing began to soften. In less than ten breaths, the massive tform had already been reduced to a puddle of metallic fluid. Golden Origin Cauldron,e out! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist. Hu! The Golden Origin Cauldron materialized in the air. As soon as it appeared, it squealed out in delight, Master, did you suddenly miss me? Did someone bully you again? Tell me who he is, and Ill have him reduced to... But before it could finish squealing, it swiftly realized that something was amiss. When it noticed the ck mes wrapped around it, its voice quivered in horror, M-master, whats that? Why is it so hot? Master, did I offend you somehow that you actually want to melt me down? Please, dont kill me! If you really want me to, I can even give my first time to you! ... ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Shut up! I am trying to upgrade you right now. If you dare utter another word of nonsense, Ill toss you into the ck mes and burn you to death! Ahhh... Yes, master! Hearing that its master was actually intending to upgrade it instead, the Golden Origin cauldron heaved a sigh of relief. Just as it was about to say something, intense heat from the ck mes suddenly gushed in from the surroundings. Under the overwhelming heat, Its body began to distort as it lost its structural rigidity. It was gradually starting to melt. Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and the melted Golden Origin Spirit Stone swiftly flew over. He began to fuse it together with the Golden Origin Cauldron. No, this isnt right... The Golden Origin Spirit Stone is too high tiered! The smithing techniques that I have learned previously cant apply to it... How much of it do I need to fuse into the Golden Origin Cauldron in order to maximize its strength? Zhang Xuan suddenly froze as a question popped up in his head. Hisprehension of smithing was only at 8-star pinnacle at the moment, and the knowledge he had was clearly insufficient to properly process the Golden Origin Spirit Stone! A certain proportion had to be struck between various ores in order to maximize the resilience of the resulting alloy. The more precisely the resulting alloy stuck to the ratio, the more powerful it would be. He had never worked with the Golden Origin Spirit Stone beforeit was simply too rare! He had only heard of its name before, so there was no way he could have known at what ratio it should be fused with the other metals in order to create a perfect alloy. I was too reckless... Zhang Xuans face twitched awkwardly. If the proportion of the alloy was wrong, no matter how much good stuff he packed into the forging process, the resultant artifact was unlikely to be too powerful. His only thought then was to make full use of the ck me to reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron that he failed to think the matter through thoroughly. Considering that he had already started to fuse the Golden Origin Cauldron together with the Golden Origin Spirit Stone, it was already toote for him to turn back now. Forget it! The Golden Origin Spirit Stone is an exceptionally powerful material, so the more the merrier. In any case, the materials used to forge the Golden Origin Cauldron is too mediocre, so it would be good to rece them all at once... Being an optimistic person, Zhang Xuan tossed those concerns to the back of his mind. Even if the proportion was wrong, an artifact which had the Golden Origin Spirit Stone mixed into it couldnt possibly turn out to be weak. Since he had already gone wrong, he might as well add more of it! Perhaps, it might rectify his previous mistakes! Tzzzzzzz! As the Golden Origin Cauldron fused with the three meters wide round tform, it was swiftly reduced to a metallic lump. Hu! At this moment, the dark clouds seemed to have run out of power, and with a hu!, the ck mes began extinguishing one after another. Crap, the ck mes are vanishing too quickly. I havent even started forging it yet! Zhang Xuans face twitched in horror. He was supposed to be upgrading the Golden Origin Cauldron, not to disfigure it! If the ck mes were to vanish altogether, the alloy would swiftly solidify, making it nigh impossible for him to reshape it back to the form of a cauldron! Zhang Xuan quickly flicked his wrist and whipped out a hammer. He rushed forward and began hammering the metallic lump into shape with powerful strikes. Ding dang ding dang! Ding dang ding dang! The sound of hammering echoed loudly in the air. ... Outside the Shrine of Kong shi... Ren Qingyuan and the others were looking at the dark clouds above with worried looks. Even I would have to flee in the face of the Empyrean Heavenly me... Considering that Zhang shi has just achieved a breakthrough not too long ago, will he really be able to survive the cultivation ordeal? I dont know either, but... doesnt he have the ability to control the lightning tribtion? Perhaps, he might be able to do the same with the heavenly me tribtion too! Theres a fundamental difference between lightning tribtions and heavenly me tribtions... Look up there! Hes dashing into the midst of the dark clouds now! Seeing Zhang Xuan dash into the midst of the dark clouds, the crowd wasnt reassured in the least. Instead, their worry only served to deepen. He might still be able to withstand the lightning energy in the storm clouds of lightning tribtions, but those dark clouds harness a massive inferno within them! How is he going to survive such intense heat? Isnt that sheer recklessness? We can only pray that he has a n in mind... While the 9-star master teachers were still discussing amongst one another, the dark clouds began showing signs of dissipation. Oh? The heavenly me tribtion is about to dissipate... So quickly? It cant be that some mishap has happened to him, can it? The crowd quickly turned their gazes to the sky, wanting to see if the legendary genius was able to beat the odds and survive against the devastating Empyrean Heavenly me. However, they ended seeing something they didnt expect to see instead. Amidst the dark clouds, they saw a human silhouette taking out a hammer, and he began hammering a lump floating in front of him. Ding dang ding dang! Ding dang ding dang! There was a rhythm to the hammering, which sounded surprisingly pleasurable to the ears. H-he is forging a weapon? Following that question, silence drifted amongst the master teachers. Chapter 1667 - The Temple of Confucius Appears

Chapter 1667: The Temple of Confucius Appears

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric There was no cultivator who would disagree that the heavenly me tribtion was a perilous cultivation ordeal. Countless prodigies had lost their lives in the face of its devastating might. Even in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, where the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Continent were gathered, most 9-star master teachers would spend from several dozens to over a hundred years to prepare themselves before daring to face the scorching trial of the heavenly me tribtion... It was not too long ago that Zhang Xuan was still at Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm, but before they knew it, he had already summoned a heavenly me tribtion. To make things worse, the heavenly me tribtion he had summoned was no other than the most terrifying Empyrean Heavenly me... It was no wonder why everyone was pessimistic about his survival! Was it really possible for a human to survive something of this level? But contrary to their expectations, not only did the young man emerge perfectly fine from the tribtion, they found that he was even making use of the heavenly me to forge an artifact... Screw that! Constipated looks appeared on the faces of the 9-star master teachers all around. They stared at one another with widened eyes, not knowing what they should make of the situation before them. They had hypothesized many possibilities. Perhaps, the young man might have been burned to cinders, or maybe, he would be able to barely ovee it with grievous wounds... But the thought that he would make use of the heavenly me to forge an artifact had never crossed their minds. Not even once! Had the world lost its mind? It was one thing for him to be able to control the lightning tribtion, but to actually be using the heavenly me to forge an artifact... Hell, that was sheer extravagance! Bro, does your family own the heavens or something? The heavenly me tribtion should have been the heavens punishment against you! Its not a lighter for you to borrow a me from! While their minds were struggling toe to terms with the freakish happenings unfolding before their eyes, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned his gaze in their direction and asked, Does any of you have any Hibernal Spirit Essence? Lend me some for use. I need it to quench my artifact... Hibernal Spirit Essence? The abrupt request left Ren Qingyuans face twitching in frenzy. Nevertheless, he quickly nodded his head and replied, I have some here! He whipped out a jade bottle with a flick of his wrist before tossing it up into the sky. Thanks! Zhang Xuan grabbed the jade bottle and crushed it open. H! The Hibernal Spirit Essence shot out from the jade bottle and scattered all over the Golden Origin Cauldron. Tzzzzzzz! White smoke shrouded the Golden Origin Cauldron, cing a veil of mystery over it. Maintaining the right proportion between the various metals used in the alloy was important, but quenching yed an even more crucial role in determining the final quality of the artifact. The Hibernal Spirit Essence was the ultimate treasure for quenching artifacts, so most 9-star cksmiths would usually bring a bottle around with them. Considering how many 9-star master teachers there were around the area, it was almost certain that one of them would have it. He is... forging a weapon? It didnt take too long for the white smoke to dissipate, revealing the true form of the mysterious artifact that was extravagantly forged using heavenly mes. At the same time, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Ren Qingyuan and the other 9-star master teachers quickly turned their gazes over. What they saw left their lips twitching in horror, and they nearly keeled over. They expected the weapon forged by Zhang Xuan using the heavenly me to be mind-blowing! At the very least, it should be a magnificent Great Sage artifact on par with renowned legendary weapons in the world! Can anyone tell us what the heck is that ck lump over there? It doesnt look like a cauldron, it doesnt look like a brick... Heck, it doesnt even qualify to be called a poop! After all the hammering using all those mystical forging techniques, this is all that you managed to smith? A 9-star master teacher tilted his head uncertainly as he examined the mysterious artifact in the air, It should be... a cauldron, right? Doesnt look like it. To me, it seems more like a shoehorn! I think youre right. A brick-like shoehorn... ... Zhang Xuan Hahaha, I, the Golden Origin Cauldron, have finally been upgraded! Thank you, master! As the quenching came to an end, an excited exmation sounded in the air. But soon, a doubtful frown appeared on its distorted face as it asked, Master, I dont feel right. Why does my head feel a little squarish? I seem to wobble quite a bit when I walk... Wait a minute, where are my legs?! Your stubby legs have always been a major imperfection in your aesthetics, so I modified it a little for you, Zhang Xuan replied without the slightest hint of redness on his face. You altered it? Then... where is my furnace? The Golden Origin Cauldron examined its body carefully for a very long while but was unable to find its furnace, so it couldnt help but ask. It made your figure a little bulky, so I filled it up with the Golden Origin Spirit Stone, Zhang Xuan replied with a reassuring voice. How do I forge artifacts or pills without a furnace? Those are just minor issues. You need to let go of some stuff in order to make space for better upgrades... Dont you feel like your bottom has grown much bigger? I made it this way toplement your fighting style. With this, you can better crush your opponent with your bottom! Zhang Xuan remarked earnestly. Honestly speaking, I think you are much more dashing than before... Am I? Haha, I guess Im asking the obvious. Who else could be more good-looking than me, the Golden Origin Cauldron? I should be able to attract many female cauldrons in the future... the Golden Origin Cauldronughed heartily in satisfaction. ... Ren Qingyuan. ... The 9-star master teachers. Did this pair of master and servant have some kind of misconception as to what was considered beautiful in this world? Anyone with functioning eyes wouldnt be able to tell that it was a cauldron at all... Was it really fine for them to be so delusional? Oh well! Geniuses tended to have their own quirks... Whatever that pleased them! Paying no heed to the stupefied crowd below, Zhang Xuan examined the Golden Origin Cauldron before him carefully. Due to him adding too much Golden Origin Spirit Stone, it looked just nothing more than a lumpy mess. However, its prowess wasnt to be underestimated despite its misshapen exterior. It might have been unbelievable to anyone just looking at its exterior, but the current Golden Origin Cauldron was actually a true Great Sage artifact! Its weight had reached a level so frightening that even a Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivator would be crushed into minced meat should the Golden Origin Cauldrons bottom fall on him. Alright, you should try andprehend your strength and bring up your cultivation as soon as possible! Zhang Xuan instructed. cing the satisfied Golden Origin Cauldron back into the Myriad Anthive Nest, he began to observe the changes with his body through his Spiritual Perception. After undergoing the tempering of the Empyrean Heavenly me, not only had his cultivation advanced to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm, all of the impurities in his body had been cleaned out too. Every single one of his cells was pulsating with vitalityparable to a newborn. This is... Introspective Convalescence realm consummation? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in joy. It would usually take many years for an Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage cultivator to refine his body and advance his cultivation. However, through the tempering of the heavenly me, his cultivation actually surged all the way up to consummation stage! Not only so, his physical body and zhenqi had also begun taking on a golden sheen. From the looks of it, he only had to reinforce his cultivation for a bit before he was ready to push for a breakthrough to Aureate Body realm! With my current zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation, along with the Golden Origin Cauldron and the Dragonbone Divine Spear, I should be able to put up a fight even against Sempiternal realm pinnacle experts! Zhang Xuan clenched his fist in agitation. Beyond Great Sage, there was a huge gap between each cultivation stage, thus making it extremely arduous and time-consuming to advance ones cultivation. Yet, within a short span of a day, not only did he advance his Primordial Spirit to Aureate Body realm consummation, he had also managed to push his zhenqi cultivation up to Introspective Convalescence realm consummation... Even without relying on his overpowered artifacts, he was confident that he would be able to defeat the Xingmeng Sword Saints with ease! It hadnt been an easy day for him, but his efforts had truly paid off! Previously, he waspletely helpless against Sempiternal realm cultivators without igniting Kong shis blood droplet, so he had no choice but to flee from them. But with the current strength that he wielded, he could already put up a decent fight against them. However, I still need some time to get used to my powers before I can bring them out to their full potential! As he had advanced his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation separately, there were still some imperfections in wielding them simultaneously. However, that wasnt a big problem. With a few days, he should be able to reconcile the differences between the two and heighten his fighting prowess. After confirming the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan finally descended back to the ground. He had been in the Shrine of Kong shi when he summoned the heavenly me tribtion, but he had practically swallowed the ck mes that descended to earth whole. As such, the buildings in the surroundings didnte to harm as a result of his cultivation ordeal. Shortly after hended on the ground, Luo Ruoxin walked out from the Shrine of Kong shi as well. Pavilion Master Ren, I am extremely grateful to you... Zhang Xuan walked up to Ren Qingyuan and sped his fist. He was in the midst of thanking Ren Qingyuan for granting him ess to the Shrine of Kong shi when the world around him suddenly tremored intensely. Following which, another radiant sun rose from the horizons of the sky, cloaking the world in its blinding light. Within the rising sun, one could vaguely see an enormous shrine embedded in its depths, resembling a resplendent sky pce. The Temple of Confucius... Ren Qingyuan muttered beneath his breath with narrowed eyes. Chapter 1668 - The History of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn

Chapter 1668: The History of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric That is the Temple of Confucius? Taken aback by Ren Qingyuans words, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the newly risen sun and swiftly realized that the sun was located in a parallel dimension. Despite being within sight, it was actually an unimaginable distance away. Or to be more exact, the distance wasnt just limited to spatial discement but temporal discement as well. The newly risen sun seemed to exist within the flow of time, and special means were required in order to get to it. As for the temple within the sun, it was obscured from sight byyers of shadow. Even with the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to catch a closer look at it. ording to history, Kong shi was once trapped by the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor in Chen Cai. With his deep understanding of time, he created the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. When the artifact first came into existence, the seasons of the world were thrown into disarray by its prowess. Spring and autumn intersected one another, causing the nts to blossom at one moment and wilt in the next. Summer and winter shed with one another, raising storms and tornados here and there. Bizarre phenomenons urred in the ces where the Great Codex of Spring Autumn shone upon. An infant aged into a middle-aged man in the blink of an eye, and an elderly awaiting his death reverted back into an infant in a heartbeat... Recalling the content written in ancient texts, Ren Qingyuan said. When the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was first created, mankind was still struggling against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. In truth, the prowess of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn wasnt as great as what the legends put it out to be. After Kong shi freed himself, he used the powers of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn toy waste upon the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Before long, people came to revere the artifact, resulting in its widespread fame. There was no Otherworldly Demon who didnt fear the prowess of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, the ability to manipte the seasons... Did Kong shiprehend the Time Quintessence as well? Zhang Xuan asked. This wasnt the first time he was hearing about the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, but he had never really understood what kind of capabilities it wielded. Judging by Ren Qingyuans exnation, it seemed like it had the ability to manipte time. Un, it should be the Time Quintessence... However, its likely that what Kong shi hasprehended goes beyond just time eleration. Based on the information we have in the records, its likely that he has mastered time deceleration and time freeze too! Ren Qingyuan said. Time deceleration and time freeze? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Simr to how there were other Spatial Quintessences aside from the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, the same applied to Time Quintessences as well. The Time Quintessenceprehended by the Zhang n was the Time Quintessence of eleration, which allowed a cultivator to elerate his own time. Through elerating ones time, a second of the opponents time could trante into ten seconds of ones time, thus making it appear as if the movements of the other person had slowed instead. But other than the Time Quintessence of eleration, there were also the Time Quintessence of Deceleration and the Time Quintessence of Freezing! While the Time Quintessence of Deceleration might not appear to be of much use to most cultivators, it was, in fact, the greatest weapon that human Ancient Sages had at the moment. It was through hibernation in the state of time deceleration that human Ancient Sages were able to lengthen their lifespan and continue fighting for mankind. On the other hand, the Time Quintessence of Freezing was known to be the most difficult temporalw toprehend. In terms of prowess, it was even stronger than the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. The Spatial Quintessence of Sealing could immobilize a cultivators physical body, but the cultivator would still retain his consciousness, allowing him to remain aware of the happenings around him. On the other hand, the Time Quintessence of Freezing would even put ones consciousness to a stall. If a cultivator were to be killed in such a state, he would be thoroughly dead. He wouldnt even have a chance to revive himself! If Kong shi hadprehended the Time Quintessence of Freezing as well, just how powerful could he be? No matter how powerful Vicious was, he couldnt possibly have been a match for Kong shi! Those are conjectures made by theter generation, so they might not be urate. However, if one thing was for sure, Kong shi had indeed infused his knowledge of temporalws into the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. If we could obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and acquire his heritage, that would indubitably be a huge boost to the forces of mankind! No matter how formidable the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe may be, we would be able to quell them with ease! Ren Qingyuan said. The power and influencemanded by the Master Teacher Pavilion were slowly rued time. Back in the era shortly after Kong shis departure, the Master Teacher Pavilion had only been founded not too long ago, and it was far from its current scale. While it had achieved a victory over the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it didnt have the power or resources to destroy them once and for all. The most it could have done then was to exile them in the otherworldly battlefield... However, mankind had grown much stronger from back then. If they could just acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, they might just be able to aplish what the predecessors had failed at! Indeed! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Mankind had grown collectively stronger since Kong shis era, but its number of top-notch experts was on the decline. No one had been able to reach Ancient Sage ever since ten thousand years ago. What mankind was severelycking at the moment was fighting prowess in the top echelon. If they could obtain the heritage of the Worlds Teacher, they would be able to resolve this problem and turn the tables on the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! 9-star master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, heed my orders! Other than those who are bound for the Subterranean Gallery, all of you are to head to Qufu right away! Since the Temple of Confucius has surfaced, it wont be long before it openspletely! Ren Qingyuan turned around and issued amand. Yes! The 9-star master teachers replied resoundingly before rushing off. Zhang shi. Since that the Temple of Confucius has surfaced, theres no doubt that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will soon make its move. Do you want to move together with our Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, or do you intend to move independently? Ren Qingyuan asked. I... Zhang Xuan was just about to give his reply when he saw Luo Ruoxin shaking her head lightly by the side. A perplexed frown surfaced on his forehead as he continued, Im thankful for your thought and concern, but I would like to move independently! Alright! Ren Qingyuan didnt seem to be too surprised by Zhang Xuans decision. With a nod of his head, he said, Lets meet at Qufu then! After saying those words, Ren Qingyuan turned around and raised his hand. Arge group of 9-star master teachers swiftly gathered around him. It seemed like they were going to discuss their ns to deal with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe after the opening of the Temple of Confucius. Lets head back! Zhang Xuan beckoned to Luo Ruoxin, and the two of them quickly made their leave. In the blink of an eye, they were already out of the perimeter of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Recalling Luo Ruoxins action earlier, Zhang Xuan turned to her and asked, With the opening of the Temple of Confucius, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would surely make its move too. Theres no doubt that they would mobilize their Ancient Sages too... There might be some restrictions being with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but it would also be safer under their protection. Im curious to know why you chose to advise me to turn down their offer. In truth, Zhang Xuan was also thinking of turning down the offer as well, but he didnt expect Luo Ruoxin to advise him to do the same too. Thus, he was a little curious to hear her thoughts on the matter. ording to Yang shi, there was a restriction that prevented Ancient Sages from entering the heart of the Temple of Confucius to retrieve the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. However, make no mistake. The true fight would only begin once the codex was brought out of the Temple of Confucius. As soon as the new owner of the codex walked out of the premises, the different powers would surely make an attempt to snatch it over. And without a doubt, Ancient Sages would be embroiled in the tussle as well! It would seem that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters only had Great Sages in their ranks, but that was only because they hadnt brought out their trump cards yet. Even the Zhang n had an Ancient Sage old ancestor still alive, so it would stand to reason that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have many more! Without a doubt, staying with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would be a much safer option! Theres still some time before the Temple of Confucius fully opens, so theres no point in sticking with them just yet. Furthermore, with the surfacing of the Temple of Confucius, we can expect countless experts to make their way to Qufu as well. Rushing there at this point would bring us no benefit; on the contrary, it would only embroil us in meaningless battles, Luo Ruoxin replied. Theres still some time before the Temple of Confucius fully opens? Zhang Xuan repeated in confusion. He thought that he would be able to enter the surfaced Temple of Confucius straight with the Prime Amulet in hand. He didnt think that there would still be some time before itsplete opening. Wait, thats not right... Isnt it said that only those who possess the Celestial Amulets of Legacy are able to enter the Temple of Confucius? Even if the experts all over the world were to head here, they wouldnt be able to do anything at all! Zhang Xuan asked as he recalled another matter. Only those who possessed the Celestial Amulet of Legacy was able to enter the Temple of Confuciusthis was a pre-established fact that no one disputed. Otherwise, the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers wouldnt go so far as to challenge the Zhang n and the Luo n. If they couldnt even enter the Temple of Confucius, was there any meaning in them rushing over? Its true that the Celestial Amulets of Legacy are required to enter the Prime Hall and the Subordinate Halls of the Temple of Confucius, but what about the outer perimeter? Luo Ruoxin remarked with a smile. The outer perimeter? Lets use the Qiu Wu Pce as an example. The Qiu Wu Pce itself is an individual entity which requires quite a bit of trouble to enter, but the outer perimeter around the Qiu Wu Pce is essible to all cultivators, Luo Ruoxin exined. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. There were indeed quite a number of formations and obstacles on the outer perimeter of the Qiu Wu Pce. Without the map, it would be nigh impossible for most to reach the Qiu Wu Pce. If that was the case, it would mean that the Temple of Confucius didnt just consist of the Prime Hall and the six Subordinate Halls. It was an entire area consisting of an outer perimeter too, and it was likely that there would be formations and the sort on the outer perimeter. Kong shi has always believed in impartation without discrimination. Other than the Prime Hall and the Subordinate Halls, he has left many treasures and different heritages around the Temple of Confucius. Those who didnt have the Celestial Amulets of Legacy would still be able to acquire those items, so it went without saying that they would have to make their way there too, Luo Ruoxin said. Chapter 1669 - The Subterranean Gallery of the Dracotiger Mountain

Chapter 1669: The Subterranean Gallery of the Dracotiger Mountain

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. All along, he thought that the Temple of Confucius only contained the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and Kong shis heritage. However, from the looks of it now, it was likely to be simr to most ancient domains out there. There were many unexpected treasures and fortuitous encounters awaiting the cultivators there. Not only so, the Temple of Confucius harnesses the academic aura and academic fortune Kong shi has left behind. Even if a cultivator fails to acquire anything at all, he would still be able to make significant progress in his cultivation just by cultivating within. Furthermore, its said that Kong shis Impartation of Heavens Will lingers in the Temple of Confucius. As long as one listens carefully, one will be able to ovee any bottleneck one is facing with ease, Luo Ruoxin exined. The emergence of the Temple of Confucius is a major affair to all cultivators in the world. This is an opportunity that no one is willing to give up on, be it the human cultivators, the Otherworldly Demons, or the Beast Tribe... You must ensure that you are prepared if you wish to acquire anything from the Temple of Confucius. Advancing blindly in the Temple of Confucius isnt going to work out. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan lowered his head solemnly. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe werentcking experts, and there were many formidable beasts in the world too. Considering the allure of the Temple of Confucius, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion would dare to stop them carelessly. The implications were simply great. Stopping them would mean robbing them of the countless possibilities of what they could be. In the worst-case scenario, it could even lead to a full-blown war there and then! And if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to make a move then, mankind would really be in trouble. The best they could do at the moment was to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn as soon as possible and control the Temple of Confucius. This was the only way they could ensure that the situation wouldnt run amok. Kong shi had forged six Subordinate Amulets and a Prime Amulet, which equated to a total of seven Celestial Amulets of Legacy. So far, it was known that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the Zhang n, and the Luo n possessed a Subordinate Amulet each. As for the remaining three Subordinate Amulets, their whereabouts were a mystery. However, if Zhang Xuan had to fathom a guess, he felt that it was likely that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had a Subordinate Amulet in their possession too. Furthermore, cultivators who possessed unique constitutions would be able to enter the Temple of Confucius as well. This meant that a considerable number of people would be able to enter the Temple of Confucius. It could really turn out to be dangerous if he didnt make ample preparations in advance. Putting everything aside, the cultivators of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had already shown that they had nock of formidable artifacts. Even with the recent advancements in his cultivation, he would still have difficulties dealing with them. He didnt think that he could be considered weak anymore, but he wasnt so arrogant as to think that he could easily tower over all of the experts in the world. Lets return to the Zhang n and see how their preparations areing along! In truth, Zhang Xuan didnt know much about the Temple of Confucius and how the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn could be acquired. However, it was likely that the Zhang n had some exclusive intelligence and had been preparing for it since a long time ago. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin quickly left the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and returned to the Zhang n. With the advancements in Zhang Xuans cultivation, the spatial passageways he constructed through ripping open dimension rifts had be significantly stabler. It didnt take long before the massive Zhang n appeared before their sights. As soon as he entered the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan could already sense that something was amiss. The Zhang n always had huge crowds walking to and fro, but at this very moment, the entire ce felt exceptionally empty. There was hardly anyone within sight. It took quite a bit of searching around before Zhang Xuan finally found an elder. He asked anxiously, What happened? Nearly all of the cultivators of Saint realm and above in our Zhang n have made their way to the Subterranean Gallery to fend against the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The Xingmeng Sword Saints have already headed over too! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the elder hurriedly greeted him with a bow before reporting the current circumstances. They have headed to the Subterranean Galleries? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He had been too overwhelmed by the emergence of the Temple of Confucius that he had forgotten about the orders he had passed down earlier. Back when he was still at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he had instructed the Three Premier ns to reinforce the Master Teacher Pavilion in fending against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Which Subterranean Gallery they head to? Bring me there! Zhang Xuan instructed imposingly. With the opening of the Temple of Confucius just around the corner, it was likely that the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would further intensify. After all, there would not want to miss on this once in a lifetime opportunity. This was truly a quandary. The Temple of Confucius was important, but even if they managed to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, it would be meaningless if losing the Master Teacher Continent was the price of it. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn could enhance a cultivators prowess immensely. However, to fight a war of such scale, they would require the might of countless soldiers. It would be a catastrophe if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to breach their defense at this point in time. It was no wonder why the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was in such a panic, even going to the extent of clearing his 9-star master teacher examination in such a slipshod manner. Otherwise, if they were to go through formal procedures, just proving his philosophy of pedagogy was likely to take several years already. Even though there is unrest in all 108 Subterranean Galleries, our scouts found that most of the Subterranean Galleries are only facing minor skirmishes at the moment. The local Master Teacher Pavilions should be able to suppress them. The true threat lies in six of the Subterranean Galleries, namely the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Subterranean Gallery, the Dragon Gate Subterranean Gallery, the Icysea Subterranean Gallery, the Cloudsea Subterranean Gallery, the Zhang ns Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery, and the Luo ns Starcluster Subterranean Gallery! There are many 9-star master teachers to deal with the Subterranean Gallery over at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters side, so they dont require any assistance at the moment. Over at the Dragon Gate Subterranean Gallery and the Cloudsea Subterranean Gallery, the Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang, has officially assumed the title of the master of the Combat Master Hall and led countlessbat masters to quell the unrest in those two ces. As for the Icysea Subterranean Gallery, the cier in Court, the Yuan n, the Sanctum of Sages, and the Spirit Awakener Guild have all liaised with one another and sent their forces over to stabilize the region. The other Sage ns, upation guilds, and powers are patrolling the other Subterranean Galleries to lend their aid wherever required. Last but not least, the Jiang n is moving alongside with both the Zhang n and the Luo n to guard the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery and Starcluster Subterranean Gallery! The Otherworldly Demons are particrly rampant in the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery and the Starcluster Subterranean Gallery, and the seals which Ancient Sage Qiu Wu have left behind are having trouble fending them off. As such, all master teachers of 6-star and above in the Zhang n are all mobilized to the Subterranean Gallery to bolster the defenses! the elder exined. I am left in charge of taking care of the n while the others are away. Should the situation turn for the worse, Im responsible for moving our n members away so as to preserve the lineage of our Zhang n! Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery? In other words, there is Subterranean Gallery is right beneath us? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He knew that some of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion branches were responsible for suppressing the Subterranean Galleries across the continent, such as the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... He should have guessed that it would have been the same for the Zhang n as well! The Dracotiger Mountain was right next to the Zhang n, and since the Subterranean Gallery was named as such, it was likely to be in the vicinity. Un, the entrance is right beneath our Zhang n. If you wish to enter, I can bring you over right now! the elder replied. Bring me over. I wish to take a look! Zhang Xuan instructed. Putting aside the fact that the Temple of Confucius wasnt open yet, even if it was, it still wouldnt be as important as quelling the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! n head, please follow me! Without any hesitation, the elder led the way forward. Before long, they arrived at their destination. This is... the mausoleum of the Zhang n? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Thats right. The Subterranean Gallery is located beneath our mausoleum! the elder replied. Using heroic spirits of the Zhang ns predecessors to suppress the Subterranean Gallery... Zhang Xuan murmured quietly. This practice was simr to that of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Each principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy would deposit a sliver of their will at the entrance of the Subterranean Gallery so as to reinforce the seal, thus preventing the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe from stepping onto the Master Teacher Continent. Only the heroic spirits of our predecessors are able to suppress the Otherworldly Demons and prevent them from entering the Master Teacher Continent. n head, the Subterranean Gallery is right ahead. I still have some other matters to attend to, so Ill have to take my leave right now! the elder bade his farewell before leaving the area. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to breach the defenses set up by the Zhang n and the Jiang n, their very first point of contact with the Master Teacher Continent would be the Zhang n. Thus, they had to be prepared to move the members of the Zhang n at any moment. Otherwise, if even the younger generation were to lose their lives in this war, mankind would have nothing to oppose the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe anymore! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded before making his way into the Zhang n Mausoleum together with Luo Ruoxin. There were countless stone tablets lying all around. Taking a closer look, there was a name inscribed on each of the stone tablets. These were the strongest experts of the Zhang n in their era, but it was a pity that they were unable to escape the restraints of time. All that was left of them was a fistful of yellow dust. No matter how talented a person was in his lifetime, in the passing of tens of thousands of years, all that would remain of them were just lonely names on blocks of stones. With time, even history would forget who they were and what they did. All that would be left of them were their heroic spirits. Chapter 1670 - Entering the Subterranean Gallery Once More

Chapter 1670: Entering the Subterranean Gallery Once More

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Its due to their sacrifice that mankind is able to enjoy the prosperity and stability it does at the moment. Without them, the world would have already been plunged in chaos... Zhang Xuan was never an emotional person. Ever since transcending over, due to his previous life, he had always viewed this world with nonchnce. However, when he saw the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy charging fearlessly in the face of battle, and countless master teachers staking their life on the line in a Subterranean Gallery... To be honest, it had truly moved him. His initial impression of the Zhang n was horrid, but when he saw the countless stone tablets lying around him, he couldnt help but sigh sorrowfully. It was not just due to its strength and umtion that the Zhang n became the number one Sage n. More than that, it was about what they had done. For tens of thousands of years, they had kept the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe suppressed in the Subterranean Galleries. It was due to their contribution and countless sacrifices that mankind enjoyed the current peace it did. Without them, mankind would have never prospered and developed so far. Boom! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him shaking intensely. Spurts of malevolent aura burst forth from beneath the ground. Weng! Barely after the spurts of malevolent aura reached the surface, the tombstones swiftly released a brilliant light reminiscent of the Night Illumination Pearls, Gradually, the malevolent aura dissipated silently. The fact that the malevolent aura is able to reach here means that the seal beneath is swiftly approaching its limit. I should quickly take a look! Zhang Xuan thought. Having been to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academys Subterranean Gallery, he was familiar with this situation. Without any hesitation, he beckoned Luo Ruoxin and quickly advanced forward. Soon, they arrived before a massive sculpture. It was a sculpture of the founder of the Zhang n. Zhang Xuan ced his hand on it. Weng! With a brilliant burst of light, both he and Luo Ruoxin disappeared from the spot. In the next moment, they were already standing in the midst of darkness. Malevolent aura suffused the area, leaving one with a slight feeling of difort. The two of them quickly headed forward. Soon, they arrived at a massive fortress. This Subterranean Gallery was clearly muchrger than the one beneath the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. The fortress was formidable as well. There were all kinds of active formations shrouding it, keeping any enemy at bay. Entering the fortress, Zhang Xuan immediately saw countless members of the Zhang n. They were standing in a neat formation, reminiscent of soldiers marching into war. n head! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the managing elder quickly rushed forward to greet him. Whats the current situation? Zhang Xuan asked. It doesnt look too optimistic. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has alreadyunched ten attacks so far, and both sides have already sustained heavy losses. Due to the hindrance of the seal, the losses suffered by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe is considerably greater than ours. However, I fear that we wont be able tost too long against their crazed attacks! the elder said worriedly. How is the seal at the moment? Zhang Xuan asked. Im not too sure at the moment. Our men were still in control of the area a while ago, but they have been overrun by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I fear that we are unable to approach the seal at the moment! the elder replied. We have lost control over the seal? Isnt that extremely disadvantageous to us? With the experts of our Zhang n, how did we lose control over the seal? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief. The main reason why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was unable tounchrge-scale attacks previously was due to the obstruction of the spatial seals. The spatial seals left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu were incredibly powerful. Humans were able to pass through the seals freely, but not the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Thus, the defensive forces only had to camp outside the seal and y any Otherworldly Demons who managed to slip past the seal by luck. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to take control of the seal, wouldnt they be able to squeeze as many people as they wanted into the Subterranean Gallery? This meant that their forces would grow swiftly with time! The Zhang n was powerful, but it wasnt strong enough to stand against the unhindered prowess of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! They wouldnt stand a chance at all! I was the one who ordered the members of the Zhang n to retreat! Before the elder could answer the question, another imposing voice had already echoed by the side. Turning his head over, Zhang Xuan saw his parents, Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng, walking over with widened strides. Hearing the words that hade from Sword Saint Xing, Zhang Xuan frowned. They have alreadypletely breached the seal left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, so there isnt any point guarding the area anymore. Rather than to expend our forces on a copsed seal, it would be much better for us to guard this fortress instead. With the protection of the formations here, we will allow us to bring our losses down to the minimum! Sword Saint Xing exined grimly. The seal has been breached? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Indeed. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has truly resolved themselves this time around. They are determined to push their way into the Master Teacher Continent no matter how much losses they suffer! Sword Saint Xing shook his head. He beckoned with his hand and said, Follow me! They quickly made their ways to the fortress walls. Gazing forward from the sentry tower, he swiftly noticed the billowing killing aura that had congregated in the distance. Countless Otherworldly Demons were standing in an orderly formation, reminiscent of an army. Despite their stationary position, their very presence emanated great pressure on those in the fortress. There were many tents and temporary structures erected around the army. From the looks of it, it seemed like the Otherworldly Demons also knew that it wouldnt be easy for them to overrun the fortress. The seal has been breached, which means that the Otherworldly Demons can easily traverse into the Subterranean Gallery. Theres no doubt that they are biding their time so that more and more of their brethren could reinforce them. If this were to continue on, we might potentially lose control of this Subterranean Gallery! Zhang Xuan analyzed with a deep frown. I know this as well, but having fought with the Otherworldly Demons for innumerable years, we are well aware of the extent of their forces. Given that they are assaulting all 108 Subterranean Galleries simultaneously, the number of allies they will be able to gather here is going to be terribly limited. If they really wielded the strength to overrun all 108 Subterranean Galleries simultaneously, mankind would have already gone extinct many years ago! Sword Saint Xing replied confidently. There was an irreconcble grudge between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If the Otherworldly Demons were truly capable of bringing down all of the Subterranean Galleries simultaneously, they would have already done so a long time ago. There was no reason for them to contend with living in the barren otherworldly battlefield for so many years, suffering so many grievances! You are saying that... they are just putting on an act of bravado? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. I wouldnt say that its just an act of bravado, but aside from waiting for the reinforcement from their allies, its likely that they are held back partially by fear too. They are observing the circumstances in the other Subterranean Galleries before deciding whether they shouldunch a decisive assault. If their forces were to be defeated in the other Subterranean Galleries, it would be meaningless even if they were to im this one. Without reinforcement, it would only be a matter of time before we forced them back into the otherworldly battlefield. Naturally, it would be meaningless for them to incur disproportionate losses just to im a plot ofnd temporarily. On the other hand, if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to sessfully overrun the other Subterranean Galleries, we would be in grave danger too! Sword Saint Xing said. Zhang Xuan pondered over those words for a moment before nodding, Youre right... Nevertheless, this was just a hypothesis on their part at the moment. Furthermore, even if just a single Subterranean Gallery were to be breached, mankind would surely sustain severe losses. Thus, it was of utmost importance for them to remain on their guard. Wait a moment. Could the same situation be happening in the other Subterranean Galleries? If thats the case... could this be a diversion tactic? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment as a thought surfaced in his mind. A diversion tactic? Sword Saint Xing, as well as the other elders of the Zhang n, frowned in confusion. There didnt seem to be anything more important than iming the Subterranean Galleries that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had to divert their attention for. You have been in the Subterranean Gallery all this while, so its no wonder you havent heard of it yet. Just a moment ago, the Temple of Confucius has emerged. Its likely that itll open very soon... For the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to invade all of the Subterranean Galleries at such a point in time and draw the experts of mankind here, could they be buying time? While acting as if they are waiting for reinforcements, are they just tying down our men here so that we wont be able to focus our manpower on the Temple of Confucius? Zhang Xuan revealed his thought. Having crossed blows with mankind many times, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were definitely aware that they would sustain massive losses if they were to push ahead with their attacks on the Master Teacher Continent at this point in time. This was simr to the concept of mutually assured destruction in his previous life. Even if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had the power to im the Master Teacher Continent, if they had to sustain heavy casualties in order to do so, was it really still meaningful for them to do so? Was this a price they were willing to pay in exchange for defeating mankind? And not to mention, mankind wasnt the only major power on the Master Teacher Continent. It was true that the Temple of Confucius and the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn were important, but was it so important that they had to sacrifice the lives of so many Otherworldly Demons to acquire it? In other words, could the reason why they werent in a rush to attack be because they had already achieved their motives? They had already stalled the most of the experts of mankind here, which meant that they would be in an advantageous position in the fight over the Temple of Confucius! Chapter 1671 - Venturing Alone

Chapter 1671: Venturing Alone

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This... Sword Saint Xing fell silent. He found his sons conjecture to be very usible too. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe truly wanted to take down mankind, there was no reason for them to disperse their forces across 108 Subterranean Galleries. The dispersion of forces would make it much more troublesome for mankind to cope with their assault, but it would hinder them fromunching a decisive assault either. It would have been much more efficient if they had just focused their forces on a couple of Subterranean Galleries. Had they resorted to concentrated, surprise attacks on a couple of the more loosely guarded Subterranean Galleries, their chances of sess would have been much higher. Even if the Otherworldly Demons were to keep us preupied at the Subterranean Galleries, they wouldnt be able to dominate the Temple of Confucius with just a small handful of experts. If what you said is true, it would mean that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has already snuck most of their experts over to the Master Teacher Continent! Sword Saint Xing said gravely. Tens of thousands of years of umtion had filled the ranks of the Master Teacher Pavilion with countless experts. With the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was at stake over here, there was no way the Master Teacher Pavilion was going to hold back. Without a doubt, the grand elders and old ancestors of the Master Teacher Pavilion were going to emerge from their seclusion as well. It would seem to themon popce that they had already disappeared into the annals of history, but there was no way to tell for certain if they had truly passed away or not! Some of them would have already passed away, but there was bound to be a handful who had chosen to go into hibernation, just like the Ancient Sages. They were biding their time for the opportunity that would allow them to make a breakthrough in their cultivation. It would appear on the surface that Yang shi was the strongest expert beneath the Ancient Sages, but it would do to remember that he was only in his eight hundreds. Given howrge the Master Teacher Continent was, there were bound to be seniors who had dominated the eras prior to him, especially since the lifespan of a Great Sage was 1500 years. Even if some had passed away, there had to be some who were still living and kicking! Had Temple of Confucius not opened, they might have still chosen to remain in seclusion. This way, they would be able to lessen the loss of their vitality and lengthen their lifespans as long as possible. However, with the opening of the Temple of Confucius just around the corner, they were bound to make a move. If anything, it was likely that the key to achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sagey within the Temple of Confucius. Perhaps, they might even find treasures that would allow them to lengthen their lifespan... This was the very opportunity they were waiting for, so there was no way they would remain impassive before it! And there was just no way the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would have failed to consider this in their ns. Since they were willing to go to the extent of sacrificing a significant number of their brethren in order to stall the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion and the major powers, there was no doubt that they were determined to im the Temple of Confucius. Naturally, they would have to dispatch a sufficiently powerful force into the Master Teacher Continent in order to ensure that they would achieve their goal. I have encountered some Otherworldly Demons on the Master Teacher Continent not too long ago. Most of them were at Sempiternal realm, and there were even Ancient Sages amongst them! Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Back when he was at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild, he had in five Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons. The fighting prowess theymanded was noteworthy, possibly on par with the grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Furthermore, he even met a living Ancient Sage there! Given how even the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages were able to circumvent the detection of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he couldnt begin to imagine just how many Otherworldly Demons had sessfully infiltrated the Master Teacher Continent! Just the very thought of it sent shudders down his spine. In the worst-case scenario, perhaps the forces before them were all ordinary soldiers bearing the mission to stall them here; in truth, the Great Sage Otherworldly Demons had already sessfully infiltrated the Master Teacher Continent. Did you encounter any Great Sage Otherworldly Demons in the battle so far? Zhang Xuan asked. While we were guarding the seal, your father and I encountered an expert and shed with him. He was a fearsome foe. If not for our coborative swordsmanship, we might not have been able to return alive. That being said, I still sustained some injuries in the fight, Sword Saint Meng replied. You are injured? Zhang Xuan quickly turned a worried look over. Dont worry, its nothing major. I have already consumed a recovery pill! Seeing that her son was worried about her, Sword Saint Meng replied with a reassuring smile. Thats a relief... Zhang Xuan nodded. An opponent which requires your coborative swordsmanship to deal with is bound to be at Sempiternal realm at the very minimum... The Xingmeng Sword Saints were at Great Sage 3-dan Intuitive Impulse realm consummation, but the prowess they were able to bring out through their coborative swordsmanship was beyond what an average Sempiternal realm cultivator would be able to deal with! If Sword Saint Meng still ended up sustaining some injuries even after they had executed your coborative swordsmanship, it would mean to say that the opponent they had faced was extremely powerful. If the goal of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was to im dominance in the Temple of Confucius, they should have dispatched all of their top experts to the Master Teacher Continent. It was truly surprising to hear that there would still be a Sempiternal realm cultivator in the ranks of the enemy. Of course, it was still too early toe to a conclusion at this point in time, but this did weaken the credibility of his argument. No matter what their motive is, I want to take a look at it personally to verify it. It wont do for us to continue biding our time here blindly! Unable to make sense out of the matter, Zhang Xuan raised his head and said. At this rate, mankind would find itself losing arge group of experts for the Temple of Confucius. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sessfully amassed most of the treasures in the Temple of Confucius as a result of that, mankind would be ced in an even more disadvantageous position in the war. However, with a massive army of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe standing right before them, they couldnt afford to just leave their posts and reinforce the Temple of Confucius either. If his conjecture was true, the ideal n would be to assault the army before them right now and regain control over the seal as soon as possible before reinforcing the Temple of Confucius. However, if his conjecture were to be false, they would be abandoning the protection of the formation, and this was an extremely risky move. Thus, the only thing he could do at the moment was to scout the situation himself and uncover the true intentions of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. You wish to take a look personally? That wont do! You are the head of the Three Premier ns and the Sanctum of Sages! If something were to happen to you, it would be a huge setback to mankind! Sword Saint Xing immediately expressed his vehement opposition toward Zhang Xuans decision. His son wielded massive influence in mankind, possibly even greater than Ren Qingyuan and Yang shi. There was no doubt that he would y a crucial role in uniting the forces of mankind in the war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. They couldnt afford to allow him to take such a risk! If he were to be caught by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe while scouting the situation, the chances of him returning alive were extremely slim. Even if they were to mobilize the full prowess of the Zhang n to rescue him, it was unlikely that the operation would in their favor. It was the greatest blessing of mankind for someone who wielded considerable influence in most major powers of the Master Teacher Continent to appear at this juncture. Such a figure could easily be a binding force in constructing an allied army of mankind. If he were to pass away, mankind would be scattered once more. It would be a huge setback in the war against the powerful Otherworldly Demons. You cant go! Sword Saint Meng eximed in fright too. I haveprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. I understand that the spatial seal has been breached, and I believe that I might be able to mend it. If I were to seed, the Otherworldly Demons wouldnt be able to bring in their reinforcements easily, thus increasing our likelihood of a victory... Dont worry, I have plenty of life preservation means up my sleeves. Besides, Im just going to see what they are up to. Its not as if Im going to start a battle with them or anything. They wont be able to find me easily! Knowing their worries, Zhang Xuan reassured with a smile. But... Sword Saint Meng was still extremely worried. This is something I have to do. Ill just be scouting for intelligence, so the level of danger would be much lower. If you dont believe me, you can ask Ruoxin! Zhang Xuan said. Zhang Xuan will be fine if its just simple scouting, Luo Ruoxin reassured with a nod. Her disguise amulet was able to disguise even ones bloodline, so he wouldnt face any trouble disguising as an Otherworldly Demon. Besides, even if something were to happen, Zhang Xuan had the ability to get away as long as his opponent wasnt an Ancient Sage. There was indeed nothing to worry about. Then... You must make sure to proceed with utmost caution. If you were to notice anything amiss, head back right away. Dont push yourself, alright? Seeing that even Luo Ruoxin had said such words, Sword Saint Meng hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding in agreement. I will! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Taking a deep breath, he leaped down from the city walls. While descending down, his figure suddenly vanished without a trace before everyones eyes. This... How did our n head disappear? I cant sense him with my Spiritual Perception! The elders eximed with widened eyes. Its a maneuver of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Through sealing the space around his body, he is able to redirect light and Spiritual Perception away from him, thus making it nigh impossible to perceive his presence. Unless ones soul cultivation orprehension of space reaches a certain level, it would be impossible to find him, Luo Ruoxin exined to the confused crowd. Realization dawned upon the crowd. They didnt know that it was possible to manipte space in such a manner to produce such mystical effects. It was no wonder why the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing was the highest heritage of the Luo n. Its prowess truly didnt disappoint! If they were able to conceal their figure through such a method as well, it would effectively mean that they could march right into the enemy camp openly without catching anyones notice! They were still a little worried over the safety of their n head a moment ago, but after seeing what he was capable of, their hearts were put at ease. With the ability to conceal himself and the ability to elerate time, he would surely be able to ovee any danger and return safely! Chapter 1672 - General Auer

Chapter 1672: General Auer

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Sou sou sou! Using the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, Zhang Xuan concealed his figure and quickly advanced toward the encampment of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It didnt take long for him to arrive before the enemy barracks and halted his footsteps. Cruck cruck cruck, his bones and muscles began warping, and his height by a chi 1 . By the time he was done, he looked no different from any other Otherworldly Demons. Of course, he didnt neglect to alter his aura either. This time around, however, he held himself back quite a bit such that the killing intent he emanated wasnt as pure as what it would ordinarily be. It was even beneath the level of Greenleaf King and the others, no different from an ordinary soldier in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Afterpleting his disguise, he descended onto the ground. He swiftly found a group of patrolling soldiers and discreetly crept up to the Otherworldly Demon soldiergging behind at the back. Raising his finger, he tapped the back of the Otherworldly Demon soldier lightly. Puhe! It was a silent first blood. He hurriedly kept the corpse of the Otherworldly Demon soldier into his storage ring. After cleaning up the scene, he quickly morphed his appearance into that of the Otherworldly Demon soldier. Of course, he wouldnt forget something as basic as to change his clothes as well. So, when he revealed his figure once more, he was already wearing a heavy set of armor with a long spear in his hand. He broke free of the group he was following and marched his way into the main encampment. The Otherworldly Demons were very particr with their defenses. It was apparent with a swift nce that the defensive formations they had set up were the work of an expert. It was fortunate that Sword Saint Xing had made the call to stand guard at the fortress. If they had really attempted to breach these formations, the Zhang n could very well lose half of its entire army. These formations are slightly dissimr to those of the Formation Master Guild. They are inscribed using the runes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Those who step into these formations will be struck by a gush of killing intent, cing them in a state of disorientation... Zhang Xuan thought as he analyzed the formations carefully. He had encountered simr formations when he descended into the Subterranean Gallery the first time around. However, the formations he had seen back then could only be said to be mediocrepared to those standing before him right now. Even Saint 9-dan experts would suffer a bout of light-headedness if they were to barge into the formations carelessly, let alone weaker cultivators. Of course, due to their unique constitution, these formations wouldnt affect Otherworldly Demons. As Zhang Xuan proceeded ahead, he carefully analyzed the structure of the formations and deduced the locations of their cruxes. Following which, he discreetly infused his Heavens Path zhenqi into those formations. However, he didnt rush into destroying them. He was here to scout intelligence. If he were to destroy the formations right now, it would only expose the presence of a spy within the encampment, thus tightening the security of the base. That would only make it harder for him to do his job. So far, the cultivation of the Otherworldly Demons he had encountered ranged from Saint 3-dan to Saint 9-dan. He hadnt encountered any Great Sage Otherworldly Demon yet, but they could just be located in the deeper parts of the encampment. The Qingtian Lineage cant even begin topare to this... Zhang Xuan couldnt help but shake his head. The Otherworldly Demon Kings of the Qingtian Lineage had only barely reached Primordial Spirit realm, and even the Qingtian Emperor himself was only at Saint 6-dan Grand Dominion realm. That bit of fighting prowess was truly patheticpared to the troops right before him. From the looks of it, it seemed like there was a massive gap in abilities even amongst fellow Emperors. Of course, it could also be possible that the Qingtian Lineage was an exception. It was a pity that Vicious was still in a state of hibernation at the moment. Otherwise, Vicious would surely have regained another significant portion of his memories after fusing with his upper body. He would be able to ask thetter about the circumstances in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and take precautions against them ordingly. Your are supposed to patrol the area and check if there are any threats in the area. Why are you loitering around here? All of a sudden, Zhang Xuan heard a harsh voice sounding behind him. Turning his head around, he saw an Otherworldly Demon wearing a ck helmet walking toward him with a displeased frown on his forehead. The Otherworldly Demon was at Saint 8-dan. Judging from his tone, it seemed like he was a rtively high ranking officer in the army. He spoke in the native tongue of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Fortunately, Zhang Xuan had already learned thenguage the first time he descended into a Subterranean Gallery. In fact, it was using thenguage that he managed to fool the Goldenleaf King and the Greenleaf King into killing one another. Someone has just switched ces with me, so I came back to the encampment to rest a while! Zhang Xuan quickly lowered his head and bowed. Zhang Xuan noted that the Otherworldly Demon soldier had just switched shift with another group, and that was also the primary reason why he chose to attack thetter. If the Otherworldly Demon soldier was still on his shift, it might have taken him a bit more trouble to switch positions with him. Follow me. Theres something I need you to do! the ck helmet Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly as he beckoned Zhang Xuan to follow him. Yes, sir! In order not to give himself away, Zhang Xuan obediently followed the ck helmet Otherworldly Demon. The ck helmet Otherworldly Demon proceeded on to assemble ten other Otherworldly Demon soldiers. The soldiers that he had picked out were all the lowest Saint 3-dan soldiers, simr to the one which Zhang Xuan was disguised as. What does General Auer want us to do? Following obediently behind the ck helmet Otherworldly Demon, one of the Otherworldly Demon soldiers asked the group discreetly. Im not too sure either, but I guess it should be some kind of construction work! the Otherworldly Demon beside shook his head and replied. Construction? Havent wepleted the construction of the base already? Dont ask unnecessary questions. We just have to do whatever General Auer orders us to do. Poke your noses in where it doesnt belong, and you wont even know how you died! one of the Otherworldly Demon soldiers harrumphed impatiently, and the crowd fell silent. That fellow is called General Auer? Zhang Xuan took careful note of the name. The ck helmet Otherworldly Demon hadnt executed any battle technique yet, so he had no way of knowing the other partys identity. In any case, he should remember the name first so as to not mess upter on. Stop! After walking for a while, they stopped before a peculiarly designed building. The ck helmet General Auer stepped forward, pushed open the door, and led the way in. The interiors of the building appeared empty. There were only a couple of massive boxes ced within. Each of these boxes was roughly a person tall, and they were ced in an orderly fashion, roughly ten meters apart from one another. Sensing that something was amiss over here, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the boxes. There was no pulsation of powering from the boxes, which indicated that it wasnt inscribed with any formations or seals. I want you all to move the boxes over to the other side! General Auer ordered. He gathered us here just to move a couple of boxes? Zhang Xuan thought in bewilderment. The other Otherworldly Demon soldiers were confused by the situation before them as well. At their cultivation realm, they could easily use their Spiritual Perception to keep anything into their storage ring and ce them elsewhere... Yet, they were all gathered here to aplish something as easy as this? What are you all dawdling for? Hurry up! Seeing that no one was moving at all, General Auers face darkened. You just have to do what is ordered of you. Theres no need for you to know anything at all! Yes, sir! Not daring to protest against their superior, they hurriedly carried the boxes and brought them out of the building. These boxes werent heavy at all. Zhang Xuan attempted to extend his Spiritual Perception through the box to take a peek at what was ced within, but as if there was a seal cast over its exterior, his Spiritual Perception was unable to seep in at all. He tried using the Library of Heavens Path as well, but he could onlypile information on the box but not what was within it. Eventually, he could only give up on it and obediently follow the crowd out. Make sure the boxes are the same distances away from one another! General Ayer ordered sternly. As Saint 3-dan cultivators, each of the Otherworldly Demon soldiers possessed exceptional memory. They quickly got into the same formation as the boxes when they first saw them in the building. Good! Seeing the formation put up by the crowd, General Ayer nodded in satisfaction before gesturing them to head forward. Maintaining the same distance amongst one another, they began marching forward. What is the purpose of maintaining the distances amongst the boxes? Zhang Xuan frowned in iprehension. If these boxes were parts of a formation or something, he could still understand the need to maintain their positions rtive to one another. However, the fact that he couldnt feel any pulsations of energy from them showed that that wasnt the case. Thus, was there really a need to be so concerned with such a minor detail? More importantly, why couldnt they move the boxes with their storage rings instead? Hm? Perplexed by the peculiar situation, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and observed his surroundings carefully. With a look, his body stiffened in astonishment, This feeling... Its simr to how I felt whenever I enter a Seer Guild... They are trying to conceal something from the heavens? Chapter 1673 - Half-Ancient Sage Artifact

Chapter 1673: Half-Ancient Sage Artifact

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Affected by the notion that the boxes were positioned to create some sort of mysterious formation, his thoughts didnt wander in such a direction earlier. However, under the discerning gaze of the Eye of Insight, he swiftly noticed an anomaly. There was nothing wrong with the boxes individually. But when they were ced in a specific formation, it created a feeling which was strikingly simr to the sensation he felt when he entered a Seer Guild. It was possible to use Spiritual Perception and all other means on a Seer Guild, but it was impossible to use divination arts on the Seer Guild! Of course, this didnt mean to say that seers were unable to divine from within the Seer Guild. It only meant that it was impossible to divine anyone and anything within the Seer Guild. In a sense, it was simr to a one-sided mirror, where those within the Seer Guild were able to divine what was outside, but those outside were unable to divine what was within the Seer Guild. Upper Nine Paths, Middle Nine Paths, and Lower Nine Paths; the word nine in each of these terms symbolized the idea of the extremities. It didnt mean that there were only nine upations in each of these paths. In fact, there were way more than thirty recognized official upations in the world. There were numerous upations which Zhang Xuan had never learned before. Nevertheless, with the books he had read over the past year, he was still able to participate in a conversation regarding their technicalities. But when it came to seer... he really didnt know a thing at all! He had attempted to learn divination art within a Seer Guild before, but as soon as he attempted to read them, countless bolts of lightning fell from the heavens. The Library of Heavens Path in his mind represented the heavens, and the seers who sought to peer into the secrets of the heavens were no different than thieves to them. Naturally, the Library of Heavens Path wouldnt allow for the existence of any divination arts in its line of sight, which effectively made it impossible for him to learn them too. It was because of this that he had no choice but to give up on the notion of learning anything rting to divination. Nevertheless, he could still distinctly recognize the sensation he felt within a Seer Guild, and it was identical to what he was feeling at the moment. I thought that the entire Seer Guild had colluded with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to help them sneak onto the Master Teacher Continent, but that might not necessarily be the case! Zhang Xuan thought. Ever since the theft of Vicious upper body, he had been thinking that the entire Seer Guild had betrayed mankind. Otherwise, they should have divined the arrival of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages into the Master Teacher Continent and reported it to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. But thinking about it again, they didnt need the cooperation of the entire Seer Guild for that. All they needed was a 9-star seer to collude with them in order to create such artifacts. With these anti-divination artifacts, they would be able to conceal the Ancient Sages from the heavens, thus bypassing the divination of the entire Seer Guild! But why would these anti-divination artifacts be here? Unless its a prolonged war, our seers are unlikely to pose much threat to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Or could it be that they were nning to use it to assassinate the Xingmeng Sword Saints? Zhang Xuans mind swiftly whirred into action. With their ability to divine the future, seers were indeed troublesome individuals to deal with. However, they had their limitations too. They were only able to divine specific individuals or the general state of matters, so they wouldnt be of much help in uncovering crucial military intelligence such as the enemys strategies and ns. As a result of that, their utility in massive and chaotic battles was severely limited. For this reason, the Zhang n didnt bring any of its seers to the battlefield either. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe should have known this too, so it was likely that these boxes werent prepared in order to deal with the seers. And putting aside the seers, the only ones who would be affected by the anti-divination artifacts were the Xingmeng Sword Saints instead. The Xingmeng Sword Saints were at Great Sage 3-dan Intuitive Impulse realm, which allowed them to instinctively sense danger and take actions to avoid it. The boxes would seal that ability of theirs too, thus making it much easier for them to carry out an assassination. Its one thing if I am unaware of it, but now that I have discovered such a matter, I wont stand on ceremony then... Zhang Xuan thought as his lips crept up. Others might still have to resort to physical attacks in order to destroy these anti-divination artifacts, but he was different! All he had to do was to tap into his Library of Heavens Path, and he would be able to bring lightning upon them... I shouldnt rush into it first. I have already promised Little Tribtion that I would offer him some pointers. If I were to summon him over, I should at least offer him some guidance so he would be able to grow stronger. If I could make him strong enough to destroy all of these Otherworldly Demons, that would be for the best...Zhang Xuan thought. It wasnt too easy to summon a lightning tribtion in the Subterranean Gallery, but with the provocation from these sphemous artifacts, the heavens would surely answer the calls of the Library of Heavens Path and bring retribution down upon these heathens! Just that... he hade encountered with the lightning tribtion that brought retribution to seers several times in the past, but unlike the wonderful indiscriminate area of effect devastation typical to cultivation ordeals, this lightning tribtion only struck specific artifacts or individuals... What did he have to do in order to summon a sufficientlyrge lightning tribtion to kill all of these Otherworldly Demons? These Otherworldly Demons wouldnt be as w-abiding as the cultivators from the cier in Court and Sanctum of Sages. If a lightning tribtion were to appear above them right now, they would dispel it right away before it could even grow into anything. Against an entire army, there was no way a lightning tribtion could stand a chance. Otherwise, they could simply dispatch a random chap on the verge of a breakthrough into the heart of the enemy base and call forth a lightning tribtion to annihte the enemy. Besides, ordinary lightning tribtion wouldnt pose much of a threat to cultivators beyond Aureate Body realm as long as they were prepared for it. At their level, only heavenly mes would be able to pose some danger to them. The Otherworldly Demon who had fought the Xingmeng Sword Saints to a draw was likely to be at Sempiternal realm at the very minimum, so ordinary lightning tribtions were definitely not of much use against him. If I want to do it, Ill have to summon a sufficiently powerful lightning tribtion right from the start. Otherwise, Ill only rm them... Zhang Xuan thought as he suppressed his urge to use the Library of Heavens Path. Halt! Even though Zhang Xuans thoughts were flying around the ce, he was still able to continue walking in file with the other Otherworldly Demon soldiers. They traveled for over several li before General Auer finally raised his hand and halted them. Seeing that the crowd had stopped their footsteps, Zhang Xuan didnt dare to disy any anomaly either ce the boxes down here, and you may return! Yes, sir! The crowd nodded their heads hurriedly. They quickly put down the boxes down before leaving the area. Zhang Xuan left along with the departing Otherworldly Demon soldiers as well, but after traveling some distance away, he discreetly cast a spatial seal over himself, thus concealing himself from view, before sneaking back. Shortly after he returned to the area, he saw a huge Otherworldly Demon walking over. The huge Otherworldly Demon emanated an aura far stronger than the others, giving rise to an incredibly intimidating presence. The powerful killing intent he harnessed produced an ink-like manifestation around him. Even a nce at him would cause the killing intent to intrude ones mind, stripping one of ones fighting prowess. An Otherworldly Demon Emperor! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Just the sheer intensity of the killing intent emanated by the huge Otherworldly Demon had already surpassed that of the Qingtian Emperor. He had only felt something simr to this from Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage he had killed. Of course, the presence of the Otherworldly Demon before him was far weaker aspared to those two, but it was still plenty formidable... Even if he wasnt an Otherworldly Demon Emperor, he was likely to be very close to bing one. Paying respects to the Commander! General Auer hurriedly sped his fist and greeted the tall Otherworldly Demon. Un! the Commander nodded. You may take your leave now. I dont want anyone interrupting me. Yes, Commander! General Auer nodded before swiftly leaving the area. After ensuring that there was no one around, the Commander took a step toward the boxes. With a majestic wave of his hands, all of the boxes around him burst open, revealing the secrets hidden beneath them. Within each of those boxes were stone tforms of equivalent height. A mirror was ced on top of each of these stone tforms. These mirrors were veered at different angles. As light swiftly reflected off them, they swiftly formed a tortoiseshell-like hologram in the air. The appearance of the hologram deepened the sensation Zhang Xuan felt. This was a sign that the concealment barrier against the heavens had grown even stronger. If he hadnt seen it with his own eyes, he would have never guessed that there were such artifacts hidden in the boxes. Theres still another box there... At this point, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but notice that there was another box in the middle that remained unopened. The Commander closed his eyes and felt the aura around him before walking up to the box in the middle. He gently ced his hand on upon the box. Kacha! The box burst open as well, revealing a blood crimson saber floating quietly in the air. The handle of the saber was an elongated skull with a vicious face, and the entire weapon seemed tomand a sinister presence. What a formidable saber... It isnt on par with the Dragonbone Divine Spear, but its indubitably an extraordinary artifact... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The malevolent aura emanating from the saber was far stronger than the sword from Ancient Sage Zi Rong which Nangong Yuanfeng had given the Luo n! That is a Half-Ancient Sage artifact! the voice of the Dragonbone Divine Spear sounded in Zhang Xuans mind. Chapter 1674 - On the Verge of Insanity

Chapter 1674: On the Verge of Insanity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric A Half-Ancient Sage artifact? Indeed. Between Great Sage and Ancient Sage, theres still a Half-Ancient Sage tier. Cultivators wielding artifacts of such a tier would be able to y even Sempiternal realm cultivators with ease. Its still nowhere close topeting with a true Ancient Sage artifact like me though. As long as master reaches Ancient Sage, my seal will be released, and Ill gain fighting prowess on par with Ancient Sage cultivators! the Dragonbone Divine Spear exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face turned grim. If the Otherworldly Demon were to really use a weapon of such prowess to assault the Xingmeng Sword Saints, they might very well fall victim to it. Damn these scoundrels! Zhang Xuan cursed beneath his breath. He thought that the Otherworldly Demons were afraid to make a move, but who could have thought that they were actually preparing their trump card! I cant let them seed! Having lived as an orphan in his previous life, while he found it difficult to express his feelings, he did treasure the familial ties he had with the Xingmeng Sword Saints. Yet, the Otherworldly Demons actually wanted to assassinate them... Unforgivable! There was no way he could allow them to seed! However... with his current strength, unless he were to use the Ancient Sage corpse, it would be impossible for him to defeat the Commander standing before him! But if he were to use the Ancient Sage corpse right now, he would deplete his soul energy swiftly. Given that he was currently in the midst of the enemys encampment, that was an extremely risky move to do. Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was still pondering over how he should deal with the Commander, he saw thetter abruptly taking a breath. A burst of power flurried from the Commander. Gritting his teeth, the Commander stepped forward and grabbed the demonic saber. Tzzzzzz! A crimson glow flickered from the skeletal handle of the demonic saber. With an abrupt jolt, the demonic saber knocked the Commander away and assaulted him with a gush of malevolent aura. The Commanders face darkened upon seeing this sight, and he hurriedly retreated two steps. It took a while before he managed to suppress the raging energies in his body. He paused for a moment before speaking slowly, I dont intend to tame you. I just need you to help me to y two people! It went without saying that the Half-Ancient Sage artifact had a weapon spirit, so it was possible to negotiate with it. Weng weng weng! However, it didnt seem like the skull on the demonic saber was willing to listen to his words at all. It fell silent after jolting the Commander away,pletely disregarding his words. It was as if it was telling the Commander that he would have to show ample strength to prove himself worthy of speaking to it first! Since you arent willing to cooperate, dont me me for taking extreme measures then... Seeing how arrogant the demonic saber was, the Commandersplexion didnt look too good either. Narrowing his eyes, light began gathering on the surface of his palm before eventually forming a transparent, thin film. Following which, he stepped forward and grabbed the demonic saber once more. Tzzzzzz! The demonic saber had no intentions to give in either. The two formidable forces collided with one another, causing dimension rifts to surface in the surroundings. Due to the seer artifacts and the formation cast over the area, despite the powerful shockwaves diffusing into the surroundings as a result of their shes, not the slightest hint of energy leaked out of the area. That so-called Commander fellow hasnt tamed the demonic saber yet! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. It seemed like the mirrors served two purposes. Firstly, it was to dull the Xingmeng Sword Saints instincts so as to enhance the chances of conducting a sessful assassination. Secondly, it was to conceal the existence of this Half-Ancient Sage saber. That would also exin why they had to move the boxes manually. If the saber had already been tamed, they might have been able to keep it into a storage ring. Unfortunately, that wasnt the case, so they had no choice but to go through the additional trouble. Considering how powerful the Commander already was, if he were to sessfully tame the demonic saber, even if his assassination were to fail in the end, his prowess was still beyond what the Xingmeng Sword Saints could deal with. This is perfect! Ill just have to stop him from taming the demonic saber... Zhang Xuan was still wondering how he should stop the Commander, but since thetter hadnt tamed the demonic saber yet, this matter would be much easier to resolve. While the Commander was devoting all of his strength into dealing with the saber, Zhang Xuan began to move his muscles and bones once more. Geji! Geji! In the blink of an eye, he had already assumed another identity. ... In the midst of the formation of mirrors, the Commander eyed the demonic saber before him warily. He knew how powerful the demonic saber was, so he didnt dare to hold back at all. He drove his zhenqi to the limits and sent a concentrated barrage of powerful attacks one after another against the demonic saber. He could feel the winds of the battle gradually turning in his favor. This was the decisive moment, he couldnt allow his attention to wander at all. If he were to push his way through, he was confident he would be able to win the acknowledgement of the demonic saber. But at this crucial moment, he heard flurried footsteps outside. Following which, a figure came into sight. He was the person whom he had just dismissed a moment ago, General Auer. Thetter walked right up to him, sped his fist, and bowed, Commander, I have already ryed your orders to the men. No one will interrupt you anymore. You can cultivate with a peace of mind! ... The Commanders body twitched upon hearing those words. Most Great Sage cultivators were strong enough to multitask, but dealing with the demonic saber left no room for his concentration to wander. Not only did he have to fend off its furious assault, more importantly, he had to keep the demonic sabers malevolent aura from corroding his mind too. At a time like this, silence was of utmost importance. This was also the reason why the Commander had ordered General Auer to keep anyone from interrupting him... Yet, this fool actually barged in just to report to him that he had fulfilled the order... Do you have anymon sense?! Isnt it obvious that my order includes you as well? How am I supposed to cultivate with a peace of mind with you around? Youre dismissed! Suppressing the urge to give General Auer a tight p, the Commander bellowed with a wintry voice. Huhu! The sudden fluctuation in his emotions opened a gap for the malevolent aura of the demonic saber to seep into his mind, causing his consciousness to blur a little. As a result of that, his movements grew a little sluggish. Yes, Commander! General Auer replied resoundingly before taking a step back, seemingly about to leave the room. However, just as he was about to step out of the door, he abruptly halted his footsteps, as if having recalled something. He turned around and asked, Commander, its going to be lunchtime very soon. Do you want to have beef brisket noodles or omelette du fromage? Ill get the kitchen to prepare one portion specially for you! Beef brisket noodles? Omelette du fromage? the Commander was startled by those words. Do we have such food over here? As long as there was ample spiritual energy, cultivators at their level could easily fast for over ten years... Given that they were in the midst of the war, who would be in a mood to eat beef brisket noodles or omelette du fromage, whatever that was! Scram! He was in a crucial period of the taming process, and he needed absolute silence at this moment. Yet, that fellow just had to prattle on and on by the side. If the Commander had hypertension, his veins would have already popped from sheer anger! That momentary distraction from General Auer allowed the demonic saber, which had just been forced into a disadvantageous position, to make aeback. It sent a gush of malevolent aura toward the Commander, further blurring his consciousness. The splitting headache caused by the malevolent aura caused cold sweat to trickle down the Commanders head. Ah? You dont seem to be in too good of a mood... Do you want some iced water to cool yourself down? General Auer asked with a concerned tone. Look how much you are sweating! Are you feeling unwell? ... the Commander. Screw you screw you screw you! Why have I never noticed that this idiot has such an irritating mouth before? You are a general, not a chef or an attendant! Furthermore, isnt it in to see that Im busy at the moment? Just why are you so determined to trouble me at this moment? I told you to scram! Scram!!! Unable to take it any longer, the Commander howled with a mixture of fury and desperation in his voice. However, it didnt seem like his intimidation was working very well as the other partys voice soon sounded once more, Wow, theres no need to get so touchy. You could have told me that you werent thirsty... What about soup then? I heard that the kitchen has just boiled an amazing pork bone soup. Shall I serve a bowl to you too? PUUUU! Something within the Commander snapped at the moment. In the next, however, the malevolent aura sessfully breached the mental defenses of the Commander, causing his face to pale and fresh blood to spew from his mouth. Freak you! Are you done or not? Are you really blind? Cant you see that Im in the midst of taming the demonic saber? Get somemon sense, you jackass! Suppressing the boiling rage within him, the Commander took deep breaths, and with forcedposure, he spat through gritted teeth, I dont want food, I dont want water, and I dont want soup too. Now, get out of this room and stop bothering me! Commander, you dont have to worry! I have ryed strict orders to the men, so you can be certain that no one would dare to bother you! Only fools seeking death would dare to oppose your orders. Even if you dont say a word, I would y that dimwit with my own hands! General Auer waved his hand grandly and spoke with an imposing demeanor. The Commander felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Is there a screw loose in your mind? What makes you think that I am referring to others? The one who is bothering me is you! Just as the Commander was about to hurl expletives at that dense subordinate of his, General Auer turned his earnest gaze to him once more and asked, Commander, isnt it a little too boring to be idling around here without doing anything? Shall we sing together? If you are too shy, I dont mind singing for you either! Pu! the Commander spurted another mouthful of blood. Chapter 1675 - Taming the Demonic Saber

Chapter 1675: Taming the Demonic Saber

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This was the first time the Commander came to being on the verge of insanity felt like. He felt like he could suffer a mental breakdown there and then! Sing sing sing, sing your head! I am a member of Otherworldly Demon royalty, a Sempiternal realm expert. Yet, you want me to sing with you? Did your head get crushed under a boulder? A highly capable and tactful subordinate General Auer was, the Commander had always regarded him highly and treated him as his confidant. Thetter was extremely good at reading the atmosphere and would never do anything that overstepped his boundary. Why would he suddenly be such a pain in the ass to deal with today? I told you clearly not to disturb me, but you seem to be finding all sorts of nonsense to bug me. Are you doing this purposely? A thought suddenly came to the Commanders mind, and he hurriedly took a closer look at General Auer. However, the appearance, the soul aura, the killing intent, and the intonation when he spoke, they were all identical to the General Auer he knew... If he really had to point out a difference, it would be the helmet... Wait, the helmet was different? Could it be that this fellow wasnt General Auer but another person in disguise? But he had never heard of anyone in the world who was able to put up such a convincing disguise which even he was unable to see through! While he was still deep in thought, General Auer took in a deep breath and said, Very well, Ill go first then... Kong shi had a littlemb, littlemb, littlemb... Pu! The Commander spurted yet another mouthful of blood. With his eyes reddened with rage, he hollered, Ill kill you first! Unable to stand this nonsense any longer, he decisively retracted his palm from the demonic saber and thrust it toward General Auer instead. General Auers constant harassment had already ced him in a bad position against the demonic saber, and abruptly releasing his grasp from it only served to worsen his situation. A surge of malevolent aura overran his body, leaving him light-headed. This single move had already inflicted severe damage to his Primordial Spirit. He knew that it would take him at least half a year to make a full recovery. However... he couldnt take it anymore! Not even his mother was as naggy as this! If he didnt kill this bastard right now, his heart might just explode from all the rage he had umted within! Boom! The might of his palm poured forth like a ferocious dragon, surging forward with unstoppable momentum. In an instant, it had already arrived right before General Auer. Horrified, General Auer hurriedly hid behind one of the stone tforms as he cried out indignantly, Commander, I am your beloved Auer! An anti-divination mirror was ced on top of the stone tform. If the Commander were to push forward with his attack, there was no doubt that he would damage the mirror, and that could potentially reveal the existence of the demonic saber. Left with no choice, he could only retract his palm strike hurriedly. An instant after he retracted his palm strike, General Auers anxious voice sounded in his ears, Commander, be careful! Someone is attacking you from above! The Commander hurriedly raised his head, but other than a thickyer of mist above, there wasnt anyone in sight. Hu! Realizing that he had been tricked, the Commander quickly lowered his gaze, only to see a spear piercing straight for his chest. Caught off guard by the extraordinary strength and speeding from General Auers attack, the Commanders face darkened. He quickly tilted his body in order to evade the pierce. Puhe! But even so, the spear still tore a deepceration across his chest, causing his blood to flow profusely. A Great Sage artifact? The Commander narrowed his eyes in shock. His physical body had been tempered by the heavenly me tribtion, so ordinary weapons couldnt even hope to hurt him. To inflict a ringceration on his Aureate Body, there was no doubt that the spear was a Great Sage artifact! This realization also made him acutely aware that the person standing him was definitely not General Auer, no matter how alike the two of them were! Putting aside the fact that General Auer wasnt qualified to possess such a weapon, even if he did have one in his possession, there was no way he could bring out its strength with his Saint 8-dan cultivation! Who in the world are you? the Commander growled menacingly. Including the Xingmeng Sword Saints, most members of the Zhang n were sword users due to the nature of their heritage. There shouldnt have been any proficient spear users amongst the enemy! The emergence of these doubts in the Commanders mind didnt dull his movements in the least. Instead, the realization of the threat before him made him sharpen his movements. After dodging the spear pierce, he bolted forward to counterattack with a palm thrust. He had devoted his full strength as a Sempiternal realm expert into the attack this time around. The devastating might of his attack caused dimension rifts to open all around the area. Even the surrounding air groaned in protest against the immense strain it was ced under. But before the palm thrustnded, once again, General Auer eximed anxiously, Danger! Commander, look up! Out of sheer instinct, the Commander immediately released his Spiritual Perception, but the area directly above him was still as empty as ever. Realizing that he had been tricked once more, he roared with a voice quivering with rage, Be prepared to meet your maker! His zhenqi surged wildly, further augmenting the might of his destructive palm strike. Hu! In the face of such a powerful attack, the fellow before him fled frantically behind another one of the stone tforms. You bastard! With another mirror standing in the way of his attack, the Commander had no choice but to forcefully retract his palm strike once more. Why dont you stop being a coward and face me like a man? The very fact that the other party was able to injure him meant that the other party wielded strength close to a Sempiternal realm cultivator, if not equal. Those who had reached such a height would value their dignity and reputation a lot, sometimes even going to great lengths to protect them. But the fellow before him simply kept hiding behind the mirrors, not daring to face his attacks directly at all. Was this the kind of etiquette an expert should have? Shameless! Cowardly! Dont you think its unseemly for someone as powerful as you to be resorting to such despicable tactics? He had also shed with master teachers before. They were dignified and righteous individuals who would rather lose their lives than to have their dignity sullied... As if it wasnt enough for the other party to disguise himself as Auer and intentionally disturb him in the midst of his cultivation, the other party was even spouting lies as if they didnt cost anything and kept darting behind the mirrors around... Stop being a shameless bastard and face me head-on! If you have the guts to do what you did, surely you should have the guts to face my wrath too! With an enraged roar, the Commander charged forward to tear the other party apart when the other party abruptly pointed to the sky once more and eximed, Watch out! Danger! Danger your head! Knowing that it was just another distraction tactic by the other party, the Commander chose to pay no heed to those words and continued with his charge. But before his palm couldnd on his target, goosebumps suddenly rose up all over his body. He could sense a hulking force was falling toward him from the sky. It was beyond the range of his Spiritual Perception to perceive exactly what it was, but with the speed it was traveling at, there was no way he would be able to dodge it in the midst of his charge. Padah! The Commander was smashed into the ground in a shape. In an instant, he had sustained innumerable fractures all over his body, and crimson blood spouted from his mouth as if a fountain. Hahaha! I, Ding Ding, have finally made aeback! The world shall shudder beneath my bottom! an excited voice sounded right above the Commander. A massive brick-like bottom twisted around on top of the Commander, producing crisp sounds reminiscent of snapped twigs. With each twist, another mouthful of blood would be ejected from the Commanders body. ... The Commander really wanted to bawl at this very moment! It was no easy feat to acquire a Great Sage artifact. They were extremely difficult to create, which made them rare and invaluable entities. Even a Great Sage cultivator would be the envy of his peers if he were to have a Great Sage artifact in his possession! Yet, the spear and the brick that fellow had in his possession were actually both Great Sage artifacts... Where the flying cow did this monstere from? ,͵Ϯ,Dz... I warned you. I told you to watch out, but you simply wouldnt heed my warnings... Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment, as if admonishing an obstinate child who simply wouldnt listen to the advice of his elders. With a sigh ofmentation, he walked up to the Commander and took the storage ring right off his finger. ... the Commander. I am not dead yet! Ill leave this fellow to you! After taking away the storage ring, Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually before turning his attention away from the Commander. The Dragonbone Divine Spear and the Golden Origin Cauldron were delighted to receive such an order. It had been long since they had any showtime. Thus, one did its best to twist and turn its bottom to squeeze thest bit of juice from the poor man below it while the other pierced him relentlessly with its tip... Entrusting the Commander to his two artifacts, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the demonic saber. This demonic saber was even stronger than the Golden Origin Cauldron. The malevolent aura that it emanated was an extremely powerful soul offense which could faze even Otherworldly Demons. If he had such a weapon in his grasp, he would surely have been able to defeat the Commander much more easily. All he would have to do was to toss it out along with the Dragonbone Divine Spear and the Golden Origin Cauldron, and the three of them would be able to put an end to the Commander by themselves without him lifting a finger. Let me give it a try! Emting what the Commander did earlier, he reached out and grasped the handle of the demonic saber. Boom! A burst of killing intent surged right into his body, piercing right for his Primordial Spirit. Weng! His Primordial Spirit emanated a golden glow and warded off the killing intent. What a formidable attack... Despite having sessfully withstood the attack, Zhang Xuan was still forced to retreat a step under the powerful burst of killing intent. Had he not tempered his Primordial Spirit with the Empyrean Heavenly me previously, that attack would have inflicted severe damage on him in an instant! Lets see if your killing intent is more formidable than mine! Since you wish to put your killing intent against me, I shant stand on ceremony either then! Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi, and in the next moment, a torrent of killing intent came crashing down on the demonic saber. This killing intent was raw and unrefined, but its sheer purity would cause even ones blood to freeze over. Unexpectedly, before the killing intent could even reach the arrogant demonic saber... Putong! The demonic saber fell to the ground and lowered itself subserviently, as if paying respects to its new master. Its body trembled uncontrobly, hinting at the deep fear it carried for the person standing before it. ... Seeing such a sight through his swollen eyes, tears streamed freely down the Commanders face. Arent you supposed to be a proud and lofty weapon? Why are you submitting to him so quickly? Where did all your pride and dignity go to? Chapter 1676 - Killing the Commander

Chapter 1676: Killing the Commander

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The Commander was so traumatized that he looked as if he had lost his soul. It was with high expectations that he led his army into the Subterranean Gallery, intending to push his forces into the Master Teacher Continent. If he seeded, his name would ripple throughout the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and his standing would swiftly rise through the ranks. But before he could evenunch a proper invasion, he was already vited by a brick and a spear... Moreover, the demonic saber which he had specially brought out of his n for this special asion actually submitted to the other party... Where in the world did the prideful attitude you have shown me earlier go to? Why in the name of the heavens are you groveling on the ground right now? I see! This fellow submits to those who possess purer killing intent than it does. The killing intent I am able to emanate through my Heavens Path zhenqi is at leastparable to Vicious, so its no wonder why it submitted to me so quickly... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. While the Commander was likely to be an Otherworldly Demon Emperor as well, judging from the Qingtian Emperors standards, his killing intent still came nowhere on par with his Heavens Path zhenqi. With a light tap of his finger, he flicked a droplet of blood over to fuse with the demonic saber. Soon after, he felt a will surging into his mind. Infernal cksaber! That was the name of the demonic saber lying before him. Just like what the Dragonbone Divine Spear had said, the Infernal cksaber was indeed a Half-Ancient Sage artifact. However, that was not all that was to it... It was actually an upgradable artifact! The upgradable artifacts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were fundamentally different from that of mankind. The Golden Origin Cauldron was one of the rare upgradable artifacts in the world, but in order to raise its tier, it had to be reforged with other precious ores. On the other hand, the upgradable artifacts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe only demanded sufficient fresh blood or souls for their tier to be raised. In other words, he didnt have to reforge the Inferno cksaber and risk messing it up. All he had to do was to y more experts in order for it to grow stronger! It was precisely due to this nature of it that the demonic saber emanated such an intense malevolent aura. In other words, this means that you can be upgraded into an Ancient Sage artifact? Upon learning of this matter, Zhang Xuan asked the Infernal cksaber with excitement gleaming in his eyes. One must know that Ancient Sage artifacts wielded the prowess to y Ancient Sages! If the Infernal cksaber could be upgraded, he would really have no fear for cultivators beneath Ancient Sage! I can be upgraded, but Ill need to devour the fresh blood of an Ancient Sage for it... the Infernal cksaber replied courteously. Youll require the fresh blood of an Ancient Sage in order to be upgraded? Forget it... Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon hearing those words. This was ridiculous! If he was strong enough to hunt down an Ancient Sage and feed the Infernal cksaber thetters blood, what need would he have for it? If you really arent able to find any Ancient Sages, I can also be upgraded through devouring the blood and souls of Sempiternal realm or Half-Ancient Sage cultivators. However, the process would be much slower... As if seeing through the thoughts of its master, the Infernal cksaber quickly added. The blood of Sempiternal realm cultivators works for you too? What about that fellow over there? Zhang Xuan asked as he pointed a finger at the Commander. Even though his fighting prowess is subpar, hes still a core member of the Otherworldly Demon royalty. If I could consume him, I should be able to advance my cultivation to the forefront of Half-Ancient Sage artifacts! the Infernal cksaber replied with a nod. Good, Ill leave him to you then! Zhang Xuan replied In the first ce, he didnt harbor the slightest sliver of goodwill for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Furthermore, the other party was even nning on assassinating his parents, and that was something he couldnt ept. Thank you, master! Hearing those words, the Infernal cksaber rushed over delightfully and sunk its de into the Commanders flesh. It didnt take long for the Commander to be reduced to a withered corpse, his soul and blood sapped dry. After being nourished with the Commanders blood and soul, the Infernal cksaber looked even more demonic than before. Its strength had advanced considerably, to the level where even the Golden Origin Cauldron would take a detour just to avoid it. Not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. At this rate, it shouldnt be long before he sessfully upgraded the Infernal cksaber into an Ancient Sage artifact. That would truly be a huge boost to his fighting prowess! Alright, you should return to my storage ring for the time being! Having settled the matter here, Zhang Xuan kept the three artifacts back into his storage ring before heaving a sigh of relief. Having dealt with the Infernal cksaber and the Commander, it was unlikely that the remaining Otherworldly Demons would pose much of a threat to him anymore. Nevertheless, the power of the mass shouldnt be underestimated. To be safe, he should still tread carefully. If he could find a way to massacre all of the Otherworldly Demons at once, that would be for the best. Otherwise, even if their Commander had been killed, it was only a matter of time before a newmander took over and dispatch these Otherworldly Demons against them. If a battle were to break out, who knew how many offspring of the Zhang n would lose their lives? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Considering how there was a Sempiternal realm Commander in this Otherworldly Demon encampment, it was likely that there would be other Great Sage military officers as well too. It would be too naive to think that the Otherworldly Demon army would copse by itself just because it had lost its Commander. It was unlikely that he would face an opponent as powerful as the Commander within the encampment anymore, but he didnt have the strength to eradicate a well-trained army on his own either, even with the assistance of his three artifacts! He had to think things through and formte a feasible n before making his move. The earlier battle with the Commander has caused quite a hugemotion, but fortunately, due to the mirrors and formations cast around the area, no one has realized the happenings over here yet. In other words, the soldiers are still oblivious of the demise of their Commander. I might be able to pull something off if I could sessfully impersonate him... Zhang Xuan thought. In order to hide the existence of the Infernal cksaber, the Commander had gone to great lengths to iste this room, such that not even the slightest aura of shockwave would be able to escape from this room. It was ironic, but it was precisely due to the arrangements made by the Commander that no one realized that he had already been killed. Since Zhang Xuan was able to disguise himself impably as General Auer, there was no reason why he couldnt pass himself off as the Commander too. He took off the helmet from the corpse and quickly wore it. At the same time, he began to shift his muscles and bones, slowly morphing into the appearance of the Commander. Let me check how many Great Sage cultivators are there in this encampment... Leaving the stone tforms and mirrors behind, Zhang Xuan departed from the area and headed straight for the main tent located at the center of the base. Since the Commander was at Sempiternal realm, it was unlikely that his Vice Commanders would be too weak. First and foremost, he would have to check how many Great Sage cultivators there were in this camp and deal with them promptly. Once all of the Great Sage cultivators were gone, the remaining soldiers wouldnt be able to pose much of a threat to him anymore! Having assumed the appearance of the Commander, there was no guard or soldier who dared to halt Zhang Xuans footsteps as he strutted through the camp with widened strides. Soon enough, he arrived at the main tent. Commander! The Otherworldly Demon soldiers guarding the main tent quickly sped their fist and greeted him. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded casually as he walked into the tent. Within the tent, he saw seven figures seated all around with grim looks on their faces. Commander, you... have seeded? Upon seeing the return of the Commander, fervent joy spread across their faces. It seemed like these figures were also aware that the Commander was nning to assassinate the Xingmeng Sword Saints, and they were waiting for the results here. I havent done it yet. Theres an urgent matter that we need to discuss, and I need you all to offer some constructive advice! Zhang Xuan said authoritatively. Due to the presence of seer artifacts, he dared not to use the Library of Heavens Path lightly. Otherwise, he could risk bringing the lightning tribtion upon the base before resolving the major threats. He wasnt too sure what was the situation concerning the Commander, but through his rich experience of disguising himself, as well as the prowess of Luo Ruoxins disguise amulet, the seven people in the room didnt notice any anomaly. Commander, feel free to order us as you deem fit! The crowd quickly sped their fists and replied. Un! Zhang Xuan said as he nodded contemtively. In truth, he had discreetly activated his Eye of Insight and was examining the crowd before him. Just like what he had guessed, these seven fellows were all Great Sages. Two of them were at Intuitive Impulse realm, three were at Aureate Body realm, and thest two were at Introspective Convalescence realm. It was fortunate he didnt rush into making a move earlier, or else if these seven people were to coborate against him, it would have truly been a tough battle. Not to mention, with the sheer number of soldiers they had, if the Otherworldly Demon army were to form a coborative formation, even Sempiternal realm cultivators would have trouble escaping! Zhang Xuan pondered deeply for a moment before beckoning at one of the Intuitive Impulse realm Otherworldly Demon and said, You, follow me for a moment. I need to delegate some tasks to you privately... Yes, Commander! Without the slightest hint of doubt, the Otherworldly Demon pointed out followed him out of the main tent. Chapter 1677 - Queue Up and Hold Each Other Hands

Chapter 1677: Queue Up and Hold Each Other Hands

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After leaving the barracks, Zhang Xuan swiftly led the Otherworldly Demon toward the room with the mirrors. Commander, whats wrong? Seeing how careful the Commander was being, sealing the entire areapletely such that not even the slightest aura could leak out, a serious look appeared on the face of the Otherworldly Demon. Its like this... Stroking his lower jaw, Zhang Xuan casually walked up to the Otherworldly Demon when all of a sudden, a demonic de materialized in his hand and sliced right for the Otherworldly Demons neck. ... Not expecting the Commander to make a move on him suddenly, the Otherworldly Demon swiftly backed away. No matter what, he was still a Great 3-dan Intuitive Impulse cultivator and had been through many battles. Despite being caught off guard, he did not be flustered. Padah! However, barely after taking two steps back, a massive brick crashed down on his head and reduced him to a t pancake. Given how even the Sempiternal realm Commander had been renderedpletely helpless under the crushing might of the Golden Origin Cauldron, how could this Intuitive Impulse realm Otherworldly Demon stand a chance? It was a one-hit KO. Puhe! The Infernal cksaber swiftly flew forth and devoured the Otherworldly Demons blood and soul. Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan returned to the main tent and beckoned the other Intuitive Impulse realm Otherworldly Demon out. You,e out for a moment! Five minutester, he stepped into the main tent once more and said, The three of you, follow me! The three Aureate Body realm Otherworldly Demons followed the Commander out, leaving the two Introspective Convalescence realm fellows staring at one another nkly. Arent we supposed to be discussing a matter of some sort? Why are we being called out one after another? Their doubt did notst too long. The Commander walked back into the main tent with a satisfied look on his face. As soon as he entered, he set up an istion barrier around the tent and said, I had some missions to delegate to them, so I had to meet them privately. Its finally your turn... The two Introspective Convalescence fellows immediately got to their feet, fearing that they would miss a single word about this highly secretive mission. Hu! Before they could react, a cold glint sliced through the air, and two heads fell to the ground. Till their final breaths, they could not understand why the Commander would make a move on them. Zhang Xuan might still have some problems trying to deal with Sempiternal realm cultivators, but Introspective Convalescence realm cultivators were already a one shot, one kill to him. After dealing with the seven of them and disposing of their corpses, Zhang Xuan beckoned a guard stationed outside toe in. Gather all of the Great Sage experts in our camp for a meeting! Zhang Xuan ordered. Commander, there are only seven Great Sage Vice Commanders in our camp. You called out five of them earlier, and the remaining two... were in this tent, the guard replied with a doubtful frown. Earlier, he had seen the Commander calling out five of the Vice Commanders one after another, so there should still have been two more Vice Commanders in the main tent. Why would they suddenly disappear without a trace? The guard was only at Saint 7-dan. Considering how even the Great Sage 3-dan Intuitive Impulse realm Vice Commanders were unable to see through his disguise, there was no way that the guard could have done so. It was unthinkable to him that their Commander would have already been killed. Good! Zhang Xuan had just been verifying the matter to be safe. Since it was confirmed that there were only seven Great Sages in the camp, he was saved a great ton of trouble. He stood up and instructed, Inform all of the soldiers to gather before the main tent! All of the soldiers? Thats right, everyone. This includes those who are resting, patrolling, and on sentry. Get all of them here! Zhang Xuan waved his hand grandly. Yes, Commander! The guard quickly left the area and sounded the assembly horn. Ten minutester, when Zhang Xuan walked out of the main tent, he saw countless Otherworldly Demons standing neatly in a formation. With just one nce, Zhang Xuans eyebrows had already shot up in astonishment. There had to be over ten thousand Otherworldly Demons before him. It was fortunate that he had not made a move recklessly earlier. Otherwise, a coborative formation consisting of over ten thousand Saint 3-dan Otherworldly Demons would have been more than enough to render a Half-Ancient Sage powerless. It was truly a wise decision from Sword Saint Xing to retreat. The Zhang n was not weak, but against such a huge army, they would still lose at least half of their entire force even ifdy luck was shining on them. Suppressing his shock, Zhang Xuan bellowed, General Auer! Yes, Commander! General Auer stepped out of the formation and sped his fist. Get your men to bring the item that I just set up over here! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Yes, Commander! General Auer had no idea why the Commander had issued such amand, but it would be insubordination to oppose an order from a person of a higher rank. Thus, he quickly led a group of people and left the area. Several minutester, the stone tforms and mirrors were moved over. Divide yourself into groups of a thousand, and each group will take one of these artifacts. I want the members of each group to get into a line and hold hands with one another. The person at the front is to ce their hand on the mirror! Zhang Xuanmanded. Groups of a thousand? Get into a line and hold hands with one another? All of the soldiers were confused. Were they going to practice some kind of new formation or something? But... why did it sound so shady? They had never heard of any formations that required cultivators to hold hands with one another! Unable to take it any longer, another Otherworldly Demon wearing a ck helmet simr to that of General Auer stepped forward and said, Commander, the Zhang n has been eyeing us warily all this time. If theyunch an attack while everyone is here holding hands with one another, it could end in a catastrophe! The other soldiers also turned intrigued gazes over. You fool! Zhang Xuans face darkened as he roared in fury. This is the battle n that I have just designed with the other Vice Commanders. Do you all know what these mirrors are? No, Commander! These mirrors do look a little extraordinary, but I cant figure out what they are used for... The crowd shook their heads in response. If not for the fact that Zhang Xuan hade into close contact with seers in the past, he would not have been able to deduce the purpose of these mirrors. Considering that these soldiers and officers were unlikely to have ever met human seers before, there was no way that they would be able to recognize these mirrors. These mirrors are the treasures of the humans Seer Guild! They are able to provide concealment from the heavens, hindering even Intuitive Impulse cultivators from discerning your presence. The reason I want you to stand in a file and hold hands with one another is to conceal your killing intent and auras so that we can sneak into the fortress of those pesky humans and catch them off guard! Does everything make sense to you now? Zhang Xuan said with an authoritative wave of his hand. Sneak into the fortress of those pesky humans? Does our Commander intend tounch a surprise assault? Its able to conceal our killing intent and auras? Thats incredible! If we could sessfully pull off this surprise assault, we will be celebrated heroes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Hearing the effects of the mirrors, the faces of the Otherworldly Demons flushed crimson as they trembled in agitation They also knew that a direct confrontation with the Zhang n would result in heavy casualties. If they could pull off a surprise assault, their chances of survival would be much higher. Perhaps, they might even rue significant military contributions as a result of the operation and be handsomely rewarded for their effort! If you get what Im saying, hurry up and do it! Ensure that there arent any artifacts in between that would terminate the connection. If anyone reveals our location to the master teachers because they arent holding the hand of the person next to them tightly enough, theyll be the sinner of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. That person will be executed on the spot! Zhang Xuanmanded authoritatively. Well be putting everything into this surprise assault. This operation must end in a sess; no failure is permitted. Understood? Yes, Commander! The Otherworldly Demon soldiers nodded with looks of agitation on their faces. Very well! Seeing that his soldiers had received his orders, Zhang Xuan waved his hands grandly and said, Prepare the formation! Hula! The massive army immediately divided themselves into groups of a thousand, and the strongest soldiers of the group stood at the front of each file, cing their hands in direct contact with the mirror. The others held hands with one another with iron-tight grips, and the file extended for several hundred meters. Good! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He was just about to give a motivational speech when he suddenly heard a gale sounding above. Raising his head, he saw a figure appearing right before him. Commander Heng Jiang, what are you doing? Chapter 1678 - Cheese!

Chapter 1678: Cheese!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Commander Heng Jiang? It was an unfamiliar name, but considering that the figure was looking right at him, it was obvious that the other party was addressing him. So, the name of the Commander that he was disguised as was Heng Jiang! It was not a bad name. Taking a closer look at the figure before him, he saw that the other party was wearing a helmet identical to his. His aura felt dense and expansivehe was actually a Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm cultivator too! Were there only seven Great Sages in this encampment? Where did this one pop out from? The seal... Zhang Xuan heart skipped a beat as realization struck him. If he was not mistaken, the other party was the backup from beyond the breached seal! Of all the times, the other party just had to arrive before he made a move... Was this not too much of a coincidence? However, even if the other party was a Sempiternal realm cultivator, it would not be easy for him to see through his disguise. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan did not panic in the least. Instead, his eyebrows shot up coldly as he remarked, Am I obligated to report my actions to you? You! Hearing those words, the ck armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. Flinging his hand back coldly, he took out a golden edict and said, Under the orders of Overlord Chen Yong, you are to halt your attack and retreat immediately! Retreat immediately? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. The Overlord Chen Yong whom the other party spoke of was likely to be one of the highest-ranked Otherworldly Demon Emperors... but this did not make any sense at all! After all of the sacrifices made to breach the spatial seal, he was being ordered to retreat? Thats right. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and reorganize your army to retreat! the ck armored Otherworldly Demon berated as he tossed the golden edict over. Zhang Xuan caught the golden edict and read through it. The words were written in thenguage of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and it was indeed amand for his army to retreat. This... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment as he ced the edict into his storage ring. Before that, I have something to show you. Hmm? the eyebrows of the ck armored Otherworldly Demon shot up. I have found another use for the artifacts of the human seers. Once activated, it wields iparable prowess, such that even Half-Ancient Sages will be destroyed in an instant. Theres no better tool than this to deal with those humans! Zhang Xuan spoke with unwavering confidence. Even Half-Ancient Sages will be destroyed in an instant? the ck armored Otherworldly Demon questioned with a skeptical tone. Ordinary soldiers might not have been able to recognize these mirrors, but he did. They were the artifacts of the human seers, and they could only be used to conceal ones aura. Furthermore, they had to be arranged in a specific position in order to do so. There was no way that these mirrors could wield the prowess to kill a Half-Ancient Sage cultivator! If you dont believe my words, why dont you can give it a try yourself? After that, Ill get my soldiers to retreat! Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly. Very well. Let me see what in the world are you up to! The ck armored Otherworldly Demon nodded doubtfully. He was there to ry the orders, and as long as the other party was willing to abide by themands, he did not mind ying along with him. If there was truly an extraordinary use for the mirrors, that would be even for the better. Given that there were so many Otherworldly Demon soldiers around, and the fact that the person that he was facing was a Commander, it was unlikely that the other party would dare pull anything on him. Its very simple. Pick any one of these mirrors and ce your hand on it, Zhang Xuan instructed affirmatively. The ck armored Otherworldly Demon gazed into Zhang Xuans eyes for a while, and seeing that the other party was not messing with him, he eventually nodded in agreement. He walked up to one of the mirrors and ced his hand on it. It was not that he was a fool. It was just that he could not possibly have imagined that the person before him was not Heng Jiang but someone else. Besides, seers were known not to be a battle-oriented upation. Their artifacts mainly dealt with divination and anti-divination means. Even if it was a trap, he was confident that he would be able to deal with it with his strength. Since everyone is ready, lets begin! Seeing that this newly-arrived expert had ced his hand on the mirror as well, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. But just as he was about to activate the Library of Heavens Path on the mirror, he heard the sharp whistle of a gale sounding above. Another figure was flying over. Heng Jiang, receive your orders! Sovereign Chen Ling has decreed that you shallunch an attack this instant! While in the air, the figure had already unrolled a golden edict and issued the order. It was another Sempiternal realm cultivator! This... Zhang Xuan blinked nkly. It was just a moment that he received an order to retreat, and all of a sudden, he received another order tounch an assault right away... Are you all toying with me? Wait a moment... The person who issued the order to retreat seemed to be Sovereign Chen Yong whereas the person asking me to attack is Sovereign Chen Ling. Their names sound simr, but they arent the same person... Could there be some discord among the Sovereigns? If the Sovereigns were close with one another, there was no way that they would issue such contradicting orders. If there was truly disharmony among the Sovereigns, this could spell an opportunity for him... Mou Wu, what do you mean by this? Sovereign Chen Yong has already ordered for the troops here to retreat! the ck armored Otherworldly Demon remarked with an awful look on his face. It was just a moment after he had issued his order when Mou Wu came here with a contradicting order. This was tant disrespect toward him and Sovereign Chen Yong! I dont mean anything at all. If you were a bit smarter, it should be apparent to you that Im just following orders. Heng Jiang, what are waiting for? Hurry up and receive the edict! the Otherworldly Demon named Mou Wu replied coldly as he tossed the golden edict over toward Zhang Xuan. Catching the edict, Zhang Xuan swiftly read through its contents. Written in thenguage of the Otherworldly Demons as well, the edict contained amand for him tounch an attack against the Zhang n right away. This... A look of dilemma surfaced on Zhang Xuans face as he stared the edict before him. Seeing the conflicted look on Zhang Xuans face, the ck armored Otherworldly Demon bellowed furiously, Heng Jiang, ignore that fellows words and get your men to retreat. As the direct subordinate of the Spirit God, Sovereign Chen Yong is the highest Otherworldly Demon Emperor of our Otherworldly Demon Tribe. Unless you want to be beheaded, you should know what you must do! Sovereign Chen Yong might be the highest Otherworldly Demon Emperor, but times are different now. The Temple of Confucius is on the verge of opening, and after all the effort we have put into breaking open the spatial seal, how can we retreat like this? Think of the men who have sacrificed themselves for this cause! Mou Wu roared vehemently. Sovereign Chen Yongs words are the very words of the Spirit God. Do you intend to oppose the will of the Spirit God? I dare not oppose the will of the Spirit God, but this matter is of the utmost importance to our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Theres something amiss about the order issued by Sovereign Chen Yong, so I would rather listen to Sovereign Chen Lings words! The two envoys began bickering with one another. Alright, alright! Theres no need to bicker over this matter... Seeing that the two Otherworldly Demons were on the verge of shing with one another, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and mediated the situation. If you may listen to my humble words, why dont we not rush into executing the orders of Sovereign Chen Yong and Sovereign Chen Ling for the moment? Regardless of whosemand it is, the wills of the Sovereigns are not something that we can simply disregard! Why dont we do this instead? I wont withdraw my soldiers, but I wont rush into an attack either. Lets rify the situation beforeing to a judgement. For the time being, why dont I show you two the recent research breakthrough I have made? Research breakthrough? Mou Wu frowned doubtfully. Indeed. I have found a way to utilize the artifacts of the human seers that produces devastating power that is sufficient to destroy even an entire city! Brother Mou Wu, if you are interested, why dont you ce your hand on one of the mirrors, just like what my soldiers are doing? Ill show you the results of my research! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. You want me to touch the mirror? Mou Wu asked with a doubtful frown. He turned his gaze to the Otherworldly Demon soldiers around him, and only at that moment did he realize that they were holding hands tightly together with the person at the forefront of the file touching the mirror. Even the ck armored Otherworldly Demon was standing before a mirror with his hand resting lightly on its surface. Indeed! I believe that this could be a revolutionary discovery. If we could use this discovery to eradicate the humans once and for all, well be heroes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! The Sovereigns will surely reward us handsomely for our immense contribution! Zhang Xuan spoke with his voice quivering in excitement. Very well then! Seeing that everyone was already in position, Mou Wu swiftly nodded in agreement. He walked up to a mirror and ced his hand on it. Great! Is everyone ready? Put on a bright smile, alright? Three. Two. One... Zhang Xuan threw his hands in the air and eximed, Cheese! Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! In an instant, Mou Wu, the ck armored Otherworldly Demon, and all of the soldiers were assaulted by a barrage of lightning bolts. Their hair rose into the air, and white smoke drifted from their bodies. Chapter 1679 - Will You Believe Me?

Chapter 1679: Will You Believe Me?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Not expecting the mirror to actually be able to summon lightning bolts, the faces of Mou Wu and the ck armored Otherworldly Demon were ravaged with frenzy. The both of them released a resounding roar at the same time. The Otherworldly Demon soldiers were also devastated by the lightning bolts. It was just a short instant, but they had already sustained severe internal injuries. They had abided by the Commanders orders expecting something good, but who would have thought that this would happen instead? They wanted to release their hands, but the electrocution from the lightning bolts had affected their nerves, not allowing them to move as they liked. To make matters worse, they had held hands tightly together in order to prevent their auras from leaking out... At the forefront of the group, Commander Heng Jiang waved his hand apologetically and said, My bad, my bad! I dont think I operated the artifact properly. Continue holding your hands firmly on the mirrors, alright? I guarantee that itll be different this time around! But before he could even finish his words, more streaks of lightning had already descended from the sky. Kacha! Kacha! It was as if the Armageddon had arrived! The crackling of the lightning simply echoed ceaselessly in the air. All of the Otherworldly Demon soldiers were frenzied. Its indeed different this time around... But what the heck? The lightning is even more fearsome than before! My gosh! Are you intending to send us to our graves? The Otherworldly Demon soldiers tried their hardest to retract their hands from one another, but their bodies were far too paralyzed for them to be able to do anything other than spasm. Pu! Pu! Pu! One after another, white foam dribbled from the corner of their mouths as their consciousness gradually faded away. Even as they gradually came to theirst breath, they could not believe that they would die from a mistake by their Commander. To actually do in his own men as well... How in the world did this fellow manage to be a Commander? Most of these soldiers were only at Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-danthey had not even gone through their first Leaving Aperture Ordeal yet! How could they possibly survive such a vicious onught of lightning bolts? All it took was a couple of bolts for nearly all of them to be wiped out. Even Mou Wu and the ck armored Otherworldly Demon were spasming from being electrocuted! Typically speaking, as Sempiternal realm cultivators, they should have been able to ovee lightning bolts of such scale with ease. However, the very fact that the mirrors were mere seer artifacts made them lower their guard. They had not put up any defensive measures at all, and the lightning bolts hade too quickly for them to put up anything. As a result, while the barrage of lightning bolts was not enough to im their lives, it blurred their consciousness and rendered them powerless. Phew, it seems like everything worked out well! Seeing that the ten thousand or so Otherworldly Demon soldiers had beenpletely annihted by the lightning bolts, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As tools used against the heavens, seer artifacts were susceptible to heavenly retribution. All Zhang Xuan had to do was activate his Library of Heavens Path, and the heavens would do their job. He hade up with this n on the spur of the moment, and to be honest, he had thought that it was a rather ridiculous n. Yet, who could have thought that he would actually be able to pull it off impably! The only imperfection in his n was probably the sudden emergence of the two envoys from Sovereign Chen Yong and Sovereign Chen Ling. However, it was fortunate that the two of them had not expected to fall for such an unconventional attack. While the heavenly retribution toward seer artifacts was limited in terms of prowess, its greatest advantagey in the fact that it was instantaneous. As such, it was actually able to get to the two Sempiternal realm cultivators before they could even react. Dragonbone Divine Spear, scout the area and kill any dead soldiers around. Ding Ding, Infernal cksaber, the two of you deal with Mou Wu! He knew that he had only seeded because his luck was good. The other party had been caught off guard. However, once the two Sempiternal realm cultivators recovered, he would be in a terrible position. Knowing that time was not on his side, Zhang Xuan immediately dashed for the ck armored Otherworldly Demon. He had left Mou Wu to the Golden Origin cauldron and the Infernal cksaber while he dealt with the ck armored Otherworldly Demon singlehandedly. You arent Heng Jiang! Who are you? Seeing the huge massacre before him, there was no way that the ck armored Otherworldly Demon could still remain oblivious to the truth. The person before him was not Heng Jiang at all! Overwhelmed with rage, he flicked his wrist, whipped out a sword, and brandished it toward Zhang Xuan. Weng! However, before his sword could evene close to Zhang Xuan, he suddenly felt a will surging right into him, befuddling his mind. He nearly lost his bnce and fell down due to that. Soul offense? The ck armored Otherworldly Demon narrowed his eyes. It was apparent that the other party was skilled at soul offense. To think that even a Sempiternal realm cultivator like him would be unable to guard his mind against the other party! Hu! While the ck armored Otherworldly Demon was still gued with dizziness, he suddenly saw the fake Heng Jiang appearing right before him. A powerful punch harnessing unbelievable might was already heading right for his head. Bloodline Ignition! Knowing that he would lose his life if the punch reallynded on him, the ck armored Otherworldly Demon activated his bloodline without any hesitation. In an instant, incredible power surged through his body. Bloodline Ignition wont help you either! Zhang Xuan scoffed coldly. With the tremendous surge of strength from the Bloodline Ignition, the ck armored Otherworldly Demon was just about to counterattack when the fellow right before him suddenly whipped out a small inkstone and pounded it down on his head. Kacha! It was the sound of a certain Otherworldly Demons skull being split apart. As a Sempiternal realm cultivator, his body had reached a level where it was impervious to most attacks. Even if he allowed an Aureate Body realm cultivator to attack him freely, thetter might not have been able to breach his defenses. Yet, the other party was actually able to split his skull apart with just an inkstone... Just what tier was that inkstone at? Bro, where in the world did youe from? That skeleton dragon, the brick, and the demonic saber... I thought that its already astounding that you could have three artifacts that are so powerful, but to think that you even have an inkstone on top of that... Peng peng peng peng! This was clearly not the time for thought as the other party continued smashing the inkstone down on his head. Gradually, his consciousness drifted away. He was probably the only Sempiternal realm cultivator to die such a miserable death. He was first electrocuted before being smashed to death by a puny-looking inkstone. He never would have thought that such a fate would befall him. Its indeed not so easy to use this inkstone. It isnt intended for offense after all... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he returned the bloodstained inkstone to his storage ring. This was the artifact that he had obtained from Tantai Zhenqing. It was one of the personal possessions of Ancient Sage Zi Yu, and it went without saying that it was a formidable artifact. However, it was not as handy when used as a weapon. If Tantai Zhenqing knew that Zhang Xuan had used this invaluable treasure from his ancestor as a weapon to smash an enemys head, he would probably lose his mind and faint on the spot. The inkstone was a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation within the Tantai n! If one used the ink ground by the inkstone to calligraph, the Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraph produced would be much more powerful. Yet, that fellow actually used this inkstone as a mere bat... How in the world did such a refined tool end up being used for such a barbaric purpose? After ying the ck armored Otherworldly Demon, Zhang Xuan turned his head around to look at Mou Wu. Thetters head was currently pressed under the Golden Origin Cauldrons bottom, and there was a despaired look on his face. Without looking on, it was apparent that the fellow was doomed too. The fighting prowess of weapons was significantly reduced without a skilled user to control them. However, both the Golden Origin Cauldron and the Infernal cksaber possessed greater strength than Mou Wu, and they had moved in unison to deal with him. Furthermore, Mou Wu had yet to recover from the side effects from the electrocution, so there was no way he could be a match for him. At this moment, the Dragonbone Divine Spear had finished its clean up and returned as well. The relentless bolts of lightning earlier had pretty much zapped the ten thousand or so Otherworldly Soldiers into their graves. There were very few survivors, so it did not take the Dragonbone Divine Spear to finish its job. To be honest, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was truly impressed with the means of its master. That was an army of over ten thousand Otherworldly Demons! Before Ancient Sage Ran Qiu made his breakthrough to Ancient Sage, he would have had to flee as far as he could from such a lineup. Yet, his master single-handedly annihted the entire army and left not a single survivor at all. What was even more ridiculous was that he did not suffer the slightest injury in the midst of doing so! This was a feat that would go down in legends and recounted as an epic. To singlehandedly clear a Subterranean Gallery, this was truly inconceivable! Just as the Dragonbone Divine Spears thoughts were wandering, another gale sounded from the distance, and yet another ck armored Otherworldly Demon appeared in the area. Commander Heng Jiang, receive your orders! Sovereign Chen Xingmands you to keep your army on standby. You are not to attack or retreat recklessly... As the ck armored Otherworldly Demon spoke, he flicked his wrist and took out a golden edict. At this moment, however, he caught sight of the countless corpses beneath including Mou Wu, who was crushed under a brick. His eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he eximed, Heng Jiang, whats going on here? On the ground, Commander Heng Jiang scratched his head awkwardly and said, Will you believe me if I say that they are all sleeping? Chapter 1680 - Repairing the Seal

Chapter 1680: Repairing the Seal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What do you mean by sleeping? How in the world do they look like they are sleeping to you? The ck armored Otherworldly Demon who had just arrived clutched his hair in frenzy. Do you think Im a fool who cant differentiate between the dead and the living? Theres nothing I can do if you dont believe me... Knowing that the other party would not believe him no matter what he said, Zhang Xuan waved his hand helplessly. Get him! He had already killed three Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons here. He did not mind adding one more to his record. Boom! Thebined prowess of Zhang Xuan and his three artifacts truly could not be underestimated. Before the ck armored Otherworldly Demon could get away, he was encircled and ughtered. After absorbing the blood and souls of four Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons, the Infernal cksaber had be even more demonic, making it difficult for one to look at directly. After taking all of the resources and storage rings scattered around, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Following which, he began making his way toward the spatial seal. He was not too sure what had happened at the seal, but the fact that Otherworldly Demons wereing one after another was a sign that it had indeed been breached. He really had to find a way to repair it as soon as possible. Otherwise, there would really be no end to them! After flying for a while, the spatial seal finally came into his sight. At the very center of the spatial seal was a massive hole. It looked as if someone had forcefully ripped it apart. There was little doubt that Mou Wu and the others hade in through here. Its fortunate that it hasnt beenpletely destroyed. Otherwise, theres no way I could have constructed another spatial seal of this scale... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even though he hadprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, his cultivation was simply too weak. Mending it was already the limits of his ability. For him to set up a brand-new spatial seal that could ward off Ancient Sages was clearly daydreaming! Heading up to the seal, Zhang Xuan immediately got to mending it. In the midst of his work, he could not help falling into thought. The otherworldly battlefield is right on the other side... Should I go over to take a look? The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe often sent their men over to wreak havoc, so why should he not do the same to them? Furthermore, while he had managed to resolve the crisis in this Subterranean Gallery for the time being, it would be naive to think that this would be the end. This was likely to just be a small proportion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes armies. The 108 Subterranean Galleries had alle under the simultaneous assault of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Luo n, and the Jiang n had been forced to head over to defend against them. If he could cause some chaos over in the otherworldly battlefield, it might alleviate the stress in the other Subterranean Galleries. Ill think more about it after I fix the seal... Zhang Xuan thought as he hastened his speed. ... It has already been so long. Why isnt Xuan-er back yet? Sword Saint Meng paced around the room in vexation. Her son had said that he was just going to scout the situation, but two hours had already passed, and there was still nothing at all. She could not help but worry about his safety. He might have just met with some small hups. Dont worry, our Xuan-er has many means up his sleeves. Nothing will happen to him! Sword Saint Xing patted his wifes back and consoled her. But thats the army of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that were talking about! There were at least ten thousand soldiers in the previous sh with them! Even Yang shi wouldnt stand a chance against them... How can our Xuan-er withstand something like that? Sword Saint Meng eximed anxiously. With the opponent being ten thousand well-trained Otherworldly Demons of Saint 3-dan and above, there was no one who could possibly not worry! I hate to admit this, but theres nothing we can do but trust our son. We dont have the same concealment technique that he has, and if we are caught while attempting to check on his condition, we will just put him in a worse position, Sword Saint Xing said. He was worried about his son too, but it was clear that there was nothing that they could do to help him. Sword Saint Xing turned to Luo Ruoxin and asked, Ruoxin, what do you think of the matter? The youngdy before him had been perfectly calm all this while, as if she was not worried about Zhang Xuan at all. This had left him rather perplexed. Zhang Xuan will be fine, Luo Ruoxin replied withposure. Putting aside the fact that he hadprehended three Quintessences and possessed nearly impable disguise means, just his current prowess paired with the Dragonbone Divine Spear would already be a huge headache for anyone to deal with. Unless an Ancient Sage appeared, it would be impossible for the Otherworldly Demons to get him! Since that was the case, there was nothing for her to worry about. But... Seeing how confident Luo Ruoxin was, Sword Saint Meng could not help but frown. She was just about to ask the reason behind Luo Ruoxins unwavering confidence in Zhang Xuan when an elder suddenly rushed into the room. Old n head... Is Xuan-er back yet? Sword Saint Xing immediately stood up in agitation. The elder who had just entered was in charge of intelligence gathering in the Zhang n. The fact that he hade over in such hurry meant that he had some important news to report. Thats not it... The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has just blown a horn to gather all of their soldiers. I fear that they might beunching another attack very soon! the elder said grimly. An attack? Sword Saint Xings face immediately turned severe. What happened? Tell me the details! I sent some scouts to the Otherworldly Demons encampment, but their defense was simply too tight. My men could only skirt the perimeters, unable to get too close. However, an hour ago, a horn suddenly sounded, and following which, the Otherworldly Demon soldiers began to retreat back into the camp. Even those who are responsible for upholding the defensive formations, keeping a lookout, and even the patrols left their positions! Fearing that it might be a trap, our men didnt dare get too close initially. However, there was still no movement after waiting for fifteen minutes, so they slowly advanced deeper into the camp to scout the situation. They found that the Otherworldly Demons were divided into ten huge groups in order to practice some kind of unique formation. Furthermore, the Commander whom you shed with previously said that he wanted to try a new coborative formation and was going tounch a surprise assault with it! Hearing up to that point, our scouts dared not waste any time. They immediately rushed back here to report the matter to me as soon as possible! Its fortunate that your scouts delivered the intelligence back in time. Otherwise, if their surprise assault were to seed, our Zhang n would have sustained heavy losses... Sword Saint Xing heaved a sigh of relief. This piece of intelligence was simply too important. If they had really been caught off guard, it could have ended disastrously for the Zhang n. Taking a deep breath, Sword Saint Xings voice reverberated across the entire fortress, Offspring of the Zhang n, heed my orders. The Otherworldly Demons are preparing tounch a surprise assault. All of you are to stand on level one wariness right now! Yes, old n head! Hearing the orders, the members of the Zhang n swiftly got into their positions to ready themselves for the impending battle. In an instant, the atmosphere turned iparably solemn. After issuing the instructions to the members of the Zhang n, Sword Saint Xing turned to the crowd around him and said, Elders, follow me out of the city to meet the Otherworldly Demons. Since they are going tounch a surprise assault, we might just be able to take advantage of that catch them off guard! Very well! The elders nodded, and the crowd swiftly flew out of the city. The outskirts of the fortress were cloaked with a thickyer of mist, making it difficult to see too far ahead. Peering into the depths of the mist, and a knit suddenly appeared between Luo Ruoxins eyebrows. Without any hesitation, she quickly flew ahead. Ruoxin... Not expecting the youngdy to be so reckless, the Xingmeng Sword Saints frowned. The rest of you stand guard over here. Well head over to take a look! Knowing that they would lose Ruoxin if they didnt follow her right now, Sword Saint Xing swiftly issued some instructions to the elders before departing with Sword Saint Meng to chase after Ruoxin. ... Why is there no one at all? The further the Xingmeng Sword Saints flew, the more perplexed they were by the situation. Logically speaking, given how far they had traveled, they should have encountered some Otherworldly Demons by now. Yet, why was there not a single person in sight? Regardless of whether they were going tounch a surprise assault or not, surely they should at least upkeep their basic defenses? If the Otherworldly Demons were truly so careless, there was no way they would have been able to stand against the Master Teacher Pavilion for so many years. Look, in front! Just as Sword Saint Xing was still pondering over the matter, Sword Saint Mengs voice suddenly sounded. He quickly raised his head and saw row after row of Otherworldly Demons lying motionlessly on the ground. Their hair was raised high in the air, and their faces were charred ck. White foam flooded the corners of their mouth. They were all dead! Luo Ruoxin was kneeling in the midst of these corpses with a frown between her eyebrows, seemingly trying to examine for something. Chapter 1681 - Crossing the Spatial Seal

Chapter 1681: Crossing the Spatial Seal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... What happened? Seeing the Otherworldly Demons who had left them in a fluster lying dead on the ground, the Xingmeng Sword Saints were utterly stunned. They were killed by Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin said as she rose to her feet. They were killed by Xuan-er? How could that be? Unless ones an Ancient Sage, there is no way any cultivator could eradicate an entire army of Otherworldly Demons! Sword Saint Xing could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was not that he did not trust his son, but the enemy consisted of ten thousand Otherworldly Demons at Saint 3-dan and above! Furthermore, there were also a few Great Sages in their ranks. Even with his sons prowess, it was impossible for him to kill all of them singlehandedly! He used the power of lightning against them. These Otherworldly Demons were caught off guard and electrocuted. Most of them died in the electrocution, but those who survived were paralyzed by the lightning and killed nevertheless, Luo Ruoxin analyzed. Lightning? The Xingmeng Sword Saints quickly turned their gazes to the corpses on the ground, and indeed, there were burn marks on their bodies. At this moment, they could not help but remember that their son had the ability to summon lightning tribtion. To actually defeat an army of ten thousand singlehandedly... even when they were seeing the results with their own eyes, they still felt like they were dreaming. Since these people are already dead, where is Xuan-er? Sword Saint Meng quickly searched around the area. No matter how many means her son had, he was bound to be in a bad condition after facing so many enemies at once. No matter what, she would not feel reassured until she saw how he was doing and whether he was injured or not... He has probably gone to the seal... Luo Ruoxin stood up and continued venturing forward. Considering how the threat was already resolved, the chances were that he had gone to repair the spatial seal. It was not too difficult to deduce this much. The group quickly advanced ahead, and it did not take long for them to arrive before the spatial seal. At this very moment, the spatial seal was alreadypletely mended. The energy pulses within the spatial seal were a sign that the repairs had just beenpleted. Its Xuan-ers zhenqi, but... where is he? Sword Saint Meng could tell that the barrier had been mended using Zhang Xuans zhenqi. The fact that he could still repair the spatial seal meant that he was likely fine. However... where did he disappear to? She had her Spiritual Perception cast as wide as possible for fear that she would miss her son. If her son was truly still around, she should have already found him by now. It looks like he has traversed across the seal to head to the otherworldly battlefield! Luo Ruoxin frowned. He went over to the other side? How can he be so reckless? Sword Saint Meng nearly fainted from shock upon hearing those words. This wont do. I must save him... Sword Saint Meng was hot-tempered, but she was rarely reckless. In fact, she was an extremely rational person, knowing clearly what she could and could not do. However, whenever it came to matters concerning her son, she seemed to swiftly lose her rationality. Allow me to go over instead. If the two of you head over, its likely that youll meet with danger before meeting Zhang Xuan... Luo Ruoxin suddenly interjected. The Xingmeng Sword Saints were powerful, but fighting in the otherworldly battlefield was a different matter from fighting in the Subterranean Gallery. The killing intent in the otherworldly battlefield was so great that it would suppress their fighting prowess considerably. On top of that, their auras would stand out like a lighthouse in the night, making them easy targets. If they entered, it was likely that they would be captured and killed by the Otherworldly Demons before even finding Zhang Xuan. You? Sword Saint Meng frowned. Its too dangerous to venture beyond the venture seal! Your current strength... It was not that she did not believe Luo Ruoxin, but thetter had never revealed her cultivation before. Back at the Luo n, it was her subordinate, Wu Chen, and not her who battled with the elders. They had guessed that she was likely a formidable expert, but it was just a deduction on their part. Dont worry! Knowing that the other party was worried about her, Luo Ruoxin chuckled softly. You should return to the city and inform the others of this news. Get them to clear the Otherworldly Demon corpses and move the defense line up to the spatial seal. As for the rest, leave it to me. After saying those words, she pushed her hand toward them lightly. Hu! The Xingmeng Sword Saints suddenly found their surroundings blurring before their eyes. The sight before them distorted, and all of a sudden, they found that they were already back in the main hall of the fortress. This... The two of them widened their eyes in astonishment. To be able to bring them urately back to the main hall with just a push... just how deep was herprehension of spatialws? Not even Yang shi was capable of a feat like that! Could she be... an Ancient Sage? Sword Saint Meng uttered with an incredulous look on her face. She knew that the woman whom her son loved possessed extraordinary strength, possibly stronger than them even. However, she did not think that thetter would actually be so formidable! They could even put up a fight against Sempiternal realm cultivators if they coborated with one another, and yet, the other party was able teleport them back without them knowing... If she diverted her abilities to offense, her fighting prowess was bound to be formidable. Ancient Sage? How could there be such a young Ancient Sage on the Master Teacher Continent? Sword Saint Xing shook his head and refuted Sword Saint Mengs guess. He pondered for a moment, but he was unable to fathom how powerful Luo Ruoxin was. Thus, he could only shake his head and say, Alright, lets not think too much into it for the time being. In any case, I think we should be able to entrust Xuan-er in her hands! After saying those words, he flew toward the aerial space of the fortress andmanded, Offspring of the Zhang n, hear mymand! Set forth right away to collect our spoils of war! Collect our spoils of war? The elders guarding outside the city were surprised to hear such an announcement and bewildered to see the person who had made the announcement. They had seen their n head advancing deeper into the Otherworldly Demon encampment, but before they knew it, their n head was suddenly behind them. This was a truly perplexing sight to them. n Head Zhang Xuan has infiltrated the Otherworldly Demon encampment and in the ten thousand Otherworldly Demons that we are at war with. With this, the crisis at the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery has been resolved! Seeing the looks of bewilderment below, Sword Saint Xing exined the situation with heartyughter. Our n head killed ten thousand Otherworldly Demons singlehandedly? The Otherworldly Demon army that we were helpless against was annihted by our n head alone? This... Am I hearing things? ... In an instant, everyone in the Zhang n froze on the spot. They were all shocked silly. They had heard stories of heroes charging into the midst of an army to decapitate the enemymanders head, and they had also heard of experts valiantly fighting against hundreds simultaneously... But for a single man to destroy an entire army, what in the world was happening? ... Oblivious to the happenings in the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan was swiftly advancing ahead in the otherworldly battlefield. A world as vast as the Master Teacher Continent, the horizon was nowhere in sight. There was no sun in the world, just a crimson moon hanging above, bringing an air of destion to the world beneath. The killing intent of this world seemed to be concentrated on the crimson moon, as if the unique zhenqi of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had originated from there. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. This ce truly feels like a living hell. Its no wonder the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe want to conquer the Master Teacher Continent... Even though his Heavens Path zhenqi granted him protection against killing intent, he felt that his mind would slowly be warped and violent if he stayed there for a prolonged period of time. Slowly but surely, he would start to desire bloodshed. This world truly was not a hospitable ce. If he had been an Otherworldly Demon, he would have barged over to the Master Teacher Continent as well. I dont think Ill be able to find my way around without a map. Should I return first and wait for Vicious to awaken beforeing back? In truth, it was mostly out of curiosity that he had gone over to the otherworldly battlefield. Realizing that he would not be able to navigate his way around efficiently, he felt that it would be better for him to return for the time being. Otherwise, it would be really disastrous if he lost his sense of direction. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to turn back, he heard a gale sounding not too far away. Following which, the voice of an Otherworldly Demon cultivator was heard. Hurry up! Zhang Xuan swiftly used the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing to conceal his figure before heading in the direction that the voice had originated from. Chapter 1682 - Army of a Hundred Thousand

Chapter 1682: Army of a Hundred Thousand

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It did not take long for him to arrive at the foot of a mountain, where he found four Otherworldly Demons loitering. Spiritual energy was surging in from the surroundings. It seemed like the Otherworldly Demons were trying to drive some kind of formation. Of the four Otherworldly Demons, the stronger one was at Sempiternal realm, wielding strengthparable to Mou Wu. The remaining three were only at Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm. Right in front of them was a Teleportation Formation. However, gauging from the formation gs around, the formation seemed to be really old. As such, it would take some difficulty to reactivate it. The strongest Otherworldly Demon was ring at the other three with a furious gaze. The one who had hollered earlier was him as well. Lord Mo Ye, I am already trying my best, but this formation is simply too old... Theres nothing I can do either... one of the Otherworldly Demons driving the formation protested timidly. Cut the cr*p and get to work. If this doesnt work out, you and I, our heads will roll! Mo Ye waved his hand coldly. Yes! Not daring to protest anymore, the Otherworldly Demon drove his zhenqi furiously into the formation. The rate at which spiritual energy was gathering in the area hastened, and the ancient formation began to flicker. It seemed as if it woulde to life at any moment. However, the face of the Otherworldly Demon driving the formation was swiftly paling as well. He seemed to be reaching the limits of his stamina. Hurry up and help me! the Otherworldly Demon eximed to the remaining two. The other two Introspective Convalescence realm Otherworldly Demons unhesitatingly bit their fingers and offered their blood to the Teleportation Formation. Weng! In an instant, the spiritual energy in the surroundings grew so dense that it almost felt tangible. A brilliant light shone off from the Teleportation Formation. Good! Seeing that the Teleportation Formation had been activated, Mo Ye harrumphed coldly before stepping into it. Hu! Enveloped by the light, a dimension rift appeared before Mo Ye. He stepped in and swiftly disappeared from sight. Padah! As soon as Mo Ye left, the remaining three Introspective Convalescence realm cultivators slumped onto the ground. It seemed like activating the formation had sapped their strength dry. Its fortunate that we managed to pull it off, or else our heads would have been lopped off... Despite their exhaustion, the trio had relieved smiles on their faces. If the formation had not been activated, they would have lost their lives! While they were in the midst of celebrating their small sess, a towering Otherworldly Demon suddenly walked up to them. Lord Mou Wu! Upon seeing the towering Otherworldly Demon, the trio hurriedly got to their feet and greeted him. Un. Drive the formation. I want to go to where Mo Ye just went! Mou Wu waved his hand imposingly. It went without saying that this Mou Wu was an impersonation from Zhang Xuan. Considering how Mo Ye was in such a rush to leave via a Teleportation Formation, there was no doubt that he had something urgent to attend to. Since he had seen it, it went without saying that he had to stop the other party. At the same time, this was a good opportunity for him to learn about what was going on in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Lord Mou Wu, you wish to head to the Thousandleaf Sea, too? The Otherworldly Demons who had activated the formation nearly burst into tears. They had nearly exhausted themselves to death activating the Teleportation Formation once. If they had to do it once more, they might just lose their lives! One of the Otherworldly Demons gritted his teeth and said, Lord Mou Wu, pardon me for asking this, but werent you heading to Riverstar under Sovereign Chen Lings orders? Picking up on the phrase Riverstar, Zhang Xuan pondered silently for a moment. Considering that Mou Wu had gone to the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery earlier with Sovereign Chen Lings edict in hand, it was likely that the Riverstar mentioned by the Otherworldly Demon referred to that. It seemed like the names that humans and Otherworldly Demons had for certain locations differed from one another. I have already resolved the matter at Riverstar. Sovereign Chen Ling has just instructed me to make my way over to the Thousandleaf Sea in order to meet up with Mo Ye... Do you need me to report all of my actions to you? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as killing intent burst forth from his body. Power began billowing beneath his thick armor, and it seemed like he would make a move at any moment. Mou Wus armor was identical to Heng Jiangs, so he only had to alter his appearance a little in order to personate the other party. I dare not question Lord Mou Wus movements! The Otherworldly Demons immediately paled in fright. He hurriedly turned his attention to the Teleportation Formation and began infusing his zhenqi. However, as he had just exerted himself too much, his stamina was already at its limits. The other two Otherworldly Demon knew that they would be punished if they could not activate the Teleportation Formation for Mou Wu as well, so they quickly rushed over to aid theirpanion. I have just finished dealing with the matters at Riverstar and am still unaware of the situation over at the Thousandleaf Sea. Tell me, whats the progress there? Watching as the Otherworldly Demons squeezed everyst drop of their zhenqi into the Teleportation Formation, Zhang Xuan dropped such a question leisurely. Since Riverstar referred to the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery, it was likely that the Thousandleaf Sea was the name of another Subterranean Gallery. In fact, if his guess was correct, it was likely one of the six Subterranean Galleries that the Otherworldly Demons were focusing their manpower on. It would be good if he could head over there and resolve the crisis there. This would alleviate the pressure the others were facing. Reporting to Lord Mou Wu, we arent privy to such information, so we arent too sure either... However, Lord Mo Ye mentioned earlier that both Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling have issued an order in unison for the reserve army stationed at the Thousandleaf Sea tounch an attack on the humans right away! one of the Otherworldly Demons replied hurriedly. Reserve army? Launch an attack right away? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Back at the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery, Sword Saint Xing noticed that the Otherworldly Demons were in no rush to attack the Zhang n and wondered if they might be waiting for reinforcements. An army of ten thousand was already a handful to deal with. If they had to deal with reinforcements, it would really be a nightmare for the Zhang n! Deducing based on the information that he had received so far, it seemed like the Thousandleaf Sea was not a Subterranean Gallery but a military barrack where the reinforcements were all stationed. This was not good news. Without a doubt, the master teachers stationed in the Subterranean Gallery where the reserve army was mobilized to would definitely face great danger. Furthermore, this was an order that Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling had ordered in unison! The orders that Heng Jiang had received from Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing earlier had been conflicting; the former hadmanded him tounch an attack right away whereas Sovereign Chen Xing hadmanded him to remain on standby. In order words, it seemed like there was some disharmony among the Sovereigns. Yet, the two of them actually made a call in unison tounch an attack... How many soldiers are there at the Thousandleaf Sea? Is it possible to divert some men over to reinforce Riverstar? Zhang Xuan continued asking casually. The soldiers at the Thousandleaf Sea are the strongest soldiers of our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the elites under Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xingsmand. They number over a hundred thousand! the Otherworldly Demon replied proudly. Hundred thousand? Zhang Xuan nearly stumbled upon hearing that number. Ten thousand Otherworldly Demon soldiers was already enough to force the Zhang n to mobilize all of its forces and descend to the Subterranean Gallery to fight a desperate battle. If a hundred thousand Otherworldly Demon soldiers were mobilized simultaneously, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would be able to suppress them! Who could have thought that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would actually have an army of such a scale? Would they still be able to protect the Master Teacher Pavilion against such a powerful foe? Thats right! the Otherworldly Demon seemed to know quite a bit about this matter. This is the first time that the two Sovereigns have worked with one another. They have gathered all of the experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe together in order to push open a path to the Master Teacher Continent. Most of the soldiers from the other Subterranean Galleries have already headed over to the Thousandleaf Sea. The only reason Riverstar didnt receive the order is because its too far away! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan discreetly heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that the Otherworldly Demons were assaulting all 108 Subterranean Galleries simultaneously and still had a reserve army of a hundred thousand strong to reinforce them wherever required. If that was the case, that would really have been frightening! Fortunately, that was not so. It seemed like Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing had issued orders to have the soldiers from the different Subterranean Galleries regroup at the Thousandleaf Sea. Afterward, they would focus their fighting power on breaching a single Subterranean Gallery. Another thing that he noted from the Otherworldly Demons words was that this was the first time that Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing had worked together. This further verified his deduction that the three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were not on good terms. In fact, it was likely that they were apprehensive of one another, and there was a little bit of infighting going on. That had probably hindered them from cooperating with one another, thus preventing the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe fromunching a decisive assault all this while. All of a sudden, the Otherworldly Demon noticed that something was amiss and eximed, Thats not right... Lord Mou Wu, you are amander of our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. How can you not know all this? The other two Otherworldly Demons widened their eyes as realization dawned on them, and they swiftly directed menacing gazes toward Zhang Xuan. Chapter 1683 - High Commander

Chapter 1683: High Commander

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Youre right. I suppose Lord Mou Wu should have known all this... Seeing that he had been exposed, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to keep up with his disguise anymore and chuckled softly. He isnt Lord Mou Wu! Attack! The three Otherworldly Demons narrowed their eyes menacingly as they prepared to leap at the person before them. However, before they could do so, a massive silhouette in the sky was already falling swiftly on them. Padah! The Otherworldly Demon driving the formation was crushed into minced meat. Following which, a skeletal dragon surged forward and bit off the head of another Otherworldly Demon. At the same time, a demonic saber easily severed thest Otherworldly Demon in half. Those three Otherworldly Demons were only in the Introspective Convalescence realm. Since they had seen through his disguise, all he had to do was silence them. After cleaning up the corpses, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the old Teleportation Formation before him, and amid shimmering light, he vanished on the spot. With his expertise as a formation master and hisprehension of space, activating the formation was a walk in the park to him. With a jolt, he appeared at the other end of the Teleportation Formation. With a sweeping gaze of his surroundings, he found that he was standing amid a massive valley. Mountains of different heights meandered through the area, obscuring the area from public view. Paying respects to the Commander! Barely after stabilizing his posture, he heard voices sounding by the side. They were the soldiers tasked with the responsibility of standing guard over the Teleportation Formation. They did not seem to be too highly ranked. Most likely, they had only recognized him from the helmet and armor that he was wearing. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded perfunctorily as he stepped forward with widened strides. A crimson moon hung above a distant mountain, and a slightyer of mist drifted amid the mountain range. Despite the sinister air lingering in the area, Zhang Xuan had to admit that the scenery was breathtaking, almost like a still painting. There were countless soldiers standing in neat formations throughout the massive valley. Their movements were extremely organized, and there was not the slightest dissonant sound to be heard. Just from the discipline alone, it was apparent that the soldiers were well-trained. As the reserve army consisted of soldiers from many different Subterranean Galleries, while Mou Wus face appeared a little foreign to most, no one doubted his identity. The further he advanced, the more shocked Zhang Xuan became. Just like the Otherworldly Demon soldiers dispatched to the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery, even the weakest of the soldiers standing in this very valley was at Saint 3-dan! If this army of a hundred thousand made a move simultaneously, even Ancient Sages would have to back down in the face of their might! I have to stop them, or else many lives will be lost! Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. After tens of thousands of years of development, the Master Teacher Pavilion was indeed capable of rallying a hundred thousand cultivators of Saint 3-dan and above. However, it would take time to do so. Furthermore, due to the Otherworldly Demons invading all 108 Subterranean Galleries simultaneously, the human cultivators had been forced to scatter all over the Master Teacher Continent to fend them off. If this armyunched an assault right now, there was no way that the Master Teacher Pavilion would be able to put up a sufficient defense in time to stop it. And once the Otherworldly Demons started pouring into the Master Teacher Continent, many innocent civilians would be massacred! He had to stop this army by hook or by crook! But... how was he supposed to go about doing so? Even Ancient Sages would not dare confront an army of such scale easily, let alone him! If he showed the slightest anomaly in his actions, he would be deader than a doornail before he knew it! He could consider using the Heavens Path zhenqi to poison the soldiers, but even if he depleted everyst drop of his zhenqi, it was unlikely that it would be sufficient to stop the army in its tracks. The lightning method did work earlier, but he did not have any seer artifacts to work with at the moment. Besides, he would require the soldiers to heed hismand first! Let me see if I can find their highestmander... If I can kill him and take control of the army, I might just be able to pull something off... To deal with an army, the most effective method was to first nab itsmander. He could not think of a feasible n that would allow him to incapacitate the entire army at once, so the best thing that he could do at the moment was im the initiative. If he could assume the highest role in the army, he would be in a better position to do something about the matter. Thus, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning his surroundings. It did not take long for a huge tent with a group of soldiers standing guard outside toe into his sight. Knowing that it was likely themanders tent, he began making his way over. While strutting over to the tent, he passed by a remote area. With a swift flick of his finger, he warped the space around him and disappeared from sight. After concealing himself, he began flitting toward the huge tent, and it did not take long before he was standing before it. Sha sha! After waiting outside for a while, a person dressed in a ck helmet and armor, presumably amander like Heng Jiang and Mou Wu, pried open the tent p and walked in. Zhang Xuan casually entered right behind him as well. There was a fire stove within the room that kept the tent slightly warm. Gazing across the tent, Zhang Xuan saw eighteen other Otherworldly Demons seated within. They were dressed in ck helmets and armor, which indicated that they weremanders as well. They are all Sempiternal realm cultivators? Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up in astonishment. To his astonishment, they were all Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm cultivators, wielding strengthparable to Mou Wu! This was especially so for the middle-aged man seated at the very center with a golden saber in his grip. Zhang Xuan could vaguely sense that his strength was on par with Yang shis! In an instant, Zhang Xuans body stiffened on the spot. He dared not even twitch for fear of catching their attention. It was fortunate that he did not barge in recklessly but followed behind anothermander. Otherwise, even with his spatial seal, his abrupt intrusion would likely have made the experts gathered here notice an anomaly. He had made huge advancements in his cultivation during this period of time, but he was not so naive as to think that he would be able to get away unscathed from the clutches of so many Sempiternal realm experts. Reporting to the High Commander, Bei Xin refuses toply with our demands! Themander who had just entered the room sped his fist and gave his report. He refuses toply? the middle-aged man seated at the center replied impassively. He said that their resources are limited too, so they cant afford to share anything with us. He suggests that we should just keep our inventories separate so as to avoid getting into meaningless squabbles over this matter! themander said. Meaningless squabbles? He sure has everything nned out well. He expects us to take the vanguard, but he isnt even willing to lend us a single set or armor... Its clear that he regards us as nothing more than stepping stones to achieve his aims! Sovereign Chen Xing has always been known to be a greedy person, but who could have thought that Bei Xin would be so cunning too? We have already agreed to coborate with one another on this attack, but he wants to get away with contributing nothing at all? Hes daydreaming! ... Upon hearing the words of the arrivingmander, a huge uproar broke out within the room. The middle-aged man raised his hand to gesture for the crowd to quiet down. Tell them that its fine if they dont want to contribute any resources. However, their side must send an army in as well, and well advance alongside them. Otherwise, theyll have to give us the Celestial Armors forged by Sovereign Chen Xing. I wont ask for too much, just one hundred sets. Otherwise, well just have to settle it with a fight! If he wins, Ill abide by his arrangements. But if I win, hell have to cut this nonsense and heed my words! Yes, High Commander! Themander quickly nodded and backed out of the room. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, but eventually, he chose to leave the room together with themander. Following behind thetter, he soon noticed another huge tent in the distance. From their conversation, it seems like even though the reserve army numbers up to a hulking hundred thousand, they are divided into two factions. One is sided toward Sovereign Chen Xing whereas the other is under Sovereign Chen Ling! Zhang Xuan swiftly sorted through the information that he had acquired so far. He had no idea whom the two Sovereigns were, but it was apparent that even though they had decided to work with one another, there was still some strife between the two factions. The more friction there is between them, the better. If I could just spark the friction into raging mes and make them fall out with one another, I might just be able to resolve the crisis, Zhang Xuan thought with brightly lit eyes. If the hundred thousand soldiers united together as one, there would really be nothing that he could do. He would just have to swiftly return to the Subterranean Gallery and inform the Master Teacher Pavilion and the various major powers of the matter through his Communication Jade Token so that they could make preparations in advance. However, since there was some disharmony between the two factions... it seemed like this was an opportunity that he could exploit! Thus, Zhang Xuan swiftly altered his appearance before tearing away the spatial barrier around him, revealing himself. Cough! Zhang Xuan intentionally released a cough to catch themanders attention. Who is it? Themander was in the midst of heading over to the opposite tent when he heard the cough. He quickly turned around, and upon seeing the person standing before him, he jolted in shock. He bowed in a fluster and greeted him. High Commander! D-do you... have any other orders for me? The person whom Zhang Xuan was impersonating was the middle-aged man seated in the center of the room earlier, the High Commander! Chapter 1684 - Sowing Discord

Chapter 1684: Sowing Discord

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Imitating the High Commanders voice and enunciation, Zhang Xuan looked at themander and said, Theres something that I want you to ry to Bei Xin for me! High Commander, feel free to ry your orders! Come closer. This matter mustnt be made known to anyone else... Zhang Xuan said gravely. Yes, High Commander... Themander was perplexed as to why Zhang Xuan could not use zhenqi telepathy to talk to him discreetly, but he still chose to lean his head closer in anyway. As a show of deference to the High Commander, he kept his head lowered respectfully. They were in the depths of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes main camp. The thought that anyone would be so audacious as to impersonate the High Commander was so ludicrous that it did not even cross his mind. Its like this... With a suppressed voice, Zhang Xuan began speaking. But on the third word, a cold sh of light sliced through the air. Themander instantaneously sensed danger, but before he could do anything, the world was already spinning around him. His head had been lopped off his neck. It was apletely unexpected strike, and the killing blow was made using the Half-Ancient Sage Infernal cksaber. Even though themander was at the Sempiternal realm, he still ended up falling victim to Zhang Xuan. Of course, part of the reason was that themander was only at Sempiternal realm primary stage. If he had been any more powerful, things would not have been so simple. Zhang Xuan swiftly threw themanders corpse into his storage ring and erased all traces of the assassination. Following which, he warped his muscles and bones to assume the appearance of the deadmander. The assassination had urred in the middle of the camp, where there were many Otherworldly Demon soldiers running about. However, as Zhang Xuan had made sure to seal the surrounding space before making a move, the act did not catch anyones attention. After putting on themanders armor and helmet, he began striding over to the huge tent before him. Just as he reached the entrance, two guards raised their spears and blocked his passageway. Audacious! I havee here in representation of our High Commander! Go and report my arrival! Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and spoke authoritatively. One of the guards hesitated for a moment before turning around to enter the tent. A momentter, he beckoned with his hand. Please enter! With a haughty harrumph, Zhang Xuan strutted into the tent. Simr to the tent that he was in before, there were over a dozen Sempiternal realm cultivators sitting all around. The Otherworldly Demon sitting at the center had an aura that did not pale inparison to the High Commander in the other tent. Most likely, he was the High Commander of Sovereign Chen Xings faction, Bei Xin. Noticing Zhang Xuans arrival, Bei Xin shot a nce over and asked coldly, Has Wu Shu agreed to my terms? Our High Commander has agreed to the terms. However, there are several details that he hopes to discuss with you! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. A wise decision from your High Commander! It seems like Wu Shu isnt as obstinate as the others make him out to be! Bei Xin did not think that the other party had eded to his demands, and he burst into heartyughter. Where does he want to discuss the matter? As this matter concerns the alliance of both of our factions, theres a need to take things carefully. Thus, he suggests the meeting to be at the narrow valley in between the two tents. If you dont have any objections to the matter, please head there an hour from now. Our High Commander will be waiting for you there! Zhang Xuan reported. While he was making his way over earlier, he had noticed that there was a narrow valley around. Alright. Tell Wu Shu that Ill be there! Bei Xin nodded. Farewell! Zhang Xuan lowered his head and backed out of the room. As soon as Zhang Xuan left, themanders in the tent anxiously got to their feet and sped their fists. High Commander, Wu Shu is known to be a scheming fellow. I fear that he might be up to no good! Indeed. I find it hard to believe that he would ept our terms. Most likely, hes intending to ambush us to force us toply with their terms! Themanders eximed worriedly. If they think that such trivial schemes will work against me, they are too naive! Besides, this is the will of the two Sovereigns, and all of you will be in the vicinity too. He wont do anything that wouldpromise the sess of the alliance! Bei Xin harrumphed coldly. He whipped out a spear and brandished it forcefully, tearing open a dimension rift in its trajectory. However, we should still be prepared in case they attempt to pull anything funny. Later on, I want you all to scout the area around the valley. If you notice any anomalies, report them to me immediately! Bei Xin said. Yes, High Commander! the crowd replied resoundingly. ... After leaving Bei Xins tent, Zhang Xuan returned in the direction that he hade from, and it did not take long for him to arrive at the other huge tent. Reporting to the High Commander, I have just ryed your words to Bei Xin, but he... With an awkward look on his face, Zhang Xuan lowered his gaze with a conflicted look on his face, seemingly unsure whether he should continue or not. Speak! High Commander Wu Shu ordered. He said that... you arent worthy of being his opponent at all. If you dare challenge him to a duel, hell have you pummeled till you are on your knees, begging for mercy! Zhang Xuan lowered his head fearfully as he spoke with a quivering tone. He thinks that Ill beg him for mercy? That arrogant b*stard! Very well, lets see how powerful he is to dare utter such words! Hu! Wu Shu mmed his fist on the table and rose to his feet. As if a manifestation of his rage, a devastating hurricane seemed to be brewing around him. An inferno of fury could be seen burning in the depths of his eyes. He says that if you have guts, he will face you in the narrow valley in between the two tents an hour from now... Zhang Xuan continued speaking fearfully. Hah! It seems like theres no end to Bei Xins arrogance. Lets see if he has the strength to back up his words then! Wu Shu flicked the golden saber in his grasp, and a choking sound echoed from the surrounding air. Amander in the tent stood up and eximed, High Commander! I fear that Bei Xin might have some ploy in mind to utter such arrogant words! I concur, High Commander. I think that theres a good chance that its a trap! Anothermander stood up and remarked in agitation. Un. I have challenged that fellow to a fight before, but he ended up backing down at thest moment. Its unlikely that he has the guts to challenge me to a proper duel. Most likely, hes up to something. He Mu and Gui Li, I want the two of you to keep a close watch over the valley. If you notice anything, report it to me right away! Wu Shumanded. Yes! Yes! Twomanders stood up and left the tent. I am familiar with the area around the valley. Allow me to apany them for the scouting mission! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Go on! Wu Shu waved his hand. Zhang Xuan quickly turned around, left the tent, and shouted to the twomanders who had just left, Wait for me. I am familiar with the terrain around the valley, so allow me to bring you over! The twomanders nodded. The three of them swiftly concealed their auras and headed forward. It did not take them long to arrive at a valley. I think it would be best for us to split up and cover an area each. This way, well be able to cover each others blind spots and rm one another as soon as something happens! Zhang Xuan suggested. Feeling that what Zhang Xuan said made sense, they swiftly scattered to find a hiding spot each. However, before they could even find a ce to conceal themselves, their bodies suddenly jolted before slumping lifelessly to the ground. One had the Dragonbone Divine Spear pierced through his heart while the head of the other had been severed by the Infernal cksaber. After ying the duo, Zhang Xuan swiftly took their corpses and cleaned up the area. After which, he morphed into Bei Xins appearance and dashed right toward High Commander Wu Shus tent. Before arriving in the tent, he suddenly beganughing maniacally. Wu Shu, just say if you are afraid to face me. Dont you think its cowardly of you to nt your men in the area to assault me? H! After saying those words, he tossed the three corpses toward the tent before turning around and fleeing as fast as he could. By the time Wu Shu rushed out of the tent, Zhang Xuan had already fled to a remote corner and hidden within a spatial barrier. Wu Shu looked at the three corpses dumped before his tentthey were Su Mu, Gui Li, and Li Jia, the threemanders whom he had just dispatched to scout the valley. Immediately realizing what had happened, he nearly exploded on the spot. They had already formed an alliance with one another, but Bei Xin still dared to kill his subordinate so tantly. This was intolerable! Bei Xin! If I dont kill you, I shant be known as Wu Shu! With a furious roar, Wu Shu dashed right for Bei Xins tent. At the same time, themanders behind him were also burning with rage after witnessing the deaths of theirrades. They quickly followed behind Wu Shu. In the opposite tent, Bei Xin and hismanders were still trying to figure out the motive behind Wu Shus offer to talk when a heavy pressure suddenly descended upon them from above. Following which, an overwhelming saber qi sliced through the air and split the tent in two. Hu hu hu! Bei Xin swiftly flew into the air to get a closer look at the assant when he saw Wu Shu with his golden saber. His eyebrows shot up, and he roared furiously, Wu Shu, have you gone mad? What are you trying to pull here? Did the other party not agree to his terms? Why would the other party suddenly rush over with a look that seemed as if he was going to murder someone? Stop putting on an act! You sure are formidable, arent you? Why dont you prove your worth to me once and for all? Wu Shu could not even be bothered to waste his time with words anymore. He raised his golden saber and sent another barrage of saber qi toward Bei Xin. Chapter 1685 - Complete Chaos!

Chapter 1685: Complete Chaos!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Si! The barrage of saber qi ravaged the surroundings, tearing open countless dimension rifts in the area. An astonishing concentration of killing intent gathered in the area, corroding the souls of those present. You are seeking death! Seeing how Wu Shu was aiming to im his life without any hesitation as if a madman, Bei Xins eyebrows twitched in anger. He flicked his spear upward to fend against Wu Shus attack. Ding ding ding! As the two weapons collided with one another, a brilliant sh of light erupted in the sky. The two of them were Sempiternal realm consummation experts, invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage. As they crossed blows with one another, the shockwaves of their attacks tore apart the heavens and the earth. Even the light of the crimson moon was overshadowed by their might. Is that fellow insane? The more he fought, the more stifled Bei Xin became. It was just a moment ago that the other party had dispatched an envoy to agree to his demands and request further negotiations. He had already prepared what to say during the negotiation, but who could have thought that before an hour was up, the other party would suddenly charge over and put his life on the line against him? What in the world was he up to? Did he eat gunpowder or something? Wu Shu, can I view your actions to be a desire for the dissolution of our alliance? You should know that if this alliance breaks down, I have no qualms with reporting you to Sovereign Chen Ling! Bei Xin bellowed coldly. You wish to report me to Sovereign Chen Ling? Do it then! If you have the guts to kill my subordinates tantly, what else do I have to lose? Wu Shu bellowed furiously as he brandished his saber furiously toward the other party. I killed your subordinates? What the hell are you saying? Bei Xin roared back. Dont malign me for something I didnt do! Su Mu, Gui Li, and Li Jia... The three of them would be able to equal even a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator in battle! Who else could be the culprit if you not? Wu Shu spat through gritted teeth. Even though his three subordinates were only at Sempiternal realm primary stage, their fighting prowess was still rtively formidable. Other than Bei Xin, there was no one else in the entire camp who had the ability to kill them so discreetly! Moreover... that fellow had even dumped the corpses at the entrance of his tent, and there were many eye-witnesses who could bear testimony to that! You are saying that I killed Su Mu, Gui Li, and Li Jia? Seeing the fury in Wu Shus eyes, Bei Xin was startled. A contemtive frown surfaced on his forehead as he opened his mouth to exin himself. However, before he could say a word, a fiery inferno suddenly rose from his tent. Someone had set fire to his tent! Following which, a voice sounded from the crowd. Sovereign Chen Ling never intended to work together with us. They have nted their men around the valley in order to ambush us! Look, even High Commander Wu Mu has brought his men here to wreak havoc... That voice sounded extremely clearly within the silent camp. It was as if a boulder had been tossed into calm waters. The next moment, a huge uproar broke out. Many soldiers had witnessed the furious fight between Wu Shu and Bei Xin in the air, and every single move that they made was deadly, seeking to im the others life. They were still wondering what was going on when they heard those words, and realization dawned upon them. Rage swiftly crashed down upon them. ughter those traitors! They are just looking for an excuse to attack our men! Those shameless scoundrels! Brothers, charge! We are the proud soldiers of Sovereign Chen Xing. We mustnt allow others to underestimate us! I have long thought that they were an eyesore. Lets kill them all! ... Such battle cries could be heard all around. It was as if someone had set their fighting spirits alight. However, as well-trained elites, as furious as they were, they did not make a move. It was insubordination to engage in battle without themand of a superior. At this moment, an Otherworldly Demon dressed in ck helmet and armor flew in the air and roared, What are you waiting for? Those scoundrels have already climbed over our heads! Get back at them! It was a directmand from one of theirmanders. With this, the veryst hurdle holding them back was torn down. Thus, they began charging toward the other faction with furious war cries. ... Wu Shu and Bei Xin, who were fighting in the air a moment ago, fell into a daze. They did not expect such a situation to happen at all. Something is wrong... Wu Shus eyebrows shot up. As furious as he was, as someone who had risen to the position of High Commander, he was not a reckless individual. The earlier shouting hade at too coincidental a moment. It effectively ignited the emotions of all soldiers. It was hard to believe that such a matter was not pre-nned. Quickly turning to his subordinate, Wu Shumanded, He Lin, Chun Mu, and Bei Ye, try and calm down the situation below. We cant afford to have infighting happening at such a moment! They had allied with one another not too long ago, and they had not even fought the Master Teacher Pavilion yet! If they started fighting right from the start, he would not be able to exin matters to Sovereign Chen Ling! As the leader of an entire army, he could not allow himself to be controlled by his emotions. Yes! The group of three quickly descended among the crowd to stop them. However, not too longter, themander named He Lin returned and eximed, High Commander, bad news! Their men began to attack our men without giving us a chance to exin ourselves. Chun Mu and Bai Ye attempted to reason to them to stop the attack, but they ended up being killed too! As he said those words, He Lin flicked his wrist, and a couple of corpses appeared by his side. Looking at the corpses, Wu Shus eyes turned so red that it seemed as if blood would drop from them. Bei Xin, I have tolerated you again and again, but you are really testing the limits of my patience... Seeing how five of hismanders had been killed one after another, Wu Shu could not hold back his rage any longer. He brandished his saber and shed it down upon Bei Xin. Brother Wu Shu, this matter isnt as simple as it seems! My men would never dare make a move on yourmanders... Bei Xin hurriedly tried to exin himself. But before he could finish speaking, another Otherworldly Demon dressed in a ck helmet and armor rushed up to Bei Xin and reported, High Commander, bad news! Six of ourmanders have just been assassinated! Following which, the Otherworldly Demon flicked his hand, and six corpses materialized on the ground. Facing such a situation, Bei Xin slowly turned his head over and spat through gritted teeth, Wu Shu, what did you just say? Well killed! Wu Shu roared heartily. He had thought that his faction had been taken advantage of all this while, but his subordinates were proving to be no pushovers either. They had already in six of Bei Xinsmanders! It seems like you are for real this time. Since thats the case, Ill give you what we want! Hearing Wu Shus words, Bei Xin could not hold himself back anymore. He raised his spear and thrust it forward. Hu! His spear qi gushed forth with ferocious might. From the tremendous prowess of his spear, it was apparent that he had alreadyprehended a kind of Spear Quintessence. Wu Shu did not pale inparison either. From the sheer might of his saber qi, it was also very clear that he had grasped a type of Saber Quintessence. In the blink of an eye, the two of them were already locked in an intense fight. Let utter chaos descend here! Amid the crowd, the lips of an Otherworldly Demon crept up as he watched the upheaval before him. He was Zhang Xuan. He was themanders who had reported to Wu Shu and Bei Xin. If thosemanders were to group together with one another, he would have had difficulty trying to assassinate them. However, when they split up from one another, it became much easier for him to kill them, especially since he was able to disguise himself and catch them off guard. In just ten minutes, he had already in more than tenmanders. Through these corpses and his ability to disguise himself impably, even figures as intelligent as Wu Shu and Bei Xin ended up losing themselves to their emotions and were unconsciously being dragged into his scheme. They never could have thought that someone was able to disguise himself impably as their subordinates. Commander Mo Qin, what are you doing here? They have already started fighting over there... While Zhang Xuan was still watching themotion, an Otherworldly Demon wearing a ck helmet and armor came over and raised his saber. Kacha! The next instant, the head of the Otherworldly Demon fell to the ground. After beheading the other party, Zhang Xuan swiftly altered his appearance to the oppositemander and eximed. Commander Ji Mo has been killed. Everyone, you must exact vengeance for him! His voice sounded clearly even among all of the ruckus. Since it was already an upheaval, there was no harm stoking the mes of madness further! Chapter 1686 - Killing the High Commander

Chapter 1686: Killing the High Commander

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan flitted around the battlefield with his clone, the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Infernal cksaber, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear. They would usually hide themselves amid the crowd, and as soon as an opportunity to strike surfaced, they would swiftly make their move. In less than ten minutes, the number of Otherworldly Demons above Saint 9-dan who had fallen to him already numbered several hundred. All of themanders are already dead... Zhang Xuan swiftlybed the battlefield and found that all of the ck armoredmanders and generals had been killed, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Having cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and sessfully achieved a breakthrough using Kong shis superior breakthrough method, his zhenqi could be said to be boundless. Furthermore, the incredible chaos happening around him served as the perfect cover to conceal his tracks. With his disguise ability, no one was able to see through him at all. Basically, the fate of any Otherworldly Demon whom he set his eyes upon would immediately be sealed. In fact, he had singlehandedly killed more than two-thirds of themanders and generals! Now, this is what I call utter chaos! Without anymanders and generals to control the crowd, the order that was still barely maintained among the soldiers fell throughpletely. On a battlefield of a hundred thousand soldiers, at least a couple of Otherworldly Demon died every single second. Even by conservative estimates, at least twenty thousand Otherworldly Demons had already died amid the chaos. Now, the key lies in the two High Commanders above. As long as they survive, its only a matter of time before they recover from their irrationality and exert control over their soldiers, thus calming the situation down... Zhang Xuan thought as he turned his gaze toward the sky. At this moment, Wu Shu and Bei Xin were still locked in an intense fight with one another. Their attacks bore a striking resemnce with one another, and it seemed like they were familiar with each others moves as well. Thus, while they had sustained some injuries in their prolonged fight, there was still no decisive oue to their battle. As long as these two men remained standing, they would be able to swiftly bring order back to the army. As High Commanders, they were definitely no fools. It was true that they had let anger get the better of them for a moment, but they would surely calm down after fighting for a moment and notice that something was amiss. This would be especially so after they realized that all of theirmanders and generals had been assassinated. No matter how foolish they could be, it would be obvious that they had fallen into someone elses trap. I need to kill at least one of them before theye back to their senses... A sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as he racked his brain for a solution. At this moment, however, Wu Shu deflected Bei Xins spear with a powerful brandish of his saber before retreating a few steps. Following which, he dered in a cold voice, Bei Xin, we wont be able to determine a victor today. Lets just leave it like this for the time being. However, let it be known that I wont let this matter slide! Rest assured that Ill never forget this matter either, Bei Xin spat coldly. As they possessed near equal fighting prowess with one another, they did not have the spare attention to keep track of their surroundings. They knew that chaos had broken out amid the army, but they thought that theirmanders and generals would be able to keep the situation under control and limit the casualties. They could not have imagined that so many soldiers would have died within such a short span of time. If they knew, they would have spurted blood on the spot. Before Bei Xin could finish his words, he saw one of his subordinates thrusting his spear right for Wu Shu. We cant let this matter slide like this, High Commander. We should kill him right now. How else can we face the brothers whom his subordinates have ughtered in cold blood? Recognizing the person assailing Wu Shu as one of his subordinates, a Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivator, Bei Xin roared furiously. Hua Muzhe, what the hell are you doing? Stand down! The gap between Hua Muzhe and Wu Shu was too great! Such an action was tantamount to suicide! Pardon me for disobeying yourmands, but he killed too many of our brothers. Even if I lose my life today, I cant let the deaths of our brothers go to waste! Hua Muzhe bellowed with a hint of madness in his voice as he drove his spear forward furiously. Facing Hua Muzhes attacks, Wu Shu was on the verge of going insane. The other party spoke of dying at his hands, but the truth was that he was the one having difficulties coping with the other partys offense! He had heard of Hua Muzhes name before, and he was known to be a rather averagemander in Bei Xins faction. When did the other party grow so formidable to be able to pose a threat to him? Huhuhu! Hua Muzhes spear grew faster and faster, forcing Wu Shu to retreat in a fluster. At the same time, he bellowed to Bei Xin behind him, High Commander, lets kill him together! This... At this moment, Bei Xin hesitated. It was true that he was infuriated after seeing his subordinates dying right before his eyes, but he had never truly intended to im Wu Shus life. Wu Shu was Sovereign Chen Lings subordinate, and if he died there, the alliance would surely fall through. Hua Muzhe, I understand your feelings, but I need you to stand down right now. Well talk about killing Wu Shuter on... Bei Xin attempted to diffuse the situation. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw Hua Muzhes figure elerating abruptly. With a speed almost on the level of teleportation, he charged right up to Wu Shu. At the same time, the space around Wu Shu suddenly froze, rendering thetter in capable of moving. Bei Xin immediately realized that something was amiss, and he eximed in horror, You... You arent Hua Muzhe! Boom! Along with the horrified exmation, Bei Xin immediately dashed forward with his spear and deflected Hua Muzhes spear with a powerful pierce. Peng! As the two spears collided with one another, a huge shock rippled into the surroundings. Hua Muzhes spear swiftly disintegrated into dust. Deng deng deng deng! At the same time, Wu Shu managed to break out of his sealed space, and he hurriedly retreated multiple steps. Cold sweat poured down from his forehead. If not for Bei Xins timely assistance, Hua Muzhes spear would have pierced right through his throat, bringing him instant death. Who in the world are you? Are you the one who killed ourmanders earlier too? After knocking back Hua Muzhe, Bei Xin pointed his spear menacingly at his subordinate as he questioned him with a wintry tone. He knew full well how powerful the real Hua Muzhe was, but the person before him was actually able to execute three different Quintessences simultaneously. This was a feat that even he, a High Commander, was incapable of! He would have to be a real fool not to know that Hua Muzhe had been reced at this point in time! At the same time, all of the suspicions that had drifted through his mind earlier swiftly clicked together, forming a nearlyplete picture in his mind. Who would have thought that both he and Wu Shu, two of the strongest High Commanders of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, had actually been yed like fools? Hahaha! I guess I have been exposed... Yes, you are right. I was the one who killed your subordinates! Seeing that his identity had beenpromised, Hua Muzhe burst intoughter before transforming into the appearance of a young man. He was none other than Zhang Xuan. He had been thinking that as long as he could kill one of the High Commanders, everything else would be simple. Who would have thought that he would end up giving himself away instead? In truth, if he had used the Dragonbone Divine Spear earlier, even if Bei Xin had noticed that he was an impersonator, it would have been toote. However, in order not to expose his own identity, he had no choice but to use Hua Muzhes weapon. Due to thecking resilience of the weapon, Bei Xin had been able to easily deflect his attack, thus saving Wu Shus life. Die! Realizing that he had been yed for a fool, Bei Xin flew into a rage and thrust his spear furiously toward Zhang Xuan. You b*stard! Wu Shu also swiftly realized what was going on, and he could not ept the fact that he had been toyed with. Recalling the demise of his subordinates, he furiously hacked his saber down upon Zhang Xuan as well. Tzzzzz! Even though Bei Xin and Wu Shu had never practiced their coordination before, they were well-versed in the coboration formations of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Their spear and saber moved together with impable timing to corner Zhang Xuan, forcing the young man to retreat time and time again. Zhang Xuan swiftly whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear to retaliate. While the two High Commanders had sustained some damage and had exhausted themselves considerably in the previous battle, they were still Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators. Having to face two of such experts simultaneously, Zhang Xuan swiftly found himself being overwhelmed under their offense. With the pressure on him weighing greater and greater, Zhang Xuan thought bitterly, It seems like I have underestimated them... He had thought that the crisis could be resolved with him ying one of the High Commanders, but the situation was starting to turn against him. At this rate, the soldiers would also swiftly notice that something was amiss and halt their attacks. That would render his n to eradicate this threat once and for all futile. After retreating another eight steps, Zhang Xuan was still trying to figure out a way to turn the tables around when Wu Shu and Bei Xins heads suddenly exploded with a burst of blood. As their blood descended to the ground, a figure appeared before him. I told you that we should have just killed them with a punch instead of going through so much trouble, but you just wouldnt listen! Zhang Xuans clone remarked disdainfully as he ced his hands behind his back. Chapter 1687 - Complete Victory

Chapter 1687: Complete Victory

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With a sweep of his hand, Zhang Xuan swiftly stowed the two plummeting corpses into his storage ring. When he revealed his true identity earlier, he had made sure to seal the space beneath him so as to not catch the attention of the soldiers below. Otherwise, if they had realized that someone was making a move on their High Commanders, he would have been knocked out of the sky before he could do anything at all. Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned the area beneath him, and after confirming that he had not given himself away yet, he heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he turned his sights to his clone, and his lips twitched a little. He had known that there was a chance that his n to assassinate Wu Shu could fall through, and it would be difficult for him to deal with the two High Commanders simultaneously. Thus, he had made his clone lie in wait within a sealed space, prepared to ambush the two High Commanders should his initial n fall through. Fortunately, while his initial n did not go as smoothly as he had thought it would, his backup n worked without a hitch. But still... No matter what, Wu Shu and Bei Xin were still Great Sage 4-dan consummation experts. He had thought that even if his clone caught them off guard, he would only be able to distract them momentarily and keep them tied down. Yet, who would have thought that his clone would actually be able to burst their heads with two punches? Could it be that... this fellows strength had grown even stronger than before? Zhang Xuan had thought that he would be able to teach his clone a lesson after his recent breakthrough, but it seemed like he was thinking too much. If he tried it, he would surely end up with a bruised face once more. You should go down and find an opportune moment to make an appearanceter on! Knowing that he would surely be traumatized if he spoke to his clone for too long, Zhang Xuan issued an instruction as he descended to the battlefield beneath. By the time he appeared before the sights of the Otherworldly Demon soldiers below, he had already morphed himself to assume Wu Shus appearance. I have already in Bei Xin! Soldiers of Sovereign Chen Ling, hear my words! Charge and ughter those traitors! Even amid the deafening metallic reverberations and war cries on the battlefield, those words resounded in the ears of every soldier present loud and clear. Kill those b*stards! Let them know our prowess! Hearing themands from their own High Commander, the morale of the soldiers from Sovereign Chen Lings faction rose to a new high. On the other hand, the soldiers from Sovereign Chen Xings faction plummeted to rock bottom. The two factions had initially been equally matched with one another, but it did not take long for the scales to lose bnce. As the casualties on Sovereign Chen Xings faction started to pile up, the soldiers were starting to show signs of flight. However, just when the forces on Sovereign Chen Xings faction were about to fall through, a bloodied figure suddenly descended from the sky and punched Wu Shu into the ground. Hahaha, how could I, Bei Xin, fall so easily? I only feigned death in order to deceive this fool. Brothers, now that I have killed Wu Shu, its time for us to make aeback! We are from Sovereign Chen Xings faction, we cant possibly fall to these weaklings! the bloodied figure dered passionately. Those words injected fighting will into the subdued soldiers of Sovereign Chen Xings faction, driving them to straighten their slumped backs, raise their arms, and roar ferociously once more. Since our High Commander is still with us, how can we possibly let him down? We have to kill them and let them know that we are no pushovers! As the morale of Sovereign Chen Xings faction was pushed to a new high, miserable cries rang out from the soldiers of Sovereign Chen Lings faction. With their High Commander emerging victorious in the battle among the top echelon, they had thought that their victory was assured. Yet, who would have thought that Bei Xin would make such aeback! With the disappearance of their High Commander, their backbone, the soldiers swiftly flew into a fluster. It did not take long for the tables to turn. The momentum of Sovereign Chen Xings faction swiftly built up, and before long, the soldiers of Sovereign Chen Lings faction were starting to flee frightfully. However, right before theplete defeat of Sovereign Chen Lings faction, another figure emerged from the ground and knocked Bei Xin flying. Do you think that you are the only one who knows how to y dead? I, Wu Shu, can do the same! In the end, I am still the one who has thestugh! Soldiers, I have in Bei Xin. Raise your weapons and show the enemy the might of those who serve Sovereign Chen Ling! Hearing those words, the crowd turned their sights upward and saw that Wu Shu, who should have died earlier, was gazing down upon the battlefield with an imposing air. The soldiers from both factions were stunned. While we are pitting our lives on the line, our High Commanders are continuously feigning their deaths... Is this really fine? Why does it feel like they are treating this intense war as nothing more than a childs y? More importantly... Brother, can you at least give a clear signal as to who is alive and who is dead? Dont you know that you are making us really flustered like that? Seeing that the soldiers were stunned still, Wu Shu bellowed furiously from the sky, What are you waiting for? Bei Xin has already been killed by me! Hurry up and attack the enemies! Otherwise, Ill have you all executed under the crimes of war treason! Kill! Hearing that the High Commander had passed the order, the soldiers of Sovereign Chen Lings faction roared ferociously and charged over. It was yet another intense ughter, and just when victory was in sight... Hahaha! Wu Shu, you never would have thought that I was ying dead once more, right? You should feel proud that you have died under my de! Men, hear my instructions! We shallunch a counterattack and ensure than none of those dogs of Sovereign Chen Lings faction will return alive from here! Yet again, Bei Xins figure appeared from the horizon and smashed Wu Shu flying. The soldiers werepletely frenzied. Can one of you two High Commanders really just drop dead so that we can have some closure? To die ande back to life again and again... What are we supposed to make of this situation? Dont you know how exhausted you are making us? For the first time, all of the soldiers found themselves wishing that their High Commander would die for real instead of ying dead. It was like a roller coaster ride of highs and lows; their hearts really could not take such excitement! Alright, its about time... Disregarding the soldiers, who were already on the verge of mental breakdown, Zhang Xuan saw that less than ten thousand soldiers were left of the initial hundred thousand strong army, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Most of these ten thousand men were severely wounded. Judging from their states, they should not be able to form a coborative formation strong enough to pose a threat to him anymore. Nevertheless, there was no telling if the Otherworldly Demons still had some other trump cards in hand. Thus, he had the soldiers continue fighting with one another for roughly another hour. By the end of the hour, more than half of the ten thousand fortunate survivors had been wiped out, leaving less than five thousand remaining. At this moment, Zhang Xuan finally raised his hand, and his clone, the Golden Origin Cauldron, Infernal cksaber, and Dragonbone Divine Spear charged forth simultaneously. These soldiers were only around Saint 3-dan to Saint 4-dan, and most of them were severely wounded. How could they possibly withstand the onught of these expertsparable to Sempiternal realm cultivators? In less than ten minutes, they werepletely wiped out. Looking at the corpses sprawled all over the ground, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As the tension left his body, he felt a feeling of exhaustion consuming his body, and his head started to feel a little light. Throughout the battle, he had put his entire effort into disguising himself so as to ensure that his disguise would not be seen through, and this was rather taxing on him. At this point, his soul energy had nearly beenpletely depleted. It was fortunate that he had seeded in the very end. Otherwise, if anyone had noticed that it was a ploy on his part, even with just ten thousand Otherworldly Demon soldiers remaining, the tables could possibly have turned on him. The power that could be amassed by ten thousand Saint 3-dan cultivators should never be underestimated! Zhang Xuan entered the Myriad Anthive Nest, sat down in an empty clearing, and took out energy replenishing treasures. After absorbing furiously for an entire hour, he finally felt himself recovering a bit. Let me see how many treasures I have gathered this time around... It was a huge contribution for him to ughter the hundred thousand strong army of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, thus foiling their n to invade the Master Teacher Continent. However, what he was more concerned about at the moment was the spoils of war that he had earned from the battle. Putting aside the personal possessions of the hundred thousand strong army, just the wealth of the two High Commanders and dozens of Sempiternal realm cultivators had already far exceeded what the Zhang n and the Luo n had amassed over the past ten thousand years. This golden saber isparable to the Infernal cksaber... This spear here is likely a Half-Ancient Sage treasure too... Zhang Xuan analyzed as his eyes lit up in excitement. Wu Shus golden saber and Bei Xins saber were actuallyparable to Heng Jiangs Infernal cksaber. Of course, this was to be expected. Even though they had been done in by Zhang Xuan in the end, they were still the people in charge of the hundred thousand strong army. Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi and converted it to the Zhenqi of ughter. It did not take him long to win the acknowledgement of the two artifacts. Soulying cksaber, Cloudpiercing Spear... I have another two weapons in my possession! Lets see if I can find any suitable cultivation techniques for me. While there are no standard cultivation techniques beyond Great Sage, it would still be good for me to take a look at the cultivation techniques of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Perhaps, I might be able to gather some inspiration from their cultivation techniques! Zhang Xuan continued searching through the storage rings, but he was not able to find any better weapons. Thus, he decided to turn his attention to the other items in there. Chapter 1688 - Meridian Altering

Chapter 1688: Meridian Altering

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 At the moment, Zhang Xuans zhenqi cultivation had already reached Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm consummation. He had already browsed through the books filled with the insights of the predecessors regarding their breakthroughs in the Great Sage realm from the Zhang n and the Luo n. However, the path that each cultivator had to take would eventually diverge, so naturally, the method through which each of them achieved a breakthrough was different. He could use their insights as a reference to give him some direction, but he could not blindly copy from them. For this reason, even though he had already browsed through many books, he was still unable to find an appropriate method for him to further advance his cultivation. Having in dozens of Sempiternal realm experts, there was a sizeable collection of cultivation technique manuals and books detailing the insights that they had regarding their breakthrough. Even though their cultivation techniques and breakthrough methods were significantly different from those of humans, considering how a breakthrough to Great Sage had resulted in his meridianwork assuming a form simr to that of the Otherworldly Demons... Could their cultivation techniques be effective on him too? After all, Otherworldly Demons were a higher level of existence than humans. There could be some benefits to emting their cultivation techniques. Zhang Xuan took out all of the books in the storage rings, and all in all, they numbered several thousand. With a quick nce, he collected all of them into the Library of Heavens Path. Compile! He swiftly fused them together with the books that he had collected back the Jiang n, the Luo n, and so on. Weng! A brand-new book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. With a tap, the knowledge within the book flowed in Zhang Xuans mind, and he slowly closed his eyes. The method used by the Otherworldly Demons to achieve a breakthrough to Aureate Body realm was much moreplex than that of humans. It demanded the Otherworldly Demons to tap into the power of the crimson moon to augment their Zhenqi of ughter so as to temper their body. Essentially, it was not a method that humans could use at all. The cultivation technique that he hadpiled was not usable. In other words, his previous assumptions did not hold. Nevertheless, even though a Heavens Path Divine Art manual was not formed, it did give him some inspiration as to how he could further advance his cultivation. By purifying their bloodlines, those of the Beast Tribe are able to raise their cultivation further. After humans achieve a breakthrough to Great Sage, their meridians start to develop in a manner that bears some resemnce to that of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... In essence, advancing ones cultivation could be said to be raising ones level of existence! My body has already been tempered by the Empyrean Heavenly me, resulting in my body being far stronger than normal Aureate Body realm cultivators. So, the bottleneck is lies not in my physical body but my meridians. As long as I improve my meridians a little more, I should be able to achieve a breakthrough! Zhang Xuan mumbled as a glint shed across his eyes. With his body and Primordial Spirit tempered by the Empyrean Heavenly me, he was much more formidable than the ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivators. Since that was the case, there was unlikely to be much for him to improve in his physical body and Primordial Spirit anymore. In other words, as long as he improved his meridianwork and raised his level of existence, he should be able to easily advance his cultivation to higher realms! He did not need any cultivation techniques at all! Let me give it a try! Zhang Xuan thought as he sat down on the floor. Absorbing the spiritual energy from the cultivation resources he had collected, he circted his zhenqi throughout his body three times and raised his condition to the peak. Back then, in order to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians, he had derived a new and improved meridianwork. Swiftly going through the new meridianwork in his mind, he began to slowly reshape the meridians in his body ordingly. Meridians were the very foundations of a cultivator. He dared not alter those that were connected to his dantian and organs in case something went wrong, so he started out by altering those linked to his limbs. Even if ordinary cultivators knew that altering their meridians would allow them to advance their cultivation, they would still be unable to do it. This was because their meridians were a natural part of their body, and the process of altering them could easily lead to unexpectedplications. However, having cultivated Kong shis superior breakthrough method, Zhang Xuans body had been tempered by the Empyrean Heavenly me, thus raising the resilience of his body far beyond that of his peers. This allowed him to endure the strain of moving his meridians. Using the same method as before, he began moving his meridians slowly. ... After some time... Hong long! A burst of killing intent burst forth from the depths of his body, and in an instant, it seemed as if he had be an Otherworldly Demon himself. This phenomenon was simr to what happened when he reconstructed Zhao Yas meridians. He did not intentionally alter the attribute of thetters zhenqi. Instead, the emanation of the Otherworldly Demons killing intent seemed to be a natural process of evolution. At this moment, even if he did not rely on the disguise amulet, Wu Shu and the others would still have been unable to discern him apart from other Otherworldly Demons. It works... If onepared meridians to a watercourse, he would just be an ordinary stream at the moment. If he wanted to be a true raging river, the riverbed had to be deepened, the width of the water channel had to be widened, and the meanders along the watercourse had to be reduced. Only then would water be able to flow efficiently through the watercourse. The more Zhang Xuan altered his meridians, the greater the strength within his body became. His aura swiftly grew stronger and stronger. The Aureate Body realm seemed out of touch to him a moment ago, but right now, it was already somethingpletely within reach. It did not take long for him to finish altering the meridians in his limbs. After that was done, Zhang Xuan did not rush into the next step. Instead, he chose to take a rest so as to replenish his depleted zhenqi and condition his state back to the peak before continuing. At this moment, his meridians had be much wider, allowing zhenqi to flow unobstructed through them. If he attempted to channel his zhenqi with all his might, it would form a raging current reminiscent of the charge of thousands of cavalry troops. There were mainly minor meridians in the limbs, so it was much easier to alter them. However, the same could not be said for the meridians surrounding ones dantian and internal organs. They intersected one another with the utmostplexity, and the slightest mistake could cause a reversal in ones zhenqi, possibly resulting in paralysis or even ones cultivation going berserk. Not daring to rush into it, Zhang Xuan warily moved each meridian bit by bit with strict ordance to the steps. While he was attempting a breakthrough to the Aureate Body realm, back on the Master Teacher Continent, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters found itself with a group of guests. They were none other than Luo Ganzhen and Jiang Fangyou. Entering the main hall, they swiftly took their seats. Is the reason behind your arrival concerning the crisis in the Subterranean Galleries? Ren Qingyuan looked at his two guests and got straight to the point. Indeed. It seems like the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have noticed that something is amiss as well. Ren shi, I would like to request you to share the details of what you know with me so that we canpare the intelligence we have received! Jiang Fangyou sped his fist. Un! Ren Qingyuan nodded. Just a day ago, the Otherworldly Demons in our Master Teacher Pavilions Subterranean Gallery were still iparably ferocious, seeming as if they wouldnt rest until they breached our defenses. Yet, just this afternoon, most of their soldiers suddenly retreated, leaving behind only a small rearguard to defend the area. I thought that it was bait to draw our forces in, so we chose to stand our ground and bade our time. However, even after such a long time, there was still no movements from their side. When we dispatched our scouts to investigate the matter, we realized that most of them have retreated back behind the seal! Did the same situation happen in the Subterranean Galleries that you are standing guard over? Indeed! We encountered the same peculiarity in our respective Subterranean Galleries. The Otherworldly Demons on our side abruptly returned to the otherworldly battlefield as well. Im not too sure what they are up to at the moment, but I have a bad feeling about it! Luo Ganzhen said grimly. Brother Fangyou, if Im not mistaken, the reason you urgently gathered us is because you know something about this matter, right? The reason they had all gathered in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters at this crucial period of time was due to a request made by Jiang Fangyou. I do know something about this matter, and the reason I gathered all of you here so urgently is to discuss the matter! As he spoke, Jiang Fangyou took a sweeping nce at his surroundings. Only after seeing the multipleyers of seal ced over the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, which prevented crucial information from leaking out, did he heave a slight sigh of relief. Seeing how severe Jiang Fangyous attitude was, the faces of Ren shi and the others turned grim as well. I believe that the Master Teacher Pavilion is aware that ever since the fall of the Otherworldly Demon Emperor whose strength was so great that he could oppose even Kong shi directly, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has been under the control of three apex experts! Jiang Fangyou said. Un. They are Sovereign Chen Yong, Sovereign Chen Xing, and Sovereign Chen Ling, right? Sovereign Chen Yong takes on the leading role whereas Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling assume auxiliary roles... However, the three of them have never been on close terms, and they are extremely wary of one another. Its due to their disharmony with one another that they have never been able tounch a decisive assault on mankind, or else even the Master Teacher Pavilion would have been troubled fending them off! Ren shi nodded. This was extremely confidential intelligence, but there was no way that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters could have been oblivious to it. Indeed. Those three Sovereigns had been keeping each other in check all this while. However, earlier this afternoon, I received news that Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling have proimed an alliance with one another! Jiang Fangyous face darkened. Chapter 1689 - Ren Qingyuan and the Others Shock

Chapter 1689: Ren Qingyuan and the Others Shock

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Alliance? Ren Qingyuan was rmed by the news. Based on what Ive heard, it seems like the two Sovereigns have amassed a hundred-thousand-man-strong army. If they follow through with the alliance, its likely that we might face a major invasion soon... If the intelligence I have received is true, the location will be the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters Subterranean Gallery! Jiang Fangyou said grimly. Most of the Sempiternal realm grand elders of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have already gone to the Temple of Confucius, and our master teachers are spread across the many Subterranean Galleries throughout the Master Teacher Continent. Even if we attempt to gather them now, they wont be able to make it back here in time. We could use Teleportation Formations to get some of them over, but most of them are too weak to withstand the spatial turbulence! Ren Qingyuan said with a deep frown. If Jiang Fangyous intelligence was true, mankind was truly in huge danger this time around. Even he was unable to think of a feasible solution to resolve this issue at the moment. I know that this matter concerns the survival of mankind, so Brother Luo and I have brought the elites of the Jiang n and the Luo n over so as to aid the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters in the defense of its Subterranean Gallery! Jiang Fangyou said. Allow me thank you on behalf of mankind, Brother Jiang. Given that a full-blown invasion by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe lies just ahead of us, we have no time to lose. Lets head down to the Subterranean Gallery right away and discuss our battle ns on the way there. I fear that they will begin on their assault before we manage to get anything concrete out... Without any hesitation, Ren Qingyuan and the others quickly made their way over to the Subterranean Gallery beneath the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Just like the Zhang ns Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery, there was a massive fortress behind the spatial seal to serve as thest line of defense against the Otherworldly Demons. Unless the Otherworldly Demons breached the fortress, they would never be able to step foot on the Master Teacher Continent. What is the situation on the other side? Ren Qingyuan quicklynded on the sentry post and questioned the 9-star master teacher standing guard there. There have been no movements from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe since a while ago. We have just received word from our scouts that their soldiers have retreated through the spatial seal, seemingly nning something. As the killing intent lingering in the otherworldly battlefield affects ones rationality, they didnt dare advance too deep. As such, they arent certain about the exact situation either! the 9-star master teacher reported. I see! Ren Qingyuan nodded. A crimson moon loomed over the otherworldly battlefield where the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe resided, causing concentrated killing intent to linger in the area. If normal master teachers entered the otherworldly battlefield recklessly, it would not be too long before their rationality was corroded by the killing intent, turning them into machines who knew nothing more than ughter. It was for this reason that mankind had chosen to maintain a defensive stance against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe over the past tens of thousands of years. It was not because they did not want to eradicate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once and for all, but they were not able to do so. Otherwise, given the countless experts within the ranks of the Master Teacher Pavilion over the past tens of thousands of years, there was no reason for them to give the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe a breather and allow them to recover from the severe blow that they had suffered during Kong shis era. Jiang Fangyou pondered for a moment before saying, It isnt a solution to continue waiting here blindly either. Ill head over there to check on the situation personally. We need more intelligence to prepare for what is toe. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe usually neglect to guard their borders of the spatial seal, so I should be able to sneak in without rming them. Brother Jiang, allow me to go with you. Luo Ganzhen stepped forward. I have recently made some advancements in myprehension of space. As long as the opponents cultivation isnt above mine, I will be able to conceal us easily from the gazes of any Otherworldly Demon! This... Ren Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before turning around to the 9-star master teacher to instruct, Organize our forces and have them prepare themselves for battle at any moment. Ill head over to the otherworldly battlefield to check on the situation with Brother Jiang and Brother Luo. Since the scouts were unable to advance too deeply into the otherworldly battlefield, the information that they could acquire was limited. It would be better for him to make a move personally. Deputy pavilion master! You mustnt! Its too dangerous! Many 9-star master teachers attempted to dissuade Ren Qingyuan from making this move. Dont worry, Im only going there to do some scouting. With Brother Luo and Brother Jiang around, we wont face too much trouble! Ren Qingyuan interrupted the crowd to appease them. Seeing that Ren Qingyuan was determined, the crowd knew that it would be futile to attempt to change his mind. They could only sigh deeply and fall silent. As this matter was of the utmost urgency, the trio quickly hid their figures and advanced forward. It did not take them too long to arrive before the spatial seal. Just as the 9-star master teacher earlier had said, the Otherworldly Demons did not put up too much defense. The soldiers left behind to guard the area were not very strong; the group of three was able to bypass them with ease. As soon as they entered the otherworldly battlefield, they felt an intense wave of killing intent gushing toward them. Even with their level of cultivation, they were still unable to prevent such overwhelming killing intent from seeping into their body. Thus, they could only hasten their movements. I feel great disturbances in the flow of spiritual energy over there. Lets head that way to take a look! After flying briefly, the group of three felt something that could be described as a raging storm of spiritual energying from a certain direction. They traded gazes with one another and swiftly proceeded over. Before arriving in the area, they made sure to conceal their figures entirely and proceed with full wariness. They feared that the slightest ripple that they made in their surroundings would betray their presence to the enemy. It was not easy for them to arrive in the vicinity of the disturbances. Standing at the peak of a mountain, Ren Qingyuan nced down at the valley before him, and his figure jolted in astonishment. Seeing Ren Qingyuans state, Jiang Fangyou frowned in bewilderment. Whats wrong? Take a look at it yourself! Ren Qingyuan remarked with trembling lips. Luo Ganzhen and Jiang Fangyou were perplexed. They quickly nced downward as well, and in the blink of an eye, their eyes were bulging, and their mouths were agape. These Otherworldly Demons... are all dead? The valley before them was filled with countless Otherworldly Demon corpses. They piled up on one another like many mini hills in the midst of the valley, forming a rather gruesome sight. This could probably only be described as a sea of corpses. They had been worried about an invasion by the Otherworldly Demons and were frantically preparing in ce many countermeasures to deal with them... Yet, before these Otherworldly Demons had even gotten beyond the spatial seal, they had already beenpletely wiped out. What in the world was happening? Lets head over to take a look! Since the Otherworldly Demons were already dead, there was nothing for them to fear. Thus, they hurriedly made their ways over. They quickly flew into the valley and swept across the corpses. Analyzing the traces around them, Jiang Fangyou remarked in astonishment, This should be the encampment for the allied soldiers of Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling. From the looks of it... it seems like they died from fighting one another! The soul oracles hidden amid the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had secretly sent a message to inform him of the alliance between the two Sovereigns. There was no doubt that such an alliance posed a major threat to mankind, so it was of the utmost importance for mankind to make preparations beforehand. After learning of this news, Jiang Fangyou had been gued with worry. He had trembled just thinking of what would be of mankind if they failed to fend off the Otherworldly Demons. But before the enemy even appeared, they had already all been killed. The hell! What the heck is going on here? Can anyone exin the situation to me? Could it be that the two Sovereigns had a falling out over the alliance and came to a fight as a result, thus causing the entire allied army to be wiped out? Luo Ganzhen asked. It was an extremely ludicrous reason, but he could not think of any alternative ways to exin this matter. Even if the two Sovereigns turned against one another, causing a battle to break out between the two factions, its impossible for the entire army to be wiped out like that... Someone must have gone around killing all of the survivors. Furthermore, dont you think that theres a striking simrity among how they died? The thousand Otherworldly Demons over here have all been crushed t by some immense force, the thousand Otherworldly Demons over there had their hearts impaled, and the thousand Otherworldly Demons there had their heads lopped off... Ren Qingyuan shook his head and rejected Luo Ganzhens hypothesis. As a 9-star master teacher, he was extremely sharp in his observation and analysis. From the traces left behind, he could tell that not a single Otherworldly Demon of the army of a hundred thousand had escaped alive from this battle. If the factions of the two Sovereigns were equally matched, it was possible for the war to end with many deaths. However, without the involvement of any external powers, it was impossible for all of them to die off so cleanly. Pavilion Master Ren is right. Not only so, the equipment and resources of the Otherworldly Demons have also vanished without a trace. I cant see a single storage ring around... Without a doubt, someone must have plundered them! Jiang Fangyou added. Hearing those words, Luo Ganzhen swiftly swept his gaze over the countless Otherworldly Demons around, only to see their empty fingers. There really was not a single storage ring to be seen. Furthermore, even though most of the tents had been burned down to cinders, there were no military supplies to be seen. How could such arge army have no military supplies at all? There was only a single exnation for such a sight?a third party had been there. Chances were that this massacre had been orchestrated by the third party. However... Who in the world had the ability to destroy a hundred thousand Otherworldly Demon strong army in less than a day? Hu! At this moment, a sharp sound of wind could be heard from the distance. Following which, a figure appeared above the mountain valley that they were in. Chapter 1690 - Just for Fun

Chapter 1690: Just for Fun

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In response to the sudden arrival of the figure, Ren Qingyuan and the others immediately raised their guard and whipped out their weapons. Just as they were about the attack the figure, they got a clear look of the other party. Ren Qingyuan widened his eyes in astonishment and eximed, Its Luo shi! Jiang Fangyou and Luo Ganzhen also recognized the figure in the sky. They had seen Luo Ruoxin during the engagement ceremony. Given her outstanding disposition and appearance, there was no way that they could mistake her for someone else. Just that... why would she suddenly appear here? Did she not head to the Zhang n together with Zhang Xuan to guard the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery? Could she be an Otherworldly Demon? Luo Ganzhens eyebrows shot up as an air of hostility burst forth from him. Even though he had already acknowledged Zhang Xuan as the new head of the Luo n, he still could not bring himself to forgive Luo Ruoxin for intruding on the engagement ceremony back then and injuring the elders of the Luo n. He had attempted to investigate Luo Ruoxins background afterward, but it seemed as though thetter had appeared out of nowhere. Even the Luo ns formidable intelligencework was not able to gather any information on Luo Ruoxin at all! For someone as powerful as Luo Ruoxin to suddenly appear without any prior signs... it was really hard not to doubt her identity! Hearing those words, the two of them turned their gazes over and saw Luo Ruoxin. There were no peculiar emotions on her face as she looked upon the heaps of corpses strewn across the area. Instead, she was looking around, seemingly trying to find something. If thats truly the case, Ren Qingyuan remarked with a frown, I doubt that she would have been able to remain so calm after seeing the deaths of so many of her tribesmen... That was a hundred thousand Otherworldly Demons they were talking about! The death of so many elites was already enough to shake the foundations of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! If Luo Ruoxin was truly an Otherworldly Demon, she should have shown some kind of reaction to the ughter that had happened. The fact that she was able to remain impassive despite such huge losses likely suggested that she was not affiliated with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Ren shi, n Head Luo, and n Head Jiang, have you seen Zhang Xuan? While the three of them were discussing the matter telepathically, Luo Ruoxin had also noticed them, and she sped her fist. Zhang Xuan? Is Zhang shi here as well? Ren Qingyuan was taken aback by that question. After they parted from one another the day before, Zhang shi had immediately rushed back to the Zhang n. It did not seem logical for Luo Ruoxin to be looking for him here in the otherworldly battlefield. Un. Yesterday, Zhang Xuan singlehandedly resolved the crisis in the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery before entering the otherworldly battlefield. I had to search for quite a while before tracking him here, Luo Ruoxin exined. I heard about the situation at the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery. If Im not mistaken, there are ten thousand Otherworldly Demons stationed there, right? What do you mean by... Zhang shi singlehandedly resolved the crisis? Jiang Fangyou asked doubtfully. The members of the Jiang n had been dispatched to reinforce the Zhang ns Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery and the Luo ns Starcluster Subterranean Gallery. As one of the sixrgest Subterranean Galleries on the Master Teacher Continent, the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery was one of the major targets of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Given the scale of the invasion this time around, its security could be said to be shaky even when it was guarded by the powerful Zhang n. Yet, Zhang Xuan had actually resolved the crisis singlehandedlyhow was that possible? Yes, there were ten thousand Otherworldly Demons stationed then. Yesterday, Zhang Xuan said that he would head over to scout the situation, but he ended up killing them all. By the time we noticed it, he had already entered the otherworldly battlefield, Luo Ruoxin exined. He ended up killing ten thousand Otherworldly Demons while trying to scout the situation? Are you sure you arent pulling our legs? The trio felt their hair standing on end. Having shed with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe many times, they were well aware of the fighting prowess and capabilities of the Otherworldly Demons. Even an average Ancient Sage would have trouble dealing with ten thousand Otherworldly Demon soldiers! Yet, to actually wipe such an army out while scouting... Was that for real? Indeed. In fact, the hundred thousand Otherworldly Demons here were likely killed by him. Just that... where is he? The three of you arrived earlier. Did you notice anything? Luo Ruoxin asked. She had been together with Zhang Xuan for the past few days, so she was well aware of the means he possessed. She had seen the corpses that Ren Qingyuan had pointed out earlier, and she recognized them to be the doing of the Golden Origin Cauldron and the Dragonbone Divine Spear. The only problem was that Zhang Xuan was nowhere to be seen. Since the three of them had arrived earlier, could they have found anything? You are saying that Zhang Xuan... singlehandedly wiped out an army of a hundred thousand Otherworldly Demons? No, thats not right. If we count the Otherworldly Demons from the Dracotiger Mountain Subterranean Gallery, that would be 110,000 Otherworldly Demons! In other words, he resolved the major threat to the Master Teacher Continent by himself? The trio felt their heads spinning dizzily around them. All they had just heard was simply so inconceivable that it threatened to tear down everything that they had known about the world. Was this for real? 110,000 Otherworldly Demons of Saint 3-dan and above was a force that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would struggle to face! Even if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters sessfully rallied all of the forces at its disposal, it would have only ended in a narrow victory on their side. Yet, the other party had actually resolved the crisis singlehandedly. How in the world did he do it? Not even Kong shi had achieved such spectacr aplishments in his time! Ren Qingyuan took a deep breath and calm his shock before replying Luo Ruoxins question. Luo shi, we arrived moments before you, and we didnt see Zhang shi anywhere... Before he could finish his piece, the air above suddenly turned turbulent. He hurriedly raised his head and sawrge swathes of ominous clouds swiftly congregating together. Its a cultivation ordeal, Ren Qingyuan eximed in astonishment. Unknowingly, a figure suddenly appeared in the sky, floating quietly beneath the congregation of ominous clouds. Pitch-ck mes rumbled amid the clouds above him, turning the surrounding air incredibly dry. The temperature swiftly surged with a momentum that felt as though it would melt the entire sky. Its the heavenly me tribtion... Luo Ganzhen and Jiang Fangyou gulped. A day earlier, when they met with Zhang shi, he had still been at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Yet, within such a short span of time, not only had he achieved a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm, he was even fast on his way to advancing toward the Aureate Body realm. How in the world did he cultivate so quickly? Any other cultivator would require several years of effort before they were ready to push for a major breakthrough in their cultivation, but to the fellow in the sky, it seemed like nothing more than childs y. More importantly, he even had the spare time to kill 110,000 Otherworldly Demons and many Sempiternal realmmanders. You are all here! While the crowd was overwhelmed with utter shock, Zhang Xuan also caught sight of them and shed them a smile. Give me a moment. Lets talk after I ovee the heavenly me tribtion! After saying those words, he dived right into the congregation of ominous clouds. Is he going to use the same tactic for the heavenly me tribtion? Luo Ganzhens body staggered a little upon seeing that sight. He had heard stories about how Zhang Xuan overcame his lightning tribtion, but there was a huge difference between lightning tribtions and heavenly me tribtions! To dive right into the source of mes... was he not afraid of being reduced to cinders? More importantly, what was with that rxed expression on his face? Are you that confident that you will be able to get through such a powerful tribtion safely? This... Catching sight of Luo Ganzhens astonishment, Ren Qingyuan shook his head and exined, Zhang shi should be fine. He overcame the heavenly me tribtion back in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters yesterday! He has already ovee it? Luo Ganzhen eximed in bewilderment upon hearing those words. Each cultivator will only face the heavenly me tribtion once in their life at most, right? Why is he facing it a second time? The heavenly me tribtion was a cultivation ordeal that one had to ovee when achieving a breakthrough to the Aureate Body realm. Each Great Sage would only face it once in their cultivation journey. It was unthinkable for anyone to have to face it twice! Im not too sure whats going on either. In any case, its a fact that he did face the heavenly me tribtion in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters just a day ago, and he survived the ordeal by diving right into the clouds as well. I dont think he will face any problems now, Ren Qingyuan replied. Thats not right. Ren shi, Zhang shi came to our Jiang n two days ago and underwent the heavenly me tribtion then as well... But you are saying that he has faced the heavenly me tribtion at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters as well? Jiang Fangyou asked doubtfully. You are telling me that its his third time facing the heavenly me tribtion? Luo Ganzhen nearly fainted on the spot. That was the heavenly me tribtion, a force that no cultivator would not fear! To face it again and again... it was as if the heavenly me tribtion was a sparring partner that he could challenge as and when he liked! Chapter 1691 - The Two Sovereigns on the Verge of Insanity

Chapter 1691: The Two Sovereigns on the Verge of Insanity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Other cultivators would take their time to write theirst will before facing the heavenly me tribtion, knowing that there was a real possibility that they would lose their life in the cultivation ordeal. Yet, this fellow dived into it again and again as if he was enjoying a hot spring, going at it the day before yesterday, yesterday, and today... Is it really alright to toy with the powers of the heavens like that? While other cultivators had to put their lives ovee survive cultivation ordeals, when it came to Zhang Xuan, it felt like he was going on a leisurely tour instead! And in truth, the ones who were surprised were not only Luo Ganzhen and the others. The heavenly me in the sky was stupefied as well. [[[[[[Freak, its this fellow! Freaking hell, its this fellow again! Holy freaking hell, why the heck is it this fellow again? Bro, cant you just allow me to rest for a day? You are making me work overtime day after day! Cant you have some sympathy for me? I already ran to the otherworldly battlefield in order to avoid you, but you still came chasing after me... ... The crowd could not make sense out of why Zhang Xuan was able to challenge the heavenly me tribtion thrice, and they could notprehend why it was the Empyrean Heavenly me each and every time. Eventually, they could only give up on trying to understand this inconceivable phenomenon and focused their attention on watching the cultivation ordeal instead. Ferocious ck mes billowed within the clouds in the sky. At the start, they had still been roaring fiendishly, as if they would bring utter annihtion upon the world. But as Zhang Xuan dived in, the ominous clouds suddenly began shuddering and twitching. Even that feral roar seemed to have turned into helpless moans. By the ten-minute mark, the tribtion had already turned tail and fled, leaving a revitalized and satisfied Zhang Xuan floating in the air. Modifying his dantian and altering his meridianwork had taken quite a while, nearly an entire day, but its effects were remarkable. Otherwise, he would not have been able to push for a breakthrough to the Aureate Body realm so quickly. With two prior experiences of dealing with the heavenly me tribtion, he had opened up all of his acupoints and devoured the mes without any hesitation. With the augmentation of various cultivation resources, he had actually managed to advance to Aureate Body realm consummation within a short ten minutes! Driving his zhenqi, a golden sheen swiftly enveloped his body. It was as if an incarnation of Buddha had descended upon the world. After oveing his heavenly me tribtion, Zhang Xuan descended to where the crowd was and asked, Why are you all here? Logically speaking, Luo Ganzhen, Jiang Fangyou, Ren Qingyuan, and Luo Ruoxin should have been in different Subterranean Galleries, fending off the invasion of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Why had they gathered in the otherworldly battlefield, to watch his cultivation ordeal? We noticed some peculiar movements from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so we came over to scout the situation. Were you the one... who killed these Otherworldly Demons? Even though Ren Qingyuan had vaguely guessed the story, he still found it hard to believe that something like this was possible. Thus, he pointed to the heaps of corpses scattered around. Oh. When I first arrived, these scoundrels were nning tounch a decisive invasion on the Master Teacher Continent. In order to stop them, I yed on the tension between the two factions that made up the army and stoked them into fighting against one another. Fortunately, everything went ording to n! Zhang Xuan said. The desire for ughter could be said to be coded into the genes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If they entered the Master Teacher Continent, many innocent humans would surely be killed under their barbarity. It did weigh on Zhang Xuans heart to im so many lives callously, but he felt that it was necessary. Benevolence toward the enemy in war was no different from malevolence toward ones allies. You were able to make the two factionse to blows with one another? The lips of Ren Qingyuan and the others twitched as they listened to Zhang Xuans story. While thetter had phrased it very casually, they understood the difficulties in trying to pull something like this off. The Otherworldly Demons were not mindless creatures of power. They were shrewd as well, which made them particrly difficult opponents to deal with. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Pavilion would not have had so much trouble trying to deal with them. It must have taken you quite a bit of effort to turn them against one another... Ren Qingyuan remarked. Youre right, it took me one whole hour to do so! Im feeling really beat now! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had needed to switch between multiple identities again and again, which was truly no easy feat. Even with his strength, he could not help but feelpletely drained by the time he managed to pull everything off. It had indeed been rather difficult on him. An hour? Ren Qingyuan and the others suddenly felt utter helplessness weighing down on them. If they had been in Zhang Xuans shoes, it would have cost them much more in order to deepen the tension between the two factions and force them to sh with one another. At the very least, it would have taken them years of careful preparation. Yet, that fellow only took an hour... The more they talked to the other party, the more stifled they felt on the inside. [Can you go easier on our hearts? There should have been several dozen Sempiternal realmmanders within this army of a hundred thousand, right? Did you... kill them as well? Jiang Fangyou asked. I did. It took me a while, but I managed to assassinate all of them! Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly. I ended up staining my armor in order to do so... In order to make his disguise more lifelike, he had cleaned his dirtied armor over and over again. By now, his armor was alreadypletely soaked in blood, such that no amount of wiping would be able to get the blood out of it. ... Jiang Fangyou felt suffocated. [Even Yang shi would be forced to flee as far as he could when faced with several dozen Sempiternal realm cultivators. Yet, you actually managed to assassinate all of them without sustaining any major injuries, and you are evenining about how they stained your clothes... All of a sudden, Jiang Fangyou could not help but feel a little bit of pity for the Otherworldly Demon experts who had died at Zhang Xuans hand. ... An imposing pce towered in the depths of the otherworldly battlefield, far away from where Zhang Xuan and the others were. Two middle-aged men were seated opposite one another with wine cups in their hands. The middle-aged man seated on the left wore a flowing golden robe. With a heartyugh, he raised his cup and said, A toast to our alliance! May our tribesmen reim thend that belongs to us! He was one of the Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Sovereign Chen Ling! Opposite to him was a middle-aged man dressed in a long, violet robeSovereign Chen Xing! May your wordse to be! Sovereign Chen Xing nodded in a dignified manner as he sipped on the wine, savoring its deep fragrance. He had to admit that the wine prepared by Sovereign Chen Ling was truly fine. Even as one of the Sovereigns, it was not a vor that he could taste too often. Rest assured, theres no way the humans stand a chance against our allied army. Once this matteres to be, mankind will no longer pose a threat to us. We shall return to ournd of prosperity and bring our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to greatness once more, Sovereign Chen Ling roared joyfully. However, the next instant, his expression froze, and it slowly turned into a frown. Without any warning, he dashed out of the room. Noting Sovereign Chen Lings queer movements, Sovereign Chen Xing realized that something major must have happened as well. Thus, he quickly left the room and followed Sovereign Chen Ling. Before long, the two of them arrived before a vast altar. Countless jade tokens floated in the air above the vast altar. It was a tradition of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to extract a sliver of each soldiers will and forge it into a jade token before the army departed for battle. This jade token indicated the condition of the individual. If a jade token shattered, it meant that the individual had already breathed hisst breath. This served as an effective method for the Sovereigns to gauge the status of the army and family members of the soldiers to keep track of the condition of their loved ones. Whenever a major battle broke out, the jade tokens would swiftly shatter one after another. This would mean that the brave soldiers of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe wereying down their bodies and souls to further the cause of their tribe. These men would be regarded as heroes, and they would be honored for their valiance. Their deeds would go down in history, and their name tablets would be ced on the Gods Altar. By the time that the two Sovereigns had arrived before the altar, the jade tokens had already begun shattering one after another. As beings who stood at the very top of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they had already seen their fair share of deaths. If it had just been a normal battle, such a shattering of jade tokens would not have even fazed them. However... Pipipah! Pipipah! Pipah pipah pipipah! The jade tokens shattered with beautiful rhythm, reminiscent of an orchestral performance. It was baffling to think of it in such a manner, but there was a mysterious charm to the melody. From time to time, as if the melody struck a climax, there would be an extraordinarily powerful note that yed on the heartstrings of the listeners. Within the short span of a few minutes, the hundred thousand jade tokens floating above the altar had been reduced to a pile of dust on the ground. Nothing was left at all. Our army of a hundred thousand... Sovereign Chen Ling staggered weakly as the wine cup in his hand fell to the ground. His face paled in disbelief as he shook his head in incredulity. An army of a hundred thousand elites should have been sufficient to push their way through the Subterranean Gallery and bring havoc upon the Master Teacher Continent... They had expected great casualties in the midst of doing so, but they were confident that victory was in their grasp. Yet, barely after they had confirmed their alliance, before their allied army could even make their way out of the Subterranean Gallery, it had already been wiped out. For the jade tokens to shatter one another so determinedly and relentlessly... What in the world was going on? In an instant, the two Sovereigns were leftpletely stunned. Chapter 1692 - Heading to the Temple of Confucius

Chapter 1692: Heading to the Temple of Confucius

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It had not been easy for the two of them to put aside their differences and form an alliance, but everything had fallen apart before they could do anything at all. What was even worse was that they did not know who the culprit was! I cant ept this. Ill go take a look personally! Unable to hold back his rage, a cataclysmic aura burst forth from Sovereign Chen Ling, causing the surrounding space to shatter. He was an Ancient Sage expert! Ill follow you! Sovereign Chen Xing spat coldly. Half of the casualties had been his subordinates. There was no way that he could let the matter slide so easily! Lets head out together then. While were at it, we should settle that matter as well. Otherwise, well be forced to remain subservient to that man for the rest of our lives! Sovereign Chen Ling said as a sharp glint shed across his eyes. Sovereign Chen Xing nodded. I heard that Sovereign Chen Yong has recently taken in an extraordinarily talented young man. That brat seems to know no bottleneck at all; his cultivation advances at a breakneck speed! None of our disciples are a match for him... If we allow brat to continue growing at this rate, well soon lose what should have belonged to us! Dont touch that brat for the time being, Sovereign Chen Ling said. He has received the acknowledgement of Vicious will, and he practices the highest cultivation technique of our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Given the prestige that he enjoys at the moment, we cant afford to touch him. However, once that matteres to be, that brat will lose all his support. Then, we can slowly grind him down... Perhaps, we might even be able to attain the highest cultivation technique! Youre right. Lets do it then! Sovereign Chen Xing nodded before falling silent. With a jolt, the two middle-aged men vanished from the spot. It seemed like they had torn through the restraints of space to head to an unknown ce. ... You said that an army of a hundred thousand Otherworldly Demons has been eradicated by n Head Zhang singlehandedly? Is such a thing even possible? I heard it from Ren shi personally, so theres no doubt about the authenticity of the news. Even so, I still find the matter really hard to believe... Since the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes invasion has been resolved, we dont have to be stationed in the Subterranean Gallery anymore... ... After oveing the heavenly me tribtion, Zhang Xuan had advanced tremendously in his cultivation once more. Since there was no need for him to remain in the area, he had swiftly left together with Ren Qingyuan and the others. It did not take long for the news that the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been resolved by a single young man to reach the defensive forces guarding the 108 Subterranean Galleries. Everyone was astounded. There was nock of talents in the history of the Master Teacher Continent. Many brave and powerful men had left behind legends that resounded in the ears of the popce even to this day. Yet,pared to the feat achieved by this single young man, those legends were not even worth mentioning! To singlehandedly annihte 110,000 Otherworldly Demons and several dozen Sempiternal realm experts... The more they thought about the matter, the more frenzied they became. They could not help but pinch themselves to check if they were dreaming. ... Oblivious to the uproar that he had caused, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan had already returned to the Zhang n. With the major setback suffered by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, its unlikely that they will be able to amass the forces required tounch another invasion within a short period of time. Lets head to the Temple of Confucius together. Well need to assemble a team to go along with us. After hearing the happenings in the otherworldly battlefield from his son, Sword Saint Xing was unable to close his mouth for a very long time. Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded. There was no doubt that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had suffered a huge loss. Even if they attempted to amass their troops once more andunch another invasion, it was unlikely that they would be able to pose much of a threat. Thus, what they should focus their attention on at the moment was the Temple of Confucius. Given that its opening was just around the corner, they should make their way over very soon. If they arrivedte, the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn could very well fall into the hands of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe or the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. This would be bad news for the Three Premier ns and the Master Teacher Pavilion. The Temple of Confucius is located in Qufu. The space in Qufu is folded and distorted, so it would be unsafe to head over through spatial teleportation. We should teleport to somewhere nearby before flying over. Well head there first as the advance party to scout the situation there. Elder Wuyun, Ill leave it to you to pick out the n members for this expedition and bring them over. Make sure to contact us as soon as you arrive! Sword Saint Xing instructed. After First Elder Zhang Wuheng was punished for plotting against the incumbent n head, Elder Wuyun had taken over his responsibilities. Also, inform the grand elders who are in seclusion to hurry over as well. The Temple of Confucius will likely be their best shot at oveing their current bottlenecks! Simr to the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Zhang n had many grand elders in seclusion as well. Unless the Zhang n was forced into a desperate position, they would never make a move. Their cultivation had all reached Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm. Unless Ancient Sages made a move, they could be considered as the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent. It was unfortunate that they were not able to find a way to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, so they could only go into hibernation to lengthen their lifespan as long as possible. There was much more to the Temple of Confucius than just the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. It was not a coincidence that no one had been able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage for the past ten thousand years. Perhaps the secret behind oveing this bottleneck was hidden there as well. Regardless of whether that was true or not, they would have to make a trip there to find out for themselves. Currently, the Zhang n only had one Ancient Sage left. Once that Ancient Sage came to the end of his lifespan, without any other Ancient Sages to support the Zhang n, it would swiftly fall from the top echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. I understand! Elder Wuyun nodded. After making arrangements, Sword Saint Xing said, Lets head over now! Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear and slit a dimension rift in front of him. A passageway swiftly formed in the dimension rift under his maniption, and the crowd made their way over. With his zhenqi cultivation reaching Aureate Body realm consummation, Zhang Xuans fighting prowess had reached greater heights. Even without resorting to schemes, he was already able to face Sempiternal realm consummation experts like Wu Shu in a direct confrontation and even win. In truth, he had been intending to push his zhenqi cultivation straight up to the Intuitive Impulse realm, but he had found that he was unable to do so at all! The Intuitive Impulse realm allowed one to peer into the fortune of the world and consciously avert danger. However, such an ability was essentially peering into the secrets of the heavens as well, albeit to a lesser extent than that of seers. As one who possessed the Library of Heavens Path, attempts to do so would only end in his electrocution. He had secretly tried it a few times, and each and every time, he had ended up with a numbingly refreshing electric massage. Seeing that it was futile, he could only give up on the idea. From the looks of it, he could not follow the conventional path that all cultivators would tread on. He would have to find his own way forward. By the time they arrived at the other end of the passageway, they were already in close proximity to Qufu. They quickly began making their way over toward the Temple of Confucius when a figure suddenly approached them. It was Wu Chen. He had previously separated from them, saying that he had matters to attend to. Wu Chen first greeted Luo Ruoxin with a bow before turning to look at Zhang Xuan. It could have just been Zhang Xuans imagination, but he seemed to sense some conflicting emotions in the depths of Wu Chens eyes. Have you settled your affairs? Zhang Xuan asked. All this time, he could feel that there was some kind of issue guing Wu Chen, leaving him in a heavy mood. Even as he followed Luo Ruoxin around, there was still a brooding atmosphere to him. However, the brooding atmosphere around him seemed to have vanished, which suggested that the matter had already been resolved. Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Wu Chen snapped out of his contemtion and replied with a slight smile. Thanks to your grace, it has been resolved without a hitch. Thats a relief! Zhang Xuan nodded. He knew that Wu Chen was unwilling to talk too much about his private matters, so he did not press on. Before long, they were back on their way to Qufu. From where they were at, they were not too far away from their destination. The closer they got to Qufu, the greater the pressure exerted on them from the second sun in the sky. It was not as searing as the real sun, but the pressure that it emanated seemed to weigh directly on ones soul. To construct such a massive ancient domain in the midst of the sky and conceal it even from the detection of Ancient Sages... This was no longer the work of a man but a miracle created by a higher power. Chapter 1693 - Qufu

Chapter 1693: Qufu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As expected of the Worlds Teacher... Wu Chen remarked in awe. Kong shi is known not just for his unparalleled fighting prowess but his astounding intelligence as well. He yed a huge role in constructing a systematic lineage for the inheritance of numerous upations. Of the Lower, Middle, and Upper Nine Paths, he organized no less than twenty upations! Sword Saint Xing exined with an excited gleam in his eyes. The lineage of master teachers originated from Kong shi. There was no master teacher in the world who was not filled with awe and respect for Kong shi. Zhang Xuan did not participate in the conversation with the rest of the crowd. Instead, he stared into the massive temple sealed within the sun as a hint of bewilderment seeped into his eyes. For some reason, he could feel something within beckoning him. As if resonating with this beckoning, the Library of Heavens Path trembled lightly, and the countless books stored within shook along with its movements. Is there an artifact in the Temple of Confucius that could upgrade the Library of Heavens Path? Zhang Xuan wondered with a frown. The Library of Heavens Path had always maintained a state of impassiveness to whatever happened around him. Rarely did it move of its own ord. Yet, at this moment, it was shaking non-stop. It had not been this excited even when he paid a visit to the Seer Guild before. Could it be that there was something that the Library of Heavens Path desired in the Temple of Confucius? If that was the case, he would have to make sure to acquire it. The reason he had been able to advance from a nameless nobody to an esteemed expert whom no one did not know of was not because of his astounding talent, high morals, or extreme diligence... rather, it was due to the Library of Heavens Path! If not for the Library of Heavens Path, it was likely that he would still have been struggling in the Tianxuan Kingdom, attempting to push for a breakthrough to be a 1-star master teacher. Without a doubt, the Library of Heavens Path was his greatest asset and trump card. No matter what dangers he would have to face, it would all be worth it if he could upgrade it further. He activated his Eye of Insight in an attempt to peer into the sun. However, despite having flown several hundred li into Qufu, he was still unable to look into the depths of the Temple of Confucius. There seemed to be some kind of veil covering the temple, obscuring it from sight. The Temple of Confucius is located in a folded space. Until itspletely opened, not even Ancient Sages will be able to reach it even if they fly for over a decade, Luo Ruoxin exined. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. In a sense, this was simr to how the sun was in his previous life. It seemed to hang directly above Earth, creating an illusion that it could be easily reached as long as one flew into the sky. But in truth, even if one moved at the speed of light, it would still take eight minutes in order to reach the sun. If we can still see it even from such a long distance away, how big must the Temple of Confucius be? Zhang Xuan could not help but voice the question on his mind. The reason that was the case for the sun was simply because of its massive scale. If it was the same for the Temple of Confucius as well, could it actually be a gigantic world of its own? The Temple of Confucius isnt too big. Its a type of spatial maniption; in truth, it isnt that far away from us, Luo Ruoxin replied. It seemed like she had quite a deep understanding of the Temple of Confucius. While they were chatting with one another, an ancient city soon came into view. The crowd quickly made their way over. Thend where the Temple of Confucius was located, Qufu! This city was not as prosperous or massive as the Empire Alliance, and most of the buildings were ancient and decrepit. However, it had a quiet and peaceful aura, giving rise to afortable atmosphere. If one had to describe it, it would be reminiscent of an infant returning to a mothers embrace. This is... the unique aura of a Celestial Master Teacher? Zhang Xuans eyes shot up in astonishment. The aura looming in the city was extremely simr to the aura that seeped into his body during the acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher. The only difference was that the concentration was many times lower. There are seemingly intangible forces that manifest in mysterious ways in the world. There is an academic aura for the academics and martial aura for martial arts. These two forces are derived from the unique culture of education and lineages on the Master Teacher Continent, and we collectively refer to them as teachers milieu. If onees into prolonged contact with teachers milieu, ones state of mind will mature swiftly. Ones thoughts will be more open and discerning, thus leaving little room for inner demons and irrationality to exist! Sword Saint Xing exined. Teachers milieu? Zhang Xuan repeated those two words before nodding slightly. In truth, this unique aura was not exclusive to Celestial Master Teachers. When a master teacher paid respects to the predecessors in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, they could be bestowed with this aura as well. In a sense, it was a symbolism of culture. It was through the milieu of a teacher that master teachers were able to win the respect of the world and be the leaders of the world. Has this ce... always been like that? Zhang Xuan asked. He focused his attention on the teachers milieu around him, and just as Sword Saint Xing had said, the aura was indeed able to bring greater sharpness and acuity to his mind. At the same time, this sparked some doubts in his mind. The effects of the teachers milieu were astounding, such that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was unable topete with it! Seeing through Zhang Xuans doubt, Sword Saint Xing exined, Before the opening of the Temple of Confucius, while teachers milieu still lingered in Qufu, it was far sparser than what you can perceive right now. Nevertheless, its enhancement to ones state of mind was still rather conspicuous if one lived in the area for prolonged periods of time. Due to that, Qufu is also known as the ancestralnd of the master teachers. Most 9-star master teachers reside in Qufu for a period of their life, not to cultivate or go into seclusion but to experience the life of a mortal and temper their state of mind! Take a look at that carpenter over there. Do you notice anything different about him? Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over. By the side of a street, there was a carpenter who was in the midst of crafting a piece of furniture. The movements of his callused hands were extremely precise, as if they had been carefully measured by a ruler. Wooden shavings flew around the ce. Before long, apleted product was sitting right before him. He is... a 9-star master teacher! Zhang Xuan was astounded by what he saw. The carpenter shaved the wood with light strokes that seemed to be devoid of strength, and there was not the slightest hint of zhenqi that could be felt flowing through his body. However, the ocean-like umtion of energy that Zhang Xuan could see in the depths of his dantian through the Eye of Insight told a very different story. Not only was the carpenter likely a 9-star master teacher, chances were that he was an extremely powerful one as well. Indeed. Hes a 9-star master teacher who made his name three hundred years ago. He was at Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm back then, so theres no doubt that he has grown much stronger by now! Sword Saint Xing replied. An Aureate Body realm cultivator doing carpentry? Zhang Xuan could hardly believe what he was hearing. All along, he had thought that Great Sage experts were extremely rare among mankind. Yet, who could have thought that even a carpenter that he encountered on the street within Qufu would have reached such a level as well? Look at the fishmonger and butcher over there as well... They were all renowned 9-star master teachers in their era. Back then, they still werent too powerful, but over the years, they have reached Great Sage 3-dan Intuitive Impulse realm as well, just like me! Sword Saint Xing exined. If nothing had happened to you back then, your mother and I would havee to Qufu to try living an ordinary life as well. Through experiencing the difficulties of mortal life, we would have been able to temper our state of mind and ready ourselves for a breakthrough to higher realms! Zhang Xuan nodded quietly in response. Just as Sword Saint Xing had said, a lot of the ordinary-looking individuals around them were astoundingly Great Sage experts. They were experts whose silhouettes could rarely be seen even within major ns, but in Qufu, they were asmon as cabbage in a wet market. It was no wonder Qufu was known as the ancestralnds of the master teachers. It seemed like there was indeed a basis to it. Sword Saint Xing suddenly turned to look at Zhang Xuan and asked curiously, Right! Xuan-er, whats your Soul Depth at the moment? If you wish to advance your cultivation as a master teacher, raising your Soul Depth is of the utmost importance. If your Soul Depth isnt up to par, your heart wont be calm, and your will wont be pure. Pushing your cultivation ahead will be much harder and harder! As long as one had a high aptitude, sufficient cultivation resources, and a good teacher, one would be able to advance ones cultivation rather swiftly. However, tempering ones state of mind was a step-by-step process that could not be rushed. There was no way to forcefully hasten the process, and any attempts to do so would likely end up bad. His son was incredibly talented, but that did not change the fact that his son was only twenty this year. To be a 9-star master teacher at such an age... he could not help but wonder how high the Soul Depth of his son was and how he had managed to raise it so quickly. My Soul Depth? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying honestly, 29.1. Chapter 1694 - The Importance of Soul Depth

Chapter 1694: The Importance of Soul Depth

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Having undergone the fifth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher and stumbling across many fortuitous encounters, he had been able to raise his Soul Depth considerably swiftly. It did not take him long to reach a levelparable to 9-star pinnacle master teachers. Most likely, the only master teachers who could surpass him were Yang shi and a couple of others. 29.1? Hearing that number, Sword Saint Xings lips twitched. He had thought that given how fast his sons cultivation had grown, his Soul Depth would have difficulties trying to catch up. Who would have thought that his sons Soul Depth was actually much higher than his? You... How did you cultivate your Soul Depth? Sword Saint Xing asked in astonishment. It should have been extremely difficult to raise ones Soul Depth! Even with the assistance of a cultivation technique, it still takes tremendous effort and time in order to do so... It wasmon knowledge that the greatest limiting factor to a master teacher was their Soul Depth. In order to experience the vicissitudes of life, Yang shi concealed his identity and wandered the world for many years before he managed to raise his Soul Depth so high. On the other hand, his son was only twenty this year, and he had spent his earlier neen years in a ce as remote as the Tianxuan Kingdom. How could his Soul Depth be so high? How did I manage to do it? Zhang Xuan frowned slightly upon hearing such a question. I dont really know. I have never cultivated my Soul Depth before. It simply grew naturally... Hearing those words, Sword Saint Xings face flushedpletely crimson, and he nearly spurted blood. Are you telling me that your Soul Depth grew to 29.1 naturally? Seeing how traumatized her husband was, Sword Saint Meng could not help but burst intoughter. Of all people her husband could ask, he just had to ask their son. Was he not asking for a mental trauma? The first time that they reunited with their son in the Empire Alliance, their son had only been at Saint 8-dan. However, within half a month, he was already an Aureate Body realm consummation expert... To attempt topete with a prodigy of such a caliber, was it not obvious that he was asking for it? Is there a problem with my Soul Depth? Zhang Xuan asked. To be exact, calling it natural growth was not entirely urate. However, it was true that he had never cultivated his Soul Depth before in order to raise it. The golden page, acknowledgements of Celestial Master Teacher, Soul Tempering of a Mentors Calligraphy, sudden bouts of inspiration... each and every time that he encountered one of these, his Soul Depth would increase by 1.0 or even more. Given so, it was no wonder that his Soul Depth had risen to 29.1 so quickly. Theres nothing wrong at all, Sword Saint Xing replied with a stifled look on his face. While others ground themselves down to the bones in order to raise their Soul Depth by just 0.1, this fellow was actually able to raise his Soul Depth to a levelparable to Yang shi without even bothering to cultivate it. If other master teachers heard that, they would surely lose all motivation to cultivate. Having stayed quiet all this time, Wu Chen suddenly spoke up. You wont be able to reach Ancient Sage if you allow your Soul Depth to simply grow naturally. You need to temper it in order to make your state of mind more wholesome and resilient. Only then will you be able to advance further in your cultivation! Does Soul Depth y a role in pushing for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan frowned. Strangely enough, neither the Three Premier ns nor the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had any books rting to Ancient Sages. As such, he knew next to nothing about the realm. Un. The crux to reaching Ancient Sage is to align ones heart and will together with the world, thus granting one greater control over the environment. If ones state of mind isnt sufficient to harness the strength of the world, one will be at risk of turning into an idiot or descending into lunacy. Its great that you are able to raise your Soul Depth quickly through natural means, but without undergoing any tempering, it will be nigh impossible for you to reach Ancient Sage! Wu Chen seemed to be really familiar with this matter. Then again, considering that he was a Sempiternal realm cultivator just like Yang shi, it was likely that he had been seeking a way to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage all this while. It would not be surprising for him to be well-versed in such knowledge. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded. He had an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse in his storage ring. While he had no idea how far he was away from Ancient Sage, he could roughly fathom how powerful Ancient Sages were. Even after the Ancient Sages death, the other partys body remained so heavy that he had difficulty trying to lift it up. At the same time, the imposing aura that the other party emanated made it difficult for his Primordial Spirit to approach initially. These facts served as glimpses into how powerful Ancient Sage cultivators truly were. Even though it was just a realm of difference between Sempiternal realm and Ancient Sage, this fine line demarcated the difference between a mortal and a deity. Naturally, the prowess of the two could not even begin topare to one another. Zhang Xuan thought that the differencey in the umtion of power, but who would have thought that Soul Depth actually yed an important role as well? Thats not right... A doubt swiftly arose in Zhang Xuans mind, and he quickly posed it to Wu Chen. The advancement of Soul Depth is a requirement imposed only on master teachers, right? Given so, its unlikely for other cultivators to cultivate their Soul Depth. Since thats the case, how can they achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Soul Depth was a requirement for the rank advancement of master teachers, which was the reason master teachers emphasized it so heavily. Other cultivators would not feel any need to cultivate their Soul Depth, and if so, would they not be unable to reach Ancient Sage? Ordinary cultivators do ce great importance on cultivating their state of mind. Take apothecaries for example. If they werent in the right state of mind, the Tranquil Heart Pill they forged would be warped, thus transforming from a calming pill into lethal poison! Wu Chen exined. The same goes for other upations. If demonic tunists fail to cultivate their state of mind, how could they possibly conceptualize their intent through music to beguile their opponents? If formation masters neglect their state of mind, how would they be able to set up highlyplex formations? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had faced something simr to this back when he was undergoing his 1-dan apothecary examination. Back then, there was an apothecary who had not reached Heart of Tranquil Water and thuscked control over his emotions. He had attempted to forge Tranquil Heart Pills while his mind was not in aposed state, and the pills that he produced eventually turned out to be lethal poison that could kill the cultivators who unfortunately consumed them. He could rte to how state of mind was important to a demonic tunist too. If he could not control his emotions, his music would only run amok. For example, during his demonic tunist examination at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had needed to make the divine cranes dance along with his zither melody. However, if he had allowed his emotions to run wild, it was likely that he would have jolted them to death with his music instead. Thinking about that, there were indeed no upations in the world that demanded nothing of ones state of mind. It was just that none of them were as demanding as the master teacher upation. Before Kong shis era, the cultivation of Soul Depth was categorized under Will of Mind, and it was divided into many different levels. This is also where Heart of Tranquil Water, Lucid Mind, Unperturbed Spirit, Impervious Will, Impregnable Heart, Uninhibited Psyche, Incorruptible Soul, and the likee from... Wu Chen continued on. However, Kong shi felt that such categorization is overlyplex and hard to urately gauge. Thus, he simplified the entire model through quantifying it with numbers, which gave rise to the Soul Depth that we are familiar with. The model has been adopted by the Master Teacher Pavilion, with every 3.0 points indicating a new tier. 1-star master teachers require a Soul Depth of 3.0, 2-star master teachers require a Soul Depth of 6.0, and so on. Going by this, 9-star master teachers require a Soul Depth of 27.0. The requirement on Soul Depth is much harsher than cultivation; those who havent reached the required Soul Depth cannot be promoted, even under exceptional circumstances! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Kong shi had simplified the Will of Mind model into the Soul Depth model, and the Master Teacher Pavilion had adopted thetter as one of its promotion criteria. On the other hand, the other upations still persisted in using the Will of Mind model, which worked fine as well since they did not require such a fine distinction. Of course, just because the other upations did not adopt the Soul Depth model did not mean that they would not temper their state of mind. While both models worked fine, there were still some advantages to quantifying state of mind in the form of Soul Depth. It would allow master teachers to constantly track their progress in cultivating their states of mind, thus encouraging them to adopt practices beneficial to advancing their Soul Depth. It was due to this that the Master Teacher Pavilion had be the leading expert in this field, and the other upations struggled to catch up. I have been here once before, and if I recall correctly, theres a ce just ahead that allows one to temper ones Soul Depth. Its known as the Heart Pavilion. There are cultivation techniques in there that allow one to reinforce ones state of mind, insights left behind by countless experts, and formations that temper ones state of mind. Why dont we head there to take a look? Since you have never tempered your state of mind before, you might be able to make considerable advancements through it! Sword Saint Xing suddenly suggested. Chapter 1695 - Surge in Soul Depth

Chapter 1695: Surge in Soul Depth

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Heart Pavilion? Zhang Xuan nodded. Lets head there to take a look! Since the Temple of Confucius had not opened yet, he had some time to spare. Given that the Heart Pavilion could help him temper his state of mind, there was no harm heading over to take a look. All along, he had been dependent on fortuitous encounters in order to raise his Soul Depth. However, it would not do for him to be solely reliant on luck in tempering his state of mind. It would be great if he could acquire a feasible cultivation technique that would allow him to raise his Soul Depth. After walking for a while, a building came into sight. Walking in, they were greeted by a middle-aged man. Greetings. Do you intend to temper your state of mind or examine it? We wish to temper our state of mind, Zhang Xuan replied. This way please... The middle-aged man gestured with a smile. First and foremost, our Heart Pavilion doesnt ept spirit stones and other currencies. We only ept Saint pinnacle artifacts as payment. Every two hours inside will cost a Saint pinnacle artifact! It sure is expensive... Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback by the price. After all the scavenging that he had done, he had nock of Saint pinnacle artifacts in his inventory. Nevertheless, it was still a price that most cultivators would struggle to fork out, including those from major ns. Most Saint 9-dan cultivators would not even have a Saint pinnacle artifact, and yet, two hours in the Heart Pavilion would cost one such item. It cant be helped. Its extremely expensive to construct a formation and space that is safe yet challenging enough to temper ones state of mind, and maintaining it also costs a hefty sum, the middle-aged man replied. Thats true, I suppose. Zhang Xuan nodded. Most of the cultivators who hade to Qufu to temper their state of mind were 9-star master teachers, individuals who possessed Soul Depths of 27.0 and above. At their level, ordinary Illusory Formations and Beguilement Formations were already ineffective on them. In order to exert pressure on them, the highest quality formations and artifacts had to be used. Given so, it was inevitable for the cost to be on the pricier side. Here you go! Zhang Xuan tossed over a Saint pinnacle weapon. I would like to test the effects out for myself first. If its effective, lets go in and cultivate together! Having plundered the military resources of 110,000 Otherworldly Demons, there were more than a thousand Saint pinnacle artifacts in his storage ring. Considering that he had no use for artifacts of that tier anymore, he had no issues spending them there. The crowd nodded in response. This way please... The middle-aged man swiftly led them into a vast hall. ced at the very center of the hall was a crystal ball. It revolved quietly above a stone tform, emanating a mesmerizing glow. The walls around the hall were inscribed with insights and cultivation techniques that would raise ones Soul Depth. These are left behind by the experts who have been to the Heart Pavilion to temper their state of mind. We have tested them personally, and they are all highly effective in raising ones Soul Depth. However, please do take caution when reading through them. If you attempt to take in too much, they could end up hindering your state of mind instead. Use them prudently, and your Soul Depth will surely surge ahead, the middle-aged man said with a smile. Cultivation techniques were valued not in quantity but quality. Attempting to take in too much would only end up confusing one instead. Every cultivator had their own path of cultivation to follow. The more they attempted to emte the route of others, the further they would stray from their path. If a cultivator lost themself in the wisdom of others, not only would their growth slow down, their cultivation might even go berserk! It was for this reason that the Master Teacher Pavilion discouraged individuals from studying too many cultivation techniques. Of course, there were pros and cons to the matter. If a cultivator sessfully utilized the wisdom of others to further their own path, they would be able to reach a height far beyond their predecessors. When you are ready, just ce your hand on the crystal ball ahead and focus your attention on your consciousness. The crystal ball will process the fluctuations in your state of mind. If you reach the limits of your tolerance at any point in time, well immediately terminate the formation so that you are not hurt! the middle-aged man exined. I understand! Zhang Xuan nodded. He took two steps up to the crystal ball, but he did not rush to ce his hand on it. Instead, he swept his gaze across the wall opposite of him. Hu! A new book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. cing his finger on the book, its content swiftly flowed into Zhang Xuans mind. Slowly, his eyes lit up in excitement. Bypiling all of the cultivation techniques and insights detailed on the wall together, he had sessfullypiled a Heavens Path Heart Tempering Art. While he had encountered numerous books rting to the tempering of ones state of mind in the past, he had never paid much attention to it. However, as he browsed through the content of the Heavens Path Heart Tempering Art, he swiftly realized that raising ones Soul Depth was not easy. In terms of difficulty, it was much higher than raising ones cultivation, especially due to how elusive and intangible the entire field was. The typical method to temper ones state of mind in the Master Teacher Continent was using Illusory Formations to put ones consciousness through various turmoil. Through oveing those ordeals, ones state of mind would gradually grow steadier and more resilient. However, this typical method was both passive and indirect. It relied heavily on luck and circumstances. Even if one augmented the process with heart tempering cultivation techniques and artifacts, the rate of growth still would not be too remarkable. Fortunately, the Heavens Path Heart Tempering Art that Zhang Xuan had justpiled through the Library of Heavens Path resolved this problem perfectly. It allowed him to cultivate his state of mind directly, just like his zhenqi and soul. Let me begin... Zhang Xuan quickly went through the heart tempering cultivation technique in his mind before cing his hand on the crystal ball. Weng! A shimmer of light shrouded the crystal ball as numbers surfaced on it29.1. Just as Zhang Xuan had calcted, his Soul Depth had already reached a level equivalent to 9-star pinnacle master teachers. Hes... a 9-star master teacher? The middle-aged man recoiled in shock. He had thought that given how young Zhang Xuan was, his Soul Depth would surely be the lowest among the group. Most likely, that was why he had gone there to temper his state of mind. Yet, who would have thought... 29.1! Even if he looked at the whole of Qufu, it was unlikely that there would be too many master teachers who could match him. Un. Seeing the middle-aged mans shocked expression, Sword Saint Meng nodded proudly. Is there anyone who has encountered sudden bouts of inspiration while tempering their state of mind here? There is! Many years ago, Yang shi visited our Heart Pavilion, and his Soul Depth was at 28.2 when he first tested it. In the midst of tempering his state of mind, an epiphany suddenly struck him, and his Soul Depth shot up by 0.2, reaching 28.4. That matter has be a legend of our Heart Pavilion! the middle-aged man said. The difficulty in raising ones Soul Depth grew exponentially difficult the higher ones Soul Depth was. Beyond 27.0, every increment of 0.1 would usually require many years of hard work. It was indubitably a remarkable feat for Yang shi to have advanced his Soul Depth by 0.2 in less than two hours. Very few would be able to emte his sess. Yang shi is indeed formidable... Do you have any rank board or the sort here? What is the fastest rate that a master teacher has raised his Soul depth? Sword Saint Meng continued asking. We do have something simr to that. The current record holder for the fastest increment in Soul Depth is held by an 8-star master teacher. His Soul Depth was 24.7 when he first arrived, and when he tested it two hourster, it had already reached 25.7. That was an increment of a whole 1.0! But of course, its hard topare this with Yang shis feat. After all, the higher ones Soul Depth is, the more difficult it is to raise it! the middle-aged man said. Raising ones Soul Depth was simr to building a narrow tower. The bottomyer was always easier to build, but after reaching a certain height, the difficulty would suddenly skyrocket. Dear, are you thinking that our Xuan-er will be able to break the record? Sword Saint Xing asked. It was not too difficult for him to follow his wifes train of thought. My son is a prodigy. Isnt it normal for him to break records? Sword Saint Meng replied matter-of-factly. I think you have too much confidence in our son! Tempering ones Soul Depth is different from raising ones cultivation. Theres no way to force the matter... Sword Saint Xing shook his head. Raising ones Soul Depth was not as easy as taking in spiritual energy and converting it into ones strength. It was a far moreplicated process, and it was highly dependent on luck. Even though his son was a prodigy, there were some things in life that talent simply could not influence! Look over there! Before Sword Saint Xing could finish his words, a shrill voice sounded. Sword Saint Xing immediately turned his gaze over, and on the crystal ball, he saw the number 29.1 flickering and turning into 29.2, 29.3, 29.4... This... Sword Saint Xing was bbergasted. Chapter 1696 - Soul Depth of 29.9

Chapter 1696: Soul Depth of 29.9

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not only was Sword Saint Xing stupefied by what he was seeing, even the middle-aged man was standing petrified on the spot. It looked as if he had just seen a ghost! Complete silence loomed in the air. It was just a moment ago that they had been praising Yang shi for raising his Soul Depth by 0.2 so swiftly, but that was the result of a sudden epiphany, and it had taken him two whole hours in order to do so. On the other hand... to jump up by 0.1 every ten seconds, how in the world was the young man doing it? Even 1-star master teachers with Soul Depths of 3.0 would not be able to do it so swiftly! Could the crystal ball be spoiled? the middle-aged man muttered as he hurried forward to check on the artifact. However, the crystal ball waspletely intact. There was not the slightest trace of damage that could be seen on it. If the crystal ball was not faulty, it meant that the changes hade from the young man himself, but was such a matter humanly possible? Wu Chens eyebrows danced frenziedly around the ce, and he looked as if he was about to lose his mind. This was not cultivation but Soul Depth that they were talking about, and the other partys Soul Depth was beyond 29.0 at that! To be increasing 0.1 every ten seconds... He has a strong foundation for his state of mind, having cultivated every realm of his Will of Mind impably. This has made his state of mind iparably wholesome. As a result, he faces little impediment in the advancement of his Soul Depth, thus allowing him to raise it swiftly! Luo Ruoxin ced her hands behind her back as she calmly exined the situation. There was not the slightest hint of surprise on her face, as if she had expected such a matter to happen. As a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Xuan had a strong foundation for his state of mind. Using the tower analogy once more, if the lower blocks wereid impably, it would be much easier to build the topyers. Strong foundation... Coming to realize what was going on, bitter smiles appeared on the faces of the crowd. This was especially so for Sword Saint Xing. He was so embarrassed that he could have found a hole to bury himself in! He had been thinking that his sons state of mind would begging behind due to him advancing his cultivation too quickly. However, this matter had told him loud and clear that his sons cultivation was not fast at all... On the contrary, his cultivation was having difficulty keeping up with his state of mind! Since he had already met the necessary requirements to push for a breakthrough in his cultivation, what was the point of him remaining stationary on the spot? Before everyones shocked gazes, the number on the crystal ball finally came to a halt. 29.9! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan retracted his palm from the crystal ball and shook his head. This seems to be my limit! Cultivating the Heavens Path Heart Tempering Art, he had indeed been able to advance his Soul Depth swiftly at the start. However, as soon as it struck 29.9, he realized that he was unable to raise his Soul depth any higher. It was if there was a massive barrier standing ahead of him, obstructing his path forward. No matter how hard he tried to push through it, the barrier simply would not falter. He swiftly realized that it was impossible for him to break the barrier with his current strength. Watching as Zhang Xuan walked back in his direction, the middle-aged mans eyes were widened as thoughrge bells. Just like that... you are already done cultivating? Normal cultivators would find even ten hours too short for their cultivation, but this fellow had actually reached his bottleneck within just two minutes. Un. I just paid for two hours straight, so we should still have some time left. Do any of you want to give it a try? Zhang Xuan asked as he turned to the crowd. Ill give it a try! Sword Saint Meng said. She still had a gleeful smile on her face, overjoyed by her sons incredible feat. Give me a moment. I had an epiphany after browsing through the cultivation techniques inscribed on the walls, so I created one of my own. Allow me to impart it to you! Zhang Xuan said. You created a new cultivation technique? Even Sword Saint Meng could not help but be startled by what she had just heard. It hasnt even been three minutes from the moment we entered the room till now, but not only have you raised your Soul Depth by 0.8, you even managed to create a cultivation technique? Indeed! Zhang Xuan nodded, not bothering to exin the matter any further. With a tap of his finger, a sliver of his will dived into Sword Saint Mengs consciousness. Swiftly going through the knowledge that had just been imprinted into her mind, Sword Saint Mengs body stiffened in shock. As an Intuitive Impulse realm expert, she had her own heart tempering cultivation technique to reinforce her state of mind. However, when she looked at the heart tempering cultivation technique that her son had sent over, she realized that what she had cultivated previously was no different from trash! She quickly internalized the heart tempering cultivation technique that she had just received, and it did not take long for her to fully grasp it. Let me give it a try! Taking a deep breath, Sword Saint Meng walked up to the crystal ball and ced her palm on it. Weng! Numbers surfaced on the crystal ball27.3. She was a powerful cultivator, and her swordsmanship was nothing short of impressive. However, her Soul Depth had stagnated shortly after she reached the mark required to be a 9-star master teacher. Feeling the pressureing from the crystal ball, Sword Saint Meng closed her eyes and began to drive the heart tempering cultivation technique that her son had imparted to her. Kacha! The numbers on the crystal ball flickered27.4. A minuteter, 27.5. Yet another minuteter, 27.6... It swiftly formed a fixed pattern, simr to what had happened in Zhang Xuans case. The only difference was that Zhang Xuans increment had happened once every ten seconds whereas Sword Saint Mengs came once every minute. ... Sword Saint Xing widened his eyes in horror once more. If there was anyone in the world who knew Sword Saint Meng the best, it was none other than him. His wife had a fiery temper and fidgety demeanor, which made it extremely difficult for her to raise her Soul Depth. He had to search for all sorts of treasures that were beneficial to raising ones Soul Depth, and in order to cater to his restless wife, he had even designed a coborative swordsmanship for the two of them to practice together just to temper her state of mind. Even so, it had taken a very long time before her Soul Depth reached 27.3. And after that, it had simply stagnated there. For many years, it had not even moved a single inch. But at that very moment, it was increasing by 0.1 every minute... Sword Saint Xing quickly turned to his son and said, Your heart tempering cultivation technique... Without a doubt, this miracle definitely had something to do with the cultivation technique that his son had imparted to his wife. Here you go. You can give it a try afterward! Knowing what Sword Saint Xing was thinking of, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he tapped his finger and imparted the simplified version of the Heavens Path Heart Tempering Art to him as well. Sword Saint Xing swiftly browsed through it, and a momentter, he fell into a daze. It was no wonder his wife was able to raise her Soul Depth so quickly! This heart tempering cultivation technique was truly out of that world! The predecessors of the Zhang n had created innumerable cultivation techniques in order to temper their Soul Depth and ovee their limitations, but none of them came close topeting with the heart tempering cultivation technique that had just been imparted to him. The more I look at him, the more I find myself unable to see through him... Sword Saint Xing shot a nce at his son and sighed deeply. He knew that his son had many secrets, and he had thought that he woulde to learn of them as they spent more time together. However, the closer they became to one another, the more mysterious his son became to him. It was as if his son was the embodiment of omniscience. Any cultivation technique, even the most elementary ones, when ced in his hand, would showcase extraordinary effects, transforming into invaluable treasures that the world would die toy their hands upon. Legend has it that Kong shi wielded such an ability too. Could it be that my son is going to be an expert on par with Kong shi? Sword Saint Xing trembled in agitation at the thought. ording to the legends, Kong shi had possessed the ability to understand anything that heid his eyes upon and master any craft in a moments time. That was actually simr to what his son was able to do. Was his son really going to reach a levelparable to Kong shi? Just the thought of it filled him with anticipation for the future. Come over. I have already reached my bottleneck, and I dont think I can go any further than this... While Sword Saint Xing was still deep in thought, his wife spoke. He quickly turned his gaze over and saw the number 29.9 on the crystal ball. Within such a short period of time, his wifes Soul Depth had actually increased by 2.6, reaching 29.9, the very limits of a 9-star master teacher! 29.9 is the limit of a Great Sage. If you take another step forward, it will mean that your Soul Depth has reached a levelparable to Ancient Sages! Wu Chen exined. Achieving a breakthrough from 29.9 means that my Soul Depth has reached a levelparable to Ancient Sages? Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Im unable to advance my zhenqi or soul cultivation any further at the moment, but I do have a golden page on hand. If I use it, will I be able to raise my Soul Depth by another 5.0, thus reaching a levelparable to Ancient Sages? Chapter 1697 - Sword Saint Xing Makes a Breakthrough

Chapter 1697: Sword Saint Xing Makes a Breakthrough

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The effect of the golden page was not just limited to smashing his enemies to a pulp. More than that, it would help him assimte the knowledge that he had stored in the Library of Heavens Path and raise his Soul Depth. He had used the golden page to raise his Soul Depth twice, and each time, it had increased by 5.0. If he used the golden page to increase his Soul Depth, would he be able to ovee the 29.9 bottleneck? If it worked out, he would possess a state of mindparable to Ancient Sages! He had only faced an Ancient Sage in battle once, and he had smashed the other party to death with his book before the other party could do anything. Nevertheless, from the other partys corpse stored in his storage ring, he was still able to roughly fathom how terrifying Ancient Sages were. If he could advance his Soul Depth further, would he gain the ability to protect himself even when faced with an Ancient Sage? Even if his fighting prowess wascking, as long as his state of mind was up to par, he might just be able to fool Ancient Sages with his disguise! State of mind was of paramount importance when it came to disguise. As long as his Soul Depth was up to par, it would be difficult for anyone to see through his disguise. Let me give it a try! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly. Recalling the state that he had been in when he first used the golden page to raise his Soul Depth, he closed his eyes and willed, Increase my Soul Depth! There was no reaction. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes once more and willed, Increase my Soul Depth! There was still no reaction at all. The golden page continued floating quietly in the Library of Heavens Path, seemingly mocking him for his futile actions. Please, help me raise my Soul Depth! I choose you, golden page! Crush that bottleneck before me! Push! Puuuushhhhhhh! Just 0.1 more... ... After wasting a minute on trying to get the golden page to work, Zhang Xuan could only rub his be in distress. From the looks of it, it seemed like he could not rely on the golden page to raise his Soul Depth anymore. Cultivating ones state of mind was indeed not that easy! From the looks of it, he had to prepare himself for a long battle. If a day would not work, he would just have to use two. If two did not work, he would have to use three... Or else, half a month should surely do the job, right? If not, he could try to aim for a sixth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher or something. That might work, too. Heaving a long sigh, Zhang Xuan was just about to see how Sword Saint Xing was progressing along when he suddenly felt spiritual energy converging toward them. He turned his head over and saw that shortly after Sword Saint Mengs Soul Depth had reached 29.9, her cultivation, which had stagnated at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation for a very long time, had suddenly surged up, reaching Sempiternal realm! Sword Saint Meng had always been a highly talented cultivator, and the reason that she had been unable to make the breakthrough before was because of the knot in her heart for having lost her son. Now that she had found her son and her Soul Depth had just made such a massive advancement, using the momentum built up so far, she managed to push through her bottleneck and achieve a breakthrough in her cultivation! In Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm, the term sempiternal referred to the deathlessness and imperviousness of ones Primordial Spirit. No external force would be able to sway ones emotions, and with a mere thought, one would be able to tear the fabric of space apart. Such was the power wielded by the strongest experts beneath Ancient Sage. As spiritual energy surged into her body, Sword Saint Mengs cultivation swiftly rose. Seeing that it would take a while for Sword Saint Meng to reinforce her cultivation, Zhang Xuan flicked a grade-9 pill into thetters mouth. The pill melted as soon as it entered her mouth, and a tremendous burst of spiritual energy immediately surged through her body. The bottlenecks that had been limiting her previously were instantaneously cleared out. After ensuring that Sword Saint Meng would not face any problem in her breakthrough, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Many dangers lurked within the Temple of Confucius, be it from fellow explorers or from the traps within. It was of the utmost importance for the Xingmeng Sword Saints to be stronger so that they would be able to protect themselves. Even though he was only a transcended soul, he had alreadye to view the Xingmeng Sword Saints as close kin of his. He would not allow any danger to fall upon them. Turning his gaze toward Sword Saint Xing, who was standing before the crystal ball, Zhang Xuan saw that his Soul Depth was also increasing by 0.1 at fixed intervals, just like Sword Saint Meng. It did not take long for his Soul Depth to reach the bottleneck of 29.9. I have reached the limits for my Soul Depth too... Sword Saint Xing said with eyes glowing in excitement. Arent you going to push for a breakthrough, too? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Theres no hurry. I just made a breakthrough in my state of mind, so I need to condition my state for a while before I am ready, Sword Saint Xing replied. Theres no need for that. Quick, lets get it over and done with. I took a look at your condition earlier, and the reason you havent been able to achieve a breakthrough is due to several blockages in your meridians. I have a pill over here that will help you open up your sealed meridians. With this, you should be able to reach the Sempiternal realm easily, Zhang Xuan said as he flicked a pill toward Sword Saint Xing as well. Given that your wife has already achieved a breakthrough, do you think you have the leisure to condition your state? You are already henpecked enough as it is! Are you willing to see your position in the family plummet even further than this? I... Sword Saint Xing was slightly stunned by the vehement attitude of his son. Am I... being looked down by my son for cultivating too slowly? Oof! It was a heavy blow, but Sword Saint Xing could not find any rebuttal at all. One year ago, when his son had barely started out as a Fighter, he had been at the Intuitive Impulse realm. Half a year ago, his son had sessfully reached the Saint realm. He had been at the Intuitive Impulse realm. A few days ago, his son had made a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm. He had still been at the Intuitive Impulse realm. On this very day, his son was already at the Aureate Body realm. But as for him... Yes, he was freaking at the Intuitive Impulse realm! If he did not start to speed up now, he would really be overtaken by his son! Without much hesitation, Sword Saint Xing swallowed the pill that Zhang Xuan had flicked to him. As the medicinal energy diffused through his body, he felt a concentrated surge of zhenqi coursing swiftly through his meridians, clearing up the blockages in the blink of an eye. Following which, a powerful aura burst forth from his body. After facing stagnation in his cultivation for so many years, he had finally achieved a breakthrough! This... Seeing how he had achieved a breakthrough before he could even sit down to cultivate, Sword Saint Xing could not help but feel a little dazed. Was this breakthrough not a little too easy! However, he knew that this was not the time for him to be shocked. He quickly closed his eyes and began reinforcing his cultivation. Seeing that both his father and mother had reached the Sempiternal realm, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen and asked, Theres still some time left. Do you want to try as well? Thank you for your offer, but theres no need for it. The Soul Depth of both Mdy and I has reached a bottleneck. It would be meaningless for us to continue cultivating our state of mind! Wu Chen sped his fist. Bottleneck? Are your Soul Depths at 29.9 too? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He knew that Wu Chen and Luo Ruoxin were no ordinary Sempiternal realm cultivators, but he did not think that their Soul Depth would have reached 29.9 as well. It seemed like their background was much more impressive than he had thought. I guess were done then! Zhang Xuan said. He turned to the middle-aged man by the side and said, We have only used the crystal ball for less than an hour. Are you going to refund the remaining hour to us? ... The cheeks of the middle-aged man twitched. While other cultivators used the entire two hours in hopes that they would be able to advance their Soul Depth by 0.1, those three actually took less than an hour to advance their Soul Depth to 29.9. More importantly, they were even asking for a refund after all of that! He swore that he had never seen anyone as stingy as that before! What? Are you unwilling to refund us? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats not it. Its the utmost honor of our Heart Pavilion to have you here. Why dont we count the hour you have spent here on me as well? Seeing that the other party was earnestly asking for a refund, the middle-aged man flicked his wrist and returned the Saint pinnacle artifact to the other party. It might have seemed as if he had made a loss, but the fact that three cultivators had advanced their Soul Depth to 29.9 at his Heart Pavilion was an invaluable advertisement for him. All in all, it was still a win for him. Thats more like it... Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction as he returned the Saint pinnacle artifact to his storage ring. The middle-aged man nodded in response before his gaze slowly drifted over to the crystal ball. A gleam flickered in his eye as he thought, Since they were able to achieve a breakthrough in their Soul Depth so quickly, is there a chance that I might just be able to do the same? With such a thought in mind, he quietly shuffled his footsteps over to the crystal ball. The formation in the crystal ball had to be activated for two hours at the very minimum. Since the current guests were not intending to use it anymore, it would be a waste to leave it be. He might as well use it for himself. He ced his hand on the crystal ball, and after a very long time... there was still no change to his Soul Depth. At that moment, he realized that the advancement of their Soul Depth actually had nothing to do with his crystal ball at all... Chapter 1698 - Luo Ruoxins Worry

Chapter 1698: Luo Ruoxins Worry

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 By the time Zhang Xuan and his group left the Heart Pavilion, the sun had already started to set. Instead of wandering around town, Zhang Xuan went into one of the residences belonging to the Zhang n to reinforce his cultivation and discern the changes in his body. Cultivation was an arduous process. It was not possible to reach the peak after just a bit of hard work. Even someone as talented as him had needed to constantly put in hard work in order to reach his current level. With the recent breakthroughs that he had made, both his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation had reached Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm consummation. With his Dragonbone Divine Spear and the Spatial, Time, and Soul Quintessences, he would be able to put up a fight even against Sempiternal realm consummation experts. He no longer had to rely on external help, such as Kong shis blood droplet, in order to challenge them. Over the next few days, he chose to remain in his amodation, and he did not head out much. Three dayster, the expedition party of the Zhang n arrived in Qufu as well and converged together with their group. After several days of cultivation, the Xingmeng Sword Saints had sessfully reinforced their Sempiternal realm cultivation. If they executed their coborative swordsmanship, they would be able to oppose even Sempiternal realm consummation experts. There were very few beneath Ancient Sage who would be able to threaten them anymore. Nearly all of the grand elders of the Zhang n had joined the expedition party for the Temple of Confucius. Taking a swift nce, there were over twenty of them who had reached Sempiternal realm. As expected of the number one Sage n of the Master Teacher Continent, its roots sure did run deep! ... On the fifth day, Luo Ruoxin suddenly knocked on his door. Zhang Xuan, I heard that theres quite amotion outside. Are you interested in taking a walk with me? Sure! Zhang Xuan nodded without any hesitation. Ever since he arrived in Qufu, he had been spending nearly all of his time cultivating. It was indeed starting to get a little boring and monotonous, so it would be good for him to head out to have a look! Leaving the residence, he found that the city had be significantly more bustling over the past four days. He spotted not just the master teachers and experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion but the old ancestors and grand elders of the other upations too. Before he knew it, nearly all of the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent had already converged in Qufu. In fact, these top experts werent just limited to humans. Quite a number of Great Sage beasts had also arrived in Qufu over the past few days. Despite the massive influx of experts into Qufu, the city still surprisingly remained in order. He did not see any battles or duels happening around. The city remained as peaceful and harmonious as it had always been. Seeing through Zhang Xuans doubts, Luo Ruoxin exined with a smile, This is the sacrednd of the master teachers; no one would dare cause any trouble here. Even if a conflict broke out, they would choose to settle it outside. Qufu was not just the ce where the Temple of Confucius was located, it was also the ancestralnd of the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was no one who would be so foolish as to cause trouble here and be the public enemy of everyone else. Strolling down the busy streets, Zhang Xuan could not help but notice how crowded Qufu had be. He nced at Luo Ruoxin and asked, Say, do you think that there are any Otherworldly Demons here? It was a known fact that Otherworldly Demon Emperors had the ability to disguise themselves as master teachers, and even 9-star master teachers would not be able to distinguish them. Since both humans and beasts had already made their way to Qufu, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would not allow this opportunity to slip through their fingers. They would surely try to hide amid the crowd and sneak into the Temple of Confucius when the time came. I suppose so, Luo Ruoxin replied with a nod. She nced at Zhang Xuan and said, After the Temple of Confucius opens up, well all be teleported to a random location within. This means that we wont be able to remain together... You must remember to keep your guard up at all times. Teleported to a random location within? Zhang Xuan frowned. Un. Wu Chen has been gathering intelligence on the Temple of Confucius. ording to what he has found so far, as soon as the Temple of Confucius opens, we will be enveloped by a formation that will randomly teleport us into the Temple of Confucius. Theres no knowing where you will appear... Without a doubt, there are Otherworldly Demons teleporting along with us as well, so you mustnt let your guard down, Luo Ruoxin said. Un, I wont! Zhang Xuan nodded. If he was teleported into a dire situation, he would just have to rely on his disguising ability. Plus, his threat was not just limited to the Otherworldly Demons. It was likely that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers bore some hostility toward him a well, and they might even intend him harm. He was not as helpless as he was before, but he would still have trouble dealing with arge group of people simultaneously. In the end, one could never be too careful. He did not want to lose his life before he could even make his way into the Temple of Confucius. Luo Ruoxin hesitated for a moment before taking off the pendant around her neck and passing it over to Zhang Xuan. This pendant was given to me by my father. It should be able to save you if you meet any danger. The exterior of the pendant resembled crystal, but its interior was the color of fresh blood. It was an exquisite artifact. This... Zhang Xuan looked at the pendant that Luo Ruoxin was passing to him with a doubtful expression. He knew that there would be dangers lurking within the Temple of Confucius, but he did possess fighting prowessparable to Sempiternal realm consummation experts. Even if someone intended him harm, he had the strength to protect himself. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not epting her pendant, Luo Ruoxin insisted determinedly, Take it. We dont know what lies within the Temple of Confucius, so the only thing that we can do is take as many precautions as possible. I know that you arent too worried about your safety, but if an Otherworldly Demon sessfully achieves a breakthrough to Ancient Sage inside and your identity is exposed to them by some chance, you will be in great danger... The identity that she was referring to was, of course, Celestial Master Teacher. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent. There was some sense to what Luo Ruoxin was saying. Ancient Sages were forbidden from entering the depths of the Temple of Confucius, and no one had sessfully made a breakthrough to Ancient Sage for the past ten thousand years. However, there was a great possibility that there might be an artifact within the Temple of Confucius that would allow one to take the final step forward. If that artifact fell into the hands of the Otherworldly Demons, it could really end badly. It would still be fine if the Otherworldly Demons were oblivious to Zhang Xuans identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, but if they somehow learned of the matter, there was no doubt that Zhang Xuan would be their priority target. With Zhang Xuans capability, he could still fend off Sempiternal realm cultivators without any trouble, but when faced with an Ancient Sage, the only option that he had was to flee as far as he could. The disparity in their strength was simply too great to even attempt to fight back. Knowing that Luo Ruoxin was worried about him, Zhang Xuan took the pendant before asking anxiously, But if I take your pendant, what about you? If the pendant truly had the ability to protect him, was it really fine for him to take it? Would Luo Ruoxin not be in danger if so? You dont have to worry about me. Even if I encounter an opponent I cant defeat, I am still able to escape, Luo Ruoxin reassured. Not wanting to linger too long on this topic, Luo Ruoxin remarked, I saw Luo Qiqi earlier. Qiqi? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Is she here too? He had not seen Luo Qiqi ever since they separated at the Luo n. If Luo Ruoxin had seen her around, could she be there for the Temple of Confucius as well? Thinking about it, it did make sense. As the owner of the Dimension Silencer, Luo Qiqi boasted strengthparable to Sempiternal realm cultivators. Considering how huge a matter the opening of the Temple of Confucius was, it was reasonable for her to show up in the vicinity. Yeah. Shes... a good person, Luo Ruoxin said in a daze. Ruoxin, are you fine? Hearing the abrupt remark made by Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan frowned. Its nothing. I just cant help thinking that once we separate from one another after the opening of Temple of Confucius, we might never meet one another again, Luo Ruoxin said. She would usually have a lofty and nonchnt look on her face, but at that moment, a hint of worry and reluctance could be seen on her countenance. Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was worrying over this matter, Zhang Xuan attempted to console her. Dont worry. Well surely survive the dangers in the Temple of Confucius and reunite with one another! Ever since he first met her, she seemed to have been able to remain calm no matter what happened. It was as if there was nothing in this world that could faze her, or perhaps, she was simply a little detached from the world. Yet, she seemed to be particrly emotional that day. It was true that he would face many enemies in the Temple of Confucius, and the random teleportation only introduced further unpredictability to the expedition. There was no doubt that the expedition would be fraught with dangers, but he would not go down without a fight. As for Luo Ruoxin... even with his current eye of discernment, he was still unable to see through the depths of her strength. From this, it was evident that her strength was far more terrifying than his. Given so, what did they have to fear? I guess so. Lets not talk about this anymore! Luo Ruoxin replied with a light smile. She stretched out her hand and asked, Where is the Prime Amulet? Can you let me take a look at it? Its here! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out Little Amulet and passed it over. This was an artifact that they had acquired through their partnership. Putting aside the fact that she only wanted to have a look at it, even if she wanted the Prime Amulet, he would have given it to her without any hesitation. Chapter 1699 - Entering the Outskirts of Temple of Confucius

Chapter 1699: Entering the Outskirts of Temple of Confucius

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Taking the Prime Amulet, Luo Ruoxin stroked it lightly with her fingers. A momentter, she passed it back. Here you go! Why dont you just take it? I can wait for you at the entrance of the Temple of Confucius, and the two of us can enter together! Zhang Xuan suggested with a smile. He had no intention of leaving Luo Ruoxin behind in the Temple of Confucius, and he trusted Luo Ruoxin as well. Thus, it did not matter to him who was in possession of Little Amulet. Theres no need for it. Itll be good to leave it with you. I just wanted to take a look at it... Luo Ruoxin shook her head as she passed the pendant back. Alright then... It would be great if we could use the Communication Jade Token after entering the Temple of Confucius, but if we are unable to contact one another, lets meet at the entrance of the Prime Hall. Ill be waiting for you there! Zhang Xuan said. Alright. Luo Ruoxin nodded with a light smile. Strolling through the bustling crowd while making some idle conversation, Zhang Xuan could not help but remember the day that he confessed at Firesource City. It felt as if the entire world had be insignificant as long as she was by his side. It was a feeling of peace that he had never known to be possible. He did not know how she felt about him, but she gave him a striking sense of familiarity. He knew that it was irrational to think of it in such a manner, but it felt like their fates were tightly interweaved together. Being beside her felt like the most natural thing to him, such that he could no longer fathom a world without her. The time spent with loved ones always flew by swiftly. Unknowingly, a day passed. They swiftly returned to their amodations. Zhang Xuan was just about to bid Luo Ruoxin farewell when the ground suddenly started to tremble. Tremendous pressure abruptly descended upon Qufu, and the ancient buildings that made up the city swiftly sumbed to the pressure and copsed one after another. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. This was the city that Kong shi had resided in during his lifetime, so it was bound to be a ce of great fortune. Even the Sanctum of Sages had never suffered an earthquake before, so why would Qufu suddenly suffer such intense tremors? Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze upward as she said grimly, The Temple of Confucius is opening. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan swiftly looked up into the sky as well. The second sun in the sky began to flicker non-stop, signaling that something was going to happen very soon. Following which, rays of myriad colors descended upon Qufu, creating passageways that linked the two worlds together. As more and more rays fell upon the world, the pressure on the ground seemed to grow stronger and stronger. This is bad... Sensing danger from the intensifying pressure, the cultivators who had yet to reach Great Sage hurriedly took out protective artifacts to shield themselves. Even Zhang Xuan felt goosebumps rising all over his body from the sheer pressure, and he quickly drove his zhenqi to ward off the force crushing down on him. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Cracks began appearing on the ground. The spiritual energy in the surroundings swiftly formed a massive tornado that swept everything toward the sky. Amid the roaring hubbub around him, Zhang Xuan felt a warmth sensation on his handLuo Ruoxin. There was a look on her face that Zhang Xuan had never seen before. Zhang Xuan, if I have hidden some things from you... will you hate me? Unable toprehend why Luo Ruoxin would suddenly ask such a question at this point in time, Zhang Xuan replied, I wont. I know that you have your own concerns for keeping secrets from me, and I understand that. Ill wait for the day that you are willing to speak... Then, what if I... In the midst of Luo Ruoxins words, a deafening rumble suddenly echoed from the sky. Following which, the entire Qufu was devoured by a brilliant white light. Ruoxin! The sight before Zhang Xuan blurred as he felt the warmth in his hand vanishing. He saw the world spinning around him before he cked out altogether. ... When Zhang Xuan opened his eyes once more, he was already in the midst of a vast mountain range. He waspletely surrounded by tall grass that seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon. Ruoxin! Zhang Xuan quickly got up and searched his surroundings frantically. However, there was not a single person in sight. Although Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment, realization soon struck him. It seems like the Temple of Confucius has opened, and we have all been randomly teleported in... It was just a moment ago that he had still been in the Zhang ns residence in Qufu, but in the blink of an eye, he was already in the midst of a mountain range. At the time, the youngdy whose hand was locked together with his had vanished as well. It was apparent that he had been teleported away by some formidable force. Without any doubt, it was clearly the doing of the Temple of Confucius. Everyone that had been in Qufu should have been teleported to a random location in the Temple of Confucius. Knowing that they had just been teleported to different locations, Zhang Xuans heart finally calmed down. He released his Spiritual Perception to sense the surroundings around him, and he could not help but nod. The teachers milieu in here is much more concentrated than in Qufu... It was no wonder everyone wanted toe to the Temple of Confucius in search of their fortuitous encounter. Putting everything aside, just the teachers milieu there was much more concentrated than in Qufu. A master teacher who cultivated there would find their Soul Depth growing at an astounding pace. The spiritual energy in here is much denser too. I have never seen a blessednd of such quality before! It was one thing for the teachers milieu to be much more concentrated in Qufu, but even the spiritual energy was so dense that it almost felt tangible to the touch! Even without utilizing a pinnacle spirit stone, a cultivator would be able to advance their cultivation swiftly there! Knowing that he was in a different environment, Zhang Xuan quickly checked his physical condition, and after confirming that his fighting prowess was no lower in the Temple of Confucius, he heaved a sigh of relief. Following which, he flicked his hand and took out his Communication Jade Token. He attempted to activate it, but to his disappointment, he was not able to contact anyone at all. Just as he had guessed, it was impossible to use Communication Jade Tokens in the Temple of Confucius. It felt like there was some kind of barrier around the area that prevented remotemunication. Next, he whipped out his Dragonbone Divine Spear and pierced the space before him. The space wavered a little, but it did not tear open to form a dimension rift. It seems like I am unable to do spatial leaps in here. If he could not open a dimension rift, he would be unable to construct spatial passageways and leap from one area to another. It doesnt seem like I can perform Soul Traverse either... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.This means that Teleportation Formations wont work in here either! To his amazement, the space in the Temple of Confucius was actually even more resilient than that of the Master Teacher Continent! Despite the surge in his cultivation, he was still unable to tear the space open. Let me try flying... Leaping into the air, Zhang Xuan attempted to head as high as possible in an attempt to get a birds eye view over the entire ce. However, the higher he went, the greater the pressure weighing down on him seemed to be. It was as if someone was strapping more and more weights on him. Driving his zhenqi furiously, he barely reached the top of a tree before sumbing to the pressure. Hu! He fell back down to the ground, producing a massive pit below him. As Zhang Xuan patted off the dust from his body, the astonishment on his face could not be concealed. The space in the ancient domain was clearly far morepact than the space in the Master Teacher Continent, thus making flight exceptionally difficult. Even with his prowess, he could only reach the top of a tree before plummeting to the ground. It was likely that most other cultivators would fare worse than him. He had been nning to quickly scout the area and ascertain the location of the Subordinate Halls and Prime Hall. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like Kong shi had already taken precautions to ensure that his trial would not be that easy. Unwilling to give up, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings with his Eye of Insight. Since there existed teachers milieu in the air, it was likely that the Prime Hall was located in the area where the teachers milieu was the most concentrated! As such, as long as he followed the concentration gradient of the teachers milieu, he should be able to reach the center very swiftly. But very soon, after taking a sweeping gaze across the area, his face turned livid. It was true that teachers milieu was omnipresent in the area, but to his astonishment... there was no concentration gradient at all! The concentration of teachers milieu was equal throughout. To put it in other words, he could not make use of the concentration gradient to find the Subordinate Halls and Prime Hall! Humph! Even if Kong shi thinks that he can stop me with just this much... I still have the Library of Heavens Path to fall back on! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he took out a book. If it had been any other cultivator, they would have given up at this point and been forced to roam aimlessly around the area until they found a feasible path forward. However, that was not the case for Zhang Xuan. He still had a final trump card that he could usethe Library of Heavens Path! Back then, when he was in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain, he had been able to use the Library of Heavens Path to find the location of the Dragonbone Divine Spear without any trouble. He would surely be able to do so this time around too! Chapter 1700 - Goldface Skywolf

Chapter 1700: Goldface Skywolf

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Whipping out a brush, Zhang Xuan quickly drew out his surroundings in the air and wrote out the words This is where the Prime Hall lies in the eight directions. Then, he tapped on the painting with his finger. Weng! He quickly checked the Library of Heavens Path, but no book had beenpiled. ... Zhang Xuans face darkened. No book had beenpiled. In other words, the Library of Heavens Path would be ineffective in helping him find the location of the Prime Hall! This was the first time that he had encountered such a situation. The Temple of Confucius is hidden in a folded space, and over the past tens of thousands of years, there hasnt been a single seer who has been able to divine its location. Most likely, Kong shi has used some kind of means to conceal it from view! There were countless experts among mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe alike. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, which Kong shi had left behind, was an artifact desired by countless people, but its whereabouts remained a mystery even after the passing of tens of thousands of years. Clearly, some kind of anti-divination technique had been cast over it to conceal it from the sights of the heavens. As such, it was inevitable that the Library of Heavens Path was unable to divine its whereabouts. The extent of the capabilities of the Library of Heavens Path was limited by the scope of the heavens. Where the heavens were unable to reach, the Library of Heavens Path would be rendered powerless, too. Clearly, the Temple of Confucius was such an existence. With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan took out the Prime Amulet and asked, Little Amulet, where do I have to go to reach the Prime Hall? Since his other idea did not work, he could at least count on the Prime Hall! The Prime Hall flew into the air and wiggled its body a little before replying, I can only sense the Prime Hall when we are within twenty li of the Temple of Confucius. From where we are now... Im not too sure... It was able to sense the location of the Temple of Confucius, but there was a limit to its range of detection. If it was too far away from the destination, it would not be able to sense its presence. Alright then. If you notice anything, send me a telepathic message right away... Seeing that even hisst idea was not working, Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. As someone who wielded great powers in the Master Teacher Continent, he did not think that he would end up being so helpless in this folded space. Noted! However, if you dont choose your direction wisely in the Temple of Confucius, you could end up straying off path, the Prime Amulet advised. Indeed. I have to pay careful attention to where I head to. I cant afford to act recklessly in here... Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. A momentter, his eyes lit up as he eximed, Right! Do you have an idea in mind? the Prime Amulet asked. The Dragonbone Divine Spear! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more. Is it able to discern directions in here? The Prime Amulet felt like it had just taken a heavy blow. Are you certain that itll be able to find the Temple of Confucius when even I am unable to do so? It was an artifact created for the sole purpose of finding the Temple of Confucius! If it was unable to find the Temple of Confucius, no one else should be able to! What was the point of taking out the Dragonbone Divine Spear at this point in time? In the next moment, the Prime Amulet saw Zhang Xuan flicking his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear began spinning furiously in the air. It took a while before it came to a halt. Pointing in the direction that the Dragonbone Divine Spear was facing, Zhang Xuan nodded. Un, lets head that way then! After which, he began making his way over with a confident look on his face. ... The Prime Amulet. ... The Dragonbone Divine Spear. They had both been wondering what kind of ingenious method their master was going to resort to, but who could have expected him to simply bet everything on dumb luck? You are here to find the Temple of Confucius, not to spin the Wheel of Fortune! Ignoring the stifled duo, Zhang Xuan returned the Prime Amulet to his storage ring and wrapped the Dragonbone Divine Spear back around his waist before marching forward with widened strides. Since he had no clue where he should be heading, he might as well just start walking around and explore the area. The folded space was rich with spiritual energy, so Zhang Xuan did not feel any fatigue advancing forward. Soon enough, he arrived before a stream. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan could not help but exim in awe. What was flowing in the stream was not water but spirit essence! In other words, the spiritual energy in the air was so concentrated that it could easily condense into water and form a stream! The saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge had once gone on a rampage over their disappeared spirit essence! He did not think that it would be so readily avable in here. Collect! Even though spirit essence of such a tier was no longer useful to Zhang Xuan, his spendthrift nature still kicked. He could not bring himself to leave such good stuff lying around, so he collected it all into the Myriad Anthive Nest, making sure not to waste even a single droplet. Traversing across what used to be a stream, he marched on ahead and found many medicinal herbs. Even the youngest of these herbs was at least at a thousand years old. The oldest one that he found was tens of thousands of years old. Even from afar, he could already smell the deep fragrance of the mature medicinal herbs. Its truly a world filled with treasures... Zhang Xuan thought as he excitedly picked a dozen stalks. The Temple of Confucius sure was an amazing ce. It was as if treasures were littered everywhere! It was no wonder all of the experts of the Master Teacher Continent wanted to enter it. Dense spiritual energy, high concentration of teachers milieu, and the readily avable treasures... these were the ingredients required for ones cultivation to advance swiftly. With them, a cultivator would be able to avoid struggling so desperately outside Ding ding ding! In the midst of his exploration, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard the nging of metal in the distance. Without any hesitation, he dashed in that direction. Before arriving at the source of the metallic nging, he had already altered his appearance. As the head of the Three Premier ns and the Sanctum of Sages, there was probably no one who did not know of him by now. Furthermore, as he had once been a wanted fugitive of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was not difficult for one to learn of his appearance. Considering how sensitive his identity was, it would be best for him to take caution. Circling around a hill, Zhang Xuan finally arrived at the source of the metallic nging. Five men and two women were currently surrounding a beast, battling it. It was a Goldface Skywolf, blessed with the strength of an Aureate Body realm expert at birth. Once mature, it would gain strengthparable to an Intuitive Impulse realm expert. Of its seven opponents, three were in the Aureate Body realm whereas the remaining four were in the Intuitive Impulse realm. They were not dressed in master teacher robes, and there was no emblem on their master teacher clothes either. It was hard to tell their allegiance. Under thebined assault of the seven experts, the Goldface Skywolf was forced to retreat time and time again. It was in a disadvantageous position, being severely outnumbered. Normally, beasts would wield far greater fighting prowess than cultivators of the same cultivation realm. However, knowing that the Temple of Confucius would be fraught with dangers, the cultivators who hade over had brought many treasures along. They tossed all of their artifacts over as if they did not cost money at all. At the same time, it seemed like the Goldface Skywolf wascking in battle experience. As a result, it took only a few instants for the Goldface Skywolf to be severely wounded. Seeing that the Goldface Skywolf was finallying to its limits, a young man amid the crowd bellowed, Follow mymand. Wellunch an attack simultaneously! Very well! The eyes of the other members of the group lit up. The next moment, all sorts of weapons darted toward the Goldface Skywolf. Under the relentless assault of the cultivators, the Goldface Skywolf finally sumbed and dropped dead on the ground. We have managed to kill it! The group collectively heaved a sigh of relief. They were just about to celebrate when they heard footsteps, and they hurriedly raised their weapons once more. Who are you? a member of the group asked warily. Im just passing by the area, Zhang Xuan replied. Passing by? The members of the group eyed Zhang Xuan suspiciously, seemingly fearing that he would steal the Goldface Skywolf that they had just killed. Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan swiftly understood what was going on and waved his hand. I am uninterested in that beast. You dont have to be so wary of me! Considering how he had appeared a moment after they slew the Goldface Skywolf, it was no wonder they would be doubtful of his intentions. Humph! I doubt you would dare anyway... Seeing that Zhang Xuan was only at the Aureate Body realm, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. The young man who had issued the order earlier turned his gaze back to the carcass of the Goldface Skywolf. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a sharp dagger and began dismantling the carcass. It did not take long for him to retrieve the Skywolfs fangs and ws. I yed the greatest role in killing this fellow over here, so I believe none of you will have any objections to me taking the fangs and ws, right? Feel free to divide whatevers left among the rest of you! the young man said. Chapter 1701 - Crimsonfrons White Tiger

Chapter 1701: Crimsonfrons White Tiger

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The toughest parts of a beast were usually their fangs and ws. Everything aside from those two would be rtively inexpensive. However, knowing the young mans strength, the crowd did not dare utter a word ofint. They reluctantly nodded before getting to dismantling the carcass as well. It did not take them long to dissect the massive wolf carcass. The various body parts of the Goldface Skywolf were invaluable materials, but given Zhang Xuans current wealth, they were not enough to catch his eye. Besides, those cultivators had gone through a lot in order to kill the beast. As a master teacher, it would be inappropriate for him to steal their loot. From how they divided the spoils of victory, Zhang Xuan noticed a few subtle details. He had thought that their group had known one another prior to entering the folded space, but that was not the case. It was clear that they were guarded against one another, and in the distribution of the spoils of victory, they attempted to im as much for themselves as possible. Despite having decided to group up together, it seemed like their hearts were not aligned with one another. The strongest young man, who seemed to serve as the de facto leader of the group, suddenly approached Zhang Xuan. Friend, it seems like you are wandering around the area alone. Why dont you join our group? The area around the Temple of Confucius is vast, and there are many experts and beasts roaming around. Not only is it dangerous for you to venture about the area alone, it will be difficult for you to acquire anything good given your limited fighting prowess! We can watch each others back in a group! Putting everything aside, the Goldface Skywolf that we have just defeated has already gone extinct on the Master Teacher Continent, making it an extremely rare and invaluable existence! Without sufficient strength, it would be difficult to acquire even a clump of its hair, let alone its hide and ws! The others quickly nodded in agreement. Venturing around in a group would mean having to split any loot with the group, but the Temple of Confucius was not short of treasures! Besides, it would be difficult for an individual to fend off the dangers lurking in the area alone and acquire anything substantial. Furthermore, if a stronger expert robbed him, he would bepletely helpless against the other party! Back on the Master Teacher Continent, out of deference for the Master Teacher Pavilion, cultivators would dare not go overboard. However, they were currently in a folded space filled with threats at every corner. Even the arm of the Master Teacher Pavilion was not strong enough to enforce its rules within the folded space! One could kill a couple of people and dispose of their corpses, and no one would be any the wiser! This folded space was, in the truest sense, and ofwlessness. The only thing that could bind ones actions were ones principles and morals. Master teachers might still feelpelled to uphold their values, but what about the other unaffiliated cultivators? What about the Otherworldly Demons? After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. Alright! Since he had no direction at the moment, it would not hurt for him to follow this group. At the same time, it would serve to conceal his identity so that he would not draw anyones suspicion. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans agreement, the young man stood up and introduced himself with an air of dignity. I am Mu Xiao, an offspring of the Mu n! A hint of astonishment shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. It turned out that the young man was an expert of the Mu n! Considering his strength, it was likely that the young man was a trump card that the Mu n had kept hidden all this time. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and introduced himself. I am Xuan Zhang, an unaffiliated cultivator! So, its Brother Xuan! Its a pleasure to meet you! Mu Xiao replied out of courtesy. The remaining members of the group also introduced themselves as well. Of the group of seven, six of them were disciples of major powers. Only one of them was an unaffiliated cultivator. Lets continue ahead! After sealing their alliance, Mu Xiao beckoned for the crowd to gather, and they began advancing once more. Zhang Xuan noted that they were walking in the same direction that he had been intending to head in earlier, and he quietly followed behind them. This walksted four whole hours. Within this period of time, they encountered another three beasts wielding strength on par with the Goldface Skywolf. Knowing that his exceptional strength would bring doubts to his identity, Zhang Xuan adjusted his fighting prowess to match that of an ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivator. The truth was that the crowd had invited Zhang Xuan into their group anticipating that he would possess exceptional means and treasures, considering how he was able to walk around the folded space alone safely. However, when they saw that his fighting prowess was so-so, they swiftly lost their interest in him. Unknowingly, their attitude toward him turned cold as well. You hardly did anything at all, so Im afraid that we cant share anything with you this time. Youll have to try harder to pull your weight next time! Mu Xiao told Zhang Xuan as they dissected the third beast they encountered. Tsk! I thought that he would possess some formidable means! You really cant expect anything of an unaffiliated cultivator! He hardly contributed anything in killing this beast! He has no right to take anything at all! ... Such discussions could be heard amid the group. Their words were particrly jarring, but Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his words on something as trivial as this. Instead, his eyes were fixated in the direction that the beast had appeared from previously, and his eyes slowly lit up in agitation. He could not help but notice that the three beasts that they had encountered in the midst of their journey had all been traveling in the opposite direction to them. It seemed too much of a coincidence for them to all be heading in the opposite direction. Could it be that they were walking in the right direction and the Temple of Confuciusy right ahead of them? With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately wanted to break free of the group and advance forward individually. However, before he could do so, a rustling sound suddenly echoed from the forest around them. Following which, a Crimsonfrons White Tiger emerged from the woods ahead of them. This beast was at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation. As soon as it appeared, it emanated a powerful pressure that caused ones heart to jolt in fright. Everyone, raise your arms! Mu Xiao eximed anxiously upon catching sight of the beast. Hu! There was no novice in the group of seven. Upon hearing themand, they immediately whipped out their weapons once more and got into their positions, ready to face any enemy that would pounce on them. Roar! Seeing that someone dared block its path, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger flew into a rage. With a ferocious roar, it dashed right into the group. With a single move, therge beast had already demonstrated its superior strength against the group. It tore its ws down, choking a suffocating moan from the surrounding air. Ripples of shockwave burst right for Mu Xiao as though sharp sword qi. Greenwood Barrier! Mu Xiao narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He quickly flicked his wrist and ced a dome-shaped wooden shield before him. It was an artifact from the Mu n. Kacha! As powerful as the Greenwood Barrier was, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger was simply too powerful. With another flick of his ws, cracks had already started forming on the surface of the Greenwood Barrier. Pu! Unable to take it any longer, Mu Xiao spurted a mouthful of fresh blood and was sent flying. Knowing that they would be next victims if they did not make a move, someone amid the group bellowed, Lets make a move together! Upon hearing the order, the remaining members of the group dashed forward simultaneously. Brandishing their weapons furiously, they sent all sorts of powerful attacks toward the Crimsonfrons White Tiger. However, they were not even able to pierce the other partys skin. Roar! With a ferocious roar, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger spun its body abruptly, sending the cultivators around it flying. Their pale faces and the spurts of blood showed that most of the cultivators had already suffered grievous injuries despite the short encounter with the massive beast. To think that they would be no match for the Crimsonfrons White Tiger even after putting their strength together! As expected of an Intuitive Impulse realm consummation beast, the strength that it wielded was indeed fearsome! Are we going to die here? Seeing how they were unable to breach the massive beasts defenses even after exerting their full strength, despair and horror surfaced on the faces of the cultivators. The realization that they could really lose their lives right there suddenly struck them, and this feeling left them feeling deeply terrified. Had they known earlier, they would never have ventured so deeply into the area. Just when they thought that death would fall upon them, the weakest fellow of their group suddenly strutted right up to the Crimsonfrons White Tiger. I cant fly here, and traveling on foot takes simply too long... It must be fate that has brought us here together. Since our fates have intertwined with one another, Ill bestow you a chance. Be my tamed beast! the young man named Xuan Zhang said calmly. Roar? The Crimsonfrons White Tiger was stunned. Is there something wrong with this fellows head? You are going to give me a chance to be your tamed beast, are you? Did your head get jammed in between doors or something? The other cultivators were also dumbstruck by what they had just heard. All this while, the young man had not been able to contribute much even in their battles against Aureate Body realm beasts. Yet, at that moment, he actually wanted to take an Intuitive Impulse realm consummation beast as his tamed beast. Even beast tamers would have to take several years to cultivate their feelings with a beast before they could convince it to seal a contact with them. No one knew how long the Temple of Confucius would remain open for, but it was certain that it would notst several years. Putting aside the limitations of the young mans strength, it was already an impossible feat on the sole basis of time! It was precisely for this reason that they had chosen to y every single beast that came their way. They did not even bother to consider the possibility to taming one of the beasts and taking it back to the Master Teacher Continent. Given that that fellow was only at the Aureate Body realm, was he not afraid of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger killing him with a single p? Before the doubtful gazes of the crowd, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger released a ferocious howl and shed its ws down upon Zhang Xuans head. Chapter 1702 - White Tigers Are Amazing

Chapter 1702: White Tigers Are Amazing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Si! It sounded as if the fabric of space was being torn apart. The movements of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger were so powerful and swift that they produced sonic booms in the air. The tant contempt that Zhang Xuan had shown it had truly enraged it. This maneuver was clearly much stronger than the moves that it had used to subdue Mu Xiao and the others. Even a Saint pinnacle artifact would be destroyed under its crushing force. On the receiving end, it seemed as if the young man facing the Crimsonfrons White Tiger had been scared silly. He remainedpletely stationary, not attempting to dodge the attack at all! I was still wondering what kind of expert you are, but who would have thought that you are just another coward! The Crimsonfrons White Tiger sneered coldly as it smacked its ws down upon the young mans head. Weng! Contrary to everyones expectations, a crimson explosion of gray matter did not happen. Instead, a metallic reverberation echoed in the air instead. The Crimsonfrons White Tiger narrowed its eyes as it hurriedly retracted its trembling ws. It had used its full might to crush the young mans head, but not only was the young manpletely fine, its ws had been jolted numb instead! In an instant, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger realized that even though the young man appeared to only be at the Aureate Body realm on the surface, his strength had already far surpassed it. Roar! With a low growl, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger turned tail and fled. What the heck is this... It had just nned to grab a small snack to fill its empty belly, but who could have known that it would end up encountering such a tough nut! There must have been a problem with the posture that it had woken up in! This would not do. It should return to bed and sleep for a while, and perhaps, it would find that it was just a nasty nightmare... The beasts inside the folded space had not experienced too many battles, and their intelligence was considerably lower than the beasts on the Master Teacher Continent. Nevertheless, that did not mean that they were so foolish as to court death. If it was unable to crush the young mans head after exerting its full strength, it was apparent that the young man was not an opponent that it could defeat. As the saying goes, Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is the way to go! Did I permit you to leave? How could Zhang Xuan allow the Crimsonfrons White Tiger to leave as it pleased after smacking his head? Without any hesitation, he sent a kick over. Wuwuwu! The Crimsonfrons White Tiger skidded over ten meters on the floor before copsing weakly to the ground. Its head was spinning so much that even maintaining its bnce was an arduous task! Youve had your fun. Its time to submit to me! Zhang Xuan said as he sent another kick at the Crimsonfrons White Tigers face. A minuteter... A droplet of blood essence drifted into Zhang Xuans be. The Crimsonfrons White Tiger had finally submitted! Thats more like it! Zhang Xuan nodded contentedly. He hopped onto the back of the tiger before turning his gaze to the bulging-eyed crowd behind him. I still have some matters to attend to, so Ill be leaving now. Leaving those words behind, he nudged the tigers belly with his leg. Thetter immediately began galloping ahead, disappearing into the mountain forest in the blink of an eye. It was as if it had never appeared before. He... managed to tame a Crimsonfrons White Tiger alone? Did he even take three minutes for that? My gosh! What in the world did I just see? ... Mu Xiao and the others gulped down several mouthfuls of saliva each. They had thought that the other party was just a Bronze, but who could have known that he was a hidden Challenger! They found themselves unable to keep up with the abrupt turn of events. If I had known earlier, I would have tried harder to get on good terms with him. With the backing of such a powerful expert, I would have been able to make bountiful gains here! We were blinded by the paltry gains before us. Of the three beasts that we have in earlier, we distributed none of it to him at all. Considering how weve offended him, we should already be thankful that he was willing to make a move to save our lives... Hai! We have truly missed an ideal opportunity... ... The crowd dearly regretted their earlier actions. It was true that there were many treasures waiting to be uncovered in the Temple of Confucius, but equally great were the dangers as well. If they had an expert to cover them, they would definitely have been able to increase their gains. Unfortunately, their greed had foiled an opportunity delivered right to their doorstep, and it was unlikely that such a chance would present itself to them once more. ... Oblivious to the emotions of the group that he had left behind, Zhang Xuan was advancing swiftly on the back of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger. You are a beast residing in this folded space. Do you know where the Temple of Confucius is located? Zhang Xuan asked. The many means that he had at his disposal had failed in helping him locate the whereabouts of the Temple of Confucius. Considering how the Crimsonfrons White Tiger had grown up there, he should be familiar with the surroundings. It would be best to have a local guide take him around instead of wandering aimlessly around the area. Master... what is the Temple of Confucius? the Crimsonfrons White Tiger asked uncertainly. Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing the question. Do you really not know? The Crimsonfrons White Tiger shook its head. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, Do you know of any restricted grounds in this area that you are forbidden from entering? It was likely that the Temple of Confucius would be a restricted area where the beasts were denied entry. While the Crimsonfrons White Tiger might be unfamiliar with the term Temple of Confucius, it should at least know of the various restricted grounds. Hearing Zhang Xuans question, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger pondered for a moment before replying, There is one restricted ground in the areathe territory of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. There was one time when I identally stepped into his territory and ended up being nearly pummeled to death. Master, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger is the Monarch of everything within a radius of ten thousand li from here. It should be able to help you in whatever you are looking for! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger? Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing an unfamiliar name. Having read through the books in the Sanctum of Sages, he had a decent knowledge of the many beasts in the world, and this included those that had gone extinct. However, he had never heard of a Goldspirit Cloudtiger before. Thats right... Its a tigress. I once tried to court her, but... Cough cough, I didnt seed... the Crimsonfrons White Tiger said awkwardly. Back then, it had prided itself on its silky white fur and dashing appearance, so it had attempted to court the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Yet, shortly after it arrived in the other partys territory, before it could even meet the other party, it had been thrown out with its tail between its legs. It was extremely embarrassing even when it thought back on it now. Tigresses were indeed existences not to be trifled with! It was then that it had made up its mind to never find a tigress for its wife, or else it would not know when it would be killed in its sleep. For the time being, the female wolf next door looked rather demure and gentle. Unaware that the thoughts of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger had begun wandering around the ce, Zhang Xuan asked, How strong is it? Even though the mount that he had just acquired was only at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation, its superior defense and astounding strength allowed it to rival even Sempiternal realm intermediate stage beasts in a battle. Despite that, it had still been crushed by the so-called Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Just how powerful was the other party? Its at Sempiternal realm consummation! Its one of the Five Monarchs of this forest! the Crimsonfrons White Tiger exined. Five Monarchs? Un. They are the five strongest existences in this forest, having reached Sempiternal realm consummation. Inparison, I can only be considered to be in the lower middle tier within the forest! the Crimsonfrons White Tiger replied honestly, not daring to lie to its new master. Master, if you wish to seek anything, they will surely know better than me! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The higher ones standing was, the more one was bound to know. Bring me to the Goldspirit Cloudtiger! Zhang Xuanmanded. Yes, Master! Not daring to utter another word, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger immediately confirmed the location before galloping ahead furiously. Ding ding ding! During their journey, Zhang Xuan heard the sound of metallic ngs sounding ahead. Coming a bit closer, he saw two groups of peopleing to blows over a stalk of a medicinal herb. On the other hand, the two groups of people swiftly halted their actions upon hearing the flurried footsteps. A momentter, they saw a young man seated atop a massive white tiger slowly approaching them. Is that an Intuitive Impulse realm consummation Crimsonfrons White Tiger? Who in the world is that fellow? Why is he sitting on the back of the tiger? Wait a moment... could he possibly have tamed the Crimsonfrons White Tiger? ... The two groups of people were horrified to see Zhang Xuan and his tiger, such that they even forgot about their conflict. On instinct alone, they opened up a pathway for Zhang Xuan to pass by. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan waved his hand at the crowd beneath with a smile. As though a superior checking on the work of his subordinates, he said earnestly, Hello! I see that you have all been working hard. Carry on, carry on! Theres no need to be affected by my presence. I am just passing by... As he said these words, he knocked the tigers belly lightly once more with his leg. H! The Crimsonfrons White Tiger warped into a streak of white light as it flitted through the crowd. With the lighting effect from the sun, the young man on the tigers back appeared to be towering and powerful, almost as if a deity. That must be what a true expert is like... The crowd muttered among themselves. While they were still struggling to survive and adapt to this new environment, the other party had already tamed a powerful saint beast to explore the area. That was the despairing gap between a true expert andmoners like them. ... I nearly forgot. Give me that medicinal herb! No! Its mine... After recovering from their shock, they resumed their furious shouting and tussling over the medicinal herb. Chapter 1703 - Encircling the Cloudtiger

Chapter 1703: Encircling the Cloudtiger

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What has be of the love andpassion of humans? Seeing how the two groups had returned to tussling with one another over a medicinal herb, Zhang Xuan clutched his chest with a pained look on his face. Treasures are indeed the bane of mankind. This folded space is already dangerous as it is, but instead of cooperating with one another to survive this ordeal, they opted for infighting instead. I have never felt so embarrassed to be a human! Roar! The Crimsonfrons White Tiger expressed its agreement. I guess theres no choice then. In order to allow the humans to halt their infighting and unite with one another to ovee this ordeal, I shall go through the trouble of taking away all of the treasures in the area so that they will have nothing else to fight over! Zhang Xuan said with a benevolent glow on his face. The Crimsonfrons White Tiger was just about to nod in agreement as well when it suddenly realized that there was something very weird about those words. It tilted its head in bewilderment. Roar? To be able to find such a righteous excuse to plunder the treasures on thisnd... Its new master sure was shameless! Did he have no sense of shame? Unaware of how his image had just crumbled in the mind of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger, Zhang Xuan instructed with an air of righteousness, You are familiar with the local terrain, and you are able to travel around fairly quick as well. If there are any formidable treasures around the area, bring me to them! Roar! Knowing that its master had already made up his mind and it would be futile toin, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger could only nod in agreement before darting forward swiftly. It had to be said that the Crimsonfrons White Tiger really did know the area well. Under its lead, Zhang Xuan was brought from one rare treasure to another. It would have taken him far longer if he had to scavenge them one by one manually. In less than four hours, he had already swept away everything good within a radius of several hundred li. There were ten-thousand-year-old medicinal herbs and rare ores that could not be found on the Master Teacher Continent. Delighted by the returns, he even recruited another five beasts to assist him in the treasure hunt. With no more treasures remaining the area, the conflicts in the area had visibly reduced. Seeing that the world had taken a step toward peace, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. With his noble deed done, he strutted off with his six tamed beasts toward the territory of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Fearing that the intelligence provided by the Crimsonfrons White Tiger was off, he posed the same question to the five beasts that he had just tamed, and their responses were the same. Within this forest, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was the indubitable sovereign. Hide in here for the time being. When I beckon youter on, I want you tounch a decisive strike to take down the Goldspirit Cloudtiger together! After traveling for another an hour, they were already nearing their destination. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and stowed the six beasts into the Myriad Anthive Nest. Sempiternal realm consummation beasts were far stronger than master teachers of the same tier. Even with his current fighting prowess, it was likely that he would face trouble dealing with the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. It was not a coincidence that he had tamed so many beasts. In truth, he was intending to use them as reinforcements! If he really could not defeat the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, he could set the six beasts on it simultaneously. Even as a Sempiternal realm consummation beast, it would be tied down for a moment. He would use the time bought tounch his strongest technique and defeat it in a single move! After stowing the tamed beasts, Zhang Xuan crept amid the tall grasses as he swiftly flitted toward the area pointed out to him earlier. Before he could reach their of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, he heard footsteps ahead. With a swift maneuver, he climbed onto the top of a tree and observed the situation ahead of him through the leaves. A short distance in front, a group of eight was advancing warily. Every single one of them was holding their weapon tightly, prepared to engage their enemy at any moment. Even the weakest among them is at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation, and there is a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator among them too... It seems like they have also learned of the existence of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger and havee to subdue it... Zhang Xuan quickly analyzed the situation. He could not possibly be the only one who would think of seeking the strongest beast in order to ask about the location of the Temple of Confucius. It was true that the outer perimeter was suitable for cultivation, and there were many treasures lying around. However, there was no one who did not know that the true treasuresy within the Temple of Confucius. Opportunities often came with risks. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to climb to the top, and many would be willing to brave any danger for it! Who is it? While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator walking at the forefront of the group suddenly turned his gaze to Zhang Xuans direction. The short moment of contemtion earlier had caused a fluctuation in Zhang Xuans emotions, leading to some imperfections in the concealment of his aura. It was just a slight leak, but with the entire group on guard, it was inevitable that he would be discovered. Knowing that he had been exposed, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he walked out. I was just passing by the area... The Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator who had spoken earlier was an elder in his sixties. With an authoritative furrow in between his brows, he questioned, Are you a master teacher? Seeing that some members of the group were dressed in master teacher robes, Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively, Thats right! I am a grand elder of the Beast Tamer Hall, Wu Changping. I am determined to tame the beast ahead of us, so I have to ask of you not to interfere in our affairs! the elder said imposingly. I dont intend to interfere in your affairs, but would it be fine for me to remain around the area to take a look? Zhang Xuan asked. Since the other party hade before him, it would not be appropriate for him to cut right in and snatch their target. In any case, his goal was to find out the general direction of the Temple of Confucius from the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. With the Prime Amulet in his hand, he should be able to zone in on the exact location easily as long as he had a direction to work with. Hearing that the young man intended to loiter around the area, a middle-aged man amid the group harrumphed. I cant allow that. Please leave right now, or else well be forced to evict you! You intend to evict me? We have already set our eyes upon the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Your presence here will only hinder us, Wu Changping replied coldly. Please seek another beast of your own! Seeing that he was not wee there, Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly and said, Very well then. I wish you the best of luck. After which, he turned around and left. As soon as he was out of the group of eights sight, he flicked his finger and sealed the space around him before making his way back. I say, we should have just killed that fellow from earlier. Why do you all even bother to waste your breath with him? We arent on the Master Teacher Continent anyway, so theres no need to abide by those troublesome rules! the middle-aged man who had bellowed at him earlier grumbled in annoyance. I have no qualms about killing a master teacher here, but it would be bad if we rmed the Goldspirit Cloudtiger in the midst of doing so. That fellow is the Monarch of this forest. Having fought many battles, its instincts are particrly sharp. We have to move with the utmost caution around it and subdue it in a sweep! Wu Changping said. Youre right. I should have considered the matter more carefully! The middle-aged man nodded in agreement. After which, a frown emerged on his forehead as he asked, We ced that item in their quite a while ago. That fellow should be knocked out by now, right? It should have fainted by now, but based on the intelligence we have gathered, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger is known to possess formidable innate resilience. We mustnt let our guard down around it. Lets wait a little longer... Wu Changping said. Un! It was apparent that Wu Changping was the leader of the group. Upon hearing his words, the crowd continued to crouch quietly amid the bushes, suppressing their auras and breathing. Roughly ten minutester, Wu Changping raised his hand and said, Alright, it should be about time. Lets head in and take a look! Upon hearing those words, the middle-aged man made his way over to the cavern ahead with silent footsteps. With his movements, Zhang Xuan could tell that he was a Sempiternal realm cultivator too, albeit only at the primary stage. Nevertheless, his prowess was already enough to make him a powerhouse of the Master Teacher Continent. Even Sword Saint Xing only had as much strength as him! Hu! The middle-aged man entered the cavern. Hong long! Shortly after he entered, a deafening explosion sounded. Following which, the middle-aged man flew out of the cavern with an even faster speed, and his back broke several towering trees before he finally skidded to a stop. Blood spewed wildly from his mouth. Sh*t! It didnt fall for our trap. We can only push our way through! Wu Changping swiftly understood that their initial n had failed. With a furious bellow, he took the lead and charged forward. Hula! The remaining members of the group also swiftly advanced toward the cavern. Barely after they got into position, the ground suddenly tremored beneath them. A massive beast was slowly making its way out of the cavern. Chapter 1704 - A Cry of Help

Chapter 1704: A Cry of Help

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The massive beast emerging from the cavern was around ten meters long and five meters tall. Simr to the Crimsonfrons White Tiger, it was cloaked in glorious golden fur. Even before making a move, one could already smell the stench of bloodshed drifting in the air. After entering the folded space, they had encountered quite a number of beasts. Their cultivation realms were frighteningly high, but their fighting experience was sorelycking. It still had not been easy to deal with them, but the asional mistakes that they made created exploitable openings. However, it waspletely different with the massive beast before them. From the strong killing intent that seemed to be embedded into its very presence to the extreme wariness in its eyes, it was apparent that it was a veteran in battle. Without a doubt, many powerful beasts had fallen under its ws. In order to be one of the Monarchs within this forest, one had to possess indomitable strength. Sweeping its cold gaze across the group of eight, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger uttered wintry, It has been so long since anyone has had the guts to wreak havoc on my territory. Astonishingly, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger actually spoke thenguage of the humans. There should not have been any humans in the Temple of Confucius for tens of thousands of years. For this reason, the Goldface Skywolf and Crimsonfrons White Tiger could onlymunicate in the naturalnguage of their own race. It was only after taming thetter that Zhang Xuan could converse with it through their telepathic connection. Yet, this massive fellow was actually able to speak in the tongue of the humans... Even Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by this anomaly. Dont waste your words on it. Get into formation! Wu Changping bellowed with a darkened face. The fact that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was able to speak in the tongue of the humans likely meant that it knew a lot about the human race. The fact that their earlier ploy did not work likely meant that it was already guarded against them from the very start. H! The group of eight raised their weapons and surrounded the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. An inexplicable link formed among their auras, almost as if there were fine threads connecting them together. With just a nce, it was apparent that on top of forming a formation, they had also utilized some kind of formidable artifact. It was no wonder they were reluctant to allow Zhang Xuan to watch by the side. They had already made thorough preparations to subdue and tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, so there was no way that they would risk allowing anyone to steal the fruits of theirbor. How meaningless! Unconcerned by the movements of the group, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger released a ferocious roar. With a powerful pounce, it leaped on the middle-aged man closest to it. It seemed to be intending to barge through the formation through focusing its attack on an individual. Weng! Before its ws couldnd, rich energy gushed into the middle-aged mans body through the narrow threads in the surroundings, filling him with power. His body lit up with a faint glow. Augmented by the influx of energy, the middle-aged man raised his massive saber and shed down furiously. The massive congregation of saber qi manifested in the form of a towering saber afterimage in the air. Boom! The w and the saber afterimage collided with one another, and the Goldspirit Cloudtiger could not help but retreat. To think that they are able to channel the strength of a group into the body of one...Zhang Xuan nodded. There was no way that the middle-aged man would have been able to defend against the Goldspirit Cloudtigers attacks alone. It was through the use of the narrow threads that the group infused their strength into the middle-aged man together, thus overpowering the massive beast. As a result of their coboration, even someone as powerful as the Goldspirit Cloudtiger found itself unable to breach their defenses. It seems like they have used a Great Sage artifact! Considering how the thread was able to withstand the strength of so many people without hindering the middle-aged mans power output, there was no doubt that the artifact was at Great Sage tier at the very least. While it could not match up to the Dragonbone Divine Spear, it was already on par with Wu Shus golden saber. I see. Its no wonder you dared challenge me. It seems like you have some tricks up your sleeves... The Goldspirit Cloudtiger harrumphed coldly upon seeing that it had failed to breach their defense, but it did not show the slightest hint of being flustered. Instead, it whipped its thick tail furiously instead. It was as if its tail was a weapon; it actually harnessed might greater than that of its ws. Warping into a blur, it darted toward the middle-aged man once more. Realizing the major threat of the tail, the middle-aged man raised his saber once more to counterattack. Peng! The saber and the tail collided with one another. This time, it was the middle-aged man whose face paled, and he was forced to retreat several steps. The Goldspirit Cloudtiger made use of this opportunity to further its attack. It swiped its w forward ferociously. The best way to ovee a coborative formation when one was unable to analyze its structure and ws was to focus ones attacks on an individual. It was apparent that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was aware of this fact as well. The Goldspirit Cloudtigers movements were swift and powerful. It seemed as if the middle-aged man was unable to cope and would sumb very soon. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still shook his head. That attack wont work... If it was so convenient to ovee the might of a Great Sage artifact, such artifacts would not drive so many cultivators frenzied in search of them. Just as Zhang Xuan thought, the next moment, Wu Changping swiftly formed a hand seal. Hu! The next moment, the string in the air was suddenly pulled taut. An incredible surge of energy was channeled from the group into the narrow string, granting it unbelievable resilience and power. Attack! Following Wu Changpings order, the other members of the group directed their weapons toward the Goldspirit Cloudtiger via the narrow string. Roar! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger clearly did not expect the string to possess such astounding prowess. It hurriedly raised its head and roared furiously. Hu! Countless surges of golden sword qi flew forth from its mouth to deflect the weapons and the string. Its able to shoot out sword qi too? The Goldspirit Cloudtiger is truly talented! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in surprise. He had thought that the massive beast would have no choice but to submit to the group, but who could have known that it would actually be able to release an outpour of sword qi? Just the Goldspirit Cloudtigers overwhelming strength and resilience were a pain to deal with. If it could use battle techniques on top of that, Wu Changping and the others would really face great difficulties trying to subdue it. The Goldspirit Cloudtiger is known for its proficiency in metal attribute offense. Do you think that we wouldnt have a countermeasure against that? Let me tell you this, thats exactly what we were waiting for! Wu Changping chuckled triumphantly as he tapped his finger. Tz! The next moment, the color of the string changed. It assumed a color reminiscent ofva, as if mes had been infused into it. Hu! The group channeled all of their zhenqi into the string. As if oil had been scattered atop a spark, a burning inferno burst forth. In an instant, a zing appeared in the sky, trapping the Goldspirit Cloudtiger altogether. They have really prepared themselves well. It seems like the Goldspirit Cloudtiger is going to sumb soon, Zhang Xuan remarked internally with a slight hint of awe in his voice. As expected of a grand elder from the Beast Tamer Hall! Wu Changpings understanding of his prey, grasp of the situation, and meticulousness in his nning and execution were truly praiseworthy. Metal was known for its sharpness and resilience. The Goldspirit Cloudtiger was of the metal attribute, which made it extremely difficult to trap in a battle While the string that they had brought was resilient and could be reinforced with their zhenqi, it would only be a matter of time before it snapped. This was also where the strength of the metal attributey. However, in anticipation of that, Wu Changping had prepared fire. Of the Five Elements, fire curbed metal! As soon as the fire burst forth, the metal attribute in the Goldspirit Cloudtigers body was immediately weakened. In fact, as it had just released a metal attribute offense earlier, the bacsh that it suffered was greater than usual. With this single move, the tables had turned. I really mustnt underestimate the experts of the world... Zhang Xuan thought in rm. Even though the possession of the Library of Heavens Path granted him an edge in battle, he could not allow himself to getcent due to it. There were still many ways that others were able to corner and subdue him. Had he been in the Goldspirit Cloudtigers position, the only way that he could have resolved it was probably to bring out the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages corpse. Roar! Watching as the zing swiftly closed in on it, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger also realized that the enemy hade well-prepared. It knew that it was in a critically disadvantageous position. All of a sudden, it raised his head and roared once more. But this time, the roar carried no hint of aggression to it. Instead, Zhang Xuan sensed pleading in it, reminiscent of a distress call. Its a call for help... Does the Goldspirit Cloudtiger have otherpanions? Wu Changpings face warped in horror. Chapter 1705 - Heavenwood Greenserpent

Chapter 1705: Heavenwood Greenserpent

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Quick! We need to subdue it right now! Knowing that they would be in a bad position once the Goldspirit Cloudtigerspanion came over, Wu Changping drove his zhenqi to his limits. The zing grew more and more searing as it contracted rapidly. As a grand elder of the Beast Tamer Hall, he had a deep understanding of beasts. The earlier call was sharp and distinctive, a clear sign that it was beckoning itspanion. Just one Goldspirit Cloudtiger was enough a headache for them to deal with; if another one came at this moment, they would surely die! Realizing the dangerous position that they were in, anxious looks appeared on the faces of the others as well. They hurriedly drove their zhenqi into the zing to hasten the process. Hahaha! To think that you, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, one of the Five Monarchs of the forest, would actually be caught by a bunch of fellows like this! How embarrassing it would be to be in a position like yours! A mocking voice echoed in the air as a slender figure darted out of the cavern. This slender figure bore some resemnce to Zhang Xuans Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but it was muchrger, and its bloodline was significantly purer. Just like the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, it was a Sempiternal realm consummation expert! Its a Heavenwood Greenserpent! Wu Changpings face paled. Without any hesitation, he ordered, Retreat! Right after those words were said, the zing around the Goldspirit Cloudtiger dissipated into nothing. Following which, he turned around and began running into the distance. As expected of someone who had lived for many centuries, his priorities were very clear. As soon as he noticed that something was off, he was willing to abandon anything, no matter how valuable it was. Just the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was enough to nearly corner them. With a Heavenwood Greenserpent thrown into the mix, it formed abo far beyond their means to deal with. Ah? Wu Changping fled the moment that he noticed that things had gone awry, but the others in the group were not as decisive as him. They were stunned for a moment before hurriedly rushing away. Just from their reactions, it was apparent that other than Wu Changping, none of them were beast tamers! With their tamed beasts fighting alongside them, true beast tamers boasted amazing fighting prowess. However, taming beasts was not an easy feat at all. The slightest mistake could very well incur the beasts bacsh. For this reason, it was important for beast tamers to be able to assess the situation and know when to flee. In fact, there was an unofficial adage within the Beast Tamer Hall that went The first step to beast taming is learning when to flee! Many unexpected situations could happen during the process of beast taming. A beast tamer who did not know when to flee would have already died a hundred times over before they could reach Great Sage! Dont you think its inappropriate for you to leave just like that after trying to drug and kidnap one of us? a chilling voice echoed from beneath the ground. Hu! Before the other members of the group could get far, the ground suddenly rumbled furiously, as if an intense earthquake had struck the area. Following which, a massive beast rose up from the earth. It had the head of a lion, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a tiger, the body of a moose, the scales of a dragon, the tail of an ox... It was a chimerical Qilin! Unlike Zhang Xuans Inferno Qilin, it was of the earth attribute. With a simple flick of its w, a firm wall of yellow soil rose up from the ground and encircled the fleeing crowd, blocking their path of escape. The remaining members of the group did not expect another beast to appear. Only at that moment did they understand why Wu Changping had fled so quickly, hesitating not in the slightest to abandon them. Awful looks could be seen on their faces as they realized that they had been betrayed. Break! The current strongest member of the group, a Sempiternal realm intermediate stage elder, raised his sword and hacked it down on the wall of yellow soil. Hu! The wall of yellow soil crumbled beneath the ferocious might of the sword. However, before the crowd could relish in their momentary victory, the wall of yellow soil had already regenerated at an astounding rate. In the blink of an eye, the crowd was trapped once again. If only I knew this would happen, I never would have listened to Wu Changping! Why in the world did I even risk my life for this? The crowd felt their hearts sinking into the abyss. Just like most other existing groups wandering around the folded space, their group had formed spontaneously as well. Wu Changping had gathered all of them and said that this was the only possible way that they could get to the Temple of Confucius. He had even reassured them that he had a Great Sage artifact and that this matter was already in the bag. After carefully contemting over the matter, they had felt that Wu Changpings words made sense, so they had joyfully joined the group as well. Who could have known that they would end up facing three Sempiternal realm consummation beasts simultaneously? More importantly, no one had thought that Wu Changping would actually flee faster than any one of them there! He wont be able to get away either... In contrast to the furious looks on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan nced in the direction that Wu Changping had fled in and shook his head. He had to admit that the old man had made a wise decision to take flight as soon as he realized that things had gone awry, but unfortunately for him... this was not a situation that he could possibly flee from. As if fulfilling Zhang Xuans prophecy, the call of an avian echoed from within the cavern. Hu! Following which, a magnificent bird cloaked in ayer of mes dashed out from the cavern. With unimaginable speed, it bolted for Wu Changping in order to apprehend him. Xiong xiong! Before the talons of the bird could reach, its mes had already surged forth to construct an inferno barrier ahead, sealing Wu Changpings path of escape. The Celestialfire Phoenix? Wu Changpings face paled as his body trembled nonstop. He had thought that the only beast within the cavern was the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, and he had prepared ordingly. Who could have known that following the emergence of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, the Heavenwood Greenserpent, the Terra Qilin, and the Celestialfire Phoenix would make an appearance too? Before they knew it, they were already faced with four legendary beasts! Furthermore, each of them wielded prowess that far surpassed him. How could he possibly stand a chance against something like this? H! Without any hesitation, Wu Changping tossed out his weapons furiously, hoping that it would buy him some time. However, that was all meaningless before the agile Celestialfire Phoenix. The vast difference in strength was not something that he could bridge singlehandedly. Before long, he was already bound by a bundle of mes, forced to grovel on the ground. With this, the group of eight had been fully apprehended. Despair and fear could be seen in their eyes as they shot frightened nces at the powerful beings before them. Seeing that itsrade had managed to apprehend the pesky humans who had daredy their hands on it, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger red at the guffawing Heavenwood Greenserpent and spat, Mock me all you want after you get back. Hurry up and release the seal on me! Alright, alright! Ill help you open it! After using up a lifetime worth ofughter, the Heavenwood Greenserpent turned its head to the cavern and said, Brother Acheron, Ill be counting on you for that then... Un, give me a moment. Ill be right out... Another voice sounded from within the cavern. The crowd turned their gazes over and saw a massive silhouette slowly making its way out of the cavern. Its movements were extremely slow. It took an entire eight minutes from the moment that its silhouette appeared before it was able to fully make its way out of the cavern It was a massive tortoise. The Goldspirit Cloudtiger, the Heavenwood Greenserpent, the Acheron cktortoise, the Celestialfire Phoenix, and the Terra Qilin... These are the Five Elements Divine Beasts? Wu Changpings face paled as realization struck him. I should have guessed! Legend had it that Kong shi feared that the space in the Temple of Confucius would be unstable, so he had captured five powerful beasts, each representing one of the Five Elements, in order to stabilize the space. They had eventuallye to be known as the so-called Five Monarchs to the other beasts in the folded space. When he heard of the Five Monarchs, he had instinctively assumed that they would be scattered around the area. After all, powerful beasts were extremely territorial, and they could not tolerate other beings, especially those as powerful as them, trespassing on theirnd. As such, he could not have imagined that they would actually all be within the Goldspirit Cloudtigers cavern. The Acheron cktortoise crawled up to the Goldspirit Cloudtiger slowly and opened its massive mouth. Hu! Water cascaded down on the zing, extinguishing it in an instant. The Goldspirit Cloudtigers body immediately expanded as sword qi burst forth from its acupoints. Under the barrage of sharp sword qi, the string was severed at every inch before scattering all over the floor. Despite being a Great Sage artifact, being set on fire before being doused in water shortly after had already ruined the structural integrity of the string. In its fragile state, the Goldspirit Cloudtigers sharp sword qi was able to destroy it easily. These fellows are here to kill you. How do you intend to deal with them? the Heavenwood Greenserpent asked. We have to deal with them, but theres still one more fellow hiding in the area. Lets capture him before deciding on what to do! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger lowered its head and sniffed twice before bellowing, Friend hiding over there, I apud you for your exceptional use of spatial seals. However, its not enough to hide from me! As it said those words, it nced at where Zhang Xuan was hiding with killing intent rippling in its eyes. Chapter 1706 - One on One with the Goldspirit White Tiger

Chapter 1706: One on One with the Goldspirit White Tiger

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Have I really been discovered? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. Back then, his spatial seal had allowed him to enter the barracks of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe without being noticed. Who could have thought that his trump card would actually fail him here! Could the other partys nose really be that effective? With the doubt that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was trying to lure him out, Zhang Xuan continued camping on the spot quietly. In response to his quietness, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger sneered coldly, Since you arent going toe out, Ill just have to force you out myself then! With a growl, it swiped its w and sent a surge of sword qi in Zhang Xuans direction. This sword qi was infused with the keen intent of the metal attribute. It tore a vacuum through space as it bolted toward Zhang Xuan. While Zhang Xuan had sealed the space around him, he had not broken free of the dimension that he was in yet. As long as an attack was sufficiently powerful, it could still tear through his spatial seal and injure him. As soon as Zhang Xuan saw the trajectory sword qi, he realized that it was not a bluff from the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. It had indeed managed to find him. With a helpless sigh, he tore free of the spatial seal and moved his feet. Hu! In that instant, time seemed to have slowed down for Zhang Xuan. Despite that, he only managed to dodge the sword qi by a hairs breadth. Scratching his head in exasperation, he faced the five divine beasts before him and said, If I said that Im only passing by and am not from the same group as them, will you believe me? He really was not from the same group as those fellows before... although he was indeed there to capture the Goldspirit Cloudtiger as well. Of course, he would not be so dumb as to give himself away. What was standing before him were five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts! Even with his current fighting prowess, the best that he could do was flee as far from them as he could! Passing by? Dont you think its rude of you to pass by myir withouting in to greet me? the Goldspirit Cloudtiger scoffed. Hu! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger was still burning with fury at having almost been caught by a bunch of damned humans, so how could it possibly be in the mood to listen to Zhang Xuans reasons? With a furious bellow, it sent a barrage of sword qi toward Zhang Xuan. The relentless barrage of sword qi formed a long current reminiscent of a majestic dragon. Thats a no then. I guess I have no choice... Seeing that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was unwilling to believe him, Zhang Xuan knew that there was nothing else that he could say to persuade it otherwise. In such a situation, he would have to allow his strength to do the talking. Taking a deep breath, he flicked his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear materialized in his grasp. Break! Zhang Xuan pushed the spear forward to meet the barrage of sword qi. Hu! Putting his strength from his soul energy, zhenqi, and physical body into the Dragonbone Divine Spear, the spear warped into a bolt of light before it collided together with the barrage of sword qi. A devastating shockwave rippled out as a result of the sh, causing cracks to appear in the space around. Countless trees were uprooted, and boulders were shattered into fragments. This single sh actually produced a hemispherical depression of over several hundred meters wide in the midst of the dense forest! What the hell... Is he really only at Aureate Body realm? The trapped Wu Changping and the others widened their eyes in shock. They recognized the young manhe was the fellow who had been following behind them earlier before being driven away by them. They had thought that he was just a simple Aureate Body realm cultivator, an insignificant existence to them. Never in their dreams did they imagine that he would actually be this powerful! If they had known in advance, they surely would have pulled him into their group. With him, they would have been able to capture the Goldspirit Cloudtiger and escape before the other four beasts even came to realize the anomaly! I thought that he was a weakling, but it turned out that hes actually the strongest of us all... Wu Changping shook his head in bitter regret. Earlier, they had discussed whether they should kill the young man or not. It was fortunate that they did not try it, or else the young man would have destroyed all of them before they could even encounter the Goldspirit Cloudtiger! Oh? It seems like hes not too weak! the Heavenwood Greenserpent remarked. It did not think that the Aureate Body realmd hiding by the side would actually harness such fighting prowess within that small frame of his. It stroked its serpentine beard with its ws as it studied the young man in interest. Humph! On the other hand, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was less than pleased to have its attack countered by the young man. It was already at the peak of its anger when even a mere Aureate Body realmd turned out to be able to counter its attack. Its eyes widened in fury as it scrunched its body tightly together, its golden fur trembling nonstop. Die! Si! As if a released from a bowstring, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger dashed forward and made use of its momentum to whip its tail toward Zhang Xuan. The tail moved with such swiftness that it seemed to disappearpletely from sight, making it nigh impossible to discern the trajectory of the attack. How fast! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. He knew that he would not be able to withstand the attack given his current strength. Thus, he quickly activated the Zhang n blood essence within his body. Hu! The other partys movements immediately slowed down. With a light leap, he escaped from the Goldspirit Cloudtigers area of attack. Boom! A massive crater was smashed into the ground. Knowing that he would not stand a chance at this rate, Zhang Xuan wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and said, Hold it for a moment... Are you going to beg for mercy now? Its already toote! Seeing how the young man had managed to evade its strongest attack with ease and even had the leisure to chat, even though the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was furious, it knew that it was unlikely to be able to subdue the young man in the short run. Thus, it halted its attack, wanting to hear what the young man had to say. In any case, the five divine beasts were gathered there. The earth and the sky werepletely sealed. There was no way that the young man could possibly escape. I know theres no chance that Ill be able to escape from here anymore, so at the very least, I would like to have a fair duel with you. Will you at least ede to this request of mine? Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Fair duel? The five divine beasts nced at one another, not knowing what in the world he was saying. Indeed. I am only at the Aureate Body realm at the moment, so I know that I wont stand much of a chance against you all. Nevertheless, I would still like to fight for a chance for survival. I want to challenge the Goldspirit Cloudtiger to a one-on-one duel. If I lose, the only thing that awaits me is death. However, if I win by any chance, I beseech you to let me go! Zhang Xuan said. Hah! The five divine beasts immediately understood Zhang Xuans intentions. The young man was afraid that they would attack him together. Human, you should stop trying to judge us by your standards! You are belittling us far too much! Even if we are of the same cultivation realm, we arent going to stoop so low as to gang up on you! the Heavenwood Greenserpent remarked impassively. As ones who had inherited the bloodlines of ancient divine beasts, as well as monarchs who ruled over countless subjects, they had their own pride to uphold. Putting aside ganging up on someone weaker than them, they would not do so even for someone in the same cultivation realm as them! You can rest assured that I wont allow them to interfere in our battle! the Goldspirit Cloudtiger spat. It was just a moment ago that it had nearly been captured by a group of humans, and now, another human actually wanted to challenge it to a one-on-one duel... Given how it had already embarrassed itself earlier, if it was still unable to deal with someone two realms weaker than it, what right would it have to rule over the other beasts in the forest? Thats a relief... To be honest, Zhang Xuan had given the matter a try not expecting the five divine beasts to ede to his request. In fact, he had already been nning his escape route, but it seemed like there was no need for it anymore. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, he raised his head and said, One more thing. As a cultivator, its not against the rule for me to use my artifacts in battle, right? Feel free to use whatever artifacts you have! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger harrumphed coldly, thinking nothing of Zhang Xuans request. It would already be the blessing of the heavens that an Aureate Body realmd like him had such a formidable spear. While the spear was indeed remarkable, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was confident that it could deal with it. Also... I happen to be a beast tamer. It wont be against the rules if my tamed beasts assist me, right? Zhang Xuan asked. Tamed beasts? Humph! If you have anything decent, just bring them all out! the Goldspirit Cloudtiger remarked arrogantly. Im reassured then... Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan flicked up his Dragonbone Divine Spear. Lets begin! Humph! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger let loose a furious roar before charging forward with narrowed eyes. However, barely a second after it started moving, it suddenly felt a sharp pain assaulting its soul, as if someone was pricking it with countless needles. Following which, a suffocating pressure crushed down on it. Soul offense? Sh*t... Not expecting the young man to have such a card up his sleeves, the Goldspirit Cloudtigers massive body stiffened on the spot. The Beast Tribe were known for their superior physical body, which granted them defensive and offensive capabilities far superior to human cultivators. However, they had a fatal weakness, and that was their soul. The other party had executed a soul offense right from the start, and it was stronger than what it had ever faced before. Caughtpletely off guard, it ended up sumbing to the move. Chapter 1707 - The Cloudtiger Submits

Chapter 1707: The Cloudtiger Submits

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Soul offense? The Heavenwood Greenserpent was taken aback. It did not expect the Aureate Body realm cultivator to have such a technique at his disposal So what if its a soul offense? Cloudtiger has been training her soul energy in order to prevent her killing intent from clouding her mind, the calm Acheron cktortoise said. She has just been caught off guard at the moment; once she recovers, she will be able to destroy that fellow with a single move! Besides, soul offense is a double-edged sword. At the very most, he will only be able tounch a single effective attack on the soul of a Sempiternal realm cultivator... Theres no way he will be able to do it a second time! It was not just its movements that were sloweven the pacing of its speech was slow as well. The Heavenwood Greenserpent nodded in agreement to the Acheron cktortoises judgement. The five of them had inherited the bloodlines of the Ancient Divine Beasts. While their souls might have been their weakness, it was not a weakness that anyone could exploit. Besides, soul offense was a double-edged sword. As powerful as soul attacks were, it would cause considerable bacsh to the practitioner as well. Even if the young man was a skilled soul cultivator, how many times could heunch an attack as powerful as that? Shortly after the Acheron cktortoise said those words, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger also recovered from its disorientated state. With a howl of fury, it charged toward the young man before it. This time, it was truly enraged. To think that a Monarch like it would end up falling for the soul offense of a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator. It was fortunate that the other party had not used the opportunity to assault it, or else it would have been in deep trouble. If it really lost to the other party, it would not be able to face its subordinates anymore! What? At the very most, Ill just die together with you! Seeing how swiftly the Goldspirit Cloudtiger had recovered, Zhang Xuans eyes paled in horror. In a slight fluster and with desperation in his movements, he pushed his spear furiously to counter the other partys offense. You are still thinking of retaliating, are you? Dream on! the Goldspirit Tiger spat coldly. It was already bad enough for it to have sumbed to the young mans soul offense once. Was the young man really so naive as to think that his soul offense would work on it once its guard was up? It gathered all of its concentration on reinforcing its mind in an attempt to defend against the young mans soul offense, but the next moment, it heard a whoosh sound above its head. It seemed as if something heavy was swiftly approaching it. Cr*p, I fell for his trap... Feeling a crushing pressure overhead, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger immediately realized that it was a feint. The killing move was actually hidden above it! Raising its head, it was just about to see what was falling on it when it suddenly felt a powerful will intruding into its mind, causing a bout of light-headedness. That fellows pale face is a trick as well! The Goldspirit Cloudtiger widened its eyes in realization as its mind swiftly nked out. If the young man was truly as weakened as he looked, how could he possibly be able to execute such a powerful soul offense? It was apparent that the young man was feigning weakness in order to make it lower its guard! Peng! Barely after it made sense of the situation, an immense force had already smashed right into its head, causing its body to sway weakly from side to side. While it was unsure what kind of artifact it was, the fact that it was able to inflict such tremendous damage on it meant that it was a Great Sage artifact at the minimum! This is... a Great Sage brick? the Heavenwood Greenserpent murmured with a hint of disbelief in its voice. It could hardly believe what it was seeing. It seems to have been infused with several tons of Golden Origin Spirit Stone! the Acheron cktortoise added with twitching lips. Golden Origin Spirit Stone is so rare that not much of it can be found in the world. Yet, it was actually used it to forge a mere brick... It was so extravagant that they could hardly wrap their minds around the concept! That was the invaluable Golden Origin Spirit Stone that they were talking about! Just adding a sprinkle of it into the forging process would turn a Saint pinnacle artifact into a Great Sage artifact! Yet, to use several tons of such a valuable ore to forge a dumb old brick... Bro, can you tell me which wastrel forged you? Ill pummel some sense into that idiot! While the two divine beasts were still overwhelmed by how wasteful human cultivators were, they heard the brick eximing excitedly, Hahaha! Hurry up and surrender, stupid tiger! Otherwise, I, the Golden Origin Cauldron, shall burn you into cinders! The Golden Origin Cauldron? Could it be that... this brick is supposed to be a cauldron? The Heavenwood Greenserpent gritted its teeth so tightly together that its gums were starting to feel a bit numb. Can anyone tell me how in the world this lump of metal resembles a cauldron? How in the world did you find the courage to call yourself a cauldron? Dont you know what you look like? What Golden Origin Cauldron and burn you into cinders? Even if the Goldspirit Cloudtiger allows you to do whatever you please with it, you have no furnace to burn it down at all! Not only were the divine beasts rendered frenzied by the sight before them, even the trapped Wu Changping and the others were utterly bewildered by the situation. It sure was hard to understand the world of aristocrats... While he was risking his life for a single divine beast, the other party was forging the incredibly invaluable Golden Origin Spirit Stone into a useless lump of metal. Disregarding the mental breakdowns urring around him, Zhang Xuan bellowed deeply once more, Go! Hu! The Infernal cksaber, Wu Shus golden saber, Bei Xins spear, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear all flew forth. Just like that, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger suddenly found itselfing under the simultaneous assault of five powerful artifacts. As if that was not enough, from time to time, an inkstone would suddenly charge forward and smash itself onto its face. The hell... Can this still be called a one-on-one? The Heavenwood Greenserpent, Terra Qilin, and the others felt their vision cking out. Earlier, that fellow dered righteously that he wanted to have a fair fight with the Goldspirit Cloudtiger in the hope of winning a chance at survival. They had anticipated a solemn duel between the two, but contrary to their expectations, the young man had actually dispatched so many artifacts to fight the Goldspirit Cloudtiger instead! While other cultivators were praying fervently to acquire just a single Great Sage artifact, this fellow actually had six of them in his possession... Are you actually the illegitimate son of the head of the cksmith Guild headquarters? No... Not even the illegitimate son of the cksmith Guild headquarters would have so many Great Sage artifacts with him! With those Great Sage artifacts moving alongside him, it was as if the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was facing the assault of six Sempiternal realm experts simultaneously... Hand on heart, can you really consider this a one-on-one? Seeing how its good friend was nearly being pummeled into a domestic cat, the Celestialfire Phoenix could hardly bring itself to watch on. Should we interfere? But that fellow has asked whether hes able to use his artifacts earlier, and we gave him our consent... the Heavenwood Greenserpent replied awkwardly. When the fellow asked him the question earlier, they had thought that the other party was just courteously asking for permission to use that spear of his... But it seemed like they were stillcking in worldly experience. The heck was that courtesy! That was a trap, and an utterly shameless one at that! Which Sempiternal realm cultivator could possibly withstand the assault of so many artifacts at once? Wait a minute... What is that fellow doing over there? While the divine beasts were still raging over Zhang Xuans shamelessness, they saw the young man raising his hand once more. H! All of a sudden, six beasts appeared around the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Their cultivation ranged from Intuitive Impulse realm consummation to Sempiternal realm... As soon as they appeared, they pounced right toward the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. The remaining four divine beasts nced at one another, stupefied. Those are his tamed beasts? They... seem to be from this region, right? It seems so! So, in the short period of time that the folded space appeared, he managed to tame six beasts? The Heavenwood Greenserpent trembled in rage. When did our beasts be so prideless and cowardly? The fact that they were able to speak human tongue meant that they knew a fair bit about human culture. It was not surprising for them to know of the beast tamer upation as well. It had only been a couple of hours since the humans had entered the forest, and yet, the other party had already tamed six beasts. Was this not a little too fast? We have to make sure to settle this matterter on. We must make it clear to our subordinates that we, the Beast Tribe, mustnt lower our heads to others! the Heavenwood Greenserpent uttered passionately. This is especially so for the subordinates of Cloudtigers region. Given how prideful she is, how can her subordinates be so weak-minded... The Goldspirit Cloudtiger was a noble beast who would go to any lengths to protect its pride and reputation. Why were its subordinates so cowardly? But before the Heavenwood Greenserpent could finish its words, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, who had still been battling furiously a moment ago, suddenly lowered itself on the ground. A droplet of blood essence seeped out from its be and floated over to the young man. The massive tiger ced its head on the ground subserviently. Goldspirit Cloudtiger pays respects to master! Chapter 1708 - One Word Is All It Takes

Chapter 1708: One Word Is All It Takes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The heck! This sight made the eyes of the Heavenwood Greenserpent nearly fall to the ground. The other three divine beasts also exchanged horrified looks with one another. They were the ones who had inherited the bloodlines of Ancient Divine Beasts. They were dignified, powerful, lofty, regal... But in such a short period of time, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger had actually chosen to submit to a mere human. There was something really wrong about this! She has really sullied our reputation. The Heavenwood Greenserpent was seething with rage. It was the head of the Five Monarchs of the forest. It had thought that it was already shameful for the subordinates of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger to actually have allowed a mere human to tame them, but barely a moment after it thought so, those beasts leader submitted! Was this not as good as a crisp p to its face? It was true that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was under a lot of pressure, having to deal with six Great Sage artifacts and five beasts simultaneously. In fact, it had already been thinking of reinforcing the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, but it did not expect thetter to surrender so quickly! Where did all of its self-esteem go to? Rise. Swallow this pill! Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and fed the Goldspirit Cloudtiger a grade-9 pill before heaving a sigh of relief. In truth, the reason he had proposed to fight a one-on-one with the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was to make use of the opportunity to tame it. And just as he had nned, through a mixture of scare tactics and a bit of guidance through telepathy, he had managed to convince the Goldspirit Cloudtiger to submit to him. With the Goldspirit Cloudtiger on his side, even if the remaining four divine beasts turned on him, he would at least have the power to protect himself. With this, it should be considered my victory, right? With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan collected his tamed beasts and his artifacts back into his storage ring before turning to look at the Heavenwood Greenserpent. Lad, what kind of sorcery did you use to make the Goldspirit Cloudtiger bow down to you and acknowledge you as her master? With an awful look, the Heavenwood Greenserpent questioned Zhang Xuan with killing intent ring from its eyes. Do you want to hear the truth? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course! the Heavenwood Greenserpent replied with gritted teeth. The truth is that... I am your master from your previous life. In the midst of her fight with me, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger realized my true identity. Thats why she submitted to me without any hesitation! Zhang Xuan said as he gazed into the nk space with a deep look in his eyes, reminiscent of a true expert. You are our master from our previous life? Bullsh*t! The Heavenwood Greenserpent nearly fainted from the rubbish that the young man was spouting. Can youe up with a better excuse than that? What master in our previous life? Why dont you say that you are the reincarnation of Kong shi? The heck, I can also say that I was your grandfather in my previous life! You dont believe me? Zhang Xuan frowned in discontentment. Believe your head! the Heavenwood Greenserpent retorted angrily. Even if you want to fool us, do you think that well ept such an excuse? Turning his sights away from the raging Heavenwood Greenserpent, Zhang Xuan looked at the other three divine beasts and asked, What about you? Do you not believe me either? Its no use stalling for time. We wont let you do as you please anymore! the Acheron cktortoise replied slowly. The Celestialfire Phoenix harrumphed. Lets not waste our words on him. Theres something really weird about this fellow. Lets just kill him first before discussing anything else! Lets do it then. Ill make the first move... the Terra Qilin said as it took a step forward. In truth, they also felt a little pressured by the peculiarities that the young man had disyed so far. Putting everything aside, there was something really amiss about how he was able to tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger so swiftly. As Monarchs of the forest, they were extremely prideful creatures. Who would be willing to give up a position of superiority just to be subservient to a man? It seems like none of you believe me... Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment before looking at the four divine beasts before him straight in the eye. Do you dare to make a wager with me? A wager? Thats right! Ill wager that I just have to say a single word to express my identity in order to make the Heavenwood Greenserpent bow down to me and acknowledge me as its master! Zhang Xuan said calmly as he ced his hands behind his back leisurely. You think that Ill submit to you with just a single word? The Heavenwood Greenserpent nearly choked on its flurrying anger. Are you certain that there isnt anything wrong with your head? As a beast who had inherited the noble bloodline of the dragons, it was a powerful and highly-esteemed existence in the Beast Tribe. Even if it was grilled alive, there was no way that it would submit to a mere human! Putting aside a single word, it was futile even if the other party used up his entire lifetime worth of words. Just give the word and say if you are willing to ept my wager! Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. The wager is simple. If I am able to make you submit, you must acknowledge my identity and make the other three divine beasts submit to me. If I am unable to do it, Ill free the Goldspirit Cloudtiger and kill myself on the spot! You want me to make them submit to you too? The Heavenwood Greenserpent was slightly startled. It did not expect the young man to propose such a wager. Indeed. As the head of the Five Monarchs, surely you have some confidence in yourself, right? Zhang Xuan said with a taunting smile. Humph! If our boss is willing to submit to you, we have no qualms about submitting to you. However, can we really trust you to fulfill your end of the bargain if you lose the wager? the Terra Qilin challenged. Having known the Heavenwood Greenserpent for so many years, they were already familiar with thetters temper. It was incredibly obstinate and unbending, especially when it came to matters thatpromised its dignity! The only one who had made the Heavenwood Greenserpent submit in so many years was Kong shi. Yet, the young man wanted to make it submit to him. What a joke! Thats right! If you can make our boss submit to you, well acknowledge you as our master! Whats there to be frightened of? Theres no way our boss will bow to a weak human like you! The Celestialfire Phoenix and the Acheron cktortoise also voiced their support proudly. Ill hold you to your promise then, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Hah! I just hope that you wont renege on your promise when the timees! the Terra Qilin spat coldly. This... But at this point in time, a frown furrowed its way onto the Heavenwood Greenserpents forehead. The situation was developing so quickly in a direction that it did not expect that it felt like there was a need for it to stop and think things through. The fearlessness of the young man and his ability to make the Goldspirit Cloudtiger submit to him so quickly left it feeling a little unnerved. At this lull in the conversation, the Terra Qilin sent a telepathic message to the Heavenwood Greenserpent. Boss, you have always disliked the scheming humans. We believe in you! Why dont you ept this fellows request and save Cloudtiger first? Considering the Heavenwood Greenserpents temperament, this was a wager that they were bound to win. There was nothing for them to fear! This... Uncertainty flickered across the Heavenwood Greenserpents eyes for a moment before it finally gathered its resolve and nodded. Very well, Ill ept your wager! It would not dare make guarantees for other beasts, but it was at least confident in itself. Even if it died, it would never bow down to another human in its life. Lets begin then! Seeing that he had managed to convince the Heavenwood Greenserpent to ept his wager, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Are you ready? I dont wish to leak the matter to others, so Ill be sending you a telepathic message instead. Please listen to me very closely! Feel free to do whatever you want. No matter what you do, theres no way Ill submit to you. I advise you to give up on this meaningless pursuit! the Heavenwood Greenserpent sneered coldly. Some things were simply impossible! No matter what the other party said, there was nothing that would be able to change its mind. Even if you are Kong shis reincarnation, as long as I refuse to acknowledge you, what can you do about it? Having made up its mind, it pricked up its ears to listen closely to what the young man was going to say. Just as it was making preparations, the Celestialfire Phoenix, Terra Qilin, and Acheron cktortoise were discussing the situation telepathically. Rest assured, I know our boss very well. No one can make his determination waver! I think that fellow is intentionally stalling for time. Theres a chance that he might have some reinforcements on the way. We have to keep a close eye on the surroundings! While they were discussing the matter fervently, they suddenly saw the young man taking in a deep breath before shouting a single consonant telepathically. Padah! Instantly, the Heavenwood Greenserpent copsed to the ground, its body trembling nonstop. It nced frightfully at the young man before lowering its body all the way down. With agitation in its voice, it eximed, Heavenwood Greenserpent pays respects to master! Chapter 1709 - Guarding the Exit

Chapter 1709: Guarding the Exit

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Our boss... has acknowledged him as its master? Utter silence loomed in the area. The Celestialfire Phoenix, Terra Qilin, and Acheron cktortoise were all stunned silly. They remained rooted to the spot, and their minds seemed to have stalled. They knew just how obstinate the Heavenwood Greenserpent could be... But with just a single consonant from the other party, it actually sprawled right to the ground with no regards for its dignity at all. To make matters worse, there was a look of desire in its eyes. What in the name of heavens had just happened? At the same time, Wu Changping was on the verge of insanity as well. In order to tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, he had made many preparations. He had promised many treasures to convince the other seven members of the group to assist him in his mission. On top of that, he had even expended a Great Sage artifact for this purpose... but in the end, he had failed to acquire anything and even been captured. On the other hand, this fellow had managed to tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger within a few short minutes. With another word, he made the Heavenwood Greenserpent grovel on the ground, not daring to appear disrespectful at all. This was ridiculous! Seal the contract! Zhang Xuan instructed. Toward beasts who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, there was no weapon stronger than the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. No matter how high-tiered the Heavenwood Greenserpent was, it was unable to break free from the restraints of its bloodline. It was precisely due to his awareness of this that Zhang Xuan intentionally made a wager with it. As expected, the others had swiftly been baited by his promise. It was not that they were fools, but it was simply unthinkable for a mere human to be able to speak thenguage of the Pureblooded Dragons! No one would expect an Aureate Body realm cultivator like him to have so many tricks up his sleeve, such that even Sempiternal realm experts like them would end up being caught off guard time and time again. Even though the Heavenwood Greenserpent was a little reluctant to relinquish its freedom, under the pressure of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon, it had no choice but to offer its blood essence. After sealing the contract, Zhang Xuan turned to the three remaining beasts and said, Its your turn. Since I was able to make the Heavenwood Greenserpent submit with a single word, its my victory. Of course, its just an ordinary wager. No vows were made, and theres nothing to bind you to your words. If you dont intend to follow the wager... Ridiculous! The blood of the Ancient Divine Beasts runs through our veins. How can we possibly renege on our promise? A loss is a loss. Since our boss has chosen to submit to you, I have no problem acknowledging you as my master... I just hope that you wont force us into doing anything that vites our principles... ... The Terra Qilin, Celestialfire Phoenix, and Acheron cktortoise were not too happy about the situation, but they were too proud to renege on their promise. They nodded and offered their blood essence to Zhang Xuan. In any case, since the other party had been able to make their boss submit, it was not too embarrassing for them to acknowledge the other party as their master. It was at least something that they could live with. That saves me a lot of trouble... Seeing that the other three beasts had decided to abide by their promise, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The main reason Zhang Xuan had made the wager was to make those three divine beasts submit to him as well. Of course, with the Heavenwood Greenserpent and Goldspirit Cloudtiger on his side, he would have been able to eventually beat them into submission. Nevertheless, this would spare him a great deal of trouble. Since you have chosen to submit to me, as your master, I should at least reciprocate your loyalty! After taming all five divine beasts, Zhang Xuan looked at every one of them before speaking again. Goldspirit Cloudtiger, as a metal attribute beast, you possess superior offensive capability, but your defense is considerablycking. More importantly, despite the immense strength you wield, youck precision in control. That left you with a lot of openings that I could exploit. Ill point out a couple of your major ws now, and as long as you make corrections ordingly, you should be able to raise your fighting prowess significantly! He went on to borate on several ws that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger suffered from, as well the ways to correct them. When he fought with thetter earlier, the Library of Heavens Path had already uncovered the ws that it was suffering from. Combining that with his knowledge as a beast tamer, it was extremely easy for him to find the solutions to those ws. Cultivating in ordance to Zhang Xuans impartation, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger did enjoy a significant rise in its fighting prowess. A brilliant gleam surfaced in its eyes as it kneeled onto the floor once more, this time out of earnest respect for Zhang Xuan. If it had only submitted due to the threats and benefits that Zhang Xuan had promised, this time around, it was out of earnest respect for him. Following which, he offered some pointers to the cultivation of the remaining divine beasts as well, inducing a significant leap in their fighting prowess. Excited over their newfound strength, they hurriedly bowed in gratitude to Zhang Xuan. Having reached Sempiternal realm consummation, they had thought that it would be difficult for them to advance their fighting prowess unless there was a major evolution in their bloodline. They had never thought that there was still room for them to improve further. If they continued cultivating in ordance to Zhang Xuans words, they might even be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage in the future! To them, this was much more attractive than being the Monarchs of this forest and ruling over a bunch of beasts. Master, what do we do about these fellows? The Heavenwood Greenserpent pointed to Wu Changping and the others. Their actionscked consideration, and they were disrespectful to the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Nevertheless, their actions dont warrant the death sentence. Make thempensate for their actions and set them free! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. To be honest, he was kind of d that the group of eight was in front of him. If he had charged right into their, he would have been the one who was encircled by the five divine beasts. Perhaps, he might not have even gotten a chance to fight one on one, and things might not have ended as smoothly as they did. However, it was a fact that the group of eight bore malicious intentions toward him, and they had made a move on the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Considering how thetter was now his tamed beast, he could not let the group of eight go without making them pay a hefty price. Yes, master! Seeing that his master was not the type of honest to a fault human, the divine beasts heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like they would not be taken advantage of by others serving him. Under the menace of the five divine beasts, Wu Changping and the others had no choice but to submit. They obediently handed over the treasures that they had amassed over this period of time along with grade-9 pills, artifacts, and the like before they were finally set free. Take them! Ill leave it to you to decide how you want to split these items among yourselves. Also, I want to make it clear that your loyalty will not go unrewarded. If you perform well, I have no qualms granting you my Great Sage artifacts! Zhang Xuan said. The artifacts that Wu Changping and the others had handed over could not even catch his eye, so he left it to the five divine beasts to deal with them internally. At the same time, he also dropped them expectations for the future. Managing ones tamed beast was actually not much different from managing ones subordinates. On top of the carrot and the stick, what was more important was to give them positive expectations for the foreseeable future. Resolving the ws in their cultivation and promises of invaluable treasures... With the offer of such alluring benefits, the five divine beasts would be more inclined to submit to him both physically and mentally. As expected, after hearing his words, looks of agitation appeared on the five divine beasts. From the looks of it, it seemed like Zhang Xuan had won their loyalty for the time being. After Wu Changping and the others left, Zhang Xuan finally posed the doubt lingering in his heart. Shouldnt you all be scattered around the area? Why are you gathered inside the Goldspirit Cloudtigersir? Based on what he had heard from the Crimsonfrons White Tiger, the Five Monarchs each had their own territory in the forest and rarely interacted with one another. Why would they gather together in air? As soon as we noticed that the dimension has been opened and humans have made their way in, we immediately gathered together here. Firstly, we intended toe up with a countermeasure to curb the threat of the humans. Secondly, we also wanted to guard the exit and prevent anyone from passing through it! the Heavenwood Greenserpent exined. Exit? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon hearing that word. Could it be that... the exit to the Temple of Confucius lies within the cavern? Given that the five divine beasts hade out of the cavern... could it be that the supposed exit was located in there? Thats right! The Heavenwood Greenserpent nodded. Back then, Kong shi brought us here and delegated the responsibility of guarding the exit and preventing anyone from finding it to us. I suppose thats the trial he has entrusted to us! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. You said that Kong shi captured you? In other words, you have met Kong shi? It had been tens of thousands of years since Kong shi had vanished from the Master Teacher Continent. While those of the Beast Tribe tended to enjoy greater longevity than human cultivators, none of them were able to live that long. Otherwise, just by umting a bunch of old monsters across many generations, they would be able to im the Master Teacher Continent and take on a dominant position in the world! It was impossible for the five divine beasts to have lived for tens of thousands of years, so what could they mean by saying that Kong shi had captured them? Chapter 1710 - Desert Dimension

Chapter 1710: Desert Dimension

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Of course, weve seen him before! It hasnt been too long since Kong shi left this dimension after all! The Heavenwood Greenserpent nodded affirmatively as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It hasnt been long since Kong shi left this dimension? A deduction surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and he hurriedly asked, How long has it been since Kong shi left this dimension? The Heavenwood Greenserpent pondered for a moment before replying, Roughly four hundred years, I suppose! Indeed! Zhang Xuans body shuddered at having his hypothesis verified. He had thought that it was odd when the Heavenwood Greenserpent said that Kong shi had brought them here, but he did not think that they were lying to him. There was no reason for them to lie to him. Instead, he thought that this anomaly could be attributed to a difference in the flow of time instead. Most likely, the flow of time within the folded space was slower than the flow of time on the Master Teacher Continent, or else the divine beasts would have already been reduced to a pile of bones by now. The words that the Heavenwood Greenserpent had just said effectively verified his deduction. Doing a rough calction, it had been around forty thousand years since Kong shi left the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, in the eyes of the Heavenwood Greenserpent, it had only been four hundred years since he had left. Did this not mean that the flow of time within the folded space was a hundredth of the world outside? In other words, the passing of a day in this folded space equated to the passing of a hundred days in the Master Teacher Continent! If such time deceleration could be used on an Ancient Sage, thetter would be able to extend their lifespan significantly without resorting to hibernation. No, this doesnt work either... With my mastery of temporal arts, I should be able to notice it if theres any difference in the flow of time. Yet, why do I not sense anything at all? Zhang Xuan wondered with a frown. Havingprehended the Time Quintessence, he was no longer as ignorant of time as he had been before. If there was a difference in the flow of time, he surely would have noticed it. Yet, that was not the case. Why was it so? Forget it, theres no point thinking about it now... Ill probably find my answer once I get to the Temple of Confucius! Unable to figure out the reason after some thought, Zhang Xuan shook his head and tossed the matter to the back of his mind. He turned to the five divine beasts and said, Bring me to the exit! The Heavenwood Greenserpent led the way forward. The cavern was spacious, and there was a huge hole in the middle where a pool ofva flurried. It felt like anything in the world would melt within the pool ofva. This is... the exit? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. No matter how he looked at it, all he could see was the crater of a volcano. It was hard to imagine that the Temple of Confucius was located within the crater. Im not too sure about the details either. Back then, Kong shi instructed the five of us to guard this area, so we guessed that its the passageway leading to the Temple of Confucius! the Heavenwood Greenserpent exined. Kong shis wisdom was expansive and transcendental. It was not something that beasts like them could fathom. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight and scanned his surroundings, but he was unable to find any indicative signs at all. In the end, he could only shake his head. For the time being, you should enter my folded space. Whether the passageway lies within the crater or not, Ill just have to check to find out! Knowing that he would not find anything dawdling in the area, Zhang Xuan stowed the beasts into the Myriad Anthive Nest with a wave of his hand. After that, he leaped right into the pool ofva. Given how even the Empyrean Heavenly me was unable to burn his physical body, there was no way that he would fear mereva. As searing as it was, such heat could not bother him anymore. He continued to swim downward for a while longer. Soon, a spatial seal reminiscent of that in the Subterranean Gallery appeared before him. Without any hesitation, he dived through the spatial seal. H! The world warped around Zhang Xuan, cing him in a short state of disorientation. By the time that he recovered from his light-headedness, he was already standing in apletely different world. The area that the five divine beasts lorded over was a forest with lush greenery, but thend that he was currently standing on was a desert. Intolerable heat waves swept across the surface of the sand, and the entire world seemed to be covered with an endless shade of beige. There was no end in sight. Is this the exit you spoke of? Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. From the looks of it, it felt like he had leaped from one folded space to another. However, this folded space did not seem to have anything to do with the Temple of Confucius at all! Could he have gone the wrong way? This... The Heavenwood Greenserpent was also baffled by the change in scenery. They did not think that such a world would exist behind the seal that they had guarded for four hundred years. It was clear that they had never been there before. The Heavenwood Greenserpent pondered for a moment before suggesting an idea. Master! I have scouted the entire forest, and this is the only way out of it. Could this be another trial set up by Kong shi? Perhaps, you have to continue searching for the next exit in order to get to the Temple of Confucius! I guess thats the only possibility... Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He could not think of another rational exnation other than this. Perhaps, it might be more urate to think of the entire folded space as ayered dungeon. Only by finding the exit would he be able to proceed to the next floor. He would have to ovee several floors before he would finally arrive at the Temple of Confucius. Of course, he had known from the very start that it would be no simple feat to get to the Temple of Confucius. He swiftly decided on another direction with a twist of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and riding on the back of the Heavenwood Greenserpent, he charged ahead. There was not a single person to be found within the arid desert. In less than two hours of flight, both Zhang Xuan and the Heavenwood Greenserpent were already feeling a little light-headed. Their lips were starting to crack from dryness. Something is amiss here... Zhang Xuan thought with a tight knit between his brows. Given their cultivation, putting aside a desert, their bodies would not have any abnormalities even if they were to sleep on top ofva. It was unthinkable for them to be dehydrated after a short two-hour journey. Zhang Xuan studied the folded space closely and swiftly noticed that it was constructed in a manner very different from other spaces. It was ingeniously designed to form a formation that would continuously sap ones water and stamina. He turned to the Heavenwood Greenserpent and said, It seems like this is really no ordinary desert. We have to quickly find the exit, or else we might lose our lives here! As he spoke, he took out the spirit essence that he had kept in his storage ring and drank it. It quenched his thirst and rejuvenated the sapped vitality in his body. He passed it over to the Heavenwood Greenserpent to have a drink as well before proceeding ahead. After another hour of journeying, he suddenly noticed some footprints on the ground. Its the footprints of a human. Could it be that another human has entered this folded space through the exit? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. He had needed to deal with the Five Monarchs before he was able to find his way here. Furthermore, the location of the exit was extremely discreet, hidden in the midst of theva. Typically speaking, it should have taken quite a bit of time for others to find this location. It was bizarre to find fresh footprints in the midst of the desert. Could it be that someone had entered the area ahead of him? Lets head over to take a look! Intrigued, he activated his Eye of Insight and followed the trail of footprints. Soon, he discovered a group of men ahead of him. There were powerful emanations of zhenqi all around, which seemed to suggest that they were battling with some other entity. Taking a closer look, there were eighteen men in total. They were all dressed in different clothes, and the strongest of them was at the Intuitive Impulse realm. Their faces were ghastly pale, and their lips were cracked. They looked like they were in a much more terrible state than he was. The entity that they were battling against was a giant made out of sand. It had no distinctive features, but the powerful aura that it released showed that it wielded strengthparable to a Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivator. It was precisely due to this that, despite their numerical advantage, the group of eighteen was still facing trouble taking it down. Break! Knowing that he could acquire important intelligence from the group ahead of him, he whipped out his Dragonbone Divine Spear and tossed it toward the sand giant. Hu! As if a javelin, the Dragonbone Divine Spear pierced right through the sand giant, and its aura immediately dissipated. Hu! It crumbled into a pile of yellow sand on the ground. Thank you for saving our lives! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had defeated the sand giant that they had been struggling with, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief before bowing respectfully to Zhang Xuan. Seeing their haggard faces before him, it was apparent that they had been in there for at least several hours. Perplexed, he asked, How did you all get here? We passed out after the brilliant light emanated from the Temple of Confucius enveloped us, and when we woke up once more, we were already here... Elder, why did you ask us that question? an Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator in the group replied. He seemed to be a little surprised by Zhang Xuans bizarre question. Chapter 1711 - Sand Giants

Chapter 1711: Sand Giants

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You were already here when you woke up? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had woken up in the forest ruled by the Five Monarchs, but these people actually woke up here. Could it be that the crowd was not just teleported to a random location, they were teleported to random folded spaces as well? Its no wonder I couldnt feel Luo Ruoxin or any familiar auras around! He had encountered quite a few cultivators in the forest earlier, but he did not find any familiar faces. He had not thought much of it back then, but at this moment, it was already more than apparent that something was wrong. It seemed like the Temple of Confucius was far moreplex than he had predicted. What was the sand giant earlier? Since you have been here for several hours already, did you notice anything striking? Zhang Xuan continued asking. The forest was filled with treasures and the teachers milieu, which could raise a cultivators Soul Depth. On the other hand, this desert seemed to be challenging a cultivators limits. Parched and sweltering, they werepletely two different worlds! But since everyone was teleported to a different folded space, there should be some kind of exit that would take him to another folded space. The sand giant is a lifeform that exists in this desert. We encountered it after traveling for roughly four hours, and it attacked us upon noticing our presence... If not for your help, we might have already sumbed by now! the Intuitive Impulse cultivator revealed without hiding anything from Zhang Xuan. As for anything striking... Im afraid I didnt see anything of that sort. However, we did encounter a few other groups during our journey, and they seemed to be looking for an oasis. Im not too sure whether they have managed to find it or not, but we didnt see anything of that sort on our journey... Oasis? Those words made Zhang Xuans eyes light up. Indeed! Since there was a desert, there was bound to be an oasis somewhere. It was highly likely that the exit would be located in the oasis! Zhang Xuan nodded in delight upon finding a clue as to what he should be looking for. After which, he turned his sight back to the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator. How did you encounter the sand giant earlier? We were simply resting to alleviate our exhaustion and quench our thirst when that fellow suddenly appeared and attacked us! the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator replied. You were trying to quench your thirst? Zhang Xuan frowned. If that was the triggering factor, he did drink a bit of spirit essence earlier too, but the sand giant did not appear. Thats right. However, it feels like theres something really weird about this ce. No matter how much water we drink, it doesnt seem to quench our thirst. Instead, the more we drink, the feebler we be, the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator said bitterly. Drinking water doesnt work? Bewildered, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of water. With a sip, he realized that his mouth was getting more and more parched. It was as if he was pouring mes into his body, causing it to wither bit by bit. He threw the gourd back into his storage ring and took out the spirit essence that he had collected from the forest earlier. Taking a sip of it, he felt his acupoints loosening in rxation. The parched sensation on his tongue alleviated, reinvigorating him. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. From the looks of it, it seemed like water was useless there. The only replenishment one could drink was spirit essence! Elder, you have spirit essence with you? Can you... share some with us? While none of those in the group were as strong as Zhang Xuan, they were still top-notch experts of the Master Teacher Continent. With their sharp eyes, they saw his lips cracking after drinking a sip of water, but drinking a sip of spirit essence brought him back to normal condition. It was apparent to them that only drinking spirit essence would alleviate their thirst and soothe their exhaustion! You want some spirit essence? I am... Since Zhang Xuan had collected plenty of spirit essence earlier, he was very willing to give it out to the other members of the group. However, a thought came in his mind, and he asked, Give me a moment first. You mentioned earlier that the sand giant attacked you while you were drinking water, right? The crowd nodded. May I trouble you to copy what you did when you drank water earlier? Make sure not to leave out any details. If we could attract another sand giant, it could possibly provide us with the key to escaping from this desert! Zhang Xuan instructed. He did not expect the sand giant to be so weak as to die with a single toss of his spear. Considering howrge the desert was, it would be foolish to think that he would be able to find the oasis just by wandering around aimlessly. The wiser decision would be to rely on the native race living in this desert! However, the problem was that he would have to first attract a sand giant. The fact that he had wandered around for more than two hours but encountered no sand giants likely meant that there was some kind of trigger to draw it in. This... No one in the crowd was a fool. Upon hearing his words, they widened their eyes in realization and nodded. Very well! Zhang Xuan put his Dragonbone Divine Spear aside and reverted his aura back to normal, making it appear as if he was an ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivator on the surface. H! After aplishing all this, he turned his gaze to the crowd and gestured for them to do it. One of the cultivators swiftly flicked his wrist and took out a gourd. At their cultivation realm, there was no one who did not have a storage ring. They would usually keep a long-term supply of food and water in their storage ring in case of emergencies. The cultivator gulped down several mouthfuls of water, but the more he drank, the more withered he seemed to be. Frustrated, he tossed the gourd into the sand. Gulu gulu! When the water from the gourd flowed into the sand, it was as if water had been poured upon burning oil. A sizzling sound echoed across the desert as white smoke drifted into the air. Boom boom boom! As the white smoke drifted higher and higher, the crowd suddenly heard the sound of flurried footsteps sounding from afar. Two massive sand giants were bolting in their direction! They are both at Sempiternal realm primary stage... Elder, you must protect us! The faces of the crowd warped in horror. It was at the behest of this elder that they had lured the other party over. While they had the numerical advantage, they knew that they did not stand a chance against two sand giants given their current fighting prowess. Rest assured! Zhang Xuan said confidently. Instead of whipping out his Dragonbone Divine Spear, he pushed his feet against the burning sand and dashed toward one of the sand giants. He opened his palm wide and pressed down heavily on it. H! A powerful rush of zhenqi swiftly enveloped the saint giant. Roar! It seemed like the sand giant also possessed sentience. It appeared to be aware of the disadvantageous position that it was in and raised its fist in a fluster to break open the zhenqi around it. A furious storm swept across the area, and clouds of sand rose into the air. Without a doubt, the sand giant was a powerful adversary. It was no wonder the group of eighteen had their hands tied dealing with it. However, it was still insufficient as an opponent for Zhang Xuan. The sand giant hurled punch after punch, but it was unable to breach the zhenqi barrier around it. On the other hand, the second sand giant seemed to have realized that Zhang Xuan was a formidable foe as well, and it charged forward in a hurry to aid itspanion. Dont worry, I dont n on leaving you alone! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he flicked his other palm at the second sand giant. Padah! The second sand giant was immediately forced to the ground, unable to move at all. Gazing coldly at the two helpless sand giants before him, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Submit to me, and I can spare you from death! Roar! It was hard to tell whether the two sand giants had truly understood his words, but they released ferocious howls and continued wing at the zhenqi pressing them down. It seems like you arent going to submit to me until I show you a bit of force... Very well, I shall let you try my hand then! Seeing that he had been disregarded by the two sand giants, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes coldly. He flicked his finger and sent a surge of sword qi toward the two sand giants. Before taming a beast, one had to first exert ones dominance over the beast to show the beast that resistance was futile. Only a beast who had given up on resistance could be tamed. This was the methodmonly used by most beast tamers, pummeling the beast first before dropping them incentives... While the sand giants did look a little silly, it was likely that they obeyed this convention as well. Weng! Zhang Xuan was intending to use his sword qi to teach the sand giants a lesson, but as soon as the sword qi sliced through the two of them, they began crumbling apart. Hu! In the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to a pile of yellow sand. The hell... Zhang Xuans lips twitched. Chapter 1712 - The Appearance of the Oasis

Chapter 1712: The Appearance of the Oasis

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan had been nning to emte his sess back at the foresttame a sand giant and have it lead him to the oasis. He did not think that the sand giant would be so brittle that even a casual shot of his sword qi would actually make it crumble into sand. Not even he had the ability to revert the sand back into sand giants! Isnt its spirit a little too weak? Zhang Xuan rubbed his be speechlessly. He had thought that those two fellows would at least be as tough as normal Sempiternal realm cultivators, but who could have known that they would fall so easily! In terms of spirit, they were really much feebler than the artifacts that he had enchanted. Im sorry to bother you, but can you help me lure a few more sand giants over? Zhang Xuan turned to look at the cultivators with an embarrassed look on his face. It had not been easy for them to lure two over, but he had ended up ughtering them before acquiring any useful information... He really had to take note of this matter so as to not make the same mistake again. Alright! The crowd nodded. Another cultivator from the crowd took out a gourd, but this time, he tossed it out without bothering to drink it. As water flowed into the desert, white smoke began drifted out from the sizzling sand. However, this time around, no sand giants appeared even after the crowd waited for quite a while. I think it would only work if you drink the water, Zhang Xuan said. Un! Shaking his head helplessly, the cultivator took out another gourd of water and sipped a few mouthfuls. He was still fine before he drank the water, but as soon as water entered his mouth, his face immediately turned so red that it seemed as if smoke would billow out of his face. Enduring the light-headedness, he tossed the gourd out once more. Gugugugu! Water flowed into the desert, and just like before, two sand giants were drawn over. These two sand giants were also at Sempiternal realm primary stage, and they did not seem to possess too much intelligence. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan engaged the two sand giants once more. This time around, he did not dare to exert too much strength. He focused mainly on trapping the two of them on the spot. The two sand giants continued pummeling the seals trapping them in ce, but they were unable to break free. Soul Search! This time, instead of attempting to tame the sand giants, he chose to utilize his soul art. Having read all of the books in the Jiang n andprehended the Soul Quintessence, he had be highly-skilled in the techniques of the soul oracles such as Soul Search. It was just that it disrupted the harmony of the world, so he avoided using the technique as much as he could. The sand giants before him did not seem to be natural lifeforms, so he did not have much hesitation using Soul Search on them. H! His consciousness dived within the body of sand, and the next moment, he found himself surrounded by darkness. Vaguely, he could see a seed of light shining in the very depths of the darkness. That is... spirit enchantment art? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that the sand giants were a little too dull for Sempiternal realm beings, but who could have known that they were the products of spirit enchantment! That exined their surprising weakness despite their cultivation. It was inevitable that the intelligence of enchanted beings would be lowerpared to ordinary cultivators, so their fighting prowess would be highlycking as well. During the confrontation with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters in the Empire Alliance City, Wang Ying had enchanted all of the Master Teacher Pavilions, but the overall prowess of the army had still been severely limited. Wait a minute... these sand giants are made out of ordinary sand! To be able to grant ordinary sand prowessparable to Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivators... Zhang Xuan suddenly froze in ce. These sand giants might have been a little dull, but there was no questioning the strength that they wielded. Otherwise, the group of eighteen would not have faced so much trouble dealing with one. He had in three of them so far, and after their spirit disintegrated, they had immediately dissolved back into ordinary sand. In other words, there was something within this desert that could enchant ordinary sand and bestow it strengthparable to Sempiternal realm cultivators! That was an extremely scary notion in itself! As one who had cultivated the Heavens Path Spirit Enchantment Art, Zhang Xuan was confident that his enchantment abilities were unrivaled in the world, even whenpared to Wang Ying, the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters! But even so, he knew that the limits of his abilityy in bestowing spirit upon items that had form. Toward formless entities, his enchantment was unlikely to work at all, let alone bestowing them the strength of a Great Sage! Peng! Deep in thought, Zhang Xuan lost control of his soul energy for a moment, and the flicker of life in the two sand giants immediately extinguished. Their bodies swiftly crumbled back into a pile of sand. Zhang Xuan stepped forward to take a closer look at the heap of remaining sand. They were indeed only ordinary sand. There was nothing else mixed within it. Following which, he scanned his surroundings and narrowed his eyes. It was just as he had expected. If these sand giants were products of enchantment, it was likely that the spirit awakener who had enchanted them knew where the exit was! In other words, the key to escaping this folded spacey in whether he was able to find the spirit awakener or not. Just that... how was he supposed to find this spirit awakener? Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemtion, and a momentter, realization dawned upon him. If I recall correctly... the sand giants seem to have emerged from that direction. Its likely that the spirit awakener is in that direction too! He had to be in direct contact with an item if he wanted to enchant it. While he did not know whether the spirit awakener in the desert was bound by the same restrictions as him, the direction that the sand giants had appeared from likely held a clue of some kind. Everyone, follow me! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan led them in the direction that the sand giants had appeared from. After traveling for roughly ten minutes, he came to a halt. There was still no difference in his surroundings yet. All that was within sight was yellow sand. Zhang Xuan looked around him, but he was unable to find a clue whatsoever. Thus, he turned to the group of eighteen and instructed, Ill need you to attract a sand giant here once more... Upon hearing the request, bitter looks appeared on the faces all around. Not only are you depriving us of spirit essence, you are even forcing us to drink water to dehydrate ourselves... Do you know that well die of thirst at this rate? As stifled as the crowd was, they knew that the young man was their only hope of getting out of this darned ce. Without any hesitation, another cultivator repeated the previous ritual. Not too longter, two sand giants raced over from another direction. These two sand giants were clearly much stronger than before. While their cultivation was still at Sempiternal realm primary stage, their fighting prowess was significantly higher. At the same time, they seemed to possess greater intelligence. Knowing that it was impossible to tame the sand giants, Zhang Xuan killed them without any hesitation. After which, he continued walking in the direction that the sand giants had appeared from. After traveling for another ten minutes, he had the group of eighteen repeat the ritual once more. Two more sand giants appeared, but this time, the fighting prowess of the sand giants had risen to Sempiternal realm intermediate stage. It seems like the fighting prowess of the sand giants increases the closer we get to the spirit awakener... Seeing that there were finally some changes in their circumstances, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Just like that, they continued ahead. Whenever Zhang Xuan felt uncertain of the direction, he would have the crowd conduct the ritual of drinking water and pouring it away. Repeating the process another ten times, the fighting prowess of the sand giants had increased to Sempiternal realm advanced stage. However, it seemed like the fighting prowess of the sand giants had reached a cap and was unable to grow any further. This was the strength of the sand giants ten minutes ago, and the strength is still equal at the moment. If I form a straight line between the two points that we summoned the sand giants... its likely that the spirit awakener is located on another perpendicr line along the very center of this straight line! Spirit awakeners used their souls as a medium to control their enchanted artifacts, and the strength of their control would depend on the distance between the spirit awakener and the enchanted artifact. Considering that the two sand giants were of equal strength, it meant that the extent of the spirit awakeners control over his enchanted artifact was identical at both points. In other words, it was likely that the spirit awakener was equidistant from the two points. The possible regions that were equidistant to the two points where they had summoned the sand giants were along the perpendicr line formed at the center of the straight line connecting the two points. To put it in simpler terms, they only had to head to the center in between the two points where they had summoned the sand giants and travel either up or down, and they would be able to find the spirit awakener! Lets go! Having confirmed a direction, Zhang Xuan headed to the center point and began heading upward. Some timeter, just as the crowd was swiftly approaching their limit, they heard an exmation. Look! Theres an oasis just ahead! Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze ahead. Just as the voice had said, there was a conspicuous hint of lush greenery amid the dull yellow sand of the vast desert right ahead of them. Chapter 1713 - The Bizarre Lakewater

Chapter 1713: The Bizarre Lakewater

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Covering only several dozen mu, the oasis was not too big. There was a crystal-clearke sitting quietly at the center of the greenery. Like a beautiful gemstone embedded at the tip of a tiara, it was extremely eye-catching. A massive tree towered by the side of theke, and its lush leaves provided coolness for the cultivators standing beneath. Theres indeed an oasis! Water! I want to drink water! Unable to take it any longer, the cultivator dashed forward in desperation. Upon seeing the oasis, Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of contemtion. He quickly scanned his surroundings before his eyebrows shot up in horror. Wait a moment! Dont drink the water! he shouted as he rushed forward to stop them. However, too overwhelmed by thirst, the reddened-eyed crowd had already charged straight toward theke in desperation. In the time he had spent contemting, some of them had already scooped up a handful of water and sipped on it. Noticing Zhang Xuans intense reaction, one of the calmer cultivators turned his gaze over and asked, Elder, whats wrong? Even though the young man had been depriving them of spirit essence in order to lure the sand giants, it was a fact that he had brought them to the oasis. On top of that, he had shown sharp judgement far surpassing any of them. Perhaps, he might have noticed something that led him to stop them. Theres something really weird about this situation! Zhang Xuan remarked as he hurriedly held back the other cultivators who had not sipped on the water yet. Given how long it has been since you teleported in here, some groups should have discovered the secret behind the desert and rushed over to the oasis. In fact, the footsteps around show that some people have definitely been here before us. Yet, where did those people go? He had been dyed in the forest for several hours beforeing to the desert. While the secret behind the desert was rather obscure, there were bound to be some who were able to find their way over. After all, most of those who had entered the Temple of Confucius could be considered as powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. Their intelligence and sharpness far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. However... where did those people head to? Youre right! There are indeed footsteps leading into the oasis... Taken aback, the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator hurriedly looked around him and noticed some shallow footprints around the perimeter of the oasis. Unfortunately, they had be indistinct after being cloaked by ayer of sand. Amazing, this water really works! Finally, I wont have to suffer anymore... The few who had dashed into the oasis and tested the water cried in excitement. The water that they had brought could not quench their thirst at all. In fact, it only seemed to further dehydrate them. At this point, they felt like they were on the verge of bursting into mes. Let me give it a try too... Upon hearing those words, the other cultivators whom Zhang Xuan had stopped immediately dashed forward, wanting to get a taste of the water as well. However, just as they were about to drink the water, the middle-aged man who had first drunk the water suddenly began convulsing wildly, and white smoke rose from his body. Ah... A hoarse cry of agony escaped from his throat. It was as if something was strangling his neck, causing him to roll frantically on the ground with his eyes bulging in desperation. But the more he rolled, the more smoke seemed to rise from his body. It felt as if he wouldbust into mes at any moment. I... The middle-aged man was not the only victim. Another three cultivators who had rushed ahead of the pack to drink the water had fallen to the ground as well. White smoke began drifting from their bodies, and it looked like they were being put through inhuman pain. This is really bad! rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi toward the middle-aged man, intending to alleviate his conditions. However, before his Heavens Path zhenqi could reach him, the rolling figure suddenly cracked in the middle. Hu! He was reduced to a heap of yellow sand. This... Horrified by the sight before them, the crowd hurriedly backed away from the water with pale faces. If the cultivators before them had been burned into cinders or reduced into skeleton, they could still have epted the conclusion. When they chose to enter the Temple of Confucius, they had already resolved themselves that they might note back alive. However, these men had been reduced to yellow sand! What on earth was going on? To be reduced to sand upon death... It could not be that the vast desert around them was the remains of countless corpses, could it? Just the thought left goosebumps rising all over their bodies, and terror seeped into the very depths of their soul. Elder, save me... With the middle-aged man being reduced to a heap of yellow sand, the other three cultivators pleaded with horror imprinted in their eyes. They had entered the Temple of Confucius with the intention of oveing their bottlenecks and progressing to higher ranks. Who could have known that it would actually bring them so close to the jaws of death? Zhang Xuan was also startled by the happenings, but he knew that it was not the time for him to fall into a daze. He quickly rushed to the three of them and ced his fingers on them. His Heavens Path zhenqi swiftly surged into the bodies of the trio. Hu! As soon as his zhenqi entered their bodies, he immediately sensed a bundle of mes devastating each of their bodies, threatening to burn them into cinders. Humph! With a harrumph, Zhang Xuan channeled his Heavens Path zhenqi to quell those bundles of mes. Tzzzz! As soon as his Heavens Path zhenqi collided with the bundles of mes, he immediately felt a powerful force corroding his Heavens Path zhenqi, seemingly attempting tobust his zhenqi into mes. Break! Furiously infusing more and more Heavens Path zhenqi into the three of their bodies, Zhang Xuans body began to take on a golden sheen, as if turning into a moving golden sculpture. His zhenqi, physical body, and Primordial Spirit were able to endure even the might of the Empyrean Heavenly me. While the bundles of mes in the trios bodies were a little queer, they still were not sufficient to hurt him. Hu! Under the furious onught of his zhenqi, the bundles of mes were finally quelled. Feeling that they were finally out of deaths jaws, the pale-faced trio crumbled to the ground with a mixture of relief and trepidation. They quickly kneeled onto the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan. Elder, thank you for saving our lives! Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Turning to the crowd, he said, Theres something really queer about this ce, so lets not stay around theke. For the time being, lets back out of the oasis! Even if Zhang Xuan had not said such words, the crowd would have been too frightened to remain around theke anymore. Death was not that frightening of a concept to them anymore, but to be burned down into yellow sand, such that everyst trace of their existence would vanish... this was an extremely sinister way of dying that they could not even bear the thought of. Unlike the rest of the crowd, Zhang Xuan did not back out of the oasis. Instead, he walked up to the heap of sand remaining of the middle-aged man and pinched a handful of it up. Leaning in, he examined it closely. The middle-aged man had been burned so cleanly that not even his clothes were left. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed that a person could simply vanish just like that. Elder, what do we do now? An Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator stepped forward to examine the heap of sand as well, but he was unable to deduce anything from it. Thus, he could only turn his gaze to Zhang Xuan. Take this spirit essence and let the crowd drink it! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and tossed several gourds over. This was the spirit essence that he had gathered from the forest, and it could alleviate the thirst of the crowd for the time being. It was not that he had intentionally kept it away from the crowd, but it appeared that one who had drunk the spirit essence would not be able to attract the sand giants anymore. As such, he had been left with no choice but to keep it away from them so that they could reach the oasis. However, since they had already reached their destination, there was no reason for him to keep it from them anymore. Thank you, elder! Taking the spirit essence, the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator hurriedly passed it around the crowd, and after gulping downrge mouthfuls of it, their thirst was finally quenched. They could not help but turn to Zhang Xuan with looks of gratitude. Paying no heed to the crowd, after Zhang Xuan had finished examining the sand grains, he began walking around the perimeter of theke. A cold air was emanating from theke before him. Standing beside it, he could not feel the slightest hint of heat despite being in the midst of a sweltering desert. At the same time, theke was also extraordinarily clear. It looked so innocent that it did not seem to have anything to do with the mes that had killed the middle-aged man earlier. Despite scanning the perimeter of theke, Zhang Xuan was unable to find anything peculiar about it. There were also no animals or the like within the oasis, so the matter could not really be attributed to anything else. Seeing that he had reached an impasse, Zhang Xuan walked up to theke and scooped up the water, just like what the middle-aged man and the trio had done earlier. Elder, be careful! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had scooped up the water, everyone leaped in fright. Its fine! Zhang Xuan reassured them with a smile. Even the Empyrean Heavenly me was unable to hurt his body in the least, so there was no way that bundle of mes could pose any threat to him. Looking at the clear water that he had scooped up in his both hands, he scanned it using both his Eye of Insight and Spiritual Perception, but he was still unable to find anything wrong with it. Perplexed, he leaned in and sipped a mouthful of the water. Elder! Be careful! The faces of the crowd turned pale in horror upon seeing the unbelievable sight before them. The middle-aged man had died shortly after drinking the water. What were they supposed to do if something happened to the elder before them as well? Chapter 1714 - The Manmurdering Tree

Chapter 1714: The Manmurdering Tree

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Swallowing the water did alleviate his thirst. Squatting quietly on the spot, Zhang Xuan focused his attention intently on the internal state of his body. As soon as the slightest spark of me appeared in his body, he would quell it right away. But even after waiting for a while, nothing happened at all. It was as if the water waspletely ineffective on him. When he stood up once more, there was a deep frown on his forehead. If the me had appeared in his body, he might have been able to trace down its origins. However, with nothing appearing at all, he had no idea how he should proceed on from here. Could this be something simr to the Yellow Water of the Netherworld, which he had encountered in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain? Was the water poisonous to others but harmless to him? Elder, are you fine? the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator asked carefully. Seeing there was no white smoke puffing out of the young mans head, and there was no cry of agony either, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. Im fine! Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Thats a relief. It was really a horrifying sight to see a living person being reduced to yellow sand... If not for the fact that I have traveled here together with him, I would have thought that he was a sand giant in disguise! the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator remarked fearfully. Sand giant in disguise? Being reduced into yellow sand... A sh sparked through Zhang Xuans mind as a thought surfaced in his head. He quickly turned to the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator and asked, You said earlier that you only found a sand giant after traveling for four hours. In other words, you didnt encounter any sand giants in the first four hours at all, did you? Hmm? Yeah, thats right! The Intuitive Impulse cultivator was slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuans question, but he swiftly nodded affirmatively in response. From the moment they woke up after being teleported out of Qufu, they had been in the midst of this desert. There was no danger at all initially, but on the fourth hour, they suddenly encountered a sand giant. They had mentioned this right from the moment they met, so it was not a secret at all. To only meet a sand giant on the fourth hour... Could it be that the sand giants are actually the remains of the dead cultivators? Zhang Xuan murmured with a grim look in his eyes. It was weird that the sand giants only appeared four hours after the opening of the folded space. Could it be that the first batch of cultivators had only found the oasis four hours after the opening and became the first group of sand giants? Remains of dead cultivators? The crowd was stunned. Thinking about it, everything seemed to fit together. As horrifying as the idea was, it was actually usible! The middle-aged man had been reduced to sand after his death, which was the very reason that they had thought about sand giants in the first ce! Well know the truth with a quick test! Zhang Xuan said with narrowed eyes. He walked back to the heap of sand that the middle-aged man turned into and ced his finger on it. In the next moment, his consciousness was plunged into a world of darkness. As expected! Zhang Xuan frowned grimly. The fact that that he was brought into this dark space while using his spirit enchantment art meant that it was possible to enchant life into the heap of sand! Focusing his attention, he enchanted a spark of me into the heap of sand, breaking the darkness within this dark space. Hu! The heap of yellow sand slowly rose to its feet, bing a massive sand giant. However, it only wielded the prowess of an Aureate Body realm cultivator. Its no wonder enchanted sand could wield the strength of Sempiternal realm cultivators! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Previously, he had been perplexed by how enchanted sand could wield such great fighting prowess. From the looks of it, it seemed like the sand that had made up the sand giants was not ordinary sand but the corpses of cultivators! In other words, the sand giants that they had been fighting with all that while were actually the experts who had been reduced to sand by the oasis! In other words... they had been fighting the dead! Wait a moment... if thats the case, where in the world is the spirit awakener? A doubt surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind as he quickly scanned his surroundings. If his deduction held through, the spirit awakener had to be in the oasis. However, other than theke, a field of grass, and a towering tree, there was nothing in sight. Even I have toe into direct contact with the heap of sand in order to enchant it... Theres no way the spirit awakener was able to enchant spirits into heaps of sand from a distance away! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in frustration. He felt like he had already gathered the clues required to solve the puzzle, but everything still remained an enigma to him. Somehow, he was unable to form aplete picture with the clue to see through the veil of mystery. And the very crux of that was the spirit awakener. Until he found the spirit awakener, this matter would remain a mystery to him, and he would not be able to find the exit out of this desert world. He had also observed theke very closely earlier. Crystal clear, he was able to see to the very bottom of theke with ease, but there was no exit in sight. As such, it was very likely that the exit was not located in the oasis. Earlier, the middle-aged man was reduced to yellow sand after drinking the water, but nothing happened to me when I consumed it. Also, its only possible to enchant the corpses after they have been reduced to heaps of sand. If theres nothing wrong with the water, it has to be something above the water then! Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment as he turned his gaze to the surface of the water once more. Only those who drank the water from the oasis would be reduced to sand and be enchanted into sand giants. He felt that as long as he could understand how those cultivators were turned into yellow sand, he would be able to find out where the spirit awakener was hiding! Thus, he scooped up another mouthful of water and examined it closely, but he still found nothing worth noting. It was just simple water with nothing inside. Just as he was about to give up, a slight breeze suddenly blew through the oasis. The tree towering by theke swayed along with the breeze, its leaves rustling noisily. Hu! The cotton blooming all over the towering tree fell into theke with a light tug of the breeze, and they floated quietly on the surface of the water. A momentter, they dissolved apart and vanished in the water. Could that be the culprit? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He hurriedly walked up to the towering tree and pinched a handful of cotton out. Tzzzz! To his astonishment, it felt as if a bundle of mes was burning on his palm. This bundle of mes bore a striking simrity to the mes that he had found in the bodies of the trio! Just as I thought! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was no wonder those before them had ended up bursting into mes after drinking the water whereas he remainedpletely fine. It seemed like the keyy in these cotton buds. Only when one drank waterced with cotton would they be reduced to yellow sand and transform into sand giants! When he checked the water, the cotton had already dissolved into theke, so it was no wonder he had been unable to find anything at all. He had finally found the cause behind the mysterious mes... but where was the spirit awakener? Zhang Xuan walked up to the tree and examined it closely. However, there was nothing peculiar in sight. He raised his hand and ced it lightly on the tree trunk. A momentter, a smile crept onto his lips. He leaned in to the tree and whispered, You are the culprit, arent you? Hula! Another breeze brushed across the oasis, gently shaking the tree. It was as if the tree was feigning ignorance to Zhang Xuans words. You know, it doesnt really matter to me whether you feign ignorance or not, Zhang Xuan remarked leisurely. With a flick of his wrist, the Infernal cksaber materialized in his grasp, and with sh of cold light, it shed right for the massive tree. Lets see how you are going to feign ignorance after I chop you down! H! But before the Infernal cksaber coulde into contact with the tree, a hurried sharp gale of wind burst through the air. ncing upward, Zhang Xuan saw a tree branch darting right for his head like a piercing spear. The movement of the tree branch was extremely swift and forceful. In terms of prowess, it was actually on par with an attack from a Sempiternal realm consummation expert. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still dodged the attack easily with a side step. Sou sou sou! However, it did not seem like the tree was willing to let him get away scot-free. Dozens of other tree branches suddenly shot forward and pierced right in Zhang Xuans direction, as if the charge of innumerable ferocious dragons. The force of their movements left behind lingering ck streaks in the air. Impressive! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as the earlier smile vanished from his face. With a flick of his finger, he sealed the space around him to temporarily fend off the tree branches. Following which, he raised the Infernal cksaber and executed hundreds of shes in the blink of an eye. It was apparent that the tree wielded strength on par with Sempiternal realm consummation experts. He had to make sure to tread carefully, or else he might end up losing his life. Chapter 1715 - Submission of the Massive Tree

Chapter 1715: Submission of the Massive Tree

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The sharpness of the Infernal cksaber was not to be underestimated. It easily tore through the assaulting branches, thus undoing their offense. However, the incredible force behind their movements still left Zhang Xuans arms feeling terribly numb, and he was forced to retreat a step due to the impact. The reason Zhang Xuan was able to oppose Sempiternal realm consummation experts despite the current limitations of his cultivation was mostly due to the powerful artifacts in his possession. In terms of sheer strength, he was still far beneath most experts. Sou sou sou sou! The severing of its branches did not seem to inflict the slightest pain or damage on the massive tree. Instead, it swiftly sent even more branches to assault Zhang Xuan, each of them carrying strength rivaling Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation experts. With the tremendous pressure from the movements of the branches, even the surrounding space moaned under the strain, seemingly ready to copse at any moment. Elder... Not expecting the elder to actually start fighting with the tree in the midst of his observation, the crowd was rmed. They swiftly realized that the tree was likely the culprit behind the death of the middle-aged man, and they quickly rushed in to offer their aid as well. Donte over! However, Zhang Xuans voice halted them. Given how even he was having trouble dealing with the tree, they would only be courting death by joining the fray. H! But the next moment, countless roots suddenly rose from beneath the sand to assault the crowd. Roots? Ah, I get it now. You have spread your roots throughout the entire desert, and its through your roots that you were able to enchant those sand giants! Zhang Xuan remarked in realization. While the tree was considerably tall inparison to humans, it could not be said to be toweringpared to other trees in the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, it wielded strengthparable to Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators. For it to gain such much power, its roots were bound to stretch far and wide. It was probably through its roots that it was able to enchant cultivators who had died dozens or even hundreds of li away. It went without saying that Zhang Xuan did not believe that the tree would be capable of remote spirit enchantment when even he was incapable of it. You might have plenty of roots, but I do have ways to deal with you too... Having uncovered the trump card of the tree, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his breath anymore. He flicked his wrist. H! The Five Monarchs immediately materialized right before him, exuding the powerful auras of superior beings. At Zhang Xuansmand, they charged toward the massive tree simultaneously. This... That elder actually has so many beasts with him? Is it just me or is every single one of them actually at Sempiternal realm consummation? Any one of those beasts would be more than enough to wipe out our whole party... ... Seeing the young elder releasing so many powerful tamed beasts at once, the crowd watching the battle could not help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva as their lips trembled in fear. It already would be a huge blessing if an average Great Sage cultivator had sessfully tamed a Great Sage beast, but this young man actually had so many tamed beasts, and every single one of them was incredibly powerful at that. They had thought that they already thought very highly of the young elder before them, but it seemed like they had been underestimating him! This visual shock left them stunned for a very long time. As soon as the Five Monarchs joined the battle, the massive tree immediately showed signs of being suppressed on all fronts. A short moment into the battle, the Celestialfire Phoenix dered confidently, Master, dont worry. Allow me to deal with him! H! A zing inferno poured forth from its mouth, dyeing half the sky scarlet. As soon as the massive tree encountered the mes, it immediately recoiled in fear. The imposing disposition that it hadmanded a moment ago vanished altogether. While the massive tree was able to release cotton buds that would burn even Great Sage cultivators down into yellow sand, it was ultimately still a tree. It was inevitable that it was fearful of direct mes. Xiong xiong xiong! Fully aware of the massive trees weakness, the Celestialfire Phoenix continued pouring mes down. Before long, the massive tree began to dry up, and its lush leaves withered yellow. Its strength was swiftly wilting away. I know that you are a sentient being capable of thought. Submit to me, and I can spare you from death. Otherwise, you will meet your end today! Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and remarked coldly, as if he had little regard for the trees life. Having tamed the Five Monarchs, he was practically invincible against cultivators beneath Ancient Sage. Unless an Ancient Sage made an appearance, no one would be able to stop him anymore. Given that the tree had intentionally harmed so many cultivators and enchanted them into sand giants, it was apparent that it was an intelligent lifeform. Since that was the case, it would be best for him to collect it for his own use. After all, he could never have too many trump cards. Barely a moment after Zhang Xuan said those words, a thought surfaced in his mind. You want me to submit to you? Dream on! Very well. I hope that you enjoy being burned into cinders like the cultivators you have harmed! Zhang Xuan replied coolly with a grand wave of his hand. Xiong xiong! The Celestialfire Phoenix turned into the scarlet color of mes as it darted toward the massive tree while pouring mes down on it. The incredible outpour of mes caused the surroundings to turn iparably scorching. The massive tree swiftly withered under the searing heat, and it did not take long for it to be charred dead. Hmm? Seeing how the massive tree had refused to submit even when it was on the verge of death, Zhang Xuan frowned. He nced at the floor, and his lips crept up. Terra Qilin, sweep up all of the roots underground for the Celestialfire Phoenix to burn. I dont believe that the tree will be able to survive this! Hearing Zhang Xuansmand, the Terra Qilin swiftly dived into the desert. A momentter, amid intense quakes, a massive web of roots was rooted out from the ground. Without any hesitation, the Celestialfire Phoenix burned the roots as well. The inferno swiftly spread to create a sea of mes. While the mes breathed out by the Celestialfire Phoenix could notpete with heavenly mes, its prowess was far superior to earth mes. If it ignited its bloodline to further enhance its mes, it might be able to melt down even Great Sage artifacts! Theres no way Ill submit to mere humans. Give up on this futility! Despite having its roots burned to ashes, the massive tree still refused to give up. A weak will was transmitted over to Zhang Xuan, carrying a persevering spirit. It still isnt going to submit to me even with this? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It was just a mere tree. Did it really need to have so much backbone? Even without the tree trunk, as long as the roots remained intact, the massive tree might still be able to resuscitate itself. However, if it lost its roots as well, the only fate that awaited it was death! No, thats not right. If its able to remain unfazed even with this, its likely that destroying the roots will not kill that tree... Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Unlike master teachers, most spirits were unbounded by principles and rules. When survival was at stake, there was no reason for them to clutch onto their dignity and refuse to submit. There was no reason for a mere tree to be so obstinate, refusing to submit even with its life on the line! This meant that it probably had something that would ensure its survival. At the very least, the massive tree was confident that burning its trunk and roots would not be enough to kill it... Theke! A spark shed across Zhang Xuans mind as he lowered his gaze to theke not too far away. He had not noticed it earlier, but despite the searing heat from the Celestialfire Phoenixs mes, it did not seem like the water in theke had reduced at all. Acheron cktortoise, you possess the water attribute. I want you to sap away all of the water in thiske. I would like to see how long that tree canst! Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes, Master! The Acheron cktortoise slowly made its way over to theke and opened its massive mouth. H! The water in theke immediately began gushing into its mouth at a frightening speed. It was almost as if there was a vortex in its mouth! It did not take long for it to finish devouring all of the water in theke. At the very bottom of theke, there was a tiny, white root. It had a texture that reminded one of warm jade. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan tore the root out from the ground and held it in his palm. The next instant, the tree trunk and roots that the Celestialfire Phoenix was torching suddenly withered into yellow sand, as if they had lost the foundation supporting them. Indeed, this is the main body... Upon seeing such a sight, how could Zhang Xuan still not understand what was going on? The massive tree and its roots were all just extensions of the main body, reminiscent of puppets that the root had taken under its control. It was no wonder the massive tree had refused to submit to them. As long as they failed to find its main body, there was no way they could have killed it! Celestialfire Phoenix, burn this root for me! Golden Origin Cauldron, if we arent able to burn it, Ill need you to help me sear it into cinders! Zhang Xuan instructed as he tossed the root out. The next moment, the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Celestialfire Phoenix, and the other beasts and artifacts swiftly converged on the tiny root. Pl-please dont kill me! Seeing so many experts eyeing it with hostility, the root trembled in fear. It cried out in despair, Im willing to submit! Im willing to submit! If it had never been rooted out, as long as its main body remained, it could regrow the massive tree and its long web of roots anytime it wanted. However, given the current circumstances, it did not seem like it had any other way out of this than to submit! Thats more like it! Seeing how the root had cast aside its bravado after being caught, Zhang Xuan nodded in contentment. He quickly sealed a contract with the root. With this, the culprit who had left all of the cultivators in the desert trembling in fear had be his tamed beast. Chapter 1716 - The Ice Dimension

Chapter 1716: The Ice Dimension

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In truth, it was not urate to call the root his tamed beast. After taking in a sliver of the other partys soul, Zhang Xuan swiftly realized that the root was indeed a tree and not a beast. It was a lifeform named Berserk Yellowsand Wood, which Kong shi had found. He took it and nted it in his folded space to serve as the guardian of this world. As long as one infused sufficient power into it, it would be able to reduce anything into sand and enchant it for its own use. This was not just limited to humans but weapons and saint beasts as well. It sounded like a formidable ability, but due to the limitations of its soul energy, it was only able to control a handful of sand giants simultaneously. With its current strength, controlling two Sempiternal realm advanced stage sand giants simultaneously was already the limit of its ability. As the new master of the Berserk Yellowsand Wood, Zhang Xuan was able to tap into its abilities. Nevertheless, even he was only able to control three Sempiternal realm advanced stage sand giants simultaneously. In other words, if he worked hand-in-hand with the Berserk Yellowsand Wood, they would only be able to control five Sempiternal realm advanced stage sand giants simultaneously. That was not enough to form an army. Nevertheless, as his cultivation rose, his ability to control sand giants would only grow stronger and stronger. It might be a powerful weapon to deal against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in the future! As for the Berserk Yellowsand Wood itself, it was no exaggeration to say that it could be more powerful than the Five Monarchs if he used it well. After all, its ability allowed it to turn anyone whose cultivation did not exceed it into yellow sand as long as certain conditions were met. There was no doubt that this was an extremely frightening ability that would strike horror into the heart of any cultivator! At the same time, while the prowess of sand giants was severely discounted due to their low intelligence, they were unafraid of sustaining injuries or death. As long as one could keep it constantly enchanted, it would never die. It would definitely be a headache for anyone to deal with. I could give the Berserk Yellowsand Wood to Wang Ying... He did not have much of a need for the artifact, especially since he already had plenty of trump cards in his possession. However, if he gave it to Wang Ying, thetters fighting prowess would surely rise significantly. In fact, if she could use it well, she might even be able to overpower Zheng Yang! Thinking of it, it was likely that Zheng Yang and Wang Ying, as the respective heads of the Combat Master Hall and Spirit Awakener Guild, had entered the Temple of Confucius as well. It was just that he did not know which dimension they had been teleported to. Suppressing these misceneous thoughts in his mind, he nced at the Berserk Yellowsand Wood and asked, There should be an exit out of this dimension. Where is it located? Zhang Xuan had only realized it after taming the Berserk Yellowsand Wood, but thetter actually did not kill too many cultivators. In fact, most of the sand giants that went after them earlier were simply corpses that it had reanimated. If the Berserk Yellowsand Wood had truly wanted to go on a massacre, many would have been dead by now. Thinking about it, if the Berserk Yellowsand Wood was truly an uncontroble force that craved the lives of others, Kong shi would not have allowed it to continue living on this world. The exit is located at the bottom of the massive tree... As it spoke, the Berserk Yellowsand Wood moved a little. Hong long! The earth quaked intensely as all of the sand suddenly seemed to fall back into the earth, as if devoured by some powerful force. Following which, where the massive tree had existed previously, a seal reminiscent of a door appeared. The entire desert was indeed under your control. Its no wonder your roots were able to reach everywhere in the desert, Zhang Xuan remarked. He stowed his beasts and artifacts back into his storage ring before turning to face the crowd behind him. Im intending to enter the next dimension. If you wish to follow me,e along with me. Otherwise, you can simply cultivate here. Without the yellow sand, you should be able to advance your cultivation much faster here than anywhere else! With the vanishing of the yellow sand, the environment was no longer as arid as before. Spiritual energy swiftly gushed into the dimension, reaching a level of concentration simr to the forest dimension before. At the same time, teachers milieu began suffusing the area as well. If the crowd was unwilling to brave any more danger, they would be able to make massive advancements in their cultivation just by cultivating there. Just from this alone, their expedition would not have been wasted. Elder, I wish to follow you! I think Ill stay behind here. Its simply too dangerous. Even with plenty of treasures lying around, I wont be able to enjoy them if I lose my life... It did not take long before the group of eighteen was divided into two teams, the remain and the leave factions. Ill leave it to you to decide what you want to do. Think it through carefully. In any case, the exit is right here, and you can make your decision anytime you want. Ill be going on ahead... Without saying too much, Zhang Xuan walked right into the spatial seal and vanished. These cultivators that he had just met could only be considered acquaintances. There was no reason for him to get too deeply involved with them. He might have saved them once, but he could not continue taking care of them along the way, and he did not have the ability to guarantee their safety. If they wanted to acquire as much as they could from this ancient domain, they could only depend on themselves. Besides, he had to look for Luo Ruoxin. Furthermore, he was certain that Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and Wei Ruyan, who had been captured a while back, would definitely be here. As such, he did not have the time or inclination to be merrymaking with a group of adventurers and enjoy the expedition. A short moment after Zhang Xuans departure, an Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator suddenly shook his head and remarked, If we were a bit more decisive in choosing to follow behind that elder, we might have been able to reap great gains. Its unfortunate, but it seems like the window of opportunity has already slipped by. The man earlier might have been young, but he was discerning and rational. Even with the great dangers thaty throughout the ancient domain, it felt like the young man would be able to ovee them with ease. If they could follow such a leader, it was likely that they would be able to meet with their own fortuitous encounter as well. Of course, the young man had no reason to share the treasures that he had collected with them, but even the scraps and morsels that he left behind would allow their cultivation to surge swiftly. At the very least, they would be faring way better than they were at the moment. However, they had already missed this opportunity. ... Oblivious to the regrets lingering in the group that he had just departed from, the space around Zhang Xuan distorted once more. Before he knew it, he was standing on an icy in. With two prior experiences, he did not panic in the least. Instead, he flew as high as he could to survey the surroundings. Just like in the forest, the higher he flew, the greater the pressure on him. With his current cultivation realm, thirty meters was already the limit. The environment here is even colder than the cier in Court... The entire world seemed to be cloaked with a thickyer of snow, and the gale that blew through the snowfield from time to time brought bone-chilling shivers to anyone brave enough to stand in the open in such weather. Even Aureate Body realm cultivators would feel an urge to cover themselves beneath multiple thickyers. It still isnt the Temple of Confucius yet... I guess Ill have to find another exit in this snowfield! Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He had thought that he would be able to find the Temple of Confucius swiftly after the ancient domain opened, but it seemed like he had underestimated the trials that Kong shi had put in ce. This was already the third dimension that he had entered, and who knew how many more awaited for him? There are the Five Monarchs in the forest, the Berserk Yellowsand Wood in the desert... There should be something that forms the crux of this snowfield too. As long as I can find out what it is, I should be able to find the exit easily... He spun the Dragonbone Divine Spear to decide on a direction before advancing forward. The first thing that he had to do was find other lifeforms, be it the indigenous beings that lived in the snowfield or the experts from the Master Teacher Continent who had entered this world. Through them, he would be able to acquire critical intelligence and sessfully identify the location of the exit. After flying for an hour, Zhang Xuan caught sight of a group of people trudging through the snow. Zhang Xuan was just about to approach them to seek out more information when his eyes suddenly widened, and he halted his footsteps. Otherworldly Demons! There were around twenty people in the group, but the person who led the group at the forefront and the other two who followed at the very back were extraordinarily tall. Coupled with the intense killing intent they were emanating, it was apparent that they were Otherworldly Demons! Judging from the intensity of their auras, it seemed like they had reached the Sempiternal realm. Even though they were no Wu Shu or Bei Xin, they could certainly be considered experts among the cultivators who had entered the ancient domain. As for the remaining members of the group sandwiched between them, they were all humans. However, it seemed like they had been curbed by the Otherworldly Demons through certain means. With deadpan looks on their faces, they trudged through the snow lifelessly under the Otherworldly Demons lead. Hurry up! the Otherworldly Demon at the forefront bellowed impatiently. It seems like an artifact that controls their souls, Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. Through his Eye of Insight, he could see that the captured humans were led by a very thin thread, and there was not the slightest hint of emotion on their faces. There was only one possibility for a situation like this. The souls of the humans were being controlled by the Otherworldly Demons through some means. Otherwise, there was no way that they would have followed them so obediently. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the crowd, and he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure. Wait a moment... Hu Yaoyao? Chapter 1717 - Encountering the Altar Again

Chapter 1717: Encountering the Altar Again

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Of the twenty cultivators controlled by the Otherworldly Demons, there was a youngdy who boasted a seductive figure. Even though she was in a slightly unkempt state, she stillmanded a charm that made it difficult for one to tear away ones eyes from her. She was a student that Zhang Xuan had taken in back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the head of the Bewitching Devil Faction, Hu Yaoyao! Back then, Hu Yaoyao had been taken to the headquarters of the Terpsichore Guild and inherited the highest heritage of the predecessors. Within a short span of a few months, she had astonishingly managed to raise her cultivation up to Saint 9-dan pinnacle, just a step away from reaching the Introspective Convalescence realm. Of course, part of it could be credited to Zhang Xuans guidance back then, but more than that, her diligence and talent had definitely yed a huge role as well. At the same time, it seemed like the Terpsichore Guild headquarters had held back no resources at all in grooming her. Her current strength was already more than enough to make her an authoritative figure within a major power, but in this ancient domain, which was filled with the top-notch experts, her strength was rathercking. As the cold wind blew from the horizon, she trembled under the frost. Her face had turned rather flushed under the effects of the coldness, but it seemed like she was still coping for the time being. There were no visible injuries on her, but her spirit seemed to be a little withered. The cultivation of those around her was not too high either. Over ten of them were only at Saint 9-dan, and the rest were at the Introspective Convalescence realm. Given so, it was no wonder that they were helpless before the prowess of three Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons. Even though Zhang Xuan had seen a familiar face, he did not rush into making a move. Instead, he sealed the space around him and discreetly followed behind the group. Three Sempiternal realm primary stage Otherworldly Demons did not pose a threat to him at all. He could easily kill them whenever he wanted to. However, he felt that it was more important for him to uncover the intentions of the Otherworldly Demons. After traveling for around ten minutes, a glistening frostedyer of ice came into sight. Hurry up! Following which, he saw several other groups of humans being led over as well. All in all, there were around a hundred humans gathered in the area, and they were all from different upations. At the very center of the icefield was a circr altar with all sorts of formation gs erected around it. An Otherworldly Demon dressed in ck armor stood by the altar as he ordered three Otherworldly Demons to inscribe formation marks on the ground. Bring the hostages here! hemanded with a grand wave of his hand. The Otherworldly Demons hurriedly positioned the human hostages in a circle around the altar. At the same time, Zhang Xuan noticed a thin thread wrapped around the wrists of the human hostages,pletely sealing their cultivation. Are they intending to tribute these human hostages to that god of theirs? Zhang Xuan thought as his face darkened. He had seen this altar many times in the past. The Kings of the Qingtian Lineage had used it several times to offer tribute to the Spirit God in exchange for power. However, treasures had been used as tributes back then. For them to kidnap these humans... were they nning to use these live humans as sacrifices? However, what did they hope to obtain by sacrificing these humans to that god of theirs? Were they intending to use these tributes to find the exit in this snow dimension? But if its just to find the exit, theres no need for them to go to such lengths! Zhang Xuan swiftly refuted that hypothesis with a deep frown. Having cleared the forest dimension and desert dimension, he already had some experience with looking for the exits. As long as one traveled to the crux of the dimension, it was not too difficult to find the exit. There was no reason for them to tribute the lives of so many people in order to find the exit! The main purpose of the Otherworldly Demons entering the ancient domain was to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Considering how they had not even confirmed the location of the Temple of Confucius yet, it did not seem wise for them to conduct such ughter at this point in time. It could very well draw the hostility of all parties within the ancient domain onto them prematurely. No matter what the purpose of the Otherworldly Demons is, saving that group should be my first move... Since Zhang Xuan had witnessed such a sight, he could not possibly allow them to die before his eyes. Furthermore, his student, Hu Yaoyao, was among the crowd. Scanning the fighting prowess of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe gathered in the area swiftly, there were thirteen of them in the Sempiternal realm, twenty at the Intuitive Impulse realm, and the rest were in the Aureate Body and Introspective Convalescence realms. All in all, they numbered less than fifty people. Such a force posed no threat to Zhang Xuan at all. He could easily ughter all of them with ease. Even the strongest individual among them, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon, was only at Sempiternal realm advanced stage, a long way off from matching him. The thin thread that is used to seal the crowds cultivation is likely a Great Sage artifact. If Iunch an attack recklessly, the Otherworldly Demons might trigger the Great Sage artifact out of rage and kill Hu Yaoyao and the others on the spot! Zhang Xuan thought, furrowing his brows. Even without relying on the prowess of the Five Monarchs, he would still be able to defeat them with ease given his current fighting prowess. However, if he pushed the Otherworldly Demons too far, there was a chance that the Otherworldly Demons might choose to kill all of the hostages out of desperation. In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening, he had to first devise a wless n. Breaking the spatial barrier demands a heavy price, so we cant afford to make the slightest mistake. Ensure that every artifact is ced in their exact location! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon continued to issuemands. The Otherworldly Demons swiftly moved artifacts one after another onto the altar. Taking a swift look, there were rare spirit stones, the blood essence of Great Sage beasts, unique formation scripts, all sorts of miraculous medicine... In any case, the sheer number of treasures that were being heaped onto the altar was so great that it could nearly match a tenth of his entire wealth! Breaking the spatial barrier? Could it be that they are intending to teleport straight into the Temple of Confucius? The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon had spoken in the native tongue of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but Zhang Xuan was able to understand it. Even for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, this pile of resources was not something that they could afford to squander away. Instead of finding the exit, they were setting up an altar. It was apparent that their motive was not as simple as just moving onto the next world! Regardless of what they are trying to do, I should focus on saving the hostages first! If he wanted to stop the Otherworldly Demons, a battle was inevitable. However, in order to do so, he had to ensure the safety of the hostages. After a moment of hesitation, he altered his appearance and headed behind a block of ice before undoing the spatial seal concealing his figure. With a flick of his wrist, he equipped himself with a Saint pinnacle sword. If he dashed right in, there was no way that he would be able to save anyone. At the same time, he would not be able to uncover the secrets behind the altar and deduce the motives of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, the best move that he could make at the moment was actually to be captured like Hu Yaoyao and the others. He could make use of this opportunity to undo the seal ced upon the crowd. Once the safety of the hostages was confirmed, he would finally be able to let loose. Lets do it then! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon was facing away from Zhang Xuan as he supervised the setting up of the altar. Knowing that this was an ideal moment for him to strike, he dashed forward furiously. Warping into a streak of lightning, he formed a straight line together with his sword as he pierced straight for the heart of the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon. At the same time, he drove his prowess as an Aureate Body realm cultivator, invoking a golden sheen to envelop his body. At this moment, it felt as if he was the incarnation of a Buddha. This assault might have seemed wless, but the truth was that Zhang Xuan had suppressed his strength to the level of an ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivator. At the same time, he did not utilize his Spatial Quintessence and Time Quintessence. As a result, despite the swift speed that he was moving at, it was hardly enough to faze a Sempiternal realm expert! It seems like a fish has escaped from our! Aureate Body realm consummation? No wonder... Sensing the assault of an enemy, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. Without turning around, he bent his finger backward and flicked it powerfully. Ding! A formidable aura collided with the tip of Zhang Xuans sword. Despite being enveloped in a thickyer of sword qi, his sword still produced a metallic ng upon contact with the aura. It was as if it had struck a thick metal wall; no matter how he pushed his sword forward, it simply would not move at all. Break! With a desperate look on his face, Zhang Xuan released a deafening roar as he brought his sword upward and hacked it down. Tzzzzz! Dozens of surges of sword qi converged together, forming a single line as it descended upon the aura barrier impeding his advancement. Hu! The aura was swiftly sliced into two, and Zhang Xuan continued his furious charge. Hmm? It seems like you do have some ability! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon was slightly startled to see that the young man was actually able to ovee his casual finger flick. He turned around to face the young man, and with a swift maneuver, he grabbed the sword pointed right at him between his fingers. To be able to avoid our lines of sight and make a decent assassination attempt on me, I must admit that you are quite an outstanding individual. You would have grown into a formidable expert with sufficient time if you had chosen to escape. However, since you have chosen to make me your enemy, Im afraid that you wont have a future! With a derisive chuckle, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon crushed his palm down upon Zhang Xuan. H! That palm felt as if it hade from the heavens themselves. Even the surrounding space trembled a little in the face of its might. Chapter 1718 - Zhang Xuan Has Been Captured

Chapter 1718: Zhang Xuan Has Been Captured

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 How can you be so powerful? Zhang Xuans face warped in horror as he cast aside his sword and retreated in a fluster. His current fighting prowess was only that of an Aureate Body realm consummation cultivator. As long as the enemy did not feel threatened by his existence, they would not make a move on the hostages. Seeing how the young man had decisively chosen to escape as soon as his assassination failed, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. Do you honestly think that you still stand a chance at escaping? The next moment, the force of his palm strike intensified. Immense pressure gushed over in waves, leaving Zhang Xuan feeling as if he was standing before a giant. Break! Zhang Xuan roared with a hint of panic in his voice. Hong long! The Saint pinnacle sword, which the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon was still holding onto, shattered in the air, producing a shockwaveparable to the force of a Saint 9-dan cultivator imploding their dantian. The immense force caused the ck-armored Otherworldly Demons attack to waver, thus buying time for Zhang Xuan to escape. Using this precious time that he had bought by sacrificing his beloved weapon, he immediately flitted away as quickly as he could. Hold it right there! Hula! Seeing that the assassin was going to get away, the surrounding Otherworldly Demons immediately drew their weapons as they prepared to make a move. Lay down your arms. That fellow interests me. Leave him to me! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon chuckled softly as he took a step forward and thrust his palm downward. The explosion of a Saint pinnacle weapon was plenty formidable, but it was simply too weak to faze a Sempiternal realm cultivator. H! Another massive palm appeared in the air above Zhang Xuan. At the same time, the space around him seemed to have frozen, rendering him unable to move at all. Damn it! Zhang Xuan cursed with a savage look on his face. The next moment, blood spurted from his mouth. As if he had ignited his bloodline ability, his aura suddenly surged by twofold. With his newfound strength, he attempted to break free of the frozen space around him. You are powerful for an Aureate Body realm cultivator, but the gap between the Aureate Body realm and Sempiternal realm is not something that one can bridge with just talent and wits... Get down here! Hu! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon ced his hands together, and sonic booms suddenly echoed relentlessly in the air. Zhang Xuan was still unable to break free of the spatial restraints around him. As if a tightly-bound crab, no matter how he struggled, he was unable to get away at all. Come here! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon beckoned with his hand, and Zhang Xuan floated helplessly toward him. At this moment, Zhang Xuans face waspletely pale. It seemed as if he had been drained of all his strength due to the ignition of his bloodline. Knowing that his fate was sealed, Zhang Xuan spat a mouthful of saliva at the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon as he bellowed furiously, Kill me if you will, but I, Xuan Zhang, will never submit to you! Kill you? Hahaha! Rest assured, Ill allow you to live a little longer. The more formidable a master teacher is, the purer their zhenqi would be. You are the perfect tribute to our god... I was still worried that we might not have enough tributes here, but now that you are here, my worries are ayed... With a light chuckle, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon tossed Zhang Xuan over to Hu Yaoyao and the others. Shackle him! He shall be used as one of our tributes! Yes, Commander! Two Otherworldly Demons rushed up to Zhang Xuan, and with a light grasp of their hands, a narrow thread wrapped itself around his wrist, sealing his cultivation. In such a state, he would not be able to exert his zhenqi at all. After that was done, the Otherworldly Demons swiftly returned to preparing the altar. With everything working out as he had nned, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was able to study the narrow thread wrapped around his pulse, he suddenly heard a sigh in his ears. You shouldnt havee here. You are sacrificing yourself for nothing! The one who had spoken was an Introspective Convalescence realm elder not too far away from him. Elder, do you know why they have prepared this altar? Zhang Xuan asked. He was slightly surprised to see that the other party waspletely awake, unlike the lifeless looks on the other cultivators around him. However, he swiftly attributed the matter to the elders higher cultivation. Perhaps the Great Sage artifact did not work as well on him. They are intending to tribute us to break open space to construct a bridge that leads straight into the Temple of Confucius! the elder said with a suppressed voice. As his cultivation had been sealed, he was unable to use zhenqi telepathy. Break open space? Construct a bridge that leads straight into the Temple of Confucius? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. Isnt there an exit in this snow dimension? As long as they find the exit, they should be able to reach the Temple of Confucius. Is there a need for them to go through so much trouble for this? Exit? Hearing that, a bitter smile appeared on the elders face. Theres indeed an exit here, but its impossible to enter the Temple of Confucius through these exits! Impossible? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Having traveled from one dimension to another, he had deduced that the ancient domain had a structure simr to a dungeon. As long as he went deep enough, he would eventually reach the Temple of Confucius. The Temple of Confucius has six Subordinate Halls and one Prime Hall. The Subordinate Halls should correspond to each of the dimensions. The exits and entrances of these dimensions are connected to one another, so if we progressed from one exit to the other, we would only be traveling among the six dimensions. Its impossible to reach the Temple of Confucius in such a manner! the elder said. Take this snow dimension for example, if we continued moving from one exit to another, after passing through five dimensions, we would only return here! Ah... Is that the case? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had thought that as long as he traveled through all of the dimensions, he would eventually arrive at the Temple of Confucius. Who could have thought that the dimensions actually formed a closed-loop? Did that not mean that he was traveling in circles? But this is a secret that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters isnt aware of. How do you know about it? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Despite all of the positions that he had, he was unaware of such critical intelligence. If Pavilion Master Ren of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters knew of this matter, he would have told him... It did not make sense for the elder before him to know of this matter! I happen to be fairly proficient in the tongue of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and I heard them discussing the matter earlier. It seems like the only way to enter the Temple of Confucius is to break open the space of one of the dimensions and enter its corresponding Subordinate Hall! the elder said. Enter the corresponding Subordinate Hall? If Im not mistaken, only those who possess the Celestial Amulet of Legacy are able to enter the Subordinate Halls, right? If everyone could enter the Subordinate Halls just by breaking open the space in the ancient domain, what would be the point of distributing the Celestial Amulets of Legacy in the first ce? Simrly, there would be no need for the world to vie over them. Its indeed impossible to enter the Subordinate Hall without the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, but they will still be able to reach the exterior of the Subordinate Hall. Thats the true outer perimeter of the Temple of Confucius, and the spiritual energy is much more concentrated there. Those who cultivate there will be able to raise their cultivation swiftly. Furthermore, even if one is unable to enter the Subordinate Hall, one will still be able to camp at the exterior and snatch the loot of those who managed to get in! As such, most experts have chosen to camp at the exteriors, and its said that... there are Ancient Sages among them! the elder exined. Ancient Sages? They are camping at the exteriors, too? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror. Indeed. Due to the restrictions ced on the Temple of Confucius, they wont be able to enter the Subordinate Halls or the Prime Hall. Nevertheless, they will still be able to camp in the area and snatch the possessions of those leaving the area. After all, those who enter the Temple of Confucius will eventually have to leave the area. In fact, thats probably where the true danger lies. Ordinary cultivators like us can only be content with roaming around the dimensions. If we really reach the exterior, we will probably lose our lives before we know it! the elder said bitterly. Forget it, theres no point talking about it now. Well be tributes very soon anyway, so its not as if those things have anything to do with us! I guess so, Zhang Xuan replied perfunctorily while he processed the massive load of information that he had just received. He had thought that Ancient Sages would not be able to enter even the dimensions that they were in, but they were actually able to reach the very exterior of the Temple of Confucius... A thought emerged in Zhang Xuans mind. If the Otherworldly Demons are aware of such information, does it mean that they have already finished scouting all six dimensions, or could it be that one of their experts have already reached the exterior of a Subordinate Hall? He had already traveled through three dimensions so far, but Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and the others were nowhere to be seen. At the same time, he did not see the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and even Luo Ruoxin and the others were nowhere to be found. Was there a chance that they had already reached the exteriors of the Subordinate Halls? Chapter 1719 - Activating the Altar

Chapter 1719: Activating the Altar

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 From the looks of it, it seems like Imgging behind the others. Ill have to hurry up... He had already wasted almost ten hours traveling through the three worlds. If someone managed to make their way into the Subordinate Hall during this period of time, the treasures inside would likely have been emptied out already. He really had to make haste. He could not continue wasting time on searching for exits. Turning his gaze to the Otherworldly Demons, he noted that they were almost done arranging their artifacts on the altar in a specific manner. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, he ced his finger on the thread sealing his pulse. Weng! With a jolt, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. cing his finger on it, the content within the book swiftly flowed into his head. Soultheft Shackle, a Great Sage artifact capable of sealing an individuals soul and zhenqi. Its forged out of the tendons of the Sempiternal realm consummation beast, Primorigin Acheron Fish. Even Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators have trouble escaping from it. ws: ... Reading through the content, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Just as he had guessed, the artifact that had trapped the crowd was a Great Sage artifact. If he had chosen to really assassinate the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon instead of letting himself be captured, Hu Yaoyao and the others would have been killed with just a thought from thetter! I have to deal with this thing first... Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before activating his Eye of Insight. Knowing the ws of the thread, he swiftly devised a feasible way to discreetly snap the thread. Hu! With a thought, his Primordial Spirit flicked the thread lightly. His zhenqi immediately broke free of the Great Sage artifact and flowed smoothly through his body once more. However, he did not let it show. Instead, he turned to the elder and sent him a telepathic message. Elder, do you want to kill these Otherworldly Demons? The elder was taken aback. The fact that the other party was able to send a telepathic message to him meant that his cultivation had not been sealed. Fearing that the elder would speak and alert the Otherworldly Demons, Zhang Xuan hurriedly continued. Dont talk and just follow my orders. I have a surge of zhenqi here. I want you to follow my orders and channel it toward the thread wrapped around your wrist! Knowing that it was of paramount importance not to rm the Otherworldly Demons, the elder nodded discreetly. In order to break free of the thread binding us, well need ten people to cooperate with us. So, I need you to help pass the zhenqi on over to the next person! Zhang Xuan added, and he infused several surges of zhenqi into the elders body. The best way to deal with this Great Sage artifact was for him to tame it and use it for himself. The way to tame it was to strike ten of its ws simultaneously. However, the crowd was trapped at the moment, and he did not dare to move too much for fear of rming the Otherworldly Demons. Thus, he could only borrow their hands to exert his own zhenqi. The elder nodded silently as he mouthed, Alright. Using his body as a bridge, he passed the zhenqi onto the person ahead of him. The person who had received the zhenqi was first stunned for a moment, but he swiftly received Zhang Xuans telepathic message. The cycle continued on and on. Knowing that this was their only shot at survival, all of them followed the instructions strictly without saying a word. The surge of zhenqi swiftly went half a circle before reaching Hu Yaoyao. Its you... Upon hearing the zhenqi telepathy and sensing the zhenqi flowing into her body, the image of a certain young man immediately surfaced in Hu Yaoyaos mind. Her body jolted, and she quickly turned her gaze over. Xuan Zhang... Zhang Xuan! Its indeed that fellow! She could not help but smile a little when she heard the name reported by the other party. If that fellow was truly there, they were in safe hands. Even though she had gone to the Terpsichore Guild headquarters shortly after leaving the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, news about him had continued echoing in her ears. In just a few short months, he had gained great prestige and standing on the Master Teacher Continent. With him making a move, there was no way that anything would happen to them. Oblivious to the fact that someone had already seen through his disguise, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to everyone. Alright. Lets make a move on mymand. Make sure to exert the zhenqi at the coordinates that I have given you. There mustnt be any mistake! The next moment, all of those who had received his zhenqi ced their fingers on the thread wrapped around their wrists. Begin! Weng! The thread shuddered a little. Following which, Zhang Xuan felt a consciousness seeping into his mind. The Great Sage artifact had submitted to him! Protect the crowd. If any of the Otherworldly Demons intend them harm, stop them at any cost! Zhang Xuan ryed his orders to the thread before turning his gaze toward the Otherworldly Demons once more. They continued setting up the altar, and roughly ten minutester, they finally came to a halt. Even though they looked extremely exhausted, there was an excited gleam that could be seen in their eyes. One of the Otherworldly Demons sped his fist and reported, Commander, we have finished setting up the altar. Its ready to be activated at any moment! Very well! Tell the men to prepare themselves! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon nodded in approval. Flicking his wrist, an icy-cold crystal surfaced in his grasp. He ced it at the very center of the altar. Weng! A faint light slowly enveloped the entire altar, and an imposing surge of energy seemed to slowly diffuse into the surroundings. Is that crystal... the core artifact that guards the snow dimension? Zhang Xuan wondered. The guardian of the forest dimension was the Five Monarchs, and for the desert dimension, it was the Berserk Yellowsand Wood. The icy-cold crystal was in perfect harmony with the snowy environment, such that it seemed as if it would be able to tap into the power of the dimension itself. From that alone, it was likely a simr existence to the Five Monarchs or the Berserk Yellowsand Wood. Since it was possible for the guardian to be beasts or a nt, there was no reason that it could not be an ore. Weng weng weng! As the altar activated, the energy from the icy-cold ore seemed to grow stronger and stronger. A brilliant pir of light burst into the sky, threatening to tear a dimension rift in the space above. It seemed like the dimensions had a spatial seal limiting the movements of those within it to thirty meters and below. As a result, the pir of light halted upon reaching thirty meters. It struggled frantically, but it was unable to ovee this limitation at all. Ignite! With a grim look on his face, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon tapped the altar, and the altar began to revolve. As if ice cubes ced in a burning cauldron, the artifacts ced on the altar began to melt, bestowing the pir of light with greater power. Under the augmentation from the ignition of the artifacts, the pir of light finally broke through the restriction, and with a deafening roar, it surged up into the sky. With the assault of the pir of light, countless ring darkcerations appeared in the space around. The snow dimension trembled nonstop, as if someone was trying to tear it apart. Are they trying to forcefully destroy a spatialw of this dimension? Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment. He had been thinking about how one could break open the space in the dimension to reach the Temple of Confucius. He never would have thought that the trick was actually this. It turned out that the greater stabilization of space in the ancient domain was actually the result of a higher-order spatialw at work. As long as one ripped apart this higher-order spatialw, it would be possible to rip open a dimension rift and arrive at the Temple of Confucius. Hu! As more artifacts on the altar were consumed, the pir of light rose higher and higher. Soon, it had already reached over fifty meters high. Sixty meters! Seventy meters! Eighty meters! ... Ny-nine meters! It seemed like this was the very limit of the sky. As the pir of light struck this point, a faint seal came into sight. Ripples diffused on it with a brilliant shimmer of light. No matter how the pir of light knocked on the seal, it was unable to break through it. A massive temple could vaguely be seen beyond. It seemed to be hiding on the other side of the seal. Its the Temple of Confucius! Zhang Xuan eximed as he turned his gaze back to the altar. At this moment, all of the artifacts had already been depleted. The might of the pir of light was starting to diminish. As if having expected such a situation to arise, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. Prepare yourselves! Well be releasing the zhenqi of those tributes to pay respects to the Spirit God! Hula! A tall Otherworldly Demon walked to the back of the crowd before and whipped out a bizarre artifact, which floated quietly in the air. Chapter 1720 - The Reappearance of the Spirit God

Chapter 1720: The Reappearance of the Spirit God

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This artifact resembled a jadepass, yet it could have been a jade tortoiseshell. As soon as it came into contact with the narrow thread that connected everyone, the crowd felt a numbing sensation coursing through their body. The next moment, their zhenqi began gushing out through the thread uncontrobly. They dont intend to kill the hostages? Zhang Xuans initial intention was to use the Soultheft Shackle to counterattack and kill the Otherworldly Demons. Contrary to his expectations, however, instead of killing the hundred human hostages that they had to tribute them to their god, the Otherworldly Demon had only sapped their zhenqi. Since that was the case, he did not think that he needed to make a move right now. To be honest, he wanted to see what the Otherworldly Demons had to do in order to get into the Temple of Confucius. Given that there was no danger for the time being, he acted as if he had been controlled as well and allowed his zhenqi to flow through the Soultheft Shackle as well, just like the other human hostages. Soon, the flow of their zhenqi formed a circr loop. Weng! A striking light shone from the Soultheft Shackle and harmonized with the inscriptions on the ground. Hong long! The pir of light above the altar immediately expanded severalfold. Augmented by the energy of the crowd, it gushed toward the heavens with far greater might than before. Hula! Under the intense assault of the pir of light, the sound of flowing water echoed from the seal above. However, it still refused to break open. Seeing such a sight, the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon narrowed his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a saber and slit his palm softly. Fresh blood gushed out from his hand and dribbled onto the altar. In an instant, the pir of light grew even brighter than before. This descendant of the Spirit Tribe, Bei Hong, offers his blood as a tribute to the Spirit God. I humbly beseech the Spirit God to bestow upon us the strength to break the spatial seal! The ck-armored Otherworldly Demon spoke in a tribal voice reminiscent of a curse. The light above the altar grew even more blinding. Following which, a massive door appeared before everyones sight. This door emanated an astoundingly oppressive aura. It felt as if even someone of Zhang Xuans ability was nothing more than an ant before this aura. Hes summoning the Spirit God? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed. The Skyleaf King had used this ability before. His cultivation had still been low back then, but he did not think that he would still be utterly helpless even against the will thaty on the other side of the door in his current state. Hu! The door slowly appeared, and a vague silhouette came into sight. Along with the presence of the silhouette came a crushing pressure on his soul. Even with his Soul Depth of 29.9, he could not help but feel his state of mind falling into an unstable state. Given how even its silhouette was powerful enough to cause such a sensation within him, if the figure turned around, it was likely that everyones will would copse and die on the spot before any tribute could be offered. Formidable... Zhang Xuans body stiffened as his face paled. He had encountered an Ancient Sage in the past, but it was apparent that the Spirit God was way stronger than the Ancient Sages. In fact, it was doubtful whether Vicious would have been able topete with her at his peak! In fact, it felt like if the Spirit God simply walked through the door, the entire Master Teacher Continent would disintegrate under the sheer pressure that she exerted upon the world. But why does the Spirit Gods silhouette look a little familiar to me? While being astonished by the might wielded by the Spirit God, a sensation simr to what he had felt previously struck him. Back when he was still in the Qiu Wu Pce, when he caught sight of the Spirit God summoned by the Skyleaf King, he had also felt this sensation of familiarity as well. If he had to describe this feeling, it would be something akin to dj vu, as if he had seen the other party somewhere before. At this moment, such a feeling arose in his heart as well. Not only was he unable to shake off such a feeling, it also seemed to be growing stronger by the moment. Yet, when he attempted to grasp at the feeling, he found his memories blurring and his consciousness nking out, preventing his thoughts from running. It was as if somepelling force was intentionally keeping him from thinking deeper into this matter. If it was something that was beyond what Zhang Xuan could do at the moment, he would not waste his time on it. Thus, he shook off the misceneous thoughts in his mind and focused his attention on the silhouette above. With the appearance of the Spirit God, the depletion of zhenqi grew even faster. In just a short instant, everyones face had already turned pale. I beseech the Spirit God to bestow upon us a passageway into the Temple of Confucius... the ck-armored Otherworldly Demon named Bei Hong uttered with a deep voice as he allowed his blood to continue flowing into the altar. Due to the profuse loss of blood, his body had already begun trembling uncontrobly. It seemed as if he would reach his limit very soon. H! Shortly after those words were spoken, a ray of light burst through the door, and the spatial seal that the altar was unable to destroy began to slowly melt like the winter frost encountering the spring sun. Soon enough, a passageway appeared above. The Spirit God had answered Bei Hongs prayers and made a move! Thank you, Spirit God! Bei Hong kneeled onto the ground and bowed earnestly. Hu! Following which, the silhouette vanished, and the door slowly dissipated. Bei Hong struggled to his feet and turned to the Otherworldly Demons around him, saying, This passageway will onlyst thirty breaths. Hurry up and make a move! Commander, these humans have seen us paying tribute to the Spirit God. Should we... One of the Otherworldly Demons gestured to kill the human hostages. Sovereign Chen Yong has ordered us not to harm the master teachers for the time being. Their zhenqi has been depleted, so they wont be able to pull off anything anyway. Lets not cause any unnecessaryplications and quickly leave the area! Bei Hong harrumphed as he darted toward the opened spatial seal. Where do you think you are going? Seeing that Bei Hong was going to leave the area, how could Zhang Xuan allow him to do as he pleased? Without hiding his cultivation any longer, he reached out, grabbed Bei Hong, and pulled him down. Hu! The two of them were nearly a hundred meters apart, but Zhang Xuans movement was not bound by the limitations of space. His fingers wrapped themselves around Bei Hongs ankles, and thetters movement swiftly slowed to a halt. You... hid your true cultivation? Bei Hong widened his eyes in horror as he felt his body plummeting to the ground. The strength that was being exerted through the hand wrapped around his ankle was actually even stronger than his! rmed, he quickly whipped out his saber to sever the hand on his ankle. H! Despite Bei Hongs aggression, he did not utilize his full strength as he expected the young man to retract his hand. Contrary to his expectations, the young mans hand continued to grip his leg firmly. A grim look appeared on his face as he drove his strength further. Ding! The saber struck the young mans sword, causing sparks to fly around the ce. Yet, the saber failed to leave even the slightest print on the young mans hand! How is this possible? Bei Hong narrowed his eyes in disbelief. His saber was a Half-Great Sage artifact. Putting aside Aureate Body realm cultivators, a sh from his de would lop off even the heads of the Sempiternal realm cultivators! But such a saber actually failed to leave any mark on the young man at all. Just how powerful was the young man? Kill him! In that instant, Bei Hong realized that he was severely overpowered. He knew that it would be impossible for him to defeat the young man with his saber, so he immediately turned his gaze to the Soultheft Shackle instead. He had not tamed the Soultheft Shackle yet, but he was still able tomand it to do his bidding. With this artifact in his possession, he would not fear the young man no matter how powerful the other partys defense was! Hemanded the Soultheft Shackle through his mind, but even after waiting for a while, there was still no response. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the Soultheft Shackle, only to see that it was swaying leisurely in the young mans hand. You... tamed my artifact? At that instant, Bei Hong felt as if his head was exploding apart. In order to enter the Temple of Confucius, Sovereign Chen Yong had lent him this artifact to use. Even he had been unable to tame the Soultheft Shackle, so why would it end up submitting to the young man all of a sudden? Heh! With a cold sneer, the young man tapped on the Soultheft Shackle lightly. H! The Soultheft Shackle immediately darted upward and bound Bei Hong as if he was a rice dumpling. Given how the young man had even sessfully tamed the Soultheft Shackle, Bei Hong immediately realized that there was no way that they would stand a chance against the young man even if they put their might together. Thus, he quickly turned to his subordinates and bellowed anxiously, Everyone, run away! But barely after the shout escaped from his mouth, he realized that five powerful Sempiternal realm consummation beasts had appeared on the icefield and ughtered all of his tribesmen. There was not a single survivor. You... Pu! There was no doubt that this was the doing of the young man. Unable to take it any longer, Bei Hong spurted a mouthful of blood. Seal! Knowing that he would still be able to wangle more information from Bei Hong, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and threw thetter into the Myriad Anthive Nest. After this was done, he swiftly stowed the altar and the icy crystal on top of it into his storage ring. Following that, he turned to the crowd and said, The exterior around the Temple of Confucius is too dangerous. Itll be much safer for you to remain here! After saying those words, he leaped up and headed right into the spatial passageway. Chapter 1721 - Xuan-er, Hurry Over

Chapter 1721: Xuan-er, Hurry Over

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wait for me! Before Zhang Xuan could reach the passageway, he suddenly heard a shout below. Following which, a figure darted in his direction and grabbed onto his robe. Hu Yaoyao? Zhang Xuan wondered speechlessly. The person who had grabbed him was none other than the familiar face among the crowd, Hu Yaoyao! This friend over here, its extremely dangerous to proceed any further than this. It would be best for you to remain behind! Zhang Xuan said as he raised his palm, intending to send the youngdy back to the ground. Through hismunication with the elder earlier, he had heard that there were not just Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons in the exteriors of the Temple of Confuciusit was very likely that there were Ancient Sages as well! It was an extremely treacherous ce where he could not even guarantee his own safety. Considering how Hu Yaoyao was only a Saint 9-dan cultivator at the moment, it was practically suicide for her to enter as well! In any case, he had disguised himself as someone else, so it was not as if Hu Yaoyao knew that it was him. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to make the move, he heard a voice speaking telepathically in his mind, Zhang Xuan, if you dare throw me down, Ill run straight to your Zhang n and im that you molested me and demand that you take responsibility for me! Pu! Zhang Xuan nearly fainted upon hearing those words. How did you know its me? He dared not im that his disguise was wless, but he was confident that even Ancient Sages would have difficulties trying to see through his disguise. Considering how Hu Yaoyao was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, how did she recognize him? More importantly... she even threatened to wreak havoc at the Zhang n! A simr conflict had happened back when they were still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, just that he was the one who imed that he had been vited back then. Thisss sure was vindictive, even remembering this matter after so long! But considering Hu Yaoyaos personality... she was really capable of something like that! Of course, it was not as if anyone would believe it, but just thinking of how embarrassing it would be for the head of the Three Premier ns and the Sanctum of Sages, as well as a 9-star master teacher, to have a youngdy running to his home and iming that he had molested her... Even if no one would take it for real, his dignified reputation would be ripped apart! More importantly, what if Luo Ruoxin heard of the matter? Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied telepathically, Its dangerous on the other side. Think it over carefully... I want to go! Hu Yaoyao insisted resolutely. Very well then! Seeing that Hu Yaoyao was adamant, Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be able to shake her off. Thus, he grabbed her and dashed into the spatial passageway. Hu! The two of them warped into two streaks of light as they dashed right through the spatial passageway. Barely an instant after they disappeared from sight, the spatial passageway dissipated, and the spatial restriction swiftly reformed itself. Watching as everything reverted back to normal, the crowd of ex-captives stood back up. They had thought that they were doomed, but before they knew it, the Otherworldly Demons had already been killed, and their benefactor had left through the spatial passageway, leaving them dazed on the spot. Elder, what should we do? The crowd turned to the elder whom Zhang Xuan hadmunicated with earlier. He was the strongest cultivator among them, so it was inevitable that the crowd would think highly of his input. The elder pondered for a moment before replying. Since the Otherworldly Demons have been killed, we should be out of danger for the time being. Why dont we focus our attention on cultivating? Once the Temple of Confucius closes, we wont have such a chance anymore. To be honest, even if someone inted his guts tenfold, he would not dare to head to the exteriors of the Temple of Confucius. He valued his life far too much to put himself at such risk. Since that was the case, he might as well cultivate where he was and try to push for a breakthrough as soon as possible. Youre right! The crowd nodded in agreement. Having juste to close to deaths jaws, their appetite for risk was at an all-time low. Knowing that being too ambitious would onlye back to bite them, they did not think that it was wise to test the limits of their capabilities. Xuan Zhang... Looking at the sky where the duo had vanished into, the elder remarked deeply, Who could have thought that there would be such a formidable young man in the Master Teacher Continent? His capabilities can be said to nearly be on par with the great Zhang Xuan... However, before he could finish his words, his body suddenly froze on the spot. Xuan Zhang, Zhang Xuan... Could it be... As such a realization struck him, a bitter smile surfaced on his lips. It seemed like it was true that real experts paid no heed to petty details. Could he have been any more perfunctory with the name that he made up for himself? Anyone would have been able to connect the dots once they had some time to think over it after the matter. Are you sure you are trying to hide your identity from the world and not proiming yourself to everyone youe by? Well, I guess this means that Im indebted to him. Ill have to make sure to repay this debt to the Zhang n in the future... A debt of a life was not something that he could shrug off. Since he knew the other partys identity, he would have to find some way to return the favor to the Zhang n in the future. ... Hu! Traveling across the spatial seal, Zhang Xuan and Hu Yaoyao fell to the ground at the same time. In the foreground, one could vaguely see a massive structure floating in the air. Have we arrived? Hu Yaoyao shook her head in an attempt to expel the dizziness as she got to her feet. It seems so! Zhang Xuan replied. The spatialws in the dimension that he had just entered were far stricter than the forest dimension, the desert dimension, and the snow dimension. Even with his prowess, he could not even fly at all. In the previous locations, he could at least still fly at a low altitude. In this dimension, he could only obediently travel on foot, just like an ordinary mortal. Hu Yaoyao pointed at the massive structure in the distance and asked as she tidied her clothes, Is that the Temple of Confucius? Zhang Xuan nodded in response. It seemed like the elder was right. Traveling through the spatial seal would bring him to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius. However, it might not be a good decision to rush right over. Considering the dangers that could be lurking around the area, it was best for him to rify the situation before heading over. This was even more so given that it was a passageway opened by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If there was an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage lying ahead, they would really die indignantly! H! With a flick of his wrist, the bound Bei Hong appeared before him. Soul Search! Knowing that Bei Hong would not speak no matter how he interrogated him, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his effort questioning to the other party. Without any hesitation, he executed Soul Search on the other party right away. Hu! Information swiftly surged into Zhang Xuans head. Just as he had heard from the elder earlier, the outer perimeter of the Temple of Confucius was made up of six dimensions. The exits and entrances were linked to one another, so if one traveled from one exit to another, one would only be moving around in circles. This was intelligence that Bei Hong had received from Sovereign Chen Yong. As for how Bei Hong was able to receive the information from Sovereign Chen Yong when he was unable to use his Communication Jade Token, the secrety in the altar. The Spirit God that the Otherworldly Demon Tribe revered was simply so powerful that even though the Temple of Confucius was created by Kong shi himself, it did not wield sufficient strength to stop that powerful figure beyond those doors. If Sovereign Chen Yong was able to send information in here, its likely that he has entered the Temple of Confucius as well! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in worry. Previously, he had heard that the most powerful Otherworldly Demon Emperor had discreetly entered the Master Teacher Continent. From the looks of it, it was likely that the person was Sovereign Chen Yong! No one in the Master Teacher Pavilion had met Sovereign Chen Yong before, but it was definite that he was an Ancient Sage expert. It left Zhang Xuan feeling a little unnerved to know that there was such a powerful expert lying around him. However, why would Sovereign Chen Yongmand Bei Hong not to kill master teachers? There was another peculiarmand that Bei Hong had received that left Zhang Xuan feeling a little perplexed. During the trip that he had made to the Subterranean Gallery, he had learned that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was divided into three factions. Based on the information that he had gathered so far, Sovereign Chen Yong was a conservative leader who opposed a full-blown war against the humans. On the other hand, Sovereign Chen Ling was more belligerent, supporting aggression against mankind in order to bring as many benefits to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as possible. As for Sovereign Chen Xing, he seemed to be sitting on the fence. There was a period of time when he had allied himself with Sovereign Chen Yong, but currently, it seemed like he had switched sides to support Sovereign Chen Ling instead. Since Sovereign Chen Yong was a conservative leader, he probably had his concerns for passing a non-aggression order against the master teachers. Perhaps, he was unwilling to further sour the rtions with mankind. Very soon, Zhang Xuan finished browsing through all of the useful information that he had acquired from Bei Hong. All in all, Bei Hong had only received orders to lead the other Otherworldly Demons to open up a passageway using the altar to enter the Temple of Confucius. There were no other orders aside from that. As for further intelligence regarding the Temple of Confucius, it was hard to tell whether Sovereign Chen Yong was withholding information from his subordinate or that he had not scouted that far yet, but there was nothing at all. After conducting the Soul Search, Zhang Xuan ced his palm lightly on Bei Hongs head and killed him. In the end, he still could not bring himself to believe in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Whether Sovereign Chen Yong was expressing goodwill to them or not, it was too much of a luxury for mankind to simply believe in the goodwill of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. That would be no different from betting the fate of mankind on the enemys kindness, and that was utter foolishness! Furthermore, it was just a few days ago that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had attempted tounch a major invasion on mankind! In the end, it was still better to be safe than sorry. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan raised his head to scan his surroundings for danger when his eyebrows suddenly shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a jade token appeared on his palm. A line of words surfaced on it. Xuan-er, when you see this message, hurry over to where we are. We have just caught sight of Zhao Ya... Chapter 1722 - Hu Yaoyao’s Advancement

Chapter 1722: Hu Yaoyaos Advancement

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 They have caught sight of Zhao Ya? The one who had sent him the message was none other than his father, Sword Saint Xing! Did they... manage to get here as well? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. From his experience in the previous three dimensions, he had found that he was unable to send messages to everyone else. Could the reason that his Communication Jade Token had suddenly begun trembling be due to the fact that his parents, the Xingmeng Sword Saints, were in the same dimension as him, or was the restriction to send messages lifted in this dimension? Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the Communication Jade Token and swiftly crafted a message before sending it over. Where are you all? A momentter, the Communication Jade Token lit up, and a line of words appeared. Hall of Great Aplishment, Pavilion of Warm Spring! Pavilion of Warm Spring? Zhang Xuan frowned. Putting aside whatever pavilion his parents were in, he did not even know where the Hall of Great Aplishment was! Lets take a look around! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. In any case, the Temple of Confucius was right ahead of him. Since his father was able to send him the exact name of their location, he should be able to find it with some looking around. Hu Yaoyao looked at Zhang Xuan intently and asked, Are we heading over as well? Un. Given that we are already approaching the vicinity of the Temple of Confucius, its likely that well encounter many powerful experts. If we encounter any dangerter on, I want you to turn around and flee right away. Theres no need to worry about me, understand? Zhang Xuan instructed sternly. Humph! Youre thinking that Im a burden, arent you? While my cultivation hasnt reached Great Sage yet, my fighting prowess is still decent. The reason I was captured back at the snow dimension is because they caught me by surprise with a soul attack! Hu Yaoyao knew that Zhang Xuan was worried about her, but she still could not help but retort in displeasure. Half a year ago, this fellow had still been a junior whom she could bully as she liked, but at that moment... she found that she could not keep up with him no matter how far she pushed herself, and this realization filled her with frustration. Of course not, theres no way I would think of you as a burden. As long as you can flee quick enough in the face of trouble, theres no way you would be a burden to me! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. It was such a nostalgic feeling to Hu Yaoyao, being stifled by that fellows words to the point that she felt like spurting blood. The reason that she had said that her fighting prowess was decent was to tell him that she would be able to lend her a hand in times of danger; there was no way she was going to pull him back. Yet... all he could think of was having her escape so that she would not drag him down in battle! Am I that useless in your eyes? Hu Yaoyao gritted her teeth in fury. The next moment, however, she suddenly put on a provocative smile as she strutted toward Zhang Xuan in a manner that showed off her curvaceous body. With a seductive voice that would make any mans heart pound, she purred, Are you doubting my abilities? Shall we make a bet then? A bet? Thats right. Ill perform a dance, and if your state of mind is affected by my dance, I want you to apologize to me. Youll never say words like asking me to run whenever we encounter danger again. On the other hand, if you can remain unfazed by my dance, Ill do whatever you tell me to do from now onward. Ill not cause any trouble for you! Hu Yaoyao eyed Zhang Xuan intently with her crescent eyes. Fine by me! Seeing that Hu Yaoyao was insistent on the matter, Zhang Xuan nodded. In truth, he was also interested to see what a pinnacle terpsichore was capable of. While Hu Yaoyaos cultivation wascking, she did inherit the highest heritage of the Terpsichore Guild headquarters, so it would indeed be foolish to simply disregard her capabilities. Ill be starting then! With a simple step forward, Hu Yaoyao began her dance. In the blink of an eye, she seemed to have transformed into a lithe fairy from the heavens. Her graceful movements and ethereal disposition harmonized with one another to produce a charm that seemed to draw ones soul in. One look was all it took for a man to fall under her spell, captured by her charisma. Zhang Xuan had to admit that Hu Yaoyaos figure was truly perfect, even among all thedies that he had met so far. It was a bnce so perfect that even the slightest bit more meat would make her appear plump, and the slightest bit less meat would make her appear thin. This was a symmetry that seemed to havee from the hands of the heavens themselves. While she could not switch into more beautiful clothes due to the environment, her slightest movement and subtle gestures seemed to electrify ones soul over and over again. Not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Hu Yaoyaos confidence in her fighting prowess was not unfounded. Even though her cultivation was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, her dance could easily cause even Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm cultivators to lose control of themselves. While it did work for cultivators of both genders, it was particrly effective on male cultivators. Even Sempiternal realm male cultivators might fall for her terpsichorean art if they were caught off guard. As the saying went, even the mightiest of heroes would find it hard to resist the charms of a beauty. In the very first ce, Hu Yaoyao was an incredibly beautiful and charismatic individual as she was. Without resorting to terpsichorean arts, her disposition and demeanor carried the ability to draw others to her. Coupled with her dance, even with the limitations of her cultivation, she was still able to exude a charm that others would find hard to resist. Of course, there was still a distinction between making her opponents sumb to her terpsichorean art and killing them. Due to the limitations of her cultivation, she would have difficulties trying to leave even a mark on the body of Aureate Body realm cultivators even with a weapon in hand. You... are unaffected by my dance? As the dance came to an end, Hu Yaoyaos movements slowly trailed to a beautiful stop. Looking at the clear, innocent eyes of the young man standing opposite of her, her posture could not help but slump in disappointment. Due to her godsent appearance and figure, she had swiftly been chosen as an Inceptive Sage candidate shortly after entering the Terpsichore Guild headquarters. The reason that she had been given permission to enter the Temple of Confucius was because she had already mastered the highest heritage of the Terpsichore Guild headquarters, which granted her the ability to protect herself even when faced with Great Sage cultivators. Given the abilities that she wielded, when she met Zhang Xuan once more, the thought ofpeting with him to determine who was superior immediately surfaced in her mind. Back when she was still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, she could not even begin to count how many men had fallen before her skirt. There were no male master teachers who would not view her in deference, fearing to cross her path. The fellow standing before her, Zhang Xuan, was the only thick-headed oaf who was blind to her charms, viewing her as no different from anyone else. She had thought that she would finally be able to faze this thick-headed oaf after inheriting the highest heritage of the Terpsichore Guild headquarters, but to her astonishment, the eyes of the thick-headed oaf were actually clearer than she remembered them being. Bro, are you sure that your eyes are fine? At that instant, Hu Yaoyao felt an urge to find a physician to check on his eyes. Right when she was feeling utterly defeated, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke. Well, I have to admit that I was a little affected by it. Really? Hu Yaoyaos eyes lit up, but the next moment, as if suspecting that Zhang Xuan was just trying to console her, she eyed him in skepticism. I dont see any traces of you being affected by my dance though... Your Aerial Dance of Linglong was well-performed. You managed to capture the demeanor of a fairy soaring into the heavens perfectly, leaving the spectators with the feeling that they were in a dream. However, the ws in your dance are very apparent as well. Firstly, your movements were too intentional. The charm of a fairy is entuated not by unting her figure but through the transcendental air in her gestures and movements. What you should be focusing on is the ethereal and not the worldly! Secondly, the intent of your dance is too tant. This causes cultivators to put up their defenses, making it harder than ever to breach their mental resilience... Without stopping to catch his breath, Zhang Xuan pointed out seventeen ws. After which, he paused for a moment before carrying on. How should I put this? The dance that you have performed earlier has simply too many ws, such that I cant watch on anymore. It leaves me feeling a little nauseated. Well, you also know that Im a perfectionist, so... You... Once again, Hu Yaoyao found herself on the verge of spurting blood. Perfectionist? Perfectionist your damned head! Its one thing for you not to be mesmerized by my alluring dance, but you actually felt nauseated watching it... Hu Yaoyao felt tears brimming in her eyes. All of a sudden, all she could see was hopeless despair ahead of her career as a terpsichore. While others pleasure themselves by watching my dance, all you can see in my performance are ws. If you continue being like this, I dont think that we can hang out anymore! Theres no need to be disheartened, Zhang Xuan said with a face so earnest that no one could fault him on his words. These are the corrections I have made for the dance that you have just performed. As long as you study it, you should be able to further your terpsichorean art. This way... I guess your dance wont be as nauseating to me anymore! ... Hu Yaoyao rubbed her be in distress. Why do I suddenly feel so tired? Its fortunate that Im only friends with him. Honestly, I dont think I could stand having a person with emotional intelligence as low as him as my significant other. Otherwise, with all the traumas and frustration that I would receive from interacting with him, it would just be a matter of time before I resorted to self-harm! As stifled as Hu Yaoyao was feeling, she still quickly memorized the ws and corrections that Zhang Xuan had stated. Following which, she began to study his words closely. The more she pondered over his words, the more convinced she felt that he was right. His words were deep, but at the same time, they were simple and direct. Her body began to move along with his words, and once again, she performed the Aerial Dance of Linglong. Her movements became faster and faster, and her gestures became more and more ethereal. Hong long! Some timeter, a rush of zhenqi surged into her body. To her surprise, her Saint 9-dan bottleneck suddenly loosened at this moment, allowing her cultivation to surge right up to the Introspective Convalescence realm. I... actually made a breakthrough? Hu Yaoyaos body froze in astonishment. Her eyes instinctively turned toward the young man with conflicting emotions rippling within them. The young man was able to see through the ws in her dance so easily, and just by following his directions, she could correct those ws and advance her cultivation and terpsichorean art. From the looks of it, it seemed like being useless to him... did not sound that bad anymore! At the very least, she was able to receive his guidance. Whatever! If he thinks Im useless, so be it! Ill just follow him and fish for a couple of pointers here and there. Ill be spared from so much hard work just by leeching off him... Just like that, Hu Yaoyaos fighting spirit was ignited once more. Chapter 1723 - The Encounters of the Xingmeng Sword Saints

Chapter 1723: The Encounters of the Xingmeng Sword Saints

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Alright, lets hurry up and head over! Hu Yaoyaos breakthrough waspletely within Zhang Xuans expectations. As long as the other party was able to receive his guidance humbly, he would be able to make the other party achieve a breakthrough so easily that the other party would begin doubting themself! This was the ability that he wielded, humble and low profile, just like him. Un! Knowing that Zhang Xuan had urgent matters to attend to, Hu Yaoyao did not dare to dy him any longer. She followed quietly behind him while reinforcing her cultivation. They began making their way toward the Temple of Confucius that they saw in the distance. The magnificent structure floated in the distant sky, appearing vaguely in sight. With incredible speed, the duo flitted over. Zhang Xuan had expected the journey to be fraught with dangers, but it turned to be so peaceful that it scared him! Putting aside Otherworldly Demons, he did not even see a single beast along the way. Ten minutester, they were finally standing before the magnificent structure. There was a que hanging at the entrance with four majestic words calligraphed on them?Hall of Great Aplishment! This must be one of the six Subordinate Halls of the Temple of Confucius! He had learned from Luo Ruoxin that there were six Subordinate Halls to the Temple of Confucius, and each of them corresponded to a Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Without a doubt, the Hall of Great Aplishment should be one of the six Subordinate Halls. Mist drifted across the entrance of the Hall of Great Aplishment, obscuring it from view. Nevertheless, from the tightly shut gates, it seemed like no one had entered yet. Looking around, Zhang Xuan found four mini pavilions in the area, named Warm Spring, Irate Summer, Cooling Autumn, and Frozen Winter. Is that the Pavilion of Warm Spring? Zhang Xuan thought as he made his way over to the pavilion marked with the words Warm Spring together with Hu Yaoyao. This pavilion was not too big. As soon as he entered the area, he saw a huge number of people standing in the vicinity. Some of them were dressed in master teacher robes whereas others wore the robes of their n or casual wear. All in all, there were roughly thirty people. Even the weakest of them was at Saint 9-dan. n head! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, a couple of figures walked forward to greet him. Zhang Xuan also recognized them. They were the grand elders of the Zhang n. They had been in seclusion all this while, and they had only arrived in Qufu two days prior. The current Zhang Xuan had already stripped off his disguise and reverted to his original appearance. Xuan-er, you are here! Zhang Xuan was just about to ask where his parents were when he heard a voiceing from the distance. Following which, the Xingmeng Sword Saints walked over with hastened footsteps. Upon seeing that they were not injured, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he could not help but notice something that stunned them. How did you... raise your cultivation so quickly? Prior to entering the Temple of Confucius, they had only been at Sempiternal realm primary stage. However, in just a few short hours, they had actually managed to advance their cultivation to Sempiternal realm consummation, thus putting them at the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent! We stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter... Following which, Sword Saint Xing began exining with a smile. Upon hearing his exnation, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. His parents were far more fortunate than him. Instead of the six dimensions, they were teleported straight to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius. The spiritual energy and teachers milieu in there were much more concentrated than the six dimensions. Furthermore, it was filled with treasures when they had just arrived. With the aid of those treasures and their Soul Depth of 29.9, it was inevitable that their cultivation would surge by leaps and bounds. Seeing the incredulous look on his sons face, Sword Saint Meng added with a smile, Furthermore, we havent been cultivating for just a couple of hours... Rather, we have already been here for three months! Three months? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It had only been twelve hours since the Temple of Confucius opened, so how in the world could they have cultivated there for three months? Your father and I happened to stumble upon a blessednd where the flow of time is elerated. As such, even though a couple of hours have only passed for the rest of you, we have already cultivated for a very long time here! Sword Saint Meng exined. This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. Their luck was too overpowered! It was one thing for them to be teleported right to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius, but they had actually stumbled upon a blessednd with elerated time on top of that. He could not help but think of the suffering that he had gone through moving from one world to another, battling enemies one after another. Do you know where the blessednd is? Could you find it again? Zhang Xuan asked. If they could find it, he would head in there and cultivate for a while to raise his fighting prowess before moving on to do anything else. I dont think well be able to find it anymore. The blessednd activated when we came into contact with its mechanism, and when we were finally done cultivating, it vanished on its own. We tried looking for it afterward, but it was nowhere to be seen... Actually, even without relying on the blessednd, your cultivation speed is already fast enough as it is... Sword Saint Meng consoled. Alright then! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. Even though he was ddened by the advancement in his parents cultivation, he could not help feeling a little frustrated as well. He had always taken pride in the speed of his cultivation, but after such a long period of time, he was still stuck at Aureate Body realm consummation, yet to take a single step forward at all... Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan looked at his parents and asked, How did you all get straight to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius? I was teleported to the dimensions outside instead. Furthermore... how did the two of you remain together? He had been teleported to the forest dimension outside, and he had been unable to find any familiar faces at all. On the other hand, not only did his parents teleport straight to the exterior, from what he had heard from them, it seemed like they had never separated from one another at all. This probably has something to do with the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! Sword Saint Xing replied. When the Temple of Confucius first opened, your mother, I, and a few other grand elders were in the midst of studying the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Before we knew it, we had already been teleported here... Furthermore, I can vaguely feel an inseverable rtionship between the Celestial Amulet of Legacy and the Hall of Great Aplishment before us. The Celestial Amulet of Legacy? Zhang Xuan lowered his head to look at the glowing amulet that Sword Saint Xing was holding onto. It was emanating an aura that seemed to meld perfectly with the aura of the Hall of Great Aplishment. It felt like they were actually a single entity that had been split in two, and there was a unique resonance between the two of them. If that Celestial Amulet of Legacy teleported my parents to the Hall of Great Aplishment, why didnt the one in my hand do anything of that sort? Zhang Xuan wondered in bewilderment. The Celestial Amulet of Legacy in his grasp was the Prime Amulet, so going by normal circumstances, should he not have teleported straight to the Prime Hall? So far, he had not even seen the shadow of the Prime Hall. Instead, he was forced to travel through the forest dimension, desert dimension, and snow dimension... He knew that he would face many dangers in the Temple of Confucius, but the least Little Amulet could do was point out a direction for him! Had he known that Little Amulet was actually so useless, he would have thrown it away back then! Since your Celestial Amulet of Legacy resonates with the Hall of Great Aplishment, why didnt you all enter the Subordinate Hall? Zhang Xuan asked. Since they had already reached the destination and had the required Celestial Amulet of Legacy as well, why were they still idling outside the premises? We tried, but we were unable to open its massive doors. Its likely that the time hasnte for it to be opened yet... Sword Saint Xing replied. However, based on my observation, it will likely open within four hours or so! Through the windows, Zhang Xuan gazed at the nearby Hall of Great Aplishment and noticed that the massive doors at its entrance were firmly shut, emanating a forbidding air. Despite the resonance between the Celestial Amulet of Legacy with the Hall of Great Aplishment, it seemed like they had not fully harmonized with one another yet. In the Jade Communication Token, you mentioned that you spotted Zhao Yas trail. Where is she? Zhang Xuan asked. He had been worrying about his students ever since they were kidnapped. While he had reassured himself time and time again that they would be fine, he still could not help but worry about their plight. Shes... Sword Saint Xing was just about to answer the question when a resounding explosion sounded in the air. Following which, the pavilion that they were in suddenly began quaking nonstop. They are here again... Sword Saint Xing stood up and narrowed his eyes. Whos here? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Otherworldly Demons. They know that your father has a Celestial Amulet of Legacy, so theye over every now and then to challenge us! Sword Saint Meng exined. Lowering his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw an Otherworldly Demon standing right in front of the pavilion. The Otherworldly Demon was gripping onto a sword in his hand, and he emanated an air of concentrated killing intent. Sword Saint Xing, I am Bei Yuan. Do you dare face me in a duel? the Otherworldly Demon bellowed with a voice reminiscent of a deafening bell. Chapter 1724 - Zhang Xuan Accepts the Battle

Chapter 1724: Zhang Xuan epts the Battle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Battle? Zhang Xuan frowned in iprehension. The Otherworldly Demons actually dared to appear in the open... not to mention, they are even adhering to the rules? Based on what he knew, etiquette and such meant nothing to the Otherworldly Demons. Driven by their bloodlust, they were mostly interested only in ughter. Thus, it was extremely bizarre for an Otherworldly Demon to actually issue a formal challenge. More importantly, there were many powerful master teachers in the Pavilion of Warm Spring... Given that the deep-seated conflict between the master teachers and the Otherworldly Demons had gone on for tens of thousands of years, it was inevitable that both sides would have some loved ones who had been killed by the other party. Was the Otherworldly Demon not afraid of being killed running over here like that? Its not that they want to adhere to the rules. They have no choice but to do so! Sword Saint Xing exined with a bitter smile. They have no choice but to do so? Zhang Xuan was perplexed by those words. A momentter, he widened his eyes in realization. Could it be that... there are Ancient Sages here? It was only in the presence of the Ancient Sages would even Sempiternal realm consummation experts be forced to obediently abide by the rules. Indeed, there are Ancient Sages around the area. The Ancient Sage of our Zhang n is here too... As the Ancient Sages of both sides are a little apprehensive about facing the other, they havee to an agreement to resolve any conflict by a fair duel. Willful murder is prohibited... Otherwise, theres no way that it would have been so peaceful around here! Sword Saint Xing exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was no wonder he did not encounter any danger along the way. It must have been due to the pact between the two factions. Otherwise, it was likely that a war would have broken out before the Subordinate Hall even opened. Perhaps, they might even have ended up whittling each other down, only to have the treasures end up in the hands of another. To use an analogy from his previous life, the Ancient Sages on both sides were like nuclear weapons keeping each other in check. The reason that neither side was willing to mobilize their Ancient Sages was because they knew that the scales would immediately tilt if they lost their Ancient Sages. Considering how they had not even seen the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn yet, there was no reason for them to go all out and take on such a risk. The reason they are challenging me is because they wish to acquire the Celestial Amulet of Legacy in my hands... or possibly enter the Temple of Confucius right behind us! Sword Saint Xing whipped out his sword and sneered coldly. However, how could I allow them to do as they please? Father, please wait a moment! Seeing that Sword Saint Xing was about to head down, Zhang Xuan stood up and halted him. Allow me to face him instead! You? Sword Saint Xing was taken aback. Indeed. While my cultivation is only at the Aureate Body realm, I do have the strength to fend off Sempiternal realm cultivators. Furthermore, I did stumble upon some minor fortuitous encounters on my way here, and I think this would be a good opportunity for me to test myself, Zhang Xuan replied confidently. While Sword Saint Xing had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation, the enemy was no weakling. It was not that he did not have any confidence in Sword Saint Xings fighting prowess, but he was simply unwilling to see any harming to the other party. Sword Saint Xing assessed Zhang Xuan deeply for a moment before nodding. Alright then... Take care! If you find yourself forced into a corner, run right back here. His son might only have been in his early twenties, but he possessed many means that made even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters apprehensive of him. To be honest, he was not confident of defeating Bei Yuan by himself, but his son very likely had the capability to pull it off! I will! Zhang Xuan nodded. After that, he leaped out of the pavilion and appeared right before the Otherworldly Demon. I am Zhang Xuan. If you wish to challenge my father, youll have to bypass me first! Are you able to make decisions here? It seemed like Bei Yuan did not recognize Zhang Xuan. Seeing how young the fellow standing before him was, Bei Yuan eyed him skeptically. If you lose, I expect you to hand over the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! Of course I can! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in response. If I lose, well hand the Celestial Amulet of Legacy to you. However, what if I win? Bei Yuan flicked his wrist and took out a metallic armor that boasted astonishing flexibility. Patting the metallic armor forcefully, Bei Yuan harrumphed. If you win, Ill give this Great Sage armor to you aspensation! You are intending to trade the Celestial Amulet of Legacy with just a Great Sage artifact? Do you take me for a fool? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in disdain. Even the Hundred Schools of Philosophers offered an Ancient Sage artifact to match the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! To offer a mere Great Sage artifact for the wager... the other party was really taking him too lightly! What do you want then? Bei Yuan frowned. They had also conducted simr duels earlier, and even though their tribesmen had lost, Sword Saint Xing did not raise any requests. Why would this wager suddenly be unfair when it came to this young man? Three Great Sage artifacts! Zhang Xuan demanded firmly. Three Great Sage artifacts? Bei Yuan narrowed his eyes upon hearing the other partys demand. Youre dreaming! So be it then! I cant be wasting my time on you either. You should know that the Celestial Amulet of Legacy is necessary to enter the Temple of Confucius. While its only the Subordinate Hall, so the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn wouldnt be there, regardless, the heritage of Kong shi is bound to be extraordinary. Youd better think it through. Dont say that I didnt give you a chance when that timees... If you arent going to ept the deal, you should hurry up and say so. I am exhausted from exploring the area, and I want to take a rest! Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily as he walked back to the Pavilion of Warm Spring. This... Bei Yuan fell silent. Three Great Sage artifacts was a hefty price to pay, but it came nowhere close inparison to an opportunity to enter the Temple of Confucius and obtain Kong shis heritage. Give me a moment. Ill return and discuss the matter with the others! Leaving these words behind, Bei Yuan turned around and headed to a pavilion not too far away with the words Irate Summer written on it. Not too longter, he returned and said, Ill agree to your request! After saying those words, he flicked his wrist, and three Great Sage artifacts materialized before him. In reciprocation, Sword Saint Xing stepped forward and ced the Celestial Amulet of Legacy floating in the air as well. Lets begin! I dont believe that a young brat in his twenties could possibly be a match for me! Bei Yuan spat. With both sides offering up their stakes, Bei Yuan wasted no time in drawing his sword, prepared to leap right into the duel. Hold it a moment. Before we begin, I believe that theres a need for us to rify the rules! Zhang Xuan raised his hand. Rules? Indeed. The battle between us should be regarded as a fair duel, right? Of course! Bei Yuan nodded in agreement. Since its a fair duel, I should be able to make use of any skills at my disposal, right? To put it in more straightforward terms, a formation master would be able to make use of his formations, and a beast tamer would be able to bring his tamed beasts into the battle. Does that sound fair to you? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course! Whatever upation you have, feel free to use those techniques in the battle! Bei Yuan shrugged nonchntly. A formation masters strength indubitablyy in setting in formations, and a beast tamers strength included his tamed beasts. They had devoted their time to furthering those arts in order to be able to use them in battle, so there was no denying that it was part of their capabilities as well. I see... That makes things really easy then! Hearing Bei Yuans agreement, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist andmanded, Tamed beasts, give that fellow a beating of his life! Hu! As soon as those words sounded, the Five Monarchs immediately materialized before Zhang Xuan and surrounded Bei Yuan. The sheer intensity of their aurasbined seemed almost strong enough to tear space apart. These are your tamed beasts? Bei Yuan staggered in utter shock upon seeing those five tamed beasts. At the same time, the Xingmeng Sword Saints and the many master teachers in the Pavilion of Warm Spring also widened their eyes to the brim, rendered speechless by the sight before them. Those are five Sempiternal realm consummation tamed beasts... Are these the minor fortuitous encounters that you mentioned earlier? If these are considered as minor fortuitous encounters, is there anything in the world that could be considered as a major fortuitous encounter? Indeed, Zhang Xuan said. I am a beast tamer, and we agreed that its fair for me to use my tamed beasts in battle earlier, right? Hurry up and make your move then! ... Bei Yuan spurted blood. Fair your head! How am I supposed to fight against five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts simultaneously? If you arent going to take the first move, Ill be going first! Zhang Xuan remarked impatiently. Raising his hand, he passed down the order to attack. Get him! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! The five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts charged at Bei Yuan. Putting aside their cultivation realm, each of them carried the bloodline of the Ancient Divine Beasts, and as the Five Monarchs of the forest dimension, they had survived many battles. Even though Bei Yuan was not weak, he would not be a match for even a single one of them, let alone five of them at once. All it took was a few breaths for his body to be bruised, fractured, and bleeding all over. Knowing that he would die if he obstinately held on, Bei Yuan desperately screamed, Ill admit defeat... Heh, thats more like it... Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction as he stowed the three Great Sage artifacts into his storage ring. ncing at the Pavilion of Irate Summer, he said, Is there anyone who wants to challenge me? I, Zhang Xuan, am more than willing to y along. Otherwise, Ill challenge all of the Otherworldly Demons in the Pavilion of Irate Summer. Is there anyone who dares to take up my challenge? Chapter 1725 - The Prowess of the Root

Chapter 1725: The Prowess of the Root

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Audacious! Yet another conceited fool who overestimates himself just because he has aplished something! Naive! Do you think that you are invincible just because you have tamed a couple of beasts? While Zhang Xuan was dueling Bei Yuan, quite a number of Otherworldly Demons had already headed out of the Pavilion of Irate Summer. Upon hearing the arrogant words spouting from Zhang Xuans mouth, their faces turned livid with anger, and infuriated bellows escaped their lips. There were around thirty Otherworldly Demons in sight at the moment, and over six of them possessed simr strength to Bei Yuan. Even though Zhang Xuan had tamed five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts, he still would not stand a chance against all of thembined. Whats the use of arguing over there? If you have the guts to ept my challenge, take out your treasures and stake them as wagers, Zhang Xuan replied boredly. Simrly, Ill also put the Celestial Amulet of Legacy on the line. Those who possess true strength speak through actions, not through words! The faces of the Otherworldly Demons turned livid in fury. The young man was right. Nothing that they said would be meaningful; strength was something that had to be disyed! Ill give you ten minutes to think about it. Ill take a short nap for the time being. If you wish to take me up on my challenge, I dont mind ying with you all! Zhang Xuan tossed those words to the Otherworldly Demon before returning to the Pavilion of Warm Spring whilezily stretching his back. Our n head sure is formidable... Hes actually able to render so many Otherworldly Demons speechless at once. This is the kind of imposing air that a true powerhouse should have! The cultivators in the Pavilion of Spring Autumn nodded in respect. It was true that neither side dared go too far due to the involvement of the Ancient Sages, but the Otherworldly Demons were clearly in a more advantageous position than the humans due to their superior strength. As a result, it had been the humans who were in a passive position so far. They did not think that the head of the Zhang n would actually be able to turn the tables on the Otherworldly Demons as soon as he appeared! Youre Zhang Xuan, arent you? I am Bei Feng, and Im willing to ept your challenge! Before Zhang Xuan could return to the Pavilion of Warm Spring, a towering Otherworldly Demon suddenly walked out from the crowd. He was one of the remaining six Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators. Seeing that someone had taken the bait, Zhang Xuan asked with a smile, Whats your wager? I only have a Great Sage artifact. I can give it to you if I lose the duel. In exchange, I wont ask for you to give me the Celestial Amulet of Legacy if I win. All I want is to im three slots to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment! Bei Feng said. Three slots? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. Based on the inscriptions that we have found in the area, it seems that our Celestial Amulet of Legacy allows us to bring ten people into the Hall of Great Aplishment, Sword Saint Xing said. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. Sure, I have no problem with that. Ill ept your wager! Even if Bei Feng won the duel and obtained three slots to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment, it would still be a highly disadvantageous situation for them. In a battle of seven against three, the Zhang n should be able to easily overpower and kill those three unfortunate Otherworldly Demons tagging along with them. In any case, Ancient Sages were not able to enter the Temple of Confucius, and they did not have the power to interfere with the happenings inside. I know that those five beasts are your tamed beasts, but they arent a clear indication of your individual prowess. The one I am challenging is you, not your beasts. As a master teacher, wont you cast aside your beasts and face me in a proper duel? Bei Feng asked. In other words, you dont want to use my tamed beasts? Zhang Xuan asked as an unreadable smile crept onto his lips. Thats right! I admit that your five beasts are formidable, but do you dare pit your true ability against me and fight me with your own strength? Dont you think that its dishonorable for a master teacher like you to be so reliant on your tamed beasts? Bei Feng taunted. I can face you without my tamed beasts... but since its a handicap on my side, I want you to wager another Great Sage artifact! Zhang Xuan said. You want me to wager another Great Sage artifact? Bei Feng frowned as he lowered his gaze in hesitation. After a moment of contemtion, he flicked his wrist, and a crimson spirit stone materialized on his palm. I dont have any more Great Sage artifacts, but this Sacred Blood Crystal is fueled using the blood essence of Sempiternal realm consummation beasts. It harnesses the full energy of an expert of that caliber. Itll be a convenient source of spiritual energy for your cultivation. While it cantpete with a true Great Sage artifact, its value should almost be on par with one. Will you take this as a recement? Zhang Xuan took a look at the crimson spirit stone, and he immediately sensed the concentrated spiritual energy that was emanating from the rock. It was so concentrated that it almost felt tangible. If he cultivated using it, he would indeed be able to advance his cultivation swiftly. Without a doubt, it was something that would be useful to him. Very well, Ill ept your deal! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. To be honest, he felt like he was hoarding a little too many Great Sage artifacts at this point. He did not need any more of them. In terms of utility, the Sacred Blood Crystal was definitely far more useful to him. Perhaps still a little worried about the matter, Bei Feng dered loudly, The Ancient Sage of you humans and the Ancient Sage of my tribe will bear witness that the use of tamed beasts is forbidden in this duel! Zhang Xuan did not know where the Ancient Sages were hidden, but this deration effectively meant that the rule had been officialized. Anyone who dared turn their back on this rule would be severely punished. This was because the ceasefire was of the utmost importance for both sides to preserve their fighting prowess for the fight over the Great Codex of Spring and Autumnter on. While it was true that every single Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator was an invaluable addition to the team, the Ancient Sages would notpromise the bigger picture just to protect a single one of them. Rest assured! Since I have already agreed to your terms, you can expect me to honor my promise! Zhang Xuan replied confidently as he moved his tamed beasts into his Myriad Anthive Nest. Ill believe in your honor as a master teacher! Bei Feng nodded. Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward and whipped out his weapon. It was a Great Sage tier moon ive. This was also the artifact that he was wagering on the duel. n head, be careful! one of the grand elders eximed worriedly. Without his tamed beasts, their n head would only be an Aureate Body realm cultivator. It did not seem impossible for him to match an enemy two realms stronger than him. Was it really possible for one to breach such a huge disparity in strength? Heh! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he stepped forward. With a flick of his wrist, a jade-like root appeared on his palm. I did say that I wouldnt use a tamed beast, and Ill honor the end of my promise... However, I dont have any formidable Great Sage artifacts, and this root is something that I have acquired out of coincidence. Its still decently resilient and hard to be used as a weapon. You shouldnt have any qualms with me using it in battle, right? A root? Bei Feng took a look at the item that the young man was holding in his hand, and only after confirming that it was indeed a root did he finally nod in agreement. Feel free to use it as your weapon! As long as the young man did not use his tamed beasts, it would not matter much to him whether the young man used a Great Sage artifact or not. Besides, he had taken a closer look at the root and had not noticed anything peculiar about it. Thats good... Little Root, Ill leave the rest to you! Zhang Xuan nodded as hezily tossed the root up into the air. Leave it to me! the root replied through the diffusion of its thoughts. After that, it flew into the aerial space right above Bei Feng. Mere cheap street tricks! Bei Feng spat coldly as he flung the moon ive in his grasp toward the root. Si! The space tremored under Bei Fengs movements. A Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator paired with a Great Sage artifact produced a might that would leave anyone trembling in fear. Hu! But before the moon ive could strike the root, the space around them suddenly jolted. The next instant, Bei Feng found himself standing in the midst of a desert. A towering tree stood quietly in front of him. With a tug of a light breeze, buds of cotton slowly descended upon the ground as if snow. rmed by the changes around him, Bei Feng narrowed his eyes and shouted, Whats this? Unbeknownst to him, wisps of nearly indiscernible cotton had fallen into his mouth as he spoke. Whats going on? What kind of artifact is that? Not expecting a mere root to produce such a massive desert, everyone was stunned. For a moment, they were not able to react at all. Bei Feng, its just an illusion. You just have to find a way to break it... one of the experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe shouted in agitation. Alright... Bei Feng said. However, before he could finish speaking, his body suddenly started convulsing wildly. Hula! The next instant, Bei Feng was reduced to a pile of yellow sand. Not a trace of him remained. Silence immediately devoured the entire area. Chapter 1726 - The Appearance of the Ancient Sage

Chapter 1726: The Appearance of the Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! With a light sway of the towering tree, the desert suddenly vanished from sight. Everything reverted to normal, as if what they had witnessed earlier was nothing more than a figment of their imagination. The only difference was that the Otherworldly Demon known as Bei Feng had vanishedpletely from the face of the world. Bei Feng has died? His soul aura haspletely vanished without a trace. Has his body really been reduced to yellow sand? How is this possible? What just happened? The Otherworldly Demons were utterly horrified by what they had just witnessed. It was so inconceivable that they could not help but doubt the integrity of their eyes. In terms of fighting prowess, Bei Feng could be said to have been the strongest among them all. Yet, despite his strength, he had been reduced to yellow sand barely after the duel started. Just what in the world was that root? How could it wield such frightening prowess? The Otherworldly Demons were not the only ones who were appalled by this turn of events. The Xingmeng Sword Saints and the other master teachers watching the duel were dumbstruck as well. They had thought that Zhang Xuan would have a tough battle against Bei Feng, especially since he had been forbidden from using his tamed beasts. Who could have thought that he would end the battle with even greater ease than before? To end the battle in less than two breaths... Furthermore, it was not a simple death. Every single trace of Bei Fengs existence had beenpletely erased! Xuan-er, this... Sword Saint Meng murmured worriedly. Dont worry, its nothing much. Its one of the minor fortuitous encounters that I told you about earlier. I happened to tame this root by chance, Zhang Xuan replied with a reassuring smile. As fearsome as the root appeared to be, it was actually extremely easy to defend against it. As long as one sealed ones acupoints and prevent its cotton from getting into ones body, the root would be renderedpletely helpless against one. In terms of true fighting prowess, it was actually nowhere near the level of the Five Monarchs. Sword Saint Meng felt an ache in her chest. Minor fortuitous encounter? Five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts and a seedling that could easily eradicate a Sempiternal realm consummation expert from the face of the world... if they are considered as minor fortuitous encounters, what do we count as then? Arent we nothing at all? Return! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan ced the root back into the Myriad Anthive Nest. Following which, he beckoned with his hand, and the Sacred Blood Crystal and the moon ive flew right into his grasp. Since I have won the duel, I wont stand on ceremony, Zhang Xuan remarked. Without paying any heed to the response from the Otherworldly Demons, he threw those two artifacts right into his storage ring. Hong long long! Barely after he collected those items, a fearsome aura suddenly crept across thend as if a tornado had descended upon the world. Cracks appeared all over the floor, and the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Pavilions began trembling nonstop. It felt as if they would sumb to the immense pressure at any moment. This is... the strength of an Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he hurriedly raised his head to take a look. However, the pressure seemed to be omnipresent, so he was unable to discern where it wasing from. While that root isnt a beast, it does have its own life and consciousness. That should be enough for it to be deemed as a tamed beast. Yet, you speak of a fair duel? The domineering voice reverberated across thend. Following which, Zhang Xuan felt his body tensing on the spot. It felt like some formidable force had locked onto him, and it was threatening to crush him to death. Jiya! Jiya! His bones creaked resoundingly as cold sweat poured down his head. It was apparent that the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage had deemed his actions to be an infringement of the rules and had decided to make a move. Old Geezer Yu, didnt you hear my descendant asking if he could use the root earlier? Your subordinate clearly agreed to his terms. Are you intending to cause trouble just because your subordinate lost the duel? If a fight is what you want, a fight is what youll get! Just as Zhang Xuan was about the reach his limits, a voice suddenly reverberated in the air as well. Following which, an energy reminiscent of a warm breeze in spring embraced his body, causing the pressure crushing him to vanish. It was just a simple sh between the two Ancient Sage experts, but the shockwave produced a crisp sound reminiscent of a river battering a boulder. It felt as if even the reinforced space in the Temple of Confucius would shatter from their strength. The Ancient Sage of the Zhang n? Knowing that the newly arrived Ancient Sage was on his side, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. From the looks of it, the old ancestor of the Zhang n had decided to make a move as well. Your descendant mentioned that the root is hard and resilient, but he never revealed that it possesses such an enigmatic ability... The voice of the person named Old Geezer Yu echoed in the air. Since its a duel, your subordinate should have known that there was a possibility that he would be killed. How naive must your subordinate have been to expect his enemy toe clean about his trump card? The old ancestor of the Zhang n harrumphed coldly. Besides, while the root does possess enigmatic abilities, the same could be said about your subordinates moon ive! A loss is a loss. If you dont have the courage to face a loss, you should have stopped your subordinate from epting the duel in the ce! If you really want to exact vengeance for your subordinate, why dont you stop hiding like a darned tortoise ande out to face me? Even if I suffer some injuries while doing so, I swear that Ill bust your nuts! You... Old Geezer Yu was so furious that his voice was quivering with rage. However, it seemed like he did fear the old ancestor of the Zhang n quite a bit. Instead of fussing over that matter, he harrumphed. Humph! Ill overlook your provocations for today, but I dont believe that youll be able to constantly guard this fellow! His name is Zhang Xuan, isnt it? Ill remember it. Ill have plenty of opportunities to end his life once were out of the Temple of Confucius... You useless bunch of fools, stop staring with your mouths wide open. Return to the Pavilion of Irate Summer and wait patiently for the Hall of Great Aplishment to open! Yes! Hearing the order from their old ancestor, the Otherworldly Demons hurriedly turned around and returned to the pavilion. Hold it a moment! Barely after the Otherworldly Demons started retreating toward the Pavilion of Irate Summer, they suddenly heard a loud bellowit was from Zhang Xuan. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not willing to let this matter rest, the faces of the Otherworldly Demons turned livid. Do you still intend to duel with us? Thats right, I still want to continue challenging you all. Rest assured, I wont use my tamed beasts or the root now. Is there still anyone brave enough to face me in a battle? Zhang Xuan had never been so good-tempered as to let someone who exerted pressure and threatened him get away without paying a hefty price. It was not as if he had never killed an Ancient Sage before! You want to kill me? Very well... Watch helplessly as I do your subordinates in! If you dare make an appearance, Ill throw the Book of Heavens Path right at you and make my second Ancient Sage kill! An Otherworldly Demon could not help but ask skeptically, Are you certain? If none of you have the guts to ept my duel even after I have given you so many concessions, I suggest you return to the otherworldly battlefield and never appear on the Master Teacher Continent ever again. With how cowardly you lot are, theres no way you can ever be a threat to mankind! Zhang Xuan harrumphed arrogantly. You... The Otherworldly Demons clenched their fists tightly together upon hearing those words. Are you really not going to use your tamed beasts and root? Old Geezer Yus voice echoed in the air. Ill swear in my capacity as a master teacher that Ill rely only on my own strength and my weapon. Surely you wont be so frightened as to deprive a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator of his weapon, right? Zhang Xuan raised his head proudly, devoid of the slightest fear toward Old Geezer Yu. If you arent going to allow me to use my weapon, just treat it as if I did not say anything! Humph! Use your weapon then! Old Geezer Yu harrumphed coldly. His subordinate had also used his weapon earlier. Even if Zhang Xuan had a truly powerful weapon in his grasp, due to the limitations of his cultivation, there was only so much that he would be able to do. Is there anyone who dares fight me? Zhang Xuan pointed his finger forward and challenged imposingly. If your subordinates are frightened, I dont mind having all of theming at me. In other words, they can fight me one after another or fight me all at once. If I, Zhang Xuan, show even the slightest frown in response, Ill renounce myself as an offspring of the Zhang n! Well said! You are indeed a man of our Zhang n! the old ancestor of the Zhang nplimented with a heartened tone. Following that, he harrumphed coldly at the Otherworldly Demons. Old Geezer Yu, my descendant has already made so manypromises. Surely you cant still be scared of him, can you? You... Not expecting to be humiliated by a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator, Old Geezer Yu was on the verge of exploding from rage. Very well, Ill give you what you want. However, it wont just be a simple duel but a life-and-death duel! In other words, the duel wont end until either this young brat dies or my subordinates die! Do you still dare ept the challenge? He had really lost his temper. Ever since he became an Ancient Sage, no one had dared talk down to him in such a manner. Yet, a young brat actually dared to taunt him again and again. This was not something that his pride would allow. That young brat had powerful tamed beasts and a formidable root, but his cultivation was sorelycking. The young brat might possess methods to deal with Sempiternal realm cultivators, considering how he dared to make such a challenge in the first ce. However, Old Geezer Yu refused to believe that none of his subordinates would be able to stop the young brat! Knowing that the other party was determined to use this opportunity to kill this descendant of his, the old ancestor of the Zhang n harrumphed coldly. Old Geezer Yu, you sure have the cheek to talk... Just as he was about to reject the request, another voice interrupted him. Fine, Ill ept your challenge! Chapter 1727 - I’ll Humbly Accept Them

Chapter 1727: Ill Humbly ept Them

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing how rashly Zhang Xuan had agreed to Old Geezer Yus challenge, the old ancestor of the Zhang n was horrified. Have you thought this matter through? he asked Zhang Xuan worriedly. You wont be allowed to use your tamed beasts or the seedling; youll only be able to use your own weapon! Its not toote to back down now. I dont intend to back down, and I hope that the other party wont back down either! Zhang Xuan replied with an indomitable air. With a straightened back, he said, Suppressing the Otherworldly Demons is part of my responsibility as a master teacher. Even if Im no match for them and all of this is nothing more than a futile sacrifice, I wont back down! Well said! the old ancestor of the Zhang n roared with a heartyughter. Put your mind at ease and focus your attention on eradicating those Otherworldly Demons. Since we have already agreed on the rules, that Old Geezer Yu wouldnt dare to renege on his promise and interfere in the duel. If he were to so make a move, he can be certain that he will have to face the rage of my sword! Hah! Ill be d as long as you dont renege on your promise! Old Geezer Yu sneered eerily in response. As you have all heard, that young brat wants to challenge all of you, and you have the option of swarming him together if you want to... We of the Spirit Tribe have inherited the bloodline of the Gods. We are unparalleled, and we cant allow ourselves to be defeated by mere humans! If you lose in this battle, I dont think that theres any need for you to exist in this world anymore. On the other hand, if you sessfully defeat him, Ill bestow upon each of you a droplet of my blood! A droplet of our lords blood? Lord, please rest assured. We wont let you down! Upon hearing the reward, the faces of the Otherworldly Demons flushed in agitation as a brilliant light shone from their eyes. Lets begin then! H! Shortly after those words were said, dozens of Otherworldly Demons immediately encircled Zhang Xuan, sealing all of his escape routes. You... Not expecting the Otherworldly Demons to be so shameless as to really gang up on Zhang Xuan, the faces of the master teachers in the Pavilion of Warm Spring turned livid in fury. Its fine, I can handle them. Theres no need to breach the rules over something as minor as this... Seeing that the master teachers were intending to head forward to aid him, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and chuckled softly. After which, he turned to the Otherworldly Demons and asked coldly, We agreed earlier that Im allowed to use my weapons, right? Of course! Old Geezer Yus voice echoed loudly in the air. Very well then! Allow me to draw my weapon first before proceeding with the duel! Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear immediately materialized in his grasp. With a simple swing, it warped into a massive ancient dragon that soared across the air. This is... Ancient Sage Ran Qius Dragonbone Divine Spear, a real Ancient Sage artifact? No, thats not it. Its powers have been sealed, so it can only exert the strength of a Great Sage artifact at the moment... This wont be sufficient to pose a threat to them... Seeing the weapon that Zhang Xuan had taken out, Old Geezer Yu widened his eyes in astonishment before falling into deep contemtion. There was no doubt that the Dragonbone Divine Spear had been a formidable weapon at its peak, and even he would have had to run as far as possible if he encountered it. However, it was a different matter now that its power had been sealed. Most of his subordinates had reached the Sempiternal realm, and nearly all of them had a Great Sage artifact in their possession. They should at least be a match against the severely weakened Dragonbone Divine Spear. Old Geezer Yu was confident that his subordinates would be able to stand their ground, but the next moment, the young man flicked his wrist and took out a gigantic b of metal. It was also a Great Sage artifact. A Great Sage brick artifact? Furthermore, it seems to be forged out of Golden Origin Spirit Stone... Who in the world is so extravagant as to use the Golden Origin Spirit Stone in such a wasteful manner? Old Geezer Yu frowned. However, that was not the end of it yet. Hu hu hu hu hu! In the blink of an eye, more weapons materialized in the surroundings, forming a defensive circle around Zhang Xuan. The Infernal cksaber, Bei Xins spear, the Soultheft Shackle, Ancient Sage Zi Rongs inkstone... These six artifacts emanated a fearsome pressure reminiscent of six separate Sempiternal realm consummation experts. You... How do you possess so many powerful artifacts? Everyone had thought that the young man would only bring out a single Great Sage artifact to aid him in his battleafter all, each Great Sage artifact was an invaluable treasure. Yet, who could have known that he would bring out so many of them in the blink of an eye? Such extravagance had stunned everyone watching the scene. Putting aside the rarity and value of Great Sage artifacts, just taming a single Great Sage artifact could easily take several decades or even centuries of ones life. Yet, a twenty-year-old man had actually managed to tame so many of them. This was too unbelievable! Attack! Seeing as the number of Great Sage artifacts was growing by the second, the Otherworldly Demons realized that they could really lose against the young man at this rate. Thus, one of them immediately shouted the order for the group tounch their attack. Hold it a moment. I havent taken out all of my artifacts yet... Zhang Xuan grumbled as he continued flicking his wrist. Hu hu hu! Another four Great Sage artifacts appeared. It was the moon ive and the other artifacts that he had won in the two earlier duels. As soon as those four artifacts earlier, Zhang Xuans fingers danced agilely among them, tapping them urately on certain points. Weng weng weng weng! The four Great Sage artifacts echoed in unison, indicating their submission to Zhang Xuan. They had all acknowledged him as their master. Hu! Following that, the four Great Sage artifacts rose into the air as well, directing their edges toward the Otherworldly Demons. Ten Great Sage artifacts? This... How is this a fair duel? Is this what he means by Even if Im no match for them and all of this is a futile sacrifice, I wont back down? Seeing the legion of Great Sage artifacts floating around Zhang Xuan, the Otherworldly Demons felt goosebumps rising on their skin, and they nearly spurted blood in frustration. They could overlook a single artifact, but ten of them... That was equivalent to facing ten Sempiternal realm cultivators at once! Did they even stand a chance against such a powerful force? Thinking about the impassioned words of the young man earlier, as if a lone hero fighting off hordes of enemies, they felt their hearts stifling up. No match your head! Futile sacrifice my ass! The one who is in a disadvantageous position is clearly us! What are you all waiting for? Are you waiting for your deaths? Old Geezer Yu roared in frenzy. As an Ancient Sage, he had lived for many years. Yet, he had never seen something as eerie as this. Y-yes! The longer they waited to strike, the more time Zhang Xuan would have to coordinate his artifacts together. If those artifacts were really able to coordinate with one another impably, they would stand no chance. Thus, he charged forward furiously. The Otherworldly Demon who had roared themand to attack earlier was the first one to charge forward and reach Zhang Xuan. The weapon that he wielded was a Great Sage crescent de. He was one of the initial six Sempiternal realm consummation experts, and in terms of strength, he was nearly on par with Bei Yuan. The tremendous strength that he boasted was brought out perfectly through his forceful weapon. With a simple hack, a deafening sonic boom echoed in the air, and even the surrounding space distorted slightly as a result of the force exerted. H! Zhang Xuan felt a tremendous might descending right upon his head. Just when it seemed like he would be split in half, his time suddenly elerated. He easily turned around to face the crescent de before adeptly tapping his fingers on it. Weng! An excited buzz sounded from the crescent de. Following which, its massive body jolted ferociously, and it escaped from the Otherworldly Demons grip. It turned its de against the Otherworldly Demon and swung itself down furiously. The heck... The eyes of the Otherworldly Demon widened in horror at this abrupt change. The next moment, his head plopped to the ground. Even before he died, he still had no idea what was going on. This... Did he just tame that crescent de? The master teachers were dumbstruck by what they were seeing. And Old Geezer Yu looked utterly frenzied as well. To be able to tame their weapons and turn them against their masters in the midst of battle... How were they supposed to face an enemy like this? Before the crowd could recover from their shock, the young man had already charged into the crowd. Every weapon that came into contact with his finger would immediately turn on its master. At the same time, the brick, Dragonbone Divine Spear, and the other weapons were also coborating closely with one another to destroy the Otherworldly Demons. Initially, I thought that the Otherworldly Demons were going too far by ganging up on Zhang shi, but why does it seem as if its Zhang shi who is the one bullying them? To actually snatch the enemies weapons and turn them against their masters... I wonder how traumatized these Otherworldly Demons are! Theres no need to wonder about it, its definitely worse than what you can ever imagine! Its no wonder Zhang shi dared challenge all of them at once... It seems like he was prepared for this. Right from the start, he was already nning to ughter all of the Otherworldly Demons! ... Amid the discussions, Zhang Xuan had quietly backed out from the crowd. With his hands behind his back, he leisurely watched the massive battle between the Otherworldly Demons and the weapons. He could not help but remark, I am deeply grateful for the gifts that you have offered me. Ill humbly ept them! Chapter 1728 - The Blood of an Ancient Sage

Chapter 1728: The Blood of an Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Pu! Humbly ept your head! The Otherworldly Demons who found themselvesing under the furious offense of their ex-weapons were utterly frenzied. The pitiful plight that they were in made tears stream down their faces. You know full well that we never intended to give our weapons away to you! What you are doing isnt humbly epting our weapons but stealing them, alright? A fair duel should mean all of us using zhenqi to fight with one another, but look at what you are doing! Fair your head! At this rate, it would almost be better if you had brought your tamed beasts out to bite us to death! At the very least, we wouldnt have to face such humiliation... Under the onught of weapons under Zhang Xuans control, the Otherworldly Demons fell one after another. In the blink of an eye, over thirty of them had already been in. Witnessing such a sight before him, the Ancient Sage named Old Geezer Yu finally came to the limits of his tolerance. You... youre courting death! His motive for having his subordinates challenge the human cultivators was to obtain the opportunity to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment. However, with nearly all of his subordinates dead, what use did he have for the slots? It was not as if he could enter the Hall of Great Aplishment himself! Hong long! A massive hand suddenly materialized in the air, sealing the space surrounding the Hall of Great Aplishment. An astounding might that seemed as if it could seal even the heavens rushed down from the sky, threatening to crush Zhang Xuan into minced meat. Powerful! Realizing the danger heading his way, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi desperately, hoping to flee as far as he could. However, he found his bodypletely bound in ce. No matter how he struggled, he was unable to get away. Ancient Sages were the most powerful existences on the Master Teacher Continent. Even the most resilient material in the world would be crushed under their imposing might. Given Zhang Xuans cultivation, he stood no chance against such a force. H! Just as Zhang Xuan was nearing his limits, the cold glint of a sword suddenly shed through the air. However, this sword glint was not aimed at the palm descending from the sky, and it did nothing to alleviate the tremendous pressure that Zhang Xuan was under. Instead, it was aimed at a void in space. Puhe! The sound of a sword plunging right into flesh ripped through the air. Following which, fresh blood dripped from the void in space. It seemed like the old ancestor of the Zhang n had been biding his time to determine Old Geezer Yus location before making his move! You... Old Geezer Yu shrieked in anger. At the same time, the palm in the sky flickered a little before vanishing into thin air. Huhu! Ripples diffused from a void in space. Old Geezer Yu knew that he was in a disadvantageous position at the moment, so he fled without any hesitation. Haha, this sure is exhrating! the old ancestor of the Zhang n roared in heartyughter. It was extremely difficult to kill a cultivator who had already reached Ancient Sage. In truth, the two of them had fought with one another for many years, but there had been no conclusion to their battle. This time around, the old ancestor had managed tond a direct strike on Old Geezer Yus vitals. While it was insufficient to take down Old Geezer Yu once and for all, thetter would have to recuperate for quite a period of time. The reason that he was able to do it was because his descendant had managed to provoke Old Geezer Yu into losing his temper, thus leading him into making a reckless move. Lowering his head to look at the battlefield once more, he saw that all thirty of the powerful Otherworldly Demons had already copsed to the ground as corpses. A huge array of weapons had fallen into Zhang Xuans possession. They danced joyfully around him, as if concubines seeking imperial favor. You might be young, but your capabilities and wisdom are remarkable. Not bad! the old ancestor of the Zhang nplimented. Following which, a force slowly swept across the battlefield, gathering the blood droplets scattered over the ground. These crimson droplets converged together in the sky before being filled into a jade bottle. Its due to you that I had the opportunity to severely wound Old Geezer Yu. As a senior of the Zhang n, I cant allow your contributions to go unnoticed. Ill bestow these five droplets of Ancient Sage blood to you! Thank you, old ancestor! Zhang Xuan epted the jade bottle respectfully. To be honest, he had no idea what the blood of an Ancient Sage could be used for. However, the fact that it could drive the Otherworldly Demons into a frenzy, going to the extent of epting his challenge despite the risks that they would face, there was no doubt that it was an invaluable treasure. The blood of Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages harnesses concentrated killing intent, so it might not be as useful to your cultivation. Besides, this is only your spoils of war and not my reward. As a senior, I cant be too stingy with my reward. So, Ill bestow this jade bottle to you as well. It contains five droplets of my blood. Use it well and strive to advance your cultivation to higher realms as soon as possible. I believe that youll be able to bring the Zhang n to greater heights! the old ancestor of the Zhang n said. H! Right after those words were spoken, a jade bottle materialized in the air. Even before it approached Zhang Xuan, he could already feel tremendous power pulsating within the blood droplets within the jade bottle, as if they wouldbust into mes at any moment. Even though Zhang Xuans bloodline had already been stripped from him, considering that it was the blood of an Ancient Sage from the same n within the jade bottle, it was likely to be of far greater use to him than the blood of an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage. Xuan-er, hurry up and thank our old ancestor! Sword Saint Xing reminded Zhang Xuan anxiously through telepathy. Thank you, old ancestor! Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. This is what you deserve! the old ancestor of the Zhang n said. As the voice trailed to a halt, the imposing aura lingering in the air disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first ce. Knowing that the old ancestor had returned to hiding, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. There was no doubt that many Ancient Sages would have made their way into the Temple of Confucius in hopes of acquiring Kong shis ultimate treasure. Given so, it would be best not to parade their strength around. After all, it was always the tree that stood out from the others that would fall in the face of a furious gale. If they unintentionally drew the ire of the other Ancient Sages, and the other Ancient Sages chose to gang up on them, they would be dead before they knew it. Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to Sword Saint Xing. What is the use of the blood of an Ancient Sage? Every droplet of Ancient Sage blood possesses an incredible amount of energy, Sword Saint Xing exined with an excited gleam in his eyes. Furthermore, it contains theirprehension of cultivation as an Ancient Sage as well. As such, if one could assimte the blood of an Ancient Sage into ones body, ones cultivation will be able to improve by leaps and bounds, possibly reaching an unthinkable level! Assimte? Thats right. For example, if a mortal came into contact with a droplet of Ancient Sage blood and sessfully assimted it without exploding from all the power raging within his body, they would be able to advance from Fighter all the way to Great Sage at once! Sword Saint Xing exined. This... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. It had taken him so much time, effort, and resources in order to advance from Fighter to Great Sage... and yet, a mere droplet of Ancient Sage blood was more than enough to do the same. This was way too fearsome! Of course, he also understood that it was just an example. Putting aside the fact that it was impossible for a mortal to assimte the overwhelming power harnessed within the blood of an Ancient Sage, even if they somehow found a way to pull it off, their zhenqi would be extremely bloated from achieving breakthroughs in such a forceful manner. As a result of that, their fighting prowess would be beneath that of an ordinary Great Sage, and it would be hard for them to push their cultivation further, considering their weak foundation. However, the true appeal of Ancient Sage blood lies not in the tremendous energy nor theprehension of cultivation infused in it. What truly drives others frenzied over it is the power of the Ancient Sages Blood Reincarnation that the blood harnesses. If a cultivator sustains severe damage, as long as their soul didnt dissipate on the spot, a single droplet of Ancient Sage blood will allow them to make aplete recovery. Its effects are so powerful that even a head lopped off could be reattached once more as long as the cultivator hasnt breathed theirst breath yet! Sword Saint Xing exined. This... Zhang Xuans body froze on the spot. He could not even begin to describe his shock anymore. Due to his Heavens Path zhenqi, he possessed miraculous recovery abilities that allowed him to swiftly heal from most injuries. Nevertheless, if someone lopped his head off, there was no way that he would have been able to recover from that kind of severe injury. Yet, the blood of an Ancient Sage was able to heal such severe, near-death injuries. To put it in other words, every droplet of Ancient Sage blood was no different from an additional life! It was no wonder the Otherworldly Demons had gotten so agitated over it. It was truly a priceless treasure! Father, Mother, Ill give you one droplet each. Its unlikely that I will use all five droplets here... Recovering from his shock, Zhang Xuan uncorked the cap of the jade bottle and flicked his finger. Two droplets of blood pulsating richly with power flew toward the Xingmeng Sword Saints. It would be much better for him to give a droplet to each of his parents so that they would at least be able to protect themselves from harm. In any case, it was unlikely that he would use all five blood droplets there, so there was no harm in doing so. There were unpredictable dangers lurking in the Temple of Confucius, and it would set his mind at ease if his parents had such a life preserving treasure with them. This... Not expecting their son to give them such an invaluable treasure without any hesitation, the Xingmeng Sword Saints exchanged nces with one another before clenching their fists tightly in agitation. With such a son, what more could they wish for in the world? Chapter 1729 - Where Is Zhao Ya?

Chapter 1729: Where Is Zhao Ya?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that it was a show of filial piety from their son, the Xingmeng Sword Saints did not reject Zhang Xuans gift and epted the blood droplets from him. Despite the miniature sizes of the blood droplets, when they fell into the hands of the Xingmeng Sword Saints, they nearly dragged the duo down into the ground. This weight was not unique to just the blood of Ancient Sages. Even a single strand of those who had reached Ancient Sage was as heavy as a mountain. If not for the Xingmeng Sword Saints recent advancement in cultivation to Sempiternal realm consummation, they might not even have been able to lift it up! You should hurry up and assimte it into your bodies! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Un! Without any hesitation, the duo sat down, and they each absorbed a blood droplet into their body. Following which, they slowly channeled it toward their dantian. A short momentter, they abruptly opened their eyes. Have you seeded? Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful frown. How can it be that easy to assimte the blood of an Ancient Sage? We have only stored it in our dantian separately so that we can constantly wash our zhenqi through it constantly. Over time, our zhenqi will be suffused with the aura of an Ancient Sage, and this will be highly beneficial to our cultivation! Sword Saint Xing said with a smile. If it was that easy to absorb Ancient Sage blood, it would truly be unworthy of its reputation as the ultimate treasure that countless cultivators sought. It was something that would require at least several years or decades of hard work. As such, they had chosen to store the blood droplet in their dantian for the time being. By washing their zhenqi through it, they would be able to slowly assimte it into their bodies. With sufficient time, the blood droplet would bepletely suffused throughout their body, granting them the ability of Blood Reincarnation! I see! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Ill give it a try as well! After saying those words, he sat down on the floor. With a light tap of his finger, he absorbed a droplet of the Ancient Sage blood in the jade bottle into his body. H! As soon as the blood droplet entered his body, it fused right into his body. Not only was there apleteck of resistance, he even felt the blood droplet pulsating joyfully through his body. It was almost as if it had finally returned to its ce of origin. This... Zhang Xuan was utterly confused by the situation urring in his body. How have I assimted the blood droplet just like that? They said that it would be a difficult process that required much time and effort, did they not? Why was it so easy for him then? You have already assimted it? Hearing that his son had sessfully assimted the blood droplet into his body, Sword Saint Xing raised his head and directed a doubtful gaze over. Indeed! Zhang Xuan nodded as he swiftly borated on the happenings after the blood droplet entered his body. I think I understand, Sword Saint Xing said. Twenty years ago, when our old ancestor incurred severe injuries, he needed the blood of a Zhang n offspring in order to sustain his life. Back then, the only person in the Zhang n whose bloodline purity met the mark was you... In other words, a portion of your blood flows through his body! My blood flows in his body? Zhang Xuans face twitched upon hearing those words. Somehow, he could not help but find something really weird with those words. It was almost as if he had been reunited with his long-lost son! The primary reason that we infused your blood into the old ancestors body was to sustain his life, but the sheer purity of your bloodline induced an evolution in the old ancestors constitution, thus further enhancing his fighting prowess! As such, when you tried to absorb the blood of the old ancestor, it was as if that blood droplet was returning to its source. Naturally, it goes without saying that it would be much easier for you to assimte the blood droplets than us, Sword Saint Xing exined with a smile. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded as he decided not to think any deeper into the matter. He focused his attention on perceiving the Ancient Sage blood that he had assimted into his body, and he found that it had fused impably with his own blood. Not only so, he found overflowing vitality sprouting in the depths of his body. It was truly a mysterious feeling. It was as if life itself was coursing through his body. If he had to put this feeling into words, it would be that even if someone snapped off his arm, he would be able to grow a new one the next instant. There was no need for him to worry about getting hurt anymore. However, he could sense that while there was an immense volume of vitality in his body, it was not infinite. It would deplete and run dry eventually. There was a pill known as the Grand Intermittent Pill that could allow a persons severed limbs to regrow, but its effects were far inferior to those of the Ancient Sage blood. Firstly, the Grand Intermittent Pill had minimal effectiveness on Great Sage cultivators due to the limited energy harnessed within it. Secondly, Ancient Sage blood was capable of reviving a person no matter how tattered their body was, even if their head was lopped off. On the other hand, the Grand Intermittent Pill would only regrow a cultivators severed limbs. If a cultivators head was lopped off, no number of Grand Intermittent Pills would be able to heal them. I should give a droplet to Ruoxin as well, Zhang Xuan thought with a smile as he ced the remaining two blood droplets into his storage ring. It was not easy to acquire such treasures, and he had no intention of keeping them to himself. He also had people whom he held dear and wanted to protect. As for the blood of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage, I should find some time to see what I can do with it... Considering how his Heavens Path zhenqi was able to emte the zhenqi of Otherworldly Demons, he might be able to use these blood droplets of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage... But with so many master teachers around, this was definitely not the time or ce to be experimenting with the blood droplets. He would just have to leave it forter on. Oh right! You have acquired news on Zhao Ya. Where is Zhao Ya? Zhang Xuan stood up and looked at his parents. He was going to ask them about the matter concerning Zhao Ya when the Otherworldly Demons suddenly came to challenge Sword Saint Xing, so there had been no time to inquire. Since the Otherworldly Demons had already been dealt with, it was time to get back to that. There are four pavilions here. We are residing in the Pavilion of Warm Spring, and the Otherworldly Demons have dominated the Pavilion of Irate Summer. Beasts have swarmed the Pavilion of Cooling Autumn, and the Pavilion of Frozen Winter is being taken up by an unknown group of people. Prior to your arrival, I sensed a hint of cold auraing from their group, so I took a closer look. For a split moment, I seemed to see your student! Sword Saint Meng said. Sword Saint Meng was hot-tempered at times, but she was extremely meticulous when it came to details. Considering that this was a matter that concerned her son, she had been keeping a close eye on it. Even though the cold aura was indistinct, it had still caught her attention. So... theres a good chance that Zhao Ya is in the Pavilion of Frozen Winter? Zhang Xuan asked in agitation. He hurriedly rose to feet and walked to the windows to take a look. Of the four pavilions, Spring corresponded to Autumn, and Summer corresponded to Winter. From the Pavilion of Warm Spring, the Pavilion of Frozen Winter happened to be hidden by the other two pavilions, not allowing him to peer into the situation there. However, I only took a quick nce before the other party disappeared back into the group. I thought that she resembled your student, but I was unable to confirm whether its really her or not! Sword Saint Meng said. Well know once we head there to take a look! Zhang Xuan said imposingly. So long as there was a chance that Zhao Ya could be in the Pavilion of Frozen Winter, it was his responsibility as her teacher to check the area out. Seeing that Zhang Xuan intending to head over, Sword Saint Xing hurriedly added, Ill follow you. I should at least be able to lend you a hand... Its fine! I can handle this on my own! Zhang Xuan shook his head and turned down Sword Saint Xings offer to help. In no way could the Xingmeng Sword Saints be considered weak, but the very fact that the other party had been able to kidnap Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan discreetly likely meant that the other party was a formidable foe. Furthermore, he had not ascertained whether the kidnappers were truly an enemy or not. It would be much safer for him to head there alone. Knowing that his son possessed means far beyond him, Sword Saint Xing could only shake his head helplessly and instruct, Be careful! Un! Zhang Xuan replied before swiftly making his way over to the Pavilion of Frozen Winter. Intruder, please halt! Before Zhang Xuan could even approach the Pavilion of Frozen Winter, he had already heard a voice in the air. Following which, an overpowering pressure crushed down from the sky. An Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. He had experienced such formidable might just a moment agoit was a force that could only have been exerted by an Ancient Sage! It was unlikely that an Ancient Sage would easily make a move on him. More likely than not, the pressure served as a warning to remind him that the Pavilion of Frozen Winter was under the protection of an Ancient Sage as well. Of course, that was only to be expected. If those in the Pavilion of Frozen Winter did not possess such strength, they would have been eliminated by the others already. There was no way that they would have been able to safely upy a pavilion by themselves. Elder, I dont harbor any malicious intentions. I have a junior who is very likely within the Pavilion of Frozen Winter, and I wish to enter to take a look! Zhang Xuan sped his fist politely. Even though the old ancestor of the Zhang n was likely in the vicinity as well, he did not dare push his luck. I know you. Zhang Xuan, twenty years old, the head of the Three Premier ns and the Sanctum of Sages. You single handedly destroyed an army of 110,000 Otherworldly Demons strong in the Subterranean Gallery, sparing mankind from a catastrophe. Impressive, the Ancient Sage said. Zhang Xuan was surprised by how the anonymous Ancient Sage was aware of his affairs. He sped his fist and bowed. Im unworthy of your praise! Given your contributions to mankind, I would have weed your visit with the warmest hospitality from my side if it had been on any other asion. However, Im afraid that I cannot permit you to enter the Pavilion of Frozen Winter at the moment, and I beg your pardon for that, the Ancient Sage said. Why? Zhang Xuan frowned. As he pondered over the other partys words, a thought surfaced in his mind, and he asked, Elder, are you a master teacher? Chapter 1730 - Ten Breaths Is All It Takes

Chapter 1730: Ten Breaths Is All It Takes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The other party did not show the slightest hostility to him despite knowing of his deeds in the Subterranean Gallery. Instead, the other party evenbeled his deeds as contributions to mankind. Those were words that would only typically be spoken by master teachers! Could the other party be one of the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? But if the other party was a master teacher as well, why was the other party stopping him from entering the Pavilion of Frozen Winter? I am not from the Master Teacher Pavilion, but... The Ancient Sage began exining, but before he could finish his words, a crisp echo suddenly sounded from the Pavilion of Frozen Winter, as if some kind of seal had just been broken. Concentrated cold energy burst out from the broken seal into the surroundings, cloaking the Pavilion of Frozen Winter with ayer of frost in the blink of an eye. Zhao Ya is indeed in there! Zhang Xuans face darkened. It was the exact same cold energy that Zhao Ya had emanated after he sessfully altered her meridians! There was no mistake! Hu! Paying no heed to the Ancient Sage, Zhang Xuan dived right into the Pavilion of Frozen Winter. It was apparent to him now that the other party was simply stalling for time to achieve their goals! So what if the enemy that he had to face was an Ancient Sage? If worst came to worst, he would just have to use his golden page and toss the Book of Heavens Path at the other party! For his students safety, this was a price that he was willing to pay! Hu! Light flooded out from the Pavilion of Frozen Winter and formed a thin barrier around the building. Zhang Xuan rammed right into the barrier, but he found that he was unable to breach it with his current strength. You cant enter now! the imposing voice of the Ancient Sage eximed. Scram! Zhang Xuan roared as he whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear and pierced it toward the light barrier. Weng! The attack of the Dragonbone Divine Spear caused the light barrier to waver a little, but the light barrier swiftly stabilized without the slightest scratch on it. Break! Unwilling to give up, Zhang Xuan infused all of his strength into the Dragonbone Divine Spear and thrust it toward the light barrier once more. This time around, however, bundles of ck mes began emerging from the surface of the spear. Having undergone the trial of the Empyrean Heavenly me thrice, his body was already able to harness this devastating force of nature. Focusing all of the Empyrean Heavenly me that he had absorbed into the tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, it did not take long for the light barrier to be set alight. Empyrean Heavenly me? The Ancient Sage hidden by the side was astonished. He was just about to raise his hand to extinguish the me when the sound of a millstone scraping against the ground reverberated loudly in the air. Following which, the four pavilions began trembling simultaneously. Whats going on? Knowing that something major had just happened, Zhang Xuan could only abandon his attempt to breach the light barrier in order to scan his surroundings. A loud explosion sounded from the towering Hall of Great Aplishment, and a crack opened between the tightly shut entrance gates. An aura of history poured forth from the depths of the Hall of Great Aplishment, suffusing the Pavilions of Warm Spring, Irate Summer, Cooling Autumn, and Frozen Winter. In an instant, the crowd could vaguely see the passing of the seasons unfolding swiftly before their eyes. As the Celestial Amulet of Legacy in Sword Saint Xings hands came into contact with the aura of history, a warm glow burst forth from it, forming a light sphere that covered a diameter of ten meters. Tzzzzzz! Tugged by apelling force, the Xingmeng Sword Saints and the others found their bodies being pulled uncontrobly toward the depths of the Hall of Great Aplishment The Hall of Great Aplishment has opened! Xuan-er, lets go, Sword Saint Xing shouted anxiously. I have to save Zhao Ya first! Zhang Xuan eximed anxiously as he turned his sights back to the Pavilion of Frozen Winter once more. Since he had finally found Zhao Ya, as her teacher, he was obliged to bring her back unharmed! Kacha! Launching a barrage of stabs with the Dragonbone Divine Spear, it did not take long for the light barrier to be pushed to its limits and shatter under the pressure. Zhang Xuan immediately made use of this opportunity to dash into the pavilion. However, just as he was making his way in, a light sphere formed of cold energy bolted out from the Pavilion of Frozen Winter. It followed closely behind the Xingmeng Sword Saints and the others, heading into the Hall of Great Aplishment. Within the light barrier, Zhang Xuan noticed a slender figure shrouded in an icy aura. Who else could it be other than Zhao Ya? The light sphere seemed to have been formed using her powers. The Xingmeng Sword Saints and the others were able to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment sessfully due to the Celestial Amulet of Legacy in their possession. However, the group that was in the light sphere constructed by Zhao Ya was able to pass through the cracks in the entrance of the Hall of Great Aplishment without any problem as well. Zhao Ya... Seeing that Zhao Ya had entered the Hall of Great Aplishment, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in panic. Huhuhuhu! Following that, twenty beasts charged out of the Pavilion of Cooling Autumn and dashed straight toward the entrance of the Hall of Great Aplishment. It seemed like they intended to sneak into the Subordinate Hall in the midst of the chaos. However, just inches away from the Hall of Great Aplishment, they found themselves being halted by an invisible barrier. No matter how they tried to push forward, they were not able to advance a single step forward. Most of these beasts were at Great Sage 3-dan and 4-dan, but it was apparent that their strength was nothing inparison to the barrier. It was almost as if they were termites trying to bring down a towering tree! Even if they pushed with all their might, the barrier would not waver in the least. Those scoundrels have entered the Hall of Great Aplishment by making use of Zhao Yas unique constitution! Zhang Xuan nearly exploded from fury as realization struck him. How could he get so careless at a time like this? He should have known that the other party would make use of Zhao Ya to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment! Blinded by his anxiety to save Zhao Ya, he had ended up missing the opportunity to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment together with his parents. Now that they had all entered the Subordinate Hall, he was the only one left outside. What the heck was that? This wont do. I must enter the Hall of Great Aplishment as well! Zhang Xuan muttered anxiously as he charged furiously toward the entrance of the Subordinate Hall. It had not been easy for him to find his student once more. He would never forgive himself if he lost this chance to save her because of a careless mistake on his part! If worst came to worst, he would just have to make use of the Library of Heavens Path to find the ws in the barrier. Even if he had to tear the entire ce down, he was determined to get in! Hu! In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan reached the invisible barrier. He had thought that he would be kept out just like the other beasts wing desperately ahead of them, but contrary to his expectations, a warm glow suddenly embraced his body. Before he knew it, he was already on the other side of the barrier. Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before realization struck him. How I could have forgotten about that? I have the Prime Amulet in my hands! Previously, Luo Ruoxin had told him that the Celestial Amulets of Legacy only worked against the Subordinate Halls that they corresponded to whereas the Prime Amulet granted entry to all of the Subordinate Halls and the Prime Hall. It was due to how useless Little Amulet had been in the outer dimensions that he had ended up forgetting about its existence. After all the disappointments that it had brought him, it was finally proving its value at a crucial time like this! Elder, please bring us along with you... Before Zhang Xuan could charge all the way into the Hall of Great Aplishment, he suddenly heard desperate voices behind him, so he turned around to take a look. They were from the beasts who were wing frantically at the invisible barrier but to no avail. Zhang Xuan gazed deeply at them for a moment before saying nonchntly, Be my tamed beast, and Ill bring you in! This... Hearing those words, the beasts were stunned for a moment before a hugemotion broke out. You want us to be your tamed beasts? Youre dreaming! The reason we of the Beast Tribe cultivate is so that we can live freely without deferring to anyone. You might be powerful, but theres no way you are going to make us submit to you! At the very most, well just give up on the opportunity to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment! Well still be able to improve quickly by cultivating around the exterior of the Temple of Confucius anyway... Even if I die here, I, the Verdantcloud Beast, will never submit to anyone! The main reason that they had entered the Temple of Confucius was to find their own fortuitous encounter and advance their cultivation. However, if they had to submit to a human and lose their free will over it, they would rather give up on this rare opportunity. Heh! Hearing the words from the beasts, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. With a flick of his spear, he crossed the invisible barrier once more, dashing right into the horde of beasts. Pipa! Pilip! Ten breathster, he flicked his spear behind his back as he gazed quietly at the subdued beasts before him. Are you ready to submit now? ... Paying respects to master! Hula! The beasts swiftly got to their knees and bowed down to Zhang Xuan. The arrogant Verdantcloud Beast even took the lead in offering its blood essence to Zhang Xuan to seal a contract with him. The other beasts anxiously followed suit as well. It was as if they were afraid that their new master would not recognize them if they were toote in professing their submission. ... The old ancestor of the Zhang n. ... The anonymous Ancient Sage. When did those of the Beast Tribe be so subservient? Even they, as Ancient Sages, would not be able to force those of the Beast Tribe to do anything against their will. Otherwise, any Ancient Sage would have been able to easily form an army of Great Sage beasts. Yet, this young man actually managed to do it within seconds. In an instant, all the experts who were unable to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment found themselves dumbstruck. Chapter 1731 - Hall of Great Accomplishment

Chapter 1731: Hall of Great Aplishment

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Lets enter! With all of the beasts pledging their loyalty to him, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He moved all of the beasts into the Myriad Anthive Nest before making his way through the invisible barrier once more. But things did not go as he had expected this time around. He found himself colliding with the invisible barrier that had halted the footsteps the beasts. Unlike before, he was not able to pass through it. Whats going on? Zhang Xuans lips twitched at this unexpected situation. Could it be that he had waited for too long and was no longer able to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment? If that was really the case, he might burst into tears on the spot. Master, you are bringing too many beasts in with you... Just as Zhang Xuan was trying to make sense of the bizarre situation before him, Little Amulets voice sounded in his head. Normal Celestial Amulets of Legacy can bring ten people in. As the Prime Amulet, I can bring fifteen people in. However, you tamed over twenty beasts earlier... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was not that he could not enter the Hall of Great Aplishment anymore but that he had exceeded the load capacity. He sent a telepathic message back to Little Amulet and asked, Wont it work if I ce them in a folded space? It wont work! Otherwise, your parents would have been able to bring everyone into the Subordinate Hall! Little Amulet exined. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded inprehension. There was no way that Kong shi would have allowed the rules that he had imposed on the Subordinate Halls to be circumvented that easily. Otherwise, there would be no point in setting those restrictions in the first ce! Thus, Zhang Xuan released the beasts whose cultivation were lower till there were only fourteen of them left. He tried walking through the invisible barrier once more, and this time, he was able to pass through it without any issues. Shortly after passing through the light barrier, Zhang Xuan suddenly said, Wait a moment, that isnt right. The Heavenwood Greenserpent is in my folded space as well. If we factor them in as well, doesnt it mean that the number of people I have with me has already exceeded fifteen? The fourteen beasts only included those which he had just tamed a moment ago. Other than them, he also had the Heavenwood Greenserpent, Goldspirit Cloudtiger, Crimsonfrons White Tiger, and so in the Myriad Anthive Nest. Thus, the total number of beasts he had with him was, in fact, more than twenty! They are considered native lifeforms to the Temple of Confucius, so they are allowed to pass freely through the barriers in the Temple of Confucius. As such, they arent counted in the quota! Little Amulet exined. Theres such a thing as well? Zhang Xuan asked in astonishment, not expecting there to be such an exception to the beasts in the Temple of Confucius. Shaking his head, he hastened his footsteps and swiftly advanced into the Hall of Great Aplishment. It had been over a minute since the others had entered the area, so he would have to up his speed in order to catch up with them. Passing through the massive gates, he found himself standing in the midst of a humongous hallway. Sculptures of many different demeanors and postures were ced neatly on both sides. Some were deep in thought, some were looking into the distance, some were reading a book, some were in the midst of their cultivation... They were sculptured so lifelike that it seemed almost as if they woulde to life at any moment. Are these... the seventy-two Sages? It did not take long for Zhang Xuan to recognize the models behind those sculptures. They were none other than the seventy-two Sages under Kong shis lineage. Kong shi was known to have had over three thousand students and seventy-two direct disciples. His seventy-two direct disciples were known as the seventy-two Sages, and the strongest ten of them, which included Ancient Sage Ran Qiu and Ancient Sage Bo Shang, were respectfully referred to as the Ten Apostles. Each of the seventy-two Sages had their fair share of legendary exploits, achieving astounding aplishments in their lifetime. Their deeds had been recorded by the Master Teacher Pavilion in the form of literature and artwork so as to remind the world of their greatness and the sacrifices that they have made for mankind. Zhang Xuan had once seen some of their artwork, so it was not too difficult for him to recognize the sculptures. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Ancient Sage Zi Qian, Ancient Sage Zi Liu, Ancient Sage Ran Geng... Familiar names surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind as they ovepped together with the sculptures before him. Looking at those ancient figures, he could almost see the devastating battles against the Otherworldly Demons back in their era. Without their support, there was no way that Kong shi could have quelled the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe singlehandedly back then! They were the cornerstone to mankinds swift development across the years. In that era of despair, their existences were symbols of hope to mankind. Even after the passing of tens of thousands of years, their names still remained unforgotten by the world. Zhang Xuan solemnly bowed to them to express his deepest respect to these great men before moving on. The sculptures of the seventy-two Sages emanated slight pressure on those walking past them, tempering ones state of mind and soul. Without a doubt, this was extremely beneficial for the advancement of ones Soul Depth. After taking a few more steps, Zhang Xuan saw a few master teachers sitting cross-legged on the floor, unable to advance any further. They were the grand elders of the Zhang n. Due to the limitations of their Soul Depth, it was likely that they would incur severe injuries if they forced themselves to advance ahead. Since that was the case, it would be wiser for them to make use of the pressure to swiftly raise their Soul Depth. Seeing that they were deep in concentration, Zhang Xuan chose to pass them by without disturbing them. Until that moment, he still was not too sure who the culprits who kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others were. However, the fact that they were able to pass through the hallway consisting of the sculptures of the seventy-two Sages meant that their Soul Depth did not pale inparison to his. With such high Soul Depth, it was likely that their cultivation had reached Sempiternal realm consummation. If that was the case, they would pose a major threat to his parents and the other members of the Zhang n. Coming to the end of the hallway, Zhang Xuan found himself arriving before a grand hall. His parents and the other grand elders of the Zhang n were standing in the middle of the hall, and opposite to them were eight youths who emanated imposing auras. Just as he had guessed, all of those eight youths were Sempiternal realm consummation experts! Seeing that his parents were fine, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he turned his gaze to the eight youths. A youngdy stood at the center of the crowd. Her eyes were tightly shut, and surges of cold energy were flowing out from her body. It seemed like she was trying to activate some seal on a wall in the hall. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and he eximed anxiously, Zhao Ya! He hurriedly rushed over toward her. Xuan-er, it doesnt seem like shes able to hear our voices! Before he could reach Zhao Ya, the Xingmeng Sword Saints quickly sent a telepathic message to inform him. She cant hear our voices? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Un. We tried calling for her earlier, but there was no response from her. She didnt even turn her head around, as if she couldnt hear us at all, Sword Saint Xing replied. She must be too engrossed in deciphering the painting on the wall. We cant really tell what her purpose for doing so is, Sword Saint Meng said as she secretly pointed to the wall. Painting? Tracing Sword Saint Mengs finger, Zhang Xuan finally noticed the massive painting on the wall. The painting was of remarkable verisimilitude, as if an entire world was sealed within it. Zhao Ya was continuously channeling her cold energy into the painting, seemingly trying to undo the seal cast on it. Normally, Zhao Ya should have noticed his presence as soon as he stepped into the hall, not to mention that he had even called for her. The fact that she was not reacting at all likely meant that she was in a trance. Seeing that Zhao Ya was unharmed, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, and his unnerved heart finally settled down for the time being. He turned his attention to the eight youths standing opposite to them and narrowed his eyes. Who are they? I asked them earlier, and they said that they are the offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Sword Saint Xing said. Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Zhang Xuan frowned. They are the descendants of the seventy-two Sages, right? Why did they kidnap Zhao Ya, and what is the painting on the wall? All along, he had thought that it was the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe who had captured Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao. Considering the callous nature of the Otherworldly Demons, it waspletely within their nature to pull off something like this... Yet, who would have thought that the culprits were really from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? While he had stumbled upon some clues that pointed to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, he had still held some reservations toward suspecting them. After all, their lineage originated from Kong shi, who had held principles and propriety in high regards. It was hard to believe that they wouldmit something as impetuous as kidnapping a person to achieve their own goals. This did not fit with themon perception of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Not only so, what was even more bizarre was that these offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were actually more interested in a painting than the sculptures of their ancestors outside! Could it be that some kind of incredible secret was hidden within the painting? Harboring such thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan could not help but take a closer look at the painting before him. The first thing that he noticed was the antiquated aura emanated by the painting. It felt like an artifact that had survived through history. He activated his Eye of Insight in an attempt to take a closer look at it, but he found that the painting seemed to have fused perfectly together with the time and space of the hall, thus obscuring it from his view. This was probably the seal that Zhao Ya was trying to break. Nevertheless, he could still feel an air of grandeuring from the painting. It seemed as if ones consciousness would be absorbed into the painting with just a single look. Is it possible for this to be the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? Sword Saint Xings voice suddenly sounded in Zhang Xuans ears. Chapter 1732 - An Opportunity to Achieve a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Chapter 1732: An Opportunity to Achieve a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is said to be the strongest artifact that Kong shi left behind. There are those who say that its a book, there are those who say that its a weapon, and there are also those who say that its a spatial artifact. In any case, no one has seen the true form of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn before. So, wouldnt it be possible for it to be a painting? Sword Saint Xing analyzed. Otherwise, why would the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers rush right here as soon as the Hall of Great Aplishment opens in order to decipher this seal? Furthermore, its apparent that they are aware that Zhao Yas strength is crucial to deciphering this seal, which exins why they kidnapped her! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. There was some sense to what Sword Saint Xing was saying. Most information avable about the Temple of Confucius came from rumors, so it might not necessarily be true. While the name Great Codex of Spring and Autumn suggested that the artifact existed in the form of a book, the artifact might be able to assume multiple forms. This was simr to how the Dragonbone Divine Spear was able to alternate between the form of a spear and a skeletal dragon. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the magnificent painting on the wall and scrutinized it closely through the Eye of Insight. While its contents were a little obscure due to the seal, he was still able to make out the scenery of a barren snowfield. It seemed like a world of permafrosty on the other side of the painting. There are temporalws infused within the painting... Through examining the painting carefully, he could feel the power of space and time infused within the painting. It was likely that the flow of time within the painting was different from that of the real world. If a separate concept of time existed within the painting... could the painting really be the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? If that was the case, he would have to snatch the painting regardless of the cost. Even if the other party was the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, he would not pull his punches! An idea suddenly shed across Zhang Xuans mind. Even though I might not recognize the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Little Amulet should be able to discern it! He wascking in knowledge concerning the ancient era, but Little Amulet was different. It had specially been forged by Kong shi to serve as the key into the Temple of Confucius, so it should be able to recognize the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! Thus, he sent a telepathic message to Little Amulet to ask about the matter. Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? Hahaha, thats the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard in my life! Thats the Canvas of Four Seasons, which Kong shi drew personally! Little Amulet replied amid guffaws in the Myriad Anthive Nest. There was a light breeze in the Myriad Anthive Nest, which caused Little Amulet to flutter. Canvas of Four Seasons? Didnt you notice the four pavilions prior to entering the Hall of Great Aplishment? Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winterthose are the four seasons of the world! Little Amulet exined. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. Thinking back, Kong shis superior breakthrough method to Great Sage also involved conceptualizing ones body as the world to emte the four seasons of nature. He had thought that it was on a whim that those pavilions were named after the seasons, but it seemed like there was more to it. What use is the Canvas of Four Seasons that those of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would go to such lengths for it? While Zhang Xuan was slightly disappointed to learn that the painting was not the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, there was no denying that he was intrigued by the painting. Even if it was not the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, it was likely a formidable artifact of some sort. It would not have caught the attention of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers otherwise. The Canvas of Four Seasons harnesses the concept of the four seasonsSpring, Summer, Autumn, and Winterallowing one to use the forces of nature to temper oneself, Little Amulet replied. On top of that, time flows faster within the paintingpared to the external world, roughly around twofold. In other words, a cultivator who cultivates for two years in the painting would find that only one year has passed in the real world... As such, its the ideal artifact to groom aspiring talents! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The reason that the Zhang n had been able to remain the number one Sage n even after the passing of so many years could mostly be credited to its Blood Reservoir. Utilizing the difference in the flow of time, the offspring of the Zhang n were able toprehend secret arts and master upations much faster than their counterparts. The same went for the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Of course, the pointers of 9-star master teachers were invaluable in reducing the detours in ones cultivation, but more than that, the difference in the flow of time in the Hall of Spring and Autumn ensured that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have powerful experts in every generation. In fact, it wasrgely due to cultivating in the Hall of Spring and Autumn that Zheng Yang had been able to advance his cultivation far faster than the rest of his students. Given how the Canvas of Four Seasons allowed one to cultivate for two years within the span of a year, it could be considered a decently powerful artifact. However, based on what I know, what is truly valuable about the Canvas of Four Seasons isnt the difference in the flow of time but that Kong shi has sealed a fragmented piece of the world within it! Little Amulet added excitedly. Sealed a piece of the world? Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before nodding in agreement. I see. Considering how the cycle of seasons in the painting is still persisting to this day, I suppose its to be expected that it contains a fragmented piece of the world! There were several tiers to folded spaces. The most ordinary folded space involved creating a dimension that was suited for storing objects but insufficient to sustain life. An example of that would be storage rings. Folded spaces that were of a tier higher could be viewed as greenhouses. It was possible to create conditions capable of sustaining life in these folded spaces, but they were highly dependent on external inputs in order to maintain these conditions. If one persistently neglected to supply spiritual energy to these folded spaces, their condition would gradually deteriorate to the point that it would be hard to sustain life. Zhang Xuans Myriad Anthive Nest was at such a tier. He had to supply his spiritual energy into it in order to ensure that it developed positively. This was different from the Master Teacher Continent, which was able to produce its own spiritual energy and breed new life dynamically. The fact that the painting was able to emte the cycle of the four seasons likely meant that it was a space simr to that of the forest dimension. It could produce its own spiritual energy to support life, which ced it at a higher tier than his Myriad Anthive Nest. Considering the strength that Kong shi had wielded, his ability to seal a fragmented piece of the world into his painting was not surprising. Its to be expected? You dont seem to understand the significance behind this. The fragmented piece of the world infused into the painting is not the same as the world you see before you right now, Little Amulet exined. Its a fragmented piece of the ancient world! A fragmented piece of the ancient world? Is there anything different about it? At the very most, wont the difference simply lie in the concentration of spiritual energy... Zhang Xuan did not think too highly of the matter. It was likely that the concentration of spiritual energy had been much higher in the ancient era, considering how the world had been able to support the rise of Kong shi, the seventy-two Sages, and so many powerful experts. However, what about it? Even if Kong shi had sealed a fragmented piece of the ancient world into the folded space, it was ultimately just a fragmented piece. It could not bepared to the vastnds of the current Master Teacher Continent! Before Zhang Xuan could finish his sentence, his eyes suddenly narrowed as a thought rose from the depths of his mind. No, thats not all. You are saying that the fragmented piece of the world sealed within the paintinges from tens of thousands of years ago, back in the era when cultivators were still able to advance to Ancient Sage. So, if one were to cultivate within the Canvas of Four Seasons, theres a chance that one could achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, right? Yang shi and Sword Saint Xing had shared several pieces of information with him regarding Ancient Sages. Around ten thousand years ago, a certain quality seemed to have vanished from the atmosphere of the world. Without this quality, the many Sempiternal realm consummation of the world found themselves unable to take the final step forward to reach Ancient Sage. It was due to this change that human Ancient Sages willingly went into hibernation in order to prolong their lifespan as much as possible so as to protect mankind from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Considering that this quality had only gone missing in thest ten thousand years, if the fragmented piece ofnd that Kong shi had sealed within the Canvas of Four Seasons was truly from his era, did that not mean that it would harness the quality required for one to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage too? Thats right! Why else do you think they would go so far for this painting? Little Amulet nodded smugly in agreement. I see... This painting represents an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... Since thats the case, I should give it my all to acquire it! Zhang Xuan nodded determinedly. Given his rate of cultivation, while he was only at Aureate Body realm consummation, it was likely that he would be knocking on the bottleneck of Ancient Sage soon enough. If he could not advance any further than that, it would truly be torture for him! Since the opportunity was right in front of him, he had to seize it by hook or by crook! Thanks for your reminder. Little Amulet, you arent as useless as you seem after all... Zhang Xuan burst into heartyughter. If not for Little Amulet exining the significance of the Canvas of Four Seasons to him, it might have slipped right through his fingers! ... Little Amulet. On the other hand, Sword Saint Xing stared speechlessly at his son, who had abruptly broken out in huge peals ofughter amid the tense silence between both sides. Did his son just lose his mind due to sheer joy? Chapter 1733 - The Use of the Icy Crystal

Chapter 1733: The Use of the Icy Crystal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As Zhang Xuan and Little Amulet hadmunicated through telepathy, Sword Saint Xing was unaware of their interaction. He thought that it was because he had said that the painting could be the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn that his son had suddenly gotten so excited. However, to only startughing after several minutes had passed... his reaction speed was a little slow! Xuan-er... Seeing how his sonsughter did not stop even after some time, Sword Saint Xing could not help but call him out of worry. Un! Zhang Xuan quickly recovered from hisughter and nodded. No matter what, well have to get that painting! He might still have been a distance away from Ancient Sage, but his parents were already at Sempiternal realm consummation. They were ready to take the final step forward at any moment. If they could acquire the painting and sessfully achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, there would be very little for him to worry about for the rest of the journey through the Temple of Confucius! Very well! Hearing the words of their son, the Xingmeng Sword Saints nodded. Weng weng weng! While they were chatting, the seal on the Canvas of Four Seasons was starting to waver under Zhao Yas ceaseless attacks. It seemed as if it would break open at any moment. Very soon... Upon seeing this sight, the eyes of the eight youths lit up in anticipation. Kacha! Kacha! While everyone was waiting expectantly for the seal to be undone so that they could take the painting away with them, the sound of something shattering apart suddenly broke the silence in the hall. Astonished by this abrupt noise, the crowd quickly turned their gazes over, and to their horror, the frozen river depicted in the painting had actually begun melting. This is bad. We need to hurry up! Once spring arrives in the painting, we wont be able to undo the seal with cold energy anymore! one of the eight youths eximed. He quickly rushed to Zhao Yas back and channeled his zhenqi into her body, providing her with the extra energy required to decipher the seal as quickly as possible. The others also realized the urgency of the matter, so they quickly rushed over and channeled their zhenqi into Zhao Yas body through a secret art. In an instant, the surge of cold energy exerted by Zhao Ya intensified, hastening the rate at which the seal was being undone. Spring arrives in the painting? Knowing that Little Amulet was knowledgeable about the issue, Zhang Xuan quickly asked, Does that mean to say that the seal is interrted with the current season depicted in the painting? As the Canvas of Four Seasons moves from one season to the next, the seal also has to alter ordingly in order to seal the energy in the painting and ensure that it doesnt leak out, Little Amulet exined. I reckon that those fellows from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers calcted that it would be winter in the Canvas of Four Seasons at the moment, so they kidnapped your student to decipher the seal. The seal takes on the cold attribute when it is winter in the painting, allowing those who possess the Pure Yin Constitution to easily manipte and decipher the seal. However, once spring settles in, the seal will change ordingly. If they dont have a corresponding power, itll be impossible for them to continue deciphering the seal anymore! Judging by how the ciers are melting and rivers are starting to flow once more, the Canvas of Four Seasons has already started progressing from winter to spring. Should I help them decipher the seal? Zhang Xuan asked. To be honest, he had no idea what kind of energy would correspond to the spring seal. If he did not lend a hand to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, there was a good chance that there would not even be a painting for them to fight over. If that was the case, he might as well help them for the time being and battle with them over the ownership of the painting afterward. In any case, he had the Five Monarchs, more than a dozen tamed beasts, and many Great Sage artifacts in his possession. No matter how powerful the eight youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were, he did not think that they would be a match for him. Do you think that its a sheer coincidence that you arrived at the Hall of Great Aplishment after breaking out of the snow dimension? Little Amulet harrumphed. This... Zhang Xuan was first taken aback for a while before his eyes lit up inprehension. The Canvas of Four Seasons is in its winter season at the moment, and the snow dimension is filled with frost as well. If theres a connection between the two of them, could it mean that... Having thought it through, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the icy crystal that had been ced on the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes altar materialized in his grasp. The icy crystal was no longer as cold as it had been previously. On the contrary, he felt warmth and nourished by the crystal, as if life was finally returning to the world after a long period of frost. Reminiscent to the painting before him, the energy in the icy crystal was gradually progressing toward spring. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had been addressing the third dimension that he had entered as the snow dimension all that time, but that was not an urate term. To be more precise, it should have been called the dimension of four seasons. The season in there was not limited to winter. It would cycle between spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It just so happened that it was winter when he entered the dimension, which was why all he could see was snow. The artifact that was controlling the weather in the dimension of four seasons was the crystal that he was holding onto. Had he not taken it away, the snow in that dimension would have started melting, thus ushering spring back to the world. That crystal in your hand is the crux to breaking open the seal! Little Amulet said. Un! Seeing that it was just as he had guessed, Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, with a slightly doubtful voice, he asked, I thought you didnt know anything at all? Why are you suddenly so knowledgeable about all of this? From the forest dimension all the way to the dimension of four seasons, Little Amulet had beenpletely useless. Yet, at that moment, it was speaking with absolute confidence. If it had known all this information from the very start, why did it not say so? Hmm... Little Amulet pondered for a moment before proudly replying, It might be because Kong shi has sealed my memories in a manner such that I only regain the relevant memories when I enter specific ces. Unless I enter the hall itself, I will bepletely ignorant to whatever is in it. For example, if you ask about what is in the other five Subordinate Halls, I wouldnt be able to tell you anything! Alright then... Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. He could see why Kong shi would impose such a restriction on the Prime Amulet. Otherwise, all of his heritage and treasures would have been swept away by a single person, and that was unlikely what Kong shi wanted. With this crystal, I should be able to decipher the Canvas of Four Seasons as and when I like. Since thats the case... Realizing that he was in an advantageous position instead because he had entered the dimension of four seasons, Zhang Xuan shot a nce at the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, who were desperately trying to release the seal within the limited time that they had, and a smile crept onto his lips. The eight youths were standing in a straight line behind Zhao Ya, connected to each other palms to backs. They had channeled all of their zhenqi into Zhao Yas body, supplying her with sufficient energy to exert a steady surge of cold energy toward the seal. Since you had the guts to kidnap Zhao Ya and put her in a trance so as to make her do your bidding, I dont think you can me me for what Im going to do next, Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath. Chuckling softly, he calcted his timing carefully before dashing forward swiftly, as though a bolt of lightning. His movements were extremely swift, and he had even ignited his Zhang n bloodline for this. As such, before anyone could even react, he was already right above Zhao Ya. Sever! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and sent a surge of sword qi to sever the contact between the palms and Zhao Yas back. Boom! As the contact was severed before the eight youths could retract their zhenqi from Zhao Yas body, the resulting effect was no different from the eight youths donating their energy to Zhao Ya. Under the guidance of Zhang Xuans zhenqi, the huge influx of energy within Zhao Yas body swiftly tore through all of the bottlenecks in her cultivation, causing her strength to surge furiously. Kacha! Kacha! In just two breaths, she had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation. Teacher... The rise in her cultivation seemed to have broken whatever mind control technique was ced on Zhao Ya. She swiftly regained her consciousness, and upon seeing Zhang Xuans figure above, her eyes lit up in agitation. Seal the remaining zhenqi in your body away from the time being. You can use it when you are pushing for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! Zhang Xuan instructed as he sent the method to sealing that huge bundle of energy to her. Even with the furious surge in Zhao Yas cultivation all the way to Sempiternal realm consummation, she still had a tremendous amount of energy lingering in her body. After all, in her body was the full zhenqi of eight Sempiternal realm consummation experts! Zhang Xuan was thinking of having Zhao Ya seal it away for the time being and use it in the future when she attempted for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Otherwise, it would be a pity to allow such precious energy to go to waste. Zhang Xuan, you are courting death! Not expecting their zhenqi to be suddenly stolen in such a manner, the eight youths exploded in rage. Chapter 1734 - Breaking the Seal

Chapter 1734: Breaking the Seal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Courting death? Look whos speaking here! Floating in the air, Zhang Xuan red down at the eight youths beneath him with utterly cold eyes. You kidnapped my students and limited their freedom. With no regards to her will, you forced her to expend her strength to help you decipher the seal on the painting... Is this the kind of propriety that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers abide by? Is this what you have inherited from Kong shi? Even the final shred of goodwill that Zhang Xuan harbored toward the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had vanished by that point. Not only did they go around forcing the Luo n and the Zhang n to ept their challenges to acquire the Celestial Amulets of Legacy, they even captured his students and coborated together with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It seemed like they had already lost sight of what they stood for at the very start. Were doing this for mankind! one of the youths amid the group shouted angrily. For mankind? What a coincidence! What Im going to do right now is for mankind as well. Get them! Zhang Xuan replied with a cold sneer. Knowing that it was meaningless to argue with the other party, he flicked his wrist. Hu! The Five Monarchs and countless weapons materialized around the area and charged for the eight youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. You... The eight youths did not think that Zhang Xuan would make a move on them without any hesitation. They were angered by his actions, but given the current situation, they had no choice but to focus their effort on fending off the iing enemies. Teacher... Seeing that her teacher was confronting the youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers directly, worry rippled in the depths of Zhao Yas eyes. Dont worry, Im not so weak as to be done in by them! Tell me how you were kidnapped by them and what happened afterward. Ill redress your grievances! Zhang Xuan said. This was what happened... Zhao Ya began to recount her story. Back to the time at the Empire Alliance City, she ordered the members of the cier in Court to return back to the City of cier while she remained in the Empire Alliance for a period of time to reinforce her cultivation. Wei Ruyan also stayed behind to protect her during her cultivation. Thinking that there would be few who were able to pose a threat to the two of them, Zhang Xuan did not think much about it and returned to the Zhang n. But just when the two of them were finally about to leave Empire Alliance City, they encountered a young man. The young man did not make a move on them right away. Instead, he informed them that he was from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and there was something important that he needed their help with. However, due to confidentiality issues, he could not tell them what it was yet. Naturally, the two of them could not possibly ept such a questionable request. Thus, they ended up battling one another, and they swiftly found themselves being outmatched and captured. By the time they realized that they were in a dire situation, it was already toote for them to send any help messages out. After that, they were confined in a solitary location. However, the other party did not mistreat them. Instead, they supplied them with sufficient cultivation resources to further their cultivation, and there were even experts who helped them on the difficulties that they were facing with their cultivation. On top of that, they imparted the method to deciphering the seal to them. As for the reason that Zhao Ya had been in a trance earlier, it was actually in order to protect her. The seal on the Canvas of Four Seasons was extremely powerful, and it would inflict tremendous pressure on ones mind while trying to decipher it. Through cing her in a trance, the chances of her losing concentration and sustaining irrecoverable damage would be significantly lowered. Despite their forceful measures, you went along with them and did whatever they asked you to. Why? Zhang Xuan frowned. He knew Zhao Yas personality very well. She was an obstinate individual who would never yield to force. When had she be so obedient as to obey the orders of someone who had kidnapped her? This waspletely unlike the Zhao Ya that he knew. They said that... At this point, Zhao Yas face reddened as she bit her lips. As long as I helped them to decipher the seal, they would offer you an opportunity to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... Offer me an opportunity to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Thats right. They said that you are the most talented master teacher on the Master Teacher Continent. The roots of both the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion trace back to Kong shi, and they be considered close allies. As long as we were willing to do them this favor, they would reciprocate as well, Zhao Ya replied awkwardly. So, you followed their instructions... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan felt both a little angry and touched at the same time. Sighing deeply, he shook his head and said, I appreciate your intentions, but when have I ever sumbed to a challenge before? It might be difficult to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, but I havent fallen so far that I need to sacrifice my own students in exchange for an opportunity for a breakthrough! Rest assured, if theres truly such an opportunity in the world, I will be able to obtain it with my own strength! Teacher, I was wrong... Zhao Yas voice grew a little meek. Alright! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Considering that you had good intentions, I wont pursue this matter any further! After which, he turned in the direction of the eight youths and ordered, Stop! Hu! The Five Monarchs and his many Great Sage artifacts swiftly returned to Zhang Xuans side, leaving eight incapacitated youths lying powerlessly on the ground. The pummeling that they had been put under hadpletely ruined their dashing appearance. This is just a small punishment for kidnapping my students. Anyone who dares to touch my students will have to bear the consequences of their actions. Since Zhao Ya hasnt sustained any injuries as a result of your doings, Ill spare your lives. However, I want you to answer my questions first before I set you free. Looking at the eight youths on the ground coldly, he asked, Firstly, what is the Hundred Schools of Philosophers intending to achieve by snooping around and kidnapping my students? Secondly, has the Hundred Schools of Philosophers already allied with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... or could it be that you have converted those Otherworldly Demons into your subordinates? Upon learning that those of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers did not intend to harm Zhao Ya, a thought surfaced in his mind. Could it be possible that the Otherworldly Demons whom he had seen alongside the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were actually their subordinates? He, for example, had managed to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage, and he had Vicious subdued in his Book of Heavens Path as well. However, that did not mean that he was working with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers might have something simr to that. We are only obeying the orders from our superiors. We arent too sure about the specific details of the matter, so pardon us for being unable to answer your question, one of the youths answered while hissing in pain. You are unable to answer my question? Zhang Xuan gazed down at the youth intently, as if peering right into his mind. Faced with Zhang Xuans eyes, the youth hesitated for a moment before replying affirmatively, ... Yes! Its fine if you are unwilling to speak. Ill find out soon enough. Now, scram! Zhang Xuan turned around and flung his sleeves coldly. He was indebted to Kong shi, and Ancient Sage Bo Shang and Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had indirectly helped him as well. Since these youths were their descendants, and it did not seem like they had forsaken mankind to ally themselves with the Otherworldly Demons, there was no need for him to im their lives. We arent leaving, one of the youths protested resolutely. Throw them out! Zhang Xuanmanded imposingly. The Five Monarchs and the many Great Sage artifacts charged forward once more, and it did not take long for the eight youths to be thrown right out of the Hall of Great Aplishment. Without Zhao Yas unique constitution escorting them in, they would not be able to enter the Subordinate Hall again. After dealing with the youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Zhang Xuan finally turned his gaze back to the Canvas of Four Seasons. The snow in the painting had mostly melted, and the seal had assumed another form. It waspletely different from the seal that Zhao Ya had spent so much effort deciphering earlier. Teacher, the seal has changed... The seal releasing technique that I have learned wont work on it anymore, Zhao Ya said anxiously with a pale face. She tried to channel her cold energy toward the seal, but she realized that she was unable to control the seal anymore. The attribute of the seal ced on the painting had already changed ordingly to match the season of the painting. Dont worry, I have my own ways! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he flicked his finger. Weng! The icy crystal that he had obtained earlier materialized before him, and he lightly pushed it forward. Hu! The icy crystal immediately surged toward the seal, and as soon as it came into contact with the seal, it began to revolve on the spot. It swiftly formed a vortex that devoured the seal on the painting in the blink of an eye. Seeing that the icy crystal was indeed effective against the seal, just as Little Amulet had said, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly beckoned the Xingmeng Sword Saints over. Lets head in to take a look! Following which, he took the lead and stepped into the unsealed painting. The others also quickly followed suit without any hesitation. Silence returned to the majestic hall. Chapter 1735 - The Requirements to Achieving a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Chapter 1735: The Requirements to Achieving a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Those who had reached the pinnacle of painting were capable of constructing worlds that anyone could enter and live in. More frighteningly, the world that they created could be so lifelike that one would not even realize that one was in a painting. It was said that tens of thousands of years ago, the Painter Guild had been blessed with a painter of unparalleled talent. He had created his masterpiece, consisting of a massive world and a ravishing beauty, when he was in his prime. Obsessed with his work, he had spent much time in his masterpiece along with the ravishing beauty, and as time passed, he had even fallen in love with the ravishing beauty. One day, he had entered the painting and never left it again. As a painting created by Kong shi himself, the Canvas of Four Seasons was a work far above the tier of any 9-star painter, be it in terms of conceptualization of the work or the grasp of space-time. The painting was almost no different from a massive folded space, where the end was nowhere in sight. Theres spiritual energy within this painting, and its extremely concentrated at that! Standing on top of a boulder, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, and he could not help but be astounded by the capabilities of Kong shi. There was no doubt that this painting had surpassed the level of 9-star painters, achieving the realm of Unadorned Reality. Everything that was within the painting felt perfectly natural, such that it was impossible to discern any difference between it and the world outside. With an attack of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Zhang Xuan was still able to open dimension rifts within the painting and traverse through it. More astoundingly, the dimension rifts would slowly repair themselves as well. Had he not known that it was a painting, he would have never been able to imagine that it was a simtion of reality. Zhang Xuan swiftly found a clearing before calling the shocked Xingmeng Sword Saints over. Give it a try and see if you are able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage here! As his cultivation was only at Aureate Body realm consummation, he was unable to sense the quality that was required for one to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. However, his parents were already at Sempiternal realm consummation, and they were just a step away from reaching that legendary level. Un! Knowing that there was bound to be a reason behind their sons words, the duo swiftly sat down and began cultivating quietly. Hong long long! As they began cultivating, the spiritual energy in the area swiftly converged on them and surged into their bodies. Slowly, their auras grew stronger and stronger. Some timeter, the two of them halted their cultivation and stood up. We are able to feel the bottleneck of our cultivation, and it feels like well be able to ovee the bottleneck with sufficient time... At this rate, it might really be possible for us to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! Sword Saint Meng said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. It was only a deduction from him and Little Amulet that one would be able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage in the Canvas of Four Seasons. However, if that was truly the case, the value of this painting was truly phenomenal! Since thats the case, why dont you two try to push for a breakthrough right now? Zhang Xuan suggested with a smile. Considering how he had kicked out the offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, it was likely that the Ancient Sage who had stopped him from entering the Pavilion of Frozen Winter earlier would be enraged. If his parents could achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage right now, they would at least be less defenseless against other Ancient Sages. Right now? Hearing those words, the Xingmeng Sword Saints exchanged nces before shaking their heads bitterly. You are thinking too lightly of Ancient Sages! Its true that a fragmented piece of the ancient world is sealed here, and the quality of the air in here allows one to take the final step forward and achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. However, Sword Saint Xing said, it will still take a lot of time and effort in order to do so. Its not something that can be achieved in the spur of the moment! Even among Kong shis three thousand students, only seventy-two of them sessfully reached Ancient Sage. This is not an undertaking that anyone can seed in! Its true that the aura lingering in this painting is crucial to achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... but if ones umtion is insufficient, the presence of the quality in the air wont make any difference! Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment before nodding. Youre right... His parents were right. Reaching Ancient Sage was a major breakthrough, and it was highly demanding on onesprehension of the world. If one could not even meet the prerequisites for a breakthrough, it was impossible to seed even if one was in a suitable environment. Even in the ancient era, not every cultivator was able to be an Ancient Sage. Those who were able to reach that realm were all top-notch geniuses. What exactly is the quality in the air that allows one to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan asked. I cant point out exactly what it is either, but I do know that people named it the Aeon of Ancient Sages. As long as ones umtion reaches a certain level, one will be able to tap into the Aeon of Ancient Sages to rise to greater heights! Sword Saint Xing exined. Aeon of Ancient Sages? Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. Does this thing exist naturally in our environment, or is it something that could be depleted? There arent any records as to where the Aeon of Ancient Sageses from and why it exists in our world, so I have no way of answering your question for sure, Sword Saint Xing exined slowly. However, based on my deduction, its likely to be a depletable resource just like rare ores. Once we run out of it, itll be nigh impossible to bring it back. Back when people realized that it was no longer possible to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, a huge panic broke out amid the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. There were many remarkable talents who had already umted enough to push for a breakthrough, but for some reason, they just werent able to take the final step forward. It was also around that period of time that they discovered the existence of the Aeon of Ancient Sages! As the ex-head of the Zhang n, he had heard of this story from his predecessor. The realization that no one was able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore had cast a cloak of despair over the Master Teacher Continent. Those who had cultivated all their life and reached Sempiternal realm consummation with much difficulty suddenly found their cultivation limited. No matter how hard they pushed themselves, they had simply been unable to advance any further. It was inevitable that they would be terrified. Furthermore, the Otherworldly Demons had also made use of the opportunity tounch attacks on the Master Teacher Continent. It had truly been a period of nightmares for mankind. Humans had nearly sumbed to despair then. It was fortunate that the Ancient Sages had then decided to devote their lives to protecting mankind by going into hibernation! Realizing that they were still able to fend against the Otherworldly Demons for the time being, the panic had gradually calmed down. Were it not for the sacrifices made by the Ancient Sages, mankind would have already ceased to exist! I understand that the Aeon of Ancient Sages is a crucial quality to making a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, but exactly what else is required other than that? Zhang Xuan asked. His parents had said that they were unable to achieve a breakthrough due to their umtion being insufficient, but what exactly did that mean? What did they have to umte that was insufficient? Or to put it in other words, what requirements did one have to meet in order to push for a breakthrough to the highest realm? Ever since ancient times, Ancient Sages have been the symbol of the highest fighting prowess in the world. There has been a lot of research done on it to study the requirements in order to achieve a breakthrough to that pinnacle realm. Firstly, the presence of the Aeon of Ancient Sages is necessary. Secondly, ones Soul Depth must reach 30.0. Thirdly, one must achieve a soul span of a million kilometers! Sword Saint Xing exined. Soul span of a million kilometers? Zhang Xuan frowned. What does that mean? He could understand the first two requirements that Sword Saint Xing had mentioned, but what did the third one mean? Its really simple. When you refine your soul energy into a soul thread and extend it outward, the longest distance that your soul thread is able to reach will be your soul span! Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Hid soul had been tempered by lightning and heavenly mes, making it extraordinarily powerful. He had also used his soul energy to perceive his surroundings before. However, he had never tried threading his soul energy and extending it as far as possible. Seeing the expression on Zhang Xuans face, Sword Saint Xing could tell that his son had never tried testing his soul span before, so he asked with a chuckle, Do you want to give it a try and see what your soul span is? Those who were unaware of the conditions required to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage would not bother testing their souls in such a manner. It was dangerous to spread ones soul too far outward. If the soul thread snapped, one could potentially incur severe damage. Alright, Ill give it a try! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He was also curious how far he could go. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan began refining his soul energy into a soul thread before pushing it outward. 100,000 kilometers! 200,000 kilometers! 300,000 kilometers! In the blink of an eye, he had already passed the 500,000 kilometers mark, but his soul thread showed no signs of slowing down. In fact... he realized that he had not even used a tenth of his soul energy yet! Chapter 1736 - Achieving a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Chapter 1736: Achieving a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! Zhang Xuan finally came to a halt. How is it? the Xingmeng Sword Saints asked curiously. They knew that their son was the head of the Jiang n and had a soul oracle student. Without a doubt, he was likely to be highly proficient in the field of soul arts. However, they were not too sure what realm he had reached, so it was inevitable for them to be interested in his results. This... Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. The world in here is simply too small. My soul thread has already reached the end of the world. While this was a world that Kong shi had created through extraordinary means, it was ultimately still a folded space. There was no way that it could be boundless like the Master Teacher Continent. All in all, the world was less than a million kilometers wide in diameter. It was notrge enough for him to push himself to his limits! However, if one thing was for sure, when it came to souls, he was alreadyparable to the Ancient Sages! Of course, he would only beparable to them in terms of quantity. When it came to quality, he was severelycking. At the very most, he would only be able to protect himself from the soul offense of the Ancient Sages. He was stillcking sufficient power to be able to quell experts of that level. Even though the world in the painting is small, the fact that you were able to reach the end of the world shows that you possess extraordinary soul span. As long as you raise your Soul Depth and cultivation up to the mark, you should be able to reach Ancient Sage! Sword Saint Xing remarked in astonishment. His sons talent was truly overpowered. While other cultivators struggled to keep up with their soul span even after their cultivation had reached Sempiternal realm consummation, he had already met the requirement despite only being at Aureate Body realm consummation. Perhaps, the bottleneck that had made Ancient Sage unreachable to most cultivators might be a mere mini hurdle for him, just like any other cultivation realms. Actually, its not too difficult to increase your soul span. I have a soul cultivation technique manual over here that you two can cultivate... Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a book. As one who hadprehended the Soul Quintessence and inherited the heritage of the soul oracles, he had long formed his own school of study regarding souls. The soul cultivation technique manual that he was offering to the Xingmeng Sword Saints was tailored to the constitution of those in the Zhang n. As it waspletely unrted to the heritage of the Jiang n, it could not be considered betraying the Jiang ns secrets. This cultivation technique is indeed highly effective in increasing ones soul span. As long as we cultivate it diligently, we should be able to reach a soul span of a million kilometers within a month! Sword Saint Xing remarked in agitation after swiftly browsing through the manual. Un. Im looking forward to the day that you two be Ancient Sages! Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle. Im d that you think highly of the two of us, but it really isnt as easy as that! Sword Saint Xing shook his head. Other than the three core requirements, there are many other factors that can affect the possibility of ones breakthrough to Ancient Sage, such as ones understanding of cultivation, ones ability to harmonize with the world, ones state of mind... In any case, a breakthrough to Ancient Sage is truly no easy feat. As powerful as your soul cultivation technique is, itll only increase our chances of sess by ten percent! Only ten percent? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Indeed. Stepping into the Ancient Sage realm symbolizes oveing ones fundamental limits to reach a higher level of existence. To make an analogy, its no different from a carp leaping across the Dragons Gate! Ones constitution changespletely, including ones meridians. Theres no way to make that leap that easily... Sword Saint Xing exined. However, before he could finish his piece, he suddenly felt the world around him quaking intensely. Surges of spiritual energy were swiftly gathering in a certain direction. Following which, an overwhelming burst of energy gushed into the heavens, splitting the world in half. This... Someone is achieving a breakthrough to Ancient sage? Sword Saint Xing widened his eyes in disbelief. He felt as if his head was going to explode. Not a moment earlier, he had said that it would be incredibly difficult to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! Who in the world was it? Sword Saint Xing quickly turned his sight to the center of the vortex, and he saw an eerie-looking saber floating quietly in the air, greedily devouring the spiritual energy and Aeon of Ancient Sages in the air. Its strength swiftly grew greater and greater. It was as if rivers of spiritual energy were filling up an ocean. The flow of energy was so quick that it caused the saber to shake nonstop. This is... your weapon? Sword Saint Xing gulped. The dazed Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He was taken aback by the situation as well. The one that was achieving a breakthrough at the moment was the Infernal cksaber. He did not ce it back into his storage ring after chasing the eight youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers away, so it had ended up following him into the Canvas of Four Seasons. In the first ce, the Infernal cksaber was a Half-Ancient Sage artifact, and it had devoured the fresh blood and souls of 110,000 Otherworldly Demon soldiers. It had already umted enough for a breakthrough, but it had just beencking the final catalyst to do so. The Aeon of Ancient Sages in the painting just so happened to be what itcked, thus allowing it to sessfully advance to Ancient Sage! Hula! A tremendous amount of spiritual energy swept across the area as if hurricanes, causing the ground to tremor intensely. As the Infernal cksaber continued to absorb spiritual energy furiously from the painting, the surrounding space began to dissipate. The spiritual energy in here isnt sufficient for it to make a breakthrough! If this goes on, I fear that the world in the painting will bepletely destroyed! Sword Saint Xing narrowed his eyes in horror. Usually, when a cultivator pushed for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, they would prepare ample cultivation resources so that they would not abruptly run out of energy in the midst of their breakthrough. However, the Infernal cksaber was just a weapon, so it was inevitable that it would neglect something like that. Zhang Xuan had not expected it to achieve a breakthrough at that moment, so he had not made preparations in advance. If they were on the Master Teacher Continent, there might still have been ample spiritual energy in the air to sustain its breakthrough. However, they were in a painting. Considering how its foundations were not too stable in the first ce, the surrounding space was already starting to copse due to the strain that it was under. At that rate, the entire painting might just be utterly destroyed. It had not been easy for him to find the Aeon of Ancient Sages required for one to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. It would be a huge waste if the painting was destroyed just like that! Infernal cksaber, absorb this! Knowing that there was no time to lose, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger. H! A droplet of blood harnessing a concentrated reservoir of energy surged toward the Infernal cksaber. It was the blood that Old Geezer Yu had shed after he was injured. The old ancestor of the Zhang n had collected the blood and given it to him. If there was anything that he had that could provide sufficient energy for the Infernal cksaber to achieve a breakthrough, it was that. Tzzzzzz! As soon as the Infernal cksaber came into contact with the blood, it swiftly absorbed it. However, it seemed like the spiritual energy harnessed within a single droplet was not enough for its breakthrough. Thus, Zhang Xuan flicked the other droplets of blood over one after another. Soon, he had already depleted all five droplets of Old Geezer Yus blood. It was only after absorbing the fifth droplet of blood that the Infernal cksaber finally calmed down. An aura of invincibility drifted off from its body, and it felt as if it could split the painting in two and escape with just a single sh. Hong long long! A dimension rift appeared in the sky of the painting, and ominous clouds swiftly gushed in. It was a cultivation ordeal, the Ancient Sage Ordeal! Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for one to summon a cultivation ordeal within a folded space. However, the Ancient Sage Ordeal was simply so powerful that the world within the painting was not able to stop it. Kacha! Lightning and heavenly mes descended from the sky and shrouded the Infernal cksaber. The Infernal cksaber swiftly channeled the remaining energy from Old Geezer Yus blood to alleviate the destructive might from the cultivation ordeal, allowing it to absorb the energy safely. Slowly, crimson marks surfaced on its de. Under the tempering of the lightning and heavenly mes, the Infernal cksaber became more and more sinister. Just a nce at it was more than enough to unnerve ones will. Hu! Some timeter, the ominous clouds finally began to dissipate, leaving the Infernal cksaber floating quietly in the air. With a light sh, the space in the painting was sliced apart as easily as a blob of tofu. I have finally reached Ancient Sage! Hahaha! The Infernal cksaber burst intoughter. Following which, it turned to Zhang Xuan and kneeled on the floor. Thank you, Master! Chapter 1737 - Assimilating the Ancient Sage Blood

Chapter 1737: Assimting the Ancient Sage Blood

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Rise! With a wave of his hand, the Infernal cksaber fell into Zhang Xuans hand. He immediately felt the destructive energy harnessed within it. Before, he would need to resort to all kinds of means in order to defeat a Sempiternal realm consummation expert. However, with the Infernal cksaber in his grasp, he would be able to easily y dozens of Sempiternal realm consummation experts with just a simple sh. Even though there was only a realm of difference between Ancient Sage and Sempiternal realm, the gap between the two realms was as great as the distance between the heavens and the earth. This difference was not something that could be breached with just quantity. Ill finally be able to protect myself from other Ancient Sages now... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. Even though the golden page did grant him the ability to kill other Ancient Sages, it had its limitations too. For example, if Old Geezer Yu had continued hiding quietly, he would have been unable to do anything about the other party even if he had the golden page in mind. However, the situation waspletely different now that the Infernal cksaber had reached Ancient Sage! If Old Geezer Yu made a move on him again, the Infernal cksaber would surely be able to trace the origin of his aura and injure him! That was also how the old ancestor of the Zhang n managed to drive Old Geezer Yu away. This was another invaluable trump card in his possession. If he used it together with the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse, he would be able to kill other Ancient Sages in a surprise assault! He was no longer as reliant on the golden page as he was before. Alright, you should reinforce your cultivation! Zhang Xuan instructed. The Infernal cksaber nodded, and it began flitting into the distance to find a quiet spot to cultivate. However, before it could get far, it ran into the Dragonbone Divine Spear, which was making its way over. It hurriedly bowed respectfully to thetter before going on its way. It was only after reaching Ancient Sage that the Infernal cksaber realized just how powerful the seal ced on the Dragonbone Divine Spear was. Once its seal was released, there was no doubt that it would not stand a chance at all against the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Xuan-er, your spear... Upon seeing this sight, Sword Saint Xing widened his eyes in astonishment. The hierarchy among artifacts was extremely straightforward; they would only bow to artifacts stronger to them. If the Infernal cksaber had paid its respects to the Dragonbone Divine Spear, did it not mean that thetter was even stronger than an Ancient Sage artifact? He knew that the Dragonbone Divine Spear was no ordinary power, but he was not too sure just how powerful it was. Its nothing much. Its just another minor fortuitous encounter, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. Its just another small fortuitous encounter? Sword Saint Xing staggered on the spot and nearly broke down. Do you have some kind of misunderstanding as to what minor fortuitous encounter means? If your Dragonbone Divine Spear, Infernal cksaber, and all those Great Sage artifacts you have are only minor fortuitous encounters, what in the world could be called a major fortuitous encounter? Wait here for a moment. Ill go tame this painting... Without exining himself, Zhang Xuan quickly made his way toward a certain direction. Not too longter, he arrived before a cave. With a simple grasp, a scroll appeared in his hand. It was the original painting of the Canvas of Four Seasons. He had found the painting while threading his soul energy together to extend it as far as he could. With a few taps, the painting swiftly acknowledged him as its master, and he stowed it into his storage ring. Hu! With a jolt, the Xingmeng Sword Saints suddenly found themselves returning to the hall. They instinctively turned their sights toward where the painting had been ced previously, only to find that it hadpletely disappeared from sight. A short momentter, Zhang Xuan also left the painting and materialized on the spot. Do you want to cultivate here or follow me? The greatest treasure in the Hall of Great Aplishment was the Canvas of Four Seasons. However, the sculptures of the seventy-two Sages, the rich spiritual energy, and the inscriptions on the walls were all invaluable resources for cultivation as well. They would be able to advance their cultivation tenfold faster in the hall than anywhere else. The Xingmeng Sword Saints nced at one another before shaking their heads in unison. We wont be following you anymore. Its peaceful here, and its a good opportunity for us to cultivate our souls and state of mind, as well as to assimte the Ancient Sage blood. Well try to achieve a breakthrough here! They had realized that they would only be a burden to their son if they followed him with their current strength. Since that was the case, it would be better for them to remain in the Hall of Great Aplishment and cultivate. If they could achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, they might still be able to continue supporting their son in his endeavors. Ill remain here, too! Hu Yaoyao said. She had only recently achieved a breakthrough to the Introspective Convalescence realm, and she would be even more of a burden if she insisted on following Zhang Xuan around. Zhao Ya stepped forward and said, Teacher, Ill follow you. I know where they took Wei Ruyan and Yuan Tao! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He pondered for a moment before flicking his finger, sending a droplet of Ancient Sage blood toward Zhao Ya. Absorb this droplet of blood first! Many dangersy ahead of them. Even though every droplet of Ancient Sage blood was an invaluable treasure, there was nothing more important to him than his students safety. Yes! Zhao Ya quickly sat down and absorbed the droplet of blood into her body. Power flurried through her body, but in less than ten minutes, she stood up once more with brilliant light shining from her eyes. Have you... managed to assimte the Ancient Sage blood? Zhang Xuan asked in astonishment. The reason for him being able to assimte the blood swiftly was because the blood from the old ancestor had originated from him. However, why was Zhao Ya able to do it so quickly as well? Yes, Teacher! Zhao Ya nodded. After you reconstructed my meridians, I realized that I am able to convert any energy into my zhenqi swiftly. Even though the droplet of blood harnesses a lot of energy, it still doesnt pose too much of a problem for me to assimte it! Meridians? Zhang Xuan frowned. He tapped his finger and sent a surge of zhenqi into Zhao Yas body to check on her condition. It seemed like after the alteration in Zhao Yas meridians, her ability to assimte energy into her body had be far stronger than other cultivators. In that respect, even Zhang Xuan would pale inparison to her. Then again, considering how her meridianwork was even more rational than that of an Ancient Sage, it was no wonder that she had been able to assimte Ancient Sage blood so swiftly! Lets go! The fact that Zhao Ya had assimted the Ancient Sage blood meant that she, at the very least, had a life preservation method if anything bad happened. Bidding farewell to his parents, Zhang Xuan began making his way out of the Hall of Great Aplishment together with Zhao Ya. Looking at the departing duo, a bitter smile crept onto Sword Saint Xings face as he remarked, He might be my son, but I have to say that he and his students are really overpowered... Just to assimte a droplet of Ancient Sage blood, they had to store it in their dantian and absorb it bit by bit over a month or so. On the other hand, those two were actually able to assimte it into their bodies within moments. This was truly an inconceivable feat. We need to work much harder as well. Otherwise, if our son and his students surpass us, we wont be able to maintain our dignity as elders before them! Sword Saint Meng said. Indeed, indeed! Sword Saint Xing nodded. The two of them sat down on the floor and began cultivating. ... Old ancestor, you have to redress our grievances! Outside the Hall of Great Aplishment, the eight youths who had been driven out were crying with snot and tears dripping down their faces. They had dedicated much time and effort to preparing for the expedition before they were finally able to get into the Hall of Great Aplishment. They had never expected that they would be viciously pummeled before being thrown out of the Subordinate Hall before they could acquire anything at all. You can only me yourselves for yourck of strength! the hidden Ancient Sage remarked with a hint of resignation in his tone. Its not that we are weak, but that fellow has tamed so many beasts and powerful artifacts! If not for those, theres no way that he would have been a match for us! One of the youths gritted his teeth hatefully. What was great about that fellow? All he had were his tamed beasts and artifacts. Without those two, there was no way that he would have stood a chance against them! Thats right! Old ancestor, we beseech you to create a chance for us to have a fair duel with him! If hes able to defeat us without those external aids, well willingly admit our defeat! The other youths quickly nodded in agreement. This... The old ancestor for silent for a moment before speaking up once more. Brother Hongtian, my descendants would like to have a fair duel with your descendant. Will you grant me this favor? Feel free to discuss any arrangements with my descendant. Rest assured, as long as you dont resort to anything unprincipled, I dont intend to intervene in his matters! the old ancestor of the Zhang n said. While Zhang Xuan and the others had entered the Hall of Great Aplishment, he had remained hidden in the vicinity. Thats a relief... the old ancestor of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers replied. Chapter 1738 - Assaulting an Ancient Sage

Chapter 1738: Assaulting an Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! The seal of the Hall of Great Aplishment glowed, and Zhang Xuan and Zhao Ya flew out. Where do you think youre going? The eight youths with a couple of others from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers swiftly surrounded the two of them as soon as they appeared. What? Do you still want a pummeling? Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. He had already spared their lives, but they did not know gratitude. Did they really think that he was a pushover? We want a fair duel with you, one-on-one. You arent allowed to your weapons or tamed beasts. Do you dare take up our challenge? one of the youths spat coldly. Fair duel? What are the stakes then? Zhang Xuan shot a nonchnt nce at the youth. Without any stakes involved, he could not be bothered to waste his time fighting a meaningless battle with this crowd. Before the youth could reply, the voice of the Ancient Sage sounded in the air. Earlier, Brother Hongtian gave you five droplets of Ancient Sage blood. If you are able to win the duel with them, Ill also offer you five droplets of Ancient Sage blood as the wager! This is the stake that we are willing to offer. What do you have to offer us then? What do I have to offer? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, I can spare their lives! ... The Ancient Sage suddenly felt an ufortable throbbing in his heart. In the first ce, its uncertain who will win in the duel. Furthermore, I have offered you five droplets of Ancient Sage blood, but is this really all you have to offer me? Are you that certain that youll be able to win? If you lose to us, you have to hand over the Canvas of Four Seasons! Indeed! You have to bring out the Canvas of Four Seasons as your wager! ... The other youths shouted vehemently. However, before they could finish their piece, they found Zhang Xuan looking at them with a gaze that seemed as though he was looking at fools. Are you dreaming? Do you think those few droplets of blood from your old ancestor are worth me bringing out the Canvas of Four Seasons as a wager? T-then... Your wager wont work either! If you lose the duel, we will have nothing to gain from the battle! The crowd from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers protested furiously. The Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers felt even more stifled than before. That isnt any of my business, is it? Its not as if Im really interested in having this duel with you. If you dont want to battle me, we can always call the duel off, Zhang Xuan uttered as he stretched his backzily. He had not intended to duel with those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in the first ce, so it was not as if it would hurt him dearly not to have the duel. How about this? Well bet five droplets of blood for an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough in your Canvas of Four Seasons, the Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers suggested. Hmm... That wager does sound fair to me, but Im only at Aureate Body realm consummation whereas your descendants are all Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators. There are two realms of difference between us, so isnt it extremely disadvantageous for me to be unable to use my artifacts and tamed beasts? Zhang Xuan said. Ill have them lower their cultivation to your level! the Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers replied. It was indeed unfair for them to impose so many restrictions on the other party and yet send cultivators of higher realms against him. That would be great. Lets begin then! Zhang Xuan nodded before taking a step forward. With a light chuckle, he remarked, So that we dont waste each others time, you maye at me together. However, if youe at me all at once, I might not be able to hold myself back. Ill have to ask for your pardon if a couple of you lose your lives in the process! You want to kill us? Try it then! one of the youths sneered coldly. He suppressed his cultivation down to Aureate Body realm consummation before charging toward Zhang Xuan, making the first move. Using some mysterious secret art, the movement of the youth became extremely swift. In the blink of an eye, the youth had already arrived before Zhang Xuan, and his palm struck diagonally down toward Zhang Xuans head. In that instant, the youth thought that he had already gotten Zhang Xuan for good, but before his palm could connect, he suddenly felt a sharp sensation in his chest as air gushed out of his lungs. Turning his eyes downward, he found that the other partys palm had already sunk right into his chest. Peng! The youth flew into the distance before he crashed wretchedly on the floor, coughing out huge mouthfuls of blood. To his astonishment, he could not even discern how Zhang Xuan had made a move on him at all! It was as if the other partys palm had simply teleported right in front of him! Come at me together. Theres no way any of you stand a chance against me in a one-on-one! Zhang Xuan shot a nce at the remaining youths. Lets get him together! The crowd had seen the earlier exchange, and they realized that the other partys fighting prowess was far greater than theirs in the same cultivation realm. There was no way that they could possibly hope to defeat him alone. Without hesitating for long, they nodded at one another before charging at the other party simultaneously. Peng peng peng peng! Before the crowd could even reach Zhang Xuan, the person in question had already charged right into them. As if a tiger around a pack ofmbs, there was not a single person who was able to withstand a blow from him. They were the top geniuses from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and they had prided themselves on their superior fighting prowess against their peers. Yet, before the young man before them, the strength that they were so confident of was soughably pathetic that it seemed as if they were little kids parading before an adult. How could he be so powerful? Witnessing this scene, the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers could swiftly tell that his descendants had lost the battle! Even though the other party was only at Aureate Body realm consummation, his true fighting prowess was already on par with Sempiternal realm cultivators! Of the entire Hundred Schools of Philosophers, the only one known to possess such superior capability was Kong Shiyao! Watching the battle a little longer, it was painfully apparent that even in a group battle, they were not close to being a match for Zhang Xuan. As much as he did not want to admit it, the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers still sighed deeply and advised, You arent a match for him... Admit defeat! However, barely after he spoke those words, an unexpected situation urred. Under the relentless assault from the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Zhang Xuan identally made a fatal mistake, leaving him open for a brief moment. One of the youths keenly noticed this opportunity and pierced his finger toward Zhang Xuans blind spot. In the face of this unexpected crisis, perhaps it was because Zhang Xuan thought that it was toote for him to avoid the attack, he lifted his palm to strike the youths head instead. This was a move of mutually assured destruction! The youth might be able to pierce his finger through Zhang Xuans heart, but he would also have his head smashed to bits by thetter and die on the spot! More importantly, judging from the frightening momentum of the duos movements, it was already toote for them to retract their attacks. Halt! the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers roared anxiously. A powerful surge of energy swiftly shrouded the entire area, sealing the surroundings space. It seemed like the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had decided to make a move in order to prevent a tragedy from happening. However, a moment after he released his energy, the young man below, who was moments away from having his heart pierced, suddenly moved in an awkward trajectory and mysteriously avoided the deadly move. Following which, a saber materialized in his palm. Hu! To the astonishment of the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, the target of the saber was not his descendants but him! That is... an Ancient Sage weapon! The Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers narrowed his eyes in shock. He did not think that the young man would intentionally reveal a w just to lure him into making a move and confirm his location. He immediately attempted to flee, but it was already toote. The saber had wrapped its aura around him, keeping him firmly in ce. Puhe! A sharp glint shed across the air, and fresh blood spurted in the air. Haha! You have my deepest gratitude for your generosity! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he swiftly caught all of the blood with a gourd that he had prepared. All in all, there were over twenty droplets of blood. Those five droplets of Ancient Sage blood were no longer enough for him to make a move. From the very start, this was what he was aiming for! The Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had been polite to him on the surface, but he had overlooked the despicable actionsmitted by his descendants, turning a blind eye as they kidnapped his students and made use of them for their own gain. Not only so, he had even used his powers to suppress him so as to stop him from getting to Zhao Ya. There was no way that he would miss an opportunity to get even with the other party! You... Having lost too much blood, the face of the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers paled from frailty. Infuriated by the sudden assault, he was just about to make a move when he suddenly felt an imposing aura raging by the side. It was the old ancestor of the Zhang n, Zhang Hongtian, warning him against making a move on his descendant. Knowing that he could not afford to fight with Zhang Hongtian at the moment, he suppressed his raging fury and held himself back. To think that an Ancient Sage like him had actually been fooled by an Aureate Body realm brat, even suffering injuries in the process! Such a thing waspletely unthinkable! The young head of the Zhang n sure is a remarkable figure! I am impressed. Our Hundred Schools of Philosophers admit our loss. Farewell! Hu! With a powerful gale, the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers swiftly pulled his descendants back to his side before turning around, preparing to leave the area. Wait a moment. Where are the five droplets of Ancient Sage blood that you promised me for losing the challenge? Are you intending to renege on your promise? Zhang Xuan shouted after the Ancient Sage. The Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers staggered upon hearing those words. He nearly spurted out a mouthful of fresh blood. Suppressing the stifled feeling in his chest, he flicked a jade bottle over before leaving decisively. He was afraid that he would be choked to death if he continued conversing with the young man! Chapter 1739 - Poison Dimension

Chapter 1739: Poison Dimension

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats more like it! Catching the jade bottle, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Those who wanted to force him into a duel had to pay a corresponding price for their actions. Not even Ancient Sages would be an exception to that rule! Your sabers made a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, has it? the old ancestor of the Zhang n asked in shock. He could hardly believe what he had just seen. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively. Great. Thats great! There was a brief moment of silence before the old ancestor of the Zhang n burst into heartyughter. Over the years, he had been singlehandedly propping the Zhang n up, and it was extremely tiring for him. He knew that if he passed away, the Zhang n would swiftly fall into decline, and that was not something that he was willing to see. However, the breakthrough of that saber meant that the Zhang n had another Ancient Sage to rely on. Furthermore, the lifespan of an artifact was far longer than a humans. There was no doubt that its existence would ensure the safety of the Zhang n for a very long time. I still have some students who are in the hands of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so Ill be taking my leave! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. With the departure of the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was nothing else that could pose a threat to them there. Go on! The old ancestor of the Zhang n waved his hand. If not for the interference of the old ancestor from the Zhang n, his earlier assault would not have seeded. In the worst-case scenario, he might have even died to the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage earlier. Thus, he bowed deeply to the old ancestor of the Zhang n before prompting Zhao Ya to lead the way ahead. The two of them flew an extremely long distance, and it was not until the Hall of Great Aplishment was nothing but a blur in the scenery that Zhao Ya finally came to a halt. I entered this space with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers from here! Zhao Ya said. Taking a look, Zhang Xuan realized that this was the ce where he and Hu Yaoyao had entered from. It seemed like it was the same for the others as well. Break! Zhang Xuan had only managed to arrive in the exteriors of the Hall of Great Aplishment through the offerings of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, which had opened a spatial passageway there. However, with the Infernal cksaber upgraded to Ancient Sage tier, he did not have to depend on such borate techniques anymore. Hu! With a sh of the Infernal cksaber, a ck rift appeared in midair. Zhang Xuan pulled Zhao Ya and leaped right into the ck rift. The next moment, the two of them returned to the dimension of four seasons. However, what that stood before him was no longer a field of snow. Flowers had bloomed amid verdant greenery, recing the monotonous whiteness from before. If not for the fact that the Introspective Convalescence realm elder was still in the area, he would have wondered if he had entered another world. Having been in this dimension before, it did not take him too long to find the exit to the world. The duo swiftly dived through the spatial seal to enter the next dimension. Hu! Before they knew it, they found themselves standing in the midst of a mountain forest filled with miasma. Zhao Ya took a look at the surrounding environment. Wei Ruyan is likely to be in the Subordinate Hall corresponding to this dimension! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He flicked his wrist, and a pill appeared on his palm. Swallow this! Alright! Zhao Ya popped the pill into her mouth before asking doubtfully, Teacher, is this an antidote? The air and water here are poisonous. Monitor your condition and be careful! Zhang Xuan exined. Due to his Innate Fetal Poison, he had devoted a fair portion of his time to studying poison. With a nce, he could tell that the mountain forest was not as simple as it seemed. Despite the silence drifting in the area, there were no formidable beasts that posed a threat; the truth was that the entire area was suffused with lethal poison that would callously suffocate the unwary. Following closely behind her teacher, Zhao Ya asked, Teacher, what do we do now? Lets find the exit of this dimension for the time being. If my guess is correct, the location of the Subordinate Hall should be directly above the exit! Zhang Xuan said. Having gone through a couple of dimensions, he was already fairly well-versed in the rules. He randomly picked a direction with his Dragonbone Divine Spear, confounding Zhao Ya in the process, before trudging off in the chosen direction. There were venomous scorpions and snakes all over the jungle, but as one who possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan did not fear them. They carried on ahead without facing much danger. After traveling for roughly an hour, they encountered a group of master teachers whose faces had turned frighteningly pale. It was apparent that they had been poisoned. Zhang Xuan gave them a couple of pills infused with Heavens Path zhenqi to cure them of their poison. Following which, he asked them a few questions to determine the approximate location of the exit before rushing over. ... This should be it! Roughly two hourster, the duo finally halted right before a medium-sized pond. This seems to be nothing more than an ordinary pond. Teacher, why do you think that this is the exit? Zhao Ya asked doubtfully. She had also heard the answers provided by the group of master teachers, but even they had been oblivious to the true location of the exit. How could her teacher be so certain about the matter? Thats simple! Without bothering to exin himself, Zhang Xuan swiped his hand through the air and grabbed an ant in between his fingertips. This ant was crimson in color, and it was roughly the size of a bean. With just a nce, it was clear that it was an extremely venomous creature. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan ced the ant on the back of his hand. Puhe! Without any hesitation, the ant bit through Zhang Xuans skin, injecting venom right into his bloodstream. At the same time, Zhang Xuan did not use his Heavens Path zhenqi to neutralize the poison, allowing it to spread freely through his body instead. In the blink of an eye, the back of his hand had already started turning ck, and blisters were starting to form here and there. Teacher... Not understanding the intentions behind her teachers actions, Zhao Ya panicked. She could tell that the venom that had just been injected into her teachers body was deadly. If it made its way toward her teachers heart through the bloodstream, that could result in instantaneous death! Calm down, theres no need to worry! Zhang Xuan said calmly. With a casual wave of his hand, the water in the pond sshed into the air and scattered over his wound. Tzzzzzzzz! It was as if the lethal poison on the back of his hand had encountered its nemesis. White smoke rose into the air, and the ckness and blisters from before swiftly retreated. Before long, his hand had reverted to its original state, as if it had never been poisoned before. This... Zhao Ya was taken aback. Is the water in this pond actually an antidote? Thats right! Zhang Xuan nodded. As treacherous as these dimensions seem, Kong shi left them behind in order to test the future generations to see if they are qualified to inherit his treasures. His aim was never to cause meaningless deaths! As such, there was bound to be an antidote of some kind near the exit. Otherwise, it would be meaningless for him to leave his heritage behind, only to have no one alive to inherit it! Zhao Ya nodded in realization. I asked the previous group of master teachers that we encountered earlier where the most dangerous location, the ce that has the greatest number of venomous creatures, is in this dimension. They pointed me toward here. The cultivation technique that Kong shi practices emphasizes the harmony of nature; where there is yin, yang is bound to exist as well. Wherever the density of venomous creatures is the greatest, its likely to be where the antidote lies. Thats why I was certain that this is where the exit lies! Zhang Xuan said confidently. He knew that it was impossible for the group of master teachers that he had encountered previously to know where the exit was. If they knew, they would have escaped from the poison dimension instead of wandering helplessly around the area. While they did not know where the exit was, in the long period of time that they had spent there, they should have gotten a rough idea of where the more treacherous terrain was. After they made their way there, the first thing that Zhang Xuan realized was that there were no venomous creatures around the perimeter of the pond. That was more than enough to back up his deduction. Realizing that they were right before the exit, Zhao Ya asked, Teacher, should we tear a dimension rift right now to save Ruyan? Based on what her teacher had said, the Subordinate Hall where Wei Ruyan had been taken to was likely right above the pond. We are going to save her, but before that, theres one more thing that we have to do. Wait here for me while I go into the pond to take a look. The fact that the antidote that neutralizes the poison from the venomous creatures in this dimension can be found within the pond means that the crux to the dimension is likely to be in there as well. Well have to grab that first! Zhang Xuan said. The crux of the forest dimension was the Five Monarchs. In the desert dimension, it was the Berserk Yellowsand Wood. In the dimension of four seasons, it was the crystal. There was little doubt that something simr could be found in the poison dimension as well. Like the crystal, it was likely to be an artifact that would y a crucial role in whatever they encountered within the Subordinate Hall. In any case, it was always better to be prepared. After saying those words, Zhang Xuan leaped right into the clear pond without any hesitation. Chapter 1740 - Fishing

Chapter 1740: Fishing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With a depth of around ten meters, the pond was not too deep. Beyond that was where the spatial seal that led to the next dimensiony. Instead of entering the spatial seal, Zhang Xuan chose to swim around its vicinity to take a closer look. But even after swimming all the way around once, he was unable to find anything at all. Putting aside any lifeforms, he could not even find any rocks, ores, or anything that could remotely resemble an artifact. It was all clear water. Did I guess incorrectly? Does the crux of the dimension not lie here, or could it be that... someone has beaten me to it? Zhang Xuan frowned. No, thats not right. If someone had imed the crux of the formation, the poison lingering in the air would have receded by now... In the desert dimension, the desert had vanished after he took the Berserk Yellowsand Wood. In the forest dimension, as he had left together with the Five Monarchs, it was not clear what had happened after they departed. Nevertheless, no longer restricted by the authority of the Five Monarchs, it was unlikely for the beasts in the dimension to remain so orderly. The same applied to the poison dimension as well. Considering how poison was still lingering in the air and the pond still possessed the properties of an antidote, it was likely that the crux of the dimension had not been found. Eye of Insight! Zhang Xuan scrutinized every nook and cranny within the pond, and soon, he noticed that something was amiss. The substance that would neutralize the surrounding poison seemed to be growing scarcer and scarcer. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before flying out of the pond. He waited for a few seconds before checking on the pond once more, only to find that the substance had fully regenerated within. Teacher, have you found it yet? Zhao Ya asked. Not yet. However, I have a good guess as to what the crux of the formation is. Bring me a bamboo pole! Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile. Zhao Ya left the area. Shortly after, she returned with a bamboo pole in hand. Taking the bamboo pole, Zhang Xuan shook it lightly, jolting the leaves off. Driving his zhenqi through the bamboo pole, he manifested his zhenqi as a thin thread at the other end of the bamboo pole before concentrating his zhenqi at the very tip of the thread, as if preparing a delicious bait for the prey to be reeled in. This is... a fishing rod? Teacher, are you intending to fish at this pond? Zhao Ya was taken aback. Fish with a rod and not with a; hunt not those back in their nests 1 . If Im not mistaken, the crux of this dimension can only be fished out. Other methods wil only drive it further away! Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. In the past, he had read a book about Kong shi, and one of them depicted Fish with a rod and not with a; hunt not those back in their nests. What it meant was that Kong shi fished with a fishing rod and not through fishings, and even though he did use the bow and arrow to hunt animals, he would never attempt to shoot down those that were resting. This was an analogy to disy Kong shis benevolence, but it seemed like it had a deeper meaning. Using forceful means would not get him what he wanted within the pond. The only way was to literally fish! Zhang Xuan ced a venomous worm inside the pond before sitting quietly by the side. Fishing could temper ones state of mind and rid one of restlessness and anxiety, allowing one to be more aligned with nature. Even ordinary mortals could fuse into their surroundings while fishing, creating a scene as still as a painting, let alone cultivators at his level of cultivation. As the fishing line that he had made out of zhenqi swayed along with the ripples on the pond, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt that the poison dimension was not as frightening as it seemed. It was another creation of nature, and it was both real and authentic. In ancient times, when the world was rich with spiritual energy, no humans would dare to step into the primordial forests. Miasma lingered in those ces, and venomous creatures prowled the area, ready to sink their toxins into any unwary souls. It was rather simr to the poison dimension that he was in. This dimension was not an artificial creation. It was one of the primordial forests that had withstood the test of time. In there, one could experience the true nature of nature. Driving the cultivation technique that he had practiced while achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage, Zhang Xuan seemed to have be a part of the natural world as well, fusing in with the boulders, trees, and dirt around. Under the extreme calmness, his Soul Depth began to rise... 29.91! 29.92! ... Hu! While Zhang Xuan was in a trance, the water before him suddenly rippled. Following which, an anxious voice filled the air. Teacher, a fish has taken the bait! Lowering his head, Zhang Xuan saw a bright red koi hanging on his zhenqi thread, struggling desperately. Water sshed all around the area. What a pity! It was great that he had caught the fish, but it had also jolted him out of his trance. Had it not, his Soul Depth might have reached 30.0, thus hitting the prerequisite for him to be an Ancient Sage! Hu! Zhang Xuan lowered his wrist lightly before swinging it backward powerfully. The bright red koi fish was flung right out of the pond. Hu! Thrown out of the water, the koi fish struggled on the ground a while as its mouth opened and closed desperately, as if it could not catch its breath. A momentter, it flipped over with its eyes bulging from their sockets, seemingly having breathed itsst breath. Teacher, is the fish... dead? Zhao Ya asked in uncertainty. Isnt this the crux of the dimension? Why did it die as soon as it was fished up? Was it not meant to be fished up? Alright, thats enough! Zhang Xuan kicked the body of the koi fish lightly, and it bounced up a few times in response to the stimulus before falling still once more, as if it was truly dead this time around. Rendered speechless, he flicked his finger and gathered a bundle of ck mes infused with the lightning and threatened, Havent you had your fun yet, or do you want to be roasted? Cough cough! The koi fish on the ground flipped upward and stood up on its tail. My apologies, its just a habit of mine. I havent been on the shore for so long that I had some trouble breathing when I came up, and I thought that I would suffocate to death... Zhao Yas cheeks twitched upon hearing those words. A fish actually stood up and began speaking. Furthermore... the fish seemed to have quite an entric personality. Dont estimate this fellow. Its a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator. Put asideing onto shore, he wouldnt die even if he was thrown into a pot of boiling oil! Zhang Xuan exined. Zhao Yas initial shock slowly turned into intrigue as she asked, If it possesses such strength, how did it end up being fished up? A Sempiternal realm consummation fish was likely to be a being of great intelligence. Yet, it had been fished up by an ordinary bamboo pole... This was unbelievable! I cant help itit was out of habit! In the past, Kong shi would oftene to fish me. He would hook me up each and every time before releasing me shortly after. Each time, I would be caught dozens of times, so I eventually got used to it! the koi fish exined. Zhao Yas cheeks continued to twitch. Despite its strength, it still allowed itself to be hooked up each and every single day... Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like it enjoyed the process. Was it really that bored? More importantly, to fish the same fish every single day... Kong shi must have been bored to death! Dont listen to his nonsense. If Im not wrong, Kong shi also used his zhenqi as his fishing line and bait. What that fellow is interested in is not just the bait but the fishing line as well, am I right? Zhang Xuan shook his head with a light chuckle before turning his gaze to the koi fish. This... Its all fleeting clouds! the koi fish said in embarrassment. I see! Zhao Ya widened her eyes in realization. It was no wonder an ordinary fish was able to cultivate to Sempiternal realm consummation. It turned out that it had been consuming Kong shis zhenqi all along. Naturally, there was no way that it would pass on such a delightful task to any other fish. I thought that Id hidden myself quite well earlier. How did you find me? asked the koi fish doubtfully as it turned to Zhang Xuan. The way that it had hidden itself was extremely discreet, such that it would have been nigh impossible for even those who possessed the Eye of Insight to see through its disguise. There were a few other groups who had arrived prior to them, but they had failed to notice its presence. Yet, the young man had actually known that he needed to use a fishing rod to hook it up, and that had left it feeling itchy all over. As a result, it could not help but bite the bait and allow itself to be hooked up. The antidote that you have left inside the water is simr to my zhenqi. Its not something that anyone could create, Zhang Xuan exined. If Im not mistaken, it probably originated from Kong shi, right? Chapter 1741 - Meeting Luo Qiqi Once More

Chapter 1741: Meeting Luo Qiqi Once More

Trantor:# StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The reason that he had allowed a venomous creature to inject its toxins into his body was to prove his deduction to Zhao Ya, as well as to feel how the antidote within the pond neutralized the toxins of the venomous creatures. He had swiftly realized that the antidote worked in a simr manner to his Heavens Path zhenqi. Other than Kong shi, he could not think of anyone else who possessed such an ability. That was also why he had thought of making a fishing rod with his own zhenqi. To be honest, he had not really been sure whether it would work out or not! Its indeed Kong shis unique zhenqi, but... why do you possess the same ability as him? the koi fish asked questioningly. Its because Im a Celestial Master Teacher as well! Zhang Xuan answered with a chuckle. You are a Celestial Master Teacher? That exins a lot... The koi fish widened its eyes in realization. Alright, I have made up my mind! Im going to be with you from now on! Back then, Kong shi instructed me to stay here, saying that I should only leave when the next Celestial Master Teacheres by. That way, Ill be able to be fished every day! Fished every day? Zhang Xuan recoiled in disgust. That koi fish sure was a masochist, wanting to be caught every day. You should enter my folded space for the time being. Ill call you when I need you! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Roger that! the koi fish replied excitedly. The next moment, it entered Zhang Xuans Myriad Anthive Nest and found a massive brick lying before it. Woah! This brick is forged so exquisitely... the koi fishplimented. It had seen quite a few bricks in its lifetime, but it had never seen one with so many good materials wasted on it. You are the one that is a brick. Your whole family are bricks! I am the Golden Origin Cauldron, a true cauldron through and through! the Golden Origin Cauldron roared in fury. You are a cauldron? the koi fish scoffed in disdain. So, you should be able to light up a fire, right? Why dont youe grill me then? People have told me that I taste wonderful grilled! Dont you want to try a slice of me? Quick, I cant hold myself back anymore... ... the Golden Origin Cauldron. Theres no need to go through that much trouble. Raw slices are good enough! the Infernal cksaber harrumphed coldly as a cold glint shed off its de. Ah. Im sorry... Horrified by the appearance of an Ancient Sage artifact, the koi fish immediately lowered its head subserviently, not daring to run its mouth anymore. ... Unaware of the little drama that had just happened within the Myriad Anthive nest, Zhang Xuan brought Zhao Ya to the area above the pond. Just like before, he was unable to advance any further upon reaching an altitude of thirty meters. Thus, he whipped out the Infernal cksaber and sliced the air above him. Hu! Space was torn apart, and a dimension rift emerged in its ce. The duo continued heading upward, and it did not take long for them to arrive on t ground. Simr to before, a massive pce could be seen right in front of them in the distance. This should be the Subordinate Hall, Zhang Xuan said. Lets head over! So, the two of them swiftly made their way forward. This is... the Hall of Lull 1 ? Is this where Kong shi used to stay in? On the que hung right above the entrance of the Subordinate Hall, the three words Hall of Lull were written. It was likely where Kong shi had stayed back in his time. Teacher, the gates to the Subordinate Hall have already been opened. Lets hurry in! Zhao Ya urged. Given that the Hall of Lull had already opened, it was likely that someone had already entered its premises. They would have to hurry, or else they could potentially miss Wei Ruyan. Lets go! Zhang Xuan took out Little Amulet, who swiftly enveloped the duo with its light. After that, the two of them passed through the gigantic gates and entered the Hall of Lull. Just like before, there was an invisible barrier shrouding the Subordinate Hall. Those who did not have the corresponding Celestial Amulet of Legacy or unique constitution would not be able to pass through the invisible barrier. However, through the authorization of the Prime Amulet, Zhang Xuan could enter any Subordinate Hall without any trouble. One thing that Zhang Xuan could not help noting was that the Infernal cksaber was actually able to pass through the barrier around the Hall of Lull despite being an Ancient Sage artifact. Based on what he knew, Ancient Sages were not permitted to enter the Subordinate Halls and Prime Hall. He had actually been ready to leave the Infernal cksaber outside if it bounced right off the seal. Thinking about it, it might be because the restriction was not imposed upon those who had achieved a breakthrough in the Temple of Confucius or that it was not imposed on artifacts at all. In any case, this was good news for him as it meant additional security. The interior of the Hall of Lull was vastly different from the Hall of Great Aplishment. If thetter was a manifestation of extravagance, the former was a symbol of frugality. It was not to say that the Hall of Lull was small and shabby; on the contrary, it was extremely vast. Yet, it was oddly empty. All that could be seen was a simple bedstead positioned in the innermost location of the room. There were no inscriptions or paintings on its nk, white walls, nor were there any sculptures or ornaments to inject some vibrance into the room. The entire Hall of Lull was simply dyed the clean color of white and nothing else. Is this where Kong shi once stayed? Zhao Ya widened her eyes in disbelief as well. Even she could hardly believe that this was the ce where the great Kong shi had resided. Kong shi was respected as the Worlds Teacher, having nurtured innumerable experts in his lifetime, especially the seventy-two Sages. Yet, who would have thought that his living environment had actually been so modest? Kong shi truly saw past the facade of power and wealth! Zhang Xuan remarked as he examined the room carefully. Simr to the poison dimension, theyout of everything in the room felt perfectly natural. It was an environment that stripped a person of their worries and frustrations, leaving them refreshed and invigorated. Cultivating in such an environment would surely be highly beneficial to raising ones Soul Depth. Since the gates have already opened. Wei Ruyan and the others should have already entered this Subordinate Hall. Where are they? Zhao Ya scanned her surroundings doubtfully as well. The entire room was visible with a nce; there was nowhere for one to hide. It was apparent that they were the only two people in that room. This did not make sense. There should have been quite a number of people there. Boom boom boom! Just as they were perplexed by this bizarre situation, they suddenly felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy ahead. They should be right there! Zhang Xuan said. Tracing where the disturbance wasing from, Zhang Xuan hurried ahead and left the room through the back door in front of them. The moment they walked out, a gush of concentrated zhenqi suddenly washed over them, exerting immense pressure on them. Beyond the back door of the Hall of Lull was a garden. We have already reserved the Bodhi Fruits on the tree. Ill have to ask you to return from where you came! a voice harrumphed coldly. Theres no one in the world who doesnt desire treasures, but these are things that we have put a great deal of effort into obtaining. We cant give them to you! The treasures of the world go to those who are capable enough to acquire them. We are the ones who made sufficient preparations to acquire them, so it goes without saying that they belong to us! ... From where the voices were soundings from, Zhang Xuan could see two factions standing opposite one another, the air between them a little tense. The group on the right side consisted of ten members, and Wei Ruyan was among them as well. The other nine were dressed in identical clothes, which indicated their identity as offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. On the other hand, the group on the left side only consisted of a single person. A round orb twirled with a light hum in front of her. Dimension Silencer! The person was actually Luo Qiqi! Upon the entrance of Zhang Xuan and Zhao Ya, the crowd swiftly turned their eyes over to take a look at the two new guests. Zhang shi! Luo Qiqis eyes lit up with a hint of anticipation. Zhang Xuan directed a nod at Luo Qiqi before turning his gaze to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Among them, only Wei Ruyan paid no attention to his arrival. She was in a trance, just like Zhao Ya before. Her hands were directed toward the Bodhi Tree, which was located not too far away from her, and the fruits were gradually bing more and more crimson under the influx of her zhenqi. It seemed as if the fruits would mature at any moment. This isnt an ordinary Bodhi Tree; its Great Sage tier! Noticing Zhang Xuans doubt, Luo Qiqi hurried over. Unlike the one in the Hongyuan Empire, consuming the Bodhi Fruits growing on it increases the chances of a cultivator reaching a Soul Depth of 30.0 by thirty percent, thus reaching the level equivalent to an Ancient Sage! It allows ones Soul Depth to reach 30.0? Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment as his eyes widened in shock. It was amon saying among master teachers that Soul Depth was the hardest to cultivate, and that was something that he could rte deeply with! Be it his zhenqi, physical body, or soul cultivation, as long as he had the corresponding cultivation techniques, he would be able to advance with ease. However, he could not do the same with his state of mind. It had already been a few days, but he had only managed to raise his Soul Depth from 28.1 to 29.99. He was stillcking a bit to reaching 30.0. It might have appeared to be a simple 0.01, but this final step happened to be the greatest hurdle to ovee. Who knew how much time and effort would be required to ovee this challenge? If the Bodhi Fruit really could raise ones Soul Depth to 30.0, ones chances of achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage would really be raised significantly! Chapter 1742 - Bodhi Fruit

Chapter 1742: Bodhi Fruit

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats right. If not for that, theres no way they would have gone through the trouble of bringing Wei Ruyan here! Luo Qiqi replied. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes deeply. He really had to say that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had a far deeper understanding of the Temple of Confucius than the Master Teacher Pavilion. First, it was the Canvas of Four Seasons imbued with lingering Aeon of Ancient Sages, and then, it was a Bodhi Fruit that allowed ones Soul Depth to hit 30.0, reaching a levelparable to an Ancient Sage. It seemed like they had already studied the entire Temple of Confucius thoroughly and had made borate preparations for that very moment. Hong long long! Under Wei Ruyans relentless infusion of zhenqi, the Bodhi Fruits on the tree began to sway a little, emanating a deep fragrance. This was a sign that the fruits had matured! Hu! Wei Ruyan finally halted her flow of zhenqi. It was clear that she had overexerted herself trying to hasten the maturity of the Bodhi Fruits. Her face was slightly pale, and she was panting heavily. Wei Ruyan! Zhao Ya anxiously sent a telepathic message over. Senior Zhao Ya? Wei Ruyan was beginning to recover from the trance that she was in. With a dazed look on her face, she scanned her surroundings in search of a familiar face. She swiftly found Zhao Ya, and at the same time, she also noticed the young man standing next to her. Her eyes slowly widened in astonishment as she softly muttered in disbelief, Teacher... Un! Seeing that Wei Ruyan was unharmed and that her cultivation had risen a little, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Teacher! Realizing that it was not her imagination, Wei Ruyan immediately rushed over to Zhang Xuan and Zhao Yas side. However, barely after taking a few steps, a young man suddenly stepped forward and blocked her way. You cant go over yet. You need to pick the Bodhi Fruits for us first! the young man said. The irritated Wei Ruyan coldly hissed, Get lost! Dont forget what you promised us! The young mans face darkened as he reminded haughtily. You dare to threaten me? Wei Ruyan narrowed her eyes in fury as an imposing aura emanated from her body. She was ready to let all hell break loose if pushed too far. However, before she could make a move, the voice of her teacher sounded in the air. My student has helped you hastened the maturity of the Bodhi Fruits, but you still need her help to pick them for you? Ruyan,e here! Completely disregarding the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Zhang Xuan turned to Wei Ruyan and urged her toe over. Yes, Teacher! Wei Ruyan swiftly walked around the young man to go to Zhang Xuans side. You are Wei Ruyans teacher, Zhang Xuan? The young man frowned in displeasure. I am, Zhang Xuan replied curtly. You came at a good time. Since Wei Ruyan follows your orders, I need you to order her to harvest the Bodhi Fruits. Of the six fruits here, we can give you one as a reward for your hard work! the young man said haughtily. As if doubting what he had just heard, Zhang Xuan asked incredulously, Did you say that youll only give one Bodhi Fruit to Ruyan in exchange for her hard work? Thats right! The young man nodded. Our Hundred Schools of Philosophers requires the remaining five Bodhi Fruits, so we have to bring them back with us. The only reason that we are willing to spare a Bodhi Fruit to you is in view of the hard work that she has put in all this time. If you dont want the Bodhi Fruit, you can choose something else equivalent in value! Spare? Seeing the young man putting on airs, Zhang Xuan shook his head wryly. Since you know that Ruyan has put in plenty of hard work, allow me to speak a few words of fairness! Feel free! You were able to enter this Subordinate Hall due to Ruyans unique constitution, right? Thats right! The Bodhi Fruits are mature and ready for picking because Ruyan has been using her zhenqi to stimte its growth, right? Thats right! Then its really simple then. Since you have done nothing at all, all six Bodhi Fruits should go to Ruyan. Whats there to fight about? Alright, Ruyan, go and pluck all of the fruits! Zhang Xuan remarked earnestly. You... What do you mean by that? Not expecting Zhang Xuan to snub them in such a manner, the young man widened his eyes in fury. I dont mean anything by that. Im just speaking a few words of fairness! Zhang Xuan said. Since you yed no part in entering the Subordinate Hall and maturing the Bodhi Fruits, what right do you have to im possession of the Bodhi Fruits? Audacious! Do you know who you are talking to? the young man roared furiously, angered by Zhang Xuans impudence. Hula! The remaining eight from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers quickly surrounded the three of them and released their auras, attempting to pressure them into submission. Just like the group from the Hall of Great Aplishment, they were all Sempiternal realm consummation experts! Teacher... Wei Ruyansplexion turned ugly upon seeing that someone dared to threaten her teacher. But just as she was about to say something, her teacher raised his hand and said, Dont worry, leave it to me! Yes, Teacher! Wei Ruyan nodded. She knew her teacher capability very well. Since her teacher had told her not to worry, it really meant that there was nothing for her to worry about. Zhang Xuan nced at the youths surrounding him, and a wry smile crept onto his face. He took a step forward. These youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were indeed formidable, but the Infernal cksaber had just advanced to Ancient Sage tier, and he had many artifacts and tamed beasts with him. If he wanted to, he could easily subdue all of them. Just as he was about to make a move to teach those arrogant fellows a lesson, Luo Qiqi suddenly spoke. Allow me to do it instead! Without waiting for Zhang Xuans response, she dived into the crowd. As soon as she made her move, the incredible strength that she wielded immediately showed. Just like Zhao Ya, she had actually reached Sempiternal realm consummation! ... Zhang Xuan felt his head hurt a little. Previously, when he unintentionally wreaked havoc at the Luo n and left, she had only been at Saint 9-dan. Yet, within such a short period of time, she had actually managed to advance her cultivation all the way up to Sempiternal realm consummation! The rate at which she was achieving breakthroughs was ridiculous! Everyone around him told him that he cultivated extremely quickly, but whenever he looked at his students, he felt like he still had a long way to go! Weng weng weng! The Dimension Silencer rotated with a light hum in the air, keeping the surrounding space tightly sealed. Luo Qiqi flitted around the crowd as if a butterfly amid a field of flowers. There was no doubt that the youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were powerful, but it was painfully obvious that they were no match for Luo Qiqi! It seems like her grasp over the Dimension Silencer has improved! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. He had seen the youngdy using the Dimension Silencer to halt the elders of the Luo n before. Back then, her control over the Dimension Silencers powers had still been a little unrefined, and it had felt like she was only tapping into its raw strength. However, at this moment, her control felt wholesome, to the point that her movements almost felt like an artform in itself. In this moment, it was no exaggeration to say that she had be one with the Dimension Silencer! Luo Qiqi wont lose to them. Lets harvest the fruits! Zhang Xuan said with a smile as he turned his sights to the Bodhi Tree. The Bodhi Tree before him was a little simr to the one that he had seen at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. However, it was far lusher, and the aura that it emanated felt significantly deeper. They say that cultivating under the Bodhi Tree can enhance ones soul cultivation and state of mind! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly. Ordinary Saint realm Bodhi Trees had the effect of calming a persons mind and dispelling their inner demons. Considering that the Bodhi Tree before him had reached Great Sage, its effects were likely to be more pronounced! If I cultivate under this tree, perhaps I might be able to advance my state of mind beyond 30.0! His state of mind had already reached 29.99, a sliver away from reaching the level of the Ancient Sages. It would be a huge waste for him to ingest the Bodhi Fruit only to advance his Soul Depth by 0.01. As long as he sat beneath the tree and meditated, he should be able to make a breakthrough soon enough! While Zhang Xuan was pondering over that matter, Wei Ruyan walked up to the Bodhi Tree and reached out to grab one of the Bodhi Fruits. Weng! A pulsation of energy burst forth from the Bodhi Fruit. It was a natural defensive mechanism of the Bodhi Tree in order to keep those who intended to harvest its fruits. However, the pulsated energy was easily neutralized by Wei Ruyan using a secret art. Kacha! The fruit was plucked from the branches. Tzzzzz! The moment that the fruit was harvested, ck smoke gushed forth from the branch that the fruit had been snapped from, and it swiftly shrouded Wei Ruyan. Thats... poisonous gas? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He did not expect the Bodhi Tree to have such a defensive mechanism as well. It was no wonder those youths had been unwilling to pick the fruits themselves, insisting that Wei Ruyan do it. If they had really tried to do it by themselves, there was a good chance that they would have ended up being poisoned to death. Chapter 1743 - The Ability of the Koi Fish

Chapter 1743: The Ability of the Koi Fish

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The poisonous gas released by the Bodhi Tree would have been extremely tricky to resolve for any other cultivator, but to Wei Ruyan, it was no different from tonic. As she absorbed all of it into her body, an excited gleam flickered across her beady eyes. You can raise your cultivation through the ck smoke too? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Wei Ruyan nodded. As expected of the Innate Poison Body, Zhang Xuan remarked in awe. This unique constitution sure was powerful. If others were afflicted with that poison, they would die within moments. Yet, Wei Ruyan was actually able to make use of this deadly material to raise her cultivation. Even Zhang Xuan could not help but envy that overpowered ability of hers! It did not take long for Wei Ruyan to finish assimting the energy within the ck smoke. She quickly retrieved a jade container from her storage ring and ced the Bodhi Fruit inside. Once that was done, she moved on to the next Bodhi Fruit and repeated the process. The same ck smoke poured forth and shrouded Wei Ruyan. This time around, however, it seemed to be significantly denser than before. Under its onught, the youngdy shuddered a little, and her face turned pale. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. The poisonous gas is too powerful. Theres only so much that Im able to absorb, Wei Ruyan replied frankly. Even as one who possessed the Innate Poison Body, the amount of poison that she could take in and assimte at once was limited. If she attempted to take in too much poison, she risked overloading her body with power. The poisonous gas released by the second Bodhi Fruit was far greater than the first fruit, and this was something that she had not expected. It took a long while before she finally managed to curb the rampaging poisonous gas within her body, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she turned her sights to the third Bodhi Fruit. Tzzzzzz! This time, the ck smoke released by the Bodhi Tree was even greater than before. Forced to assimte so much poisonous gas at once, Wei Ruyans body began shuddering uncontrobly, and her face gradually turned paler and paler. Just as she was about to reach her limits, she felt someone cing his palm against her back. Following which, her teacher said, Use the ck smoke to push for a breakthrough! Yes, Teacher! Knowing that her teacher was intending to help her raise her cultivation, Wei Ruyan quickly focused her concentration on channeling the poisonous gas toward oveing her bottleneck. The poisonous gas emanated by the Bodhi Tree was lethal, but it was an exceptionally powerful catalyst to temper ones state of mind. Zhang Xuan used his Heavens Path zhenqi to help clear the various blockages within Wei Ruyans body so that she could circte her zhenqi easier. With every Bodhi Fruit that Wei Ruyan picked, the poisonous gas emanated by the Bodhi Tree would grow significantly stronger. By the time she came to the sixth fruit, the poisonous gas emanated was so powerful that it seemed as if it would corrode even the surrounding space. Zhang Xuan meticulously facilitated Wei Ruyans flow of energy in order to ensure smoothness in driving her zhenqi. Geji! Geji! Geji! Some timeter, sounds echoed from Wei Ruyans meridians. It was a sign that showed that she had sessfully cleared the bottlenecks in her way. Her aura surged, and before long, her cultivation had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation, just like Zhao Ya. After reinforcing the overwhelming power coursing through her body, Wei Ruyan sped her fist and bowed in agitation. Thank you, Teacher! If not for her teachers help, she would have wasted a good half of the poisonous gas there. If things had gone wrong, she might have sustained heavy injures because her body was unable to withstand the stress imposed on it. With her Sempiternal realm consummation cultivation and her overpowered Innate Poison Body, it was unlikely that she would find anyone who was a match for her beneath Ancient Sage. The heartened Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Then, his face visibly turned cold as he turned his gaze toward the nine youths battling with Luo Qiqi. If not for the fact that he was around, Wei Ruyan would have sustained irreparable damage from the growing intensity of poisonous gas emanated from the Bodhi Tree. This kind of harm was not something that a mere Bodhi Fruit couldpensate for! These fellows expected Wei Ruyan to harvest the fruits for them, but they did not take any preventive measures in order to protect her. It was apparent that they saw her as no more than a tool that they could dispose of after squeezing her dry! Peng peng peng! At that moment, the battle between Luo Qiqi and the nine youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers finally came to an end. The fighting prowess exerted by Luo Qiqi with the Dimension Silencer was simply too powerful. Even with the eight of them coborating with one another, they did not stand a chance. Their faces were pale from the injuries that they had sustained in the battle, and theirplexions looked incredibly awful. The fact that they had been chosen to enter the Subordinate Hall to seek the Bodhi Fruit meant that their standing in the Hundred Schools of Philosopher was considerably high. They had grown up basking in the respect of those around them, but they had ended up being so viciously pummeled during such an important mission. This was not something that their pride could ept. Zhang Xuan and Wei Ruyan, those fruits are of the utmost importance to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. I hope that you can hand them over... the young man who seemed to be the de facto leader of the group said through gritted teeth. However, in response to the request from the young man, Zhang Xuan simply waved his hand and said, Break their limbs and throw them out! Whether they did it intentionally or not, he could not ept the fact that they had ced his precious student in such a dangerous position. They had to suffer the consequences of their actions. Sure thing! The Golden Origin Cauldron leaped out and charged toward the nine young men. Soon enough, their limbs were all fractured by the Golden Origin Cauldron before they were tossed pathetically out of the Hall of Lull. None of them would have feared the Golden Origin Cauldron at their peak, but after Luo Qiqis attacks, they no longer wielded the strength to retaliate. Teacher, Ill leave these Bodhi Fruits for you to decide what to do with them! Wei Ruyan said as she passed the fruits over. Un! Zhang Xuan took the Bodhi Fruits and ced all of them but one into his storage ring. He passed the Bodhi Fruit over to Wei Ruyan and said, Youre the one who collected so many Bodhi Fruits, so you should hold onto one. However, dont rush into using it. I have a form here that can raise your Soul Depth. I want you to cultivate under the Bodhi Tree and raise your Soul Depth to 29.9 first. Once youre done, you can use the Bodhi Fruit and push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! Yes! Wei Ruyan nodded. With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan imparted the secret art to temper ones state of mind over to Wei Ruyan. Zhao Ya, this one is for you! Zhang Xuan took out another Bodhi Fruit and passed it to Zhao Ya together with the secret art. Due to their unique constitutions, they were able to advance their zhenqi cultivation swiftly. However, this had also led to the cultivation of their minds severelygging behind. This would be a good opportunity for them to cover the gap. Qiqi, this one is for you... After sorting his two students out, Zhang Xuan took out another Bodhi Fruit and passed it over to Luo Qiqi. Luo Qiqi had arrived in the Hall of Lull earlier than them. Even if he did note, with her fighting prowess alone, she was bound to have been able to obtain one for herself. Thank you! Luo Qiqi took the fruit, but her eyes remained firmly upon Zhang Xuan. There was a conflicted look in her eyes as she said, Zhang shi... Seemingly knowing what she was going to say, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, I have taught you pill forging before, which affirmed our rtionship as teacher and student. Its impossible to dictate ones feelings, but propriety is not something that can simply be disregarded. Its impossible for us toe to be! In the first ce, the engagement between us was a huge misunderstanding... I believe that you are aware that theres someone whom I love as well, so... Im sorry. Since it was impossible for him to give her happiness, it would be better for him to break it off decisively. Dragging it out would only cause more harm to the other party. He did not want the other party to spend her life pursuing something futile. I... Luo Qiqis face copsed as her body trembled in agitation. She knew that the odds were in her favor, and she knew that it would be nigh impossible to achieve what she desired. Nevertheless, she had not thought that she would be rejected so bluntly. By the side, Zhao Yas face also darkened upon hearing those words. As the saying went, A day as my teacher, a father Ill respect for life! A student was not allowed to have any other rtionships with their teacher, or else it would be considered a breach of propriety. Such a thing was frowned upon in the Master Teacher Continent. She wanted to pursue her happiness, too, but she knew that her attempts to do so would only sully her teachers reputation. This was a dilemma that had left her deeply conflicted. Noting the depressed look on Luo Qiqi and Zhao Yas faces, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply internally as he smiled. Alright! For the time being, you should focus on raising your cultivation. You are still young, and there is much more to life that you havent seen or experienced yet. One day, youll find someone far more suitable for you than me! If there were any alternatives, he would not have wanted to hurt the two of them. However, if he failed to maintain a firm attitude toward this matter, he would only give them false hope, and there was nothing more painful than pursuing something that would nevere to be. Knowing that they needed some time to themselves in order to calm down, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Ill leave you all here to cultivate. Try your best to raise your Soul Depth as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Ill go look for Yuan Tao... Just as he was about to leave, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind. Master, I can dig up this tree for you. Do you want to take it away with you? You are able to dig this tree up? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Heh, I am the crux of an entire dimension, you know! Of course I am able to dig up a mere tree! the koi fish replied proudly. Chapter 1744 - Gongxi Qing

Chapter 1744: Gongxi Qing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Is that so? Lets take it away then! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. That whole time, he had been thinking that it would be wonderful if he could take the Bodhi Tree away with him. After all, this was an ideal impetus for him to push for a breakthrough in his Soul Depth to 30.0. Who would have thought that the little koi fish would be able to do it for him! But after giving it some more thought, the matter made sense. The koi fish was the crux to the poison dimension, and the poison dimension corresponded to the Hall of Lull. It was likely that there was some inseverable connection between the two. There had to be some reason for Kong shi choosing to groom the koi fish and leave it in the poison dimension in the first ce. Alright! Hearing Zhang Xuans approval, the koi fish immediately flew out, and with whip of its tail, it leaped into the pond located at the center of the backyard. Gugugugu! The water in the pond began to swirl into a massive spiral. Gradually, the water spiral rose into the air and enveloped the Bodhi Tree, pulling it off the surface of the ground. This... Zhang Xuan did not think that it would be so easy to retrieve this precious Bodhi Tree. His eyes lit up in excitement. H! He swiftly stowed the Bodhi Tree into the Myriad Anthive Nest, choosing an empty clearing in the area to nt it. Shortly after it was nted, a pond formed in its vicinity, and koi fishes swam delightfully within it, sshing water into the air from time to time. Zhang Xuan quickly examined the rented Bodhi Tree and noted that it did not wither due to the movement. Instead, its trees grew even lusher. Furthermore, it seemed to harmonize with the other Bodhi Tree that he had acquired from the Hongyuan royal family, and they swiftly fused together into one body, forming a passageway that could temper ones soul and Soul Depth. With this, I shouldnt face any troubles trying to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly beneath his breath. With this tree ced in the Myriad Anthive Nest, he would be able to cultivate whenever he had time. Reaching a Soul Depth of 30.0 was simply a matter of time! Of course, the fastest way was still to consume a Bodhi Fruit. However, even though his Soul Depth was already on the verge of a breakthrough, his cultivation was severelycking. He felt that the Bodhi Fruit would be put to greater use with his parents and the others. Teacher... Seeing that the Bodhi Tree had been taken away, Zhao Ya and the others were slightly bewildered. It was just a moment ago that their teacher had prompted them to cultivate under the Bodhi Tree, but the next moment, he had suddenly taken it away. In response, Zhang Xuan cleared his throat and said, You should head into my folded space to cultivate! Since he had taken the Bodhi Tree away, there was no reason for them to remain in the area. Thus, he waved his hand and helped the three girls into the Myriad Anthive Nest as well, leaving them to cultivate their Soul Depth. Then, he quickly made his way out of the Hall of Lull. ... Huhuhu! Thrown out of the Hall of Lull with their limbs broken, the nine youths from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers trembled in fury. Frenzied looks covered their faces, and it seemed as if they were on the verge of going berserk. After consuming a grade-9 Grand Intermittence Pill, their shattered bones had already begun to heal, but their rage only deepened with time. Unable to take it any longer, one of the youths asked, Gongxi Qing, what do we do now? The young man named Gongxi Qing was the de facto leader of the group, the person who had given orders to Wei Ruyan and Zhang Xuan earlier. He was a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Hua. We cant let this matter go just like that! Gongxi Qing gritted his teeth furiously. As offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, the popce of the Master Teacher Continent were no different from barbarians in their eyes. In the first ce, those barbarians should have taken pride in the fact that they were of use to them in the Temple of Confucius. Yet, not only did they snatch all of the treasures away, they had even pummeled them into such a state. It was a heinous crime! Unforgivable! We have to teach them a lesson so that theyll know never to cross the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Zhang Xuan doesnt seem too strong, but that youngdy known as Luo Qiqi is far beyond our means to deal with at the moment! Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyans cultivation has reached Sempiternal realm consummation as well. We wouldnt stand a chance against them in a fight! ... The others discussed the situation worriedly. They were infuriated, but they also knew that their opponents were beyond their means to deal with. We might not be a match for them, but the loss of the Bodhi Fruits is a huge matter. The old ancestor will surely intervene. Ill send him a message right now... Gongxi Qing harrumphed coldly. Bearing the excruciating pain from his newly healed bones, Gongxi Qing took out a unique jade token and sent the details of the conflict over. However, he did not go in depths about who the culprit was. He only mentioned that the Bodhi Fruits had been stolen and that they had sustained severe injuries. A moment after he sent the message, tremendous pressure suddenly weighed down from the heavens. It was so intense that it left the crowd feeling deeply suffocated. Following which, an elderly figure suddenly appeared before the crowd. Upon seeing the states of the nine youths, the face of the elderly figure turned livid as he demanded, What happened? As he spoke, a droplet of blood oozed out from the tip of his finger. The droplet of blood split into nine portions, with each portion entering the body of one of the nine youths. In an instant, the injuries that they had sustained began healing at a visible rate due to the sheer vitality contained within the blood. It did not take long for them to be restored to full health. This was one of the abilities that Ancient Sages possessed, Blood Reincarnation! The elderly figure was an Ancient Sage expert! Old ancestor, you must redress our grievances! After recovering from their injuries, Gongxi Qing and the others immediately kneeled onto the ground and cried sorrowfully. Whos the culprit? The elderly figure narrowed his eyes as the aura that he emanated grew even colder. The elderly figure appeared to be in his sixties, and he did not have a beard. His eyes carried a hint of destion, but his face was slightly pale. It was hard to tell whether he was exhausted from traveling there through space too swiftly or had met with some danger and been injured. The culprit is a master teacher from the Master Teacher Continent! Gongxi Qing spat through clenched teeth. We brought Wei Ruyan into the Hall of Lull and had her help us mature the Bodhi Fruit. However, that fellow came over and snatched the ripened fruits from our hands. He even injured us and broke our limbs... Did you tell him your identity? We did! We told him that we are from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and that these Bodhi Fruits are of vital importance to us. We even offered to give one of the Bodhi Fruits to him aspensation. Yet, that scoundrel still chose to make a move on us! Gongxi Qing continued indignantly. When did the master teachers of the Master Teacher Continent be so arrogant? the elderly figure sneered in fury. In an instant, it was as if someone had set his aura aze. A rampaging aura poured forth from his body, crushing everything around him. All of those who stood in the face of this aura could only shiver in fear, not daring to speak a word aloud. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion both had their roots from Kong shi, and propriety was something of the utmost importance to them. Since their people had already matured the Bodhi Fruit, it was inappropriate for the other party, especially given that he was a master teacher, to snatch it away by force. If one resorted to brute strength for everything, how would one be any different from the Otherworldly Demons? Old ancestor, you must redress our grievance! We beseech you to kill that fellow for us! Even if we spare his life, the least we should do is cripple his limbs so that he will learn a painful lesson for his arrogance! Sensing that they had sessfully invoked the rage of the old ancestor, the crowd roared furiously. Rest assured, Ill surely redress your grievances! The elderly figure nodded. Spreading his Spiritual Perception into the area, the elderly figures voice boomed in the surrounding area. The master teacher who has just entered, may I know whose descendant you are? I hope that you can offer a fair exnation as to why you have treated my descendants in such a manner. Otherwise, dont me me for being merciless! Hu! A wind blew silently in the area, but there was no response at all. From the looks of it, it doesnt seem like hes the offspring of any Ancient Sage. Since he isnt under anyones protection, I wont stand on ceremony... The elderly figure harrumphed coldly as a malicious aura drifted forth from his body. At this moment, the descendants behind the elderly figure suddenly eximed in agitation. Old ancestor, that fellow ising out! Shortly after, a slight glow emanated from the entrance of the Hall of Lull, and a figure appeared before the crowd. We must make him understand that those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers arent to be trifled with! Gongxi Qing sneered coldly. However, the very next moment, he saw the old ancestors body stiffening as an incredulous expression crept onto thetters face. The person whom you were referring... The person who stole the Bodhi Fruit from you... is Zhang Xuan? Thats right! Hes the scoundrel who made a move on us! Gongxi Qing nodded vehemently. I see... I forgot that I had some matters that I still have to attend to, so Ill be taking my leave. A matter as trivial as this doesnt require my intervention, so settle it among yourselves! Hu! And with a poof, the old ancestor disappeared from sight. ... Gongxi Qing. ... The crowd. Chapter 1745 - Stone Forest Dimension

Chapter 1745: Stone Forest Dimension

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Gongxi Qing and the others were utterly dumbstruck by what they were seeing. That was their old ancestor, an Ancient Sage expert! It was just a moment earlier that he had dered that he would redress their grievances, but as soon as he learned that the culprit was Zhang Xuan, he turned tail and fled without any hesitation! What the freaking hell was that? Was the other party not just a mere Aureate Body realm consummation cultivator? Why did it seem like their old ancestor... feared the other party? While Gongxi Qing and the others were feeling stifled at being left in the lurch by their old ancestor, the old ancestor was on the verge of spurting blood as well. He was actually the same Ancient Sage who had been injured by the Infernal cksaber back at the entrance of the Hall of Great Aplishment! Of course, given the tremendous strength he wielded as an Ancient Sage cultivator, there was no way that he would fear a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator. However, the young man had an Ancient Sage saber in his possession, which changed the very nature of things. Furthermore, he could feel that Zhang Hongtian was hidden somewhere around the area, discreetly protecting the young man from the dark. If he was really caught between an Ancient Sage cultivator and Ancient Sage saber in his wounded state, he could end up losing his life! Ancient Sages were extraordinarily resilient creatures. However, if one sessfully slew an Ancient Sage, one would find that the body of an Ancient Sage was filled with treasures from head to toe. He had thought that the reason why Zhang Xuan was able to enter the Hall of Great Aplishment was because he had studied the Zhang ns Celestial Amulet of Legacy thoroughly, to the point that he was able to decipher its seal and ovee it even without the amulet in hand. The possibility that Zhang Xuan would have been able to enter the Hall of Lull as well had never crossed his mind. Who would have thought that even after fleeing there, he still ended up encountering the other party? The rest are in the midst of preparing for that matter, so I cant bother them at the moment. However, once they are done with that, well surely get back at them! The old ancestor harrumphed. It went without saying that the powerful Hundred Schools of Philosophers did not just have him as their only Ancient Sage. However, it just so happened that the others had more important matters to attend to, so he was the only one free enough to take care of the younger generation. He had thought that with him standing up for the younger generation, neither the Master Teacher Pavilion nor the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would dare cross their path. Yet, contrary to his expectations, he ended up being severely wounded as soon as he made an appearance... The more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt. However, as one who had survived to be an Ancient Sage, there were hardly any challenges that he had never encountered before. He would just have to tolerate it for the time being. Once the others were free, it would be time for him to exact his vengeance! ... With the Infernal cksaber in his grasp, Zhang Xuan walked out of the Hall of Lull. He knew that his actions in the Hall of Lull would surely draw an Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers over, so he had taken out the Infernal cksaber in advance to counter any assault. It was impossible for an Ancient Sage to kill him while keeping his location hidden. As soon as the other party revealed his location, the Infernal cksaber and golden page would swiftly rush forth to reap the other partys life. Thus, there was nothing to fear. Walking out of the seal, Zhang Xuan saw the nine youths standingpletely unharmed before him. Infernos of rage were burning in their eyes, but they did not attempt to make any moves against him. Oh, youve recovered, Zhang Xuan remarked nonchntly as he cast a sweeping gaze across the surroundings. While it was possible for them to recover from their fractured limbs using the Grand Intermittence Pill, they would still have to rest for at least a couple of days before they could make a full recovery. Considering how their injuries hadpletely vanished within ten minutes of being thrown out, it was very likely to be the doing of an Ancient Sage. However, even after scanning the surroundings, he could not find anything at all. At the same time, the Infernal cksaber also reported that there were no Ancient Sages around. Knowing that the trembling nine youths did not even pose a threat to him, Zhang Xuan shot them a piercing re, which caused them to drop to their knees, before walking back down the road that he hade from. It did not take long before he returned to the poison dimension. Without the koi fish around, poisonous creatures had swiftly swarmed around the pond. It seemed like it would not be long before the tiny safe haven in the poison dimension was devoured by poison. After passing through the exit, Zhang Xuan found himself standing in the midst of a world filled with boulders of all sizes. It was as if he had stepped into the midst of a bald mountain range, filled with nothing but massive rocks. His visuals were instantaneously assaulted by the overwhelming onught of monotonous gray; there was not the slightest greenery in sight. From the looks of it, it seemed like he was standing in the center of a stone forest. The area was not as dry as the desert dimension, and it was not as rich in spiritual energy as the forest dimension either. If he had to use a single word to describe the current dimension that he was in, it would be bizarre. The boulders around him had extremely bizarre shapes, and just taking a swift nce at the surroundings was enough to leave his eyes spinning. It seems like these boulders are depicting a certain kind of move. Zhang Xuan leaped onto one of the taller boulders and pondered with a frown. Looking at the general shape of the stone forest, he found that it resembled multiple experts executing their secret arts all at once. Ill know it once I give it a try! He swiftly found a cluster of boulders and began studying them. Emting the shapes of the boulders, he felt his zhenqi flowing in a unique trajectory, and the next moment, his palm shot forward lightly. Padah! A sonic boom reverberated in the air, and a small dimension rift was torn apart at the tip of his palm. Its indeed a battle technique! Furthermore, the prowess it wields is incredible! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. So far, he had only casually emted the movements; he had not even tried to practice it seriously! Could it be that... the boulders formed multiple sets of incredibly powerful secret arts? If that was the case... where should one start cultivating from? Was there a sequence to it? If he studied it randomly, would it cause any unintended side effects? Forget it! I should look for the exit first! Zhang Xuan soon made up his mind. If he found the exit, he would be able to find the corresponding Subordinate Hall. Ultimately, the outer dimensions were only trials that Kong shi had posed to those who ventured into this dimension. The true treasuresy within the Temple of Confucius. This time around, Zhang Xuan chose to spin the Infernal cksaber before swiftly flitting in the direction that it had pointed out. An hourter, he finally found some signs of human activity. Following the trail, he soon stumbled upon a group of master teachers. They were standing in a clearing in the stone forest, and they were arguing vehemently with one another. The sequence of my movements is right! You wont face any problems as long as you cultivate in ordance to my moves! Rubbish! My sequence is the only one that is correct. Look, those two movements of yours dont even connect to one another. Its apparent that youve gotten it all wrong! You dimwits! I have already cultivated in this sequence, and I can feel my mastery of my technique deepening significantly. If you really think that you are right, why dont we have a spar and see whose sequence is superior? Indeed! Whats the point of arguing so much? Let our strength do the talking! ... In the midst of their arguments, the master teachers really ended uping to blows with one another. A furious gale whipped up in the surroundings and shockwaves from colliding blows rippled destructively into the surroundings. However, they did make sure to construct an istion barrier around them to avoid damaging the boulders around to the best of their abilities. Just like the group of sword practitioners I encountered at the Sword Lagoon, these fellows are unknowingly losing their sanity... Zhang Xuan shook his headmentably. He had encountered such a situation back in the Qianchong Empire. The sword practitioners there hade to blows as soon as they had a disagreement with one another, which was atypical of sword practitioners. He did not think that he would see the same sight here as well. The battle ended as quickly as it started. Before long, a man stood victorious over the others. See, the sequence that I have followed is the most powerful of all. This should be enough to show that Im right. Alright, hurry up and start making your offerings! The victorious master teacher nodded in contentment. Alright, well follow your sequence then! The others reluctantly nodded in agreement. Making your offerings? On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was confused as to what was going on. The more he looked at the situation, the more bewildering he found it. Master teachers were supposed not to be superstitious. Why were they talking about making their offerings? Hiding by the corner, Zhang Xuan continued watching the movements of the master teachers in bewilderment. The victorious master teacher took out a couple of valuable artifacts and ced them before the boulder, as if making an offering to it. Not too longter, the artifacts began to burn up, and a golden glow shone from the boulder. Following which, a silhouette suddenly surfaced on the boulder and began moving around, seemingly demonstrating some sort of battle technique. The secret art that the master teachers were practicing earlier is just the form, so is this the zhenqi cirction pathway that goes along with the movements? Zhang Xuan wondered. The silhouette moving on the boulder was currently demonstrating a kind of internal breathing technique that seemed to go along with the movements that the master teachers had executed earlier, but there were still some imperfections between the two. How is this still not right? The sequence I deduced doesnt link up with the internal breathing technique... Pu! The triumphant master teacher followed the movements of the silhouette on the boulder, but a momentter, his face paled, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his lips. If the movements were at odds with the internal breathing, there was a high chance that ones cultivation might go berserk. He had been extremely confident with the sequence that he had deduced, but who would have thought that it was still wrong? Lets continue studying the movements. We cant afford to make a mistake anymore, or else well be trapped here for good! The triumphant master teacher shook his head helplessly. He was just about to continue examining the boulders around the area when a young man suddenly flew over and said, Hello, I have arrived in this dimension just a moment ago. If I may ask... what are you all doing? Chapter 1746 - Sequencing

Chapter 1746: Sequencing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The newly arrived young man was, of course, none other than Zhang Xuan. He was truly bewildered by the deeds of this bunch of master teachers. Master teachers believed not in the supernatural, and they did not subscribe to the idea of karma either. Yet, this bunch of people were actually making offerings just like Otherworldly Demons. Furthermore, judging by their tone, it seemed like the exit was somehow rted to what they were doing. Unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he had flown out to ask them. With the Infernal cksaber advancing into an Ancient Sage artifact, he would be able to protect himself even against the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages. Thus, there was no need for him to conceal his identity anymore, so he did not bother doing so this time around. However, it seemed like the master teachers did not know him as they stared at him warily, seemingly trying to determine whether he was an enemy or not. Zhang Xuan was perplexed for a moment before realization struck him. Most of the master teachers that had entered the Temple of Confucius were actually the grand elders of major powers who had gone into seclusion awaiting the opportunity to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Having abandoned the secr world for long periods of time, they were unaware of the huge fuss that Zhang Xuan had kicked up on the Master Teacher Continent in recent times. Going by this logic, it was not surprising that they had not heard of him. Facing the wary master teachers before him, Zhang Xuan pinned his master teacher emblem on his robe before sping his fist with a smile. Im actually a master teacher, too! Upon seeing the master teacher emblem, the group visibly heaved a sigh of relief. So, youre a fellow ally. How did you end up alone here? the triumphant master teacher asked. I was too engrossed in my cultivation, and I lost track of time. By the time I knew it, the group I was in had already gone on without me, Zhang Xuan said. I see... This dimension contained many powerful secret arts, so its understandable that you lost track of time while trying to practice them. However, I must say that its truly a miracle that your cultivation hasnt gone berserk while attempting to practice these techniques individually! the triumphant master teacher remarked. After chatting for a while, Zhang Xuan found out that the name of the triumphant master teacher was Mu Xu. He was from the Five Elements Mu n. He had been in seclusion for three hundred years, and he had only left his seclusion recently due to the emergence of the Temple of Confucius. Thus, he was hardly aware of the current affairs of the world. As a result, even when Zhang Xuan introduced himself with his real name, there was not much of a reaction from the other party. I apologize for peeking earlier, but I noticed that you practiced your moves before making an offering to the boulder. Following which, a silhouette appeared on the boulder. May I know whats going on? After chatting for a while to get familiar with one another, Zhang Xuan finally posed the doubt that had been guing his mind for quite a while. The boulders in this stone forest are profound artifacts harnessing incredible heritages. Formidable secret arts can be found on them. I believe that you should have noticed this too by now! Mu Xu exined. However, these secret arts are distributed across multiple boulders in random sequences. If one wants to grasp any of these secret arts, one must decipher the sequence and awaken the memories of the predecessors sealed in the boulders. As long as ones form and internal breathing are aligned with one another, one will be able to leave this dimension and enter the corresponding Subordinate Hall! Enter the corresponding Subordinate Hall? Zhang Xuan was surprised to hear these two wordsing from Mu Xu. This was the first time that he had heard a master teacher trapped in one of the six dimensions saying such words. Indeed. Someone has already sessfully cleared the dimension; we are already considered the slower bunch, having yet to seed till now, Mu Xu said with a bitter smile. You mean to say that... someone has already entered the Subordinate Hall? Then, do you know what the name of the corresponding Subordinate Hall is? Zhang Xuan asked. It seems to be called the Hall of Divine Crusade. It contains the details of the crusade that Kong shi and seventy-two Sages went on to subdue the Otherworldly Demons. In fact, this stone forest contains the secret arts that they have left behind. Those who manage to enter the Subordinate Hall will probably be able to obtain their true heritage... As such, we have been trying our best to figure out the pattern to these boulders. Since you are here, why dont you join us as well? If we can uncover the sequence of the movements from these boulders, well be able to enter the Subordinate Hall just like the others! Mu Xu said. Those words gave Zhang Xuan a good idea of what was going on. It seemed like the method to entering the Subordinate Hall in the stone forest dimension was vastly different from the other dimensions. For the other dimensions, the Subordinate Halls were located directly above the exits. As long as one sliced open the space above the exit, one would be able to reach the exterior of the corresponding Subordinate Hall. However, the stone forest dimension actually necessitated one to find the sequence of the secret arts hidden amid the boulders. With so many boulders around here, how do you figure out which one you should examine? Zhang Xuan asked on. There had to be at least ten thousand boulders in the area. Wouldnt he die of exhaustion before he could sequence all of the movements in these boulders? The boulders are divided into multiple regions too. Each secret art has its individual region. In each region, there are boulders with smooth surfaces like this one lying around in a circle, and they contain a silhouette of the predecessors. There are roughly ten thousand of them, but only a thousand of them contain traces of the secret art. What we have to do is figure out the sequence behind these one thousand boulders! Mu Xu exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. On his way there, he had also noticed that not every boulder within this dimension harnessed a portion of a secret art. However, he had been too focused on searching for the exit and did not pay too much attention to them. With this, his search area was considerably decreased, and his workload diminished significantly as well. Theres no time to be wasted, so lets start studying the boulders once more! After chatting for a while longer, Mu Xu prompted everyone to get back to work. He took out a sword himself and began carving on the ground, seemingly trying to make sense of the movements that he had seen from the boulders. Seeing that the group had returned back to their intensive debate, Zhang Xuan leaped onto the highest boulder in the area and scanned his surroundings. Due to the reminder from Mu Xu, he quickly realized that the boulders with a smooth surface were distributed orderly in a circr fashion around the area. Approaching them one by one swiftly, he found that exactly a thousand of them harnessed the silhouettes of the predecessors. ws! With a thought, the boulders were swiftlypiled into a book in the Library of Heavens Path. He nced at the hundreds of sequences that the master teachers hade up with and inscribed on the ground. H! Putting all of this information together, Zhang Xuan finally opened the book carefully. There are still forty-seven ws... Zhang Xuan quickly browsed through the forty-seven ws before reorganizing the sequence of the movements to resolve some of these ws. When he checked once again, the number of ws reduced to forty-five. He had to continue this process roughly a dozen more times before there were finally no more ws remaining. I guess this sequence should be the correct one! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before finally turning back to the crowd. At this moment, Mu Xu and the others seemed to have deduced another correct sequence, and a fervent debate broke out among them all. Stop spouting nonsense and settle it with a spar. The strongest among us is bound to have the most urate sequence of us! Mu Xu said with a wave of his hand. Alright! The crowd nodded in agreement. They were just about to begin their duel when Zhang Xuan, who had been watching the situation all the while, suddenly flew over and said, Hey, I have also found a sequence that I find logical. Can I join the duel? Cant you see that were in the middle of a serious debate? Stop troubling us and go away! You just arrived just a moment ago, so what can you have possibly found? We have already been here for roughly eighteen hours, but we still havent found the right one yet! Mu Xu frowned in displeasure. Young man, learn some humility. Dont set your eyes too high. Since you have just arrived, you should focus on watching and learning rather than trying to impress! We are dueling in order to determine whose order is the most urate. You should go to the side and rest. We can talk after you have made sense of what the boulders mean! You do know that each of these boulders represent a different move, right? How many of them can you recognize and distinguish? If you havent done at least that much yet, its pointless to try sequencing them! ... The other master teachers waved Zhang Xuan away dismissively. They had studied the boulders in the region for a very long time, but they were still unable to find the correct sequence. Given that, what could a fellow who had just arrived possibly know? To even think that he could possiblye up with the correct sequence within this short period of time, that was apletely ridiculous notion! I... Not expecting to be spurned, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. That being said, it was not as if he could not understand the dismissive response from the others. In the five to six minutes since he had arrived there, it was impossible for an ordinary master teacher to memorize the forms on the thousand boulders in the area. Putting aside finding the correct sequence, they would not even have been able to put together a remotely logical battle technique! Ignore him! Lets continue our discussion... Not wanting to waste any time on an attention seeker, Mu Xu gathered the crowd and carried out a duel using the sequences that they had just deduced. However, before there was a conclusion to their duel, they suddenly felt a burst of energy pulsating not too far away. Unbeknownst to them, the young man had already activated the smooth boulder by the side, and a silhouette appeared on its face. Chapter 1747 - Hall of Divine Crusade

Chapter 1747: Hall of Divine Crusade

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hes wasting a precious artifact for nothing... Not expecting the young man to actually make an offering to the predecessors after they had ignored him, Mu Xu frowned in disapproval. Each attempt to invoke the predecessors would require them to tribute an invaluable amount of treasures, such that they did not dare do it recklessly despite the wealth that they possessed as 9-star master teachers. Yet, the young man actually invoked the predecessors within ten minutes of his arrival, before he could even make sense of what was going on. Just what kind of unreliable ally did they find themselves? He seems to be terribly conceited. Whatever. Once he fails, he will understand the difficulty in sequencing the moves. It isnt something that one can possiblye up with on the spur of the moment! What a waste of artifacts though! ... The silhouette on the boulder began moving amid the discussions of the master teachers, and Zhang Xuan hurriedly followed it while executing the movements that he hadpiled using the Library of Heavens Path. The internal breathing method and the movements harmonized impably with one another. This... The crowd was stunned. They had studied the boulders for eighteen hours, but they had not managed to sequence the movements to such an extent. This fellow had only been there for six minutes, but he had already managed to harmonize his movements with the internal breathing. Their eyes widened into huge circles as they watched the sight before them with incredulity. No, thats not it. His movements are starting to diverge with the internal breathing method of the silhouette! Mu Xu suddenly remarked. The crowd quickly turned their gazes over. Just as Mu Xu had said, some discrepancies were starting to show between the movements of the young man and the internal breathing technique of the silhouette in the boulder. Disharmony was starting to appear. See, its just as I have guessed. Its impossible to seed in one try! It should not have been something to celebrate over, considering how they were supposedly on the same front, but somehow, the crowd could not help but heave a sigh of relief. They did want to leave this dimension and enter the corresponding Subordinate Hall. However, if the young man sessfully found the right sequence within five minutes, all of their pride, dignity, and ego would bepletely shattered! Their hearts were not strong enough to ept something like that! As a result, they could not help but feel ddened by the young mans failure. However, their dness did notst too long. The young man suddenly halted his movements and red at the silhouette on the boulder with a disapproving frown. As if an elder disappointed by the ipetence of a junior, he sternly lectured, The sequence you are practicing the internal breathing is wrong! Pu! The silhouette in the boulder spurted blood. ... Mu Xu and the others. Follow my movements! Zhang Xuanmanded sternly before continuing on with his execution. The silhouette in the boulder visibly hesitated for a moment before following Zhang Xuans movements as well. ... Mu Xu and the others were shocked speechless. This had to be the uncanniest sight that they had ever seen! They had spent eighteen hours there desperately searching for the correct sequence in futility, but within minutes of his arrival, that fellow had not only found the correct sequence but was even lecturing the silhouette in the boulder, berating thetter for having gotten it wrong. The one who had left behind this secret art was either Kong shi or one of the seventy-two Sages, and yet, to tell the other party that they were wrong... It was as if a mini explosion had urred in their heads! All of a sudden, they did not feel so good. Thats more like it! After giving my version a try, dont you think that the technique has gotten much stronger? Arent the movements harmonizing much better with the internal breathing? Soon, the demonstration came to an end, and Zhang Xuan looked at the silhouette on the boulder with a slight smile. Kacha! Before it could respond, the silhouette suddenly wavered lightly before vanishing from sight. Following which, the boulder split open, revealing a massive stone portal. Beyond the portal, one could vaguely see a majestic pce. It was likely to be the Hall of Divine Crusade that Mu Xu had mentioned earlier. Lets go together! Zhang Xuan beckoned for others for follow him before taking the lead into the portal. This... The crowd nced at one another uncertainly before eventually entering the portal. Even at that point in time, they could not help but feel a little dreamy on the inside. Crossing the stone portal, they swiftly found that they were transported into another world. Not too far away, the Hall of Divine Crusade towered in the air. Unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, Mu Xu walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked, The sequence that you havee up with is clearly ipatible with the internal breathing method shown by the silhouette. Why were you still able to open the stone portal? Mu Xu was not the only one who was curious about this. The others also found this urrence unbelievable. It was apparent to them that the young mans sequence of movements did not harmonize with the internal breathing method shown by the silhouette. Yet, why did the silhouette choose to follow his movements instead and even open the stone portal? In the past, when the sequence differed, the one to spurt blood was them! I looked through the movements and realized that there were some fundamental ws with the secret art left behind by the silhouette. So, I modified it a little in order to make it more logical and stronger. Seeing that the secret art that I modified was more correct than his, it goes without saying that it learned from me instead! Zhang Xuan replied as a matter-of-factly. Any cultivation technique filtered through the Library of Heavens Path would eventually end up in its most perfect form. Since the secret art practiced by the silhouette was wed. It went without saying that the silhouette would be delighted to have him correcting the ws for it. Not only did he find the right sequence, he even corrected the mistakes made by the predecessors... In this moment, Mu Xu and the others found themselves so suffocated that they could not say a word at all. Just what kind of monster had they encountered? Proceeding ahead in the Subordinate Hall, it did not take long before they arrived in a massive square. There was a huge crowd gathered in the area. It was likely that they had entered there from the stone forest dimension, just like Mu Xu. However, as they did not have the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, they could not enter the Subordinate Hall and had no choice but to remain outside. Murals were inscribed on the walls of the Subordinate Hall, detailing countless formidable techniques. The crowd was studying them intently,pletely absorbed in them. Back in the stone forest dimension, they could only deduce the sequence and hope that what they had deduced was right. However, at that moment, the correct sequence was shown to them through the murals on the walls. This was simr to a diligent student being shown the answer sheet after going through a difficult examination. It went without saying that they would have to internalize everything on the answer sheet so that they could do better next time around! Zhang Xuan quickly took all of those murals into the Library of Heavens Path with a swift nce before turning his gaze to the entrance of the Subordinate Hall. The que above the Subordinate Hall disyed the words Hall of Divine Crusade. Those words carried an imposing presence, weighing in the hearts of those gazing upon them. The massive gates at the entrance were open, and ess was only restricted by the invisible barrier shrouding the Subordinate Hall. Most likely, someone had already entered it. Let me go in to take a look! With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan took out the Little Amulet and began making his way in. Unlike the crowd gathered outside, he passed right through the barrier and entered the Subordinate Hall without any problems. Sou! Sou! Before Zhang Xuan could properlynd his footing into the Hall of Divine Crusade, he suddenly felt two surges of sword qi surging right toward his heart. His face immediately darkened as he halted his footsteps. With an agile sidestep, he narrowly dodged the two surges of sword qi. Gazing forward, he saw two young men standing in front of him with a sword in their hands. Intense killing intent could be felt from the depths of their eyes, leaving the blood of others running cold. These two young men were dressed in master teacher robes. From the exterior, they seemed no different from other master teachers. However, the sheer intensity of their killing intent left one feeling as if one would be dragged down into theherworld. Otherworldly Demons? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in rm. He did not think that he would actually encounter Otherworldly Demons in there! Since that was the case, it meant that they had managed toy their hands upon the Celestial Amulet of Legacy corresponding to the Hall of Divine Crusade! There were six known Celestial Amulets of Legacy in the world. One of them was with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, one was with the Zhang n, and one was with the Luo n. As for the rest, their whereabouts were aplete mystery. Judging by the current situation, the Zhang ns amulet corresponded to the Hall of Great Aplishment, and it was likely that the Luo ns amulet corresponded to the Hall of Lull. Otherwise, Luo Qiqi would not have been able to get into that Subordinate Hall! Since there were Otherworldly Demons there, it was likely that one of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy had fallen into their hands. Hu! However, it did not seem like the two Otherworldly Demons were about to give him any more time to ponder about this matter. They flicked their wrists and sent a barrage of sword qi over, not allowing them to rest for a breather at all. It was as if a roaring river was charging right at him, threatening to sweep him away with its force. These two Otherworldly Demons were actually Sempiternal realm consummation experts! Humph! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. With a flick of his wrist, he whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear and pierced it toward one of the two Otherworldly Demons. At the same time, he brought out the Golden Origin Cauldron along with his other artifacts and sent them toward the other Otherworldly Demon. Chapter 1748 - Stone of Divine Crusade

Chapter 1748: Stone of Divine Crusade

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A few breathster, the two Sempiternal realm consummation Otherworldly Demons were killed on the spot. Even without resorting to the Five Monarchs, the seedling, and the koi fish, Zhang Xuan was still able to subdue the two Otherworldly Demons with ease. He hurled their corpses into his storage ring before proceeding deeper in. What appeared before his eyes was a stately hall. Its walls were filled with paintings that emanated a warm glow. As soon as he stepped into the hall, he found a powerful pressure pressing down on him. Had his soul energy been weak, it would have been hard for him to take even a single step forward. This is a good ce to temper ones soul! Zhang Xuan thought as he strolled leisurely around the hall. The Hall of Great Aplishment contained the Aeon of Ancient Sage, the energy required for one to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. The Hall of Lull contained a treasure that raised ones Soul Depth. Clearly, the Hall of Divine Crusade was a ce for one to temper ones soul, thus strengthening ones soul energy and soul span. Wandering around the room, Zhang Xuan did not find anyone else around, and a frown emerged between his brows. It was clear that the two Otherworldly Demons were serving as sentries to ward off any possible intruders from interfering in their business. As such, it was certain that there were more Otherworldly Demons doing something within the Subordinate Hall, perhaps scouring for the ultimate treasure there. But why was there no one in sight? Whats in this hall? Zhang Xuan asked Little Amulet telepathically. Little Amulet had its memories sealed, and they would only awaken when it came to the areas corresponding to each memory. It was likely that it would know what was inside the Hall of Divine Crusade. The greatest treasure in the Hall of Divine Crusade is the Stone of Divine Crusade left behind by Kong shi. It contains the lingering will of Kong shi, and its extremely effective in strengthening ones soul, Little Amulet exined based on the memories it had awakened. Stone of Divine Crusade? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon hearing those words. Where is it? His soul cultivation hade to a halt after reaching Aureate Body realm consummation. If he could find the Stone of Divine Crusade, he might be able to push his soul cultivation a step further, perhaps even achieving a breakthrough to the Intuitive Impulse realm! Its located right behind the Subordinate Hall. Youll be able to see it after passing through that door! Little Amulet said as it wiggled its body to point out a direction. Alright! Knowing the rough location of the Stone of Divine Crusade, Zhang Xuan swiftly made his way over with widened strides. Walking out of the stately hall, he found himself standing before a rtively vast courtyard. There were boulders all around the courtyard, forming a mini stone forest by its own. A few Otherworldly Demons were sitting not too far away from Zhang Xuan. There were deep frowns on their faces, and some of them were scratching their heads in frustration, seemingly trying to figure out something incredibly profound. At the very center of the stone forest was a stone tform. A spherical boulder was ced atop the stone tform, and it emanated a warm glow. A silhouette seemed to be dancing along the spherical boulder. Somehow, the silhouette appeared a little familiar. Instead of rushing forward to confront the Otherworldly Demons, Zhang Xuan hid himself and asked Little Amulet, What are they doing? Most likely, the spherical boulder at the very center was the Stone of Divine Crusade that Little Amulet had mentioned. Why were the Otherworldly Demons squatting around the area instead of going right in to im it? Its not that they dont want to enter the stone forest, but they are unable to do so. It may seem simple enough to walk into the stone forest and im the Stone of Divine Crusade, but the truth is that theres only a single way to enter the forest. All it takes is one wrong step to bepletely devastated by sword qi! Little Amulet harrumphed. Sword qi? Zhang Xuan was taken aback He quickly took another look and found that there were a couple of Otherworldly Demons lying by the side with their eyes tightly shut. They had already breathed theirst breath. Do you know the correct path to entering the stone forest? Zhang Xuan asked. I dont! Little Amulet replied with a shake of its head. This is a trial left behind by Kong shi to test theter generations, so theres no way he would grant me knowledge of the answer. However, its likely to have something to do with what you encountered in the previous domain. Take a closer look. Each of those boulders contain a certain movement of a technique. As long as you can sequence these movements correctly, you should be able to enter the stone forest without any trouble! I see, Zhang Xuan replied contemtively. He took a look at the boulders around the stone forest and found that they were made of a simr material to the other boulders in the outer dimension. It seemed like there was some kind of move infused into them. ws! Having prior experience tackling such a puzzle, Zhang Xuan swiftly gathered all of the movements in the stone boulders andpiled them into a manual in the Library of Heavens Path. As there was nothing that he could reference, there were a lot of mistakes. He altered thepiled manual ording to the movements of the Otherworldly Demons in the stone forest, and the number of ws immediately decreased. He continued to alter the manual over a hundred times more before the sequence was finally corrected to its wless form. Alright, I am done deducing the sequence. Will I be able to pass through the stone forest by following this sequence? Zhang Xuan asked once more for verification. As long as the sequence is correct, you should be able to get in without any trouble. However, there cannot be any mistakes at all. Otherwise, youll have difficulties oveing Kong shis sword qi, Little Amulet remarked worriedly. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Going through the sequence once more, he was just about to enter the stone forest when he suddenly halted. The movements of the boulders came together to form aplete technique. However... what if the technique in this stone forest was wed? He was confident in thepetence of the Library of Heavens Path. Any technique that had gone through the verification of the Library of Heavens Path had to be in its most perfect form. However, there was no guarantee that the person who had set up the stone forest would be correct! Such a situation had happened earlier in the stone forest dimension! The errors made by the silhouette there could still be corrected, but errors here could easily result in his death! Infernal cksaber! After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan whipped out the Infernal cksaber. Even if he came under a barrage of sword qi, the Ancient Sage Infernal cksaber should still be able to withstand it. Following which, he summoned the Golden Origin Cauldron and the Five Monarchs. Ill be entering now. The rest of you, follow behind me. If any of the Otherworldly Demons dare to wreak havoc, kill them without any hesitation! Dont let any of them escape! Then, he went through the sequence that he had derived using the Library of Heavens Path once more before making his way in. So far, he had not found the exit of the stone forest dimension. However, going by the rules of the other dimensions, it was likely that the exit was amid the boulders that reflected the technique that he had just grasped. After all, the crux of each dimension had always been the key to obtaining the ultimate treasure in the Subordinate Hall! If he had managed to get to the crux of the dimension, he would have known the correct sequence to clearing the stone forest before him and acquired the Stone of Divine Crusade. Since he was already there, it was toote for him to return to the stone forest dimension and experiment. Thus, he could only take a step at a time and pray fervently that the technique that Kong shi had personally created had no ws at all! Zhang Xuan walked up to the very first boulder and brushed past it. However, he did not invoke the attack from the stone forest. He quickly continued proceeding deeper in. You... Taking a few more steps, he finally stumbled upon the Otherworldly Demons, who were scratching their heads for a solution. Toozy to even make a move on them, Zhang Xuan simply flitted past them and proceeded ahead. Heh! A fool rushing to his death... Seeing the human who had appeared out of nowhere charging in without the slightest hesitation, the Otherworldly Demons sneered coldly. It had taken the deaths of several of theirpanions in order for them toprehend the rules of the stone forest. They knew that they could not mess around in the stone forest, or else they would suffer tragic deaths before they knew it. On the other hand, that fellow had actually charged randomly around the area as soon as he arrived. This worked in their favor, too. They could use that fellow as a sacrificial pawn to help them scout out the road. With such thoughts in mind, they gazed upon the young man with contemptuous smiles on their faces. Yet, contrary to their expectations, the young man proceeded deeper and deeper into the stone forest, not sustaining the slightest damage at all. Slowly, the smiles on their faces faded. This isnt right... He seems to know the correct path! Quick, follow him! No matter how foolish they might have been, the truth could not have been more apparent after seeing this sight. It was obvious that the young man knew the right path! Thus, the leading Otherworldly Demon barked out an order and quickly traced Zhang Xuans trail. However, after taking a few steps, they suddenly felt an intense killing intent pouring down on them. Turning around, they saw a bunch of beasts and artifacts charging up to them. Get them! Ding Ding bellowed coldly, and the hordes of beasts and artifacts charged forth. Piliip! A few minutester, the Otherworldly Demons were left lying on the ground, their eyes bulging in disbelief even after they had breathed theirst breath. Chapter 1749 - Advancement in Soul Cultivation

Chapter 1749: Advancement in Soul Cultivation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Passing through boulder after boulder, it did not take long for Zhang Xuan to reach the stone tform at the very center. He could not help but frown in astonishment. Im not getting attacked at all... Could it be that this technique has reached the level of a Heavens Path technique as well? If thats the case, who in the world would be able to cultivate it? The sequence that he had used was based on the perfect manual that he hadpiled using the Library of Heavens Path, and it was actually the correct answer to clearing the stone forest! Did this not mean that the secret art left in this stone forest had also reached the level of a Heavens Path technique? Could Kong shi really possess the Library of Heavens Path, just like me? Zhang Xuan deduced contemtively. Considering that this trial was in one of the Subordinate Halls, it was likely that the secret art had been left behind by Kong shi. Zhang Xuan was certain that it would be impossible for anyone who did not possess the Heavens Path zhenqi to sessfully practice any Heavens Path technique. Otherwise, he would not have had to impart a simplified version to them each and every time. The fact that Kong shi had created such a secret art meant that it was highly likely that the other party possessed the Heavens Path zhenqi and was able to practice Heavens Path techniques. The only possibility of that happening was if Kong shi possessed the Library of Heavens Path as well! Zhang Xuan pondered on this matter for a while, but he knew that the only way to verify it was for him to meet Kong shi once more. Thus, he decisively tossed the matter to the back of his head and calmed his mind down. Following which, he slowly walked up to the Stone of Divine Crusade on top of the stone tform and grabbed it. Weng! Sensing Zhang Xuans approaching hand, the Stone of Divine Crusade emanated a blinding light. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if someone had plunged his soul into the midst of burningva, causing searing heat to suffuse his body. Humph! Given how Zhang Xuan was able to survive even the Empyrean Heavenly me, what could heat of this level possibly do to him? He swiftly suppressed the burning sensation within before biting his finger and dripping a droplet of blood on the Stone of Divine Crusade. It did not take long before the Stone of Divine Crusade finally abandoned all attempts to retaliate and acknowledged him as its master. As soon as he received the acknowledgement of the Stone of Divine Crusade, the searing sensation swiftly vanished, reced with a feeling of warmth. As the silhouette on the Stone of Divine Crusade moved, a surge of concentrated soul energy gushed into his body, nourishing his Primordial Spirit. Zhang Xuan immediately knew that this was a good opportunity for him to push for a breakthrough, so he crossed his legs and sat down. He drew his Primordial Spirit out of his body and touched the Stone of Divine Crusade. Hong long long! As concentrated soul energy flowed from the Stone of Divine Crusade into his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan could feel himself growing stronger and stronger. It did not take long before his current bottleneck was torn down, and his soul cultivation surged into higher realms. Two hourster... He had already reached Great Sage 3-dan Intuitive Impulse realm consummation. After reaching that realm, the rate of advancement of his soul cultivation suddenly slowed considerably. Lowering his gaze, he noticed that the silhouette dancing on the Stone of Divine Crusade had alreadye to a halt, as if fatigued from all its dancing. It seems like the Stone of Divine Crusade needs to recharge... Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. The Stone of Divine Crusade harnessed concentrated soul energy that could be used to raise ones soul cultivation, but just like spirit stones, the amount of soul energy within it was limited. It could not supply an endless stream of soul energy. However, after taming the Stone of Divine Crusade, Zhang Xuan knew that unlike spirit stones, the Stone of Divine Crusade was not a one-time use artifact. It could be reused once more after it was allowed to recharge for some time. Otherwise, it would not have been ced at the center of one of the Subordinate Halls, requiring one to ovee numerous trials to acquire. Now that my soul cultivation has reached the Intuitive Impulse realm, I wonder if that is possible... At the Intuitive Impulse realm, a cultivator would be able to vaguely sense the will of the heavens, allowing him to take steps to avert danger. As one who possessed the Library of Heavens Path, he knew that he would suffer the bacsh of heavens if he raised his cultivation to that level. So, he wondered if it would be the same for his soul cultivation as well. Thus, he returned his Primordial Spirit to his physical body and tried to grasp at the intangible will of the heavens. Kacha! Kacha! The next moment, a powerful streak of lightning descended from the heavens, causing his body to convulse under its might. Indeed... Zhang Xuans cheeks twitched as he grumbled with a darkened face. He had thought that his Primordial Spirit might be an exception to the rule, but it seemed like that was not the case. From the looks of it, it was impossible for him to try peering into the secrets of the heavens. Divine retribution would instantaneously fall upon him the moment that he tried to do so. However, the most powerful ability that Intuitive Impulse realm experts wielded was their ability to predict the future in advance. If he could not utilize that ability, his fighting prowess would be severelypromised. Since that could not be helped, he would just have to regard this as a simple advancement in his zhenqi and strength. Previously, he would still have struggled a little to confront a Sempiternal realm consummation expert with the Dragonbone Divine Spear. If he wanted to kill the other party, he would have to eitherunch an unexpected assault or use other means to support him. However, with the advancement in his soul cultivation, he could already crush the other party through sheer strength. Hu! Knowing that it would be hard for him to further advance his cultivation within a short period of time, Zhang Xuan was just about to ce the Stone of Divine Crusade back into his storage ring when he heard an anxious voice. Master, can you lend me that stone in your hand? Hearing that voice, Zhang Xuans eyes widened in agitation. Vicious, when did you wake up? he asked anxiously. The voice came from none other than Vicious, who had gone into hibernation while trying to assimte his upper body. Zhang Xuan did not think that the other party would awaken at a time like this. I woke up after sensing the soul energy emanated by the Stone of Divine Crusade. Master, can you lend me that for a use? My soul is currently a little weak, and that stone will help me swiftly recover from my weakness! Vicious requested. Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised to see that Vicious was able to recognize the Stone of Divine Crusade, but considering that he had fought on equal terms with Kong shi in the past, it was indeed likely that he would be well-versed in the treasures of Kong shi. But I have already absorbed all the soul energy in the Stone of Divine Crusade, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. Simr to a spirit stone devoid of spiritual energy, he did not see how the empty Stone of Divine Crusade would be of any use to Vicious. Master, if all the Stone of Divine Crusade is capable of was storing soul energy, it would be unqualified to be considered as one of Kong shis prized possessions. Master, please bring me out and pass the stone to me! Vicious implored. Alright then! Zhang Xuan nodded. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the Book of Heavens Path and ced the Stone of Divine Crusade on it. Hu! The Book of Heavens Path opened, revealing half of Vicious body. With a light tap, the Stone of Divine Crusade flew out and revolved steadily around the Otherworldly Demons who had been killed in the stone forest earlier. Weng! A few momentster, the silhouette on the surface of the Stone of Divine Crusade began moving once more as a brilliant light shone from it. This... The Stone of Divine Crusade is absorbing the souls of others! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Through the Eye of Insight, he could see the Stone of Divine Crusade purifying the souls of the deceased Otherworldly Demons and converting them into concentrated soul energy. Un. The Stone of Divine Crusade has the ability to cleanse and devour souls. To soul cultivators, its a treasure on par with Ancient Sage artifacts. In fact, the Seal of Souls of the Soul Oracle Guild is made out of the same material as the Stone of Divine Crusade! Vicious exined. The Seal of Souls is made out of the same material? Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before widening his eyes in realization. It was no wonder he found the Stone of Divine Crusade rather familiar. So that was the reason! One must know that the Seal of Souls was currently sitting quietly in his storage ring. It was just that he had not really used it yet. To be able to absorb souls and convert them into concentrated soul energy... the ability of the Stone of Divine Crusade is indeed terrifying! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. If all the Stone of Divine Crusade was capable of doing was supplying one with concentrated soul energy between long intervals, it would be unworthy of being called an ultimate treasure. After all, there were probably plenty of resources out there that could substitute it. However, if it was able to recharge swiftly as well by absorbing and cleansing souls, it would indeed be a formidable artifact worthy of bing any major ns family heirloom! You can hold onto it! The ability of the Stone of Divine Crusade could be said to be a malevolent one. However, Zhang Xuan believed that it was foolish to ssify artifacts as malevolent or benevolent. Ultimately, it depended on who was using it. In the hands of a good person, even the most vicious weapon could be used for good. Conversely, in the hands of a bad person, even the most seemingly harmless object could be used for evil. Thinking back, the trial to obtain the Stone of Divine Crusade had been unbelievably harsh. The requirement to clear the stone forest was actually to cultivate a secret art that had reached the level of Heavens Path... and this was a feat impossible for any cultivators without the Library of Heavens Path! Somehow, Zhang Xuan felt as if Kong shi was aware of his existence. It was as if the Stone of Divine Crusade had been left just for him. After all, no one other than him could have reached the Stone of Divine Crusade! Thank you, Master! Vicious thanked Zhang Xuan in agitation. Following which, he began to absorb the soul energy of the Stone of Divine Crusade and reinforce his soul. Chapter 1750 - Apricot Pavilion

Chapter 1750: Apricot Pavilion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 How far has your strength recovered after assimting your upper body? Zhang Xuan asked as he watched Vicious recovering more and more as he absorbed the energy from the Stone of Divine Crusade. Vicious had recovered a great deal by assimting his finger, head, and eyes. Considering how huge his entire upper body was, he should be able to raise his cultivation significantly by assimting it as well. Master, my strength is currently equivalent to a newly ascended Ancient Sage! Vicious replied. Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He had been wondering if Vicious fighting prowess would be raised to Ancient Sage after assimting the upper body, and that was indeed the case! Even if Vicious only wielded strengthparable to a new Ancient Sage, given his previous fighting experience, the chances were that he would be far stronger than the Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon corpse that he had forged. Paired with the Infernal cksaber, that would be equivalent to having a real Ancient Sage protecting him all the time. He would not have to be too worried about his safety for the time being. Un. My upper body has been suppressed under the Sanctum of Sages for tens of thousands of years, and all of the killing intent within has pretty much been squeezed out, leaving behind nothing but pure power. In my current state, I should be able to pass off as a master teacher while using my powers without anyone seeing through it! Vicious added. Thats really great! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. Even with his standing on the Master Teacher Continent, it would still be unsafe for him to get too involved with the Otherworldly Demons. Considering the tension between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, a simple usation that he was colluding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe couldnd him in deep trouble. Thus, as far as he could, he wanted to distance himself from any possible connections with the enemy. Considering how Sage Kui was Kong shis grandstudent, as well as the fact that he had made use of his sculpture and the academic aura in the Sanctum of Sages to suppress Vicious upper body for tens of thousands of years, it was no wonder that the killing intent within had been purified. With this, he would be able to use Vicious without worrying about others misunderstanding him. Alright, Ill leave you to recover your soul. Try to get to your peak as soon as possible! Knowing that he had yet another powerful trump card in his possession, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before making his way out of the stone forest. The opened Temple of Confucius had attracted many Ancient Sages, and it was likely that some of them bore malicious intentions toward him. The stronger Vicious was, the greater the guarantee on his safety. In any case, it would never hurt to be more careful. Stowing his artifacts and tamed beasts away, Zhang Xuan returned to the hall and collected the paintings on the wall one after another. Then, he turned around and headed to the entrance. Leaving the Hall of Divine Crusade, he saw that there was arge group of master teachers outside sitting around the perimeter of the Subordinate Hall, still deeply focused on learning the secret arts inscribed on the walls. Where else could Yuan Tao be if he isnt here? Zhang Xuan frowned. The fact that there were only Otherworldly Demons there meant that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had not been there. If that was the case... where did Yuan Tao go? Zhang Xuan intended to return to the stone forest dimension to continue searching for Yuan Tao when he suddenly felt something. He flicked his wrist and took out his Communication Jade Token. There was a line of words on the token. Zhang Xuan,e to the Apricot Pavilion as soon as you can! A message from Luo Ruoxin? Apricot Pavilion... Where is the Apricot Pavilion? Wait a moment, is it possible to send messages across different dimensions? Zhang Xuan was confused. He had tried when he first arrived, and the conclusion that he hade to was that the Communication Jade Token only worked when they were in the same dimensions. Yet, he had received Luo Ruoxins message... He was certain that the Apricot Pavilion was not in that dimension, or he would have already seen it. When did it be possible to send messages across different dimensions? If it was possible to do so, why had he not been able to reach Luo Ruoxin or his parents earlier on? As if sensing Zhang Xuans doubt, Luo Ruoxin sent another message over. The Apricot Pavilion corresponds to the desert dimension. Ill wait for you in the desert dimension. Desert dimension? Zhang Xuan repeated with a frown. He pondered for a brief moment before returning to the stone forest dimension. As he knew where the various exits were, it did not take him long to backtrack to the desert dimension. At that moment, there was no longer any sweltering heat in the desert dimension. Spiritual energy suffused the area. Except for the fact that there was no greenery or native beasts in the dimension, its environment bore some simrities to the forest dimension that he had been in. Most of the cultivators who had entered the desert dimension chose to sit down on the spot to cultivate, and their hard work had been significantly rewarded. The Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator whom he had been with earlier had achieved a breakthrough to the Sempiternal realm as well after several hours of absence. At the same time, he also looked much younger in terms of appearance. Knowing that this was the mystical effects of the Temple of Confucius, Zhang Xuan did not dwell too much on it. He quickly determined the direction to the oasis and flitted over. It did not take long before he found Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen. Youre here, Luo Ruoxin remarked with a smile. As if seeing right through Zhang Xuans doubts, she exined, The dimensions in the Temple of Confucius have already been opened. Its no surprise that we are able to send messages to one another now that the space has been joined together. The space has been joined together? Zhang Xuan taken aback for a moment before widening his eyes in realization. It seemed like when he opened an exit, he was effectively joining two dimensions together. Considering how master teachers were now able to traverse from dimension to dimension without any trouble, it was not surprising that messages were able to do the same. How did you know that this dimension corresponds to the Apricot Pavilion? Zhang Xuan asked. It was impossible to know what the name of the Subordinate Hall was before entering it. If Luo Ruoxin knew such details about the Temple of Confucius, why did she not tell him in advance? Considering how some people have already been to the exteriors of the Temple of Confucius, it isnt too surprising that I know. Not only so, I have also managed to find out the details of the other Subordinate Halls, Luo Ruoxin said. All in all, the six Subordinate Halls are the Great Kui Hall of Literature, Apricot Pavilion, Twin Auxiliary Halls, Hall of Great Aplishment, Hall of Lull, and Hall of Divine Crusade. Those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers possess the Celestial Amulet of Legacy to enter the Great Kui Hall of Literature, and they have already taken away Kong shis entire collection of books. The Master Teacher Pavilion has the amulet to enter the Twin Auxiliary Halls. The amulets in the possession of the Luo n, Zhang n, and Otherworldly Demonic Tribe correspond to the Hall of Lull, Hall of Great Aplishment, and Hall of Divine Crusade respectively. Those ces have already been opened and explored, leaving only the Apricot Pavilion behind. If Im not mistaken, you are the one who took the crux of the desert dimension away, right? Lets enter the Apricot Pavilion together and see how we can obtain the ultimate treasure of this Subordinate Hall! Are you referring to this seedling? Zhang Xuan asked. Un. Luo Ruoxin nodded in response. We need to hurry up. There are already a couple of people there, and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers are also intending to use Yuan Taos Emperor Bloodline to get into the Apricot Pavilion. Im not too sure what exactly they are intending to do. I understand! Hearing that Yuan Tao was in the area as well, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Lets go in! Luo Ruoxin turned to Wu Chen. Un! Wu Chen nodded before tapping his finger upward. Si! A crack appeared in the space above the oasis, and a spatial passageway formed before their eyes. Vaguely, one could see a grand pce at the very end of the passageway. Tearing apart space with just a single finger? Zhang Xuan frowned. Having been to the desert dimension before, he knew how resilient its space was. At the very least, one had to reach Ancient Sage in order to be able to tear apart its space. Yet, Wu Chen was able to pierce through it with just a single finger, much more easily than what the Infernal cksaber was capable of. Could it be that he had stumbled upon his own fortuitous encounter and sessfully advanced to Ancient Sage? Lets go. Luo Ruoxin noted the confusion in Zhang Xuans eyes, but perhaps because they were in a rush, she did not exin the matter to him. Instead, she took the lead and flew into the spatial passageway. Zhang Xuan followed closely behind her. Just like the previous few times that he had arrived in an exterior of the Temple of Confucius, he found himself standing before a towering building after traveling for some time. There were two massive words inscribed on the entrance que that radiated faint light?Apricot Pavilion! Just as Luo Ruoxin had said, there were a lot of people gathered outside the Apricot Pavilion. There were some from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, some from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and a couple of those from the Beast Tribe as well. Heavy tension weighed in the air although the different parties did note to blows with one another. They seemed to be waiting patiently for the final Subordinate Hall of the Temple of Confucius to be opened. Vaguely, one could feel overwhelming auras lingering in the background. It seemed like the only reason that they were enjoying this eerie, transient peace was because of the Ancient Sages tying one another down. Chapter 1751 - Apricot Tree

Chapter 1751: Apricot Tree

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang shi! As soon as Zhang Xuan arrived in the area as well, Ren shi from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters immediately headed forward to greet him. Following which, the Luo ns Luo Ganzhen, Jiang ns Jiang Fangyou, and a couple other powerhouses from the Master Teacher Continent gathered around him. It seemed like those people had stumbled upon their own fortuitous encounters as well. Just like his parents, they had all reached Sempiternal realm consummation! After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Xuan realized that other than the six outer dimensions and the Subordinate Halls, there were a few unique space-time regions in the Temple of Confucius. Those who managed to stumble upon one would find their flow of time elerating, and oveing the bottlenecks that they faced in their cultivation would be much easier. From the looks of it, it was clear that they had benefited greatly from the Temple of Confucius, and their journey had not been wasted. On the contrary, it seemed like it was only Zhang Xuan, who had been busy wandering around the area and did not spend too much time cultivating, who wasgging behind the others. First and foremost, I should save Yuan Tao... While he was chatting, Zhang Xuan caught sight of Yuan Taos figure amid the crowd where the offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were gathered. Just like Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, Yuan Taos senses had been sealed, so he could not sense that Zhang Xuan was in the vicinity. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was intending to head over, Ren shi hurriedly tried to persuade him. Zhang shi, the Ancient Sages have already announced that the different powers arent to make a move on one another. Anyone who vites the rules will be killed on the spot! Thats a rule that the Ancient Sages decided upon in order to secure the safety of the younger generation. Otherwise, if a battle erupted and all of their geniuses who have a chance of advancing to Ancient Sage were killed, their journey here would have been in vain! Luo Ganzhen added. Given the current circumstances, it would be best not to get into a conflict with them. Besides, with our Ancient Sages around, I doubt that they will dare harm Yuan Tao! This... Zhang Xuan knew that what Luo Ganzhen said was right, but he could not help hesitating. Theyre right, Luo Ruoxin remarked with a smile. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers wont harm Yuan Tao yet. If we make a reckless move here, the situation could take a turn for the worse. It would be better to save him after we enter the Apricot Pavilion, where the Ancient Sages can no longer interfere. Besides, this might also be a good opportunity for Yuan Tao! Good opportunity? Zhang Xuan frowned. Un. The Apricot Pavilion is the area where Kong shi imparted his teachings to others, so his words echo within the entire building. Since the Hundred Schools of Philosophers has kidnapped Yuan Tao, its certain that they have made preparations for something with his Emperor Bloodline. This could be an opportunity for him, and it would be a huge loss if we saved him right now. Taking a step back, even if he is ced in a dangerous position, we can step in and save him at any moment! Luo Ruoxin said. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He did not know that the Apricot Pavilion was the ce where Kong shi had imparted his teachings to others. Back then, when he was still in the Hongyuan Empire, he had made a reputation for himself with his Impartation of Heavens Will by inducing the breakthrough of cultivators, animals, and even nts. Considering that Kong shi was far stronger than him, his teachings were bound to be on a far higher level. It was no wonder a mere root was able to trap so many powerful experts at once. Most likely, the root had also listened to Kong shis teachings, and its sentience blossomed, thus bestowing it extraordinary capabilities! Its going to open very soon! While the few of them were talking among themselves, a loud rumbling sound reminiscent of thunder echoed from the underground. Following which, the seal shrouding the Apricot Pavilion emanated a brilliant sh of light. With the experience from the Hall of Great Aplishment, Zhang Xuan knew that this was a sign that the Subordinate Hall was about to open, and his hands could not help but tremble slightly in anticipation. Weng! Soon, the massive gates slowly creaked open. Lets go! a person amid the crowd bellowed. After that, Yuan Tao made an incision at the tip of his finger and squeezed out a droplet of blood. The energy within the blood swiftly enveloped the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and they began making their way to the seal. They were able to slip right through the seal without any issues. A lot of the Otherworldly Demons also made their way to the seal as well. It was unsure what kind of secret art they used, but shockingly, they were actually able to bypass the seal to enter the Apricot Pavilion! Noting the doubtful look on Zhang Xuans face, Luo Ruoxin telepathically exined, There are some Otherworldly Demons who possess simr constitutions to Yuan Tao. Hearing that, Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Unique constitutions were not a trait unique to just humans. It was not too surprising that the Otherworldly Demons had unique constitutions simr to those of humans. Hu! After the Otherworldly Demons entered, those from the Beast Tribe quickly flew toward the seal as well. Unlike the other two groups, they threw an amulet into the air, and the amulet swiftly enveloped them in a uniqueyer of energy. It was thest Celestial Amulet of Legacy! As many had guessed, it was really in the hands of the Beast Tribe! Lets enter as well! Seeing that most of the powers had entered the Subordinate Hall, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took Little Amulet. He was just about to shroud the entire crowd with the powers of Little Amulet when Wu Chen suddenly sped his fist and said, Mdy and Zhang shi, Ill wait outside for the two of you. After saying those words, he took a step back and retreated from the area shrouded by Little Amulet. As if knowing that Wu Chen would make such a decision, Luo Ruoxin nodded calmly in response. Un. Lets go! He... Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Hes already an Ancient Sage. Even with the powers of the Prime Amulet, he wont be able to enter the Subordinate Hall! Luo Ruoxin exined. As expected... Hearing Luo Ruoxin admitting it, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had guessed that earlier, but to think that it was actually true! It seemed like the Aeon of Ancient Sage in the Hall of Great Aplishment was not the only way for one to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage in the Temple of Confucius. Most likely, Wu Chen had stumbled upon some fortuitous encounter of his own. Hla! Zhang Xuan released some of the tamed beasts from his Myriad Anthive Nest and brought Luo Ganzhen, Jiang Fangyou, and the others into the majestic pce before him instead. Unlike the other Subordinate Halls, whaty beyond the entrance was not a vast room but a courtyard that spanned a diameter of a hundred meters. At the very center was a towering altar locked down by some kind of seal. Nevertheless, an oppressive aura could be felt drifting forth from it, keeping everyone at bay. On the two sides of the towering altar were dozens of apricot trees nted neatly in two rows. It was still in the midst of winter in the Apricot Hall, so the trees had already shed their leaves, leaving behind forlorn branches. The space directly in front of the towering altar was filled with round cushions. With just a swift nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that there were at least three thousand of them. Most likely, this corresponded to Kong shis three thousand students. So, this is the Apricot Pavilion. Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that the ce would appear to be more sacred or deific. Contrary to his expectations, it looked very ordinary. When Kong shi imparted his teachings, his students would be listening below! Luo Ruoxin exined with a nod. Dont underestimate this ce. As shabby as it might appear to you, its actually the most important location in the Temple of Confucius aside from the Prime Hall! Its the most important location aside from the Prime Hall? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. Other than the towering altar and a couple of trees, there was nothing that seemed to be of significance within this courtyard. It did not feel like a ce where treasures would be kept. He honestly could not tell how important this ce was supposed to be. Kong shis Impartation of Heavens Will reached an advanced level. Those cushions and apricot trees likely possess lives of their own. Otherwise, those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would have already charged right ahead to the altar. They wouldnt be standing there motionlessly, clearly biding their time! Luo Ruoxin told Zhang Xuan telepathically. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up in astonishment. When he utilized the Impartation of Heavens Will back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had managed to instill spirit even within ordinary weapons. As such, it was no wonder that Kong shi was able to bestow sentience upon mere cushions and trees. Seeing that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were dawdling in front, refusing to proceed at all, one of the beasts impatiently growled, Are you all heading forward or not? Otherwise, well be making our way over first... If you arent going to enter, well be moving ahead of you. Youd better not dream of snatching whatever treasure we obtain from us, or else well give you hell to pay for! another beast spat coldly. A young man from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, seemingly their leader, chuckled softly and said, Feel free to enter if you wish to. Were intending to wait a little longer! He was none other than the schrly young man whom Zhang Xuan had encountered at the White Creek Mountain, the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Yan Xue. So be it! Seeing that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was really not intending to make a move, the beast harrumphed coldly. A useless bunch of cowards you lot are. Since they dont dare enter, lets go in! With that, the beast began dashing toward the cushions right in front. From experience, the beast knew that even the most ordinary looking object in the Temple of Confucius could possibly be an invaluable treasure. Considering how these cushions had remained perfectly intact even after the passing of tens of thousands of years, there was no doubt that there was something special about them. H! But before the beast could even reach the cushions, the sharp sound of something piercing through the air echoed. It hurriedly turned its head around, only to see a tree branch surging in its direction. The branchs movement was so forceful that it tore a ck rift in its path of motion. Wuuuuuuu! At the same time, a couple of apricot trees marched forward and encircled the beasts. Chapter 1752 - Yan Xue’s Astonishment

Chapter 1752: Yan Xues Astonishment

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A mere couple of trees actually dare to block our path? Dream on! The beast who had spoken earlier raised its talons and swiped it down. Its talons were incredibly sharp, possibly on par with Great Sage artifacts. With its aggressive move, the surrounding space shuddered a little, and small pitch-ck dimension rifts appeared in the air. The talons and fangs of those from the Beast Tribe were top-notch materials for forging Great Sage artifacts. Furthermore, the beast wielded strength on par with the Five Monarchs. Even Sempiternal realm consummation master teachers would have trouble defending against its assault. Under normal circumstances, such sharp talons should have been more than enough to tear the tree branches into shreds. Yet, before those talons could reach their target, a resounding pah sound suddenly echoed in the air. A ringceration appeared on the face of the beast. A tree branch had materialized from nowhere and whipped the beast right in its face! Roar! The burning pain on its face left the beast feeling deeply humiliated and frenzied. It swiped its ws furiously against the tree branches ahead of it, creating a nearly impregnable wall of attacks before it. Despite that, the tree branch was still able to slip past its defenses during crucial moments and urately strikes its areas of weakness. Before long, the body of the beast was already covered with ringcerations, and fresh blood flowed ceaselessly from its body. Seeing that their leader was in a disadvantageous position, the remaining beasts immediately rushed forward to offer their support. However, as tree branches whipped through the air, it did not take long for them to be grounded on the floor,pletely powerless to retaliate at all. This... Seeing such a sight, the eyebrows of the crowd twitched frenziedly. They were unable to believe what they were seeing. Those of the Beast Tribe were known to possess superior physical prowesspared to average cultivators, yet they were all done in by a single apricot tree. Heh! Witnessing such a sight, the schrly young man, Yan Xue, chuckled softly before closing his eyes, as if he had expected things to end in such a manner. A young man from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers walked up to Yan Xue and asked with a suppressed voice, Shall we make a move? If we could save them right now, we might be able to win their gratitude and sessfully tame them. Considering how badly those beasts were being pummeled, if they could intervene at this moment and save them, it was very likely that they could win their goodwill and convince them to serve as their tamed beasts. Theres no need for that. Putting aside the fact that its uncertain whether well be able to save them or not, just the fact that we didnt stop them earlier is enough to turn their hostility toward us, Yan Xue replied calmly. Besides, these apricot trees only serve to halt intruders from proceeding any further. They wont kill anyone, so you dont have to worry! Alright then! The young man nodded. It was indeed likely that those beasts would harbor some grudges toward them for not stopping them when they attempted to advance earlier. Even if they were to step forward and save them right now, those beasts would only take it as if they were trying to humiliate them. In the worst-case scenario, the beasts might even direct their wrath toward them! Those beasts wont be able to get away. Once we seed, they will follow us around obediently. Then, we wont be able to shake them off even if we want to... Yan Xue chuckled softly. At this moment, however, a young man at the very back of the crowd suddenly dashed forward as swift as a bolt of lightning. Hu! In the blink of an eye, he was already right before the beasts. He adeptly weaved a using his zhenqi and dragged all of the beasts out of the attacking range of the apricot trees. Thank you for saving our lives... Knowing that the young man was trying to save them, the beasts turned to him with looks of gratitude. However, contrary to expectations, the young man suddenly dashed right into their midst and... Pilip! Fists and kicks were hurled here and there. The beasts were stunned. Those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were stunned as well. They had thought that the young man had saved those beasts in order to win their goodwill and sessfully recruit them to his side. Yet, after saving them from the whipping branches of the apricot trees, he proceeded to pummel them by himself. What the heck? The apricot trees also stared at one another in confusion. The tree branches that they had extended to teach the young man a lesson for interfering in their affairs retracted in apprehension. They had thought that the young man was trying to save those beasts from them, but it turned out that he wanted to pummel them as well! Was it because their whipping had awakened something in the depths of his heart and he wanted to give it a try? This is our opportunity! Yan Xue was stunned for a moment before a confident smile crept onto his lips. He immediately turned to the other offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and urged, Those beasts are being unjustly tortured by that young man over there! As long as we step forward to stop that young man, well be able to win their gratitude and loyalty! Yes! Hearing those words, the crowd nodded in agreement. The beasts there had all reached Sempiternal realm consummation. Taming any one of them would mean a massive surge in their fighting prowess. If they could return to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers with even one of them, their standing would surely rise through the ranks! Lets save those beasts from the distress they are in! Thus, the young men hurriedly rushed forward and brandished the swords in their hands toward the young man physically abusing those beasts. What are you doing? Stop your ridiculous actions! Its fate that we met here. Friends from the Beast Tribe, we cant watch idly as you are bullied by this young man! Friends from the Beast Tribe, we are here to save you! The young men issued resounding derations, spouting righteous words one after another. In that moment, they seemed like heroes who had taken it upon themselves to vanquish the world of evil. Those fellows sure catch on fast. Yan Xue nodded in approval. They know what they have to do in order to win the gratitude of those beasts. As long as they win the goodwill of the beasts, it will be much easier for them to tame them afterward. He was just about to continue issuing a few more orders to direct the situation when his eyes suddenly bulged out of his eyes. An utterly horrified expression appeared on his face as an expletive escaped from his mouth. Sh*t! What the heck is happening now? Before the swords of hisrades could even strike the young man pummeling those beasts, the beasts roared furiously. They swiped their ws and swept their tails toward hisrades, and in the blink of an eye, the geniuses of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were lying on the ground, bruised all over. Not only so, the de facto leader of the Beast Tribe even howled in fury. What the heck are you lot from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers trying to pull? Try hindering us one more time from getting pummeled, and I swear that Ill eat all of you alive! This bunch of idiots! Cant you all see that we are enjoying the pummeling that this expert is bestowing upon us? Shameless hero wannabes! Scram and stop bothering us! The beasts bellowed with the utmost fury. After sending the crowd flying, they turned back to the young man and pitifully pleaded, Please continue to hit us as hard as you can! Please! Harder! Harder! ... Yan Xue and the others clutched their hair in frenzy. The eyes of the Otherworldly Demons also grew as wide as chicken eggs, and they even forgot to gulp down their saliva. The apricot trees had also stopped moving, and their branches had fallen to the wintry ground out of utter shock. It was as if they could not process what was going on. Those of the Beast Tribe had always been known to be haughty and egoistical. Why in the world were they deriving joy from being pummeled like that? There had been cries of agony, not cries of delight, when the apricot trees were pummeling them earlier. Did something weird awaken in them during this short period of time? Submit to me, and Ill beat you up whenever I have time! Zhang Xuan waved his hand grandly. The hide of the beasts was a little too thick. His hand was starting to hurt from all the pummeling that he had done. That would be our pleasure! Paying respects to Master! Long live our Master! Woo... Hu! The next moment, all of the beasts kneeled onto the ground with proud looks on their faces. It was clear that they did not think that it was beneath them to acknowledge the young man as their master. Kacha! Yan Xue tugged out a clump of hair from the top of his head, but too overwhelmed with shock, he could not feel anything at all. The heck! What the hell are you all feeling so proud about! You are going to be someones tamed beasts! No matter how high your standing may be, it doesnt change the fact that you are a mere pet. A pet, do you get it? Is this something to be happy about? To actually submit to someone else after being pummeled... When did those of the Beast Tribe be so easy to tame? After taming the beasts, the young man waved his hand before walking into the midst of the apricot trees. Alright, I have exacted vengeance for you! Seeing how the young man had be so bloated up after taming those beasts, Yan Xue could not help but sneer coldly. Hes courting death! Whatever tricks he had used on the beasts in order to tame them, there was no way that it would work on the apricot trees. Those apricot trees were existences that had heard Kong shis teachings! Confronting them was no different from courting death! Before Yan Xues contemptuous gaze, the young man had finally arrived right before the apricot trees. H! The apricot trees swiftly encircled the young man, leaving no room for thetter to retreat at all. Chapter 1753 - Dictum of Absolute Truth, Decree to Dictate Spring and Autumn

Chapter 1753: Dictum of Absolute Truth, Decree to Dictate Spring and Autumn

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The young man who had tamed the beasts and stepped into the midst of the apricot trees was, of course, none other than Zhang Xuan. Seeing that there were so many beasts who wielded strength on par with the Five Monarchs, there was no way that he was going to pass on this ideal opportunity to bolster his forces. Thus, when he saw the tree branches whipping them viciously, his first reaction had been to dash forward and save them before pummeling them himself. Through injecting the Heavens Path zhenqi into their bodies, he was able to heal their injuries and remove whatever traumas were within their bodies. His actions had immediately won him the respect and gratitude of the beasts, and they had willingly acknowledged him as their master. At that very moment, he waspletely surrounded by a thickyer of apricot trees. They were eyeing him intently, and it seemed as if they wouldsh him dead the moment that he showed an opening. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan did not panic at all. Instead, he flicked his wrist and took out a jade-like root. Hu! It was as if the apricot trees had seen a seal of approval, and they quickly opened up a path for Zhang Xuan to pass through. Zhang Xuan had intended on passing right through the opened path, but he suddenly halted and pondered for a moment. Then, he sent a telepathic message to the apricot trees. Wait a moment. The reason you are so powerful is that you listened to Kong shis teachings, right? Why dont I conduct a lecture for you, too? The apricot trees were so formidable because they had listened to Kong shis teachings. Previously, Zhang Xuan had wondered if Kong shi had the Library of Heavens Path as well, especially given the fact that thetter was able to cultivate a technique at the level of Heavens Path. Since these apricot trees had heard Kong shis teachings before, they should be able to deem whether his lecture or Kong shis was better. This could serve as a gauge for him to determine whether Kong shi really possessed the Library of Heavens Path or not. It was an indirect manner of doing so, but this was the best he could do at the moment. Hu? The apricot trees shook their branches in confusion. We have already opened up a path for you to pass. Why do you still want to conduct a lecture for us? Paying no heed to the confusion of the apricot trees, Zhang Xuan began on his lecture. The path of cultivation isnt just limited to men and beasts. nts are able to seek enlightenment through cultivation as well... Hla? The apricot trees were a little perplexed at the start, but after listening to a portion of the lecture, they began to dance excitedly around the area. It seemed as if they could not curb the overflowing exhration in their hearts! The content of the other partys lecture was as deep and profound as Kong shis, and every single word that he spoke seemed to hammer right into the core of their existence. In other words... while the young man before them might not seem like anything much, in terms of imparting knowledge, he was already on par with Kong shi! While Zhang Xuan was busy imparting knowledge to the apricot trees, Yan Xue, the other offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and the Otherworldly Demons frowned in iprehension to the bizarre situation before them. They had expected that fellow to be whipped viciously once he stepped into the midst of the apricot trees, simr to what had happened with the beasts. Yet, contrary to their expectations, the apricot trees did not make a move on him at all. Instead, they seemed to have fallen into a daze. Hes sat down. He seems to be saying something... Is he conducting a lecture for the apricot trees? shouted someone in the crowd. Upon hearing those words, the crowd swiftly noticed that the lips of the young man were moving nonstop. It was hard to tell what he was sayingit could have been a lecture, or he might just have been conversing with the apricot trees. Hu! Before they could recover from their shock, a few apricot trees suddenly lowered all of their tree branches on the ground, as if earnestly paying respect to the young man before them. They are trees that have heard Kong shis teachings, yet... they are acknowledging the young mans lecture? Everyone was stunned. These were trees that had grown to Sempiternal realm consummation listening to Kong shis lectures. They were strong enough to subdue any cultivators in the same realm as them... So, why in the world were they so obedient toward the young man? This did not make sense at all! Hong long long! At this moment, the ground suddenly quaked. Following which, the crowd saw the wilting leaves fallen on the ground standing up one after another, and they sprinted agitatedly toward the young man, as if drawn in by his teachings. Even tree leaves are able to benefit from his teachings? The crowd felt as if the boundary between reality and fantasy had been blurred. It was one thing if trees were able to listen to his lecture. After all, Kong shi had imparted his teachings there for many years, so it was no wonder that the trees had gradually be sentient and gained the ability to cultivate. But those tree leaves... they were already half wilted, and they were on the verge of returning to the earth at any moment. Yet, they were still able to run over to listen to the lecture! Was this not a little too exaggerated? A thought suddenly shed across Yan Xues mind as he eximed in astonishment, Wait a moment. These trees have already reached Sempiternal realm consummation... so why would they still shed leaves? More importantly, why would these leaves wilt? This... Hearing those questions, the crowd behind was stunned. Indeed! If the tree was able to reach this level of cultivation, every single one of its branches and leaves wasparable to Great Sage artifacts. Be it spring, summer, autumn, or winter, the changing of the seasons would not be able to faze it at all! Perhaps the fallen leaves and their wilting might just be a natural process it follows... In other words, when springes, these leaves automatically return to the branches instead of growing out new ones! Yan Xue remarked deeply. Barely after he finished his words, the wilted leaves that were in the midst of listening to Zhang Xuans lecture suddenly shuddered a little. Following which, they flew atop the branches of the apricot trees, and their yellowish exterior gradually returned to their former lush green. At the same time, the apricot trees seemed to have weed a new spring. A youth from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers suddenly recalled something, and he gulped in shock. Dictum of Absolute Truth, Decree to Dictate Spring and Autumn 1 ... this is an ability that only Kong shi possessed... Legend had it that while Kong shi was traveling around the world, he stumbled upon an old tree that had withered to death. Out ofpassion, he held a lecture beneath the old tree, and not longter, the old tree was born anew. Strength and vitality returned to its trunk, fresh green leaves began sprouting on the branches, and delectable fruits grew from blossoming flowers. The old tree had ushered in its new spring. Out of awe for Kong shis deeds, his students came up with the analogy Decree to Dictate Spring and Autumn... Could it be that the young man before them possessed such an ability as well? This isnt Dictum of Absolute Truth! The old tree that Kong shi lectured under was already dead whereas these apricot trees are all Sempiternal realm experts. How can the two feats possibly bepared to one another? Yan Xue eximed through gritted teeth. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers boasted the mostplete heritage from Kong shi. Yet, it was ironic how they ended up finding themselvespletely helpless in the Temple of Confucius. On the other hand, the fellow was able to make astonishing moves one after another. This had left Yan Xue feeling deeply humiliated. Yan Xue, since the apricot trees and the leaves are in the midst of listening to that fellows lesson, cant we make use of this opportunity to slip through? It not now, when else should we strike? a young man said to Yan Xue telepathically. This... Hesitation surfaced in Yan Xues eyes. There was some truth to what the young man had told him. The greatest obstruction to them was those apricot trees, and their attention was focused on the young man before them. This was indeed an ideal opportunity for them to strike. Yan Xue pondered for a moment longer, but he still felt a little worried about the matter. Thus, he turned to the young man who had proposed the idea earlier and said, You can give it a try then... The young man nodded in agreement before making his way forward. Sou sou sou! However, before he could even get close to the apricot trees, a sharp moaning sound suddenly resonated in the air. Turning his head anxiously, he saw a huge chunk of tree leaves darting right his way! Pu! In an instant, the young man found his chest impaled by dozens of leaves, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth. Everything happened too quickly. Before the thought of retaliating could even formte in his mind, he was already severely injured! Silence! No one had thought that the tree leaves would be so powerful. After witnessing the sight, no one in the area dared to step forward. Yan Xues lips quivered in shock. For a very long time, he was unable to find any words. He had thought that it was an opportunity for them to strike, but who would have thought that the tree leaves would remain fully on guard even while they were in the midst of listening to the fellows lecture? It seemed like they were determined not to allow anyone to get past them. A wind... The crowd was plunged into silence. Just as everyone was at aplete loss as to what to do, a light breeze suddenly whistled from the distance, and it lightly caressed their faces. However, it swiftly grew stronger and stronger, to the point that the tree leaves began rustling noisily. Soon, the earth also started to quake as well. Look! Everyone hurriedly raised their heads, and they saw that the altar nearby had started radiating a blinding light. There seemed to be a figure floating quietly in the air. Following which, a grand voice filled the air. T-this is... the Empyrean Resonance! Its finally here... Yan Xues eyes lit up as his body trembled in agitation. Chapter 1754 - Yuan Tao Lifts the Altar

Chapter 1754: Yuan Tao Lifts the Altar

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan turned his head over and saw a silhouette on the towering altar conducting a lecture. His words were few, and they were extremely difficult to hear andprehend at the start. However, as those words struck his consciousness, the doubts that he had harbored regarding cultivation seemed to suddenly clear up. It was as if he had just spent years immersed within a sea of knowledge, bringing hisprehension of cultivation to a far profounder level. This... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and his eyes widened in surprise. He could vaguely sense the intentions behind those indistinct words. They were the interpretation of Heavens Path techniques verbalized in a concise and very understandable manner, such that any cultivator could easily assimte it into their field of knowledge. In imparting the wisdom contained within Heavens Path techniques to others, it was clear that Kong shi had achieved a far higher level than him! It was his belief that even though his cultivation was beneath Kong shi, his ability to impart knowledge did not pale too much inparison to thetter. However, upon hearing the words of the silhouette, he realized that they were not even standing on the same level at the very start! This is Kong shis Simple Words of Profound Wisdom! Luo Ruoxins voice suddenly appeared beside Zhang Xuans ears. Turning around, Zhang Xuan realized that Luo Ruoxin hade right beside him at some point in time. Simple Words of Profound Wisdom? Zhang Xuan repeated Luo Ruoxins words with a hint of confusion in his voice. Its using the simplest words to depict the most profound logic. His ability to impart knowledge reached a levelparable to the teachings of heavens, Luo Ruoxin said. Theres no denying that Kong shi is a person of great talent, perhaps even surpassing you! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The words spoken by the silhouette were simple, but they contained the deepest understanding of the world. They brought epiphanies to their listeners, making them aware of things that they had never even considered. The blue sky, the four seasons, so on, and so forth; there are many phenomena that are very natural to us, and we take them for granted. Its inevitable that we think that we know them very well, but when we try to exin why it is so, we find ourselves unable to verbalize them in a manner thats convincing and credible. This was simr to the case of Heavens Path techniques. Beneath their deceptively simplistic exterior, they contained innumerable transformations and profound logic in order to overwhelm any opponent with apparent ease. Simplifying the profound had never been an easy task, and it would continue to trouble future generations of master teachers. Yet, Kong shi actually managed to do it! Finally making sense of what was going on, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a certain matter, and he turned to the youngdy beside him and asked, How were you able toe here? Even while he was imparting knowledge to the apricot trees, thetter would still attack whoever dared get close. How did Luo Ruoxin manage toe to his side? The phantasm left behind by Kong shi has started its lecture, and those apricot trees and leaves have gone to listen, Luo Ruoxin exined with a smile. Only at that moment did Zhang Xuan realize that the apricot trees, which had gathered respectfully around him a moment earlier, were already standing beneath the towering altar. They swayed ceaselessly along with the slight breeze, and it was hard to tell whether they were shaking out of agitation or twitching. ... Zhang Xuan felt a suffocating sensation in his chest. In the past, it had always been those who listened to his lecture that became uninterested in the lectures of others. But this time around, the tables had turned. Even after the long lecture that he had conducted, the apricot trees and leaves still left him for a couple of words from Kong shi. Hula! Just as Zhang Xuan was feeling a little ufortable on the inside, the Otherworldly Demons and Hundred Schools of Philosophers in the area suddenly rushed forward and sat down on the round cushions in front of the towering altar. Is this the opportunity that they have been waiting for? Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before realization struck him. Ever since they entered the Apricot Pavilion, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had opted to remain in the outer perimeters of the courtyard, refusing to step in as if they were waiting for something. From the looks of it, they had been waiting for Kong shi to begin his lecture. While the altar where Kong shi imparts his teachings from is made out of ordinary materials, years of Kong shis lectures blessed the altar with his spirit and power, forming some kind of phantasm, Luo Ruoxin exined. Rather than saying that the silhouette on the altar is Kong shi, it would be more urate to say that it is traces left behind of him over time. At specific times, the phantasm activates, and it begins conducting a lecture. Even though these apricot trees and leaves have listened to this lecture many times over, they are still able to gain new insights from it each time around, thus filling them with anticipation each time it happens. This is also the greatest strength of Simple Words of Profound Wisdom! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. This was also the greatest difference between Kong shi and Zhang Xuans lectures. The crux of Simple Words of Profound Wisdom was not to tear down a concept into bite-sized pieces so that even a child couldprehend it. Rather, it served to deliver a profound concept in an easier to understand manner while still evoking deeper thoughts within one, allowing one to form ones own perspective and viewpoint. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans lectures were too explicit and direct, and as a result, they lost some of their meaning. It was true that simplifying a concept would make it much moreprehensible, but if done to extremities, it would only encourage rote learning and stifle creativity. Your lessons are too detailed, and theyre filled with your own interpretation of the topic, Luo Ruoxin said. Other cultivators will adopt your line of thought strictly and emte your cultivation style, effectively creating models made out of the same mold. On the other hand, Kong shis Simple Words of Profound Wisdom encourage cultivators to formte their own interpretation of a topic through the knowledge that he has imparted, and through doing so, hes able to nurture many different types of experts! Cultivation should not and must not be a process of emtion. If a teacher imposed their system of cultivation and ideologies upon their student, they would be robbing their student of the chance to unleash their imagination and form their own interpretation of matters. In truth, simple words were more than enough. What a student truly required was a spark to set them upon a path. Only when they were walking paths that they had selected themselves would they be more likely to reach heights that no other had ever reached. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded deeply in agreement. He could not help but turn to the youngdy before him with a slightlyplicated look in his eyes. Despite the time that they had spent together, the youngdy still remained aplete mystery to him. The more he came to know her, the more there seemed to be to her. It was as if he was swimming across a vast ocean. No matter how far he swam, the shore was nowhere in sight. Her words seemed to be casual, but often, they would point him in a direction, as if a mentor guiding a mentee quietly by the side. He knew that she would not reveal her identity even if he probed her, so he sighed deeply inwardly before asking, Arent you going to listen to Kong shis lecture? As Zhang Xuan cultivated the same Heavens Path techniques as Kong shi, the lecture by the phantasm was not valuable to him. However, the same could not be said for Luo Ruoxin. This lecture is just the start. In a moment, we should be able to see some movements from Yuan Tao. If things go well, he might just be able to get something good out of this, Luo Ruoxin said. Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded. Previously, Luo Ruoxin had said that there was a chance that this would be a fortuitous encounter for Yuan Tao, but nothing had happened so far even after Kong shis phantasm had started on a lecture. Most likely, the main show had not started. Intrigued, Zhang Xuan scanned the area to look for Yuan Tao, only to see thetter walking silently toward the towering alter with a dazed look in his eyes. He has sealed his senses, so hes unable to hear Kong shis lecture... Zhang Xuan was first slightly stumped by Yuan Taos bizarre actions before widening his eyes in realization. There were so many experts there, and as soon as they heard Kong shis voice, they immediately took their seats on the round cushions to listen obediently to the lecture. Despite that, Yuan Tao was still able to move. Most likely, this had something to do with his sealing of senses. Since he was unable to hear Kong shis voice, it was no wonder that he had remained unaffected. Geji! Geji! Walking up to the towering altar, Yuan Tao suddenly lowered his arms and exerted immense pressure upward. It seemed like he was trying to forcefully pry something out of the ground. This... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had been wondering what Yuan Tao was up to, but to think that he was intending to take the entire altar! This is the altar where Kong shi imparts his teachings. It has long surpassed mortality, so ordinary zhenqi wont be able to faze it, Luo Ruoxin said. As one who possesses the Emperor Bloodline, Yuan Tao boasts astonishing strength even without the augmentation of zhenqi. Theres no better candidate than him to move the altar! As long as one is able to take this altar away, through Kong shis phantasm, one will be able to produce generations of experts with ease... Hula! Yuan Taos strength poured forth, and under the tremendous might propping it up, the towering altar shook nonstop. Eventually, it began to budge and rise from the ground. Chapter 1755 - Strike Down the Phantasm!

Chapter 1755: Strike Down the Phantasm!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Weng weng! Seeing the altar being plucked off the ground sent the apricot trees into a rage. In an instant, branches and leaves shot forth to strike down Yuan Tao. This is bad... Zhang Xuans face warped in horror. He had witnessed the prowess of the apricot trees and their leaves earlier. Even he would have sustained severe injuries if he was struck, let alone Yuan Tao, whose cultivation was far lower than his. Zhang Xuan wanted to dash forward to save him, only to be stopped by a tug on his wrist. Turning his head, he saw Luo Ruoxin shaking her head at him. He was deeply conflicted within, but he knew that Luo Ruoxin had her reasons for stopping him. Trusting her, he chose to suppress his worries and watch how the situation unfolded. Weng! The branches and leaves had already arrived by Yuan Taos side at that moment. In response to their assault, a light hum echoed from Yuan Taos body as he seemed to have activated some kind of defensive barrier. A warm glow wrapped itself around his body and materialized in the form of light armor. The armor was not too thick, but no matter how the branches and leaves struck the armor, they were unable to prate it. Is that the Panoply of Golden Words of the Ancient Sages? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had heard of this before. Simr to the Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy, the Panoply of Golden Words was a kind of manifestation of an Ancient Sages power in the form of armor that was imprable by anyone beneath Ancient Sage. It seemed like the experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had foreseen the dangers in retrieving the altar, so they had prepared such a trick in order to protect Yuan Tao. Pipah! However, under the furiousshing of the apricot trees, the Panoply of Golden Words shrouding Yuan Tao gradually faded. It was ultimately still a manifestation of energy, so it would eventually be depleted especially when ced under furious assault. Rise! Even though Yuan Taos six senses were sealed, which made it nigh impossible for him to perceive his surroundings, he was still somehow able to sense the aggressionunched against him. With a furious roar, he pushed his strength to its very limits. Xiong xiong xiong! The Emperor Bloodline coursing through his body ignited, and the avatar of a Longxi 1 manifested vaguely behind him. Its head was held high toward the sky, and its feet were pressed firmly into the earth. The manifestation of the avatar seemed to have granted Yuan Tao even more strength. At the same time, the bottleneck in his cultivation was suddenly torn down amid the immense pressure that he was under, causing his cultivation to surge. Even though he had awakened his Emperor Bloodline, his cultivation had been stuck at the Aureate Body realm for a very long time. However, due to the immense pressure that he was under, he was forced to his very limits, which eventually led to a breakthrough. Geji! Geji! Yuan Taos strength grew along with the surge in his cultivation, allowing him to lift the altar significantly higher. It seemed like its connection with the earth would be severed very soon. Incredible... Zhang Xuanplimented deeply. Currently, Yuan Tao was relying on the solidity of the world to draw upon tremendous strength. As long as his feet did not leave the surface of the ground, it seemed like he wouldmand boundless might. Was this the true prowess of the Emperor Bloodline? As long as he was grounded, no one would be able to breach his defenses or ovee his might, as if a true conqueror. The Emperor Bloodline is of the earth attribute. Tapping into the weight of the earth, those of the Emperor Bloodline are able to bring forth superior fighting prowess. If the bloodline was fully awakened, it would be no weaker than Wei Ruyans Innate Poison Body or Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body, Luo Ruoxin remarked with a nod of her head. You have the Terra Qilin with you, right? Retrieve its blood essence. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He quickly established connection with the Five Monarchs in the Myriad Anthive Nest, and before long, a few droplets of blood essence were floating in front of him. The Five Monarchs of the forest dimension corresponded to the Five Elements, and the Terra Qilin happened to correspond to the earth attribute. Infuse the blood essence into Yuan Taos be, Luo Ruoxin instructed. Zhang Xuan flicked his finger. Wuwu! The blood essence of the Terra Qilin immediately darted toward the fatty attempting to lift the altar and right into his be. Huhuhu! As soon as the blood essence fused with Yuan Taos body, it seemed as if his bloodline had been set aze. The Longxi avatar floating above Yuan Tao seemed to have taken in some huge nourishment, and it swiftly grewrger and more tangible. As it stomped on the ground, it felt as if it could bear even the weight of the heavens on its shoulders. Kacha! The connection between the altar and the ground was finallypletely severed. Yuan Tao sessfully tore the altar away from the Apricot Pavilion! An intense quaking in the surroundings quickly followed, and the voiceing from the phantasm on top of the altar faltered. The crowd listening to the lecture from the round cushions were jolted out from their trance states, bewildered by the happenings around them. What the hell are you doing? You are seeking death! The Otherworldly Demons roared furiously. Kong shis teachings were all-epassing, and the earlier lecture was beneficial to their cultivation. Yet, that fellow had actually lifted the altar and interrupted their cultivation. That was as good as stripping them of their opportunity to push for a breakthrough! The Otherworldly Demons were mortal as well, and they desired to obtain greater strength and advance to greater heights! This was a fortuitous encounter for them, and they felt entitled to it! Stop them! Yan Xuemanded calmly, and those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers immediately took their stance around Yuan Tao to protect them. It was their n to have Yuan Tao prop up the altar and carry it away. They would not allow anyone to interfere with their ns at this crucial moment. With both sides ring at one another furiously, heavy tension drifted in the air. It seemed as if a battle would break out at any moment. Kacha! Zhang Xuan was not bothered about the conflict between the two of them, so he turned his gaze toward Yuan Tao. However, at that moment, the Panoply of Golden Words around Yuan Tao finally sumbed to the relentless assault from the apricot trees and shattered into fragments. Sh*t... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in horror. Yuan Tao had been able to stand his ground due to the protection of the armor around him. However, now that it had shattered, would he not swiftly lose his life under the offense of the apricot trees and leaves? Dont worry, theres someone who is even more anxious than you... Luo Ruoxin chuckled softly. Right after those words were spoken, Yan Xue suddenly took out a huge cloak and tossed it toward Yuan Tao, wrapping thetters body in it. Weng! Once again, the attacks from the tree branches and leaves were deflected from Yuan Taos body. This is... an artifact left behind by the Ancient Sages? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He could tell that it was a top-notch defensive artifact. Not even the Infernal cksaber would be able to shatter it in a single blow. As expected of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. The treasures that they had in their possession sure were numerous. Kacha! Kacha! With the protection of the cloak, Yuan Tao had even more time. Carrying the heavy altar in his hands, he toiled out of the Apricot Pavilion. As the altar moved, the phantasm on top wavered unsteadily. This is the moment. Zhang Xuan, strike down that phantasm and insert it into Yuan Taos body, Luo Ruoxin instructed. Alright! Zhang Xuan leaped past the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and Otherworldly Demons to arrive right on top of the altar. Most cultivators from the Master Teacher Continent and perhaps even Otherworldly Demons as well would be filled with deference for the artifacts that Kong shi had left behind, buting from another world, Zhang Xuan did not share their sentiments. With a thrust of his palm, the phantasm lost its bnce and fell from the top of the altar. Following which, Zhang Xuan wrapped the phantasm with his Heavens Path zhenqi and guided its movements. H! Everything happened in an instant, so those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had no time to react at all. Before anyone could make a move, the phantasm was struck right into Yuan Taos be. There was a brief moment of absolute silence before a hugemotion broke out in the area. What the heck are you doing? Yan Xues goosebumps rose up from the sheer horror of what he had just seen, and he roared maniacally. The reason that they had attempted to steal the altar was to acquire the phantasm, but the young man had actually struck the phantasm into Yuan Taos body. Overwhelming indignation and rage flooded Yan Xues mind, and he was actually lost for a moment. It waspletely ridiculous! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan quietlynded on the ground and returned to where he had stood earlier. However, he then saw Yuan Taos body expanding furiously after epting the phantasm. His plump body further swelled up into a balloon, such that it seemed as if he would rise into the air at any moment. Geji! Geji! In the blink of an eye, he had already bepletely round. His height and width exceeded two meters, and he looked like a massive boulder. What is going on? Zhang Xuan was stunned by the changes in Yuan Taos body. Never in his wildest dream did he think that something like this would actually happen. Chapter 1756 - Failure?

Chapter 1756: Failure?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan quickly turned to Luo Ruoxin, only to see her directing a smile of assurance toward him. It seemed like she had known that this would happen right from the start. Knowing that this was not an unexpected development, Zhang Xuan internally heaved a sigh of relief before looking at Yuan Tao worriedly once more. Thetters body was still continuing to bloat up. In less than a minute, his height had already shot up to eight meters tall, and it seemed as if he would blow up at any moment. Should worste to worst, Zhang Xuan was prepared to step in at any moment to save his student. This is a trial for him. If hes able to take in the phantasm, hell be able to rise above the rest, Luo Ruoxin said telepathically. Take in the phantasm? Zhang Xuan was surprised to hear those words. A thought shed through his mind, and he narrowed his eyes in shock. Do you mean that... Yuan Tao is currently trying to assimte the phantasm into his body? Zhang Xuan had wrapped the phantasm together with his Heavens Path zhenqi before striking it into Yuan Taos body. He had thought that he would only be temporarily storing the phantasm inside Yuan Taos body, but based on what Luo Ruoxin was saying... Yuan Tao was trying to assimte the phantasm. The phantasm was a manifestation of Kong shis many years of lectures! It was impossible to gauge how powerful it was in terms of energy, but the knowledge of cultivation and battle techniques that it boasted would leave anyone frenzied over it! Just the lengths that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had gone to in order to acquire the altar gave a good idea as to how invaluable the phantasm was! Assimting that trove of knowledge was a far greater fortuitous encounter than even advancing ones cultivation to Ancient Sage! The Terra Qilin is a beast tamed by Kong shi himself, and it serves as the crux of a portion of the Temple of Confucius. It shares a simr origin as the phantasm, thus allowing the phantasm to fuse wlessly together with it. You have already done what you can as a teacher. As for how far he can go, thats something that hell have to decide on his own! Luo Ruoxin remarked as she gazed at Yuan Tao calmly. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva. His girlfriend sure was extraordinary! There was probably no one on the Master Teacher Continent would ever dream of viting a phantasm left behind by Kong shi. Yet, his girlfriend had actually designed a ploy to allow Yuan Tao to assimte the phantasm into his body. This was really unthinkable! Previously, he had thought that she was an expert from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. However, from the looks of it, that was unlikely to be the case. There was no way an offspring from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would treat Kong shis phantasm in such a manner. Spit it out right now! At the same time, Yan Xue and the others finally managed to make sense of what was happening, and their faces reddened in fury. It looked as if they would explode at any moment. They had put in great effort in order to bring the altar and phantasm over... But who would have thought that despite all their nning, the treasure would end up going into someone elses belly? H! Yan Xue was unable to take it anymore. He whipped out a sword and directed it toward the heart of the bloated Yuan Tao from behind. As he drove his sword forward, it produced a metallic resonance in the air, as if he was weaving his sword through the surroundings. With each movement of his sword, it seemed to gain greater strength and speed, as if the very world was augmenting his swordsmanship. Despite his young age, it seemed like he hadprehended Sword Quintessence... and just like Zhang Xuan, it seemed like he had grasped at least two of them! Humph! Witnessing Yan Xues attack, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and he harrumphed coldly. He drew the Dragonbone Divine Spear and darted in front with a swift flit, appearing behind his student in an instant. Raising his arm, he pushed the spear forward with astounding momentum. With Zhang Xuans soul cultivation having reached Intuitive Impulse realm consummation, he was already able to stand toe-to-toe with Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators without a problem. Ding ding ding ding! The tip of his spear met Yan Xues de. In the blink of an eye, they collided with one another multiple times. A frightening shockwave rippled into the surroundings, crushing everything in its path. Even space seemed to be creaking under barrage of attacks as small dimension rifts appeared in the area. Zhang Xuan, do you know what you are doing? Without Kong shis phantasm sealing the area, the entire Temple of Confucius will lose its grounding! This space will swiftly be struck by a space-time turbulence, and we could be permanently stuck in the rifts of space-time, unable to return to reality! Yan Xue bellowed furiously as heunched frenzied assaults one after another. Since you know the consequences, why did you still make my student steal Kong shis phantasm? Completely unfazed by Yan Xues questioning, Zhang Xuan replied calmly as he fended perfectly against Yan Xues attacks. In the first ce, it was the Hundred Schools of Philosophers who concocted the entire scheme to steal the altar, but when something did not go ording to their ns, they immediately pointed their fingers to him instead. Was this how the descendants of the seventy-two Sages conducted themselves? I admit that we are the ones who first attempted to steal the phantasm, but we have other motives... Before Yan Xue could finish, an overpowering aura suddenly swept across the area. It was as if huge tidal waves were crashing around the area, interrupting the battle between the two of them. Sou sou sou! Both Zhang Xuan and Yan Xue were forced to part and retreat a far distance away from one another. Zhang Xuan quickly drove the Heavens Path zhenqi through his body to heal his injuries before standing up to look at the very center of the overpowering aura. He saw that Yuan Taos height had already risen beyond ten meters, and it seemed as if he was a giant who wielded peerless strength in the world. H! Raising his head and howling ferociously, Yuan Tao swallowed the avatar of Longxi above his head. The next moment, his aura began to surge steadily. Aureate Body realm intermediate stage... Advanced stage... Pinnacle... Perfection... Consummation! Intuitive Impulse realm intermediate stage... Advanced stage... Pinnacle... Perfection... Consummation! Sempiternal realm... In the blink of an eye, Yuan Tao had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation! Even so, his strength was still surging, showing no signs of halting. Is he going to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage now? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in agitation. He did not think that this would be such a huge fortuitous encounter for his student. At this rate, Yuan Tao could very well exceed Zhao Ya and the others and reach Ancient Sage! The energy required to reach Ancient Sage it simply too great. His umtion is too low at the moment, so itll be hard for him to do so. Luo Ruoxin shook her head with a deep look in her eyes. Furthermore, the Aeon of Ancient Sage is required in order to push for a breakthrough, and there isnt such a thing here. Dont worry, I am here! Knowing that this was a rare opportunity for his student, there was no way that he would allow this chance to slip through his fingers. Without any hesitation, he flicked his finger and sent a jade bottle toward Yuan Tao. Tzzzz! As soon as the jade bottle came before Yuan Tao, its cap opened, and crimson droplets flowed into his mouth. Before long, tremendous energy was coursing through Yuan Taos body, granting him the strength that he required to push for a higher realm. Blood of the Ancient Sages! Fortunately, he had acquired quite a few droplets of Ancient Sage blood after scheming against the Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. This was the ideal situation to use them. At the same time, he opened the Canvas of Four Seasons and allowed the Aeon of Ancient Sage to flow out into the surroundings. Kacha! With these two factors in ce, Yuan Taos on-the-verge-of-exploding body seemed to have finally burst through the resilient bottleneck holding him back, and his aura surged once more. His aura became so powerful that it seemed like clouds would billow and thunder would rumble at a wave of his hand. Even space did not seem to be able to restrain his might any longer. Hong long! A cultivation ordeal appeared. Heavenly me and lightning gushed down from the sky as if it was the end of the world. Even Yan Xue and the others, who wanted to force Yuan Tao into spitting out the phantasm, did not dare approach him. They could tell that Yuan Tao had just summoned the Ancient Sage Ordeal, the final trial that one had to undergo in order to push for a breakthrough to a higher level of existence. Death would swiftly befall them if they approached a power of this scale. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The relentless searing of the heavenly me and the ceaseless tempering of the lightning bolts swiftly refined the rampaging energies within Yuan Taos body, causing his figure to bepact once more. He returned from a height of ten meters to his usual size. Lightning and mes appeared to crackle on the surface of his body, and it seemed like he was slowly learning how to wield these two frightening powers of nature. Even space seemed to cower in the face of his strength. The Ancient Sage blood has been fully depleted! However, very soon, Yuan Taos growth sputtered to a stop. He was going to push through the final bottleneck that stood in between him and a true Ancient Sage, but the energy that he had proved to be insufficient. The amount of energy required for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage was simply too great. Zhang Xuan had harvested quite a few droplets of blood from the Ancient Sage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers earlier, but it was apparent that they were stillcking. Huhuhu! As the amount of energy in Yuan Taos body swiftly depleted, the cultivation ordeal also seemed to slowly dissipate?. However, it was not because Yuan Tao had cleared the ordeal but that it was abruptly terminated. In other words, his attempt to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage was a failure. A chance to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage was extremely hard-toe-by, such that it could be said that it happened by sheer chance. If one failed to achieve a breakthrough, it was hard to tell when an impetus to make a breakthrough woulde once more. It might not evene at all! To make matters worse, the difficulty of the Ancient Sage Ordeal the second time around would at least be two times harder. In other words, it was nigh impossible for a cultivator to sessfully push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage if they failed the first time. It was a trulymentable situation to fail due to ack of energy. Will his effort be wasted just like that? Zhang Xuan mumbled beneath his face with a livid look on his face. Chapter 1757 - The Appearance of the Prime Hall

Chapter 1757: The Appearance of the Prime Hall

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Luo Ruoxin nced at the young man in the sky and said, His efforts wont be wasted. Havent you realized that Yuan Tao is intentionally suppressing his cultivation so as to not achieve a breakthrough? Hes intentionally suppressing his cultivation? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. Thats right. Luo Ruoxin nodded. Its true that it is much harder to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage on ones second attempt. For this reason, most people are determined to seed on the first try. However, this also makes for the weakest Ancient Sage! A breakthrough to Ancient Sage can be seen as an attempt to wrestle power from the heavens so as to be an existence equaling to the heavens themselves. Those who achieve a breakthrough on the first try are able to achieve this feat as well, but at the same time, the strength that they gain from the heavens is severely limited. The very attempt to oppose the heavens is a good opportunity to temper ones power and refine ones use of energy. Subsequent attempts to ovee the Ancient Sage Ordeal do be much harder, but if one can pull through, it makes the future progression of ones cultivation much easier! This... Is it simr to Kong shis superior breakthrough method to Great Sage? Is it some form of trial as well? Zhang Xuan asked. There was the Saint Ascension Decipher to achieve a breakthrough to Sainthood, as well as a superior breakthrough method to reaching Great Sage. They were much harder ways to push for a breakthrough, but those who seed would attain power far greater than their peers. Could there be something simr for Ancient Sage as well? Luo Ruoxin ced her hand behind her back as she looked into the distance with deep eyes. You could put it that way. Pushing for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage is simr to having a huge tidal wave washing away the sand within ones body. The more times one confronts the Ancient Sage Ordeal, the finer and more condensed ones zhenqi will be. During his breakthrough, Kong shi held himself back three times when he was on the verge of breakthrough to Ancient Sage, and it was only on the fourth time that he finally seeded. That was also how he managed to rise as the Worlds Teacher, bing an existence that rivaled the world! Even though it might seem like Yuan Tao has failed to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, his physical body has sessfully assimted the power of the Ancient Sage blood. In other words, he already possesses the body of an Ancient Sage. While he isnt a true Ancient Sage yet, the power that he wields is already sufficient to deal with nascent Ancient Sages! This... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It was already plenty impressive that Yuan Tao wielded strengthparable to nascent Ancient Sages despite still being at Sempiternal realm consummation. Yet, Kong shi had actually held himself back three times before finally pushing for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. If so, how powerful could he have been? There was no cultivator in the world who did not desire to surpass their limits and be an existence that towered above the heavens. Yet, Kong shi had been able to ovee such temptation and calmly temper himself before finally surpassing his limits. From that, it could be seen that his mental resilience was extraordinary. It was no wonder that he had led mankind to prosperity. Even though Zhang Xuan did not harbor the reverence that those of the Master Teacher Continent had toward Kong shi, he had to say that he was filled with respect for thetter. Zhang Xuan suddenly froze on the spot. Hmm? Wait a moment, there shouldnt be too many people who knew about this secret, right? Why would Yuan Tao do it? It was likely that not even Yang shi nor Sword Saint Xing and the others were aware of this fact. Knowing that Luo Ruoxin likely originated from some incredible power, it was not too surprising for her to be aware of all this. However, Yuan Tao had followed him from the Tianxuan Kingdom, so how did he know it as well? The temptation to reach Ancient Sage was incredible. If one did not have such knowledge in advance, it was unlikely that one would take a gamble and forsake what could be said to have been their only chance to achieve a breakthrough. He has assimted Kong shis phantasm, so his understanding of cultivation probably surpasses even the seventy-two Sages at this point, Luo Ruoxin exined. Its just that assimting the phantasm makes one very susceptible to being influenced by Kong shi, and that would be extremely disadvantageous to your growth. Otherwise, I would have had you assimte the phantasm instead. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head bitterly. Disadvantageous to my growth? He had known that if he could make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, there was hardly anyone in the world who would have been able to pose a threat to him. By then, what would he have to worry about growth? You are a Celestial Master Teacher as well, and you are destined to walk a different route from Kong shi. If you attempt to walk his route, all you will be is another one of the seventy-two Sages. You would never be able to surpass him, Luo Ruoxin said calmly. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. To surpass the predecessors, one had to first denounce their path. If all one could do was emte the actions of the predecessors, it would only eventually lead to stagnation. For example, each of the seventy-two Sages were astoundingly talented individuals who achieved great things in their time. While it could be said that it was Kong shi who brought them to their eventual heights, ironically, it was very likely that Kong shi was their limitation as well. They had been so confined within Kong shis heritage that they were unable to truly surpass themselves and discover their own paths. In fact, this could also be why the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was unable to surpass their founders. At the same time, to cast away ones heritage and attempt to search for ones own path could be considered an act of lunacy. It was a heritage that guaranteed a path to greatness, and casting it aside could condemn one to a life of mediocrity. Ultimately, surpassing ones predecessors was an act easier said than done. To tread on a path that was bound to greatness or to cast everything aside to struggle for an incredibly slim chance of oveing ones limitations... There was no right or wrong answer to this question, and this was a choice that one would have to make by oneself. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! As Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, a brilliant ray of light suddenly rose from the altar ahead of him, soaring right into the heavens. Following which, he saw another five rays of light converging from the distance as well. The tremendous energy pierced through the deep blue sky, and a pitch-ck dimension rift slowly expanded from the point of convergence of the six rays. Beyond the pitch-ck dimension rift, the silhouette of a humongous pce came into sight. T-this... this is the Prime Hall! The Prime Hall of the Temple of Confucius has finally surfaced! Ren Qingyuan eximed in agitation. So far, the crowd had only explored the six Subordinate Halls, but none of them had found the Prime Hall. However, with all six Subordinate Halls activated, the energies that they released destroyed the final seal on the Temple of Confucius, causing the Prime Hall to appear. The legendary artifact that was said to be able to dictate the fate of the Master Teacher Continenty within the humongous pce right before them?the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! Lets head over! Yan Xue took a look at the Prime Hall in the sky before turning to nce at Yuan Tao and Zhang Xuan. Even though he was deeply reluctant, he knew that there was nothing that he could do anymore. Thus, he beckoned the crowd from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers over before dashing toward the dimension rift. The Otherworldly Demons also quickly made their way toward the dimension rift. Seeing that Ren shi and the others were trembling in excitement, Zhang Xuan said with a smile, You go on ahead! He knew that there was still some time before the entrance of the Prime Hall would be opened, so he was in no hurry to head over. Instead, he turned his attention to Yuan Tao. At this point in time, his student had already reinforced his cultivation, and the Ancient Sage Ordeal had fully retreated as well. Teacher! Opening his eyes, Yuan Tao felt the strength coursing through his body, and he could not help but tremble in agitation. He swiftly walked up to his teacher and kneeled before him. His six senses had initially been sealed, but the seal had broken as soon as he took the phantasm into his body. He knew that it was all thanks to his teachers help that he possessed his current strength. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. This was truly a huge fortuitous encounter for Yuan Tao. To assimte Kong shis phantasm and push for multiple breakthroughs all at once, he had surpassed Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, and even Zhang Xuan in a single shot. Even though you possess the physical body of an Ancient Sage, your state of mind and soul are still slightlycking. I have a cultivation technique and Bodhi Fruit over here that will do you much good! Zhang Xuan said as he passed the Bodhi Fruit over. While Yuan Tao had inherited Kong shis phantasm, he still had to temper his state of mind a step at a time. Yes! Taking the Bodhi Fruit, Yuan Tao quickly swallowed it, and the next moment, he could feel his state of mind swiftly reinforcing itself. Had it been Zhao Ya or Wei Ruyan, they would still have had to make some preparations and condition their bodies before consuming the Bodhi Fruit. However, possessing the body of an Ancient Sage, Yuan Tao did not have such concerns. Huhuhu! After dealing with Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan brought Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, Luo Qiqi, and the others out from his Myriad Anthive Nest. The Prime Hall has opened. Do you want to follow me to search for more fortuitous encounters or continue cultivating here? This was the first time that the Prime Hall of the Temple of Confucius had opened in dozens of millennia, and it was likely filled with both risks and opportunities. Even though he was their teacher, he felt that he should entrust the choice to them. I wish to enter the Prime Hall to take a look! Zhao Ya said firmly. Me too! The other two replied in unison. Meanwhile, Luo Ruoxin shot a nce over when she saw Luo Qiqiing out of Zhang Xuans Myriad Anthive Nest, and an inconspicuous frown crept onto her forehead. However, she chose not to say a word. Chapter 1758 - Ancient Sage Yan Qing

Chapter 1758: Ancient Sage Yan Qing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Noting the slight frown on the youngdys face, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in realization. He quickly rushed over and frantically exined, I met her earlier in the Hall of Lull, so I brought her and Wei Ruyan out together... Lets go! However,pletely nonchnt to Zhang Xuans exnation, Luo Ruoxin took the lead and headed to the Prime Hall first. This... Bewildered by Luo Ruoxins reaction, Zhang Xuan quickly followed behind her. The exterior of the Prime Hall was much grander than that of the Subordinate Halls. At that moment, the massive square in front of the Prime Hall was alreadypletely filled with people. Most of the experts who had been trapped in certain dimensions for one reason or another had made their way there, thus forming a crowd that numbered several thousand. Even if they were unable to enter the Prime Hall, it would not have been a waste of a trip if they got to witness the mystical abilities of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Master, I have already regained my memories. The six Subordinate Halls have to be opened in order for the gateway to the Prime Hall to surface... Little Amulets voice sounded in Zhang Xuans mind. I can get you in but not now. The Prime Hall has yet to fully open! I see! Seeing that the useless amulet had only managed to regain its memory after everything was in ce, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He walked up to Luo Ruoxin, and upon seeing that thetters face was still as cold as ice, he shuddered a little as he tried to exin the situation. This... Thats really not it... We only met by coincidence... Luo Ruoxin turned to look at Zhang Xuan, but just as she was about to speak, an excited voice sounded by the side. Zhang shi, I knew that you would be here! Following which, a figure excitedly rushed up to him. Fei-er, youre here as well! Luo Qiqis eyes lit up as she quickly walked toward the approaching figure. It was none other than her good friend, the princess of the Huanyu Empire, Yu Fei-er! Spotting Luo Qiqi as well, Yu Fei-er gave her a warm hug and said in gratitude, I already know that Jioshi took me in as his student because of you... She was only a small princess of the Huanyu Empire. To be able to catch the eye of Elder Ji Ruochen of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and even be epted as her direct disciple... it went without saying that her good friend, the little princess of the Luo n, had yed a part in that. Otherwise, even if she was truly talented, there was no way that she would have been able to catch the eye of the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent from where she was. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Luo Qiqi replied with a smile. They swiftly caught up with one another before Yu Fei-er turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a smile. Her voice sounded firm and resolute as usual, but there was a hint of conflict that one could sense from her tone. Zhang shi, it has been quite a while since west met! She harbored some feelings for the young man before her, but she had already heard of what happened with Luo Qiqi, and that made her acutely aware that the two of them did not have a future together. She felt indignant, and she was reluctant to ept the truth as well. However, she was a prideful person, and she was not one to demean herself and cling to someone. Thus, she chose to put on a bright smile and greet the young man like normal. Yeah, it has been a while... Zhang Xuan scratched his head as he turned to Luo Ruoxin awkwardly. Look... it really is a coincidence... Luo Ruoxin shot a nce at the young man before her, who was flustered from trying to exin himself but was unable to find the proper words to do so, and her lips curled up slightly. Without saying anything, she continued looking ahead. Unknowingly, the square in front of the Prime Hall was already divided into four clear factions. The Master Teacher Pavilion and the major ns of the Master Teacher Continent formed one faction, the Hundred School of Philosophers formed one faction, the Otherworldly Demons formed one faction, and those of the Beast Tribe formed the final faction. The members of each faction were grouped close together, eyeing those of the other factions warily. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and carefully perceived the surroundings. It was vague, but he could certainly feel numerous powerful auras hidden in the surroundings. Most likely, the reason that a delicate peace could be constructed between the four powers was due to the Ancient Sages restraining one another. Senior! Zhang Xuan was just about to consider if he should slice an Ancient Sage or two to procure some fresh blood when he heard a call not too far away. Turning his head, he saw Yang shi flying over with a smile on his face. You... have achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before his eyes lit up in agitation. The auraing from the elder before him was as vague as ever, making it hard for one to gauge the depth of it. At first nce, it seemed like the other party was only slightly above him, but when he attempted to take a closer look, he realized that he was gazing into a boundless ocean. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like there was no end to his strength. Without a doubt, it was apparent that this junior of his had stumbled upon some kind of fortuitous encounter, thus bing the first cultivator to have sessfully reached Ancient Sage. I had good luck! Yang shi remarked with a light smile. Theres no such thing as luck in cultivation, Zhang Xuan replied. Yang shi had long reached Sempiternal realm consummation, and the reason that he had been traveling around the world was to find the Aeon of Ancient Sage, the final impetus required for him to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. It was due to his previous umtion that he had been able to grasp the opportunity when it finally knocked on his door. Everyone... A crisp clear voice suddenly echoed in the air. The crowd quickly turned their heads over and saw an elderly man standing in the air in front of the Prime Hall. Its an Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! The elderly man was wearing clothes identical to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so there was no question of which faction he belonged to. Since the Prime Hall has appeared, I dont see any reason for us to continue hiding in the shadows. Come out! the elderly man said lightly, but his voice reverberated through the area. Indeed, theres no need for us to continue hiding! Its clear that we all have the same goal. Since the Prime Hall has finally surfaced, theres no reason for us to continue lurking in the shadows! Letse out then! Boom! As these voices sounded one after another, numerous figures swiftly appeared in the sky above the square. The number averaged out to around six to seven Ancient Sages for each faction. There are so many Ancient Sages here! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. His initial estimation was that there would be around five to ten Ancient Sages in the Temple of Confucius, but in an instant, the area was already filled with twenty people. The person whom he had injured previously was standing among the Hundred Schools of Philosophers Ancient Sages. While other cultivators could have gone there in seek of other fortuitous encounters, the aim of the present Ancient Sages was clearthe Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Previously, when the Subordinate Halls were beginning to open, they had chosen to hide in the background in order to protect their descendants from others, as well as to avoid unnecessary conflicts with other factions. However, the opening of the Prime Hall signified that they were swiftly approaching the finish line. At such a point in time, there was no point in them hiding anymore. It was time for them toy out their cards. Having been through the six Subordinate Halls, I believe that we have gained a rough idea of how the Temple of Confucius works. The Prime Hall has indeed surfaced, but its entrance is still shut tight. Theres another important process that we have to do in order to open it once and for all! the elderly man said. An Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage harrumphed. Ancient Sage Yan Qing, you are already the strongest one of us here. Stop beating about the bush and cut to the chase. What do you expect us to do? Ancient Sage Yan Qing? Is he a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan? Zhang Xuan frowned. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan 1 was the leader of the seventy-two Sages, the First Senior of Kong shis direct disciples. Yan Xue seemed to be his descendant, and it was very likely that Yan Qing was Yan Xues predecessor. Junior, do you recognize that Ancient Sage Yan Qing? asked Zhang Xuan in a telepathic message to Yang shi. I dont know him... While our Master Teacher Pavilion shares the same origin as the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, we rarelye into contact with one another, Yang shi, who had joined the Master Teacher Pavilions group of Ancient Sages, replied telepathically. You dont recognize him, but those of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe are able to refer to him by his name so confidently... Zhang Xuan frowned. From what he knew, the Ancient Sages from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had not appeared for tens of thousands of years, such that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were not sure about the current situation within the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Yet, for an Otherworldly Demon to be able to address the other party directly and even remark that the other party was the strongest of them all... He could not help but recall the uncanny interactions that he had spotted between the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Ill just make things clear. Since we are all here, I expect to get a share as well. So far, our Beast Tribe hasnt managed to obtain anything from the Subordinate Halls. If you wish to leave us behind, I can only say that you should be prepared to face our wrath! a massive beast from the Beast Tribe uttered coldly. This beast had also reached Ancient Sage, and the space around him seemed to be oddly firm. White Overlord, please calm down. The reason that I had everyonee out is to discuss the allocation of the slots for entry into the Prime Hall. As for what kind of fortuitous encounters those who enter will find within, that will depend on their own skills and luck! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said with a smile. Chapter 1759 - White Overlord

Chapter 1759: White Overlord

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Alright, Ill listen to you what you have to say. However, Ill make things clear first. We of the Beast Tribe want at least two slots. If you cant satisfy our demand, you can be assured that welly waste to everything here! the beast known as the White Overlord sneered coldly. The original body of the beast was a white fox that spanned a length of ten meters. Even without exerting any strength, its very presence seemed to send shudders through space. If it really went berserk, it was likely that it could bring massive devastation upon at least half of the crowd in the square. To ask for two slots right from the start, dont you think you are being a little too greedy? a middle-aged man floating above the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters sneered back. So what? The White Overlord turned to look at the middle-aged man, and a malicious air burst forth from it, jolting onlookers souls. From the looks of it, it seemed like it was exceptionally skilled in soul offense. Try it then! Lets see if the sword in my hand agrees with that! If I recall correctly, a predecessor of our Zhang n, Zhang Yu, single-handedly subdued nine of your Ancient Sages with his sword twenty millennia ago! the middle-aged man scoffed. Lets see if I can achieve what he did today! Zhang n? So, hes the Ancient Sage of our Zhang n. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Even though the Ancient Sage of the Zhang n had helped him previously while they were outside the Hall of Great Aplishment, he had not met the other party in person. He knew that the other party was a very forthright person, but who would have thought that he would actually be able to stand on equal ground with the strongest Ancient Sage of the Beast Tribe! Taking a closer look at the middle-aged man, he saw that the other party was dressed in a green robe, and he had eyebrows shaped like crescent des. Other than a sword hanging by his waist, there were no ornaments to him. Yet, despite his seemingly ordinary appearance, he wielded strength that no one would dare to snub. Hes thest Ancient Sage of the Zhang n, Zhang Hongtian! A man of great talent, he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage at a very young age. At the same time, he has a carefree and righteous personality. He abhors evil to an extreme extent, such that he will never hesitate to stand up in the face of injustice. He was still very young when the Aeon of Ancient Sage first began fading from the world, and he should have been able to spend his youth happily and without much worry. However, he still made the choice to hibernate so that he would be able to protect mankind for as long as he could... Yang shi sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan, exining the background of the Ancient Sage of the Zhang n. Rumor had it that the Ancient Sage had only been in his early five hundreds when he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. That was the age when most cultivators in the upper echelon started to settle down and make their own families, enjoying the prime of their lives. Yet, he unhesitatingly chose to bid farewell to his loved ones in order to go into hibernation. There was no way such a decision could have been easy for him to make. Without a doubt, he was someone worthy of respect. You... Not expecting Zhang Hongtian to snub it entirely, the White Overlord turned its massive fox head and harrumphed. I admit that your Peerless Sword is formidable, but it wont be easy for you to kill me... And as long as you fail to kill me, you can be certain that Ill hunt down every single member of your Zhang n. I sure do want to see how many of your descendants you will be able to protect! Hahaha! Sure, be my guest! If I recall correctly, there are quite a fewmunities of White Foxes around, and you have a fair number of descendants as well. Touch a single offspring of my Zhang n, and Ill y ten of your foxes. Kill ten offspring of my Zhang n, and Ill massacre your entire race! Zhang Hongtian scoffed with his back straightened. You lunatic! You dare... the White Overlord roared with its teeth gritted tightly together. Try me then! I, Zhang Hongtian, have never feared doing anything ever since I started cultivating! Try asking that lot! Zhang Hongtian spat calmly as he tilted his head toward the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages. Humph! The Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage who had spoken earlier harrumphed coldly in displeasure. Thats probably Old Geezer Yu... Zhang Xuan was able to vaguely recognize the other party from that harrumph. He had already found the other partys voice familiar with they were dealing with Ancient Sage Yan Qing, but it was only upon hearing Zhang Hongtians words that he finally put the two together. It was the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage that he had encountered in front of the Hall of Great Aplishment! Theres indeed nothing that you dare not do. I seem to recall that arge bunch of the White Overlords descendants were tamed by an offspring of your Zhang n a while ago, back at the Apricot Pavilion? Old Geezer Yu said with a cold sneer. Tame? What did you just say? The White Overlord was visibly stunned for a moment before it growled menacingly. Clearly, it was still unaware of this matter. If you dont believe me, you can take a look yourself. Are the offspring that you dispatched to the Apricot Pavilion still with you? Are you still able tomunicate with them? Old Geezer Yu replied calmly as he nced at Zhang Xuan with a sinister smile. Thest time that humand schemed against him, he had suffered a deepceration. Since he had an opportunity to return the favor, it went without saying that he had no intention of allowing it to go to waste. The White Overlord red at Old Geezer Yu before turning around to rymands to one of the Ancient Sage beasts behind it. A momentter, the Ancient Sage beast whispered something to the White Overlords ear, and thetters face immediately darkened as it turned its gaze in Zhang Xuans direction. Its eyes glowed like an inferno that would burn down anything in sight. How did I end up getting implicated here? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. He was an insignificant Aureate Body realm cultivator among the cluster of Ancient Sages, so why in the world did they pull him into this conflict? Noticing the malicious intentions in the White Overlords eyes, Zhang Hongtian suddenly recalled what had happened outside the Hall of Great Aplishment, and he could not help but turn around and ask, Did you tame its descendants? The beasts that Zhang Xuan had tamed outside the Hall of Great Aplishment had not been all that strong, and they were not the White Overlords descendants. However, those who had entered the Apricot Pavilion were very different. Anyone who had investigated the Temple of Confucius in advance would understand the importance of the Apricot Pavilion. Those who had been selected to enter it were the top-notch talents from each power. Could it be that his descendant was able to tame even proud geniuses like that? Those are its descendants? I didnt know... Earlier, when I went into the Apricot Pavilion, I saw a bunch of beasts getting pummeled by the apricot trees. Seeing that they were on the verge of death, I quickly dived in to save them. Out of gratitude to me, they ended up submitting to me... However, I dont recall there being any white foxes among the group! Zhang Xuan said. The truth behind the submission of the beasts was due to his Beast Pummeling Taming Method, but of course, it was not a convenient moment to mention something as controversial as that. They submitted to you out of gratitude? Unable to hold himself back any longer, Zhang Hongtian burst intoughter. Hahaha! You did great! As an Ancient Sage, he could tell that Zhang Xuan was lying with just a single nce. The reason that he burst intoughter was because he suddenly recalled how haughty the White Overlord had been a moment ago, only to find out that its descendants had submitted to his the next instant. This was such a timely face p that words could not begin to describe how exhrating it was to him! Amid hisughter, Zhang Hongtian said, White Overlord, since your descendants have already submitted to my descendants, why dont I give you a chance to submit to me as well? As long as you be my tamed beast, Im more than willing to give you two slots! Youre courting death! Hearing those words of ridicule, the White Overlord was unable to hold himself back anymore. With a furious roar, he leaped forward to tear Zhang Hongtian apart. A pitch-ck w imprint sliced across space, tearing dimension rifts open. It was apparent that the White Overlord was extremely strong, even among the Ancient Sages. I could be courting death, but theres no way in hell will I ever die by your wretched hands... Paying no heed to the rage of the White Overlord, Zhang Hongtian chuckled softly as he drew his sword and drove it forward. Wuuuuu! The whistling sword shed together with the White Overlords ws. Boom boom boom! A huge, spherical dimension rift was produced as a result of the collision. The White Overlord was forced to take a step back, but it immediately prepared itself to charge forth once more tounch a follow up attack. However, at that moment, Ancient Sage Yan Qing suddenly stepped forward and stood in between the two of them. With a wave of his hand, he produced a barrier reminiscent of a cloth that prevented the two from getting close to one another. Enough. The urgent matter at hand is entering the Prime Hall, not fighting with one another. If you really wish to settle the scores between the two of you, I wont stop you once this matter is over. However, for the time being, Ill have to ask you to take a step back, Ancient Sage Yan Qing remarked calmly. Chapter 1760 - I Have Many Cruxes

Chapter 1760: I Have Many Cruxes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Hongtian gave it a try, but he realized that the cloth-like barrier before him was frighteningly resilient. He immediately realized that the prowess of Ancient Sage Yan Qing was far above his, so with a cold harrumph, he turned around and said, Since Ancient Sage Yan Qing has spoken up, Ill spare you for the time being! He flicked his wrist to return his sword back to his waist before regrouping with those from the Master Teacher Pavilion, standing quietly on the spot. It was as if he waspletely unaffected by the conflict that had just urred. At the same time, it seemed as if the White Overlord knew that it was not a match for Zhang Hongtian or Ancient Sage Yan Qing, so it whipped its tail back and quietly returned to its group, not daring to utter a word ofint. Given that the Prime Hall of the Temple of Confucius hasnt even opened yet, its unwise for you to leap at one another to tear each other apart. Seeing that the two of them had finally calmed down, Ancient Sage Yan Qing retracted his palm and smiled. Turning to the crowd, he said, Moving back to the topic at hand, since everyone knows how the Prime Hall is opened, lets discuss how we should allocate the slots to entering the Prime Hall! Hearing that the other party was raising the matter regarding the allocation of slots once more, Zhang Hongtian said with a frown, Im sure that you already have your own ideas. Feel free to state your suggestion. If we find it appropriate, theres no reason for us not to agree with it! Indeed, I do have some thoughts in mind! Ancient Sage Yan Qing admitted with a smile. Having cleared the six Subordinate Halls, we know that even if the Prime Hall opens, well also have to bypass the seal that Kong shi has personally left on it. Without the corresponding Celestial Amulet of Legacy, theres no way that we will be able to enter! The crowd nodded in agreement. They had tested the six Subordinate Halls, and there was indeed no way of bypassing the barrier without the corresponding Celestial Amulet of Legacy or unique constitution. This was especially with regards to Ancient Sages?. If they attempted to forcefully tear down the barrier, they would only end up suffering a severe bacsh! There was no doubt that Ancient Sages were extremely powerful, but Kong shi was a man known as the Worlds Teacher. There was no way an ancient domain left behind by him could be breached through forceful means, even by Ancient Sages! To enter the Prime Hall, well need the Prime Amulet. All in all, the Prime Amulet can bring a total of fifteen people into the Prime Hall, Ancient Sage Yan Qing said. Some discussions broke out amid the crowd shortly after. They were starting to n their next moves. The White Overlord harrumphed coldly. We dont even know where the Prime Amulet is at the moment. If its not in our hands, wont we be forced to watch in futility while others harvest the treasures in the Prime Hall for themselves? It was pretty muchmon knowledge who was in possession of the six Celestial Amulets of Legacy at this point in time, but the Prime Amulet had yet to make its appearance. Most people thought that the reason that Zhang Xuan had been able to enter the Subordinate Halls without any problem was because he was in possession of the blood essence of his students. After all, the Subordinate Halls that he had entered were indeed the ones that corresponded to the unique constitutions of his students. Furthermore, there was a widespread misconception that the Prime Amulet only granted one entry into the Prime Hall. No one, including the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, was aware that it granted passage into the Subordinate Halls as well. The reason I said such words is because I know where the Prime Amulet is! With a light chuckle, Ancient Sage Yan Qings eyebrows shot up proudly. To be honest with you all, the Prime Amulet is currently in my hands! Right after saying those words, an amulet materialized right before him. He flicked it lightly, and an imposing air of authority suffused the area. Thats the Prime Amulet? What a formidable aura! Its clearly much stronger than the other Subordinate Amulets! Well be able to enter the Prime Hall with that? Amotion broke out in the square as everyone turned to look at the amulet in the sky with a heated gaze. That was the entrance ticket into the Prime Hall right in front of them! If they could acquire it, they would only be a single step away from the ultimate treasure of the Master Teacher Continent! That is... While the crowd was staring intently at the imposing amulet in the air, Zhang Xuan frowned slightly before shaking his head speechlessly. He recognized the amulet in Ancient Sage Yan Qings hands. It was the one that he had fought Yan Xue over at the White Creek Mountain. In other words, the Prime Amulet in the other partys hand was a fake! Despite being an Ancient Sage, is he really unable to tell that the Prime Amulet in his hands is a fake? Zhang Xuan wondered doubtfully. Ancient Sage Yan Qing was an individual who boasted strength even greater than Zhang Hongtian. Yet, he was unable to discern the authenticity of the amulet that he had in his possession. Noticing Zhang Xuans doubts, Luo Ruoxin sent a telepathic message over to exin. The Prime Amulet was personally forged by Kong shi, and not even the seventy-two Sages saw its true form. Even I was unable to see through it when I firstid eyes on it, so how could he possibly be able to discern its authenticity? So far, it seemed like Yan Xue and the others still thought that they had taken the real Prime Amulet, which meant that the only ones who knew that the Prime Amulet was a fake were Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin, and Wu Chen. Youre right! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement as his lips crept upward. This will be interesting. Even though their Prime Amulets a fake, they are still making conditions. Lets see what they cane up with... The crowd had no choice but to follow the arrangements made by Ancient Sage Yan Qing because they thought that the Prime Amulet was in his hands. However, once the crowd realized that his Prime Amulet was actually a fake, there would surely be a huge uproar. In an instant, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would draw the ire of everyone present in the square. Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder how they would salvage the situationter on. But other than that, there was also one thing that piqued Zhang Xuans curiosity. If the Hundred Schools of Philosophers truly thought that they had imed the real Prime Amulet, why did they dere their possession of it and even offer to share the slots with other powers? Were they not simply asking for trouble? The Prime Amulet is the key to entering the Prime Amulet, so I believe that none of you will have any qualms with us taking away a third of the slots on the grounds that we are in possession of it, right? Ancient Sage Yan Qing stowed the amulet back into his storage ring before turning to address the crowd. I have no objections to that. Old Geezer Yu was the first one to voice his approval. We are fine with it as well. Sounds rational to me. The others hesitated for a moment before expressing their agreement as well. Without the Prime Amulet, even if the Prime Hall opened, they would only be able to watch helplessly from the outside. It could be said to be a very fair arrangement for the Hundred School Philosophers to only take away a third of the total slots. Seeing that he had everyones agreement, Ancient Sage Yan Qing heaved a sigh of relief inwardly before continuing. Since our Hundred Schools of Philosophers have taken away five slots, well first distribute a slot each to the four powers respectively as a token of goodwill so as to prevent any unnecessary conflict. It should be fine, right? I have no issues with that, the White Overlord replied. Considering how the Beast Tribe had obtained nothing so far, it would take anything that it could get. The experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion also nced at one another and hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding in agreement. They were not in a good position to negotiate either, so they could only make do as well. Nine out of the fifteen slots of the Prime Amulet have been taken up so far. How do you intend to distribute the remaining six slots? Old Geezer Yu asked. Its very simple! As if expecting such a question, Ancient Sage Yan Qing chuckled softly before replying. We will have to open the entrance of the Prime Hall in order to enter its premises, and in order to do so, well need the cruxes of the six outer dimensions. Each of these six cruxes will correspond to a slot. Whoever is in possession of a crux will be given a slot. I believe that none of you will have any qualms with such an arrangement, right? This... I guess its fair. If we wish to enter the Prime Hall, well have to open it first. Its only right to reward those who have aided in the opening of the Prime Hall, so they are indeed entitled to a slot each... The Ancient Sages nodded in agreement. In this negotiation, the only ones who had a voice were the Ancient Sages. Great Sage cultivators had no say in the matter at all. A crux corresponds to a slot each? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He scratched his head nkly as he pondered, I seem to have quite a few cruxes with me at the moment... Chapter 1761 - Cruxes

Chapter 1761: Cruxes

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Previously, he had been wondering why Ancient Sage Yan Qing, despite being the strongest Ancient Sage in the area and in possession of the Prime Amulet, would offer to distribute the slots, thus giving other powers the opportunity toy their hands on the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. However, he swiftly understood why after hearing those words. Even with the Prime Amulet in hand, it would be futile if the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was unable to open the entrance to the Prime Hall. And the key to opening the Prime Hall were the cruxes of the six outer dimensions! As far as he knew, it seemed like... he had obtained four of the cruxes all by himself. It seems like Little Amulet isntpletely useless after all! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He had been rather perplexed when he heard that his parents had been teleported right to the vicinity of the Prime Hall due to the Celestial Amulet of Legacy in their possession. He had thought that Little Amulet was not working properlythere should not have been any reason for him to be teleported into the outer dimensions. However, when he looked back, there was indeed no mistake at all! He had to enter the outer dimensions in order to obtain the cruxes because they were crucial to opening the Prime Hall. Otherwise, even with the Prime Amulet, he would only have been able to stand helplessly outside the Prime Hall, unable to do a thing at all. The Ancient Sages are restricted from entering any of the six outer dimensions, so I cant verify where the cruxes are at the moment. However, the fact that the Prime Hall has surfaced shows that the cruxes of the six outer dimensions have been taken away. I have no doubt that the cruxes are among us now. As long as you are willing to take it out, youll be able to exchange it for a slot for your own power! Ancient Sage Yan Qing announced. Due to the restrictions on Ancient Sages, he was unable to travel freely within the Temple of Confucius, so he could not be certain who was in possession of the cruxes. If Ancient Sage Yan Qing had been able to ascertain the whereabouts of the cruxes, he would have been able to approach the owners privately and strike deals with them. It was precisely because they could not ascertain the whereabouts that they had been left with no choice but to gather everyone in the square and propose an open distribution of the slots. Why dont I start first? Seeing that there was no movement from the crowd, Ancient Sage Yan Qing smiled lightly as he tapped his finger in front of him. A book materialized before him, and he flicked it lightly. Wuuuuuuuu! The book immediately flew for the Prime Hall. It fitted perfectly in one of the apertures by the side of the entrance before emanating a light glow, seemingly indicating that it was a correct fit. Taking a closer look at the entrance, Zhang Xuan realized that there were three apertures on both sides of the entrance. All in all, they corresponded to the cruxes of the six outer dimensions. That is the crux of the book ocean dimension, which corresponds to the Great Kui Hall of Literature. Our Hundred Schools of Philosophers managed to obtain it, so we are entitled to another slot! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had five slots due to their possession of the Prime Amulet, and they had just obtained an additional one. With this, they had taken nearly half of all fifteen slots. In other words, no matter how the remaining slots were distributed, they would still be the greatest winner there, so there was no need for them to worry. After slotting the book into one of the six apertures, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to the crowd and said, Those who have obtained any of the other cruxes, Ill have to ask you to please take them out. Dont worry. With the Ancient Sages from the four major powers standing here, no one will dare rob you of your slot and possession. If you feel that your cultivation iscking and would like to relinquish your slot, you can trade it for other resources. As long as its within our means to do so, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers will fulfill your demands! This... Where are the remaining cruxes? Argh! If Id known in advance, I would have tried my best to search for the cruxes. At the very least, I would have been able to obtain at least a single slot for my power... Who would have thought that the six outer dimensions would y such a crucial role? ... Intense discussions could be heard amid the crowd. The cultivators present were ncing at one another, hoping to know where the cruxes were and who had taken them away. Seeing that no one was stepping out from the crowd, an inconspicuous frown appeared on Ancient Sage Yan Qings forehead, and he continued his persuasion. Are you worried that we wont keep our promises? With so many Ancient Sages here, we can put our honor on the line to promise you that whatever artifact the crux is, well only use it to open the Prime Hall. Once the entrance to the Prime Hall opens, well return your possession to you! If only he had the cruxes in his possession, he would have activated the Prime Hall immediately. There would have been no need for him to waste his breath on this. At this moment, an eerie voice suddenly sounded from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I know where the cruxes of the forest dimension and desert dimension are... The person who had just spoken was none other than Old Geezer Yu. Ancient Sage Yan Qing immediately shifted his gaze over and anxiously asked, Where are they? If even a single crux was missing, they would never be able to open the Prime Hall and enter its midst. In other words, the expedition woulde to a standstill. Its in the hands of thed who tamed the White Overlords descendants! Old Geezer Yu harrumphed coldly. Him? Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the other Ancient Sages swiftly turned to Zhang Xuan. This... Seeing that everyones eyes were upon him, he could not help but scratch his head awkwardly. He was still in the midst of assessing the current situation when Old Geezer Yu suddenly rooted him out. My young friend, may I ask if the cruxes of the forest dimension and desert dimension are really in your hands? Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked. Knowing that there was no way that he could hide it anymore, he honestly replied, I believe so. However, the cruxes of the two dimensions are living beings, so Im a little skeptical as to whether they can fit into the apertures there. The crux of the forest dimension was the Five Monarchs, and the crux to the desert dimension was the tree root. Considering that both of them were living beings, how could they be stuffed into the aperture by the door? It doesnt matter whether they are living beings or not. As long as you take them out, theyll automatically fit into the aperture once theye into proximity with the Prime Hall, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the Five Monarchs and gestured them forward. Hu! As if attracted by some kind of mysterious force, the bodies of the Five Monarchs were drawn uncontrobly toward the entrance of the Prime Hall. At the same time, their figures kept contracting until they became something simr to the round te of a Yin-Yangpass. Kacha! The round te fixed itself onto the aperture and emanated a light glow. This... Surprised by the happenings, Zhang Xuan could not help being taken aback for a moment. Seeing that it was working, Ancient Sage Yan Qing heaved a sigh of relief. Since you are in possession of the crux of the forest dimension, you have just won an additional slot for the Master Teacher Pavilion. If the crux of the desert dimension is still with you at the moment, you should quickly take it out as well. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. With a flick of his wrist, a tree root appeared on his palm. Simr to the Five Monarchs, it was swiftly drawn to the entrance of the Prime Hall before finally being embedded into one of the apertures. The light shrouding the entrance suddenly intensified, as if heralding the impending opening of the Prime Hall. Great! Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded in agitation. We are stillcking the cruxes of the poison dimension, stone forest dimension, and four seasons dimension. May I invite those who are in possession of those cruxes to step forward and help us open the Prime Hall? His voice echoed across the square, but no one amid the crowd stepped forward. It was as if the cruxes of the three remaining outer dimensions had vanished without a trace. Could it be that the cultivators who have obtained the cruxes of those three dimensions didnte to this square? Or perhaps, have the three cruxes not yet been obtained? Thats impossible. Without retrieving the cruxes, the gates of the six outer dimensions wouldnt have connected with one another! ... Seeing that no one was stepping forward, all of the Ancient Sages could not help but frown. Taking a deep breath, Ancient Sage Yan Qing dered once more, Allow me to reassure whoevers in possession of the cruxes that no one will make a move on you. I, Yan Qing, promise with the honor of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers that Ill ensure your safety, and anyone who dares to make a move on you will have to suffer my wrath! By then, a seed of worry had sprouted in the depths of his mind. Things were not going well. As long as those in possession of the cruxes refused to step forward, the Prime Hall would never be opened. At this rate, they might have to resort to other means. Ancient Sage Yan Qing was just about to make onest reassurance when Zhang Xuan timidly raised his hand and said, I think that the cruxes of the poison dimension and four seasons dimension might be with me as well! They are with you? In other words, you have single handedly obtained the cruxes of four outer dimensions? Utter silence filled the surroundings. Chapter 1762 - Entering the Prime Hall

Chapter 1762: Entering the Prime Hall

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Most of those in the square had been in the six outer dimensions, but without any clear directions and the limitations on their flight and Spiritual Perception, obtaining even a single crux would have been a huge stroke of luck. Yet, the young man before them had actually obtained four of them. This was way too exaggerated! In the sky, the lower jaws of Zhang Hongtian and Yang shi fell ck, nearly falling to the ground. This was a situation that they had never dreamed of. They are all with you? Ancient Sage Yan Qings cheeks twitched in disbelief. Their Hundred Schools of Philosophers had gone to great lengths in order to obtain just a single crux. On the other hand, this fellow had singlehandedly obtained four of them. Was he even human? However, this worked in their favor as well. At the very least, they would be able to open the Prime Hall much faster. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded, not hiding anything at all. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the ice crystal and the koi fish. The two of them swiftly flew into the apertures beside the entrance of the Prime Hall, and the light radiating from the gates brightened even further. You have single-handedly won four slots for the Master Teacher Pavilion, Ancient Sage Yan Qing murmured with a slightly bitter look on his face. Sighing deeply, he turned to look at the crowd once more and said, All that is left is the crux of the stone forest dimension. May I know who is in possession of the crux? No one stepped forward, so the situation fell into a standstill once more. That stone forest dimension is filled with boulders recording cultivation techniques and battle techniques. There isnt a crux in it, is there? Indeed. I have been in the dimension for several hours, and I didnt find anything that resembles the crux of the dimension! Can you tell us what the crux of the stone forest dimension is supposed to be? ... There was a bout ofmotion as the crowd turned to Ancient Sage Yan Qing in seek of answers. Zhang Xuan was as perplexed as the rest of the crowd. He had been to the stone forest dimension himself, and anyone who found the correct sequence to any one of the secret arts would be granted ess to the Subordinate Hall. Judging from that, it did not seem like there was any crux to the dimension. So, what were they supposed to be cing in the aperture? The stone forest dimension has no tangible crux. Its crux is the secret art that allows one to enter the Hall of Divine Crusade and im the Stone of Divine Crusade! Ancient Sage Yan Qing revealed. He seemed to be rather knowledgeable about the affairs concerning the various outer dimensions and Subordinate Halls. The secret art is the very crux of the dimension? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had been feeling a little embarrassed about taking the cruxes of four outer dimensions for himself... but all of a sudden, he realized that he had not obtained four but five cruxes! It sure was really difficult to be low profile! How embarrassing! Thats right. As long as one imprints the correct sequence of the secret art into thest aperture, the Prime Hall will open. So, for the person who entered the stone forest dimension andprehended its crux, Ill have to invite you to step forward, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. Halfway through his words, he suddenly noticed a raised hand amid the crowdZhang Xuan. Turning his gaze over, Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked, Whats wrong? At the same time, a bad premonition seemed to creep into his heart. He had an inkling what the young man was going to say and do, but the notion of it was so ludicrous that he instinctively rejected it. Cough cough... Its hard for me to say this, but it seems like the crux of the stone forest dimension is with me as well! Zhang Xuan said with an awkward chuckle. ... Ancient Sage Yan Qing. ... Zhang Hongtian. ... The others. Why the heck are you getting embarrassed? If anything, we are the ones who should be feeling embarrassed, alright? Of the four major powers and several thousand experts, we only managed to obtain one crux in total whereas you obtained a total of five of them... All of a sudden, the crowd sudden felt an urge to simply drop dead. Zhang Xuan chuckled awkwardly for a moment longer to soothe the atmosphere before walking up to the entrance of the Prime Hall. With a tap of his finger, he imprinted the form of the secret art into the aperture. Weng! Light burst forth from the entrance of the Prime Hall as the entire ce began to shake nonstop. With a deafening creak, the massive gates began to open. Following which, a primordial aura drifted out from the interior of the Prime Hall,manding an imposing, ancient air. Seeing that the Prime Hall had finally been opened, Ancient Sage Yan Qing suppressed the stifled sensation in his chest and swiftly tookmand of the situation. Since the slots have already been confirmed, Id like to ask the four major powers to select their cultivators to enter the Prime Hall! The final distribution of the slots were seven for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, six for the Master Teacher Pavilion and major powers of the Master Teacher Continent, one for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and one for the Beast Tribe. This was based on the rules that they had agreed on earlier, so the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Beast Tribe had no way of refuting the distribution of slots. Besides, whether one was able to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn or not was based heavily on luck. Numbers might not necessarily be an advantage in the Prime Hall. It did not take long for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and Beast Tribe to select the men to enter the Prime Hall. On top of the restriction that prevented any Ancient Sages from entering the premises, the Prime Hall appeared to also have an age limit of fifty years old. Anyone beyond fifty would be barred by the invisible seal around the Prime Hall. Naturally, each major power chose the strongest members in their ranks who met those two restrictions in order to enter the Prime Hall. How do we determine the distribution of slots here? one of the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters asked. Pretty much all of the slots had been won single-handedly by Zhang Xuan, so his opinion weighed a lot in determining the distribution of the slots among them. Me, Ruoxin, Zhao Ya, Ruyan, Yuan Tao, and... Qiqi as well. That makes up six! Zhang Xuan said contemtively. The Ancient Sage nearly fainted on the spot upon hearing those words. No matter what, shouldnt you at least reserve two slots for the Master Teacher Pavilion? It was true that he had yed a huge role in securing the slots for them, but it would not do for him to take them all away! Rest assured, Ill reserve two slots for you. Right, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Lu Chong are here too, arent they? Where are they at the moment? Ill have to reserve three slots for them as well, Zhang Xuan added. Considering how huge an affair the opening of the Temple of Confucius was, it was certain that Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Lu Chong, and the others would be there. It was just that there were too many people there, and the ce was simply toorge, resulting in them not meeting one another. Hearing the calction that Zhang Xuan was making, Yang shi could not help but politely remind him, We only have a total of six slots. That was eleven slots, far beyond what they had at the moment! Six slots? Dont worry, it wont be six in a moments time, Zhang Xuan said with a mysterious smile on his lips. He turned to Zhao Ya and the others and instructed, Look for Zheng Yang and the others. Get them here as soon as possible! Yes! Zhao Ya and the others replied as they hurriedly took out their Jade Communication Tokens to send messages. With the six outer dimensions connected with one another, it was already possible tomunicate remotely. Alright! Since the members have already been decided, lets enter the Prime Hall! Ancient Sage Yan Qingmanded imposingly. With a wave of his hand, the Prime Amulet surfaced before him once more. A surge of energy poured forth from his Prime Amulet, enveloping the various experts chosen by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Yan Xue was also one of those enveloped within the surge of energy. Lets head over as well! There was only one slot for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the Beast Tribe respectively. It went without saying that they were displeased with the situation, but they knew that it would be hard for them to renegotiate this matter. Seeing that Zhang Xuan and the others were still dawdling, having yet to finalize the candidates that they would send into the Prime Hall, Yan Xue harrumphed coldly. Stop wasting our time and hurry up! Its fine, you dont have to wait for us. Feel free to go on ahead. Well follow soon! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. You are telling us to enter ahead of you? Do you even understand what you are saying? Taken aback by the words Zhang Xuan had spoken, Yan Xue was visibly stunned for a moment before his eyebrows knitted together. Was there something wrong with their heads? The Prime Amulet could only take fifteen people into the Prime Hall in a single go. Did those fellows naively think that they woulde back for them after they entered the premises? Feel free to go ahead. Well quickly follow along once we have chosen our candidates! Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively. Very well then! Scoffing deeply in his heart, Yan Xue could not be bothered to waste his breath on a fool who could not even make sense of something as simple as this. Thus, he turned around and led the group toward the towering entrance of the Prime Hall. H! It took an instant for them to arrive right before the seal. The Prime Amulet emanated another burst of light, shrouding the group chosen by the four major powers. We wont be waiting for them any longer. Lets enter! Unwilling to waste any more time, Yan Xue rushed in. Padah! Padah! Padah! An overwhelming surge of energy swept across the area. Before the group could get in, the defensive mechanism of the seal activated. In a single st, they were sent flying into the distance, falling to the ground helplessly, and blood spurted into the air. Chapter 1763 - Actually… the Prime Amulet Is Also with Me

Chapter 1763: Actually... the Prime Amulet Is Also with Me

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Whats going on? Everyone was stunned. Ancient Sage Yan Qings eyebrows shot up as he rushed forward anxiously to check on what had gone wrong. Why were they rejected by the seal, suffering a major bacsh even before entering the Prime Hall? Those were the top geniuses of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Nothing bad could be allowed to happen to them! The Prime Hall had already opened, and they had the Prime Amulet in hand. All of the criteria had been met! While he waspletely baffled by the situation, Ancient Sage Yan Qing flicked his finger and sent several pills into the mouths of the injured youths. It was only after consuming those pills that those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers finally felt themselves recovering a little. The fact that the seal in front of the Temple of Confucius was able to fend off an Ancient Sage was enough to show how powerful it was. If not for Kong shis benevolence, they could have died! Even Ancient Sages were no exception to the rule! Of course, if the seal did not boast such prowess, the Ancient Sages could simply have banded together to forcefully destroy the seal. They would not have had to waste their breath. Perhaps the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers might still be a little hesitant due to their deference toward Kong shi, but those from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Beast Tribe would not have been so reserved. Looking at the recovering crowd, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to Yan Xue and asked with a deep frown, Why did they suffer a bacsh from the seal? As one of the people in question, he thought that Yan Xue should know what was going on. Old ancestor... Yan Xue hesitated for a moment before saying, It seems like the Prime Amulet is insufficient for us to pass through the seal! Previously, he had been able to enter the Apricot Pavilion by utilizing Yuan Taos bloodline. At the very least, he had been able to pass through the seal without suffering any bacsh. However, when he tried to enter the Prime Hall, he had vaguely gotten the feeling that the Prime Amulet was nothing more than a flimsy piece of paper, providing no protection from the seal at all. Its insufficient for us to pass through the seal? Ancient Sage Yan Qing frowned. With a sp of his fist, the Prime Amulet swiftly flew between his fingertips. He pinched the Prime Amulet in his grasp lightly. Hu! Under the influx of his energy, the seemingly powerful amulet dissipated into countless sparks. As if a piece of paper thrown into mes, it disintegrated into countless pieces before vanishingpletely from sight. The Prime Amulet... is a fake! Ancient Sage Yan Qings eyebrows shot up in horror. By that point, it was apparent to anyone present that the Prime Amulet in their grasp was a fake! Otherwise, how could a treasure specially forged by Kong shi possibly be reduced to dust so easily with just a light pinch? After all of themotion that he had stirred up, who could have thought that the Prime Amulet in his possession would actually be a fake? At that instant, he felt as if someone had bestowed him with several crisp ps, leaving him with a burning sensation on his cheeks. To think that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would actually make such a huge mistake... Everyone fellpletely silent. Unable to suppress his rage anymore, Ancient Sage Yan Qing spat at Yan Xue with a hint of coldness in his voice, Are you sure that you acquired this amulet from the Master Teacher Continents White Creek Mountain? If the Prime Amulet was truly acquired from the ancient domain left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, there should have been no way that it was false! Theres no doubt about it. I definitely acquired it from there! Yan Xue nodded as he exined himself agitatedly. All of a sudden, he froze for a moment before eximing, Wait a moment... Back then, Zhang Xuanpeted with us over the Prime Amulet! It was out of fear that he would snatch the Prime Amulet from us that we left in a hurry... Hepeted with you over the Prime Amulet? Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to look at Zhang Xuan. The young man had already shocked everyone present by taking out five cruxes required to unlock the Prime Hall. Could it be that he had, by any chance, acquired the Prime Amulet as well? It was through the records of their predecessors that they had found out that the Prime Amulet was located in the White Creek Mountain, so there was no way that there was any mistake with the information. Since they had acquired the fake one, could the real one be in the hands of the young man? It would really be damned if that was the case. Taking a deep breath, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Zhang shi, do you know whats going on? This... Yan Xue is right. Back then, we were all on the White Creek Mountain, and Brother Yan Xue took the fake Prime Amulet and fled away right after. I tried to stop him to warn him, but it was to no avail. As a result, I had no choice but to take the real Prime Amulet away with me... Zhang Xuan sighed with a look of pity. He would eventually have to enter the Prime Hall, so there was no point denying it. You... Pu! Hearing those words, Yan Xue nearly choked on his rage. The injuries he had sustained immediately red up, and blood spurted from his mouth. Are you really saying that I fled after taking the fake amulet? You were even more determined to grab the Prime Amulet than me back then, alright? If not for the fact that I fled fast enough, you might have ended up snatching the fake amulet from my hands! So, why are you making it sound like I was acting like a retard? To say such words after grabbing the real amulet... is it really fine for you to be so despicable as a master teacher? Are you saying that the real amulet is in your hands? Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked with a deeply stifled sensation in his chest. Indeed, its with me! Zhang Xuan nodded. Going by the previous rules, the one who possesses the Prime Amulet is able to im a third of the total slots, five of them. A slot will be distributed to each of the major powers, and each crux entitles one to an additional slot... So, all in all, I trust that you have noints with me taking eleven slots, right? Ancient Sage Yan Qings body staggered as he felt fresh blood coursing up his throat. He had set such terms because he had thought that he would be able to grab at least half of the slots for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Yet, they were telling him that the Prime Amulet was a fake. This turnaround meant that they only had two slots in total. All of a sudden, he felt that all of his arguing previously had benefited a stranger... The intense feeling of indignation made him feel as if his heart was going to explode on the spot! Moreover, the fact that the young man knew that the Prime Amulet in their hands was a fake all along but chose not to point it out... he had obviously intended to watch them make a fool of themselves! Then again, even if the young man had said it earlier, he might not have believed it. After all, the fake Prime Amulet had been forged so exquisitely that despite having examined it closely with his eyes and Spiritual Perception, he had been unable to find any ws with it at all! Only when attempting to challenge the might of the Prime Amulet would one realize that it waspletely fragile! Even though Ancient Sage Yan Qing felt as if he had been made to look a fool, he still nodded in agreement. Since we already agreed on it previously, we wont change our minds now! It was toote for them to change their minds, and two slots could still work for them. In terms of understanding the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, there was no one on the Master Teacher Continentbe it humans, Otherworldly Demons, or beastswho came close topeting with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. As long as they were able to enter the Prime Hall, the ones who bore the most hope in obtaining the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn was indubitably them! It was precisely with such confidence that they had chosen to readily distribute the slots to others. Otherwise, holding the Prime Amulet as hostage, they would have been able to fight for much better terms for themselves! Thats good to hear, Zhang Xuan said. Wait here for a moment. Ill bring everyone in once Im done organizing my group. This... The Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion were shocked by the turn of events as well. They never would have thought that things would suddenly turn so favorable for them. They could not help but direct curious gazes toward the young man who had made all of that happen. It was one thing for that young master teacher to single-handedly obtain the cruxes of five outer dimensions, but to think that he would actually be resourceful enough to acquire even the Prime Amulet itself, thus outdoing even the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. When did such an incredible figure appear in the Master Teacher Pavilion? We have to proceed carefully, Yang shi advised Zhang Xuan worriedly. The others might attempt to pull something off after seeing that the situation is so skewed in our favor. As descendants of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, it was unlikely that Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others would go against their principles within the sacred Temple of Confucius. However, nothing was certain given that the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was at stake. Not to mention, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Beast Tribe were waiting patiently for a chance to strike. There was no doubt that they would attempt to pull something off if a window of opportunity surfaced. Knowing what Yang shi was worried about, Zhang Hongtian harrumphed coldly. They wont make a move for the time being. Only those beneath the Sempiternal realm are able to enter the Prime Hall and Subordinate Halls. No matter who acquires the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, he wont have the strength to assimte it! They will have no choice but to bring the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn out. Once the artifact is brought out of the Prime Hall, that will be when the true fight starts! As important as the slots seem to be, all it does is lend credibility to ones possession of it. In the end, it still boils down to the prowess of the Ancient Sages to determine the final allocation of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! Chapter 1764 - Auctioning Slots

Chapter 1764: Auctioning Slots

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats true... The other Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion fell silent. What Zhang Hongtian had said was the simple truth. Rules and promises might still carry their weight in small skirmishes, but when the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was at stake, who would care about such intangible things? It went without saying that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Beast Tribe had not given up on the codex. The reason that they had notined despite only being allocated a single slot was because there was no need for them to do so. As long as one of their personnel got in, they would have an eye within the Prime Hall. With that, they would be able to uncover who had sessfully obtained the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and attempt to snatch it once that person left the premises! Once the Ancient Sages got involved, all of the Sempiternal realm candidates would be rendered utterly powerless. As such, everything eventually boiled down to the prowess of their Ancient Sages! Forget it, lets just settle it when the timees. For now, lets distribute the slots! In order to avoid panic, the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion hadmunicated through telepathic zhenqi. Since these slots were earned through Zhang Xuans hard work, I think that we should respect his decision no matter what he decides on! Un! The crowd nodded in agreement. As Ancient Sages, given that they had contributed nothing toward acquiring those slots, they felt too embarrassed to impose any demands on Zhang Xuan. ... Zhao Ya walked over to Zhang Xuan and informed him telepathically, Teacher, I am unable to contact Zheng Yang and the others. However, based on the ounts of those who have met them, it seems like they have encountered their own fortuitous encounters. They are currently in those minor dimensions and are unable to leave at the moment, so I dont think theyll be able to make it here any time soon! She had tried to contact Zheng Yang and the others, but there had been no response. So, she had tapped into her informationwork as the court chief of the cier in Court, and fortunately, she had managed to uncover some intelligence regarding them. After all, those juniors of hers were no longer nobodies whom one could simply overlook. They had already be renowned powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent! They wont be able to make it here anytime soon? Zhang Xuan repeated with a frown. Waving his hand lightly, he said, Forget it. Ill ensure that they dont miss out on anything even if they dont enter the Prime Hall, so it doesnt matter whether they enter the premises or not. It went without saying that Zhang Xuan would distribute whatever he obtained from the Prime Hall among his students, regardless of whether they were with him at the time or not. This was simr to how he had given one of the Bodhi Fruits to Yuan Tao even though he did not enter the Hall of Lull. As long as he was around, he would make sure that his students got a share of everything good within the Prime Hall! Teacher, I dont think that Ill be able to enter either. My body has already reached the level of an Ancient Sage, and I can feel a powerful repulsion from the seal of the Prime Hall. Even with the Prime Amulet, it doesnt seem likely that Ill be able to bypass the seal... said Yuan Tao, walking over. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. Even though Yuan Tao had not sessfully achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, there was no doubt that his physical body had reached a levelparable to Ancient Sages. At the very minimum, he could already be considered as a Half-Ancient Sage. Due to this, it was little surprise that he was being repelled by Kong shis seal. So, theres only me, Ruoxin, Zhao Ya, Ruyan, and Qiqi at the moment... Adding up the other two from the Master Teacher Pavilion, there will only be seven of us... Zhang Xuan quickly calcted in his heart. That means that we still have four additional slots... Zhang Xuan took a look at the crowd among the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he swiftly shook his head. It was not that he looked down on those geniuses, but it was likely that they would not be able to do much even if he gave those slots to them. In the end, the slots would only go to waste. How is it? Have you chosen your personnel yet? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought after such a long time, Ancient Sage Yan Qing urged him with a slight hint of impatience in his tone. I have already chosen the people whom I want to bring with me. However, I think theres no particr reason for us to use so many slots, so I have decided that Ill auction the four of the slots that we have. Feel free to bid for them, and the slot will go to the one who bids the highest. How does that sound? Zhang Xuan announced as he shot a sweeping gaze at the other three major powers. Hes intending to auction the slots? Is that fellow off his rockers? Everyone is trying to im those slots for themself, but hes actually intending to sell them off just like that? Is this for real? We might be able to get a chance to enter the Prime Hall! A hugemotion broke out amid the crowd. The announcement that they had just heard was simply too bbergasting. Not only were the Ancient Sages of the other three powers stunned, even the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion also felt a little light-headed from the abrupt deration. It had not been to im so many slots, and this was an extremely advantageous situation for them. Yet, that young man was actually thinking of auctioning them off. Was it really good for him to do this? This is a little... One of the Ancient Sages could not take it any longer, so he opened his mouth in hopes of dissuading Zhang Xuan from his reckless move. Theres no doubt that my senior has his own reasons for making such a decision. Yang shi swiftly spoke up in Zhang Xuans defense. Lets just believe in him. Thats also what we decided on just a moment ago, isnt it? Senior? Catching that peculiar words in Yang shis response, the remaining Ancient Sages shot bewildered nces at him. They had met Yang Xuan shortly after their awakening, and there was no doubt that the other party was the most talented master teacher in recent millennia. The fact that he had advanced to Ancient Sage shortly after entering the Temple of Confucius spoke volumes about his potential. Yet, he was actually addressing an Aureate Body realmd as his senior. Indeed, Yang Xuan said with a nod. He swiftly erected a barrier around him with his will in order to keep away any eavesdroppers before sending a telepathic message to the other Ancient Sages. To be honest with you, his identity is a little unique. Even as an Ancient Sage, Im deeply honored to be given the privilege of addressing him as my senior. Pardon me as I say this, but it isnt convenient for me to reveal his identity to you at the moment. However, rest assured that Ill fill you in on the details once we return after dealing with everything here! His identity is a little unique? The Ancient Sages looked at one another with intrigued gazes. Just what kind of identity could it be that even an Ancient Sages would view it as the greatest honor to address that young man as his senior? Even though they were curious at those words, they could tell that Yang Xuan was unwilling to speak, so they could only suppress their inquisitive minds. They chose to trust Yang Xuans judgement and fell silent. It was also at around this moment that Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others finally recovered from the shocking news. You are going to auction your slots? Thats right. We have simply too many slots with us at the moment, and this isnt a good thing for us. For one, being the dominant party will easily draw the envy and fury of others. Thus, Im intending to take out four slots to auction as a show of goodwill, as well as to bnce the scales, Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle. As long as you are able to fork out a greatest sum of money here, you can be certain that the slots will be yours! Lets begin bidding then! We must im at least one of the slots by hook or by crook for the Beast Tribe! Hearing that it was possible to obtain the slots through an auction, the Ancient Sages of the three powers nced at one another before nodding. Even though the final allocation of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn mainly depended on the Ancient Sages, it would be advantageous to them if more of their descendants could enter the Prime Hall. For one, if their descendants just so happened to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, they would be able to simply turn tail and run. The life force of Ancient Sages was frighteningly resilient. Even if they were unable to defeat their enemies, escaping alive was still something that they would be able to pull off. As such, this was an opportunity that they did not want to miss out on. Alright, Ill determine the starting bid of the first slot. Itll be... twenty, thirty, no... fifty droplets of Ancient Sage bloo... said Zhang Xuan, raising his fingers. Great Sage artifacts were not of much use to him anymore, and it was unlikely that those present had too many Ancient Sage artifacts. Even if they did have a couple, it was unlikely that they would be willing to take them out. More importantly, given the current limitations of his cultivation, it was also questionable whether he would be able to assimte it. The reason that he had seeded with the Infernal cksaber was because it had been at Half-Ancient Sage when he tamed it. As for Ancient Sage Zi Yus inkstone, it was because the artifact had dulled over the long course of its existence, causing it to be much weaker than most Ancient Sage artifacts. On top of that, as a non-aggressive weapon, it was much easier to control. Any sentient being that had sessfully made a breakthrough to Ancient Sage was bound to be haughty and egoistical, and this included artifacts. Even with Zhang Xuans means, the chances of him taming a fully-fledged Ancient Sage artifact was slim. Rather than to obtain something that was impractical for him to use at the moment, it would be much more beneficial for him to acquire Ancient Sage blood. After all, it would be an invaluable resource to fuel his breakthroughs! Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, a telepathic voice suddenly arrived by his ears. Zhang Xuan, Ancient Sage blood is a very broad term. Simr to spirit stones, its also divided into various tiers, depending on the strength of the Ancient Sage. Naturally, the higher the tier of the Ancient Sage blood, the more precious it is. It was from the old ancestor, Zhang Hongtian. Tiers of Ancient Sage blood? Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. He had not really thought of it before, but it did make sense for there to be varying tiers to Ancient Sage blood. After all, the blood of a veteran Ancient Sage was bound to harness much more energy than the blood of a nascent Ancient Sage. Just like Great Sage, Ancient Sage is also divided into four different realms. The higher the realm of the cultivator, the more valuable their blood is. In fact, the difference can easily differ by a hundredfold! You have to ascertain the quality of the Ancient Sage blood, or else you could make a huge loss! Zhang Hongtian advised. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in response. May I ask what the four realms of Ancient Sage are? Chapter 1765 - The Four Realms of Ancient Sage

Chapter 1765: The Four Realms of Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The realms have never been officially fixed, but theres a standardized way of ssifying the strength of an Ancient Sage through their difference in strength and special characteristics. I think you should be able to use it as a reference, Zhang Hongtian said. After achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, a cultivator will be able to pass down the unique traits of their bloodline to their descendants, simr to our Zhang n. The reason that our n members wield the power of the Time Quintessence is because we had an ancestor who had once reached such a realm. As such, the term used for the first realm is Bloodline Continuance. This serves as an indicative sign as to whether one has achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage yet or not. Bloodline Continuance... Zhang Xuan repeated the term as he nodded in response. That did make sense. Most likely, Yuan Tao, the Infernal cksaber, and Vicious were at this realm. The Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage that he had crushed with the Book of Heavens Path back at the Seer Guild was likely at this realm as well. They formed the bottommostyer of the Ancient Sages. The second realm is the highest level that the seventy-two Sages, with the exception of the Ten Apostles, reached in their lifetime. As such, it eventually came to be known as the Great Philosopher realm, Zhang Hongtian exined. Great Philosophers? Thats the name of a realm as well? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Its just a term that we use, so theres no need to be too fixated on the name, Zhang Hongtian remarked. As for the third realm, its known as Blood Reincarnation. As long as those who have reached this realm havente to the end of their lifespan yet, even if one severs their head and minces their body, they will still be able toe back to life with a single droplet of blood. Its because I have reached this realm as well that I was able to survive much longer than the other Ancient Sages and am able to stand my ground against them. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in surprise. Until that moment, he had thought that all Ancient Sages were capable of Blood Reincarnation, but it seemed like that had been a misunderstanding on his part. Those who were able to pull off Blood Reincarnation were the top existences even among the Ancient Sages. What about the final realm? The final realm is a level that no one on the Master Teacher Continent or Hundred Schools of Philosophers, other than Kong shi, has been able to reach. Its said that a person who has reached the final realm will be able to shatter the void, simr to how an envoy of the immortals tears through space to descend to the mortal world. As such, the final realm is known as Dimension Shatterer or Immortals Envoy! Im still a long way off from reaching that realm, so Im also not too sure what the realm epasses, Zhang Hongtian said. Immortals Envoy? Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment. He had heard this term before! The first time that he met Vicious in an underground cavern, thetter had told him that he had reached the level of an Immortals Envoy. Back then, he had not understood the different levels of cultivation, so he had not paid much attention to it. Who would have thought that Vicious had actually reached the very pinnacle of Ancient Sage! In other words, even though Vicious did not seem to be anything much, the truth was that he had been one of the strongest people on the Master Teacher Continent during his lifetime! It was no wonder that even Kong shi had ended up being cornered by him at one point in time back at Chen-Cai. Then... what realm has Ancient Sage Yan Qing reached? Zhang Xuan asked. He could not help but recall Old Geezer Yu saying that Ancient Sage Yan Qing possessed the highest cultivation among all those gathered there. If so, just what level had he reached? Hes at Blood Reincarnation realm as well, just like me. Its just that hes a single cultivation stage stronger than me! Zhang Hongtian replied. However, he hasnt reached the pinnacle of Blood Reincarnation either. Without the sustenance of the Aeon of Ancient Sage, it is hard for one to advance any further in this realm! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization as he understood the crux behind Zhang Hongtians words. In other words, I should ask for the blood of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages? Thats right. The blood of Ancient Sages who have reached such a realm will be the most valuable! Zhang Hongtian replied. Got it! Zhang Xuan nodded. Their conversation was through telepathicmunication, so their exchanges were swift. All in all, it barely took up a few seconds. Shortly after they ended their conversation, the White Overlord spoke up. Fifty droplets of Ancient Sage blood? Very well, our Beast Tribe will be taking it! Its voice had a ferocious edge to it, reminiscent of an imposing conqueror gazing down upon the world. White Overlord, please hold it for a moment. I havent finished yet. The fifty droplets of blood that I want have toe from Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages! Zhang Xuan added with aposed smile. You want fifty droplets of blood from Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages? You greedy little swine... Hearing those words, the White Overlord nearly exploded from rage. A heavy silence also swiftly settled upon the crowd. Ordinarily speaking, fifty droplets of ordinary Ancient Sage blood could be considered an astronomical sum. Yet, that fellow actually wanted all fifty droplets to be from Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages. Youre dreaming! Who would be so foolish to fork out such a ridiculous price? Even for an entrance slot into the Prime Hall, this isnt worth it at all... ... The quiet mutterings of the Ancient Sages could vaguely be heard. It was true that an additional slot would put a power in a more advantageous position, but even so, fifty droplets of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage blood seemed too hefty a price to pay. It did not seem to be worth paying the price for it. Seeing the hesitation among the crowd, Zhang Xuan interjected quietly with a confident smile, as if everything was in his grasp. Ill leave it to you to ponder over whether its worth the price or not. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is the greatest artifact that Kong shi left behind. If you obtain it, what will Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages count for? This opportunity will onlye once. If you miss it, it will be gone for good. Of course, if none of you want the slots, thats perfectly fine with me. I am only proposing this auction as a show of goodwill to the other three major powers. If none of you are interested in it, I will just arrange more personnel on my side! Since he had already set the price of the auction, he would have to make sure to stand his ground. Otherwise, once he started lowering the price, the others would push him to go further. This... The crowd fell silent after hearing Zhang Xuans words. It was true that the blood droplets of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages were invaluable, but the value of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was immeasurable. Whether the price was worth an additional sliver of hope or not, that was a decision that they would have to make. Breaking the contemtive silence, Ancient Sage Yan Qing said, Our Hundred Schools of Philosophers will be buying the first slot! Hes buying the slot? The crowd quickly turned their shocked gazes over. On the other hand, Ancient Sage Yan Qing flicked a jade bottle toward Zhang Xuan without any hesitation. Catching the jade bottle, Zhang Xuan pried open the lid, and a gush of energy immediately flowed out from within. All in all, there were fifty droplets of Ancient Sage blood. He shot a nce at Zhang Hongtian and saw a slight nod from thetter. That was verification that the blood droplets were indeed from Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages. Smiling in delight, he stowed the jade bottle into his storage ring before turning to address the crowd. Alright, the first slot goes to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Moving on, the second slot costs sixty droplets of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage blood! Sixty droplets? Why did the price suddenly increase so steeply? Wasnt it fifty droplets a moment ago? Its the exact same slot, so how could he increase the price just like that? As if water poured upon burning oil, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd. They had thought that the second slot would be the same price, which was also why they had taken their time to make their decision. Who could have known that the fellow would hike up the price by twenty percent in a heartbeat? You can choose not to buy it; Im not forcing you into anything. However, I would just like to say that our Master Teacher Continent has seven slots at the moment and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers have three. In contrast, both the Beast Tribe and Otherworldly Demonic Tribe only have one slot each, Zhang Xuan said with a confident smile. Ultimately, its just a question of how much you want the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Besides... the two remaining slots will be even more expensive. The more limited amodity is, the pricier itll be, dont you agree? Sixty droplets? So be it then! Ill be taking it... the White Overlord spat through tightly clenched teeth. No one could have known that the prodigy who had managed to obtain the Prime Amulet and five cruxes would actually be a crooked businessman. This was exactly the type of person whom no one would ever want to deal with! Before the White Overlord could finish his words, Old Geezer Yu had interjected. If its sixty droplets, we want it as well! Chapter 1766 - Entering the Prime Hall

Chapter 1766: Entering the Prime Hall

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Old Geezer Yu, are you intending to fight with me over the slots? Enraged by Old Geezer Yus actions, the White Overlords hair stood on end, as if preparing to pounce on the other party. Sixty droplets of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage blood far exceeded the price it was willing to pay. It was with great difficulty that it had chosen to pay this price, and yet, someone actually wanted to fight with it over the slot! Intolerable! Like the young man has said, its an auction. Its a fairpetition, isnt it? Old Geezer Yu scoffed coldly. If you are willing to fork out a higher price, go on then. In any case, Ill just have you know that Ill be taking down this slot! There are still two more slots remaining, arent there? Why dont you go for those two instead? the White Overlord roared in fury. Do you take me for a fool? While we of the Spirit Tribe have plenty of experts in our ranks, we arent fools who will allow ourselves to be taken advantage of! Old Geezer Yu harrumphed coldly. Besides, Zhang shi has already said that the highest bidder will be able to obtain the slot. Since you have bid sixty, Ill bid sixty-five then! You! The White Overlords body trembled in rage, but there was nothing that it could do. Since it was an auction, it went without saying that the artifact would go to the highest bidder. It couldnt possibly be so domineering as to stop others from even bidding! Ill offer sixty-six droplets then! the White Overlord spat coldly. Sixty-seven droplets! Sixty-eight droplets! The White Overlord really wanted to tear the other party apart. Seventy droplets! Old Geezer Yu continued raising the bid nonchntly. You... Very well! Ill bid seventy-five droplets! Unable to take it any longer, the White Overlord roared in utmost fury. Old Geezer Yu, try pushing your luck any further, and I swear Ill get you right here and right now! Heh, is that so? Alright then. Since you have already put it out like this, Ill let you for this one then! Seeing that he had sessfully raised the price to seventy-five droplets, Old Geezer Yu chuckled softly before falling silent. He could already tell that the White Overlord was already at the limits of its patience. If he continued provoking thetter any further, thetter might really make a move on him. Of course, given his strength, he did not fear the White Overlord. However, the destructive prowess of a berserk beast was not to be underestimated. Furthermore, the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion and Hundred Schools of Philosophers were also in the vicinity, so it went without saying that it would be a terrible idea toe to blows with the Beast Tribe. Here! Seeing that Old Geezer Yu was notpeting with him any further, the White Overlord harrumphed coldly before tossing a jade bottle over to Zhang Xuan. There were exactly seventy-five droplets of Ancient Blood within the bottle, and they were all from Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages. Due to therger physique of those in the Beast Tribe, they were able to offer up more of their blood than the smaller human and Otherworldly Demon cultivators. However, as their breakthroughs were highly reliant on their bloodline and talents, it was much harder for them to advance their cultivation. As a result, the number of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages that they had was significantly lower than that of the humans and the Otherworldly Demons. It had been difficult for them to save up those seventy-five droplets of blood, and giving them away like that pained them greatly. Alright, the second slot goes to the Beast Tribe. As for the third slot, the starting bid will be one hundred droplets of Ancient Sage blood! Zhang Xuan announced with a smile. One hundred droplets? Old Geezer Yus face stiffened upon hearing the price. Blood rushed up into his head as he cussed at the young man furiously. Why dont you go screw yourself instead! Just a moment earlier, the price had only been sixty droplets, but all of a sudden, it was nearly doubled... You are doing it intentionally, arent you? He had thought that the third slot would only cost seventy droplets of Ancient Sage blood at the very most, which was also why he had chosen not topete with the White Overlord over it. Yet, who could have known that this fellow would actually be so immoral! The Hundred Schools of Philosophers have three slots at the moment, and the Beast Tribe has two. You are the only one with only one slot. Do you want the slot or not? I dont mind keeping it for myself! Zhang Xuan replied coolly. Also, I can give you a heads up that I am indeed screwing with you, but what are you going to do about that? Take it or leave it! It was such a good opportunity to mess with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so there was no way that he would let it slip through his fingers. In any case, he had already gotten what he wanted. It did not matter to him whether Old Geezer Yu took the deal or not. You... Old Geezer Yu felt as if his blood vessels were going to explode from sheer rage. Lets agree to his request for the time being. Another Ancient Sage of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sent a telepathic message to Old Geezer Yu. In any case, a human master teacher wont be able to use the Ancient Sage blood of our Spirit Tribe. At the very most, well just have to find an opportunity to assassinate him and get our Ancient Sage blood back after he leaves the Prime Hall! The Ancient Sage blood of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was permeated with killing intent. It would be difficult for even Sempiternal realm cultivators toe close, let alone assimte it into their bodies! Since the humans had no way of using their Ancient Sage blood, it would not hurt them to give it away for the time being. With the prowess of their Spirit Tribe, they would eventually be able to assassinate that darned fellow and get their blood back! Hearing those words, Old Geezer Yus livid expression finally alleviated a little. Fine, one hundred droplets for a slot, is it? Ill give you two hundred droplets for the third slot and fourth slot! You want to buy the third and fourth slot? Thats right. Given the price you have set, you need not dream about others buying any more slots. Since thats the case, you might as well sell them to me for the same price! Old Geezer Yu said. Since they would eventually get the Ancient Sage blood back, it did not matter how many droplets he gave the young man. Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. Sure! Just as Old Geezer Yu had said, it was unlikely for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Beast Tribe to take out any more blood droplets to purchase the slots. Since that was the case, he might as well sell thest two slots to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Since any Otherworldly Demons who entered the Prime Hall would eventually end up being taken down by him, he did not mind selling them a few more slots. Here! With a flick of his wrist, Old Geezer Yu sent two jade bottles into Zhang Xuans grasp. Catching the two bottles, he inspected their contents and confirmed that there were a hundred droplets in each of the bottles. Thus, he nodded in contentment. You must be wary. Seeing through Old Geezer Yus malicious intentions, Zhang Hongtian sent a telepathic message over to warn Zhang Xuan. If the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages have left a sliver of their will in their blood, they would be able to attempt a Blood Reincarnation and attempt to destroy your soul! Upon reaching the Blood Reincarnation realm, every single droplet of blood that the Ancient Sage possessed represented the potential to sprout a new life. Even though it would be a lot of trouble for the droplet of blood to return to its peak, it was still well within its means to y an Aureate Body realm cultivator. I understand! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Earlier, when he pried open the bottle, he had already infused his Heavens Path zhenqi in to destroy whatever will the other party had left inside. As powerful as Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages were, it was still impossible for them to stand against the Heavens Path zhenqi with just a sliver of their will. In an instant, he had already eradicated whatever threats were within the blood droplets. Without any will to drive a reincarnation, no matter how much vitality the blood harnessed, it was unlikely that it would be able to sprout into a new life. At the very least, it would take tens of thousands of years before a new spirit sprouted within the droplets of blood. By then, he would have already used up the two hundred droplets of blood. If you face any difficulty dealing with the blood droplets, Ill be able to help you! Zhang Hongtian said. Thank you, old ancestor, but Im able to handle this, Zhang Xuan replied. Seeing that all of the slots had been distributed, Ancient Sage Yan Qing stood forward and announced, Since all of the slots have been distributed, lets prepare to set off! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Just as they had agreed on, he gathered the candidates chosen by each power before taking Little Amulet out. Little Amulet flew into the air and shrouded all of the candidates with its power. Following which, the group swiftly made their way into the Prime Hall. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned the candidates chosen by the other powers. The two slots of the Beast Tribe had gone to a white fox and a red leopard. They seemed to be rted to the White Overlord in one way or another. As for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they had dispatched three Sempiternal realm consummation experts. They wore impassive expressions, and they were reserved with their words. It was difficult to gauge exactly how powerful they were. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had brought in another expert who seemed tomand a fighting prowessparable to Yan Xue. All in all, except for Zhang Xuan, all of the candidates who had been chosen to enter the Prime Hall were at Sempiternal realm consummation. They were all the strongest existences beneath Ancient Sage. Lets go in! Weng! As soon as Little Amulet came into contact with the seal of the Prime Hall, it immediately fused in, and the crowd vanished from sight. Chapter 1767 - The Final Assessment

Chapter 1767: The Final Assessment

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Seeing that the crowd had vanished, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to the master teachers behind him and telepathically ordered, Prepare for battle! Un. The master teachers nodded in response to his words. All of them had grim expressions on their faces. As soon as their descendants left the Prime Hall, the battlefield would be passed on to them. Seeing that the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were huddled tightly together, seemingly ready to battle at any moment, the Ancient Sages of the other three powers also quickly got into formation, ready to make a move at any moment. Yang shi, Ill need you to arrange for those who havent reached Ancient Sage to leave this area, Zhang Hongtian instructed. Yes! Knowing that any Great Sage cultivators who remained in this area would only be meaningless sacrifices in this battle, he quickly made his way over to Ren Qingyuans side and issued some instructions. From that point onward, it would be the battlefield of the Ancient Sages. Thus, the cultivators of the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers began making their retreat. Simrly, the Great Sage cultivators of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Beast Tribe also began making their retreat. Soon enough, only the twenty or so Ancient Sages were left within the massive square, staring at one another tensely. It was a very fragile moment of peace that they were maintaining. Once the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn emerged, this peace would shatter into countless fragments, and a battle of unbelievable proportions would break out. It might seem like there were a lot of Ancient Sages in the square, but they were already the final powerhouses in the world. Who knew how many of them would be able to remain alive at the end of this conflict? Zhang shi, this is something that my senior entrusted to me earlier. He told him to ry it to you. While the Ancient Sages were eyeing one another tensely, Yang shi walked over to Zhang Hongtians side and passed him a jade token. Zhang Xuan told you to give this to me? Knowing that the senior whom Yang shi was talking about referred to the descendant known as Zhang Xuan, Zhang Hongtian was stunned for a moment. He reached out to take the token and lightly tapped his finger on it. Following which, he felt information surging into his consciousness. This is... the ws in Old Geezer Yus cultivation? Zhang Hongtian narrowed his eyes in shock. The information that he had just received detailed the various weaknesses and loopholes in the battle techniques that Old Geezer Yu practiced. All in all, there were over thirty of them. As long as he exploited even a single one of them properly, he would be able to y Old Geezer Yu once and for all! H-how did he manage to gather such crucial information? Zhang Hongtians first thought was that the information was nonsensical. After all, if it was that easy to uncover the ws in an Ancient Sages battle techniques, they would not have been such difficult opponents to deal with. However, as he simted those ws in his mind based on his hundred or so shes with Old Geezer Yu in the past, he swiftly realized that they were indeed true! There was no stronger weapon that he could hope for to deal with Old Geezer Yu other than this! It was a well-known fact that it was nigh impossible to y a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage unless another Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sageid out an all-epassing trap to corner them. Of course, that was easier said than done. However, with so many ws, he was confident that he would be able to corner and kill Old Geezer Yu. From that, it could be seen just how valuable the information was! Thatd really never fails to surprise me, Zhang Hongtian remarked. His curiosity regarding that descendant of his only seemed to deepen with time. Thed had single-handedly obtained the cruxes of five outer dimensions and even the Prime Amulet. He had ced the slots that the four major powers were dying toy their hands on up for auction. More importantly, he had beenpletely devoid of fear in the face of an expert of Old Geezer Yus caliber, and he had even collected the ws rting to him... Yang shi hesitated for a moment before saying, Actually, when you were severely injured twenty years ago and needed a purer Zhang n bloodline to recover, my senior was the one who offered his bloodline up to you so that you would be able to survive! Back then, Old Ancestor Zhang Hongtian had been so severely injured that he had fallen straight into aa. As he had swiftly gone into hibernation after his condition stabilized, he had not heard the full details of his treatment. As Yang shi was the one who had arranged the treatment, he was extremely clear about the details. What you are saying is that... his blood is flowing through my veins? Zhang Hongtian was taken aback. Thats right. Yang shi nodded in response. No wonder I felt a close sense of intimacy toward him... Zhang Hongtian widened his eyes in realization. Previously, he had thought that it was weird how he had felt an inexplicable feeling of affinity with that descendant of his. This perfectly exined it. His bloodline was pure enough to save me. Yet, despite having his bloodline stripped from him, he was not only able to survive but still possesses talent that ordinary men are unable topare to. It seems like theres no need to worry about the future of our Zhang n anymore! Zhang Hongtian thought. Having lived for so many years, it had been a long time since anything was able to pique his curiosity. However, at that moment, he felt like he wanted to know the person known as Zhang Xuan a little better. ... Hu! Having entered the Prime Hall, Zhang Xuan was oblivious to the happenings outside, and he did not know the thoughts that were running through Zhang Hongtians mind as a result of the jade token that he had given the other party. Instead, with an intense jolt, he suddenly found himself standing in the midst of a spacious hall. This hall was obviously much grander than the other Subordinate Halls, and the spiritual energy that suffused the area was much more concentrated. The paintings on the wall had an extremely high level of artistic conception, and it felt like the figures depicted in them woulde to life at any moment. These paintings are still at a lower level than the Canvas of Four Seasons. It doesnt seem like theres any Aeon of Ancient Sage in there! Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. While the paintings were exceptional works, they did not have a sliver of the world sealed within them, so they did not have any Aeon of Ancient Sage in them. As valuable as they were, they did not appeal to him anymore. The three Otherworldly Demons were just about to reach out to collect those paintings when a spear suddenly shot ahead of them, blocking their way. Gentlemen, hold your footsteps. I have something important that I would like to discuss with you... Zhang Xuan looked over with a smile. He had only dared to sell the slots to them because he was nning to get rid of them as soon as they entered the Prime Hall. Otherwise, they would remain an eyesore. While the three of them were plenty formidable, it would not be too difficult for him, Zhao Ya, Luo Ruoxin, and the others to eradicate them. You... Not expecting Zhang Xuan to turn against them as soon as they got into the Prime Hall, the faces of the three Otherworldly Demons darkened. They nced at one another and uttered, Flee! One of them took out a jade token and crushed it. H! A brilliant outburst of light enveloped the three of them before swiftly darting into the distance. Freeze! Seeing that the Otherworldly Demons were nning to escape, he raised his finger and sealed the space all around him. Kacha! However, the burst of light tore apart the frozen space with ease. In an instant, the three Otherworldly Demons had already vanished from sight. Its an artifact left behind by the Ancient Sages! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. It seemed like Old Geezer Yu knew that he would make a move on the Otherworldly Demons, so he bestowed upon them a powerful life preservation artifact so that they would be able to protect themselves. If he had brought out the Infernal cksaber, he might have been able to y them easily. However, even though he had managed to bring the Infernal cksaber into the Prime Hall, he was worried that he might trigger the restriction if he attempted to use it in the premises. As such, he was intending to keep it as a trump card for the most desperate of moments. Forget it! Theres no need to rush into getting rid of them now! With everyone on their guard, it would not be as easy for Zhang Xuan to eradicate them. However, he did not think that this would pose much of a problem. With the Little Amulet in hand, there was no way that the others would have a chance of obtaining the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. While harboring such thoughts, Zhang Xuan turned to Yan Xue and said, Since they have escaped, do you want to have a talk with me instead? Hu! Before he could finish his words, the same burst of light erupted around Yan Xue and the others, and they vanished from the spot. Zhang Xuan was silent for a second before he turned his gaze to the two remaining beasts. Before his eyes could even meet those of the two remaining beasts, they had already growled in a fluster. Dont look at us! Well leave, alright? H! Simrly, the two beasts disappeared from the spot. ... Zhang Xuan. ... The remaining crowd. Chapter 1768 - Kong shi’s Last Trial

Chapter 1768: Kong shis Last Trial

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Forget it! Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by their reactions. He did not think that those fellows would flee so quickly as if he was some kind of frightening monster. It was true that he had intended to get rid of the Otherworldly Demons; it could possibly spell the end of mankind if they, by any chance, managed to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. However, for Yan Xue and the beasts, he had really intended to just have a chat with them! On the other hand, seeing the stifled look on Zhang Xuans face, Zhao Ya and the others could roughly guess what he was thinking, and slight smiles crept onto their faces. Its not that they are afraid; they simply want to avoid any unnecessaryplications. As candidates chosen to enter the Prime Hall, they have only one missionobtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Luo Ruoxin exined. Understanding this point as well, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He turned to the crowd behind him and said, Zhao Ya and Ruyan, these paintings are valuable treasures. Grab them. Yes! Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan nodded before swiftly going around the room to keep the paintings. Cough cough... Zhang shi, these are treasures left behind by Kong shi. Isnt it a little disrespectful to simply take them away like that? The two master teachers who had followed along looked at him with speechless looks on their faces. To actually strip the Prime Hall bare shortly after their arrival... was it not a huge act of disrespect toward Kong shi? So, your intention is for us to... Zhang Xuan looked at the two master teachers and questioned. Shouldnt we at least pay our respects to Kong shi first before taking those paintings? one of the master teachers remarked with a reddened face. It was Zhang Xuans turn to be rendered speechless. In the end, what the master teacher was picking fault at was that they had not paid respects to Kong shi before taking the painting. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan instructed, Forget it, lets continue! Zhao Ya and the others moved swiftly, and it did not take long for them to clear all of the paintings in the room. Lets proceed ahead! After stowing all of the paintings, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the Prime Amulet. Little Amulet, where is the location of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? Its located at the very center of the Inner Hall, Little Amulet replied. Lead the way! Zhang Xuan instructed. Little Amulet nodded before swiftly flying ahead. The Prime Hall was almost like abyrinth; there were many split roads that confused ones sense of direction. Nevertheless, under the lead of Little Amulet, Zhang Xuans group swiftly flitted ahead. They encountered quite a number of treasures along the way, and Zhang Xuan did not hesitate to throw them into his storage ring. As a result, it was almost as if the Prime Hall had suffered a locust infestation. Not even ordinary sculptures were spared from Zhang Xuans plundering! The two master teachers could not help but shake their heads helplessly. They had not expected the young prodigy to be so greedy, and they found themselves wondering if it was the correct decision to being together with him. If Kong shi knew that he had such a junior, he would probably die of rage! Why are there no decent treasures here? Is Kong shi that poor? In contrast to the others who were awed by the Prime Hall, Zhang Xuan was collecting the treasures all around with a grumpy look on his face. It was not that the items he had collected was devoid of valueany of the paintings, zithers, brushes, and so on that he had collected could definitely be sold for an astronomical sum on the Master Teacher Continent. However, there was nothing that came close toparing to the treasures that he had collected in the Subordinate Halls. The two master teachers clutched their stifled chests, as if trying to resuscitate their halted heart. Those words were simply much too heretical, such that they could only act as if they had not heard them at all. Proceeding ahead, they swiftly arrived at a particrly vast atrium. This is the ce, Little Amulet said as it fell onto one of the stone tablets by the entrance. Weng! It was as if something had been awakened by that action. The towering sculpture that stood at the very center of the atrium began to slowly turn its body around. As the face of the sculpture came into sight, gasps of disbelief sounded all over the room. It was Kong shi! Those who have cleared the preliminary trials, I wee you to the Prime Hall. However, if you wish to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, theres onest trial that youll have to ovee. The voice of the sculpture was light, but it seemed to soak right into ones soul as if the nourishing breeze of spring. Obtaining the Prime Amulet and cruxes of the outer dimensions and entering the Prime Hall were all trials for the candidates. Those who were able to get that far were indubitably the most talented geniuses of the world. However, they would still have to prove their qualification to inherit Kong shis inheritance through onest trial. Right ahead of me is a walkway filled with Illusory Formations, ughter Formations, and all kinds of inner demons. If you are able to ovee it and walk to the end of the walkway, youll find the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn within your reach, and youll gain a chance to assimte it. Even if you are unable to seed, rest assured that you wont face any danger. However, youll be teleported out of the Prime Hall, and you wont have another chance to gain my heritage. As the sculpture spoke, it raised its finger and pointed in front of it. Zhang Xuan turned to look and saw that there was a walkway at the center of the atrium. It seemed to extend into the distant horizon, almost as if there was no end to it. Each person only has one attempt. You can choose to head there alone or together; theres no restriction on how many people can challenge the walkway at once, the sculpture exined. Zhang Xuan turned to Little Amulet and asked, How does the walkway work? In the brief look that he had taken at the walkway, everything appearedpletely normal to him. He could not find any traces of formations or the like in it. If so, it was likely that the trial was on an entirely different level than what he had encountered previously. This was specially left behind by Kong shi to testter generations. Im not too sure about the details, Little Amulet replied awkwardly. ... Alright then. Knowing that it was within Little Amulets blood to be utterly useless during crucial moments, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. Activating his Eye of Insight, he took another look at the walkway. However, he was still unable to discover anything. There were no energy disturbances within the walkway at all. Teacher, Ill give it a try first, Zhao Ya said as she stepped forward. Be careful! Even though the Kong shi sculpture had said that there would be no danger, Zhang Xuan still could not help but worry a little. Un! Zhao Ya nodded. She walked up to the walkway, and without any hesitation, she took a step into it. Weng! A white ray of light descended upon Zhao Ya, causing her to freeze on the spot. It seemed like she had been cast under some kind of illusion, rendering her immobile. Some timeter, a cold aura burst forth from her body. In an instant, she suddenly seemed to have be the monarch of the ice, and powerful energy raged around her, threatening to tear down the entire walkway. Unfortunately, even though Zhao Ya was powerful, the walkway was even more so. No matter how powerful the attacks that she threw toward the walkway were, they did not faze it in the least. After looking for a moment, Luo Ruoxin suddenly remarked, It seems like Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body has been activated once more... Zhang Xuan quickly took a closer look at Zhao Ya, and he found that thetter was indeed growing stronger by the moment. By that point, she was just a single step away from reaching Ancient Sage, and it seemed like she was ready to achieve a breakthrough at any moment. Shrouded by the icy aura of the Pure Yin Body, she looked like a proud goddessmanding an imposing presence, graceful and eye-catching. Every move that she made seemed to be in harmony with the world, bringing out indescribable elegance in her actions. As time ticked by, her unique constitution was gradually being awakened further, bing even more wholesome than before. Hu! Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to take a closer examination to determine the source behind Zhao Yas sudden awakening, another ray of light suddenly shrouded thetter. Following which, she vanished from the spot, as if someone had teleported her away. Failed! Kong shis voice filled the atrium. She failed? Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before nodding in realization. The sculpture had said earlier that those who failed the trial would be teleported right out of the Prime Hall. From the looks of it, it seemed like Zhao Ya had been teleported away. Teacher, allow me to go next! Seeing that her senior had been teleported away, Wei Ruyan stepped forward and volunteered herself. Just like Zhao Ya, she swiftly plunged into the midst of an illusion. As time went by, her unique constitution began to further awaken, and concentrated poison aura drifted around her. At the same time, her cultivation surged furiously as well. While she did not manage to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, there was a transformative advancement in the quality of her zhenqi. It seemed like she was only a single step away from oveing her bottleneck. However, before she could do so, she was teleported out of the Prime Hall as well. Following which, Luo Qiqi and the other two master teachers also volunteered to head over. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, Lets go together! Chapter 1769 - The Final 0.01!

Chapter 1769: The Final 0.01!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Since it had been shown that the trial posed no danger, there was no need for them to waste any more time. Their priority at the moment should be to clear the trial as quickly as possible and find the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. The others nodded in agreement, and the group of five began making their way toward the walkway together. H! Walking up to the walkway, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a warm flow of energy embracing him. Following which, the sight before him was swallowed up by a sh of light, turning everythingpletely white. By the time his sense of sight returned, he was standing before a lofty mountain. Or to be more precise, it was a mountain formed of countless books piled up on top of one another. The mountain pierced right through a denseyer of clouds, obscuring the mountain peak from view. At the same time, there was not a clear path in sight that seemed to lead one to the peak. Other than the enormous mountain of books, the other thing that caught Zhang Xuans attention was the line of characters flickering in and out of existence in the air. Reach the top and clear the trial. Surrender, and you shall be gifted a reward based on your progress. Kong shis voice sounded quietly in the area. I see! Zhang Xuan mumbled under his breath as he took a deep breath. Even though everything before him appeared to be incredibly lifelike, judging from what had happened to Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan earlier, it was likely that they were in an illusion. In other words, his physical body was still in the walkway; it was only his consciousness that had been transported to this humongous mountain of books. Focusing his attention, Zhang Xuan began driving his zhenqi through his body before leaping up. Hu! Contrary to his expectations, instead of soaring into the air, he plummeted back to the ground. It seems like I wont be able to rely on flight to get to the top. Then again, it would be too easy if I could simply fly to the top, Zhang Xuan thought. Zhang Xuan took a look at the mountain of books once more, only to see that there was no paved path that he could walk on. Staring at the steep incline ahead of him, he reached out in an attempt to climb his way up, but to his surprise, he found an immense pressure crushing him. As if struck by lightning, he found his entire body turning numb. At the same time, his hand was injured by thorns of some sort, and it was bleeding profusely. This... Looking at his injuries, Zhang Xuans face turned livid. He had been thinking that it would be rtively simple for him to climb his way up even though there was no paved path for him to walk on. Who could have known that there would be such an obstacle as well? It was as if a Sempiternal realm consummation expert was continuously assaulting him! Under such circumstances, how could he possibly get to the mountain peak? Zhang Xuan circled around the mountain and tried climbing from various different points, but it was the same oue every single time. Barely after climbing half a meter up, he was pushed back down by a crushing pressure. Bewildered, he paused contemtively on the spot. Is the crux of the trial not climbing up forcefully? If he was not supposed to climb up, how could he get to the peak? No wonder Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had ended up failing the trial. It was indeed not as easy as he had thought. Since its a mountain of book, I should study and find out what they are first. Perhaps, they might contain some clues in them... Zhang Xuan turned his sights toward the books, and with a thought, hundreds of books were immediately collected into the Library of Heavens Path. With a tap of his finger, invaluable knowledge gushed into his mind. These books covered a diverse range of topics, be it cultivation techniques, battle techniques, culture, geography, astronomy, divination... It seemed as if the mountain of books before him epassed the knowledge of all of the upations on the Master Teacher Continent. Hla! Barely after assimting the knowledge into his mind, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed several steps appearing on the mountain of books, and he was stunned. He had walked around the area for quite a while earlier, and he was certain that he had not seen the steps there previously. Why would they appear after he had browsed through hundreds of books? Could it be that... he could pave a way to the top through reading the books there? Let me give it a try! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately swept his gaze across the mountain of books. Hullla! Countless books materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. In less than five minutes, Zhang Xuan had already collected tens of thousands of books. With a light tap of his finger, knowledge surged furiously into his head. Barely a moment after he digested the knowledge, the mountain before him suddenly tremored, and another flight of stairs warped into appearance. They gradually stretched toward the top of the mountain peak. Its indeed the case... Realizing that the crux of the trial was actually to read, a glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Had it been any other cultivator, even if he could use his Spiritual Perception to read multiple books at once, his consciousness would probably be muddled as a result of the sudden influx of knowledge into his head. However, that was not the case for Zhang Xuan. All it took was a nce for Zhang Xuan to collect the books and one touch for him to imprint the wisdom harnessed within them into his memories. The current Zhang Xuan was like a supeputer. While other cultivators were struggling to memorize andprehend the content of the books lying amid the massive mountain of books, all he had to do was conduct a simple copy and paste. Hla! Walking onto the stairs, Zhang Xuan continued collecting more books around him, and knowledge flowed ceaselessly into his mind. As the number of books that he had read stacked up, the flight of stairs gradually rose higher and higher. He slowly walked up the stairs step by step. With time, he soon realized that an additional step would appear for every hundred books that he read. To be honest, Zhang Xuan was probably the only one who could read in such a manner. If anyone else attempted to read and assimte the content of the books like him... even an Ancient Sage would have already been driven mad by that point! Walking on, Zhang Xuan soon found himselfpletely shrouded in the clouds. All he could see was the flight of stairs. It was as if the entire vast world had vanished, leaving behind his lonesome silhouette. I have already read so many books, but I havent reached the mountain peak yet... Any other cultivator who attempted to read so many books would probably have suffered a mental breakdown by now! Zhang Xuan muttered inint. Based on his deduction, it was likely that the flow of time in here was different from the external world. Even with the cheat code known as the Library of Heavens Path, it had still taken him nearly half a day to get so far. Had it been anyone else, they would have taken several centuries or even a millennium in order to get that far! To spend several centuries reading books and doing nothing else... the monotony was surely enough to erode anyones sanity, including that of an Ancient Sage! Hu! Reaching this point, Zhang Xuan realized that the rate at which newer steps were being conjured had slowed down. It had roughly been a hundred books to a step previously, but the ratio had changed to a thousand books to a step now. The trial was already tough enough as it was. To have the difficulty suddenly raised tenfold partway through would probably deal a crushing blow to any cultivator who had managed to get that far. Of course, this change in difficulty did not make much of a difference to Zhang Xuan. To him, it was only a difference of reaching the peak faster or slower. Carrying on, Zhang Xuan continued reading for another half a day. By the time the day came to an end, the trial had already reached the point where he had to read over ten thousand books in order to conjure a single step. Zhang Xuan knew that he was nearing the end, so he gritted his teeth and persisted. Sure enough, the mountain peak eventually came into sight. A path through a mountain of books with perseverance as the key... It seems like Kong shis trial is one on mental resilience and diligence, Zhang Xuan remarked as he heaved a sigh of relief. Knowledge is the key to greatness. The more one reads, the higher one will climb. As much as this was a trial, it was also advice that Kong shi was leaving to the future generations. He wanted to tell his sessor that what would lead to the peak of cultivation was not just talent but knowledge and culture! Only a knowledgeable person would be able to attain a deeper understanding of cultivation and the world. Only a cultured person would have a mind vast enough to ept changes. These were the keys that were required for one to climb to greater heights. The seventy-two Sages, for example, were highly talented individuals who were personally groomed by Kong shi, having been imparted with the most powerful of cultivation techniques and battle techniques right from the start. In terms of starting points, there was no question that they were far ahead of Kong shi. Yet, despite being granted such favorable conditions, none of them came close to matching Kong shis aplishments or strength. There was only one possibility for this. In terms of knowledge, they were far beneath Kong shi. It was the scope of their mind that had limited their advancement. Back when Kong shi established the system of Lower, Middle, and Upper Nine Paths, it might seem as if it had contributed little to his personal development. Yet, it was such challenges that had opened his eyes to the world, allowing him to ept new changes and adapt ordingly. Such were the soft skills that a cultivator needed to rise to greater heights. Kacha! As such thoughts flowed through Zhang Xuans mind, all of a sudden, a sound reminiscent of an egg cracking apart or a seedling breaking out of the soil echoed in his head. My Soul Depth has exceeded 29.99? Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly as a brilliant light shone from his eyes. Chapter 1770 - The Ultimate Treasure

Chapter 1770: The Ultimate Treasure

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Previously, Zhang Xuans Soul Depth had already reached 29.99, a mere nudge away from making the final breakthrough to Ancient Sage. He had been nning to diligently cultivate beneath the Bodhi Tree so that he could make a breakthrough soon. Yet, who could have known that his Soul Depth would leap up right to 30.0 while he was reading all those books? 30.1! 30.2! 30.3! ... Zhang Xuans Soul Depth leaped all the way up to 31.9 before slowlying to a halt. In a very short period of time, his Soul Depth had been raised by 2.0. Boom! With the sudden increment of his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan felt as if a storm had been whipped up in his head. All of his senses suddenly grew incredibly sensitive, and he felt like a countryside bumpkin entering a vibrant city for the first time in his life, witnessing the vibrant reds and greens, the delightful dances and cheerful songs. It was as if he was seeing a side to the world that he had not known existed. The cultivation techniques and battle techniques that he had never been able to make sense of before filled his mind and clicked together logically. It was as if the puzzles that had bewildered him for a long time had suddenly be no different from childs y. Not only so, he could also vaguely sense the existence of the Aeon of Ancient Sage in the surroundings. If he wanted to, he could even tap on it and utilize it to temper his body, raising his level of existence. With such an ability, his chances of achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage were tremendously enhanced! Its no wonder they say that only those who have reached 30.0 in their Soul Depth will have a chance to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Previously, his parents had told him the various conditions required for one to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, and one point that they had been particrly focused on was Soul Depth. From the looks of it, that was indeed the case. If onepared the bottleneck to Ancient Sage to tightly sealed gates, the breakthrough of ones Soul Depth to 30.0 would be equivalent to opening a crack in the tightly sealed gates. As long as one umted sufficient energy, one would be able to force the gates open and enjoy the beautiful scenery on the other side. In other words, if he reached Sempiternal realm consummation, with the Ancient Sage blood droplets that he had gathered so far, he could push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage in one shot. With this, the pressure that Ancient Sages exert wont be able to faze me anymore! On top of that, Ill be able to disguise myself convincingly as an Ancient Sage as well! Zhang Xuan thought with a smile. His thoughts had grown much more lucid than before, and his mind felt invigorated. All of the negative emotions that he carried with him seemed to have been swept clean. Continue! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan continued collecting the books all around the mountain into the Library of Heavens Path and converted them into his knowledge. It did not take him too long to arrive on the mountain peak. There was nothing unique on the mountain peak except for a stone altar. He walked up to it and ced his palm on it. Hong long! Once again, he was devoured by a brilliant burst of light and vanished on the spot. By the time he came to, the mountain of books had already disappeared without a trace. Instead, he found himself lying on top of a leaf, floating in the middle of an ocean. Amid the rocking of the ocean currents, he sat up and scanned his surroundings. The blue sky seemed to meld right into the ocean water, leaving the horizon a little blurred. No matter which direction he looked in, there did not seem to be any end to the vast ocean. This rendered Zhang Xuanpletely confused. He had no idea where he was, and he did not know where he should head to. A path through a mountain of books with diligence as the key, sail through the ocean of learning with a paddle of hardship, Zhang Xuan murmured. Rather than getting flustered, he seemed to experience an epiphany. This seems to be the so-called ocean of learning... It was a mountain of books earlier, and only when one studied would the steps leading to the endpoint appear. It was likely that the same principles applied to the ocean of learning as well. If he did not learn, the leaf would not move, and he would never get to shore. A light ocean breeze blew across the ocean, producing a crisp sound reminiscent of an orchestra ensemble. The surface of the water rippled, as if a beautiful, blue painting. Beneath the water, one could see countless fish moving around in a certain pattern. They seemed to be simting some kind of formation. Gazing upon them, Zhang Xuan found his attention slowly immersing deeper into them. With a pair of sharp eyes, everything in the world could enhance ones wisdom. Observing the vastness of the world, scrutinizing the free movements of the fishthe entire ocean epassed great knowledge that seemed to fuse together with whatever he had studied previously on the mountain of books. With the slight bobbing of the leaf, Zhang Xuans heart gradually grew quieter and quieter. All kinds of knowledge flowed into his mind, and as if a dry sponge, he greedily devoured the wisdom. Some timeter, Zhang Xuans body jolted, and he stood up. Painter, demonic tunist, cksmith, beast tamer, spirit awakener, physician, formation master... All of the knowledge that he had learned from those upations assimted together impably, reaching the level of 9-star. At that moment, even without any special exceptions, he would easily be able to meet the nine 9-star supporting upations prerequisites, thus making him a true 9-star master teacher. In fact, in terms ofprehension in these upations, he might have even reached a levelparable to Kong shi, far exceeding the typical geniuses of those guilds. Despite the massive influx of information, his mind did not grow befuddled. Instead, it was growing clearer and clearer as everything that he had learned formed links with one another, bringing greater rity to his web of knowledge. Hu! Zhang Xuan went on to learn many other upations, and just as a feeling of omniscience was starting to set upon him, there was another burst of light that filled his vision with utter whiteness. When he finally regained his sight once more, he found that he had returned to the walkway. He felt as if he had been gone for at least ten days, but his consciousness told him that he had only been gone for a minute or two! The disparity in time between his consciousness and experience left him feeling a little dazed for a moment as his mind struggled to make sense of this anomaly. It felt like he had just woken up from a transient dream. He turned around to scan his surroundings once more, only to see Luo Qiqi and the other two master teachers standing on the spot. Their bodies were trembling intensely, as if ced under immense pressure. Even though their eyes were wide open, it was apparent that they were not conscious. Where is Ruoxin? Zhang Xuan pondered doubtfully. Of the other six people whom he hade in with, Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had failed the trial and had been teleported out. Luo Qiqi and the remaining two master teachers were still facing the trial, but for some reason, Luo Ruoxin was nowhere to be seen. Could it be that... she had failed the trial and had been teleported out? Just as Zhang Xuan was still trying to make sense of what was happening, Kong shis voice sounded in the air once more. You have cleared the trial. Proceed to the end of the walkway, and youll reach the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. If you are able to assimte it, youll be qualified to inherit my heritage. Hearing that voice, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before heading to the end of the walkway. For the time being, I should obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn before deciding on my next move... Having been tempered by the mountain of books and ocean of learning, his Soul Depth had already reached a levelparable to the Ancient Sages. The pressure exerted on him by the walkway could no longer faze him. Soon enough, he reached the end of the walkway. Simr to the entrances of the Prime Hall and Subordinate Halls, there was an invisible seal that prevented any unauthorized cultivators from heading any further in. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out Little Amulet and ced thetter against the seal. The seal slowly crumbled, and he swiftly made his way through. A majestic hall came into sight, at the very center of which was a marble stand with a book ced t above it. A radiant glow was shining from it. There were two massive characters written in ancient script on the cover of the bookSpring Autumn. Time seemed to be flowing through the book, making it feel as if it was an artifact that existed in the past or the future. It felt like an artifact that existed in the crevices of time. So, this is the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he clenched his fists. He was just about to make his way over to the book when a human silhouette suddenly entered his field of view. A hand reached out for the book on the marble stand and picked it up. Upon getting a closer look at the human silhouette, Zhang Xuan froze. Ruoxin... Chapter 1771 - Luo Ruoxin

Chapter 1771: Luo Ruoxin

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The person standing before the marble stand and taking away the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was none other than Luo Ruoxin, who had vanished without a trace earlier! Zhang Xuan did not think that she would have already made her way there! Should it not have been impossible to get there without the Prime Amulet? How did she manage to get in there earlier than him? More importantly... it was due to his possession of the Library of Heavens Path that he had been able to browse through so many books quickly. Was Ruoxin capable of such a feat as well? Hong long long! Before Zhang Xuan could make sense of those doubts, along with the picking up of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn from the marble tform, the entire Temple of Confucius began trembling intensely. It was as if the cornerstone holding the entire ce together had been removed, such that the entire dimension was beginning to tear apart. Hu! The first to bear the brunt of the blow was the Prime Hall. A flood of devastating energy gushed into the room, tearing down everything in its path. However, standing by the marble tform, Luo Ruoxin seemed to bepletely unfazed by the flood of energy. A brilliant burst of light shone out from the book. The book attempted to flee from her grasp, but no matter how it struggled, it was unable to break free. Amid the intense trembling, the surrounding space distorted, causing the seal on the Prime Hall to break apart. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is finally out! Quick! Someone must be trying to assimte it! Who obtained it? Is it that Zhang Xuan or my descendants? Roars echoed all around the area as many silhouettes charged into the Prime Hall. They were the Ancient Sages who had been camping outside the Prime Hall. Previously, they had been kept out due to the seal that Kong shi had ced around the Prime Hall, so they had no choice but to wait patiently outside. However, the fact that the Prime Hall was on the verge of copse meant that someone had already gotten to the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. This was a clear sign that it was their time to make a move, and the ultimate oue of this battle was banking on them. Its that youngdy! She is... Luo Ruoxin? Seeing the figure holding the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, the crowd was stunned. They had thought that it would be the master teacher named Zhang Xuan who obtained the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Yet, contrary to their expectations, the one who eventually obtained it was actually the seemingly inconspicuous youngdy following behind him, Luo Ruoxin! Littless, you wont be able to assimte it. Why dont you hand it to me instead? Seeing the tremendous power pulsating from the book, the eyes of the White Overlord reddened in excitement. Unable to curb its desire any longer, it raised its ws to strike Luo Ruoxin. Be careful! Zhang Xuan waspletely caught off guard by the happenings. He had not expected the seal to break down to the extent that even Ancient Sages would make an appearance. In an instant, his face turned incredibly livid. His first reaction was to dash forward to save Luo Ruoxin, but as he did so, he saw the eyebrows of the youngdy coldly shooting up. Hong long! Devastating torrent of energy burst forth and surged into the heavens. Shockwaves rippled into the surroundings, forming a protective barrier around her. Peng! The ws of the White Overlord fell upon the protective barrier, but they did not even leave a mark on it. This is... the strength of an Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. The strength that Luo Ruoxin was disying was something that only Ancient Sages were capable of pulling forth. Not only so, she was even stronger than the White Overlord! Tzzzzzz! As soon as Luo Ruoxin brought out the strength of an Ancient Sage, it became clear that the struggling Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was gradually being stripped of its strength to oppose her. This is bad. Shes on the verge of assimting it. We cant let her seed! Ancient Sage Yan Qing roared in horror. The next moment, a massive halberd darted through the air to strike down Luo Ruoxin. Its strength pierced right through the fabric of spacetime, causing everything to seemingly slow to a halt. A gigantic dimension rift was forcefully torn open, and it swiftly expanded to over ten thousand li. That was an attack from a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage, one of the strongest experts in the world. With just a wave of his hand, he could easily summon devastating destruction. Before this might could evene close, Zhang Xuan, who was in close proximity to Luo Ruoxin, felt as if the bones within his body were on the verge of being crushed. His body, which had been tempered by the Empyrean Heavenly me, seemed to be as brittle as a childs toy. He felt his life slowly creeping to an end when Luo Ruoxin suddenly raised her hand. A warm glow swiftly shrouded him and escorted him out of the battlefield. Tzzz! Following which, the halberd crashed right down upon Luo Ruoxin. Without the slightest change in her expression, the youngdy grasped the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn tightly in one hand while raising her other hand toward the halberd. Pointing her finger toward the immensely destructive weapon, she tapped lightly. Weng! The halberd was halted on the spot. Ancient Sage Yan Qings face reddened as the halberd flew out of his hand. Fresh blood spurted frenziedly from his mouth as he was furiously knocked backward. This... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. All along, he had thought that Luo Ruoxins cultivation was around the same level as his. He did not think that she would actually be an Ancient Sage, and an incredibly powerful one at that! With a single tap of her finger, she was actually able to send Ancient Sage Yan Qing, who was known to be the strongest Ancient Sage of the current era, flying. Could it be that she had already transcended the level of Blood Reincarnation, achieving the little-known Void Shattering realm? If that was the case... what was her true background? H! While Zhang Xuan was still figuring out what was going on, the space behind the youngdy tore open like a ripped sheet of paper, causing a humongous dark abyss to appear. Shes going to escape! If we dont stop her right now, the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn could very well be hers! Ancient Sage Yan Qing cried anxiously. There were still a couple of Ancient Sages in the area who were hesitating after seeing how Luo Ruoxin easily halted the White Overlords attacks. However, knowing that they would really lose the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn if they did not make a move, they immediately charged forth to join the fray. Hu! Old Geezer Yu concentrated his zhenqi and created a pair of phantasmagoric hands in the air. Those pair of sinister hands swiped viciously toward Luo Ruoxin. Ancient Sage Yan Qing took up his halberd once more, and with a powerful spin, he tossed it forward with astounding momentum. A cold glint shed across the White Overlords eyes as it channeled all of its strength and swiped down. In that moment, it felt as though even time had stopped. All of the Ancient Sages from those three major powers made a move simultaneously in an attempt to stop Luo Ruoxin. In an instant, it felt as if the world had regressed back to the state of chaos before creation. The surrounding light distorted from the sheer concentration of energy that had gathered in the area, plunging the entire Temple of Confucius into darkness. Ancient Sages were already the most powerful existence in the world, and more than a dozen of them were making a move simultaneously. This was a force that could even knock down the entire Master Teacher Continent! Have you asked my permission before doing this? a furious shout echoed by the side. Following which, a barrage of sword qi flooded forward, hindering the movements of the Ancient Sages. Zhang Hongtian, dont be a fool! She isnt from the Master Teacher Pavilion! Ancient Sage Yan Qing bellowed in rage as he twisted the halberd to fend off the barrage of sword qi. The halberd collided with the tip of Zhang Hongtians sword, and Zhang Hongtian was forced to retreat several steps as his face turned ghastly pale. It was unfortunate, but he was still slightlycking against the strongest expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Shes the person whom one of my descendants loves, and that makes her a part of our Zhang n as well! Zhang Hongtian replied coolly as he raised his sword once more, indicating his determination to protect Luo Ruoxin. However, no matter how strong he was as an individual, there was no way that he stood a chance against the coboration of so many Ancient Sages, especially since Ancient Sage Yan Qing alone was much stronger than him. Si! Thebined prowess of the Ancient Sages continued steadily advancing toward Luo Ruoxin. All Zhang Hongtian seeded in doing was stalling for a little more time. At this moment, Luo Ruoxin was still holding the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn tightly, seemingly attempting to assimte it. The situation was truly not in her favor. No matter how powerful she was, there was no way that she could survive the simultaneous assault of so many Ancient Sages. Ruoxin... Realizing the grave danger that the youngdy was in, Zhang Xuan roared in fury. He immediately summoned the Ancient Sage corpse, Infernal cksaber, and Vicious to help, but before he could make a move, a burst of saber qi suddenly shot over from the distance. This saber qi reflected the brilliance of the sun and the moon, and it was the final straw that resulted in the utter copse of the surrounding space. Mdy, I havepleted the arrangements as requested. Ill help you keep them at bay for the time being! Hu! The missing Wu Chen appeared before everyone. Chapter 1772 - Wu Chen’s True Identity

Chapter 1772: Wu Chens True Identity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Help fend them off for a while; Ill assimte the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the meantime. Luo Ruoxin nodded as she channeled her energy frenziedly into the book in her hand. Wu Chen nodded, and without any hesitation, he continued striking out saber qi in order to stop the advancing Ancient Sages. Boom boom boom! As the attacks of the Ancient Sages fell on Wu Chens saber, one could see his face visibly turning paler and paler. The saber qi that he dealt out gushed forth like the rapid tides of a river. Even though he was forced back again and again, astonishingly, he actually managed to fend off all of their attacks single-handedly. There was not the slightest shockwave that harmed or interrupted Luo Ruoxin. Strong... Zhang Xuan was struck dumb by Wu Chens outburst of strength. A battle of this level was not something that he could interfere in anymore. Just that... Wu Chen had only just achieved a breakthrough, had he not? Why was he able to easily obstruct the attacks of so many powerful Ancient Sages, a feat that even Old Ancestor Zhang Hongtian had failed in? Furthermore, throughout the entire collision, his face had only turned slightly pale. It did not seem like he had sustained any significant injuries. If so, just how powerful was Wu Chen actually? Was he a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage as well? It was already amazing that Luo Ruoxin was able to defend against Ancient Sage Yan Qings attack with just a wave of her hand, but to think that Wu Chen was able to do so as well... In an instant, he felt as if he was seeing apletely different side to them. He knew that the two of them had been keeping secrets, but this was not what he had expected at all. Hes finally appeared. Set up the formation! Ancient Sage Yan Qing did not seem to be surprised by Wu Chens feat at all. Instead, his eyebrows shot up as he swiftly issued severalmands. Weng! In an instant, blue light poured into the surroundings, forming innumerable stars that surrounded the entire Temple of Confucius. Wu Chens face immediately darkened upon seeing that formation. This is the ultimate treasure forged by the seventy-two Sages, the Heavenly Pce Constetion Blueprint! You actually brought it here? We brought the Heavenly Pce Constetion Blueprint here today to prevent you from getting away. You can be certain that today will be your death date! Ancient Sage Yan Qing sneered coldly. Hu! Under the cover of the light from the constetion, the ripped space behind Luo Ruoxin slowly began to mend. It did not take too long before it reverted back to normal. Zhang Xuan also sensed that the surrounding space was swiftly freezing up, so he quickly whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear and pierced the surrounding space. However, he found that the space had turned incredibly hard. Even with his current strength, he was unable to break it open. Within the sealed space, it felt like Ancient Sage Yan Qing was a giant who wielded the ability to control anything that happened. He raised his finger and tapped it lightly. Hu! A star descended from the sky and smashed right for Wu Chen. The star did not appear to be toorge, but it descended with devastating momentum. Shockingly, it was even stronger than the attack that Ancient Sage Yan Qing had executed with his halberd. Even before reaching its target, one could already feel the stars intent to annihte everything in its path. Break! Facing the ridiculous might of the descending star, Wu Chensplexion turned incredibly awful. He cut his finger lightly with the saber in his hand and fed his blood to his weapon. The saber immediately emanated an eerie glow as its prowess heightened significantly. It was just a simple pierce, but the surrounding space copsed along with its movements. The saber struck the descending star and sliced it in two without any hesitation. Deng deng deng deng! At the same time, the impact of the collision caused Wu Chen to retreat eight steps, and blood trickled down the corners of his lips. His face also turned ghastly white. It was apparent that even though he had managed to stop the star, he had overexerted himself in the midst of doing so. Seeing that Wu Chen was able to withstand the might of the descending star, a hint of astonishment shed across Ancient Sage Yan Qings eyes. However, he soon sneered coldly and raised his finger once more. Lets see how many you can defend against! Hu! Yet another star descended from the sky. Knowing that Luo Ruoxin was in a crucial moment in assimting the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Wu Chen did not dare back down. Taking a deep breath, he retracted his saber and fled. I cant afford to hold back at a time like this... This time, Wu Chen did not use the saber. Instead, he flicked his wrist and whipped out two skeletal arms drenched in his blood before charging right toward the star above him. As soon as the skeletal arms appeared, a powerful aura exploded into the surroundings. The higher Wu Chen flew, therger the skeletal arms seemed to be. In the blink of an eye, they had already be sorge that they seemed to cover the entire sky. It seemed like as long as he was given sufficient time, those two hands could easily cover the entire world. Kacha! The skeletal arms tore right through the descending star, smashing it into dust. Furthermore, the skeletal arms did not stop at just crushing the star. They continued surging into the sky, and the tremendous might that they harnessed caused the entire starry sky to shudder. It seemed like even the artifact was unable to withstand the pressureing from the skeletal arms! Incredible... If even the skeletal arms are so powerful, I cant imagine how powerful that person was when he was still alive! Zhang Hongtian and the others were bewildered by the impressive prowess that Wu Chen had brought forth. As Ancient Sages, they could feel the overwhelming strength of the blueprint very clearly. Even if they used their full prowess, they would still be unable to break apart the spacetime restraints imposed by the blueprint, let alone destroy the descending stars! Yet, a single grasp of those two skeletal arms could make the entire blueprint shudder. Did that not mean that their prowess had exceeded the Blood Reincarnation realm? This aura... Contrary to everyones bewilderment, Zhang Xuans body jolted as soon as he sensed the auraing from the skeletal arms. He felt a familiar sensation from those two skeletal arms. It belongs to Vicious... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. The right skeletal arm in the air wascking a phnge, and the familiar aura that he was feeling confirmed his deduction. There was no doubt... it was Vicious! Why would Vicious arms be in Wu Chens possession? Furthermore, the strength that they possessed was peculiarly great. Even after recovering the upper body, the Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path did not wield such great power. All of a sudden, many doubts flooded into Zhang Xuans mind. He was unable to make sense of the situation. Spurting a mouthful of blood, Ancient Sage Yan Qing bellowed, What are you waiting for? Are you intending to back out at this crucial moment? He had been sustaining the blueprint with his own energy, so the attempt to break the blueprint had caused his zhenqi to suffer a major bacsh. Of course not! Old Geezer Yu, who had been watching themotion from the side, swiftly made his way over with the Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. This... Zhang Xuan staggered in shock. He dared not believe what he was seeing. From their conversation, it was obvious that Ancient Sage Yan Qing of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was in a partnership with Old Geezer Yu! In other words, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had defected to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! What the heck was going on here? Other than Zhang Xuan, Zhang Hongtian and the others were also looking at one another in a daze. In terms of resentment, the hatred that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers harbored for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was definitely nowhere beneath that of Master Teacher Pavilions cultivators. Why would they actually coborate with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? H! Old Geezer Yu flicked his wrist, and a straw garment materialized in the air. The skeletal arms that were tearing apart the blueprint suddenly halted, as if their strength had been neutralized by the straw garment. Quick, kill him! Old Geezer Yu bellowed. On the other hand, Wu Chens face darkened. He bit his finger, and fresh blood spurted onto the skeletal arms. However, the skeletal arms remainedpletely motionless, as if they were hibernating. Wu Chen attempted to control the skeletal arms, but they refused to budge at all. He sped his fists tightly and roared at Old Geezer Yu in the air. Bo Yu, you traitor! How can you coborate with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Arent you afraid that Ill decapitate you? Heh! Youll have to escape from here alive in order to kill me... Without the slightest fear, Old Geezer Yu chuckled softly. Besides, you should also know that the person who wants to im your life isnt me but Sovereign Chen Ling! Isnt that so, Sovereign Chen Yong? Sovereign Chen Yong? Could it be... Zhang Xuans body stiffened upon hearing those words. His eyes were marred with disbelief as he muttered, Wu Chen is actually... Sovereign Chen Yong from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Chapter 1773 - The Number One Expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Chapter 1773: The Number One Expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Yong was one of the Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and he was the most authoritative and powerful of them. Most of the major decisions regarding the tribe were made by him, thus building his reputation as the number one expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. How could he be the youth who had been addressing him as Young Master all this while? If they really were the same person, then... what was the identity of Luo Ruoxin, whom he addressed as Mdy? In that instant, Zhang Xuans body turned ice cold. He did not dare consider that possibility. He had heard from Yang shi in the past that the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor hade to the Master Teacher Continent, but his whereabouts had been a mystery to all. Who would have thought that the other party had actually been by his side, serving as Luo Ruoxins subordinate? Sovereign Chen Ling... Even though Wu Chen already knew the answer in his mind, his face still warped upon hearing those words. He clenched his fists with burning rage. The Three Sovereigns had known each other for many years, and it was indeed true that there had been many internal conflicts in the past. However, to collude with outsiders to deal with him, that could pretty much be considered a betrayal! With such thoughts in mind, Wu Chen raised his head to look at Ancient Sage Yan Qing and spat, It seems like the proud Hundred Schools of Philosophers has decided to lower itself to coborate with Sovereign Chen Ling! epting Sovereign Chen Lings request will not only allow us to eliminate the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor, it will also bring us three hundred years of peace. What do we have to hesitate over? Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied calmly, unfazed by Wu Chens questioning. Three hundred years of peace? Sovereign Chen Ling has already promised our Hundred Schools of Philosophers that as long as we are able to get rid of you, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will notunch an attack on mankind within the next three hundred years, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. I see. Wu Chen nodded silently That exined why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Hundred Schools of Philosophers were coborating with one another despite the deep-seated hatred between them. As the strongest and most influential Sovereign, his death would inevitably cause a significant loss in power and chaos among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It would take at least three hundred years for Sovereign Chen Ling to calm down the chaos and assume supreme control over the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. In other words, Sovereign Chen Ling needed those three hundred years as well. However, just because the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had agreed to three hundred years of peace did not mean that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion would not make use of the opportunity to eliminate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. So, back at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild, you were already prepared to ambush me, werent you? Sovereign Chen Yong asked once more. The Seer Guilds barrier would have concealed the auras of the Ancient Sages, and theres no doubt that you would have been prompted to make a move when Vicious upper body was on the line. We were certain that we would be able to kill you easily, but who could have known that someone would foil our ns? Bo Yu harrumphed coldly as he shot a nce at Zhang Xuan. The reason that there had been multiple Ancient Sages in the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild back then was because they had been biding their time for the chance to destroy Sovereign Chen Yong. Yet, who could have known that it would end up drawing Zhang Xuan in as well? Not only so, thetter had even sessfully killed an Ancient Sage expert as soon as he made a move, thus scaring the others off. This... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. That exined why the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had chosen to steal Vicious upper body so openly. In the end, it was part of their ploy to draw Wu Chen to them! Given that Wu Chen had Vicious arms, he would have sensed the presence of the upper body as well once it was released from Sage Kuis sculpture. That was no doubt that he would have beenpelled to make a move. If not for Luo Ruoxin, Wu Chen would have made a move on him when he attempted to seal Vicious upper body in the Book of Heavens Path. Otherwise, as the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor, there was no way that he would have lowered himself to the extent of addressing an insignificant character like him as Young Master! In other words, you had already reached a deal before you headed to the White Creek Mountain in search of the Prime Amulet, Wu Chen remarked. Back then, he had realized that there was an Otherworldly Demon among the group of four who had entered the ancient domain on White Creek Mountain. Sensing that something was amiss, he had bid farewell to Luo Ruoxin in order to investigate the matter. Soon, he had found out that the other two Sovereigns hadunched an invasion against mankind, so he had quickly passed an ordermanding the Otherworldly Demons to halt their assault. Before he could uncover anything substantial, the Temple of Confucius had emerged, so he had been left with no choice but to put aside his investigation and rush over. Indeed. Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded in response. Very well! Having asked everything that he wanted to know, Wu Chen closed his eyes. A momentter, his eyes suddenly shot open, and a massive vortex could be seen spinning in his irises, reminiscent of a deep abyss. Imend you for having the guts to scheme behind my back. However, if you think that youll be able to kill me that easily, youre too naive! Boom! As those words reverberated in the surroundings, the youth slowly began to grow taller, and the killing intent that he emanated became more and more concentrated. In just a few breaths, he had assumed the form of an Otherworldly Demon. He wore a regal crown on his head, and he was dressed in a flowing robe embedded with soaring dragons. His every single movement exuded the aura and authority of a true monarch. He truly is Sovereign Chen Yong... Zhang Hongtian remarked as the sword in his hand twitched uncontrobly. He had never met the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor before, but he had heard many rumors about him. Just from the sheer intensity of the aura emanated by the Otherworldly Demon before him, there was already little doubt that he was truly Sovereign Chen Yong. Zhang Hongtian was far from the only one who was surprised by such a development. The faces of the other Ancient Sages also tensed up as they eyed the situation warily. It had been many years since Sovereign Chen Yongst made an appearance, but his reputation still struck fear deep into the hearts of those who had heard of him. In the upper echelon of the Master Teacher Continent, there was no one who had not heard of the devastating prowess that the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperormanded. Even though they had reached the zenith of the world as proud and lofty Ancient Sages, they instinctively understood that the Otherworldly Demon standing before them was not someone that they could defeat with just a simple numerical advantage. On the other hand, watching as Wu Chen reverted to his original form, Zhang Xuan fell eerily silent. He was confident in his Eye of Insight. Even though he was unable to use the Library of Heavens Path on Wu Chen, he was certain that he would have been able to see through his disguise if he was an Otherworldly Demon. However, he forgot one thingLuo Ruoxins disguise amulet. Having used the disguise amulet personally, he knew of its incredible prowess. It served not only to disguise ones appearance and aura but even ones bloodline! If Wu Chen had used it to disguise himself as Yang shi, it was likely that not even the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion would have been able to see through his disguise. This exined why no one had been able to find the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor despite the extensive search that had urred after receiving reports that he had infiltrated the Master Teacher Continent! As for why the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were aware that Sovereign Chen Yong had gone over to the Master Teacher Continent, it was likely due to the tipoff from the soul oracles who were serving the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. In just a few moments, Zhang Xuan had already managed to make sense out of the entire situation. Most likely, one of the soul oracles serving Sovereign Chen Yong had sensed thetters departure, so he had discreetly sent the message over to the Jiang n. The Jiang n had then forwarded the news to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, which prompted them to swiftly set up an ambush. All that remained a mystery to him and continued frustrating him was Luo Ruoxins identity. Just who in the world was she, and what role did she y in the greater scheme of things? We have never thought that it would be easy to eliminate you. However, regardless of the price we have to pay, were determined to put you to rest today! Seeing that Sovereign Chen Yong had reverted to his true form, Ancient Sage Yan Qing knew that a huge battle was about to break out. He quickly swallowed two pills and recovered from the internal injuries that he had sustained earlier before raising the halberd in his hand, his eyes zed with killing intent. The Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers quickly raised their weapons and let loose a war cry. After all their nning, this was the very moment that they had been waiting for. This decisive battle would eventually decide the fate of the world. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers want to kill me, and even my own tribesmen wish for my death... Hahaha! Sovereign Chen Yong nced at the crowd before bursting into heartyughter. He turned to Zhang Hongtian and the other Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion and asked imposingly, What about the rest of you? My father and brothers have been killed by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and I have already sworn to devote my life to getting rid of each and every one of you. Sovereign Chen Yong, since you are the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, you have to pay for the sins your tribesmen havemitted! Hahaha! It seems like the heavens arent blind after all! To think that the great Sovereign Chen Yong would fall into our hands. Even if I lose my life here, Ill make sure to drag you down with me today so as to console the spirits of my dead brothers! You were the one who killed my spouse many years back. If I can exact vengeance for her today, my life wont have been in vain! ... The Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion stepped forward as killing intent bubbled from their bodies. Chapter 1774 - The Prowess of the Strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor

Chapter 1774: The Prowess of the Strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The grudges between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind had continued for tens of thousands of years. Be it the Otherworldly Demons or humans, most of them knew of kin and friends who had been ughtered in cold blood by the other party. It was a grudge that ran so deep that there was no way that it could be resolved with simple words or sheerpassion. It had not been easy for them to corner the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so there was no way that they could let go of this opportunity to bring him down! Sovereign Chen Yong understood this as well, so he was not surprised by the reaction of the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Continent. Instead, he lowered his gaze specifically to Zhang Hongtian and asked, What about you? Our Zhang n has fought with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for countless years. My father, grandfather, and many generations of ancestors have lost their lives under the des of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The hands of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe are drenched in the blood of our Zhang n. In my lifetime, I have always looked down on dishonorable scum who gang up on others. However, this is no fair duel but a battle for vengeance! I believe that not even Kong shi would disagree with our actions! Zhang Hongtian roared as he drew his sword and gazed at the towering silhouette above him. Hearing that even Zhang Hongtian was going to join in the battle, Zhang Xuan could not help but exim, Old Ancestor Hongtian! Completely surrounded by enemies and the blueprint, it would be impossible for even the almighty Sovereign Chen Yong to escape from such a situation. He did not harbor any goodwill toward the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but Wu Chen had been with him for a very long time. He had felt betrayed when he found out who Wu Chen was, but he could not ept seeing the other party lynched by the crowd. Knowing what Zhang Xuan was going to say, Zhang Hongtian waved his hand decisively. Dont waste yourpassion on the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. This is a luxury that we cannot afford! It was not to say that the Otherworldly Demons were absolutely evil, but the difference in their stances made it impossible for them to co-exist. More than a fight for supremacy, this was a fight for survival. Without Sovereign Chen Yong, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would be like a pile of scattered sand. Their prowess would be significantly lowered, and they would be powerless against mankind. This was the perfect moment to get rid of the threat that had loomed over them for many years! It was precisely due to this that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had willingly mobilized so many Ancient Sages, such that even the fight for the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was a secondary concern to them. Very well. What about the rest of you? Seeing that the three powers had chosen to coborate against him, Sovereign Chen Yong finallyid his gaze upon the Beast Tribe. We dont intend to get involved in this conflict. Our aim lies only with the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! the White Overlord replied coldly. Back away if you dont intend to get involved in this conflict. My saber has no eyes to care for you lot. Remain in the sphere of battle and risk losing your life! Sovereign Chen Yong sneered coldly. He flicked the saber in his hand, and a choking sound echoed in the air. Following which, a powerful aura burst forth from him, leaving the crowd feeling as if an endless abyss was standing before them. Disguised as Wu Chen, he had only been able to tap into the strength that master teachers were able to utilize. However, having reverted back to his original form, he was finally able to use the ughter of Zhenqi of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, drastically raising his fighting prowess. Kill him! Sensing that Wu Chens aura was about to reach its peak, Ancient Sage Yan Qing knew that it would be even more difficult to kill him if they continued dawdling. Thus, he raised the halberd in the hand and charged forward. Go! Bo Yus phantasmagoric ws sliced apart space to tear everything before him. The offense of the two powerful experts warped into two ck and white streaks, darting through the air as if aet racing across the sky. Show me what youre capable of! Sovereign Chen Yong roared as he raised his saber and sliced across the air. Si! A ck rift appeared in the space sealed by the blueprint and collided with the two iing attacks. As if struck by a powerful swing of a bat, both the halberd and the ws were sent flying into the distance. Sovereign Chen Yong made use of this opportunity to press on. With another swing of his saber, he sessfully kept the attacks of the other Ancient Sages at bay before swiftly flitting forward in an attempt to decapitate Ancient Sage Yan Qing. This attack wielded suchpelling strength that not even the Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage Yan Qing was able to avoid it. Weng! Just as death was about to fall upon the strongest expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, a sword shed through the air, surpassing the limitations of time and space and appearing in an instant. If Sovereign Chen Yong continued his attack, even if he seeded in killing Ancient Sage Yan Qing, he would also sustain severe injuries in the process of doing so. Thus, he changed the trajectory of his saber to defend against the iing attack. Ding ding ding ding! The sound of metallic reverberations echoed loudly in the air. Zhang Hongtians movements were sharp but fluid. As if aplex dance, his movements appeared to be unintentional and changed swiftly, making it hard for one to read the trajectory of his attacks. At that moment, he felt like a Sword Immortal. This was the first time that Zhang Xuan had witnessed a battle of such caliber, and he could not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. As expected of the strongest experts of the Master Teacher Continent, every single of their attacks seemed to sway the veryws of the world. It was fortunate that he was a safe distance away, or else he could have very well been torn to shreds. Sovereign Chen Yongs strength had far surpassed his imagination. Despite being severely outnumbered, his movements remained calm and calcted. There was not the slightest hint of panic in his actions. Peng! The battle grew more and more intense, and finally, with a deep moan, a silhouette plummeted from the air. An Ancient Sage had fallen! Its a Great Philosopher realm Otherworldly Demon... Zhang Xuan recognized the corpse. He was one of Old Geezer Yus subordinates, an Ancient Sage 2-dan Otherworldly Demon. This is good... Knowing that a corpse of that level was hard toe by, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to flick it up using the Dragonbone Divine Spear. H! Into his storage ring the corpse went! Boom! Barely after collecting the corpse, an Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers met his end and plummeted to the ground. Shortly after, an expert of the Master Teacher Pavilion fell as well. Zhang Xuan had no hesitation collecting the corpses of Otherworldly Demons, but he was unwilling to touch the corpses of those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Continent. After all, he was a master teacher himself, so the least he could do was respect his peers. That being said, while he did not collect their corpses, he did manage to collect the Ancient Sage blood that poured down throughout the course of the battle. As the battle grew more and more intense, the rate at which the Ancient Sages were dying grew faster and faster. In less than ten minutes, less than half of the Ancient Sages who had joined the fray remained standing. However, Sovereign Chen Yong had also sustained severe injuries. Blood was dripping down his arm, and his face had turned rather pale. Ancient Sage Yan Qing and Zhang Hongtian also had ring wounds on them, and they were panting heavily. They were not in a good condition at all. On the contrary, it was Old Geezer Yu who had sustained the lightest injuries. It was not that he was the strongest of the three, but being the most cunning one, he had hidden from all of the frontal attacksing from Sovereign Chen Yong, using the other two as a shield. As expected of the number one expert from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. You were able to bring so many of us down despite facing all of us simultaneously, Zhang Hongtian remarked with a hint of awe in his voice. He had thought that he could already be considered one of the strongest experts in the world, but who could have known that there would be someone who was so much stronger than him existent in the world? You arent weak either. But if thats all you have, your wish to im my life today is nothing more than wishful thinking! Sovereign Chen Yong replied imposingly with his saber in hand. Humph! Even at the cost of my life, Ill drag you into the grave! Zhang Hongtian spat coldly. Give it a try then! Sovereign Chen Yong scoffed. He raised his saber to continue the battle, but all of a sudden, the entire blueprint around them start shaking intensely. Hong long long! The world seemed to be slowly unraveling as a ray of white light pierced through the blueprint. Gradually, a gigantic alter flickered into appearance. The light was surging toward Luo Ruoxin, who was in the midst of assimting the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Its a sess! Sovereign Chen Yongs eyes lit up in agitation. The reason that he had chosen to stay behind and fight was to prepare this artifact in order to help Luo Ruoxin. Seeing that the n had finally seeded, he could not curb his excitement any longer. Si! As the light from the altar shone upon Luo Ruoxin, it seemed like the bottleneck on her Ancient Sage cultivation had been released once more. Tremendous energy coursed through her body like rapid tides as she grew stronger and stronger. Under the assault of such imposing strength, the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was finally tamed. Chapter 1775 - Farewell

Chapter 1775: Farewell

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Hu! As soon as the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was tamed, it disappeared from the youngdys palm, as if having been stowed away. Tzzzzzzz! With the furious surge in Luo Ruoxins strength, the blueprint that had sealed the surrounding space was ced under great strain, such that huge cracks were starting to surface all around. Those cracks crept all around the ce, revealing pitch ck rifts that resembled the doors to theherworld. As those cracks began appearing, an overwhelming suction force poured forth from them to tug at the youngdy, seemingly trying to drag her away. The youngdy frowned. With a wave of her hand, the alter in the sky flew over andnded beneath her feet. Standing atop the altar, the suction force that was pulling her away finally alleviated slightly, allowing her to stand her ground for the time being. Zhang Xuan... Steadying her figure, the youngdy looked around the room before finally halting her gaze on Zhang Xuan. Looking at the silhouette on the altar, Zhang Xuans body suddenly froze. Her silhouette slowly fused together with another one in his memories, and he suddenly felt a splitting headache assaulting his mind. You are... You are the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? The silhouette that he had seen back in the Qiu Wu Pce and the dimension of four seasons had seemed strikingly familiar for some reason, but he had not been able to figure out why. To think that it would actually be Luo Ruoxin! She was neither an expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers nor the transmogrification of an expert of the Beast Tribe. Rather... she was the highest god of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! How could that be? At that instant, Zhang Xuan felt a crushing pressure on his heart, seemingly squeezing the life out of his breath. Shaking his head in disbelief, he asked, Didnt you tell me that you arent an Otherworldly Demon? He could not understand Luo Ruoxins fervent desire to hide her identity, but he was willing to wait for the day that she coulde clean. Nevertheless, he had been afraid that they would be standing on opposite ends eventually, so he had asked her if she was an Otherworldly Demon and if she intended any harm toward mankind. Back then, she had said that she was not an Otherworldly Demon and that she did not intend any harm toward mankind. Was that all a lie? He would not have minded no matter who Luo Ruoxin was and which power she was affiliated to, but he could not stand being deceived and made use of by the one he loved. Seeing Zhang Xuans frenzied state, Luo Ruoxins eyes reddened. A rare hint of panic could be heard in her voice as she anxiously tried to exin herself. I am not an Otherworldly Demon, and theres a reason why I am the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... However, before she could finish her exnation, the dimension rifts all around suddenly widened, and the suction force dragging her away intensified. She was beginning to lose control of her body. As the energy from the darkness roared furiously, the entire Temple of Confucius began shaking nonstop. Even the Master Teacher Continent had begun tremoring. It was as if the end of the world had just begun. My current strength has exceeded what this world is able to endure, so I cant stay here any longer. Otherwise, the entire Master Teacher Continent wille to ruin... Watching the gradual devastation happening all around, Luo Ruoxin shook her head. Lowering her head slightly, she murmured, Goodbye, Zhang Xuan. I was happy to meet you... Really, really happy... H! The darkness descended upon the altar and began devouring the youngdys silhouette. As if falling into a pool of ink, Luo Ruoxin looked as if she would disappear at any moment. Ruoxin... Why? You havent exined anything to me yet. What is going on? Seeing that the darkness was going to pull her away very soon, Zhang Xuan quickly whipped out the Infernal cksaber, and stepping atop it, he dashed right to her side. He reached out and grabbed her hand, intending to pull her out from the darkness. s, no matter how he tugged, she would not budge at all. The darkness before him seemed like an endless abyss. Those who fell into it, even if they were Ancient Sages, would not be able to escape. Zhang Xuan, its fine. Dont waste your strength. Each world has its own rules. If I forcefully remain here, Ill only bring cmity to this world, Luo Ruoxin said as she grabbed Zhang Xuans hand tightly. Please, trust me. I have never said a single lie to you... Her gentle touch and soothing voice filled Zhang Xuans cold body with warmth. There were many doubts in his mind, but he wanted to trust the youngdy before him. All their experiences and the time that they had spent together, he did not believe that they were all lies. With a slightly choked voice, he asked, How do I find you in the future? He knew that this phenomenon signified her departure, and the very notion of parting with her eternally was one that was too painful for him to bear. If she left one day, he would devote his entire life to searching for her! Well meet again when fate allows us to. Otherwise, my presence will only harm you... With slightly moist eyes, Luo Ruoxin looked at the young man standing before her and muttered, Farewell... the man I love! Hu! The next instant, the youngdy was devoured by the darkness and disappeared from sight. No! Zhang Xuan howled desperately as he dashed forward furiously. He was intending to barge into the crack in space as well, but to his horror, he felt as if he had rushed into a wall and was pushed back. This cant be! I cant allow this to happen! Zhang Xuan roared as he flicked the Infernal cksaber furiously at the cracks. Ding ding ding ding! Sparks flew all around. Even though Luo Ruoxin had been dragged into the ck cracks so easily, he found them even more resilient than Ancient Sage artifacts. No matter how he exerted himself, he was unable to faze it in the least. It was as if the Infernal cksaber was a blob of cotton candy knocking against a metal wall; it did not leave the slightest mark. Hu! Shortly after Luo Ruoxin entered, the crack grew smaller and smaller before vanishing eventually. No! It was as if Zhang Xuan had lost himself. He flung his sword frantically, but no matter how powerful the Infernal cksaber was, it could not open the crack once more. It was as if everything that had just happened was just a mere illusion. Master, theres no point shing anymore. A voice sounded in Zhang Xuans mind. Your girlfriend must havee from a higher world. Unless your strength reaches the mark, you wont be able to ovee the dimension barrier! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drove his soul energy and calmed himself from his irate state. Clenching his fists tightly, he asked, You said that Ruoxin came from a higher world? The one who had just spoken was none other than Vicious. In terms of understanding of the Master Teacher Continent, Vicious was definitely more knowledgeable than him. Indeed. While I was still alive, I noticed that theres a dimension thats even more stable than the Master Teacher Continent, and the lifeforms that exist there are even stronger than us. Its likely that our Spirit Tribe originates from one of those worlds but was exiled to the Master Teacher Continent, Vicious replied. It seemed like he had regained some of his memories. However, the barrier between the two worlds is extremely powerful, requiring one to wield tremendous strength in order to break it apart. Back then, even with my strength as a Void Shattering realm Ancient Sage, I was still unable to tear the barrier down. Not even a Void Shattering realm Ancient Sage is able to tear the barrier down? Doesnt that effectively mean that no one is able to do it? Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth in astonishment. Void Shattering was the highest realm that an Ancient Sage could reach. If even experts of that caliber were unable to achieve this feat, who else would be able to do it? Even though I was unable to do it, it doesnt mean that no one else is able to! If Im not mistaken, its likely that Kong shi seeded in doing it in the past! Vicious said. Kong shi? Indeed. Based on the history of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi disappeared before his lifespan was up. Given his strength, theres no one who could have posed a threat to him. If he needed to, he could have gone into hibernation or used any external means to extend his lifespan. How could he have just disappeared without a trace? This... Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had never thought too deeply about Kong shi disappearance before. However, the emergence of the ck dimension rifts that swallowed Luo Ruoxin and the knowledge that there were higher worlds above the Master Teacher Continent sprouted some thoughts in his mind. Perhaps, just like Luo Ruoxin, Kong shis strength had surpassed the limits of the world, and left with no choice, he had been forced to depart from the Master Teacher Continent. Due to that, his disappearance had been quiet and abrupt, such that it was not even recorded in history. If Kong shi reached such heights, I will surely be able to as well, Zhang Xuan muttered through tightly gritted teeth. No matter what, he was determined to find Luo Ruoxin once more. Since Kong shi had been able to shatter the dimension barrier and reach a higher world, he would surely be able to do the same! Since Mdy has left, Ill take my leave! The silence in the air was suddenly shattered by the heartyughter of the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor. Luo Ruoxins previous outburst of strength hadpletely destroyed the blueprint, thus creating an opening for Sovereign Chen Yong to escape. Chapter 1776 - The Arrival of the Two Sovereigns

Chapter 1776: The Arrival of the Two Sovereigns

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Where do you think youre going? Ancient Sage Yan Qing bellowed as his halberd warped into a flowing ray of light, darting in Sovereign Chen Yongs direction. At the same time, Zhang Hongtian charged forth, piercing toward Sovereign Chen Yong like a sharp sword. There was no denying Sovereign Chen Yongs strength, but his might had severely diminished after the intense battle with the others. In his current weakened state, he knew that he could not afford to simply disregard Ancient Sage Yan Qing and Zhang Hongtians attacks anymore, or else he might really meet his end. Thus, he turned around and protected himself with a powerful swing of his saber. The two sides collided with one another, and all three experts spurted out fresh blood as they were sent flying. At that moment, they were running on fumes. What was fueling them was just a streak of resolute determination. Enduring his injuries, Sovereign Chen Yong stood up and coldly spat, Have no doubt that Ill exact vengeance for what you have done today... It seemed like he suddenly sensed something else, and he quickly turned his sights away from Ancient Sage Yan Qing and Zhang Hongtian. He flicked his saber, and a pitch-ck spatial passageway appeared before him. With a leap, he attempted to dash right in. If he was allowed to slip through the spatial passageway, it would be as good as allowing a fish back into the ocean. It would be nigh impossible find him once more. Gritting his teeth furiously, Ancient Sage Yan Qing raised the halberd in an attempt to seal the spatial passageway, only to see the escaping Sovereign Chen Yonging to an abrupt halt. As if a fish being thrown ashore, no matter how he struggled, he was unable to move. Sovereign Chen Yong, why are you in such a rush to leave? A voice echoed through the air. As old friends, dont you think that its rude for you to snub us? Following which, two towering silhouettes walked over from the depths of the void. Those two men wore clothes with a simr design to Sovereign Chen Yongs, just in a different color. They each wore a crown on their head, and the killing intent that they emanated was as ck as ink. It was as if they were the manifestation of theherworld itself. Could they be the other two Sovereigns? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes on astonishment. From their clothes and the strength that they emanated, it was apparent that they were the other two Sovereigns plotting to kill Sovereign Chen YongSovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing! They had also left the otherworldly battlefield to participate in the operation to eliminate Sovereign Chen Yong! From the looks of it, it seemed like they had been hiding in the vicinity all along. It was just that they did not dare appear until the Spirit God finally departed. Seeing the other two standing before him, Sovereign Chen Yong spat, The Spirit God is aware of our actions. If you kill me, theres no way that shell let you get away scot-free! He gathered all of his strength and forcefully broke free of his restraints. Raising his saber, he hacked it down with all his might. Hu! The might of the saber was tremendous, easily tearing apart the fabric of space. However, it was clear that the severely injured Sovereign Chen Yong was insufficient to put up a fight against the other two Sovereigns. With a simple flick of his finger, Sovereign Chen Yong blocked the saber and flicked it away. Sovereign Chen Yong, theres no need to be agitated. We only want to have a talk with you. How crude would it be toe to blows over everything? Moreover, isnt it clear that you would be utterly powerless even if we wanted to kill you? The Spirit God might oppose our action of iming your life, but having returned to her Spirit God Pce, there is nothing she can do! Besides... the gods have no emotions. You cant possibly be so na?ve as to think that a god would actually stick her neck out for you. Sovereign Chen Lings lips crept up as he gazed down on Sovereign Chen Yong in pity. Shes just making use of you to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Do you honestly believe that she actually values you? You... Knowing that he would not be able to escape with the other two Sovereigns around, Sovereign Chen Yong calmed himself down and straightened his back. Carrying himself with an invible disposition, he coldly said, I have never mistreated either of you. Why do you want to betray me? Why do we want to betray you? Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Lingughed coldly. You should ask yourself the same question! Why are you so obedient to the orders of the newly-appointed Spirit God? The past Spirit Gods only required us to tribute master teachers to bestow upon us endless treasures. On the other hand, what has the current Spirit God given us? Furthermore, who are you to stop us fromunching an attack on mankind? Do you know what that means? Do you really want our tribesmen to die guarding that godforsakennd? Sovereign Chen Yong was taken aback. He did not expect that to be the reason behind the betrayal. With a cold harrumph, he spat, You dare to question themands of the Spirit God? He had thought that Sovereign Chen Lings betrayal was because of thetter being forced to assume a secondary position in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Who would have thought that the dissatisfactions actually originated from the Spirit God! The reason that the Spirit God had stopped them fromunching an attack was because she did not wish to see harme to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe or mankind. The tables were gradually turning, especially with Zhang Xuans appearance. Yet, Sovereign Chen Ling actually thought of her actions as a limitation? Of course not. Who am I to question the judgement of the Spirit God? However, if you meet your end, I will be the strongest Otherworldly Demon Emperor of the Spirit Tribe. I will be the very oracle of the Spirit God, and my words will be her decree! The Spirit God might be powerful, but traversing across the dimension barrier is no easy feat. Even the gods suffer a tremendous bacsh trying to do so. Otherwise, she wouldnt have been forced to recuperate in the Master Teacher Continent for half a year! Sovereign Chen Ling sneered coldly. Rest assured! After you meet your end, Ill report to the Spirit God that you were killed by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and Master Teacher Pavilion. I rushed over as quickly as I could, but it was already toote by then. Before your death, you passed your position as the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe over to me, instructing me to lead the entire Spirit Tribe. Ill use your life to fuel the Spirit Tribes motivation and unite them against mankind! You... Sovereign Chen Yong red at Sovereign Chen Ling coldly. That fellow had already nned out everything! He had been thinking that his subordinates would exact vengeance for him if Sovereign Chen Ling and the others killed him, but from the looks of it, all along, Sovereign Chen Ling had been nning to pin everything on the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion. Not only would he be spared from the bacsh, he would also be able to provoke the resentment of the Spirit Tribe and use them to further his ambitions! Hearing those words, Ancient Sage Yan Qings face warped in horror. Sovereign Chen Ling, have you forgotten the promise you made me? He had thought that killing Sovereign Chen Yong would inflict severe damage upon the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, causing them to scatter apart and possibly descend into anarchy. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the belligerent faction was not that of Sovereign Chen Yong but Sovereign Chen Ling! If Sovereign Chen Yong died, it was likely that the situation would run out of control! Dont worry, Ill surely abide by my promise. However, whether youll really get three hundred years or not, that is something that we will have to discuss further... Sovereign Chen Lingughed heartily. If it was mankind that had obtained the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would probably have had to lie low for some time. However, since the ultimate treasure had been obtained by the Spirit God, and the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and Master Teacher Pavilion had sustained severe injuries... Was it not the ideal chance for their Spirit Tribe tounch a counterattack? What do you mean by that? Ancient Sage Yan Qing roared furiously as he raised his halberd menacingly. The other Ancient Sages also swiftly grouped together, fearing that the two Sovereigns would make a move on them. Just a single Sovereign Chen Yong was enough to wreck their forces. If the other Sovereigns made a move on them, they would truly be in a perilous situation. Seeing the wary look on Ancient Sage Yan Qings face, Sovereign Chen Ling knew that if he said the wrong things at this moment, there was a good chance that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would go all out to drag him down with them even at the cost of their lives. I dont mean anything by that. Since we are allies, theres no way Id make a move on you. If I did, I would suffer a bacsh from the vow I made. Rest assured, well discuss the future ns between our races once Im done getting rid of him! He knew that the most important thing at hand was not to fall out with mankind but to kill Sovereign Chen Yong and consolidate his power. Only when he had the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe under his control would he be qualified to consider whether they should battle or respect the agreement. With an eerie smile, he turned toward Sovereign Chen Yong and said, Farewell. You have been a difficult opponent to deal with, but its time for you to meet your end! With a cold harrumph, he raised his palm and thrust it forward. It was as if someone had flipped the world upside down. A strength powerful to the extremities crushed the surrounding space,pressing everything in its way to Sovereign Chen Yong. Chapter 1777 - The Final Card

Chapter 1777: The Final Card

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Humph! If you thought that I would go down without a fight, you thought wrong! Seeing that the other party had decided to sever their ties once and for all and make a move on him, Sovereign Chen Yong raised his saber, and a pitch-ck me engulfed his entire weapon. It was as if he had summoned the Heavenly me Ordeal. The strongest battle technique of Sovereign Chen Yong, Herald of the Celestial me! A sh of a saber carrying unparalleled sharpness and the destructive might of a Heavenly me; there was nothing in this world that could withstand its might! Heh! As if knowing that Sovereign Chen Yong would make this move, Sovereign Chen Ling sneered coldly. Raising his palm, he exerted immense pressure upon Sovereign Chen Yong,pressing the surrounding air to the point that it almost felt tangible to the touch. Respected as the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor, Sovereign Chen Yong wielded strength that far surpassed the others, such that a coboration between Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing would not even faze him. However, at that moment, due to his severe injuries, his strength was not even close to a tenth of his peak. As powerful as Herald of the Celestial me was, its might was severely diminished due to his weakened prowess. As Sovereign Chen Lings palm strike collided with his saber, the mes were extinguished, and his saber flew away to somewhere beyond his reach. Peng! As if a cannonball, Sovereign Chen Yong was mmed forcefully to the ground. His face paled, and fresh blood spurted out of his body. To be honest, it was a miracle that he was still alive given the injuries that he had sustained after the fight with the twenty Ancient Sages. There was no way that he could possibly stand up against an expert whose strength was near his level in his current state. Hahahaha! Seeing that his attack had worked, Sovereign Chen Lings eyes glowed in exhration. Sovereign Chen Yong, you have been in a position of dominance for so long. Did you ever think that you wouldnd in such a state? As he spoke, he walked toward Sovereign Chen Yong a step at a time. cing his feet triumphantly upon the chest of the defeated Sovereign Chen Yong, he burst into heartyughter. This was a man who was renowned for being peerless. Hemanded might far surpassing anyone around him, and there was no one who did not fear him. Yet, he had still ended up beneath Sovereign Chen Lings feet, suffering a fate worse than death! Suppressed under Sovereign Chen Lings feet, Sovereign Chen Yong was unable to move at all. With a livid expression on his face, he turned to the other Sovereign and said, Sovereign Chen Xing, I have treated you with kindness. Are you certain you want to collude with him against me? If hes able to turn his back against me, the same fate could very well befall you another day. As long as you help me tide through the difficulties today, I can overlook what has happened today, and everything will go back to what it was... I... Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Xing fell into deep contemtion. He had always yed a neutral role in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. To be honest, he would never have chosen to betray Sovereign Chen Yong if he had any other choice. Seeing that Sovereign Chen Xing was actually hesitating, Sovereign Chen Ling eximed in fury. Sovereign Chen Xing, from the moment that we decided to ally with one another, you stepped onto a path of no retreat. If he recovers to his peak, both you and I will be goners! Sovereign Chen Xing was a person of astounding strength and wits. However, if there was one w to be picked about him, it would be that he was too indecisive. They had already gone so far, so how could they possibly turn back? It was far toote for that! Im sorry, Sovereign Chen Yong! The terms that Sovereign Chen Ling has offered me are simply too great for me to reject... Recalling the means of Sovereign Chen Ling and the terms that the other party had offered him, Sovereign Chen Xing hesitated for a brief moment before raising his palm to deal the killing blow against the floored Sovereign Chen Yong. It was a strike that harnessed incredible prowess. If Sovereign Chen Yong failed to dodge it, his head would be burst into bits, and he would die on the spot. As Sovereign Chen Xings palm swiftly approached Sovereign Chen Yongs head, thetter did not seem to panic in the least. On the contrary, with a look of resignation on his face, he shook his head in disappointment. As much as I dont want to acknowledge your betrayal, do you really think that I would get so careless, especially after the Spirit God went to the extent of warning me about my circumstances? What? Seeing the look on his face, the two Sovereigns immediately felt a bad premonition. Sovereign Chen Ling bellowed, Quick, kill him! They had no idea what Sovereign Chen Yong was up to, but they knew that it would be foolish to grant him the time that he needed to turn the tables on them. However, before the palm could even strike its target, both Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling suddenly felt a stabbing pain assaulting their chests. Lowering their heads, they saw two skeletal arms piercing through their chests from their backs. Vicious arms! Those two skeletal arms should have been restrained by the straw garment! The two Sovereigns knew that Vicious arms were the greatest trump card of Sovereign Chen Yong, so they had specially prepared the straw garment to block them. Yet, who could have known that the skeletal arms would still be able to break free of the restraints to impale their hearts! You... Feeling their hearts being crushed by the skeletal arm, the two Sovereigns felt their strength receding by the ebbing tide. Their bodies jolted from the impact before their knees fell to the ground. As Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages, they were capable of reviving as long as a droplet of blood remained. However, that would require an immense amount of time and a huge umtion of energy. Given how the two arms had crushed the source of their vitality in an instant, even if they were to survive the ordeal, their strength and lifespan would surely be severelypromised. The straw garment is an artifact left behind by Vicious himself, and it should be able to control his body. How could it... Feeling his life force swiftly draining from his body, Sovereign Chen Ling was still unable to believe what was going on. The straw garment that Bo Yu had brought out should have been able to control the consciousness sprouted in Vicious body parts. It was something that Vicious had left behind in order to ensure that his body would eventually fuse together as one, thus allowing for his revival. They had tested the artifact before and verified its effectiveness. It should have been able to keep the two skeletal arms under control, so why was Sovereign Chen Yong still able to move them? Struggling to his feet, Sovereign Chen Yong spat coldly as he panted heavily. The consciousness sprouted within the skeletal arms has already been cleaned by the Spirit God and reced with mine... I knew that the two of you were biding your time around the area, and I was waiting for this opportunity to deal with you two... By default, the various body parts of Vicious would eventually sprout their own consciousness, but through the means of the Spirit God, the consciousness in the skeletal arms had been wiped away and reced with his own. As such, not even the straw garment was able to bring the arms under its control. When he heard earlier from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers that they had conspired together with the other two Sovereigns to kill him, he knew that the two Sovereigns would surely make their way over personally in order to ensure his death. Otherwise, there was no way that they would have been able to rest in peace. As such, he had intentionally acted as if the skeletal arms were ced under the control of the straw garment in order to lower the twos wariness and unleash this unexpected blow on them! When he asked Sovereign Chen Xing for his help earlier, he had, in truth, been giving thetter onest chance to make his choice. However, since thetter had chosen to betray him, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony. You b*stard, Ill kill you! Sovereign Chen Ling did not think that his n would be foiled like that after all of the schemes that he had concocted. Overwhelmed with rage, he gritted his teeth and gathered all of the strength in his body. Boom! He forcefully jolted the skeletal arm out of his body before raising his palm to strike Sovereign Chen Yong. s, before his palm couldnd on the other party, his figure suddenly vanished. It seemed as if he had leaped into a spatial passageway. Sovereign Chen Yong, I have underestimated you. I might have failed to kill you this time around, but Ill have plenty of opportunities to do so in the future. Just wait and see... His voice gradually grew fainter and fainter before turningpletely silent. Everyone had thought that Sovereign Chen Ling was going to make a move, but who could have known that he would flee instead? I... Wait for me... Seeing how hisrade had fled without him, there was no way that Sovereign Chen Xing would dare remain in the area. He quickly turned around and fled as well. With the departure of the duo, Sovereign Chen Yongs body wobbled weakly before falling back to the ground. At the same time, the two skeletal arms that he had driven to assault the two Sovereigns seemed to have lost all strength and plummeted to the ground as well. At that moment, he looked incredibly frail. Despite the imposing airs that he had put on earlier, the truth was that he had alreadypletely depleted himself. Had those two Sovereigns been any more courageous, he would have lost his life there and then! There was absolute silence for a moment before Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others flew over to Sovereign Chen Yongs side. Sovereign Chen Yong, you dont stand a chance against us in your current state. End your own life and preserve your dignity! The two Sovereigns might have escaped, but they were still around. You want me to end my own life? Surrounded by so many Ancient Sages, Sovereign Chen Yong knew that there was no way that he would be able to leave alive. A look of resignation flickered across his face as he sighed deeply. Who could have known that I would lose my life like this? Raising his palm, Sovereign Chen Yong prepared to strike his hand on his forehead. At this crucial moment, Zhang Xuan rushed over and bellowed, Hold it! Chapter 1778 - Sovereign Chen Yong Mustn’t Die!

Chapter 1778: Sovereign Chen Yong Mustnt Die!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan sped his fist respectfully and asked, Will you allow me to speak first? One of the Ancient Sages harrumphed coldly. This is a matter among the Ancient Sages! Who do you think you are to interfere in our discussions? He was already growing impatient with this impertinent young man. Putting aside how he had exploited them earlier by selling them the slots at exorbitant prices, just the fact that he had personally brought the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe into the Prime Hall to steal the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was enough for him to be branded as an unpardonable criminal of mankind! The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was a treasure left behind by Kong shi, and the fate of mankind banked on it. Yet, it had fallen into the hands of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, thus cing the fate of mankind in jeopardy. After sinning so terribly, he still had the cheek to interfere in their affairs and save Sovereign Chen Yong. Filled with rage, he turned to the young man and hollered at him. Hu! Barely after those words were spoken, a saber shed across the air. rmed, the Ancient Sage hurriedly backed away, but even so, he was still cut by the edge of the de. Fresh blood trickled down from his arm. Turning back to look, he saw the young man wielding a saber that emanated a sinister light from its de. Am I qualified now? Zhang Xuan remarked coldly. You are courting death! As a proud Ancient Sage, there was no way that he could stand being assaulted by a junior many generations younger than him, not to mention that the junior was a mere Great Sage! Were it not for the fact that he had sustained severe injuries from the fight with Sovereign Chen Yong earlier, there was no way that an artifact that had barely reached Ancient Sage could possibly have harmed him! Ancient Sage Yan Qing raised his hand to calm down the raging Ancient Sage before turning to Zhang Xuan with a deep frown. What do you intend to say? He did not expect the young man to be so extreme as to harm one of hisrades over something as minor as this. Sovereign Chen Yong mustnt be killed just yet! Zhang Xuan said. He mustnt be killed? The Ancient Sage who had just been injured by the Infernal cksaber flew into a rage after hearing those words. Flinging his sleeves, he roared, Do you know how many experts of mankind he has killed over the years? As a master teacher, how can you plead for mercy for him instead of avenging yourrades? Zhang Hongtian, is these the kind of principles that your Zhang n and the Master Teacher Pavilion pass down to juniors? Zhang Hongtian was not so shallow as to be provoked by the Ancient Sages words so easily, but the slight frown between his brows showed his iprehension toward the actions of his descendant. As long as Sovereign Chen Yong was around, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would only grow stronger and stronger. He was the figure who held the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe together, and it was under his leadership that countless humans had been killed across many battlefields over the years. It had not been easy for them to acquire this opportunity to get rid of Sovereign Chen Yong, and there was no way that they were going to allow this opportunity to slip through their fingers so easily. If they allowed this tiger to return to his mountain, there was no telling how many more humans would be killed once he recovered from his injuries. This descendant of his had disyed keen discernment in his judgement thus far, so why would he suddenly be so foolish when it came to this matter? Please dont drag the Zhang n and the Master Teacher Pavilion into this matter. This is my individual decision, and it has nothing to do with them! Zhang Xuan replied sharply. There were several major reasons that he was determined to save Sovereign Chen Yong, and the greatest one was Luo Ruoxin. Thetter had been serving as Luo Ruoxins subordinate for a period of time, so if anyone in this world had a clue as to how he could get to her, it would definitely be Sovereign Chen Yong! If Sovereign Chen Yong died there, his final clue would effectively be severed. This was something that he could not allow to happen. Individual decision? As a mere Great Sage, do you think that the decisions you make can sway the minds of us Ancient Sages? another human Ancient Sage scoffed in response to Zhang Xuans words. Do you think that you are worthy of standing in our midst just because you have an Ancient Sage weapon? You really think too highly of yourself! Youre right. Theres no way I would be qualified to speak to you all just because I have an Ancient Sage artifact... Zhang Xuan swept his gaze across the Ancient Sages around him before raising the Infernal cksaber once more. Si! The saber sliced through space and time, arriving right before Old Geezer Yu in an instant. The heck! Old Geezer Yu cursed indignantly. Screw you! Even if you wish to establish your strength and make others value your opinion, you dont have to use me as a punching bag. There are so many other people that you can hack, so why me? How the heck did I offend you? Feeling deeply stifled, Old Geezer Yu swiftly darted to the side. While he was the least wounded, he had still sustained a fair amount of damage, causing his strength to be lowered to around thirty percent of his peak. Nevertheless, he was not an opponent that the Infernal cksaber, which had achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage not too long ago, couldpare to. Dodging the attack, Old Geezer Yu was just about to counterattack when his body suddenly froze. He felt himself being overwhelmed by a powerful aura. Sovereign Vicious? Old Geezer Yu narrowed his eyes in horror. Even though the aura was devoid of killing intent, as an Otherworldly Demon, he could instantaneously recognize it as his ancestor, Vicious, who had fought on equal grounds with Kong shi. Due to the Zhenqi of ughter that the Otherworldly Demons practiced, the suppression exerted through bloodline was exceptionally powerful. This was also why the hierarchy was extremely rigid in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Puhe! In the blink of an eye, the Infernal cksaber had already struck one of the ws in his cultivation. His face turned pale, and fresh blood spewed out of his mouth. His body swiftly retreated into the distance before smashing heavily into the ground. Is such strength enough to qualify me to speak to you all? Zhang Xuan asked coolly. Old Geezer Yu was an Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm expert whereas the Infernal cksaber was an artifact that had just barely reached Ancient Sage. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for thetter to injure Old Geezer Yu. However, through Vicious suppression and exploiting the ws in Old Geezer Yus cultivation, not to mention that thetter had sustained severe injuries in the fight with Sovereign Chen Yong, Zhang Xuan managed to pull the assault off. ... Fine, well acknowledge your strength. You are indeed qualified to speak with us. However, I expect you toe up with a sufficiently convincing reason that can persuade us! Even though Zhang Xuans movements were swift, the Ancient Sages were still able to notice that something was amiss. It was clear that the young man had some trump card other than the Infernal cksaber, and the two of them put together were enough to wound even Bo Yu. On that basis, it was clear that he was qualified to speak on equal terms with them. Zhang Xuan looked over and said, I dont know about the matter of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers coborating with Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing to deal with Sovereign Chen Yong. However, I believe that you should have felt Sovereign Chen Lings belligerence earlier. Do you really expect him to hold up to the end of his promise? Just think about it. Had Sovereign Chen Yong not injured him, do you think that you could trust him not to have made a move on the rest of us? The crowd fell silent upon hearing those words. To be honest, if not for Sovereign Chen Yongs trump card, it was very likely that Sovereign Chen Ling would have broken his promise and made a move on the rest of them. Perhaps... that fellow might even have nned that from the very start. He had been biding his time till both they and Sovereign Chen Yong were severely injured so that he could kill two birds with one stone. If they had lost their lives there, the Master Teacher Continent would have effectively lost its finalyer of protection. There were still Ancient Sages who did not go to the Temple of Confucius for both the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Continent, but they were insufficient to pose a threat to the other two Sovereigns. Sovereign Chen Ling is someone who could betray even his own tribesmen. Do you think that he would have any qualms breaking his agreement with you? I know that you have probably taken some precautions to prevent him from reneging on his deal, and you might also see this as an ideal opportunity to assassinate Sovereign Chen Yong and unravel the unity of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... If you had seeded earlier without sustaining any wounds, it would indeed have been a good thing. You would have been able to exploit the temporary chaos amidst the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe from the loss of their highest leader to deal a decisive blow. However, that might not necessarily be so given the current state of affairs. Just imagine what will happen if Sovereign Chen Yong dies, and Sovereign Chen Ling returns to tell the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that he was ambushed and killed by us, and that he was nearly killed too while trying to save him... If he were to do so, he will be able to swiftly build solidarity among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and unite them. I believe that you should be able to see the consequences of that even if I dont borate further! Zhang Xuan said. This... Ancient Sage Yan Qing fell into deep contemtion. Indeed. If Sovereign Chen Yong really died there, Sovereign Chen Ling could make use of that impetus to unite the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. That would effectively ce mankind into even deeper danger. Chapter 1779 - You Owe the Master Teacher Pavilion an Explanation

Chapter 1779: You Owe the Master Teacher Pavilion an Exnation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After a long moment of contemtion, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned around and asked, What do you suggest then? Its very simple. Not only must we not allow Sovereign Chen Yong to die, we should also help him recover from his injuries. After that, we should take him back to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and help him exact vengeance! Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing might be weaker than him, but as two of the Three Sovereigns, it would be naive to assume that we would be able to deal with them easily... If we can turn this into an internal strife among the Otherworldly Demons, mankind will be granted some breathing space, and perhaps, an opportunity that we can exploit will arise! Zhang Xuan said. They were speaking through telepathicmunication, and Ancient Sage Yan Qing had also isted space in advance. As such, Sovereign Chen Yong was unable to listen to the contents of their conversation. Sovereign Chen Yong is currently filled with hatred for the other two Sovereigns who have betrayed him. He will probably think of murdering them even in his dreams. If we can make use of this opportunity to get him to sign a non-aggression agreement with us, it will be to our benefit to have him re-establish control over the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Zhang Xuan continued. Theres some sense to what hes saying! Zhang Hongtian nodded in agreement. Since it was possible for them to sign an agreement with Sovereign Chen Ling, there was no reason that they could not sign an agreement with Sovereign Chen Yong. Given Sovereign Chen Yongs influence in the n, if he agreed to work with them, it was likely that the effects would be far better. You are right. Its true that we should indeed spare Sovereign Chen Yong for the time being. However, there are some matters that I think you have failed to consider in your ns! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said. Firstly, once Sovereign Chen Yong recovers, his strength will far surpass ours. If he turns against us, the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers will barely be able to defend ourselves. Secondly, hes extremely skilled in warfare. Furthermore, he has fought with the forces of mankind for many years and has even snuck into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters before, so he has a very clear idea of our military might. If we spare him, he could potentially be the greatest threat to mankind! Last but not least, the injuries that we have sustained are simply too great. We dont have sufficient Aeon of Ancient Sage to support us, and our lifespans are reaching their limit. We wont be able to protect mankind for much longer... In truth, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had also considered such a possibility. They knew that ambushing Sovereign Chen Yong would not solve the matter once and for all, and greater trouble could arise due to it. However, they did not see any other path. Ten thousand years ago, when the Aeon of Ancient Sage vanished from the world, the human Ancient Sage cultivators could only go into hibernation in order to protect whatever they had for as long as possible. In other words, of their group, even the youngest Zhang Hongtian was already 10,500 years old. If they did not sustain injuries that were too severe, they might still be able to live for a while longer. However, given the current states that they were in, it was likely that they would only be able to fight two more good battles before finally meeting their end. To make matters worse, they had failed to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. It could be said that mankind was in its weakest state in the past tens of thousands of years. There was no doubt that Sovereign Chen Yong was far more capable than the other two Sovereigns, both in terms of fighting prowess and military warfare. Mankind might be in its weakened state, but it would at least stand a chance with those two as its opponents. If they let Sovereign Chen Yong off, it could very well spell their doom. The expressions of the Ancient Sages in the area turned livid as they lowered their heads. It could not be helped that the lifespan of mankind could note close to matching that of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. These were the cards that mankind had been dealt, and they could only try to make the best out of it. With the limitations of their lifespans and the absence of Aeon of Ancient Sage... so long as they were unable to produce newer Ancient Sages steadily, it would only be a matter of time before they were slowly ground to death. This is a very simple problem, Zhang Xuan said. I can just nt an irresolvable lethal poison in his body. If he dares to renege the promise that we have made and attacks mankind, that poison will ensure his death. The other two Sovereigns will already be dead by then, so mankind wont be in so much danger even if mankind doesnt have any Ancient Sages remaining then. Furthermore, Yang shi has just made a breakthrough, and it was likely that more Ancient Sages will emerge in time. Theres no need to worry too much about security! Even though the Canvas of Four Seasons contained the Aeon of Ancient Sage, there was a limit to how much was in there. It might not even be enough for his parents, himself, and his disciples to achieve breakthroughs, so it was not convenient for him to share it with others. What kind of poison could still be effective on Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators? Ancient Sage Yan Qing was stunned. Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators were able to create a new life through even just a droplet of blood. Be it their physical body or soul, they were alreadypletely free of impurities, thus making it nigh impossible to afflict them with poison. Were there still poisons in the world which could affect experts of such caliber? You need not worry about that. Since Ive made such a im, it goes without saying that I am confident! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Ordinary poison would indeed be ineffective against experts of Sovereign Chen Yongs caliber, but the Heavens Path zhenqi was extremely fine and could dive into any single part of the body. If needed, it could even divide itself and hide in every single droplet of blood in a cultivators body, thus making it extremely difficult to guard against it. With zhenqi that could destroy their vitality within their body, even Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators would have a huge headache trying to cope with it. As long as they were unable to rid themselves of it, they would forever be controlled by it. There was a moment of silence before Ancient Sage Yan Qing finally relented with a nod. We are willing to believe in you, and we can deal with Ancient Sage Yan Qing as you have suggested. However, dont you think that you owe mankind an exnation as well? Me? You brought the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Spirit God into the Prime Hall, allowing her to sessfully assimte the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, thus causing this opportunity to slip through the fingers of mankind. Itll be impossible for you to keep this matter under wraps, and the escaped Sovereign Chen Ling and the others have already started spreading the news around. If you dont offer an exnation, all of the master teachers and humans in the world would view you as an outsider. You will find no ce for yourself within the Master Teacher Pavilion anymore! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said. Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had been unaware that Luo Ruoxins true identity was the Spirit God. However, there was no one in the world who would believe or ept such an exnation. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was the ultimate treasure that Kong shi had left behind for theter generations, but it had ended up being obtained by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Just because of that, it would be impossible for others to forgive him. Once the news spread, it could be foreseen that the master teachers and humans all over the world would begin viewing him in hostility. No matter how he tried to exin himself, he would be an outcast. To have the Spirit God as ones girlfriend... there was no one who would believe that he waspletely unaffiliated with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Even if he could exin everything perfectly to them, they would only question him on the things he had not done. He had grabbed Luo Ruoxins hand back then, so why did he not snatch the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn back from her? No matter how great a contribution he had made in the past, this was an error fatal, bad enough to turn him into the sworn enemy of the whole of mankind. He was already cornered, and it was unlikely that he would be able to make aeback. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan spoke resolutely. Ill give the Master Teacher Pavilion and the world a satisfactory exnation! That would be for the best... Seeing that the young man had caught his drift, Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded before falling silent. He could not be bothered to make a move on a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator. Zhang Xuan drove his Heavens Path zhenqi into Sovereign Chen Yongs body and concealed it all around. At the same time, he took out some pills to help him recover from his injuries. However, the injuries that Sovereign Chen Yong had incurred were simply too heavy, such that it had shaken his very foundation and longevity. Ordinary pills were not of much use to him. Thank you for saving my life, Young Master... Death is no longer something that scares me, but before I meet my end, I must drag those two down with me! Sovereign Chen Yong did not know the content of their conversation, but he knew that it was Zhang Xuan who had pleaded on his behalf. Thus, he stood up and sped his fist in gratitude. He had not paid too much heed to Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing in the past, but who could have known that it would be his greatest ever blunder? Since he was able to return alive, he was determined to make them suffer his wrath and pay the price for their actions. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Zhang Xuan replied. Following which, he looked at Sovereign Chen Yong questioningly and asked, Whats your rtionship with Vicious? Chapter 1780 - Zhang Hongtian vs. Bo Yu

Chapter 1780: Zhang Hongtian vs. Bo Yu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Yong was able to use his blood to drive Vicious skeletal arms, and that only pointed at a single possibility. He shared the same blood origin as Vicious. Hes my grandfather! Sovereign Chen Yong replied without hiding anything. Grandfather? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He did not think that their rtionship would actually be so close. He had thought that they would be many generations apart. Vicious was an expert who had lived tens of thousands of years ago, yet Sovereign Chen Yong was still alive despite being his grandson. The longevity of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was truly frightening. The Spirit God told me that you have already gathered much of my grandfathers body parts, Young Master, and she instructed me to coordinate with you on this matter. Since thats the case, Ill give this pair of arms to you. Even though its insufficient to allow my grandfather to return to his peak, it should be sufficient for him to recover to the Blood Reincarnation realm! With a flick of his wrist, the two arms on the ground flew over to Zhang Xuans side. Thanks! It was true that he was collecting Vicious body parts. Since Sovereign Chen Yong was willing to give the arms to him, he had no intention of standing on ceremony. He took out a Book of Heavens Path, and before long, the arms had already fully fused with the Vicious sealed within the book. Sensing the perfect fusion of the arms with the body?, which meant that Vicious did not go into hibernation as a result of the conflicting wills among the body parts, Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully, You have removed the consciousness inside the arms? The Spirit God helped me to remove the consciousness within the skeletal arms and reced it with my own will. Since Im giving them to you, Young Master, I dare not to leave my own consciousness within, Sovereign Chen Yong exined. Having witnessed the young mans unbelievable talent and his rtionship with the Spirit God, Sovereign Chen Yong dared not to disrespect him. As Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing had not had much contact with the Spirit God, they were not clear of just how powerful the Spirit God was. However, there was no way that Sovereign Chen Yong could be unaware of it. If the Spirit God truly released her powers, the entire Master Teacher Continent would be destroyed! How could a person who could catch the eye of the Spirit God possibly be average? In view of that, Sovereign Chen Yong would not give up on any opportunity to establish goodwill with the young man. Besides, the young man had also just saved his life. Thank you. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Vicious was one of his greatest trump cards at the moment, and it would be a pity if Vicious fell into aa as a result of conflicting wills. As long as Vicious obtained sufficient energy, he would be able to recover to his peak soon enough! With a tap of his finger, a jade bottle was brought into the Library of Heavens Path. It was filled with the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage blood that he had gathered thus far. Vicious swiftly took in the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage blood, and the next instant, incredible energy was surging through his body. Reinforce your cultivation, Zhang Xuan instructed before closing the Book of Heavens Path and stowing it back into the Library of Heavens Path. Right, Young Master! This is the straw garment that my grandfather left behind. If you assimte it and fuse it together with his body, itll quicken the process which my grandfather is able to develop his flesh and blood at! Sovereign Chen Yong said as he pointed at the artifact above. Itll help Vicious develop flesh and blood? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon hearing those words. ording to Vicious, the fastest way to quicken his revival was to devour the flesh and blood of master teachers. As such, while some parts of Vicious body had already developed flesh and blood, others like the upper body remained as skeleton. Naturally, Zhang Xuan would not resort to such means, so he had put off the matter so far. If the straw garment was really able to help Vicious develop blood and flesh, that would enhance Vicious fighting prowess significantly. Zhang Xuan leaped up and reached out for the straw garment. Upon seeing Zhang Xuans actions, the face of Old Geezer Yu, who was in the midst of recuperating from his injuries, darkened. What are you doing? Thats a property of Sovereign Chen Ling! However, before he could finish his words, a burst of sword qi suddenly surged in his direction. Puhe! Puhe! Two bloodied holes were torn through his body as fresh blood spurted frenziedly from his mouth. Zhang Hongtian, what the heck are you trying to pull? Old Geezer Yu roared in fury. The person who had just made a move was none other than Zhang Xuans predecessor, Zhang Hongtian! It was just a moment ago that they had put aside their differences to deal with Sovereign Chen Yong together. Why would the other party suddenly make a move on him? What am I trying to pull here? Nothing much, really. It was with no other options that I coborated with you to deal with Sovereign Chen Yong, but dont you think that its about time for us to resolve our personal grudges? Zhang Hongtian scoffed coldly as he raised the sword in his hand imposingly. He did not want to hinder the ns of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers earlier, so he had no choice but to temporarily work together with the Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, with the matter regarding Sovereign Chen Yong resolved, it was about time for them to resolve their grudges. You want to kill me? Do you think that Im afraid of you? Old Geezer Yu stood up and roared. However, lets make things clear first. If you lose, youd better obediently step aside and allow us to leave! It was not that he chose to foolishly linger around the area after the end of the battle, but with the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion eyeing them warily, they dared not to make a move recklessly. Since Zhang Hongtian was intending to resolve their personal differences, it would be good if they could settle the both of them together. Old Geezer Yu knew that the humans would attempt to make a move on them after dealing with Sovereign Chen Yong, so he had intentionally held back a little during the battle earlier. As such, the injuries that he had sustained were significantly lighter than Zhang Hongtians. If they faced one another in a battle, it was hard to tell who the ultimate victor would be. Ill agree to your request! Zhang Hongtian nodded. He turned to the crowd and said, Today, Ill be settling the personal grudges between me and Old Geezer Yu. If I lose by any chance, it will be due to my own weakness. Ill have to ask you not to exact vengeance for me and allow him to leave! Brother Hongtian... Ancient Sage Yan Qing frowned. He did not think that the other party would abruptly make such a decision, and he did not think that it was a good idea either given the state that Zhang Hongtian was in. My mind is made up! Zhang Hongtian waved his hand resolutely. This was not a spontaneous decision from his side. He had been thinking about the matter for quite a while. With the severe injuries that he had sustained in the battle with Sovereign Chen Yong, he had realized that he would not be able to look over the Zhang n for much longer. It was long overdue for him to entrust the responsibility to the newer generations to shoulder. He had a very favorable view of the current head of the Zhang n, and he believed that the Zhang n would prosper under his leadership. As someone whose time was nearly up, thest gift that he could offer the Zhang n was to remove one of the threats lurking around it. With this, he would be able to face his predecessors and brothers who had died protecting the Zhang n and mankind. This would be the final sacrifice that he made for mankind. Having made up his mind, Zhang Hongtian shed out a deluge of sword qi toward Old Geezer Yu, engulfing thetter in devastating attacks. Humph! Seeing that Zhang Hongtians might had dwindled significantly due to his injuries, Old Geezer Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Concentrating his zhenqi on his arms, a pair of phantasmagoric ws ovepped with his hands. Ding ding ding ding! The two Ancient Sage experts began shing with one another. As Blood Reincarnation realm experts, they had many tricks up their sleeves. For the moment, they seemed to be equally matched with one another. Brother Hongtian overexerted himself in the battle against Sovereign Chen Yong earlier, and he has sustained significant injuries in the battle as well. I fear that he wont be an opponent for Old Geezer Yu, one of the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion remarked worriedly. Old Geezer Yu is incredibly cunning. By going on the defensive, its apparent that hes trying to stall for time till Brother Hongtian runs out of stamina beforeunching a counterattack. Should we step in and help him? an Ancient Sage from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers asked. The movements of the two Ancient Sages were sharp and ingenious, and it seemed as if they were equally matched with one another. However, the Ancient Sages could easily tell that Zhang Hongtians strength was far beneath what he was usually capable of, and he would only continue growing weaker throughout the course of the battle. If it continued, even his life would be threatened! Inparison, Old Geezer Yu was much more energetic. He had been flitting around the area, finding opportunities to slip blows in. Rest assured! Brother Hongtian will not lose! Yang shi chuckled softly. He wont lose? The other two Ancient Sages who had been speaking a moment earlier were slightly perplexed by those words. As veteran Ancient Sages, it was apparent to them that Zhang Hongtian was in a disadvantageous position. Yet, as an Ancient Sage who had made a breakthrough not too long ago, how could Yang shi be so certain that Zhang Hongtian would win? Yang shi noticed the doubt in their voices, but he did not exin himself. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the young man in the sky, who was in the midst of assimting the straw garment. Earlier, that young man had given Zhang Hongtian a jade token filled with the ws of Old Geezer Yus cultivation. With such knowledge, Zhang Hongtians victory was practically guaranteed! Chapter 1781 - Zhang Hongtian’s Death

Chapter 1781: Zhang Hongtians Death

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Just as Yang shi had guessed, the reason that Zhang Hongtian dared to challenge Old Geezer Yu and even agreed to his conditions was because he knew the ws in thetters moves. It might seem as if he was in a disadvantageous position, but in truth, he was also looking for an opportunity to inflict a critical hit and kill Old Geezer Yu in a single strike. Endless sword qi warped into many dragons that swept across the sky, forcing Old Geezer Yu to swipe his phantasmagoric ws upward. This is the moment! Seeing that there was an opening in Old Geezer Yus movements just as Zhang Xuan had said, Zhang Hongtian immediately concealed his sword in the midst of the soaring dragons to direct a jab toward Old Geezer Yus blind spot. Flowing Water Hidden Sword! This was said to be a technique that had been created by a hopeless romantic sword genius in the Zhang n. After his spouse was killed by his enemies, he had spent many years perfecting this move in order to exact vengeance. He had known that his strengthy in maneuvering and concealing himself amid water, making it nigh impossible for his enemies to grasp hold of him, so he had waited patiently for the moment to pierce through his enemies throats with a swift stab. The technique that Zhang Hongtian was using to conceal his sword amid the dragons was simr. Break! As expected, Old Geezer Yu did not notice the sword. His phantasmagoric ws continued wing fervently at the iing sword qi, warding them off. Weng! From the midst of one of the dragons, a long sword bolted forth, growingrger andrger in Old Geezer Yus eyes. But it happened that he had just pushed his speed to the limit, thus maximizing his momentum, rendering him powerless to dodge or protect himself. Puhe! The sword pierced right through Old Geezer Yus throat, and devastating might poured forth to destroy the vitality within his body. Y-y-you... How could you have known that theres a hundredth of a second intermission at the end of this technique of mine? Old Geezer Yus eyes were widened in disbelief. He dared not believe that he was going to lose his life just like that! For the past ten thousand years, the two of them had fought on multiple battlefields, and they were already familiar with one anothers techniques. It was true that Zhang Hongtian had always been slightly stronger than him, but even though Old Geezer Yu was unable to win against the other party, he had never faced any problem protecting himself. But at that very moment... The battle technique that he had just executed consisted of himunching swipes in quick session with his phantasmagoric ws. On the seventeenth swipe, due to a trauma that he had sustained in the past, there would be a hundredth of a second opening in his movements. However, as the technique was simply too swift, the peers that he had cultivated with and even Sovereign Chen Ling were unaware of this opening. How did Zhang Hongtian know about this opening of his and even sharply grasp the timing to breach his defenses? You have lost! Zhang Hongtian uttered coldly as he raised his eyebrows imposingly. Boom! Endless sword qi exploded within Old Geezer Yu, causing his body to burst apart. Tzzzzz! A book swiftly flew over to devour the sttered flesh and blood of Old Geezer Yu. Zhang Hongtian raised his head, only to see that Zhang Xuan had sessfully tamed the straw garment and was looking over, sping his fist. Congrattions, old ancestor! Its due to your credit that I was able to kill him! Zhang Hongtian chuckled heartily. However, as soon as the tension left his body, his body copsed weakly to the ground. He had managed to kill Old Geezer Yu, but he hadpletely depleted himself in the midst of doing so. Old ancestor! rmed, Zhang Xuan rushed over and desperately infused his Heavens Path zhenqi into the body of the other party. However, as if a sack filled with holes, Zhang Hongtians body was no longer able to retain energy. How could this be? Zhang Xuan panicked. He quickly took out a couple of grade-9 pills and fed them into Zhang Hongtians mouth. His Heavens Path zhenqi had rarely failed him, and there were many times when he had brought others back from the gates of hell. This was the first time that it was proving to bepletely useless. Zhang Hongtian was the final Ancient Sage of the Zhang n, and Zhang Xuan was extremely fond of his personality and temperament. He could not allow anything to happen to him! Allow me to take a look! Ancient Sage Yan Qing flew over and helped Zhang Hongtian up. cing his finger on thetters pulse, he lowered his gaze contemtively for a moment before shaking his head. Im afraid that he has already reached the limit of his lifespan. Theres nothing that you can do that will help him anymore. How can this be? Hes the youngest of you lot! How could he have reached the end of his lifespan first? Zhang Xuan refused to believe what he was hearing. Zhang Hongtian was known as the most talented expert of his era, having reached Ancient Sage in his five hundreds. Even though ten thousand years had passed since then, he had spent most of his time in hibernation. In terms of lifespan, he should be able to outlive all of the other Ancient Sages! How could he possibly have reached the end of his lifespan ahead of the others? He expended most of his blood essence in the battle with Sovereign Chen Yong earlier. In order to ensure that Old Geezer Yu is dead through and through, he went all out and overexerted himself. At this very moment, hes alreadypletely dried out. Theres nothing that you can do to save him. The Ancient Sages gathered there knew that they did not have too long to live, but Ancient Sage Yan Qing still could not help but sigh in destion upon seeing that another person of his era was going to meet his end. Ancient Sages were able to reattach severed limbs and revive themselves from a mere droplet of blood, but they were unable to break free from their destiny and outlive the limits of their lifespan. No matter how powerful a cultivator was, once they reached the limits of their lifespan, they would be reduced to a pile of dirt. No matter how nobly or humbly they had lived, this was the ultimate fate that awaited all life. Even though Zhang Hongtian wasparatively younger than the Ancient Sages gathered there, he had gone all out in every battle that he had been in, causing a severe deficiency in his bodys vitality. In fact, if not for the blood transfusion twenty years prior, he would have already met his end. In a way, it was a miracle that he hadsted so long and even fought two good battles. Zhang Xuan turned to Yang Xuan and eximed anxiously, Yang shi, arent you able to transfuse bloodlines? Move my blood to the old ancestor. Perhaps, it might save his life... Looking at the flustered Zhang Xuan, Yang Xuan shook his head with bitter helplessness and said, Senior... you have already transfused your blood to him once. Your blood wont be effective on him anymore... But... Zhang Xuan wanted to argue the matter, but he was interrupted by Yang shi. Birth, ageing, affliction, and death; this is the natural cycle of life. Not even Ancient Sages are able to break out of this cycle. Back in its prime, the Zhang n was famed for its Nine Great Ancient Sages, and there was no one who didnt look up to it. But as time went by, each of them turned into a tablet on top of an altar, bing legends of the past that others recall now and then! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent. Theres no need to grieve over me! Zhang Hongtian looked at his descendant with a faint smile on his face. The reason I held on for so long is because Im the only Ancient Sage left in the Zhang n. If I had died, the entire n would have fallen into decline... Im really d that you have appeared. With your ability, you would even be able to stand your ground against me. I have no more worries! But... Zhang Xuans eyes reddened. Life and death are part of the worlds natural cycle. From the moment that the Aeon of Ancient Sage vanished from the world and I decided to go into hibernation, Zhang Hongtian was already dead. The only reason Ive been clinging on to life was to prolong the survival of the Zhang n and mankind! Zhang Hongtian said deeply. Your appearance has liberated me of the responsibilities I shouldered. I can finally rest without any worries. This is not a sorrowful asion but a happy one. The only remaining concern I have is you. You are only an Aureate Body realm cultivator at the moment, but you will have to carry the entire Zhang n and perhaps even mankind as a whole. The path ahead of you will be fraught with even more difficulties than mine. As Zhang Hongtian spoke, he took a look at his surroundings and chuckled weakly. Alright, my friends. May we meet again in our next lives and fight together as brothers in arms! Im feeling a little tired right now, so Ill take my leave... And so, Zhang Hongtian closed his eyes onest time. Chapter 1782 - Zhang Xuan Falls Into a Coma

Chapter 1782: Zhang Xuan Falls Into a Coma

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Brother Hongtian... Looking at the corpse before them, everyone was rendered silent. Grim looks could be seen all around the room. This was especially for those from the Master Teacher Pavilion. They were incredibly silent. They had fought together for almost ten thousand years, and they had known that such a parting woulde from the very start. However, when the time eventually came, they still felt a little empty inside. Even those as powerful as Ancient Sages arent able to escape thews of time! Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head and sighed. Arent Ancient Sages existences who have exceeded the heavens? Why are they still controlled by thews of the world? Zhang Xuan asked. As beings who were reputed to have exceeded the heavens, he found it iprehensible that they were still limited by thews of the world, incapable of controlling even their own life and death. Ancient Sages have exceeded the heavens, but only in the ownws they haveprehended, Ancient Sage Yan Qing exined. Brother Hongtianprehended thew of swordsmanship, and his level of mastery even exceeded the heavens themselves. However, in other aspects, such as his own lifespan, he did not ovee the limitations of the world. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment. Swordsmanship? You are saying that... as long as one is able to surpass the heavens in single field, one will be qualified to be an Ancient Sage? He had heard bits and pieces about the prerequisites to pushing for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage from his father, Sword Saint Xing. However, Sword Saint Xing was only at Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm, and the things that he knew were based on rumors passed down through the generations. It was inevitable that what he knew was limitedpared to the top expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Thats right. Only those who haveprehended aw that surpasses the heavens will be able to ascend as Ancient Sages, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. Isnt time the field of specialty of the Zhang n? Why didnt the old ancestor use hisprehension of time to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan asked once more. The bloodline of the Zhang n harnessed the Time Quintessence. Since that was the case, if Zhang Hongtian had pushed for a breakthrough using the Time Quintessence, would he not have been able to lengthen his lifespan and ovee the limitations of time? The temporalws across various dimensions are all connected to one another in one way or another. This includes not just the Master Teacher Continent and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes otherworldly battlefield but also higher worlds such as the one the Spirit God resides in. Even those who have grasped Time Quintessence would not have understood the temporalws of the Master Teacher Continent. To truly ovee the heavens in this field is nigh impossible! Even Kong shi failed back then, let alone those who came after him! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said with a bitter smile. Time was one of the most fundamentalws of the universe. Even if the world copsed, the Five Elements were extinguished, and space ceased to exist, time would still continue ticking by. How could such a powerful rule possibly be mastered and controlled that easily? If Kong shi had truly been able toprehend temporalws, he would not have vanished into the annals of history. Youre right... Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He was able to make use of the powers of his bloodline to influence the flow of time and hasten his movements, but he was unable to change the very essence of time. The essence of time is simply too difficult toprehend. If I was able toprehend it, perhaps I might still have been able to do something to save Old Ancestor Hongtian! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. All of a sudden, his mind jolted. As if an earthquake had happened, the Library of Heavens Path in his mind began shaking intensely. This is bad... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror. Before he could do anything, his vision turned dark. Putong! He copsed to the ground. Senior! Yang shi rushed forward. Ancient Sage Yan Qing swiftly stepped forward to examine Zhang Xuans condition before frowning in bewilderment. It seems to be some kind of deficiency in his soul? As a Great Sage cultivator, considering how Zhang Xuan had not been assaulted or attacked, how could an injury just appear in his soul all of a sudden? What in the world had happened? I specialize in the field of souls. Allow me to take a look! The Ancient Sage of the Jiang n stepped forward. He quickly extended his soul energy toward Zhang Xuan, but before he could probe into Zhang Xuans body, his own body began to tremble. He hurriedly retreated a few steps backward as his face turned ghastly pale What happened? Seeing the state that the Ancient Sage of the Jiang n was in, everyone became perplexed. Theres some kind of peculiar energy protecting his soul. Im unable to probe any deeper into his body! the Ancient Sage of the Jiang n said. Some kind of peculiar energy is protecting his soul? Just what kind of energy is able to keep even you out? Ancient Sage Yan Qing frowned in iprehension. As an Ancient Sage who specialized in the field of souls, it would be impossible for Ancient Sages of the same cultivation realm to ward off his probing. Considering how Zhang Xuan was unconscious, it was unimaginable for him to be able to be able to ward off the Jiang n Ancient Sages probing and even injure him. It seems to be... The body of the Ancient Sage of the Jiang n stiffened as he spoke. It seems to be the power of the heavens! Hes protected by the heavens? Hearing those words, the crowd widened their eyes in astonishment as they turned their gazes toward Zhang Xuan once more. To think that a Great Sage cultivator would actually be protected by the heavens. What the heck was going on? Yang shi, Ill leave you to protect him. If anything happens, liaise with me right away. Meanwhile, Ill lead the others to reinforce the surrounding space. Without the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and Kong shis seal keeping the ce intact, the entire Temple of Confucius has already fallen into the void of spacetime. If we dont drag it back soon, well all be goners! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said worriedly. The stars had already vanished from the sky, indicating that they were no longer on Master Teacher Continent. Yes! Yang shi nodded. Alright, lets get to action! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said as he swiftly led the Ancient Sages away. While the emergence of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and the major battles that had consequently broken out had damaged the Temple of Confucius significantly, it was still a sacrednd left behind by Kong shi himself. As descendants of Kong shis lineage, they could not allow anything to happen to it. As the crowd left, Yang shi lowered his gaze to the unconscious Zhang Xuan and frowned in concern. Senior, just what has happened to you? ... Completely unaware of the happenings outside, at that very moment, Zhang Xuan was in a semiconscious state. It felt as if his consciousness had been stripped from his body. Vaguely, he seemed to see a familiar silhouette ahead of him. She was looking at him with worry in her eyes. Ruoxin... he muttered weakly. Dont worry, Im fine, the youngdy said. You have to take care of yourself. Remember to keep my gift with you at all times. You mustnt separate from it even for an instant. You mean... the pendant? I have been keeping it close to me... Zhang Xuan replied weakly. He tried to stand up, but his body felt heavy as though someone had filled it with lead. Prior to entering the Temple of Confucius, Luo Ruoxin had given him a pendant. She had said that it was something given to her by her father, and it would save him during a crucial moment. While he found her words inexplicable, he had made sure to keep it close to him at all times. Thats good... Zhang Xuan, I have to leave now. The artifact in the library is my final gift to you. Make use of it well... Ill be waiting for you... Gradually, Luo Ruoxins voice and silhouette seemed to grow fainter and fainter, as if she would vanish at any moment. Library...? You... You know of the existence of the library? Zhang Xuans body stiffened upon hearing those words. The Library of Heavens Path had always been his greatest secret, and he had never told anyone about it. All along, he had thought that Luo Ruoxin was oblivious to its existence, but who would have thought that she actually knew about it? Farewell, Zhang Xuan! With a bitter smile and longing in her eyes, Luo Ruoxins silhouette dissipated. ... No... dont go! With a shout, Zhang Xuans body shot upright. It was only then that he noticed that it was all a dream. Teacher, youre awake! Turning toward the voice, he saw Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others standing not too far away with concern rippling in their eyes. His parents, the Xingmeng Sword Saints, were in the room as well. Swiftly scanning his surroundings, Zhang Xuan asked, Are we... out of the Temple of Confucius? Chapter 1783 - Finale at the Master Teacher Pavilion

Chapter 1783: Finale at the Master Teacher Pavilion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Luo Qiqi had entered the Prime Hall with him, but due to them failing the trial, they had been teleported outside. Even though Zhang Xuan had not known where they went, he had been confident that they would not face any danger, so he did not worry too much about them. As for Zheng Yang, he had not seen the young man ever since he entered the Temple of Confucius. However, based on what Zhao Ya had said, it seemed like he had stumbled upon some kind of fortuitous encounter. The foreign surroundings around him and the fact that they were all gathered together likely meant that they had already left the Temple of Confucius and were currently somewhere else. Wang Ying stepped forward and worriedly exined, Un. We returned to the Master Teacher Pavilion with the other master teachers. Teacher, you have been unconscious for three days now... Three days? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He suddenly recalled his hazy conversation with Luo Ruoxin during this long sleep, and he quickly brought his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path. To his surprise, however, he found that its massive doors had closed upon him. He tried pushing on the doors, but they would not budge at all. Its probably in the midst of an upgrade... Zhang Xuan thought calmly. He had also been knocked out the previous time that the Library of Heavens Path underwent an upgrade, so he was not too worried. The previous time, the upgrade had finished before he awoke, so he had been able to ess it as soon as he was up. However, it seemed like he had roused from his sleep prematurely, so he probably would not be able to ess it till the upgrades were finallyplete. Knowing that it would likely take a while longer, Zhang Xuan decided not to bother with it for the time being. Instead, he began to assess the crowd before him. Not bad. It seems like all of you have grown quite a bit in the journey through the Temple of Confucius, Zhang Xuanplimented. All of his students had reached Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation. Overwhelming energy surged through their bodies, and it seemed like they were ready to achieve a breakthrough at any moment. So, in the very end, Zhang Xuan was back to being the weakest among them all. Just thinking about the matter left him feeling rather stifled. Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze toward his parents, and soon, his eyes lit up. He had reserved two Bodhi Fruits for their consumption so that they would be able to push for a breakthrough in their Soul Depth, but it seemed like the two of them had encountered some kind of fortuitous encounter yet again and sessfully made a breakthrough in their Soul Depth! At their current level, it did not seem that they were far away from reaching Ancient Sage. I have a coborative sword art here that the two of you should try practicing. I believe that it will be of some help to you in oveing your current bottleneck! Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before tapping his finger lightly. A cultivation technique manual was imprinted right into the minds of the Xingmeng Sword Saints. He had browsed through innumerable books back on the mountain of books, thus granting him the knowledge required to further improve the Xingmeng Sword Saints coborative swordsmanship. While it was still a distance away from surpassing the heavens, it would indubitably bring the Xingmeng Sword Saint a step closer toward a breakthrough. As long as they cultivated it diligently, they would gradually be stronger and stronger. Eventually, a day woulde when they finally stepped across the boundary to be full-fledged Ancient Sages, granting them the strength to imposingly lord over the entire world. Zheng Yang and Wang Ying, Ill give these two Bodhi Fruits to you together with this heart tempering cultivation technique. Cultivate it well! Zhang Xuan turned to his students and entrusted thest two Bodhi Fruits to them. His Soul Depth had already surpassed the threshold required for an Ancient Sage, so the Bodhi Fruits were no longer of any use to him. Rather than hoarding them, they would be put to better use with his students. This tree root is one of the cruxes of the six outer dimensions of the Temple of Confucius, and it possesses incredible spirit enchantment capabilities. Wang Ying, I want you to try to tame it. Itll be of immense use to you in furthering your abilities as a spirit awakener. Zheng Yang, I acquired this spear from one of the experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. While its inferior to my Dragonbone Divine Spear, its still a Great Sage pinnacle artifact. It should boost your fighting prowess significantly... As Zhang Xuan had already tamed the cruxes of the six outer dimensions, it would be impossible for any other cultivators to im possession of them. As soon as he left the Prime Hall, all of them had quickly left the area in pursuit of him and entered his storage ring. Lu Chong, I dont want you to think that Im biased. Due to your powerful soul, you are able to raise your Soul Depth quickly, so the Bodhi Fruit isnt of much use to you. Instead, Ill give you the Seal of Souls. Its able to devour the souls of others and transform them into concentrated soul energy to nourish your body. I trust that you wont exploit its abilities for malicious purposes. While Yuan Tao was the first one to undergo the Ancient Sage Ordeal, I believe that you are still the one most likely to first reach Ancient Sage! Zhang Xuan passed the Seal of Souls, which served as the mark of authority for the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, over to Lu Chong. If used well, the Seal of Souls could provide Lu Chong with an endless supply of concentrated soul energy. There was definitely no treasure better than this to a soul oracle. As for the icy crystal, while it no longer harnessed any ice energy, it was stillpatible with Zhao Yas Pure Yin Body, so Zhang Xuan gave it to her. Simrly, the koi fish was given to Wei Ruyan, and the Five Monarchs were given to Yuan Tao. ... After distributing his loot from the Temple of Confucius, Zhang Xuan entered the Canvas of Four Seasons. Not too longter, he returned with a slightly pale face. I have just sealed a portion Aeon of Ancient Sage into each of these paintings using my spatial art. Take one each, he said as he distributed his paintings among the crowd. Kong shi had been able to sever a portion of the world and seal it within a painting, sustaining it for tens of thousands of years without the slightest wear and tear. After reading countless books regarding painting back on the mountain of books, hisprehension of painting had also reached a simr level to Kong shi. With his current mastery, it was not too difficult for him to further sever the space within the Canvas of Four Seasons and distribute it. With those paintings, even if he was not by their side, his parents and students would still be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Xuan-er, is there something wrong? I dont know if Im thinking too much, but it feels like something is weighing on your mind. Seeing her son unhesitatingly giving out the treasures that he had acquired with great difficulty back in the Temple of Confucius, Sword Saint Meng could not help but voice her concern. It might just have been her imagination, but she vaguely felt that there was something amiss. Yet, she was unable to clearly put a finger on the matter. It was true that the Zhang n had lost their final Ancient Sage, but Yang shi had already put the word out that anyone who dared to trouble the Zhang n would have to face his wrath. Furthermore, her sons weapon had also achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. At the same time, Yuan Tao wielded strengthparable to nascent Ancient Sages. In terms of fighting prowess, the Zhang n could be said to be even stronger than it had been before. Of course, the loss of Zhang Hongtian, an Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm, was a huge blow to the Zhang n, but Yang shi and the Infernal cksaber were Ancient Sages who did not have to go into hibernation and could move freely. Naturally, they were much more powerful deterrents than Zhang Hongtian despite their lower cultivation realms. Without a doubt, the Zhang n was the greatest winner in the Temple of Confucius expedition, and it was pretty much guaranteed a bright future. Despite that, it felt like her son was in a rush to give out his possessions, as if he was running out of time... Its nothing, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He stood up and stretched his backzily as he asked, Did anyone from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarterse over in thest three days? Pavilion Master Ren from the Master Teacher Pavilion said for you to look for him after you awoke from your slumber, Sword Saint Xing said. I see... Ill leave the rest of you to cultivate. Work hard and try to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Ill head over to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Zhang Xuan said with a casual wave of his hand as he walked out of his room. Teacher, well go with you, Zhao Ya said. For some reason, she felt a little unnerved as well, as if something bad was going to happen. None of you are to follow me! Zhang Xuan instructed sternly. No matter what happens, I want you to follow the directives of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Under no circumstances are you allowed to cause any trouble! Whats going on? The crowd stared at one another in bewilderment, unable toprehend what was going on. They could only watch in a daze as the young mans silhouette vanished into a spatial passageway. When Luo Ruoxin snatched the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and was revealed to be the Spirit God, they had already left the premises of the Prime Hall. After that, they had been so worried about Zhang Xuan that they had hardly heard anything that was happening outside. Just as they were wondering what was going on, a resounding voice echoed in the air, reverberating across the entire Master Teacher Continent. The head of the Zhang n, Zhang Xuan, has been found guilty of leading the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Spirit God into the Prime Hall to steal the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. While it was an unintentionalpse in judgement on his part, his actions have indubitably ced mankind in a perilous position. Out of sheer guilt, he chose to end his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. May all master teachers and humans take this as a lesson to never be blinded bycency. All it takes it a single error to plunge the whole of mankind into peril... Teacher! Xuan-er! Only at that instant did the crowd realize what was going on. Unable to believe what they were hearing, they dashed out of the room. Whew, thats finally another arc done. Im thinking of having an AMA this weekend since we are already so many chapters in but havent really gotten to know one another yet. Anyway, Ill post the detailster on! Chapter 1784 - Whisperings of the Night Clock Tower

Chapter 1784: Whisperings of the Night Clock Tower

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Snow drifted quietly at the northernmost border of the Master Teacher Continent. A decrepit clock tower stood in destion in those snowynds. Countless adventurers were gathered beneath that decrepit clock tower. It was where one of the Six Major Subterranean Galleries, the Icysea Subterranean Gallery, was located. There would rarely be anyone around there, but after the Otherworldly Demons retreated from the Subterranean Gallery, the area had swiftly turned into a major trading post. Many experts would pass by the area on a daily basis. Just like the other Subterranean Galleries, the Icysea Subterranean Gallery was suffused with concentrated killing intent due to the crimson moon that hung high in the sky, corroding all lifeforms that loitered in the area. However, many resilient nts that did not exist on the Master Teacher Continent still took root and germinated on thatnd despite the extreme conditions. Those nts served as valuable medicine, and they were also ideal catalysts for smithing top-tier weapons, making them incredibly valuable. In order to find those nts, many adventurers were willing to risk their lives to venture into the Icysea Subterranean Gallery. Due to the frequent skirmishes with the Otherworldly Demons in the past, the Master Teacher Pavilion had locked down the Subterranean Galleries, allowing only master teachers to enter the area. However, with the retreat of the Otherworldly Demons, some of the stronger cultivators had begun venturing into those treacherousnds, hoping to scout thends for rare resources. It did not take long for them to realize that the Subterranean Galleries were practically treasure troves. As valuablemodities were brought out one after another, more and more adventurers began descending into the Subterranean Galleries in search of great fortune. At that very moment, those who were standing beneath the decrepit clock tower were the cultivators who wanted to try their luck. The snowstorm is getting heavier and heavier. Its times like this that the Icysea Subterranean Gallery automatically closes itself, making it impossible to enter the area. All we can do at a time like this is wait here till the sky clears! It cant be helped. The Icysea Subterranean Gallery is located in the midst of a snowy mountain, and it happens to be the coldest time of year. Its simply too dangerous to travel around at a time like this. Isnt it boring to be sitting around here doing nothing? Why dont we share interesting things that have happened recently so that we can open our eyes? Brother Wu, youve juste here from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, right? Is there any fascinating news? Upon hearing the name Brother Wu, the gazes of the crowd swiftly gathered on the middle-aged man seated at the very center. That middle-aged man was dressed in the long robe of a master teacher, and the seven stars on his emblem gleamed conspicuously. His cultivation had reached Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, putting him at the forefront of 7-star master teachers. Noticing the gazes on him, Brother Wu allowed his gaze to wander across the crowd in a suspenseful manner before asking, Do you know who the most talented master teacher of the current era is? The most talented master teacher of the current era? It should be Feng Ziyi, right? I heard that his teacher recently achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, and his cultivation has been surging ahead. Hes already a figure whom we can only look up to! I think it should be Zhao Moxuan. I met him once, and hes truly a prodigious individual. Hes able toprehend and master anything swiftly, such that it doesnt seem like theres anything in this world that could possibly stump him! Ill put my vote on Jiang Feifei. Not only is she beautiful, her mastery as a celestial designer has also reached an unbelievable level... What I heard is that... The question immediately provoked an intense debate among the crowd. Those were figures whose names resounded far and wide on the Master Teacher Continent, and there were countless cultivators who looked up to them and viewed them as their goal. Suddenly, someone amid the crowd added, Have you forgotten... Zhang Xuan? Zhang Xuan? That name caused the fervent discussion to wither into silence. I dont deny that hes the most talented master teacher in the past tens of thousands of years. Perhaps, the only person who could match him is Kong shi... However, he conspired with the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to steal the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, thus cing mankind in a dangerous position. That in itself is enough to disqualify him as a master teacher! We cant allow such a ck sheep to sully the reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion! The story that I heard is rather different though. He didnt conspire with the Spirit God. Instead, he was unaware of the other partys identity and was duped into doing her bidding! A teacher has to be held to the highest standards in terms of values, principles, and behaviors. Even if he didnt know the true identity of the Spirit God before, he should have severed his feelings for her and stopped her after learning the truth. Yet, he remainedpletely idle, not even attempting to snatch the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn back. Thats more than enough to deem him as a traitor of mankind! Theres no point talking about that unworthy fellow! ... An uproar broke out amid the crowd, and the discussions were getting more and more heated by the moment. Hahaha! At this moment, a cold sneer suddenly echoed across the crowd, causing the decrepit clock tower to tremble intensely. It almost seemed as if the clock tower was about to copse upon the crowd. This abrupt urrence swiftly caught everyones attention as eyes darted toward the source of the sneer. Surprisingly, the person who had just sneered was none other than the 7-star master teacher amid the crowd, Brother Wu! At this moment, Brother Wus eyes were filled with ice, and the smile on his lips had vanished without a trace. He rose to his feet and gazed down upon the crowd imposingly as he said, Did you just say that Zhang shi isnt qualified to be a master teacher? Who gave you the guts to utter such nonsense? A middle-aged man with a ring scar on his face harrumphed in response. A man who has let down the whole of mankind and ended his life before the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to repay his sinsdo you really think that such a person is qualified to bear the name of a master teacher? It had been ten days since Zhang Xuan had ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and news had already spread all over the Master Teacher Continent. Youre asking if hes qualified? Brother Wu narrowed his eyes. Let me ask you, do you know why we are able to enter the Icysea Subterranean Gallery at this very moment? Isnt it because the forces of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe retreated from the Subterranean Galleries? the scar-faced middle-aged man asked. The others nodded in agreement as well. It was due to the Otherworldly Demons retreating that they dared to enter the area. Otherwise, they would probably lose their lives within moments after entering the premises. Even with treasures scattered all over the Subterranean Galleries, no one would be so foolish as to ce themselves in a certain-death situation. Retreat? Hah! Brother Wu sneered coldly. In the past tens of thousands of years, the Otherworldly Demons have been driven back several hundred times, but the ordinary popce has never been allowed to approach this area before. What makes this time so different? This... The scar-faced middle-aged man was rendered speechless by that question. In the battle over the years, due to supply issues and heavy death toll, both sides had retreated from the Subterranean Galleries at some point in time. However, the Master Teacher Pavilion had never allowed people into the premises. Could there be something different about the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes retreat this time? Brother Wu, do you know something about this matter? one of the cultivators amid the crowd asked. A month ago, I happened to receive an order to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to handle some matters, and I overheard this rumor! Brother Wu seemed to descend into memoryne. Its true that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has retreated, but they were gathering their soldiers together in preparation tounch a decisive attack. All in all, there were more than a hundred thousand soldiers! A decisive attack consisting of over a hundred thousand soldiers? The crowd was astonished. They were all aware of the tremendous might that the Otherworldly Demons wielded. If they were to face so many enemies at once, it was very likely that they would face unimaginable damage. It was questionable whether the Master Teacher Continent would be able to sustain such damage or not. Wait... Thats not right. If they have truly gathered that much military power, why is there no movement from their side at all? Finding those words logical, the crowd quickly turned their gazes back to Brother Wu, wanting to see what he had to say. Considering how treacherous the situation had been back then, it was unthinkable for them not to have heard of it at all. Of course, there are no movements! Thats because a master teacher single-handedly charged into the group of a hundred thousand and killed them all! Brother Wu spoke with a respectful gleam in eyes. That person is the one who foiled the ploys of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, forcing them to lie low and dare not invade. Hes the one who fixed the seals and turned the Subterranean Gallery from theherworld into newnds that we can explore! A person single-handedly killed over a hundred thousand Otherworldly Demons? I heard that even the weakest of the Otherworldly Demons was at Saint 3-dan... Unable to take it any longer, someone in the crowd asked, How did he manage to do it? Brother Wu, who in the world is that fellow? Its the person whom you said is unqualified to be a master teacher... Brother Wu clenched his fists tightly together. Zhang Xuan! Chapter 1785 - The Truth of His Identity

Chapter 1785: The Truth of His Identity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan? Its actually him... Silence filled the area, and countless lips trembled in disbelief. Due to someone working in the background to spread the matter between Zhang Xuan and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Spirit God in the Temple of Confucius, within three days, everyone on the Master Teacher Continent knew of the matter. There was no one on the Master Teacher Continent who did not scorn him. In their eyes, he was a master teacher who had failed to shoulder his responsibilities, thus opening a window of opportunity for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, most thought that the judgement of the Master Teacher Pavilion was fair, and they had celebrated upon hearing the verdict. However, no one knew that the current peace and prosperity enjoyed by mankind, such that even ordinary cultivators could descend into the Subterranean Galleries, was due to the work of the individual whom they loathed. He had given his all for mankind, only to be forced by the very mankind that he had chosen to protect tomit suicide. Just how despaired must he have been feeling when he ended his life? When Zhang Xuanmitted suicide, his students barged into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and pummeled every single 9-star master teacher present. Yet, not a single person dared to retaliate. Do you know why thats the case? Brother Wu questioned. The crowd shook their heads. Thats because they knew that they wouldnt enjoy the current peace without Zhang shi. If not for Zhang shis sacrifice, the Master Teacher Continent might already have been torn apart by war! I dont understand! a middle-aged man amid the crowd suddenly said up. Since the Master Teacher Pavilion knows of his contribution, why doesnt it try to exin the matter and resolve the misunderstandings? Why did it go to the extent of forcing him to end his life? Hearing those words, the crowd quickly nodded in agreement. Zhang Xuans immense contribution to mankind should have been enough to strike off any mistakes that he had made. Why did the Master Teacher Pavilion still go to the extent of pushing him over the edge? If Im not mistaken, its likely due to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe pulling some strings behind the scenes. Its said that Sovereign Chen Xing and Sovereign Chen Ling were in the Temple of Confucius back then, and they ended up escaping. Most likely, they are the ones who have been spreading the rumors! At that point, Brother Wu sighed deeply before continuing. Due to the news spreading like wildfire, many master teachers were rallied to gather outside the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and they demanded the headquarters to hand Zhang Xuan over. While Zhang Xuan had made great contributions to mankind, its also a fact that he had allowed the Spirit God to escape with the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in hand. Had the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters chosen to side with Zhang Xuan, it would have caused the world to lose confidence in their judgement, and it might have sown internal discord among mankind. In order to cate the riled master teachers, Zhang Xuan chose to end his life so as to offer a satisfactory exnation to the world. If thats truly the case, hes a true master teacher! To hold onto his faith and sacrifice himself bravely, thats the mark of a true hero... By ending his life, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will no longer be able to exploit the matter to rally the popce against the Master Teacher Pavilion. At the same time, the Master Teacher Pavilion will be granted some breathing space to reorganize their members and weed out spies hiding on the Master Teacher Continent. Theres no doubt that his choice has helped to avert a major crisis for mankind, but... this is simply too unfair for him! He has done so much for mankind, only to be met with such a bitter end eventually! We are truly indebted to him... ... The crowd widened their eyes in realization. This was simply human nature. On the very grounds that Zhang Xuan was a master teacher, everyone imposed higher moral standards on him. As soon as he made a mistake, regardless of whether it was unintentional or not, it was magnified manyfold and used as a weapon to crack a hole in his reputation. Look, even a person of such character can be a master teacher! Dont you think that the Master Teacher Pavilion has fallen over the years? How can someone of such character be qualified to be a master teacher? Yet, they failed to realize that master teachers were not puppets; they were fallible humans. They could not possibly be right all of the time, and they had their selfish whims as well. The lofty reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion had be both its greatest asset and its greatest weakness. It was within their expectations for a master teacher to do good deeds, so their aplishments were often left unnoticed. However, as soon as they erred, word would spread that this master teacher has finally revealed the hideous personality that he has been hiding all along. This was simr to how if an absolute viin were asionally carried out some good deeds, people would think that the viins personality was actually not as bad as it seemed. This was the same situation that Zhang shi had faced. To be in a rtionship with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Spirit God and allow thetter to take away the Great Codex and Spring and Autumn was an unforgivable failure for an esteemed master teacher. There was nothing that Zhang Xuan could have done that would absolve him of this crime. Had the Master Teacher Pavilion tried to protect him, they would havee under fire as well. Cornered and left with no choice, Zhang shi could only end his life out of despair. It might have seemed as if everything had been resolved, but this was actually a huge loss for mankind. The brightest star of mankind had truly fallen. Indeed. Zhang shi might have been young, but he aplished what countless master teachers failed to achieve in their lifetime. Hes the man I respect the most in the world, and Im willing to devote my life to pursuing him! Brother Wu nodded in determination. I didnt know about this. I thought that he betrayed mankind. Now that I know the truth, Ill do the same as well. I wont allow someone who sacrificed so much for mankind to have his reputation besmirched! Count me in as well! The crowd beneath the clock tower nodded in determination. Since he was a good person, they could not allow him to be insulted even after his death! ... In the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Ren Qingyuan was troubled. Yang shi, I dont understand. Why did Zhang shi choose this course of action? Why didnt he at least try to exin himself? He was truly unable to make sense of the situation. This was a matter that could possibly be resolved by Zhang Xuan exining himself, so why did he have to go to the extent ofmitting suicide? I asked the Xingmeng Sword Saints about this matter as well, and they told me that Senior had assimted the blood of Ancient Sage Hongtian! Yang shi said. Hearing an unexpected response, Ren Qingyuan frowned in confusion. Hed assimted the blood of Ancient Sage Hongtian? Ancient Sage Hongtian was a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator! Yang shi exined. Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator... Assimting Ancient Sage Hongtians blood... Wait a moment. Could it be that... Ren Qingyuan narrowed his mind as a thought came to his mind. Thats right! Yang shi nodded. The reason that my senior chose to end his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters is likely more than an exnation to mankind. He probably has some other motives in mind. As for the specifics, Im afraid that Im incapable of guessing his thoughts... In other words... Zhang shi isnt dead yet? Ren Qingyuan clenched his fists in agitation. He had thought that the young man had truly passed away, and he had grieved for so long. However, if the young man had truly assimted the blood of a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator, it was unlikely that he would die so easily. Ill have to ask you to regard this matter with utmost secrecy. Do not speak of it before anyone else! Seeing the agitated look on Ren Qingyuans face, Yang shi strictly warned him. Rest assured, I understand! Ren Qingyuan hurriedly nodded. Good. Yang shi nodded before falling silent. Shortly after Ren Qingyuan left the room, Yang shi waved his hand, and he teleported into a unique folded space. The flow of time in that folded space was noticeably different from that of the Master Teacher Continent. It was much slower, such that ten days in the outside world could trante into the passing of a single day within the folded space. Youre here... Upon seeing Yang shi, an Ancient Sage of the Master Teacher Pavilion awoke from his slumber and rose up. Before long, a few other Ancient Sages flew over and gathered around him. They were the few Ancient Sages who had survived the battle against Sovereign Chen Yong back in the Temple of Confucius. Ancient Sage Yan Qing was also among the crowd. You said that you had some matters you wish to inform us of. What is it? Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked. Back when they were in the Temple of Confucius, Yang shi had said that he had something to inform them of, but it had not been convenient for them to speak back there due to the confidentiality of the matter. What I want to tell you is Zhang shis true identity! Yang shi bowed deeply before slowly raising his head. His true identity? The crowd frowned in bewilderment, unsure what Yang shi was driving at. Was Zhang Xuan not a master teacher? What other identity could he possibly possess? Thats right! Yang shi nodded. To be honest with all of you, hes not just a master teacher but also a... Celestial Master Teacher! Chapter 1786 - Descending into the Subterranean Gallery with Sovereign Chen Yong

Chapter 1786: Descending into the Subterranean Gallery with Sovereign Chen Yong

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Celestial Master Teacher? Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others felt hoarseness at the back of their throats as they widened their eyes in incredulity. Are you saying that young man is a Celestial Master Teacher... just like Kong shi? It was no wonder that they were skeptical after hearing Yang shis words. For tens of thousands of years after Kong shis passing, there had been no Celestial Master Teacher in the world. Yet, Yang shi was actually telling them that Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Master Teacher! Thats right! Yang shi nodded. Hes a master teacher who is acknowledged by even the heavens themselves! But he... The lips of Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others tremored nonstop. The shock that zapped their minds rendered them incapable of speech. In terms of importance, it went without saying that a Celestial Master Teacher was far more important than the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn! It had not been easy for a new Celestial Master Teacher to appear among them, but they had actually cornered the other party to the point where he had to end his life. If they had a choice, they would have rather died in his ce! He single-handedly destroyed 110,000 Otherworldly Demons back in the Subterranean Gallery, and every single student that he has taught grew to be an incredible expert as well... I should have guessed it right from the start... Putong! Ancient Sage Yan Qing fell weakly to the ground as he stared nkly ahead of him. Had he known that the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher, he never would have forced the other party to offer an exnation to the Master Teacher Pavilion. However... there was nothing that he could say that would have changed anything anymore. Its fortunate that he isnt dead yet... but where did he go? Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked doubtfully. The Ancient Sages present were aware that Zhang Xuan had assimted Zhang Hongtians bloodline, so it was unlikely that whatever had happened at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have been able to kill him. I dont know either... Yang shi shook his head worriedly. As soon as he heard that Zhang Xuan hadmitted suicide, he had rushed over in hopes of saving him. However, he had found that the other partys corpse had vanished into thin air instead, and there was no trace of him around. As such, the other partys whereabouts had be a mystery. We have to dispatch our men to find him as soon as possible. Make sure not to reveal his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher for the time being. Unless he bes an Ancient Sage, he will be in grave danger once the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe learn of his true identity! Ancient Sage Yan Qing instructed. Only an Ancient Sage would stand a chance against other Ancient Sages. To the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the emergence of a Celestial Master Teacher was something that was much more horrifying than the notion of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn falling into the hands of mankind. It was very likely that they might even send Ancient Sages to assassinate Zhang Xuan so as to eliminate the problem before it got any worse. Un! Yang shi nodded. He knew the importance of maintaining confidentiality over this matter, or else he would not have kept it to himself for so long. As long as he bes an Ancient Sage and reveals his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher, whatever misunderstandings there are out there will swiftly unravel themselves, one of the Ancient Sages remarked. Due to Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing working behind the scenes, most of the popce had a terrible impression of Zhang Xuan. However, if he could reveal his identity, whatever doubts the others had of him would swiftly dissipate. After all, who would dare question a master teacher who was acknowledged by even the heavens themselves? I guess thats the only thing that we can hope for at the moment! Yang shi sighed. ... The crowd gathered beneath the clock tower spoke with ardor, vowing to be spokespersons to cleanse Zhang Xuans reputation. Too caught up in the moment, they failed to notice two figures leaning in the shadows in the corner of the room. They were a young man and an adolescent boy. The adolescent boys face was slightly pale, and it seemed like he had sustained significant injuries. The young man heard the words of the crowd, but he simply shook his head with a faint smile, not joining in at all. Instead, he turned his gaze to the adolescent boy beside him and asked, How are you feeling at the moment? Young Master, Im fine. I wont die just yet! The adolescent boy shook his head as a glint shed through his eyes. I should be able to survive till the moment I catch those two traitors! The adolescent boy was none other than Wu Chen, as well as Sovereign Chen Yong! Due to the schemes of Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, he had ended uping to blows with Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others. Afterward, those two fellows had also arrived in person and attempted to end his life with their own hands. Even though he had managed to survive the ordeal, he had also drained himself in the midst of doing so. Were it not for hatred fueling his willpower, he might have sumbed already. Hearing that Wu Chen was still able to hold on for the time being, the young man nodded. Un, thats good. Young Master, what about you? Wu Chens gaze was filled with worry. Even though you managed to survive due to the Ancient Sage blood within your body, theres no denying that your body has taken a huge blow due to that matter. Itll probably take quite some time for you to recover from your injuries... The Young Master whom Wu Chen spoke of was none other than Zhang Xuan. Even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would require a certain period of time and sufficient energy in order to heal up after they were killed. Considering that Zhang Xuan was only an Aureate Body realm cultivator who had assimted some Ancient Sage blood, it was inevitable that his regenerative ability would be far inferior to that of true Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators. As such, the damage that he had incurred was much greater. Im still feeling a little weak even after resting for ten days. In my current state, I wont even be a match for Saint 1-dan cultivators. However, I think my injuries are almost healed up now. As long as my body recovers, it shouldnt be too difficult for me to regain my cultivation, Zhang Xuan replied with a bitter smile. He had not thought that the side effects of blood reincarnation would actually be so heavy. However, with his Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path zhenqi, he should be able to recover his strength swiftly once his injuries healed up. Sovereign Chen Yong nodded before falling silent. The 110,000 soldiers that Zhang Xuan had killed were all Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xings soldiersall of Wu Chens subordinates had obeyed his orders and retreated at hismand. As such, while Wu Chenmented the death of his tribesmen, he did not bear too much of a grudge against Zhang Xuan. At the same time, he also knew that the young man was the one whom the Spirit God had chosen, and the young man was also the one who had stood up for him and saved his life at that crucial moment. Thus, he had a rather high opinion of the young man and was willing to follow his orders. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking once more, Are you certain that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Celestial Azure Altar is able to reach the Spirit God? The reason that he had chosen to end his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was not because he wanted to escape trouble. Instead, he wanted to take this opportunity to infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and resolve the threat once and for all. At the same time, this was also a chance for him to uncover Luo Ruoxins whereabouts. Thus, as soon as his body recovered a little, he altered his appearances and had Wu Chen take him there. Un. Thats how Imunicated with the Spirit God previously! Wu Chen nodded. The Spirit God had already returned to her world, so the only way tomunicate with her was through certain altars. However, the altars that could reach her required a muchrger altar and a unique ritual, conditions that could only be realized back at the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Thats a relief, Zhang Xuan said. He wanted to confirm where Luo Ruoxin was before heading over to look for her. Since that was the case, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had be a ce that he needed to visit. But Young Master, such arge-scale ritual will require the cooperation of many humans and even Ancient Sages. I fear that Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing have already proimed my death and prepared a death trap for if we dare approach, Sovereign Chen Yong said. If he had been at his peak, there would have been nothing for him to fear. However, in his current state... If he was encircled by the forces of Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, the only fate that awaited him was death. Well just have to take a step at a time and see. Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was meaningless to think too deeply into the matter. They would just have to count every step that they took and try their best to adapt to whatever came their way. In any case, with their disguise ability, as long as they did not reveal their true identities, it should not be too difficult for them to infiltrate the royal pce! While Zhang Xuan was chatting with Wu Chen, Brother Wu suddenly stepped out of the crowd and said, Comrades, the snowstorm has ended. Well be entering the Icysea Subterranean Gallery now. Is there anyone who wishes to travel together with us? My name is Wu Kuang, and I am a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator. Ill be able to guarantee your safety if you travel together with me... He was the strongest individual among the crowd. Considering that the threat of the Otherworldly Demons had vanished from the Icysea Subterranean Gallery, a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivator was indeed enough to guarantee the safety of them all. Zhang Xuan took a look around and noticed that the snowstorm had indeed died down. Chilly air gushed into the decrepit clock tower, causing robes to flutter noisily. I wish to travel together with you! Me too, me too... More than a dozen cultivators stepped forward with their eyes gleaming in excitement. It went without saying that Brother Wus offer was invaluable. At the very least, they should be able to ovee most dangers under his protection. We also wish to travel with you... Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen stepped forward as well. Chapter 1787 - Mapleleaf Wolf

Chapter 1787: Mapleleaf Wolf

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The two of you as well? Wu Kuang frowned. While the armies of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had retreated from the Subterranean Galleries, there were still quite a few Otherworldly Demons lingering in the area. Since this was called an expedition, it went without saying that they would face a fair amount of danger. A teammate that was too weak could potentially drag down the entire group. Of the two men standing before him, the adolescent boy had a pale face, which indicated that he was severely injured, and the young man had a sickly look on his face. Judging from their strength, it seemed like they had not even reached Saint 1-dan yet. Without a doubt, they would be a huge burden! I dont know why you wish to enter the Subterranean Gallery, but I would still like to offer you a word of advice. Dont treat your life as a joke! Wu Kuang advised. I am thankful for your kind advice, Wu shi, but the two of us have apelling reason to enter the Subterranean Gallery. Dont worry, well just follow at the back of your group. As for the dangers that maye, well bear them on our own so as to not drag you down! Zhang Xuan replied with a kind smile. To think that the day woulde when an Aureate Body realm consummation cultivator like him would be looked down on by a Saint 4-dan cultivator... How stifling the situation was! If you are insistent on entering the Subterranean Gallery, thene along, but let me make this clear. Just as you said, I wont be able to guarantee your safety! Wu Kuang said before falling silent. In the end, everyone had their own lives to live. He had already done his part by offering the two men his advice, but they had still opted to tag along. Thus, if they really faced any danger, they could not me them for not offering their help. After all, no one there owed the duo anything. If they saved the two of them from danger, it would be out of the kindness of their hearts and not a duty. They are really courting death... They must never have suffered any setbacks in their life, so they dont understand what danger means! Seeing the two of them insisting on joining them on the expedition to the Subterranean Gallery, looks of disdain appeared on the faces of the crowd. As cultivators who had not even reached Saint 1-dan, they were incapable of flight. If danger came knocking, they would not even be able to escape. It was utter foolishness to enter the Subterranean Gallery in their current state! Shaking their heads in disapproval, the crowd walked out of the decrepit clock tower and began making their way toward a building in front. Barely after walking for a couple of minutes, severalbat masters appeared and stopped them. I am 7-star Master Teacher Wu Kuang. This is my travel permit! Wu Kuang said. One of thebat masters took the travel permit and examined it thoroughly before nodding in approval. Alright, you may enter. You only have three days inside. You must make sure to leave the premises within three days, understood? Rest assured, I understand! Wu Kuang replied with a smile before leading the crowd in. While the entrance of the Subterranean Gallery had been opened to allow ordinary master teachers and cultivators to enter, they still had to present travel permits in advance. Otherwise, if anyone was allowed to enter the Subterranean Gallery, it could lead to chaos. No matter what, it was still a sensitive area, so the Master Teacher Pavilion still had to establish some level of ess control. The entrance to the Icysea Subterranean Gallery was within the building. As soon as the crowd entered the Subterranean Gallery, the first thing that they noticed was the disconcerting killing intent that drifted all around them. Wu Kuang led the group to a clearing before instructing them to rest. This is your first time in here, so your body will require some time to adapt to the conditions here. Otherwise, if the killing intent corrodes your consciousness, it might lead to inner demons breeding within you! Killing intent was not a force that should be underestimated. Cultivators with weaker mental resilience were extremely vulnerable to it, and the slightestpse in ones guard could easily lead to irreparable trauma. Even though most of the cultivators who had entered had reached Sainthood, they would still need some time for them to get used to the killing intent before it would be safe for them to walk around the area. Should we... Seeing that the crowd was going to rest, Wu Chen turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan to ask if they should proceed alone. Even though they were injured and had not recovered their cultivation yet, killing intent of such a level could not pose a threat to them anymore. There was no need for them to waste precious time there. I understand what you are concerned about, but we cant rush this matter. Even if we hurry there in our current state, there will be nothing that we can do. Itll be better for us to slowly recover our strength while traveling; at the very least, it will be much safer this way! Zhang Xuan said. Even though the surrounding killing intent was disconcerting to humans, this was the kind of environment that Wu Chen had grown up in. He could recover far faster there than on the Master Teacher Continent. Hearing those words, Wu Chen nodded in agreement. It was indeed not advisable for them to rush over to confront Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing in their current states. Most likely, those two had already prepared some kind of trap for their return, so the least they could do was recover their cultivation before making a move. Furthermore, remaining hidden was actually advantageous to the two of them. They would be able to keep track of Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xings movements and prepare countermeasures from the shadows. The crowd sat down silently around the clearing as they struggled to get used to the ufortable killing intent around them. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into his folded space and took out an artifact that stored spiritual energy. He discreetly absorbed the spiritual energy through his acupoints and refined it into Heavens Path zhenqi. The blood of Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators granted one the incredible regenerative capability to recover from any near-death state, but that did not mean that there were no side effects. For one, it would consume ones vitality significantly, thus reducing ones lifespan. This was also probably the reason that Zhang Hongtian had reached the end of his lifespan swifter than the other Ancient Sages despite his younger age and higher cultivation. Despite the heavy price that he had to pay, Zhang Xuan still thought that it was necessary for him to make such a move. Firstly, it was the most effective method to calm the unrest caused by the loss of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Secondly, it created a good opportunity for him to sneak into thend of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, especially since they would lower their guard after hearing of his death. Gugugu! As spiritual energy gushed into his body, zhenqi swiftly umted within him, causing his cultivation to surge. It did not take long for him to reach Sainthood, followed by 1-dan, 2-dan... In less than an hour, he had already recovered to Saint 3-dan. Sha sha sha! While Zhang Xuan was still trying his best to recover his cultivation, he suddenly heard a series of scratching sounds from his surroundings. He immediately opened his eyes and gazed into the distance. A frown emerged on Wu Chens forehead as well. What is it? As Zhang Xuan was unfamiliar with the environment in the Subterranean Gallery, he could only ask Wu Chen about the matter. Its a Mapleleaf Wolf. Its able to grow stronger through taking in the energy of the crimson moon. A typical Mapleleaf Wolf King can reach Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm, Wu Chen exined. Mapleleaf Wolf? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Even though the environment in the Subterranean Gallery was extremely harsh, there were still nts and animals that thrived in such conditions. Zhang Xuan had never heard of a Mapleleaf Wolf before, but it did not seem like an opponent that they could easily deal with in their current state. While Zhang Xuan wasmunicating with Wu Chen, Wu Kuang also seemed to have noticed something. With a loud exmation, he rose to his feet. Everyone, be careful. I can feel somethinging in our direction! Hu! Shortly after he said those words, a pack of eight wolves arrived at the clearing. They swiftly encircled the crowd, sealing off the escape routes. The wolves were gray in color, but there was a clump of white hair on their forehead, reminiscent of a maple leaf. Even though there were not too many of them, the ferocious auras that each of the wolves emanated still caused the faces of the crowd to pale in fright. Dont bother struggling. That cold bellow seemed to freeze the air. Obediently be our fodder, and we can consider granting you a painless death! Following which, a wolf cloaked in snowy fur walked out from the pack. It had a pair of crimson eyes that seemed to reflect the savage acts that it hadmitted in its lifetime. A Leaving Aperture realm beast? Wu Kuangs body stiffened in horror. The faces of the cultivators in the area paled as well. They had never thought that their luck would be so horrid. Their n had been to swiftly gather a couple of valuable herbs growing within the Subterranean Gallery before leaving the area to sell their loot and earn their fortune. Yet, who could have known that barely after entering the Subterranean Gallery, before they could even adapt to the surrounding killing intent, they would actually be confronted by such powerful beasts? Growing in an environment suffused with killing intent, the Mapleleaf Wolves were far more aggressive and tenacious than their master teacher counterparts, making them difficult adversaries to deal with. To make matters worse, there was also a Wolf King amid the pack! Were they going to lose their lives when they had entered the Subterranean Gallery barely a moment prior? Prepare yourselves for battle! Wu Kuang took a deep breath as he eyed the Mapleleaf Wolves around him warily. With a flick of his wrist, he whipped out a sword and dashed right for the Wolf King! Their only chance at survival was to kill the Wolf King as quickly as possible. As long as they took down the Wolf King, dealing with the other Mapleleaf Wolves would be within their means. Seeing that a human dared to challenge it right from the get go, the Wolf King sneered coldly. Wu! Disdain surfaced in its crimson eyes as it swiped its ws forward. Bam! Killing intent poured forth, filling the area with the stench of blood. Before Wu Kuang could even process what was going on, he had already been sent flying into the distance. To think that even a 7-star pinnacle master teacher would be unable to withstand a single strike from the Mapleleaf Wolf King! Chapter 1788 - A Shout to Drive Them All Away

Chapter 1788: A Shout to Drive Them All Away

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The other members of the group shuddered in fear as regret covered their faces. They had heard many rumors about how the Subterranean Galleries were littered with treasures, and that as long as their luck was not too bad, they would be able to make a killing just by entering the premises. With the fortune earned, they would be able to purchase sufficient resources to advance their cultivation. Never in their wildest dreams could they have expected to encounter such a powerful pack of wolves within an hour of entering the Subterranean Gallery, such that even the strongest among them, Wu shi, was defeated in a single blow! If even Wu shi was no match for them, what in the world could they do about the Mapleleaf Wolves? We have to coordinate with one another to deal with those wolves. Otherwise, we might all lose our lives here... one of the elders uttered through tightly gritted teeth as he took out his spear. Infusing his spear with his zhenqi, he drove his spear forward as if a viper leaping forth for a kill. His cultivation was only at Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, but he was able to bring out the imposing might of a spearmaster. Had it been any other asion, he might have won himself the admiration of others. However, in the eyes of the pack of wolves, the strength that he could summon was nothing. H! One of the Mapleleaf Wolves leaped forward. With a simple bite, the gray wolf stopped the spear in its track. At the same time, it swiped its w forward toward the elder, and gruesomecerations immediately appeared on the chest of the elder. Luo Gong! Seeing that the elder had been injured, the middle-aged man beside him immediately whipped out his weapon and charged forth as well. At the same time, the remaining members of the crowd also realized what treacherous circumstances they were in, so they followed suit and executed their strongest moves without the slightest hesitation. Peng peng peng peng! The sound of popping rucksacks filled the air. The crowd that had charged forward were sent flying backward with even greater momentum, and they copsed onto the floor cloaked in dust. Crimson blood oozed from the corners of their lips. There was simply too great a disparity in their fighting prowess, and the fact that they were in an unfamiliar environment worsened the situation. As a result, the battle ended before it could even start. Seeing how his group had been defeated with such ease, Wu Kuang despaired. Had he known that this would happen, he would have ventured into the Subterranean Gallery alone. If so, he would have had no qualms turning tail and fleeing. But in their current situation... it seemed like they were doomed to lose their lives. Just as Wu Kuang gave up all hope, he caught sight of the duo whom he had been unwilling to bring along seated calmly by the side, not moving at all despite the onught of the Mapleleaf Wolves. It was as if they were oblivious to the battle. They... He wanted to rage at them for their nonchnce, but he eventually sighed instead and muttered, Forget it. Given their strength, it would be futile even if they came over to help us... A severely wounded adolescent boy and a young man who had not even reached Saint 1-dan... Considering how even a 7-star pinnacle master teacher like him was unable to match the Mapleleaf Wolves, it would not have made any difference even if those two fellows had helped them. The energy harnessed within the body of a master teacher is much purer than ordinary human cultivators. I want this one. As for the rest, Ill leave it to you to distribute them as you deem fit! Seeing that their prey had finally given up on struggling, the Wolf King coldly issued its orders before making its way toward Wu Kuang. Regardless of whether it was for the Otherworldly Demons or those of the Beast Tribe, the pure zhenqi that coursed through the meridians of master teachers was an invaluable tonic to further their cultivation. Watching as the Wolf King slowly approached him, Wu Kuang knew that his fate was sealed, and he lowered his gaze mncholically. I never thought that I, Wu Kuang, would die here in such a manner... He had thought that he would be able to achieve something big bying down to the Subterranean Gallery, but before he could aplish anything, everything had alreadye to an end. He discreetly channeled all of his strength, intending to end his life together with the Wolf King, but before he could make a move, the ground abruptly shuddered. A deep voice sounded from beneath the ground, jolting everyones soul. Scram! Hong long! The voice was extremely cold, reminiscent of a sharp gale in the midst of the winter solstice. The shout was filled with a menacing threat that caused the hair of the Mapleleaf Wolf King and its pack to stand in rm. They subconsciously retreated from the area, their massive bodies shuddering fearfully as blood trickled down their lips. A mere bellow actually inflicted internal injuries on all of them simultaneously! The Wolf King eyed the surroundings apprehensively, trying to find the expert who had just made a move on them. However, the surroundings werepletely empty. There was no one to be seen. A light breeze blew across the darkness as the Mapleleaf Wolves felt their blood slowly freezing. The voice earlier had been deep, but it had seemed to stab right into their souls. It had felt as if they would be ughtered right away if they dared make a move on those humans. Lets go! Fearing that the expert would really make a move on them, the Wolf King anxiously ordered their retreat with trembling lips. Squeezing their tails between their legs, they turned around and fled as quickly as they could. Those were just a bunch of human master teachers. As delectable their flesh might be, it could not possibly be more valuable than their lives. Seeing the pack of wolves fleeing, Wu Kuang and the crowd nced at one another with a mixture of apprehensive and relief on their faces before swiftly kneeling onto the floor and kowtowing profusely. Elder, thank you for saving our lives! Even though they did not know where the elder was, the fact that the other party had saved them likely meant that the other party could see their actions from where he was. They continued kowtowing to express their gratitude for a very long time, but no one stepped forth in response to their actions. It was as if the elder was just a figment of their imagination, and they were simply thinking too much. Seeing that there was no response at all, Luo Gong turned to Wu Kuang and asked, Wu shi, what do we do now? Wu Kuang pondered for a moment before saying, Its impossible for us to fathom the thoughts of those true experts. Since he doesnt wish to meet us, we should quickly take our leave! They had gone to such an extent to thank the elder, but the elder simply refused to appear. This showed that the elder was unwilling to reveal himself, and there was no point forcing the matter. Un! With the previous incident with the Mapleleaf Wolves, the crowd realized how treacherous the Subterranean Gallery could be even without any Otherworldly Demons in the area. They were unwilling to remain there for too long, so they swiftly got to their feet and began trudging forward. They traveled for roughly an hour, and fortunately, they did not encounter any more danger. Sighs of relief subconsciously escaped from their lips. I know a ce in here where we can find medicinal herbs, Wu Kuang said. We should hurry there, harvest the medicinal herbs, and leave this area. Otherwise, danger mighte knocking on our doors once more! Since they had already gone down to the dangerous Subterranean Gallery, they could not possibly back away without obtaining anything. The others nodded in agreement. A middle-aged man suddenly stood out from the crowd and said, Before moving ahead, I would like to say something! The crowd quickly turned their gazes over. During the encounter with the Mapleleaf Wolves earlier, those two over there remainedpletely still, not contributing anything at all. I suggest that we dont take them to where the medicinal herbs are! The middle-aged man harrumphed as he pointed his finger at Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen. Earlier when the Mapleleaf Wolves attacked, they had remained seated on the floor as if they were sculptures. Despite that, they still had the cheek to follow them to harvest the invaluable medicinal herbs. Just how thick could their skin be? Indeed! We shouldnt bring them along! They are of no use at all. They will only be a burden if we bring them along! A couple of others nodded in agreement. Since they were going to venture into perilousnds, it would be best for their group to be as powerful as possible. Those two fellows could not contribute anything at all, but they wanted to tag along with the group. Were they really going to split the medicinal herbs with those two useless buffoons? Hearing the words of the crowd, a slight frown appeared on Wu Kuangs forehead as he turned to the duo and asked, Do you two have anything to say for yourselves? It was not that he wanted to abandon the two of them, but the way that those two had reacted in the face of the Mapleleaf Wolves was simply too disheartening. It would be unfair for the entire group to split the medicinal herbs with them, considering that they had done nothing of merit for the group. Wu Chen was just about to speak up when Zhang Xuan interjected with a wave of his hand. I dont have anything to say... What are you waiting for then? Scram! the middle-aged man spat coldly. Well, take care of yourselves... Seeing that they were not wee in the group, Zhang Xuan shook his head and walked away. At that moment, however, a powerful aura suddenly crushed down on the crowd. Right after, a massive bald eagle could be seen gliding swiftly in their direction. Chapter 1789 - He Is the Hidden Elder!

Chapter 1789: He Is the Hidden Elder!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Simr to the Mapleleaf Wolf King, the massive bald eagle was a Saint 5-dan beast. Its eyes were an eerie crimson, and its feathers were as tough as steel. They hung onto its body like Saint intermediate-tier artifacts. It would be difficult to even breach its defenses, let alone kill it. Its a Bloodeye Bald Eagle! Sh*t! Were really doomed now! The crowd had never thought that they would be so unlucky as to encounter such a powerful enemy shortly after escaping from the Wolf King. With such a turn of events, they no longer waste any of their time making things difficult for Zhang and Wu Chen. Instead, they turned to the new foe with livid expressions on their faces. The Bloodeye Bald Eagle enjoyed an even greater reputation than the Mapleleaf Wolf King. It was not that it was stronger than thetter, but it had the vicious reputation of torturing its victims before killing them. In other words, even if it could kill its prey in a single move, it would choose to inflict minor wounds all over its prey to gradually weaken it until it finally died of blood loss. Without a doubt, this was an extremely vicious way of hunting, aiming to prolong the agony of the victim for as long as possible. Furthermore, it was extremely agile and skilled at maneuvering in the air, making it difficult to avoid its attacks or escape from it. As such, most cultivators would rather encounter ten Mapleleaf Wolf Kings than be faced with this fellow. Even if ten Wolf Kings encircled them, with sufficient luck, they might still be able to get away. However, against the Bloodeye Bald Eagle, their fates were pretty much sealed! Well just have to fight for our lives! Wu Kuang said grimly as he clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails sunk into his palms. It was as if they had brought the God of Misfortune along with them. Most adventurers were able to travel through the Subterranean Gallery rtively safely and return to the surface with many treasures in hand. Yet, who could have known that within less than two hours of entering the area, they would have already met with two waves of powerful beasts? We can only hope for the best... The crowd muttered as they whipped out their weapons and got into defensive positions. The Bloodeye Bald Eagle could sense the anxiety among the crowd, and a hint of derision surfaced in its crimson eyes. With a p of its massive wings, a furious tempest immediately whipped up in the surroundings. Countless rocks, bothrge and small, were swept into the air, and they shot toward the crowd like cannonballs. Ding ding ding ding! The crowd was caught off guard by the attack. They hurriedly brandished their weapons to deflect the iing rocks, but they were only just able to stand their ground. Their hands were bleeding from the powerful impact against the rocks, and their arms had gone slightly numb. Retreating a few steps back, despair could be seen reflected in the eyes of the crowd. If the Bloodeye Bald Eagle was able to harness so much power with just a casual p of its wings, it was likely that they would bepletely helpless if they confronted it directly. They could not see any way that they could possibly make it out of the situation alive. It looks like we are really cornered now. We should have backed out when we had the chance, Wu Kuang muttered in destion. They had been lucky enough to have a wandering elder save their lives the first time around, but they would be naively hopeful if they thought that it would happen again. After all, experts of that caliber could not possibly be so bored as to follow their group around. At the very most, Ill just implode myself. Theres no way Ill allow a darned bald eagle to humiliate me... Knowing the cruel tendencies of the Bloodeye Bald Eagle, Wu Kuang took a deep breath as he channeled all of his energy to his dantian, intending to kill himself together with the enemy. At the very least, he would be able to preserve his dignity that way. However, before he could do it, the duo whom they had just used of not contributing anything to the group suddenly walked out from the crowd. Seeing that there were still two humans who dared oppose it, the ruthless eagle pped its wings once more, intending to crush the wills of the two challengers. However, the silhouette of the young man of the duo suddenly flickered. In the next instant, the young man was already standing right before the Bloodeye Bald Eagle, directing a powerful kick right toward its face. Peng! The Bloodeye Bald Eagle shot right into the ground, tearing a long and narrow gorge along the hard floor. Pilip! Even though the Bloodeye Bald Eagle was already grounded, the young man did not seem to have any intention of letting it off easily. He darted toward the Bloodeye Bald Eagle andunched a barrage of punches and kicks against it. A short momentter, when the Bloodeye Bald Eagle finally recovered from the pummeling and stood up once more... it could have just been the crowd thinking too much about it, but they could have sworn that they saw deep tenderness in the crimson eyes of the beast that was known for its savagery. Back when Zhang Xuan was dealing with the Mapleleaf Wolf King, his cultivation had only recovered up to Saint 3-dan, so it would have been difficult for him to match it in a proper fight. Thus, he could only scare it away with his soul energy. However, in the past hour of traveling, he had managed to recover up to Saint 4-dan, which meant that Saint 5-dan opponents no longer posed any threat to him. Lets go! Zhang Xuan said nonchntly before climbing onto the Bloodeye Bald Eagle together with Wu Chen. After which, he turned to the crowd onest time and bade farewell. We still have some matters to attend to, so well be taking our leave now. If fate allows it, well meet once more! The Bloodeye Bald Eagle began pping its wings to rise into the air before gliding swiftly into the distance. It did not take long before the trio disappeared into the horizon. ... Hes actually that powerful? I tried driving him away earlier... Everyones throat went dry as slightly dumbstruck looks surfaced on their faces. All along, they had felt that the two of them had been dragging them down, but who could have known that they were actually powerful experts in disguise! To be able to pummel a Saint 5-dan beast and tame it right away... what in the world was with that mystifying capability? If thats the case, theyre likely the ones who drove the Wolf King away earlier! Wu Kuang suddenly spoke up. Hearing those words, the crowd was rendered speechless. In truth, the very moment that they saw the young man make his move, they had already made sense of the situation. Who else could the elder who had saved them possibly be other than him? Despite having saved their lives, they were actually so brazen as to demand that the other party leave their group. They were ingrates for treating their benefactors in such a manner. All of a sudden, they felt deep regret for their actions. ... Oblivious of the thoughts of others, Zhang Xuan sat down on the back of the Bloodeye Bald Eagle and told Wu Chen, Ill leave it to you to navigate the way. I need to cultivate a bit more in order to recover my strength. The urgent matter at hand was for him to recover his strength as quickly as possible. Wu Chen nodded in agreement before rying some instructions to the Bloodeye Bald Eagle. Ten dayster, the Bloodeye Bald Eagley weakly on the ground, too exhausted to even take a single step further. Thus, Zhang Xuan tamed a Saint 9-dan beast before moving on. Five days passed, and Zhang Xuan tamed a Great Sage 2-dan beast to ferry them around. Another five dayster, Zhang Xuan relished in the immense might pulsating in his body and heaved a sigh of relief. My cultivation has finally recovered... A month had passed since he had ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion. Due to his humongous collection of treasures and the ingenious Heavens Path Divine Art, he had managed to cultivate back to his peak. Not only so, perhaps because his foundations were much more secure this time around, it seemed like his strength had been considerably enhanced. The Library of Heavens Path still hasnt opened yet? Whats going on in there? Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, only to see its massive gates still tightly shut. A deep frown appeared in between his eyebrows. The Library of Heavens Path had been upgraded in the past, but the longest downtime that he had experienced was only three days. He did not think that it would remain closed even after the passing of a month. This left him feeling deeply bewildered and worried. Zhang Xuan continued studying the Library of Heavens Path for a moment, but he was unable to make sense of this anomaly. Heaving a deep sigh, he decided to put this matter aside for the moment. Forget it! Since the Library of Heavens Path is closed at the moment, this is a good opportunity for me to push to Great Sage 3-dan Intuitive Impulse realm! he thought. He had already umted enough to push for a breakthrough at any moment, but the very nature of the Library of Heavens Path prevented him from attempting a breakthrough to the Intuitive Impulse realm. Since its doors were tightly shut, this might be best moment for him to attempt a breakthrough. Closing his eyes, he flicked his wrist and took out a droplet of Ancient Sage blood. Due to his massive umtion, ordinary herbs and pills were of limited effectiveness to his cultivation. Ancient Sage blood seemed to be the only thing that he had at the moment that could allow him to swiftly raise his cultivation. The Ancient Sage blood that he had taken out this time around came from an Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm cultivator. Tapping on it lightly, the energy harnessed within the droplet of blood swiftly gushed into his body through his acupoints. He channeled the energy around his body and turned it into his own zhenqi. Hong long! Without any hesitation, he began driving his zhenqi to its maximum capacity as he tried to tear down the bottleneck that limited him from reaching higher realms. There were no specific cultivation techniques for one to follow to reach higher grounds for Great Sage, but having been through the mountain of books and ocean of learning, he had already gained a thorough understanding of the cultivation realms of Great Sage. He had simted his future breakthroughs so many times that he could not have been any more familiar with them than he already was. With everything required in ce, in less than ten minutes, Zhang Xuan could already feel a mini explosion going on in his dantian as it expanded once more. He had sessfully surpassed the bottleneck of the Aureate Body realm to reach the Intuitive Impulse realm! The first thing that he felt upon reaching that realm was a heightened sensitivity to his surroundings. It was hard to describe it, but it felt like if he focused his attention, he could simte in his mind what would happen around him in the near future. Knowing that the act of attempting to peer into the secrets of the heavens would cause a bacsh from the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan did not dare test the ability too much. Instead, he took out another droplet of Ancient Sage blood and swallowed it. Intuitive Impulse realm primary stage! Intuitive Impulse realm intermediate stage! Intuitive Impulse realm advanced stage! ... By the fourth hour, he had already reached Intuitive Impulse realm consummation! Alright! After I reinforce my cultivation a little, I should be able to push for a breakthrough to Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm! Zhang Xuan thought with gleaming eyes. He was just about to take out another droplet of Ancient Sage blood and continue cultivating when he felt a jolt in his head. rmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly immersed his consciousness into his mind in order to see what was happening. Standing before the Library of Heavens Path, he saw a crack opening in between the tightly-shut massive doors. After a month of rest, the Library of Heavens Path had actually finished upgrading shortly after he achieved a breakthrough to Intuitive Impulse realm! Chapter 1790 - Is This Book the…

Chapter 1790: Is This Book the...

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Jiyaya! Slowly, the crack between the two massive doors opened wider and wider. With a thought, Zhang Xuans consciousness slipped right into the library. He was extremely curious to see how the Library of Heavens Path had changed after an entire month of downtime for the upgrade. What was before his eyes were countless shelves and books that filled the entire area, extending all the way into the horizonthe same sight as always. When he first went into the Library of Heavens Path, most of these books were illusory in nature, simr to ceholders so as to prevent the shelves from appearing empty. However, at that moment, the shelves had been filled with countless real books that could probably fill a massiveke if thrown together. In the year that he had spent traveling across the Master Teacher Continent, the number of books that he had read was probably far greater than what anyone else had read in their lifetime. In terms of scope and depth of knowledge, there was probably no one who couldpete with him anymore. This was especially so after he had been through the mountain of books. He had not spent too long there, but the books that he had read epassed the various changes from the primordial era till now, thus enhancing his state of mind and wisdom. Hmm? Theres an additional flight of stairs over here... Walking around the Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan noticed a certain change that sent his eyebrows shooting upward. Even though the Library of Heavens Path had a terribly high ceiling, it had appeared to be a single-story building to him so far. Who would have thought that a flight of stairs would suddenly appear in the middle of the library? Could it be that there was something valuable above? Zhang Xuan swiftly made his way to the staircase and began walking upward, but barely after taking a step, he staggered and nearly fell t to the ground. The heck? This staircase is a fake? Zhang Xuansplexion did not look too good. The staircase before him was actually an illusion as well, just like the books that he had seen at the very start! Putting aside climbing to the next story, he could not even touch it! To make a new staircase but not allow him to go up at all, what the heck was the Library of Heavens Path up to? Do I have toe across the real staircase in real life in order for this staircase to be tangible? Zhang Xuan wondered. Back when he first obtained the Library of Heavens Path, the books that were in there had been intangible, unable to be grabbed or read. It was only after reading innumerable books that he had managed to fill the shelves with tangible books. Could it be the same for the staircase? Just that... he could understand the idea of reading books to fill the shelves, but how in the world was he going to find the relevant staircases to make it tangible? Forget it! Unable to make sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan shook his head before moving ahead. A momentter, he stopped again. Other than the staircase, he noticed some changes in the internal structure of the Library of Heavens Path. Unknowingly, in the depths of the library, a new silent chamber had appeared. From the exterior, the chamber seemed to resemble the shape of a massive book. Reading Chamber? Zhang Xuan read the words on the que hanging by the entrance of the chamber. It was indeed true that most libraries had areas reserved for visitors to read their books quietly, but the Library of Heavens Path never had such a thing before. Was this a new function that hade with the recent upgrade? Would he be able to read books faster within the Reading Chamber or something? Harboring such doubts in mind, Zhang Xuan pushed open the door and entered the premises. Unlike the staircase, the door was tangible enough for him to open it easily with a push. As soon as he stepped in, he noticed something that made his face warp in astonishment. The flow of time in here is actually different from that outside? With hisprehension of the Time Quintessence, he could easily sense the difference in the flow of time within the Reading Chamber. The difference in the flow of time should be around one to ten! Zhang Xuan analyzed. A flow of time of one to ten meant that even if he cultivated within the Reading Chamber for ten days, only a day would have passed in the external world! However, since only my consciousness is able to get into the Library of Heavens Path, Ill only be able to sharpen my battle techniques here. It wont benefit my cultivation! After relishing in the discovery for a moment, the downsides to the effects of the Reading Chambers slowly became apparent to him as well. It was simr to the Blood Reservoir of the Zhang n in the sense that only his consciousness was able to ess the Reading Chamber. As such, he could only temper his will, enhance his knowledge, and refine his battle techniques there. As for advancing his cultivation and such, as his body was unable to ess this area, he would not be able to enjoy the benefits of the difference in the flow of time. But again, it would not make much of a difference to him. In the first ce, the Heavens Path Divine Art did not take him too long to cultivate, so it was not too significant whether he was able to cultivate ten times faster or not. Given the long lifespan of cultivators, whether one took six minutes to raise ones cultivation by a single stage or an hour to do so, it really did not matter. At the very least, that was how Zhang Xuan consoled himself to assuage his disappointment at that revtion. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was just thinking about how useless this ability was when he suddenly felt a surge of zhenqi flowing through his real body in ordance to his thoughts. Wait a moment... Even though Im unable to bring my body into this space, if I can still drive the zhenqi in my body from here, I should still be able to enjoy the benefits from a tenfold increase in my cultivation rate! Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. It turned out that the Reading Chamber was not as useless as he had thought! All in all, he had spent an entire month in order to recover from the damage that he had sustained from ending his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. If the Reading Chamber had been open to him from the very start, there was a very good chance that he could have fully recovered within three days! In fact, if he was able to use this ability in battle as well, even if his arm was severed, he should be able to regrow his arm swiftly within a second or two through the effects of the Reading Chamber. This isnt just an increase in my rate of cultivation... With this, Ill be able to fight more fearlessly in battle! Even someone who valued efficiency as much as Zhang Xuan could hardlyin about the speed of his breakthroughs through cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art. However, the same could not be said about injuries. While the Heavens Path zhenqi was able to heal most basic injuries, it was ineffective against internal traumas that shook his foundation. Such injuries tended to take many days to heal even for him. For example, he had spent an entire month before he could make a full recovery this time. If someone had made use of this opportunity to assassinate him, there was no guarantee that he would have been able to protect himself. But the very existence of this room significantly alleviated the threat. The next time that he suffered any severe injuries, he would be able to swiftly recover andunch a counterattack! Not only so, it seems like my thoughts are much clearer while cultivating in here. Somehow, the atmosphere is rather simr to that of the Temple of Confucius, Zhang Xuan thought with a satisfied smile. Even though he had only been in there for a short while, he could already feel a vast amount of academic aura surging into his mind, allowing him to sort out his thoughts faster than before. He felt more refreshed than ever. Closing his eyes, he focused his attention on reinforcing his Intuitive Impulse realm cultivation. Soon enough, he felt himself hitting a bottleneck, signifying that he was not too far away from pushing for a breakthrough to the Sempiternal realm. It was no wonder that the Library of Heavens Path had taken so much longer to upgrade this time around. The new functions that it hade with were indeed splendid. He had no doubt that the new capabilities of the Library of Heavens Path would serve him well in his future journey. Pushing the door of the Reading Chamber open and leaving the premises, Zhang Xuan was just about to return to his body when a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, causing him to freeze on the spot. Wait a moment... Isnt the Reading Chamber shaped like a book? Is it possible that... its the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn had indeed been tamed by Luo Ruoxin; this was something he had seen with his own eyes. However, shortly after Luo Ruoxin left, he had fallen into aa, and the Library of Heavens Path had begun upgrading. It wasmon knowledge among the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent that the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn possessed the ability to sway temporalws. Considering that the Library of Heavens Path had suddenly been bestowed with such an ability, his thoughts could not help but wander in such a direction. Thus, he quickly turned his gaze over to take a closer look at the newly-created Reading Chamber. He had not noticed it before, but now that he was paying attention to the specifics, it did bear a resemnce to the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn that he had seen from afar back then. Furthermore, the simrities did not just stop at the appearance but the aura that it emanated as well. However, the aura of the Reading Chamber felt significantly weaker than the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn that he had seen before, which was also why he did not make the connection right away. Of course, he had not gotten into close proximity with the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn before, so he could not say for sure. Could it be that... Ruoxin ced the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn into the Library of Heavens Path, which triggered its upgrade? Zhang Xuan thought incredulously. It was only at the veryst moment that he had found out that Luo Ruoxin knew about the existence of the Library of Heavens Path, and the realization filled him with bewilderment. Was it possible that she had intentionally ced the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn into the Library of Heavens Path and allowed the two of them to fuse together in order to form that room? Such a thing seemed too unbelievable to be true. But if it was true by any chance... just what in the world was her real identity? To know about the existence of the Library of Heavens Path and even be capable enough to trigger an upgrade in it... just what kind of secrets was she concealing from him? Zhang Xuan stared nkly ahead with a dazed look in his eyes. Chapter 1791 - A Long Awaited Reunion

Chapter 1791: A Long Awaited Reunion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan could not help but recall the very first time that he had met Luo Ruoxin. The moment that he hadid eyes on her, his heart had started beating swiftly. It was a feeling of inexplicable intimacy, as if he had known her for a lifetime. He had found himself descending into a spiral of fondness for her that he could not extricate himself from. Holding her hand tightly, they had escaped from a horde of beasts and entered a cavern. However, due to an ipatibility between his body and soul, he had fallen into aa shortly after... Not muchter, he had reunited with her at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. He had attempted to use his Library of Heavens Path on her, only to fall into aa shortly after. When he woke up, he had found that his Library of Heavens Path had been upgraded. When he realized that he was unable to peer into Luo Ruoxins identity through the Library of Heavens Path, he had thought that it was because she possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, so he had never bothered to ponder too deeply into it. However, at that moment, he felt that things were not as simple as they seemed. A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. When she left, I grabbed her palm and felt a surge of warmth flowing through my body. I didnt think too much into it, but could it be that she ced the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn into my Library of Heavens Path back then? Luo Ruoxin had vanished into a dimension rift right before his eyes. In order to stop her from leaving, he had attempted to hold onto her, but it was to no avail. Shortly after she disappeared, he had also fallen into aa as a result of a jolt from the Library of Heavens Path... Could she have used that opportunity to gift the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn to him? Wasnt the reason that she descended onto the Master Teacher Continent to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn? Why did she pass it over to me? Luo Ruoxins identity as the Spirit God had already been confirmed, and her motive for descending to the Master Teacher Continent was likely to procure the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Since that was the case... why would she ce the codex with him after all the effort that she had put into obtaining it? From the looks of it, it seemed like the prowess of the codex had diminished significantly from the first time that he had seen it. What did she do with the codex in the short period of time between taming it and passing it on to him? Many doubts filled Zhang Xuans mind, leaving him feeling deeply uncertain. In the time that he had known Luo Ruoxin, thetter had refused to reveal her identity under the pretext that it was for his own good. He had indeed felt a little resentful toward Luo Ruoxin after realizing that she was the Spirit God, but at that moment, he felt that the secrets that she had been bottling up ran deeper than that. He had a strong feeling that she was not lying to him at all. A secret that concerned the Library of Heavens Path and the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn... Perhaps, it could be a matter that would even rattle the heavens themselves. As the saying went, the secrets of the heavens must not be spoken aloud. Perhaps, she actually had legitimate reasons for hiding her identity from him. Regardless what her true identity is, Ill definitely find her and uncover the truth... Zhang Xuan thought determinedly before burying everything at the bottom of his heart. He would require an immense amount of power if he wanted toe close to the truth, and the current him was simply way too weak. At the very least, he would have to be an Ancient Sage and obtain the powers of a Dimension Shatterer realm expert. Otherwise, he would forever remain restricted by the dimension barrier around the Master Teacher Continent, unable to leave its confines. Returning his consciousness to his body, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and brought himself back to the present. With his state of mind reaching a levelparable to Ancient Sages, he was able to control his thoughts and emotions precisely, which allowed him to remain rational at all times. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was done with his cultivation, Wu Chen looked over and reported, Young Master, we are about toe into the vicinity of the capital of the Spirit Tribe. It would be dangerous for us to fly over openly without understanding the current circumstances, so I suggest that wend for the time being! Letsnd a little further ahead then. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The beast that they were riding on at the moment was a Great Sage 2-dan beast, and to enter the capital atop such a powerful beast would surely draw attention to them. To be safe, it would be best for them to lie low andnd in the vicinity. With their disguise capabilities, they should be able to sneak in without any trouble. So, they flew on for a little longer. Just as the capital appeared by the horizon, they had the aerial beastnd on the ground. They swiftly altered their appearance before journeying over to the capital. In the midst of their journey, a thought suddenly popped into Zhang Xuans mind, and he asked, Right, Wu Chen. Can you show me a punch? You want me to show you a punch? Wu Chen was slightly taken aback by the request. Nevertheless, he still executed a punch without much hesitation. Due to the injuries that he had sustained, he was unable to draw upon his full strength. Nevertheless, a resounding sonic boom still rippled through the air, and a pitch-ck rift appeared in the space ahead. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment, but it was not in response to the incredible strength that Wu Chen had exerted. It was not without reason that he had asked Wu Chen to execute a punch. Rather, he had wanted to examine the capabilities of the Library of Heavens Path after the most upgrade. As he had hoped, the inspection capabilities of the Library of Heavens Path had been enhanced as well. During his time in the Temple of Confucius, he had realized that he was unable to see through an Ancient Sages ws just by looking at the other partys battle technique. Instead, he had toe into direct contact with the other partys blood essence in order topile a book. However, as soon as Wu Chen executed his move, several books had immediately beenpiled. Each of them detailed his ws borately, and even more surprisingly... there were solutions for some of the simpler ws! The effects of this upgrade sure were incredible! To be able to peer even into the ws of Ancient Sages... this effectively meant that Ancient Sages were unable to conceal secrets from him anymore. With this, he would be in a better position to deal with them. This very notion made Zhang Xuans face redden in agitation. He had thought that it was already amazing for the Library of Heavens Path to conjure a room where time moved ten times faster, but to think that its inspection abilities would be enhanced immensely as well! As long as he could use Vicious and the Infernal cksaber carefully, even with the limitations of his cultivation, he should be able to kill ordinary Ancient Sages with ease. Young Master... Seeing Zhang Xuan staring at him with gleaming eyes, Wu Chen could not help but frown in confusion. Pulling himself back from his thoughts, Zhang Xuan quickly shook his head and replied, Ah, its nothing much! Naturally, the matter concerning the Library of Heavens Path could not be spoken of too lightly. Looking at Wu Chen, he asked, Since the circumstances in the capital is uncertain at the moment, do you have any ideas as to what we should do? Should we head straight in and attempt to investigate the situation personally, or do you have any subordinates stationed in the area whom we could liaise with? Despite Wu Chens childish appearance, he was, in fact, the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Sovereign Chen Yong. There was no way that he could have led the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for so many years without wits. Since he dared to venture back to the capital, he was bound to already have a n in mind. Young Master, I found myself a sessor while I was journeying around the Master Teacher Continent. His character and aptitude are excellent, and hes extremely loyal to me. I have already contacted him and informed him of our arrival, so we should see him very soon. Through him, we will be able to find out about the happenings within the capital ande up with a countermeasure to deal with those two b*stards, Wu Chen replied. Thats good. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Since the person whom Wu Chen was liaising with was his sessor, he should be someone whom they could trust. It would be meaningless for them to n anything before they received concrete news about what was truly happening within the capital. The two of them traveled forward a little longer before finally arriving at the meeting location that Wu Chen had agreed on with his sessor. They waited for around an hour before they saw a towering Otherworldly Demon walking over from the direction of the capital. This Otherworldly Demon had a dark body. As soon as he caught sight of Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen, he immediately made his way over and kneeled on the floor. Paying respects to Your Majesty! Rise! Wu Chen replied nonchntly. With a wave of his hand, he constructed an istion barrier around them before asking, Did anyone see you? I made sure that no one was following me before sneaking here, the Otherworldly Demon reported. Hearing that he had not been followed, Wu Chen heaved a sigh of relief before gesturing toward Zhang Xuan. Good. Allow me to introduce to you. This young man here is my Young Master. If I meet with any mishap, you are to listen to him... Yes! Hearing that the great Sovereign Chen Yong, the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, was actually addressing another man as Young Master, the Otherworldly Demon was visibly taken aback for a moment before hurriedly turning his sights toward the young man. When he saw the other party, his body subconsciously jolted a little. Despite the unfamiliar appearance, the disposition and aura that the young man emanated left him with a feeling of dj vu, as if he had met him somewhere before. Just as he was trying to make sense of this feeling, he heard an astonished voice in his mind. Liu Yang? What are you doing here? Chapter 1792 - The Capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Chapter 1792: The Capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Upon hearing that voice, the expression on the Otherworldly Demons face froze. His body trembled a little as he hurriedly lifted his head. Teacher? That voice was simply too familiar! He had heard this voice in his dreams, day and night, so there was no way that he could possibly not recognize who it belonged to! Its me. Are you still doing well? How did you end up joining the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? What are you doing here? There were countless questions running through Zhang Xuans mind. Even though the Otherworldly Demon before him had disguised himself very well, such that even the Zhenqi of ughter coursing through his body seemed authentic, the truth still revealed itself through his Eye of Insight. With a single nce, he could tell that the other party was the student who had left him in the Qingyuan Empire without bidding farewell, Liu Yang! Due to the outstanding aplishments of his other students, Liu Yang had been put into a position of immense pressure, such that he eventually left his side to seek his own fortune. Zhang Xuan had tapped into the connections of the Master Teacher Pavilion and those of his students to seek Liu Yang, but there had been no news whatsoever. Who could have known that his student would actually end up being epted into Wu Chens lineage and be brought to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Teacher, Ill fill you in on this matterter. At the moment, Sovereign Chen Yong still doesnt know of my true identity, so I ask you to help me keep it a secret, Liu Yang replied through zhenqi telepathy. Un! Zhang Xuan replied with a slight nod. He could tell as much via the interactions between Liu Yang and Wu Chen, which was why he had chosen tomunicate with Liu Yang through zhenqi telepathy. Even though the two of them had onlymunicated with one another for a brief moment, the sharp Wu Chen still noticed some anomalies in their behavior. Swiftly directing gazes between the two, he asked, Do the two of you know each other? Thats not it. I was just impressed by the talent of your student, so I secretly asked him about some matters regarding cultivation, Zhang Xuan said with a light smile. Matters regarding cultivation? Wu Chen repeated with a slight hint of skepticism in his voice. Seeing that the young man was unwilling to talk too much about this matter, he shook his head before turning to Liu Yang to ask, Whats the current situation within the capital? This was the matter that he was the most concerned about. Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing returned a month ago, and they announced that you had already been killed by the Ancient Sages of mankind. While trying to protect you, they sustained some injuries as well... By iming that you had passed down your position to them, they took control of your armies and reced many of the higher-rankingmanders with their own men. I fear that even if you return to the capital, you wont be able to mobilize the armies and make them do your bidding! Liu Yang said grimly. Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Yongs face turned livid. Just as he had thought, those two b*stards had indeed attempted to devour his sphere of influence. What about those who have been reced? Where are they at the moment? Those Otherworldly Demons were experts who were loyal to him. If he could find them, he might still be able to make aeback. After they were relieved from their positions, they were all assassinated within a months time. Im afraid that none of them are around anymore! Liu Yang replied. They have been assassinated? Wu Chen staggered a little upon hearing those words. He had known that Sovereign Chen Ling was vicious, but he did not think that the other party would go so far! He was truly callously weeding out everything that could potentially pose a problem to him in the future, not leaving any room for deviation at all. Suppressing the rage boiling in his chest, Wu Chen asked, How are the physical conditions of the both of them at the moment? He had managed tond a critical hit on the both of them when they attempted to kill him, thus causing them to be grievously injured. While their injuries were not as severe as his own, it was likely that their foundations had been rattled, so it would not be too easy for them to make a recovery! As long as they did not return to their peak, he would still have a chance to turn the tables on them! To put it bluntly, for cultivators at their level, what was more important was their individual strength rather than amassing armies and authority. As long as they could kill those two traitors and announce their return, those subordinates would have no choice but to obediently follow his orders whether they liked it or not! I wasnt really able to uncover anything specific. It seems like their current physical condition is ssified information... Liu Yang shook his head. Wu Chen was not surprised to hear those words. Both Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing were extremely scheming individuals, and locking down vital information regarding their weaknesses was the bare basics. If they were not capable of that much, they would not havee so close to killing him back at the Temple of Confucius. How many Ancient Sages have they managed to bring over to their side so far? You should at least have some idea of that, right? In fear of him returning to exact vengeance for their betrayal, the two of them would surely try their best to rally as many Ancient Sages over to their side as possible. At the very least, that was what he would have done if he was in their position. Based on what I have heard so far, Lord Ji, Lord Huai, Lord Mang, and five other lords have joined their faction ande under theirmand! Liu Yang replied. Lord Ji, Lord Huai, and Lord Mang? Humph! Wu Chen flung his sleeves furiously. Serving directly under the Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were the Fourteen Lords, and Lord Ji, Long Huai, and Lord Mang were the strongest among them. They were all powerful Ancient Sages who had reached the level of Blood Reincarnation realm! As they were feudal lords, they were usually stationed in their fiefdom and were rarely mobilized by the Three Sovereigns. Yet, who could have known that they would collude together with Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing! Eight Lords along with two Sovereigns, that means that they have ten Ancient Sages on their side... Your Majesty, you mustnt move recklessly. Otherwise, you will expose yourself to grave danger! Liu Yang said anxiously. Had Sovereign Chen Yong been at his peak, ten Ancient Sages would not have posed a threat to him at all. However, if he challenged them in his current state, the one who would be standing at the very end would not be him. I know! Wu Chen said with his brow deeply furrowed. He had returned for vengeance, but he knew better than to allow his emotions to get the better of him. With the enemy gathering so many Ancient Sages, barging over in his current condition would be no different from suicide! Wu Chen was silent for a very long while before he abruptly remarked, Ill be making a trip over to the Primal Lodestone Mountain! Primal Lodestone Mountain? Liu Yang was perplexed. Since they had traveled so far to get to the capital, why were they leaving all of a sudden instead of vying for authority with the other two Sovereigns? The Primal Lodestone Mountain was one of the perilous zones of the otherworldly battlefield. Even at his peak, Sovereign Chen Yong would have hesitated before entering the grounds. Thus, his sudden decision to enter that area was iprehensible to Liu Yang. Great perils lie in the Primal Lodestone Mountain, but its also where Ancient Sage Hao Xun is cultivating. Right now, I can only hope that hes willing to help me. His strength is only slightly beneath mine when I was at my peak. Only with his help will we stand a chance at victory! Wu Chen replied hesitantly. There was no way he could defeat ten Ancient Sages with his current strength, so he could only seek other helpers to aid him. Ancient Sage Hao Xun? Ive heard of him before, but I thought that he passed away three thousand years ago. Liu Yang widened his eyes in astonishment. He didnt pass away. Its just that he chose to seclude himself in the depths of the Primal Lodestone Mountain and refuses to leave the area. Back then, his strength was nearly on par with mine, and given how many years have passed since then... he might even have surpassed the bottleneck of the Blood Reincarnation realm! Wu Chen said. If he refuses to leave the area, I suppose that it wont be easy to gain his support, right? Zhang Xuan asked. Given that Ancient Sage Hao Xun had chosen to seclude himself for three thousand years, it likely meant that he had already chosen to steer clear from secr affairs. Thus, no matter how powerful he was, it did not seem too likely that they would be able to obtain his assistance. We have to do it no matter how difficult it is. Otherwise, well be bound for death! Wu Chen shook his head. There was no question that everyone in his lineage would be ughtered without any mercy if he died. Thus, there was no other route for them to take. They had to grasp at any possible straws of hope that were within reach. Wu Chen is right. Where is the Primal Lodestone Mountain, and do you have any ns in mind that might allow us to convince him to help us? Zhang Xuan asked. The deaths of Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing were necessary if he wanted to bring long-term peace to mankind and find Luo Ruoxin. The fact that he had ended his life back at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters in order to sneak over to the otherworldly battlefield was more than enough to prove his resolve in making this happen. The Primal Lodestone Mountain isnt too far away, located roughly a hundred thousand li away from here. Given so, it shouldnt take us too long to go there and back. Its just that Ancient Sage Hao Xun has an entric personality, so it wont be too easy for us to bring him over to our side! Wu Chen rubbed his be. Having made up their minds, Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen swiftly bade farewell to Liu Yang before flying off in a certain direction. Chapter 1793 - Ancient Sage Hao Xun

Chapter 1793: Ancient Sage Hao Xun

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This is the Primal Lodestone Mountain! Worried that they might catch the attention of the two Sovereigns, Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen did not dare open a dimension rift and teleport over. Fortunately, the Primal Lodestone Mountain was rtively close to the capital, so it only took them two hours to arrive at their destination. Despite bearing the name of a mountain, a more exact term would probably be abyss. The abyss was dyed with the monotonous color of absolute darkness, and it covered all that they could see. A chilling and eerie air could be clearly felt from within. Allow me to give it a try! Floating above the abyss, Wu Chen took in a deep breath and shouted, Brother Hao Xun, Chen Yong hase to pay a visit to you! His voice manifested in the form of thin threads of zhenqi, which transmitted his voice into the depths of the abyss, echoing countless li below. He shouted three times before something happened. ck clouds seemed to billow from the depths of the abyss, and slowly, rays of light began shooting up from the abyss, forming auroras in the sky. As soon as the auroras surfaced, Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen immediately felt imbnce in their flight, and their bodies began to wobble nonstop. It was as if some power was interfering with the flow of their zhenqi, and it left them on the verge of plummeting from the sky. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. This is the power of maism! He could sense that something simr to a maic field had been set up in the area, but this maic field was designed in a manner to produce destructive fluxes against zhenqi, thus causing cultivators to lose control of their powers. Humph! Wu Chen could not be bothered to disguise himself anymore. Reverting to his regal appearance, he emanated powerful, concentrated Zhenqi of ughter, allowing him to finally regain bnce of his body. However, as he had not recovered from his wounds yet, the act of tapping into his strength caused his face to turn sickly pale. At the same time, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and brought out the Infernal cksaber. By standing on the Infernal cksaber, he managed to steady himself for the time being. The maic field was designed with the intent to throw ones zhenqi into chaos, but as a weapon, the Infernal cksaber did not have any zhenqi. Naturally, it was unaffected by the effects of the maic field. Grand rays of light shot up from the abyss once more, and soon, a silhouette dressed in a ck robe rose along with the rays of light. Brother Hao Xun! Sovereign Chen Yong sped his fist and greeted the other party. Zhang Xuan also turned his gaze over to assess the other party. Covered tightly by the ck robe, the only thing that was visible of Ancient Sage Hao Xun was his blood red eyes. The aura that he emanated felt dense and immense, making it hard for one to gauge the limits of his prowess. In terms of strength, he was likely above even Old Geezer Yu and Zhang Hongtian. It was no wonder that Wu Chen held the other party in such high regard. Sovereign Chen Yong, you should know that I have chosen to steer clear from the secr world. It makes no difference even if you pay a personal visit to me! Ancient Sage Hao Xun remarked impassively as he hid his hands amid his ck robe. I believe that you should be aware of the recent movements in the capital. Brother Hao Xun, I really require your help this time! Sovereign Chen Yong said as he bent his back parallel to the ground. Any cultivator could easily see that he was severely injured, and his life coulde to an end at any moment. There was no need for unnecessary exnations. Sovereign Chen Yong, death is a natural process of life. Even a man as great as you will eventually meet his end. Im honored that you were willing to pay me onest visit before the end of your life. If theres nothing else, please excuse me! Ancient Sage Hao Xun replied coldly. With a step of his feet, the rays of light around him began to fade. It seemed like he would return to the darkness of the abyss soon. Seeing that Ancient Sage Hao Xun was going to return to the abyss, Sovereign Chen Yong anxiously added, Brother Hao Xun, I was betrayed by others, and my life is hanging by a thread. My only wish now is to eliminate my enemies before meeting my end... If not to ask for your help, who in the world would be so free toe and pay you a visit before their death? Do I seem very close to you? Ancient Sage Hao Xun shook his head in response. It has been many years since I have been in a position of authority, and I no longer desire toe into contact with that mess... With a wave of his hand, the rays of light submerged back into the abyss, and Ancient Sage Hao Xun himself also began descending back into the dark abyss. Please hold on a moment! Just as the other party was about to disappear, Zhang Xuan suddenly called out. At the same time, he raised his hand and tapped his finger lightly. The rays of light beneath Ancient Sage Hao Xun suddenly went berserk, and the maic field in the area abruptly changed its target and focused around the ck silhouette. Hu! Crushed by the maic field, it was as if the abyss itself was repulsing his presence. As a result, Ancient Sage Hao Xun was spat out from the ck abyss. What in the world... Who are you? Why are you able to control the power of maism? Ancient Sage Hao Xun could hardly believe what had just happened. The power of maism had never been an ability that cultivators were able to grasp. In order to achieve the impossible, he had spent more than three thousand years in the abyss before he managed to be able to achieve a basic level of control over this fearsome strength that even his peers greatly feared. Yet, the young man was actually able to control the rays of light manifested through his power of maism and make them repulse him... How was this possible? I didnt really control the power of maism. Instead, through the ws of your body, I infused the power of maism in the area into your zhenqi and forcefully harmonized it with the surroundings! Zhang Xuan exined calmly. At the same time, with a flick of his finger, he ced the Infernal cksaber beneath his feet back into his storage ring. Surprisingly, even without the Infernal cksaber to prop him up, he was able to remain floating in the air without any problems, as if he was impervious to the effects of the maic field in the area. Given how the Heavens Path zhenqi was able to imitate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Zhenqi of ughter, it was not too difficult for him to be able to alter it such that it was impervious to the maic field around him. Earlier, when Ancient Sage Hao Xununched his first attack, he had already swiftly analyzed the ability with his Library of Heavens Path ande up with a countermeasure against it. The ws of my body? Harmonized my zhenqi with the surroundings? Ancient Sage Hao Xun frowned. Indeed! Zhang Xuan replied. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his hands. Hu! The rays of light in the abyss swiftly rose up and gathered around him in the form of an aurora, making him look like a giant in the sky. The properties of the Heavens Path zhenqi could be altered at will, so naturally, he could change its properties to allow him to control the power of maism in the area. In his current state, the Primal Lodestone Mountain felt like a warm spring of energy to him, granting him the ability to bring forth fighting prowess far beyond his usual means. You are indeed able to control the power of maism! Realizing that his control over the surrounding maic field was not as refined or strong as that of the young man, Ancient Sage Hao Xuns face warped in astonishment. To think that despite devoting three thousand years of effort intoprehending the power of maism, he would actually lose to a young man who had only just arrived there! Knowing that he had managed to catch Ancient Sage Hao Xuns attention, Zhang Xuan pressed his case forward. If you are willing to help Sovereign Chen Yongs cause, I can impart the ability to control the power of maism to you! This... As expected, Ancient Sage Hao Xun hesitated in the face of this offer. For someone who had spent three thousand years living in seclusion on the Primal Lodestone Mountain toprehend the power of maism, the offer that Zhang Xuan had made was truly seductive. It was not on whim that Ancient Sage Hao Xun had chosen to seclude himself in this wretchednd of destion. It was out of his desire to pave a way to higher realms that he had attempted toprehend the power of maism. If he could really gain the ability to control maic fields with ease, he was confident that his cultivation would surge, such that advancing beyond the Blood Reincarnation realm would be a distinct possibility! Even though Ancient Sage Hao Xun was moved by the offer, he did not rush into making a decision. Instead, he turned to Sovereign Chen Yong. Who injured you? Since the enemy was someone who could reduce even the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor to such a state, he would have to think twice before epting this offer. As confident as he was in his strength, he never allowed his ego to blind the rationality of his decisions. If he was not absolutely certain of victory, he would not put himself in the path of danger even if to obtain the method to control the power of maism. It was Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing. They conspired with the humans to assassinate me! Sovereign Chen Yong replied. They are the ones who injured you? Hearing that the culprits were the other two Sovereigns, Ancient Sage Hao Xunsplexion turned incredibly awful. Im afraid that Im unable to help you in this matter. Please seek the assistance of others! Chapter 1794 - Assimilated by Magnetism

Chapter 1794: Assimted by Maism

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Neither of the two Sovereigns were weaker than him; in fact, due to their positions, they had countless protectors guarding them. Challenging the two of them was tantamount to suicide! Even if he could acquire a technique to control the power of maism, he would need to be alive in order to enjoy the benefits of it! It cant be that Ancient Sage Hao Xun is afraid of the two Sovereigns, can it? Zhang Xuan asked with a faint smile. I dont wish to involve myself in the power struggle within the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and I have no intention of putting myself in danger for the sake of it, Ancient Sage Hao Xun replied with a calm wave of his hand. If you think of me as a coward due to that, so be it! Since you have already said so, Ancient Sage Hao Xun, it wouldnt be appropriate for us to impose on you any further. However, before we take our leave, there is one thing that I would like to advise you on, Zhang Xuan said with narrowed eyes. The power of maism is a unique force that naturally urs in the world. I can understand the rationale behind having chosen to tap into this power in order to surpass your limitations and reach the Dimension Shatterer realm, but such an action is no different from attempting to devour the power of the heavens. Your soul and physical body will suffer bacshes as a result of your actions... If Im not mistaken, you have remained within the Primal Lodestone Mountain for the past three thousand years not because you are unwilling to leave the area but because it has be extremely difficult for you to do so, right? Despite Ancient Sage Hao Xuns powerful front, he was actually in a very precarious position. His act of devouring the power of maism could be viewed as defying the will of the heavens. If he left the Primal Lodestone Mountain, there was little doubt that a heavenly tribtion would swiftly fall upon him. As a result, despite being a proud Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator, he had ended up holing himself up in that wretched ce, not daring to leave at all. Ancient Sage Hao Xun widened his eyes slightly after hearing those words from Zhang Xuan, but he swiftly refuted them with a cold harrumph. With my current strength, do you think that I would fear a mere heavenly tribtion? If I wish to leave, theres no one who can stop me, not even the heavens! It was true that he was frightened of the heavenly tribtion, but as long as he gave it his all, he was confident that he would still be able to get out of it alive. It was just a matter of how much he would risk losing as a result of it. I see... Im d to hear that you are confident. Pardon me for being a little naggy, but I would just like to offer you onest piece of advice. The power of maism is an incredible source of strength, but it isnt a good idea to fuse it into your bloodline. Otherwise, you expose yourself to endless trouble in the future. You wont be able to predict how your meridians and body will mutate as a result of that! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned to Wu Chen and said, Lets leave! Leave? Wu Chen was stunned. The reason that he had gone all the way there was to recruit Ancient Sage Hao Xun to his faction. They had barely traded a few words and had not even settled on anything, but they were already going to leave the area. Engaging the help of Ancient Sage Hao Xun was not a choice but a necessity to them. If they could not get his help, their chances of sess would be extremely slim, perhaps even non-existent! Hu! While Wu Chen was still deep in thought, Zhang Xuan had already left the area. He hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to follow the young man. Having entered the ancient domain at the White Creek Mountain with him, Wu Chen knew that the young man possessed extraordinary capabilities. The young man probably had his reasons for choosing such a course of action. After flying for a moment, the young man suddenly came to a halt. Floating quietly in the air, he gazed in the direction that he had juste from. What do we do now? Wu Chen asked with a deep frown. Well wait here. Who knows? Perhaps, Ancient Sage Hao Xun might just change his mind and join us! Zhang Xuan replied with a mysterious smile. Countless questions arose in Wu Chens mind. Ancient Sage Hao Xun had just confirmed that he would suffer a heavenly tribtion if he left the Primal Lodestone Mountain, so why would he suddenly change his mind and risk going all the way there just to join their faction? However, Wu Chen also knew that Zhang Xuan would not have said such words needlessly. Thus, he stood quietly beside thetter and gazed in the direction of the abyss. ... How did that fellow know that Im assimting the lodestones in the abyss into my body? Ancient Sage Hao Xun murmured in bewilderment. The reason that he had been able to grasp control over the power of maism was not because of his extraordinary talent but because he had spent three thousand years in the depths of the abyss assimting lodestones into his body. Lodestones were a type of ma that emanated a powerful maic field of their own. If one could manipte the maic field of the natural world, one would be able to wrestle control of the zhenqi of ones opponent, thus rendering the other party powerless. Forget it! Theres no point mulling too much over what that young man said. Im just a step away from fully assimting the lodestones into my body, so I should hurry up and aplish it before any more troublees knocking on my door... Unable to make sense of the young mans words, Ancient Sage Hao Xun decided to ignore it altogether. He dived back into the darkness of the abyss, and before long, he had already reached the deepest region. There was a five-colored stone right before him that emanated brilliant light. It seemed like it was the source of the overwhelming maic power in the area. cing his palm on it, Ancient Sage Hao Xun took a deep breath before circting his power through the lodestone, attempting to assimte it. He had spent a thousand years trying to get close to this lodestone and another thousand years attempting to ce his hand on it. Right now, as long as he could infuse the lodestone with his zhenqi, he should be able to sessfully assimte it! All that wascking was this final step. Once he seeded, he would be no different from a mobile Primal Lodestone Mountain. He would not have to fear any heavenly tribtion, and he would be able to crush any opponents with ease. Gugugugu! As he pumped more and more zhenqi into the lodestone, his body became more and morepatible with the power of maism. Before long, the lodestone began to cave in to his strength, and it gradually assimted together with his palm. Sess! Ancient Sage Hao Xuns eyes glowed in excitement as he quickly channeled his energy to facilitate the assimtion process. Tzzzzzzz! As the five-colored stone became one with his hand, a brilliant light burst forth from his body, as if indicating his evolution to a higher being. Feeling the power of maism coursing through his body, Ancient Sage Hao Xunughed heartily in triumph. He attempted to drive his zhenqi to test out his new fighting prowess when his body suddenly stiffened. For some reason, the zhenqi in his body seemed to have been bogged down by some force, preventing him from driving it freely as he could before. Whats going on? Ancient Sage Hao Xun narrowed his eyes in shock. He quickly inspected his own body, and the next instant, his face flushed white in horror. He found that his meridians had lost their previous suppleness. Instead, they reflected a metallic glint as if they were made of steel. The change in the property of his meridian made it extremely difficult for zhenqi to pass through them. Its slowly turning into stone... Am I being petrified? This change was not limited to his meridians. His muscles and veins were starting to stiffen as well, and he could clearly feel his senses dulling. It was as if death was encroaching on him, slowly stripping him of his consciousness. At that moment, there was no way that he could still be oblivious to what was going on. While he attempted to assimte the lodestone to convert the power of maism to his own, the power of maism had also discreetly been changing the structure of his body, wanting to convert him into a massive ma! In a sense, this was simr to how ferromaic materials would gain the properties of a ma if they were exposed to a consistent maic field for extended periods of time. Gradually, the insides of his body had been reconstructed without him noticing. If he was a non-living being, such a change would not have made much of a difference. However, he was a living being! Once his body and meridians had all turned into stone, would he still be able to talk and battle? Would he still be able to retain his consciousness? Even my soul is being assimted by the power of maism, Ancient Sage Hao Xun thought in horror as cold sweat dripped from his forehead. It was not just his meridians and body that were growing stiffer. Even his blood and soul were not spared! Was a powerful Ancient Sage like him going to meet his end just like that? Endless trouble, mutate... That young man must know something about this... Knowing that he was already on the verge of death, Ancient Sage Hao Xun suddenly recalled the words that he had heard from the young man, and his fists suddenly clenched tightly together. Not only did the young man notice that he was assimting a lodestone, he even seemed to know the effects of doing so. If he wished to free himself from his current predicament, his best bet was to seek the young mans help! Boom! Knowing that his life was already on a countdown, how could he possibly hesitate? He immediately flew out of the abyss and dashed in the direction that Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen had disappeared. Chapter 1795 - Hes My Young Master

Chapter 1795: Hes My Young Master

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As Ancient Sage Hao Xun flew, he felt himself gradually losing control of his stiffening body, and it seemed like he would fall from the sky at any moment. Just as he was reaching his limits, the silhouettes of Sovereign Chen Yong and the young man came into sight. It was as if they had known that he woulde for them, so they had chosen to wait on the spot. Please, save me! Feeling his internal organs swiftly turning into stone, Ancient Sage Hao Xun could not have cared less about his pride and hurriedly kneeled before the young man in horror. Blood Reincarnation realm experts boasted great regenerative abilities, and they were able toe back from the dead. However, if theypletely turned into stone, it would be futile no matter how powerful their regenerative ability was. The only possibility that he would face was death! While Ancient Sage Hao Xun had chosen to retire from the secr world, it did not mean that he was ready to meet his end. Im only a mere Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator, so my capabilities are severely limited. The only one who can help you at the moment is Sovereign Chen Yong. However, hes bogged down by the vengeance of those who have betrayed him, so Im not too sure whether he has the time to help you or not! Zhang Xuan waved his hand calmly. Since the other party had been unwilling to help them no matter how they pleaded earlier, they were not obliged to help him just because he was in need of assistance either. I... Not expecting his words toe back and bite him so quickly, Ancient Sage Hao Xuns face turned pale. He hesitated for a brief moment before eximing, Sovereign Chen Yong, as long as you are willing to save me, Im willing to follow your orders! The situation was very clear. It would be utter death if he refused, but if he epted, he might still have a chance at survival. If they seeded by any chance, he would gain great wealth and power on top of that. The decision that he had to make was already very clear. Since you have agreed, I guess Sovereign Chen Yong should be able to spare some time to help you, Zhang Xuan replied. Following which, he sent a telepathic message over to Wu Chen. Hearing the telepathic message, Wu Chens eyes widened in disbelief, Is that really alright? Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Alright then... Taking a deep breath, Wu Chen flicked his wrist and took out a long saber. Hu! The saber tore through space and sliced down upon Ancient Sage Hao Xuns body. Due to thetters stiffening body, a ringceration was inflicted on his chest before he could even react. Fresh blood spurted out like a waterfall. What in the world are you doing? Not expecting Sovereign Chen Yong to make a move on him, Ancient Sage Hao Xun narrowed his eyes menacingly. What else could he be doing? Hes obviously trying to save you! Zhang Xuan remarked impatiently. If you dont trust us, we can leave right now! Hearing those words, Ancient Sage Hao Xun nearly plummeted from the sky. Just who did I offend to have to deserve this saber strike? Even though he was extremely stifled, he could only suppress his feelings and sp his fist. I beseech you to save me... Thats more like it! Zhang Xuan nodded. He walked up to Ancient Sage Hao Xun and ced a finger on the ringceration on his chest. As soon as the blood came into contact with his fingertip, a brilliant five-colored glow shone into the surroundings. It felt like something was being extracted from Ancient Sage Hao Xuns body. The light gradually grew more and more powerful. Under Zhang Xuans continuously rotating finger, it was soon weaved into the shape of a stone. It was the lodestone that Ancient Sage Hao Xun had assimted not too long ago. As the five-colored light began to fade, Ancient Sage Hao Xun could feel his stiffened body slowly regaining its senses. At the same time, the lodestone in the young mans hand pulsated ceaselessly, emanating a terrifying intent. It was as if it was angered after realizing that someone had foiled its n, and it wanted to wreak havoc. However, with the young mans zhenqi wrapped around it, it was unable to do anything. This lodestone... has its own will? Ancient Sage Hao Xuns eyelids twitched in horror. He had been with that lodestone for three thousand years, but he had never realized that it was a sentient artifact! It was much more difficult to tame sentient artifacts than ordinary weapons. For sentient weapons, it was impossible to tame them with just ones zhenqi. It didnt possess sentience at the start, but as you attempted to assimte it with zhenqi, it also instinctively used its own power of maism to assimte it. As time passed, it eventually sprouted its own sentience, Zhang Xuan exined. You never noticed it because it only started to fully awaken while you werepleting the assimtion. The moment that you are turned into a ma would be the moment that it gains a body and a soul, thus marking your death... There had never been anyone on the Master Teacher Continent who had attempted such a feat, so it was inevitable that Ancient Sage Hao Xun had ended up overlooking the changes urring to his body. Naturally urring treasures in nature like lodestones harnessed great power, but it did not mean that cultivators, including Ancient Sages, would necessarily be able to tap into their power easily. Otherwise, the abyss of the Primal Lodestone Mountain would have been emptied out many years ago! Of course, it might seem a little too coincidental that the lodestone had happened to awaken right after Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen had passed by the area. The truth was that the lodestone would have taken many more years to gain sentience, and the process that turned Ancient Sage Hao Xun into a ma would have been a very gradual process... It was actually Zhang Xuan who had discreetly controlled the power of maism to spiritually enchant the lodestone. This was a trick that he had learned from the Yellowsand Berserk Wood. As powerful as Ancient Sage Hao Xun was, he had still fallen for this little ploy in a moment of inattention. It was true that Zhang Xuans action had forced Ancient Sage Hao Xun into a corner, but there was no doubt that such a situation would eventually have happened. He was effectively resolving a potential threat that would ur in the future. Ancient Sage Hao Xuns face paled in horror. He had never thought that he would almost lose his life at the hands of a mere rock. The power of maism is a unique force of nature. Its not a power that one can master that easily, Zhang Xuan remarked as he tightened his grasp on the lodestone in his hand. The myriad of colors continued to seep out from Ancient Sage Hao Xuns body and converge back into the lodestone in his grasp. The lodestone pulsated furiously, but it was to no avail. When the final sliver of light was pulled out of Ancient Sage Hao Xuns body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With the power of maism fully extracted from the other partys body, he would not be in any danger. Alright, let me see if I can tame it... It would be extremely difficult and dangerous for Ancient Sage Hao Xun to tame this lodestone under normal circumstances. However, if he could alter the Heavens Path zhenqi to emte the power of maism, he might just be able to tame the lodestone. With that thought in mind, Zhang Xuan swiftly entered the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn within his Library of Heavens Path and began driving his zhenqi into the lodestone. Tzzzzzz! The brilliant light within the lodestone was swiftly converted into a surge of energy, which gushed frantically into his body. As Zhang Xuans consciousness was currently within the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, he was cultivating at a speed ten times faster than usual. As a result, all Wu Chen and Ancient Sage Hao Xun could see was a brilliant curtain of light shrouding him, rendering them incapable of seeing what was truly happening. Is the lodestone trying to devour him? Ancient Sage Hao Xun asked with a hint of worry. It was just a moment ago that the lodestone had nearly converted him into its puppet. Could it have been furious at the young man for forcefully extracting it from his body, such that it wanted to exact vengeance? If that was the case, what should they do? They had already witnessed the frightening prowess of the lodestone, and it seemed like they would suffer great damage if they charged in and saved the young man. This... Im not too sure. However, since he was able to resolve the power of maism within your body, he might just be able to resolve the current quandary as well. Wu Chen was also a little bewildered by the current situation. Given that the young man had been able to catch the eye of the Spirit God, it was certain that he possessed capabilities far surpassing the norm. Hearing Wu Chens words, Ancient Sage Hao Xun heaved a sigh of relief. He turned a perplexed look over and asked, The young man... Is he the disciple whom you recently epted? He had known Sovereign Chen Yong for quite some time, but he had never met this young man before. However, he had heard rumors that thetter had recently found himself a sessor. Could this young man possibly be that sessor? But if the young man was truly Sovereign Chen Yongs sessor, why did it seem like the young man was the one making the decisions? Furthermore, from the conversations between the two, it seemed like the young mans position was above that of Sovereign Chen Yong! Disciple? Brother Hao Xun, you are really thinking too highly of me. This young man is my Young Master! Wu Chen hurriedly rified the misunderstanding. Young Master? Ancient Sage Hao Xun widened his eyes in disbelief. Chapter 1796 - Ancient Sage Allfire

Chapter 1796: Ancient Sage Allfire

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Yongs grandfather was the legendary Vicious, who had fought on equal terms with Kong shi. His name resounded throughout history, and he lived on as a figure whom none could hope to surpass. As such, even though the two of them were Ancient Sages, there was a clear disparity in their standing. Even from a very young age, Sovereign Chen Yong had been guaranteed to be a future Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Yet, despite his esteemed standing, Sovereign Chen Yong actually had someone whom he addressed as Young Master? The very notion of that was ridiculous! Who in the world could be qualified to have the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe address him in such a manner? Hes the lover of the Spirit God, Sovereign Chen Yong exined. The Spirit God? Upon hearing that name, Ancient Sage Hao Xun subconsciously cowered back in fear. The reason that the Spirit Tribe had remained as such a powerful force in the world was due to the existence and protection of the Spirit God. To actually be the lover of the Spirit God, that meant that the young man was a person of tremendous standing. When Ancient Sage Hao Xun turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, his eyes were filled with deference. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was currently in no position to bother about the gossip between the two. His entire heart and soul were devoted to assimting the power of maism of the lodestone. Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm symbolized the indestructibility of ones physical body and soul. To reach that realm would require many years of cultivation and tempering, but through refining his body with the power emanated by the lodestone, he was able to slowly bring it toward a higher level. Some timeter, Zhang Xuan finally overcame the bottleneck limiting him. His muscles and soul emanated an overwhelming radiance that seemed to symbolize the invible authority of divinity. Sempiternal realm! Zhang Xuan had thought that it would take him a very long time in order to reach this realm, but who could have known that he would be able to tame the power of maism so quickly? He did not rest right after achieving a breakthrough. Instead, he continued devouring the brilliant light around his body. Considering how the lodestone was able to render even a Blood Reincarnation realm expert powerless, there was no questioning the immense energy that it harnessed. As energy continued to surge into Zhang Xuans body, his cultivation grew at an astounding rate. Sempiternal realm primary stage! Sempiternal realm intermediate stage! Within an hour, he had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation! Gugugu! Immense energy continued to billow within his body, but having reached his bottleneck, he found himself unable to absorb any more of it. Thus, he gradually opened his eyes. He had finally reached the same level as his students and parents. The breakthrough to the Sempiternal realm had vastly enhanced the strength that he could wield. With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, even without the aid of the Infernal cksaber, he felt like he would be able to match even Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm cultivators in a battle! Of course, the greatest strength of the Ancient Sagesy in their superior grasp of a certainw, as well as their all-epassingprehension of the world. Their immense strength only yed a minor role in their overwhelming fighting prowess. Zhang Xuan knew that he was still a long distance away from being able to y a true Ancient Sage. As long as I can find the right impetus, I should be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage soon! Zhang Xuan thought. His current greatest goal was to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage as soon as possible. He had already met the prerequisite for his Soul Depth, and he was in possession of the Aeon of Ancient Sage. As long as he could achieve theprehension of a certainw beyond the level of the heavens, he would be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Only as an Ancient Sage would he have the strength to rise to the top of the world, deal with the enemies that stood in his path, and seek out Luo Ruoxin. Knowing that he needed some time to reinforce his cultivation, Zhang Xuan halted his cultivation. With a wave of his hand, the brilliant light in the surroundings converged back to form the lodestone, but this time around, it had shrunk to nearly half its original size. Zhang Xuan had cultivated for more than an hour in the Library of Heavens Path, but in terms of real-world time, roughly eight minutes had passed. Your cultivation... As the light dissipated, Wu Chen swiftly noticed the difference in Zhang Xuans strength, and his mouth opened wide. A breakthrough again? Had he not long achieved a breakthrough to the Intuitive Impulse realm? All of a sudden, Wu Chen felt a strong sense of defeat. It was as if all of the years that he had devoted to furthering his cultivation could not evenpete with several minutes of effort put in by the young man before him. While others strained their bodies and wore down their spirits in the hope of a chance of achieving a breakthrough, it felt like it was all childs y to the young man. It was so terribly unfair! How could any cultivator remain sane after witnessing such injustice? Paying no heed to the duo, Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Hao Xun and said, I have already resolved your trauma and removed the will within this lodestone. You should be able to use it just like any other artifact. However, itll be best for you not to attempt to assimte it. Otherwise, the situation will repeat itself! After saying those words, he tossed the lodestone over. It was through three thousand years of nourishing from Ancient Sage Hao Xun that it hade to harness such immense power. Considering that Zhang Xuan had already benefited greatly from it, it would be inappropriate if he tried to im the lodestone for himself. Thank you for saving my life! Ancient Sage Hao Xun heaved a sigh of relief as he caught the lodestone. Following which, he turned to Sovereign Chen Yong and asked, May I know what ns you have in mind at the moment? Ill follow yourmand! Since he had already promised to help them earlier, he would not renege on his promise, especially not after hearing that the young man was the lover of the Spirit God. Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing have managed to rally eight Ancient Sages. Sovereign Chen Yong pondered for a moment. We are too weak at the moment to deal with them, so I intend to pay a visit to Ancient Sage Allfire to have him lend us a hand! Ancient Sage Allfire? Ancient Sage Hao Xun frowned. You are referring to that old ancestor of the Beast Tribe, right? If I recall correctly, you turned him against him when you attacked his tribesmen many years ago. If he sees you in your current state, hell kill you! Ancient Sage Allfire was not an expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe but an old ancestor of the Beast Tribe who lived in the otherworldly battlefield. In terms of strength, Ancient Sage Allfire could be said to be even stronger than Ancient Sage Hao Xun! However, Ancient Sage Allfire and Sovereign Chen Yong were on hostile terms with one another due to the war many years ago. It did not seem too likely that they would be able to convince Ancient Sage Allfire to help their cause; on the contrary, thetter might even add fuel to the fire! There are only so many Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages living in the world. If I dont ask for his help, theres no way that well be able to win the war. Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head in exasperation. He was confident that he could deal with the other eight Ancient Sages, but Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing were simply too strong for him to deal with in his current state. He would require the aid of experts of the same caliber in order to stand against them! It would be meaningless for him to seek out the weaker Ancient Sages; they would be nothing but meaningless cannon fodder in the face of the two Sovereigns. He needed experts on the same level! Ancient Sage Allfire is from the Beast Tribe, is he? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. His true form is a Fire Behemoth. In terms of strength, he doesnt pale too much inparison to me. Back then, as he posed a great threat to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Iunched an assault against him and his tribesmen and drove them away. As such, there have been some conflicts between the two of us, Wu Chen said. If he had any other choice, he would not have chosen such a course of action. Given the history between them, there was a good chance that making such a move could backfire on them. Young Master, if Im not mistaken, you possess extraordinary beast taming skills, right? Is it possible for you to... Wu Chen nced over with an expectant look in his eyes. Back when his Young Master was still at the Aureate Body realm, he had already been able to tame Sempiternal realm consummation beasts with ease. Of course, Sempiternal realm beasts could not begin topare to the powerful Ancient Sage Allfire, but given that it was his Young Master they were talking about, it seemed to be hopeful. Instead of answering the question directly, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, How severe is your conflict with him? If an irreconcble conflict existed between Wu Chen and Ancient Sage Allfire, there would be nothing that he could do about the situation either. Its a racial conflict, Wu Chen said as he scratched his head. He intended to lead his tribesmen to conquer one of the territories of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but theres no way I would ept something like that. Thus, with my strength, I defeated him and evicted him and his tribesmen, driving them millions of li away! Young and reckless then, he did not hold back at all against Ancient Sage Allfire. Not only did he drive the other party and his tribesmen away, he even inflicted severe wounds upon them. You drove them millions of li away? The entire tribe? Just by hearing the description, Zhang Xuan realized that this was a deep-seated grudge that was nearly impossible to resolve. Shaking his head helplessly, he said, Im afraid that Im helpless before this matter as well! This... Hearing that even his Young Master could not do anything about this situation, Wu Chen gritted his teeth tightly and said, If ites down to it, Ill just have to humbly seek his forgiveness. Once Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing are killed, Ill offer myself up to him and allow him to do whatever he wants to me! Chapter 1797 - More Dragon Blood

Chapter 1797: More Dragon Blood

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan frowned. It doesnt make a difference whether you offer yourself up to him or not. The Beast Tribe is particrly vindictive; this is not something that can be resolved just by apologizing! As a beast tamer, he knew that racial conflicts infringed on the very dignity of the Beast Tribe, and they were less than willing topromise on such matters. In other words, this was not a conflict that could be resolved with an apology. If Wu Chen had not been assaulted, with his prowess as the number one expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, his promise might still have been of value to Ancient Sage Allfire. However, it would be a blessing if thetter did not make use of this opportunity to stab a dagger in his back, let alone support his cause! What should we do then? Wu Chen was well aware of this, but he had been holding onto a sliver of hope that his Young Master might have a solution. Theres no other way around this, Zhang Xuan said grimly. For the time being, we need to find the blood essence of a Pureblooded Dragon of the Dragon Tribe! What? Wu Chen and Ancient Sage Hao Xun exchanged bewildered nces. The sudden leap in logic had caught them off guard. I dont think that Ancient Sage Allfire has anything to do with the Dragon Tribe, Wu Chen said. It was true that the Dragon Tribe was famed to be the supreme leader of the Beast Tribe, and it wasmon knowledge that beasts who possessed purer Dragon Bloodlines were able to suppress those whose bloodlines were less pure. However, this ability did not work against those who were not rted to the Dragon Tribe, and Ancient Sage Allfire did not have the slightest hint of the Dragon Bloodline flowing through his veins. It did not seem possible to sway his mind just by procuring a bit of dragon blood. Zhang Xuans train of thought was truly hard to keep up with. The reason I need the blood essence of a Pureblooded Dragon isnt to suppress Ancient Sage Allfire but to remove the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear! Zhang Xuan said. If he wanted to use his Beast Pummeling Taming Method, he would have to possess superior fighting prowess to the beast that he wanted to deal with. While he had improved quickly over the past few days, such that his cultivation had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation, he was still far from matching Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages. The fastest way for him to raise his fighting prowess at the moment was to release the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear, thus returning it to its peak strength. There were two known ways that he could release the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Firstly, he would have to reach the Ancient Sage realm and nourish it with his Ancient Sage zhenqi. Secondly, he had to find the blood essence of a member of the Dragon Tribe that possessed an even purer Dragon Bloodline than the Dragonbone Divine Spear. The first method was something that was unlikely for him to do in the short run. It was true that he was just a step away from reaching Ancient Sage, but who knew when the impetus required for a breakthrough woulde to him? It would not be reliable to count on that. As such, the second method seemed much more viable and reliable. As long as he could remove the seal that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had cast upon the Dragonbone Divine Spear, thetter would be able to swiftly regain its strength as a pinnacle Ancient Sage weapon! With that, he would gain the strength to defeat Ancient Sage Allfire and force him into submission! Of course, he could choose to tap into Vicious strength as well. After assimting the two arms, Vicious cultivation seemed to be approaching the pinnacle of the Blood Reincarnation realm. However, brute strength itself was unlikely to be sufficient to make Ancient Sage Allfire submit to him. Understanding the motive behind Zhang Xuans instructions, Wu Chen shook his head and said, Pureblooded Dragons, just like the Spirit God, are true gods. The Master Teacher Continent isnt strong enough to bear their powers... The Dragon Bloodline that was within the beasts of the Master Teacher Continent and the otherworldly battlefield was extremely sparse. In terms of purity, they could not even be considered wyverns or serpents, let alone Pureblooded Dragons. It was precisely due to this that Zhang Xuan was able to suppress them easily through his Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. All in all, it did not seem too likely for them to find the blood essence of Pureblooded Dragons. At that moment, Ancient Sage Hao Xun suddenly spoke up. I know where we can find what you need! Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze over. If Im not mistaken, what you are looking for isnt the blood essence of a Pureblooded Dragon. Rather, what you require is the blood essence of a Dragon Tribe Ancient Sage in order to undo the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear, am I right? Ancient Sage Hao Xun asked. It was impossible to find any Pureblooded Dragons on the Master Teacher Continent, but it was still notpletely impossible to find the blood essence of Dragon Tribe Ancient Sages around. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Ancient Sages were already the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent. It should be possible to undo the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear if he had the blood essence of a Dragon Tribe Ancient Sage. If thats the case, I know where you can procure some! Ancient Sage Hao Xun said. A thought suddenly arose in Wu Chens head as hisplexion turned awry. Are you possibly referring to... Indeed. I am referring to that ce! Ancient Sage Hao Xun nodded. A long time ago, the grandfather of Sovereign Chen Ling, Great Autarch Ying, slew an Ancient Sage ck Dragon. He harvested the blood essence from the ck Dragon and created a Blood Lake in his own sleeping chamber. Hoping to grow a new ck Dragon out of the Blood Lake and tame it, he used the blood essence of dozens of Ancient Sages to nourish it. However, for some reason, his ns failed. Shortly after Great Autarch Ying passed away, his sleeping chamber was sealed up, and no one was allowed to enter the premises. If Im not mistaken, theres a good chance that the Blood Lake is still there! There was no living being who was not drawn to the immense power of the Dragon Tribe. If one could tame a member of the Dragon Tribe, ones fighting prowess would surely soar by leaps and bounds. Sovereign Chen Lings grandfather, Great Autarch Ying, was someone who had lived in the same era as Vicious, and he had been infatuated with the idea of taming a member of the Dragon Tribe as his subordinate. He had devoted his time and effort into finding a ck Dragon who had inherited the bloodline of a Serpentine Dragon and had gone to great efforts to y it. After that, he had spent a great deal of his fortune and resources to purchase the blood essence of other Ancient Sages to nourish it, hoping to spawn a hatchling of the Dragon Tribe. If so, he would have had an opportunity to tame it while it was still young. However, it seemed like something had gone awry in the end, and his ns had eventually failed toe to fruition. These are only legends of the past, Wu Chen said with a deep frown. It has been so long that its impossible to verify their authenticity. It was true that this matter was recorded in the annals of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but it had happened tens of thousands of years ago, so it was questionable whether the matter was even true or not. It was too much of a risk to sneak into the capital and creep into Great Autarch Yings sealed sleeping chamber to seek the Blood Lake, which might not even exist in the first ce. I think that theres a good chance that its true. Before I came to the Primal Lodestone Mountain, I went to Sovereign Chen Lings pce to request for some Dragonscale Grass. As you know, the Dragonscale Grass is a medicinal herb that only grows in environments where a member of the Dragon Tribe has once lived before. Considering how Sovereign Chen Ling has no Dragon Tribe experts under hismand but has plenty of well-developed Dragonscale Grass in his inventory, I think that the legend recorded in the annals could very well be true! Ancient Sage Hao Xun countered. The Dragonscale Grass was a medicinal herb that was nourished by the aura emanated by members of the Dragon Tribe. It had the effect of strengthening ones physical body and purifying ones bloodline, which made it highly valuable to those of the Beast Tribe. As such, it was an invaluablemodity. Back then, Ancient Sage Hao Xun had searched many ces for the Dragonscale Grass to no avail. Eventually, his search had led him to the pce of Sovereign Chen Ling, and he had finally found what he needed there. At the same time, this matter had cast some doubts in his mind. Hearing the conversation between the two, Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Hao Xun and asked, Is Great Autarch Yings bedroom located in the capital, near where Sovereign Chen Lings pce is? Thats right! Ancient Sage Hao Xun nodded. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Wu Chen could tell that Zhang Xuan was moved by what Ancient Sage Hao Xun had said, and he anxiously advised, Young Master, it wasnt too long ago that Sovereign Chen Ling suffered a huge setback, so his guard is bound to be up at the moment. His pce will surely be heavily fortified, and there will be countless experts patrolling around its premises. It will be near impossible for us to enter the area! Youre right. It will indeed be tough, but as long as we look closely, we should be able to find an opening that were able to exploit! Zhang Xuan remarked contemtively as he stroked his lower jaw. But... For the time being, the two of you should seek out other Ancient Sages and see if you are able to bring them over to our side. Meanwhile, Ill enter the capital to take a look. Rest assured, with my disguise capabilities, theres no way that theyll be able to catch me! Zhang Xuan said. The worst ce that he could be at the moment was the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Given the limitations of his strength, it would be best for him not to take the risk. However, if he could really find the Blood Lake and undo the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear, he could potentially gain the strength to subdue even Blood Reincarnation realm experts. Thus, this was a risk that he would willingly bear! Sigh... I guess theres no choice then! Seeing that Zhang Xuans mind was made up, Wu Chen decided not to say anything more. The disguise amulet given to them by the Spirit God was extremely powerful, so it was indeed unlikely that anyone would be able to see through his disguise. Furthermore, after the incident at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Sovereign Chen Ling and the others probably thought that his Young Master was dead. His Young Master might just be able to use those two edges to his advantage and pull this off. Chapter 1798 - Liu Yang’s Experiences

Chapter 1798: Liu Yangs Experiences

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that he would not be able to change the mind of his Young Master, Wu Chen worriedly advised, Young Master, you have to be careful! If any harm came to this young man, the Spirit God might just destroy the entire Spirit Tribe with a wave of her hand. While others might be oblivious to Spirit Gods prowess, he was well aware of the destruction that she could potentially bring to the world in a fit of rage. Even when she first descended upon the Master Teacher Continent, the entire dimension had nearly copsed due to her overwhelming aura. If she really bore malicious intentions against the Master Teacher Continent, no one would be able to stop her. Rest assured! Knowing what Wu Chen was worried about, Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Ill prioritize my own safety and wont take unnecessary risks. Meanwhile, try to get as many Ancient Sages as possible to our side. Ill be looking forward to the results of your search! In the search for the Blood Lake, it would be easier for him to hide himself the fewer people there were. With the mystical effects of the disguise amulet, together with Vicious and the Infernal cksaber, even if he was discovered somehow, escaping should not be too difficult for him. Having decided on their next moves, they swiftly divided into two groups and parted with one another. Zhang Xuan returned to the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and swiftly found Liu Yang. As Liu Yang had been taken there by Sovereign Chen Yong, his current position in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was extremely awkward. The only reason that the two Sovereigns had not made a move on him yet was because he was one of the most notable figures among the younger Otherworldly Demons at the moment. If not for the fame and poprity that he enjoyed, he would have already lost his life. Sitting in a silent chamber, Zhang Xuan erected an istion barrier around the area and asked Liu Yang, What happened after you left the Qingyuan Empire? After his student departed from his side back at the Qingyuan Empire, he seemed to have suddenly vanished without a trace. Zhang Xuan had wondered many times whether he had fallen into a perilous position or gotten himself trapped in some perilousnds, but who could have known that he had found his way to the otherworldly battlefield and even be Sovereign Chen Yongs sessor? Under the personal tutge of the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor, Liu Yang had managed to keep up with his other direct disciples, reaching Sempiternal realm consummation as well. Liu Yang did not respond to his teachers question right away. Instead, he kneeled to the floor and kowtowed deeply. Teacher, I have caused you to worry for leaving without bidding farewell. I deserve death for my actions! His teacher had done many things for him and was his greatest benefactor, but as a student, he had actually fled in the face of danger. That was truly an unfilial act from him. Its good as long as youre doing fine! Zhang Xuan said as he hurriedly stepped forward to help Liu Yang up. What Liu Yang had chosen to do was indeed wrong, but he could understand the feelings of his student. Zheng Yang had be the Progeny of Combat and had a bright future ahead of him. Zhao Ya was the young court chief of the cier in Court, and she was on track to be one of the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. The same went for Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, Lu Chong... All of them had already found their own paths. In contrast, he had nearly been put down by the Master Teacher Pavilion. The pressure that he had been under then was immense. Teacher, thank you for your benevolence! Liu Yang was deeply relieved to hear that his teacher had no intention of ming him, but he still did not intend to get up. Instead, he began going through the events that had transpired after he left. Back when I left Qingyuan City, I thought that I was a good-for-nothing. Compared to the others, I had no particr strength, and I felt that my future was bleak. In a moment of inattention, I stepped into their of a powerful beast and was nearly killed. Pushed to a corner, I unintentionally drove the cultivation technique that you imparted to me in reverse, but I ended up releasing something reminiscent of the Otherworldly Demons Zhenqi of ughter! You drove the cultivation technique in reverse? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Thats right! Liu Yang nodded as he began driving his zhenqi. As expected, Zhang Xuan felt concentrated killing intent crushing down on his body. It was an aura reminiscent of an Otherworldly Demon Emperor. In terms of concentration, it was shockingly on par with even Sovereign Chen Yong himself! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Its possible for even the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art to bring out such prowess? All along, he had thought that imitating the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes Zhenqi of ughter was a unique ability of the Heavens Path zhenqi. Who could have known that it was possible to emte the same effects through reversing the cirction of the Heavens Path Divine Art? Of course, this might also be something unique to Liu Yang. At the very least, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others had cultivated the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art as well, but they had never brought forth such an ability. Through reversing the flow of my zhenqi, I managed to kill the beast in the end. However, I also sustained severe injuries in the midst of doing so. Fortunately, the intensity of my killing intent ended up drawing Sovereign Chen Yong over. He noticed my talents and abilities, and he wanted to pass down his heritage to me! Liu Yang fell into the passageway of memories as he recounted his previous encounters. I knew that your wish is to eliminate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I thought that if I could get into their ranks, I might just be able to help your cause. So, I agreed to be his sessor... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. The cultivation technique that Liu Yang practiced was the simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. It had already enhanced his constitution and his talents, such that the potential within him would not lose out to anyone across the entire Master Teacher Continent! It might have been a stroke of luck that Liu Yang managed to reverse the flow of the Heavens Path Divine Art and converted it into Zhenqi of ughter, thus receiving Sovereign Chen Yongs appreciation. However... was all of this not too much of a coincidence? For the highest leader of Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to suddenly chance upon a highly talented Otherworldly Demon on the Master Teacher Continent, was this not something very suspicious? Given that Luo Ruoxin and I parted in the Qingyuan Empire, and that Luo Ruoxin is the Spirit God and Sovereign Chen Yong is her subordinate... could it be her doing? A thought came into Zhang Xuans mind, and he quickly asked, Have you ever met Ruoxin while following behind Sovereign Chen Yong? Im referring to Luooshi from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Liu Yang, Wang Ying, and the others had met Luo Ruoxin while she was still a teacher at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. If the two of them had met one another, he would surely recognize him. I havent seen Luooshi since leaving Qingyuan City... Liu Yang shook his head. Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing those words. Could he have guessed wrong? If Ruoxin was not behind it, was Liu Yang not really lucky to have met Sovereign Chen Yong albeit the odds? Then... have you heard of the Spirit God? Zhang Xuan pressed on further. Teacher, you mean the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Theres no one here who hasnt heard of the Spirit God! Liu Yang replied. Shes the faith of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, such that not even the Three Sovereigns dare to undermine her. Sovereign Chen Yong told me that he only found me through the guidance of the Spirit God. However, I have only heard rumors about the Spirit God so far, so I dont really know too much about it! The guidance of the Spirit God? Hearing those words, a smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips. It seemed like he had guessed right. Luo Ruoxin was indeed behind Liu Yang bing the sessor of Sovereign Chen Yong. He was thankful to her for saving Liu Yang, but she should have met Liu Yang and known that he was a human. To bring him into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... what kind of intentions did she have in mind? Zhang Xuan was getting more and more confused by the situation. Uponing to the otherworldly battlefield, I realized that I could improve quickly by absorbing the power of the blood moon through driving my cultivation technique in reverse. Sovereign Chen Yong also treats me very well, going to the extent of conducting a ritual for me to raise my cultivation. As such, I managed to ovee the Great Sage bottleneck within a few months and reach my current level of strength! In the first ce, as Liu Yangs body had been tempered by the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art, his talent could be considered superior to most cultivators. On top of that, Luo Ruoxin had been caring for him from the side, and the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor had been grooming him personally. It would be difficult for him not to be strong. As such, I managed to rise above the younger generation and make a bit of fame for myself in the capital. After that, Sovereign Chen Yong said that he had some matters he needed to leave for a while. Not too longter, Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing returned and proimed that Sovereign Chen Yong had been killed by the Master Teacher Pavilion. As a result of that, Im also gradually being sidelined within the capital, Liu Yang swiftly exined his current situation. Considering that he had been brought there by Sovereign Chen Yong and was viewed as thetters sessor, if not for the poprity that he enjoyed in the capital and his wariness, he might have been killed already, just like the other subordinates of Sovereign Chen Yong. Of course, it might also have been because he did not wield any actual authority that Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing did not view him as a threat. If he truly wielded military power, he would probably have been killed by now. Nevertheless, Liu Yang still moved around warily, fearing to even step out of his house. He was afraid that the slightest carelessness would bring him into the very jaws of the enemies. Chapter 1799 - Offering Pointers to Liu Yang

Chapter 1799: Offering Pointers to Liu Yang

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing have already thrown their all in and no longer have a path of retreat, so your current circumstances are very dangerous. However, if you flee right now, theyll ce the title of a traitor above your head, making it impossible for you to return, Zhang Xuan said. Knowing the current situation that his direct disciple was in, he fell into deep thought, but he was unable to think of any better n at the moment. Thus, he flicked his wrist and said, This is the blood essence left behind by Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages. Hurry up and assimte it. This way, youll have an additionalyer of protection even if they intend you harm! Liu Yang epted the blood essence with gratitude. Without much hesitation, he took it and swallowed it. The power of the blood essence immediately began billowing within Liu Yangs body. At the same time, Zhang Xuan walked to thetters back and pumped surges of zhenqi into his body in order to facilitate the assimtion of the blood essence. Within a short hour, thetter had already fully absorbed the Ancient Sage blood. After assimting the blood essence, Liu Yang could feel his strength growing significantly. However, he was still some distance away from achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. This is a portion of and that I have sealed that contains Aeon of Ancient Sage. It should be able to help you in your breakthrough to the Ancient Sage realm. Also, I have a technique that allows you to cultivate your Soul Depth, and Ill impart it to you right now. Try your best to reach Ancient Sage as soon as possible! Zhang Xuan instructed as he took out a painting and passed it over. The circle of Otherworldly Demons was fraught with treachery and danger. If Liu Yang wanted to survive in such a circle, he would have to quickly reach the level of an Ancient Sage! The fact that Liu Yangs disguise had not been seen through by Sovereign Chen Yong was something huge. If he walked down this route, he might be able to achieve something amazing in the future. If he could establish his standing in the current internal struggle or perhaps even gain dominance over this seemingly uncontroble race, it would definitely be a cause for celebration for mankind. There would be no better oue than that. Thank you, Teacher! Liu Yang said. Even though he had only been in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for several months, he had already undergone many different trials and cmities. He was no longer the headstrong and egotistical young man that he had once been. He knew that despite how easily his teacher was taking those things out, they were actually iparably valuable treasures that would cause countless cultivators to vie over any one of them. Even Ancient Sages would dive right into the fight as well. Despite his unfilial actions, his teacher did not me him at all. Instead, thetter even bestowed such invaluable treasures. This left him deeply ashamed of himself. As if seeing through Liu Yangs thoughts, Zhang Xuan said, Everyone has their own encounters in life, so theres no need to envy others. Such emotions will only narrow the scope of your outlook and limit your state of mind, thus diminishing your future aplishments. His voice seemed to pierce right into Liu Yangs soul, striking his core. Negative emotions such as envy, hatred, and resentment would only unnerve ones mind, rendering one incapable of finding inner peace. In the worst-case scenario, one might even be a ve to ones own emotions. Of his many disciples, Liu Yang was not a person who particrly stood out, and he had unwittingly gotten himself into deep trouble, which had created an inferiorityplex. That was also the reason for him simply turning around and leaving, hoping that he would be able to find a world that belonged to him. Ultimately, his hope was just to stand proudly on equal terms with Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others. Such emotions could be a powerful pushing force, tempering one to be more resilient than ever. At the same time, it could also push one into a corner, causing one to lose sight of ones surroundings. Zhang Xuan had neglected this back when Liu Yang was still by his side, so he felt that he should voice this advice to thetter right now so that he would not stray down the wrong path. I understand! Liu Yang said grimly. In order to be a true expert, your heart must be broad. The reason that Kong shi was able to rise above the others is due to the vastness of his mind, which allowed him to see past differences to epass all beings within him. No one else has achieved the same state of mind as him, which is why he remains the most respected individual in the world, remembered even after tens of thousands of years! Zhang Xuan said. It was only after entering the Temple of Confucius that he realized just how powerful and great Kong shi truly was. It was true that Kong shis strength had remained unrivaled ever since his era, but the world remembered him not for his might but his teachings. Just from that, it could be seen just how respectable a person he was. Zhang Xuan could see the knot in Liu Yangs heart slowly unraveling as he thought things through, and he heaved a sigh of relief. The greatest weakness of this student of his was that he was simply toopetitive. Be it consciously or subconsciously, he would always pit himself against Zheng Yang and the others,paring who was better. The rtions among those of the same lineage should be built upon mutual support. There was no doubt that rivalry was a powerful force of motivation, but a rtionship should never be built solely upon rivalry. Otherwise, if those feelings were to intensify and exceed a certain point, they could be toxic and breed resentment. I understand! Liu Yang nodded in realization. Having let go of everything that had been bogging down his mind, he turned Zhang Xuan and asked, Teacher, is there some reason that you chose toe to the capital alone? I n to head to Sovereign Chen Lings pce to find some dragon blood! Zhang Xuan said, not hiding anything from his student. Sovereign Chen Lings pce? Liu Yang frowned. Teacher, even though I have never been there myself, I have heard of how guarded the ce is. Its impossible for outsiders to enter the premises! I understand that, but I have apelling reason for needing to enter that ce at any cost! Zhang Xuan nodded. There were too many things that he wanted to achieve that required greater power, such as resolving the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and looking for Luo Ruoxin. To do that, unsealing the Dragonbone Divine Spear was definitely the fastest way to raise his fighting prowess. From Zhang Xuans attitude, Liu Yang could see that his teacher was determined to get into Sovereign Chen Lings pce. He stood up, and with a deep frown on his forehead, he said, Sovereign Chen Lings pce has thirteenyers of defenses. Even soul oracles would have trouble entering the area! As for attempting to barge in forcefully, it is questionable whether even an Ancient Sage would be pull it off or not. Furthermore, we dont have a clear idea where the dragon blood is stored. If Sovereign Chen Ling discovers your aim somehow, it will be far more difficult to find it! Without a doubt, barging in forcefully was not an option. First and foremost, his strength was severelycking. While he would still be able to escape from Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages with Vicious and the Infernal cksaber, it was a wholly different matter if he was charging right into their midst. Furthermore, considering that nothing could be confirmed yet, it did not seem wise for him to make such a reckless move. I have to sneak in first! In truth, Zhang Xuan had been thinking over this matter, and he already had a rough idea in mind. First and foremost, I head toward Sovereign Chen Lings pce to check out the area! It went without saying that the first thing he had to do was gather some information about the ce that he wanted to break into. As long as he coulde close enough to trigger the Library of Heavens Path, the rest would not pose a problem. Liu Yang, I need you to help me look around for any opportunity to enter Sovereign Chen Lings pce. For one, he was severely injured by Sovereign Chen Yong not too long ago, so has he tried finding any physicians to treat him? Vicious arm had plunged right into Sovereign Chen Ling, and that had shaken the very foundation of his cultivation. Even without any news about Sovereign Chen Ling, it was clear that there was no way that he could have recovered from such severe injuries so quickly. In other words, there was a good chance that Sovereign Chen Ling was still seeking treatment and required the help of physicians. This could possibly be a good chance for him to sneak into Sovereign Chen Lings pce. Ill go take a look! Seeing that his teacher already had an idea in mind, Liu Yang turned around and left the room. As the sessor looked upon favorably by Sovereign Chen Yong, Liu Yang had already established his own intelligencework in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in the couple of months that he had been there. In less than two hours time, he returned to the room. Just as you guessed, Sovereign Chen Lings pce is indeed recruiting. However, what they are looking isnt physicians! Liu Yang said with a bizarre look on his face, as if he could not believe what he had just heard. They arent looking for physicians? What are they looking for then? Zhang Xuan frowned. It had been his deduction that Sovereign Chen Ling was looking for physicians in order to receive treatment. Given the severity of his condition, it was unlikely that ordinary physicians would be able to treat him, so he would attempt to gather talents all around to diagnose him. If that was the case, he could make use of this chance to sneak up. Thats right! Liu Yang paused for a moment before continuing. They are looking for appraisers! Chapter 1800 - The Arrogant Appraiser

Chapter 1800: The Arrogant Appraiser

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Appraisers? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He could understand why Sovereign Chen Ling would want to recruit physicians, poison masters, or even those with unique abilities, but appraisers... What the heck was the other party up to? The Master Teacher Pavilion had ssified most upations into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Nine Paths. In contrast, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe did not have a clear ssification for upations, and there were no corresponding guilds. Nevertheless, they still had the heritages of upations that were passed down from generation to generation. Of course, it was nowhere near as detailed and thorough as the heritage on the Master Teacher Continent. Appraisers served to identify artifacts and determine their value; they possessed no ability to cure or heal. Why was Sovereign Chen Ling bringing such people in? Was there some kind of misunderstanding? I was skeptical about the news as well, so I made sure to verify the matter several times. Ever since Sovereign Chen Ling returned from the Master Teacher Continent, he has been cooping himself in the depths of his pce, but instead of rallying physicians, he has been bringing appraisers in instead, Liu Yang said. Despite being severely injured, he didnt seek the treatment of physicians. Instead, he went to look for appraisers... Theres something really amiss here! The more unnatural something was, the more likely that there were treacherous currents thaty beneath the surface. The entire matter simply sounded too ridiculous to be true. Just thinking about a couple of appraisers standing by the ill Sovereign Chen Lings side, appraising his wounds... Wow, this injury sure is amazing. It must be worth at least eight hundred pinnacle spirit stones! That isnt just it. Take a closer look at this injury... Its caused by an Ancient Sage who lived tens of thousands of years ago, and the injury has a unique mark on it. It must be worth ten thousand pinnacle spirit stones at the very least! You want to buy a treasure like this with just ten thousand pinnacle spirit stones? Dream on! Even the injuries inflicted by an ordinary Ancient Sage are worth this much, let alone something of such caliber... ... Cough cough. Zhang Xuan realized that his thoughts had unintentionally wandered too far away, so he quickly dragged himself back to reality. Zhang Xuan shook away the misceneous thoughts in his mind and said, No matter what his motive is, I should head over to take a look for myself... Teacher, what do you have in mind? Liu Yang asked. Since hes bringing in appraisers, I reckon that there should be some kind of examination grounds for the appraisers, right? Ill head over there to have a look! After Sovereign Chen Yongs death, Sovereign Chen Ling had officially be the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, if he let out the news that he was recruiting appraisers, countless Otherworldly Demons would rush forward to fill the position. Naturally, not everyone who applied for the job would be allowed to enter Sovereign Chen Lings pce. There was bound to be some kind of exam to filter the capable from the mediocre. Since that was the case, it was a good opportunity for him to head over there and construct a new identity for himself. Theres indeed an examination for the appraisers. Allow me to take you there! Liu Yang quickly replied with a nod. Theres no need for that. Your current identity is a little sensitive, and youll draw too many gazes if we head there together. Itll be safer for me to head there alone, so you just have to point out the directions to me, Zhang Xuan said. Alright then! Liu Yang did not insist on the matter. As the sessor that Sovereign Chen Yong had chosen, Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing would definitely be keeping track of every single one of his movements. If he was seen walking around with another person, it would cause a fair bit of trouble. Thus, Zhang Xuan discreetly left the silent chamber and began heading in the direction that Liu Yang had pointed out to him. The destination was a market that sold treasures of all kinds. If one wanted to enter Sovereign Chen Lings pce, one would have to disy true capabilities. It happened that there were innumerable rare and precious artifacts in the market, which made it an ideal location to hold the examination. Disguising himself as an ordinary Otherworldly Demon, Zhang Xuan swiftly slipped into the crowd. The market was bustling. While it was not as prosperous as the markets of major human cities, the treasures that were on disy were truly exquisite. There were all sorts of precious herbs, skeletal frames of powerful beasts, and so on. Even Zhang Xuan had trouble naming some of the items despite the vast knowledge that he possessed. Its no wonder so many people are drawn to the Subterranean Gallery despite the dangers. These medicinal properties of these herbs are far superior to what we have on the Master Teacher Continent... Zhang Xuan nodded as he walked across the vendors. It went without saying that Wu Kuang and the others did not choose to enter the Subterranean Gallery for fun and games. While nts were much sparser in that extreme environment, the very fact that they were able to survive in the face of such dense killing intent already meant that they were extraordinary. It was simr to how nts that could survive the arid heat of the desert tended to be far more resilient and tenacious. However, while these things were invaluable to others, they meant nothing to Zhang Xuan. He simply spared them a nce before heading in the direction that Liu Yang had pointed. This thing is trash because I said so. Are you casting doubt over my judgement? Before Zhang Xuan could get far, he heard a particrly abrasive voice nearby. He turned around and saw an elder standing before a stall with his hands behind his back. The elder was ring at the vendor with frosty eyes. Lord, I risked my life in order to obtain this Greenleaf Amber, and I even lost my arm due to that... I can swear on my life that it is true! A middle-aged man flung his arms around anxiously. ncing over, Zhang Xuan saw that the middle-aged man had indeed lost his left arm, and the wounds had yet to recover. Theres no vendor who wouldnt say that. They prepare a sob story for the artifacts that they have on disy so as to give it some kind of amazing history, but Ill have to ask you to spare me such nonsense. Such trickery wont work on me! The elders face remained utterly cold. He flung his sleeves coldly and said, In terms of appearance, Greenleaf Amber looks nearly identical to Lostdictum Grass. Its clear that what you have here is a Lostdictum Grass, but you dare to pass it off as a Greenleaf Amber and hiked up its price... Shall I report you to the guards right now and have them put you away for selling fake medicinal herbs? Upon hearing those words, the middle-aged mans face paled in fright. I really am not selling fake medicinal herbs! Since you need to make a living as well, even though this fake medicinal herb of yours ispletely worthless, Ill spare you mypassion and buy it for two Great Yong coins! As he said those words, the elder flicked two coins toward the middle-aged man. Great Yong coins were the standard currency distributed by Sovereign Chen Yong. Their purchasing power was limited, such that ten Great Yong coins was only equivalent to a low-tier spirit stone. Two Great Yong coins was pretty much nothing. Two coins? But my Greenleaf Amber is able to sell for at least two hundred thousand Great Yong coins! the middle-aged man eximed in agitation. True Greenleaf Amber was worth at least two hundred thousand Great Yong coins, but he was only being offered two coins. This difference was simply too huge! Are you doubting the words of our Old Master? The servant standing behind the elder harrumphed. Ill have you know that our Old Master is an appraiser who has cleared Sovereign Chen Lings examination! Since he says that what you have over there is Lostdictum Grass, it cant possibly be anything else. If you dare utter another word ofint, Ill have someone destroy your stall. Just wait and see if anyone dares step in and lend you a hand! Appraisers were not highly regarded in the world, but the word of an appraiser was golden in the market. If an appraiser said that an artifact was authentic, it would be seen as authentic regardless of the truth. The contrary applied as well. Due to the strict rules of the Appraiser Hall that allowed appraisers to only make three mistakes in their lifetime, no appraiser would dare make an appraisal lightly on the Master Teacher Continent. On the other hand, such a restriction did not apply in the otherworldly battlefield, thus making appraisers an existence whom no one dared offend. It seems like that fellow doesnt wish to spend money and still wants to acquire that middle-aged mans Greenleaf Amber... Zhang Xuan shook his head. While he did not know too much about the medicinal herbs of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, as a physician, he was still able to see the spirit and medicinal properties of the herb with ease. Based on the tremendous medicinal energy harnessed within the herb, it was definitely worth more than two Great Yong coins. Clearly, the appraiser knew that as well, which was why he mibeled it the Lostdictum Grass so that he could underhandedly snatch it. To intentionally appraise an artifact incorrectly so as to purchase it at a lower price... such urrences were, in fact, not too rare. He had often encountered such situations in his previous life, let alone here. The crowd in the surroundings were also well aware of what was going on, but they dared not say anything about the matter. They feared that the elder would resort to the same tactics on them, thus affecting their business and reputation. I happen tock an identity at the moment, so I guess youll be the perfect candidate for me to impersonate... Zhang Xuan had been nning to proceed to the ce where the appraiser examination was held when he heard thismotion. A smile crept onto his lips as he halted in his tracks. He would require a verifiable identity in order to get into Sovereign Chen Lings pce. Since that fellow was openly bullying others, it would not weigh on his conscience to use him. Chapter 1801 - Sovereign Chen Ling’s Palace

Chapter 1801: Sovereign Chen Lings Pce

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After taking away the middle-aged mans Greenleaf Amber, the elder tilted his chin upward smugly before heading out. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan quickly followed behind him. Leaving the market, the elder strolled along the streets for a moment before entering an alley. Zhang Xuan swiftly flicked his finger, and that arrogant elders vision immediately turned ck. His body faltered before toppling to the ground. With Zhang Xuans strength as a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator, dealing with a Saint 6-dan appraiser was a walk in the park. Soul Search! Without wasting any time, Zhang Xuan immediately invaded the other partys thoughts. In an instant, he had already fully grasped the other partys identity and background. If he wanted to sneak into Sovereign Chen Lings pce, he would require a legitimate and verifiable identity. The appraisers who had been recruited into Sovereign Chen Lings pce would surely have to undergo rigorous identity checks in order to ensure that they were no threat before they were allowed onto the premises. Thus, Zhang Xuans first goal at the market had actually been to find a reputable appraiser and assume the other partys identity. This way, no one would cast doubt over his identity. An appraiser from Kaiyong City, Wu Tao... He has already cleared Sovereign Chen Lings appraiser examination and is intending to make his way over soon. Well, this sure worked out in my favor. Ill be spared a great deal of trouble this way... Zhang Xuan was able to find out about the appraisers background swiftly through Soul Search. After gathering everything that he needed to know, he lightly waved his hand. Hu! That arrogant Otherworldly Demon appraiser and his subordinates were reduced to dust, vanishingpletely from the face of the world. The items that could be used to verify his identity had all fallen into Zhang Xuans hands. Alright, I should head over to Sovereign Chen Lings pce! The disguise amulet glowed slightly in Zhang Xuans hand, and his body began to transform. In the blink of an eye, he became identical to Wu Tao, such that even thetters closest kin would be unable to tell the two of them apart. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan began making his way over to Sovereign Chen Lings pce based on the directions that he had received from Wu Taos memories. The Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe each had their own pces, and they were spaced equally apart in the capital. Sovereign Chen Lings pce was not too far from where Zhang Xuan currently was. Walking through roughly eight streets, he found himself standing before towering pce walls. Zhang Xuan went up to the pce gates and passed the token representing his identity over to the guards. The identity token was inspected a total of eight times by numerous personnel before he was finally granted entry into the pce. Appraiser Wu Tao, please follow me, one of the guards ushered. Zhang Xuan was unable to uncover the real reason for Sovereign Chen Lings search for appraisers from Wu Taos memory. Most likely, none of the appraisers had been informed of the true reason. Thus, he leaned in toward the guard and asked in a lowered voice, May I ask why Sovereign Chen Ling has invited us here? I would like to make some preparations beforehand so as to perform well before him. As he spoke, he discreetly passed a pinnacle spirit stone over. The guard nced at the pinnacle spirit stone before turning around to face Zhang Xuan with a wintry look on his face. You just have to do whatever you are required to. Little schemes like this arent required in Sovereign Chen Lings pce! Yes, yes! Zhang Xuan nodded in a fluster. I just wish to make some friends. I dont mean anything else by it. Aspensation for my thoughtless action, please ept this little gift of mine! Un! The guard hesitated for a moment before taking the pinnacle spirit stone and cing it within his storage ring. With a stern voice, he warned, Dont ever try this again in here! Following which, he turned around and continued proceeding ahead. There was a moment of silence before his hushed voice emerged. You appraisers are being gathered in order to determine the exact value of a certain artifact. Sovereign Chen Ling has his eye on this matter, so no failures will be forgiven. If you dare overestimate the value, you could potentially lose your life. Dont say that I didnt warn you! Zhang Xuan hurriedly nodded in response. The value of an artifacty not only in its functionality but also its history. As such, appraisers would tend to append additional value to an artifact depending on the identity of its owner, but that could lead to some inuracies in the determined value. Even if one imitated a work of art to the point where one could hardly tell the difference, the gap in the price between the original and the imitation would still be vast. What the guard was saying was very simple. Regardless of the history of the artifact that he was going to appraise, he should determine its value based on its pragmatic functionality. There was no need to consider other factors. Keep that in mind, and it should be fine. Ill take you over right now. Im just a subordinate, so I cant say for sure what kind of mission will be assigned to you. Nevertheless, I wish you the best of luck, the guard muttered quietly before falling silent. It seemed like this was the extent of the intelligence that he had on hand. Im truly indebted to you! Zhang Xuan replied respectfully as he passed another pinnacle spirit stone over. The situation was truly a little bewildering. To think that Sovereign Chen Ling had really brought appraisers into his pce in order to appraise an artifact. He had seen with his own eyes how severely injured Sovereign Chen Ling was back at the Temple of Confucius. It was only due to his superior cultivation that he did not lose his life on the spot. Yet, after returning to his base, instead of seeking treatment for his injuries, he had chosen to bring appraisers in instead. Zhang Xuan found this extremely difficult toprehend. Following behind the guard, he soon arrived before a splendid looking hall. There were numerous shelves within the hall, and all sorts of treasures sat quietly on those shelves. A sizeable number of appraisers were wandering around the shelves, examining the treasures on them intently. As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the hall, another guard immediately walked over and spoke with an authoritative tone. You are one of the recruited appraisers, correct? Your task right now is to appraise all of the artifacts in the room. You are to write down each of their values on a piece of paper and ce them into the corresponding boxes. Start from the first artifact over there. Remember, you are not to interact with any of the other candidates; anyone caught talking will be killed without any hesitation! Knowing that this was another challenge that Sovereign Chen Ling had prepared to test the appraisers that he had recruited, Zhang Xuan nodded before making his way over to the shelves. In front of the first artifact on the first shelf, there was a box that resembled the polling boxes from his previous life. There was a unique seal inscribed on the box that prevented anyone from taking out or peering into the contents of the box. In other words, it was impossible to read the answers of other appraisers through Spiritual Perception. To have so many appraisers gauge the value of the same artifacts... Sovereign Chen Ling is really trying to filter the group down to the cream of the crop! Zhang Xuan thought as he looked around the room. The appraiser who hade before him had already finished appraising the first artifact and ced his estimate into the box before proceeding ahead. With no chance tomunicate with one another, this test would really assess the capability of the appraiser to value artifacts. Zhang Xuan walked up to the first artifact to take a closer look at it. It was a ck ore with a slightly rough texture. Astonishingly, he was unable to tell what kind of material it was with a single nce. Thus, he stretched his hand forward, and a book swiftly materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Stone of the Fallen Star, an ore that can only be mined from the Deep Abyss of Skynorth. It has the effect of calming inner demons... The book detailed the value and ws of the ck ore. After browsing through the content of the book, Zhang Xuan did not rush to jot down the value of the ck ore. Instead, he continued to examine it for a while longer before finally grabbing a nk piece of paper to write down the value that he had estimated. The currency that he chose to use for his valuation was of course Great Yong coins and pinnacle spirit stones. After slipping the paper into the box, Zhang Xuan moved on to the next artifact. It was another rare ore that was of simr value to the Stone of Fallen Star. Just like that, Zhang Xuan appraised five artifacts. He could not help but raise his eyebrows a little upon realizing that the artifacts that were on disy on the shelf were all ores. In truth, appraising ores was not too difficult. As long as one could correctly determine the properties of the ore, one would be able to easily estimate its value. But if it was a test, it did not make sense to use ores of simr values. Just what in the world was Sovereign Chen Ling up to? After appraising ten ores, there was finally a change to the genre of the artifactsmedicinal herbs. Some of the medicinal herbs on disy were fresh whereas some were already dried and withered, making it extremely difficult to discern them properly. Keeping Wu Taos limited capabilities as an appraiser into mind, Zhang Xuan intentionally slowed down. For some nts, he acted as if he was unable to determine its value, such that he took out a book and began jotting down notes, seemingly attempting to make a clever deduction. Alright, we shall be ending the appraisal today. Please return and rest well. We shall continue the appraisal tomorrow! After some time, a voice suddenly sounded from outside the hall. Following which, a middle-aged man walked right into the very center of the room. Chapter 1802 - Snooping Around Sovereign Chen Lings Palace

Chapter 1802: Snooping Around Sovereign Chen Lings Pce

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up slightly. The middle-aged man was actually a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator just like him. Its finally time for a rest... I really should take this resting time to brush up on my knowledge in preparation for tomorrow! These artifacts are simply too difficult to appraise... ... Hearing that it was finally rest time, the crowd subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief. Gradually, silent mutterings began sounding here and there. The artifacts on disy in the room were progressively getting more and more difficult to appraise. Even though the crowd that had gathered were all the top-notch appraisers of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they were already starting to feel the limits of their knowledge. This rest time had reallye at a timely moment. Even though it was called rest time, chances were that most of the appraiser would take the opportunity to read some reference books to ensure greater uracy in their appraisals. Otherwise, they might just lose their heads after appraising one of the artifacts inurately. Everyone, this way please! Following which, dozens of guards dressed in monotonous ck armor stepped forward. Each of them was assigned an appraiser to escort back to their living quarters, including Zhang Xuan. Even though Zhang Xuan had many doubts in his mind at the moment, he knew that posing his questions would draw unnecessary attention to himself, so he chose to keep silent. Following quietly behind the guard, he maneuvered through corridor after corridor. Soon, he arrived before a room. It seemed like each of the appraisers was assigned a room. You arent allowed to visit or interact with one another. If you wish to ess any reading material, you can make a request through me. If the pce has the reading material that you require, Ill bring it over to your room. Simrly, if you wish to cultivate or recuperate from your fatigue, you can request medicinal herbs or pills from me as well, the guard instructed as he opened the door to the room for Zhang Xuan. I understand! Zhang Xuan nodded as he entered the room. There was an istion formation within the room that prevented him from using any Communication Jade Token. It seemed like they were really determined to stop any possiblemunication among the appraisers. The moment that they started to exchange insights, the prices determined by each of the appraisers would be more simr to one another. If so, it would be hard to urately gauge the true price of the artifacts. Jiya! The door creaked to a close as Zhang Xuan took a seat. The silent chamber was not too big, spanning roughly forty square meters. Nevertheless, whatever one would typically require could all be found in the room, be it water, a table, chairs, or a bed. There were Spirit Gathering Formations fueled by pinnacle spirit stones set up within the room, supplying ample spiritual energy to those residing within. No matter how exhausted a person was, they would be able to recover to their full strength just by spending a short period of time within the room. This is a good opportunity for me to look into the whereabouts of the dragon blood! Zhang Xuan thought as he took a seat on the floor. Taking a deep breath, his Primordial Spirit slipped out of his body from his be. The reason that he had gone to the trouble of getting there was not to serve as an appraiser for Sovereign Chen Ling but to find dragon blood in order to undo the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Since he had some free time to kill, it went without saying that it was an ideal chance for him to do some scouting. His Primordial Spirit floated quietly in the room for a moment before discreetly heading out. As he tried to pass through the door, he suddenly felt a force pushing him back. This formation actually hinders the passageway of souls! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Soul oracles had long vanished from the face of the Master Teacher Continent, resulting in the Master Teacher Pavilion and many other major powers neglecting to set up defenses against souls. However, the soul oracle upation was still very much existent among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, As a result, most major powers in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would still erect anti-soul oracle barriers to prevent them from snooping into their affairs. If he attempted to forcefully barge through the barrier, it might bring him greater trouble. Eye of Insight! Through his sharp gaze, Zhang Xuan swiftly found openings in the formation that he could slip through with ease. Hu! A slight crack opened between the doors as he slipped out silently. This is where youll stay for the night... Along the corridor, the ck-armored guards were still settling the appraisers into their amodations. Zhang Xuan stuck close to the wall as he swiftly flitted away from the area. As his Primordial Spirit had reached Sempiternal realm consummation as well, it was simply too easy for him to hide himself from those guards. Leaving the amodation, Zhang Xuan began to wander around the area. Considering that he was in Sovereign Chen Lings pce, he dared not fly too high. It was not that he was afraid of the defensive formations that were around the area, but he knew that it was likely that there would be Ancient Sages lurking within the perimeter. If he was noticed by one of them, he would be in deep trouble. The pces of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe are unlike those of the Master Teacher Pavilions. Perhapsndscaping isnt an upation here, so they pay little heed to geography, fortune, and the sort. Nevertheless, through their runic inscriptions and formations, their pces are practically no different from impregnable fortresses. Even with the severe injuries that Sovereign Chen Ling has sustained, as long he chooses to hole himself up in his pce, it would be nigh impossible for Sovereign Chen Yong and the others to corner him and take his life! Zhang Xuan thought as he swiftly mapped out the pce in his mind. On the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was convention to look for and that was blessed by natural forces. This way, one would be able to make use of the surrounding geography to gather spiritual energy in the area. Such a convention was not shared by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. What they did instead was inscribe their runes on the walls and floors. Despite not tapping into the geographical advantages of thend, they were still able to fill their living areas with spiritual energy, thus creating an environment suitable for cultivation. Despite the striking simrities between the two, there was a vast difference in the oue. The former gathered spiritual energy without harming the environment, thusying the foundation for sustainable, long-term development. On the other hand, thetter devoured spiritual energy from thend, caring little about the life and death of others sharing the environment. Perhaps, this could also be a mark of the differences between Otherworldly Demons and mankind. I dont sense dragon blood anywhere... By now, Zhang Xuan had already roamed around the pce for hours, having been to nearly every nook and cranny of Sovereign Chen Lings pce. Yet, he could not find any trace of dragon blood. In fact, even the Dragonscale Grass that Ancient Sage Hao Xun had mentioned previously was nowhere to be seen. Thinking back, the news that Ancient Sage Hao Xun knew of was three thousand years old, so was it possible that... the Blood Lake containing the dragon blood had already ceased to exist? All thats left is that building... After flying for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan set his sights on the final locationSovereign Chen Lings sleeping chambers. Due to the aura of Ancient Sages lingering in the area, he had not dared enter the premises. Since he had not sensed the presence of dragon blood anywhere else, if the Blood Lake was truly still existent, that was the only ce left where it could be. Regardless of whether there are Ancient Sages there or not, Ill have to drop by and take a look... Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and resolved himself. From the moment that he chose to infiltrate Sovereign Chen Lings pce, he had already known that he would face great danger in his undertaking. Without a doubt, sneaking into Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chambers was an extremely risky action, but he could not give up without at least giving it a try. Thus, he reduced his presence to the bare minimum before activating his Eye of Insight to take a closer look at the sleeping chambers not too far away. The entire building was shrouded by a unique seal that would swiftly detect any intruders attempting to snoop in, including soul oracles. Knowing the dangers involved, Zhang Xuan did not rush to make any reckless moves. Instead, he bided his time for an opportune moment to strike. He hid himself in the midst of a massive tree and reined in his aura. With his Soul Depth reaching a levelparable to Ancient Sages, he was already able to remain impervious regardless of the happenings around him. Since there was a good chance that he would be noticed if he tried to breach the seal, he chose to hold back his anxiety and forced himself to patiently wait. As long as someone resided in the living chamber, there were bound to be people entering and leaving it. That would create the opportunity required for him to move in and out. After waiting for nearly an hour, a voice finally sounded behind him. How are the appraisers we have recruited this time around? Slowly turning his gaze over, Zhang Xuan saw the Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man whom he had met at the hall earlier walking behind an elder. The two of them were heading in the direction of the sleeping chamber. The elder had reined his aura into his body, making it difficult to gauge the depth of his strength. However, the tremendous pressure that he exerted through his eyes felt as if he could see through any disguise and concealment with a nce. An Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. There was no doubt about it. The elder had to be an Ancient Sage cultivator. As expected of Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber, it was indeed guarded by the cream of the crop. Knowing the prowess of the elder before him, Zhang Xuan dared not move. Hiding amid the massive tree, he held his breath tightly and forced himself to remainpletely stationary. He was afraid that he would unintentionally give away a clue that would reveal his presence. There are some appraisers who are nearly done appraising all of the artifacts, but they are still uncertain about the values of some of the artifacts. The middle-aged man sighed. Its regrettable, but the appraisers of our Spirit Tribe are simply toocking inparison to those of the Master Teacher Continent! Chapter 1803 - You Found Me!

Chapter 1803: You Found Me!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Trust and rules are of the utmost importance on the Master Teacher Continent, so the principles imposed on the appraisers are much higher. On the other hand, the Spirit Tribe is argelywless area, so appraisers here tend to lie and exaggerate. As a result, the prices that theye up with are unreliable. How distasteful! The elderly Ancient Sage shook his head, seemingly displeased with such circumstances. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe lived in an environment that could be described as survival of the fittest. Most appraisers had devoted their lives to the pursuit of knowledge in order to refine their craft, and they were highly dependent on their eye of discernment and reputation for a living. In terms of strength, they could only be said to be subpar at best. If their client was an ordinary cultivator, they could still speak the truth. However, if they were standing before powerful experts, speaking the truth could very well cost them their life. After all, who knew when an expert would fly into a rage and y them in the fit of their anger? There were plenty of cases where powerful cultivators suffered apse in judgement while purchasing an expensive artifact, only to have their foolishness pointed out while consulting an appraiser. Often, the honest words of the appraiser would incur the wrath of the powerful cultivator, thus inducing the powerful cultivator to vent their anger on the appraiser. As such, it had be a custom for appraisers to mince their words when making an evaluation. Despite that, there were still many appraisers around due to market demand. Without appraisers to value artifacts, the market would swiftly descend into chaos. Did you inform them that we are interested in finding out the real value of those artifacts instead of inted numbers? the elderly Ancient Sage asked. I have made sure to ry those words to every single one of the appraisers, but there are still a handful who jotted down ridiculously inted figures in their valuation! the middle-aged man reported. Drag those people out and execute them. I trust that the other appraisers will know whats best for them once we make an example out of them! The elderly Ancient Sage harrumphed as his killing intent burst forth. In an instant, it felt as if the area had been plunged into the midst of a snowy mountain. Even the massive tree that Zhang Xuan was hiding on swiftly withered as a result of the overwhelming aura. The might of Ancient Sage experts was not just for show. Even a mere sliver of their strength was enough to ce one in great difort. This aura... Zhang Xuans heart jolted. There was indeed a wintry edge to the aura emanated by the Ancient Sages aura, but it was not due to coldness. Rather, there was an eerie undertone to the aura, reminiscent of theherworld. Such an aura was not foreign to Zhang Xuan, and he only knew of one upation that was capable of exerting such an aura. The soul oracles! Could the elderly Ancient Sage possibly be a soul oracle? Hmm? As Zhang Xuan noticed the anomaly, the elderly Ancient Sage seemed to have noticed something amiss in his surroundings as well, and a momentary frown crept onto his forehead. Noticing the anomaly on the elderly Ancient Sages expression, the middle-aged man asked, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, whats wrong? Its nothing much. Ancient Sage Mo Ling waved his hand. You can return for the time being. Do what I have just said. Kill a couple of appraisers and make an example of them to the others. The others should fall in line fast enough! I understand! The middle-aged man nodded. He quickly turned around and left the area. After the middle-aged man left, the elderly Ancient Sage remained on the spot for quite a while, not moving at all. Hiding in the tree, Zhang Xuans lips could not help but twitch in worry. Have I been noticed? He did not dare im that his ability to conceal himself was unparalleled, but with his Soul Depth exceeding 30.0, even Ancient Sages would have trouble sensing his presence. A brief moment of bewilderment earlier had caused a slight fluctuation in his soul energy, but he had suppressed it quick enough. Under normal circumstances, not even Sovereign Chen Ling would have noticed his presence through something as subtle as that. Was it really possible for this elderly Ancient Sage to have noticed his presence? Time ticked by slowly, but the elderly Ancient Sage remained rooted to the spot. It might just have been Zhang Xuans imagination, but it felt like the spirit of the elderly Ancient Sage was locked upon him. He realized that if he did not flee, he might not have the chance to do so in the future. Flee! Without any hesitation, he immediately dived right into the ground. Lost patience, eh? Seeing that Zhang Xuan had finally moved, the elderly Ancient Sage, Mo Ling, suddenly opened his eyes, and a brilliant light shone forth from them, almost as if a crack of dawn illuminating the dark sky. Following which, he stomped his feet heavily on the ground. Boom! The earth immediately began shuddering as ripples of energy diffused beneath his feet like water undtions. At that moment, Zhang Xuans Primordial Spirit came into contact with the ground. He should have been able to dive underground with absolute ease, but he felt as if he had crashed into a metal board. The energy ripples were warding him away, causing him to fall weakly to the ground instead. Seeing that a casual stomp from the other party was more than enough to block his passageway, Zhang Xuans face warped awfully. This is really bad... He was a simple soul. In order to hide his presence, he had not brought the Infernal cksaber, Vicious, the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and the rest with him. If the elderly Ancient Sage cornered him, he would no doubt die. Hu! Knowing that the surface had been sealed and that it was nigh impossible for him to escape underground, Zhang Xuan immediately shot into the air instead. If I allow you to escape, I will really be a failure of an Ancient Sage! the elderly Ancient Sage scoffed as he raised his hand. H! A chilling aura swiftly shrouded the massive tree. Before Zhang Xuan could soar into the air, his Primordial Spirit froze once more. It was as if he had fallen into a bog and was unable to move. Break! Zhang Xuan raised his finger and tapped it lightly. H! The surrounding space rippled, and cracks started to form on it. Previously, he had still needed the power of the Dragonbone Divine Spear in order to break space and form a spatial passageway. However, with his cultivation reaching Sempiternal realm consummation, he could do it easily even with just a tap of his finger. Humph! Ancient Sage Mo Lings lips curved upward, almost as if he had expected Zhang Xuan to make such a move. He raised his palms together and pped them together midair. The cracks in space swiftly mended back together. At the same time, the surrounding space swiftly fortified itself to the point that it was as tough as steel. Despite being able to tear open the space easily a moment ago, Zhang Xuan found that he was unable to even faze it anymore. The strength of an Ancient Sage was simply too great. Without Vicious and the Infernal cksaber, Zhang Xuan really did not stand a chance. ws! Knowing that he could really lose his life if this continued, Zhang Xuan did not dare hold back. Hu! The Library of Heavens Path jolted a little, and an additional book materialized in it. With a hurried tap, the wisdom contained within the book flowed into Zhang Xuans mind. In the blink of an eye, the ws of the sealed space appeared in his mind. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The other party was using soul oracle arts to seal the surrounding space. Even though it seemed tough and imprable, the truth was that there were many openings. Thus, he retreated slightly from the air before tapping his feet lightly on the space beneath him. Hu! The space that he had just tapped on lightly was where one of the ws of the soul oracle art was located. Cracks began spreading throughout the surrounding space once again. Hmm? Not expecting a Sempiternal realm soul to be able to ovee his seal so easily, a slight frown formed between Ancient Sage Mo Lings brows. He raised his hand and grasped at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan could tell with a single nce that there were eight ws in this strike, so he continued charging forward without bothering to dodge the other partys attack at all. H! His silhouette entered the dimension rift, and it seemed like he would tread through space and disappear at any moment. Dont you dare! Seeing how the other party dared to ignore his attack and continue with escaping, Ancient Sage Mo Lings face darkened further. He raised his hands and pped them together forcefully. The dimension rift began closing at a rapid pace once more. If Zhang Xuan failed to stand his ground, he could very well be crushed into bits. Without the slightest hint of panic, Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air before stretching his arm thirty meters away to tap at a certain point in space. Deng deng deng deng! Ancient Sage Mo Ling immediately felt his flow of energy being abruptly severed, and he retreated two steps in a fluster. Hu! Unable to take it any longer, he drew his soul out from his be. In an instant, a furious gale blew across the entire area, and a sinister aura descended upon thend. Farewell! H! Barely after Ancient Sage Mo Ling drew out his soul, a calm voice sounded in his ears. Following which, the dimension rift vanished, and the soul that had been present in the area just a moment ago vanished without a trace. Chapter 1804 - Investigations

Chapter 1804: Investigations

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ancient Mo Lings body froze on the spot as he swiftly rose into the air with his massive soul to assess the surroundings. However, the various buildings around the area werepletely silent, and the formations in the area did not seem like they had been touched at all. It was as if no one had been there in the first ce. Has he escaped? Ancient Sage Mo Lings eyes narrowed menacingly as a frighteningly cold aura drifted from him. As the strongest expert of the soul oracles, he possessed extraordinary cultivation. He had thought that he would be able to capture the other party easily, but who could have known that despite having drawn his soul out of his body, the other party would still manage to escape his sight? This was as good as a crisp p on his face! Theres no way he could have gotten far away from here, Ancient Sage Mo Ling thought. With a thought, he activated the formations all around Sovereign Chen Lings pce. The other party might have managed to escape through the dimension rift, but with the immense pressure exerted from his soul energy earlier, there was no way that the other party would have been able to get too far. At the very least, he was definitely still in the pce! Furthermore, based on his understanding of souls, the other partys main body was certainly in the area. Otherwise, he would have detected the other partys presence much earlier. Hu! Ancient Sage Mo Ling brought his soul back into his body before opening his tightly shut eyes once more. Just who in the world is he? His aura didnt seem to have the slightest yin aura to it, and he was able to escape even under my pressure... He knew all of the living soul oracles in the world, and even Ancient Sage soul oracles would be unable to escape from him in such a manner. He could not believe that someone had actually managed to slip past him. Ancient Sage Mo Ling pondered for a moment but was unable toe to a conclusion. Thus, he turned around and shouted, Men! Ancient Sage Mo Ling! A ck-armored middle-aged man walked out from the shadows. Have any suspicious individuals entered the pce recently? Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked. Reporting to Ancient Sage Mo Ling, ever since Sovereign Chen Lings return, the pce has beenpletely sealed. Over the past month, the only ones who have been able to enter the pce are the appraisers. There is a total of 232 of them, and I havent allowed a single one of them to leave the premises yet! Appraisers? Ancient Sage Mo Ling harrumphed coldly. That fellow has to be among them. Bring all of their information to me! Yes! The middle-aged man nodded. Just as he was about to take his leave, Ancient Sage Mo Lings voice suddenly sounded once more. Wait a moment. Ill go with you. I shall investigate this matter personally and root out that fellow with my own hands! ... Returning into his body through his be, Zhang Xuans eyes shot open, and he heaved a sigh of relief. That was a close call! He did not think that he would encounter a soul oracle Ancient Sage. Due to the incredible sensitivity that soul oracles had toward pulsations of soul energy, the other party had noticed his presence in an instant. It was fortunate that he had managed to exploit the other partys ws, or else he would have died before he even knew it. It was no wonder Sovereign Chen Yong, Liu Yang, and the others said that Sovereign Chen Lings pce was fraught with danger. It seemed like he had really underestimated the forces that Sovereign Chen Ling had under hismand. Due to the elusive nature of soul oracles, they had an intrinsic advantage when it came to scouting ahead and escaping enemies. Nevertheless, that was not to say that their means were infallible. Given that the elderly Ancient Sage has noticed my presence, its very likely that hell start investigating the appraisers. Should I y it safe and leave right away? A conflicted look surfaced on Zhang Xuans face. Since the only guests that Sovereign Chen Ling had invited in recent days were the appraisers, the chances of the intruder being one of the appraisers were extremely high. If Zhang Xuan was in the other partys position, he would start investigating from the appraisers as well. At this rate, it would not take long for the elderly Ancient Sage to get to him. If he wanted to escape, he would have to quickly make up his mind. Every second of dy meant a lower probability that he would be able to make a safe getaway. But once I leave Sovereign Chen Lings pce, the chances of me being able to return to the area are near zero... It had not been easy for Zhang Xuan to pass off as an appraiser to get in there; this was a rare chance for him to find the Blood Lake and raise his fighting prowess swiftly. He was reluctant to leave empty-handed! Appraisers, step out of your room and gather over! As Zhang Xuan was still hesitating over the matter, he suddenly heard a bellow outside. Follow which, countless footsteps filled the air, and it seemed like a guard was stationed outside each of the room. Its already toote to escape now... Zhang Xuan heaved a deep sigh as he got to his feet. The elderly Ancient Sage was far more efficient than he had expected. He had managed to put the clues together and determine the next course of action in just a few moments. However, this did not necessarily spell the end. Unlike ordinary soul oracles, Zhang Xuans soul was fullypatible with his physical body, making him appear no different from other Otherworldly Demons on the surface. Furthermore, his identity was clean. As such, the chances of the elderly Ancient Sage rooting him out were not high. Walking out of the room, Zhang Xuan was weed by an army of cold-faced guards. One of them walked up to him and forcefully ordered him, Get over here! With the escort of the guard, he was quickly taken to a hall that had soldiers standing at alert all around. The Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man and Ancient Sage Mo Ling were standing at the very center of the room, eyeing each and every one of the appraisers sharply. Allowing a hint of confusion and apprehension to appear on his face, Zhang Xuan entered the hall behind the other appraisers. As soon as he entered the room, he felt Ancient Sage Mo Lings piercing stare falling on him, seemingly attempting to see through his soul. In response to the piercing stare, he continued walking forward as if he had not noticed anything at all. A short momentter, thetter retracted his gaze. In less than five minutes, all two hundred or so appraisers had been brought into the hall. The Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man presented a scroll to Ancient Sage Mo Ling. Ancient Sage Mo Ling swiftly scanned through the scroll with his Spiritual Perception, and it did not take him long to finish browsing through its contents. We have done a thorough background check on every single one of these appraisers before bringing them in. They are reputable individuals in the region that they reside in, and theres nothing suspicious about their backgrounds. Also, we found no association between Sovereign Chen Yong and them. ording to the intelligence that we have gathered so far, it doesnt seem like any of them are soul oracles... The middle-aged man quickly summarized the report for Ancient Sage Mo Ling. There are no soul oracles among them? Are you telling me that the fellow from earlier appeared out of nowhere? Ancient Sage Mo Ling sneered coldly. He knew just how secure the defenses of Sovereign Chen Lings pce were. Even Ancient Sages would not dream of being able to sneak into the pce without drawing anyones attention. Over the past month, other than those appraisers, there was no one else who had entered Sovereign Chen Lings pce. In other words, the soul oracle who had just escaped from him was definitely among the group of people before him. The middle-aged man hurriedly sped his fist and replied, I apologize for my failure! It is possible that the culprit has concealed their identity as well! The two of them turned their gazes toward the appraisers before them once more. There were confused and fearful looks on the faces of the appraisers. None of them seemed to have any idea why they had been summoned there in a hurry, and they seemed to be afraid that they had unwittingly done something that had incurred the wrath of Sovereign Chen Ling. With a cold sneer, Ancient Sage Mo Ling spread his powerful soul energy across the area to enshroud all two hundred or so appraisers. The next instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if his body had been shackled by an invisible rope. His zhenqi instinctively jolted in an attempt to retaliate against this aggression, but fortunately, he managed to suppress it in time. Tzzzzzz! Ancient Sage Mo Lings soul threads crept into his acupoints and traversed through his meridians, seemingly heading for his soul. Zhang Xuan could tell that this was a technique that allowed one to discern the very essence of ones soul. He knew that it would not cause him any harm, so he chose to remain still. As someone who hadprehended Soul Quintessence and cultivated the Heavens Path Soul Art, he was capable of altering the aura of his soul at will. He knew that the other party had sensed his soul aura, so he had made sure to disguise it as soon as he returned to his amodation. No matter how Ancient Sage Mo Ling searched, there was no way that he would find anything that would suggest that he was a soul oracle. Just as he had expected, after circting through his meridians, the soul thread was extracted from his body. Ancient Sage Mo Ling... The middle-aged man looked over with a concerned look on his face, wanting to know the results on the other partys inspection. Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied with a shake of his head. There was a deep frown etched on his forehead, indicating his disbelief toward the results of his search. He had thought that he would be able to root out the culprit swiftly through searching the souls of the appraisers. After all, there was a fundamental difference between the souls of ordinary cultivators and soul oracles! Who could have known that the results would be a negative for all of the appraisers! Ancient Sage Mo Long closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Soon, a thought emerged in his mind, and he opened his eyes once more. Which appraisers arrived today? Gedeng! Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Chapter 1805 - I Am Being Suspected

Chapter 1805: I Am Being Suspected

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan had thought of many countermeasures to ensure that Ancient Sage Mo Ling was unable to figure out his true identity, but he had forgotten one crucial factor?time of arrival. Considering that trouble had only happened a moment ago, the chances were that the one responsible was an appraiser who had arrived that day. Four appraisers came today. They are namely Wu Tao from Kaiyong City, Mo Fei from Huhai City... The middle-aged man quickly took out a list and began reciting some names. Following which, he turned to the crowd and instructed, The four of you, step out! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked out from the group. The more hesitant that he was to step out at this moment, the more likely that he would be exposed. Thus, it would be much wiser for him to face the matter courageously instead. In any case, the current identity that he had assumed, Wu Tao, had a clean background, so there was no need for him to fear anything. Am I right to say that the four of you only arrived at the pce earlier today? Ancient Sage Mo Ling slowly walked up to the four of them and swept his gaze across them. His gaze paused on Zhang Xuan for a moment, but it did not seem like he noticed anything peculiar about him. A slight frown emerged on his forehead. At that moment, Ancient Sage Mo Ling noticed the wary looks on the appraisers faces within the room, so he calmly exined, Theres no need to panic. We are currently rooting out an intruder who snuck into the pce among you, and we have no intentions of hurting the rest of you. Thus, theres no reason for you to worry about anything. Hearing that this was a procedure to root out an intruder, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. While they might be a little greedy at times, they were indeed real appraisers and had nothing to do with whatever intruder there was in the pce. That naturally meant that there was nothing for them to worry about. Ancient Sage Mo Ling carefully observed the expressions of the appraisers in the room, but he was still unable to discern anything from the change in their emotions. The frown on his forehead tightened as he continued. This intruder is a soul oracle, so its inevitable that his soul wont be aspatible with his body as normal cultivators. I have an artifact that inspects thepatibility between ones soul and physical body, and I need each one of you toe up one by one. Through this, Ill be able to determine who the intruder hiding among you all is. As he spoke, he snapped his fingers and brought out a round orb. It revolved quietly in the air, emanating a white glow. Why dont we start with the four guests who arrived earlier today? Ancient Sage Mo Ling turned to Zhang Xuan and the other three as he spoke. Very well! One of the appraisers among the group of four stepped out. ording to the name that the middle-aged man had called him earlier, he was Mo Fei. He walked right up to the round orb, and the white light emanated embraced his body. Weng! A series of numbers appeared on the surface of the round orb. Ny-four! Anypatibility above ny shows that one is not a soul oracle... You can head down now. Next! the middle-aged man said. Under normal circumstances, thepatibility between a persons body and soul would be the highest at birth, reaching one hundred most of the time. However, as ones soul developed through cultivation, it was inevitable that there would be some degree of ipatibility between ones body and soul. Even so, as long as one was not a soul oracle, thepatibility level would still easily exceed ny. Of course, Mo Fei was not surprised to see such a result, so he turned around and returned to the crowd. Following which, the second appraiser stepped forward and stood under the round orb. ny-two! He also met the requirements. The result for the third appraiser was a pass at ny-six, and it was finally Zhang Xuans turn to head up. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the center of the room. As there were no soul oracles on the Master Teacher Continent, Zhang Xuan had never seen this artifact before. As such, he was not too sure what thepatibility between his body and soul would be. However, considering that his soul cultivation technique was the Heavens Path Soul Art, even though he was able to draw his soul out from his body, thepatibility between his body and soul should not be much lower than an ordinary cultivators. Standing under the round orb, Zhang Xuans body was bathed in a warm glow. Hu! A series of numbers appeared on the surface of the round orb. One hundred! Hmm? Perfectpatibility? Ancient Sage Mo Ling and the middle-aged man were all taken aback. Achieving a score of one hundred meant that ones body and soul were perfectlypatible with one another! Typically, it would only appear for cultivators who had yet to reach Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm. Considering how the young mans cultivation was already at Saint 7-dan, it was hard to believe that his body and soul still remained sopatible with one another. In any case, the fact that his soul is perfectlypatible with his body means that theres no way hes able to separate his soul from his body. So, its unlikely that hes the intruder... Ancient Sage Mo Ling shook his head. He was perplexed by this bewildering result, but there were all kinds of bizarre talents out there in the world. It was not too surprising to see some of them deviating from the norm. The matter that he should be focusing on at the moment was catching the intruder, and there was no doubt that thetter was a real soul oracle. It was impossible for a soul oracles soul to be toopatible with their body. Continue! He had checked on the four appraisers who had arrived that day, but there was nothing off about them. Thus, Ancient Sage Mo Ling could only shake his hand and indicate for the checks to continue. Soon enough, all two hundred or so appraisers in the room had been put through the check, but none of them had apatibility that went below ny. In other words, simr to the report that he had received earlier, none of the appraisers in the room were a soul oracle. Have I guessed wrongly? Ancient Sage Mo Ling began to doubt himself. The current situation was truly bewildering to him. Ever since Sovereign Chen Ling returned from the Master Teacher Continent, the entire pce had undergone several purges to root out all possible spies and enemies hiding in their midst, so the intruder could not possibly be an insider. If none of the appraisers were the culprit... where in the world did that soul oracle appear from? Seeing that the results were still inconclusive even after the checks, the middle-aged man asked, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, what do we do now? Ancient Sage Mo Ling pondered deeply for a moment before saying, Proceed with the appraisal as we nned for the time being, but make sure that none of them are allowed to leave the pce... Oh right! Pass me the results of their appraisal first. I understand! The middle-aged man quickly dispatched some of the guards to the main hall to retrieve the boxes containing the appraisers valuations of the artifacts. Most of these appraisers were able to get quite close to the mark. Only a very small proportion of them have huge fluctuations in the uracy of their valuations, the middle-aged man reported as he passed the boxes over. Those who were able to clear the examination and be selected to enter the pce were the cream of the crop of the appraisers. It was still not too difficult for them to appraise the true value of ordinary ores and medicinal herbs. Of the Stone of the Fallen Star, the average valuation we have received is 120 pinnacle spirit stone. As for the Chillwater Rock, its 250 pinnacle spirit stones... The middle-aged man went through the prices of the artifacts one after another. Ancient Sage Mo Ling nodded as he swiftly swept through the answers. All of a sudden, his body froze on the spot. He turned to the middle-aged man and asked, Who is this Wu Tao? How are his answers all so precise? Even for two of the same ores, the prices could vary significantly depending on size, coloration, and location of production. As such, it was difficult to assess the objective price of the artifacts. Thus, the prices that the middle-aged man was reporting were based on the average of the valuations made by the two hundred or so appraisers after removing the outliers. And shockingly, the estimates made by Wu Tao were extremely close to the average. Most of the appraisers still had a handful of their estimates close to the average, but for the past few ores and medicinal herbs reported, Wu Taos estimate was only one or two pinnacle spirit stones away from the average. This raised some doubts in Ancient Sage Mo Lings mind. I was also rather perplexed about that, the middle-aged man replied. I reckon that he must be exceptionally skilled in appraising. I cant deny that possibility, but... if I recall correctly, Wu Tao is the person who has a soul-bodypatibility of one hundred, right? A glint shed across Ancient Sage Mo Lings eyes. It was true that appraisers specialized in the field of evaluating the value of objects, but to be able to achieve such high precision every single time was truly unimaginable. Together with the fact that the other party had a bizarre soul-bodypatibility of one hundred, it did feel like something was amiss. Thats right! The middle-aged man nodded. He, too, had sensed that something was off. Ancient Sage Mo Lings eyebrows shot up as hemanded, Bring me all of the information concerning this Appraiser Wu Tao! Chapter 1806 - I Have Been Discovered

Chapter 1806: I Have Been Discovered

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It did not take long for the information regarding Wu Tao to be delivered to Ancient Sage Mo Ling. Spanning ten pages, it contained a summary of Wu Taos history in appraising. A momentter, Ancient Sage Mo Ling ced the papers aside and narrowed his eyes. Based on what he had just read, while it was undeniable that Wu Tao was a fairly capable appraiser, his proficiency was definitely not high to have achieved such results in the previous test. One time might still be attributed to luck, but for it to happen consistently across the many artifacts, it would be truly foolish to simply mark it off as sheer coincidence. Shall I bring that fellow in for interrogation? The middle-aged man swiftly looked through the content of the papers, and a doubtful frown etched its way onto his forehead. Theres no need for that. Ill head there personally! Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied imposingly. He was someone who had received the mostplete heritage of the soul oracles. If he proimed that he was second in the upation, there would definitely be no one who would im that they were first! But on that very day, he found his confidence wavering. The intruder was just a Sempiternal realm soul oracle, but he had nearly overlooked the other party when the other party was hiding right beneath his nose. Furthermore, despite having confronted the other party, the other party had still managed to escape from him... This was a feat that he would definitely have been unable to achieve back when he was still at the Sempiternal realm. If that was the case, did it not mean that the other party was a soul oracle who was even more skilled than him? This realization had filled Ancient Sage Mo Ling with intrigue. He quickly headed to the hall where the appraising was ongoing. Searching through the crowd, he swiftly locked onto Appraiser Wu Tao. Looking at just his appearance, there was really nothing peculiar about Appraiser Wu Tao. At that moment, he was holding a medicinal herb in one hand while swiftly flipping through some research material with his other hand. In terms of subtle movements, he did seem to be an appraiser through and through. There was nothing about him that one could fault. Ancient Sage Mo Ling swiftly hid the livid look on his face before walking up to the other party and saying with a smile, Appraiser Wu Tao, please hold on for a moment. I happen to have a treasure that I am unable to ascertain the value of. May I trouble you to take a look at it for me? In truth, Zhang Xuan had noticed Ancient Sage Mo Lings presence as soon as he entered the hall, and he could clearly sense thetters intent gaze upon him. When thetter approached him, his lips could not help but twitch a little. His disguise should have been wless, so why was the other partys attention so focused on him? Did he somehow unintentionally give himself away? Despite Zhang Xuans doubts, he did not allow them to show on his face. With a hint of fluster typical of someone being abruptly approached by an esteemed individual, he hurriedly nodded and replied, Y-yes! Itll be my pleasure to be of service to you! Ancient Sage Mo Ling flicked his wrist and took out something reminiscent of a golden ruler. Even at the very first nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was a powerful artifact. However, until the abilities of the ruler were activated, he would not be able to assess the exact tier of the artifact. Zhang Xuan took the ruler in his hand, and the next instant, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. Soulcrushing Ruler, Ancient Sage artifact. Its able to lock onto an individuals soul and render the other party incapable of escaping... Its an Ancient Sage artifact? But... why is it so light? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Simr to Ancient Sages, Ancient Sage artifacts harnessed aw of the world. Artifacts that had undergone the tempering of the heavens, no matter how small they appeared to be, were bound to be frighteningly heavy. Even with Zhang Xuans current cultivation, he would face some trouble trying to lift an Ancient sage artifact up. It was clear that Ancient Sage Mo Lings ruler had reached such a level, but surprisingly, it felt light to Zhang Xuan, simr to most Great Sage artifacts out there. He could not help but feel a little perplexed about this peculiar situation. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuans heart jolted in astonishment. No, that fellow is secretly propping it up with his soul energy... It was not that the Soulcrushing Ruler was heavyAncient Sage Mo Ling was secretly lifting it up with his soul energy, which made it appear as if it was nearly weightless. To invite him to appraise an artifact yet tamper with the true properties of the artifact... Could it be that Ancient Sage Mo Ling was onto something? As expected of an Ancient Sage, he sure was not an easy opponent to deal with! Zhang Xuans mind swiftly churned into action as he attempted to identify possible routes of escape. However, he soon realized that due to his close proximity to the other party, unless he utilized the Infernal cksaber and Vicious, there was no way that he would be able to survive if they suffered a fallout at this very moment. Watching as Zhang Xuan examined the Soulcrushing Ruler intently, Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked with a smile, How is it? Im afraid that I cant really see through this ruler. In terms of the material and the energy it harnesses, this ruler far surpasses the means of typical Great Sage artifacts. Yet, its weight cant bepared to Ancient Sage artifacts... Halfway through his exnation, Ancient Sage Mo Ling abruptly interjected. Oh? Does this mean that you have seen a real Ancient Sage artifact in person, Appraiser Wu Tao? Gedeng! Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. However, without the slightest fluctuation in his expression, he replied, I have never seen an Ancient Sage artifact in person, but I have heard about them from the books. Its said that Ancient Sage artifacts are incredibly heavy, such that even an artifact of such size can weigh as much as a towering mountain... Before Zhang Xuan could even finish his piece, a cold sneer abruptly sounded in the air. Following which, the space around him distorted, and he was forcefully tugged into another dimension. You need not bother to disguise yourself anymore. You arent Appraiser Wu Tao! Elder... rmed, Zhang Xuan retreated two steps in panic, seemingly terrified by what was happening around him. The heritage of appraisers in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe isntplete in the very first ce. Under normal circumstances, they would have trouble appraising even Great Sage artifacts, let alone Ancient Sage artifacts. Yet, you are able to appraise all of the artifacts precisely and see through the tier of the Soulcrushing Ruler in a nce... If Wu Tao really possessed such abilities, his name should have long resounded across the entire otherworldly battlefield! Ancient Sage Mo Ling ced his hands behind his back as he pointed out the ws in Zhang Xuans disguise with absolute confidence. If he had still harbored a few doubts previously, at that very moment, he was extremely certain that the person standing before him was the soul oracle who had escaped his clutches. It was not because of what the other party had said but because he was simply too calm. Even though his eyes and bodynguage suggested apprehension and fear, a response typical of an ordinary person, there were no fluctuations in his state of mind or soul at all. Unless the other party was acting, how could the other party possibly appear so frightened and yet keep his mind and soulpletely cid? If he still could not tell with that much information, he would truly be a failure of an Ancient Sage! Ancient Sages were the most powerful beings in the world. There were no cultivators who did not hold deference toward them. Yet, the other party actually had the mood to examine and deduce the weight of the ruler... How could it not be clear that there was a problem? Elder, I dont understand what you are saying... Zhang Xuan continued eximing in a fluster. At the same moment, he hurriedly called for Vicious in the Book of Heavens Path in preparation to make a move. While he had not found the dragon blood yet, it seemed like the mission was already a failure. He could only attempt to flee for the time being. Lets not waste each others time anymore! Paying no heed to Zhang Xuans fluster, Ancient Sage Mo Ling pressed his hands together, and the entire area suddenly grew incredibly ominous. An overwhelming outpour of soul energy was crushing down from above, seemingly trying to imprison Zhang Xuan. It seemed like Ancient Sage Mo Ling had learned from his previous lesson, so he wanted to subdue Zhang Xuan as quickly as possibly by going all out. Break! Knowing that it was meaningless to keep up his disguise, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and whipped out the Infernal cksaber. Gathering his zhenqi, he swung the saber forcefully toward the descending soul energy. S! The soul energy and the surrounding space were immediately severed as a burst of saber qi shot its way toward Ancient Sage Mo Ling. You are the spy! Ancient Sage Mo Ling sneered coldly as he charged forward with the Soulcrushing Ruler in hand. Ding ding ding ding! The Soulcrushing Ruler shed several times with the Infernal cksaber before the Infernal cksaber was jolted out from Zhang Xuans hands. Despite being Ancient Sage artifacts, the Infernal cksaber was clearly much weaker than the Soulcrushing Ruler. H! After the Infernal cksaber was sent flying, Ancient Sage Mo Ling immediately took the opportunity to press forward with his attack, using the Soulcrushing Ruler upon Zhang Xuan once more. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if his soul had been locked in ce, and a tremendous force was attempting to rip it apart. The Soulcrushing Ruler was an artifact that could dissipate even the souls of Ancient Sage experts, let alone Sempiternal realm cultivators like Zhang Xuan. Stop him! Knowing that he would really lose his life if he continued preserving his trump card, Zhang Xuan swiftly took out a book and flipped it open. A pair of arms darted forth from the book and wed at the Soulcrushing Ruler. Against the might of the arms, the devastating Soulcrushing Ruler seemed to turn into a tamemb. The incredible momentum that it had harnessed a moment ago seemed to vanish without a trace, and before it could even escape, it was already held firmly in ce by a pair of hands. Chapter 1807 - Paying Respects to the Guild Leader

Chapter 1807: Paying Respects to the Guild Leader

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What? Seeing a pair of arms escaping from a book and catching his Soulcrushing Ruler in the blink of an eye, Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt goosebumps rising all over his body. He caught a whiff of the scent of danger. He instinctively realized that the arms in the book were much stronger than him, such that he would not be a match for them even if he utilized his full strength. H! Without any hesitation, he drew his soul out from his be, and a massive body made out of soul energy appeared. A sinister aura swiftly filled the surroundings, leaving one with a chilling sensation that pierced right into ones soul. Let go! Ancient Sage Mo Ling roared furiously as he charged forward to grab the Soulcrushing Ruler, intending to pull it out of the grasp of the hands. Heh! However, Vicious had known that he would make such a move right from the start. With a flick of his wrist, the Soulcrushing Ruler ended up smacking heavily upon Ancient Sage Mo Ling instead. S! Struck on the head, Ancient Sage Mo Lings massive soul staggered and fell from the sky. It was only an instant, but he had already sustained severe injuries. After assimting his arms, Vicious had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm consummation. If not for the fact that he had not grown his flesh and blood yet, his strength would have beenparable to Sovereign Chen Yong back when thetter was at his peak. There was no doubt that Ancient Sage Mo Ling was powerful, but it was insufficient to deal with Vicious. Seeing that he had managed tond a blow, Vicious immediately pressed forward, wanting to make use of this opportunity to y Ancient Sage Mo Ling. However, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his arm and halted Vicious. Wait a moment! Of course, it would not be too difficult for him to kill Ancient Sage Mo Ling at that moment, but if it drew the other Ancient Sages over, it could lead to a great deal of trouble. Vicious did not dare disobey Zhang Xuans orders, so he quickly stopped his offense. Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and swiftly created a dimension rift, intending to escape from the area. However, before he could make his leave, Ancient Sage Mo Ling suddenly stood up once more. Subordinate Mo Ling pays respect to the guild leader! Guild leader? Taken aback by the remark, Zhang Xuans footsteps trailed to a halt. He turned around and looked at Ancient Sage Mo Ling in bewilderment. If Im not mistaken, you arent an Otherworldly Demon but Zhang Xuan from the Master Teacher Continent, am I right? That also means that you are the guild leader of our Soul Oracle Guild! Ancient Sage Mo Ling exined as he bowed deeply as a show of respect. You know of me? Zhang Xuan was startled. It was true that he had tamed the Seal of Souls of the Soul Oracle Guild, which effectively made him the guild leader. However, he had already passed the Seal of Souls over to his student, Lu Chong, so it was not in his hand anymore. Jiang Fangyou has already informed me that there is a new guild leader for our lineage of soul oracles... A while ago, when Jiang Fangyou told me that you ended your life on the Master Teacher Continent, I thought that you might make your way over to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. From the looks of it, it seems like my guess was spot-on! Ancient Sage Mo Ling exined respectfully. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent. He suddenly recalled the history of the Soul Oracle Guild. From Jiang Fangyou, he had learned that the past leader of the Soul Oracle Guild had chosen to ept his death so as to convince the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe of his betrayal of mankind, thus sessfully infiltrating their ranks. This was one of the top secrets of the Master Teacher Continent, which perhaps even the current generation in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was unaware of. However, as one of the Ancient Sages of the Soul Oracle Guild, it went without saying that Mo Ling knew of this secret. It was probably due to this that Mo Ling had immediately made the connection upon hearing that he had ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before he swiftly fortified the istion barriers in the area with a wave of his hand. Following which, he turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and asked, What are you doing here at Sovereign Chen Lings pce? Sovereign Chen Yong is simply too powerful. As long as he remains alive, its only a matter of time before mankind sumbs to him. Thus, I pretended to swear fealty to Sovereign Chen Ling and incited him to make a move against Sovereign Chen Yong! Ancient Sage Mo Ling exined. You were the one who came up with the n? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. I knew from the very start that Sovereign Chen Ling is a person of great ambition. All I did was give him a little push on the back by helping him liaise with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Previously, he had thought that it was bizarre how the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had paid a visit to the Jiang n to liaise with the soul oracles. After all, the soul oracles were serving as the spies of mankind among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and it seemed foolish to do anything that could potentially give them away. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like the soul oracles had been serving as the intermediary to ry messages between the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It was probably through this means ofmunication that they had been able to coordinate together tounch an ambush on Sovereign Chen Yong. I see... I understand the rationale behind your actions, but have you thought that if Sovereign Chen Ling hadnt sustained severe wounds in his fight against Sovereign Chen Yong, you could have very well lost your life by now! Zhang Xuan said grimly. He had not reallye into contact with Sovereign Chen Ling yet, but based on what he had heard so far, it seemed like Sovereign Chen Ling was an extremist who craved war. It was true that Sovereign Chen Yong was a fearsome foe to deal with, but he was also the rational mind who had been keeping the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe fromunching an attack of mutually assured destruction on mankind. If Sovereign Chen Ling really came to power, the situation would probably devolve into a bitter battle where both races fought down to the veryst soldier until one side was utterly eradicated. More importantly, the very fact that Ancient Sage Mo Ling was able to liaise with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers meant that the soul oracles were spies amid the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! The reason that Sovereign Chen Ling had not dealt with them yet was probably because he wanted to make use of their strength and connections to bring down Sovereign Chen Yong first. Once Sovereign Chen Yong was down, they would be the next in line to be purged! I understand all of that, but I also knew that Sovereign Chen Yong has a trump card that he would eventually use to deal with Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing if he was forced to a corner, Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied with a deep sigh. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in realization. It was no wonder that the soul oracles were feared even among mankind. They were truly frightening opponents to deal with. To actually be able to toy with the Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and move them as if they were pieces on a chessboard... this was truly unbelievable. Tossing aside his astonishment for the time being, Zhang Xuan asked, How is Sovereign Chen Ling at the moment? Are his injuries severe? Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing have sustained severe injuries, and they havent been able to recover from them yet. However, Im not too sure about the exact circumstances. It seems like he is guarded against me, such that I havent even been able to get close to him ever since his return from the Temple of Confucius! Ancient Sage Mo Ling said. I see... What about the appraisers? Why did he suddenly gather so many appraisers at his pce? Zhang Xuan continued asking. Im not too sure about the details, but if my deduction proves right, hes probably intending to make an offering to the Spirit God! Ancient Sage Mo Ling said with a grim look on his face. Make an offering to the Spirit God? Indeed. With the severity of his injuries, it will take at least a thousand years for him to make a full recovery, but thats clearly impractical. As such, his only course of action is to make some offerings to the Spirit God in exchange for power! Isnt the Spirit God on the same side as Sovereign Chen Yong? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. Luo Ruoxin was the Spirit God, and she seemed to have a good rtionship with Sovereign Chen Yong. If the other two Sovereigns dared make an offering to her, the chances were that she would kill them on the spot instead of granting them power. The Spirit God is an emotionless being. In her eyes, we are no different from insignificant ants. The only way that we can catch her eye is by making an offering to her, and she will bestow her favor upon the one who makes the greatest offering. Its true that Sovereign Chen Yong had close ties with the Spirit God in the past, but with Sovereign Chen Yong going missing, he has already bepletely useless to the Spirit God. As such, why should the Spirit God continue looking after him? Ancient Sage Mo Ling coldly remarked. The gods were emotionless beings. If they truly had feelings, how could they sit and watch countless injustices unfolding in the mortal world? Besides, Sovereign Chen Ling has already begun preparing the offerings and valuing them. He must be confident in its sess before going ahead with it. He has never been a person to waste his time on meaningless pursuits! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan tightly clenched his fists. He could not bring himself to believe that Luo Ruoxin was such a person, but with so much evidence to the contrary before him, he found his faith in her wavering a little. No matter what, he had to find Luo Ruoxin once more and ask her in person! There are certain requisites that need to be met for the tributes offered to the Spirit God, so theres a need to value them in advance so as to avoid incurring the Spirit Gods wrath. So, we still have some time on our hands... Speaking of which, guild leader, may I know why you were wandering around Sovereign Chen Lings pce earlier? Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked with a frown. Im looking for dragon blood, and I heard that there is some of that in Sovereign Chen Lings pce. Do you know where it is? Zhang Xuan asked. He had tried searching earlier but to no avail. However, if he could engage Ancient Sage Mo Lings help, this matter could very welle to be. You are looking for dragon blood? Ancient Sage Mo Ling fell into a short moment of silent contemtion before he continued. I have heard some rumors about it. I dont know exactly where it is, but I have been to most parts of Sovereign Chen Lings pce and havent seen any signs of it thus far. If the rumors are true, it should probably be in Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber! Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. That was what he had previously deduced. It seemed like there was no mistake about it. Chapter 1808 - Ancient Sage Lan Ya Chapter 1808: Ancient Sage Lan Ya Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I need to enter Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber to procure some dragon blood. Do you know any way for me to get in? Zhang Xuan continued asking. Im afraid that what you are asking for isnt too easy to pull off. After Sovereign Chen Ling returned injured, his sleeping chamber has be a ce that even I cant enter easily. The only one who can walk freely in and out of his sleeping chamber right now is Ancient Sage Lan Ya, so hes also the only one who knows the details of Sovereign Chen Lings current physical condition. At this point, Ancient Sage Mo Ling paused for a moment to organize his thoughts before continuing. Ancient Sage Lan Ya has been following Sovereign Chen Ling ever since he was very young, and he can be said to be Sovereign Chen Lings most loyal subordinate. Even though hes only at the Bloodline Continuance realm, his standing within Sovereign Chen Lings lineage is extremely high! Those words caused Zhang Xuans eyebrows to shoot up as a glint shed through his eyes. Is there a way to lure him out and... get rid of him? Since Ancient Sage Lan Ya was able to move freely in and out of the sleeping chamber, he might be able to disguise himself as the other party and infiltrate the sleeping chamber, simr to what he had done with Wu Tao. In any case, Ancient Sage Lan Ya was part of the belligerent Sovereign Chen Lings faction, which bore malicious intentions toward mankind. The weaker Sovereign Chen Lings faction was, the safer mankind would be. You wish to kill Ancient Sage Lan Ya? Not expecting the new guild leader to be so decisive, Ancient Sage Mo Lings lips twitched a little. He lowered his eyes worriedly for a moment before hesitantly speaking up. I guess its notpletely impossible to kill him. However, if Sovereign Chen Ling senses anything, we will find ourselves facing the full wrath of the entire Sovereign Chen Ling faction... Given how highly Sovereign Chen Ling regarded Ancient Sage Lan Ya, if thetter really lost his life, there was no doubt that Sovereign Chen Ling would overturn the entire capital if that was what it took to weed out the culprit. Zhang Xuan pondered deeply for a moment before saying, No one will notice it as long as we make ample preparations beforehand! Stealing the dragon blood from Sovereign Chen Ling was as good aspletely turning the other party against him. Since it was fated that he would be standing on the opposite side from Sovereign Chen Ling, there was no need for him to hesitate to draw the other partys fury. ... I understand. Ill go and make preparations! Ancient Sage Mo Ling nodded before returning his soul to his physical body. H! Zhang Xuan also swiftly ced Vicious and the Infernal cksaber back in ce. Once that was all done, the space around him blurred, and he found himself standing before countless appraisers and guards once more. The two of them had entered a unique folded space before carrying on with their fight, so those who were in the hall were painfully oblivious to the major fight that had just happened a moment ago. As soon as he returned back to the hall, Ancient Sage Mo Ling immediately bellowed, Men! The middle-aged man immediately stepped forward. I have checked Wu Taos identity and verified that hes innocent. He isnt the person we are looking for. For the time being, I want you to continue with the investigation. Make sure to leave no stone unturned! Ancient Sage Mo Ling ordered. Yes! The middle-aged man quickly nodded before proceeding to ry orders to his subordinates. While he found Wu Tao extremely suspicious, if even an Ancient Sage was unable to uncover anything about that man, it was unlikely that he would be able to find anything. Appraiser Wu Tao, I happen to have some treasures that I am still having trouble figuring out the identity of in my amodation. If you have time, why dont you follow me back to my residence to enlighten me? After dumping everything onto his subordinates, Ancient Sage Mo Ling turned to Zhang Xuan and extended his invitation. It would be my honor to be of assistance to you! Zhang Xuans face visibly beamed in delight as he hurriedly bowed in gratitude. Ill be troubling you then, Appraiser Wu Tao, Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied with a dignified air before turning to the middle-aged man. Ill be taking this man away with me. It wont cause you any trouble, will it? No, of course not! the middle-aged man quickly replied. It was just a single appraiser out of the army of two hundred that he had there. It would not affect the progress of the valuation going on. Good. As for the rest of you, Ill be counting on you to continue the investigation. I believe I need not exin what will happen if the intruder foils Sovereign Chen Lings ns... Appraiser Wu Tao, follow me! After giving the guards a stern reminder, Ancient Sage Mo Ling waved his hand, and Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a force wrapping around him, pulling him up into the sky. Before he knew it, he was already standing before a stately building. This is the Hall of Sweetspring. It contains a natural spring that is rich in spirituality. Recently, Ancient Sage Lan Ya has been visiting this ce at a fixed time every single day to fetch some water. My guess is that it has something to do with Sovereign Chen Lings current physical condition! Ancient Sage Mo Ling said. Pushing the door open, Zhang Xuan entered the building. At the very center of the room was a massive spring. Gu, gu! The water in the spring splished and sshed. The water in the spring was transparent and rich in spiritual energy. Zhang Xuan walked forward to try a sip of the water, and it carried a slight hint of refreshing sweetness. Not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Even though this spring water was not as rich in spiritual energy as spirit essence, it waspletely free of impurities. If it was used for the forging of pills, it could significantly boost the chances of sess. Guild leader, are you intending to make a move here? This ce is located in close proximity to the sleeping chamber, so theres a good chance that we might rm others! Ancient Sage Mo Ling said worriedly. One should never underestimate the sensitivity of an Ancient Sages senses. Even though Ancient Sage Lan Ya was not that powerful, such that it was possible for them to kill him in a single blow, if Ancient Sage Lan Ya managed to let out a distress call or something simr, it could render his countless years of infiltrating the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe futile. It was true that Ancient Sage Mo Ling had pulled Zhang Xuan into a folded space and fought with him earlier without drawing the notice of others, but that was because Zhang Xuan had wanted to hide his identity as well and had no intention of causing a huge fuss. If Ancient Sage Lan Ya attempted something, there was a very good chance that everything could go horribly wrong. Youre right. Were certainly too close to the sleeping chamber at the moment. Ill set up a formation right now to prevent anything from getting out! Zhang Xuan said. Youll set up a formation now? Can you make it in time? Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked with a frown. Be it setting up a formation or inscribing runes, these were extremely time-consuming activities that required prior preparation. With formation blueprints, for example, one would have to study them for a very long time to thoroughly understand them. Furthermore, a formation that could trap even an Ancient Sage had to be at grade-9 pinnacle at the very minimum, and even the most capable 9-star formation master would require at least one month to pull it off. It seemed a little toote to be thinking of it then! Its notte at all... Just give me a moment! Knowing what Ancient Sage Lan Ya was thinking about, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. He took a look around the room, and with a snap of his fingers, a few hundred formation gs immediately materialized and floated quietly in the air. Go! Zhang Xuan raised his hand. H! The formation gs began flying in all directions like a loud gale. They pierced themselves into the ground all around the Hall of Sweetspring before vanishing all at once. Youre already done? Just like that? Ancient Sage Mo Ling widened his eyes in disbelief. Even though he had never seen a 9-star formation master setting up a grade-9 pinnacle formation in person, he had heard things about it. Yet, the young man had managed toplete it just like that! Everything had happened so quickly that it felt like the young man was just ying a cruel prank on him! It has been too long since Ist set up a formation, and it seems like I have gotten a little rusty... Zhang Xuan lowered his head in shame. He had read quite a number of books recently, which had significantly deepened his understanding of formations. However, it had been quite a while since he hadst set up a formation, thus resulting in significant inefficiency in the set-up process. Otherwise, he would have been able to send the formation gs out right away and finish the set up in a heartbeat. Rusty... Hearing those words, Ancient Sage Mo Lings cheeks twitched a little. If this is how fast you are when youre rusty, just how fast were you when you were in tiptop condition? Isnt this getting a little too exaggerated? This newly appointed guild leader of ours... doesnt seem to be a very reliable person! In the end, Ancient Sage Mo Ling still could not help but doubt the reliability of a formation that had been constructed so quickly. This was simr to how one would not trust a chef who simply tossed a ton of misceneous ingredients into a pot and left it to boil afterward! Deng deng deng! Just as Ancient Sage Mo Ling was about to raise his doubts regarding the reliability of the formation, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall. It sounded like someone was heading their way. Ancient Sage Mo Ling quickly calcted the time and realized that it was the hour at which Ancient Sage Lan Ya visited the Hall of Sweetspring every day. He immediately sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan to warn him, Ancient Sage Lan Ya ising... Hearing the footsteps too, Zhang Xuan knew that there was no time to be lost. Take seven steps back and rein in your aura. Make a move only when I tell you to! Take seven steps back? Ancient Sage Mo Ling had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, but he decided to obey the other partysmands for the time being on the grounds that the other party was the guild leader. Jiya! Barely after they got into position, the door of the Hall of Sweetspring creaked open. A towering figure came into sight. He was none other than Ancient Sage Lan Ya. Ancient Sage Lan Ya habitually cast his gaze around the room before walking straight for the spring. Seeing this, Ancient Sage Mo Ling could not help but narrow his eyes in shock. He was simply standing still on the spot, not concealing himself at all... but it seemed like Ancient Sage Lan Ya could not see or even perceive his presence? When had the other party be so blind? Chapter 1809 - How Fragile Life Is

Chapter 1809: How Fragile Life Is

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The shocked Ancient Sage Mo Ling swiftly turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, and what he saw left him even more bbergasted. At that very moment, Zhang Xuan was standing less than three meters away from Ancient Sage Lan Ya, but it was as if thetter could not see him at all. It was truly a baffling sight to him. Ancient Sage Mo Ling quickly figured out what was going on. Its the work of the formation... Due to his high cultivation, it would have been understandable if Ancient Sage Lan Ya had been unable to detect his presence if he hid himself. But the fact that Ancient Sage Lan Ya was unable to notice Zhang Xuandespite being in close proximity to one anothercould only mean to say that the formation was really overpowered! Ancient Sage Mo Ling carefully extended his Spiritual Perception, wanting to see the principles behind the formation that concealed their presence. However, when his Spiritual Perception swept across Ancient Sage Lan Ya and Zhang Xuan, he astonishingly received no feedback at all. In other words, it was as if the two of them were illusions that did not exist in the world! He could clearly see them with his eyes, but he could not perceive them with his Spiritual Perception... Is this... a Spatial Formation? Ancient Sage Mo Ling narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He had long mastered Soul Traverse, and he could even pull others into folded spaces together with him, showing that hisprehension of spatialws was not low at all. However, the Spatial Formation right before him had far surpassed whatever he had seen before. For even Ancient Sages like them to be unable to detect or see through the Spatial Formation... could it be that Zhang Xuan had mastered the legendary Spatial Quintessence? No wonder he was so confident in his formation. It turned out that he had the capability to back up his words. It wasughable how, a moment ago, he had been wondering if Zhang Xuan was exaggerating his im. Now! While Ancient Sage Mo Ling was still deep in thought, a voice sounded in his mind. He immediately raised the Soulcrushing Ruler in his grasp and sliced it across the air to strike Ancient Sage Lan Ya. But before his offense could strike its target... Putong! Ancient Sage Lan Ya had already copsed to the ground. He was dead. Seeing this, Ancient Sage Mo Ling anxiously turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter standing with a sinister saber in his grasp. With an embarrassed look on his face, thetter said, My bad. I didnt think that this fellow would be so weak, so I ended up killing him unintentionally... Knowing that the other party was an Ancient Sage, he had thought that it would require the coboration of Vicious and Ancient Sage Mo Ling to y the other party silently. Yet, who could have thought that all it would take was an Infernal cksaber to the other partys heart? To die without uttering any lines at all... this had to be the most pitiful death ever! Ancient Sage Lan Ya is an Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm expert. How could he have been killed so easily? Zhang Xuan was not the only one pondering over the matter. Ancient Sage Mo Ling also bore some doubts toward this peculiar oue. Even though Ancient Sage Mo Ling had never fought Ancient Sage Lan Ya before, many years of acquaintanceship allowed him to know roughly how powerful thetter was. With Zhang Xuans Sempiternal realm consummation cultivation, such a thing should not have been possible! He could understand it if Zhang Xuan, paired with the Infernal cksaber, was able to escape or even put up a fight against Ancient Sage Lan Ya, but to actually kill thetter with a single strike... taking the life of an Ancient Sage was not such childs y! Could Ancient Sage Lan Ya possibly be faking it? Should he step forward and deal the other party a few strikes of his ruler? With such thoughts in mind, Ancient Sage Mo Ling came out of his concealment and rushed over to Ancient Sage Lan Yas side. Scanning thetters body with his Spiritual Perception, his lips began twitching once more. Ancient Sage Lan Ya... was indeed dead. His soul had dissipated, such that there was not the slightest bit of vitality left in his body. This is really bizarre... Ancient Sage Mo Ling rubbed his be in frustration as he found himself unable to rationalize the situation before him. Ancient Sages were beings who stood at the very top of the world, be it the Master Teacher Continent or the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. While Zhang Xuan had indeednded a critical hit on the other partys vitals, the other party should not have died that easily. To breathe hisst breath without even saying a word or letting loose a scream... It almost felt like a supernatural case. Could he possibly be a fake? Zhang Xuan asked. No. I have known him for several thousand years now, and I would recognize him even if he was reduced to ashes. My guess is that he might have suffered some severe injuries that shook his foundation prior to this, such that he didnt even wield a tenth of his usual strength, Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied contemtively. Taking a closer look, he realized that Ancient Sage Lan Yas body was extremely feeble. It was faint at this point in time, but he could sense the scent of deterioration from the other partys body. It was apparent that the other partys foundations had already been shaken. Even if they had not made a move, the other party was unlikely to have been able to live for long. But... when he met Ancient Sage Lan Ya not too long ago, thetter had still been overflowing with energy. ording to the other partys triumphant bragging, it seemed like he was close to reaching Ancient Sage 2-dan too... How did hend himself in such a state all of a sudden? Unable to figure out the cause behind the deterioration, Ancient Sage Mo Ling could only shake his head and turn back to Zhang Xuan. What should we do now? Id nned on capturing him alive and conducting a Soul Search so that I could figure our Sovereign Chen Lings current condition and the location of the dragon blood. But since hes already dead, I guess I have no choice but to drop the initial n, Zhang Xuan said bitterly. He felt disappointed. He had prepared so many ways to deal with whatever Ancient Sage Lan Ya threw at them, but everything had been concluded so quickly that it felt like his diligence had gone to waste. What a letdown! Do you still intend to disguise yourself as him? Of course! How else am I going to get into the sleeping chamber? Zhang Xuan replied. With a thought, his bones and muscles began warping. Even his soul aura started to change into the likeness of the copsed Ancient Sage Lan Ya. Then, he took off Ancient Sage Lan Yas clothes and put them on himself. He did not forget to take Ancient Lan Yas storage ring and ce it on his finger. When Ancient Sage Mo Ling looked at Zhang Xuan once more, his heart could not help but jolt in amazement. He had thought that the other partys disguise would only stop at identical outer appearances, but it was far more borate than that. Be it in terms of gestures, disposition, soul aura, or even the state of mind, the person standing before him was Ancient Sage Lan Ya. If not for the naked corpse lying right next to them, he would have really been fooled by the disguise! This was truly an eyeopener! Paying no heed to Ancient Sage Mo Lings astonishment, Zhang Xuan calmly asked, Where would Ancient Sage Lan Ya normally take the spring water? He would usually enter the sleeping chamber. As for exactly where he would go and what he would do, Im afraid that I dont really know, Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied. I see. I should head over to the sleeping chamber and take a good look at it! Zhang Xuan said as his eyes lit up in excitement. Since it was part of Ancient Sage Lan Yas daily routine to enter the sleeping chamber, he could walk right in without any fear. With a wave of his hand, he took out the gourd that Ancient Sage Lan Ya had prepared in his storage ring and filled it with the clear spring water. After that was done, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Ancient Sage Mo Ling and said, Itll be too dangerous for you to follow me into the sleeping chamber, so Ill just head in alone! As Sovereign Chen Ling harbored some doubts toward Ancient Sage Mo Ling, it would be hard for thetter to enter the sleeping chamber together with him. Since that was the case, it would be more convenient for him to proceed alone. Otherwise, it was likely that they would be doubted and dealt with as soon as they entered the sleeping chamber. But thats too dangerous! Something might happen to you! Ancient Sage Mo Ling eximed worriedly. Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at Sempiternal realm consummation. Based on what he knew about the sleeping chamber, there were at least three Ancient Sages stationed in the area. If someone noticed that Zhang Xuan was an impersonator, he would be killed without any doubt! Dont worry. If anything really happens, Ill send a signal for you to rush in and save me, Zhang Xuan said with a smile as he threw Ancient Sage Lan Yas body into his storage ring. The body of every Ancient Sage was a treasure, so he could not allow it to go to waste. Ancient Sage Mo Ling also knew that his current position was a little awkward, and attempting to forcefully tag along would only bring them greater trouble. Thus, he hesitantly agreed with a slight nod. Putting aside the fact that Zhang Xuan was the guild leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, just on the very basis that he was the most talented master teacher of the Master Teacher Continent, he could not allow any harm toe to the other party. Un! Having made his decision, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and walked out of the Hall of Sweetspring. He quickly recalled the outline of the pce before heading in the direction of the sleeping chamber. Chapter 1810 - Is the Dragon Blood Here?

Chapter 1810: Is the Dragon Blood Here?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Previously, Zhang Xuan had roamed all around the pce with his Primordial Spirit, allowing him tomit the outline of the entire area to memory. Thus, it did not take him too long to arrive at the sleeping chamber. He took out a token from his storage ring and pressed it lightly against the entrance. An opening slowly appeared in the seal, and he lifted his feet and made his way in. The first thing that came into Zhang Xuans sight was a vast courtyard with all kinds of lush nts growing. Taking a closer look, he realized it was a herb garden, and every single one of the nts growing out was an invaluable medicinal herb. Zhang Xuan discreetly extended his Spiritual Perception around the courtyard to take a look, and soon, a slight frown emerged on his forehead. There were several hundred different kinds of medicinal herbs in the herb garden, and every single one of them boasted incredible medicinal energy. However, the Dragonscale Grass that Ancient Sage Hao Xun spoke of was nowhere in sight. Could it be that there was really no dragon blood there? Instructing the Dragonbone Divine Spear, which was wrapped around him waist disguised as a belt, to carefully sense for the presence of any dragon blood in the area, Zhang Xuan slowly walked along the paved path while carefully scanning the area. Lan Ya, what are you dilly-dallying for? Hurry up! Just as Zhang Xuan was slowly checking the area with his Spiritual Perception, a voice suddenly reverberated in the herb garden. Turning his head over, he saw an elder looking at him with an infuriated look on his face. This elder appeared to be in his sixties, and as if reflecting the many years that he had lived, his eyes were a little murky. While the aura that he emanated did not seem to be too powerful, the pressure that hemanded seemed to seep right into ones soul,manding the obedience of others. Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm... Zhang Xuan could immediately see through the other partys cultivation. Back at the Temple of Confucius, Zhang Xuan had met dozens of Ancient Sages, and his storage ring had plenty of Great Philosopher realm Ancient Sage corpses. He was already well-versed with the various realms of Ancient Sages. Despite the unttering appearance of the elder, he was actually stronger than Lan Ya in terms of cultivation. Such thoughts shed through Zhang Xuans mind in an instant as he hurriedly nodded and walked over. Yes! Noticing that something was amiss with the other partys behavior, the elder stared at Zhang Xuan intently with a deep frown on his face. However, there was no mistake about itthe person standing before him was indeed Lan Ya. Thus, he lowered his voice and sternly reminded, Today is the veryst day. Nothing can go wrong, or else our heads will roll! I understand! Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what the elder was talking about, he was not dumb enough to ask about it. Thus, he nodded before following the other party into the main hall. The main hall had neither Night Illumination Pearls nor candles or the sort for lighting, so the area appeared to be peculiarly dark. Stepping into the room felt like stepping into another world; everything around him seemed to vanish all of a sudden, be it auras or sounds. What a powerful seal! Zhang Xuan thought as he discreetly scanned his surroundings with a stoic expression. As expected of Sovereign Chen Lings true nest, there were literally runic inscriptions everywhere that isted this space from the rest of the pce. It was almost like a fortress within a fortress. Had he not walked through the door, not even an Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm expert would have been able to peer through the seals to see what was happening inside. At the very center of the hall was a round altar with a zing me burning menacingly above it. Over a hundred ck-armored Otherworldly Demons were seated around the altar, and they were all Great Sage experts. Seeing this borate set up, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up as an ominous feeling weighed on his heart. Even though Great Sage cultivators were not as rare as Ancient Sages, they were still considered the top experts of the world. Even among the army of 110,000 that had nned to invade the Master Teacher Continent back then, there had only been dozens of Great Sage cultivators. Yet, over a hundred of them were gathered at that very moment. Did Sovereign Chen Ling really have so many cards up his sleeves? Where is the spring water? Seeing that Lan Ya had fallen into a daze, the elder berated furiously him. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pour it in! Ah, here is the spring water! Zhang Xuan took out the gourd with a flick of his wrist and passed it over to the elder. Why the heck are you giving it to me? The elder was caught off guard by the unexpected response from the other party, but he still instinctively caught the gourd. You can put it in instead! Zhang Xuan said. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with the spring water. If he made a mistake, he might just give his identity away. Since that was the case, he might as well dump the responsibility on the elder. Sovereign Chen Ling personally instructed you to do it. It will be inappropriate for me to do it in your ce! the elder said with a frown. Its fine! His Majesty wont mind such trivialities, Zhang Xuan said with a dryugh. You must be joking! If I knew how I was supposed to use the spring water, do you think that I would waste my breath on you? You... earing those words, the elder immediately flew into a rage. He was just about to give Lan Ya a good lecturing when the ground suddenly tremored, and the altar began to sway violently. Theres no time to waste... Seeing that, the elders eyes widened in rm. He hurriedly uncorked the cap of the gourd and lightly shook the gourd. H! The spring water flowed onto the altar and traced the uniquely patterned grooves onto its surface. Very quickly, it formed an insignia. Xiong xiong xiong! As soon as the me came into contact with the flowing water, it immediately released a burst of astonishing heat as it crackled with greater fervor than before. With the intensification of the me, the insignia began to transform. Begin! the elder ordered. The Great Sage Otherworldly Demons around the altar immediately made incisions on their fingers and flicked their blood into the me. Weng! With the blood tribute, the temperature of the me immediately shot up, such that the surrounding space started to distort under the immense heat. Only at that moment did Zhang Xuan realize that there was a puddle of fresh, crimson blood being burned above the mes. It seemed like it was being refined through some kind of unique method. This puddle of blood was roughly the size of a fist, and an indignant energy was roaring furiously from it. It felt as if a massive dragon was circling around it. Just as a thought came into Zhang Xuans mind, an anxious voice sounded in his mind. Master, thats the dragon blood... They seem to be refining the dragon blood! The Dragonbone Divine Spear trembled in agitation around his waist. Thats the dragon blood? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. He had thought that it would take a great deal of effort to find the dragon blood, but who could have known that it would be presented right to him? The only problem was that there were too many people surrounding the altar at the moment. Given the current circumstances, it would be nigh impossible for him to steal the dragon blood and get away safely. Its good that I have managed to locate the dragon blood... but what are they doing? Zhang Xuan wondered silently. To ce the dragon blood on top of the altar and use the blood of Great Sage Otherworldly Demons to fuel the me, it was clear that the other party was trying to refine the dragon blood. However, what were they trying to refine it into? Its our turn, Lan Ya. Hurry up and get over here! the elder yelled. Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw the elder creating an incision on his finger and flicking a droplet of blood essence toward the altar. He knew that he would be suspected if he dyed at all, so he quickly squeezed out a droplet of blood and flicked it into the altar as well. Tzzzzz! As soon as the altar devoured the elders blood, the elder began withering as if someone was sapping him dry. His face turned ghastly pale, and his cheeks sunk inward. Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his gaze toward the other Great Sage Otherworldly Demons. They were also trembling intensely as energy was swiftly drawn from their bodies. Not only does the altar consume blood, its also able to devour ones spirit, vitality, and psyche through tracing the blood! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror. He finally understood why he had been able to kill Ancient Sage Lan Ya so easily. Just by contributing a droplet of blood, his spirit was already feeling extremely withered, and a great deal of his energy had been consumed. From the looks of it, it was apparent that Lan Ya had been sustaining the altar all that time, contributing his blood essence to it every now and then. With such depletion, it was inevitable that his physical state had depleted to the point where he had be far weaker than a typical Ancient Sage. To encounter a surprise assault from a Sempiternal realm consummation expert wielding an Ancient Sage artifact while being in such a condition... no wonder Lan Ya had copsed after a single attack! Roar roar! After devouring Zhang Xuan and the elders blood essences, the dragon avatar within the dragon blood grew clearer and clearer. At the same time, its vague cries grew into distinct roars, and it seemed as if it would soar into the air at any moment. This... Seeing that, the Dragonbone Divine Spear trembled in agitation as it cried out, They arent just refining the dragon blood! Rather, they are trying to use a special method to nourish the dragon blood so as to enhance it by a tier! Chapter 1811 - Enhancing the Tier of the Dragon Blood

Chapter 1811: Enhancing the Tier of the Dragon Blood

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 They are raising the tier of the dragon blood? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. There is a strict hierarchy within the Dragon Tribe, so theres a difference in the purity of a dragons blood, the Dragonbone Divine Spear replied. Zhang Xuan nodded. Based on what he had seen thus far, it seemed like the Dragon Tribe worked in a manner simr to the Sage ns on the Master Teacher Continent. The purer a dragons bloodline was, the more talented and powerful it would be. With the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, for example, even though there was the word dragon in its name, the truth was that the purity of its dragon blood was extremely low. To put it in terms of Sage ns, it would be like a member of the side family, hardly worth a mention at all. It was due to this that it had swiftly sumbed to the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon and submitted to him. The puddle of dragon blood before him was likely to be the same one that Ancient Sage Hao Xun had told him about, the one that belonged to an Ancient Sage ck dragon. As expected, it was much purer than the bloodline of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. Raising the tier of dragon blood is usually impossible. However, they have added the blood essence of many Ancient Sages and cultivators into the dragon blood while using the cleanest water to remove impurities and catalyze the fusion. Its hard to tell right now, but I feel like they might just be able to pull it off, the Dragonbone Divine Spear said in agitation. Just as the Dragonbone Divine Spear had said, it was usually impossible to raise the tier of any bloodline. What the group was doing was effectively dumping everything nourishing in the dragon blood, hoping to force an upgrade. That, as well, would usually be an impractical course of action, but with two Ancient Sages and many Great Sage cultivators devoting their lives to this upgrade, they might just seed. Hong long! All of a sudden, a resounding roar echoed in the air. After fusing Zhang Xuan and the elders blood into the mixture, the aura of the dragon blood grew stronger and stronger, such that it was starting to show signs of running amok. Its working! The eyes of the elder lit up in agitation. He hurriedly stood up and looked at Zhang Xuan. Lan Ya, we are on the verge of sess. Hurry up and make the offering! Make the offering? Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings, but there was no offering to be seen. He had no idea what he was supposed to do right now, and that left him with a splitting headache. He had witnessed one of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes rituals before back at the Temple of Confucius, but he had never hosted one before. There was no way that he would know what the typical steps of their rituals consisted of. At that rate, he was really going to be exposed! After all, no matter how convincing his disguise was, he was not a real Otherworldly Demon. If he was really able to conduct the ritual to summon the Spirit God by himself, he would not have followed Sovereign Chen Yong over to the otherworldly battlefield. His previous action of tossing the gourd to the elder had already incurred thetters suspicion. If he continued dying the ritual, the elder might just make a move on him. Thus, Zhang Xuan stiffened his body up and directed his blood up his throat, causing his cheeks to redden. Pu! Fresh blood spurted out of his mouth, and his entire body wobbled weakly for a moment before copsing to the ground. You... Not expecting Ancient Sage Lan Ya to give in at a crucial moment like that, the elders face puffed red in fury. Ill surely report this matter to Sovereign Chen Ling afterward. Just wait to be punished! Following which, he turned his gaze away from Zhang Xuan and raised his hand up. H! In the blink of an eye, countless surges of sword qi appeared above him. Following which, he abruptly brought his hand down. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! The sword qi whizzed through the air, ughtering the hundred Great Sage cultivators seated around the altar. Along with the decapitation of hundred heads, a stream of fresh blood flowed steadily into the altar. Seeing that, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. To ughter a hundred Great Sage cultivators just like that... No wonder he had been unable to find any offerings earlierthe offerings were actually the lives of those Great Sage cultivators! This was truly an abominable ritual! Weng weng weng! As the blood filled the uniquely patterned groove on the altar, a thunderous howl echoed in the air. Countless fragments of light descended from the sky and gathered around the elder. O noble god, I humbly offer these lives to you. All I wish for is to purify this dragon blood... The elders voice echoed resoundingly in the air. He spoke in the primordialnguage of the Spirit Tribe, which carried a sinister vibe that seemed to permeate ones body. A voice spoke slowly from amid the congregation of light. I shall grant your wish! Zhang Xuan quickly traced the light up into the sky, wanting to see if the person was Luo Ruoxin. Yet, the blinding radiance of the light rendered him unable to see any silhouette at all. At the same time, the voice sounded exceptionally rich, making it difficult to discern whether it belonged to a male or a female. Boom! Right after the voice had given its answer, the light abruptly intensified. A surge of unique energy descended from the sky and fused into the dragon blood, causing it to billow furiously. As if having devoured some kind of nourishment, the size of the dragon avatar in the dragon blood expanded in an instant. At the same time, the aura that the dragon avatar emanated seemed to grow significantly denser and more powerful. While it might have been impossible for ordinary cultivators to raise the tier of dragon blood, such a feat was not beyond the means of the gods! To think that the other party had gathered so much energy together and sacrificed so many lives all to summon the gods! Gugugugu! As the avatar of the dragon bulked up, the puddle of blood diminished in volume. Despite being around the size of a fist initially, it was only roughly the size of a fingernail at that very moment. While its volume had reduced considerably, the energy that it harnessed had be much denser and more powerful, and it emanated an imposing pressure in its surroundings. It felt as if its power was on the verge of exceeding the limits of the world, and it would depart to a higher world very soon. He had felt such a sensation from Luo Ruoxin once before. Back in the Temple of Confucius, as her strength had far exceeded what the Master Teacher Continent could endure, she had been left with no choice but to turn around and leave. Clearly, the dragon blood before him had also surpassed the bottleneck of the Blood Reincarnation realm to reach a higher level! Master, if I can devour that dragon blood, not only will I be able to undo my seal, Ill even be able to advance a step further and push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage 4-dan! the Dragonbone Divine Spear eximed in agitation. Zhang Xuans face also reddened in agitation, but he took a deep breath to calm himself before instructing the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Hold on for a moment. Well make a move after the power from the gods dissipates! He had thought that it would be a great blessing if he could unseal the Dragonbone Divine Spear, but who would have thought that he would happen upon the other partys ritual of enhancing the tier of the dragon blood? If the Dragonbone Divine Spear was able to devour the assimted dragon blood, it would surely undergo major transformative changes and ascend to a greater level! In that case, as long as he had the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, Sovereign Chen Ling would be no threat even if he returned to his peak! Even the strongest experts would be destroyed by a jab of his spear! However, if he wanted to devour the enhanced dragon blood, he would have to wait for the power from the gods to recede first. Otherwise, if the gods flew into a rage over his impatience and punished him, the consequence was not something that he could bear. Un! The Dragonbone Divine Spear agreed, and it trembled uncontrobly around Zhang Xuans waist. It was hardly able to curb its excitement. It had never chanced upon such an opportunity before even back in those days when it was pursuing Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. With such dragon blood along with his superior fighting prowess, even if he was still unable to match the almighty Kong shi, he would at least be able to put up a fight against Vicious. Hong long! While the two of them weremunicating with one another, the aura of the gods retreated from the atmosphere. Following which, the glow on the altar was beginning to dissipate as well. Amid the zing me, there was only a single droplet of the dragon blood left. With a scarlet color reminiscent of fire, this single droplet of blood harnessed so much power that it felt as though it had be a sentient being. Out of instinct, it attempted to charge out of the altar and leap into the endless sky. However, with a powerful formation swiftly closing in on it, there was no way that it would be able to escape. The eyes of the elder reddened as he cried in agitation, Weve seeded! After nearly an entire month of hard work, their efforts had finallye to fruition. The elder suddenly felt exhaustion assaulting his entire body, threatening to pull him down to the ground. Invite Sovereign Chen Ling over! the elder bellowed loudly with tightly clenched fists. Now! We need to snatch the dragon blood right now! Upon hearing the elders words, Zhang Xuans face immediately warped in horror. Once Sovereign Chen Ling appeared, it would be impossible for him toy his hands on the dragon blood anymore. With a p of his hand, the Dragonbone Divine Spear immediately darted forth from his waist. It seemed to know the urgency of the current situation as well, so it warped into a ck skeletal dragon without any hesitation and bolted right for the altar. Seeing the ck skeletal dragon and recalling the bizarre actions of the other party throughout the ritual, the elder widened his eyes as he eximed in disbelief, Y-you... You arent Ancient Sage Lan Ya? Who the hell are you? He immediately raised his arm to stop the ck skeletal dragon from reaching the altar. Hu! The power of an Ancient Sage poured forth. It swiftly gathered in midair to form a barrier so as to block the ck skeletal dragon from reaching the altar. Chapter 1812 - And the Dragon Blood Goes to…

Chapter 1812: And the Dragon Blood Goes to...

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Break! Seeing that the elder had managed to stop the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Zhang Xuans face turned grim. At such a moment, he could not afford to hide his identity any longer. Taking out the Infernal cksaber, he raised his arm and shed at the barrier. Even though the elder was at Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm, he had expended himself greatly while trying to purify the dragon blood. As a result, his strength paled far inparison to before. All it took was an instant for the Infernal cksaber to tear through the barrier. Pu! Fresh blood spewed from the elders mouth, but the elder firmly stood his ground. His eyes turned crimson as he raised his palm once more. He released a tremendous amount of zhenqi to stop the Dragonbone Divine Spear from reaching the dragon blood despite the poor physical state that he was in. His desperate act worked, and in a moments time, he actually managed to halt the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more. Persistent b*stard! Not expecting the elder to be so stubborn despite being in such a weakened state, Zhang Xuans face reddened in fury as he swung the Infernal cksaber once more. As long as he killed the elder, the barrier that thetter had formed around the Dragonbone Divine Spear would dissipate. Humph! Knowing that Zhang Xuan wouldunch such an attack, the elder slid his palm forward. Something reminiscent of a woven piece of silk darted forth and encircled itself around the iing saber. It was an artifacta Half-Ancient Sage artifact. Even though it was not a true Ancient Sage artifact, it was tailored purely for hypnosis and binding. As a result, Zhang Xuan immediately felt the zhenqi in his body slowing down, as if something was blocking it. Even exerting his zhenqi felt incredibly arduous. H! An Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage suddenly appeared right before Zhang Xuan and blocked the woven piece of silk. It pulled its arm backward beforeunching a powerful punch aimed right at the woven piece of silk. It was none other than the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse that Zhang Xuan had forged a while back! Si! Despite only being a corpse, it possessed superior physical abilities as a Soulless Metal Humanoid. That single punch caused the space in its path to copse, and the crimson silk was swiftly torn into shreds. Pu! A second mouthful of blood was spewed from the elders lips. In the first ce, he was in no state to fight given his current physical condition, and it was only sheer willpower and desperation that had been driving him on. His frail body was sent flying by the impact, and hended heavily on the ground amid a cloud of dust. From the looks of it, he would be incapacitated for quite a while. Zhang Xuan swiftly swung the Infernal cksaber once more to tear down the barrier set up by the barrier before bellowing, Go! Yes! The Dragonbone Divine Spear immediately bolted forward as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, the massive skeletal dragon arrived before the dragon blood, and it widened its mouth to devour the dragon blood. Hu! Just as the dragon blood was about to flow into the body of the skeletal dragon and assimte together with it, its movements suddenly froze in ce. It was a bizarre sightapletely motionless skeletal dragon with a droplet of dragon blood floating quietly in the midst of its mouth. Sh*t! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. He quickly lifted his head and saw a figure drifting right above them. The figure was pointing one of his fingers toward the skeletal dragon. It went without saying that it was the figure who had frozen the surrounding space to limit the Dragonbone Divine Spears movements. Sovereign Chen Ling! They were still a step too slow in the end! At that moment, Sovereign Chen Lings face was still a little pale, which indicated that he had not fully recovered. Despite that, there was still no denying that he was a Blood Reincarnation realm expert. There was no way that the Dragonbone Divine Spear could be a match for him! After halting the movements of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Sovereign Chen Ling turned his gaze upon Zhang Xuan. His eyes reflected the raging anger that was burning within him. If looks could kill, everything in the area would have disintegrated in the blink of an eye. Are you Zhang Xuan? I didnt think that you would have the guts to sneak into my pce and kill my trusted subordinate. You are really courting death! The Dragonbone Divine Spear and the Infernal cksaber were artifacts unique to Zhang Xuan. No matter how ingenious his disguise as Ancient Sage Lan Ya was, those artifacts would still give him away in an instant. Vicious! Sensing great danger from the figure floating above him, Zhang Xuan brought out his strongest trump card without any hesitation. The Book of Heavens Path materialized, and one of Vicious arm reached out from the book and flicked its finger. Si! The sealed space immediately began flowing once more, and the massive mouth of the skeletal dragon swiftly mped shut. Kacha! The sound of the skeletal dragons teeth mping shut echoed throughout the entire room. However, the skeletal dragon did not experience the feeling of immense power coursing through its body as it had anticipated. A human actually managed to make it in here? A provocative feminine voice echoed in the room. Sovereign Chen Ling, it seems like your pce isnt as safe as you thought... Following which, a youngdy with a seductive figure appeared in the room. Rotating slowly at the tip of her finger was the droplet of dragon blood. Clearly, she had stolen the dragon blood from the skeletal dragons mouth in the moment that it tried to devour the dragon blood. This youngdy appeared to be in her early thirties. At first nce, her cultivation felt unfathomable, giving off a simr sensation to the elder presiding over the ritual earlier. In other words, she was an Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm cultivator. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. He had known that there would be several Ancient Sages standing on guard in Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber, but he did not think that they woulde so quickly. Get the dragon blood back! Knowing that the danger would only worsen with every passing second, Zhang Xuan hurriedly issued another order to Vicious. Sou! The arming from the Book of Heavens Path darted right toward the Great Philosopher realm youngdy with lightning speed. The youngdy was caught off guard from the unexpected agility of the arm. Before she knew it, the space around her was already sealed, rendering her unable to move at all. Peng! A palm thrustnded squarely on the youngdys chest, and thetter was immediately sent flying into the distance. Take it! Knowing that she would unable to retain possession of the dragon blood in the face of such a powerful enemy, the youngdy anxiously flung the droplet of dragon blood toward Sovereign Chen Ling. Sovereign Chen Ling swiftly flitted forth to grab the droplet of dragon blood, but the arm in the Book of Heavens Path was not slow in its reaction either. Thus, the two powerhouses collided with one another, causing a devastating shockwave to ripple into the surroundings. Under the humongous force, the formations in the area reached the limits of their durability and shattered. What happened? Sovereign Chen Ling seems to be fighting with someone else... Hu! The copse of the formations meant that they were no longer fighting in an isted environment. Hearing themotion, another two Ancient Sages swiftly flew over to inspect the situation. Just like the youngdy, they were Great Philosopher realm experts. Individually, they might not be a threat to Vicious, but when coordinating with one another, there was no doubt that they were a force to be reckoned with. Due to Sovereign Chen Lings injuries, Vicious clearly held the upper hand in the sh, and he was on the verge of obtaining the droplet of dragon blood. However, with those two Ancient Sages joining the fray and supporting Sovereign Chen Ling, the scales were bnced. Vicious found himself unable to take a single step forward no matter how much he exerted himself, almost as if someone had nailed him to the spot. Even though Vicious was unable to reach the droplet of dragon blood, he was able to prevent the others from reaching it as well. Desperate, Sovereign Chen Ling clenched his teeth together and bellowed, Formation, activate! Weng! The formations that were set up all over Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber began churning into action. Innumerable shimmering beads of light materialized in the area, and they swiftly converged on Vicious in the blink of an eye. Sovereign Chen Ling had spent innumerable years carving the inscriptions and setting up the formations within his sleeping chamber so as to ensure that he would have a trump card to deal with Sovereign Chen Yong if they ever fell out with one another. While Vicious had recovered to Blood Reincarnation realm consummation, it was still beyond his means to breach the formation quickly. Seeing that Vicious had been trapped within the formation, Sovereign Chen Ling heaved a sigh of relief. I have paid a heavy price in order to refine this droplet of dragon blood, so how could I allow an outsider like you to snatch it from me? he harrumphed coldly. With a grasp of his hand, the droplet of dragon blood fell right into his hand, emanating rampaging energy. Sovereign Chen Ling tapped his finger lightly on the droplet of blood, and the dragon avatar shrouding it released a deep, pained moan. It was as if someone had just in its will. Without any hesitation, he opened his mouth to swallow the dragon blood. He had sustained severe injuries that had devastated his very foundations, and it was only a matter of time before he lost his life. The only way that he could recover was through the nourishment of the refined dragon blood. No! Its mine! Seeing that a rare opportunity to achieve a breakthrough was about to slip right through his fingers, the Dragonbone Divine Spear roared desperately. It charged right toward Sovereign Chen Ling without any hesitation, intending to take the dragon blood back by hook or by crook. It rammed heavily into Sovereign Chen Ling, causing thetter to stagger. The dragon blood also slipped past thetters finger to fall to the floor. Youre courting death! Sovereign Chen Ling spat as he thrust his palm toward the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Padah! How could the Dragonbone Divine Spear possibly withstand the attack of a Blood Reincarnation realm expert? It was nted right into the ground with a huge hole around it. Humph! After knocking away the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Sovereign Chen Ling raised his hand and summoned the dragon blood back into his grasp. After that, he brought his hand to his mouth, ready to drink the dragon blood, when he suddenly felt a chill on his fingers. It was as if a gust had just blown through his fingers. Before he knew it, the dragon blood had vanished from his hand once more. What? Sovereign Chen Lings head nearly blew up in that instant. He hurriedly turned his head to look where the gust of wind had departed to, only to find himself faced with a floating gourd. The body of the floating gourd caved inward to form a depression as the dragon blood was drawn into the depression to be assimted into its body. Just like that, the dragon blood was devoured. Chapter 1813 - Ancient Sage Mo Ling Makes a Move

Chapter 1813: Ancient Sage Mo Ling Makes a Move

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You... Sovereign Chen Ling was immediately rendered dumbstruck. Simrly, Zhang Xuan was rooted to the spot as he felt countless divine beasts stampeding through his mind, leaving a cloud of dust obscuring his thoughts. That gourd was the Dongxu Gourd, which had once hidden in his dantian. After he fed it a meteorite piece, the other party had been resting in his storage ring, hardly moving at all. Why would it suddenly leap out to join themotion at a time like this? Not to mention... it had even devoured the droplet of dragon blood! That was the crux to removing the seal on the Dragonbone Divine Spear! Without it, the Dragonbone Divine Spear would not be able to regain its true strength, and with just the prowess of Vicious, it would be impossible for him to get out of there safely. In the worst-case scenario, he might even meet his end there! My blood... My dragon blood... The copsed Dragonbone Divine Spear twitched in horror upon seeing this sight, and tears flowed freely down its sunken eyes. That was the key for it to return to its prime, but it had been swallowed by a mere gourd. Ridiculous! A gourd did not have a mouth, so how could it swallow anything at all? Urp! After devouring the dragon blood, the Dongxu Gourd burped loudly before heading back in Zhang Xuans direction with a satisfied shake of its bottom. Sovereign Chen Ling finally returned to his senses, and insanity overwhelmed his rationality. He charged over furiously as his palmrge swathes of space around him. Give my dragon blood back! Seeing that, Zhang Xuan nearly fainted on the spot. With his current strength, getting involved in a fight between Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm experts was as good asmitting suicide. Thus, it had never crossed his mind that he could charge forward to snatch the dragon blood. As a result of that, he had been observing the battle carefully the whole time. If the situation ever turned against him, he would immediately turn tail and flee. Yet, who could have thought that the gourd would snatch the dragon blood and return to his side, not neglecting to pull Sovereign Chen Lings aggression to him in the meantime? You b*stard! Just what in the world did I do to you for you to do this to me? It was out of goodwill that I allowed you to stay in my dantian and nourished you. I even gave you the meteorite... but this is how you repay me? Profanities that would leave even the most foul mouthed of individuals reddening in shame shed through Zhang Xuans mind. Of course, his body did not freeze in space. He swiftly moved to distance himself from the Dongxu Gourd so as to avoid Sovereign Chen Lings wrath, but before he could make a move, the Dongxu Gourd had already dived back into his dantian and found afortable spot to rest. You... Zhang Xuans head nearly burst apart from frenzy in that instant. However, this wasnt the moment to confront the Dongxu Gourd. He quickly activated the Zhang n bloodline, causing time to slow down. At the same time, he executed the Heavens Path Movement Art and darted forward with incredible agility, reaching Vicious side within a heartbeat. The only reliable card that he had against Sovereign Chen Ling was this fellow. Die! Seeing the gourd that had stolen the dragon blood disappearing into Zhang Xuan, Sovereign Chen Ling immediately realized that the gourd was one of the other partys possessions. With his lips twitching in rage, he pulled both of his hands downward forcefully. The next moment, it felt as if the surrounding air had been sapped dry. Zhang Xuan felt his stiffening body flying in Sovereign Chen Lings direction, as if he was offering his life up to the other party. Master! Seeing such a sight, Vicious could not possibly continue allowing himself to be tied down by those two Ancient Sages. His other arm flew out of the Book of Heavens Path to grab Zhang Xuans shoulder, thus preventing thetter from flying toward Sovereign Chen Ling. At the same time, the other arm pushed against the Book of Heavens Path, dragging out an iplete skeletal frame from within. Given that he was bound to Zhang Xuan by a soul contract, if Zhang Xuan died, he would lose his life as well. As such, he had to save Zhang Xuan regardless of the cost. Hu! As soon as the skeletal frame appeared, spiritual energy began surging over, creating a hurricane in the room. The skeletal frame lifted its palm and pressed it downward onto the iing Sovereign Chen Ling. Leaving the Book of Heavens Path had boosted Vicious fighting prowess significantly. As soon as he collided with Sovereign Chen Lings offense, thetter was sent flying into the distance. Perhaps, Sovereign Chen Ling might not have feared the unrecovered Vicious prior to him getting injured, but in his current state... he simply did not stand a chance at all! Seeing that Vicious was indeed able to stop Sovereign Chen Ling, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He focused his attention onto dantian and berated, Didnt you agree not to enter my dantian? Previously, he had given the meteorite to the Dongxu Gourd in exchange for this condition, and thetter had given its word. Who could have known that thetter would renege on its promise at such a vital moment? Furthermore, it had even provoked Sovereign Chen Ling and drawn thetter to him! What the heck was with that? If not for his swift reaction to activate the Zhang n bloodline and escape to Vicious side, Zhang Xuan would have already lost his life. Theres no need to sweat over minor details. Im just resting in here for a moment. The Dongxu Gourd shook its bottom leisurely, as if it waspletely unbothered by the situation. Gritting his teeth angrily, Zhang Xuan was just about to continue giving the darned gourd a good tongueshing when he suddenly felt a chill behind his back. Knowing that danger was approaching him, he activated the Zhang n bloodline once more and charged forward. Boom boom boom! A moment after he stepped away from his original spot, the space where he had been standing suddenly copsed inward, leaving behind an empty void in its ce. The shockwave from the abrupt copse of space struck his back, causing fresh blood to spurt from his mouth. He hurriedly turned around and saw the two Ancient Sages who had been holding down Vicious a moment earlier standing not too far away from him. They might barely have been able to hold their ground against the powerful Vicious, but if they could not even get rid of a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator, they would truly be worthless to Sovereign Chen Ling. Maniption of temporalws? Hes indeed that darned human fellow. Lets rip him to shreds! Seeing that his assault did not work, one of the Ancient Sages frowned slightly before raising his palm once more. The other Ancient Sage swiftlyunched a punch in coordination with his partner. Before the palm strike and punch couldnd, the surrounding space began warping inward to Zhang Xuan. It was as if he was standing in the eye of a hurricane; he could not run away even if he wanted to. Knowing that Vicious had his hands full dealing with Sovereign Chen Ling, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist as he spat through gritted teeth, Tsk. You really think Im a pushover, dont you? H! Two Ancient Sage corpses appeared before him, blocking the palm strike and punch. Back at the Temple of Confucius, when Sovereign Chen Yong was battling with multiple Ancient Sages at once, Zhang Xuan had taken away quite a number of Otherworldly Demon corpses with him. He had not been able to forge them into Soulless Metal Humanoids as he had been severely injured over the past few days, but they could still act as temporary shields. Peng! Peng! The two attacks ended upnding on the corpses instead and sent them flying. Even though Zhang Xuan had survived the ordeal for the time being, he knew that this was not a long-term solution. It was just a matter of time before he ran out of shields, and by then, he would be a goner. As such, he was prepared to bring out his final golden page to kill at least one of the two Ancient Sages when he suddenly heard a hurried gust of winding from behind him. Following which, a chilling aura wrapped itself around him like a rope before forcefully tugging him out of Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber. Guild leader, hurry up and leave! It was Ancient Sage Mo Ling. He had also noticed that something was amiss, so he had drawn his soul out from his body and dashed right in. Where do you think youre going? How could the two Ancient Sages within Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber allow Zhang Xuan to get away so easily? They immediately flitted over to pursue him. In response, Ancient Sage Mo Ling retaliated with a powerful palm strike. The sh between the two sides caused a powerful shockwave to ripple through the sleeping chamber, tearing down the resilient building. A cloud of dust rose into the air, obscuring everything from sight. After pushing away the two Ancient Sages, Ancient Sage Mo Ling made use of this momentary reprieve to grab Zhang Xuan and flee from the sleeping chamber. Being a Blood Reincarnation realm expert, he was far stronger than the two Ancient Sages. As long as Sovereign Chen Ling did not make a move, it would be impossible for those two to stop him. After escorting Zhang Xuan out of the sleeping chamber, Ancient Sage Mo Ling hurriedly instructed, Guild leader, I have already activated the formation outside, so youll be safe for the time being. You should quickly leave. Ill block those two for you... The Dragonbone Divine Spear and Vicious are still inside, Zhang Xuan replied anxiously. If I leave now, they wont be able to get away. The Dragonbone Divine Spear had sustained significant injuries whereas Vicious was held down by Sovereign Chen Ling and the formation. Considering that they were in Sovereign Chen Lings pce, the situation would only turn against them as more reinforcements arrived. If he fled, those two would be doomed! Putting aside everything else, those two were his strongest trump cards. He could not afford to lose them! Chapter 1814 - I’ll Set Up a Formation

Chapter 1814: Ill Set Up a Formation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Guild leader, I hate to say this, but youll have to let them go. It wont be long before the other Ancient Sages in the capital arrive in the pce. Once that happens, well all go down together! Ancient Sage Mo Ling advised anxiously. Of the Ancient Sages siding with Sovereign Chen Ling, there were still another five of them who were not there yet. The only reason that they still were not there was because the formation around the sleeping chamber had prevented any pulsation of energy from slipping out. However, with the copse of the formation, there was no doubt that all of the Ancient Sages were already on their way here. Once they arrived, it would be impossible for them to escape! As powerful as Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Vicious were, there was no way that they would be able to survive an encirclement of so many experts. Even Sovereign Chen Yong had nearly lost his life, let alone them! Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan forced himself to calm down before swiftly going through the situation once more. If I make a getaway right now, Ill only be put in an even more disadvantageous position against Sovereign Chen Ling, especially without Vicious and the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Furthermore, given that they have learned that I havee to the capital, they will spare no effort in rooting me out. That might undo all of my earlier preparations. The only reason for Sovereign Chen Ling being so docile at the moment is that he has not recovered his strength yet. Once he has recovered, itll be a cmity for mankind. We dont have any time to spare... There were many defensive mechanisms within the capital, such as formations on the city walls. Of course, given Zhang Xuans means, he would be able to circumvent them easily. If he wanted to, he could even disguise himself as one of the civilians, and it would be difficult for anyone to uncover his true identity. However, the issue was that he was not the only one around. Sovereign Chen Ling would surely conduct a massive investigation operation after this matter, and that could possibly root out Sovereign Chen Yong and Ancient Sage Hao Xun. Liu Yang might even be held hostage to deal with Sovereign Chen Yong. Understanding the intentions behind Zhang Xuans words, Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked, What should we do then? Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief instant before replying, Hold them back for ten breaths, and you can leave the rest to me. Ten breaths? Ancient Sage Mo Ling was taken aback. However, he eventually nodded. Leave it to me! Hu! Driving his soul energy, Ancient Sage Mo Ling pulled the surrounding spiritual energy and wrapped it around him like a vortex before charging toward the two iing Ancient Sages. As the powers of the three collided, the surrounding space shatteredyer afteryer. As Ancient Sage Mo Ling fought, he shot asional nces toward Zhang Xuan, curious to see what ns he had in mind. What he saw was thetter floating into the sky and bringing out several thousand formation gs. They were some of the treasures that Zhang Xuan had harvested from the Temple of Confucius. Every single one of those formation gs had reached the level of grade-9 pinnacle. Seeing Zhang Xuans actions, Ancient Sage Mo Ling nearly plummeted from the sky. Is he intending to set up a formation right now? Is he certain that he will be able to make it in time? Furthermore... It was true that Zhang Xuans prowess in formations was formidable; he had witnessed it with his own eyes. However... they were not in any ordinary location. They were in Sovereign Chen Lings pce! The entire area was filled with inscriptions and formations, and all of them were hindering factors. If Zhang Xuan wanted to set up a formation there, he would have to take all of those formations into ount and deduce a feasible way to fit his formations among them all. Putting aside ten breaths, even if there were a hundred 9-star formation masters, they might not even seed even if they had a years time! The calction that was required for thispound formation to work was simply too greatwell beyond a humans ability! Hu hu hu! Before Ancient Sage Mo Ling could recover from his shock, the young man in the sky waved his hand, and the formation gs shot off in all directions. In less than three breaths, the several thousand formation gs were nted all around Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber and disappeared from sight. After doing all of that, Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and eximed, Im done. Retreat! Alright! Ancient Sage Mo Ling hurriedly flew toward Zhang Xuan. Of course, the other two Ancient Sages fighting him would not allow him to leave as he pleased, so they quickly followed up with a barrage of attacks, attempting to tie Ancient Sage Mo Ling down. Wuuuuu! At that moment, a resounding bellow sounded in the air. Oh? Sovereign Chen Ling, who are these people? They seem to be quite formidable to be able to corner you to such an extent. Hahaha! I trust that youll give us what you promised us for helping you. After all, a person as great as you wont renege on your promise, right? Following which, several wills swiftly suffused the sleeping chamber, and an incredible pressure pushed down from above. The five remaining Ancient Sages had arrived together! Cut the cr*p. I want them alive. Make sure that none of them escape here... If you can do that, Ill do what I promised all of you. If a single one of them manages to slip away, our previous deal will be struck off! Sovereign Chen Ling roared. He was able to stand against Vicious skeletal frame for the time being with the assistance of the formation in the sleeping chamber, but his injuries were already starting to burden him. He would only continue to grow weaker. At that rate, he might really lose his life! Thus, he was willing to pay any price to keep Zhang Xuan and the others there. If he could not, he would really suffer a huge loss! If he could not get back the dragon blood that he had refined with great difficulty, who knew how long it would take him to recover? That isnt any trouble at all! The Ancient Sages lowered their heads to look at Vicious and Ancient Sage Mo Ling with smirks stered on their faces. Seeing this, Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt his heart turning cold. He muttered in destion, Its toote. Theres no way well be able to get away now... Against just the two Ancient Sages before him, he might still have stood a chance at escaping, but against so many Ancient Sages at once... it was certain death for him. With a paleplexion and a faint smile, Zhang Xuan remarked, What are you talking about? I intentionally waited for them toe here. Otherwise, we would really be unable to get away... To nt so many formation gs at once, even if he had the Library of Heavens Path and nearly unlimited zhenqi, he still could not help but feel depleted from such exertion. You were intentionally waiting for them? Ancient Sage Mo Ling was taken aback. Is this really the time to be joking around? Our lives are at stake! Paying no heed to the panicking Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Zhang Xuan raised his head to address the figures in the sky. You are the Ancient Sages assisting Sovereign Chen Ling? I am Sovereign Chen Yongs friend, and I can tell you for certain that he isnt dead yet. Sovereign Chen Ling colluded with the humans to assassinate him, but the n eventually failed, and Sovereign Chen Ling ended up incurring severe injuries... It might be a futile attempt, but it would be best if he could rally any of them over to their side. Dont listen to his nonsense. Hes a master teacher, a human spy. Hurry up and kill him! Sovereign Chen Ling bellowed furiously, cutting off Zhang Xuans words. He had nned on keeping Zhang Xuan alive to interrogate him, but he no longer cared that much. It might have appeared that those Ancient Sages were loyal to him, but their loyalty was based on a rtionship of mutual benefit. If Sovereign Chen Yong promise them even greater benefits, there was no saying whether these Ancient Sages would turn against him. Hes a master teacher? The Ancient Sages looked at one another with livid looks on their faces. It was unthinkable to them that a master teacher would actually go to their capital and infiltrate Sovereign Chen Lings heavily fortified pce. I am a master teacher? Sovereign Chen Ling, do you even believe the words that areing out of your mouth? Given my pure Zhenqi of ughter and my noble bloodline, how dare you im that Im a master teacher! Watch your mouth! Zhang Xuan sneered coldly as he furiously drove his zhenqi. In an instant, a killing intent so concentrated that it wasparable to even the Three Sovereigns poured out of Zhang Xuans body. This... What concentrated Zhenqi of ughter! Is a human really capable of emting something like this? If they were able to disguise themselves in such a manner, our Spirit Tribe would have already been destroyed a long time ago. The other Ancient Sages frowned doubtfully. The main identifying factor of an Otherworldly Demon was their Zhenqi of ughter. The more concentrated ones Zhenqi of ughter was, the purer ones bloodline was. There was no doubt that the Zhenqi of ughter exerted by the person before them was far more concentrated than theirs. Could such a person really be a master teacher? Noticing the hesitation among the Ancient Sages, Sovereign Chen Ling gritted his teeth and bellowed, Kill him, and Ill double what I previously promised you! Are you certain? Hearing those words, the eyes of the five Ancient Sages widened in astonishment. Since thats the case, theres nothing for us to hesitate over. Kill him! The society of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was very different from that of the Master Teacher Continent. Rules and principles were held in high regard on the Master Teacher Continent, but among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, rules were only social constructs that were followed when it was convenient to them. Ultimately, all that drove them was benefits. Whether the other party was friends with Sovereign Chen Yong or a master teacher, it made no difference to them at all. What Sovereign Chen Ling was promising them was something that Sovereign Chen Yong would never be able to give them. Since that was the case, why would they hesitate? The path that they should take was clear. Chapter 1815 - Escape

Chapter 1815: Escape

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom! Incredible might swept over the area and crushed Zhang Xuan. With the five Ancient Sages exerting their prowess simultaneously, it felt as if the apocalypse hade. The world turned pitch ck as the surrounding space dissipated into dust. If one got close, one would be torn apart by the massive force that they were exerting and vanish from the world. Seeing such force, Ancient Sage Mo Lings face paled as he trembled in fear. We need to leave now... It was apparent that the five of them had practiced some kind of coborative formation, or else it would have been impossible for them to exert such immense strength. It was questionable whether or not Blood Reincarnation realm consummation experts would be able to survive that strike, let alone him. He had been thinking that the tables were starting to turn in their favor now that a new guild leader had appeared in their Soul Oracle Guild. They would be able to return to their original identity and allow their descendants to stand proudly on the Master Teacher Continent once more. Yet, who could have known that this fellow was actually so unreliable? They had only met a moment ago, but this fellow was already charging into the gates of hell! What the heck? Ancient Sage Mo Ling hurriedly rushed to Zhang Xuans side and grabbed thetters palm, hoping to pull him to safety. However, thetter shook his head and flung his arms to shake free from his grip. Come at me then! Perplexed, Ancient Sage Mo Ling turned to look at the young man, only to see thetter looking at the five Ancient Sages in the air with a provocative smile on his lips. ... Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt his hair standing on end. Just what the heck did their soul oracles do to deserve such an unreliable guild leader? Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt so stifled that he could have imploded on the spot. He hesitated for a moment, but he still could not let the future hope of the soul oracles lose his life. Thus, he gathered his strength to grab Zhang Xuan once more, but before he coulde into contact with thetter, thetter had already raised both of his arms and bellowed, Activate! Boom! At the same time, the ck force also crashed into Zhang Xuan. However, contrary to what Ancient Sage Mo Ling expected, thetter did not dissipate into dust. Instead, just as the attack reached less than two centimeters away from him, it suddenly split into five portions and was assimted into the surroundings. This is... the effect of his formation? Ancient Sage Mo Ling narrowed his eyes in shock. Sensing an incredible energy protecting the young man, Ancient Sage Mo Ling hurriedly turned his gaze downward, only to see that all of the inscriptions had lit up simultaneously. In other words, all of the formations hade to life at once to protect Zhang Xuan. An unimaginable amount of spiritual energy had gathered above the young man to form a five-sided energy barrier. The attackunched by the five Ancient Sages was absorbed by this very energy barrier and into the formation. This is... a barrier that absorbs any force as energy? Ancient Sage Mo Ling was stunned. He knew just how powerful the five Ancient Sages were when they were coborating with one another. Even if there were three of him working together, it would still be impossible for him to withstand their might. But not only did the young man manage to withstand their attack, he even absorbed their energy. Was this really a formation that was set up within ten breaths? It was already tough enough to construct a formation on top of all of the misceneous formations in the area, but the massive formation that he had constructed actuallyplemented all of the other misceneous formations in the area to boost its prowess. This was a feat that could only be described with the word miraculous! Oblivious to Ancient Sage Mo Lings shock, Zhang Xuan turned his palm toward the five Ancient Sages and uttered, Return! The five-sided energy barrier immediately gathered the energy that had just been absorbed to form an energy prison around the five Ancient Sages before swiftly closing in on them. This... Cr*p, this is really bad... The five Ancient Sages did not expect their coborative offense to be undone that quickly. Not only so, the young man had even returned the favor to them in his own way. Their faces paled in horror, and they quickly put their strength together once more to deal with the energy prison that was swiftly shrinking toward them. Boom! The forces of both sides collided with one another. The five Ancient Sages spurted blood simultaneously as they retreated under the impact. In the first ce, the formations in Sovereign Chen Lings sleeping chamber were designed to withstand an attack from even the strongest Blood Reincarnation realm experts. Put together with Zhang Xuans formation, the prowess that the formations harnessed was far beyond anyones expectations. Even the coboration of the five Ancient Sages was insufficient to ovee it. Vicious, get the Dragonbone Divine Spear ande with me! Even though Zhang Xuans attack had worked, he did not press on with his offense. Instead, he turned to Vicious, who was still fighting with Sovereign Chen Ling, and beckoned him over. At the same time, a streak of ck light gathered at the corner of the five-sided barrier before zapping Sovereign Chen Ling. Vicious sessfully freed himself from Sovereign Chen Lings relentless offense. With a wave of his arm, the Dragonbone Divine Spear and the three Ancient Sage corpses on the ground flew into his hands. Lets go! After that was done, Zhang Xuan waved his arm once more, and the five-sided barrier created a spatial passageway. Vicious, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and Zhang Xuan leaped into the spatial passageway and vanished without a trace. Seeing that Zhang Xuan had gotten away, Sovereign Chen Ling nearly exploded on the spot. He turned to the five Ancient Sages and bellowed, What are you all doing? Quick, chase them! Youd better look into how hes able to control the formations in your sleeping chamber first! Given how powerful this formation is, well get injured if we try to breach it forcefully! The five Ancient Sages replied impassively, showing no interest in pursuing Zhang Xuan. As tempted as they were to obtain what Sovereign Chen Ling had promised them, they would not put their lives on the line for him. In any case, they knew that Sovereign Chen Ling still needed them, so there was bound to be some other way that they could get it from him. As such, after they were knocked back by the formation, they halted their offense and stepped back. It was not because they were unable to win but because they were not willing to put themselves at risk. Humph! Sovereign Chen Lings face turned white with rage. He knew that his rtionship with the other Ancient Sages was more like an alliance than one of subordination. It was not bad that they had been willing to help him stall Zhang Xuan; to make them risk their lives to pursue Zhang Xuan was indeed expecting too much of them. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was born with superior strength and longevity. Given the natural advantages that their race wielded over mankind, it should have been very easy for them to reconquer the Master Teacher Continent. The only reason they had not been able to seed even after the passing of tens of thousands of years was that each of them was simply too selfish! Given that none of them were willing to put themselves at risk, there was no way that they could unite! This did not apply just to the Three Sovereigns but the many Lords under them as well. If they had been able to join together to fight valiantly alongside one another just like the master teachers, they would not have remained confined to the otherworldly battlefield for so many years. Of course, what was even more important was that theycked a decisively strong leader who could unite all of them under the same g, like Vicious in the past. Even though Sovereign Chen Yong was known as the strongest expert in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, his strength was only slightly above that of the other two Sovereigns. As a result, he was unable to get the other two Sovereigns to submit to him. Sovereign Chen Ling took out a pill and swallowed it. When hisplexion finally recovered a little, he finally turned his gaze back to the formation beneath him. The formation of the sleeping chamber was something that he and his predecessors had devoted much time and effort to. Only Sovereign Chen Ling and those who obeyed him were granted the ability to control it, so why would it follow that fellowsmands to block the five Ancient Sages? Furthermore, the prowess that it had disyed was beyond ordinary. Unable to figure anything out, Sovereign Chen Ling cut his finger and squeezed out a droplet of blood. The key to controlling the formation was his bloodline. As long as he brought out his blood, he would be able to re-establish full control of the formation. Weng! As soon as he squeezed out his blood, the formation beneath began whirring into action. Surges of energy shone brilliantly as they converged swiftly at the center. Just as he was able to control the energy to form a huge protective dome around him as he recovered from his exertion, a loud grinding noise suddenly rumbled from below. It was so loud that it sounded as if it would pop ones eardrums. Boom! All of a sudden, a tremendous amount of energy burst forth from the center of the formation. Countless historical buildings in Sovereign Chen Lings pce, which had stood for tens of thousands of years, copsed in the face of the tremendous burst of energy, turning into rubble. The formation beneath had run out of control and self-exploded! Chapter 1816 - Spit It Out!

Chapter 1816: Spit It Out!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 My pce... Looking at the copsed pce, Sovereign Chen Ling finally came to his limits and spurted blood. He and his predecessors had spent many millenniums building that pce, but to think that it was blown to smithereens just like that... Can anyone tell me whats going on? Sovereign Chen Ling... The two Ancient Sages who had been fighting with Ancient Sage Mo Ling earlier flew over. One of them whose face was exceptionally pale lowered his head and reported, Your Majesty, the person named Zhang Xuan set up a formation with over a thousand formation gs. When he activated his formation, the formations in the pce came to life as well. Could the explosion also be his doing? Wait a moment... he managed to set up a formation here? Sovereign Chen Ling was stunned. The whole of Sovereign Chen Lings pce was filled with tens of thousands of inscriptions and several hundred formations of different sizes. It was due to these formations that he had been confident in going against Sovereign Chen Yong and the others. Its destruction effectively meant that his final defense line had been breached, and he was exposed to the public. The fact that he was severely injured at the moment only made the situation far worse than it was. At this rate, if Sovereign Chen Yong really made aeback, would he not be powerless? Sovereign Chen Ling clenched his jaws and bellowed, Bring all of the artifacts that the appraisers have valued over! Your Majesty, we have yet to verify the actual value of the artifacts, the pale-faced Ancient Sage replied anxiously. In response to that, Sovereign Chen Ling waved his hand impatiently and eximed, Theres no time for that anymore! I will have already died by the time they are done appraising everything! But... Your Majesty, you are also aware of the rules. If we fail to value the artifacts properly, I fear that not only will your injuries not recover, we might even end up cing ourselves in a worse predicament... Cut the nonsense and bring the artifacts here. We dont have time anymore! Our survival banks on this final gamble! Sovereign Chen Ling roared furiously. Since the dragon blood had been stolen from him, he had no choice but to resort to the riskier method. It had not been easy for him toe so close to victory, and he would do anything to ensure that he was thest one standing. The five Ancient Sages might look as if they were on his side, but if he really became powerless, there was a good chance that the first ones to make a move on him would be them! Yes! Hearing that Sovereign Chen Ling was adamant on the matter, the pale-faced Ancient Sage hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. He quickly turned around and left the area. I wont lose this fight. Theres no way I can lose this fight... Sovereign Chen Ling clenched his fists tightly as a vicious glint shed across his eyes. ... Weng! Some distance away from the capital, the space suddenly wavered before a crack materialized. From the depths of the crack, Zhang Xuan rolled out and crashed heavily onto the floor. Guild leader! A soul oracle swiftly rushed to his side to support him. Following which, the soul oracle scanned his surroundings, and an incredulous look appeared on his face. He could not help but turn to Zhang Xuan with a look of awe. Despite only being at Sempiternal realm consummation, he had actually managed to create such a hugemotion and flee from so many Ancient Sages... He was probably the only one who had the ability to perform such a feat. Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled something and asked in rm, Wheres your physical body? One of the greatest weaknesses of a soul oracle is the risk of having the physical body assaulted while the soul is drawn out. Thus, I specially crafted a small space that my soul can carry around, Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied with a smile. It was only then that Zhang Xuan realized that there was a spatial ring made out of soul energy on Ancient Sage Mo Lings finger. Hu! With a thought, Ancient Sage Mo Ling brought out his physical body before diving right into it. Not bad! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had never thought of doing something like that before. If he could bring his physical body around with him, he would indeed be in a much safer position. Judging from our surroundings, we should be at the Battlefield of Firefeather, which is roughly about a million li away from the capital. I dont think that Sovereign Chen Ling and the others will be able to track us here... Guild leader, what do you intend to do now? Ancient Sage Mo Ling had already turned against Sovereign Chen Ling, so there was no way that he could return anymore. Thus, all he could do was follow the new guild leader. For the time being, lets rest and recover our strength before deciding on our next course of action! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Setting up and activating the formation earlier had depleted him greatly, so he needed to rest and recover his strength. More importantly, now that he was out of danger, he really had to have a good heart-to-heart with the gourd about their future. Otherwise, if that fellow appeared at random moments and made shocking moves each and every time, it was only a matter of time before his heart popped from the immense stress. Youre right. We should take a rest first! Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Ancient Sage Mo Ling also felt exhaustion setting into his body. He quickly set up an istion barrier in the area before sitting down to replenish his depleted soul energy. Seeing that Ancient Sage Mo Ling had started to cultivate, Zhang Xuan also quickly ced the Book of Heavens Path back into the Library of Heavens Path and the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpses back into his storage ring before diving into cultivation. Through using the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to speed up his recovery rate by ten times. As a result, all it took was several minutes for him to be fully revitalized. With that done, he took a deep breath before turning his consciousness toward his dantian. At that moment, the gourd was lying leisurely inside in a seemingfortable position. It did not seem like it had any intention to leave at all. Seeing how the gourd had been restingzily after messing around and putting him in great danger, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt rage surging into his head. He roared angrily, Hurry up and spit out the dragon blood! Even though the gourd did manage to snatch the dragon blood away from Sovereign Chen Lings hands, the problem was that it was of no use to him even if the gourd did assimte the dragon blood! If the Dragonbone Divine Spear had swallowed it, there would be no need for him to escape anymore. He might have been able to defeat everyone in the Sovereign Chen Lings pce, and even Sovereign Chen Ling could have been killed with a single pierce. Calm down, youngd... The zhenqi in your dantian is reallyfortable. Dont worry, Ill leave after I finish assimting the dragon blood... The gourd shook its bottom slightly as it repliedzily. Get out right now! Back then, when I gave you the meteorite, didnt you promise me that you wouldnt enter my dantian anymore? Are you reneging on your promise? Zhang Xuan was so furious that it felt as if his carotid artery might just burst. This is my dantian! Why are youzing around in here? Get out! How in the world did a person so prim and proper like me end up taking in a shameless treasure like you? Fine, fine! Ill go out then, happy? I, the Great Dongxu Gourd, am a gourd that honors its promises! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was on the verge of losing his temper, the Dongxu Gourd murmured in displeasure before leaving his dantian. Wheres the dragon blood? ring down at the Dongxu Gourd, Zhang Xuan questioned coldly. Spit it out right now! The Dongxu Gourd shook its bottomzily and replied, I have already assimted it! Assimted it? Didnt you say a moment ago that youll only leave my dantian after you finish assimting the dragon blood? This... Well, I have already assimted a portion of it at least. Besides, I was the one who swallowed the dragon blood, so there should be no question that its mine, the Dongxu Gourd replied indignantly, as if Zhang Xuan was a bully trying to steal sweets from a young child. No matter how much you have assimted, spit out whatevers remaining and give it to the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Otherwise, dont me me for getting nasty with you. Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. But I was the one who snatched it away from that tall fellow back then! Do you have any conscience threatening a weak nt like me like this? At this point, the Dongxu Gourd suddenly straightened its body, and its voice changed from a whiny one to a solemn one. But I think what you have just said makes perfect sense. The dragon blood isnt of much use to me. Its just that I found it particrly hateful, so I wanted to eat it. Ill spit it out for you right now... Here you go. So, can you move the saber away now? With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuan finally pulled the Infernal cksaber away from the Dongxu Gourd. Humph! Continue spouting nonsense, and Ill sever you into two! With a look of pity on its face, the Dongxu Gourds body protruded outward before a tiny droplet of dragon blood was squeezed out from within. Just like the Dongxu Gourd had said, it had already assimted arge portion of it, such that there was not even a fifth of it remaining. Even though there was less than a fifth remaining, due to the enhancement ritual conducted, the pressure that it emanated was still impressive. Zhang Xuan quickly waved his hand and took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear. Go and swallow the dragon blood. Lets see if its enough for you to undo your seal! While it was a pity that there was much less dragon blood, it was still better than nothing. Chapter 1817 - A Breakthrough

Chapter 1817: A Breakthrough

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Yes! Seeing that there was still some dragon blood remaining, the Dragonbone Divine Spear trembled in agitation. It swiftly warped back into a skeletal dragon and swallowed the remaining dragon blood. As soon as the dragon blood surged into its body, the massive body of the Dragonbone Divine Spear began quivering in agitation. It looked as if there were countless streaks of lightning flowing on its surface, and its aura swiftly grew stronger. It was only a matter of time before it broke free of its seal to recover its strength as a true Ancient Sage artifact. Knowing that it would take some time for the dragon blood to be fully assimted, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the gourd with a doubtful frown. He had known that this Dongxu Gourd was exceptional for possessing sentience and being able to speak human speech, but to think that it would even be able to snatch the dragon blood from Sovereign Chen Lings grasp... There was no doubt that it was an extraordinary being! Could it be a Great Sage artifact... or perhaps even an Ancient Sage artifact? Unable to stand the suspense any longer, Zhang Xuan asked, What in the world are you? Given that the other party possessed sentience, there was a chance that it knew of its true identity. I am a gourd! the Dongxu Gourd replied with a shake of its bottom. ck lines streaked across Zhang Xuans face. Somehow, whenever he spoke with the Dongxu Gourd, he felt like pummeling thetter! It took a moment of deep breathing to keep his impulse to draw his saber under control before he continued his questioning. What Im asking is, what tier of artifact are you? The Dongxu Gourd paused for a moment after hearing those words. I dont know. You dont know? I have barely gained sentience, such that my self-awareness is at the level of a child... I need to eat a lot of things in order to recover. Un, thats right. As long as you give me sufficient food, Ill know what tier I am as soon as I recover! The Dongxu Gourd shook its bottom as saliva seemed to drip from its cork. ... Zhang Xuan. Wheres my saber? I should just slice this darned fool in two and spare myself the trouble! That fellow had eaten two things so far, the meteorite and the dragon blood. Given that it was unaware of the tier of the meteorite, there was no reason to talk about it. However, the dragon blood was something that could potentially allow the Dragonbone Divine Spear to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm, such that even the severely wounded Sovereign Chen Ling would have been pushed to his limits in order to protect himself. Yet, swallowing such a valuable treasure isnt even enough for you to recover your strength? Really, I should just toss you away and forget all about you! However, as Zhang Xuans rage subsided, curiosity began to get the better of him. Based on what the Dongxu Gourd had said, it seemed like only things on the tier of the dragon blood could catch its interest. If so, just what kind of formidable artifact could the other party be? He had not thought much about it before, but thinking back, it was indeed weird that someone as powerful as Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would set up a folded space and use the spiritual energy of the world to nourish a mere Dongxu Gourd for tens of thousands of years. From the looks of it, nothing was as simple as it seemed. Perhaps the Dongxu Gourd was even an artifact on the level of the Nine Hearts Lotus! Zhang Xuan stretched his hand out to touch the Dongxu Gourd, hoping topile a book on it in the Library of Heavens Path. But contrary to his expectations, nothing appeared at all. Perhaps, it might have been because the Dongxu Gourd was considered a living being that the Library of Heavens Path was unable to analyze its information. Unless the Dongxu Gourd executed a battle technique or had its consciousness destroyed, it would be impossible topile a book on it. In the end, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to shake his head. Regardless of what tier the Dongxu Gourd was, it was relieving to hear that it might still be of some use in the future, even though it still was not reliable. Alright. You should take a rest for now... Seeing that it was impossible to get anything out of the Dongxu Gourd, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his breath. He stowed the other party into his storage ring before taking out the remaining Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpses. The two corpses that he had used as a shield against the two Ancient Sages earlier were already filled with cracks, so they could not be used anymore. However, there were still a couple that werepletely undamaged. This was a good time to start forging them. Zhang Xuan drew out his soul and dived right into one of the Great Philosopher realm consummation corpses. In less than an hour, he had sessfully forged it. After that, he moved on to the next one... In four hours, he had already managed to turn all of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpses into Soulless Metal Humanoids. The strongest of the four corpses was at Ancient Sage 2-dan consummation whereas the weakest was at Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation. With them, he would not have to panic as much if he encountered the same situation as before. After forging thest corpse, he heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at the sky, he noticed that dark storm clouds had gathered in the area. The surrounding space had begun warping, and it felt like a storm was going to descend upon the world very soon. This is the Ancient Sage Ordeal! The Dragonbone Divine Spear is going to achieve a breakthrough... Ancient Sage Mo Ling also halted his cultivation and stood up. Looking over, Zhang Xuan noted that flesh and blood had grown on the skeletal dragon, and pitch-ck scales were starting to form on its body. Looking at those scales was like staring into the abyss, and it felt like one would sink into it. Even releasing its seal brings a heavenly tribtion? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The Dragonbone Divine Spear was already an Ancient Sage artifact, just that its strength had been sealed by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. Why would there be an Ancient Sage Ordeal when it was just returning to its true strength? Under normal circumstances, the seal should only have been released when you achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. However, the fact that flesh and blood are growing out of its skeleton means that it is not its seal that had been undone but that it had managed to achieve a real breakthrough! Ancient Sage Mo Ling said. It achieved a real breakthrough? Zhang Xuan was stunned. That made sense as well. Even in its sealed state, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was already stronger than the Infernal cksaber before its breakthrough to Ancient Sage. With the nourishment of such formidable dragon blood, even if its seal was not undone, it was perfectly normal that it would achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! As for Aeon of Ancient Sage... in the first ce, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was an Ancient Sage artifact. Even though its strength was sealed, there was bound to be some Aeon of Ancient Sage harnessed within it. As such, it did not require Zhang Xuans help to break through. While the two of them were chatting with one another, the heavenly tribtion descended upon the world. It was a devastating force consisting of a mixture of heavenly mes and lightning bolts. In the face of such power, the skeletal dragonperhaps it should be called a ck dragon nowroared furiously and charged toward the heavenly tribtion. Its massive body swam freely amid the destructive forces, allowing the lightning bolts and heavenly mes to temper its body. Gradually, its scales grew more and more radiant. As expected of a weapon created by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu! Despite having just achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, it is able to push for a breakthrough to the Blood Reincarnation realm just from its sheer umtion, reaching a level even higher than me! Ancient Sage Mo Ling also recognized the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and he could not helpmenting. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was known as the strongest individual under Kong shis lineage, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear was also famed to be the number one spear in history. Naturally, there was bound to be something extraordinary about it. If Zhang Xuan could release its seal, it could very well achieve a breakthrough to the level that all cultivators dreamt of, the Dimension Shatterer realm! A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Could this be the real reason that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu sealed the Dragonbone Divine Spears cultivation? If he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage right now and helped the Dragonbone Divine Spear undo its seal, thetter might just be able to push for a breakthrough to higher realms. Perhaps this was what Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had intended from the start! They said that theres value in not rushing for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Only with sufficient umtion will one be able to reach greater heights. It seems like thats indeed the case! There were benefits to be earned from each time one challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal. The more times one challenged it, the higher one would be able to climb in the future. It was through challenging the Ancient Sage Ordeal multiple times that Kong shi had managed to obtain unparalleled strength. The Dragonbone Divine Spear had challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal once in the past. Right now, with its cultivation sealed, it had gained the opportunity to push for a breakthrough once more. If it put the strength that it had gained from the two breakthroughs together, its fighting prowess would surely surge to a whole new height. Watching as the Ancient Sage Ordeal was gradually worn down against the resilience of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up with excitement. Even though I am unable to decipher its seal and allow it to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan, its current might is already enough for me! At that moment, the Dragonbone Divine Spear had already gained strengthparable to Blood Reincarnation realm consummation cultivators. In terms of fighting prowess, it did not lose out inparison to the current Vicious. As long as he had the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, there would be no need for him to fear anyone! Even if he encountered Sovereign Chen Ling once more, he would be able to defeat thetter with ease! H! As the lightning clouds dissipated, the ck dragon in the sky warped its body back into the form of a spear before flying back in Zhang Xuans direction. It lowered itself before Zhang Xuan respectfully. Master! Chapter 1818 - Looking for Ancient Sage Allfire

Chapter 1818: Looking for Ancient Sage Allfire

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan nodded as he reached out to grab the Dragonbone Divine Spear. In an instant, he felt boundless strength surging into his body from the body of the spear. It felt as if a simple flick of his wrist would allow him to pierce through space to enter a much deeper world. The powerful Ancient Sages that were way out of his league in the past had be existences whom he could y with a single pierce, barely a challenge at all. Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and asked, Do you know where Ancient Sage Allfire lives? Ancient Sage Allfire? Why are you looking for him? Hes one of the old ancestors of the Beast Tribe. Many years back, he fought with Sovereign Chen Yong and ended up getting chased out from his ce of residence. If I recall correctly, hes currently living in exile somewhere close to the Battlefield of Firefeather! Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied with a perplexed tone. Even though he was not an Otherworldly Demon, he had lived in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for many years, so he knew quite a lot about the otherworldly battlefield. Hes in the vicinity? Take me to his nest then! Zhang Xuan said. The main motive for him wanting to upgrade the Dragonbone Divine Spear was so that he could tame Ancient Sage Allfire. Since thetter happened to be in the vicinity, it was a good time to get it over and done with. This... Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt conflicted upon hearing Zhang Xuans request. I heard that Ancient Sage Allfire has quite the temper... Why are you looking for him? Honestly, he really found it hard to follow the train of thought of the guild leader. Why would he suddenly look for Ancient Sage Allfire? We still need more people on our side in order to guarantee a victory against Sovereign Chen Ling. Since Ancient Sage Allfire is in the vicinity, taming him would be great! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Tame him? Ancient Sage Mo Ling was rendered speechless. The other party was the old ancestor of the Beast Tribe, such that even Sovereign Chen Yong was unable to make him submit... Are you pulling my leg? Guild leader... I know that you have an exceptional aptitude in formations, but beast taming isnt as easy as it seems. It takes a long time to nurture goodwill and build intimacy before a beast is willing to submit to you, Ancient Sage Mo Ling advised. He acknowledged that the new guild leader was indeed very formidable, but if he had to pick a bone with him, it was that his thoughts were scarily impractical. If it was that easy to tame the old ancestor of the Beast Tribe, Sovereign Chen Yong would not have had such a headache dealing with him before. Toozy to exin the matter, Zhang Xuan simply replied with a smile. I know where youreing from, but how do you know it wont work without giving it a try? ... Very well then! Seeing that the guild leaders obstinacy was working up once more, Ancient Sage Mo Ling knew that he would not be able to change the other partys mind, so he decided to say no more. Whipping out a map and apass, he quickly verified their location before pointing in a certain direction. Ancient Sage Allfire and the members of the Beast Tribe live roughly two hundred thousand li away from here! Two hundred thousand li away from here? Alright then! Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked his spear and pierced the space before him lightly. Si! A spatial passageway materialized, and Zhang Xuan quickly leaped in. Lets go! When they left the spatial passageway, they were already two hundred thousand li away. A barren mountain towered ahead, and countless beasts soared above them. There were few differences between the beasts in the otherworldly battlefield and the beasts on the Master Teacher Continent. However, under the effects of the blood moon, their eyes were slightly red, making them seem exceptionally violent and savage. There was arge variety of beasts flying around the mountain, and their numbers were astounding. Instead of entering the mountain straight away, the two of them halted before the entrance. Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and said, Send a letter over saying that were here to pay a visit to Ancient Sage Allfire! Ancient Sage Mo Ling nodded. A name scroll flew forth from his fingertips and darted toward the barren mountain. A thunderous voice echoed from the name scroll and reverberated across the entire valley. Soul Oracle Mo Lingtogether with the new leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, Zhang Xuanhase to pay a visit to Ancient Sage Allfire! Hong long long! The unexpected arrival of guests caused the many beasts flying in the sky to simultaneously turn their heads over to look at Zhang Xuan and Ancient Sage Mo Ling with hostility reflected in their eyes. They were already filled with hatred toward Sovereign Chen Yong for driving them toward this barrennd. They had never heard of Guild Leader Zhang Xuan before, but Ancient Sage Mo Ling was still a person whose name resounded far and wide within the otherworldly battlefield. A Sempiternal realm beast flew over and said, The old ancestor is currently in seclusion, so its not convenient for him to meet any guests. Pleasee back another day! Its not convenient for him to meet us? Tell your old ancestor that wee bearing goodwill. We intend no harm toward the Beast Tribe, and we believe that we could potentially help the Beast Tribe out of its current predicament! Zhang Xuan said. You are going to help us out of our current predicament? the Sempiternal realm beast sneered coldly. Am I to believe that you are so kind as to help us without asking for anything in return? Please leave right now, or else Ill lose my temper! Hu! Many of the beasts flying in the air quickly gathered around with killing intent ring from them. I can assure you that your worries are unfounded! Seeing how wary the beasts were, Zhang Xuan calmly cated them. Have you heard the news about Sovereign Chen Yong being killed by the humans and that Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing have sustained severe injuries and are on the verge of death? If so, you should know that the entire Spirit Tribe is on the verge of a massive revolution! Not expecting to hear such words from the young man, the Sempiternal realm beast paused for a moment before replying, I have heard bits and pieces of it! Even though they had been exiled to such a remote location, they were still able to acquire some news about huge events in the otherworldly battlefield. Since Sovereign Chen Yong has been killed, the previous promise with him doesnt have to be kept anymore. This is the ideal opportunity for the Beast Tribe to return to its homnd. Do you really want to live your life in this barrennd, whichcks spiritual energy and delectable food? At this rate, its just a matter of time before the entire Beast Tribe falls! Zhang Xuan replied. This... The Sempiternal realm beast fell into deep thought. The other party was right. Theck of delectable food was not an issue to them, but the scarcity of spiritual energy would cause the advancement of their cultivation to slow, and their eventual aplishment would be limited as well. This was not an issue in the short term, but it was certain that the entire Beast Tribe would weaken as time went on. Eventually, they would bepletely helpless against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! I know that you are unable to make the decision, so Ill have to trouble you to ry what I have said and the news that you have heard to the old ancestor. I believe that he will be able toe to a wise decision as to whether he should meet me or not! Seeing the look on the Sempiternal realm beasts face, Zhang Xuan advised with a wave of his hand. ... Alright, Ill inform the old ancestor of this matter! Knowing that there was some truth to what the other party was saying, and that it was indeed a good opportunity for their Beast Tribe to break out from its current predicament, the Sempiternal realm beast hesitated for a moment before nodding. Its massive body turned around and flew into the depths of the mountain range. Watching as the Sempiternal realm beast left, Zhang Xuan softly chuckled. In order to tame Ancient Sage Allfire, he would have to get a meeting with the other party first, and in order to do so, he would need to offer the Beast Tribe something tangible. Roughly an hourter, the Sempiternal realm beast finally returned. With a wave of its massive ws, it said, Our old ancestor invites you in! Thank you! Zhang Xuan and Ancient Sage Mo Ling quickly proceeded into the mountain range. It really had to be said that the mountain range was truly barren. There were only sparse patches of nts, and they were all filled with spikes. There were hardly any medicinal herbs or greenery to be seen at all. If not for the boulders and the soil, they might have thought that they were in a desert. As there was no stream within the mountain range, the atmosphere was rather arid. This was indeed a climate that was unsuited for survival. Zhang Xuan could not help but notice that the beasts he encountered along the way had starved looks on their faces. This was a natural phenomenon. It was simr to how if powerful beasts headed to the Tianxuan Kingdom and resided there for too long, it would only be a matter of time before their cultivation began plummeting due to starvation of spiritual energy. Even the smartest business elite would be no different from a barbarian when stranded on a remote ind. The crowd soon arrived before a cavern. The Sempiternal realm beast stopped at the entrance of the cavern and said, The old ancestor is in this cavern. Ill be standing guard outside. Alright! Zhang Xuan nodded before heading in with Ancient Sage Mo Ling. Before even getting far, they felt a gust of warm air blowing in their direction, threatening to set someones hair alight... Chapter 1819 - All You Have to Do Is Become My Tamed Beast

Chapter 1819: All You Have to Do Is Be My Tamed Beast

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ancient Sage Allfires main body was an Inferno Behemoth. It was through usingva to temper his body that he had managed to ovee his bottleneck and achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. As such, it was inevitable that his presence resulted in searing heat filling the area. After walking for a moment, droplets of sweat were starting to form on Ancient Sage Mo Lings head. As a soul oracle, his body was chilling in nature. Extreme heat was one of his nemeses. If not for the fact that he had already reached Ancient Sage, his soul might already have been jolted out of his body. He discreetly turned to look at the guild leader, and he could not help but be deeply impressed. The other party was only a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator, but it was as if he waspletely impervious to such searing energy. Not only was there not the slightest droplet of perspiration, his soul was also extremely stable, showing no signs of fluctuations as a result of the heat. At this moment, Ancient Sage Mo Ling could not help but recall how the other partys body-soulpatibility rate was an astounding one hundred. Unable to withstand his curiosity, he asked through zhenqi telepathy, Guild leader, is your soul... unafraid of the heat? There was a time when my soul was afraid of the heat, Zhang Xuan replied. However, after the tempering of the heavenly me, heat of such level cant faze me anymore! Tempering of the heavenly me? Wait a moment... You put your soul into the heavenly me? Ancient Sage Mo Lings eyes were on the verge of popping out. Isnt there a Heavenly me Ordeal at the Aureate Body realm? Didnt you use the heavenly me from the cultivation ordeal to temper your soul? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. This should not be a big deal at all, so why was the other party reacting in such a manner? Well... Ancient Sage Mo Ling took a deep breath to calm his nerves after hearing what Zhang Xuan had said before exining slowly. Its true that what you have said is the typical way for ordinary cultivators. What we, soul oracles, often do is to have our Soulless Metal Humanoid endure the heavenly me in our ce. Such a thing is possible as well? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. This is how it works... Ancient Sage Mo Ling began exining the entire process to Zhang Xuan. Due to the chilling nature of soul oracles, chances were that they would be burned to cinders if they challenged the Heavenly me Ordeal. As such, soul oracles who had reached the Introspective Convalescence realm would usually possess an Aureate Body realm expert and seal a contract with thetter, thus turning thetter into their Soulless Metal Humanoid. The person who was possessed would have their soul preserved as well. When the Heavenly me Ordeal descended, the physical body of the Aureate Body realm cultivator would serve as the first line of defense, and the heavenly me would naturally focus the bulk of its attack on them. After that, the soul oracle would use the possessed soul to rece them. And that was how soul oracles overcame the Heavenly me Ordeal of Aureate Body realm despite their fear of heat. Even though it was heartless and sinister, it was effective in ensuring the survival of the soul oracle. It was something that the soul oracles hade up with after infiltrating the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The lineage that Zhang Xuan had inherited was something that Lu Chong had taken from the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles, so it did not contain such information. As such, he was unaware of this method. Fearing that the guild leader would misunderstand, Ancient Sage Mo Ling hurriedly added, I understand that such a method is unconventional and savage, so we have always used the bodies of Otherworldly Demons for our breakthroughs. I see... Such a method does lower the danger significantly, but having Introspective Convalescence realm soul oracles possess the body of an Aureate Body realm cultivator is also extremely dangerous. Alright, Ill impart a cultivation technique to you. In the future, as long as soul oracles cultivate ording to it, they will be able to ovee their weaknesses of me, lightning, and yang attribute energy! Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and sent a set of cultivation techniques over. It was the refined Heavens Path Soul Art that Lu Chong was practicing as well. Since he was the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, and this upation had willingly sacrificed itself time and time again to protect mankind, they more than deserved to receive those cultivation techniques from him. Cultivation techniques? Ancient Sage Mo Ling initially did not think too much of Zhang Xuans cultivation techniques. However, when he took a closer look at them, he suddenly jolted in shock. Even his soul started fluctuating as a result of his intense emotions. As an Ancient Sage who had studied soul arts his entire life, there was no doubt about his eye for soul cultivation techniques. The techniques that had been imparted to him by the guild leader were incredibly profound, such that if one cultivated in ordance to them, one would be able to break free of the Five Soul Declines and truly be an eternal being! At that moment, he even felt an urge to destroy his own cultivation to rebuild it from scratch. Seeing through Ancient Sage Mo Lings thoughts, Zhang Xuan sent another set of cultivation techniques over with a tap of his finger. Its already toote for you to cultivate from scratch, but I have made some modifications to resolve the ws in your cultivation technique. These are my suggestions for you. Ancient Sage Mo Ling immediately browsed through the content, and before he knew it, his body was trembling in agitation. It was as if the other party had explored his body thoroughly and uncovered all of its weaknesses. Every single word in the book was directed toward one of his openings, leaving him incapable of refuting it. It could be seen that if he cultivated ording to the technique imparted, all of his ws would swiftly be resolved. He might even be able to achieve a breakthrough soon. Despite only being at Sempiternal realm consummation, he was able to see through my weaknesses and formte solutions to resolve them. This is really... Ancient Sage Mo Ling looked at the young man in front of him with utter astonishment. He had known that the new guild leader was extraordinary from his exchanges with Jiang Fangyou, but he did not think that the other party would actually be so overpowered! Everything had far surpassed his expectations. Just as Ancient Sage Mo Ling was still in shock, a thunderous voice suddenly echoed in his ears. Ancient Sage Mo Ling, can I trust your words? Swiftly lifting his head, he saw a beast spanning ten meters in length floating aboverge swathes ofva. There were many cracks reminiscent of ava crater on his golden exterior, and he emanated a frightening aura. In terms of strength, he seemed to be on par with even Sovereign Chen Ling at his peak. It was no wonder that he had been able to unite the Beast Tribe together to stand against Sovereign Chen Yong! Pleased to meet you, Ancient Sage Allfire! Understanding the other partys prowess, Ancient Sage Mo Ling chose to put himself in a humble position. He bent his body and sped his fist respectfully. This matter is a directive of our guild leader, and I am only following his instructions! He had no idea why the guild leader had chosen to make such a move, and he had even felt a hint of doubt earlier. However, the cultivation techniques provided by the guild leader had given him a glimpse into the young mans miraculous abilities, and unknowingly, a sliver of expectation had sprouted in his heart. Perhaps, if it was the guild leader, he might be able to tame this massive fellow. If that was the case, their lineage of soul oracles would gain a far greater say in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. With such prowess, they would be able to stand their ground even if they turned against the Three Sovereigns! In the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, rules could be flouted at any time as long as greater interests were on the line. The only thing that could truly be relied on was ones strength. It was the one whomanded the greatest strength who would be crowned king. Guild leader? You mean that Sempiternal realm little brat standing beside you? Ancient Sage Allfire turned his massive head toward Zhang Xuan and sneered coldly. I thought that you soul oracles were so prideful that even Kong shi was unable to make you submit? When did you fall so low as to recognize such a weakling as your guild leader? Ancient Sage Mo Lings face immediately darkened upon hearing those words. Ancient Sage Allfire, you may insult me if you want to, but you risk turning the entire Soul Oracle Guild against you by insulting our guild leader! Sensing the underlying rage in Ancient Sage Mo Lings voice, Ancient Sage Allfire was stunned for a moment. Oh? He really is your guild leader? He directed his gaze to Zhang Xuan once more, but no matter how he looked at the other party, all he could see was an average cultivator. However, he suppressed the doubts in his mind and said, I have heard the news concerning the Three Sovereigns, but I know them very well. I have fought Sovereign Chen Yong, and I know the tricks that he has up his sleeves. Theres no way that he could have been killed that easily! Besides, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe doesnt just consist of the Three Sovereigns. Even if all three of them died, there are still many other Lords to take their ces. If we return, the chances are that well only face a massacre. Since Ancient Sage Mo Ling acknowledges you as the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, I would like to hear how you intend to bring our Beast Tribe back to our homnd. Its very simple... Zhang Xuan smiled. All you have to do is be my tamed beast! Chapter 1820 - Battling Ancient Sage Allfire

Chapter 1820: Battling Ancient Sage Allfire

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom! The cavern shook, andva billowed furiously. Ancient Sage Allfires eyes narrowed as he spoke with a voice that seemed to crush the world, What did you say? rmed, Ancient Sage Mo Ling quickly rushed to Zhang Xuans side and asked, What are you trying to do? He did not expect the guild leader to be so direct. However, since he had already chosen to follow the guild leaders bidding, he would not back down no matter what thetter said. Id heard that you soul oracles are an arrogant bunch. Its because you refused to submit to Kong shi that your kind ended up getting ughtered by the Master Teacher Pavilion and was forced to escape here... I thought that it was just a legend, but it seems like its all true! Ancient Sage Allfire took a step forward, and powerful heatwaves gushed into the surroundings. It had been several thousand years since he had be the head of the otherworldly battlefield Beast Tribe, but this was the first time anyone tried to take him in as their tamed beast. Not even Sovereign Chen Yong had dared to utter such words, but a Sempiternal realm brat actually dared to say that... How audacious! If he did not teach the other party a lesson, what would be of his dignity? Its not your ce to discuss whatever our soul oracles have done! Ancient Sage Mo Ling harrumphed coldly. Is that so? A massive head leaned in, and a brilliant stream of mes poured down from above. Ancient Sage Mo Ling narrowed his eyes in astonishment as he quickly stepped forward and raised both of his arms to defend against the stream of mes. Peng! The stream of me created a huge depression beneath Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the sheer pressure forced him back dozens of steps. He had not thought that the other party would make a move without any warning at all. Infuriated, Ancient Sage Mo Ling gathered his power and flitted forward furiously. All of a sudden, a chilling gale whipped up within the cavern, threatening to cover the entire area in ayer of frost. Even though soul oracles were afraid of mes, just by driving the cultivation technique that the guild leader had imparted to him, he could feel the burning sensation gradually being alleviated. With this, he felt that he would stand a chance even if he fought a real battle against the other party! Before Ancient Sage Mo Ling could get close to Ancient Sage Allfire, a voice suddenly sounded from beneath. Dont worry, leave it to me! He swiftly halted in his footsteps before looking at the massive Inferno Behemoth standing before him warily. H! Zhang Xuan stepped onto the edge of theva and looked at Ancient Sage Allfire floating in the air before saying, Why dont we make a wager? Ancient Sage Allfire did not respond right away, choosing to eye the young man before him intently instead. It had never met Ancient Sage Mo Ling before, but based on the rumors, he was one of the strongest soul oracles in the world. For him to follow the orders of this young man so loyally, the chances were that the young man possessed extraordinary means. My wager is very simple. Ill have a fight with you, and if you lose, youll have to submit to me and be my tamed beast. On the other hand, if you win, Ill bring Sovereign Chen Yong here personally and have him agree to terms that are favorable to your Beast Tribe! Zhang Xuan said. How about it? Surely you cant be afraid to fight with someone at my power level, right? Humph! Ancient Sage Allfire harrumphed as he raised his massive ws and swiped them toward Zhang Xuan. Let me witness the prowess of the guild leader of the Soul Oracle Guild! Boom! As Ancient Sage Allfire brought his ws down, the surrounding space seemed to have shattered apart. Incredible energy gathered around Zhang Xuan, keeping him firmly in ce. Seeing such a sight, Ancient Sage Mo Ling clenched his fists tightly in agitation. The strength that Ancient Sage Allfire could exert was greater than he had expected. Even he would have trouble coping with strength of such caliber. Could it be that Ancient Sage Allfires cultivation had advanced once more after several thousand years of absence? No... Ancient Sage Mo Ling swiftly came to a realization. Its due to the advantage of the terrain. Even the smallest breakthrough for experts at their level was an incredibly arduous task. The main reason that Ancient Sage Allfire seemed exceptionally powerful was because he could tap into the power of theva within the cavern, thus allowing him to fully draw out his strength as an Inferno Behemoth. In such a state, he would definitely be no match for Ancient Sage Allfire. The best he could do was escape and preserve his life. Considering that even he did not stand a chance at all, what about the guild leader? Ancient Sage Mo Ling quickly turned his gaze over and saw the guild leader whipping out a spear with a light chuckle. With a powerful leap off, he stepped against theva crater ahead of him and flew upward. Devoting his spirit into his spear, he seemed to warp into a massive dragon soaring through the nine heavens, charging toward the enemy before him furiously. Boom! A momentary dragon roar sounded in the air, and cracks swiftly appeared all over the cavern under the immense pressure. Countless fragments fell down from the ceiling. This is... the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon? Ancient Sage Mo Ling was stunned. There was only one roar that he had heard of that could crush the will of enemies and render them irrational, and that was the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. However, it was said that only Pureblooded Dragons were able to voice those notes. Did the Dragonbone Divine Spear not achieve a breakthrough not too long ago? Furthermore, its bloodline was not pure, so how could it make such a roar? Deng deng deng deng! While Ancient Sage Mo Ling was still in shock, Ancient Sage Allfire was also in a state of disbelief. He was forced to retreat several steps, and shock was reflected in his eyes. As he did not possess the Dragon Bloodline, the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon did not pose any intrinsic pressure to him. Nevertheless, the instinctive fear toward the emperor of all beasts still caused cracks in his state of mind, making him afraid of standing against the enemy before him. H! Barely after taking a step back, the ck dragon whipped its powerful tail, and theva beneath began billowing furiously. A hurricane gushed through the cavern, raising dozens ofva dragons. Shaking his head, Ancient Sage Allfire had to take another look before he realized that it was not the might of the ck dragon. Rather, the young man was still standing on the spot while swiftly shaking up theva with his spear, sending massive dragons in his direction. This is my territory. If you think that you can use my own sphere of domain against me, you are really underestimating me! Not expecting the other party to make use of his own battlefield against him and even bringing forth such astounding prowess, Ancient Allfires huge nose breathed out a bundle of mes as he raised his legs and stomped down forcefully. Weng! A golden ripple spread into the surroundings, and the innumerableva dragons swiftly turned back intova and plummeted back into theva pool uponing into contact with it. Ancient Sage Allfire had lived there for several thousand years, and theva in there had been refined by him time and time again. While the other party did gain control over theva for a short period of time, as long as he took charge, he would be able to wrestle back control. Retracting his spear, Zhang Xuan asked with a smile, Is that so? It did not seem like he was discouraged just because the other party had undone his attack. Instead, he was filled with absolute confidence. After all that had happened, Ancient Sage Allfire dared not underestimate the young man before him. You are indeed an extraordinary individual to be able to be the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild... However, its also a fact that your cultivation is only at Sempiternal realm consummation. The main reason that you are able to draw forth such astounding fighting prowess is due to the spear in your hand, isnt it? The short fight they had earlier allowed him to see that the so-called leader of the Soul Oracle Guild was not too strong. The reason that the other party was able to fight with him at all was due to the spear in his hand. Indeed! Zhang Xuan admitted frankly. Hearing Zhang Xuans admittance, Ancient Sage Allfire nodded in satisfaction. A weapon is unable to showcase its greatest prowess without someone wielding it. The fact that you are able to execute such a powerful move and nearly drive me into a corner shows that you are indeed an incredible person... At that moment, his tone took a sharp turn as he harrumphed coldly. However, if thats all you have, I must say that you are too naive to dare challenge me! Theva began bubbling once more as it gushed up furiously, reminiscent of a tsunami. Chapter 1821 - Ancient Sage Allfire’s Pride

Chapter 1821: Ancient Sage Allfires Pride

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Not only so, countless balls of mes descended from the ceiling of the cavern, turning the entire area into a fiery inferno. In the face of such intense heat, Ancient Sage Mo Ling was forced to retreat. Even though he had received the guild leaders cultivation technique, which boosted his fire resistance considerably, it was still impossible for him to withstand that sea of mes. It was fortunate that he was still in his physical body. If his soul had been out at that moment, he might have sustained severe injuries! Is the guild leader fine? Ancient Sage Mo Ling thought worriedly. Following which, he heard a loud peal ofughter before spotting the silhouette of the guild leader floating calmly in the air. Instead of evading the descending balls of me, he took a sharp intake of breath instead. Not bad! H! Following which, a powerful suction force suddenly came from the young mans body. As if a whale taking in water, the mes all around the area began gushing furiously in his direction. The sudden influx of searing energy caused the young mans body to expand swiftly. In an instant, he had already grown to a height of roughly ten meters. He stood powerfully on theva with a crimson body, reminiscent of a me giant. You... Ancient Sage Allfire did not expect Zhang Xuan to be so powerful. He was taken aback for a moment before swiftly recovering tounch his ultimate move. However, at that moment, the mes in the young mans body suddenly spurted out. Xiong xiong xiong! The crimson me that spurted out of the young mans body burned intensely as soon as it came into contact with the surrounding air. The crimson me slowly took on a darker shade, gradually making the transition to ck. This is... Empyrean Heavenly me? Sensing the temperature emanated from the ck me, Ancient Sage Allfire felt goosebumps rising all over his massive body as he hurriedly backed away. As a being that thrived in mes, the Inferno Behemoth feared not the Heavenly me Ordeal, which struck deep fear in the hearts of other cultivators. But... that was only taking normal heavenly me into ount. For something on the caliber of Empyrean Heavenly me, not even Inferno Behemoths could withstand something like that! Tzzzzzzzzz! It was just a simple touch, but Ancient Sage Allfire felt as if his body was burning. A charred smell wafted from him as he hurriedly retreated once more. To his astonishment, he was actually frightened the young mans move! He had thought that given his natural advantage against the yin attribute soul oracles, he would be able to defeat the other party easily. This was also why he had invited Ancient Sage Mo Ling into hisir without fear. Who could have known that even the mes that he specialized in would end up being used against him? Empyrean Heavenly me was an entity that could set anything in the world alight. Not even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would dare face it directly. Seeing that Ancient Sage Allfire on the verge of hitting the other end of theva pool, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he raised the Dragonbone Divine Spear and charged forth. Didnt you say I was too naive for challenging you with what I have? If thats the case, why dont you stop cowering away? Wuuuuuuu! The furious roar of a ck dragon filled the cavern as the ck mes all over the area billowed under its dance, threatening to annihte everything in its path. By that point, Ancient Sage Mo Ling had already fled out of the cavern, knowing that he might just lose his life if he got involved in the battle. Given how he was unable to even withstand ordinary mes, getting into close contact with Empyrean Heavenly me would really cost him his life! However, to use the mes that Ancient Sage Allfire specialized in to subdue him... how in the world did the guild leader manage to do it? In truth, Zhang Xuan also did not expect such an oue, and it had not been his intention to make such a move. However, when Ancient Sage Allfire summoned his mes, the physical body and soul that he had tempered through the Empyrean Heavenly me had suddenly begun trembling in agitation, seemingly craving to devour the other partys me. Thus, he had drawn the me into his body. To his shock, as soon as the other partys me came into contact with his Heavens Path zhenqi, it had actually swiftly transformed into the Empyrean Heavenly me. The Heavens Path zhenqi was like oxygen fueling the me, causing the me to release heat of even greater intensity. Peng peng peng peng! Cornered by the ck me to the corner of the cavern, Ancient Sage Allfires hair had already beenpletely burned clean at this point in time. His flesh and blood were already beginning to evaporate, revealing parts of his golden bones here and there. From the looks of it, it was only a matter of time before the old ancestor who was renowned for his expertise in mes would be reduced to cinders. Ironic. Do you submit or not? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. Not over my dead body! the obstinate Ancient Sage Allfire spat. As the old ancestor of the Beast Tribe, a Blood Reincarnation realm expert, he had his own pride. This was not just about his own dignity but the reputation of the entire Beast Tribe! If the leader of the otherworldly battlefield Beast Tribe submitted to a Sempiternal realm consummation minor figure, the entire tribe would beughingstock! In other words, you arent going to abide by the rules of the wager, Zhang Xuan uttered impassively. You are the one who one-sidedly decided on the wager. I never agreed to it! Ancient Sage Allfire harrumphed coldly. It was true that Zhang Xuan had proposed a wager, but he had never given his consent to the matter. Do you really wish to die? Under the relentless attack of the Dragonbone Divine Spear and the searing heat of the Empyrean Heavenly me, Ancient Sage Allfires wounds were worsening at an rming rate. Yet, thetter showed no sign of submitting. Zhang Xuan could not help but frown in response. His Beast Pummeling Taming Method worked not just because his strength surpassed the beast itself but because the Heavens Path zhenqi was able to nourish the beast and refine its bloodline, thus removing its bottleneck. To put it in simpler terms, it was like the carrot and the stick. Through the Dragonbone Divine Spear and the Empyrean Heavenly me, he was indeed able to corner Ancient Sage Allfire. However, due to his limited cultivation, the effect of his Heavens Path zhenqi was extremely limited on thetter. Without that, it meant that he was simply relying on threats to make the other party submit. Naturally, the effectiveness of the technique was greatly reduced. Not to mention, the other party was the old ancestor of the Beast Tribe and was already used to freedom. He would rather die than relinquish his freedom and be the subordinate of a human. Show me your worst! However, my descendants have never offended you, and as the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild and an Ancient Sage, I hope that you wont lower yourself to dealing with them too! Ancient Sage Allfire gritted his teeth. It was his own fault for being weak, and he was willing to ept his death, especially after having lived for so many years. However, his many descendants outside represented the future of the Beast Tribe. If this young man went on a massacre, the otherworldly battlefield Beast Tribe might just go extinct. However, even though the otherworldly battlefield obeyed the rule of survival of the fittest, the act of Ancient Sages ughtering the weak was still an action deeply frowned upon among major powers. He believed that the other party would not cast aside his dignity tomit such shameless acts! Your descendants? Those words brought a ray of hope to Zhang Xuans eyes. I think youre mistaken. I am not an Ancient Sage but a Sempiternal realm cultivator, so I dont really have much of a reputation to uphold. I advise you to think it through. Submit to me, and Ill lead your Beast Tribe out of this wretched mountain range. Continue opposing me, and once you die, I believe you should know that even if I dont make a move, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will make use of this opportunity to get rid of your descendants once and for all! He would have beenpletely helpless if Ancient Sage Allfire had no desire in the world at all, but it seemed like there was still something that he could use to negotiate with thetter. Life and death are predestined. I might be able to protect them for the moment, but I cant protect them forever... If that is the fate that awaits our Beast Tribe, theres nothing I can say, Ancient Sage Allfire replied in resignation. Seeing that the other partys attitude was resolute, not yielding in the least, Zhang Xuan lowered his head to ponder for a moment before remarking, Youre reluctant to submit to me because theres an entire race looking up to you. As their old ancestor, theres no way you could sully the reputation of your race by submitting to a human. However... what if all of your descendants are supportive of you bing my tamed beast? Not expecting to hear such words, Ancient Sage Allfire scoffed in disdain. My descendants are prideful individuals. They wont even submit to me, so how could they possibly allow me to submit to you? You are dreaming! Did the young mans head get hit by a boulder? No matter how foolish his descendants were, there was no way that they would watch as their old ancestor became another persons tamed beast! If so, what would it say about their entire race? They would be forced to lower their heads in shame! Oh? Shall we watch and see then? The edges of Zhang Xuans lips edged upward as he flicked his wrist and retrieved the Dragonbone Divine Spear. He turned to the exit and instructed, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Ill leave it to you to look after Ancient Sage Allfire here. Make sure that he doesnt leave this cavern. Ill be heading out for a moment... With that, he swiftly flitted out of the cavern. Chapter 1822 - Submit to Me!

Chapter 1822: Submit to Me!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What do you intend to do? Seeing the young man rushing out of the cavern, Ancient Sage Allfire suddenly felt a bad premonition. He wanted to stop the young man, but a chilling aura suddenly crushed down on him. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to ovee such power with ease and evenunch a powerful counterattack. However, with the severe injuries that he had sustained, he found himself unable to exert the slightest power. Ancient Sage Mo Ling, you b*stard! I swear that Ill kill you once I recover to full strength! Ancient Sage Allfire roared frenziedly. Ill be waiting! Ancient Sage Mo Ling replied nonchntly as he continued exerting strength on the other party, pinning him firmly to the wall. Roar roar! Wu wu! While the two Ancient Sages were stuck with one another, countless beast calls reverberated outside the cavern. It was as if the young man had started a massacre right after leaving the cavern. No, you b*stard! I swear Ill tear your flesh into shreds and sear your soul to oblivion! Hearing those cries of agony, Ancient Sage Allfires body trembled in utter rage and destion as he roared furiously. You scoundrel! How can you prey on the weak like that? Where is your dignity? His voice reverberated loudly throughout the entire mountain range, but it seemed like the young man could not hear him at all. The cries of agony continued echoing loudly in the air. Seeing that he was unable to escape and his shouts were not reaching at all, Ancient Sage Allfire frantically turned to the soul oracle before him and made his case. Mo Ling, you are an Ancient Sage just like that. Even though we have never met one another, I have heard about your affairs and know a bit about your temperament. You are righteous person who cant stand oppression... Are you going to watch quietly as your guild leadermits genocide? Is that how far the Soul Oracle Guild has fallen? This... Ancient Sage Mo Ling lowered his head in shame. Clearly, he did not expect the guild leader to rush right out and use his superior strength to oppress those ordinary beasts either. Even in thewless otherworldly battlefield, there were some unspoken rules. If Ancient Sages were allowed to target the younglings of one another, it would be a guaranteed recipe for mutually assured destruction, thus the convention against such actions. However, as a subordinate, Ancient Sage Mo Ling had already made up his mind to follow the orders of the young man no matter what they were. So, despite harboring doubts in his mind, he chose to stay out of the matter. I apologize, but Im simply following orders! Ancient Sage Mo Ling shook his head as he continued exerting his strength to pin the other party to the wall. You... Ancient Sage Allfire was so furious that his voice began quivering. If I get out of this alive, I swear Ill eradicate your entire lineage of soul oracles! He was truly furious. An expert whom even he was no match for had actually gone to the extent of massacring his juniors. This was such a shameless act! He roared on and on furiously but to no avail. The cries of agony that reverberated in his ears seemed to continue for an eternity before everything fell silent. In that instant, Ancient Sage Allfires heart turned cold with despair. The young man soon returned with a rxed look on his face. You b*stard! You killed my tribesmen and destroyed my lineage. If I get out of here alive, Ill surely destroy everything that you hold dear! Ancient Sage howled with a warped look on his face. Overflowing resentment flowed out of his eyes, wanting to drown everything in sight. Killed your tribesmen? Seeing how furious Ancient Sage Allfire was, Zhang Xuan stunned for a moment before shaking his head helplessly. Youre overthinking it. I am a gentle and loving person who is passionate for peace, so how could I possiblymit genocide? Ancient Sage Mo Ling, let go of him and allow him to go out and take a look! This... Ancient Sage Mo Ling hesitated for a brief moment before retracting his strength. H! Ancient Sage Allfire fell from the wall. He hurriedly got to his feet before rushing out of the cavern. Zhang Xuan and Ancient Sage Mo Ling followed leisurely behind him. Outside of the cavern, the light from the crimson moon was slightly ring. Ancient Sage Allfire quickly scanned his surroundings, only to see many of his descendants gathered outside, alive and kicking. Every single one of them was roaring passionately, their red eyes reflecting excitement. Your cultivation... Ancient Sage Allfire was stunned. Having spent countless years with his descendants on this barren mountain, he was extremely clear about their cultivation. After being forced to thisnd, due to the sparse spiritual energy in the area, it was already a blessing that they had maintained their current level of cultivation. Any advancement was pretty much impossible... But at that moment, the tens of thousands of beasts had made breakthroughs in their cultivation, such that their overall prowess had grown significantly! This was especially for those that he held in high regard. Not only was there a rise in their cultivation, it seemed like they had happened upon an epiphany. It felt like they were ready to push further into higher realms as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Furthermore, they were no longer yellow-skinned, malnourished beasts. Each of them looked physically powerful and spiritually revitalized, as if they had been born anew. It was just a short moment of absence, but it felt like everything had changed! Paying respects to the old ancestor! The many beasts swiftly bowed down to pay respect to Ancient Sage Allfire. You... Ancient Sage Allfires lips quivered. There were countless questions on the tip of his tongue, but he was too shaken to say anything. The beasts that had brought Zhang Xuan into the cavern earlier lowered themselves to the ground and said, Old ancestor, our master is apassionate man, and we have already submitted to him. We beseech you to make a decision swiftly! You have already submitted to him? Ancient Sage Allfire felt as if he was dreaming. All of you have acknowledged him as your master? Thats right! The beasts nodded simultaneously. They turned to Zhang Xuan and bowed down once more. Paying respects to Master! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction before turning his gaze back to Ancient Sage Allfire. How is it? Your tribesmen have already acknowledged me as their master, and they are supportive of you submitting to me as well. Is there anything else that you are hesitant about? Old ancestor, we beseech you to join us! The eyes of the beasts gathered were glimmering in excitement. All of you... Ancient Sage Allfire felt as if a mini explosion had just erupted in his head. He took several steps back as he looked on at the sight before him in disbelief, wondering if what he was seeing was truly reality. These were the elites of his descendants. Back then, during the battle with Sovereign Chen Yong, they had savagely torn Otherworldly Demon after Otherworldly Demon apart, not yielding to any opponent. Yet, they had all submitted to a single soul oracle... Ancient Sage Allfire was not the only one who had such an expression on his face. Even Ancient Sage Mo Ling looked as if he had seen a ghost. How long had it been since the guild leader had left the cavern? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? Within that short span of time, he had actually managed to tame tens of thousands of beasts... Even if someone was just scattering food to feed a couple of chicks, they would not be that fast, right? He had known that the guild leader was able to set up formations swiftly, but he did not think that the other party would be even faster when it came to taming beasts! Old ancestor, if you acknowledge our master, well be able to raise our cultivation swiftly... You mustnt hesitate! The rise of our tribe depends on your decision! Please dont reject our masters goodwill! Under our masters leadership, well be able to cleanse ourselves of our previous humiliation, and our Beast Tribe will swiftly grow stronger over time! Many beasts roared in agreement. Ancient Sage Allfire was rendered speechless. Previously, he had still thought that his descendants had backbone and would not submit easily. Who could have known that all of them would defect so quickly? From the looks of it, if he did not agree to it, his descendants would continue heaping pressure onto him until he finally sumbed. You value your dignity because you wish to set a good example for your descendants and allow them to live a prideful life. I am able to give your tribe what you want to give them. Acknowledge me as your master, and I swear that I wont let you down! Zhang Xuan said. I wont force you into making a decision right now. I have a cultivation technique here that will not only allow you to recover to your peak, youll also be able to exert incredible fighting prowess without tapping into theva in your cavern! Before Ancient Sage Allfire could react, he suddenly felt a jolt in his head. A new cultivation technique had appeared in his head. This... Upon taking a look at it, Ancient Sage Allfires body suddenly began trembling uncontrobly. He was so agitated that he was unable to voice his words properly. Chapter 1823 - Sovereign Chen Yong Arrives

Chapter 1823: Sovereign Chen Yong Arrives

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The cultivation technique that the young man had just imparted to him not only resolved the ws in his cultivation, it evenplemented his strengths. If Ancient Sage Allfire cultivated ording to it, even without theva in its cavern, he would easily be able to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan or even higher! It was no exaggeration to say that this cultivation technique was tailored just for him! As long as he cultivated ording to it, he would grow by leaps and bounds. After carefully going through the cultivation technique in his mind, Ancient Sage Allfire finally came to a realization. There was no doubt that the young man was a person with great capabilities, and he would eventually rise to the top of the world. Thus, he lowered his body on the ground and sent a droplet of blood essence into the young mans be. Allfire pays respects to Master! Although he had been hesitant previously, at that very moment, all doubts had been removed from his mind. Despite the other partys young age and lower cultivation, he was qualified to be his master. Following behind the other party would surely bring him to greater heights. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief after assimting the blood essence. It seemed like his trip had not been wasted. A Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage with so many tamed beasts... Even if he encountered Sovereign Chen Ling once more, he would have the power to protect himself! ... Several figures were flitting swiftly in the air. They were Sovereign Chen Yong and Ancient Sage Hao Xun, who had separated from Zhang Xuan a while back. Following behind them were four Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm cultivators. Even though they were weaker than the two leading the way, there was no doubt that they were the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent. In a battle, their might would be something to behold. They were the Ancient Sages whom the two of them had managed to rally to their side within this period of time. Seeing the space before him shattering again and again as they surged forward, one of the Ancient Sages following behind could not help but ask, Your Majesty, where are we heading right now? Were heading to the Battlefield of Firefeather! Sovereign Chen Yong replied calmly. Battlefield of Firefeather? The Ancient Sage who had just asked the question pondered for a moment before replying. Given how remote that ce is, there shouldnt be any Ancient Sages there, right? If I recall correctly, the Beast Tribes Ancient Sage Allfire resides there, another Ancient Sage added. Ancient Sage Allfire? Upon hearing this name, the remaining members of the group recoiled in horror a little before swiftly turning their gazes toward Sovereign Chen Yong. There was no one on the otherworldly battlefield who had not heard of the conflict between Ancient Sage Allfire and Sovereign Chen Yong. Yet, to run over right now to look for the other party... was that not courting death? I dont deny that theres a grudge between me and Ancient Sage Allfire. However, if we wish to expose the crimes of Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, theres no doubt that well need that fellows strength! Since he had already rallied those Ancient Sages to his side, he had no intention of hiding anything from them. But the conflict back then caused the rtionship between the two of you to turn so stale... Theres no choice no matter how stale it is. I can only hope for the best... Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head. If he had a choice, he would not have wanted to forsake his dignity to request help from his enemy. He knew that he would definitely be humiliated, and it might even backfire on him. However, given the current circumstances, he did not have any other choice. Ancient Sage Hao Xun turned his gaze over and asked, Didnt Elder Zhang Xuan say that... hell find a way to tame Ancient Sage Allfire after finding the dragon blood? Are we not waiting for him? Tame? Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head. Do you think that Allfire will ever allow himself be another persons tamed beast? Ancient Sage Hao Xun fell silent. He could not say for sure when it came to other beasts, but Ancient Sage Allfire was one hell of an obstinate fellow. In the past, Sovereign Chen Yong had used all kinds of methods on thetter, but thetter had seemedpletely impervious to his bait and threats. He would even rather migrate to this barrennd with scarce spiritual energy than submit to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... From this, it could be seen just how prideful Ancient Sage Allfire was. Was it even possible for such a prideful beast to submit to a person who had not even reached Ancient Sage? The Young Master has never met Allfire before, so its no surprise that hes unfamiliar with his temperament. On the other hand, as people who have met and interacted with him, we are very clear that its impossible to tame him! At that point, Sovereign Chen Yong sighed deeply. Since thats the case, rather than hope for the impossible, we might as well head over and have a good talk with Allfire. Back then, I was the one who forced him into exile, so I should be the one undoing the damage! I guess we can only hope for the best! Ancient Sage Hao Xun nodded. Given that Sovereign Chen Yong was the culprit who had turned Ancient Sage Allfire against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, if they wanted to cate Ancient Sage Allfire and bring him over to their side, it would indeed be good to start with him. Were here... Amid their discussion, the Ancient Sages finally arrived at a location in proximity to the Battlefield of Firefeather. A barren mountain range unfolded before their eyes. This is the Battlefield of Firefeather? Is it really possible to live in such a ce? one of the Ancient Sages remarked in shock, sensing the incredibly thin spiritual energy in the air. Without any resources and spiritual energy, the only thing one could do in such a ce was survive. There was no way one could advance ones cultivation in a ce like this! Considering how Sovereign Chen Yong had driven Ancient Sage Allfire to such a barren ce, it seemed unlikely that they would be able to engage his help to deal with the other two Sovereigns. The situation simply did not look too good. Noticing the crowds worry, Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head bitterly. Lets find a beast and ask him where Ancient Sage Allfire is! With a flicker, he appeared right before one of the beasts loitering around the mountain range. The beast immediately recoiled in rm. Sovereign Chen Yong hurriedly stopped the beast from shouting for help and sent a zhenqi telepathic message. I am a friend of your old ancestor, Ancient Sage Allfire. Is it possible for you to take me to him? Suppressed to the point where it waspletely unable to send out any signals, the beast had no choice but to reply obediently. Our old ancestor... is currently in the midst instructing our tribesmen to pack up... Pack up? Where are you all heading? The group of Ancient Sages looked at one another in bewilderment. It was true that the condition of the Battlefield of Firefeather was horrendous, but they had managed to live there for many years. Why were they suddenly packing up at that moment? We are heading to the capital! the beast quickly replied. This beast was only at Saint 1-dan, and it had lived in the outer perimeters of the mountain range. As such, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to tame it. You are returning to the capital? Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Yongs face warped in horror. Could it be that... Sovereign Chen Yong has made a move ahead of us and sessfully rallied Ancient Sage Allfire over to his side? It was no wonder that it harbored such thoughts. The capital was currently under Sovereign Chen Lings control, and considering how Ancient Sage Allfire had a feud with him, it was not unthinkable for Sovereign Chen Ling to try rally thetter against him. Have any guestse here recently? Sovereign Chen Yong asked. The beast pondered for a moment before replying. Not too long ago, an Ancient Sage named Mo Ling came over along with our old ancestors master! They should still be around at the moment! Wait a moment... Master? Sovereign Chen Yong was just about to ask who the master was when Ancient Sage Hao Xun suddenly spoke up. Ancient Sage Mo Ling is the strongest expert among the soul oracles at the moment, and hes one of the trusty aides of Sovereign Chen Ling. He yed a huge role in nning the encirclement against you... Ancient Sage Hao Xun had received a fair bit of insider news from his subordinates and descendants after leaving the Primal Lodestone Mountain, so he was privy to a lot of specifics. As a Blood Reincarnation realm expert serving under Sovereign Chen Ling, it was inevitable that others would keep tabs on Ancient Sage Mo Ling in an attempt to figure out Sovereign Chen Lings ns. Considering how Ancient Sage Mo Ling is subordinated to Sovereign Chen Ling, and Ancient Sage Allfire has acknowledged that person as his master... Could that person be Sovereign Chen Ling? Did Sovereign Chen Ling really manage to tame Ancient Sage Allfire? Gedeng! Sovereign Chen Yongs heart skipped a beat. If that was truly the case, they were in deep trouble. After asking a few more questions to confirm Ancient Sage Allfires location, Sovereign Chen Yong tapped his finger on the beasts head to knock it out before turning his head around and instructing, Lets head there secretly. We have to make sure that Ancient Sage Allfire doesnt notice... Given that Sovereign Chen Ling was still in the vicinity, they had to head over to take a look no matter what. Alright! Knowing how serious this matter was, the crowd quickly nodded. They concealed their auras and proceeded forward while flying close to the ground so as to prevent themselves from getting noticed. Chapter 1824 - Returning to the Capital

Chapter 1824: Returning to the Capital

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 After passing through several mountains, the group soon spotted a massive group of beasts floating before a cavern in a terribly neat formation, almost as if an army waiting for amand. Isnt this ce scarce in spiritual energy? Why is the spirit of these beasts so united? Furthermore, it seems like their fighting prowess has also improved considerably from before. Sovereign Chen Yong was stunned once more. When he drove these beasts into exile, he had led his great army to battle them. While the beasts had been fairly strong opponents, they had hardly been as strong as they were at that very moment. He had thought that it would already be a blessing if they could maintain their cultivation realms after being exiled there, but to think that they had managed to grow so much ever since then! In his moment of shock, he saw a spatial distortion in front of the cavern, and two figures materialized there. The first figure waspletely cloaked its mes. ck streaks could be seen on its golden exterior, an indication that it was slowly changing colors. The incredible heating from made it feel as if it was cooking the surrounding space-time. Such prowess... Sovereign Chen Yong clenched his fists grimly. Without a doubt, the figure before him was the very Ancient Sage Allfire whom he was intending to rally to his side. During the war back then, he had exchanged blows with the other party, so he knew the other partys cultivation very well. He had thought that it would be nigh impossible for the other party to advance any further after being forced here, but who could have known that Ancient Sage Allfire would actually make such a huge leap in his cultivation? In terms of prowess, the other party could be said to be close to being on par with his peak! To think that the Beast Tribe would be so resilient as to continue growing stronger even when they had been exiled to such remotend... What in the world was going on? Previously, Sovereign Chen Yong had thought that he would still be able to lure the other party over to their faction by offering them some favorable terms, but with Ancient Sage Allfires current strength, it was unlikely that their terms could move him anymore. Is that person over there Ancient Sage Mo Ling? How did he grow so much stronger? I met him three years ago, but he wasnt so strong back then! one of the Ancient Sages eximed. It was only after hearing that voice that Sovereign Chen Yong finally turned his attention toward the other figure standing beside Ancient Sage Allfire. With just a nce, his eyebrows immediately shot up in astonishment. He had met Ancient Sage Mo Ling as well, and thetter was indubitably a rather troublesome opponent to deal with. Fortunately, it was extremely difficult for soul oracles to advance their cultivation, so thetter had never posed too great a threat to him. However, somehow, thetters cultivation had also advanced to an unimaginable level. Were the heavens really signaling that his era hade to an end? Master, we are deeply grateful for your benevolent enlightenment. We shall brave through any peril with you without uttering a single word ofint! It seemed like Ancient Sage Allfire had not noticed Sovereign Chen Yong and the others, who were hiding behind the mountain. Instead, he sped his fist and bowed deeply toward the cavern before him. After acknowledging his new master, he did not rush into leaving their area of exile. Instead, he chose to make use of the undergroundva to recuperate from his injuries. Using the technique that his master had imparted to him, not only did he recover swiftly from his wounds, he felt like his cultivation had advanced considerably. It left him with a feeling of indescribable exhration, and the feeling of gratitude toward his young master deepened as well. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! a young man said calmly as a silhouette slowly flew out of the cavern. Upon seeing this silhouette, Sovereign Chen Yongs body jolted. He had been thinking that the person who woulde out was going to be Sovereign Chen Ling, and he had been prepared to find a chance to end the other partys life. However, when he took a closer look, what he saw left his astounded instead. Young Master... It was the Young Master who had left for the capital in search of dragon blood! Did he not go to Sovereign Chen Lings pce? Why would he be there? Could it be that the master whom Ancient Sage Allfire was speaking of earlier was actually referring to him? In other words, the Young Master had already managed to tame Ancient Sage Allfire! Despite being the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor of the Spirit Tribe, he suddenly found his mind incapable ofprehending what was going on before him. In the midst of his astonishment, Sovereign Chen Yong heard a chuckle not too far away. Come over since you are already here! Even though Ancient Sage Allfire and the others did not notice a thing, Zhang Xuan had sensed the power of maism lingering in the area. Activating his Eye of Insight, it did not take him long to notice Sovereign Chen Yongs tracks. Hu! Seeing that he had been found, Sovereign Chen Yong flew out without any hesitation. Sovereign Chen Yong... Upon seeing his old nemesis, Ancient Sage Allfire narrowed his eyes in fury. mes swiftly surged forth from his body, and it seemed like he would turn the entire mountain range into a living hell in an instant. Stop! Zhang Xuan quickly raised his hand and stopped him. Yes! Ancient Sage Allfire did not dare tantly disobey his masters instructions, but that did not stop the fury from burning in the depths of his hearts. Just as he was perplexed as why his master would stop him, he saw the number one Otherworldly Demon Emperor of the Spirit Tribe sping his fist, bowing deeply, and greeting, Young Master! Young Master? Taken aback by what he had heard, Ancient Sage Allfire quickly turned his gaze over to Ancient Sage Mo Ling, only to see thetter with an equally incredulous expression. The fact that Sovereign Chen Yong was addressing the young man as Young Master meant that he was subordinated to the young man... but how could that be? For the great Sovereign Chen Yong, the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe, to willingly serve as the subordinate of another man... something felt really off! Thus, Ancient Sage Allfire could not help but ask, Master, is he your subordinate? Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. Sovereign Chen Yong can indeed be considered my subordinate. Sovereign Chen Yong, I have just epted Ancient Sage Allfire as my tamed beast, so I expect you to put aside any conflict you have with him, alright? Even though Sovereign Chen Yong was equally shocked, he still subconsciously nodded before looking at Ancient Sage Allfire with a perplexed look on his face. We meet again... They could be considered two of the most outstanding experts in the otherworldly battlefield. There was no one who did not know of the battle that had happened between the two of them, and it had even been proimed as the greatest battle that had happened in the past several millenniums! Yet, of the two of them, one had be a subordinate whereas the other had be a tamed beast... What was even more frightening was that they were both serving the young man named Zhang Xuan! Just the thought of it felt ridiculous in itself! Un... Ancient Sage Allfire nodded. To be honest, he had thought that the young mans im that he would lead the Beast Tribe to im back its rightfulnd was just an empty promise, but upon seeing that even Sovereign Chen Yong was a subordinate to him, he realized that the young man was serious about it. Sovereign Chen Yong, I have already agreed to help Ancient Sage Allfire return to thend that they used to reside in, so I want you to promise to push for the coexistence between the Beast Tribe and the Spirit Tribe. You are not to regard the Beast Tribe as an outsider and ostracize them! Zhang Xuan instructed. Ill obey your orders, Young Master! Sovereign Chen Yong quickly nodded in agreement. Even if he wanted to refute those words, he was already powerless to do so, especially since the young man had Ancient Sage Allfire on his side. No wonder the Young Master could catch the Spirit Gods eye. He was indeed an exceptional individual! Ancient Sage Allfire was an opponent whom he would have to tread carefully around, but in the blink of an eye, it had already been tamed so obediently. He really could not help but wonder how it was done. Good! With this, we already have the strength to stand against Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing! Its about time for us to return to the capital and end this farce! There was still an air of tension between Ancient Sage Allfire and Sovereign Chen Yong, but he knew that it would take much more time for them to resolve the grudges between them. Thus, he did not force the matter. Right now, they had four Ancient Sage 3-dan experts on their side, namely Sovereign Chen Yong, Ancient Sage Hao Xun, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and Ancient Sage Allfire. If they factored in the Dragonbone Divine Spear and Vicious, that added up to a total of six Blood Reincarnation realm experts on their side. As for Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm experts, they had four of them in total. Taking into ount those Soulless Metal Humanoid that Zhang Xuan had forged not too long ago, their total fighting force was already beyond that of Sovereign Chen Ling. Even if Sovereign Chen Xing sided with Sovereign Chen Ling in the midst of the battle, Zhang Xuan was still confident that they would be able to emerge victorious! This meant that it was time for them to return to the capital, dere the truth that Sovereign Chen Yong was still alive, and have the final showdown! Yes! The crowd nodded grimly. Knowing how important this matter was, Ancient Sage Allfire turned around and instructed, Children, you will have to wait here. After we resolve the issue at the capital, Ill take you all back to where we truly belong... There was no way that he could take everyone into the capital with him. Otherwise, it could very well incite a full-blown war between the Beast Tribe and the Spirit Tribe, which was not what he wanted. For the time being, it was best to leave the rest of the Beast Tribe there. As long as they took out the main culprits, Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, and returned power to Sovereign Chen Yong, everything else would be a walk in the park! Chapter 1825 - Sovereign Chen Yong Isnt Dead?

Chapter 1825: Sovereign Chen Yong Isnt Dead?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was a sealed room filled with all kinds of seals that isted the space from the rest of the world, hindering even ones Spiritual Perception from passing through. Peng! With a loud smack on the table, a middle-aged man with sharp eyebrows stood up wrathfully, shouting, That scoundrel! This is no different from a revolt! A younger Otherworldly Demon scanned the crowd and furiously bellowed, The three Sovereigns of the Spirit Tribe have always looked after one another, but that b*stard actually disregarded the rules and colluded with the humans to kill Sovereign Chen Yong! That wretched traitor of the Spirit Tribe! As proud citizens of the Spirit Tribe, we muste together to overthrow this nonsense! If Zhang Xuan was there, he would definitely have been able to tell that this Otherworldly Demon was the student of his that had infiltrated the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Liu Yang! At this very moment, he had assembled a group of patriotic warriors to expose Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xings crimes. Around a month ago, Sovereign Chen Ling had returned to the otherworldly battlefield and announced to the whole world that Sovereign Chen Yong had been assaulted and killed by the experts of mankind. In an attempt to save thetter, he and Sovereign Chen Xing had ended up sustaining severe wounds, but they had been unable to affect the oue. Back then, everyone in the Spirit Tribe had taken his words for real, but not too longter, as human cultivators began entering the Subterranean Galleries, another rumor began floating around. It was said that Sovereign Chen Ling had colluded with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in order to get rid of Sovereign Chen Yong so that he could usurp thetter! Initially, everyone had thought that the rumors floating around were a ploy from mankind in order to spark discord within the Spirit Tribe. However, as Sovereign Chen Ling began to take control of Sovereign Chen Yongs troops and massacre thettersmanders, they swiftly sensed that something was amiss. And just two hours ago, the appointed sessor of Sovereign Chen Yong had suddenly gathered them together and recounted the happenings to them. Everything fitted together like pieces of a puzzle in an instant, and the realization of the truth filled them with rage. It was due to the unity of the Three Sovereigns that the Spirit Tribe had instilled fear into mankind for many years. Of course, this unity was built upon a fragile bnce of power, but it had served them well for tens of thousands of years. Yet, all of a sudden, one of the Sovereigns had colluded with the humans to turn against one of their own. Even among thewless Otherworldly Demons, this was an unforgivable act of betrayal! Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing are incredibly powerful cultivators who ranks among the top of all Ancient Sages alive. What difference does it make even if we have learned of their treachery? Theres no way we stand a chance against them! One of the Otherworldly Demons shook his head and poured a bucket of cold water on the riled-up crowd. He could understand the feelings of those who were gathered there, but no matter how severely wounded Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing were, they were still Blood Reincarnation realm consummation experts. They were not opponents whom a bunch of Great Sages like them could deal with! The reason that the standing of the Three Sovereigns had remained unmovable over the past tens of thousands of years was not just because of their political acuity and the support of their followers; more than that, it was because they wielded the strength to quell any uprisings! I understand that as well, but rest assured! All is not hopeless yet! Since Sovereign Chen Yong is still alive, hell surely return to clear out those traitors. All we have to do is move on hismand and take back control of the various divisions so as to maintain internal stability! Liu Yang said. Indeed! We might not be able to participate in the battle among the Ancient Sages, but we are still able to minimize the losses of the Spirit Tribe through our actions! If things go wrong, mankind could make use of this temporarypse in our defenses to destroy us. If so, the Spirit Tribe could be ruined! A couple of Otherworldly Demons nodded in agreement. The battle among the Three Sovereigns was already far beyond what they could interfere with, but they could still calm down the armies and popce through their presence and reduce whatever damage would be incurred to the minimum. Seeing that he had won the support of those present for now, Liu Yang heaved a sigh of relief. Since we share the same thoughts, Ill consider this alliance formed. As its an alliance, well require a reliable alliance leader to coordinate all of our movements. Otherwise, if we simply move on our own, it could worsen the chaos! I concur! Well need an alliance leader to lead us all. Since Brother Yang is the sessor of Sovereign Chen Yong and boasts the highest cultivation of us all, it goes without saying that he should assume the role of the alliance leader! You are the only one who can help us wrestle back control over the situation! ... The crowd sped their fists. Other than the Ancient Sages, the person who boasted the greatest rallying ability was indubitably Liu Yang. If not for his poprity among the Otherworldly Demons, Sovereign Chen Ling would have killed him right away. It was in consideration of Liu Yang only being a Sempiternal realm consummation whom could still be controlled and the repercussions that woulde with the other partys death that Sovereign Chen Ling had chosen to spare him for the time being. It went without saying that Liu Yang was indeed the most suitable figure to serve as the alliance leader. Since everyone has nominated me, Ill humbly take on the position. That being said, theres one thing that I would like to say that I hope everyone can keep in mind. Rising to his feet, Liu Yang ced a clenched fist on his chest and spoke with unwavering determination. No matter what we do, its all for the Spirit Tribe! Aftering to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was no way that Liu Yang could continue using his original name. Thus, he had be known as Yang Liu instead, and he was the Brother Yang whom everyone spoke of. Since he did not have much of a reputation on the Master Teacher Continent anyway, it was unlikely that anyone would be able to figure out his true identity just through his reversed name. What he was doing right now was rallying everyone within his sphere of connections and attempting to wrestle power from Sovereign Chen Ling and the others. This was the mission that his teacher had entrusted him with before entering Sovereign Chen Lings pce. No matter what we do, its all for the Spirit Tribe! The other Otherworldly Demons rose to their feet and chanted passionately. As expected of the sessor whom Sovereign Chen Yong had chosen, he was indeed someone who would be a powerful supporting pir of the Spirit Tribe in the near future! Since we have sealed the alliance, lets settle on our future course of action... Seeing that he had won everyone over, Liu Yang was just about to set future directions for their alliance when he suddenly fell silent. With a frown on his forehead, he flicked his wrist. Hu! A Communication Jade Token materialized in his hand. With just a look, his eyes immediately narrowed menacingly. Brother Yang, is something wrong? one of the Otherworldly Demons asked. Liu Yang was quiet for a moment before he solemnly said, Sovereign Chen Ling has erected an altar at the center of the capital, and hes going around capturing cultivators above Saint 1-dan to tribute them. ording to the intelligence that Ive received, there are already more than thirty thousand casualties... Thirty thousand casualties? That beast... Hearing such a piece of news, the crowd could not remain calm any longer. They swiftly rose to their feet in anger. Even with the superior talents of the Spirit Tribe, the number of them who eventually made it to Sainthood was still rather limited. Yet, Sovereign Chen Ling was using their lives as tributes and had even ughtered over thirty thousand of them in a single shot... Was he insane? Brother Yang, what should we do now? Everyone in the room quickly turned their gazes to Liu Yang as they waited impatiently for his directives. Judging by his actions over the past few days, I reckon that hes intending to offer a tribute to the Spirit God in exchange for the recovery of his injuries and strength! Liu Yang said. The crowd nodded silently in agreement. While there was no concrete news about Sovereign Chen Lings physical condition, the fact that he had disappeared from public view for some time had raised some spection about his current condition. If there was little hope of him recovering from his injuries through normal means, his best bet would be to turn to the Spirit God for help. However, obtaining the Spirit Gods blessing came with an incredibly steep cost. Not only did it require the tribute of countless artifacts, one also had to make an offering of fresh blood. Thews of the world dictated that a gain had toe with a loss. Not even the Spirit God was an exception to the rule! The very fact that Sovereign Chen Ling had gone around ughtering tens of thousands of people meant that he was preparing for a major ritual. What we have to do now is gather our forces and hinder the ritual. Otherwise, this could result in an irrecoverable blow for our Spirit Tribe! Liu Yang harrumphed. Alright! The crowd nodded in agreement. They had to stop Sovereign Chen Ling at all costs. It would be one thing if Sovereign Chen Ling recovered to full strength, but who knew how many more lives would have to be sacrificed in order for that to happen? Hong long long! Just as Liu Yang was about to tear down the restrictions around him to stop Sovereign Chen Lings tribute, the ground intensely shuddered. Vaguely, the sound of rumbling thunder could be heard in the atmosphere. Liu Yang dashed out of the room and headed to where the sound wasing from. Soon, he saw a massive influx of energy gathering at the very center of the capital, where Sovereign Chen Ling was preparing his tribute. If an explosion urred over there, did it mean that the ritual was a failure? What happened? Liu Yang turned to a nearby guard. With an agitated look on his face, the guard eximed in a high-pitched voice, Its Sovereign Chen Yong... Sovereign Chen Yong isnt dead yet... He has returned! Chapter 1826 - Seed of Acquiescence

Chapter 1826: Seed of Acquiescence

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Yong is really alive? He has really returned? The crowd who had followed Liu Yang over eximed in astonishment. They had been a little doubtful while listening to Liu Yangs story, but upon hearing those words from the guard, all of the doubts vanished from their minds. It seemed like Sovereign Chen Yong was indeed alive! To put it in other words, the story that Sovereign Chen Ling had told the world was fake as well... To collude with the humans to murder a fellow Sovereign, this was intolerable! Quick, lets head over! Liu Yang eximed with a hint of joy and relief in his voice. While others might be unaware of what was going on, he had liaised with Sovereign Chen Yong and his teacher in advance, so he knew what the two of them had prepared. They had gathered every power that they could rally, and the fact that they were there meant that they had already put together a force that could stand against Sovereign Chen Lings faction. A battle for supremacy in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was about to begin! Sou! Together with the alliance that had just been formed, he flew right toward the center of the capital. It did not take them too long to arrive at their destination. At the area where the ritual was conducted, a towering pedestal that pierced right into the clouds could be seen. The winding stairs around the pedestal were coated in a sinister stream of fresh blood. gs that rose along the winding stairs fluttered angrily amid the tempest, and dark clouds loomed eerily over the sky. A tornado had formed at the center of the pedestal, drawing endless energy into its eye. At that very moment, Sovereign Chen Ling was floating right above the pedestal, allowing the raging air currents to swirl around him. Beneath the pedestal was a massive congregation of Otherworldly Demons. As if they had lost their consciousness, they kneeled in a daze before the pedestal, unfazed by the furious air currents battering them. All in all, there were tens of thousands of them. It was clear that they were the tributes. Laid out several steps ahead of them were countless precious artifacts, medicinal herbs, and ores. Zhang Xuan recognized some of those items as the ones that he had appraised back at Sovereign Chen Lings pce as Wu Tao. Standing opposite Sovereign Chen Ling was Sovereign Chen Yong. He looked upon the floor filled with corpses and fresh blood with a crack of anger on his face. Sovereign Chen Ling, you colluded with the humans to assassinate me; thats an act of disloyalty! You have chosen to massacre so many of your tribesmen for your own welfare; thats an act of gross self-centeredness. A person as vile as you does not deserve to live. Today shall be your death date! He had known that Sovereign Chen Ling was an extreme individual, but who could have predicted that he would actuallymit something so ridiculous? It was one thing for the other party to conspire with the humans to assassinate him, but to capture a hundred thousand of their tribesmen and offer them as tributes... there was no bamboo scrollrge enough to detail the weight of his crimes! You wish to kill me? Sovereign Chen Ling sneered with a hint of disdain in his eyes. If it had been the Sovereign Chen Yong of the past, he might have feared him. However, the other party was already on the verge of death, such that even clinging on to life was a difficulty. Yet, the other party still wanted to kill him? Dream on! What about the rest of us then? Huhu! A gust of wind blew across the area, and several more silhouettes appeared in the air. They were Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Ancient Sage Allfire, and the others. Mo Ling, you treacherous little scoundrel... Sovereign Chen Ling narrowed his eyes contemptuously. Sovereign Chen Yong, you actually want to work with someone like him? You must not be aware that he yed an integral role in how you ended up in your current state! Were it not for Ancient Sage Mo Ling liaising with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, there was no way that Sovereign Chen Ling, given his limited prowess, would have managed toy his hands on Sovereign Chen Yong! Do you think that such a news makes any difference to me now? Sovereign Chen Yong harrumphed coldly. There was no doubt that he hated Ancient Sage Mo Ling as well for scheming behind his back and putting together the n for his assassination. However, the positions were very clear at the moment. The greatest enemy that he wished to y right now was Sovereign Chen Ling, and Ancient Sage Mo Ling was someone who would help him to achieve that. It would be foolish to turn against someone who was his ally at the moment. It doesnt make any difference? Sovereign Chen Ling burst into coldughter. You sure have fallen, Sovereign Chen Yong! He turned his gaze toward the massive beast standing next to Ancient Sage Mo Ling ,and his face suddenly turned incredibly ugly. Ancient Sage Allfire, Sovereign Chen Yong was the one who drove you and your tribesmen away from your homnd. Im sure that you have a bone to pick with him. Do your pride and dignity really allow you to work with your nemesis? As long as you help me, not only will I maintain peace with your Beast Tribe as long as I live, Ill even return your homnd to you andpensate for all the wrongdoing of our Spirit Tribe over the years! If it was just Ancient Sage Mo Ling, he would have been confident that he could emerge victorious. However, if his opponents included Ancient Sage Allfire as well, that would make things extremely difficult. At his peak, Ancient Sage Allfire had possessed strength that was even greater than his. He was an expert thatmanded a fighting prowess second only to Sovereign Chen Yong himself. If he had to face Ancient Sage Allfire in his current state, chances were that it would end in his death. Like I told you before, we of the Beast Tribe have our own pride to uphold! If I was willing to coborate with you, I would have long agreed to an alliance! Ancient Sage Allfire waved his ws impassively. In truth, before Sovereign Chen Yong came to look for him, Sovereign Chen Ling had knocked on his door many times before, only to be driven away. Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Ling narrowed his eyes. He had been thinking that given how severely wounded Sovereign Chen Yong was, thetter would only be able to rally a bunch of weaklings to oppose him. Never could he have expected Ancient Sage Mo Ling to openly betray him and Ancient Sage Allfire to actually submit to thetter... How in the world did Sovereign Chen Yong manage to do it? Sovereign Chen Yong, I concede that you do have some tricks up your sleeves. You are more formidable than I thought. However, if you think that you can kill me just like that, I must say that you are really underestimating me! Knowing that there was no point saying anything more, Sovereign Chen Ling exhaled deeply before grandly straightening his posture. You lot shoulde out as well! Hu! The next instant, the many Ancient Sages whom Zhang Xuan had met at Sovereign Chen Lings pce gathered together simultaneously and formed a line. They emanated an incredibly powerful aura that shook the air. Somethings amiss... Taking a look at the crowd, Sovereign Chen Yong and Ancient Sage Mo Ling exchanged nces with one another as their faces turned grim. The reason that those Ancient Sages had chosen to help Sovereign Chen Ling in the past was because their interests coincided with one another. An alliance built on benefits could not possibly be resilient. But at that very moment, they were guarding the area resolutely, determined toy down their lives to protect Sovereign Chen Ling. When had this group of fellows be so loyal? He must have controlled them using some trick, Zhang Xuan said grimly with a deep frown. Based on his deep understanding of soul arts, he could tell that even though these Ancient Sages still retained their sentience, their consciousness had been taken over by someone else. They had be something reminiscent of a puppet. If it was just an alliance of benefits among them, they would have been able to undo their partnership by dropping a mixture of threats and tangible benefits. However, the only things that puppets were capable of doing was following orders. It seemed like they would have to go through quite a bit of trouble in order to get to Sovereign Chen Ling! Most likely, it would be a bitter fight! Is he using his soul to control them like puppets? T-this... How is this possible? Ancient Sage Mo Ling dared not believe what he was seeing. He had spent his entire life studying souls, and hisprehension of the subject had already reached an incredibly profound level. Despite that, it was still impossible for him to forcefully bend the will of an Ancient Sage. Yet, the person before him was manipting so many Ancient Sages that were not much weaker than him. It was a sight that Ancient Sage Mo Ling found hard to believe even when he was witnessing it with his own eyes. Sovereign Chen Yong suddenly recalled something, and his body stiffened. Its the Seeds of Acquiescence! Looks of confusion could be seen reflected in the eyes of Zhang Xuan and the others. Seeds of Acquiescence? It seemed like the Seeds of Acquiescence were objects that even Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the others were ignorant of. Theyre an artifact left behind by an Immortals Envoy. They can be nted within ones body, and once theyre activated, one must unconditionally obey themands of the person who nted the seed. Otherwise, if a Seed of Acquiescence explodes, one will die without a shred of doubt! Sovereign Chen Yong exined. Immortals Envoy? Back then, when my grandfather was killed by Kong shi in a decisive fight, my tribesmen were in an extremely vulnerable position, at risk of being eradicated at any moment. Cornered, they began making offerings to the heavens. After paying a hefty price, they managed to summon an Immortals Envoy from the upper world to descend to the Master Teacher Continent. In order to control the situation, the Immortals Envoy nted a Seed of Acquiescence in the body of every single Ancient Sage! My father has one of it in his body as well! Sovereign Chen Yong exined. However, the Immortals Envoy was eventually taken away by Kong shi, and the effects of the Seed of Acquiescence faded, thus sparing everyone from a cmity. Otherwise, the entire Spirit Tribe could have been wiped out! Chapter 1827 - Immortals Envoy

Chapter 1827: Immortals Envoy

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Taken away by Kong shi? Zhang Xuan felt as if he was listening to an exaggerated fairy tale. To be able to nt something within Sovereign Chen Yongs father... The strength of the Immortals Envoy must have exceeded even Blood Reincarnation! If Kong shi was able to capture an expert of such a caliber, just how powerful had he been? It was no wonder that he had been able to strike fear so deep into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that they dared not move for tens of thousands of years. Given his strength, no one would oppose him. Even if they are controlled, as long as we go all out, we should be able to defeat them. Its just that... Sovereign Chen Yong frowned in worry. Are you worrying about the origin of the Seeds of Acquiescence? Zhang Xuan asked. The Seeds of Acquiescence came with the Immortals Envoy, and they should have disappeared many years ago. There should not have been any even under the Three Sovereigns control. Yet, for Sovereign Chen Ling to actually bring them out and even use them at that very moment... Where in the world did he get them from? What did this signify? Thats right! The appearance of the Seeds of Acquiescence likely means that... an Immortals Envoy will appear as well. Thats a real Ancient Sage 4-dan expert, capable of shattering dimensions and standing in the midst of a void unharmed. If Sovereign Chen Ling truly has the help of someone of that caliber, we will bepletely helpless no matter how many people we have on our side! Sovereign Chen Yong said. It might only have been a realm of difference between Ancient Sage 4-dan and Ancient Sage 3-dan, but there was a vast difference in their levels of existence. One was capable of shattering space and entering a higher dimension whereas the other was doomed to remain there for life. Just from this alone, the difference in their strengths were apparent. For tens of thousands of years, while the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind had not spawned too many Ancient Sages, there should have been several thousand of them. The strongest among them only boasted strength simr to his, Blood Reincarnation realm consummation, and the only ones who had reached 4-dan were Kong shi and Vicious. As for the others, no matter how hard they struggled, they were simply unable to ovee that final bottleneck. If even a single Immortals Envoy appeared at that moment, putting aside exacting vengeance, it was likely that they would all lose their lives there! At such a level, no number of people would be able to make up for the difference in strength! Calm down! Our world has its own rules. An Immortals Envoy cannot descend to our world that easily. As long as we move quickly and y Sovereign Chen Ling, there will be nothing for us to worry about! Ancient Sage Allfire harrumphed coldly. He was also fearful of Immortal Envoys, but... the other party had not appeared yet, right? There was no point worrying over what that had not happened. Once Sovereign Chen Ling was dead, what else could he possibly pull on them? Youre right! Sovereign Chen Yong nodded solemnly. Raising his hand, he was just about to instruct everyone to make a move together when Sovereign Chen Ling suddenly turned his gaze over with a smile on his face. He could tell that they had been discussing something earlier, but he had chosen to leave them be, not interfering at all. It was either that he was confident of victory or that this was another ploy of his to nt a seed of fear in their hearts. Sovereign Chen Yong, do you know why younded in the current state you are in? Sovereign Chen Ling asked. Those words provoked a frown on Sovereign Chen Yongs forehead. Its very simple, actually. You just arent as vicious as me. I admit that I am inferior to you in terms of strength and wits, but I surpass you in terms of callousness. I can sacrifice the lives of countless tribesmen in order to recover from my injuries. I am willing to collude with the humans to have you killed. In fact, I would willingly cast aside my life and soul and serve another just to bring about your death! You dont have the decisiveness I have to do all that is necessary, and thats why you failed to achieve anything significant during your reign! Sovereign Chen Ling sneered. Cast aside your life and soul? What do you mean by that? Sovereign Chen Yongs eyebrows shot up in astonishment. He sharply caught onto the anomaly in Sovereign Chen Lings words. He knew of the former two incidents, colluding with the humans and sacrificing the lives of countless tribesmen, but he had not heard about Sovereign Chen Ling offering his life and soul to serve another! What did all of that mean? Thats none of your business. All you have to know is that all heroes have a streak of viciousness in them. If one fusses over the small details, one will nevere to be anything great. Youck my callousness, and thats why this battle will definitely end in my victory! Sovereign Chen Lingughed heartily before waving his hand imposingly. Kill them all! Yes! H! Hearing themand, all of the Ancient Sages immediately dashed forward to attack Zhang Xuan and the others. At the same time, Sovereign Chen Ling pressed his fingers downward, and a tremendous strength poured forth from his fingers. In that instant, it felt like the world had approached doomsday. Peng peng peng peng! The heads of the kneeling Saint cultivators around the pedestal suddenly burst apart, causing fresh blood to scatter all around the area before dripping down on the stairs. Just like that, the pedestal was dyed with a deeperyer of crimson. You... Not expecting the other party to be so vicious as to kill so many more of his tribesmen, Sovereign Chen Yong was on the verge of losing his mind. His eyes reddened in fury as he charged straight toward Sovereign Chen Ling, wanting to rip him apart. Despite the severity of his injuries, he could not have cared less at the moment. There was only one thought that dominated his hearteither Sovereign Chen Ling would die that day, or he would drag the other party together to hell with him! Otherwise, the Spirit Tribe would only gradually fall apart under the other partys leadership, possibly ending in utter destruction. Your opponent is me! H! However, before Sovereign Chen Yong could make a move, an Ancient Sage suddenly appeared before him. With a long staff in his hand, the Ancient Sage swung his weapon right toward Sovereign Chen Yongs face. It was one of the Ancient Sages who was controlled by a Seed of Acquiescence. Even though this Ancient Sage had only barely reached the Blood Reincarnation realm, given Sovereign Chen Yongs current physical state, even if he used his full strength, it would be difficult for him to win against the other party. The staff surged through the air nimbly, leaving many after-shadows in its wake. Reminiscent of a curtain being raised with a stick, the sheer strength behind the movements of the staff caused spatial ripples to copse toward Sovereign Chen Yong, trapping thetter in ce. Under the Ancient Sages relentless offense, Sovereign Chen Yongs face turned paler and paler by the second, and even his breathing became slightly ragged. Had it been in the past, he would have been able to defeat many of such opponents with a wave of his hand. However, all he could do at the current moment was take evasive measures, causing him topletely fall into the other partys flow. Just thinking about how powerless he was at the moment left him deeply stifled. Your Majesty, were here to help you! At that moment, a loud bellow sounded from below. ncing downward, Sovereign Chen Yong saw Liu Yang and the others arriving with countless Otherworldly Demon soldiers. Boom! Synergizing their strengths together, theirbined might pierced right into the sky and struck the staff of the Ancient Sage, causing it to break apart in the middle. There was a vast difference between the strength of an Ancient Sage and Great Sage. Under normal circumstances, there was no way that they could even battle with one another; it would be apletely one-sided ughter. However, Liu Yang and the others had cleverly put the strength of the ten thousand of them together via a coborative formation, thus temporarily producing abined might that could match even a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage. If one could put the strength of the masses to good use, even an army of ants could bite an elephant to death! A well-organized army would be able to instill fear even in a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage! Of course, power that could only be amassed through a coborative formation was bound to have many limitations. As long as a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage was given sufficient time to move around, they would eventually find an opening in the coborative formation to exploit and defeat the entire army. You are courting death! Seeing how his weapon had been destroyed by a bunch of Great Sage and Saint cultivators, the Ancient Sage narrowed his eyes in fury. With a deafening roar, he raised his palm and thrust it toward Liu Yang and the others. As long as the attack struck its target, there was no doubt that Liu Yang and the others around him would be goners! Humph! But just as the attack was about to strike Liu Yang, a cold harrumph sounded in the air. Following which, a spear shot out of seemingly nowhere. Puhe! The tip of the spear impaled the Ancient Sages hand, causing fresh blood to spill down. Following which... just as the Ancient Sage thought that the sudden assant would press on with his attack and kill him, he saw the other party taking out a jade bottle and carefully collecting the blood that he had spilled. There was a hint of excitement on the other partys face as the other party collected his blood droplets with an earnest look on his face. ... The Ancient Sage. Chapter 1828 - Harvesting Blood

Chapter 1828: Harvesting Blood

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To Zhang Xuan, it mattered not how many Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe died. What he valued more was their fresh blood. If he could gather sufficient Ancient Sage blood, it would be easier for him to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. As such, after piercing the enemys palm with his spear, he delightedly began harvesting the other partys blood. Youre asking to be ughtered! On the other hand, the Otherworldly Demon Ancient sage was on the brink of sumbing to lunacy. Even though he was bound to obey Sovereign Chen Lings orders due to the Seed of Acquiescence, he still retained some part of his consciousness. It was already a huge insult for him, a Blood Reincarnation realm expert and one of the few Lords of the Spirit Tribe, to be wounded by a Great Sage, but the other party was even treating him like livestock, choosing to harvest his blood instead of pushing on with his attack or fleeing altogether. This was a grant act of humiliation! Gritting his teeth furiously, the Ancient Sage turned his attention away from Sovereign Chen Yong, Liu Yang, and the others, and he smashed his other palm right down upon Zhang Xuan. No matter what, he was determined to strike down this arrogant fellow who dared belittle him! The strength of a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage was immense, as though countless towering tsunamis pouring forth from the ocean. In the peak of his rage, the sheer might of his offense was greater than ever. Puhe! However, before the immense might could crush the young man beneath its prowess, a spear whistled through the air and impaled the attacking palm as well. Padah! Padah! Fresh blood gushed out of the impaled spear. The Ancient Sage yelped in pain as he watched the young man rushing over to carefully collect his fresh blood with a jade bottle in hand. It was almost as if his blood was amodity so precious that even a droplet lost would be a huge loss to the world. ... With lips quivering in fury, the Ancient Sage drove his zhenqi to seal his veins. Even though his injuries were ring, no more blood sputtered out of them anymore. At his cultivation realm, he was more than capable of controlling his physical functions to a precise degree. Hmm? Seeing that the flow of fresh blood hade to a halt, the young man raised his head to look at the Ancient Sage with an extremely displeased look on his face. Brat, how dare you harvest my fresh blood! I swear I shall send you through the gates of theherworld... The Ancient Sage red at the young man savagely as he bellowed vicious words. s, before he could finish his piece, the displeased young man raised his hand, and the spear shot forth once more. Seeing the spear charge straight toward him, the Ancient Sage immediately moved to evade the attack. But all of a sudden, there was a momentary spatial disorientation, and before he knew it, the spear was already plunged right into his thigh. Puhe! Yet another massive hole was punctured into the Ancient Sage. The Ancient Sage was taken aback. When he finally came to, the young man was already delightfully hopping around with his jade bottle in hand, collecting droplet after droplet of his blood. Screw this sh*t... To be honest, the Ancient Sage was only a step away from bursting into tears. It was at that very instant that he realized that the other party could kill him at any moment as long as the other party willed it. However, it was just that the other party chose not to make a move, treating him as a sample to harvest blood instead. Unable to take it any longer, the Ancient Sage decisively turned tail and fled. Puhe! A bloodied hole appeared on his bottom as fresh blood continued pouring out. After filling the first jade bottle, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to fill a second. Just like that, it did not take too long for him to collect more than ten bottles. Each time the Ancient Sage attempted to seal his wound, a spear would shoot forth to create another hole, causing blood to pour forth once more. It was almost as if the Ancient Sage was a leaking water pipe that simply could not be fixed! Eventually, it came a point where the Ancient Sage resigned himself to his fate. He gave up on fleeing and chose to sit down on the spot instead, not moving in the least. His eyes gazed dazedly in front of him, and it looked almost as if he had lost his soul. Blood sputtered out from the dozens of holes all over his blood, sttering all around the area. Since any attempt to flee would just cause even more pain to him, he might as well ept his fate. Soon enough, due to losing too much blood, the Ancient Sage copsed, plummeting from the sky. He was probably the first Ancient Sage who was so pitiful as to die as a result of losing too much blood. After ying the first Ancient Sage, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the other battles urring around him. Fortunately, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the other Ancient Sages were also standing their ground. Their tight coboration produced a formidable force that even Sovereign Chen Yong in his peak would have had to think carefully about facing. However, the Ancient Sages who were controlled by the Seeds of Acquiescence fought desperately, and they had many aces up their sleeves. As a result, it was still a close fight, and it was hard to tell who would emerge victorious. Cultivators at the level of Ancient Sages were incredibly difficult to kill. Battles among Ancient Sages could easilyst for many days. More often than not, the loser would end up getting away through using some hidden ace, and the winner would walk out of the battle with grievous injuries. For this reason, Ancient Sages, be it for mankind or the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, were regarded asst resorts. They were mostly used for the purpose of deterrence, and rarely would they get chances to fight. While an intense battle was underway, Sovereign Chen Ling continued on with the ritual around him. He raised his hands, and all of the artifacts on the stairs around the pedestal simultaneously burst into mes, forming a zing inferno. An incredible surge of energy descended from the high heavens and flowed into his acupoints, filling his meridians with power. With this inflow of energy, Sovereign Chen Lings wounds began healing at a visible rate. In fact, he seemed to be getting even stronger than before. This is bad. We have to stop him! If Sovereign Chen Ling recovers from his wounds, it will make things much trickier for us! Zhang Xuan frowned. When they were at their peak, it was true that Sovereign Chen Ling had been weaker than Sovereign Chen Yong, but there was no denying that he was one of the strongest experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Otherwise, he would not have been able to governrge swathes ofnd in the otherworldly battlefield and tower above ordinary Ancient Sages. The current Dragonbone Divine Spear could still defeat him easily in his severely wounded state, but once he made a full recovery, it would not be that easy to kill him. Break! Knowing that he had to act, Zhang Xuan thrust the Dragonbone Divine Spear straight in the direction of Sovereign Chen Ling. The pitch-ck spear tore through the surrounding space in order to impale thetters head, a clear attempt tond a fatal blow to end the battle once and for all. Seeing Zhang Xuans actions, Sovereign Chen Yong narrowed his eyes and cried in horror, Young Master, dont! However, it was already toote. Before the spear could reach Sovereign Chen Ling, an incredible force descended from the dark hole in the sky and collided with Zhang Xuans spear. The next instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if the skin between his fingers was being ripped apart, and fresh blood flowed down from his fingers. At the same time, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was jolted out off his hand. Weng! It pierced into the ground, creating a massive crater beneath it. In the crucial moment, Zhang Xuan activated his bloodline ability and hurriedly retreated, allowing him to dodge the descending force by a hairs breath. He quickly leaped down to the crater to retrieve the Dragonbone Divine Spear before asking Sovereign Chen Yong doubtfully, What happened? It was a brief collision, but there were slight cracks that could be seen on the body of the Dragonbone Divine Spear. It was clear that it had sustained severe injuries in that short encounter. Fortunately, for weapons of such tier, as long as they were fed sufficient Ancient Sage blood, they should make a recovery soon enough. Young Master, the being connected on the other side of the ritual is a god from the other world. Your act of assaulting Sovereign Chen Ling is viewed as an act of disrespect toward the god, so the god attempted to inflict heavenly retribution upon you! Sovereign Chen Yong quickly replied. An act of disrespect toward the god? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. It was no wonder that the powerful Dragonbone Divine Spear had been jolted away in an instant. Who could have thought that there was such a thing? But thinking about it again, it kind of made sense to him. The ritual conducted was a ceremony to make offerings to the gods. Depending on the value of the offerings, the god would reward the individual conducting the ritual. At this very moment of the ritual, both worlds were connected together with a small gateway, allowing the power of the gods to seep into their world. To wreak havoc at that moment was no different from undermining the dignity of the god, so naturally, one would have to be punished due to that. That exined why no one had not gone straight for Sovereign Chen Ling despite the threat that thetter posed. It turned out that there was such a reason behind it. But if we dont stop him, the ritual will bepleted, and he will fully recover from his injuries. If things go badly, we might all lose our lives here! Zhang Xuan said with a frown. There was no doubt that it was an act of utter foolishness to test the patience of a god, but if they left the ritual be, Sovereign Chen Ling would make a full recovery. That could ce them in a dangerous position. Chapter 1829 - A Soul Breakthrough to Ancient Sage (1)

Chapter 1829: A Soul Breakthrough to Ancient Sage (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I understand that, but other than waiting, theres nothing we can do given the current situation! Sovereign Chen Yong replied helplessly as he pushed an iing Ancient Sage away with a powerful thrust of his two palms. He wanted to kill that fellow as well, but once the ritual had started, there was no stopping it. Otherwise, that would be viewed as an act of undermining the god, and it could incur the rage of the divinity. With their strengthbined, they might still stand a chance against the recovered Sovereign Chen Ling. However, against a god, the only possible fate thaty before them was death. All we can do for now is kill all of these Ancient Sages or render them powerless. That way, even if Sovereign Chen Ling does make a full recovery, he will bepletely alone. We will stand a greater chance at victory then, Sovereign Chen Yong said. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. Indeed. This was the best that they could do at the moment. As long as Sovereign Chen Ling did not achieve a breakthrough from the Blood Reincarnation realm after the ritual, with thebined prowess of he, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear, they might still stand a good chance at victory. H! While the two of them were chatting, an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage charged toward Zhang Xuan. The weapon that this Ancient Sage wielded was a Judges Pen 1 . It was an Ancient Sage artifact, too. Piercing through the air, the devastating might that it wielded created the illusion that the heavens and the earth had been flipped over, and an excruciating pain wed at Zhang Xuans soul. It seemed like the Ancient Sage could also tell that Zhang Xuans cultivation was severelycking, and the only reason that he was able to participate in this battle was due to the formidable prowess of the spear in his grasp. Thus, the Ancient Sage decided to use soul arts to bypass the might of the Dragonbone Divine Spear and kill him. Ultimately, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was a weapon that specialized in physical assault. It could defend against physical attacks, but there was very little it could do when it came to soul attacks. Just as the Ancient Sage hoped, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself gued with vertigo. His soul energy was unmatched by those of his cultivation realm, but it was still beyond his means to deal with a soul attacking from an Ancient Sage and augmented using an Ancient Sage artifact. Hehehe! Seeing that his strategy worked, the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage raised the Judges Pen in his hand and flicked it once more. Guild leader! Seeing that Zhang Xuan was in a terrible position, Ancient Sage Mo Ling attempted to rush over to offer his support. However, the next instant, attacks suddenly rained down on him one after another, pinning him firmly in ce. It seemed like the Ancient Sage that he was facing had sensed his intentions to back up hisrade, so the other party had decisivelyunched a series of powerful attacks to hold him down. The same was happening to Sovereign Chen Yong and the others. They had all seen how Zhang Xuan had managed to kill theirrade with the spear in his hand, and they knew how frightening an opponent he was. Thus, they had decided to coordinate with one another to end his life. Die! Knowing his allies would not be able to hold Sovereign Chen Yong and the others down for too long, the Ancient Sage sneered coldly as he raised his palm to crush Zhang Xuans skull. This was a strike that harnessed the strength to utterly crush ones body and soul. Even if Zhang Xuan had assimted the blood of a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage, there was little hope that he would survive the blow. Young Master! Guild leader! Master! The three Ancient Sages narrowed their eyes in horror. They wanted to charge forward to save him, but they found themselves utterly helpless in the situation. Just as they thought that Zhang Xuan would really meet his end, a smile suddenly crept onto the lips of the young man. Following which, the spear in his grasp suddenly surged forward. Puhe! Before anyone could process what was going on, the Ancient Sages heart had already been impaled by the Dragonbone Divine Spear. The devastating might that he had gathered in his palm dissipated without causing the slightest damage. H! Fresh blood spluttered here and there. Whipping out the jade bottles in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan hurriedly collected whatever blood was scattered around. ... Everyone was stunned. Even the Otherworldly Demon tasked with stopping Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck. It was through the Dragonbone Divine Spear that the Great Sage young man wielded the strength to stand against Blood Reincarnation realm experts like them. Under normal circumstances, he should have been a goner for allowing a Blood Reincarnation realm expert to get into such close proximity to him. Yet, how did the spear end up piercing through the other partys body? Was the earlier vertigo feigned? That was a close one... Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he quickly harvested the fresh blood of the in Ancient Sage. He had truly been caught off guard by the other partys soul attack, but due to the Stone of Divine Crusade that he had obtained from the Temple of Confucius, he had managed to recover swiftly. He had bestowed the Seal of Souls to Lu Chong, but he had chosen to keep the Stone of Divine Crusade with him. The Stone of Divine Crusade had the ability to devour souls and transform them into pure soul energy to nourish ones soul. Typically speaking, given the prowess of the Ancient Sages soul attack, he would indeed have been unable to recover in time. However, through absorbing the soul energy using the Stone of Divine Crusade, he had been able to swiftly calm his jolted soul. After killing the Ancient Sage and harvesting his blood, Zhang Xuan took the Judges Pen and threw it into his storage ring before whipping out the Stone of Divine Crusade with a flick of his wrist. Even without the Stone of Divine Crusade, he would have been fine as he still had Vicious serving as his final trump card. Nevertheless, it was still best for him to retain Vicious till he was truly needed. Lowering his head to look at the Stone of Divine Crusade, he noticed that there was a slight difference with the artifact. It was emanating a faint blue light. Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan swiftly saw innumerable powerful auras drifting within the Stone of Divine Crusades. When he ced his palm on it, he immediately felt a surge of warmth flowing into his soul, as if he had stepped into a hot spring. This is concentrated soul energy? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. As a soul oracle, he could tell that what was harnessed within the Stone of Divine Crusade was pure soul energy. Through absorbing this soul energy, one would be able to nourish and enhance ones soul. He clearly remembered that there had been hardly anything left in the Stone of Divine Crusade thest time he had left it there. Why would there suddenly be such a huge amount of soul energy within it? Could it be... A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. He quickly took a closer look around the Stone of Divine Crusade, and he noticed many thin lines slowly gathering around it. The souls of the 100,000 Saint cultivators that Sovereign Chen Ling sacrificed have all been devoured by the Stone of Divine Crusade... How could Zhang Xuan still remain oblivious to what was going on after seeing that? Just like the Seal of Souls, the Stone of Divine Crusade had the ability to devour souls and refine them into concentrated soul energy. Such an ability was deemed abominable by orthodox cultivators, so it had been banned on the Master Teacher Continent. It was also partly due to this that soul oracles were deeply hated and feared by the popce. As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan would not resort to such a technique to raise his cultivation, but who could have known that after Sovereign Chen Ling killed so many of their tribesmen, their souls would inexplicably be consumed by the Stone of Divine Crusade? With so much soul energy, I should be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... Zhang Xuan thought in agitation. The idea of using the Stone of Divine Crusade to devour the souls of others was abominable to him, but what was done was done. It happened that he was in dire need of strength, and the concentrated soul energy within the Stone of Divine Crusade was what he needed. His soul cultivation had long reached Sempiternal realm consummation, and with so much soul energy as sustenance, he could try pushing for a breakthrough to the level that countless dreamed of reaching! Let me give it a try! Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan instructed the Dragonbone Divine Spear and Vicious to protect his body while he drew his soul out of his be. Tzzzzz! As soon as his soul came into contact with the Stone of Divine Crusade, the nourishing soul energy within thetter immediately poured into his soul. In an instant, his stagnated soul cultivation began surging forth. Somethings wrong... I havent obtained the soul cultivation technique required for me to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage yet! Sensing his soul growingrger andrger, to the point that it seemed as if it would pop at any moment, Zhang Xuans lips twitched in horror. Too excited over the notion of a breakthrough, he had forgotten that the only Ancient Sage breakthrough methods that he knew of were for zhenqi cultivation. As for those rting to soul cultivation, he had not even read a single book at all! He had no idea what steps one had to take in order to achieve a breakthrough and what one would experience in the process! Zhang Xuan immediately turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and asked, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, do you have any manuals or insights rting to soul oracles achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Pass me everything youve got! Chapter 1830 - A Soul Breakthrough to Ancient Sage (2)

Chapter 1830: A Soul Breakthrough to Ancient Sage (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Manuals or insights rting to soul oracles achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Hearing those words, Ancient Sage Mo Ling nearly plummeted from the sky. Arent you daring! Without referring to any insights or cultivation techniques, you actually attempted a breakthrough just like that... Do you think Ancient Sage is just like any cultivation stage where you can easily achieve a breakthrough? Rendered speechless, Ancient Sage Mo Ling flicked his wrist, took out a pile of books, and flicked them in Zhang Xuans direction. Here! The soul oracles that had moved to the otherworldly battlefield retained their full heritage, and Ancient Sage Mo Ling himself was an Ancient Sage expert. Naturally, he had plenty of books rting to that topic. Zhang Xuan formed a massive hand with his soul energy to grasp all of the books before scanning through them swiftly with his eyes. Endless streams of information flowed into his mind and became his own knowledge. But soon, he shook his head. Those books did contain the experiences and breakthrough methods of past soul oracles, but they were not of much use to him. As one who was cultivating the Heavens Path Soul Art, the path that he had taken was very different from that of the other soul oracles. If he attempted a breakthrough using the conventional methods used by other soul oracles, his cultivation might go berserk. It looks like I can only depend on myself. Since the first soul oracle was able to find a way by himself to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, I should be able to pave a way out myself! Zhang Xuan thought as he swiftly threw aside everything that he had read and went into a state of inner calm. Not everything required the experiences and wisdom of the predecessors to point out a way. Eventually, one had to learn to pave ones own way forward as well. The soul energy in the Stone of Divine Crusade poured into his soul like a rapid tide, nourishing it. However, too much of anything was a bad thing, and Zhang Xuans consciousness was starting to blur as a result of the overwhelming influx of energy. The souls of the 100,000 Saint cultivators formed a congregation of energy so great that it even exceeded the might of Blood Reincarnation realm experts. Even though Zhang Xuans soul had been tempered by lightning and the Empyrean Heavenly me, he still found himself pushed to a corner. Slowly, hallucinations began appearing right before his eyes. While the Stone of Divine Crusade was able to wipe away the consciousness within souls and convert them into pure soul energy, it was unable to remove the aura of resentment that lingered within the souls! Those 100,000 Saint cultivators had cultivated diligently for many years, but their lives came to an abrupt halt just because Sovereign Chen Ling needed some tributes to heal his injuries. It was no wonder that each of those Otherworldly Demons was overflowing with indignation and resentment. One or two of these souls would not count for much, but when the resentment of over 100,000 souls wasbined, the force produced was definitely something that one should stay away from. rity in the heart, emptiness in the mind! Under the influx of resentment, Zhang Xuan felt as if his will was swiftly being corroded. All that was left of him was a hint of rity that flowed in his consciousness, guarding everything that he stood for. Having been through the mountain of books and ocean of learning, he had browsed through countless books and assimted much knowledge. As such, his soul was much denser than that of most 9-star master teachers and even some of the Ancient Sages. His mind was slowly blurring out, but he was still able to firmly hold onto his core. Countless memories of ughter and bloodshed shed through his mind, and it felt as if he was living countless lives simultaneously. No matter how vivid the experiences were, he was still able to remember the fact that he was a master teacher. He could lose his life, but there were simply some principles and values that he had to guard at any cost. It was also the same for many experts on the Master Teacher Continent. Back then, after defeating Vicious, Kong shi had possessed the power and means to destroy the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, he did not choose to do so. That was because eradicating an entire race was not something that he believed in. He persisted in his faith that enlightenment was the key to progress, and he sought to uphold that belief. Zhang Xuan had his own beliefs that he was determined to uphold as well. However, unlike Kong shi, he was not that much of an idealist. It was not to say that he could not rte to Kong shis vision, but even if he chose to pursue the same vision one day, it had to be built on the foundation that the safety of those whom he sought to protect was guaranteed. Thus, aside from investigating Luo Ruoxins whereabouts, his main aim at the otherworldly battlefield was to resolve the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once and for all. Of course, he would prioritize peaceful means if he felt that they were feasible, but ultimately, he felt that it would be too dangerous for mankind if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was left to do as it pleased. My spirit shall be indestructible, and my will shall live on for an eternity... No matter how far I go, Ill never forget my roots. This is the real me! Everything that Zhang Xuan had experienced in the past year since he had arrived at the Master Teacher Continent shed through his mind. Boom! The indestructible spirit borne within him gradually seemed to warp into a golden droplet, which swiftly revolved around the umting soul energy. Soon enough, the golden droplet built up enough momentum to create a vortex around his soul, and it was growingrger andrger by the moment. Drip! Drip! The vortex swiftlypressed the soul energy so tightly together that a liquid droplet was squeezed out of the vortex. A second droplet was soon produced, and a third one... It did not take long for droplets to umte and flow through his body, nourishing him. The liquefying of the soulthis is a mark of a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He knew that he was going to sessfully achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage soon. Due to the intangible and formless nature of souls, it was usually impossible for those who were non-soul oracles and did not possess the Eye of Insight to see them unless one used their Spiritual Perception. However, the liquefying of Zhang Xuans soul meant that his soul was losing its intangible nature, taking on the form of a moving fluid. Of course, this was not liquefying in the truest sense. Rather, it meant that the purity of his soul energy had reached another level, resulting in a qualitative change in its nature. The liquid-like form of his soul energy would allow him to exert his might more effectively and powerfully. Faster! Feeling his soul, which had been on the verge of exploding just a moment ago, calming down, he hastened the transformation process. Keeping a close eye on Zhang Xuans movements, Ancient Sage Mo Lings eyelids twitched a little. This... He recognized the Stone of Divine Crusade in Zhang Xuans hands, and he could sense the immense, pulsating soul energy harnessed within it. Even he felt deeply tempted by the power contained within it. Even as a Blood Reincarnation realm soul oracle, he knew that he would be unable to consume that much power at once. Most likely, he would explode before he could even swallow a tenth of it! Yet, the other party dared to tap into such an overwhelming source of energy just for a breakthrough from Sempiternal realm consummation to Ancient Sage. How in the world could anyone survive that? Ancient Sage Mo Ling had thought that Zhang Xuan would stop soon enough, but who would have thought that he would simply continue to absorb more and more soul energy? In less than three minutes, almost half of the soul energy created by the 100,000 souls sacrificed by Sovereign Chen Ling had been devoured. At that moment, his soul had also reached a size of more than a hundred meters tall, making him appear to be a towering giant. Liquefy everything and achieve a breakthrough! In Ancient Sage Mo Lings moment of shock, the massive soul suddenly bellowed furiously, and its towering figure began to shrink at an incredible rate. At the same time, a painting unrolled itself in the air. From within the painting, an ancient aura could be felt pouring out. This ancient aura contained a quality that had vanished countless years ago from the Master Teacher Continent. Aeon of Ancient Sage! Under the influx of this aura, Zhang Xuans soul swiftly grew purer, hastening the liquefying process of his soul. In less than ten minutes, his soul had returned to his own size. However, the sheer concentration of soul energy packed in his soul felt as if he could tear apart space with just a simple wave of his hand. His entire soul emanated an air of history, reminiscent of an immortal. Ancient Sage... The guild leaders soul cultivation has reached Ancient Sage! Seeing this transformation, Ancient Sage Mo Ling cried in agitation as his entire body trembled. While the breakthrough method used by Zhang Xuan was different from anything that he had ever seen, the fact that his soul could contain so much power and harness such an aura meant that he had already ovee the bottleneck that hindered him and sessfully arrived at a brand new realm. While the soul oracles at the otherworldly battlefield had preserved their lineage, they simply numbered too few. There were too few people whom they could pass on their arts to! In fact, Ancient Sage Mo Ling was the only Ancient Sage that the Soul Oracle Guild had at the moment, such that it was no exaggeration to say that he was the one propping up the entire guild! However, the breakthrough of the guild leader signified a new beginning for the Soul Oracle Guild. Under the leadership of the guild leader, he believed that it was only a matter of time before the Soul Oracle Guild rose to greatness once more! Hong long long! Along with the pulsations of Zhang Xuans soul energy, the sky above began to ripple. Huge swathes of ominous clouds were quickly gathering around, and countless streaks of lightning and balls of mes raged within them. A devastating force was swiftly building up above. The Ancient Sage Ordeal had arrived! Chapter 1831 - Ordeal of Lightning Armament

Chapter 1831: Ordeal of Lightning Armament

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan looked up into the sky and calmly remarked, Its even more powerful than the Aureate Body Ordeal.. Having weathered the many different woes of life, his state of mind had be calmer than ever. Even though a frightening force was building up above him, threatening to crush him, it did not faze him at all. Let me give this a try... A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes as a thought suddenly came to his mind. He swiftly brought his soul back into his physical body. Whats the guild leader nning to do? Seeing such a sight, Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt as if his brain was going to explode. The only thing that had achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage was Zhang Xuans soul; his physical body was still only at Sempiternal realm consummation! The act of returning his soul back to his physical body meant that he was implicating his physical body in the cultivation ordeal, and this was as good as an act of suicide! Is he nning to use the stress from the Ancient Sage Ordeal to temper his physical body and zhenqi so as to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage for those two as well? Sovereign Chen Yong narrowed his eyes contemtively. The reason for him possessing the tremendous strength that he didter in his life was because he had pushed himself past his limits back when he was younger. It was through such tenacity that he had eventually risen to be the strongest expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However,pared to the Young Master, it seemed like his tenacity really came nowhere close! Given the Young Masters talent, it was only a matter of time before he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, so there was no need for him to put himself at risk at all. Yet, the Young Master still chose to resort to such extreme means to temper himself and hasten his growth! To challenge the Ancient Sage Ordeal with a Sempiternal realm consummation physical body and zhenqi was an extremely dangerous act. The slightest mistake could lead to ones death, such that it could be said that the risk was not worth taking at all. This was really too insane! Zhang Xuans actions had sessfully caught the attention of everyone present, such that they even subconsciously halted their fights to see what was going on. Hong long! As soon as Zhang Xuans soul returned to his physical body, his zhenqi billowed, and his physical body trembled. Yet another two swathes of ominous clouds were conjured on the spot, and they swiftly merged together with the others. Heavenly mes and lightning streaks began crashing down furiously upon Zhang Xuan, devouring his entire silhouette. The mes were ck in color, indicating that they were Empyrean Heavenly mes. Furthermore, they harnessed even greater destructive prowess than what he had faced back when he was challenging the Aureate Body Ordeal. Even Ancient Sage artifacts would swiftly melt before them! Aeon of Ancient Sage! With a bellow from Zhang Xuan, the painting scroll opened up once more, and Aeon of Ancient Sage swiftly surged into Zhang Xuans body. In an instant, it felt as if someone had ignited every droplet of his blood, causing immense energy to emanate from his body to ward off the surrounding heat. Kacha! Kacha! Nevertheless, it did not take long before his skin and muscles began to char. Bloodied cracks swiftly crept across his body. Even though Zhang Xuan was more powerful than normal cultivators, his physical body and zhenqi were only at Sempiternal realm consummation. There was no way that they could withstand such a powerful Ancient Sage Ordeal. If not for his Heavens Path zhenqi continuously healing his body over and over again, he would have shattered into innumerable pieces already! Is it really impossible for me? Zhang Xuan thought as he gritted his teeth to bear with the excruciating pain consuming his body. He knew that his Ancient Sage Ordeal would be extraordinarily powerful, and just as Sovereign Chen Yong had thought, the reason that he had chosen to return his soul to his physical body was to utilize the pressure from the cultivation ordeal to push for a breakthrough. As dangerous as such an act would be, he felt that it was also a rare impetus that he could make use of to achieve more breakthroughs. After all, it was not every day that one would encounter such a powerful force. In the eyes of others, he was someone who faced no bottlenecks in his cultivation, and they felt that it was only a matter of time before he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. If nothing went wrong, he would surely achieve a breakthrough within the next hundred years. Achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage could definitely be said to be a miraculous feat, be it on the Master Teacher Continent or among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The ones who had been able to do so in their dimension could be counted on a single hand. However... Zhang Xuan could not bring himself to wait that long! He wanted to find Luo Ruoxin and hear the reason from her own mouth, or else it felt like he would lose his mind. He had been forcing himself to remain calm so far, but he did not know how long he could continue doing that. As such, no matter what the risks were, as long as an opportunity surfaced for him to climb to a greater height, he would grasp it even if the chances were that it would end in his death! Hong long long! Lightning bolts and heavenly mes continued assaulting fervently. Zhang Xuan felt as if he was being roasted alive inside a pill cauldron. His body was withering, and his zhenqi was dissipating. He was nearing his limits. Ancient Sage blood! Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist to take out a jade bottle before devouring its contents. Hu! Gulping down Ancient Sage blood as if it was in water, Zhang Xuan was able to replenish his depleted energy and sustain himself for the time being. I need to push on! The image of the Infernal cksaber, Yuan Tao, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage came into Zhang Xuans mind, and he gritted his teeth in determination. Since they were able to clear their cultivation ordeals so easily, I cant lose! With such a thought in mind, he dashed right into the dark clouds. This is insane! This is really downright insane! Ancient Sage Allfire eximed as his body shuddered uncontrobly. Despite being blessed with superior physical prowess, he had not dared dive into the midst of the dark clouds back when he had been facing his Ancient Sage Ordeal. Given that his masters cultivation was only at Great Sage, was making such a move not as good asmitting suicide? No matter how much power one could gain from achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, it would be meaningless if one lost ones life in the process of doing so! Si! Provoked by Zhang Xuans actions, the dark clouds in the sky flew into a rage. A massive bolt of lightning shed across the sky, tearing open a pitch-ck crack in space. Following which, the surrounding lightning bolts and mes began to gather around the pitch-ck crack, causing the devastating force to slowly assume a corporeal form. From afar, it looked as if a gigantic saber of mass destruction was floating in the air. What is... this? Wait a moment! Could this be... the Ordeal of Lightning Armament? But that cant possibly be! The Ordeal of Lightning Armament is said to be a cmity that only appears when a person attempts a breakthrough to Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm! Sovereign Chen Yongs face turned pale as his heart nearly leaped out of his throat. As the number one expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the grandson of Vicious, he had ess to books regarding Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm. It was detailed in those books that in order to reach the Dimension Shatterer realm, one had to undergo the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. It was an ordeal where heavenly mes and lightning bolts werepressed into a corporeal state, assuming the form of divine weapons. Each of those weapons harnessed sufficient power to shatter the world, such that even he would easily have been sliced in two even if he had encountered it at his peak. His young master was only attempting a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... so why would such a formidable ordeal be summoned? It did not make sense! Its over... Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire were so terrified that they found themselvespletely speechless. Even though they were unaware of what the Ordeal of Lightning Armament was, they were well aware that the massive saber formed out of lightning bolts and heavenly mes in the sky was not something that they could face given their current strength. In fact, just by looking at the saber itself, they felt their minds falling into disarray from the terrifying power that it harnessed. Floating above the pedestal of the altar, Sovereign Chen Ling had fearfully halted the absorption of the energy bestowed onto him. At the same time, the dimension rift that had opened as a result of the summoning ritual had closed slightly. It seemed like there was no one who did not hold some deference toward the devastating force of nature. An ordinary breakthrough to Ancient Sage wouldnt have brought about such a powerful cultivation ordeal, even for me. However, I attempted to face the Ancient Sage Ordeal with my soul, body, and zhenqi, and I even provoked it earlier by attempting to charge into it... Even Zhang Xuan was unable to remain calm while standing in the face of such a terrifying force. He felt goosebumps rising all over his body. Zhang Hongtian and Ancient Sage Yan Qing had told him that the more times one attempted a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, the greater ones aplishments would eventually be. Back then, Kong shi had challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal a total of three times before eventually choosing to push for a breakthrough on the fourth time. Yuan Tao had also challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal once, but he had chosen to suppress his cultivation and hold himself back from achieving a breakthrough right away. Considering that Zhang Xuan had summoned the cultivation ordeal through the breakthrough in his soul cultivation, he should have been facing a single Ancient Sage Ordeal at the moment. However, he had brought his physical body and zhenqi into the cultivation ordeal as well, and that had changed the nature of things. In short, he was facing the might of three Ancient Sage Ordeals simultaneously. That was also why the Ordeal of Lightning Armaments had been summoned. If he could ovee it, it would be equivalent to oveing three Ancient Sage Ordeals simultaneously. It would temper his physical body, zhenqi, and soul, creating an incredibly firm foundation for future breakthroughs. However, if he failed, the curtains would be drawn on him. It would really be the end. He was really walking on a tightrope. He was, in the truest sense, going all in. You might be formidable, but I am a person who has ovee many adversities toe this far. If you think that you are able to can get me with just this, you are about to be proven wrong! Zhang Xuan roared furiously as he charged toward the massive saber in the air. Hu! The moment that Zhang Xuans fist was about to reach its target, the massive saber also swung down from the sky as well. The immense pressure from just the downward motion of the saber immediately caused Zhang Xuans hand to crack, causing fresh blood to flow down his arms. His flesh was stripped away, revealing his bare white bones. Chapter 1832 - Is This the End?

Chapter 1832: Is This the End?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Before the saber could reach his fist, the muscles on his arm had already been stripped away! No wonder this was the ordeal for Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators. It was truly a fearsome force to behold! With a furious roar, Zhang Xuan drove his strength to his limits. Harmonizing his zhenqi, physical body, and soul together, the surrounding space immediately turned viscous. The Ancient Sage Ordeal was not just a test from the heavens on a cultivator, it was also an opportunity for evolution. If one used a weapon to ward off the Ancient Sage Ordeal, the benefits that he gained from it would be significantly reduced. Not only so, it might even trigger a bacsh from the Ancient Sage Ordeal, which could possibly make the situation even more life-threatening. This was simr to how the force of a Leaving Aperture Ordeal increased exponentially the more people there were facing the cultivation ordeal. It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan did not brandish his Dragonbone Divine Spear, opting to rely on his own strength instead. S! Without a doubt, a full force attack harnessing the limits of Zhang Xuans strength was indeed a force to behold. Even an average Great Philosopher realm Ancient Sage would find themself getting bogged down by the attack in a moments time. However, before the massive lightning saber in the sky, his strength seemed no different than a joke. The sky was torn apart in the blink of an eye, and the next moment, the flesh of Zhang Xuans upper body was shredded, revealing his ribcage. Excruciating pain! Despite his mental resilience, the pressure and pain that he was in had exceeded his limits. He felt his own consciousness blurring, on the verge of extinguishing as though a candlelight in the midst of a storm. Hu! His clothes were burned to cinders, revealing a shriveled skeletal frame. The Ordeal of Lightning Armament was simply too terrifying. It had surpassed the limits of what he could withstand in his current realm. Not even a single breath had passed from the moment that the saber began descending till his flesh and blood were dissipated... and the saber had not even reached him yet. All of the damage that Zhang Xuan had sustained came solely from the sabers overwhelming aura and the shockwaveing from the momentum of its movement. If the saber really fell on him, he would surely be killed in a heartbeat. It seems like I have really screwed up... This was the thought that had surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind in that moment. He had thought that he could make use of the opportunity to push for a breakthrough in his physical body and zhenqi cultivation. However, it seemed like he had overestimated his own capabilities, such that the situation had gone out of his control. But I wont be going down that easily either! Knowing that he would die without a shred of doubt if he continued holding back, he closed his eyes and willed. The next instant, a body identical to his suddenly appeared right in front of him, and it charged straight up toward the saber. Clone! To think that you still have the cheek to im that you are the main body when you cant even deal with a measly cultivation ordeal. Dont you feel embarrassed? Watch as I shatter this saber with a single punch! the clone roared proudly as he faced the massive saber. Using this brief moment of respite, Zhang Xuan hurriedly took out Ancient Sage blood of Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators and gulped it down so as to replenish his zhenqi and nourish his body. All that was left of the current him was a bag of bones contained within a sack of skin. If not for the overwhelming vitality that he had umted from drinking Ancient Sage blood from Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators and the miraculous regenerative capability of the Heavens Path zhenqi, he would have already died. Under the nourishment of the blood essence, his flesh and bones slowly began to grow back. From the looks of it, it would take several years before he could recover back to his former state. Nevertheless, it was already a huge blessing that he was still alive after facing that terrifying saber, so this was nothing for him toin about. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward his clone in the sky. It was little surprise that his clone did not stand a chance against the saber either. However, due to his body being made out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, the clone was able to swiftly reform himself even after he was sliced into two, putting the Ordeal of Lightning Armament at a loss as to how it should deal with him for a moment. This is his clone? How did he get such a powerful clone? Will he really be able to survive like this? Upon seeing the clone for the very first time, the crowd around widened their eyes in shock. This was especially so for Ancient Sage Mo Ling. His entire body was trembling in agitation. Indestructible, that was exactly the kind of body that all soul oracles wanted toy their hands on! If they could obtain such a body, they would really be able to live for an eternity without fearing anything at all! No, it seems like his clone is still too weak after all. He wont be able to block the saber for much longer... The massive saber did slow down a little with the interference of Zhang Xuans clone, but it was still trudging forward in its trajectory. It was just a short moment away from crushing Zhang Xuans soul into bits. In that desperate moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly whipped out the Stone of Divine Crusade once more and flicked it toward his clone. Tzzzzzzzzz! The clone swiftly grabbed the Stone of Divine Crusade and began absorbing the rich energy harnessed within. Zhang Xuan had only used up half of the soul energy in the Stone of Divine Crusade earlier, so there was still another good half left in there for his clones use. Devouring the massive amount of soul energy, the clones cultivation surged by leaps and bounds, granting him greater strength to fend off the descending saber. It almost looked as if the tables were turning in Zhang Xuans favor as the saber slowed down even more, and it seemed like it was about toe to a halt. Kacha! Kacha! At the same time, the clones soul cultivation shot right up to Sempiternal realm consummation, and it was still marching with imposing momentum toward a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. The Canvas of Four Seasons opened once more, and the Aeon of Ancient Sage swiftly gushed into his body. Boom! In just a few moments, the clone had already shattered the bottleneck limiting him, opening up a new world. He was able to achieve a much easier breakthrough than Zhang Xuan because he was able to ess Zhang Xuans mind and tap into his experiences, which allowed him to advance his cultivation much more smoothly. Boom! As soon as the clone achieved a breakthrough, huge swathes of dark clouds began gathering around the area once more. A fresh influx of lightning bolts and heavenly mes surged into saber, which had barelye to a halt just a moment ago, filling it with more energy. ... Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up in horror. It was a spontaneous decision on his part to toss the Stone of Divine Crusade to the clone, hoping that thetter would gain sufficient strength to halt the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. He did not think that the other party would achieve a breakthrough and bring in another cultivation ordeal. Considering that he and his clone essentially shared a soul, this could be considered as his fourth Ancient Sage Ordeal. Absorbing the fresh influx of lightning bolts and heavenly mes, the already massive saber doubled in size. Its dark de emanated such a terrifying pressure that it tore open ring scars one after another in the sky. The aura that it emanated was so powerful that not even the Dragonbone Divine Spear would dare stand against it. The feeling that death was encroaching on him felt more vivid than ever to Zhang Xuan at that moment, causing his hair to stand on end. If we allow it to descend, well surely die without the slightest doubt! Knowing the might of the saber, Zhang Xuan quickly racked his brain for a solution. The might harnessed within the saber was simply too appalling. If they failed to stop it, they would be disintegrated into nothingness. Tzzzzz! Carrying the might to dissipate everything in the world, the saber sliced down on the clone and decisively split him in two. Even if his clone had reached Ancient Sage, there was no way that he could stand against such a cmity of nature! Boom! Nevertheless, the clone swiftly gathered himself together again and again as he desperately pushed against the saber. Despite the immense difference in strength, the clones tenacity still paid off. The descent of the saber began slowing a little. Nevertheless, the situation still was not looking good for them. Knowing that he would really meet his end here at this rate, Zhang Xuan anxiously turned to Sovereign Chen Yong and instructed, Quick, help me look around and find someone who is on the verge of a breakthrough. It has to be someone who can summon a lightning tribtion! You want to find someone who can achieve a breakthrough right now and summon a lightning tribtion? Sovereign Chen Yong was stunned, but he knew that his young master had his reasons for doing so. Thus, he quickly turned to issue an instruction to Liu Yang. Yes, Your Majesty! Liu Yang nodded in response. He shot a sweeping nce at his surroundings before swiftly grabbing a Saint 9-dan cultivator in the vicinity and infusing a surge of his zhenqi into thetter. As soon as the surge of zhenqi spread across the Saint 9-dan cultivators body, the bottleneck that had been limiting him immediately shattered, and dark clouds began gathering once more. Great! Seeing the familiar ck mass, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately sent a telepathic message over. Little Tribtion, is that you? Boom! Hearing those words, the dark clouds staggered. For a moment, it seemed as if the dark clouds were going to run away, but they eventually shook themself and reluctantly drifted over to Zhang Xuans side. It was clear that the Ordeal of Lightning Armament was not the same Little Tribtion whom Zhang Xuan usually hung out with. Nevertheless, as fellow cultivation ordeals, he thought that there might be some kind of camaraderie among them such that Little Tribtion could help speak up on his behalf. I have a cultivation technique here that can enhance your abilities, and Ill impart it to you right now. However, I need you to block that saber over there for me, Zhang Xuan said. Following which, he activated the Impartation of Heavens Will and began a lecture. He had already seen through the ws of Little Tribtion a long time ago, and he had thought about how he could offer thetter pointers too. Thus, all he had to do was regurgitate the knowledge that was in his mind. This... Is he teaching the lightning tribtion? Are you telling me that the lightning tribtion is his pet? Everyone was stunned. Chapter 1833 - Surviving the Cultivation Ordeal

Chapter 1833: Surviving the Cultivation Ordeal

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 They had seen people taming beasts, humans, and artifacts before, but this was the first time in their long lives that they had seen someone tame a lightning tribtion. Sovereign Chen Yong, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Ancient Sage Allfire, and all of the others were rendered utterly speechless. The scene that was unfolding before their eyes was so mind-boggling that the rational sides of their minds hadpletely shut down. Lightning had always been a representation of the wrathful retribution of the heavens. It served to punish the arrogant cultivators who dared defy fate and attempt to reach something beyond what they were. Yet, at that moment, it was actually heeding themands of a mere cultivator! How in the world was that possible? Thats... Thats my teacher! Liu Yangs heart quivered in agitation. The means of his teacher were indeed incredible! No matter how desperate a situation was, he would always be able to somehow achieve the impossible and turn the tables around! Hong long! After hearing Zhang Xuans pointers, the dark clouds swayed a little as lightning crackled within them. They could feel that the rate they were able to gather power had hastened significantly. Putting aside the Saint 9-dan cultivator below who had just achieved a breakthrough, the clouds felt that they would not even break a sweat even if they had to face dozens more! At the same time, the Saint 9-dan cultivator, whose breakthrough had summoned the lightning tribtion, found his face turningpletely pale in fright. Just who in the world did he offend for such a thing to happen to him? There was still a long life ahead of him, and he did not want to be zapped to death just yet! Paying no heed to the Otherworldly Demon below who was on the verge of tears, Zhang Xuanmanded Little Tribtion, Help me block the Ordeal of Lightning Armament! The cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan had imparted to Little Tribtion was designed in a manner such that it would only make it a more frightening force against the Otherworldly Demons. There would not be make any difference to the cultivation ordeals of human cultivators. This would ensure that the number of experts in the ranks of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would slowly decrease, and with sufficient time, they would not pose a threat to mankind anymore. Hong long! Little Tribtion was extremely hesitant to stand against the Ordeal of Lightning Armament, but between the Ordeal of Lightning Armament and Zhang Xuan, thetter was much more frightening to it... Thus, it clenched its precipitation tightly together as it marched up to the Ordeal of Lightning Armament to confront it. Seeing that a measly lightning tribtion of a Saint 9-dan cultivator actually dared hinder it, the massive saber swung itself downward and sliced the dark clouds apart, dissipating them into the surroundings. Boom! With a thunderous roar, Little Tribtion gathered whatever was left of itself together and reformed itself to stand against the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. However, with most of its mass dissipated, Little Tribtion looked like a non-threatening ball of ck fluff. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan pped his hand on his forehead before turning around to address the crowd. Is there anyone else who wants to make a breakthrough... Forget it, Ill just do it myself! Seeing everyone below averting their gazes from him, Zhang Xuan opened his mouth and began lecturing. The crux of cultivation lies in the cultivation of character. A righteous heart, a dignified demeanor, a prudent mouth... His voice echoed resoundingly across the entire area. The cultivators standing behind Liu Yang tried not to pay attention to the lecture, but by the end of the first sentence, they were alreadypletely absorbed in his teachings. Smiles blossomed on their faces as theplications that had bogged them down previously were suddenly lifted, bringing them a feeling of epiphany. It was as if all of the knowledge that they had learned was converging together, forming a big picture about cultivation that they had never known about. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! And then, the breakthroughs started. Leaving Aperture realm, Dimension Sundering realm, Macrocosm Ascendancy realm... Dark clouds swiftly congregated in the area and bulked up the weakened Little Tribtion, causing it to swell up quickly as if it had been injected with steroids. Thunderous ps filled with the surroundings as lightning crackled around frenziedly. It was as if Little Tribtion was parading its newfound powers. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan carried on with his lecture. Within a short ten minutes, there were over two thousand cultivators who had achieved a breakthrough, and over five hundred of them had managed to summon a lightning tribtion. By that point, Little Tribtion covered the entire capital, and even a single bolt of lightning from it was several hundred zhang 1 thick. All it had to do was drive its power slightly, and the space around it would copse into a void. This was the first time that Little Tribtion had felt so much power under itsmand, and the feeling exhrated it greatly. On the other hand, seeing that the little wimp that it could not even be bothered to spare a nce to a moment ago turning into a giant monster before its eyes, the Ordeal of Lightning Armament cowered a little. It brandished its saber to slice down on the massive congregation of dark clouds, hoping to dissipate it. However, before its attack couldnd, innumerable hulking streaks of lightning bolts had already rained down on it, causing it to convulse helplessly. This actually works as well? Sovereign Chen Yong and the others looked as if they had seen a ghost. To use a lightning tribtion to deal with another... this was really an idea that only Zhang Xuan could think of and pull off. You can handle the rest on your own. Ill go and rest a little... Seeing that the situation was finally under control, Zhang Xuans clone threw those words at him before returning to the Myriad Anthive Nest. Even though he had managed to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage using the Stone of Divine Crusade, his two attempts at stopping the Ordeal of Lightning Armament had really caused him to incur grievous injuries. He had to return and take a good rest. Shortly after the clone left, Zhang Xuan also felt energy leaving his body. He had really exhausted himself both physically and mentally this time around, and he plopped onto the ground with a fatigued look on his face. He would never have been so reckless if he had known that this would happen. If not for the fact that they were in the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, where there were plenty of cultivators whom he could grab off the street, as well as his good rtions with Little Tribtion, he would have bitten the dust there. Hong long long! Meanwhile, Little Tribtion and the Ordeal of Lightning Armament continued to pit their powers against one another. Eventually, thetter ended up depleting its energy first, and it began to dissipate away. As the pressure crushing down on him vanished, Zhang Xuan immediately felt a brand new power sprouting from the depths of his body. This was an energy that could reconstruct him and bring him up to a higher level of existence. Suppress! Zhang Xuan willed as he quelled that burst of power forcefully. He could achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage if he wanted to, but that would mean that he would lose this golden opportunity to temper himself and build up a solid foundation. This might hinder from reaching greater heights in the future. With all that he had been through, he knew that he would require as much strength as possible in order to protect those around him and attain what he wanted. Hla! Forcefully suppressing the sprouting energy, Zhang Xuans cultivation slowly receded back to Sempiternal realm consummation. Seeing that the mess was finally over, he heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Little Tribtion and said, Im grateful for your help this time around. You can return now. Hu! Little Tribtion nced at the several hundred cultivators who had summoned it over, and chills immediately ran down the spines of those several hundred cultivators. Fortunately, after a moment of hesitation, it swayed a little before dissipating into the surroundings as well. When it finally dissipated entirely, Zhang Xuan feltpletely depleted. It seemed as if there was not the slightest ounce of strength left in his body. While this breakthrough had brought him infinitesimally close to Ancient Sage, he had sustained great damage in the process as well. All that was left of him at the moment was his skeletal rack with some flesh and blood that he had just recovered. It was truly a huge sacrifice. Even if he used the blood essence of Blood Reincarnation realm experts to replenish his vitality, it would still take several years before his body could fully recover. Kill him! Barely after Zhang Xuan thought that he could take a rest, a vicious glint shed through the eyes of one of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages siding with Sovereign Chen Ling. With the thought that he could exploit this momentary opening to eradicate this looming threat, he charged forward and drove his palm right into Zhang Xuans head. Themotion that was caused by the earlier breakthrough had been so great that it shook those who had witnessed the sight to their cores. Those standing on Sovereign Chen Lings side swiftly came to the realization that if they could not get rid of the young man while they had the chance, it was only a matter of time before the young man grew to be an existence that none of them could defeat. As enemies siding with opposite factions, that would spell disaster for them. Young Master! Not expecting the enemy to make a move so quickly, Sovereign Chen Yong immediately charged forward to save him. The Dragonbone Divine Spear, which had been watching intently not too far away, also swiftly darted in to protect its master. However, before anyone could do a thing, Zhang Xuan raised his hand instinctively to defend against the abrupt assault from the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage. Padah! It started off with the arm of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage being crushed to dust, and as the might traveled upward, the body of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage abruptly exploded. Even his soul did not manage to make it out alive. This... Everyone was stunned. The Ancient Sage who had attempted to assault Zhang Xuan had been at Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm, but he had died from a single palm strike from a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator. What? Zhang Xuan was also taken aback. Despite the state of his body, he could feel that his strength had grown considerably after undergoing the tempering of the Ancient Sage Ordeal. Nevertheless, as he had not exactly achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, he had thought that his strength would, at the very most, be on par with any other Bloodline Continuance realm cultivator. Yet, a casual strike from him in his weakened state had actually brought about the death of a Bloodline Continuance realm cultivator. My current strength... Its alreadyparable to Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage! Swiftly taking a look at his internal condition, his body began trembling in agitation. He had never thought that he would actually obtain strength that could rival Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage experts when he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. It was no wonder Kong shi had chosen to suppress his cultivation so many times before pushing for a breakthrough. It was indeed highly beneficial to the growth of ones cultivation! Kill them! The sight of Zhang Xuan killing a Bloodline Continuance realm Ancient Sage with a casual wave of his hand had really scared the remaining Ancient Sages on Sovereign Chen Lings side out of their wits. Knowing that this was the opportune moment to strike, Sovereign Chen Yong immediately gave the order to attack. Floating at the top of the pedestal, Sovereign Chen Ling looked at the happenings around him with a livid expression on his face. However, knowing that there was nothing he could do, he hurriedly absorbed the energy that wasing from the dimension rift above to recover from his injuries. A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuans mind. Wait a moment... if the energy above the pedestal can help Sovereign Chen Ling recover from his injuries, could it possibly have the same effect on me as well? Chapter 1834 - I Am Sovereign Chen Ling

Chapter 1834: I Am Sovereign Chen Ling

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuans injuries had been caused by the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. Many of his vital organs, muscles, and meridians had been destroyed, and it was only due to the overwhelming vitality and the Heavens Path zhenqi in his body that he had been able to prevent his physical state from deteriorating any further. His very foundations had been destroyed, such that he could not heal himself using ordinary means. In a sense, his current condition was simr to that of Vicious and Sovereign Chen Yong. He could only allow time to do its work and repair his tattered foundations, and there was no way to elerate the process. But just because he was unable to do it did not mean that others were incapable of doing so! The wounds that Sovereign Chen Ling had sustained were even more severe than his, but the other party was still able to recover swiftly through the use of the altar. Was it possible for him to tap into the same power? I was nearly killed when I tried to barge into the ritual earlier. Its likely that the deity summoned by the ritual identifies one through ones soul aura and energy... An idea suddenly sprouted in Zhang Xuans mind, and he swiftly began to calcte the chances of pulling it off. He did not know whether he could use the energy bestowed by the deity of heal his injuries, but just approaching the ritual posed a problem. Earlier, when he tried to barge in to terminate the ritual, a powerful force had nearly wiped him off the face of the world. Even with the recent surge in his fighting prowess to a levelparable to a Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage expert, he could tell that he would still stand no chance against that powerful force. It would simply end in his annihtion. In other words, he would have to find other means to bypass the detection of the deity. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Disguising as Sovereign Chen Ling! As long as my aura and bloodline are identical to his, such that even the deities are unable to tell the difference between the both of us, I will be able to absorb the energy descending upon the pedestal. Even if brute force failed, he still had a trick up his sleeve?the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him. It was something that he could use even after he had turned into a skeleton. Let me give it a try! Unable to curb his excitement, Zhang Xuan activated the amulet, and he swiftly warped into Sovereign Chen Lings form. Be it in terms of external appearance or soul aura, there was no way that one could tell the difference between him and the real one. Young Master? Sovereign Chen Yong asked doubtfully. He had been following the Spirit God all along, so he knew about the existence of the disguise amulet. However, he was a little perplexed as to why the Young Master would suddenly choose to disguise himself as Sovereign Chen Ling. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded in response with a slight smile. With his tall and graceful stature, he discreetly flitted over to the dimension rift in the air. Weng weng weng! The ripples of power that had previously kept him away showed no sign of warding him off. Just like that, he managed to slip into the ritual without any trouble. As expected, it works! Zhang Xuan trembled in agitation. It seemed like the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him was at a higher level than whatever deity Sovereign Chen Ling was summoning. As such, even the deity was unable to see through his disguise. Hahaha! Standing right beneath the dimension rift, Zhang Xuan absorbed a bit of the energy descending from above. In an instant, his physical body began recovering at a visible rate, and his fatigued spirit was nourished and healed as well. At this rate, Ill be able to return to my peak within ten minutes. Perhaps, I might even be able to further my cultivation... Zhang Xuans eyes shone brilliantly. Despite his severe wounds, Zhang Xuan was in a far more advantageous position than Sovereign Chen Ling. Both his youth and the unique nature of the Heavens Path zhenqi allowed for faster recovery. Even when they were both in the same environment, chances were that he would be able to recover much faster than Sovereign Chen Ling. Thus, he began devouring the energy ravenously as if a parched traveler who had stumbled upon an oasis. You... Just moments after Zhang Xuan began absorbing the energy, he sensed a pair of sharp eyes staring heatedly at him. Turning to look, he saw Sovereign Chen Ling ring at him with a vile look on his face. The bestowal of the deitys blessing was a sacred formality of the ritual, and making a move at this very moment was absolutely prohibited. Otherwise, if he incurred the wrath of the deity, he would be torn apart. As such, all he could do was re at Zhang Xuan murderously. But... watching as that fellow snatched away the energy that was intended for his recovery, Sovereign Chen Lings heart ached so badly that he could hardly hold his anger back. How in the world did a sack of bones disguise so impably as him, such that even the deities were unable to see through his disguise? Just what in the world was going on? Can anyone tell me whats going on? Who am I? Where am I? You shameless knave... Sovereign Chen Ling spat icily. So be it. I, Sovereign Chen Ling, have never intended on living an upright life anyway! Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. You b*stard. I am Sovereign Chen Ling! Seeing the other party adopting his identity, Sovereign Chen Ling felt as if he was going insane. Sure sure, you are Sovereign Chen Ling. Happy? Zhang Xuan replied perfunctorily as he continued gobbling up the surrounding energy hungrily. It was clear that there was something holding Sovereign Chen Ling back from making a move on him, or else thetter would have already pounced at him. Since thetter was unable to do anything to him, there was no point bickering at all. Feel free to say whatever you like. Ill just quietly have my meal over here. Gugugugu! The energy descending from the dimension rift swiftly gathered around him and formed a massive vortex. It did not take long before they were all absorbed into his body. His true body hidden beneath the disguise amulet began squirming around as his body reconstructed itself. His head, shoulders, arms, chests... It was as if he was being reborn with every bit of energy absorbed. This is a good opportunity for me to alter my meridianwork to be the same as Zhao Yas... Zhang Xuan thought as he began working on his meridians. A humans biological structure was more or less fixed, such that it would only be possible to make minor modifications under normal circumstances. However, what Zhang Xuan was doing at that moment was rebuilding his body from scratch, so he could modify it freely. As such, the reconstruction of his meridians proceeded even more smoothly than Zhao Yas operation with the vine of the Dongxu Gourd. Along with the modification of his meridians, an astoundingly pure killing intent seeped out of his body. Is this the purest Zhenqi of ughter? Ever since Elder Vicious death, there hasnt been anyone in our Spirit Tribe who has boasted such pure Zhenqi of ughter! Could he possibly be the reincarnation of Elder Vicious? With such a pure bloodline, theres no doubt that hes the true leader of the Spirit Tribe! ... The Otherworldly Demons who had listened to Zhang Xuans lecture earlier and wondered if he was a master teacher had their doubts vanquished in an instant. How could someone with such pure Zhenqi of ughter possibly be a human? Not even the Three Sovereigns possessed such a pure bloodline! Hu! The Otherworldly Demons swiftly got to their knees and lowered their heads, as if they were ushering the arrival of their new leader. Be it the debt from the impartation of knowledge or the natural deference toward a nobler existence than them, at that very moment, toward the young man in the air who was disguised as Sovereign Chen Ling, they only harbored feelings of admiration and respect. On the other hand, seeing how his people were bowing down and submitting to that scoundrel, the real Sovereign Chen Ling was teetering on the edge of aplete mental breakdown. While others might be unaware who this fellow was, he knew very well that the other party was the number one genius of mankind, a master teacher through and through. Yet, for his people to actually worship the other party instead of him... ludicrous! You lowly swine! Even at the risk of turning a deity against me, Ill im your life right here and right now! Seeing that the other party was already on the brink of making a full recovery, Sovereign Chen Ling could not bring himself to wait any longer. Despite the risk of incurring the deitys wrath, he swiped his fingers toward Zhang Xuan as if they were ws. Boom! Even though Sovereign Chen Ling could not recover as quickly as Zhang Xuan did, he had spent a longer time in the ritual than the other party. By now, his injuries had recovered by around seventy to eighty percent, allowing him to draw forth the strength of a true Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert. Not expecting the other party to be so impatient, Zhang Xuan scowled in displeasure. Wait a moment, Im stillcking two more thighs to a full recovery. Why dont we both heal up nicely beforeing to blows? Activating the Heavens Path Movement Art, he dodged the attack nimbly. At the same time, he widened all of his acupoints to devour the surrounding energy as quickly as he could. In an instant, the rate of his recovery soared. As he was currently disguised as Sovereign Chen Ling, he could not make use of his clone, weapons, or even Vicious. Thus, it was impossible for him to kill Sovereign Chen Ling. However, it would not be easy for Sovereign Chen Ling to get him either. Wait your head! Seeing how the other party dared to speak so brazenly even after stealing the energy that he had paid a heavy price in order to obtain, Sovereign Chen Ling nearly went berserk. Chapter 1835 - The Descent of a Deity (1)

Chapter 1835: The Descent of a Deity (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats my power! I sacrificed 100,000 tribesmen and countless treasures in exchange for this power, so how dare you snatch it away from me! You want to recover your thighs? Ill smash your head into smithereens! Sovereign Chen Ling looked as if he was convulsing so intensely that he was suffering from a stroke. The young man before him was truly infuriating! Every word that came out of his mouth made him feel as if he could choke on his own breath! How can you speak so brazenly despite being a petty thief? Do you have no sense of pride whatsoever? Grinding his teeth, Sovereign Chen Ling sent yet another powerful palm strike toward Zhang Xuan. Kacha! The surroundings turned utterly dark. Sovereign Chen Lings might was so great that even the heavens seemed to tremor in deference to him. Zhang Xuan dodged his attack yet again. However, seeing that the other party was getting fiercer and fiercer, hindering him from absorbing the energy and recovering, he finally blew his top. He raised his head and bellowed, Deity of the higher dimension, this fellow not only disguised himself as me to steal your power, he even dares to make a move on me in your presence. Its obvious that he has apleteck of respect for you. Its of the utmost importance that you punish him severely! Why the heck are you causing such a huge ruckus? Cant you just sit quietly by the side and absorb the energy? What a wonderful thing it is to enjoy the peaceful silence and immerse ones senses in the wonders of the world! Dont you think that its crude to go around killing others? To think that you are even respected as one of the Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, yet you dont even have the patience to hold yourself still. Horrible! Seeing the other party speak the words that he wanted to say, Sovereign Chen Lings body staggered. Screw you! His blood billowed furiously through his organs, leaving him feeling as if he would vomitrge mouthfuls of blood at any moment. You scoundrel, remember your ce! You are the one who hase here as a robber... How can you be so shameless as to report me first? Grasping at his hair frenziedly, Sovereign Chen Ling knew that he would only anger himself further the more he spoke. Thus, he decided to put aside all words and smash his palm right toward Zhang Xuan. This time, his palm strike harnessed his entire rage, making it several times more powerful than before. Sensing danger from the palm strike, Zhang Xuan instantaneously moved to dodge the attack. However, he felt as if something was holding his body still, preventing him from moving at all. Damn it! Ill just have to go all out! Knowing that he might lose his life if he continued taking the matter lightly, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to grit his teeth regretfully as he halted the absorption of the surrounding energy. He raised his palm, but before he could exert his strength, he suddenly felt an intense jolt from above. The jolt rippled downward and shook Sovereign Chen Ling and him as if they were lone boats in the face of an extreme current. He staggered in the air and nearly plummeted to the ground. Po! Under the jolt, Sovereign Chen Lings attack also dissipated without a trace. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze upward, the direction where the jolt had originated from. The dimension rift, which was emanating the energy that had facilitated his recovery, had be even darker and more ring. Slowly, an arm was slowly reaching out from it. The intense energy jolt earlier had originated from this arm. This is bad... Theres really a deity above! Given how a mere arm was able to render such helplessness within him, there was no doubt that the being above them had far surpassed Blood Reincarnation realm consummation. Zhang Xuans face darkened as he hurriedly drove his zhenqi to absorb the energy lingering in the area. He knew that he would lose his opportunity to absorb the energy and heal up the moment that the deity descended upon their world. He had mostly recovered, and all that remained were his two thighs. As long as he hurried, he might just be able to make it in time. Otherwise, even if it was just his two thighs, it would probably take him many years to heal them back to their original state. Tzzzzzzzz! The muscles in his thighs recovered at a rate visible to the eye, and before long, one of his thighs was alreadypletely healed. Seeing how the other party dared to continue absorbing the energy despite the appearance of the arm of the deity, Sovereign Chen Ling grew frenzied. Of all of the greedy people in the world, there was probably no one who could hold a candle to the young man before him. If not for the fact that he did not manage to calcte the value of the artifacts properly prior to the ritual, causing the energy bestowed to be far greater than what he needed, there was no way that he would have been able to fully recover with this fellow barging in and absorbing the energy as he liked. Despite that, he had only recovered by roughly eighty percent so far. He was still some way off from making a full recovery. On the other hand... the other party had recovered by at least ny percent! Sovereign Chen Ling knew that if he continued with his act of aggression when the deity from the ritual was already descending to their world, there was a good chance that he would be killed. Thus, he clenched his jaws hatefully before turning his attention back to absorbing the energy. You thief, thats mine! But barely after Sovereign Chen Ling started absorbing the energy once more, he suddenly heard an infuriated bellow sounding from the opposite side. Following which, he saw the other party raising his palm and striking it over. Hu! A massive current of sword qi whizzed over, encircling him tightly. You... rmed, Sovereign Chen Ling hurriedly stopped absorbing the energy to avoid the attack. However, just as he was about to do so, he realized that the massive current of sword qi was a feint. Despite its imposing appearance, the massive current of sword qi dissipated as if bubbles upon reaching him. It was just an act to scare him. Tzzzzzz! Meanwhile, the other party continued to absorb the energy. Damn it! Sovereign Chen Ling trembled with rage as he cursed. Taking a deep breath, he opened up the acupoints in his body once more to absorb the energy again when the other party suddenly flicked his finger, and a burst of sword qi shot in his direction. It went without saying that Sovereign Chen Ling immediately took evasive action to avoid the sword qi... only to find that it was another feint. That fellow doesnt dare make a move in front of the deity either. Hes intentionally preventing me from absorbing the energy to stop me from making a full recovery... At this point, Sovereign Chen Ling finally understood what the other party was up to. The fact that the arm of the deity had appeared was an indication that the deity could very well descend upon their world if they continued fooling around in his presence. No matter how brazen Zhang Xuan might be, there was no way that he would really make a move in the presence of the deity for fear of divine retribution. In other words, the purpose behind Zhang Xuans actions was not to hurt him but to hinder his cultivation so that he could devour more of the energy bestowed by the deity. With such a thought in mind, Sovereign Chen Lings heart was put at ease. He put his full attention into absorbing the energy lingering around the area. However, just as he was getting into the mood, he suddenly felt his hair standing on end. Out of sheer instinct, he reacted in a split second and took a side step. Puhe! It was a sharp, chilling sensation. A surge of sword qi had pierced through Sovereign Chen Lings chest. If not for his powerful instincts, his heart might have been pierced through. The heck! Sovereign Chen Ling was really on the verge of exploding. Earlier, the other party had been afraid to make a move, using all sorts of tricks to slow him down. Yet, as soon as he started cultivating, the other party immediately flicked his sword qi over for real! Are you really not afraid of the wrath of the deities? Are you trying to drag me down together with you? Filled with rage, Sovereign Chen Ling was just about to dash over to tussle with the other party when the other party suddenly stopped absorbing the energy altogether. The other party lowered his head and sped his fist toward the deity. O great deity, I was simply too enraged at that scoundrel for impersonating me and absorbing your powers. How could a mere thief dare behave in such a preposterous manner? Please permit me to kill him! Otherwise, what will be of your reputation if such matters are simply left to be! Astonishingly, the words that he spoke were actually the authentic ancientnguage of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Even Sovereign Chen Ling had practiced for a very long time before being able to speak thenguage. SI! Those words incurred the wrath of the deity within the dimension rift. A vortex formed within the dimension rift, and another hand slowly crept out. With a slight flick of its wrist, Sovereign Chen Ling was mmed into the ground. Lying weakly on the ground, Sovereign Chen Ling murmured in disbelief, Deity... This was the deity whom he had been contacting all this while, an entirely different entirety from the Spirit God whom Sovereign Chen Yong worshipped. It was with such a trump card in hand that he had dared to scheme against Sovereign Chen Yong. He had been constantly offering treasures and artifacts to this deity, and in return, he had been granted great strength that allowed him to stand his ground even against the powerful Sovereign Chen Yong. Yet, the deity whom he had been worshipping actually turned against him just because of a couple of words uttered by this scoundrel! Was the deity really unable to tell that he was the real one? Trembling in fury, Sovereign Chen Ling swung his finger in Zhang Xuans direction, intending to expose thetters false identity to the deity. However, what he saw was the young man sitting peacefully in the air with his acupoints fully open, absorbing the energy lingering in the area. His thighs had recovered together with his feet, and all that was left were his ten toes. The heck... Sovereign Chen Ling felt an ache in his heart, and all that was left in his mind were unspeakable expletives. Chapter 1836 - The Descent of a Deity (2)

Chapter 1836: The Descent of a Deity (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shameless, unscrupulous, and monstrously talented... Just when did such a difficult character appear amid the humans? If this man was left to be, his existence would eventually be the greatest threat to the Spirit Tribe! Had Sovereign Chen Ling known that there was such a powerful foe among the humans, there was no way he would have schemed against Sovereign Chen Yong. Instead, he would have coborated with Sovereign Chen Yong to get rid of this threat! As stifled as Sovereign Chen Ling felt, he soon heaved a sigh of relief. There should be no reason for that b*stard to continue absorbing the energy once he healed his toes. Then, he would be able to make use of the remaining energy to heal himself. Once he recovered to full strength, he was confident that he would be able to tear that b*stard into shreds! With a grim look on his face, Sovereign Chen Ling turned his attention back to absorbing the energy. Just as he had expected, it did not take long for the other party to regenerate his toes. He thought that it was finally time for him to speed up his healing process, but contrary to his expectations, the other party suddenly took out a painting and began frenziedly drawing the surrounding energy into the painting. Screw this... Sovereign Chen Lings body trembled in disbelief upon seeing this sight. Arent you one greedy little b*stard? After having your fill of the energy, you even want to take the rest away with you? Sovereign Chen Ling felt as if there was a puddle of fresh blood umting at the back of his throat, ready to spurt forth at any moment. That fellow was really getting worse and worse by the moment! Furthermore, what the heck was with that painting? This energy was bestowed directly from the deity, so what kind of painting could possibly have the ability to store even that? Wait a moment... is that Kong shis Canvas of Four Seasons? With a swift nce, Sovereign Chen Ling came to a sudden realization. The painting had its own independent spatial and temporalws, such that it could be called an independent world by itself. The only painting that was known to have achieved such a level was Kong shis Canvas of Four Seasons. He could tell that the other party had also achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage through tapping into the Aeon of Ancient Sage sealed within the painting. The other partys arms swayed around frantically, almost as if a Thousand Hands Buddha. The concentration of energy in the area swiftly grew sparser and sparser as it was pumped furiously into the painting. Shockingly, the rate at which the painting was devouring the energy was at least ten times faster than that of Sovereign Chen Ling! In other words, no matter how he tussled with the painting over the energy, the result was that he would only receive, at most, a tenth of the limited energy remaining! This energy should have been mine! Its all mine! Knowing that there was no way he would be able to fully recover from his energy at this rate, Sovereign Chen Ling could not remain calm. He gathered the entirety of his energy and dashed forward. You piece of sh*t, Im going to ughter you! Unfortunately, the gaze of the deity was already upon this area. Kacha! Before he could reach Zhang Xuan, the palm from the dimension rift struck down once more, causing Sovereign Chen Lings body to m forcefully onto the ground. At that point, he was truly already on the brink of tears. Was he going to lose the support of the deity whom he had worshipped for so long over such shady lies of the other party? Ridiculous! Seeing the look on Sovereign Chen Lings face, Zhang Xuan shook his head coldly. Jeez... Of course, it was not that the deity trusted his words. The reason that the deity made a move on Sovereign Chen Ling was because thetter had broken the rules and used his powers recklessly. The deity is already on the verge of climbing out of the dimension rift to pass judgement upon us, but you still dared to make a move before him. Arent you simply asking for trouble? Thats why humility is always the way to go! Live a humble life, and trouble wonte knocking on your door! Doing too much before the deities often has the opposite effect. The trick is to maintain a calm heart... Just take a look at me, arent I the perfect example? While praising himself for his distinguished traits, he turned his attention back to his own body, and his eyes shone in delight. To allow him to recover to his peak from a pile of bones so swiftly, the means of the deities were indeed formidable. Huhuhu! Zhang Xuan continued pping his hands as if a fan to guide the movement of the surrounding energy into the painting. In a short three minutes, all of the remaining energy lingering in the surroundings had already been fully transferred into the painting. With such a huge inventory of the energy from a deity, even if he were to get injured in the future, there would be very little he would have to be worried about. In fact, if things went well, he could even use the energy to help Vicious fully recover from his current state. After all that was done, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze upward and saw that the dimension rift had be even darker. Half of a towering figure had already traveled across the dimension rift to descend upon this world. At this point in time, he was already certain that the deity was not Luo Ruoxin. The deity had an appearance resembling that of a young man. In terms of appearance, there was nothing that set him aside from ordinary humans. However, the aura that he emanated was deep and intense. Even without making any moves, his presence caused the space around him to shatteryer afteryer. It was as if the world that they lived in was unable to withstand the weight of his existence. Sovereign Chen Yong sent a telepathic message over to Zhang Xuan. Hes a Dimension Shatterer realm expert! This is the prowess of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The strength that the deity wielded was so powerful that this world was unable to assimte his presence into it. If the world was an ocean, the deity was a droplet of oil. No matter how powerful the oceanic currents were, the droplet of oil would remain a transcendent being floating on the surface. Dimension Shatterer realm experts are also known as Immortals Envoys. Back when Kong shi was still around, someone prayed to a higher dimension in order to summon an Immortals Envoy onto this world. Who could have thought that history would repeat itself after so many years! It might be due to the emergence of the Temple of Confucius... What does the Temple of Confucius have to do with the descent of an Immortals Envoy? Rumor has it that the Temple of Confucius is located in a void that seals the passageway between the higher dimensions to our world. The emergence of the Temple of Confucius means that the stopper that prevents any higher beings from descending to our world has been released, thus allowing any Immortals Envoy to travel to our world! If thats the case, doesnt it mean that the power bnce on the Master Teacher Continent is going to be reshuffled very soon? That might not necessarily be so. It isnt that easy for Immortals Envoys to descend onto our world. Not only will they have to pay a heavy price in the process, they must also suppress their cultivation to a very low level in order to avoid being ejected by our world. Its likely that they will only be able to utilize strengthparable to a Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage cultivator. Of course, thats a strength to behold as well, but as long as we unite together to stand up against them, we should be able to stand our ground against them... ... Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the other Otherworldly Demon Lords swiftlymunicated with one another. The deity who was descending upon their world was an Immortals Envoy from a higher dimension. If the deity chose to aid Sovereign Chen Ling, they would really be in great danger. Is this the strength that Luo Ruoxin wields too? Zhang Xuan wondered as he assessed the descending deity intently with his Eye of Insight. The sight when Luo Ruoxin left yed in his mind. She was an existence that could not be assimted into the world as well, but there was a major difference between her and the deity that was descending to their world. It felt like the world had rejected Luo Ruoxins existence more vehemently than it was rejecting the descending deitys presence. Did this mean that Luo Ruoxins strength was even greater than that of the deity who was traversing over to their world? It took Sovereign Chen Ling a long while before he recovered from that p. By the time he recollected himself, the energy lingering in the air had already beenpletely stored into the Canvas of Four Seasons. Knowing that there was no reason to make a move anymore, he gritted his teeth and turned his attention to the deity in the sky. O great deity, I am the real Sovereign Chen Ling! Hes the fake! So as to not lose out, Zhang Xuan quickly argued back. I am the real one. Hes the one who is a poor excuse of an imitation. How dare you even think of lying in the presence of a deity? You must be out of your mind! The effects of the disguise amulet far surpassed his imagination. Under its prowess, there was no physical difference that allowed one to distinguish him from Sovereign Chen Ling, such that it was likely that even the deity would be unable to tell the difference between them. Since he had already gone so far, he could try pushing on and see where it would take him. Hong long! The dimension rift jolted onest time. During their discussion, the deity had managed to traversepletely through the dimension rift. Floating in the air, he took a deep breath before opening his beady eyes. Kacha! Kacha! The eyes of the deity seemed to be reflected with lightning. A fear-inducing aura was swiftly diffusing outward, and it felt as if the sky would be shattered into pieces under the intensity of his aura. There was an unnatural vibe to the strength that he emanated, as if he was an anomalous existence that did not fit into the world. Even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would tremble frightfully before this might, let alone ordinary humans! A lower lifeform from a lower dimension actually thinks that hes able to fool me. How preposterous! The deity harrumphed coldly as he turned his gaze upon the two of them. The next moment, Zhang Xuans entire body tensed up amid spasmodic convulsions. It was as if he was surrounded by countless terrifying primordial beasts, causing sweat to rain down his body. Chapter 1837 - The Submission of Sovereign Chen Ling

Chapter 1837: The Submission of Sovereign Chen Ling

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I might not necessarily lose against him. Theres no choice, Ill have to give it a shot... Given thebined prowess of him, the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Vicious, Ancient Sage Allfire, and Ancient Sage Mo Ling, even if the deity was a Dimension Shatterer realm expert, they might still stand a chance against him. Zhang Xuan swiftly recovered from his tension to reveal a face devoid of emotions, making it impossible for one to peer into his mind. The gaze of the deity alternated between Zhang Xuan and Sovereign Chen Ling, but a momentter, a slight frown appeared on his forehead. You must have used your own blood essence when praying to the higher dimension. Offer your blood to me, and Ill discern the real from the fake! The deity had thought that, given his means and power, he would be able to see through the lies of this bunch of hillbillies. Contrary to his expectation, he was unable to find any loophole despite examining closely for such a long period of time. There was no physical difference between the two of them that allowed him to distinguish one from the other. However, there was no way that there could be two Sovereign Chen Lings in the world! That being said, even though the imposter had disguised themself impably when it came to physical traits, there was just no way they would be able to copy Sovereign Chen Lings bloodline as well, right? Soon, two droplets of blood were sent the deitys way. The deity swiftly scanned the two droplets of blood with his Spiritual Perception, only to have the confident look on his face copsing into confusion. To his disbelief, the two droplets of blood were actually identical to one another as well! What the heck was going on? O great deity, this fellow has impersonated himself as me to make fun of you. We cannot allow such a gross act of disrespect go unpunished! Thinking that the deity might have found something out from their blood essence, Sovereign Chen Ling stood forward and spoke imposingly. Shut your mouth! Pah! The deity threw a p toward Sovereign Chen Ling once more, causing him to roll across the ground. The deity was still feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at being unable to tell the two apart when Sovereign Chen Ling thoughtlessly butted in. It went without saying that this was an extremely foolish act! I... Holding his cheek indignantly, Sovereign Chen Ling lowered his head. The real Sovereign Chen Ling has offered many valuable artifacts in order to allow for my descent to this world. Theres no way the fake will know what artifacts were used and the value of each of them... I want the two of you to write down a list of the artifacts used and their exact values. The one whose list is more urate is bound to be the real Sovereign Chen Ling! the deitymanded. The ritual to summon a deity was extremely strict and pricey. If the artifacts that one offered did not meet a certain requirement, it could lead to a bacsh instead. As such, the real Sovereign Chen Ling was bound to know the exact details of the offerings made to him. This... Sovereign Chen Ling was taken aback for a moment before slowly nodding. Alright then! He took out a jade token and imprinted the values of all of the artifacts that he knew of onto it. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before taking out a jade token to imprint what he knew on it too. To be honest, he was indeed unaware of the price that one had to pay in order to establish a window with a higher dimension. He had to admit that the deity was indeed extremely sharp, capturing the crux of the matter in an instant. However, back when he was disguised as Appraiser Wu Tao, he had gone through all of the artifacts. Furthermore, as the souls of the living tributes had been pulled into the Stone of Divine Crusade before being absorbed by him and his clone, he was well aware of the exact numbers and their cultivation realms. After a moment of contemtion, he jotted down the exact values and numbers onto the jade token. Taking the jade tokens from both Sovereign Chen Ling and Zhang Xuan, the deity quickly scanned through the contents with his Spiritual Perception. A momentter, he turned to Sovereign Chen Ling with narrowed eyes gleaming with menace. Seeing that the deitys gaze was on him, Sovereign Chen Ling suddenly had a bad premonition. Deity, Im the real Sovereign Chen Ling... However, before he could finish his words, the palm of the deity was already descending from the sky. How dare you lie to me? You must be sick of living! Hong long! It was as if the world had copsed onto Sovereign Chen Ling, causing his entire body to freeze on the spot. He could not even escape. A seemingly boundless power loomed above him like a guillotine, threatening to squash him into minced meat. No! Not expecting that the deity whom he had paid such a heavy price to summon would actually try to kill him, Sovereign Chen Ling was horrified. With a furious roar, he drove his strength to his limits, causing his zhenqi to surge out. In the blink of an eye, his figure grew more than two zhang 1 tall. The flourishing power of a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert burned furiously within him like an inferno. Padah! But the me was extinguished as soon as it came into contact with the deitys hand. The entire altar copsed, and Sovereign Chen Ling crashed right into the ground, leaving a huge crater around him. The might of a Dimension Shatterer realm expert is so powerful! Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up in shock. He could tell that the deity was not even using his full strength. It was only a simple wave of his hand, but even the Blood Reincarnation realm consummation Sovereign Chen Ling did not stand a chance despite using his full strength. Was this the gap between a mortal and a deity? Previously, he had thought that with thebined prowess of him, the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and the others, they might be able to put up a fight against the deity. However, what he had just witnessed crushed all of such hopes... It would be a futile struggle. The difference in their strength was so absolute that no number could hope to bridge the difference. This was simr to the difference between a Great Sage and an Ancient Sage. As beings on different levels of existence, a Great Sage could never hope to match up to an Ancient Sage. While Zhang Xuan was astounded by the prowess of the deity, some doubts arose in his mind as well. If the deity had chosen to turn against Sovereign Chen Ling, did it mean that the list of offerings that he had jotted down was even more urate than Sovereign Chen Lings? In other words, was Sovereign Chen Ling was unaware of the true value of the offerings to the deity? Otherwise, why would the deity make a move on him? The truth was exactly as Zhang Xuan thought. Sovereign Chen Ling was indeed unaware of the true value of the offerings. He had prepared countless treasures and brought in nearly all of the esteemed appraisers of the Spirit Tribe to value each of these treasures for him. Despite all of his effort, due to abrupt changes in n, he had been unable to figure out the true value of all of the artifacts. Nevertheless, in his mind, the answer that he had jotted down should have been more urate than Zhang Xuans! How could Zhang Xuans answer possibly be more urate than his? At this rate, even he would start to wonder if he himself was a fake! Hong long! Rising up from the massive crater, Sovereign Chen Ling clenched his teeth in fury. He wiped away the fresh blood trickling down from the corner of his lips before facing the deity with unwavering determination. It seems like you believe that Im a fake? Are you still not going to admit it? The deity narrowed his eyes as a terrifying surge of power revolved on his palm, ready to break forth and reduce Sovereign Chen Ling to dust at any moment. If thats what you have chosen to believe, theres nothing I can say in my defense. I can only say that the other partys ability to disguise himself is too outstanding. However... Sovereign Chen Ling took in a deep breath as a streak of madness flickered across his eyes. ... I am willing to offer my life up to you. I am willing to serve as your ve and heed your orders for life without the slightestint. As for him... Sovereign Chen Ling halted for a moment as he turned a chilling gaze in Zhang Xuans direction. ... does he dare pledge the same? Right after saying those words, a droplet of blood essence flew forth from Sovereign Chen Lings forehead toward the deity. As long as the deity epted his blood essence, he would be no different from a contracted tamed beast. He would be a ve who would be at the beck and call of the deity. Even his life and death would no longer be in his control. This fellow... Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. No wonder he had said that Sovereign Chen Yong was not as decisive as him and that he would even forsake his own life... He had thought that Sovereign Chen Ling was referring to the ritual, but who could have known that thetter had already made up his mind to offer his entirety to the deity? That would exin why he was able to remain nonchnt about the deaths of the Ancient Sage in his faction as well. It turned out that his greatest trump card was the deity from the higher dimension! By relinquishing all of his freedom to the deity, Sovereign Chen Ling would earn the unreserved trust of the deity in return. As his master, there was no doubt that the deity would side with Sovereign Chen Ling to deal with the rest of them and even mankind atrge! H! The deity reached out and epted the blood essence. The next instant, he grasped control over Sovereign Chen Lings will and soul. With just a thought, he would be able to end Sovereign Chen Lings life in an instant. After doing all of that, the deity turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan. His eyes no longer reflected calmness but coldness. Under the gaze of the deity, Zhang Xuan felt his heart squeezing up a little. Chapter 1838 - The Strength of the Deity

Chapter 1838: The Strength of the Deity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Youre the fake. The voice of the deity was resounding, simr to pieces of metal nging with one another. His tone was impassive but absolute. Through Sovereign Chen Lings thoughts, it was already apparent to the deity whom the fake was. As a being from a higher dimension, it was already a great embarrassment for him to have been yed for a fool by someone from a lower dimension. If word spread, he could die of humiliation. There was no doubt that there was already a bundle of rage burning deep in his heart. Heh, it seems like Ive been exposed! The very willingness of Sovereign Chen Ling to offer his soul up to the deity made a fundamental difference in their positions. This was something that Zhang Xuan would never be willing to do. As such, it had also be the greatest opening to his disguise. With some awkwardughter, he raised his arm and charged forward. Hu! The Dragonbone Divine Spear flew into hands, and with a powerful thrust, he pierced the spear right toward the deity. T! The strength from Zhang Xuans body, zhenqi, and soul was focused precisely at the very tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, imbuing it with the strength to shatter even spacetime. This was an attack that would destroy even Sovereign Chen Ling in a heartbeat, skewering him mercilessly like a helpless deer. Since his disguise had failed him, he had to make the first move. If he could, by any chance, catch the deity off guard and kill him, that would be for the best. If he could not kill the deity, at the very least, he would still have the advantage from taking the initiative. Considering how the deity had taken Sovereign Chen Ling in as his subordinate, as well as the little regard that he had for the beings living in this world, it was likely that there was no room for reconciliation at all. Since that was the case, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to y the good man. Pfft! Seeing Zhang Xuans move, the deity sneered coldly. He ced his hands behind his back, not bothering to dodge at all. Weng! Before the Dragonbone Divine Spear could pierce into his chest, it was swept away by another current of energy. It was like a wooden sword striking metal armor; it waspletely ineffective. Zhang Xuan was unable to push the spear any deeper in. Seeing such a sight, sweat erupted from Zhang Xuans every pore. He had known that the deity was a fearsome figure, but thetters strength surpassed all of his expectations. The deity was actually able to ward against his attack with just the basic zhenqi protecting his body! Kacha! Kacha! Knowing that the situation was not in his favor, Zhang Xuan hurriedly pulled out his spear as hard as he could, but the space in front of the deitys chest suddenly copsed inward. Stuck in the midst of broken shards of space, he found himself unable to retract the Dragonbone Divine Spear no matter how he tugged. Following which, the voice of the Dragonbone Divine Spear echoed in his ears. Master, Im injured... Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his gaze over and saw some wear and tear on the tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear. There were some cracks on the dragon scales cloaking its surface, and it seemed like crimson blood was trickling out from the cracks. Hes too powerful. How are we supposed to fight against such an opponent? If the deity was already so powerful without making an active move, would they not be obliterated the moment he made a move? He had thought that he would be peerless among the Ancient Sages now that he wielded the strength equivalent to a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator and had the Dragonbone Divine Spear in his grasp. However, it was obvious that he had been too optimistic. We have to make a move as well, or else all of us will die here! Seeing such a sight, Sovereign Chen Yong immediately realized that if they did not make a move, they would be massacred like helplessmbs in a moments time. Thus, he quickly drew his saber and charged forward. At the same time, Ancient Sage Allfire raised his massive ws. Concentrated mes burst forth from his body, and it seemed as if he would set the entire world alit. Ancient Sage Mo Ling and the others did notze around either. They quickly rose into the air and made their moves in coordination with the rest. The group that was gathered there could already be considered the pinnacle fighting prowess of the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Their mightbined could impale even the heavens. Yet, in the face of this formidable might, the deity leisurely raised his hand and flicked his finger. Po! A spacetime turbulence immediately stormed ahead, sweeping all of the attacks away with it. In the blink of an eye, the devastating force created by thebined prowess of the group dissipated entirely, as if it had never existed at all. However, their interference did manage to buy some time for Zhang Xuan to retract his spear and return to Sovereign Chen Yongs side. Nevertheless, the absolute difference in their strengths was a huge blow to the groups morale. With such a powerful line up, even the peak Sovereign Chen Yong would have been killed in an instant, unable to retaliate at all. Yet, this deity had managed to stop them with just a simple flick of his finger. It was almost as if they were ants standing before a colossal giant! Was this the strength that a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator wielded? It had really exceeded his wildest imagination. Not too bad. It seems like the lot of you arent too worthless. The deity chuckled softly, but there was not the slightest emotion behind his words at all. He nced down at the group below and said, Just like him, submit to me, and I can spare your lives. Know that I have little patience for the likes of you, so make up your mind quick. You want us to submit to you? Dream on! Sovereign Chen Yong spat contemptuously. As the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he was obligated to ensure the welfare of his own tribesmen. If he was willing to bow down to a higher power in exchange for greater power, he would never havended himself in such a state. Oh? Let me see how much those guts of yours are worth then! the deity uttered coldly before snapping his finger. There was not the slightest sound, and there was not any attack to be seen. Yet, Sovereign Chen Yongs face suddenly scrunched together in pain. Boom! A massive hole was created in his abdomen, and his figure whizzed through the air at a terrifying speed. Fresh blood continuously spurted from the punctured hole, raining crimson droplets upon the world. He had already been severely injured in the first ce, and this strike left him in an even worse position. If not for the hatred and rage in his heart, he probably would not have even made it so far. He could feel his body approaching its limits, and it felt like all that was required was onest push for his body toe to aplete breakdown. The astonished Zhang Xuan hurriedly flitted over to Sovereign Chen Yongs side and infused the healing energy that he had put into the Canvas of Four Seasons into thetters body. However, to his horror, he realized that it waspletely ineffective. As if trying to mix oil and water together, the healing energy simply refused to assimte with Sovereign Chen Yongs body. Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head and exined weakly, This energy is molded to suit Sovereign Chen Lings constitution so as to effectively heal his body. It wont work on anyone else. The only reason that you were able to absorb it is because the disguise amulet alters your body on a fundamental level, thus making youpatible with the energy as well. At the same time, he took out a pill and swallowed it. A momentter, hisplexion finally alleviated slightly. The power bestowed by a deity could only be received by the person who had initiated the ritual. It was only because Zhang Xuan was able to disguise his body on a fundamental level that he had been able to snatch the energy intended for Sovereign Chen Ling, but Sovereign Chen Yong was unable to do the same. The Spirit God had only helped him hide his aura so as to conceal the fact that he was an Otherworldly Demon. He was a mere servant, so there was no way that the Spirit God would bestow something as invaluable as the disguise amulet to him. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. He stowed his painting away before turning his eyes back to the deity in the sky. The deity did not continue his assault after incapacitating Sovereign Chen Yong. He simply gazed down loftily at the crowd below as if a conqueror who had everyones life and death in his grasp. It was clear that the deity did not even view Zhang Xuan and the others as a threat to him. They were simply bugs whom he could crush at a whim, so their life and death was inconsequential to him. The deity turned to the rest of the crowd who had stood up against him earlier and asked, What about the rest of you? There was a moment of silence. A mixture of hesitation and fear rendered them unable to speak. Seeing that there was no response at all, the deity snapped his fingers once more. Peng peng peng! Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the other Ancient Sages were sent flying simultaneously. The immense force made their faces nch, and blood seeped from the corners of their lips. It takes nothing for me to kill the lot of you, and theres nothing you can possibly do that could affect me. This is absolute strength. We live in a world where the strong reign mighty, and the weak can either bow in submission or ept their death. Theres no need for your little minds to think so hard; the situation is very clear. There are only two choices before youdeath or subordination. Like I said, my patience is limited. Ill only give you one chance to choose. If you make the wrong decision, dont expect me to show you mercy! The deity ced his hands behind his back as he spoke with the absolute authority of a tyrant. It was as if he would behead anyone who dared question him. Will you spare us as long as we submit to you? an Ancient Sage standing behind Ancient Sage Allfire asked meekly. Of course! Not only will I spare you, Ill even help you to unite the Spirit Tribe and ce the entire Master Teacher Continent under your rule. Youll be in a position of unparalleled authority, standing above all beings except for me, the deity replied nonchntly. This... Hearing those words, the face of the Ancient Sage swiftly flushed crimson in agitation. There was a moment of conflict as the concepts of freedom and power shed in his mind, but it did not take long for him to make up his mind. Lowering his head, he kneeled down in servility and dered, O great deity, I pledge to serve you with my life! The reason that he had chosen to help Sovereign Chen Yong was as a favor. If he could help Sovereign Chen Yong return to his original position, his standing in the Spirit Tribe would rise above the others. However, the appearance of the deity changed everything. With his life at stake, there was no reason for him to persist just for Sovereign Chen Yong. Chapter 1839 - The Final Trump Card

Chapter 1839: The Final Trump Card

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This is the wisest decision you will ever make. Seeing that his words had brought an Ancient Sage to his side, a slight smile crept onto the lips of the deity as he nodded in satisfaction. He turned to the remaining crowd and asked, What about the rest of you? I... The other three Ancient Sage 2-dan Otherworldly Demons whom Sovereign Chen Yong had recruited trembled in hesitation, not knowing how they should respond. Victory had been within reach when such a powerful expert suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They could not bring themselves to make up their minds due to the suddenness of the situation. There was a moment of tense silence before another one of the Ancient Sages turned around and flew toward the deity. Sovereign Chen Yong, Im sorry. Its not that I dont want to help you, but given the current circumstances... Ill repay what I owe you in the next life! Sighing deeply, Sovereign Chen Yong looked at the two remaining Ancient Sages and said, Its a life and death situation. I wont me you for whatever you choose... The two remaining Ancient Sages looked at one another before one of them spoke up. I have long gotten tired of living in this boring world. If I die at the hands of a deity from a higher dimension, my name will at least go down in history, and my life wont have been a waste. Sovereign Chen Yong, you saved my life many years ago, and my life will remain yours till the very end! The same goes for me. From the moment that I, Ancient Sage Jin Ta, agreed to aid you in your cause, I had already made my mind. Ill either return victoriously or die a valiant death! Just like how there were those who feared death, there were also those who persisted in their values in the face of death. Bloodlust was inscribed in the very genes of the Spirit Tribe, but that did not mean that they were driven solely by it. Just like many humans, they knew of loyalty as well. You have my utmost gratitude... Seeing that those two Ancient Sages were willing to side with him despite their certain deaths, Sovereign Chen Yong nodded solemnly in gratitude. After that, he turned his gaze to Ancient Sage Allfire to seek thetters view on the matter. What are you looking at me for? I have never feared anyone in this world, be it the heavens or the deities. The only thing I fear is losing myself! So what if hes a deity from a higher dimension? Ill at least scrape off ayer of his skin before he gets me! Ancient Sage Allfire sneered coldly, revealing his crooked teeth. It was only a short moment, but he was still indebted to his master for showing a path out for his tribesmen. Be it battle or retreat, he would follow the directives of his master without the slightest hesitation. I guess theres no need to ask you two... Sovereign Chen Yong turned to look at Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Hao Xun, only to meet their firm eyes. Knowing that they had made up their minds as well, he turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Young Master, what shall we do now? What else can we do other than pit our lives against him? Zhang Xuan snorted as he raised the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more. Lets destroy him! The Dragonbone Divine Spear charged forth like a majestic dragon, causing many silhouettes to appear all around the area, covering the deity. Now! Knowing that there was no longer a path of retreat, Sovereign Chen Yong also dashed forward to make his move. With the strength of the eight Ancient Sages put together, it felt that even the world was going to sink in under their might. The capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe trembled as if an earthquake was rattling the entire ce, and all kinds of formations and inscriptions dispersed under the pressure and returned to spiritual energy. Ancient Sages were existences who could obliterate countless lives with just a wave of their hands, let alone a group of them moving simultaneously. Surrounded by Zhang Xuan and the others, the deity coldly sneered, A bunch of ants who dont know their ce! He raised both of his hands together and pushed them outward. There was not the slightest offensive movement to be seen from him, but mysteriously, everyones attack dissipated without a trace. With his attack neutralized, Zhang Xuan immediately pulled out the Book of Heavens Path. The next moment, a pair of hands crept out from within to grasp at the deity. H! As soon as the deity shed with the pair of hands, his face that had remained impassive all this while suddenly lit up in excitement. A Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator? With just a look, the deity had already seen through the strength that Vicious had wielded at his peak. Just like him, Vicious had also stepped into Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm. In fact, thetter had likely been even stronger than him! For such a formidable expert to be born out of and with such scarce spiritual energy... this was truly hard to believe! You arent going anywhere! the deity uttered as he tore the space around Vicious hands to bind them in ce. T! Vicious upper body had beenpletely collected, but he was stillcking his thighs and feet. As such, his strength was capped at Blood Reincarnation realm pinnacle, a long way away from matching the deity. ws! Seeing that the deity had finally made a proper move under Vicious offense, Zhang Xuan hurriedly willed the Library of Heavens Path. H! There was a slight jolt, but no book materialized. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. If he could uncover the ws of the deity, they might still be able to exploit them to pull off a victory. However, if even the Library of Heaven was failing him... how was he supposed to win this fight? But why would the Library of Heavens Path fail against him in the first ce? A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Is it because hes not from this world, so the heavens of this world are unable to peer into him? The deity hade from a higher dimension, which meant that he was not a native of this world. Furthermore, his strength had reached a level where even this world was unable to assimte him. Could this be the reason for the Library of Heavens Path being unable topile a book on him? Retreat! Without the aid of the Library of Heavens Path, their chances of victory were nearly null. There was a fine line between bravery and foolhardiness. As such, Zhang Xuan flicked his spear forward with all his might before leaping back. Hearing Zhang Xuansmand, Sovereign Chen Yong and the others unhesitatinglyunched their most powerful attacks before retreating as well. Boom! It was as if a marvelous firework had blossomed in the sky. A violent shockwave ravaged everything within a radius of several hundred meters, leaving no one daring to approach. Making use of this time that they had bought, Zhang Xuan immediately attempted to open a dimension rift with the Dragonbone Divine Spear to flee with the crowd, only to find that the space was as resilient as steel. It seemed that the deity had seen through his intentions as well, so he had sealed the space within several hundred li. How could I possibly allow the lot of you to flee right before my eyes? With a light smile on his face, the deity slowly walked toward the group. Every single step that he took seemed to send trepidations reverberating in their souls. This was simply an inhuman opponent. No matter how they searched, there seemed to be no openings that they could exploit. Seeing the terror reflected in the eyes of those standing before him, the deity chuckled softly. Hand the skeleton of that Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator to me, and Ill consider letting you all live! Master, you mustnt let them go! Sovereign Chen Ling cried out in rm upon hearing those words. Audacious! Who do you think you are to interfere in my decisions? The deity shot a sharp nce backward, and Sovereign Chen Lings figure suddenly flew backward as if a hammer had struck him. Flinging his sleeves coldly, the deity harrumphed before turning his gaze back to Zhang Xuan. What do you say? He could tell that the person who had the most say in the group was the one who had the weakest cultivation of them all. Clearly, the skeleton also heeded hismand. You want Vicious? Zhang Xuan looked at the deity for a moment before bursting intoughter. Youre dreaming! Putting everything aside, Vicious had been following him for a long time, and he had saved him on numerous asions. To give Vicious away to another person just like that... impossible! Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the deity shook his head in disappointment, as ifmenting the foolishness of a mortal. Since thats the case, I guess I have no other choice... He raised his hand and thrust it toward Zhang Xuan. In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if the universe was copsing on him. It was a force far beyond him, and he felt like a speck of dust in its face. The force seemed to be squeezing his mind and soul out of his body, swiftly plunging him right toward the gates of theherworld. This is it. I can only pray that this works somehow. Lets see wholl have thestugh! Knowing that there was no longer any reason for him to hold back, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth as he willed the Library of Heavens Path. Hu! A book flew out from his be and expanded swiftly. In the blink of an eye, it was already several dozen zhang 1 in length and width. This was hisst golden page! He had been storing it in his Library of Heavens Path all along, but given how desperate the current situation was, this was the only card that he had remaining. What is this? the deity scoffed. Not expecting the person whom he was killing to actually resort to attacking him with a book as his final measure, the deity nearly choked on his ownughter. Do you really think that this worthless book will be able to hurt me? I have never seen such naivety in my entire... Kacha! Before the deity could finish his words, everything around him suddenly turned dark as the book swiftly fell on him. St! Crushed into the floor, the deity breathed hisst breath. ... Utter silence filled the area for a very long time toe. Chapter 1840 - Sovereign Chen Yongs Pride

Chapter 1840: Sovereign Chen Yongs Pride

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Lings eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets. This was utter madness to him! He had paid a heavy price in order to conduct the ritual to summon the deity, and he had thought that he could unite the Spirit Tribe through the power of the deity and destroy all the voices of opposition. Who could have known that his wildest ambitions were actually quashed by a single book? He rubbed his eyes again and again, fervently wishing that he was simply seeing things. A Dimension Shatterer realm against a mere book... How could it have possibly ended in the victory of the book? As this thought surfaced in his mind, blood spurted out from his mouth once more. The heck! What in the world is this? Arent you supposed to be a being that towers over others, such that everyone in this world is no different from an ant to you? Arent you supposed to be a being who governs the life and death of others? To actually die from being squashed by a book... Still unable to believe the situation, Sovereign Chen Ling rushed forward to inspect the deitys body, only to see that thetters head had been cracked open, and his spirit, mind, and soul had already departed from the world. The deity could not have been any more dead than he already was. Before he knew it, Sovereign Chen Lings eyes began to blur. Tears had begun flowing down his cheeks. How could he have been so unlucky? The dragon blood that he had refined with great difficulty had been stolen, the energy that he had paid a heavy price for in order to heal his injuries had been snatched right before his eyes, and even his trump card had ended up being ughtered in the blink of an eye. Nothing had gone well for him ever since he met that b*stard Zhang Xuan! It was fortunate that the deity had never thought that he would die, so he did not make it in time to crush his soul. Otherwise, he would have departed from the world together with the other party. Sovereign Chen Yong, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the others looked at one another quietly. They blinked nkly as their minds struggled to rationalize what they had just witnessed. They had thought that they were really doomed, but who would have thought that there would be such a plot twist at the critical moment? He had actually brought out a book and squashed the deity as if he was getting rid of a mere cockroach... That was insane! At the same time, the two Ancient Sages who had just defected to the deitys side looked utterly despaired. At that moment, they really wanted to bang their heads against a wall and die. If they had persisted a little longer and chosen to follow Sovereign Chen Yong, they would have risen above the ranks as meritorious subjects who had quelled a coup dtat. However, with their earlier betrayal, such hopes were no longer possible. They had already offended Sovereign Chen Yong through and through. It would not be long before they found themselves without a ce among the Spirit Tribe. The deity was supposed to be an invincible being, yet why was he so unreliable? The crowd were not the only ones who were bbergasted by such a turn of events. Zhang Xuan was equally dumbfounded. To be honest, bringing out the golden page had truly been hisst resort. He had thought that the golden page would only be able to block the deity for a brief moment. Who would have thought that it actually wielded the power to smash him to death! Had he known that the golden page was able to work its wonders even against a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, he would have long brought it out and spared himself from much suffering! It wasnt too long ago that the golden page met some hindrance while trying to get rid of an Ancient Sage 1-dan Otherworldly Demon at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild. Yet, it actually managed to get rid of the deity so easily... Is this one of the effects of the recent upgrade of the Library of Heavens Path? Given how the golden page had met with some difficulty trying to kill a Blood Continuance realm Ancient Sage, he had thought that it would not work against the deity. However, everything had proceeded much more smoothly than he had expected. From the looks of it, this probably had something to do with the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn, which had been recently assimted into the Library of Heavens Path. In other words, even though the Library of Heavens Path was unable to see through the deity, the might of the golden page far exceeded that of the deity! Sovereign Chen Yong, Ill leave this fellow to you! With the death of the deity, Sovereign Chen Ling no longer posed a threat. Thus, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and walked over to the deceased deity. If he could forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of the body of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, he would be pretty much invincible in this world! More importantly, it could serve as an important tool for him to ascend to a higher dimension, thus allowing him to find Luo Ruoxin. As for the conflict between Sovereign Chen Yong and Sovereign Chen Ling... he had already helped Sovereign Chen Yong this far, so he felt that he should leave the rest to thetter. He felt that this was what Sovereign Chen Yong wanted. Thank you, Young Master! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had chosen to give him the freedom to deal with Sovereign Chen Ling, Sovereign Chen Yong nodded in gratitude. Following which, he turned a cold gaze to Sovereign Chen Ling and uttered, Sovereign Chen Ling, I have never treated you poorly. Yet, you colluded with the humans and betrayed me. I believe that theres no need for me to exin the oue that awaits you, right? Sovereign Chen Ling looked around him and saw that Mo Ling, Allfire, and the other Ancient Sages had sealed the surrounding space. Knowing that there was no way that he would be able to escape, he exhaled deeply and said, The winner takes it all. I have nothing to say now that I have lost! If he had won, the world would have been his. Since things had failed to go his way... the worst that could happen was death anyway. Back then, when he made the decision to turn against Sovereign Chen Yong in the hope of bing the next leader of the Spirit Tribe, he had known that such an oue was possible. However, he had thought that there was no way that he could have epted a loss, so he had gone to the extent of resolving himself to offer his soul up to a deity in order to ensure that he would be thest one standing. Yet, as he faced his defeat, he found himself feeling calmer than ever. Perhaps, it was the realization that everything was really over that finally tamed his ambitious mind. I know why you chose to turn against me. Hearing Sovereign Chen Lings response, Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head. Ever since the ancient times, the Three Sovereigns have always been headed by the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling. However, ever since my grandfathers era, the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling has been in decline... Your birth was viewed as the turning point of the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling. Your exceptional talents caused your n members to pin all of their hopes on you, and you wanted to meet their expectations. You set your mind to bringing the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling back to its former glory, and you persevered toward that goal... but unfortunately, you met me. You knew that you would have to ovee me for the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling to rise to the top once more, so you pushed yourself to your limits. However, you never seeded. Thats why you had no choice but to resort to this. You thought that as long as I was out of the way, youd be able to rise to the top and make the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling the true leaders of the Spirit Tribe once more. However, this turned out to be the worst move that you have ever made. Sovereign Chen Ling sighed deeply inmentation. Ever since ancient times, the entire Spirit Tribe had always been centered around the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling. This was also why the lineage had been bestowed with the honor of carrying the Ling 1 character in its name. However, the sudden appearance of Kong shi in mankind and Vicious in the Spirit Tribe had changed everything. The great war that had happened caused authority to be eventually amassed in the hands of the lineage of Sovereign Chen Yong. As the ones who had been leading the Spirit Tribe for countless years, there was no way that the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling could ept such an oue. Resentment had swiftly built up over the years, eventually resulting in such a series of events. In a sense, this situation could be said to have been an inevitability. It had only been a matter of before everything blew up. You can pin any crime on me you want to. Ill be a dead man by then anyway, so what care do I have for the words of others? Sovereign Chen Ling waved his hand calmly. Pin any crime on you? Sovereign Chen Yongughed. You are really underestimating me. I wont do something as petty as that. Not only so, Ill give you one more chance so as to show you that the difference between us has never been something that you could surmount! Youll give me one more chance? Sovereign Chen Ling scoffed in disdain. Its simple. Ill challenge you to a fair duel without allowing anyone else here to interfere. If you can defeat me, youll be allowed to leave here alive. On the other hand, if you lose, you shall meet your end here! Sovereign Chen Yong replied. Since the reason that the other party had chosen to betray him was due to his inability to surpass him, he would drive in the fact that the gap between them was something that the other party would never be able to bridge! Are you certain about this? Sovereign Chen Ling raised his head as he assessed Sovereign Chen Yong with narrowed eyes. He had already resigned himself to his death, but who could have known that this fellow would be so foolish as to challenge him to a fair duel? Had it been in the past, there was no way that he could have been a match for Sovereign Chen Yong. However, with the severe injuries that Sovereign Chen Yong had sustained, the one who held the advantage in the battle was indubitably him! Have I ever reneged on my words before? Sovereign Chen Yong replied impassively. Sovereign Chen Yong... Hearing Sovereign Chen Yongs decision, Ancient Sage Hao Xun was stunned. It would be so much easier to simply y this kind of scoundrel once and for all. Why would he bother giving the other party an opportunity to make aeback? Was this not simply asking for trouble? Let him be! Zhang Xuan waved his hand. He could somewhat rte to Sovereign Chen Yongs feelings. Sovereign Chen Yong was not fond of pointless bloodshed, but one would have to be really naive to think that he was apassionate man. He was unforgiving toward his enemies, and even more so toward those who dared to betray him. The wounds that his body had incurred could not begin topare to the pain in his heart! What he desired was not just Sovereign Chen Lings death. He wanted to crush thetters soul entirely and show him despair! This was his pride as the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe! We understand! Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Hao Xun nodded before taking a step back. They knew of Sovereign Chen Yongs feelings, but watching as it unfolded before their eyes left them feeling a little mncholic. In the days that they had spent with Sovereign Chen Yong, they hade to realize just how severe his wounds were. It was really no easy feat for him to have survived up to this point. Another battle at that moment would really spell his end! Despite knowing that certain death awaited him regardless of victory or defeat, he still stepped forward to fight the battle, all just to uphold the pride in his heart. Perhaps it was this very trait of his that allowed him to rise as the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe and unite his tribesmen. Chapter 1841 - Succession

Chapter 1841: Session

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom boom boom! As the final duel between the two Sovereigns began, countlesscerations appeared in the sky. Amid the massive outpour of energy, one could vaguely see some hints of crimson blood dripping to the ground. The crowd watched with heavy hearts as Sovereign Chen Yongs face turned paler and paler by the moment as he pushed his tattered body beyond the limits. He had yet to recover from the grievous wounds that he had sustained from the encirclement of countless experts back at the Temple of Confucius when he faced many more battles, and it had only been a moment ago when he was struck squarely by the deity. It was no exaggeration to say that he was already dried up on the inside. It was really on sheer willpower that he was still standing. Sigh... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he averted his gaze, unwilling to watch the duel any longer. Despite the close fight between the two experts, he was certain that Sovereign Chen Yong would emerge victorious and y Sovereign Chen Ling with his own hands. A fight to the death between two equal experts eventually boiled down to a sh of willpower, and Sovereign Chen Yongs willpower was definitely greater. At that moment, Zhang Xuan felt deeply conflicted inside. During his time with Sovereign Chen Yong, he hade to respect thetter as a person. Despite the grudges between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was no question that Sovereign Chen Yong was an amazing figure. To be honest, he could not bear to see Sovereign Chen Yong meeting his end. However, to mankind, Sovereign Chen Yongs demise was probably the best oue for them. Otherwise, as long as this lynchpin holding the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe survived, mankind would always remain in a perilous position. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the corpse on the ground. Just like Vicious body, the corpse of the deity was astoundingly resilient, making it nigh impossible to leave any damage on it. Even though life had already receded from it, it continued to emanate a fearsome aura that kept ordinary humans away from it. Even Zhang Xuan, who wielded powers equivalent to a Blood Reincarnation realm expert, still felt deeply pressured just bying close to the corpse. After swiftly scanning the deitys body, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. He had thought that there would be a lot of good items on the deity given that he hade from a higher dimension, but who could have known that thetter would have nothing on him at all? In fact, there was not even a storage ring to be seen at all. Its probably because bringing ones possessions across dimensions is either impossible or extremely costly, Zhang Xuan thought as he threw the corpse into his storage ring with a wave of his hand. While it was regrettable that there were no other treasures to be harvested, the body itself could already be considered as a precious treasure. If he could refine it into a Soulless Metal Humanoid, he would be literally unmatched on the Master Teacher Continent! Boom boom! Shortly after Zhang Xuan had finished inspected the deitys body, the battle between the two Sovereigns was alsoing to an end. Just as Zhang Xuan had thought, even though Sovereign Chen Ling had recovered significantly from his injuries, he was still no match for the severely wounded Sovereign Chen Yong. Puhe! With the sh of a saber, Sovereign Chen Lings head was lopped in the air. Even as it fell to the ground, one could see disbelief in his eyes. H-how could this... be? You are... stronger... Those were Sovereign Chen Lings final words before his eyes slowly closed. In his final moments, he felt as if everything that he had pursued had been nothing but a distant dream. No matter how much he fought and struggled, even till the very end, he had been unable to surpass the towering figure of Sovereign Chen Yong, not even once. Putong! Sovereign Chen Lings body copsed lifelessly to the ground. Seeing that the Young Master was eyeing Sovereign Chen Lings corpse with glowing eyes, Sovereign Chen Yong hurriedly moved his wearied body over and said, Young Master, even though Sovereign Chen Ling has done many misdeeds in his life, hes still one of the Sovereigns of the Spirit Tribe. I wish to bury him in the royal mausoleum. Despite Sovereign Chen Lings betrayal, he had still been one of the Sovereigns of the Spirit Tribe. In ordance to the traditions of the Spirit Tribe, he had to be buried in the royal mausoleum. If he allowed Zhang Xuan to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of Sovereign Chen Lings corpse, the dignity of the Spirit Tribe would bepletely shattered. I guess it cant be helped! Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned his head away regretfully. Thank you, Young Master! Sovereign Chen Yong heaved a sigh of relief before sitting weakly on the ground. As soon as he sat down, he felt everyst bit of energy receding from his body, as if water flowing out of a leaking sack. His cultivation rapidly fell, and it seemed as if he was ageing swiftly. Yang Liu,e here... Sovereign Chen Yong beckoned weakly to the sessor that he had chosen. Your Majesty... Liu Yang walked up with reddened eyes. He had not spent much time with Sovereign Chen Yong, but thetter had always treated him earnestly. He was indebted to thetter. My end ising. You are the only sessor of the lineage of Sovereign Chen Yong, and I have imparted myplete heritage to you. I shall bestow upon you one final gift! As he said those words, he lifted his palm and grasped at Liu Yang. H! Liu Yang immediately felt the surrounding space freezing on him, leaving him unable to move at all. As if knowing what Sovereign Chen Yong was going to do, Liu Yang eximed in panic, Your Majesty! After trapping Liu Yang in ce, Sovereign Chen Yong turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Young Master, may I borrow your Aeon of Ancient Sage? Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan took out the Canvas of Four Seasons and tossed it over. Sovereign Chen Yong slowly unrolled the painting and drew out a surge of energy from within. After which, he inched forward a little and ced his palm on Liu Yangs forehead. Hong long! All of the energy within his body began pouring into the body of the immobilized young man. Its Cultivation Impartation! He knows that his end ising, and he doesnt wish for the cultivation that he has built up over the span of his life to disappear into nothing, Thus, he wishes to impart everything to his sessor! Ancient Sage Allfire eximed. Cultivation Impartation was the process in which an expert passed on their cultivation to someone else. As convenient as it sounded, the process was extremelyplicated and came with major risks. Firstly, the two people involved in the Cultivation Impartation had to be from the same lineage in order to ensure that there was no sh in their energies. Secondly, the person conducting the Cultivation Impartation had to carry the resolve to die, or else a half-assed attempt would only bring irreversible damage to both parties. Thirdly, the control of energy had to be extremely precise as the slightest degree of error could result in severe consequences. The cultivation technique that Liu Yang practiced was a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art. Even though he was unable to change the nature of his energy as freely as Zhang Xuan, he was indeed able to imitate the zhenqi of Sovereign Chen Yongs lineage very closely. This was also the main reason for Sovereign Chen Yong choosing him as his sessor in the first ce. If not for that, Sovereign Chen Yong would never have dared conduct a Cultivation Impartation with Liu Yang. Boom! Under the humongous influx of energy, Liu Yangs Sempiternal realm consummation cultivation began to loosen. As the Aeon of Ancient Sage flowed into his body, the bottleneck that limited him burst open. Boom! Ancient Sage, reached! Knowing that the Ancient Sage Ordeal would arrive at any moment, Sovereign Chen Yong did not dare waste any time. He continued infusing more and more energy frenziedly into Liu Yangs body, causing thetters cultivation to soar. With his cultivation reaching Ancient Sage, Liu Yangs meridians had be significantly wider, allowing him to absorb energy at a faster rate. Roughly ten minutester, Sovereign Chen Yong was finally done imparting everyst droplet of his energy into Liu Yangs body, leaving himpletely dry inside. Kacha! At that moment, the lightning tribtion arrived. Liu Yang swiftly rose into the air to fend off the lightning tribtion. The processsted nearly an hour before Liu Yang descended from the sky. Even though he looked a bit ragged, he had managed to ovee his cultivation ordeal without much trouble, thus bing a full-fledged Ancient Sage. I have given you all my power. Slowly assimte it, and you should be able to easily achieve a breakthrough to the Blood Reincarnation realm within a single month... After losing all of his energy, Sovereign Chen Yong looked as if he had aged several decades. His previous regal appearance had been reduced to that of a frail old man who would have trouble lifting even a single hand. Thank you, Your Majesty! Liu Yang kneeled on the floor and kowtowed deeply. Even though the other party was an Otherworldly Demon, at that very moment, he felt as if tears would pour from his eyes. While it was probably impossible for Sovereign Chen Yong to recover, with his teachers miraculous medical skills, it should not be too difficult for the other party to live at least a few more years. However, Sovereign Chen Yongs very act of infusing the veryst droplet of his energy into him meant that such a hope was dashed as well. Most likely, he would not even survive the day. Ill be leaving the Spirit Tribe in your hands... Please, take care of it well in my stead! Sovereign Chen Yong smiled softly. From today onward, you will take my ce as Sovereign Chen Yong! As he said those words, he lifted his wrinkled hand and ced it atop Liu Yangs head. A crown materialized under his touch, emanating a might that none would dare disregard. This was the symbol of authority for the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe. Sovereign Chen Yong was not a name but a title. Anyone who inherited the crown would be respected as the great Sovereign Chen Yong. I... Liu Yangs body trembled in agitation. There were so many things that he wanted to say, but it felt as if something was clogging up his throat, rendering him mute. I made up my mind from the moment I challenged Sovereign Chen Ling to a duel... Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head. But halfway through his words, a gale of wind suddenly sounded from afar. A figure was flitting swiftly in their direction. Sovereign Chen Xing? Upon recognizing the figure, a deep frown appeared on everyones face as their body tensed up warily. Chapter 1842 - Sovereign Chen Xing

Chapter 1842: Sovereign Chen Xing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Sovereign Chen Xing had always taken a neutral position, choosing to side with no one. However, this time, he had paired up with Sovereign Chen Ling in order to assassinate Sovereign Chen Yong. This had already infringed on Sovereign Chen Yongs bottom line. His original intention had been to deal with Sovereign Chen Ling first before confronting Sovereign Chen Xing, but the abrupt turn of events had made it impossible for his initial ns toe to fruition. Yet, who would have thought that Sovereign Chen Xing would suddenly arrive just when everything was starting to settle down? Just as everyone was eyeing Sovereign Chen Xing warily, fearing that he would start something, Sovereign Chen Xing suddenly kneeled onto the floor and cried out, I havee to make up for my sins, Sovereign Chen Yong. This is the lower body of Sovereign Vicious. I gathered it as an apology for my earlier foolishness! With a flick of his wrist, two skeletal legs materialized in front of Sovereign Chen Xing. They emanated incredibly powerful auras. They were the two feet of Vicious. To think that they had actually been in Sovereign Chen Xings possession all along! Defecting as soon as you see that things arent going your way? How convenient! Ancient Sage Allfire scoffed derisively. He had always had a fiery temper, and he could not stand seeing prideless individuals who switched sides conveniently totch onto whoever was more powerful. Despite Ancient Sage Allfires ridicule, Sovereign Chen Xings head remained firmly lowered as he echoed his words once more. Im willing to ept any punishment that you have for me, Sovereign Chen Yong! Given that he was still severely injured from the surprise assault that Sovereign Chen Yong hadunched on him back at the Temple of Confucius, the loss of his ally, Sovereign Chen Ling, was a huge blow to him. Furthermore, he knew that he was the next target on the hit list. Even if Sovereign Chen Yong died at that moment, his sessor and allies would make sure to hunt him down to exact vengeance. Even with the hugemotion going on in the capital, you remained safely out of sight. You were waiting for the result of the battle in order to find out who you should be sucking up to next, werent you? Zhang Xuan remarked with a hint of disdain in his voice. The fight that had transpired earlier had rattled the entire capital. As one of the three Sovereigns, there was no way that Sovereign Chen Xing would have been unaware of the happenings. Yet, he had chosen not to appear until the very end, when Sovereign Chen Ling was dead through and through. Very clearly, he had only ever intended to appear once everything had died down. If Sovereign Chen Ling had been the one to survive, most likely, he would have run over with the exact same treasure in order to beg for mercy. I have always been the weakest of the Three Sovereigns. This is the only way that I can ensure the survival of my lineage! Sovereign Chen Xing replied with his head lowered. Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head silently. He turned to Liu Yang and asked, How do you think he should be dealt with? Such a question could be said to be a test to assess the capability of his sessor. He colluded with Sovereign Chen Ling to assassinate you, Your Majesty. That is a tant vition of the rules that have upheld the peace among our Spirit Tribe for many years. Even if you are willing to forgive him, Your Majesty, the fact that he has ced the safety of our entire tribe at stake warrants punishment. We cannot allow such a thing to pass by so easily! Liu Yang shook his head. Otherwise, this incident will diminish the legitimacy of our rules and encourage others to follow his behavior. My view is that we should have him killed, just like Sovereign Chen Ling! Rules were mere words. What gave power and legitimacy to the rules was their enforcement. Each time a rule failed to be enforced, the legitimacy behind it would be diminished. Without rules to hold the masses in ce, how were the Sovereigns going to establish their dominance over the entire Spirit Tribe? Some might even attempt to question the legitimacy of the Three Sovereigns rule! Not expecting that things would turn out this way even after he had offered Vicious lower body, Sovereign Chen Xings face paled in fear. Sovereign Chen Yong, I beg you to spare my life... I was beguiled by Sovereign Chen Ling... As a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator and one of the Three Sovereigns, do you truly expect me to believe that you were beguiled by another? Liu Yang spat contemptuously. Do you think that the world will ept such a reason? As one of the Three Sovereigns, how could Sovereign Chen Xing be shaken by another person so easily? If that was truly the case, the many years that he had spent cultivating would have been in vain! Ultimately, all he gave were mere excuses. The situation was very simple. Sovereign Chen Ling had invited him to make a move, and he had been attracted by the potential benefits that he stood to gain should the operation seed. After all, if Sovereign Chen Yong die, he would be able to acquire a portion of the authority and resources that Sovereign Chen Yong possessed. It was just that he had bet on the wrong side and lost, thus resulting in the current circumstances. Ill abide by the will of the new Sovereign Chen Yong, Sovereign Chen Yong said as he heaved a sigh of relief. He was ddened by the fact that his sessor was not an indecisive individual. All along, he had been worried about the repercussions of quelling Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, so he had opted to get along with them peacefully, despite being vaguely aware of the malicious intentions that they were likely to harbor toward him. Had he been more decisive in dealing with Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, none of this would have happened in the first ce. Knowing that his sessor was unlikely to follow in his footstepsforted him greatly. Liu Yang nodded and turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire. May I trouble the two of you to make a move in my stead? Ill repay this favor in the future! Boom! Seeing that the verdict had been made, Sovereign Chen Xing decisively turned tail and ran. Before he could get very far, a massive inferno descended from the sky, blocking his path, and right behind him, Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire were hot on his tail. It took less than ten minutes for the two experts to y Sovereign Chen Xing. In the first ce, Sovereign Chen Xing was the weakest of the Three Sovereigns, and he had yet to recover from the injuries that he had sustained at the Temple of Confucius. There was no way that he could have stood a chance against the coboration of the two powerful Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages. Young Master... Seeing that the problem concerning Sovereign Chen Xing had finally been resolved, Sovereign Chen Yong finally turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. Ill have Yang Liu lead the tribesmen toward a peaceful coexistence with mankind. I implore you to show mercy to my tribesmen... In truth, what he was most worried about was not the other two Sovereigns but Zhang Xuan. Given the rate at which Zhang Xuan was growing, he was bound to be another Kong shi in due course. By then, the Spirit Tribe would bepletely helpless toward him. If he willed it, the Spirit Tribe could disappear from history. Perhaps, Zhang Xuan might still spare the Spirit Tribe while Sovereign Chen Yong was still alive in view of the ties between them. However, once he was gone, there would be nothing left to stop Zhang Xuan from making a move on the Spirit Tribe. Furthermore, the sessor that he had chosen was simply too weak. If Zhang Xuan bore malicious intentions toward him, it would really be the end. Thus, as long as Zhang Xuan was around, the Spirit Tribe would have to lie low. The fact that the fate of the entire Spirit Tribe could be dictated by the will of a single man left Sovereign Chen Yong feeling deeply helpless and indignant, but it was impossible to change the situation. No matter how he felt about the issue, he knew that he had no choice but to ept the current situation. Rest assured, I dont intend to make a move on the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as long as your tribesmen keep themselves in line, Zhang Xuan said. To be honest, Zhang Xuan had already achieved his goal of resolving the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once and for all. Due to his impartation, Little Tribtion had be a frightening adversity for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It could be foreseen that the number of Saint 9-dan experts in their ranks would be fewer and fewer, and before long, they would no longer pose a threat to mankind. Not to mention, the newly-appointed Sovereign Chen Yong was his own student! With this, he would be able to dictate the politics of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and swiftly quell any factions who wished to bring harm to mankind. Since the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was no longer a threat, there was no need to go to the extremes. Instead, their existence would prevent mankind from bing toocent and falling into depravity, thus ensuring the continued prosperity of mankind. Thank you, Young Master! Knowing that Zhang Xuan would hold true to his promise, Sovereign Chen Yong heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly turned to his sessor and said, Hurry up and thank the young master for his benevolence! Liu Yang quickly kneeled down. Thank you, Zhang shi! Enough. Theres no need to employ such means on meI wont renege on the promises that Ive made. Now, tell me, how can I contact Ruoxin? Zhang Xuan asked. Since the matter regarding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had finally been resolved, it was time for him to deal with his private affairs. If you wish to contact the Spirit God, you have to set up an altar on Thousandleaf Mountain, Sovereign Chen Yong exined. Thousandleaf Mountain? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had heard of that mountain the first time that he went to the otherworldly battlefield. It was the tallest mountain over there, piercing tens of thousands of meters into the sky. Indeed. This mountain is closest to the heavens, so its easier to reach the deities by holding rituals there, Sovereign Chen Yong exined. Yang Liu, Ive already imparted the way to conduct the ritual to you. Take the young master there with me. Ill preside over the ritual. Alright! Liu Yang nodded. He turned to the side to issue some instructions to a nearby Sempiternal realm cultivator before picking Sovereign Chen Yong up. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and ushered him respectfully. This way please! Un! Just like that, the group began setting off under Liu Yangs lead. Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire hesitated for a brief moment before choosing to follow along. Chapter 1843 - Meeting the Spirit God Once More?

Chapter 1843: Meeting the Spirit God Once More?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thousandleaf Mountain consisted of sharp cliffs that rose into the sky, reminiscent of spears nted into the ground. Its rumored that Kong shi once fought with a deity in this mountain range, and this was caused by the other party throwing a weapon down, Ancient Sage Mo Ling remarked as they flew through the mountain range. Zhang Xuan also could not help but be bewildered by the bizarre geography in the area. It did not take long for the group to arrive at the highest mountain peak. There was a t teau of roughly thirty mu 1rge at the peak, and at the very center, there was a circr stone tform with a diameter of three meters. From afar, it looked like a natural altar. Is this the ce where one can establishmunication with the heavens? Zhang Xuan frowned. Sovereign Chen Yong nodded weakly. Do we require any artifacts or the sort to initiate the ritual? Ill make preparations right now, Zhang Xuan said. Sovereign Chen Lings altar was surrounded by innumerable precious herbs, ores, and all kinds of rare materials. On top of those, he had even needed to tribute the blood of over a hundred thousand cultivators before he had been able to break open the dimension barrier to summon a deity from a higher dimension. It was unlikely that it would be any easier for him to establish a connection with Luo Ruoxin. Theres no need for that. The materials required for the ritual have already been prepared, Sovereign Chen Yong said as he turned his gaze to Liu Yang. Nodding in response to Sovereign Chen Yongs gesture, Liu Yang walked up to the stone altar and waited patiently. Soon, the Sempiternal realm cultivator whom he had instructed prior to setting off there arrived with a storage ring in hand. Liu Yang took the storage ring and flicked his wrist. A huge bunch of golden gs materialized in the air, and they swiftly took their position around the stone altar. Lets begin the ritual. Liu Yang turned around. The Sempiternal realm cultivator nodded before taking his leave. This time, the group waited roughly two hours before Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. He hurriedly raised his head, only to see numerous pirs of lights rising from all around. The pirs of light seemed to be drawn to the altar as they swiftly surged over. Theyreing from the Eight Genesis Temples. Tens of thousands of individuals are praying to the heavens simultaneously, their power of faith converging together to form a formidable force, Ancient Sage Mo Ling remarked in wonder. Genesis Temple? Those are the temples that the Otherworldly Demons use to pay respects to their ancestors. Whenever a ritual is conducted, there must be a priest to preside over the ritual to gather the faith of the tens of thousands of Otherworldly Demons together andplete the ritual, Ancient Sage Mo Ling exined. Only Sovereign Chen Yong has the power to rally tens of thousands of Otherworldly Demons to pray at the Eight Genesis Temples simultaneously. Even the other two Sovereigns would have trouble pulling off something of this scale. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Sovereign Chen Yong had once told him that they had to kill Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing and regain the support of the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe before he could help himplete the ritual. From the looks of it, that was indeed the case. A ritual of such scale was not something that could bepleted without the support of the masses. It was likely that Liu Yang had instructed the Sempiternal realm cultivator to make arrangements for this matter earlier. As the eight rays of light converged on the formation gs, the stone altar was swiftly coated with a warm color. As if a mirror, after gathering the many rays of light, they were redirected right into the sky. Its finally my turn, Sovereign Chen Yong mumbled with a slight smile as he staggered over to the center of the altar, where he sat down cross-legged. Seeing this, Liu Yangs eyes reddened. He lowered his head as he clenched his trembling hands tightly together. I, Wu Chen, am willing to offer my life as an offering to the heavens to ask for an audience with the Spirit God... Boom! As his voice sounded, a ball of fire seemed to blossom within Sovereign Chen Yongs body. It burned furiously, swallowing Sovereign Chen Yong in the blink of an eye. Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had thought that the ritual would only require the offering of treasures and the like. He did not know that it would require Sovereign Chen Yong to sacrifice his life. Even if Sovereign Chen Yong would not survive the night, he was not willing to see the other party sacrifice himself for his sake. Zhang Xuan quickly rushed forward and shrouded Sovereign Chen Yong with his Heavens Path zhenqi, bellowing, Stop the ritual! There was no doubt that he wished to see Luo Ruoxin, but he did not feel that it was right for blood to be shed in order to fulfill their rtionship. Refusing to take in the Heavens Path zhenqi that Zhang Xuan was attempting to infuse into him, Sovereign Chen Yong replied with a smile, I dont have much time ahead of me anyway. Its my wish to be able to do something for you, Young Master! There was such a kind look on his aged face that it almost seemed as if he was standing not amid mes but a warm spring. It was not difficult for a cultivator to end their life. All it took was a single thought, and the entire process would be devoid of pain and suffering. In contrast, dying from mes was rumored to be the most painful way to die. Ones flesh would melt, and ones blood would boil under the intense heat, but the sheer pain that one was inflicted with would constantly keep one from losing consciousness. Furthermore, death would note swiftly to the victim to relieve them of their suffering. It was almost simr to death by a thousand cuts. Feeling a crushing pressure in his heart, Zhang Xuan waved his hand in agitation. Ill find my own way to meet Ruoxin, so theres no need for this anymore! Since the other party was unwilling to agree to it, he would just have to destroy the stone altar and the formation gs to forcefully halt the ritual! He did not want others to sacrifice themselves for his sake, and he did not want to live with such a heavy weight inside of him. However, before he could ruin the stone altar and the gs, a powerful aura suddenly descended from the sky and cloaked Sovereign Chen Yong. Cloaked by the aura, the mes burning around Sovereign Chen Yong slowly began to extinguish, and shockingly, a hint of vitality began sprouting in hisnguishing soul and body! Hong long! It was as if an enormous gate had opened up in the world. A towering silhouette appeared right above the altar, emanating an air of invible authority. Ruoxin? Zhang Xuan quickly raised his gaze, only to stagger a little from seeing a foreign face. Who are you? The Spirit God who had been summoned by the altar was not Luo Ruoxin but another individual! Be it the disposition that the other partymanded or the gaze that the other party looked at him with, he was certain that he had never seen the other party before. The Spirit God has already returned to where she belongs. I am just her subordinate, the towering silhouette in the sky replied. Lowering her gaze upon Zhang Xuan, she remarked, You must be Zhang Xuan. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. Without waiting for Zhang Xuans response, the towering silhouette in the sky impassively said, Prior to her departure, the Spirit God requested that I offer you any help that you require... I was reluctant, but I eventually epted her request. Nevertheless, I still want to offer you a word of advice. The Spirit God is an esteemed individual far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals like you. Youre better off dispelling whatever thoughts you have toward her, or else you will only be hurting yourself and her! Hong long! Those words carried immense pressure with them. Even though Zhang Xuan wielded strengthparable to a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator, he still feltpletely powerless in the other partys presence, almost as if his body was instinctively deferential to the other party. The person who had been summoned was only manifesting in this world in the form of an avatar, but she was already much stronger than the deity that Sovereign Chen Ling had summoned! Theres no need for you to involve yourself in our affairs. You just have to tell me who the Spirit God is and where she is at the moment! It seems like you have quite some guts. If you are able to ovee the dimension barrier just like Kong shi,e and find me at the Spirit God Pce, and Ill tell you her whereabouts. Otherwise, dont even dream of it. The towering silhouette harrumphed. With a flick of her wrist, the silhouette began to fade from the world. Hold it for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. The silhouette lowered her gaze to look at Zhang Xuan once more. The Spirit God instructed you to offer me any help that I require, right? Zhang Xuan asked. The silhouette frowned a little, but she eventually nodded in response. Thats right. However, Ill only make a move once, so think it over. Dont waste this precious opportunity. I have already made up my mind! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. He pointed at Sovereign Chen Yong and said, This person over here is Wu Chen, a subordinate serving the Spirit God in this world. He has sustained severe injuries and is on the brink of death. I implore you to save him. Young Master... Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Yongs eyes reddened a little. Chapter 1844 - He’s My Student

Chapter 1844: Hes My Student

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The extent of Sovereign Chen Yongs injuries was horrifying. Not only were his foundationspletely ruined, even his soul had started to dissipate as a result of the overwhelming traumas that he had sustained! When Sovereign Chen Yong decided to go against the two Sovereigns and exact vengeance, he had never intended to continue living after dealing with them. Who could have thought that his young master would actually grant such a precious opportunity to him? If he had only acknowledged Zhang Xuan due to his rtionship with the Spirit God previously, at that very moment, he had really submitted to the other party at heart. Even though his young master was unreliable at times, and he would often disregard rules and conventions, he was a person who stood by his principles. No matter how difficult things got, that was one thing that he would never abandon! Perhaps this was where his true charmy. It might be why his disciples and tamed beasts willingly devoted their lives to him. Teacher... Liu Yang clenched his fists tightly. If he had been in his teachers position, he would never have given away the opportunity bestowed by the deity so easily to save the life of another. It seemed like there was still a huge gap between the two of them. Its an honor to have a master like this! Ancient Sage Allfire also nodded in agitation. What was most fearsome for a tamed beast was for it to have entrusted their life into the hands of someone who cared not for their wellbeing. But along the way, his master had been shown to be extremely thoughtful and considerate, and he had never forced him to do anything against his will after that either. He would willingly give up his life for such a master! The same thoughts surfaced in Ancient Sage Mo Lings mind as well. Everyone who witnessed the scene had some thoughts of their own, andplex emotions rippled in their eyes. Young Master, theres no reason to save me. Dont waste such a precious opportunity on me... Sovereign Chen Yong struggled to shake his head. He knew how invaluable the favor of a cultivator could be. If Zhang Xuan just asked for power, he might even be able to achieve an immediate breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm! It was a waste to use this precious opportunity on a dying person like him. I can decide for myself whether this is worth it or not! Zhang Xuan said before turning to the silhouette in the sky. How about it? Since the Spirit God has asked you to help me, surely you wont turn down my request, right? He... The silhouette lowered her gaze to look at Sovereign Chen Yong before asking with a deep frown, Are you sure this is your request? I am certain. Zhang Xuan nodded. Very well then... The silhouette pondered for a brief moment before continuing. His lifeforce has been severely depleted, such that its impossible for him to survive in this energy-deficient world anymore. His only chance is for me to take him to the Azure. However, Ill suffer the bacsh of thews of this world if I attempt to breach the dimension barrier and bring someone over... Ill bring his soul over and try to mend it, but theres nothing I can do about his body! Thats fine by me. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As a soul oracle, he knew that the foundation of lifey within the soul. As long as the soul remained existent, it would just take a bit of effort to construct a suitable body for one. Alright then. The silhouette lowered her hand and grasped lightly. The next moment, Sovereign Chen Yongs head crooked to one side as he breathed hisst breath. However, his soul appeared in the grasp of the silhouette before being swiftly sealed by a unique surge of energy. Boom! After that was done, the silhouette slowly rose back into the dimension rift as she faded more and more. She was going to breach the dimension barrier and return to her world. All of a sudden, she stopped for a moment and said, I finally understand why the Spirit God feels so deeply for you... However, your journey to seek her will be fraught with difficulties. I hope that you can persist regardless of the hardship you face... After saying her piece, her silhouette dissipated on the spot, vanishing without a trace together with Sovereign Chen Yongs soul. I will... Looking at the slight traces of light lingering in the area, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists. Hu! The light finally scattered entirely, signaling the end of the ritual. Zhang Xuan stood quietly on the spot in a mncholic mood. Even though he had failed to receive exact news regarding Luo Ruoxin, he hade to understand that the journey that he had to walk together with her was fraught with many difficulties... and the very first trial for him was to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm! Only when he reached that level would he have a chance to ascend to a higher dimension and seek his loved one. Master! Guild leader! Ancient Sage Allfire and Ancient Sage Mo Ling rushed over and called out. Zhang Xuan turned around to look at the two of them. The Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe have been eliminated, thus leaving them without a leader at the moment. Even though Yang Liu has been acknowledged as the sessor of Sovereign Chen Yong, in terms of experience and cultivation, hes still farcking at the moment. Why dont we just... Ancient Sage Mo Ling suggested as killing intent shed across his eyes. For many generations, their Soul Oracle Guild had lived among the Otherworldly Demons, enduring hardship and humiliation so that they would be able to eliminate them one day. At that very moment, the opportunity had been delivered to their hands. With their guild leaders capabilities, he should be able to overthrow Yang Liu and easily take his ce! Hearing the words of those two, Zhang Xuan shook his head and chuckled softly before calling out. Liu Yang! Liu Yang immediately rushed up to Zhang Xuan and kneeled on the floor. Disciple Liu Yang pays respect to Zhangoshi! Disciple? Zhangoshi? The two Ancient Sages nced at one another in bewilderment. They could not understand what was going on. When did Zhang Xuan take in that newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong as his disciple? I am Zhangoshis direct disciple. I have been under his tutge since a year ago... Liu Yang exined with a smile as he drove his cultivation technique back to normal. Gradually, the killing intent on him vanished, and his height also diminished as well. It did not take him long to return to his original appearance. Y-you... You are a human? Ancient Sage Mo Ling widened his eyes in disbelief. Thats right! Liu Yang nodded. There were no outsiders there, so there was no need for him to hide the truth. Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire were bbergasted by this abrupt turn of events. Sovereign Chen Yong was a wary man, and he had never allowed any spies to get to his side. The lineage of soul oracles had managed to infiltrate the ranks of the other two Sovereigns over the years, but none of them had ever gotten close to Sovereign Chen Yong. Yet, who could have known that the sessor whom Sovereign Chen Yong found in hister years would actually be Zhang Xuans direct disciple? Did this not mean that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was already effectively under their control? Alright, I believe none of you should have any objections anymore. Liu Yang has just been appointed as Sovereign Chen Yong, so theres bound to be many voices opposing his leadership. Thus, I need the two of you to support him for the time being. Quell the voices of all opposing Liu Yangs rule within a month and unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. He should be the one and only leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Zhang Xuan instructed firmly. While Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing had been killed, they still had many subordinates under them. Furthermore, the Lords of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe wielded considerable power in their jurisdiction. Given that Liu Yang had just epted Sovereign Chen Yongs heritage and had not gained stable footing yet, he would require the support of those two Blood Reincarnation realm experts in order to build his prestige and reputation. With their assistance, there should be no one in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe who would be able to stand against Liu Yang. Soon enough, Liu Yang would be the one and only Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Rest assured, well surely give our full support to Young Master Liu Yang in uniting the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire nodded in agreement. Alright, lets go. I need to go into seclusion for a moment. Come and look for me after you have calmed down the rebels and united the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as one! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. The crowd nodded in agreement. Uniting the individual factions of the Three Sovereigns was no easy task, but with their feat of having in a deity, as well as Sovereign Chen Yongs dying will, they had legitimacy on their side. It should not be too difficult for Liu Yang to garner the support of the general popce. Watching as the crowd left, Zhang Xuan sat quietly on the spot for quite a while before entering the Myriad Anthive Nest. Now that he finally had some time on his hand, it would be a good opportunity for him to try refining the corpse of the deity into a Soulless Metal Humanoid. At the same time, he would give the legs and the feet that he had just obtained from Sovereign Chen Xing to Vicious for him to assimte. Perhaps, by observing Vicious recovery, he might be able to figure out a way to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm. Chapter 1845 - A Month Later

Chapter 1845: A Month Later

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With his mind drifting amid the massive corpse, Zhang Xuans state of mind grew more and more stable. At the same time, his soul was bing increasingly harmonized with his consciousness. This was already the twentieth day since he had started refining the deitys corpse. When he first took the deitys corpse out, putting aside refining it, it had been hard for his soul to even approach it. However, after many days of hard work, his soul was finally able to move freely around the deitys corpse, allowing him to gain full control over it. Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators are indeed formidable. Theres a fundamental difference in their fundamental constitution from that of other Ancient Sages... In his many days of observation, Zhang Xuan had learned that the bulk of a Dimension Shatterer realm experts prowess originated not from their superior concentration of zhenqi or powerful soul but their formidable physical body. It was due to their physical body that they were able to travel through voids in space without sustaining any damage. As a cultivator who had practiced the Heavens Path Golden Body, the resilience of Zhang Xuans body wasparable to that of Ancient Sage artifacts. However, there was still a huge gappared to the body of the deity. During the previous battle, he had been shocked at how the Dragonbone Divine Spear was unable to breach the deitys basic zhenqi defense. However, after studying the deitys corpse, he realized that even if he had breached the deitys basic zhenqi defense, he would not have been able to pierce through the other partys physical body. In other words, there was no way that he would have been able to inflict any damage on the other party. It was fortunate that he had kept hold of a golden page, which had allowed him to turn the situation around during that crucial moment. Otherwise, things would have ended very differently. The meridians of the deitys body actually bear some resemnce to mine... Another observation that Zhang Xuan had made was that the meridianwork in the deitys body was much more logical than other cultivators in this world. It was actually very simr to the meridians in his body after he had altered them. Such a meridianwork allowed one to drive zhenqi much swifter than usual, which in turn brought about greater fighting prowess for an individual. ... The final step... assimtion! Another seven days passed. Knowing that the time was ripe, Zhang Xuan began preparing himself for the final step. Hong long! Zhang Xuan moved his soul into the corpses body and destroyed all of the remaining instinctive defensive mechanisms in it one by one. H! The massive corpse slowly opened its eyes. Zhang Xuan tried to control it a little, and the next moment, he felt boundless strength pouring forth from him. Even a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert would die from a single punch from this... Zhang Xuan could hardly curb his excitement. He had yet to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, opting to suppress his cultivation at Sempiternal realm consummation instead. For a Sempiternal realm consummation expert to be able to kill a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert in a single punch... there was probably no one who would dare believe such a thing to be possible! After spending some time relishing in the immense strength provided by the corpse, Zhang Xuan reluctantly pulled himself out from the corpse and returned to his physical body. This will be my greatest trump card from this moment on, Zhang Xuan murmured excitedly. With this, he had nothing to fear anymore! Master, I have already assimted my legs and feet. My current strength is only a step away from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm. With the right impetus, I should be able to achieve a breakthrough right away! Vicious said. After entering the Myriad Anthive Space, he had given the legs and feet to Vicious. Over the past month, Vicious had managed to assimte them entirely, and his cultivation had also risen beyond the level of ordinary Blood Reincarnation realm consummation cultivators. I have ten bottles of blood from Blood Reincarnation realm Otherworldly Demons. Absorb them together with the straw garment, and you should be able to regenerate your flesh and push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm! Zhang Xuan said as he passed a couple of jade bottles over. Fortunately, he had collected plenty of Ancient Sage blood in the previous few battles. It should be sufficient for Vicious to make a full recovery. Thank you, Master! Vicious said in gratitude as he took the jade bottles. He had intended to assimte the straw garment a long time ago, but he had found that he wascking sufficient energy to fully recover his body, so he had chosen to put it off for the time being. With everything in ce now, he could finally attempt aplete recovery once and for all. After passing the jade bottles to Vicious, Zhang Xuan left the other party alone. This was not something that he could help with; the other party had to figure out how he could recover by himself. Sitting on the floor, Zhang Xuan began to ruminate over his recent gains. Slowly, his aura began to be more and more elusive, transforming from a sharp edge to something simple and unimpressive. At that very moment, even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would have trouble seeing through his true strength. All in all, factoring in my physical body, zhenqi, soul, and my clone, I have undergone four Ancient Sage Ordeals in total. If I wish to achieve another breakthrough, Ill have to make a significant advancement in a certainw of the world orprehend a skill surpassing that of the Heavens Path techniques! It was because Zhang Xuans physical body, zhenqi, and soul cultivation had all reached a levelparable to an Ancient Sage that he could brandish strengthparable to Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators despite being only at the Sempiternal realm. However, none of that was enough for him. He had chosen not to achieve a breakthrough because he wanted to surpass the heavens in theprehension of one of thews. He knew that this was the only way that he could surpass Kong shis aplishments and reach the very pinnacle of mankind. He would require at least that much if he wanted to reach Luo Ruoxin. But how can I create a skill that surpasses the Heavens Path techniques? Zhang Xuan shook his head in distress. The only way that he could surpass the Heavens Path techniques was for him to first uncover his own path. Despite his unparalleled talent that allowed him to master any technique in an instant, it was no easy feat for him to create something significant of his own, not to mention that he was aiming to surpass the very top. He ruminated over the issue for several days, but nothing came to his mind at all. Eventually, he had no choice but to leave the Myriad Anthive Nest and return to the peak of the Thousandleaf Mountain in disappointment. Thinking back, more than a month has already passed. I wonder how Liu Yang and the others are faring at the moment... After spending more than a month in cultivation, Zhang Xuan felt as if his body had gotten a little rusty. He was just about to go and check on how his student was doing after taking over the title of Sovereign Chen Yong when he suddenly noticed a shockwave not too far away. Following which, two figures swiftly flitted in his direction. It was none other than Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire. Over the past month, they had made significant advancements in their cultivation. However, what was most notable about them was the overpowering scent of death flowing from them. With just a nce, it was apparent that they had imed many lives over the past month. We pay our respects! The man and the beast kneeled down deferentially and paid their respects. How is it? Zhang Xuan got straight to the point. The young master has already sessfully quelled the unrest of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Today is the day of that hell officially seed the position of Sovereign Chen Yong! Ancient Sage Allfire said. The Otherworldly Demon Lords from various ces have alsoe to the capital to witness the young masters inauguration ceremony. Guild Leader, do you want to head over to take a look too? Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked expectantly. Inauguration ceremony? Very well! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. It seemed like Liu Yang had truly grown up. His direct disciple was much more rational in dealing with matters than he thought. While there was no denying that Liu Yang had Sovereign Chen Yongs mandate and he had also received thetters Cultivation Impartation, his young age and insufficient cultivation were bound to have caused some dissatisfaction among the top brass of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. There was no way that they were going to easily submit to a young brat who had not proven himself. Thus, if he had rushed into conducting the inauguration ceremony, not only would he have been unable to rally others to his side, it might even have ended up as a farce, thus diminishing his authority. However, after quelling the unrest and ensuring that no one dared to challenge his authority anymore, Liu Yangs inauguration would serve as the impetus to truly unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As the only Sovereign remaining, the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would naturally converge around him. With such huge rallying power, no one would dare oppose him. As Liu Yangs teacher, theres no way I could miss the inauguration ceremony that pronounces his position as the sole leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Lets go! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Liu Yang had always suffered from low self-esteem, thinking that he was inferior to his seniors and juniors. However, he had eventually broken out of his shell and achieved something significant. As his teacher, Zhang Xuan was more than proud of him. Of course, it went without saying that he had to go there in person to witness his students glory. Chapter 1846 - Assassins

Chapter 1846: Assassins

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 That day, the royalty and nobles of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were gathered in the capital, all for the purpose ofmemorating the inauguration of the next Sovereign Chen Yong. The streets of the massive city were bustling, bringing an unprecedented vibrancy to the area. From time to time, there would be an unfathomable expert walking across the wide streets that left any Saint 9-dan cultivators present trembling in fear. These were the Great Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Experts of that caliber usually dominatedrge swathes ofnd with none daring to oppose their domination. Yet, in the capital, they dared not act out of line. The newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong had quelled all opposition against him and united the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as one. All of the major powers and top experts had submitted to him. If anyone dared cause any trouble... who could know if the person standing right next to them would be a widely feared Ancient Sage who had already submitted to the new Sovereign Chen Yong? The newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong is truly a formidable figure unprecedented in the history of our Spirit Tribe. Back then, Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Yong colluded with the humans to injure the old Sovereign Chen Yong. In order to avenge his predecessor, he stood forward and confronted the two of them. Not only did he manage to unravel their scheme, he even destroyed a deity from a higher dimension with a single move, thus giving rise to his reputation of invincibility! On the streets, a storyteller waved the fan in his hand as he described the exploits of the new Sovereign Chen Yong with vivid gestures. Wait a moment, there seems to be something wrong with your story, isnt there? I was present during the major battle here in the capital a month ago, and I saw with my own eyes that the new Sovereign Chen Yong was only a Great Sage back then. Theres no way that he could have interfered in a battle of that caliber back then. It was an unknown Ancient Sage who stood in and killed the deity! a passerby challenged the storyteller. It had only been a month since that major battle, and many in the capital had witnessed the sight with their own eyes. What they had seen varied vastly from what the storyteller had illustrated. The former had been singing praises of the new Sovereign Chen Yongs aplishments, but everyone who had spectated the battle knew that the person who had stood out the most during the battle was not the new Sovereign Chen Yong but an Ancient Sage whom no one had ever seen before. Seeing that he had been challenged by one of the listeners, the storyteller asked with a smile, Do you know who that unknown Ancient Sage is then? I... Im afraid that I dont really know! the passerby replied with a shake of his head. The other listeners also had slightly confused expressions on their faces. That man never said his name. In fact, he has not appeared since that day. Could it be that you know who that person is? one of the listeners asked. Upon hearing those words, the crowds ears perked up. The entire capital was filled with curiosity as to who that mysterious expert was. There was an itch in their hearts that would not be relieved until they finally knew the background of that mysterious expert. Of course I know! Seeing that he had managed to hook everyones appetite, the storyteller chuckled softly as he stroked his beard gleefully. He tapped on the copper pot in front of him with his finger rhythmically, as if hinting something. Tell us! A slightly plump figure wearing a veil flicked his wrist and tossed a couple of Great Yong coins into the copper pot, producing a resounding ring. Seeing that there was some money, the eyes of the storyteller lit up. He quickly slipped the Great Yong coins into his sleeves before leaning in to exin with a lowered voice, Its said that the mysterious Ancient Sage is Sovereign Chen Yongs mentor. Hes an expert who had long gone into seclusion. It was under his tutge that the new Sovereign Chen Yong was able to achieve the spectacr feat of uniting the entire Spirit Tribe despite his young age. Not only so, its said that the mysterious Ancient Sage even tamed Ancient Sage Allfire and made Ancient Sage Mo Ling submit to him. That is also why the two of them are so devoted to protecting the new Sovereign Chen Yong... Sovereign Chen Yongs teacher? Are you sure you know what youre talking about? The new Sovereign Chen Yong has received the heritage of the old Sovereign Chen Yong, so shouldnt his mentor be the old Sovereign Chen Yong? Some of the listeners expressed their doubts toward the words of the storyteller. Of course not! The old Sovereign Chen Yong is indeed formidable; theres no denying that. However, he isnt qualified to be Sovereign Chen Yongs teacher yet! In fact, I even heard that the old Sovereign Chen Yong even has to bow respectfully and address that person as Young Master! the storyteller refuted. Even the old Sovereign Chen Yong calls him Young Master? Arent you getting a little too overboard with your bragging? Or do you mean to say that the mysterious Ancient Sage is actually a deity too? the plump figure wearing a veil scoffed. Of course hes a deity! If he isnt a deity, how could he have killed the other deity that hase from a higher dimension so easily? the storyteller replied matter-of-factly. For the past tens of thousands of years, other than our Spirit Tribes Vicious and mankinds Kong shi, have you heard of anyone who wielded such power? Everyone was rendered speechless. Deity. Just the name itself was a symbol of invincibility. In the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, there were only two individuals who had managed to kill a deity. Yet, an Ancient Sage had suddenly appeared in this era and easily killed a deity... It was hard to believe that the other party was not a deity himself! Its because the new Sovereign Chen Yong is a direct disciple of a deity that he has been able to unite our great Spirit Tribe together. Its a mandate from the heavens, the gods are favoring our Spirit Tribe! With such a leader, our Spirit Tribe will only rise higher and higher! The storyteller became more and more zealous with each word. Indeed. Its an honor to be able to live in the same era as the new Sovereign Chen Yong! A future of prosperity and greatness awaits our Spirit Tribe... This is our generation, our era! ... The crowd trembled in agitation upon hearing those words. Humph! What bullsh*t you are spouting? I say that you are intentionally crafting stories to beguile the hearts of others so as to rally them under the g of... the plump man harrumphed coldly. But halfway through his words, he suddenly felt someone tugging on his clothes. With a deep frown, he turned around, only to find himself faced with a tall and slender youngdy dressed in humble wear. Lets return! Taken aback, the plump man quickly stuffed the final piece of meat into his mouth before reasoning with the youngdy. What? Wait a moment. I came here to gather information, not to eat. Just give me a while more... What he was faced with was the icy voice of the youngdy. Senior told me to call you back. If you dont want to head back, you can remain here for all eternity! ... The plump man shuddered a little fearfully before hurriedlyughing it off. Hahaha, what are you saying? How would I possibly dare to go against Seniors orders? Lets head over right now! It would be terrible to keep Senior waiting... Thus, the two of them took their leave. Under the lead of the youngdy, they maneuvered through various alleys before finally arriving at a small courtyard. The youngdy pushed the door to the courtyard open and walked in. A little further from the entrance was a tightly sealed room. This room had been sealed using many unique means, such that it would be impossible for any sound or Spiritual Perception to enter or leave the room. There were several people sat within the room. From their appearances, they were not Otherworldly Demons but humans. Faced with the disapproving frown from the youngdy seated at the middle of the room, the plump man scratched his head in embarrassment and exined, Hehe, I just went out to gather some intelligence... What intelligence have you gathered so far? Share it with us! a young man seated by the side asked with a smile. Behind him was a spear reflecting a cold glint leaning diagonally against the wall. Well... it seems like the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong is truly a shrewd individual. Not only did he manage to take down all of his opposition, he even dispatched storytellers all over the capital to spread the news that he has the mandate of the heavens. At this very moment, pretty much everyone in the capital believes that hes someone chosen by the heavens to lead the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to greatness! the plump man said after pondering for a moment. I have heard of this matter as well. The new Sovereign Chen Yong is an extremely astute person. Under his lead, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will surely grow more and more powerful. This will indubitably ce mankind in a perilous position! the young man said with a frown. He turned to the youngdy in the center and asked, Senior, what are your current thoughts? Given that the new Sovereign Chen Yong is just about to be inaugurated, he definitely needs all kinds of publicity in order to win the loyalty of the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Its within our expectations for him to be spreading news like that! The youngdy tapped her finger lightly on the table. However, just as Zhang Yang has said, the unification of the Spirit Tribe doesnt bear well for mankind. Thus... we have to make the first move! If we can assassinate him during the inauguration ceremony, we can spread chaos and discord among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and return them to the pile of scattered sand that they were! Chapter 1847 - The Plan

Chapter 1847: The n

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Assassinate? Everyones face immediately turned grim. Making a move on the new Sovereign Chen Yong during the inauguration ceremony was practically a recipe for certain death. All of the strongest experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were gathered there, and if things went wrong, all of them could end up dead! Do we have to do it during the inauguration ceremony? the plump man asked in iprehension. Wouldnt our chances at victory be higher if we were to assault him at some other asion? There was no doubt that the defenses around the new Sovereign Chen Yong would be extremely tight during the inauguration ceremony. Was it really suitable for them to do it at that moment? There are three benefits to it! The person who spoke then was not the youngdy seated at the center but the other one who had brought the plump man over. Firstly, the inauguration ceremony is one of the grandest celebrations of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If our assassination seeds, all those rumors about the mandate of the heavens would be swiftly unraveled. This will cause the Otherworldly Demons, who have just been rallied together, to swiftly disperse. It will also make it much harder for anyone to unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once more! The plump man nodded in agreement. If the new Sovereign Chen Yong was killed shortly after all of the rumors about how he had the mandate of the heavens and so on, the effects would indeed be the most pronounced. Fear and panic would swiftly spread throughout the crowd, making the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe weaker than ever! Secondly, for the past tens of thousands of years, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has been under the shared leadership of the three Sovereigns. However, all of a sudden, it has turned into a one man show... While the new Sovereign Chen Yong has crushed all of the opposition thus far, and no one dares to oppose him due to the overwhelming strength that he wields... the problem is that he stillcks legitimacy. Not everyone will ept his rule. Thats also why he sent storytellers all around the capital to spread the word that he has the mandate of the heavens! the youngdy exined. The reason that they are causing such a hugemotion right now is out of fear that the new Sovereign Chen Yong will be unable to gain the support of the popce. As such, this might be our best chance to strike. Our best chance to strike? The plump man was unable toprehend the leap in logic. Those who are opposed to Sovereign Chen Yongs rule will surely be watching the inauguration ceremony as well. If they see someone make a move against the inaugurated Sovereign Chen Yong, theres a good chance that they will be incited to create more chaos. If so, it will be much easier for us to seed than if we conduct a surprise assault! the youngdy exined. This... The plump man fell into deep thought. In terms of understanding the minds of others, he was nowhere near those two youngdies. If they factored that into the equation as well, their chances of sess during the inauguration ceremony could very well be much higher. The factions built up by Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing would not simply vanish just with the deaths of the two of them. Even if the new Sovereign Chen Yong had forced the members of those two factions to submit to him with force, there was a good chance that they would still view the new Sovereign Chen Yong with hostility. Thus, if someone attempted an assassination on the new Sovereign Chen Yong right before them, they might just be more than willing to lend a hand. Ill share the third point! the youngdy sitting at the center of the room said. I caught sight of Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire hurriedly leaving the capital earlier this morning. The two of them are the strongest experts aiding the new Sovereign Chen Yong at the moment, and as long as they arent around, our chances of sess are fairly high! Those two old farts actually left prior to the inauguration ceremony? Arent they the protectors of the new Sovereign Chen Yong? How could they leave at such a crucial moment? the plump man wondered in bewilderment. Im not too certain about the exact reason either, but the chances are that they have left the area to quell some other rebellion so as to ensure that nothing goes wrong during the inauguration, the youngdy replied. Furthermore, based on my investigations, it seems like theres a segment during the inauguration ceremony that requires the new Sovereign Chen Yong to pay respects to his predecessors. During the process, the new Sovereign Chen Yong must humbly listen to the teachings of his predecessor, so he cannot utilize his Spiritual Perception or zhenqi at all. In other words, this is an ideal opportunity for us to strike. As long as we n things out well, we do stand a decent chance at sess! Hearing the analysis, the plump man nodded and replied, Since thats the case... Ill follow your n, Senior! Good. Since we havee to a consensus, lets prepare ourselves! As she spoke, the youngdy seated in the center stood up. She looked at the five faces before her and said, I know what all of you are thinking... A while ago, our teacher was forced by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to end his life in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters due to his association with the Spirit God. We know that its just a concealment for him to sneak into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but his injuries are simply so severe that its impossible for him to have recovered in such a short period. However, with the inauguration of the new Sovereign Chen Yong, the unification of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe is lying just around the corner. We dont have time to look for our teacher anymore! Right now, what we have to do is kill the new Sovereign Chen Yong in the shortest time possible to eliminate this potential threat! This is the only way we can cleanse our teacher of his dishonor to let the Master Teacher Pavilion and the entire world know that our teacher has always been with mankind, and that has never changed at all. At the same time, only as our reputation grows will our teacher be able to find us more easily! Since they did not know where their teacher was, they would just have to stand at the most brilliant ce possible so that their teacher would be able to find them! We understand! the others replied in unison. The group that was gathered in the room consisted of none other than Zhang Xuans six direct disciples. Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, Yuan Tao, and Lu Chong. It had been two months since their teacher ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Fearing that something would happen to their teacher, a month ago, just like most other cultivators, they had descended into a Subterranean Gallery andunched an extensive search. However, they had still been unable to gather any news regarding their teacher despite their best efforts. However, the investigation did bring the recent changes in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to their attention. They had noticed the threat that was brewing in the otherworldly battlefield and realized that it could be toote if they did not make a move to curb the threat swiftly. Thus, they had chosen to gather in the capital to discuss a countermeasure. Since we have amon understanding over here, lets swiftly share our current cultivation realms! Zhao Ya said. Ever since our teacher departed, Zheng Yang has been spending his time cultivating in the Hall of Spring and Autumn, and he has already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation. In terms of fighting prowess, he should be on par with most Great Philosopher realm cultivators. There should be nothing wrong with my information, right? Thats right, Zheng Yang replied. When he heard that his teacher had ended his life in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, while he knew that it was just a cover, the thought of the humiliation that his teacher had to bear had nearly driven him crazy. Thus, he had locked himself in the Hall of Spring and Autumn and cultivated frenziedly. Due to his hard work and his various fortuitous encounters in the Temple of Confucius, he actually managed to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Following which, he spent almost a year within the Hall of Spring and Autumn reinforcing his cultivation, causing his cultivation to rise to Bloodline Continuance realm consummation. Even though he was still only at Ancient Sage 1-dan, due to his superior cultivation techniques and battle techniques, his fighting prowess would not lose out to the average Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm cultivator! Zheng Yang, you and I will be the vanguard for the operation, Zhao Ya said. She then turned her gaze to the other youngdy sitting by the other side. Ruyan, you have also achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, right? While you arent as powerful as Lu Chong yet, your mastery of poison makes you a frightening opponent. Even Great Philosopher realm cultivators could die to your poison if they are caught unaware. The youngdy whom Zhao Ya was addressing had remained extremely quiet throughout the entire conversation. She was none other than the disciple that possessed the Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution, Wei Ruyan. Despite her silence, everyone knew that she was likely to be the most terrifying of them all in a real battle. Un. Ill try to tie down the others to prevent them from supporting Sovereign Chen Yong. If any of them dare approach, my poison shall corrode them inside out. If I need to, Ill even massacre the entire city! Wei Ruyan remarked nonchntly. Even when she spoke of massacring the entire city, there was not the slightest change in her facial expression. It was almost as if she was speaking of crushing an ant. Back in the Temple of Confucius, she had received her teachers heritage and the Bodhi Fruit, which had allowed her to achieve a breakthrough in her state of mind. Together with her fortuitous encounter back then, she had sessfully pushed for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage a month ago. While she was slightly beneath Zheng Yang in terms of offensive ability, there was no doubt that her poison was an invaluable asset when it came to dealing with multiple enemies simultaneously. Anyone who dared charge into the area of attack would simply sumb to her poison. This would render the numerical advantage of the new Sovereign Chen Yongs forces absolutely meaningless. Alright, Ill be counting on you for that. As for Yuan Tao, well be relying on you for defense. When will your second Ancient Sage Ordeale? Zhao Ya turned to look at the plump man with a slight frown on her forehead. Yuan Tao had already challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal once at the Temple of Confucius, but he had forcefully suppressed it. Till now, his second Ancient Sage Ordeal had yet toe. In other words, despite his incredible potential, he had yet to reach Ancient Sage! Chapter 1848 - Making a Move

Chapter 1848: Making a Move

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I... Im not too sure either! Yuan Tao scratched his head in embarrassment. His seniors and juniors had all reached Ancient Sage, leaving him trailing at the back. This was extremely heart-wrenching for him! For his cultivation to actually advance so slowly... he was really a shame to his teacher! If I knew, I wouldnt have resorted to binge eating to console my wounded soul, Yuan Tao muttered unhappily as he took out a fistful of assorted snacks and stuffed them into his mouth, creating annoying crunching sounds. Ignoring this glutton, Zhao Ya turned to Lu Chong and worriedly asked, I think that you might have improved a little too quickly over the past month. Do you feel ufortable anywhere? After Zhang Xuan departed, Lu Chong had reverted to his reticent state. His personality became extremely cid, almost like he was a corpse. Yet, as if he had injected himself with steroids, his cultivation rose by leaps and bounds! Zheng Yang had managed to reach Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation through exploiting the time eleration in the Hall of Spring and Autumn, but Lu Chong... he had actually managed to reach Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage! To reach such a level within the short span of a month... this was truly unbelievable! Lu Chong shook his head and replied curtly. Im fine. After reaching Ancient Sage, every single breakthrough requires a massive amount of energy. Its not normal for you to advance your cultivation so quickly. If you fail to reinforce your cultivation properly, a huge problem could very well ur in the future, Zheng Yang added with concern. If he had to pick a fault with this junior of his, it would be that he was too reticent. He seemed to bottle up so much inside of him that it felt frustrating just to look at him. If he could just share his problems, they might still be able to discuss it and offer some suggestions. However, this junior of his only stubbornly chose to keep everything to himself and put his all into cultivating. If the other party had never met their teacher, who knew what would have be of him now? Seeing the looks everyone was shooting him, Lu Chong was silent for a moment before exining, Teacher gave me the Seal of Souls. Un. The crowd nodded in response. Prior to his departure, Zhang Xuan had distributed all of the treasures that he had gathered in the Temple of Confucius to everyone. The Seal of Souls was the insignia of the head of the Soul Oracle Guild, and Lu Chong did not hide the fact that he had obtained this from their teacher. Harnessed within the Seal of Souls is the concentrated soul energy derived from 110,000 souls of Saint 3-dan and above cultivators. I have spent the past month absorbing it, and that allowed my soul energy to grow swiftly, Lu Chong exined. 110,000 souls? And all of them are Saint 3-dan and above? Everyone was stunned. They could not even begin to imagine how stupendously massive that amount of energy was. That exined how Lu Chong was able to advance his cultivation so quickly. With so much soul energy to fuel his cultivation, it would be hard for him not to improve swiftly! Prior to entering the Temple of Confucius, our teacher killed 110,000 Otherworldly Demon soldiers and resolved a crisis of mankind. Could these souls havee from there? Zheng Yang suddenly asked. As the Combat Master Hall kept a close eye on the situation in the Subterranean Galleries, he was well aware of his teachers aplishments there. 110,000 souls from Saint 3-dan and above cultivators could not possibly havee from nowhere, and the only incident that seemed to tally was that. That seems to be the case. Teacher didnt absorb anything at all and chose to leave everything to me instead... Lu Chong nodded as he subconsciously clenched his fists. He could not understand why his teacher would choose to leave so much energy to him instead of absorbing it for himself. Nevertheless, he vowed to use this gift for meaningful purposes. Knowing that Lu Chong had gained his strength through proper means instead of forced growth, Zhao Ya heaved a sigh of relief. She pondered for a moment before saying, Junior Lu Chong, given your cultivation, it would be best if you coordinated with me and Zheng Yang in attacking the new Sovereign Chen Yong. Youll be the main attacker, and the two of us will support you! Lu Chong nodded to indicate that he understood. As for Wang Ying... Zhao Ya turned to Wang Ying and said, Even though you only achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage not too long ago, in the twenty days since arriving at the capital, you should have familiarized yourself with the surroundings! I have already enchanted all of the major buildings and city walls in the capital. They are all on standby, waiting for mymand. As soon as the operation starts, all of the buildings and city walls will charge over and plunge the area into pandemonium! Wang Ying replied with a chuckle. During their few days in the capital, she had devoting most of her time enchanting everything in the surroundings. Furthermore, I have also buried the tree root in the ground. With a thought, Ill be able to transform the entire capital into a desert. Unless one has reached Ancient Sage, they will never be able to escape from the desert! Zhang Xuan had given Wang Ying the Berserk Sand Wood previously, and it was a true weapon of mass destruction. Thats good. Since all the preparations are ready, we shall set forth right now. Once we get to that part of the inauguration ceremony, be prepared to make a move at any moment! Zhao Ya instructed grimly. Yes! the crowd replied resoundingly as they rose to their feet grimly. They could die in this battle, but failure was not permitted. They quickly disguised themselves by altering their physical structure and appearances before returning to the streets. At that moment, the Otherworldly Demons were already making their way toward the square in front of Sovereign Chen Yongs pce. They swiftly blended into the crowd and followed them toward the square. By the time they reached the square, it was already filled with countless Otherworldly Demons. Excited chatter could be heard here and there, and everyone waited anxiously for the start of the inauguration. All of a sudden, there was a resounding p, and the entire square fell silent. A dimension rift opened up right above the massive square, and an Otherworldly Demon dressed in a majestic, golden robe and an ornate crown came out from within. With a resounding voice, he dered, Fellow tribesmen of the Spirit Tribe, I wee you to my inauguration ceremony. Today marks the day that I seed the will of the predecessors and am inaugurated as the next Sovereign Chen Yong! As he spoke, the new Sovereign Chen Yong slowly descended to the tall tform erected at the very center of the square. ... At the same time, in a tower a long distance away from the square, Zhang Xuan watched as the towering figure slowly descended onto the tall tform. He could not help but heave a sigh of relief as all of his interactions with Liu Yang shed through his mind. Liu Yang had always been an extremelypetitive person. He would unwittinglypare himself to his seniors and juniors, but more often than not, suchparisons would just leave him feeling deeply stressed out and anxious. Unable to withstand the pressure back then, he had chosen to depart without saying a word. Who would have thought that he would chance upon his own fortuitous encounter and eventually rise to such heights? Once he gained full control over the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind would no longer have to worry about them. With him around, well finally be free from the menace of the Otherworldly Demons, Ancient Sage Mo Ling said with a relieved smile. The Soul Oracle Guild had endured tens of thousands of years of humiliation and suffering, praying for the slim hope that mankind would one day be free from the threat of the Otherworldly Demons. However, Ancient Sage Mo Ling had never thought that such a day would actuallye in his lifetime. Indeed. Its finally all over... Zhang Xuan nodded. But halfway through his words, he suddenly frowned. Hu! All of a sudden, a ferocious aura rose from beneath and surged right in the direction of the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong. Following which, a spear and a sword darted forward from two different directions. At the same time, the surrounding space froze in ce, hindering the movements of those in the area. An assassination! Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire narrowed their eyes, and killing intent red from their bodies. They had busied themselves for an entire month in order to build the momentum for Liu Yangs inauguration. Who could have known that some brainless fool would still make a move on this important asion? Master, Ill go kill those dimwits right now! Ancient Sage Allfire spat as he raised his talons ferociously. Theres no need to be too anxious. Lets just watch first and decide what we should do next. Zhang Xuan was also taken aback for a moment before a smile crept onto his lips. Watch first? The two Ancient Sages could not understand how Zhang Xuan could remain soposed. Dont worry, this is a trial that Liu Yang should ovee on his own. If hes able to ovee this, he will enjoy unshakable faith among the Otherworldly Demons in the future. On the other hand, if he fails... it wont be toote for us to step in! Zhang Xuan said as he stood up. With his eye of discernment, there was no way he could not recognize that swordsmanship and spearmanship. Since that was the case, there was nothing for him to worry about. ... In the square, as the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong saw the three figures darting in his direction, he could not help but freeze for an instant. These moves and cultivation techniques... Liu Yang narrowed his eyes in astonishment. The three surges of the energying his way were simply too familiar. Theyre from Junior Lu Chong, Junior Zheng Yang, and Senior Zhao Ya! They... What are they doing here? Chapter 1849 - A Duel Amongst Fellow Disciples

Chapter 1849: A Duel Amongst Fellow Disciples

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Liu Yang was stunned for a moment before he suddenly realized the disparity in his current identity. He was not Liu Yang at the moment but the new Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! On the other hand, his juniors and seniors were the elite forces of mankind. It was perfectly understandable for them to sneak into the otherworldly battlefield and attempt to im his life. Liu Yangs first instinct was to send a telepathic message to the crowd to tell him his true identity. However, recalling that this was a crucial moment of the inauguration ceremony, it would be bad if he gave away anything that risked revealing his true identity. It might potentially ruin all of the careful preparations made by his teacher. Thus, he quickly halted himself. Soon, however, his bewilderment was reced with curiosity. This works fine for me as well! To be honest, I am also eager to know how far the rest of you havee! Boom! Thus, Liu Yang turned around and directed a punch right at the soul oracle surging in his direction. The massive strength from the punch caused the earth to copse inward. It was almost as if two worlds had collided with one another. In an instant, Lu Chongs soul was hammered right into the ground. What a powerful fist technique, Lu Chong thought with narrowed eyes. The only people he knew that possessed such a violent fist technique were his teacher and Senior Liu Yang. Who would have thought that the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong would have reached such a level as well? No wonder he was able to unite the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe together. The might that he wielded was indeed fearsome! After knocking Lu Chong back with a single punch, Liu Yang simultaneously raised his fists to knock away Zheng Yangs spear and Zhao Yas sword. Even though it was a one against two, Liu Yang did not seem to be in a disadvantageous position at all. After assimting the power that the old Sovereign Chen Yong had imparted to him, his current cultivation realm had reached Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm advanced stage, not too far away from reaching consummation. While his seniors and juniors had improved swiftly over the past few months, they were still a littleckingpared to him. Peng peng! There were two hollow echoes, and both Zheng Yang and Zhao Ya were sent staggering backward. Hu! At the same time, the Otherworldly Demon soldiers finally came to and rushed forward to reinforce their new Sovereign. Dont make a move without mymand! With a cold harrumph, Liu Yang halted the crowd, who were in the midst of preparing a coborative formation. At the same time, he swiped at Zhao Ya. Under the immense force, Zhao Ya felt as if her sword would fly from her grip at any moment. A frown emerged on her forehead as she narrowed her eyes. She had not thought that the new Sovereign Chen Yong would actually be so powerful as to see through the ws in her swordsmanship in an instant and attempt to snatch her sword away. Knowing that their assassination attempt would likely fail if the other party seeded in knocking away her sword, Zhao Ya roared, Activate! Boom! Driving her Pure Yin Body to the limits, in an instant, the area within a hundred li of her suddenly became so frigid that it started snowing. It seemed as if winter was setting in. With the immense pressure that she was under, her stagnated cultivation also overcame its bottleneck and rose to a new level. Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm! She had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation back at the Temple of Confucius. With the Bodhi Fruit and ice crystal bestowed to her by her teacher, her cultivation had surged. Even though she did not have the Hall of Spring and Autumn to use, she had still been able to keep up with Zheng Yangs growth. If not, Yuan Tao would not have been so frightened of Zhao Ya. Along with the breakthrough, Zhao Yas sword grew even sharper and more aggressive. In an instant, it appeared that her fighting prowess had increased manyfold. Numerous surges of sword qi flew forth along the movements of her sword, as if a relentless waterfall. At the same time, Zheng Yang charged forward and drove his spear forward valiantly, forming a streak of light. He moved with a momentum that seemed as if he would impale anything that stood in his path. This... Zhang Xuan had been calmly watching themotion so far, but upon seeing this sight, a frown formed between his eyebrows as rage flurried in the depths of his heart. It was just a short two months of absence, but what had this bunch of wastrels be? Not only did they abandon all of his teachings, they had even twisted the techniques that he had imparted to them to form something incredibly hideous and disgusting! This was truly embarrassing! Heh! While Zhang Xuan was still cringing over his students movements, both Zhao Ya and Zheng Yangs attacks arrived before Liu Yang. In response, Liu Yang thrust his palms forward with crushing might. Kacha! Kacha! Zheng Yang and Zhao Ya were knocked backward once more. Senior! Boom! Unable to take it any longer, Wang Ying, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao dashed forward toe to their aid. Yuan Tao charged forward with his physical body to ram into Liu Yang. While he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, he had devoured Kong shis avatar and undergone an Ancient Sage Ordeal, which had led to his physical body being on par with Ancient Sage artifacts. As a result, the force that he exerted was amazingly powerful. At the same time, Wei Ruyan utilized her Innate Poison Body to scatter poison all around the area, preventing others from getting close. The surrounding space seemed to warp a little as a result of the overwhelming concentration of poison. While Wang Ying was not driving her enchanted objects, her cultivation had also reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm. Through her meticulous observation, she was able to coordinate impably with the others to strike at every possible opening, thus bing the most troublesome opponent for Liu Yang to deal with. Deng deng deng! The individual movements of the six of them came together to form a whole. Liu Yang found himself unable to stand his ground anymore, and he was forced to retreat again and again. Even though his cultivation far surpassed the others, the six opponents that he was facing were his teachers direct disciples. Every single one of them had cultivated the most profound cultivation techniques and battle techniques. If Liu Yang used just the heritage of Sovereign Chen Yong alone, he would really be no match for them. However, the moment that he chose to use his teachers heritage, the others would notice that it was him, and the battle woulde to an abrupt halt. Peng peng! gued by excessive thoughts, Liu Yangs reaction ended up slowing a little. He suffered two consecutive blows that knocked him several steps back. He felt a sweetness at the back of his throat as blood seeped out from the corners of his lips. He had thought that he would surely be able to triumph over the others after inheriting Sovereign Chen Yongs strength and heritage, but who could have known that the others would be so powerful as well? This Sovereign Chen Yong is a little weird... After numerous shes, Zhao Ya and the others were starting to realize that something was amiss. There was no doubt that Sovereign Chen Yongs fighting prowess was far greater than what they had imagined; however... it might just have been her imagination, but it felt like the other party was very familiar with their moves and coordination. It doesnt matter whether hes weird or notwe need to quickly take him down. Once the other Ancient Sagese to his aid, well really meet our end here! Zheng Yang eximed anxiously. No wonder the other party had been able to unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Despite his young age, his fighting prowess was really not to be underestimated. They had thought that they were already the most outstanding geniuses among the younger generation, but who could have known that despite the young age of the new Sovereign Chen Yong, he was able to fight against all six of them on equal ground? Could it be that... he was really the disciple of a deity? Otherwise, how could he possibly be so powerful? Boom boom boom! As the seven of them fought, the surrounding air billowed, and frenzied currents whipped up all around. From time to time, one could hear thunderous rumbling. The faces of all of the spectating Otherworldly Demons below flushed crimson with agitation. This was the first time that they had witnessed such an intense battle among powerful Ancient Sages! More importantly, the newly appointing Sovereign Chen Yong was even fending off six opponents simultaneously... They had never thought that the new Sovereign Chen Yong would actually be so powerful despite his young age! Just as everyone was as bbergasted as they could get, a deep voice suddenly reverberated across the entire capital. Enough! Upon hearing this voice, the bodies of Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others stiffened, and they quickly backed away. At the same time, the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong also froze on the spot. Hong long! A silhouette who had his hands behind his back slowly descended from the sky step by step. Chapter 1850 - The One Who Is Truly Frightening

Chapter 1850: The One Who Is Truly Frightening

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This figure looked neither tall nor imposing, and the aura that he emanated was nothing special. Yet, his appearance caused the two sides fighting to halt their attacks and freeze on the spot, not daring to move at all. Whats wrong? The crowd in the square were all bewildered by this turn of events. Had they not been fighting one another to the death just a moment ago? Why would they suddenly stop just because a person said a word? That person must have sealed the surrounding space or used some kind of special power to suppress them, causing them to be unable to make a move. An elder amid the crowd clenched his fists tightly as he remarked contemtively. He had heard that those who had reached Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm would often use the sealing of space as one of their offensive means to corner their opponents. It was very likely that the figure who had just appeared had used such a method on the new Sovereign Chen Yong and his assassins. Otherwise, why would both sides suddenly halt their attacks in unison, as if they had nned it in advance? If that figure is able to seal the movements of the new Sovereign Chen Yong and the others all at once... just how powerful must he be? Could that person possibly be... Sovereign Chen Yongs deity mentor? Now that you mention it, the silhouette of that figure does seem to resemble the person from that day. During the battle back then, they flew too high, so I didnt manage to get a good look. However, its very likely him! No wonder hes able to render everyone motionless and incapable of battling... ... The crowd widened their eyes in realization as awe filled their gazes. If they had been skeptical to have heard from the storytellers that Sovereign Chen Yong had a mentor whose strength matched the deities, after seeing such a sight, all of their doubts dissipated. The might wielded by that person had likely surpassed even their wildest imagination. How is it? Some of the Ancient Sages hidden amid the crowdmunicated via telepathy. I cant see through that persons cultivation, but his very feat of halting so many experts simultaneously shows that his strength definitely exceeds the Blood Reincarnation realm! Is it really possible for such powerful experts to exist in our world? Dont forget Sovereign Vicious and Kong shi. Back in their era, our cultivation would have meant nothing to them at all... Youre right. The opening of Temple of Confucius and the descent of a deity... it wouldnt be too surprising for any astoundingly powerful experts to appear at this moment. To be able to execute a spatial seal while eluding all of our notice simultaneously, making it appear as if he hasnt done anything at all... I cannot fathom just how powerful he truly is! ... Some of the Ancient Sages hidden amid the crowd were in intense discussions with one another. The more they talked about the matter, the paler their faces became. Just the fact that they were unable to see through the cultivation of the silhouette in the sky was already a major cause of fear for them all. Of course, there was a chance that they could be overthinking it, but given the spectacr might disyed by that figure during the major battle a month ago, it was inevitable that they would be so fearful. To be able to kill a deity from a higher dimension just by tossing a random book at him... If that person was able to draw forth so much power just by tossing a book, they could not imagine just what would happen if he threw a sword or a spear at them instead! ... Teacher... Upon seeing the approaching figure, Liu Yang did not dare move. Just as he was wondering what his teacher was going to do, he saw thetter walking up to Zheng Yang, and without any warning, thetter lifted up his feet and threw a kick right toward Zheng Yangs chest. Zheng Yangs body cowered in fear at that kick, but before he could even react at all, he was sent flying into the ground. Just what the heck were you doing earlier? If youd stopped that spear by a third of a breath, its might would have increased exponentially! Yet, you just had to rush your way into it! Are you that short for time? Are you rushing to be reincarnated? And you! What the hell were you flinging your sword around for? Wheres your sword qi? Wheres your Sword Intent? Do you really expect to get to your opponent with such a half-assed move? As for you, are you a dimwit? Do you think that you are invincible just because your defense is superior to that of others? Using your own chest to block a punch, are you very proud of your valiance? What happened to your fist? Just where in the world has your head gone to? All you know is to ram your way around! Are you a buffalo incapable of thought? You bunch of wastrels! Can you even call that a battle? Even if I gathered a bunch of pigs and trained them for three days, they would be able to do much better than the lot of you! ... The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more infuriated he became. It was to the point where he was pointing fingers at each of his disciples and berating them viciously. Did my teachings go in one ear and out the other ear? It was just a short few days, and look at what has be of your skills. Id die of embarrassment if anyone found out that youre my direct disciples! As a proud master teacher, how did I manage to produce a bunch of fools like you lot? Hearing their teachers reprimand, the faces of Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others turned red in embarrassment. If there was pit in the ground, they might have dived right in. They had thought that their teacher would be proud of them after all their training over the past two months, but who could have known that they would still incur his wrath? However, they knew that what their teacher had said made sense. Even though their cultivation had advanced significantly, they had ended up neglecting their own skills instead, causing their moves to be all over the ce. Otherwise, with each of them putting their strengths together, they should have been able to defeat the new Sovereign Chen Yong with ease! After berating Zheng Yang and the others, Zhang Xuan turned to Liu Yang and began criticizing him from head to toe. Youre equally bad as well! Just what in the world were you trying to pull? Cowering indecisively at every move... Is that the kind of Sovereign you want to be? Sovereign my ass! Theres apleteck of soul in your movements! If youd charged right in to stand against the rest of them earlier, you wouldve been able to shatter her sword and knock that brats spear flying easily, thus ending the battle in an instant! You wouldnt have ended up facing so much troubleter on! Just a month of absence, and his cultivation had gonepletely haywire. He had nearly fumed himself to death. He should have been a really cultured and patient person, but seeing this group of fellows messing around, he simply lost his cool. Teacher, I... Liu Yangs face flushed red as he attempted to speak, but he was unable to say a thing at all. Not wanting to waste his breath, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Enough. Ill take these fellows away. Continue your inauguration, ande look for me after you are done! H! Zhao Ya and the others were immediately thrown into the Myriad Anthive Nest before Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot. That was such an epic battle, but in the eyes of that person, it was actually utter nonsense? Such that he lost his patience and interfered in the midst of the duel to offer his pointers? So, the reason he halted the battle was because he found the battle too unsightly and couldnt watch on? But that was such a profound battle! If he couldnt stand watching something like that, wouldnt we be utterly destroyed if we dared make a move? ... The crowd beneath trembled in horror, unable to say a word at all. Just by the scale of the battle between Sovereign Chen Yong and the assassins, this was already an event that was worthy of being recorded and honored as a ssic for the next tens of thousands of years. Yet, in the eyes of that deity, it was no different from a bunch of kids ying house! This fact was extremely hard for them to ept even though they had just witnessed it with their own eyes. Leader, are we still... going to make a move? an Ancient Sage amid the crowd suddenly asked. Make a move your head! I didnt even understand the battle that just happened earlier. If we make a move, wont we be smacked to death? Ry my orders! From today onward, no matter what orders Sovereign Chen Yong passes, our lineage will obey them unconditionally, and no one is to voice the slightest opposition! the leader ordered through gritted teeth. It might have appeared as though the other party was just making a couple of casual remarks, but through his sharp eye of discernment, the leader could tell that those words were filled with ingenuity. Even justprehending a small portion of the wisdom behind what had been said would leave one feeling deeply enlightened! Are you seriously asking me if we should make a move after witnessing that persons vast wisdom in the art of fighting? You dolt! Grow a brain or two! What we should be doing right now is not moving at all! If you wish to see the crimson moon rise in the north tomorrow, you should remain deathly silent! The same scene could be seen all around the crowd. Even though the new Sovereign Chen Yong had quelled his opposition with crushing might, there was no denying that his position still was not stable. There were many people who had wished to exploit this instability to earn some benefits. However, from the moment that the new Sovereign Chen Yongs mentor appeared and sealed the space, keeping both sides frozen on the spot, before bellowing furiously at both sides for the inadequacies in their techniques... Well, there was probably nothing in the world that could dispel their courage as effectively as that did. They could see a tragic fate awaiting them if they dared rise up against the new Sovereign Chen Yong. That was truly a terrifying mentor that the other party had. Chapter 1851 - Zhang Xuan Lectures

Chapter 1851: Zhang Xuan Lectures

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You bunch of buffoons! Have you forgotten the things that I have taught you over the past year? ring down at the row of kneeling students before him, Zhang Xuan bellowed wrathfully. Just looking at their faces sent his rage flying over the roof. If one wanted to advance further in Ancient Sage, one had to continuously temper ones cultivation, energy, and temperament. The continuous process of tempering would induce greater harmony within ones body, and only then would there be a sliver of hope for one to reach Dimension Shatterer realm and advance to a higher dimension. Yet, this bunch of fellows actually allowed their cultivation to surge on ahead without trying to suppress it in the least... And that wasnt the worst yet. How could the six of them nearly lose to Liu Yang despite coborating with one another? This was utterly ridiculous! Just what in the world had they learned over the past year of tutge? Could that even be called a coboration at all? Even a bunch of pigs would do better than this under my tutge! Teacher, you have taught us that we should value the cultivation of our character above everything else... Zheng Yang muttered softly, but his words were cut short by Zhang Xuans dagger-like re. Dont you bring that bunch of nonsense up now! We are talking about your studies here! Your heads sure have ballooned to the skies just because you have reached Ancient Sage! Zhang Xuan roared furiously. He turned to Lu Chong and instructed, You have the highest cultivation of them all. Use your strongest attack on me! Me? Lu Chong was taken aback. But teacher, you are only at Sempiternal realm consummation... He was already at Blood Reincarnation realm whereas his teacher was still at Sempiternal realm consummation. If he were to fail to control his strength and identally injure his teacher... Why? Are you underestimating your teacher now that you have gotten a little stronger? Zhang Xuan snapped at Lu Chong with an impatient tone. No, thats not what I mean... Lu Chong shook his head frantically in response. That would be for the best. Cut the crap and make your move! Zhang Xuan berated. Y-yes! Gritting his teeth, Lu Chong drew his soul out from his be and charged at Zhang Xuan. Just the soul energy that was seeping from him in the surroundings was enough to raise a rampaging storm in the area. Zhao Ya and the others stared at the scene intently as they readied themselves to step in should it appear that their teacher was in a dangerous position. There was no questioning their teachers capabilities and talents, but the gap between Sempiternal realm and Blood Reincarnation realm was simply too big. If their teacher were to get injured due to their carelessness, they would really be heinous sinners. Just as everyone was worrying over Zhang Xuan, the person-in-question suddenly raised his arm and flicked it casually without sparing a nce over. Padah! Before Lu Chong could even react, his massive soul had already plummeted right into the ground. As if a massive boulder was weighing down on him, he found himself unable to move at all. Is this the might of a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator which you are so proud of? Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows. I... Lu Chongs face reddened as he found himself unable to speak a word at all. The others also widened their eyes in disbelief upon seeing that sight as well. They were well aware of the strength that Lu Chong wielded. He was the strongest amongst them, but even he was unable to withstand a casual p from their teacher... Was their teacher really at Sempiternal ream consummation? Lets not waste time. All of you should juste at me together. Use the moves which you have intended to execute in order to curb the new Sovereign Chen Yong against me! Zhang Xuan released the pressure on Lu Chong and harrumphed. Yes... Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others nced at one another before nodding in unison. If they were still worried about their teachers safety previously, after seeing thetter rendering Lu Chongpletely powerless in a single move, all of the doubts were dispelled from their minds. Despite havinge so far, it was as if nothing had changed between them and their teacher. He was still berating them and lecturing them on their cultivation. Seeing this constant in their life left them with a mysterious but warm and fuzzy feeling within them. The six of them gathered swiftly aligned their auras together, causing the surrounding air to billow like rapid tides of the ocean. H! Zhao Ya was the first one to make a move. Sword qi ravaged the area, sweeping across the surroundings with the ferocious might of a hurricane. At the same time, the other five also made their move as well in coordination with one another, making sure to seal off all blind spots and augmenting her attack to make it much sharper and more frightening. Standing in the midst of the storm, Zhang Xuan appeared like a lone lighthouse standing in the midst of the stormy seas, on the verge of being swallowed by the furious currents at any moment. From the viewpoint of an outsider, this wasnt a fair duel at all. With a nonchnt look on his face, Zhang Xuan suddenly took a step forward. Boom! It was as if the enormous waves had been tamed; the currents whipping across the air suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others retreated several steps as they felt a severe jolt in their internal zhenqi, causing their faces to turn pale. This is your very first w! Zhang Xuan remarked as he continued walked forward slowly. Continue! Zhao Ya and the others nced at one another before encircling Zhang Xuan once more again. But before their coboration could even fully form, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers, and they were sent staggering back again. This time, they seemed to have sustained even more severe injuries from before. Continue! Everyone was already on the verge of reaching their limits, but hearing the boiling rage behind their teachers voice, they could only grit their teeth and carry on. Peng peng peng! Each and every single time, they would be knocked back with ease within two breaths. Injuries swiftly piled up on them, leaving them feeling as if they would copse soon. It was several dozen roundster before Zhang Xuan finally halted the sparring session. With a wave of his hand, he shot surges of Heavens Path zhenqi from his fingertips into the bodies of his students. At the same time, he tossed a jade bottle into the sky and divided the blood essence within it amongst his students. Boom! Absorbing the Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage blood allowed the students to swiftly recover their strength as their wounds quickly mended up and vanished. Under normal circumstances, their cultivation should surge forward as well, but for some reason, instead of increasing, it was starting to decline even. Within less than ten minutes, Zheng Yangs Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm primary stage cultivation had fallen back to Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation, and it was still continuing to plummet. Zhao Yas cultivation also fell from Bloodline Continuance realm consummation down topletion... What was bewildering was that even though their cultivation had fallen, they found that their fighting prowess had advanced instead. This was especially so for Lu Chong. He had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage previously, but it had regressed back to Great Philosopher realm after his teachers tempering. Despite so, he felt that his soul energy had grown much morepact, allowing him to exert even more devastating might in battle. Not only so, his soul was showing signs of assuming a corporeal form even. If he were to reveal himself, even a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator would find it hard to believe that it was just a soul standing before him. The crux of cultivation lies neither in the speed of your cultivation or the strength you are able to exert. If you fail to build your foundation well, theres no way that you will get far. You would only be building sandcastles in the air. Seeing that his students had vaguely understood what he was trying to do, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and remarked deeply. Education was about guiding a person down a path that was most suited to him. His students were no longer fledglings who needed to be assisted every step of the way, but they were still prone to steer off the path once they were out of his tutge.. As such, he chose not to lecture them on their cultivation or force them to walk the same path as him. Instead, what he wanted to pound into them was the fact that cultivation was not something that one could rush within a short period of time. Patience was the key. This was simr to how despite being stuck at Sempiternal realm consummation for nearly a month, he didnt rush to achieve a breakthrough. Instead, he waited patiently for an impetus. My expectations for you dont just stop at just Ancient Sage. I want you to reach even greater heights! Zhang Xuan said solemnly. If you are unable to even reach Dimension Shatterer realm, theres no need for you to continue following me anymore. Lu Chong, I have given you so much soul energy that would allow you to build up a firm foundation, but you chose to devote all of it to furthering your cultivation. As a result, your soul energy became incredibly loose. Is this what I have taught you? In your current state, if you were to attempt to ovee your bottleneck after reaching Blood Reincarnation realm, you will be reduced by ashes by the lightning tribtion! Everyone hung their faces in shame. They thought that they would beplimented for the swift advancements in their cultivation, but who could have thought that it would actually be their failing instead? Nevertheless, this matter showed them how much their teacher cared for them, and it left their noses feeling a little sour. At this moment, something new began to blossom in their state of mind. Chapter 1852 - The Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Chapter 1852: The Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Alright, lets stop here today. Cultivate on your own! Zhang Xuan said. Beyond Great Sage, there was very little that he could help his students with through lecturing. What was more important was their own talent and hard work. It was because he had imparted too much to his students that they were losing the ability to create what was uniquely theirs, thus resulting in this farce. ... After cultivating for a while, Zhao Ya suddenly asked, Teacher, is Sovereign Chen Yong your student as well? The others also directed their gazes over. They had heard that the new Sovereign Chen Yong had a mentorparable to the deities, and they had thought that it was a fabricated story for thetter to consolidate his power. Never in their wildest dream did they think that the so-called mentor would actually be their teacher! You still havent recognized him? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Recognize? Everyone was taken aback. Wang Ying was the first to think of something, and her eyes widened in disbelief. With quivering lips, she asked, Could it be that... hes Junior Liu Yang? For a while, she had been thinking that there was something weird about their battle with the new Sovereign Chen Yong. Thetter clearly knew their ws, and he had been able to exploit them in crucial moments to turn the tables. Such a thing could be attributed to coincidence if it had only happened once or twice, but the fact that it had continued throughout the battle was really something worth contemting over. She had been wondering if they had crossed paths with the new Sovereign Chen Yong somewhere somehow, but if the other party was their missing junior, the situation would make sense! Just that... was Liu Yang not a human? How did he turn into Sovereign Chen Yong of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Not to mention, his disguise was actually one that they had been unable to see through! Zhao Ya and the others were also stunned by this revtion, and they could hardly believe what they were hearing. They immediately turned to look at Zhang Xuan, wanting to hear the words right from the mouth of their teacher. Thats right. Zhang Xuan nodded. Hes indeed Liu Yang. Its due to some fortuitous encounters that he stumbled upon that he ended up in his current position. However, you must make sure to never reveal this matter, or else he will face great trouble and danger. Even though Liu Yangs inauguration ceremony would legitimize his position as the only Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, his power was built upon the pretext that he was an Otherworldly Demon. If others learnt that he was actually a human, there was no doubt that he would be overthrown in a heartbeat. The situation that had just settled down would be thrown into chaos, and all of their effort would be unraveled. Hes actually Liu Yang... Hearing the confirmation right from their teachers mouth, Zhao Ya and the others had some mixed feelings on the inside. They had thought that their teacher was still recuperating, and they had wanted to do something to cleanse their teachers name. Yet, who could have known that their teacher had already resolved the entire crisis before their arrival? With Liu Yang standing at the top of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, thetter would no longer be a threat to the humans anymore. Zhang Xuan had his students enter his Myriad Anthive Nest and instructed them to cultivate in there before heading back to the capital. ... The inauguration ceremony was still ongoing when Zhang Xuan returned to the square. If there had still been some dissatisfaction regarding the new Sovereign Chen Yong usurping the shared jurisdiction of the Three Sovereigns, after what had happened earlier, there was no one who dared voice their opposition anymore. This is our one and only Sovereign, a figure whom none can rece. It seems like an era of prosperity is soon going to descend upon our Spirit Tribe... Anticipation could be seen in everyones eyes. Sitting down on the regal throne, Liu Yang felt his heart beating wildly. Thinking back, if he had not met his teacher, he would have been an ordinary student in Tianxuan Kingdoms Hongtian Academy. Perhaps, he would not even have reached Fighter 3-dan yet. Somehow, he found himself sitting at the very center of an entire race, bing the person who governed over the greatest threat to humanity. Had it been a year earlier, he would never have dared to even dream of something like that. If there is no opposition... As his heart palpated in agitation, Liu Yang rose to his feet and gazed upon the crowd beneath regally. ... Today, I shall proim myself the Sovereign of the Spirit Tribe! ... Wait a moment? You are telling me that there is a new Sovereign to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and on the day of his inauguration, he announced a ceasefire to the conflict and ordered a peaceful coexistence for the next thousand years? He even requested to establish trade rtions with the Master Teacher Pavilion by creating new markets within the Subterranean Galleries? If an official trading market is created in the Subterranean Galleries, theres no doubt that many master teachers will dive right in. Arent they afraid that we will make use of this opportunity to assault them and eradicate them once and for all? That isnt the most shocking news yet. ording to what I heard, the new Sovereign promotes the virtues of teaching, preaching the importance of respect and formalities. He encourages Otherworldly Demons to listen to the lectures of the master teachers, and he pushes for interracial matrimony. It feels like hes really after a peaceful coexistence... The surviving Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion did not go back to hibernation right after returning from the Temple of Confucius. Instead, browsing through the reports that they had received, they looked as if they had seen a ghost. When they heard that a new Sovereign Chen Yong had risen to power and united the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they had prepared themselves for a tough battle. However, contrary to their expectations, the new Sovereign Chen Yong had actually proposed so many favorable terms for mankind. If those ns were put into action, the scales were likely to tip in mankinds favor. There was a brief moment of silence as the Ancient Sages racked their minds in an attempt to figure out what was going on, but at that moment, an elder suddenly spoke up. I think that this might have something to do with my senior! Yang Xuan. The senior you speak of refers to Celestial Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, right? one of the Ancient Sages asked. Previously, Yang shi had informed the Ancient Sages that his senior was a Celestial Master Teacher, just like Kong shi, an existence who had been recognized by the heavens. Indeed, thats him. ording to the intelligence I have received so far, he has been in the otherworldly battlefield for two months now, Yang shi said. You cant seriously think that he has resolved the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe by convincing them to make peace with us within just two short months, right? another Ancient Sage scoffed. This was a feat that they and their ancestors had worked toward for tens of thousands of years but failed to achieve. For a fellow who had not even reached Ancient Sage to do it within two months... Do you think that this is ying house? Sage Qian is right. Yang shi, arent you taking this matter too lightly? Several voices chirped in agreement. Whether I am taking this matter too lightly or not, well know with a swift analysis. Yang shi did not lose his cool upon hearing that his viewpoint was being challenged. Instead, he calmly looked at the other Ancient Sages before remarking, I believe that all of you are aware of the name of the newly inaugurated Sovereign Chen Yong, right? The Sovereigns name? The Ancient Sages lowered their gazes to look at the information that they had received, and one of them replied with a nod, Yang Liu. Thats right, his name is Yang Liu... As you might know, my senior has eight direct disciples. One of his direct disciples, who went missing a while ago, goes by the name of Liu Yang. Liu Yang? The crowd nced at one another. Yang Liu... Are you suspecting that the new Sovereign Chen Yong, Yang Liu, is Liu Yang? Indeed. Not only are their names simr, the fact that the new Sovereign Chen Yong is rumored to have an exceptionally powerful mentor is also a point that we should be thinking about. Yang shi revealed his conjecture. There were six assassins who appeared during the inauguration ceremony, and the descriptions that I have received match Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others. ording to an eye-witness report, they were exceptionally receptive to the words of the new Sovereign Chen Yongs mentor, obeying his orders without any opposition. I cant think of anyone who holds so much sway over the six of them other than my senior! The crowd immediately fell silent. With so much evidenceid out clearly before them, they would really be diminishing their own intelligence if they continued denying the matter. For Zhang shi to lead his student and single-handedly conquer the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Unbelievable! ___________ Authors Note: The thirteenth arc, [The Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe],es to an end! From the next arc onward, Zhang Xuan shall begin to trace Kong shis footsteps and rise higher and higher, eventually bing the Worlds Teacher. Please look forward to it! Trantors Note: Wheeeeeeee another arcpleted. Yeah, thats all. Chapter 1853 - The Mysteries of the Ancient Domains

Chapter 1853: The Mysteries of the Ancient Domains

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Unaware that his true identity had already been guessed by Yang shi and the others, Zhang Xuan was currently soaring through the air with his direct disciples following behind him. It had already been a month since Liu Yang had been inaugurated as Sovereign Chen Yong of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. A new year had just arrived, so the entire capital was filled with joyful bustle. Over the past month, Zhang Xuan had been offering pointers to his direct disciples, and for a moment, he felt as if he had returned to the days in the Tianxuan Kingdom. There were no grudges, no responsibilities, and no obligations. There were only the simple interactions between a teacher and his students. Each and every day was passed swimming in an ocean of knowledge, indulging in the simple joys of grasping a new move or learning a new cultivation technique. After going through Zhang Xuans systematic training program, the zhenqi of Zhao Ya and the others had been reinforced, bing much denser than before. This had resulted in a significant surge in their fighting prowess. At the same time, Yuan Tao had sessfully cleared his second Ancient Sage Ordeal. As for Liu Yang, after he achieved a breakthrough to Blood Reincarnation realm consummation, he had sessfully ced the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe under hisplete control, thus crushing even thest voices of opposition against him. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans cultivation was still capped at Sempiternal realm consummation. However, his aura felt much moreposed than before, and his state of mind was more stable. It seemed like he could push for a breakthrough at any moment as long as he willed it. Two months of reinforcement had given him a deeper insight into the powers wielded by Ancient Sages, and his fighting prowess had improved considerably. With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, it was no exaggeration to say that he was unrivaled beneath the Dimension Shatterer realm. Even if he encountered that deity from before, he would not be so powerless as to be defeated in a single move. As swift as Zhang Xuans improvements were, there was one person who was growing faster than himVicious. With his body bingplete and the straw garment inducing the growth of his flesh and blood, he had sessfully achieved a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm, which meant that he was already able to shatter the dimension barrier of the world. While I am able to shatter the dimension barrier to open up a pathway to a higher dimension, my body isnt sufficiently resilient to leave this world yet. At the very least, my cultivation has to reach Dimension Shatterer realm consummation first! Vicious exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. At that moment, Liu Yang suddenly flew over from afar and sped his fist. Teacher, I have already looked through all of the books of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and I found that the deities that have appeared in the past cant be truly be considered gods or deities. Rather, they are just beings from the Azure! During that period of time, Zhang Xuan had not only devoted his time entirely to guiding his students cultivation. He had also instructed Liu Yang to make use of his authority as Sovereign Chen Yong to gather information regarding the legends of the deities in hopes that he might gather some clues regarding Luo Ruoxin. The Azure? Indeed. The Azure is a dimension entirely different from the Master Teacher Continent, and the deity that descended previously came from there as well. As its environment is filled with ample Aeon of Ancient Sage, its environment for cultivation is superior to even the best blessednds in our world! Liu Yang exined. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed the ability tomunicate with the deities, so even though most of the legends going around were just hearsay, there were still some slivers of truth amid them. Knowing what his teacher was intending to do, Liu Yang hesitated for a brief moment before exining, However, it seems like the passageway leading to the Azure has beenpletely sealed. Any deities who wish to descend to our world must pay a heavy price through a ritual, and its nigh impossible for us to ascend up to the Azure. The passageway leading to the Azure has beenpletely sealed? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. In truth, he had already guessed as much. It had been a long time since any deities had descended to their world, and ever since Kong shi, there had been no cultivators who had sessfully ascended to the Azure. You also got me to investigate the matter concerning Kong shi, Liu Yang said. Based on what I have found, he disappeared shortly after he captured the Immortals Envoy. Based on the clues I have gathered so far, its likely that he has gone to the Azure. Shortly after Kong shis departure, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers also left the Master Teacher Continent to stand guard at a certain location. I tried investigating deeper into the matter, but the cluese to aplete halt here. However, I feel that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers know more details about Kong shis disappearance. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. In this world, there was definitely no one who knew more about Kong shi than the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Their lineage had stemmed from Kong shi, so they were bound to have records regarding thetter. Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and asked, Do you know where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers are located? He was the one who had contacted the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in order to assault Sovereign Chen Yong. As such, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had no idea where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were, there was no way that he would not know! Ancient Sage Mo Ling pondered for a moment before replying, They should be in the Kunxu Domain. The Kunxu Domain? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. He had heard of plenty of secret domains and the like, but he had never heard of the Kunxu Domain. There are many ancient domains on the Master Teacher Continent; I believe that you should have heard of a couple of them yourself. While the influence of the Master Teacher Pavilion doesnt extend to these ancient domains, they harness the most primordial energy, which nourishes those suffering from deficient bloodlines! Ancient Sage Mo Ling exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The Tianxuan Kingdom was an ancient domain, too. It was in hopes of recovering the Emperors Bloodline that the Yuan Tao had been sent to the Tianxuan Kingdom to fend for himself. The same went for Zhang Xuan. To be honest, Im not too sure where the entrance of the Kunxu Domain is. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers have guarded that secret extremely tightly. However, what I am certain of is that it has close ties to these ancient domains. I would say that theres a good chance that the entrance to the Kunxu Domain is located in one of these ancient domains! Ancient Sage Mo Ling said. He did have channels that allowed him to reach out to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but he had never been to the Kunxu Domain itself. There was no way that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would risk exposing their whereabouts to him after all. Hmm, its located in one of the ancient domains? Zhang Xuan frowned. He pondered for a brief moment beforeing to a decision. I intend to return to the Tianxuan Kingdom for a moment. Do any of you wish toe along with me? To be honest, he felt that there were still some mysteries concerning the Tianxuan Kingdom that he had not unraveled yet. Given how huge the Master Teacher Continent was, he had transcended into the Tianxuan Kingdom. Furthermore, he had even found two students possessing rare unique constitutions there. Of course, it might just have been a coincidence, but he had a feeling that there was more to it. As such, he intended to start his search from there. I have been away for more than a year now. I think its about time for me to return and visit my father, Zhao Ya said with a smile. She had departed from her homnd together with her teacher, and over the past year, she had risen to be one of the top powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent, as well as a powerful Ancient Sage expert. It was about time for her to return and pay a visit to her family. I wish toe along as well! Wang Ying nodded fervently. The others also echoed their agreement. They wanted to return to their roots to take a look at the ce where they had grown up. Liu Yang, you are still needed here for the time being, so you cante along with us. As for the rest, make preparations. Well be setting off soon! Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile. Even though they had sessfully unified the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there were still many reforms that had to be supervised and implemented. If the highest leader, Sovereign Chen Yong, vanished at that crucial moment, there was a good chance that things could go haywire. As indignant as he was, Liu Yang sighed deeply before nodding reluctantly. ... I understand! Zhang Xuan turned to the colossal beast beside Liu Yang and said, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ill be counting on you to assist Liu Yang by his side. Leave it to me! Ancient Sage Allfire replied heartily. Alright, lets go then! After settling the matters there, Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear and slit a dimension rift in front of him. He took the lead and entered the dimension rift, and the others swiftly followed behind him. Chapter 1854 - The Young Lady Who Missed Out

Chapter 1854: The Young Lady Who Missed Out

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As the end of the dimension rift was the spatial seal of the Subterranean Gallery. The group stepped across the seal, returning to the Master Teacher Continent. At this point, Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more to open another dimension rift. Roughly ten minutester, they were already in the sky above the Tianxuan Kingdom. The capital of the Tianxuan Kingdom felt exceptionally serene. The crowds walking through the streets would never have been able to imagine that the strongest lifeforms in this world were floating right above them. Descending from the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others walked into Tianxuan Royal City before entering Hongtian Academy. It had been little more than a year since their departure, but the entire ce seemed to have expanded quite a bit. In the past, it could only house 40,000 students at most, but with its current scale, even housing 400,000 students would not pose too much of a problem! Hurry up! Lu Xunoshi is conducting a lecture today. At this rate, we wont be able to make it in time! I thought that he has just achieved a breakthrough to 2-star master teacher and still needs to reinforce his cultivation? No matter what hes thinking, its a rare opportunity for us to listen in on the ss of a 2-star master teacher. Theres no doubt that his lecture will be extremely beneficial to our cultivation! Back in the day, I listened in on Zhang shis ss, and even though it was only a short half an hour, it left asting effect on me! Wait a moment, youve attended one of Zhang shis sses before? Of course! Little Li, you have only joined the academy this year, so you might not have heard of him before. Zhang shi was the most popr teacher in our Hongtian Academy a year back, and his reputation exceeded even Lu Xunoshis back then! ... While Zhang Xuan, Zhao Ya, and the others were walking around thepounds of the academy, a group of students suddenly rushed past them. They had disguised themselves a little prior to entering the city, so it was no wonder that no one was able to recognize them. Plus, they had left Hongtian Academy a year ago, so no one would be expecting them to be there. Hearing a familiar name, Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile, Oh? Lu Xun is already a 2-star master teacher? Thats quite fast... Lu Xun had been the most respected teacher in Hongtian Academy back when he first transcended over to this world. Even Wang Ying and Zhao Ya had wanted to join his sses, just that they had ended up being intercepted by him. That being said, Lu Xun had only been an ordinary star teacher back then, a huge distance away from bing a 1-star master teacher. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was already a 2-star master teacher! Sometimes, it was truly surprising how quickly things changed. Teacher, shall we head over to take a look? Zhao Ya asked with a smile. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Given that this was the first familiar name that they had heard since returning, it went without saying that they should pay him a visit. While the two of them had been in conflict back then, that had been resolved in the end. To the current him, those were just interesting memories that he would look back upon from time to time. Following the flow of crowd, it did not take long before Zhang Xuan and the others arrived in an auditorium. In there, they saw a young man standing on top of a tall stage with a dignified disposition. He was none other than Lu Xun. Over the past year, he had cultivated an aura unique to him. He was dressed in a master teacher robe with two shining stars pinned on his chest, indicating that he was a 2-star master teacher. Had it been in the past, there was no way that one would have been able to find a 2-star master teacher in the Tianxuan Kingdom. You lot... Just as they were intending to go a bit closer to the stage, a youngdy suddenly appeared before them, blocking their way. With an appearance that hinted that she was in her early teens, this youngdy was dressed in a greenish robe. There was a hint of valiance between her eyebrows, bearing some resemnce to the past Zhao Ya. Perplexed by the appearance of the youngdy, the group of them nced at one another before Wang Ying stepped forward to speak with a smile. We heard that Lu Xunoshi is holding a lecture, so we came over to take a look... If you wish to listen to Luoshis ss, youll have to either sh your Student Token or pay two gold coins. This isnt an entrance fee but a rightfulpensation that a master teacher deserves for his service! the youngdy said as she stretched out her hand to demand payment. Gold coins? Zhang Xuan and the others were stunned. As noble as master teachers were, they needed a means for survival as well. As such, it was customary for them to demand payment for their lectures. Given that Zhang Xuan and the others had already left Hongtian Academy, there was no way that they would still have their Student Tokens with them. It was not that they were unwilling to pay the fee, but it was just a little difficult for them to do so. Even the least valuable item in Zhang Xuans storage ring was a pinnacle spirit stone. Anything beneath that was not even worthy of his notice, let alone the gold coins used in Unranked Kingdoms. We dont have any Student Tokens nor gold coins with us... However, I do have a pill here. Will you be able to make an exception for us with this? After searching his storage ring for a very long time, he finally took out the lowest grade pill in his storage ring and handed it over. A pill? The youngdy widened her eyes in astonishment. Even the resources that her teacher would usually bestow upon her were simple medicinal balls. Pills were considered a top-notch cultivation resource. They had their unique names, and each of them was incredibly valuable. The group before her were unable to take out any gold coins, but they had pills in their possession? The youngdy took the pill from Zhang Xuans hand and examined it closely. Slowly, a frown formed on her forehead. To her eyes, the pill looked perfectly in and ordinary. It formed a stark contrast to the pills harnessing billowing energy that she usually saw around. It seemed to her that the pill in her hands was just a handful of medicinal herbs clumped together. Who do you think youre fooling? Can this be considered a pill? Do you take me for some countryside bumpkin? The youngdy harrumphed wrathfully. She might have been young, but she had seen pills before! A while back, an apothecary had specially delivered a pill in order to get on her teachers good side. She had happened to be around when the apothecary presented his pill. As soon as the lid to the jade container was opened, a surge of spiritual energy had immediately rushed out, leaving one feeling incredibly revitalized. On the other hand, the pill before her was not properly kept in a jade container. Not only so, there was not the slightest spiritual energy that could be felt from it. Are you honestly calling this a pill? You must be joking! If you think that you can use this poor imitation of a pill to cheat me of fourteen gold coins, you are sorely mistaken! Seeing the furious look on the youngdys face, Wang Ying realized that the youngdy was unable to discern the true value of the pill, so she quickly exined, This really is a pill. Furthermore, its one that can aid your cultivation, so its value definitely far surpasses gold coins... I only want gold coins. I dont need this pill! The youngdy harrumphed indignantly as she tossed the pill back to Zhang Xuan. This... Zhang Xuan had no idea whether he shouldugh or cry at this situation. With his current fortune, even a pill that he randomly picked out of his storage ring could be sold for an astronomical price in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. He was offering it to a youngdy instead of the fourteen gold coin entrance fee, but the other party actually thought that he was a swindler. Hearing that her teacher was being called a swindler, Wang Ying took out another medicinal herb and passed it over. Since you dont want the pill, what about this herb? Its also quite valuable, so I believe it should suffice topensate the fee. It was a 500-year-old Coldstar Grass! Of course, as the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild, there was no way that she would have gold coins on her. You want to pay for the entrance fee with this weed? Dont think that Im a naive little girl just because Im young! Ill have you know that my teacher is 2-star Master Teacher Lu Xun! No matter what you say or bring out today, unless you can fork out the fourteen gold coins entrance fee, Ill have to ask you to leave! It was one thing for the other party to try to fool her with fake pills, but to think that the other party would try to fool her with some wild grass that she could not recognize too! Feeling insulted, the youngdys face turned livid. I... Wang Ying was rendered speechless. She had no idea how she could deal with this situation. With her current identity, everything that could be found in her storage ring was an extraordinary and exclusive item. For her to take out something that was worth fourteen gold coins and recognizable to this youngdy... this was really a bit difficult. You arent going to pay the fee? From the looks of it, it seems like you are really here just to cause trouble! Seeing the conflicted looks on the faces of the group, the youngdy was convinced that they were all scammers. Unable to hold back her rage anymore, she turned around and eximed, Senior, these people here are refusing to pay for Luoshis lesson. Please send them out for me! Hu! The next moment, a young man wielding a spear walked out from a nearby room. Upon seeing the young mans silhouette, Zheng Yangs body stiffened as his eyes reddened a little. Mo Xiao, is that you? Chapter 1855 - Mo Xiao Wants a Duel

Chapter 1855: Mo Xiao Wants a Duel

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The young man who had just appeared was none other than the close brother whom Zheng Yang had grown up with, Mo Xiao! Back then, the two of them had joined Hongtian Academy with gusto, swearing to one another that they would join Wang Chaooshis ss and be his student. Mo Xiao had eventually seeded, but due to his poor performance during the assessment, Zheng Yang had lost his ce to Sun Shan and ended up bing Zhang Xuans student. Back then, none of them could have imagined that things would turn out like that. The one who had cleared the assessment was still stuck in the Tianxuan Kingdom, and his name only echoed within the walls of Hongtian Academy. On the other hand, the one who had failed the assessment had risen above the ranks and be the head of the Combat Master Hall. In terms of strength, there were probably no more than a handful of people who could put up a fight against him. Sometimes, the ns that fate had in store were truly baffling. You are... Hearing his name being called in a very familiar manner, Mo Xiao could not help but frown. As an Ancient Sage, if Zheng Yang did not want someone weaker than him to recognize him, there was no way the other party would be able to discern his original appearance. As a result, not even the brother whom he had grown up with was able to recognize him. I am Zheng Yang! Zheng Yang said as he dispelled his disguise, revealing his true appearance. Zheng Yang? Hearing that familiar name and seeing that familiar face, Mo Xiaos eyes suddenly reddened. The two of them had been together ever since they were very young, and they had practiced their spearmanship together. It had only been a year since they had parted from one another, but Mo Xiao had always thought that they would never meet again in their lifetime. He had not thought that they would meet one another again so soon. After his agitation died down, Mo Xiao asked, Didnt you leave with Zhang shi? Why would you... Based on what he had heard, Zhang Xuan had sessfully cleared the master teacher examination, thus bing the pride of the Tianxuan Kingdom. As for what happened afterward, due to the Tianxuan Kingdom being too isted from the rest of the world, Mo Xiao did not know too much. I happened to be free, so I came back to meet up with you and the others! Zheng Yang replied with a smile. He could tell that the other party was curious about what he had been through over the past year, but to be honest, he had no idea how he should begin exining it. After all, there was no one in the Tianxuan Kingdom who knew anything about the Combat Master Hall or Ancient Sages... Would the other party understand the significance of these terms if he tried to exin it to him? This is great! Given how long you have been with Zhang shi, you should have already reached Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm by now, right? It has been very long since west sparred with one another! Ill have you know that Ive learned a formidable spear art in thest year, and my cultivation has also reached Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm pinnacle! Let me see how much you have improved over the past year! With a flick of his wrist, Mo Xiao retrieved his spear from his back and pointed it toward Zheng Yang with fighting will ring from him. He had been unable to find a suitable sparring partner ever since Zheng Yang left, and his hand had been itching for a good opponent. Upon seeing Zheng Yang right before his eyes, how could he possibly allow the other party to get away without a fight? Zongshi realm? Tongxuan realm pinnacle? Spear art? Zheng Yang was not too sure how he should react to this situation. He looked at Mo Xiao for a moment before shaking his head. Why dont we sit down and catch up with one another instead? It had just been year, but those realms felt so far away from him that he could hardly remember them anymore. Why? Are you afraid that Ill identally injure you? Theres no need to worry about thatIm able to control my strength rather well. Ill hold myself back if I see that you are at your limits. There wont be any problems, so theres no need to worry! Mo Xiaoughed heartily. This... Zheng Yang scratched his head in embarrassment. For an Ancient Sage like him to actually spar with a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm cultivator... Wasnt this pretty much bullying? Noticing Zheng Yangs hesitation, Mo Xiao frowned. Are you looking down on me right now, or are you afraid that you will be humiliated upon suffering a defeat? Thats not it... Since Mo Xiao had already put it in such a way, there was no way that Zheng Yang could continue turning him down. Thus, he shook his head helplessly before taking out the weakest spear that he had in his possession. Where should we have the battle? Oh? You even have a storage ring! Not bad, it seems like Zhang shi treats you quite well! Seeing the spear materialize in Zheng Yangs arm, Mo Xiaos eyes glowed in envy. He pointed to the side and said, My teacher is going to hold a ss here, so lets go over to a dueling ring. He doesnt have a storage ring either... Seeing the massive gap standing between the two of them, Zheng Yang shook his head bitterly. Feeling a bad premonition, he sighed deeply before replying, Lets go then. They began making their way over to the dueling ring not too far away. Lets head over to take a look too! Since the lecture over here had yet to begin, Zhang Xuan and the others decided to follow along. At the same time, seeing that those swindlers were actually acquainted with her senior, the youngdy hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to tag along. Both Zheng Yang and Mo Xiao leaped onto the nearest dueling ring, and they immediately caught the attention of the crowd. Seeing that so many people had gathered around, Zheng Yang quickly concealed his appearance and aura so that the other spectators would not discern his true identity. Mo Xiao is the famed spearmanship genius in the academy. With his cultivation, even the teachers and elders arent a match for him. Where in the world did that fellow pop out from to darepete with him? I have no idea. Im just here to watch the other party get pummeled! Haha! Same here! Over the past year, Mo Xiao had made rapid progress under Lu Xuns tutge. Be it in terms of his cultivation or hisprehension of spearmanship, he was already approaching a levelparable to Zongshi. There would not be too many people in the entire Hongtian Academy who were a match for him, let alone a youngster who had just appeared from nowhere! On the other hand, Lu Xun had also noticed themotion, and it did not take him long to figure out what was going on from the discussion among the crowd. Sighing deeply, he looked at the crowd, who were looking at the duel excitedly, and said, Since they are going to have a duel, I shall use their duel as the topic of my lecture today. Ill talk about the feasibility of certain spearmanship maneuvers in real time battle. Woah! That will really be an interesting lecture! Waaa! I love hearing Luoshi talking about practical battle concepts! There is no lecture that will enhance ones fighting prowess more than this. I really havente in vain today! Hearing that Lu Xun was going to lecture about the usage of spearmanship in battle, a hugemotion rippled through the crowd, and the excitement in the room was palpable. Everyone swiftly turned their gazes to the dueling ring. Haha,e! Seeing that everyones attention was on him, including his teachers, Mo Xiao felt more pumped than ever. With a powerful push, his spear whooshed toward Zheng Yang. Wuuuuuuu! The speed of his spear was so fast that one could literally hear a sonic boom in the air. The attack that Mo Xiao has just made isnt too bad. His movements are decisive, and it follows through smoothly without any unnecessary hesitation, reminiscent of the flowing current of a river. The crux in spearmanship lies in the fluidity of ones movements. Once one has made a decision, ones movements must be lightning fast in order to create a powerful momentum to overwhelm ones enemy. Ordinary Zongshis would find it hard to stand against the attack that Mo Xiao justunched, Lu Xun exined calmly as he nodded in satisfaction. Meanwhile, as one of the participants of the duel, Zheng Yang was extremely conflicted. The movement of the spear before him was simply too slow, no different from the movements of a snail. Furthermore, its might was so weak that if he deflected it carelessly, he might end up hurting his friend. This really put him in a spot. Deflecting it was not an option, but not deflecting it was not a good idea either... What a dilemma! Just as I said, the momentum created by Mo Xiao has overwhelmed his enemy, leaving his enemy in utter panic. Seeing that Zheng Yang was not moving in the least, Lu Xun nodded. The spearmanship that I have imparted to Mo Xiao is centered around the idea of momentum. Its true might lies in controlling the flow of battle through imposing momentum. In order to train Mo Xiao, I took him to a waterfall and had him withstand the force of the currents for three whole months before he reached his current level. Theres no doubt that his opponent is going to l-l-l-l-lose... Before he could finish his words, his lips suddenly began quivering uncontrobly. Mo Xiaos spear struck Zheng Yangs eye squarely, and then... Itpletely dissipated. The spear, that was. Chapter 1856 - The Value of the Pill

Chapter 1856: The Value of the Pill

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 ... Zheng Yang felt so embarrassed that he could wither on the spot. It was in a moment of tough internal conflict that the other partys spear suddenly struck his eye, but that was not the worst. He had identally released a small sliver of a fraction of a hint of his zhenqi due to the aggression, and the other partys spear had simply dissipated. Mortal-tier weapons were simply too flimsy! If it had been a Great Sage artifact instead... it would have at least taken a flutter of his eyelid to do the same! He really should have controlled his strength better in the duel... but then again, he did not even exert any strength at all! Deng deng deng deng! With the spear dissipating, Mo Xiao leaped back in sheer horror. He had aimed for Zheng Yangs eye, thinking that thetter would surely attempt to dodge, but who could have known that thetter would remainpletely still, as if a statue? He had really panicked for a moment, but to his astonishment, instead of a tragedy unfolding before his eyes, his spear had be the victim of the battle instead! It was in that moment that he realized that Zheng Yang was far more powerful than he had thought. Thus, he hurriedly retreated several steps before abruptly twisting his body around to send a kick right over. The transmission leading up to the kick was extremely smooth, and it was apparent just by looking at it that Mo Xiao had refined this move over and over again in order to achieve perfection. With chilling intent, his leg whipped right toward Zheng Yangs neck. Kacha! As if kicking a metal pir, Mo Xiaos shin splintered from the center. Argh! With a cry of agony, Mo Xiao copsed to the ground. His eyes reflected his disbelief as he eximed, Could it be that you have surpassed Zongshi realm to reach Zhizun realm? I... Zheng Yangs face twitched. He had not even made a move, but the other partys spear and leg were already ruined. How were they supposed to have a proper duel like that? I never thought that you would have reached such a level... Facing Zheng Yangs silence, Mo Xiao thought that he had guessed correctly, and envy rippled in the depths of his eyes. When he first heard that his good friend hade under Zhang shis tutge, he had felt sympathy for thetter for a very long time. Not too longter, a conflict had happened between Zhang shi and Lu Xunoshi, and his teacher, Wang Chaooshi, had made hime under Lu Xunoshis tutge instead. He had battled with Zheng Yang then, and it was there that he had realized that thetters spearmanship had already far exceeded his. Ever since then, he had worked himself tirelessly, hoping to challenge Zheng Yang once more to a duel and best him. This was also why he had challenged Zheng Yang to a duel so passionately as soon as they reunited with one another. He had thought that his hard work over the year would allow him to defeat thetter with ease, but who could have known that the other party had already reached Zhizun realm, thus pulling his distance away from him? His attack could not even hurt the other party! I... Zheng Yang intended to exin the matter, but eventually, he simply shook his head. In Mo Xiaos eyes, Zhizun realm probably meant the very peak of the world. It was only normal for him to think that way. A this moment, a voice echoed across the room. It was from Zhang Xuan. Hes already someone from a different world from you. Hearing those words, Zheng Yang lowered his gaze mncholically. He had been excited a moment ago to see his good friend, but by that point, his joy had already vanished. It was just a year of absence, but the gap between them had grown so huge that a rift of unthinkable size stood between the two of them. It swiftly dawned on him that the old days were already gone, and there was no way that the rtionship between him and Mo Xiao would be the same anymore. Due to the difference in positions and strength, they no longer had a sharednguage with one another. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, the rift would only be more and more visible to them until it was shoved right into their faces. Such was the current situation between them. Mo Xiao was still wondering whether he had achieved a breakthrough from Zongshi to Zhizun realm whereas the truth was that he had already reached a level that Mo Xiao could not even fathom. Along with your growth, you will inevitably part with many friends... Zhang Xuan continued. The worlds that Zheng Yang and Mo Xiao lived in had already diverged from one another, and it was unlikely that they would ever intersect again. It was not that any of them wanted to sever their friendship, but the sheer difference in their strength changed the nature of their rtionship. Rivalry had always been a key aspect of their rtionship, and there was no way that Mo Xiao could ept an unbridgeable distance between the two of them. Such a rtionship would only crush his confidence and esteem. Hearing his teachers words, Zheng Yang shook out of his state and replied with a smile, Yes, youre right. I have reached Zhizun realm... He pulled his good friend from the ground before walking over to Zhang Xuan. Teacher, may I have the pill that you took out earlier? Mo Xiao is injured, so I would like to give it to him. Here. With a flick of his finger, the pill that Zhang Xuan had given the youngdy earlier flew into Zheng Yangs hand. Eat this! Zheng Yang said as he passed the pill over to Mo Xiao. Un! Mo Xiao nodded. He was just about to swallow the pill when the youngdy from before suddenly walked over with an anxious look on her face. Senior, I took a look at the pill earlier, and there isnt the slightest hint of spiritual energy in it. Its very likely a fake pill! You mustnt eat it! She had taken a look at it, and the pill appeared extremely suspicious to her. What if Mo Xiao ate it and his cultivation went berserk? Dont worry, I believe in Zheng Yang. He wouldnt harm me! Mo Xiao replied with a smile before swallowing the pill heartily. While the vast difference in their strength did leave him feeling a little disheartened, the trust and feelings that he had for Zheng Yang had not changed at all. He knew for certain that Zheng Yang would not harm him, and he trusted him so. Little Meng is right. Mo Xiao, how can you swallow a pill from another person so recklessly? Lu Xun also did not expect his student to swallow the pill given by another person so readily. With a frown on his forehead, he rushed forward and ced his palm on Mo Xiaos body, saying, Ill check on your physical condition to see if theres anything wrong with that pill! Boom! Barely after his zhenqi surged into Mo Xiaos acupoints, a gush of heat suddenly rushed out from thetters body, knocking him back. Peng! Lu Xun was sent flying before knocking heavily onto the stage, leaving a massive pit in it. What terrifying strength... Lu Xun remarked with narrowed eyes as he struggled to his feet. He anxiously looked at his student, only to see tremendous energy pulsating around thetters acupoints. It looked almost as if the young man would burst into mes. An incredible surge of spiritual energy gathered around the young man, forming a massive spiral above him. Kacha! In less than three breaths, he had already ovee his bottleneck, and his Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivation advanced into Zongshi realm. However, it did not stop there. Zongshi realm primary stage! Zongshi realm intermediate stage! Zongshi realm advanced stage! Zongshi realm pinnacle... Zhizun realm primary stage! Zhizun realm intermediate stage... Even upon reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle, the momentum of his breakthroughs did not halt at all. He continued achieving a breakthrough right to Transcendent Mortal. Eventually, his cultivation stabilized at Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm. Every movement of his was suffused with incredible power, making it feel as if he had just ascended to immortality. T-this... Lu Xuns eyes widened as his body trembled uncontrobly. Looking almost as if he had seen a ghost, he uttered in disbelief, That pill... is it a grade-6 pill? Only a pill of grade-6 and above could possibly contain such pure medicinal energy that it would allow a person to achieve a breakthrough of several realms at once withouting to harm. Grade-6? The youngdy from before suddenly felt her vision going dark. She suddenly recalled how she had rejected the pill earlier when they offered to pay her with it instead of gold coins... and she had even used the other party of trying to swindle her. Had she epted and swallowed it right away, the person to have made a breakthrough would have been her instead! Of course not! Hearing Lu Xuns words, Zheng Yang shook his head. How could my teacher possibly have grade-6 pills? It isnt a grade-6 pill? If that isnt the case, how could it allow Mo Xiao to achieve a breakthrough without suffering any side effects? His cultivation still feels incrediblypact; there isnt any feeling of looseness or instability! Lu Xun argued with widened eyes. All medicine contained some degree of poison. The higher grade a pill was, the greater medicinal energy it would harness, thus boosting a persons cultivation by a greater degree. However, this came at a price. Ones cultivation would be unstable after the breakthroughs, and it was highly likely that it would harm ones body in one way or another. Was it really possible for a pill lower than grade-6 to achieve such mystical effects? Grade-6 pills dont have the ability to simultaneously heal a persons injuries and boost their cultivation significantly. The pill my teacher took out is a grade-8 pill, which is why Mo Xiao was able to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation! Zheng Yang exined with a smile. Grade-8? Themotion in the auditorium abruptly hushed as everyone found themselves stupefied by what they had just heard. Chapter 1857 - Zheng Yang’s Girlfriend (1)

Chapter 1857: Zheng Yangs Girlfriend (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It went without saying that a grade-8 pill could only be forged by an 8-star apothecary or above. Every single one of those pills was unbelievably invaluable. Even the king of the Tianxuan Kingdom would willingly abandon his position if he could acquire a grade-8 pill in return! To actually give such a valuable pill to Mo Xiao without any hesitation... Feeling the energy coursing through his body and his right leg healing up without a hitch, Mo Xiao felt as if he was dreaming. He hurriedly shook his head and eximed, Zheng Yang, this is simply too expensive. I cant ept this gift from you! He had thought that it would just be an ordinary recovery pill. How in the world was he to know that it would actually be a legendary grade-8 pill? Had he known that it was worth so much, he would never have swallowed it! Theres no need to stand on ceremonyits just a pill. Given our rtionship, its nothing at all! Zheng Yang patted his good friends shoulder as he spoke with a smile. Even though their worlds had diverged from one another, their feelings still remained. The nature of their rtionship might change, but he would always remember Mo Xiao to be the person who had practiced spearmanship along with him in his younger days. Realizing that the young man standing before him was actually a fearsome figure, Lu Xun hurriedly walked over with a hint of deference in his eyes. Mo Xiao, your friend is... A person who could afford to take out a grade-8 pill and gift it to another so easily... Without a doubt, the other party was not someone whom a 2-star master teacher like him couldpare to. Teacher, he is... Perplexed to hear that his teacher was unable to recognize his good friend, Mo Xiao frowned in doubt. He was just about to introduce Zheng Yang when he heard a voice in his ears. I think it will be best if you dont introduce me. Back then, things didnt end too happily between me and Lu Xunoshi... Mo Xiao immediately trailed to a halt. Indeed. Due to Lu Xun humiliating Zhang shi back then, his good friend, together with Zhao Ya and the others, had challenged Lu Xun to a duel and pummeled him in public, causing their rtionship to be rather tense. Hes a friend whom I met by coincidence. I just didnt think that he would have such a valuable pill in his possession! Mo Xiao replied. I see. Lu Xun could detect that Mo Xiao was not beingpletely honest, but he chose not to probe any further. He took a nce at Zhang Xuan and the others before nodding contemtively. While the pill has raised your cultivation, you still have to reinforce it carefully before you are able to utilize it properly. Since thats the case, I wont bother you any longer. Lets meet again in the future! Having caused such a hugemotion, Zheng Yang felt that it would be awkward if he remained there. Thus, he bade his farewell to Mo Xiao before leaving with Zhang Xuan and the others. At this point, there was no one amid the crowd who did not know that they were extraordinary, especially the youngdy who had demanded the entrance fee from them earlier. She quickly rushed up to them, hoping to grasp the opportunity that she had missed earlier once more. However, barely after she took a few steps, her vision suddenly blurred. Before she knew it, their silhouettes had vanished, as if they had never appeared in the first ce. It was as if everything had been a dream. Even when she tried to recall the event earlier, she found that she was unable to recall their faces, let alone their unique traits. Wahhh! The youngdy copsed to the ground and began bawling. How could she have allowed such an opportunity to slip right through her fingers? At that moment, all she wanted to do was bawl her eyes out. On the other hand, Lu Xun sent a telepathic message to Mo Xiao, remarking, They are Zhang shi and his direct disciples. It was hard to tell whether he was asking a question or simply making a statement. Teacher... Mo Xiaos face reddened upon hearing those words. It was clear to see that his good brother had been unwilling to reveal his identity publicly, but at the same time, he did not wish to lie to his teacher. I dont intend to put you in a tough position... The reason I was able to tell is because I cant think of anyone else who woulde here and give you a grade-8 pill, Lu Xun said with a bitter smile. Treasure your friend well. Its the greatest fortune of your life to know him. Having cleared the 2-star master teacher examination, he was privy to some of the secrets of the world. Through his connections, he had learned that his rival from a year ago, after leaving Tianxuan Kingdom, had lived a brilliant life that shone like the stars in the sky. From time to time, he would hear of the other party performing some sort of spectacr feat that would leave the eyeballs of others popping out. Many said that he was a genius as well, butpared to the other party... Well, there was probably no merit in making thisparison at all. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a tadpole in a marsh standing in the face of a divine dragon of the Nine Heavens... Seeing that his teacher knew the truth, Mo Xiao knew that there was no point hiding it at all. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, Teacher, you knew? If so, may I know if Zheng Yang is at Zhizun realm... or even higher than that? His first thought upon witnessing the other partys strength was that the other party had achieved a breakthrough to Zhizun realm. However, after he swallowed the pill and his cultivation rose to Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm, he found that he was still unable to urately perceive Zheng Yangs strength. It was only then that he realized that his good friend had already reached a level that even his teacher could only look up to. His current realm is not something that we are qualified to know. You only need to know that if your brother had fought seriously earlier, theres a good chance that the entire Tianxuan Kingdom might have disappearedpletely from the map, Lu Xun replied helplessly. The entire Tianxuan Kingdom... disappearing from the map? Mo Xiaos lower jaw fell ck in astonishment. ... After leaving the auditorium, Zhang Xuan and his students headed to the ssroom where they had studied in the past. There were no changes to the ssroom; it looked as small and narrow as it had done before. After looking around the ssroom for a while, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, You should go and reunite with your kin! Un! Nodding, Wang Ying, Zhao Ya, and the others took their leave. Wang Ying came from one of the Four Great ns of Tianxuan Royal City, so her elder brother and father resided in the city. Zhao Yas father was one of the highest officials of the Tianxuan Kingdom and was currently serving as the lord of Baiyu City, Naturally, she had to meet her father since she had finally returned. As for Wei Ruyan and Lu Chong, as they had already lost all of their kin, they did not have anyone particr whom they really wanted to meet. Shortly after Zhao Ya and the others left, Zheng Yang hesitated for a brief moment before asking, Junior Ruyan... may I trouble you toe along with me? What is it? Wei Ruyan replied with a frown. Perhaps it was due to the influence of her background or the Innate Poison Body, but she had a cold demeanor. Other than Zhang Xuan, she would rarely bother with others, even if the other party was her senior or junior. While she was rtively closer to Zheng Yang, the truth was that they rarely spoke to one another. I need your help with something... its about one of the regrets that I have been harboring thus far! Zheng Yang spoke hesitantly. Oh? Very well then. What is it? Wei Ruyan replied. Her teacher had always told her that she should look after her juniors and seniors. Since Zheng Yang needed her help with something, as long as it was not too much trouble, she did not mind helping him. I would like to bring you to meet someone... You want me to meet someone? Wei Ruyan asked in bewilderment. It was not as if Zheng Yang did not know that she did not take too well to anyone except for their teacher, so why did he still make such a request of her? Seeing Wei Ruyans expression, Zheng Yang hurriedly exined in embarrassment, You dont have to say anythingter on. You just have to stand on the spot, and itll suffice... Just who in the world is it? If the other party is strong, you can report it to our teacher and get his help, Wei Ruyan said. No, no! That isnt it. Not only is she not strong, shes extremely weak... At this point, Zheng Yang gritted his teeth tightly, as if making up his mind, before exining, To tell you the truth... Before I came under our teachers tutge, there was a girl whom I loved. I gave her my heart, only to be faced with cold mockery and rejection... Since I have returned here, I wanted to meet her once more. Its not that I still have feelings for her, but I want to put a full stop to this regret of mine... In other words, you want me to act as your girlfriend? Wei Ruyan scoffed. Her senior was already the head of the Combat Master Hall, an Ancient Sage expert. Who could have thought that he would be such an amateur when it came to affairs rting to the heart? So, because he had been rejected by the other party in the past, he wanted to find an even more beautiful person to act as his girlfriend so as to make the other party regret rejecting him? What a childish act it was! Had she been in his shoes, there was no way that she would have resorted to something as meaningless as that. If the other party dared reject her, she would have just poisoned the other party to death. It would be an utter waste of breath to thrash things out and speak so much nonsense. Chapter 1858 - Zheng Yang’s Girlfriend (2)

Chapter 1858: Zheng Yangs Girlfriend (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zheng Yang scratched his head in embarrassment at having his intentions pointed out so directly by Wei Ruyan. Fine, fine. Ill agree to your request! Seeing the look on Zheng Yangs face, Wei Ruyan sighed deeply before relenting. With a glint in her eyes, she asked, So, what do you need me to do? Shall I poison her? If you want, I can guarantee her a slow and painful death, and you can be assured that there will be no evidence pointing to you. If you are worried about her family getting vengeance on you, I can help you get rid of them as well... A-ah... Its alright. I think I can handle it by myself, Zheng Yang replied with a shudder. He was getting the feeling that he might have erred in his judgement when he requested his juniors help. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. If you dont want her dead, I can concoct some pills that will eat into her mind and turn her into a puppet. She will be your toy to y with, and you wont need to worry about her turning against you at all... Wei Ruyan continued throwing out ideas with a nonchnt look on her face. Cough cough... Zheng Yang quickly interrupted Wei Ruyans train of thought. Junior, I just remembered that I still have other stuff to attend to! You seem to be rather busy as well, so I guess I wont trouble you for such trivialities. Farewell! And so, he immediately turned tail and fled. As expected of the master of Poison Hall... Wei Ruyan was truly not someone to be trifled with! However, before Zheng Yang could get far, he heard the sound of wind behind him. Turning around, he saw a frail figure following behind him, and he was nearly scared out of his wits. Junior Ruyan... Zheng Yang said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. I get it, you dont need to waste your breath exining. I was only making some casual remarks; its not as if I am fond of meaningless ughter! Even if I want to make a move, Ill only make a move on those who are an Ancient Sage and above. Ordinary humans dont really pique my interest anymore! Wei Ruyan harrumphed. While she was the master of the Poison Hall, she was not the kind of person who would take away a life for trivial reasons. Her words might not reflect it, but having lost her loved ones before, she was well aware of the value of life. Besides, if she dared make light of life, her teacher would probably be the first one to whip her to death. But... Zheng Yang protested weakly. He knew that his junior had just been pulling his leg, but he really did not dare order a person as skilled with poison as Wei Ruyan around! If she lost her cool and released her poison, he would really be at a loss. No buts. Lead the way forward. If you dare say another meaningless word, Ill poison you mute! Wei Ruyan flung her hands coolly. ... Zheng Yang nearly burst into tears. What the heck was that? If he had known that would happen earlier, there was no way that he would have turned to her for help. Things really seemed to be getting out of his control. It was as if he had gotten onboard a pirates ship and could not alight anymore. The two of them swiftly flitted out of Hongtian Academy, and not too longter, they stopped right before a majestic manor. This manor was truly humongous in size, spanning the width of an entire street. Looking down at the manor from the sky, Zheng Yang was confused. Wait a moment, this doesnt seem right... Whats wrong? Wei Ruyan walked up to his side. I used to live in this area, and Im sure that its a civilian area. Why would there be such a huge manor here? Zheng Yang remarked in astonishment. His family was not too well-to-do. Otherwise, if he had gone through systematic training, he would not have had difficulties clearing Wang Chaooshis assessment! Before he left, the ce had still been an ordinary civilian housing area. When did such a massive manor appear there? Isnt that question a really simple one to answer? You just have to grab a person off the streets and ask him. Wei Ruyan descended to the ground and walked up to a tea stand. Looking at the owner of the tea stand, she asked, Friend, may I ask if this manor has recently been constructed? The owner of the tea stand initially could not be bothered to answer the question, but when he saw the looks of the youngdy, a smile blossomed on his face as he quickly answered, Youngdy, it must be your first time in Tianxuan Royal City! Youre right, this manor was recently constructed. The construction began a year ago, and it waspleted in less than a month. Its said that all of the top craftsmen in the area worked tirelessly within this period of time in order toplete this project on time! Take a look at theyout of the courtyard. Rumor has it that the owner of the manor hiredndscapers, making it a building even grander than the royal pce itself! Evenndscapers were brought in? Wei Ruyan and Zheng Yang exchanged gazes. Most civilians in Tianxuan Royal City might have been unaware of the significance ofndscapers, but the two of them were fully aware. Evenrge ns like the Zhang n would have to tap into some connections in order to contact andscaper. If the owner of the manor had the resources to build this manor and connections to hire andscaper... why would they still choose to live in Tianxuan Royal City? Do you know whose manor this is? Zheng Yang asked out of curiosity. Its the Su ns manor! the owner of the tea stand replied. Su n? Zheng Yang was perplexed. Since when has there been a Su n in Tianxuan Royal City? The Four Great ns of the Tianxuan Royal City had always been the Wang, Liu, Bai, and Du. There had never been any notable Su ns in the vicinity before. You have never heard of the Su n? Do you know of its n head, Su Maoqing? the owner of the tea stand asked with a frown. Su Maoqing? Zheng Yangs body jolted as he looked as if he had heard something unbelievable. Is... Is his daughter Su Feifei? Thats right! The owner of the tea stand nodded in response. If not for his daughter finding a good son-inw, theres no way that he, Su Maoqing, would have been able to live in such a luxurious manor! If it was two years ago, he wouldnt have been able to afford the tea from my stand! Even the clothes that he wore were shabby and ugly. However, after finding himself that son-inw, the one thing that he doesntck now is money. I heard that he spent a total of ten gold coins just for his dinner yesterday! Wait a moment! Son-inw? Zheng Yang cut into the owners words. Unknowingly, his hands had already clenched into fists. Huh? It looks like you really dont know much, do you? However, you are right to ask me about the matter! I have been working here for more than ten years now, and theres nothing in this area that escapes my notice! The owner of the tea stand was bing more and more passionate in his words, such that it was starting to feel as if he would never stop. His daughter, Su Feifei, somehow got to know a noble of some empire. The noble is rich and powerful, and he built this massive manor just for the two of them. Otherwise, given the capabilities of that father and daughter, do you think that they would ever have been able to afford something of this scale? I see... Zheng Yang replied as he nodded in a daze. So, this Su Feifei is the youngdy whom you fancied in the past? It seems like she doesnt a good eye for people! Wei Ruyan chuckled softly as she sent a telepathic message to Zheng Yang. Be it the noble of whichever empire or what, even emperors would pale inparison to the current Zheng Yang! To think that Su Feifei had actually forsaken the pearl before her eyes to settle with a mere noble... It sure would be interesting to break open her mind and find out what she was thinking once she found out what she had missed out on. I... Zheng Yang was momentarily unable to find the words to speak. Back then, he had been rejected by Su Feifei right before the assessment, resulting in his forceful spearmanship being riddled with hesitance. As a result, he had failed toe under Wang Chaos tutge. Look, they areing out! Jiya! The massive gates of the manor creaked open, and a youngdy holding onto the arm of a middle-aged man walked out from within. The youngdy was decent looking, but in terms of appearance, she would hardly be a match for even Shen Bi Ru, let alone Wei Ruyan, Zhao Ya, and the others. The middle-aged man beside her had a plump body and slightly distorted facial features. His size was even more exaggerated than Yuan Taos. Despite so, the youngdys chin remained proudly tilted upward, as if she was holding onto the hand of a charming prince. Seeing this sight, Wei Ruyan scoffed, The person you liked actually married such an ugly old man? It was likely that Su Feifei had married the other party for his money, but how in the world could Su Feifei bear sleeping beside someone like that every night if it was not true love? Breathing out deeply, Zheng Yang turned around and said, Lets go! This was the first person whom he had liked, and his crush on her hadsted more than five years. All he wanted was to pay her onest visit so as to put down his feelings for her once and for all. Since he had met her, and it seemed like she was living blissfully... that was already enough for him. Go? The show hasnt even started yet, so how can we go at such an exciting moment? Wei Ruyan chuckled softly as her lips crept into a smile. Chapter 1859 - A Bird in the Jungle

Chapter 1859: A Bird in the Jungle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 No matter what, Zheng Yang was her senior. He had offered his heart to Su Feifei back then, only to be cruelly rejected. If Su Feifei had lived her life properly since then, she would have had nothing to say. However, she had actually found an oversized old man to live with. Of course, it was Su Feifeis right to choose how she wanted to live, but Wei Ruyan simply could not help but feel pissed at this turn of events. And given that she was pissed, how could she possibly allow them to continue living happily? Not expecting Wei Ruyan to refuse to leave, Zheng Yang suddenly had a bad premonition. Junior, dont mess around. They are just ordinary people... Dont worry, I dont n on going too far! Ignoring Zheng Yangs protests, Wei Ruyan took a seat at the tea stand and smiled sweetly at the owner. Boss, a pot of tea here! After the pot of tea arrived, she sipped leisurely on the tea as if she was just idling her afternoon around in the area. Knowing that it would be impossible for him to forcefully extricate Wei Ruyan from the area, Zheng Yang clutched his forehead before sitting right in front of her with a helpless look on his face. Su Feifei looked at the middle-aged man beside her and asked, Xiang -ge 1 , are we really heading to the royal pce? I instructed that Shen Zhui fellow to bring me some death soldiers, but he hasnt gotten it done yet. He probably doesnt want his emperors seat anymore! The middle-aged man addressed as Xiang-ge harrumphed coldly as a vicious glint shed across his eyes. To dare disobey Xiang-ge, that Shen Zhui sure is brazen! If we dont teach him a lesson, he might think that hes really something! Su Feifei covered her mouth with her hand as she scoffed coyly, fully revealing her disdain for the emperor of the Tianxuan Kingdom. In the eyes of others, Shen Zhui was the respected emperor of the Tianxuan Kingdom, but to her, he meant nothing at all. Thats right! Hes just the emperor of a measly Unranked Kingdom, but he sure thinks highly of himself. If not for my benevolence, he would have already died many times over... Xiang-ge sneered coldly. In the midst of his words, his face suddenly twitched, and strength suddenly drained from his legs. Putong! He fell over and kneeled onto the ground. Taken aback, Su Feifei eximed in horror, Xiang-ge! She knew full well how powerful the middle-aged man beside her was. In terms of strength, even Shen Zhui was no match for him at all. He was an existence that far surpassed Zhizun realm. Yet, for him to fall down just like that... something had to be up! Who assaulted me? Not expecting to be humiliated in public, Xiang-ge red at the surroundings ferociously as he spat with clenched jaws. You have been afflicted with my Divine Ghost Heart Beguiling Poison! A calm voice sounded in the air. If you wish to live, you need someone to willingly transfuse their fresh blood to you. Otherwise, within an incenses time 2 , you will die from excessive blood loss from your seven apertures 3 , and not even the deities will be able to save you! Tracing the voice, Xiang-ge hurriedly lifted her head, only to see a youngdy seated gracefully before a tea stand with a cup of piping hot tea in her hands. Who are you? We have no grudge against one another, so why do you want to kill me? Judging from how the youngdy was able to poison him from afar and render him powerless, as well as the fact that he found himself unable to gauge the depths of the youngdys strength at all, Xiang-ge realized that he was not a match for the youngdy. Thus, he did not dare move recklessly. How could there be so many grudges in the world to deal with? I simply found the sight of you irksome. Wei Ruyan leisurely tucked her hair behind her ears as she ced the teacup back onto the table. With absolute nonchnce, she remarked, You dont have much time left. I dont think you have the luxury to be dawdling around here if you want to live. I... Xiang-ge swiftly drove the zhenqi in his body in hopes of neutralizing the poison in his body, but he found that he was unable to flush it out. It was likely just as the youngdy had said; he needed someone to transfuse their blood into him in order to be cured. With a livid expression, he turned to Su Feifei beside him and shouted, Feifei,e over here! I... Knowing what Xiang-ge was thinking of, Su Feifeis face paled in horror as she retreated fearfully. Even true love would falter in the face of life and death, let alone a rtionship built on mutual benefits. Watching as Su Feifei backed away, Xiang-ge narrowed his eyes threateningly. Are you thinking of disobeying my orders? I... Su Feifei trembled in fear. You are just a countryside bumpkin. It cant be that you actually think of yourself as a noble person? You should have known the price behind the luxury you were given! Hurry up and transfuse your blood to me! If I recover from this poison, Ill dote on you like before. Otherwise, Ill have your life right here, right now! Xiang-ge roared as killing intent red from his eyes. What Su Feifei and Su Maoqing? They were all just convenient tools at his disposal! Dont! Knowing that she would likely lose her life if the transfusion took ce, Su Feifei backed away fearfully. However, barely after taking a few steps back, she suddenly felt a powerful energy sweeping over her. In that instant, she realized that if she continued backing away, there was no doubt that Xiang-ge would have her life. The light in her eyes immediately vanished, reced with sorrowful darkness. There was a person who had loved her wholeheartedly a year ago. He had confessed to her, but she had scorned him for his shabby background and rejected him. Who knew that the young man would actually find himself a good teacher and rise to the top? Even Shen Zhui had to honor him as an esteemed guest! She had thought that she had lost the only opportunity in her life to break out of poverty, but who could have expected that she would meet Xiang-ge a year ago? Xiang-ge treated her extremely well, even building her this massive manor. She had thought that he was truly in love with her, but at that moment, she realized that she was nothing more than a toy to the other party. Paying no heed to the arguments between those two, Wei Ruyan turned to look at Zheng Yang with a smile on her face. How is it? There was no better trial than life and death to test a persons feelings... and clearly, these two people were only making use of one another! How she wishes to live her life is her own choice. I dont have the right to interfere in her affairs, Zheng Yang replied, but he felt as if his heart was being sliced into innumerable pieces. He had liked this youngdy from a very young age, and for the longest of time, his greatest wish had been to get together with her. He had never thought that they would end up like that. Ill give you an opportunity to y the hero. Dont you want to make her regret her decision? Theres no better opportunity than this! Wei Ruyan incited Zheng Yang. Theres no need for that. I have already removed her from my heart! Zheng Yang shook her head. He realized that it was meaningless even if he made her regret her decision. They were already two people from two different worlds; it was already impossible for them to get together. Besides, upon knowing Su Feifeis nature, even if they did get together, he knew that there would be a lingering doubt in his mind that the other party was only interested in his fortune and power, not he himself. He would hate to put himself in a position where he would constantly be doubting his partner. Since that was the case, why even bother? It doesnt matter whether you have removed your feelings for her or not. If you dont do anything now, she will really lose her life, Wei Ruyan remarked calmly as she continued sipping on her tea. Zheng Yang hurriedly raised his head, only to see that Xiang-ges eyes had gonepletely red. Xiang-ge raised his arm and pulled Su Feifei toward him with his zhenqi. Using his finger as a sword, he lightly slit the youngdys pale wrist, causing warm blood to flow out. Transfusing blood and transferring a bloodline were two different matters. Transfusing blood only needed one to use the blood of another to rece their own poisoned blood. The process was not tooplicated, and even a normal 2-star physician would be able to carry out such an operation. Even though Xiang-ge had been poisoned, his cultivation had not been suppressed. As long as he carried it out carefully, he would be able to do it himself. Seeing that Su Feifei would really lose her life at this rate, Zheng Yang immediately got up and bellowed, Hold it right there! In response, Xiang-ge turned his head around and red at Zheng Yang coldly. At the same time, Su Feifei heard that familiar voice, and her body trembled. She quickly turned her gaze to the figure walking toward her, and tears began streaming from her eyes. Zheng Yang... y-you are back? There was no way she would not recognize that voice. It belonged to the young man who had bucked up the courage to confess to her, only to be rejected. Watching as he walked over a step at a time, his figure looked iparablyrge under the rays of the sun. Chapter 1860 - Xiang-ge’s Identity

Chapter 1860: Xiang-ges Identity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Even though Zheng Yang did not want to make a move, he knew his juniors temperament too well. She was not so heartless as to allow Xiang-ge to really kill Su Feifei, but she would only step in at the veryst moment. Even though he no longer felt the passion that he once had for the youngdy before him, he could not stand to watch her suffering right before his eyes. Zheng Yangs arrival was like a final ray of hope for Su Feifei. Clutching tightly onto that ray of hope, she desperately cried, Zheng Yang, save me! Dont worry! With a wave of his hand, the energy that Xiang-ge had wrapped around Su Feifei immediately dissipated. Who are you? Xiang-ge asked with narrowed eyes. He only had an incenses time left. If he did not quickly find someone to transfuse blood to him, he might just lose his life. This fellow seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and from the looks of it, he seemed to have some ties with Su Feifei. This made him extremely wary. It doesnt matter who I am. I just want to ask what your rtionship with her is. If you dont like her, why did you get together with her, even building such a huge manor for her? Zheng Yang asked calmly, as if a judge dictating the life and death of a criminal. After all that he had been through, he was not the young man whom he had been. If not for the fact that Su Feifei was the final fragment of regret in the depths of his heart, the innocent dream of his youth, he would not havee over in the first ce. Xiang-ge pondered for a moment before replying. I do have feelings for her. Otherwise, given my identity, why would I lower myself to live in such a trivial Unranked Kingdom? He noticed that the young man had been sitting together with the youngdy who had poisoned him, and he realized that he was unable to see through the young mans cultivation as well. Furthermore, the fact that the young man was able to make his zhenqi dissipate was enough to show that the young man was no ordinary figure. All in all, this made him instinctively realize that he could not afford to offend the young man before him. You have feelings for her? Zheng Yang scoffed. If you have feelings for her, how could you ask her to sacrifice herself for your sake? If the two of them truly had feelings for one another, that would probably have been the end of it. After all, he had already let go of his feelings for Su Feifei, so there was no reason for him to interfere in her affairs anymore. However, the middle-aged man had actually disregarded Su Feifeis life just to ensure his own survival. In fact, there was not the slightestpassion or regret that could be seen in his eyes. This made Zheng Yang enraged. For a noble from an empire toe over to an Unranked Kingdom to build such a massive manor, if it was not due to love, he had to be up to something. I really do love... Xiang-ge hurriedly tried to exin himself. Theres no need to lie to me. You arent strong enough to do that, Zheng Yang interjected coldly as he snapped his fingers. Argh! With a scream of agony, Xiang-ge copsed to the ground in pain as sweat drenched his entire body. It was just an instant, but it made him realize the unbridgeable gap between him and the young man before him. It would take a mere thought for the other party to kill him. Who in the world are you? Just what kind of grudge is there between the two of us? If you want her, I can give her to you! Xiang-ge screamed as he pointed frantically as Su Feifei. Xiang-ge was a person who could sacrifice his loved ones when his life was at stake, let alone a woman whom he had absolutely no feelings for. Give her to me? Zheng Yangs face turned even colder. Is she nothing more than amodity in your eyes, or do you view her as a chip that you can give to others as and when you please so as to guarantee your own survival? I... Xiang-ges teeth ttered in fear. In a moment of rage, Zheng Yang failed to control his own aura, leaving Xiang-ge feeling as if he was facing a ferocious beast. With a thought, thetter would be able to crush him into dust, leaving no trace of him at all. Prior to getting together with Su Feifei, he had made sure to investigate thetters background. As someone born and raised in Tianxuan Royal City, there should have been no way that she would be acquainted with such a powerful person! He... While Xiang-ge was scared out of his wits, Su Feifei found her mind nking out in confusion. A year ago, Zheng Yang had been a nobody whom even someone like her could toss to the ground and stomp on. Yet, a yearter, it seemed like their positions hadpletely reversed. Even Xiang-ge, a figure whom Shen Zhui dared not offend, was nearly scared out of his wits before him... Just how powerful was the current Zheng Yang? Seeing that Xiang-ge was on the verge of being crushed to death under Zheng Yangs pressure, Wei Ruyan walked over while stretching her backzily as she remarked with a smile, Our teacher will get mad if you go too far. Dont say that I didnt warn you. Un! Hearing those words, Zheng Yang retracted his aura before gazing down on Xiang-ge once more. With eyes narrowed into slits, he said, I only want to hear the absolute truth, so dont you dare y games with me. The person who has just poisoned you is my junior. If I notice any falsehood from you, I will have no choice but to get my junior to conduct a Soul Search on you! Junior? Xiang-ges body trembled as he quickly turned his gaze to Wei Ruyan. Meeting with the smile on her face, his body froze on the spot. If even the junior was so powerful, would it not be even more so for the senior? Speak! Who are you, and what is your purpose here? Zheng Yang eyed Xiang-ge coldly as a blue glint shed from the tip of his spear. In truth, even without relying on Soul Search, he had several hundred methods that he could use to force the other party to speak. He would truly be a failure as the head of the Combat Master Hall if he did not possess some interrogation methods! Seeing the blue glint on the spear, Xiang-ge felt as if someone had grabbed his zhenqi and rattled it all around, leaving him with a terrible aching feeling throughout. If even looking at the blue glint could leave him with such a feeling, he could not imagine the suffering that he would be put under if such a thing prated his body. Knowing that there was no escape from this, Xiang-ge gritted his teeth before starting his story. I am Xiang Yun, a treasure hunter. I have been scouring Unranked Kingdoms over the years, searching for all kinds of treasures... and my efforts eventually led me here! A treasure hunter? Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan exchanged nces before nodding. They had heard of such an upation before, and the most famous treasure hunters in the world were none other than the Sage Yun n. Treasure hunters possessed exceptional means that allowed them to pinpoint the location of hidden artifacts, making them one of the most lucrative upations on the Master Teacher Continent. I detected incredible pulsations of energying from the ce where Su Feifei lived, so I figured that it was an exceptionally powerful artifact, Yun Xiang exined. My first thought was to buy the house, but I quickly dispelled the notion as I knew it would appear rather suspicious if an outsider like me abruptly bought a house in an Unranked Kingdom. Furthermore, treasure hunting is a long-term process, so theres a risk that an anomaly in my actions will draw the attention of others and ce me in trouble. Thus, I used Su Feifei as a cover for me to conduct my work. With the rtionship between the two of us serving as cover, I was able to sessfully purchase all of the houses in the area without any trouble. After that, in order to ensure that I am able to conduct my operations in privacy, I chose to construct a massive manor right here. As the saying went, dangeres to those who unt their wealth. It was true that Yun Xiangs strength was unrivaled in the Tianxuan Kingdom, but news of the emergence of a superior treasure would indubitably draw in more experts from all around the continent. By then, even with the full force of his n, it was unlikely that they would be able to im the treasure for themselves. Thus, he had used marriage as an excuse to buy all of the houses in the area and built a manor before setting up all kinds of protective formations in the area. This way, no one would suspect a thing. You said that you like me... but everything is just a lie so that you can obtain the treasure hidden beneath my home? Those words made Su Feifeis face pale as she fell feebly to the ground. Back then, she had been drawn in by the other partys flowery words and immense wealth. She had thought that she had captured this man with her charms. However, it turned out that what the other party desired had never been her but the treasure hidden beneath her house. Chapter 1861 - The Fearsome Stone Tablet

Chapter 1861: The Fearsome Stone Tablet

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Knowing that it would be best for him to distance himself as far from Su Feifei as possible, Yun Xiang harrumphed coldly. Given your gold digger personality and your subpar looks, do you really think that you are able to move my heart? If not for the fact that theres a treasure beneath your house, theres no way I would have put up with you till now! Enough! Zheng Yang said with a fling of his sleeve. Peng! Struck in the chest, Yun Xiang was sent flying before crashing heavily onto the ground. His face reddened, and a mouthful of crimson blood spurted from his lips. You only have to answer what I want to know, Zheng Yang said coldly. Everything other than that is just a waste of my time! Y-yes! Suppressing his injuries, Yun Xiang heaved a sigh of relief upon knowing that he had managed to make it clear that he did not have any rtionship with Su Feifei at all. I dont really know about treasure and the like, but over the past year of work, I have gotten near my goal. However, its just that the barrier around the treasure is too strong, such that Im unable to breach it due to mycking cultivation... Zheng Yang pondered with a deep frown for a moment before replying, Take me there! For someone of the Sage Yun n to go through so much effort just to acquire some treasure, it was likely that the treasure was truly nothing ordinary. Since that was the case, he really should head over to take a look. Alright! Yun Xiang nodded. Given that his life was in the other partys hands, there was no way he could turn the other party down. Thus, Zheng Yang released his pressure on Yun Xiang, and under thetters lead, they entered the manor. As for Su Feifei, she stood hesitantly on the spot for a moment before choosing to follow them. As soon as Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan entered the manor, the first thing they noticed were innumerable istion formations set up all around. It was really no exaggeration to say that the manor was an enclosed fortress by itself, such that nothing inside could get out. Proceeding ahead, it did not take long for them to stop before a majestic hall. Pushing the door open, they saw a massive pit lying right ahead of them. There was a huge pile of white bones all around, forming a sight of destion. You killed so many people just to acquire the treasure? Zheng Yang narrowed his eyes as killing intent seeped out of his body. The responsibility of the Combat Master Hally not only in fending off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe but to maintain the peace and prosperity of mankind as well. To kill so many humans just to acquire a treasure was already an infringement of the Combat Master Halls moral code. N-no, I didnt kill them! They were workers whom I spent a fortune to hire! They are in charge of the excavation job, but not too long ago, when they dug up a stone tablet, an aura was released, and all of them died on the spot. For fear that it would draw suspicion, I reduced their corpses to white bones and left them here! Yun Xiang exined in a fluster. I have alreadypensated the families of the workers handsomely. Even though I desire the treasure a lot, I dare not kill the innocent for the sake of it... Stone tablet? Knowing that these workers were already dead and that it would be difficult to continue investigating this matter, Zheng Yang decided to put that matter aside for the time being and inquire about the other suspicion that he had. Its located at the bottom of the pit. I dispatched ten death soldiers to inspect it, but all of them died as soon as they reached the vicinity of the stone tablet. So, Im not too sure about whats going on either, Yun Xiang exined with a bitter look on his face. He had thought that he had stumbled upon a huge treasure, but who could have known that the death toll would just keep rising higher and higher? He had already sunk in too much to allow himself to back off with nothing in hand. As there was no one else who was willing to approach the stone tablet, Yun Xiang had no choice but to turn to Shen Zhui in hopes of acquiring some death soldiers from him. It was just that he had never expected to stumble upon those two experts shortly after leaving his manor. Lets head down and take a look! Hearing that a stone tablet had actually taken away so many lives, Zheng Yang was growing more and more intrigued. This... I am a little too weak for this, so Ill leave the two of you to be... Yun Xiangs face paled. It went without saying that he did not dare enter the pit himself. He was afraid that he would die just like many others that had gone before him. Cut the cr*p and get moving! Wei Ruyan harrumphed. With a wave of her hand, Yun Xiang was thrown into the pit before he could release a scream of agony. Following which, Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan leaped in. The pit was roughly several hundred meters deep. There were many Night Illumination Pearls ced all around, making the interior shine as though it was morning. As soon as they reached the bottom of the pit, Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan immediately began looking around, only to have frowns creep onto their faces shortly after. This aura... feels a little weird! Zheng Yang said after a moment of careful examination. Its the aura of an Ancient Sage, Wei Ruyan said. She turned to Yun Xiang beside her and asked, Wheres the stone tablet supposed to be? Its supposed to be down there... Gulping from fright, Yun Xiang pointed in front of him. Knowing that there was something sinister about this ce, Zheng Yang took a deep breath and whipped out his spear. H! He flicked his wrist lightly, and arge pile of sand was raked up, revealing a massive stone tablet. There were mysterious, unreadable inscriptions on the stone tablet, and it emanated an air of killing intent. Just looking at the stone tablet was enough to leave one with a splitting headache. The aura of an Ancient Sage that the two of them had felt earlier originated from that very stone tablet. This is the stone tablet that I talked about. Masters, I am a little too weak for this, so Ill take my leave now... With quivering lips, Yun Xiang immediately turned around and darted away fearfully. However, barely after taking two steps, his body suddenly froze on the spot. No matter how much he struggled, he found himself unable to go a single step further. With us around, theres no way you will lose your life. If we die, there wont be anyone to treat your poison, and youll die, Wei Ruyan remarked calmly. Yun Xiang was really on the verge of bursting into tears. The other party was right. He was afflicted with severe poison, so if these two died, he would be the next to follow no matter where he fled. Ill head over to take a look! Taking a deep breath, Zheng Yang ced his spear in front of him before approaching the stone tablet with wary, controlled steps. Before even reaching the stone tablet, he suddenly felt concentrated killing intent gushing in his direction, seemingly attempting to tear him in two. In the face of such might, any Great Sage cultivators would have sumbed to the immense pressure by now. However, Zheng Yang was an Ancient Sage cultivator, as well as the head of the Combat Master Hall. He had tempered his mind before, making him exceptionally resilient to the Otherworldly Demons Zhenqi of ughter. No matter how concentrated the killing intent was, it would not pose a threat to him. Walking up to the stone tablet, he noticed that it was emanating a warm glow. As if the tens of thousands of years that it had spent buried underground had not damaged it in the slightest, its inscriptions looked as if they were freshly engraved. Tracing the inscriptions with his finger, Zheng Yang shook his head. These are characters from the ancient era. I cant read them at all! Due to the limitations of his knowledge, he could not discern the content of the inscription. If their teacher was with them, they might still have been able to do something about it. Geji! Geji! Seeing that Zheng Yang actually dared touch the stone tablet, Yun Xiangs teeth ttered together in fright. All of the workers and death soldiers that he had sent in had passed away even when they were standing a long distance away from the stone tablet. Yet, this young man was able to walk up to it and even touch it directly with his hands. Just how powerful was he? Why would such a formidable figure suddenlye to a ce as minor as Tianxuan Kingdom? Wait a moment. He recognizes Su Feifei, he uses a spear, and his junior is a master practitioner of poison... Could they possibly be... All of a sudden, Yun Xiangs body froze on the spot as two names surfaced in his mind. Even though he had not been in his n over the past few years, there was probably no one in the world who did not know of the deeds of that legendary man and his many disciples. Thinking about it... they seemed to have their roots in Tianxuan Kingdom. Could the young man before him possibly be the most talented individual the Combat Master Hall had ever had, Hall Master Zheng? He knew that the new hall master of the Combat Master Hall went by the surname of Zheng, but he had not been too sure of the other partys full name. However, now that he was raking his mind, he seemed to have the impression that the other partys full name was Zheng Yang... An ordinary woman like Su Feifei actually had the fancy of the incumbent head of the Combat Master Hall? This... Sweat droplets began filling Yun Xiangs head as he felt a hoarseness at the back of his throat. He felt as if he would pass out at any moment. Chapter 1862 - A Corpse

Chapter 1862: A Corpse

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ignoring Yun Xiang, who was facing the most severe mental breakdown in his entire life, the frown on Zheng Yangs forehead grew deeper and deeper as he walked around the stone tablet to take a closer look. Then, he turned back to look at Wei Ruyan. Wei Ruyan nodded in response, as if affirming Zheng Yangs judgement. So, Zheng Yang took a deep breath before taking several steps back. Following which, his spear shot forth with formidable might. H! Spatial ripples appeared in the air as the spear struck the direct center of the stone tablet. Kacha! The sound of the formation being torn apart echoed as the entire stone tablet trembled. A huge crack appeared in the ground, forming a passageway that led further downward. The smell of decay was absent in the passageway. However, there was the scent of something ancient and sinister, almost like a pathway leading to theherworld. Lets head in to take a look! The brave Zheng Yang was the first one to step into the passageway, and Wei Ruyan followed behind him. The passageway was dark and slightly damp. The inscriptions on the wall had sealed the passageway tightly, such that those whose cultivation hadnt reached Ancient Sage would never be able to sense its existence. This seems to be a pathway constructed back during Kong shis era... Wei Ruyan said as she inspected her surroundings carefully. In truth, the passageway looked as good as new, but the construction method and the inscriptions carried clear indications of the ancient era, thus hinting at its age. Heading down the passageway, they traveled for several dozen li over the course of an hour before finally arriving before a stone chamber. Zheng Yang ced his spear before his chest in preparation to meet with any unexpected circumstances. At the same time, Wei Ruyan flicked her wrist and embedded several Night Illumination Pearls to the walls all around, bringing illumination to the area. The stone chamber was roughly forty meters in diameter, and at the center was a coffin made out of bluestone. It emanated an extremely historic aura. Theres only a coffin in here? Wei Ruyan frowned in astonishment. Which fool would construct an underground passageway that extended several dozen li and seal it with a stone tablet that only Ancient Sages could breach just to store a single coffin? It was ridiculously extravagant, was it not? Perplexed, Zheng Yang slowly approached the coffin. Lifting his spear, he was just about to use it to pry open the coffin when a sharp aura suddenly emanated from the coffin. Following which, he suddenly felt a jolt in his hands. Weng! Zheng Yangs spear fell right to the ground, as if paying respects to the coffin. What happened? Noticing that something was amiss, Wei Ruyan swiftly gathered her poison aura as she rushed forward, ready to reinforce Zheng Yang at any moment. My spear has been intercepted by anothers Spear Intent. It seems like the person in the coffinprehended a higher level of Spear Intent than me! Zheng Yang replied in astonishment. Even though his spear was not an Ancient Sage artifact, through prolonged contact with him, it would not pale too much inparison to one. Despite that, it was still forced to bow in submission to the coffin. It was apparent that whatever was in the coffinmanded a higher level of Spear Intent than him, rendering his spear utterly powerless before it. Wait a moment... Are you telling me that the thing in the coffin possesses spearmanship more advanced than you? Wei Ruyan could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her senior had learned his spearmanship directly from their teacher, and he had already reached the level of Spear Quintessence. It was no joke to say that he was the second most formidable spear user in their era. Despite that, he was actually saying that the thing inside the coffin was more formidable than him. How could that be? No matter what, we have to open it to take a look. Junior, I need you to coordinate together with me in order to forcefully pry open the coffin! Zheng Yang said. Wei Ruyan nodded in agreement. So, the two of them took their positions on the two ends of the coffin. With an understanding nce, Zheng Yang and Wie Ruyan raised their hands simultaneously and grabbed forth. They were both Ancient Sage experts who had received Zhang Xuans personal guidance over the course of a month, causing their fighting prowess to rise to an exceptional level. Even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would be pushed to a corner against theirbined might, let alone a mere coffin! Jiya! A hideous screeching sound echoed in the air as a crack appeared on the coffin. An overwhelming aura surged into the sky, threatening to copse the entire underground cavern on them. Zheng Yang quickly sealed the aura with a wave of his hand, and only after ensuring that it was not leaking at all did he finally proceed forward slowly. The aura of Ancient Sages was destructive in nature. Even if a sliver of it leaked out, it could cause a huge cmity. Of course, cultivators of their caliber could deal with it easily, but the same could not be said for the civilians of Tianxuan Royal City. Their carelessness could easily spell countless deaths. Walking up to the coffin, they peeked inward, only to see a corpse lying still within. Even though years had passed, the corpse had retained its flesh and blood. From its external appearance, it looked as if it was just a person sleeping. Its the corpse of an Ancient Sage... The eyebrows of the two of them shot up. Only the corpse of an Ancient Sage could possibly retain such frightening might even after death. Only the corpse of an Ancient Sage was non decayable, allowing it to retain its external appearance even after tens of thousands of years. This is... Taking a closer look at the corpse, Zheng Yang suddenly thought of something that caused his face to pale, and his body stiffened up in shock. Whats wrong? Wei Ruyan asked in intrigue. Even though they did not interact with one another frequently, she did have a good grasp of Zheng Yangs personality. This senior of hers had a daring and reckless personality, so it was perplexing to see him getting shaken by a mere corpse. He is... Ancient Sage Ran Qiu! Zheng Yang eximed as he clenched his fists tightly. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu? You mean the disciple of Kong shi who boasted the greatest fighting prowess, the founder of the Combat Master Hall? Wei Ruyan was taken aback. Thats right! Zheng Yang took in a deep breath to calm down the chaos in his mind. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had been one of the Ten Apostles under Kong shis tutge, and he had been the strongest Ancient Sage aside from Kong shi himself. Just the fact that he was the founder of the Combat Master Hall was testimony to his tremendous strength. On two different asions, when he inherited the position of the Progeny of Combat and hall master, he had knelt before Ancient Sage Ran Qius sculpture, which looked identical to the corpse before him. This was also why he had identified the other party with a single nce. To think that one of the greatest disciples of Kong shi, the second strongest Ancient Sage in the world, would actually have his corpse buried there. This was something that could not be found in any records! It was no wonder his spear had bowed down as soon as it met with the coffin. Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was a spearmaster, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear was something that he had forged on his own. The fact that the other party had forged such a powerful artifact showed how deep his understanding of spearmanship was. It was little wonder that the other partysprehension of spearmanship had even exceeded his own. After recovering from his shock, Zheng Yang turned around and instructed, Junior, Ill need you to quickly return and inform our teacher of this matter. Meanwhile, Ill stand guard here! The scale of the issue went beyond their initial expectations. Given the severity of the matter, it was best for them to bring their teacher in to help make a judgement. Un! Understanding the logic behind Zheng Yangs decision, Wei Ruyan immediately turned around and flitted back to the surface. After Wei Ruyans departure, Zheng Yang walked slowly around the coffin, wanting to take a closer look at the elder who had founded the Combat Master Hall. But all of a sudden, a series of mechanical cking noises echoed in the air, and yet another passageway surfaced beneath the coffin. Zheng Yang hesitated for a moment upon seeing this sight before deciding to venture in. Bam! As soon as he stepped into the passageway, the ray of light above him vanished. The passageway had instantaneously closed on him! Faced with such a situation, Zheng Yang frowned in bewilderment, but he did not panic. He took out a Night Illumination Pearl before carefully heading deeper into the passageway. A few stepster, he found another massive hall appearing before him. Itsyout was very simr to the hall before, and there was also a coffin positioned at the very center of the room. Zheng Yang pondered for a moment before walking toward the coffin. He raised his hand and pried open the lid, thus revealing a figure before him. When he got a closer look at the corpse, it was as if a mini explosion had urred in his mind. He hurriedly retreated several steps, till his back was pressed against the wall. Yet, even so, the disbelief in his mind did not vanish at all. It was a very long while before a husky voice finally came out of his throat. K-Kong shi? Chapter 1863 - Kong shi Is Dead?

Chapter 1863: Kong shi Is Dead?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The corpse lying in the coffin was none other than the Worlds Teacher, Kong shi! Had he not ascended to a higher dimension? Why was his corpse there? Zheng Yangs mind nked out in that instant. No thoughts came to his mind at all, and he did not dare think any deeper into the matter. This was so huge that if he spoke a wrong word, it could lead to a major catastrophe. Kong shi was the pir of support within the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though he had vanished from the world, many still held his teachings dear to them and viewed him as their ultimate aspiration. No one could have ever thought that the great Kong shi would actually be dead there! Just like the sculptures erected in his form outside, he had a gentle smile on his lips, reminiscent of a kind teacher. It was as if he had been killed in the midst of his lecture. But given the strength that Kong shi wielded, who could possibly have the ability to kill him? And who was the one who had buried him there, such that even the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hundred School of Philosophers werepletely oblivious to it? Zheng Yangs heart beat wildly as he felt his throat turning dry. There were so many words at the back of his mind, but he was unable to voice a single one of them. Eventually, he chose to simply sit on the floor and wait for himself to calm down. It had been a feeling of shock when he saw Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse, and after finding the second corpse, there was nothing but horror in his mind. It was perfectly normal for anyone in the world to die, but for such a thing to happen to the revered Kong shi as well... The faith of countless would shatter in an instant! Zheng Yang was so flustered that he did not know what he should do at all. Its fine, its fine. Everything will be resolved once Teacher is here... Zheng Yang struggled to his feet as he shook whatever thoughts he had out of his mind. Having followed his teacher for so long, he knew that there was no difficulty in the world that could bring his teacher down. It was fine that he could not find a solution out of the current quandary he was seeing; all he had to do was wait. With such a thought, he left the hall, intending to return to where he hade from. However, his feet suddenly froze in ce. A surge of power washed over him, and his consciousness blurred. Putong! Silence. ... Sitting in the room that he had previously lectured in, Zhang Xuan felt his state of mind flowing freely, extending into the distance along with his thoughts. He had only been an ordinary librarian in his previous life. It was beyond his imagination that the day woulde when he would transcend over to another world. It had been a period of confusion and panic when he first transcended over. He had no idea what he should do, and the only desire that drove him forward was the wish to live on. It had taken some time for everything to settle down and for him to assimte into the world. All of the memories of his life surged into his head, be it his previous life, the period after his transcension, the moment that he first stepped into the Library of Heavens Path... Slowly, something seemed to sprout within Zhang Xuan. It was a strength that seemed to exceed even the heavens themselves. It was going to break free of the ground and blossom into something beautiful. In his moment of enlightenment, flurried footsteps sounded in his ears. He slowly opened his eyes, only to see Wei Ruyan standing before him. ... Hearing Wei Ruyans words, Zhang Xuan abruptly rose to his feet. Did you say that you found Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse? Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was the strongest out of Kong shis many disciples, and he had been a figure whom innumerablebat masters looked up to. Why would his corpse be found there, not to mention that it was even hidden in an underground hall several dozen li deep? Bring me over to take a look! Unable to bear his curiosity, he hurriedly followed Wei Ruyan into Yun Xiangs manor and into the underground passageway. It was not long before he arrived in a hall with a coffin right at the center. Upon taking a closer look, a tight frown formed between Zhang Xuans eyebrows. Judging from outer appearance and the aura, he does seem to be Ancient Sage Ran Qiu... Back when he was at the White Creek Mountain, he had the opportunity to meet Ancient Sage Ran Qius fragmented soul. The corpse that was right before him shared the same appearance, and even the auras that they emanated were very simr. The corpse likely belonged to Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. You shoulde over and take a look as well! Zhang Xuan said with a flick of his wrist. The Dragonbone Divine Spear flew forth from Zhang Xuans waist and transformed into a majestic ck dragon in the air. Looking down at the coffin beneath it, it descended to the ground and kneeled down. Master! The body of the massive dragon trembled intensely as slight whimpers escaped from its mouth. It was an artifact forged by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. All along, it had thought that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu would ascend to a higher dimension together with Kong shi after sealing it in the ancient domain at White Creek Mountain, but who could have known that he would die just like that? It seems like its real then, Zhang Xuan remarked. He looked around the hall, and a slight frown appeared on his forehead. He turned to Wei Ruyan and asked, Where is Zheng Yang? Hmm? Im not too sure. He should have been here... Wei Ruyan was taken aback. Given that Zheng Yang had asked her to get their teacher, it stood to reason that he would be waiting for her there. Why was he nowhere to be seen? Zhang Xuan scanned the area carefully, but there was no trace of Zheng Yang to be found. Eventually, he ced his palm lightly on Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse. If he wanted to make sense of this ce, the best way was to do it through the Library of Heavens Path. ws! The Library of Heavens Path jolted, but no book was formed. Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. It was hard to tell whether it was because Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was only a corpse at the moment or that the ce had the ability to obstruct the view of the heavens. It should be thetter, Zhang Xuan thought as he continued surveying his surroundings. He had used the Library of Heavens Path on corpses before, and the only limitation was that he was unable to gather much information on the individuals life prior to their death. However, as for the other details such as the tier of their corpse and so on, it would still have beenpiled and reflected in a book. This was rather simr to what usually happened when he checked artifacts. However, the fact that nothing had happened meant that the entire ce was likely concealed from the heavens. This also exined why no seers had been able to uncover the fact that the strongest disciple of Kong shi was actually dead there. This is an ancientnd that hasnt been ravaged by the wars between mankind and the Otherworldly Demons. It offers the hope of recovering a diminished bloodline. Could this be somewhat linked to the reason why Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse is buried here? Zhang Xuan began trying to put clues together to reason the happenings there. Aside from the fact that most ancient domains were thin in spiritual energy, making them environments unsuitable for cultivation, there were actually many mystical things about them. For one, he had transcended over to an ancient domain, as well as the fact that Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse had been found here. Could there be any link between those two matters? Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to do a thorough scan once more. Theres a passageway down here, Zhang Xuan remarked as he stomped his feet lightly. Jiyaya! The coffin began to move to the side, revealing the passageway hidden beneath it. He exchanged nces with Wei Ruyan for a moment heading down the passageway. Naturally, Wei Ruyan quickly followed along as well. Theyout of the second hall was an exact replica of the first. Even the locations of the coffins were identical. It really felt as if they were trying to navigate their way through an ancientbyrinth. Other than the coffin, the entire room was empty; there was not a single person to be seen. Teacher, it seems like Senior Zheng Yang was here, Wei Ruyan suddenly said. Hmm? Zhang Xuan turned to look at Wei Ruyan. Theres a slight indentation on the wall over there. Judging from the shape, it seems to have been left behind by him, Wei Ruyan said as she pointed toward the wall. Turning to look, he found that there was indeed a deep indentation in the wall. The size was a match with Zheng Yangs physique. Chances were that it had been created when Zheng Yangs back was pressed against the wall. Youre right. He might have seen the corpse in the coffin and backed away out of fear... Zhang Xuan reasoned out as a spark of curiosity emerged in his eyes. Just what could be in the coffin that would frighten Zheng Yang even more than Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse? Lets open it and take a look! Zhang Xuan instructed as he walked up to the coffin. Jiya! The lid of the coffin was pried open, revealing a figure right before them. He had a calm and peaceful look on his face, as if he had just been put to rest not too long ago. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan felt his blood running cold. The corpse that was inside the coffin was none other than... Zheng Yang! Chapter 1864 - A Powerful Barrier

Chapter 1864: A Powerful Barrier

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Lying in the coffin, there was a hint of a smile on Zheng Yangs lips. His body was still warm, and it looked as if he would open his eyes at any moment. Senior... Concentrated poison aura seeped out from Wei Ruyans body as strong emotions began building up within her. Despite her cold exterior, she did care a lot for the others. While she had put Zheng Yang down earlier, just seeing his corpse made it feel as if her heart was going to explode. If she knew who the culprit was, there was no doubt that she would have dashed right in to tear that person into shreds. Control your emotions! Zhang Xuan bellowed. Y-yes! Hearing her teachers words, Wei Ruyan swiftly snapped out of her condition. Nevertheless, she could not stop trembling as she looked at the corpse in the coffin. This isnt Zheng Yang, Zhang Xuan said. He had also received the shock of his life when he first saw the face of the corpse. However, as he took a closer look, he had swiftly realized that something was amiss. The body was simply too lifelike. There would inevitably be some changes to a persons body after their death, no matter how powerful they might have been in life. Furthermore, he was well aware of Zheng Yangs character; he would never be one to ept death so peacefully. Even at the cost of his life, he would surely rip off a bone from the culprit before breathing hisst breath! More importantly... he had left a surge of his Heavens Path zhenqi in Zheng Yangs body, so there was no way that anyone would be able to kill Zheng Yang without drawing his notice. If it isnt Senior Zheng Yang, then... Wei Ruyan was taken aback by what Zhang Xuan was saying. No matter how she looked at or touched the corpse, it was very clear that it belonged to Zheng Yang. She could not imagine anything in the world that could possibly create such a lifelike replica of him. Its most likely an illusion, an illusion that blurs the distinction between truth and falsehood. Something that can even deceive the heavens, Zhang Xuan murmured as he walked back and forth in the hall. If the one to appear had not been Zheng Yang, he might not have considered the possibility that it was an illusion. This was because the sight before him was too real, and the Library of Heavens Path just happened to be crippled. An illusion? Wei Ruyan looked around her before eventually pinching her own cheeks... Ouch! Dragonbone Divine Spear! Zhang Xuan called out. H! The Dragonbone Divine Spear flew over from the passageway. With his spear in hand, Zhang Xuan felt boundless strength surging into his body. He raised the tip of his spear and directed it right toward the stone coffin. Boom! The coffin was pierced through, and the entire chamber dissipated like bubbles. The next instant, they saw Zheng Yang lying diagonally by the wall, unmoving. From the looks of it, it seemed like he had passed out. What was right before them was not a coffin but a massive barrier that resembled a mirror. It seemed like the two of them had walked into the world within the mirror, thus blurring their perception of reality. Its actually an illusion, the Dragonbone Divine Spear eximed excitedly. If thats the case, could the old masters corpse be fake as well? So, the old master actually isnt dead yet! It had been a huge blow to it seeing the old masters corpse appearing right before its eyes. Since this was all an illusion, could that corpse possibly be an illusion as well? Im sorry, but Ancient Sage Ran Qius body was likely real. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Its the sheer power of his corpse that has been sustaining everything here. If his body had been fake, this ce wouldnt have been concealed from the heavens. As much as he hated to shatter the Dragonbone Divine Spears hopes, the truth was the truth. The moment that the illusion dissipated, he hade to realize the truth as well. An illusion that he had been unable to discern and was able to deceive even the heavens was bound to require a vast amount of energy in order to sustain it, and the very center of this formation was Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse. Only the second strongest Ancient Sage in the world could possibly have the ability to beguile him, such that he failed to notice that he was in an illusion for a moment. So... the old master is really dead? The Dragonbone Divine Spear fell to the floor weakly. If the corpse was real, it meant that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was truly dead. Its still too early to say whether Ancient Sage Ran Qiu is truly dead or not. Just because the corpse is real doesnt mean that he has already passed away. Take the old Sovereign Chen Yong for example. His body has already been buried, and his cultivation has already been passed on to Liu Yang. However, his soul has been taken away by a deity from the Azure, and theres a good chance that he could be revived in the future! Zhang Xuan said. Those who have be as strong as Ancient Sage Ran Qiu are unlikely to die that easily! Even Vicious could revive despite being divided into so many pieces, let alone Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. Even if the corpse was real, as long as his soul remained, he could not be said to be dead in the truest sense. Hearing that exnation, the Dragonbone Divine Spears zed eyes cleared up a little as it heaved a sigh of relief. This... Youre right! First, we have to wake Zheng Yang up, Zhang Xuan said. Something must have happened for him to be unconscious. With a tap of his finger, he sent a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into his students body. A few momentster, Zheng Yang slowly opened his eyes. Zheng Yang had always been an extremely strong-willed individual, and for even someone like him to be knocked out cold, it was likely that he had received some kind of astonishing shock that resulted in an intense fluctuation in his state of mind. Teacher! Zheng Yangs face reddened as he quickly got to his feet. You were the one who entered this room first. What happened in here for you to pass out like this? Wei Ruyan asked. I... Rubbing his head to alleviate the splitting headache in his mind, Zheng Yang took a deep breath before he began his exnation. I found the passageway leading here, and there was a hall simr to the one above. There was a coffin as well, and when I opened it to take a look, I saw... Kong shis body. Kong shis body? Zhang Xuan frowned. They had seen Zheng Yangs corpse whereas Zheng Yang had seen Kong shis body. Was there some kind of link between the two? Regardless of what is happening here, its likely to have something to do with this barrier! Im certain that this ce has something to do with Kong shi! Unable to make a precise deduction with the limited evidence they had over here, Zhang Xuan decided to put the matter aside for the moment and worked on things that were more certain. Thus, he turned his gaze toward the massive mirror-like barrier in front of him. The answers that he sought were likely to be beyond there. The only problem left was to figure out a way to get to the other side. Let me give it a try! Zhang Xuan raised the Dragonbone Divine Spear in his hand and pierced straight ahead. H! The spear tore through space, ripping a hole right through the world. In a sh, it struck the barrier squarely. Boom! A massive energy swept across the area. Zhang Xuans body stiffened a little before being forcefully knocked back. His back crashed heavily into the wall behind, causing his face to turn pale and his breathing to be a little ragged. In a brief moment, he had already sustained significant injuries. It didnt work? Zhang Xuan was astonished. His might, paired with the Dragonbone Divine Spear, even granted him the strength to put up a fight against the deity that he had met previously. Considering that he had put his full strength behind the pierce, it was unthinkable that he had failed to inflict the slightest damage on the barrier. On the contrary, he had suffered a bacsh so severe that he had almost spurted blood. It was insane! Just what in the world was the barrier made of to be so terrifying? Master, let me give it a try! Vicious voice sounded in his mind. Go ahead! Zhang Xuan nodded as he released Vicious from the Book of Heavens Path. Vicious had alreadypleted his body, and he had assimted the straw garment. His current strength could be said to be on par with Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage cultivators. If he made a move, he might just be able to destroy the barrier. Chapter 1865 - Becoming the World’s Teacher

Chapter 1865: Bing the Worlds Teacher

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 A massive pair of hands reached out from the book, causing the entire underground hall to tremble non-stop, as if there was an earthquake. The massive hands mmed powerfully upon the barrier. Boom! A powerful shockwave gushed out into the surroundings, forcing Zhang Xuan and the others to back away uncontrobly. By the time the storm calmed down, they turned their sights to the barrier once more, only to see it still intact. There was not the slightest damage to be seen. On the other hand, Vicious fingers had started bleeding. Master, let me give it another try... With his attack failing to breach the barrier, Vicious lowered his head in embarrassment. Theres no need for that. If you make another move, its likely that the entire underground hall will copse on us! Zhang Xuan said. The underground hall was already at its limits after the multiple impacts. If they continued, there was no doubt that it would copse on them. Of course, given their strength, they would not sustain the slightest damage. What was worrisome was the countless citizens of the Tianxuan Royal City living above. The might of the Ancient Sages was simply too great. If the strength of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator ran amok in the slightest, the city could very well be reduced to a living hell. What should we do then? We cant do it the forceful way. Theres bound to be another way to bypass this barrier, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. The fact that even a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator like you is unable to breach it meant that the barrier was set up by Kong shi. Going down this line of thought, I think I should be able to figure something out! The reason Zhang Xuan had Vicious made a move was to test the limits of the barrier. The fact that it could withstand Vicious attack meant that it likely had something to do with Kong shi. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan walked up to the barrier and infused his Celestial Master Teacher aura within. Given that they were both Celestial Master Teachers, perhaps this might be the key to resolving the bottleneck before him. Weng! As the aura flowed in, the barrier suddenly began wavering. Countless insights regarding education and mentorship flowed into his head, leaving him with a deeper impression of the master teacher upation. It was as if all of the ideals that Kong shi embraced had been imparted to him. Using the world as an example, one can right their minds to align with nature and epass everything in the world... A voice echoed in Zhang Xuans head. It could have been a lingering thought from Kong shi, but at the same time, it seemed like it was his own interpretation as well. A Celestial Master Teacher was a master teacher recognized by the heavens. Using the heavens as an example, Celestial Master Teachers were able to swiftly rise through the ranks. However, if they wished to surpass the heavens, the difficulties they would face were manyfold. Liu Yang, Zheng Yang, and the others, for example, had learned under him as his direct disciples, allowing their cultivation to rise far beyond the speed of ordinary cultivators. However, if they wished to surpass him... Well, this was something that they would never be able to achieve in their lifetime. It was not that they were weak, but most of their cultivation techniques that they had practiced came from him, and it had formed the foundation of their cultivation. If they wanted to surpass him, they would have either to have to gain a deeper understanding of his cultivation techniques or overthrow everything that they had learned before. Kong shi had more than three thousand disciples in the world, but not a single one of them was able to surpass him. From there, it was apparent how difficult it was to surpass ones lineage. I think I understand. I am a Celestial Master Teacher, a master teacher acknowledged by the heavens. In other words, my existence is viewed to be beneath the heavens. As such... its nigh impossible for me toprehend any rules that surpass the heavens! Since thats the case... why should I remain as a Celestial Master Teacher? It was as if enlightenment had suddenly struck Zhang Xuan as his eyes widened in realization. Since you deny me of my breakthrough, I shall be a Celestial Master Teacher no more. Instead, Ill be... the Worlds Teacher! If he wished to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, he would be able to do it easily through his Spear Quintessence, Saber Quintessence, or even Fist Quintessence and the like. However, once he did so, everything would be settled. It would be nigh impossible for him to find a path unique to him anymore. As such, he had been searching for something that he could say that was his and his alone. This was also why he had been suppressing his cultivation all along, refusing to achieve a breakthrough over the past two months. And at that very moment, he seemed to have found a direction. The fact that he could receive the acknowledgement of the heavens and be a Celestial Master Teacher meant that the world was sentient! Since that was the case, why did he necessarily have to be the one being acknowledged? Why could he not be its teacher instead? If one took the world as an example and learned from it, one would never be able to surpass the limits of the world. On the other hand, as the Worlds Teacher, his position would be above the world right from the start. Naturally, the path leading to Ancient Sage would be much smoother than ever. However, bing the Worlds Teacher is easier said than done. I have to understand the world and grasp its strengths and ws. Only then will I be worthy of that position. More importantly, I will have to forsake my title as a Celestial Master Teacher! His mind churned at an incredible speed in order to map out a feasible n. Once he had confirmed his direction, he closed his eyes and decisively released all of his Celestial Master Teacher aura at once. All gains were bound to apany some loss. If one wanted to fill a sack with gold ingots, one would have to toss away the silver ingots in it first. While the Celestial Master Teacher might be a position that almost all desired, it had be nothing more than a restriction on him. Thus, there was no pity in casting it away! His sess had always been built on his diligence, tenacity, upright character, and unyielding spirit. As for the role of Celestial Master Teacher? Heh, that was a mere transient title! As his state of mind settled down, he began expelling the energy that he had absorbed from his five acknowledgements of Celestial Master Teacher. An aura so concentrated gushed out and rose right into the azure sky as if a pir of light. Reaching the tip of the world, it exploded and transformed into innumerable currents of energy that dissipated into the surroundings. As the Celestial Master Teacher aura dissipated, Zhang Xuans will slowly floated into the sky. The will of the heavens crushed down on his will,mencing a battle of willpower. ... The Baijiang Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. The path of teacherhood is centered around three aspects, the impartation of knowledge, the proper conduct of ones character, and the enlightenment of ones heart. The reason Kong shis teachings were able to reach everyone in the world is due to theck of discrimination in his impartation. His heart was vast enough to epass the world. As a master teacher, you should constantly bear your responsibility in mind. The lineages of mankind must be properly passed down from generation to generation in order to ensure our survival through the ages... A bunch of newly qualified master teachers were standing before the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, and an elder was lecturing them with a solemn look on his face. Yes! The master teachers nodded in response. From the moment that they became master teachers, they came to know of their responsibilities, and they chose to ept the burden. For tens of thousands of years, the Master Teacher Pavilion had both been respected and humiliated by the poption. Nevertheless, the reason it was able to withstand the trial of time and remain at the top of the world was because of the unchanging spirit passed down across the generations. Wonderful. Kneel down and pay respects to the ancestors! The elder was just about to step aside to allow the newly qualified master teachers to pay respects to the ancestral tablets when the ground suddenly started trembling. The ancestral tablets ced neatly on the altar began to shake nonstop. Hu! All of the ancestral tablets fell down simultaneously, and they were all facing the same direction. Whats going on? The elder widened his eyes in shock. He quickly turned toward where the ancestral tablets had fallen, and he caught sight of a silhouette formed out of clouds and rainbows. Dressed in a long robe, that figure seemed to tower over the entire world, making it impossible to see his body fully. The figure was faced against them, but the aura that he emanated made others dare not look at him directly. Instead, it seemed topel one to bow down before him. Thats... a Celestial Master Teacher! the elder eximed as his body stiffened in shock. In all of history, the only person who was known to have been a Celestial Master Teacher was Kong shi himself. Many master teachers had sought to emte his path afterward, but no matter how hard they tried, they had been unable to aplish that feat. Yet, at that very moment, there was another Celestial Master Teacher among them! Putong! Unable to hold back his agitation any longer, the elder kneeled to the ground and bowed. The elder red at the newly appointed master teachers, who were still nked out from the abrupt turn of events, and bellowed, A new Celestial Master Teacher has descended among us; an era of prosperity lies right ahead! Hurry up and bow down! Y-yes! The crowd quickly got to their knees and bowed deeply. The information regarding a Celestial Master Teacher was only passed down within the Master Teacher Pavilion, but at this very moment, countless people were witnessing this sight together. The faraway figure had his legs firmly nted on the ground, and his body was shouldering the weight of the heavens. This was a sign of utmost intimacy with the world, but the figure pushed the two away with a look of disdain on his face. He was actually... scorning the heavens! Chapter 1866 - The Shocked Master Teacher Pavilion Chapter 1866: The Shocked Master Teacher Pavilion Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Wait a minute... One of the master teachers bowing the ground noticed that something was amiss. Arent Celestial Master Teachers individuals who have earned the recognition of the heavens? Why does it seem like that person... is looking down on the heavens? Logically speaking, when a Celestial Master Teacher received the acknowledgement of the heavens, they should ept it with the utmost pride and glory. Yet, the towering person was trying his best to shake it off as if something disgusting hadtched onto him. Looking down on the heavens? Stunned by that remark, the elder raised his head, only to see the towering figure shaking his body wildly. He was desperately trying to prevent any of the aura that hade from the heavens from getting stuck to him. The elder gulped before muttering with reddened eyes, He is actually rejecting the acknowledgement of the heavens... Does he not want to be a Celestial Master Teacher anymore? The history of Kong shis acknowledgements as a Celestial Master Teacher had been fully detailed in the records and passed down through the ages. Even though many years had passed since then, the significance of a Celestial Master Teacher had never vanished from the minds of the poption. But somehow, events did not seem to be going in the direction that they were expected to go in. At the same time, when the other master teachers around the elder heard his words, tears began brimming in their eyes. Bro, if you dont want to be a Celestial Master Teacher, you can pass the position down to us! We would beughing even in our dreams if such an opportunity were to ever chance upon us! Really, is it alright for you to reject the heavens so directly? Arent you pretty much making an enemy of the world? Scram! While they were feeling deeply stifled by the happenings, the figure in the sky suddenly bellowed before kicking at the heavens, which hadtched onto his leg. Hong long! A rift appeared in the sky. Hes indeed abandoning his position as a Celestial Master Teacher... If there had still been any doubts previously, they hadpletely vanished without a trace. It was obvious that the towering figure no longer wanted to be a Celestial Master Teacher, but the relentless heavens simply refused to back down and continued trying to suffuse the towering figure with their aura. Who in the world is that fellow? Unable to take it any longer, the elder leaned in to take a closer look. He wanted to know the identity of the man who was so heartlessly shattering their image of a Celestial Master Teacher! For tens of thousands of years, there had been no master teacher who did not desire the acknowledgement of the heavens. Such a feat meant the resounding of their name through the ages and the continued inheritance of their lineage through thousands of generations. Yet, that fellow was trying to shake off the heavens as if they were pests on his hands, going to the extent of even stomping on thetter. Will you die if you dont provoke us like that? H! It was at this moment that the towering figure in the sky turned around, revealing his appearance. He was a dashing young man in his early twenties with sharp eyebrows. Isnt that... Zhang Xuan? B-but... I thought that he was dead! The elder was taken aback. The Master Teacher Pavilion had once issued an arrest warrant on the young man across the entire Master Teacher Continent, such that there was no master teacher who did not know this name. Afterward, things had gotten worse, and eventually, the young man had ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. A person who should have died three months ago... how could he possibly bounce back to life and even be a Celestial Master Teacher at that? What in the world had happened in between? It was as if the story had jumped from the prologue to the epilogue all of a sudden! The master teachers in the area were bbergasted by this unexpected happening. The same scene was urring in other Master Teacher Pavilions across the world. Countless master teachers looked at the towering figure in the air with reddened eyes. Some were even crying miserably, eximing that they had lived in vain. It was way too much. For someone to reject even being a Celestial Master Teacher... Could anyone be more arrogant than that? ... In the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, a group of Ancient Sages and 9-star master teachers were gathered together in a stately room. So, thats what happened, Yang shi said. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has almost been unified, so we can be certain that it no longer poses a threat to us. This means that its time for our Master Teacher Pavilion to shift its strategic goals and manpower deployment. We should devote more resources into imparting the wisdom of the predecessors and nurturing young talents. Yang shi, if I understand your words correctly, you are saying that not only did Zhang shi not betray mankind, hes even a Celestial Master Teacher as well. The reason he ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was to use the incident as a cover to sneak into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and resolve the threat once and for all? a 9-star master teacher asked with a deep frown on his forehead, seemingly unwilling to believe this tall tale. Indeed. Yang shi nodded. However, some of what I have shared so far is still conjecture on my part, so well need some further verification. Nevertheless, Im ny percent certain of the matter! As long as we cant fully verify the matter, there is a chance that your conjecture might fall through. With all due respect, Yang shi, I find it hard to believe your story. If Zhang shi is truly a Celestial Master Teacher, he should have reported it to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Why would he hide his identity? I dont deny that he has a way with imparting knowledge to others, but going to the extent of saying that hes a Celestial Master Teacher seems a little too far-fetched to me! Indeed. All of us here are familiar with Kong shispassionate temperament and benevolent heart. I have browsed through Zhang shis records, and I dont think that he has the character needed to be acknowledged by the heavens. ... Some master teachers posed their doubts. It was not that they were intentionally making things hard for Yang shi, but it had been tens of thousands of years since a Celestial Master Teacherst appeared. Furthermore, the person who was said to be a Celestial Master Teacher was someone who had a rtionship with the Spirit God. It was inevitable that there would be some doubtful naysayers. Im afraid that you are mistaking my intention. Im not opening this matter up for discussion; I am informing you of it! Ill permit you to discuss it among yourselves behind closed doors, but for the time being, we are going to proceed with this meeting under this premise, Yang shi replied sharply. The reason he had chosen to roam the world was because he did not like that the Master Teacher Pavilion had already strayed from its original intentions. He wanted to make use of this opportunity to correct things, but it was truly frustrating how he was facing obstacles every step of the way. He knew that there was no way to fully convince those master teachers, so he chose to take a more forceful approach. Im willing to go on with the meeting under such a premise if thats what you wish, but I refuse to believe that hes a Celestial Master Teacher. If even hes able to be a Celestial Master Teacher, theres no reason the rest of us cant... one of the 9-star master teachers replied indignantly, but in the midst of his words, the ground suddenly began to tremble. rmed, the crowd quickly left the room to look outward, and they soon saw a familiar figure towering in the sky. A unique aura originating from the world was surging toward him, attempting to enter through his apertures and fill his body. Who else could that familiar figure possibly be other than Zhang shi, who had ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters three months prior? That is... the aura bestowed by the predecessors during the acknowledgement ceremony? No, thats not the aura from our predecessors. Its the aura bestowed from the world on a Celestial Master Teacher... As 9-star master teachers, they swiftlyprehended what was going on with just a nce. However, just because they were able toprehend it did not mean that their minds were capable of processing it in a moments time. That was a historic moment where an entire group of 9-star master teachers and Ancient Sages stood with ckened jaws and widened eyes. Just a moment earlier, some had imed that there was no way that Zhang Xuan could be a Celestial Master Teacher. It was as if the other party was carefully timing his actions in order to bring about the greatest face p to them! Wait a moment. He doesnt seem to be epting the acknowledgement at all... On the contrary, it seems like hes trying to free himself from that identity! It did not take long for someone to notice the anomaly. Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case. Zhang shi seems to be trying to expel the celestial aura within his body... A Celestial Master Teacher casting away the aura bestowed from the heavens? Is he out of his mind? The sheer preposterousness of what they were seeing had exceeded the limits of what they could rationally process. All they could do was shake their heads endlessly and murmur words of disapproval as they watched Zhang Xuan flinging out the aura from his body with a look of disgust on his face, as if he was purging his body of some repulsive poison. Even the heavens seemed to be a little taken aback by the situation. Such a thing had simply never happened before! Do you still think that he isnt a Celestial Master Teacher? Yang shi asked as he gulped down a mouthful of saliva. His senior was truly an extraordinary individual. Everything he did was able to leave one utterly shocked. Bing a Celestial Master Teacher was something that everyone desired, but he was so frantically trying to free himself from it such that it almost looked as if he was a heartless man trying to dump his girlfriend. The world was really going mad! He is a Celestial Master Teacher... We were blind... Those 9-star master teachers who had doubted Yang shis words earlier felt a fiery pain on their cheeks. If there was a pit in the ground, they would have dived right in without a moments hesitation. It was truly embarrassing how they had to swallow their words a moment after making such confident derations! Sighing deeply at Zhang Xuans actions, Yang shi turned to the 9-star master teacher who had argued with him a moment ago. You said earlier that theres no reason why the rest of you cant be Celestial Master Teachers if Zhang shi is one, right? Since hes going to shake away his identity right now, why dont you give it a try? Given all the miracles that his senior had produced, this bunch of people still dared to doubt his credentials as a Celestial Master Teacher. If you think so highly of yourself, why dont you give it a try? The 9-star master teacher really burst into tears on the spot. Chapter 1867 - Entering the Barrier

Chapter 1867: Entering the Barrier

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 While Zhang Xuan was relinquishing his title as a Celestial Master Teacher by releasing the aura that he had absorbed in his five previous acknowledgements, a huge uproar erupted across the Master Teacher Continent. Previously, when Zhang Xuan obtained the acknowledgement from the heavens, the phenomena that urred had mostly been limited to the regional Master Teacher Pavilions. In view of the severity of the issue, the Master Teacher Pavilions had chosen to suppress the matter, so there were not many people who were aware of it. However, at that moment, nearly every single living being on the Master Teacher Continent was witnessing the release and dissipation of the heavens aura back to the world with their own eyes. They would really have to be fools if they still did not get what was happening. It was not easy for another Celestial Master Teacher to appear on the continent once more, but who would have thought that the other party would quit just like that? As expected of Teacher... The reverence reflected in Zhang Jiuxiaos eyes was more than what any words could possibly bring out. Upon discovering his teachers identity, he had not hesitated to be thetters student. Yet, it turned out that his teacher did not even care about that identity at all, throwing it away without the slightest hesitation. As expected of someone who had already seen past the material world! Things such as glory and honor were not even worth a gold coin to him! While the whole world was going into a frenzy due to the happenings, Zhang Xuan was still sitting in front of the barrier, forcefully expelling the energy in his body. Unless he emptied out the aura that he had received from the previous Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements from his body, there was no way that he would be able to be the Worlds Teacher! Geji! Geji! Even as the heavens exerted a pressure so great that it seemed as if his soul would be crushed to bits, Zhang Xuan maintained a nonchnt look on his face. It was impossible to tell what was going through his mind. In truth, he harbored some doubts about relinquishing his Celestial Master Teacher title as well. He knew of the significance of the title after all. However, when he came into contact with the barrier and inherited Kong shis philosophy, he had be certain that this was the path that Kong shi had walked on as well! Otherwise, no matter how powerful or talented he might be, he would never be able to go any further than being an Ancient Sage in this world. It would be impossible for him to break the dimension barrier and ascend to a higher dimension! The recognition from the heavens of this world was both a blessing and a curse. It served to shackle one down to this world. If he wanted to free himself from his shackles, he would first have to relinquish his identity! Kacha! As the aura dissipated, the pressureing from the heavens seemed to intensify, as if symbolizing the rage of the heavens at the sphemous act. Ominous clouds swiftly rolled in together with devastating lightning and mes. Here ites, Zhang Xuan murmured as he rose to his feet. However, he remained within the underground hall, not leaving at all. He knew that if he left, the strength of the lightning tribtion would surely ravage the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, destroying everyst soul within the perimeter of the tribtion. As long as he remained in the underground hall, the lightning tribtion would have to have no choice but to concentrate its prowess within the area. It was fortunate that the manor extended far and wide, so it was unlikely that any bystanders would be caught in the conflict. Hu! The cataclysmic lightning swiftly gathered in the sky and formed a massive saber with destructive mes and lightning crackling around it. Even the fabric of space seemed to be as feeble as a piece of paper in the face of the powerful saber, and it seemed as if everything would be eradicated in its face. This was the most fearsome trial of the Ancient Sage Ordeal, the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. Who would have thought that he would face it once more there? Sou! The lightning saber surged right down toward the underground hall, appearing right above Zhang Xuans head in the blink of an eye. Tz! The formations around the manor and the underground hall were decisively sliced in two as if they were mere tattered pieces of cloth. Heh. Ive been waiting for you! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuans fist shot right up to strike down the lightning saber. The previous time he faced the Ordeal of Lightning Armament, he had been far too weak to be able to withstand its might. However, he was no longer as helpless as he used to be. Even without using the Dragonbone Divine Spear, the might that he exerted would allow him to take down any Blood Reincarnation realm expert! Boom! As the fist and the lightning saber shed, Zhang Xuan found himself knocked several steps back. This momentary sh had left his fist marred with slightly charred flesh and boiling blood. It seemed like despite the massive increase in his cultivation, his strength was still not up to par with the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. Thest time he underwent it, he had needed to summon Little Tribtion and further augment it by summoning hundreds of cultivation ordeals all at once before it was a match for the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. However, in the Tianxuan Royal City, there was no way he would be able to do what he had done previously. Nevertheless, that did not mean that he was going to go down without a fight. Zhang Xuan flitted over to the side of the barrier before turning to face the massive saber once more. Driving his zhenqi to the maximum, he punched in the direction of the massive saber, which threatened to scorch every inch of his body with the zing heat it was emanating. Once again, the collision ended with Zhang Xuans defeat as his body was knocked back from the saber, causing a series of energy ripples to traverse across the barrier. On the other hand, the massive saber continued to descend with formidable might, striking right down upon the barrier. Weng! There was a light buzz as the massive saber inflicted its ck mes onto the barrier, causing a small hole to corrode on it. However, the ck mes onlysted for a brief moment before they were extinguished by the tremendous energy rippling through the barrier. Its working! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Part of the reason for him choosing to cultivate and summon the lightning tribtion there was because he wanted to use the power of the lightning tribtion to deal with the barrier. Considering how the barrier was able to withstand both his and Vicious strength, it was unfeasible to attempt to break it with their strength. Furthermore, even though the barrier had been left behind by Kong shi, it did not seem like it would open up solely on the merit that he was a Celestial Master Teacher. Since that was the case, he had no choice but to tap into external forces to breach the barrier! Opening his fist into a palm, he struck at the massive saber once more. Kacha! Kacha! The massive saber retaliated with ferocious shes time and time again, but most of the energying from its attacks was halted by the barrier right behind him. Under the relentless attacks of the saber, cracks began to appear on the surface of the barrier. However, due to the multiple shes with the saber, Zhang Xuans body also sustained significant damage. Just like when he had faced the Ordeal of Lightning Armament before, he was already on the verge of copse. Canvas of Four Seasons! With a thought, Zhang Xuan swapped into the appearance of Sovereign Chen Ling with the disguise amulet before taking out the Canvas of Four Seasons to release the energy that he had sealed within it. He had stolen this energy from the deity whom Sovereign Chen Ling had summoned, and it was exceptionally effective in healing injuries. It took a few moments before Zhang Xuan fully recovered from his injuries. After he was all healed up, he turned his sights to the massive saber and continued his attacks once more. Boom! Boom! Boom! The massive saber continued striking down on the barrier, causing the cracks that had appeared to growrger andrger, seemingly on the verge of being torn apart at any moment. By this point, the Ordeal of Lightning Armament had already expended arge portion of its energy, making it much weaker than before. It seems like its indeed possible to grind it down... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The risk had paid off. Even though he was not the Worlds Teacher yet, it seemed like he would be able to free himself from his position as a Celestial Master Teacher, allowing his cultivation to rise once more. At the same time, he would probably be able to shatter whatever was left of the barrier. He had no idea whaty on the other side, but considering the secrecy surrounding it, he had a feeling that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers might have something to do with it. Even if the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was not involved, it was bound to have something to do with Kong shi. As long as he traced Kong shis footsteps, he would eventually be able to ascend to a higher dimension. Kacha! Kacha! As the Ordeal of Lightning Armament struck down another two more times, the cracks grewrger andrger, to the extent that they were alreadyrge enough for a person to pass through. At the same time, the ominous clouds in the sky were starting to dissipate. Another few breaths passed, and it seemed like the Ordeal of Lightning Armament had finally reached its limits. The multitude of attacks that it hadunched hadpletely sapped its energy. With a light tap of Zhang Xuans finger, it dissipated into countless strands of energy. Lets enter! Finally oveing the lightning tribtion, Zhang Xuan beckoned the others before diving right into the hole in the barrier. Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan nodded. They swiftly sent a message to Zhao Ya before following their teacher to the other side of the barrier. Chapter 1868 - Greensprout Wheat

Chapter 1868: Greensprout Wheat

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 What appeared before Zhang Xuan was a vast world. The blue sky, dabbled with traces of white clouds, extended far and wide. Greenery flourished from the earth, creating a peaceful scene that went well with the melodious chirping of birds. The spiritual energy in the air was so concentrated that it was on par with the most blessednd back at the Master Teacher Continent. Not too far away from where Zhang Xuan was standing, there was a farnd filled with wheat. Where are we? Wei Ruyan asked with a confused frown as she slowly walked out from the darkness. She drove her zhenqi carefully for fear that there would be danger lurking in the area. Its probably some sort of ancient domain, Zheng Yang replied. Zhang Xuan carefully assessed his surroundings as he slowly proceeded over to the farnd. He bent down before one of the wheat nts and plucked it out in order to conduct a closer examination. A momentter, he chuckled softly and asked, Have you noticed? Noticed? The two youths replied in bewilderment to Zhang Xuans abrupt question. Zheng Yang walked closer to take a closer look at the wheat stalk in Zhang Xuans hand before remarking, The wheat over here seems to be much bulkier than what we can find in the Master Teacher Continent. It seems to retain more spiritual energy from the surroundings too! Youre right. The wheat here seems to be infused with much more spiritual energy. Wei Ruyan nodded with a slightly confused look still on her face. She could not understand why her teacher was more interested in a stalk of wheat than figuring out where they were and what they should do. As Ancient Sages, they could continue living without any problems even if they went without food. As such, agriculture produce and the like no longer caught their attention. This is Greensprout Wheat. Due to the high concentration of spiritual energy it contains, an ordinary human will be able to enhance their constitution if they consume it for a long period. Take your Innate Poison Body for example; if you had consumed the Greensprout Wheat from a young age, you wouldnt have had to go through so much pain. Instead, you would have easily awakened your unique constitutions. It was the potency of Wei Ruyans Innate Poison Body, to the extent that she was unable to awaken or control it, that caused a huge strain on her body, resulting in her constant feeble condition back when she was younger. If not for her father, Wei Changfeng, going to great lengths to find all sorts of treasures to sustain her life, there was no way she would have survived long enough to meet Zhang Xuan. If she had eaten this Greensprout Wheat from a young age, her constitution would have been strengthened significantly, allowing her to better cope with her unique constitutions. Perhaps she would have been spared from much suffering, and Wei Changfeng would not have lost his life over a single stalk of a medicinal herb. If this Greensprout Wheat is that formidable, wouldnt it be a blessing to mankind if we could bring it back to the Master Teacher Continent and cultivate it? Zheng Yangs eyes lit up in excitement. As the head of the Combat Master Hall, he had to constantly push himself to think of issues from a higher perspective. There were also medicinal herbs on the Master Teacher Continent that could enhance ones constitution, but those medicinal herbs could not be cultivated on arge scale due to the stringent conditions required for their survival. On the other hand, the fact that the Greensprout Wheat was growing inrge fields meant that it was possible to cultivate it on arge scale! If they could enhance the constitution of mankind as a whole, there was no doubt that it would be a huge blessing to mankind! The reason mankind had been unable to im the absolute advantage in the battle against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe despite the efforts of countless master teachers was because the starting point of the Otherworldly Demons were simply too far ahead of their human counterparts. Even the Otherworldly Demons with the weakest bloodlines were bestowed with the strength of a Transcendent Mortal from birth. This difference in the starting points created a gap that was nigh impossible to bridge with effort alone. In fact, it could already be said to be a miraculous feat that mankind had been able to survive for so many years in the face of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes aggression. Knowing what Zheng Yang was thinking of, Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. Its impossible to cultivate the Greensprout Wheat on the Master Teacher Continent. The existence of this nt was not detailed in the records of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Instead, he found it amid the knowledge from the mountain of books in the Temple of Confucius. This was a nt that Kong shi had conceptualized in ordance to his vision, and it should have been non-existent in their world. Zhang Xuan had to verify time and time again before he could be certain that the nt that he was holding was indeed the Greensprout Wheat. Why not? Zheng Yang asked with in iprehension. It was true that the spiritual energy there was considerably more concentrated than that on the Master Teacher Continent, but given their capabilities, it should be possible for them to createrge enclosed spaces that emted that environment. Why would it be impossible for them to cultivate it on the Master teacher Continent? In the many years of battle with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the atmosphere of the Master Teacher Continent has already be suffused with their killing intent, albeit in nearly undetectable amounts to us. Unfortunately, the Greensprout Wheat is exceptionally vulnerable to killing intent, such that even the slightest contact with killing intent can lead to its death! As Zhang Xuan exined, he tapped his finger lightly and infused the field before him with a surge of zhenqi harnessing a slight hint of killing intent. H! As if a droplet of ink falling in the midst of clear water, the Greensprout Wheat within an area of ten mu from his fingers turned yellow and fell limp in an instant. It was almost as if someone had set the crops in the entire area aze. This... Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were surprised. Even Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback by how sensitive the Greensprout Wheat was. While he had known that Greensprout Wheats were exceptionally vulnerable to killing intent, he did not think that they would be so weak to it. He had controlled the killing intent in that surge of zhenqi to an extremely minute amount, but it had still ended up afflicting such devastation upon the field. As such, there was no way that those nts could possibly survive on the Master Teacher Continent. There are quite a few Otherworldly Demons hidden on the Master Teacher Continent, causing there to be a slight concentration of killing intent in the air. While its negligible and perhaps even imperceptible to most humans, its more than enough to spell a catastrophe to the Greensprout Wheat, Zhang Xuan remarked. Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan nodded in agreement. Thends of the Tianxuan Kingdom arent gued with killing intent, right? So, shouldnt it be possible for us to cultivate the Greensprout Wheat there? Wei Ruyan asked. She had noticed as soon as she entered the Tianxuan Kingdom that there was a natural barrier in the ancient domain that seemed to prevent the killing intent lingering in the atmosphere from corroding itsnds. In other words, this ancient domain was devoid of killing intent. Youre right to say that there isnt any killing intent in the Tianxuan Kingdom, but its a pity that its spiritual energy is simply insufficient. Furthermore, havent you noticed that there isnt the unique aura that allows one to advance as a master teacher there? Zhang Xuan replied. This... Wei Ruyan pondered for a moment before nodding slowly in response. She had not paid particr attention to the matter since it did not affect her as a poison master. However, that did seem to be the case. There was no killing intent in the Tianxuan Kingdom, but the conditions required for master teachers to advance to higher ranks were also absent. As such, one who wanted to be a master teacher had no choice but to depart from the Tianxuan Kingdom and head elsewhere. Even Lu Xun, whom they had met earlier, had be a 2-star master teacher because he had migrated to other kingdoms. Ancient domains are barren ces, devoid of any auras and poor in spiritual energy. While killing intent ispletely absent in this area, its climate is still unsuitable for the growth of the Greensprout Wheat. Even if the Greensprout Wheat is able to survive in the Tianxuan Kingdom, it wont be able to germinate and grow! Zhang Xuan replied with a sigh. It was after he forsook his Celestial Master Teacher title that he gained a clearer view of the Tianxuan Kingdom. With just a nce, he was able to see right into the crux. He was still unable to figure the reason behind the anomalies present in ancient domains, but he was certain that the Greensprout Wheat would be unable to thrive there. Otherwise, Kong shi would have turned the ancient domains into the core of the Master Teacher Continent! Even though the Greensprout Wheat wont grow in ancient domains, it seems to be flourishing well here. Just what kind of ce have we entered? Zheng Yang wondered in curiosity. For something that wouldnt survive anywhere else to actually thrive in thisnd... could there be something special here? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. If Im not mistaken, this is probably the Kunxu Domain where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers reside. This area is unlike any of the other folded spaces we have entered. Instead, it has already developed to be a brand-new world! The Hundred Schools of Philosophers? Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan widened their eyes in astonishment. Wuuuuu! Just as they were about to ask further about the matter, the sound of a horn suddenly echoed from afar. Following which, arge group of people suddenly rushed over with wrathful looks on their faces. Chapter 1869 - Village Belle

Chapter 1869: Vige Belle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This group of people were dressed in ordinary-looking shirts with short sleeves. Their hands were equipped with hoes, machetes, spades, and all kinds of farming tools, and they seemed to be ready to wage a war. Their cultivation realms... Zheng Yang muttered with widened eyes. The group of people before them were ordinary civilians who could not have appeared more normal; their counterparts on the Master Teacher Continent would not even be Fighters. Yet, every single one of them was actually at Zongshi realm! They havent cultivated at all. Theres no trace of zhenqi in their bodies... Wei Ruyan was also taken aback. From the heavy footsteps of this group of people, she could tell that there was no zhenqi in their dantians. Without a doubt, none of them were cultivators. Despite never absorbing spiritual energy and refining it into zhenqi, they were already emanating the aura of Zongshi realm cultivators. This is likely the effects of consuming Greensprout Wheat for extended periods of time, resulting in some development in their constitution, Zhang Xuan exined. They are no longer ordinary humans. Such a situation was probably rted to the Greensprout Wheat. Their genes had been refined by the Greensprout Wheat over many generations, causing a fundamental change in their constitution. As a result of these changes, they had been born with strength superior to other humans at birth, much like the Otherworldly Demons. This... Zheng Yangs eyes lit up in excitement. He was already moved by the idea when he heard his teachers words, but seeing the miraculous effects of the Greensprout Wheat in action, he felt as if he saw endless possibilities for the advancement of mankind. If everyone on the Master Teacher Continent became like this group of people, they would really be able to stand up against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe fearlessly even if something went wrong. While ones starting point was not everything, there was no denying that it yed a significant role in deciding how high one would be able to reach in the future. Without a doubt, being born with strengthparable to Zongshi realm cultivators would be a huge boost. This was really a step closer in achieving Kong shis ideal of creating a prosperous and powerful society for mankind. Who in the world are you? How dare you destroy our crops! The encircling crowd slowly marched up to Zhang Xuan as they bellowed furiously. The one leading the group of men was an elder who appeared to be eighty years old. Despite his advanced age, he was brimming with energy. His hair and beard were still dyed a youthful ck, and his movements were vigorous. Even though he had not cultivated, his cultivation had reached the highest level beneath Transcendent Mortal, Zhizun realm! Zhizun realm experts were able to snub even Emperor Shen Zhui from the Tianxuan Kingdom, but those vigers were able to reach that level just by ageing. This was something that no one would believe possible outside! I apologize for my careless action; I didnt mean to ruin your crops. Im willing topensate you for them, Zhang Xuan said apologetically as he took out a pile of medicinal herbs and weapons. While they were already the least expensive goods in his storage ring, they were stillmodities that would fetch a rtively high price anywhere else. Seeing such a sight, the crowd who had marched over here with gusto suddenly halted. They were unable to urately identify the value of the artifacts before them, but they were still able to feel the incredible spiritual energy gushing out from them. The reason they had dashed there was because they had found that intruders had damaged several mu of their farnd, but even the ruined wheat could not begin topare to the treasuresid out before their eyes. You are going to give those to us aspensation? The elder dared not believe what was happening. Thats right, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Please feel free to take them. To be honest, I have some questions that I hope you will be able to answer. The elder quickly instructed the vigers to inspect the treasures, and after confirming that they were invaluable artifacts, he could not help but feel a little giddy. He hurriedly shook his head to snap out of his state and said, What is it? Ask anything you like! Given that the other party had spoken to them humbly and given them such generouspensation, there was no way that he could stay angry at them. Its actually the first time that the three of us havee here, so may I ask where we are? Zhang Xuan asked. You are in our Stone Vige, which is located within the territories of the Estate of Edification! the elder replied. Stone Vige? Estate of Edification? Zhang Xuan frowned. Pardon me, but what is the Estate of Edification? The vigers were confused by the question, but a middle-aged man suddenly spoke up. Its one of the areas of jurisdiction under the lineage of Ancient Sage Zi Chi! Ancient Sage Zi Chi? Zhang Xuan nodded slowly in realization. Ancient Sage Zi Chi was one of the seventy-two Sages under Kong shis lineage. While his reputation paled far inparison to Ran Qiu, Bo Shang, and the others, his name had still appeared frequently back in Kong shis era. Ancient Sage Zi Chi was known to be skilled in agriculture. Perhaps, while the idea of the Greensprout Wheat was conceptualized by Kong shi, he was the one who had carefully cultured it. Since this area was under the jurisdiction of Ancient Sage Zi Chi, it meant to say that they were within the territories of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. He had still been thinking of conducting a thorough investigation after arriving at the Tianxuan Kingdom, but who could have known that Zheng Yang and the others would stumble upon it so swiftly? May I know where I should go in order to reach Ancient Sage Zi Chis residence? Given that tens of thousands of years had passed then, Ancient Sage Zi Chi himself was bound to have already passed away. Nevertheless, he should still have descendants living in the area. If he wished to trace Kong shis footsteps and uncover what he did and where he went after capturing a deity, he would have to first find the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. The residence of the Ancient Sage is located in Fan City. Its quite far away from here though. If you are in no rush, why dont I have Xiu Ru from our vige to take you there? the elder asked. Xiu Ru is our vige belle. She is a cultivator, and she has a spirit beast under hermand. If you were to ride her spirit beast, you should be able to get to Fan City faster... Vige belle? Zhang Xuan shook his head politely. Its fine. That would be imposing too much on you. Itll be fine as long as you point out the direction of Fan City to me. No no, you arent imposing on us at all. Its our pleasure to be of assistance to you! Fan City is a major city, and not just anyone can enter it. If you attempt to go in despite not being a local, its very likely that youll be arrested and interrogated. Itll be much safer for you to have Xiu Ru lead you there. Shes more familiar with the area, and itll be more convenient for you to move around with her by your side! the elder replied affirmatively, not leaving any room for rebuttal at all. It was true that the group before him had destroyed their farnd, but they had willingly offered generouspensation while maintaining a polite attitude. Naturally, they would wee them with hospitality. Seeing that the elder was adamant on the matter, Zhang Xuan could only hesitantly nod in agreement. The Stone Vige was not arge vige. All in all, there were only around a hundred households. When they heard that there were guests, they swiftly rushed out of their houses to wee them warmly. Soon, the rumored vige belle appeared as well. She was not a top-notch beauty, but her looks were decent and pleasing to the eye. In a small vige like this, it was understandable that she would be considered the vige belle. As the vige belle walked over, Zheng Yang looked at her and murmured beneath his breath, Transcendent 2-dan. Just as the elder had said earlier, she was a cultivator. Through the zhenqi flowing through her body, it was not too difficult to see that her cultivation was at Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. Xiu Ru walked up to Zhang Xuan and the others and spoke haughtily with raised eyebrows. I can take to Fan City, but I would like to remind you that the residence of Ancient Sage Zi Chi is not a ce where anyone cane and go as they please. Youll have to submit your name scrolls in advance if you wish to pay a visit. Know that if you make any trouble such as rudely barging into the residence and offending those living there, Im not going to save you! As the vige belle, she had her own pride and dignity. Rest assured, we dont intend to stir any trouble, Zhang Xuan replied. While their cultivation had pretty much reached the pinnacle of this world, the reason for them visiting the Kunxu Domain was not to start a fight but to uncover answers. Naturally, there was no reason for them to intentionally get into conflicts with others. That would be for the best. Also, Ill just put this out here in case you misunderstand anything. Its due to the vige chiefs instruction that Im leading you to Fan City. If I had a choice, I would never ept something as troublesome with this. So, dont bother thinking that you will get together with me or anything just because we are journeying together; Ill only ept the confessions of someone from the vige. I have no ns of marrying into any other viges at the moment! Xiu Ru said sternly. Constipated looks appeared on the faces of Zhang Xuan and Zheng Yang. Chapter 1870 - Bidding Farewell

Chapter 1870: Bidding Farewell

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The beast that Xiu Ru had tamed was an Eaglebeak Beast. It boasted a massive physique, such that it was not cramped even with so many people sitting on its back. Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan had been thinking of flying over to the destination on their own, which would have made a much faster journey, but recalling their teachers low-profile personality, they eventually abandoned the thought and sat down quietly on the back of the beast. Seeing the group of three controlling their breathing, Xiu Ru asked with a doubtful look in her eyes, You are cultivators too? She had thought that the group before her were no different from the vigers, ordinary humans devoid of zhenqi. Who knew that they would be able to absorb spiritual energy? You can say so! Zheng Yang replied with a smile. Xiu Ru heaved a sigh of relief before continuing on with a prideful smile. Not bad! Just to let you know, I have also cultivated before. Of everyone in the vige, I am the only one who has cleared the examination and inherited the true heritage of the old vige chief! Not bad, Zheng Yang remarked nonchntly. You might not be aware of this, but the old vige chief is someone who has inherited Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage! Xiu Ru said. Oh? Zhang Xuan shot a curious nce over. The old vige chief went to Fan City in his earlier years and received the guidance of the experts there. Even though he has aged since then, hes still the strongest individual in the vige. Its a pity that you didnt meet him, or else you would surely be filled with admiration for him, just like me! Xiu Ru exined. They had only met the incumbent vige chief so far, but the strongest person in their vige was actually the old vige chief. It was because she had cultivated with the old vige chief that she had managed to achieve such aplishments to date. May I know... what cultivation technique you practice? Were you taught by a master teacher? Zhang Xuan asked out of curiosity. The heritage left behind by Ancient Sage Zi Chi could not possibly be anything ordinary. Even if Xiu Ru had onlye into contact with a small sliver of it, he should still be able to tell something about it. Master teacher? Xiu Ru frowned in confusion. It seemed to be a foreign term to her. Its an upation that specializes in imparting knowledge and rifying the doubts of others, Zhang Xuan said. I have never heard of it before. Xiu Ru shook her head. Arent cultivation techniques all family heirlooms that cant be leaked to outsiders? Why would anyone ever impart it to an outsider? Other than in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, there shouldnt be any ce where anyone would impart cultivation techniques to outsiders. In any case, I have never heard of a master teacher before... After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan finally came to a realization. There was no Master Teacher Pavilion in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! If one wanted to cultivate, one needed to inherit the heritage from their n or earn the right to enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was not too different from the academies on the Master Teacher Continent. However, the requirements to enter were extremely harsh, such that only the most talented of individuals were epted. Even the vige belle before them was unlikely to stand a chance. The members from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers whom he had met previously, Xue Yan, Nangong Feng, and the others, were all experts from the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Are you trying to seek new opportunities in Fan City? Let me tell you, it isnt as simple as that. Ive been there a few times, but I still havent had a chance to meet any experts yet, Xiu Ru said as he looked at Zhang Xuan and the others with a look of pity in her eyes. Cultivation techniques were the bare necessity required for one to cultivate, but cultivation techniques were exclusive. They were not readily avable just because someone wanted one. The only reason that she had managed to be a cultivator was due to her innate talent and a bunch of coincidences working in her favor. When she realized that the three of them were just trying their luck, her attitude toward them swiftly became cold. As such, the rest of the journey ended up in silence. Roughly two hourster, a massive city came into sight. They had arrived at Fan City! The vige belle had described it as an incredible city of massive proportions, but having witnessed the grandeur of the Master Teacher Continent, Zhang Xuan and the others could not help but shake their heads in disappointment. In terms of size, Fan City was nothing inparison to the Zhang ns Dracotiger City or the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. At the very most, it could only be said to be at the level of Tianxuan Royal City. There was an inspection at the entrance, but the group managed to enter the city without any hups. They walked down the streets before finally stopping before a massive residence. Xiu Ru pointed to the residence and said, This is Ancient Sage Zi Chis residence. There are plenty of people who knock on the doors in hope of a fortuitous encounter. Look over there, those are the people who wish to learn their arts. However, its a pity that they are dreaming of the impossible. No matter how long they camp out here, they wont receive anything! Looking at the outer perimeters of the residence, there was arge group of people kneeling all around. From young children to teenage youths, the kneeling group were dressed in different attires, which hinted that they hade from far and wide. However, one thing they had inmon was the determined glint in their eyes. There were some of them who had kneeled for so long that their bodies were shaking nonstop. They were already approaching their limits, but they gritted their teeth and forced themselves to persevere. Seeing such a sight, a frown crept onto Zhang Xuans forehead. There were so many people who desired knowledge and would go to great lengths to it, but the massive gates of the residence still remained unforgivingly sealed. It was as if their prayers would never be answered. Kong shi preached the right to education. Considering that the entire Hundred School of Philosophers are his students, why are they so unwilling to pass down their cultivation techniques? Zhang Xuan could not understand what he was seeing. It was due to Kong shis magnanimity that he had eventually be the Worlds Teacher. Since the lineage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers originated directly from Kong shi, why would they maintain such tight control over their heritage, refusing to share it with others? Jiya! While Zhang Xuan was still wondering about this matter, the massive gates to the residence suddenly opened, and several tall, slender figures walked out. They were three youths and a middle-aged man. The youths seemed to be barely in their twenties whereas the middle-aged man had his brows sternly furrow. A Great Sage cultivator, Zheng Yang murmured. The middle-aged man was actually a Great Sage cultivator whereas the three youths were at Saint 9-dan. Without a doubt, all four of them were highly talented geniuses. The examination of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is fraught with difficulties. Take my teachings to heart, and do your best to clear it! the middle-aged man instructed the three youths in front of him. Yes! The three of them nodded solemnly in response. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up upon hearing that familiar term. Thats the current head of the Fan n and his juniors! Are they going to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism to challenge the trial? Thats incredible! Those who are permitted to step through the doorways of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism are the most talented of geniuses. If I could receive even just a single pointer from a person of that caliber, all my effort wouldnt have been in vain! Its a pity that their cultivation techniques arent imparted to outsiders. Given our standing, theres no way we will ever be able toy our hands on them! ... Such discussions could be heard amid the crowd. Ancient Sage Zi Chi was an honorary title; his real name was Fan Xu. The Fan n whom the crowd were speaking about referred to the n of his descendants. Good. I wish you all the best! the middle-aged man said with a wave of his hand. Hu! The three youths soared into the air and flitted into the distance. All it took was a few moments for them to vanish without a trace. Watching as the silhouettes of the three youths vanished, Zheng Yang turned to look at Zhang Xuan anxiously. Teacher... Un, lets follow them. I think the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism holds the key to all of the secrets we have been wondering so far! Zhang Xuan said. Previously, the experts who had snuck into the Master Teacher Continent had all been from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Instead of posing questions to the not-too-beautiful vige belle, it would be much better to them to simply follow those three youths. Hearing their words, the vige belle scoffed. Follow them? Have you eaten the wrong medicine? They are Saint experts! Given the speed that they are traveling at, even if my spirit beast snapped its wings, it would still be unable to catch up with them! You wont be able to even see their silhouettes... She also desired to learn from the three youths... but they simply were not even close to being at the same level as those three youths. Putting aside seeking guidance from them, they would not be able to reach them even if they ran with all of their might! It was not as if she could not understand Zhang Xuan and the others agitation at seeing the three experts, but they should be realistic! They would never achieve anything great with their heads in the air! Thank you for bringing us here. We wont be riding your aerial spirit beast back. Farewell! Interrupting Xiu Rus words, Zhang Xuan sped his fist with a smile before turning around. Hu! He rose into the air, and as if teleporting through space, he abruptly disappeared into thin air. You... The eyes of the vige belle nearly popped out of their sockets upon seeing Zhang Xuans vanishing act. She quickly turned to look at Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan, only to see the two of them smiling at her. Hu! They vanished as well. Putong! Xiu Rus bottom fell to the ground as she sat in a daze over what had just happened, dumbstruck. She had thought that they were weaklings, but contrary to her expectations, they turned out to be experts... top-notch experts who far surpassed her imaginations! Chapter 1871 - Fan Xiaoxu

Chapter 1871: Fan Xiaoxu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Paying no heed to the frenzied vige belle, Zhang Xuan and the others hastened their footsteps. It did not take them long to catch up to the three young men. While those three youths were not able to sever space to travel through dimension rifts, they seemed to have practiced some kind of unique movement art, allowing them to travel at an incredible speed. Shall we stop and question them? Zheng Yang asked. Theres no need for that. Even if we question them, I reckon its unlikely that they will be able to answer my doubts. Itll do for us to just follow them for the time being. Everything shoulde to light at the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. The information that Zhang Xuan wanted to know was one of the deepest secrets of the Master Teacher Continent, such that there was no way the youths from the younger generation would know a thing. Furthermore, revealing their goals might not necessarily work to their advantage. As such, it would be best for them to trail the youths for the time being and decide on their next move after they reached the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Trusting his teachers judgement, Zheng Yang nodded before falling silent. The group continued heading forward, and three dayster, they finally found themselves standing before a humongous mountain. The area in front of the mountain was filled with huge crowds that numbered in the thousands. Zheng Yang discreetlynded on the ground and blended into the crowd to gather some information whereas Zhang Xuan and Wei Ruyan took this opportunity to swiftly assess their surroundings. None of those amid the crowd of several thousand around them were older than thirty. All of their cultivation levels were simr to those the three youths from before, Saint 9-dan. In fact, there were some who had reached Half-Great Sage. Other than Zheng Yang and the others, there was probably no one else on the Master Teacher Continent who had reached Saint 9-dan before their thirties. Yet, for so many of them to appear there all at once... As expected of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, they were indeed extraordinary! They possess the bloodlines of Ancient Sages, their constitutions have been refined by the Greensprout Wheat over generations, and they have inherited the entirety of Kong shis heritage. Given so, its difficult for the youths of the Master Teacher Continent topete with them, Zhang Xuan thought. There were plenty of geniuses on the Master Teacher Continent, but even among the Three Great ns, most of those who were at Saint 9-dan were already in their two hundreds, and they were already esteemed elders in their own ns. It was spectacr for one to wield such great strength despite only being in their twenties. Teacher, I sense a particrly sharp aura from them. Wei Ruyan sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. Its as if theyve been through countless battles. Its something that I rarely sense even from the experts of the Master Teacher Continent. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in response. This particr quality of those several thousand youths had caught his eye as well. Most of the experts on the Master Teacher Continent were master teachers. While they boasted remarkable fighting prowess, they were more skilled in imparting knowledge and guiding theter generations. On the other hand, the cultivators who had gathered in front of the mountain emanated the feral aura of the battlefield right from their bones, reminiscent ofbat masters. It was apparent that they had not just focused solely on their cultivation. They had also fought many battles, granting them a deep understanding of fighting techniques. Some timeter, Zheng Yang returned and reported back to Zhang Xuan telepathically. Teacher! Based on what Ive heard, the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism isnt here. Instead, its hidden within a folded space. If we wish to enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, well have to first join their ranks. Apparently, all of the people here are all the descendants of the seventy-two Sages, and they are here to take the examination! I see... Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. The examinees have to clear many trials in order to enter the peculiar folded space where the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is located. Otherwise, the barrier will repel them, denying them entry, Zheng Yang exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight to scan the surroundings, hoping to find the whereabouts of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. However, he soon shook his head. He did find formations in the area around them, but there were no folded spaces or the like to be found. It seemed like he would not be able to sneak into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism that easily. Do I have to impersonate an examinee to participate in the examination as well? Zhang Xuan thought in exasperation. He was someone who wielded fighting prowess invincible beneath the Dimension Shatterer realm. Even the powerful Ancient Sage Yan Qing would be no match for the current him! Yet, he was actually going to have to disguise himself as an ordinary examinee andpete with a bunch of Saint 9-dan and Half-Transcendent Mortal cultivators. Just the notion of it felt extremely embarrassing. It was as if he was an adult marching into a yground to challenge the kids ying there! However, if he did not do that, it would be difficult for him to get to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. He had no idea about its whereabouts or how powerful the barrier around it was, so forceful methods might not work out too well. Even with his current cultivation, he dared not make a move recklessly when it came to matters rting to Kong shis heritage. The barrier that he had to cross in order to enter this dimension was one good example. If the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism had something of the same caliber as well, he could very well find himself cornered even if he had Vicious aid. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before turning to instruct his two students. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is likely to be fraught with dangers, and your disguises arent perfect. For the time being, you should find a ce in the vicinity and stay there till I contact you. The disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him would alter even his bloodline, making it impossible to discern any anomalies. With that, he should be able to impersonate one of the examinees without any issue. On the other hand, while Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were able to alter their appearances, they were not able to disguise their fundamentals. Under the inspection of another Ancient Sage, they would be exposed in an instant. Since that was the case, it would be wiser for them to stay put. Yes, Teacher! Knowing their teachers capabilities, the two of them nodded in response. They swiftly drafted out a n before Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan walked away with smiles on their faces. Without much trouble, they managed to lure the other two youths of the Fan n away before Zhang Xuan approached thest youth with a bright smile on his face. Fan Xiaoxu, its a pleasure to meet you! After following these three youths for the past three days, he was already well aware of their backgrounds. The youth standing before him was Fan Xiaoxu, and he was also the one deemed most likely to clear the examination and enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. You are... Even though Fan Xiaoxu was a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Chi, there was no way that he could have noticed Zhang Xuan and the others presence given the difference in their strength. As such, he was perplexed to see that Zhang Xuan actually knew his name. Im aware that you may not know me, but your father is a close friend of mine. He has entrusted me to take care of you, so I would like to have a private talk with you about the uing examination! Zhang Xuan said. You are a close friend of my fathers? A hint of doubt surfaced in Fan Xiaoxus eyes. His father was the incumbent head of the Fan n, the middle-aged man who had sent them off three days ago. If his father had any friends here, his father would have told him about it in advance. There was no way that he would not have been unaware of it. Indeed. There are too many people here at the moment, so shall we move to the side? Zhang Xuan could sense that Fan Xiaoxu was skeptical of his identity, but he maintained a nonchnt look on his face. Alright then! Fan Xiaoxu was filled with doubt, but he eventually gave a nod of approval. Putting aside the fact that he was a Saint 9-dan pinnacle expert, just the fact that they were surrounded by formidable experts made it highly unlikely for anyone to make a move on him directly even if that person did harbor malicious intentions toward him. Besides, he was just a humble nobody. There was nothing one could get out of him. They walked over to the back of a nearby building. Fan Xiaoxu was just about to inquire about the reason behind this talk when he saw the other partys palm expanding right before his eyes. Struck directly in the face, he fainted in an instant. Right up to the moment that he fainted, he was astonished that someone actually dared to make a move on him at a ce like that! Zhang Xuan ced Fan Xiaoxus body into his folded space before using the disguise amulet to alter his appearance in the form of Fan Xiaoxu. He made sure that even their clothes were identical. While it had not been too long since he hade to this dimension, he had already grasped some rules regarding the culture there. Only those who belonged to the ns of the seventy-two Sages were allowed to cultivate. Ordinary civilians were not allowed to ess any cultivation techniques at all. He would not be allowed to take the examination if he disguised himself as a normal cultivator, so he could only wrong this fellow. Then again, this could be an opportunity for the other party. At the very least, the other party was sure to clear the examination without any hups. It was a golden ticket that guaranteed that he would get into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Zhang Xuan quickly returned to where he had taken Fan Xiaoxu from earlier. Soon, he saw Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan returning with the two youths that they had lured away. The two youths had confused looks on their faces, apparently not understanding why they had been pulled away at all. Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan made up some excuse about recognizing the wrong people before taking their leave, leaving those two dumbfounded on the spot. Not too longter, several tall figures flitted over from afar, and a heavy pressure crushed down on them. The experts from the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism had arrived! Chapter 1872 - The Topic of the Examination

Chapter 1872: The Topic of the Examination

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan looked at the tall figures floating in the sky with slightly raised eyebrows. Surprisingly, there were two familiar faces among the group. They were Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing, who had paid a visit to the Luo n and Zhang n respectively not too long ago. In order to preserve their lifespan, the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers likely spent most of their time in hibernation. Thus, most affairs were passed down to the Great Sage cultivators to handle. It was apparent that those two had a rather high position in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. The Sempiternal realm consummation expert standing at the forefront of the group shot a sweeping gaze across the crowd before speaking with a booming voice. Wee. You are the most outstanding descendants from the ns of the seventy-two Sages in this generation, and I believe that you must have put in a lot of effort in order toe this far! However, the resources we have are limited, and I believe that I need not say anything more about the recruitment criteria of our Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. We only open up a hundred slots every year, and this year wont be an exception! This year, we have a total of 2,143 applicants, which means that only one out of twenty of you will be able to join us. Youll have to put your lives on the line in order to be the ones standing at the end of this intense battle. If you are afraid, Ill allow you to step out right now! The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is only epting a hundred people? Zhang Xuan frowned. The two thousand applicants who had gone there were all incredibly talented individuals who had reached Saint 9-dan in their twenties. On the Master Teacher Continent, geniuses of this caliber would indubitably be powerhouses in the future. Yet, the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was going to eliminate so many of them at once... Was this examination not a little too strict? Noticing Zhang Xuans bewilderment, one of the two youths beside him spoke up. Didnt the n head say it earlier beforeing here? The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism has always been this strict. Besides... isnt it the same for our n? His name was Fan Xiaoxing, and while his cultivation was beneath that of Fan Xiaoxu, he was also a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator. Whats the same? The selections! There is an examination for us every single year, and those who fail will be denied cultivation resources and cultivation techniques, thus losing the privilege to cultivate. Have you forgotten how many battles we had to go through in order toe this far? Fan Xiaoxing shook his head with a bitter smile. How could I possibly have forgotten all of that? I just cant help but feel a little mncholic at this harshness, Zhang Xuan replied with a slight smile to cover up his astonishment. To hold examinations every year and deprive those who had failed of their cultivation resources... was it not a little cruel to enforce such rules within their own ns? Was Kong shis goal not to nurture every human to be powerful, independent experts? If so, why would the Hundred Schools of Philosophers intentionally deprive their own people of the resources required for them to grow? The examination this year is slightly different from the previous years, but it will be much simpler than before. I believe that every single one of you has noticed that the mountain in front of us have been sealed. This mountain will serve as the venue of your examination. Before entering the mountain, well have every single one of you wear a teleportation jade token in front of your chest. As soon as you crush it, you will be immediately teleported out, thus losing your right to enter into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! You are free to make allies and make a move on others; there will be no restrictions on that. As long as you are one of the hundred survivors remaining at the end, you will have cleared the examination and earned the right to enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! the Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man standing at the forefront of the group above reiterated. Well be immediately teleported out if the teleportation jade token we are holding is crushed? Thats unfair! If someone skilled in concealment hides himself as soon as we enter the mountain, such that no one is able to find him, wont he be able to clear the examination without battling at all? Thats the same for those who are skilled in formations! If he sets up his defenses well, no one will be able to eliminate him! What if everyone hides and we dont eliminate others? Such discussions sounded from the youths beneath. They had thought that the examinations would take on the same format as previous years, such as a round robin tournament or some sort of trial, but who could have known it would just be a mass elimination battle? Theres no need to worry. Since we have already set the rules, theres no way well allow that sort of problem to ur. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism will be dispatching an enforcement squad to eliminate those who hide or proactively avoid battles. Furthermore, the duration of the examination is only six hours. If you are unable to reduce your numbers to a hundred people by the end of this duration, well deem all of you to have failed the examination! the Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man said. Six hours? Enforcement squad? Everyones eyes widened in astonishment. There were still some who had been thinking that they would be able to exploit the rules to clear the examination with ease, but they dared not to harbor such thoughts anymore. To eliminate more than two thousand people within three hours was no easy feat. In order to ensure that the number was reduced to a hundred people by the end of the duration, they would have to actively seek out individuals to eliminate. Furthermore, if they dared hide, they would risk being weeded out by the enforcement squad. In other words, if they wished to be one of the hundred survivors at the end, they would have to try their best to eliminate others. The Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man looked at the crowd after exining all of the rules. Are there any other questions? No! the crowd replied resoundingly. The Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man waved his hand, and an elevated tform materialized at the center of the crowd. On it were several thousand jade tokens. Verify your identities and im your jade tokens, he instructed. One of the youths took the lead and walked up to the elevated tform. He bit his finger and squeezed out a droplet of blood on the elevated tform. Weng! There was a slight buzz as a line of words appeared above the elevated tform: Ancient Sage Zi Qi. Hu! With the acknowledgement of his bloodline, a jade token flew over and pinned itself to his chest. Following which, the second youth walked up to the elevated tform. Their procedures sure are strict... Seeing this, Zhang Xuan could not help but pat his heart in relief. It was fortunate that he had knocked out Fan Xiaoxu in advance to disguise himself as the other party. If he had not sent Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan away, their disguises would surely have crumbled in the face of this verification method, thus putting the Hundred Schools of Philosophers on their guard. The crowd around Zhang Xuan slowly moved toward the elevated tform, and soon enough, it was finally Zhang Xuans turn to im his jade token. He squeezed his blood on the elevated tform and sessfully obtained a jade token too. Fan Xiaoxing and the other youth, Fan Xiaofeng, then went up. In less than an hour, all two thousand examinees had imed the jade tokens that they would have toy down their lives to protect during the course of the examination. Good! Quickly head over to the mountain. As soon as thest participants steps into the mountain, the six hours will officially start ticking down! The Sempiternal realm consummation middle-aged man in the air waved his hand grandly. Hu! The seal around the mountain opened up, and the crowd swiftly dashed toward the peak. Those who first headed in would be able to im the advantageous terrain, thus significantly boosting their chances at clearing the examination. Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng were intending to rush right in as well, but they felt someone tugging their clothes from behind. It was Fan Xiaoxu. Its likely that well be forcefully separated after entering the mountain. Find somewhere to hide first. Ille looking for you! Zhang Xuan noticed that there were Teleportation Formations set up along the perimeter of the mountain, so it was likely that examinees would be randomly teleported to various ces on the mountain. Otherwise, if those from the same n huddled together, it would make an unfair battle. Hide? Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng frowned. In truth, the three of them would not form too powerful a force even if they did group together. They would just be arger target for others to attack if they huddled together, so they might very well fare better going off on their own paths. Listen to me. Ill make sure that all of us clear the examination! Zhang Xuan said confidently. Since he had knocked out the real Fan Xiaoxu and assumed thetters identity, he should give something back to Ancient Sage Zi Chis descendants inpensation. Seeing how adamant Fan Xiaoxu was about this matter, Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. ... Alright then! Zhang Xuan also did not bother exining how he would go looking for them after they went into hiding. Instead, with a light smile, he swiftly flitted over to the mountain. H! Light burst forth from the Teleportation Formation and shrouded his figure, causing him to vanish. Chapter 1873 - The Law of the Jungle

Chapter 1873: The Law of the Jungle

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 When the light finally faded from view, Zhang Xuan found that he was already standing behind a boulder. As soon as he regained his bnce, he felt a chilling intent moving along the ground, dashing right toward the jade token in front of his chest. If the strikended, he would be eliminated right away. This examination was indeed advantageous toward those who entered the mountain early. Those who had arrived earlier were already lying in ambush, waiting to spring upon those who walked into their trap. Not bad. You are quite fast! Zhang Xuan chuckled as his fingers darted forward in retaliation. Weng! The weapon that was surging in his direction was held firmly on the spot, unable to advance any further on him. Even though Zhang Xuan had limited his strength to the level of a Saint 9-dan cultivator, his eye of discernment and reaction speed were more than enough to make him a match for Great Sage cultivators. Considering how his assant was only an ordinary Macrocosm Ascendancy realm cultivator, there was no way his ambush could possibly seed! Having blocked the assault, Zhang Xuan took a good look at his assantit was a young man dressed in ck. A hint of horror could be seen reflected in the depths of the young mans eyes upon seeing how Zhang Xuan caught his dagger so easily. Knowing that he was outmatched, the young man decisively abandoned his dagger and turned tail. It was a wise move on the young mans part. Had it been any otherpetitor, his decisiveness would have ensured his survival. I have to say that you are very sharp on your feet. Its only unfortunate that you chose me as your opponent... Zhang Xuan nodded in approval as he lifted his finger and tapped it lightly in the air. Freeze! Hu! As if the air had frozen over, the young man found himself standingpletely still on the spot, unable to move at all. This is... a spatial seal! the young man cried in fright. For a Saint 9-dan cultivator to actuallyprehend such an ability... this meant that the young man before him was ranked amid the top among the descendants of the seventy-two Sages! How could he have been so unlucky as to meet such a powerful foe at the very start of the examination? F-friend, I-I apologize for my brash actions. I was truly foolish to have dared make a move on you. Please be so magnanimous as to spare me... The young man begged desperately for mercy. He boasted the greatest fighting prowess among his peers in his n. He had thought that as long as he prepared himself well, he would be able to hunt down others with ease. However, who could have known that his first target would end up being this ridiculously powerful expert? If only he had known earlier, he would have surely snuggled up tightly in his hiding position. He wouldnt have courted his own death! Its not entirely impossible for me to spare you, Zhang Xuan remarked as he looked at the young man before him purposefully. Please speak of any conditions you have for me! Understanding the intention behind Zhang Xuans gaze, the young man gritted his teeth. I am willing to offer up my possessions in exchange for your mercy. However, you should also be aware that the resources that each n passes down to us are limited, so I dont have too many good items... I dont need your possessions. You have two choices in front of you. You can either have your jade token destroyed and be eliminated, or you can tell me what I want to know, Zhang Xuan said as he gazed deeply at the young man. Rest assured, I wont probe into the secrets of your n and put you in a tight spot. Ill choose the second! the young man replied decisively. Only he knew how much effort he had put in to get so far. If he failed to get into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, all of the resources that he had been entitled to woulde to a halt, making it impossible for him to advance any further in the future. No matter what, he could not allow himself to be eliminated there! Wonderful, Zhang Xuan remarked nonchntly as he ced his hands behind his back. From the moment you started how cultivating, how did you climb to the current stage you are at? I want you to describe every single thing in detail, be it the trials or examinations you have been through! H-huh? The young man had been wondering what Zhang Xuan would ask him, but it turned out to be something that practically everyone knew about. Even though he was bewildered by the question, he still answered it honestly. I have been through twenty-seven exams so far, roughly one or two every single year. In every single examination, I saw many of my peers getting eliminated, thus having whatever resources they had been entitled topletely cut off. Instead, they are entrusted with the responsibilities of managing the ns businesses instead... It did not take long for the young man to go through his entire story. As Zhang Xuan listened to the young man, a frown slowly etched its way between his brows. Just as he had guessed, it seemed likepetition was an integral part of the life of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. From the moment they started cultivating, they were put through trial after trial. They would be entitled to more cultivation techniques and resources if they cleared the trial, but if they failed, they would be stripped of their right to cultivate. This was no longer nurturing the young; it was practically nurturing gu! It was rumored that those who nurtured gu would toss thousands of poisonous creatures together into a jar and have them kill one another. The one to emerge victorious at the end of it all would be the strongest gu of all. This seemed to be the same method that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were employing as well. Those who were given the opportunity to participate in the examination of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism had to go through many trials and rise above all of their peers in order toe this far. It was no wonder all of them emanated such feral auras, reminiscent of thebat masters. Only those who had the most tenacious drive of all could possibly survive under such conditions. Perhaps this was also why Yan Xue and the others had no qualms about coborating with the Otherworldly Demons. To them, results were the most important of all. As long as they achieved what they aimed for, the means were not important at all. It seems like the Hundred Schools of Philosophers have created an environment that promotes the survival of the fittest, Zhang Xuan thought as he looked at the young man once more. You said earlier that the resources you are given from your n is limited. What does that mean? As an offspring of a major n, do you not know that? the young man asked incredulously. However, knowing that his future was in the other partys hand, he could only answer obediently. Depending on ones level of cultivation and the examinations one has passed, the amount of resources that one is entitled to is fixed. Based on what I know, its the same for all ns. There is no exception at all! Zhang Xuan gasped in shock. It felt like he had suddenly gotten a glimpse into how the Hundred Schools of Philosophers operated. At the very start, they would choose the offspring that showed some aptitude toward cultivation and groom them. At fixed intervals, those who failed to advance beyond a certain level would be eliminated, thus losing their right to ess cultivation resources and cultivation techniques. Other than that, there would also be all kinds ofpetitions and trials that they would have to ovee. If they wished to continue cultivating, the only thing they could do was charge ahead as desperately as they could in order to ensure that they would notg behind. It could be said that the resources in this world were controlled to a degree so precise that it could make one shudder in fear! Cant one venture into ancient domains or the like in order to obtain cultivation resources and cultivation techniques? Zhang Xuan asked. Most cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent did not have too many resources either. However, through trading or venturing into ancient domains and finding treasures, they would be able to gather the resources required for them to continue cultivating for quite a while. So, why could the poption here not do the same? There was no way they had not thought of such a thing. How could there be any ancient domains around? After a cultivator dies, all of the resources he has been given are taken back by their respective n. Even if you kill me right now, you wont be able to take my resources because every single item I have brought with me has been logged in my ns logistics records. If theres anything missing, my n will make an official visit to your n and demand the return of the missing resources! the young man said. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Just what in the world was the Hundred Schools of Philosophers up to? Why in the world would they go to such extreme lengths to control the cirction of resources in the Kunxu Domain? Was this dimension in such a dire shortage of resources? After asking a few more questions to rify the matter, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger lightly at the young man. Hu! The young man copsed to the ground. You will regain your consciousness after I leave, but you wont remember meeting me and everything that has happened afterward, Zhang Xuan whispered softly before leaving the area. Memories were stored in the soul, and given Zhang Xuans prowess in soul arts, it was not too difficult for him to iste a specific memory and wipe it away. Even though the questions that he had asked were insignificant in nature, it was likely that it could bring some trouble to Fan Xiaoxu in the future. Since that was the case, he should stem any potential problems at the roots. Chapter 1874 - Fan Xiaofeng Chapter 1874: Fan Xiaofeng Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Spiritual Perception! After parting from the young man, Zhang Xuan walked a distance away before releasing his Spiritual Perception. In an instant, he gained an overview of the entire mountain. In truth, there were formations in ce that prevented the examinees from using their Spiritual Perception. However, through exploiting the ws of the formation and his superior strength, he was able to use his Spiritual Perception without catching anyones notice. Soon, he found the trails of the two youths that he was looking for. Oh? Fan Xiaoxing is quite lucky, isnt he? He was teleported in the midst of a mountain stream, so as long as he hides there, he should be able to avoid the attention of others for quite some time. Ah... did Fan Xiaoxing take up all of the luck? The three examinees from Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage were Fan Xiaoxu, Fan Xiaoxing, and Fan Xiaofeng. Fan Xiaoxing had managed to hide himself well, so no one had noticed him thus far. On the other hand, Fan Xiaofeng was in a precarious position. There were two powerful candidates chasing after him. It was fortunate that Fan Xiaofeng was extremely nimble, or else his jade token would have already been shattered. Thus, Zhang Xuan began flitting in the direction of Fan Xiaofeng. He knew that there was an enforcement squad constantly keeping track of his movements, so he made sure to maintain his speed at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Wuuuuuu! While he was traveling, he could sense shockwaves rippling all around him. Thepetition among the examinees was really not to be underestimated. It was no exaggeration to say that multiple battles had been ongoing every second since the start of the examination, and the examinees were swiftly being eliminated one after another. The examination of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was truly cruel. It was true that the rules permitted the examinees to form alliances, but in the face of limited slots, all alliances were transient. The moment a person lowered their guard, a dagger would be plunged into their back. From the start of the examination, Zhang Xuan had already caught sight of such urrences several times. Three examinees were working in coordination with one another to corner a cultivator traveling alone, but in the midst of the battle, one of the three examinees working together let his guard down for a moment and ended up getting injured. At the end of the battle, his teammate suddenly turned against him and eliminated him as well. In this examination, sustaining injuries was extremely dangerous. Not only did it cause a decline in ones fighting prowess, it was also a sign of weakness for other examinees to exploit. As such, being in an alliance might not necessarily be a good thing for this examination. While Zhang Xuan was dashing ahead, Fan Xiaofeng was trembling nonstop as cold sweat trickled down his head. Under the simultaneous assault of three examinees, he had already sustained significant injuries. With half of his energy expended, exhaustion was starting to seep into his body. Why struggle so hard? Just obediently ept your elimination, and all of your suffering will be over. You should have known from the start that the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is not a ce that someone of your caliber can possibly enter! one of the youths scoffed with the confidence of a hunter cornering a prey. The other two youths behind him encircled Fan Xiaofeng in a fan-shaped formation. Do your best to eliminate me then! Even if I cant enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, Ill make sure to bring you down together with me! Knowing that there was no escape for him, Fan Xiaofeng gritted his teeth furiously as he red at the trio before him. His luck was really horrible. As soon as he entered the mountain, he had been teleported right into the middle of these three. It had really taken his all to survive for so long. Hahaha! Youre going to bring us down together with you? That must be the greatest joke of the century! The youth leading the team of three harrumphed disdainfully. Get him! Hu! Hearing the signal to attack, the three of them dashed forward and rained blows down upon Fan Xiaofeng. Their attacks covered all directions, making it impossible for thetter to escape. The youth leading the team had already reached Half-Great Sage whereas the other two were at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Fan Xiaofeng would have struggled against any one of them, let alone the three of them simultaneously. He flew into a fluster right from the start. Peng! A powerful blow sent him crashing heavily into a boulder behind him. Completely sapped, his body slumped to the ground as if a pile of loose mud. Seeing that Fan Xiaofeng was already powerless to retaliate, the youth leading the team told the other two youths beside him, Lets not waste any more time. Quickly crush his jade token, and well start finding our next prey! Yes! The youth on the left chuckled softly as he leaped up to Fan Xiaofeng and darted his finger toward the jade token in front of thetters chest. If the attacknded, there was no doubt that Fan Xiaofeng would be eliminated. It seems like Im going to have to let down the expectations of the n... With a despaired look on his face, Fan Xiaofeng knew that there was no way he would be able to make aeback. Thus, he closed his eyes helplessly and epted his fate. However, as time ticked by, the jade token in front of his chest failed to shatter. Opening his eyes once more, he saw a figure sitting on a boulder not too far away. That figure was shaking his right leg casually as he looked in their direction with a trace of a smile on his face. Are the three of you proud of yourselves for ganging up on ad? Xiaoxu... Fan Xiaofengs heart jolted upon hearing that voice. It was none other than the son of the n head, Fan Xiaoxu! The other party had arrived at this crucial moment to save him! Another person who hase to court his death, eh? Seeing how the newly arrived young man dared to provoke them, the youth leading the team sneered coldly. He gestured at the other two youths with a tilt of his chin, and they swiftly surrounded Zhang Xuan. You should see for yourself how proud we are of ourselves! H! Knowing that time was precious, such that every single second that they remained in the open would spell a greater risk for them, the three of them charged right at Zhang Xuan. Seeing that the three of them had turned their sights to the son of the n head, Fan Xiaofeng eximed in a panic, Xiaoxu, hurry up and run away! At the very least, one of us has to clear the examination. You dont have to care about me... He knew that Xiaoxu was only slightly stronger than him, so there was no chance that thetter could defeat the three standing before him. Rather than getting eliminated just like that, thetter would be better off escaping. At the very least, there would still be a ray of hope for their lineage. Peng peng peng! However, before Fan Xiaofeng could finish his words, the sound of fists and kicks plunging into flesh echoed resoundingly in the air. Watching as everything unfolded before his eyes, the words that he had sought to say suddenly caught in his throat, causing his words toe to an abrupt halt. Contrary to expectations, the trio who had still been standing smugly a moment ago were floored with horror reflected in their eyes. Meanwhile, Fan Xiaoxu was still sitting on the boulder, not seeming to have moved at all. The other party looked at him with an encouraging smile and said, You should eliminate them yourself. Me? Fan Xiaofeng was taken aback by those words. Up till this moment, he had been unable to make sense of how the Xiaoxu that he knew was able to defeat those three so easily. His mind was so caught up in that matter that he was unable to process anything else. Werent they trying to eliminate you a moment ago? Since thats the case, its only right for you to return the favor to them, Zhang Xuan replied. It was already an act of bullying for him to make a move on those three. He would feel too ashamed of himself if he really eliminated them on top of that. No matter what, he still wanted to retain as much of his dignity as possible. B-but... I am not a match for them! Fan Xiaofeng cried with a reddened face. While the three of them had sustained injuries in the earlier sh with Fan Xiaoxu, his injuries were not light either. As much as he wanted to eliminate the three of them, he knew that the current him did not have the ability to do so. Rest assured. These threeds are nothing at all. Follow my instructions, and you will be able to defeat them with ease! Zhang Xuan replied encouragingly. Defeat them with ease? Me? Fan Xiaofeng was a little hesitant, but it seemed like the idea had struck a chord in his heart. He gritted his teeth and replied, Alright, Ill give it a try! In any case, Fan Xiaoxu was already there, and based on the current situation, it seemed like he was already in a safe position. Thus, there was nothing for him to worry about even if he did lose the battle. You arent going to make a move? the youth leading the team eyed Zhang Xuan warily with fear in his eyes. The other party had defeated the three of them in a single move. In terms of strength, there was probably no one who could stand against him among the younger generation. Fighting against such an opponent would surely spell their defeat. However, if their opponent was just the fellow whom they had chased earlier, it should not be too difficult for them to im victory. I wont make a move, so feel free to use whatever you have at your disposal. If you are able to defeat him, Ill let the three of you go. Otherwise, I guess the three of you will just have to end your cultivation journey here! Zhang Xuan replied coolly. Hearing those words, Fan Xiaofeng nearly keeled over. Xiaoxu, are you out of your mind? Chapter 1875 - Yan Yixiao

Chapter 1875: Yan Yixiao

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Fan Xiaofeng had thought that Fan Xiaoxu was trying to train him, and if he reached his limits, the other party would step in and save him. Yet, contrary to his expectations, Fan Xiaoxu was actually saying that he would not interfere in the fight, and he would even let the three of them off if they could defeat him. How in the world could he possibly defeat the three of them together in a real fight? It would already be a blessing if he was not beaten to death! He had thought that Fan Xiaoxu was here to save him, but it felt like thetter had just dug a humongous pit for him to leap into. With a conflicted look on his face, Fan Xiaofeng looked as if he was on the verge of tears. Seeing the this is the end look on Fan Xiaofengs face, Zhang Xuan could not help but chuckle a little. Cut your hesitation and do as I say. As long as you follow my instructions, youll surely be able to win the battle. Otherwise, dont me me for not helping you if you get eliminated! It would take a miracle for Fan Xiaofeng to lose as long as the other party heeded his guidance! Alright then... Seeing that Fan Xiaoxu was not joking around, Fan Xiaofeng cursed the other party countless times in his heart before taking in a deep breath and rising to his feet somberly. The worst that could happen was his elimination anyway. He would just have to make sure to recount everything that had happened here to the n head when he returned. On the other hand, the group of three had realized the disparity between their strength and Zhang Xuans, and they knew that it would be impossible to escape from the other party. Thus, they exchanged nces before turning to re at Fan Xiaofeng coldly. Hu! The three of them made a move simultaneously, raising powerful gales in the area. Six arms shed across the air swiftly in the blink of an eye. Every single one of these arms carried the devastating might of lightning, sealing off every possible path that Feng Xiaoxu could possibly escape to. Is this the end? Fan Xiaofeng felt his blood turning cold. Previously, he had thought that the worst that could happen was for him to sustain severe injuries, but from the looks of it, even surviving would be a luxury. Just when he was about to resolve himself to his death, a voice suddenly echoed in his ears. Follow my orders. Use the Third Form of the Paced Gait Movement Technique together with the Fifth Move of Enlightenment Palm and the Second Form of Seven Aperture Fist. Fan Xiaofeng immediately recognized that voice to be from Fan Xiaoxu. While he had no idea why the other party wanted him to execute those moves, he knew that he had no other choice but to follow the other partys instructions at this point in time. Thus, he gritted his teeth as he thought, Ill pit my life against them! To be able to survive the harsh trials of the Fan n and advance so far step by step, the tenacity that drove him was not something that ordinary people could possibly imagine. All it took was the blink of an eye for his heart to settle down. He swiftly went through the three battle techniques through his mind before his body moved fluidly to execute them like flowing water. Hu! The Third Form of the Paced Gait Movement Technique brought him into the blind spot of the coordination of the trio, and executing the Enlightenment Palm with his left palm and the Seven Aperture Fist with his right fist, he struck the chest of two of the youths. Peng! Peng! The jade tokens in front of their chests shattered, and with looks of disbelief on the faces of the two youths, they were swallowed by an outburst of light and vanished. This... Fan Xiaofeng was taken aback by what he had just done. He lowered his gaze to look at his hands in bewilderment, almost as if he was staring at a monster. Following Fan Xiaoxus orders had actually allowed him to ovee the encirclement with a single move, and he had even managed to eliminate two of them so easily... When in the world had he be so formidable? Y-you... Seeing how two of hisrades had vanished in an instant, the youth leading the group backed away with a fearful look on his face. Be it in terms of the sharpness of the movements, the grasp of timing, or his reaction speed, Fan Xiaofengs earlier maneuver was so ingenious that it almost felt like an artform. If not, there was no way the other party could have eliminated two of them within such a short period of time. This was a remarkable feat that he knew he would never be able to pull off in his current state! Just ten breaths ago, Fan Xiaofeng had been in their grasp, but in the blink of an eye, the tables had turned on them. Was this all because he was following that young mans instructions? The youth could not help but turn to look at the young man sitting on the boulder not too far away as shock crashed down on his mind like a roaring tsunami. Even a casual pointer from him was able to induce such a massive improvement in Fan Xiaofeng within a short period of time. Just how freaking powerful must that young man be? Eliminate him too, Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! If Fan Xiaofeng had still harbored some doubts before, at that very moment, there was nothing but admiration left at the bottom of his heart. He charged forward in agitation and thrust his palm down on the final remaining youth. Just like that, the two of them started exchanging blows with one another. This time, Zhang Xuan did not give direct instructions to Fan Xiaofeng. Instead, what he did was decipher the other partys move in detail to thetter, granting thetter the freedom to choose what kind of moves he should use to counterattack. Initially, Fan Xiaofengs movements were still a little flustered as his thoughts struggled to keep up with the flow of battle. However, by the twentieth blow, he had already grown ustomed to the tempo, and before long, he was able to fend off the other partys attacks with minimal effort. The youth who had cornered him earlier was no longer a match for him. Peng peng peng! With a powerful thrust of his finger, Fan Xiaofeng shattered the youths jade token. He saw an indignant look on the youths face before thetters silhouette waspletely enveloped within a brilliant outburst of light and vanished from view. Xiaoxu... Fan Xiaofeng could hardly believe that he had actually managed to defeat a Half-Great Sage cultivator with his own strength. He turned to look at Fan Xiaoxu with awe in his eyes. No wonder Fan Xiaoxu had told them to wait for him toe look for them. Who could have known that he would have grown so powerful over the course of a few days? Just as Fan Xiaofeng was about to express his gratitude to the young man sitting on the boulder, the other party suddenly turned to look at the mountain stream not too far away and waved his hand leisurely. Havent you watched long enough? Dont you think its about time for you toe out? Pah pah pah! Resounding apuse echoed in the area as seven silhouettes emerged from the shadows from the mountain stream. Upon seeing this sight, Fan Xiaofengs heart skipped a beat. He had actually failed to realize that there were so many people hiding in his vicinity! Furthermore, from the looks of it, they were already allied with one another! It suddenly dawned on him why Fan Xiaoxu had not made a move all along. It was likely that the other party had noticed that there were others hiding in the area, so he was keeping a close eye on them in case they made a move. I have to say, Fan Xiaoxu, you sure have improved quite a lot from back then. You were actually able to allow this ordinary fellow to defeat three men simultaneously with just a couple of pointers. With your current strength, you are qualified to join our team! the white-robed young man standing at the forefront of the seven youths said. He was also the one who had apuded earlier. He is... a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Yan Yixiao! Upon taking a closer look at the white-robed young mans appearance, Fan Xiaofeng suddenly felt as if someone had gripped his heart tightly. Hes the strongest person in this entire examination. Theres no one on this mountain who is a match for him. Most ns would make sure to gather some intelligence about the examinees challenging the Great Phrontistery of Confucianisms examination each year so that their own people would have a clearer idea who theirpetitors were. If there was anyone among the two thousand examinees whom everyone hoped to avoid, it was none other than the white-robed young man standing before them, Yan Yixiao! Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was the First Senior of Kong shis seventy-two Sages, such that even Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, who boasted the greatest fighting prowess of them all, dared not go against his words. And the person standing before them, Yan Yixiao, was Ancient Sage Zi Yuans descendant! Due to the incredible capabilities that he wielded, Yan Yixiaos fame had reached even the ears of the older generations. It was truly the worst of luck for them to encounter him here. You want me to join your team? Zhang Xuan did not appear to be astonished in the least by this turn of events. He simply looked at Yan Yixiao with casual nonchnce in his eyes, seemingly unfazed by Yan Yixiaos appearance and his offer. Indeed. Those behind me are those whom I have acknowledged, and you have also caught my eye. Join my team, and lets eliminate the other examinees together. Yan Yixiao ced his hands in the back and spoke with a light chuckle. His voice carried a domineering edge that left no room for negotiation at all. Pardon me, but the notion of me catching your eye sends shudders down my spine, and I am not interested in joining your team, Zhang Xuan declined curtly. He did not expect the other party to be so narcissistic, so he could not be bothered to put up a front to gently reject the other party. Seeing the airs that Zhang Xuan was putting on, one of the youths standing behind Yan Yixiao could stand it no longer and furiously bellowed, Its your honor that Brother Yan invited you to join our group, you arrogant prat. Dont think that you are something huge just because you arent utterly useless. As long as we wish to, we can eliminate you right now and strip you of your opportunity to continue cultivating! Chapter 1876 - The Enforcement Squad

Chapter 1876: The Enforcement Squad

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Qin Xiao was a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Pi, and he had already reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle a year ago. With his abilities, he was confident that he would be able to clear the examination of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism with ease, but contrary to his expectations, the format chosen for this year turned out to be a free-for-all elimination round. If it had been the usual round robin tournament, he was certain that he could have gotten into the top hundred. However, when it came to a free-for-all elimination round, there were simply too many variables involved for him to guarantee his victory. Nevertheless, he felt that it should not be too difficult to him to get into the final hundred survivors as long as he moved carefully. Unfortunately, it seemed likedy luck was not on his side. Shortly after he entered the examination grounds, he had encountered the strongestpetitor in the entire examination, Yan Yixiao. Before he knew it, he had already been eliminated. At the perimeter of the mountain, one of the middle-aged men who had been standing together with Nangong Yuanfeng earlier walked up to Qin Xiao and said, Yan Yixiao is the strongest expert in this examination. You need not feel too bad about losing to him! He was from the lineage of Ancient Sage Ran Yong, Ran Fei. All of those who had been eliminated would be teleported right to this location. In order to ensure that everything proceeded smoothly, the Schstic Masters of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism were able to peer into whatever was happening within the mountain in real time. I know that losing to him was inevitable, but... I feel so indignant inside! Qin Xiao clenched his fists tightly in frustration. He knew that there was no way that he could have triumphed over Yan Yixiao; the disparity in their strength was simply too great. Nevertheless, it was still an awful feeling to be eliminated as soon as he stepped onto the examination grounds. Yan Yixiao is Yan Xues younger brother, and he has received thetters guidance. Of the two thousand examinees gathered here, there are some who have reached Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm, but even they would face difficulty dealing with Yan Yixiao, let alone you! Schstic Master Ran Fei consoled with a smile. If nothing goes wrong, its likely that hell emerge with the highest results in this examination... Ensuring that one was able to squeeze into the ranks of thest hundred survivors was just the prerequisite to entering the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. As for the ranking of thest hundred survivors, it would be determined by how many people they had eliminated over the course of the examination. Yan Yixiaos fighting prowess could be said to be the unrivaled among the two thousand examinees, and to make matters worse, he had teamed up with six other top-notch experts. Anyone who was unlucky enough to encounter his team was bound to be eliminated; there was no other way around it. Ancient Sage Zi Yuans lineage has always produced generation after generation of experts. I guess this is something that cant be helped... As much as Qin Xiao was unwilling to face his defeat, he had no choice but to grudgingly ept it. All of a sudden, there was radiant burst of light in front of Qin Xiao. Putong! A silhouette crashed onto the ground not too far away. Seeing the fellow who had just been teleported here, Qin Xiao widened his eyes in astonishment. Isnt that the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Heng, Shi Yuan? He is in Yan Yixiaos team, right? After all, he was the one who eliminated me earlier... As one of the seven people in Yan Yixiaos team, how in the world did he get eliminated? Who in the world would dare make a move on Yan Yixiaos team, or could it be internal conflict? Putong! In his moment of shock, a blur shed across Qin Xiaos eyes as another silhouette fell to the ground. He was also from Yan Yixiaos team. Putong! Putong! Putong! Putong! Following which, another four people fell to the ground with awkward looks on their faces. Arent all of them... Qin Xiao was stunned by what he was seeing. They were all familiar faces! They had all been with Yan Yixiao when he was eliminated earlier on. How in the world did all of them get eliminated one after another in quick session? Did Yan Yixiao make a move on them, or did they encounter some kind of formidable expert? Unable to curb his intrigue, Qin Xiao rushed forward and asked, You lot... what... But before he could finish his words, another silhouette fell to the ground. Putong! When Qin Xiao got a close look at the other partys appearance, he froze on the spot, petrified. Even Ran Fei staggered weakly and nearly tripped over his own leg. The person who had just been eliminated was none other than the examinee whom he had just confidently dered would be the champion of this examination... Yan Yixiao! Yan Yixiao struggled up from the ground as he red at the mountain peak with inferno burning in his eyes. Unable to suppress the fury burning in his chest, he roared, Fan Xiaoxu, this isnt over yet! This was the worst humiliation that he had ever suffered! He was an Introspective Convalescence realm expert, and many viewed him as the strongest contender for the champion seat. He had thought that it was finally time for him to showcase his prowess and dominate the examination, but who could have known that Fan Xiaoxu would grab him by his neck and throw him out, as if dealing with a little chick? To make things worse... he had found himselfpletely unable to retaliate. This was a stain that he would never be able to wash away in his life! He quickly looked around him, and upon seeing Schstic Master Ran Fei, he walked up to thetter, sped his fist, and reported, Ran Feioshi, I suspect that Fan Xiaoxu from Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage is cheating. I implore the enforcement squad to head over and investigate him! Cheating? Thats right. I met Fan Xiaoxu half a year ago, and while he wasnt weak, he was still nowhere close to being a match for me back then. Yet, he actually managed to defeat me with the utmost ease earlier... Yan Yixiao clenched his jaws and spat. I see. Schstic Master Ran fei nodded. Ill inform the enforcement squad to investigate the matter. He had no idea how Fan Xiaoxu could be cheating, but since someone had reported the imnot to mention that the someone was the strongest contender for the champion seatit was his responsibility to look into the matter. Thus, he took out his Communication Jade Token and passed down a series of instructions. Following which, he turned his gaze back to Yan Yixiao and reassured, Dont worry. If Fan Xiaoxu is truly cheating, we will surely be able to find something. We have eyes all over the mountain, so theres nothing he can do that can escape our notice... Given the significance of this examination, cheating was strictly prohibited. Of course, if Fan Xiaoxu had truly defeated Yan Yixiao with his own strength, there was nothing that could be done. Un! Yan Yixiao heaved a sigh of relief. You mentioned earlier that you were eliminated by Fan Xiaoxu, right? May I ask how many people he has rallied to his side to be able to defeat so many of you at once? Schstic Master Ran Fei asked. In his view, it was likely that Fan Xiaoxu had managed to gather many experts to his side. After all, such actions were explicitly mentioned to be allowed in the examination. If that was not the case, it meant that Fan Xiaoxu had singlehandedly ovee the coboration of all seven of them... which was, of course, a ridiculous notion. Even Great Sage 2-dan experts would be unable to pull something like that off! He... That question jolted Yan Yixiaos memory of what had happened earlier, and his cheeks began twitching intensely. He was alone... There was another person that was with him, but that person didnt make a move at all! Are you telling me that he singlehandedly defeated all of you? Schstic Master Ran Fei was dumbstruck. Was it a one-on-one? No, thats not it... We attacked him together in order to save time... Yan Yixiaos face turned even redder. It was in view of the prowess that Fan Xiaoxu had disyed that he wanted to invite the other party into his team. Yet, the other party had simply snubbed his invitation, and that had really infuriated him. Thus, he had ordered the entire team to attack Fan Xiaoxu together. Who would have thought that despite the experts that he had rallied to his side, none of them were able to withstand even a single blow from Fan Xiaoxu? So, despite challenging him as a team, you still ended up getting eliminated by him alone? Schstic Master Ran Fei widened his eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard. Yan Yixiao was reluctant to say it out loud, so he nodded discreetly in response. This... Schstic Master Ran Fei was so shocked that he could not even close his mouth anymore. To be able to defeat so many experts singlehandedly... could it be that Fan Xiaoxus cultivation had already reached Great Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm? But it should not be possible for anyone to reach that cultivation realm prior to entering the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Shocked, Schstic Master Ran Fei was about to probe deeper when there was another burst of light, and another group of fellows rained onto the ground. Putong! Putong! Its the enforcement squad... Isnt the enforcement squad supposed to eliminate others? How did they end up... being eliminated themselves? Qin Xiao, Yan Yixiao, and the others felt light-headed. It was just a moment ago that the enforcement squad had been dispatched to investigate Fan Xiaoxu... but who could have predicted that all of them would end up being ejected from the mountain! What in the world happened? You dont have any jade tokens, so it shouldnt be possible for you to be eliminated! Schstic Master Ran Fei eximed. The head of the enforcement squad struggled to his feet as he exined, Fan Xiaoxu captured us and set up a Teleportation Formation to send us out... He set up a Teleportation Formation to send you all out? Everyone was stunned. ... Meanwhile, on the mountain, Zhang Xuan turned around to look at the dazed Fan Xiaofeng and said, Lets go and find Fan Xiaoxing! Chapter 1877 - Even He Has Got It

Chapter 1877: Even He Has Got It

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Fan Xiaofeng felt as if he was dreaming. Fan Xiaoxu had always been stronger than him, but it was only by a small degree. Yet, within just a few moments, not only did he witness the other party defeating Yan Yixiao and his team with ease, he even saw the other party tossing the enforcement squad members, who had approached them to investigate the matter, out of the mountain one after another. This was way too extreme! Snap out of it, Xiaofeng. Someone is blocking our way! Fan Xiaoxus voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Raising his gaze, he saw two young men standing in their way. I wont be making another move. Try doing what I told you earlier, Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! Knowing that this was a good opportunity for him to temper himself, Fan Xiaofeng gritted his teeth and dashed forward. When he was fighting with the head of the three youths earlier, Fan Xiaoxu had given him quite a few pointers regarding his battle style. Putting them into practice now, he found that his movements felt much more natural than before, and he was in a far better position to deal with whatever was thrown his way. It did not take long before he eliminated those two youths standing in his path. The pointers that you gave me have really enhanced my fighting prowess... Watching as the two youths were teleported away, Fan Xiaofeng could not stop trembling in agitation. Had it been in the past, he would have struggled to eliminate even one of them. Yet, he found that he was able to deflect every single one of their blows with ease andunch a decisive counterattack to take down the two of them swiftly. When he turned to look at Fan Xiaoxu once more, what was in his eyes was no longer awe but reverence. Seeing that the young man from the Fan n had acquired some knowledge from the earlier battle, Zhang Xuan added, Practical battle is the best way for one to improve. Its true that the rules of this free-for-all elimination examination are filled with ws, but its able to trigger ones desperation and stimte the growth of the examinees, making them more confident than before. When faced with a problem, the first reaction you should have isnt how you can get away but how you can deal with it! There was no denying that luck yed a heavy part in such a free-for-all elimination examination. If one encountered the strongest contender at the start of the examination, one could very well be eliminated there and then. Furthermore, the examinees were allowed to form alliances, which meant that the remaining hundred like would not be the strongest of the hundred. But so what? Those who persevered through the examination would surely enjoy a huge boost in confidence, and their cultivation should advance faster and faster from then on. If two individuals were simr in terms of talent, what would make the difference between them were their state of mind and encounters in life. After defeating quite a few opponents, Fan Xiaofeng had be much more confident from before, too. Un! Just as the other party had said, his first reaction in the face of meeting an opponent was how he could get away and ensure his survival. However, the thought that was dominating his mind at the moment was instead how he could best eliminate his opponent. This change in attitude would make all the differences in Fan Xiaofengs future progress as a cultivator. Seeing that Fan Xiaofeng received his message, Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile. Offense is often the best defense! As expected of a genius of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, the other partys intelligence was indeed far above that of the master teachers whom he had taught before. Of course, the other party was still a long way off from matching his direct disciples. While making their way over to Fan Xiaoxing, Zhang Xuan continued offering pointers to Fan Xiaofeng. He knew that Fan Xiaoxing was not in any danger from the scan of his Spiritual Perception, so he was in no rush at all. Along the way, the examinees whom they met would be eliminated without fail, and those battles further tempered Fan Xiaofengs fighting skills. He became more and more confident. An hourter, they finally arrived in the forest beside the mountain stream, where Fan Xiaoxing had chosen to hide himself. The current Fan Xiaoxing seemed to have run out of luck. He had been discovered by a group of examinees. Individually, those examinees were weaker than him, but with their strengthbined, they formed a force exceeding what Fan Xiaoxing could deal with. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he anxiously assessed the group before him. Just when he was reaching his limits, he caught sight of Fan Xiaoxu and Fan Xiaofeng in his peripheral vision, and his eyes lit up in relief. Hey, over here! He had thought that the two of them would rush over to help him deal with the lot surrounding him, but contrary to what he thought, the two of them stopped at the edge of the forest. He saw Fan Xiaoxu pointing at him and saying, Did you see that? A single move is all it takes for the tide of battle to turn against one. Youre right. Xiaoxing really should have thought it through before making that move earlier! Fan Xiaofeng nodded in agreement. Just a moment ago, he had been equals with Fan Xiaoxing. Who could have known that in a short hour, the other party would end up bing so weak? If you were in his ce, what would you have done? Zhang Xuan asked. As much as this was an examination, this was also a trial to test Fan Xiaofeng. I would use the Third Move of the Shallow Water Fist apanied with the Spirit Leaf Movement Technique! Fan Xiaofeng replied without much hesitation. Shallow Water Fist emtes the essence of catching a fish in shallow waters. It requires you to have a deep understanding of your opponent in order to ensure its sess... However, just as you are able to see your opponents move, your opponent is able to see your move as well. Furthermore, theplex movements of the Spirit Leaf Movement Technique would just make it harder for you to control your Shallow Water Fist! Zhang Xuan shook his head. Ah, youre right. I was so focused on dealing with the opponents attack that I forgot about the ws of Shallow Water Fist. It would indeed be a poor choice to pair it with the Spirit Leaf Movement Technique. Hmm... Coordinating it with the Emerald Ripple Palm should work out much better. If thats the case, I should be able to deal with two of them within seven blows, and the remaining two in five more! Fan Xiaofeng analyzed contemtively. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Through his pointers and a series of practical battles, Fan Xiaofeng had indeed made major improvements in his fighting technique. He was already able to reflect and correct his own mistakes. While the two of them were engaged in an intense discussion, Fan Xiaoxing was on the verge of wailing. What Shallow Water Palm and Spirit Leaf Movement Technique... Shallow your head! Cant you two talkter? Dont you see that Im on the verge of being pummeled to death? Peng peng! While moving in a fluster, Fan Xiaoxing sustained two more hits to his eyes, causing them to swell up. He had thought that this should be enough to convince the two of them to rush right in to help him, but their discussion simply droned on. While that strike to the face will induce temporary blindness and vertigo in the opponent, such attacks are rarely able tond squarely, especially given that the head is one of the vitals that a cultivator will protect at all costs. If you were in his ce, where would you strike? I think that I would strike the ankles. That fellow harnesses great strength in his body, so if I strike his ankles, I should be able to affect his bnce and throw him off guard. Even if my attack failed tond, I would be able to divert his attention away, thus creating an opportunity for me to strike his jade token! Indeed. This isnt a life-and-death battle but an elimination round. The jade token should always be the main focus of ones attacks. Peng peng! Fan Xiaoxing sustained two more punches on his face, causing fresh blood to trickle down his lips. What about this punch? This punch was executed a little awkwardly, but it struck an ideal position. It sessfully induced a momentary daze in the opponent. If I were in his ce, I would have struck the mouth and sent out a sweeping kick right after. This way, I would be able to overwhelm my enemy, and the jade token would be exposed for an instant! Its not a bad idea on your part to perform a sweeping kick, but you neglected the limitations of your own body. Due to the cultivation technique you practice, your zhenqi wouldnt be able to flow fast enough to your lower body to conduct a powerful lower kick. If you executed a weak or dyed sweeping kick, it would instead leave you open for a moment! Ah... Youre right. What should I do then? Think about it! Should I try to attack the jade token with my left hand instead? Of course not! Thered only be a thirty percent chance of sess if you struck the jade token with your left hand, and theres a good chance that you might even be counterattacked! Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. It was just a moment that he had thought that the other party was a quick learner, but all of his expectations fell through the next moment. What the heck is this? Isnt the answer very clear? Having two of the countermeasures that he had proposed refuted, Fan Xiaofeng fell into a state of confusion. What should I do then? What else can you do? Zhang Xuan spat lividly. Of course, its to continue hitting his face! Since you have imed the upper hand, as long as you continue your offense, youll be able to dominate the flow of the battle, thus putting your enemy in a passive position! Peng peng peng! As soon as those words were spoken, Fan Xiaoxing sustained several more punches to his face. Look! Even hes got it! Zhang Xuan eximed in exasperation. ... Fan Xiaoxing cried. Chapter 1878 - Creating Opportunities

Chapter 1878: Creating Opportunities

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 I see! Seeing how Fan Xiaoxing was struck to the point where he waspletely astonished, possibly forgetting even his own name, Fan Xiaofengs eyes lit up as he nodded in agitation. Xiaoxu was indeed an amazing person! He had seen through the crux in an instant. If it had been him, not only would his attack have failed, the other party might even have been able to turn the tables on him. However, with just a couple more punches, the other party would bepletely incapacitated, thus sealing the oue of the battle. While it required more moves, there was no denying that this was a much safer option. Perhaps, it might even be the most efficient way to end the battle! Do you think that its impossible to counterattack just because he has been struck in his face several times consecutively? Fan Xiaoxu suddenly asked. Ah? Is it still possible to make aeback after that? Im afraid that I dont really know how to cope with such a situation, Fan Xiaofeng replied in embarrassment. Had he been in Fan Xiaoxings ce, those few punches would have surely destroyed him. He would have lost his cool and possibly lost the battle too. Hit a person but not their face; this was amon saying among the popce. It was considered a huge humiliation to have ones face struck. Situations where you dont know how to retaliate often contain the greatest opportunity to turn the tables. Since the enemy has been focusing their attack on his face, theyre bound to be open elsewhere, like the chest or the crotch, Zhang Xuan said. This... Fan Xiaofeng widened his eyes in realization. Indeed! In a battle, the head is the most protected area. In order tond consecutive hits on the head, its inevitable that one will have to get into extremely close quarters with the other party. At a moment like this, striking elsewhere can achieve unexpected results! Peng peng! While they were speaking, Fan Xiaoxing was still getting struck in his head. He could almost see stars spinning around him. I cant count on those two b*stards to save me... Seeing how those two were engrossed in their discussion, showing not a sliver of desire to save him, Fan Xiaoxing wiped the tears from his eyes. He had thought that he would be saved by the arrival of hisrades, but it felt like things had only gotten worse with their arrival. That being said, there was some logic to what they were saying. Those fellows were too engrossed in hitting his face, so they had unintentionally dropped their defenses around other ces. I have no choice but to give it a try! Suffering another punch, Fan Xiaoxing gritted his teeth and kicked his foot upward. Peng! He happened to strike one of the assants in the crotch, and thetter immediately fell to the ground like a shrimp. I seeded? Seeing how he had managed to defeat one of them so easily, Fan Xiaoxing immediately felt a surge of confidence. His heart could not help but beat in exhration. It was true that those two were unreliable as allies, but their analysis of the battle was indeed spot-on. While barely defending against the onught of the remaining three cultivators using his zhenqi, he pricked up his ears and listened intently. At this point, the other two were still in the midst of their discussion. The four of them are coordinating tightly with one another, and the cultivator whom Xiaoxing has just kicked happened to be their leader. His abrupt incapacitation has introduced a moment of fluster among the rest as they struggle to readjust their coboration formation. If I were in his position, I would use the Qingping Fist together with our ns Flowing Water Conception to suppress the rest of them! Using the Qingping Fist together with the Flowing Water Conception is indeed a good idea. However, the key right now should be to take down the gray-robed man, who has taken over the role of maintaining the coboration formation. As long as he is around, the formation will remain a threat. No matter how agile and flexible your movements are, itll be hard for you to overwhelm the remaining three of them when they are covering one another tightly. Ah, youre right! But how should we deal with that gray-robed man? Its pretty simple. You can use the Sunflower Steps to back away before jabbing your finger forth three inches to the left. The gray-robed man will then charge forward in response, and that will present an opportunity to take him down! ... I should give it a try! Fan Xiaoxing was not too inclined to believe that such a move would really lure the gray-robed man into dashing forward, but he did not have many options. Thus, clenching his teeth tightly, he activated the Sunflower Steps and retreated two meters back. After which, using his finger as a sword, he jabbed forth with imposing momentum. Due to the nature of the coboration formation, Fan Xiaoxings retreat caused the trio sustaining the formation to be drawn in his direction. The gray-robed man maintaining the formation ended up being pulled over as well, causing him toe into the line of attack of the jab that Fan Xiaoxing hadunched. A burst of sword qi struck the gray-robed mans jade token squarely. Kacha! With a look of disbelief on his face, the gray-robed man was embraced by a brilliant burst of light as he vanished. It worked? Fan Xiaoxing was stunned. He had thought that those two were just prattling on about nonsensical theories, but who could have known that their suggestions would turn out to work in practice? Having gotten rid of two of his opponents so easily, his heart pounded wildly in excitement. Also, it was only around this moment that he realized that the discussions, which had been spoken openly a moment ago, had switched to zhenqi telepathy, which meant that his opponents were unable to hear those words. It seemed like it was not that the two of them did not want to save him but that they hoped for him to win this battle with his own strength. Just that, there was still onest doubt. The two of them should not have been too much stronger than him, so how were they able toe up with such ingenious attacks one after another? Even casual pointers from them actually allowed him to achieve victory so easily. Was it about how spectators had a clearer view of what was happeningpared to those directly involved in a situation? Knowing that this was no time for him to be deep in thought, he continued pricking his ears up to pay careful attention to what was being said. The other partys voices continued. Since their coboration formation has been undone, should we focus the attack on one of them first to take him down quickly before going for the other? Of course not! While the threat of the coboration formation has been resolved, the fact that they are no longer in a decisive advantage anymore means that thest two remaining opponents will be far more wary of you. If you assault one of them, the other will make use of whatever opening you show to take you down. What you should do at this moment is stand your ground and focus on defense! Focus on defense? It was because he thought that the words of those two made perfect sense that he had moved ording to their instructions earlier. However, at that very moment, Fan Xiaoxing could not help but frown doubtfully. Even without the coboration formation, he would still be unable to cope with the assault of two equally powerful opponents simultaneously. It had not been easy for him to take down the other two opponents, so he should make use of this momentum to take down the remaining two! If he became defensive at such a moment, it would only be a matter of time before his stamina was whittled down! I dont necessarily have to do as they say. Those two fellows cant always be right anyway... Recalling how those two refused to charge in to help him, choosing to stand by the side to watch themotion instead, Fan Xiaoxing gritted his teeth in anger. With a cold harrumph, he raised his palm and charged toward one of the opponents. Pah pah pah! Focusing all of his zhenqi into his palm strike, just as Fan Xiaoxing felt like he was going to finally overpower the opponent before him, his heart jolted fearfully as his eyes narrowed in shock. Unknowingly, a foot had appeared right in front of him. Pah! He was struck in his vitals, causing him to fly all the way back. The excruciating pain from the kick nearly caused him to nk out. You were right, Xiaoxu! He focused his offense on one person, and that allowed the other party to grasp hold of his weakness! Fan Xiaofeng eximed in excitement upon seeing that the theory was indeed true. Indeed. If he had chosen to go on the defensive, those two would have swiftly fallen into a state of fluster. After all, they have just witnessed two of theirrades being wiped out in a moment of inattention, and they have lost the safety of the coboration formation. At such a time, they would surely be more anxious than ever to defeat him. If only he had waited three move moves, the panic that they are feeling would have been magnified manyfold, causing them to make much riskier movements in hopes of ending the battle quick. That would have created an ideal opportunity to strike... Its truly a huge pity, Fan Xiaoxu said. A battle is all about grasping timing and seeking opportunities. If there are no opportunities in sight, you just have to create one! Yes, youre right! Fan Xiaofeng nodded vehemently in agreement. Grasping timing and seeking opportunities... Suppressing the excruciating pain that he was suffering from, Fan Xiaoxing forced himself to his feet and raised his guard once more. Seeing that Fan Xiaoxing had stood up once more, the two opponents flinched slightly in astonishment. Anxiety and fear could be seen reflected on their faces. With a ferocious roar, one of the opponents charged forward. His charge might have seemed reckless, but in truth, he was trying to create an opportunity for hisrade. Understanding this logic, Fan Xiaoxing knew better than to move recklessly this time around. He immediately scrunched his body together and charged toward the second opponent. Meanwhile, the second opponent noticed the openings that the first opponent had exposed to Fan Xiaoxing, and he was intending to move in coordination to cover the first opponent. However, not expecting Fan Xiaoxing to not fall for the bait at all and go for him instead, the second opponent was rammed down in an instant, causing a stream of blood to gush down his nose. It worked! Seeing how everything had worked out well, tears of joy began streaming down Fan Xiaoxings eyes. Those two unreliable b*stards... they had not forsaken him yet! Chapter 1879 - Small Fries Should Scram to the Side

Chapter 1879: Small Fries Should Scram to the Side

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Un! Seeing that Fan Xiaoxing had understood the intentions behind their conversation, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in approval. Since he had borrowed Fan Xiaoxus identity, he had to give something back to those in Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage inpensation... Through the general pointers he offered them and inculcating in them a habit of reflection, they would be able to continue improving themselves even after he left. Peng peng peng! After taking down two of the opponents and eliminating one of them, there was only onest person remaining. It didnt take long for Fan Xiaoxing to subdue him too. After crushing their jade tokens, he stomped up to Fan Xiaoxu and Fan Xiaofeng, wanting to berate them for simply watching themotion by the side. But after a moment of hesitation, he chose instead to sp his fist and bow slightly, Thank you for your pointers earlier! Zhang Xuan waved his hand calmly in response. It didnt matter to him whether the other party as grateful to his help or not. He was just doing what he thought was right to him. This was the man he was all alongprincipled, humble, and low profile. Everything happened so quickly earlier... How did you all see through their ws ande up with a countermeasure with just a look? Fan Xiaoxing asked doubtfully. His cultivation was around the same level as the other two of them, but why was he unable to see through anything at all whereas the pointers given out by those words ended up bing words of gold? It was as if they could peer right into the hearts of others! Xiaoxu was the one who taught me this! Fan Xiaofeng replied excitedly. In a battle, one has to observe ones opponent carefully and determine his intentions in order to predict his movements... After which, he moved on to throw out several other ways. Hearing those words, Fan Xiaoxing was renderedpletely mystified. He had never heard of those at all, and it was definitely not part of the lineage within their n either... How did Fan Xiaoxu know about all this? Cultivation is not about blind diligence; it requires one to ruminate and evaluate... Seeing the doubt in Fan Xiaoxings eyes, Zhang Xuan exined calmly. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly turned his head to the side. Hu! There was a gust of wind, and following which, three groups of people arrived from all around the forest. Each of the groups consisted of four people, and altogether, there were twelve people in total. Coming from three different directions, they sealed off all routes of escape for Zhang Xuan and the other two. They are the ones... They have eliminated quite a few people along the way. If we dont partner together to get rid of them, its only a matter of time before they destroy us too! one of the team leaders harrumphed coldly. This team leader was a tall and bulky individual. His voice was loud and deep, a little reminiscent of metal nging against one another. Heh, I guess we have to thank them for eliminating so many people for us then! another team leader spoke up with a smile. He turned to Zhang Xuan and said, You should have curbed yourselves a little. I dont deny that you are strong, but in battles like this, knowing when to lie low is also of utmost importance! Are you challenging us? Before Fan Xiaoxing could make sense of the situation, Fan Xiaofeng had already stepped forward with a confident smile on his face. Lets not waste any time then. All of you shoulde at us together! Along the way, they had already eliminated at least seventy examinees by now. Most likely, their results had already sprinted all the way to the top. It was inevitable that they would catch the attention of other teams. After all, it was amon strategy for weaklings to band up together to get rid of the greatest threat in apetition. Given their spectacr aplishments, it was just a matter of time before teams began to partner with one another in an attempt to eliminate them. If they were to seed, their results would be moved over to them, allowing them to leap to the first ce in a single shot. Xiaofeng... Not expecting the other party to be so reckless as to provoke the other three teams, Fan Xiaoxings face turned green from fright. That was twelve people before them! Against such a huge force, they would surely be crushed without the slightest sliver of doubt! To provoke them further at a timing like this was no different from courting death! Come at us together? Come your head! I have just finished my battle a while ago, and I can hardly open my eyes at all. Ill really die if I were to fight those twelve of them right now! You want to fight us together? Lad, you sure are arrogant, arent you? the bulky young man sneered coldly. Since you are asking for it, dont me us for not showing mercy then! Attack! It was apparent that they had already negotiated with one another beforeing over to confront them. As the bulky young man spoke, the twelve of them slowly advanced forward, making sure to leave no gap for them to escape at all. Xiaoxu... Despite facing a numerical disadvantage, Fan Xiaofeng didnt seem nervous in the least. Instead, his eyes were gleaming brighter and brighter in excitement. He turned to look at Fan Xiaoxu, only to see thetter nodding his head in affirmation. Thus, with a joyful war cry, Fan Xiaofeng dashed right into the crowd of enemies. Xiaofeng, dont be reckless! Fan Xiaoxing felt as if his body had turnedpletely cold. That was twelve people in total, and none of their cultivation was any lower than theirs! To dash right in at this moment was as good as seeking death! Xiaoxu, we need to devise a n to save Xiaofeng and escape! Panicked, Fan Xiaoxing turned to Zhang Xuan and urged anxiously. Escape? Theres no need for that. Calm down and see what Xiaofeng is capable of, Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. It was just a moment ago that he had corrected Fan Xiaofengs state of mind. If he were to encourage thetter to flee at this moment, wouldnt all of the confidence he had built up be shattered in an instant? As a teacher, there was no way he would allow such a thing to ur! But well die at this rate! Fan Xiaoxing didnt think that Fan Xiaoxu would be as extreme as Fan Xiaofeng. Just as he was conflicted as to what he should do, he suddenly saw the bulky young man charging right across Fan Xiaofeng. H! With his fingers spread wide like a fan, he thrust his palm right toward Fan Xiaoxus head, seemingly wanting to end his life. Just based on his aura, the bulky young man felt no different from an ordinary Saint 9-dan. However, when he drove his strength to its limits, it turned out that he was actually a Half-Introspective Convalescence realm expert! Its over... Fan Xiaoxings face paled in fright. The reason why he was able to defeat the four of them earlier was because their cultivation was beneath his. Even so, he was still badly pummeled in the end. However, with the frightening might of this bulky young man and many other experts watching menacingly from the surroundings, it seemed like they were really doomed this time around... With a wail of destion, he began thinking about where he should have a drink to drown his sorrows after he was eliminated. On the other hand, a slight frown crept onto Fan Xiaoxus forehead, and instead of dodging, he raised his hand. Pah! Before the palm thrust of the bulky young man couldnd, Fan Xiaoxus p had already struck the other partys face squarely. The p seemed to be packed with plenty of power as the bulky young man spun two rounds before crashing into the ground. You... The bulky young man stunned for a moment before his daze warped in rage, and he charged at Zhang Xuan once more. Pah! Another p struck the other side of his face, and he spun two rounds before crashing into the ground once more. Small fries like you should scram to the side! Donte here and cause trouble! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. I... The bulky young man wanted to say something to at least salvage some of his reputation, but when he thought about the two ps he had just suffered, his face immediately reddened, and his words choked up in his throat. Was he really a small fry unworthy of the other party making a move? He turned to look at Fan Xiaofeng and saw that there were already four men copsed on the ground. Even though Fan Xiaofengs cultivation was beneath his, for some reason, his movements were exceptionally difficult to deal with. It was as if he was a wolf who had leaped into a pack of sheep; there was no one here who could withstand more than three blows from him! A-alright, Ill go fight with him... Without much hesitation, the bulky young man turned around and charged at Fan Xiaofeng instead. ... Fan Xiaoxing was so shocked that his eyes nearly plopped to the ground. Can anyone tell me what is happening here? Why did Xiaoxu and Xiaofeng be so weird in the hour we have parted from one another? Am I dreaming or something? Fan Xiaoxing was dazed. Chapter 1880 - What a Coincidence!

Chapter 1880: What a Coincidence!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric On the square located along the perimeter of the mountain... Shang Wu suddenly materialized in midair before falling heavily to the ground. He had just been teleported out of the mountain under the effects of a Teleportation Formation. He looked at the sky with a dazed look in his eyes, almost as if he was doubting his own existence. He was a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Xius lineage, a genius blessed with great talents. He had to step over thousands of his peers in order toe to where he currently was, but aftering this far... even though he had coborated with several others to gang up on someone weaker than him, he still ended up being eliminated so easily... The thought of others mocking him for this failure was more than enough to make his entire body cringe in sheer embarrassment. Struggling to his feet, he was just about to hide his face and leave silently when he heard a shocked voice eximing in the air, Shang Wu, you have been eliminated too? I didnt think that I would see you here... Following which, a figure walked over. After catching a closer sight of the other party, Shang Wu was stunned for a moment before eximing as well, Xi Yuan, what are you doing here? Xi Yuan was a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Xi, as well as a good friend of Shang Wus. In terms of fighting prowess, they were a close match with one another, so they would frequently spar with one another. It was already incredibly humiliating for him to be eliminated so swiftly into the examination, but who could have thought that his good friend would end up being eliminated even quicker than he did! Hai, lets not talk about such depressing matters! I attacked someone weaker than me in hopes of raising his ranking, but who could have thought that the other party would end up sending me here... Xi Yuan shook his head bitterly. You were also eliminated by someone weaker than you? Shang Wu was stunned as a thought surfaced in his head. May I know who that person is? Its embarrassing even just to talk about it. The other party is only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, a huge gap away from matching you and me... Xi Yuans face reddened in shame. Hes also a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator too? Who is it? Shang Wu asked anxiously. Hes... a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Chi, Fan Xiaofeng! Xi Yuan replied awkwardly. It really is him! I was eliminated by that fellow as well! Shang Wu widened his eyes in disbelief. Wait a moment... You were eliminated by Fan Xiaofeng too? Xi Yuan was stunned. Indeed! He fought against all twelve of us alone and ended up eliminating all of us... Shang Wu exined agitatedly. However, before he could finish his piece, another shocked exmation sounded in the air. You were eliminated by Fan Xiaofeng too? What a coincidence! We were eliminated by him as well! He single-handedly sent the three of us out of the examination... Following which, four youngdies walked over. It really is a huge coincidence. It was the exact same for us too! Two young men and a youngdy walked over. Oh? All of you were eliminated by Fan Xiaofeng? The same happened to us too. We were eliminated so tragically... Yet another five more youths walked over. Hey, you arent the most tragic ones, alright? Do you see Yan Yixiao and his group over there? It seems like he was eliminated by the descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan too... A few more people walked over and joined in the conversation. Watching as a huge crowd of simr ill-fated individuals gathered around him, Shang Wus lips twitched wildly. It was just an instant, but the name Fan Xiaofeng had already rallied more than forty people over. Shockingly, they were all eliminated by Fan Xiaofeng single-handedly! Was there some kind of mistake here? How could that fellow possibly not sustain any injuries or run out of zhenqi when he had fought with so many opponents already? Theres no need to feel down. Come, follow me! a young man walked up to Shang Wu and consoled. Un! Recognizing the person standing before him to be Bo Xu from the lineage of Ancient Sage Zi Xu, Shang Wu nodded slightly before following behind the young man. Bo Xu brought Shang Wu out of the crowd to another group of eliminated young men and said, Its a pleasure to meet all of you. We were eliminated by the descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Chi. May I know if... Ah, what a coincidence! We were eliminated by the descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Chi too! Me too! Wow, we arerades of the same plight... We really should get along well! Amotion red up, and it took only an instant for the group to expand to dozens of people. After which, Bo Xu brought Shang Wu away to approach yet another group, but before they could begin speaking, the other party had already begun speaking, You are eliminated by Fan Xiaofeng too, right? Its the same for us too! ... Shang Wu. At this moment, he really had no idea what to make of this peculiar situation. Everything, hear us! We wish to establish a Fellowship of Examinees Eliminated by the Descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Chi. Is there anyone who wishes to join us? a voice echoed across the crowd. I wish to register! Me too, me too! ... The invitation was met with popr response and voices of approval rippled across the crowd. ... It was in this instant that Shang Wu suddenly felt that it wasnt a humiliation that he was eliminated by the weaker Fan Xiaofeng. Instead, it felt like a symbol of honor, a mark that solidarity amongst him and the others! ... Thats all? Fan Xiaoxing stared at the impassive Fan Xiaofeng as he felt as if his notion of what being powerful meant had just been refreshed. If he had been the one who had fought against these twelve opponents, it was likely that he wouldnt have even gotten a chance to flee. Yet, Fan Xiaofeng, who was at the same cultivation realm as him, actually defeated all of them with ease... Just what in the world had the other party been through over the past hour for such a massive change to happen to him? On the other hand, paying no heed to Fan Xiaoxings incredulity, Fan Xiaofeng walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked, So... how did I do this time around? His eyes reflected deep nervousness reminiscent of a student facing his teacher after forgetting toplete his holiday assignment. How did you do? Zhang Xuans eyes were filled with boredom as he waved his hands perfunctorily, Its so-so! He couldnt even bother toment on Fan Xiaofengs performance anymore. After all of the pointers he had given and the battles that the other party had been through, this was all the other party could do? It was fortunate that he was adopting a persona at the moment or else he would have really died from embarrassment! All of the disciples whom he, Zhang Xuan, had taught eventually became powerhouses who possessed extraordinary battle sense. However, the one standing before him was truly... It was just a moment ago that he thought that the descendants of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers possessed superior intelligence, capable ofprehending and assimting new knowledge swiftly... Yet, it was as if Fan Xiaofengs intelligence had turned against him! He was focusing too much of the trivialities that he was losing sight of what was important, causing his movements tock spirit! I... I was wrong! I know that I didnt do well for the earlier battle... Sensing Zhang Xuan disappointment, Fan Xiaofeng hurriedly lowered his head and apologized with a trembling voice. His aplishments were all built upon the other partys pointers. If the other party was no longer willing to teach him anymore, how was he going to climb to greater heights? At the same time, Fan Xiaoxing clutched his hair as this seemingly ridiculous scene unfolded before his eyes. He found himself unable to catch up with the thought process of the other two at all! Can this even be called didnt do well? Zhang Xuan snapped. Fine, I guess Ill give you some leeway for your self-awareness! Earlier, for the third move that you executed after charging into the crowd, you could have used the Coupled Arm Fist to eliminate that red-robed young man with the least amount of effort. Why did you switch to the Startling Fronthand to attack that blue-robed youngdy at the right instead? Do you know that you have wasted three whole moves due to the choice you have made? Think of the time you have wasted with that! If they had recovered during that period of time, you would have been dead before you even knew it! Also, for the kick earlier, you could have dodged it in advance too. Why did you catch it instead? Are you trying to show off that you are capable of defending yourself, or are you trying to unt the resilience of your scrawny body... As Zhang Xuan spoke, his fury seemed to build up even more and more, such that he ended up pointing out eight ws in a single breath. Furthermore, every single one of these ws pointed out were spot-on in the analysis. I... Fan Xiaofeng was rendered speechless by the questions. Everything had happened so quickly earlier, such that Fan Xiaofeng didnt think that Fan Xiaoxu would have been able to remember every move and every w so clearly. He was initially proud that he had managed to eliminate twelve people at once, but those words jolted him back to reality. He knew that he still had a long way to go before reaching the top. There was no pride in just being able to defeat weaklings! Humility and low profile; that was the way to go! Xiaofeng was already so formidable in the battle, but Xiaoxu was still able to point out so many ws in his movements. That eye of discernment is truly... Fan Xiaoxing gulped down a mouthful of saliva. It was at this instant that he felt that he had gotten a glimpse into the reason why Fan Xiaofeng was able to make such a huge progress within a short hour... It turned out that everything was Fan Xiaoxus credit! Xiaoxu, can you teach me as well? I wish to be as powerful as Xiaofeng too... Unable to stand it any longer, Fan Xiaoxing walked up to Zhang Xuan and sped his fist earnestly, putting down the pride that he had shown previously. Chapter 1881 - The Descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Lu

Chapter 1881: The Descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Lu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Zhong Qing was a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Lu. He was the person-in-charge for conducting this years entrance examination for the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. He was also the middle-aged man who had read the rules in the sky earlier prior to themencement of the examination. Unlike the other teachers, he returned back to his room after activating the formation surrounding the mountain. He didnt wait at the elimination region for the revtion of the results. It was just a freshman selection examination; it would do for him to just know the final results. Such a trivial event was not worth his constant attention. He stood before a table, dabbed a brush with ink, and began writing on a sheet of paper. The scent of ink swiftly suffused the room. His handwriting was neat, and the characters he wrote carried deep conceptions behind them. With just a nce, one could feel the serene state he was in. Hu! A figure suddenly appeared in the room. Seeing that the middle-aged man was leisurely writing calligraphy, the figures eyebrows shot up as he eximed, Brother Zhong, what are you doing here? You need to head over to the examination venue to take a look. Theres something weird going on with the examination... If Zhang Xuan was here, he would surely be able to recognize the figure who had just appeared in the room... Nangong Yuanfeng! Yuanfeng, you are panicking once again. I have always told you that you need to calm your mind, but you just wouldnt listen. Its just an examination amongst the younglings, whats there to panic about? If you dont try to correct that problem of yours, youll never be able to advance your cultivation any further than it is! Even without raising his head, Zhong Qing seemed to still be able to recognize the identity of the person standing before him. As his brush continued moving on the paper elegantly, he replied with a calm voice. Brother Zhong, I appreciate your kind advice, but... this isnt the moment to be calm at all! The elimination examination has already descended into a huge mess! Nangong Yuanfeng eximed anxiously. A huge mess? What kind of mess is it? Zhong Qing asked calmly as he continued writing his calligraphy with cadence. The examinees are being eliminated too quickly inrge numbers! I fear that the examination might end before the six hours are up... Furthermore, a lot of the examinees whom we have thought well of have all been eliminated! Its unlikely that those who remain at the end of the examination would be really the strongest hundred of the examinees... Nangong Yuanfeng exined worriedly. He was on the scene earlier, so he saw everything clearly. Even a top-notch genius like Yan Yixiao ended up being eliminated too. The other experts whom they had been keeping a special eye of also ended up failing terribly too... And the reason was solely because they had encountered the descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Chi! By this point, it had almost be an unspoken rule of the examination that anyone who encountered Ancient Sage Zi Chis descendants would be eliminated! At this rate, the examination would no longer be a test of strength but aplete test of luckit would bank solely on whether one was lucky enough to avoid Ancient Sage Zi Chis descendants throughout the entire examination! For a solemn examination to be reduced to such a farce, how could he possibly not panic? Oh? Isnt this for the better? Zhong Qing didnt appear to be surprised to hear the news at all. He dabbed his brush in ink once more and began writing another character before continuing on with a light chuckle, The talents of the descendants of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers dont vary too much from one another. All we want is to narrow down the numbers to a hundred of them. As for who they are, thats of secondary concern. No matter how powerful they are at the moment, they are bound to achieve great things after undergoing the tutge of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! Well, I guess that your words make sense too... Seeing how calm Zhong Qing was, Nangong Yuanfengs worries seemed to slowly dispel as well. It was true that they were interested in just narrowing down the numbers to a hundred examinees... As for who the examinees were, that was not of too much importance. The elimination examination was notpletely fair, but ultimately, everything could be traced back to the limitations of their strength. If one had neither the strength nor the means to survive until the end, they only had themselves to me for. While what you say do make sense, the issue is that most of the examinees have been eliminated by the same person, and their numbers are still growing. Furthermore, it seems like they have formed some kind of weird fellowship... Nangong Yuanfeng said. They were eliminated by the same person? Who is it? Yan Yixiao? Or is it Duan Muxiao? Zhong Qing asked. Thats not it. They are all eliminated by a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Chi, Nangong Yuanfeng replied. A descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Chi? Not expecting to hear such an answer, Zhong Qing was visibly stunned for a moment. You are referring to Fan Xiaoxu, Fan Xiaofeng, and Fan Xiaoxing, right? He had browsed through the name list submitted by the various ns, and he remembered the names of every single participating examinee. Thats right, Nangong Yuanfeng replied affirmatively. The descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Chi have never performed spectacrly well in examinations before. The fact that they are able to rise to the top in the examination shows that they must have put in a lot of hard work. Its fine, leave them to do whatever they want. Everyone has their own limits, and just because they are leading at the moment doesnt mean that they will be able to remain at the top until the end. As invigtors, our role is to observe and assess. Theres no need for us to get involved! Zhong Qing replied calmly as he continued writing on the paper. At this rate, it seemed like he would finish his calligraphy piece soon enough. Since you have said so, I guess theres nothing else I can say... Seeing how calm Zhong Qing was, Nangong Yuanfeng shrugged nonchntly. He was just about to turn around and leave when he suddenly recalled a matter, Oh, I forgot to tell you. The chief of the Fellowship of Examinees Eliminated by the Descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Chi seems to your grandson, Zhong Zixun! H! The brush gorged out a pitch-ck stroke on the white paper as Zhong Qing raised his head in astonishment. He knew that his grandson had participated in the examination too, and he thought that his grandson would survive till the very end. Yet... he became the chief of some kind of eliminated examinees fellowship? What the heck did that mean? Hold on for a moment. You are telling me that Zixun has been eliminated? Even though Zhong Qing dared not to believe what he was hearing, he still forcefully maintained his patient and calm attitude. Indeed. He was extremely proud that he has been eliminated early, and the fact that he serves as one of the chiefs of the organization means that everyone heeds his words! Nangong Yuanfeng said. That bastard! Zhong Qing clenched his fists tightly. How in the world did that wastrel even appear in their lineage? Not only was he not embarrassed of being eliminated, he even viewed it as an honor... He really had to teach that fellow a good lesson! Forget it, just leave him be! Taking a deep breath, Zhong Qing calmed down from his rage before shaking his head. In any case, I have eight of my descendants participating in the examination. Its only because I have spoiled Zhong Zixun ever since he was young that he acted so inappropriately. Such a thing wouldnt happen with the others... The others? Nangong Yuanfeng fell silent. There was a brief moment of silence before he asked, Are you referring to Zhong Zifeng, Zhong Ziyu, Zhong Zixuan, and the others? Zhong Qing nodded, They should be far more reliable than Zhong Zixun that wastrel... Ah, they have also been eliminated as well. They are the first group to join the fellowship. If not for their vote, how could Zhong Zixun possibly have be the chief? Speaking up to this point, Nangong Yuanfeng couldnt help but remark, I must say that those from your lineage are truly united as one. While others are still grieving over their defeat, those from your lineage are already trying to form a fellowship. I must say that Im truly awed by how calmly they are taking their defeat... Kacha! There was a crisp echo as the brush in Zhong Qings hand was snapped into two. With a face as green as a lush grassfield, Zhong Qing spat, Those bunch of bastards. Ill massacre them right now! Hu! Zhong Qings silhouette vanished from the room in an instant. Ah... Seeing how the cool and collected man from a moment ago had erupted in rage, Nangong Yuanfeng scratched his head speechlessly. In the end, everything that Zhong Qing said about remaining calm was just because the issue didnt concern him. As soon his n members were involved, he still ended up erupting as if there was no tomorrow... But that being said, he had to admit that Fan Xiaoxu, Fan Xiaofeng, and Fan Xiaoxing were three really incredible people. To actually eliminate the eight examinees from Ancient Sage Zi Lus lineage all at once, they sure were merciless! And that wasnt just all. It seemed like they didnt care whoever was backing the examinees as all. Anyone who encountered them would be eliminated in an instantit was as if the word mercy had never crossed their minds at all! Given how many people they had offended within this short period of time, werent they afraid that others would make things difficult for them once they enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism? One must know that while the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was built with thebined efforts of the 72 Sages, and the descendants of the 72 Sages all had a hand in running the organization, it didnt mean that there was an equal distribution of power amongst all of the ns. Putting everything aside, the lineage of Ancient Sage Zi Lu, which Zhong Qing was a part of, had a lot of say in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism due to the huge number of experts under theirmand. To let everything loose without caring about the consequences... It might be exhrating at that moment, but all of theplications would swiftlye in afterward. But again, those three didnt seem like they would simply allow themselves to be wronged. Well, it seemed like the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism would be very lively in the near future! Chapter 1882 - Clearing the Examination

Chapter 1882: Clearing the Examination

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Peng peng peng peng! After knocking down and eliminating more than a dozen examinees at once, Fan Xiaoxings eyes reddened in excitement. It had been less than two hours since he started learning from Xiaoxu, but he had already single-handedly eliminated at least three hundred examinees! Such a rate of improvement was something that he would never have dared imagine possible! For the longest time, he had thought of cultivation to be an extremely slow process where one gradually rued power, but such a conception had beenpletely shattered in his mind! Yet, despite his massive improvement, he was still a long way from matching Fan Xiaofeng. Thetter had eliminated at least seven hundred people thus far! As for Xiaoxu, he had been walking along with them, but he did not make a move at all. However, as soon as the two of them made the slightest mistake, they would be treated to abo of dagger-like res from behind and frighteningly cold criticisms. It was due to this that they were able to improve so swiftly within such a short period of time. Thats more like it. Temper yourselves a little more and stabilize your cultivation. You should be able to achieve a breakthrough soon enough... After those two defeated the final wave of enemies, Zhang Xuan finally nodded with a slight hint of approval. While those two were a little dimwitted, through his unyielding perseverance, he still managed to induce a significant rise in their abilities. Even after this examination, the two of them would still benefit from the elevation in their state of mind and advancement in their fighting prowess. Of course, as for how far they would go in the future, that would not be any of his business. There are only a hundred people left on the mountain. I hereby announce that the examination has prematurely ended! Along with that resounding voice, the crowd felt a surge of energy wrapping around them, and the next moment, they were teleported to a square in front of the mountain. Zhang Xuan looked around him and noticed that there was exactly one hundred people in the square. However, other than the three of them, everyone seemed to have been inflicted with some kind of energy and looked rather unkempt. Even though most of those people looked ordinary, the fact that they could survive to the end among two thousand otherpetitors meant that they likely possessed extraordinary means. Of course, more importantly, they had also had the fortune of not encountering the three of them! First and foremost, I would like to extend my congrattions to all of you for officially being recruited into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism as this years batch of students! Zhong Qing announced grandly. As he spoke, his eyes inconspicuously fell on Zhang Xuan and the others, and his cheeks twitched a little. He felt an urge to rush forward to pummel them, but he eventually held himself back. The fact that his descendants had been eliminated by them only meant that they were stillcking. He would not abandon his honor just to make things difficult for them. Taking a deep breath, Zhong Qing continued on, After this, you will each exchange your jade token for a storage ring. Within the storage is the route and method to get to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, an Introspective Convalescence realm cultivation technique, and cultivation resources. You have three days to enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism with your own abilities. Only if you seed will you be full-fledged students of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. I know that this test wont be too difficult for you, but allow me to give you some words of advice in advance. The earlier you get to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, the higher your chances of picking out a good teacher. Naturally, it goes without saying that it will pave the way for your future cultivation! Simr to other academies, mentorship in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was a mutual rtionship. While the students were allowed to choose their teachers, the teachers were allowed to choose their students. The number of students that each teacher could take on was limited, so those who entered earlier would have a better chance of catching the eye of the teachers they wanted. At the same time, the resources that they were entitled to would be different as well. Alright! Submit your jade tokens now! Shortly after those words were spoken, the jade token pinned on everyones chest rose into the air, and a hundred storage rings flew into everyones hands simultaneously. Zhang Xuan ced his finger lightly on the ring, and the items that were inside swiftly appeared in his mind. Just as he had been told, there was an Introspective Convalescence realm cultivation technique manual inside. Simr to how there was nomon cultivation technique that all cultivators could practice for this realm, the cultivation technique manual that was in the storage ring only pointed out a general direction. Nevertheless, with such a manual in hand, pushing for a breakthrough would be much easier. Other than the cultivation technique manual, there was a grade-9 Strength Shaping Pill. It had the effects of refining ones body and zhenqi once more, and the process simted the effects of a breakthrough to the Introspective Convalescence realm. As such, it could boost ones chances of achieving a breakthrough by around ten percent. Last but not least, there was a jade token inside. Zhang Xuan took out the jade token and touched it lightly, but he did not feel anything at all. Seeing Zhang Xuans actions, Fan Xiaofeng quickly exined, Theres a formation on the jade token. If we wish to see what is inside, well have to first decipher the formation. This is one of the examinations of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! Its also an examination? What about those who dont specialize in formations? Zhang Xuan asked. There could be those who were not too familiar with formations among the crowd, and imposing such an examination on them seemed rather unfair. The formation on the jade token isnt tooplicated, so familiarity with formations wont help too much. The difficulty lies mainly in how intricate it is. It requires one to have precise control of ones zhenqi to decipher it carefully. While its an examination, its also a warning to us as well that we mustnt just focus on building up our zhenqi, and that the precision of control is extremely important as well! Fan Xiaofeng said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxings cultivation had yet to advance ever since they entered the mountain, but their fighting prowess had increased significantly, allowing them to easily defeat opponents after opponents. The main reason for that was that they had learned how to control and maneuver their strength efficiently and effectively. By not making the slightest useless movement and striking urately at any openings, it was inevitable that their fighting prowess would advance so much. Swiftly scanning through the jade token, Zhang Xuan saw numerous inscriptions carved densely on it. It seemed like he would have to control his zhenqi to an extremely fine degree in order to decipher the inscription. While such a feat might pose a challenge to other examinees, it was a walk in the park for him. He lightly waved his hand over the jade token. H! The seal immediately opened, and the content within flowed into his mind. It was the exact location of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism and the method to entering it. Just as he had expected, the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was not located in the vicinity but amid a desert roughly ten thousand li away. In order to reach the destination, he would have to follow a specific path marked out on the jade token. Alright, you may start deciphering the formation on the jade token now! Seeing that everyone had begun taking out the jade tokens in the storage ring, Zhong Qing shot a sweeping nce across the surroundings before saying, In the history of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, the fastest record for deciphering the seal is six hours. In the past hundred years, the only one who hase close to this record is the descendant of Kong shi, Kong Shiyao, with a record of seven hours. After that would be the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Yan Xue, with a record of eight hours. For the rest of you, it would be a formidable feat as long as you are able to decipher the seal within a single day! While the formation on the jade token seemed simple, it was far more troublesome than it looked. Without a calm mind and sharp control of zhenqi, it would be nigh impossible to pull it off. Even the top genius of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism had taken a total of seven hours to decipher it! Also, allow me to give you some words of advice! Hastiness and impatience will get you nowhere. If you cantplete this task within three days, even if you have cleared the elimination examination, you wont be recognized as an official student of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism! Zhong Qing warned before waving his hand lightly. H! A mirror-like barrier appeared in front before everyones eyes. This is a unique Teleportation Formation. As long as you have deciphered the seal on the jade token, you will be drawn into it. Following which, you just have to follow the pathway recorded on the jade token to get into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Alright, you all should get to deciphering the seal now! I would like to see what the fastest record for your batch is... Zhong Qing said. But halfway through his words, he saw a ripple appearing on the mirror-like barrier. A figure slowly rose into the air before diving right into the barrier. What? Has he... deciphered the formation already? For a long moment, the surroundings were overwhelmed by silence. Chapter 1883 - Zhong Qings Suspicions

Chapter 1883: Zhong Qings Suspicions

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This... Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. It was true that he had deciphered the jade token, but given his low-profile character, he would have waited patiently for Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng toplete the test before heading over to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Unfortunately, he could not have expected the other party to actually whip out a barrier that would suck in anyone who had deciphered the formation! In a moment of carelessness, he actually ended up being sucked in! Turning around to look at the countless berserk faces behind him, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and said in encouragement, Well... Everyone, try your best! Ill be going on ahead to see whats on the other side! Going on ahead? More like he has already crossed the finish line before we have even gotten ready at the starting point! Kong Shiyao took a total of seven hours, but he... That probably wasnt even a single breath, right? Is it possible that his jade token is spoiled? You are thinking too much. How could the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism possibly make such a mediocre mistake? That being said, its really ridiculous for anyone to clear a seal within just a single breath... Is he still human? ... A huge uproar erupted in the area. It was just a moment earlier that Schstic Master Zhong Qing had said that even the fastest record was six hours, but he had actually finished it in a single breath. If so, did that not mean that even the most talented genius in the entire history of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism could not even match up to a twenty thousandth of that young man? It was not just the examinees who were causing a huge ruckus. Zhong Qing, Nangong Yuanfeng, and the other invigtors were in apletely flustered state as well. They had thought that it would already be a huge blessing if any one of the examinees was able to make it to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism within a single day. But who could have known that they would encounter this monster? Were Zhong Zixun and the others eliminated by that young man? Zhong Qing asked. Hmm, that isnt entirely it, Nangong Yuanfeng said with a frown. The ones who eliminated Zhong Zixun and the others were Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing, but he was guiding them by the side too... His guidance actually allowed those two to eliminate all eight examinees from my lineage... Zhong Qing felt a tightness in his throat as he struggled toe to terms with what he had just seen. While others might have been oblivious to the prowess of those eight juniors of his, he knew that they were a force that could not be underestimated in the examination. If they had not been eliminated by Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng, there was a good chance that they would have be the dark horse of the examination. Those eight had specially undergone a rigorous training regimen in order to clear the examination, and even if they had encountered Yan Yixiao, there was a good chance that they would have been able to get away safely. Yet, all of them had ended up being eliminated just like that. Furthermore, it was one thing if that young man had made a move himself?there was no shortage of monstrously overpowered individuals in the history of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers?but he had actually empowered others to do so through his guidance. Not even Zhong Qing himself would be capable of pulling off something like that! A middle-aged man walked over and asked, Shall we apprehend him temporarily to check his jade token? Theres no need for that. The fact that hes been absorbed by the barrier means that he truly wields the ability to decipher the formation. Besides, the other teachers are waiting beyond the barrier, and they should have already noticed the pulsations in the barrier. Its toote to stop him now... Zhong Qing shook his head before turning his gaze to Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng. It was a gaze filled with intrigue. Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage had always beengging behind the others... How did they suddenly be so formidable? Harboring such doubts, Zhong Qing leaped forth and appeared right before Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng. With a wave of his hand, he said, In total, the two of you have eliminated more than half of the examinees. I would like to see if you really wield the extraordinary capabilities that you have disyed through your results in the examination. Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing sped their fists and replied, How do you wish to test our strength? If they had not gone through Zhang Xuans rigorous training, they would have already been in utter panic. It was apparent that Zhong Qing was suspicious of them cheating, and the implications could be severe if they were found guilty of it. However, the elimination examination had caused a huge change in their state of mind. They were much more confident than before, such that they did not feel apprehensive even when standing before Schstic Masters. I have a really simple suggestion. Ill suppress my cultivation down to your level, and the two of you cane at me together. If you are able to defeat me, itll prove that you do possess capabilities far beyond those of your peers, Zhong Qing exined calmly. As a Sempiternal realm consummation expert, even if he did suppress his cultivation, his eye of discernment and battle experience far surpassed those of the two youths standing before him. No matter how powerful those two youths were, they would stand no chance against him if they did not possess any extraordinary capabilities. Hearing those words, Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng looked at one another and nodded resolutely before replying in unison, Very well, we ept your challenge! They swiftly cleared the surroundings before Zhong Qing began suppressing his aura down to Saint 9-dan. Despite his lowered cultivation, he still emanated an unfathomable aura that made others dare not challenge his authority. Ill allow the two of you to make the first move! Zhong Qing beckoned with a single hand, and he stood calmly on the spot. No matter what, he was still a Great Sage expert who had lived for several centuries. Even though he had challenged Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng to a battle in hopes of clearing up his doubts, he had no intention of taking advantage of them. Since you have said so, we wont stand on ceremony! Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing drove their zhenqi to the peak and roared. Of the thousand examinees that they had eliminated, there were some who had been an entire realm stronger than them. Challenging such powerful enemies had refined their sense of danger and grasp over the flow of battle. They could tell that even with his suppressed cultivation, the middle-aged man standing before them would not be an easy opponent. Thus, they chose to go all out right from the start. H! So, the two of them bolted forward one after another, and one of them aimed for the chest whereas the other aimed for the back. Noting the exceptional speed of the two and the decisiveness of their moves, Zhong Qing nodded in approval. Not too shabby! It was no wonder they had been able to eliminate so many people in the examination, such that even his juniors had ended up falling victim to them. Their fighting prowess was indeed not to be underestimated. Putting everything aside, just the fact that they were able to empty their movements of hesitation was already an incredibly remarkable feat. It was a subconscious reflex to falter before powerful enemies and doubt ones decisions, and this was a problem that even top cultivators faced. Such hesitation might not appear to be much at first nce, but in an intense battle, granting the opponent an additional split second to react could easily spell the difference between life and death. However... if that was all they had, they would never be able to defeat him! This was because their intentions and maneuvers were utterlycking inplexity. It was as if they were standing naked before him! He could even foresee what they would do several steps ahead! To defeat such opponents, all it would take him was one good move! With a deep sigh, he raised his two palms and thrust them downward, intending to knock the two of them back simultaneously so as to let them know the gap between them. However, before his palms could even strike, the duo bolting in his direction suddenly swerved and nked his sides. Using the incredible momentum of their movements, they sent out a left punch and a right punch simultaneously to the both sides of his face. What? Zhong Qing narrowed his eyes in astonishment. In a usual battle, should they not have started with minor movements to test out their opponent before leaping in for a decisive attack to overwhelm him in an instant? They had already been in an advantageous position earlier, so why would they change their moves all of a sudden? Furthermore, was it really fine to aim the attacks at the face of an elder like that? Humph! With a cold snort, Zhong Qing swiftly redirected his palms to block the trajectory of the punches from the duo. After which, he was just about to move in to teach those two a good lesson on respecting their elders when he suddenly felt a sharp pain assaulting his chest and crotch. Lowering his head, he found that Fan Xiaoxings leg had struck his chest whereas Fan Xiaofengs foot had shot up his crotch. Ahhh! With a piercing cry of agony, Zhong Qing flew over and copsed onto the ground. His body scrunched up like a cooked prawn. Even though he was a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator, it did not mean that he had cultivated his body equally throughout. As such, he still shared themon weakness that all men faced. To be struck with such a decisive kick, it was a huge blessing that they had not cracked on the spot! However, as if out of fear that their attack would not work, those two had actually put everything they had into the previous attack, such that the excruciating pain that assaulted him left even someone of Zhong Qings caliber sweating profusely. Kacha! Kacha! He had to swiftly release the seal on his zhenqi and recover to his Sempiternal realm consummation before he was able to alleviate the injuries. Just as he was about to talk, he heard the hushed whisperings of those two not too far away. Is it just me, or does he seem really weak? Could he just be going easy on us? That cant be the true strength of a Schstic Master, right? Those words were the earnest thoughts of the confused Fan Xiaoxing and Fan Xiaofeng. All along, the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism had been the ultimate goal that they had envisioned in their minds, so they could have never imagined that they would actually be able to incapacitate one of the almighty Schstic Masters with just a simple kick. It was as if the heroes whom they had worshipped since they were young had turned out to be all talk! Weak? Going easy? Zhong Qing felt a surge of blood gargling within his mouth, and hepletely lost his cool. Chapter 1884 - The Copper Gong

Chapter 1884: The Copper Gong

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhong Qing had always valued the cultivation of character and state of mind. Calligraphy was the art of sharpening ones concentration and self-control, so he would often spend his free time with a brush in hand. Due to his devotion to the art, the calligraphy works that he produced were of exceptional quality, such that many experts would specially pay him a visit to request his pieces so as to find inner peace within them. Given his character and state of mind, an ordinary examination among the younger generation should not have fazed him in the least. But... contrary to his expectations, all eight examinees in his lineage, including his own grandson, had actually been eliminated in the examination! This had shaken him a little, so he wanted to challenge the two youths responsible for it to test their abilities. However, who could have known that a reputed Schstic Master like him would end up being looked upon in disdain? Weak? Weak your head! How in the world am I weak? Zhong Qing was overflowing with rage, but when he thought about the earlier battle, he found himself unable to find the words to refute their ims. While those two young men did not use a coborative formation, their coordination was impable. Despite being a Sempiternal realm consummation expert, he had been toocent and ended up falling for their feint, which had eventually led to his downfall. Zhong Qing swallowed the blood swirling in his mouth and took in a deep breath before turning to the two young men. Is this what Fan Xiaoxu has taught you? He had never seen these two young men in person before, but he had read their records. Given their track record, they should not have been so formidable in battle. Thats right! Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing nodded in response. In truth, they were also a little surprised by the oue of the battle. They had thought that a Schstic Master would be an extremely difficult foe to deal with even if his cultivation was suppressed, but as soon as they used Fan Xiaoxus battle insights, everything ended so quickly that even they were caught off guard. It was as if the other party was nothing more than a weak little chicklet! Did that not mean that as long as they continued working hard on their fighting skills, they would really be able to be invincible among their peers? Then, do you know who imparted these moves to him? Zhong Qing asked. Heprehended them himself! Fan Xiaofeng replied. He had asked Fan Xiaoxu that question during the examination, and the other party had replied that these techniques hade out from sudden bouts of inspiration. Heprehended them himself? If thats really the case, his talent is really... Zhong Qing remarked as his breathing hastened slightly. Yuanfeng, I need you to help deal with the issues here for the time being. Ill be making a trip back to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism to see who Fan Xiaoxu chooses to be his teacher! Unable to endure his curiosity, Zhong Qing quickly turned around and left. No matter who Fan Xiaoxu chose to be his teacher, he would have to make sure to keep on good terms with that person. As long as Fan Xiaoxu did not die a premature death, it was only a matter of time before he rose to the top echelon of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! ... Oblivious to the fact that Zhong Qing had been pummeled by Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing, Zhang Xuan was currently navigating his way through a desert ording to the directions given on the jade token. To be honest, he wanted to maintain a low profile. However, it was as if the entire world was denying him of his efforts! As the first one to reach the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism in record time, there was no way he would be able to blend in with the crowd anymore. However, this should not pose too much of a problem. As long as his identity as an outsider was not revealed, he would be able to leave as soon as he obtained what he wanted without stirring up too huge amotion. Hu! After flying for some time, a glimmering ray of light suddenly appeared in the distance. Advancing toward the light, Zhang Xuan soon noticed the presence of a humongous folded space. Shockingly, this folded space was even more stable than the Kunxu Domain itself, such that it almost felt as if he was returning to the Master Teacher Continent. The concentration of spiritual energy was also extremely high,parable to that of a typical grade-9 Spirit Gathering Formation. As soon as he stepped into the folded space, his acupoints swiftly opened and began greedily absorbing the spiritual energy. There were innumerable majestic buildings towering all around. They were designed in a traditional architectural style, as if they had been built tens of thousands of years ago. So, this is my destination... Knowing that he had arrived at the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, Zhang Xuan lowered himself to the ground. However, before he couldnd, he suddenly saw a streak of light hurtling in his direction. However, this streak of light did not harness any aggressive intent. It stopped right before Zhang Xuan, revealing its true form to be a gigantic copper gong. It took its position beneath Zhang Xuans feet before exerting a powerful force against him, seemingly trying to prevent him fromnding on the ground. Is this a trial as well? Zhang Xuan frowned. The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was right beneath him, but a copper gong was trying to push him away. It was apparent that this was something like a trial he had to undergo in order to officially be inaugurated as a student of the academy. However, after all that he had been through thus far, what would a mere copper gong count as? Shaking the excessive thoughts out of his mind, Zhang Xuan stomped his feet on the ground and exerted his might through the soles of his feet. Hu! Overpowered by Zhang Xuans stomp, the copper gong was sent flying back to the ground. With a satisfied smile, Zhang Xuan swiftly descended to the ground. ... A group of middle-aged folks were standing in a row next to the entrance of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. They were mixed in gender, but their clothes resembled those worn by Nangong Yuanfeng. It was clear with a nce that they were the Schstic Masters of the academy. Itll take at least one day for the examinees to reach here after the examination. Dont you think you are being a little too anxious bying over right now? a middle-ageddy asked with an unreadable smile. Another middle-aged man nced at her and replied, I do admit that we are a little anxious, but arent you the same? If you arent anxious, why have youe so early on? Well, Im just here to see if there are any exceptional geniuses in this batch... The middle-ageddy harrumphed slightly before turning her head away. Mi Xuan, why did you bring the copper gong here? The crowd turned around and saw a middle-aged man walking over with a massive copper gong above his head. It was twirling continuously, sheltering the middle-aged man from the sun rays. The copper gong was likely the artifact that Mi Xuan had just forged. However, instead of staying at home to carefully study its purposes, why in the world was he bringing trouble to them instead? Haha, you should also know that my talent lies in strength. I brought this copper gong here to test the new students! Mi Xuanughed heartily. Test the new students? The middle-aged woman frowned. That gong of yours is ridiculously heavy. You arent thinking of using it to smash our freshmen to death, are you? Of course not! Mi Xuan refuted as a mysterious smile crept onto his face. However, I can use the copper gong to push the examinees back. As long as an examinee is able to persevere for ten seconds against my copper gong, theyll be qualified to be my student and inherit my skills... Ten seconds? Have you not awoken from your dreams yet? Hearing those words, the crowd took in a sharp intake of breath. With Mi Xuans monstrous strength and the copper gongs heavy weight, even they would have trouble coping with the two simultaneously, let alone the Saint 9-dan to Great Sage 1-dan examinees! Weng! Before they could finish their words, there was a slight buzz in the air as a glimmer of light red in the sky. An examinee has already arrived at the seal? But... didnt the examination start not too long ago? The crowd was stunned. They had expected to wait up to a day at least, but the wait turned out to be shorter than expected. To be able to decipher the formation so quickly, that person must be pretty strong. He will be a good sample for me test the prowess of my copper gong on! Mi Xuan chuckled softly as he leaped into the sky. The gigantic copper gong swiftly flew toward the glimmer of light in the sky, blocking off the entire sun in the blink of an eye. Hong long! But before it could reach its target, a resounding reverberation echoed in the air, and the copper gong suddenly flew back to the ground. Not expecting the copper gong to fly back all of a sudden, Mi Xuan narrowed his eyes in rm. He quickly leaped into the sky to support the copper gong with his strength, but to his horror, it felt as if the weight of the world was pushing the copper gong down to the ground. It was a force far exceeding what he could withstand! Quick, help me! Mi Xuan bellowed anxiously as his body was swiftly pushed back to the ground. Realizing the severity of the matter, the other Schstic Masters quickly rushed into the air to support the copper gong. Pu! Pu! Pu! However, as soon as they came into contact with the copper gong, the crushing might pushing them down immediately jolted their bodies, causing fresh blood to spurt from their mouths. Putong! Putong! Just like that, the entire group of Schstic Masters was forcefully pushed to the ground like a bunch of dumplings. Boom! The copper gong finallynded on the ground with a reverberating metallic gong, and the Schstic Masters were pinned underneath,pletely disappearing from view. Hu! Barely after all of this happened, a figure descended from the sky and scanned his surroundings with a frown on his face. Didnt they tell me that there would be a lot of Schstic Masters waiting for me here? Why cant I see anyone? Shaking his head helplessly, Zhang Xuan proceeded deeper into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Chapter 1885 - The Ferocious Fan Xiaoxu (1)

Chapter 1885: The Ferocious Fan Xiaoxu (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 It seemed like the rules written on the jade token were not to be taken exactly. It was detailed on the jade token that one would be weed by the teachers upon arriving at the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, at which point, one would have a chance to choose among them. However, all that was there to wee him upon his arrival was a mere copper gong and nothing else. Did Ie so quickly that no one was able to react in time? Zhang Xuan muttered under his breath. In any case, he had no intention of waiting there for them, so he proceeded ahead without any hesitation. This was his first time entering the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, and he was so overwhelmed by the changes in the spatialws and the concentration in the spiritual energy that he failed to notice the crowd crushed beneath the copper gong. Besides, he had not exerted too much strength in the earlier stomp, so he did not expect that anyone would end up injured as a result of that. Thus, he hadpletely failed to notice the bunch of Schstic Masters. It was just like how an elephant would not feel an ant struggling beneath it when stepping on it! Sou! Shortly after Zhang Xuan disappeared, Zhong Qing appeared before the copper gong. He scanned the surroundings with a confused look in his eyes for a moment before his eyebrows shot up in horror. He quickly grabbed the copper gong and tugged, and it took him a while before he was finally able to lug it away. A bunch of Schstic Masters were imprinted messily in the ground. Their faces were ghastly pale, and fresh blood was oozing out from the corners of their mouths. Seeing that everyone was almost on theirst breath, Zhong Qing eximed, Mi Xuan, what in the world happened here? Those Schstic Masters were the strongest experts of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. They should have been the ones demonstrating their abilities to attract new students toe under their wing, but why would they end up lying beneath the copper gong like a bunch of dead fish? Did someone just decipher the seal and enter the premises? Mi Xuan asked with a tearful look on his face. Yes, Fan Xiaoxu from Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage! Zhong Qing replied before realization struck him, and he widened his eyes in shock. Are you saying that... he was the one who caused this? Wait a moment... Tell me what happened here! With an awkward look on his face, Mi Xuan began exining. I took out my copper gong, hoping to find someone who can survive ten breaths against it and bring him under my wing. So, when I saw that someone was entering the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, I swiftly brought it out to block his way. However, I didnt think that the other party would stomp down on it so forcefully. In order to prevent it from damaging the buildings around, everyone offered their strength to stop it, but... well, you can see the results for yourself! He sent the copper gong flying... Even with so many of you around, none of you were able to stop him? Zhong Qing shook his head in incredulity. But how could that be? Fan Xiaoxu is a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator! Putting aside the fact that the copper gong was a Great Sage artifact, it appeared that a stomp from Fan Xiaoxu was already more powerful than a dozen Schstic Masters. A Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator being stronger than so many Great Sage experts? How could that be possible? Theres no way Saint 9-dan cultivators could wield such strength, Mi Xuan remarked deeply. In fact, not even Great Sages would be able to pull something like this off. Such strength can only be wielded by an Ancient Sage... Ancient Sages were extremely dense in weight, such that their body seemed to harness a world in itself. With how swiftly Fan Xiaoxu had been moving earlier, if his body carried the weight of an Ancient Sage, he would have been able to pull something like that off with a simple stomp. Perhaps, he might not even have been aware of how powerful his stomp was. In any case, one thing was for surethere was no way a Saint 9-dan cultivator could draw forth such strength. Hearing those words, Zhong Qing frowned. But I checked Fan Xiaoxu earlier, and he is indeed a member from Ancient Sage Zi Chis lineage. Fan Xiaofeng and the others can testify for him too, so it seems unlikely that he would be an impersonator. Furthermore, if an Ancient Sage barged into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, the great formation would surely activate, and the hibernating Ancient Sages would swiftly regain consciousness. However, nothing is happening at all... Simr to the Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the Ancient Sages of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism spent most of their time hibernating. It was only in the presence of those who wielded strength equal to them would they be forcefully woken up from their long sleep. The fact that the surroundings werepletely silent was more than enough to prove that there were no Ancient Sages who had breached the barrier and barged into the area. But... if that was not the case, how were they to make sense about what had happened? No matter who Fan Xiaoxu truly is, lets find him before deciding our next move! Knowing that they would only be able to resolve the problem with the person in question present, Mi Xuan quickly stowed his copper gong before flying over to the cluster of buildings. Zhong Qing and the others followed tightly behind. It did not take long before they saw a silhouette standing in the square, scratching his head in confusion. It was none other than Fan Xiaoxu. Hu! Everyone swiftly descended to the ground and surrounded Fan Xiaoxu tightly. You are... Fan Xiaoxu had a confused look on his face that seemed to say, What am I doing here? You are currently at the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. You cleared the examination with ease, deciphered the formation within a breath, and overpowered all of us simultaneously shortly after entering the premises... A Schstic Master among the crowd could not take it anymore. Tell me, just who in the world are you? I am at the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism? Cleared the examination... I have already cleared the examination? Fan Xiaoxu was taken aback as the information plunged him deeper into confusion. Furthermore, I overpowered all of you? What does that mean? Seeing how Fan Xiaoxu was acting as if he had lost his memory, another Schstic Master sneered coldly. Dont bother ying the fool. Well know your true strength with a simple look! With a tap of his finger, a book materialized in the air. It swiftly flipped open before a ray of light descended from it. It was one of the treasures of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, the Book of Veracity. It was able to gauge a persons true cultivation and bloodline, and there was no way to possibly deceive it. It had been created through the principles of Ancient Sage Bo Shangs Eye of Insight, and the book possessed the ability to dispel all falsehood. Weng! Shrouded with a ray of light, the flow of Fan Xiaoxus zhenqi, the strength of his meridians, and everything else about him was clearly disyed. Even the color of his bloodline and his cultivation was visible to the eye. Hes indeed from the lineage of Ancient Sage Zi Chi, and theres no doubt that hes a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator! Hearing those words, the crowd grew even more confused. Under the inspection of the Book of Veracity, it turned out that there was no mistake about the identity of the young man before them. He was Fan Xiaoxu through and through! But... could a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator really overpower all of them so thoroughly that they were unable to retaliate? Could a Saint 9-dan cultivator decipher the formation and get in there within a single breath? Could a Saint 9-dan cultivator teach his peers and grant them the power to eliminate over a thousand examinees in an intense examination? Allow me to test your strength! While everyone was still trying to figure out what was going on, Zhong Qing took a step forward. This time, he suppressed his cultivation down to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm instead of Saint 9-dan. Even Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing had been able to defeat him earlier. Considering that Fan Xiaoxu was their mentor, raising his cultivation higher than a realm would instead allow him to better control his strength and thus prevent anyone from getting hurt. Hong long! Not giving Fan Xiaoxu any time to react, Zhong Qing smacked his palm down with the might of a fallinget and the raging tides of a river. Even though he had suppressed his cultivation to the Introspective Convalescence realm, the power that he disyed still made everyones breathing hastened in rm as they subconsciously backed away. Fan Xiaoxus face paled in fright before this tremendous might, such that his body trembled uncontrobly. His memory only went to the point where he was still at the foot of the mountain, waiting for the examination to begin. Then... when he suddenly came to again, he was already standing in this square. To make matters worse, a Schstic Master even made a move against him without any hesitation. What the heck was going on? Knowing that there was no time to think in this situation, he hurriedly backed away. He could tell in an instant that the strength wielded by the other party was not something that he could possibly stand up against. If he did not dodge, there was a good chance that he would be smashed into a meat biscuit. Sou! However, before he could even process what was going on, his body had already flown back. It was just an instant, but his body had already flown back eight hundred meters, almost as if he had teleported away. Boom! Zhong Qings attacknded on the ground, creating a depression in the middle of the square. Not expecting that he would be able to move with such swiftness, Fan Xiaoxu was stunned. W-what is going on? He staggered weakly on the spot, and a moment of imbnce caused him to fall on his bottom onto the ground. He had been thinking of simply retreating a single step, and under normal circumstances, it would already have been a formidable feat if he was able to retreat ten meters away. Yet, he had actually covered eight hundred meters in a single step... How in the world did he do it? Where am I? Who am I? Fan Xiaoxu fell into confusion once more. Chapter 1886 - The Ferocious Fan Xiaoxu (2)

Chapter 1886: The Ferocious Fan Xiaoxu (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This movement technique... Mi Xuan and the others narrowed their eyes in shock. They could tell that the person standing before them had only used the strength of an ordinary Saint 9-dan, but a slight maneuver from him was already more than enough to outrun a Great Sage 1-dan cultivator. The speed that he was able to travel at was terrifying! On the other hand, Zhong Qing was not too surprised to see that his attack had failed tond. He had been unable to defeat Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing when his cultivation was suppressed to the same level as them, so there was nothing surprising about the person who had groomed them being able to dodge his attack easily. Zhong Qing exhaled deeply before kicking off the ground once more. His movements were flurried and random, like a raging blizzard. No matter how Fan Xiaoxu moved around, he found that he was unable to shake Zhong Qing off his trail, leaving him feelingpletely bewildered. This is the unique technique of Schstic Master Zhong Qing, World of Blizzard, Mi Xuan remarked grimly. Putting aside opponents of the same tier, with his current fighting prowess, he would be able to overpower even Great Sage 2-dan experts with ease! Mi Xuan was one of the few cultivators whose abilities were heavily skewed toward his immense might. ying on his core strength, he capitalized on his superior might to overwhelm everything that stood in his way, so the battle techniques that he practiced tended to be simple in nature. Forming a stark contrast to him was Zhong Qing, whose expertisey in pulling off delicate movements to pressure his opponent. The World of Blizzard, which he was executing at the moment, was incredibly confusing, such that it left ones eyes blurring in confusion. Had Mi Xuan been in Fan Xiaoxus position, he knew that the only possible move that he could have made at that moment was to run away. The others nodded in agreement upon hearing those words. With deep frowns on their foreheads, they seemed to be deep in thought to figure out a way to ovee the powerful World of Blizzard, but it did not take them long to shake their heads helplessly. They all came to the same conclusion in the end. Unless their cultivation was decisively above Zhong Qings, there was nothing they could do! With such a thought in mind, they quickly turned their gazes toward the Saint 9-dan young man and saw the bewildered look on his face. It seemed as if the young man was at aplete loss as to what he could do as well. However, his body suddenly jolted as a thought surfaced in his mind, and with a nimble forward step, he entered into the midst of the other partys area of attack. Surprisingly, even though he had walked into Zhong Qings field, none of the attacks seemed tond on him. With a simple wave of his hand, the snow seemed to be pulled along with him, swiftly congregating to form a massive snowball. Peng! Zhong Qing was knocked into the distance as crimson blood spurted furiously from his lips. He actually lost in a single move! This... The Schstic Masters in the area widened their eyes in shock. They were all taken aback by what they had just seen. As experts of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, they were more than capable of defeating multiple students simultaneously even with their cultivation suppressed. But that young man had actually managed to defeat Zhong Qing that easily. They had witnessed the duel from the start to the end, and the moves that Fan Xiaoxu had executed looked ordinary on the surface. Yet, for some reason, as if they embodied a deeper ingenuity, those moves somehow managed to easily breach Zhong Qing defenses, rendering himpletely powerless. Even if they were in Zhong Qings ce, they did not think that they would have fared any better than him. To think that it was possible for onesbat techniques to reach such a level. Just who in the world was Fan Xiaoxus teacher? While the Schstic Masters were taken aback by what they had witnessed, Fan Xiaoxu was also staring at his palms with incredulous eyes. All he remembered was someone calling him away while he was waiting at the foot of the mountain for the examination to start, then everything had gone nk afterward. By the time he came to once more, he was already in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. He felt that it was unreasonable for Zhong Qing to abruptly have made a move on an ordinary student just like that, and he had already been prepared to bepletely destroyed. Yet, a memory had suddenly surfaced in his mind in this moment of distress. This memory contained some insights regardingbat techniques. He had simply moved in ordance to the principles stated by thosebat techniques, and before he knew it, he had already defeated the seemingly unreachable Zhong Qing. Just as Fan Xiaoxu was trying to make sense of the ridiculous situation that was happening to him, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind. I am Zhang Xuan. I borrowed your body for a moment to resolve some urgent matters. I have given you a memory fragment containing insights tobat techniques aspensation for my offense, and I hope that you will keep my identity a secret in return! He recognized the voice to be from the person who had knocked him out back then. Zhang Xuan? If his memory could allow me to defeat even a Schstic Master with ease, does this mean that... hes an Ancient Sage? Fan Xiaoxus heart jolted in rm. To be able to leave a sliver of his memory in his heart without inflicting the slightest harm to him... this was something that only veteran Ancient Sages could pull off! Even the Ancient Sage of their lineage was unable to pull it off. He could hardly begin to imagine just how powerful this person known as Zhang Xuan was. If that Zhang Xuan person willed it, he would be able to destroy him with just a mere thought, but he had chosen not to do so. Not only so, the other party had evenpensated him. From this, it could be deduced that this Zhang Xuan person was not an evil person at heart. Since that was the case, regardless of why the other party wanted toe to the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, it should be fine for him to keep it a secret. Besides, matters concerning Ancient Sages could only be resolved by Ancient Sages themselves. As a Saint 9-dan cultivator, no one would believe him even if he really spoke about it. Thus, he quickly assimted the piece of memory that the other party had left in his mind before turning to the Schstic Masters before him with an excited grin on his face. Do any of you still want to test my cultivation? Make your move! If you feel insecure, I dont mind facing all of you at once! He had just tried out the battle technique earlier, and it had been proven to work. This would be a good opportunity for him to test the extent of his improvement. Seeing how arrogant a mere freshman was, Mi Xuan and the others looked at one another for a moment before taking a step forward. Thirty breathster, they were all floored. Fan Xiaoxu stared at his trembling hands with reddened eyes, unable to believe the miracle that had just befallen him. His talent and strength could only have been said to be average among the youths of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult for him to clear the examination. Who could have known that he would catch the eye of an Ancient Sage and be imparted top-notchbat techniques that allowed him to overpower even the Schstic Masters? This was an aplishment that he would not have dared dream of in the past! If even a sliver of that Ancient Sagesbat techniques could raise his fighting prowess by such a degree, he shuddered to imagine just how powerful the Ancient Sage himself was. I wonder who this Ancient Sage Zhang Xuan is... Fan Xiaoxu looked into the distant sky as a towering, heroic figure took form in his mind. There was no Zhang among the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so the other party was likely an outsider. Then again, there was no way that he could verify his identity, so there was no use thinking too deeply into it. All in all, the only thing that was important to him was that he had learned thebat techniques from Ancient Sage Zhang Xuan and was now indebted to him. You shall be the one and only teacher I truly acknowledge from this day onward, and nothing will change that determination of mine... Fan Xiaoxu swore deep in his heart. ... Hu! A figure was slowly walking leisurely through the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. There was a huge crowd around him, but not a single person seemed to notice his presence. The surrounding space had been distorted in a manner that prevented the slightest hint of light from falling upon him. This figure was none other than Zhang Xuan. His goal was to enter the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism without causing too huge a ruckus, and since he had achieved his goal, there was no longer any need for him to disguise himself. Thus, he had released Fan Xiaoxu not too long after arriving at the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Of course, he did not forget topensate Fan Xiaoxu fairly for the matter. Having inherited the full heritage of the soul oracles, he was able to pull off a task as difficult as transnting a sliver of his memories without harming the other party with ease. As for how much Fan Xiaoxu would benefit from receiving a sliver of his memories, that would not be his problem to worry about anymore. He had already given the other party the opportunity, and whether Fan Xiaoxu himself was able to grasp it or not was up to him. That being said, while transnting a sliver of his memories seemed to be the more efficient way to gain power, his foundation would not be as stable as Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxings, who had gained their insights through practical experience and self-discovery. In other words, even though Fan Xiaoxus fighting prowess would likely be greater Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing for the time being, as time passed, it was likely that Fan Xiaofeng and Fan Xiaoxing would eventually surpass him. Of course, he would have likely left the Kunxu Domain by then after uncovering Kong shis secrets. Putting aside the misceneous thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan continued ahead. He strolled around the city-like Great Phrontistery of Confucianism for a moment before finally setting his gaze upon a stately room. Sage Ancestral Hall... If Kong shi has hidden any secrets in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, they will likely be here, Zhang Xuan thought. What was standing before him was a unique building that was absent in the Master Teacher Pavilions of the Master Teacher Continent, the Sage Ancestral Hall. ced within the Sage Ancestral Hall were a sculpture of Kong shi himself and his individual possessions. It was a room used specifically for paying respects to him. Of the entire Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, this was the ce that had the greatest relevance to Kong shi. Thus, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before making his way over to the Sage Ancestral Hall. Weng! However, before he could reach his destination, a ray of light suddenly descended from the sky. It seemed like a formation had seen through the distortions of space that he had created around himself and discovered his presence. Hong long! Following which, a massive palm tore through space to m down upon him. The surrounding space swiftly copsed under the tremendous might, and it felt as if the entire Kunxu Domain would burst as a result of the force. Chapter 1887 - Sage Ancestral Hall

Chapter 1887: Sage Ancestral Hall

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Zhang Xuan did not think that he would be discovered even though he had hidden fairly well. He took a step back before pushing back against the palm with a powerful punch of his own. Even though he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, his fighting prowess was already on par with Blood Reincarnation realm experts. As zhenqi surged through his meridians, a devastating force was swiftly gathering at the tips of his knuckles. Hong! As the fist and palm collided with one another, Zhang Xuans body jolted a little. To his surprise, that palm strike was not any weaker than his fist. It also harnessed the might of a Blood Reincarnation realm expert. I mustnt drag things out... Zhang Xuans motive for going to the Kunxu Domain was to uncover Kong shis trail after capturing a deity from the Azure. His goal had never been to cause trouble, and in order to avoid unnecessaryplications, it would be best for him to end this battle as quickly as possible. Otherwise, once the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers noticed his presence, things could really get troublesome. With a flick of his wrist, the Dragonbone Divine Spear materialized in Zhang Xuans grasp. Gathering the full might of his body, he drove it right toward the palm in the sky. Despite the incredible momentum of the spear, it left nothing more than a slight indentation in the surrounding space, almost reminiscent of a needle piercing into ones skin. The spear had retained all of the energy within it, to the extent that even the crowd not too far away would not imagine that two Ancient Sages were colliding with one another just ten meters away from them. Peng! With the powerful drive behind it, the Dragonbone Divine Spear overpowered the palm and pushed it back. As if recognizing that it was not a match for Zhang Xuan, the palm also retreated back into the formation. Having ovee this obstacle, Zhang Xuan swiftly made his way into the Sage Ancestral Hall. The first thing that came into his mind upon entering the stately room was the humongous Kong shi sculpture located at the center of the room. Standing in front of him was a warrior dressed in gold from top to bottom. This warrior was ring at him with killing intent rippling in his eyes. There was a cut at the center of its palm, which indicated that it was the opponent who had made a move on Zhang Xuan just a moment earlier. This is... a Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy? Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment. He had thought that the person who had attacked him earlier would be an expert from the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism protecting the Sage Ancestral Hall... but it was only a warrior transformed from calligraphy! This was not the first time that he had encountered a Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy. He hade by them previously at Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain. To think that its possible for calligraphy to harness the might of an Ancient Sage 3-dan cultivator... Was this Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy left behind by Kong shi himself? Zhang Xuan wondered. There was no doubt that Kong shi was the strongest person who had ever walked on the Master Teacher Continent, but he had not thought that the other party had actually been that powerful! Even a single calligraphed character from him wielded strength that wasparable to the current him. If Kong shi wrote down a bunch of words, there would practically be nothing in this world that could stop him anymore! But an instant after this thought formted in Zhang Xuans mind, he swiftly shook his head and denied that notion. It was easier said than done to produce a Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy. Not only was it extremely testing on the skills and state of mind of the painter, it was also highly demanding on ones zhenqi and blood essence for nourishment. Given Zhang Xuans current capabilities, he would only be able to create Golden Warriors of Mentors Calligraphy at the level of Sempiternal realm cultivators, and his limit was three of them. Anything more than that would be pushing it too far. But no matter how powerful it is, it is nothing more than a character, Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath. He released his Spiritual Perception to swiftly scan the surroundings, and he heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that the earlier battle had not caught anyones attention. Turning his gaze back to the Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy, he pushed his right leg against the ground and dashed forward, piercing his spear in the direction of the Golden Warrior. Through concentrating his zhenqi at the tip of the spear, a swiftly revolving sphere of energy swiftly formed in front of him. His spearmanship was in harmony with the world. Simple was its form, but versatility was its core. The unpredictable trajectory of his spear made it extremely difficult to defend against it. In order to end this battle as quickly as possible, Zhang Xuan chose not to hold back at all. Gathering all of the strength at his disposal, he exerted a might that was almostparable to a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator. In less than two breaths, the Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy was shattered, reduced to an ink character on the wall behind the sculpture. Confucianism (). Seeing that the character had not made any move after the earlier offense, Zhang Xuan walked up to the sculpture of Kong shi and bowed deeply as a show of respect before looking around the area. It was likely that the Golden Warrior of Mentors Calligraphy from earlier was a trial that those who wanted to enter the Sage Ancestral Hall would have to go through, simr to what had happened in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain. Only those who had defeated it would be qualified to explore the premises. The room was mainly empty except for the sculpture at the center. Thus, Zhang Xuan walked up to the side door and saw a corridor beyond it. The corridor was wide and spacious, and there were numerous tablets floating alongside it. This is... Kong shis entire life story? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. The floating tablets were inscribed with the records of Kong shis life, detailing everything that had happened since his birth. Laying his eyes on one of the floating tablets, Zhang Xuan felt as if his soul had traveled through space-time to witness the grand life that Kong shi had lived. ... Unlike the usual depictions of his life, Kong shi was not a Connate Saint. No matter how one looked at it, he was an ordinary individual. The only thing that was noteworthy was his deep interest in books and sharp wits. But a day suddenly came when he deviated from his ordinary life. It was as if an epiphany had suddenly struck him, causing his cultivation to surge. Within the short span of a year, he achieved a breakthrough beyond Fighter 9-dan, Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, and even Saint 9-dan! In terms of progress, Kong shi was no slower than him! It was still the era where the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe ruled over the Master Teacher Continent back then, and the humans lived under oppression. Along his growth, Kong shis footsteps never halted. He fought country after country, salvaging mankind from the ws of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. At the same time, he spread his teachings and ideals while taking in students. Before long, the Master Teacher Pavilion that they knew today was established. Feeling threatened by Kong shis presence, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribeunched an ambush on Kong shi and his disciples, trapping them in Chen-Cai for many months. Many thought that Kong shi was done for, but in that crucial period, he created the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and sessfully achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. That freed him from the danger that he was in, and he even sessfully assassinated Vicious. Soon enough, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was driven back and sealed within the otherworldly battlefield, thus liberating mankind once and for all. From the looks of it, it seems like Kong shis breakthrough to Ancient Sage wasnt just an ordinaryprehension of temporalws... Zhang Xuan pondered as he followed Kong shis journey through his life. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn contained the secrets of time. Zhang Xuan himself had been to the Temple of Confucius, and the flow of time in that folded space was indeed different from that of the world outside. Ancient Sage Ran Qius breakthrough was built upon his spearmanship, and Ancient Sage Qiu Wus breakthrough came from his deepprehension of spatialws... All along, he had thought that what Kong shi had grasped in his breakthrough to Ancient Sage were the temporalws, but it seemed like there was more to it. The founder of the Zhang n was a person who hadprehended the Time Quintessence and sessfully achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage based on it. There was no doubt that he was a powerful individual, but he still came nowhere close inparison to the Worlds Teacher. Harboring doubts in his heart, Zhang Xuan moved on to the other stone tablets. After being driven away to the otherworldly battlefield, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was indignant and craved vengeance. Thus, they summoned a deity in hopes of turning the tables, but the deity was instead captured by Kong shi. Watching up to this point, Zhang Xuans breathing hastened a little. His goal here was to uncover the encounter that Kong shi had with the captured deity, and the answer was right before him! Kong shi took the deity away from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the safest ce on the Master Teacher Continent, and brought him to a rather remote location. This remote location was a barrennd, and the spiritual energy was thin. There were no decent buildings or cities to be seen. There was a sudden jump in the story. It was hard to tell whether the deity had been killed or something, but he vanished without a trace. At the same time, Kong shi seemed to have sustained some injuries, so he chose to stop by the area temporarily to recuperate. On the veryst tablet, it was detailed that Kong shi entered a mini world. If his deduction was correct, this mini world referred to the Kunxu Domain where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers resided. Kunxu Domain... Could it be that... Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the remote location where Kong shi had taken the deity to, and his eyebrows suddenly started twitching. He actually recognized this remote location... It was none other than the current Tianxuan Kingdom! Chapter 1888 - Meeting Ancient Sage Yan Qing Once More

Chapter 1888: Meeting Ancient Sage Yan Qing Once More

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Could it be that the Kunxu Domain wasnt created by Kong shi? Zhang Xuan pondered. He had known prior toing here that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had departed from the Master Teacher Continent to reside in a mini world that Kong shi had created. This was also why he had not been surprised when he saw the Kunxu Domain after breaking the seal. However, the stone tablet right before him was telling him that this was not the case. This mini world seemed to have existed since time immemorial. It was not one of Kong shis creations. The records of Kong shi also stopped here. Could it be that the Kunxu Domain had some links with the Azure? With a deep frown, Zhang Xuan proceeded ahead. Beyond the corridor of floating stone tablets was a majestic hall with walls filled with murals. Those murals depicted the contributions made by the generations of experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers after entering this mini world. Just as he had guessed, the Greensprout Wheat had indeed been nurtured by an Ancient Sage, but it was not by Ancient Sage Zi Chi as he had previously guessed. Instead, it had beenpleted by one of his descendants. It had taken tens of thousands of years of careful modifications before it was refined into a miraculous crop, allowing even non-cultivators to reach the level of Zongshi realm upon maturity. Of course, its effects did not stop just there. Through the enhancements of their constitution, it also allowed cultivators to advance through the ranks faster than usual. Browsing through the murals, Zhang Xuan felt even more confused. There were no more records regarding Kong shi from that point onward. It was as if Kong shi hadpletely disappeared from the world, such that there was no more news regarding him. He walked to the very end and circled the area once more, but there was nothing to be seen. He could not help but sigh helplessly. It seemed like he had reached a bottleneck in his investigations. Shaking his head, he was just about to leave the Sage Ancestral Hall to investigate the other locations of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism when he suddenly noticed something and flitted to a corner of the room. At the same time, he swiftly set up over a dozen seals on him, causing all traces of his presence to fade into obscurity. Hu! Barely a second after he had hidden himself, the sound of footsteps echoed in the air. Several people were making their way into the Sage Ancestral Hall. Zhang Xuan secretly peered over from his hiding spot. The person standing at the forefront of the group was surprisingly a familiar face... Ancient Sage Yan Qing! The group that was following behind him also struck a chord in his memories. They had participated in the encirclement of Sovereign Chen Yong back at the Temple of Confucius. With his current strength and grasp of spatialws, as long as he did not intentionally release his aura ormunicate with anyone, he was able topletely conceal his presence even from Ancient Sages. They dont seem to be doing too well... When Zhang Xuan first met them back at the Temple of Confucius, they had emanated the invible airs of an Ancient Sage,manding an aura that forced others to bow to their authority. However, at this very moment, they felt like a great tree that was swiftly withering away. Be it their appearance or the aura that they were emanating, it felt as if strength and vitality were swiftly seeping away from them. This was something that he had felt from Zhang Hongtian back then when his lifespan reached its limits. I wonder whats wrong... Zhang Xuan looked on contemtively. It was true that the battle against Sovereign Chen Yong was intense, and many of them had sustained significant injuries throughout the course of the battle. However, their conditions were nowhere as severe as Zhang Hongtians, and they should have been able to recover to their peak with sufficient time. Given so, how did theynd themselves in their current state within a short few months? This was especially so for Ancient Sage Yan Qing. His face reflected infirmity, the vigorous spirit in his eyes had dimmed out, and his movements were slightly stiff. It was almost as if he was about to meet his end. Cough cough! Just as Zhang Xuan was trying to figure out what was going on, coughs echoed in the air, and fresh blood seeped from the corners of Ancient Sage Yan Qings lips. Yan Qing... An Ancient Sage behind him looked over worriedly. I can still hold on... Ancient Sage Yan Qing raised his hand and replied feebly. Gathering thest bit of his strength left, he turned around and said, Lets begin after paying our respects. Are you certain that you want to do this? Theres no other choice. This is the mission entrusted to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. We cant shirk from our responsibility, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied with an unreadable look on his face. Shaking his head, he walked up to Kong shis sculpture and kneeled down. The other Ancient Sages quickly followed suit. To the venerated Worlds Teacher, I am the 73rd generation of offspring of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Yan Qing. I have heeded your teachings and held steadfast in my duties over the years. There has not been a day since when I have cked. With the appearance of the Temple of Confucius, I know that we are reaching the breaking point that our predecessors warned us about, and its time for us to do our part for the world. We are willing to offer our lives to the world, so if you are able to hear our prayers from above, I implore you to look after our ns after we are gone! The words spoken by Ancient Sage Yan Qing was solemn, as if he was prepared to meet his end. Kong shis sculpture simply stood silently on the spot, leaving a deafening silence in the air. After praying, the group got to their feet. Somehow, Ancient Sage Yan Qing looked a little feebler than before as he said, Lets go. Un. Helplessness was reflected in the eyes of those high and mighty Ancient Sages, but they chose not to say a word at all as they followed quietly behind Ancient Sage Yan Qing. Breaking point? Offer their lives? Shortly after the Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers took their leave, Zhang Xuan removed the seals around him as he lowered his head contemtively. Under normal circumstances, those Ancient Sages should have returned to hibernation, so why did they suddenly pay a visit to this Sage Ancestral Hall and speak such words? Furthermore, what was with the injuries inflicted on their bodies? Thest thing he heard about them was that they were busy repairing the Temple of Confucius. Were there some dangers involved in the repairs of the Temple of Confucius? Harboring deep bewilderment in his heart, Zhang Xuan quickly followed them out. Dragonbone Divine Spear, I need you to conceal my aura for me. The Dragonbone Divine Spear swiftly warped into a belt, which wrapped itself around Zhang Xuans body. In the blink of an eye, it looked as if Zhang Xuan had contracted a fair bit. Not even the slightest hint of aura could be felt from him, such that even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would be unable to sense his presence. Even though Zhang Xuans current fighting prowess wasparable to Blood Reincarnation realm experts, he still had not taken thest step to achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. As such, his control over his powers was a littlecking. Withoutyers andyers of barriers, he was not confident in keeping his aura sufficiently under wraps to track the most powerful experts on the Master Teacher Continent without rming them. On the other hand, the Dragonbone Divine Spear had devoured the dragon blood and was only a step away from achieving a full breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm. In terms of prowess, it was even stronger than Ancient Sage Yan Qing. With its help, it was unlikely that those Ancient Sages would be able to notice him. After leaving the Sage Ancestral Hall, Zhang Xuan saw Ancient Sage Yan Qing leaping into the sky and tearing open space to travel somewhere else. Zhang Xuan quickly followed behind them. Some timeter, they arrived at an elevated tform amid a remote mountain range. The sky above waspletely empty. There were no clouds nor even any hint of blueness to be seen. It was an empty void. The flow of space in here is extremely fast! Zhang Xuan noted. To the untrained eye, this ce seemed to be extremely peaceful. However, as someone who had grasped the Spatial Quintessence, he could sense that this space was flowing extremely quickly, resulting in massive changes every passing second. It felt as if the entire area would copse soon under the strain. That was not all. Beyond the void, there was a blood-curdling sensation that seemed to faze ones soul directly. Lets begin! Ancient Sage Yan Qing urged after getting into position. Nodding in agreement, the group of Ancient Sages began to drive their zhenqi. However, they were disrupted by a sudden gale. Two silhouettes were swiftly making their way over. Noting the presence of the two uninvited guests, the Ancient Sages quickly halted their actions and turned to look. Naturally, Zhang Xuan did the same. Hu! The two guestsnded on the ground. The first person was a youngdy that appeared to be in her early twenties. She had a slender figure and pitch-ck hair that extended down to his waist, and she gave out a delicate impression. Her eyes carried deep anxiety that reflected her trepidation toward what was about toe. There was a green-robed young man in his early twenties as well standing behind her. Zhang Xuan happened to know him. He was one of the offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers who had fought with him over the Prime Amulet back in Ancient Sage Ran Qius ancient domain, Yan Xue! What are you two doing here? Ancient Sage Yang Qing asked with a livid look on his face upon seeing the two of them. The youngdy took a step forward and said with conviction, As a descendant of Kong shi, how can I possibly remain uninvolved when such a matter has happened? A descendant of Kong shi? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. Is she Kong Shiyao? Chapter 1889 - Yan Hui’s Corpse

Chapter 1889: Yan Huis Corpse

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had heard far too many people raising the name Kong Shiyao before him. She was rumored to be the strongest expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, possessing superior talents in cultivation. It was said that she did not pale inparison to him. There was a time when he had thought that Luo Ruoxins true identity was Kong Shiyao, but his deductions had fallen through. Seeing the person whom he had heard so much about in the flesh, he could not help but take a closer look to assess her closely. It had to be said that the rumors were notpletely unfounded. Not only was she blessed with impable looks, she also emanated an ethereal aura reminiscent of a deity. It was hard to pull ones gaze away from her. Luo Ruoxin carried a lofty aura that pushed others away from her, making her hard to approach. On the other hand, Kong Shiyao carried an aura that induced others to trust and submit to her, the aura of a natural leader. Many would willinglyy down their lives for her under hermand. Formidable master teachers are able to draw the gazes of others with just their presence. This is the first time I have seen someone who is able to bring this quality out to such an extent. It seems like Kong Shiyao has truly inherited Kong shis bloodline, Zhang Xuan thought. Kong shis lineage was truly extraordinary. In terms of cultivation, Kong Shiyao was at Sempiternal realm consummation as well, the same as him. She had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage yet, but the aura in her body felt condensed and heavy. Most likely, her fighting prowess exceeded that of ordinary Ancient Sages. This was really the first time that Zhang Xuan had seen someone whose talents were at a level simr to his. Since you are aware that you are a descendant of Kong shi, you should also know of the responsibilities that you have to shoulder. We can afford to lose our lives, but you have to remain alive regardless of what it takes! The descendants of Kong shi dont fear death! Kong Shiyao replied in determination. I carry the purest bloodline of Kong shi within me, so Im the best candidate to stabilize the space here. Theres no point arguing about this matter! Seeing that Kong Shiyaos mind was set, Ancient Sage Yan Qing was silent for a moment before sighing deeply. Shiyao, you are still young, and theres a long way ahead of you. I am just a pile of old bones who is going to reach the limits of his lifespan soon. Theres no need for you to give up your life for this. This matter isnt open for negotiation... As he spoke, he suddenly waved his hand. A sudden outburst of energy shrouded Kong Shiyao and sealed her on the spot, rendering her unable to move. Ancient Sage Yan Qing! Not expecting Ancient Sage Yan Qing to make such a move, Kong Shiyao eximed in a fluster. A mixture of panic and anxiety welling up in her caused tears to brim in her eyes. But unmoved by Kong Shiyaos expression, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to Yan Xue and sternlymanded, Take care of her well. Even at the expense of your life, you cant allow any harm to fall upon her! Yes! Yan Xue replied resolutely. Ancient Sage Yan Qing closed his eyes for a short moment before looking at the other Ancient Sages and nodding. Lets begin. As he spoke, a decisive and powerful aura gushed forth from his body. With the other Ancient Sages around cooperating with him, they swiftly formed a massive pir of light that surged right into the void. The rumbling of thunder echoed from the void in space, and innumerable powerful surges of energy wed at the rift, seemingly intending to climb their way out to unleash their horrors upon this world. Is this... the Zhenqi of ughter of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Feeling this aura, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a little. He pondered deeply for a moment before shaking his head. No, thats not it. It feels even heavier than the Zhenqi of ughter, almost like mercury. My meridians wouldnt be able to take the burden if I absorbed it... Zhang Xuans face turned even more grim at the realization. The energy beyond the rift was simr to the Zhenqi of ughter, but it took on an even more bizarre form. Even with his current strength, he dared not to absorb it into his body recklessly. Normal spiritual energy was lighter than water, so the meridians were still able to withstand its flow without falling apart. However, the same could not be said about the mercury-like energy above him. While it was also fluid, the chances were that its weight would crush his meridians and destroy his body from within if he dared absorb it. This very energy was raging behind the rift, threatening to pour forth upon the world at any moment. If it poured out of the rift, all of the cultivators of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers could very well explode on the spot once they came into contact with the energy. Whats going on here? Zhang Xuan was horrified. It was as if he was being exposed to apletely different side of the world that he had never seen before! If the seal failed to ward off the energy, it could possibly spell the end of the Kunxu Domain! Stand your ground and fend it off! While Zhang Xuan was still trying to make sense of what was going on, Ancient Sage Yan Qing slowly rose into the air. His hair flew around messily under the furious tug of the air currents. He was serving as the very center of the formation created by the group of Ancient Sages, and he was responsible for channeling their energy toward the void. Thunder growled forbiddingly in the air as the pressure from the void grew heavier and heavier. It was almost as if the sky was going to fall upon them. At the same time, the faces of the Ancient Sages turned more and more severe as their ck hair swiftly turned white. They are putting their life force on the line to seal the rift. It was no wonder they had aged so much within less than three months. It turned out that they had been expending their life force in order to maintain the seal before them. The lightning in the air grew more and more concentrated, as if signifying the rage of the heavens. Ancient Sage Yan Qing bit his finger and flicked his fresh blood toward the depths of the void. Following which, a humongous coffin vaguely emerged from the void. The appearance of the coffin caused the rift to shrink a little, and the mercury-like power that was going to descend upon the world also cowered fearfully in its face. At the same time, the pressure crushing down on the crowd lessened significantly. That coffin... Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. It was already bewildering for there to be a coffin hidden in the midst of the void, but what was even more shocking to Zhang Xuan was the design of the coffin. To his astonishment, it was identical to the one that he had encountered prior to entering the Kunxu Domain, the one that Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse was stored in! That coffin seems to be serving as the crux of the seal, Zhang Xuan swiftly analyzed. This coffin was not made for the sole purpose of containing a corpse; rather, it seemed to be a powerful artifact that was used to sustain the formation sealing away the rifts in the air. It was due to the power of the coffin that the mercury-like power was unable to descend from the heavens and wreak havoc. Most likely, theres an Ancient Sage whose strength is on par with Ancient Sage Ran Qiu within the coffin, Zhang Xuan deduced. The fact that the formation was able to prevent the mercury-like energy from descending evidenced its incredible prowess. Serving as the crux of the formation, there was no way the person within the coffin could be ordinary. The seal at the entrance of Kunxu Domain used Ancient Sage Ran Qius body as its crux, and even the Dimension Shatterer realm Vicious had been unable to break it open. Considering how this formation was even more powerful, it was hard to imagine how powerful the person had been back in his prime. Jiya! The coffin in the sky jolted intensely, and several slight cracks appeared by its sides. Open! Along with the appearance of the cracks, veins popped out on Ancient Sage Yan Qings temples. He swiftly sent a fresh stream of his blood toward the cracks of the coffin in order to further drive its opening. However, due to the severe loss of blood, his face was turning as pale as a sheet of paper. His body trembled uncontrobly from his overexertion, and his skin quickly lost its suppleness, turning loose and wrinkly. It was only an instant, but he looked as if he had aged another ten years. Boom! The cracks on the coffin grewrger andrger under the influx of Ancient Sage Yan Qings blood, and soon enough, there was a massive explosion. Amid floating dust, a towering silhouette emerged from the coffin. Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, there was indeed an Ancient Sage corpse ced inside the coffin. This silhouette was dressed in a flowing long robe, and he had smooth facial features that created a calming appearance. Even though he had been stored in the coffin for tens of thousands of years, his body looked no different from the time of his death. There was no hint of dposition at all. Could this person possibly be... Looking at the corpse and Ancient Sage Yan Qing, a persons name surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and his body stiffened. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan... Yan Hui? Chapter 1890 - Kong Shiyao’s Capabilities

Chapter 1890: Kong Shiyaos Capabilities

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 He had never seen Ancient Sage Zi Yuans sculpture before, but that did not mean that he knew nothing about this renowned Ancient Sage at all. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was renowned for being Kong shis first direct disciple. While his fighting prowess was beneath that of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, his reputation and prestige far exceeded that of the rest of the seventy-two Sages. Putting aside his honorable character and exceptional proficiency in many different fields, he was also the person who had helped Kong shipile the heritages of numerous upations and standardized the ranking system. In contrast to the sharp aura that Ancient Sage Ran Qiumanded, the corpse before him seemed to emanate an aura more like the all-epassing ocean that epted the currents from hundreds of tributaries and assimted them. It was through tapping into this superior strength that the mercury-like energy had not been able to breach the formation to seep into the Master Teacher Continent thus far. Most likely, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was the only one among the seventy-two Sages who was capable of this feat. Besides, the fact that Ancient Sage Yan Qings blood was required to activate the coffin and nourish the corpse made it very apparent who was within it. First Ancient Sage Ran Qius corpse, and now Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse, Zhang Xuan thought as he trembled a little. These two Ancient Sages were figures whose names still resounded across the Master Teacher Continent even after so many years. He had thought that they would have left the Master Teacher Continent together with Kong shi, but who could have known that he would find their corpses there? Tribute! Ancient Sage Yan Qing bellowed deafeningly as his body began to break apart like a smashed ceramic vase. Blood spurted out from his veins and arteries before surging toward the corpse in a steady current. Taking in the blood, the stiffness in the corpse seemed to lessen, making it seem as though it woulde to life at any moment. At the same time, the formation also strengthened significantly. The rifts that had been on the verge of bursting open earlier swiftly stabilized and mended themselves. Ancient Sage Yan Qing originates from Ancient Sage Zi Yuans lineage, so thetters blood flows through his veins. Hes trying to use his blood to augment and sustain Ancient Sage Zi Yuans strength so as to strengthen the formation sealing away the rifts. Zhang Xuan finally understood what was going on. It was no wonder Ancient Sage Yan Qing had spoken of sacrificing himself earlier. The formation hade from his predecessor, and the blood of those from his lineage would be more effective in stabilizing the formation once more. Of course, considering that Kong Shiyao possessed Kong shis bloodline, her blood would likely have an exceptional effect on Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse, perhaps even exceeding that of Ancient Sage Yan Qing. However, considering how valued Kong Shiyao was among the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, there was no way Ancient Sage Yan Qing would allow her to sacrifice herself. It seems like everything is settling down... Under the influx of blood, the seal swiftly stabilized, and the pressure from the void gradually vanished. Ancient Sage Yan Qing heaved a sigh of relief. The current him had expended most of his blood; he had already struck his limit. It was only a matter of time before thest bit of vitality in his body dried up, and he woulde crashing back down to the ground as a lifeless corpse. Realizing this reality, Kong Shiyao pounded desperately on the seal that had trapped her with tears in her eyes. However, with her strength, she waspletely powerless to change anything. At the same time, Yan Xue turned his head away and averted his gaze, not wanting to see the downfall of the man whom he had respected his entire life. Hong long long! It was at this moment that things started going awry. As the formation grew stronger and stronger under the influx of Ancient Sage Yan Qings blood, it looked as if the sealing would bepleted very soon. However, at that crucial moment, a massive hand suddenly pushed its way through the mending rift. This sight was simr to the descent of the deity, which he had witnessed previously during the fight against Sovereign Chen Ling. Hu! The hand flicked its wrist lightly, and Ancient Sage Yan Qing was suddenly mmed into the ground, halting the transfusion of blood. Pu! Pu! Pu! At the same time, the Ancient Sages who were supplying Ancient Sage Yan Qing with their strength spurted blood under the bacsh and copsed to the ground as well. A Dimension Shatterer realm expert... Zhang Xuans face darkened. The owner of this hand was clearly stronger than the deity whom he had killed with his golden page back then. Even without an altar on their side to establish a connection, he was able to breach the dimension barrier and tear open a passageway with brute force. Could it be that the void was the passageway to the Azure that he had been looking for all along? With such doubts in his mind, the hand in the sky began thrashing around, causing the reinforced formation to weaken, such that it was beginning to falter. We need to stop him! Caught off guard by the abrupt turn of events, Ancient Sage Yan Qing roared anxiously as he swiftly kicked off into the air. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a saber in his hand down upon the thrashing hand. He knew that if he wanted to sustain the formation, it would be of paramount importance to sever the hand, or else anything they did would be swiftly unraveled by it. Humph! Sensing Ancient Sage Yan Qings aggression, the owner of the hand opened up his palm and pinched his fingers together lightly. The saber from Ancient Sage Yan Qing was caught precisely in between his fingers. As if a pair of unyielding pincers, no matter how Ancient Sage Yan Qing tugged, he was unable to retrieve his saber. We need to move together! Knowing the severity of the matter, the other Ancient Sages quickly flitted forth. With theirbined might, many rifts swiftly formed around the already unstable space in the area. Several bundles of ck mes descended from the void, raising an inferno around the area. Yan Xue, release me! Otherwise, all of us will die here! Kong Shiyao yelled out desperately at the young man beside her. I... Yan Xues face warped in hesitation as he struggled with the conflict in his mind. What are you hesitating over? Hesitate any longer and our tens of thousands of years of heritage will be destroyed! Kong Shiyao roared wrathfully upon seeing that Yan Xue was still hesitating. Alright! Knowing how dangerous the situation was, Yan Xue quickly tapped his finger on the seal trapping Kong Shiyao and released it. While Yan Xues cultivation was only at Sempiternal realm consummation, he shared the same power origin as Ancient Sage Yan Qing, so it was much easier to unravel it. It did not take long for the seal around Kong Shiyao to dissipate entirely. Humph! With a ferocious cry, Kong Shiyaos eyebrows shot up as incredible energy swiftly built up within her. With a leap, she rose into the sky and whipped out a sword. Pointing the sword toward the hand, she brandished it with lightning speed. Remarkable! Zhang Xuan nodded as he took this scene into sight. Just as he had thought, Kong Shiyaos fighting prowess was formidable despite her young age. Just like him, her strength had also reached the Blood Reincarnation realm. The sword that she wielded in her hand was extremely powerful, too. It was stronger than the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and in Kong Shiyaos grasp, it brought forth a mightparable to Blood Reincarnation realm consummation cultivators. Ding ding ding! Despite that, her sword qi only caused numerous sparks to rub off the hand. Nevertheless, she still continued to sh her sword relentlessly at the hand. Persistent cockroach! Seeing that a small fry from a lower dimension actually dared make a move against him, the owner of the hand bellowed angrily as he flicked his finger. Peng! Kong Shiyao was knocked back by an incredible force, causing her back to crash heavily against the ground. Blood seeped down from the corners of her lips. There was simply too huge a gap between the Blood Reincarnation realm and the Dimension Shatterer realm. Back then, even when Zhang Xuan coordinated with multiple Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages, he had been no match for the deity summoned by Sovereign Chen Ling. Si! After flicking Kong Shiyao back, the hand proceeded to flick its finger, creating a shockwave that kept Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others at bay. With a piercing cry, the rift in the unstable space widened as yet another hand passed through it. Following which, a head came through as well. Just like the deity from before, this person was nning to make a forceful descent onto the Master Teacher Continent! Chapter 1891 - Word of Law

Chapter 1891: Word of Law

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Boom! Along with the emergence of the head, the mercury-like power began to seep through the rift and diffuse into the surroundings. In response, Zhang Xuan hurriedly sealed his acupoints, not daring to absorb any of it at all. Simr to the Zhenqi of ughter, this mercury-like energy was a special type of energy that could potentially crush ones meridians, causing ones cultivation to fall sharply or even put one in severe danger. We need to kill him right now! Seeing that the deity had managed to push his head through the rift, theplexions of Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others darkened. With a furious roar, they swiftly charged toward the figure climbing out from the void. All kinds of energy sweeping around the area caused the formation to shake nonstop. Piece after piece of space crumbled to the ground. With just a flick of his finger, the deity fended off everyones attack. At the same time, he used his other hand to push himself out from the rift, and it did not take long for his entire shoulder toe into appearance. It was as if he was dealing with mere ants. Despite having to fend off the simultaneous assault of numerous Ancient Sages, he had strength spare to push himself through the dimension barrier. From that alone, it was certain that the deity was much stronger that fellow whom he had killed with the golden page. We wont be able to stop him at this rate! Kong Shiyao spat through gritted teeth. She had alreadyunched several hundred shes, such that her zhenqi was on the verge of drying up, but she was unable to inflict any damage at all. Grinding her teeth, she turned to Ancient Sage Yan Qing and said in a resounding voice, Dont waste your strength on attacking anymore. Use your strength to pull Ancient Sage Zi Yuans body here instead! This... As if having figured out what Kong Shiyao was going to do, Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head instinctively. Ancient Sage Yan Qing, theres no other way around it. If we waste any more time, well all lose our lives here! Kong Shiyao berated. If that fellow climbed through the dimension barrier and descended to their world, they would all be ughtered. At the same time, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would face a cmity of unprecedented proportions... and it would not be long before the devastation spread to the Master Teacher Continent! If they wished to ovee the current crisis, they needed the resolve to put their lives on the line! But... you are the only one among Kong shis offspring to have a bloodline purity of over 8. You are the future of our Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Ancient Sage Yan Qing said anxiously. If Kong Shiyao did what she was thinking of, there was a good chance that she would lose her life! He was already old, so his death was inconsequential to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. However, the youngdy was the descendant who had inherited the purest bloodline of Kong shi in the past millennium. Furthermore, she had ovee three Ancient Sage Ordeals to date. As long as she was given sufficient time, there was a good chance that she would be the first cultivator to reach the Dimension Shatterer realm since Kong shis era. If he allowed her to die, he would not be able to face his predecessors even after his death! If that fellow seeds, all of us will lose our lives here! What use will the purity of my bloodline be after all of us are dead? Kong Shiyao eximed. She took a deep breath before spurting out a mouthful of blood. Boom! As soon as she spat out the mouthful of blood, it immediately burst into mes in the air. In an instant, it seemed as if the surrounding time had been halted. Even the deity who was climbing out from the rift came to a halt. It was as if someone had struck the stop button. After spurting out the mouthful of blood, Kong Shiyaos face grew significantly paler. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she looked at the coffin floating not too far away andmanded, Come here. Weng! Hearing the order, the coffin slowly made its way over to Kong Shiyao amid a light rumbling sound. This is... Impartation of Heavens Will? Zhang Xuan was surprised. This was the ability that Kong Shiyao had activated through her bloodline. All along, he had been wondering what the bloodline ability of those of Kong shis lineage was, but who would have thought that it was Impartation of Heavens Will? Was this not a little too simple? Compared to the Zhang ns time eleration and the Luo ns spatial seal, was Impartation of Heavens Will not a little toockluster inparison? This did not seem to match up to Kong shis incredible strength. This isnt right... Zhang Xuan frowned as he activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look. What he saw made his heart jolt in astonishment. This isnt Impartation of Heavens Will but... Impartation of Heavens Will required one to impart knowledge that was acknowledged by the heavens in order to induce cultivators to heed theirmands. While the Heart of Teacherprehended by Zhang Xuan allowed him tomand nts and artifacts too, these beings needed to possess spirit or be enchanted with one. To put it in other words, Impartation of Heavens Will only worked on those who possessed spirit and were able to cultivate, and it required one to lecture on a cultivation technique that was suited for that individuals cultivation. It was easier said than done. For example, if Zhang Xuan wanted to influence someone through Impartation of Heavens Will, his Soul Depth would have to exceed the other partys, and the content of his lecture needed to spark inspiration in the other party. As formidable as Kong Shiyao seemed, her true cultivation was only at Sempiternal realm consummation. Even if her Soul Depth had reached the level of an Ancient Sage, it still should not have been possible for her to make a lifeless coffin and corpse to heed her orders. This is... Word of Law! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Word of Law was an ability that turned ones diction intows of the world,pelling the elements of the world to obey onesmand. On the surface, it might seem simr to Impartation of Heavens Will, but it was much more terrifying than that. Before the Word of Law, all temporalws and spatialws meant nothing at all. Even if he activated the Zhang ns bloodline, all the youngdy had to do was to utter the word Stop, and his movements woulde to aplete halt. This was not a maniption of time or space but the very elements of the world! The act of stopping would be a neww of the world, forcing one to abide by it. This was how terrifying the ability was! To think that this was the ability that Kong shi hadprehended during his breakthrough to Ancient Sage. It was no wonder he had boasted such incredible strength! Hong long! Meanwhile, Kong Shiyao flew over to the coffin and opened it. Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse swiftly flew out and floated in the air. Even though his eyes were tightly shut, the pulsations of energy that wereing from him made it seem as though he was alive. Pu! After doing all of this, Kong Shiyao spurted another mouthful of blood as her face turned even paler. Her body shuddered a little as it seemed to reach its limits. As powerful as the Word of Law was, her cultivation was still too low. Forcefully activating Ancient Sage Zi Yuans body had caused too heavy a toll on her, damaging her foundations. Sighing deeply, Ancient Sage Yan Qingmanded, Allow me! Boom! An incredible amount of blood gushed out from his body to surge into Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse. This caused the aura that Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse was emanating to swiftly grow stronger. Do you think that you can defeat me with a mere corpse? I really should snap you out of your daydreams! the deity sneered coldly as he thrust his palm downward. At that moment, his chest had also been pushed out through the dimension barrier as well. It seemed like it would not be long before hepletely descended upon this world. The palm strike caused the surrounding space to swiftlypress together, forming something reminiscent of a ck hole. Get him! With a ferocious cry, the remaining Ancient Sages rushed forward to meet the deitys palm. H! The incredible pressure sent shockwaves rippling into the surroundings. Before the Ancient Sages could react, their flesh had already been vaporized clean, leaving behind mere skeletons. Even so, they did not back down. They stood firmly in the air to stop the palm fromnding on Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others. Chapter 1892 - He’s Here!

Chapter 1892: Hes Here!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Peng peng peng! The Ancient Sages plopped heavily onto the ground, forming numerous craters on the elevated tform. Given their current cultivation, they would not die instantly even after they were reduced to bones. However, they had hibernated for far too long, and they had not fully recovered from the wounds that they had sustained during the encirclement of Sovereign Chen Yong. If they did not receive sufficient Aeon of Ancient Sage to replenish their vitality, their lifespan would swiftly dwindle, and they would die without doubt. In other words, they were really putting their lives on the line to stand against the deity! I cant allow those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to die here... Zhang Xuan had not made a move thus far because his multiple unpleasant encounters with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in the past, and he had thought that they would be able to handle the situation by themselves. He had worried that his sudden intervention would only worsen the situation as the other Ancient Sages were bound to be wary of him. However, things were swiftly moving in the worst direction possible. He could not simply watch and leave those Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to die. While he found their actions questionable, there was no doubt that they were protecting mankind in their own way, and they had made huge sacrifices for it. He could not simply watch as they lost their lives. Driving his energy, as he was just about to charge forth silently to inflict a fatal blow on the deity, Kong Shiyao suddenly spurted another mouthful of blood beforemanding, Stabilize and push him back! Weng! Following her words, the rifts in the sky began to heal simultaneously as the space swiftly stabilized. At the same time, the deity whose waist was already out of the dimension barrier suddenly retreated hurriedly under themand, moving back to his shoulder. It was only unfortunate that her cultivation was simply too lowpared to the deitys. Even after using her bloodline ability, she was still unable to push the deity back to the Azure once and for all. Its indeed his bloodline! Wonderful... This is truly superb! With this, the n head will surely ept me as his direct disciple and grant me endless resources! Even though he was nearly expelled from the world, the deity did not show the slightest hint of fear toward Kong Shiyaos technique. Instead, his eyes glowed with frenzied excitement. At that moment, the corpse of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan also seemed to have absorbed sufficient blood and slowly rose out of the coffin. With clenched fists, he sent a punch right toward the deity climbing out from the rift. Boom! This fist waspletely devoid of any elegance or mboyance, but the might it carried was astonishing, reaching the level of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator. Heh! In face of this devastating might, the deity did not show any trepidation. Instead, with a cold sneer, he ced his hands together. Si! The formation sustained by Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse was forcefully ripped apart, causing the mercury-like energy to surge into the world. Under the sheer weight of the energy, Ancient Sage Yan Qing was crushed into the ground. As if there was a mountain weighing down on him, he was unable to move at all. The others were not faring too well either. As Kong Shiyao had activated her bloodline ability, she was still able to somewhat hold her ground. On the other hand, Yan Xues face paled as his skin swiftly ripped apart under the pressure, revealing his crimson flesh underneath. Zhang Xuan was also affected by the mercury-like energy too, but it was not too severe for him. He was the strongest among the Ancient Sages present, and he had sealed his acupoints beforehand to prevent any of that energy from getting into his body, so the damage that he sustained ended up being the least of all. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The deity fought with Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse, but with each blow executed, the strength that the corpsemanded dwindled. On the other hand, with the mercury-like energy suffusing the area, the deity seemed to be growing stronger by the moment. By the eighth blow, there was a resounding explosion as the corpse was sent flying back into the coffin. Bloodline Ignition! With crimson eyes, Kong Shiyao roared wrathfully as she began igniting her bloodline once more. But this time around, before she could finish her move, the deity sneered coldly, Save your effort on this futile struggle. Just because I need you alive doesnt mean that Ill overlook your insolence! Following which, another palm strike descended from the rift. Pu! Kong Shiyaos body immediately plummeted from the sky from the impact. Bearing the risk of his meridians ripping apart, Yan Xue forcefully drove his zhenqi to catch her. Hahaha! After knocking back Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse and striking down Kong Shiyao, the deityughed heartily as he finally pushed himself out of the rift and floated in the air with his hands crossed triumphantly before his chest. The reason he had been troubled climbing out of the dimension barrier earlier was due to the formation obstructing his path. However, with the formation swiftly crumbling under the influx of the mercury-like energy, there was no longer anything that could stop him. I was curious as to what kind of environment could give birth to such an overpowered individual, but I must say that Im very disappointed by what Im seeing here! the deity sneered coldly as he reached out to grab Kong Shiyao. rmed, Yan Xue rushed forward to pull Kong Shiyao back, but he was sent flying with a simple flick of a finger. He crashed onto the ground, and the bones in his body shattered from the impact. Youreing with me! the deitymanded. H! He wrapped Kong Shiyao with a membrane of energy, trapping her. No! Seeing how the only descendant of Kong shi to possess a bloodline purity of 8 over the past thousand years getting captured, everyones eyes widened in horror. But with the huge disparity of power between them and the enemy, there was nothing they could do. They had already tried everything that was at their disposal, but it was futile. Is the Kunxu Domain that Kong shi created going to be destroyed in my generation? How could I allow this to happen? Ancient Sage Yan Qing trembled intensely as he shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to ept reality. Back then, even though Kong shi had spared the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe out of magnanimity, he had been convinced that mankind would only grow stronger with time and that they would be able to ovee any threats that came their way. However, not even the great Kong shi had expected the Aeon of Ancient Sage to suddenly vanish from the world. This phenomenon had turned the tables around, and all of a sudden, mankind had been put in a precarious position once more. Even though they had sessfully curbed the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind was still unable to return to its golden era. Had it been before the emergence of the Temple of Confucius, there would have been no way anyone would have been able to bypass the dimension barrier. However, with the destruction of the Temple of Confucius, the formation sealing the dimension barrier was growing weaker with each passing moment. Even if they expended all of their lifespans right now to augment the barrier, it would bring them nothing more than temporary relief. Would things have been any different if that man was there? At this moment, Ancient Sage Yan Qing could not help but think of the Celestial Master Teacher known as Zhang Xuan. That fellow might have been young, but he had produced miracles time and time again. Based on what he knew, that fellow had managed to kill a deity that Sovereign Chen Ling had summoned a deity through a ritual... If that fellow was with them, would he have been able to kill the deity before them? Would he have been able to save the Hundred Schools of Philosophers from the impending crisis that was lying just ahead of them? These are all futile thoughts. He isnt here, and our rtionship with him is poor... Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head helplessly. Putting aside that there was no way outsiders would be able to get in there, even if that man was there, it was likely that he would be reluctant to help them. While they shared themon goal of freeing mankind from the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, their difference in values had caused several shes between one another, resulting in the deterioration of their rtions. Even if I lose my life today, I have to save Kong Shiyao at any cost. Shes the hope of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so nothing bad cane to her! Knowing that it was meaningless to think about all that, Ancient Sage Yan Qing gathered the final dregs of his strength, hoping tounch a decisive attack that would at least buy Kong Shiyao some time to make her escape. But at this moment, a cold glint suddenly shed through the air. As swift as lightning, it darted right toward the deitys throat. This... Taken aback by the sudden emergence of such an expert, Ancient Sage Yan Qing was taken aback. He hurriedly took a closer look, and a lofty figure appeared in his sight. It was a sight that he would never be able to erase from his mind. Its Zhang Xuan! Hes here! Chapter 1893 - Borrowing a Sword

Chapter 1893: Borrowing a Sword

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Ancient Sage Yan Qing had thought that they were goners, but against all odds, the person whom they had aplicated rtionship with, Zhang Xuan, suddenly appeared at this moment and charged toward the deity without any hesitation. Looking at the splendid spearmanship that he might never be able to reach in his lifetime, Ancient Sage Yan Qing sighed deeply in embarrassment. I guess hes a greater master teacher than Ill ever be. For mankind, personal grudges are nothing to him at all. I wronged him. For mankind, the other party was willing to bear the criticism of the world and fake his own death so as to sneak into the midst of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and quell the threat. This spoke volumes of his character. How could such a noble person possibly leave them in the lurch when crisis truly hit? While Ancient Sage Yan Qing wasmenting over his own misjudgment, Kong Shiyao and the others were awestruck by Zhang Xuans attack. They were unable to find the words to describe how powerful that spear thrust was. It was perfectly aligned with nature, making the movements feel extremely smooth. In that instant, their pain and frailty seemed to have disappeared from their minds. The only thing that their attention was on was the beauty of the spear. The deity floating in the air was stunned as well. He did not think that there would be such a powerful adversary in this lower dimension. In his moment of hesitation, the spear had already arrived before his throat. Puhe! Fresh blood sttered as the spear pierced through his skin. However, barely after entering an inch, it was as if he had struck a metal te. No matter how hard Zhang Xuan pushed, he was unable to thrust his spear any deeper. I never would have thought that this scarce environment could give birth to an expert of your caliber. Not bad. Not bad at all. Ill take you along with me too... With a cold sneer, the deity grabbed the spear that was in his throat. In response, Zhang Xuan swiftly flicked the spear, and it warped into a massive ck dragon that wrapped itself tightly around the deitys body. Taken aback by this move, the deity was stunned for an instant before fury filled his mind. How could he, an expert from the Azure, possibly be trapped by a mere being from a lower dimension? This was an insult to him! Youre asking for it! His muscles bulged out as he exerted his might in both of his arms. He was intending to crush the ck dragon when a massive brick suddenly fell down from the sky and smacked him right in the face. Peng! Previously, Zhang Xuan had forged the Golden Origin Cauldron into a Sempiternal realm consummation artifact. Over the past month in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had allowed it to absorb the Aeon of Ancient Sage inside the painting, and it did not take long before it managed to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage realm. While it was still miles away from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm, with its astounding weight and remarkably resilient material, it was still able to inflict some damage to the deity through a direct hit on his head. The direct hit rendered the deity momentarily dazed as a ringing sound persisted in his ear. Just as the deity was going to blow his top, the brick suddenly spoke up. Let me just rify this in advance. I am not a brick but a cauldron. What struck your face was my bottom! Following which, the Golden Origin Cauldron did not forget to wiggle its bottom on the other partys face to emphasize its point. Kong Shiyao and the others were stunned by what they had just seen. Why would such a powerful expert have such an underhanded and seemingly lewd artifact? Furthermore, that fellow actually said that it was a cauldron... The heck, do you even know what a cauldron is? You are obviously a brick! Theres not a single part to you that looks like a cauldron at all! Or are we getting behind times? AHHH! Feeling the cauldron rubbing its bottom on his face, the deity went berserk. Scram! Boom! A powerful shockwave burst forth from the deity, causing the Golden Origin Cauldron and the Dragonbone Divine Spear to be sent flying. Thetter swiftly warped back into a spear before returning to Zhang Xuans grasp. Dong! The furious deitynded a fist on the Golden Origin Cauldrons body. My bottom! the Golden Origin Cauldron yelped as it spun anxiously on the ground, as if trying to reshape its dented bottom. You b*stard. Ive changed my mind; Im going to ughter you! The face of the deity twitched a little as he red at Zhang Xuan. Without any hesitation, he lifted his palm and thrust it down upon thetter. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan quickly activated the Zhang ns bloodline and flitted several hundred meters away in an instant. Then, he brandished his spear and charged toward the deity once more. Time Quintessence? Seeing how the young man seemingly teleported away to dodge his attack, the deity harrumphed disdainfully. He raised his hand with the intention to wrap the young man in his energy so as to seal his movements, but nging sounds suddenly echoed in the air above at that moment. Raising his head, he could not help but narrow his eyes in rm. At some point, countless weapons had filled the sky, be it swords, sabers, hammers, spears... All in all, there were several hundred of them. Hu! Those weapons immediately descended tounch a flurry of attacks on the deity. Do you think that these trash weapons can hurt me? the deity scoffed in disdain. With a mere nce, he was able to tell that those weapons were all Great Sage artifacts. Not a single one of them had reached Ancient Sage. Putting aside defeating him, none of these weapons would even be able to pierce his skin! Well, Im not banking on them hurting you either, Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. He had gathered those weapons from the Otherworldly Demons that he had killed back at the Temple of Confucius. ced on the market, they were artifacts that were highly sought after by other cultivators, but they were insufficient to harm ordinary Ancient Sages, let alone those who were at the Dimension Shatterer realm. You arent banking on them? The deity was slightly taken aback. He was unable to figure out what Zhang Xuans intentions were. At this moment, the deity suddenly felt a coldness beneath him once more. Lowering his head, he saw the spear from earlier warping into a ck dragon once more to trap him tightly, sealing his movements for a moment. You... the deity bellowed with gritted teeth. In the end, the attack from all of those weapons was just a distraction for the spear to trap him once more! But so what? Even if they had him trapped temporarily, there was nothing that they could do to him. As long as he exerted his full strength, he would be able to swiftly break free from his restraints. It would be interesting to see how many times this ck dragon could do this before it was broken into pieces. While the spear had been tempered many times, its cultivation was still far beneath his. Each time it was jolted away, it would sustain significant damage. With his eye of discernment, he could tell that the spear could only do this for another five times at the very most! Just as he was about to knock the spear away once more, the young man suddenly lowered his head and said, You are Kong Shiyao, right? Lend me your sword. My sword? Kong Shiyao was stunned. Nevertheless, knowing how urgent the situation was, she did not hesitate to pass her sword over. Knowing that the young man was intending to use her sword in the battle, Kong Shiyao hurriedly said, My sword is a treasure passed down within our Kong n. Those who dont possess our bloodline wont be able to assimte it. If you wish to use it, I can lend you a droplet of my blood... This sword had been forged by one of the best cksmiths in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. The sword had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm consummation, a mere step away from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm. Those who did not possess a sufficiently pure bloodline would not even be able to move the sword. It had taken her nearly three years before she was able to assimte the sword and use a portion of its prowess. If the young man before her wished to use it, he would need to use her blood as a medium to temporarily tame the sword. We dont have time for that now! Zhang Xuan replied as he flicked his wrist powerfully. Weng! A crisp sound echoed by the sword, and the next moment, it bowed down before Zhang Xuan, almost like a loyal, domesticated dog. Y-youve already tamed it? Kong Shiyaos mouth widened in disbelief. Chapter 1894 - He’s Zhang Xuan

Chapter 1894: Hes Zhang Xuan

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With Zhang Xuans capabilities, taming a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation sword was a piece of cake. After assimting the sword, he raised it high in the air and hacked it down upon the trapped deity. Dang! There was a resounding ng as sparks rubbed off the top of the deitys head. Ayer of skin fell to the ground. AHHH! The eyes of the deity turned scarlet with rage. On the other hand, Kong Shiyao widened her eyes as she muttered incredulously, Thats not how you are supposed to use a sword... The greatest strength of a swordy in its swiftness, but that fellow actually used it as a hacking tool instead! Even the best of weapon would eventually spoil under such misuse! Dang dang dang! In a single breath, Zhang Xuan executed over a hundred hacks all on the same spot, causing aceration to appear on the deitys skull. It was so deep that one could almost see his brain. Boom! Overflowing with the rage from being humiliated, the deity released a massive outburst of power once more and sent the Dragonbone Divine Spear flying. He turned to Zhang Xuan, intending to ughter that arrogant young man who daredy his hands on him, when a brick suddenly fell on his face once more. This time, the brick descended upon theceration on his head, causing blood to spurt out like a fountain. The heck! The deity nearly lost his mind. That fellows fighting style was really the epitome of underhandedness and despicableness. We are all top-notch experts. Shouldnt you show some honor in your fighting style? We should be crossing swords valiantly with one another instead of throwing out everything at our disposal as though we are mere ruffians... Your image is crumbling, you know! Infuriated, the deity shook off the brick and turned his gaze once more toward Zhang Xuan, only to see that thetter had fled far away using his bloodline ability. Trembling with rage, the deity turned his sights to Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others and bellowed, Since you wish to y games with me, Ill start by ughtering the lot of them! He needed Kong Shiyao alive for his own purposes, but as for the other Ancient Sages, their lives meant nothing to him at all. Thus, the deity thrust his palm downward, but once again, before his palm could connect, a spear suddenly stood in its path and halted its movements. Zhang Xuan stood right before the deity and wagged his finger provocatively. Preying on the weak, what a formidable person you are. But I guess theres no other choice, considering that theres nothing you can do about me! Hu! With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan sent another barrage of weapons flying toward the deity. What cheap taunts! But very well, I shall start with you then! With a cold glint in his eyes, the deity began dashing forth. His movements were not too fast, but every step that he took caused a tremendous pulsation of energy that copsed the space in the surroundings, rendering it impossible for others to traverse across wherever he had been through. He had to admit that his speed wascking inparison to Zhang Xuan, but as long as he shattered the space in the surroundings, thetter would have nowhere to escape to! What a distasteful move! Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He turned to Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others and said, You lot should make use of this opportunity to recuperate and heal up. Ill handle him for the time being! Following which, he began flitting away into the distance once more. On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Xuan was fleeing into the distance once again, the deity nced at Kong Shiyao, intending on making use of this opportunity to capture her once more. However, as if having read his mind, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned around andunched a counterattack. The brick, sword, and spear all flew right toward him, prepared to slip in through the cracks of his defense at any moment to harass him. At the same time, several corpses flew over and exploded right in his face. Finally, the deity reached the limits of his patience and began chasing Zhang Xuan like a crazed dog. As long as that fellow remained alive, it would only be a matter of time before he was driven insane by the other party. It seemed like he would really have to get rid of that fellow first! Boom boom boom! Just like that, the two of them began on a seemingly endless chase. From time to time, the one fleeing would turn around andunch a couple of attacks before fleeing once more, leaving the one chasing more enraged than ever. The battle between the two of them caused the whole of the Kunxu Domain to rattle ceaselessly. ... Peng! Yet another Schstic Master was sent flying. Standing on the spot, Fan Xiaoxu scanned his surroundings with a forlorn look on his face, reminiscent of an expertmenting theck of a rival in the world. Is there anyone else who wants to test my strength? Mi Xuan and the others were the first few who had rushed over to wee the freshmen, so there were still a couple of Schstic Masters who were not there yet. Upon hearing that a powerful freshman had arrived at the academy, they swiftly made their way over, suppressed their cultivation, and challenged the other party to a battle. To their dismay, they found that none of them were able to survive a single blow from the other party! More importantly, Fan Xiaoxu seemed to be further refining his skills over the course of the battle, causing his fighting prowess to swiftly grow. By now, there was no one who could match him in his cultivation realm. In fact... even those a realm stronger than him were no match for him. Theres no need for that. Itll be meaningless to continue the battles at this point... Zhong Qing shook his head and sighed deeply. The result could not have been any clearer. None of them was a match for Fan Xiaoxu. Fan Xiaoxu scanned the crowd around him and asked, Then... who should I choose as my teacher? While he had defeated all of these Schstic Masters, it still did not change the fact that he was only a Saint 9-dan freshman and needed a teacher to guide him around. Im unqualified for the role! I dont think that I have the ability to be your teacher... The defeated crowd lowered their faces in embarrassment. They would have loved more than anything to ept a powerful student as their direct disciple, but considering how they could not even defeat the young man, what right did they have to teach him? Anyone whom Fan Xiaoxuid his eyes on would swiftly avert their gaze awkwardly. Some time passed, but not a single person spoke up. The surroundings were as silent as a graveyard. Expecting such an oue to his words, Fan Xiaoxu finally spoke up with a smile on his face. Actually, I already have a teacher in mind, but Im not sure if I will be able toe under his tutge! Seeing a ray of hope to free themselves from this awkward situation, the Schstic Masters in the area quickly asked, May I know who it is? At this point in time, they would do anything to get out of this terribly ufortable situation! He goes by the name of Zhang Xuan. However, Im not too sure whether that is his real name or not! Fan Xiaoxu replied. Zhang Xuan? Is there anyone in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism who goes by the surname of Zhang? Zhong Qing was startled. Those in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism all came from the lineage of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so how could there be a Zhang around? Nangong Yuanfeng suddenly stepped forward and said, That name sounds rather familiar. I do know of a Zhang Xuan in this world, but Im not sure if we are referring to the same person. While not many in the Kunxu Domain would have heard of Zhang Xuan, that name was practically a household name on the Master Teacher Continent. Hmm? Zhong Qing and Fan Xiaoxu quickly turned their curious gazes over. This man isnt from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Instead, hes a powerful master teacher from the Master Teacher Continent, as well as the head of the Zhang n. The reason we failed to acquire the Celestial Amulets of Legacy back then as per the requirements of our mission was due to his interference! Nangong Yuanfeng said. Ah, that Zhang Xuan? Zhong Qing widened his eyes in realization. The top echelons of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had already heard about the happenings in the Temple of Confucius. Based on the information that they had received, almost everything that they had sought to obtain, be it the Canvas of Four Seasons or the Bodhi Fruit, had ended up getting stolen by him. How did you hear of his name? Zhong Qing stared at the young man before him intently. It was deeply suspicious how Fan Xiaoxu knew of Zhang Xuans name even though he had spent his entire life in the Kunxu Domain. There was likely something deeper to this. I... Fan Xiaoxus body suddenly stiffened as he realized that he had just let something important slip. All along, he had thought that Zhang Xuan was an Ancient Sage of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism or at least someone who was close to the academy. But contrary to his expectations, it turned out that the other party was not even from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! That would exin why the other party had borrowed his identity in order to get in! He had really messed up. Youve never left the Kunxu Domain before, so you shouldnt have known of that name. Does this mean that... Zhang Xuan is currently in the Kunxu Domain? Zhong Qings eyebrows shot up as a bad premonition struck his mind. Considering how Fan Xiaoxu and the others had suddenly grown so much stronger, as well as the fact that they actually knew of Zhang Xuans name, the most logical deduction that he could think of was that the renowned master teacher of the Master Teacher Continent had somehow managed to find his way into the Kunxu Domain! That... Fan Xiaoxu was in a quandary. He had no idea how he should respond in such a situation, but it turned out that he did not have to. A split momentter, a deafening rumbling echoed in the air, and the clear sky began to copse into a void. Everyone hurriedly raised their heads in rm, only to see two figures fighting one another in the air. Each time they shed with one another, a gorge formed in the sky that extended over several li. Lightning rained down so furiously that it seemed as if the world would soon copse under the devastation. Who the hell are you? a person with blood dripping down his head bellowed with gritted teeth. Your grandfather, Zhang Xuan! the other person replied gleefully. Hes Zhang Xuan? Everyone was stunned. Chapter 1895 - I Have a Younger Brother Chapter 1895: I Have a Younger Brother Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Words could not begin to describe how agitated Fan Xiaoxu felt at that very moment. He had guessed that Zhang Xuan was an Ancient Sage, but he did not think that the other party would be that powerful among the Ancient Sages. After all, if the other party was truly that powerful, there should not have been any need for the other party to borrow his identity in order to get into the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. But at that very moment, the sheer might he produced seemed to be too great for even the heavens to contain. It was as if he was a being that had risen above the rules of the world! Peng peng peng! As the two of them crossed blows with one another,cerations emerged one after another in the sky. The folded space containing the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism was ced under huge strain, and it seemed as if the entire folded space would copse at any moment. H-hes Zhang Xuan? You actuallypeted with him back then? Zhong Qing gulped down a mouthful of saliva as he turned to look at Nangong Yuanfeng. Back then, he passed himself off as a member of the Luo n, assuming the name of Luo Tianya. However, based on what I heard afterward, hes indeed Zhang Xuan... Nangong Yuanfeng nodded as he could not help but tremble in the face of Zhang Xuans incredible might. It had at most been just a few months since he hadst seen the young man, right? When in the world did he be so powerful? Not even the great Ancient Sage Yan Qing possessed such tremendous strength! If this was the power that the young man had wielded back then, he could have been killed with just a simple flick of the young mans finger. It seemed like the young man had truly been merciful to him! Si! In his moment of shock, the fighting duo had already torn through the space of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism and vanished from sight. The next moment, the two of them were standing above a vast mountain range. Over there, the examinees who had just cleared the test were trying their best to decipher the formation on the jade tokens that they had been given when a loud rumble suddenly echoed in the sky. They raised their heads, and they were weed with a sight that they would never forget in their entire life. Two experts bathed in lightning were shing intensely with one another. Every strike from them made the entire world tremble. It was almost as if the end of the world had arrived! One of them had a headpletely bathed in crimson blood, and he had a frenzied expression on his face that looked as if he would blow up from all of the rage that he had umted within. On the other hand, the other young man had aposed smile on his lips, and he brandished the sword in his grasp with grace. Are the two of them Ancient Sages? Theres probably no one in the world whomands such tremendous strength other than the Ancient Sages! But why would the two Ancient Sages be fighting with one another? It looks as if they are fighting one another to the death! I dont know either. They might have some grudge with one another... A hugemotion broke out beneath. With fists clenched tightly by their sides, the examinees stared at the majestic battle unfolding before them with envy in their eyes. This was what they had been cultivating all their lives for! From the moment they took the first whiff of spiritual energy into their body and converted it into zhenqi, it had already be their lifelong pursuit to acquire greater strength. The tremendous strength that was right before their eyes could be said to be their terminal goal. It represented the top of the world to them. Dont you dare hurt our teacher! At this moment, two voices reverberated in the air before two youths younger than them rushed into the air. The lightning in the air immediately became even more intense. Astonishingly, the person with his head bathed in blood was able to stand his ground even when faced with three opponents simultaneously. After crossing several blows, the two youths who had just joined the fray were sent crashing to the ground. You arent a match for him, so donte over anymore. Dont worry; leave him to me! Zhang Xuan said. At the same time, he flicked his wrist and leaped into a dimension rift, disappearing from sight. Where do you think youre going? The deity immediately chased after Zhang Xuan, determined not to allow thetter get away. Just like that, the two of them vanished from sight. If not for the countlesscerations in space left in the sky as a result of their fight, they would have thought that everything that they had seen a moment ago was just a dream. ... You said that they are very likely powerful experts? The head of the Stone Vige looked at the vige belle, Xiu Ru, and he shook his head. How could that be possible? If they are really as powerful as youve made them out to be, do you think that its possible for them to maintain such politeness with us and even offer topensate us for the losses in our fields? It was as if the vige belles mind had not been working right ever since she returned from the short journey with those three guests. As soon as she returned, she had gone around telling everyone that the three guests that had been there not too long ago were actually Saint realm experts. Of course, there was no one in the Stone Vige who would believe such ludicrous news. There was no way that a Saint realm expert would be so courteous to them, going to the extent of offering topensate for their losses. Besides, if they were really Saint realm experts, they could have just flown all the way to Fan City! Why would they waste their time riding on Xiu Rus tamed aerial spirit beast? In their view, Saint realm experts were domineering and authoritative. They were beings so far above them that even crossing them would have warranted the death penalty. They simply could not imagine an amiable Saint realm cultivator! Its true. Why wont any of you believe me? I saw them flying in the sky without any external support with my own eyes, and they flew at an incredible speed! Xiu Ru eximed in exasperation. It was so frustrating to see everyone acting as if she was bbering gibberish. She was certain that she had seen the three of them vanishing right before her eyes! While she had found it unbelievable at first, she was convinced that they were definitely Saint realm experts! Had she known that they were Saint realm experts right from the start, she would not have acted so haughtily. Instead, she would have humbly asked for their guidance in her cultivation. I know that you have great ambitions in mind, but Saint realm experts only exist within major ns. People like us will never get a chance to see them at all... The vige head sighed deeply as he tried to console Xiu Ru. But at that very moment, the deafening rumbling of thunder filled the air. Everyone quickly raised their heads, and what came into their sights were two figures shrouded in lightning. They were crossing blows intensely with one another, and every strike they dashed out tore the fabric of space apart, causing dark rifts to appear all around the surroundings. Isnt that young man... Recognizing one of the two figures in the sky, the vigers widened their eyes in shock. It was certain that the young man equipped with a spear fighting in the air was the person whom they had weed into their vige not too long ago! The vige belle had just said that they could very well be Saint realm experts, and they had thought that it was ridiculous. But what they were witnessing had already far exceeded what Saints or even Great Sages could achieve! H-he... He is actually an Ancient Sage! The vige head felt his throat turning dry as he spoke. Even though they were only ordinary vigers who were unqualified to cultivate, they did hear a fair bit about the various cultivation realms and the strength that theymanded. Not even the esteemed Great Sages in the top echelon of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers could summon such tremendous might. The young man in the sky was definitely an Ancient Sage, and a very powerful one at that! I actually journeyed together with an Ancient Sage... But not only did I neglect to learn from him, I even... scorned him? The vige belle, Xiu Ru, nearly burst into tears at the realization. For the longest time, she had desired to acquire higher cultivation techniques to advance her cultivation, but when the opportunity presented itself, she had actually allowed it to slip through her fingers due to her arrogance. Even though she was highly-regarded in the vige, she knew that someone of her caliber would never be able to catch the sight of an Ancient Sage. In an instant, her guts turned green from regret. ... On that very day, almost everyone in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers witnessed the intense fight in the sky between those two top experts, and their silhouettes were imprinted deep in their minds. Even tens of thousands of yearster, the incident would remain an undying legend. Why cant I find anywhere thats empty? Zhang Xuan frowned with a troubled look on his face. He did not run about just to show off his strength; it was just that he was unable to find a sufficiently remote ce to release all of his finishers at once. The world that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers lived in was simply too crowded! He did not like the idea of exposing his trump cards even to his ownrades. Thus, he could only continuously retreat while fending the deity off. Some timeter, they finally arrived at a rtively empty mountain range. Finally... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like effort did pay off in the end. He quickly threw down a bunch of formation gs and sealed the surroundings so as to prevent his aura from leaking out. Oh? You arent going to run anymore? I assume that you have resigned yourself to your fate, the deity scoffed when he saw that the young man was not escaping anymore. He had not been blindly chasing Zhang Xuan around. During his pursuit, he had been able to fully ascertain the extent of Zhang Xuans abilities, and he was confident that he would be able to kill thetter easily as long as thetter stopped running away. Resigned myself to my fate? Arent you jumping too quickly to conclusions? Well, it just happens that I have a twin brother who wishes to meet you... As Zhang Xuan said those words, he flicked his wrist. Hu! A figure identical to Zhang Xuan appeared right next to him. Chapter 1896 - Slaying a Deity

Chapter 1896: ying a Deity

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Twin brother? Seeing the appearance of another figure with an identical appearance and soul aura, the deity was stunned for a moment before a knowing smile crept onto his lips. This is your clone, right? Spectacrly made, I must say. For a clone to possess strength identical to the main body, it must have been made using some kind of invaluable material. Wonderful, I shall im it for myself! There were cultivators in the Azure who created their own clones to augment their fighting prowess, but most of them were just lookalike puppets that were simr to the main body in form. The clone that was standing right before him actually possessed a unique soul! This meant that the material used the create the clone was of extremely high quality, even by the standards of the Azure. If he could acquire such a treasure for himself and forge his own clone, his fighting prowess would effectively double in an instant! With reddened eyes, he pointed at the clone in front of him and spoke with quivering lips. From this day forth, you shall be mine as well... Boom! Torrential energy poured out toward Zhang Xuans clone, but before it could even reach thetter, the deity saw a blur in his field of vision. Before he knew it, the clone was already standing in front of him, and a leg was flying toward his face. With a haughty look on his face, the clone demanded, Who the hell are you? The likes of you actually think that you would be able to tame me? You... With twitching lips, the deity swiftly grabbed the clones leg to stop the attack when thetters other leg came flying from the opposite direction. Peng! Just like that, the deity was knocked back as his cheekbone sunk inward from the powerful impact. What? How is this possible? The deity was stunned by the earlier strike. It was not due to the damage that he had sustained but by the sheer disbelief at how powerful the kick had been. The clones that he had seen thus far had always been weaker than the main body, but why would this persons clone be even stronger than the main body itself? How in the world did this even work? It was illogical! You sure make a huge fuss out of nothing. My main body is a weakling, so how could he begin topare to me? The clone smirked as he charged toward the deity once more, whipping his leg over at a terrifying speed. As Zhang Xuan had been suppressing his cultivation, he was still at Sempiternal realm consummation. However, it was different for the clone. As a God artifact, there was no need for him to suppress his cultivation at all. A month ago, he had already pushed for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage using the Aeon of Ancient Sage, making him a full-fledged Blood Reincarnation realm expert. Even when they were in the same cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan was no match for his clone, let alone the fact that there was a gap of three entire realms between them. If Zhang Xuan had a fight with his clone, he would barely be able to protect himself with the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand. Slowly, the surprised look on the deity warped into feverish excitement as he beganughing maniacally. Hahahahaha! The heavens are really shining on me! Now I am more determined than ever to make you mine! With a piercing cry, he leaped forward to meet the clones attack. He gathered all of his strength together in order to suppress this showoff of a clone once and for all when a shadow was suddenly cast over him. He hurriedly retreated in rm before looking upward. It was a massive book. Following which, a pitch-ck palm shot out from the book and darted right for his face. Pah! This strike caused him to spin around twice on the spot as fresh blood spewed all over the area. What the heck is this? The deity was a little astonished by all of the trump cards that Zhang Xuan had up his sleeves. Just what other things did the other party have in store? First the spear, the sword, and the brick, and shortly after, the clone... and now, a book was joining the battle. More importantly, he could sense incredible pulsations of energying from within the book. There was some kind of existence that possessed strengthparable to him sealed within! Hu! In that moment of astonishment, Zhang Xuan charged forward with a spear in his left hand and a sword in his right hand. Brandishing the two weapons with surprising coordination, he was actually able to throw the deity into a fluster for a brief moment through the bizarrebination of attacks. Meanwhile, his clone and Vicious quickly rushed forward to further pressure the deity. Peng peng peng peng! Under the relentless assault, it did not take long for the deity to be struck by several hundred times, and the impact sustained caused his bones to shatter and internal organs to shift. There was not a spot on his body that remained unharmed. No, this cant be happening... For the first time throughout the entire battle, the deity tasted fear. He had rushed over when he noticed the weakening of the dimension barrier because he had thought that he would be able to acquire some rare treasures, but who could have known that he would end up being cornered in this lower dimension? Even Zhang Xuan himself was already a tricky opponent to deal with, let alone having to simultaneously cope with another two experts who boasted strength simr to his. How could he win against such a lineup? In the depths of his heart, the deity began to despair. He knew that he could not allow the battle to continue any further. He had to escape. Thus, he gathered all of his energy seemingly with the intention tounch a desperate counterattack, causing the other three to immediately go on the defensive. However, it was, in fact, a feint. With no one tying him down, he immediately turned tail and ran away. However, before he could get far, the world suddenly turned dark. He barely had time to nce upward before a massive brick crushed down on his head once more. It was as if this fellow had been biding his time in the sky all along, waiting for the ideal opportunity to smash his face! Peng! While this smash did not deal a fatal blow to the deity, it did throw him off for a moment. This momentarypse in attention turned out to be his undoing. The next instant, a spear and a sword pierce through his chest. Right after, a fist smashed right into his head, and a ck hand stabbed into his heart. Putong! Even down to hisst breath, there was an incredulous look on the deitys face, as if he could not believe that a superior being like him had been defeated by mere ants. As thest breath escaped his lips, his body grew limp, and he began plummeting from the sky. It would be a waste to leave the blood and body of an expert of such caliber lying around, Zhang Xuan thought as he quickly stowed the corpse of the deity into the Myriad Anthive Nest. Following which, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. The battle was finally over. No matter what, the enemy that he had faced was a true Dimension Shatterer realm expert. Had he made any mistakes over the course of the battle, he would have been destroyed in an instant. As such, he had pushed his concentration to its very limits throughout the entire duration. Nevertheless, the rewards from the battle were well worth the fight. The deitys blood and body would surely prove vital for his breakthrough to Ancient Sage in the future. cing his clone and Vicious back into the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to the mountain range where the void was and stared silently for a moment before making his way back. ... On the elevated tform in the midst of the mountain range, Ancient Sage Yan Qing finally struggled to his feet. He looked at the massive rifts around him with a worried look on his face. At that moment, Kong Shiyao suddenly flew over and asked, Ancient Sage Yan Qing, was that young man the Celestial Master Teacher you previously mentioned, Zhang Xuan? Having overexerted her bloodline ability, her face was horrifyingly pale as well. It took everything she had just to maintain her flight. Thats right, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied with a nod. Hes truly an extraordinary individual... Kong Shiyao nodded in awe. She had been blessed with a powerful bloodline at birth, so there had been no one who was able topete with her in terms of talent. She had been confident that there was no one beneath Ancient Sage who would be stronger than her, but from the earlier battle, it was clear that the young mans fighting prowess exceeded even hers. Ever since she heard of Zhang Xuans existence, she had been wanting to meet andpete with him. She had thought that she could have a duel with him after achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. However, from the looks of it, there was no need for that. Even after using her bloodline ability, she had been unable to stop the deitys movements. On the other hand, the young man was able to battle the deity on equal footing and even lure him away. It was apparent from this that there was a gap between their abilities. Theres no denying that Zhang Xuan is formidable, but hes stillcking inparison to the deity from the Azure. I fear that hes in peril! one of the Ancient Sages remarked worriedly. Given our current condition, theres nothing we can do to help him. Even stabilizing the formation is impossible for us at the moment... The Ancient Sages had already been reduced to a skeletal rack at the moment, and they would die soon enough without any Aeon of Ancient Sage to replenish his energy. Given their states, there was nothing that they could do to help. Knowing this, Ancient Sage Yan Qing also shook his head. While the deity had been lured away by Zhang Xuan, it did not mean that the danger was over. The formation that was sustained by Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse had been opened, and the mercury-like energy was rapidly pouring in. If they did not seal the rifts quickly, everyone in the Kunxu Domain would soon die from taking in that incredibly heavy energy. Their entire popce was at stake! Its fortunate that this energy doesnt diffuse too quickly due to its weight. Whats more urgent is for us to get rid of that deity, or else anything we do will be futile! Kong Shiyao said. As long as they sealed their acupoints, they would be able to bear with the mercury-like energy in the short-term. However, as long as the deity remained alive, his existence would be like a guillotine hanging right above them, ready to snap down at any moment. Youre right. Even at the cost of our lives, we must eradicate that deity... Everyone nodded grimly in agreement. Gathering thest bits of their strength, they were going to move in the direction that Zhang Xuan had disappeared in when a young man approached with a nonchnt look on his face. He was dressed in a clean white robe that waspletely devoid of dust. There was no hint of blood or wounds on his body, making it seem as if he had left earlier not to battle but to go on a leisurely holiday. Who else could that young man be other than Zhang Xuan? Y-youre fine? What happened to the deity? Did you... kill him? everyone asked anxiously. Chapter 1897 - Repairing the Formation

Chapter 1897: Repairing the Formation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 As you can see, Im perfectly fine, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. As for the deity, you need not worry about him anymore. On his way here, he had washed himself with clear water to quickly clean up a little before switching into a fresh set of clothes. Even though he had not sustained any injuries, he had sweated a fair bit over the course of the battle, and the feeling of fabric clinging stickily to his skin felt very ufortable to him. Time ticked by in silence. It was quite a while before the crowd was able to take in the news that the young man had sessfully gotten rid of the deity, and looks of awe appeared on their faces. To defeat a person so powerful without sustaining any injuries, the young man was frighteningly powerful! Taking a deep breath to recover from his shock, Ancient Sage Yan Qing took a look at the rifts around him before looking at Zhang Xuan with an awkward expression on his face. Zhang shi, I understand that you have unique insights into formations, so may I trouble you to mend our formation for us? He knew that the current Hundred Schools of Philosopherscked the ability to mend the shattered formation, but the young man before him should be able to pull it off. It was just that the young man was an outsider... and the rtions between them could not be said to be amicable. Furthermore, it was just a moment ago that the young man had done them a huge favor by luring away the deity and getting rid of him despite the risks, so he could not help but feel a little embarrassed for relying so much on the other party. Its no trouble at all, but do you have the blueprint and repair method for the formation? Zhang Xuan asked. This was the first time that he had seen a formation like this. Using the corpse of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan as its core to seal the passageway leading to a higher dimension, itsplexity was way beyond any of the formations that he had seen before. Even he would have had difficulties trying to set it up without the blueprint. We do, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied as he passed a jade token over. Recorded in here is the structure of the formation, as well as the notes that generations of our predecessors have made while repairing the formation! Taking the jade token, Zhang Xuan quickly scanned through its contents. It did not take long for him to have the entire formation in his grasp. The name of this formation was very literal, Floating Coffin Heaven Mending Formation. It was said to have been created by Kong shi himself in order to seal up the passageway linking the higher dimension to their world. Once it was in ce, even Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators would have trouble trying to breach it. Is he going to attempt to mend the formation after learning it on the spot? Could it be that... his talents in his supporting upation are on par with mine? Is he able to master anything within moments ofing into contact with it, too? Kong Shiyao frowned in intrigue. Possessing the purest bloodline of Kong shi, her ability to absorb new information was amazing. Be it for a supporting upation or a battle technique, she could understand and master it swiftly after learning the principles behind it. She did not have to devote too much time to refining her skills. It was bewildering to her how the young man had the confidence to ept their request without any hesitation despite having never seen the formation before. It could not be that he possessed the same talents as her, could it? But even if he has talentsparable to mine, such aplex formation should at least take him two to three days to master. Will he be able to make it in time at this rate? Kong Shiyao thought worriedly as she looked at the mercury-like energy gushing in from the rifts. Recalling the fact that the young man was a Celestial Master Teacher just like Kong shi, it should note as any surprise that the young man was extraordinary. However, there were still limits to what a human could achieve within a limited timeframe. The Floating Coffin Heaven Mending Formation was soplicated that it had taken her three days before she was able to grasp how the entire system worked. Even if the young man was more gifted and could grasp new information two times swifter than her, he still would not be able to mend the formation in time! The mercury-like energy had only suffused the elevated tform that they were on, but at the current rate it was flowing out, it would drown at least a third of the Kunxu Domainsnd by the end of the day. That would cause a rapid change in the quality of the spiritual energy within the world, and the Greensprout Wheat that they had cultivated with great difficulty would swiftly die off. Everything that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had built up over the past tens of thousands of years would be reduced to nothing! Then, everything would be for naught even if they did manage to repair the formation. Besides, they were betting on the possibility that the young man would have some way to repair it, but that was unjustified optimism on their part. It could be said that making this request to the young man was really ast-ditch gamble. But as Kong Shiyao continued looking on worriedly, she saw Zhang Xuan passing the jade token back to her. Following which, he turned to the crowd with a confident smile on his face. Im going to begin the repairs now, so please step back. Hearing those words, Kong Shiyao blinked nkly. She raised her right hand and swiftly counted, three breaths... Had he really grasped the formation in just three breaths? Under her bewildered stare, the young man began moving. He opened his fingers wide and pumped his zhenqi toward the sky like a rapid current, swiftly forming illusory bridges of a myriad colors across the void. Standing in the very middle of those seemingly divine bridges, Zhang Xuan looked as if he was the ruler of the world. He gently moved his finger to maneuver those illusory bridges, reminiscent of a demonic tunist performing a moving melody. Along with his movements, a faint but beautiful humming from the wind could be heard. Is that... the Voice of the Heavens? Kong Shiyao trembled. Legend had it that if anyone achieved the level of perfect harmony with the heavens, no matter which upation they were from, the Voice of the Heavens would emerge. The young man had only browsed through the blueprint for three breaths, but not only did he manage to grasp the formation perfectly, he was even able to elevate it to a much higher level. Was she really sockingpared to him? But she was the descendant of the legendary Kong shi, possessing a bloodline that none could match! With deep indignation, she looked on and saw Zhang Xuans fingers moving faster and faster, and it did not take long for afterimages to appear in the midst of his movements. The illusory bridges danced elegantly in the air, crossing one another to swiftly form an intricate design. Hes speeding up? Isnt he afraid of making a mistake? Kong Shiyao shuddered at the sheer speed that Zhang Xuan was moving at. Given theplexity of the formation, she had thought that even if Zhang Xuan couldprehend it, he would need their help to form the primary structure to seal off the inflow of the mercury-like energy before slowly reinforcing it. All in all, she had expected the entire process to take a whole month. However, at that moment, Zhang Xuans hands were moving so quickly that she could hardly keep up with them anymore. If he made a single mistake, not only would his previous work be unraveled, he would also suffer a severe bacsh from the formation. A few breaths passed, but not only did Zhang Xuans movements not slow down, they continued still to grow swifter. Unable to stand the tension any longer, Kong Shiyao flicked her wrist and took out a mirror. She gently reflected it against Zhang Xuan. This mirror was a family heirloom passed down in the Kong n, and it was known as the Profound Empyrean Mirror. Through analyzing the intensity of the pulsations of energying from the formation, it was able to determine whether the formation masters movements were correct or not. If the formation masters movements were correct, the characters ȷ (Correct) would be reflected in the mirror, and a white light would emanate from its surface. Incorrect, and the characters (Wrong) would be reflected, with ck light emanating from its surface. Weng weng weng! Upon reflecting Zhang Xuans silhouette, the Profound Empyrean Mirror immediately emanated a brilliant white glow as lines and lines of characters swiftly flowed across its surface. ȷ (Correct)! ȷ (Correct)! ȷ (Correct)... As the Profound Empyrean Mirror in her hand got filled up with the characters ȷ (Correct), its surface glowed so brightly that it seemed to be a mini sun that blinded everyone in the surroundings. This... Kong Shiyaos lips quivered in disbelief. She had seen plenty of geniuses in her lifetime, and she was one herself. But to master such aplex formation within three breaths and repair it so quickly without making the slightest mistake... was that young man really a human? Hu! Her astonishment did notst for long before the fingers of the young man in the air came to an abrupt halt. He gracefully ced his hands behind his back before gazing into the void. Whats wrong? The formations repairs mustnt be halted halfway through, or else you will have to start anew! Kong Shiyao yelled anxiously. The formation was not justplex; the repairs must also be finished at a single go. Otherwise, if there was even a momentary interruption in between, the mercury-like energy would swiftly crush everything that had been built thus far. This was simr to repairing a dam. One had to finish the repairs in a single shot, or else any weakness in the structure would swiftly be exploited by the umted water, eventually resulting in a leakage. Hmm? I didnt halt the repairs halfway. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nced at Kong Shiyao and replied, I have already finished the repairs! You have already finished? Kong Shiyao was taken aback. Given that Ancient Sage Zi Yuans body was still with her and the mercury-like energy was still flowing through, how could this be considered as apleted repair job? Noticing Kong Shiyaos iprehension, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. He looked at the void above once andmanded, Activate! Hong long! The coffin beside Kong Shiyao immediately soared into the void and vanished, and the surrounding space was swiftly stabilized. All of the rifts were mended in an instant, and it looked as if nothing had happened there at all. The formation had actually activated under hismand! The Word of Law... Isnt that the Kong ns bloodline ability? Kong Shiyao could not believe what she was seeing. Chapter 1898 - The Prowess of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Chapter 1898: The Prowess of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 To be able to repair the formation with a single word, could it be that the other party possessed the same bloodline as her, allowing him to use the Word of Law ability? But very soon, Kong Shiyao realized that was not the case. While the move that Zhang Xuan had used appeared simr to the Word of Law, there were some differences between the two. To be more exact, it was a more advanced use of the Impartation of Heavens Will. However, this Floating Coffin Heaven Mending Formation harnessed the energies of the heavens, so even activating it manually was extremely grueling. How could it possibly be so easily swayed by the Impartation of Heavens Will? Ancient Sage Yan Qing, who harbored the same doubts in his mind, swiftly posed the question to Zhang Xuan. Well, the formation blueprint you gave me had quite a few problems, so I made some corrections while I was setting up the formation, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Corrections? Kong Shiyaos body froze in shock. Thats not possible. This formation was created by Kong shi himself, so theres no way there could have been any ws in it! How could there be any imperfections in the things left behind by Kong shi? Well, the formation that Kong shi created didnt have any ws... The problems originated from the huge changes in the Kunxu Domain in the past tens of thousands of years. The formation that Kong shi created is no longer optimal given the current environment in the Kunxu Domain. Otherwise, you wouldnt have to keep repairing it generation after generation, Zhang Xuan said. There was nothing in the world that time could not erode. Without a doubt, the Kunxu Domain from tens of thousands of years back was bound to have been very different from what they saw before them. Since even the world had changed, how could formations remain wless without adapting to the changes? Those words rendered Kong Shiyao speechless as shock swept through her mind once more. The young mans words did make perfect sense... but this was Kong shis formation they were talking about. The young man had actually modified Kong shis formation! Furthermore, he had even seeded in doing so! Kong Shiyao felt as if the world was whirling around her. All along, she had never doubted her own talent. She had felt that there was nothing that she was incapable of as long as she gave it her all. However,pared to the monster before her, she felt like she could sprint for her entire life and never catch up with him. On the other hand, seeing that the mercury-like energy had beenpletely sealed away, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned his gaze away from the stupefied Kong Shiyao to the rtively calmer Ancient Sage Yan Qing and said, I guess the situation is stable for the time being. Ancient Sage Yan Qing. May I trouble you to exin the situation to me? He felt like Kong Shiyao was making a huge fuss out of nothing. It was as if she had never seen therger world out there before. Taking twenty breaths to set up this formation was really no remarkable feat at all. If anything, it was rather slow. If he had achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, such a thing would not have taken him two breaths! ... Zhang shi, what do you think of that heavy energy from earlier? Do you think that you will be able to absorb and assimte it into your body? Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied with another question. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. The heavy energy shares somemonalities with spiritual energy, but its sheer weight makes it impossible for anyone from the Master Teacher Continent to absorb. If I absorb it, the chances are that my meridians will copse as a result of the weight. Hearing those words, Ancient Sage Yan Qing sighed deeply before saying with a bitter smile, I see... To be honest with you, that heavy energy is the spiritual energy from the Azure! Spiritual energy from the Azure? Thats right. Have you ever wondered why the beings from the Azure are so much more powerful than us? Thats because the spiritual energy they absorb is very different from ours. Its much more condensed, and being constantly exposed to it has tempered their constitution to the point that even their younglings wield tremendous fighting prowess at birth! Ancient Sage Yan Qing exined. They actually absorb that heavy spiritual energy? Is it really alright for them to do so? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Even with his Blood Reincarnation realm prowess, he felt as if his internal organs would be crushed if he absorbed just a bit of it. Were the natives of the Azure really able to absorb such heavy energy without suffering any bacsh? Follow me! Seeing the look on Zhang Xuans face, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned around and beckoned Zhang Xuan toe along with him. Gritting his teeth to endure the frailty he felt, he headed off in a certain direction. He had lost too much blood in the earlier battle, such that he had nearly expended all of his vitality. Even though he was still breathing, he did not have much time left. The two of them flew for quite a while before arriving at a tightly-sealed pce. Ancient Sage Yan Qing pushed open the door of the pce and walked in. There was an Istion Formation within the pce, and in the Istion Formation was a massive metal cage. Zhang Xuan could not quite tell what material it was made of, but there were runic inscriptions all over it. Two youths were imprisoned in the metal cage. Upon seeing Ancient Sage Yan Qing, their eyes immediately narrowed in fury. If they could, there was no doubt that they would have killed Ancient Sage Yan Qing. Zhang Xuan swiftly assessed the two youths and noticed that they were both Sempiternal realm consummation experts, just a step away from reaching Ancient Sage. In terms of disposition and strength, they did not pale inparison to Yan Xue! Why did you lock them inside the cage? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. While the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had strayed from Kong shis ideal of education without discrimination, Zhang Xuan could tell that they were not the type to harm others without any justification. Could those two havemitted some kind of heinous crime? Zhang shi, are you able to tell who they are? Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked. Hearing that question, Zhang Xuan frowned. Based on the other partys words, it seemed like he was expected to know these two youths, so he took a closer look at them. However, he was still unable to figure out their identities, so he eventually shook his head. They are Otherworldly Demons! Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. Those words made Zhang Xuan freeze on the spot. They are Otherworldly Demons? How can that be? Could it be that they are Otherworldly Demon Emperors in disguise? The Otherworldly Demons Zhenqi of ughter was so overpowering that it was impossible to disregard it. The two youths standing before him were releasing no killing intent at all, so how could they be Otherworldly Demons? Could it be that they were Otherworldly Demon Emperors who had used some kind of special means to disguise themselves? But that should not be either. Except for Luo Ruoxins disguise amulet, there was no disguise that had been able to escape his Eye of Insight thus far. He was certain that the two youths before him were not disguised; they were in their natural form. I know that you have your doubts, but they are really Otherworldly Demons. They absorbed the heavy energy earlier and turned into their current states, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. This... Zhang Xuans body shook in astonishment. He was still wondering whether that mercury-like energy could be absorbed or not, but it turned out that it was so powerful that it could even turn Otherworldly Demons into humans. Was this for real? Hu! Without exining himself, Ancient Sage Yan Qing stepped forward and flicked his wrist. The mercury-like energy from the elevated tform earlier immediately gushed toward the two youths in the cage. In response to the arrival of this unique energy, the two youths did not show the slightest hint of fear. Instead, their eyes lit up in excitement as they swiftly sat down, opened their acupoints, and absorbed the energy. As the energy flowed into their bodies, it immediately began to billow like boiling water. Their aura and energies swiftly grew more and more condensed. Its really possible, Zhang Xuan thought as he clenched his fists tightly together. The Otherworldly Demons were actually able to absorb the mercury-like energy that even he was unable to absorb, and it increased their rate of cultivation a frightening degree. He immediately turned to Ancient Sage Yan Qing, hoping to receive answers about this curious observation from the other party. This has something to do with ones innate constitution. As long as ones innate constitution is sufficiently strong, one will be able to adapt to the heavy energy and assimte it into ones body. The innate constitution of the Otherworldly Demons is far stronger than that of humans. Just the fact that they are blessed with the strength of a Transcendental Mortal at birth speaks volumes. Nevertheless, of the ten I have experimented on, these are the only two survivors! Ancient Sage Yan Qing said. Furthermore, I have tested this on over ten thousand men over the past year, but none of them survived in the end! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face warped in horror. What he was horrified by was not Ancient Sage Yan Qings callousness but the significance of what he had just said. He had thought that while Otherworldly Demons had a head start in front of humans due to their innate constitution, they would be on equal footing with one another in theter stages. However, it seemed like the rift was much wider than he had thought... If this mercury-like energy one day covered the entire Master Teacher Continent, would mankind not go extinct and the Otherworldly Demons rise in power? rmed by this notion, Zhang Xuan asked, Is this why Kong shi used Ancient Sage Zi Yuans corpse to create that massive formation to block the dimension passageway? Is it all to prevent the heavy energy from leaking into this world? Chapter 1899 - The Origin of Aeon of Ancient Sage

Chapter 1899: The Origin of Aeon of Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Thats right! Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded in response. When Kong shi first noticed the Kunxu Domain, it was nothing more than an ordinary passageway between the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure. The heavy energy that lingered in it wasnt too great then, but he swiftly realized that while humans would quickly lose their lives upon absorbing it, there was a chance that Otherworldly Demons could survive the assimtion of the energy and be tremendously stronger as a result of that. That was also how Vicious came about! In order to prevent mankind from being destroyed, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan willingly gave up his life to be the crux of the Floating Coffin Heaven Mending Formation that we have now! Nodding in realization, Zhang Xuan recalled another thing that he had noticed in the Kunxu Domain and asked, What about the Greensprout Wheat and the superior constitution of the ordinary popce? Knowing what Zhang Xuan was asking, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied, After years of research, Kong shi found that the main reason why there was a chance for some Otherworldly Demons to survive the assimtion of the heavy energy was due to their superior innate constitution. This realization highlighted the importance of enhancing the average constitution of humans, but Kong shi knew very well that the enhancement of an entire races constitution was bound to be a long battle. Its impossible to make significant advancement within a short period of time. One of the key factors that Kong shi identified that would effectively enhance the constitution of an entire race was their diet. As such, he entrusted Ancient Sage Zi Chi and his descendants with the responsibility of developing a crop that could achieve this effect. After many years of trial and error, they eventually sessfully nurtured the Greensprout Wheat. This crop has the effect of continuously cleansing and enhancing ones constitution, and after tens of thousands of years of nourishment, there was indeed significant growth in the constitution of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Unfortunately, we are still a long way off from matching the constitution of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and we are still unable to directly absorb the heavy energy! Zhang Xuan nodded in enlightenment. The doubts that he had harbored previously had all been cleared up. It was no wonder the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had suddenly disappeared from the Master Teacher Continent. It turned out that they had devoted themselves to protecting the seal in the Kunxu Domain so as to prevent the mercury-like energy from leaking out. At the same time, they viewed it as their mission to nurture stronger humans. Once those in the Kunxu Domain were able to adapt to the mercury-like energy, their strength would grow by leaps and bounds. Their means might have been different from the Master Teacher Continent, but their ultimate goal was the samethe development of mankind! Ancient Sage Yan Qing continued on. The Kunxu Domain is a small world, and the resources that it contains are severely limited. Furthermore, with the strengthening of the average constitution of the general popce, the spiritual energy that we require is growing significantly too. As such, we have no choice but to limit the qualifications to cultivate to just a selected few. This is also why we have so many tests and trials in ce. We can only afford to invest our resources in talents who have the potential to reach the top! While Ancient Sage Yan Qing mentioned that the Kunxu Domain was a small world, that was only in rtiveparison with the Master Teacher Continent. Its scalefortably exceeded that of any of the major empires on the Master Teacher Continent. However, in order to nurture the Greensprout Wheat properly, the Kunxu Domain had to seal off its connection to the Master Teacher Continent. Thus, it carried the risk of its spiritual energy drying up should there be too many cultivators. In a sense, the Kunxu Domain was simr to a greenhouse. No matter how huge the greenhouse was, it could not reach the same level of self-sufficiency as the external world to provide nourishment for any number of nts. In Zhang Xuans previous world, a scientist had once set up a massive greenhouse and ced countless nts, animals, and insects within it as an experiment. However, within less than a year, the entire habitat hadpletely copsed. Such was the case for Kunxu Domain. Unlike the Master Teacher Continent, it did not have the ability to fully regte itself, and the nourishment required to bestow even ordinary humans with the strength of the Zongshi realm put a huge burden on it. So, it was inevitable that they had to limit the number of cultivators. Otherwise, it was likely that the Kunxu Domain would first copse before its people could adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy from the Azure. I believe that you might have noticed it already, but this problem isnt just limited to the Kunxu Domain. The Master Teacher Continent is still safe for the time being, but itll face the same threat in the future. As the number of cultivators increases, therell eventuallye a day when the spiritual energy dries up, Ancient Sage Yan Qing remarked. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. No matter how big or enriching an environment or habitat was, it would have a breaking point where everything started to unravel. In a way, humans absorbing the spiritual energy from the environment was like fleas leaping on a cow. Even a thousand fleas might not mean much to the cow, but what if there were millions or even billions of them? No matter how strong the cow was, it would eventually copse under the burden and die! In the face of this practical problem, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had no choice but to limit the distribution of cultivation resources, granting only the most talented individuals the privilege to cultivate. Perhaps, the Master Teacher Continent might find itself forced to make the same decision as well in the distant future. Since were on the topic... is that why the Master Teacher Continent lost its ability to support the birth of newer Ancient Sages? Zhang Xuan asked. Be it the Master Teacher Continent or the Kunxu Domain, not a single Ancient Sage had been born from ten thousand years back to before the recent emergence of the Temple of Confucius. Could this possibly be the reason? Well, overpoption does y a part in that, but it isnt the primary reason, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. As you might know, the Aeon of Ancient Sage is the necessary catalyst for any cultivator to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. However, the Aeon of Ancient Sage is not something that naturally appears in the Master Teacher Continent nor the Kunxu Domain, or to be more exact, this entire world doesnt have the ability to create the Aeon of Ancient Sage... It is an energy that is unique to the Azure! The sealing of the heavy energy meant that the Aeon of Ancient Sage is unable to flow down to our world anymore. As such, with the birth of more and more Ancient Sages, it eventually came to a point where it dried outpletely. You mean to say that the heavy spiritual energy contains the Aeon of Ancient Sage? Zhang Xuan asked with raised eyebrows. He had absorbed a sliver of it back when he was at the mountain range, but as soon as it entered his body, its weight had nearly crushed all of his meridians. This had forced him to seal all of his acupoints. Yet, there was actually Aeon of Ancient Sage in it? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan quietly absorbed a small bit of it. The mercury-like energy felt as heavy as ever, but upon closer inspection, he did sense a hint of Aeon of Ancient Sage in it. It was just a small amount, but as one absorbed more and more of it, it was only a matter of time before one overcame the Great Sage bottleneck and rose to be one of the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent! But that was assuming one was able to assimte this domineering energy. Given how even he himself was unable to absorb it, he was not too hopeful for the other cultivators. There was no other choice. If we didnt seal the energy from the Azure, the Otherworldly Demons would only have grown stronger and stronger, eventually leading to the eradication of mankind. It was a decision our predecessors made after careful deliberation. It hasnt led to a good oue, but its the lesser of two evils, Ancient Sage Yan Qing exined bitterly. Zhang Xuan also fell into deep contemtion. There was no denying that the presence of more Ancient Sages was good news for mankind, but as long as they did not deal with the mercury-like energy, the greatest beneficiary would ultimately still be the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As long as the mercury-like energy existed on the Master Teacher Continent, it was only a matter of time before the scales were tipped in the favor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Not to mention, there were deities from the Azure who could descend through the dimension barrier. The threat that they posed could not be underestimated either. Is it true that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe are the descendants of the Gods, just like the legends depict them to be? Zhang Xuan asked out of curiosity. Was it really just a problem in thepatibility of their constitution that meant they were unable to absorb the mercury-like energy whereas the Otherworldly Demons were able to? I dont really know the exact answer, but there are written quotes from Kong shi that suggest that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe are the descendants of an exiled God Tribe. He said that its due to the scarce spiritual energy on the Master Teacher Continent that resulted in their severe weakening, and as long as they are supplied with pure spiritual energy, they will swiftly return to their former glory. Speaking up to this point, Ancient Sage Yan Qing suddenly turned to the two caged youths and sighed deeply. These two over there are perfect examples. They were ordinary Otherworldly Demons when they were first captured, but under the nourishment of the heavy spiritual energy from the Azure, they grew so much stronger within less than ten years. On top of that, their appearances have also be no different from those of ordinary humans. Even the most talented human would have to cultivate for hundreds of years before reaching Sempiternal realm consummation. However, those Otherworldly Demons were actually able to reach such a height within a shorter period of time just by absorbing and assimting the heavy spiritual energy. It sure was frustrating! But if deities are able to pass through the dimension barrier to descend upon our world, we should also be able to ascend to the Azure through the same way, right? Zhang Xuan asked as his heart leaped in agitation. Chapter 1900 - Sacrifice

Chapter 1900: Sacrifice

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The reason he had gone through so much effort to enter the Kunxu Domain was to find the passageway leading to the Azure in order to reach Luo Ruoxin. Since there was a passageway above the elevated tform and the deities were able to pass through, not to mention the fact that the mercury-like spiritual energy leaking out from the void came directly from the Azure, could that actually be the way he had been seeking all along? To be honest, I dont really know. Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head. I see... Then, do you know how Kong shi left the Kunxu Domain to enter the Azure? Regarding that... Ancient Sage Yan Qings face reddened in embarrassment. In truth, most of Kong shis direct disciples did not even know of his departure back then, let alone a junior who came many generationster like him. Its only recorded in the books that shortly after Kong shi achieved a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm, he left this world. As for where he went, Im afraid that it isnt recorded anywhere. However, our historians who investigated the matter deduced that theres a good chance that his disappearance had something to do with this seal! This time, it was Kong Shiyao who answered Zhang Xuans question. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. From the looks of it, there was a good chance that the void above the elevated tform was the way into the Azure. However, with his current strength, he would notst long surrounded by the mercury-like spiritual energy. Perhaps the minimum requirement to doing so was to first reach the Dimension Shatterer realm. Clearly, the current him still had much to work on! Zhang shi, pardon me, but I have a question for you. The seal on the Kunxu Domain was created by Kong shi himself, making it impossible for anyone to enter or leave. The reason we were able to enter the Master Teacher Continent previously was because we were able to tap into the power of the Temple of Confucius to temporarily breach the seal... So, how did you manage to get in here? Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked with a doubtful frown. This question made the others direct intrigued looks at Zhang Xuan. It was an established fact among them that it was impossible for them to enter or leave the Kunxu Domain. The emergence of the Temple of Confucius had been the only exception to the rule in the past tens of thousands of years. However, it had been several months since the Temple of Confucius closed, so it should be impossible to exploit this loophole. Given so, how did Zhang Xuan manage to get in there? Feeling that there was no reason to hide this matter from them, Zhang Xuan replied honestly. While I was visiting the Tianxuan Kingdom, I found a seal that was centered around Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. Out of curiosity, I broke the seal, and before I knew it, I was already in the Kunxu Domain. Wait a moment, did you say that you broke the seal? You broke that seal? Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others shook in agitation. Whats wrong? Quick, lets head over to take a look! With no time to exin, Ancient Sage Yan Qing swiftly opened up a dimension rift and leaped in. The others quickly followed suit. In just a moments time, they had already arrived at where Zhang Xuan had entered the Kunxu Domain. The seal was still standing firm, but the hole that Zhang Xuan and the others had entered through was gradually expanding. They could just about see ck mes pressing firmly against the exterior of the Kunxu Domain, attempting to force its way in. Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Whats going on here? He knew just how powerful the seal was, and he had needed to make use of the powerful Ordeal of Lightning Armament in order to open up a small hole to open. Why would there suddenly be such powerful ck mes pressing against the seal? Not to mention, they bore an uncanny resemnce to the Empyrean Heavenly mes. This is the bacsh from the heavens, Ancient Sage Yan Qing grimly exined. Bacsh from the heavens? While we have isted the Kunxu Domain from the Master Teacher Continent, it still doesnt change the fact that they are actually one entity. What we are doing here, the cultivation of the Greensprout Wheat and the enhancement of the fundamental constitution of mankind, is going against thews of nature, thus creating a distortion in this world. The reason Ancient Sage Ran Qius body was left outside is not just to sustain the seal; more than that, its to prevent the heavens from peeking in! However, now that the heavens have learned of what we have done in the Kunxu Domain, theyve sent down divine retribution to punish us and undo what we have done! At this rate, it wont be long before the Kunxu Domain is swallowed by the raging mes of the heavens fury, Ancient Sage Yan Qing eximed worriedly. Zhang Xuans body stiffened. Every world had its own rules, and these rules were enforced by the heavens. Anyone who tried to breach these rules would find themselves faced with the wrath of the heavens. In a sense, this was simr to how cultivators attempting to push for higher realms would have to face heavenly tribtions. Putting everything aside, in his previous world, Wang Mang, being a transmigrator, had attempted to change the world. But in the end, the heavens had sent down the Son of the Heavens, Liu Xiu, in retaliation, and thetter had easily destroyed everything that he had built. The rules of the world could not be disregarded, and even Ancient Sages were no exception to the rule. Zhang Xuan had thought that the reason no one was able to find the Kunxu Domain was due to the lofty Hundred Schools of Philosophers trying to steer clear from the rest of the world, but it turned out that their main goal was to conceal themselves from the detection of the heavens. If people frequently entered and left the Kunxu Domain, it was only a matter of time before the heavens detected the existence of the Kunxu Domain. Once that happened, everything would be utterly destroyed, be it the Greensprout Wheat, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, or even the domain itself. Knowing that this was a catastrophe that he had caused, Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Yan Qing and asked, Do you have any blueprints of it for me to mend the formation? Ill seal off the Kunxu Domain once to prevent the heavens from peeking in! We do have the blueprint to the formation, but its of no use! Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head. What has been breached isnt just this seal but the Illusory Formation that was set up outside too. Previously, if the heavens attempted to peer into the coffin, Kong shis body would appear, which would lead the heavens to think that Kong shi has passed away, thus halting their investigation right there. However, the fact that the ck mes have reached this seal means that the Illusory Formation has been undone. The heavens are already aware of everything. Any reparation work done now will only dy the inevitable! Zhang Xuan fell silent. On his way to the Kunxu Domain, there had been two stone coffins. One of them contained Ancient Sage Ran Qius body, and it was used to maintain the Illusory Formation. As for the second coffin, what Zheng Yang saw was Kong shis corpse whereas what they saw was Zheng Yang himself. It was the breaking of the Illusory Formation that had brought the seal isting the Kunxu Domain from the Master Teacher Continent to his attention. With these two preventive measures breached, the eyes of the heavens were already fixated on the Kunxu Domain. Even if they mended everything right now, it would make no difference at all. Is there nothing that can be done? Theres only one way out of this... We have to deceive the heavens once more, like Kong shi did! Deceive the heavens? Un. Back then, when Kong shi first developed the Kunxu Domain, a hint of the energy contained within leaked out, and it swiftly caught the heavens attention. It was due to Ancient Sage Ran Qius willing sacrifice to sustain an Illusory Formation that they eventually managed to deceive and cate the heavens, Ancient Sage Yan Qing said grimly. Theres only one way for us to resolve the problem... We have to find a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator who is willing to sacrifice himself to die under the hands of the heavens. Using his death as a catalyst, well create an illusion of the entire Kunxu Domain falling into ruins. While the heavens punish those who have failed to abide by thews of the world, it would be inurate to say that they are a sentient force. As long as our means are sufficiently convincing, theres a chance that well seed! Those words made Zhang Xuans eyebrows shoot up. Be it in the entire Master Teacher Continent or the Kunxu Domain, there was not a single Dimension Shatterer realm expert still alive. While his strength paired with the Dragonbone Divine Spear was very close to that of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, his core was simply too much different from that of a real Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator. The heavens would see through his disguise easily! Ill do it. I dont have long to live anyway. Even if Im unable to fully deceive the heavens, I should at least be able to buy some time! Ancient Sage Yan Qing sighed as he looked at the seal with determination. You? Un. While my cultivation hasnt reached the Dimension Shatterer realm, its very close to it. Through igniting my soul and my physical body, I should be able to temporarily draw forth a mightparable to Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators, and perhaps, I might be able to deceive the heavens temporarily through that! Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. Ignite your soul and physical body? Kong Shiyao was startled. But once your soul and physical body are destroyed, it will really be the end of you. There would be no way you will be able toe back to life! Upon reaching the Blood Reincarnation realm, even if ones physical body was torn apart, there was still a chance for one to revive. However, if he ignited his soul and body, he would really die through and through. There was nothing in this world that could bring back a dissipated soul, not even the Aeon of Ancient Sage. I know that, but as long as I can protect the Kunxu Domain, my death will not be in vain! Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. As a human Ancient Sage, he had already resolved himself to sacrifice everything he had for the preservation of mankind. If his death could save many more people, his sacrifice would be worth it. Hold that thought for a moment. Let me take a look and see if there is any other way to resolve this situation! Seeing that Ancient Sage Yan Qing was going to rush over at any moment to give up his life for the greater good, Zhang Xuan walked up to the ck mes with a frown and tapped his finger lightly on it. Chapter 1901 - Become My Student!

Chapter 1901: Be My Student!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Be careful, those are the Empyrean mes! Kong Shiyao shouted in horror. The Empyrean Heavenly me was known to be able to burn down everything in the world. Given how it was able to burn down even the seal created by Kong shi, the young man was courting death by attempting to touch it directly with his fingers! But before Kong Shiyao could finish her piece, Zhang Xuans fingers had already fallen on the mes. The ck mes twisted under the touch of his fingers, reminiscent of an embarrassed bride. It was almost as if the mes were meeting an old me and trying to flirt with him. Kong Shiyaos cheeks twitched in incredulity at what she was seeing. Why did it feel like anything that Zhang Xuan touched would somehow be warped and tainted? Despite being a Celestial Master Teacher, a person of equal standing to her great ancestor, he had a brick that relentlessly struck ones face and a spear that seemed to fancy tying everything in its path up. Furthermore, while he was fighting with the deity, he had no qualms striking the sensitive regions, be it the eyeballs, the neck, or even the crotch... Anywhere an attack could slip through, one could expect no mercy from him. It was as if he knew nothing ofmon courtesy! And the current situation only further confirmed her thoughts. Even the heavenly mes that everyone feared behaved in such a lewd manner under his touch... What a frightening man this Zhang Xuan was! Ignoring the shocked crowd, Zhang Xuan looked at the mes burning at his fingertips and asked, Little Huohuo 1 , did Daodao 2 send you here? Seeminglyprehending Zhang Xuans words, the ck mes shook a little. This etched a frown onto Zhang Xuans forehead. Based on the response from the Empyrean Heavenly mes, it was clear that they had been dispatched by the heavens to destroy the Kunxu Domain. If one viewed the Master Teacher Continent as a humans body, the heavens would be its immune system. Its role was to destroy all foreign objects and anomalies in order to ensure that everything followed its intended course. The presence of humans with exceptionally powerful constitutions in the Kunxu Domain could be viewed as a cancerous tumor, and to the heavens, it was something that had to be destroyed at all costs. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before slipping out of the hole to return to the Master Teacher Continent. Up in the sky, ominous clouds were gathering a devastatingbo of lightning and mes at a terrifying rate, as if swearing to never rest until the Kunxu Domain was utterly destroyed. Under Zhang Xuans protection, Ancient Sage Yan Qing also managed to pass through the hole as well toe to the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan turned to the old man behind him and asked, You mentioned earlier that the death of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator can possibly deceive the heavens, right? Un. That was the concept used for the formation that our predecessors set up back then! Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied as he passed a jade token over. Zhang Xuan took the jade token and swiftly browsed through its contents. Following which, with a flick of his wrist, a human silhouette materialized right in front of him. A deity? No, thats not right... You forged a deity into a Soulless Metal Humanoid? Ancient Sage Yan Qing was nearly scared out of his wits. The being that had just appeared in front of him was emanating an aura of ancient history. With just a nce, it was apparent that it had reached the Dimension Shatterer realm, boasting a strength that was on par with the deity whom they had fought with earlier! To y a deity from the Azure and forge him into a Soulless Metal Humanoid... This was almost sphemy! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. Since things had progressed to this point, there was nothing for him to hide anymore. He drew his soul out from his body and slipped it into the Soulless Metal Humanoid. With his means, he was still unable to enchant the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Thus, he could only drive it while his soul was within the Soulless Metal Humanoid. This was a good opportunity for him to try his hand and see if it was really possible to imitate what Kong shi and his direct disciples had done back then to deceive the heavens. Under Zhang Xuans refinement, he had already shaped the Soulless Metal Humanoid to have an extremely highpatibility with his soul. As such, the prerequisites to conduct the process should have already been met. Hong long! As soon as Zhang Xuans soul slipped into the Soulless Metal Humanoid, the ominous clouds immediately gathered around his body. Everyones eyes lit up in agitation as they clenched their fists tightly in excitement. It seemed like things were going to work out after all! But a momentter, the ominous clouds abruptly dispersed from Zhang Xuan, as if having lost interest in him. Whats going on here? Zhang Xuan was surprised to see that things were not proceeding in the direction that he had expected. Based on what was stated on the jade token, the appearance of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators should have drawn the wrath of the heavens upon him. Then, through a carefully designed ploy, he would put on a facade and substitute himself as the Kunxu Domain, and eventually, he would die in ce of it. But contrary to his expectations, the heavenly retribution was shunning him. This put him at a loss as to what to do. I think I get it... After recovering from a momentary daze, Ancient Sage Yan Qings eyes widened in realization. With a dismayed shake of his head, he exined, The Soulless Metal Humanoid you have possessed is a deity from the Azure. It isnt an indigenous being of this world, and the heavens are able to sense the difference... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding in response. Based on what he had seen so far, it seemed like the heavens had double standards. They did not hesitate to punish the indigenous poption under their rule, but against foreign beings who exceeded their knowledge, it would hesitate to make a move. The deity that he had forged into a Soulless Metal Humanoid originated from the Azure, making him an existence that was anomalous to the world. As such, the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent were hesitant to make a move on him. It was also for this reason that the two deities did note under the attack of the heavens despite having slipped through the dimension barrier. If it had been one of the indigenous cultivators of the Master Teacher Continent, there was no doubt that the heavens would have struck that person with everything they had to reduce them to ashes! Is there anything else we can do? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. In the end, even though the heavens were said to be impartial and unfeeling to all, the truth was that they were just a bully who feared the strong. For example, even though Luo Ruoxins very presence posed a huge threat to the world, the heavens chose to only drive her away forcefully, not daring to provoke her through heavenly mes or lightning bolts. That question obviously stumped Ancient Sage Yan Qing. He was silent for a moment before he proposed, Zhang shi, try leaving the Soulless Metal Humanoid for a moment! He had no idea what they could do either, so they could only give everything a try in hopes that something would work out. Hearing the suggestion, Zhang Xuan quickly extracted his soul from the Soulless Metal Humanoid and began to return to his main body. Perhaps due to the heavens sensing that the consciousness within the Soulless Metal Humanoid earlier had departed from it, the heavens began gathering around it once more. But this wont work either... Zhang Xuan scratched his hair in distress. He had to be within the Soulless Metal Humanoid to drive it in order to facilitate the entire process of deceiving the heavens. Given that he was unable to control the Soulless Metal Humanoid remotely, this n was a flop as well. If this doesnt work, I could try to refine the other corpse of the deity that I have in my storage ring right now... But as Zhang Xuan spoke, his voice gradually faded into silence. He did have another deity corpse in his storage ring that he had not refined yet. However, the corpse had to be first refined into a Soulless Metal Humanoid in order to catch the attention of the heavens, but the refinement process was not something that could be aplished within a short period of time. We cant refine the other Soulless Metal Humanoids in time, and there are no indigenous Dimension Shatterer realm experts. What else can we do? Watching the ck mes assault the seal to the Kunxu Domain relentlessly, Zhang Xuan racked his brain at such a ferocious speed that it seemed as if sparks were going to fly from his head. A thought shed across Zhang Xuans mind. Right, the Library of Heavens Path! The Library of Heavens Path represents the will of the heavens... Given so, is it possible for me to use the golden page to bend the will of the heavens? However, there was an issue with this course of action as well. He had used his only golden page to smash the deity summoned by Sovereign Chen Ling back then. Furthermore, the requirements to produce a golden page were uncertain. So far, he only knew that he needed someone to acknowledge him as his teacher and be earnestly grateful to him for his impartation. Nevertheless, he had to give it a try. Thus, he turned to Kong Shiyao and earnestly asked, You... Are you willing to acknowledge me as your teacher? What? No way! Kong Shiyao replied without any hesitation. Chapter 1902 - Prophet

Chapter 1902: Prophet

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Awkward. Zhang Xuan scratched his head. The others who were present there, such as Ancient Sage Yan Qing, were beings who had lived for more than ten thousand years. It would be difficult to win them over in a moments time, especially given the fact that they had once had a conflict with one another. The same went for Yan Xue. Thus, he deemed Kong Shiyao to be the one that he could most likely win over. Of course, he did not expect that he would be rejected in an instant. In truth, it was understandable why Kong Shiyao was reluctant to take Zhang Xuan as her teacher. The fact that she possessed Kong shis bloodline and had inherited Kong shis lineage meant that she was already standing on the shoulders of a giant. Not even Ancient Sage Yan Qing was qualified to be her teacher, let alone others! It did not make a difference even if the person asking was a Celestial Master Teacher. She admitted that her talent might be beneath that of Zhang Xuan, but she had at least this much of pride in herself. This matter concerns whether or not we will be able to resolve the crisis concerning the Kunxu Domain, Zhang Xuan insisted. Furthermore, I have no ns of epting you as my direct disciple. You just have to acknowledge me as your teacher! Based on his previous encounters, as long as the other party sincerely acknowledged him as his teacher and was grateful for his teachings, there was a chance that the golden page would form. It did not matter whether the other party was his direct disciple or not. How can me acknowledging you as my teacher resolve the current problem we are facing? Kong Shiyao frowned. If not for the fact that the young man had just in a deity and saved the Hundred Schools of Philosophers from a huge crisis, she would have thought that he was a scammer! Why dont we do this for now? Ill give you some pointers on your cultivation, and as for whether you are willing to acknowledge me as your teacher or not, Ill leave it up to you. Looking at the swiftly gathering ominous clouds above him, Zhang Xuan knew that the heavenly retribution was just moments away from descending. It was clear that time was not on his side, so he had no time to waste convincing Kong Shiyao. Besides, putting aside the fact that he was not willing to reveal the existence of the Library of Heavens Path, if he had to make Kong Shiyao acknowledge him as her teacher using such a method, it was unlikely for her feelings to be truly sincere. If so, that could affect the chances of the formation of the golden page. Thus, without waiting for Kong Shiyaos response, he began speaking. Flowing in your body is the purest bloodline of Kong shi in the past thousand years. You are able to master any battle technique and cultivation technique in the blink of an eye, and the rate of your cultivation far exceeds that of ordinary people as well. Furthermore, if Im not mistaken, even though it has only been three years since your cultivation has reached Sempiternal realm consummation, you have already faced three Ancient Sage Ordeals thus far, but you chose to suppress your cultivation instead of pushing straight for a breakthrough! Kong Shiyao nodded as she waited patiently for Zhang Xuan to continue on with whatever he was going to say. Nothing that Zhang Xuan had mentioned thus far could be considered a secret. Most of those who were close to her knew all of that. Considering Zhang Xuans means as a Celestial Master Teacher, it should not have been too difficult for him to uncover such information. With each Ancient Sage Ordeal you faced, your cultivation did grow stronger, and it will y a vital role in determining whether you are able to struggle free from the restraints of the heavens and achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm in the future. However, you probably noticed that a problem has arisen as a result of your multiple attempted breakthroughs, Zhang Xuan said. The power of the Ancient Sage Ordeal has already melded into your core. Your body still contains traces of the energies from the multiple Ancient Sage Ordeals that you have been through, and this buildup of unassimble energies eventually became a bottleneck to your cultivation. You challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal three times within the short span of a year two years ago, but ever since then, you havent attempted anything at all. I think its worth questioning why you chose to dy the fourth Ancient Sage Ordeal for two whole years. Based on what Im seeing, I would say that its not because you dont want to do it but because you dare not to... As if Zhang Xuan had struck dead on, Kong Shiyaos face turned frighteningly pale. She subconsciously took a step back as she stared at Zhang Xuan with eyes erged wide. This matter had been the deepest secret in her heart, and she had not dared speak of it. She did not think that a young man whom she had just met would actually expose it in a few moments. When she first reached the Sempiternal realm three years ago, she had dreamt of emting her predecessors greatness and attempted three Ancient Sage Ordeals... Her first three Ancient Sage Ordeals had been fraught with danger, but she had eventually managed to ovee them with her tenacity. But after the third Ancient Sage Ordeal, to her horror, she found that the energies from the Ancient Sage Ordeals had already seeped into her bones. No matter how she tried to cleanse her body, she was unable to get rid of them! Her gut feeling told her that if she attempted another Ancient Sage Ordeal and allowed the energies scourging her body to continue building up, there was a good chance that her consciousness would be corroded by the energies, causing her to lose herself. In the worst-case scenario, she might even be assimted to be a part of the heavenly tribtion itself. It was this deep fear that had led to her to stop her breakthrough despite having ovee three Ancient Sage Ordeals within the short span of a year. Two years had passed since then, and she had not managed to find a suitable solution. However, her physical condition had been deteriorating as she began to lose control over the energies scourging her body. She had browsed through countless books, hoping to find a solution to purge her of this trouble, but her efforts were to no avail. However, to hear Zhang Xuan pointing everything out spot-on at this moment... could it be possible that he had a solution to her woes? As if he was able to read her mind, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Since I can see through your problem, it goes without saying that I have a solution for it. You should be able to tell that I, like you, have ovee multiple Ancient Sage Ordeals, but I am not gued by the issue that afflicts you! Kong Shiyao nodded vigorously as the same realization dawned upon her, and hope rekindled in the depths of her eyes. Just like her, the young man standing before her was at the Sempiternal realm, but he was actually able to fight on equal footing with Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators. Other than the fact that he was a Celestial Master Teacher, it was likely that he had faced multiple Ancient Sage Ordeals while suppressing his cultivation, or else there was no way he could have be so powerful. If I may... how can my affliction be resolved? If you are really able to solve my problem, I am more than willing to acknowledge you as my teacher! Kong Shiyao eximed in agitation. As long as her affliction was resolved, with her foundation of having ovee four Ancient Sage Ordeals, she was confident that she would be able to catch up with her ancestor and eventually reach the Dimension Shatterer realm! With such strength, even if problems cropped up with the seal once more, she would have the strength to resolve them by herself. Perhaps, she might even follow her predecessors footsteps and enter a higher dimension, rising through the ranks! The problem is actually very simple. Unlike the cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent, the energy required to form the cultivation ordeals within the Kunxu Domaines not from the heavens but the energy existent in the Kunxu Domain. As the Kunxu Domain was constructed by Kong shi, this world harnesses his energy within it. To any other cultivator, this fact wouldnt make a difference at all, but unfortunately, you share the same power origin as Kong shi, which resulted in your inability to expel the energies from the Ancient Sage Ordeal, as well as your gradual assimtion with it! Zhang Xuan exined. The Kunxu Domain had two major seals to prevent the heavens from peeking in, so it went without saying that the Ancient Sage Ordeals that Kong Shiyao had undergone did note from the heavens. From the looks of it, it was likely that Kong shi had implemented the system of cultivation ordeals within the Kunxu Domain as well. It should have worked out fine for any other cultivator, but that was not the case for Kong Shiyao. While the energies of the Ancient Sage Ordeal came from the same origin, their violent nature rendered her unable to fully control them. At the same time, she was unable to fully remove them as they fused perfectly with her body, thus leading to their gradual buildup with every Ancient Sage Ordeal that she went through. Over time, they formed a threat that she simply could not ignore anymore. What should I do? Kong Shiyao asked worriedly. The realization of the root of the problem made her realize how difficult it would be to cure her of her affliction, and she began to worry if she would be unable to resolve it for life. Well, the solution is rather simple and straightforward as well. All you have to do is challenge the Ancient Sage Ordeal on the Master Teacher Continent. Of course, given your current umtion, I dont deny that you face a huge danger in doing so. At this current juncture, you have two options ahead of you. If you choose not to push for a breakthrough, as your zhenqi further builds up, you will eventually lose your opportunity to make a breakthrough. On the other hand, if you do push for a breakthrough, considering that you have nevere into contact with the lightning tribtion of the Master Teacher Continent before, even I am unable to fully predict what will happen as a result of that, Zhang Xuan exined with a knowing smile. However, if you acknowledge me as your teacher, Ill teach you a method that will allow you to ovee your Ancient Sage Ordeal with certainty! This... Seeing that there was no other way out of this, Kong Shiyao decisively kneeled down and kowtowed several times. Alright, Ill acknowledge you as my teacher. I hope that you will save me from my plight! Zhang Xuan took a look at the Library of Heavens Path and saw that no golden page had been produced yet. Knowing that Kong Shiyaos feelings were not yet earnest, he sighed deeply and said, Oveing the Ancient Sage Ordeal on the Master Teacher Continent isnt tough at all. The key lies in that you mustnt think of it as a burden but a family member. You need to love it, care for it, consider its needs, feel its presence, give it your warmth and concern... ... Kong Shiyaos face twisted in incredulity, and at that very moment, she really wanted to bust the head of the fellow standing before her. Somehow, she felt as if she had just been scammed. Chapter 1903 - Kong Shiyao’s Breakthrough (1)

Chapter 1903: Kong Shiyaos Breakthrough (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Cough cough! Zhang shi, the main point! Even Ancient Sage Yan Qing could not bear looking on. The Ancient Sage Ordeal was one of the greatest crises a cultivator would face. Even with ample Aeon of Ancient Sage, if one did not possess top-notch talent, it would be impossible to achieve a breakthrough. The reason that Kong Shiyao was able to make a breakthrough was partly because she was allocated with a more generous portion of the resources in the Kunxu Domain due to her standing as a descendant of Kong shi. Even though the Aeon of Ancient Sage had already run out in the other ns, they were still able to preserve a hint of it for her. Even so, every breakthrough that she had gone through was no different from walking on thin ice. One wrong step, and she would have plunged into the abyss of despair. Yet, that fellow was telling her to treat the cultivation ordeal like a family member and show care and concern for it... Do you take me for a fool? Do you really expect me to ept the nonsense you are spouting over here? It seems like you doubt my words. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He turned to the ominous clouds in the sky and grabbed. A lightning bolt was immediately torn away from the heavenly retribution. Kacha! Kacha! The lightning bolt struggled, wanting to escape from Zhang Xuans grasp, but to no avail. Zhang Xuan stroked the lightning bolt gently and said, Good boy, good boy... His voice was tender, as if he was calming down an angry pet. In the face of Zhang Xuans soothing strokes, the struggling lightning bolt hesitated for a moment before the tension gradually left its body. Slowly, it seeped through Zhang Xuans skin and entered his body. Kong Shiyao and the others were stupefied by what they had just witnessed. Was this really possible? It had to be a joke, right? See, thats how you do it. Love is the key to everything. Instead of resisting it, you have to embrace and allow it into you. Thats how you can win its trust and make it listen to you, Zhang Xuan exined as he flicked his wrist, and the bolt of lightning appeared once more. He stroked the lightning bolt lightly, as if coaxing a purring cat lying on his arms. As unbelievable the sight before their eyes was, it raised a doubt in their minds. Was it really possible to ovee the Ancient Sage Ordeal in such a manner? If so, why had no one done so in the past tens of thousands of years? Considering how powerful the cultivation ordeal is, who would dare treat it as a pet? Trust me, nothing will go wrong! Later on, after you summon the Ancient Sage Ordeal, open up all of the acupoints in your body and absorb it fearlessly. You mustnt show the slightest hint of rejection! Remember, you must use your heart to feel the other party, Zhang Xuan exined. As long as you are able to do all of this, I guarantee you that you wont face any problem clearing your Ancient Sage Ordeal! Kong Shiyao was still a little worried. No matter how she looked at it, the other partys words simply sounded like pure cow manure to her... Do you not trust me, or do you not have faith in yourself? If you dont believe that you are able to clear your fourth Ancient Sage Ordeal, you should just drop the idea right now and remain a Sempiternal realm cultivator for the rest of your life! Zhang Xuan waved his hand in disappointment. I have always respected Kong shi for the great man he was, and I thought that his descendant would be as valiant and fearless as him. I guess it was wrong of me to assume that his descendant would have inherited his courage... Dont bother taunting me! Kong Shiyao harrumphed. Humph, the worst that can happen is death anyway. Let me tell you thiswe of the Kong n have never feared anything before! Fine, tell me what I should do! Seeing that he had managed to goad Kong Shiyao into it, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He swiftly provided Kong Shiyao with the exact instructions of what she should do after summoning the Ancient Sage Ordeal, though the crux of it was pretty simr to what he had said earlier. After summoning the Ancient Sage Ordeal, she should not resist it. She needed to draw it into her acupoints and meridians and use her heart to feel it... Hearing those words once more, Kong Shiyao cringed as her goosebumps rose up. Even though it sounded like utter nonsense, she eventually decided to take a leap of faith and go along with. Gritting her teeth, she said, Ill give it a try! Ignoring Ancient Sage Yan Qings objection, she flew into the air in preparation for summoning the Ancient Sage Ordeal. Dont do it here! Lets find a remote location! Currently, they were right in the midst of the Tianxuan Kingdom, and if Kong Shiyao summoned the Ancient Sage Ordeal there, everything in the area could very well be annihted. Thus, Zhang Xuan quickly stopped her and urged her elsewhere. They quickly left the area, and a few breathster, they were standing in the middle of an empty mountain range some distance away from the Tianxuan Kingdom. Zhang Xuan and the others chose to stand at a distance of twenty li away to spectate the process. Huhu! Without any hesitation, Kong Shiyao drove the energy in her body to her limits and released the entirety of her aura at once, inducing the surroundings to rumble as if an earthquake was happening. It took a mere instant for her to catch the attention of the heavens. Ominous clouds billowed as the lightning bolts and heavenly mes that had gathered around the entrance of the Kunxu Domain surrounded her, ready to tear her into shreds at any moment. What the... It was almost as if she was watching a beansprout growing insanely huge right before her eyes. Things were definitely not going the way she had expected! Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to Zhang Xuan and nervously asked, Zhang shi, can she really tame and love such a powerful cultivation ordeal? What nonsense are you spouting? Of course not! Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Yan Qing and looked at him as if he was a fool. Of course not? Hearing such a response, the crowd nearly copsed on the spot. Werent you the one who was trying to convince us just a moment ago that the power of love is omnipotent? How can you be so fickle as to change your mind the very next instant? The Ancient Sage Ordeal is the heavens punishment toward the cultivators, Zhang Xuan replied. A sinner trying to tame an enforcer... how could that be possible? What using ones heart to feel the cultivation ordeal and shower it with love and concern? All of that was just something I spouted on a whim! Words you spouted on a whim... B-but... Shiyao is facing the Ancient Sage Ordeal... Shell die like this! Ancient Sage Yan Qing nearly exploded on the spot. Even jokes should have a limit! Kong Shiyao was the only one among Kong shis descendants who had a bloodline purity of 8. If he allowed her to die just like that, he would never be able to face his predecessors! Calm down, I have no intention of leaving Kong Shiyao to die. Just wait and see! Zhang Xuan assured the nervous crowd with a confident smile. At that moment, the power building up amid the dark clouds finally reached its tipping point, and ferocious lightning bolts and zing heavenly mes rained down upon her. Kacha! The sheer amount of energy formed a devastating tower of mes and lightning that shrouded everything within a diameter of several hundred meters. Damn it! If that fellow is able to do it, why cant I do it too? Kong Shiyao cursed under her breath as she felt her muscles tensing under the pressurizing might above her. Her zhenqi instinctively bubbled within her body, ready to burst forth to fend off the devastating energy. However, at the veryst moment, she forcefully suppressed everyst bit of her strength. Screw it all! Just thinking about the smug knowing smile on his face made her boil with rage... If she really died, she will never let that b*stard off even as a ghost! Boom boom boom! As the pir of terrifying energy engulfed Kong Shiyao, everyone in the area closed their eyes in trepidation, not daring to see what was about to happen. They did not think that their hearts would be able to take it if they saw the youngdy being torn to shreds under the cultivation ordeal! However, as they waited and waited, there was no desperate cry of agony or anything of the sort. Perplexed, they looked over, and what they saw left them stunned. At that very moment, the youngdy was indeed engulfed by heavenly mes and lightning bolts. But instead of desperately trying to resist this destructive energy, her acupoints were wide open as she epted the energy into her body without any hesitation. Unlike what most had expected, the destructive energy did not cause any damage or explode within her body. It simply sat quietly in her meridians, almost as if it had been domesticated. This... What in the world had happened? Everyone looked at the young man before them with indescribable looks on their faces. Did he not just say that it was all lies? If so, what was happening? If Kong Shiyao was able to do it... should they give it a try as well? At that moment, the Sempiternal realm consummation Xue Yan felt deeply tempted. Zhang shi... With his curiosity getting the better of him, Ancient Sage Yan Qing asked, Just what is going on here? Chapter 1904 - Kong Shiyao’s Breakthrough (2)

Chapter 1904: Kong Shiyaos Breakthrough (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Instead of answering Ancient Sage Yan Qings question, Zhang Xuan turned to Xue Yan and shattered his hopes. You wont be able to do it. If you try to do the same, youll be struck to death on the spot! Why cant I do it? Xue Yan frowned in indignance. Its not just you. Even I would be unable to emte what Kong Shiyao has just done! Zhang Xuan replied. Kong Shiyao possesses Kong shis bloodline, and she grew up in the Kunxu Domain. After the cultivation ordeals she has been through, its no exaggeration to say that a part of the Kunxu Domain exists within her. The crowd pondered for a moment before nodding. It was mentioned earlier that after Kong Shiyaos three Ancient Sage Ordeals, her body was already suffused with the energies from the cultivation ordeals. If she attempted a fourth breakthrough in the Kunxu Domain, it was likely that she would have been assimted by the energies building up within her. And the very existence of the Kunxu Domain is something that is not permissible by the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent! Zhang Xuan continued. If she had attempted to resist the cultivation ordeal, she would have incurred the wrath of the heavens, and that would have only ced her in a worse position. The more she struggled, the worse the position she would have found herself in! Theres no denying that the heavens wanted to punish Kong Shiyao for attempting a breakthrough, but more than that, they were more desperate to destroy the trace of the Kunxu Domain that exists within her. Trying to push off the cultivation ordeal would be equivalent to hindering the heavens enforcement of the naturalws, and that would have ced her in a worse position. The heavens would surely have struck her again and again until she was finally destroyed! However, by opening her acupoints and allowing the lightning bolts and heavenly mes in instead, its equivalent to allowing the enforcers in to do what they needed to do. This has reduced her sins significantly, thus reducing the heavenly retribution falling upon on her. On top of that, she can make use of this opportunity to clear away the energies umted within her body, thus killing two birds with one stone! This... Everyones teeth ttered in shock. From how the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent were so determined to destroy the Kunxu Domain, it was apparent that the two of them were at odds with one another. Yet, Zhang Xuan was able to sharply discern this and use it to his advantage, thus wearing the heavenly retribution down through such a method. This was an extremely risky gamble. If anything had gone wrong, everything would have swiftly descended into a tragedy. While Ancient Sage Yan Qing was amazed by the feat, he could not help but harbor some reservations toward this risky n. In a sense, this is simr to countering poison with poison... But if the two energies werent enough to nullify one another, wouldnt Shiyao be ced in a terrible position? It was one of those things that were simple in theory but hard to execute. There was a fixed amount of umted energies within Kong Shiyaos body. If she had absorbed too little of the heavenly retribution, she would not be able to clear the energies away entirely. But if she absorbed too much, it could lead to her death. Thats why I told her to feel with her heart, didnt I? Zhang Xuan said. As Kong shis descendant, the number one genius of the Kunxu Domain, if she isnt even capable of carrying out such basic estimations and controlling how much of the heavenly retribution she has taken in, I will really have nothing to say! If thats all she has, even if she survives this ordeal, I must say that she wont be able to go too far in the future! It was not out of boredom that Zhang Xuan had spun up an old wives tale to deceive Kong Shiyao. If he had revealed the truth to her at the start, her mind would have been preupied with other things, and that might have caused her to lose focus on her own body. That would have led to an adverse effect instead. This... Coming to understand the entire situation, the crowd could not help but direct impressed looks at the young man. His grasp over states of mind, the nature of the heavenly tribtion, and the capabilities of those involved... Everything was in his field of calction, and he had managed to pull it off impably. As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher! His abilities far surpassed even those of the Ancient Sages! ... While everyone else was awestruck after hearing the young mans exnation, up in the sky, Kong Shiyao, who had experienced everything firsthand, was fully convinced of the young mans capabilities. Even though this Celestial Master Teacher seemed to be even younger than her, there was no doubt that he was the real deal. Even though she had not heard the exnation, she already vaguely understood the intentions behind the young mans actions. As the lightning bolts and heavenly mes from the Ancient Sage Ordeal washed through her body, all of the energies that she had built up back in the Kunxu Domain were slowly being neutralized and destroyed! Even though two forces were colliding with one another within her body, her body remained perfectly fine. Not only so, through examining the powers within her body, she was able to further deepen her understanding of the world. Time slowly ticked by, and soon enough, the energies from the past Ancient Sage Ordeals umted within her body had finally been eradicated. Kong Shiyao knew that this was the moment for her to stop, so she decisively sealed all of her acupoints and ignited her bloodline. Dissipate! shemanded. Word of Law! At that moment, the Ancient Sage Ordeal that she had summoned weakened significantly, such that it was no longer a match for her. At hermand, an entire half of the ominous clouds in the sky dissipated, and the rest were gradually following suit. Hong long long! With the departure of the ominous clouds, the youngdy released all of her suppressed powers. She crushed all of the bottlenecks in her cultivation and reached Ancient Sage in a breath. Furthermore, due to the deep umtion of her cultivation, she did not stop right after her breakthrough. Instead, her cultivation continued charging forth. Bloodline Continuance realm primary stage! Bloodline Continuance realm intermediate stage! ... In a few moments, she had already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation! And after which... Great Philosopher realm primary stage! Great Philosopher realm intermediate stage! ... Great Philosopher realm consummation! In less than a minute, her cultivation soared to Great Philosopher realm consummation stage before gradually receding. Incredible, Ancient Sage Yan Qing muttered in admiration. For most of their breakthroughs to Ancient Sage, they would usually stop right at Bloodline Continuance primary stage. Even the most talented of them all only managed to push up to intermediate stage before losing the drive. However, Kong Shiyao had actually leaped two realms up in a single breath, reaching Great Philosopher realm consummation. Such a feat had never been achieved in the past tens of thousands of years in the Kunxu Domain! Its all due to this young man that Shiyao was able to make such a huge leap in her cultivation, Ancient Sage Yan Qing thought in wonderment as he turned to look at Zhang Xuan. But at that moment, Zhang Xuan was looking at the youngdy in the sky with a dissatisfied look on his face. Continue to push on. With your umtion, you should be able to push for a breakthrough to the Blood Reincarnation realm! Blood Reincarnation realm? Kong Shiyao was stunned. She quickly shook her head and replied, I have already reached my limits. I dont have enough energy in me to push for another breakthrough anymore... Even though she had made great umtion by suppressing her cultivation through four Ancient Sage Ordeals, she knew that she had already struck her limit by pushing to Ancient Sage 2-dan consummation in a single sitting. She did not think that she would be able to push any further than that. Limits? Those are mental constructs that you impose on yourself! Zhang Xuan remarked as he flicked a droplet of blood toward Kong Shiyao. Swallow it! Yes! By that point, Kong Shiyao waspletely trusting of Zhang Xuan. Without any hesitation, she swallowed the droplet of blood. As soon as the droplet of blood slid down her throat, she immediately felt a burning heat inside of her threatening tobust her from the inside. Is this the blood of the deity? Kong Shiyao widened her eyes. She had absorbed quite a few blood essences of Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators over the years, and it was for that reason that she was able to make such incredible aplishments despite your young age. However, the blood essence that the young man had just given her was much more potent than anything she had swallowed before. In terms of power, it was at least ten times greater than the Blood Reincarnation realm blood essences that she had swallowed! There was only one possibility for this... It was the blood of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator! To think that the young man would willingly give something so invaluable to her... Kong Shiyaos face reddened in a mixture of agitation and gratitude, but she knew that this was not the time for her thoughts to be wondering. She quickly drove her zhenqi to assimte the energy from the blood essence. An hourter, she shattered her bottleneck once more and sessfully advanced to the Blood Reincarnation realm. Her cultivation eventually came to a halt at the intermediate stage. Feeling the energy pulsating through her body, Kong Shiyao swiftly flew over to Zhang Xuan and kneeled down before him. Teacher! This time, her feelings of gratitude and respect were truly earnest. Weng! Zhang Xuans head jolted as a golden page appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. Chapter 1905 - Little Junior

Chapter 1905: Little Junior

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The main reason Zhang Xuan wanted to ept Kong Shiyao as his direct disciple was to form the golden page, and his goal had finally been achieved. Get up! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he helped the youngdy up. With this, he should be able to resolve the crisis surrounding the Kunxu Domain. Teacher! Is that our Little Junior? Zhang Xuan turned his head around and saw Zhao Ya and his other direct disciples looking at him in agitation. Kong Shiyaos Ancient Sage Ordeal had caused such a massive phenomenon to ur, shaking the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. As Ancient Sage cultivators, there was no way Zhao Ya and the others would not be rmed by the happenings. Little Junior? Kong Shiyao was a little conflicted to hear that term. She was the number one genius of the Kunxu Domain, a descendant of Kong shi... To call a bunch of youths younger than her senior, she really could not bring herself to do it. Just as Kong Shiyao was at a loss as to what to do, Zhang shi suddenly spoke up. She cant be considered your junior yet. She isnt my direct disciple but a normal student that I have epted. A normal student that you have epted... Kong Shiyaos body trembled at those words. It was just a moment ago that she had thought that it would be incredibly awkward being their Little Junior, but Zhang Xuan spoke as if she did not even have the rights to be their Little Junior... She turned to re at Zhang Xuan with gritted teeth, wanting to protest against that clear insult, only to have Zhang shi turn to her and ask, Do you think that I am humiliating you? Knowing that it would be improper for her to challenge her teacher publicly, she swallowed her indignation and lowered her head. I wouldnt dare! Nevertheless, the clenched fists by her side fully expressed her true feelings. As the phoenix of the Kunxu Domain, she felt that it was ridiculous that she did not even have the right to be the Little Junior of a bunch of youths. Its fine, theres no need to hold back before me. I know your thoughts. Why dont we do this then? Zhao Ya is my direct disciple, and in terms of age, shes much younger than you, Zhang Xuan said as he gestured toward Zhao Ya. Without any weapons in hand, the two of you will just fight with your raw strength. If you are able to win against her, Ill ept you as my direct disciple and allow you to be their senior! Very well! Caught up in the moment, Kong Shiyao looked at Zhao Ya with fighting will burning in her eyes. The other party appeared to be eighteen or so, which made the other party much younger than her. If she could not even defeat such an opponent, what right did she have to be Kong shis descendant? After receiving Kong Shiyaos approval, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Zhao Ya and said, Just do what you usually do, and it will be enough. Yes! Zhao Ya replied with a nod before moving toward the empty clearing ahead. With a polite gesture, she invited Kong Shiyao forward. Please! Kong Shiyao also quickly walked over. There was no exchange of words or taunting before the battle started, but with their dignity on their line, a tense andpetitive atmosphere could be felt between the two. Kong Shiyao did not use her bloodline ability, but as a top-notch genius and a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator, she executed innumerable battle techniques one after another impably, making her movements appear like an elegant dance. On the other hand, Zhao Ya activated her unique constitution, causing a cold aura to grip the entire area. Beautiful snowkes fell from the sky as a result of her ability. Her cultivation had reached Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm primary stage after the attempted assassination on the newly inaugurated Sovereign Chen Yong a month back. However, over the past month, she had received her teachers direct pointers and an ample supply of Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage blood, which had allowed her to reinforce her foundations to their limits and eventually reach Great Philosopher realm consummation. While she had not made too many breakthroughs within this period of time, it would be foolish if one simply assessed her by her cultivation. It was true that there was a fatal rift between her and Kong Shiyaos cultivation, but through her strong foundations and her deep understanding of battle, she was actually able to stand her ground against Kong Shiyaos pressing offense. The intense battle proceeded, and gradually, one could see anxiety seeping into Kong Shiyaos eyes. There should have been an absolute gap in their strength, given her higher cultivation realm and her prowess as Kong shis descendant. Yet, in a fair battle where both of them were wielding no weapons, she was actually unable to im the upper hand. How in the world did Zhang Xuans eighteen-year-old or something direct disciple be so powerful? This wont do. At this rate, even if I win, my honor will be sullied... She wanted to prove that her talents were far beyond any of Zhang Xuans direct disciples, but if it was so difficult for her to defeat Zhao Ya despite her higher cultivation, it would actually be no different from suffering a defeat. Clenching her teeth tightly, she abruptly changed her movement technique, and in an instant, many afterimages of her appeared on the battlefield. This was the battle technique that Kong shi had specially created for his descendants, as well as the strongest skill that she had at the moment... Massacre of the Eight Arms! Deng deng deng! Innumerable attacks flew forth from the seemingly omnipresent Kong Shiyao at a rapid pace. It was not long before Zhao Ya was cornered, and she was forced to retreat again and again. While Kong Shiyao had just achieved a breakthrough, there was no questioning that she was someone who had been through four Ancient Sage Ordeals, making her an exceptionally powerful existence even among Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators. If not for Zhao Yas superiorbat experience, she would have already lost. Dont panic. You are onlycking in absolute strength at the moment... Since thats the case, all you have to do is achieve a breakthrough! With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan sent a droplet of the blood essence of the deity over to Zhao Ya. Hu! Swallowing the blood droplet, Zhao Yas cultivation immediately began surging. Hong long! In less than twenty breaths, she had already ovee her current bottleneck to reach the Blood Reincarnation realm. With the tremendous surge in her strength as a result of her breakthrough, she released a burst of cold energy that swiftly sent Kong Shiyao flying into the distance before crashing onto the ground. I have lost, Kong Shiyao muttered with a pale face. She still had many more moves that she had not used, and she knew that she definitely would have been able to win if she had used her bloodline ability. However, this was not a life-and-death match, and she could not bring herself to use it at this moment. While the other partys battle techniques were not as profound as hers, every single one of her movements carried a deep conception behind it, making it hard to fathom her movements. On top of that, the other party seemed to be able to see through her ws, intentionally striking at ces where she could hardly defend. As a result, she was being slowly cornered. She could still rely on her superior cultivation to bridge the gap in their skills earlier on, but after Zhao Yas cultivation reached the Blood Reincarnation realm, it had be apletely one-sided battle. It was trulyughable how she had looked down on this group of youths prior to the battle. In terms of talent, they were in no way beneath her! How is it? Are you still indignant at being called their Little Junior? Seeing how the proud genius of the Kunxu Domain was still having troubleing to terms with her defeat, Zhang Xuan suggested, If you feel that its unfair because Zhao Ya is the strongest of them all, you can feel free to challenge the others. However, Ill have to ask you to suppress your cultivation in order to ensure fairness. This... Kong Shiyao turned to look at the rest of Zhang Xuans direct disciples. Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, and the others were looking at her with excited gleams in their eyes. It seemed like they were dying to challenge and bully her so as to put her in ce. Its fine. Im willing to ept my position as the Little Junior... Kong Shiyao lowered her head and bowed down. Since they had all been groomed by the same teacher, it was likely that they would be simr in terms of strength. She had thought that she could suppress Zhao Ya with her superior cultivation, but that did not work in the end. She did not think that she would be able to best the rest of Zhang Xuans students. Since she was not confident in her strength, there was no need for her to go through with that and humiliate herself. It would be best for her to just acknowledge it. That would be for the best, Zhang Xuan said. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the rest of you, from today on, Kong Shiyao will be your Little Junior, as well as my ninth direct disciple. You must take care of one another, got it? Yes, well listen to your teachings! The others sped their fists and replied resoundingly. Seeing that even a descendant of Kong shi had ended up acknowledging Zhang Xuan as her teacher, Ancient Sage Yan Qing found himself rendered speechless. It was not until a long timeter that he finally found his voice once more. Since Shiyao has achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage and reached the Blood Reincarnation realm, she is qualified to be the new leader of the Kunxu Domain and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! Since the Kunxu Domain had been left behind by Kong shi himself, it went without saying that it should be managed by his descendants. In the past few years, he had just been taking care of the Kunxu Domain and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in her ce. Since Kong Shiyao had grown and matured, it was time for him to pass the baton back to her. Chapter 1906 - Where Did Teacher Go?

Chapter 1906: Where Did Teacher Go?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had always held Kong shi as its central figure, so there was no one who would voice any objections with Kong Shiyao bing their leader after her breakthrough to Ancient Sage. With this, it meant that Zhang Xuan and his nine direct disciples had mankind, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and even the Hundred Schools of Philosophers under their control. Knowing that she carried heavy responsibility on her shoulders, Kong Shiyao turned to her teacher and asked, Teacher, how should we deal with the matter concerning the Kunxu Domains seal? Her teacher had said that he would be able to resolve everything as long as she acknowledged him as her teacher. Let me give it a try. Zhang Xuan walked up to the seal, and with a thought, he took a golden page from his be. Hu! The golden page flew over to the seal of the Kunxu Domain and swiftly fused together with it. Following which, the seal quickly morphed into a massive, majestic gate. As soon as this massive majestic gate appeared, the roaring lightning and crackling mes in the sky, as if having met their nemesis, quickly dissipated. What the... the crisis has been resolved just like that? Everyone was stupefied. They had been wondering where they could find Dimension Shatterer realm experts to save them from their plight, but who could have known that everything would be resolved so easily with a single golden page? If everything was that easy, why did Zhang Xuan not take it out earlier? Disregarding the looks of discontentment directed at him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like everything worked out as I thought... In truth, he had been rather uncertain about the limits of the Library of Heavens Paths abilities. At the very start, the first limitation that he had found was that the Library of Heavens Path was unable to see through the ws of Ancient Sages. Perhaps it was because Ancient Sages were existences on par with the heavens, and that was its bottleneck. However, when Luo Ruoxin fused the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn with his Library of Heavens Path prior to her departure, this bottleneck had been removed. Back then, he had wondered if the Library of Heavens Path tier had already exceeded the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent, and from the earlier result that he had seen, that seemed to be the case. The heavens would not dare punish a higher existence than them, and the Library of Heavens Path and the golden pages happened to be such existences. With a seal formed by a golden page viewed to be a higher existence than the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent, the result was clear. There was no way the heavens would dare pass their judgement upon the Kunxu Domain anymore. As long as the seal formed by the golden page existed, the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent would dare not barge their way in. In fact, it didnt matter whether the Kunxu Domain remained hidden or not anymore. Satisfied with the results, Zhang Xuan nced at Kong Shiyao and said, I would like to pay a visit to the ancestral residence of the Kong n! Kong Shiyao quickly walked forward and led the way back to the Kunxu Domain. The ancestral residence of the Kong n was located in the vicinity of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. Zhang Xuan strolled casually around it. The Kong n had inherited Kong shis heritage, and it aimed to push forward his ideals and cultivation techniques. There was a strong schrly atmosphere drifting in the residence, and with every step that Zhang Xuan took, he could vaguely feel Kong shis spirit and philosophy. After taking a look around the Kong n, Zhang Xuan left the Kunxu Domain. This time, he did not take his direct disciples with him, wanting to take a walk around. Kong shi had once toured around the entire Master Teacher Continent, and it had given him a much deeperprehension of life. It was the spark that had led him to create the overpowered treasure known as the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Zhang Xuan wanted to see the Master Teacher Continent as it was for himself as well, and through doing so, he hoped to rediscover who he was. Every city that he went to, he would stop for a period of time to experience the local culture. With the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe resolved, the world was in a rare state of peace. The Master Teacher Pavilion had also been reorganized ording to Yang shis ns, destroying the previous aggregation of power through factions. At this moment, it had be an organization dedicated to imparting wisdom to the world. Under Zhang Xuans instructions, his direct disciples had scattered around the world to spread his teachings. Many of his past students from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had traveled around the world to lecture as well. Often, those who heard Zhang Xuans teaching through these indirect sources stumbled upon sudden bouts of enlightenment in the midst of the lectures, inducing a huge leap in their fighting prowess. As a result, their skills tended to surpass their peers. More often than not, those people would then be advocates of the Zhang School of Thought. In a short period of time, Zhang Xuans reputation as the number one master teacher of the world grew greater and greater, such that the significance of his name was almost bing synonymous with that of Kong shis. There was no one in this world who did not dream of hearing a lesson directly from Zhang shi himself, but it was as if the person in question had evaporated from the face of the world. No one knew where he was or where he had gone. It was not just the Master Teacher Pavilion who did not know of his whereaboutseven his direct disciples had no clue as to where their teacher had gone. No matter how they tried to contact him, there was simply no response. Just where has teacher gone? Zheng Yang sighed deeply. He had flown to the southernmost hemisphere of the Master Teacher Continent, but there was no one who had seen his teacher at all. Zhao Ya had flown to the extreme north, but her search had ended in futility. Zhang Xuans nine direct disciples had searched for four months, and they had scoured nearly every nook and cranny of the Master Teacher Continent, but their teacher remained nowhere to be seen. Its likely that our teacher is trying to find his own route and doesnt want to be disturbed right now. He should be fine, so theres no need for us to worry excessively about him, Wang Ying consoled. Wang Ying is right, Lu Chong said. What we should do right now is not search for our teacher but follow his instructions and impart his wisdom to all parts of the world. Furthermore, we must make sure to keep up with our cultivation. We should aim to reach Blood Reincarnation realm consummation as soon as possible so that we can share some of his burden! Thats right! The others nodded in agreement. With their teachers current strength, there was no one on the Master Teacher Continent who could possibly pose a threat to him anymore. As such, there was indeed no need for them to worry. Their time would be better used on aplishing the mission that he had entrusted to them and raising their cultivation. At the very least, when the time came, they would not be mere baggage to their teacher anymore. ... While the world was searching for his whereabouts, Zhang Xuan was strolling leisurely in a remote town on the Master Teacher Continent. It had been almost half a year since he left the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, which also meant that it had been two years since he hade to this world. Over the past half a year, he had seen countless joys and sorrows, reunions and separations. Theughter of happiness, the cries of misery, the warmth of an embrace, the coldness of a rejection... Taking in the emotions and experiences of those around him, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was living many different lives at once. Today marked the third day since he had arrived in this little town, and going by his previous routine, it was about time for him to leave. Taking onest look at the small, peaceful town around him, Zhang Xuan was just about to leave through the gates when amotion suddenly broke out along the streets. Many people were rushing toward amon destination in agitation. Hurry up, hurry up! A master teacher is here to spread his teaching! Its said that the master teacher is here to impart Zhang shis wisdom. We have to make sure to record it well! As long as we listen carefully and learn well, we might get a chance to obtain Greensprout Wheat! Waa, that would really be great! Greensprout Wheat is only cultivated only by the Hundred School of Philosophers, and it cant be grown on the Master Teacher Continent, right? Do you know that cksmith in the other vige? Just the other day, he ate a single stalk of Greensprout Wheat and immediately achieved a breakthrough to the Zongshi realm! That lucky b*stard! If I could achieve a breakthrough to the Zongshi realm, Id beughing even in my sleep! ... Such discussions could be heard here and there. A lecture? Zhang Xuan noted before shaking his head with a smile. He had seen too many of such scenes in his journey over the past half a year, so he hadpletely lost interest listening to such stuff. There were many master teachers who used his name to bulk up their reputation. Some of their lectures were highly profound and induced deeper thoughts in the listener whereas others were riddled with ws. However, Zhang Xuan never stood up to intervene in any of those. He had chosen to take the role of a bystander in the world in order to witness the different aspects of the world with an open mind, so he had resolved himself to put aside his pride, beliefs, and even identity. I should move on to the next town, Zhang Xuan thought as he walked out of the city gates. However, what he caught sight of with a quick nce caused him to stop in his tracks. Its her? Zhang Xuan murmured as a beautiful profile came into his line of sight. Her demure silhouette remained unchanged even after the passing of two years, attracting eyes whenever she passed. However, she was no longer an ordinary teacher in a humble academy. She had be a true master teacher, and a 3-star one at that. Pleased to meet you. I am Shen Bi Ru, a 3-star master teacher! Standing on the stage, the youngdy faced the agitated audience before her and revealed a charismatic smile. Chapter 1907 - Ancient Sage! I Shall Become the Worlds Teacher (1)

Chapter 1907: Ancient Sage! I Shall Be the Worlds Teacher (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Shen Bi Ru was the beautiful teacher working at the Hongtian Academy whom Zhang Xuan had met after he transcended over to this world. When he left the Tianxuan Kingdom, it had felt like their paths had begun to diverge from one another, and they would never intersect ever again. Half a year earlier, when he returned to the Tianxuan Kingdom, he had only met Lu Xun. He honestly did not think that he would meet Shen Bi Ru here, and he did not expect her to have be a 3-star master teacher so swiftly. Her presence made Zhang Xuan halt in his footsteps as he turned around to look at the youngdy on the stage. The youngdy raised her hand and waited for themotion amid the crowd to die down before continuing on. Zhangoshi and I used to be colleagues. Colleagues? What? Is she saying that she knows Zhang shi? She is bragging, isnt she? All those who im to spread Zhang shis teaching say that they know Zhang shi one way or another in an attempt to add credibility to their words! Isnt that so? I never would have thought that ady as pretty as her would stoop to such a level! ... As Zhang Xuans reputation flourished, more and more people began passing themselves off as his students. Even a city as remote as this was notpletely immune to this major trend. On the other hand, seeing the beautiful teacher who had always maintained a transcendental attitude toward worldly affairs talking about him in her first sentence, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head as a hint of disappointment surfaced in his eyes. In his mind, she had always been a person who was driven by self-improvement and thought little of fame and glory. He did not think that she would use his name in order to elevate her own standing. Heaving a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan was just about to leave when the youngdy continued speaking. He has already be the Worlds Teacher, and his teachings have spread far and wide. Many take pride in receiving the knowledge that he preaches... but I dont think that its something enviable or particrly noble. Those words made Zhang Xuan halt in his footsteps once more. Most of the crowd, who had nned to leave after seeing that it was just another fraud using Zhang shis name to her own advantage, quickly turned around with deep frowns on their foreheads. Zhang shis aplishments and wisdom had struck a deep chord with everyone in the world, making him the next idol of faith since Kong shi. Yet, she dared say that his work was not particrly noble? What did she mean by that? The atmosphere swiftly grew tense as displeased expressions appeared all over the crowd. The world is a diverse ce. Take this little town that you live in for example. While we need people standing above the clouds, we also need those whose feet are nted on the ground. The master teachers who spread their teachings and bring wisdom to the world are worthy of respect, but so are the butchers who ughter pigs, the vendors who barter their vegetables, and the merchants who ship goods from one ce to another. Every upation in the world has its own reason for existence. Theres no need to ssify them by honor or prestige. What truly makes the difference is whether we are willing to put our blood and sweat into what we do and whether we truly love what we do as well. Zhang shi loves the master teacher upation with a passion. He finds purpose in bringing wisdom to others, and he enjoys uncovering the secrets of the world. His diligence and passion paid off, allowing him to reach the peak of the master teacher upation. I am just an ordinary person. I have neither the talents nor capabilities that he possesses. However, that doesnt mean that I am a lesser being than him. I do what I can do to impart knowledge to my students and pass down the correct values to them. Unlike him, my lectures arent great enough to reach every corner of the world. However, I can ensure that my own teachings will not lead my students down the wrong path, and whatever knowledge I pass down has been personally verified by myself... and I think thats enough! Living in this world, we must be cognizant of our own limits and walk down a path that is suited for us. Over the past two years, I have toured around the world and met many people. A lot of them take pride in living in the same era as the Worlds Teacher, Zhang Xuan. Just like Kong shis era, they believe that this era will usher mankind to greater prosperity than before and that we are blessed to be living in such times. I dont disagree with what they said, but while we are living in the era of hopes and dreams, does it necessarily mean that we stand a chance of rising to the top and bing a powerful expert of the world? Bleak. It is a hopelessly bleak notion. Regardless of which era one lives in, only a small handful of people have the capacity to rise to the very top! This... The infuriated crowd slowly fell silent at those words. It was sad but cruel truth. Regardless of which era one was in, it was impossible for everyone to be an expert. Kong shi dreamt of a world where all humans were powerful, but this vision was bound to remain nothing more than a dream. It was something that could never be realized. There were simply too many limitations in the world that prevented it from happening. The scarce resources, the aptitude one was born with, the intensepetition among cultivators... It was because power was always held in the hands of the minority that bing an expert was something that so many desired. I never thought that she woulde to such a realization... Zhang Xuan was stunned as well. He had thought that Shen Bi Ru was using his reputation to elevate her standing, but who could have known that she would be using this to tell a powerful story to the crowd? What was scary was not ack in talent but the failure to realize ones limitations. If a person who only had the ability of an ordinary soldier forced their way to be amander, they would be hurting not just themself. Stop listening to her bullsh*t! I have heard that there are those who arent too talented among Zhang shis students, but all of them eventually became powerful experts! Indeed! As long as we find a good teacher, well be able to rise to greater heights! Do you expect us to believe that you are Zhang shis colleague just because you said so? All of the figures whom Zhang shi is associated with are people far beyond our league. How could a mere 3-star master teacher like you possibly know him? ... After the brief moment of astonished silence came a massive uproar. Shen Bi Rus words had pricked the self-esteem of the crowd. They could not ept what she was saying. Failure could always be attributed to timing and luck. An author could always say that their work was meant to go down in history as the greatest work ever made, but due to the editorsck of foresight, their talent ended up being buried, resulting in them being unable to receive even a contract. Having expected such an uproar from the crowd, Shen Bi Ru raised her hand and continued calmly. I know that my words have hurt many of you, but touch your heart. Do you believe that my words are all empty? I know that I cant begin topare to Zhang shi, the respected Worlds Teacher... but how many of you believe that he is truly happy with his life? The greater ones strength, the greater ones responsibility. Over the past year, he has changed the rules of the Master Teacher Continent, quelled the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and subordinated the Hundred Schools of Philosophers... But which of these aplishments didnt require him to risk his life? If you were in his position, and all you wanted was to enjoy the luxuries of power, would you really have braved through danger to achieve all of that? Most of those who had spoken up against Shen Bi Ru earlier were struck speechless once more. Indeed. If they enjoyed Zhang shis standing and talent, would they really have been willing to charge into the midst of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to quell them or confront the legendary Hundred Schools of Philosophers? You might think that Zhang shi is a lofty figure far beyond any of you, but back when I was working in the same academy as him, he was a teacher who was despised and looked down by others. He scored a zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination, so he was nearly expelled from the school. Yet, despite these challenges, he never gave up nor shied away. A step at a time, he eventually rose to his current prominence. If you were in his ce, would you have been able to ovee the odds? Shen Bi Ru asked. Zhang Xuans life had already beenpiled into books and spread across the entire world. His life had been fraught with danger, but none of the challenges that he had faced had ever convinced him to give up. If they had been in his ce, would they really have been able to do the same? Most of those amid the crowd pondered the question, but they eventually shook their heads in response. For those who were weak-minded, the scorn that Zhang Xuan had received at Hongtian Academy would have been more than enough for them to give up and drown their sorrows with alcohol. For those who were a little more strong-willed, the Tianwu Kingdom would probably have been where their journey ended. They would never have been able to ovee all of those obstacles that Zhang Xuan had faced to live the brilliant life that he did. It was easy to envy others, but the experiences that others had gone through might have been something that they would not have been able to survive. Your own life, your own decisions. You have to recognize who you truly are in order to make the decisions that will make your life a meaningful one! Zhang Xuan thought. Shen Bi Rus words had truly left a mark in him. It was as if someone had ignited all of the experiences that he had been through over the past half a year, causing a raging me to burn within him. Be it famed mountains or beautifulkes, the warmth and callousness of human emotions, everything that he had witnessed and been involved in had be a part of his memories. Those memories strung together to form aplete him. They drifted into the sky of the Master Teacher Continent and overlooked the world, as if a transcendent being. In an instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to enter a deep state of concentration. A lot of the confusion in his heart vanished, and the cultivation that had remained stagnant over the past half a year abruptly surged forth like water charging through a copsed dam. Chapter 1908 - Ancient Sage! I Shall Become the World’s Teacher (2)

Chapter 1908: Ancient Sage! I Shall Be the Worlds Teacher (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The reason Zhang Xuan had chosen to cast himself aside and tour the world was due to the confusion in his heart. He had found himself lost, and he needed some directions. He had looked at Kong shis records, but their lives had been vastly different. As twopletely different people, he could not hope to experience the same things as Kong shi even if he forced himself to retrace Kong shis footsteps. He knew that bing the Worlds Teacher was the way for him to be an Ancient Sage, but how could he do it? The world was such a huge ce, and it was governed by its ownws. It was not as if his words could reach the heavens, so how could he be the Worlds Teacher? Unable to make sense out of this, he had found himself falling into a stalemate. No matter how he struggled, he had been unable to advance any further at all. Of course, he knew that this confusion was something that all cultivators had to eventually face in their lifetime, but this was a hurdle that he had no idea where he could begin to work on. All along, he had been reliant on the Library of Heavens Path for his cultivation. He would collect books andpile them together, and if required, he would edit them ordingly. All in all, none of what he had practiced so far could be said to be his own creation. While he had been able to advance swiftly through this manner, it had also be his limitation. He was able to modify any cultivation technique until he had ensured that it waspletely wless, but the reliance on this ability had made him unable to cultivate without any cultivation technique to refer to. This was his greatest w, and he was suffering as a result of it. Even the heavens were wed, so there was nothing in this world that came withoutpromise. Thus, he had set out on his journey to see the world. He did not know how long it would take, and it did not know where it would lead him to, but it was all he could do. This journey had been an eye-opener. It had allowed him to understand many aspects of the world that he had never noticed before. However, when he heard Shen Bi Rus words, it made him realize something. The answer that he had been searching for over the past half a year was not something that he could find anywhere else in the world. It existed only in himself. All he had to do was be the best him. Why should he be so bothered with the experiences of others? Everyone in the world had their own path to tread on, so there was no need for him to conform to others. What he had to do was stay loyal to his own heart and continue paving his path forward. That would be enough. Even if there was no perfect cultivation technique for him to cultivate and he could not truly be the Worlds Teacher, he would just have to ensure that he remained the perfect him, and that was enough! Thank you, Shen Bi Ru! Feeling the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan smiled. He had found his own answer, and he was finally ready to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. The surroundings fell silent. Zhang Xuans words were not particrly loud, but they attracted the attention of the crowd in an instant. Hearing that voice, Shen Bi Ru turned her gaze over, and her eyes widened in astonishment. Zhangoshi! What are you doing here? If Zhang Xuan did not want others to recognize him, not even his closest students would see through his disguise. But out of gratitude for Shen Bi Ru, he did not want to conceal his identity to her. As such, the youngdy was able to tell that he was the despised and scorned teacher who had been on the verge of being expelled from Hongtian Academy two years ago, Zhang Xuan! His appearance did not seem to have changed by too much over the past two years, other than his taller profile, his smoother skin, and his deeper eyes. It has been a very long time since west met, Zhang Xuan replied with a warm smile as he slowly made his way up to the stage. Yes, it has been a long time... Shen Bi Ru nodded as her body trembled in agitation. She had thought that with the difference in their standings, there was no way that they would ever meet again. Who could have known that their reunion woulde so abruptly? The young man was just the same as ever. His posture was without airs, and his smile was still so innocent. Zhang shi? She mentioned earlier that she was colleagues with Zhang shi, and now, shes acting so shocked all of a sudden... Is she trying to say that the fellow over there is the Worlds Teacher, Zhang shi? Its one thing for her to feed us with so much cr*p earlier, but to make such a bold im... is she trying to insult our intelligence? She really is trying to grind our tolerance down to the veryst bit, isnt she? If he really is Zhang shi, I am the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion! How could a lofty figure like Zhang shi possiblye to a remote town like ours? This woman might be pretty, but she sure has a devious heart... ... The two of them did not try to conceal their words, and their exchange caused the crowd below to explode as if someone had thrown gunpowder in the midst of burning mes. While Zhang shi was a figure whom all of them respected, they also understood that the other party was a figure extremely far away from them. It had never crossed their minds that they would ever be able to meet Zhang shi in person. Yet, that youngdy had actually called out Zhangoshi so abruptly after making such a speech... Was she trying to say that this humble-looking fellow was actually Zhang Xuan? You must be trying to make a monkey out of us! We can ept your bragging, but to sully Zhang shis honor... Unforgivable! Dont you know that passing yourself off as Zhang shi is a taboo of the Master Teacher Pavilion? You must be punished for your insolence, or else how can the Master Teacher Pavilion establish its credibility in the world? a master teacher amid the crowd cried out in fury. Indeed! Catch those two despicable scoundrels! Catch them and skin... another person amid the crowd shouted. But before he could finish his words, a quivering voice suddenly echoed in the air. Shut up! Whats going on over there... The infuriated crowd looked at the stage, and what they saw nearly blew their minds. The young man passing off as Zhang shi, with a gentle smile on his face, was slowly rising into the air. It was amon fact that flight was an ability exclusive to cultivators who had reached the Saint realm. Could the impostor before them actually be a Saint expert? But before they could figure out what was going on, a loud rumbling echoed in the air as countless ominous clouds gushed over. The span of the ominous clouds was massive. It swiftly covered the entire town, but it still continued to grow relentlessly into the distance. It did not take long for it to extend all the way to the horizon, plunging everywhere into darkness. This is... a cultivation ordeal? How could there be such a massive cultivation ordeal? Its rumored that even the most formidable Ancient Sage Ordeal only covers up to a hundred thousand mu 1 , but this is at least a million mu, right? The crowd below waspletely stunned. To be able to summon such a huge cultivation ordeal... Could that young man really be Zhang shi? As this doubt was raised, the crowd swiftly fell silent. Indeed. Other than Zhang shi, who could cause such a spectacr uproar in the world? ... At the cier in Court... Mother, rest assured. Ill take care of my body, and Ill make sure not to act recklessly! a youngdy with features reminiscent of a delicate ice sculpture reassured a middle-ageddy with a gentle smile. She was the court chief of the cier in Court, Zhao Ya. The middle-ageddy before her was the Holy Maiden of the previous generation, her mother. Back then, after the conflict between her teacher and the other major powers was resolved in Empire Alliance City, she had quickly returned to the cier in Court to release her mother. She had brought her mother back to the Tianxuan Kingdom to reunite with her father for a while before taking them all to the cier in Court. You keep going into seclusion to cultivate, neither eating nor drinking... A middle-aged man walked over as he shook his head disapprovingly. Your mother and I are afraid that you are pushing yourself too much! He was Zhao Yas father, the lord of Tianxuan Kingdoms Baiyu City, Zhao Feng! After Zhang shi disappeared, their daughter had gone around the world searching for him desperately. When she was unable to find him even after some time, she had finally decided to return to the cier in Court. But as soon as she returned, she had devoted her time to cultivating, neglecting to sleep and everything else... It pained his heart to see his daughter living in such a manner. While their daughter had reached a level far beyond what they could imagine, their daughters attitude of recklessly plunging into any danger as long as it could raise her cultivation was a cause for concern. They felt that she would eventuallye to harm as a result of this. Im fine. I just wish to be able to stand before my teacher proudly when he finally returns so that he wont be disappointed in me, Zhao Ya replied with a smile. The memories that she shared with her teacher shed through her head and filled her with strength once more. She was just about to cate her parents before returning to her cultivation when her eyebrows suddenly shot up. She hurriedly raised her head, only to see that the distant sky had already been covered byrge swathes of ominous clouds, and it was swiftly creeping toward the cier in Court. Chapter 1909 - Ancient Sage! I Shall Become the World’s Teacher (3)

Chapter 1909: Ancient Sage! I Shall Be the Worlds Teacher (3)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This is... Zhao Ya immediately shot to her feet in shock. This was because she realized that even with her current cultivation... she was unable to see the entire span of the ominous clouds! Due to her hard work over the past half a year, her cultivation had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm consummation. Of course, she was still nowhere close to pushing for a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm, but there was no doubt that her strength was more than enough to put her at the top of the world. Despite that, she was actually unable to see the end of the ominous clouds... Did this not mean that the ominous clouds extend over several hundred thousand li? What in the world is this? How could there be such a huge congregation of dark clouds here? Zhao Feng and his wife also swiftly noticed that something was amiss, and they were horrified by what they were seeing. It seems to be a cultivation ordeal... Teacher! Thats right, my teacher must be back! Zhao Yas eyes lit up in excitement. Not in the mood to cultivate anymore, she quickly rushed in the direction of where the ominous clouds hade from. Other than her teacher, there was no one in the world who was able to summon such a huge congregation of clouds! He was the one and only one in the world! ... A teacher seeks to impart knowledge and rify doubts. While our Combat Master Hall does not have the capacity to impart wisdom, we can still demystifybat techniques and fighting skills. This is aligned with the responsibilities of a teacher, and thats also why we are a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion instead of a separate organization! Standing in front of an army of ten thousand, Zheng Yang looked at the newly recruitedbat masters sternly as he spoke. Over the past half a year, the Combat Master Hall had grown significantly stronger, especially after Zheng Yang passed down the knowledge that he had received from Zhang Xuan. The members of the Combat Master Hall were stronger than ever, each of them wielding the strength to fend off hundreds of cultivators simultaneously. We understand! The crowd nodded in agitation. All of them had heard of the incredible deeds of the hall master and his teacher, and they looked forward to bing a part of the legend they were creating. It was their dearest wish to follow behind this esteemed young man, and their wish wasing true! Seeing that everyone was pumped up, Zheng Yang stopped his speech right there. Alright, we shall start the training for today! He was just about to gesture for the instructors to begin when he suddenly raised his head and saw darkness creeping in from afar. Those dark clouds... Is it a cultivation ordeal? Zheng Yang was stunned for a moment before realization struck him. Its my teacher! Hes going to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage! With a slight push against the ground, he vanished right from the spot. ... In the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Liu Yang was seated upon a high throne, looking down upon his subjects. With a cold voice carrying unquestionable authority, hemanded, I have mentioned this far too many times, and it bores me to repeat myself time and time again. All Otherworldly Demons are to maintain friendly rtions with the humans, and conflicts are to be avoided at all costs. Anyone who infringes on this will be killed without fail! Do I still have to teach you what to do? The Otherworldly Demons quickly kneeled on the ground fearfully and replied, Yes, Your Majesty! Well carry out your will! Shortly after his inauguration, the new Sovereign Chen Yong had implemented a series of swift but severe reforms. Under his efforts, the Otherworldly Demons were starting to ept their coexistence with the humans, and the initial tension between the two races was starting to calm down. Of course, a feud that hadsted over tens of thousands of years could not be halted so easily, but at the very least, the battles had stopped for the time being. Eventually, time would wash away the hostility between the two races, ushering in an era of stability and harmony. Not to mention, coexistence with the humans was not without benefits for the Otherworldly Demons either. The Otherworldly Demons gained ess to the precious resources traded on the Master Teacher Continent, and they were also able to develop their industries through implementing the technologies of the humans. Having experienced the benefits of coexistence, there were some factions among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe who were starting to openly support the new Sovereign Chen Yongs policies. More importantly, Sovereign Chen Yong had started pushing out a new set of cultivation techniques that allowed Otherworldly Demons to cultivate swiftly even if they did not devour the flesh and souls of master teachers and humans. With the mutual benefits of the two races aligned, the friction between them lessened significantly. Alright, we shall end the court here. You are dismissed! With a wave of his hand, Liu Yang stood up to walk away. As a sign of respect, the subjects were only allowed to leave after the emperor had left the royal court. However, at that moment, ominous clouds suddenly swarmed over from afar, covering the sky in a sh. Teacher... Liu Yangs eyes reddened in agitation at this sight. Without any hesitation, he flicked his wrist and tore open a spatial passageway. He walked into the spatial passageway and disappeared from the astonished eyes of his subjects. After his hard work over the past half a year, the situation in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had finally stabilized. He finally had the rights to pursue his teacher once more. ... The same situation was urring in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers Kunxu Domain. Kong Shiyao looked at the gloomy sky as her body trembled in excitement. Was her teacher finally appearing once more after his long absence? Ill leave the Kunxu Domain to you for the time being. Im heading out to take a look! Without waiting for the other party to respond, Kong Shiyao rushed toward the Master Teacher Continent. ... After spending six months in anonymity, Zhang Xuan finally caused a huge uproar in the world with his breakthrough! Its him... It really is him! Theres no doubt, theres no one other than Zhang shi who could pull something like this off. To think that we wouldnt be able to recognize him when he was right before our eyes, and we even attempted to capture him... My gosh, I actually got a chance to see Zhang shis splendor with my own eyes! Now, I can die with no regrets! ... As the truth dawned upon those in the little town, countless silhouettes gathered around the stage stiffened in shock. Previously, when Shen Bi Ru mentioned that she was Zhang shis colleague, there had not been a single person among the crowd who believed her. When she said that the young man standing before them was actually Zhang shi, they had scoffed at her words, thinking that they were utter nonsense. All of it turned out to be real! The incredible figure who had won the worlds respect and admiration was really standing right before them in the flesh! Hes just the same as ever. Hes always the brightest one in the crowd, Shen Bi Ru remarked with a helpless smile. For as long as she had known this young man, he had always caught everyones gaze. She had thought that he would tone down aftering this far, but the other party turned out to be the same as ever. It was as if he did not know the concepts of humility and low profile. ... Zhang Xuan was oblivious to the uproar among the crowd. He was carefully ruminating over his new enlightenment, and it felt as if the rays of the dawn sun had pierced through the darkness in his mind, showing him a new route. This feeling was so strong that it touched even the depths of his soul. So, this is what Ive been pursuing all this while, Zhang Xuan muttered with a faint smile as he looked at the endless dark clouds and lightning bolts gathering around him. It was apparent that the cultivation ordeal that he was going to go through this time would be highly destructive,manding a might far beyond what he had ever experienced before. Si! Lightning bolts and heavenly mes condensed together to form innumerable massive weapons, and each of these weapons darted right toward Zhang Xuan. Just from the sheer momentum, it felt like not even Dimension Shatterer realm experts would stand a chance against this fearsome might. In fact, it felt like it had far exceeded everything in the world. It was a transcendental force that was bound to bring destruction upon its target, and not even the newly enlightened Zhang Xuan would stand a chance against it. But... Since he did not stand a chance against it, why should he bother fighting against it? Without the slightest change in his expression, Zhang Xuan parted his lips. Dissipate. His voice pierced through the void, echoing into the high heavens. Hu! As if they had encountered their greatest nemeses, the weapons made of lightning bolts and heavenly mes swiftly disintegrated into nothing. At the same time, under hismand, the ominous clouds slowly scattered, returning a clear sky to the world. Previously, he would still have had to utilize all kinds of techniques in order to ovee his cultivation ordeal, but with his current ability, he was actually able to resolve it with a single word. It was as if the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent had submitted to him. He had be the ruler of the world, and his words dictated the future course of the world. This was the ability of the Word of Law! A breakthrough to Ancient Sage meant surpassing the world in a certainw, but the current Zhang Xuan had gone far beyond that. His entire existence had surpassed the limitations of the world, making him a being who stood above the heavens. He had be a transcendental being that existed beyond the three realms 1 , unrecognized by the Five Elements. As the Ancient Sage Ordeal vanished, overwhelming energy gushed out from his body and pierced into the heavens, suppressing everything in the area. Boom! Unable to suppress his zhenqi any longer, Zhang Xuans aura began surging forth. In an instant, from Sempiternal realm consummation, he had already reached Ancient Sage. Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm! Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm! Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm! All of the umtion prior to his breakthrough was showing its effects now. In less than ten breaths, he had already pushed through three realms, rising all the way to Blood Reincarnation realm consummation! In a sense, his achievement was even more fearsome than Kong Shiyaos. In fact, not even Kong shis breakthrough had been so swift! Feeling vigorous energy coursing through his body, a smile slowly etched itself onto Zhang Xuans lips as he gazed down upon the world as if an immortal of the heavens. At that moment, his profile looked ever so invible and authoritative. A long silence lingered in the world as the sky cleared uppletely. Following which, a majestic voice boomed across the world. From this day onward, I am the Worlds Teacher! Chapter 1910 - Zhao Ya’s Unique Nature

Chapter 1910: Zhao Yas Unique Nature

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 From the moment he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, Zhang Xuan realized that he was already an existence that towered above the Master Teacher Continents heavens, bing the Worlds Teacher in reality. Every word and action from him could influence the will of the heavens and even correct them. This was the same ability that Kong shis descendants wielded, Word of Law. He had thought that he had finally diverged from Kong shis path and was no longer affected by thetter, but who could have known that he was still walking on thetters footsteps? It was as if every step that he took brought him closer to bing the next Kong shi. Kong shi must have reached such a realm in the ancient era for him to bestow upon his descendants the ability to warp thews of the world through their words. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before shaking the matter out of his mind. It should not matter whether he was tracing Kong shis footsteps or not. As long as he was giving his all in everything that he did, what was the point in frustrating over such matters? With clenched fists, Zhang Xuan began to carefully sense the changes in his body. Even though he had only reached the Blood Reincarnation realm thus far, with his current strength, he was confident that he could crush the deity that had appeared previously in the Kunxu Domain with a single finger. It seemed like the many times that he had suppressed his cultivation had not been in vain. The strength that he had acquired as soon as he made the breakthrough was really beyond imagination. Kacha! The painting that Zhang Xuan was holding tightly in his hand suddenly disintegrated into ashes. In order to fuel his previous breakthrough, not only did he use up all of the Aeon of Ancient Sage contained in the painting, he also devoured all of the Ancient Sage blood that he had acquired from the two deities that he had killed. At that very moment, he felt like he had reverted to his usual poor self. Wealth sure was transient! Farewell! With a tap of his finger, he imparted a modified cultivation technique into the head of the youngdy before turning around and vanishing from sight. Farewell... Zhang Xuan! Shen Bi Rus eyes reddened as her body shook nonstop. She knew that this parting truly represented the divergence of their pathways. They would never meet one another ever again. Meanwhile, after confirming the identity of the young man in the sky, the crowd in the town swiftly got to their knees and kneeled down. Paying respects to Zhang shi! As expected of the Worlds Teacher, every action that he did was a legend in itself! ... Flying to a private location where ordinary cultivators could no longer see him, Zhang Xuan halted his flight and cast a cursory nce around him. With a smile on his lips, he said, Come out! Teacher! Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Lu Chong, Wei Ruyan, Zhang Jiuxiao, and Kong Shiyao... His nine direct disciples swiftly appeared from the shadows and bowed down to him. Over the past two years, he had epted all nine of them as his direct disciples. Each of them had eventually climbed to the top of the Master Teacher Continent, bing figures that stood at the very peak of the pyramid. Come at me all at once. I want to see how much you have grown, Zhang Xuan said with his hands behind his back. The nine direct disciples were stunned for a moment before they nodded simultaneously. Huhuhu! The nine of them immediately encircled Zhang Xuan before charging at him from all directions. Over the past half a year, all nine of them had made significant advances in their cultivation. Even the one with the lowest cultivation in the past, Yuan Tao, had sessfully reached Great Philosopher realm intermediate stage after his two Ancient Sage Ordeals. As for the others, such as Zhao Ya, Kong Shiyao, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang, they had all reached the Blood Reincarnation realm. With theirbined prowess, they wielded the power to seal even spacetime itself. Had the deity from beforee under their coborative offense, he would have found it hard to stand his ground. But when the target was Zhang Xuan, their seemingly devastating attacks were easily kept at bay by the mere protectiveyer of zhenqi shrouding his body. In fact, as long as Zhang Xuan willed it, he could move at a speed so quick that even they would be unable to perceive his movements. At this point, the Zhang ns bloodline waspletely useless to him. Time eleration had be an ability that he could activate with a mere thought. The group fought for a while, and it did not take long for Zhang Xuan to ascertain how powerful he and each of his direct disciples were. Feeling that there was no point in prolonging the fight any longer, he raised his forefinger and tapped it lightly in front of him. Break! Hu! All nine of them were sent retreating simultaneously with pale faces. It was no exaggeration to say that they were the most powerful team of cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent at the moment, but to think that they would not be able to withstand a single strike from their teachers finger... Zhao Ya and Zheng Yang, you have worked hard. I can tell that you have improved a lot over the past half a year. The rest of you too. Well done. However, Shiyao, you will have to work a little harder. Even though you arent the weakest at the moment, your advancement is sorelygging behind, Zhang Xuan pointed out. He could tell that his students had been working extremely hard based on their improvements. In contrast, the one who had been growing the slowest turned out to be thest direct disciple that he had epted, Kong Shiyao. He had not really given her any pointers prior to his departure, resulting in thetters cultivation advancing only from Blood Reincarnation realm intermediate stage to advanced stage despite having half a year to herself. As one of Zhang Xuans direct disciples, such a rate of progress could be said to be abysmal. I... Kong Shiyao was rendered speechless. She was painfully aware of the fact that she was the one who had made the least progress over the past half a year. Previously, she had thought that, with her Kong n bloodline, even if she was no match for Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others at the moment, she should be able to catch up with them in no time. Yet, the others were pulling further away from her instead. This made her realize that the incredible gifts that the Kong ns bloodline had bestowed her would only get her so far. It was sheer naivety for her to think that her talent would be enough to offset the effort put in by her seniors who were desperately climbing forward with everything they had. If she did not desperately w forward with everything she had, she would only end up being cast behind the others. Not to mention that her teacher was the Worlds Teacher! There was no way the disciples of the Worlds Teacher would be bound by the mere limitations of talent! Alright, this is what I haveprehended over the past half a year. Ill impart everything to you now. As for how much you are able toprehend, its entirely up to you! With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan imparted the insights that he had received during his breakthrough to Ancient Sage into the minds of the others. At their level of cultivation, there was no longer a need to bring them around step by step anymore as if they were amateurs. Rather, all he had to do was grant them the resources and allow them to reach enlightenment on their own. Ones cultivationy with oneself. As a teacher, his role was just to bring them through the doorsill and point out usible paths to them. As for how far they could go, that was down to them. It was also for this reason that Zhang Xuan had previously encouraged them to seek out their own paths. If not, they would not have rued precious experiences that would allow them to grow and mature as people. The nine direct disciples swiftly scanned through Zhang Xuans impartation, and excited gleams sparkled in their eyes. With his insights, they would be able to quicken their rate of cultivation and reinforce the foundations of their cultivation further. Zhang Xuan knew that it would take some time for his direct disciples to assimte what they had just received, but he did not have much time to waste. Thus, he spoke up. Im intending to head to the formation in the Kunxu Domain. The rest of you shoulde along with me! The nine of them quickly nodded in response. Thus, they made their way over to the Kunxu Domain, and within ten minutes, they were already on the elevated tform beneath the formation leading to the Azure. After Zhang Xuan had repaired the formation, all of the rifts that had appeared previously had beenpletely mended, making this ce seem almost no different from any other. The mercury-like energy that had seeped through previously had also diffused into the surroundings to harmless concentration levels. From the looks of it, it seemed like the formation was doing its job well. Through the personnel guarding the formation, he confirmed that no deities had been able to slip through the formation in the past half a year, and he heaved a sigh of relief. On the other side of the formation above is the Azure, and it is filled with an extremely heavy spiritual energy. Its highly dangerous, but I believe that its the key to achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm. Would you like to try and see if you are able to absorb it? Zhang Xuan tapped his finger lightly as he spoke, and a small ck hole appeared in the formation. A gush of heavy energy poured down, causing the elevated tform to creak under the weight. Since he had achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, it was about time for him to leave the Master Teacher Continent and take a look at the higher dimensions. Otherwise, he would never be able to find Luo Ruoxin, and their fate would be severed thereon. However, in order to enter the Azure, he would have to first grow ustomed to the mercury-like spiritual energy. The reason he had brought his direct disciples there as well was because he wanted them to get a taste of the mercury-like spiritual energy so that they would be wary of it. Tzzzzz! Hearing Zhang Xuans words, the nine direct disciples each took in a small bit of the mercury-like spiritual energy, and the next moment, they felt as if their meridians were going to copse under the weight. They hurriedly drove their zhenqi to reinforce the resilience of their meridians. This spiritual energy was simply too fearsome. Even though they had all reached Ancient Sage, it was still beyond their means to deal with. Teacher, I think... I am able to absorb this spiritual energy! Just as Zhang Xuan was sighing in disappointment, a voice suddenly sounded. He quickly turned his head over and saw Zhao Ya looking at him with a confused expression. The mercury-like spiritual energy was slowly flowing into her body, but her body was not showing any signs of rejection. Chapter 1911 - Zhao Ya’s Breakthrough

Chapter 1911: Zhao Yas Breakthrough

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Continue cultivating, dont stop! Zhang Xuan urged as he activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look at the youngdy. As the mercury-like spiritual energy flowed through her body, it refined her zhenqi, inducing her cultivation to grow at a visible rate. Within a short ten minutes, she was making advancements equivalent to an entire day of cultivation! This is... Its the altered meridians! Zhang Xuan came to a realization. Previously, Zhao Yas meridians had beenpletely destroyed while trying to save him, so Zhang Xuan had used the vines of the Dongxu Gourd to construct a new meridianwork for her. This mercury-like spiritual energy should have been enough to crush the meridians of any cultivator with ease, but somehow, this problem did not exist for Zhao Ya. It was a wonder what the vines truly were. They were actually able to absorb such heavy spiritual energy without causing a strain on Zhao Yas body at all by nullifying the damage it would have usually caused on normal cultivators through its sheer resilience! A few momentster, Zhao Ya halted her cultivation before turning to look at her teacher with agitation in her eyes. Teacher, I think that I should be able to easily achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm as long as I continue absorbing the heavy spiritual energy! Her cultivation had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm consummation due to her hard work over the past half a year, but all of a sudden, she had found that she could not scale any higher than that. It was as if she had already reached the highest peak of the Master Teacher Continent, and there was no path leading to higher grounds for her to take anymore. It was the worlds bottleneck. Yet, when she absorbed the spiritual energy, she actually felt an impetus to make a breakthrough, and it filled her with disbelief. I see, Zhang Xuan remarked with a nod. He did not say too much in response to Zhao Yas situation, but he had already roughly figured out what was going on. The spiritual energy of the Master Teacher Continent differed far too much from the Azure in terms of density and quality. The bottleneck preventing cultivators from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm was like a pair of resilient steel gates that an ordinary stream could never push open. It required powerful currents and devastating waves striking on the steel gates in order to break them apart. Its as I thought. The key to achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm is to absorb this mercury-like energy! Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively, more certain than ever of his conjecture. This might also be the reason for the vast difference in the strength of those on the Master Teacher Continent and the deities descending from the Azure. They had been constantly nourished by the mercury-like spiritual energy, so achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm was not too difficult a feat to them anymore. It was for this reason that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had devoted their efforts to developing the Greensprout Wheat to improve the constitution of ordinary civilians. Once their constitution reached a level suited for them to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, mankind would take a qualitative step forward in its level of existence. Continue absorbing the spiritual energy. Try to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm if possible! Zhang Xuan instructed. Zhao Ya nodded. She quickly drove her zhenqi to its limits as she devoured the mercury-like spiritual energy greedily. On the other hand, the other eight direct disciples tried to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy once more, but they were unable to absorb it like their First Senior. Thus, they could only sigh deeply and look at their First Senior in envy. Knowing that cultivation was not something that could be rushed, Zhang Xuan did not rush Zhao Ya. Instead, using both the Eye of Insight and the Library of Heavens Path, he made sure to take note of Zhao Yas current condition carefully, fearing that something would happen to her. Fortunately, due to Zhao Yas diligence and patience, the foundations of her cultivation were extremely firm. Her cultivation grew without any problems, and within half a day, she was already knocking on the bottleneck keeping her from the Dimension Shatterer realm. Break! Once the youngdy had built up sufficient momentum, her eyebrows shot up as she released a furious cry. In an instant, her zhenqi gushed through her meridians and tore down the bottleneck limiting her, causing her cultivation to rise to the much-desired level of the Dimension Shatterer realm! The Ordeal of Lightning Armament swiftly descended upon Zhao Ya as the heavens desperately tried to w her apart. However, with her current strength and Zhang Xuans pointers, she managed to ovee the crisis safely. Nevertheless, the cultivation ordeal still left many wounds on her that would take some time to recover from. Is this the level that you reached back then? Zhang Xuan asked. Vicious had reached the Dimension Shatterer realm before, which had resulted in his widespread fame in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as an Immortals Envoy. It was with such strength that he had been able to force Kong shi into a corner multiple times. Un! Vicious nodded. Through absorbing the heavy energying from the Azure, I was able to push my cultivation past the Dimension Shatterer realm, but I was only able to push to primary stage. Anything beyond that is practically impossible. Based on my research back then, one has to enter the Azure and tap into the natural energies in that world to alter ones fundamental constitution in order to advance ones cultivation any further than that. Otherwise, one will be doomed to be trapped at that realm till ones death! You were unable to advance any further than that? Zhang Xuan was stunned. He quickly turned to Zhao Ya and asked her the same question. Zhao Ya closed her eyes to sense her current physical condition before shaking her head and replying, Teacher, it seems like reaching Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage is really my limit. If I wish to cultivate any further than this, while the rejection of the heavens does y a part as well, more importantly, it seems like my body has reached the limits of its capacity. I am unable to ept any more heavy spiritual energy! It was simr to the idea of how a pond could only store a limited amount of water depending on its size. If someone attempted to pour more water into an already full pond, the excess would just flow into the surroundings. If one wanted the pond to reserve a greater amount of water, the only way was to expand the pond. As the size of the pond increased, the amount of water that it could store would naturally increase as well. The dimension one lives in does affect ones constitution too, Zhang Xuan thought. He had thought that as long as he had an ample supply of the mercury-like spiritual energy, he would be able to continuously absorb it and advance his cultivation swiftly. However, it seemed like his thoughts were too naive. If it was that easy, Kong shi would not have had to leave the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists and thought, Let me give it a try again and see if Im able to absorb it! Previously, when he tried to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, and the resilience of his body had still been sorelycking. However, after his breakthrough, he wielded strength that far surpassed that of even Zhao Ya. Could his body possibly be able to adapt to this mercury-like spiritual energy and allow him to absorb it too? After all, he had altered his meridianwork, and it was even more profound than Zhao Yas! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly sat on the ground and closed his eyes. Chapter 1912 - The Importance of Meridians

Chapter 1912: The Importance of Meridians

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Tzzzzzzz! The mercury-like spiritual energy swiftly poured into Zhang Xuans meridians through his acupoints. Kacha! Kacha! But as if someone had injected lead into his body, his meridians immediately began cracking as he felt an incredible weight trying to pull him down from within. He hurriedly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to repair the cracks and reinforce his meridians to withstand the mercury-like spiritual energy. Nevertheless, his face continued to redden, and a momentter, fresh blood spurted out of his mouth. It doesnt work... Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He had thought that he would be able to absorb the mercury-like energy with the recent advancement in his cultivation, but his expectations had been dashed. If he attempted to force his way through, it could be foreseen that his meridians would be shattered, and his dantian would copse. Putting aside trying to assimte the mercury-like spiritual energy into his zhenqi, his body would first be destroyed by the massive burden! Its a pity that I dont have the vine anymore. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. If he still had the vines of the Dongxu Gourd, he would have been able to use it to further alter his meridians and allow him to slowly adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy, but that was clearly out of the question now. Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering if he should seek another method, a thought suddenly arose in his head. Wait a moment, that shouldnt be. Those two Otherworldly Demons were able to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, and even Vicious seeded... Ancient Sage Yan Qing had once experimented with the mercury-like spiritual energy, and of the initial ten subjects, two Otherworldly Demons had eventually survived the crushing pressure from the mercury-like spiritual energy. Vicious definitely did not have the vine of the Dongxu Gourd, but he had seeded as well. Considering that his meridianwork was even more perfect than the Otherworldly Demons, it did not make sense for him to fail. There had to be something else that they had that he did not that resulted in such a massive difference in results. Could it be the Zhenqi of ughter? If I alter the attribute of my zhenqi to that, will I be able to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy more smoothly? Zhang Xuan wondered. It was not as if there was anyone whom he could consult, so he decided to immediately try it out. He swiftly altered the attribute of his Heavens Path zhenqi to simte the Zhenqi of ughter, and in an instant, it was as if he had be a lofty Otherworldly Demon Emperor. After altering the attribute of his zhenqi, he opened up his acupoints once more and carefully took in the mercury-like spiritual energy. Tzzzz! This time, when the same mercury-like spiritual energy entered his body, it surprisingly did not feel as heavy as before. Instead, it felt warm and soothing, as if gulping down a bowl of warm chicken soup. Its working! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in exhration. As the current Sovereign Chen Yong, Liu Yang possessed the ability to freely alter his zhenqi to that of the Zhenqi of ughter as well, but his meridians had never been changed before. It was likely that this was why he was unable to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy. However, it was different for Zhang Xuan. Back when he was stripped down to his bones during his fight with the deity in the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had used the unique aura that the deity gifted to Sovereign Chen Ling in order to recover, and he had made sure to alter his meridianwork to one that was more aligned with the world. With those changes, he was actually able to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy smoothly without any problems. After absorbing for some time, he finally felt the bottleneck that was preventing him from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm. Shatter! At that moment, Zhang Xuans consciousness was within the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Library of Heavens Path, which resulted in a tenfold eleration for the time of his consciousness. Mercury-like energy poured out of the Azure in bulk, but every single bit of it was swiftly swept into a vortex that led straight into Zhang Xuans body. Zhao Ya, Kong Shiyao, and the others were astonished, and they swiftly retreated several steps away from the elevated tform. They had noticed that their teacher was able to absorb the heavy spiritual energy ever since his aura transformed into one simr to an Otherworldly Demon, but they did not think that he would actually be able to cultivate so quickly! Under the relentless downpour of such a huge quantity of the mercury-like energy, the elevated tform was crushed under the pressure. Due to the effects of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Zhang Xuan was able to cultivate at an unbelievable speed. Nevertheless, it took him nearly an entire day before he was able to push his cultivation up to the very brim, where he was unable to umte any more energy. Hong long! It was around half a dayter before he finally released the energy and took the final step into the Dimension Shatterer realm, just like Zhao Ya. Surprisingly though, perhaps because he had be the Worlds Teacher, the heavens did not call an Ordeal of Lightning Armament upon him as a result of his breakthrough. After reaching this realm, he swiftly noticed that he was facing the same problem as Vicious and Zhao Ya. No matter how much he tried to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, he was unable to advance his cultivation in the slightest. It was as if his dantian and meridians had reached a sated state, preventing him from absorbing any more energy. What a pity! Zhang Xuan remarked with a shake of his head as he halted his cultivation and rose to his feet. The advancement in his cultivation had given him a deeper understanding of what the mercury-like spiritual energy truly was. Simply put, it was spiritual energy condensed to the extremities, resulting in its unbelievable weight. As the meridians of ordinary humans were simply too weak, it was impossible for them to adapt to it. On the other hand, the Otherworldly Demons possessed a superior constitution, and their meridianwork was much more logical than that of normal human cultivators. As such, there was a chance that they could adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy and enjoy a significant boost in their cultivation. As for why the Zhenqi of ughter was required to cultivate the mercury-like spiritual energy, Zhang Xuan did not have a clear answer yet, but he did notice that the two energies shared simr attributes to one another. Perhaps, the Zhenqi of ughter facilitated the absorption and flow of the mercury-like spiritual energy, and the simr attributes also meant that it was less likely that ones body would reject the mercury-like spiritual energy. Seeing that both Zhao Ya and their teacher had achieved a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm one after another, Zheng Yang, Kong Shiyao, and the others could hardly contain their agitation. Teacher, is it possible for us to cultivate the heavy spiritual energy too? If the two of them were able to absorb the heavy spiritual energy, would they be able to do it in the near future? Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly. For the time being, its impossible for the rest of you. Altering the meridians of an individual was noughing matter. Even with Zhang Xuans current means, he did not dare take the matter lightly. The reason Zhao Ya had been able to seed was because her meridians had been reced with the extraordinary vines of the Dongxu Gourd, but even so, luck yed a huge part as well. Manyplications could easily have urred, such as her sumbing to the pain or her body rejecting the vines of the Dongxu Gourds. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had only managed to alter his meridians because he was already reduced to a skeleton, and he had the recovery energy from the deity that had allowed him to swiftly heal his body. Otherwise, just trying to recover would have been a pain in his backside, let alone making use of this opportunity to alter his meridians. Without such fortuitous encounters, it would be hard for the rest of his direct disciples to seed as well. Hearing those words, the crowd could not help but lower their heads in disappointment. Its indeed impossible for ordinary humans to absorb this energy. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers have tried many times, but not even the most talented geniuses were able to adapt to it! Kong Shiyao added with a bitter smile. There was no one on the Master Teacher Continent who knew more about the mercury-like spiritual energy than the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. For many generations, they had guarded this seal, and within this period of time, they had already fully familiarized themselves with the nature of the mercury-like spiritual energy. With so many talented individuals failing in the past, it did not seem likely that they would all be able to ovee this limitation any time soon. Even though you might not have seeded thus far, with time, your body should gradually get used to the mercury-like spiritual energy, Zhang Xuan said. Based on the records from tens of thousands of years ago, the poption then couldnt even survive three seconds in the face of the heavy spiritual energy before their meridians rupturedpletely. However, the current poption, including those who have yet to cultivate, canst for at least ten minutes in the face of the mercury-like spiritual energy as long as they dont absorb it into their body! Kong Shiyao nodded in agreement. Hmm? Those words brought a frown to Zhang Xuans face. Why would that be? Allow me to take a look! By right, the situation for ordinary humans should not change by too much. Even if the Greensprout Wheat altered the constitution of ordinary humans, a Fighter 8-dan cultivator should still be as powerless in the face of the mercury-like spiritual energy as a Fighter 1-dan cultivator, but there was actually such a huge difference over time. Could it be that the Greensprout Wheat had altered something else? Zhang Xuan swiftly spread his Spiritual Perception across the entire Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, and he swiftly located some of the ordinary citizens. The Greensprout Wheat has not only enhanced their constitution; it seems like their meridianwork has also developed in a much different mannerpared to the cultivators of the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan was shocked. He did know that the Greensprout Wheat had strengthened the bodies of those living in the Kunxu Domain, granting them the strength of Zongshi realm at maturity, but he had never thought of checking their meridians. Over many years of development, the meridianwork of the local poption was starting to show some simrities to that of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! This exined the significant increase in the duration that they were able to withstand the mercury-like energy. Perhaps this is the path that mankind is destined to walk on in order to advance further... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Initially, Zhang Xuan had intended to find a different way for Zheng Yang and the others to adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy, but the sight that he had just seen changed his mind altogether. It felt like the only way to truly adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy was through altering ones meridians, and if Zheng Yang and the others were to go around it the normal way, it would be impossible for them to seed in their lifetime. However... In order for them to alter their meridians, they would have to first destroy their meridianworks, but the Aeon of Ancient Sage that they would require to make a full recovery was so massive that it was not an amount that he could procure. Furthermore, what if they were unable to reform their meridians after shattering them? Zhang Xuan pondered deeply for a moment before asking, Shiyao, where are Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others? Chapter 1913 - Up to the Azure

Chapter 1913: Up to the Azure

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The battle with the deity had reduced Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others to mere skeletal racks. With all of them on the verge reaching the limits of their lifespan, it would simply be a waste of resources for them to recover anymore. Nevertheless, before Zhang Xuan left on his self-discovery journey, he saw Kong Shiyao sealing them in ice to preserve their conditions. Half a year had passed since then, but it should be likely that they were still alive. Kong Shiyao also nodded in response, They are currently in hibernation. Bring me to them. I just might have a way to save them! Zhang Xuan instructed as he gathered a bundle of the mercury-like spiritual energy in his hands. Those words made Kong Shiyao widen her eyes in excitement. Knowing the conditions that Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others were in, all she could really do was to dy the inevitable. She thought that it was really the end of these great men who had devoted their lives to protecting the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but Zhang Xuans words sparked a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She immediately led the way forward, and they soon arrived in a sealed room. In the room, the bodies of Ancient Sage Yan Qing and several other Ancient Sages were ced side by side along a round elevated tform. Beneath the tform were various artifacts that constantly supplied the Ancient Sages with the vitality required to sustain their lives as long as possible. Such a method couldnt increase their lifespan, but at the very least, it was able to dy their deaths as much as possible. This was also the method they had used in order tost the past ten thousand years. Zhang Xuan walked right up to Ancient Sage Yan Qings skeletal rack, and with a snap of his finger, he released the seal cast around him. The skeletal rack slowly roused to consciousness. Zhang shi! the skeletal rack swiftly rose up and bowed deeply. I have found a way that could potentially save you. However, as I have never tested it before, I cant guarantee its sess. If it works out, your lifespan will be extended, and you will enjoy a huge leap in your cultivation. However, if it fails, youll lose your life right away. Are you interested in taking this gamble? Knowing that the other partys time was limited, Zhang Xuan got straight to the point. I want to give it a try! Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied decisively. Since he was doomed anyway, there was no reason for him to clutch onto this straw of hope, even if the chances were slim. Good. I have a zhenqi cirction method over here that I need you to practice right now. Furthermore, while you are reforming your physical body, I want you to create your meridians ording to this map I have over here! Zhang Xuan tapped his finger and imparted the reverse method of the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art and the meridianwork mapping he had drawn a while ago into Ancient Sage Yan Qings head. It took Ancient Sage Yan Qing ten minutes to fullyprehend the meridianwork and the zhenqi cirction method. He wasnt too sure what Zhang Xuan was exactly up to, but he was confident that thetter wouldnt harm him. Thus, he took in a deep breath before driving his zhenqi in ordance to the zhenqi cirction method. Tzzzzz! With a snap of his fingers, Zhang Xuan released the mercury-like energy he had gathered previously, causing it to swiftly suffuse the surroundings. The presence of this energy caused Ancient Sage Yan Qing to tense up in anxiety. Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and resolved himself to push it through. He began absorbing the surrounding mercury-like energy using the zhenqi cirction method Zhang Xuan had provided, expecting to feel a crushing pressure any time soon. But as some time passed, an uprehending look appeared on his face instead. When he absorbed the mercury-like spiritual energy based on the zhenqi cirction method provided by Zhang Xuan, he felt that the mercury-like spiritual energy was nourishing his body instead of crushing it. Delighted, he continued absorbing the energy excitedly, and within four hours, his physical body was already fully restored! Due to the changes in his meridianwork, his body was emanating an overpowering killing intent, making him seem like an Otherworldly Demons from afar. Seeing that the first phase of his n had worked, Zhang Xuans eyes glowed in delight. He quickly issued the next set of instructions, Good. Now, try to push for a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm! Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded as he continued absorbing the mercury-like spiritual energy. As his umtion over the past ten thousand years was far greater than Zhao Ya, it took him only two hours to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan. As a result of his breakthrough, his lifespan increased as well. With this, he was no longer at risk of dying at any moment anymore. Thank you, Zhang shi! Words could hardly describe Ancient Sage Yan Qings feelings as he felt the torrent of energy coursing through his body. He quickly kneeled onto the floor to express his gratitude to Zhang Xuan. He was already prepared to face death after his overexertion while trying to repair the formation, but who could have thought that the other party would bring him back using such an unusual method? Not only so, he even achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation and reached a level that he thought he would never reach. The mercury-like spiritual energy sure is incredible. Not only does it hasten ones rate of cultivation, it also recovers ones body at a rate faster than the Aeon of Ancient Sage... Seeing that his guess was on the mark, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Under normal circumstances, given the limited amount of vitality that Ancient Sage Yan Qing had left inside his body, he wouldnt have been able to fully recover his physical body even in an environment rich in the Aeon of Ancient Sage. However, it was apletely different matter if he were to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy instead. This type of condensed spiritual energy harnessed an incredible amount of power within it. As long as one was able to absorb it, it could heal any severe wounds swiftly. After confirming the feasibility of the method, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly brought the remaining Ancient Sages to the elevated tform before waking them up. He warned them of the risks involved first before imparting them with the same zhenqi cirction method and meridianwork mapping he had given to Ancient Sage Yan Qing. All of them decided immediately to go along with Zhang Xuans n, especially after seeing the method had worked on Ancient Sage Yan Qing. Eventually, most of them managed to take the final step and sessfully reached Dimension Shatterer realm, but there were idents as well. Two Ancient Sages made a mistake in their cultivation and ended up having their skeletal racks crushed by the heavy spiritual energy, causing them to die on the spot. Nevertheless, all of this showed that this was a feasible course of action to take. Thus, Zhang Xuan called his direct disciples over and asked, Are you willing to go through any danger in order to reach Dimension Shatterer realm? The eight of them nodded their heads in agreement. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and all eight of them immediately spurted blood simultaneously. That single strike had shattered all of the meridians in their bodies. Cultivate in ordance with this, and be warned that you mustnt make even the slightest mistake. Dont me me for not warning you if you were to die in the end! Zhang Xuan said as he imparted them with the two manuals as well. Zheng Yang and the others had watched Ancient Sage Yan Qings rebirth with their own eyes, so they were well aware as to what they should do. Furthermore, as they had cultivated the simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art, they were extremely familiar with it. While they had never tried cultivating it in reverse before, it didnt take them long to get used to it. In the end, Kong Shiyao was the first one to fully recover and reach Dimension Shatterer realm. Trailing behind her were Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, Lu Chong, and Wang Ying... And five dayster, even the weakest of them, Zhang Jiuxiao, had reached Dimension Shatterer realm too! With this, all nine of Zhang Xuans direct disciples had be Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm experts! Teacher! Seeing that they had seeded, all nine of them cheered in delight. Their teacher had actually aplished a feat that even Kong shi failed to back then! Seeing that his final job here was done, Zhang Xuan quickly gathered all of them together and revealed his intent to them, Im intending to open up the seal and enter the Azure. The circumstances up there are still unknown for the time being, and its likely that untold dangers lurk beyond. Thus, I want all of you to stay put here for the time being and guard the Master Teacher Continent in my stead. Wait for my news, alright? Over the past five days which his direct disciples had spent cultivating to Dimension Shatterer realm, he had been pondering over his next move, and he found that his conviction still remained the same. He wanted to head to the Azure and find Luo Ruoxin. He did think of whether he should bring his students along, but he eventually decided against it, especially given the dangers he involved. Teacher, we wish toe along with you! Zhao Ya stepped forward and dered. No matter what kind of danger lies in the path ahead, well follow wherever you go. There is nothing that can make us stand down! Zheng Yang nodded in agreement. While the others didnt say a word, the look of resolution on their faces clearly indicated their stance as well. It was due to their teacher that they were able to achieve their current aplishments. If their teacher was going to undergo untold dangers, there was no way they would be able to remain here with a peace of mind! I appreciate your sentiments, but we cant just leave the Master Teacher Continent as it is at the moment. With the massive rebncing in the power distribution of the Master Teacher Continent, theres no saying what would happen in the future if all of you were to disappear at once. Rest assured, once I have confirmed the situation in the Azure, Ill try to inform you all through Liu Yangs rituals! Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. The Azure was bound to be filled with innumerable top-notch experts, and even if he was no match for them, he was at least confident of escaping from them if he were alone. However, if he had to bring all of his students with him, he was not confident that he would be able to ensure their safety. Besides, unlike him, his students had their own responsibilities on the Master Teacher Continent, and they couldnt afford to simply leave on a whim. Take Liu Yang for example, he was the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It hadnt been long since the situation over at the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been stabilized, and if he were to disappear at this juncture, there was no saying that others would exploit this opportunity tounch a coup dtat against his rule. If so, mankind could potentially be in danger once more. Then... teacher, you must take care of yourself! Knowing that their teacher had already made up his mind and no one would be able to sway his decision, the nine of them lowered their heads in disappointment. Zheng Yang, I have tempered the Dragonbone Divine Spear with the heavy spiritual energy, and it has already achieved a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm. I shall now bestow it upon you. I dont know whether other deities would try to descend to the Master Teacher Continent after my departure, so Ill be counting on you to protect mankind from such external threats! Zhang Xuan said as he passed the Dragonbone Divine Spear over. Due to the dimension barrier, it was impossible for him to bring any items, including his storage rings, along with him up to the Azure. Furthermore, given his current level of cultivation, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was indeed not of much use to him anymore. Wang Ying, you specialize in spirit enchantment, but spirit enchantment takes time. Ill bestow the Golden Origin Cauldron to you. Itll safeguard your safety! Zhang Xuan said as he brought out the Golden Origin Cauldron from the Myriad Anthive Nest. Over the past five days, while this brick-like fellow hadnt managed to achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm from the nourishment of the mercury-like spiritual energy, it was already very close to doing so. Since he was unable to bring the other party with him, it would be best for him to entrust it to his students. He took out the treasures he had on him one after another and distributed them equally to his students before heaving a sigh of relief. With the current cultivation realm of his students and the treasures they had in their possession, even if a group of deities descended at this moment, they would be able to deal with them calmly without fluster. As for Vicious, he was sealed within the Book of Heavens Path, which could be deposited into the Library of Heavens Path. Considering this fellow was a figure who was able to stand on equal grounds with Kong shi back then, it might spell a cmity in the future if he were to leave this fellow on the Master Teacher Continent. Despite all they had gone through together, he found that he was still unable to fully trust Vicious, so he felt that it would be best to keep thetter close with him. As for the Dongxu Gourd, it was hiding in his dantian, so there shouldnt be any trouble bringing it across the dimension barrier. As for his clone, he found that while the other party was unable to enter the Library of Heavens Path, the other party was still able to enter the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Given that the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn formed an independent space separate from the Library of Heavens Path, and that the clone shared the same soul with Zhang Xuan, it didnte as a surprise that his clone was able to enter the space too. With this, he should be able to bring his clone with him too. With everything in ce, Zhang Xuan looked at the formation above of him, and with a wave of his hand, he opened up a rift in it. After which, with a powerful leap, he dashed right toward the rift. Previously, the downpour of mercury-like spiritual energy would cause a huge burden to both his physical body and his soul, but with his cultivation reaching Dimension Shatterer realm, he no longer felt any difort from it anymore. On the contrary, he felt like a traveler stumbling upon an oasis in the desert. It was invigorating. Kacha! Kacha! Beyond the formation, he saw innumerable ck patches of void. The shattered space between the two dimensions formed powerful spatial turbulence that tugged at him from all directions. Its fortunate that I have reached Dimension Shatterer realm, or else this spatial turbulence would have torn me to shreds... Zhang Xuan thought grimly as he trudged his way through the spatial turbulence with difficulty. This spatial turbulence was truly far more powerful than whatever he had experienced in the past. Putting aside Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators, even ordinary Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators could sumb to the spatial turbulence and end up being torn to shreds in a moment of carelessness. If not for his incredible umtion and superior strength, even he would have difficulty trying to get past this. Nevertheless, the spatial turbulence still inflicted many ringcerations on his body, causing blood to flow endlessly from his body. There was no road in this passageway, and the entire passageway consisted of nothing but copsed space. It was only through the Library of Heavens Path that he could discern a safe passageway, or else he could have easily lost his way in this deste space. Hong long long! Just like that, he traveled for nearly half a month. Gauging by the distance he had traveled so far, he figured that he should be reaching his destination very soon. But at this moment, a massive bolt of lightning suddenly appeared before him, sealing his pathway forward. Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering how he could ovee this obstacle, another sh of lightning bolted down and struck Zhang Xuan before he could react, causing him to ck out. Chapter 1914 - Just the Thought of It Excites Me So

Chapter 1914: Just the Thought of It Excites Me So

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 With a splitting headache, Zhang Xuan gradually regained consciousness. The first thing that came into his line of sight was a white ceiling. Swiftly scanning his surroundings, he found that he was lying on a bed in a rtively spacious room. My strength... Slowly sitting up, Zhang Xuan winced from the excruciating pain with every inch he moved. He took a look at his own body and found that it was wrapped tightly in bandages. He tried to drive his own zhenqi, but he realized that the zhenqi that remained in his body had be pathetically low. Why is my zhenqi so heavy? Taking a closer look, he noticed that his zhenqi had be incredibly heavy. Even slightly driving it created a huge strain on him. It swiftly dawned on him that it was not that he was low on zhenqi but that the vast amount of zhenqi that he had previously stored in his body had been condensed into mercury-like zhenqi. It was true that such a heavily condensed zhenqi would grant him greater burst power, but the problem was that he could not even drive it, let alone use it to recover from his injuries. He quickly tried to recall what had happened prior to this. I entered the passageway leading to the Azure, but I ended up getting blocked by a bolt of lightning. I was going to find a way to circumvent it when I was struck by another bolt of lightning and ended up cking out... Seeing the mess that his body was in and recalling his memories prior to the ident, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Could it be that... I am already in the Azure? Since he had cked out in the passageway, he had thought that he would wake up drifting aimlessly in there, but before he knew it, he was already lying in a room with his body fully bandaged. Could it be that he had somehow managed to bypass the lightning region and sessfully arrived at the Azure? This notion prompted Zhang Xuan to swiftly scan his surroundings. Thus, he attempted to release his Spiritual Perception into the surroundings, only to end up with his mouth twitching uncontrobly. In the past, his Spiritual Perception could easily over millions of li, but at that moment, it was firmly stuck within his body, refusing toe out at all no matter how he pushed! What incredible spatial pressure this is! At this point, it was already certain that he was in the Azure. Not only was he unable to deploy his Spiritual Perception, but even his flight ability had been restricted. In fact, even his usual movements had been curbed significantly due to the immense spatial pressure. Gugugugu! Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from Zhang Xuans abdomen. He was hungry. Ever since he had cultivated to Transcendent Mortal, he had been able to sustain his bodily needs through absorbing spiritual energy and cultivating. It did not matter whether he ate or not. This was the first time in a long time that he had felt so starved. It felt almost as if his body waspletely empty. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes, and through his senses, he could feel that the surroundings were filled with an abundance of mercury-like spiritual energy. In terms of concentration, it was at least ten times higher than what had descended back at the elevated tform of the Kunxu Domain. He tried absorbing the mercury-like spiritual energy there to refine it into his own zhenqi to recover his injuries, but the next moment, his face reddened, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his lips. There was a series of violent coughing, and Zhang Xuan had to strike his chest several times before the stifling sensation finally lessened. Back when he was uninjured, he could still use the sheer resilience of his body to endure the bacsh caused by the absorption of the mercury-like spiritual energy. However, with his current tattered body and cracked meridians, just trying to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy made him feel like his body was going to copse, let alone trying to assimte it. It looks like I can only give it a try after my injuries recover a little... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He knew that impatience would get him nowhere, so he decided to simply let things run their course. Nevertheless, the fact that he was unable to drive his zhenqi at all and the sheer extent of the damage that his body had suffered meant that he was almost no different from an ordinary human. He would have to tread carefully until he finally recovered his strength. First and foremost, I should start by finding myself some food, Zhang Xuan muttered as another series of hunger pangs struck him. Struggling to his feet, he rubbed his stomach as he trudged out of the room. Huhuhu! Pushing the door open, he heard a series of sharp wind currents slicing in the air. Turning his gaze over, he saw a young man holding a steel sword in hand executing a sword art. While his movements were not fanciful, they carried a peculiar grace to them that made them extremely pleasing to the eye. One thing that quickly caught Zhang Xuans eye was that the young mans left leg was as stiff as a block of wood. Zhang Xuan could not tell whether he had suffered an injury or that was the original state of his body, but it was clearly impeding his movements. His foundations are still okay, but his sword art is severelycking... Zhang Xuan frowned. Grab any 3-star master teacher from the Master Teacher Continent, and the sword art that the other party executed would be even more profound than the young man before him. However, considering the difficulties in the young mans movements, it could barely be considered eptable. Zhang Xuan heaved a slight sigh, and it immediately caught the young mans attention. He halted his sword practice and turned his head over. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, a look of delight crept onto his face as he said, Youre awake! Taking a closer look at the young man, the other party seemed to be in histe teens. He was not too tall, roughly a head shorter than Zhang Xuan. Using the measurement system from his previous world, the young man would not even be at 1.6 meters. There was a ring scarlet birthmark roughly half a cheek wide imprinted on his left cheek, and it concealed part of his face. In terms of appearances, the young man could not be associated with the word handsome at all. In fact, he might be considered hideous even. Thank you for saving my life. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Its nothing much. I saw you by ident, so I brought you back... I thought that you would die given the severity of your wounds, but you somehow managed to recover on your own... The young man scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke. His words were a little awkward, hinting that he was not too good with social interaction. Third Young Master... At this moment, an elder walked into the courtyard. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, he was stunned for a moment before calmly bowing to greet him. Sir, it seems like you are finally awake! Zhang Xuan returned the gesture with a simple nod. He assessed the elder before him closely and noticed that thetters clothes were stained with oil marks. The corners of his lips were a little torn, and there was a hint of fresh blood. His cheeks were also bruised. It was apparent that he had just been beaten up by someone else. The crippled young man known as Third Young Master turned his gaze over as well, and as soon as he saw the current state of the elder, his face warped in astonishment. He hurriedly rushed over and worriedly asked, Elder Yi, what happened? Third Young Master, its nothing, Elder Yi replied awkwardly. However, the young man continued staring at Elder Yi intently, clearly unconvinced by thetters words. Eventually, under the persistent stare of the young man, Elder Yi relented and said, The Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor is here! Xue Qin is here? This news caused the eyes of the crippled young man to glow in excitement. Thats right... Seeing the response of the young man, Elder Yis face grew even redder. It was as if there was something that he wanted to say to the young man, but he had no idea how he should broach the subject. The crippled young man also swiftly noticed that there was something amiss about Elder Yis expression. The smile faded from his face as he asked, Does her arrival have anything to do with your injuries? Isnt the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilioning to our town to ept menial disciples three days from now? Elder Yi was conflicted for a moment before continuing. Through tapping into the connections of the City Lord Manor, Second Young Mistress Xue Qin managed to acquire a slot in advance... She managed to obtain a slot in advance? The crippled young mans face lit up in joy. Isnt that good news? But barely after he said those words, the young man lowered his head to look at his crippled left leg, and his face swiftly sunk. I guess that I dont stand a chance at all... Having acquired the slot, theres no doubt that she will be leaving with those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion three days from now. Did shee here to bid me farewell? The crippled young man shook his head and sighed deeply. She... She... Elder Yi hesitated for a long while before finally confessing the truth. Shes here to withdraw from the marriage agreement with you! She wishes to withdraw from the marriage agreement? The young mans face turned ghastly pale. His body staggered a little, and he nearly fell to the ground. Shes going to withdraw from the marriage agreement with me just because she has be a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? No matter where one was, being rejected by ones fiance was something incredibly humiliating. Hearing the conversation between the young man and the elder, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. A talented youngdy scorning her fianc and proposing a withdrawal from the marriage agreement. An injured and insulted young man deciding to buck up and return the favor. Thirty years the rivers east, and thirty years the rivers west 1 ? To think that he would encounter such a matter as soon as he arrived at the Azure. How exciting life was! For those who are unfamiliar, this is basically the initial plot of Battle Through the Heavens. And for those who are interested, the idiom Thirty years the rivers east, and thirty years the rivers westes from how the flow of Chinas Yellow River changes its course frequently due to its high seabed, making it easy for sediments to rue. In the past, most civilians were highly dependent on natural rivers for irrigating their crops, so a change in the flow of the river could easily dictate the prosperity of decline of an entire vige. Chapter 1915 - Dan Xiaotian

Chapter 1915: Dan Xiaotian

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Forget it! After pondering over the matter for a moment, the crippled young man shook his head sorrowfully. I am indeed unworthy of her. It was only a matter of time before our marriage agreement fell through... As their grandfathers were close with one another, they had heartily decided to betroth the grandchildren to one another. However, with the death of his grandfather, his n had begun to decline. Following which, the young man himself had ended up sustaining severe injuries that had destroyed his inner breath, rendering him unable to cultivate anymore. At the same time, his left leg had ended up crippled, and no matter how many physicians he found, none of them were able to cure it. Facing such a hopeless situation, he had eventually be very pessimistic. Furthermore, he had always suffered from low self-esteem due to his appearance. Considering the difference between the two of them, he did not feel that he was worthy of her. Their difference in standing made the copse of their marriage agreement an inevitability. Sighing deeply, the young man walked into the room and grabbed a jade box. He entrusted the jade box to the elder. This is the marriage agreement that sealed our rtions together. Give it to her and tell her that well be strangers from this day forth. I hope that shell be able to find someone better suited to her in the near future, the young man said. Third Young Master... Elder Yis face reddened. He understood the significance of this action, and he was just about to say something when he eventually halted himself and nodded instead. Alright then! Hes going to chicken out just like that? Zhang Xuan blinked nkly. He had thought that the young man would lose his temper, thus triggering some kind of incredible drive that pushed the young man to aplish something extraordinary, but contrary to his expectations, the young man actually delivered the marriage agreement back just like that. This was no different from the young man putting his face out there for others to stomp on. Even as an onlooker, Zhang Xuan could hardly bear to watch. However, he had always maintained a low profile, and it had not been long since he arrived in the Azure. Thus, he eventually decided against speaking recklessly. After obtaining the marriage agreement, Elder Yi turned around and left. In the silent courtyard, the Third Young Master abruptly raised his sword and hacked it down furiously on a nearby boulder, inflicting a deep cut on it. It seemed like he was notpletely unaffected by the matter, just that he had chosen to hide his emotions from Elder Yi in order not to worry him. Through the strength that he had exerted, Zhang Xuan could tell that the young man was at Saint 6-dan. If it was on the Master Teacher Continent, it would have been an incredible feat for a person to reach Saint 6-dan by sixteen or seventeen. However, judging from the earlier conversation, it seemed such a feat was below average in the Azure. Having vented his rage, the crippled young man seemed to finally calm down a little. It was only at this moment that he recalled that the person whom he had saved was standing nearby, and his face blushed in embarrassment. My apologies. I have shown you an embarrassing side of myself. Right, I havent asked you for your name yet. I am Yao... Pui! I mean, I am Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. So, its Brother Zhang! the crippled young man said. I am Dan Xiaotian, the Third Young Master of Baiye Citys Dan n. Brother Dan. Zhang Xuan returned the greeting with a nod. I heard you speaking about the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion earlier, Brother Dan. Im just asking out of curiosity, but is it a sect? The exceedingly obvious question seemed to have surprised Dan Xiaotian as he asked, Brother Zhang, do you not know about the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Seeing the confused look on Zhang Xuans face, he widened his eyes in realization and remarked, Ah, I nearly forgot! Brother Zhang, you arent a cultivator, so its no wonder you have never heard of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! The world that we live in is known as the Forsaken Continent. ording to legend, the world that we live in used to be a part of the world of gods, but it was severed from it and cast away. There are six major sects in the Forsaken Continent, and the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is one of them. Entering any of these six major sects is viewed as a great honor. Countless desire to join the ranks of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Even if one enters as a menial disciple, the n behind that disciple will be able to rise through the ranks. Back when he saved Brother Zhang, he could not feel the slightest pulsation of zhenqi within thetters body. From that, he had deduced that thetter was an ordinary human, not a cultivator. The Six Sects were existences that no cultivator on the Forsaken Continent could overlook, but to ordinary humans, such existences were too far away from them to bother about. Considering that Zhang Xuan was not a cultivator, it was not too surprising that that he had not heard of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Six major sects... Is there no Master Teacher Pavilion here? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. Master Teacher Pavilion? Whats that? Dan Xiaotian shook his head doubtfully. Ah, it was just an inside joke... Judging from Dan Xiaotians tone, it seemed like there was really no Master Teacher Pavilion on the Forsaken Continent. He pondered for a moment before continuing. So, the Six Sects are the de facto leaders of the Forsaken Continent? Exactly. Aside from the Six Sects, theres also a formidable power known as Ethereal Hall. It suddenly appeared on the Forsaken Continent several thousand years ago when a powerful expert founded the organization. They manage the distribution of the Ethereal Token, a resource that all cultivators on the continent require in order to trade for valuable cultivation resources and be true experts! Ethereal Hall? Un. The Ethereal Token is sold in practically all cities on the Forsaken Continent. Bying into contact with the token, ones consciousness will be brought into the Ethereal Hall. In there, as long as one is able to pay the price, one will be able to learn cultivation techniques, purchase medicinal herbs, raise ones cultivation, or even hire killers. It has pretty much everything that you can think of. Even those of the Six Sects use it! The Ethereal Token brings ones consciousness into the Ethereal Hall? Zhang Xuan was rather curious about this peculiar artifact. Brother Dan, may I know if you have that artifact here? My cultivation is weak, and my talent is severelycking too. Even my fiance has chosen to withdraw from our marriage agreement. How could I possibly be qualified to possess something like that? Dan Xiaotian said with a deep sigh. I apologize. It seems like I was too tactless with my words. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Following which, he moved on to other topics and asked a few other questions to gain a deeper understanding of the Forsaken Continent. While Dan Xiaotian was a little awkward in expressing himself and suffered from low self-esteem, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other party was actually very kind. Upon seeing the severely injured him, the other party had actually brought him back and bandaged him. From this, he felt like Dan Xiaotian was a person whom he could trust. Through Dan Xiaotian, Zhang Xuan learned that three days had passed since Dan Xiaotian had spotted him and brought him back. Strength was highly regarded on the Forsaken Continent. The Dan n that Dan Xiaotian came from had its era of glory twenty years ago too. It had been viewed as an equal to the City Lord Residence, or to be more exact, even the City Lord Residence had to tread carefully around the Dan n. Unfortunately, the ident ten years ago had caused nearly all of the experts of the Dan n to pass away, and his two elder brothers had lost their lives in that incident. Even his foundation had ended up being wounded, resulting in his current state. With the decline of his n, previous allies swiftly turned against them, and their enemies capitalized on the situation to get back at them. This resulted in the powerhouse swiftly falling to ruins. Currently, other than him and the old servant Dan Yi (Elder Yi), there was practically nothing left. What was left of a residence that had once covered over a thousand mu was just this inner courtyard and an outer courtyard. The Dan n had truly be a shadow of its former self. If not for the marriage agreement between him and the City Lord Residence, it was likely that they would not even have had this much left. However, with the Second Young Mistress backing out on the marriage agreement, even the final restraint stopping the enemies of the Dan n from making a move on him would vanish. Then, everything would really be over. I see... Zhang Xuan shook his head. Strength was the foundation of prosperity. Without sufficient strength to protect itself, a power, no matter how prosperous, would eventually fall into decline. Brother Zhang, I think that you should have also gotten a rough idea of my current situation. I was hoping that I could tap into the opportunity in three days, when the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion recruits new menial disciples, to possibly allow the Dan n to make aeback, but it seems like the situation ispletely hopeless now. Furthermore, with Xue Qin backing out of the marriage proposal... Im afraid that this ce wont remain safe for too long, Dan Xiaotian said with a bitter smile. As the saying goes, a child from a poor family matures early. The many difficulties that Dan Xiaotian had gone through together with Elder Yi over the years had taught him the callousness of the world. It was truly a miracle that he had preserved his kind soul after all he had been through. Brother Zhang, since you are already able to move, I think you should leave as soon as possible. I wouldnt want you to be implicated in my affairs... As he spoke, Dan Xiaotian took out two specially crafted golden coins from his pockets and ced them into Zhang Xuans hands. These are Ethereal Coins, a currency epted by the Ethereal Hall. While this isnt too much, it should cover a few meals... You are too kind. Seeing how Dan Xiaotian was still worried about him despite his difficult plight, a wry smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips. He looked at Dan Xiaotian intently for a moment before saying, Brother Dan, can you execute your swordsmanship for me once more so that I can have a look? Chapter 1916 - Humiliation

Chapter 1916: Humiliation

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 You want me to show you my swordsmanship? Dan Xiaotian was slightly bewildered by Zhang Xuans abrupt request. To be honest, Brother Dan, I examined your swordsmanship earlier, and I realized that your ability to summon your strength and the momentum of your strikes are a littlecking. So, I was wondering if I could take a look. I might be able to find a solution to those problems. If you are able to advance your swordsmanship over the next three days, it might be possible for you to be epted into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as its disciple! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. With his eye of discernment, he was able to discern the ws in Dan Xiaotians swordsmanship ande up with solutions to resolve them. The reason he wanted Dan Xiaotian to disy his swordsmanship once more was to test if he could use the Library of Heavens Path there. Brother Zhang, do you understand swordsmanship? Dan Xiaotian asked with a frown. I know a thing or two! Zhang Xuan nodded. Thats amazing! Well, I have already given up hope on bing a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so theres no need for you console me. Dan Xiaotian nced at his crippled left thigh. Nevertheless, if you are knowledgeable in the field of swordsmanship, Brother Zhang, I would be more than happy to exchange some insights with you. Ever since I have be unable to cultivate, I had to figure my way out bit by bit, so my progress has been rather limited... Dan Xiaotians low esteem had been exacerbated by his sudden inability to cultivate. As a result, even though he had devoted himself to learning swordsmanship, he did not dare disy it before others, let alone find a sparring partner to test his skills on. Perhaps it was because he viewed Zhang Xuan as an ordinary human, he did not feel that much lesser than him. Thus, he had no qualms exchanging insights with thetter. Hu! With a flick of his wrist, Dan Xiaotians sword sliced through the air and pierced forward. Weng! At the same time, a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. After flipping open the book and browsing through its contents, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed like the Library of Heavens Path could be used in the Azure. Previously, when Luo Ruoxin ced the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn into the Library of Heavens Path, thetter had gone through a major upgrade. Most likely, it was this upgrade that allowed the Library of Heavens Path to peer into the heavens of the Azure without much trouble. How ludicrous. Dan Xiaotian, you are practicing your swordsmanship? Do you still think that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion will take someone like you as its disciple? While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, a cold sneer sounded from the outside. Following which, two figures walked in with widened strides. The first figure was a youngdy who seemed to be around fifteen or sixteen, roughly the same age as Dan Xiaotian. She was dressed in a light-yellow dress, and her eyes were filled with pride and smugness. Her chin was slightly tilted up in a condescending manner, reminiscent of a self-important noble standing before a bunch of peasants. She was the one who had spoken earlier. Behind her was a middle-aged man in his forties. He was dressed in a simple buttoned shirt, and he had a sword tied around his waist. As he approached, one could feel overwhelmingly sharp sword qi emanating from his presence. Third Young Master... Elder Yi quickly rushed in behind those two figures, and with a look of indignation and guilt on his face, he lowered his head and spoke in destion. Im sorry. I couldnt stop them... Dan Xiaotian swiftly halted his swordsmanship before turning to look at the youngdy before him. At that moment, he was so agitated that he stumbled on his own words. Xu-Xue Qin? Enough! Looking at Dan Xiaotian with disgust in her eyes, the youngdy waved her hands impatiently and said, You know why I havee here, but instead ofing out to wee me personally, you dispatched a lowly servant to send the marriage agreement over. Did you think that this matter can be resolved that easily? You want to back out of our marriage agreement, so I had Elder Yi give it to you. What more do you want from me? Dan Xiaotians face reddened in anger. What I want from you isnt much. I just need you to announce to the entire city that you were the one who chose to back out of the marriage agreement of your own ord because you feel that you arent worthy of me. It was after a period of careful deliberation before my father finally decided to respect your opinion and end the marriage agreement. By giving me this mere sheet of paper, are you expecting me to tell everyone that I, Xue Qin, refused to marry you? How could I allow the noble City Lord Manor to have such a stain on its reputation? Xue Qing harrumphed coldly. If others heard that she had broken off her engagement with Dan Xiaotian because she had sessfully be a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would surely stir up a huge controversy. This would be detrimental for her in building up her reputation. However, if she could get Dan Xiaotian to back out of the marriage agreement instead, she would not have to sustain the slightest smudge to her reputation. Seeing everything from the sight, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head in disapproval. She sure is vicious... It was one thing for this Xue Qing to back out of the marriage agreement, but to think that she would even want Dan Xiaotian to announce it to the entire city. While backing out of the marriage agreement, she still wanted Dan Xiaotian to be the bad guy! How incredibly cheap she was! With a ghastly pale face, Dan Xiaotian clenched his fists as he red at Xue Qin coldly. It went without saying that Dan Xiaotian had also figured out what Xue Qi was up to. Overwhelming indignation seeped in through his entire body. This was utter humiliation! It was as if the other party was preparing to smack his face while asking him to hold up his face for her. But the problem was that... there was nothing he could do about the situation! He waspletely helpless! Dan Xiaotian, the Second Young Mistress and I didnte down here to negotiate with you. We are here to pass down an order to you, the middle-aged man who hade with Xue Qing said impassively. Within three days, you are to make this announcement to the entire city, or else... be prepared to pay the price! Who are you? Dan Xiaotian asked as he red at the middle-aged man coldly. I am the swordsmanship teacher of the Second Young Mistress, Xue Chen! the middle-aged man replied proudly. Xue Chen? I know you! Seemingly having heard this name before, Dan Xiaotians eyes widened in astonishment before he shook his head in self-mockery. I sure am honored to have the head instructor of the City Lord Manor pay a visit to me personally. May I know what the price I will have to pay if I refuse to abide by yourmand is? As the head instructor of the City Lord Manor, Xue Chens strength was not to be underestimated. He was, in fact, an Ancient Sage 3-dan expert! Well, its very simple! Xue Chen waved his hand nonchntly,pletely unaffected by Dan Xiaotians provocation. Over these years, the Dan n has offended quite a few people, isnt that so? You should also know that if not for your engagement with Xue Qing, you would have already died many times over! Those words were hurtful, but Dan Xiaotian knew that they were the truth. Given his weak cultivation, if not for the marriage agreement, there was no way the enemies of the Dan n would have allowed him to live so long! Well, if these men make a move against you, do you think that you and that old man over there will be able to stop them? Xue Chen shrugged coolly. Realizing the hidden intention behind Xue Chens words, Dan Xiaotians eyes widened in disbelief. Are you going to silence us? Arent you afraid of the possible repercussions my sudden death would have on the City Lord Manors reputation? How would your death affect the City Lord Manors reputation? Xue Chen remarked calmly. Let me see. Our city lord would be enraged to learn of your demise, and he would dispatch men to exact vengeance for you. As for our Second Young Mistress, she would mourn for a long time, and eventually, she would decide to depart from thisnd of grief and head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Geji! Geji! Those words made Dan Xiaotians heart beat faster and faster as he realized how wretched his situation was. If they really acted out this y, not only would the reputation of the City Lord Manor not be marred, it would even be praised for itspassion. At the same time, Xue Qin would also be more respected in the city for her loyalty to her fianc. They would say that even though Xue Qin had be the menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, she had still held steadfast to her promise to marry him, but s, as fate would have it, they were not meant to be. You... Fine! Ill agree to it! Dan Xiaotians hands were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his flesh, and his joints had be all white. However, despite his indignation, he knew that the current him waspletely powerless. Law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. Weaklings like him were bound to be preyed on by the strong. That is more like it! Xue Qin nodded in satisfaction. She raised her hand, and Xue Chen immediately took out a document and passed it over to Dan Xiaotian. This is the document for the annulment of our engagement. All you have to do is seal your name on it, and well handle the rest. Rest assured, well announce the matter to the entire city by today! Dan Xiaotian hesitantly reached out to grab the document before reading through it carefully. It was an official notice supposedly written by him to announce his intention to annul the engagement, and his reason behind the action was stated as well. The reason was extremely simple. He was injured, and not only was he unable to cultivate, he was unable to fulfill the role of a man, making him a true cripple through and through. In order not to stall his fiances future, he decided to willfully annul the engagement, and he sought her forgiveness for this. The City Lord Manor, in view of its past rtions with the Dan n, had rejected his proposed annulment of the engagement time and time again, so he had no choice but to officially announce the annulment of their engagement using such a crude method. He sought the understanding of the City Lord Manor for his abrupt actions. Xue Qin was actually going to the extent of iming that he was crippled as a man! The overwhelming humiliation that Dan Xiaotian felt made his blood surge to his head, and he nearly exploded on the spot. Chapter 1917 - Dan Xiaotian’s Confusion

Chapter 1917: Dan Xiaotians Confusion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If this notice was released, his dignity would bepletely crushed, and he would never be able to raise his head in public ever again. He would be the talk of the entire town, and this shame would effectively destroy the prestige that the Dan n had built up over several centuries. It would be thorough social suicide. Sign the document, Xue Qin said with a cold and pressurizing voice. Third Young Master, you mustnt sign the document! Once you do, the reputation of our Dan n will be in shambles! Elder Yi had also read the document from behind Dan Xiaotian, and he immediately kneeled down and cried in protest. Even death was not as fearsome as seeing the n that he had devoted his life to serving humiliated in such a manner! I... Dan Xiaotian was at a loss. He knew very well what would happen if he signed the document, but if he did not, the other party would still back out of the marriage agreement, and the oue... would likely be much worse than this. He was already backed to a corner. There was nothing else he could do. At that moment, even suicide had be an option for him. He had never desired so much to end his life and let all of thise to an end. However, when all seemed lost, a voice suddenly echoed in the air. If you dont wish to sign the document, dont sign it. Everyone immediately turned around, only to see a young man wrapped like a mummy leaning against the doorframe. He was looking at them with a smile on his lips. This young man did not seem to possess any cultivation at all, but his eyes werepletely devoid of fear despite standing before an expert of Xue Chens caliber. It was as if everything that was happening before him was nothing more than a small scuffle. Who are you? If this matter doesnt concern you, you will do well to keep your mouth zipped. Havent you heard of the saying that disaster originates from the mouth? Xue Chen red at Zhang Xuan threateningly. If possible, they wanted to resolve the matter with Dan Xiaotian without resorting to violence, or else there was a risk that word could get out. Thus, Xue Chen had no choice but to hold himself back from making a move. With an unfazed smile, Zhang Xuan said, I am just an insignificant figure whom Brother Dan has saved. I didnt want to interfere in your business, but I was afraid that Brother Dan would regret his decision if he signed that document, so I couldnt help but advise him so. Brother Zhang... Dan Xiaotians eyes could not help but light up in gratitude. Even if Zhang Xuan did not know of Xue Qin and Xue Chens true identity and the tremendous power that they wielded, it should be apparent that those two were figures that could not be trifled with from their conversation. Yet, despite the risk of possibly bringing trouble upon himself, the other party still chose to speak up. Such sentiments left him feeling slightly touched. Regret? Hahaha! What kind of regret could he possibly have? Does this brat still think that its possible for him to get together with the Second Young Mistress? Xue Chen scoffed. Snap out of your daydream! Why dont you take a good look at yourself first? A toad like you actually dares to lust for the flesh of a swan? Learn your ce! Im d to see that theres at least one thing the both of us can agree on. The two of them indeed shouldnt get together. Zhang Xuan nodded calmly in response to the other partys insults. Its apparent that this Second Young Mistress of yours isnt worthy of Brother Dan! There couldnt be a worse insult to him than if he married someone like her! What did you say? Xue Chen had been nodding gleefully when Zhang Xuan spoke the first part of his piece. However, by the time Zhang Xuan finished his words, Xue Chens eyes were already dripping with murderous intent. You dont believe me? Zhang Xuan looked at Xue Chen with an incredulous expression, as if he was unable to believe that thetter could not understand something so obvious. I guess you really have to see with your own eyes in order to tell the obvious, huh? Very well,e back in three days, and well see the results! After all that was said and done, it seems like you are just trying to stall for time. Futile! Xue Chen sneered coldly. As long as Dan Xiaotian doesnt sign this document, I can assure that what he will lose isnt just his dignity but his life as well! Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly and said, If its gone, so be it... Someone like Brother Dan wouldnt care about something as trivial as that! Huh? Somehow, Dan Xiaotian felt that there was something very wrong with the words that had just been spoken. It seems like Brother Zhang is a person with extremely strong opinions... But what do you mean by if its gone, so be it? This isnt a trivial matter at all... My life is on the line here! Turning his gaze away from Zhang Xuan, Xue Chen looked at Dan Xiaotian with a look so cold that it seemed like it could freeze hell over. Is that your decision? Dan Xiaotian shuddered a little under Xue Chens re, but he gritted his teeth and replied, Brother Zhangs words reflect my intention! He had no idea why Brother Zhang would put so much hope in him, but it was clear that he had no path of retreat anymore. If he had to weigh the dignity of the Dan n to his own life, he would indubitably choose the dignity of the Dan n. The Dan n did not belong to him only; it had been built up with the effort of his predecessors, including his deceased grandfather, father, and brothers. He could not trample on their efforts just so he could live! Besides, once the marriage agreement was annulled, he would be as good as dead anyway. With this, the decision that he had to make could not be any clearer. You do have some backbone, dont you? Lets see where your decision brings you, shall we? Hearing Dan Xiaotians final decision, Xue Chen flung his sleeves furiously. He turned to the youngdy beside him and said, Second Young Mistress, lets go! On the other hand, Xue Qin looked at Dan Xiaotian disdainfully and spat, Humph! I hope that you wonte begging for your life when the timees! Following which, she turned around and walked away. Throughout this entire period, she did not even spare a nce at Zhang Xuan, as if it would sully her eyes to look at an ordinary human. As soon as the two of them were out of the courtyard... Teacher... Xue Qin looked at Xue Chen worriedly. Xue Chen quickly scanned his surroundings to confirm that there was no one around before reassuring the youngdy. Dont worry. We wont even require three days to resolve this problem. The Dan n is nothing at all. Lets see if they can even survive tonight! Those words made Xue Qin heave a sigh of relief. I had a good impression of him initially, but who could have known that he would turn out to be such an arrogant brat? Let him die then! A person like him doesnt deserve to live in this world! The two of them got into a carriage, and it did not take them long to disappear into the distance. ... Shortly after Xue Qin and Xue Chen left the residence, there was a brief moment of silence before Elder Yi spoke up worriedly. Third Young Master, this wont do. We cant just blindly wait here for our deaths... Lets leave the city! He knew that the City Lord Manor was not as gracious and magnanimous as it seemed on the surface. In fact, he suspected that the massacre and eventual downfall of the Dan n had been orchestrated by the City Lord Manor. Since they were willing to go that far, it was likely that they would have no qualms dispatching assassins against Dan Xiaotian, especially after his decisive rejection earlier. Furthermore, with the means of the City Lord Manor, it was likely that they would be able to erase all traces of their involvement. Since that was the case, the best thing they could do was run as far away as they could. Run away? Do you think that its still possible for us to run away? Dan Xiaotian shook his head bitterly. The fact that the Second Young Mistress hade personally to reject the marriage showed their determination in ensuring that this matter was resolved without a hup. As such, there was no way the City Lord Manor would allow them to escape. If they could not cancel the marriage agreement, would the Second Young Mistress not have to spend her entire life in loneliness, waiting for him toe back? Brother Zhang... Dan Xiaotian turned to Zhang Xuan, hoping to ask thetter for some guidance as to what he should do in this situation. Since the other party had made huge promises such as e back in three days, and well see the results, perhaps the other party already had an idea in mind. Id like to confirm your intentions onest time. Were you willing to sign that earlier document? Of course not! Dan Xiaotian shook his head. If I signed that darned paper, how could I face my predecessors even after my death? If he sullied the Dan ns reputation like that, even his death would not be enough to atone for his sins! Are you afraid of pain? Zhang Xuan asked. Even death is no longer that frightening to me, so what does a little pain matter? Dan Xiaotian had no idea what Zhang Xuan was getting at, but he still answered the question honestly. Do you wish to exact vengeance for the humiliation you have suffered today? Of course! It isnt just todays humiliation. If I could, I would exact vengeance for all of the insults I have suffered ever since my parents death, but... Dan Xiaotian looked at his own leg with a crestfallen look. How could he possibly feel nothing when being insulted in such a manner? But with his leg in such state and his inability to cultivate, such intentions would only remain intentions in his head. They would nevere to fruition. If he had still been that talented youth, he would not have to live his life so subserviently... Good! Since you have made up your mind... thest thing you have to do now is acknowledge me as your teacher! Zhang Xuan said. Acknowledge you as my teacher? Did Brother Zhangs head bump on something that resulted in a concussion? What am I supposed to learn from an ordinary human? Could it be that your promise of e back in three days... referred to this? Dan Xiaotians lips twitched as he suddenly felt as if he had been bamboozled. Chapter 1918 - Gu

Chapter 1918: Gu

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Dan Xiaotian wasnt the only one who was bewildered by Zhang Xuans proposal. Even Elder Yi was taken aback. With twitching lips, Elder Yi said, Master Zhang, this is a very serious matter here. Pardon me, but Ill have to ask you not to mess around! Their lives were at stake, but the other party was still in the mood to make jokes. If he had known that this fellow was so unreliable, he never would have allowed the Third Young Master to save him and bring him back! Looking at the expressions on their faces, Zhang Xuan could tell that they doubted his abilities. Thus, he ced his hands behind his back with the intention of disying the disposition of a true expert, but his movements only ended up tugging on his wounds, causing his lips to twitch hideously as a result. He had to wheeze a little before he managed to suppress the pain and proceed with his expert disguise. You injured your meridians back when you were younger, causing your body to be unable to drive zhenqi. At the same time, your dantian was also damaged, so you are unable to store any energy. As a result, you are unable to cultivate at all. Is my analysis right? Dan Xiaotian nodded in response. He had been six when that incident happened to the Dan n, shattering his dantian and meridians. He had been unable to recover his dantian and meridians since then, so even though he spent every single passing day practicing his swordsmanship, he was unable to infuse zhenqi into his swordsmanship. In other words, his moves carried only the form but not the true essence behind them. He had consulted many physicians regarding his condition, but none of them had been able to cure him. In the end, he had given up and resigned himself to it. Then, do you know what the cause of the injury to your dantian and meridians is? Zhang Xuan asked. Some kind of powerful zhenqi has slipped into my body, inflicting devastating damage all around. Its already a blessing that Im still alive now, Dan Xiaotian replied. This was the diagnosis given to him by most of the physicians that he had had met. Zhenqi? Zhang Xuan shook his head. If it was the result of another cultivators zhenqi lingering in your body, considering how diligently you cultivate each day in hopes of improving your own condition, do you think that its possible for you not to show the slightest improvement after so many years? That question left Dan Xiaotian stumped. That was also what had left him bewildered too. For ten years, he had met all kinds of famous physicians, and he had tried many different types of treatment, be it medicinal essence, pills, acupuncture, medicinal baths... None of them had worked. His body was like a tattered gunny sack. Any spiritual energy that he absorbed would eventually dissipate, making him unable to advance his cultivation. Many famed physicians had told him that it was the result of hostile zhenqi lingering within his body, undoing all of his efforts. They had assured him that their treatment would work, but none of them had been effective. With time, those physicians had eventually deemed him to be incurable and given up on him. Dan Xiaotian pondered for a moment before asking Zhang Xuan, If its not the result of hostile lingering zhenqi in my body, what else could possibly be destroying my meridians and dantian and yet not cause my death? What was truly bizarre about his condition was that, aside from his inability to cultivate, it did not affect any other aspect of his life. Xue Qin imed that he was unable to carry out the responsibilities of a husband, but that could not have been more incorrect. He knew better than anyone that he would wake up with a majestic pir that rose high into the heavens every morning. Its a gu, Zhang Xuan stated. Someone has nted a gu in you, which has resulted in all sorts of treatments being ineffective on you! Gu? Dan Xiaotian was stunned. Are you saying that... theres a worm living in my body? It isnt just living; it has been absorbing all of the energy you have cultivated over the years, so it has already be extremely powerful! Zhang Xuan added. Through the Library of Heavens Path, he was able to locate the core of Dan Xiaotians problem in an instant. The reason his dantian and his meridians had been refusing to recover over the years despite his efforts was because someone had nted a gu in him. This gu would relentlessly devour all of the energy that he cultivated, and this was the source of his cultivation failing to inch forward at all over the past ten years. A living worm actually exists inside of me... Dan Xiaotian turned to look at Elder Yi with a deep frown, and thetter contemted deeply for a brief moment before shaking his head. What they had just heard was simply so unbelievable that they could hardly swallow it. If there was really a gu in his body, and it had been in his body for the past ten years, how could the many physicians that they had consulted previously possibly be oblivious to it? And how could the young man tell? I can sense some reservations from you two, and I can understand why. However, I do have a way to prove the matter though. Zhang Xuan could tell from the expressions of those two that they did not believe what he was saying, but it was not a problem to him. Do you have a silver needle or the like here? Elder Yi nodded. He walked into the room, and it did not take long for him to return with a box of silver needles. Here you go! As the saying goes, those who are constantly gued by afflictions eventually be doctors themselves. They had tried out all sorts of remedies over the past ten years, such that most fundamental medicinal equipment could be found in their residence. Un. Have a good look. Ill catch it out right now! With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan grabbed the silver needles and flicked them forward. Ding ling! All of the needles fell onto the floor three meters away from him. Cough cough. I dont really have too much strength right now, so I need you toe closer to me, Zhang Xuan said awkwardly. He was so used to flicking needles from a distance that he had forgotten that he was still unable to use his zhenqi, which severely limited what he could do. Alright... While Dan Xiaotian felt that Zhang Xuan was not really a reliable person, after a moment of hesitation, he still made his way over. Since the situation was already like that, he might as well go along with it. There was nothing to be lost. Taking out a couple of silver needles once more, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath as he invoked the Library of Heavens Path once more. After which, he pierced the silver needles ording to the positions stated in Dan Xiaotians book. Ding! Another unexpected hup happened that caused Zhang Xuans face to redden. In his current weak state, he was actually unable to pierce the silver needle through Dan Xiaotians skin. While Dan Xiaotian was unable to cultivate anymore, his cultivation was still at Saint 6-dan. Furthermore, his constitution had been nourished by the mercury-like spiritual energy over the years, making his physical body even tougher than steel. While Zhang Xuan was able to move his body around, he was still feeble from the damage that he had sustained. He could not even gather enough strength from his body to pierce through Dan Xiaotians skin. Help me with this! Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Yi and beckoned him over. Elder Yi quickly walked over. With a tap of his finger, a surge of zhenqi flowed through the silver needle, and the silver needle straightened once more. Sou! The tip went right into Dan Xiaotians body. Peng! Zhang Xuan was just about to control the silver needle when the silver needle suddenly flew out at an even faster speed, piercing right into the wall. Dan Xiaotian and Elder Yi widened their eyes incredulously, especially the former. As the person receiving the acupuncture, he knew that he did not exert any force, but the silver needles still flew out at such a swift speed. Could it be that there was really some other being existing in his body? You should have felt it. It was the gu in your body that pushed it out, Zhang Xuan exined. To be honest, he did not have the means to kill the gu in his current state. Nevertheless, by bringing Dan Xiaotians attention to the existence of the gu, he should be able to win the young mans trust. With sufficient time, he was confident that he would be able to resolve this problem once he recovered his strength. There really is a gu in my body? Dan Xiaotian could not speak another word. A moment ago, he had been confident that there was no way such a vile thing would be in his body, but what he had just witnessed had caused his confidence to waver. Putting aside the fact that he had not exerted any force, even if he did, he did not have the ability to jolt the needle right into the wall. While the earlier needle did not harm the gu at all, it showed that we are aware of its current location. So, its likely that the gu will move to another location before settling down. While its moving, you will be able to drive your zhenqi, and your crippled left leg will recover for a brief period of time, Zhang Xuan said. However, this recovery is temporary. Once it settles down, everything will go back to as it was. The only way you can resolve this situation once and for all is to kill it! Is that so? Dan Xiaotian was still a little dazed by the happenings. A few moments passed, and his eyes suddenly widened in disbelief. Just as Zhang Xuan had said earlier, he could feel zhenqi flowing through his body once more. Not only so, feeling had returned to his numb left leg as well! He tried taking a few steps, and his movements were no different from those of an ordinary person. There was not the slightest difficulty! However, the feeling in his left leg only remained for ten breaths before turning as numb as a block of wood. Knowing that there was nothing wrong with his diagnosis, Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle, You should be able to trust me now, right? Disciple Dan Xiaotian pays respect to teacher! Knowing that this was an invaluable opportunity for him to break out of his current state, he immediately got onto the ground and bowed down. Many renowned physicians had taken a look at his condition, but none of the treatments that they provided had made a difference to his condition at all. However, with just a nce from afar, Zhang Xuan was already able to identify the root of his problem and even demonstrate it to him. From this alone, it could be seen that the other party was a person of great capabilities, no matter how he might seem on the exterior. Rise! After Dan Xiaotian carried out a formal greeting to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher, Zhang Xuan quickly walked forward to help him up. To be honest, he had initially nned to steer clear from the affairs of the Azure as much as possible, focusing his efforts on finding Luo Ruoxin. However, Dan Xiaotian had saved him, so he wanted to return the favor. Having acknowledged Zhang Xuan as his teacher, Dan Xiaotian looked at the young man before him expectantly and asked, Teacher, may I know how I can get rid of the gu in my body? Just the thought of there being a worm crawling in his flesh and leeching off his body was more than enough to raise goosebumps on his arms. He had not been too affected by it in the past because he had not been aware of it, but at this rate, he would not even be able to sleep well at night as long as the gu remained. I am able to remove the gu in your body, but I am too weak at the moment. Ill have to recover from my injuries before I can do anything about it, Zhang Xuan replied. If not for his severe wounds, just a st of his Heavens Path zhenqi would decimate whatever gu was crawling in Dan Xiaotians body in a breath. However, in his current state, he could not even exert his zhenqi. As such, while he was able to identify where the gu was, he could not do a thing about it. More importantly, the gu even gleefully pushed his silver needle out, as if taunting his weakness. This was really testing the limits of his patience. Recover from your injuries? Dan Xiaotian echoed when he suddenly widened his eyes in realization. Ah, I nearly forgot! I have a couple of valuable recovery medicine here, and I was nning to feed you some of them so that you could recover from your injuries. However, youve been in aa for the past three days, and I didnt dare use them recklessly. Since youre already awake, allow me to bring those pills to you right now. Once the medicinal energy diffuses throughout your body, it shouldnt take too long for you to recover to your full strength! Most high-tier recovery medicine were incredibly potent, such that it required one to facilitate the assimtion of the medicinal energy using ones zhenqi. If one recklessly fed it to an unconscious patient, there was a good chance that the powerful medicinal energy would end up harming the patient. As such, they had put off the matter till now. A few momentster, Elder Yi walked into the room with a jade bottle in hand. He uncorked the jade bottle, and the fragrant scent of herbs immediately drifted across the room. It was a grade-8 recovery pill. Zhang Xuan took out a pill and swallowed it without any hesitation. However, a momentter, he sighed deeply and said, Im afraid that the medicine you have isnt of much use to me... Despite Zhang Xuans current seemingly powerless state, his core was still a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator. While grade-8 recovery pills could be considered invaluable panacea for curing all sorts of wounds for a Saint 6-dan cultivator, it did not even cause the slightest ripple in Zhang Xuans body. It isnt of much use to you? Dan Xiaotian quickly instructed Elder Yi to bring over the best recovery medicine that they had, but none of it turned out to be of use to Zhang Xuan. Are there anyrge markets in this town where I can buy recovery pills or medicinal herbs? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. There is a market, but the medicinal herbs and pills sold arent too advanced. The pills that we have here are already the best on the market... Dan Xiaotian scratched his head. Considering how those pills werepletely useless to the young man before him, it would be meaningless to buy more of them. Is there any way to acquire higher tier pills? Zhang Xuan asked. As long as he did not recover from his injuries, he would be unable to cure Dan Xiaotian. At this rate, they were simply too vulnerable. Putting aside surviving the third day, it was questionable whether they would be able to get through the night! Dan Xiaotian pondered for a moment before replying. Most cultivators purchase high-tier pills through the Ethereal Token. As long as the trade is sessful, the items will be swiftly delivered. Ethereal Token? Hearing that familiar name, Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, is there any way I can acquire an Ethereal Token? Chapter 1919 - Don’t You Want to Return the Favor?

Chapter 1919: Dont You Want to Return the Favor?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 This was the second time that he had heard of this artifact after entering the Azure. It seemed like the top echelon of the Azure revolved around this single artifact. Regardless of whether it was to acquire top-notch cultivation techniques or high-tier pills, one required an Ethereal Token. From the looks of it, they would not be able to get anywhere without an Ethereal Token. All Zhang Xuan needed was a sufficiently high-tier pill to temporarily stabilize his wounds so that he could absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy from the surroundings and convert it into Heavens Path zhenqi. Once that happened, all of the problems would swiftly be resolved. He would be able to remove the gu from Dan Xiaotians body and teach him swordsmanship, thus saving the young man from his current plight. The city we live in is simply too small, so theres no Ethereal Hall here. As such, there are no vendors selling the Ethereal Token. Dan Xiaotian frowned. Is there no other way to acquire it? Zhang Xuan asked. There is one way a person can get an Ethereal Token in our city, Dan Xiaotian said, but its simply so difficult that its no exaggeration to say that itspletely impossible! Back when the Hongyan Market was first established, in order to draw more customers into its premises, the owner inscribed ten difficult questions and created a list of prizes corresponding to each of the questions. As long as one is able to solve a question, one will be able to acquire the corresponding prize. It sessfully drew huge crowds to the Hongyan Market, and nine of the questions have been solved thus far. The prize of the final question remaining is an Ethereal Token, and there are many people who are dying toy their hands on it. However, due to the sheer difficulty of the question, it remains undeciphered to date! Bring me there! Zhang Xuan said. Even if there was a vendor selling Ethereal Token there, it was not as if he had the money required to purchase it. Of course, with his means, he should be able to make money quickly, but that would be a great deal of trouble. Thus, it would be best if he could acquire the Ethereal Token like that. Knowing that there was no other way around this matter, Dan Xiaotian nodded in agreement. As Zhang Xuans injuries were simply too severe and even walking put huge strain on his body, they could only travel to the Hongyan Market in a carriage. It took roughly two hours for them to finally arrive before a massive marketce. Dan Xiaotian leaped out of the carriage before carefully supporting Zhang Xuan. Together, they headed to the wall where the ten questions were inscribed. As a popr tourist attraction site, there was a huge crowd swarming in the vicinity. The possibility of being able to obtain an Ethereal Token for free was too great a temptation, so it was understandable that people wanted to give it a try. Sigh, its wrong again... You have been here ten times over the past two months, but you still havent seeded. Why do you just keeping back to embarrass yourself time and time again? Whats wrong with that? Its not as if Im embarrassing you. Besides, you came here many more times than me! If its that easy to solve this question, it wouldnt have remained undeciphered even after all these years... ... The crowd gradually thinned as challengers failed one after another. The system that verified the uracy of the answer was rather simr to the Wall of Dilemma that he had encountered in the past. Basically, every answer provided would be evaluated on the spot to determine whether it was right or not. This was also why it attracted a huge crowd every day. Perhaps, one might just stumble upon the correct answer by luck. On the way here, Zhang Xuan had learned from his conversation with Dan Xiaotian exactly how valuable the Ethereal Token was. Every single token was so precious that even Ancient Sage experts would have difficulty forking out the money for one. Judging from Dan Xiaotians depiction, it seemed like even if he could bring out everything in his storage ring and sell his possessions there, he still might not be able to afford one. At the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of the Azure. As those living in the Azure had lived their life amid the mercury-like spiritual energy, their constitutions were exceptionally resilient, surpassing even the Otherworldly Demons of the Master Teacher Continent. Just like his previous self, most of them possessed the strength of a Saint 1-dan at birth, and that would increase all the way to Saint 9-dan when they finally matured as an adult. Someone like Dan Xiaotian, who was only at Saint 6-dan despite already being on verge of adulthood, was deemed a weakling with no future ahead of him. For example, despite being of simr age to one another, his fiance, Xue Qin, was already at Great Sage 3-dan consummation, making her one of the strongest experts in the city. The city they were in, Xuanjiang City, was not an extremelyrge city, such that Ancient Sages were the most powerful existences there. One thing of note was that it was under the jurisdiction of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, which exined why it was recruiting disciples in the region. The lord of Xuanjiang City was Xue Qins father, Xue Yao, and he was known to be the number one expert within the city. That being said, his cultivation was only on the same level as Zhang Xuan, Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage. So, once Zhang Xuan recovered his strength, there would be no one else in the city who would be able to pose a threat to him anymore. As such, he had decided to make this his first priority. Zhang Xuan ced all of those thoughts to the back of his mind and raised his head to take a closer look at the wall not too far away. Let me see what kind of question has put so many at a loss, such that it remains unsolved even after so many years. Even if a Nurturing Yang Pill is forged to the level of Perfection, the yang energy that it harnesses is still so violent that it cant be controlled by the cultivator consuming it... It did not take Zhang Xuan too long to finish looking through the question. The question was not tooplex. Basically, it was prompting others to solve one of the key problems surrounding the Nurturing Yang Pill via proposing feasible modifications to its forging process. The Nurturing Yang Pill was one of the necessary cultivation resources for cultivators practicing yang cultivation techniques. It would fill them up with the vigor and drive required to further their cultivation. The pill form was the work of an ingenious apothecary, capitalizing on the synergistic properties of many medicinal herbs in order to amplify the eventual medicinal energy deposited within the Nurturing Yang Pill. However, the pill had a fatal w. After consuming the Nurturing Yang Pill, due to the massive buildup of yang energy, cultivators would have to seek an avenue to vent their heat. Once they vented their heat, it would result in a huge loss of yang energy, which was extremely wasteful of the resource. This was a problem that many apothecaries had sought to resolve, but it still remained an issue. Improving an already ingenious pill form was simply no easy feat. It was for this reason that no one had seeded even after so many years. Nurturing Yang Pill? After reading the question, Zhang Xuan tilted his head slightly in confusion. The Master Teacher Continent had all kinds of pills, and he boasted an understanding of countless of them due to the incredible number of books he had read. Yet, he had never heard of the Nurturing Yang Pill before. Fortunately, perhaps in consideration that the general public would not have too much of an understanding of this pill, the other party had left behind a detailed pill form and its forging process. Zhang Xuan took those into the Library of Heavens Path,piling a book out of them. I see, I see... Zhang Xuan nodded. There were many differences between the medicinal herbs of the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure, so the pill forms and forging processes varied greatly from one another. Luckily, the Library of Heavens Path was still working perfectly. With a nce, all of the ws and errors in thebination of medicinal herbs and the forging processes became apparent to him. Dan Xiaotian also noticed the smile on Zhang Xuans lips, and he could not help but ask out of curiosity, Teacher... do you know of the solution to resolving this problem? He had also looked into this matter for quite a while, but it was to no avail. Could his teacher really have an answer to the problem with just a single nce? I do have an idea in mind. Zhang Xuan confirmed Dan Xiaotians thoughts. Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in shock, and he hurriedly asked, Then... how should the problem be resolved? If we are just looking at this single issue, the solution isnt actually thatplicated. In the pill form of the Nurturing Yang Pill, theres a medicinal herb known as Inferno Grass Stem. The problem can be resolved by switching that medicinal herb with the Spirit Matriarch Grass! Zhang Xuan exined with a lowered voice. Spirit Matriarch Grass... Isnt that a yin attribute medicinal herb? Will we really be able to forge the Nurturing Yang Pill if we add something like that? Dan Xiaotian was a little surprised by the answer. Due to his crippled condition, he had studied quite a lot regarding pills and medicine. The Inferno Grass Stem was not the most potent medicinal herb in the pill form, but it yed an indispensable role in forming the ultimate product. He did not think that a pill could be formed if one swapped it for the Spirit Matriarch Grass. On the contrary, the Spirit Matriarch Grass would neutralize the yang energy, thus causing all of the medicinal energy to be cancelled out. Yin and yang exist asplements to one another. While the Spirit Matriarch Grass is a yin attribute medicinal herb, it is able to serve as a medium to nourish and calm the medicinal properties of the key ingredient, Crimsonfire Flowerleaf. This will solve the problem without causing any depletion in the medicinal energy of the pill, Zhang Xuan exined. Theplementary properties of yin and yang weremon knowledge on the Master Teacher Continent, and it was a concept often used in pill forms. Yet, to think that no one in Xuanjiang City knew of this. From the looks of it, it seemed like despite the stronger average prowess of those in the Azure, in terms of the development of upations, it was nowhere close to the Master Teacher Continent. On the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shis ideals had been propagated for tens of thousands of years, encouraging the open sharing of knowledge and furthering of mankinds wisdom. Inparison, it was obvious that the Azure was severelycking inparison. This... Dan Xiaotian was perplexed. He was just about to ask about the matter when he heard some chatters behind him. Following which, he saw the crowd around the wall opening up a pathway for a group of people. Who are they? They seem to be quite lofty? a middle-aged man amid the crowd asked in displeasure. Shh! Dont speak nonsense. A knowledgeable soul hurriedly hushed that middle-aged man up. Those are the experts from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who are here to recruit menial disciples. Do you see that man in the middle? Its said that he has a deep understanding of pill forging... They are the experts from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? The face of the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier paled in fright. He hurriedly backed off to the sides to allow the approaching group to pass through. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilionmanded great prestige in Xuanjiang City, and no one would dare challenge their authority there. At the same time, Zhang Xuan turned to take a closer look. The person standing at the forefront of the group was a cold-faced young man, probably in his mid-twenties. He was dressed in a gray robe, and there was a sword tied to his waist. His eyes flickered with a hint of rational coolness, giving the impression of a person who would never let his feelings get in the way of his decisiveness. Despite his young age, the young mans cultivation was impressive, reaching Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm. There was no such expert on the Master Teacher Continent, but it felt like it was not too rare to see cultivators of such a level here at all... The Azure sure was a frightening ce! She... While Zhang Xuan was assessing the young man, he could not help but notice that Dan Xiaotians body had tensed up along with the arrival of the group. ncing over, he saw that thetters fists were tightly clenched. Tracing thetters line of sight, he saw Xue Qin, the youngdy who had dropped by the Dan n earlier to coerce Dan Xiaotian into backing out of the marriage agreement, walking right behind the gray-robed young man. She wore a tight purple dress that shaped out her proud figure beautifully, and its low neckline revealed her fair-colored neck. Her head was tilted upward slightly, and she emanated an aura of pride and loftiness. The fact that she was allowed to follow the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion around was more than enough to show that she had already been confirmed as a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and for a small ce like Xuanjiang City, it could indeed be considered an impressive feat. Such a problem actually stumped you all for so long? the gray-robed young man remarked as he swiftly read through the problem on the wall. He gestured to the young man behind him and said, Write down the answer for me. Change the Inferno Grass Stem to Spirit Matriarch Grass. Alright! The young man hurriedly walked over to the wall to write down the answer. Not expecting the other party to see through the crux of the problem with a nce as well, evening up with the same answer as his teacher, Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in astonishment. He turned to his teacher and eximed, But we were the ones who found the answer first! He had been doubting the uracy of his teachers answer when those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion came over and gave the same answer. That meant that there was really no mistake with his teachers answer. However, if it was the group from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who gave the answer instead, it meant that the Ethereal Token would go to them instead. Just as Dan Xiaotian was about to rush over, he felt someone grasp his wrist tightly. It was his teacher. Dont bother, its toote now... Dan Xiaotian turned his head over and saw that the young man from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had already written down the answer on the wall before pressing his palm down on it lightly. Weng! A brilliant red light shed from the surface of the wall. Its the correct answer? As expected of an expert from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! He was actually able to solve the problem with just a swift nce! I have long heard that the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were figures who stood at the peak of this world, and it seems like thats truly the case. Their reputation is not unfounded at all... The number of disciples epted by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion each time around is extremely limited. I wonder how many people from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion will be able to meet the mark this time around. It might just be a mere menial disciple, but it symbolizes the opportunity to rise to be an outer disciple, then an inner disciple, and finally a direct disciple... My bet is that there will be just three people. It has always been like that! ... A hugemotion broke out amid the crowd. Even a question that had stumped the whole of Xuanjiang City for more than a decade was solved so easily by the group from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were truly extraordinary beings. Young master, I would like to congratte you on solving the final problem of the Hongyan Market. This is the reward that we have prepared for you! Very soon, a slightly plump middle-aged man walked over with a fawning smile on his face. He was holding onto an opened wooden chest carefully with both of his hands, and sitting in the middle of the chest was a palm-sized token. The token was densely inscribed, and one could feel slight pulsations of spiritual energying from it. Is that the Ethereal Token? I heard that even a single one of those costs a hundred thousand Ethereal Coins? Wow. I dont think I cant ever afford that in my entire life... ... They might all be cultivators who had grown up in the Azure, but the Ethereal Token was amodity that only the upper echelons of the continent possessed. There were only a few of them in Xuanjiang City, so most of them had never seen one before. The gray-robed man grabbed the Ethereal Token in between his two fingers and drove his zhenqi through it. After confirming that it was the real deal, he nodded in satisfaction before sliding it into Xue Qins hands. Ill give it to you. Xue Qins eyes widened in delight as she received the Ethereal Token, and even her breathing hastened from agitation. It was not just the value of this gift that excited her. What was more important was the significance behind the gift. It was already a huge blessing for her to be able to be a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but to receive a gift directly from the young man before her... With this, she would be the envy of the entire town! Holding onto the Ethereal Token tightly, Xue Qin bowed down and said, Thank you, Senior! After giving her thanks, she suddenly noticed Dan Xiaotian amid the crowd, and a sharp glint shed through her eyes. She immediately made her way over to thetter, and with a mocking smile on her lips, she said in a hushed voice, Youre here as well? Were you trying to obtain this Ethereal Token to turn your situation around? What a pity though, its already mine! You really should learn your ce. Do you think that a person like you is worthy of possessing an Ethereal Token? Naive! Previously, she had been afraid that the rejection of the marriage proposal would affect her reputation, but with a senior from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion taking such care of her, she had nothing to fear anymore! What did Dan Xiaotian even count as? They were already in two different worlds, so what did she have to fear about him? Of course, there was also the fact that the area was filled with men from the City Lord Manor, so no one would dare leak the news out. Not even the wandering cultivators who had dropped by to try their luck would dare speak a word of the matter as long as they valued their lives. Besides, she was not speaking too loudly, so it would be hard to discern what she was saying. You... Dan Xiaotians body stiffened at being humiliated once more. Who is he? the gray-robed young man suddenly asked. Hes just a friend I have met in the past... Xue Qin scoffed at Dan Xiaotian onest time before turning around to face the gray-robed young man, recing her scorn with a sweet smile in the blink of an eye. Lets go! the gray-robed young man said before walking away. Xue Qin quickly rushed forward to keep up with him. Dan Xiaotian trembled quietly with a lowered head for a moment before he turned to Zhang Xuan with an apologetic look on his face. Im sorry, Teacher... His teacher had already revealed the correct answer, but he had actually doubted his teacher. If not for his teacher spending some time to exin the matter to him, the Ethereal Token would already have been theirs. To receive such a valuable gift from her senior... It seems like that fiance of yours didnt acquire her position as a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion through proper avenues, Zhang Xuan remarked deeply before turning to look at Dan Xiaotian with a smile on his lips. Do you wish to return the favor? Return the favor? Dan Xiaotian was taken aback. Xue Qin already had the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion on her side, so how could they possibly exact vengeance on her? Chapter 1920 - You’re Wrong!

Chapter 1920: Youre Wrong!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Watch closely! Without exining himself, Zhang Xuan walked forward and shouted, That friend from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion over there, may I ask you to stop for a short moment? The gray-robed young man continued walking away without any hesitation, as if not having heard Zhang Xuans voice at all. The edges of Zhang Xuans lips crept up as he continued. Friend, the answer you provided is inurate. I dont think that its very fair for you to leave with the Ethereal Token just like that! His voice was extremely loud, suppressing the surrounding voices in an instant. Everyone turned to look at him with stupefied looks on their faces. The other party was an expert of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and to actually im that he was wrong so publicly... Are you tired of living? The gray-robed young man halted in his tracks and turned around to look at Zhang Xuan with a deep frown etched on his forehead. With an awful look on her face, Xue Qin coldly spat, Dan Xiaotian. If you dont want to die, youd better keep your subordinates mouth in check! She recognized the mummy standing before her as none other than the person who had spoken up against them earlier at the Dan n. It was out of magnanimity that she did not pursue his insolence, but who could have known that he would dare to continue spout nonsense? H-he isnt my subordinate. Hes my t-teacher! In a moment of anxiety, Dan Xiaotian began stuttering once again. Teacher? No matter what, the Dan n was still once a formidable existence. When did you fall so far such that even weaklings like him are worthy of being your teacher? Xue Qin remarked disdainfully. I dont think its any business of yours who Dan Xiaotian acknowledges as his teacher. Unless... you are still dreaming of bing his fiance, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. You... Xue Qins body stiffened upon hearing those words. Seeing Xue Qins response, a cold glint shed through the eyes of the gray-robed young man. He gazed down at the mummy before him coldly and said, You mentioned that my answer isnt correct? Indeed, Zhang Xuan replied. To show you that Im not making things up, I am even willing to make a bet with you. The one who loses will be subjected to the other partysmand! You are courageous to speak to me in such a manner, the gray-robed man remarked as he assessed Zhang Xuan nonchntly. Tell me, what is your basis for determining that my answer is wrong. Theres no need for that. Theres a much easier way to resolve this problem than with our mouths. All we need to do is find an apothecary to forge the Nurturing Yang Pill based on the answer you have provided and feed that pill to someone. You will understand once you see it, Zhang Xuan said. You want to test the practicality of the solution I have provided? The gray-robed young man frowned. The first response that came to his mind was to reject Zhang Xuans request because he felt that it was too troublesome, but when his gaze swept across the crowd, he noticed doubtful looks on their faces. So, after a brief moment of silence, he raised his hand and said, Bring an apothecary over! The young man following behind him quickly left the group, and not longter, he returned with the plump middle-aged man who had brought the Ethereal Token over earlier, as well as two apothecaries. The plump middle-aged man snapped his fingers, and arge army of attendants immediately rushed forward to set up a table of medicinal herbs and two cauldrons. I need the two of you to forge the Nurturing Yang Pill ording to the form over there! the plump middle-aged man instructed the two apothecaries. Nodding, the two apothecaries swiftly began forging the Nurturing Yang Pill. They followed the instructions written on the wall precisely, adding medicinal herbs one after another with impable timing. When it was finally time to add in the Inferno Grass Stem, they threw the Spirit Matriarch Grass in instead. As soon as the Spirit Matriarch Grass was thrown in, the two cauldrons immediately began rattling nonstop. One of the apothecaries could not contain the billowing energies within the cauldron, and eventually, the entire cauldron exploded deafeningly on the spot. It was fortunate that protective measures had been taken beforehand, so no one was hurt as a result of the ident. Nevertheless, the explosion still intimidated many people amid the crowd. They hurriedly backed a distance away as they continued watching the pill forging process worriedly. The remaining apothecary was clearly more skilled as he controlled the responses of the medicinal herbs adeptly. An hourter, a set of freshly baked Nurturing Yang Pills was finally delivered out of the cauldron. Its surface glistened beautifully with a natural shine. It seemed that their luck was not too bad. Not only were the pills formed, they had even reached the level of Perfection. Good! After seeing the pills, the gray-robed young man nodded in approval. He quickly scanned the crowd before beckoning a young man over. The cultivation technique you practice seems to be yang attribute in nature. I need you to help me test the medicinal properties of the pill! Perhaps due to his trust in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the young man swallowed the pill without any hesitation. The pill swiftly melted in his mouth, and a tremendous amount of yang energy swiftly flowed into his meridians. It took only an instant for the young mans face to turn scarlet. The young man hurriedly sat down to drive his zhenqi, hoping to keep the influx of yang energy under control for his own assimtion, but the more he tried to control the yang energy, the greater the bacsh he faced. Eventually, white smoke began rising from the top of his head. It did not take too long for his eyes to start reddening as the heat started getting the better of him. Ahh, I cant stand it any longer! Unable to take it any longer, the young man rushed up to one of the aunties watching the spectacle and reached out to rip her clothes. T! The ripped clothes scattered all over the ground. Without any hesitation, the young man began to force himself on the auntie to carry out some indescribable act, but there was an abrupt sharp pain at the back of his neck before he copsed onto the ground. The gray-robed young man of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had stepped in at the vital moment to prevent a tragedy from urring. The fact that the young man had only gone berserk after eating the Nurturing Yang Pill showed that his pill form was insufficient in resolving its problems. Not only so, the side effects seemed to have worsened. The young man who had consumed the pill could not control his impulses at all. The pill form that I havee up with does have some problems... With an awful look on his face, the gray-robed young man turned his head over to Zhang Xuan and asked, However, how did you know about it? Do you, by any chance, know the correct answer? To be honest, he had heard of this problem prior toing to Xuanjiang City, and he had conducted quite a bit of research beforeing up with the correct answer. He definitely did not manage to solve the problem as easily as he had made it appear. The main reason he wanted to put up such an act was to bulk up the reputation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion in Xuanjiang City. Just that... who could have known that instead of bulking up the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions reputation, he would end up being humiliated instead? As displeased as he was, he knew that it would unwise for him to lose his temper. He would only embarrass himself further if he disyed ack of graciousness. I do have an answer, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He whispered into Dan Xiaotians ear, and thetter looked at him with a bizarre expression. After confirming that Zhang Xuan was not joking with him, he walked up to the wall and penned down an answer with a brush before handing it forward. Just like before, a red light shed from the wall. The gray-robed young man frowned as he impatiently remarked, The person checking the answer is right here, so why dont you just read it out loud? What was the point of beating about the bush when the manager of the Hongyan Market was already standing among them? The young man could just read out the answer, and they would be able to discern whether it was right or not together. Dan Xiaotian looked at his teacher, and after receiving a confirmatory nod, he began reading out the answer that he had written out earlier with an awkward look on his face. Change the Inferno Grass Stem to Spirit Matriarch Grass! The crowd was silent for a moment before a hugemotion broke out. Huh? Was I hearing things? Isnt the answer the same as the one that the young man from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion came up with? The gray-robed young man also narrowed his eyes as a menacing aura flowed out from him. Are you trying to mock me? The other party had confidently pointed out that he was wrong, but he had ended up giving the same answer. Just what the hell was the other party up to? Dan Xiaotian himself was feeling a little giddy as well. He hadpletely no idea what his teacher was up to. Dont you know that trying to make fun of an expert like this is a huge taboo? Youll lose your life! You are thinking too much, Zhang Xuan replied calmly before shooting an exasperated nce at Dan Xiaotian. What are you doing? There is still abel at the end, right? Read it out! Ah, right... Dan Xiaotian nodded as he hurriedly continued. After the solution, theres a bracket that states not local. Not local? Wait a moment, what does that mean? Everyone was bewildered by the additionalbel. Even the gray-robed young man was unable to make sense of what was happening. What did not local refer to? Was there some kind of difference between the local Spirit Matriarch Grass and those not from the region? The Nurturing Yang Pill serves to reinforce the yang energy of a cultivator. In order to stabilize the effects of the pill, swapping the Inferno Grass Stem with the Spirit Matriarch Grass is indeed the ideal solution. In fact, the solution you have proposed would have surely worked out if the pill forging was conducted anywhere else, Zhang Xuan said as he slowly walked up to the cauldron and touched the medicinal sludge from the exploded cauldron earlier. However, the solution simply doesnt work here! Xuanjiang City has its back facing the Xuan River, and thats where its name originates from. This river originates from the sea, and what flows through it isnt freshwater but saltwater! The crowd nodded in agreement. While Xuanjiang City was not located near the sea, it was connected to it through the Xuan River. However, it was a pity that what flowed through the Xuan River was saltwater, making it unsuitable for drinking ormercial activities. As such, despite its decent location, it had still failed to develop into a major city. Among the territories of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it could only be considered a third-rate city. Its economy was not doing too well at all. As a result, the farnds in the area were irrigated with saltwater, and the nts growing in the region carry some salt content. At this point, I would like to invite everyone to take a closer look at this medicinal sludge. Do you notice anything peculiar about it? Zhang Xuan asked as he showed his hands to the others. The crowd leaned in to take a closer look. Amid the ck mess on his finger, there was ayer of white powder. It was faint, but as Saint cultivators, they were able to easily tell what it was. The gray-robed young man also walked up to the medicinal sludge to take a closer look before touching it slightly. White powder stained the tip of his finger. He brought it to his lips and licked it, and there was a slightly salty taste. Its salt! The gray-robed young man nodded. Following which, Zhang Xuan continued his exnation. The Spirit Matriarch Grass lives in marsnds, thriving in dark, damp locations. Its leaves should have carried a slight acidity, but this is neutralized by the salt content of the other medicinal herbs, and that ruins the yin attribute of the Spirit Matriarch Grass. As such, it is unable to serve as a medium to calm medicinal energies contained in the other medicinal herbs, resulting in the yang energy bing even more violent after losing the Inferno Grass Stem. Thats also why the young manpletely lost control of his rationality earlier after consuming the Nurturing Yang Pill. He waspletely overwhelmed by heat! This... Theres actually such a factor? Fervent discussions could be heard all around. Had pill forging always been such a delicate process such that even a slight change in the environment would make a huge difference? The gray-robed young man was slightly taken aback. Was this really why his pill form had failed? He swiftly examined the remaining medicinal herbs that had not been used for the pill forging. With a tap of his finger, he ignited one of the medicinal herbs, and upon closer examination, he noticed some salt amid the ashes too. Pill forging is a very delicate process. The difference in a single medicinal herb or a single process could easily result in failure. Countless medicinal herbs could be ruined just because of a slight difference. Naturally, an apothecary has to take note of the geographical location, the local climate, the state of the cauldron, ones state of mind, and the techniques utilized in the forging process. All of this has to be considered before one embarks on the pill forging. A mistake is a mistake... I know that someone from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion wont deny that, right? Zhang Xuan asked with a gentle smile. My misjudgment has indeed resulted in a failed pill forging, Ill admit that much! Knowing that he would only hurt his reputation if he argued his way out of this, the gray-robed young man harrumphed coldly. Ill give the Ethereal Token to you then! Without any hesitation, he took the Ethereal Token from Xue Qins hands and tossed it over to Zhang Xuan. I... Xue Qins face twitched as she felt a burning sensation on her face. It was just a moment ago that she had obtained this invaluable treasure, but in less than two hours, it was already another mans possession. I shall humbly ept the gift! Zhang Xuan replied as he slipped the Ethereal Token into his pocket. Then, his eyebrows suddenly shot up as a realization seemed to have struck him. Oh right, I nearly forgot. I mentioned earlier that I wanted to have a bet with you and that the one who lost the bet would have to listen to the winnersmand... You didnt agree to the bet explicitly, but neither did you reject it. Since thats the case, should I take it that the bet is still effective? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was pushing the boundaries, the eyes of the gray-robed young man narrowed threateningly. He had never thought that a person from this remote city would actually be able to corner him to such an extent! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan seemed to bepletely oblivious to the gray-robed young mans rage as he pointed to Xue Yan nonchntly and said, Well, mymand isnt anything much. I just want you to give Xue Qin over here three crisp ps in my stead! What? Xue Qins face warped in horror upon hearing those words. Chapter 1921 - Virtual Reality?

Chapter 1921: Virtual Reality?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 If she really was pped, what would be of her dignity? With a trembling body, Xue Qin hurriedly turned to the gray-robed young man and pleaded, Senior, you mustnt listen to that fellows nonsense! Hes just spewing a load of cr*p! Until we really forge the Nurturing Yang Pill ording to his instructions, we wont know if what hes saying is the right answer... But before she could finish her words, the gray-robed young man had also turned to face her, and with three swift strokes, he pped her thrice. Forehand, pah! Backhand, pah! Forehand, pah! Every single strike echoed loudly into the surroundings. The youngdys smooth and delicate skin immediately began swelling up. Is that enough for you? The gray-robed young man gazed at Zhang Xuan coldly with his hands behind his back. He was extremely adept at pill forging, and he had made sure to check all the details personally. Even without forging the Nurturing Yang Pill, he already knew that the young man was correct. Since the answer was already clear, any obstinacy beyond this point would only sully the good reputation of not only him but the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion too! Ah... It was just a casual remark when I told you to p her. Shes just a youngdy, and its not as if she has a marriage agreement with me but went to the extent ofing over to my residence to coerce me to back out of our marriage agreement... But I guess whats done is done, so lets say were even with that. Please, feel free to be on your way! Zhang Xuan bowed slightly as if to send the gray-robed young man away. The gray-robed young man took onest chilling look at Zhang Xuan before turning around to leave. The others that hade with him quickly left along with him. As for the fainted young man, one of the members of the group picked him up and took him away. They had nned to make use of this as an opportunity to disy their prowess and earn the respect of those in the Xuanjiang City, but it hadpletely backfired on them. A tremendous amount of rage was boiling in their blood. After leaving the market, the gray-robed young man looked at the swollen-faced Xue Qin and asked with narrowed eyes, Who was that? Xue Qin shuddered at the chilling voice of the gray-robed young man, and she quickly exined herself. Senior, I really dont know that person... I was referring to that crippled young man! the gray-robed young man interjected sharply. H-he... Xue Qins face turned ghastly pale. He... has a marriage agreement with me. It was decided by the elders of our ns... However, theres really nothing between us. We havent even met more than a couple of times... You should know why you were epted as a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! the gray-robed young man remarked coldly. In order for inner disciples to focus on their cultivation, they require servants to attend to their needs. Its out of special consideration of your looks and the fact that you are still a maiden that I made an exception and allowed you to join us as a servant and a concubine! I understand... Xue Qin lowered her head subserviently. That had better be the case! the gray-robed young man said with an impatient wave of his hand. He walked over to the carriage not too far away and got onto it. Before the carriage set off, his nonchnt voice echoed from within. I expect you to settle this matter prudently before it reaches the ears of the Sword Pavilion. Also, I want to know the identity and background of that bandaged fellow by tonight. Elder Lu Yun will be here in three days, and I dont expect anyplications as a result of this. Understood? Understood... Xue Qin bowed fearfully, not daring to even breathe loudly. Da da da! The carriage finally began moving away. Only at this moment did Xue Qin realize that her back was drenched in sweat. She nced back at the Hongyan Market with a murderous look on her face. Tell my teacher that well be making a move tonight! she spat coldly. Yes, Second Young Mistress! the young men following behind her replied. ... Thank you, Teacher! Seeing how Xue Qin, who had humiliated him time and time again, had been struck in public, Dan Xiaotian felt a little conflicted within. Nevertheless, he knew that his teacher was doing this for him, and he felt extremely grateful for that. Since you are my student, theres no way Ill allow you to be wronged, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Alright, I need you to bring me to a quiet room. I would like to test out the Ethereal Token! Yes, Teacher! Dan Xiaotian nodded. He quickly approached the middle-aged man from earlier, and before long, they were brought to a silent chamber. Upon entering the chamber, Zhang Xuan inspected its interior and found that the area had been secured by multipleyers of formations, ensuring its privacy. He nodded in satisfaction before taking the Ethereal Token out. Teacher, I heard that the Ethereal Token requires very specific instructions in order to activate it, and aplete activation requires one to pay quite a heavy price... But before Dan Xiaotian could finish his words, he saw his teacher tapping a few points on the Ethereal Token, and a resounding weng echoed through the chamber. A brilliant light shone from the surface of the jade token. It had beenpletely activated! Following which, Zhang Xuan dripped a droplet of blood on the Ethereal Token, and the brilliant light immediately warped into intricate patterns before seeping into his be. This sight left Dan Xiaotian stunned. Based on what he knew, activating the Ethereal Token was a delicate process, so more often than not, one would have to spend a huge number of Ethereal Coins in order to engage the help of an expert for aplete activation. Who could have known that his teacher would be able to activate and tame the Ethereal Token so easily, as if he had done it many times before? Paying no heed to Dan Xiaotians astonishment, Zhang Xuan carefully perceived the light seeping into his be, and only after confirming that it posed no danger to him did he heave a sigh of relief. Hu! The next moment, his consciousness escaped from his body to enter a unique dimension. This... Lowering his head, he found that his body had be something that was a mix of reality and illusion. Wee to the Ethereal Hall! While Zhang Xuan was still making sense of his current situation, a voice suddenly sounded in the air. This voice... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. This voice was surprisingly familiar to him. There was no mistake about it... Kong shi! It was Kong shis voice! He knew that Kong shi had definitelye to the Azure, but he did not think that thetter would be rted to the strongest power of the Azure, the Ethereal Hall! Or could it be that... the Ethereal Hall had been created by Kong shi? Dan Xiaotian mentioned that the Ethereal Hall was created several thousand years ago by a formidable expert... but judging by the timeline, Kong shi should have left the Master Teacher Continent tens of thousands of years ago... Zhang Xuans brain churned swiftly to draw links. At this moment, a possibility suddenly arose in his mind, causing his eyebrows to leap up. Could it be that... the flow of time in the Azure differs from that of the Master Teacher Continent? There had been a whole string of trouble ever since he awoke, so he had not had a chance to really examine the Azure. But now that he was looking at it carefully, there was indeed a difference in the flow of time in the Azure and on the Master Teacher Continent. As he was making sense of all of this, the earlier voice continued speaking. I established the Ethereal Hall to allow cultivators to interact with one another and trade safely. In here, you are able to alter your appearance and aura, so theres no need to worry about anyone noticing your true identity in the real world. As long as you are willing to pay the price, you will be able to learn the cultivation techniques you wish to learn! Within the Ethereal Hall, everyone is of the same cultivation realm. Theres no segregation as a result of standing or power difference. Everyone will be able to interact with one another on equal terms. Thats all I want to say to you. May you enjoy your time at the Ethereal Hall! The voice suddenly trailed off. Those words made Zhang Xuan more certain than ever that Kong shi was the person behind the Ethereal Hall. After all, it was his vision to create a world where all humans were equally entitled to cultivate and learn. He knew that he would be able to find traces of Kong shi in the Azure, but considering the time difference, he had thought that it would take a while before he finally heard anything about thetter. Yet, a single Ethereal Token had been able to provide him with so much information. Suppressing his agitation, he swiftly went through Kong shis words when a bizarre thought suddenly urred to him. Assuming anonymous identities and interacting with one another as equals... Isnt this pretty much like online chat rooms? Chapter 1922 - Dueling Ring

Chapter 1922: Dueling Ring

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Technology had been an integral part of life in his previous world. It brought great convenience to the world, allowing formunication or shopping to be done remotely. It allowed people to assume anonymous new identities and enjoy a life aside from the real world. Often, a person whom you addressed as your wife over the inte could very well end up being a nose-picking middle-aged man. As formidable as the Ethereal Token was, it seemed to work on the same principles. Upon entering the Ethereal Hall, one would be able to conceal ones identity, and the strength of all cultivators would be equalized. This meant that it would be impossible for a person to tell if the person whom they had been chatting with was a male or female, an expert or an ordinary cultivator. This is fine. The cultivators will be able to release the restraints they impose on themselves in consideration of their reputation and pursue what they truly want. It makes it easier for them to seek pointers from one another regarding their cultivation... This might be the motive behind why Kong shi created this system! Kong shi promoted education without discrimination, and he hoped to create a world where all humans could stand tall. However, cultivation resources were scarce, and ones birth, talent, and opportunities were bound to determine ones future aplishments. His ultimate vision was simply not realistic. In his time on the Master Teacher Continent, he had founded the Master Teacher Pavilion, but the system that he had put in ce was marred by the ambitions of those who wished to climb up the hierarchy. He had created the Kunxu Domain shortly after, but it had likely made him realize that it was impossible to achieve true equality in the real world. Thus, he had founded the Ethereal Hall and created the Ethereal Tokens. Here, one would have to cast aside ones previous identity and everything rted to it. With an anonymous identity and equal strength, everyone would be on equal footing with one another. With just a thought, Zhang Xuans appearance immediately began changing, making him appear more ordinary. He tried clenching his fists and threw a punch out. The strength that he could draw forth was roughly equivalent to a Saint 1-dan cultivator. In other words, no matter how powerful a cultivator was, he could only exert the strength of a Saint 1-dan cultivator in here. Zhang Xuan spent some time testing out his new body, but fortunately, it seemed like there was no fundamental difference between it and his real body. He began walking forward, and soon, a grand pce appeared before his eyes. Ethereal Hall, Starlight City! Starlight City is a second-tier city, and Xuanjiang City happens to be under its jurisdiction, Zhang Xuan recalled based on Dan Xiaotians exnation, and he shook his head with a smile. Its even a regionalwork... To use the terminology from his previous world, there were only servers in the cities where the Ethereal Hall had branches. There was no branch in Xuanjiang City, so anyone trying to ess the Ethereal Hall from there needed to connect to the higher Starlight Citys server. Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and walked into the pce. A huge crowd immediately appeared right in front of him. Just like socialworking games in his previous life, even though everyone had different appearances and figures, the strength that they wielded was the same as one another. They might be far from one another geographically, but at that moment, they were seated alongside one another to trade insights regarding cultivation or even to negotiate important business deals. Through sharing knowledge on amon tform, the rate at which information traveled would be greatly enhanced. Perhaps, this was the building block that would drive the Azure toward something simr to his previous worlds digital age. After a moment of curious observation, Zhang Xuan knew that the urgent matter at hand was to heal his injuries, so he headed to the front counter of the Ethereal Hall and called for an attendant. Do you have any recovery medicine here? I would like to purchase some. May I ask what tier of medicine you are looking for? The attendant was a young man dressed in a uniform, and his appearance looked considerably dashing. Of course, it was unlikely that this was his original appearance. This was simr to how many people liked to use the photos of popr individuals, such as that author named Heng Sao Tian Yao, as their online profile pictures. I need something that can heal the injuries of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, Zhang Xuan replied. On his way there, he had verified the various cultivation realms in the Azure, and it seemed like there were four tiers of Ancient Sages, and the names of the realms were the same. As for whaty beyond Ancient Sage, it appeared that even Dan Xiaotian himself had no idea what it was, so he was unable to satisfy his curiosity. We do have the Whitewood Pill and Bluesun Pill here, the young man said as he passed two jade bottles over. Zhang Xuan took the two jade bottles, pried open their lids, and took a careful look at them. He could not help but marvel at just how detailed the world that Kong shi had created was. He was well aware that he was in an illusory world, but the spiritual energy and medicinal energy harnessed within those two pills felt so tangible that he could not help but wonder if they were actually existent. But I have never heard of these two pills before though, so I dont really know which one will be more useful to me... In the end, the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent were two different worlds. While both worlds had apothecaries, their practices and techniques varied greatly from one another, so he was unable to urately gauge the healing properties of those two pills. He was just about to ask the attendant for more information when an idea suddenly popped into his head. He ced his finger on the Whitewood Pill lightly and muttered, ws! Since he was able to use the Library of Heavens Path with his soul, was it possible for him to use it here as well? Weng! There was a jolt in his head, and a book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. It works! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in delight. Even though the pills were fake, it seemed like the Library of Heavens Path was still able to process the information in the Ethereal Hall to analyze its strengths and weaknesses beforepiling that into a book. The Whitewood Pill uses the Whitewood Grass as its main ingredient, making it excellent for healing the soul injuries sustained by Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators... The Bluesun Pill uses the blood of saint beasts as its key ingredient, and it has remarkable effects in healing ones physical wounds and recovering ones zhenqi... The bulk of my injuries lie in my physical body and my zhenqi, so I guess I should choose the Bluesun Pill! Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan ryed his intention to the attendant. The Bluesun Pill will cost 20,000 Ethereal Coins each. May I know how you wish to pay for the pill? Do you have an Ethereal Card? the attendant asked with a sweet smile on his face. 20,000 Ethereal Coins? Zhang Xuans eyebrows leaped up. He did not have a single Ethereal Coin with him, so 20,000 Ethereal Coins was clearly far out of his league! Besides, what in the freaking cow was an Ethereal Card? So far, it had been roughly four hours since he had awoken, but he had already gotten a clear glimpse as to the purchasing power of the Ethereal Coin. If Dan Xiaotian sold the residence that he was living in, he would receive five thousand Ethereal Coins at most, which meant that the entire residence was only worth a quarter to this Bluesun Pill... I guess its time for me to start earning some money once more... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. He had finally climbed to the apex of the Master Teacher Continent,manding greater clout than anyone else. He had thought that he had finally struggled out of poverty and would never have to worry about money again, but in the blink of an eye, he was reduced back to the pennilessd he used to be. It sure was exasperating! He suddenly thought of the times when he had impersonated as Yang shi to give others guidance so as to earn the money required to solve Zhao Yas affliction. Was he going to have to do the same in the Azure? While it was convenient for him to assume an anonymous identity here, he was a humble and low-profile person at heart! There was nothing in this world that he detested more than showing off in such a manner! Sighing helplessly, he raised his head to look at the attendant before him and asked, May I ask what kind of ways there are to earn money quickly here? Earn money? Those words made the attendant realize that the person standing before him did not have the means to purchase the Bluesun Pill. While he did not reveal anything on his face, the warmth in his eyes cooled a little. He had thought that the other party was a big fish, asking for a 20,000 Ethereal Coins pill as soon as he walked up to the stall, but as it turned out, the other party was poor! The easiest way to earn money is through fighting open duels in the citys dueling ring, the attendant replied nonchntly. As long as you dont leave the dueling ring, the amount of money you can earn will increase by twofold each round. In the first round, you can earn one hundred Ethereal Coins, and this will increase to two hundred Ethereal Coins in the second round, four hundred Ethereal Coins in the third round, and so on. All in all, as long as you dont lose, you should be able to earn Ethereal Coins quickly! As long as you are able to win eight rounds consecutively, you will be able to rack up enough money to buy the Bluesun Pill. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He had made a misjudgment earlier. It was true that limiting everyones cultivation to Saint 1-dan did reduce the power difference among everyone, but that did not mean that they were equally powerful. Depending on ones interpretation of cultivation, fighting style, and reflexes, there could be a vast difference in the fighting prowess of different individuals even if they did have the same zhenqi capacity. If anything, it would be even more testing on ones skills and techniques. Besides, just because everyones cultivation was suppressed to the same level, it would be naive to think that an ordinary Saint cultivator would be able to defeat an Ancient Sage cultivator. The precision of their control and battle experience would make a world of difference. The Ethereal Hall could not erase all inequality among cultivators, or perhaps it was not its aim to do so. By reducing the power difference among cultivators, it would put the emphasis on techniques and skills, thus motivating cultivators to work on those as well. May I know where the dueling ring is? Id like to register for the duels, Zhang Xuan said. You can register for the duel here. However, I would like to remind you that your opponents get more and more difficult with each round that you win. While you are winning more rounds, the opponents you are paired with are doing the same, the attendant said. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. This was basically the same as the Ranked Matches in games from his previous world. If you were a Conqueror, the opponents you were paired with would be roughly around the same tier as you so that it would be aparable match. But over here, regardless of whether his opponent was a Diamond or a Conqueror, it made no difference at all. He would crush them all one after another! In any case, he could use the Library of Heavens Path here, so there was no one who had an advantage over him. Thats good. Youll have to pay the registration fee, five hundred Ethereal Coins, the attendant said. Five hundred? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Why is it so expensive? The Ethereal Hall doesnt just provide the location to conduct these duels; it records the video and provides a live feed of the battle to the other cultivators as well. All of this costs money, so naturally, there has to be a fee as well! the attendant replied. But I dont have five hundred Ethereal Coins. Is it possible for me to use my possessions as a deposit instead? Or else... could I borrow the money from you for the time being? Ill return it twofold to you once I win the battles! Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. Money was truly the greatest woe of a hero. As a godlike figure worshipped by countless on the Master Teacher Continent, it was embarrassing how he could not even take out five hundred Ethereal Coins here. If word spread, it would really be a huge embarrassment! If you dont have the money to pay the registration fee, Id advise you not to participate at all. The attendant finally reached the limits of his tolerance and snapped impatiently. A person who could not even take out five hundred Ethereal Coins actually wanted to purchase a pill worth 20,000 Ethereal Coins. It was as if he thought that he could easily win the duels and earn a fortune for himself. Just where in this world did this naivede from? Furthermore, how in the world could he trust the other party to return his money when they did not even know one another? Impossible! This... Seeing through the attendants derision, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, My Ethereal Token should be worth more than five hundred Ethereal Coins. I should at least be able to use it as a deposit for the duel, right? Since the Ethereal Token was distributed by the Ethereal Hall, the system should be able to ept it as a deposit. I guess that works. However, Id just like to offer you onest piece of advice. If you fail to repay your debt within three days, the Ethereal Token that you are using will be resealed, preventing you from using it ever again! the attendant replied. Since the Ethereal Hall was able to allow cultivators to connect to them via the Ethereal Token, naturally, they were able to terminate the connection as well. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. Seeing that Zhang Xuan knew what he was getting into, the young man impatiently processed the request. Some timeter, he passed a card over to Zhang Xuan. This is your Ethereal Card, and stored inside are the five hundred Ethereal Coins you have borrowed. As long as you sign up for the duel, the sum will automatically be deducted from your card. Simrly, the reward for your victory will automatically be stored within your card, so you need not worry! Seeing that the process was automated, Zhang Xuan was relieved to know that he would be spared from much trouble. He quickly put the card away before heading toward the dueling ring. Chapter 1923 - My Name Is World’s Edge

Chapter 1923: My Name Is Worlds Edge

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 There was nothing that induced ones improvement faster than practical battle, and this was the same wherever one went. However, practical battles came at a risk. There was a chance that one might get injured or even die, but these problems were not an issue in the Ethereal Hall. It was for this reason that the dueling ring was a popr location in the Ethereal Hall for cultivators to head to. As Zhang Xuan was nearing his destination, he saw a lot of people gathered together before a crystal-like screen with agitated looks on their faces. On the screen, there were two figures shing intensely with one another. Their cultivation might only have been at Saint 1-dan, but their battle was still exciting to veteran fighters. Their maneuvers were sharp and well-calcted, and the sheer precision of their movements was amazing. There were hardly any wasted movements at all, and the battle techniques that they executed often achieved unexpected effects in influencing the flow of the battle. Windherder has already won five rounds so far. He really is amazing! Amazing is an understatement, alright! His grasp of his battle techniques is terrifying! Every single move he executed is measured to an extremely precise degree, such that it reveals no openings for his opponent to exploit at all! I would be content if I could just reach his level of proficiency! Watching his battles are a huge enjoyment in itself. Not only so, I am also able to learn quite a fewbat techniques from him and enhance my own fighting style! ... Such discussions could be heard from the crowd. It was not without reason that the Ethereal Token was so highly sought after by the cultivators in the Azure. It served not only as an online market but a perfect underground ring too. Not only did the fighters not need to fear getting injured, even the spectators could learn much from watching the battles. To be careful, Zhang Xuan did not rush into registering for the duels but instead chose to spectate the duels of other cultivators for the time being so as to gauge the average strength of the cultivators there. Due to the cultivation cap of Saint 1-dan, the battle techniques that the cultivators were able to execute were severely limited. Thus, what really determined the battle was their grasp of timing and precision of the execution of battle techniques. More often than not, it was the cultivator who was more decisive and had sharper moves who emerged victorious. Having a deeper understanding of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan walked over to the registration counter and passed his Ethereal Card over. What name do you wish to go by? Its fine to use a nickname too! the person at the counter, a youngdy in her twenties, asked. Nickname? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment. Such dueling ring would require one to take on a nickname so that it would be easier to refer to them. Since I am able to preserve my anonymity in here, I shouldnt use my real name, Zhang Xuan thought. Doing so would be just like the fools who used their real names on the inte in his previous life. Let me see. Yang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Xuan Zhang, Luo Tianya... The identities Zhang Xuan had assumed in the past shed through his head in an instant, and the next moment, he said, Call me... Worlds Edge 1 ! Worlds Edge? The youngdy nodded as she jotted the name down on a book before her. It did not take long for his match to be arranged. Next round, Worlds Edge vs. Shadow Lurker! Amid roaring cheers, Zhang Xuan walked into the dueling ring. The dueling ring was circr in shape, and the surroundings were sealed by a crystalline barrier. Through the screens around the dueling ring, spectators were able to see the details of the duel from outside. The opponent that he was facing was a slim, middle-aged man. Even though their cultivation was both Saint 1-dan, hemanded an aura that pressurized his opponents. Ive heard of Shadow Lurker before! Even though this is his first duel, hes actually quite a formidable expert! Indeed! I chatted with him earlier, and we even exchanged a few blows. His reflexes and movement speed are truly top-notch. At the very least, I gauge that his cultivation must be equivalent to Dimension Shatterer realm intermediate stage! Hes actually so powerful? The Ethereal Hall really is filled with many experts! It seems like that there will be something interesting to look out for in this match then! Just that... I wonder if Worlds Edge will be able to put up a worthy fight! Eyyy, his name sounds so childish. I doubt that hes a formidable expert! Indeed, what Worlds Edge? It makes me cringe just by listening to it! It was impossible to determine a persons true identity through the Ethereal Token, but nevertheless, through casual conversation and exchanging blows, it was still possible to roughly gauge a persons true strength and standing as long as the person was not intentionally hiding it. Those who had interacted with Shadow Lurker before knew that he was a fairly powerful cultivator. As such, they did not think too well of the fellow he was going to face. Lets begin! Shadow Lurker gazed at the young man before him coldly and taunted, I wont be going easy on you! He was nning to make use of this opportunity to forge a name for himself in the Ethereal Hall. Just like those experts who had made their fame there by achieving achieved consecutive victories, he would do the same and make the name Shadow Lurker resound across the entire Ethereal Hall! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan lifted his hand and beckoned him. Lets start then! Hu! With light footsteps, Shadow Lurker flitted toward Zhang Xuan with bizarre footwork that caused his silhouette to appear a little illusory. Seeing the other partys moves, Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. While the upations in the Azure were not as developed as the Master Teacher Continent, their grasp of battle techniques andbat skills were clearly superior. Any single one of them would be more than a match for the master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion! Of course, this might be due to their possession of the Ethereal Token too. After all, not evenbat masters could keep fighting on and on without getting injured. I cant win right away, or else itll be hard for me to get matched with my next opponent, Zhang Xuan thought. As profound as Shadow Lurkers moves appeared to be, Zhang Xuan was still able to see at least eight ws in them without relying on the Library of Heavens Path. It would be a walk in the park for him to achieve victory. But this was an open duel. If he won in a single move, it would be difficult to find his next opponent. Without an opponent, how could he make his fortune? And if he did not earn sufficient money that day, the tenth direct disciple that he had just taken in could very well breathe hisst breath tonight! Coming to realize all of this, Zhang Xuan swiftly charged forward to trade blows with his opponent. Peng peng peng! In the blink of an eye, he had already started shing with Shadow Lurker. Oh? It seems like Worlds Edge isnt too weak! The move that Shadow Lurker executed earlier is the Spacebreaking Footwork, right? Is it really possible for a Saint 1-dan to execute such a powerful battle technique? Is that... the Drifting Palm? Has it always been so powerful? Those two moves are incredibly ingenious, and yet, Worlds Edge managed to dodge them so easily... Is it just luck, or does he actually have something in him? ... When the battle first started, everyone thought that it would bepletely one-sided. However, when the situation did not go as expected, everyone slowly widened their eyes in incredulity. Just as they had previously guessed, Shadow Lurker was indeed a powerful cultivator. His every single maneuver carried exceptional might. Despite that, even though Worlds Edges moves were ordinary and a little flustered even, he was still able to dodge every one of Shadow Lurkers attacks and even find windows of opportunity to retaliate! This really cast doubt over the matter. If it was just luck, Worlds Edge could not have dodged Shadow Lurkers attacks by just a millimeter each and every time. But if Worlds Edge was truly doing it intentionally, just how powerful must he be to pull off such a dangerous feat each and every time? Look, Worlds Edge is going to counterattack! someone suddenly shouted. In the first ten blows or so, Shadow Lurker had been the one on the offensive, and Worlds Edge could only defend against his blows. But right now, the tables had turned. As Shadow Lurker found that his offense was not reaching his enemy at all, he slowly lost his patience, and Worlds Edge made use of this opportunity to control the flow of the battle. At that moment, Zhang Xuan wobbled unstably on the spot for a moment before abruptly thrusting his right palm forward. On the other hand, Shadow Lurker seemed to have expected this abrupt attack and was not caught off guard. Without any hesitation, he thrust his left palm forward to meet the other partys attack. Just as the two palms were about to meet, Worlds Edge suddenly pulled his right palm back and redirected the momentum of his strike to his left palm instead. Before anyone could even react, Worlds Edge had managed to strike Shadow Lurker squarely in the chest. To think that the previous right palm thrust was another feint! To be able to switch between feints and real attacks so freely... not even the lord of Starlight City is capable of such a feat, right? You are underestimating the lord of Starlight City too much. I have watched some of the city lords open duels over the past few years, and he has used simr moves before. What appeared to be a feint would suddenly turn into a real strike if one failed to guard against it, and vice-versa... This is a move that requires perfect control over your body, otherwise it would be impossible to exert and retract strength so freely. Countless cultivators desire to learn this technique, but very few of them are able to get to the point where they can execute it in a real battle. I have practiced this technique for more than three years, but even Im notpletely confident in pulling it off safely. Yet, Worlds Edge actually managed to do it so easily. Frightening! Allow me to take back my earlier words, Worlds Edge is definitely a true expert! Could he possibly be the lord of Starlight City in disguise? How can that be? I know the nickname used by the city lord in his open duels, and it definitely isnt this... Someone who has won countless duels like the city lord wouldnt have any reason to pass himself off as a minor figure who hasnt even won a single match, right? ... The ability to switch freely between feints and real attacks might not seem too difficult, but throughout Starlight City, there were no more than a handful of cultivators who were able to pull it off. Thus, it was inevitable that the crowd would be shocked to see such a high-level feat being executed by an unknown figure. Peng! The Shadow Lurker staggered backward several steps as fresh blood dripped from his lips. While it was impossible for cultivators to die for real in the Ethereal Hall, they would still experience pain and vomit blood after incurring injuries. This was to ensure an urate simtion of reality. I have lost... Knowing that he would only lose more tragically if the battle continued, Shadow Lurker willingly admitted his defeat. He had intended to make use of this opportunity to make his name, but who could have known that he would be defeated in his very first battle? Right after, a youngdys voice sounded from the outside. Do you wish to proceed on to the next duel or leave the dueling ring? After clearing the first battle, one had the choice to continue battling or give up. Ill proceed on to the second round, Zhang Xuan replied without hesitation. While he did exert himself a little in thest battle, he still had plenty of strength left. Besides, he had not raked in the money that he needed to buy the Bluesun Pill yet, so how could he leave? Very soon, he had been paired up with an opponent. This time, his opponent was no longer a newbie but a veteran who had already fought several battles. His opponent seemed to have realized that he would not be easy to deal with, so as soon as the battle began, he immediately dashed forward andunched a barrage of relentless attacks, hoping to suppress him right from the start. This left Zhang Xuan with no choice but to dodge again and again. After all, he had to drag the battle on for a bit so as to not scare his next opponent away. ... Thats Infinitesimal Maneuver! The crowd eximed in astonishment. Infinitesimal Maneuver refers to the feat of dodging an opponents attack by a hairs breadth each and every time. This allows one to conserve as much energy as possible, and it puts one in a better position tounch a counterattack. Of course, it is a double-edged sword as the slightest carelessness could spell the end. To think that Worlds Edge would actually be able to utilize such a high-level skill... That must have taken him decades of tough training, right? Hah, it would already be an incredible feat if one could achieve it within decades of training! I have a cousin who is determined to master Infinitesimal Maneuver. He has trained for thirty years in order to pull it off, but nevertheless, he still doesnt dare execute it in a real battle. This maneuver doesnt just test the precision of ones control; more importantly, its a test of ones state of mind. Without absolute confidence in ones abilities, there is no way one would dare use thisbat skill! Many cultivators among the crowd were already rendered speechless. In the Ethereal Hall, it was no exaggeration to say that those twobat skills were the marks of a true expert. Oblivious to the shock outside of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan dragged the match on for roughly ten blows before defeating this opponent with a swift strike. While waiting for his third opponent, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in satisfaction at his own performance. It was tough, but I think I should have disguised my strength quite well. It is really stifling to have to exert only a twentieth of my true strength like this, but it is all so that Ill have enough opponents tost me to the eighth round... Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan raised his head to face his third opponent. Chapter 1924 - Sword Tossing

Chapter 1924: Sword Tossing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The third opponent was a youngdy dressed in green, but she fell in defeat soon enough. The fourth opponent was an arrogant young man, but he too did not persevere beyond ten moves. Seeing how he was staying in control, not scaring away the other challengers from fighting him in a duel, Zhang Xuan nodded in contentment at his self-control. What he did not know was that, to the others, being able to spar with an expert of such caliber with just five hundred Ethereal Coins was an invaluable opportunity for them, so there was no reason for them to pass on it. It could be said that they were earning a huge profit just by challenging Zhang Xuan in a duel. It was not as if they could die in the duel, so they had nothing to lose. Senior, whats your opinion on that Worlds Edge? Outside the dueling ring, two figures leaning on a nearby pir watched the live feed on the screen as they spoke. The person who was speaking was dressed in green, and he was hugging a sword. Despite his ckened posture, his eyes reflected a sharp Sword Intent that was at odds with his demeanor. The Senior whom he was speaking too was also holding a sword in his hands, and the Sword Intent that he emanated was even more intense. It was clear that he was a skilled sword practitioner just by his presence. Both Xuanjiang City and Starlight City were under the jurisdiction of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so there were many sword practitioners among the popce. In fact, even in the dueling ring, many of the challengers chose to wield a sword. The fact that hes able to alternate between feint and real attacks, as well as his ability to carry out Infinitesimal Maneuver, shows that the precision of his control over his strength has reached an incredible level, not paling inparison even to me. Theres no doubt that hes an expert! The senior nodded with a smile. However, hes stillcking inparison to the disciples of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Those two skills are the elementary requirements one has to meet in order to officially be a disciple of our sect. Most menial disciples are capable of pulling that off. Its only in a remote location like this that people make such a huge fuss over this matter! the junior said. Junior Huang Tao, go and sign up for the dueling ring and show that fellow that theres a wider world out there! the senior instructed. Rest assured! If I cant make him admit within three moves, Ill spend the pay on the tab for our alcohol tonight and practice the Transient Swordsmanship from scratch once more! the junior known as Huang Tao replied with a confident smile. Dont drag the battle on for too long. We have yet to choose the new outer disciples and menial disciples, so we are very tight on time. Furthermore, our actions can be viewed as no different from bullying the local popce, and if Elder Lu learns of it, hell surely reprimand us! As geniuses from a major sect, it was inappropriate for them toe to such a remote area and challenge the newbies in the area. This was no different from national yers dropping by a localmunity club to challenge its team. It was beneath them to do something like that, and it would only sully their reputation. I understand! Huang Tao nodded as he walked toward the female attendant. It did not take long for him to be confirmed as Zhang Xuans fifth opponent. Look at Dire Swordsmans win ratio! Hes only lost five matches out of a hundred? Isnt that insanity? What a ridiculous score this is! It seems like Worlds Edge has really met his match this time! Since hes holding a sword, this duel will likely be a sword duel. Weve only seen Worlds Edges expertise in hand-to-handbat; we havent seen his expertise with the sword. Every singlepetitor would have their past record in the dueling ring reflected on the screen. Dire Swordsmans feat of losing only five matches out of a hundred swiftly raised amotion among the crowd. The crowd initially expected it to be a one-sided battle just like those before, but the opinions were soon divided in now. Some believed that while Worlds Edge had disyed exceptional hand-to-handbat skills, that was no indication that he would be good with a weapon in hand. Given his opponents name, Dire Swordsman, and his score to date, he was likely an exceptional sword practitioner. Pick up your weapon! In the dueling ring, Huang Tao held onto his sword as he gestured to Zhang Xuan. Very well! Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a sword from the nearby weapon rack swiftly flew into his hands. There were no tiers to the swords in the Ethereal Hall. They were only tools used to execute ones swordsmanship, so things such as weapon spirit did not exist within them. Ill give you two chances before I draw my sword. If you cant get close to me before then, Ill defeat you within a single strike! Huang Tao remarked calmly. As a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he had his own honor to uphold. You arent going to draw your sword right away? Zhang Xuan taken aback. With a frown on his forehead, he muttered, But you might lose your life if so... Audacious! Huang Tao eximed with a darkened face. Make your move, or else you wont have to a chance to do so very soon! Alright then! Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. He raised the sword in his hand and flicked it around casually, as if he was trying to get used to it. Without taking a single step forward, he flicked his finger all of a sudden. Weng! The sword flew out of his hand. Before he could even make his first move, he actually lost his grip over his sword! This was one of the greatest taboos in battle! Once a cultivator lost their weapon in battle, they would have to face their opponent bare-handed, thus putting them in a disadvantageous position! Thats too reckless! Is that fellow trying to admit defeat? The crowd watching the duel were stunned by what they were seeing. They had never expected to see such carelessness from the seemingly powerful Worlds Edge. Look, Worlds Edge has turned his body around! Youre right! What does he mean by that? Is he trying to admit defeat just like that? Does he not have the slightest shred of sportsmanship in him? Amid exims of astonishment, the situation grew more and more ridiculous. On the stage, the young man known as Worlds Edge turned around and raised his hands after tossing out his sword, as if celebrating something... Was this a mark of surrender? Was he giving up after seeing Dire Swordsmans impressive record? The problem was, it was one thing for Worlds Edge to surrender, but why was he raising his hand so triumphantly? Did he view it as an honor or something? Standing on the opposite end of the stage, Huang Tao was taken aback by the situation as well. He had no idea what his opponent was up to or what was going on. Even if his opponent wanted to admit defeat, thetter should say so verbally instead of disying such uncertain gestures! Just as he was deep in thought, his senior anxiously yelled, Huang Tao, dont let your guard down! Be careful! That remark immediately brought Huang Tao back from his daze, and he quickly gathered his attention once more. However, before he knew it, the sword that his opponent had tossed ever so casually had already slowly made its way to him. The movements of the sword felt incredibly slow, giving one the feeling that it was floating quietly in the air. When it was just three meters away from him, the sword abruptly elerated, bolting toward him as if a sh of light. rmed, Huang Tao immediately drew the sword in his embrace to protect himself, but before he could move, there was already a splitting pain in his head. Putong! His body fell uncontrobly to the ground as his consciousness swiftly vanished. The sword had already pierced his head and ended him. Hu! Huang Taos corpse swiftly dissipated into light particles before vanishing altogether, leaving only the sword that he had been holding earlier on the ground. Dying in the Ethereal Hall would not cause any harm to ones real body, but the Ethereal Token that one wielded would shatter and lose its function. Simrly, ones avatar and consciousness in the Ethereal Hall would vanish as well. In other words, dying in the Ethereal Hall was notpletely without cost. Silence! There was a deathly silence that lingered in the area. Everyone stared in shock at the dueling ring before them with ckened jaws. They had expected to see an intense fight between Dire Swordsman and Worlds Edge, but as if a farcical y, thetter had tossed his sword out, and the former had gotten his head impaled. What the heck was that? H! After a moment of bizarre silence, roaring cheers filled the surroundings. While most of the spectators were unable to make sense out of what had happened in the earlier duel, it was as clear as day to them that Worlds Edge had won the duel. Long live Worlds Edge! I love you more than anything in the world! Dire Swordsman must have underestimated his opponent far too much. He was probably caught off guard by the sudden offense from Worlds Edge... I thought that Dire Swordsman would be a formidable figure, but who would have guessed that hes nothing but talk? To be impaled by a sword just like this... theres probably no one other than him! And to think that he actually had a win ratio of 95% out of one hundred matches... Did he get such a record by rigging the system, or did he intentionally lose the battle so as to give us a goodugh? To all the spectators, the sword toss that Zhang Xuan had performed earlier looked perfectly ordinary, so it was inexplicable to them how Dire Swordsman had ended up getting killed by it. Thus, there was only one possibility in their mind, and that was that Dire Swordsman was simply too weak! Thats impossible! The senior leaning against the pir hurriedly straightened his posture. He had noticed that something was amiss as soon as the sword was tossed. He could sense traces of Sword Intent behind the sword toss, which meant that it was a sword technique in itself. Still, was it really possible to kill Huang Tao so easily with the toss of a sword? The senior tried to recall the trajectory behind the sword toss, but the harder he tried to think about it, the more sweat that trickled down his forehead. To his astonishment, he was unable to map out the trajectory of the sword toss at all! It was as if everything had simply happened. His mind could process the start and the end, but everything in between was a nk. Even with his eye of discernment, he was unable to tell how the young man had managed to win with that single sword toss! Do I have to fight him personally in order to tell? the senior muttered as he clenched his fists tightly together. Most formidable swordsmanship would require a person to experience it themself in order to know how powerful it truly was. Most likely, this move had also reached such a level. With that thought in mind, the senior unhesitatingly walked over to the registration counter and signed up for the duel. A momentter, he appeared in the dueling ring. Soaring Clouds? Zhang Xuan read from the screen not too far away. He could not help but notice that his newest opponent had a sword in his grasp. It was just a moment ago that he had gotten rid of a swordsman when another one appeared before him. Did he identally poke a beehive or something? I am Soaring Clouds (Yun Feiyang). Its both my nickname and my real name! Yun Feiyang nodded in response. Without any hesitation, he drew his sword, and a cold sheen appeared on the surface of the sword. Pick up your weapon! Seeing that his opponent was as narcissistic as his previous opponent, Zhang Xuan picked up the sword that he had used for the previous battle from the weapon rack once more before looking at his opponent. Yun Feiyang sped his fist and requested, Please use the same sword art as before! He wanted to experience the same sword art that had killed his junior in an instant earlier so that he could find a way to decipher it. As a sword practitioner, he could not stand the idea of a sword technique existing in the world that he was unable to make sense of. The sword art that I used earlier? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats right! Well... I guess thats fine! Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. He did not think that the sword toss that he had executed earlier could be considered a sword art at all. It was really just a casual toss of his sword, and there was no particr skill or deep conceptualization behind it. That being said, it was still a sword toss that harnessed the essence of the Heavens Path Sword Art, and that was how it had pierced Dire Swordsmans head with impable uracy. This fellow wanted to give the same menu a try? Did he think that his head was tough enough to survive the impact? Regardless of the reason behind his opponents request, it really did not make much of a difference to him at all. He swung the sword in his hand a bit to get used to the grip before pointing it toward Soaring Clouds. Hu! With a flick, the sword flew out of his hand. Itsing! Yun Feiyang narrowed his eyes as he swiftly brandished his sword. In an instant, with the loud roaring of wind and swift afterimages of a de, his silhouette waspletely covered by his sword, preventing even the slightest droplet of water from getting to him. What formidable swordsmanship! How can he swing his sword so quickly? I cant even follow the movements of his sword with my eye! How can anyone breach a defense like this? The crowd below were astonished by Yun Feiyangs defense. His swordsmanship was so fast that it felt as if a light sphere of a radius of two meters had formed around him. Under such tight defense, it would be nigh impossible to harm him. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the tossed sword slowly advanced through the air to a distance of three meters away from Yun Feiyang. Hu! With a loud whoosh of the wind, the sword abruptly vanished from sight. Unbeknownst to the crowd, it had pierced right through the light sphere formed by Yun Feiyangs swift sword. Whats going on? Did he manage to stop it, or did he fail to stop it? The crowd were stunned to see that the sword had vanished but the light sphere was still maintained around Yun Feiyang. With their eye of discernment, they could not tell what was happening on the stage. Before the crowd could finish their words, the light sphere abruptly popped, revealing a young man with a sword lodged in his head. The person in question had already breathed hisst breath. Peng! The corpse copsed to the ground and dissipated. Gasps of shock echoed through the crowd. Chapter 1925 - Astonishment

Chapter 1925: Astonishment

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the City Lord Residence of Starlight City, two young men were chatting with one another as they made their way toward a courtyard. Where did Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao go to this time? The young man on the left harrumphed. They have been acting mysteriously for a while now, refusing to attend even our gathering. If they knew how many beautiful youngdies were there earlier, their guts would turn green with regret! He had a tall but skinny figure, reminiscent of a bamboo pole. One thing that was exceptionally eye-catching about him was the long arms that hung by his sides. Why would they regret it? They bought two Ethereal Token as soon as they arrived and assumed the identities of Dire Swordsman and Soaring Clouds to challenge the locals! the young man on the right replied impatiently. He had a squarish face and a boorish voice. From his tone, it was clear that he disapproved of the actions of the two. They went to challenge the locals? Bamboo burst outughing. They are disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but they came here to challenge these countryside bumpkins? Has their pride been gnawed by dogs? What honor is there in that even if they win? I really dont know what they are thinking either. In the entire city, I reckon that only the lord of Starlight City would be a match for us in our swordsmanship. Yet, they lowered themselves to challenge a bunch of ordinary folks. Are they suffering from an attention deficit or something? While shaking their heads, Square-face and Bamboo walked into the courtyard. As soon as they entered, they saw one of the people whom they had been talking about, Huang Tao, sitting before a stone table with his eyes in a daze. Did you have fun dominating the cultivators of Starlight City? Did they kneel down and beg the hero you are for mercy? Bamboo walked up to Huang Tao and teased him. Square-face patted Huang Taos shoulder and asked, You have always been quite the gentleman. How many moves did you let them have? Seeing that it was those two, Huang Tao lowered his head in embarrassment as he drew circles on the table. With a voice that indicated that he could still hardly believe what had just happened, he said, I lost! As if serving as proof of his defeat, there was an Ethereal Token shattered into several fragments on the table. You were killed in the Ethereal Hall? Square-face and Bamboo widened their eyes in disbelief. They were disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! In terms of technique, they would never lose to any of their peers. Theirbat skills should be enough to awe any of the locals, but Huang Tao had actually ended up dying. The entire matter was so incredulous that they found it hard to ept. Did you wield your sword? Square-face asked. I did! But I still got defeated by a sword tossed right at my head... I didnt even have a chance to disy my swordsmanship at all! Huang Tao felt like diving into the ground at this humiliation. You couldnt even execute a move before you were stabbed in the head? Those two felt as if they were mishearing things. Seeing that those two doubted his words, Huang Tao added, Senior Yun Feiyang was with me when it happened, but he isnt out yet. I reckon that hes challenged that fellow. You can ask him about it when he finallyes out. Feiyang was there as well? Hes the one among the four of us who is most likely to be an inner disciple. Given his formidable prowess with the sword, he should be able to quell any opponent here with ease, Bamboo consoled. Following which, the three of them stood up to head over to the neighboring courtyard to see how it was going for Yun Feiyang. As soon as they walked in, they saw the person whom they had been full of praises earlier staring at a shattered Ethereal Token in front of him, just like Huang Tao had been doing. His expression was a mix of shock and confusion, and it seemed as if he had just been inflicted with severe mental trauma. With twitching lips, the crowd rushed forward and eximed, It cant be... You were killed, too? Yun Feiyang was the strongest of the four of them. If even he had been killed, how powerful must the person who had made the move be? I executed the Boundless Flowing Water, but I still wasnt able to withstand his sword toss! That single move... was more beautiful than anything I have seen in the world... Yun Feiyangs thoughts drifted off as he recalled the earlier sword toss. You executed the Boundless Flowing Water? the crowd eximed in shock. That could be said to be the most advanced defensive swordsmanship among the outer disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The swordsmanship would wrap ones surroundings in a denseyer of water vapor, reminiscent of flowing water. No matter how the opponent attacked, the defensiveyer would either repel or redirect the attack. It could be said to be a move that no one of the same cultivation realm could break. Despite having executed the move, Yun Feiyang was still defeated in a single strike. Was the enemy really that formidable? More importantly, even though he had been so brutally killed, he still thought that the swordsmanship was beautiful. That intoxicated look on his face was as if he was passionately reminiscing about a lover! I would like to see that sword art with my own eyes. Feiyang, do you have any other Ethereal Token that I could use? After a moment of shock, Bamboo and Square-face found themselves trembling with curiosity. They were filled with anticipation to meet the person whose swordsmanship was superior to even that of Huang Tao and Yun Feiyang. I sent my men to purchase some Ethereal Tokens as soon as I awoke. We should be able to get some soon, Yun Feiyang replied. Every single Ethereal Hall had their own Ethereal Token. It was using the specific Ethereal Tokens that one could connect to the regionalwork. It did not take long for a servant to rush in with eight Ethereal Tokens in hand. Every single of these Ethereal Tokens was worth tens of thousands of Ethereal Coins, but while it was a huge sum to Dan Xiaotian and the others, it was nothing of note to the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Hu! The four of them hurriedly connected to the Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall before rushing toward the dueling ring. The seventh round, Worlds Edge is the winner! I wish to move on to the eighth round! As soon as they entered, they saw that Worlds Edge had won his seventh match. His seventh opponent was a renowned figure in the dueling ring, Windherder. Windherder was known for his exceptional light and swift movements, reminiscent of a breeze. At the very start of the duel, his silhouette had vanished from view, making it impossible for any other spectators to locate him. Yet, with a sudden upward kick into thin air, Worlds Edge had managed to strike the other party squarely in his crotch... And well, that had spelled the end of Windherder. Is there anyone who wishes to participate in the eighth round? Not a single person among the crowd replied. It was true that crossing blows with an expert could temper ones skills, but that was only if the gap in fighting prowess was not too huge. What was the point if they were just going to be finished off a second after going up onto stage? No one had that much money to waste on something futile. Ill do it! Bamboo quickly registered with the female attendant, and in a moments time, he was already standing in the dueling ring. Seeing that there was an opponent, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had earned quite a substantial sum by winning seven rounds consecutively, but it was still insufficient for him to purchase the Bluesun Pill. If no one epted his challenge, he would really have some trouble trying to rue sufficient money. Standing on the stage, Bamboo assessed the young man before him carefully. The other party looked extremely ordinary; there was nothing of particr note about him. How did the other party manage to defeat two of his seniors just like that? Another sword practitioner? Zhang Xuan asked when he saw the young man before him whipping out a sword. The Bamboo nodded as he drew his sword from his scabbard. Without any hesitation, he drove his sword forth. Based on Yun Feiyang and Huang Taos ounts, it was clear that the person standing before him was a true expert. Thus, he decided to make the pre-emptive strike. s, before his sword could evene close to the opponent, there was a brilliant glow in front of him that was reminiscent of the dawn sun. Its radiance left him stunned for a moment. Peng! Another body copsed weakly to the ground. Square-faces face twitched. He had thought that Huang Tao and Yun Feiyang had overexaggerated the strength of their opponent, but from the looks of it, they had possibly even understated it! Yun Feiyangs defensive ability was one of the strongest among the outer disciples, but when it came to defense, Bamboo was definitely ranked at the top. Even so, he had still been defeated before he could even touch his opponents sleeves. This could not even be described with terrifying! Huang Tao looked at Square-face and asked, Do you wish to give it a go too? I... Square-face shook his head bitterly and said, If even the three of you arent a match for him, I dont think Ill fare any better than the rest of you... Ill pass! The price was not the problem. It was just that Bamboo and Yun Feiyang were already the two strongest individuals among the outer disciples, but they were not even close to being a match. He would just suffer the same fate as them if he challenged the other party. When did such a powerful expert appear in the ranks of Starlight City? We must report this matter to Elder Lu, Square-face said. Youre right! Nodding in agreement, the three of them swiftly backed out of the Ethereal Hall and disappeared. ... Finally, Im done with my eighth opponent... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had worried that ack of opponent could hinder his money-making, but fortunately, another fool had leaped forward at thest moment. There sure were plenty of generous people in the world! He waited in the dueling ring a little longer, but no one was willing to challenge him for the ninth round. Thus, he could only back out of the dueling ring in disappointment. He returned to the earlier store, and when he met the male attendant once more, the other partys attitude waspletely different. Given the hugemotion that he had caused in the dueling ring, the male attendant had already heard of the matter. He had thought that the customer was just a naive poor bloke who thought too highly of his abilities, but it turned out that the other party was a true expert! Cold sweat poured down the male attendants forehead as he feared that the customer before him would pick a grudge with him due to his earlier disrespect. However, looking at the amiable smile on the other partys face, seemingly not ming him at all, he quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Elder Worlds Edge, you still have 105,500 Ethereal Coins on your card after purchasing a Bluesun Pill! the male attendant replied after processing the transaction. I still have more than a hundred thousand Ethereal Coins? Zhang Xuan was stunned. The returns of the duel should only total up to around 25,500 Ethereal Coins, so he should only have had 5500 Ethereal Coins remaining. Where did the extra 100,000e from? Elder, the opponents you faced in your fifth round and sixth round were equipped with weapons that they specially purchased. Due to their deaths, the swords were automatically sold back to the Ethereal Hall, and each of them was worth 50,000 Ethereal Coins. As you are the one who killed them, the sum was credited to your ount, which is why you still have an excess 100,000! the male attendant replied. They bought their swords? But the specifications of their swords didnt appear to be any different from the ones provided in the dueling ring... It was not as if their swords were sharper or were imbued with some special properties, so why would they be so expensive? While the swords do have identical attributes to one another, their swords were inscribed with a unique design, and the color of their handles was different. Just the design itself makes them worth 50,000 Ethereal Coins each... Zhang Xuans lips twitched upon hearing those words. So, it was possible to buy skins too, and the price was not cheap at all. Those darned capitalist gamingpanies. Then again, there were plenty of vain people in the world, and those who had the money to do so often liked to set themselves apart from the masses. While they were unable to alter their cultivation and item attributes, they could at least set themselves apart through their clothes and weapons. How can I take out the pill that I have bought? Zhang Xuan asked. Elder Worlds Edge, you just have tomunicate telepathically with your Ethereal Token after leaving the Ethereal Hall and activate the Teleportation Formation on it. The items you have bought will immediately be brought to you! the male attendant replied. Thats convenient! Not expecting such convenience from this service, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Having acquired what he needed, he quickly backed out from the Ethereal Hall and returned to the silent chamber. Crossing his legs, he ced the Ethereal Token in front of him andmunicated with it telepathically. Weng! With a light buzz, a jade bottle appeared in front of him. Inside the jade bottle was the Bluesun Pill. I should be able to recover quickly after consuming it, Zhang Xuan thought as he uncorked the bottle and ced the pill on his palm. He was just about to swallow it when he suddenly felt a cold sensation on his palm. A gourd suddenly appeared and devoured the pill whole. The heck... Zhang Xuans face immediately turned red. Chapter 1926 - Dan Xiaotian’s Advancement

Chapter 1926: Dan Xiaotians Advancement

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric This gourd was the very same Dongxu Gourd which shamelessly chose to linger inside his dantian, refusing to leave at all! Thest time, it leaped out and devoured the Dragon Blood he had acquired from Sovereign Chen Ling whole, and the same thing was happening this time too... Of all times to appear, why did it have to appear now and eat the recovery pill which he just so needed so much at this instant? Did I offend you in my previous life or something? How in the world did I end up being gued with a dastardly thing like you? With his body trembling uncontrobly, Zhang Xuan spat through gritted teeth, Vomit. It. Out. Now! He grabbed the middle part of the gourd and exerted his strength angrily, but it was unfortunate that the amount of strength he could exert was limited due to his injuries. Already swallowed it. I can still poop it out if you want it though, the Dongxu Gourd shook its bottom gleefully. Poop your head! Zhang Xuan threw the Dongxu Gourd on the ground and stomped on it angrily twice before his anger finally subsided slightly, Let me warn you. If you dare interfere in my recovery once more, Ill throw you right into a pool of feces! You were injured by spacetime turbulence, and its devastating power still lingers in your body. Do you know how long itll take for you to recover using that kind of pill? the gourd snorted impatiently. Are you telling me that the Bluesun Pill isnt enough to heal my injuries? He couldnt check his own condition using the Library of Heavens Path, and he was unable to drive his zhenqi to carefully check his current internal condition either. As such, he was unable to urately discern how severe his injuries were. Duh! It can heal up normal injuries, but for those caused by spacetime turbulence... Even if you were to eat a cart of them, it wouldnt make much of a difference at all! the gourd replied. That... Then what kind of medicine will I need? Zhang Xuan asked. He knew that there was something extraordinary about the Dongxu Gourd, so he decided to seek thetters opinion this time around. Perhaps, something good mighte out of this. You need pills that are specialized in treating wounds caused by spacetime turbulence. However, those are incredibly rare and extremely expensive. Its impossible for someone like you to find it... However, you are in luck. As long as you bring me a few more of the earlier pill and let me have my fill, Ill tell you how you can cure your injuries... the gourd replied proudly. But before it could finish its words, Zhang Xuan had already struggled his way to the doorway of the chamber and shouted, Dan Xiaotian, bring a chopper over! A chopper? I have a gourd over here that needs to be sliced to two. If you dont have a chopper, an axe will do too! Zhang Xuan bellowed. As soon as an ax was delivered into Zhang Xuans hands, he immediately brought it down on the Dongxu Gourd, smashing it furiously as if a person went berserk. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was serious about it, the gourd immediately surrendered, Fine, fine! Ill tell you how you can solve the problem... Actually, the reason why I want those pills isnt because Im greedy at all. Its because my energy is weak, and I need to consume some pills in order to recover a little before I can heal your wounds! Dont try to y games with me... Zhang Xuan red coldly at the gourd as he pressed the tip of the ax against the gourd. O-of course not! Why would I... the Dongxu Gourd quickly replied. Shooting the Dongxu Gourd with onest vicious re, Zhang Xuan returned back to the Ethereal Hall and spent all of his remaining 100,000 Ethereal Coins on buying five Bluesun Pills before returning. After swallowing the five pills, the Dongxu Gourd burped in satisfaction before instructingzily, Prepare a pot of water and boil it together with me. Drink the water two hourster, and your wounds will recover... You want me to drink your bathwater? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Was this a legitimate healing method? Un! the Dongxu Gourd said as ityzily on the ground. Hurry up. If you arent going to do it, Im going to head back in to rest... Knowing that the darned Dongxu Gourd would really do as it had said, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He didnt really believe in the method which the Dongxu Gourd had provided him, but he had no better alternatives at the moment either. Thus, he decided to just give it a try. He swiftly instructed Dan Xiaotian, who was waiting outside, to bring a pot of water into the room. Soon enough, Dan Xiaotian came into the room and ced down a pot filled with water. He was slightly perplexed as to what his teacher was doing... First, his teacher asked for a chopper and an ax, and now, he wanted a pot of water... Was he intending to prepare a hotpot? With such thoughts in mind, the caring Dan Xiaotian immediately asked, Teacher, do you needmb meat, fishball, or that sort? I can get someone to prepare it right away! ... Zhang Xuan. It took him quite a bit of effort to convince the overly weing Dan Xiaotian that he wasnt intending to having a hotpot. After he finally managed to send this tenth direct disciple of his out, he started a me beneath the pot before tossing the Dognxu Gourd inside. The Dongxu Gourd didnt seem to be affected by the temperature at all. One moment, it would be swimming freestyle inside, and the next moment, it would dive underwater. It was as if it was having the time of its life. This ridiculous image made Zhang Xuan sp his forehead as he wondered if he was really sane to actually heed the Dongxu Gourds instructions. He was such an imposing figure on the Master Teacher Continent, but up here in the Azure, he felt like he was at the beck and call of the Dongxu Gourd, and this made him feel extremely stifled within. To make things worse, he still hadnt figured out the true identity of this bizarre gourd? While the other cultivators were able to order their artifacts around, this fellow bolted right into his dantian as soon as they met, and it refused toe out no matter how he ordered it around. Furthermore, it had no hesitation in putting all sorts of stuff in its mouth... It felt like the Dongxu Gourd would do him in as soon as he let his guard down, and the fact that he could do nothing about it made him feel deeply exasperated. He had no idea how he ended up getting stuck with this dastardly thing. Two hours soon passed, and without requiring Zhang Xuan to fish the Dongxu Gourd out from the pot, it dashed right out of the pot and shook its body to get rid of the water on its surface before bolting back into Zhang Xuans dantian on its own ord. Heaving a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan carried the pot up and took a sip. It immediately sent a refreshing sensation across his body, alleviating the aches caused by his injuries significantly. It really works... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He had already prepared an ax in case the Dongxu Gourd had scammed him, but to his astonishment, it was really effective! The Dongxu Gourd is an artifact rted to space, so that might be the reason why its able to heal the wounds caused by spacetime turbulence... Zhang Xuan deduced. It didnt take him long to finish the pot of water, and his injuries were beginning to heal at a visible pace. In less than an hours time, the bandages around his body unwrapped themselves and fell to the ground. My injuries are finally healed, but I havent regained my zhenqi yet... Zhang Xuan thought. He was finally a sickly man no more, but his depleted energy hadnt been restored yet. Thus, he sat down on the ground once more and carefully felt the mercury-like spiritual energy around him. He opened up his acupoints and began taking it in slowly. Tzzzzzz! As the energy gushed into his body, he felt some weight pulling down his meridians, but fortunately, he didnt experience the same ripping sensation he felt previously. Is my body starting to adapt to this energy along with the recovery of my wounds? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He was driving the normal Heavens Path Divine Art at the moment instead of the reverse version. Thest time he did so at the Kunxu Domain, he nearly ripped his meridians apart. However, the recovery from his wounds seemed to have enhanced the resilience of his meridians, allowing him to take in the mercury-like spiritual energy without any trouble now. Gugugu! As the spiritual energy entered his body, Zhang Xuan swiftly circted it around his body and converted it into zhenqi. At this rate, I should be able to make a full recovery within three days! Zhang Xuan quickly calcted his rate of absorption before heaving a sigh of relief. As a Celestial Saint and the Worlds Teacher, the capacity of his zhenqi had reached an rming level. Even with the Heavens Path Divine Art and the mercury-like spiritual energy in the air, it would still take him three days to regain all of it back. However, as long as he had some zhenqi, he would be able to exert the strength of a Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage cultivator. In other words, there was no longer anything for him to fear in Xuanjiang City. He continued cultivating for a while till he finally had a hundred surges of zhenqi in his dantian before finally calling Dan Xiaotian in. As soon as Dan Xiaotian walked in, he noticed that his teachers bandages had fallen to the ground, and the feeling of frailty he previously sensed from the other party had vanished. His eyes lit in excitement as he asked, Teacher, you have recovered? Un, thats right. I want you to execute a punching routine for me right now. Ill determine the location fo the gu in your body and eliminate it for you! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. With a nod of his head, Dan Xiaotian swiftly executed a punching routine. After taking a swift look, Zhang Xuan determined the resting location of the gu and ced his palm lightly on the spot. Hu! A surge of Heavens Path zhenqi immediately gushed into Dan Xiaotians body through his acupoints. In just a moments time, it had already arrived at the gus hiding spot. Tzzzzzzzz! As if the arrival of a natural disaster, the gu that waszing around a moment ago immediately fled in fright upon sensing the overwhelming energying its way. However, before it could get far, another surge of zhenqi gushed in from its path of escape. It was surrounded. Under the onught of the two surges of zhenqi, the gu was reduced to a heap of pus. Hong long long! As soon as Zhang Xuan forced the pus out of Dan Xiaotians body, thetter began inting at a terrifying pace as if someone was blowing him, and his body swelled up like a balloon. Teacher, whats happening to me? Feeling the tremendous energy that was about to tear him apart from within at any moment, Dan Xiaotians face paled in fright. I told you before. The reason why your cultivation hadnt risen despite the hard work you have put in over the past ten years isnt because you arent hardworking. Rather, its because the spiritual energy you were absorbing has been stolen by the gu inside of you. Surely you can imagine the amount of energy it has stolen from you over the past ten years! Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. Its all returned back to you right now, so its a given that you would feel bloated with energy. Dont hesitate and absorb all of this energy with this cultivation technique Im going to impart to you! Zhang Xuan said as he imparted a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art into Dan Xiaotians mind. There was no time for Dan Xiaotian to carefully look through the manual he had just received, but he believed that his teacher wouldnt harm him. Thus, he began driving his zhenqi ording to the instructions on the manual. As soon as he began to absorb the energy in his body, he realized that something was amiss. Typically speaking, when one was assimting spiritual energy into ones own zhenqi, one would have to refine and adapt it to ones physical condition... However, the energy which he had obtained from the gu didnt require such steps at all! It was as if the energy belonged to him in the very first ce, allowing him to control and absorb it with ease. You were the one who cultivated this energy in the first ce, so it goes without saying that you would be able to drive them easily. Hurry up, and you might be able to finish before nightfall! Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. Yes! Dan Xiaotian closed his eyes and focused his efforts on absorbing the energy in his body. Hong long long! His meridians were swiftly opened up, allowing energy to flow through his body with ease. His cultivation which had stopped at Saint 6-dan previously began growing at an unbelievable pace. Saint 7-dan! Saint 8-dan! Saint 9-dan! He had reached Saint 9-dan in an instant, but his cultivation still wasnt showing any signs of settling down yet. He doesnt have any cultivation ordeal? Zhang Xuan frowned. Back on the Master Teacher Continent, those who had reached Saint 8-dan would face the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, and those who had reached Saint 9-dan would be struck by the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Back then, he spent quite a great deal of effort in order to ovee it. Yet, his tenth direct disciple was able to advance through the ranks without any problems at all. It could be because the heavens of the Azure is much stronger. To them, Saint 8-dan and Saint 9-dan might be no different from Zongshi realm and Zunshi realm, so it doesnt necessitate it to send down cultivation ordeals in response... Zhang Xuan figured. Considering how even ordinary citizens were able to reach Saint 9-dan upon maturity in the Azure, the heavens would probably die of exhaustion if they had to send down lightning bolts for these realms too. While Zhang Xuans thoughts were wandering around the area, Dan Xiaotian finally achieved a breakthrough to Great Sage. Introspective Convalescence realm, Aureate Body realm, Intuitive Impulse realm... His cultivation raced all the way to Great Sage 3-dan before slowing to a halt. The gu had consumed ten years worth of his hard work, and when it was finally released, it allowed him to soar through six realms in a single shot, reaching a levelparable to Xue Qin! Chapter 1927 - Elder Lu Yun

Chapter 1927: Elder Lu Yun

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Just like Lu Chong, this direct disciple of his had a resolute heart. Putting everything aside, anyone else who had faced such hardships would have likely already given up on themselves and despaired at life. On the other hand, even though Dan Xiaotian knew that he wasnt making any progress at all, he still persevered on and absorbed spiritual energy every single day. It was due to such willpower that allowed for his current aplishment! Only those who had put in the effort would receive returns. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. Teacher! The tremendous strength coursing through his body and the sensations he was finally feeling in his left leg made Dan Xiaotians eyes glisten with tears. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he kneeled down and cried. Despite his exceptional willpower, he was still a teenage child. He thought that he would die in humiliation after being rejected by his fiancee, but his teacher actually changed the trajectory of his entire life. Kindness begets kindness. You were the one who reached out a helping hand to me, and you deserve everything that you are receiving right now... Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Since your cultivation has reached Intuitive Impulse realm, allow me to impart you with some protective battle techniques! It was futile if Dan Xiaotian had powerful cultivation but no corresponding battle technique to go along with it. Take Xu Zhu 1 for example, he had two hundred years of inner energy but he was unable to use it at all, which brought him much troubleter on. I noticed that you have been practicing your swordsmanship, and it happens that I have created a sword art recently. I want you to give it a try and see if you are able to learn it. Ever since he was ten, Dan Xiaotian devoted his time equally to his cultivation and practicing his swordsmanship. While his mastery of swordsmanship was so-so, he had long gotten used to the weapon, so there was no need for him to intentionally switch to another weapon anymore. Besides, he felt that Dan Xiaotian would be a good fit for the sword art which he hade up with earlier in the Ethereal Hall. It didnt take long for Dan Xiaotian to go through the sword art manual. There was only one move in the sword art manual, and that was tossing his sword. However, this move was much moreplicated than it seemed. It required one to have precise control over ones strength in order to exploit the enemys opening to bypass the enemys defenses. Dan Xiaotian instinctively knew that the path to mastering this technique was fraught with difficulties. First and foremost, he needed to have a deep understanding of his enemys strength and moves in order tounch a pre-emptive strike. Secondly, speed was also of key importance in this move. Huhuhu! As difficult as the technique was, Dan Xiaotian was a person with great willpower. He put his all into every single practice throw he made, fearing that he would displease his teacher. Good! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. The direct disciple he had just epted didnte anywhere close to Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and the others in terms of his talents, but he surpassed them in his positive attitude and diligence. After practicing for two hours, Zhang Xuan noted that Dan Xiaotian had achieved a primary understanding of the technique before indicating that it was time for them to return back to their residence. Continue feigning to be crippled, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to Dan Xiaotian to remind him. Dan Xiaotian, who was walking normally a moment ago, immediately began limping once more, just like how he had been for the past ten years. With the breakthrough in his cultivation, not only was his leg fixed, his height had also increased by a fair bit. While he still wasnt as tall as Zhang Xuan yet, he was already around the same height as his peers. Nevertheless, knowing the rationale behind his teachers instructions, he intentionally slouched his body so as to appear shorter than he was. Those who werent familiar with him wouldnt have noticed the difference in his condition from before. By now, the day had already darkened. When Elder Yi rushed over with a horse carriage, the first thing he noticed was the difference in Dan Xiaotian, and he froze in astonishment. He was just about to say something when he saw the Third Young Master shaking his head. Knowing the meaning behind thetters gesture, Elder Yi swiftly concealed his astonishment and joy. Nevertheless, he still quietly kneeled to the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan several times before standing up once more and gesturing for the two to get onto the carriage. He was still thinking that the Third Young Master was too kind to help another person despite the plight their n was in, but who could have thought that it would be thetters kindness who actually changed their lives? Old Master, the Third Young Master is finally well again... Elder Yi muttered quietly to himself as his eyes reddened. Wiping away the tears of joy brimming in his eyes, Elder Yi walloped the horse to quickly return back to the Dan n. Shortly after they left, several shadows appeared by the corners of the street. They flitted through the darkness to track the movement of the carriage. ... Starlight City. Have you heard? A formidable expert has appeared in the Ethereal Hall today! He achieved eight consecutive victories in the dueling ring, and eventually, he had no choice but to leave because there was no one who was willing to fight him! He won eight rounds straight? Holey heavens! It must have been several hundred years since such a formidable expert appeared amongst us. Thinking about it, the cultivators of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion are currently recruiting outer disciples in our city, arent they? Could they be the ones behind it? I doubt so. The cultivators of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion challenged that expert too, but they were utterly destroyed in a single move! Are you for real? How do you know? Of the four cultivators from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, theres one called Yun Feiyang, right? There was a character named Soaring Clouds in the Ethereal Hall, and his appearance is identical to that of Yun Feiyang. Furthermore, the move that he executed clearly belongs to the Sword Pavilion... but even so, his head was impaled within a single move, and he died on the spot... That expert is that powerful? Whats his name? His name? Let me think... I think hes called Worlds Edge! What an excellent name! Vast and unfathomable; just listening to the name is enough to send shudders down my spine! ... ... News spread swiftly. In less than two hours since Zhang Xuan left the Ethereal Hall, nearly all of the experts of Starlight City had already heard of his feat there. In an instant, the Ethereal Hall was filled with huge crowds of sword practitioners. They waited before the dueling ring, hoping for the expert known as Worlds Edge to appear once more so that they could witness his transcendental swordsmanship. Starlight City, City Lord Residence. This was where the esteemed guests from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were assigned to stay at. In a vast courtyard, an old man was currently practicing his swordsmanship. His movements were extremely slow, seemingly devoid of strength. Yet, every single time he moved his sword, it felt as if the fabrics of the world were being strained. The air currents in the courtyard were stirred up under his movements, and they circled together to form a massive tornado. They were plenty of flowers and grass growing in the courtyard. As the air currents brushed by, there was surprisingly no damage to them at all. Yet, the dew that was above them seemed to vanish from sight. To get rid of the water dew without hurting the flowers and grass, this was truly an unbelievable level of control over ones strength. Hu! The elder finally halted his swordsmanship and exhaled a mouthful of white smoke. The white smoke rose for over thirty meters before vanishing in the midst of the dark night. Come in! the elder called out as he washed his hands clean with the bucket of water by the side of the courtyard. He had already noticed some visitors standing at his doorway a long time ago, and he knew that they were the juniors whom he had brought out together with him. However, as he was in the midst of his swordsmanship practice, he kept them waiting for a while. Jiya! Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, Bamboo, and Square-faced walked in, and they hurriedly bowed down and greeted, Paying respects to Elder Lu! The old man standing before them was no other than Elder Lu Yun, the man in charge of handling the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions recruitment. Un! Elder Lu Yun walked up to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. Speak, whats your reason for visiting me sote in the night? This group of young men behaved as if a bunch of canaries being released from their cages as soon as they left the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. They were more eager than ever to avoid him usually, fearing that he would limit their freedom. Yet, on this very day, all of them were gathered together outside his courtyard... Something had to be up. Elder Lu, just earlier on, Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao went to... the Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall, and they fought with someone on the dueling ring... Square-faced stepped forward and reported. Elder Lus face immediately darkened in disapproval, I can understand your feelings. Have learned so many new techniques, its inevitable that you would want to boast about it. However, as disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, you have to get your priorities straight. The reason why you are learning swordsmanship is to temper yourself and uncover the secrets of swordsmanship. Your diligence is the key for you to bing an inner disciple and eventually bringing glory to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Today, you might be proud of being a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but tomorrow, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion could be proud of having a disciple like you... Let me tell you this straight, you are wasting your precious time on futile pursuits! If a professional gamer were toe to an ordinary inte cafe, it would be inevitable that he would like to show a hand or two to win some respect from the other gamers... but while such actions were thrilling, they didnt value add at all. One learned absolutely nothing out of those experiences. Hearing those words, Yun Feiyang and Huang Taos faces reddened in shame. Ill let you off the hook this time around, but this must never happen again, understood? Elder Lu Yun instructed with an authoritative wave of his hand. At this moment, his eyebrows suddenly shot up as he realized something, In the past, when I brought other disciples out, such matters did happen too. While I dont approve of such actions, it isnt at odds with the rules of our sect... Did the four of you get into some sort of trouble? Yun Feiyang fidgeted a little in embarrassment as he replied, Elder Lu... when I went onto the dueling ring in the Ethereal Hall earlier, I executed the Boundless Flowing Water against my opponent! You executed the Boundless Flowing Water? You would need such a move to defeat the cultivators of Starlight City? It appears that you have met an expert! Elder Lu Yun was slightly stunned for a moment before he picked up a teapot and filled his teacup. I created this move unintentionally while I was observing a flowing river back in my younger years. While its conceptualization is simple, it harnesses a fragment of thews of nature, making it extremely difficult to cultivate. Its impressive that you are able to execute it... Of course, the opponent who is able to force you into making this move must be quite skilled too. Since you have executed this move, I trust that you have cornered your opponent and forced him to admit defeat? Elder Lu Yun said with a smile before sipping on his tea. He was extremely confident of the sword art he had created. The cultivators of Starlight City were bound to be scared into submission upon encountering this move of his. Seeing that Elder Lu Yun had gone on another one of his narcissistic streaks, Yun Feiyangs awkwardness intensified. With hesitation in his voice, he said, When I executed the move, the opponent... he impaled my head with a throw of his sword... Pu! Elder Lu spat a mouthful of tea at the face of Square-faced, causing his face to appearrger than ever. With widened eyes, Elder Lu Yun asked anxiously, What did you just say? I... At the very start of the duel, I executed the Boundless Flowing Water, but that fellow tossed his sword toward me, and the sword passed through the defense of the Boundless Flowing Water and pierced my head, causing me to die on the spot! Yun Feiyang exined once more. T-t-t-t-this... How is this possible? Elder Lu Yun was on the verge of going crazy. Such a powerful defensive sword art was actually unraveled by the single toss of a sword... Was this for real? Does that person specialize in offense? Seeing that Yun Feiyang didnt seem to be lying, Elder Lu Yun questioned on. Un, it seems so. His offensive prowess is quite formidable! Huang Tao replied with an affirmative nod. Till now, he was still a little traumatized at how easily he was killed. If he were to meet that person in real life... If thats the case, it might be because you have used the wrong move to counter him. While Boundless Flowing Water is a defensive sword art, blindly attempting to defend against a determined assault is not a wise move. You would eventually reveal an opening for the enemy to exploit! Hearing that they had only lost in the face of exceptional offensive prowess, Elder Lu Yun slowly regained his calm. Against such an opponent, you have to grasp the initiative and make the first move so as to corner the enemy with your overwhelming momentum. If you had used the Meteor Steps in parallel with my Bamboo Shattering Swordsmanship, you should have been able to turn the tables around and defeat him easily! Regarding that... Elder Lu, I have crossed hands with that person too, and I executed the Meteor Steps together with the Bamboo Shattering Swordsmanship right from the start... Bamboo said with a reddened face. These were the two moves he executed against Worlds Edge as soon as the duel started. And of course, it went without saying that those two moves were created by Elder Lu Yun too. How is it? Did you overwhelm him with absolute might and defeat him in an instant? Elder Lu Yun asked as he took another sip of water. Bamboo scratched his head and replied, Well... before I could even get to him, he had already head shotted me... Pu! This time, Square-faceds clothes were drenched too. His resentful expression made his face lookrger than ever. Regardless of whether you went on the offensive or defensive, you were still defeated by the other party in a single move? Elder Lu Yun dropped his teacup as he rose to his feet in astonishment. Chapter 1928 - Sharpshooter

Chapter 1928: Sharpshooter

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Let me take a look at the video from the Ethereal Hall! Knowing it was impossible for all four disciples to have the guts to band together with one another and lie to him, Elder Lu Yun instructed. Usually, he wouldnt have even be bothered to enter the Ethereal Hall of a remote ce like this, but with three out of four of the disciples that hade with him been sniped so easilynot to mention that they had been using his technique he had to take a look for himself. If that person was a talented sword practitioner, he would have earned merit for himself bringing that person back considering that he was the elder in charge of recruitment. After taking out the Ethereal Tokens he had purchased, the five of them entered the Ethereal Hall and swiftly purchased the videos of their earlier battles. The Ethereal Hall would record down all of the matches on the dueling ring for sales and reference purposes. It didnt take long for them to finish looking through the battle between the three disciples and Worlds Edgeeach battlested for barely a few seconds after allElder Lu Yun swiftly came to understand the reason behind their defeats, and he shook his head in bitter disappointment, The other party saw through the ws in your moves, and thats why he managed to defeat all of you so easily... Hearing those words, Yun Feiyang and the others hung their heads in shame. They knew that it was likely to be something of that sort too. But no matter what they did, be it tounch the pre-emptive strike, dodge, or fend against it, as long as they were in face of that tossed sword, they found that there was no correct countermeasure they could have taken that would allow them to turn the tables around! The move looked simple enough, consisting of just a sword toss aimed toward the head, but those who had stood in the dueling ring against Worlds Edge knew that it was much more than that. Yun Feiyangs Boundless Flowing Water is executed exquisitely, but theres a huge problem in the fluidity of his movements. Those who know the slightest bit about swordsmanship would be able to see through the ws and exploit it. As for Hu Bins Meteor Steps and Bamboo Shattering Swordsmanship, while it appears powerful on the surface, the problem is that you are unable to bring out even a tenth of its true prowess once your power has been scaled down to Saint 1-dan. Given so, its inevitable that the two of you would be killed so easily! Elder Lu Yun harrumphed coldly. Tonight, I expect you all to practice those two sword arts and movement art a hundred times. If you were to miss even a single time, dont bothering to find me ever again! Yes, Elder Lu! The four of them nodded solemnly. Also, I want you to keep a close lookout at the Ethereal Hall. If Worlds Edge appears again, inform me right away! cing his hands behind his back, Elder Lu Yun emanated an air of indomitability as he spoke, Does he think that hell get away so easily after harming the disciples of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? How can there be such a convenient thing in the world? Even if hes a good bud, Ill first grind his arrogance down and let him know that the swordsmanship of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is far more profound and advanced than what he can ever imagine! Yes, Elder Lu! Hearing those words, Yun Feiyang and the others heaved a sigh of relief. Without a doubt, Elder Lu had chosen to make a move personally against that person. While Elder Lu Yun might only be one of the minor elders in charge of recruitment and overseeing the training of the outer disciples, hisprehension of swordsmanship was not to be underestimated. Putting aside everything else, even the four of thembined wouldnt be a match for Elder Lu Yun when their cultivations had been suppressed to the same level. With him making a move, Worlds Edge was bound for a trip of misfortune. And as reality would have it, it wasnt Elder Lu Yun and the others who were waiting in anticipation for Worlds Edges appearance. The entire Starlight City and the experts from the third-tier cities beneath it had all heard of the news, and they were excited to see what would happen when that legendary man appeared once more. ... He defeated Junior Yun Feiyang in a single move? Interesting... In the City Lord Residence of Xuanjiang City, sitting in front of a Narra wood desk, a gray-robed young man had just heard of the news too, and a gleam flickered in his eyes. This was the same gray-robed young man whom Zhang Xuan had met previously at Hongyan Market. He was the First Senior of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions outer disciples, Huo Jianghe! Help me keep a close eye at the Ethereal Hall. As soon as Worlds Edge appears, no matter what I am doing, inform me right away... A countryside bumpkin actually thinks that a simple toss of a sword can also be considered as swordsmanship? Hmph! Let me give him a lesson of what true swordsmanship is! Huo Jianghe stood up as Sword Intent red from his presence. Weng! A sudden burst of sword qi shot out from him and sliced the thick table before him into two. Get me a new table! Huo Jianghemanded imposingly before walking loftily out of the room. ... You wench! Softer! Pah! A resounding p echoed in the air as Xue Qin red at the maid whom she had just struck with fury in her eyes. She instructed this wench to apply medicine for her, but thetter actually dared to inflict pain on her. Unforgivable! Second Young Mistress, please have mercy on me! the maid quickly kneeled on the ground and cried out desperately. Scram! Xue Qin kicked the maid in the chest before ordering the guards to throw her out of the room. After which, she turned around and looked into the mirror, only to see her beautiful face was hopelessly swollen. Her body trembled with rage as deep resentment flowed out of her. ring at her reflection furiously, she spat with clenched jaws, Dan! Xiao! Tian! It was because she was engaged to a trash that she had been mocked by her peers ever since she was at a younger age. It wasnt easy for her to win Senior Huo Jianghes appreciation and be a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... but everything was ruined just because of that sted Dan Xiaotians interference! Was that bastard really that unwilling to see her getting along well? If not for the marriage agreement, he would have already been dead by now! He should learn to be grateful! Yet, instead of repaying her grace, he colluded with that mummy and had Senior Huo p her in public... Her honor waspletely shattered today. There was no way she could forgive him for this! Dan Xiaotian must die! That bandaged mummy must die too! And that servant, Dan Yi, must die as well! Xue Qin cursed viciously. At this moment, Xue Chen walked in with a confident smile on his lips, Rest assured, Second Young Mistress, I have everything in my grasp. I promise you that they wont live to see sunrise... That would be for the best! Xue Qin replied. She looked into the mirror once more and asked, Teacher, do you think that this will leave a scar on my face? Will Senior Huo lose interest in me and despise me if I were to be ugly? Second Young Mistress, theres no need to worry. Senior Huo has just sent someone to deliver this healing cream over. Your swelling will swiftly subside after applying it on your face, Xue Chen replied as he passed a jade bottle over. Its from Senior Huo? Xue Qins eyes lit up in agitation. It seems like he still has feelings for me... From her tone, it was obvious that she was more concerned about her looks and whether she would be despised by Senior Huo than Dan Xiaotians life. ... Dah dah dah! The carriage raced through the streets. After stepping out of Hongyan Market, Elder Yi could feel an inexplicable pressure in his chest. It felt like an omen that danger was right upon them. It was precisely due to such a feeling that he didnt dare to rest at all. He forced the horse to gallop toward the Dan n Residence as quickly as it could, hoping to find security there. Sou sou sou! At this moment, a series of piercing hum echoed in the air as countless arrows rained from both sides of the street. Ordinary arrows couldnt hope to harm a Saint cultivator, but these arrows were the specially-crafted Feather Arrows. Every single one of them carried mightparable to Saint 9-dan experts. With so many of them raining down from above, not even Great Sage experts would be able to stand their ground. Teacher... Dan Xiaotian knew that this was a clear indication that the enemies had begun making their move. With clenched fists, he looked at the young man beside him for guidance. Dont get distracted. What you have to do now is toprehend the swordsmanship which I have imparted to you! Zhang Xuan instructed calmly. Yes, teacher! Knowing that his teacher had a solution in mind, Dan Xiaotian closed his eyes and concentrated on the teachings his teacher had imparted to him. Just like that, hisprehension of the sword improved at a tremendous rate. How dare you harm the Third Young Master? Ill pit my life against you! Elder Yi didnt hear the conversation between those two. As soon as he saw the sky filled with arrows above him, he couldnt hold himself back anymore. With a furious roar, he raised his whip and flicked it around the air, hoping to fend off the arrows that threatened to hurt Dan Xiaotian. He knew that even though his cultivation was at Saint 9-dan, his physical prowess had already declined due to the stress and hardships he had to face while protecting Dan Xiaotian over the years. Furthermore, he had also sustained significant injuries during the tragedy back then. It would already be a remarkable feat if he could exert strengthparable to a Saint 8-dan in his current state. Against the sky filled with arrows above him, it was likely that he wouldnt evenst a couple of seconds. But so what? Perhaps, as long as he could buy that much time, the Third Young Master might be able to get away alive! Wuuuuuuuuu! As if possessed, Elder Yi stood up and flung the whip around, but the sheer weight behind the arrows swiftly knocked the whip out of his hands. Desperate, he leaped up to the top of the carriage, hoping to use his body to knock away as many arrows as he could, but it was at this moment that the queerness began. The arrows that were darting right toward the carriage somehow magically brushed by the carriage. Despite their close proximity, none of them struck the carriage or the horse galloping in front. Are they really... assassins? Elder Yi blinked his eyes in confusion. He thought that they were doomed, but who could have thought that none of the arrows from the assassins would strike the target at all. It was as if they were intentionally trying to miss the carriage? How could there be such amateurish assassins in the world? Elder Yi wasnt the only one who was stunned. Even the head of the assassins was starting to doubt if what he was seeing was real. What the hell are you lot doing? Aim properly! the head of the assassins hollered. Roger that, boss! The assassins swiftly loaded their bows once more and shot out another rain of arrows. Wuuuuuuuu! But the same mystical sight happened yet again. As if they were blinded, the arrows curved ever so slightly and circumvented the carriage. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! This time, the assassins werent as lucky as before. The arrowsing from both sides ended up striking the assassins on the opposite end of the street. With arrows impaled in their heads, they looked no different from porcupines. I dont believe that we cant hit the carriage. Continue shooting! the head of the assassins ordered. And again, another bunch of assassins copsed to the ground from been struck by too many arrows. The hell! Continue! Boss, we mustnt! At this rate, all of us will be killed before we can even strike that carriage! a subordinate cried out desperately. Snapping out of his berserk state, the boss of the assassins finally took a look around him and realized that almost all of his subordinates had been killed. Every single one of them had an arrow precisely lodged into their heads. The various groups they had spread out in the area had also gone utterly quiet. It seemed like they had been thinned out by the earlier shootings too... I have ordered you all to strike the carriage and destroy Dan Xiaotian... Why the heck are you all shooting our own people? Trembling with rage, the boss nearly went frenzied with anger. Unable to take it any longer, he snatched a bow from his subordinate and aimed directly at Elder Yis heart before releasing the arrow. As a Great Sage 2-dan cultivator, the arrow that he shot out carried destructive might. It whizzed across the air as if a shooting star. Noticing the swiftly approaching arrow, Elder Yi narrowed his eyes as his body stiffened in fear... But once again, the arrow simply brushed him by. Ahh! There was a cry of agony, and another one of whatever survivors there were left on the other side died. What the heck is going on here? The boss of the assassins loaded his bow once more, but this time, instead of aiming at Elder Yi, he shot toward the sky. Ahh! Two breathster, another cry of agony sounded as a survivor fell victim to his arrow. ... The boss of the assassin clutched his hair in a frenzy. He turned to his back and shot two arrows, and... Ahh! Ahh! There were two cries of agony, marking the end of another two assassins. What the hell is this sorcery... The boss of the assassins was on the verge of losing thest shred of his sanity. It was because he was unskilled in archery that he didnt bring a bow over. When in the world did he be such a formidable sharpshooter that he could strike his own people no matter where he was aiming at? More importantly, there should have been no one behind him, but somehow, the arrow did a perfect u-turn and urately lodged itself into the head of one of his subordinates... Something was really wrong here... Chapter 1929 - The Culprit is the Horse!

Chapter 1929: The Culprit is the Horse!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Stop shooting! Charge at them instead! the boss of the assassins finally threw his bow to the ground and ordered. If they were to continue shooting, all of them would definitely lose their lives. Since that was the case, they would be better off charging over to kill them. Hu! Upon hearing the order, the remaining survivors amongst the band of assassins whipped out their weapons and leaped out from their hiding spots. Looking at the few figures who jumped out, the boss of the assassins felt as if someone had plunged a dagger into his heart. In order to ambush Dan Xiaotian, he had mobilized over thirty men, and he thought that it would be a walk in the park to assassinate a cripple like Dan Xiaotian. Who could have thought the rain of arrows would end up thinning out his men instead? Right now, he only had eight subordinates left, and two of them had arrows sticking out of their heads. They were wobbling weakly from side to side with each step they took, and blood was trickling profusely from their heads down to the ground. What a bitter sight this was! The hell! If he knew that Dan Xiaotian was such a difficult opponent to deal with, he would have never epted this deal! They were bandits living outside the city, and earlier this afternoon, someone visited them with a huge sack of Ethereal Coins, requesting them to eliminate Dan Xiaotian. They thought that it would be a minor issue, but it turned out to be the worst mistake he had ever made in his life! After the huge death toll on their end, he couldnt allow himself to retreat anymore. By hook or by crook, he was determined toplete this mission! Chop those scoundrels in the carriage into minced meat! the boss of the assassins hollered angrily. H! The remaining eight assassins immediately dashed right for the carriage. Youll have to step across my body if you wish to kill the Third Young Master! Elder Yi hollered. He was about to jump down from the carriage, but before he could do so, another figure had made a move ahead of himthe horse. It was as if the horse was angered by the earlier rain of arrows too. Without any hesitation, it freed itself from the carriage and dashingly leaped over a distance of ten meters to stand before the eight bandits. Peng! It kicked out its hooves and struck the two fellows with arrows lodged onto their heads. This strike pushed the arrow deeper into their heads, bringing them instantaneous deaths. The heck The remaining six bandits were frenzied. To think that a horse would actually kill two of theirrades If anyone were to learn that they were from the same group, they would die of shame! A short and stout middle-aged man whipped out his saber and dashed forward, intending to slice the horse into two. But before his strike to reach, the horse suddenly kicked its hooves forward once more. Pah! Crack! It struck the middle-aged mans crotch squarely, and the sound of an egg shattering echoed loudly in the surroundings. The middle-aged man immediately kneeled to the ground as his face scrunched up so tightly that it could crush even a fly in between the folds. Hu hu hu hu! While the middle-aged man was being incapacitated, the remaining five people swiftly closed in on the horse, intending to deal it a fatal blow. However, as if expecting their moves, the horse took two steps back to create some distance before kicking its hooves up once more. Peng peng! Yet another two more bandits copsed to the ground while grabbing their severely injured crotches. That rascal! The remaining three bandits went insane. It was one thing for their arrows to mystically miss the targets, but it was as if this horse had suddenly been possessed or something too! Their legs trembled in fear as they slowly backed away fearfully, hoping to make their escape. But before they could run away, the horse abruptly charged right at them. Padah! Padah! Padah! In a moments time, the remaining three bandits were incapacitated too. After which, the horse sent a powerful kick to each of the kneeling bandits, and in less than two breaths, all eight of them were tragically killed, leaving only the boss of the assassins. Padah! The whip in Elder Yis hand fell to the ground as he was shocked silly by the sight he had just witnessed. Did I really use a whip to strike this fellow earlier? Elder Yi felt a cold breeze breathing on his crotch as he stared at the horsewhip on the ground with a look of fright, not daring to pick it up at all. If the horse were to remember the grudge and give him one good kick Well, he was old and couldnt really have children anymore, but he still valued his manhood as much. It was the kind of thing that you would rather retain even just for decoration than to have it shattered! Looking at the corpse n the ground once more, Elder Yi couldnt help but shudder. These assassins were mostly at Saint 9-dan, and some of them had even reached Great Sage 1-dan Yet, they were all destroyed by a horse just like that How in the world did something as ridiculous as this even happened? When did the horse he took care of every day be such a formidable creature? You On the other hand, the boss of the assassins nearly went insane upon seeing this sight. I dont believe that a great bandit like me who have ruled the Xuanjiang City for more than ten years would lose to a mere horse! Trembling with rage, the boss of the assassins roared furiously and charged forth. In response to his aggression, the horse also galloped forth furiously as well. Hu! But before the two could collide with one another, the boss of the assassins suddenly conducted an abrupt sidestep, allowing him to bypass the horse. In the next moment, he was already right before the carriage. As expected of a Great Sage 2-dan expert, his reflexes were truly worthy of praise. The earlier attack was just a feint; his main goal all along had been to get rid of Dan Xiaotian! As long as Dan Xiaotian was dead, he could im the rewards to the mission, and with time, he would be able to build his band up once more After the deaths of so many of his subordinates, he couldnt allow himself to walk out of here without earning anything! Shit, that despicable scoundrel! Neither Elder Yi nor the horse expected the boss of the assassins to be so determined to get rid of Dan Xiaotian even after all that had happened. It was already toote by the time they realized it. They couldnt make it in time to save Dan Xiaotian anymore. Sou! A saber pierced right through the windows of the carriage. If Dan Xiaotians guard was down, this attack could very well im his life. Hong long! But at this crucial moment, the iprehensible happened. As if a fairytale came to life, the carriage suddenly leaped up and crushed the boss face with its wheels. Peng! That unexpected heavy strike caused the boss of the assassins to bleed profusely. Taken aback, he immediately attempted to retreat, but before he could make a move, the carriage was already charging in his direction. Bam! Seven mrs were smacked out from his mouth as his saber flew into the distance. The boss of the assassins quickly scrambled back to his feet and backed away from the carriage warily, but thetter didnt seem to have any intentions of letting him get away. Using its handles as a pair of hands, it seemed prepared to pummel him into the ground. What the hell is this The boss of the assassins rubbed his eyes in disbelief. The arrows didnt hit. Fine, there might be some kind of experts altering the trajectory of the arrow, Ill ept that! The horse suddenly became so powerful. Fine, it might be because it had just undergone some kind of evolution or became a tamed beast. I can ept that too! But a non-living carriage suddenly leaping around and executing martial arts as if it was the most powerful existence in the world how in the world am I supposed to ept something as ridiculous as this? Is there some kind of ghosts or supernatural forces behind this? I need to get away! Fearing that he would encounter more unbelievable sights remaining here, he quickly took out a jade token and crushed it. Peng! A brilliant glow of light burst forth, raising dirt from the ground. Swiftly, an energy barrier formed around him. As a bandit, the most important skill he needed to have was not plunder or murder. It was self-preservation. Before engaging in any operations, he needed to identify all usible escape routes and prepare protective measures beforehand in case anything went awry. It was in view of this that he spent a hefty price to purchase this jade token. It had the ability to fend off even the attack of an Ancient Sage cultivator, allowing him to survive any danger. Sou! As soon as the energy barrier was formed, the boss of assassins immediately leaped toward one of the towering walls by the side to make his escape. While he was on his escape, he didnt even dare to turn around to see if anyone was on his tail. He was afraid that he would see something that would scar him for life if he were to just so look back. At this point, not even death in the hands of an expert scared him that much anymore. However, if he were to die to a horse or a donkey he didnt think that he would be able to rest in peace! The boss of the assassins sprinted with all of his might until he was finally out of breath, Perhaps it was the jade token working its charms, or that the enemy didnt bother chasing him at all, when he finally turned around, there was no one behind him. Patting his chest rapidly, he heaved a sigh of relief. Damn it, I have really been done me in this time around! When he first epted the mission, the other party told him that it was a minor issue, and that he would be able to get rid of the target easily. Of course, someone as wary as him wouldnt just listen to a one-sided view of the story, so he specially investigated Dan Xiaotian and confirmed that there wouldnt be any problems before taking on the task. He never expected that things would end like that! Dan Xiaotian was indeed not formidable at all, but his horse and carriage were freakishly powerful! How was he supposed toplete such an assassination? He swiftly fled outside of the city, to where he had agreed to meet the client after the job was done. He lit up a bonfire and waited patiently for the other party to appear. There was no way he would be letting this matter go so easily! Elder Yis body had been so tense throughout the entire encounter that when everything ended, his body simply suddenly ckened and fell to the ground. He felt like he had experienced a lifetime of shock in just a single night. He was almost convinced that the assassination from that bunch of assassins would spell their end, but as if some sort of sorcerer was on their side, their horse and carriage suddenly came to life. It was as if a fairytale. Without having to make a move, the problem just somehow resolved itself Was there anything as exaggerated as that in the world? While he was in the midst of his shock, the horse suddenly galloped back to the carriage, secured itself to it, and with its head tilted upward, it began galloping back to the Dan n Residence once more. Watching the horse in front of him, Elder Yis hands trembled in horror. For such a fearsome horse to be pulling their carriage Even if you want to pull our carriage, I wouldnt dare to even think of driving you around! Master Zhang Elder Yi turned his head backward and asked. In truth, he already had an answer in his mind. The horse and carriage had been perfectly normal for all of these years, and the only thing that had changed from back then was Zhang Xuans appearance! Well talk once were back at the Dan n Residence, Zhang Xuans voice echoed quietly from within the carriage. He knew that someone would ambush them on their way back, so he had the horse tamed and the carriage enchanted when he got onto the carriage earlier. Even ordinary people were able to reach Saint 9-dan without cultivating, let alone horses who boasted stronger constitutions than humans. Upon maturity, they already wielded strength on par with Great Sage 1-dan cultivators. However, their intelligence was slightlycking, and no one had been able tomunicate with them thus far, which made it nigh impossible to tap into their strength in battle. But as long as one could tame the horse and establish mentalmunication with it, one would be able to get it to do whatever one wanted to. Putting aside killing those assassins, were it not for the boss running fast enough, it would have been able to destroy him as well! Yes! Suppressing his excitement, Elder Yi turned his head around and watched the carriage racing through the streets to return back to the Dan n Residence. The bonfire zed for quite a while before two figures suddenly approached. One of them was a middle-aged man. The boss of the assassin recognized him to be the one who had entrusted him with the mission to assassinate Dan Xiaotian back then. As for the other figure while her face was masked, it was obvious to see that she was a youngdy based on her physique, and a very beautiful one at that! How is it? Have you aplished the mission? the middle-aged man got straight to the point. This middle-aged man was no other than the head instructor of the City Lord Manor, Xue Chen! And the youngdy beside him was, of course, Xue Qin. Typically speaking, such matters wouldnt require her involvement, but after the humiliation she had suffered, she wished to see with her own eyes the heads of Dan Xiaotian and that mummy who dared to cross her! Thus, she decided to follow Xue Chen here after concealing her appearance with a mask. Aplished the mission? Look here, dont you think that you have some exining to do? Is this what you mean by a simple task? the boss of the assassins roared in anger. What do you mean by that? Xue Chen frowned. Is your group so weak that you cant even get rid of a severely injured old man and a cripple? Weak my ass! the head of the assassins spat. More than thirty of my brothers have died in the earlier operation! If not for my fast reflexes, I would have died there and then too! How do you intend topensate me for my loss? More than thirty of your men died? Xue Qin widened her eyes in disbelief. Are you telling me that Dan Xiaotians group singlehandedly got rid of all of you? Does he wield such capabilities? It isnt him! the head of the assassins harrumphed. Who else could it be then? Xue Chen asked doubtfully. He had investigated Dan Xiaotian carefully, and thetter shouldnt have any backing in Xuanjiang City. Given the strength of this band of bandits, they should be able to deal with him easily. These bandits were a pain to deal with when they plundered the merchantsing into Xuanjiang City, so why would they suddenly be so inept now when their target was just a mere Dan Xiaotian? The head of the assassins spat on the ground and bellowed wrathfully, The one who killed my brothers is their horse! No, thats not it. Their carriage as well! ??? Xue Chen and Xue Qin. Chapter 1930 - Cao Chengli’s Astonishment

Chapter 1930: Cao Chenglis Astonishment

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Xue Chen was confident in his n. He had no doubt that the band of bandits would be able to eliminate the fallen remnants of the Dan n and cleanse the humiliation which the Second Young Mistress had suffered... But what happened instead was the death of the bandits, and even its head seemed to have lost his mind... The ones that killed you were the horse and the carriage? How impressive? Why dont you add cannon and elephant into the list too? Do you think that we are ying Chinese Chess over here? Are you trying to y games with me here? Im asking you who is the one who killed your men. Answer my question! Xue Chen bellowed. Havent I already answered your question? Its a horse and a carriage! the head of the assassins roared. Horse? Carriage? Xue Chen and Xue Qin were more confused than ever. Dan Xiaotians horse and carriage possess strengthparable to Great Sage 1-dan cultivators. They easily trampled my subordinates to death. Furthermore, it seems like there was some kind of supernatural force helping them. We shot out many arrows, but none of them struck the target... As ridiculous as the story sounded, the boss of the assassins still recounted everything that had happened earlier. A horse and a carriage that knows martial arts? Xue Chens face turned livid as he felt as if his intelligence was being challenged over here. He grabbed the boss by his cors and pulled him up into the air, You rascal, I dont have the patience to be ying games with you! Even if you wish to back out from our request, you owe me at least a rational exnation! You... You think that Im lying to you? the boss was on the verge of going insane. Why did no one believe the words he was saying? He was being perfectly honest over here! Enough! Here is an Ethereal Card, and there are 500 Ethereal Coins inside. That shouldpensate you for your losses... Xue Chen couldnt be bothered to waste his time with this deranged fellow, so he tossed a card over nonchntly. You are only going to give me 500 Ethereal Coins for the lives of thirty of my brothers? the face of the boss twitched. This bit of money wasnt even enough to replenish the arrows and bows that they had used in the operation! You didntplete the mission we agreed on. Im already being very magnanimous here to give you 500 Ethereal Coins. Now, scram from my sight right now, or I swear you wont be getting a single coin out of me anymore! Xue Chen spat with narrowed eyes. You... Sensing killing intent from Xue Chens eyes, the boss of the assassins knew that he might really be killed if he were to continue challenging Xue Chens bottom line. Thus, he picked up the card and departed into the dark night. Teacher, Dan Xiaotian isnt dead yet! What should we do? Xue Qin asked anxiously. Those bunch of useless trash! The only reason why I turned to them is just so to avoid anyplications! Xue Chen harrumphed coldly. Lets return back to the City Lord Manor first. Dont worry, I have an idea in mind. That fellow will never be a stumbling stone in your path! If all goes well, you might even be able to build up your reputation in the city! ... The more the boss of the assassins thought about the matter, the more furious he felt. If not for his greed, he wouldnt have suffered such a heavy loss, such that only he was left of his entire group. Clenching his fists in fury, he quickly flitted his way back to his den, but just when he had barely arrived at the entrance, a voice suddenly echoed from the dark woods around him. After the deaths of so many of your brothers, you are willing to be sent off with just 500 Ethereal Coins? Who is it? The boss of the assassins immediately drew his saber and scanned his surroundings. However, no matter how he searched, there was no one in sight. Who are you? Come out! Dont think that you can scare me just like that! Such ploys wouldnt work on me, Cao Chengli! Dont bother searching. Im on the tree branch right in front of you! the voice continued. Cao Chengli quickly raised his head, and through the dim illumination of the moonlight, he could vaguely see a book shaking its body, as if it had been possessed by a demon. The voice hade from the book. Y-y-you... You are talking to me? Cao Chenglis teeth ttered against one another. How could he possibly not be frightened? On this single night, he saw arrows bending mysteriously away from their targets, a horse who could kill, and a carriage executing martial arts. He was thinking of having a good sleep and forget all of the nightmares he had just been through, but a talking book actually appeared before him at this moment! Indeed! the book replied calmly. Who are you? Who sent you here? Dont think that youll get away with following me! Ill be taking your life right here and right now! Cao Chengli roared with gusto, but he tossed his saber away and ran the opposite direction away. He couldnt care that much anymore. What was important right now was for him to get away! Peng! But before he could get far, he suddenly stumbled on something and fell tly to the ground. While he was scrambling to his feet, he saw that the book that was on the tree a moment ago was already right in front of him, and his body froze in despair. If you wish to die a premature death, be my guest. Run away then. Ill make sure to send you off with my utmost sincerity! As the book spoke, a heavy pressure suddenly burst forth from the book, leaving Cao Chengli feeling as if he was plunged into freezing water. His body trembled as he quickly replied through quivering lips, N-no, o-of course not! He instinctively realized that the book before him wielded powersparable to the strongest Ancient Sages... It was at Dimension Shatterer realm! This realization made him resigned to his plight. He knew that no matter what means he utilized today, there was no way he would be able to get away from the book. Good boy! the bookplimented. Those people you have just met, they hid crucial intelligence from you and caused you to suffer heavy losses. Do you not desire vengeance? O-of course I do! If I could, I would have ripped them into shreds! Cao Chenglis face warped in anger. At the very least, you should know their identities if you desire vengeance. Do you know who they are? the book asked. This... Cao Chengli was stunned. When he received this request, the client had demanded his identity to be kept anonymous, and he was fine with it as long as the money reached his hands. Thus, he didnt probe deeper into the identity of his client. They shouldnt have gotten too far away yet. Follow them, the book instructed. As the leader of a band of bandits, something as elementary as tracking someone shouldnt be too much of a problem for you, right? ... I understand! Cao Chengli nodded. Those words affirmed his doubt that the book, just like the earlier horse and carriage, hade from Dan Xiaotian. Most likely, the reason why Dan Xiaotian hadnt imed his life yet was because the other party thought that there was still some value to be squeezed out of him. Move on then! the book ordered. Gritting his teeth, Cao Chengli quickly returned to where the bonfire was. Even though his cultivation was way beneath Xue Chen and the others, as someone who thrived off plundering, he was skilled at concealment and tracking. It didnt take him too long before he was standing before a majestic manor. This is... the City Lord Manor? Its the City Lord Manor whomissioned the assassination request? Cao Chengli widened his eyes in disbelief. The lord of Xuanjiang City, Xue Yan, was well-respected in the region. He was known to be impartial and righteous... How could the other party possibly engage in something as vile asmissioning an assassination? rmed, Cao Chengli quickly moved to the edge of the wall and leaped in stealthily. He got into a courtyard and saw arge group of people assembled together. The two figures he had met a moment earlier were standing in front of the group. Controlling his breathing carefully, Cao Chengli made sure to erase every trace of his presence. The one standing at the forefront of the group was a soldier dressed in magnificent armor. Judging from their appearance, it was clear that they were the elites of the City Lord Manor. Swap into the clothes of these men and get rid of Dan Xiaotian! I dont wish to see that man breathing by dawn, understood? the deep voice of the middle-aged man resounded across the courtyard as he gestured to a bundle of ck clothes ced by the side. Yes, sir! The soldiers swiftly took off their armor and donned those ck clothes. Taking a closer look, Cao Chengli nearly fainted on the spot. Those were the attire of his bandit band! The elites of the City Lord Manor were actually going to pass off as them to kill Dan Xiaotian! He would never dare believe this if he hadnt witnessed it with his own eyes. Just what kind of grudge does the City Lord Manor has with Dan Xiaotian to go this far... Cao Chengli thought as he wisely made the decision to record the sight before him with a Record Crystal. Very soon, the disguised soldiers of the City Lord Manor were already sprinting their way over to the Dan n Residence. It didnt take long for them to surround the area. Well charge in together. Spare no one at all! the leader of the soldiersmanded with a suppressed voice. Yes, sir! At themand of the leader, the soldiers dashed right into the residence. Cao Chengli carefully climbed onto one of the lush trees outside and looked at the happenings in the residence through the dim moonlight. What he was going to see would be one of the most unforgettable sights in his life. A young man was standing firmly at the center of his residence with a sword in his hand. Each time he flicked his wrist, a head would roll to the ground. The wind roared endlessly within the confines of the courtyard, and it felt like this force wouldnt die down until every single one of the trespassers dropped dead. In less than three minutes, the fifty elites dispatched by the City Lord Manor were already cold, hard corpses. That person is Dan Xiaotian? Hes supposed to be the weakling that I have to kill? Cao Chenglis face paled as his heart beat so swiftly that it felt as if it would leap out of his chest. Damn those bastards from the City Lord Manor... They are trying to get me killed! It was fortunate that the ones who had made a move on him earlier were the horse and the carriage. If he had to face Dan Xiaotian personally, his head would have also been severed from his neck in a heartbeat. The young mans swordsmanship had already reached an unfathomable level where even a simple sh carried profound intents. He had never witnessed such a terrifying technique in his entire lifetime! Teacher... After ying everyone, the young man, Dan Xiaotian, walked into the room with an incredulous look on his face, as if he couldnt believe that he was the one who had massacred so many soldiers. It was also only then did Cao Chengli realize that there was a young man sitting in front of one of the rooms all along, spectating the battle. He actually didnt notice the young mans presence from the very start till now! This young man appeared to be in his early twenties, and he had a graceful demeanor. In the face of Dan Xiaotians presence, the young man put down his teacup calmly before a disapproving frown made its way to his forehead. Just these few opponents, and you actually took more than two minutes to deal with them. Thats three breaths for every single one of them! If this is all that you got, how am I supposed to impart even more advanced swordsmanship to you? You wont be able to make it at this rate. Tonight, you shall be practicing your sword out here till daybreak, understood? Understood! the young man lowered his head in shame. Dan Xiaotian killed a person every three breaths, but he is still getting punished for that? Cao Chengli nearly choked on his saliva. He had seen plenty of geniuses, and Dan Xiaotian definitely ranked at the top of his list. Yet, his teacher was still unhappy with his performance... Wasnt this teacher a little too harsh? That wasnt all though. While Cao Chengli was still trying to digest all that had happened earlier, he saw the horse, which had destroyed his subordinates earlier, galloping over to the young mans side. With a bright smile on its horse lips, it picked up the teapot and refilled the young mans teacup... After which, it even lifted up its hooves and carefully wiped them clean before massaging the young mans back... Cao Chengli felt as if his rationality was being challenged right here. Could that being over there really still be considered as a horse? Was this how a horse was supposed to act? I must nevere to the Dan n ever again. Never ever... Cao Chengli made this spontaneous decision in his mind as he turned around to leave the area. But at this moment, a voice sounded in his ears, You know what you have to do. This voice was gentle and soothing, but it left goosebumps rising all over his body. He quickly turned around to look back into the Dan n Residence, and he saw the young man sipping on his tea looking in his direction with a slight smile on his lips. It was as if the other party had peered through the concealment of the darkness to look right at him. I-I... Cao Chengli found himself falling into incoherency at this abrupt happening. You just have to recount what you have seen today. The young mans lips didnt move at all, but his voice echoed clearly in his ears. I understand... Cao Chengli replied with a deep bow. You have directed malevolent intentions toward me earlier. On the ount that you have done it under another mans bidding, Ill overlook it this once and spare you. However, be warned that I will not be so courteous if you dare harm the life of another man with those filthy hands of yours. Ill be watching you... the young man said before his voice trailed off. Y-yes! Cao Chengli replied before fleeing as quickly as he could. Chapter 1931 - Entering the Ethereal Hall Once More

Chapter 1931: Entering the Ethereal Hall Once More

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Watching Cao Chenglis frantically escaping silhouette, Zhang Xuan smiled quietly for a moment before rising to his feet and flinging his sleeves. H! All of the corpses lying around the residence burst into mes. In just a moments time, they were all reduced to ashes. With another fling of Zhang Xuans hands, all of the ashes flowed into the underground drainage and vanished from sight. All traces of the battle that had gone on earlier vanished entirely, as if nothing had happened at all. Zhang Xuan walked into the room and sat down to meditate so as to replenish the zhenqi in his body. He had to say that the medicinal water from boiling the Dongxu Gourd was really effective. Not only had he recovered from his injuries, his body had also managed to adapt to the space and spiritual energy in the Azure, allowing him to move and absorb spiritual energy more easily. He cultivated for roughly two hours before finallying to a halt. He pondered quietly for a short moment before directing his consciousness toward his dantian and asking, Gourd, what the hell are you? This question had bugged him for quite a while now. He was well aware of how severe his injuries were, but just drinking the medicinal water from the Dongxu Gourd allowed him to make a swift recovery. Most likely, the Dongxu Gourd was a being more fearsome than he had ever imagined. Thinking back, it was worth wondering why Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would set up a Spatial Formation just to nourish a Dongxu Gourd for tens and thousands of years. Most likely, there was more than meets the eye. There is a lot more stuff that I can eat here. As long as you can give me enough food, youll know in due time! the Dongxu Gourd readjusted its position to find afortable spot before lying down leisurely. Zhang Xuan tried asking a few more questions, but thetter simply ignored him. Sighing deeply, he took out his Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness in it once more. ... Why arent they back yet? In the City Lord Manor, Xue Chen was pacing around with a tight frown on his forehead. Under normal circumstances, the elites he had dispatched should have already killed that trash and returned by now. Two hours had passed since then, so why were there no one to be seen? You, head over to take a look! Xue Chen turned to a nearby guard and ordered. The guard swiftly put on a set of dark clothes and flitted away. Soon, he returned with a bizarre look on his face, Sir, nothing seems to have happened to the Dan n at all. Dan Xiaotian and Dan Yi arepletely unharmed! Xue Chen was bewildered by the report, How can that be? Are mymands not clear? He had instructed the guards to eliminate those three at the Dan n Residence in the swiftest time possible, but nothing had happened even after two hours had passed? What was going on here? Investigate the matter! Find out where did the earlier team go to! Xue Chen bellowed furiously. The guard hurriedly rushed out, and an hourter, he returned and reported, Based on the footsteps, all of them have entered the Dan n. However, there are no traces that they have left the premises... My guess is that they might have been killed, and their corpses have been disposed of too! They have been killed? By those three? Xue Chen was stunned. Those fifty elites he had dispatched were all Great Sage 1-dan cultivators, and the leader was even at Great Sage 2-dan. Theirbined strength would make them a match even for a Great Sage 4-dan cultivator. Yet, they were defeated silently like that, such that none of them even got to send a message back... Given that the opponent was just the crippled Dan Xiaotian, weakling Dan Yi, and a severely wounded young man, this shouldnt have happened! Or... could it be that the bandit was right? Xue Chen suddenly remembered Cao Chenglis words. Thetter mentioned that Dan Xiaotian had a formidable horse and a carriage that could use martial arts. Could, by any chance, those two actually existed? Sir, what do we do now? Shall we continue dispatching people over? the guard asked. Theres no need for that... If the guards were really killed by them, their guard must be up by now. For the time being, we need to gather more information and reassess Dan Xiaotians strength before making a move! Xue Chen shook his head and said. Besides, the sun is about to be up soon. If we make amotion now, we would risk sullying the City Lord Residences reputation. But... are we going to let that bastard off after so many of our brothers have been killed? the guard asked anxiously. The City Lord Manor might be rich, but grooming fifty guards like that took up a great deal of effort and resources too. For all of them to be killed just like that... this was really a little hard to swallow. With a livid look on Xue Chens face, he said, I want you to take a trip to Hongyan Market and check usible ambush points along the way. Try to find the corpses of the bandits or signs of battle! Yes, sir! the guard replied before leaving the room. A whileter, he returned and reported, Sir, in the frontmost alley near Hongyan Market, we found some corpses, bows, and arrows. They belong to the deceased bandits! Good. Get your men to get rid of the corpses of those bandits. After which, I want you to smear some armor with blood and secretly bury them in ces near the Dan n Residence! Xue Chen harrumphed as a cold smile crept onto his lips. Sir, you want me to bury our weapon and armor around the Dan n Residence? Seeing that the guard was confused by the order, a glint flickered across Xue Chens eyes as he exined, Dan Xiaotian has always been a weakling, and theres no one in town who doesnt know that. If it were to be found that many guards of the City Lord Manor has disappeared overnight, and the weapons and armor of both bandits and guards alike were found near the perimeter of the Dan n Residence, what do you think people will say? What... people will say? They will probably say that Dan XIaotian has colluded with bandits to kill the guards of the City Lord Manor... As the guard spoke, his eyes slowly lit up in excitement. If they were to do so, even without making a move on Dan Xiaotian straight, they would be able to corner him and force him to submit to them. If things go well, not only would they be able to sully Dan Xiaotians reputation, they might even be able to push for his execution! Due to the evilmitted by the bandits over the past decade, they were a bunch deeply abhorred by the ordinary civilians. If people were to learn that Dan Xiaotian had colluded with the bandits, he would surely be condemned for it. And that would give the City Lord Manor a legitimate excuse to reject the marriage agreement. After all, how could the noble city lord allow his own daughter to marry a person with questionable morals? Thats right! I want you to spread the news tomorrow morning, saying that fifty of our guards have found traces of the bandits and had set forth to take them down. However, they went missing in the midst of the operation, so we are going tounch a citywide search for their whereabouts... Make sure to hype the matter up as much as possible. It would be best if the entire city learns of the matter! Xue Chen instructed with a smile. When the news has finally ripened enough, well head to the Dan n and search their premises under the pretext of investigating the whereabouts of the missing guards. There, well find the weapons of the bandits and the bloodied armor of our guards... Theres no way Dan Xiaotian will be able to free himself from this! Yes, sir! Hearing how Xue Chen was able to make such an ingenious move despite the disadvantageous situation they were in, the guard bowed deeply out of admiration. He pondered over the n for a moment before asking, But sir, what if Dan Xiaotian refuses to plead guilty to it even with those evidence in ce? With chilling eyes, Xue Chen said, He can deny it all he wants, but it will all be futile. As long as we can find a reason to drag him to the City Lord Manor, hell be ours to deal with. We can simply pin whatever crime we want on him an sentence him ordingly! Thats true... the guard nodded. Ill go make the arrangements right now! ... Second Young Mistress, you were looking for me? While Xue Chen was arranging for Dan Xiaotians downfall, Xue Qin had returned to her bedroom, but she was unable to fall asleep. Eventually, she called for one of the youths serving by Huo Jianghes side toe into her room. This young man was from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well, and just like her, he was a menial disciple. He was in charge of attending of Huo Jianghes needs so that thetter can focus his attention on cultivating. This money is a token of my goodwill. Please, ept it! Xue Chen said politely. With a wave of her hand, a maid quickly passed a sachet of gold coins over. Before passing the sachet over, the maid casually shook the sachet a little, and the resounding jingling of coins echoed in the air. From the looks of it, it appeared that there were at least a hundred coins inside. We are all from the same sect. Second Young Mistress, theres no need to stand on ceremony... the young mans eyes lit up as he kept the sachet. A menial disciple like him wasnt entitled to a lot of resources in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so naturally, he was more than delighted to ept Xue Chens generous gift. May I ask you if Senior Huo has said after returning back to his quarters at night? Xue Qin looked at the young man intently and asked. Senior Huo didnt say anything... Perhaps it was due to his inexperience, it was only at this moment that the young man finally understood Xue Qins true intentions. He pondered for a brief moment before adding, Right, he told us to keep a lookout for a person called Worlds Edge in the Ethereal Hall. He sternly instructed us to inform him as soon as that person appears! Worlds Edge? Xue Qin frowned. Its like this... the young man swiftly filled Xue Qin in on what had happened in the Ethereal Hall. I see! If Worlds Edge really appears, I would like to trouble senior to inform me in advance. I would like to be the one to deliver then news to Senior Huo! Xue Qin said as she passed another sachet of gold coins over. Of course, that isnt a problem at all! the young man nodded vehemently with light gleaming from his eyes. In the first ce, this matter was nothing to him at all. If he could benefit from this so easily, there was no reason for him to take up Xue Qins arrangements. Barely after saying those words, the young man suddenly lowered his head and took out a jade token. He took a look at it, and his eyes lit up, Second Young Mistress, you are truly lucky. Worlds Edge has just entered the Ethereal Hall. Lets go look for Senior Huo together! Yes! Xue Qin quickly got to her feet and followed the young man into Huo Jianghes residence. It didnt take too long for them to arrive at their destination. Hes there? Hearing their report, Huo Jianghe narrowed his eyes. Senior, this is an Ethereal Token from Starlight City... Xue Qin quickly presented two Ethereal Tokens over. As valuable as Ethereal Tokens were, it was amonmodity to the City Lord Manor. Un! Seeing that the youngdy was on the ball, Huo Jianghe nodded in approval before rising to his feet and saying, Enter the Ethereal Hall with me. Ill show you what the true swordsmanship of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion looks like! Thank you, senior! Seeing that the other party didnt me her for what happened earlier in the day, Xue Qin heaved a sigh of relief before immersing her consciousness into the Ethereal Token. Weng! Weng! The two of them entered the Ethereal Hall simultaneously. ... It really is inconvenient bringing things around with me like that. Lets see if I can purchase a storage ring here! Too used to using storage rings in the Master Teacher Continent, he felt that it was a handful to lug his possessions with him around everywhere. Thus, he returned to the Ethereal Hall in hopes of finding a storage ring here. While it waste at night outside, the Ethereal Hall was filled to the brim with people. Furthermore, the surroundings remained extremely bright, as if the concept of day and night didnt exist here. Zhang Xuan made his way over to the front receptionist and posed his question. Of course, there are storage rings on sale in the Ethereal Hall too! Each of them costs 500,000 Ethereal Coins! the attendant replied cheerfully. 500,000 Ethereal Coins? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. That was exorbitant! It was no wonder why even a huge n like the Dan n didnt have a single storage ring with them! I won eight matches earlier in the day. If I were to join the dueling ring now, will I continue on from the ninth match, or will I be starting over from the first? Zhang Xuan asked. Currently, the dueling ring was the fastest way to earn Ethereal Coins that he knew of. However, he had left halfway through, so if the count were to start again from the first round, it would really be a huge pain for him. It was likely that no one would want to challenge him anymore by the time he reached the eighth round again. After all, the Starlight City only had that much experts. There werent too many people who were willing to spend money just to lose a battle. Since you have won eight matches, participating in the primary level duels dont pose too much of a challenge to you anymore. Unfortunately, there are no more matches for the intermediate level duels yet, and the earliest one would be two days away from now. Furthermore, it seems like your tier isnt high enough yet too, the attendant assessed Zhang Xuans profile for a moment as he remarked. Intermediate level duels? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Primary and intermediate... Were there different tiers to the dueling ring too? Chapter 1932 - Another Bet

Chapter 1932: Another Bet

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Of course! the attendant exined with a smile. There can be significant differences in the fighting prowess of cultivators despite the cap of cultivation here, and there would be no one who would be willing to challenge a person whom they know they cant win in the dueling ring. The main purpose of the dueling ring is to temper onesbat techniques, and this can only be done with a suitable opponent. Thus, in order to allow for better pairing of opponents, the dueling ring is divided into various tiers too! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Take him for example,petition at such a level couldnt even trigger his motivation at all, let alone sharpen his skills. The dueling rings are divided into primary, intermediate, and advanced. If you are able to win ten rounds consecutively in a certain tier, you will be allowed to proceed to the next tier, the attendant exined. You currently have eight rounds under you, which put you very close to intermediate tier. However, given the prowess you have disyed, its unlikely that ordinary cultivators would dare to challenge you. If you really wish to push ahead, you might have to put down a reward, and as long as someone epts the challenge and you are able to win two rounds consecutively, you will be qualified to enter the intermediate tier and fight with even stronger experts! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Such a design was indeed logical. He would have done the same if he was in Kong shis ce too. Ill propose a challenge then! Sure. How much money do you n to put at stake? the attendant asked. 5500 Ethereal Coins, Zhang Xuan replied as he passed his Ethereal Card over. As he had spent most of his earlier fortune on buying pills for the Dongxu Gourd, he only had this much money left. 5,500 Ethereal Coins? the attendant shook his head with a bitter smile. Thats too low. Itll be hard to attract anyone to take on your bet... If there wasnt much to be earned from a duel, who would be willing to take it on? Under normal circumstances, the reward would have to be at least 50,000 Ethereal Coins for it to attract anyone at all. Only then would cultivators be willing to try their luck even if the odds were way against them. 5,500 Ethereal Coins... That was really way too little! Just as the attendant thought that Zhang Xuan was being a little too stingy over here, a young man suddenly walked over withrge strides and said, Ill ept his challenge! The young man appeared to be in his mid-twenties. There was a sword in his hand, which indicated that he was a sword practitioner. Beside him was a beautiful longdy in herte teens by his side. They were none other than Huo Jianghe and Xue Qin. However, as those two had altered their appearances too, Zhang Xuan was unable to identify them either. You are willing to take up my challenge? Not expecting an opponent toe for him so quickly, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Putting on a harmless smile, he asked, Since thats the case, are you willing to take up my bet? Hearing that it was another bet, Huo Jianghes face immediately turned livid as he remembered the unpleasant situation he faced earlier in the day, What kind of bet do you want to make? Simple. If I were to lose, Ill give you 100,000 Ethereal Coins. On the other hand, if you were to lose, youll have to give me 100,000 Ethereal Coins! Zhang Xuans initial thought was for the stakes to be 500,000 Ethereal Coins, but he was afraid that he would scare that fellow away, so he could only lower the bets. He could tell that the other party hade here specially to challenge him, especially given the fact that the other party epted his challenge so quickly despite the low rewards. While he did need an opponent at the moment, his primary goal was still to earn Ethereal Coins, and the easiest way to do so was through a bet! 100,000 Ethereal Coins? Can you even fork out such a sum? Huo Jianghe sneered coldly. As an expert of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, 100,000 Ethereal Coins was really nothing much to him. Nevertheless, he still had no intention of allowing others to take advantage of him. I think the problem over here is whether you are willing to ept my bet or not. I dont mind having a duel with you if you are willing to ept my bet, but otherwise, I dont really want to waste my time fighting with you... Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively. From the Sword Intent the person before him was emanating, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other party, just like Soaring Clouds and the others whom he had killed earlier, was a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. ording to Dan Xiaotian, disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were highly esteemed in the Azure. The fact that the other party hade all the way here to challenge him likely meant that he was here to seek vengeance for those who were in by his sword. Since that was the case, this meant that he could try pushing the other party a bit... Besides, it was hard work to suppress his cultivation down to a twentieth of what it was. He couldnt execute most of his techniques, and it was extremely stifling for him. It was only natural that he should be rewarded handsomely for his efforts! If he hadnt suppressed his strength, his opponent could very well be scarred for life. Audacious! Its your honor that Senior Huo wishes to challenge you to a battle. How dare you put on such an attitude before him! Xue Qin bellowed coldly, displeased at Worlds Edges dismissive attitude. It was very likely that Huo Jianghe would be an inner disciple by next year, and it should be the other partys honor to have such a powerful expert challenging him. Yet, the other party still seemed so reluctant, even demanding to hold a bet for it... Know your ce! Alright, thats enough, Huo Jianghe raised his hand to stop Xue Qin. He looked at Worlds Edge once more and said, I dont mind having a bet with you... However, if you were to lose, I dont need your 100,000 Ethereal Coins. What I want you to do is admit your swordsmanship is beneath that of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and follow me back to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to be an outer disciple! 100,000 Ethereal Coins was a sum that he could afford to squander, but the reputation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had to be protected at any cost. News saying that Yun Feiyang and the others had lost were already going around town, and if he were to continue remaining idle as their First Senior, it wouldnt be long before others begin saying that the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were weaker than mere unaffiliated cultivators. He couldnt let a minor incident like this mar the reputation of the sect! Besides, he had much to earn by rmending budding talents to the sect too. It would be considered a huge contribution from his part. Very well! Zhang Xuan nodded. Those terms and conditions were nothing to him. Besides... Lose? How is that even possible? Thats a word which I have never written once in my life! Lets head to the dueling ring then! Havinge to an agreement, the two of them quickly made their way over to the dueling ring. Look! Worlds Edge is here again... Is he going to fight with someone? Thats great! Im finally able to witness his transcendental skills once more... I cant even tell you how impressed I am with his techniques... Hurry up and call up those bunch of useless fools! If they were to miss Worlds Edges match, they would probably hate us to death! Who is the one hes fighting with? A Rivers nce? I dont have any impression of this person at all... Hmm, but the youngdy thats beside him, Winter Zither, I think I have heard of her before... Who is she? Wait, let me think... Yes, thats right! Shes the Second Young Mistress of Xuanjiang City. Her name seems to be Xue Qin or something. Shes quite a beaut, and her swordsmanship is amazing too... ... Discussions could be heard here and there. Huo Jianghes nickname, A Rivers nce, was the same one that he used elsewhere too. It was just that he had never been to Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall, so no one here had heard of it before. However, it was different for Xue Qin. As the daughter of the city lord, she was a frequent guest at the Ethereal Hall, and she had made quite a reputation for herself here too. Thus, many people were able to recognize her swiftly. This was simr to how top eSports yers were well-known both on the and in person, such as One Autumn Leaf Ye Qiu and Heng Sao Tian Ya, Xue Qin? Those words werent spoken discreetly, so Zhang Xuan heard all of them loud and clear. He couldnt help but stop in his footsteps. Surely it couldnt be so coincidental? He was here just to buy a storage ring, but he still managed to encounter this rejected fiancee? Speaking of which, if Winter Zither was her, wouldnt that mean that A Rivers nce was the fellow from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who was here to recruit disciples? Earlier, the other party mentioned something like wanting to bring him to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as an outer disciple too... Just as they were about to reach the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan abruptly turned around to grab Xue Qin. His movements were so quick that it caught the youngdy off guard. She instinctively raised her sword to protect herself, but by the time her sword was up, the other party had already retracted his palm. There was a gentle smile on the other partys face. What are you doing? Xue Qin questioned impatiently. She thought that an expert who had caught Senior Huos eyes would at least conduct himself properly, but who could have thought that thetter would attempt to make a move on her. Its nothing much. I saw a mosquito on your head, and I chased it away for you, Zhang Xuan replied cheerily. You... Xue Qins breathing hastened in anger, causing her chest to bounce up and down. Mosquito? Mosquito your head! We are in the Ethereal Hall, existing only in consciousness. How could there be any mosquitoes here? Can you at least be any more insincere with your lies? Paying no heed to Xue Qins rage, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the Library of Heavens Path, and just as he had expected, a book had beenpiled. It was filled with Winter Withers cultivation ws, as well as a simple introduction about her. Xue Qin, the second daughter of the city lord of Xuanjiang City... Zhang Xuans lips crept up. While it was possible to conceal ones appearance and identity in the Ethereal Hall, it couldnt deceive the eyes of the Library of Heavens Path. In other words, as long as the other party executed a battle technique, the Library of Heavens Path would be able topile a book on the other party and peer into all of the other partys secrets. Since its her, things are going to get exciting then... Zhang Xuan thought. Turning to He Jianghe, he pointed at Xue Qin and said, Thisss was disrespectful to me earlier. Why dont we do this instead? If you were to lose, not only will youpensate me 100,000 Ethereal Coins, you will give her to me as a maid too! Chapter 1933 - Xue Qin’s Father

Chapter 1933: Xue Qins Father

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric You... Xue Qins rage immediately hit the boiling point. She was the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor, a person who was respected and adored wherever she went. To be used as a bet and be asked to serve as another persons maid... This was a grave insult to her! She isnt my subordinate. I have no right to make this decision! Huo Jianghe replied with a frown. Is it? I guess it cant be helped then. The three fellows who came before you werent a challenge at all. All it took was one blow, and I cant begin to emphasize just how boring it was. I doubt you would be any different from them. So, lets not waste each others time and cancel the duel, alright? Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily as he spoke. Huo Jianghe red at Zhang Xuan coldly with narrowed eyes as he said, As a skilled sword practitioner, how can you renege on your words so easily? This woman looked down on me earlier. I feel deeply indignant at her actions, and this leaves me feeling stifled inside. Unless she bes my maid, I wont be able to take this lying! Given my current state, I dont think that Ill be able to bring out the full prowess of my swordsmanship, which renders this entire duel meaningless... Given how important this matter is, dont you think that its only right for me to consider it carefully? cing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked at Huo Jianghe with his head upright, as if he was doing thetter a favor, Its not that I want to offend the youngdy beside you, but this is for the sake of the duel too. I cant think of a greater insult to ones opponent than to face him in a weakened state! You have approached with utmost sincerity, so I reckon that you would want to face me at full strength instead of defeating me in my weakened state... Such a victory wouldnt reflect well on you either, isnt that so? Geji! Geji! Huo Jianghes knuckles cracked loudly. How in the world was the other party spouting this bunch of bullsh*t without feeling embarrassed in the slightest? If he could, he would really like to give the other party a good pummeling! So, what you are saying is that as long as I dont ept that bet, I would be bullying you. Even if I win, it would be because Im taking advantage of you in your weakened state? Senior, you mustnt fall for his cheap provocations! Seeing that Huo Jianghe was actually starting to rethink the matter, Xue Qins face paled as she eximed anxiously. You all seem to be making me out to be the viin here... Fine, fine! Even if you dont agree with my request, Ill still have the duel with you, alright? All you want is to defeat me, right? I doubt that you care whether the duel is fair or not anyway... Zhang Xuan shook his head in destion. I guess thats all there is to the pride of the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. They would stoop down to anything as long as they can achieve victory... Enough! Ill ede to your request, is that all? Huo Jianghe bellowed furiously. It might seem as if Zhang Xuan was grasping at straws, but in truth, he had managed to hit Huo Jianghes weakness dead on. Huo Jianghe was someone with a lot of pride, and he couldnt bear the idea of anyone casting doubt over his abilities. Senior... Xue Qin staggered in shock. She was the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor, a person blessed by the heavens... She was a person who had been epted into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and there was a good chance that she could rise through the ranks to be a powerhouse of the continent in the future. It was an unspeakable humiliation for her to actually be used as a wager like that! But barely after she started speaking, she found herself met with Huo Jianghes cold eyes as thetter uttered frostily, Do you think that I would lose to the likes of him? I... That single re sent rm bells ringing in Xue Qins mind as her face paled in fright. O-of course not... Someone as powerful as you is bound to win him easily... Hmph! Huo Jianghe grabbed the sword which Xue Qin was holding and drew it out. Fearing that he would die of rage the more he spoke, he stepped onto the dueling ring and said, Lets hurry up and get it over with! My thoughts exactly! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he got onto the dueling ring too. I heard that you used a sword tossing technique the previous few times my juniors challenged you. I would like to witness the strength of that technique too! Huo Jianghe said. Since he wanted to salvage the reputation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he would have to defeat the other party while the other party was using his most powerful sword art. Sure! Zhang Xuan nodded as he pulled a sword out from the weapon rack. ... Elder! Elder! Worlds Edge appeared again! In Starlight Citys City Lord Manor, Yun Feiyang barged into a room in a hurry. Seated within the room was Elder Lu Yun. Upon hearing the news, his eyes lit up in excitement as he took an Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness into it. Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, and the others quickly followed suit too. As soon as they entered the Ethereal Hall, they could already hear an amazing bustleing from where the dueling ring was located. Crowds and crowds of people were rushing over as well. Lets hurry over! The match between Worlds Edge and A Rivers nce is about to start! A Rivers nce? Who is that? I dont know either, but I heard that hes an amazing swordmaster. I have a feeling that itll be an exciting match! To dare to challenge Worlds Edge despite knowing his remarkable results earlier the day, it would only mean to say that A Rivers nce is no newbie either. I wonder if he would be able to dethrone Worlds Edge... ... A Rivers nce? Isnt that our First Senior? Yun Feiyangs eyes lit up in excitement. Jianghe is here too? He must have heard of your losses and came here personally to salvage the sects reputation! Elder Lu Yun nodded in approval as he swiftly deduced what was going on. Those words made the four of them redden in shame, We apologize for ourck of practice! It was embarrassing that they would need their First Senior to stand up for them after their loss. Jianghe has always been a stable fighter, and he has a lot of fighting experience too. I believe that he should be able to undo the negative influence this matter has on our sect... Elder Lu Yun stroked his beard and remarked. Even within the Ethereal Hall, the character he assumed was also an elder too. Indeed. With our First Senior making a move, I believe that not even Worlds Edge would stand much of a chance at all! Lets head over to take a look! Elder Lu Yun gestured them forward. They squeezed through the crowd and head to the forefront of themotion, but all of a sudden, deafening cheerings filled the air and tremored the clouds above. The match must have ended... Elder Lu Yun remarked. They hurried forward, fully expecting to see Huo Jianghe standing triumphantly on the dueling ring. Contrary to what they thought, they saw A Rivers nce lying on the ground with a sword impaled in his head instead. It didnt take long for the corpse to dissipate into light fragments. First Senior... Yun Feiyang and the others were stunned. Elder Lu Yun was stupefied too. Didnt the battle start not too long ago? Why did it seem like it had ended in the blink of an eye? Could it be that not even their First Senior was a match for Worlds Edge and ended up being killed in a split second too? Meanwhile, Xue Qins body was trembling nonstop. The situation before her was really driving her mad! Being used as a wager was already displeasing enough for her, but who could have thought that the senior whom she respected so much would actually be subdued by the single toss of a sword... Everything ended so quickly that it almost felt like Huo Jianghe was conspiring with Worlds Edge to do her in! If that was the case... did this mean that she was now Worlds Edges maid? As if having read into her mind, the young man on the dueling ring suddenly called out, My maid over there, what are you doing over there? Come over and massage my back! You... Xue Qin felt as if her face was burning up. She had never felt so insulted in her life. You want me to serve as your maid? Dream on! Xue Qin stomped right onto the dueling ring and raised her hand, intending to p Zhang Xuan in his face. But before her strike couldnd, the other partys hand had already grasped her wrist. Pah! Sharp pain assaulted Xue Qins face. Instead of the one pping, she had be the one who had been pped instead. It was just a single p, but it was a strike without anything held back at all. Her beautiful face immediately began swelling to the point that her left cheek looked like a huge, red bun. Even though Xue Qin knew that this wasnt the real world, the pain and the humiliation she felt were more real than anything she had ever experienced. If there was a pit in the ground right now, she would dive right in without any hesitation. She thought that she would be able to rise to the top with the support of Huo Jianghe and achieve her dreams. But just like a fleeting bubble, it felt as if everything had vanished with a pop... She had never felt so pathetic in her life before. You sure are daring to darey your hands on your master! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. He didnt harbor the slightest goodwill for the vicious woman standing before her. If not for the fact that he was intending on leaving her to his disciple to deal with, he would have already gotten rid of her by now! Ill kill you! Xue Qin roared with reddened eyes as she charged forward, intending to pit her life against the young man before her. But at this moment, a cold bellow echoed across the crowd, Enough. Havent you embarrassed yourself enough? Xue Qins body froze on the spot. Turning around, she saw a middle-aged man walking in her direction. Father... Xue Qin muttered softly in a daze. Out of sheer relief upon seeing her pir of support, the youngdy fell to the ground and began crying her eyes out. All of her indignance came gushing out at this moment. She called him father? Could this person be... the lord of Xuanjiang City, City Lord Xue Gan? City Lord Xue Gan is an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm expert! I have never thought that he woulde here personally... What would truly unthinkable is him remaining idle after hearing that his daughter has be the maid of another man! If City Lord Xue Gan is making a move personally, Worlds Edge would really be a goner then... Indeed. Not only did he insult Xue Qin, he even pped her. Just on that itself, no one would be able to save him anymore... ... Paying no heed to the discussions of the crowd, Xue Gan looked at Zhang Xuan and said, This friend over here, why dont we call it quits here? Its normal for younglings like you to be hot-blooded, but it would be good to keep it under control. We never know what would happen in the future, so its better to make friends than enemies, dont you think so? Youre right. How great the world would be if everything could be resolved peacefully? Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. What a pity that we dont live in an idealistic world. Besides, I have no interest in associating myself with dogs! Xue Gans eyes immediately turned livid as killing intent gushed forth from him. The crowd had already revealed his true identity. As the city lord of Xuanjiang City, he was already lowering himself by making peace first, but the other party dared to snub his goodwill! This was intolerable! In truth, Zhang Xuan was also nowhere as calm as he seemed on the surface. Were it not for him, the kind Dan Xiaotian could very well be dead by now... and it was all because thetter had a marriage agreement with Xue Qin. For the sake of preserving their reputation, there was nothing those two wouldnt stoop down to. He didnt have the patience in him to speak politely to vicious hypocrites like them. You seem to be very confident in your ability. Why dont we have a duel then? Seeing that more and more people were gathering around, Xue Gan knew that he couldnt back down just like that anymore. He had to protect his dignity as the city lord. The wager will be 400,000 Ethereal Coins. Well, its up to you to decide whether you wish to ept it or not. If you even cant fork out this bit of money, Ill be going back to sleep. It has been a rough day on me, you know. The maid which has juste under me wouldnt heed my orders at all... To be honest, I dont know how you are able to manage a city of millions when you cant even manage your own daughter well! Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. Since your City Lord Manor has plenty of money to groom so many soldiers, why dont you bleed some of it out for me? Geji! Geji! Xue Gan had never wanted to kill a person so much before. For many years, he had been held in high regard. Even his enemies dared not to talk back to him in his presence... This was the first time he had been put down publicly like this. There was no way he was going to let the other party get away just after all those insults hurled at him. Young man, do you think that the anonymity provided by the Ethereal Hall is absolute? There are many cases in the world where a person has been hunted down and killed in real life after offending someone in the Ethereal Hall! Xue Gans voice was dripping with threat. You seem to be very fond of beating around the bush. If you dont have the money to wager, Ill have to ask you to scram. My time is very precious! Zhang Xuan waved Xue Gan away dismissively. You... Xue Gan gritted his teeth in fury. Very well, Ill take you up on your wager! To be honest, 400,000 Ethereal Coins was a huge sum to the City Lord Manor... but if he didnt take up this wager and allowed the other party to leave just like that, the prestige he had built up with difficulty over the past few decades would be eroded just like that! He had no doubt that the other party would surely give everything he had to sully the reputation of the City Lord Manor if he were to back down here! Just how in the world did the City Lord Manor get involved with this troublesomed? Chapter 1934 - Recurring Number

Chapter 1934: Recurring Number

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Out of regard for their own honor, most experts were very heeding of rules andmon courtesy. It had almost be a social convention expected of the higher echelons. However, thisd clearly had no eyes for the rules at all. Knowing that his daughter was the cause of this mess, Xue Gan shot a cold nce over at her, causing Xue Qin to shudder a little. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and harrumphed impatiently, Hurry up! With a smile on his lips, Zhang Xuan took his position in the dueling ring and beckoned with a wave of his hand, You may have the first move. Allow me to make it clear first. Our bet isnt based on the rules of this dueling ring but a life-and-death match! Xue Gan said, not anxious to make a move yet. You can be assured that Ill give you 400,000 Ethereal Coins if you were to win, but if I were to win, youll have to tell me your true identity. Furthermore, I want you toe to the City Lord Manor and apologize to my daughter and me! As long as he knew the other partys identity, he would make sure to turn the other partys life into a living hell! Fine by me! Zhang Xuan replied haughtily. Then, shall we put down our bets then? With a wave of his hand, Xue Gan flicked his Ethereal Card into the hands of the youngdy in charge of registration. Weng! There was a brilliant ray of light, and a message surfaced in the air, indicating that Xue Gan had put 400,000 Ethereal Coins into the duel. Seeing how candid the other party was, Zhang Xuan leisurely flicked his finger and passed the information regarding his identity and location into the hands of the youngdy too. Three was another brilliant ray of light, and words reflecting that Zhang Xuan had put in his end of the bet appeared in the air too. Even though ones identity in the Ethereal Hall was anonymous, this anonymity only applied to other cultivators. Through the Ethereal Token, the system was still able to sense the exact location of the user and verify the users identity through his blood. Good. Lets begin then! Having confirmed the bet, Xue Gan unhesitatingly walked over to the weapon rack and picked up a massive saber. His true field of specialtyy not in his swordsmanship but his saber art! I wont take advantage of you either. Since you are using a saber, Ill follow you! Zhang Xuan said as he grabbed an identical saber from the weapon rack too. Hes able to use the saber too? But hes a sword practitioner! Isnt he handicapping himself by equipping a saber? The crowd was appalled. After nine remarkable battles, there was no one amongst the crowd who didnt know that Worlds Edge was a true swordmaster who could stand his ground even against the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. And for a swordmaster to actually wield a saber instead... Was he insane? You really are courting your own death! Xue Gan was confidently in his abilities, but even he was a little hesitant to face Zhang Xuans sword toss after seeing how many formidable enemies had fallen before its prowess... But of all things, the other party actually foolishly chose to challenge him to a battle of saber arts. Xue Gan couldnt help but scoff coldly. Saber and sword might seem simr, but the vast difference in their sizes and weight meant that they were intended to be wielded in vastly different manners. As such, those who were used to holding a sword often found themselves unable to bring out the true prowess of a saber, and vice-versa. It was extremely rare to see someone who had reached the peak in both swordsmanship and saber arts. To forsake your strengths and voluntarily handicap yourself... Very well, Ill make you regret your decision dearly! H! With a flick of his wrist, Xue Gan immediately flicked his wrist and shot out multiple saber qi. The saber qi adeptly wrapped itself around Zhang Xuans surroundings, sealing thetters path of movement. At the same time, Xue Gan himself dashed forward to bring his saber down upon Zhang Xuan. Elder Lu Yuns eyebrows shot up, I guess its notpletely without reason that he was able to be the lord of Xuanjiang City. This saber art did appear to be ordinary and straightforward on the surface, but Elder Lu Yun could clearly discern that there were 49 transformations in the technique. No matter how Zhang Xuan moved, Xue Gan would have a way to deal with it and press his offense on. Eventually, Zhang Xuan would find himself cornered and overwhelmed. Even Elder Lu Yun himself would have some trouble coping with such a move. Thats City Lord Xues Sce of the Silver Winter! I heard of that story before! Its said that back when City Lord Xue was still 27, there was a night in which the silver moon hung beautifully above the snowy fields, seducing all eyes that fell upon it. It was that night which City Lord Xue was inspired to create this ultimate move! Just like the silver moon illuminating the snowy fields, theres nowhere to run or hide from this saber art. Its with this technique that City Lord Xue dominated the dueling ring here! Do you think Worlds Edge would be able to withstand this move? ... All of those who had the resources to purchase the Ethereal Token and enter here were mostly experts. While they were still severelycking inparison to Zhang Xuan, their eye of discernment was at least still on par. They could tell that there was much more to Xue Gans move than what was shown on the exterior, and most of them felt that Worlds Edge had finally met his match. Not bad, I really should give you some recognition for being able toe up with this move... Simr to the crowd, Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by Xue Gans move too. With a deep frown on his forehead, he fell into deep thoughts. Should I use a tenth of my strength, or should I use a fifth? After all, the person standing before him wasnt the weakling that hade before. He clearly had much morebat experience than the others though he seemed to have hit his bottleneck... A tenth might not be enough to block him, but a fifth was likely to be too great that it might one-hit knockout him! Such fame wasnt what he wanted! If others were to learn that he had the strength to instakill even a city lord, there would be no one who would ept his duel and deliver free money to him anymore. Yes, humility and low profile is the way to go! Forget it. I should y safe and start with an eighth first. Ill first drag the fight for a while before finding a good opportunity to naturally defeat himter on... Zhang Xuan quickly made up his mind before charging forth with his saber. His moves were neither morous nor profound. In his hands, the saber seemed perfectly ordinary. Yet, as if an imprable barrier, he was able to fend against Xue Gans relentless offense each and every time. In the blink of a few eyes, they had already traded twenty blows. Elder Lu, who do you think will win? Yun Feiyang, who didnt have much understanding of saber, asked. The rest of the gang quickly turned their heads over as well. I reckon that City Lord Xue is in an advantageous position! Elder Lu replied with a wise nod. So, City Lord Xue is going to win? Most likely so. While Worlds Edge has managed to stand his ground so far, its apparent that he isnt as adept with the saber. This is the reason why he has been forced to be on the defensive thus far, unable tounch a proper counterattack against City Lord Xue. On the other hand, City Lord Xues saber bnces speed together with strength perfectly. Each move he makes results in more momentum building up within the saber, and it would eventually reach a level that overwhelms Worlds Edge defense! Elder Lu replied calmly as he stroked his beard. Those who were qualified to be a city lord and could hold on to the position for so long were bound to possess extraordinary abilities that surpassed the others. I see... Yun Feiyang and the others nodded in realization. Analyzing the duel from Elder Lus perspective, the happenings in the duel suddenly made sense to them. Meanwhile, on the dueling ring, it felt like a snowstorm had descended upon the world, sending chilling air into the surroundings. With each strike, City Lord Xues movements were growing faster and faster, such that cracks started to appear on the dueling ring. Incredible! Zhang Xuan nodded in excitement. He was already using an eighth of his strength, but Xue Gan was still able to tightly control the flow of the battle through the sheer strength of his technique. In fact, it would likely still be a prolonged battle even if he were to use a seventh of his strength. He would have to at least use a sixth of his strength in order to guarantee a swift victory. This was probably the strongest expert he had encountered ever since he arrived on the Azure... It had only been a day since he had regained consciousness after all. In any case, this was a good opportunity for him to try his skills. While Zhang Xuan was getting more and more high on the battle, the horror in Xue Gans eyes gradually deepened. Just like what the others had said, the saber art he was executing at the moment was indeed the Sce of the Silver Winter. This technique allowed him to retain the momentum of his previous swings to heighten the might and speed of the subsequent attacks. As long as he had sufficient time to build up, he would be the berserker of the battlefield, tearing down everything in sight. But things didnt seem to be going in the direction he had expected today. He thought that he would be able to defeat the other party once he hadpounded his strength and speed to his limits, but who could have thought... the young man was growing stronger and stronger throughout the battle! His hand had already been jolted numb by the sheer strength of his swings, and the webbings in between his fingers were bleeding profusely! Ill end this fast! The slow buildup in his injuries would hinder his fighting prowess, and that would present a chance to Worlds Edge to turn the tables on him. Knowing that he mustnt allow this battle to drag any longer. Xue Gan decided to go all out. With a furious roar, he drove his saber forth. Weng weng! All of the saber qi he had sent at Zhang Xuan earlier swiftly gathered together to form a massive tornado. The true prowess of Sce of the Silver Wintery not in thepounding strength of his saber strikes but the lingering saber qi in the area with each move made. If he were to gather all of the saber qi together, he would be able tounch a devastating strike far beyond his current limits! Struggle all you will, but your defeat is already sealed! Xue Gan sneered at Zhang Xuan coldly though his heart was beating wildly on the inside. This is his ultimate technique? Seeing that the other partys moves had be more powerful, such that it would be hard for him to keep up even with a sixth of his strength, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he made up his mind, Forget it, Ill use that same move too! After giving it some thought, he still felt that the Heavens Path Saber Art that he had practiced was too powerful. So, with a light flick of his finger, the saber in his hand shot across the air. The technique works on sabers too? Yun Feiyang and the others were stunned. They could tell that the young man was intending to toss his saber just like how he had tossed his sword at them. But would it really work out? The weight and shape of a saber and sword were different from one another, and the slightest difference could mean thergest difference in the oue. Was it really alright? Before their doubts could blossom, the saber whooshed across the air with a choking sound. H! It took only an instant for it to appear before Xue Gan. With a reddened face, Xue Gan hurriedly raised his saber to block against it, only to realize that his strike hadnded empty. Puhe! The saber pierced right through his head. Even though Xue Gan was defeated in that instant, by the sheer strength of his willpower as a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, he was able to keep himself from dissipating into light fragments for a brief moment. You... were already able to defeat me right from the start? Xue Gan stared at Zhang Xuan with eyes so wide that they were almost bulging out. He had long heard the rumors that the other party was skilled in tossing swords. He thought that the reason why his opponent hadnt thrown his weapon at him was because of his inability to execute the technique with a saber... But his assumption didnt hold true. His opponent was able to do the same with a saber, and with utmost ease at that... The tossed saber was so powerful that he was unable to deflect it even with all the momentum he had built up thus far. If his opponent had used it right from the start, he wouldnt have been able tost so long at all... In other words, his opponent had only been ying with him thus far. Everything he had done must have looked nothing more than a farce to the other party. You have forked out 400,000 Ethereal Coins for this duel, wouldnt it be a huge pity if you were to lose in a single move? I thought that it would give you more value for money by dragging out the duel a little for you... Zhang Xuan confessed in embarrassment. Pu! Fresh blood spurted out of Xue Gans lips. Value for money your head! If you were really want to give me more value for money, you should at least say that you have used your full strength! To reveal that you have been going easy on me all along... am I supposed to thank you for that? Shameless humblebragging! Ill admit my defeat, but its clear that you didnt use your full strength either. I would like to know how much of your strength did you use? Using hisst breath, Xue Gan asked. The fact that the other party was able to keep up with him despite the increasing strength and speed of his saber likely meant that the other party had been matching his fighting prowess. Given so, he couldnt help but wonder just how powerful the other party was. How much strength did I use? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but eventually, he decided to reveal it honestly. You arent much of a person, but at least you werent too shabby of an opponent. You were able to make me bring out 0.1666666666... Well, you get the idea of recurring numbers, right? Chapter 1935 - The Cultivation Realms in the Azure

Chapter 1935: The Cultivation Realms in the Azure

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric What? Xue Gan was stunned. I asked you how much of your strength did you exert, but what the heck are you doing giving me such a long string of 6s? Peng! Unable to stand it any longer, Xue Gans body finally dissipated on the spot. The surroundings werepletely silent as the eyebrows of the crowd leaped around the ce. They didnt think that Worlds Edge was speaking the truth either. Otherwise, how the heck did he go down to so many decimal points? There was no one in the world who could possibly control their strength to such a fine extent! And what the heck are recurring numbers? Recurring your head! Can you conduct yourself more like an expert? While the crowd was rolling their eyes at Worlds Edge, Xue Qins face had already paledpletely from fear. She could still understand why Huo Jianghe lost to Worlds Edge. After all, thetter was still young and hadnt fully unleashed his potential yet. However, her father was the lord of Xuanjiang City, an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator! In terms ofprehension of cultivation and mastery of battle techniques, he had already reached an incredible level even whenpared to the experts of Starlight City. Yet, he was still unable to defeat Worlds Edge when their cultivation was at the same level as one another... Just when in the world did this fellow pop out from? How could he be so powerful? If there were really such a figure in Starlight City, he should have already made a name for himself by now! At the very most, Ill just stay out of the Ethereal Hall over the next few days. I dont believe that he would dare make a fuss at the City Lord Manor... If he does so, hell just be courting his own death! Xue Qin clenched her fists tightly as she made up her mind. What maid or not maid? As long as she didnt enter the Ethereal Hall, what could the other party do about her? While Worlds Edge had managed to outmaneuver and defeat her father here, she didnt think that Worlds Edge would actually be stronger than him. Reassuring herself as such, Xue Qin felt as if the boulder weighing down her heart had finally been released. Hu! There was a sh of light before her figure vanished from the spot. How weak-minded are you lot? Why bother asking for the truth when you cant take it? Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and sighed. He could tell from the looks on Xue Gan and the crowds face that no one believed him at all. As a perfectionist, if he said he was going to exert a sixth of his strength, he would really exert exactly a sixth of his strength, which would be equivalent to 0.1666666... He was being perfectly honest over here, but no one would just believe him... It sure was hard to be a good person in this world! Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan walked down from the dueling ring and headed to the registration counter. He first destroyed the object which contained information regarding his whereabouts and identity before passing his Ethereal Card over. As Huo Jianghe had died with Xue Qins weapon in his possession, the item was automatically sold back to the system and the sum was deposited into Zhang Xuans card. With that, he had a total of 600,000 Ethereal Coins in his card. He quickly traded his money for a good storage ring, and just as he was about to leave the Ethereal Hall, a person whom he had once defeated on the dueling ring, Soaring Cloud, walked over with a name scroll in hand. Elder Worlds Edge, Elder Lu from our sect wishes to meet you privately. May I know if its a convenient time for you now? Elder Lu? Zhang Xuan murmured. Considering that Soaring Cloud was from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, wouldnt that mean that the Elder Lu whom he was referring to was an elder in the sect? Very well! With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan nodded his head without much hesitation. A person who could be an elder in one of the Six Sects was bound to know quite a lot about the Azure. This was a good opportunity for him to learn about the various powers in the Azure, especially the Spirit God Pce. During his time at the otherworldly battlefield, through Wu Chens sacrifice, they summoned a deity from the Azure, and thetter said that she would reveal Luo Ruoxins whereabouts to him if he could reach the Spirit God Pce. This was currently the greatest clue he had to find Luo Ruoxin. Following behind Soaring Cloud, they soon arrived in a tightly sealed room. Aside from officiating duels, the Ethereal Hall also had special locations that allowed cultivators to converse privately with one another. Privacy was absolutely guaranteed in these private chambers. No matter one spoke inside these rooms, those who were outside would not hear a single word of it. There was already an old man seated at the center of the room. There were four people standing behind him, four of whom Zhang Xuan recognized to be challengers he had already defeated on the dueling ring. With awkward looks on their faces, neither of them seemed willing to meet Zhang Xuan in the eye. Surprisingly, A Rivers nce was amidst the group of four too. It seemed like he had found a new Ethereal Token and got back in. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked in, Elder Lu Yun immediately stood up and introduced himself politely, I am an external elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Lu Yun! Its my pleasure to meet you, Elder Lu! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted him. I am Worlds Edge! As the other partys motives for inviting him over werent clear, he was reluctant to reveal his true identity just yet. While he was confident that there would be no one who would be able to best him in the Ethereal Hall, back in the real world, his strength as an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator would only be enough for him to dominate the small Xuanjiang City. Moving up to Starlight City and beyond, there were bound to be many experts who wielded powers far beyond him. Theres no need to restrain yourself before him! The fact that Worlds Edge had chosen to introduce himself by his nickname instead of his real name told Elder Lu Yun that the other party was still wary of him. With a gentle smile, he said, I have already watched the videos of your duel with them. Yourprehension of swordsmanship has truly reached a formidable level... However, if Im not mistaken, you have already hit a bottleneck in your swordsmanship. For someone of your level, advancing further than where you are is no easy feat. You will need resources and guidance in order to do so. If you remain as an unaffiliated cultivator, its highly likely that youll never ovee your current bottleneck... So, I would like to extend my sincere invitation to you to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Ones swordsmanship often reflected ones personality. What Elder Lu Yun felt form Zhang Xuans swordsmanship was decisiveness, so he decided to get straight to the point. You wish to invite me to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Zhang Xuan was half-convinced that Elder Lu Yun was calling him over in order to teach him a lesson, so he was a little caught off guard when thetter extended such an invitation to him. Huo Jianghe and Xue Gan are not a match for you at the same cultivation realm. Given your level of expertise in swordsmanship, you are already able to apply for the role of an inner disciple as soon as you enter the sect. As an inner disciple, youll be entitled to ess advanced sword arts, and there will be plenty of fellow sword practitioners whom you can spar and trade insights with. I believe that youll be able to grow at a much faster pace than you currently are! Just on the ount that Zhang Xuan could defeat the First Senior of the outer disciples so easily meant that he was already qualified to join the ranks of the inner disciples. This... Im afraid Ill have to think the matter over carefully! Zhang Xuan didnt give a response right away. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was one of the major powers in the Azure, and if he could borrow their connections to look for Luo Ruoxin, things would likely be much easier and more convenient for him. However, this was a give and take. In return for receiving the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions goodwill, he would have to repay them with his loyalty. However, he had no interest in getting involved with the politics among the Six Sects, and he didnt want to get involved in their affairs either. It would likely be a whole string of trouble if he chose to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Of course. This is a huge matter, so I dont expect you to give me an answer right away, Elder Lu Yun nodded in response. Elder Lu, there are some questions which I would like to ask you. I hope that I am not overstepping my boundaries over here, Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Lu Yun as he spoke. Of course not! Please feel free to speak! May I know... if you have ever heard of a ce known as the Spirit God Pce? Zhang Xuan asked nervously. Spirit God Pce? Elder Lu Yun pondered deeply for a moment before shaking his head, Im afraid I have never heard of such a ce before. I see... Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Lu contemtively for a moment as he replied. A slight tinge of disappointment could be heard in his voice. I am just an external elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. My dutiesy mainly in guiding the younger disciples, so Im afraid Im not as knowledgeable about the other affairs on the continent... However, our sect does have plenty of books that study the rtionships and various powers on the Forsaken Continent. As long as you are able to obtain clearance, you will be able to browse through them. I believe you should be able to find what you want in there, Elder Lu Yun was flustered for a split moment, but he swiftly regained himself and replied calmly. Even though he was honored as one of the elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the truth was that he was of the lowest tier. He didnt have the right to ess privy information and learn more about the matter. Given that the Spirit God Pce which the other party spoke about carried the word God in it, it was likely to involve something greater. Someone of his level wouldnt be able to know about it. I understand, Zhang Xuan nodded. Considering that the other party was an external elder tasked with the responsibility of recruiting menial and outer disciples, it was indeed unlikely that he would have too deep of an understanding regarding the secrets of the higher echelons. Oh, theres also another question which I would like to seek enlightenment to. I know that cultivation realms are Saint, Great Sage, and Ancient Sage, but I am curious to know what lies beyond that, Zhang Xuan said. The highest realm of Ancient Sage is Dimension Shatterer realm, and beyond that would be Pseudo Immortal realm. Pseudo Immortals are invulnerable to mes, and their souls are as pure as true gold. With their thoughts, they are able to make things happen. I am currently at Pseudo Immortal realm, and the same goes for the lord of Starlight City as well. Pseudo Immortal realm can be divided into four stages, namely Lesser Pseudo Immortal, Greater Pseudo Immortal, Earthly Pseudo Immortal, and Heavenly Pseudo Immortal. Above the Pseudo Immortals are the True Immortals. True Immortals are considered as real experts on the Forsaken Continent, and most elders in the Six Sects are at this level. Those who manage to take a step further from there and transcend to greater heights are known as High Immortals. They are also termed as the King of Immortals... Only the core elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has reached this level! At this point, Elder Lu Yun paused for a brief moment before continuing on, Well, these are the realms that I know. The heavens are boundless, so I have no doubt that there is something beyond the High Immortals, but thats not something I am privy to know about anymore... Cultivation is not easy. Its hard to go too far without powerful backing, and cultivation resources are simply too limited in the world! Just take this for example, the questions you have just asked aremon knowledge amongst ordinary disciples, but you had to specially ask me to find out about it! Ancient Sage, Pseudo Immortal, True Immortal, and High Immortal... Zhang Xuan nodded as he jotted those realms down in his head. With your swordsmanship and my rmendation, I have no doubt that youll be able to be an inner disciple with ease. May I know where you are at the moment? If possible, I think it would be better for both of us to sit down in person to have a chat about this. After all, this matter is of grave importance to your future! Elder Lu Yun said. In the end, no matter what was discussed here, it would be all but empty agreements. He had to meet the person in person in order to know how powerful the other party was, whether he was a guy or a girl, or even whether he was a human or a beast! I am currently at Xuanjiang City. I believe well eventually meet one another if you were toe over... Besides, I think that I might have something which I need to trouble Senior Huo over there for! Zhang Xuan said with a mysterious smile. You are at Xuanjiang City? Elder Lu Yun subconsciously shot a nce at Huo Jianghe as doubts surfaced in his mind. There was actually such a powerful expert at a ce as backward as Xuanjiang City? As long as its within my abilities, Ill try my best to help you! Huo Jianghe sped his fist and said. He could tell that Elder Lu Yun was determined to bring Worlds Edge into the sect. As such, while he wasnt too fond of Worlds Edge himself, he knew better than to throw a tantrum here. Well, its like this... Zhang Xuan discreetly sent a zhenqi telepathy to Huo Jianghe, and at the end of which, he sped his fist and bowed, Ill be troubling Senior Huo on this matter then. I still have some matters to attend to at the moment, so I wont impose on you all any longer. Farewell! After finding all he wanted to know, Zhang Xuan didnt linger in the private room. He returned back to the front reception of the Ethereal Hall and asked, May I know if theres anything here that would allow a cultivator to recover his strength quickly? If you are an Ancient Sage cultivator, you could try low-tier Immortal Pills. It costs 100,000 Ethereal Coins each! the receptionist replied. Even a low-tier one costs 100,000 Ethereal Coins? It was as if the Ethereal Hall couldnt get enough of shocking Zhang Xuan with how exorbitant its goods were. He felt like the entire organization was out to rob every single one of those Ethereal Coins that he earned painstakingly! Being indignant consumer Zhang Xuan was, he immediately inquired into the exorbitant price, and it turned out that the pricing was perfectly normal here. Basically, Immortal Pills were treated as the currency in the upper echelons of the Azure because of how general its use was. There was no cultivator who wouldnt need it, so the demand for the good was rtively stable. In a sense, it was simr to the spirit stones of the Master Teacher Continent. Immortal Pills could be divided into four tiers. Basic Immortal Pills corresponded to Pseudo Immortals, Standard Immortal Pills corresponded to True Immortals, and Superior Immortal Pills corresponded to High Immortals. As for Premier Immortal Pills, it was so rare that it would be difficult to buy it off the market even if one had the money for it. Not too many people have seen it before. Given that it was a currency used mainly for the higher echelons, as well as an important cultivation resource for Pseudo Immortals, it was understandable that its pricing would be a little steep. Nevertheless, if he had to spend 100,00 Ethereal Coins for each of them, the little fortune that he had just earned would really be gone in an instant. Zhang Xuan used his remaining money to buy a Basic Immortal Pill before looking at the receptionist curiously, If I may ask, it appears that the Ethereal Hall sells all kinds of goods. Does it sell cultivation technique manuals and the sort as well? Of course! the attendant nodded. However, the cultivation techniques that we have are thosemonly practiced on the continent. As for the core cultivation techniques of the Six Sects, Im afraid that its beyond our means too! There was no way the Six Sects would allow their cultivation techniques to be leaked. Even if the Ethereal Hall had copies, they would swiftly face the wrath of the Six Sects if they dared to put them on sale. If it was just dueling and interaction, the Six Sects would still allow for the existence of the Ethereal Hall in the world. After all, there was no conflict in their interests. However, if the Ethereal Hall dared to threaten their foundation, it would be an all-out war. It was also for this reason that the Ethereal Hall was able to grow so big over the years, with branches spanning across the entire Forsaken Continent. I understand. Im fine withmon cultivation techniques too... If I were to just browse through the cultivation techniques for a short moment of time instead of purchasing them, how much would it cost? Zhang Xuan asked in agitation. While he had achieved a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm, he was unfortunately limited by the fact that he didnt have any cultivation techniques in the realm itself. If he could just browse through the collection of cultivation technique manuals here, as long as he had sufficient Basic Immortal Pills, he was confident that he would be able to reach pinnacle within a few hours. That would make it easier for him to navigate around the Forsaken Continent and find Luo Ruoxin. There are pricing differences depending on the tier of the cultivation techniques. For Dimension Shatterer realm cultivation techniques, the most basic ones would cost at least 50,000 Ethereal Coins each. Also, Im afraid that our cultivation techniques are for sale only. We dont offer browsing services here! 50,000 Ethereal Coins for the most basic cultivation technique manual? Zhang Xuans lips twitched in horror. He was still thinking of buying a huge bundle of them if they were inexpensive, but who could have thought that the price would be so horrifying. Based on rough estimation, he would probably need over a thousand ordinary books in order topile a perfected Dimension Shatterer realm Heavens Path Divine Art. That would equate to 50,000,000 Ethereal Coins! Even if he were to tire himself to death on the dueling ring, he wouldnt be able to earn that much! Besides, he had just harvested a new group of challengers. He had no idea when the next group of challengers would be ready for his harvesting. It seemed like purchasing cultivation technique manuals here for his advancement was really not too feasible. Do I really have to join a sect? Zhang Xuan rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Chapter 1936 - Capture

Chapter 1936: Capture

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Each of the Six Sects was bound to have their own libraries containing innumerable cultivation techniques. Zhang Xuan would surely be able to gather thousands of books over there easily... It was due to such readily avable resources in there that so many cultivators desired to join the ranks of the Six Sects. Just like what Elder Lu Yun had said, with hisprehension of swordsmanship, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In fact, he would probably be able to join any of the Six Sects easily, and he was confident that he could rise through the ranks easily. However, there was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. Joining a sect meant that he would have to adhere to the rules and regtions of the sect. If it was just a few trivial rules here and there, it still wouldnt be too much of a problem. However, if one of the rules somehow prevented him from looking for Luo Ruoxin, or that the sect was hostile toward the Spirit God Pce... he would really be shooting himself in the foot then. Wait... What if Dan Xiaotian joins the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and I follow him as his servant? That should work as well, right? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It was said that there would be a selection in Xuanjiang City two dayster for cultivators to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as menial disciples... If Dan Xiaotian were to disy sufficient talent, he should be able to get in as an outer disciple. Most outer disciples were assigned with servants to take care of their necessities. So, as long as Dan Xiaotian seeded, he should be able to get into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well. Once he was in, he could adapt ordingly to the situation to acquire what he needed. At the same time, he could supervise his disciples learning and ensure that he didnt stray down the wrong path. Not to mention, as a servant of an outer disciple, he was a character so minor that he wouldnt be officially recognized by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, which also meant that he wouldnt be bound by its rules too. That was three birds with a stone! Its settled then! Zhang Xuan gave the matter some more thought and confirmed that there were no major problems with this course of action. Heaving a huge sigh of relief, he left the Ethereal Hall. ... While Zhang Xuan had made up his mind, Elder Lu Yun and the others in the private room hade to a decision as well. We have to head to Xuanjiang City right now! Let me see... Its a little past midnight now, and with the fastest aerial beast we have, we should be able to arrive in the afternoon. Since thats the case, lets not dy it any further and conduct the selection in Xuanjiang City today then! Jianghe, I want you to send down the announcement to those in Xuanjiang City that well be conducting the selection today as soon as dawn breaks. Theres no need to wait for us, understood? Nothing must go wrong with this. We have to find Worlds Edge by hook or by crook! Elder Lu Yun instructed sternly. Yes! Huo Jianghe replied with a nod. Bringing back such a talented genius was far more significant than taking in a hundred above-average outer disciples. If he were to allow Worlds Edge to slip past his fingers, and Worlds Edge ended up joining some other sect instead, he would surely be severely punished for hispse in responsibility! As for the rest of you, pack up your things right now. Well be setting off in five minutes, got it? Hu! All of them vanished from the Ethereal Hall swiftly. ... Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan quickly activated the Ethereal Token to im the storage ring and Basic Immortal Pill he had just purchased. The Basic Immortal Pill had a slightly silvery color, and it was densely packed with the pure mercury-like spiritual energy. Just taking a whiff of it was enough to leave ones meridians trembling in agitation, as if encountering an oasis in a desert. Knowing that it was of utmost importance to him in recovering his strength, Zhang Xuan swallowed the pill without any hesitation. As soon as he ingested the Basic Immortal Pill, he felt a warm flow of energy gushing into his limbs. The pure mercury-like energy was swiftly being converted into concentrated zhenqi. In the midst of his cultivation, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but realize that the zhenqi he had formed from the mercury-like spiritual energy was much more powerful. Due to its greater density, the techniques he executed with it were much mightier. While the capacity of his dantian hadnt changed, the quality of the zhenqi he was taking in was much greater. This meant that he was capable of bringing out much greater prowess in a battle than before! It was no wonder why the experts in the Azure were so extraordinarily powerful, such that he could only barely scrape a victory after using all of the means at his disposal. Not only was the mercury-like spiritual energy able to enhance ones constitution, it also yed an important role in tempering ones zhenqi. After cultivating for some time, the energy harnessed in the Basic Immortal Pill was finally all used up. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes. While the Basic Immortal Pill was rich in energy, it was still insufficient for him to make a full recovery. From the looks of it, I reckon that I would need another one in order to fully recover... Zhang Xuan murmured. If he needed two Basic Immortal Pills just to recover his strength, just how many of it would he freaking require in order to make a breakthrough? Cultivating was really a money-sucking abyss. No matter how rich one was, it would never be enough! Zhang Xuan nced at the windows and found that it was already dawn. As soon as he walked out of the room, he saw that Dan Xiaotian was still carefully practicing his swordsmanship. Despite having not rested for a night, Dan Xiaotians movements did not reflect any exhaustion. If anything, his movements were much more stable, and he was able to drive his zhenqi much more smoothly now. Not bad. I see that you have worked hard! With just a nce, Zhang Xuan could tell that Dan Xiaotian had followed his instructions strictly, not cking off in the least. In truth, he didnt ask Dan Xiaotian to practice his swordsmanship just to punish him. He had just achieved a breakthrough of six realms in the span of a day, and this abrupt breakthrough inevitably meant that his mind and reflexes would be unable to keep up with his newfound power. As such, he needed sufficient practice in order to fully adapt to the changes in his body. While practicing the same move again and again for thousands of times was extremely monotonous and grinding on ones patience, it was an essential step for Dan Xiaotian to precisely discern the flow of zhenqi in his body. This would allow him to sharpen his control over his strength, thus gradually breaking him into his newfound powers. And clearly, his aim had been achieved. In a night of practice, Dan Xiaotian had already fully adapted himself to his current Great Sage 3-dan cultivation. Teacher! Hearing the opening of the door, Dan Xiaotian quickly walked over, kneeled down, and greeted Zhang Xuan. He was no fool either. He could clearly sense the changes in his body, so how would he not understand his teachers intention? rmed by this huge reaction, Zhang Xuan quickly reached out to help Dan Xiaotian up. But at this moment, there was a sudden jolt in his head. A golden page appeared in the Library of Heavens Path. It seemed like it was only at this moment that he had truly won Dan Xiaotian over as his disciple. This means that Im able to acquire golden pages in the Azure too. This is good news! Zhang Xuan thought in delight. He thought that the differences in the environment might hinder some of the functions of the Library of Heavens Path, but fortunately, that didnt seem to be the case. The golden page represented a crucial trump card. As long as he had it in his grasp, he would have nothing to fear for now. How far have you gone with the sword art I have imparted to you? Show it to me! Zhang Xuan said with a smile after helping Dan Xiaotian up. He had taught Dan Xiaotain the sword toss technique he had created yesterday in the Ethereal Hall, and he was curious to see how far his disciple hade with this technique over the night. Yes, teacher! Dan Xiaotian took a few steps back before flicking his wrist lightly. Sou! His sword flew across the air. While the speed of his toss wasnt on par with Zhang Xuans, it was still fast enough to produce numerous afterimages in his path. In the blink of an eye, the sword pierced into the trunk of a nearby tree, and all of a sudden, the huge tree exploded, creating a huge crater in where it previously stood. Not bad. You have already reached the level of an Initiate. If you wish to further your mastery in the art, you should try practicing it in battle. Observe your opponents ws carefully before making your move. If you could reach the level where you are able to discern multiple openings in your opponents move with a single nce, you will have reached Major Aplishment in this technique. By then, none of your peers would be a match for you anymore! Zhang Xuan said. This sword toss appeared to be a simple move, but it harnessed the crux of the Heavens Path Sword Art within it. As long as he was able to find a w in the movements of his opponent, no one would be able to block it. It was precisely for this reason that Huo Jianghe and Xue Gan werepletely helpless before it. Yes, teacher! Dan Xiaotian nodded in agitation. After a night of practice, he had alsoe to realize just how powerful and profound this single sword toss was. Everything he had learned before was really nothing inparison. He felt almost as if he had been living in a pineapple under the ocean all this while! Alright, Ill impart to you some other sword arts too. Learning more sword arts would be beneficial in widening your perspective, thus granting you a deeper insight into your swordsmanship. This is crucial in your advancement as a sword practitioner, Zhang Xuan said. Just as he was about to impart some elementary sword arts to Dan Xiaotian, a flurry of footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Jiya! The entrance was knocked open, and ten armored soldiers rushed into the courtyard and swiftly surrounded Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian. Who is the owner of this residence? themander standing at the forefront asked coldly. He was a young man in his thirties, but despite his young age, his cultivation had already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Blood Continuation realm. I am the owner of this residence! Noting that the group that had barged in were guards from the City Lord Manor, Dan Xiaotian walked forward with a frown. Men, capture him! themander ordered. Hu! Two guards immediately rushed out from behind with drawn swords in their hands. Their faces reflected belligerence that indicated that they wouldnt hesitate to hurt Dan Xiaotian. I advise you not to retaliate. We do have the discretion to kill criminals who attempt to resist arrest! one of the two guards sneered coldly as he approached Dan Xiaotian with chains in hand. What crime did Imit? Dan Xiaotian was taken aback by the situation before him. Yesterday night, the sentries of the City Lord Manor found the bandit Cao Chengli sneaking into the city with his band. It was clear that he was up to no good, so the City Lord Manor immediately dispatched a group of fifty elites to eliminate them. However, those fifty never returned. After investigating the matter the entire morning, we found that the footsteps of those fifty elites led straight to your residence. Thus, I have obtained an arrest warrant from the City Lord Manor to arrest you on the ground of colluding with bandits to kill our men! themander sneered coldly. Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in shock for a moment before eximing furiously, Colluding with bandits? Thats nonsense! I would never do something like that! Yesterday night, if not for his teacher, he might have been killed by those bandits. Yet, these guards actually imed that he was colluding with them? You must be joking with me! In his view, even the chances of the City Lord Manor colluding with the bandits were greater than his! Its fine, I dont expect you to admit to it either. Men, bring the evidence over! themander bellowed with a wave of his hand. Hu! Several guards immediately marched forward and tossed the items in their hands over. It was a bunch of bloodied and soiled weapons and armor. We found these around your residence. There are the weapons of the bandits and the armor our guards. Its apparent that they have shed with one another here, and someone has intentionally concealed the evidence... What else do you have to say for yourself? themander harrumphed. This... How could this be? Dan Xiaotian was stunned. His teacher had already gotten rid of everything yesterday, so how could there still be such stuff lying around? Those weapons and clothes are indeed from the bandits living in the mountains outside. It was robbed by them several times while making shipping my goods, so theres no way I would mistake it! Those armors are definitely from the City Lord Manor too. They patrol around my ce every day, so how could I possibly get it wrong? How could he stoop so low to colluding with bandits? Despicable! We have to punish such behavior severely! Right, we should also force them to confess their ploy as well. If the bandits had really seeded in achieving whatever they set out to do, who knows how many casualties there would be in our city... The Dan n sure has fallen from its former glory. I was still feeling sympathetic to their plight, especially given that their final remaining member isnt able to cultivate at all, but it turns out to those who are pitiful have a reason for being in the plight they are in. Colluding with bandits? It serves them right to be destroyed like that! ... Before Dan Xiaotian could exin, a bunch of notable figures in the city suddenly sprouted forth from behind the soldiers. Merchants, tavern owners, medicinal herb peddlers, teahouse owners... These were the people who propped up the lifeline of Xuanjiang Citys economy. They had been harassed by bandits many times in the course of conducting their businesses, so they had the greatest say in the matter too. What else do you have to say for yourself? themander sneered. Turning to his guards, hemanded, Grab him and bring him to the City Lord Manor! Make sure to interrogate him properly! Hu! The guard holding on the chain began advancing toward Dan Xiaotian once more. All of you are shameless! The upright City Lord Manor actually wants to... Dan Xiaotian was just about tosh out furiously when he suddenly halted his words. There was a moment of silence before he nodded, Fine, Ill follow you to the City Lord Manor. I hope that you can redress my grievances. I trust that you will uncover the truth and punish those who are truly guilty of this! Hmph, lets go! Themander appeared to be a little disappointed to see Dan Xiaotianplying with him so easily. He shot a nce at the crowd before saying, The act of colluding with the bandits threatens the peace of our city. Given how severe the implications are, as well as the fact that you have been harmed by Cao Chengli before, I would like to invite all of you to follow me to the City Lord Manor to testify in the court... At the same time, this is to ensure that the proceedings are fair and impartial, and we would not side with Dan Xiaotian just because hes engaged to the Second Young Mistress! Very well! The crowd nodded in agreement Chapter 1937 - The Art of Framing

Chapter 1937: The Art of Framing

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The rest of them are likely to be aplices as well. Capture them and bring them to the City Lord Manor too! The guards quickly handcuffed Zhang Xuan and Elder Yi before leading them out of the residence. Zhang Xuan didnt resist the arrest. Instead, he sent some more instructions over Dan Xiaotian, and thetter visibly calmed down upon hearing those words. With a hunched back to make him appear smaller, he limped his way out of the Dan n Residence. His cultivation was also concealed through a certain method which his teacher had just imparted to him. In the eyes of others, he was no different from an ordinary Saint 6-dan cultivator. After leaving the Dan n Residence, they were escorted into a carriage, and it didnt take long for them to arrive at the City Lord Manor. At this moment, the City Lord Manor was alreadypletely packed. There were over a thousand people present discussing the issue concerning the bandits worriedly. Clearly, Xue Chens n had worked out. The City Lord Manor is also very worried about the bandits entering the city. After careful investigation, we found that the Dan n has a hand in this matter as well. As you know, Dan Xiaotian is engaged to the Second Young Mistress. Thus, in order to ensure impartiality, well be holding a public trial so as to ay your fears that we might be biased in our judgement! Xue Chen spoke up to calm the crowd. As expected of the City Lord Manor! They sure are efficient to root out the culprits so quickly! Those who collude with the bandits deserve to die. I thought that Dan Xiaotian looked quite honest, but it seems like a wretched heart is concealed beneath his honest face! ... When Dan Xiaotian was finally escorted into the court by the guards, everyone swiftly hushed down. There was almost no one in the city who didnt know of the engagement. However, the very act of colluding with the bandits was a vile and unforgivable act. Countless lives could have lost if anything had gone wrong. Thus, they wanted to see if the City Lord Manor would still maintain its impartiality even when judging someone close to them. After Dan Xiaotian limped into ce and was forced to kneel down, Xue Chen nced at the guards and ordered, Bring in the evidence! Several guards immediately rushed in and ced the bloodied armor, bows, and arrows on the ground. Following this, a well-groomed middle-aged man walked into the court and said, Lord, I have already inspected every article here, and the bows and arrows are indeed used by Cao Chengli and the others. There are clear signs that it had been used by them. As for the armor, there is no doubt that they are the ones used by the guards of the City Lord Manor too, and judging from the freshness of the blood, they were left on the armorst night! Another person stepped forward and added on, Lord, I can also testify to this matter. While I was cultivatingst night, I heard some movements outside. I secretly peeked through my windows and found many ck-clothed individuals sneaking toward the Dan n. It does seem like they are conducting some kind of transaction between them! Dan Xiaotian shot a nce at the testifying witness, and he recognized thetter to be from a neighboring family not too far away from the Dan n Residence. They were usually on close terms with one another. Lord, I saw it too. There were several dozen people, and I couldnt help but feel that something was amiss. Thus, I recorded the entire scene! Another person stepped forward too, and he was Dan Xiaotians neighbor as well. That person activated his Record Crystal, and the video taken down was disyed before everyones eyes. Beneath the night of full moon, a group of ck-clothed bandits was silently sneaking into Dan Xiaotians residence. After they entered the premises, there was nomotion. There was only absolute silence, as if the owner of the residence had implicitly permitted their presence. I was still wondering if there were some other secrets involved in this issue, but to think that its actually true! But why would Dan Xiaotian collude with the bandits? I also found that weird too. The Dan n might be declined, but Dan Xiaotian should still be able to live an ample life with the riches his predecessors have left behind. There shouldnt be any reason for him to take such a risk! A hugemotion broke out after the video in the Record Crystal was disyed. Those who knew Dan Xiaotians character and thought that there might be some conspiracy involved in the issue stared at the young man kneeling at the center of the court with a look of disbelief in their eyes. The Dan n had its roots from Baiye City, but they had moved to Xuanjiang City several decades ago. Over the years, it grew swiftly, and it eventually reached its peak ten years ago, bing an unrivaled power in Xuanjiang City. Back in that era, there were countless experts in the Dan n. Just the three Dimension Shatterer realm experts that they had was enough to frighten any enemy into submitting to the Dan n. Not even the City Lord Manor would have dared to make an enemy out of the Dan n then, choosing to make peace through a marriage agreement instead. Everything had changed after that unfortunate incident that caused the deaths of nearly all of the experts of the Dan n. The fortunes of the Dan n were swiftly devoured by others shortly after. Nevertheless, it still held substantial wealth due to its massive umtion over the years. There was no reason for it to collude with the bandits! As such, most of the more rational-minded individuals amongst the crowd found the matter inexplicable. Second Young Mistress... Just as everyone was harboring doubts, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from afar. Raising their heads to take a look, the crowd saw the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor, Xue Qin, rushing over with an anxious look on their faces. This sight left bizarre looks on the faces of the crowd. Considering that the marriage agreement between Dan Xiaotian and Xue Qin, it was only right for Xue Qin to stay out of this trial so as to avoid hindering the impartiality of the trial. Yet, she actually rushed out just like that... Sprinting behind Xue Qin were the maids of the City Lord Manor. They had flustered looks on their faces, as if they didnt expect the Second Young Mistress to act so recklessly as to barge into the trial. Why? Shaking away the grasp of the maids trying to hold her back, Xue Qin stared at Dan Xiaotian with reddened eyes, as if she was unable to ept thetters betrayal. We have been engaged to one another since a young age. While you have be unable to cultivate, I have never snubbed you before and treated as per before. This time, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion hase to our town to recruit disciples. I thought that it was an opportunity for us, so I worked hard to win Senior Huos approval to be a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... I was thinking that I could obtain even better herbs for you to recover from your affliction so that you can cultivate once again and rebuild the glory of your Dan n... Xue Qin shook her head mncholically, disappointed by the betrayal of her loved one. I thought that you would be proud of me, so I sent my men to inform you of the matter. Yet, why did you collude with the bandits to stop this from happening? You even kidnapped me and had the bandits beat me up, attempting to force me to change my mind... Did you think that I would forget you just because I got into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Im doing this not just for myself but for our future! This would have been the key to changing our fates! As Xue Qin spoke, the tears brimming in her eyes began trickling down. She averted her gaze from Dan Xiaotian, as if she couldnt bear to look the man in the eye anymore. So, it was because the Second Young Mistress has cleared the selections for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and that had crushed Dan Xiaotians self-esteem. Thus, he chose to collude with the bandits to stop it from happening... Dan Xiaotian is truly foolish. Does he not know that there are many enemies of the Dan n out to kill him, and the only reason why he can live to this day is due to the City Lord Manor and the Second Young Mistress protection? Or perhaps... it was because he realizes the fact that he worries about what would happen to him once the Second Young Mistress leaves. Thats why he chose to make this risky move, hoping that he could retain the Second Young Mistress here! As long as the Second Young Mistress goes missing, she wouldnt be able to enter the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion anymore once those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion left. With that, as long as he seals the marriage as well, his safety would be guaranteed. No one would dare to touch him anymore! Everything makes perfect sense now... That exins why the Second Young Mistress face is slightly swollen. She must have suffered quite a bit under the bandits captive. That must be the case. Who else would dare toy their hands the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor? Those group of bandits would dare to do anything as long as one pays them enough. If not for his carelessness, no one would ever think of suspecting Dan Xiaotian. He really has thought things out carefully! ... Hearing those usations, everyone nodded in realization as they turned to look at Dan Xiaotian once more with looks of disgust on their faces. A youngdy had done so much for you, but you dont know the slightest thing about gratitude. Can you still call yourself a human after what you did? She would have won an Oscars back in my previous world! Zhang Xuan was about to fall asleep from boredom when the Second Young Mistress entertained him with such a marvelous performance. With such a few words, she had managed to evoke the emotions of the crowd and win their sympathy. With such acting skills, he would have surely med the judging panel for under the table dealings if she hadnt won a prize. It was human nature to sympathize with the weak and women, not to mention a person as beautiful as Xue Qin. All it took was some rousing words and a few tears to establish an emotional connection with the crowd. Initially, the evidence and witnesses presented wouldnt have been enough to indict Dan Xiaotian of his crimes. After all, most of what was presented was circumstantial, and there was no clear motive that would justify his involvement. Who in the right mind would collude with the bandits to act against the City Lord Manor for no reason? But with even Xue Qin testifying against him as well, the odds were way against Dan Xiaotians favor. Even the City Lord Manor wouldnt be able to back down from this anymore. They would have no choice but to bow down to the will of the people and sentence Dan Xiaotian. And this conveniently exined why the Second Young Mistress had been epted as a menial disciple into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion even prior to the official trial. With this, not only was Xue Qins reputation not sullied in any way, she would even be praised as a strong and sentimentaldy! On the other hand, Dan Xiaotian would have be a jerk who snubbed the Xue Qins kind intentions and even attempted to harm her. This would provide the City Lord Manor with the required justification to annul the engagement. It was indeed a remarkable scheme with manyyers to it. An ingenious ploy from a true viin indeed! On the other hand, Dan Xiaotian was on the verge of exploding from rage. I have agreed to cancel our engagement, but you were unsatisfied with just that and wanted to trample all over me so that you can walk out of it cleanly. When I rejected that, the first thing you thought of is to kill me instead. And when that failed too, you tried to pour dirty water over me to frame me of something I have not done... There really is nothing you wouldnt use against me! Second Young Mistress, dont waste your tears on a person like him! He isnt worthy of that! Seeing that they had managed to pull the crowd sentiment to their side, Xue Chen knew that his n had already seeded. At this point, no matter what else Dan Xiaotian said, he wouldnt be able to salvage the situation anymore. Heaving a sigh of relief on the inside, he consoled Xue Qin before ordering the maids beside her, What are the two of you waiting for? Hurry up and bring the Second Young Mistress back! Yes! The two maids quickly escorted the crying Xue Qin out of the court. Xue Chen finally his head back to Dan Xiaotian, and with a frosty look in his eyes, he said, With the evidence in ce, what else do you have to say for yourself? Knowing that whatever he said would be meaningless at this point, Dan Xiaotian calmly looked back at Xue Chen and said, So, based on what you all have said so far, its out of my low self-esteem that I was jealous of Xue Qin for clearing the trial of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Thus, I sought to collude with the bandits in order to stop her from going over? Are you acknowledging your intentions? Or do you still intend to argue your way out of this even when there is an overwhelming number of evidence and witnesses testifying against you? Xue Chen sneered. Acknowledging my intentions? Dan Xiaotian shook his head and sighed a little, as if he couldnt be bothered to argue with someone of the likes of Xue Chen. I wish to meet Senior Huo Jianghe from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Audacious! Who do you think you are to dare ask for an audience with Master Huo? Xue Chen thought that Dan Xiaotian would raise the matter about them attempting to annul the marriage agreement previously. Regarding that, he had already prepared a countermeasure that would have thetter cornered in a single move! But instead of that, the other party was asking to meet Senior Huo instead... Why? I am indeed unqualified, but I heard that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is epting menial disciples. As long as one clears their trial, one would be able to join them. As someone from Xuanjiang City and is of suitable age, I believe I have a right to participate in the trial too, right? Dan Xiaotian said. Anyone of Xuanjiang City would stand a chance to be a menial disciple of Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but you, Dan Xiaotian, dont stand a chance at all. I dont know what you are trying to pull here, but the City Lord Manor is answerable to the citizens of Xuanjiang City. With the vile deeds you havemitted, theres no way the City Manor will condone your crimes! Hearing those words, Xue Chen immediately burst intoughter, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world. A Saint 6-dan trash actually wanted to participate in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions trial? How in the world did he find the courage to say something as ridiculous as that? Besides, do you think someone as important as Master Huo would specially conduct the trial for a trash like you? Xue Chen continued. He really doesnt know his ce at all! All those who are allowed to join the trial are the greatest talent of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. That fellow is a cripple and cant cultivate... Does he want to make our city aughingstock in the region? Master Huo is busy selecting the true geniuses from our city. How could he possibly have time to assess a cripple like him? He must have knocked his head somewhere... Derisiveughter could be heard from amongst the crowd. You better drop whatever thought you have in your mind. Theres no way Master Huo woulde here to test a trash like you. I advise you to confess to your crimes, and we can at least spare you from some suffering... Xue Chen bellowed loudly. But halfway through his words, aposed voice suddenly echoed from the courtyard outside... Why cant I be here to conduct the trial for him? A tall figure walked into the court with widened strides. Huo Jianghe. Chapter 1938 - Turning Tables

Chapter 1938: Turning Tables

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric There was a middle-aged man walking behind Huo Jianghe. This middle-aged man had a tall silhouette, and he was donned with majestic armor. His eyes emanated imposing authority, reminiscent of a person in power. Xue Qin had been slowly walking away so as to listen to the proceedings when she heard the voice as well. Turning her head around, she was stunned for a moment before bowing deeply, Father. Senior Huo. The middle-aged man was no other than the person who was killed by Zhang Xuan with a single toss of saber back in the Ethereal Hall, the lord of Xuanjiang City, Xue Gan. There were ten or so young men following behind the two. They were in their early teens, roughly sixteen to seventeen years old. Despite their young age, they seemed to wield incredible might in their grasp. They were the examinees participating in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions trial. Master Huo... Upon seeing the two, Xue Chen turned a bewildered look to City Lord Xue Gan. As the trial of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was of utmost importance, as the city lord, Xue Gan was required to be present at the venue to supervise the event. Yet, who could have thought that barely after the preliminary selection waspleted, Huo Jianghe suddenly insisted on heading over to the City Lord Manors court. This had left Xue Gan bewildered too! Well conduct the second round of selections here. I can see that there are many people present here to witness the proceedings, and I believe that it would be good to showcase the fairness of our trial, Huo Jianghe arbitrarily made the decision himself as he walked right up to the centermost position in the room. If it was any other situation, it would be a breach of formalities for Huo Jianghe to make this decision on his own ord, especially given that City Lord Xue Gan was present here. However, while this trial was underway, his words would represent the will of the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. As such, even Xue Gan had no choice but to ept his judgement. On the other hand, seeing that the court proceedings were suddenly interrupted in such an unexpected fashion, Xue Chen was stunned. What was he supposed to do now? Senior Huo, I am a citizen of Xuanjiang City as well. May I know if I am qualified to join the trial as well? Dan Xiaotian asked with a resounding voice. Of course! Huo Jianghe nodded. Master Huo, Dan Xiaotian is a mere Saint 6-dan cultivator. It would be a waste of time for you to invigte someone of his caliber. Furthermore, he colluded with the bandits to harm the interests of the city. It would be an insult to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion if someone as vile as him was permitted to participate in the trial as well! Xue Chen said anxiously. He knew that Dan Xiaotian wouldnt be able to clear the trial even if he were to participate in it... but it would undermine the legitimacy of the trial if Dan Xiaotian were to suddenly participate in the trial as well. Furthermore, he could tell that Dan Xiaotian had something up his sleeves, and while he was confident of his n, he knew better than to allow Dan Xiaotian to get his way. You are saying that Im weak? Dan Xiaotian looked at Xue Chen and asked. Of course! As a crippled Saint 6-dan, your strength cant evenpare to the ordinary civilians of our city. What else can you be other than weak? Xue Chens eyebrows shot up. Since thats the case, I would like to ask whats your opinion of Xue Qins abilities then? Dan Xiaotian asked. Even though the situation was still against him, confidence seemed to be slowly building up in his voice. Initially, he was just timidly obeying whatever Zhang Xuan told him to do and say, but in face of Xue Chens oppression, his words were slowly bing firmer and more powerful. Our Second Young Mistress is, of course, a genius! Despite only being sixteen this year, she has already reached Great Sage 3-dan consummation, and she could very well achieve a breakthrough anytime soon! Xue Chen replied proudly. Is that so? Dan Xiaotian replied calmly. Weng weng weng! Bursts of sword qi shot out from the tip of his fingers, slicing the handcuffs around his wrist into shreds in an instant. At the same time, Dan Xiaotian released the seal on his cultivation, causing the aura around him to grow stronger and stronger till the equivalent of a Great Sage 3-dan consummation expert. His hunched back also slowly straightened, causing his perceived 1.6 meters height to rise to that of around 1.75 meters. While he wasnt as tall as Zhang Xuan, he appeared much more dignified than before. More importantly, when he slowly walked forward, the limp in his leg had vanished without a trace as well! Even his appearance seemed to have undergone some changes. Despite the ring birthmark on his face, his features became more defined and elegant, giving him a masculine undertone. This is impossible... Xue Qins eyes nearly plopped to the ground. All along, she had viewed Dan Xiaotian to be synonymous with weak and useless. She never thought that he could undergo such a huge transformation one day. Paying no heed to the shocked Xue Qin, Dan Xiaotian walked straight up to Xue Chen. His lips curved upward as he asked, Even though the two of us have the same cultivation realm, you think of me as a trash but Xue Qin as an unparalleled genius... I really wonder how you came to a judgement. Do you think with your toes? You... Xue Chen shook his head in disbelief as he took a step back. When had this fellow be able to cultivate? Not to mention... Great Sage 3-dan consummation? It wasnt just them. The crowd had fallenpletely silent as well. The previous motive they had attributed to Dan Xiaotian was based on the premise that he was unable to cultivate, such that he needed the support of the City Lord Residence in order to survive. However, if Dan Xiaotian was actually an expert himself, such a reason would be invalidated. All of you shoulde at me together! Dan Xiaotian told the youths that hade with Huo Jianghe with a light chuckle. You want to fight all of us at once? These youths were startled by the suddenly challenge. They turned to look at Huo Jianghe, and thetter gave a slight nod of approval. Thus, they raised the swords in their hands and charged forth. On the other hand, using his finger as his sword, Dan Xiaotian jabbed forth and snatched the sword from the hands of one of the cultivators. With the sword in his hand, he easily deflected the offenseing from the others. Tzzzzzzz! Numerous surges of sword qi shot out from the tip of Dan Xiaotians sword simultaneously. While he had spent most of his time deciphering the sword toss technique his teacher had imparted to him, he didnt neglect to work on his foundations as well. Even without using his trump card, his fighting prowess was still one to be reckoned with. Dangng! Dangng! Dangng! With the outburst of sword qi, the swords that the other youths held were knocked out of their hands, falling to the ground amidst metallic tter. The youths couldnt help stare at Zhang Xuan in horror. The sword art which Dan Xiaotian had executed actually disarmed all of them in an instant. It was fortunate that he had gone easy on them, or else it could have been their wrists that were severed instead. Hu! With a flick of his finger, the sword in Dan Xiaotians hand flew out and stabbed into the ground right in front of Xue Qin. With an air of loftiness, he looked at Xue Qin and asked, May I ask if the talented Second Young Mistress is able to do what I, a trash, am able to do? ... The crowd fell silent. Under the encirclement of over ten opponents, Dan Xiaotian was able to steal a sword and knock out the swords in the hands of the others without even taking a step... The strength and swordsmanship he had disyed were truly terrifying! If such a person was considered as a trash, what would they count as? Xue Qins face paled as her body trembled in fear. Even though she was a Great Sage 3-dan consummation cultivator, she knew that she would definitely be incapable of such a feat. If she were to attempt to do the same, she had little doubt that she would be overwhelmed in an instant and fall in defeat. Xue Chen was silent for a moment before he swiftly rebutted, Even if you arent a trash, its a fact that you have colluded with the bandits. Even your own neighbors have stepped forward to testify that they have spotted bandits entering your residence in the middle of the night! Hearing those words, Dan Xiaotian turned to look at the two witnesses and asked, Are you certain that you have witnessed with your own eyes that there are bandits entering my residence? Yes... Theres no mistake about it! We have seen it for certain! Under Dan Xiaotians piercing gaze, the two neighbors cowered fearfully a little. If Dan Xiaotian was still unable to cultivate, they would still have nothing to fear. But given the prowess that Dan Xiaotian had just disyed, they couldnt help but recall the imposing authority that the Dan nmanded ten years ago... Even though they were just revealing what they had seen, just the possibility that Dan Xiaotian could exact vengeance on them in the future for this made their words sound much less confident than before. While their hearts were thumping fearfully, Dan Xiaotian spoke out, The fact that you saw it means that... you are very sharp-eyed! Huh? The two neighbors were stunned. Sharp-eyed? Boy, do you know what you are saying? Thats equivalent to admitting that you have colluded with the bandits! No matter how talented and powerful you are, theres no way the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would ept a person who has moral issues! As though a rock had been thrown into a pond, a huge uproar broke out amidst the crowd in that instant. Hahahaha! Look, Dan Xiaotian has finally admitted to his crimes! Since thats the case, I believe we need not continue on with the interrogation anymore. Men, capture that scoundrel who dares to collude with the bandits and lock him up! Xue Chen was also stunned for a moment before his eyes lit up in ravenous joy. From the moment that Dan Xiaotian revealed his true prowess, he knew that things had gone awry. If Dan Xiaotian were to vehemently refute their ims from then on, it would have been a very difficult fight for him. The fact that they had chosen to hold a public trial was a double-edged sword to them. They would have to find conclusive evidence in order to indict Dan Xiaotian, or else the reputation of the City Lord Manor could be sullied as a result of this matter. Yet, who could have thought that Dan Xiaotian would foolishly admit to the matter at this moment... Not to mention, in front of so many people at that! With this, Dan Xiaotians fate was sealed. Just by this confession in itself, they would be able to push for Dan Xiaotians execution! Arent you being too hasty over here? I didnt know that the City Lord Manor has a habit of jumping to conclusions! Dan Xiaotian sneered coldly. Turning to Huo Jianghe, he sped his fist and asked politely, Senior Huo, I would like to summon an eye-witness to the court. Go ahead! Huo Jianghe nodded. Come in! Dan Xiaotian nced outside and ordered. A figure covered tightly in a ck robe and a straw hat walked from the midst of the crowd. Standing at the center of the court, he slowly took off his hat. Hes Cao Chengli! You mean the leader of that band of bandits? He actually dares to walk right into the City Lord Manor? How dare he! Kill him! Hes the eye-witness that Dan Xiaotian is summoning? It seems like the two of them are really colluding with one another! ... Upon catching a closer look at the silhouette, the crowd wentpletely frenzied. The person who had just entered was no other than the leader of the bandit band, Cao Chengli! This fellows hideout was hidden in the depths of the mountain forest, and he was extremely skilled at navigating around theplex geography. As a result, the previous attempts by the City Lord Manor to apprehend him fell empty. Yet, he actually dared to walk right into the City Lord Manor... Just who in the world gave him the guts to do so? Is everyone seeing this sight? Cao Chengli is actually heeding Dan Xiaotians words! Its obvious that they are in collusion! Xue Chen was so excited that he nearly leaped into the air. Everything that had been presented thus far was just spections and circumstantial evidence. Yet, that fellow actually brought the leader of the bandit band right in... Was there a worse move that one could make in this situation? Collusion? Dan Xiaotian suddenly roared inughter as he looked at the ck-robed bandit. Why dont we hear from the person in question who he was truly colluding with? Its him! Cao Chengli stepped forward and pointed to Xue Chen and Xue Qin. She was involved in it as well! What nonsense are you spouting? Dont you dare spout falsehood in this sacred ce of justice! Xue Chens eyebrows shot up and he swiftly denied Cao Chenglis ims. Spout falsehood? Cao Chenglis fists clenched tightly together from rage. He turned to the crowd and began recounting his story loudly, Yesterday night, Xue Chen paid me a visit and requested that I kill a man for him. As long as I sessfully assassinated the target, he would pay me a handsome sum of 50,000 Ethereal Coins. I did a bit of investigation and found that the person I was intending to assassinate is a weakling, so I swiftly agreed to his request! Assassination? Weakling? There were plenty of smart individuals amongst the crowd who had already roughly guessed what had happened, and their eyes swiftly turned to Dan Xiaotian. In recent years, those were the words that had been used far too often to refer to him. Indeed, the target of assassination was no other than Dan Xiaotian! Cao Chengli answered the doubts of the crowd. So, I prepared an ambush for himst night... but Dan Xiaotian turned out to be much stronger than I thought, resulting in the failure of my assassination attempt. My entire band of bandits was in by him... It would simply be too shocking if he were to say that his subordinates were killed by a horse and a carriage... Since that was the case, it would be more viable for him to spin up a more believable lie. It was out of sheer luck that I managed to escape with my life. I immediately went to meet up with Xue Chen, and I demandedpensation from him for his inurate information that led to the deaths of my subordinates. Yet, he only paid me 500 Ethereal Coins... Infuriated, I followed him all the way back to his ce, hoping to uncover his identity, but what I saw instead was Xue Chen entering the City Lord Manor, and that was when I finally deduced his true identity. Furthermore, by sheer coincidence, I managed to record this scene down on a Record Crystal. Please have a look! Cao Chengli said as he began ying the Record Crystal he had recorded the previous night. The video reflected the courtyard of the tightly-guarded City Lord Manor. The first thing that came into sight was a huge group of soldiers standing in a neat formation. Under themands of a middle-aged man, Xue Chen, standing at the forefront of the formation, these soldiers stripped their armor and donned the clothes of the bandits. After they had all changed into ck garments, Xue Chen emphasized imposingly that Dan Xiaotian and those around him must be killed by hook or by crook in this operation!. Chapter 1939 - Elder Lu Arrives!

Chapter 1939: Elder Lu Arrives!

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The video didnt just stop there. The person recording the video followed the suspicious-dressed soldiers as they snuck across the streets, all the way to Dan Xiaotians residence! That video is extremely alike to the one that was yed earlier. Its likely that they were taken at the same timing... I thought that they were really bandits due to the clothes they were wearing, but who could have thought that they were actually the guards of the City Lord Manor... Wait a moment, doesnt this mean that the guards of the City Lord Manor intentionally disguised themselves as bandits to murder others? ... It didnt take long for some to notice that the scene reflected in Cao Chenglis video was simr to the one disyed earlier, just that they were taken from different angles. Due to the dress up, they instinctively assumed that those ck garment individuals were bandits... but it turned out to just be a cover. They were actually the guards of the City Lord Manor! Hu! The video stopped right after the guards entered the Dan n Residence. Taking the Record Crystal back into his grasp, Cao Chengli looked at Xue Chen and asked, What else do you have to say for yourself? You... Thats fabricated evidence! Xue Chens face paled in fright. He never thought that someone would follow him and record this sight down! Fabricated evidence? You sure speak as if its that easy to fabricate such evidence. Why dont you try making one for us? Cao Chengli spat. It was impossible to alter the content recorded by a Record Crystal, and the presence of corroborating evidence from the neighbors recording further proved the authenticity of Cao Chenglis recording. I... Xue Chens face paled as he took a step back. This is all utter nonsense! You are engaged to the Second Young Mistress, and given how talented you are, why should we kill you? Isnt it foolish for the City Lord Manor to take such a course of action? Xue Chens argument does make sense as well... The crowd quickly turned their heads over to Dan Xiaotian, wanting to see how he would exin himself. Considering that the two of them had a marriage agreement with one another, it should be a blessing for the City Lord Manor that Dan Xiaotian was actually a genius. Taking a step back, even if Xue Qin and Dan Xiaotian had some disagreement with one another, they could have just annulled their agreement. Did the City Lord Manor really have to go to the extent of killing Dan Xiaotian? This didnt seem too rational to them. You are asking me why you want to kill me? It seems like your memory really isnt too good. Maybe this will help jot your memories a little! Dan Xiaotian chuckled as he took out a Record Crystal too and yed the video stored within. You know the reason why I aming here, but instead ofing out to wee me personally, you dispatched a lowly servant to send the marriage agreement over instead. Do you think that this matter can be resolved that easily? In the video, Xue Qins attitude was cold and haughty, as if she had her head in the clouds. What I want from you isnt much. I just need you to announce to the entire city that you were the one who chose to back out of the marriage agreement on your own ord because you feel that you arent worthy of me. Its after a series of careful deliberation before my father finally decided to respect your opinion and end the marriage agreement... By giving me the mere sheet of paper, are you expecting me to tell everyone that I, Xue Qin, refuse to marry you? How could I allow the noble City Lord Manor to have such a stain on its reputation? Well, its very simple! Over these years, the Dan n has offended quite a few people, isnt that so? You should also know that if not for your engagement with Xue Qing, you should have already died many times over! Xue Chen sneered coldly in the video. How would your death affect the City Lord Manors reputation? Let me see. Our city lord would be enraged to learn of your demise, and he would dispatch men to exact vengeance for you. As for our Second Young Mistress, she would be in deep sorrow for a long time, and eventually, she would decide to depart from thisnd of grief and head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! ... The Record Crystal disyed the haughty attitudes of both Xue Chen and Xue Qin clearly, be it their words, their expressions, or their gestures! This... It turned out that she wanted to annul the engagement, but she wasnt satisfied with the other party rejecting her. In order to preserve her reputation, she would stoop down to even killing him... What a venomous heart she has! The reputation of the City Lord Manor has remained pristine over the years, but who could have thought that they would conduct such vile acts beneath the surface? How embarrassing... I have never felt so embarrassed to be a citizen of Xuanjiang City before! ... There was no one who didnt understand what was going on after watching the video. Their eyes gradually turned hostile as they shifted their gazes toward Xue Chen and Xue Qin Y-you... With a pale face, Xue Qin felt as if her strength had receded from her body, causing her to slump to a heap on the ground. She thought that everything would be settled after this. She would be free from the trash, and her reputation would soar as well... But things ended up in a direction she hadnt expected. Everything that she did was exposed so tantly in public! From this day on, her reputation would bepletely shattered! Everyone would only remember her as the cold-hearted woman who would stoop to colluding with the bandits in order to murder her fianc in cold blood... Who would dare to marry her with such a reputation to her name? If such a matter could happen to Dan Xiaotian, how could they guarantee that they wouldnt be next? A bunch of nonsense! Today, Ill teach you a lesson for daring to fabricate lies about the City Lord Manor! Xue Chen roared furiously as he abruptly charged at Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli. With a powerful gust of wind, his palm struck forth with impressive might. After everything that had happened, Xue Chen knew that he had been cornered. In such a scenario, the best thing he could do was to silence Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli. Only with their death would he be able to start salvaging the situation. With his Ancient Sage 3-dan cultivation, he swiftly sealed everything within the room. In that instant, both Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli felt as if a ravenous wolf had set its sights on them, and it left them trembling from instincts. Audacious! Huo Jianghes eyes turned cold in fury. He didnt think that Xue Chen would dare to kill those two in his presence. It seemed like the other party was really looking down on him! Huo Jianghe immediately grasped his sword, intending to stop Xue Chen, but in the next instant, he felt a palm pushing his hands down, preventing him from unsheathing his sword. He red at the person beside him, only to see City Lord Xue Gan looking at him with aposed smile, Master He, theres no need to worry. Xue Chen is just scaring the two of them, he wont really make a move on them. As a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would be beneath you to get involved in the affairs of our city! Those words made Huo Jianghe narrow his eyes frostily. There was no way he could mistake Xue Chens killing intent. It was definitely not a bluff but a true strike to kill. If that palm were tond, the two of them would be killed on the spot. After those two were eliminated, City Lord Xue Gan would step forward and expressed his regret at failing to keep his subordinate in line. He would then imprison Xue Chen until the matter finally died down... By then, Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli would already be dead, so who would dare to question the City Lord Manors judgement over two dead men? And once everything blew over, Xue Chen would be released as if nothing had happened at all... No! In the face of Xue Chens devastating palm strike, Cao Chenglis face paled as sweat washed down his forehead. He had onlye to redress Dan Xiaotians grievances under the orders of that mysterious book... He had no intention of losing his life here! Just as he thought that his fate was sealed, the imposing momentum that was headed his way suddenly dissipated without a trace. Fearfully raising his head to take a peek, he saw the Ancient Sage 3-dan expert in front of him copsing powerlessly to the ground. H-huh? rmed, Cao Chengli warily approached Xue Chen, only to see a small piercing from his forehead to the back of his head. He carefully ced his fingers in front of Xue Chens nostrils, only to realize that thetter had already breathed hisst! His fingers immediately jerked back out of shock. He was dazed for a moment before he began frantically looking around for the murder weapon. However, the only thing he found was a mysterious stalk of grass stabbed into the ground. There were traces of grayish matter on the stalk of grass. As unbelievable as it may seem, it seemed like it was the weapon that had robbed Xue Chen of his life! For a flimsy stalk of grass to pierce through the head of an Ancient Sage 3-dan cultivator... Just how powerful must one be to achieve such a feat? Theprehension that there was a powerful expert around who could take his life at any moment filled Cao Chenglis mind with utmost horror. His body stiffened in fear, not daring to move in the least. On the other hand, Huo Jianghe rose to his feet as he looked upon the scene in disbelief. He was an Ancient Sage 4-dan primary stage expert just like City Lord Xue Gan, but even he knew that he would be unable to pull off something like that. The flimsy structure of grass prevented one from exerting significant strength through it or infusing zhenqi into it. Yet, it actually breached an Ancient Sage 3-dans zhenqi protectiveyer and pierced through his head... More importantly, even though the matter had happened right before his eyes, he was actually unable to discern who the culprit was, or where the grass hade from at all! It was almost as if the stalk of grass had appeared out of nowhere! City Lord Xue Gan was as shocked as Huo Jianghe was, and he felt his body turning icy cold. He knew that if he had been in Xue Chens ce, that strike would have ended his life with ease as well. The only one present in the court that wasnt surprised was likely only Dan Xiaotian. He heaved a sigh of relief as he thought, My teacher... is truly formidable! He knew that his teacher was an extraordinary cultivator, but he didnt think that he would actually be this powerful! Suppressing his agitation and astonishment, Dan Xiaotian was just about to continue speaking when he saw City Lord Xue Gan rising to his feet with an indignant look on his face. How dare Xue Chenmit such atrocities? To think that I have trusted him and entrusted him with the important position as the chief instructor of the City Lord Manor! I must have been blind back then. This is truly a huge disgrace... Such ck sheep must be killed in order to send out a stern warning to the others! Dan Xiaotian was taken aback by Xue Gans sudden outburst. Was thetter iming that he was the one who had killed Xue Chen? Just how shameless could that fellow get? Xiaotian, I apologize for the suffering you have been through as a result of Xue Chens willful actions. Its fortunate that you are smart enough to undo his ploy, or else our City Lord Manor would have fallen into disgrace as well! Xue Gan walked over to Dan Xiaotian, and assuming the role of a caring elder, he said with a warm voice, Your engagement with my daughter was decided by your grandfather and my father. They might be gone now, but as their offspring, we cannot let their expectations down. I believe that the reason why Xue Qinmitted such foolishness is because of Xue Chens beguilement. That fellow has always been skilled at manipting the hearts of others... Dan Xiaotain couldnt help but sneer upon seeing how swift Xue Gan was adapting to the situation. As expected of the city lord, Xue Gan was a wily old fox. It was only because his teacher valued his privacy that he didnt want to step forward in this situation. Of everything that was gathered here, the one who boasted the greatest strength was Xue Gan, so it was only natural that everyone thought that he was the one who killed Xue Chen. Making use of this mentality, Xue Gan immediately pushed all me onto Xue Chen, making it sound as if the City Lord Manor wasnt involved in the matter at all... After this matter blew over, he would then cate everyone with a mixture of fear tactics and incentives, so the public sentiments against the City Lord Manor would die down soon enough. Nevertheless, to be able to cast away his loyal subordinate so quickly, Xue Gan sure was a callous man. City Lord Xue Gan, you sure are a good jester, Dan Xiaotian chuckled a little before his eyes suddenly turned utterly cold, The fifty elites dispatched by the City Lord Manor has died overnight, and a huge investigation was carried out right after. Are we to believe that this was all orchestrated by Xue Chen without your knowledge? The death of fifty elites was a heavy cost to the City Lord Manor. There was no way Xue Gan would have beenpletely oblivious to the matter! While there were various smart individuals amongst the crowd who had already figured out as much, Dan Xiaotians act of pointing it out candidly could be considered as a direct challenge toward the City Lord Manor. Hmph! Not expecting Xue Chen to continue harping on this matter even though he had already proposed a peaceful resolution, Xue Gans face turned livid. He immediately sent a warning to Dan Xiaotian via zhenqi telepathy, Is Xue Chens death not enough for you? Are you intending to bring me down as well? Naive! Do you even have evidence to prove that I was involved in this matter too? Dan Xiaotian fell silent. While Xue Qins attitude had been awful, it was true that most of the ploys were nned and executed by Xue Chen. As a result, there was no direct link to indicate that Xue Gan had yed a part in it as well... In fact, it was likely that even Xue Qin would be able to shirk responsibility off her too. After all, what she had mainly done was just to annul their engagement! Her actions thus far might have been reprehensible from a moral standpoint, but it didnt infringe on thew. Unless he could prove that Xue Chen was acting under Xue Qinsmands, he wouldnt be able to indict her under any crime. If you dont have any evidence, I advise you not to run your mouth. I know that you have a formidable expert backing you, and thats why you were able to kill Xue Chen so easily. However, I am the lord of Xuanjiang City, and this is a title conferred to me directly by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Only the elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion have the right to judge me! If the expert behind you dares toy a hand on me, that could be interpreted as intervening in the internal affairs of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... Do you think that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would allow someone who challenged their authority to get off scot-free? Or do you think that the person backing you have the ability to withstand the pressureing from one of the Six Sects? Xue Gan sneered. If you dont want the person backing you to get in trouble while trying to help you, I advise you to obediently heed my words and let this matter go. That would be the perfect ending, wouldnt it? Your marriage with Xue Qin will go on as nned, and you need not worry about the Dan ns enemies either! Dan Xiaotians eyes reddened in fury, but he was unable to speak a word at all. In truth, he had also guessed as much that City Lord Xue Gan had yed a huge role in the incident that resulted in the deaths of his family back then, and he had been wanting to exact vengeance too! But... what Xue Gan said made perfect sense too! Through proper channels, none of them had the right to judge Xue Gan. And if his teacher were to dare make a move on Xue Gan privately, that would be no different from falling out with the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! While his teacher was powerful, he didnt think that his teacher was strong enough to stand against the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Even if I dont say anything more, I believe you should know what you have to do, right? Seeing that Dan Xiaotian was beginning to waver, Xue Gan harrumphed coldly. In case you foolishly think that you still stand a chance, allow me to reiterate this fact for you once more. Unless an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion hears your prayer and appears right now, otherwise youll just be digging your own... Hu! Before Xue Gan could finish his words, the resounding call of a beast sounded from the air. Several individuals descended from the sky right after. Elder Lu! Upon seeing this group of people, Huo Jianghes eyes lit up, and he swiftly rushed forward and sped his fist. Elder Lu had finally arrived here from Starlight City! Seeing this sight, the words that Xue Gan had wanted to speak ended up clogging inside his throat instead. Chapter 1940 - The Trial of Inner Disciples

Chapter 1940: The Trial of Inner Disciples

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric While Elder Lu Yun was in charge of only managing the outer disciples, there was no denying that he was a real Pseudo Immortal realm cultivator. Originally, he was only in charge of the outer disciple trial in Starlight City; he wouldnt have evene to a ce like Xuanjiang City where only menial disciples were recruited! Unless there were exceptional circumstances, he would only pass by the area at most. So why would he suddenly drop by at this moment? Xue Gan couldnt believe what he was seeing, but he dared not to show the slightest disrespect toward Elder Lu Yun either. Thus, he quickly rushed forward and bowed down, City Lord Xue Gan pays respects to Elder Lu Yun! Un, Elder Lu Yun waved his hands casually before turning to Huo Jiange. How is it? Has he appeared yet? Elder, Im still uncertain exactly who that person is, but my guess is that he has something to do with that young man over there! Huo Jianghe said as he gestured toward Dan Xiaotian. Yesterday night, while he was still at the Ethereal Hall, Worlds Edge had asked him for a favor, requesting him to appear here at this timing. In the end, there was indeed a court case happening here, and it was due to his presence that Dan Xiaotian was able to redress his grievances... Thus, even if Dan Xiaotian wasnt Worlds Edge, it was likely that he was rted to him in one way or another! Him? Elder Lu Yun looked at Dan Xiaotian doubtfully. With his eye of discernment, he could instantaneously tell how powerful Dan Xiaotian was... Great Sage 3-dan consummation! A person of such cultivation was actually able to kill all of his disciples with ease? Its like this... Huo Jianghe began recounting everything that had happened to Elder Lu Yun. After hearing the story, Elder Lu Yuns face darkened. To think that there would be someone who would dare to act so audaciously in the territories of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... There was no way he could let this matter slide so easily! Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his displeasure before turning to look at the young man standing at the center of the court, You are Dan Xiaotian? Thats right, Elder Lu! Dan Xiaotian bowed deeply as he replied. Do you have any intention of joining the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Elder Lu Yun asked. Dan Xiaotian was stunned for a moment as he discreetly nced at his teacher. Upon receiving a nod from his teacher, he immediately bowed down and replied, It would be my honor to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Very well! Elder Lu Yun nodded. Form this day onward, you are an outer disciple of our sect! Anyone who dares to oppress you will be an enemy of our sect as well, and you can be certain that he will face the full wrath of our sect! Ah... Dan Xiaotian was stunned. He thought that Elder Lu Yun would want to test his prowess beforeing to a decision, but who could have thought that he was epted so easily. Everything happened so fast that it almost felt like a scam. Were it not for his knowledge that the person standing before him was an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he would have definitely thought it was a farce! He had long heard that Elder Lu Yun, who was in charge of recruiting outer disciples, was a hot-blooded and straightforward person, and it seemed like those rumors werentpletely unfounded... Xiaotian, congrattions on bing a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! The first one to react was Xue Gan. He congratted Dan Xiaotian with a bright smile on his face, not showing any sign of awkwardness due to their earlier argument. Paying no heed to Xue Gans act, Dan Xiaotian took in a deep breath, and as ifing to a major decision, he kneeled down on the floor and cried out indignantly, Elder Lu, I beseech you to redress my grievances! Feel free to speak your mind! Elder Lu Yun replied. Our Dan n used to be a major power in Xuanjiang City. However, due to our great strength and influence, the City Lord Manor has always viewed us as a threat. Thus, the City Lord Manor set us, and that eventually caused the death of all of my family members... This is the evidence of their evildoings! Dan Xiaotain passed a jade token over to Elder Lu Yun. After the Dan n had been destroyed, Elder Yi had devoted himself to uncovering the truth behind the fall of the Dan n. However, the more pieces of evidence he gathered, the more suspicious City Lord Xue Gan became. He dared not to reveal it in the past fearing that the City Lord Manor would silence them, but with an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion standing before him at this instant, he knew that there was no better opportunity for him to resolve this regret of his. This was the will of his teacher as well. Elder Lu Yun took the jade token and took a look at it. A momentter, his eyes narrowed in fury. Every evidence stored in the jade token indicated clearly that the deaths of all 97 members of the Dan n had an inseverable rtionship with City Lord Xue Gans doings. What do you have to say for yourself? Elder Lu Yun spat as he tossed the jade token over to Xue Gan. Xue Gan hurriedly picked up the jade token, and upon seeing the contents, his eyes widened in astonishment. He swiftly kneeled onto the floor and cried out, Elder Lu, these are all lies! I am framed! Everyone in Xuanjiang City can testify to the friendly rtions between the City Lord Manor and the Dan n! The very fact that theres a marriage agreement between Xiaotian and Xue Qin is more than enough to show that. I have nothing to gain by making a move against the Dan n! There must be a misunderstanding somewhere... It could be because Xiaotian is angered by my daughters foolishness in listening to Xue Chens words and attempting to annul her engagement... Elder Lu Yun, I beg of you to investigate this matter carefully and return me justice! Hmph! Rest assured that Ill give you a satisfactory answer! Elder Lu Yun harrumphed before turning his attention away from the kneeling Xue Gan. He looked at Dan Xiaotian and said, While the evidence you havepiled is convincing, most of them cant be verified anymore due to the long interval since then. Furthermore, given that Xue Gan is the city lord, if he were to intentionally hide his trails, I wouldnt be able to do anything about it either! I understand, Dan Xiaotian replied with his head lowered. He knew that this would be the case. He knew it all along. It had been ten years since tragedy struck the Dan n, and Xuanjiang City had changed a lot since then. Even if the evidencepiled was convincing, the passing of time would render most of them unverifiable, which meant that they couldnt be used to indict Xue Gan anymore. Furthermore, Xue Gan was a person who was willing to kill even for a mere annulment of engagement just to protect the reputation of the City Lord Manor. Considering how huge the massacre of the Dan n was, he would have surely dealt with it promptly so that it would be impossible to link the incident to him anymore. It would undermine the authority of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion if I were to sentence a city lord to death without proper justification! However, theres an exception to the rule! At which, a glint shed across Elder Lu Yun eyes as he continued on, And that is... true strength! As long as you are able to disy overwhelming talents that would make you an asset to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, you can be assured that the sect will side with you instead of a third-tier city lord. The only way you can do that is to be an inner disciple of our sect. If you are able to do so, you can be assured that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would resolve any problems you are facing so that you are able to focus on your cultivation! Inner disciple? Dan Xiaotian was stunned. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was only epting menial disciples from Xuanjiang City. Even this role of ackey was enough to puff Xue Qin up with pride, leaving her feeling as if she had risen to the top of a peak. It was due to this that prompted her to annul her engagement with him in the first ce. If he were to be an inner disciple, his standing would be higher than even Huo Jianghe and Xue Gan. Naturally, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would feel more obligated to side with him instead of Xue Gan. Just that... It was simply too difficult. Huo Jianghe was already an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, but he still remained an outer disciple. Considering that Dan Xiaotian was only at Great Sage 3-dan consummation, would he stand a chance at all? Indeed. Every single inner disciple is an asset to the sect. Their standing is even higher than an outer elder like me! As long as you sessfully be an inner disciple, even if you kill City Lord Xue Gan without any justification, no one would question your judgement at all! Elder Lu Yun said. This... Not expecting Elder Lu Yun to suddenly say such words, Xue Gans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. It couldnt be that... the other party intended Dan Xiaotian to take the examination to be an inner disciple? But the examination for inner disciples was no joke. Dan Xiaotian might be talented, but it was nigh impossible for him to seed! Elder Lu, may I ask how does the examination for inner disciples work? Im willing to give it a try! Dan Xiaotian pondered for a moment before asking. The examination for inner disciples focuses not on the cultivation of the individual but his potential. As long as ones potential is sufficiently high, even if ones cultivation iscking, one would still be able to join the ranks. Its also possible for an outsider to be an inner disciple right away after joining the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion; theres no need for one to be an outer disciple first before progressing upward. There are two criteria which one has to meet in order to be an inner disciple. Firstly, one has to reach Ancient Sage before seventeen. Secondly, one has to clear the inner disciple swordsmanship examination! At this point, Elder Lu Yun turned to Dan Xiaotian and asked, How old are you at the moment? I am sixteen right now, but... Dan Xiaotian was just about to continue speaking when Elder Lu Yun suddenly interjected. Its fine as long as you arent seventeen yet. Since you are already at Great Sage 3-dan consummation, theres a good chance that you should be able to be an Ancient Sage before your seventeenth birthday! As for the swordsmanship examination for inner disciples... Huo Jianghe is the first senior for outer disciples, and his swordsmanship mastery already meets the requirement. As long as you are able to defeat him in the same cultivation realm, you can be deemed to have cleared the examination! I have to defeat Senior Huo in the same cultivation realm? Dan Xiaotian was a little nervous. He had only learned a night of swordsmanship with his teacher whereas the other party was an expert from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, having studied swordsmanship for at least twenty years. It would be extremely difficult for him to defeat Senior Huo even if thetter were to suppress his cultivation down to the same level as him. Elder Lu Yun nodded, Indeed. Do you wish to give it a try? Yes, I would like to give it a try! Dan Xiaotian hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. This was the greatest opportunity in his life to exact vengeance for his parents and brothers! Once this opportunity slipped past his fingers, it would be nigh impossible for him to redress the grievances of the Dan n anymore. After all, there was no way Xue Gan would quietly sit here and wait to be killed. By the time he rose through the ranks, the other party would have long made his escape. Given howrge the Forsaken Continent was, trying to find Xue Gan again would be no different from searching for a needle amidst the boundless ocean. Very well! Elder Lu Yun nodded. He turned to Huo Jianghe and said, Suppress your cultivation down to Great Sage 3-dan and fight him with everything you got. Dont hold back anything at all, understood? Yes, Elder Lu! Huo Jianghe nodded. He began walking toward Dan Xiaotian while suppressing his cultivation down to Great Sage 3-dan. Getting into his position, he drew his sword before beckoning for Dan Xiaotian toe at him with a wave of his hand, Come! Teacher... This was the first time Dan Xiaotian was fighting with a real expert, so he couldnt help but feel a bit nervous. He turned to look at his teacher for support, but thetter was staring quietly into space, as if everything that was happening at the moment had nothing to do with it. From the looks of it, it was obvious that he didnt n on interfering in this duel! Forget it, Ill just have to give it my all! Dan Xiaotian gritted his teeth in resolution. His teacher had already given him a lot. He would have to take thest step himself in order to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so he couldnt back down at this crucial moment! Hu! In this short moment, Huo Jianghe was already charging toward him with incredible speed. It was almost as if a raging current was gushing toward Dan Xiaotian. However, after seeing Huo Jianghes swordsmanship with his own eyes, what Dan Xiaotian felt wasnt trepidation but surprise. Huo Jianghes sword art might appear to beplex on the surface, but this was all things that his teacher had spoken about before. With this knowledge, he found that he was able to swiftly deconstruct Huo Jianghes move, stripping it of all of its elegance andplexity. It no longer held any secrets from him anymore, as if it was standing stark naked in his face. With this, everything else was a walk in the park. Staring right through the facade to peer into the enemys intention, Dan Xiaotian was able to find eight ways to ovee Huo Jianghes swordsmanship in a moments time. Thus, he drove his sword forward toward one of the core weaknesses in Huo Jianghes swordsmanship. Taken aback, Huo Jianghe immediately leaped backward. To Dan Xiaotian, this was concrete evidence that his teachers impartation was effective. So, he sent yet another pierce forward. Once again, Huo Jianghe was forced to retreat. Just like that, with one side advancing and the other side retreating, the cycle repeated for more than twenty moves. Their swords hadnt even shed with one another once, but Huo Jianghe had already retreated forty steps thus far. That swordsmanship... Its truly formidable! Huang Tao, Hu Bin, and the others were stunned by Dan Xiaotians fighting prowess. They looked at one another as if they had seen a ghost. Chapter 1941 - Dan Xiaotian’s Birthday

Chapter 1941: Dan Xiaotians Birthday

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Huo Jianghe, Huang Tao, and Bamboo had fought with Worlds Edge back at the Ethereal Hall. Worlds Edges swordsmanship was like an enigma to them. It rendered thempletely bewildered. They could tell that his swordsmanship was formidable, but they just werent able to discern what was it about it that made it so formidable. To put it in other words, they only knew of the result but not the causes behind it. As such, they werent able to urately interpret his strength, much less evaluate it. But such was not the case for Dan Xiaotian. They could clearly see that every single strike he executed was aimed directly at Huo Jianghes weakness, so Dan Xiaotians strength was easy for them toprehend. In less than ten seconds, the twenty blows that were executed rendered Huo Jianghe unable to retaliate at all. Even true inner disciples wouldnt have such sharp swordsmanship! Even terrifying wasnt a sufficient adjective to describe this anymore. Is he Worlds Edge? Square-faced asked. He had never crossed blows with Worlds Edge, so he didnt know thetters moves and means. However, the others had fought with him before, so they might be able to see something that he couldnt. Worlds Edge defeated us as soon as the battle began... He didnt really execute any ordinary moves, so I cant really tell either. Unless he were to execute that move again, or else it would be difficult for us to verify it! Yun Feiyang said. It was not that their eye of discernment wascking, but that sword toss was simply too powerful! Everything ended so quickly that they couldnt even gauge the true strength of the one executing the move. As such, they werent able to evaluate his strength through his normal swordsmanship either. But given the current circumstances, it doesnt seem like Senior Huo would be able to force the other party into using that move either... Huang Tao remarked with a bitter smile. The crowd fell silent. The other party was already able to force Senior Huo back without using that technique. At this rate, even after Senior Huo lost, they would still be unable to confirm that if Dan Xiaotian was Worlds Edge. Actually, theres a way to test that. Just watch... Square-faced turned his head over and shouted, Senior, use A Rivers nce! A Rivers nce was both Huo Jianghes nickname in the Ethereal Hall, as well as the sword art he was the most skilled at. This skill was reminiscent of a river that flowed relentlessly until every boulder that stood in its path was crushed into bits. It was with this sword art that Huo Jianghe dominated over all of the outer disciples, solidifying his position as the First Senior. Alright! Huo Jianghes immediately understood his juniors intentions. With a furious roar, he infused his zhenqi furiously into his sword and drove it forth. In an instant, it was as if he had morphed into a vast river that threatened to sweep away everything that stood in his way. Seeing that Huo Jianghe had used his ultimate technique, Dan Xiaotian unhesitatingly flicked his sword forward. If he wished to defeat the other party, he would have to first crush the river before it reached him. Hu! Dan Xiaotians sword pierced across the air. He had cultivated this move for the entire night, practicing it at least a thousand times. His sword immediately vanished from the spot, and by the time it appeared once more, it was already right before Huo Jianghes throat. Crap... Huo Jianghe widened his eyes in rm. He had been so engrossed in trying to get Worlds Edge into using his ultimate technique that he forgot about the risk it posed. He immediately released the seal on his cultivation. In an instant, the might of an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm expert poured forth. It was only after regaining his true strength did he manage to block the sword outside. Nevertheless, cold sweat still poured down his back. If it had been an opponent of the same tier, that move would have already taken his life! Its him... Huang Tao and the others trembled in agitation upon seeing that move. There was no doubt about it anymore. Dan Xiaotian was definitely Worlds Edge! Xue Gans body also swayed weakly from side to side before falling to the ground. Ever since he returned from the Ethereal Hall yesterday night, he had been wondering who the expert known as Worlds Edge could be... He would have never thought that it was the son-inw whom he despised and looked down on! Xue Qin also nearly went insane at that moment. She was with Huo Jianghe yesterday night when thetter challenge Worlds Edge, so there was no way she wouldnt recognize that move... If Dan Xiaotian was Worlds Edge, didnt it mean that she had be his maid? Instead of being his fiance, she had fallen to be his maid instead... At this moment, she really wanted to dig her eyes out! There was once such a brilliant jade before her, but she actually thought of it as nothing more than a concrete brick and cast it away! Watching the proceedings of the whole match, Elder Lu Yun nodded in excitement as he announced the results, Dan Xiaotian has won the duel! It was no wonder why the other party didnt agree to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion right away back then. It turned out that he was waiting for an opportunity to p this city lords face! He wanted to make the other party dearly regret the vile deeds he hadmitted in the future! Youths nowadays sure were hot-blooded... But again, considering that his family was torn apart, anyone in his ce would have probably done the same as well! The fact that you were able to defeat Huo Jianghe means that you would be able to clear the inner disciple examination with ease. Given that you were able to reach Great Sage 3-dan consummation by sixteen without ample resources, its almost a certainty that youll be able to advance to Ancient Sage by seventeen! The more Elder Lu looked at the young man before him, the more satisfied he was with thetter. Thus, he dered loudly, In my position as an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, I announce that Dan Xiaotian has cleared the inner disciple trial. He has been epted as one of the inner disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and hell enjoy all of the privileges that inner disciples possess! Thank you, Elder Lu! Dan Xiaotian heaved a sigh of relief before kneeling onto the ground to thank him. With this identity, even if he didnt have concrete evidence, he would still be able to kill Xue Gan and exact vengeance for his parents! Noticing the cold gaze Dan Xiaotian was directing toward him, Xue Gans face warped in horror as he retreated fearfully, What are you going to do? You still have a marriage agreement with Xue Qin. I am your father-inw! Senior Huo, I beseech you to help me take him down. I want to exact vengeance for all 97 members of my n! Dan Xiaotian gritted his teeth furiously. While you were killing my family members, have you ever thought that you were my father-inw? While Xue Chen was colluded with the bandits and nearly had me killed, have you ever thought that you were my father-inw? To only recognize it right now, dont you think that its far toote? Huo Jianghe and the others moved in unison to take down Xue Gan. While Xue Gan was a formidable foe, Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, and the others werent weak either, not to mention that they possessed superb swordsmanship as disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. They were able to curb him with ease. I dont kill the innocent. The jade token doesnt just contain the evidence of Xue Gan plotting against the Dan n; it details all of the vile deeds he hasmitted over the past few years! Dan Xiaotian said. He took out the jade token once more and infused his zhenqi into it. In an instant, a huge chunk of text appeared in the air, showing all of the crimes which Xue Gan hadmitted over the years. He was the mastermind behind the Autumn Grassfield Disaster? All along, I thought it was the deeds of the bandits... He was actually the culprit who plundered and murdered the Liu n! That was a huge family of forty members! The young daughter of the Chen n was vited before her death... How could he have the cheek to im that it was a deviant pervert who did it? For a city lord, he really has no decency at all... Its a pity that I viewed him as my idol all this while... I respected him, thinking that he was an upright and honorable individual. I would have never thought that he hasmitted so many atrocities in the shadows... ... The words revealed in the air invoked a hugemotion amongst the crowd. Xue Gan valued his reputation a lot, so he had done a lot of things in order to build a good name for himself, thus making him a highly respected figure in the city. Thus, when all of his deeds were revealed at this instant, everyone felt goosebumps rising on their arms. It was as if everything they had believed all along was just a lie! What else do you have to say for yourself? Dan Xiaotian nced at Xue Gan and said. He slowly walked up to the subdued Xue Gan and ced his sword against thetter. As long as he pushed his sword a little further in, he would be able to easily impale Xue Gans throat and exact vengeance for his family members! I... Xue Gan trembled in fear. Even though he had done a lot of cover-up work, he knew that it was impossible for him to destroy all evidence. As long as the crowd investigated those matters carefully, they would surely be able to find bits and pieces of evidence. If Dan Xiaotian was only an ordinary cultivator, he would still be able to take measures to silence Dan Xiaotian and quell the crowd, forcing them to stay silent. However, with Dan Xiaotian bing an inner disciple, there was no way he could make aeback anymore. It was the end. N-no! You cant kill my father! Just as Xue Gan had closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, Xue Qin suddenly rushed over and howled madly. Do you want to try that and see? Dan Xiaotian narrowed his eyes in scorn. You cant kill him! You arent qualified to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so you have no right to pass judgement on my father! Xue Qin cried out desperately. What do you mean by hes not qualified to be an inner disciple? Are you questioning my authority as an elder of the sect? Before Dan Xiaotian could speak, Elder Lu Yun had already interjected with a darkened face. He had supervised the duel right in front of such a huge crowd, and it was obvious that Huo Jianghe had used his full strength too. Xue Qin had no right to question this judgement of his! N-no, thats not what I mean! Realizing that she had misspoken, Xue Qin hurriedly raised her head and replied anxiously. Elder Lu, you mentioned earlier that there are two conditions Dan Xiaotian has to fulfill in order to be an inner disciple. The earlier trial was fair and impartial, so I dare not to question anything about that... However, I disagree with the first condition, which states that Dan Xiaotian has to be an Ancient Sage before his seventeenth birthday! Oh? Elder Lu Yun looked at Xue Qin, indicating for her to go on. I am engaged with Dan Xiaotian, so I know his Eight Birth Characters 1 . His birthday happens to be on todays Shen hour 2 , which means that he would seventeen by the time the Shen hour passes! Xue Qin said with tightly clenched fists. Theres only another hour till the Shen hour, but hes only at Great Sage 3-dan consummation at the moment. How could he reach Ancient Sage by seventeen at this rate? Given so, I believe that hes unqualified to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! This... Elder Lu Yun was stunned. He turned to look at Dan Xiaotian, only to see thetter with a reddened face. My birthday is indeed on todays Shen hour.... Dan Xiaotian said awkwardly. He had wanted to say it earlier, but he was interrupted by Elder Lu. So, he thought of pushing ahead with it so that he could exact his vengeance. At most, he would just have to work doubly hard to make up for it in the future. He didnt think that Xue Qin would remember his birthday. Seeing that Dan Xiaotian had admitted to it, Elder Lu Yun looked at the sun by the horizon and noted that it was already on the verge of setting. It was already afternoon, which meant that there were less than two hours left to Dan Xiaotians seventeenth birthday! To advance from Great Sage 3-dan consummation to Ancient Sage within such a short span of time... That was practically impossible! If Dan Xiaotian couldnt be an Ancient Sage by his seventeenth birthday, he wouldnt be able to meet the criteria required for him to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, which meant that he had no rights to sentence Xue Gan either. This meant that his vengeance would have to fall through. It seems like it is heavens will... Elder Lu Yun shook his head and sighed. He thought that he could finally recruit an inner disciple and make a huge contribution to the sect, but who could have thought that there would be such a hup. However, you need not worry. Even if you cant be an inner disciple now, theres still another chance. As long as you cultivate hard and reach Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm before thirty, youll still be able to be an inner disciple! There were different phases where one could be promoted as an inner disciple. After all, there were cultivators who disyed tremendous potential onlyter in their lives. If not for this, Huo Jianghe and the others wouldnt have stood a chance anymore either. However, if Dan Xiaotian were to go after this instead, he wouldnt be able to exact his vengeance anymore. Of course, as an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he could report this matter upward, but by the time an investigation team is sent down, quite some time would have already passed. Most likely, Xue Gan would have already gotten away by then. Yes, I understand... Dan Xiaotian clenched his fists tightly as his eyes reddened in regret. In the end, he was still unable to exact vengeance for his family members. Was everything really going to end just like that? At this moment, a calm voice suddenly sounded. Theres still another hour. Are you going to give up like this? Dan Xiaotian hurriedly raised his head, only to see that his teacher, who seemed to be dozing off all this while, had already stood up. There were still metallic chains tied around his arms, but his face had a smile that reflectedposure and confidence. Chapter 1942 - Dan Xiaotian Pushes For a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Chapter 1942: Dan Xiaotian Pushes For a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Tea... Overwhelmed by his agitation, Dan Xiaotian was just about to call out teacher when he saw thetter shaking his head, so he swiftly halted what he was saying. His teacher had instructed him earlier that he wished to keep a low profile and didnt want to stand out too much. So, while it was fine for him to greet his teacher normally in a private setting, he should address thetter as his friend before outsiders. Considering that there wasnt too huge of an age gap between the two of them, it was unlikely that others would suspect him. Paying respects to Elder Lu. I am Zhang Xuan, Dan Xiaotians friend, Zhang Xuan said as he walked over. It was only at this moment that Huo Jianghe got a good look at Zhang Xuans face too, and his expression turned a little unnatural. They had crossed one another back at Hongyan Market, but as the other party was tightly wrapped in bandages back then, he didnt recognize the other party instantly. However, putting the physique together with the voice, it was obvious that the person standing before him was the same person who had put him down at Hongyan Market! You asked if Dan Xiaotian is going to give up... Do you think that its possible for him to be an Ancient Sage within an hour? Elder Lu Yun asked with a frown. Thats right, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. I was injured previously, and he was the one who saved me, so I know of his true strength. In truth, he has already reached Ancient Sage a long time ago, but he overexerted himself while trying to treat me, resulting in his cultivation plummeting back to Great Sage 3-dan. As long as he receives the appropriate treatment, I believe that it shouldnt be too hard for him to return back to his peak within an hours time! Dan Xiaotian is actually an Ancient Sage? Perplexed, Elder Lu Yun turned to look at Dan Xiaotian once more. Are you sure this is how an Ancient Sage should be like? Even if you are making up lies, you shoulde up with something more believable! Is it really alright for you to be spouting nonsense just like that? Dan Xiaotian was alsopletely caught off guard by what Zhang Xuan had said. It was only yesterday that he was still an insignificant Saint 6-dan cultivator, and he thought that it was already an incredible feat how his cultivation could rise all the way up to Great Sage 3-dan after the gu inside him was killed. Yet, his teacher was telling him that he was actually already an Ancient Sage? When did I be an Ancient Sage? Why do I not know of it? Give me an hour and dont allow anyone to interrupt me. I guarantee that Ill bring him back to his peak! Zhang Xuan insisted despite the skeptical nces that others were shooting at him. He knew that it sounded ridiculous to most of them here, especially since it was obvious to almost everyone here that Dan Xiaotian was indeed a Great Sage 3-dan cultivator. However, if he were to im to raise Dan Xiaotians cultivation by two realms within an hour instead, that would make an even more unbelievable story... And things would only get worse if he seeded. Such an rming deed would bring unwanted attention to him. Others might try to do him and Dan Xiaotian harm in hopes of figuring out his secret. Thus, after much consideration, he decided to go with the story that Dan Xiaotian was already an Ancient Sage. After all, the notion of a person recovering his strength wouldnt be as shocking as otherwise. Sigh, it sure is troublesome to maintain a low profile. But what can I do about it? I, Zhang Xuan, am the type of person who likes to silently help others from the shadows without expecting anything in return! Thats no trouble at all. While Elder Lu Yun felt that there wasnt much hope, he still decided to go along with the other party this once, considering how confident the other party appeared to be. He turned to Huo Jianghe and said, Bring them to a quiet location. Meanwhile, Ill test the other examinees! Yes, Elder Lu! Huo Jianghe replied before leading Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian away. He had been residing in the City Lord Residence the past few days, so he was extremely familiar with itsyout. The residence he was allocated with was in a rtively quiet region, and rarely would there be anyone walking around there. It was the ideal ce to bring Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian to. Entering Huo Jianghes room, Zhang Xuan emphasized once more that they mustnt be interrupted before sending Huo Jianghe away and shutting the doors. As soon as the doors were closed, Dan Xiaotian immediately kneeled down in front of his teacher and cried out, But teacher, I am not an Ancient Sage... Are you saying that Im lying earlier? Zhang Xuan refuted. This... Dan Xiaotians face reddened. It was extremely disrespectful for a disciple to im that his teacher was lying... though the issue became rather subjective when the teacher was truly lying. You are indeed not an Ancient Sage just yet, but that doesnt mean that you wont be one an hour from now! Zhang Xuan added with a confident smile. Does teacher believe that I am able to advance two cultivation realms within an hour? Dan Xiaotian was still a little hesitant. It was not that he didnt believe in his teachers capabilities, but he didnt believe in himself. If it was that easy to advance ones cultivation, the Forsaken Continent would have been filled with Ancient Sages by now. Hush. From now onward, you are to heed my instructions strictly. Dont hesitate or go against whatever I tell you to do. Just do as you are told, got it? Zhang Xuan said. Yes, teacher! Dan Xiaotian replied with a nod. From the moment Zhang Xuan freed him from his affliction, he had already made up his mind to never go against his teachersmands. Zhang Xuan took a look at Dan Xiaotian from head to toe before starting, You have been taking in spiritual energy over the past ten years, but you didnt refine them into zhenqi. The unrefined spiritual energy has been tempering your body all this while, causing your body and meridians to be far stronger than the other cultivators. As long as we alter your meridianwork a little, it shouldnt be too difficult to induce a breakthrough in your cultivation! Dan Xiaotian was confused, Alter... my meridianwork? Was it possible to change something innate like that? Wasnt it supposed to be fixed at birth? Wasnt ones meridians supposed to be very delicate? The so-called cultivation going berserk was the result of one identally channeling ones zhenqi into the wrong meridians for one reason or another, thus resulting in a violent bacsh from ones body. If even directing ones zhenqi wrongly could induce such severe consequences, was it really alright to simply alter ones meridians like that? Indeed. Its a method which I have just thought of, but I havent tested it out yet. Would you like to give it a try? If you seed, itll be a direct stairway to the top. Youll be an esteemed Ancient Sage of this world. But if you were to fail... you could very well be crippled and unable to cultivate! Zhang Xuan said grimly. ... Dan Xiaotian felt like tears were threatening to pour from his eyes. After all his teacher spoke of, his n was still only in the realms of theory. It hadnt been tried out in practice at all... To actually try something that is untested on me... My teacher sure is courageous! But teacher, the thing is that I am not sure whether Ill be able to match your courage... While Dan Xiaotian did think that this teacher of his was unreliable from time to time, his teacher had been there for him when it truly counted. Thus, it didnt take long for him to nod hesitantly in agreement, Teacher, my life belongs to you. If not for you, I could have very well be dead by now. I am willing to entrust my life into your hands once more! Good! Lets get it over and done with then! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. And the truth was... Zhang Xuan really wasnt lying. He only thought of this method a moment ago. He was confident that he could get any cultivator to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage with his guidance and ample resources within a few days, but to achieve a breakthrough of two realms within an hour... Not unless the other party practiced theplete Heavens Path Divine Art like him! But of course, there was no one in the world who could practice theplete Heavens Path Divine Art other than him. If Dan Xiaotian were to do so, he might just end up dying from being crushed by the heavens. So, Zhang Xuan could only search for other alternatives. Through his careful examination, he found that the meridians of those in the Azure were even more perfect than those of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but they hadnt reached the level of perfection yet. There were many ws in the meridians of mankind, and that was why even at maturity, they still remained ordinary humans. Those in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had slightly fewer ws, so they were able to reach Zongshi realm at maturity. As for the indigenous poption of the Azure, their meridians had the fewest mistakes, so they were able to reach Saint 9-dan by adulthood. It was clear that if the perfection of ones meridianwork came with a lot of advantages. It put one at a starting line ahead of the others, and it allowed one to cultivate faster than the others as well. Previously, Zheng Yang and the others also only managed to reach Dimension Shatterer realm swiftly due to the modification of their meridianwork too. But of course, there were also other circumstances at y over here, so he couldnt say for sure that things would work out for Dan Xiaotian as well. It was not to say that Zhang Xuan wasnt confident in his theory, but it was just that there was a very, very small possibility that things might not go the way he wanted to, so he felt that he had to warn Dan Xiaotian in advance. With a flick of his wrist, a huge pot and a stack of firewood appeared in the room. It was only then that he realized he forgot to store water in his storage ring as well, so he quickly left the room to fetch a pail. Before long, the water was already boiling in the pot under the stack of burning firewood. Alright,e out and take a bath... He sent a telepathic message toward his dantian, and soon, the Dongxu Gourd appeared before him. It dived right into the pot of water and exhaled deeply in pleasure. While his Heavens Path zhenqi was able to swiftly heal ones wounds, he wasnt certain that it would be enough to heal a wound as major as the total rupturing of ones meridians within just an hour. Furthermore, perhaps it was because the constitutions of those in the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent were different, or that those in the Azure were too adapted to the mercury-like spiritual energy in the environment, somehow, the mercury-like spiritual energy in the air was less effective on them for healing purposes. Otherwise, all Ancient Sage cultivators in the Azure would be a pain to deal with if they could just keep healing up swiftly in the middle of the battle. Thus, he thought of using the Dongxu Gourd for that purpose. That pot of water was effective even on a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator like him. Thus, it shouldnt have any problem with Great Sage cultivators like Dan Xiaotian. While Zhang Xuan was boiling the water, he turned to Dan Xiaotian and said solemnly, You have to bear with the pain. Yes! Dan Xiaotian nodded. Following Zhang Xuans instructions, he sat on the floor unmovingly. Zhang Xuan walked up and ced his palm on the young mans abdomen. He infused his zhenqi into the young mans body and jolted it forcefully. Pu! Blood spewed frenziedly out of Dan Xiaotians mouth. In an instant, all of the meridians in his body were ruptured by his teacher. The overwhelming pain caused a ckout in his head, and he nearly fainted just like that. Any other sixteen-year-old would have fainted by now, but after all of the challenges he had gone through since six, his willpower was already as tough as steel. Gritting his teeth forcefully, he was able to barely retain a sliver of his consciousness. Remember this, you mustnt pass out no matter what happens! Zhang Xuan emphasized once more. He began to drive his Heavens Path zhenqi into Dan Xiaotians body in order to connect his meridians together ording to a more perfectwork. The Heavens Path zhenqi that was formed from the mercury-like spiritual energy was much purer and denser from before. As it made its round through Dan Xiaotians ruptured meridians, it swiftly mended them back together in a more perfectwork mapping. It does work! I was able to reconnect his meridians, but it seems like the rate at which my Heavens Path zhenqi is healing his injuries is not able to catch up... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief when his job was finally done. The Heavens Path zhenqi could heal internal and external injuries, but it was much less effective in healing those whose foundations had been shaken. The rupturing of ones meridians happened to be one such major injury that even the Heavens Path zhenqi could only do much about. Without at least half a month of rest, Dan Xiaotian wouldnt be able to make a full recovery! Of course, this was already an amazing feat considering the severity of the condition. However, there was only an hour to go before Dan Xiaotian was seventeen, so time wasnt on their side. Thus, he brought the Dongxu Gourds bathing water to Dan Xiaotian lips and said, Drink it... Gritting with the pain, Dan Xiaotian forced himself to swallow the water. Just like what Zhang Xuan said, his body was extremely tempered such that it was no different from that of an Ancient Sage anymore. As such, while drinking water was extremely painful for his current fragile state, it didnt pose a threat to him. Gugugu! As the bathwater seeped into his body, his injuries swiftly healed up at a visible pace. In less than a minutes time, he was already healed up and back to normal. This... Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in disbelief. He dared not believe that a gourds bathing water would actually be so formidable. Seeing that Dan Xiaotian still had the leisure to be dazing off when they were already shot on time, Zhang Xuan smacked his head and berated, Hurry up and absorb some spiritual energy and push for a breakthrough! Y-yes! Dan Xiaotian hurriedly focused his attention back to cultivation. Even though his meridians had ruptured earlier, it didnt affect his cultivation at all as his zhenqi was stored within his dantian. As such, he had already regained his Great Sage 3-dan consummation cultivation as soon as his meridians had healed up. Barely after he started cultivating, he found that the bottleneck that had limited him previously was already loose, allowing him to push for a breakthrough at any moment. Break! Without any hesitation, he drove his zhenqi and crash down the bottleneck. The limitation on his cultivation was released, and he sessfully broke into Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm. His breakthrough didnt stop there. Sempiternal realm primary stage. Intermediate stage. Advanced stage. Pinnacle. Perfection. Consummation. In less than an hours time, he was already a foot into Ancient Sage, seemingly on the verge of achieving a breakthrough at any moment. However, it was also at this moment that Zhang Xuan felt the energy within Dan Xiaotians body gradually dying down, reminiscent of a receding tide. It was just onest step, but Dan Xiaotian had already lost the momentum to push it through. It seems like I have been underestimating this matter. No matter what, a breakthrough to Ancient Sage is still a major leap. Even in the Azure, its no easy feat to take this step forward... Zhang Xuan thought as his heart tightened up. Chapter 1943 - Xiaotian’s Revenge

Chapter 1943: Xiaotians Revenge

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric A breakthrough to Ancient Sage required Aeon of Ancient Sage, but this energy was everywhere in the Azure, so it wasnt a concern at all. However, a breakthrough to this realm was much more than just having the required amount of energy. Just like his breakthrough to Zongshi realm back then, it required one to have sufficient umtion. Dan Xiaotians talents and mental resilience were decent, but hecked umtion. If they had another months time, Dan Xiaotian would surely be able to make a breakthrough even without relying on any artifacts or special processes, but ones age waited for no one. Dan Xiaotian was on the verge of reaching seventeen soon, and once the momentum fully died down, all hopes would be dashed. Swallow it! Zhang Xuan took a deep breath slitting his own wrist with his sword qi. Blood spurted out like a fountain, but he quickly gathered the blood together into a sphere before delivering it into Dan Xiaotians mouth. The sudden loss of so much blood caused his face to pale a little. Dan Xiaotian opened his mouth and swallowed the fresh blood. In the next instant, he felt incredible energy pulsating within his body. As if someone had sparked up a zing me within him, the receding momentum immediately came back with greater vigor than before. As an Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivator, every single droplet of Zhang Xuans blood essence contained an incredible amount of power. The sheer amount he had just given Dan Xiaotian was at least beparable to that of a Basic Immortal Pill. With such energy fueling him on, it took only a breath for Dan Xiaotian to return back to his peak, and his zhenqi swiftly built up at a frightening speed. Boom! The final bottleneck to Ancient Sage eventually sumbed under the heightening pressure, and a powerful shockwave gushed out from Dan Xiaotian. His aura surged up rapidly, not stopping at all just because of his breakthrough. It continued for quite a while before finally trailing to a halt. At this moment, Dan Xiaotians cultivation had already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation, a step away from reaching Great Philosopher realm. Dan Xiaotian quickly reinforced his cultivation a little before turning to the young man before him in agitation, Teacher... In order to allow him to achieve a breakthrough, his teacher had really sacrificed himself. He didnt know whether he could repay this massive favor to his teacher in his lifetime. Im fine... The time is about to be up, so you should head out now... Given that your cultivation has reached Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation, no one should dare to doubt you anymore... Cough cough! While Zhang Xuan was rying some instructions to his student, he couldnt help but cough a little. He had really overexerted himself this time around. Just the blood essence he had lost would take several months for him to recover. Teacher, please have a good rest. Ill head out now! Dan Xiaotian said before leaving the room. Watching as Dan Xiaotians figure disappeared outside the doorway, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He was just about to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy to recover his strength when he noticed that there was still a lot of gourd bathwater left in the huge pot. He hesitated for a moment before walking over and swallowing the rest down. Gugugu! He felt a buzz running through his body as his weakened body swiftly recovered. In the blink of an eye, his blood deficiency had been resolved, as if he had never been injured in the first ce. This is... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. The energy he had lost didnt return, but he was more than pleased with the current oue. The Heavens Path zhenqi could heal ones injuries, but it couldnt replenish the deficiencies in ones body. Yet, the gourd bathwater was able to do it so easily... Didnt this pretty much mean that he had an endless supply of Senzu Beans 1 in his hands? That was really incredible! Just what in the world are you? Zhang Xuan asked the gourd, which was swimming in the remaining water left in the pot. This gourd is just an avatar Im using at the moment. Im afraid that Ill scare you out of your wits if I tell you the truth! My real body is actually a heaven-crushing earth-shattering top-tier beast. You should kneel down right now and worship me like the divine being I am! the gourd shook its bottom gleefully. ... That didnt sound trustworthy at all to Zhang Xuan. Deciding to ignore the delusional Dongxu Gourd, he stored the remaining water into bottles before keeping his stuff and walking out. As soon as he stepped out of the room, his face immediately turned yellowish, and his body wobbled from side to side with each step that he took, as if he would copse to the ground at any moment. Many had already expressed their skepticism when he imed that Dan Xiaotian was already an Ancient Sage whose cultivation plummeted as a result of overexertion. Of course, they might be more inclined to believe it now given that thetter was already at Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation, but there would still be those who held their reservations. If the both of them were to walk outpletely fine, there were bound to be those who would try to probe deeper into this matter in order to find out the truth. Thus, he decided to feign injury. This way, he would send out the message that even if Dan Xiaotian had really forcefully raised his cultivation to Ancient Sage within the span of an hour, one would have to pay an extremely heavy price for that. That should at least deter most people. ... Do you think that Dan Xiaotian will seed? The trial for the menial disciple selections concluded rather swiftly, leaving Elder Lu Yun and the others with some time on their hand. Huang Tao looked at the direction where Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian had disappeared toward and asked. Its impossible to raise ones cultivation from Great Sage 3-dan to Ancient Sage in just an hours time! Yun Feiyang shook his head, pessimistic about the odds. Indeed. Such a thing is unheard of even in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In any case, I dont think Dan Xiaotian stands a chance at all! Square-faced nodded in agreement. Regarding this matter, even Elder Lu Yun harbored some reservations too. Theres no need to wait anymore. Unless the gods were to make a move personally, its impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage within an hour... Knowing that it was impossible Dan Xiaotian to be an inner disciple anymore, Xue Gan also lost his fear and sneered coldly. But before he could finish his words, footsteps echoed outside as a young man approached the court. How is it? Knowing that it was Dan Xiaotian, Elder Lu Yun hurriedly turned his gaze over and asked. It was not easy, but I managed to do it! Dan Xiaotian replied with a smile as he began circting his zhenqi. The energy within his body immediately burst out, and his aura pierced right into the heavens. Boom! The sudden outburst of zhenqi caused the entire court to shudder nonstop, producing a frightening creaking noise. The thousand spectators that were gathered here felt great pressure crushing down on them. It was as if apelling force was trying to force them to their knees. Ancient Sage 1-dan... consummation? Xue Gans face froze. All of the words he was intended to say were clogged at the back of his throat, and he looked stupefied. Putong! Not too far away, Xue Qins body slumped to the ground as her lips quivered fearfully. She couldnt find a word to say at all. The fianc whom she had looked down on for so long, over the span of a single day, in the most forceful method possible, crushed every shred of her dignity without any mercy. She had never felt that a day could be that long before... Had she known that this would happen, she would have never dared toy her hands on Dan Xiaotian... If she hadnt been so foolish as to attempt to break her engagement the previous day, things wouldnt have ended up like this either... Xiaotian, we are inws. Surely you wouldnt... Even at this point, Xue Gan was still determined to make a final struggle. Inws? Dan Xiaotian interjected with a cold sneer. My apologies... This is my divorce letter! Xue Qin has shown herself to be a depraved individualcking any shred of decency, and for that reason, I am unwilling to have her as my wife! With a flick of his finger, he threw a piece of paper into the air, and it floated quietly to the ground, The crowd could clearly see the two words Divorce Letter written at the top of the paper. This was yet another heavy blow on Xue Qins pride. Instead of annulling the engagement, she ended up being divorced instead... There was probably no greater fool in the world than her! She was so desperate to protect her pride that it ended up making her the greatestughingstock of Xuanjiang City. What an irony! Pu! Unable to take it any longer, Xue Qin spurted a mouthful of blood. Elder Lu, I can be considered to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion now, right? Dan Xiaotian looked at Elder Lu Yun and asked. Elder Lu Yun responded with a nod of his head. Thats good. Id like to trouble Junior Huo to strip Xue Gan of his cultivation and hang him outside the City Lord Residence. Ill announce his crimes and have him publicly executed for his vile deeds! Dan Xiaotian instructed. Yes! Huo Jianghe replied with a nod. Now that Dan Xiaotian had been confirmed as an inner disciple, it was only natural that he had be the other partys junior. The difference in seniority also meant that he had to heed the other partys instructions too. ... Father, mother, and my brothers... I have finally avenged all of you... It didnt take long before Xue Gans head was publicly decapitated. Kneeling down on the floor, all of the emotions that Dan Xiaotian had bottled up within him finally came pouring out all at once. For ten whole years, he had sealed all these feelings deep in his heart, but right now, he couldnt contain them any longer. He cried loudly like a little child, but gradually, the heaviness that had weighed him down all this while was disappearing. He was finally free. By the time he finished his venting his emotions, he saw his teacher standing a distance away with a pale face. Astonished, he hurriedly got up and rushed over. If not for this young man, he would have never been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He would just have been another pitiful soul killed by the City Lord Manor. It could be said that everything he had right now was given to him by the other party. He really wanted to shout out to the world and tell everyone that this person was his teacher, and all of his aplishments were due to his teachers guidance. But knowing that his teachers desire to keep a low profile, he could only hold himself back. But while he was swiftly making his way over to the teacher whom he deeply respected, he saw the shaking young man reaching his palm out to Yun Feiyang and the others and saying, Dan Xiaotian is now an inner disciple of your sect. As outer disciples, shouldnt each of you offer a couple of Basic Immortal Pills to him as congrattion? This is not a gift but an investment for the future. As long as he gets a footing in the sect, itll do you much good in the future too... ... Dan Xiaotians passionate run screeched to a halt. Is my teacher... trying to collect protection fees from Yun Feiyang and the others? Is this really my low profile, stern, and righteous teacher? Why does he seem so superficial to me right now? ... Yun Feiyang and the others were dumbstruck too. When they saw Dan Xiaotians cultivation leaping two realms in an hour, they thought that it was the credit of the young man before them. So, they approached him in hopes of asking about the details, but who could have thought that the other party would cheerily ask them for pills instead... That crushed the grand image they had formed of this young man in their minds. It seemed like Dan Xiaotian was really an Ancient Sage right from the start, and this young man had only used some kind of secret art in order to help him regain his strength! Otherwise... how could such a formidable expert possibly be so shameless as to ask for protection fee right in front of so many people? There was just no way the utterly shameless man before them could be capable of such a formidable feat! Impossible! Cough cough! Elder Lu Yun also couldnt bear watching the sight any longer. He coughed lightly to dispel the awkwardness in the air before saying, Xiaotian, inner disciples are allowed to bring their servants with them to the sect. I believe theres no reason binding you to Xuanjiang City anymore, so why dont we head over to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion now? Yes, Elder Lu! Dan Xiaotian replied. Having exacted his vengeance, there was nothing left for him to reminisce about Xuanjiang City anymore. It was time for him to head to therger world out there and experience new things. I wish to bring Elder Yi and Brother Zhang along, Dan Xiaotian informed Elder Lu. There was no doubt that he had to bring his teacher along with him. Elder Yi had also served him for many years, so he couldnt just abandon the other party either. To him, these two were more than enough. He didnt need any menial disciple or the sort to serve him. Besides, his teacher valued his privacy. It would be jarring on him if he were to bring more people with him. Alright. You should head back and make some preparations. Well set off from here two hours from now! Elder Lu Yun said. Dan Xiaotian nodded before finally walking over to his teacher. He couldnt help but notice that there was a slight tinge of disappointment on his teachers seemingly nonchnt face. Clearly, he didnt receive the protection fees he had demanded earlier. Teacher, lets return home for a while. I would like to pack some stuff and take onest look around the residence before leaving for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Dan Xiaotian said. By now, they were already far away from Elder Lu Yun and the others, so there was no need to conceal their identity anymore. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. In truth, the reason why he demanded protection fees was so as to divert attention away from him, and it seemed like it was working out fine. He really wasnt disappointed that he didnt receive anything at all! I wonder how long Ill be able to conceal myself in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for... Being too talented can be exasperating at times! Zhang Xuan rubbed his forehead as he thought. If he had a choice, he wouldnt want to be so conspicuous either. But people were simply too easily dazzled whenever he made a move... it was not something that he could help! Putong! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, the bandit, Cao Chengli, suddenly rushed over and kneeled onto the ground in front of him. His eyes were filled with sincerity and expectations. Young Master, please ept me as well. It would be my greatest honor to serve as your humble servant! Look. I am simply too outstanding that even bandits cant help but fall for my charms... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Chapter 1944 - Arriving at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion

Chapter 1944: Arriving at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Others might not know Zhang Xuans identity, but Cao Chengli had seen Dan Xiaotian addressing him as teacher with his own eyes. To be able to make a trashy Saint 6-dan who could not even cultivate advance to Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation within a single day... Even though he had seen it happen with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe. If he were to follow such a person, there was no doubt that he would be able to soar through the ranks! Furthermore, nearly all of his subordinates had been killed, and he was currently in the middle of the city himself. At this rate, it was likely that he would be lynched and killed by the furious mobs before he could even leave the city. After all, he had done quite a number of evil deeds over the years since he dominated the mountain range. There were plenty of people who would be more than happy to skin him alive. You want to be my subordinate? Zhang Xuan frowned. Do you think that Ill ept you as my subordinate? I suggest that you drop that ludicrous idea! The only reason he had spared Cao Chengli for so long was so that thetter could reveal Xue Chens ploy. Now that everything was over, why should he bother wasting his energy to save a bandit who hadmitted so much evil in his life? Do I look like some kind of holy saint to you? Master, Ill kneel here till you are finally willing to ept me! Cao Chengli insisted resolutely. Kneel here till the day you die then. Zhang Xuan waved his hand coldly. Master! Cao Chengli did not think that the other party would reject him so tly. With a sorrowful look on his face, he cried out, Its not as if I wanted to be a bandit. I had no choice but to turn to this! I used to be a kind businessman, but there was one time I drank myself silly, and my wife ended up not allowing me to return to the house. So, I had to sleep in the carriage outside, but it was so freezing that I was forced to get a room at the nearby brothel instead. In the end, due to my intoxication, I ended up calling for seven women at once, and it was a night that I would never forget. But after that... Enough! Stop trying to win us over with your sob story. My teacher is an upright person who abhors evildoers like you. epting you as his subordinate would only sully his reputation. Scram! Otherwise, Ill sever your head right now! Dan Xiaotian yelled furiously. Just who does Cao Chengli take my teacher to be? My teacher might be greedy, but he is still a dragon in the sky, a figure in the clouds who towers over the world! My teachers reputation would only be tarnished if he epted a bandit like you as his subordinate. Even if my teacher agrees to it, Ill never agree! Besides, are you sure that you are telling a sob story? Why does it seem like you are boasting instead? Seeing that Dan Xiaotian was ready to make a move on him at any moment, Cao Chenglis face paled. However, he knew that he would not be able to live if he did not be Zhang Xuans subordinate, so he gritted his teeth and presented his trump card. Master, the others will surely tear me apart if you dont ept me as my subordinate. Since Im going to die anyway, Id rather give everything that I have to you instead. Over the years, I have chosen to plunder only from the wealthier businessmen, but I have still managed to save quite a bit of wealth myself. There are ten Basic Immortal Pills in this storage ring, and they are my entire fortune. I am willing to present all of them to you, Master... Dont think that you can bribe my teacher with this. He wont fall for such shallow tricks! Dan Xiaotian spat coldly. But just as he was about to push Cao Chengli away, his pale-faced teacher suddenly shook free from his support and stood upright. Like some kind of magic trick, the storage ring suddenly vanished from Cao Chenglis hand and appeared in his teachers. Zhang Xuan hurriedly wiped away the Soul Imprint on the storage ring and took a look at the contents within. A momentter, he nodded in satisfaction and said, Fine, Ill ept you as my subordinate. Come with me! With each single Basic Immortal Pill costing 100,000 Ethereal Coins, ten of them would be worth 1,000,000 Ethereal Coins. Furthermore, they were all stored in a storage ring that was priced at a hefty sum of 500,000 Ethereal Coins at the very least. Who would have thought that this bandit actually had such wealth with him? With so much money, he could make an exception just this once and take in Cao Chengli as his subordinate. Teacher! Dan Xiaotian was stunned. Is this man really my teacher? If so, why do I find him so embarrassing at this very moment? A person who could make him advance two cultivation realms within an hour and possessed exceptional skills in both medicine and swordsmanship... He should have been a transcendental being who cared not for material possessions at all! How could he be taken in by just a couple of pills? Where is his bottom line? Where is his dignity as an expert? ... Dan Xiaotian did not have too many things that he wanted to take with him, so after taking onest look at the ce in which he had grown up, he returned to the City Lord Manor with Elder Yi, Zhang Xuan, and Cao Chengli. Initially, the horse and carriage had insisted oning along as well. They threatened to kill themselves if they were left behind. But seeing that their threats were simply shrugged off as if they were nothing at all, they eventually gave up and headed into the wilderness to live together. Considering that Zhang Xuan and the others were going to take an aerial beast to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would indeed be inconvenient for them to take a horse and a carriage with them. As for Xue Qin, it went without saying that her slot as a menial disciple had been canceled after everything was exposed. It was fortunate that she had not done too many bad things in the past, so no punishment hade upon her. However, with her fathers death, she would lose the protection of the City Lord Manor. Her life probably would not be too easy from now on. Seeing this, Dan Xiaotian also lost his interest in settling the score with Xue Qin. He was more interested in the life ahead of him instead of pursuing whatever that had happened in the past. Lets go! With all preparations ready, the massive aerial beast pped its wings and carried Zhang Xuan and the others away from Xuanjiang City. Before long, they were already well on their way to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Itll take roughly ten days of flight to reach our sect! Elder Lu Yun told them. The aerial beast that they were riding on was at Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm. With its strength, it could easily cover several hundred thousand li despite the heavier space in the Azure. Yet, for them to still require ten days before reaching their destination... It seemed like the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was really far away! From the looks of it, it was likely that the Forsaken Continent was evenrger in scalepared to the Master Teacher Continent. Due to Dan Xiaotians esteemed position as an inner disciple, he was allocated a private room on the flight. Naturally, he shared it with Zhang Xuan and the others. During the flight, Zhang Xuan swallowed two of the Basic Immortal Pills that he had received from Cao Chengli and managed to return to his full strength. He also made sure to reinforce his cultivation again and again with the mercury-like spiritual energy, to the point that he was ready to make a breakthrough at any moment. However, as he still did not have any suitable cultivation techniques on hand, he could only hold himself back for the time being. After several days of careful inspection, while he had already sensed it previously, he was finally able to confirm that the time flow in the Azure was indeed different from that on the Master Teacher Continent. To put it in a ratio, it was 1:10. In other words, a day in the Azure would be equivalent to the passing of ten days in the Master Teacher Continent. So, tens of thousands of years on the Master Teacher Continent equated to just several thousand years in the Azure. That corresponded to the time when the Ethereal Hall was first founded too. As a result of the pressures of time and space in the Azure, the lifespan of the cultivators there was significantly reduced as well. Saint cultivators could live for up to a thousand years on the Master Teacher Continent, but a hundred years was the limit for them here. Simrly, Ancient Sage cultivators only had a lifespan of slightly more than a hundred years here. As for Pseudo Immortals like Elder Lu Yun, his lifespan was also only three hundred years. That might be the reason that so many of them desired to descend to the Master Teacher Continent despite the severe damage that they would sustain as a result. Over the next few days, other than focusing on his own cultivation, Zhang Xuan also spent some time offering pointers to Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli. As for Elder Yi, due to his advanced age and huge deficiencies that he had suffered over the years, he needed some time to recuperate. Thus, it was not suitable for him to cultivate for the time being. Just like that, ten days passed in a sh. As the morning sun rose from the horizon, the crowd saw a massive mountain gate towering in front of them. It was almost ten thousand meters tall and several thousand meters wide. Due to its hulking size, the top of the gate was concealed amid the clouds. This reminded Zhang Xuan of the Southern Gate of Heaven 1 . At the very center of the gate was a massive sword made out of concrete piercing into the earth. Even beforeing close, they could already feel an incredible Sword Intenting from it. It seemed to wield the strength to shatter even space itself, and the pressure it exerted could easily render any cultivator immobile. How formidable! Zhang Xuan was astonished. As expected of one of the Six Sects of the Azure. There was just no way this massive gate and sword could have been created on the Master Teacher Continent. A formidable Sword Intent that was even more powerful than any of the Sword Quintessence he had practiced previously pulsated from the massive sword. If he were to meet an expert who practiced the swordsmanship carrying this Sword Intent, even he would be defeated easily. It seemed like the Six Sects were indeed terrifying powers! Out of curiosity, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and took a closer look at the massive sword. He could vaguely see an illusory sword hidden in the depths of the massive concrete sword. That was probably the physical manifestation of the tremendous amount of Sword Intent gathered within the massive concrete sword. To his surprise, the conceptualization behind the Sword Intent was rather simr to the Heavens Path Sword Art, but it was clearly something of an even higher level. It felt profound and transcendental even by Zhang Xuans standards. Just by looking and perceiving it, Zhang Xuan was able to gain a deeper understanding of the crux of swordsmanship. While it was impossible for him to truly understand the Sword Intent with just a nce, due to the simr conceptualization, he was confident that, as long as he had sufficient time, he would be able to infuse this Sword Intent into his Heavens Path Sword Art, thus raising his swordsmanship to another level. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is just right ahead. This sword was left behind by our founder. It harnesses his understanding of swordsmanship and the Sword Intent heprehended. Even to this day, his aplishments continue to awe generations of sword practitioners! Elder Lu Yun said as he looked at the massive gate and sword with admiration in his eyes. Dan Xiaotians body also stiffened a little as his eyes reddened. Even in the days when he was practicing his swordsmanship alone, from time to time, he would dream of visiting the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion one day to practice the best swordsmanship in the world. This was a dreame true for him. There was still some time before the aerial beast flew through the gate, so Elder Lu Yun turned to Dan Xiaotian, Zhang Xuan, and the others and said, Before we enter the sect, I would first like to inform you of the rules of our sect. The disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion can mainly be divided into four tiers, namely menial disciples, outer disciples, inner disciples, and core disciples. While inner disciples are already highly respected within the sect, the standing of the core disciples exceeds that! Core disciples? Dan Xiaotians eyes glowed with anticipation. Thats right. To be honest, there isnt much you have to do as an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. You can freely allocate your time to practicing your swordsmanship or cultivating. If you require any resources to study, you can browse through the books in the inner disciples library. Otherwise, you can also approach any of your seniors or elders and request their help. Of course, most of the resources donte free. Youll have to pay with Sword Pavilion Coins! Elder Lu Yun said. Sword Pavilion Coins? Zhang Xuan repeated quietly with a hint of exasperation in his voice. He had not expected there to be another currency used within the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and he had a feeling that he would have to spend quite a bit of effort to earn it in the near future. It really felt like he would never be free from mary problems at this rate. The Sword Pavilion Coin is a virtual currency used only within the Ascendant Could Sword Pavilion. It can be used to buy whatever you need, be it pills, weapons, cultivation techniques, or even lessons from elders. However, earning them can be quite troublesome. You have to either participate in the dueling ring,plete missions, answer the questions of others, or guide others on their cultivation. In any case, the most important thing you have to know is that everything within the sect requires Sword Pavilion Coins. Without them, youll face obstacles in whatever you do. On the other hand, if you are able to earn sufficient Sword Pavilion Coins, youll be able to im an endless supply of cultivation resources. Naturally, youll also be able to advance your cultivation faster than anyone! Elder Lu Yun exined. Dan Xiaotian was a little surprised as well. Things were a little different from what he had envisioned it out to be. He had imagined the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to be a transcendental sect where material needs would be of secondary concern. Everyone would be fully immersed in exploring the profoundness of cultivation and swordsmanship. Contrary to his expectations, there seemed to be quite a capitalistic economy in there? Wait a moment, Elder Lu. You mentioned earlier that Sword Pavilion Coins is a virtual currency... Does that mean that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has its own Ethereal Hall? Zhang Xuan asked. You can think of it that way. We have our own private Ethereal Hall that the disciples can ess. Simr to the other Ethereal Halls out there, its a ce where our disciples spar and trade with one another. The only difference would be that our Ethereal Hall is controlled internally by our own people, and it has its own currency and system. Its independent of the other Ethereal Halls out there! Elder Lu Yun replied. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. To use an analogy from his previous world, the Ethereal Hall within the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was like a local areawork in a PC cafe. Only those on devices belonging to the PC cafe could ess this istedwork. Oh right, the standard level of cultivation in our own Ethereal Hall is different, too. Our Ethereal Hall can only be essed by inner disciples and above, so the standard level of cultivation inside the Ethereal Hall is not Saint 1-dan but Ancient Sage 1-dan, Elder Lu Yun said. For those who entered the Ethereal Hall in Starlight City, no matter how powerful they were outside, their cultivation realm would be reduced to Saint 1-dan. However, it was different here. No matter how powerful or weak a person was, their cultivation would be set at Ancient Sage 1-dan within the Ethereal Hall. This made sense since a lot of the more formidable swordsmanship could not be executed if ones strength was capped at only Saint 1-dan. That would also render the dueling ring meaningless. Other than that, everything else is pretty much the same. You are able to hide your identity and change your appearance, too, such that others will be unable to tell who you are and vice versa... However, this also means that the person whom you are talking to could be an elder or even the sect leader himself. Thus, you must make sure not to act audaciously within the Ethereal Hall. While our elders and sect leader arent vindictive people, you can still get into a fair bit of trouble if you overstep your bounds! Elder Lu Yun warned gravely. Elder? Sect leader? Hearing that exnation, not only was Zhang Xuan not nervous in the least, his eyes even lit up in excitement. He could not help but wonder, If I beat up an elder or the sect leader... will it be more exhrating than beating up ordinary cultivators? Chapter 1945 - Ten Li Sword God

Chapter 1945: Ten Li Sword God

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Against those of the same cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan could be said to be pretty much invincible. Even if the opponent he was facing was an elder or the sect leader, he was confident that he would not lose with his abilities. Since that was the case, he should be able to bully them a little. Those people were likely to have quite a few good items on them, and they were bound to have important information as well. As long as he could defeat them, he should be able to get some stuff out of them. He might even be able to gather some news regarding the Spirit God Pce through this. It seemed like his very first target after entering the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be to acquire a suitable Ethereal Token and enter their Ethereal Hall. Then, he would find the highest-ranking person possible and coerce the other party into giving him what he needed. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan struck his leg in excitement before standing up. Thats truly a wonderful idea. Ill do just that! Huh? What are you going to do? Elder Lu Yun turned to look at Zhang Xuan with doubt in his eyes. I just warned you that you might meet the elders or the sect leader in the Ethereal Hall; what are you getting all so excited about? Are you possibly mentally retarded? Elder Lu was still wondering if he should ept Zhang Xuan into the sect as well, but over the past few days, he had found that thetter had a tendency to suddenly go on an insanity streak. Each time Zhang Xuan acted in such a manner, his conviction to do so would waver a little, and by now, it had already dissipated entirely. Ah, its nothing at all. My thoughts just wandered a bit, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. On the other hand, Dan Xiaotian sped his face in embarrassment. Passing through the towering gates, the aerial beast eventuallynded on a tall mountain. Leaping down from the back of the beast, Elder Lu Yun swiftly arranged a residence for Dan Xiaotian. The rest of you should rest here for the time being. Dan Xiaotian,e with me. You have to take the examination first! Elder Lu Yun said as he gestured for Zhang Xuan, Cao Chengli, and Elder Yi to stay in the residence for the time being. Examination? The examination I conducted for you earlier only shows that you have the qualifications to be an inner disciple. In order to formalize the process, you have to head to the Sword God Hall to disy your swordsmanship! Elder Lu Yun said. The Sword God Hall? Yes, its the ce where disciples are tested. Be it menial disciples intending to be outer disciples or inner disciples hoping to be core disciples, they have to showcase their swordsmanship at the Sword God Hall. Its simr to my intentions when I got you to spar with Huo Jianghe, but the evaluation at the Sword God Hall will be far more urate. Itll reflect your current strength more clearly! Elder Lu exined with a smile. In a battle, a sword practitioners swordsmanship is influenced by their physical state, mental resilience, reflexes, and so on. However, these factors are disregarded in the Sword God Hall. As long yourprehension of the sword has reached a satisfactory level, the results will reflect so! Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in realization. Lets go! Elder Lu Yun said as he beckoned Dan Xiaotian to follow him. Zhang Xuan walked over and said, Elder Lu Yun, Im also interested in the Sword God Hall. Would it be inappropriate if I were to follow you? He had never heard of something that could test onesprehension of swordsmanship before, and he was genuinely curious about how the system worked. This... Elder Lu Yun hesitated for a moment before nodding. I guess it should be fine! Under normal circumstances, no outsiders would be allowed in the Sword God Hall. However, considering how even menial disciples were able to enter the premises to take the examination, it should be fine for Zhang Xuan to tag along and have a look in his capacity as Dan Xiaotians friend. Thus, they got onto the back of the aerial beast once more and flew toward another mountain peak. What was particrly striking about this mountain peak was that there was a sword-like building lodged into the ground on it, reminiscent of a tower. This is the Sword God Hall. Every day, numerous menial disciples, outer disciples, and inner disciplese over to have their swordsmanship evaluated, Elder Lu Yun said as they walked into the tower. As soon as they entered, they saw quite a few people standing around the lobby with swords on their backs. Sword Intent could be felt in the aura they emanated. Shockingly, most of their cultivation was actually not beneath that of Zhang Xuans! As expected of one of the Six Sects of the Azure, its indeed filled with plenty of experts! Zhang Xuan thought. He had thought that his Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivation was not too bad, but it turned out that it could only be considered average at best. Furthermore, those who were present were still not the most powerful of all. It was hard to imagine how powerful the core disciples, elders, and sect leader were. Knowing that the two of them did not know anything about the Sword God Hall, Elder Lu Yun exined, There are many rooms in the Sword God Hall, and every single one of them has a Sword God Pedestal. As long you pay an ample number of Sword Pavilion Coins, youll be able to enter the room and test your swordsmanship! Of course, the first test you take is free. Its the subsequent ones that require money! Ah! Dan Xiaotian heaved a sigh of relief. He had just arrived at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and he still had no idea what the Sword Pavilion Coins looked like. There was no way that he could have forked out the money required. Wait here for a moment, Ill open a room. Dan Xiaotian, you can enter first. Zhang Xuan, if you wish to give it a try, you can enter after hes done. The Sword God Pedestal can only assess one cultivator at a time, or else it will interfere with scanning the Sword Intent, Elder Lu Yun said before heading to the front receptionist. Before long, they were already standing before an ornate door. Elder Lu Yun turned to Dan Xiaotian and said, After you enter the room, hold the sword tightly and unleash your Sword Intent and conceptualization of your swordsmanship. If the manifestation of your Sword Intent surpasses one meter, you will be eligible to be a menial disciple. Ten meters, and youll be able to be an outer disciple. Thirty meters, and you are qualified to join the ranks of the inner disciple. Right now, thirty meters is the goal you should set for yourself! Thirty meters? Dan Xiaotian nodded slowly. He did not have much of a gauge on difficult it would be to reach thirty meters. Noticing the contemtive look on Dan Xiaotians face, Elder Lu Yun exined with a smile, Dont worry, the manifestation of Sword Intent depends on yourprehension of swordsmanship, not your sword qi. With your cultivation, its impossible to produce thirty-meter-long sword qi! Ah, I see! Dan Xiaotian scratched his head awkwardly. With his current swordsmanship prowess, he could only exert sword qi of around two to three meters in length. Thirty meters was far beyond his current capabilities. So, the manifestation of Sword Intent that Elder Lu Yun was talking about was not referring to sword qi. Jiya! Dan Xiaotian pushed the door open and walked in. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Lu Yun and curiously asked, May I ask what the best record for an inner disciples manifestation of Sword Intent is? If thirty meters was the minimum requirement to clear the selection, what was the record of the best sword practitioners in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Under normal circumstances, one would be qualified to be a core disciple if the manifestation of his Sword Intent reached a hundred meters. That being said, there are quite a few inner disciples who have surpassed that record, and some of the best inner disciples have even reached three hundred meters and beyond, Elder Lu Yun said. Three hundred meters? Zhang Xuan was astonished. He had no idea how this manifestation of Sword Intent was calcted, but if even outer disciples had trouble reaching thirty meters, those who could achieve a record ten times that had to be truly terrifying existences. Of course, thats only among the inner disciples. There are plenty of formidable experts among the core disciples, and some of them have even exceeded five hundred meters. Anyone who exceeds that record is bestowed the title of Sword God. Thats also where the titles One Li Sword God and Two Li Sword Gode from. Its said that in the entire history of the sect, the most talented person once materialized his Sword Intent across a distance of ten li, and thus, others respectfully addressed him as Ten Li Sword God 1 ! Elder Lu Yun exined with admiration gleaming in his eyes. Ten Li Sword God? Zhang Xuan was astonished. While other sword practitioners were frustrating over how short theirs were, that expert actually reached over ten li. That was truly inconceivable! May I know how far your Sword Intent is able to materialize, Elder Lu Yun? Zhang Xuan asked out of curiosity. Me? Elder Lu Yun was slightly surprised by the question. A bitter look appeared on his face as he shook his head. I dont have much talent for swordsmanship, so I didnt even make it as an inner disciple back when I was in my younger years. It was through my relentless hard work that I eventually reached my current level of cultivation and got myself the position of an external elder. Even though I have practiced the Way of the Sword for many years, I am still unable to reach the hundred meters mark. Currently, Im only at ny-seven meters. 97 meters? Thats already a formidable feat, Zhang Xuan remarked as he turned his gaze toward the sealed room in front of him. This disciple of his had only learned swordsmanship from him for a night, and he had barely grasped one of his techniques. Given that his disciple did not have a deep understanding of the Way of the Sword yet... he could not help but wonder how well his disciple would perform. ... The first thing that Dan Xiaotian noticed upon entering the room was a round pedestal with a sword lodged tightly at the center. This must be the so-called Sword God Pedestal that Elder Lu Yun spoke of. The space directly in front of him was a vast wilderness. There were no walls at the front and top of the room in order to allow ones Sword Intent to traverse beyond several meters. Otherwise, it would have been terribly expensive to construct a room that could contain the manifestation of Sword Intent. Stepping onto the pedestal, Dan Xiaotian drew the sword and took a deep breath. Focusing all of his attention, he began driving his energy. Sword Intent was built upon onesprehension of swordsmanship. He had been practicing his swordsmanship for a decade ever since he was still young, so he carried deepprehension and sentiments toward swordsmanship. Just by holding onto the sword, he felt as if his hand was melding into it. Instead of a weapon, it was an extension of his arm. Weng! Sensing his conceptualization, the sword began buzzing loudly as a milky white glow gathered around the Sword God Pedestal before advancing forth. With resolute eyes, Dan Xiaotian drove his energy to its limits. Po! The Sword Intent burst forth. Dan Xiaotian quickly opened his eyes to look into the distance, but what he saw made his face stiffen. A chi? In other words, a third of a meter? He had pushed his strength to his limits, but it turned out that the manifestation of his Sword Intent was only a third of a meter. If that was the case, did it not mean that hisprehension of swordsmanship could not evenpare to that of a menial disciple? T-this cant be... Even Huo Jianghe wasnt a match for me back then! Dan Xiaotians head nearly exploded. Elder Lu Yun had kept emphasizing how fair the Sword God Hall was, but in a real battle, his swordsmanship was able to best even Huo Jianghe. How could his limit be just 0.33 meters? That was impossible! Wait a moment, I defeated Huo Jianghe with the sword toss. Maybe I should try that move... After a moment of hesitation, Dan Xiaotian remembered that he still had that powerful trump card. Thus, he took a deep breath before flicking his finger. Weng! The sword in his hand floated into the air. Hong long long! As soon as the sword left his grasp, an overwhelming Sword Intent burst forth from his body. In response, the sword also emanated its Sword Intent as well, and the room was swiftly filled with white mist. A powerful current gathered around the sword, like a swirling hurricane. This... Dan Xiaotian was stunned once more. When he pushed the Sword Intent within him to his limits, the manifestation was only 0.33 meters, but as soon as he used the sword toss technique that his teacher had imparted to him, before he had even shot out the sword, it had already caused such a hugemotion. If he finished executing the technique, what kind of results would he receive? Was there really such a huge difference between the swordsmanship that he hadprehended with ten years of hard work and what his teacher had imparted to him? Go! With an awkward look on his face, Dan Xiaotian flicked the sword, and it immediately bolted into the distance. Hong long! White Sword Intent also flurried furiously forth along with the movement of the sword, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye. This... Dan Xiaotian blinked in bewilderment. His own Sword Intent was only enough to reach 0.33 meters, but with his teachers swordsmanship, the Sword Intent flew all the way out, till his eyes could not even see it anymore... This was definitely way more than thirty, fifty, or even a hundred meters! Is it still flying? After waiting for a moment, the Sword Intent did not seem to have reached its end yet. This left Dan Xiaotian was a little stupefied. Did it shoot out a little too far, such that his results were invalidated? Weng! But while he was worrying over this matter, the wall beside him jolted a little before reflecting his results. 499 meters! He was just a meter short of bing a Sword God! Chapter 1946 - Zhang Xuan Takes the Examination

Chapter 1946: Zhang Xuan Takes the Examination

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Coming to realize what was going on, Dan Xiaotian sighed deeply inmentation. It seems like I have only managed to learn my teachers sword art, but I havent grasped the fundamental Sword Intent and the like yet... He had thought that with his ten years of hard work, it would not be too difficult for him to be a menial disciple in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. However, it seemed like he had overestimated his own capabilities. He was a long way off from reaching the mark! It was no wonder Xue Qin, despite notcking resources and being under the guidance of Xue Chen, had barely made it as a menial disciple. Considering how he had practiced swordsmanship alone and could not even use zhenqi back then... Most likely, the 0.33 meters was also the result of his training ever since he came under his teacher. If it had been before then, it was likely that he would not have scored anything at all. I have only learned the movements behind teachers sword art, not the theories behind it, but Im already able to bring the Sword Intent this far. If I understand the full conceptualization behind it, I wonder how powerful Ill be able to be, Dan Xiaotian thought. The current Dan Xiaotian was reminiscent of a child who had learned how to solve mathematical problems through rote learning. He could derive the answer, but when asked why he had used a specific model or the details behind his solution... well, his face would turnpletely nk. A person could be well-versed with Ode to Gantry 1 , reciting it so soulfully that it evoked the emotions of others. However, that did not necessarily mean that they had be a poet like Li Bai, capable ofing up with verses that transcended time. Despite being in such a position, Dan Xiaotians Sword Intent was able to reach 499 meters. If he had mastered the true wisdom of his teacher, he had no doubt that he would have been able to achieve way more than that. Speaking of which, did this not mean that his teacher had already far surpassed the five hundred meters mark, reaching a level that far exceeded those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? I should quickly swap with my teacher so that he can give it a try too! Dan Xiaotian thought in agitation as he rushed out of the room. Even the swordsmanship that he had learned for a day or two was so formidable. He had no doubt that his teacher would be able to set a new record! Upon seeing Dan Xiaotian, Elder Lu Yun anxiously asked, How is it? Did you exceed thirty meters? While he was confident that Dan Xiaotian would meet the prerequisite, his heart could not help but tremble in trepidation till he finally received the answer. I did... Dan Xiaotian nodded with a reddened face. In truth, his ownprehension of swordsmanship only produced a manifestation of 0.33 meters, but if he admitted that, he would be driven out immediately. Thus, after much contemtion, he had decided to go along with it for the time being. He would just have to work a lot harder to make up for his weakness in the future! Elder Lu first heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that Dan Xiaotian had cleared the examination before enquiring for further details. How long was the manifestation of your Sword Intent? He had witnessed Dan Xiaotians swordsmanship the other day. It was an incredible work of art, such that even the First Senior of the outer disciples, Huo Jianghe, was no match for it! That in itself should be enough to put Dan Xiaotian among the top few inner disciples. Well... This is my result! Dan Xiaotian replied as he passed a jade token over. He had recorded the results reflected on the wall when they appeared earlier. Seeing that Dan Xiaotian was so embarrassed as to present him with the jade token instead of saying out loud, Elder Lu Yun instinctively assumed that Dan Xiaotians results would be horrible. You need not be too concerned about your current results. You are still young, and as long as you are able to join the ranks of the inner disciples, theres no doubt that youll be able to improve swiftly in the future... But before he could finish his words, he caught sight of what was written on the jade token, and his eyes nearly bulged out. 4-499 meters? Un! Dan Xiaotian nodded with a crimson face. It sure was embarrassing to lie so tantly. ... Elder Lu Yun alternated between Dan Xiaotians embarrassed expression and the jade token in his hand, and he clutched his hair in frenzy. Is there something wrong with you? Your embarrassed look made me think that you have barely reached thirty meters or so... but the hell, your score is actually 499 meters! Do you know how many freaking core disciples would love to achieve the same result as you but are unable to do so? You are already on the verge of bing a Sword God, do you know that? Despite being so powerful, your face still reddened in embarrassment at your score... What am I then? A walking manifestation of humiliation? Elder Lu Yun felt as if his dignity had been hung upside down and hammered back and forth. He had seen plenty of disciples who were upset by their poor results, but this was the very first time that he had seen someone with such a good result putting on such an expression. The scenario was felt just like how, on the day the examination results were released, you spotted a student who started bawling nonstop, so you went over to console him. After much constion, the student finally revealed the true reason behind his sadness. In an examination of a hundred marks, he has only scored ny-nine. But you, who went over to console him, only scored nine. Elder Lu Yun had never desired to simply vanish from the spot as much as he did at that instant. He took two huge breaths before asking, Are you feeling... embarrassed by your results? Yes... Its simply too awkward... Dan Xiaotian covered his face shyly. Elder Lu Yuns heart began thumping so wildly from rage that he had to strike his chest heavily again and again in order to calm himself down. Not wanting to talk to this fellow anymore, he took another deep breath before turning to Zhang Xuan and asking, Do you want to head in to give it a try as well? He was afraid that he would start getting violent if he continued talking to Dan Xiaotian. This... Alright then! Zhang Xuan nodded as he made his way in. Along the way, he could not help but think, While this student of mine hasnt learned much of my swordsmanship, he did learn my humility and low-profile attitude well. Not bad. It seemed like he was a talent that could be molded. Closing the doors, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Sword God Pedestal. Hm? Why is there no sword here? Zhang Xuan took a look around, but the room was utterly empty. There was no sword to be seen at all. ording to what Elder Lu Yun had said, there should have been a sword there. Could it be that the swordsmanship evaluation did not require a sword? That did not sound quite right. Then again, Dan Xiaotian had been there earlier, which meant that it should be possible to do it without a sword. But still, to be able to produce a manifestation of 499 meters without a sword, I might have been underestimating Dan Xiaotians talent... Perhaps the Sword God Pedestal did not provide swords to use. Thinking back, most of the disciples whom he had seen outside were carrying swords on their backs. Without a doubt, it would be a huge handicap without a sword in hand... To achieve a result of nearly a li despite that, his student really did not let him down. Since his student was able to do it without a sword, as his teacher, he should at least be able to do the same! Thus, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before releasing all of his Sword Intent at once. The Sword Quintessences that he had learned back on the Master Teacher Continent revolved in his mind as he raised his finger slightly. A cluster of incredibly condensed sword qi began gathering on his fingertip. Along with the umtion of his sword qi, a white mist burst forth from the pedestal and swiftly gathering around Zhang Xuan. But instead of shooting forth, the white mist fused together with Zhang Xuans sword qi. It was as if the white mist had submitted to Zhang Xuans Sword Intent and dared not take a step further without his instructions. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuans lips twitched. What the heck was going on? If this was the case, did it not mean that his manifestation of Sword Intent was not even a single meter long? Surely he was not inferior to his own direct disciple, right? If that was really the case, it would really be a huge embarrassment. This is uneptable. I need to gather more Sword Intent and surpass my limits! Zhang Xuan recounted the swordsmanship that he had learned back at the Sword Lagoon, the Zhang n, and the conceptualization that he had felt when he first entered the n earlier... Those Sword Quintessences revolved around his mind, and an indomitable aura burst forth from his body. In an instant, it felt like he had be a massive sword that could hack the world in two. Hong long! As his Sword Intent heightened to its limits, the amount of white mist gathering in the room was growing at a terrifying rate. In the blink of an eye, it was as if the room had be the scene of a disastrous fire. With the sheer concentration of Sword Intent there, the thick white mist was starting to condense into fluid. Is it still less than one meter? Impossible! Zhang Xuan had already gone to such an extent, but when he looked in front, the manifestation of his Sword Intent was still less than one meter! How was that possible? His lips twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot. It could not be that despite his formidable swordsmanship, he was still not on par with a menial disciple, right? But if that was the case, how could Dan Xiaotian reach 499 meters with that third-tier swordsmanship of his? I dont believe it! Sword Intent of the world,e under mymand! Zhang Xuan roared deeply as his zhenqi and soul morphed into the form of a sword. He absorbed the lingering Sword Intent in the air and focused them on the umtion of sword qi on his fingertip. If his disciple could achieve so much without a sword in hand, he would be embarrassed to death if he could not even do the same! No matter what, he could not lose! This was for his reputation and dignity as Dan Xiaotians teacher! ... A young man was standing amid the crowd in the Sword God Hall with a sword on his back. As soon as he stepped into the lobby, there was not a single person who dared approach him. It was as if he had a natural disposition that pushed the crowd away from him. Crispughter echoed in the air, and the crowd dispersed once more, opening up a path for another young man to walk through. Junior Ye Lian, are you here to evaluate your swordsmanship again? Are you interested inpeting with me? This young man had a powerful-looking silhouette. Due to his height that towered over the others in the room, he stood like a crane standing in the midst of a pack of chickens. Senior He Yan, if you wish topete with me, Im more than happy to apany you, the young man known as Ye Lian replied calmly. Please! He Yan gestured toward the rooms with a bright smile before taking the first step forward. Ye Lian gracefully followed him and entered the room adjacent to He Yans. There was a partition between the rooms, but as there was no wall at the front, they were still able to see the manifestation of Sword Intent of those in the nearby rooms, allowing them to makeparisons. Seeing the disposition of the two, a newly-arrived inner disciple asked those around him, Are they the famed Senior Ye and Senior He of the core disciples? Yes, thats them. I heard that they have been trying to achieve the level of Sword God, and they have beenpeting with one another for the past five years to see who can reach that level first! one of the more knowledgeable disciples in the area replied with a nod. Ye Lian and He Yan were a few of the more well-known core disciples due to their unique dispositions and formidable swordsmanship. Due to their simr proficiency in swordsmanship, the two of them had beenpeting with one another for many years, especially in recent years when they were only a few steps away from reaching Sword God. That had brought them into the focus of all of the disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Everyone was interested to see who would reach that illustrious height first. Senior He, why dont you go first? Ye Lian said quietly as he stepped onto the pedestal and drew the sword. One had to use the sword on the Sword God Pedestal for the test in order for the results to be reflected. The reason most disciples chose to carry their swords on their back was to better channel their Sword Intent through the use of a familiar medium and achieve a higher level of Sword-Man Union. Lets begin together! From the adjacent room, He Yan chuckled heartily as he grabbed the sword from the pedestal and channeled his Sword Intent into it. Hong long! An endless stream of Sword Intent gushed out from his acupoints and flowed through the sword in his hand. T! The manifestation of his Sword Intent shot out of the room, covering dozens of meters in an instant. Seeing He Yans manifestation of Sword Intent, Ye Lian also began the test, and his manifestation of Sword Intent swiftly shot forth and caught up with He Yans. From afar, it looked like two divine beings were racing alongside one another. Seeing that Ye Lian was on the verge of catching up with him, He Yan chuckled softly. Your speed isnt too bad, Junior! Youve clearly been working hard these past six months! Senior, you clearly havent been cking either. The speed of manifestation is much faster than before, Ye Lian remarked calmly. I guess we are about equal then. Fine, lets see who will reach five hundred meters and be a Sword God first! With a roar, He Yan released all of his Sword Intent at once, causing his manifestation to charge forth with incredible momentum. However, before it could get far, the manifestation of his Sword Intent suddenly halted. It shuddered intensely as if it was standing before a superior being, simr to how a serpent would grovel before a divine dragon. No matter how He Yan exerted himself, the manifestation of his Sword Intent simply would not go any further. Narrowing his eyes, he nced He Yans way and saw that the same situation was happening to He Yan. His Sword Intent manifestation was shuddering nonstop, and it would not inch forward at all. Whats going on here? He Yan was taken aback. But at that moment, the manifestations of their Sword Intent suddenly shattered with a resounding buzz. Pu! Fresh blood spurted from their mouths as they copsed to the ground. Chapter 1947 - Sealing a Sword Intent

Chapter 1947: Sealing a Sword Intent

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Clutching his wounds tightly, He Yan slowly rose to his feet. This is... Suppression of Sword Intent? As a genius sword practitioner, a core disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he swiftly realized what had happened. The Sword Intent that he had cultivated with great difficulty had been utterly suppressed by the Sword Intent of another man. But this was mystifying to him, too. What he had cultivated was none other than the unparalleled Sword Intent of the sect! How could he possibly be suppressed to such an extent? That should have been impossible! Ye Lian, are you the one who did it? He Yan asked in astonishment. The only core disciples who had gone there to assess their swordsmanship were him and Ye Lian. Could it be that thetter had cultivated some kind of formidable swordsmanship over the past half a year, resulting in his Sword Intent paling far inparison? He Yan turned his gaze over, only to see that the manifestation of Sword Intent in the adjacent room had been suppressed as well. Seemingly under great pressure, it stood motionlessly like a snake groveling on the floor. Its not me... I cant control my Sword Intent either... Pu! Before he could finish his words, Ye Lians manifestation of Sword Intent suddenly dissipated, causing him to spurt a mouthful of blood. Seeing such a sight, He Yan widened his eyes in astonishment. Sword Intent could be depicted as a conceptualization. Naturally, there were different levels of conceptualization. Take poetry as an example. Back in the Tang Dynasty, even while Li Bai was worried about the plight of the country following An Lushans rebellion 1 , he had to first soar into the heavens and have a good time with the goddesses before ending with a Flowing blood dyes the lush field red, depraved beasts dressed in silk cors 2 . For those who were a bitcking in conceptualization, they would be shouting The sh*t, those b*stards. Of course, that was just an analogy. There was a hierarchy among true Sword Intent. When Sword Intents of lower conceptualizations encountered Sword Intents of higher conceptualization, it was only natural for the former to cower in fear. In a sense, it was simr to the Bloodline Suppression that existed within the Dragon Tribe. If there was too huge a gap between the conceptualization of Sword Intents, the weaker Sword Intent would have already lost without even being able to put up a fight. Both He Yan and Ye Lian were experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but their Sword Intents were still suppressed to such a frightening extent. Just what the hell was happening? Could there really be a person in the sect who wielded such formidable ability? I wont ept it. Theres no way there would be someone in the world who can surpass me that much! He Yan roared furiously as his Sword Intent burst forth once more. Peng! But this time, before the white mist could even gather, he could already feel an omnipresent sword of unparalleled sharpness eyeing him. If he showed the slightest hint of retaliation, the sword would tear through his guts and bring him a swift death. Hu! Cold sweat poured down He Yans forehead as he dared not move at all. The little bit of Sword Intent that he hadprehended could notpare to this overwhelming force. It was like candlelight trying to pit its brightness against the majestic sun! Anyparison would just end in his humiliation! When did such a powerful expert appear in the sect? Even those monsters among the core disciples were not capable of such a feat. ... The same sight was happening in the other rooms as well. In an instant, all of the examinees in the Sword God Hall had been suppressed by the Sword Intent, and they found themselves unable to move at all. Cries of agony filled the tower. ... The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Compendium of Sword Wisdom was a massive library with innumerable books. Walking amid the shelves was Elder Wei, who had been busy packing the books by its ssifications over the past few months. It had taken him a great deal of effort toplete this grand operation. Elder Wei, its really been tough for you. With your new ssification system, it will be much easier for others to find the resources they require in the library! an elder said with a smile as he walked over. He was the other elder of the Compendium of Sword Wisdom, Jiang Yuan. Indeed. The books of the Compendium of Sword Wisdom contain the Sword Intent from many generations of predecessors. Depending on ones innate talent and experiences, the Sword Intent that each sword practitionerprehends can vary greatly from one another. It has indeed been tough trying to ssify all of these books, Elder Wei said as he stretched his backzily. After so many months, its finally done! But this is the only time that Ill be doing this. Id rathermit suicide than reshelve these books! Elder Jiang Yuan nodded. The Sword Intent is sealed within the books, such that sword practitioners canprehend the strength of our predecessors by opening the books and perceiving them closely. Unfortunately, there are simply too many different Sword Intents in the world, and if the books arent ssified properly, a sword practitioner might identally grab a book that is at odds with their sword cultivation. Not only would that be not beneficial to their cultivation, they might even sustain great damage as a result! To be honest, Im impressed by how detailed your ssification is. You evenbeled the genre and sword art... I cant begin to imagine how much effort you have put into this. I believe that the sect leader will reward you handsomely once we report this to him! Indeed. I feel like my eyes are going blind after looking at these books day in and day out! Elder Weiined. Please keep a close eye on these books. Ill just go and rest for a moment... Un! Elder Jiang Yuan nodded. Hula! All of a sudden, the books on the shelves began rattling nonstop. It was as if some kind of force was summoning the books, causing them to float in the air. Sword Intent gushed out and filled the entire library, producing the metallic reverberations caused by the shing of swords. Elder Weis body stiffened upon seeing this sight. His months of hard work... You b*stards! Do you know how much trouble I went through trying topile all of you? Why are you leaping out all of a sudden? Hu! But it had not yet ended. The books all turned in the same direction and bowed deeply, as if servants paying respects to their king! Pilip! The problem with this bow was that it caused thepiled books to copse onto one another. In fact, some of the bookshelves even fell to the ground as a result of the trembling, turning the entire library into a huge mess. The heck! Elder Wei nearly cked out from sheer horror at this sight. Are you joking with me? Do you know how hard it was for me topile all of these books? What should I do now? Someone has probablyprehended a higher level of Sword Intent, and these books are bowing down to express their submission, Elder Jiang Yuan muttered. I know... But of all times, this just had to happen when I just finished reorganizing all of the books! Elder Wei clutched his hair in frenzy. Looking at the huge chaos around the room, Elder Jiang Yuan sighed helplessly as well. So... do you want to try reorganizing it again? Forget it, I think youll be better off killing yourself! ... Elder Wei. ... Before the massive gates that towered at the entrance of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, two figures were floating in the air. Those two figures were elders that appeared to be in their fifties. The elder on the left was dressed in a silk robe with a jade belt wrapped around his waist. There was a sharpness in his eyes that seemed ready to cut down anything that stood in his path. The one on the right had a bubbly appearance, and there was an amiable smile on his face. He seemed like someone who was easy to get along with. The space in the Azure was extremely stable, which made it exceedingly difficult to warp thews of the world. Even a Pseudo Immortal like Elder Lu Yun was unable to fly. Yet, those two men were able to float in the air. There was no doubt that they were top-notch experts. Elder He, you have been cultivating here for thirty years. Have youprehended the Sword Intent left behind by our founder yet? the bubbly elder asked with a smile. How can it be that easy for us to grasp the Sword Intent of our founder? Elder He shook his head. The reason I choose to cultivate here was just to use the Sword Intent of the founder to temper my spirit, thus refining my Sword Intent... It has been so many years, but no one has been able to match up to the talents of our founder... The bubbly elder nodded. Before he could finish his words, his eyes suddenly widened in shock. He quickly raised his head and looked at the massive sword in front of him. Boom! The massive sword suddenly began to shake nonstop, and it seemed as if it would rise up and soar into the heavens at any moment. At the same time, the towering gate also began trembling, seemingly on the verge of copsing due to the tremors. Those two elders narrowed their eyes in shock. This massive sword symbolized the greatness and prestige of their Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. If it crumbled, they would be theughingstock of the other five sects! Its Sword Intent... Our founders Sword Intent seems to have sensed something... Elder He clenched his fists tightly together. Is it possible for our founders Sword Intent to sense something? The bubbly elder was taken aback. Following which, his body tensed up as he murmured, Cr*p... Hu! The massive sword before them seemed to have suddenly lost its support, resulting in it swiftly crumbling to the ground. Naturally, the massive sword in front of the entrance was not a real sword. It was made out of granite and concrete stacked together. The reason it had stood for thousands of years was because their founders Sword Intent had been keeping it in ce. However, with their founders Sword Intent pulsating furiously, seemingly on the verge of bursting out at any moment, this massive but delicate structure immediately lost its support. Hong long long! As the sword copsed, the massive gates also came to the limits of their durability and came crumbling down. Countless rocks of all sizes came pattering down to earth, producing craters of massive proportions one after another. At the same time, with the copse of the structure containing it, the Sword Intent within the massive sword darted into the distance and vanished without a trace. What the hell just happened? Looking at the wastnd and clouds of dust beneath them, the two elders werepletely frenzied. The majestic sword and grand mountain gate that our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion pride ourselves for... have been destroyed just like that? ... Why? It still isnt working at all! Running through all of the Sword Intents that he had experienced in his lifetime, he looked at the manifestation of Sword Intent before him, and it still had not exceeded a meter. This left him feeling so frustrated that he could have exploded on the spot. He was a renowned swordmaster on the Master Teacher Continent! If others found out that his was only a meter long, he would die of embarrassment! Zhang Xuan felt so exasperated that even his will to live was starting to wilt. Forget it, I guess this is my limit then... Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan was just about to retract his Sword Intent when a blur suddenly shed across his eyes. His head suddenly jolted back a little as it felt like something had entered his head, and the next moment, he felt an excruciating sharpness assaulting his consciousness. Hu! The golden page in the Library of Heavens Path flew out. Padah! It quickly sealed whatever had entered Zhang Xuans head. W-what? My golden page! Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from shock. That was the golden page that he had received not too long ago from Dan Xiaotians earnest acknowledgement. It was going to be his greatest trump card on the Azure. He would rather fight many duels and drink the bathwater of a stupid gourd in order to recover from his injuries than use the golden page. Yet, it had suddenly flown out of its own ord to seal something. What a waste! An intense ache assaulted Zhang Xuans heart, and he nearly stopped breathing. Why were things not going his way at all? He had been thinking of going into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Ethereal Hall to challenge their sect leader and elders, but without the golden page, he would not be able to protect himself if those old fogeys came looking for him to exact vengeance! While ones identity was concealed in normal Ethereal Halls, it would be naive to assume that it was the same for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions. Considering that it was an independent server under theplete control of the sect, it should not be too difficult for the upper echelons to track him down. Let me see what the nonsense that wasted my baby is... Gritting his teeth furiously, Zhang Xuan quickly retracted his sword qi before opening up the Book of Heavens Path. In it, he saw a pure congregation of sword qi swimming around like a goldfish in a fish tank. A golden page was wasted just on this thing? Zhang Xuan felt the pressure clutching his heart tightening further. It was already frustrating enough that he could not even manifest a meter, but who could have known that even his greatest trump card would be wasted on this nonsense? Sighing deeply, he was just about to close the Book of Heavens Path when he noticed something. He took a closer look at the sword qi, and his eyebrows suddenly shot up. This surge of sword qi felt strangely familiar to him. It seems to be from the same source as the Sword Intent that I felt from the massive sword at the entrance of the sect. He was just about to reach out and touch it when flurried footsteps sounded outside. Brother Zhang Xuan, are you fine? Turning his head around, he saw that the door behind him was rattling nonstop. It felt like if he did not open the door soon, Elder Lu Yun and Dan Xiaotian would barge in to check on his safety. Im fine! Zhang Xuan shouted back. He quickly slipped the Book of Heavens Path back into the library before walking out. Chapter 1948 - There Was a Sword During Your Examination?

Chapter 1948: There Was a Sword During Your Examination?

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Opening the door, Zhang Xuan saw Elder Lu Yun and Dan Xiaotian looking at him with tense looks on their faces. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan frowned upon seeing the solemn looks on their faces. He just went in to have his swordsmanship evaluated. Was there a need for the two of them to be this worried? On the other hand, Elder Lu Yun heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was unharmed, but he couldnt help but ask doubtfully, You arent injured? Injured? Zhang Xuan was slightly baffled by Elder Lu Yuns abrupt question. I just went in to try out my swordsmanship... Is there anything that could have injured me inside? Was there actually some kind of trick to this examination that requires the sword practitioner to pit his life on the line? So, if one didnt get injured, ones manifestation of Sword Intent wouldnt be able to get too far? No, thats not it. I mean... Teacher, just take a look at it for yourself... Seeing the confused look on his teachers face, Dan Xiaotian scratched his head as he gestured to the surroundings. Zhang Xuan looked around him, and he couldnt help but widen his eyes in shock. Cultivators were streaming out from the rooms all around, and every single one of them had pale faces and were coughing out mouthfuls of blood. Their faces looked so withered that it seemed as if someone had just vited them again and again. Just what kind of a disaster had happened here? Is the swordsmanship evaluation... supposed to be so extreme? I mean, Xiaotian, you didnt cough any blood earlier when I saw you earlier... Zhang Xuan was appalled. No, this is not due to the swordsmanship evaluation. Earlier, during the midst of your test, an extremely powerful Sword Intent suddenly emerged. Due to the vast disparity in the tier of their Sword Intents, the others had their Sword Intents suppressed, thus resulting in the current situation! Elder Lu Yun exined. As an external elder, Elder Lu Yun had a deep understanding of swordsmanship. While he wasnt in one of the rooms earlier, he could still clearly feel the tremendous strength of that Sword Intent. It felt almost as if a regal dragon were gazing down on all of them. In that dragons eyes, all other Sword Intents were probably no different from mere ants. An extremely powerful Sword Intent? Could it be something that has reached the level of Sword God? Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly asked. Something that exciting actually happened while he was concentrating on his examination? It would be of the level of a Ten Li Sword God at the very least! Elder Lu Yun replied grimly. He had never seen a Ten Li Sword God before, but this was the level of the most formidable sword practitioner recorded in the history of the sect. The earlier pressure was enough to crush everyones Sword Intent, rendering them unable to retaliate at all... That was more than enough to show the sword practitioners unparalleled strength! Even if that sword practitioner wasnt a Ten Li Sword God, he probably wouldnt be too far away from that. As for anything higher than that... it was not something his mind could conceptualize anymore. After all, in the past several thousand years of the sects history, there had only been a single man who had reached this level. Ten Li Sword God? Zhang Xuan was astonished. An excited gleam crept into his eyes as he asked, Elder Lu Yun, do you know who that person is? His manifestation of Sword Intent couldnt even go beyond a meter, but the other party was able to extend it to an unimaginable length of ten li... He would love more than anything to witness the true strength of an expert of such caliber! He was still thinking that he could use his superior strength amongst cultivators of the same realm to dominate the local Ethereal Hall, but from the looks of it, it seemed like he had been underestimating his opponents. There were actually plenty of formidable opponents here, and some of them might even be far stronger than him. A Ten Li Sword God... That was the title bestowed experts who had reached the very pinnacle of swordsmanship. Probably even he would have to kneel in defeat if he were to encounter a Ten Li Sword God! Im afraid that I dont have any idea... Elder Lu Yun shook his head. The results of the swordsmanship evaluation were private. Unless one was in an adjacent room and witnessed the feat personally, or one had somehow acquired the individuals result jade token, otherwise there was no way of knowing how well one performed. Right, what is the result of your swordsmanship evaluation? Elder Lu Yun asked curiously. To be honest, he was extremely curious about Zhang Xuan. While Dan Xiaotian had imed that Zhang Xuan was his friend, he could tell that something was peculiar about the rtionship between the two. For one, Dan Xiaotian was extremely heeding of Zhang Xuans words. Even good friends wouldnt be so obedient to one another, right? Another thing that sparked his doubt was the extreme level of respect that Elder Yi and Cao Chengli disyed toward Zhang Xuan. It was just that Zhang Xuan had kept a low profile all along. He had tried several times to sound the young man out, but in the end, he felt like he had been the one who was sounded out instead. Furthermore, it felt like the young man knew nothing much about the Forsaken Continent, and he kept pressing for more details about what that should have beenmon knowledge here. It was due to these doubts in his mind that he allowed Zhang Xuan toe along to the Sword God Hall too. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of thetters strength. Otherwise, there was no way he would bring an outsider in that easily. After all, using the facilities here werent cheap at all! My results? Zhang Xuans face immediately soured. I think that we can still remain friends if you dont ask this question. Even if you dont want to say, I can just head in to take a look myself... Elder Lu Yun replied with a casual shrug. He walked into the room, and a momentter, he came out with the result jade token in his hand. Inscribed on it was Zhang Xuans earlier result. It seemed like Zhang Xuan hade out in too much of a hurry that he forgot to take it when he left earlier. With a triumphant smile, he lowered his head to take a look, only to find his lips twitching in the next moment. 2.5 chi 1 ? You didnt even reach... one meter? Even Elder Lu Yun couldnt help but feel terribly awkward in Zhang Xuans ce. It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan refused to speak of his results. Such a result was indeed something that mustnt be spoken of! Dan Xiaotian also took a nce at the jade token, but contrary to Elder Lu Yuns awkwardness, his eyes gleamed with admiration instead. All along, his teacher had said that he was humble and wanted to maintain a low profile. This was solid evidence that what he had been saying all this while wasnt just empty words! He was really the very personification of low profile itself! Even by executing the sword art his teacher had taught him, he could acquire an unbelievable result of 499 meters with ease. Yet, when his teacher went in, he held himself back by so much that his result didnt even reach one meter... Just how transcendental must ones state of mind be topletely disregard honor and glory and live ones life solely based on ones principles? On the other hand, he took another persons credit for his own and treated it as if his own aplishment... Could it be that his teacher had seen through his facade and was trying to teach him a life lesson through this? It seemed like he still had a lot to learn from. On the other hand, when Zhang Xuan saw Elder Lu Yun taking out the jade token and shing it in front of his disciple, in that very instant, the thought of simply crashing his head into the nearby wall and ending his life really flickered across his mind. Never once in his entire lifetime since transcending over to this world had he been humiliated like that in front of his disciples before! Stifled. My heart feels so stifled!! Alright, shall we return? Elder Lu Yun was the one who broke the silent awkwardness in the air. When he saw so many people spurting blood but that this fellow was perfectly fine, the notion that this fellow might have been the Ten Li Sword God crossed his mind for a moment. But when he saw the record on the jade token... he had indeed been thinking too much into it! A Sword Intent of less than one meter was pretty much nonexistent. With such a weak Sword Intent, it wasnt surprising that he couldnt sense that overwhelming Sword Intent that was crushing down on the Sword God Hall earlier, and naturally, he wouldnt be harmed by the bacsh from the suppression either. As for whom the Sword God was... as an external elder, he wasnt privy to such information. A genius who had reached the level of a Sword God was already far beyond his jurisdiction. This was a matter for the top echelons to deal with. After escorting Dan Xiaotian and Zhang Xuan back to their residence, Elder Lu Yun sped his fist and bade farewell. After Dan Xiaotian cleared his examination, he still had to bring his result jade token to the Elders Conference to apply for an inner disciple token for him. For bringing in a genius whose manifestation of Sword Intent was able to extend for 499 meters, the rewards were bound to be handsome. Perhaps, he could use this as an impetus to push for a promotion to be an internal elder! Sitting on the aerial beast, it didnt take long for Elder Lu Yun to arrive at the Elder Council. Before entering the premises, he saw quite a few elders whom he was familiar with rushing in his direction. They were all internal elders of the sect. Prior to their promotion, they worked with the outer disciples as well, and it was then that they got close to one another. However, due to the differences in their job scope, it was hard for them to keep in contact with one another nowadays. Elder Mu, what are you in such a rush for? Did something happen? Seeing the flustered look on everyones faces, Elder Lu Yun couldnt help but stop the elder whom he was closest to and asked. Such a huge matter happened, but you havent heard of it? Elder Mu was a scrawny old man with green beard. He was dressed in blue silk robe. Oh right, I forgot that you are just an external elder. You arent qualified to participate in the Elder Council, so its only normal that you didnt hear of it... ... Elder Lu Yun suddenly felt an urge to punch the old man in front of him. Dont get angry. You know that I have always been so forthright with my words, saying whatever I want to... Elder Mu said with a light chuckle. You should know of the First Elder He Tian, right? Un! Elder Lu Yun nodded. As the First Elder, He Tian wielded a lot of power within the sect. While the sect leader was not present, he would have discretionary powers to make decisions on everything in the sect. Its fine that you dont know him too. Theres no need to go along with me just because you feel awkward. I mean, its only normal that you wouldnt get to see him given that you are only an external elder... Elder Mu waved his hand and said. Veins bulged out on Elder Lu Yuns temples as his knuckles cracked under the pressure. Taking in a deep breath, he interjected, I think you can get right to point. What happened to Elder He Tian? Elder He has just sent a message to all internal elders and above that, saying that... the mountain gate and the massive sword have copsed! Elder Mu eximed. Then, he suddenly tilted his head as realization seemed to have struck him, Ah, that might be why you didnt receive the message. You are just an external elder after all... The mountain gate and massive sword copsed? Elder Lu Yun widened his eyes in astonishment. The mountain gate and the massive sword could be said to be the insignia of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and it represented its motto With ambitions above the clouds, shatter the Nine Heavens!. But those two actually copsed... This would be a huge blow to the prestige and reputation of the sect! Why would it copse? What happened? Elder Lu Yun asked anxiously. I have no idea either. Earlier, there was an incredibly powerful Sword Intentyou should have felt it yourself too. The Sword Intent seemed to have swayed the Sword Intent within the massive sword, resulting in its copse... Elder Mu was also not too sure about the details of the matter. Shaking his head, he said, Alright, I need to attend the Elder Council that is exclusive for inner elders and above, so I cant continue chatting with you anymore... After which, he quickly turned around and rushed into the Elder Council. That fellow really hasnt changed at all... Elder Lu Yun sighed helplessly. Due to his mouth, Elder Mu had offended far too many people over the years. After so many years, he still hadnt changed that bad habit of his. But in any case, bearing through the pain, he still managed to acquire a crucial message from the other partythe massive sword and mountain gate had fallen! Sword Intent... Could it really be the doing of the Ten Li Sword God earlier? Elder Lu Yun thought. Having felt that Sword Intent himself, he knew that it was extraordinary... but he didnt know that it was actually that powerful! To be able to sway even the Sword Intent the founder had sealed within the massive sword... Just who in the world could that Ten Li Sword God be? Since the elders are in a serious meeting at the moment, would it inappropriate if I walk in right now to report about Dan Xiaotian? Elder Lu Yun thought. Considering the severe implications caused by the copse of the mountain gate and massive sword, it didnt seem to appropriate for him to barge in at this moment to report about a new inner disciple. Screw it! I think I should still make the trip in. After all, it was Dan Xiaotians first try and he has already achieved a score of 499 meters. That is even more formidable than most core disciples. More importantly, his cultivation is only at Ancient Sage 1-dan at the moment... I think that the elders will regard this matter highly, and my reward should be generous too! Elder Lu Yun eventually made up his mind. The intake of talents was an important issue to the sect too. With all of the important elders around, there should be a greater chance of promotion for him. Putting aside all of his hesitation, Elder Lu Yun began making his way into the Elder Council. ... Meanwhile, in the residence of an inner disciple, Zhang Xuan was staring at his disciple intently. Eventually, unable to suppress the doubt in his heart anymore, he asked, How did you manage to manifest your Sword Intent to 499 meters? This matter had been weighing on his mind all this while. He was unable to manifest it by even a single meter, but this half-baked disciple of his was able to get it that far. No matter how he looked at it, it simply didnt make sense. I... Hearing his teachers question, Dan Xiaotian scratched his head in embarrassment and said, I used the sword art teacher has imparted to me and tossed the sword outward... I didnt think that the manifestation of Sword Intent would fly that far as well! You tossed the sword? The conceptualization behind that move is indeed not too bad... Wait a moment! Zhang Xuans lips twitched as he noticed an anomaly in Dan Xiaotians words. You mentioned that you tossed a sword. Does that mean that you were holding a sword during your test? Chapter 1949 - Berserk

Chapter 1949: Berserk

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 Of course! How could a sword practitioner exert his Sword Intent and undergo the test without a sword in hand... Before Dan Xiaotian could finish his words, the truth suddenly dawned on him, causing his lips to twitch. Ah... I tossed the sword away after my test... Teacher, it cant be that you tried the test without a sword in hand? Due to his usual swordsmanship being too weak, he had eventually resorted to the sword toss... and because there was no wall in front, he had no idea where the sword had gone, so he could not retrieve it. He had not thought much into it then, but when his teacher asked that question, he suddenly found himself utterly dumbfounded. How could one exert Sword Intent without a sword? This was just like trying to squeeze milk out of a bull! How could you squeeze something that did not exist? Even so, his teacher had still achieved the same result as him. He really had managed to squeeze milk out of a bull. How did he manage to do it? Dan Xiaotian felt as if he was going mad. Cough cough... Hearing Dan Xiaotians exnation, Zhang Xuan felt a stifled feeling in his chest. The heck! After all of the effort I put into it, it turns out that the reason my result is so poor is because you lost the sword! How did I end up taking in such an unreliable student? Its no wonder I couldnt even reach one meter! In the end, it wasnt my problem at all... Keep this matter to yourself. Ill be going to cultivate! Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan waved his hand before returning to his own room. He meditated for a moment to assuage the stifled feeling in his chest before taking out the Book of Heavens Path once more. He had wasted a golden page just to seal some sword qi. No matter what, he had to make sense out of what was going on! Thus, he flipped open the Book of Heavens Path and tapped his finger lightly on the sword qi that was swimming around freely. Hu! A surge of knowledge flowed from the tip of his finger into his consciousness, leaving him with a splitting headache in an instant. It felt as if something was squeezing against his head, attempting to burst it open. Following which, the deep chime of a bell echoed loudly in his mind. The Way of the Sword is not a true path belonging to the heavens. Its a path created by humans... A voice began speaking, and before long, Zhang Xuan found himselfpletely immersed in it. This interpretation of swordsmanship was far more advanced than what he had learned, such that even the Heavens Path Sword Art felt like a small hill standing before a true mountain. While the Heavens Path Sword Art was wless, that was only so by the standards of the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent. In the face of this swordsmanship, it was truly full of ws. This was simr to how knowledge that one had learned in ones earlier years might not necessarily hold true by the time one reached university. The pursuit of knowledge was an endless journey, and even the heavens were not a constant force that stagnated on the spot. New creations were constantly brought into the world, and the heavens assimted those new creations into their system. What was deemed the truth one day might be nothing more than a joke a hundred yearster. Its no wonder I was unable to adapt easily to the spiritual energy in the Azure back then even though I cultivate the Heavens Path Divine Art... It turns out, to the heavens of the Azure, my cultivation technique is filled with ws. Speaking of which, if the heavens of each world have their own definition of what is right and what was wrong... does an absolute gauge of what is right and wrong truly exist? Every single country had its ownws and culture. What was right in one country might end up warranting the death penalty in another. Was it the same for the heavens? After all, what the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent deemed to be right was being rejected by the heavens of the Azure. If so, does it mean that everything I have cultivated is actually wed? Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a splitting pain in his head. Ever since he started cultivating two years ago, he had held unwavering trust in the Heavens Path Divine Art. He had believed that it was right because that was how the Library of Heavens Path reflected it to be, but it turned out that even perfection was a rtive concept depending on the heavens of each world. This left him feeling a little terrified. He tried to drive his cultivation technique, but in a momentary daze, he heard a voice in the depths of his consciousness shouting at him, This is wed! He tried to execute his battle technique, but the same voice shouted back at him, wed, wed, wed! They are all wed! His eyes slowly reddened as steam began rising from the top of his head. His zhenqi billowed furiously, and it seemed as if something was going to erupt from him. If a cultivator was watching this scene, he would surely understand. This young mans cultivation had gone berserk! Zhang Xuan had never faced any hups practicing the Heavens Path Divine Art, but less than half a month after he arrived in the Azure, his cultivation had actually gone berserk! And from the looks of it, it seemed like he would be crushed if he failed to ovee this ordeal. Hong long long! As Zhang Xuans faith started to crumble, the Library of Heavens Path in his mind began trembling nonstop. It was as if an earthquake had struck, and the entire library was on the verge of falling apart. His doubt was destroying everything within him. Pu! The pressure ced on his body finally reached a limit, and blood spurted from his mouth. Weng! Just as it felt like everything would descend into chaos, the red pendant that Zhang Xuan wore around his neck suddenly emanated a warm glow and embraced him. This warmth felt soothing like the morning sun, and it swiftly calmed down Zhang Xuans flustered mind. His reddened eyes also slowly reverted back to normal. As his consciousness slowly cleared up, an answer slowly emerged before him. I see. It isnt that what I have learned is wrong, but it was just limited in terms of perspective. When viewing things from a higher angle, one is able to get a moreplete picture of everything... This reminded him of the story of blind men touching an elephant. One touched the leg of an elephant and said that it was like a pir. One touched the stomach and said that it was like a wall. One touched the tail and said that it was like a snake... Were they wrong? From an individual perspective, what they were saying was not wrong, but on the whole scale of things, their answers deviated from the truth. This was the problem caused by being unable to view things from a broader perspective. However, given how deep and profound cultivation was, it was impossible for anyone to get an oversight of what cultivation truly was. Perhaps the Library of Heavens Path was the existence closest to achieving that, but even it was not entirely infallible. It was limited by the world that it was in. The Azure was of a higher dimension than the Master Teacher Continent, and it harnessed a bigger trove of information for cultivators to work with in order to perfect their arts. That was why he was starting to find ws in the techniques that he practiced. It was not to say what he had practiced was wrong, but when what he had learned previously was applied to the greater and vaster world of the Azure, his previous knowledge proved somewhat limited. It was the same as what was going on now. This was simr to scientific knowledge in his previous world. There was no doubt that newer and moreplete theories would eventually be formted, but that did not render everything that they were currently learning meaningless. Rather, the current scientific knowledge of today served building blocks that could be used, removed, added on to, or reshaped in order to broaden their horizons and further what they already know. So, thats how it is, Zhang Xuan thought. With thisprehension, the Sword Intent finally fused together with him, granting him an even deeper understanding of swordsmanship. The Speed Sword Quintessence, Strength Sword Quintessence, and Defense Sword Quintessence that he had learned previously flowed through his head and swiftly fused together to create aplete swordsmanship system. Its no wonder no one on the Master Teacher Continent was able to fuse the many Quintessences together as one. Back then, it was thought that it was an impossible feat due to the vastly different attributes of each Quintessence... but it turns out that isnt the case. The problem is that the angle at which they are looking at swordsmanship was simply too low! He had heard from his father, Zhang Zhenxing, that there were very few people who hadprehended two Sword Quintessences, and those who had mastered three Sword Quintessences barely existed in the world. Given so, fusing them together felt nothing more than a pipe dream. He had tried searching for a way then but to no avail. Eventually, he had attributed it to ack of corresponding books and the limitations of his talent... But from the looks of it, it simply meant that Master Teacher Continent had not been ready for it then. Take the famous scientist, Isaac Newton, from his previous world for example. Did he discover gravity just because an apple fell on his head? No, that was not entirely right. It was because he was already standing on the shoulders of giants. There were countless scientists before him who had propped up the umtion of knowledge to a level where he could finally open the door to a new world. The Master Teacher Continent simply had not reached a sufficient level of umtion in order to open the door to new swordsmanship yet. Weng! As the understanding of the various Quintessences fused into one in his head, Zhang Xuans aura swiftly grew. His presence was bing more and more like a sharp sword. His physical body, zhenqi, and soul were undergoing immense refinement and tempering. With such a level of swordsmanship, Ill be truly invincible within my cultivation realm! The reason there was no one who was a match for him in the Ethereal Hall was simply because Starlight City was far too remote. But as he traveled to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and felt the conceptualization from the massive sword at the entrance, he hade to realize that he was not as strong as he thought he was. However, in his current state, even if the Ten Li Sword God back at the Sword God Hall appeared before him, he was confident that he would be able to defeat the other party in a battle of swordsmanship. Weng! After fusing with the Sword Intent, the golden page suddenly zed up and vanished with a puff of smoke. It wasnt a waste at all... Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he opened his eyes once more. That Sword Intent seemed to have put him on top of the shoulders of a giant in an instant, pushing his swordsmanship to levels that he would never have imagined possible before. From that alone, he had profited hugely. Otherwise, even if he had ten years or a hundred years to himself, there was no saying whether he would have been able toprehend this much. Ruoxin, thank you, Zhang Xuan muttered as he sped the red pendant hanging around his neck. When his cultivation went berserk earlier, his mind had been aplete mess. He had already lost control over himself, and even the Library of Heavens Path had nearly been destroyed by that cmity. It was the pendant that Luo Ruoxin had given him that had saved him in that crucial moment. Could it be for the same reason that she had ced the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Library of Heavens Path? Did she anticipate some kind of scenario where he would require the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the future? Anticipate? Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a closer look at the red pendant. With a crimson as deep as blood, it still looked as conspicuous as it previously did. But for some reason, Zhang Xuan felt like it had turned a little dimmer. Just who in the world are you? She knew about the Library of Heavens Path, and it was clear that she had predicted that something like this would happen. The more he came to know about her, the more mysterious she seemed to be. I shouldnt waste time idling around here anymore. I should find the sect leader or the elders and challenge them. Hopefully, I can get some news regarding the Spirit God Pce from them, Zhang Xuan muttered as he stood up and walked out. Walking into the courtyard, he found the subordinate whom he had recently taken in and issued him his first mission. Cao Chengli, I have something I need you to do. I want you to look into how the Ethereal Token of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion can be acquired, and if its convenient, I want you to bring a couple of them to me! Chapter 1950 - Kong shi? (1)

Chapter 1950: Kong shi? (1)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 In the Elder Council, all of the inner elders and above were gathered together. The atmosphere was a little heavy. The books that I organized with great difficulty in the Compendium of Sword Wisdom sensed the Sword Intent and bowed simultaneously to it. In the end, they copsed together from the shelves and ended up getting messed up once more, Elder Wei said indignantly. The massive sword that out founder left behind copsed, causing the mountain gate to fall apart as well, the bubbly elder reported. Another elder sped his fist and said, The disciples who were having their swordsmanship evaluated in the Sword God Hall were all suppressed by that Sword Intent and ended up sustaining some injuries. After hearing the reports from all of the elders, Elder He, who sat at the centermost position in the room, stood up and gazed at the faces around him. I believe all of you should have some understanding of what happened earlier! Yes! the crowd replied. Ever since the passing of our founder, whoprehended the Gods Sword Intent, no other sword practitioner has reached the same height as him, Elder He said. Even the most talented individual in our history was only able to reach Ten Li Sword God. But today, someone hasprehended our ancestors Sword Intent, causing the massive sword at the entrance to copse and all of our Sword Books to bow in submission. I would like to hear your opinions regarding this matter! I think that the emergence of such a talented sword practitioner is the blessing of our sect! Back then, our founder appeared from nowhere and came to fame with a single battle. He stole half a character of (God) from the Hall of Gods, and thats where the term Sword God Hall and the title Sword Gode from! an elder said in agitation. For thousands of years, our predecessors have tried to bring the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion back to its former glory, but its a pity that no one was able to reach the same height as our founder. But today, someone managed toprehend our founders Sword Intent. This means that its just a matter of time before our sect rises through the ranks! Indeed. Of the Six Sects, even Starchaser Pce, which canmunicate with the gods, dare not carry the name of god. Our sects Sword God Hall is the only exception! And right now, another person hasprehended the same Gods Sword Intent that our founder did. As long as we nurture him well, our Sword Pavilion could very wellplete the half a character, thus bing the Sword God Pavilion. That would make us an existence equivalent to the Ethereal Hall! For this half a character, many of our predecessors have fought hard and bled rivers, but sess still eludes us so... Finally, a ray of hope is before us... Quite a few elders rose up in agitation. The person who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent is indeed likely able to acquire the other half a character from the Hall of Gods, thus allowing our sect to bear the full (God) character! This is the wish, as well as the greatest honor we can bring to the sect! Elder He nodded as he clenched his fists tightly. The Forsaken Continent was a ce that was abandoned by the gods. There was only one way to receive the recognition of the gods, and that was to acquire the bestowed character of the gods! The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was the only one among the Six Sects that had been bestowed with a character, but it was only half of one. That meant that they were unqualified to ce it amid the name of their sect. So, they had chosen to put it within their examination hall instead. The reason he had stood at the entrance for thirty years, cultivating diligently regardless of the weather, was in the hope ofprehending the conceptualization of the founder and grasping the crux behind the unparalleled Sword Intent. However, his hard work did not pay off. Eventually, the one whoprehended the Gods Sword Intent was not him. Nevertheless, it was still a huge blessing for the sect for something like this to happen! Ry my orders! Investigate this matter carefully, and find out who released the Sword intent. If any of you uncover the identity of the person, you are to report the matter to me immediately. There mustnt be any dy at all! Elder He instructed strictly. Also, this matter has to kept with the utmost confidentiality. Anyone who reveals it to outsiders will be viewed as traitors of the sect, and they will be shown no mercy! Yes! The crowd nodded grimly. Before I end the meeting, let me re-emphasize the agenda. Uncover the person behind the Gods Sword Intent and report it to me. Ill make sure to ry the matter promptly to the sect leader and ensure that the sect leader rewards him personally! A personal reward from the sect leader? Everyones eyes reddened in excitement. The sect leader possessed unfathomable capabilities. A reward from him was bound to be extraordinary. Just when everyone was getting hyped up about uncovering the identity of the mysterious sword practitioner, a voice suddenly sounded outside. Elder He, External Elder Lu Yun seeks an audience with the Elder Council! Lu Yun? Elder He frowned. Given the scale of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, there were many elders to manage the administrative affairs of the sect. Generally speaking, external elders were unqualified to seek an audience with the Elder Council due to their low standing. Whats the matter? He said that he has discovered a talented sword practitioner, so he hase here to report it. He hopes to apply for the position of an inner disciple for him, the voice reported. He has discovered a talented sword practitioner? Elder Hes eyebrows shot up. Summon him in! The reason he had gathered everyone to conduct this meeting was to uncover the identity of the genius who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Elder Lu Yuns sudden arrival at that moment sparked some hope in his heart. It did not take long for Elder Lu Yun to arrive before the Elder Council. You mentioned that you have found a talented sword practitioner. What happened? Elder He asked. First Elder, I am responsible for recruiting outer disciples and menial disciples. While I was passing by Starlight City... Elder Lu Yun swiftly went through the entire incident, including his encounter with Worlds Edge, Dan Xiaotian easily defeating Huo Jianghe, and the manifestation of his Sword Intent reaching 499 meters. Here is the jade token he left behind in the Sword God Hall! Hes only an Ancient Sage 1-dan cultivator, but hes already able to extend his Sword Intent to nearly a li? Elder He was visibly astonished. He was not the one. The other elders in the council also widened their eyes in disbelief. It was conventionally viewed that ones ability to conceptualize higher swordsmanship was rted to ones innate talent. However, without sufficiently powerful cultivation, one would be unable to seal or drive a powerful Sword Intent! For this reason, it was inconceivable for an Ancient Sage 1-dan cultivator to actually manifest his Sword Intent to nearly a li. That was a feat that far surpassed that of other core disciples! This was indubitably talent at a terrifying scale. The bubbly elder turned to Elder He and asked, Could it be him? A seventeen-year-old Ancient Sage 1-dan sword practitioner... I dont think that its likely that he will have been able toprehend the Gods Sword Intent. Even if hes able to, he wouldnt be able to drive such tremendous power. Nevertheless, theres no doubt that hes a rare genius! Elder He nodded. Even someone of Elder Hes cultivation realm might not necessarily be able to harness the tremendous might of the Gods Sword Intent, let alone the fact that the other party was a seventeen-year-old Ancient Sage 1-dan young man. Thus, he swiftly eliminated this possibility. Our sect wees talented individuals with open arms. Dan Xiaotian will hereby be promoted to an inner disciple, and he shall be bestowed with the privileges of a core disciple. When he reaches Pseudo Immortal realm, hell be promoted directly without undergoing the examination! At this point, Elder He paused for a moment before continuing on. Elder Lu Yun, your merit for discovering such a talent for the sect will not go unnoticed. You are bestowed with a Grand Divinity Pill, and Elder Wu and Elder Bai will aid you in pushing for a breakthrough to the True Immortal realm. Once you seed, you will be promoted to an inner elder of the sect! Hearing that he had received such a huge reward, Elder Lu Yun immediately kneeled onto the floor and eximed, Thank you, Elder He! The Grand Divinity Pill was one of the most precious pills in the sect. Every single one of them was extremely precious, and it was one of the few cultivation resources that one could not buy even with ample money. If a Heavenly Pseudo Immortal cultivator used a single one of those, their chances at achieving a breakthrough would be increased by twenty percent. With this, the odds of him reaching the True Immortal realm would be greatly increased! Not to mention, he would have the guidance of Elder Wu and Elder Bai too! It could be said that he was not too far away from bing an inner elder anymore! Those who have rued merit are rewarded, and those who have erred are punished. This is the rule of our sect, so theres no need for you to stand on ceremony. Until you be an inner elder, youll be in charge of managing Dan Xiaotian. If you notice anything peculiar, report it to me immediately! Elder He instructed. Yes, First Elder! Elder Lu Yun replied excitedly before backing out of the Elder Council. Un! Elder He took onest look around the Elder Council before waving his hand. Alright, youre dismissed. Remember what Ive said. As long as you find that sword practitioner, your rewards will be even more generous than those given to Elder Lu! Yes, First Elder! the crowd replied before leaving the Elder Council. To them, while Dan Xiaotian was indeed a genius, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion did notck people like him. There were plenty of those who could reach two li among the core disciples. There was no doubt that they were surprised by Dan Xiaotians feat, but that was all. Unlike the sword practitioner who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, his presence would not change the sect at its core. Everyone quickly left the room, leaving behind Elder He and the bubbly elder. Are you going to send a message to the sect leader? the bubbly elder asked. Yes. This matter is of grave importance, so we must inform the sect leader of it as soon as possible! Elder He replied with a nod. Our sect leader is currently with the leaders of the other five sects to discuss the once in a century Azure Bridge. Will we be disturbing him by contacting him at this juncture? the bubbly elder asked worriedly. I doubt it. Even if we dont inform our sect leader of it right away, those from the other sects will surely transmit the news too. Itll be terrible if our sect leader doesnt receive firsthand news from us directly! Elder He replied. He took out a special jade token and swiftly carved a message on it. After he was done, the special jade token suddenly burst into mes before vanishing from sight. ... White clouds drifted peacefully on a mountain peak of unimaginable height. From afar, the melodious cries from a flock of divine cranes could faintly be heard. A small stream trickled not too far away, and the light refreshing fragrance of nature lingered in the air. From afar, this ce looked no different from paradise. Beneath an ancient pine tree, several figures were gathered in a circle. A beautifuldy raised her teacup and sipped on it gracefully before speaking nonchntly. I propose that we stick with our previous rules. Theres no need to waste our time bickering over the same matter again. The rules we agreed on previously are fair and rational, but we have never seeded even after so many attempts over the years. I fear that sticking to the conventions will get us nowhere, an old man replied. Oh? You sound as if you have a better n in mind. Why dont you share it so that we can confer over it! the beautifuldy scoffed. Du Qingyuan, your Starchaser Pce is the only one among the Six Sects that is able to liaise with the Ethereal Hall. You should know that the main reason we are gathered here is to listen to your opinion on the matter. Could it be that you wish to remain here instead of finding a way out? If Im not mistaken, your lifespan is already nearing its limits, right? the middle-aged man seated opposite the beautifuldy said with a frown. Its true that we are able to liaise with the Ethereal Hall, but you should also know what kind of existence the Ethereal Hall is. Just because we are able to liaise with it doesnt mean that we have aplete understanding of the entity. Also, while my lifespan is indeed nearing its limits, if you think that our Starchaser Pce is a pushover just because of that, you can give it a try. I am more than happy to have a duel with you right here, right now! The beautifuldy, Du Qingyuan, smirked coldly. Alright, calm down. We are here to discuss the matter, not toe to blows with one another! The old man who spoke previously swiftly mediated between the two. Sect Leader Qin, you should cool down a little. Pce Master Du, you also know that Sect Leader Qin has always been a little extreme with his words, so do bear with him a little. I dont think that well be able toe to a conclusion discussing the matter like this. Thus, I have already liaised with Hall Master Kong from the Ethereal Hall, and he should be arriving soon enough... Before the old man could finish his words, a schrly middle-aged man dressed in a robe suddenly appeared before everyone. He had a faint smile on his lips. It seems like Brother Han understands me well... Chapter 1951 - Kong shi? (2)

Chapter 1951: Kong shi? (2)

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97 The arrival of the middle-aged man immediately prompted everyone to rise to their feet. They might have been the leaders of the Six Sects, but they knew that there was a disparity in their positionspared to the middle-aged man before them. The Six Sects were like six massive empires, each of them governingrge swathes ofnd. However, the Ethereal Hall was an existence that covered the entire world. Wherever one could find humans, there was an Ethereal Hall and Ethereal Tokens. Despite not possessing anynd, its influence had already permeated the entire Forsaken Continent. Not to mention, no one knew just how powerful the middle-aged man standing before them truly was. Ordinary cultivators had a limit to their lifespan, but the concept of aging did not seem to apply to the middle-aged man before them. He first made his name several thousand years ago, such that there was no one in the world who did not know of him. Yet, he did not seem to have changed a bit since then. Even though the few of them were powerhouses standing at the very top of the world, they still naturally deferred to him. They sped their fists and greeted him. Paying respects to Hall Master Kong! Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Hall Master Kong chuckled as he took his seat. The reason we have troubled Hall Master Kong to make a trip here is to discuss the matter concerning the Azure Bridge. Should we continue with the agreement that we made previously, or should we reshuffle the cards and negotiate a new arrangement? the old man known as Brother Han asked. Indeed. Four thousand years ago, you barged through the Azure Bridge and defeated the experts of the Hall of Gods, thus acquiring a single (Ethereal) character. With that character, you created the Ethereal Hall. You have a greater understanding of the Hall of Gods than anyone else here, and theres no one more suitable than you to rify our doubts! Sect Leader Qin said. I did enter the Hall of Gods, but the horrors that lie within arent something that can be summarized in just a few words. The Azure Bridge appears once every hundred years, but no one has seeded in the past several thousand years. Its about time to shake things up a little, Hall Master Kong said with a chuckle. He was just about to continue speaking when Brother Han suddenly flicked his wrist, and a jade token appeared in his hands. Lowering his gaze to take a look, Brother Hans eyes lit up. Whats wrong, Brother Han? Sect Leader Qin asked. I just received a report from my sect members. A genius who hasprehended the Sword Intent left behind by the founder has just appeared! Brother Han said with a chuckle. The Sword Intent left behind by your founder? You dont mean... the Gods Sword Intent? Hall Master Kong was slightly taken aback. Indeed! Brother Han nodded in response. Its said that the Gods Sword Intent can only be executed andprehended by the gods. The person who hasprehended it is bound to achieve great things in the future! Hall Master Kongs eyes lit up as he asked with a smile, May I know whats the name of the sect member? Well... Im afraid that my elders are still looking into the matter at the moment. So far, they have only detected a resonance with the Sword Intent left behind by the founder, Brother Han replied. I see! Hall Master Kong nodded. Since such a figure has appeared, I think theres a greater need to change the rules concerning the Azure Bridge. Of course, we should discuss this matter only after you find that talented sword practitioner, Brother Han. We have to find out who the person is and what kind of abilities he wields in order to make concrete ns, right? We concur. The others nodded in agreement. Very well. We shall adjourn the meeting till further notice! Hall Master Kong said. Un! Thus, the leaders of the Six Sects quickly went on their own ways. Brother Han was just about to head back to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion when he suddenly heard a gust of winding his way. The next moment, Hall Master Kong was already standing before him. Hall Master Kong! Brother Han sped his fist and bowed. Brother Han, theres something that I wish to pass on to you. The person who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent is bound to y an essential role on the Azure Bridge. While I have no idea how powerful he is at the moment, as an elder, I would still like to bestow a gift upon him. This is a token representing my identity. If you find the person in question, please do give it to him. With this token, hell be able to purchase anything in the Ethereal Hall without spending any money! Hall Master Kong smiled as he passed a jade token into Brother Hans hands. Allow me to thank you on behalf of my disciple! Brother Han sped his fist and bowed grandly. The Ethereal Hall was a power with influence all over the world. The fact that this jade token could purchase any cultivation resources for free meant that its value was inestimable! It could be said that as long as a cultivator had this jade token in hand, all of the resources of the Forsaken Continent would be in their possession. They would have no need to worry about money and the like anymore. There was truly no greater gift than this! Youre too courteous, Hall Master Kong replied with an amiable smile. You should also know that the purpose of the Ethereal Halls existence is to strengthen cultivators. I view it as my responsibility to nurture the experts of the world. Hall Master Kong, you are truly a magnanimous person. I am truly in awe. Pardon me, but there are some matters I have to attend to back at my sect. If theres nothing else, Ill be taking my leave. Brother Han sped his fist before flitting away swiftly. Hall Master Kong ced his hands behind his back as he looked at Brother Hans departing figure. It was impossible to tell what was running through his mind. A momentter, he raised his head and looked into the sky. He could have been talking to another person, or perhaps it was just mumblings to himself. Ive waited so many years, and finally, my patience has paid off... Doe out soon. I dont know how much longer I can wait... Hu! With a gust of wind, Hall Master Kong vanished from sight. ... Zhang Xuan waspletely oblivious to what had happened at the Elder Council or the mountain. At that moment, he was looking right at Cao Chengli with a terribly displeased look on his face. He had dispatched thetter to gather some news, but that fellow had ended up returning with a swollen face. If not for the surge of Heavens Path zhenqi that he had infused into the other partys body previously, the other party might have died. I told you to gather news regarding the Ethereal Token, didnt I? Just what did you do tond yourself in such a state? Zhang Xuan asked in vexation. Even his previous butler, Sun Qiang, was more capable than this. He knew that any task that he entrusted to Sun Qiang would be aplished impably. While Sun Qiang did love to brag, at the very least, he had never ended up getting pummeled so badly within an hour after heading out! This... I... Cao Chenglis face turned incredibly awkward. After hearing Cao Chenglis exnation, Zhang Xuan was renderedpletely speechless. In the end, Cao Chengli was still true to his nature as a bandit. While he was trying to gather information, he had seen a beautiful menial disciple and tried to flirt with her. As a result, he had nearly gotten killed on the spot. Cao Chengli, I made an exception back then by taking you in. No matter how you were before, I expect you to keep yourself in line as long as you are under me. I dont need someone unprincipled under me, Zhang Xuan said sternly. Cao Chengli was truly far too brazen! The menial disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were at least at Great Sage 3-dan, and to dare to flirt with them with his current cultivation realm... he was courting death! If others did not know that he was Dan Xiaotians servant, all that would have been left of him was just a cold, hard corpse. But Young Master, you also know that I have held it in for more than ten days. Furthermore, I didnty my hands on her at all! I asked her as gentlemanly and politely as I could... Cao Chenglis face reddened in embarrassment. He had always been an unrestrained man with a powerful libido, and his record of taking down seven women together with him at the brothel back then spoke a lot about him. Asking him to hold back for ten days was really pushing him. He had thought that with his dashing looks, he could at least seduce one of the female menial disciples to get together with him. Yet, who could have known that he would be pummeled as soon as he started speaking? Seeing how Cao Chengli was still adamantly insisting on his point on view, Zhang Xuan covered his head with his hand. Dan Xiaotian was right; he should not have epted this fellow. He felt like his reputation was slowly being sullied by him! Enough! I dont want to see such things happening again, understood? How did the matter I have entrusted to you go? Seeing that he had caught the Young Masters ire, Cao Chengli did not dare run his mouth anymore. He quickly bowed slightly and reported, Young Master, I have already looked into the matter, and the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Ethereal Token is on sale in the inner disciples market. The price is roughly twenty Sword Pavilion Coins! Twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? Zhang Xuan frowned. It did not sound like a lot of money, but he did not know the purchasing power of Sword Pavilion Coins either. How many Sword Pavilion Coins is a Basic Immortal Pill worth here? Zhang Xuan asked. Ah... I havent looked into that yet! Cao Chengli replied with an embarrassed chuckle. Where is the inner disciples market then? This... Cao Chengli tilted his head and asked, Should I look into that too? What did you look into then? Zhang Xuans face was growing more and more livid by the moment. The youngdy who beat me up earlier is the subordinate of an inner disciple called Liu Lujie. Shes 1.7 meters tall, and her three sizes are 85, 74, 88. Her legs are at least a meter long, and they are fair and smooth. More importantly, their proportions are truly the work of a god. Young Master, let me tell you, I have seen a lot of women in my lifetime, and thisdy definitely ranks among the top on my list. Cao Chenglis eyes lit up in excitement. Enough! Zhang Xuan waved his hands furiously. What the heck was that? Instead of properly aplishing whatever that was asked of him, he had spent his time uncovering such nonsense. Just what the heck are your priorities? Remember your responsibilities! You are here to serve us, not flirt with girls! Right now, head out and find where the inner disciples market is. If you dare return without finding it, Ill have you castrated! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. With a flick of his finger, a surge of sword qi gathered above Zhang Xuan. It rumbled loudly as if it was ready toy devastation upon something. Y-yes! Feeling a cold air around his crotch, Cao Chenglis face paled as he immediately mmed his thighs shut in fear. And if you cant find it by tonight... Ill tame a stallion and let it have its way with you! Zhang Xuan threatened menacingly. Cao Chengli immediately clenched his bottom cheeks together in horror. He had thought his new master to be a very prim and proper person. How could he have known that he would actually have such vile thoughts in mind? To actually think of taming a stallion and using it against him... All of a sudden, Cao Chengli remembered the horse that night who could use martial arts and was able to serve Zhang Xuan tea. If his master put his mind to it, he would really be able to do it! No, I cant allow that to happen! Ill never be able to raise my head high as a man ever again! Ill head out right now! Without daring to utter a single useless word, Cao Chengli ran out of the room so quickly that it seemed as if he was fleeing from a monster. This time, under Zhang Xuans threat, Cao Chengli quickly returned with the necessary information. Young Master, the inner disciples market is located at the foot of this mountain. I have also looked into the price of the Basic Immortal Pill, and a single one of them costs around two Sword Pavilion Coins! Cao Chengli replied formally. A single Basic Immortal Pill is worth two Sword Pavilion Coins whereas the Ethereal Token costs twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? This... Isnt the disparity in price simply too huge? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Back at Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall, a Basic Immortal Pill was worth 100,000 Ethereal Coins whereas the Ethereal Token was only worth 20,000 Ethereal Coins! Yet, the Ethereal Token was actually worth ten times more than a Basic Immortal Pill here! This intion was a little too frightening! Im not too sure about the details, but these are the prices I have gathered so far, Cao Chengli exined as he squeezed his thighs tightly together, fearing that Zhang Xuan would make a move on him in a fit of anger. Bring me to the inner disciples market! I want to take a look at it myself! Knowing that it was meaningless to waste his time on words, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out of the room. Chapter 1952 - Selling Bathwater

Chapter 1952: Selling Bathwater

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric The inner disciples market was an informal trading site managed and frequented by inner disciples. It was the ce where inner disciples purchase and sell their possessions. Under Cao Chenglis lead, it didnt take long for them to arrive at the destination. The market looked rather shabby. In essence, it was just a small courtyard by the foot of the mountain. After shing their tokens, Zhang Xuan and Cao Chengli were granted entry into the market. As soon they entered, they saw quite a number of vendors around with a couple of goods ced before them. Swords, cultivation technique manuals, medicinal herbs, pills, tamed beasts... It had most of the basic necessities that a cultivator would need covered! Most of the goods they were selling werent from the sect. Rather, they were the personal possessions that inner disciples had either acquired in the midst of their mission or brought over from their ns. We only ept Sword Pavilion Coins and not Basic Immortal Pills! This was the answer that Zhang Xuan received from the vendors when he tried to trade with them. The main reason why they were selling their goods here was to earn some Sword Pavilion Coins so that they could enter the Compendium of Sword Wisdom and the Hall of Sparring Swords. Those were the ces inner disciples would often head to in order to further their path in the Way of the Sword. What should I do now? Zhang Xuan thought in frustration. He thought that he would be able to exchange the Basic Immortal Pills he had acquired from Cao Chengli for money, but who could have thought that none of them were epting it at all! What was most highly regarded in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was not ones cultivation but ones mastery in swordsmanship. Only with superior swordsmanship would a disciple stand out from his peers and be viewed as an asset to the sect. In return, the sect would provide him with ample resources required for him to advance his cultivation. As such, cultivation resources such as Basic Immortal Pills were less valuable in contrast here. Young Master, should we just... resort to stealing? I saw a few people who arent as strong as you back there. As long as we try to lure them to a corner and kill them, we should be able to acquire whatever we need... Seeing the frustrated look on Zhang Xuans face, Cao Chengli stepped forward and presented a solution to him. You... Snatch your head! Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from rage. Can you use moremon sense when you speak? We are in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! If you wish to die, go ahead and try stealing something then! And dupe to a corner? Do you really think that inner disciples are fools? The cultivators who have managed to make it here do have some skills, you know! You should already be thankful that they arent trying to rob you! If that doesnt work, why dont I try seducing one of the vendors with my charm then? Just a while ago, I saw a beautiful inner disciple selling her stuff over there... Cao Chengli continued presenting his solutions. Zhang Xuan sped his face. At this moment, he really wanted to kick Cao Chengli and get rid of him once and for all. Go ahead and do whatever you want. Just dont say that you are associated with me and donte looking for me after you get into trouble! Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently as he continued walking through the streets. After visiting quite a few vendors, he found that the price of Ethereal Tokens was standard. All of them were worth twenty Sword Pavilion Coins. The Basic Immortal Pill was also only worth two Sword Pavilion Coins each. In other words, even with all the wealth he had on hand, he still wouldnt have enough money to buy an Ethereal Token. Why would the price of an Ethereal Token be so much higher than a Basic Immortal Pill? Zhang Xuan asked one of the inner disciple vendors. Ah, you must be used to the prices of Ethereal Tokens from remote locations. Those Ethereal Tokens bnces the cultivation to just Great Sage 1-dan, so their prices are of course lower. On the other hand, the Ethereal Tokens sold in our sect bnces the cultivation to Ancient Sage 1-dan, so it goes without saying that its worth a lot more. If you are already astonished by this pricing, you should take a look at the Ethereal Tokens used by core disciples. Their Ethereal Tokens bnces the cultivation to Pseudo Immortal realm, and the cost is way higher than this! the inner disciple vendor replied. I see! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. To be honest, he didnt think that the answer would be so simple. He thought that all Ethereal Tokens were the same, but that was clearly not the case. With a cultivation realm of Ancient Sage 1-dan, a cultivator would be able to try out more powerful sword arts. Naturally, its price would be higher. After asking a few more questions to familiarize himself with the vendor, he finally asked, Well, the reason why I came to the market is because I urgently require an Ethereal Token. However, I dont really have any money on hand at the moment. Is there any fast way for me to earn money here? Fast way to earn money? Tell me about it when you find one... If I had a better idea in mind, I wouldnt be here selling my goods! the inner disciple vendor rolled his eyes. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. Taking his leave, he continued walking through the streets with a contemtive look on his face. I only have seven Basic Immortal Pills and a storage ring at the moment... I wont be able to earn twenty Sword Pavilion Coins even if I were to sell all of it... If he had valuable goods too, he could still consider setting up his own store too, just like what the other inner disciples had done. The problem with that was that he didnt have anything of much value on hand at the moment! Take storage rings for example. Despite being a raremodity in Xuanjiang City, everyone he had met in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion so far actually had one each. When he asked about the matter, he realized that it was actually possible to even rent one from the sect... There was no market for it at all! As for his Basic Immortal Pills, even if he, by any chance, managed to find some buyers, he still wouldnt be able to earn enough money to purchase an Ethereal Token. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan began racking his brain once again over his ever-present mary issues when a brilliant idea suddenly struck him. Right! The Dongxu Gourds bathwater has the mystical effect of curing ones injuries swiftly. It should be able to fetch quite a good price if I were to sell it! To be honest, he hadnt really done much ever since arriving in the Azure. Other than fighting duels, he knew of no other ways he could earn money quickly. If there was anything he had that was of value to the others, it could only be the gourds bathwater. Fortunately, he still had several bottles of it in his storage ring. This gourds bathwater was exceptionally effective in healing wounds, such that there were probably no pills in the market that couldpete with it. As long as he could market it well and sell it out, he should be able to make enough money to purchase an Ethereal Token! Its settled then! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan took out a few materials from his storage ring and set up a stand. He took out the jade bottles containing the gourds bathwater andid it out neatly before him. He hesitated for a moment before taking out a cloth and writing the words Godly Recovery Medicine before sitting down. Godly Recovery Medicine? Brother, you really dont fear death! Dont you know that the word God mustnt be used casually? Youll be obliterated once the gods find out about it! the inner disciple sitting beside Zhang Xuan took a look at his sign and eximed in horror. The word mustnt be casually used? But... doesnt the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion have a ce called the Sword God Hall too? The (God) character that is used in the Sword God Hall was snatched from the Hall of Gods by the founder of our sect. However, as our founder had only managed to snatch half a character, he only had the right to use the character in the name of an ordinary building and not in the sects name. Of the entire continent, only the Ethereal Hall has the right to bear this character in its name! Legend has it that the founder of the Ethereal Hall singlehandedly barged into the Hall of Gods and forcefully took an entire (God) character right beneath the eyelids of the gods! the inner disciple exined. The Azure actually limits the use of certain characters too? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. After asking a few more questions, he finally came to understand what was going on. The Azure, also known as the Forsaken Continent, was said to be a piece ofnd tossed away by the gods. The gods viewed thisnd in disdain and prohibited the beings living in it from using the character, (God). This rule applied to everyone, be it the Six Sects or ordinary civilians. If one really had to use this character, there was only one way one could do so. One would have to enter the Hall of Gods and steal the (God) character from the gods! Over the past few millenniums, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the Ethereal Hall were the only ones who had seeded. The former managed to steal half a character whereas thetter seeded in iming an entire character from the Hall of Gods... The other sects had tried their hand too, but they had never seeded before. From this, it could be seen just how frightening the Hall of Gods was. It seemed like the (God) character was indeed not to be used carelessly. Thus, Zhang Xuan erased Godly Recovery Medicine from the board and changed it to Divine Recovery Medicine. He pondered for a brief moment before adding a tagline below All kinds of injuries and illnesses will be cured in the blink of an eye!. After that was done, he began waiting patiently for customers to arrive. Two hours passed swiftly. There were quite a few customers who came over to his stand to take a closer look. However, when they uncorked the jade bottle and examined the contents inside, they shook their heads in disappointment and left. Most recovery medicine sold in the market were overflowing with spiritual energy, but whatever that was in the jade bottle appeared to be no different from ordinary in water. Who would want to waste valuable Sword Pavilion Coins to purchase something as useless as this? Before long, the sun was already starting to set by the horizon. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan was just about to pack up for the day when a youngdy suddenly walked over. This youngdy appeared to be in her early twenties, While her looks couldntpare with Zhao Ya and the others, her tall stature and delicate features made her a rare beauty. Zhang Xuan noticed that her eyebrows were tightly knitted together, as if there was something weighing down her heart. Is your medicine really effective? the youngdy walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked. Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded. It can heal any injuries in a heartbeat. If it doesnt work, Ill give you a full refund right away! A close kin of mine has been injured by an immortal beast. We have tried using all kinds of medicine on him, but nothing worked at all... I guess Ill just give your medicine a try too. How much does each bottle cost? the youngdy paused for a brief moment before asking. That close kin of hers had been diagnosed by the best physicians in the sect, and he had tried all kinds of medicine too. However, all of them proved to be ineffective. It was out of sheer frustration that she was roamed from market to market, hoping to stumble upon a miracle. As such, the board which Zhang Xuan had put up swiftly caught her attention. The tagline he had put up promised to cure all kinds of injuries and illnesses. Thus, as unlikely as the chances were, she chose to give it a try. Perhaps, this might just be the miracle that her close kin needed to recover. She had to give it a try. Each bottle costs twenty Sword Pavilion Coins! Zhang Xuan replied. Twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? Why dont you go rob a bank instead? the youngdy was astonished. Ordinary recovery pills, even those at Pseudo Immortal-tier, were worth only ten Sword Pavilion Coins. Yet, this jade bottle filled with what that appeared to be no different from clear water actually cost twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? You must be trying to scam me! Youngdy, my goods are worth every single coin I charge. The reason why I dare to charge a premium price is because I am confident in my medicine. Otherwise, I would just be asking to be killed for setting up a stand like this! Zhang Xuan replied to the youngdy calmly. You can choose not to buy if you find it too pricey, but just know that this price will never change! After which, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes once more, as if he could care less if the youngdy wanted to buy or not. He had never really done business himself, but having read many books, he knew of themon tricks and psychological maniption that businessmen used. If he were to desperately try to promote his goods, it would make his product appear less credible instead. On the contrary, if he maintained a lofty attitude that rendered it impossible for others to read him, there was a greater chance that he would be able to win the trust of others. Besides, the bathwater he was selling was as miraculous as he imed it to be! And from the looks of it, it seemed like Zhang Xuans ploy was indeed working. In any other circumstances, the youngdy would have walked away without any hesitation. However, the fact that she was unable to see through the effects of the bottle of water and the bizarrely confident attitude the vendor had put up was making her hesitate. The condition her close kin was suffering from was not something any ordinary medicine could cure, so the air of mystery around the medicine ended up reeling in the youngdy instead. After all, what she was looking for was a miracle, a supernatural force that could somehow achieve the impossible. After a moment of hesitation, she took a bottle and harrumphed, Fine, Ill buy your medicine. However, you should know that Im not a person to be trifled with. If your medicine doesnt work, Ill hunt you down and show you the consequences of daring to scam me! Rest assured. If my medicine is ineffective, Ill smash my own store before you can even say a single word, Zhang Xuan replied with perfect nonchnce, almost as if he had heard far too much of such words in the past. He was nning to sell the bathwater this once anyway. Once he acquired an Ethereal Token, he wouldnt have to resort to such means to earn money anymore. After all, he was a professional at raking in money through duels! That would be for the best! the youngdy replied. She took out a bag and tossed it over casually, Here is your twenty Sword Pavilion Coins! After which, the youngdy turned around and left the inner disciples market. Zhang Xuan excitedly opened up the bag and counted its contents swiftly. There was indeed twenty Sword Pavilion Coins in there! He thought that he would have to camp at the market for another few days before he could find a buyer, but things were going much more smoothly than he thought. Rising to his feet, he was just about to pack up his stand when the vendor seated opposite to him suddenly his over and shook his head in pity. You should run away as quickly as you can. In fact, you should leave the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for the time being. Otherwise, you might be smashed into meat paste very soon! Chapter 1953 - Elder Bai Ye

Chapter 1953 Elder Bai Ye

Why do you say so? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Why do I say so? The inner disciple looked at Zhang Xuan with sympathy. Do you know whom the youngdy that came by earlier is? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Shes the granddaughter of Elder Bai Ye, one of the Three Grand Elders of our sect, Bai Ruanqing! The inner disciple shook his head. Dont let her appearance deceive you. She might have seemed gentle earlier, but shes actually no different from a female dinosaur. Her notoriety has spread across the entire sect, and not even her fellow core disciples dare to cross her! To dare dupe her into spending so much money to sell that useless bottle of water of yours... theres no way shell let you off as long as you stay in the sect. If you do, you can start writing a letter to your n to get them to prepare your funeral now. At least therell be someone to collect your body for you! Female dinosaur? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He could not feel any of that from the youngdys amiable attitude earlier though. You seem to be doubting my words. Last year, a core disciple named Su Tong went to confess to her, but she dragged him to the dueling ring and sent a vicious kick right to his crotch. Even now, he still hasnt recovered from his injuries. A few months ago, another core disciple named Zhang Yue seemed to have offended her due to some matter, and he was pummeled to the point he was bedridden for an entire month! I was curious and snuck a peek at his ward, and I can tell you he looked more miserable than you can ever imagine! Right, there was this incident several weeks back where a core disciple named Xue Hai tried selling fake medicine, just like you. She thrust his head into the river water and nearly drowned him. That wasnt all... She even cut off half of his tongue at the end to send out a stern warning to others. Given that even core disciples have fallen victim to her, do you think that youll be able to get away scot-free after scamming her? This... Zhang Xuan scratched his head. The youngdy earlier had a delicate look that made it hard to associate her with the demoness that the inner disciple had just described. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still doubtful of his words, the inner disciple sighed deeply before asking, Do you know how powerful she is? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Last year, when she fought with Su Tong, she had already reached Heavenly Pseudo Immortal. Whether she has taken another step forward since then, Ill leave that to your imagination! the inner disciple said as he pulled his stand away from Zhang Xuan. In any case, let me put some distance between us first. I dont want to be implicated when she finallyes over to massacre you. Sigh, it sure is getting hard to do business nowadays! Not only do I have to keep a low profile, I also have to guard against those seeking death... What a bother! ... Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Its fine, you dont have to move. Ill be leaving after getting myself an Ethereal Token! Zhang Xuan packed up his stand and stood up. The main reason he had gone to the market was to get himself an Ethereal Token. Since he had enough money, he just had to get what he had gone for, and he would be ready to leave. I want an Ethereal Token. Heres twenty Sword Pavilion Coins! Zhang Xuan said as he walked over to the opposite vendor and tossed the bag of money over. That wont be enough. The price of the Ethereal Token has just gone up. Youll have to pay twenty-five Sword Pavilion Coins now! The inner disciple in charge of the store threw the bag of money back at Zhang Xuan. The price has just gone up? Didnt you say it only costs twenty Sword Pavilion Coins earlier? Zhang Xuan frowned. It was indeed just twenty earlier, but now that you have offended Bai Ruanqing, youre pretty much certainly dead... What am I supposed to do if she learns that Ive sold something to you and makes trouble for me? The additional five Sword Pavilion Coins is just a mental assurance and emergency medical fee for me. Its only because Im close to you that I hiked the price up by just a few Sword Pavilion Coins. If it was anyone else, I wouldnt have even sold it to him at all! the inner disciple said vehemently. You... Zhang Xuans face twitched. Was that supposed female dinosaur really that frightening? Unwilling to give up just like that, Zhang Xuan walked over to the other stores selling Ethereal Tokens, but not a single vendor was willing to sell one to him. Clearly, news that he had offended that female dinosaur had already spread. In order to avoid getting implicated, no one was willing to do business with him anymore. Those fellows! Zhang Xuan gnashed his teeth angrily. At that moment, he really wanted to do what Cao Chengli had suggested and simply rob them. After all the effort that he had gone through, it turned out that no one was willing to sell the Ethereal Token to him anymore. Forget it... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He would just have to find other means to obtain an Ethereal Token. Just as he was about to leave, Cao Chengli suddenly walked up to him and said, Young Master, I have sessfully acquired the Ethereal Token that you requested! Following which, he passed two of them over. Looking at the jade tokens in Cao Chenglis hands, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief. After his half a day of effort, he did not even manage to obtain a single Ethereal Token. How in the world did this unreliable subordinate of his acquire two then? Didnt I tell you earlier? I saw a beautiful inner disciple... Cao Chengliughed a little cheekily as he scratched his head. Just as he was about to exin the situation, Zhang Xuan suddenly saw a gigantic woman of roughly three hundred jin walking over. Darling, lets hurry. My bed is huge and spacious. Most importantly of all, its extremely soft... (300 jin = 150kg) Yes, honey. Ill be right over! Cao Chengli nodded sweetly in response. He turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Young Master, Ill be going over for a moment. Ill exin the details to you after I return... Then, he skipped out of the inner disciples market excitedly with thedy on his arm. ... Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead. He felt like he had opened his eyes that day. But regardless of how Cao Chengli had managed to do it, there was no doubt that he did have some capability. In just a few hours, not only did he acquire two Ethereal Tokens, he had even managed to get himself a reservation on thatdys bed. But if he thought more deeply into the issue, for selling his subordinate out for material possessions, did that not pretty much make him a pimp? Zhang Xuan shuddered a little as he quickly shook those thoughts out of his mind before leaving the market. The shrill call of a beast echoed in the sky above Elder Bai Yes residence. Leaping down from above, Bai Ruanqing quickly pushed the door open and rushed into the residence. Young Mistress! An old man walked up to greet Bai Ruanqing. He was Elder Bai Yes personal butler, Bai Feng. Bai Feng had grown up with Elder Bai Ye, and the two of them had entered the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion at the same time. Even though Bai Feng was not well-known in the sect, those who were acquainted with him knew that he was far more than an ordinary old man. Seemingly aware that Bai Ruanqing had been out to find some recovery herbs for Elder Bai Ye once again, Bai Feng sighed deeply before advising, Young Mistress, I understand your feelings, but the Old Masters injuries were left behind from his trip to the City of Copsed Space. His wounds are infused with some kind of mysterious energy that tears him apart from within. The sect has already tried everything at its disposal, but it was to no avail. I really dont think that theres anything you can buy from the markets of the outer disciples and inner disciples that will be effective on the Old Master, Young Mistress! I The City of Copsed Space was one of the most elusive ces on the Forsaken Continent. There were untold treasures hidden in there, but great peril awaited those who dared step onto its soil. If it was just an ordinary injury, given Bai Yes identity as the Third Elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, they would have been treated a long time ago. However, the peculiar nature of his injuryplicated the matter. Everything that they had tried on him had been futile. Furthermore, his condition seemed to be worsening by the day, and most likely, he only had a few days ahead of him. It was precisely for this reason that Bai Ruanqing went out every single day for all kinds of mysterious pills and medicine, hoping for a miracle to happen. But in truth, all of it was for naught. Bai Ruanging clenched her fists tightly as she said, I know what you are saying is true, but... How could she not know that her efforts were unlikely to reap any reward? But for her to sit idle and watch her only kin die just like that... her heart was not able to take it! Sigh! Knowing Bai Ruanqings thoughts, Bai Feng sighed weakly and said, So, what have you brought this time? Can you let me take a look at it? Its this... Bai Ruanqing passed the jade bottle that she had just bought over. Bai Feng took the jade bottle, uncorked it, and took a whiff. Soon, he shook his head and said, Young Mistress, this isnt medicine at all. I have lived for 150 years, and I have seen all kinds of medicine in my lifetime. However, this water has no spiritual energy at all. Could it be that you have been scammed? For a medicine to be effective, it had to contain spiritual energy in order to nourish ones body. However, what was in the jade bottle seemed no different from clear water. There was no hint of spiritual energy. Could it be that the Young Mistress had been too excited and gotten scammed? An internal disciple sold it to me. He said that its a divine medicine that can heal any wound and illness, Bai Ruanqing said with a lowered head. She did have her doubts when she purchased it, but her grandpa was already nearing his limits. She had to clutch onto every sliver of hope there was. Not to mention, the person who sold her the medicine had been extremely confident, which indicated something. After all, she was extremely famous in the sect, such that there was no inner disciple or core disciple who did not know of her. He should have known the cost of lying to her, and yet, he was still willing to make such a bold im. He might really have something to substantiate his ims! A divine medicine that can heal any wound and illness? It doesnt have a shred of spiritual energy in it, and he still dared sell it to you... Bai Feng harrumphed. That person sure is brazen! How much did it cost? Twenty Sword Pavilion Coins, Bai Ruanging replied meekly. Twenty? Bai Feng was stunned for a moment before blowing his top. Young Mistress, I am certain that you have been scammed! With twenty Sword Pavilion Coins, you can buy ten Basic Immortal Pills! Yet, he actually charged such a price for this bottle of clear water. Which elder is that inner disciple under? Ill head over there right now to demand an exnation! Does that person think that he can take advantage of us just because Elder Bai is injured? Boom! Under his rage, immense energy poured out from his acupoints. The entire residence rattled unsteadily, seemingly on the verge of copsing under his wrath. Elder Bai might have been injured and on the verge of death, but as long as he, Bai Feng, lived, he would not allow anyone to take advantage of the Young Mistress! That inner disciple was courting death! I... I was willing to buy it. He didnt scam me... Bai Ruanqings face reddened. The other party did say that she had the choice to buy it if she wanted to, and he did not force her into making a decision. Those words did not quell Bai Fengs rage in the least. You were willing to buy it? Humph, he must have relied on some flowery words to dupe you... Alright. Regardless of whether there is spiritual energy in it or not, since we have already bought it, lets give it to grandpa and see if it works... Bai Ruanqing interjected before walking right into the main bedroom. Standing by the bedside, Bai Ruanqing looked at the withered face of an old man with a pained look. There was a gaping depression in his chest, and the flesh in that region had started rotting, emanating a pungent smell. The eyes of this elder were tightly shut; even the earliermotion was not enough to wake him up. Grandpa, you must get well, Bai Ruanqing muttered as she helped the elder up and poured the water in the jade bottle slowly into his mouth. After she was done, she waited for a moment, but the rotting flesh showed no signs on improving at all. Slowly, Bai Ruanqings face darkened. There is no spiritual energy at all, so the medicine is bound to be fake. Young Mistress, you mustnt listen to the words of these scammers in the future. Even the sect elders who specialize in medicine have tried treating the Old Master, but they were unable to do anything at all. Given so, how can medicine sold by mere disciples possibly be effective? Bai Feng sighed deeply At that moment, a feeble voice was heard. Cough cough cough... What did you just give me? Bai Ruanqing and Bai Fengs eyes slowly widened in shock before they hurriedly turned their gazes over. At some point in time, the unconscious Elder Bai Ye had opened his eyes once more. He was still in a weak state, but he had finally regained consciousness after so long! Chapter 1954 - Betting (1)

Chapter 1954 Betting (1)

This medicine is effective? Bai Ruanqings eyes reddened in agitation. She was more than aware of her grandfathers condition. If not for his superior cultivation, he would have already died. Even so, he was alsoing to the end of his life. Most likely, he would breathe hisst within the next two days. Thus, it was shocking to her that her grandfather would wake up and speak after drinking a bottle of clear water. Even the most advanced Life Continuation Pill of their sect did not have such remarkable effects! Old Master! Bai Feng immediately rushed over to help Elder Bai Ye up. At the same time, he drove his zhenqi into the other partys body to check his internal condition. A momentter, his eyes widened in shock as he remarked, Old Masters injuries actually recovered a little... While the recovery was not too apparent, it was a fact that the medicine did work. The destructive energy that was corroding Elder Bai Yes organs, zhenqi, and soul had actually been curbed! That destructive energy was a unique and unstoppable force of the City of Copse Space, and there was no known medicine in the world that could treat it. Who could have known that the bottle of clean water that the Bai Ruanqing had brought over would achieve the inconceivable? Young Mistress, where did you buy that bottle of medicine from? Bai Feng asked anxiously. I bought it from the internal disciples market... Bai Ruanqing quickly snapped out from her shocked state. You bought just one bottle? It was probably due to the insufficient quantity of medicine that Elder Bai Ye had only recovered a little. Nevertheless, it was obvious from the current situation that the clear water had the effect of curbing Elder Bai Yes injuries. As long as they acquired a sufficient amount of it, it was possible for Elder Bai Ye to make a full recovery from the affliction that had all of the sect physicians stumped! I thought that it might be a scam as well... so I bought one just to try it out... Bai Ruanqings face reddened. Its not a scam at all. Its a true divine medicine in every meaning of the term. Quick, lead me there! Bai Feng urged in agitation. We have to buy as much of it as there is. If we gather enough of it, the Old Master will surely make a recovery! Y-yes! Lets head over right now! Bai Fengs attitude made Bai Ruanqing realize that a miracle had really happened this time around. Thus, she quickly rushed out and leaped onto her aerial beast. That will be too slow! Ill take you over! But before the aerial beast could set off, Bai Fengs voice suddenly sounded in the air. Following which, Bai Ruanqing felt her body rising off the ground and dashing right toward the inner disciples market at an astounding speed. It took only a few breaths for her to arrive at her destination. The first thing she did uponnding was rush to where she had bought the medicine, but it had already been emptied out. Widening her eyes in horror, she immediately turned to the adjacent vendor and anxiously asked, Where did the person who sold the jade bottles of medicine next to you earlier go? The vendor was horrified to see the female dinosaur returning so quickly, and she even had an elder who could fly with her! The vendor cowered a little before fearfully replying, H-he has already left... Do you know which lineage he is from or which elder he is under? Bai Ruanqing pressed. I dont know! the vendor replied anxiously. He only arrived today, so we arent familiar with him. Even if he sold fake medicine to you, it has nothing to do with me at all! Thats right, thats right! We really dont know him at all. We knew that hed offended you, so we didnt even sell him the stuff he wanted... I knew that he wasnt a good person... Ill make sure to teach him a lesson the next time hees so that he dares not step into the inner disciples market ever again... The other vendors immediately tried to distance themselves from the earlier young man. They had been keeping a close eye on Bai Ruanqing ever since she arrived at the inner disciples market, so they had seen her buying that fake medicine from that young man earlier. Considering how Bai Ruanging had returned so hurriedly, chances were that she had realized that she had been scammed and went back to teach that young man a lesson. In order to avoid being implicated, they had no choice but to distance themselves from the young man before putting him down in order to appease this female dinosaur. Seeing how indignantly everyone was speaking up against the young man, Bai Ruanqing was stunned for a moment. With a hint of bewilderment in her tone, she asked, What are you talking about? Didnt he sell fake medicine to you? the adjacent vendor asked. His medicine is real. I came here to thank him, as well as to buy a few more bottles, Bai Ruanqing replied. His medicine is real? The other vendors were all dumbstruck. Such a casual store putting up such an exaggerated im... was real? Wasnt he here to sell his goods? Why did he leave so quickly? Bai Ruanqing asked. She sharply noticed an anomaly on the expressions of those around, so she added with a frown, I want to hear nothing but the truth. Im sure you understand the consequences of lying to me. This... The reason he came here to sell medicine was to buy an Ethereal Token. However, we thought that he had offended you, so we refused to sell it to him and urged him to leave... You urged him to leave? Bai Ruanqing finally understood what was going on, and herplexion turned incredibly awful. Hes the benefactor of my grandfather, yet the lot of you dared push him around. Since thats the case... Hu! Bai Ruanqings reputation as a female dinosaur was not just for show. As soon as she encountered something that she disagreed with, she made a move without any hesitation... and her blows were merciless. In just a few moments, all the vendors in the inner disciples market were lying on the ground, groaning in pain. cing her hands on her waist, she uttered in an icy-cold voice, Find him. Right now. If you cant find him before nighttime, Ill have another round of beatings waiting for you. Dont try to run. Its futile. Other than those who have left the sect or are dead, there has never been a person whom I have eyed that has gotten away from me! ... The crowd. The heck! How were they to know that the medicine sold in such a shady store would actually be authentic? Just what in the world did they do so wrong to deserve such treatment? Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan had returned to his residence. He took out one of the Ethereal Tokens that he had obtained from Cao Chengli and dripped a droplet of blood on it. Following which, he immersed his consciousness into it. Having prior experience activating the Ethereal Token, his movements were much swifter than before. Unlike Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall, there was no introduction from Kong shi when he entered the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Ethereal Hall. He quickly checked on his physical condition and found that his cultivation was indeed at Ancient Sage 1-dan. This felt quite relieving to him. He simply could not get used to having his cultivation suppressed at Saint 1-dan back in Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall. There were so many maneuvers that he could not pull off due to the limitations on his strength and speed, so it had been quite frustrating for him. I cant call myself Worlds Edge anymore, Zhang Xuan thought. Back in Starlight Citys Ethereal Hall, he had named himself Worlds Edge and fought with Huo Jianghe and the others. Currently, Elder Lu Yun and the others thought that Dan Xiaotian was Worlds Edge, so it would be incredibly dubious if this name appeared right now. If he dared pummel the sect leader and elders with this name, they would probablye knocking on his door the next moment! Since its just a nickname in the Ethereal Hall, theres no need for me to put so much thought into it. Why dont I just go with a random one? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment beforeing up with a nickname he was satisfied with. Lets go with I Am Low Profile! I mon To be honest, he regretted calling himself Worlds Edge. Whenever others called him with that nickname, he felt like his hair would fall off from the goosebumps rising all over his body. It was so cringy! On the other hand, I Am Low Profile suited his disposition and humble personality well. After choosing a name, Zhang Xuan proceeded ahead, and arge pce appeared before him. There was a huge que hanging on top that read Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion: Ethereal Hall. Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and walked in. The bustle that unfolded before him was amazing. Huge crowds walked on the streets. Nearly everyone had a sword on their back, and he could feel palpable Sword Intent lingering in the air. He walked up to a passerby and asked about some basic information. Just like the other Ethereal Halls, the fastest way to earn Sword Pavilion Coins was to fight in the dueling ring. This setting worked perfectly fine with Zhang Xuan. Thus, the first ce that he headed to was the dueling ring. Ding ding ding ding! At that moment, there were two young men fighting in the ring. As it was possible to alter ones appearance in the Ethereal Hall, it was impossible to tell the true identities of either of the two fighters. So, in order for the crowd to better distinguish among the two fighters, the two fighters were wearing garments of different colors, one green and one white. The swordsmanship of the green-clothed young man was forceful and sharp in nature, making it hard to face him head-on. On the other hand, the white-clothed young man was extremely nimble on his feet, and his swordsmanship was light and flexible. Despite the vast difference in their swordsmanship, they were fighting on equal grounds with one another. Not bad! After taking a brief look, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. As expected of the inner disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, their swordsmanship was indeed on a higher level than Huo Jianghe and the others. They had already forged their own individual path with their swordsmanship, and every movement they made had its own deep conceptualization behind it. Despite their young age, they were already carrying the dispositions of grandmasters. Even the swordsmanship of Sword Saint Xing and the others from the Master Teacher Continent could not begin topare to this. Brother, would you like to ce a bet? While Zhang Xuan was studying their movements, a hushed voice suddenly echoed by his ears. Turning his head over, he saw a gray-robed young man looking at him with a sneaky look on his face. Almost all the avatars in the Ethereal Hall had been put through beauty filters and photoshop, so it was no exaggeration to say that everyone within this space was decent looking. Nevertheless, this gray-robed young man had a suspicious gleam in his eyes that made him look incredibly dubious. How does it work? Zhang Xuan asked. As one of the Six Sects, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion maintained an upright and disciplined image before the world. Given so, it was unlikely that it would allow its disciples to engage in gambling, so there was no official betting service for the dueling ring. Most likely, this young man was working as an illegal broker for a private betting service in hopes of earning some extra money. Simple. The odds on the green-clothed young man are 1 to 1.5, and the odds on the white-clothed young man are 1 to 1.1. If you bet on a draw, the odds are 1 to 5, the gray-robed young man replied. Why is the payout for the white-clothed young man so low? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. His chances of winning are higher. He has fought over three hundred so far, and he has won over two hundred of them. This means that his swordsmanship is formidable! the gray-robed young man replied. Would you like to try putting a bet? Sure! Zhang Xuan took a look at the duo on the dueling ring before smiling. He raised two fingers and said, Ill bet twenty Sword Pavilion Coins on the victory of the green-clothed young man. Youre going to bet twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? the gray-robed young man eximed in shock. He did not expect this unfamiliar young man to make such a huge bet all of a sudden. Just as Zhang Xuan thought, the gray-robed young man was indeed an illegal broker. While the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion did not allow its disciples to gamble, its enforcement on its rules was not as strict. As long as the issue did not get out of hand, no one would bother about it. Usually, the bets that private betting services received would not be too big, ranging from two to three Sword Pavilion Coins. This was the first time that the gray-robed young man had seen someone staking twenty Sword Pavilion Coins in a single go. Zhang Xuan nodded calmly in response to the gray-robed young mans doubt. Ill first warn you that theres no way to back out of the bet, alright? the gray-robed young man said as he nced at the dueling ring. Currently, the white-clothed young man was clearly in an advantageous position. Under his relentless assault, the green-clothed young man was forced to retreat again and again. With a delighted chuckle, the gray-robed young man took out a card with 20 inscribed on it and passed it over, saying, Pass your money to me first. At the end of the match, if you have won the bet, you can get your winnings with this card. Of course, if you lose, the card will bepletely worthless! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded. He already had his Ethereal Card prepared, and he had deposited his twenty Sword Pavilion Coins into it. With just a light tap, the twenty coins were transferred over to the gray-robed young man. Heh! Looking at the additional twenty Sword Pavilion Coins in his card, the gray-robed young man smiled in delight before weaving out of the crowd to take a seat by the side. Soon, a youngdy dressed in simr clothes walked over and asked him, Hows it going? I just met a fool. He bet twenty Sword Pavilion coins on the green-clothed young mans victory, the gray-robed young man replied gleefully. n Twenty? That fool! The youngdy burst intoughter. Theres no way the green-clothed young man can possibly win! Through our informationwork, we have found out that the white-clothed young man is Senior Mo He whereas the green-clothed young man is Junior Hu Xiao. Thetter only joined the sect less than two years ago, so how could he be a match for Senior Mo He? Indeed. Its essentially twenty free Sword Pavilion Coins, the gray-robed young man replied with a smirk. However, at that moment, just as the green-clothed young man was pushed to the edge of the dueling ring, he suddenly charged forward and released a powerful spurt of sword qi. Puhe! The abrupt counterattack caught the white-clothed young man off-guard, resulting in a fatal blow to his chest. With that, the green-clothed young man had won the duel! Chapter 1955 - Betting (2)

Chapter 1955 Betting (2)

This... The smiling duo suddenly wentpletely silent. How in the world did the green-clothed young man manage to achieve victory? Had he not been losing a moment ago? The green-clothed young man knew that his swordsmanship isnt on par with his opponents, so he acted weak to numb the white-clothed young man while biding his time for an opportunity to strike! Indeed. The duels over here are life-and-death battles, not just simple swordsmanship sparring. Even a stronger opponent can easily be killed in a moment of carelessness! Such discussions could be heard all around. They were all disciples from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and they viewed observing such duels to be a form of training as well. It was apparent to them that the green-clothed young mans swordsmanship was inferior to that of the white-clothed young man, but he was the one who had thestugh. In a true battle, it was not the one who was more skilled in swordsmanship that would always be the winner. There were far more factors involved than that. That fellow sure got lucky! the gray-robed young man cursed beneath his breath. How in the world did that fool manage to win ten Sword Pavilion Coins from him so easily? It had to be beginners luck! There could be no reason other than that! Hey, I would like to redeem my winnings! While the gray-robed young man was still cursing angrily, the fool from earlier walked up to him and passed the redemption card over. The gray-robed young man stared at the fool for a moment before reluctantly passing him thirty Sword Pavilion Coins. Meanwhile, the green-clothed young man and white-clothed young man had stepped out of the dueling ring, and another pair of opponents took their positions. A glint shed through the gray-robed young mans eyes as he asked, Would you like to go again? Luck might favor a person once or twice, but ultimately, what determined the final winner was the odds. That was also why the house was the one that always raked in money in casinos. Sure! Zhang Xuan nodded. Barely a minute after arriving there, without even lifting a finger, he had already earned ten Sword Pavilion Coins. Since he had stumbled upon such a convenient way to earn money, there was no way he was going to stop with just ten Sword Pavilion Coins! Very well. This time, we shall each ce a bet so that itll be fairer! The gray-robed young man took a look at the dueling ring before remarking with a smile, Let me see... Ill bet on the victory of the ck-robed middle-aged man! Since thats the case, Ill put thirty Sword Pavilion Coins on the victory of the white-robed youngdy then! Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly ced his entire wealth into the bet. Ill match your thirty Sword Pavilion Coins! the gray-robed man replied. On the inside, the gray-robed young man was already mocking Zhang Xuan on what a fool he was. As a broker of the dueling ring, he had a huge informationwork that provided him with the identities of those who frequented in the ring. Of the two who had just stepped onto the stage, the ck-robed middle-aged man was Senior Zhou whereas the white-robed youngdy was Senior Wang. on The two of them had fought with one another on multiple asions in the dueling ring, and more often than not, Senior Zhou would outdo Senior Wang and win the duel. Shortly after they decided on the bets, the duel began. Just as the gray-robed young man had predicted, Senior Zhou was on the offense from the get-go. Every single strike from him was precise and sharp, heaping immense pressure upon Senior Wang. As a result, thetter was forced to back away again and again. It felt as if she would have no chance to retaliate at all. The gray-robed young man nced at Zhang Xuan and scoffed in his mind. Heh, just wait till you lose all of your money! It seemed like he would be able to win back the ten Sword Pavilion Coins that he had lost with this and even make a huge profit! Back to the dueling ring, it eventually came to a point where the white-robed Senior Wang was backed to the very edge of the dueling ring, and it felt like she was going to fall from it at any moment. However, with a sudden change in momentum, she pounced to the side like an agile leopard. This maneuver resulted in the ck-robed Senior Zhous attack to fall empty. This attack was exceptionally heavy as he had intended it to be the finishing blow to end the duel, but when it missed, it turned into a huge liability. Realizing that he was exposed, Senior Zhou immediately halted his advancement and attempted to leap back so as to create some space for him to regain his momentum. Unfortunately, before he could do so, a sword was already pressed against his neck. With this, the ck-robed Senior Zhou had lost! Pardon me, but I think I have won this bet too! Zhang Xuan replied with a light chuckle. Having lost two rounds consecutively, the gray-robed young mans face twitched wildly. Despite his reluctance, he still passed thirty Sword Pavilion Coins over to Zhang Xuan. Duels were constantly happening in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Ethereal Hall. Barely after the previous one just ended, yet another pair of challengers had headed up. The gray-robed young man hesitated for a moment before looking at Zhang Xuan once more. Do you dare continue our bets? The truth was that he had made quite a fortune from those bets, and this was the first time that he had lost so tragically. Of course! It should be my turn to make the first pick now, right? Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. Go ahead! The gray-robed young man nodded slightly. Ill bet on the victory of that white-robed fellow up there! Ill put sixty Sword Pavilion Coins into it! Zhang Xuan said as he gestured to the dueling ring. The gray-robed young man shot a nce over at the dueling ring before nodding in agreement. Very well, Ill bet on the ck-robed guy then! This time, he only recognized one of the two fighters on the dueling ringthe ck-robed guy, Senior Du. As for the white-robed person, he really had no idea at all. However, Senior Dus swordsmanship was known to be formidable in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. There were only ten people among the inner disciples who were a match for him. Since he was unable to recognize the white-robed person, it was unlikely that he was one of the ten people. Thus, Senior Dus victory was pretty much assured! The two sides began shing with one another, and soon enough, the battle came to an end. Just as the other party had deduced, it was the white-robed person who won. Senior Du had actually lost! This... How can this be? Having lost three consecutive matches, the gray-robed young man was clearly starting to panic a little. He had earned a small fortune for himself over the years, but even so, he could not afford to lose so much money just like that! Zhang Xuan took a momentary nce at the gray-robed young mans flustered face before asking with a smile, Shall we continue? This... The gray-robed young man looked at the dueling ring once more, and another two challengers had gotten onto the stage. However, unlike his previously rxed mood, sweat was seeping down his back. He had lost three rounds so far. That was one hundred Sword Pavilion Coins! He wouldnt be able to stand losing any more money than that! But if he did not continue, he would lose all one hundred Sword Pavilion Coins! That was something he could not ept either! There was a momentary internal conflict in his mind before he eventually gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve. Very well, Ill go with you once more! However, it should be my turn to choose first! Unbeknownst to the gray-robed young man, he had fallen prey to the same gamblers facy that he had exploited far too often. The more a person lost, the more desperate they were to recoup their losses. There was a tiny thought at the back of his head that said, since he had lost so much, it was about time for him to make aeback. However, it was this also very thought that would eventually sink him into the depths of despair. Be my guest! Zhang Xuan gestured gentlemanly. The gray-robed young man pondered carefully for a moment before saying, This time, Ill pick the white-robed youth! Simr to before, he only recognized one of the two fighters onstage, and that was the white-robed Junior Luo. Despite being age, Junior Luo was a formidable genius. It had only been two years since he entered the sect, but he had already made a name for himself among the inner disciples. Even he would have to admit defeat before Junior Luo! If anyone had a better chance of winning, it would be indubitably Junior Luo. Since you picked the white-robed youth, I guess I will... Zhang Xuan looked at the two fighters meaningfully for a moment before asking, Would it be fine if I bet on the battleing to a draw? A draw? The gray-robed young man was stunned. Battles in the Ethereal Hall were vastly different from those in the real world. In the real world, in order to avoid incurring severe injuries or even death, opponents possessing simr strength were more inclined to agree to a draw. On the other hand, there were no such worries in the Ethereal Hall. Thus, cultivators would usually fight to the very end, often concluding the match with the demise of one side. Only in extremely rare circumstances would there be a draw. Yet, this fellow actually wanted to bet on that unbelievably slim possibility? Was there something wrong with his head? Nevertheless, the gray-robed young man suppressed the blossoming smile on his face and asked with forced nonchnce, Are you certain? I am. However, I am also aware of the fact that draws are extremely rare, so could I request my payout to be higher? Zhang Xuan asked. Youre right. The norm for the payout in matches with a draw is five times the bet! the gray-robed man replied. Great. Ill bet 120 Sword Pavilion Coins then! Zhang Xuan said. Fearing that Zhang Xuan would back out, the gray-robed young man quickly agreed to it. Sounds fine by me! Betting on a draw was no different from delivering money right into his hands! Finally, he could recoup his losses! Right after they agreed on the bet, the duel on the stage began. From the very start, it was apparent that both fighters were formidable experts. Sword qi swiftly filled up the entire dueling ring, prepared to tear the flesh of the careless mercilessly. Exquisite sword maneuvers were disyed one after another, invoking roaring cheers from the crowd beneath. The white-robed Junior Luo was indubitably powerful. His offense was vigorous, reminiscent of wild beast. However, the opponent whom he was facing was not weak either. Even though parrying Junior Luos relentless offense had left him in a slightly unkempt state, he remainedpletely unharmed even after some time had passed. Just like that, they traded over three hundred blows, but there was still no victor to be seen. Junior Luo, you can do it! As the fight dragged out longer and longer, the gray-robed young man started to panic. Perspiration trickled profusely down his back. Such a long duel was extremely rare, perhaps urring at most once a month. Who could have known that he would be so fortunate as to bump into one of them at this critical juncture? The two fighters continued shing for over a hundred blows, but neither party was able to hold a decisive advantage. If anything, it seemed like they were just grinding each others energy down. Eventually, the white-robed Junior Luo leaped back and said, Friend, I acknowledge that your swordsmanship is indeed extraordinary, and you have won my admiration. However, I dont think that theres much point in us continuing like this. Even if one of us emerges victorious, it will just be a miserable win. Why dont we settle it with a draw for the time being and spar together another day? The other party nodded in agreement. My thoughts exactly! The gray-robed young man felt as if the world around him had gone dark, and he nearly passed out right there and then. He had actually managed to stumble upon such a rare draw... and it was while he was betting against another person. Oh my, it seems like I have won again. Zhang Xuan nced at the gray-robed young man with a surprised smile. Of course, the reason he could win was not just because of his eye of discernment. More importantly, he had the Library of Heavens Path on his side. Through it, he was able to peek into the sword arts, state of mind, and battle techniques each of them had practiced. Given that everyone was of equal cultivation, the differences in mental resilience and battle techniques made a massive difference on everyones fighting prowess. It was with the avability of such information that he had been able to urately determine the winner for the past few rounds and win the bets. I ced my bet on a draw, and as you said before, thepensation of such a bet is five times what was in, Zhang Xuan said. Thus, you have to pay me a total of six hundred Sword Pavilion Coins! 600 Sword Pavilion Coins? Hearing those words, the gray-robed young mans body stiffened in horror. That fellow had to be a hacker! Otherwise, how could he possibly have predicted the oue of every duel correctly? He had always been the one earning as a broker, but who could have known that he would squander nearly all of his money within ten minutes... This was driving him crazy! It had been ten years since he became an inner disciple, and he had been ruing his money by going through all kinds of missions and working as a broker. Despite that, his savings did not even reach a thousand, and before he knew it, he was already going to lose nearly all of it! The gray-robed young mans face turned livid as he spat through clenched jaws, I dont have that many Sword Pavilion Coins! You dont have the money to pay up? It was a fair bet, but you intend to shirk off your payment? Zhang Xuan asked as the smile on his face gradually grew a little eerie. Yeah, thats right! Im not going to pay you the six hundred Sword Pavilion Coins. So, what can you do about it? the gray-robed young man scoffed coldly. Do you even know who I am and where you can find me? As gambling was prohibited in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he made sure to switch to another Ethereal Token when he worked as a broker. Other than a few others who worked alongside him to manage the entire business, practically no one knew of this persona of his. Heh... Zhang Xuan shook his head, as if mocking the gray-robed young mans naivety. Without any hesitation, he sent a kick right at the gray-robed young man. Taken aback, the gray-robed young man hurriedly Alitted to the side to dodge the attack. A hint of contempt shed across his eyes as he said, You are going to make a move on me now? Have you forgotten that we are in the Ethereal Hall? Even if you kill me, all Ill lose is an Ethereal Token. No matter what you do in here, it wont make a difference to me at all! Is that so? Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and looked at the gray-robed young man. I guess I should pay a visit to Elder Han of White Cloud Peak and inform him that an inner disciple under his jurisdiction has set up an illegal gambling den in the Ethereal Hall. Say, this is quite a major affair, isnt it? Dont you think that hell immediately investigate the matter and nab those brazen fools who dare flout the sect rules? I wonder what hell do to those brazen fools... Well, if you ask me, I reckon that theres a good chance that Elder Han will drive those brazen fools out of the sect! What is your opinion on the matter, Senior Zhu Yanzhi? You... The gray-robed young man, Zhu Yanzhi, tottered backward fearfully, as if he had seen a devil. Before he knew it, his entire back was already dripping wet. How in the world do you know who I am? Chapter 1956 - We’ll Fight You!

Chapter 1956 Well Fight You!

There were many different lineages in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and each of them was under the jurisdiction of a certain elder. The gray-robed young man was an inner disciple under Elder Han of White Cloud Peak, and his name was Zhu Yanzhi. Knowing the dangers of working as an illegal broker, Zhu Yanzhi had taken a lot of precautions, altering his appearance, changing his voice, and even suppressing his habits. Under normal circumstances, no one should have been able to tell who he was. Yet, the young man before him was actually able to call out his name so clearly. How could he possibly not be shocked? I dont just know who you are, I also know that you have 973 Sword Pavilion Coins with you. Even if you lose six hundred of them, you still have plenty left. It isnt nice of you to lie to me like that. Dont you know that sincerity is of utmost importance in a trade? Zhang Xuan said calmly. Zhu Yanzhi felt like his body had been plunged into ice water. He instinctively took a step back. There were only a few people who were working as illegal brokers in the Ethereal Hall, so if one investigated the issue, it was not entirely impossible to root him out. However, his personal wealth was a secret that only he knew about. Not even his closest friends were aware of it! How could this fellow possibly know about this? Who in the hell are you? Why are you investigating me? Zhu Yanzhi asked warily with clenched fists. If the other party did not know who he was, he could have just left the Ethereal Hall and ended things there. The other party would not have been able to find him anyway, but with his identity revealed, escaping was no longer of any use to him. I am I Am Low Profile! As for the matter of me investigating you... I must say that you are thinking too much into it. As long as you pay me my dues, I couldnt care less who you really are! Zhang Xuan replied. I Am Low Profile? Hearing such a name, Zhu Yanzhi felt a little light-headed. While cultivators were free to use any nickname in the Ethereal Hall, more often than not, they would choose a profound phrase with some deep significance or an anagram or their name. Yet, this fellows nickname was really... Low profile your head! You arrived not too long ago, but within ten minutes, you have already won seven hundred Sword Pavilion Coins from me. Do you have some misunderstanding about what the term low profile means? Can you not insult these two words? Zhu Yanzhi hesitated for a moment. He was reluctant to do this, but he knew he had no choice. Thus, he lifted his head, looked at the other party, and said, Fine, Im willing to ept my defeat. However, as long as I pay you what I owe you, can I trust you not to reveal my secrets to others? He knew that even if he killed the other party right there, it would not make a difference at all. The other party would lose an Ethereal Token, but his lips would still be free to bber about his affairs. He was in an extremely disadvantageous position, but all he could do was attempt to make peace for the time being and pray that the other party would have mercy on him. Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded. He could not care less whether the other party was an illegal broker or not. It was not as if he was the sect leader or an elder. All he wanted was to maintain a low profile and rake in some money. Ill trust you then... Zhu Yanzhi said in uncertainty as he tapped his Ethereal Card lightly. The next instant, Zhang Xuan saw an additional six hundred Sword Pavilion Coins appearing on his card. Nodding in satisfaction, he said, If you still wish to bet against me, feel free to look for me anytime you want. Of course, you are free to bring any friends who are interested in it too. Id be more than happy to go along with them too! I-Its fine. Gambling is not good. I have decided to turn over a new leaf... With a livid expression, Zhu Yanzhi turned around and fled in a fluster. He did not dare remain there even a second longer. He feared that when his rage red up, he would foolishly ept the other partys offer and continue gambling. He could not afford to lose what little money he had left! While Zhu Yanzhi was walking away, the gray-robed youngdy from earlier noticed him and quickly jogged over. With an envious smile on her face, she asked, How was it? How much did you win from that fool? Fool? That word reminded Zhu Yanzhi of what he had said before, and he nearly burst into tears. I am the one who lost money! It was just ten minutes ago that he had thought that he had found a sucker whom he could exploit, but if anything, it felt like he was the one who was the sucker now. You lost? The gray-robed youngdy was stunned. Zhu Yanzhi nodded in a daze for a moment before indignantly sharing his story with the gray-robed youngdy. By the end of the story, the gray-robed youngdys eyes were already on the verge of falling to the ground. You mentioned that this fellow didnt just predict the oues of the battle withplete precision, he even knew about your background? Thats right! It seems like he does have some cards up his sleeves. He must be here to sabotage our operations! Humph! Does he think that he can take off with the money just like that? Hes underestimating us! Yanzhi, do you want to earn back your money? the gray-robed youngdy asked with a glint in her eyes. Of course! But... how can I get back my money from him? Zhu Yanzhi sighed helplessly. Simple! Well continue betting against him! the gray-robed youngdy replied with a smile. Bet? Zhu Yanzhi was rendered speechless. That fellow was able to predict even a draw. How can we possibly win against someone like that? Have you gone dumb? The reason he knew about the situation in the dueling ring must be because he has some inside info... Theres even a chance that they are coborating with one another to cheat you! the gray-robed youngdy replied. This... Zhu Yanzhi fell into deep thought. Indeed. A person who could win again and again in a gamble could only be a cheater. He had been so engrossed with his lost money that he had neglected this fact earlier. However, now that the other party had pointed it out directly, it was indeed suspicious how the other party was able to predict even a draw. He instantaneously realized that he had just been cheated! Somehow, that fellow must have convinced those on the stage to go along with his ploys. Otherwise, how could such coincidences happen again and again? What do you think we should do then? This realization erased the fear in Zhu Yanzhis heart, recing it with rage. He never would have dreamed that someone would attempt to cheat him like that. It seemed like he had been too nice for too long. He might be able to control the oue on the dueling ring, but hes unable to control you and me. We can challenge him to a battle and set the conditions of the duel to him spitting out all the money and sealing his mouth regarding everything else; that should do the job! You might have lost a lot, but as long as you can win this one round, youll be able to get everything back, the gray-robed youngdy replied. This... Will he ept such a duel? Besides, I dont know how powerful he truly is. Will we definitely be able to defeat him? Zhu Yanzhi was a little hesitant. Of course, it would be for the best if he won, but if he lost again... he would really have nothing left! Rest assured, this is a gamble hell definitely take! I dont know his identity, but since he dared collude with those that came earlier, I have my own ways of rooting him out! We can use his true identity to threaten him into agreeing to the duel. As for whether well be able to defeat him or not... thats even less of a worry! Itd be best if we can win the duel, but taking a step back, even if we lose the battle, things will still y out well for us! Our swordsmanship might not be the best among the inner disciples, but its still not too bad. As long as we go all out from the start, we should be able to force him to use his ultimate technique even if we are unable to defeat him. As long as he reveals his trump card, wont it be easy for us to figure out who he is? Then, we will have plenty of ways to make him cough up your money! This... Zhu Yanzhis eyes lit up in excitement. Indeed! As long as they could get the other party to duel with them, with their fighting prowess, there was no inner disciple who would be able to defeat them while holding back their true strength. Once the other party revealed his ace, it would be easy for them to figure out who he was. It was true that they had gambled, but the other party had participated in it as well. Furthermore, he had even tried to rig the duels, which was a far greater crime. In the worst-case scenario, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion might even strip him of his cultivation in order to send out a stern warning to the others! After all, such actions vited the very sanctity of the sect! Even if he coerced the other party to spit out his everyst Sword Pavilion Coin, the other party would not dare utter a word ofint! Its settled then! Zhu Yanzhi ran through the matter in his mind once more and confirmed that there was no issue with it. Thus, together with the gray-robed youngdy, he excitedly walked up to Zhang Xuan once more and said, Friend, I would like to propose another bet with you. Another bet? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He was a little surprised to see this fellowing over to propose a bet after the major losses that he had suffered. As expected of an inner disciple from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, they sure rebounded quickly! Simple! We will each have a battle with you. As long as you are able to defeat the two of us, well admit defeat. On the other hand, if we win, I hope that you can return everything that Ive lost and promise to seal your lips regarding my identity. Of course, since this bet is disadvantageous to you, well allow you stake as much money as you like into this! Zhu Yanzhi said. To put himself in a safer position, he eventually decided to include the two of them in the bet. He needed greater assurance in order to make this bet. There were quite a few inner disciples who were able to defeat them in a one-to-one, but there was definitely no one who would be able to defeat the two of them consecutively! In other words, as long as the other party agreed to the bet, there was no way they could lose! You want to have a battle with me? As long as I can beat the two of you, you will ept any stakes that I put on the table? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. He nearly burst outughing on the spot! This really reminded him of the saying delivering a pillow while one is on the verge of napping. He had just been thinking about how he could earn more money when they delivered such a godsent opportunity into his hands. It seemed like there were still a lot of Samaritans in the world! Thats right! If you dont agree to it, regarding that bet we had earlier, I know that... Fearing that Zhang Xuan would turn him down, Zhu Yanzhi was just about to add in a threat when he saw the young man nodding vehemently in response. Ill agree to your bet! Ill stake all 720 Sword Pavilion Coins on the duel. If you lose, you just have to pay me the same amount of money! Ah? Zhu Yanzhi and the gray-robed youngdy did not think that the other party would agree to their terms so readily. It felt like all the words that they had prepared to force the other party to oblige to their terms had been wasted. For a moment, they doubted their decision. The other party was simply a little too enthusiastic, such that they could not help doubting their decision. However, they reassured themselves with the fact that there was no one among the inner disciples who could defeat them consecutively. Thus, Zhu Yanzhi heaved a sigh of relief and said, Come, lets register for the dueling ring! Of course, as they were in the Ethereal Hall, they registered with their nicknames. Zhu Yanzhis nickname was Zaozao. The gray-robed youngdys nickname was onset of Twilight. Of course, neither of those were their real names. As most duels usually concluded quickly, it did not take long before it was their turn. Next round, Zaozao vs. I Am Low Profile! the announcer dered. Zaozao might be a weird name, but its at least within eptable bounds... What the heck is I Am Low Profile? I swear that I have never heard a worse name than that in my life! Hah, low profile. You know, I really want to see how low that person can get... There was some chatter among the crowd when the names of the two fighters were announced. It was the norm to choose a grand-sounding name that were profound and awe-inspiring, so a name like I Am Low Profile was truly unorthodox. Some were even wondering if he was an entric madman! Begin! In the dueling ring, Zhu Yanzhi red at Zhang Xuan coldly as he flicked his sword forth. Wielding his sword as a rapier, heunched eight swift consecutive stabs, sealing off Zhang Xuans movements. This was his ultimate technique, Sword of Forlorn Sentiments! If one cultivated this sword art to the very peak, one would be able to deal nine pierces simultaneously, and there was a total of eighty-one transformations to the move. As long as he could reach that level, there would be no one in the inner disciples who was a match for him! While he was still slightlycking at the moment, his eight pierces and sixty-four transformations were still more than enough for him to defeat most inner disciples! This was especially so in the Ethereal Hall. With everyone at Ancient Sage 1-dan, there was hardly anyone who could oppose him! Zhu Yanzhi had no idea how powerful the other party was, and a huge bet was at stake. Thus, he did not dare lower his guard. As such, he chose to use his most powerful move right from the start. In face of Zhu Yanzhis rapid pierces, Zhang Xuan nodded slightly in approval. It was no wonder the other party dared make such a huge bet with him. It turned out that he did have some skill! But that being said, using a technique of such caliber to deal with him... he could only say that this was far from sufficient to pose a threat to him. Instead of dodging, Zhang Xuan chose to take a step forward. Despite the furious onught of pierces hurtling in his direction, there was not a single one of them thatnded on Zhang Xuan. It almost looked as if Zhu Yanzhi had intentionally controlled his sword not to hit Zhang Xuan. H-he... He found the opening where the ninth sword lies? How can this be? Just who is that fellow? Zhu Yanzhi could hardly believe his eyes. Chapter 1957 - Please Call Me Gao Jin

Chapter 1957 Please Call Me Gao Jin

Sword of Forlorn Sentiments was one of the top sword arts among the inner disciples. If one was able to execute all nine swords at once, this technique would definitely rank in the top three. While Zhu Yanzhi had only cultivated it up to eight swords, it was still a force to behold. Yet, it was as if the other party knew the ins and outs of the technique. As soon as the other party made a move, he dashed right into the opening created by his inability to execute the ninth sword! As powerful as the Sword of Forlorn Sentiments was, it had a major w. Until one mastered it up to the nine swords, it could only be considered an iplete sword art! The other party exploited this ipletion and dashed right into this blind spot, rendering him unable to hurt the other party even if he wanted to. Even the strongest sword practitioner among the inner disciples was incapable of such a feat! Anxious, Zhu Yanzhi attempted to redirect his sword tounch another sword art, but the young man suddenly raised the sword in his hand and pointed it toward his be. This simple movement deciphered his Sword of Forlorn Sentiments and all its transformations. All his moves were sealed, and there was nothing that he could do in this situation. If the other party really pushed through with this strike, there was a good chance that he would lose his life right there! ... Zhu Yanzhi felt his body turning ice cold with horror. He had thought that he would at least be able to force the other party to reveal his true identity through his ultimate technique, but who could have known that he would be defeated right after the match just started? Against such overwhelming prowess, would the two of them really be able to uncover the other partys identity? And if they were unable to do so... goodbye 720 Sword Pavilion Coins! Filled with regret, Zhu Yanzhi was just thinking that he should not have listened to the words of others and continued gambling when the sword that was directed toward his be suddenly halted. Perplexed, Zhu Yanzhi looked over and saw a conflicted look on I Am Low Profiles face. He had no idea why I Am Low Profile would suddenly lose his focus in the midst of the battle, but he knew that there was no better chance than this for him to make his escape and regather himself. Thus, he swiftly took a step back to avoid that killing blow before gathering momentum to execute yet another ultimate technique. The Sword of Forlorn Sentiments was his trump card, but since it had been deciphered, there was no way it would pose a threat to his opponent anymore. This time around, the move that he executedcked the might that Sword of Forlorn Sentiments possessed, but it had the advantage in terms of speed. Berserk Gale Swift Sword! Every move that he executed was faster than the previous. By the tenth strike, his movements were already reminiscent of a raging hurricane, tearing everything down with unstoppable speed. In truth, this was a technique that was only suited for Ancient Sage 4-dan experts. Executing it with the zhenqi and body of an Ancient Sage 1-dan cultivator was truly pushing it a little, but given the dire situation, Zhu Yanzhi had still chosen to use it. Wu! The sword tore forth amid roaring wind, creating innumerable sword afterimages in the air. Zhu Yanzhi thought that the other party would fall into a fluster before his unstoppable barrage of attacks, but contrary to his expectations... the other party simply took another step forward and hacked down with his sword. With yet another simple movement, the other party struck the core weakness of the Berserk Gale Swift Sword. If the strike hadnded, he would have been chopped into two and die on the spot. In other words, barely after he had executed his second move, he was yet again on the verge of death. Zhu Yanzhi was going insane. Just when he was about to give up and resign himself to his fate, I Am Low Profile suddenly halted with a conflicted expression once more. Zhu Yanzhi made use of this opportunity to roll to the side, thus surviving this cmity. Unwilling to give up just like that, he executed yet another ultimate technique right after. Having lived in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for so many years, he had grasped plenty of formidable sword arts, and every single one of them boasted immense might. But once again, barely after he had begun moving, the other party deciphered his sword art and aimed an attack at his core weakness. He would have died if itnded, but the other party simply would not push through with the attack. Just like that, Zhu Yanzhi went through seven movement techniques and twelve sword arts, but the result did not change at all. He was really on the brink of going ballistic. That was not just the case for him. The crowd beneath also stared at one another with bbergasted looks on their faces. He could have won in a single blow. Why does he stop every single time just as hes about to win? I have no idea what hes doing at all... Does he not want to win? Initially, I thought that he was afraid of Zaozaos counterattack, so he was ying it a little safe, but thats clearly not the case at all! Zaozao is obviously outmatched, so I think we can all agree that I Am Low Profile is doing it intentionally. Could it be that hes teaching Zaozao a lesson? Everyone was rather mystified by the happenings. As skilled sword practitioners, they could tell that I Am Low Profile could have won the battle, but he chose to stop at the crucial juncture each and every time. It was as if he had brought everything up to the peak. Just a bit more, and it would have been the climax. Yet, of all times, he chose to take a rest then. If it was just once, they could still have attributed it to his weak stamina, but if it happened each and every time, even the densest person in the room could tell that it was on purpose. After failing yet another strike, Zhu Yanzhi finally came to the limits of his patience and roared, Just what are you doing? He had fought plenty of battles in the dueling ring, and this was the first time that he had desired to just be killed so that everything coulde to an end. Seeing that Zhu Yanzhi had halted his attacks, Zhang Xuan lowered his sword arm and replied, What am I doing? Arent I sparring with you? Sparring? You had so many chances to kill me, so why did you stop? Zhu Yanzhi bellowed furiously. Since everyone there was able to tell, there was nothing for him to hide anymore. Ah, was it that obvious to you? Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. If youve read my name, you should know that I am not a person who likes to attract attention to myself. If I killed you in a single strike, wouldnt that be going against what I stand for? I dont really want to cause a hugemotion! You dont want to cause a hugemotion? That ridiculous excuse nearly made Zhu Yanzhis heart stop from sheer rage. Is that what you meant by low profile? Low profile my ass! You exploited every single one of my ws, only to let me go, as if a predator toying with his prey. This isnt keeping a low profile but intentional bragging! Arent you just trying to tell everyone how advanced your swordsmanship is? And what? You dont want to cause amotion? Look around you and touch your heart. Is that really what you believe in? Every single one of those faces below looks as if someone has stuffed an egg into their mouth... You would have been much more low profile if you had killed me with a single blow! I admit defeat! Overwhelmed with frustration, Zhu Yanzhi shouted before turning around and leaving the dueling ring. It was not that he did not want his money anymore, but any amount of money he had would be meaningless if he died of depression right now! Honestly, while he was on the stage, he had really contemted whether he should have just killed himself so that it would all end. Sigh, I seem to be terribly misunderstood here. If he knew how distressing it is when everyones attention is on you, he would have surely sympathized with me... Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Other than that, he also felt bad taking so much money from Zhu Yanzhi. Since the other party had put up so much money, would it not be rude of him to end the battle so quickly? This was a win-win situation! While he was able to earn his money, Zhu Yanzhi was also able to practice his techniques and have his pride spared. After Zaozao admitted defeat, the gray-robed youngdy, Onset of Twilight, stepped into the dueling ring. I have to admit, you are a powerful opponent... Onset of Twilight looked at Zhang Xuan warily with narrowed eyes. Their original n had been to wear the other party down and force him to execute his strongest move. From there, they would have been able to deduce the other partys real identity. It was clear that their ns were in shambles. They had never thought that Zhu Yanzhi would lose without being able to inflict the slightest damage on the other party. Given so, all the pressure was now on her. I have a request, Onset of Twilight said. I hope that you wont hold back against me. I want you to use your strongest move to defeat me! You want me to use my strongest move? This request left Zhang Xuan slightly hesitant. Thats right! Onset of Twilight nodded. As long as the other party used his strongest move, even if she lost, she would still be able to deduce his identity at the very least! This... Very well then! Seeing the other partys earnest eyes, Zhang Xuan eventually gave his word. Begin! Onset of Twilight took a deep breath and drove her zhenqi. Lifting her arm, she was just about to get into stance when a blur shed across her eyes. Before she knew it, a sword was already pressed against her neck. The sharp glint reflecting off it blinded her eyes. It felt like she would be killed on the spot if she dared make a single move. Onset of Twilight was stupefied. She could not even react to what had just happened. The heck! Bro, when did you get here? T havent even seen your move yet, so why do I have a sword pressed against my neck? Onset of Twilight had thought that she could finally figure out the other partys identity, but even as the other partys sword was on her neck, she did not manage to see his movements, let alone deduce the sword art that he had used! Do you have to be so fast? You have lost, Zhang Xuan remarked calmly. He had thought of dragging the fight a little longer to make it more worth their money. However, since this youngdy had made such a request, he would just have to amodate her. After all, this was what good service was about! At this moment, Onset of Twilight was inplete panic. With a sword against her neck, she could not even deny her loss. It was already over. In two rounds, they did not even manage toe close to putting the other party in danger, let alone see through his sword art! But it was not all for naught. They were not able to confirm the other partys true identity, but they were able to narrow down the scope of candidates. Among the inner disciples, there were no more than five people who wielded such abilities! However, those five, due to their superior fighting prowess and talents, were highly regarded by the sect. They did notck resources, and there were far easier ways for them to earn Sword Pavilion Coins. They would not stoop down to the level of gambling just to earn some spare change. After all, why would they allow something like that to besmirch their name when there was such a great future ahead of them? On the other hand, the person whom they had faced was like a ve to money. They had little doubt that if they threw Sword Pavilion Coins into the water, the other party would dive right in to get them. This did not tally at all! The more they thought about it, the more confused they became. After leaving the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan walked up to them and demanded with outstretched hands, You have lost. 720 Sword Pavilion Coins! He had learned both of their real identities through the duel, so he was not afraid of them shirking payment. Here you go... Seeing that their ploy had failed, Zhu Yanzhi and Onset of Twilight were despondent. However, they knew that they had met with a real expert. So, they could only pool their money together and repay the debt. Thank you for your patronage. Feel free to find me if you ever want to bet again, Zhang Xuan replied gleefully. Words could not begin to describe how thankful he was to his two Gods of Fortune. In just twenty minutes since entering the Ethereal Hall, he had already earned 1,400 Sword Pavilion Coins! ... Seeing the other partys sincere eyes, Zhu Yanzhi and Onset of Twilight felt a pain in their hearts. Why does it seem like we are good people who are here to deliver money into your hands? No, we are here to get all your money! They could not help but feel like they had be fools. But thinking about it, they were indeed fools for giving away all their wealth in a brief twenty minutes. Can you tell me your real name? Seeing that I Am Low Profile was going to leave, Zhu Yanzhi could not help but give it one shot. Hmm? You want to know my real name? Zhang Xuan met their expectant eyes for a moment before releasing the clip holding his hair andbing it backward. cing his hand behind, he showed those two his imposing back profile. Please call me... Gao Jin! Without bothering to look at the two dumbfounded individuals behind him, Zhang Xuan walked away before retracting his consciousness from the Ethereal Hall. The reason he had entered the Ethereal Hall was to earn some money to use, and now that he had a huge fortune of 1,440 Sword Pavilion Coins with him, it should be enough tost him quite a while. There was no need for him to idle around anymore. Gao Jin? Is there an inner disciple called Gao Jin? Quick, go and check it! Perplexed, the two swiftly whipped out their information books and looked through the list of inner disciples that they hadpiled. A few momentster, they looked as if an inferno was going to erupt from their eyes. That fellow had scammed them! That b*stard! I shall make him spit out whatever he has taken from us, or else I shant be Zhu Yanzhi! The more he thought about it, the angrier Zhu Yanzhi became. But given how powerful he is, what can we do about him? Onset of Twilight was infuriated as well, but the sliver of rationality in her told her that there was not much they could do to I Am Low Profile. Simple. He might be formidable, but theres no way he can match up to the top experts of the inner disciples. Since thats the case, well just pay a visit to them and tell them that a remarkable sword practitioner has appeared in the Ethereal Hall and goad them into making a move. Meanwhile, well make another bet with him on that! Zhu Yanzhi said as a glint shed across his eyes. Youre right! We can do that too! Onset of Twilights eyes lit up in excitement. Its settled then! As powerful as I Am Low Profile might seem, there was no way he couldpete with those monsters who ranked at the top among the inner disciples. Since that was the case, they could engage their help to teach him a lesson! After returning to his room, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before walking out. It had been some time since his cultivation had reached the Dimension Shatterer realm, so it was about time for him to push to higher realm! However, in order to do so, he would require a sufficient number of cultivation techniques. It was too pricy to buy from the Ethereal Hall, so he could only hope to pay a visit to the Compendium of Sword Wisdom to take a look! After all, it was for this reason that he had encouraged Dan Xiaotian to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! So, he walked out of his room, and just as he was about to leave the residence, the door suddenly creaked open. Elder Lu Yun walked in with an excited look on his face. At this moment, Elder Lu Yuns aura had be a little unfathomable, as if a veil of clouds were shrouding his true prowess. Astonishingly, he had achieved a breakthrough to be a True Immortal! Chapter 1958 - Third Young Master’s Swordsmanship

Chapter 1958 Third Young Masters Swordsmanship

Trantor: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric Congrattions, Elder Lu! Hearing someone entering the residence, Dan Xiaotian walked out as well. He quickly noticed that something was different about Elder Lu, so he sped his fist and offered his congrattions. Hahaha, its all thanks to your blessing! Elder Lu Yun chuckled. Right, I have just returned from the Elder Council, and here is the token that represents your identity. With this, as long as you have sufficient Sword Pavilion Coins, youll be able to ess the library and other facilities! Its also a necessity if you wish to undergo any of the trial and earn some rewards. As for this storage ring over here, its my personal gift to you. The gifts from the sect for bing an inner disciple are within it. There are five Basic Immortal Pills, a bottle of recovery medicine, and a bottle of zhenqi pills! Taking the token and storage ring from Elder Lu, Dan Xiaotians eyes lit up, and he quickly said his thanks. Seeing that there were so many benefits to bing an inner disciple, Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched a little. Of course, he knew that those benefits did note for free. epting those gifts meant shouldering the responsibilities that came with them. There was no such thing a free lunch in the world. He could earn money quickly in the Ethereal Hall anyway, so it was not as if he was particrly envious of Dan Xiaotian or anything. This is the sects cultivation technique and the Ascendant Cloud Sword Form. You can try practicing them yourself first. If you have any doubts, feel free toe to me! Elder Lu Yun said as he passed another two books over. The cultivation technique of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is called the Art of Ascendant Clouds. Its well-known for its might even across the entire continent. Our swordsmanship is, of course, number one in the world. However, just because the cultivation technique and sword art are formidable doesnt meant that youll reach the top just by practicing them. Whats more important is for you to study diligently andprehend the essences of those two techniques! Dan Xiaotian nodded in response. A strong cultivation technique and sword art were not enough to guarantee that one would be an expert. It was what came after that truly mattered. Of course, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion doesnt enforce its disciples to strictly follow its regiment. If you have a cultivation technique or sword art that is more suited to you, feel free to cultivate them too. As long as you are able to clear the annual examination, the sect will not restrict your freedom! Elder Lu Yun said. That sword toss technique was something that even Huo Jianghe was unable to withstand. In fact, Elder Lu had tried simting the situation in his mind as well, but even he was notpletely confident that he would be able to catch it. It was clear that Dan Xiaotian had his own secrets. However, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would never force out the secrets of its disciples. As long as they were able to clear the examinations and did not flout sect rules, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was not too picky about what their disciples cultivated. After all, there was no such thing as a one size fits all when it came to cultivation techniques. After chatting a little more about the sect rules, Elder Lu Yun finally turned around and left. He had just achieved a breakthrough to the True Immortal realm, so he would have to spend some time reinforcing his cultivation. Teacher! After Elder Lu Yun left, Dan Xiaotian passed the Art of Ascendant Clouds and Ascendant Cloud Sword Form over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on them and collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. Following which, he swiftly flipped through them. Fearing that there would be a deviation in Dan Xiaotians cultivation, Elder Lu Yun had only given him the Ancient Sage 1-dan manual. It was top-notch inparison to the cultivation techniques of the Master Teacher Continent, but it was still terribly wed inparison to the Heavens Path Divine Art. In Zhang Xuans view, something of this caliber was not worth cultivating at all. As for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Form, it was indeed a decent move, but it was nothingpared to what he hadprehended thus far. For your cultivation technique, you should just practice what I have imparted to you. Theres no need to make any alterations. As for sword arts, continue practicing the sword toss. Once you master what you have, Ill impart the next level to you! Zhang Xuan said. Yes, Teacher! Dan Xiaotian nodded obediently. There was no one in the world whom he respected more than his teacher. Naturally, he was more than willing to do whatever his teacher told him. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave the residence, Dan Xiaotian suddenly asked, Right! Teacher, what is the name of the sword toss technique that you taught me? His teacher had taught him the technique, but the name remained a mystery to him. Surely, he could not keep referring to this technique as sword toss, could he? This question made Zhang Xuan frown. To be honest, he had created this technique on the spur of the moment, so he did not put much thought into naming it. Thus, he did not have an answer to Dan Xiaotians question. He pondered for a moment before replying, Since you are the Third Young Master of the Dan n, lets just call this move, Third Young Masters Swordsmanship! Third Young Masters Swordsmanship? That wont do! This doesnt seem too appropriate, Dan Xiaotian replied with twitching eyebrows. That was way too perfunctory! Who in the world would name their self-created swordsmanship in such a manner? Not to mention, this technique was created by his teacher, so how could he use his name for it? What is inappropriate about it? Im not too concerned about the name of the technique, so you can call it anything you want. In any case, I think Third Young Masters Swordsmanship sounds fine! Zhang Xuan waved his handzily. He could not really be bothered to argue about something like this. His father sucked at naming, otherwise he would not have been named Zhang Diaofei. As someone who had inherited those genes, it was obvious that he would not be any better. If he was, he would not have gone around naming his techniques Heavens Path Divine Art, Heavens Path Sword Art, Heavens Path Golden Body, and such. His nicknames also would not have been limited to Yang Xuan, Xuan Zhang, Tianya, and all those nonsensical names. Alright then... Seeing that his teacher had made up his mind, Dan Xiaotian could only go along with it. Seeing that this matter was settled, Zhang Xuan was just about to walk out when he suddenly recalled something. Turning to Dan Xiaotian, he said, Pass me your inner disciple token for a moment! After acquiring the token from Dan Xiaotian, Zhang Xuan left the residence and headed right for the inner disciples library. The library was located on a manmade in constructed in a valley. It was a majestic tower that Zhang Xuan had caught sight of while he was on his way to the inner disciples market. Upon arriving at the destination, Zhang Xuan passed his token over. The elder in charge of the library took a look at the token before exining impassively, Two Sword Pavilion Coins for an hour. You can select a cultivation technique or battle technique during this period and copy it. Zhang Xuan passed two Sword Pavilion Coins over before walking into the room. The lineage of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion could be traced several thousand years back. With such a history, the inner disciples library was filled with all kinds of sword art and cultivation technique manuals. After a swift estimate, Zhang Xuan reckoned that there were several million books within the tall tower. There were some rooms that disciples could enter to flip through their books privately. As time was money, most disciples would first select the books that they wanted before entering and copy its content in the fastest time possible while they were inside. As for Zhang Xuan... he did not have to go through so much trouble. All he had to do was to look at the books all around him and mutter ws! in his mind. H! Just like that, the books were swiftly being collected into the Library of Heavens Path at a frightening rate. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that the Library of Heavens Paths book collection function was still working fine. He had been afraid that some things regarding the Library of Heavens Path might change after entering the Azure, but everything seemed to still be working well for the time being. He walked up the levels of the library and collected all the books that heid his eyes on. As this was the inner disciples library, most of the cultivation techniques and battle technique manuals avable were at Ancient Sage-tier. There were no Pseudo Immortal techniques to be found there. Furthermore, most of them were regarding Ancient Sage 1-dan. With each increasing realm in Ancient Sage, the quantity of corresponding books avable decreased at a swift rate. Zhang Xuan was currently at Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage, so it did not matter much whether he browsed through the earlier books or not. It took him nearly four hours in order to collect all the books avable. Following which, he walked out of the library and paid eight Sword Pavilion Coins before returning to his residence. Alright, its finally time for me to make a breakthrough! Having collected the necessary cultivation techniques, it was about time for his stagnated cultivation to move a little! He sat on the bed with crossed legs before directing his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path. He quickly gathered all the Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivation technique manuals together. Compile! The books fused together to form a brand-new Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivation technique manual. Zhang Xuan hurriedly flipped the book open to browse through the contents, and a momentter, he heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he had hoped, thepiled manual was Heavens Path tier. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the seven remaining Basic Immortal Pills and swallowed one of them. Gugugu! Rich spiritual energy immediately gushed into Zhang Xuans body. He drove his zhenqi in ordance to the newlypiled Heavens Path Divine Art manual. Tzzzzzzz! As the spiritual energy was converted into zhengi, his strength rose, and his zhenqi became morepact. Boom! Some timeter, there was a resounding buzz as he sessfully made a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm intermediate stage. Thus, he continued swallowing a few more pills and continued pushing his cultivation forward. Hm? Is the effectiveness of the Basic Immortal Pill growing weaker? Less than half an hourter, Zhang Xuans cultivation reached Dimension Shatter realm advanced stage. He had already consumed all seven Basic Immortal Pills, but due to the decreasing effectiveness, he had only managed to reach advanced stage in the end. He was still a way off reaching consummation. The Heavens Path Divine Art does have a high demand on the quality of spiritual energy! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he halted his cultivation. Usually, Basic Immortal Pills would be highly effective even for Pseudo Immortal cultivators, but they were not of much use to him anymore. To be honest, even without the Basic Immortal Pill, just by absorbing the mercury-like spiritual energy in the air, he would still be able to improve much faster than he did on the Master Teacher Continent. However, it would take him at least two to three months before he could reach Dimension Shatterer realm consummation at this rate. It would be a huge insult if he had to spend such a long period of time just to advance a few cultivation stages! Since I still have quite a few Sword Pavilion Coins, should I try buying some Standard Immortal Pills? Zhang Xuan wondered. He had just won 14,000 Sword Pavilion Coins, and he had only spent eight of them so far. Since he had no urgent need for Sword Pavilion Coins at the moment, it would be best for him to raise his cultivation to Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. Zhang Xuan took out his Ethereal Token and entered the premises again. This time, he did not head to the dueling ring but the shopping district. Standard Immortal Pill? They cost two hundred Sword Pavilion Coins! the receptionist told Zhang Xuan. Two hundred Sword Pavilion Coins? Zhang Xuan was bbergasting. What kind of freakish price was that? Basic Immortal Pills were only worth two Sword Pavilion Coins each, but Standard Immortal Pills actually cost two hundred Sword Pavilion Coins. That was a difference of hundredfold! Standard Immortal Pills are only used by True Immortal cultivators. Those who have reached such a realm are either core disciples or inner elders, and to them, two hundred Sword Pavilion Coins doesnt count as much! the receptionist exined. Of course, the main reason its so pricy is due to the multitude of expensive medicinal herbs that are required in order to forge the pill. Furthermore, the forging process is highly demanding on the apothecary, so its quantity is severely limited! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Even an inner disciple like Zhu Yanzhi had nearly a thousand Sword Pavilion Coins with him. Given so, for core disciples and elders, the price of Standard Immortal Pills might really be cheap to them. Ill buy five of them! Zhang Xuan said helplessly. He had thought that his recently-earned fortune wouldst him quite a while, but the cruelty of the world struck him once more. Backing out of the Ethereal Hall, Zhang Xuan activated the formation on the token, and the five Standard Immortal Pills appeared before him. He took one out, ced it on his palm, and examined it closely. Compared to the Basic Immortal Pill, it was much richer in spiritual energy, and the quality of its spiritual energy was higher. Seeing that at least these Basic Immortal Pills were fairly high quality, he felt a little more bnced inside. Taking in a deep breath, he was just about to swallow a pill to push for a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm pinnacle when a blur shed before his eyes. The Dongxu Gourd had leaped out of his dantian once more, and it was staring at the Standard Immortal Pill in his hands with twinkling eyes. How fragrant. Chapter 1959 - Taming the Dongxu Gourd Chapter 1959 Taming the Dongxu Gourd Hold it right there! Seeing that the Dongxu Gourd was about to leap over, Zhang Xuan hurriedly ced a hand up and yelled for it to stop. He had be traumatized by the many times that the Dongxu Gourd had snatched his stuff. As soon as he acquired anything good, the Dongxu Gourd would immediately sniff it like a hellhound, dash out, and devour it in the blink of an eye. He could overlook everything that had happened before, but this was the pill that he had spent a hefty two hundred Sword Pavilion Coins on! If I let you eat my pills, how will I advance my cultivation? Give it to me. I want it! the Dongxu Gourd eximed as it shook its bottom. Didnt I tell you that this gourd is just a temporary form? I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends! As long as I recover my strength, I can grant you power far beyond your imagination. No one will dare cross you anymore. So, giving it to me will be far better than raising that pathetic cultivation of yours. Scram! Zhang Xuans veins throbbed upon hearing those words. Without any hesitation, he kicked the Dongxu Gourd away and ate the pill in his hand without any hesitation. You want to steal my stuff again? Dream on! Gugugu! The pill swiftly melted in his mouth, supplying a powerful surge of energy. His cultivation that hade to halt began to charge forth once more. Dimension Shatterer realm advanced stage! Dimension Shatterer realm pinnacle! Dimension Shatterer realmpletion! Dimension Shatterer realm consummation! It took two Standard Immortal Pills before his cultivation reached Ancient Sage 4-dan consummation, a step away from reaching Pseudo Immortal. Feeling the rich energy coursing through his body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that his current strength was nothingpared to the real experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but at the very least, he should be unmatched among the inner disciples. Of the three Standard Immortal Pills remaining, Zhang Xuan gave two of them to his clone to allow it to achieve a breakthrough, and he gave the final one to Vicious. The two of them sessfully advanced their cultivation to Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. No matter what, they were still his trump cards in times of danger, so it was important to raise their cultivation. Wheres mine? the Dongxu Gourd cried out resentfully upon seeing that it had received none of the five pills. All you do is eat and eat. Is there anything you can do other than that? Too bad for you, I dont have any more pills! Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. But you drank my bathwater! What can you do other than that? Have you ever done anything meaningful? Even in times of danger, you donte out to lend a helping hand. Why should I give any pills to you? But you drank my bathwater! Dont think that I dont know youve been stealing my Heavens Path zhenqi! Hiding in my dantian and stealing my energy, you are no different from a parasite! How in the world can you be so brazen and act so self-entitled? You should be d that I havent driven you away yet! But you drank my bathwater! Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Can you please stop talking about your bathwater? The water I have bathed in can cure injuries. You even sold it to other people and profited off it! the Dongxu Gourd protested indignantly. Zhang Xuan felt his head panging in pain. Fine, lets assume that what youve said is true, that you are really a legendary beast who has ruled over thends. I can buy you the pill you want right now, but youll have to acknowledge me as your master and follow my orders from now on. In the future, I can even help you acquire better medicine so that you can recover as quickly as possible! You want me to acknowledge you as my master? the Dongxu Gourd asked as it shook its bottom. Indeed. Theres no such thing as a free lunch in this world. As long as you be my tamed beast, Ill allow you to absorb my zhenqi freely, and Ill earn enough money so that you can get the pills you need to recover! Zhang Xuan said. He had no idea what tier the Dongxu Gourd was or what it even was at all, but the fact that its gourd soup was able to recover injuries more remarkably than the Heavens Path zhenqi could meant that it was anything but ordinary. Even if its ims that it was a legendary beast that had ruled over thends was an exaggeration, it was unlikely to be Otherwise, he would not have been so helpless against it. In any case, his priority for the time being should be to take the Dongxu Gourd in as his tamed beast. Otherwise, the Dongxu Gourd could very well run amok after it recovered. I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends! Instead of groveling and worshipping me, you want to tame me? Just how insolent can... the Dongxu Gourd harrumphed coldly. But before it could finish its words, Zhang Xuan suddenly flicked his wrist, and a Standard Immortal Pill appeared on his palm. Humph, I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends! Do you think that Ill submit to you over a mere pill? The Dongxu Gourd was salivating, but it was trying its darn hardest to hold itself back. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and yet another Standard Immortal Pill appeared on his palm. He had spent his remaining four hundred Sword Pavilion Coins on those two pills. Humph, two pills arent enough. You will need at least... at least... at least twenty of them! No, there should at least be a hundred! The Dongxu Gourd turned its head away haughtily. A hundred? Alright then. You can go and y with the dirt over there. Ill be taking a rest now. Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly as he ced the pills back into his storage ring. Knowing that the Dongxu Gourd possessed peculiar spatial abilities, he made sure to seal it with his zhenqi. A Standard Immortal Pill cost two hundred Sword Pavilion Coins, so a hundred of them would be cost a hulking twenty thousand coins! Even if he tired himself out in the dueling ring, he would not be able to earn that much money! Since that was the case, why bother in the first ce? Wait, are you giving up just like that? I mean, why not negotiate a little more? I am not an unfeeling legendary beast after all... Shocked that Zhang Xuan would give up like that, the Dongxu Gourd immediately turned its head back and cried out. The determination in its voice had vanished, and in its ce was a fawning tone. Why dont we do this instead? You can give those two remaining pills to me, and Ill consider whether I should take you in as my master or not. While this young mans cultivation was not that high, the zhenqi in his body felt extremely warm andfortable. Furthermore, it could feel a force that transcended nature harnessed within his body. So, it actually was not all that against this young man bing its master. Just that, what kind of legendary beast would it be if it acknowledged the young man as its master just because thetter told it to? It might just be a gourd for the time being, but it still wanted its pride! Here! Seeing that the Dongxu Gourd had finally loosened its mouth, Zhang Xuan took the two Standard Immortal Pills back out and flicked it over. Hu! The Dongxu Gourd swallowed the two Standard Immortal Pills simultaneously, and a slight burp sounded from its insides. With a slightly unsatisfied look on its face, it said, While this pill is not too bad, its tier is still a little too low. I need something with more oomph! Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He had eaten two pills too, and his cultivation had risen from Dimension Shatterer realm advanced stage to Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. On the other hand, the Dongxu Gourd ate two pills, but it did not seem to have undergone any changes at all. Just how powerful was it at its peak? Would it really require a hundred Standard Immortal Pills or something more potent than that for it to return to its true form? In any case, the fact that hes able to remain unchanged after swallowing two Standard Immortal Pills mean that his tier must be much higher than what I imagined. Ill just tame it first before anything happens, Zhang Xuan thought. He knew that the Dongxu Gourd was very different from the beasts that he had tamed previously. His renowned Beast Pummeling Taming Method would not work on it. After a moment of hesitation, he allowed the Dongxu Gourd to return to his dantian whereas he immersed his consciousness back in the Ethereal Token to enter the Ethereal Hall. Within less than four hours, he had squandered away all the wealth. It was no wonder they said that unaffiliated cultivators would not be able to get too far! All in all, he only had thirty-two Sword Pavilion Coins left, which was not enough to buy a fifth of a Standard Immortal Pill. When can I finally be free from poverty? Zhang Xuan thought as he made his way toward the dueling ring yet again. At the highest peak of the mountain where the inner disciples resided, a residence was located right at the edge of the cliff. In its courtyard, a white-robed young man named Liu Lujie was seated on the floor with his eyes tightly shut. The rich spiritual energy from the surroundings slowly gathered around his body and formed a huge vortex around him. He opened the acupoints all over his body and ravenously devoured this congregation of spiritual energy. Some timeter, he opened his mouth wide. Wu! A surge of sword qi shot out and sliced through a boulder located not too far away. If one took a closer look, this surge of sword qi contained exactly the same amount of energy as the spiritual energy that he had just absorbed. Instead of refining the spiritual energy into zhenqi, he had converted it into sword qi and shot it out. After doing all of that, he slowly opened his eyes. By the entrance of the courtyard, he nced at the blue-robed young man who had been waiting there for quite some time. The blue-robed young man walked in and asked, Are you still unwilling to make a breakthrough? How long do you n on suppressing your cultivation for? I still wish to continue refining my Sword Intent. As for a breakthrough, thats not something that is on my mind at the moment, Liu Lujie replied. You have been refining your Sword Intent for three years now, the blue-robed young man remarked. Three years is still not long enough. I heard that the Ten Li Sword God in our sect refined his Sword Intent for a whole ten years before pushing for a breakthrough to Pseudo Immortal. Its with such umtion that he was able to cause such a huge uproar! Even though my talent pales inparison to his, I still believe that my patience will bring me somewhere further, Liu Lujie replied. Speaking of which, it sure is unusual for you to visit me. Do you want to have a spar? Nay, its not as if I stand a chance against you, the blue-robed young man replied with a wave his hand. Following which, a gleam twinkled in his eyes as he said, Zhu Yanzhi and Wei Suifeng came to see me earlier, and they told me something that I found really interesting. Would you like to hear about it? Those two have always wasted their time on useless nonsense instead of cultivating; I doubt theres nothing they can say that will be truly meaningful, Liu Lujie said. I still need to cultivate, so Ill have to ask you to leave. Hey hey hey, dont be in such a rush to chase me out. At least let me finish my words, alright? As if knowing that Liu Lujie would react in such a manner, the blue-robed young man waved his hand calmly and continued with a smile. They said that a particrly powerful sword practitioner has recently appeared in the Ethereal Hall of the inner disciples. Despite the two of them going at that sword practitioner one after another, they were unable to force the other party to reveal his ace! Oh? The two of them were actually outssed to such an extent? Liu Lujie was slightly taken aback by the news. While Liu Yanzhi and Wei Suifeng often waste their time on meaningless pursuits, it has been quite some years since they arrived in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Their cultivation is at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation, and theirprehension of swordsmanship can at least be considered above average. Yet, they actually werent able to force their opponent to reveal his ace before falling in defeat? That... shouldnt be possible! They brought a video with them, and it was indeed as they said. Would you like to see? the blue-robed young man asked. Fine, Ill allow the two of them toe in! Liu Lujie nodded. Alright! The blue-robed young man turned to the doorway and shouted, Did you hear that,e in! Shortly after, a young man and a youngdy walked in. They were the two opponents whom Zhang Xuan had faced at the Ethereal Hall, Zhu Yanzhi and Onset of Twilight. Of course, Onset of Twilight was just a nickname; her real name was Wei Suifeng. Paying respects to Senior Liu and Senior Wang! As soon as they walked in, the two of them immediately bowed deeply. Those two who had been speaking earlier were none other than rank one Liu Lujie and rank three Wang Jiandong! You said that a remarkable sword practitioner has appeared in the Ethereal Hall? Liu Lujie looked at the two of them coldly. Thats right, Senior Liu! Zhu Yanzhi nodded. He quickly took out a Record Crystal and passed it over. This is the recording of our battle with him. Please take a look! Liu Lujie took a nce at Wang Jiandong before tapping his finger lightly on the Record Crystal to infuse a surge of zhenqi in. Weng! The Record Crystal immediately began ying. After watching for a brief moment, Liu Lujies eyes shot up in astonishment. He was able to see through the ws in your ultimate techniques and ovee them with the simplest of moves? Chapter 1960 - I Challenge All of You Here! Chapter 1960 I Challenge All of You Here! As the strongest cultivator among the inner disciples, Liu Lujiesprehension of swordsmanship had already reached an astounding level. The battle between I Am Low Profile with Zhu Yanzhi did notst too long, but Liu Lujie was still able to tell that the other partys swordsmanship was not beneath his! To see through the openings of the Sword of Forlorn Sentiments with just a nce... this was something that even he would have difficulty doing! Of course, he could not deny the possibility that the other party might have had some understanding of the sword art beforehand. After all, as long as one was an inner disciple and had sufficient Sword Pavilion Coins, one could freely ess the book and jot down its contents. But even if I Am Low Profile had managed to decipher the Sword of Forlorn Sentiments, he could not have done the same for Berserk Gale Swift Sword and the ten subsequent sword arts too! Over the past several millenniums of development, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had gathered at least a hundred thousand sword arts that inner disciples could ess. In order to stand out from others, most disciples would choose a unique sword art that was different from the rest. Even if I Am Low Profile had coincidentally studied the Sword of Forlorn Sentiments and Berserk Gale Swift Sword before, he could not possibly have done the same for the remaining ten sword arts. Just what were the odds of him having learned the exact same sword arts as Zhu Yanzhi! Putting everything aside, he would not even have had sufficient time to do so! From that alone, it could be deduced that I Am Low Profile did not ovee those moves based on his familiarity with the sword arts. Instead, hisprehension of swordsmanship had reached an extremely high level that allowed him to see through the swordsmanship of others. After that was the battle between I Am Low Profile and Wei Suifeng. This battle was even shorter. In a split second, a sword was already pressed against Wei Suifengs neck. This persons fighting prowess is nowhere beneath mine! Liu Lujie remarked with narrowed eyes as he tossed the Record Crystal back to Zhu Yanzhi. Indeed. I also thought that this person is quite remarkable, so I came to find you right after watching the video, Wang Jiandong said. How is it? Are you interested in having a duel with him? Of course! Liu Lujie said as an intense fighting will ignited in his eyes. My mastery of swordsmanship has already reached a bottleneck. I need to fight with someone of simr strength to me in order to trigger my potential and achieve a breakthrough. I believe that hell be the best opponent for me! The reason he had suppressed his cultivation all this while was to sharpen his Sword Intent and further hisprehension of swordsmanship. However, it was a pity that there was no one among the inner disciples who was a match for him anymore. When he was fighting against other inner disciples, he would have to intentionally hold himself back a little. Thus, he could not help but tremble in agitation upon seeing a fitting opponent before him. He instinctively knew that this was a person who was worthy of having him fight at full strength! Who is this person though? If he has such a deep understanding of swordsmanship, its weird that we have never met him before. Could he be a core disciple in disguise? Wang Jiandong asked curiously. Unlikely, Liu Lujie replied with a shake of his head. Core disciples hold their positions in high regard. None of them would be so bored as toe to the inner disciples Ethereal Hall to unt their skills! But... if there was really such a formidable figure among us, we surely would have met him by now given how long we have been in the sect, Wang Jiandong said in iprehension. Liu Lujie shared the same opinion. Core disciples stood at the very peak of the sect, so they would not be so bored as to head to a lower Ethereal Hall just to tease a couple of inner disciples while lowering their standing at the same time. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has been around for several thousand years now, and there are many inner disciples who are devoted to just cultivating their Sword Intent. They are nonchnt toward fame and fortune, and they are unwilling to bring attention to themselves. It might seem like Im the number one expert of the inner disciples, but in truth, there are plenty of other disciples who dont pale inparison to me when they exert their true strength, Liu Lujie said. He was famed for being the number one expert of the inner disciples, but he did not allow that to get to his head. There were many disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who were true sword ascetics. Just like ascetic monks, they put themselves in the toughest environments in order to temper their state of mind and Sword Intent, all in hopes of perfecting their understanding in the Way of the Sword! Those people often disregard the ranking system, choosing to immerse themselvespletely in their training after clearing the inner disciple examination. As a result, their rankings were not very high. But those who were foolish enough to underestimate them would be in for a shock. Even Liu Lujie himself would not dare get carelessness upon encountering one! Indeed, those sword ascetics are truly fearsome. Wang Jiandong nodded in agreement. Liu Lujie looked at Zhu Yanzhi and Wei Suifeng and instructed, Inform me when I Am Low Profile appears in the Ethereal Hall once more. I wish to meet his sword! Rest assured, Senior Liu. My men are already on the lookout. As soon as they spot him, theyll inform me right away, Zhu Yanzhi said with a smile. All of a sudden, he flicked his wrist and took out a Communication Jade Token. Lowering his gaze to take a look, his eyes lit up in excitement. Senior Liu, I just received word that I Am Low Profile has entered the Ethereal Hall! Jiandong, lets head there together to take a look! Liu Lujie took out his Ethereal Token and swiftly connected to the Ethereal Hall. The others around him swiftly followed suit. Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu! The four of them appeared one after another in the Ethereal Hall, and they quickly made their way over to the dueling ring. Senior Liu, that person over there is I Am Low Profile, Zhu Yanzhi said as he pointed forward. Liu Lujie looked in front of him and saw a young man standing in front the dueling ring with a bored look on his face. The young man was yawning endlessly, almost as if the battles that were happening on the stage were too dull for him. Another disciple behind him was displeased with his disinterested attitude, so he lividly berated, Why bother hanging around here when you arent even interested in watching? You might as well free up this slot for someone who is more interested in the duel... The next moment, though, I Am Low Profile turned toward the disciple and smiled. Do you want to make a bet with me? We dont have to y too big. A few hundred Sword Pavilion Coins will be enough! You... The disciple clenched his fists angrily. Arrogant! The other party was way too arrogant! Even illegal brokers would only make dealings in the shadows, fearing that the elders would go after them. Yet, this fellow had actually asked such a question in public. It was as if the rules of the sect meant nothing to him at all! A few hundred Sword Pavilion Coins? Why dont you just go and steal instead! the disciple bellowed with reddened, puffed up cheeks. I Am Profile was visibly taken aback for a moment before asking, Ah, is that possible? Of course! the disciple sneered coldly at the young mans haughty response. See, there are so many of us here. If you are able to defeat all of us singlehandedly, all of their Sword Pavilion Coins will be yours! Are you being serious here? I Am Low Profiles eyes lit up excitement. He was really moved by this thought. Will this... be a breach of the sect rules? If you robbed a single person, that might still be breaching the sect rules. However, if you are able to defeat everyone here singlehandedly, the sect will only me all of us for our weakness! the disciple scoffed. While he was saying those words out of anger, his words had some truth to them. Stealing among fellow disciples was against the rules of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. However, if one was able of challenging everyone simultaneously and defeating them... even the sect would not say anything if that person took everyones Sword Pavilion Coins! Kill a man, and one would be a murderer. Kill a million, and one would be a hero who rose above a million. Those who are strong were envied, but those whose strength surpassed imagination were revered. Rules were important in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but what was even more important than rules were the people. The sect had a soft spot for talented individuals. There was such a precedent in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In the past, the disciple who eventually be the Ten Li Sword God had challenged thirty inner disciples all at once. He had defeated them with ease and made his name known throughout the entire sect. The inner disciple who said those words to Zhang Xuan had thought that he would back down after hearing those words, but what happened instead was that thetters eyes began glowing brighter and brighter in agitation. If thats truly the case, it would really be for the best... Best? The inner disciple waspletely stumped. Was this fellow a fool or something? There were plenty of hidden experts among the inner disciples! Challenging and defeating all of them at once... You really should pull your head out from the clouds! Even the top geniuses from the core disciples would not be able to achieve such a feat! It was not because they were not strong, but the Ethereal Hall had limited their cultivation and zhenqi capacity. Dealing with one or two people was not an issue, subduing four to five people was still inherently possible, but to fight dozens at once... that was simply impossible! Even if one had the skill to do so, one would not have sufficient zhenqi tost the entire battle! Not to mention, all the inner disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were geniuses who boasted superior swordsmanship! Even defeating one of them was difficult, let alone defeating everyone at once. You are really daydreaming! Just as the inner disciple was going to ask Zhang Xuan to wake up and not let unrealistic thoughts devour his mind, thetter suddenly burst intoughter. He turned around and dered in a resounding voice, Right here, right now, I challenge all of you to a battle. The stakes will be all the Sword Pavilion Coins we have on us. Does any of you dare take up the challenge? Am I hearing things? That fellow wants to challenge all of us? And the stakes are all of the Sword Pavilion Coins we have? Thats practically plundering, isnt it? Hes not just plundering; he wants to steal all of our fortunes! Who the hell is that brazend who dared spout such arrogant words? Not even the number one Senior Liu would dare issue such a challenge! This son of a mutt is way too conceited! I cant take it anymore... Ill ept your challenge, you rascal! The challenge that Zhang Xuan had issued to all the inner disciples present immediately sparked a massive explosion of rage. Most of those who were there had fought at least a dozen matches and watched several hundred duels, but they had never seen anyone who was so pompous as to challenge all of them at once. Such fellows had to be beaten to the ground so that they would never act so haughtily ever again! What in the name of the heavens... Is that what he means by low profile? Meanwhile, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong had just arrived on the scene, and they nearly spewed fresh blood upon seeing that. The heck! When they heard the other partys nickname, they assumed that the other party would be a reserved man who did not like to bring attention to himself. After all, even they did not know of the other partys existence. Yet, before they knew it, the other party had already issued a challenge to everyone. Not only so, it was obvious that he intended to snatch away all their money. Please, your actions arent even slightly synonymous with low profile1! You show off! It took a long while before Wang Jiandong finally managed to close his agape mouth once more. He turned to Liu Lujie and asked, Are we joining in? He was really taken aback by how audacious I Am Low Profile was. He knew that he was already one of the strongest cultivators among the inner disciples, and very few could beat him in an actual battle. However, he would never dare issue such a public challenge. Even if they went at him one by one, his stamina, zhenqi, and concentration would still be unable to take it! A smirk crept onto Liu Lujies lips, and he chuckled a little. This was the first time that he had felt so excited in a while. Since we are present, dont you think that it would be disrespectful for us to turn down such an earnest challenge? Jiandong, hand your card and my card over to the front receptionist. If hes able to defeat me, I have no qualms about him taking away all my Sword Pavilion Coins away with him! If hes unable to defeat us, even if we dont make a move, the sect wont tolerate such blind arrogance among its ranks. He will be orded with the most severe of punishments! The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had a soft spot for talents, but that was only if one was able to pull ones own weight. If I Am Low Profile managed to aplish something amazing out of this, the sect would turn a blind eye to his actions... but if he suffered a tragic defeat, he would surely be severely punished. Even the talented had to recognize their own limits and act their worth. Otherwise, if everyone emted his actions, the entire sect would fall into anarchy! Chapter 1961 - Come At Me! Chapter 1961 Come At Me! Yes! Wang Jiandong nodded as he took Liu Lujies card and walked up to the receptionist. There were many others who had been provoked by Zhang Xuans words. They quickly took out their Sword Pavilion Coins and ced them in the hands of the receptionist. This way, even if they were killed, they would be able toplete the bet. That fellow is really asking for it... Upon seeing this sight, Zhu Yanzhi and Wei Suifeng were so exhrated that they could have exploded from glee. The reason they had taken Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong there was incredibly simple. They wanted to borrow their strength to teach the other party a lesson, as well as to force the other party into revealing his identity so that they could coerce him into returning the money that they had lost. Who could have known that the other party would make such an audacious move? Did he think that he could singlehandedly defeat all the inner disciples there? He must have gone mad! It was undeniable that the other party was powerful, but as the saying went, its hard for two hands to cope with four hands....Furthermore, there were over a thousand hands there! Even if that fellow doesnt disy his ultimate technique, theres no way hell be a match for everyone here. Theres no doubt that hell be severely punished by the sect for his preposterous actions... With such a thought in mind, the two of them felt a lot more bnced inside. They had initially been rather furious at having their money taken away just like that, but just imagining the pathetic plight that awaited that conceited brat quelled their angerpletely. That fellow might be formidable, but its a pity that he has a loose screw in his head! How could a person possibly defeat so many people at once? He must be bonkers! Nevertheless, regardless of the oue of this battle, his name will probably resound across the entire sect after this... Most of the disciples were infuriated by Zhang Xuans provocations, but there were a few who admired his courage. At the very least, there was no one in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who had dared make such an audacious challenge for the past few centuries. Who wants toe first? Paying no heed to the discussions from the crowd, Zhang Xuan leaped into the dueling ring before looking at the crowd all around him, as if challenging them to take him on. If he had known that he could challenge everyone and take all their wealth, he would have long made such a move. He would not have wasted ten minutes hesitating over what he should do. What arrogance... I cant take it anymore. Ill kill him! Unable to take it anymore, an inner disciple leaped into the dueling ring. I am Wu Feng. In the previous Inner Disciple Tournament, I was ranked 157th. I might not be the strongest among the inner disciples, but I wont allow the likes of you to insult me! Unleashing a ferocious roar filled with killing intent, the inner disciple drove his sword toward I Am Low Profile. Since the other party had made such a bold im, it was likely that he had the strength to back his words up. Wu Feng instinctively felt that he would not be a match for the other party... but so what? Even if he died there, he would not allow himself to be insulted in such a manner! H! In the blink of an eye, he had alreadyunched eighteen consecutive shes, and each of them was faster than thest! Sword Art: Eighteen Curvatures of the Mountain Route! This was his strongest battle technique, and it was with this sword art that he had defeated many opponents on this dueling ring. His execution of the technique was smooth and refined, and sword qi flowed out from the edge of his de like flowing water. Show your move! Wu Feng roared ferociously as he wrapped his sword qi around his body. Show my move? Zhang Xuan shook his head with a light smile. Ive already made my move. You have already made your move? Wu Feng was stunned. It was only at that moment that he felt a sharp pain intensifying on his throat. He tried to lower his head, but fresh blood suddenly spurted forth like a fountain. Padah! His head fell to the ground. How is this possible? Those were thest words murmured weakly from Wu Fengs mouth before his body dissipated into fragments of light. He had put up an absolute defense, but the other party had still managed to lop off his head without him noticing. How was that possible? The crowd was also bbergasted. They had thought I Am Low Profile too arrogant for challenging them all at once, but from the looks of it, it seemed like his arrogance was not unfounded! Even though their eyes had been on the dueling ring, no one actually saw how I Am Low Profile managed to lop Wu Fengs head off! Remarkable! But so what if hes powerful? Even if we go at him one at a time, its just a matter of time before he runs out of zhenqi! Indeed! Theres no need to be afraid of him. Well only lose an Ethereal Token at most! Lets slowly grind him down. I dont believe that he can continue spouting such smug words after facing a couple of us! The crowd slowly recovered from the shock of Wu Fengs death. Before long, there were a few roars that roused the morale of the crowd, and a new challenger stepped into the dueling ring. If their lives were really at risk, most of them would probably have been hesitant. However, as the duel was held in the Ethereal Hall, the worst that could happen to them was losing an Ethereal Token. As long as they killed that fellow, they could ept such a loss. Even if they had to slowly wear I Am Low Profile down with heaps and heaps of corpses, they were determined to finish him off! I am... The inner disciple who leaped onto the stage raised his sword as he began to introduce himself. However, before he could even finish his words, he felt an itch at his throat, and before he knew it, he was staring at his own feet. His head had been lopped off as well. What about the rest of you? Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Honestly, I think its a huge waste of time for you all toe up one by one. How long will it take for me to ughter all of you at this rate? Juste up all at once! While he was d that there were people taking on the challenge, this was taking way too long. If he had to kill them one by one, he would not be done even by daybreak! Why in the world were they wasting his time by dawdling before? You b*stard! You are asking for it! Meanwhile, the crowd beneath was really on the verge of losing their rationality. It was for the sake of fairness that they had decided to go at him one by one. Yet, that fellow actually wanted all of them to go at him at once. Was he asking for a lynching? Lets go together! Hu! In an instant, five inner disciples leaped into the dueling ring. Those five inner disciples were not too weak. They were ranked in the top three hundred of the Inner Disciple Tournament. The de facto leader of the group harrumphed coldly. Rest assured, we wont use a coborative formation against you! It was already beneath them as proud inner disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to gang up against a single opponent. They could not lower their pride any further to resort to using a coborative formation. Whatever. Zhang Xuan raised his sword and shed it horizontally through the air. Following which, he turned to the crowd and shouted, Next! Putong! Putong! Putong! Putong! Putong! Right after those words were spoken, the heads of the five inner disciples fell to the ground before their bodies dissipated into light fragments. Zhang Xuan also knew about the limitations of his stamina and zhenqi. If it had been his main body, having cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art and undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal and such, he would have had no worries about depleting his zhenqi at all. However, the body that he was given in the Ethereal Hall did not enjoy such a luxury. So, he unhesitatingly chose to kill them within a single move, not giving them a chance to retaliate at all. This saved him quite a bit of zhenqi and stamina. Next! That fellows swordsmanship is pretty fast. We mustnt waste our time talking cr*p with him. We need to unleash our strongest sword arts as soon as we step into the dueling ring! Indeed. Everyone, dont bother holding back at all. Release your strongest moves! Even if you cant kill him, at the very least, try to deplete as much of his stamina and zhenqi as possible! Not expecting the five inner disciples to be killed before they could even make a move, a hugemotion broke out amid the crowd. Determined not to give Zhang Xuan a chance to rest, yet another group of five quickly leaped into the dueling ring. At this point in time, there was no one who dared underestimate I Am Low Profile anymore. However, they were still unwilling to believe that the other party could singlehandedly defeat all of them. If they could not defeat him with theirbined might, what would others think of them? Their dignity would bepletely crushed! They could not back down there! Weng weng weng weng weng! Without any hesitation, the five who had just stepped onto the stage immediately unleashed an ocean of sword qi into the dueling ring. Driving their zhenqi to their limits, they executed the strongest moves that they knew. This prevented them from coordinating with one another through a coborative formation, but as experts, they were still able to control their attacks such that they would not hinder one another. Their torrential offense had Zhang Xuans movementspletely sealed, such that there was nowhere he could escape to. Seeing that at least this batch of opponents was a little smarter than thest, a slight smile finally emerged on Zhang Xuans lips. He took a step forward. Puhe! Puhe! No one saw him move his sword, but two heads had already fallen to the ground. Zhang Xuan took a step back, and yet another head fell to the ground. The two remaining opponents in the dueling ring were a piece of cake. With a swift sh of his sword, they disappeared from the dueling ring in less than a breath. This... Upon seeing this sight, Liu Lujies body trembled in shock. He could tell that the coboration between the five wasntplete, so he redirected their attacks to kill one another! This saves him quite a bit of zhenqi, reducing his energy consumption to the minimum! Wang Jiandongs eyes were also widened. What I Am Low Profile had done was use a little bit of force to redirect the offense of the five against one another. While those five were trying to coordinate with one another, it was still impossible for them to constantly keep track of each others movements and attacks in the midst of a dynamic battle. This was the very opening that I Am Low Profile exploited to defeat those five. But as simple as it sounded, it was far more difficult than it seemed to put into practice. Firstly, I Am Low Profile had to have a deep understanding of the moves of the five, such as the trajectories of their attacks and the next move they would take. Otherwise, there was no way he could step into the midst of their attacks without guaranteeing that he would not be hurt. Secondly, his calctions had to be absolutely precise. Amid the barrage of five powerful attacks, he had to maintain a tight overview of the chaotic situation and determine the ideal move that he should make. Thirdly, he had to have absolute confidence in his abilities. The slightest hesitation could result in a mistake in his redirection, and the one who would be killed could very well be him! Those three points had to be met in order to achieve this feat. Wang Jiandong was confident that he would be able to defeat those five inner disciples, but there was no way that he would be able to do it with such ease! He could not help but turn his gaze to Liu Lujie, hoping to know whether the number one expert of the inner disciples would be able to achieve this feat or not. I couldnt do it. Liu Lujie shook his head. He has only used a single surge of zhenqi to kill those five, but I would require at least five surges... He would have been able to charge into the attacks of the five and swiftly y all of them, but it was beyond his means to redirect their attacks against one another and defeat them without even lifting a single finger. Naturally, it was obvious which fighting style was superior. Liu Lujie paused for a moment before adding, The precision of his control, his overview of the battlefield, and his swordsmanship skills are truly formidable. However, as long as I can uncover his ultimate technique and trump card, I should be able to kill him with my full strength! There was no doubt that the other partys movements were swift and unorthodox, but he could do the same. In terms of swordsmanship skill, he did not think that he was beneath I Am Low Profile at all. As long as he could uncover what the other partys strongest move was and take precautions, it should not be too difficult for him to achieve victory given his strength! Slowly, the other cultivators among the crowd also saw through the crux behind Zhang Xuans earlier actions, and they eximed in horror. Everyone, be careful! Dont use coborative formations or go at him in a group! Otherwise, hell just redirect your attacks against one another! If they continued going at him as a group, instead of expending his zhenqi and wearing him down, they would only be his murder weapon. What should we do then? If we dont go at him as a group, well just die much more pitiful deaths going up one by one! All of a sudden, the area around the dueling ring fell silent. No one dared to head up anymore. One by one would not work, and going as a group only backfired on them. It was like there was no way out of this at all! No matter which way they chose, the oue was still a tragic defeat! Seeing that no one was moving at all, Wang Jiandong nced at Liu Lujie before walking over to the dueling ring with widened strides. Allow me! However, before he could step in, he discreetly sent a telepathic message to Liu Lujie and said, Ill try to force him to use his strongest move. Take a good look and try to decipher it. When its your turn, make sure to kill him in a single blow! Dont give him any time to react! Knowing Wang Jiandongs motives, Liu Lujie nodded. Alright! Those who had challenged I Am Low Profile so far were not too strong. Not a single one of them was ranked in the top fifty among the inner disciples. On the other hand, Wang Jiandong was ranked third ce. With his strength, he should be able to force I Am Low Profile to reveal his true strength, thus allowing Liu Lujie to make a more wholesome assessment of the other party. This way, Liu Lujie would stand a better chance of defeating the other party when it was finally his turn. I am Wang Jiandong. Please allow me to witness your strongest move, Wang Jiandong said. The leisurely aura around him vanished as soon as he stepped into the dueling ring. The zhenqi in his body roared, and his aura rose into the heavens. In an instant, it felt as if he had transformed into a War God. As if responding to his Sword Intent, his sword reverberated in agitation. It sounded like the growl of a massive dragon. Its Senior Wang Jiandong! Hes actually here! This is wonderful! Hes ranked third among the inner disciples, right? With his formidable swordsmanship, he should be able to end the other party quickly! Well, even if I Am Low Profile wins the match by chance, hell probably expend a huge chunk of his zhenqi in this battle! Hearing the name, the crowd began cheering excitedly. Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong did not frequent the dueling ring, and they used aliases for the names of their avatars. Thus, unless they dered their names, no one would be able to recognize them. Hearing the discussions amid the crowd, Zhang Xuan said, Wang Jiandong? You are ranked third among the inner disciples? Indeed! Shall we get started? Wang Jiandong asked. He channeled his sword qi into the sword in his hand, ready tounch a devastating strike on his opponent. Sounds good! Zhang Xuan replied. He took a step forward. Padah! Wang Jiandongs head fell to the ground. Silence. Chapter 1962 - The Number One Inner Disciple Chapter 1962 The Number One Inner Disciple W-what ... Watching as the world rotate around him, all that was in Wang Jiandongs mind was incredulity. Even in his moment of death, he did not believe what was happening to him. He had driven his Sword Intent and sharpened his concentration to their limits. He had been prepared to meet anything that came his way. He had intended tost as long as he could against his opponent and put up a good fight. But as soon as the other party made his move, the world had begun rotating around him. Everything had ended before he knew it. When did the other party make the move? How did the other party make the move? He realized that he knew nothing at all! Was such a swift sword humanly possible? Lujie, Im sorry. I was thinking of sounding out the other partys moves for your reference, bu^ ^ strength is limited. To the other party, I am probably no different from an unmoving target... With a heart filled with regrets, Wang Jiandong dissipated into light fragments. Beneath the dueling ring, Liu Lujie witnessed everything that had happened clearly with his eyes, and he nearly cked out. That was the third strongest expert among the inner disciples! Yet, he had helplessly been killed in a single move. How in the world did something like this happen? Will I really be a match against such a fast sword? Liu Lujie fell into deep thought. Deep inside, he already had a clear answer in his mind. There was no way he could block that blow. However, he was unwilling to give up just that. His tenacity did not allow him to give up just because a stronger opponent was standing before him. There had never been an obstacle that had brought him down before, and he did not think that this would be any different. All of sudden, the fighting will in his eyes red up once more. I get it... I get it! Jiandong, your death wasnt in vain. You didnt manage to force him into revealing his trump card, but I have managed to uncover the ws in his swordsmanship! Liu Lujie clenched his fists tightly as his zhenqi roared within his body. He had finally found a way out of this quandary. Based on his analysis so far, the other partys so-called trump card was much simpler than what they had assumed... and that was his swiftness! His sword was so fast that most opponents he faced would not even be able to react to his attack. Most likely, the other party hadprehended the Speed Quintessence. Even the greatest might could be ovee, but absolute speed was undefeatable! He had been so interested in finding out what kind of move the other party had executed that such a simple fact had eluded him. In truth, the other party only had a single move, and that was his swiftness. As long as ones sword was swift enough, even an expert of Wang Jiandongs caliber could be decapitated in an instant. Theres only one way to avoid a swift sword, and thats to take the initiative. In the other words, I just have to be faster! Coming to understand the crux of the other partys strength, Liu Lujie swiftly stumbled upon the answer to oveing the other partys swordsmanship. Defense was not enough to curb a swift sword, so the only true way to do so was to match its speed. Only by outmaneuvering the other party would he be able to force the other party into revealing his openings! Closing his eyes, Liu Lujie swiftly formted several offensive maneuvers in his mind, and eventually, he settled upon one of them. He felt that as long as he executed it properly, his chances of victory would be over seventy percent. While Liu Lujie was still in deep thought, another twenty people had stepped into the dueling ring one after another. Just like those that had gone before them, their heads ended up rolling off their necks. None of them managed tost a single breath! By this point, the crowd was already trembling fearfully as the frightening strength of I Am Low Profile started to seep into their minds. In less than three minutes, I Am Low Profile had already killed forty opponents, and seven of them were ranked in the top hundred. There was even the third ranker Wang Jiandong among the victims. Yet, no one had managed tond even a single blow on I Am Profile so far. Not only that, no one had been able to make sense of how the other party had managed to kill them! Initially, they had thought that they could eventually grind down this fellow with sheer numbers, but right now... their confidence was wavering. In their minds, I Am Low Profile had already transformed from an ordinary human into a callous grim reaper. Every move he made would signify a decapitation. It was almost as if this had be a rule on this dueling ring. It did not matter how many opponents he was facing or how powerful his opponent was. Seeing that morale had fallen to an all-time low, Liu Lujie shouted, Everyone, dont panic. Hes only a single man. We have more than enough people to take him down. Even if we stand here and allow him to kill us, how many of us will he be able to take down? Indeed... He might be powerful, but hes only a single man! We cant lose. Otherwise, what will other people think of us? Losing our money is a small deal. Whats more important is that the sect will surely punish us for our weakness! Liu Lujies shout made everyone snap out of their fear, and their eyes began zing with fighting spirit once more. Everyone, I have been analyzing his swordsmanship thus far, and the crux of his strength is simply his speed. Its not asplicated as what you are imagining. As long as we are able to move faster than him, he will be a goner! Liu Lujie said as he slowly made his way over to the dueling ring. Ill kill him right now so as to show you that there are plenty of experts among the inner disciples! Hearing Liu Lujies words, the crowd swiftly widened their eyes in realization. Indeed! It was their inability toprehend I Am Low Profiles attacks that made him seemed more frightening than he truly was. However, if all the other party had was speed... as long as they were able to move faster than the other party, the other party would be nothing at all! A swift sword was formidable, but it was highly demanding on ones vitality and zhenqi. Given the limitations on his cultivation imposed by the Ethereal Hall, how much longer could I Am Low Profile keep up with such speed? To be able to see through all of this, it seems like that friend over there is a true expert! I wonder if hell be able to defeat I Am Low Profile. It doesnt matter whether hes able to defeat I Am Low Profile or not. The knowledge that I Am Low Profile is using speed to overwhelm his opponents is a crucial piece of information. This means that the sacrifices of those that came before havent been in vain. As long as we go at him relentlessly, he will eventually wear himself out! As Liu Lujie made his way to the dueling ring, the crowd instinctively opened up a path for him as they roared cheers of support. Liu Lujie was currently using a new Ethereal Token, and the nickname that he was using was different from before. As such, no one knew that he was actually the number one expert of the inner disciples! Hearing the confident deration from the new challenger, Zhang Xuan could not help but chuckle softly. You said that speed is the crux of my strength? How was his move fast at all? This was nothing more than an ordinary sh from him afterprehending that Sword Intent. The more powerful ones Sword Intent was, the greater the burden on ones zhenqi, physical body, and soul. His current Ancient Sage 1-dan would not be able to bear the burden of executing a truly swift sword! In fact, even his real Ancient Sage 4-dan consummation body would not be able to bear the pressure from unleashing the Sword Intent that he had captured with his golden page! As such, all he could only showcase a sliver of what he was truly capable of! Nevertheless, while the other partys analysis wasntpletely urate, it was a good attempt. From the looks of it, it appeared that the new challenger was a fairly decent sword practitioner. Usually, he would be interested in seeing what t;he other party was capable of, but it was a pity tha^ currently a little too feeble. He could not afford to squander any of his strength. Furthermore, he was pressed for time, so he could only end this quickly. Lets begin! While such thoughts were running through Zhang Xuans mind, Liu Lujie had already gotten into the ring and readied himself. Hu! He swiftly harmonized together with his sword before dashing forth like a burst of wind. Due to the sheer speed that he was moving at, the tip of his sword released a deafening rumbling reminiscent of the roar of thunder. Swift! But this move looks rather familiar. I feel like Ive seen it somewhere before... Its the Sword of Thunder Call! Legend has it that the elder who created this technique was inspired by a streak of lightning in the sky. This swordsmanship allows one to move with speed as fast as lightning and strength as frightening as thunder... That swordsmanship is one of the top three sword arts within the inner disciples library, but its simply so hard that most who try give up eventually. So far, among the inner disciples, theres only one person who has seeded... Wait a moment, you cant mean to say that the person in the dueling ring is... The new challenger moved with such agility that the crowd could hardly keep up with his movements. A huge uproar broke out among them. It was a well-known fact that only Senior Liu Lujie had mastered this move. This was more than enough to verify the identity of the new challenger! It seemed like even the number one expert of the inner disciples had decided to make a move to teach that arrogant fellow a lesson! That brat is finally done for! That fellows tricks will be swiftly unraveled under Senior Lius ingenuity! Everyones eyes lit up in excitement as they cheered for Liu Lujie. In their hearts, Liu Lujie was an undefeatable legend. He had dominated the number one spot for seven years now, and no one hade close to even shaking his position so far. With such an expert making a move, I Am Low Profile would surely fall into defeat. With that, there was no way he would act arrogantly anymore! Back to the dueling ring, Liu Lujie waspletely oblivious to the fact that his identity had been revealed. At that very moment, hisplete attention was focused on his sword art. Knowing that his opponents sword was capable of moving at inhuman speeds, he dared not let his guard down for even a second. Any opening that he showed could very well be his undoing. With his incredible speed, he covered over a dozen meters in the blink of an eye, but for some reason, perhaps because I Am Low Profile was caught off guard or was simply that confident in his abilities, the other party remained rooted to the spot, not moving at all. Are you still not going to make a move, or are you unable to make a move? It seemed like his guess was right. The only thing that the other party had was his speed! With him outdoing the other partys speed, there was no longer anything the other party could do. Victory was his to im! Hu! But as this thought was circling in his mind, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation ahead of him. ncing upward, his eyes widened in disbelief. At some point in time, the other party had lifted his sword and ced it in the trajectory of his movement, waiting for him to crash into it. Wh ... As he was moving too fast, he was not even able to pull off a sidestep. Before he could say a word, the sword had already plunged right through his head. Putong! His body fell lifelessly to the ground. Next! Zhang Xuan shouted out. The other partys movements were rather fast, so he had chosen to ce his sword in the path of the other party. As he had expected, the other party had ended up running right into his de, thus allowing him to achieve a headshot without even exerting much strength. Senior Liu was killed just like that? Whats even more frightening is that I Am Low Profile didnt even exert any strength! All he did was hold his sword in position, and Senior Liu simply ran right into it! Didnt Senior Liu say something about defeating speed with greater speed? The crowd shuddered in fear. At this moment, they were on the verge of a mental breakdown! Even the number one expert of the inner disciples had been killed with such ease. Just how powerful was I Am Low Profile? Whats wrong? Is there no one who dares fight me anymore? Can I take it that all of you are admitting defeat? Zhang Xuan could not help but realize that the crowd had gonepletely silent after he defeated the previous opponent, so he could not help but ask them that with a frown. Even when he defeated Wang Jiandong, the crowd did not react in such a manner! Could it be that the earlier opponent was a famous figure among the inner disciples? Thus, he turned to one of the more vocal inner disciples and asked, Is the person whom I just killed... someone who is deeply respected among the inner disciples? Y-you...M Hearing those words, the inner disciple nearly fainted on the spot. Did you not feel anything different while fighting him? You were going against the number one expert of the inner disciples! Surely you felt his extraordinary aura and superior strength! Feel anything different? Zhang Xuans frown deepened. Was I supposed to feel anything about him? Other than his decent speed, it doesnt seem like theres anything special about him at all! It was true that the previous challenger was fast, but his inability to control his speed properly made him extremely easy to kill. The current situation was just like a bunch of ants trying to oppose a human. Would a human be able to sense who was the stronger one among the ants? It was not like it made any difference at all! H-he... Hes the number one expert of the inner disciples, Senior Liu Lujie! the inner disciple cried out. Oh... Hes the number one expert? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Even though hes so weak? ...The crowd. Chapter 1963 - Bai Ruanqing Is Here Chapter 1963 Bai Ruanqing Is Here In the courtyard located at the peak of the inner disciples mountain, Wang Jiandong slowly opened his eyes. Feeling a little giddy, he clutched his head for a moment. Wang Jiandong meditated for a moment to recover from his abnormal condition before murmuring with a bitter smile, It doesnt feel too good to have my head lopped off. He would usually be the one killing others in that dueling ring, and it was his first time experiencing his head being sliced off. While physical harm incurred in the Ethereal Hall would not be transferred into the real world, the mental pressure in that moment still left his heart thumping wildly. Even though I lost an Ethereal Token, I hope that I have allowed Senior Lujie to see through that fellows swordsmanship. It would be good if hes able to achieve victory, Wang Jiandong muttered. To be honest, he was full of awe toward Liu Lujie. Over the years, no matter how many formidable moves he had learned or what kind of maneuvers he executed, it was all futile in the face of Liu Lujies absolute strength. It was as if he was a kid trying to fool around with an adult. To him, Liu Lujies strength was as unfathomable as an abyss. It was just like how in a school exam, even if you scored ny-nine marks whereas a genius scored one hundred, the difference between you and the genius would not just lie in that single mark. It was just that the paper only had a hundred marks for the genius to score. As long as Liu Lujie could see through the other partys moves, he should be able to win with ease! Dong dong dong! While Wang Jiandong was still in deep thought, he suddenly heard knocking outside. Who would visit at such an hour? Wang Jiandong murmured as he stood up and walked to the entrance of the residence. Usually, as this was Liu Lujies residence, it would be inappropriate for him to receive the door the other partys ce. However, as Liu Lujie was currently dealing with I Am Low Profile in the Ethereal Hall, he could only receive the guest in his ce. Jiya! Opening the door, Wang Jiandong saw a few inner disciples looking at him with their heads lowered fearfully. One of them anxiously said, Senior Liu, we beg your pardon for visiting at such an ungodly... But before they could finish their words, they realized that the person before them was not Liu Lujie. With an awkward chuckle, they quickly corrected their words. Our apologies, Senior Wang. May we know if Senior Liu is inside? Whats wrong? Wang Jiandong asked with a frown. He recognized these fellows, but they had never interacted with one another before. They were not even in the top thousand among the inner disciples. Why were they looking for Senior Liu? Senior Liu is the number one expert of the inner disciples, and he boasts great influence here. Theres a matter that we would like to trouble him with, the inner disciple said with a reddened face. Hes not free! Seeing that they were here to ask for a request, Wang Jiandong replied impatiently and prepared to close the door. It was true that Liu Lujie possessed great influence among the inner disciples due to his position, but how busy would he be if he helped anyone who came knocking? A precedent could not be set, or else it would cause a great deal of trouble in the future. Not free? What haughty words! Are all inner disciples nowadays so arrogant? As soon as Wang Jiandong finished his words, a cold feminine voice sounded behind the inner disciples. Raising his gaze, he saw a demure-looking youngdy walking over with a displeased expression on her face. Upon taking a close look at the other partys appearance, Wang Jiandongs eyebrows shot up in horror. He quickly sped his fist and greeted, Senior Bai! The person who had appeared was none other than the renowned tyrant of the core disciples, Bai Ruanqing! She was neither the strongest nor the most talented among the core disciples, but she had a formidable grandfather, who happened to be one of the Three Grand Elders, Elder Bai Ye! Even though Elder Bai Ye had been injured recently, no one would dare take their chances. As such, even though Bai Ruanqing had beaten up a lot of core disciples, no one dared do anything to her. Instead, all of them kept their distance from her and tried their best not to cross her path. She had never involved herself in the affairs of the inner disciples before, so why would she suddenly pay Senior Liu a visit? Seeing through Wang Jiandongs doubts, Bai Ruanqing exined, I am here to engage Liu Lujies help in finding an inner disciple. He should be able to do it, right? Of course, Senior Liu and I would never turn down a request from you, Senior Bai. Wang Jiandong nodded. How could he possibly turn this female dinosaur down? If he angered the other party, he would risk having his eggs of life crushed by a kick! No matter how frustrated he was, he could only bear with it. Even core disciples did not dare turn down a request from Bai Ruanqing lightly, let alone inner disciples like them! Senior Bai, pleasee in! Wang Jiandong quickly invited her into the residence to have a seat. After settling down in the main hall, Wang Jiandong leaned forward a little and asked, May I know which foolish inner disciple has offended you, Senior Bai? Feel free to name him, and Ill have my men investigate the matter right away! He didnt offend me, but I have some business with him, Bai Ruanqing said with a frown, but she did not bother to waste her time exining the matter. With a flick of her wrist, she took out a painting and said, This is a painting of his appearance. Bai Ruanqing was not just a skilled sword practitioner; she was also an expert in ink painting. Her drawing of Zhang Xuan was urate to the finest detail, making it seem extremely lifelike. His painting? Wang Jiandong took the painting and examined it carefully. A momentter, he shook his head and said, My apologies, but I have never met this person before! He had been an inner disciple for many years, and he practically knew all the inner disciples in Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. However, he was certain that he had never seen this person before. Youve never seen him before? What about Liu Lujie? Where is he? Bring him here to check the painting, Bai Ruanqing said. Senior Liu is currently sparring with someone in the Ethereal Hall! Wang Jiandong quickly replied. Sparring? Bai Ruanqing frowned. Isnt he the number one expert of the inner disciples? Is there anyone who is a match for him in the Ethereal Hall? As the number one expert of the inner disciples, would Liu Lujie not simply defeat all of his opponents with ease? Was there any point to sparring with others there then? Not too long ago, an arrogant sword practitioner named I Am Low Profile appeared in the Ethereal Hall. However, it shouldnt be an issue anymore. With Senior Liu making a move, he should be able to defeat the other party swiftly... Wang Jiandong said with a smile. Halfway through his words though, the sound of a stool falling to the ground echoed from the courtyard. Looking over, he saw Liu Lujie walking over with a ghastly pale face. Senior Liu... Wang Jiandong and the other inner disciples quickly rose to their feet and greeted him. Still seated calmly in her chair, Bai Ruanqing nced at the young man who had just entered the main hall and asked, Are you Liu Lujie? Noticing the esteemed guest in the room, Liu Lujie quickly sped his fist and greeted her. Paying respects to Senior Bai! Senior, how did it go? Did you manage to get him? Wang Jiandong asked anxiously. However, Liu Lujie shook his head and gloomily replied, I was defeated by him. Y-you were defeated? Wang Jiandong recoiled in shock. Senior Liu... did you manage to force him into showing his true sword art? Well... Liu Lujie shook his head bitterly once more. I charged at him as swiftly as I could, but he ended up piercing my head with his sword... Just like that, I died. He pierced your head with his sword? Wang Jiandong was stunned. He was willing to admit his defeat, but this was Senior Liu they were talking about. He was the number one expert of the inner disciples! Yet, he had been defeated in a single move. Just who in the world was that fellow? From which hole did he pop out of? Noticing the slight change in the atmosphere, Bai Ruanqing asked, What happened? Senior Bai, its like this... Liu Lujie quickly recounted the entire matter to Bai Ruanqing. Someone haughtily challenged all of the inner disciples at once in the Ethereal Hall? Bai Ruanqing was stunned by the explosive news. Theres actually another person who is even more arrogant than me in the sect? All in all, there were over ten thousand inner disciples in the sect... and he had actually challenged all of them at once. That was insane! She had thought that she was already the cockiest person in the sect due to her grandfather covering her, but to think that there was actually someone who could top her act! More importantly, despite being so pompous, he still sarcastically used the nickname I Am Low Profile, as if mocking everyone else... Vicious! There was truly no one more condescending than him! I would like to meet that fellow! Bai Ruanqing stood up with fighting will ring in her eyes. The reason she was called a female dinosaur was not just because of her explosive temper. More than that, it was because she liked fighting and was darned good at it! With such an expert appearing among the inner disciples, how could she possibly not be moved? Her fighting will had been ignited, and it would not be quelled until she exchanged blows with the person in question! Senior Bai, you are a core disciple. It would be a breach of the rules if you headed over... Liu Lujies face reddened. No matter what, this was a battle among the inner disciples. It did not feel appropriate for Senior Bai to involve herself in this. Ill just head in there to take a look and see if its a core disciple pretending to be an inner disciple to cause trouble! Bai Ruanqing swiftly found herself an excuse. Of course, Ill just take a look at what kind of moves he has! This... Liu Lujie hesitated a little. While he did say earlier that I Am Low Profile could not be a core disciple, but what if that was really the case? After his fight with thetter, such doubts had started popping up in his mind. The excuse that Bai Ruanqing hade up with was legitimate, and it was not a huge deal for her to head in to take a look. This was a good chance for him to determine if the other party was actually a core disciple in disguise. If that was truly the case, it would be meaningless for him to pit himself against the other party. Ill be troubling you, Senior Bai! Liu Lujie replied. He took out two Ethereal Tokens and passed one to Bai Ruanqing. As for the other one, he was going to use it for himself. In order to better disguise themselves, most inner disciples chose to carry a couple of tokens with them. In a sense, it was simr to how some people had multiple social media ounts for different purposes. Its no trouble at all. While I take a look at who that fellow is, Ill help you find the ws in his moves so that you can defeat him. Then, I need you all to help me investigate who this person is, Bai Ruanqing said as she gestured at the painting. I dont like owing favors to others, so lets call it even with this! Yes, Elder Bai! Liu Lujie nodded. Together with Wang Jiandong, the two of them quickly entered the Ethereal Hall once more. Using another Ethereal Token, the both of them assumed different nicknames and appearances. Bai Ruanqing did not forget to conceal her appearance in order to prevent others from identifying her as well. After their disguising work was done, the three of them quickly headed for the dueling ring. By the time they arrived, there was already a massive crowd around the area. While they were gone, news had been spreading like wildfire among the inner disciples, and those who were absent quickly entered the Ethereal Hall. There was a tense and fiery atmosphere in the air. When Liu Lujie and the others first arrived on the scene, a group of twelve happened to step into the dueling ring. However, they were killed by I Am Low Profile in the blink of an eye. In the next moment, yet another wave of opponents stepped into the dueling ring. It felt never-ending like the relentless tides. Liu Lujie swiftly grabbed a nearby disciple and asked, How many people has he eliminated so far? Probably around two hundred, I think... Those who get into the dueling ring are pretty much killed in an instant. No one has been able tost more than a single move against him. Even Senior Liu Lujie was sliced in two with a single move from him! the inner disciple replied agitatedly. While he felt enraged by this fellows arrogant challenge, there was no denying that he was extremely powerful! Even the number one expert of the inner disciples had been killed so easily, so there was no way the others could be a match for him. They could only hope to rally more people and swarm him with sufficient numbers. Slowly, they would grind him down before dealing a killing blow! He has already eliminated two hundred people? Liu Lujies eyebrows shot up. How long had it been since he left? Three minutes? Five minutes? Yet, that fellow actually eliminated 170 people within this short span of time? The heck! That was too much! It was as if inner disciples were no different from ants to the other party! Liu Lujie turned to Bai Ruanqing and asked, Senior Bai, could that person really be a core disciple in disguise? This... After assessing the figure in the dueling ring for a moment, Bai Ruanqing shook her head and said, None of you are able to force him into showing his hand, so I cant say for sure! Chapter 1964 - We’re All In This Together Chapter 1964 Were All In This Together In terms of appearance and gestures, Bai Ruanqing could not think of any core disciples who were simr to I Am Low Profile. Then again, the other party would have surely disguised himself well before entering this Ethereal Hall, so it was meaningless to make deductions based on that. The best way to figure out his identity was to force him into revealing his true capabilities! I Am Low Profile had been fighting for quite some time, but the moves that he had used so far were practically no different from the action of swatting flies. With each swing, he would reap the life of an opponent or two. There was nothing that one could discern from such a simple action. Even with her deep understanding of the core disciples, there was no way she could recognize the other party from a simple sh! Hes simply too powerful. We arent able to cause him any stress at all, Liu Lujie remarked bitterly. They had thought that Wang Jiandong would be able to force him into showing his hand, but he had been decapitated in a single sh. When Liu Lujie went up, he had been sliced in two. They were the first and third of the inner disciples! If even they did not stand a chance, what could the others hope to do? Furthermore, the other party had killed two hundred inner disciples so far, but he did not even look tired. With the other partys skills, it felt like it would not make a difference no matter how many people they piled into the dueling ring! Dont worry. Let me give it a try! A glimmer of excitement surfaced in Bai Ruanqings eyes. As a core disciple and the granddaughter of one of the Three Grand Elders, she had a deep understanding of swordsmanship despite her young age. If it was in the real world, she would be able to pull off what I am Low Profile was doing, killing an opponent with a single sh each. However, with the pathetic body that was allocated by this Ethereal Hall, she would not have the stamina or zhenqi to kill so many people and still be standing at the end of it! In other words, there was a good chance that the person in the dueling ring was even stronger than her. Before such an expert, as a battle maniac and a female dinosaur, it was only natural that she would want to test the other party herself! Senior Bai... Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong looked at one another awkwardly. You are a core disciple. If you are caught interfering in a conflict among inner disciples... It was true that they had some lingering doubts about I Am Low Profile being a core disciple, but there was also a chance that he might really be an inner disciple who had cultivated hard over the years. In the first ce, it was already disadvantageous for him to have to face so many opponents at once. If they brought a core disciple in as well, their reputation would really be torn to shreds! Just the sheer embarrassment would be enough to kill them! Im using your Ethereal Token at the moment. As long as neither of you say a word, no one will know a thing! Bai Ruanqing said with a grand wave of her hand. Theres no need to say anything more. Im just going to test that fellow and verify his identity. As soon as I confirm that he isnt a core disciple, Ill immediately admit defeat. You can rest assured that I have no ns of interfering with this matter. Of course, if hes a core disciple, Ill get rid of him for you in view of the sect rules! This... Liu Lujie hesitated for a moment before bowing deeply. Well be troubling you, Senior Bai! What the other party said made sense. If she was just going into the dueling ring to test I Am Low Profiles skills, it would not contravene the rules of the sect. Senior Bai, be careful. That fellows sword is extremely fast, Wang Jiandong advised softly. Fast? Hah, thats one thing that Im not afraid of! From the age of five, Grandpa Bai Feng would take me to the northernmost wintends to practice the Heavysnow Swordsmanship every year. It has been fifteen years since then, and I have already mastered the technique to Major Aplishment. With such swordsmanship, do you think that I would fear the speed of his sword? Bai Ruanqing replied proudly. The other party might be skilled in swift maneuvers, but that was even more so for her! It was through the swiftness of her movements that she was able to strike the vitals of the other core disciples before they could even react. Heavysnow Swordsmanship? Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong had heard that Bai Ruanqing was a formidable sword practitioner, but they had not been aware of the swordsmanship that she practiced. So, when they heard the name of the sword art, their eyes lit up in excitement. The Heavysnow Swordsmanship was renowned within the sect. It had been created by an expert a thousand years ago during a snowy day. If one cultivated it to the peak, one would be able to deal six shes in the time that a snowke took to descend to shave off its six tips! Without its sides to cushion its fall, a snowke would be no different from a snowball, resulting in the eleration of its fall. This was also the inspiration behind the name of the technique, Heavysnow Swordsmanship. Snowkes were known for their lightness, such that even the slightest gust of wind could blow them away. As such, the sword practitioner had to control their strength to the finest degree, and the speed of their movement needed to be incredible. As someone who had achieved the level of Major Aplishment in a technique like that, Bai Ruanqings speed and control had long reached a level far beyond theirprehension! If thats the case, I Am Low Profile will surely be no match for Senior Bai! Liu Lujie remarked with a nod. He lowered his back once more and earnestly said, Senior Bai, pardon me for saying this, but I beseech you to halt after testing his identity. Please allow the inner disciples to deal with him instead! Regardless of whether I Am Low Profile was a core disciple or not, it was still a fact that he had challenged and insulted all the inner disciples. If they had to rely on an outsider to deal with him, it would reflect badly on them. I didnt know that you were so noisy. Fine, fine, Ill leave him to you! Bai Ruanqing waved her hand impatiently as she walked up to the dueling ring. Everyone, stop! Im going to have a solo fight with I Am Low Profile! Bai Ruanqingmanded. As a core disciple, herprehension of swordsmanship far surpassed that of everyone on the scene. Even without making a move, she was able to exert an indescribable pressure on those around her. I dont really know who she is, but she seems to be very powerful. I feel like my Sword Intent has been suppressed to the extent that I cant even drive it properly anymore! Its the same for me. Ive never felt such powerful Sword Intent from the other inner disciples before, so she could very well be a sword ascetic. In terms of swordsmanship, its very likely that shes on par with Senior Liu! Lets just step back and watch the situation for the time being. She might just be able to get rid of that fellow and exact vengeance on our behalf! In deference to the powerful Sword Intent that Bai Ruanqing was emanating, those who were intending to climb into the dueling ring chose to heed her words and back down. True sword ascetics were rare, but they would still show up from time to time among the inner disciples, so most of the cultivators there knew of their existence. Despite theirck of fame, their true strength could easily rival the top ten sword practitioners among the inner disciples! It was highly likely that both the senior who had just stepped onto the stage and I Am Low Profile were sword ascetics. Seeing yet another self-assuming sword practitionering onto stage, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed impatiently. Hurry up if you wish to make a move. You can also see that there are many people queuing behind you, waiting to be killed too! This kind of opponent was particrly troublesome. It was as if they were born with a natural inclination for fanfare and sticking out like a sore thumb. Otherwise, why would they have to specially demand a one-to-one battle and waste everyones time? Its been long since Ive met someone as brazen as you! Bai Ruanqing scoffed as she swiftly drew her sword and released a powerful sh toward Zhang Xuan. Heavysnow Swordsmanship! Right from the very start of the battle, she had already utilized her trump card. Sword qi burst forth and formed a violent snowstorm in the dueling ring. White snowkes descended from the sky, blurring ones sight. How is it? Am I fast? Bai Ruanqing did not rush into continuing with her offense after executing her swordsmanship. Instead, she looked at Zhang Xuan with a confident smile on her lips. Even though she had boasted to Liu Lujie and the others that she had reached Major Aplishment in the Heavysnow Swordsmanship, the truth was that her mastery was still a littlecking. She was unable to bring out such prowess every single time. This time, she knew that she was facing a powerful opponent, so she pushed herself to the very limits. Under this pressure, she actually managed to bring forth a might beyond what she was usually capable of. Even out of ten executions, it was unlikely that even one would be as powerful as this. As such, she was extremely excited to see how well things were turning out this time. If it was just a moment ago, she would not have dared im that she would be able to defeat I Am Low Profile with utmost confidence. However, with the current momentum that she had built up, victory would be a piece of cake for her! Fast? Zhang Xuan sighed in exasperation. Yes, you are very fast. Are you done executing your technique already? I am pressed for time! After which, he raised his de and shed it horizontally. Puhe! As soon as Zhang Xuan raised his de, Bai Ruanqing immediately got into a defensive position to protect herself. But before she knew it, there was a sharp pain on her throat, and the next moment, she was already staring right at her toes. Putong! A corpse copsed to the ground. Bai Ruanqing had been killed as if she was nothing more than an insignificant ant being squashed. Seeing how the crowd was building up faster than the rate at which he was eliminating his opponents, he shook his head in frustration at how inefficient the current system was. He pondered for a moment before making up his mind. Forget it, this is really too slow. All of you shoulde up at once! Or is the dueling ring a little too small to hold everyone? Shall Ie down to fight all of you? Then, without any hesitation, he leaped right into the midst of the crowd. The dueling ring was simply too small, such that it could only fit ten or so people at once. Anything more than that would be far too tight. At this rate, it would take too long for him to get rid of the thousands that had gathered around the dueling ring. Not to mention, there would be some hero wannabesing up from time to time demanding a solo duel. What a pain in the ass! He might as well just dash right into the crowd and fight everyone all at once! W-what? Youre asking for it! Everyone, lets make a move together! I dont believe that his two hands will be able to deal with thousands of us all at once! The crowd could hardly believe that the seemingly powerful senior would be unable tost even a breath before I Am Low Profile. And before they could even process this shock, thetter suddenly leaped down of the stage and began massacring everyone. In an instant, the entire situation descended into chaos. In truth, the small size of the dueling ring worked to I Am Low Profiles advantage. It would prevent anyone from easily getting behind him and assaulting him. Yet, that fellow had actually abandoned that advantage and dashed right into the crowd. This meant that he would have to defend against attacks from every direction! Was that even possible? No matter how fast I Am Low Profile was, there was no way he could keep up with twenty swords, fifty swords, or even a hundred swords at once! Hu! In an instant, all kinds of sword qi came raining down on I Am Low Profile from all directions. It was as if the entire world was denying his existence! Senior Bai... Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong were utterly frenzied to see that even the Heavysnow Swordsmanship executed by this female tyrant of a core disciple would fail to stop I Am Low Profile. They were still afraid that Senior Bai would go too far and end the opponent... but from the looks of it, it felt like it made no difference to I Am Low Profile at all. Whether thetter was ughtering them or Senior Bai, there was simply no pressure to him at all! They would never have thought that the day woulde when they would see core disciples, Pseudo Immortals or possibly True Immortal experts, actually get in so easily. Wang Jiandong shook his head and said, Well, I have to admit that I Am Low Profile is indeed formidable, but hes simply too arrogant. His arrogance will only eventually lead to his downfall. Theres no way hell be able to cope against the encirclement of so many inner disciples at once! No matter how powerful one was, there would eventually be a limit to ones strength, right? They were all Ancient Sage 1-dan cultivators in the Ethereal Hall. In terms of strength, they were to equal to one another. No matter how skilled a person, there was no way he could fight against an army of thousands who boasted the same strength as him! Even a powerful martial artist would be overwhelmed by an army of a thousand grannies! Hes probably done for... Liu Lujie shared Wang Jiandongs view as well. He did not think highly of I Am Low Profiles actions. Senior Liu, there are a lot of people here. Should we make use of this opportunity to sneak in an attack against him? Wang Jiandong asked as he pulled his thumb over his throat to make a gesture of killing. Chapter 1965 - Elder Mu Chapter 1965 Elder Mu That wont do! Liu Lujie shook his head adamantly. We have already fought and lost to him. We only entered the Ethereal Hall as spectators this time. If everyone could return endlessly after being defeated, there would be no fairness in this duel at all! I Am Low Profile had challenged all the inner disciple at once, and as embarrassing as it might be, it would still be fair for them to go at him one by one. However, if they continued challenging him in a different identity after they had already been killed, they would really beughingstock once others knew about it. They might have lost, but they had to lose with pride and dignity! At the very least, this was his bottom line as the number one expert of the inner disciples! Senior Liu, youre right. I asked an inappropriate question... Wang Jiandong lowered his head in embarrassment. He had been so engrossed in the idea of the getting rid of I Am Low Profile that such a notion had crossed his head. Thinking about it once more, he did agree that it would not be appropriate to take such a course of action. The sword was the conqueror of all weapons. The foundation to mastering the Way of the Sword started from tempering ones heart. If a sword practitioner could not even conduct themself with pride and dignity, their Sword Intent was bound to be weak and impure. Speaking of which, since Senior Bai has been defeated, we should quickly return. Otherwise, I fear that Senior Bai might go berserk after returning to the real world, Liu Lujie said. He was just about to leave the Ethereal Hall when he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his throat. He tried to turn his head, but before he knew it, he found himself staring right at his own bottom. The hell! In his peripheral vision, he could see I Am Low Profile marching forth like a relentless war machine. With each step he took, a huge bunch of heads would fly into the air, as if a lively blood-fest. The reason he had been killed was because he had simply been too close to the battle. Some of the sword qi that escaped from the center of battlefield had struck and decapitated him. Even a hint of sword qi leaking out from the other party was enough to kill him. How were they supposed to assassinate the other party like that? Assassinate your head! They would not stand a chance at all! With a resentful look on his face, Liu Lujies head bounced up and down several times before eventually settling in a patch of grass not too far away. In hisst sight, he saw Wang Jiandongs head also bouncing up and down... The expression on the other partys face was also one of mncholy. They were just innocent spectators who hade here to watch themotion. Where did thew in the world go to? Why would innocent people like them be caught up in this mess? Hu! Their consciousness retreated from the Ethereal Hall, bringing them back to the real world. While his consciousness was being pulled back into his body, he could not help but remember his encounters with I Am Low Profile. The first time, he was impaled in the head. The second time, his head was decapitated while he was watching from a distance. He was a person who had retained the position as the number one inner disciple for the past ten years. His eyes were set on the Ten Li Sword God! When did he be a side character who could be defeated so easily? While he was still feeling exasperated over everything that had happened in the past hour, he finally opened his eyes once more. The first thing he saw was Senior Bai Ruanqing trembling before him, and when he took a closer look, he realized that the entire room was a huge mess. It seemed like he was not the only one who could not ept the oue. A certain someone who had been decapitated right after she had executed her ultimate move was unable to take her defeat and was currently venting her anger on his furniture. It was fortunate that those items were not worth much, or else he would have really suffered a huge loss this time around. Senior Bai, please calm down... Liu Lujie quickly stood up and sped his fist. With a frosty look on her face, Bai Ruanqing red at Liu Lujie with tightly clenched teeth. Calm down? Do I look angry to you? Liu Lujies heart immediately turned cold. While he was still at a loss as to how he should respond to the question, his vision blurred. Pilip! The sound of fists and kicks sinking into flesh echoed loudly in the air. Before long, all the inner disciples within the residence, including Zhu Yanzhi and Wei Suifeng, were lying on the ground with bruised cheeks and broken noses. It was a truly miserable sight. Alright, I feel a little better now... The beating that she had just dished out alleviated the suffocating feeling in Bai Ruanqings heart a fair bit. Taking a deep breath, she assumed her lofty attitude once more and instructed, Keep a close lookout for the person I told you to look for. Also, make sure the news that I visited you tonight doesnt reach the ears of another person. If I hear anyone talking about this matter, Ill make you regret having been born in this world! Liu Lujie, Wang Jiandong, and the others cowered in fear as they squeezed their thighs together. Ill be leaving now! H! The next instant, Bai Ruanqing had already left the area on an aerial beast, disappearing from everyones sight. To think that a proud core disciple like her would be defeated in a single move in the inner disciples Ethereal Hall... She would only have embarrassed herself further by staying there! Wang Jiandong double checked that the female dinosaur had really left the area before asking with a bitter smile, What should we do? What else can we do? Given how huge this matter is, we cant possibly hide it any longer. We have to report it to the elders! Liu Lujie said. Even though I Am Low Profile killing them was a huge affair, it would not be too big an issue. However, right now, I Am Low Profile had already killed over a hundred inner disciples and even destroyed a core disciple with ease. The situation was far beyond their control! If they did not report it to the elders soon, they would not be able to bear the consequences! Youre right! We should report it to the elders and leave the matter to them... Wang Jiandong quickly nodded in agreement. Aftering to an agreement, the two of them quickly made their way out to the courtyard, intending to ride an aerial beast to the quarters of the elders. But at that moment, a sharp beast call came from above. Raising their heads, Liu Lujie and the others saw ten elders heading toward them on the back of an aerial beast. When they were finally directly above the residence, they quickly leaped down andnded lightly in the courtyard. They were the elders who were responsible for managing the affairs of the inner disciples. Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong, whats going on in the Ethereal Hall? the elder standing at the front asked. This elder had a slightly sunken face and a long green beard. He was dressed in a light gray robe that flowed lightly with his movements. He was the strongest and highest ranking elder in charge of the affairs of the inner disciples, Elder Mu! He was also the friend whom Elder Lu Yun had encountered outside the Elder Council that kept putting him down. If Zhang Xuan was there, he surely would have noticed that Elder Lu Yun was standing amid the ten elders who had just arrived at Liu Lujies residence. He had just been promoted to an internal elder. Under normal circumstances, he would have had no right to follow behind the rest of them, but due to his merit from having just recruited an exceptionally talented disciple, the sect had made an exception just for him. Elder Mu, a sword practitioner known as I Am Low Profile has appeared in the inner disciples Ethereal Hall, and he has challenged all of the inner disciples... Liu Lujie immediately recounted the entire story to Elder Mu. As he had watched the deeds of I Am Low Profile from the very start to the end, he knew the details of the matter. A person challenged all of the inner disciples and has killed several hundred people so far. Even when the two of you went up, you were no match for him as well? Elder Mu frowned as his face turned terrifyingly livid. To think that I have taught you for so many years. How can the two of you be so useless? We... Liu Lujies face reddened in embarrassment. Regardless of whether that fellow is an inner disciple or a core disciple, his cultivation is bound to be capped at Ancient Sage 1-dan upon entering the Ethereal Hall! Elder Mu eximed in exasperation. Against an opponent of the same realm, how are several hundred of you not able to defeat him? This is a huge disgrace to the inner disciples! It seems like none of you have taken my teachings to heart at all! Elder Mu, I beg your pardon, but I Am Low Profile is simply too powerful a sword practitioner... Wang Jiandong protested indignantly. A load of bullcr*p! Elder Mu interjected furiously. How powerful can the opponent possibly be? No matter how formidable his moves appear, they are still from the swordsmanship of our sect! Stop finding excuses for your own weaknesses; its a pathetic sight! This... Fine! Wang Jiandong still indignantly wanted to protest against Elder Mus words, but Liu Lujie gestured for him to stop with a tug on his sleeves. Thus, he could only reluctantly ept it. In truth, he knew that Elder Mu was actually a warm-hearted person who spoke awful words. Often, the things that he said did not reflect his true thoughts. Nevertheless, Wang Jiandong still felt deeply indignant at being criticized in such a manner to his face! After Elder Lu finished speaking his piece, Liu Lujie looked at him and asked, Elder Mu, what should we do? What they needed most was to resolve this matter as soon as possible. Otherwise, the ones who were disgraced would not only be the inner disciples but the elders as well. They enjoyed so many resources from the sect, but the disciples whom they had groomed had ended up being defeated so easily. It would not reflect well on them if word spread! Since were here, we should go in to take a look as well. Im curious to know where this fellow came from, conducting himself sowlessly! Elder Mu waved his hand. If you are really that powerful, you could easily apply for a promotion to be a core disciple or even a sect elder. You would be granted all the fame and fortune you desire... Yet, you chose to challenge the inner disciples instead. This doesnt make sense at all! Somehow, this entire matter felt weirdly fishy to them. They wanted to find out the identity of the person who was messing with them. After confirming the other partys identity, well pay him a visit and inquire about the matter. We must try our best to suppress this matter as much as we can. Otherwise, you lot will go down in history as the most worthless batch of inner disciples! Elder Mu harrumphed coldly. Yes! Liu Lujie and the others nodded. Prepare some Ethereal Tokens for us! It wouldnt be appropriate for us to enter the Ethereal Hall in our capacity as elders, Elder Mu said. The inner disciples Ethereal Hall was a ce for inner disciples to acquire resources and battle with one another. Under normal circumstances, elders were not allowed to enter the premises. If they entered the Ethereal Hall as elders to resolve the matter, it would only blow the matter up. More people would begin talking about the matter, making it harder to suppress the news. Elder Mu, please hold on for a moment... Liu Lujie quickly walked back into the main hall, and before long, he returned with more than a dozen Ethereal Tokens in hand. Even though Bai Ruanqing had already left the premises, the inner disciples who had led her there had not managed to find an opportunity to leave yet. They were vendors in the inner disciples market, so they had plenty of Ethereal Tokens on hand. Given that this was a request from the elders, they would not dare turn down the request. Each elders quickly activated an Ethereal Token before immersing their consciousness into it. Simr to Bai Ruanqing, they also made sure to conceal their true appearances, disguising themselves as ordinary inner disciples. Under Liu Lujies lead, therge group swiftly arrived in the vicinity of the dueling ring. At that moment, the entire area was swamped with people. Sword qi flew all around as if it was the end of the world. Countless heads flew through the air as light fragments dissipated here and there. While Liu Lujie and the others were away, at least eight hundred more inner disciples had been ughtered. In other words, so far, I Am Low Profile had already killed more than a thousand people, which was equivalent to a tenth of the inner disciples! This was too brutal! His zhenqi and stamina dont seem to have been depleted too much, Liu Lujie remarked in astonishment as he looked at the center of the crowd, where I Am Low Profile was strolling calmly. He would never have believed that a cultivator could kill a thousand of his peers without exhausting himself to death prior to this incident... but such a thing was happening right before his eyes! Liu Lujie felt that he would not be surprised by whatever I Am Low Profile pulled off at this rate. Elder Mu, you can also see that the crowd is riled up. Theres nothing much we can do at the moment... Liu Lujie sighed deeply. This battle could not be stopped that easily anymore. It was not just a one-sided ughter from I Am Low Profile; the provoked inner disciples were burning with fighting will as well. Even if Elder Mu stepped in and ordered the fight to stop, it was unlikely that the crowd would simply heed his orders. The only reason you feel that theres nothing that can be done is because you are weak. Just take a good look instead! With a displeased look on his face, Elder Mu ordered, Elders, follow me to stop that fellow from ughtering any more people! Yes! The ten strongest inner disciple elders nodded before proceeding forward. Even though their appearance looked no different from ordinary inner disciples, it was obvious that they were true experts just from the Sword Intent they emanated. The crowd swiftly opened up a path for them. Walking right up to Zhang Xuan, Elder Mu waved his sword and shrouded the entire area with a sphere of sword qi. Enough, you have already done enough today. Its about time for you to step down, Elder Mumanded. Seeing how the new group of challengers haughtily walked in to stop the battle, Zhang Xuan shook his head impatiently. Yet another bunch of hero wannabes? Do you want to fight another one-on-one? My apologies, but I really dont have that much time to waste on you all! You... Not expecting the other party to put them down in such a manner, Elder Mu flew into a rage. He lifted the sword in his hand, intending to teach the young man before him a lesson. But all of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain along his neck. The next moment, his head slid down to the ground. Before his consciousness dissipated, he saw the heads of the elders who had gone over together with him falling to the floor as well. Chapter 1966 - Indeed an Inner Disciple Chapter 1966 Indeed an Inner Disciple Elder Mu... Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong froze on the spot. Elder Mu and the others were there to solve the matter on their behalf, but they had actually been killed as soon as they had made a move. Yet, they could be considered among the strongest people in the entire sect! Bro... Dont you feel any difference fighting them at all? Do you not sense any difference in the intensity of their Sword Intent? Shouldnt it be obvious that they arent ordinary disciples just from their disposition? Yet, you still killed them so easily... What made the situation even harder to ept was that Elder Mu and the others had clearly attempted to retaliate against I Am Low Profiles attack, but the oue was the same as before, killed with a single sh. It was still understandable that a core disciple might not be his opponents, but those were True Immortal realm elders! To kill ten of them with a single sh of his sword... this was utterly ridiculous! Just how freakishly powerful was I Am Low Profile? It wasughable how he, at one point, had thought that he could possibly defeat thetter... Liu Lujies teeth just would not stop ttering as he stared at I Am Low Profile. He could not begin to imagine just what kind of monster was hidden beneath that humanlike exterior. As for I Am Low Profile, right after defeating the ten elders, he charged forth to engage the other inner disciples. It was as if he had not been affected by the earlier encounter at all... or rather, he did not even notice that the ten people whom he had just faced were esteemed elders of the sect! It was as if they were all small ants trying to stand against a giant. Wow, there sure are a lot of people here... Just as Liu Lujie had guessed, Zhang Xuan waspletely unaware that the ten people whom he had just faced were elders of the sect. They were dressed just like the other inner disciples, and they seemed to be in their early twenties from their appearances. Not to mention, they did not seem strong at all. Of course, if it was on any other asion, Zhang Xuan would surely have been able to tell the difference. However, it was unfortunate that he was in too much of a hurry. He knew that his zhenqi was limited, so if he did not quickly end them, he might just end up losing the battle. If he lost, not only would he not receive a single Sword Pavilion Coin, he would also lose the only thirty-two Sword Pavilion Coins that he had on him! That was his entire fortune! There was no way in hell that he would allow himself to lose that! Thus, he couldnt allow them to stall for time. You want to fight me one-on-one? Dont waste my precious time! You want to have a chat with me? Spare me your nonsense! If you can at least withstand a strike from me, I can still consider giving you the privilege of fighting me in a one-on- one battle. Otherwise, spare me from those unnecessary filler-ish speeches! As such, when Elder Mu and the others were defeated in a single strike, he automatically assumed that they were no different from ordinary disciples. If there was any difference, it was just that they were much more supercilious. I have already expended a third of my zhenqi. I need to speed up... Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan saw that the crowd, from eight hundred at the very start, had grown to a humongous five thousand. With the passing of time, more and more inner disciples would surely gather there. He could not afford to waste a second. Hu! His silhouette vanished into an afterimage as he sped up his movements. Even Elder Mu and the others arent a match for him. It seems like I Am Low Profile is a far more formidable figure than we thought. Lets hurry up and return. Otherwise, if Elder Mu throws a tantrum during our absence... Liu Lujie said. Un! Wang Jiandong nodded in agreement. The situation was clearly way out of their control. There was no meaning in them staying there anymore. But just as they were about to leave, a sharp glint bolted through the air, heading their way. Padah! Padah! Yet again, there was a sharp pain in their necks, and their heads bounced several times on the ground beforeing to a stop. Sh*t! This is already the third time! The two of them were on the verge of tears. Just what in the world did they do so wrong to deserve being decapitated three times within an hour? It was ridiculous! They had never suffered such a huge setback ever since they started practicing the sword. Yet, shortly after I Am Low Profile made an appearance, they had already died three times back-to-back! Those two experts felt as if they were going berserk. As their consciousness retreated from the Ethereal Hall and returned into the main hall, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong found themselves awakening to a very still, heavy atmosphere. Elder Mu and the others were seated silently on the stools, not saying a word at all. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. There was an awfully long silence that left Liu Lujie feeling deeply ufortable. Eventually, he was unable to take it anymore, so he meekly called out, Elder Mu... It was then that the petrified elders finally seemed toe back to life. Was I beheaded by that fellow? It seems so... How were we defeated so quickly? I didnt even have time to react... Neither did I... The ten elders had dazed expressions on their faces, as if they had just been through an unbelievable dream. As True Immortal cultivators, they had spent long years immersed in the profoundness of swordsmanship. They might not be the strongest sword practitioners within the sect, but their skills were far beyond the level of ordinary core disciples. Even if their cultivation had been suppressed to Ancient Sage 1-dan, they never would have thought that they could have been defeated that easily. Yet, just a moment ago, before they could even say their piece, their heads had already rolled. Imusible! Inconceivable! Impossible! It was as if themon sense that they always lived by had suddenly failed them. This was especially so for Elder Mu. He felt so embarrassed that he wished that he could simply meld into his shadow and disappear. It was a moment ago that he had confidently dered that Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong had lost to that fellow due to their weakness. He had spoken as if everything would be settled now that he was there. But in the end, he was ughtered before he could even finish his sentence, as if a half-assed viin. How humiliating! He had never felt so ashamed in his many years as an elder! There was another long silence in the air before an elder finally asked the golden question. What should we do now? This... Elder Mu pondered for a long while before turning to Liu Lujie and asking, Whats that fellow called? I Am Low Profile! Liu Lujie replied. Low profile? Elder Mu suddenly felt spasms in his heart. He had to clutch it tightly in order to prevent himself from fainting on the spot. A person who had caused such a hugemotion by challenging all the inner disciples and unhesitatingly killing even the elders... Low profile? Why did this term sound particrly prickly to his ears? Elder Mu stood up as he sternlymanded, Dont tell anyone that we were here! Ah? Liu Lujie was taken aback. Did this mean that... not even Elder Lu and the others were going to bother about this matter either? Lets leave! Elder Mu said before walking out. In just a few moments, the ten elders had already vanished from the residence, as if they had never been there in the first ce. Senior Liu... Wang Jiandongs face was warped in utter shock. Elder Mu had no other choice. As an elder, he was supposed to resolve this matter, but he ended up getting killed instead. Given what has happened, the only thing he could do is feign ignorance. Otherwise, how is he supposed to keep his head up in the sect in the future? Liu Lujie said with a bitter smile. It was not that they did not want to bother about this matter, but there was nothing that they could do! If others learned that they had been killed by an inner disciple, they would beughed at by their peers! On an aerial beast, one of the elders turned to the silent Elder Mu and asked, Are we... really not going to interfere in that matter? Of course not, Elder Mu replied. We are heading to the Sword Gazebo to check what exactly is up with I Am Low Profile! Sword Gazebo? Thats the ce where the sect controls the internal Ethereal Hall, right? It would indeed be possible to track down I Am Low Profiles exact locations from there... but as inner elders, we dont have the right to ess such private information! the other elder replied. If the Ethereal Tokens were the devices used to enter the localwork, the Sword Gazebo was where the centralputer and the server were located. Through the centralputer, it was possible to track the exact locations of those who were in the Ethereal Hall. However, such information was not allowed to be essed easily. The reason the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had chosen to establish an Ethereal Hall internally was because of the benefits it brought. They wished to create an anonymous world where their disciples could interact and fight with one another regardless of their identity and standing. As such, even the sect leader would not dare ess the information lightly. Otherwise, the very nature of the Ethereal Hall would change if the disciples felt that their anonymity on the tform was being threatened. It would go against everything that the Ethereal Hall stood for! I dont need his personal particrs or where he is. Elder Mu shook his head. All I need to know is his exact strength! His exact strength? As activating the Ethereal Token required one to drip a droplet of blood on it, it was possible for the system to detect the strength of the cultivator to a very precise degree. An elder swiftly realized what Elder Mu was up to. Are you trying to verify if hes an inner disciple? Indeed. Given I Am Low Profiles swordsmanship, I am really wondering if this is a prank pulled by a core disciple. If his cultivation hasnt reached Pseudo Immortal, it means that hes truly an inner disciple. If so, theres no need for us to interfere any further in this matter, Elder Mu said. The crowd nodded in realization. If I Am Low Profile was a core disciple, it would only be right for them as elders to intervene, or else it would be a huge blow to the inner disciples. On the other hand, if I Am Low Profile was an inner disciple, at the very least, it would just be inner disciples losing to an inner disciple. It would be an internal affair, and it would not be too shameful. In fact, it might even be a blessing in disguise. The incredible strength disyed by I Am Low Profile would serve as a perfect example of how powerful an inner disciple could actually be, and perhaps, it might even motivate them much more than before to push for greater heights after seeing that the sky was the limit! It did not take long for the aerial beast to arrive at the Sword Gazebo. Elder Mu ced his identity token down and said, I would like to check the strength of the cultivator who uses the nickname I Am Low Profile! Weng! There was a flicker on the wall, and a line of words appearedDimension Shatterer realm consummation. Hes at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation? If thats the case... he really is an inner disciple. The minimum requirement for bing a core disciple is for ones cultivation to reach Pseudo Immortal. He clearly hasnt reached that mark... But when did such a formidable figure appear among the inner disciples? All ten elders were stunned by the result before them. After witnessing I Am Low Profiles tremendous strength, they had really thought that the other party might be one of those overpowered geniuses of the core disciples. But the result reflected in the Sword Gazebo told them clearly that the other party was a true inner disciple! But as elders, how could they be unaware that there was such a powerful existence among the inner disciples? In Elder Bai Yes residence, upon seeing Bai Ruanqing, Bai Feng immediately rushed forward and asked, How is it? Have you found that medicine seller? He had to take care of the Old Master, so after taking the youngdy to the inner disciples market, he had quickly rushed back to the residence. Not yet... Bai Ruanqing shook her head. Noticing that something was amiss with Bai Ruanqings current statefor some reason, she appeared to be a little subduedBai Feng worriedly asked, Did something happen? Yes... Earlier, there was someone who issued a challenge to all of the inner disciples. When I heard of the matter, I entered the inner disciples Ethereal Hall and challenged that person to a battle... Bai Ruanqing quickly went through what had just happened. You were defeated in a single move even after executing the Heavysnow Swordsmanship that I have imparted to you? Bai Fengs eyes widened in shock. Thats right, Bai Ruanqing replied awkwardly. I cant really describe it, but the other partys swordsmanship made me feel as though the Heavysnow Swordsmanship ispletely useless. How can that be? Bai Feng frowned. Even though the Heavysnow Swordsmanship is not the most powerful sword art in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, its still not something that an inner disciple would be able to withstand... He pondered silent for a moment before saying, Do you have another Ethereal Token? I would like to take a look myself! Chapter 1967 - And They All Fell Down Chapter 1967 And They All Fell Down I dont have any on hand at the moment... Bai Ruanqing shook her head. Grandpa Feng, you wish to head in to take a look, too? The Heavysnow Swordsmanship is profound and powerful. I find it hard to believe that someone was able to ovee it that easily, Bai Feng replied. I reckon that he might have resorted to some kind of underhanded means. I would like to challenge him and see it for myself! As diligent as Bai Ruanqing was, she was still limited by her age. Despite having reached Major Aplishment in the sword art, the truth was that she had only barely scraped the surface of its true essence. Bai Feng felt that if he used the sword art personally, he should be able to defeat the person whom Bai Ruanqing was talking about. Through this, he would be able to restore Bai Ruanqings faith in the sword art. Hes only an inner disciple... Grandpa Feng, even though you arent an elder, your strength is even above that of most of the elders. I dont think it would be appropriate for you to make a move on him! Bai Ruanqing said awkwardly. It was already beneath her to make a move in the inner disciples Ethereal Hall. If Bai Feng made a move too, regardless of whether he won or lost, it would reflect badly on him. Im just heading in to take a look at that fellows swordsmanship. Depending on the situation, I might not necessarily make a move, Bai Feng replied with a smile. Besides, I am just an old servant. Nothings inappropriate for me! No matter how powerful Bai Feng was, he was just a servant of Elder Bai Ye. He was not restricted by the rules and regtions of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. This... Seeing that Bai Fengs mind was made up, Bai Ruanqing knew that it would be hard to talk him out of the matter. She nodded and said, Alright then, Ill make preparations. Thus, together with Bai Feng, she made her way back to Liu Lujies residence. When Liu Lujie saw the female dinosaur appearing before him moments after he had seen Elder Mu and the others off, he suddenly felt a lump in his throat. It had been so, so long since he felt like crying. Why are you all walking in and out of my residence so freely? I am an inner disciple, not the owner of a bed and breakfast! Of course, there was no way that Liu Lujie would respond with a no to Bai Ruanqings request, so he could only obediently get his men to prepare an Ethereal Token. Soon, the entire group was back in the Ethereal Hall. To be honest, he did not want to return to that wretched ce anymore, but under Bai Ruanqings watchful re, he felt like he would be pushed to the ground and vited if he did not enter. Thus, with a helpless sigh, he entered the Ethereal Hall once more together with Wang Jiandong, and they led Bai Ruanqing and Bai Feng to the dueling ring. Around ten minutes had passed, and it seemed like yet another thousand inner disciples had been eliminated. This time around, the encirclement had clearly grown much smaller. No matter how furious and indignant the inner disciples were, with two thousand of them getting eliminated, it was inevitable that some of them would start cowering away. In their eyes, I Am Low Profile probably seemed no different from a perpetual motion machine who knew not of exhaustion. It felt like he could continue ughtering for days on end without resting at all. This swordsmanship... After examining I Am Low Profiles movements for a moment, Bai Feng frowned. There was only one word that he could use to describe the swordsmanship before himbasic! He could see through it with a single nce. There was no technique or skill involved at all, almost as if the other party was a child who knew no swordsmanship brandishing a de. But for some inexplicable reason, he was able to bring forth astonishing might with such simple movements. Those who stood in his path could only end up dying helplessly. This was the first time that Bai Feng had felt so conflicted upon seeing a swordsmanship. He had no idea whether it was powerful or not. More precisely, the difference in the strength between I Am Low Profile and his opponents was simply too great, such that it was impossible to truly put that swordsmanship to the test. It was just like how, no matter how powerful the martial art one used against a three-year-old was, it would still be impossible to assess if one was truly powerful or not. Grandpa Feng... Bai Ruanqing looked at Bai Feng. His swordsmanship is indeed formidable, but if we want to know the true extent of his abilities, I will need to test him personally! Bai Feng replied. Test him personally? Liu Lujies eyebrows shot up. Elder Feng, theres no need for that. I fear that... What do you fear? Rest assured, I wont kill him and put you in a tough spot! Bai Feng replied with a frown. No, thats not it. I_m not afraid that you will kill him but that...he will kill you! That will make the situation even more awkward, Liu Lujie said with a bitter smile. Audacious! Do you know how powerful Grandpa Feng is? How could he possibly be killed? How dare you even insinuate this possibility! Bai Ruanqing flew into a rage. Bai Feng might not be an elder of the sect, but his strength was far greater than that of an average elder! Such a possibility was so preposterous that it should not even be spoken of! Liu Lujie seemed to be itching for a beating! I... I apologize for my disrespect. Please, feel free to go ahead... Liu Lujie shook his head and sighed. Elder Mu and the others hade by earlier, but they had ended up being ughtered. Elder Feng might be a formidable individual, but it did not seem too likely that he would be able to defeat ten inner elders of the same cultivation realm simultaneously! However, since it did not seem like his words were going to go through, he did not want to waste his breath. After all, he could not reveal the fact that Elder Mu and the others hade by earlier. Bai Feng could not help but burst intoughter upon hearing those words. If you are worried that I will be killed, I must say that your worries are groundless. Other than the Old Master and a few other elders in the sect, I have never feared anyone! While he was not well-known in the sect due to his humble personality, that did not mean that he was a weakling! He had been personally taught by Elder Bai Ye, and he had cultivated for over a hundred years. His understanding in the Way of the Sword had already reached an astounding level. There was hardly anyone in the world who could scare him! Releasing his Sword Intent, Bai Feng began walking toward the center of the crowd with widened strides. There had never been any need for him to prove himself to others. The only reason he had gone there was to see how the other party managed to ovee the Heavysnow Swordsmanship. On the other hand, as Bai Feng walked toward the center of the crowd, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandongs lips twitched a little, and they hurriedly backed away and hid behind a wall. What are you two up to? Bai Ruanqing frowned upon seeing the peculiar actions of those two. Its nothing much... Senior Bai, why dont youe over as well? We are able to see everything clearly with our eye of discernment anyway, so theres no need for us to stay so close to the battlefield, Liu Lujie advised nervously. He might not have suffered any physical harm, but the pain from having ones head decapitated was not something that one could ever get used to. He had no intention of letting it happen a fourth time! Cowards! To think that the you are the top rankers among the inner disciples, how embarrassing! Seeing through the thoughts of the two, Bai Ruanqing shook her head in disdain as she continue spectating themotion from where she was. It was hard to tell what Bai Feng had done, but the crowd that was gathered around I Am Low Profile quickly opened up a route for him to walk through. H! Before reaching I Am Low Profile, Bai Feng raised his sword and gathered his sword qi at the tip of his sword. With a sh of his sword, he stirred up a powerful snowstorm in the surroundings. On the receiving end of the technique, I Am Low Profile visibly narrowed his eyes a little. After which, he took a step forward and shed his sword horizontally. Puhe! Bai Fengs head fell to the ground. Bai Ruanqing was bbergasted. Even when executing his strongest technique, Grandpa Feng was not able to withstand that I Am Low Profiles offense. She rubbed her eyes to check if she was seeing things, but the next instant, a sharp pain sliced through her neck. Her head fell to the ground as well. Even in her death, she could not believe what had just happened. She had been positioned thirty meters away from the culprit, but she had still lost her life just like that. It was no wonder Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong had chosen to hide behind the wall. It seemed like they had already guessed that such a thing would happen. As her head fell to the ground, she nced backward and saw another two surges of sword qi flying past her. Puhe! Puhe! With resentful eyes, the heads of those two plopped to the ground as well. It seemed like hiding behind the walls did not work either. How shameless! Zhang Xuan cursed beneath his breath. To be honest, he was already getting tired of eliminating those fellows. The body given to him by the Ethereal Hall was simply too weak. He had been trying to conserve as much energy as possible, but after facing so many opponents, he had still ended up depleting a half of his zhenqi. At the same time, his mind was starting to feel a little fatigued. Since he was the one who had issued the challenge, he nned to fullyplete it. But there were some shameless inner disciples who had switched to another Ethereal Token after being killed to join the fray once more. That was ridiculous! If everyone did that, he would have to eliminate everyone at least five times. How was that fair? This was especially so for those two shameless fools who kept lurking around the perimeter. He had already killed them three times, but they kept going back to find an opportunity to assassinate him! Did they think that he would not notice that it was them just because they had changed their appearance? He was a swordmaster for gods sake! It was the bare minimum to be able to discern cultivators by their Sword Intent! And that girl that was with them too! He was certain that he had eliminated her once already! Those shameless, cheating, lying lumps of dung! Forget it! Taking several deep breaths, Zhang Xuan calmed himself down. They might be shameless, but he was a gentleman. He was a principled person, and he would not stoop down to their level. At the very most, he would just kill them every single time they appeared. There was no need to lose his temper over this. Just that... he did not have enough zhenqi to y around. It would not be defeating inner disciples any longer but destroying all their Ethereal Tokens! It seems like Ill have to end this all at once! Zhang Xuan finally came to a decision. If he eliminated them one by one, they would just return with new Ethereal Tokens in hand. As long as there were Ethereal Tokens lying around, this would nevere to an end. Since that was the case, there was only one way that he could win this duelhe had to end all of them at once! If he could just eliminate everyone present in a single minute, he should be able to end the duel! There are still roughly three thousand people around. How can I end them all in a minute? It had taken him nearly half an hour to eliminate two thousand inner disciples, and his energy had already dropped by half. If he went on as he had been, it would ultimately end in his loss. It seems like I can only use that move then... Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth determinedly. He did have a move that was particrly effective at AOE mob clearing, but this move was very demanding on his zhenqi. Once he executed it, there was a good chance that his zhenqi would bepletely depleted. As there were enemies constantly joining the battle, he had not dared to use the move so far. But since he had been forced into a corner, he had no other choice. Otherwise, there would be no end to the duel! Ill be going all out! Zhang Xuan quickly calcted the timing a little, then without any hesitation, he threw his sword. Seeing that I Am Low Profile had suddenly released his grip on his sword, all of those around him were stunned. For a moment, they even forgot to press on with their attacks. Zhang Xuan quickly drove his zhenqi before tapping his finger lightly in the air. Hu! An incredibly concentrated surge of sword qi shot forth from the tip of his finger and rose into the air. Following which, it abruptly split into several thousand smaller strands of sword qi that floated quietly in the air, like floating guillotines. This move was not from the Sword Intent that he had justprehended but the fusion of the Sea Severing Sword, Ocean Cataclysm Sword, and Heaven Desecration Sword that he hadprehended back at the Sword Lagoon of the Master Teacher Continent. Previously, he had only been able to use one of them at once, but afterprehending the Gods Sword Intent, he was able tobine the three of them together and bring forth destructive prowess that was many times greater than before! Back then, he had manipted 108 swords simultaneously with each of them executing a different sword art to overwhelm his opponent. However, the move that he was currently executing was even stronger than that. But that being said, it was already the very limits of his current body to control three thousand surges of sword qi simultaneously. If it was any more than that, he could very well dissipate on the spot. Seeing the massive formation above them, the closest inner disciple felt goosebumps rising all over his body. He could not help but cry out desperately, breaking the silence in the air. Hes up to something. We cant let him seed! Quick, get... But before he could finish his piece, I Am Low Profile issued an imposingmand to the thousands of sword qi in the air. Destroy them! Hu! The thousands of strands of sword qi immediately plummeted from the sky. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Three thousand cultivators and three thousand heads fell to the ground simultaneously before dissipating into light fragments. The vast Ethereal Hall became emptier than it had ever been. Chapter 1968 - The Details of the Battle (1) Chapter 1968 The Details of the Battle (1) Grandpa Feng, how... is that persons strength? Bai Ruanqing asked anxiously. It had been ten minutes since they returned from the Ethereal Hall, but as soon as their consciousness was brought back, Bai Feng had closed his eyes and fallen into deep thought. Seeing this, no one dared to say a word at all. Brilliant! It was truly brilliant! Bai Feng slowly opened his eyes, revealing the excited gleam within. Brilliant? Everyones lips twitched a little. Had this old man been shocked silly from being beheaded? Liu Lujie could not help but look at Wang Jiandong as they touched their necks. Even though they knew that it was in a virtual world, being beheaded four times consecutively still left them feeling a little shaken. That being said, their heads had already been sliced off four times, but they did not feel any shred of the brilliance that Bai Feng was eximing about. I have cultivated the Heavysnow Swordsmanship for a hundred years now, but I still cant help but find it an amazing work. Its speed is just one of its many strengths. What is more important is its ability to imbue ones zhenqi into a sword and control it with impable smoothness. This allows for the execution of seemingly inhuman moves, thus making it extremely difficult to deal with! Bai Feng looked into the air with a hint of admiration and reverence in his voice. For many years, I was convinced that the Heavysnow Swordsmanship is wless. Yet, who could have known that the other party would ovee it in a single blow? That sword of his was truly ingenious! It was a breathtaking work of ingenuity! Even though Bai Feng had been killed in a single strike, he was still able to discern a sliver of the other partys swordsmanship, and that was enough for him to be immersed in it for many hours, as if a child stumbling upon a new This... The crowd blinked their eyes nkly. Bai Ruanqing looked at Bai Feng uncertainly for a moment before asking, Grandpa Bai, are you not angry at all? To be in in a single move by a minor figure who had not even reached Pseudo Immortal yet, should an expert of his caliber not feel embarrassed and humiliated? I am more than grateful to see such a formidable swordsmanship. Why should I be angry? Bai Feng was slightly surprised by the question. He nced at the three faces around him, and as if seeing through their thoughts, he chuckled softly. Humility, and not pride, is of the utmost importance to a cultivator. The Way of the Sword is vast and profound. An entire lifetime is not enough for us to fully uncover its wonders, so why should we allow such transient pride to affect our emotions? If I truly desired prestige and honor, I would have been a core elder at the very least by now! Yes! Bai Fengs wise teaching made their faces redden in shame. In terms of strength, Bai Feng was more than qualified to be a core elder. However, in order to serve Elder Bai Ye, he had stayed true to his responsibilities as a servant, not overstepping his bounds in the least. It was hard to find another person like him in the world. Grandpa Feng, you seem to have a really high opinion of I Am Low Profiles swordsmanship. Could it be that... hes even more formidable than you? Bai Ruanqing asked curiously. More formidable than me? Bai Feng shook his head. Im not even qualified to bepared with him! Alright, I have really widened my perspective with this duel, so Ill be heading back to take care of the Old Master. Ruanqing, try to find the medicine seller as soon as possible! Following which, Bai Feng stood up and left the main hall. It did not take long for him to vanish over the horizon. On the other hand, Bai Ruanqing did not think that Bai Feng would leave just like that. She had still been thinking of asking him a few more questions. Sighing deeply, she turned to Liu Lujie and the others and said, Since you arent able to defeat I Am Low Profile, just leave him be for the time being. I need you to help me check who this person is! Then, she took out the painting once more. Right now, all the disciples are fighting with I Am Low Profile, so it wont be too easy to look into it. Once the duel finishes, Ill start spreading the word to look for this person! Liu Lujie said as he stood up. However, Bai Ruanqing frowned after hearing his words. There were at least three thousand disciples surrounding I Am Low Profile when we left the Ethereal Hall earlier. Furthermore, there are more inner disciples joining in the battle with each passing moment. Itll take too long for I Am Low Profile to finish all of them! It was apparent that Bai Ruanqing did not think that the inner disciples could win against I Am Low Profile. Displeased by those words, Liu Lujie protested indignantly. No matter how long it takes, the inner disciples will surely persevere. We wont allow ourselves to be defeated just like that! This is our pride and dignity! I believe that as long as we push on, no matter how powerful I Am Low Profile is, hell eventually be worn down and killed. The final victory will be ours to im! But just as Liu Lujie was making this impassioned speech, Wang Jiandong suddenly took out a jade token, and upon taking a look, his mouth fell open. His lips twitched a little, as if he had something to say, but he had no idea how to approach it. Whats wrong? Liu Lujie asked. Senior Liu, I just received a message saying that the duel has ended. I Am Low Profile killed the remaining three thousand people with a single move. So, the system is currently processing the results, Wang Jiandong said. W-what? He killed three thousand people with a single move? Liu Lujie nearly fell to the ground from shock. He stared at Wang Jiandong intently as he asked, Are you certain? Liu Lujie was not the only one taken aback by this piece of news. Bai Ruanqing seemed to be on the verge of losing her mind, too. It was understandable if a person was able to kill a person with one strike. Two was still a logical number, and ten was still barely eptable. But to kill three thousand cultivators of equal cultivation realm in a single move... Are you messing with me? The matter has already been confirmed. All of the killed inner disciples have returned to the Ethereal Hall to wait for the final verdict, Wang Jiandong said. As the third strongest inner disciple, he had subordinates that were loyal to him, so he did not doubt this intelligence. This... Liu Lujies eyebrows shot up. He quickly turned to Bai Ruanqing and sped his fist. Senior Bai, the fact that everyone has been killed simultaneously means that the duel has alreadye to an end. All of us who have participated in the battle have to enter the Ethereal Hall to ept the verdict. Please pardon me for a moment... Go ahead! Knowing the rules, Bai Ruanqing gestured for him to go ahead. To be honest, she could still hardly believe it. To defeat three thousand inner disciples with a single move and achieve victory in this seemingly impossible challenge... Just who in the world was I Am Low Profile? More importantly... after causing such a huge uproar in the sect, did he really think that he was still as low profile as he imed to be? In the Sword Gazebo, Elder Mu and the others had just recovered from their shock. The revtion of I Am Low Profiles cultivation realm showed that he was indeed an inner disciple, but for an inner disciple to kill a thousand cultivators consecutively and even defeat them with the utmost ease... what was with that ridiculous strength of his? However, no matter how formidable he is, theres no way he can win. There are at least ten thousand inner disciples within the sect, and in order to protect their dignity, more and more people will eventually join the fray. Eventually, he will be worn out and fall in defeat! Elder Mu shook his head. Thus, no matter how long I Am Low Profile perseveres, the only oue that awaits him is defeat! The other elders nodded in agreement. They shared Elder Mus opinion as well. It was difficult enough for a person to single-handedly defeat all the inner disciples, and they were even in the Ethereal Hall, where everyones cultivation was equal. This was simply too difficult! No matter how powerful I Am Low Profile was, there was simply some things that were fundamentally impossible! Weng! Just as Elder Mu was thinking about this matter, the Communication Jade Token in his hand suddenly buzzed. After looking at the content of the message, he froze on the spot. T-this... The duel has ended... I Am Low Profile defeated three thousand inner disciples in a single strike, thus signaling the end of the duel... How is this possible? You said that he killed three thousand inner disciples in a single move? Stupefied, the elders fell into silence once more. Huhuhu! People were swiftly appearing in the Ethereal Hall one after another. Most of those who had participated in the duel only to be killed had rushed back as soon as they heard the news. They looked at the seemingly paralyzed young man sitting at the very center of the dueling ring with aplicated look in their eyes. Earlier, when that young man challenged all of them at once, they had thought that he was unbelievably arrogant, perhaps delusional even... But after going through a battle with him, they realized that the young man did wield the strength to obliterate all of the inner disciples! The duel has ended. I am Low Profile has defeated everyone present at the moment of challenge, and thus, hes awarded all the Sword Pavilion Coins of everyone who participated in the duel. The exchange will be conducted now! the person who was managing the dueling ring walked out and dered. I hereby announce that I Am Low Profile has achieved victory! Is this for real? Hes really won? Is there no one among the inner disciples who is a match for him? This must be the most humiliating day for all of the inner disciples! Five thousand inner disciples actually fell in defeat just like that... How did things end up like this? Hearing the oue, a lot of people found themselves suffering severe mental breakdowns. As inner disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, they were extremely prideful individuals. However, that pride of theirs had been shattered so easily by a single man on this very day. I dont agree with the verdict! someone amid the crowd shouted angrily. I rushed here as soon as I heard the news, and I havent even participated in the duel yet! I dont believe that he has the ability to defeat five thousand people single-handedly! Even if he has managed to do so, its likely that Senior Liu Lujie and the other experts havent made their appearance yet. Otherwise, how could that fellow possibly win so easily? Most inner disciples had rushed over upon hearing the challenge in the Ethereal Hall, but for various reasons, an entire half of the inner disciples were unable to make it in time. A lot of them had just entered the Ethereal Hall when the announcement that the duel had concluded sounded. They had not participated in the battle, yet they had to bear the shame of defeat. They could not ept such a verdict! Senior Liu Lujie has dominated the number one rank of the inner disciples for seven years now. I dont believe that I Am Low Profile would be able to win if he made a move! another person shouted in agreement. Liu Lujie had been killed before he could even reveal his identity. As such, while many people recognized him by his swordsmanship, there was no guarantee that the person who had fought back then was really Liu Lujie! These chants caused a sliver of hope to blossom in the hearts of the crowd. Could it be that I Am Low Profile had won because Senior Liu did not make a move? Are you trying to refute the bet? the person managing the dueling ring asked. We dare not refute the results of the duel. Theres no doubt that I Am Low Profile is a formidable sword practitioner, but he only beat those who were present then. What we disagree with is the judgement that he has defeated all the inner disciples! Many of the experts of the inner disciples didnt make a move. If they participated in the battle, theres no way I Am Low Profile couldvested till the very end! No matter how they refuted the matter, they could not deny the fact that I Am Low Profile had defeated five thousand inner disciples. Since that was the case, as long as they insisted that the other party had not managed to defeat all of the inner disciples, they would at least be able to retain some of their dignity. There are ten thousand inner disciples in total, and five thousand of you have been defeated by him. Is that not considered as a victory against all the inner disciples? Dont you think that you are trying too hard to refute the truth? the person managing the dueling ring replied calmly. He was an elder of the sect, but he was independent from the external elders, internal elders, or core elders. As such, he would only make an impartial verdict based on facts and reasons. What we are saying is that the more formidable experts among the inner disciples havent made a move yet. They represent the pinnacle might of the inner disciples. If even they did not make a move, we cant ept the oue of this duel to be representative of all of us! a voice shouted out angrily. How can you prove that they didnt participate? the person managing the dueling ring rebutted. I am unable to prove it, so I beseech the Ethereal Hall to reveal the details of the battle. Only with this will we be able to ept the oue of this duel! the same voice cried out. Indeed! Please show the details of the battle. We want to know who participated in the battle. The rest of us just werent able to make it in time to participate in the battle too, so we dont wish to bear the me for the loss! I think that its only fair that the Ethereal Hall reveals the details of the battle given that our reputation is on the line! What if all who participated in the battle are actually the weaker inner disciples? We are unwilling to bear the me for their weakness! Such angry exmations could be heard from the crowd. Chapter 1969 - The Details of the Battle (2) Chapter 1969 The Details of the Battle (2) Most of those who were speaking up at this moment were those who had not participated in the battle and only made it in time to hear the oue. To be honest, it was hard for them to believe that a single person could defeat five thousand inner disciples within the short span of half an hour. How were they supposed to ept something as inconceivable as this out of the blue? Unless the details of the battle were revealed, no one could ept it! The person managing the dueling ring turned to the rest of the crowd and asked, Are you certain? Can I verify if the other inner disciples are willing to ept this? The identities of those in the Ethereal Hall were anonymous, but the battle details would reveal ones true identity! Of course, it would not go in depth to describe the details of the battlethe duel recording was there for this function but just the revtion of ones real name had already infringed on the privacy of others. We are agreeable to this! Same here! We might have lost, but we want to know who he has won against! We need to know the results of this duel in order to ept it! Otherwise, itll always remain a question in our minds! There were many cheers of agreement. Perhaps due to peer pressure, not a single person disagreed with the motion. Since theres full consensus for the matter, I will proceed with your request! The person managing the dueling ring nodded. He turned to the person behind him and issued an instruction. Thetter quickly turned around and left. A momentter, the person returned with a jade token in hand. This is the list of opponents whom I Am Low Profile has killed in the past half hour. Please feel free to take a look! the young man said as he tossed the jade token into the air. Hu! A huge list of names appeared before everyones eyes. Look! Senior Liu Lujie is at the very top, someone among the crowd shouted. Everyone quickly turned their gazes over, only to see a ring name at the very top: Liu Lujie, four times! This means that Senior Liu has been here before! Just that... what does the four times behind mean? another person amid the crowd asked. Four times refers to the number of times he has been killed. Most probably, he was indignant after dying once, so he returned with another Ethereal Token in another identity, only to be killed again. In the end, he was killed four times in total, the manager of the dueling ring replied nonchntly. He was killed four times consecutively? The heck! Doesnt he feel shameful at all? Thats not shameful anymore. Its more like he has apleteck of shame! Wait a moment, Senior Wang Jiandong has been killed four times too? Many faces amid the crowd reddened in embarrassment. They had been saying that Liu Lujie did not participate in the duel, and being proved wrong the very next moment left them feeling as if they had been smacked in the face. It was on the grounds that the number one Liu Lujie had not been here that they insisted that it was unfair to im that I Am Low Profile had won against all of the inner disciples. Who could have known that the other party had actuallye again and again even after being killed? What a shameful act this was! Hmm? Who is Bai Ruanqing? I dont recall seeing this name among the inner disciples before... But it seems like she has been killed two times over the course of the duel? someone among the crowd said. Her name sounds incredibly familiar. Isnt she Elder Bai Yes granddaughter? You know, that core disciple! Wait a moment, you are telling me that a core disciple snuck into our Ethereal Hall to challenge I Am Low Profile, and she ended up being killed twice? Yet another wave ofmotion was raised among the crowd. Just a moment ago, they had thought that it was shameful for Liu Lujie to be killed four times in the duel, but who could have thought that a core disciple would actually sneak into a duel among inner disciples... even get killed twice! Theres another unfamiliar name over there. Bai Feng... I dont think I have heard of that name... Does any one of you know this person before? I have heard of Bai Feng! Hes Elder Bai Yes servant. Even though he isnt an elder, in terms of strength, hes far stronger than most core elders! Hes even stronger than most core elders, but he still ended up getting killed here? As the inner disciples looked down the list, a lot of them looked as if they were on the verge of a mental breakdown. They could understand Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong getting killed four times. After all, the reputation of the inner disciples was at stake, so it was understandable for them to be a bit more shameless at a moment like that. However, even a core disciple was killed twice, and someone as powerful as a core elder was killed once. Wasnt this getting a little out of hand? It was as if some powerhouses had snuck into this little party of theirs! Given the hugemotion, why did none of the inner elderse by to resolve this matter? Indeed. No matter how slow the informationwork of the elders is, half an hour should be more than enough for them to learn of the matter... The same doubt emerged in everyones minds. Even core disciples had gotten involved in this battle, only to be killed in the end. Why were the inner elders not intervening in something as huge as this? Wait a moment, there are still names below! someone suddenly shouted out, and the crowd turned their gazes over. At the very bottom of the list, several more names were slowly appearing. Mu Xuan, Huang You, Zhang Lingbo, Lu Yun... If I recall correctly, Mu Xuan is Elder Mus full name, isnt it? Huang You is the name of the elder in charge of our peak! Zhang Lingbo is the inner elder who has been teaching us! In an instant, everyones face turned livid from sheer frustration. They felt like their hearts were going to burst from how stifled it was bing. I thought that it was weird that none of the elders intervened in this issue, but to think that they hid as inner disciples to challenge I Am Low Profile too. Yet, they still ended up getting killed! They were the ones who taught us swordsmanship, but they were defeated... What the hell? How monstrously powerful is I Am Low Profile? Everyone was really on the verge of losing their mind. This was especially so for the inner disciples who demanded to view the battle details earlier. They really wished to p themselves to death. They had thought that this revtion would restore some of their reputation, but it ended up doing the contrary. It was their duel, but they had ended up bringing core disciples and even their own elders to fight on their behalf. It would have been one thing if they won, but they had actually lost! It was just like a child challenging the kindergarten he was in, but instead of mediating in the duel, the teachers and adults ganged up with the other children against the child, only to end up being beaten up themselves... How humiliating! There was nowhere they could put their face anymore! They really should not have asked for the details of the battle. Now, they felt like they were ready to wither from embarrassment. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan was also listening to the conversation among the crowd, and he was browsing through the battle details. He was bbergasted by what he saw. When did that core disciple and those elders appear before him? Why did he not notice their presence at all? Logically speaking, if those people had made a move, he should have noticed it! But in the half an hour that he had been battling, everyone had pretty much been ended in a single sh. He did not feel much resistance at all! Oh well, it doesnt matter. As long as I managed to earn a decent sum, everything is fine... Unable to figure it out, Zhang Xuan decided to simply stop thinking about it altogether. Instead, he turned to look at his Ethereal Card. He had killed five thousand people over the course of the duel, and under the rules of the duel, the Sword Pavilion Coins that they had with them would have to go to him. Since that was the case, he should have made a killing with this. With trembling fingers, he tapped on the Ethereal Card. A series of number quickly appeared on top of it. 283,764! I earned 280,000 Sword Pavilion Coins? Zhang Xuan nearly burst outughing like a maniac. Given that he had killed five thousand people, that would average out to around fifty Sword Pavilion Coins for each kill he made. In any case, he had half of the total fortune of the inner disciples with him now! If he used this money to buy pills, he should be able to tame the Dongxu Gourd easily! Farewell! Seeing that his body was so depleted that it was on the verge of dissipating at any moment, Zhang Xuan quickly walked over to the receptionist to buy a couple of Standard Immortal Pills before finally leaving the Ethereal Hall. Since he had already acquired what he wanted, there was no need to dawdle in there anymore. Returning to his room, he took out the pills before releasing the Dongxu Gourd once more. Here are ten Standard Immortal Pills. Acknowledge me as your master, and Ill give them to you! Zhang Xuan uncorked the jade bottle, allowing a whiff of concentrated spiritual energy to flow out. This left the Dongxu Gourd feeling deeply tempted. Why? Are you going to renege on your words? Zhang Xuan looked at the Dongxu Gourd and smiled. Ahahaha, of course my words count. Its nothing for me to acknowledge you as my master. However, you must promise to give me ample medicine and treasures so that I can recover to my full strength! the Dongxu Gourd said with a shake of its bottom. Thats a given! Zhang Xuan replied. A small droplet of liquid melted from the Dongxu Gourds exterior before flying right into Zhang Xuans be. Weng! Zhang Xuan sealed the contract, and the next moment, his consciousness was already linked up with the Dongxu Gourd. Even without opening their mouths, they were also able tomunicate with one another telepathically. Just what in the world are you? However, despite their telepathicmunication, Zhang Xuan still sensed a barrier between him and the Dongxu Gourd. It was hard to describe what kind of feeling it was, but if he really had to put it into words, it felt like the Dongxu Gourd was an egg. He was able tomunicate what was outside, but he could not peer through the shell to see whaty inside. Didnt I tell you that already? I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends! the Dongxu Gourd replied proudly. Stop bragging. Alright, here are your pills! Seeing how the Dongxu Gourd was only able to repeat the same few words again and again, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. With a helpless sigh, he tossed the Standard Immortal Pills over to the other party. Opening its mouth, the Dongxu Gourd swallowed all the pills in a single mouthful. Following which, it looked at Zhang Xuan with a pitiful look as it whimpered, I still want more... Give me more... More... Alright alright, Ill get more for you! Zhang Xuan replied in resignation. Since he had plenty of money, it was not that big a deal. Thus, he returned to the Ethereal Hall and purchased another ny Standard Immortal Pills, which he tossed to the Dongxu Gourd so that thetter could slowly work its way through them. Meanwhile, he sat down quietly by the side and began pondering over what had just happened. To be honest, he had benefited a lot from the earlier battle against the five thousand inner disciples. It had allowed him to reinforce his understanding of swordsmanship and sharpen his control over his strength. He tried driving his zhenqi a little, and he could immediately feel that the bottleneck limiting him before loosening up. He was ready to push for a breakthrough to Pseudo Immortal at any moment. To think that practicing my swordsmanship in the Ethereal Hall would be useful to my cultivation too, Zhang Xuan thought in excitement. Normally, considering that he had only achieved a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm consummation a few hours prior, it should have taken several days for him to reinforce his cultivation even with the Heavens Path Divine Art. However, after going through the earlier battle, he managed to condense his zhenqi to the limits, and he was able to control it freely. Just like that, the Pseudo Immortal realm, which should have been a long distance away, was suddenly within reach! As long as he found a suitable cultivation technique, he would be able to push for a breakthrough to the Pseudo Immortal realm! Only after achieving a breakthrough to the Pseudo Immortal realm is one able to be a core disciple. The cultivation techniques in the inner disciples library only went up to the Pseudo Immortal realm. If an inner disciple wanted to push for a breakthrough to Pseudo Immortal, they would have to consult an elder to find the corresponding book that they required. Dan Xiaotian is currently only at Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation. Hes simply too far away from reaching the Pseudo Immortal realm! As a low profile and humble individual, Zhang Xuan was unwilling to reveal his identity and cultivation. Thus, he could only entrust the heavy responsibility of bing a core disciple to his tenth direct disciple. However, his student was only entrust the heavy responsibility of bing a core disciple to his tenth direct disciple. However, his student was Even if Dan Xiaotian cultivated a simplified version of the Heavens Path Divine Art and had plenty of resources to squander, it would still take at least two months for him before he was ready to push for a breakthrough to the Pseudo Immortal realm! Otherwise, if he advanced too fast, his cultivation would be shaky. That would adversely affect the future progression of his cultivation. He could not possiblypromise his students for his own needs. Other than approaching an elder for a cultivation technique, theres another way for one to be a core disciple, and thats the Valley of Falling Rain! Many inner disciples who seek to make a breakthrough head there as there are many insights on advancing to the Pseudo Immortal realm! Since Zhang Xuan was unable to count on his disciple, he would just have to rely on himself. He could not help but remember a book that he had read previously in the inner disciples library, and his eyes lit up in excitement. Even if Dan Xiaotian did reach Dimension Shatterer realm consummation, it was hard to say whether he would be able to gather enough Pseudo Immortal realm manuals required for him topile aplete Heavens Path Divine Art. On the other hand, the Valley of Falling Rain was a popr ce for inner disciples to achieve a breakthrough, and those who sessfully made a breakthrough there would inscribe their own experience and insights there. As such, it had be a treasure trove of wisdom. While those insights and experiences were not cultivation techniques, if he couldpile enough of them, he should still be able to push for a breakthrough to the Pseudo Immortal realm! It was fortunate that his current cultivation realm tallied with the inner disciples. This allowed him to move around openly by blending in with the inner disciples without anyone doubting his identity. I should head to the Valley of Falling Rain to take a look! With that thought in mind, Zhang Xuan stepped out of his room. Young Master! At this moment, Cao Chengli had finished his business with the other three hundred jin[l] female disciple and returned to the residence. The intense battle that he had just been through caused his presence to feel a little withered. From the looks of it, the female disciple was no weakling at all. Despite Cao Chenglis remarkable skills from his many years of experience and his superb stamina, the sh still left him severely weakened. Most likely, he would have to rest for quite a long time before making aeback. Zhang Xuan looked around the residence, but he was unable to find his disciple. Thus, he turned to Cao Chengli and asked, Wheres Dan Xiaotian? Cao Chengli quickly bowed slightly before responding to Zhang Xuans question. The inner disciples have been gathered for an urgent meeting, and the Young Master has already headed over there! [1] 300 jin = 150kg Chapter 1970 - Find Out Who I Am Low Profile Is Chapter 1970 Find Out Who I Am Low Profile Is They have been gathered for an urgent meeting? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. It seems like some fool challenged all the inner disciples at once, and that has left the elders extremely infuriated. They are pushing the inner disciples to investigate the matter and catch the culprit, Cao Chengli replied. While he was battling with three hundred jin, a subordinate had reported this matter to her through the door. As such, he still knew a thing or two about this matter. Fool? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. You are the one who is a fool! Your entire family are fools! Its just a bet... Do you really need to go so far as to hold an urgent meeting just to apprehend me? Its fortunate that I had the foresight to change my name in advance. Otherwise, if they got me, Id be in deep trouble. With hisprehension of swordsmanship, it was no exaggeration to say that he was invincible among those of the same cultivation realm. However, it was unfortunate that his cultivation was still too weak. Previously, when he heard from one of the inner disciples that it was possible to earn money so easily, greed had gotten the better of him for a moment, and he had ended up getting too engrossed in the fight. If they uncovered his identity, it might lead to a great deal of trouble and danger. Currently, he was notpletely confident in protecting himself against True Immortals or even High Immortals, so he could not allow his true identity to be revealed. What have you heard so far? Is there any news on where the person who challenged the inner disciples lives or who he is? Zhang Xuan asked with a nonchnt look on his face. So far, the only thing I got is that the person is called I Am Low Profile. Seriously, what an entric name that is. He calls himself low profile when theres no one as boastful as him in the world. As for who he is and where he is, theres still no updates on that at the moment! Cao Chengli replied with a shake of his head. Seeing that his true identity had not beenpromised so far, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief in his mind. He lowered his head contemtively for a moment before asking Cao Chengli, Do you know where the urgent meeting is held? Its held at the sparring field located at the top of the mountain! Cao Chengli replied. Got it... Zhang Xuan nodded as he slowly walked over to Cao Chengli. Pah! Clutching the back of his head, Cao Chengli was shocked. Young Master, why did you hit me? That strike was so powerful that he felt his teeth loosening from his gums. I answered what you asked me without hiding anything at all, and my news was timely this time as well! What did I do wrong to warrant this beating? You stepped into the residence with your left foot instead of your right. I dont like it. Zhang Xuan threw those words at Cao Chengli before walking away coldly. He struck me just because I entered the residence with my left foot? Cao Chenglis eyes widened in bewilderment. What kind of nonsensical rule was this? Was the Young Master experiencing his andropause early? Otherwise, why would he make up such a ridiculous rule? Jot it down, jot it down... I must make sure to remember it! Cao Chengli murmured to himself as he patted his heart to console his wounded soul. After leaving the residence, Zhang Xuan did not head to the Valley of Falling Rain but the mountain peak where the sparring field was located. He had to find out how the elders intended to find him and how much they had found out so that he could prepare countermeasures. Otherwise, it would be extremely dangerous if he did not even know when the other party was already onto him. Being low profile is the most important thing in the world. I must make sure to never act as I did earlier in the future... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply in regret. It was indeed exhrating for him to defeat so many people at once, but the implications sure were troublesome! If they traced the matter back to him, he would be a goner! After acting so prudently all his life, why did he give in to recklessness this time? Argh! Seated at the very center of the Elder Council was First Elder He Tian, and the other elders who sat by his side carried imposing presences that weighed down on those before them. At the bottommost of the council was Elder Mu, who managed the inner disciples. Elder Mu was no weakling, but he paled inparison to the elders who sat the topmost region. Even from a distance away, he could feel immense pressure crushing down on him, causing cold sweat to form all around his forehead. At this moment, another elder walked into the hall and took his seat. After which, he asked, Elder He, may I know the reason you have gathered us so urgently? It looks like everyone is here. Elder Mu, Ill be troubling you to ry what you said earlier to the council once more! Elder He Tian looked at Elder Mu and nodded. Yes! Elder Mu quickly rose to his feet and said, Greetings, fellow members of the council, I am Elder Mu Xuan of the Inner Disciples Section. During the previous Elder Council, Elder He instructed all of us to search for the genius whoprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Shortly after the announcement, a formidable sword practitioner appeared among the inner disciples. We suspect that the person might be the genius Elder He talked about! Oh? On what basis are you presuming that? an elder in the council asked with a frown. The Gods Sword Intent was viewed to be the very zenith of swordsmanship across the entire Forsaken Continent. Even if anyoneprehended it, they should be from the core disciples at the very minimum. It did not seem too likely for it to be an inner disciple. In the inner disciples Ethereal Hall, he issued a challenge to all of the inner disciples, and he slew five thousand of them within half an hour... Elder Mu swiftly recounted the matter that had just happened. After hearing that the person had in three thousand inner disciples with a single move and eventually achieved victory, intense discussion immediately broke out among the Elder Council. Not long ago, Elder He had said that someone hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, and then such a figure appeared and caused such a huge uproar. Could they be the same person? If that was really the case, that incident would not be a mockery to the inner disciples. On the contrary, they might even be viewed in reverence for such a powerful figure appearing from their ranks! Losing to a person who hadprehended the same divine swordsmanship as the founder was not an embarrassment but an honor! He eliminated five thousand fellow inner disciples in the Ethereal Hall within half an hour? Are you certain? Some of the elders stood up as they questioned the authenticity of Elder Mus statement. This matter was simply too inconceivable! It was a fixed rule that all of those who entered the Ethereal Hall would be of the same cultivation realm. Putting aside whether it was possible to y five thousand people alone or not, the fact that he was able to pull it off within half an hour was already an absurd notion! Was it possible for someone to be so much more powerful than his peers on the basis of his skills alone? I have the video of the fight here, Elder Mu said as he presented a Record Crystal to the Elder Council. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Ethereal Hall also had a video recording function, simr to the Ethereal Halls outside too. Cultivators could purchase the video recordings at a set price. Knowing that this matter was of grave importance, Elder Mu had made sure to purchase the recording of the battle between I Am Low Profile and the inner disciples beforehand. With a tap of his finger, the crystal immediately reflected the details of the earlier battle. Due to time constraints, he skipped the earlier segments of the battle to show the final move, where countless strands of sword qi each morphed into a sword art, decapitating the heads of three thousand cultivators in a sh. This sight caused everyones eyebrows to shoot up in astonishment. Even they would be unable to pull off a move of such imposing might once they suppressed their cultivation to Ancient Sage 1-dan! Yet, that fellow was able to pull it off so easily. Just how deep was hisprehension of swordsmanship? That swordsmanship isnt our founders Gods Sword Intent though. Nevertheless, the fact that hes able to cultivate his swordsmanship to such a level likely means that hes the man we are searching for! the elder who spoke earlier remarked. Even though he found it bizarre that someone who had achieved such a formidable level of swordsmanship was still only an inner disciple, all of the evidence pointed in the same direction. Thats what I thought as well... Elder He nodded in agreement. Thus, I would like to confirm I Am Low Profiles identity and trace his location! But such actions are strictly prohibited by the sect rules. It would undermine the significance of the Ethereal Hall! the elder earlier replied with a frown. The Ethereal Hall was incapable of identifying a person directly. Even for the battle details that were reflected previously, that was achieved through cross referencing the blood droplet used to activate the Ethereal Token together with the inner disciples identity token. An exception was made earlier because the people presumed to be involved in the duel had expressly consented to having their identities revealed, but this was not the case for I Am Low Profile. As such, this matter had to be viewed separately. I understand this as well. Thus, I gathered all of you here to discuss this matter! Elder He said. This is an extenuating circumstance. If the experts of the Hall of Gods find him earlier than we do, it might lead to unnecessaryplications! As someone who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, if hes allowed to grow, he will eventually obtain the strength to challenge the authority of the gods. The experts of the Hall of Gods wont allow for that. Its likely that they will make a move on him in advance! Such matters have urred in history before. Many talented geniuses have been killed by the Hall of Gods because their sects failed to protect them! The atmosphere in the room grew a little heavy following Elder Hes speech. Elder Mus body stiffened from the pressure, and he did not dare breathe loudly. His standing was such that he was not privy to the secrets of the Forsaken Continent. However, from the discussion in the council, he was able to figure out the situation. He immediately understood the severity of this matter and why this issue had to be kept confidential by any means. Otherwise, a disaster might really strike the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. An elder stood up and proposed, I suggest that we liaise with the sect leader and have him make the decision on this matter. I think this is the safest move we can make! Indeed. Such a major decision requires the judgement of the sect leader... another person echoed in agreement. I have already informed the sect leader of the matter, and this was his response! Elder He replied as he took out a Communication Jade Token and shed it to the crowd. There were seven words on the tokenDeal with it as you deem fit. This... Since the sect leader has already made such a call, lets look into that persons identity and location them! This is so that we can offer him greater protection from the Hall of Gods. Like the First Elder said, this is a special circumstance, and we need to deal with it ordingly! Since the sect leader had entrusted the decision to them, the other elders quickly nodded in agreement. Alright, lets head to the Sword Gazebo! Seeing that there was a majority agreement in the council over this issue, Elder He stood up and walked out of the room. The crowd also rose to their feet, and they swiftly made their way over to the Sword Gazebo. As for Elder Mu, due to his inability to fly, Elder He wrapped him within a surge of his zhenqi and pulled him along with the group. Since that genius was likely to be among the inner disciples, it would be helpful for Elder Mu to be with them as well. They quickly arrived at the Sword Gazebo. Without any hesitation, the elders quickly passed their identity tokens over and ced them on the wall. After which, Elder Hemanded, Reveal I Am Low Profiles identity and exact location! Weng! There was a slight buzz as light flickered on the wall for a moment. However, nothing appeared. Whats going on? Elder He frowned. With so many elders together with them, they should have had the authority to uncover I Am Low Profiles identity and location. Why was nothing appearing at all? It could be because he isnt in the Ethereal Hall at the moment, thats why nothing is reflected on the wall! someone said from afar. Everyone quickly turned their heads around, and they saw an elder descending toward them. He was none other than the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Sect Leader Han! He had finally returned! Paying respects to the sect leader! The elders quickly bowed respectfully. After which, Elder He looked over and asked, Sect Leader Han, you mentioned earlier that the person in question is not in the Ethereal Hall. What does that mean? Most of them had never used the Sword Gazebo to find the identity and location of a person before, so they were unaware of the details surrounding it. The Ethereal Hall uses ones consciousness to determine the location of the body. If the consciousness is not within the Ethereal Hall, how can you check the persons whereabouts? Sect Leader Han replied. Elder He and the others widened their eyes in realization. Previously, the reason Elder Mu had been able to check I Am Low Profiles cultivation without any problem was because thetter had still been fighting with the other inner disciples. However, now that I Am Low Profile was no longer in there, it made sense for the search to fail. Looking at the frustrated faces around him, Sect Leader Han chuckled softly before saying, Dont worry, we just have to wait here patiently. As long as I Am Low Profile enters the Ethereal Hall once more, well easily be able to uncover his position! Hearing those words, the other elders quietly nodded. Given the huge fuss that the other party had caused, as well as the humongous wealth that he had earned through the duel, it was just a matter of time before he appeared in the Ethereal Hall once more. As long as they bided their time, they would eventually be able to catch him! Since thats the case, well just stay here for the time being to keep a lookout. Elder Mu, since this matter concerns the inner disciples, you should remain here! Elder He instructed. Yes! Elder Mu quickly nodded. Just like that, the strongest experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion ended up waiting quietly at the Sword Gazebo, waiting for Zhang Xuan to enter the Ethereal Hall once more. Chapter 1971 - It’s Him! It’s Him! Chapter 1971 Its Him! Its Him! Meanwhile, the person in question, Zhang Xuan, was unaware that the top experts of the sect were on a stakeout for him. He was rushing all the way up to the sparring field on the mountain peak. A huge crowd had already gathered around the area. All ten thousand or so inner disciples had halted their cultivation and rushed over as soon as they received the news! Following the crowd, Zhang Xuan found a corner and hid himself. There were many people around the area, so no one would really notice an ordinary person like him. I believe that most of you should have guessed why I have gathered all of you here! There was an old man at the very center of the crowd. His voice echoed loudly in everyones ears. He was the second-in-charge of the Inner Disciples Section, Elder Huang You! Upon hearing the elders words, all the inner disciples lowered their heads in embarrassment. Just a moment before being gathered, they had been defeated by an individual in the Ethereal Hall. Even the slowest of minds could easily understand what was going on. This is the first time that something like this has happened in the long history of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! I dont know which of you is I Am Low Profile, but the fact that he was able to triumph over five thousand people alone is huge for the sect. Hes worthy of praise! As for the rest of you, despite five thousand of you ganging up on a single person, you couldnt even kill him? Let me ask you this... what have you been learning in the sect over the years? Have you just been idling your time away? Elder Huang Yous face waspletely nonchnt, which made it hard to read whether he was angry or excited. The crowd was not too sure what they should expect from him. However, his words caused all of them to lower their heads in embarrassment. It was indeed a humiliation that they were unable to defeat a single person. There was no way that they could argue their out of this matter. Just that... If we recall correctly, Elder Huang You, you also snuck there and ended up being killed. Is it really fine for you lecture us like this? Of course, none of the inner disciples dared say those words out loud. Its true that we are not a match for I Am Low Profile, but... given how formidable he is, is there a chance that hes a core disciple in disguise? one of the inner disciples asked. As soon as this question was asked, it immediately sparked a lot of nods of agreement from the crowd. As fellow inner disciples, they knew each others standards. If someone who was slightly stronger than that appeared, it would still be believable to them. But I Am Low Profile had far, far, far exceeded that level! As such, this got them thinking. Knowing that the inner disciples would pose such a question, Huang You calmly waved his hand. Elder Mu and the rest of us paid a visit to the Sword Gazebo to check on the matter, and his strength is indeed only at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. This is the result of our investigation... Weng! A recording surfaced in the air. It showed the sight of the ten elders heading toward a wall to check on I Am Low Profiles strength. Very soon, the wall reflected a result corroborating what Elder Mu had said. He really is a Dimension Shatterer realm consummation cultivator... An inner disciple, just like us! Is it really possible for inner disciples to be this powerful? I cant believe that skills can make one so much more powerful than others! This sight vanquished any doubts that I Am Low Profile might not be an inner disciple. What else do you have to say for yourselves? After ying the recording, Elder Huang You looked at the inner disciples around him coldly. As soon as you think that you are unable to defeat him, you think that hes a core disciple. Have you tried searching within you for the reason behind your defeat? Before the crowd could even answer, his aura grew even sharper and more imposing, leaving the crowd feeling a little suffocated. Why do you think that I Am Low Profile was able to be so much more powerful than the rest of you? Thats because, just like his nickname, he has humbly trained harder than any of you without fussing over transient things like fame and honor. He has never wasted his time unting his skills in public or engaging in useless politics. All that was in his heart was cultivation, cultivation, and cultivation! Its by shedding more blood, sweat, and tears than any single one else of you that he managed to reach his current level. What about the rest of you? Elder Huang Yous voice gradually got louder with every word he spoke. You are obsessed with honor and glory. Fighting can improve your skills, but you content yourselves with picking weaker opponents and staying within what you are used to so that you can win your duels. You view loss to be something more frightening that remaining stagnant. With such mindsets, how can you possibly cultivate the best swordsmanship in the world? How can you be real experts? Those words struck a chord in everyones heart. Realizing how much time they had wasted on pursuing honor and glory among themselves, they lowered their heads in shame. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by the high praise being heaped on him. The reason he had never appeared in public or engaged in useless politics was because this was only his first day at the sect. He could not have done it even if he wanted to! That being said, the thing about him shedding a lot more blood, sweat, and tears in order to reach his current level was indeed true. Dont be content with what you already have. Dont restrict yourself to what you already know. Dont me others when you find yourself outmatched. While you might not be as talented as the other party, you arent even close to being as hardworking as he is! Elder Huang Yous voice reverberated across the crowd. From this day forth, I hope that you can throw away all the needless baggage weighing you down and make the Inner Disciples Sector stronger than ever! Are you able to do it? Do you have the confidence to do it? Yes, Elder Huang! We have the confidence to do it! With fists that were tightly clenched, the crowd roared in agreement. Seeing the high morale among the crowd, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that the elders were going to investigate his identity, so he hade running over out of fright, but in the end, they were just using him as an antagonist in order to spark everyones motivation. Thats all Im going to say today. I have heard your response, and Im looking forward to what you can achieve! Elder Huang You replied. Onest thing. Whoever I Am Low Profile is, I hope that you can take the initiative to look for me! Alright, you are all dismissed! Seeing that his identity had not beenpromised yet, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He left his hiding spot, and just as he was going to make his way over to the Valley of Falling Rain, an anxious voice suddenly sounded behind him. Its him! Its him! This voice was extremely abrupt and urgent, such that it caught everyones attention. Zhang Xuan also turned his head over, only to feel cold sweat raining down his body. He nearly fainted in that instant. The person who had shouted out loud was currently pointing agitatedly at him, and everyones eyes were centered on him. The heck? Zhang Xuan felt goosebumps rising all over his body. Surely, he would not be recognized just like that, right? If that was the case, how was he going to continue being low profile? More importantly, once his identity was confirmed, it was likely that he would not have time to cultivate anymore. Challengers woulde buzzing to him like incessant flies, hoping to fight him again and again. If it was possible for anyone to die out of annoyance, that would probably be the way. After all, who would not want to make a name for themselves? If they could defeat him, who was reputed to have defeated five thousand cultivators, would that not immediately ce them higher than him? No, its not me. Your eyes are bad, and you have the wrong person, Zhang Xuan replied as he turned around and bolted off. While everyone was still in a daze over what was going on, Zhang Xuan was already sprinting off like an unbridled horse, nearly disappearing in an instant. Dont run! The inner disciple who had shouted earlier was stunned by how fast Zhang Xuans response was. He was just about to pursue the other party when he suddenly felt immense pressure crushing down on him. At some point in time, Elder Huang had already arrived by his side and asked, You mentioned that its him. Who is he? Hes a fake medicine peddler, eh, no, I mean real medicine peddler! the inner disciple quickly replied with a bow. Elder Huang Yous eyelids twitched. If he could, he would have pped this fellow into the bottom of the ocean. It was just a moment ago that he was talking about I Am Low Profile when this fellow shouted, Its him! His spirits were raised as he thought that he had finally found that powerful sword practitioner, but it turned out to be just a medicine peddler. Do you really have to get so agitated upon finding a medicine peddler? Realizing that Elder Huang Yous face was getting more and more livid by the second, the inner disciple quickly rified, This is a request from Senior Bai Ruanqing. Ive been unable to find him, so I couldnt contain my excitement when I finally saw him once more... Even though this inner disciple had not been located closest to Zhang Xuan at the inner disciples market back then, he had still managed to catch a good look at thetters appearance during his encounter with Bai Ruanqing. It was just that Zhang Xuan had not really been paying much attention to those present in the market then, so he did not recognize this inner disciple. Bai Ruanqing is looking for him? Elder Huang You frowned. Even as an elder, he had also heard many things about Bai Ruanqing. Why would Elder Bai Yes granddaughter look for a mere inner disciple? It seems like the medicine that she bought from him was still rather effective, so she wanted to buy a bit more, the inner disciple replied. I see. Go on and find him then. Dont get on Bai Ruanqings bad side. Elder Huang You waved his hand helplessly. Since the other party was not I Am Low Profile, he also lost his interest in pursuing this matter any further. Uni- Knowing that there was no time to inform Liu Lujie and the others, the inner disciple immediately dashed down the mountain to pursue Zhang Xuan. That was a close one. After running for some time, Zhang Xuan nced backward and saw that no one was on his tail anymore before finallying to a halt. With a deep sigh, he rubbed his forehead in distress. He just wanted to be an ordinary man living an ordinary life. Why was it so difficult? Its not as if I asked to be born so outstanding! Anyway, if someone was able to recognize me, that means that my current identity has already beenpromised. He did not know how he had been revealed, but as long as he refused to admit it and did not disy his true strength, the other party should not be able to prove that he was indeed I Am Low Profile. I have to destroy the Ethereal Token. If he did not destroy it, someone might just match his Ethereal Token to the records, and that would be concrete evidence of his identity. By then, there would be nothing that he could say that would salvage the situation. Its fortunate that the Sword Pavilion Coins that Ive earned are stored inside the untraceable Ethereal Card, so I dont need to rely on the Ethereal Token to withdraw my wealth, Zhang Xuan thought as he took out his I Am Low Profile Ethereal Token and crushed it. It was not umon for cultivators to be killed in the Ethereal Hall, so it wasmon sense to ce ones wealth in an Ethereal Card instead. This way, they would at least be able to retrieve their wealth even after their Ethereal Token had been deactivated. After all that was done, Zhang Xuan was finally able to rx a little. It was at this moment that the person who had pointed him out caught up with him. Zhang Xuan looked behind that person, but strangely enough, there was no one following him. This was both relieving and bewildering at the same time. Since this fellow had already pointed him out as I Am Low Profile, it would have made sense for Elder Huang You and the others to pursue him too, right? Why did this fellowe alone then? Were they afraid of scaring him or something? Well, no matter what ns they had in store, he just had to deny everything! He had already crushed the Ethereal Token anyway. There was no way they could identify him! Brother, you sure run fast... Upon catching up with Zhang Xuan, the inner disciple lowered his body and panted loudly from exhaustion. While Zhang Xuan had intentionally slowed himself down a lot to prevent anyone from noticing any anomalies with him, it was still not a speed that anyone could easily catch up with. Its fortunate that I was the first one to recognize and catch you. Hahaha, I have really struck gold this time... Despite his exhaustion, the inner disciple looked at Zhang Xuan with eyes reminiscent of a treasure hunter staring at a treasure. Recognize me? Dont spout nonsense! Theres no way I could be that iparably handsome and hopelessly valiant I Am Low Profile! Hes like a brilliant sun in the sky whereas. I am nothing more than an ordinary inner disciple, not even worth a mention at all. So, dont start spouting nonsense. Someone will die because of that! Zhang Xuan immediately waved his hand defensively. I Am Low Profile? What the heck are you talking about? The inner disciple was stunned by Zhang Xuans words. Chapter 1972 - I Must Marry Him Chapter 1972 I Must Marry Him Ah? Zhang Xuans body froze on the spot. Then why in the world are you chasing me? If not because you recognized I Am Low Profile, why did you sprint after me so anxiously? You even scared me into crushing my Ethereal Token, you know! Didnt you sell a bottle of recovery medicine to Senior Bai Ruanqing a while ago? She ordered us to look for you, or else she will give us a severe pummeling... Look at these bruises all over my body. They were all inflicted by her! If I didnt find you soon, she mightve tortured us to death... The inner disciple pointed all over his body and cried. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan noticed that the inner disciple was indeed wounded all over, and he nearly burst into tears, too. You should have said it earlier if that was the case! Do you know how many years you have shaved off my life from the earlier shock? I even crushed my Ethereal Token... Thats twenty Sword Pavilion Coins, you know! It all turned out to be an empty scare. Its fortunate that I didnt lose anything else other than that, or else I might just strangle you alive. Why is she looking for me? Zhang Xuan asked. Im not too sure. It seems like your recovery medicine is effective, so she wishes to buy a few more bottles from you, the inner disciple said. She wishes to buy more medicine from me? Finally making sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan heaved another sigh of relief. Everything was fine as long as his identity as I Am Low Profile was notpromised. As for the recovery medicine that he sold, of course it was effective! Otherwise, it could not have healed him so quickly either. Indeed. The inner disciple nodded. Ill have to trouble you to visit Senior Liu Lujie with me. Hes the only one who is able to contact Senior Bai. Zhang Xuans initial thought was to turn the inner disciple down. After all, he felt that this matter would just be a load of trouble. However, an idea suddenly came to his mind, and he asked, If I recall correctly, Senior Bai Ruanqing is the granddaughter of Elder Bai Ye, right? She has quite a high standing among the core disciples too, doesnt she? The news concerning that female dinosaur had reached even his ears. Possessing both standing and influence, she might just be able to secure him a trip to the core disciples library. If so, it would be much better than him making a trip to the Valley of Falling Rain. Indeed. Her standing is extremely high in the sect, such that no one dares to cross her. Your recovery medicine has won her approval, and she specially engaged us to look for you. I believe that you will surely be highly regarded by her, and it will be a great opportunity for you to rise through the ranks, the inner disciple said with a hint of envy in his eyes. Just make sure that you dont forget about me once you reach the top. It was for this young man that Bai Ruanqing pummeled them to the ground. From the looks of it, it felt like Bai Ruanqing had already made up her mind to cover this young man. It was for this reason that he did not dare disrespect the young man standing before him. Lets go then! Having confirmed this matter, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he nodded without any hesitation. Following behind this inner disciple, it did not take too long for them to arrive at Liu Lujies residence. Are you the person who sold the recovery medicine to Senior Bai? When Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong saw that Zhang Xuan was even younger than them and was a foreign face, they were slightly taken aback. The recovery medicine is something that I acquired by chance, and its mostly used up, Zhang Xuan said. I found that its effective on most wounds and afflictions, so I have always viewed it as my greatest treasure. Its only because I had an urgent need for money that I was forced to sell it. I didnt think that it would end up helping Senior Bai! He knew about the analogy of the man with a jade. It was with no other choice that he had chosen to sell the gourds bathwater, but he knew better than to reveal its true source. In any case, he should first im that its quantity was limited, or else it would be troublesome if everyone who was injured came to him for medicine. (The analogy talks about how a person who unts their wealth, beauty, talents, or the like could end up bringing envy upon them, and thus provoking others to harm them.) I have already informed Senior Bai of the matter. Shell be here in a moment. I hope that you still have some recovery medicine left, or else... I fear that even I wont be able to protect you! Liu Lujie said. Yes, I still do have some left, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. You should wait for Senior Bai here. I still have some matters to attend to, so Ill be taking my leave first! Liu Lujie said before heading to the courtyard. Being killed by I Am Low Profile had made him feel deeply pressured. He realized that he was still sorelycking. While he was a little fearful of Bai Ruanqing, he did not want to waste even a second anymore. Stepping into the courtyard, he picked up his sword and began discussing a sword art with Wang Jiandong, who had been waiting for him for some time. This is the sword art that I Am Low Profile executed, Wang Jiandong said as he swung his sword and released a surge of sword qi. No, that doesnt seem like it. I think its something more like this, Liu Lujie said with a frown as he executed another move. Through their exchanges, they tried to decipher I Am Low Profiles move while analyzing the various ws in their own. Watching the entire process, Zhang Xuan murmured quietly with a nod, Their talents not too bad... If one just looked at sheer talent, they were far above Dan Xiaotian. It was truly not easy to analyze that much just by observing. However, his swordsmanship was far too deep andyered to be interpreted that easily. Not even Bai Feng dared im that he really understood what was going on, so it was indeed a little too tough on the two inner disciples toprehend the essence of his swordsmanship. As a result, the more that they discussed, the more they deviated from the truth. As a teacher, Zhang Xuans eyelids began twitching as the urge to berate them welled up within him. He really could not bear seeing those two straying further and further. However, if he spoke, he would risk exposing his identity. Thus, he shifted ufortably in his seat as he tried to tune out what those two were talking about. Hu! At this moment, the call of a beast echoed in the air. Bai Ruanqing had arrived. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that she had arrived, or else he might have sumbed to his urge and given those two a huge tongue-shing. For his swordsmanship to be distorted to such an extent... he really did not know what to say. As soon as Bai Ruanqing leaped off the back of the aerial beast, she immediately recognized Zhang Xuan and rushed over excitedly. Ive finally found you! Do you still have the recovery medicine that you sold me back at the market? With just that little bottle, her grandfather was already showing some signs of recovery. If she could procure more of the medicine, her grandfather might just be able to make a full recovery! I only have three bottles left at the moment... Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the few remaining jade bottles. Ill take all three! Bai Ruanqing said excitedly. She took the jade bottles and inspected their contents before heaving a ef. With an expectant look on her face, she asked, May I know if these bottles of recovery medicine were concocted by you, or... did you acquire them from somewhere? I chanced upon them while exploring an ancient domain. These are the only bottles that I have left. If I hadnt been strapped for cash, I would never have brought them out, Zhang Xuan said. It was not as if the other party would ever know of the truth anyway. What a pity... Bai Ruanqing sighed. She had hoped that she could buy a bit more, so she could not help but sigh in disappointment when she heard those words. She quickly took out sixty Sword Pavilion Coins and passed it over to Zhang Xuan. Instead of receiving the money, Zhang Xuan looked at her and asked, Senior Bai, I dont really need money anymore. Instead, theres actually a favor that I would like to ask of you. Those words immediately dampened Bai Ruanqings good mood. With a hint of displeasure between her eyebrows, she asked, What is it? If the other party had epted her money, the deal would have been sealed. However, if the other party was asking her for a favor instead, it was likely something that could not be resolved with just money. Nevertheless, it was still a fact that the other partys medicine had saved her grandfathers life, so the other party could be considered their benefactor. As long as the request was not too overboard, she would try her best to help him. Senior Bai, you should be able to tell that my cultivation has reached Ancient Sage 4-dan consummation. I am only a step away from achieving a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said. You want me to help you achieve a breakthrough? Bai Ruanqing frowned. An advancement to Pseudo Immortal signifies the gap between an inner disciple and a core disciple. The value is definitely not just sixty Sword Pavilion Coins. I understand that, and I dont intend to ask for such an insolent favor either, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. The current issue I am facing is ack of reference material to refer to. I have been searching through the inner disciples library for quite some time, but I have been unable to find the information I am looking for. Thus, I was hoping that perhaps you could bring me into the core disciples library for a moment. I wont require too longjust six hours will do! You wish to enter the core disciples library? Bai Ruanqing had been wondering what Zhang Xuan would ask for, but to think that this would be it. She did mention that a breakthrough was worth more than sixty Sword Pavilion Coins, and that was a fact. However, if the other party had insisted on that favor, she still would have secured an Immortalhood Breakthrough Pill for him to increase the chances of him making a breakthrough. If required, she could even have imparted some of her experiences making a breakthrough to him. Yet, instead of requesting for that, he only wanted to enter the core disciples library for six hours? Even Bai Ruanqing felt like she would be taking advantage of this poord if she only gave him this much in exchange for such valuable medicine, so she said, Choose another favor. Thats too simple! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and said, Thats all I require! There was nothing that was more valuable than books to him. As long as he had books, achieving breakthroughs would be as easy as ABC to him. Bai Ruanqing looked at Zhang Xuan for a moment before slowly nodding. Alright then. Everyone knew that great knowledge could be found in books, but reading was both tiresome and time-consuming. Thus, many sought to find shortcuts. It was hard to find someone who valued reading this much. Senior Bai! Just as the two of them were about to leave the area, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong walked into the main hall and greeted Bai Ruanqing. Are you currently studying I Am Low Profiles swordsmanship? Bai Ruanqing asked. She had simted her battle with I Am Low Profile in the Ethereal Hall many times in her mind after her tragic defeat. Earlier, when she was alighting from the aerial beast, she had seen the two of them practicing their swordsmanship, and she had quickly figured out what they were trying to do. Yes, thats right! Liu Lujie nodded. Did you manage to figure anything out? Bai Ruanqing asked. Yes, but there are also many doubts that we have in mind that we would like to consult you on, Senior Bai! Liu Lujie said. He might have been the number one expert of the inner disciples, but the youngdy before him was a core disciple, as well as the granddaughter of one of the Three Grand Elders. Furthermore, there was a good chance that she might be a True Immortal expert. Her understanding of swordsmanship was bound to be much higher than his! Feel free to speak! Bai Ruanqing gestured. The horizontal sh that I Am Low Profile executed is simple and smooth. Despite its slow speed, its somehow impossible to avoid it. Wang Jiandong and I have discussed it for quite some time now, but we are still unable to grasp the principles behind it... As Liu Lujie spoke, he raised his sword and shed horizontally. He repeated the same movement three times, but every single one of them appeared to be off the markpared to what I Am Low Profile did. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. That was not a sword art at all but a simple movement of his sword. A horizontal sh would allow him to more easily dissipate all the sword qiing his way while going from the defensive to the offensive in a single move, thus saving some energy. The key of the techniquey not in its speed but the angle and trajectory of the sword qi. It was that simple a move, but the other party was unable to figure it out after spending such a long time on it. To think that he had called them geniuses earlier! That techniquebines offense with defense impably. Only the most ingenious of swordsmanship is able to achieve that. Its perfectly normal that you arent able toprehend it, Bai Ruanqing said. Even after an intense discussion with Grandpa Feng, Im still a little confused by the principles behind it. Nevertheless, I am just about able to execute it now! After saying those words, she raised her sword and conducted a horizontal sh. While it did not carry the same absolute might that I Am Low Profiles attack did, it had roughly forty percent resemnce to it. This attack isnt a specific sword art but simply a casual move that I Am Low Profile executed! Bai Ruanqing repeated what Grandpa Feng had told her earlier. Its truly astounding how powerful even a casual move from him is. I really wonder just what kind of swordsmanship level I Am Low Profile has achieved. If you figure out who he is, make sure to inform me immediately. Hes the only person I have felt so much admiration for in my entire life. I have already sworn to the heavens that I shall marry him in the future! Chapter 1973 - Elder Bai Ye Wishes to Take In a Disciple “Marry?” Chapter 1973 Elder Bai Ye Wishes to Take In a Disciple Marry? Zhang Xuans entire face convulsed a little as he took a step back in horror. This was too much information! Sis, you mustnt joke around like this! My heart isnt able to take such stuff! To be fair, Bai Ruanqing was quite a beautifuldy. Her long, slender legs drew the eyes of others to them, filling the minds of men with fantasies. But he was someone who already had a girlfriend! Not to mention, there were many rumors that Bai Ruanqing was a female dinosaur who pummeled others when things did not go her way. Not even the toughest of men would be able to take her on! At the very least, he did not think that he had a masochistic streak in him. Whats wrong? Noticing the horrified expression on Zhang Xuans face, Bai Ruanqing, who had been reveling in her fantasies a moment ago, turned to look at him doubtfully. I only said that Im going to marry I Am Low Profile. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Ah, its nothing much, Zhang Xuan quickly replied as he wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. At the same time, he made up his mind that he would take his other identity as I Am Low Profile to the grave. Bai Ruanqing looked at Zhang Xuan weirdly for a moment before turning her attention back to Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong. Grandpa Feng exined the swordsmanship to me, and it should be something like that... Hearing Bai Ruanqings exnation, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong widened their eyes in realization. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan found himself on the verge of vomiting after hearing the first few sentences, so he quickly turned his gaze away and tuned out whatever was being said. It really pained him to see how his swordsmanship was being distorted into something so unseemly. If he continued listening on, he might just be a raging dinosaur himself! To be honest, if not for the limitations of his cultivation, he would have loved to pry open the coffin of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions founder so as to see how he had groomed his sessors for his heritage to end up like that. I really should find an opportunity to guide them, Zhang Xuan thought. A whileter, Bai Ruanqing was finally done lecturing her two juniors. With a satisfied smile on her face, she gestured for Zhang Xuan to get onto the back of her aerial beast. The peak where the core disciples lived was not located too far away. Nevertheless, it had a far more imposing presence than the inner disciples peak. The upper body of the mountain waspletely concealed amid the clouds, giving the feeling of an unworldly utopia. Zhang Xuan could clearly feel that the spiritual energy in the Core Disciple Sector was much more concentrated than in the Inner Disciple Sector, allowing one to cultivate much faster. The library is right ahead. Here is my identity token. You should be able to enter the premises with it. Ille and fetch you in six hours, Bai Ruanqing instructed as the aerial beastnded before a majestic tower. True to her reputation as a female dinosaur, while she admired those who read vastly, she was unable to find the patience within her to read. Instead of boring herself in the library, it would be better for her to deliver the medicine to her grandfather so that he would be spared from some suffering. You have my gratitude! Zhang Xuan sped his fist. It was also preferable for him not to have Bai Ruanqing following him around. After all, he had quite an unusual way of reading. Simr to the inner disciples library, he was granted entry into the premises after shing the token and paying the required Sword Pavilion Coins. The cost for the inner disciples library was two Sword Pavilion Coins per hour, but the price was ten times of that here. Every hour cost a hefty twenty Sword Pavilion Coins! Fortunately, money was not an issue for him anymore. He paid the 120 Sword Pavilion Coins and entered the library. The cultivation techniques and sword art manuals that the core disciples had ess to were much more profound than those in the inner disciples library. There were plenty of Pseudo Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals in sight. With glowing eyes, Zhang Xuan swept through all the books in sight and collected them into the Library of Heavens Path. With the money that he had and those cultivation technique manuals, he would be able to advance his cultivation easily. Returning to her residence, Bai Ruanqing immediately headed to her feeble grandfathers side. Grandfather, I have brought the medicine back! Bai Ruanqing said as she took out the three jade bottles that she had just acquired. Is it the same recovery medicine that you fed me previously? Elder Bai Ye asked weakly as he uncorked the cap to examine the content. Weird. The sect physicians had forged many precious pills for his consumption, but none of them had been effective on his injuries. He had thought that something that could make him regain consciousness would surely be even greater in value, but it turned out to be something no different from clear water. He could not sense the slightest hint of spiritual energy from it! To be exact, he could not even sense medicinal energy in it. Was this really effective on him? I know it might seem unremarkable, but its indeed what healed you previously. Hurry up and drink it! Bai Ruanqing urged with a chuckle. Back then, she had bought it because she did not know what it was. If she had not been desperate, she never would have believed that such medicine could cure the wounds of her grandfather. Ill give it a try... Elder Bai Ye nodded as he tilted his head upward and drank it. As soon as the medicine flowed down his throat, he immediately felt the wounds that he had been helpless toward for so long alleviating a little. The energy that was relentlessly corroding his organs seemed to grow significantly thinner. Incredible... Elder Bai Yes eyes glowed in exhration. He immediately uncorked and downed the other two bottles. How is it? Bai Ruanqing asked anxiously. Hu! Instead of responding to the question, Elder Bai Ye pressed his palm against his bed lightly, and the next instant, he was already in the courtyard with a sword in his hand. Tzzzzzzz! The movements of his sword drew the spiritual energy in the surroundings along like a gust of wind. Move after move, the sword in his hand seemed to flow smoothly like a flowing river. There was no hint of the sickly old man that had been lying on the bed from him! Seeing how her grandfather had gone to the courtyard to practice his swordsmanship, Bai Ruanqings eyes turned red in agitation. Grandfather, have you fully recovered? As Elder Bai Yes swordsmanship came to a stop, he turned to his granddaughter and spoke with irrepressible delight in his voice. Im still a little way off from making a full recovery, but the destructive energy that I was unable to clear away previously has been cleared. As long as I nourish my body, I should be able to recover to my peak within a month! The bedridden him had already resigned himself to his fate back then. He had despaired at the thought that his life woulde to an end just like that, but nothing he did had helped at all. He had never thought that this humble- looking medicine would bring him a miracle. Congrattions, Grandfather! Bai Ruanqing cried out. Elder Bai Ye continued practicing his swordsmanship for a moment as he felt spirit and strength swiftly returning to his body. Some timeter, he finally turned to Bai Ruanqing and said, The person who sold you this medicine is my benefactor. Where is he now? I would like to meet him! Hes an inner disciple. I just took him to the core disciples library, Bai Ruanqing replied. The core disciples library? Noticing her grandfathers iprehension, Bai Ruanqing quickly recounted her conversation with Zhang Xuan earlier. Despite giving away such a potent medicine, all he requested was ess to the core disciples library? Elder Bai Ye found it hard to believe what he had just heard. Indeed! Bai Ruanqing nodded. She was also surprised by Zhang Xuans request. It was such a good opportunity to ask for pointers on his cultivation and advance his strength, but he had given it up for this. After asking a few more questions, Elder Bai Ye nodded and said, Lets head to the library to take a look... Wait a moment first. Ah Feng! Yes, Old Master! Bai Feng quickly walked over. I have a Transmogrification Pill here. After consuming it, youll be able to alter your appearance temporarily for two hours. Suppress your cultivation to the same level as that young friend, and try to find an opportunity to test his skills! Elder Bai Ye said as he passed a jade bottle over. Test his skills? Taking the pill, Bai Fengs eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he asked, Old Master, are you intending to take him in as your student? As a sect elder, Elder Bai Ye would not test the skills of a disciple for no reason, let alone the fact that he was indebted to the other party! The only reason Elder Bai Ye would do this was because he was intending to take the other party in as his student! Despite knowing that Ruanqing needs the medicine, he didnt make use of the opportunity to extort something valuable out of her. From that, it can be seen that hes a person with principles. Furthermore, hes saved my life. If I just turn a blind eye to him, wont that mean that my life is actually worthless? Elder Bai Ye ced his hands behind his back as he spoke deeply. No matter what, he was one of the Three Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, a renowned figure in the Forsaken Continent. He could not let his benefactor walk away without doing anything for him! I understand your intentions, Old Master! Bai Feng smiled. Even someone of your influence and strength was unable to ovee the wounds sustained in the City of Copsed Space. If others learn that the young man has something that can cure that affliction, it could draw those with malicious intentions to him even if he ims that he has no more of the medicine. You fear that he might meet with a mishap as a result of this, so you want to ept him as your student. In a sense, this is your way of protecting him! Countless treasures were hidden in the City of Copsed Space, making it a region that experts looked toward. However, the dangers were very real, too. Not even one in a hundred who dared venture into its depths managed to return alive. Most of the survivors also sustain severe injuries that were untreatable, and they eventually died with regrets. Many talented individuals had sought to uncover a way to ovee the dangers that lurked in the City of Copsed Space, but none had seeded so far. There was no doubt that a medicine that could cure the injuries sustained within the City of Copsed Space would increase the chances of ones survival many times over. Thus, if the world learned that the young man had something like that, he would be the target of many experts; his life would be in grave danger. By epting the young man as his disciple, even if someone wished to touch the young man, that person would have to consider if they were willing to offend Elder Bai Ye for it. This identity would shelter the young man from many dangers. Taking a deep breath, Elder Bai Ye said with a distant look in his eyes, The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion might be rtively safe, but human greed must never be underestimated. Its always better to be safe. This is my way of repaying my debt to the young man while protecting him from the dangers of the world. Of course, I also have my own expectations of my students. If hisprehension of swordsmanship is far toocking, Ill just have to repay him some other way! I understand. Ill have it done! Bai Feng nodded before leaving the room. Grandfather, are you really epting him as your student? Bai Ruanqing asked with a conflicted look on her face. Wouldnt that mean that... Im a generation younger than him? I have never epted any students before. Lets see if hes able to clear Bai Fengs examination before talking about that. Elder Bai Ye chuckled softly as he patted his granddaughters head. If he seeds, he will be your Senior Uncle. You must treat him as such, alright? I have heard a lot of stories about the things youve done in the sect, and I have only been turning a blind eye to them! Senior Uncle... Bai Ruanqing felt a little choked up within. It was just a moment ago that she had thought that the other partys earnest appearance looked a little adorable, but just the thought of a person younger than her bing her Senior Uncle filled her with rage. A glint shed within Bai Ruanqings eyes as she quickly said, Grandfather, since youre fine now, Ill be heading out to cultivate! Go on! Elder Bai Ye said with a wave of his hand. As Bai Ruanqing walked out of the room, Elder Bai Ye sighed deeply before shaking his head. How could he possibly not see through his granddaughters intentions? He knew his granddaughter well. Even if he could stop her this once, she would still find some other way to make trouble for thatd. He could only hope that thed would be able to find a way to cope with his granddaughter. On the other hand, as soon as Bai Ruanqing left the residence, the obedient look on her face immediately vanished. With a devilish expression, she scoffed, I should at least teach that fellow a lesson. At most, Ill just address him as Senior Uncle before grandfather, but elsewhere, he will have to address me as Senior! As a famed female dinosaur, not once had she been taken advantage of before. She really could not bring herself to call a person weaker and younger than herself Senior Uncle! Whoever that person was, she would make sure to drive the difference in their seniority into his head! Since her grandfather was going to test thatd anyway, she could be the first phase of the trial. Riding her aerial beast, she swiftly arrived before the core disciples library. With her standing, even without her identity token, she could enter the premises right away. Didnt he say that he was here to study? The entire core disciples library was bizarrely silent. It was as if no one was there at all. The sound of flipping pages, the retrieving and returning of books, or the strokes of a brush were nowhere to be heard. Bai Ruanqing walked for quite a while before she finally found the person whom she was looking for walking down an aisle, ncing at the books around as he walked past. What was weird about this was how he had positioned himself at the center of the aisle, which meant that the books on both sides were out of his reach. This gave the feeling that he was not going to grab any books from the shelves at all. Perplexed, she followed him for quite a while, but just like she had thought, the young man simply walked from aisle to aisle without taking any books. Bai Ruanqing finally walked up to him and asked, What are you doing? Oh, youre here... Seeing thatit was her, Zhang Xuan gestured to the shelves and replied with a smile, __I_m still searching for the book I want. To be honest, even he was impressed by the quantity of books in the core disciples library. After such a long period of time, he had not even collected half of what was in there. It seemed like he would really need six whole hours to take everything in. Chapter 1974 - Knocking Out Bai Ruanqing

Chapter 1974 Knocking Out Bai Ruanqing

Ive been to the core disciples library many times. What books do you need? Tell me and Ill bring them here for you! Bai Ruanqing said with a frown. She could not possibly make a move there, where the valuable heritage of the sect was stored. However, she could not just keep following him around till the six hours were up either! Its fine, Im just looking around at the moment. I havent really decided on which book I want. Dont worry, Ill make sure to head out once the six hours are over! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. It had not been easy for him to get in there, so he definitely had to collect all the books. This would be extremely helpful for future advancement in his cultivation and battle techniques. Seeing how the young mans eyes had already moved on to the next shelf while he was speaking, Bai Ruanqing felt like ages would have passed by the time the young man was done. So, she nodded for a moment as she said, Is that so? Hmm, may I trouble you toe with me for a moment? She had never been a patient person. Waiting there for a few more hours could really cause her head to explode. Where do you want to lead me to? Noticing the bizarre look on Bai Ruanqings face, Zhang Xuan finally tore his gaze away from the books and looked at her. Is there a problem? Not really... I cant really say it here. Can youe with me to the silent chamber over there? Bai Ruanqing gestured to the isted space where cultivators could study and practice some of the theories in the books. Ah? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. Im not too sure if this is really appropriate. I dont mean any offense, but I wish to focus on my cultivation for the time being... Bai Ruanqings eyebrows leaped up. At that moment, she really wanted to strangle the fool before her to death. Youre misunderstanding something. I just wish to ask you some questions rting to cultivation! Ah, I see! Zhang Xuan visibly heaved a sigh of relief. He valued his purity a lot. He could not lose it there. You... Seeing how relieved Zhang Xuan was, Bai Ruanqing nearly punched him in the face. She knew that she had a violent temper, but at the very least, she was pretty. Many in the core disciples would more than fancy the idea of having some private time with her, and yet... this fellow actually reacted in such a manner when she proposed going into a private chamber with him. What do you mean by this? Did you think that I would eat you up? Bai Ruanqing took two deep breaths to quell the mes in her heart before walking toward the private chamber. She might not have known this fellow for long, but this was the first time that she had met someone who could make ones blood pressure rise with every word that he said. It served him right to be single! After the two of them entered the silent chamber, the doors suddenly closed. What are you going to do? Zhang Xuan ced his hands defensively before his chest as he looked at Bai Ruanqing warily. Bai Ruanqing rolled her eyes. She activated the sound istion barrier in the room before turning to look at Zhang Xuan. I want to ask you what your name is and what your current cultivation realm is. Didnt I tell you while we were making our way here? I am Zhang Xuan, and my current cultivation realm is Dimension Shatterer realm consummation, Zhang Xuan replied. The other party had asked those two questions before, and thinking that there was no need to hide the truth, he simply replied honestly. Dimension Shatterer realm consummation, is it? Bai Ruanqing muttered as her aura swiftly plummeted down to his level. I have suppressed my cultivation to Dimension Shatterer realm consummation as well. I wish to have a duel with you. The losing party has to heed the words of the winning party obediently from now on! You want to have a duel with me? Zhang Xuan was confused. He had thought that Bai Ruanqing was lusting over his flesh, but to think that she just wanted to have a duel with him. Just that... what in the world was this female dinosaur nning? Thats right! Bai Ruanqing nodded. You said that the losing party has to heed the words of the winning party from now on. Does that mean that Ill have tomit suicide if you ask me to do so? Zhang Xuan asked. It was pretty much a guaranteed victory for him, but he did not like to engage in such duels. What kind of person do you think I am? Dont worry, all I will ask of you is to address me as your senior no matter what kind of identity you assume in the future! Just like any junior, you shall treat me with the utmost respect and obey my orders! Bai Ruanqing smirked as she began stretching her arms, causing cracking sounds to echo in the air. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was so bewildered by the request that one could almost see question marks above his head. Havent I been calling you Senior Bai all along? Alright, I really have to finish browsing through my books, so I dont really have time to spar with you. Pardon me, but Ill be taking my leave... After saying those words, he turned around to walk out of the room. Where do you think you are going? With a bellow, Bai Ruanqing whipped out her sword and directed it right toward Zhang Xuan. Regardless of whether he was willing to acknowledge it or not, there was no mistake in beating him into submission first! As she was only suppressing her cultivation down to Dimension Shatterer realm consummation, she was able to execute more sword maneuvers than she could back in the Ethereal Hall. At the same time, she was also much more ustomed to her current strength. This single pierce was far more powerful than the attack that she had executed in the Ethereal Hall, and it instantaneously sealed all of Zhang Xuans path of retreat. She had no intention of killing Zhang Xuan, but years of experience as a tyrant told her that people listened better after going through a beating. She would feel much more assured after beating the person in question into submission. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by Bai Ruanqings actions. It was no wonder others called her a female dinosaur. It was impossible to reason with her. With a series of quick Z-shaped sidesteps, he dodged all of Bai Ruanqings attacks as he shrugged helplessly and said, Senior Bai, I really am no match for you. Lets not continue with this meaningless duel! What? Bai Ruanqing was shocked to see how easily Zhang Xuan managed to avoid all her attacks. Not only so, thetter even had the leisure to be shrugging and talking to her! Take out your sword and let me see your true prowess! Dont me me for not going easy on you otherwise! Sou sou sou! After saying those words, Bai Ruanqing executed three consecutive shes toward Zhang Xuan, each faster than the previous. In an instant, the silent chamber waspletely filled with sword qi. When the library was built, there had been concerns that cultivators would suddenly release tremendous energy from suddenly epiphanies, resulting in the destruction of the building. Thus, the silent chambers were built to be extraordinary resilient. The Reinforcement Formation constructed around it was such that even core disciples would be unable to faze it. As such, even though Bai Ruanqings attack was powerful, it did not tear down the wall at all. Zhang Xuans silhouette tilted from side to side as he adeptly dodged the three swords. At the same time, he spoke earnestly. Look, you are a core disciple while I am just a mere inner disciple. Theres no meaning in someone as powerful as you bullying me... ...Bai Ruanqing was getting more and more astounded by the moment. Zhang Xuan appeared to be far stronger than she had expected him to be. Her motivation to fight was growing with each passing second. Quickly draw your sword. Im going to get serious now. Hu! A burst of sword qi gushed forth as Bai Ruanqings sword pierced forth with even greater speed than before. As someone who cultivated the Heavysnow Swordsmanship, she was capable of moving at extreme speeds with precision. Driving her current prowess at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation to the limits, numerous afterimages of her appeared all around the silent chamber, surrounding Zhang Xuan. It felt like innumerable attacks would fall upon Zhang Xuan as soon as his guard fell. But as swift as Bai Ruanqings movements were, Zhang Xuan was even faster. It was almost as if she was constantly a step slower than Zhang Xuan. Be it her sword or sword qi, nothing was reaching Zhang Xuan at all. How can this be? Bai Ruanqing remarked in astonishment as she hastened her movements further. She had thought that she would at least be able to force Zhang Xuan into aer with her attacks, but somehow, the other party simply yawned in boredom as he continued spewing the same nonsense. Even if I draw my sword, its not as if I can defeat you. Arent you forcing me tomit suicide at this rate? Argh! Bai Ruanqing felt deeply stifled within. If your forehead wasden with sweat and you were gasping for air, I might still be able to believe that you are really no match for me. But here you are, yawning and scratching your backzily, not even bothering to put on an act... Are you messing with me? Frustrated, Bai Ruanqings movements grew faster and faster, but her opponent, despite repeatedly iming that he was not a match for her, managed to match her speed with ease. It was as if he was a leaf on the ocean; no matter how powerful the waves and ocean currents were, they were unable to drown it. Draw. Your. Sword! This continued for twenty moves, but Bai Ruanqing was unable to even nick Zhang Xuans sleeves. Unable to stand being looked down upon like that, she was starting to lose her temper. Dont me me for getting nasty! Hu! With a flick of her sword, she executed her strongest trump card, the Heavysnow Swordsmanship. She had never been a patient person, or else she would not have ended up crippling so many core disciples. Her inability to harm the other party despite the moves that she had executed thus far had ground the little bit of patience she had down to nothing. Her sword qi materialized as snow, causing the temperature in the surroundings to plummet. Sigh... Walking calmly amid the other partys swordsmanship, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be as he sighed deeply. I really wish to live a low-profile life... but why do you have to force me so? All he wanted to do was to read his books and advance his cultivation quietly... Why was this simply so hard? Even while he was just visiting a library, someone simply grabbed him from where he was and forced him into a fight. Just how in the world did I offend you for you to have to ruin my peaceful life like that? What are you saying? Bai Ruanqing roared as she saw Zhang Xuan muttering to himself, seemingly unconcerned by her strongest move at all. However, the next instant, a thought came to her mind, and she widened her eyes in astonishment, Wait a moment, it cant be that you are actually... Within the same cultivation realm, most core disciples would not be able to withstand her Heavysnow Swordsmanship, let alone an inner disciple. Even Liu Lujie would be defeated swiftly under its might! Yet, this little-known person was able to tread between her attacks without sustaining the slightest damage. She could not help recalling the person who had killed her twice back in the Ethereal HallI Am Low Profile! Could that mysterious person really be the young man before her? Just as Bai Ruanqing spoke her doubts, the young man before her sighed deeply as his leisurely eyes suddenly turned frighteningly sharp. Since I cant hide it any longer, Ill have to ask you to pardon me for my discourtesy... Hu! The next instant, a palm strike appeared right before her. His arm was not long, but it immediately sealed her sword qi. The immense forceing at her caused Bai Ruanqings breathing to be a little ragged as she struggled to catch her breath. No... Not expecting that a Dimension Shatterer realm consummation cultivator would be able to bring out such tremendous might, Bai Ruanqing narrowed her eyes as she swiftly released the seal on her cultivation. Kacha! Kacha! In an instant, her cultivation rose back up to the Pseudo Immortal realm, and it was still surging upward. Lesser Pseudo Immortal! Great Pseudo Immortal! Earthly Pseudo Immortal! Heavenly Pseudo Immortal! Lesser True Immortal! Just as many had guessed, she had ovee the limitations of the Pseudo Immortal realm and reached the True Immortal realm! True Immortal realm experts were rumored to possess boundless zhenqi. Even in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, she was already more than qualified to be an inner elder. Hu! Even as her cultivation returned to normal, the first thing she did was retreat, but for some reason, no matter where she retreated to, the palm strike continued following her closely. It was almost as if the other party was able to predict her movements. How is this possible? Are you really a Dimension Shatterer realm consummation cultivator? Bai Ruanqing was frenzied. She could clearly feel that the other partys cultivation was only at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation, but for some reason, despite having regained her true cultivation as a Lesser True Immortal, she was actually unable to dodge his attack! It was as if the other party was able to read into her! But how could that be? The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was filled with remarkable geniuses, and there were a handful of people were able to challenge those whose cultivation was beyond them. But usually, a cultivation stage or two was the limit. After all, everyone there was an expert, and the cultivation techniques and sword arts that they all practiced were the same. Yet, as a Lesser True Immortal fighting against a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, she actually felt helpless. Really, how powerful was this fellow? I dont believe it! Releasing another powerful surge of energy, Bai Ruanqings prowess as a True Immortal pulsated into the surroundings. It was to such an extent that the Reinforcement Formation cast around the silent chamber was starting to creak under the pressure. Dont bother, its useless. The young mans voice echoed by her ear. Hu! The palm strike abruptly vanished from view. Putong! Bai Ruanqings body copsed to the ground. What should I do? Zhang Xuan sighed as he looked upon the unconscious Bai Ruanqing. Due to thetter pushing him again and again, he felt like he might be pressured into doing something that he was reluctant about if he did not make a move soon! But right after making a move, he regretted it. If it had been any other inner disciple, he would still have had his own means of dealing with the other party... but the person before him was the granddaughter of one of the Three Grand Elders, as well as a Lesser True Immortal! His soul arts would not work as well against such an opponent, and if any mishap came to the other party, he would surely suffer grave consequences. He could not afford to be a wanted man less than a day after entering the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Outstanding people always have an endless source of trouble! Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. Chapter 1975 - Too Weak!

Chapter 1975 Too Weak!

If he was vited because he was not as strong as Bai Ruanqing, he would have no choice but to ept it. However, it was clear that Bai Ruanqing was no match for him at all! If so, how could he possibly allow himself to be vited over here? Unfortunately for him, his actions had also inadvertently exposed his identity as I Am Low Profile. If he failed to deal with this properly, it could spell major trouble. There are only two options for me now. I could choose to kill her and dispose of her corpse... No, that wouldnt work. Her entry into the core disciples library would be logged, and someone might have seen us entering the silent chamber together. If she were to disappear all of a sudden, its very likely that someone might track the matter down to me! Otherwise, I can also force her to make a vow to never reveal this secret. It seems like I can only count on this then... Zhang Xuan stared at Bai Ruanqings unconscious body for a moment before sighing deeply yet again. It felt like sighs had beening out from his mouth a lot more frequently over the past day. With a flick of his finger, he shot a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into Bai Ruanqings body, and thetters eyshes immediately fluttered a little. Her eyes slowly opened, and she swiftly assessed her surroundings with a slightly confused look. Senior Bai, I dont like to stain my hands with blood, but Ill have you vow that you will never... Just as Zhang Xuan was going to control the Heavens Path zhenqi he had infused into Bai Ruanqings body to force her to heed his words, the youngdy suddenly turned to him with an overexcited look and kowtowed, Senior Zhang... No, it should be Senior Uncle Zhang instead! Can you teach me swordsmanship? As long as you impart to me your swordsmanship, Ill do whatever you want me to! Senior Uncle? Once again, Zhang Xuan found himselfpletely dumbfounded by Bai Ruanqings actions. Are you the weather? The way that you change your face is simply too fast! It was not too long ago that you were so determined to kill me, but your attitude suddenly made a 180-degrees turn... Really, what is going through your mind? Besides, where did you get the idea that you should be calling me Senior Uncle? But that being said, Zhang Xuans motive was to stop the other party from revealing his secret. As long as she was willing to keep her mouth shut, it didnt really matter how she addressed him. He assessed Bai Ruanqing for a moment before asking, Do you really want to learn my swordsmanship? Bai Ruanqing nodded her head vehemently. In that instant that she was knocked out, she was absolutely certain that the young man before her was indeed I Am Low Profile. Only that man could ovee her Heavysnow Swordsmanship so easily despite the difference in their cultivation realms! This young mans swordsmanship was far stronger than that of Grandpa Feng. If she could learn from him, the sky would be the limit for her mastery of swordsmanship. She would need not worry about those monsters from the core disciples anymore, and she might even be able to surpass them! She couldnt allow such a precious opportunity to slip past her fingers! Its not entirely impossible for me to impart to you my swordsmanship, but I do have a condition! Through Zhang Xuans Eye of Insight, he could tell that Bai Ruanqing was making this request with utmost sincerity. Knowing that there was a way to solve this amicably, he heaved a sigh of relief before saying, I am a person who doesnt like to stand out. I dont wish for others to learn of my other identity and capabilities. If you are able to keep it a secret, I promise that Ill allow your swordsmanship to grow swiftly within a short period of time. Even the position as the number one sword practitioner of the core disciple would be easily within your reach! Senior Uncle, you can be assured that my lips are sealed! Realizing that the young man had already seen through her intentions, Bai Ruanqings face reddened. She quickly straightened her back, held her palm up, and vowed solemnly, I, Bai Ruanqing, swear to the gods that I will not reveal the slightest information regarding Senior Uncle Zhang Xuan. If I were to vite this vow, may thousands of arrows pierce through my heart! With this, Zhang Xuans heart was finally settled. In his short period of time here, he came to learn that the term god had a special significance to the people of the Azure. No one would dare to go against a vow to the gods for fear of heavenly retribution. Of course, that was just what he had heard and seen so far. As for whether it was indeed the case or just a superstition, that still required further investigation. The horizontal sh that you have demonstrated and lectured Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong on earlier is wrong. Ill exin it to you now... As if having finally found an outlet for the frustration building up in his chest, Zhang Xuan immediately went through the crux of his swordsmanship excitedly. Listening to the exnation, Bai Ruanqings body shuddered with zeal. She never thought that swordsmanship could be utilized in such a manner. Simple as it may seem, the prowess that one could draw forth was boundless! Alright, Ill leave you here to slowlyprehend what I have said. Ill head back to browsing through the books. Seeing that Bai Ruanqing had fallen into deep thoughtsshe would stand up from time to time to test the theories of some of the moves to further her understandingZhang Xuan opened the doors of the silent chamber and walked out. Just like before, he continued walking through the aisles to collect the books into the Library of Heavens Path. Two hourster, he was finally done collecting all of the books. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed. All of the books rting to Pseudo Immortal realm immediately gathered together to form a new book. Zhang Xuan anxiously flipped open the newlypiled book to take a look, and a momentter, relief could be clearly seen on his face. Just like what he had guessed, the books in the core disciples library were enough topile aplete Pseudo Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art. As long as he had sufficient Immortal Pills, he should be able to swiftly make a breakthrough. There were also some True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals in the core disciples library too, but due to theircking numbers, he was only halfway throughpiling the perfected manual thus far. I should be making my way back now... Zhang Xuan thought as he took a look at the time. It had already been nearly six hours since he had arrived in the library. Stretching his backzily, he headed back to the silent chamber and walked in. As soon as he entered, a burst of sword qi flew right past him. The movements of her sh appeared to be slow, but the trajectory of the movement seemingly formed a barrier that sealed the space ahead of her, keeping others at bay. At the same time, she released a burst of sword qi that carried the might of a serpent, severing everything in its path. Not too bad... Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Bai Ruanqing had only practiced the technique for two hours so far, but her form and conceptualization were already 60% on point. That being said, it was still far from matching up to him. Senior Uncle! Noticing Zhang Xuans arrival, Bai Ruanqing quickly halted her practice and rushed up to greet him. The more she practiced that swordsmanship, the more astounded she was by its might. At this moment, she was filled with nothing but respect for the young man before her. Her initial thoughts of marrying the other party had already vanished from her mind. She knew that she was unworthy of taking such an outstanding individual as her spouse. Un. I have already finished looking through the books, so Im going to head back to cultivate now, Zhang Xuan said. I hope that you can keep my identity a secret from Bai Feng and your grandfather too. I dont wish to get involved in too many things at the moment. Yes, Senior Uncle! Bai Ruanqing nodded obediently. Obviously, she was only going to keep this secret to herself. Why would she even share it with anyone? If everyone were to bug her Senior Uncle Zhang to learn from him, the time that she would have learning under him would be reduced! Thats good, thats good... Zhang Xuan nodded before turning around to leave. In any case, he had left a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi in Bai Ruanqings body, so he didnt really fear her messing around behind his back either. Senior Uncle, please wait a moment. Grandpa Feng is waiting for you on your way back to your residence. He intends to test your strength and swordsmanship! Bai Ruanqing suddenly recalled a matter and hurriedly called out. Test my strength and my swordsmanship? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Was his identity alreadypromised? But even if his identity waspromised, the ones who would make a move on him should be the inner elders instead of Bai Feng! Yes...Your recovery medicine has treated my grandfathers injuries. As repayment, my grandfather hopes to take you in as his student. However, he fears that your capabilities might not be able to meet up to his expectations, so he instructed Grandpa Feng to test your strength! Bai Ruanqing unhesitatingly gave her own kin away. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Everything suddenly clicked together with puzzle pieces. That exined why this woman was so determined to make a move on him earlier, attempting to force him into addressing her as Senior and heed her words. It turned out that she was afraid that she would be pushed down the hierarchy of seniority if he were to be her grandfathers student... This also exined why she addressed him as Senior Uncle instead of teacher. Whats Bai Fengs current cultivation realm? Zhang Xuan asked. With his superior swordsmanship, as long as he could dominate the flow of the battle right from the start, he would still stand a good chance at defeating Bai Ruanqing. However, it was clear that Bai Feng was stronger than Bai Ruanqing, so he could be a little more troublesome to deal with. Just like my grandfather, Grandpa Feng is a High Immortal! Bai Ruanqing replied. High Immortal? Zhang Xuans lips twitched a little. Are you certain that he would make a move? High Immortals were also known as Immortal Kings. Only the core elders of the sect would possess such a level of strength. Even though Zhang Xuan had made significant advancements in his swordsmanship, the overwhelming difference in their absolute strength would leave him no choice but to flee as far as he could against such an enemy. He simply wouldnt stand a chance at all. Yes! Bai Ruanqing replied. Its a direct order from my grandfather. Grandpa Feng would not disregard his order. This set Zhang Xuans mind thinking. The current situation was yet another dilemma for him. If he were to win against Grandpa Feng, that would definitely discourage Elder Bai Ye from taking him in as his student. The downside to that n was that it would expose his identity as I Am Low Profile. Given the current limitations of his cultivation, he knew that he didnt have the capability to seal Bai Fengs mouth. On the other hand though, if he were to lose the battle, there was no guarantee that Elder Bai Ye wouldnt insist on taking him in as his student. To be honest, after how far he hade, he was deeply reluctant to be the student of another. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes for a moment before he turned to Bai Ruanqing and said, I might need you to put on a show together with me. Sure! Bai Ruanqing replied without any hesitation. They quickly discussed the ns before Zhang Xuan walked out of the core disciples library alone. He flitted forth swiftly, dashing from the Core Disciple Sector back to the Inner Disciple Sector. Without an aerial beast to ferry one around, the trip would take roughly two hours. As Zhang Xuan dashed ahead, he made a conscious effort to limit his speed to the level of an ordinary Dimension Shatterer realm consummation cultivator. After traveling for roughly an hour, just as he was crossing a particrly remote region, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a heavy might weighing down on him from the surroundings. rmed, he swiftly halted his footsteps and scanned his surroundings warily. In the next moment, a young figure walked out from the woods and appeared before him. He was no other than Bai Feng! Having consumed the Transmogrification Pill, his current appearance was vastly different from before. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan was still able to clearly see through the facade via his Eye of Insight. H! Without speaking a single word, Bai Feng drew his sword and lunged at Zhang Xuan. His cultivation had already been suppressed to the same level as Zhang Xuan, Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. W-what? Who are you? Why are you making a move on me? Dont you know that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion prohibits anyone from making a move on its disciples? Caught off guard by Bai Fengs sudden assault, Zhang Xuans face paled in horror. He swiftly retreated fearfully, but fear seemed to have gripped his legs, causing him to fall to the ground. Hu! Before he knew it, Bai Fengs sword was already pressed against his neck. Bai Feng wasnt in a good mood at the moment. It wasnt easy for the Old Master to want to take in a student, but who could have thought that this fellow would actually be so weak! He hadnt even exerted a tenth of his full strength in his current cultivation realm yet, but the other party was already cornered by him... If such a person were to be the Old Masters student, it would really sully the Old Masters reputation! Pick up your sword! If you cant withstand my strike, the only fate that awaits you today is death! Bai Feng uttered coldly as he took a step back. Grandpa Feng, allow me to deal with him instead! In this instant, a maskeddy dressed in a white robe descended from the sky. Through zhenqi telepathy, Bai Feng knew that this maskeddy was Bai Ruanqing. A slight frown formed on his face, but he eventually chose to back down. H! Bai Ruanqing tossed a sword over to Zhang Xuans side before executing a series of relentless shes against thetter. The flustered Zhang Xuan hurriedly picked up the sword to parry Bai Ruanqings movements, but his form and maneuvers were all around the ce. It was clear that he had never really trained diligently in the Way of the Sword before. It was hard to tell whether his skill wascking or his strength was simply not up to par, but one particr sh caused the sword in his hand to fly off from his hands. It stabbed into the floor not too far away as it reverberated loudly with a metallic weng. Completely powerless after losing his weapon, Zhang Xuans body stiffened as another sword was pressed against his neck yet again. With a look of disappointment on her face, Bai Ruanqing retracted her sword before walking over toward Bai Feng. With a voice that expressed deep disapproval, she remarked,... Too weak! Chapter 1976 - A Show

Chapter 1976 A Show

I... Zhang Xuans face reddened in embarrassment upon hearing those words. He simply stood there with a confused look on his face, not knowing what he should do at all. Grandpa Feng, lets go! Bai Ruanqing said. Bai Feng appeared to be a little conflicted at how things had gone, but eventually, he nodded slightly and left together with Bai Ruanqing. It seems like I have managed to fool him for the time being... Watching as the two figures departed into the distance, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He really had no intention of bing a disciple of an elder or something! Well, if Elder Bai Ye wanted to be his student, he might still consider the matter a little. Thus, he chose to put on the earlier show together with Bai Ruanqing. By feigning weakness and having Bai Ruanqing to report on the matter personally, it was highly likely that Elder Bai Ye would give up on the idea of taking him in as his student. After settling the issue, Zhang Xuan quickly flitted all the way back to his residence. When he walked through the residence doors, he noticed that Dan Xiaotian was still practicing his swordsmanship. Thetter was making good progress with the Third Young Masters Swordsmanship, having achieved a mastery of roughly 90% in terms of form and conceptualization. With sufficient money on hand this around, Zhang Xuan bought several Basic Immortal Pills for him and provided him some guidance on his cultivation. It didnt take too long for Dan Xiaotian to advance his cultivation to Ancient Sage 2-dan. As for Cao Chengli, despite his lustful nature, he was much more hardworking than Sun Qiang when it came to cultivating. As a bandit, he knew of the importance of strength. After receiving an ample amount of Basic Immortal Pills and high- tier cultivation techniques, his progress in his cultivation was extremely swift. Over the past ten days sinceing under Zhang Xuan, he had managed to advance his cultivation from Great Sage 2- dan to Great Sage 3-dan, and he was steadily progressing toward Great Sage 4-dan. At this rate, he should be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage within the next few days. Zhang Xuan told them to keep up the good work with their cultivation before finally returning back to his room. Its my turn to make a breakthrough now... Using the second Ethereal Token he had, Zhang Xuan bought a hundred Standard Immortal Pills before swiftly browsing through the Pseudo Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art once more. Once he was ready, he calmed his mind and began his cultivation. He first swallowed a few Standard Immortal Pills, which instantaneously dissolved into a relentless current of spiritual energy within his meridians. He swiftly circted them around his body before refining them into his zhenqi. His cultivation had already reached the zenith of Dimension Shatterer realm consummation previously. With the appropriate cultivation technique in hand right now, he would be able to ovee the bottlenecks in the way of his cultivation without any problems. As he assimted the spiritual energy from the Standard Immortal Pills, his zhenqi began to undergo a qualitative change. Ten minutester, when he finally built up zhenqi across the tipping point, his cultivation burst forward and tore through the final ceiling that was limiting it. He had sessfully reached Pseudo Immortal realm! However, he didnt stop just there. He consumed several more Standard Immortal Pills and continued cultivating. Cultivating the Pseudo Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art caused his Standard Immortal Pills to deplete swiftly, but fortunately, he had enough money to sustain his cultivation this time around. As soon as he sensed the momentum of his cultivation dying down, he would immediately consume a couple of Standard Immortal Pills to replenish his energy. Under the cirction of the Heavens Path Divine Art, his cultivation rose steadily. Lesser Pseudo Immortal! Greater Pseudo Immortal! Earthly Pseudo Immortal! By the end of two hours, he had already sessfully raised his cultivation by an entire realm, reaching Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm! Nearly all hundred of the Standard Immortal Pills he had purchased earlier had been depleted in the midst of his cultivation. At the same time, he realized that Standard Immortal Pills were no longer effective enough to raise his cultivation anymore. If he wanted to advance his cultivation further, he would require something more potent. crity in thoughts, purity of soul, and invulnerability to mes... So this is the strength of a Pseudo Immortal! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation. His cultivation had only risen by another realm, but the increment in his strength was massive. There was a qualitative difference between Dimension Shatterer realm and Pseudo Immortal realm. Be it his lifespan or strength, they werepletely different from before. If what he was using before was Origin Energy, the energy that flowed through his meridians this very instant could only be described as Immortal Energy. This was the energy that only immortals were able to ess. Its really a huge stroke of luck that I was able to knock out Bai Ruanqing... Zhang Xuan thought in relief. It was only after feeling the humongous strength in his body did he realize how tremendous the fundamental difference between him and Bai Ruanqing had been. Had he not taken the initiative and strike out relentlessly back then, most likely, he would have been the one who would have lost the battle once Bai Ruanqing had regained her footing in the battle. Putting aside True Immortals, even Pseudo Immortals were already at least ten times stronger than Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators. At the same time, the massive growth in his cultivation also gave him a deeper insight into what the Gods Sword Intent truly was. With the current might of his swordsmanship, he felt that he would be able to subdue even Heavenly True Immortals with ease now. As for High Immortals, as he had never crossed blows with one before, he had no clear gauge of how powerful they actually were. Nevertheless, based on the records from books, it didnt seem likely that the current him would be a match for them. Its also about time for Vicious and my clone to make a breakthrough too... Zhang Xuan thought. He bought more Standard Immortal Pills before letting his clone and Vicious out to cultivate. As for the Dongxu Gourd, it was still nowhere close to recovering its original body even after eating a hundred Standard Immortal Pills. As soon as Zhang Xuan let it out, it immediately began bawling for food. Finding it too noisy, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly stuffed it into his storage ring. Just thinking about how he would have to deal with the annoying Dongxu Gourd left him with a huge headache. He must have sinned greatly in his previous life to deserve this! And to make things worse, he still didnt know what it was capable of other than the fact that its bathwater could be used to heal injuries... Maybe he could try letting a High Immortal split the Dongxu Gourd in the future. If it was able to survive even that, he could consider using it as a shield in the future... While Zhang Xuan was still cultivating, Bai Ruanqing and Bai Feng had already returned back to Elder Bai Yes residence. How is it? Elder Bai Ye asked. The Young Mistress has tested the young mans skill personally, so Ill allow her to speak instead... Bai Feng took a step back and said. Grandfather, Zhang Xuans swordsmanship is truly horrid. He is incapable of even executing the most basic sword art. I have suppressed my cultivation down to his level and tested him out with some of the most fundamental swordsmanships of our sect, but its already more than enough to subdue him... Hes unqualified to be your student! Bai Ruanqing eximed. As she said these words, she couldnt help but feel even deeper admiration for her Senior Uncle. Within the sect, there were countless who would bleed their heads dry just to be her grandfathers student, but her Senior Uncle actually had no interest in it at all. He would go through so much trouble to put on an act just to turn it down... He sure was a humble person! All cultivators should really learn from his example! On the other hand, Elder Bai Ye frowned upon hearing his granddaughters words. I have taken down a recording of the earlier battle. Do take a look! Bai Ruanqing said as she passed a Record Crystal over. Elder Bai Ye took the crystal and infused his zhenqi in. The earlier scenario surfaced on the crystal, showing how Bai Ruanqing had managed to easily subdue Zhang Xuan. Look! Im not lying to you, right? His skill is really abhorrent. Grandfather, it would only undermine your authority if you take a person like him in as your student! Bai Ruanqing eximed. Alright, I understand. You should take your leave for now. There are some private matters which I want to discuss with Ah Feng privately! Elder Bai Ye replied with a wave of his hand. Yes, grandfather! Bai Ruanqing turned around and left the room. Barely after she left the room, Elder Bai Ye turned to look at Bai Feng and asked, Whats your view of the matter? Im confident of my disguise, but for some reason, I got a feeling that the other party anticipated my arrival. His eyes and gestures speak of fluster, but I can sense a hint of assurance from him. Its like he isnt worried that he would be killed at all... Bai Feng revealed the doubts that had been in his heart. He had always been a very discerning and meticulous person. Even though Zhang Xuan had put up a good act, he was still able to keenly notice that something was off. If he was really afraid, he would have tried to run away or desperately cry for help. He wouldnt have reacted in the way he did... Elder Bai Ye nodded in agreement. He shared the same thoughts as Bai Feng too. Then, Old Master... Bai Feng asked doubtfully. I have really spoiled that granddaughter of mine! Shes an intelligent and discerning child, but she often allows her emotions to overtake her rationality, resulting in that incredible reckless nature of hers. Usually, she would have probably gone to confront that young man straight, but this time around, she waited patiently for you to appear before confronting that fellow. I find it hard to believe that this isnt an act between that young man and her... Elder Bai Ye stroked his beard and he sighed bitterly. An act? Old Master, you mean that... Bai Feng frowned upon hearing those words. Thatss left the residence shortly after your departure, so I had someone follow her. My men reported that she had entered the core disciples library and shared a private chamber together with Zhang Xuan. She ended up staying in the private chamber for nearly two hours straight... Elder Bai Ye tossed a jade token over to Bai Feng as he spoke. Bai Feng quickly caught the token, and after seeing the contents, his lips twitched in horror. For a man and a woman to share a private chamber for such a long period of time... could there really be something between them? Old Master, are you suspecting that there might be some kind of unusual rtionship between Zhang Xuan and the Young Mistress? Bai Feng asked. I want you to discreetly follow her the next few days so as to find out what shes up to. Report anything that you find to me right away. Also, make sure to keep a lookout on Zhang Xuan as well... I would have never thought that an inner disciple would be capable of making that fearless granddaughter of mine obediently put on an act together with him. I sure would like to see what hes truly capable of! Elder Bai Ye instructed. To be able to be one of the Three Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Elder Bai Yes ability to analyze situations was naturally superb as well. He was afraid that her granddaughter would cause some kind of trouble after learning that he was intending to take Zhang Xuan as his student, so he had his men follow her... As a result, he caught wind of the happenings at the core disciples library too. The fact that they had been together with one another in the private chamber for quite some time, as well as his granddaughters sudden appearance while Bai Feng was testing Zhang Xuan... It was very obvious that something was amiss here. Make sure not to follow her too closely. Otherwise, if she notices your presence, she would kick up a fuss with me once again. Also, I want you to investigate Zhang Xuans background and identity. Somehow... I dont recall seeing his name amongst the inner disciples! Elder Bai Ye said with a wave of his hand. Yes, Old Master! Bai Feng nodded before taking his leave. Bai Ruanqing waspletely oblivious to the fact that the act she had put up together with her Senior Uncle had already been exposed. At this moment, she was busy practicing her swordsmanship in her room. By the tenth move, a furrow was already gradually etching itself onto her forehead. The swordsmanship imparted to her by her Senior Uncle was truly profound. She was able to grasp the initial phases easily and improve swiftly, but as she progressed on, she realized that the swordsmanship was a lot moreyered and veiled than what appeared on the exterior. There were far too many seemingly minor yet significant details that she was unable to make sense of, causing her to frequently bump into bottlenecks. Let me consult him on this... She continued cultivating for another hour, but it felt that she was really getting nowhere at all. Thus, she got onto her aerial beast and began making her way over to the Inner Disciple Sector. Prior to their parting at the core disciples library, she had asked the other party here he resided at. She was able to swiftly find her way, and it didnt take long for her to reach her destination. She leaped down from her aerial beast and knocked on the doors of the residence. Jiya! A middle-aged man opened the door. Upon seeing Bai Ruanqing, his eyes immediately lit up as he asked in the most gentlemanly voice possible, May I know you are... I am here to find Seni-I mean Junior Zhang Xuan! Bai Ruanqing said. She knew that her Senior Uncle was unwilling to reveal his identity in public, so she dared not address him in a manner that wouldpromise his identity. You are looking for our Young Master? the middle-aged man asked in surprise. Of course, this middle-aged man was no other than Cao Chengli. He thought that his fame as a skilled lover had brought this beautifuldy to his door, causing his heart thump in excitement for a bit. But it turned out that she was here for their Young Master... He would have never thought that the dense-looking Young Master of his would actually have it in him after all... There was a period of time which he thought that the entric Young Master of his belonged to a certain breed of humans whose special trait was forever alone, but who could have thought that thetter would actually get entangled with such a beautifuldy within less than a day after his arrival... One must indeed not judge a person by his appearance... or his character! Our Young Master is inside. This way please... Cao Chengli gestured Bai Ruanqing into the residence. He was just about to take the lead to guide the guest in when he suddenly recalled something. With a slightly awkward shuffle, he switched to his right leg before stepping across the doorsill. Chapter 1977 - Bai Ruanqing vs. Core Disciples (1) Chapter 1977 Bai Ruanqing vs. Core Disciples (1) After stepping across the doorsill himself, Cao Chengli turned to the youngdy and said, Pardon me, but please lead with your right leg when stepping across the doorsill. Bai Ruanqing was confused. This is a rule set by our Young Master. I hope for your understanding, Cao Chengli said earnestly. Bai Ruanqing was really bewildered by this ludicrous sounding rule. She could not tell if this middle-aged man was making fun of her or not. In the end, though, she did not go against this rule for fear of displeasing her Senior Uncle, so she made sure to step across the doorsill with her right foot. Upon entering the courtyard, she saw a young man practicing his swordsmanship. The ground around him was drenched with sweat, indicating that he had been practicing for a very long time. This swordsmanship... Bai Ruanqing looked at the young mans movements from afar for a moment, and her body could not help but stiffen. Before she knew it, cold sweat was trickling down her back. The young man before her should be around sixteen to seventeen years of age, and his cultivation was only at Ancient Sage 2-dan. He should have been nothing more than an ordinary inner disciple. Yet, his swordsmanship was wholesome and relentless. His movements were simple, but it was profoundly aligned with the surroundings around him. She could feel the air of a swordmaster from him, as if he was someone who had immersed himself in the Way of the Sword for many decades. In fact, perhaps it was just her seeing things, but she actually felt that his swordsmanship might be even more profound than that of Grandpa Fengs! To think that a teenaged would be able to match a veteran swordmaster like Bai Feng. This made Bai Ruanqing feel as if the swordsmanship that she had learned over the years was nothing more than childs y. He is... Dan Xiaotian? Bai Ruanqing bit her lips. Yes, he is Young Master Xiaotian! Cao Chengli replied with a nod. How long has it been since he has started learning swordsmanship from Junior Zhang? Bai Ruanqing asked. He must have been studying under Senior Uncle Zhang ever since he was bom in order toprehend such advanced swordsmanship! How long? Cao Chengli began counting on his fingers before eventually lifting six fingers up. It should be roughly this long! Six years? It only took him six years to be so formidable? Bai Ruanqing was astounded. She had been learning swordsmanship ever since she was three, and it had been twenty years since then! She had the privilege of being personally taught by her grandfather and Grandpa Feng, and she had nevercked precious cultivation resources. It was due to all of this that she had been able toe so far despite her young age. Yet, this young man had only been taught for six years, but it somehow felt like that he was already stronger than her! This was really hard for her to swallow. Six years? Cao Chengli was stunned. You seem to misunderstanding something. I meant six hours! Over thest few days of interaction, Cao Chengli had noticed that Zhang Xuan was a very busy person. Even though it was clear that Zhang Xuan did care a lot for Dan Xiaotian, he did not spend too much time guiding thetter on his cultivation. More often than not, he would simply point out the ws in Dan Xiaotians cultivation before passing him a jade token for him to study by himself. As a result of that, even though Dan Xiaotian had been Zhang Xuans student for quite a few days, the actual time that thetter had spent guiding him was probably six hours at the very most! Hours? Bai Ruanqing nearly fainted on the spot. How could a person be so formidable after learning swordsmanship for six hours? In that instant, she felt as if her mind had shut down. The information was simply too great for her to bear. While Bai Ruanqing was shocked beyond words, Dan Xiaotian noticed the presence of the visitor and quickly stopped his sword practice. He quickly walked up to Bai Ruanqing and greeted her with a smile before exining the matter. Actually, the time that my teacher has spent teaching me is only two hours at most... As for six hours, Im afraid that that Im not worthy of my teacher spending so much time on me yet! The fact that Bai Ruanqing hade to this ce in search of his teacher meant that she already knew about their rtionship. Thus, there was nothing for him to hide. Two hours... Bai Ruanqing was shocked beyond words. There was a long silence before she finally spoke once more. Would it be fine if I challenge you to a swordsmanship duel? Sure! Dan Xiaotian nodded. He had always been cultivating by himself, so he was more than happy to have someone spar with him so that he could check his own progress. Lets begin! Bai Ruanqing quickly suppressed her cultivation to Ancient Sage 2-dan primary stage before drawing her sword. Hu! She kicked off the ground and lunged right toward Dan Xiaotian. She had seen Dan Xiaotians sword practice earlier, and she knew that his mastery of swordsmanship was superb. As such, she did not dare let her guard down. She decided to use her strongest move at the very start, allowing her to maneuver around at lightning speed. Weng! She quickly closed the gap between her and Dan Xiaotian, and just as she thought that she could clinch victory, Dan Xiaotian suddenly made a move. There was a momentary blur, and... All of a sudden, there was a sword flying right toward her head! All of Bai Ruanqings danger senses sounded out in rm. She hurriedly released the seal of her cultivation and regained her strength as a True Immortal. Under the protectiveyer of zhenqi around her, Dan Xiaotians sword was jolted off. If not for her speed, there was a good chance that the sword might have impaled her head! That dose brush with death left Bai Ruanqing gasping slightly for air. She did not even manage to see how the young man threw out his sword and how it managed toe so close to her without her realizing! In other words, if she had been facing another True Immortal, she would have been dead by now! This was truly frightening! Bai Ruanqing could not help but re-evaluate Dan Xiaotian with wary eyes once more. She thought that the sword art that he had been practicing earlier was already extremely powerful, but who could have known that he would have a stronger trump card than that? Against opponents of the same cultivation realm, this move was truly a one shot one kill! Im truly sorry! I have practiced this sword art for some time now, but I have never used it in a real battle before. Furthermore, I am still unable to control the strength of this technique freely yet, so... He had nned to halt the sword right before the opponent, but he had overestimated his own capabilities with the sword. As hard as he tried, he had been unable to stop it. It was fortunate that the other party had reacted quickly and deflected his sword away with her protective zhenqi. Otherwise, if he had lodged a sword into a guest of his teacher, he would surely be berated for it! You have only learned two hours of swordsmanship from him, but your swordsmanship is already far beyond mine... Bai Ruanqing gulped in horror, but at the same time, she could not help but wonder, I also learned a horizontal sh from Senior Uncle... My skills are still not on par, and I still have a long way to go before grasping its essence, but I wonder how powerful it will be if I use it in a real battle... She knew for certain that the horizontal sh was powerful, but knowing it theoretically was different from putting it into practice. As soon as this notion came into her mind, her hands began itching to try the technique on someone. She looked at the young man before her once more, but she eventually shook her head. She did not want to risk having a sword plunged into her head. It was only due to her swift reflexes that she had managed to escape unscathed earlier. If her mind had wandered for a moment back then, she would have been a corpse by now! Are there any private chambers that I can use in this residence? Bai Ruanqing asked. That room over there is empty, so you can use it as you deem fit. My teacher is currently cultivating, so please have a good rest in the room for the time being. Ill call you as soon as hes out, Dan Xiaotian replied as he gestured at a nearby room. As most inner disciples had servants to take care of their needs, the residences that they lived in were very spacious and had many rooms. Bai Ruanqing thanked Dan Xiaotian before walking into the room. She took a seat on the bed before taking out an Ethereal Token. This was the Ethereal Token to ess the core disciples Ethereal Hall! Immersing her consciousness into the Ethereal Token, her surroundings swiftly faded into darkness. When she came to once more, she was already standing in the midst of the Ethereal Hall. Unlike the dueling ring of inner disciples, core disciples have the option of fighting in public duels and private duels, Bai Ruanqing thought. In the previous Core Disciple Tournament, I was only ranked seventeenth. Sixteenth ce is Wang Hao, and so far, I havent been able to defeat him yet. I guess this is a good opportunity to try my hand! The reason Bai Ruanqing was well-known among the core disciples was mainly due to her grandfather, Elder Bai Ye. While she was considerably talented, the truth was that there were still many monsters among the core disciples who were stronger than her. In terms of fighting prowess, she would not be able to even make it into the top ten. The top few core disciples even possessed strength that was above that of most elders! Since she had not been able to defeat the sixteenth ce Wang Hao thus far, he would be the perfect opponent to test out her new sword art on! Thus, she walked up to the front receptionist and said, I want to send a duel invitation to sixteenth ce Wang Hao! Soon, the core disciple named Wang Hao walked over. Upon seeing her, his lips crept up. What brings you here today? Did you learn some kind of new sword art that you think youll be able to defeat me with? You can give it a go, but I doubt that itll make a difference. We had a duel half a month ago, and you clearly arent a match for me... I did learn a new move, and I wanted to find someone to test it on, Bai Ruanqing admitted frankly. Regardless of the oue, itll be good training for you and me! She had no clear gauge of how powerful Senior Uncle Zhangs horizontal sh was, so honestly, she was not too sure whether she would be able to defeat Wang Hao or not. Sure, give it your best shot. Wang Hao chuckled. Lets start! The two of them quickly found a private dueling ring and entered the room. Every single one of the core disciples were spectacr existences within the sect. They were highly respected and had many fans around. As such, most of them preferred some privacy when it came to their duels. After getting into positions, Wang Hao looked at Bai Ruanqing and said, Ill be making my move! H! The next instant, he drove his sword forth with incredible momentum. It was true that Bai Ruanqing had not defeated him yet, but her skills were remarkable. It would be foolish to underestimate someone who had been personally trained by Third Elder Bai Ye. Not daring to get careless, he did not pull any punches at all. A frontal assault? Bai Ruanqing could not help but chuckle a little. The horizontal sh that she had just learned happened to be the best at dealing with such attacks. It was as if the other party was offering himself to her! Without any hesitation, Bai Ruanqing executed the horizontal sh that she had just learned. Be careful. I havent really gotten the hang of this move of mine, but itll probably be quite powerful... Bai Ruanqing remarked with a smile. But before she could even finish her words, she felt the pressureing at her suddenly dissipating. Kacha! A head rolled all the way to the corner of the room, and shortly after, Wang Haos body fell frontward to the ground. Ah? Bai Ruanqing was stunned. Putting aside the fact that she hadnt mastered the horizontal sh, she had not even fully executed the technique yet... and before she knew, the enemy whom she had not been able to defeat was suddenly killed just like that. The in Wang Hao quickly returned with another Ethereal Token, and he asked Bai Ruanqing with an incredulous look on his face, You... What happened? He waspletely bbergasted. Bai Ruanqing had never been a match for him, but she actually managed to behead him just like that. This was really hard for him to ept! Im not too sure either, Bai Ruanqing replied in a daze. She had executed the move just as Senior Uncle Zhang had taught her, and never in her wildest dreams did she expect it to be so powerful. I want a rematch! This time, I will go all out from the very start! Wang Hao said adamantly as he drew his sword once more. Huhuhu! He immediately released a series of sword qi that lingered in the air, allowing him to tap into for both offense and defense at his will. As the sixteenth ce among the core disciples, his grasp of swordsmanship had reached an incredible level. Ordinary sword practitioners would simply despair upon seeing his prowess. On the other hand, Bai Ruanqing knew that Wang Hao was really serious this time around. If she used any other technique, it was unlikely that she would be able to achieve victory. Thus, she unhesitatingly executed the technique that Senior Uncle Zhang had imparted to her once more. Padah! Once again, before she couldplete the technique, Wang Haos head had already been lopped off. This time around, it rolled even further than it did before. This... Bai Ruanqing waspletely stunned. Somehow, since she had grasped this move, it felt like the other partys neck had be incredibly fragile. Even a simple sh was enough to remove his head from his neck. Chapter 1978 - Bai Ruanqing vs. Core Disciples (2) Chapter 1978 Bai Ruanqing vs. Core Disciples (2) Tang Yan was a highly esteemed figure even among the core disciples. He had ranked seventh in the previous Core Disciple Tournament. The swordsmanship that he practiced, the Immacte Swordsmanship, was well known and feared throughout the world. He had once pursued an infamous Heavenly True Immortal bandit into his den and destroyed all the sects and powers associated with him. Due to that incident, his name rung out loudly in the world. He was fifty-one, but in terms of his outer appearance, he looked no different from someone in his early twenties. His zhenqi was condensed and wholesome, and it felt like he could whip up a devastating storm of sword qi with a wave of his hand. Be it standing, fame, or strength, hecked none of them. At that moment, he was standing in the courtyard of his residence, drawing out beautiful strokes with his sword. It was an aesthetically pleasing sight, almost as if one was looking at a skilled painter. Hu! Tang Yan stopped his movements and retracted his sword. Those strokes still floated beautifully in the air, reminiscent of drifting smoke. Gua gua! A wild bird unintentionally flew into the midst of the smoke. Peng! As if it had dashed right into the midst of a meat slicer, fresh blood sttered all around the area. In the blink of an eye, its entire body had already disintegrated into dust. Congrattions, Senior Tan! You have finally reached Major Aplishment in the Immacte Swordsmanship! Apuse sounded as a young man walked over. He was ranked eighth among the core disciples, Guo Yi! Even though he looked like he was in his twenties, the truth was that he was also in his fifties. The lifespan of those who had reached Pseudo Immortal would exceed three hundred years. An advancement to the True Immortal realm would not increase ones lifespan, but the further condensation of ones energy and vitality would allow the cultivator to retain their strength and youth. As such, those in their fifties could still be considered young among True Immortal cultivators. After cultivating this technique diligently for thirty years I have finally aplished something should be able to get into the top five in the next Core Disciple Tournament! Tang Yan nodded with a satisfied smile. It was because he had failed to master this swordsmanship that he had been stuck in the seventh ce during the previous tournament. However, now that he had reached Great Aplishment, it should not be too difficult for him to get into the top five! The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had always been known for its fighting prowess, such that those who could get into the top five of the core disciples could already be considered to be within the top twenty of the younger generation! Those who manage to get into the top five of the core disciples will have a chance to be a core elder of the sect. Congrattions in advance, Senior Tang! Guo Yi sped his fist. The core elders who managed the crucial affairs of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion mainly came from the top five experts of the core disciples. For example, a hundred years ago, Elder Bai Ye had consistently ranked in the top three among the core disciples. The only one who was able to outdo him was Elder He Tian. Dont worry, I wont forget about you after I be a core elder! Tang Yan chuckled a little before looking over. Its rare for you to visit me. Is there something up? Well, the thing is...Senior Tang, you have always been interested in Bai Ruanqing, right? Guo Yi asked. Yes, thats right, Tang Yan admitted frankly. Bai Ruanqing might have a bad temper, but her background and looks were excellent. If he could marry her, it would be extremely useful to his future development. He might even be the sessor of the sect. That would make him one of the top figures on the continent. Shes ranked seventeen among the core disciples, but for some reason, she suddenly challenged Wang Hao earlier today... You mean the sixteenth rank Wang Hao? Tang Yan asked. That fellow cant be said to be too powerful, but his Water Reminiscence Sword is still quite te͡ifying to deal with. His Sword Intent flows smoothly like a river, creati^^ imprable defense. Even I would require quite some effort to deal with it. I dont think Bai Ruanqing will stand too much of a chance against him. Wang Hao is indeed a difficult opponent to deal with, but I just received news that Bai Ruanqing just sliced off Wang Haos head twice. All in all, she took less than three moves! Guo Yi eximed. In less than three moves, she killed Wang Hao twice? Tang Yan was stunned. He was acutely aware of Bai Ruanqing and Wang Haos capabilities, and it could be said that Wang Hao was firmly ahead of Bai Ruanqing even though they were only one rank away from one another. How could Wang Hao be killed by Bai Ruanqing in less than three moves, not to mention, twice? When did that female dinosaur be so powerful? Bai Ruanqing didnt stop after dealing with Wang Hao. She went on to challenge those above Wang Hao, and the news I have received is that she also used a single move to defeat rank fifteen Sun Jian, rank fourteen Yang Hu, and rank thirteen Du Chuan! Guo Yi said. With a single move, she eliminated everyone from sixteenth to thirteenth? How is that possible? Tang Yan could not believe what he was hearing. Lets head over to take a look! Lets go! Guo Yi nodded. The main reason he had gone over to look for Tang Yan was indeed due to this matter. They both took out their Ethereal Tokens and entered the Ethereal Hall. Very soon, they arrived at the private duel sector. There, they saw quite a few people seated outside with gloomy looks on their faces. Hong Qing? Why are you here? One of them was a young man named Hong Qing, and he was ranked tenth of the core disciples. The fact that he could get within the hugely contested top ten positions of the core disciples showed that he was someone who possessed true capability. There was an informal segregation of powers among the core disciples. The first rank formed the topmost echelon, the second and third ce formed the second echelon, then the fourth to sixth ce formed the third echelon, seventh to tenth ce formed the fourth echelon, and the eleventh to twentieth ce formed the fifth echelon. Each of these echelons represented a huge power gap. Ranked seventh, Tang Yan belonged to the fourth echelon, but the strength that he possessed was already enough to leave many despairing. Did Bai Ruanqing not only defeat opponents up to the thirteenth rank? Why would Hong Qing be waiting outside with such a defeated expression on his face? Considering that Hong Qing belonged to the same echelon as him, it should not be possible for Bai Ruanqing to defeat him! My head was just lopped off by Senior Bai in a single move, Hong Qing said with a bitter smile. Regardless of whether it was the inner disciples or the core disciples, it was a convention to address a person stronger than them than their senior. This was one of the unspoken rules within the sect. Are you saying that Bai Ruanqing challenged you and won? Guo Yis eyebrows shot up in astonishment. She challenged the opponents above her one by one... I thought that it wouldnt be anything much, but I ended up being decapitated with a single blow! Its the same for me! A few other young men and women in the area cried out as well. ncing over, Tang Yan saw that ranks eleven and twelve were present as well. They had helpless looks on their faces. Even they were unable to withstand Bai Ruanqings swordsmanship. In the Ethereal Hall, our cultivation is fixed at Lesser Pseudo Immortal. Yet, she was able to single-handedly subdue everyone from sixteenth ce to tenth ce without taking any rest at all. Does she still have the strength to carry on? Tang Yan could hardly believe what was going on. He could not believe that Bai Ruanqings swordsmanship had actually advanced to such a level. Guo Yi suddenly thought of something, and his eyes widened in shock. Wait a moment. The fact that all of you are actually out here... Does it mean that she is... Indeed. Shes challenged the ninth rank Lu Yue. If she wins the battle, youll be... Hong Qing nodded. Before he could finish his words, the doors suddenly creaked open. A womans head peeked out. Guo Yi, you are here. What good timing! Come on in! Guo Yi. The casual tone sounded as if she was just inviting him in to have a talk... You are challenging core disciples here, not interviewing candidates... Are you sure you dont need a rest? Theres no need to go in. Why dont you have your duel here? Tang Yan suddenly said. Indeed. Why dont we just have a public duel for everyone to see? Theres just the few of us here anyway, so theres no need to hide anything! someone echoed in agreement. Since Bai Ruanqing was already going at them one by one, there was not much to hide anymore. A public duel? Bai Ruanqing turned to Guo Yi and asked, What do you think? Ill follow Senior Tangs suggestion! Guo Yi nodded. Fine by me! Bai Ruanqing nodded as she walked out of the room. Lets head to the dueling ring outside then, Guo Yi said. Theres no need to go through so much trouble! Bai Ruanqing said as she raised her sword and walked right up to Guo Yi. Do you intend to make a move here? Guo Yi did not think that Bai Ruanqing was going to make a move there. Astonished, he quickly raised his sword to defend himself. But before he knew it, he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his throat. Padah! His head fell right to the ground. His eyes were widened in horror, as if he could not believe this to be true. After dealing with Guo Yi, Bai Ruanqing turned right to Tang Yan and said, Done. Its your turn next! Initially, she had been a little unfamiliar with the horizontal sh that Senior Uncle Zhang had imparted to her, but after ying several core disciples one after another with ease, her confidence was soaring. Her Senior Uncle had only taught her for several minutes, but her swordsmanship had already improved so much. It was no wonder she was no match for Dan Xiaotian! She could hardly imagine how powerful she would be if she had been through two hours of guidance, too! You want to challenge me here too? Tang Yans face turned livid. This ce will do... Itll spare us quite a lot of trouble! Bai Ruanqing replied. Arent you getting a little too arrogant? Tang Yan replied menacingly. It was true that he had not been too much stronger than Guo Yi in the past, but having cultivated the Immacte Swordsmanship up to Major Aplishment, he was already no longer the same person. Im pushed for time. I still have to challenge the top five, so lets not waste each others time, alright? Bai Ruanqing said with a wave of her hand. Tang Yans face reddened. Since thats the case, dont expect me to go easy on you! With a flick of his wrist, he immediately released innumerable strokes of sword qi into the surroundings. Did he reach Major Aplishment in the Immacte Swordsmanship? How formidable! With such prowess, he should be able to get into the top five at the very least! Indeed... Those present were skilled sword practitioners, so they quickly noticed the improvements in Tang Yans swordsmanship. Who could have known that Tang Yan would have made such a huge breakthrough over the past few months? Formidable! Bai Ruanqing remarked upon seeing the move as well. The Immacte Swordsmanship left traces of sword qi everywhere, such that those who barged into its area of attack would be sliced into pieces. Even though her horizontal sh was a powerful offensive move as well, it was not a good match for the Immacte Swordsmanship. I never would have thought that you would have cultivated the Immacte Swordsmanship to such a level. Give me a moment. Ill head out for a while ande back to fight you! Then, her body dissipated into light fragments and vanished from sight. This... The crowd stared at one another in bewilderment, unable toprehend what was going on. Tang Yan was stunned, too. He had thought that the other party would dash right over to sever his head, simr to what she had done with Guo Yi. If she had really done so, he would have counterattacked. In the end, it would boil down to who was faster. He did not expect the other party to simply turn around and leave. She even told him to wait for her before leaving. Senior Tang... Guo Yi, who had just re-entered using another Ethereal Token, was stunned as well. Lets wait here, Tang Yan replied. I dont believe that shell be able to win just by having us wait here for some time. Chapter 1979 - Identity Figured Ou Chapter 1979 Identity Figured Ou Bai Ruanqing shook her head as her consciousness returned to the real world. She sat on the bed with a conflicted expression on her face for a moment before pushing the door open and walking out. In the courtyard, Dan Xiaotian was still practicing his swordsmanship. Ten meters away, Cao Chenglis legs were trembling with a walnut on his head. Sou! A sword flew forth, but it missed the walnut by a fraction and ended up grazing Cao Chenglis head instead. Fresh blood spurted out from the wound. I think Im injured, Cao Chengli said as he touched his head. Youre fine, its no big deal. Who doesnt get injured? Dan Xiaotian replied calmly. Keep the walnut steady on your head. But Im really injured... Cao Chengli cried in despair. Before he could finish his words, yet another sword flew past and grazed some other part of his head. Seeing fresh blood trickling to the ground, Cao Chengli trembled as he bawled, Argh, Im going to die at this rate! Dont worry, I controlled my sword very carefully that time. I only scraped the skin without hurting your skull, Dan Xiaotian said leisurely as he walked forth and retrieved his swords. Just as Dan Xiaotian had said, Cao Chenglis wounds were indeed superficial, so there was no way that he would die from them. He had been practicing the control of his sword toss after receiving his teachers guidance, and he was proud to say that his training had been going well. Otherwise, he would not have dared use Cao Chenglis head to practice. Bai Ruanqing could not help but shudder upon seeing the incredibly dangerous sight before her. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and asked embarrassedly, Junior Dan, the truth is, I started learning under Senior Uncle Zhang recently. Is it fine for you to impart your sword toss technique to me? Dan Xiaotian was taken aback for a moment before nodding. Is that so? Well, if my teacher is already teaching you, I guess it should be fine! While the time that he had spent with his teacher was limited, he knew that his teacher was an extremely magnanimous person. He cared not about fame and glory, choosing to name this Third Young Masters Swordsmanship after him. On top of that, he did not hesitate to impart the technique to Cao Chengli and Elder Yi, too. Considering that his teacher was already teaching Bai Ruanqing, it was likely that his teacher would not have any qualms with him imparting the technique to her. It would be difficult for you to master the Third Young Masters Swordsmanship within a short period of time, but you can focus on the form and the zhenqi cirction pathway first. Once you grasp that, you can slowly study the various transformations and countermeasures, Dan Xiaotian said. The Third Young Masters Swordsmanship was not too difficult to execute, which was also the reason he had been able to learn it despite being only at Great Sage 3-dan back then. Under Dan Xiaotians guidance, Bai Ruanqing grasped the fundamentals within three minutes. Sou! Without any hesitation, she tossed the sword in her hand, and the next moment, it appeared on the wall beside Cao Chengli. Ah... Cao Chengli slumped to the floor out of sheer fear. He nearly lost his wits from that unexpected attack! If a sword carrying such speed and strength struck his head, he would really die on the spot! Seeing Bai Ruanqings execution, Dan Xiaotian began to go through some of the more important concepts. The key of the Third Young Masters Swordsmanship lies in the absoluteness of the attack, not the speed. Only when you are absolutely sure that you will be able to strike your opponent should you toss your sword. Of course, that means that youll have to predict your opponents next move and uncover the ws in their maneuver. The crux behind the Third Young Masters Swordsmanship was not its strength nor its speed. Rather, it was because it exploited the ws in the enemys movements. That was where the crux of the sword arty. The act of tossing the sword was just the most superficialyer of the technique. How long did it take you to grasp the technique? Bai Ruanqing asked with a frown. There were still a bunch of people waiting for her in the Ethereal Hall. It would not be appropriate for her to keep them waiting too long. I took an hour, but its because it was my teacher who imparted the technique to me. Myprehension of the technique is still not wholesome, so if I do it for you, it will likely take two days at the minimum... Dan Xiaotian scratched his head awkwardly. While he had already practiced this move for ten days and was starting to see some sess, he knew that he was still grosslyckingpared to his teacher. In form, they might appear simr to one another, but when it came to the crux of the technique, they were onpletely different levels from one another. His teachers lecture was superb in the sense that it used simple logic to construct an evenrger system of knowledge, breaking down something that was frighteninglyrge into digestible bits of information. He did not think that he had the capacity in him to do something like that. Its fine, Ill focus on learning itter. For now, Ill just have to give it a try... Bai Ruanqing pondered for a moment before shaking her head. Following which, she returned to the room. She had never been a patient person, or else she would not havee to be known as a female dinosaur either. There was no way someone as hot-tempered as her would be able to put aside an ongoing duel for two days in order to learn a technique. Hu! Returning to the location of the duel, she saw that Tang Yan and the others were indeed waiting for her. Im back. Lets resume our duel, Bai Ruanqing said as she drew her sword and got into position. Seeing that Bai Ruanqing had only taken five minutes toe back, a hint of doubt surfaced on Tang Yans face. Nevertheless, he still nodded and executed the Immacte Swordsmanship once more. Strokes of sword qi swiftly filled the sky in the form of fleeting smoke. Forget it, I have no choice but to give it a try... Bai Ruanqing was actually familiar with the ws of the Immacte Swordsmanship. She had never practiced the sword art before, but due to her grandfather being the Third Elder of the sect, she had ess to many of the top-tier swordsmanship manuals. The problem was that she had no way of exploiting the ws. It was simr to how, even if you knew that it was possible to kill a certain man who wore red underwear on the outside with a certain rock, it did not necessarily mean that you would be able to put it into action. Most of Bai Ruanqings swordsmanship was intended for close-quarterbat, which would require her to bypass theyer of drifting smoke created by sword qi. However, if she even approached, she would surely be torn into pieces by its sheer sharpness. However, it was different now that she had a sword toss technique in her arsenal. Without any hesitation, she flicked her wrist. Hu! Her sword shot forth with incredible speed. What? She tossed her sword? Taken aback, Tang Yan immediately raised his de to deflect Bai Ruanqings attack, only to feel a sharp pain in his head the next instant. Sou! With a sword lodged in his head, Tang Yan staggered a little before falling to the ground. K.O.! The battle has already ended? Even Tang Yan was killed in a single move? My gosh, did you see the speed of the earlier sword? I was truly entranced... Does the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion have such a sword art? I dont think I have heard of it before. In fact, its not just this move. I have never seen the move that Bai Ruanqing used to kill us before either... The surroundings were plunged into silence. It worked? While the crowd was stunned speechless, Bai Ruanqing was taken aback by what she had just done. She had only learned this technique a couple of minutes ago, and given how rushed it had been, she had been thinking of just using this technique to scare the other party into gathering the lingering sword qi around him in order to defend himself. Yet, the other party had died just like that. That was way too formidable! Next! With eyes glowing with excitement, Bai Ruanqings confidence was boosted yet another notch as she issued her challenge to the sixth ce In Elder Bai Yes residence... Hows it going? Elder Bai Ye asked. I followed the Young Mistress and found that she has entered the residence of an inner disciple. However, this inner disciple isnt Zhang Xuan but... Dan Xiaotian! Passing a jade token over, Bai Feng said, Here are his personal details! Dan Xiaotian? Elder Bai Ye quickly browsed through the content as he frowned in bewilderment. I know of this young man. He was brought into the sect by Elder Lu Yun. A subordinate has been reporting the happenings in the Elder Council to me, and Ive read through the minutes of the council too. Even though hes only at Ancient Sage 1-dan, he was able to manifest his Sword Intent to 499 meters, just a step away from reaching Sword God! Yes, thats him... Based on my investigation, he brought a friend with him to the sect, and this friend is none other than Zhang Xuan. However, the cultivation of this Zhang Xuan is at Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage, which doesnt tally, Bai Feng said as he passed another set of information over. With Elder Bai Yes influence, it was a walk in the park for him to investigate a persons background. Even though it had not been long since Zhang Xuan had entered the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion behind Dan Xiaotian, his information was also logged in their records. That should be him, Elder Bai Ye remarked after looking through the records. He had no idea why there was a disparity between the cultivation recorded and Zhang Xuans real cultivation, but the other details tallied with what he knew. Most likely, Ruanqing has gone to Dan Xiaotians residence in order to look for Zhang Xuan. I want you to continue investigating the matter. Despite not being an inner disciple, this Zhang Xuan impersonated one. I fear that he might have malicious intentions, Elder Bai Ye said. Yes, Old Master, Bai Feng replied. Rising to his feet, he was just about to leave the room when another old man abruptly barged in. Elder Bai Ye, we are extremely delighted that you have healed from your wounds... but you really have to keep your granddaughter in check! My granddaughter? Whats wrong? Elder Bai Ye was taken aback. Stop feigning ignorance! After she entered the core disciples Ethereal Hall, she challenged everyone from the sixteenth rank onward and defeated everyone in a single blow. Right now, she has already reached the top five! the elder said with a wave of his hand. She has reached the top five? Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng were stunned. They were well aware of Bai Ruanqings strength, and to be honest, even reaching seventeenth ce was no easy feat for her. Yet, she had actually gotten into the top five? How was that possible? The old man tossed a Recording Crystal over and said, This is the recording of her duel... Take a look at it yourself! Elder Bai Ye quickly opened the recording and viewed its contents. Within the recording, he saw Bai Ruanqing killing the core disciples with just a sh each, causing each of them to suffer a mental breakdown. All in all, his granddaughter had only used two moves in all the duels, a horizontal sh and a sword toss. Regardless of which one it was, it was bound to end in a sure kill as soon as she made a move. This went to show just how powerful those two moves were... but who in the world did she learn them from? This... This is his technique! Bai Feng narrowed his eyes in shock. Whose? Elder Bai Ye asked. Bai Feng quickly switched to a telepathic mode ofmunication before carrying on. This is the technique that was executed by I Am Low Profile. I studied it and even interpreted it to her... I never thought that she would actually use it even more proficiently than me. It feels as if... as if... As if what? As if she has personally been taught by I Am Low Profile! Bai Feng eximed. The matter concerning I Am Low Profile had already echoed throughout the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, such that there was no one who did not know of the matter. Even though Elder Bai Ye was injured, he had already heard about how his granddaughter had been beheaded twice and his loyal subordinate had been decapitated once. I Am Low Profile was a person who was very likely to haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent. As one of the Three Grand Elders, he could not possibly not keep a lookout on it! Yet, at that very moment, he was being told that the swordsmanship executed by his granddaughter originated from that man. You are saying that theres a good chance that I Am Low Profile has personally taught Ruanqing, and thats why she dared challenge the other core disciples? Elder Bai Ye swiftly came to a realization. Indeed, there did not seem to be any other logical exnation. Yes, Old Master! Bai Feng nodded. The entire sect has been looking for I Am Low Profile, but he actually managed to impart his swordsmanship to Ruanqing and challenged the core disciples through her. Interesting. Truly interesting! Elder Bai Ye said with a smile. Say, who do you think that fellow might be? Im not too sure either... Bai Feng shook his head, but halfway through his words, he suddenly widened his eyes in realization. With quivering lips, he asked, It cant be that... Old Master, are you thinking of Zhang Xuan? Elder Bai Ye nodded. Other than him, who else could it be? Chapter 1980 - 1980 Zhang Xuan Is Out of Seclusion 1980 Zhang Xuan Is Out of Seclusion This... Bai Feng was rendered speechless after hearing the Old Masters confirmation. If they put it like that, everything made perfect sense! The Young Mistress had left with the intention to challenge Zhang Xuan, but somehow, she had ended up willingly putting on an act with Zhang Xuan. After she returned, she had somehow managed to learn I Am Low Profiles swordsmanship, and using his moves, she dominated all the core disciples. Thinking back, it was indeed suspicious how Zhang Xuan had medicine that was capable of treating the Old Master. Furthermore, it had just been a day since he entered the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, yet he had somehow managed toprehend the Gods Sword Intent and challenge all of the inner disciples. Thinking more into it, all the clues indeed pointed toward Zhang Xuan. They could not deny it even if they wanted to! Lets not rush to conclusions. We still need to verify whether its truly him or not, Elder Bai Ye said. Ill test him out myself! Yes, Old Master! Bai Feng replied. As the two of them had beenmunicating via zhenqi telepathy all this while, the old man before them was unaware of the exchange that had just gone on between them. Do you not intend to interfere in this issue? Seeing how they were ignoring him, the old man was so angry that he could have exploded on the spot. Of course not. Well head over there to take a look now. Elder Bai Ye instructed Bai Feng to fetch two Ethereal Tokens of the core disciples, and immersing his consciousness into it, he swiftly entered the Ethereal Hall together with Bai Feng. Upon entering, they swiftly disguised themselves so that outsiders would not be able to tell. At that very moment, the dueling location had already switched from the private rooms to the public ring. Many core disciples had received the news about Bai Ruanqings consecutive sessful challenges, so more and more of them were gathering around the dueling ring. At this moment, there were already dozens of people. Their names were a little unfamiliar, presumably because they had used their spare Ethereal Tokens so that no one was able to tell who was who. In the dueling ring, Bai Ruanqing was currently exchanging blows with fifth ranked Mo Xiangyun. Just as her name suggested, Mo Xiangyun was a female disciple. But unlike Bai Ruanqing, she had a massive physique that towered over most men. Furthermore, she made no attempt to tidy herself up, resulting in her appearance being frequently unkempt. If one did not hear her name, one might just mistake her for a male. This was not limited to her appearance but extended to her swordsmanship. In contrast to the usual elegant and delicate swordsmanship that most female sword practitioners opted for, her swordsmanship was extremely brutish, almost reminiscent of the hack of an axe. Lets begin! As soon as they got into position, Mo Xiangyun could not be bothered to waste any time on words. Without any hesitation, she dashed forward like a tank while swinging her sword forcefully. Her sword was different from that of most sword practitioners. It was freakishly huge, standing at seven chi[l] long. Sonic booms echoed along with its movements, leaving one with no doubt that it would smash everything in its path. Bai Ruanqing knew better than to face Mo Xiangyun in a direct encounter. She skillfully deflected Mo Xiangyuns first attack with a horizontal sh before decisively flicking her sword outward. She was basically betting everything on the sword toss. It was one of the two strongest moves that she had. She knew that her other sword arts would not work against the top five of the core disciples. If anything, it was likely that the other party would exploit the openings in that swordsmanship to corner her instead. As a result, she knew that she had no choice but to use her trump cards right from the start. Heh, that move is useless against me! Mo Xiangyun said as she swiftly swept her sword upward. Dangng! The iing sword was deflected away. Astonished, Bai Ruanqing quickly backed off. As expected of an expert from the top five! Each of them had their own trump cards. She could not hope to defeat them just by learning the bare basics of Senior Uncle Zhangs swordsmanship. Not to mention, the other party had watched her previous battles and knew that she was only capable of those two moves. Naturally, it was much easier for the other party to take precautions! If you dare, why dont you wait here a moment... Ille right back to fight you in a moments time! Seeing that it was impossible for her to defeat Mo Xiangyun with just two moves, Bai Ruanqing decided to make a strategic retreat. Bring it on! Ill be here whenever you wish to pick a fight! Mo Xiangyun roared whileughing. She had heard of what had happened previously, and she knew that Bai Ruanqing was not just joking around. She was curious to see what Bai Ruanqing would be able to do once more within a few minutes. Bai Ruanqing sped her fist toward Mo Xiangyun before dissipating into light fragments. The next moment, she was already back at Zhang Xuans residence. Junior Xiaotian, teach me another two moves, Bai Ruanqing shouted as soon as she rushed out of her room, but the next moment, she saw a figure who caused her face to immediately crumble from awkwardness. Senior Uncle Zhang! That figure was none other than Zhang Xuan! Having advanced his cultivation to Heavenly Pseudo Immortal, he had finally concluded his momentary seclusion! Whats going on here? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Why was this woman in his residence? Not to mention, she was even asking Dan Xiaotian to impart swordsmanship to her? Senior Uncle Zhang, Im using your swordsmanship to challenge others in the core disciples Ethereal Hall... With a crimson tinge on her cheeks, Bai Ruanqing quickly filled Zhang Xuan in on the details. After hearing the full story, the first question that Zhang Xuan asked was as followed. Did you ce a bet on the battle? Ah? I didnt... Bai Ruanqing was surprised by that abrupt question, but she quickly shook her head. I am using the swordsmanship you taught me to fight with others... Why are you asking me if I ced a bet on the battle? She found that she waspletely unable to keep up with Zhang Xuans train of thought. If theres nothing on stake, whats there to fight over? Zhang Xuans face looked as if he could not have been more disappointed in Bai Ruanqings stupidity. He had been thinking of finding an opportunity to sneak into the core disciples Ethereal Hall to earn another killing. After all, he was not so naive as to think that the Sword Pavilion Coins that he had earned would be enough for him to reach High Immortal. Who could have known that this woman would do something so futile as to fight without earning anything in return? Are you running a charity? Do you have too much time on hands so squander around on meaningless pursuits? ...Seeing the look of disappointment on Zhang Xuans face, Bai Ruanqing suddenly found herself utterly speechless. All along, she had thought that I Am Low Profile was a low-profile expert who thought nothing of fame and glory... but it turned out that he was simply too absorbed in making money to care about anything else! The reason Im challenging them is to prove my own swordsmanship. Yet, somehow, you make it seem as if Im foolishly missing out on an ideal opportunity to rob them of their money. Would I, the granddaughter of one of the Three Grand Elders, need to rob others of their money? Oblivious to the fact that his transcendental image was crumbling at the moment, Zhang Xuan continued asking, Do you have any core disciple Ethereal Tokens left? Give me one, Ill head in to challenge them. The core disciples should be rather wealthy, right? He felt that he should rify some matters first so that he would not be too disappointed by the resultster. Y-yes, I guess so... Bai Ruanqing could not help but sp her face. That being said, most of the core disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were indeed rather wealthy. Given that even the weakest of them was at the Pseudo Immortal realm, there was no way the wealth of inner disciples could begin topare to theirs! Good. Wheres my Ethereal Token? Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand. Even the weakest core disciple is a Lesser Pseudo Immortal... In other words, theres a strict limitation that only those who have reached the Pseudo Immortal realm are able to ess the Ethereal Hall. This is to ensure that inner disciples arent able to sneak in by any chance, Bai Ruanqing said hesitantly. When she fought against Zhang Xuan four hours ago, thetter had only been at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. It was clear that his cultivation was still insufficient to enter the core disciples Ethereal Hall! That wont be a problem at all. I have already achieved a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said as he allowed a hint of his aura to flow out. Heavenly Pseudo Immortal? Bai Ruanqing nearly fainted on the spot. She was extremely certain that the other party had only been at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation when she fought him earlier! Yet, in just four short hours, he had actually managed to advance an entire cultivation realm... What the holy cow! Even a pill junkie would not be able to advance his cultivation that fast! Amazing! Cao Chengli muttered as his eyes glowed in excitement. Dan Xiaotian also clenched his fists tightly. They knew that Zhang Xuan was extremely powerful, but they did not think that he would actually be that formidable! Given Young Masters incredible strength and superior swordsmanship, he would definitely be able to defeat that I Am Low Profile fool easily! Cao Chengli eximed in agitation. Over thest few hours, he had kept hearing others talk about how powerful I Am Low Profile was, but no matter how strong I Am Low Profile was, could he be any more powerful than the young master? Look at how our young master advanced from Dimension Shatterer realm consummation to Heavenly Pseudo Immortal within a day. Is there anyone in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who could match this aplishment? Pah! But barely after Cao Chengli said those words, he suddenly felt yet another painful smack on the back of his head. He indignantly turned his head around, only to see the livid face of the young master looking back at him. I saw you stepping into the residence with your right foot earlier. You broke my rules, so you deserve to be punished! But you said that I cant step in with my left leg too! How am I supposed to get into the residence? Cao Chengli nearly burst into tears from sheer indignation. It was like there was no correct answer at all! Lets go! Paying no heed to that thick-skulled, lustful bandit, Zhang Xuan walked into a room together with Bai Ruanqing. With a flick of his finger, he infused a droplet of his blood into the jade token. His consciousness faded from reality, and the next moment, he was standing in the core disciples Ethereal Hall. I caused a huge fuss previously with the nickname I Am Low Profile, so the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion will surely be keeping a close lookout for that name. Thus, I should avoid using it again. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Given that inner elders were on the lookout for him, he could not use that name again. Thus, he had to find a new, fitting nickname for himself. It sure is difficult to find a good nickname. Since I cant use low profile, Ill just have to find other strengths of mine instead... Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before he finally nodded affirmatively. I guess I should just call myself I Am Very Handsome... It might not be as low profile, but its honest at the very least! He was fairly satisfied with this new name that he had put so much thought into. Of course, nothing would beat I Am Low Profile in his mind. That was the name that perfectly embodied his ideals and dreams. Nevertheless, I Am Very Handsome was still able to capture his disposition to some degree, so it was eptable to him. On the other hand, seeing the name that her Senior Uncle hade up for himself, Bai Ruanqing sped her face for the umpteenth time that day. Bro... can youe up with something that sounds a little more pleasant and humbler? It feels almost like some sort of humiliation y walking beside someone with such a nickname... With an awkward and conflicted look on her face, Bai Ruanqing walked toward the dueling ring together with I Am Very Handsome. While walking over, Bai Ruanqing sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. I am going to fight with Mo Xiangyun right now, but Im no match for her. What should I do? She hade back without learning anything at all, so there was no way there would be any difference in the oue of the match. Simple. What you have to do right now is make a bet with her where the loser must give all of their Sword Pavilion Coins to the winner. After that, Ill give you some guidance during the duel so that you can easily achieve victory! Zhang Xuan replied telepathically. During the duel? Bai Ruanqings lips twitched in disbelief. The situation in a battle was everchanging, such that every decision had to be made instantaneously. Would it not be way toote to give her guidance only during the duel? Even an expert of her grandfathers caliber would not dare do something like that. How could her Senior Uncle be so sure that he would be able to do it? If it was just an ordinary battle, she would have had no qualms about it. After all, she had been killed plenty of times in the dueling ring. However, it would bepletely different with that bet in ce. She had no desire to go bankrupt! Indeed! Zhang Xuan nodded. Go on, you wont lose! Alright then! Bai Ruanqing was not too sure if it was the right decision to heed Zhang Xuans words, but eventually, she decided to trust him. With a heavy heart, she marched back up to the dueling ring. Since youre back, lets resume our duel! Mo Xiangyun replied as she raised her sword with a resounding screech. Wait a moment! Even without turning her head over, Bai Ruanqing could feel the piercing re that Zhang Xuan was shooting at her. It almost felt like he would skin her alive if she failed to propose the bet. Thus, she pursed her lips tightly for a moment before saying, Since were going to have a duel, I think it would be good if we spice things up with a bet! A bet? Mo Xiangyun frowned. Indeed. If I win, you must give all your Sword Pavilion Coins to me! On the other hand, if I lose, Ill give you all my Sword Pavilion Coins! As Bai Ruanqing said those words, her face turned as red as it could get. She dared not go against her Senior Uncles words, but still... it just felt so shameful saying those words aloud! You want me to bet all of my money? Mo Xiangyun widened her eyes. Are you trying to rob me? Y-yeah! Bai Ruanqing thickened her skin. Thats exactly it! The old man earlier hade into the Ethereal Hall with Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng. At this very instant, he could not help but look at Elder Bai Ye in utter shock. Your granddaughter... has she gone mad from being too poor? Erk... Elder Bai Ye was stunned, too. To gamble on a duel in front of so many people... Was this really the obedient and filial granddaughter he knew? [1] 2.33 meters Chapter 1981 - 1981 Liu Yulian 1981 Liu Yulian If there was a volcano right there, Bai Feng would have leaped into it without the slightest hesitation. The Old Master is one of the Three Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. With his influence, even those of the top echelons would not dare disrespect him. Did he limit your pocket money, or did he starve you of food? To think that you would resort to gambling... Not to mention, you even proposed such a thievery-like conditions to the bet... She couldnt beat Mo Xiangyun earlier. It hasnt even been two minutes since she left, so I doubt that there will be any difference in the oue! Despite knowing that its a certain loss, Bai Ruanqing still made such a bet. She cant possibly have gone mad, can she? Probably not. She might be intentionally trying to humiliate Senior Mo so as to make thetter lose her temper... That could very well be the case. After all, ones mental state is extremely important in a battle. However, theres no way that someone of Senior Mos caliber could be emotionally affected that easily. Such a bet ispletely meaningless! The rest of the crowd looked at one another as they tried to figure out Bai Ruanqings true intention. Which of the top five core disciples had not struggled through countless battles to reach the top? If they lost their rationality just because of such a provocation, they would have lost long ago. They would not have been able to hold onto their position so securely and be figures highly respected within the sect. Just as everyone else thought, not only did Mo Xiangyun not lose her temper, she even looked at Bai Ruanqing yfully. Very well, the bet sounds wonderful to me. Lets see who will take whose money, shall we? Ah, sure... Bai Ruanqings face was so red that she could have died from embarrassment. While she was violent and reckless at times, her straightforward temperament made it hard for her to do something as embarrassing as this. This should have been a sacred swordsmanship duel topete for the top spot, but as soon as Senior Uncle Zhang came... Somehow, something just feels really off right now! It feels like a cheap underground duel! It was fortunate that she was fighting in the Ethereal Hall, and her grandfather was unaware of her actions. Otherwise, she would surely be beaten to death! What was done was done. It was already toote to take back her words, so she could only push on. Lets carry on with our duel! Mo Xiangyun roared as she dashed forward once more. It was the same move as earlier, and it carried the same tremendous might. Gritting her teeth tightly, Bai Ruanqing was just about to execute the horizontal sh to deflect the attack, as she had done earlier, when she heard a voice in her head. Toss your sword! The one speaking was none other than Senior Uncle Zhang! This... Bai Ruanqings eyebrows shot up in bewilderment. Mo Xiangyuns sword was rushing over with thunderous roars from the frightening momentum of its movements. It was about tond on her head. If she chose to toss her sword instead of deflecting the attack... should the sword fail tond on target, she would be doomed! After all, once the sword left her hand, she would bepletely defenseless. Hurry up! Senior Uncle Zhangs voice urged her impatiently in the midst of her dilemma. Forget it! Recalling the various miracles that the other party had pulled off in the inner disciples Ethereal Hall, managing to y even Grandpa Feng in a single blow, Bai Ruanqing gritted her teeth furiously as she tossed out the sword without paying any heed to the swiftly iing strike. Hu! The sword shot right out of her hand. What? It waspletely out of Mo Xiangyuns expectations that Bai Ruanqing would not try to protect herself at all. Just as she thought that she would be able to smash Bai Ruanqing into a ttened pancake, a sharp pain suddenly assaulted her head. Before she knew it, a sword had already plunged right into her forehead. Sou! Her sword was just a fingers length away from Bai Ruanqing when her body, together with her sword, suddenly dissipated into light fragments. She was off by just that little bit! What a close shave! Bai Ruanqings heart was beating so wildly that she could hardly tell if it was out of fear or exhration. She had thought that she was a goner, but who could have known that her Senior Uncles calctions would be so spot-on! It was the same two moves, but she had been unable to win earlier. Under Senior Uncle Zhangs guidance, everything had happened so smoothly that she could hardly believe what had just happened. Even with the best swordsmanship, if one was unable to grasp the flow of the battle, one would still be unable to seal the battle with it! Her Senior Uncle Zhang had already taught her a valuable lesson in swordsmanshipeven the most ordinary move could be used to achieve victory if it was utilized well. Bai Ruanqing won? Are my eyes ying tricks on me? Senior Mo really lost just like that? What sharp grasp of timing that is! If she was off at all, the results would have been vastly different... Its this seemingly infinitesimal difference in timing that is the crux to Bai Ruanqings victory. When did she be so formidable? Her swordsmanship capitalizes on big movements in order to bring forth superior might. However, this means that her defense is weakest while her offense is the strongest, thus making it the ideal moment to strike. Challenge fourth ce... and dont forget to ce a bet! Senior Uncle Zhangs voice echoed in Bai Ruanqings mind. Un! Bai Ruanqing replied telepathically before turning to a young man amid the crowd, who had been watching themotion. Senior Hu, its your turn! The fourth ranked core disciple, Hu Chen! Hu Chen knew that Bai Ruanqing would challenge the rest of them if she won against Mo Xiangyun, so he had chosen to use his real name. Hu Chen unhesitatingly walked into the dueling ring. A challenger had alreadye knocking on his door. He could not turn down this battle, or else he would risk losing his honor and prestige. Just like before, I wish to propose a bet between the two of us with all of the Sword Pavilion Coins we have. Senior Hu, may I know if you are willing to ept this bet? Bai Ruanqing asked. It seemed like daylight robbery, and that sort of naughty stuff just needed some getting used to. She was visibly much calmer when she proposed the bet this time around. As you wish! Hu Chen nodded. Lets begin then! Bai Ruanqing said. The two of them quickly got into position and grabbed a sword each. Bai Ruanqing was just about to grasp the initiative when her Senior Uncles voice suddenly echoed in her ears once more. Retreat seven steps. Toss your sword toward your left! Retreat? Toss my sword to the left? Bai Ruanqing was confused. Hu Chen hasnt even moved at all, seemingly trying to prepare a huge move. Is it really fine for me to retreat and toss my sword before even seeing what hes up to? Isnt it foolish to use my one-time off trump card so recklessly? Bai Ruanqing could notprehend what her Senior Uncle was up to at all, but she did not dare disobey his words. She hurriedly retreated seven steps without any hesitation. Hu! The moment that she moved, the silhouette right before her abruptly vanished from sight. Thats the Steps of the Ghost Sword Saint! Elder Bai Ye eximed with a grim look. Steps of the Ghost Sword Saint? Are you talking about the Ghost Swordsmanship created by that remarkable genius eight hundred years ago? the old man not too far away eximed in horror. That move rattled the entire continent back then! But ever since then, no one has seeded in cultivating it... Are you saying that Hu Chen has managed to do it? That seems to be the case. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to move at such speed. Even I am unable to figure out where he has flitted off to and where hes going to appear from! Elder Bai Ye remarked. The crux of the Ghost Swordsmanship lies in its stealth. Its a sword art thats intended for assassination. There are many experts who viewed it with disdain, thinking that its underhanded, but theres no denying its strength, the old man said deeply. I think that your granddaughter is going to lose the battle. Its beyond Bai Ruanqings current ability to ovee this... Elder Bai Ye sighed deeply. The fact that Bai Ruanqing had chosen to retreat right from the start likely meant that she had seen through Hu Chens attack... but what was truly fearsome about the Steps of the Ghost Sword Saint was how it was impossible to track at all. It did not seem like there was any usible way she could win this battle. After all, by the time she finally caught sight of the opponent tounch her attack, she could already have been killed! It could be said that this move was enough to make Hu Chen nearly unrivaled among those of the same cultivation realm. In fact, the main reason the top three were able to defeat him back then was because they were swift enough to make the pre-emptive move and suppress him right from the start. On the other hand, his granddaughter had only learned two moves so far, a horizontal sh and a sword toss. Neither of them seemed to be of much use in this situation. Amid the discussions, Bai Ruanqing had finished retreating seven steps, but she was still unable to see Hu Chen. However, she could not care as much at this moment. Gritting her teeth, she decisively tossed her sword to the left without any warning. Hu! The sword shot forth like a shooting star. Elder Bai Ye was rendered speechless. He knew that the chances of his granddaughter winning were indeed extremely slim, but to toss her sword before even seeing anyone... even if she was leaving it to fate, this felt a little too ridiculous! Sighing deeply, he was just about to cover his eyes when the air in the dueling ring suddenly distorted. A silhouette abruptly appeared in the trajectory of the flying sword. Die! Hu Chen bellowed frighteningly as he lunged forth, but before he could even take a single step, a sword had already plunged right into his head. Holy sh*t ... He could barely utter a curse before his body burst into innumerable light fragments. The surroundings fellpletely silent. It was yet another one-hit K.O.! This was Hu Chen, the fourth strongest core disciple in the sect! Those who knew of the Steps of the Ghost Sword Saint knew just how frightening the technique was, such that even the top three would have a huge headache trying to deal with it. Yet, Bai Ruanqing defeated Hu Chen in a single move? That was insane! I really won? Bai Ruanqing also scared herself with this feat. She had been convinced that she was a dead woman, but somehow, everything had turned out fine just by following her Senior Uncles words strictly! It was as if her Senior Uncle was able to peer into the future and predict her opponents future moves to make preparations in advance. Having won two battles with ease, Bai Ruanqing was more confident than ever. She turned to a youngdy among the crowd and said, Senior Liu, its your turn! The third strongest core disciple, Liu Yulian! Liu Yulian was a ravishingdy, carrying the demure charms of a traditional beauty. In terms of appearance, she did not lose out to Bai Ruanqing at all. However, those who had exchanged blows with her would know better than to judge her swordsmanship by her delicate appearance. Her defensive swordsmanship was airtight, such that even Hu Chen, when executing his Steps of the Ghost Sword Saint, was unable to breach her defenses at all. Eventually, he had ended up revealing an opening, which she had unhesitatingly exploited to subdue him. Liu Yulian stepped daintily into the dueling ring. Bai Ruanqing chuckled softly and said, I have long heard that your Lotus Swordsmanship is invible, Senior Liu. Im eager to see for myself. Rising above the water, the proud lotus refused to allow the slightest droplet of water to stain its surface. It was such a conceptualization that gave rise to Liu Yulians Lotus Swordsmanship. You are too courteous. Junior Bai, if you are able to breach my defense, Ill admit my defeat and give all of my Sword Pavilion Coins to you! Liu Yulian replied with a subtle smile. Knowing that the other party would want to make a bet, she decided to be the one proposing it instead. Thank you, Senior Liu! Bai Ruanqing nodded. Ah... Her reputation was probably going to go down to the drain after this. Her motive had been very innocent at the start. She just wanted to challenge the core disciples and climb to a higher position. But right now, she probably looked no different from a greedy thief who wanted to steal money from everyone else! It sure was difficult to keep up a good reputation. All it took was a moment for everything toe crashing down. Lets begin! With a flick of her wrist, Liu Yulian flicked her wrist, and innumerable sword afterimages appeared around her as if blooming lotuses rising above the dirt. Lotus Swordsmanship! Only those who had reached Major Aplishment in the swordsmanship were able to carve out blooming lotuses around them. Bai Ruanqing could feel goosebumps rising all over her body as she looked at the swordsmanship disy before her. Against this imprable defense, she really had no idea where she should start. The other partys sword qi was stacked upon one another, forming a multiyered barrier that one could hardly see the end of. If one made a bad move, one could be easily caught within the multiyered barrier and slowly ground to a pulp. Toss your sword! Just as Bai Ruanqing was at aplete loss, her Senior Uncles voice echoed in her head once more. This time, without any hesitation, she threw out her sword. Pu! The lotuses abruptly dissipated as a sword mystically plunged into Liu Yulians head. Her eyes were widened intorge beads as she stared at Bai Ruanqing in disbelief. Then, her corpse fell heavily to the ground. The third strongest core disciple had been defeated! Chapter 1982 - You Want Me To Give Up On My Money? Chapter 1982 You Want Me To Give Up On My Money? The crowd wentpletely quiet. Not a single person in the area was able to utter a single word in this instant. Is that really your granddaughter? Are you sure she isnt someone else in disguise? the old man turned to Elder Bai Ye and asked. He knew about Bai Ruanqings condition very well. Even if she had managed to learn two extremely powerful sword arts from somewhere else, there was no way she could have been so powerful as to perform an OHKO[l] on Liu Yulian ... Wouldnt this mean that Bai Ruanqing already possessed fighting prowess that rivaled the top three of the core disciples? To rise from the seventeenth ce into the top three in less than half an hour... That was enough for her name to go down in the history of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! I-I think so... Elder Bai Ye was also a little overwhelmed by the current situation. He had guessed that his granddaughter had received I Am Low Profiles direct impartation... but it was hard to believe that just those two moves were actually enough for her to get into the top three! After Liu Yulian was defeated, the second ce disciple voluntarily walked up to the dueling ring. His strength was pretty much equal to Liu Yulian, so under Zhang Xuans guidance, he also ended up getting one- shotted by a sword toss. The top ranker of the core disciples is a person named He Jingxuan. Hes the grandson of First Elder He Tian! It seems like were going to witness an exciting wrestle over the first ce of the core disciples! Even if Bai Ruanqing is rise to the top spot of the core disciples in the Ethereal Hall, she still isnt necessarily the strongest of the core disciples. After all, the cultivation of all of the fighters is suppressed to Lesser Pseudo Immortal in here. I heard that He Jingxuan has already reached Heavenly True Immortal, and hes only a step away from bing a High Immortal! You are being too short-sighted over there. I heard that Bai Ruanqing has also reached True Immortal realm as well. As long as shes able to surpass He Jingxuan in the field of swordsmanship, given Elder Bai Yes identity, he should be able to acquire the cultivation resources for her to swiftly reach Heavenly True Immortal within a short period of time too... Its indeed easier to advance ones cultivation than to refine ones swordsmanship to greater heights... ... Watching as the representative of the highest fighting prowess of the core disciples walked onto the stage, the crowd couldnt help but chatter excitedly amongst themselves. If even He Jingxuan were to be defeated, it would be no exaggeration to say that Bai Ruanqing had triumphed over to the entire Core Disciple Sector. Ill make the same bet with you, He Jingxuan said calmly, unaffected by the many victims before him. Thank you for your understanding, Senior He! Bai Ruanqing nodded. Lets begin then! Un! Taking a deep breath, He Jingxuan took the first step forward. His movements were not fast, and his swordsmanship didnt look fanciful at all. The impression he gave out was reminiscent of a sealed ck Tortoise. No matter how one tried to strike him, it felt like there was nothing that could pierce through his defense barrier. Its the Spirit Tortoise Swordsmanship! Someone swiftly recognized the move. The Spirit Tortoise Swordsmanship is centered around defense. It seems like Senior He is also fearful of the enemys flying sword... Well, it cant be helped. It has never missed so far. As soon as its thrown, it would strike a head. Who wouldnt be wary against a technique like that? Thats true... In any case, I would probably be doomed if I had to face it... There were fervent discussions amongst the crowd. Even though the Spirit Tortoise Swordsmanship was centered around defense, there was no one who would think that He Jingxuan was weak. Instead, they felt that it was a good idea that he chose to use this move. Those who allowed their pride to get in the way of their decisions in a duel were subpar fighters. In the end, it was the ones who won in the end that would retain their dignity. Seeing how the other partys swordsmanship was reminiscent of a tortoiseshell, leaving her no way to attack, Bai Ruanqing panicked. How could she ovee a defense like this? If she couldnt ovee He Jingxuans defense, how would she be able to achieve victory? While Bai Ruanqing was still looking at the situation before her worriedly, her Senior Uncles voice sounded in her ear, Have you ever killed a tortoise before? Killed a tortoise... Bai Ruanqing repeated those words slowly beneath her breath. She had never killed a tortoise before, but she had heard about it before. You need to lure it with food. Attract it so that it would reveal itself. Create the opportune moment to y it with a fast de! Zhang Xuans voice continued. Such is the current situation too. If your opponent wishes to defeat you, he would have to eventually make a move. So, what you have to do is to use yourself as a bait to lure the other party in. His offense would be the best moment for you to strike... I have already shown you a way, and whether you are able to achieve victory or not, that would be up to you. Yes, Senior Uncle Zhang! Bai Ruanqing nodded gratefully. She knew that this was a test that her Senior Uncle had set for her. He had already told her the way to fight the battle. If she was still unable to win the fight, even if she were to obtain the highly contested number one spot, she would still lose it soon enough. As long as she could win this battle, regardless of whether its her swordsmanship or her state of mind, they would elevate to new heights. She would be an existence whom none could rival amongst the core disciples! This was simr to how Ximen Chuixues swordsmanship, despite its formidable prowess, could not be considered to be number one. However, after he killed Ye Gucheng, his state of mind changed. As time passed, he eventually became the sword god of his generation, rising to be an unsurpassed existence in the world![2] Such was the situation before Bai Ruanqing too. She had won battle after battle under her Senior Uncles guidance, but this only built up a mindset of dependency within her. If this went on, it would form a notion in her mind that she was incapable of winning a battle with her own capabilities. So, she urgently needed a personal victory so that she could affirm herself, as well as her swordsmanship. Sou! Knowing that her Senior Uncle was doing all of this with her welfare in mind, Bai Ruanqing unhesitatingly bolted toward He Jingxuan. This... Is she intending to use her body to lure He Jingxuan out? Elder Bai Ye narrowed his eyes. It went without saying that he, as one of the Three Grand Elders, would be able to see through the ws of He Jingxuans swordsmanship too... It was just that he didnt think that her granddaughter could make such a decisive move. One had to know that charging over like that was no different from presenting oneself to the opponent. The slightest carelessness could easily end in ones death! I thought that the reason why your granddaughter was able to win battle after battle is due to the bizarre swordsmanship she has learned from somehow. Even if she were to get into the top three, she wouldnt be able to secure her position for long. She doesnt have the stable foundations of the other core disciples, and the others would swiftly overtake her once they uncovered the ws in her swordsmanship... But it seems like my judgement is wrong! the old man beside Elder Bai Ye said with a bitter smile. Challenging from the sixteenth rank all the way up to the second rank, the only moves that Bai Ruanqing had used were either the horizontal sh or the sword toss... There were no skillful maneuvers involved at all. She was relyingpletely on the prowess of her swordsmanship to push forward. Even if she were to take the first ce, would anyone recognize her? Would she even be able to recognize herself? But in this instant, Bai Ruanqing had seen through the opening in the other partys swordsmanship and chose to charge right in to bait He Jingxuan out despite the threat of death. Just on that itself, it could be seen that herprehension of the Way of the Sword had reached an even higher level. She wasnt just relying solely on the sheer strength of her sword art. Huhuhu! While the two of them were chatting with one another, the situation on the dueling ring was changing. He Jingxuan could discern Bai Ruanqings intents, so he refrained from taking the offense. Instead, what he did was to slowly back away. He wouldnt reveal any opening that would allow Bai Ruanqing to breach his defense. Until he was absolutely guaranteed of victory, he wouldnt make a move. Such a countermeasure is not too bad either... Zhang Xuan nodded. It seemed like He Jingxuans instincts were quite sharp too. It was no wonder why he could be the number one amongst the core disciples. His state of mind was indeed not too bad. The current him was reminiscent of a patient hunter, lying in wait in the grasses for the ideal opportunity to y his opponent! Any other opponent would have leaped at the opportunity to im the tides of the battle and pressure Bai Ruanqing on. However, that would have given Bai Ruanqing the opening she desperately needed in order tounch a decisive attack too. On the other hand, if he were to drag the battle out, Bai Ruanqing would have no choice but to bide her time as well. Right now, what they werepeting on was their patience. Both sides traded a few blows, but they were all shallow attacks that left no opening for the other to exploit. Seeing how He Jingxuan refused to make the first move, Bai Ruanqing began to get anxious. She had never been a patient person, and all of this waiting and shallow shes were really grating on her nerves. Right now! He Jingxuan keenly perceived that Bai Ruanqing was getting more and more impatient by the moment, and her movements fully reflected her mood as well. He knew that the opportunity to strike had finally surfaced itself. Amidst the bizarre calmness of the battle, he abruptly dashed forth to strike down Bai Ruanqing. It was as if a predator pouncing on a prey. The calmness before was nothing more than a facade to make the other party put down her guard. As soon as the true hunt began, his speed surged to the extent where one could hardly perceive his movements anymore. Hesing! Bai Ruanqing gritted her teeth tightly together as she shot out her sword. It was true that she had been getting more and more frustrated as time ticked by, but she didnt neglect to abide by her Senior Uncles teaching. All this while, she had been keeping a close lookout for He Jingxuans move as well. Puhe! He Jingxuans sword stabbed right through Bai Ruanqings chest, but at the same time, Bai Ruanqings sword had already been plunged into He Jingxuans head. Padah! He Jingxuan was dead. But Bai Ruanqing had been defeated too. The battle had ended in a draw! Shes still too weak... Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had already pointed a way out for her, so he thought that she would be able to achieve victory... But who could have thought that she would end with a mere draw. How embarrassing! It was lucky that she wasnt his student, or else he would have surely given her a good tongueshing! But speaking of which, it sure was a huge pity. She could have taken the money of the top-ranking core disciple as well, but all of that money had slipped past her fingers due to her weakness. In contrast to Zhang Xuans frustration, the crowd was utterly silent. Everyone was shocked beyond words. It was apparent that all of them found it hard to believe that Bai Ruanqing was actually able to equal He Jingxuan in a battle. Watching as the two figures on the dueling ring dissipated into light fragments, the old man turned to Elder Bai Ye and said, Congrattions, you really have a good granddaughter! Hahaha, it seems like she has been enlightened recently! Elder Bai Ye replied cheerfully. Of course, he was proud that his granddaughter was able to fight on equal grounds with the number one core disciple. Shes indeed formidable, but its just not too good that she made a bet against the core disciples to take their Sword Pavilion Coins. It doesnt reflect too well on you either! the old man said. It would be fine just to have a normal duel, but to bet money on that as well... That would undermine the spirit of sportsmanship amongst fellow core disciples! You are already the Third Elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and yet, your granddaughter is actually so desperate for money that she goes around gambling with others. Those who heard of the matter might even think that you are mistreating your own granddaughter! This... Ill make sure to give her an earfulter on! Elder Bai Ye replied. Old Master, Im afraid that it might be toote by then... Bai Feng said worriedly. Those words made Elder Bai Ye ponder deeply for a moment. Indeed. The matter would have spread far and wide by then, and his granddaughters achievements would be sullied by the news of her gambling. Youre right. I should deal with it right away. Elder Bai Ye nodded as he took a step forward to address the crowd, Please listen to me! His voice was loud and clear, and it immediately drew everyones attention to him. The bet that Ruanqing has made earlier with the rest of you concerning your Sword Pavilion Coins is just a jest. Her motive is to motivate you to give your all to the fight so as to ensure the fairness of the battle. Since its just a jest, you need not take it too seriously! Elder Bai Ye said with a chuckle. Need not take it too seriously? As soon as Elder Bai Ye said those words, a displeased voice echoed from the crowd. What rights do you have to tell them not to take it too seriously? Who do you think you are? Elder Bai Ye turned his head over with a frown, only to see a young man walking over. Well... I am only an ordinary core disciple. However, I believe that these are the thoughts that Bai Ruanqing had in mind when she proposed the bet to her opponents. May I know who are you? Seeing how this young man had confronted him angrily, Elder Bai Yes first reaction was to reveal his true ide^^ However, after a moment of hesitation, he still decided to conceal his identity and probe on first. As an elder, it was best for him not to get involved with the matters concerning the disciples, or else it might reflect badly on him. I am I Am Very Handsome, and Im a good friend of Bai Ruanqings! My words represent her will! Zhang Xuan replied. Since its a bet, what meaning is there if the other party doesnt pay up? This is no longer an issue about the bet but the fundamental trust between humans. If we start undermining the sanctity of promises over here, who would take them seriously in the future? If you dont wish to pay up, sure! Just see if my sword agrees to it or not! How could he give up on the money that he had so painstakingly earned just like that? You must be joking with me! Whoever asks me to give up on my money, be prepared to have the sh*t beaten out of you! [1] One-hit Knockout [2] These two are famous swordsmen from the Lu Xiaofeng series. Ye Gucheng was known to be the Sword Immortal back then, and there was no one who could rival him back in his era, but Ximen Chuixue rose through the ranks. They eventually had a fight with one another, and it ended up with Ximen Chuixues victory. Chapter 1983 - 1983 Killing the Core Disciples 1983 Killing the Core Disciples Audacious! Do you know who you are standing before? Seeing how this fellow dared to step forward and utter such arrogant words, the face of the old man standing beside Elder Bai Ye immediately darkened. Elder Bai Ye was Bai Ruanqings grandfather, so he had the right to speak on behalf of Bai Ruanqing... It was just that it was inconvenient for him to reveal his identity due to his standing in the sect. Who do you think you are to interfere in the affairs of their family? Im talking to him. An outsider like you should just scram aside! Zhang Xuan scoffed as he swung his sword toward him. The old man didnt expect Zhang Xuan would dare make a move toward him, and he couldnt help but roar in furiousughter, What audacity you have! Come then, let me see just what you are capable of then! Ill acknowledge you if you can just withstand three blows... Putong! But before the old man could finish his words, his head had already slid to the ground. He had already drawn his sword to deflect the young mans offense, but clearly... the young man somehow still managed to slip through his defense! What a load of nonsense! Zhang Xuan scoffed after decapitating the old man with a single strike. That fellow is just spouting rubbish, so theres no need to pay him any heed. Owe money pay money, theres nothing more natural than that in the world. If even esteemed disciples of our sect were to shirk from their debts, what would be of our credibility? This young man over here, we dont disagree with what you are saying, but I dont think that you have the right to speak on Bai Ruanqings behalf. We want to hear her direct opinion! a core disciple harrumphed. There was no way they would willingly part with the money they had earned so painstakingly. When someone stood up and said that it was all a jest, they felt like they had finally seen a ray of hope. But before they could even start celebrating, that fellow suddenly stood forward to refute those words. Naturally, they wouldnt feel any goodwill toward the fellow standing before them. Furthermore, none of them was conscious of just how powerful the young man before them actually was. The young man had killed the old man standing with Elder Bai Ye with a single strike, but as the old man was disguised as a youngd in the Ethereal Hall as well, everyone simply thought that he was an unimportant cannon fodder that was not worthy of a mention. He was killed too easily that it highlighted his weakness instead of the young mans strength. No one could have possibly imagined that the old man was actually one of their elders. Oh? Judging from what you are saying, it seems like you are quite reluctant to pay up? Zhang Xuan asked lividly. He never thought that he would witness such shamelessness from the core disciples! They had agreed to the bet earlier, but they refused to admit it just because Bai Ruanqing had been killed and hadnt returned yet... Really, some people can be so shameless when money is involved! Its not that we want to shirk on our debts, but you dont have the final say in this matter. Instead, I think the words of that friend over there makes more sense. As the granddaughter of the Third Elder, Bai Ruanqing is not someone whocks money. Surely the only reason why she would be prompted to make such a bet is to heap pressure on us?__ The core disciple who had spoken earlier turned to Elder Bai Ye and asked, Isnt that right, that friend over there? Yes, thats indeed the case... Elder Bai Ye said, The only reason why Ruanqing did what she did was to ce more pressure on you all in hopes that it would be a fairer battle. Theres no reason for her to take anyones money... But before Elder Bai Ye could finish his words, the glint of a sword suddenly shed over. What? Hurriedly turning his head over, Elder Bai Ye saw I Am Very Handsome shing his sword toward him. His eyebrows shot up in displeasure as he reached out to grab his sword in order to deflect the blow. But before his hand could even reach, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation at his wrist. When he finally lowered his head, he realized that his wrist had already been severed. Dangng! The sword in his hand nged on the ground. This... Elder Bai Ye narrowed his eyes in horror. As one of the Three Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, his cultivation had long reached High Immortal realm, making him one of the strongest experts on the Forsaken Continent. This was especially so for his swordsmanship. In the field of swordsmanship, there were simply not many who were a match for him... But right now, before he could even make a move, his hand had already been severed at the wrist! It was true that the other party had assaulted him abruptly, but with his mastery of swordsmanship, he should have been able to deal with it easily! It seemed like the other party was much stronger than he had thought... It was no wonder why his old friend would be killed in a single sh. He thought that thetter did not retaliate out of fear of exposing his identity, but from the looks of it now, it seemed more likely that he was unable to retaliate at all! Of the entire sect, other than the sect leader, there was only one more person who could render his old friendpletely helpless and sever his wrist with such ease... The genius who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, I Am Low Profile! I Am Very Handsome, I Am Low Profile... As these two names revolved in Elder Bai Yes head, the truth swiftly came to him. So its you, I Am... The reason why Elder Bai Ye was unable to think of it till now wasnt because he was slow-witted, but that it was a known fact that I Am Low Profile was at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation. On the other hand, the minimum cultivation requirement to enter the core disciples Ethereal Hall was Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm. Given the vast disparity between the two realms, it was hard to imagine that I Am Low Profile would actually be able to achieve a breakthrough within such a short period of time. However, after the profound swordsmanship disyed by the other party, he would really be a fool if he was still unable to draw the links! But before Elder Bai Ye could finish his words, he felt a sharp pain on his tongue. A sword was entered his mouth, and with a swift flick, his tongue and teeth were crushed by a surge of sword qi. Blood flowed profusely out of his mouth as he was rendered incapable of words by the excruciating pain. Dont you try to mess around with me. Even I would get frightened of myself when I get nasty! Zhang Xuan red at Elder Bai Ye coldly. Wuuuu! Elder Bai Ye cried out. There were words that he wanted to speak, but he was unable to do so as a result of his current condition. He tried to speak to the other party via telepathicmunication, the other party waspletely warding him out. Despite the illusory nature of the Ethereal Hall, the pain was extremely real. Just the severing of ones wrist was enough to make one scream for hours at end, but his tongue and teeth had been torn apart by sword qi too... Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as his body trembled uncontrobly. To think that he, a powerful High Immortal, as well as one of the most esteemed powerhouses on the Forsaken Continent, would have been ced in such a state by two simple shes... You are seeking death! Everything happened within just two short breaths, and it was only around this moment did Bai Feng finally recovered from his shock. Overwhelming rage erupted from him. Insolence! How dare this arrogantd make a move on Elder Bai Ye? You are asking to be killed! Hu! Bai Feng charged forth with his sword directed toward Zhang Xuan. But before the tip of his de could evene close, he felt a sharp pain on his neck. Padah! His head fell to the ground. You are... In the moment that Bai Feng found himself faced with his own feet, it finally dawned on him who the other party was too. To think that he would be killed twice by the same people within the span of a day... He really felt like crying. After dealing with the three meddlesome fellows, Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd and uttered coldly, Is there anyone else who thinks that Bai Ruanqing is simply joking around? He wanted to maintain a low profile and not get into any trouble either, but these fellows had the audacity to not pay up... They must be unaware that they were provoking a sleeping dragon! Have you never heard of the saying never touch the inverted scales of a dragon? He knew that his words held little power, so it was important for him to establish his authority first. Thus, he acted decisively and slew the three loudest naysayers right away. If he hadnt done so, the others would have shrugged him away as if he was a nobody. That friend over there, dont you think its inappropriate for you to make such a vicious move on them? May I know who you are? a core disciple stepped forward and asked. Upon seeing that this person had stepped forward to mediate the situation, everyone immediately fell silent. She was no other than the third strongest core disciple, Liu Yulian! After being killed, she quickly returned with another Ethereal Token. To ensure that the others were still able to recognize her, she chose to assume the same appearance as before. You dont wish to pay up either? Zhang Xuan looked at her and sneered. I believe in Bai Ruanqings character. Theres no way she would ept money over a... Liu Yulian was only halfway through her words when she suddenly found herself faced with her bottom. Padah! Her head fell to the ground and rolled around the area. Done. Is there anyone else who doesnt want to pay up? Its fine by me if you dont want to pay up either. Just be warned that Ill kill you each time I see you in the Ethereal Hall until you finally pay up! Zhang Xuan flicked his sword coldly to the side as he spoke. You must have been thinking that you can gang up on me and pressure me into forgetting your debts... But too bad for you, what you have provoked is not an ant but the devil himself! You... The reason why they thought little of I Am Very Handsome was because they had no clear notion of how powerful he was. Elder Bai Ye, Bai Feng, and the old man were in disguise, and they were killed so easily that it appeared like they were weak instead... They thought that no matter how powerful I Am Very Handsome was, there was no way he could have matched the top experts of the core disciples. However, this was Liu Yulian they were talking about over here. She was actually decapitated just like that... Everyone was horrified! It was only in this instant that it dawned on them that the young man was no ordinary core disciple at all. This fellow is extremely weird. We should move together to kill him! I think its very likely that hes not one of the core disciples! The crowd shouted. Even the strongest amongst the core disciples, He Jingxuan, was incapable of ying Liu Yulian with a single sh! Yet, this fellow was able to do so. Something was surely wrong here... The lengths which people will go to shirk payment sure is frightening! Zhang Xuan scoffed. Who could have thought that this bunch of fellows would be so shameless as toe up with all kinds of excuses to kill him just so that they could avoid paying up? I wanted to solve this amicably, but it seems like the world only talks with strength. Since thats the case, let me give you all a lesson that you will never forget! This shall be the worst decision you have ever made in your life. As long as you refuse to pay up, Ill kill all of you until none of you dares to enter the Ethereal Hall any longer! Hu! Zhang Xuan leaped right into the midst of the crowd. In an instant, sword qi gushed around the area, and the ground quaked furiously. Elder Bai Ye, who had his tongue sliced and wrist severed, looked at the sight before him with a pale face. At this rate, it felt like the entire Ethereal Hall would be destroyed! This fellow is getting way out of hand. After causing amotion at the inner disciples Ethereal Hall, he wishes to do the same over at the core disciples side too... Elder Bai Ye thought furiously. Bearing with the pain, he was just about to step forward and reveal his identity when he suddenly felt a sharp pain stabbing into his neck. Padah! A sliver of sword qi leaked out from the heart of the battlefield and decapitated him. Elder Bai Ye. By the time he opened his eyes once more, he had already returned back to his own residence. In front of him, Bai Feng and the old man were staring at one another face-to-face with incredulous looks on their faces. Somehow, their faces seemed to appear more wrinkled than before, as if they had aged a decade. As High Immortals, they were top experts of the Forsaken Continent who could influence the politics of the world with every move that they made... But earlier in the core disciples Ethereal Hall, they were subdued in just a single move by the young man... They were simply no match for the young man at all! You... You have been killed too! the old man eximed when he saw Elder Bai waking up once more. Un... Elder Bai Ye nodded slowly. How many moves? the old man asked. He was asking Elder Bai Ye how many moves from the other party he had survived. As he had died the earliest, he was unaware of the happenings afterward. Elder Bai Ye stuck out three fingers. Three moves? Thats already a lot... Just recalling how he was killed within a single move left the old man feeling so stifled that he could die on the spot. He found it hard to believe that Elder Bai Ye could actually withstand three moves from the other party, so he asked, What sword art did you use in order to survive three moves? While Elder Bai Ye was indeed stronger than him, he didnt recall the gap between the both of them being so huge. I didnt use any sword art at all, Elder Bai Ye replied with a bitter smile. You didnt? the old man shook his head in disbelief. Thats impossible. Given how fast that fellows sword is, its impossible for those of the same cultivation realm to evade it. Theres no way you would have been able to survive his attacks if you hadnt counterattacked... The first move he made, he severed my wrist, causing my sword to fall to the ground, Elder Bai Ye said. The second move, he stabbed into my mouth and severed my tongue, preventing me from speaking! Hearing those words, the old mans goosebumps rose up and he felt feeble all over, But those arent killing moves! Indeed, they arent killing moves at all. Its because he didnt intend to kill me in the first ce that I was able to survive the first two moves... Elder Bai Ye closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Then, you... the old man continued asking. I was intending to step forward to reveal my identity and mediate in the conflict while he was killing the other core disciples, but I ended up getting killed by a random surge of sword qi that escaped from the center of the battlefield... Elder Bai Ye said. You were killed by a random surge of sword qi... the old man was stunned. What was with this situation? A random surge of sword qi leaking out from the center the battlefield actually killed one of the Three Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... Was such a thing even possible at all? Hes the genius whoprehended the Gods Sword Intent? the old man narrowed his eyes as realization struck him. Chapter 1984 - 1984 Elder Bai Ye’s Breakdown 1984 Elder Bai Yes Breakdown Even though he was a core elder, his mastery of swordsmanship didnt stand out within the sect. While he did feel a little stifled at being killed within a single move, it was still something he could ept. But for Elder Bai Ye, one of the Three Grand Elders, to be killed by a random sword qi that leaked out of the battlefield... Just how powerful must the other party be? No matter how dumb he might be, he knew that such a thing was impossible for an ordinary sword practitioner! Heck, not even the sect leader would be able to do it! There was only one person in the world who could possibly achieve this feat... And that was the man who had sent the entire Elder Council into an uproar over not too long ago... that genius who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent! Thats very likely to be the case! Elder Bai Ye nodded. Previously, he had heard Bai Fengvishingpliments on I Am Low Profile. While he knew that Bai Feng was not one to exaggerate, he felt that thetter might have overstated I Am Low Profiles strength by a little too much. However, in the short encounter that he had with I Am Low Profile, he realized that thosepliments were not excessive at all! Despite the other partys seemingly ordinary swordsmanship, his maneuvers were precise and spot-on. Every single w that could be exploited were exploited, thus rendering whatever moves he could executepletely meaningless. It was as if he had been stripped clean before the other party. There was nothing he could do that would possibly deceive the other party. No, something is not right. Did you mention earlier that he was killing the other core disciples? Does that mean that hes challenging everyone at once, simr to what he did back at the inner disciples Ethereal Hall? the old man narrowed his eyes in horror as a thought struck his mind. What are we idling around here for? We have to stop him! Its already toote... Elder Bai Ye shook his head and sighed deeply. He has already killed all of the core disciples by now... He has already killed all of them? The old man and Bai Feng were stunned by what they had just heard. All in all, it was probably less than a minute since they had been forcefully ejected from the Ethereal Hall... and within this short period of time, dozens of core disciples had been killed? We should hurry up and inform Elder He and the others of the matter then! They are probably still unaware of this matter at the moment. They should be at the Sword Gazebo at the moment, so they should be able to confirm I Am Low Profiles location right away... the old man was silent for a brief moment before he eximed in agitation. Theres no need for that. I have a good idea of who that person is. Lets head over to find him right now! Elder Bai Ye said as he rose to his feet. He looked at the old man once more and instructed, Look for Elder He and report everything that had happened at the core disciples Ethereal Hall earlier to him in detail. After which, I need you to request him to return to the Elder Council with the other elders. Meanwhile, Bai Feng and I will be looking for I Am Low Profile. Most likely, we should able to bring him over very quickly... After saying those words, he gestured for Bai Feng to follow him before quickly walking out of the residence. Back at Zhang Xuans residence... Shortly after Bai Ruanqing was killed by He Jingxuan, she swiftly grabbed another Ethereal Token and returned back to the core disciples Ethereal Hall. ... Where is everyone? She was surprised by how empty the area around the dueling ring was. It was just a moment ago that a crowd was gathered around this area, so why would all of them disappear in the short interval that she was gone? While she was brooding over this matter, the person who had died together with her earlier, He Jingxuan, appeared not too far in the distance with a dazed look as well. What happened over here? Bai Ruanqing asked in astonishment. I just received news that a person named I Am Very Handsome has made a move against all of the core disciples... He Jingxuan replied with a dazed look in his eyes. He was still pondering over the battle he had earlier with Bai Ruanqing when he received the news that a formidable opponent had challenged all of the core disciples. Thus, he immediately returned to the Ethereal Hall, intending to lend a hand... But who could have thought everyone would actually be killed so quickly! Wasnt the other partys swordsmanship a little too powerful? So, I Am Very Handsome killed everyone that was here? Bai Ruanqing suddenly felt a little light-headed, and she nearly fainted to the ground. Senior Uncle, are you trying to stage a revolt here? Its like you didnt have enough fun dominating the inner disciples, so you came over to bully the core disciples as well... Are you intending to challenge the Elder Council next then? Ill head out to take a look... Bai Ruanqing rubbed her be in frustration as she backed out from the Ethereal Hall. Just as she finally returned back to the room, she saw Zhang Xuan rising to his feet, stretching his backzily. Senior Uncle, did you, by any chance, kill all of the core disciples in the Ethereal Hall? They were despicable people. They have lost the duel, yet they refused to pay up. Thus, I had all of them killed in order to teach them a lesson. Its not as if they could be harmed in the Ethereal Hall anyway, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. Bai Ruanqing was frenzied. Was there really a need for you to go so far over something as minor as this? Right, I need you to check if they have paid you yet? Quickly transfer the money over to me if they have done so... Otherwise, Ill return to the Ethereal Hallter to purge them againter on! Zhang Xuan waved his hand coldly. There was so much frustration bottling up in Bai Ruanqings chest that she could hardly breathe anymore. Why would such a formidable expert stoop so low as to kill all of the core disciples over mere money? Shaking her head, she took out a jade token and nced at it before replying, They have already paid me. The total sum is roughly 100,000 Sword Pavilion Coins! 100,000? Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. It seems like the core disciples are quite wealthy after all! He had killed half of the core disciples, only to earn 200,000 Sword Pavilion Coins in total. On the other hand, just by defeating five core disciples, he was able to make a killing of 100,000 Sword Pavilion Coins... It seemed like the wealth disparity was really no joke! Well, it seemed like he had just found himself a reliable avenue to resolve his mary issues once and for all... It didnt take long for Bai Ruanqing to transfer the money over, and Zhang Xuan couldnt help but celebrate a little gleefully on the inside over the mini fortune he had earned within a single day. A whileter, he raised his head and looked at Bai Ruanqing, Your swordsmanship is still not too bad, but the sword toss you have learned from Dan Xiaotian is riddled with far too many problems. Ill correct it for you now. Later on, I need you to return to the dueling ring and earn more money back for me, understood? ...Bai Ruanqing. She was conflicted on whether she should feel happy that she should be delighted that her Senior Uncle would be teaching her personally or that she was being used as a tool to earn money... but eventually, her desire to learn advanced swordsmanship won over. She quickly stood up and prepared herself to listen to her teachers impartation when she suddenly heard several knocksing from the main entrance of the residence. Following which, Cao Chenglis shout echoed loudly, Who are you? We are here to find Zhang Xuan! a voice replied. Upon hearing the voice, Bai Ruanqing immediately felt goosebumps rising all over her body. With quivering lips, she eximed, Senior Uncle... its my grandfather! Hes here! Your grandfather? Zhang Xuan was stunned. You are referring to Elder Bai Ye? Based on what he knew, Elder Bai Ye was one of the Three Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, a true expert of the continent. Why would such an esteemed individuale knocking on his door? Was the acting he had put on earlier not good enough to convince the other party not to take him in as his student? That should be the case, right? After all, he had only been at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for a single day, and he had made sure to maintain a low profile all along. He didnt seem to have done anything really excessive yet. So, there didnt seem to be any reason why Elder Bai Ye would want to pay a visit to him! Thats right! Bai Ruanqing nodded. I reckon that the reason why hes here is because he still wishes to take me in as his student... Since thats the case, Ill need you to feign as if you are trying to teach me sword artter on. Youll criticize me for my weak mastery of swordsmanship and express your disappointment in me for having let down your grandfathers expectations... Zhang Xuan said. This... Bai Ruanqing was conflicted. She had never been good at acting and deceiving others! Its settled then. Otherwise, dont expect me to teach you any swordsmanship anymore! Zhang Xuan replied. Alright then... Hearing those words, Bai Ruanqing had no choice but to agree to his request. She would do anything as long as she could learn from her Senior Uncle. Thetters swordsmanship was simply that formidable! She had only learned two sword arts so farand they were only the two most basic movesbut it was already enough for her to fight the number one core disciple to a draw. If she were to just study a bit longer under him, even she would dare not imagine how powerful she could possibly be! This was an opportunity that she couldnt give up on! While they were still discussing the matter, Bai Feng stepped forward and shed his token to Cao Chengli. Why? Do you think that you can enter by keeping mum and showing me a token? Cao Chengli frowned in displeasure. He was still angry at having his head smacked, so his attitude toward the two guests wasnt too nice either. To shove a token right in my face when Im asking you a question, do you think that this is a ce for you to show off? Tsk! As if you are the only one who knows how to show off! I am an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Im here to pay a visit to your Young Master, Zhang Xuan! Seeing that the other party didnt recognize the Elder Token, Elder Bai Ye exined calmly. Considering how Dan Xiaotian, Zhang Xuan, and the others had only entered the sect a day ago, it was understandable for them to have never seen such a high-tiered Elder Token. You are an elder of the sect? Cao Chengli was still at the peak of his rage when those words scared his wits out of him. His face immediately paled as he bowed down respectfully, Pardon me for my previous disrespect! P-please, this way... Cao Chengli was different from Sun Qiang. As a bandit, he had been through many life-and-death situations, so he was extremely wary about offending those who were stronger than him. Naturally, there was no way he would dare to cross an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! If the other party were to make a move on him, he would be dead before he knew it! Pulling his weight before such a figure? Forget it! There were still many carnal pleasures in the mortal world waiting for him to explore! He had no intention of losing his life just yet! Elder Bai Ye nodded as he raised his feet to enter the residence, but Cao Chengli suddenly rushed forward to stop him. My apologies, but the Young Master has a rule that those who walk into the residence arent allowed to enter with their left leg or right leg alone. I beg your pardon for this! After which, he took the lead and hopped across the doorsill with both his feet. This... Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng nced at one another in confusion. What kind of entric rule wasthis? Geniuses usually have their own quirks. Since were here to visit, I guess it would be good for us to abide by the other partys rules... Bai Feng said. Back then, the Ghost Sword Saint was known to have an extremely entric temper as well. Considering that Zhang Xuan hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, it was still understandable that his personality would be a little peculiar. Putong! Putong! The two of them hopped into the residence too. As soon as they stepped into the residence, they were just about to ask where Zhang Xuan was when they suddenly heard a harsh voice sounding from one of the rooms. How can you be so dumb? I have been exining it to you to this for two hours now, but it seems like nothing has gotten into your head at all... How do you expect my grandfather to take you in as his student like that? You are really daydreaming! Peng! In the next moment, the door to the room opened, and a youngdy stomped out furiously. Following behind her was a young man with his head lowered in shame. Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng stared at each other silently... The heck! What in the world are these two up to this time around? Grandfather and Grandpa Feng, why are the two of you here? While the two of them were still trying to figure out what kind of act those two were trying to put up here, Bai Ruanqing turned to them with a surprised expression on her face, as if she had only noticed their presence. She quickly walked up to them. We came here to... Elder Bai Ye was just about to reveal the purpose behind his arrival when Bai Ruanqing abruptly interjected impatiently. Grandfather, its good that you are here. This person over here is the person who sold me the medicine, Zhang Xuan. Im extremely grateful to him for having saved your life, but I must say that his swordsmanship is truly mediocre... I have already taught him for several hours now, but he hasnt even understood the most basic sword art yet! Bai Ruanqing said as she red at Zhang Xuan in disappointment, as if she couldnt believe that there could be such a useless disciple in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Ill give you onest chance. Execute the sword art which I have just taught you to my grandfather. As you know, my grandfather is one of the Three Grand Elders of the sect. If you can just do well this once, you will be able to acknowledge him as your teacher! Y-yes, Senior Bai! Zhang Xuan hesitantly lifted his sword and shed down. His movements were incredibly awkward, and they carried not the slightest hint of sword qi at all... It would be an insult to call even something like this a sword art. Elder Bai Ye looked at Bai Feng once more with a conflicted look in his eyes. Do we look like fools in their eyes? I dont even know if they are really trying to fool us or mock us... It doesnt even seem like they are putting any effort into their act at all! Im really starting to feel a little offended over here! Grandfather, look! His skills are really disappointing, and he doesnt have the slightest talent for swordsmanship at all. Such a dumb person isnt worthy of being your student at all! I do know that hes our benefactor, and this debt must be repaid somehow, but we shouldnt do it at the expense of your reputation either! Or else... why dont we just give him some money instead? Seeing that her grandfather and Grandpa Feng had gonepletely silent, Bai Ruanqing thought that she had managed to fool them with her acting. Heaving a visible sigh of relief, she monotonously repeated the script which Zhang Xuan had forced her to remember a moment ago. Dumb? Isnt worthy of being my student? Elder Bai Ye nearly choked on his saliva. It was one thing if he didnt know a thing at all, but this was the young man who had severed his head with just a stray surge of sword qi... If there was anyone here who was unworthy, it would have to be him! It was lucky that there was no crater here, or else he would have dived right like like an ostrich! I am deeply ashamed of my weakness, but I fear that I really dont have any talents in the Way of the Sword... Im truly apologetic to have let Third Elder down... Zhang Xuan lowered his head in shame. In the depths of his eyes, one could see a hint of regret and low self-esteem, reminiscent of a person who had tried time and time again, only to be struck down by the cruelty of reality each and every single attempt. His eyes were so expressive that it almost felt as if he was the protagonist of some kind of hot-blooded youth drama. Seeing this, Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng felt their chest getting even more stifled. They were convinced that they were going to bottle up some sort of severe internal injuries at this rate. What the hell was this? It turned out that this young man was not only a vastly talented sword practitioner, he was also a born actor! With such talents, he was already set for his life! Elder Bai Ye took several deep breaths to assuage the stifled sensation within him so as to ensure that his veins wouldnt suddenly rupture from high blood pressure before finally speaking up, If you arecking in your swordsmanship, its indeed inappropriate for me to take you in as my student. However, its not for show that the sword is known as the Conqueror of Weapons. Theres nothing that can rece what it is capable of. If you do want to acknowledge me as your teacher, I can start teaching you from the basics. I trust that youll soon reach Bai Ruanqings level under my guidance... This... Zhang Xuan didnt think that the other party would still want to take him in as his student even after all the acting he had put on. Speechless, he hurriedly waved his hand and said, Im deeply honored, but I dare not ept your offer. Given myck of aptitude, I am not confident that Ill be able to meet up to your expectations... I dont mind sullying my reputation, but I dare not besmirch Third Elders name! Its nothing much. I am indebted to you for saving my life, and its only right for me to repay your favor... Or could it be that you are interested in other weaponry instead? It was not that Elder Bai Ye was toying with Zhang Xuan, but he wanted to force thetter to admit to his identity as I Am Low Profile. Otherwise, if thetter were to deny it to the bitter end, there was very little that he could do either. He could try resorting to force too, but it would carry the risk of possibly pushing this talented sword practitioner away from the sect. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon hearing Elder Bai Yes words, Indeed, Im not too interested in swordsmanship... I dont mean to be rude, but my true passion actually lies in the Way of the Saber! Chapter 1985 - 1985 Meeting the Sect Leader 1985 Meeting the Sect Leader Third Elder, I dare not lie to you. Its truly my earnest wish to learn the saber. The Way of the Saber crushes everything in its path with overwhelming might, and I find it extremely fitting of my personality and temperament... Seeing the slight doubt in the other partys eyes, Zhang Xuan quickly added on with an earnest look on his face. The agile sword and the forceful saber; it was a conventional notion that it was impossible for a man to master both weaponry together. Since the other party was intent on making him learn swordsmanship, there was no better excuse than to im that his true passiony in the Way of the Saber... It was not as if he was a disciple of the sect, so it didnt contravene the rules of the sect. As long as he could show that he was skilled in the Way of the Saber, he should be able to convince the other party to give up on the notion of taking him in as his student. Cough cough! If thats the case, may I ask you to disy your saber art? Im quite interested to see how adept you are in the Way of the Saber! Elder Bai Ye took another deep breath to calm himself down before asking. I know that someone as formidable as you would surely be unwilling to be my student, but of all excuse you cane up with, you are telling me that you wish to learn the Way of the Saber instead? Very well, let me see what you can do then! Just watch as I spot traces of Sword Intent in your saber art! Ill see how you are going to exin yourself afterward! To be honest, he wouldnt have minded if Zhang Xuan had turned him down directly. But to put up all these acts and toss him so many ridiculous excuses, it would be a lie to say that he wasnt displeased. Im afraid that I dont have any saber with me... Dont worry, I have one here. Zhang Xuan was just about to turn Elder Bai Ye down with a wave of his hand when thetter suddenly whipped out a saber. Even though Elder Bai Ye specialized in swordsmanship, he still had some other types of weapons with him. This was a part of his swordsmanship training as well. A useful way to better understand the strengths and limitations of swordsmanship was to try out other weapons too. Through uncovering the possibilities of other weapons, one could uncover unconventional ways to exert ones swordsmanship. This was simr to how the Nine Swords of Dugu[l] had Saber Subduing Stance, Whip Subduing Stance, Arrow Subduing Stance, Palm Subduing Stance... ... Alright then! Seeing that there was no other way out of this, Zhang Xuan took the saber and flicked it lightly. A powerful Saber Intent swiftly suffused his entire body, contrasting him to be an iparably mighty saber that would even smash a hole into the heavens above. Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng narrowed their eyes in speechlessness. At this very instant, they felt the Sword Intent in their body being suppressed by the other partys Saber Intent to the extent such that they couldnt even lift their heads up! To put it in other words... Zhang Xuans Saber Intent was actually even purer and more powerful than their Sword Intent! But the young man before them was supposed to be the person who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent! How in the world was it possible for his Saber Intent to be so formidable as well? It almost felt as if their years of hard work had gonepletely to waste... On the other hand, Zhang Xuan carefully assessed the shocked expressions on the two elders before nodding in satisfaction. From the looks of it, it seemed like he had finally managed to convince Elder Bai Ye of the matter. As I have mentioned, my true expertise lies in saber arts instead of swordsmanship... Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his saber and retracted his Saber Intent. He had really gone all out so that he wouldnt have to be Elder Bai Yes student this time around! You are indeed more skilled in saber art... Elder Bai Ye swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Knowing that he was going nowhere at this rate, he decided to juste clean with the matter, To be honest, the reason why Im here is not to take you in as my student. Instead, its to confirm your identity and bring you over to the Elder Council! Confirm my identity? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat, but he concealed it with a confused look. What do you mean by that? If Im not mistaken, you are I Am Low Profile and I Am Very Handsome, right? Elder Bai Ye asked. Huh? Pardon me, but Im not really catching what you are saying over here, Zhang Xuan was panicking a little inside, but he maintained a look of bewilderment on his face, What do you mean by low profile and handsome? Theres no need for you to deny this matter any further. I know my granddaughter very well. Shes an impatient and reckless person, and she has never been really serious about learning swordsmanship before... Otherwise, she wouldnt have only reached the level shes currently at after years of training. However, within a short hour after meeting you, she gained the strength to confront the number one expert of the core disciples. Other than I Am Low Profile, the genius who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, I cant think of another person in the world who could pull off a feat like this! Elder Bai Ye said. I... Zhang Xuans panic quickly turned into embarrassment before eventually culminating into burning rage. Your mum! If you have already known my identity right from the start, why didnt you just say it out loud? You made me put on an act and disy my saber art, are you treating me like a monkey for your entertainment? In order to alleviate Zhang Xuans worries, Elder Bai Ye hurriedly added, I bear no ill will toward you. If I did, I would have already made a move. While you haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent, your cultivation is only at Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm at the moment. I dont mean to be rude, but you wouldnt be able to pose a threat to me with your current strength. He had no idea what kind of methods Zhang Xuan used in order to achieve a breakthrough within such a short period of time, but the fact that he was able to enter the core disciples Ethereal Hall meant that he had managed to advance his cultivation to Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm. Fine then, Ill admit to it! With an irritated sigh, Zhang Xuan tossed away his excessively respectful attitude and replied. He did notice that the other party had failed to see through his cultivation, but he chose not to rify the matter. He didnt want to give himself away until he finally discerned Elder Bai Ye and the sects intentions. If it was possible, he would have preferred not to reveal his identity as I Am Low Profile at all, but he could sense the conviction in Elder Bai Yes words. Thetter was definitely not just trying to sound him out. Since he had already been revealed, there was no point in him struggling so desperately to conceal his identity. He might as well just admit to it candidly. Furthermore, there was some truth in what Elder Bai Ye had said. He had no gauge of a High Immortals prowess at the moment, but at Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm, it didnt seem like he would have a good chance of triumphing over Elder Bai Ye. For the time being, it didnt seem that Elder Bai Ye harbored malicious intentions toward him. Indeed... Seeing Zhang Xuan admitting to it, Elder Bai Ye clenched his fists tightly together. While he was confident in his deduction, he was still unable to curb his heart from beating in agitation when he heard the news. The man who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent was really standing before him... Ever since the founding of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion several thousand years ago, there had been no one who had reached such a height other than the founder! Would you be willing to apany me to the Elder Council? As the person who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, your existence is of great significance to our sect. If nothing goes wrong, its very likely that you would be our sect leader in the near future! Elder Bai Ye sped his fist and spoke respectfully. The way in which the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion chose its sect leader was extremely simpleit was determined by ones mastery in swordsmanship. As the one who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, as long as Zhang Xuan was able to raise his cultivation up to par, it was only a matter of time before he became a sect leader. Its likely that I would be your sect leader in the near future? Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had thought of many possibilities, but he never thought that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would actually be looking for him to be their new leader... To be honest, he was indeed moved by this offer. This identity would grant him greater protection to survive in the Azure. Furthermore, with the influence of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would be much easier for him to unearth Luo Ruoxins trails too! Un! Elder Bai Ye nodded. I understand. Ill follow you to the Elder Council... However, I do have a request. I understand that Ill be facing the other elders, so its inevitable that they would learn of my identity too. But as far as possible, I hope that this matter doesnt reach the ears of too many people, Zhang Xuan said. Even if Elder Bai Ye and the sect had no intention of harming him, it would still be best for him to act prudently. As the saying went, a tree rising above the forest will eventually fall to the fiery wind. It was for practical reasons why he was so determined to conceal his identity. If others were to learn of his abilities, there was no guarantee that some might attempt to harm him. Dont worry, we have no intention of doing anything that would put you in the way of harm! Elder Bai Ye replied with a nod. He understood the dangers of drawing the attention of others onto one as well. He turned to Bai Ruanqing and instructed sternly, Ruanqing, do not speak of whatever that has happened here to anyone else. Ill be heading out with Brother Zhang for a while! After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Lets go! Elder Bai Ye quickly wrapped Zhang Xuan around in his zhenqi before soaring into the sky. Watching as Zhang Xuan disappeared in the horizon, Dan Xiaotian couldnt help but fall into deep thoughts over what he had just heard, Theres a chance that teacher might be the next sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? He had always known that Zhang Xuan was a highly talented individual with extraordinary fighting prowess, but still, he had never imagined that thetter would actually haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent! Despite his young age, he was already next in line to be the leader of one of the Six Sects! As for Cao Chengli, he suddenly widened his eyes in utter shock as a realization finally struck him. It dawned on him why the Young Master had so many weird rules, prohibiting him from entering the residence with both his left leg and right leg... He actually had the audacity to criticize I Am Low Profile loudly before the Young Master... Wasnt that equivalent to insulting the Young Master in his face? Cao Chengli hurriedly stroked his chest to calm himself down. He thanked the heavens for allowing him to survive what that could have very well been a fatal mistake. Sword Gazebo. Sect Leader Han, Elder He, and the others were staring at the wall before them with such intent gazes that it almost seemed as if they would bore a hole in the wall. Deng deng deng deng! A series of flurried footsteps echoed from the outside. Elder He quickly nced at the arriving elder and asked, Is there an update on I Am Low Profile? No, thats not it... Someone has challenged all of the core disciples! the old man eximed anxiously. It was the very same old man who had visited Elder Bai Ye just a moment ago. Someone challenged all of the core disciples? Could he be I Am Low Profile? Elder He narrowed his eyes in shock as he swiftly rose to his feet. No, thats not right. Isnt his cultivation supposed to only be at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation? That person is called I Am Very Handsome! He challenged dozens of core disciples simultaneously and slew all of them. Elder Bai Ye and I have headed there discreetly, but we ended up getting killed as well... the old man said with a reddened face. He was able to kill dozens of core disciples and even defeat Bai Ye and you... He must indeed be the genius who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, Sect Leader Han nodded slightly. He turned to the wall before him and ordered, Find where I Am Very Handsome is at the moment!! If it was just killing dozens of core disciples, it was still well within his means to do so as well. However, if his opponent included Elder Bai Ye and the old man before him, even he would have a fairly tough time dealing with them. There was no doubt about it. I Am Very Handsome and I Am Low Profile were likely to be the same person! Weng! The wall in front flickered, but nothing appeared. Sect Leader Han, that person has already left the Ethereal Hall after killing the core disciples! the old man exined. However, Elder Bai Ye seems to have confirmed that persons identity. Hes looking for that person at the moment, and he requests for you and the other elders to return to the Elder Council to await his return. He believes that he would be able to bring that person over soon enough! Bai Ye has already confirmed that persons identity? The few elders looked at one another with a look of disbelief on their faces. It was a known fact that Elder Bai Ye was severely wounded, and his life was hinging on a thread. Due to his physical condition, he was even excused from the Elder Council. How did he manage to confirm the identity of that person ahead of them? Well, its like that... the old man began exining the matter. He was unaware of the matter regarding Bai Ruanqing purchasing the medicine from Zhang Xuan, but he did know about what that came afterward. He felt that it was the basis behind Elder Bai Yes deduction of that persons true identity. Bai Ruanqing has only learned two moves from that person, but her ranking swiftly rose from the seventeenth ce to the first ce. She even fought my grandson to a draw? Elder He widened his eyes in disbelief. If he was still a little uncertain a moment ago, right now, he was utterly convinced that Elder Bai Ye had gotten the right person. Lets quickly return then! Knowing that this matter had been resolved, the crowd quickly made their way back to the Elder Council. Barely after they took their seats, the doors opened. Elder Bai Ye walked in with a young man beside him. Sect Leader Han, you are back! Elder Bai Yes eyes lit up after seeing the person sitting on the center seat. He quickly gestured to the young man beside him and introduced, This is the person who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan? The crowd quickly nced over out of curiosity. To their surprise, the other party was only in his early twenties. That was an unbelievably young age for a cultivator who had reached the zenith of swordsmanship in the Azure! Zhang Xuan, this is our sect leader, Han Jianqiu! Elder Bai Ye gestured to the old man sitting at the center of the group and said. Sect leader? Zhang Xuan gazed over. Han Jianqiu had the appearance of someone in his sixties. He was dressed in a green robe, and his presence seemed to be suffused with sharp Sword Intent, making it difficult for one to gauge the depth of his cultivation. [1] The Nine Swords of Dugu are depicted to be nine independent sword stance to counter a wide range of martial arts. Its known to be formless and flexible, containing only several basic moves that can be put together to construct endless variations, making it impossible for the opponent to predict and counter the swordy. Chapter 1986 - 1986 Devastating the Elder Council (1) 1986 Devastating the Elder Council (1) There were no records of what came after High Immortals in the books that Zhang Xuan had essed so far, and Elder Lu Yun had no idea what was there either. Nevertheless, his gut feeling was that the old man before him, Sect Leader Han Jianqiu, had already reached that unknown level. He could tell that Han Jianqiu did not bear him any ill will, but if thetter really wanted to make a move against him, he would bepletely helpless to retaliate. Zhang Xuan, is it convenient for you to disy your swordsmanship to us? Han Jianqiu asked with a chuckle. May I know how you wish for me to disy my swordsmanship? Zhang Xuan asked. Your cultivation is only at Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm, so it would be impossible for you to enter the elders Ethereal Hall. Since thats the case, lets enter the core disciples Ethereal Hall and have a duel there. I think that theres no better way to demonstrate ones swordsmanship than a real battle! Han Jianqiu replied. The elders also had an exclusive Ethereal Hall, but there was a minimum cultivation to enter its premises. Clearly, the young man had not reached the minimum requirement, so they could only make do with the core disciples Ethereal Hall instead. Seeing that the other party did not notice that he had intentionally suppressed his cultivation, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, Entering the core disciples Ethereal Hall? Thats too troublesome. Why dont you just suppress your cultivation and have a fight with me here? Here? Are you certain? Before Han Jianqiu could say anything, Elder He had already interjected with a frown. Everyones cultivation, zhenqi capacity, and physical prowess are at the same level as one another in the Ethereal Hall, so its indubitably the fairest battlefield for all of us. On the other hand, here, even if we suppress our cultivation, there will still be some differences in the resilience of our bodies, souls, and purity of zhenqi. Those are not factors that we can control. Entering the Ethereal Hall only required a sliver of ones consciousness, and one would be instantaneously paired with a body whose attributes were identical to everyone else. In a sense, it was simr to ones consciousness being brought over to a puppets body. It was only under such circumstances that the differences in the prowess of ones swordsmanship would show clearly. But in reality, even if they suppressed their cultivation, their physical bodies and souls as High Immortals would still grant them a decisive advantage in the battle. There was no way a Lesser Pseudo Immortal would stand a chance against them! Its fine, Zhang Xuan replied. While he could uncover the other partys identity from their sword arts in the Ethereal Hall through the Library of Heavens Path, the information that he received was limited. If he used the Library of Heavens Path in reality, he could even track down the other partys ancestors. If anything happened, this information could be the key for him to preserve his life. Humph! Since you have already made up your mind, we also want to see just how powerful the Gods Sword Intent is! an elder said as he stood up. The Gods Sword Intent was the swordsmanshipprehended by the founder, and just the fact that the founder was able to steal half a character from the Hall of Gods spoke a lot about its prowess. Unfortunately, over the past several thousand years, no one had been able to reach the same level as the founder. In fact, even they, despite being the strongest sword practitioners in the sect, were unable to tell just how powerful it was! Since the person before them wanted to challenge them outside the Ethereal Hall, that would be for the best! They were more than willing to test the prowess of the Gods Sword Intent for themselves. In any case, given the resilience of their physical bodies and souls, even if they suppressed their cultivation, the other party would not be able to hurt them anymore! I am Chou Huo, the First Elder of the Core Disciple Sector. My cultivation is at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, and I wish to test your swordsmanship! The elder named Chou Huo stepped forward and swiftly suppressed his cultivation to Zhang Xuans level. With a simple flick of his de, a crisp metallic reverberation echoed through the air. It was customary for each elder to be bestowed with a sword from the Elder Council. The swords that elders received were identical, and they were intended for dueling purposes. The reason behind that was to ensure that the prowess of the weapon did not interfere in the results of the duel. Zhang Xuan looked at Chou Huo calmly, not drawing his de at all. Instead, he chuckled lightly and said, You wont be enough. The rest of you shoulde down as well! Not enough? The eyebrows of the other elders shot up in astonishment. Among them, Elder Bai Ye even sped his forehead. To think that this fellow actually called himself I Am Low Profile... Just tell me, how the heck is this low profile at all? Those who are present arent just the top sword practitioners of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion; they are renowned even across the entire Forsaken Continent! Even if your swordsmanship is formidable, any single person here would be enough to be an opponent for you... Yet, you actually want to fight everyone, including the Sect Leader Han? Is there any limit to your arrogance? It seems like you all dare not face me? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and a provocative smile crept onto his lips. Seeing how Zhang Xuan was snubbing him, Chou Huosplexion did not look too good. I admit that the Gods Sword Intent is indeed formidable, but its not for no reason that I was able to be the First Elder of the Core Disciple Sector. Not to mention, only my cultivation has been suppressed here. If you wish to fight everyone else, you would do well to defeat me first! In the first ce, it was already beneath a Heavenly High Immortal like him to challenge a Lesser Pseudo Immortal, but the other party thought that he would not be able to put up a fight. This was as good as pping him in his face! Furthermore, it was the kind that utilized a skillfulbination of backhand and forehand to create a rhythmic Pah! Pah! Pah! kind of face p! Is that how it works here? I see! Seeing that no one else intended to join the battle, possibly due to their confidence in Chou Huos strength, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly as he raised a single finger up. What does that mean? Do you intend to defeat me in a single move? Chou Huo was stunned for a moment before he roared furiously inughter. Arent you being a little too arrogant? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head and rified himself. You misunderstand. What Im saying is that without using a sword or moving an inch, I can defeat you with a single finger in a single breath. You... Chou Huo nearly exploded on the spot. As the First Elder of the Core Disciple Sector, he had tempered his state of mind to a level where he could remain unfazed to most matters... but he had never met someone as infuriating as the other party! It was not just the other partys words that were leaving him so maddened. Even the other partys gaze and gestures were incredibly condescending, almost as if he was looking at an ant. He was a Heavenly High Immortal, one of the strongest experts on the Forsaken Continent! Yet, why did it feel as if he was a nobody attempting to challenge someone far beyond his league? Very well, allow me to assess your prowess. Im looking forward to seeing how you defeat me with a single finger in a single breath! Chou Huo harrumphed as he red at Zhang Xuan. ... Isnt that young man a little arrogant? Arrogant? More like his head is up in the clouds! Han Jianqiu and Elder He looked at one another as they traded bitter smiles. For a Lesser Pseudo Immortald to remain unfazed in the presence of so many Heavenly High Immortals and even utter such haughty words... Did he have a screw loose in his head, or did he have the skills to back his words? The Gods Sword Intent is known to be powerful enough to deal with even the deities... Lets hope that this young mans strength is enough to awe us! I guess thats all we can do now! Shaking their heads, the two of them turned their gazes back to Chou Huo and Zhang Xuan. Seeing how no one else wasing even after his provocation, Zhang Xuan was a little disappointed, at a pity... He knew that his words were a little arrogant, but he was doing it on purpose. He wanted everyone to make a move so that he could gather the ws of everyone on the Elder Council. This would allow him to be prepared for whatever came his way in the future. Otherwise, the duels would probably end after he defeated around three enemies and proved his strength. He did not think that he had the strength to oppose a Heavenly High Immortal in his current state, so he could only find other means to escape from them in case any of them intended him harm. Forget it... I should defeat this one before challenging the rest of them again. I believe they should alle down after this... Seeing how snugly seated the elders were, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to convince them toe down for the time being. Thus, he turned his gaze to Chou Huo and said, Lets not waste any time and get it over with! Hu! Right after he said those words, Chou Huo moved. Even though Chou Huo had suppressed his cultivation to the Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm, his movements were still swift like a hurricane. The sword in his hand seemed to pierce right through the limitations of space, arriving before Zhang Xuans face in an instant. In terms of prowess, there was no doubt that he was many times stronger than the number one core disciple, He Jingxuan. But just as Chou Huos sword was about to reach Zhang Xuans throat, Zhang Xuan raised his finger and flicked it lightly. His movements were not too fast, but they felt solemn and incredibly heavy. In an instant, Chou Huo felt as if aet was crushing down on him, leaving him feeling as if he was facing a force that he could never hope to oppose. How is this possible? Chou Huo widened his eyes in disbelief. He was a Heavenly High Immortal expert. Even if he suppressed his cultivation, his mental resilience would still be at a much higher level. It should have been impossible for the other party to make a move that would have left him feeling so helpless... but that single finger actually made him feel as if he was facing something far beyond him. How did the other party manage to do that? Kacha! Kacha! With a furious roar, Chou Huo tried to shake away that feeling in his mind and push through with sheer courage. However, as the finger came into contact with his sword, the zhenqi infused into the sword immediately dissipated. The sword swiftly bent into an awkward angle, causing cracks to appear all over it before it shattered into innumerable fragments. As for Chou Huo himself, he tried to move but the overwhelming feeling kept him bound to the spot. He could only watch helplessly as the other partys finger slowly approached his be. On the seats above, Han Jianqiu was slightly stunned by the sight for a moment before the edge of his lips curved up a little. This fellow... Interesting! Sect Leader Han, this is... Elder He nced at Han Jianqiu in confusion. Ignoring the fact that Chou Huo had the body and soul of a High Immortal, even if one assumed that they were of the same cultivation realm, how could Zhang Xuan possibly destroy Chou Huos sword with a single finger and seal his strength too? What were the principles behind this move? If Im not mistaken, his expertise lies not only in swordsmanship but in formations as well, Han Jianqiu exined. Formations? Elder He was even more confused. Un. That move made use of not just his Sword Intent but the formation around the entire Elder Council. He used the formation to refine his Sword Intent to a tremendous level, far beyond what Chou Huo could stand against, Han Jianqiu exined. The reason he used his words to goad the other party earlier was, in truth, to stall for time. He was in his process of refining his Sword Intent then... At this point, Han Jianqiu remarked, Its no wonder he was able toprehend the Gods Sword Intent. His ability to tap into whatever resources are around him is truly formidable! This... Elder Hes cheeks twitched a little. How long had it been since the other party entered the Elder Council? All in all, not more than ten minutes. But within this period, not only did he see through the formation cast around the Elder Council, he was even able to make use of it to nourish his Sword Intent. This was too remarkable! Previously, he had thought that it was impossible for someone to be so much more powerful than them in the same cultivation realm, but it seemed like he might have been underestimating the other party! Peng! While they were shocked beyond words, the battle between the two people fighting below had alreadye to an end. As Zhang Xuans finger fell on Chou Huos forehead, thetter was sent flying into the distance. Chou Huo hurriedly released the seal on his cultivation while he was flying back, or else he would have sustained severe internal injuries. How is it? Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back as he looked at Chou Huo impassively. All in all, from the moment he made his move to the moment that Chou Huo was sent flying, he had spent exactly one breath. I... have lost! Chou Huo lowered his head and surrendered. Even though he felt that the other party did not triumph over him on the grounds of just swordsmanship alone, he felt that it was an embarrassment to even point that out. After all, it was a great humiliation for a High Immortal like him to be defeated by a Pseudo Immortal within a single breath. Hahaha! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he suddenly turned his gaze to the other members of the Elder Council. His voice echoed loudly in the ears of every single elder present. I wonder if I could have the honor of facing the rest of you. Wont you allow me to give each of you a good pummeling with my sword? Chapter 1987 - 1987 Devastating the Elder Council (2) 1987 Devastating the Elder Council (2) You... Hes way too arrogant! I have never felt like hitting someone so much in my life before! In my two hundred years alive, I have seen countless geniuses, but this is the first time Ive wanted to strangle someone so much! Have we made a mistake by bringing him here? Hearing those words, Han Jianqiu, Elder He, and the others were so furious that they gnashed their teeth together. When they first heard that someone hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, they had been so excited that they had immediately put everything aside and even breached the conventions of the sect just to find him... but when they finally found him, it felt like they had just made the worst mistake of their lives. By saying that youll pummel us with your sword, what you mean is that we wont be a match for you even if all of usbine our might together, is that so? Conceited! Pompous! Low profile your head! Taking a deep breath, Elder He stood up and said, That being said, even though he used the formation of the Elder Council to his advantage, the fact that he could defeat Elder Chou with a single move does show that he has superior battle senses. Allow me to give him a try... At that moment, Han Jianqiu shook his head and stood up. He wishes to challenge all of us at once. Lets not waste any time and fight him together. Sect Leader Han... The faces of the elders around immediately stiffened. They had never thought that they would hear such words from the mouth of their sect leader. They were the strongest experts on the continent! If someone learned that they had suppressed their cultivation to challenge a Pseudo Immortal realmd... They would be mocked for their entire lives by their peers! One who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent is capable of reaching the gods with his de. Its not an embarrassment for all of us to face him together, Han Jianqiu replied calmly. The crowd hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding in agreement. Yes! The Forsaken Continent was and abandoned by the gods. Comprehending the Gods Sword Intent meant that ones mastery of swordsmanship had already reached a level that couldpete with the gods. Even though their cultivation was indeed much higher, there was no doubt that the other party had something in him that far surpassed the rest of them. Otherwise, it would not just have been the founder who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent in the several thousand years since the founding of the sect. Hu! Several elders walked down to the open space at the center of the Elder Council with a sword each in hand. They were Sect Leader Han Jianqiu, Elder He, Elder Bai Ye, and two other elders. All in all, there were five people. Those five people represented the highest fighting prowess of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Every single one of them was ranked within the top thirty strongest cultivators of the Forsaken Continent. Wait a moment... Despite the formidable line up before him, Zhang Xuan did not seem nervous in the least. Instead, he seemed to heave a sigh of relief before speaking up. Dont you think that a in battle is too boring? Since we are going to fight, we might as well put something on the line to make things a little more interesting! You want to make a bet? Elder Bai Yes eyebrows shot up as an ominous premonition loomed over his mind. This money-minded fellow could not be thinking of cleaning them out as well, could he? As the sect leader and the four strongest elders of one of the Six Sects, if even they got robbed despite putting their strength together... Elder Bai Ye was not too sure if he would still be able to find the strength to continue existing in this world. They would surely be the greatest joke in the Forsaken Continent in all of history! Bet? What kind of bet do you wish to make? Han Jianqiu asked. If I win the duel, theres something that I would like to ask you. If you know the answer, I hope that you can answer it honestly. If I lose, Ill apologize for my earlier disrespect, Zhang Xuan replied. Hearing those words, Elder Bai Yes heart finally settled down a little. All is fine as long as no money is involved... To be honest, he felt like he had already been traumatized by the word bet. Each time someone said that word, he would immediately jolt in horror. You wish to pose a question? Even if you lose this battle, I dont see any harm in answering your doubts, Han Jianqiu replied. Also, theres no need for you to apologize for your disrespect. Itll suffice as long as you dont speak of whatever that has happened here today! Sounds fine to me. Zhang Xuan nodded. Its settled then, Han Jianqiu smiled. Lets begin the duel! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drew his sword from its sheath. The reason he had made the bet was to inquire about Luo Ruoxin. Since the other party had agreed to it, what he had to do now was win the battle! While Han Jianqiu had said that he would answer his question even if he lost the battle, Zhang Xuan knew that the matter concerning Luo Ruoxin was likely ssified as the most confidential secret of the Forsaken Continent. After all, the fact that the Spirit God Pce had the character ?God)1 in its name spoke volumes about the significance of its existence. As such, he could not just rely on Han Jianqius goodwill. He needed apelling reason to force thetter to answer his questions. He could not afford to lose this duel! While he had been putting up a leisurely front all along, he knew that defeating the opponents before him would be no easy feat. Dealing with one of them would be well within his means, but dealing with all of them at once would definitely pose some trouble. Meanwhile, Han Jianqiu nced at the other four elders and said, He is the man who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent. It would be a horrible mistake to underestimate him. We have to go all out right from the start! Agreed, the other four elders replied solemnly. They, too, understood this. Just the fact that Zhang Xuan was able to defeat Chou Huo in a single move proved his prowess. Sou! Han Jianqius sword burst forth as he imed the first move. While he had suppressed his cultivation to the Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm, his Sword Intent still gushed forth like a boundless ocean. His very presence left one feeling as if one was falling continuously in the endless abyss. Even escape was impossible. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes warily. As expected of the sect leader. Han Jianqius mastery of swordsmanship was too much higher than the earlier Elder Chou Huo. As soon as he made a move, Zhang Xuan could already feel great pressure being heaped upon him. ws! Zhang Xuan willed. The main reason for him challenging all of them at once was to analyze their ws. This was the perfect opportunity for him to do so. Weng! There was a light buzz before a book materialized within the Library of Heavens Path. Tapping on it lightly, knowledge flowed into his head. Han Jianqiu. 23rd Sect Leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Semi-Divinity realm cultivator. Comprehended the Emerald Ripple Tides Swordsmanship, resulting in the relentless nature of his swordsmanship. There is a total of twenty-three ws, namely... Semi-Divinity realm cultivator? Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. So, thats the realm thats above High Immortal... He had previously noticed that Han Jianqius strength was far above that of Elder Bai Ye and Elder He, and that was indeed the case. While there was the prefix Semi in front, the fact that it carried the term Divinity1 showed what kind of frightening existence he was. But as powerful as Han Jianqiu was, once his cultivation was suppressed down to Pseudo Immortal realm, there was no way he could be a match for him. Just the ws reflected in the Library of Heavens Path would allow Zhang Xuan to defeat him without any trouble. Zhang Xuan flicked his sword toward one of the ws reflected in Han Jianqius swordsmanship. His movements were imposing like a great dragon, and his swordsmanship carried the indomitable aura of the Gods Sword Intent. Due to the limitations of his cultivation, he had not been able to utilize too much of the prowess of the Gods Sword Intent. However, with his cultivation rising to Heavenly Pseudo Immortal, it had already fused together with his body, allowing him to exert seventy to eighty percent of its true might! Hmm? Han Jianqiu did not expect Zhang Xuan to be able to see through the ws in his moves with just a nce. Taken aback, he retreated a step as he hurriedly gestured for the others to join him. Lets attack him together! At this point, the others had also finished their preparations. Four swords bolted toward Zhang Xuan from four different directions. A metallic screeching sound reminiscent of the cry of a banshee echoed throughout the room. ws! With just a slight sidestep, Zhang Xuan was able to evade their coborative offense with ease. At the same time, four books materialized in the Library of Heavens Path with a jolt. Before long, he gained some degree of understanding of the four elders too. Other than Sect Leader Han Jianqiu, Elder He was the strongest expert within the group. His cultivation had also reached the Semi-Divinity realm. Elder Bai Ye and Elder Huang Qing were both at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, and they were just a step away from reaching the Semi-Divinity realm. The fifth elder shared the same surname as him, and his full name was Zhang Wushang. His cultivation was conspicuously lower than the rest of the group, being only at Earthly High Immortal. However, just because his cultivation was at a lower level did not necessarily mean that he was the weakest of the group. On the contrary, Zhang Wushangs mastery of swordsmanship was actually above that of Elder He. While he was still some way off from matching Han Jianqiu, the gap was not extremelyrge. As a result, of the four elders he was facing, the one who posed the greatest threat to him was actually Zhang Wushang. Each of their swordsmanship has its own ws and problems, but the issue is that their reflexes are simply too quick. Before I can even finish exploiting one of their weaknesses, the other one will swiftly step in to intervene... After trading a few blows, Zhang Xuansplexion was looking more and more awful. He knew that it would not be easy to win against them, but they were tougher opponents than he had expected. As expected of the top experts of the Forsaken Continent. The likes of He Jingxuan and the others could not begin topare to them. Ill have to calcte their openings as a collective group in order to deal the conclusive blow, Zhang Xuan thought. Back on the Master Teacher Continent, he had noticed that it was possible to view a coboration among multiple individuals as an entity and have the Library of Heavens Pathpile a book on that. Naturally, that would be much more useful than analyzing each of the individuals. The Library of Heavens Path jolted, and a book materialized. It was filled with the information and ws of the coboration of the five sword practitioners. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Aftering to know the ws of their coboration, it was as if everything before him suddenly cleared up. Hu! He flicked his wrist and took out a piece of ck cloth. What is he intending to do? Han Jianqiu and the others were having a difficult time as well. The young man had been striking at their ws one after another in quick session, such that they had their hands full just trying to defend themselves. Thus, they had been brainstorming ways to turn the tables around and at least push the duel to a draw when they noticed Zhang Xuan_s anomalous actions. Frowns of bewilderment filled their faces. Sect Leader Han and Elder He, hurry up and attack him! Hes intending to cover his eyes! Elder Chou Huo shouted by the side. Hes intending to cover his eyes? He feels that he can cope against the five of us even without his vision? Screw this, Im going to kill that b*stard! The five sword practitioners were astounded for an instant before something erupted within them. You cant humiliate us like that! Its already beneath the five of us to gang up against an individual like you, but you still want to cover your eyes to fight with us? Sou sou sou sou! Under the effects of their rage, their swords grew even faster and mightier. They swiftly sealed Zhang Xuans surroundings with their sword qi, such that numerous holes would be punctured into the young man if he took the slightest misstep. But for some reason, even as the other party was tying the ck cloth around his eyes, every step that he took evaded their sword qi with such incredible precision that it seemed as if he had measured every step with a ruler. Even though their offense crashed down like raging tides, it did not seem to have fazed him in the least. It was almost as if he was a specter treading around their wrath rage without sustaining the slightest bit of damage. Hu! After tying the ck cloth over his eyes, Zhang Xuan continued treading around their attacks, but vaguely, it seemed like his movements were getting more and more agile. His eyes were no longer distracted by the feints executed by his opponents, and he could ignore all the baits that his opponentsid out before of him. All he had to do was focus on the ws listed in the Library of Heavens Path and execute his moves one after another. Deng deng deng deng! With the ws of their coboration exploited again and again, it did not take long for their teamwork to fall apart. Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhang Xuan decided to end the battle. Break! Infusing the Gods Sword Intent into his de, Zhang Xuan executed eight stabs consecutively. Each strike was aimed at the ws of their coboration once more. Dangng! Dangng! Dangng! The sounds of swords falling to the ground echoed loudly in the Elder Council. The five experts felt a sudden numbness in their hands, which caused them to lose their grip on the sword in their grasp. Making use of this opening, Zhang Xuan moved with such agility that he seemed to have warped into five silhouettes as he stationed five surges of sword qi right next to their throats. Of course, as High Immortals, it was likely that sword qi of such a level would not have been able to harm them... but the same could not be said now that they had suppressed their cultivation to the Pseudo Immortal realm. If the other party willed it, he could have killed them all! We have lost, Han Jianqiu conceded with a bitter smile. The five of them, despite being the strongest existences in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, had actually been defeated by a blindfolded individual. It seemed like Zhang Xuan was a much more fearsome sword practitioner than they had imagined! Chapter 1988 - I Am Not a Disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion 1988 I Am Not a Disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion Seeing that the sect leader had admitted his loss, Zhang Xuan quietly heaved a sigh of relief as he removed the ck cloth. It might have appeared as if he had beaten the five of them easily, but in truth, it was much moreplicated than that. In terms of difficulty, this would definitely be far above that of ying five thousand inner disciples in the Ethereal Hall. If he had shown the smallest opening, there was no doubt that those five would have exploited it right away to crush him! It was fortunate that everything turned out well in the end. The Gods Sword Intent is indeed formidable! Returning to his seat, Sect Leader Han Jianqiu chuckled softly. It did not seem like the earlier defeat had induced any negative emotions in him at all. I thank you for going easy on me, Zhang Xuan replied with sped fists. A loss is a loss... Han Jianqiu shook his head. So, whats the question you would like to ask? Sect Leader Han, I would like to ask if you have heard of... the Spirit God Pce? Zhang Xuan asked nervously. The person before him was the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, one of the top figures of the Azure. The things that he knew of were likely well above what Elder Lu Yun knew. There was a good chance that Han Jianqiu would be able to provide him with some clues to Luo Ruoxins whereabouts. The Spirit God Pce? Han Jianqiu frowned a little before shaking his head. Ive never heard of this ce before. This left Zhang Xuan a little taken aback. The Six Sects of the Forsaken Continent are namely the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Starchaser Pce, Myriad Beast Hall, Sevenstar Pavilion, ckmirror Citadel, and Evanescent Immortal Sect, Han Jianqiu said. Of the Six Sects, the only one who is qualified to use the ꣨God)1 character is our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. None of the other five sects would dare use the word carelessly. The only existence that towers above the Six Sects is the Ethereal Hall. It was founded by Hall Master Kong four thousand years ago, and he single-handedly entered the Hall of Gods to steal the (God) character. Its precisely due to this that the Ethereal Hall was allowed to expand throughout the world, and not even the Six Sects dare oppose it. However, in the thousands of years since, no one else has been able to pass through the Azure Bridge, let alone enter the Hall of Gods to grab the character. Given so, theres no other major power in the Forsaken Continent that would dare use the God) character. There are only two possibilities. One, the Spirit God Pce doesnt exist at all. Two, its not a power thats located on the Forsaken Continent! As the Forsaken Continent was a world cast away by the gods, the usage of the God)_ character was an extremely sensitive issue. Without the explicit permission of the Hall of Gods, there was no power that would dare carry the word in its name. If the Spirit God Pce really existed, there was no way he would not have heard of it. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans face paled upon hearing those words. Could it be that what the summoned deity had told him back then was all lies? Did the Spirit God Pce not exist at all in the Azure? Han Jianqiu could see that Zhang Xuan was particrly concerned about this matter, so he asked out of curiosity, Where did you hear about that ce from? I happened to overhear someone speaking of it... Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. If even someone of Han Jianqius standing had never heard of the ce before, it was likely that no one in the entire Azure would know about it! If so... where could the Spirit God Pce be? Did it even exist? Where could Luo Ruoxin be? Han Jianqiu paused for a moment before replying, If the news you have heard isnt false and the Spirit God Pce is truly existent... perhaps you could try asking Du Qingyuan. She might know a thing or two. Du Qingyuan? Zhang Xuan asked. Shes the head of the Starchaser Pce. In the Forsaken Continent, she is the one who has the deepest understanding of the Hall of Gods. Its rumored that she has evenmunicated with real gods before and was rewarded by them, Han Jianqiu replied. She hasmunicated with real gods? Zhang Xuan froze as a thought came to his mind. If Luo Ruoxin was not in the Azure... could she possibly be a real god? This mysterious girlfriend of his knew about the existence of the Library of Heavens Path and was able to fuse Kong shis Great Codex of Spring and Autumn together with it. If one looked at her abilities, she seemed to surpass even Sect Leader Han! If so, it seemed to make perfect sense to say that she was a real god. However, Du Qingyuan is not a person with a good temper, and she treads very carefully when ites to matters regarding the gods too. She might not necessarily be willing to answer your question, Han Jianqiu warned. Considering that the Forsaken Continent is and cast away by the gods, the thing that they abhor the most is us investigating their affairs. If the Hall of Gods notices such a thing, theres a good chance that they mighte after us! Zhang Xuan frowned as he nodded grimly in agreement. The books that he had read did give him some understanding of the Forsaken Continent. It was said that those living on this continent had disobeyed the rules of the gods, which resulted in this entire piece ofnd being cast away. It would not be inurate to say that all lifeforms living on this piece ofnd were exiles. The descendants of the exiles worked hard day and night cultivating, hoping to cleanse the name of their ancestors and return to the Empyrean, the world where the gods lived. Their hopey in what was known as the Azure Bridge. It was the only pathway leading to the Empyrean, but it would only connect once every hundred years. Furthermore, the Hall of Gods stood in their way at the other end of the bridge. There were guardians in the Hall of Gods that denied entry to those from the Azure. It was from there that Hall Master Kong and the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had stolen the (God) character. The Hall of Gods seals this world away, preventing any of us from bing real gods. Furthermore, if anyone dares probe into the secrets of the gods, the Hall of Gods swiftly finds out about it and takes action. In fact... At this point, Han Jianqiu suddenly lowered his voice grimly, as if fearing that someone would overhear him, before carrying on. A person like you, who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, is deeply feared by them. If they learn of your existence, it might provoke them to make a move as well... Surprised by the revtion, Zhang Xuan asked, Why? I dont know either. Perhaps, they dont wish to see anyone questioning their divine authority. Those who haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent will eventually gain the strength to challenge them, and they dont wish to see such a thing happening. All in all, its best to stay away from matters concerning the gods wherever possible, Han Jianqiu said. So, I hope that you will avoid drawing the attention of those from the Hall of Gods. Until you possess the strength to stand on equal grounds with the Hall of Gods, its best to ensure that as few people know of your identity as possible! This... Zhang Xuan closed his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. Ill watch my words. Its not just your words. Dont reveal your strength easily either. Being too high profile will kill you! Han Jianqiu continued. Dont worry, its my nature to remain a low profile! Zhang Xuan replied with a confident smile. ... Cough cough! Seeing how much Zhang Xuan wascking self-awareness, Han Jianqius face turned red as he suddenly found himself not knowing how to respond to the other partys remark. In a single day, Zhang Xuan had caused the mountain gate to copse. Following which, he challenged all the inner disciples and core disciples in the sect. Not too long after that, he proceeded to provoke the entire Elder Council and defeated the sect leader and the four strongest elders. He had probably caused a far greater uproar than an ordinary person would in their entire lifetime, and yet, he dared to say that he was low profile? Where is your face? Knowing that he would faint from anger at this rate, Han Jianqiu took out a token and passed it over. Hall Master Kong from the Ethereal Hall learned that you haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent, so he asked me to give this token to you. With this, youll be able to acquire any resources in the Ethereal Hall you need to advance your cultivation at no cost at all! Its given by Hall Master Kong? Zhang Xuans body tensed up a little, and he could not help mumbling to himself, Is that Kong shi? Is he... still on the Forsaken Continent? The lifespan of a Pseudo Immortal was only three hundred years, and even those who had reached the High Immortal realm or Semi-Divinity realm would not live too much longer than that. Kong shi had left the Master Teacher Continent tens of thousands of years earlier, and using a 1:10 ratio, it meant that he had been there for several thousand years at the very least. Was it possible for him to still be alive after so many years? Kong shi? Well, people did use to address him like that in the past! Han Jianqiu chuckled. Of course, hes on the Forsaken Continent. As for where he resides at the moment, I fear that Im not too aware of that. For the past several thousand years, he has been roaming thends, rarely appearing before others. Its only in recent decades that hes begun appearing in public once more, and its only then that people knew that hes still alive! This... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. This was probably the best news that he had heard the entire day! If Kong shi was still alive in the Azure, it would only be a matter of time before they met one another. Taking the token from Han Jianqiu, he touched it lightly and felt a surge of warmth flowing into his body. Its him... Zhang Xuans body trembled a little. If he still harbored some doubts as to whether Hall Master Kong was truly Kong shi or not, from the moment that he came into contact with the token, he knew that was definitely the case! As fellow Celestial Master Teachers who had originated from the Master Teacher Continent, there was some kind of inexplicable connection between them. Hall Master Kong has always been generous to those who possess superior talent. As the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, I would be mocked if I didnt offer you something as well! Han Jianqiu chuckled. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a sword and said, This sword is called Tongshang. While its nowhere inparison to my Ruantian, its still a Heavenly High Immortal artifact. Ill give it to you now. Try to decipher it, and if you can im it as your own, itll be highly beneficial to your cultivation and your fighting prowess! Hu! The Tongshang Sword floated in front of Zhang Xuan, emanating immense pressure. It was almost as if a High Immortal expert was standing right before him. Thank you, Sect Leader Han. Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. He had been worrying that he would be helpless if a High Immortal came after him, but with such a sword in hand, it would be no different from having a Heavenly High Immortal constantly protecting him by his side. Of course, that was only if he managed to tame the Tongshang Sword. Swords of such a tier possessed their own spirit, and given the current limitations of his cultivation, it would be no easy feat for him to win it over. Nevertheless, with the Library of Heavens Path, he should still be able to pull it off. Zhang Xuan swiftly ced the Tongshang Sword away in his storage ring for the time being. Most likely, Han Jianqiu must have ced some kind of seal on the Tongshang Sword as well, or else it would not have allowed him to store it in his storage ring. Han Jianqiu nodded as he watched Zhang Xuan depositing the sword into his storage ring. A momentter, he suddenly thought something and asked curiously, Oh right, which peak are you under at the moment? Who is the elder managing you? The elder of the peak had really done well to nurture such a talented disciple. There was no doubt that the elder had to be handsomely rewarded! I am currently still residing in the peak where the inner disciples live in... As for the elder... I believe that its Elder Lu Yun, Zhang Xuan replied. Lu Yun? Han Jianqiu frowned. Seeing that the sect leader had never heard of Elder Lu Yun before, Elder He quickly filled him in on the details. He was an external elder who was promoted earlier today for his meritorious contribution in bringing in a highly talented disciple. As he managed to achieve a breakthrough to the True Immortal realm, I promoted him to inner elder. External elders were not allowed to participate in the Elder Council, so it came as no surprise that Han Jianqiu did not know of the other party. An external elder? If thats the case, does it mean that you were previously an outer disciple? Han Jianqiu looked at the young man before him in disbelief. An outer disciple hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent? Was this for real? When did the outer disciples of the sect be so formidable? It was no wonder he wanted to challenge the inner disciples, core disciples, and even the elders. He must have been really frustrated at having his talents buried like that! Outer disciple? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans face reddened as he replied, To be honest, Im not a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... As soon as he said those words, he noticed that everyone around him wentpletely silent. So, he hesitated for a moment before reluctantly asking, Should I... give this token and the Tongshang Sword back to you? Chapter 1989 - The Requirements to Upgrading the Tongshang Sword 1989 The Requirements to Upgrading the Tongshang Sword Elder Bai Ye did not have the time to report Zhang Xuans true identity before everything happened, which resulted in this huge misunderstanding. As such, no one in the room had known that this incredible genius who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent was not a core disciple, not an inner disciple, not an outer disciple Heck, he was not a disciple of the sect at all! Well, this sure made things awkward. A person who was not even a disciple of the sect hadprehended the Sword Intent of the founder and pummeled everyone from the inner disciples upward. The faces of Han Jianqiu, Elder He, and the others turned bright red as their breathing became a little ragged. They were contemting if it was possible to vanish on the spot. What the heck was this? They would be utterly humiliated if others learned of this matter! Have you really been in our sect for a single day? Furthermore, youprehended the Gods Sword Intent while passing by the massive sword? Elder He was on the verge of crying. He had stood outside the mountain gate toprehend the profoundness of the Sword Intent for more than thirty years, only to make hardly any advancement at all. On the other hand, this young man had managed toprehend it while he was walking by. Was there anything in the world that was more traumatizing than this? I guess so I reckon that it took me several breaths! Zhang Xuan replied. Elder He immediately felt everything around him bing dark. It seems like the Gods Sword Intent is not something that can beprehended with time, Han Jianqiu consoled when he saw the deste look on Elder Hes face. Following which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, The fact that you haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent means that you are the next leader of our sect. In a way, its good that you arent a disciple. From this moment on, you will be a core elder of our sect, and youll enjoy all the privileges of one! Whether the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be able to be the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Pavilion or not depended on the young man before him. Naturally, there was no way he could allow the young man to leave like that The young man was not a disciple yet, but it was clearly inappropriate to ce him among the inner disciples or core disciples. After all, as someone who had defeated the five strongest experts of the sect, there was no one there who was qualified to teach him swordsmanship. Since that was the case, he might as well confer the young man the position of core elder. With such a position, it would be easier for him to seed him as the sect leader in the future. Core elder? Zhang Xuan was a little stunned. I have be the core elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion just like that? Indeed. Of course, due to safety concerns, it will be an honorary role for the time being. We wont be announcing the matter until your cultivation finally reaches the High Immortal realm! Han Jianqiu replied. It was just a moment ago that it was revealed that a genius hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent. If a Pseudo Immortal realm cultivator was abruptly promoted to the position of core elder, would it not be as good as telling the entire world that this person was the very same genius? Thus, while it might bring about some inconvenience, it was still best to maintain a low profile for the time being. If so, can I ess the library of the elders? Zhang Xuan asked. He was perfectly fine with the current arrangements; he did not like being in the spotlight after all. As long as he could get whatever he needed, the rest was unimportant. Of course, Han Jianqiu replied. This is your Elder Token. Your name isnt inscribed on it, but I have imprinted my aura on it, so you will still be able to ess any facilities avable to the core elders. At the same time, you can use the resources avable in the sect freely, but of course, Ill have to ask you not to use them wastefully! Thank you, Sect Leader Han! Zhang Xuan received the Elder Token delightfully. With this, he should be able to gather True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals and sessfully push for another breakthrough! As long as he could reach the Heavenly True Immortal realm, he would be able to put up a fight even against High Immortals, thus allowing him to ensure his safety. Un. Usually, every elder is allocated their own independent residence, but for your own safety, well have to ask you to bear with your current residence for the time being, Han Jianqiu said awkwardly. Considering that it was their future sect leader, such treatment was uneptable. Its fine. Theres no need to worry about it, Zhang Xuan replied calmly, paying the matter no heed at all. If he was allocated an elders residence, it would be no different from having his identity announced. It would be hard for him not to catch anyones attention. After dealing with this issue, Han Jianqiu hesitated for a moment before saying, Since you are a core elder, I hope that you can avoid entering the inner disciples and core disciples Ethereal Halls too often Zhang Xuan replied with an affirmative nod. With the token given by Kong shi, he would notck cultivation resources. Naturally, he would not have to earn money from those inner disciples and core disciples anymore. Ill be taking my leave then! After asking all that had to be asked, Zhang Xuan turned around and walked out of the Elder Council. Elder Bai Ye quickly followed along to escort him back to his residence. As soon as Zhang Xuan left the room, the surroundings turned incredibly silent. Not a single person said a word or moved at all. It was some time before Elder He finally turned to Han Jianqiu and said, Sect Leader Han, considering that Zhang Xuan hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, it would be best to take him into the Pce of Sword Intent to cultivate. That way, he would be able to advance his cultivation faster. He has already met the prerequisites to do so. But why did you The Pce of Sword Intent was the most elusive location of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Generations of sect leaders had tempered their Sword Intent at that venue in order to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. Since Zhang Xuan hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, it was a done deal that he would be the sect leader. Thus, their priority should be helping the young man advance his cultivation as quickly as possible and the most direct route to doing so was indubitably the Pce of Sword Intent. But why did Han Jianqiu not raise the matter at all? Stored in the Pce of Sword Intent are the precious Sword Intents of the preceding leaders of our sect. They are there for theter generations to learn from and temper themselves. It would indeed enhance the growth of normal cultivators, but A bitter smile crept onto Han Jianqius lips as he continued. Zhang Xuan hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, and its likely that his conceptualization of swordsmanship has reached a level higher than our predecessors. I fear that if he enters the Pce of Sword Intent, not only will he learn nothing at all, he might even end up unintentionally destroying the ce. Considering his previous track record, I think that it will be for the best to preserve the dignity of our predecessors Elder Hes eyebrows shot up. What Han Jianqiu said made perfect sense. That fellow had gone around challenging everyone that he saw. If he headed to the Pce of Sword Intent and challenged the predecessors instead of learning of them, what would be of the dignity of their predecessors? It was fortunate that Sect Leader Han had thought things through properly, or else, if a mishap urred, they would not dare face their predecessors after their passing. Elder He and Elder Chou, even the sect might not necessarily be safe anymore. Ill need to trouble the two of you to keep a lookout and take care of Zhang Xuan. He has alreadyprehended the Gods Sword Intent a day after arriving here, so I believe that he might be the key to restoring the sects glory. If it really happens, we might be an existence simr to the Ethereal Hall, towering above the other five sects! Han Jianqiu said agitatedly. While Zhang Xuan did not seem too reliable as a human being, his strength was indeed formidable. His mastery of swordsmanship was far above theirs and anyone else on the Forsaken Continent. As long as he could advance his cultivation to the same level as the rest of them, it was likely that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be able to snatch the other half of the _God)_ character from the Hall of Gods and rise above the Six Sects. There was no saying that it might even surpass the Ethereal Hall and the Hall of Gods. The possibilities were endless! Rest assured, Sect Leader Han! Elder He and Elder Chou replied with a nod. For the sect, they would do everything they could to help and protect Zhang Xuan! After returning to Dan Xiaotians residence, Zhang Xuan quickly looked over Dan Xiaotian and Bai Ruanqings swordsmanship and gave them some pointers before returning to his room. He set up an istion barrier around the area before taking out Kong shis token with a flick of his wrist. He dripped a droplet of blood on the token in order to im ownership of it. Soon, he found out the true purpose of the token. Unlike what he had thought, this token was not an Ethereal Token, so he could not enter the Ethereal Hall through it. Rather, it was some kind of insignia. With it, if he entered any Ethereal Halls outside, he would be able to freely purchase any resources from the Ethereal Halls without spending any money at all. In other words, it was like a ck card that he could swipe again and again without paying a single cent! Kong shi sure was generous! Ill have to try it out when I finally leave the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Zhang Xuan thought as he ced it back into his storage ring. It was possible to ess external Ethereal Halls within the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so he would have to leave the area in order to enjoy the benefits of endless credit. After cing the card back into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the Tongshang Sword that Han Jianqiu had given him. As soon as the sword appeared, slight cracks immediately appeared in the surrounding space. It was as if the fabric of the world could not withstand the tremendous energy that the sword was emanating, causing it to seem as if it was being torn apart. As expected of a Heavenly High Immortal artifact, its prowess was indeed formidable. The Tongshang Sword harrumphed coldly. Brat, its under Han Jianqius orders that I have reluctantlye along with you. You are still far from strong enough to tame me, so I advise you not to waste your strength. Also, youd better not bring me out for no reason, or else I fear that Ill lose my temper and beat you up! It felt that it was a huge humiliation for a Heavenly High Immortal artifact like itself to acknowledge a Pseudo Immortal realmd as its master. Youll beat me up? Zhang Xuan burst intoughter. He tapped his finger lightly on the Tongshang Swords de and said, If Im not mistaken, you were forged by Ouyang Qingfeng, the third greatest cksmith on the Forsaken Continent, right? Indeed! the Tongshang Sword replied proudly. Ouyang Qingfeng was a renowned cksmith of the Forsaken Continent, and the weapons that he forged were much sought after by those in the top echelons. In his entire life, he had forged seven High Immortal artifacts, thus bing a legend in his field. It was precisely due to this that the Tongshang Sword was extremely proud of its origins. Ouyang Qingfengs sword forging technique is indeed formidable. Hebined the rare Xuanyang Metal and Oceanbed Xuan Crystals together using his superior forging techniques in order to create you. However, given how valuable the materials that were used to make you are, dont you find it regrettable how you have only reached Heavenly High Immortal-tier? Zhang Xuan asked. The materials that were used to make the sword before him were incredibly precious on the Forsaken Continent, and the forging method was ingenious as well. With enough luck, there was a chance that the eventual product would have reached Semi-Divinity. It was honestly a huge pity that it had only reached Heavenly High Immortal-tier. Only reached Heavenly High Immortal-tier? Do you know that only a handful of Semi-Divinity artifacts exist across the entire continent? The conditions required to forge a Semi-Divinity artifact are so extreme that its nigh impossible to seed. Dont bother using such words to beguile me! the Tongshang Sword sneered. If you think that you can win me over with just a few words, dont bother. You are wasting your time! An artifact of the Tongshang Swords tier had its own pride, so it would not easily acknowledge anyone as its master. Even its previous master had gone through a lot before he eventually won its recognition. Beguile? You are really thinking too much. All I am doing is stating a fact. Given the materials and forging method used to make you, the chances of you bing a Semi-Divinity weapon are roughly ten percent, and thats under the assumption that the conditions are perfect! Zhang Xuan replied with a nonchnt shrug. But with me, as long as I will it, I can ensure that youll be able to reach the Semi-Divinity realm with zero percent chance of failure! You seem to be very confident. Sure, Ill listen to what you have in mind then! the Tongshang Sword replied coldly, clearly harboring no confidence in Zhang Xuan. If it was that easy for a weapon to reach Semi-Divinity, there would not be so few of them on the Forsaken Continent. Even the powerful Han Jianqiu was unable to do so, so there was no way a mere Pseudo Immortal realm cultivator would be able to pull it off. Its very simple. Zhang Xuan focused his Sword Intent on the tip of his finger before infusing it into the Tongshang Sword. It was the Gods Sword Intent that he hadprehended! Feeling the deep conceptualization behind the Sword Intent, the Tongshang Sword felt as if it had been kissed by the gods. It was a profound yet warm sensation. It eximed in astonishment, You haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent? Indeed. You should also be aware that a sword practitioner who possesses the Gods Sword Intent wields the power to oppose even the gods. You should also know how likely you are to reach Semi-Divinity if I nourish you with the Gods Sword Intent, Zhang Xuan said. If a High Immortal-tier sword wished to advance to higher realms, there was no better way than for it to be nourished with Sword Intent. Naturally, there was no better Sword Intent than the powerful Gods Sword Intent for this. "I concede. It''s highly likely that I will be able to reach Semi-Divinity under your nourishment. However, your cultivation is still too weak. I won''t submit to you." The Tongshang Sword hesitated a little, but it still chose to turn Zhang Xuan down. Hu! At that moment, the Dongxu Gourd suddenly appeared and swallowed the Tongshang Sword whole. "Why are you wasting so much time on it? If it refuses to submit to you, just eat it!" the Dongxu Gourd replied in displeasure. Chapter 1990 - 1990 The Elders“ Library 1990 The Elders Library You... Not expecting the Dongxu Gourd to be so vicious as to swallow even a Heavenly High Immortal-tier sword just like that, Zhang Xuan anxiously whipped out his axe and struck down on the Dongxu Gourd furiously. What the heck are you doing? Hurry up and spit it out! This sword was to be the trump card that would guarantee his safety! It would be a huge loss to him if it was swallowed just like that! After all, there was no way he could depend on the Dongxu Gourd to protect him! Its just a lousy lump of metal, but it sure acts as if it owns the world. Why dont you just let me eat this fool? the Dongxu Gourd protested with a shake of its bottom. Hurry up and spit it out! Otherwise, you wont be getting anything from me at all! Zhang Xuan was on the verge of erupting like a fiery volcano. What the heck was with the Dongxu Gourd? It was as if eating was the only thing on its mind! But as infuriated as Zhang Xuan was with the Dongxu Gourd, he was also extremely shocked by the matter. All along, he had thought that the only use of the Dongxu Gourd was its bathwater, but who could have known that it would actually be capable of swallowing a High Immortal artifact whole? If it was capable of pulling off such a feat... did this not mean that it was stronger than even High Immortal-tier artifacts? Under Zhang Xuans threat, the Dongxu Gourd hesitated for a moment before reluctantly spitting the Tongshang Sword out. It had no choice but to do it after all. It knew that whatever its master gave it in the future would definitely be worth much more than this tiny little sword over here. It could at least weigh the losses and gains of a situation. Putting everything aside, just the zhenqi of its master was already something that no mere sword couldpete with. Who the hell are you? The spat out Tongshang Sword was nearly scared out of its wits. It was a Heavenly High Immortal-tier sword, a renowned artifact of the Forsaken Continent... but it had actually been swallowed whole by a mere gourd! To make matters worse, it had found that it waspletely helpless! Just thinking about it was enough to send shivers down its glistening surface! The Dongxu Gourd harrumphed coldly. You piece of sh*t. If you dont acknowledge thisd as your master, Ill really swallow you whole and turn you into a literal piece of sh*t! I... The Tongshang Sword shuddered for a moment before it abruptly straightened its de and dered, From the first time I set my sights on Master, I already knew that hes an extraordinary man who will achieve great things in the future. In that instant, I made my mind up that I would acknowledge no master other than him. I only refused earlier to test his resolve! Zhang Xuan covered his face from sheer speechlessness. He never would have thought that a High Immortal artifact could be so shameless! Zhang Xuan quickly conducted the acknowledgement ceremony, and before long, he felt the Tongshang Swording fully under his control. It seemed like the Dongxu Gourd was not just a glutton. It still had its uses after all! While the Library of Heavens Path was able to see through the ws of the Tongshang Sword, which made Zhang Xuan confident that he would eventually be able to tame thetter, he knew that it would not have gone so smoothly if not for the threats of the Dongxu Gourd. However, it seems like wielding a High Immortal-tier sword is still far beyond my current ability. Even with the Gods Sword Intent, I am unable to utilize its full prowess, Zhang Xuan thought. Only after cing the Tongshang Sword under his control did he realize just how frightening an existence it was. That would exin why it was so reluctant to submit to him. Inparison to the power it wielded, the strength of a Pseudo Immortal was indeed not much more than an ant. With his current strength, he would not even be able to draw out a hundredth of the Tongshang Swords full prowess! Nevertheless, with this sword in hand, no one beneath High Immortals would be able to pose any threat to him. In fact, he might even be able to y High Immortals if he caught them off guard. With this, he finally had the means to protect himself. Keep! Zhang Xuan ced the Tongshang Sword back into his storage ring. He turned to the Dongxu Gourd and nodded in approval. Youve done well this time around. Ill buy you some pillster on as reward for you! After appeasing the Dongxu Gourd and putting it back into his dantian, Zhang Xuan walked out of his room. From what he had gathered from Han Jianqiu earlier, it seemed like there was a good chance that Luo Ruoxin was a god. This left him feeling even more pressured. He felt an urgent need to raise his cultivation once more. It had already been two hours since he reached Heavenly Pseudo Immortal... Quite some time had passed since hisst breakthrough. It was about time for him to start looking for True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals so that he could push for another breakthrough! As long as he could reach the True Immortal realm, with the sheer purity of the Heavens Path zhenqi, the Gods Sword Intent, and the Tongshang Sword, he should be able to stand on equal footing against even High Immortals. So, he walked over to Bai Ruanqing and requested to borrow her aerial beast. After which, he quickly made his way over to the Elder Peak. Just like how most of the books in the inner disciples library were beneath the Pseudo Immortal realm, most of the books in the core disciples library were beneath the True Immortal realm. If he wanted to gather sufficient True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals or even that of High Immortal realm, he would have to head to the elders library. Upon arriving at his destination, he passed the identity token that he had obtained from Han Jianqiu over, and as thetter mentioned, he was immediately granted entry. The elders library was not asrge as that of the core disciples library. It was only a two-story high building with a couple of bookshelves scattered around the room. A slight frown formed on Zhang Xuans face as he swiftly nced at the books around him. There were indeed True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals around, but it did not seem like there were too many there. It did not take him too long to collect everything into the Library of Heavens Path. Only six hundred? Zhang Xuan sighed. It was far from the usual thousand that he required to form aplete Heavens Path Divine Art. Shaking his head, he proceeded up to the second floor. The cultivation technique manuals of High Immortals were stored there, but the quantity was even more limited. All in all, there were only twelve books. This... Zhang Xuan found himself extremely conflicted. It was true that most cultivators only needed a single good cultivation technique manual to advance to greater heights, but he needed as many books as possible in order to perfect his Heavens Path Divine Art... To be fair, the cultivation technique manuals of True Immortals were incredibly rare. Aside from major sects such as the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, there was probably nowhere on the Forsaken Continent where one could find so many of them lying around... But it was still far from what Zhang Xuan required! Compile! Not bearing too much hope, Zhang Xuan tried putting all the True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals together. He flipped open thepiled book, and very soon, his face sank in disappointment. Just as he had thought, thepiled cultivation technique was incredibly wed. There were shockingly seven ws in it! There was no way he could cultivate something as disgusting as that! It seems like Ill have to find ways to gather more True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals. Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. Most likely, he would need another four hundred True Immortal cultivation technique manuals in order toplement those ws, but they would surely cost quite a hefty sum. At the very least, the Sword Pavilion Coins that he had just earned would be far from sufficient. He continued walking around the library and ensured that he had taken all the books into the Library of Heavens Path before leaving the premises with a helpless sigh. As he returned to his residence, he pondered deeply. Even in a ce like the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, bing a True Immortal was enough tond one the position of an inner elder. Among the core disciples, there were not too many who had reached this level. It would be no exaggeration to say that True Immortals were strong enough to be a regional powerhouse in most parts of the Forsaken Continent! Using the context of the Master Teacher Continent, it would be equivalent to the significance of the Great Sages. It was perfectly normal that the cultivation technique manuals at this realm were severelycking. It was only due to the great influence of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion that it was able to gather six hundred books like that. But as long as he could not perfect his Heavens Path Divine Art, he would not be able to continue cultivating. He would rather die than cultivate a technique that had seven ws in it! Kong shi did give me a token that allows me to acquire anything from the Ethereal Halls. I should be able to purchase cultivation technique manuals through it, right? Zhang Xuan thought. Based on what Han Jianqiu had said, the token that he had received from Kong shi had endless credit. Since that was the case, could he make use of it to purchase all the cultivation technique manuals that he required? He did try in the past, but it was simply too expensive for him to do so back then. However, with this token in hand, money was not a problem! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. But the next moment, his face crumbled into bitterness as he muttered, But Ill have to leave the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion first... It went without saying that he could not use this token for the internal Ethereal Hall that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion operated. He would have to head to the Ethereal Halls outside in order to exploit its privileges. I should do some information gathering before deciding on my next move, Zhang Xuan thought as he finally arrived back at the residence. Seeing that Bai Ruanqing had yet to leave, Zhang Xuan walked up to her and asked, May I know where the nearest city to the sect is? Is there an Ethereal Hall there? You wish to head out? Bai Ruanqing was slightly taken aback. I do have such intentions in mind, Zhang Xuan replied frankly. The nearest town to the sect is called Wuhai City, and its roughly three thousand li away. Its name originates from its proximity to the Wu Sea. Its a huge, first-tier city, so it does have an Ethereal Hall, Bai Ruanqing replied. Hmm, its not too far away... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At a distance of three thousand li, he could reach it with just two hours on the back of an aerial beast. Its indeed not too far away, but the sect doesnt allow disciples to leave its premises freely. Theres a lot of administrative processes that one must go through before one is permitted to leave the area. In fact, depending on the nature of business, it might even require a judgement from the Elder Council. The entire process can easily take several days, Bai Ruanqing exined. Several days? Zhang Xuan frowned. Darn bureaucracy! With a deep sigh, he asked, What about elders? Are they allowed to freely leave the premises? They dont have such privileges. Unless they have some important business, they arent allowed to freely leave the sect either, Bai Ruanqing replied. Unless... Knowing that she was a troublemaker, her grandfather, Elder Bai Ye, had made sure to pound the rules of the sect into her so that she would not get into too much trouble. Unless what? Unless they have a mission! Usually, elders and disciples who are entrusted with a mission are able to leave the sect easily without too much trouble, Bai Ruanqing replied. Mission? When inner disciples and core disciples find themselves in need of Sword Pavilion Coins, they head over to the Hall of Missions. As long as they have a Mission Token with them, they are able to freely leave the sect without any restrictions, Bai Ruanqing exined. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He did previously hear that it was possible to earn Sword Pavilion Coins through missions, but he had found it a little too slow for his liking. Senior Uncle, if you really wish to head out, I can grab a mission and take you to Wuhai City, Bai Ruanqing said. She had wanted to leave the mountain range to explore the world for a long time, but it was a pity that her grandfather had never allowed it. While she had taken on quite a few missions so far, she had never been able to travel far from the sect. However, now that she had Senior Uncle with her, her grandfather was unlikely to stop her. Wuhai City was an extremely prosperous city near the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. She had long heard of it and wanted to visit the area to take a look. Alright, lets head to the Hall of Missions together then. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Given his current identity, it would be incredibly inconvenient for him to take on a mission. Thus, it was better to leave it to Bai Ruanqing. Lets go! Bai Ruanqing excitedly leaped up onto the aerial beast, and the two of them swiftly made their way over to the Hall of Missions. The Hall of Missions was the ce where the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion allocated missions. It would set the difficulty of mission based on the description of the request and determine the reward ordingly. Browsing through the various posters pinned on the boards, they swiftly found a couple of missions regarding Wuhai City. The missions from Wuhai City tended to be harder, but thepensation was extremely tempting. An Appraisal Mission from Wuhai Market with a reward of thirty Sword Pavilion Coins. Lets take this then, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. The other mission would take up quite a bit of time and effort, whereas this one only required him to appraise several items. It should be a piece of cake for him. Afterpleting the mission, he would have plenty of time to explore the regional Ethereal Hall. Chapter 1991 - 1991 Sect Leader Han’s Astonishmen 1991 Sect Leader Hans Astonishmen Senior Uncle, I fear that it isnt as simple as it seems! Bai Ruanqing frowned. Theres a total of seventeen missions from Wuhai City, and most of them are only priced at around twenty Sword Pavilion Coins or so. Even this one, saving the City Lords daughter, is only worth twenty-five Sword Pavilion Coins. Dont you find it weird that an appraisal mission is actually worth so much? Even she, who was rarely meticulous, had noticed that something was wrong with the request. She found it hard to believe that her Senior Uncle had not noticed that something was wrong. Its fine, Zhang Xuan replied with a wave of his hand. Naturally, he could tell that something was amiss. However, as long as it was something in the fields of appraisal, it should not pose a problem to him since he had the Library of Heavens Path. Since youre confident, Ill be leaving the mission to you. Ill first say in advance that I know nothing at all about appraisal! Bai Ruanqing got straight to the point. She had close to blind admiration for this Senior Uncle of hers. Since thetter had no qualms about it, there should not be too much trouble. After confirming the mission that they wanted to take on, Bai Ruanqing quickly applied for it with the receptionist. Soon, she obtained the Mission Token. Once the mission was aplished, it would automatically be reflected on the Mission Token, and the reward would be transferred over to the applicants Ethereal Card. One thing to note was that there was a time restriction as well. As Wuhai City was rtively close and the mission did not involve adventuring and the like, if the mission was notpleted within three days, one would have to pay atepensation fee of three Sword Pavilion Coins. Carrying the Mission Token, the two of them got back onto the aerial beast and headed straight for Wuhai City, leaving the premises of the sect. Hearing the report from the elder in front of him, Han Jianqiu pinched his be tightly. This future sect leader of theirs sure was one to make them worry. It was just a moment ago that he indirectly told the other party not to cause trouble within the sect, but in the blink of an eye, that fellow had already flown over to Wuhai City. Why could he not just obediently stay within the sect and cultivate patiently? The fact that he hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent meant that his understanding of swordsmanship had already reached the peak. What he had to do right now was raise his cultivation. As long he could reach the High Immortal realm, even Han Jianqiu himself might not necessarily be a match for him. By then, he could be considered unrivaled in the Forsaken Continent then. But this fellow would not rest at all. After bullying the inner disciples, he carried on and bullied the core disciples, the elders, and eventually even the sect leader himself. Once he was done, he freaking went on to Wuhai City! Would he die if he simply gave his tendency to humblebrag a rest just for a day? Besides, even if he did not want to cultivate, he had just been given a Heavenly High Immortal-tier sword. Surely he should cultivate some feelings with the sword so as toy the groundwork to tame it in the future? Should we capture him and force him to cultivate? Elder Hes face was also frighteningly livid. It would be best if we could bring him back... Han Jianqiu nodded before he abruptly halted. He pondered deeply for a moment before asking, How is his speed of cultivation? If hes able to reach Lesser Pseudo Immortal in his twenties, that means that he has his ways to advance his cultivation, right? If thats the case, we should not interfere in his ns. It might be slower, but it will at least temper his will. Comprehending the Gods Sword Intent was dependent on ones intelligence and luck, but cultivating was centered around relentless diligence. One had to take a step at a time and travel forward steadily. The fact that the other party was able to reach the Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm at such a young age likely meant that he was quite a disciplined individual. Why would he be so unruly all of a sudden? Ruanqing is with him at the moment. Ill ask her, Elder Bai Ye said. Han Jianqiu nodded in response. Elder Bai Ye sent a message over, and it did not take long for him to receive a response. When he saw the response, he suddenly rubbed his eyes intensely, as if fearing that he was seeing things. Noticing Elder Bai Yes bizarre response, Han Jianqiu asked with a frown, Whats wrong? Bai Ruanqing told me that Elder Lu Yun and the others told her that Zhang Xuans cultivation was only at Ancient Sage 4-dan primary stage when he entered the sect yesterday! Elder Bai Ye replied in bewilderment. Ancient Sage 4-dan primary stage? Wait a minute, are you telling me that in the span of a day, he raised his cultivation from the Dimension Shatterer realm to the Pseudo Immortal realm? Thats an entire cultivation realm! Han Jianqiu narrowed his eyes. It was true that Ancient Sage 4-dan was not too high a cultivation realm, but to advance a single realm in the span of a day was still a nigh impossible feat. Its not only that... ording to what I have heard from Ruanqing, it seems like he has already reached the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm! Elder Bai Ye said. Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm? Everyone was stunned. It was just an hour ago that they had fought with him, and he should only have been at the Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm. Just when in the world did he find the time to advance his cultivation so much? Han Jianqiu pondered for a moment before instructing, Call Elder Lu Yun over! Under the direct order of the sect leader, it did not take long for Elder Lu Yun to arrive before the Elder Council. I want you to go through what happened back in Xuanjiang City in detail, Han Jianqiu said with a wave of his hand. Yes, Sect Leader Han! Elder Lu Yun swiftly exined everything that he had seen and heard in detail. You mentioned that... Zhang Xuan allowed Dan Xiaotian to achieve a breakthrough from Great Sage 3-dan to Ancient Sage within just an hour? Everyone was trembling so much that their wrinkled cheeks were tingling. As High Immortals, they had seen far more things in the world than they would have liked, but it waspletely unheard of for a cultivator to achieve a breakthrough of two cultivation realms within an hour! Yes, I understand how ludicrous it might sound, but I witnessed the scene personally! Elder Lu Yun said. I am certain that Zhang Xuans cultivation realm was only at Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage then! Alright, I understand. You can rest for the day. Make sure not to speak of what has happened today to anyone else, Han Jianqiu said as he dismissed Elder Lu Yun. With his departure, the Elder Council was suddenly plunged into silence. They had thought that fellow was capable of nothing but bragging all day long, opting to neglect his cultivation... But who could have known that while causing all those incidents within the sect, he had also managed to advance his cultivation from Ancient Sage 4-dan primary stage to the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm! Such a rate of advancement... Even the founder of the sect would be pouring down buckets of cold sweat whenpared with him! This... An elder suddenly broke the silence. Should we capture him then? It was just a moment ago that Han Jianqiu and Elder He had been discussing ns to drag Zhang Xuan back so as to stop him from messing around and force him to cultivate properly. Yet, in the end, it turned out that Zhang Xuans rate of cultivation was far more frightening than they had thought. Inparison, it felt like they were mere snails... If so, should they go ahead and capture him? The reason he can cultivate so quickly must be because he has his own way of cultivating. Lets put that matter aside for the time being. Han Jianqiu pondered for a moment before instructing, Elder Chou, I want you to follow him discreetly. Make sure that he doesnt notice you, and you must guarantee his safety by any means. Understood? Yes, Sect Leader Han! Elder Chou sped his fist before quickly leaving the Elder Council. Once again, silence descended upon the Elder Council as they tried to reassess the current situation. To be honest, the shock that their future sect leader had brought them was truly tremendous. An invincible swordsmanship paired with an invincible rate of cultivation... Just how many more surprises were in wait for them? It seems like he has a really strong understanding of saber arts as well. He was able to even suppress my Sword Intent easily, Elder Bai Ye remarked as he recalled what had happened earlier today. He suppressed your Sword Intent with his Saber Intent? Tell me more about it! Han Jianqiu said. The others quickly turned their gazes over as well. It did not take long for Elder Bai Ye to go through what had happened earlier in detail. Everyone was rendered speechless once more. Sword arts, formations, saber arts... How was that fellow capable in everything? Bring Dan Xiaotian here! Han Jianqiu ordered. Very soon, Dan Xiaotian was brought before the Elder Council. Tell me honestly, the sword toss that you specialize in, did you learn that from Zhang Xuan? Han Jianqiu asked. Knowing that it was impossible for him to hide the matter anymore, Dan Xiaotian decided toe clean. Thats right. Even though I im that hes my friend to others, in truth, hes my teacher. Just as I thought! Han Jianqiu nodded. Since thats the case... I want you to use that sword toss against us so that we can test its prowess! Ah? To be honest with you, I have only studied under my teacher for several hours, and the knowledge that I was able to absorb from him is quite limited as well. However, if you wish, Sect Leader Han, Im still willing to give it a try, Dan Xiaotian said hesitantly. Several hours? I see... Dont worry, well go easy on you! Han Jianqiu said with a smile. Three minutester, the doors to the Elder Council opened and out came Dan Xiaotian. Within the room, Han Jianqiu, Elder He, and the others had a sword each on their head. While their vitals were not hurt, the swords still managed to scrape their skin, causing blood to ooze from the tops of their heads. The crowd reached out to pluck the swords from their heads as the room fell silent once more. A very long timeter, Han Jianqius hoarse voice sounded. He has only learned from Zhang Xuan for several hours, but we already arent a match for him... It almost sounded as if he was going to burst into tears. Based on what they had heard from Dan Xiaotian, it seemed like he had known next to nothing about swordsmanship prior to meeting Zhang Xuan, but after several hours of teaching, they were no match for him. As for Bai Ruanqing, she had only learned from him for an hour now, but she was practically unrivaled among the core disciples. Was this not a little too exaggerated? Why did it feel like all their cultivation over the years had been nothing but mindless meandering? The atmosphere within the Elder Council grew so heavy that it was getting rather tough to breathe. Shall we... ask him to teach us after he gets back from that mission? Elder He asked hesitantly. They knew that Zhang Xuan hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, but they had thought that he was only adept in a single type of swordsmanship. In terms of overallprehension of swordsmanship, that fellow should not have been able topete with them. After all, they had immersed themselves in the profound world of swordsmanship for countless years. But from the looks of it, they could not have been any more wrong than that! As depressing as it was to them, they knew that it signified an opportunity as well. If they could put their pride aside and humbly request for his teaching, they might be able to make significant advancements in the Way of the Sword! Very well, we shall request for his lessons after he returns from his mission! Han Jianqiu nodded deeply. Oblivious to the fact that his fake cultivation had already been exposed by Bai Ruanqing, at that very moment, Zhang Xuan was staring at the immense city before him in agitation. As expected of thergest city in the vicinity of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In terms of its scale, it would not pale inparison to even the capital of Conferred Empires! Stretching over a span of two thousand li, the massive city was protected byyers of ingenious formations. Experts could easily be spotted here and there, hinting at the terrifying military power of the city. The City Lord of Wuhai City is a High Immortal, and hes said to be no weaker than my grandfather! Bai Ruanqing exined. Even though she had never been there before, she had already built a mental image of what it would be like based on the stories that she had heard from her grandfather, so she was not particrly surprised by what she was seeing. High Immortal? Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. It was no wonder that it was able to be a first-tier city on the Forsaken Continent. Just the strength of the City Lord was enough draw talents and powerful cultivators in,ying the groundwork required for a prosperous city. Most likely, there should be plenty of True Immortals in the city as well. Thats right! Bai Ruanqing nodded before turning to look at Zhang Xuan grimly. As such, even though we are disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, we have to make sure to tread carefully... Un! Where many experts gathered, there were bound to be politics and factional rivalries. Things could turn out horribly if one identally crossed one of the powerhouses in the city. Then... Senior Uncle, will we be heading to Wuhai Market right now toplete the appraisal mission? Bai Ruanqing asked curiously. Theres no hurry for that. Where can we acquire an Ethereal Token here? Lets pay a visit to the local Ethereal Hall first! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Chapter 1992 - Disciple Bai Ruanqing! Chapter 1992 Disciple Bai Ruanqing! You wish to enter the Ethereal Hall? Bai Ruanqing did not think that her Senior Uncle would be so anxious regarding this matter. She pondered for a moment before nodding. Alright then! In any case, they had three days to finish their mission, so there should not be any trouble. Besides, they were out there to explore the region. Given their wealth, it was inconsequential whether they aplished the mission or not. Bai Ruanqing quickly took out a map and scanned it carefully before directing her aerial beast ordingly. Roughly thirty minutester, they arrived before a towering building. It was the Wuhai branch of the Ethereal Hall. The local currency in Wuhai City is simr to the Ethereal Coin used back in Xuanjiang City, just that its value is greater. As the value of the local currency has been pegged to our sects Sword Pavilion Coin in a 1:1 ratio, its possible to purchase resources here using Sword Pavilion Coins, Bai Ruanqing exined with a smile. Hearing that, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He was still worrying that he would have to find some way to earn some money in order to purchase an Ethereal Token, but it seemed like his worries were unfounded. He had plenty of Sword Pavilion Coins with him, so purchasing an Ethereal Token should not be too much of a problem for him. The two of them quickly headed over to the front receptionist. The price of the Ethereal Token differs ording to its tier. Its twenty Ethereal Coins for Ancient Sage 4-dan, two hundred Ethereal Coins for the Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm, and two thousand Ethereal Coins for the True Immortal realm, the receptionist exined. The prices were slightly cheaper than that of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Well buy two Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm Ethereal Tokens, Zhang Xuan said as he transferred four hundred Sword Pavilion Coins over through his Ethereal Card. Receiving the money, the receptionist quickly passed two jade tokens over and said, Do you two need a room, too? There are silent chambers over there. They cost an Ethereal Coin every two hours! Zhang Xuan requested a single room. After making payment, he quickly headed over into the room with Bai Ruanqing. Already familiar with how the Ethereal Token worked, it did not take long before they entered the Ethereal Hall. Theyout of the Ethereal Hall was simr to the branch in reality, which left one feeling slightly taken aback. Shaking off that bizarre feeling, Zhang Xuan proceeded to the front receptionist and revealed the token that he had obtained from Kong shi. Can you show me what I can purchase with this? The receptionist took the token, and a momentter, her eyes widened in shock. Esteemed guest, this way please. Im afraid that the value of your token is too great, so I have to invite my superior over to serve you personally! Zhang Xuan and Bai Ruanqing were swiftly led to a spacious room, and a momentter, an elder rushed in with an anxious look on his face. I am an elder of Wuhai Citys Ethereal Hall. I have seen your token, and its definitely an insignia bestowed personally by our hall master. It entitles you to the right to purchase any cultivation resources required for you to advance your cultivation without incurring any cost! The elder bowed deeply as he presented the token back to Zhang Xuan. This token could be said to be a physical representation of their hall master himself, so they had to show the utmost respect to the person who carried it. As such, the elder dared not disy the slightest discourtesy to the person before him despite his young age. Un! Seeing that the token was indeed real, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile, he said, Since thats the case, I would like you to bring me a hundred Superior Immortal Pills! After reaching the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm, he realized that Standard Immortal Pills were no longer effective in advancing his cultivation anymore. If he wanted to further his cultivation, he would need to acquire Superior Immortal Pills at the very least. At the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, each Superior Immortal Pill was valued at a whopping 20,000 Sword Pavilion Coins. Despite the huge wealth that he had rued thus far, it would dry out swiftly if he spent his money on it! A hundred Superior Immortal Pills? The eyebrows of the elder shot up. Superior Immortal Pills are invaluable cultivation resources that are sought after by even High Immortals. I fear that our Wuhai City Ethereal Hall doesnt have the means to bring out so many of them! How many of them do you have then? Zhang Xuan asked. Id say...roughly twenty of them! The elder paused for a moment before continuing. If you arent in any hurry, we should be able to gather the required amount within three days! Alright then. Bring me the twenty first and begin preparing the rest, Zhang Xuan instructed. He knew that using this token would not be exactly free. Even though he shared the same origin as Kong shi, he was not so naive as to think that thetter would express such generosity to him without expecting anything in return. Most likely, he would have to repay this favor somehow in the future. However, what was more important for him at the moment was to advance his cultivation. After speaking to Han Jianqiu, he knew that he was in a precarious position, so he had to strengthen himself and secure his position in the Forsaken Continent as soon as possible. Yes, I understand! the elder replied before quickly left the area. Some timeter, he returned with a storage ring in hand. He passed the storage ring over to Zhang Xuan, and with a deep bow, he asked once more, Esteemed guest, may I know if theres anything else you require? I would like to browse through the True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals... May I know if this token will allow me to purchase them? Zhang Xuan asked. This token can only be used to purchase consumables that would aid in the advancement of your cultivation. I fear that its impossible for you to purchase books with it... At this point, the elder suddenly thought of something, so he quickly added, Furthermore, the consumables you have purchased cannot be resold. If you are found to have broken this rule, the privileges of your token will be permanently revoked! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly. When he heard the elder using the term cultivation resources, he had already had a hunch that he would not be allowed to purchase cultivation technique manuals with the token. Nevertheless, he could not help but feel a little disappointed when hearing it directly. Other than cultivation technique manuals, there was nothing that Zhang Xuan really needed anymore, so he could only back out of the Ethereal Hall. Using the Teleportation Token on the Ethereal Token, he withdrew the Superior Immortal Pills. The Superior Immortal Pills were indeed overflowing with concentrated spiritual energy. One could feel tremendous energy pulsating from them, giving one a feeling of incredible richness. Inparison, Standard Immortal Pills did seem to pale far inparison. Here! Zhang Xuan casually tossed a Superior Immortal Pill over to Bai Ruanqing. Thank you, Senior Uncle! Bai Ruanqings face reddened in agitation. She had only seen Superior Immortal Pills in her grandfathers ce, but due to their immense value, she had never used one before. Looking at it with a leaping heart, she opened her mouth and swallowed it whole. Gugugu! The pill melted in her body, releasing an incredible surge of spiritual energy. Her eyes narrowed in astonishment as her body trembled uncontrobly from the sheer energy. Sweat was raining down from her body. Noticing the anomalies in her condition, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, Whats wrong? Senior Uncle, the spiritual energy in the Superior Immortal Pill is simply too concentrated... I cant handle it! Bai Ruanqing cried out with a pale face. Even the spiritual energy within a single Standard Immortal Pill would take her quite a while to assimte, let alone that from a Superior Immortal Pill. It was simr to attempting to stuff an entire car into the mouth of a baby. It would be a wonder if thetter did not explode! At this moment, she finally understood why her grandfather had never allowed her to use a Superior Immortal Pill before. It was not because he could not bear the price but because it would be a huge waste of resources given her Lesser True Immortal realm cultivation, and if things went wrong, her life would be at risk! Ahhh! a cry of agony sounded from Bai Ruanqings lips. Due to the overwhelming energy gathered within her body, some traces of it were leaking out from her acupoints. Her face reddened as her body inted like a balloon, seemingly ready to explode to any moment. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. He has not expected to encounter such a situation. He had only given the Superior Immortal Pill to Bai Ruanqing in order to repay her for doing him this favor, and he had not thought that such a situation would ur. If Bai Ruanqing really exploded from eating the Superior Immortal Pill that he had given to her, how was he supposed to exin this to Elder Bai Ye in the future? Hurry up, execute a battle technique! Zhang Xuan roared inmand. Knowing how critical the situation was, Bai Ruanqing immediately gritted her teeth and forced herself to disy a sword art. With a quick nce, Zhang Xuans consciousness immediately dived into the Library of Heavens Path to view the book that waspiled on her. A frown swiftly formed on his forehead. It seems like the only way out of this is for her to swiftly cultivate the rampaging spiritual energy and convert it into zhenqi, Zhang Xuan thought. This way, she will be able to ce it under her control and deposit it safely into her dantian. Given Bai Ruanqings current condition, it was too hard to release the energy from her body. The buildup was too great for Zhang Xuan to guarantee that he would be able to facilitate the flow of energy out of her body safely. The safest way was for her to assimte the spiritual energy into her body. However, the current issue was that she was limited by her own cultivation technique. Ordinary cultivation techniques were like a straw. No matter how much one tried to suck water out of an ocean using a straw, it would not make much of a difference. So, what was most important was finding a sufficiently powerful cultivation technique for Bai Ruanqing so that she could swiftly ce the rampaging spiritual energy under her control. It seems like Ill have to take her in as my student! Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. It was fine to him that Bai Ruanqing had learned a couple of sword arts from him without acknowledging him as her master. It simply was not of much concern to him. However, the same could not be said about the Heavens Path Divine Art. It was one of his greatest secrets, and he would not allow the slightest bit of negligence concerning it. As such, he had already made up his mind to only impart the simplified versions of the Heavens Path Divine Art to his direct disciples. While Bai Ruanqing was reckless at times, he could tell that she was still a kind person at heart. She would not waver on her own principles, and once she had found a goal, she would work tenaciously toward it. As such, he was not too reluctant to take her in as his direct disciple. The True Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art has seven ws at the moment. While its hard for me to cultivate something like that, it is at least much better than what she was cultivating previously, Zhang Xuan thought. While the True Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art still was not perfect, it was at least aplete cultivation technique. In terms of quality, it was on par with the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art that he had imparted to his other direct disciples thus far. Of course, it was not that he did not want to impart the perfected Heavens Path Divine Arts to his direct disciples, but he was the only one who could cultivate them in the entire world. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan quickly sent a telepathic message to Bai Ruanqing. I can resolve your current crisis, but you have to acknowledge me as your teacher before I can impart the cultivation technique of my lineage to you! Student Bai Ruanqing pays respect to Teacher! Bai Ruanqing immediately kneeled onto the floor and cried out. She had long wanted to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher, but thetter had never expressed anything regarding that matter, so she had been unable to find an opportunity to broach the subject. As such, when this opportunity presented itself before her, she delightfully grasped it without any hesitation. Good. This is my cultivation technique. Practice it well! After epting Bai Ruanqings bow, Zhang Xuan swiftly modified the Heavens Path Divine Art to suit her constitution before imparting it into her mind. At the same time, he whipped out innumerable silver needles and infused them with Heavens Path zhenqi before inserting them all over her body. Gugugugu! The rampaging spiritual energy swiftly calmed down under the Heavens Path zhenqis guidance, thus alleviating the excruciating pain from the energy intion that Bai Ruanqing was suffering from. This cultivation technique... Bai Ruanqing swiftly browsed through the cultivation technique that she had just been imparted, and she could not help but narrow her eyes in amazement. This cultivation technique was fundamentally simr to what she had been practicing at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion all along, but it was much more profound and powerful. If the spiritual energy that she could absorb after driving her old cultivation technique was nothing more than a small trickling stream, with this new cultivation technique, she could foresee her capacity expanding to that of a raging river. Knowing that this cultivation technique would be able to save her life, she quickly closed her eyes and began practicing it. Her cultivation immediately began soaring. Lesser True Immortal! Greater True Immortal! Earthly True Immortal! Six hours had passed, and her cultivation progressed without the slightest resistance until it finally reached Heavenly True Immortal! Chapter 1993 - 1993 Wuhai Marke 1993 Wuhai Marke Since you have be my student, you have to heed my instructions from now on, Zhang Xuan said solemnly. Also, you mustnt impart the cultivation technique I have just taught you to anyone else, and this includes Elder Bai Ye. Are you able to do that? Yes, I can! Bai Ruanqing nodded anxiously. The fact that a golden page had formed meant that Bai Ruanqing was sincerely thankful to him and was unlikely to leak his secrets, so he was not too worried. The concept of lineage was important in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well. A student was expected to follow their teachers words, and the debt of nurturing was something that must never be forgotten. Good. Ill need to head out for a while. You should remain here to reinforce your cultivation, Zhang Xuan said. Following which, he opened the door and left the room. He had managed to acquire the Superior Immortal Pills required for him to advance his cultivation, so what he had to do now was find more True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals to perfect his Heavens Path Divine Art. The current destination that he had in mind was the Wuhai Market as he thought that it might be possible for the books that he required to be on sale there. Of course, these books were likely to be pricey, but he did not need to buy the books, just collect them into the Library of Heavens Path. He had looked at the map beforehand, so he knew that the Wuhai Market was located nearby. Even without riding on an aerial beast, it only took him an hour of leisurely strolling in order to reach his destination. As expected of a market in a first-tier city, the Wuhai Market was bustling with huge crowds. It was already teeming with people even before making his way in. The first floor was filled with normal vendors, selling stuff like medicinal herbs, precious ores, weapons, and the like. After taking a swift look around, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. There were simply too many counterfeit products. Even without using the Library of Heavens Path, he could see through them easily. Furthermore, most of them were below Pseudo Immortal-tier, so they were of no use to him at all. Zhang Xuan walked up to a vendor and passed a Sword Pavilion Coin over. May I know if there are any ces here that sell cultivation technique manuals? The cultivation technique manuals are usually sold at auction, the vendor hurriedly replied, epting the coin in delight. A single Sword Pavilion Coin was enough for him to livefortably for a month! The cultivation technique manuals dont have to be particrly profound. Ordinary ones would do as well, Zhang Xuan added. The cultivation technique manuals that needed to be auctioned were bound to be invaluable. But to him, whether a cultivation technique was high-tier or rare did not matter at all. What he needed was quantity, not quality! Of course, there was no doubt that higher quality cultivation techniques had fewer ws, which meant that they could more easily perfect his Heavens Path Divine Art. However, the issue with that was that their numbers were too limited, so it was simply not worth the time sourcing for them, and their prices were scarily exorbitant. Ordinary cultivation techniques too? Well, there are plenty of those over there at the Boundless Knowledge Pavilion. With just a single Sword Pavilion Coin, you can read all the books you want in there. However, the cultivation technique manuals there are quite ordinary, such that even I wont cultivate them. Most of us go there to read those kinds of books instead, the vendor replied with a knowing smile. Considering how the person before him could casually tip him a single Sword Pavilion Coin, it was likely that he was an inner disciple or even a core disciple! If so, his expectations on cultivation techniques were bound to be very high. Considering how the cultivation technique manuals in the Boundless Knowledge Pavilion could not even catch the eye of a fake medicine peddler like him, there was no way that the other party would be interested in them. Most likely, the cultivation techniques that this young man spoke of were referring to something else. Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the mysterious smile the vendor was directing toward him, but he still waved his hand and said, Take me over to take a look! Alright! The vendor chuckled a little as he quickly led the way. Soon, as they arrived before a bookstore, the vendor gestured and said, We have arrived! Zhang Xuan took a brief nce inside, and there were indeed many different books on disy. Cultivation technique manuals, battle technique manuals, old newspapers and magazines, notebooks and diaries... Of course, there was also those stuff that the vendor was referring to, which made Zhang Xuan immediatelyprehend the meaning behind the vendors earlier licentious smile. The covers of those books were particrly eye-catching, such that they seemed to leap out at those passing the bookstore. Zhang Xuan passed a single Sword Pavilion Coin over and walked in. He quickly swept through the contents on the shelves, and it did not take him long to collect all the cultivation technique manuals. A momentter, he shook his head bitterly. There was a huge number of cultivation technique manuals, but they were all of Pseudo Immortal realm and below. There was not a single True Immortal realm cultivation technique manual, so of course, those books did nothing to resolve the ws in his Heavens Path Divine Art. Thus, Zhang Xuan left with bookstore with a gloomy look on his face. How was it? Those cultivation techniques are horrible, arent they? the vendor, who had yet to leave, asked. If you want higher-tier cultivation techniques, theres indeed one way to acquire them. Oh? Not too long ago, the Wuhai Market Auction acquired a treasure. They brought many appraisers in, but none of them were able to ascertain what it was. If someone is able to urately appraise exactly what the treasure is, they will be specially authorized to enter the auctions treasury and choose any cultivation technique manual they wish, the vendor said in a hushed voice. A treasure? Zhang Xuan was stunned. That reminded him of the mission that he had taken on beforeing over to Wuhai City. If he had known that there was actually such an opportunity involved, he would havee way earlier! Nevertheless, it was still better to rify the matter lest he was disappointed like he had been before. So, he asked, It sounds like the auction has an impressive collection of cultivation technique manuals. Do you know if they have any True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals? Of course! The Wuhai Market Auction has five hundred years of history, and the strongest expert they employ to guard the treasures are already at the Half-High Immortal realm. They are bound to have plenty of True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals! the vendor eximed vehemently. Then, he looked around him before lowering his voice slightly. There are often auctions where cultivation technique manuals are sold, and based on my guesses, I think that the Wuhai Market Auction has secretly been making copies of them... The auction house did not have the right to make copies of the cultivation technique manuals that their clients were selling, so the Wuhai Market Auction had to be doing this behind their clients back. However, under the rules of the auction, the items that were sold during the auction would have to be ced under the custody of the auction house prior to the auctioning, so there was no way the client would know or verify whether a copy had been made. ording to what the vendor was saying, it seemed like making copies of cultivation technique manuals had already be one of the implicit rules within the auction house. It was just that no one was willing to point it out. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. No matter what, it was good news that the auction house had True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals. It was truly good luck that they had taken on the appraisal mission. After confirming the location of the auction house, Zhang Xuan bade the vendor farewell before quickly making his way over. Do you have an invitation letter? At the entrance of the auction hall, Zhang Xuan was halted by a guard. I am a disciple from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and I have taken on the mission of the Wuhai Market to appraise its artifact, Zhang Xuan said as he took out his Mission Token. The guard took a look at the Mission Token before bowing deeply. Wee. This way, please. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was one of the Six Sects, and Wuhai City happened to be under its jurisdiction. On top of that, it was a known fact that the sect only took in top-notch geniuses as their disciples. Naturally, the guard would dare not be discourteous to Zhang Xuan. Under the guards lead, Zhang Xuan entered a room. Within the room, there was an old man standing before an artifact, examining it closely. Elder He, this young man over here is a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. He hase here to take on the appraisal mission, the guard reported to the old man. Let him wait there for a moment. Without even turning around, Elder He continued examining the artifact before him with an agitated look on his face. With a slight frown, Zhang Xuan assessed the old man who was addressed as Elder He carefully. Thetter appeared to be in his sixties, and the aura that he emanated felt heavy and powerful. He was a High Immortal realm expert. The artifact before him was a sculpture of roughly a chi tall. It was painted with beautifully contrasting colors that entuated its aesthetics. Just ounting for the painting skills, it was definitely the work of someone who was aspetent as a 9-star painter of the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan could not really recognize what it was, but he could feel a fleeting aura from it that felt serene and calming. Wonderful! Wonderful! Elder He could not help but exim in delight. Not too far away, a smile slowly formed on a middle-aged mans lips as he saw Elder Hes reaction. With a respectful tone, he asked, Elder He, may if I know if its authentic? Based on my appraisal, this sculpture was indeed left behind by High Immortal Du He. He used the Calmheart Stone to carve this sculpture, so if one uses it at the core of a formation, it could be used to bring serenity to ones mind, so one need not worry about facing inner demons during ones cultivation, Elder He said with a smile. You have my deepest thanks, Elder He! Hearing that the sculpture was indeed authentic, the middle-aged man delightfully raised his hand, and a subordinate quickly walked up and passed a bag of jingling Ethereal Coins over. Auction Master Wang, you are too courteous! Elder He said. No, no, its only right for me to offer this to you. I have troubled you to appraise for me, Elder He, so this is just a small sum that represents my appreciation for your help, the middle-aged man addressed as Auction Master Wang quickly replied. Following which, he walked up to the sculpture and carefully stored it in a cushioned container, intending to move it somewhere else. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. However, he chose not to say a word. At the same time, after finishing his appraisal, Elder He turned around and saw that it was a young man behind him. In that instant, a slight frown could be seen between his brows. Are you the disciple from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who took on the mission? Zhang Xuan nodded. May I know what treasure you wish for me to appraise? He could not be bothered to waste his breath on things that did not involve him. Right now, he just wanted to quickly finish his appraisal so that he could ess his books. No need to hurry, Elder He said as he took a seat in a nearby chair. He lifted his teacup and took a sip before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with a hint of disdain in his eyes. Disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion are formidable in their swordsmanship, there is no denying that. However, their appraisal skills seem to be sorelycking. Two of your peers came not too long ago, but they couldnt discern anything at all, so I kicked them out. Are you here to give it a try, too? If you dont have any capability, I advise you say so now so that we dont waste each others time. It would be troublesome for me and humiliating for you if we had to do this the hard way. Those words cast a slight shadow over Zhang Xuans eyes. It was clear that the other party was making light of him! I know that my words might not sound nice, but Im sure that theres some truth to my words. I have heard much about how talented the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion are, but Im afraid that your expertise stops at swordsmanship. Ill have to humbly ask you not to insult us appraisers! Elder He shook his head. He waved his hand and said, Yuan Qing, take these two Sword Pavilion Coins, give them to that young man over there, and invite him to leave. I dont need anyone causing any undue trouble here! Yes! The guard who had brought Zhang Xuan in took two Sword Pavilion Coins from Elder Hes hands and passed them over to Zhang Xuan. Here! Paying no heed to the guards actions at all, Zhang Xuan looked at Elder He deeply and scoffed, Causing undue trouble? He did not want to get involved in unnecessary matters, but this fellow just had to stretch his face over for him to p. Did the other partys cheek feel itchy or something? He walked over to the middle-aged man, who was in the midst of packing the sculpture, and said, Friend, I advise you not to take this item with you just yet. Oh? Auction Master Wang stopped his actions and turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a perplexed frown. He had heard the conversation between the two of them, and while Elder He did not fear offending the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he was not so audacious. Id just like to give you a word of warning. The item in your hands isnt an artifact from High Immortal Du He at all, nor is it a sculpture made out of Calmheart Stone. If you use it as the core of a formation, it wont take long for your cultivation to go berserk! Zhang Xuan remarked calmly. What do you mean by that? I just appraised the artifact, and it was certainly left behind by High Immortal Du He. Do you have any questions about the results of my appraisal? Elder Hes face darkened. He had been appraising for over a hundred years, and he had hardly made any mistakes to date. Yet, a twenty-year-old man dared challenge his judgement? Naive! Questions about the results of your appraisal? Zhang Xuan shook his head with a pitiable smile on his face. No, I just have two words for itutter bullsh*t. If Auction Master Wang really listens to your words here, he will surely lose his life within three days! Chapter 1994 - 1994 Bloodsoaked Stone 1994 Bloodsoaked Stone Audacious! Elder Hes face reddened in fury. He had been the chief appraiser of this auction house for nearly a hundred years, and the artifacts that he had looked at numbered at least eight thousand. Even if his knowledge wascking from time to time, his appraisals had never been too far off the mark. Yet, this young man was actually saying that Auction Master Wang would die within three days if he believed his words. There was no greater insult to his professionalism than this! You are the one who is audacious! You were hired to appraise an artifact, but an error you have made ended up putting your clients life at risk. You should know the consequences of that, right? Zhang Xuan replied coldly. Having read through the books of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he had learned quite a bit about the upations in the Azure. While the appraiser upation did not have a specific heritage, unlike the Master Teacher Continent, and there was no particr guild managing it, there were still some strict conventions surrounding the upation. If an appraiser made a mistake, not only would they lose their reputation, they might even be demanded to pay a hugepensation fee, which could bankrupt them. In extreme cases, the appraiser might even be dealt with through thew! With the current situation, if someone lost their life as a result of Elder Hes appraisal error, he might be stripped of his cultivation and banished from thend. Utter nonsense! Hearing the words of the young man, Elder Hes face warped in fury. He flung the sleeves of his robe and bellowed, Do you know the consequences of attempting to besmirch an appraisers reputation? I demand that you give me an exnation right now. Otherwise, even if I have to make a scene before Sect Leader Han, Ill make sure that you are severely punished for the lies you dared spout about me! Considering how important reputation was to appraisers, it was also a convention in the Azure that those who dared carelessly besmirch the reputation of an appraiser would be severely dealt with. These conventions were made out of necessity for fear that the markets would fall into turmoil, so they were acknowledged by most cultivators of the Azure. As such, even a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would have to be severely punished if he dared infringe it! Besmirching an appraisers reputation? A yful smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips, and he shook his head. Well see! Meanwhile, Auction Master Wang was a little conflicted about the situation before him. He could not afford to offend this young man or the esteemed Elder He, which ced him in a terribly difficult position. You mentioned that my teacher has erred in his appraisal, but are you able to prove it? If you cant prove me, that will leave us no choice but to suspect that you are intentionally sullying my teachers reputation! the guard named Yuan Qing cried out indignantly. He was apprehensive of confronting a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but he could not watch by the side as his teacher was being insulted by another man. Dont worry, thats what Im just about to do! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. He turned to Auction Master Wang and asked, Do you have any Test Rats or the like here? Simr to the Pill Sample Beast on the Master Teacher Continent, there were also creatures in the Azure that could be used to test the effects of certain medicine on living beings. As an auction house, there was bound to be something of the sort there for appraisal purposes. We do have some! Yuan Qing was the one who replied. He looked at his teacher, and seeing theck of reaction from thetter, he quickly backed out of the room. Soon enough, he returned with a rabbit-like saint beast in his hand. It was only at Saint 1-dan, which was equivalent to the strength of a powerless child in the Azure. Seeing that what he needed had been prepared, Zhang Xuan turned to Auction Master Wang and smiled. Pardon me, but may I trouble you to bring your sculpture out once more? Auction Master Wang hesitated for a moment, but he eventually followed Zhang Xuans instructions. Without touching the sculpture at all, Zhang Xuan took out a brush and calmly drew out a bizarre pattern in the surroundings. Taking Zhang Xuans actions into sight, Elder He was stunned for a moment before he suddenly burst outughing. Isnt that the Calming Heart Formation? You are intending to create the formation using a brush? He immediately understood Zhang Xuans intentions as soon as he recognized those bizarre patterns. Thetter was simply trying to construct a Calming Heart Formation on the spot to test the validity of his appraisal. Just that... Setting up a Calming Heart Formation required formation gs and all kinds of treasures. What could mere brush and ink possibly do? What a joke! The effects will be reduced through an ink formation. Otherwise, I fear that this saint beast wont evenst a single breath, Zhang Xuan remarked impassively. It did not take long for him toplete his formation, and he quickly threw his brush back into his storage ring. With a light tap, he infused his zhenqi into the Calming Heart Formation. Weng! The brilliant light glowed from the ink formation, and it swiftly engulfed the sculpture as well, turning it into the heart of the formation. In an instant, a calming energy rippled within the perimeters of the formation. Without a doubt, cultivating in such an atmosphere would surely enhance ones rate of cultivation significantly. This... Elder He did not think that the other party would actually sessfully create the Calming Heart Formation with just a brush and ink, and his eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Even the cultivator who was the most skilled in formations there would not be able to pull off a feat like that! Just how deep an understanding did the young man have regarding the formation, the surroundings, and the sculpture in order to pull this off? This would not have worked if there was even a single error! At that moment, he suddenly felt an ominous premonition. On the other hand, after the formation was activated, Zhang Xuan turned to Yuan Qing and said, Ill have to trouble you to ce the saint beast into the formation. Yuan Qing quickly headed forward and ced the rabbit in his hand into the formation. Under the effects of the calming energy, the slightly agitated rabbit swiftly calmed down. Soon, its eyelids drooped down, and it seemed like it would fall asleep at any moment. Didnt you say that the sculpture is fake? Seeing the current state of the rabbit, Elder He harrumphed in glee. Through his appraisal, he had deduced that the sculptureplemented well with the Calming Heart Formation, and it would entuate its effects. Yet, this fellow used him of lying and even imed that doing so would ce one in danger. The rabbit in the formation was proving that his words were right! Theres no hurry, just enjoy the show! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he turned around and took a seat on a nearby chair. Making himself at home, he turned to Qing Yuan and said, Brew me a pot of tea. Qing Yuan clenched his fists tightly Go on! Elder He looked at Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes, but he still gestured for Qing Yuan to do as the young man had said with a wave of his hand. While he was not terribly fond of the young man before him, thetter was still a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. At his teachersmand, Yuan Qing quickly left the room and brought a pot of tea back. Zhang Xuan sipped on it calmly as he waited patiently. Roughly an hourter, the sleeping rabbit finally opened its eyes, and it seemed to be a little agitated. Whats happening? Elder He was stunned. Under normal circumstances, any beast that was ced in the perimeter of the Calming Heart Formation would remain absolutely silent. The fact that it was starting to get a little agitated showed that something was off. Hu! The rabbit abruptly rose to its feet, and with reddened eyes, it leaped straight toward the sculpture before it. Kacha! Crashing right into the sculpture, its stubby legs twitched a little before it finally breathed itsst. Kacha! The teacup that Auction Master Wang was holding was crushed into bits as tea seeped through the cracks between his fingers. With a livid voice, he asked, Elder He, whats going on? He could almost see himself in the ce of the dead rabbit in the formation. If he had really cultivated using that sculpture, that might have been his oue. Elder He was also stunned by the sight before him. Nothing should have been wrong based on his appraisal. Why would such a situation ur? There waspletely no chance for the disciple from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to have tampered with the formation under their close watch. All thetter did was draw the Calming Heart Formation. It was true that the way in which the formation was set up was a little bizarre, but there was definitely nothing wrong with the formation. In other words... the rabbits death was rted to the sculpture! Seeing that Elder He did not have an answer for him, Auction Master Wang turned his gaze upon the young man in the room. Whats going on? You wish to know the reason? Zhang Xuan asked with a mysterious smile. Thats right. Auction Master Wang nodded. This was simply too terrifying! He had paid such a hefty sum to purchase this sculpture so that he could calm his mind and dispel himself of his inner demons. Yet, such a matter actually happened instead... Unless he made sense out of it, there was no way that he would dare use this sculpture ever again! If you want to know the reason, you just have to lift the sculpture up! Zhang Xuan said. Alright, Auction Master Wang replied as he picked the sculpture up. Even though the saint beast had crashed into it earlier, it did not leave the slightest scratch on it due to its overwhelming resilience. Lift it over your head, Zhang Xuan instructed. Thus, Auction Master Wang lifted it even higher. Now, with all of your strength, smash it on the ground! Zhang Xuan said. Smash it on the ground? Auction Master Wang was stunned. It was true that the sculpture was exceptionally resilient due to being forged of Calmheart Stone, but it would still shatter if one threw it on the ground forcefully! This was something that he had spent a huge portion of his savings on! How could he smash it like that? Indeed. Dont you want to know what it is? Smash it! Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly as he sipped on his tea. If you cant bear to part with it, you can take it back home and use it just as Elder He said. Auction Master Wangs eyes twitched. By the side, Elder Hes body also stiffened up. He wanted to refute Zhang Xuans words, but he was unable to find any words to say. With the rabbit smashing its head against the sculpture, who would dare use it anymore? If you still arent able to exin it after its shattered, are you going topensate Auction Master Wang for his losses? Elder He asked. If I exin it, are you going topensate Auction Master Wang? Zhang Xuan asked. If your exnation makes sense, Ill admit that I have made a misjudgment andpensate him ordingly! Elder He harrumphed. It was only right for an appraiser to be punished if he erred in his judgement. Very well. Im willing topensate for the sculpture if I am unable to exin it, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Alright then... Gritting his teeth, Auction Master Wang threw the sculpture down with all his might. Kacha! The sculpture immediately shattered into many fragments upon impact. Hu! But as the rock crumbled, a malicious aura gushed out from within, causing the crowd to shudder a little. Elder He quickly lowered his head, only to see that the shattered portion were crimson in color. His face immediately drained of color as realization struck him. This is... Bloodsoaked Stone? Bloodsoaked Stone was known to appear on battlefields or ces where massacres had urred. Over time, as fresh blood seeped into the stone, a tremendous amount of killing intent would be umted in a single ce. More importantly, it was shrouded by the malicious intent of vengeful spirits. Putting asideing into proximity with it, the malicious intent could even afflict others from a distance. Carelessness could easily lead to ones cultivation going berserk, and in even more extreme cases, there were those who lost their rationality and eventually went insane. Bloodsoaked Stone could be said to be the exact opposite existence of Calmheart Stone. He had been certain that the sculpture before him was forged out of Calmheart Stone, so why would it suddenly turn into the former after it was shattered? Elder He immediately found himselfpletely dumbfounded. Chapter 1995 - 1995 Zhang Xuan’s Explanation 1995 Zhang Xuans Exnation The others in the room were bbergasted. Even though Auction Master Wang was not an appraiser and did not know too much about appraising, the fact that he had gone to the extent of sourcing this sculpture showed that he knew a fair bit about Calmheart Stone. Naturally, he could discern that the material that was before him was its pr opposite, Bloodsoaked Stone. To think that he had ended up buying theplete opposite of what he intended to purchase... and to make matter worse, Elder He had even imed that it was Calmheart Stone! If he had not met this young man, it probably would not have been long before he was afflicted by the malicious intent lingering around the sculpture. Soon enough, he might havemitted suicide just as the rabbit had done earlier! A mixture of fear and rage surged into Auction Master Wangs head as he turned to the old man before him and bellowed, Whats going on here? Elder He, is this what my trust in you amounts to? Usually, he would not dare speak to Elder He in such a manner, but he was just moments away from sealing his fatd There was no way that he could remain calm under such circumstances! I... Elder Hes body trembled. He did not know what to say. He squatted down to pick up fragments of the rock, but no matter how he examined them, they were all Bloodsoaked Stone. There was no trace of Calmheart Stone to be seen at all. In an instant, he looked as if he had aged a decade. After a long moment of silence, he finally turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, May I know... how I should address you? I am Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan replied. Brother Zhang, I was certain that what I saw in the sculpture earlier was Calmheart Stone, Elder He said, so why would... He was no longer maintaining the haughty attitude from before, and the way he addressed Zhang Xuan had also turned into a more polite brother. He was certain that there was nothing wrong with his judgement, but somehow, things still turned out this way. Given that the other party actually knew of this in advance, he must have known where things had gone wrong. His prejudice against the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was notpletely unjustified. Two inner disciples had gone there before Zhang Xuan to try their luck, but it turned out that they did not know anything about appraisal at all. Not only did they make a fool out of themselves, they even identally destroyed an invaluable artifact. As a result of that, even he had been implicated. For this reason, he really did not have a good opinion of disciples from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion trying to act as appraisers. When he saw how young Zhang Xuan was, he had immediately assumed that thetter was there to try his luck as well. Who could have known that he would stumble upon a true master? In terms of eye of discernment, this young man seemed to be far ahead of him. On the other hand, seeing that Elder He had finally put away his superior attitude, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to keep up with his scornful attitude. He picked up one of the fragments on the ground and began exining. Calmheart Stone and Bloodsoaked Stone are like two sides of a coin. Despite their opposing natures, they are able to affect the psyche of others through the energy they emanate. I dont need to exin any more about this, right? The crowd nodded in agreement. In the strictest terms, Calmheart Stone and Bloodsoaked Stone could be considered spirit stones. Ordinary spirit stones were filled with attributeless spiritual energy that provided energy for others to cultivate whereas these two stones were stored with special kinds of energy that would affect ones psyche. Elder Hes appraisal was notpletely off the mark. This sculpture is indeed an artifact from High Immortal Du He, and it was a piece that thetter personally made. In fact, even theyer of painting was done personally by him, Zhang Xuan exined. If it was left by him, then... Elder He was perplexed. Since that was the case, he should not have been wrong! Why did things turn out like that? Do you know who High Immortal Du He is? Zhang Xuan asked. I have heard of him... By the side, Yuan Qing spoke up. High Immortal Du He was known to be a divine physician a hundred years ago. He had saved countless people in his lifetime, and as a result of that, there were many people who worshipped his idol. Praying to him is not just a gesture of respect to himits also viewed to be a prayer for safety. Why would someone as benevolent as High Immortal Du He create such an artifact to poison others? Given all the good deeds that High Immortal Du He had done, it was hard to believe that he would disguise a Bloodsoaked Stone as a Calmheart Stone in order to mislead others into disaster! Poison? You are misunderstanding something. Zhang Xuan shook his head. The reason High Immortal Du He created this artifact wasnt to harm others but to save people! Save people? Zhang Xuans words were only making the crowd get more and more confused. This artifact is indeed created out of a Bloodsoaked Stone, but you have neglected something. Its for a reason that High Immortal Du He put so much effort into painting the artifact. While it might seem to be for aesthetic purposes, he was, in actuality, inscribing a unique formation on the artifact with his ink in order to suppress the killing intent within, simr to what I did earlier. Not only so, he even imbued it with energy so that it would continuously emanate a calming aura, Zhang Xuan exined. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to see through the killing intent. Thats also why Elder He misunderstood that it was Calmheart Stone. Elder He nodded in agreement to those words. He was indeed unable to discern the presence of killing intent in the stone. And indeed, the killing intent sealed within the artifact wouldnt affect one typically. However, if you used a formation and attempt to draw out the energy within the stone, that would be a different story. Your actions would damage the ink formation that High Immortal Du He painted on the surface of the sculpture, and to make matters worse, you wouldnt even notice anything is wrong initially as the killing intent is sealed too deeply within. As you cultivate with the sculpture, its inevitable that the killing intent would slowly seep into your body. Your rationality would gradually be eroded, causing you to descend into lunacy. Not only would you attempt to kill yourself, you might even bring harm upon your family and friends! Just imagining the possible consequences was enough to leave Auction Master Wang shuddering uncontrobly. Before he knew it, his hair was already drenched with sweat. This was also why appraisers were of the utmost importance in the world. An artifact, when used well, could be an invaluable treasure to a cultivator. However, if a cultivator failed to recognize the true nature of an artifact and used it recklessly, the consequences could be disastrous! This was a perfect example of that! I dont dare im that I have a deep understanding of High Immortal Du He, but my guess is that his purpose for creating this artifact was to save patients who have fallen into aa! Zhang Xuan exined. Theres no better way than this to stimte the consciousness of patients who have fallen into aa and cant be woken up through any other methods. This sculpture would first release a calming aura to lower ones guard, allowing killing intent to discreetly creep into ones soul. The killing intent would agitate ones soul, causing one to swiftly awaken. This reminded him of how Wei Ruyan had fallen into aa back then because she was unable to withstand the prowess of the two unique constitutions that she was born with. In the end, he had needed to resort to other medicine before he seeded. If he had such an artifact with him back then, it should have worked as well. A body would still be protected by its reflexive defense mechanisms even in an unconscious state. If one attempted to afflict a soul with killing intent directly, ones soul would automatically guard against it. At the same time, if the concentration of killing intent was too great, it was more likely to kill a patient before even awakening them. Thus, High Immortal Du He had toe up with such a method. It was because Zhang Xuan had a simr experience in the past that he felt that the other party had created this artifact for treatment purposes. This... I have studied High immortal Du Hes life, and his young daughter once fell into aa due to an incident, and no matter what he did, she just wouldnt wake up. The situation continued for half a year till he finally found a method to sessfully rouse his daughters consciousness. He never revealed the trick, so this matter became a huge mystery among the local physicianmunity back then... Could this be the reason? Elder He was stunned. As an appraiser, he had studied the history of famous figures as it helped him in identifying artifacts. He had read about High Immortal Du Hes affairs, so he knew about the incident back then regarding the other partys daughter. It was only after hearing Zhang Xuans words that he finally came to a realization. That should probably be the case. Theres no such thing as a good or an evil artifactit all depends on how the user utilizes it, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. I see... Elder He nodded in realization. He looked at the young man before him with aplicated expression on his face before sighing deeply. I concede. I have lost to you. Auction Master Wang, allow me topensate your loss! Elder He, you are too courteous! Auction Master Wang quickly replied. Following which, Elder He turned to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply in gratitude. Brother Zhang, I am extremely grateful to you. Not only have you saved Auction Master Wang, you have indirectly saved me as well! While the young man did question his professionalism and put him down before Auction Master Wang, thinking back, it was such an action that had saved him. Otherwise, if something had really happened to Auction Master Wang in the midst of his cultivation, his career as an appraiser would havee to a screeching halt! Zhang Xuan nodded politely in response to Elder Hes words. May I know if Im qualified toplete the mission that was assigned to my sect now? Of course, of course! Elder He nodded. This way please! Considering how the young man was able to see through something that had escaped his notice, there was no doubt that the young mans eye of discernment was indeed far sharper than his. He might really be able to resolve the issue that had rendered him helpless all this while. Following behind Elder He, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. Chapter 1996 - Luo Ruoxin?

Chapter 1996: Luo Ruoxin?

It did not take long for the two of them to arrive before a sealed chamber. There were manyyers of formations constructed over it, and there were four True Immortal realm guards standing outside. A middle-aged man dressed in a thick fur coat noticed Elder Hes presence and quickly walked over to greet him. Elder He introduced the middle-aged man to Zhang Xuan. This person here is Boss Hu of Wuhai Market. Boss Hu, this young man over here is a core disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Zhang Xuan. He might be young, but his expertise as an appraiser is far above mine! Far above yours? Boss Hu was surprised by Elder He_s high evaluation of Zhang Xuan, such that he could not help but reassess the young man before him once more. Elder He was the chief appraiser of the Wuhai Market, and the two of them had known each other for several decades. As such, he was very familiar with the other partys temperament. Considering how formally Elder He was introducing this young man to him, it was likely that this young man was the real deal! It was just that he could not help but harbor a hint of doubt at the back of his mind. Appraisal was highly dependent on the scope of ones knowledge; the older one was, the more knowledgeable one was likely to be. It was a little hard for him to imagine a twenty-year-old being truly proficient as an appraiser. Despite his doubts, he did not show any sign of making light of Zhang Xuan at all. Instead, he turned to thetter and bowed slightly. Brother Zhang, its a pleasure to meet you. For Elder He to have such a high opinion of someone as young as you, you must be a truly capable individual! Boss Hu, you are ttering me, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. The middle-aged man before him did not have a particrly impressive presence, having sealed his zhenqi deeply so as to not reveal any hint of it. Nevertheless, through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was still able to see that the other party had already reached Half-High Immortal! With such a level of cultivation, the middle-aged man could be considered among the top echelons of Wuhai City. Come, follow me! After trading some pleasantries, Boss Hu took the two of them into the room ahead. Without wasting too much time, Boss Hu gestured toward the object ahead and said, Brother Zhang, this is the artifact that I would like you to appraise. At the center of the room was an object around the height of a person wrapped in ayer of ck cloth. Pulling the cloth off, a glistening rock dyed in the striking color deep crimson was revealed. It seemed to have been worked on before, such that the gleam reflecting off the rock was particrly bright. It was slightly simr to a blood jade, but again, it did not really seem so either. Its just a piece of rock? Zhang Xuan frowned. Considering the exceptionally high reward for the mission, as well as the fact that a skilled appraiser like Elder He was unable to discern its true nature, he had expected an invaluable treasure of some kind... but it turned out to be a piece of rock instead! This was truly surprising. Dont underestimate it just because its a piece of rock. It has an appearance simr to a blood jade, but the blood jade doesnt have a glow as warm as it. Its texture is reminiscent of that of a blood crystal, but blood crystals are known to exist in smaller sizes. I have browsed through innumerable books, and there was nothing that tallied with this rock. At least a hundred appraisers have been brought in to appraise the rock, but none of them have been able to discern its origin or name. As such, we chose to seek the help of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Elder He said. There were several reasons that they had chosen to engage the help of core disciples. Firstly, most core disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion came from illustrious ns, so there was a chance that they might have chanced upon something simr to it. Secondly, core disciples were not as powerful as the elders, so even if they appraised the rock to be something valuable and attempted to take it for themselves, they would still be able to do something about it. It was a survival of the fittest world that they lived in, so this was something that could not be helped. Besides, it would be truly scary if the enemy feigned ack of interest but resorted to underhanded means to acquire it. That would really be extremely troublesome. Dealing with a core disciple was simply much easier. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. While they were speaking, he had already tried assessing the rock with his Eye of Insight, but to his astonishment, he was unable to discern it. He had read all the books in the libraries of the inner disciples, core disciples, and elders. In terms of general knowledge, even elders who had lived on the Forsaken Continent for centuries would not be a match for him. Yet, he was actually unable to identify the rock through his Eye of Insight. There was indeed something amiss with it. Have you tested the rocks attributes yet? Zhang Xuan asked. If it was just an unidentifiable rock, Boss Hu would not have gone to the extent of gathering so many appraisers and even seeking help from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. There had to be some sign that hinted to him that this rock was not an ordinary artifact. We did. The most intense mes used by the strongest cksmith in Wuhai City are unable to faze it, and High Immortal-tier weapons cant even leave a scratch on it, Elder He said. Knowing that such information was crucial to appraising the artifact, they chose not to withhold any information at all. Its impermeable to mes, and even High Immortal-tier weapons arent able to scratch it? Zhang Xuan was astonished. High Immortals could already be considered the top existences on the Azure, but even a weapon of that tier was unable to leave a scratch on it. Could this stone have reached Semi-Divinity or even beyond? That would exin why Boss Hu was willing to spend so much money on it. Most likely, he was nning on selling this item for an astronomical sum after confirming what it was. Brother Zhang, Ill have to trouble you to take a good look at the stone and help us figure out what it is! Elder He sped his fist. Very well, Zhang Xuan replied as he walked up to the stone. The crimson-emerald stone had a heavy presence that weighed down on one. Without evening into contact with it, Zhang Xuan could tell that even he would have trouble trying to lift it with his current cultivation realm. While he was only at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm, his strength should beparable to a Heavenly True Immortal. Despite that, he was still incapable of lifting it up. This stone was really getting more and more interesting to him. Brother Zhang, do you need apass or any other equipment for your appraisal? Elder He asked as he watched Zhang Xuan approaching the rock without any tools in hand. Usually, when it came to appraising stones, one would try to measure its density, weight, and other properties using all kinds of tools in order to make a more informed deduction regarding the identity of the artifact. Yet, Zhang Xuan waspletely empty-handed. It was almost as if he thought that he could figure out what the rock was just by staring at it. In response to Elder Hes question, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, Theres no need for that for now... He slowly circled the rock contemtively before reaching out to touch it lightly. Weng! A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. He quickly touched thepiled book, and its content flowed into his mind. The next moment, his eyes suddenly narrowed as his body froze on the spot. Elder He, this young man doesnt seem to be too reliable, Boss Huined with a frown as he watched the young man walking around without taking any measurements at all. As the head of an entire market, he had seen many top-notch appraisers at work, but this was the first time that he had seen any appraiser working in such a manner, not to mention that the other party was oddly young. His means might be a little bizarre, but theres no denying that his eye of discernment far surpasses mine! Elder He replied. The sculpture earlier had also been made of a rock, and even through the ink formation, the young man had been able to discern the truth of it. That was more than enough to verify the young mans capabilities. The young man might be able to do the same for this rock as well! While the two of them were talking with one another, the young man turned around and looked at them with a tense expression. Where... did you acquire this rock? Seeing that Zhang Xuan might have figured something out, Boss Hu replied honestly. I bought it from a wandering cultivator. Based on what he said, it seems to be from the Sea of Exiled Stars! Sea of Exiled Stars... Zhang Xuan mumbled beneath his breath. The Forsaken Continent was simply too huge, and the books in the libraries that he had essed only consisted of the territories in the vicinity of the Ascendant Cloud sword Pavilion. As such, he had never heard of the Sea of Exiled Stars before. The Starchaser Pce, one of the Six Sects, is located on an ind in the midst of an ocean. The name of the ocean around them is known as the Sea of Exiled Stars, Elder He exined. Starchaser Pce... Du Qingyuan? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Previously, Sect Leader Han Jianqiu had told him that if he wanted to know more about the gods, there was no one better to consult than the head of the Starchaser Pce, Du Qingyuan. It was just that thetter might not be willing to talk. After all, speaking carelessly about the gods could cost ones life. And this thing had suddenly appeared in the Sea of Exiled Stars at such a moment. Could there be some kind of link between them? Brother Zhang, have you managed to identify the rock? Elder He asked. From the moment he first saw this young man, he had remained perfectly calm, as if there was nothing in the world that could faze him. But at this very moment, it was clear to see that he was slightly shaken. Could it be that he had managed to identify the artifact before them? Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Zhang Xuan nodded. Yes. What is it? Elder He asked in agitation. Boss Hu hurriedly turned his gaze over as well. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes for a brief moment before replying, This is a... Godblood Rock. Godblood Rock? Elder He and Boss Hu looked at one another as their faces slowly warped in astonishment. The term god was not something that could be used carelessly in the Forsaken Continent, or one might risk bringing the wrath of the gods upon oneself. Godblood Rock... This was an artifact that they had never heard of before. Was such a thing really existent in the world? Indeed. Zhang Xuan nodded. The reason he had lost his cool for a moment earlier was not because of the association between the rock and the gods... but that there was a chance that this artifact might have something to do with Luo Ruoxin! It was not to say that Luo Ruoxins name was written in the book, but the anomaly concerning the Godblood Rock was simply too simr to the situation with Luo Ruoxin. He was indeed able topile a book on the Godblood Rock, but other than its name, the book waspletely empty. After the Library of Heavens Path had been upgraded, he could discern Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifacts with ease, and he could evenpile a book on the Semi-Divinity realm Han Jianqiu. However, anything else that was rted to Luo Ruoxin, such as the crimson pendant that he was wearing, reflected only a name and no other details. This rock was the same! This meant that there was a chance that the so-called Godblood Rock was rted to her! Of course, just this much would not be enough to faze him so. After all, the Library of Heavens Path had a lot of mysteries that he had not uncovered yet, such that it was not possible for him to predict its behavior entirely. What had really convinced him about the rtionship between Luo Ruoxin and the Godblood Rock was the slight warmth emanated by the crimson pendant hanging in front of his chest when he came into direct contact with it. He would really have to be a fool if he still could not make the link with thispelling evidence! Does the Godblood Rock have something to do with the gods? Boss Hu asked with a hint of fright in his eyes. He would have been more than delighted if this rock was any other treasure. He was confident that something of the quality of this rock could be sold for an exorbitant price. However, if the gods were involved in this... That was really a cause for concern! As someone from the Forsaken Continent, he knew that it was a huge taboo to get too close to the gods. The dissemination of knowledge and objects associated with them was heresy, and it would draw their wrath. If this rock was really rted to the gods, auctioning it would surely draw the attention of the Hall of Gods. That could very well be an act of suicide! Given its name, I have no doubt that its rted to the gods. As for how its formed and what its uses are, I fear that I dont really have an answer to that at the moment... Zhang Xuan shook his head. The only thing he had received regarding the artifact was its name. There was no detailed exnation regarding its properties or ws in thepiled book, so he did not know whether it could be forged into a weapon or whether it had some unique effects or not. However, he knew one thing for sure. If even the Library of Heavens Path was unable topile aplete record on the artifact, it was definitely rted to the gods. This... Boss Hu hesitated. He could tell that there was something special about the rock, so he had spent a heavy price to buy it. After that, he invested huge sums into having it appraised. If it was really rted to the gods, what should he do? Should he still sell it or not? With a lividplexion, Boss Hu asked, Brother Zhang, you mentioned that its called Godblood Rock, but do you have any evidence to prove that? Pardon me for asking such a question. Its not that Im doubting your judgement, but that... character has huge implications. I have to be absolutely careful when dealing with this... Evidence to prove it? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. It should be possible to prove it! How? Boss Hu asked anxiously. Its simple. Since its named the Godblood Rock, it must contain some traces of a gods blood. If you have the blood of the most ferocious immortal beast on the continent, you can ce it in contact with the Godblood Rock and see how it reacts. If the blood disys instinctive subservience toward the Godblood Rock, that should be enough to prove that my judgement is not wrong! Zhang Xuan replied. Chapter 1997 - True Immortal Realm Heaven’s Path Divine Ar Chapter 1997 True Immortal Realm Heavens Path Divine Ar Even though he did not know the exact properties of the Godblood Rock, he did have a deep understanding of immortal beasts. Since this artifact had the name Godblood, it must have something to do with the blood of the gods. If so, even the more terrifying of beasts on the continent would instinctively fear it due to bloodline suppression. This was a method that he had learned from the libraries of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Over the past thousand years, there was not a single immortal beast that had dared move in close proximity of the Sword God Hall due to the aura that it emanated. The reason for that was the aura of the gods from the half character that the founder had snatched from the Hall of Gods. This... Ill go look for some right now! This method sounded feasible and logical, and it was not too difficult to carry out. Boss Hu and Elder He nced at one another, and the former nodded slightly before quickly taking his leave. He was extremely anxious to verify whether the artifact was truly the Godblood Rock or not. If it was truly Godblood Rock, even if he would make a huge loss, he would not dare put an artifact associated with the gods up for auction. After all, there was no amount of money that he could earn that would save him from the wrath of the gods. An hourter, Boss Hu returned with several jade bottles in hand. These few bottles are filled with the blood essences of High Immortal realm beasts, Boss Hu said. There were not many High Immortal realm beasts in the world, so it was impossible to find one on the spot. However, if it was just acquiring their blood, there were still some channels for it on the market. The blood of High Immortal realm beasts harnessed an incredible amount of energy, making them treasures to raise ones cultivation. As long as one was able to fork out the money, it was still possible to acquire some from the markets or the Ethereal Hall. This bottle is filled with the blood of a mature Inktiger Immortal Beast, which is known to possess the cultivation of Heavenly High Immortal, he exined as he dripped a droplet of blood on the Godblood Rock. Even though it was just a single droplet, due to the overwhelming amount of spiritual energy it harnessed, it was as heavy as gold. Even as it dropped, one could hear itpressing the air with a sharp wheeze. Hu! Just as it was about to fall on the rock, it suddenly diverted away and flew aside. It was as if it had encountered something that it deeply feared, forcing it to flee. This sight caused Boss Hus face to stiffen. If he had still harbored some doubts in the past, at that moment, he was already almost certain that Zhang Xuans words were right. Of the various bottles of immortal beast blood that he had bought, the Inktiger Immortal Beast was the strongest of all. On the off case that it might just be an exception, Boss Hu carried on experimenting with the other bottles of blood, but all of them reacted in the same manner. Before reaching the Godblood Rock, they would flee away, as if they did not dare taint its divine presence at all. This was more than enough to show that the Godblood Rock harnessed some kind of might thatmanded the deference of those immortal beasts! Other than the gods, there was really no other existence that they could think of that would induce such an extreme reaction! This proves what you said. Its indeed the Godblood Rock, Boss Hu remarked with a deep sigh before raising his gaze to look at Zhang Xuan. This young man was able to infer that the rock had something to do with the blood of the gods without using any tools at all. This showed that his eye of discernment was frighteningly powerful. Regarding this artifact... do you have any information on when it was acquired, and what was the exact location of its procurement? Zhang Xuan asked. When I bought it, that person only mentioned the Sea of Exiled Stars. He didnt reveal too much information aside from that, Boss Hu replied. Well... is it possible for you to get in touch with the man who sold you the stone now? There are some questions which I would like to ask him, Zhang Xuan asked. Ill give it a try! Boss Hu took out his Communication Jade Token and attempted to send the other party a message. However, after waiting for a while, there was still no response. Thus, he could only shake his head helplessly and say, He isnt replying. I havent seen him around in the city since acquiring the rock, so it might be hard to get in touch with him. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He had thought that he would be able to question the other party to find out more about the matter, but from the looks of it, it was not possible at the moment. Zhang Xuan proceeded to ask a few more questions, but he was unable to receive any useful clues regarding the issue, so he could not help but feel a little disappointed. Then... Do you know how long it has been since the other party acquired that rock? Zhang Xuan finally asked. It has been roughly a month since I bought the rock, and I recall the seller saying that the rock had been with him for almost a month. All in all, it should be roughly two months since this rock was first found! Two months? Zhang Xuan did a swift mental calction, and slowly, his hands tightened into fists. All in all, it was roughly a year and four months after Luo Ruoxin left the Master Teacher Continent that he entered the Azure. Going by the 1:10 ratio between the time of the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent, a year and four months tranted to roughly five hundred days, which was equivalent to fifty days in the Azure. It had been ten days since he arrived in the Azure, so that would add up to a total of two months! This evidence seemed to suggest that the Godblood Rock had something to do with Luo Ruoxin. Of course, whether that was truly the case or not, he would have to personally make a trip to Starchaser Pce to verify it for himself. Coming to understand all that, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before moving on to the other matter at hand. Boss Hu, do you have any True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals here? If possible, could you allow me to browse through your collection? I just need to take a rough look at them, and I can assure you that I wont copy or take them away with me. This was the primary reason he hade here to appraise the artifact. If he wanted to continue tracking Luo Ruoxins footsteps, it was of the utmost importance for him to raise his cultivation! Only upon bing a True Immortal would he finally have the strength to protect himself in this world. True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals? Hearing the request, Boss Hu pondered for a moment before nodding. I do have some here. They are copies that I have made prior to the auction. If you wish to take a look, Brother Zhang, I would be more than delighted to share them with you! Considering how the young man was able to identify something as rare as this, his eye of discernment could be said to be truly formidable. If he could convince the young man to work at their market, it would surely be a huge boost to their reputation and business! As such, he agreed to the request right away. Besides, the young man was only having a quick browse instead of copying or taking anything away. This was a request that would not hurt him in any way. Thank you, Boss Hu! Receiving the other partys approval, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He took onest look at the crimson rock and advised, Boss Hu, the Godblood Rock is deeply linked to the affairs of the gods, so it would be best for you not to auction it. Use a formation to seal it, and ensure that no one else learns of its existence. If, by any chance, I unearth the way to use the Godblood Rock, Ille back and inform you! Ill be troubling you then, Brother Zhang! Boss Hu replied with a nod. Even if the young man had not said such a thing, he would have done the same. Even if one inted his guts tenfold, he would not dare do something as disrespectful as auction something with the blood of the gods! While his cultivation had reached Half-High Immortal, he knew that the Hall of Gods could easily destroy everything that he possessed. It would be wise not to risk crossing those experts. More importantly, even if the Hall of Gods chose not to interfere in this matter, the existence of the Godblood Rock would surely draw the attention of the Six Sects. He was just a merchant. He did not want to get involved in the dangerous politics of the continent. Since that was the case, the only option left for him was to seal all news. After arranging for his men to seal the Godblood Rock away, Boss Hu led Zhang Xuan over to the markets book collection vault. True to its name, there were many valuable manuals ced on its shelves. While its collection could notpare with the libraries of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it could still be considered impressive. There are only seventy books here... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. To be exact, there were more than seventy books in the vault, but only seventy of them were True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals. It did not seem too likely that the seventy books would be enough to fix the seven remaining ws in the Heavens Path Divine Art. Compile! Zhang Xuan willed as he ced the seventy books he had collected together with thepiled Heavens Path Divine Art. He did not bear too much hope regarding the matter, but when he flipped open the pages of the newlypiled Heavens Path Divine Art, his eyes lit up in excitement. To his astonishment, the seven remaining ws had actually been resolved. The True Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art had been perfected! This... Zhang Xuan could hardly believe his eyes. He had been thinking that seventy books would only be enough to fix a w or two, but they had actually resolved all of the problems at once! Why would that be? Surprised, he quickly browsed through the seventy books that he had justpiled, and soon, he widened his eyes in realization. Naturally, the books sold at auction were not as formidable as the ones avable in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. However, most of them went down an unorthodox route that strayed from the typical path that most cultivation techniques followed. It was also because of this that these cultivation technique manuals could be sold at such a high price, and countless cultivators wanted to acquire them. The six hundred books from the sect were orthodox whereas these seventy books were unorthodox. In a weird way, theyplemented one another and covered whatever the other wascking. As a result of that, all the ws were resolved. Brother Zhang, may I know if there are any cultivation technique manuals that you are particrly interested in? I can fetch them for you, Boss Hu said with a smile. Its fine, I am done browsing through the books. Thank you for your generosity. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. You are already done browsing through the books? Boss Hu was stunned. The two of them had just entered a minute ago, and the young man had only shot a sweeping nce over all the books, but he was already done browsing? It was almost as if he was leaving before the main show had even started! Was this not a little too fast? Are you sure that you are here to browse through the books? Unbelievable! I recently encountered some issues in my cultivation that I was unable to make sense of, so I wanted to look through some books in the hope that it would give me some inspiration. However, the books you have over here dont seem to fit me too well, so rather than confuse myself further with them, I think that it would be better for me to steer clear entirely, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. This... Well, I can understand what you mean. These cultivation techniques do stray a little from the orthodox cultivation techniques that the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion practice. Boss Hu nodded in agreement, seemingly epting Zhang Xuans excuse. Cultivation was not a field where one would be able to advance further simply by ruing more knowledge. It was a field of knowledge that was too vast for a human to fully understand, so reading too many books that portrayed contrasting views might just lead one to be unable to discern truth from falsehood, thus resulting in ones cultivation going berserk. Brother Zhang, Im indebted to you for sparing me from a possible cmity. This is a small token of my gratitude, and I hope that you wont turn me down... Before leaving the room, Boss Hu passed a sachet of Ethereal Coins over. It seemed quite heavy, such that there were probably more than a hundred coins inside. To offer so much money at once, it seemed like he was really determined to pull Zhang Xuan over to his side. Boss Hu, you are too generous. Im just aplishing whatever is expected of me. Zhang Xuan waved his hand, not epting the money at all. He did love money, but this much money was not enough to draw him in. He did not really want to get too deeply involved with Boss Hu. Besides, he had much more efficient ways of earning money. Farewell. May we meet again in the future! Zhang Xuan said before making his way out of the market. The reason he had gone to the Wuhai Market was to find True Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals to perfect his Heavens Path Divine Art, and he had aplished what he had gone there for. Since that was the case, it was about time for him to return to start advancing his cultivation once more! As long as he could raise his cultivation to the Heavenly True Immortal realm, with the Tongshang sword in hand, he would be able to put up a fight even if his opponent was a Heavenly High Immortal. By then, he would need not worry too much about his safety when he went to the Sea of Exiled Stars in search of Luo Ruoxin. It was only after leaving the Wuhai Market that Zhang Xuan realized that the sky had already darkened. A brilliant moon hung against a backdrop of twinkling stars. The surroundings were extraordinarily peaceful and quiet. Walking along the streets, Zhang Xuan slowly made his way over to the Ethereal Hall branch. However, barely after taking a few steps, his eyes suddenly narrowed. Chapter 1998 - 1998 Achieving a Breakthrough to True Immortal 1998 Achieving a Breakthrough to True Immortal Spatial maniption? A hint of horror flickered across Zhang Xuans eyes as goosebumps rose all over his body. If it was anyone else in the Azure standing before such a phenomenon, even if they were a High Immortal, they might not have managed to recognize what it truly was. However, having mastered spatial prowess in the Master Teacher Continent, he knew the reason for the happenings before him. Someone had sealed his surroundings spatially! In other words, he had been brought into a folded space, and no matter how big a fuss he made, no one in the external world would notice it at all! If it was the Master Teacher Continent, even Saint 9-dan cultivators were able to control space to some extent... but in the Azure, not even the High Immortals would necessarily be able to pull spatial maniption off. If so, did it mean that the people who had captured him were... Zhang Xuan quickly turned his sights to the figures before him, and there were four of them in total. They were all dressed in ck robes, and they emanated a chilling air that left one feeling as if they hade from the depths of hell. Three Heavenly True Immortals and one Heavenly High Immortal? Zhang Xuan frowned. The opponents were weaker than he had expected, which was a huge blessing, but it was still beyond his means to deal with. He was only at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm. Even if the invincible Heavens Path Divine Art was able to deal with Heavenly True Immortals... subduing three of them together with a Heavenly High Immortal would be pushing the limits! Just who the hell were these people? Why were theying for him? Making sure to maintain a look of calmness, Zhang Xuan asked with a nonchnt voice, Are you here to kill me? The killing intent that those people emanated was so overwhelming that even ordinary cultivators would have easily noticed it, let alone Zhang Xuan. Without even turning to look at Zhang Xuan, the Heavenly High Immortal nced at one of the ck-robed Heavenly True Immortal experts and said, Ill leave it to you. Remember what our master said! Yes! Hearing themand, the chosen ck-robed expert charged forward and thrust his palm down upon Zhang Xuan. Boom! A destructive force swept across the area like a tornado. Before the palm couldnd, Zhang Xuan could already feel a stifling sensation suffocating his chest. Hes formidable! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He had never truly fought with a True Immortal before, but his swordsmanship duels with the others in the Elder Council had given him a rough gauge of how powerful an average True Immortal was. Even though Zhang Xuan was only at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm, with the various means that he possessed, he would still be more than a match for Heavenly True Immortal cultivators. However, the might that the other party emanated actually left his chest feeling a little constricted! There was no doubt that the person before him was far stronger than ordinary True Immortals, such that he might even be able to stand on equal ground with an average Heavenly High Immortal! Retreat! Knowing that there was no time for him to think, the first thing Zhang Xuan did was dodge the other partys offense by leaping backward. At the same time, he tapped his finger forward. Hu! A surge of sword qi immediately materialized and dissipated the other partys offense, charging right toward the other partys be. Since the other party was bent on killing him, he decided to go all out in this attack. He did not infuse the Gods Sword Intent into the attack, but it harnessed his deep understanding of swordsmanship as well. Given how abruptly the attack beunched, he should have been able to defeat this Heavenly True Immortal before him with ease. Then, before the others had a chance to encircle him, he would find a way to break this spatial seal and flee! You do have some capabilities. It seems like this mission wont be too boring! Just as the sword qi was able to pierce through the other partys forehead, the ck-robed expert chuckled softly as he stretched his hand out and swiftly grabbed the iing sword qi between his fingers. No matter how the sword qi struggled, it was unable to break free of his grasp. Seeing this, Zhang Xuans face turnedpletely livid. With the might that he had put into the earlier attack, even the core disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be caught off guard and killed within that single strike. Yet, the Heavenly True Immortal was able to grab it so easily, as if he was just picking up a bug. Just how powerful could he be? Go! Amid Zhang Xuans bewilderment, the ck-robed expert reversed the direction of the sword qi that he was holding and shot it back toward Zhang Xuan. Hu! This abrupt attack caught Zhang Xuan off guard. He immediately backed away. Puhe! But still, the sword qi still struck his shoulder, causing fresh blood to ooze out. To think that the day woulde when someone would be able to use his own sword qi against him! Not too bad. I was aiming for your throat. The ck-robed expert smiled in approval when he saw that he had failed to kill Zhang Xuan with the counterattack. Suppressing his astonishment, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and willed, ws! The other party was simply too weird. He would have to rely on the Library of Heavens Path in order to ovee the current situation. Weng! The Library of Heavens Path trembled, but no book appeared. What? Zhang Xuans body stiffened. The fact that no book waspiled in the Library of Heavens Path meant that the other party had either reached a level that surpassed the heavens of the Azure, or they were using some kind of technique that concealed them from the heavens. Is it the effect of this folded space? Zhang Xuan thought. He had encountered such situations in the Master Teacher Continent as well, and there was a good chance that the other party was using a simr method. With the heavens sealed off, the Library of Heavens Path would not be able to work its wonders! But this then led to another questionwhy would the other party do so? Could it be that they knew about his Library of Heavens Path as well, and that was why they had chosen to set up such a trap against him? That should be impossible... Most likely, they are just afraid of the means of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. After all, those elders are bound to be keeping an eye on me in case I run into any danger, so they might be using this to stall for time... He was certain that there was no one in the world other than Luo Ruoxin who knew about the Library of Heavens Path, so that could not possibly be the reason. Most likely, it was just to ward off the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. I heard that you specialize in the Way of the Sword. Wont you show me how powerful your swordsmanship is? While Zhang Xuans mind was still trying to make sense of the situation, the ck-robed expert before himunched a follow-up attack with a flick of his finger. Wuwuwuwuwu! Five surges of sword qi shot forth from his five fingers, and they bolted toward Zhang Xuan with frightening speed. Zhang Xuan immediately pushed his feet against the ground and flitted to the side. Heavens Path Movement Art! But despite his swift evasive maneuver, the five surges of sword qi reacted equally fast. No matter where he maneuvered himself to, the five surges of sword qi would swiftly return to his trail. He was unable to get away at all! His moves are truly impressive, Zhang Xuan murmured. He knew that he had met the real deal this time around. There was no way the other party could have controlled his sword qi manually to catch up with his Heavens Path Movement Art. What the other party had done instead was lock his sword qi onto him through his Sword Intent. As such, no matter where he ran off to, the sword qi would simply follow him! Zhang Xuan was also capable of this move, but it was an advanced move that he would have to rely on his Gods Sword Intent to pull off. He would have never thought that the other party would be this powerful. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was known to be the ce where the strongest sword practitioners resided, but not even the strongest core disciples whom he had seen in the core disciples Ethereal Hall yesterday would be capable of pulling this feat off! This really got Zhang Xuan thinking. Just what was the background of the people standing before him? Why would they want to kill him? A thought swiftly arose in his head, and he widened his eyes in astonishment. Are you from the Hall of Gods? Sect Leader Han Jianqiu had told him that he must make sure to keep his true identity a secret, or else the Hall of Gods might set their eyes on him and make an attempt on his life. Back then, he had thought that with how low profile he was, it would be a long time before trouble came knocking on his door. But in less than a day, the enemies had already tracked him down! It seemed like he might have been taking the Hall of Gods too lightly. Just the fact that they were able to confirm his identity and track him down within a single day meant that their means far exceeded his imagination. Hu! Instead of answering Zhang Xuans questions, the ck-robed expert flicked his fingers once more and sent several more surges of sword qi on Zhang Xuans pursuit. These few surges of sword qi swiftly merged together with the earlier ones, causing their strength and speed to be enhanced significantly. At this rate, it seemed like they were going to catch up with him and impale his body. Break! Zhang Xuan hurriedly channeled his zhenqi within the tip of his finger and shot it out at the sword qi behind him. The two surges collided with one another with a resounding explosion. I cant wait any longer! Zhang Xuan thought as he took the opportunity to create some distance between him and his opponent. In order to dodge the other partys sword qi, he had to forcefullypress his zhenqi to the extremities and expel it swiftly. Just carrying out this move had inflicted minor internal injuries within him. On the other hand, his opponent seemed to be in a leisurely state, clearly having yet to be pushed to his limits. This made Zhang Xuan realize that he would surely die at this rate. Thus, he took a deep breath and swallowed a Superior Immortal Pill. Gugugugu! A tremendous amount of energy immediately poured into his body. What? Noticing Zhang Xuans peculiar actions, the ck-robed expert was stunned for a moment. He could feel Zhang Xuans zhenqi swiftly rising to a new peak before abruptly bursting apart. Boom! Thunderous rumbling echoed from Zhang Xuans body as his cultivation began surging upward. His cultivation was already at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm, but usually, some preparations would be required before pushing for a breakthrough. However, given how critical the situation was, he decided to force his way through. Pushing a breakthrough on the spot? Interesting! The ck-robed expert was surprised, but he was not too shocked by the matter. Without wasting any time, he proceeded on tounch another new wave of attacks. If he could not even kill a Pseudo Immortal realmd, there was no way his master would assign any other missions to him in the future. Hong long! The offense this time around was clearly much stronger than before. Even without a weapon in hand, the ck-robed experts sword qi was incredibly sharp and swift. In just a few moments, it was already right before Zhang Xuan. Hu! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan stood motionlessly on the spot as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. His breakthrough to the True Immortal realm had raised his fighting prowess significantly. To make an analogy, the energy a Pseudo Immortal wielded was simr to snow. As long as it piled up, it would be able to crush anything beneath it. But upon reaching True Immortal realm, the snow would have melted to form a flowing river. While it wascking in decisive might, it made up for it through its relentless nature. Even the toughest of materials would give way under this relentless torrent. Furthermore, this breakthrough did not just bring about a qualitative enhancement in his zhenqi. His soul and physical body had been tempered as well, allowing him to think faster and react swifter. Just as the sword qiunched by the ck-robed expert was about to pierce through his chest, Zhang Xuan lightly tilted his body and easily dodged the attack. After which, he quicklyunched a counterattack with a flick of his finger. Hu! Sword qi of roughly the width of a humans arm darted straight toward the ck-robed expert. It was the same move as earlier, but the might and speed it harnessed were much stronger than before! Humph! the ck-robed expert harrumphed coldly as he lifted his palm and struck at the iing sword qi. A massive dust storm rose in the air, obscuring ones sight. Under the sheer might of the palm strike, the iing sword qi dissipated inch after inch. Even though Zhang Xuan had managed to advance his cultivation to True Immortal, his strength as a Lesser True Immortal was stillcking to the ck-robed experts Heavenly True Immortal. Its about time to end the battle! Having finished testing the limits of Zhang Xuans strength, the edges of the ck-robed experts lips curled up into a cold sneer as he charged right through the dust storm tounch the decisive move to conclude the battle. But all of a sudden, goosebumps rose all over his body as warning bells rang desperately in his mind. His instincts were screaming at him that he was in grave danger. He quickly looked upward, and only then did he realize that a real sword was concealed within the earlier burst of sword qi... and at that very moment, it was pointed right in front of his chest! Chapter 1999 - 1999 Swallow Their Swords! 1999 Swallow Their Swords! Fully trusting his instincts, the ck-robed expert immediately retreated with a pale face. He did not think that the earlier attack would only be a feint. The true threat was hidden amid the sword qi! Its a High Immortal-tier sword! The ck-robed expert was stunned. Weapons of such a tier were known to be incredibly prideful, so why would this sword submit to a mere Pseudo Immortal? This was impossible! However, this was not the time for his attention to be wandering away. He quickly turned around and backed away. Where do you think youre going! Driving the Gods Sword Intent within his body, the Tongshang Sword blurred into an afterimage, almost as if a drifting cloud that moved without leaving behind any traces. Puhe! Fresh blood spurted into the air as the ck-robed expert cried out. His hand had been severed. However, Zhang Xuan did not show the slightest hint of relief despite having severed the other partys hand. Instead, the look on his face turned even more livid. He had brought out the Tongshang Sword and used the Gods Sword Intent, so he thought that he would be able to defeat the other party in a single strike. Yet, all that he had managed to do was sever one of the other partys limbs! This was not looking very good at all. You... You are actually able to harm me? The ck-robed expert looked at his severed hand on the ground with an incredulous expression. Gradually, his face warped into savagery, and with a furious roar, he whipped out a sword. The only reason he had not used a weapon all that time was because he had thought that the other party was unworthy of him going so far. However, he realized that he might lose his life here if he continued underestimating his enemy. Hu! As soon as the sword appeared, the ck-robed man shed it down forcefully, producing a wheezing sound in the air. A golden burst of sword qi spanning several zhang[l] surged down on Zhang Xuan. This is a High Immortal-tier weapon? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in surprise as he quickly backed away. He knew just how arrogant High Immortal-tier weapons could bethe Tongshang Sword that he was holding was one perfect example. If not for the means that he possessed, he would have had difficulty trying to tame it. Yet, the other party, despite being at the Heavenly True Immortal realm, was actually able to seed. This was truly terrifying! Astonished, Zhang Xuan took out two Superior Immortal Pills and swallowed them. Even though his cultivation had reached the Lesser True Immortal realm, he was still unable to seize a decisive advantage over the ck-robed expert. Furthermore, there were three more powerful opponents lying in wait behind. While dodging the offense of the ck-robed expert, he made sure to keep a lookout for the movements of the other three, fearing that they would sneak an assault on him. However, those three remainedpletely motionless, impassive to the plight of theirrade at all. He had no idea what those three were up to, but it was good news that they were not moving just yet. At the very least, this meant that he still stood a chance. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan dodged the golden outburst of sword qi through his nimble movements while counterattacking with his own surges of sword qi. Dang dang dang dang! As the two swords shed with one another, sonic booms echoed deafeningly in the air. Thebined might of Zhang Xuans zhenqi, physical body, and soul was so great that it felt like it could almost smash a mountain into bits, but somehow, every strike that heunched was easily deflected by the other party. It was as if the ck-robed expert wielded boundless strength. No matter what was thrown at him, he would be able to take it without suffering any damage. Zhang Xuans face grew more and more livid. He had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art right from the start, which had given him extremely strong foundations. Furthermore, he had been through the Saint Ascension Ordeal and undergone multiple Ancient Sage Ordeals. Typically speaking, his strength should have been able to easily match opponents whose cultivation was far higher than his. Yet, this ck-robed expert was actually fighting him on an equal footing. Not even the number one core disciple, He Jingxuan, would be able to do this! In fact, even Sect Leader Han Jianqiu might not be able to match this ck-robed experts strength when his cultivation was suppressed to the Heavenly True Immortal realm! Other than the Hall of Gods, there was probably no other organization in the Azure that had such powerful experts! At this rate, I might really die here, Zhang Xuan thought. Even with plenty of Superior Immortal Pills, he found that he was quickly depleting his supposedly almost endless zhenqi. This made his expression be even darker. Once he depleted his zhenqi, even escaping would be impossible for him. This was the very first time in a long while that he had felt so cornered. He had grown so used to being much stronger than his counterparts that he had severely underestimated the threats that lurked in the Azure. I cant drag out this fight any longer. I need to find the opening in this folded space and find a way to escape, Zhang Xuan thought. He had no idea why the other three were not making a move, but one of them was a Heavenly High Immortal. If even a Heavenly True Immortal was able to push him this far, he would surely die once the Heavenly High Immortal made his move! No matter what, he had to get out of there! The fact that the enemies had resorted to pulling him into a folded space meant that they were wary of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Most likely, the sect might have sent experts to follow him. He would be in a much safer position if he could regroup with them. Even if that was not the case, with the mystical disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him, he was confident that he would be able to blend into the crowd and get away! Just that... the Library of Heavens Path could not be used there, whichplicated things a little. Eye of Insight! Zhang Xuan began scanning his surroundings carefully, but nothing wasing to him at all. He was starting to get a little desperate. Given how prepared the other party was, bringing him into a folded space in order to deal with him, there was no way they would allow him to break out of there easily. The structure of the space in the Azure is much more stable than that of the Master Teacher Continent, but the fundamental theories must be the same, Zhang Xuan thought as he anxiously ran through everything that he knew about space in his mind. Focusing his Eye of Insight on the structure of the space once more, he quickly deconstructed it with his eyes, turning it back into its most fundamental form. That ce... It seems to be a little brittle... It did not take long for him to identify a certain spot that was visibly different from the others. Thus, with a sudden outburst of strength, heunched a series of tenacious attacks that forced the ck-robed expert to retreat continuously. Then, when he finally got close to this brittle spot, he abruptly redirected the trajectory of his sword to strike it with all his might. Ding! A resounding buzz reminiscent of a metallic ng echoed loudly in the air. Zhang Xuan felt a tremendous rebound gushing from the Tongshang Sword back toward his arm, forcing him to swiftly retreat several steps in order to ward off the force. Hu! The area that he had just struck warped a little, and another figure appeared in the folded space. Elder Chou Huo? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. It was none other than Elder Chou Huo, the First Elder of the Core Disciple Sector whom he had wrecked back at the Elder Council! He had been following Zhang Xuan, protecting him from the shadows. When these ck-robed figures struck, he had noticed it right away and immediately rushed over, but the folded space had closed before he could make his way in. He had tried many ways to breach the folded space, but despite being a Heavenly High Immortal, he had been unable to find a way in. He felt as if there were people reinforcing the folded space from within, rendering all his attempts futile. It was only when Zhang Xuan struck the opening of the folded space that he managed to find an opportunity to dash in. After entering the space, he immediately cast a sweeping gaze across the area, and when he saw that Zhang Xuan was still unharmed, he heaved a huge sigh of relief and said, Its great that youre fine! Following which, he took his stance in front of Zhang Xuan and looked at the four ck-robed figures in front coldly. As High Immortal and True Immortals of the Hall of Gods, arent you ashamed for ganging up on a mere Pseudo Immortal? Elder Chou Huo scoffed disdainfully. It took a mere nce for him to identify the background of the assants. Kill him, and make sure that nothing gets leaked out! the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal instructed. Yes! The other two True Immortals standing behind him sped their fists and bowed slightly in acknowledgement of themand. Hu! Hu! Without any hesitation, they whipped out their swords and charged forth. Astonishingly, their swords were also at High Immortal-tier as well. One of them moved left, and the other moved right. They swiftly nked Elder Chou Huo and engaged him from both directions. Ding ding ding ding! Just like that, the three of them began a fight of their own. This... Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. To his astonishment, the other two ck-robed Heavenly True Immortal experts were actually able to fight the Heavenly High Immortal realm Elder Chou Huo as equals. Not only that, they seemed to be gradually gaining an edge over Elder Chou Huo! The difference in the strength between a True Immortal and a High Immortal was equivalent to that between a Great Sage and an Ancient Sage. The two existences were simply so far apart from one another that they could not bepared with one another. A Lesser High Immortal could easily subdue a dozen Heavenly True Immortals. As such, it was hard to believe that two Heavenly True Immortals were able to equal a Heavenly High Immortal like Elder Chou Huo in a fight. Even when he was witnessing it with his own eyes, Zhang Xuan could still hardly believe that this was really happening. However, the situation did not grant him the luxury to be focused on another persons fight. The ck-robed expert whose hand he had just severed had just begun executing a set of consecutive fatal attacks against him, forcing him to back away again and again. Despite incurring severe injuries, it did not seem like the fighting prowess of the ck-robed expert had reduced in the least. In fact, it seemed to have stimted something deep within him, granting him boundless strength. He threw out sh after sh with frenzied might, reminiscent of a crazed berserker on a battlefield. Dongxu Gourd, dont feigning death! Dont you see whats going on here? Zhang Xuan bellowed internally. Yeah, I do. So? the Dongxu Gourd repliedzily as it swam around Zhang Xuans dantian. So? Arent you able to eat swords? Go and swallow the swords of those b*stards for me! Zhang Xuan roared. It was at this moment that he suddenly recalled that the Dongxu Gourd had swallowed the Tongshang sword once. If it could just swallow the sword of the ck-robed expert, he should be able to turn the tables. Sure, sure, the Dongxu Gourd repliedzily. Remember your words! Dont expect me to spit it outter, alright? Thats right, hurry up! Wait, let me double check first. You want me to eat the swords of all of those b*stards, right? Cut the cr*p and hurry up! Zhang Xuan felt like his blood pressure was going to hit the roof at this rate. How in the world could someone be so annoying? If not for the fact that he was unable to do so, he would have hacked the Dongxu Gourd into pieces with an axe by now! Yes, yes... Receiving Zhang Xuans permission, the Dongxu Gourd looked at the swords before it with an excited gleam on its exterior before it began to make its move. Ill never forgive you for daring to humiliate me. Pay for your insolence with your life! While Zhang Xuan wasmunicating with the Dongxu Gourd, the ck-robed expert realized that his mind was wandering, and he gnashed his teeth so tightly that some bits of them chipped off. With a furious roar, he raised his sword and hacked it down with stupendous might. His swordsmanship was sharp and aggressive. Every single strike came from a difficult trajectory, and it was aimed at a vital. Even though it was very different from the Heavens Path Sword Art, its might could not be underestimated. Most likely, it was a unique sword art of the Hall of Gods. Hu! But halfway through his sh, there was a blur, and all of a sudden, he felt an empty feeling in his arms. Just like magic, the sword in his grasp vanished without a trace. Ah? The sudden change in weight caused the ck-robed expert to stagger forward slightly, but he immediately regained his bnce and backed away. He had spent a tremendous amount of effort to tame this High Immortal-tier sword, and it had definitely been in his hand a moment ago. Where in the world could it have disappeared to? With widened eyes, he looked around, but his sword was nowhere to be seen. What the hell? Can anyone tell me what just happened? Where is my sword? Where is my sword! You scoundrel! What kind of sorcery did you y on me? Damn it! You are courting death! While the ck-robed expert was still searching for his sword, he suddenly heard two bellows not too far away. Turning his gaze over, he saw that the swords of his other two Heavenly True Immortalrades had vanished as well. Right after, a bbergasted voice echoed in the air. It isnt me. My sword has disappeared, too! The sword in Elder Chou Huos hand had disappeared into thin air as well. [1] 1 zhang = 3.33m Chapter 2000 - 2000 A Bet? 2000 A Bet? Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from anger. He knew that the Dongxu Gourd was unreliable, but he had never thought that it would actually be such a blithering idiot! I told you to devour the swords of those b*stards! Why did you swallow Elder Chou Huos sword too? Hes a sword practitioner, and his greatest strength lies in his swordsmanship! How do you expect him to fight his opponents without a sword? Peng peng peng peng! Just as this thought formted in his mind, the two ck-robed Heavenly True Immortals began shing with Elder Chou Huo once more. Without a sword in his hand, Elder Chou Huos fighting prowess was severely affected. Under the assault of those two, he was slowly falling into a disadvantageous position. I need to hurry up and defeat this one so that I can back Elder Chou Huo, Zhang Xuan thought. Knowing that he was pressed for time, he decided to ignore the Dongxu Gourd for the time being and drove the Tongshang Sword toward the ck-robed expert before him. Deprived of his sword, the ck-robed experts fighting prowess was clearly crippled. After several blows, a few holes had already been punctured through his body. While attacking the ck-robed expert, Zhang Xuan kept an eye out on the Heavenly High Immortal expert, but thetter did not seem to be intending to offer his help at all. Heaving a sigh of relief, he intensified his offense. Puhe! After three moves, the Tongshang Sword pierced right through the ck-robed experts forehead. Zhang Xuan forcefully twisted the sword sideward. Peng! The ck-robed experts head immediately burst apart, causing him to die on the spot. Meanwhile, the Heavenly High Immortal remained unfazed, as if everything that was going on was none of his business at all. Those from the Hall of Gods have always been cold-hearted. Elder Chou Huos voice suddenly sounded in Zhang Xuans ears. All they are concerned with is the aplishment of their mission. In contrast, the fate of theirrades means nothing to them. Nodding in realization, Zhang Xuan quickly charged toward the closest Heavenly True Immortal expert to alleviate Elder Chou Huo of his burden. With his recent breakthrough to Lesser True Immortal realm and the Tongshang Sword, his true fighting prowess was on par with an average High Immortal. In a few moments, the Heavenly True Immortal expert had his hands full dealing with him. As the burden on him alleviated, Elder Chou Huo swiftly knocked back the remaining Heavenly True Immortal expert with a strike of his palm before checking on Zhang Xuans condition. Considering how he had difficulties dealing with these two, he was not too sure if Zhang Xuan would be able to stand his ground against one of them. You have managed to tame the Tongshang Sword? That was a sword that the sect leader had just given Zhang Xuan in the Elder Council, and thetter had run over to Wuhai City right after the bestowment. After arriving in Wuhai City, he had gone to explore the Ethereal Hall, and shortly after, he had gone to visit the Wuhai Market to appraise some artifact... Despite his busyness, how in the world did he manage to find time to tame the Tongshang Sword? Furthermore, he had managed to achieve Sword-Man Union with it, which meant that the Tongshang Sword had fully acknowledged him! When did it be so easy to tame a High Immortal-tier sword? If that was the case, why in the world did he go through so much in order to tame that sword of his? Putting aside the fact that he had expended several liters of his blood, he had squandered a good chunk of his fortune for it as well! Just thinking about all he had spent on his sword disappearing with a poof, Elder Chou Huo felt his heart spasming painfully. He red at the Heavenly True Immortal expert before him with fury burning in his eyes. The culprit could not be anyone other than these two fellows! Otherwise, why would his sword suddenly disappear in the midst of battle? You b*stard! Return my sword! Peng peng peng peng! In a fit of rage, Elder Chou Huounched devastating palm strikes one after another on his opponent. He was a Heavenly High Immortal, one of the most powerful existences on the Azure. His full strength caused the folded space to tremor endlessly, as if the ce would copse very soon. Pu! Struck several times squarely by Elder Chou Huos palm strikes, the Heavenly True Immortal expert facing him felt so indignant that he could vomit blood. Are you sick in the head? Im not the one who took your sword! Even if I did take your sword, why would my sword disappear as well? You scoundrel, do you think that youll get away scot-free after stealing my baby? Return my sword right now! Elder Chou Huo bellowed like a madman. I said that I didnt take it! You are the one who should return my sword! the Heavenly True Immortal expert shouted back indignantly. Infuriated, he was just about to pit his life against Elder Chou Huo when he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in the aperture located in his lower body. He turned around, only to see Zhang Xuan, who should have been fighting with hisrade, standing behind him all of a sudden. Naturally, it went without saying that the stabbing pain came from the young mans sword too. Ahhh! Fresh blood spurted out from his lower aperture. Ah, my bad. I identally prated you with my sword, Zhang Xuan replied with an apologetic look as he pulled out his sword forcefully and bolted away to attack hisrade. You... The Heavenly High Immortal expert was infuriated, but there was a Heavenly High Immortal expert standing right in front of him. He knew that this was an opponent he had to focus all his attention into dealing with, so he could only let the young man get away for the time being. He dashed with incredible speed to strike down Elder Chou Huo, but barely after making two moves, he suddenly felt another stabbing pain in his alimentary canal. Turning his head around, once again, it was an apologetic Zhang Xuan. Great heavens, I have made a mistake again! Made a mistake your head! the Heavenly High Immortal expert bellowed furiously. Im not even your opponent, so why do you keeping over to vite me? Made a mistake? Screw that! Would anyone make such a tant mistake? Theres no doubt about it, you must be doing it on purpose! Exploding with fury, the Heavenly True Immortal was just thinking of putting his opponent aside down to kill Zhang Xuan when he suddenly felt a burst of pressure assaulting him. Elder Chou Huo hadunched yet another attack on him. A series of consecutive palm strikes rendered him unable to move, and fresh blood spurted from his body. His meridians were jolted from the impact from the strikes, and before he knew it, he was already severely injured. This wont do. At this rate, Ill really die, the Heavenly True Immortal expert thought grimly. With an awful look on his face, he racked his mind to think of a solution when he suddenly felt another stabbing pain on his bottom. When he turned his head over, it was yet again another apologetic Zhang Xuan waving his hand. Its a mistake, a mistake! Mistake your head! Unable to tolerate it anymore, the Heavenly True Immortal expertpletely ignored Elder Chou Huo and dashed right toward Zhang Xuan. However, before he could even attack at all, he suddenly felt a surge of sword qi bursting into his body through thetters de. Pu! His organs were immediately shattered. With a look of disbelief in his eyes, his corpse fell to the ground. On the other hand, seeing that he had managed to get rid of another one of the Heavenly True Immortal experts, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. The experts from the Hall of Gods were simply too powerful. Even with his Lesser True Immortal realm cultivation and the Tongshang Sword, it would still be difficult for him to defeat them within a hundred moves. Thus, he could only intentionally lure one away and harass the other one fighting Elder Chou Huo. It had taken him several provocations before he managed to enrage the other party to reveal an opening, which he had then exploited to subdue the other party in an instant. With this, the single remaining Heavenly True Immortal was a walk in the park. Coborating with Elder Chou Huo, they managed to defeat him with ease. Surprisingly, even as they killed the three Heavenly True Immortal experts, the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal expert from the Hall of Gods showed no signs of interfering at all. Instead, he smiled lightly and said, You are indeed an extraordinary individual. Within such a short period of time, you were able to formte a n and y three members from the Hall of Gods. Its no wonder the leader wants us to capture you alive! Slowly, the Heavenly High Immortal expert began making his way toward Zhang Xuan. Capture me alive? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had been wondering why those ck-robed figures did not whip out their weapons right from the start. It turned out that they were afraid of identally going too far and killing him, but eventually, they had realized that it was impossible for them to win without a weapon in hand. Nevertheless, even when forced into a corner, they did not resort to exploding their cultivation or anything of the sort. Clearly, they were afraid of going too far. Thats right, the Heavenly High Immortal expert replied with a leisurely voice. It was their test to capture you alive, and I thought that they should be able to do so without my aid. I must say that your strength has exceeded my expectations. Since thats the case... you shall have the honor of facing me! Youll have to get past me if you wish to make a move on him! Elder Chou Huo stepped forward and harrumphed. Even though he did not have a sword in hand, the Sword Intent shrouding his body was so great that it seemed as if it would pierce through the folded space. I have long heard that the experts of the Hall of Gods are unrivaled among their counterparts, and I have been wanting to verify those rumors for a while! You? The Heavenly High Immortal expert shook his head and chuckled, as if mocking a fool who did not know his ce. He flicked his finger lightly. Peng! Elder Chou Huos body rose into the air helplessly as fresh blood spurted from his mouth. No matter what he did, he was unable to regain control of his body. In that instant, his eyes were filled with horror. When he realized that those two Heavenly True Immortals were able to fight with him on equal grounds, he had realized that this Lesser True Immortal would definitely be a formidable foe. However, he did not think that thetter would be so powerful! To seal off the energy in his body with a single move, leaving no room for him to retaliate at all... It doesnt seem like you are qualified at all, the Heavenly High Immortal remarked coldly. From the moment he made a move to the moment he finished his words, there was actually no pause at all. In other words, despite being one of the strongest elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he did not evenst a breath before he was helplessly pinned in the air! It was no wonder he did not make a move even when the three Heavenly True Immortal experts were being killed earlier. Given his strength, there was indeed no need for him to work together with others! While holding Elder Chou Huo firmly in ce with a single finger, the Heavenly High Immortal expert turned to Zhang Xuan and calmly asked, Are you going toe with me, or are you waiting for me to make a move? Given his level of strength, there was no need for him to resort to vicious words. There was nothing that spoke louder than absolute strength! Instead of answering the other partys question, Zhang Xuan looked at him intently and asked, Why does your leader wish to capture me alive? Is it because I haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent? Thats not something you need to know, the Heavenly High Immortal replied impassively. I guess theres no way you would reveal anything... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. To be honest, you are probably the strongest person I have met in the Azure aside from Sect Leader Han. However, you arent a match for me. All it takes is a single thought for me to obliterate you. Im not a match for you? The Heavenly High Immortal nearly burst outughing. Would you like to give it a try? There was no denying that the young man was indeed very powerful. In fact, he probably could have triumphed over all warriors that were of the same cultivation realm as him from their Hall of Gods easily. Unfortunately, the young mans cultivation was simply too weak. They were not on the same level at all! Yet, to im that he was not a match for him... What a joke! The trapped Elder Chou Huo was also rendered speechless by Zhang Xuans ridiculous words. Bro, this is a life-and-death situation. Can you stop bragging and get serious? If it was possible to defeat him by bragging, I would have long done so. Dont you see how Impletely pinned down here before I could even finish my bragging? Indeed. If you dont believe me, shall we make a bet then? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. Chuckling softly, the Heavenly High Immortal experts interest seemed to have been piqued. cing his hands behind his back, he asked, What kind of bet do you intend to propose? With strength of his level, he was not scared of any schemes that Zhang Xuan might try. Its very simple. I want you to stand on the spot and not move at all. If you are able to withstand my attack, Ill leave with you obediently. Otherwise... I guess that will be the end of you then, Zhang Xuan replied. You are challenging me to withstand your attack? The Heavenly High Immortal experts eyebrows shot up. Do you have a Semi-Divinity weapon with you? The fact that the other party dared make such a bet showed that he had some trump card up his sleeves. Most likely, it would be a Semi-Divinity weapon! However, even with a Semi-Divinity weapon in hand, there was no way he could be defeated that easily. It isnt a weapon but a book. If you can withstand the weight of my book, Ill do whatever you tell me to. Otherwise... dont me me for not going easy on you, Zhang Xuan replied. A book? The Heavenly High Immortal expert burst intoughter. You must be joking. Do you think a book can kill me? Chapter 2001 - 2001 Killing a Heavenly High Immortal 2001 Killing a Heavenly High Immortal Make a bet with me, and we shall see, Zhang Xuan said. Well, even if you refuse my bet and take me away forcefully, theres nothing I can do. Its just that I find it ludicrous how a Heavenly High Immortal from the Hall of Gods would actually fear a mere Lesser True Immortal cultivator like me. From the looks of it, it seems like the Hall of Gods isnt anything impressive! Lesser True Immortal realm? Hearing those words, the trapped Elder Chou Huo immediately took a closer look, and it was only then that he noticed the change in Zhang Xuans cultivation. This stunned him. The battle earlier had ced him in such a dangerous position that he did not have the luxury of allowing him mind to wander at all. He never would have thought that Zhang Xuan would manage to achieve a breakthrough so quickly after leaving the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. If the information that they had received was true, Zhang Xuan should only have been at Dimension Shatter realm primary stage when he first entered the sect, but in slightly more than a day, his cultivation had risen all the way up to Lesser True Immortal. But bro, no matter how I look at you, you seem to be interested in nothing but causing trouble. After tumbling from one mess into another, where in the world did you find the time to cultivate? Does your cultivation rise just by you breathing? More importantly... what do you mean by killing the other party with a book? Are you serious about this? Having lived for over two hundred years, Elder Chou Huo had read several hundred thousand books, but he had never seen a single book that could kill a person! Theres no use provoking me, the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal expert replied nonchntly. I know that someone as powerful as you wont fall for my provocation, but you shouldnt look down on my determination either. If you dont agree to my terms, Id rather end my own life than go with you! Zhang Xuan replied. End your own life? The Heavenly High Immortal expert burst intoughter. Do you honestly think that you will have an opportunity to do so before me? You seem to be blinded by your own arrogance, Zhang Xuan replied withposed smile. Didnt those High Immortal-tier swords disappear before you knew it earlier? Those words made the Heavenly High Immortal experts eyes narrow in shock. Indeed. With his strength, there was no need for him to waste his words with Zhang Xuan at all. He could have easily captured Zhang Xuan and dragged him over of the Hall of Gods, but the reason he had yet to make a move thus far was because those High Immortal-tier swords had disappeared way too bizarrely! Even though he had been observing the scene the whole time, he was still unable to make sense out of what had happened! As such, he had thought that there might be some stronger power lingering in the area, and he had devoted all of his attention to guarding against it. That was also why he had watched as his subordinates were killed before his eyes without making his move. He feared that if he revealed an opening, that power would devour him in an instant. The Heavenly High Immortal harrumphed coldly. I can make a bet with you, but you are to rely only on your own strength. If anyone intervenes at all, I cant guarantee that Ill keep my end of the bargain. He had gotten a thorough look at the young mans fighting prowess, and no matter what kind of trump card thetter had, it was impossible for thetter to kill him. His only worry was the expert who had made all the swords disappear. As long as that expert did not appear, there would not be any problem at all. Of course, even if the expert did appear, the other party might not necessarily be a match for him. In this space, he was the absolute ruler. Unless ones cultivation had reached Semi-Divinity realm, no one would stand a chance against him. In fact, he would not worry much even if Sect Leader Han of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion appeared before him! Fine by me. Zhang Xuan nodded. What he was going to do was, naturally, use the prowess of the golden page. The reason he had bothered saying so much beforehand was because this folded space was concealed from the heavens, so he had no idea whether that would affect his ability or not. Furthermore, considering how powerful the Heavenly High Immortal expert was, it was likely that he had many life preservation means. If he noticed the tremendous might of the golden page beforehand and made his escape before the golden page even came close, he might have ended up wasting the golden page for nothing! That could have ended in a catastrophe, especially since he only had a single golden page with him at the moment. He only had one shot, so he had to do everything he could in order to increase his chances of sess. In any case, if this promise could dy the other partys movements by even a split second, it would still be worth the effort to do so! Fine, Ill stand here. Let me see what kind of means you have! The ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal expert stood on the spot as he looked at Zhang Xuan nonchntly. Despite not moving in the least, in truth, he was driving his zhenqi furiously in order to defend against anything that came his way. He was convinced that Zhang Xuan was setting this up in order to distract him, and he was prepared to counterattack as soon as the hidden expert made his move. Here ites then... With a thought, Zhang Xuan used the golden page that had formed earlier when he formally epted Bai Ruanqing as his direct disciple. The Book of Heavens Path immediately shot out from his be and appeared above the ck- robed Heavenly High Immortal expert in an instant. Its really a book? The Heavenly High Immortal expert was slightly taken aback. He had honestly thought that it was just something ludicrous the other party hade up with on the spot in order to throw him off, but who could have known that it would actually be a real book! He took a closer look at the book above him, wanting to determine what kind of artifact it was. Yet, to his astonishment, even with his eye of discernment, he was unable to see through its true nature! He could not feel any energy pulsating from the book, making it seem as if it was an ordinary item. Yet, for some reason, he felt deeply pressured by its presence. It felt like he was standing before an invible being that he could not oppose no matter how he struggled. This is bad; I have fallen for that fellows trap! This isnt a distraction but the real killing move! The Heavenly High Immortal expert widened his eyes in realization. He could not tell whether the book was a Semi-Divinity artifact or not, but one thing was for sureit was not weak at all. If the book smashed down on him, even with his current strength, he was not confident that he would be able to withstand it. Break! Without any hesitation, the Heavenly High Immortal whipped out a sword and charged right toward Zhang Xuan. No matter what, he had tounch a pre-emptive move in order to protect himself! Si! Due to his tremendous strength, severalcerations immediately appeared around the originally stable space. It felt like the entire folded space was starting to copse. Crush him! Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! The Book of Heavens Path swiftly descended from the sky. Kacha! It fell squarely on the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal experts head, causing it to burst apart. Putong! His corpse fell limply to the ground. Elder Chou Huo immediately felt the force binding his body loosening, allowing him to move once more. However, the sight that had appeared before him shocked him beyond words. His face waspletely pale, and his body simply trembled on the spot. It would be no exaggeration to say that the Heavenly High Immortal expert wielded strengthparable to even their sect leader, but he had been killed by a single book... It was a decisive kill, such that the other party could not even retaliate at all. Elder Chou Huos eyes slowly fell on Zhang Xuan once more, but this time, his gaze was filled with deference. Previously, he had only thought of Zhang Xuan as a junior, but at that very moment, thetter had already be someone equivalent to a peer to him. He silently swore to himself that he would never cross the terrifying young man before him. It seeded! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that the Book of Heavens Path had sessfully rid him of his enemy. He had worried that the golden page would not work properlyafter all, thest time he used it was on a mere Dimension Shatter realm cultivatorso he had spent a lot of time trying to negotiate favorable terms that would raise its chances of sess. But from the looks of it, there was no need to have done so at all. The golden page was just as formidable as before! No matter how powerful the enemy was, he would y the other party with a single Book of Heavens Path! Zhang Xuan quickly flitted up to the deceased Heavenly High Immortals side and flicked his wrist. Hu! The corpse was stowed into his storage ring. Following which, he did the same for the other three Heavenly True Immortal experts. Experts of their tier could be said to be walking treasure troves. As long as he could make use of them properly, he would be able to significantly increase the number of trump cards he had. He did not think much of the matter in the past, but now that he had witnessed the tremendous strength wielded by those of the Hall of Gods, he knew that he had to be careful or else he might really lose his life. Kacha! With the death of the Heavenly High Immortal expert, there was no longer anyone to maintain the folded space. As a result, it swiftly copsed. The next moment, the bustlingmotion of a lively street sounded in Zhang Xuans ears. When he looked around him, he realized that he had returned to the street just outside the market. Elder Chou Huo was standing nearby with a dazed look on his face. After recovering from the earlier shock, Elder Chou Huo anxiously urged, Elder Zhang, lets return to the sect... That was simply too dangerous! He had always taken pride in his own strength, but when he was faced with the earlier ck-robed figure, he had tasted the helplessness of despair. Even though the two of them were both Heavenly High Immortals, an unimaginable gap stood in between the two of them. Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words. He did not have any golden pages left, so it was important for him to take caution. If he encountered any experts of the same caliber as the ck-robed figure from earlier, he might just meet his end! Receiving Zhang Xuans approval, Elder Chou Huo swiftly wrapped Zhang Xuan in his zhenqi, and the two of them quickly made their way toward the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. There was no guarantee when the Hall of Gods would send more people after them, so it was best for them to leave as soon as possible. As for Bai Ruanqing, she should be safe since she was not the target of the Hall of Gods. They could always inform her of what had happened through a Communication Jade Token afterward. Elder Chou Huo, I recall that you have mentioned that those of the Hall of Gods have always been cold-natured. What does that mean? Zhang Xuan popped a couple Superior Immortal Pills into his mouth as he spoke. I dont really know too much about the Hall of Gods myself, but I once heard Sect Leader Han mentioning that they select their members in the same way gu is bred. Those who eventually join their ranks are the survivors who have gone through countless battles and undergone the cleansing of blood time and time again. The process killed all their emotions, and the only thing that remains in their minds is the will to aplish whatever mission they are entrusted with. Aside from that, the concepts of camaraderie and so on dont mean a thing to them, Elder Chou Huo replied. The Hall of Gods was an incredibly elusive existence on the Forsaken Continent, and this was actually the first time that he had met the members of the Hall of Gods. He did not think much of them when he first heard those stories, but only upon encountering them in person did he realize just what kind of monsters the Hall of Gods was filled with. Take the Heavenly True Immortal whom Zhang Xuan had stabbed in the rear multiple times earlier. In truth, Zhang Xuan had not been fooling around when he did it back then. The attack was definitely fatal, but the Heavenly True Immortal, despite being caught off guard, had been able to maneuver himself at thest moment to reduce the damage as much as possible. Not only so, his fighting prowess seemed to only grow as he sustained more and more injuries, as if it was impossible to wear him down. The same went for the one whose arm Zhang Xuan had severed. Losing an arm seemed to have only triggered his true fighting potential. Only those who had gone through the most hellish of circumstances could possibly disy such frightening tenacity in a battle. Did the Hall of Gods make a move because I haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent and feared that my growth would pose a threat to their authority? Zhang Xuan was a little confused by the situation. When he first heard of the Hall of Gods, he had thought that thetter was a lofty organization that refused to involve itself with mortal affairs unless a person overstepped their bounds and challenged the gods. However, to dispatch such powerful experts to take his life as soon as they learned of his existence, was that not way beneath their standing? Another detail that he noticed was that the ck-robed figures were instructed to take him back alive, and they seemed to be deeply fearful of identally taking his life. This did not make sense at all! If their goal was just to get rid of a potential threat, would they not have been much better off killing him on the spot? This... Im afraid that I dont really know, but I believe that to be the primary reason. Otherwise, Sect Leader Han wouldnt have sent me to protect you around the clock, Elder Chou Huo replied. Those who are aware that Im the one who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent should only be limited to those among the Elder Council, Zhang Xuan murmured with a deep frown. How did the Hall of Gods know that its me? Furthermore, given by how quickly they acted, it seems like they were aware that I was in Wuhai City as well. This was indeed something that was worth thinking over. He had checked the background of those present in the Elder Council with the Library of Heavens Path, and they were definitely trustworthy. It was also in the spur of a moment that he had decided to head to the Wuhai City, and he did not give any indications beforehand. Unless he could figure out the truth behind this matter, he would not be able to rest easy. Lets discuss it with Sect Leader Han. He might have some ideas in mind. Elder Chou Huo was also unable to figure out the answers to those questions, so he could only reply with a shake of his head. Bai Ruanqing should still be cultivating in the silent chamber in the Ethereal Hall. Ill have to trouble you to inform her that I have headed back to the sect, Zhang Xuan said as he swallowed another two Superior Immortal Pills. Elder Chou Huo replied with a nod before hastening his speed. Ten minutester, they were back at the Elder Council once more. You mentioned that the Hall of Gods has already sent assassins after Elder Zhang Xuan? Hearing Elder Chou Huos report, Han Jianqius face twisted in shock. Thats right, Elder Chou Huo replied. They dispatched a Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals. A Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals? Han Jianqiu recoiled in horror. He looked at the two of them with a look of disbelief. Given that powerful line up, how did the two of you manage to escape from them? Its truly an embarrassment to say this, but I wasnt of much help at all. It was Elder Zhang Xuan who pushed for a breakthrough to the Lesser True Immortal realm at that critical moment, and with the Tongshang Sword you have gifted to him earlier, he slew the three Heavenly True Immortal experts before... before... In the midst of his exnation, Elder Chou Huo turned to nce at the young man standing beside him, and all of a sudden, his entire body stiffened on the spot. His eyeballs nearly popped out from sheer shock. Y-you... When in the world did you reach the Heavenly True Immortal realm? Chapter 2002 - 2002 Ascendant Cloud Sword God Formula 2002 Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form What Elder Chou Huo said was the truth. He had followed Zhang Xuan in order to ensure thetters safety, but of the three Heavenly True Immortals, thetter had individually killed one, impaled the second one that he was fighting with, and diced thest one into pieces. Even the Heavenly High Immortal expert had been crushed to death by thetters book. Thinking back, he really was not of much use. If there was anything that he had done, it was drawing a portion of the mobs aggro. It was also due to theck of his contribution in the battle that he did not darein when thetter took all the drops away as well. He could not help but wonder how the young man was able to advance his cultivation so quickly that he inadvertently shot a nce over... then he found himself shocked once more. Before he knew it, the young mans cultivation had risen from Lesser True Immortal to Heavenly True Immortal! I thought that I was still far too weak, so on the way back, I ate a couple of Immortal Pills and pushed for a couple of breakthroughs, Zhang Xuan exined. If only he had raised his cultivation to Heavenly High Immortal realm prior to the assault, he would have been able to deal with those three fellows easily even if they had ganged up on him. In view of his safety, he had kept munching on his Superior Immortal Pills while driving his Heavens Path Divine Art on the way back. With his umtion from the earlier battle, it did not take long for him to advance his cultivation all the way to the Heavenly True Immortal realm. He did not reveal it previously out of fear that there might be spies from the Hall of Gods keeping track of his movements. He would not want to let the enemies know that he was in possession of such a formidable cultivation technique. Now that he was back at the Elder Council though, he felt that he was finally safe once more, so he did not think that there was any need to conceal his cultivation. Who could have thought that he would have ended up frightening Elder Chou Huo? Ate a couple of Immortal Pills... and pushed for a couple of breakthroughs? Hearing how simple Zhang Xuan made his breakthroughs sound, Han Jianqiu, Elder He Tian, and the others nearly spurted blood on the spot. Just a few hours ago, they had been slightly displeased by how yful Zhang Xuan was, choosing to sneak out of the sect instead of focusing on advancing his cultivation. Yet, within the four short hours that he had been out, he had sessfully advanced his cultivation to the Heavenly True Immortal realm! If what they had heard from Elder Lu Yun was true, the young mans cultivation should only have been at Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage a day ago! What left them feeling even more frenzied was how insignificant the young man was making this aplishment sound. If the key to achieving breakthroughs was just to devour Immortal Pills, why isnt anything happening to us? Han Jianqiu suddenly thought of an even more frightening notion, and he hurriedly said, No, wait a moment. You mentioned that Elder Zhang Xuan fought off the experts of the Hall of Gods using the Tongshang Sword... Are you saying that he has tamed the sword as well? The Tongshang Sword was a treasure that he had acquired a couple of years ago, and he knew just how arrogant it was. Even he would have to put in a great deal of effort if he wanted to tame it, and it was due to how troubling he thought the process would be that he had chosen not to do so. How in the world did Zhang Xuan manage to tame the sword when his cultivation had only been at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm back then? More importantly... it only took him a few hours to do so! Yes. He had already tamed the Tongshang Sword when I saw it earlier, Elder Chou Huo replied with a bitter smile. It had been less than a day since he met Zhang Xuan, but with each event that happened, he felt like his confidence was swiftly getting shocked out of him. Sighing deeply, Elder Chou Huo swiftly went through everything that had happened in detail. When the elders heard how the Heavenly High Immortal expert had been able to subdue Elder Chou Huo with a mere finger, they were all shocked. Then, when they heard that Zhang Xuan had crushed the powerful Heavenly High Immortal expert with a single book, they were all rendered speechless. That book is actually a defensive artifact that my teacher left for me. It can only be used once, so I wont be able to rely on it again in the future, Zhang Xuan replied. He could not possibly talk about the Library of Heavens Path, so he could only push everything on to his nonexistent teacher. In any case, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had no qualms about their disciplesing under the tutge of other experts as long as they remained loyal to the sect. Hearing those words, the crowd nodded in realization. All along, they had been intrigued by how a mere twenty-year-old young man could possess such powerful cultivation and deepprehension of swordsmanship. When they heard that he actually had a teacher, it left them feeling greatly relieved. Only under the tutge of a formidable expert could anyone possibly possess such formidable capabilities at such a young age. It challenged their verymon sense to think that the young man could possibly get so powerful on his own. The Hall of Gods has always acted domineeringly, but usually, they cant even be bothered to make a move on anyone beneath the High Immortal realm. Its truly unheard of for them to dispatch a Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals just to deal with a Pseudo Immortal. Not to mention, they even brought out a folded space to seal the surroundings... Han Jianqiu frowned. More importantly, it shouldnt be possible for the Hall of Gods to know of your identity and whereabouts. No one left the Elder Council after your departure, so its impossible for the information to have leaked out. As lofty as the Hall of Gods is, it isnt omniscient! The Elder Council discussed the matter for quite a while, but they were unable to find a convincing exnation. As a result, they could only put their doubts aside for the time being. If the Hall of Gods dispatches assassins to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well, will the sect be able to defend against them? Zhang Xuan finally posed the critical question. This was what he was the most concerned about. If the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was no match for the Hall of Gods, there would be no point in him seeking their protection. He would be much better off wandering thends so that the Hall of Gods would not be able to find him easily. Han Jianqiu pondered silently for a moment before responding grimly. I dont have an answer to your question, but its unlikely for what you are thinking of to happen. We are exiles of the Firmament, people who have been cast aside by the gods. We fear the gods, but we wont let them walk all over us. Its one thing for the Hall of Gods to attempt to assassinate you in the shadows, but if they make a move on the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, they will risk turning the entire Forsaken Continent against them. The Hall of Gods might be powerful, but even it would suffer great casualties if it made an enemy out of the entire Forsaken Continent! The Hall of Gods might attempt to send assassins into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion in order to im your life, but you need not worry about that. Our sect has been reinforced by generations of predecessors, such that even their High Immortals wont be able to breach our defenses! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was great to hear that he was still in safe hands for the time being. Thinking back on what had happened, Han Jianqius words did make sense. If the Hall of Gods truly did not fear the cultivators of the Forsaken Continent, those ck-robed figures would not have bothered pulling him into a folded space before making a move! May I know if there are any High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals in our sect other than those in the elders library? Zhang Xuan asked. I need as many of them as possible. I still have some doubts concerning that realm, so it would be helpful to have as much reference material as possible. It was still best for him to grasp his own fate in his own hands. He did not feel toofortable being too reliant on the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for his own safety, so he knew that he had to be stronger as quickly as possible. If he could just reach the High Immortal realm, the Hall of Gods could send as many experts as it wished, and it still would not worry him. Thus, his priority at hand was to raise his cultivation to the High Immortal realm. All of the High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals we have are in the elders library, Han Jianqiu replied with a shake of his head. High Immortals were beings who stood at the zenith of the Forsaken Continent. Naturally, there were not that many of them around. Given so, it was inevitable that there were even fewer High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals lying around. The entire sect only has ten High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals? Yes. Han Jianqiu nodded. Other than the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form, which only the sect leader is qualified to cultivate, all of the High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals are stored in the library. The Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Do I have the right to view its manual? As one who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, you are next in line to seed the sect leader position, so theres no doubt that you are qualified to learn the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form. However, the way that this cultivation technique is passed down is a little peculiar. It doesnt have a specific cultivation technique manual to it. Youll have to experience it for yourself in order to learn it. Follow me! Han Jianqiu said as he rose to his feet and walked out of the Elder Council. Zhang Xuan quickly followed behind him. Soon, they were standing before a private chamber. Han Jianqiu took out his Sect Leader Token to release the seal surrounding the chamber before entering. Within the chamber was a row of statues. With a quick count, there were exactly twelve of them. Each of them was holding a sword, and they were disying a different sword art. Is this the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form? Zhang Xuan frowned. Indeed. The cultivation technique is the key toprehending the Gods Sword Intent, and the secret behind it lies among the statues, Han Jianqiu replied. Zhang Xuan slowly assessed the twelve statues one by one. Each of them was standing in a different pose. There was nothing to indicate the flow of zhenqi, making it hard to believe that a cultivation technique was hidden among the statues. These twelve statues represent a sword maneuver each. These sword maneuvers are extremely bizarre, defying the very physical constitution of a human. However, if you move in ordance with these sword maneuvers, your zhenqi will flow on its own, forming a cultivation technique... This cultivation technique is what we call the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form. Its not only the highest High Immortal realm cultivation technique of our sect, its also the key to reaching the Semi-Divinity realm, Han Jianqiu exined. Just as Han Jianqiu had said, the sword maneuvers were extremely bizarre. All twelve statues were bent at unbelievable angles that defied the very physical constitution of a human, such that they felt like they were some sort of abstract art instead of sword maneuvers. You should start by practicing this first maneuver. The maneuvers will get progressively harder as you continue. Back then, it took me three whole days before I finally mastered the first maneuver, Han Jianqiu said with a bitter smile. Three whole days? Zhang Xuan asked as he looked at the first statue. The maneuver required one to bend his back backward, and the sword would pierce right above ones head. It was an extremely awkward pose to look at, let alone trying to imitate it. Yes, and this is the easiest one. Han Jianqiu nodded. The second maneuver took me ten days, the third one took me a year... All in all, I took fifteen years to master all twelve maneuvers. Considering that this was the highest cultivation technique left behind by their founder, it was already an amazing feat that he had been able to master it within fifteen years. He could be considered one of the more talented sect leaders in the entire history of the sect. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was only astonished by how long the other party had taken. Fifteen years, that was already three-quarters of his current age! Noticing the bizarre look on Zhang Xuans face, Han Jianqiu replied with a dignified harrumph. You shouldnt underestimate the difficulty of the cultivation technique. In the entire history of our sect, my feat of mastering all twelve maneuvers within fifteen years ranks me within the top ten sect leaders. Only the most talented sword practitioners could be the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion; the very rules of the sect had already determined that. If he did not possess superior capabilities, he would not have been the one in this seat! Fifteen years did sound like a long time to spend on a single cultivation technique, but considering that it was the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form that they were talking about, it was already a formidable feat. Is that so? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully as he whipped out the Tongshang Sword. He bent his back backward till it was parallel to his body before directing his sword upward. In an instant, he had already perfectly imitated the pose of the first statue. Han Jianqius eyebrows shot up. Just a moment ago, he had said that it had taken him three days to master the first move when the other party copied it perfectly right away. This left him with a horrible premonition. He cleared his throat as he awkwardly attempted to salvage his dignity. Well, the first maneuver is the easiest of the twelve maneuvers. As someone who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, its expected of you to grasp it right away. However, the rest wont be as easy as this... Really? Let me give it a try. Zhang Xuans body began bending at an unbelievable angle, and before long, he had already perfectly imitated the second pose as well! After that, he moved on to the third maneuver, the fourth maneuver, the fifth maneuver... By the time Han Jianqiu regained his wits, Zhang Xuan was already at the tenth maneuver. Han Jianqiu was frenzied. He wondered if it was because of people like Zhang Xuan that good cultivators eventually despaired and resorted to unorthodox arts. He could still argue that Zhang Xuan was able to perform the first maneuver instantly because it was the easiest, but thetter continued and performed the other maneuvers without a hitch as well. Could it be possible that the young man had practiced the maneuvers before? But that should have been impossible! Other than the generations of sect leaders, there was no way anyone else could have entered this private chamber! Huhu! While Han Jianqiu was still trying to make sense out of this irrational situation, the young man went on to perform the two remaining maneuvers impably. As if he was unable to wrap his head around how anyone could spend so long to master these basic maneuvers, the young man turned to him and asked, Did you really spend fifteen years on this? What could Han Jianqiu say in a situation like that? It was just a moment ago that he had boasted about how he had only spent fifteen years mastering those twelve moves, and he had even gleefully bragged that he was amid the top ten. Yet, the young man in front of him had crushed this achievement of his in just fifteen short breaths. He suddenly understood why there were recluses in the world. At this very instant, he felt like holing himself up as well! Just as he was still wondering how he could flee from the current situation before him, the young mans voice suddenly sounded once more. Speaking of which, if you have practiced this cultivation technique for fifteen years, havent you realized that the sequencing of the maneuvers is actually wrong? Wrong? Han Jianqiu was stunned. Chapter 2003 - 2003 Fligh 2003 Fligh Han Jianqiu was perplexed. The difficulty of the maneuvers increased progressively as one advanced from one maneuver to the next. While he was cultivating the technique himself, he didnt feel awkwardness in the flow of his zhenqi or any difort either. More importantly, his cultivation andprehension of swordsmanship swiftly surged when he cultivated in such a manner too. Given so, how could the sequence be wrong? If you were to swap the first maneuver with the seventh maneuver, the rate which you are able to refine your zhenqi at will be much swifter. If you swap the eighth maneuver with the eleventh maneuver, you will be able to enhance the prowess of your Sword Intent. If you swap the sixth maneuver with the third maneuver, you will be able to sharpen your concentration to unprecedented levels... Zhang Xuan said as he casually pointed his finger around. Perplexed, Han Jianqiu quickly cultivated in ordance with the sequencing that Zhang Xuan mentioned. Boom! His zhenqi surged forth like a torrential river, swiftly pouring his energy into areas where he was unable to cultivate previously. At the same time, he could feel his conceptualization of swordsmanship deepening significantly with each move, causing his Sword Intent to be far sharper than before. He felt like he could sever the surrounding space with a simple sh of his sword. Youre right... Han Jianqiu was stunned. It had been eighty years since he started cultivating this technique, but not once had it crossed his mind that the sequencing could have been wrong. What was even more unimaginable to him was that the technique could actually be so much more powerful just by swapping a few of the sequences... His mastery of swordsmanship, which had stagnated for quite some time now, had finally begun to advance once more. The advancement was still very minor at the moment, but with time, it would snowball and gather greater momentum. One day, he might evenprehend the Gods Sword Intent, just like the young man before him! As he slowly recovered from his shock and excitement, he couldnt stop himself from gazing upon Zhang Xuan with an incredulous look. He had spent fifteen years to master the twelve maneuvers, but the other party achieved the same within just fifteen breaths... And if that wasnt enough, the other party even managed to discern the ws in the cultivation technique and listed out some practical steps for further improvement... Whatever the thing standing before him was, there was no doubt that he wasnt human! He was still thinking that luck yed a huge part in the young manprehending the Gods Sword Intent, but given the current evidenceid out before him, the difference between themy not in their luck but their talents. The young man simply possessed an inconceivably immense talent for swordsmanship! In fact... there was no saying that the young man might even be able to rival the master of the Ethereal Hall! Several thousand years ago, the master of the Ethereal Hall appeared out of nowhere. Within several short months, he had already swept across the entire Forsaken Continent and be an undefeatable existence. After which, he even barged into the Hall of Gods all alone and snatched the God)_ character from it, thus establishing the Ethereal Hall- Over the past several thousand years, there had been no one who was able to match the aplishments of the master of the Ethereal Hall... However, it seemed like that was just about to change! At this rate, by the time the Azure Bridge opens once more and the geniuses of the Six Sects gather, our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would surely be able to acquire the best positions... Han Jianqiu thought as excitement flickered in his eyes. In the past, even though their Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had acquired half a ꣨God)1 character in the past, they were still unable to unite the Six Sects together due to their limited prowess. However, with Zhang Xuan on their side, they would surely be able to convince the remaining Six Sects to follow their lead! He excitedly turned to look at Zhang Xuan, only to see thetter standing quietly on the spot, as if he had just received an epiphany. Knowing that such epiphanies didnte easily, Han Jianqiu quietly left the private chamber. Just as Han Jianqiu had guessed, Zhang Xuan had indeed received an epiphany. It was regrettable that the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form wasnt of much use to him in pushing for a breakthrough to High Immortal realm, but it did allow him to better control his Gods Sword Intent. He had used the golden page he had received from epting Dan Xiaotian was his direct disciple to seal the Gods Sword Intent that had rushed toward him back them. He had already managed toprehend the entirety of the Gods Sword Intent thus far, but due to the limitations of his cultivation and soul, he was still unable to bring out the full prowess of it. However, when he practiced the twelve maneuvers he had just learned, he found that the Gods Sword Intent was fusing together with his body. In other words, the Gods Sword Intent had truly be a part of him, and he could execute it as and when he liked. It was no longer limited by the strength of his body anymore. That would exin why Han Jianqiu has mentioned that this cultivation technique is the key toprehending the Gods Sword Intent- Feeling the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan thought. If he could execute the full prowess of the Gods Sword Intent when he faced the ck-robed figures back then, he would have been able to defeat the Three Heavenly True Immortals even if he hadnt achieved a breakthrough to True Immortal! That was just how powerful theplete Gods Sword Intent was! Gugugugugu! As the Gods Sword Intent flowed through his body smoothly, Zhang Xuan could feel his presence bing sharper and sharper. It felt like his Sword Intent could pierce through the heavens at his will. Hu! As Sword Intent flowed relentlessly through Zhang Xuans body, he felt his zhenqi morphing into a sword, and slowly, his body began to rise into the air. This is... flight! Zhang Xuans eyes gleamed in agitation. Due to the increased spatial pressure in the Azure aspared to the Master Teacher Continent, only those who had reached High Immortals were capable of flight. Zhang Xuans cultivation was still only at Heavenly True Immortal at the moment, but through the Gods Sword Intent in his body, he was able to morph his zhenqi into a sword and rise into the air. In terms of speed, he should be able to move even faster than Elder Chou Huo! With my current means, I should be able to put up a fight against Heavenly High Immortals now! Even if I were to be faced with the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal expert from the Hall of Gods once more, I wouldnt as helpless as I was anymore... Feeling the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. While hemented the fact that he hadnt been able to find any High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals topile his Heavens Path Divine Art, nevertheless, these twelve maneuvers granted him a much deeper understanding of the Gods Sword Intent. With this, his fighting prowess was pushed to a much greater height! Given his current fighting prowess, he figured that even Elder Bai Ye wouldnt be a match for him anymore. Pulling his thoughts away from his cultivation, Zhang Xuan turned to his dantian and asked, Dongxu Gourd, where are the swords you have swallowed? Did you leave one for me? He had this fellow devour his opponents swords during the battle against the assassins from the Hall of Gods back then, and that had relieved him from much pressure back then... Well, it would have been much better if it hadnt devoured Elder Chou Huos sword too. Due to how urgent things were earlier, he didnt have time to enquire about its condition. Since he had some time on his hand now, it would be good to show some care and concern to the new legendary beast he had just tamed. Upon hearing Zhang Xuans question, the Dongxu Gourd immediately backed away warily, Hold it right there. Didnt you promise that you wouldnt make me spit out those swords? No backsies! Of course, do I look like such a dishonorable person to you? I am just worried that you are going to get a tummyache after stuffing yourself so much, Zhang Xuan replied with a perfectly calm smile. Oh, thats nothing at all. Im already done digesting all those swords, the Dongxu Gourd shook its bottom gleefully. You are already done digesting those swords? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He quickly took a closer look at the Dongxu Gourd, and thetter waszing around his dantian, as per usual. It disyed no signs of difort, as if assimting the tremendous amount of energy from four High Immortal-tier swords was nothing to it at all. Forget it! Knowing that it was impossible for him to take back the swords the Dongxu Gourd had digested, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he flicked his wrist and took out the Tongshang Sword and several corpses. They were the Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals whom he had defeated earlier. Weng! As soon as the corpses appeared, a sword suddenly rushed right toward Zhang Xuans be. It was the sword of the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal was using back then. It was too shocked by the sight of a book crushing its master to death that it failed to react even while it was being kept into a storage ring. Upon seeing its enemy once more, it immediately made its move to avenge its master. Hu! Zhang Xuan calmly raised his hand and pinched his fingers together. With perfect precision, the sword was pincered right in between his fingers. He might be helpless against a High Immortal-tier sword back when he was still at Pseudo Immortal realm, but now that he had raised his cultivation to Heavenly True Immortal andpletelyprehended the Gods Sword Intent, not even Heavenly High Immortals would necessarily be a match for him. Naturally, dealing with a mere sword was well within his means. Y-you ... The sword could hardly believe what was happening. It had only been an hour... How did this fellow be so powerful all of a sudden? Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to waste its time with the sword. While grabbing the sword with a hand, he swiftly flicked several points of the sword with his other hand. Sou sou! As Sword Intent struck several points of the sword, the sword spirit could barely release a pitiful wail before dissipating into nothing. Zhang Xuan could tell that the sword spirit was loyal to the Heavenly High Immortal, such that even if he were to tame it, there was a good chance that it might still betray him. He didnt want to be in a position where he would have to guard against his own sword turning against him while being in the midst of an intense battle with others. In order to avoid trouble, he decided to wipe away the spirit existing within the sword with his Gods Sword Intent. You... Thats no different from crippling that sword! Seeing his actions, the Tongshang Sword shuddered in shock. Its strength was at the same level as the other sword, but its master was able to dissipate the spirit of the other sword within moments. Didnt this mean that its master wielded the ability to destroy it too? It could understand why its master would want to destroy the other sword, but a High Immortal-tier sword without a spirit would have its prowess significantly diminished. It would be nothing but a slightly more resilient weapon. Dont worry, it isnt crippled for good, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and he tapped his finger lightly on the sword. Two breathster, a crisp buzz reminiscent of the melodious singing of birds sounded from the sword. It sounded like the celebration of a new life. The sword has gained another spirit? Upon seeing this sight, the Tongshang Sword nearly plummeted from the sky. It would have usually taken many years of nurturing for a sword to gain spirit. Yet, the young man was able to destroy a spirit with a flick of his finger and reconstruct a new one with another flick... The Tongshang Sword couldnt help but tremble in fear as it recalled what it had done in the past. The reason why it dared to act haughtily was because it knew that the sword would be ruined once it was gone. There was no sword practitioner who would willingly destroy their own sword. But when it saw what Zhang Xuan did, it realized that it was actually expendable... The heck, this fellow really couldnt be gauged by normal means. He was actually capable of bestowing spirits upon weapons! In other words, its pride meant nothing at all before the other party. It seemed like it would have to make sure to lie low in the future, or else it wouldnt even know how it died. At this moment, the Tongshang Sword had really submitted to Zhang Xuan in both body and soul. It dared not to harbor any thoughts of opposing thetter anymore. From now on, I shall call you... The Sword! Taming the weapon he had just enchanted with ease, Zhang Xuan looked at the weapon in his hand contentedly. Just like the Tongshang Sword, it was another Heavenly High Immortal-tier weapon. The Sword? The newly enchanted sword nearly plummeted from the sky upon hearing that. Wasnt this name a little too flippant? No matter what, it was still a High Immortal-tier sword, one of the strongest existence on the Forsaken Continent- How could it live with such a frivolous name? Unable to ept this, the sword protested, Master, can I... request for another name? I think that the name you havee up with... is a little too casual! Casual? This... Zhang Xuan frowned a little. Well, shall I call you Little Swordie instead? Putong! The sword copsed to the ground in despair and began wailing. The heck! If this is going to be it, I might as well have just gone with the first name... Chapter 2004 - 2004 Heading to the Starchaser Palace 2004 Heading to the Starchaser Pce With the death of their masters, the imprints on the storage rings were released. Thus, Zhang Xuan only had to drip his blood on them in order to tame them. He quickly browsed through the contents of the storage rings, and soon enough, a bitter smile surfaced on his lips. He thought that he would be able to gather quite a few treasures given how powerful his opponents were, but to his shock, they were appallingly poor! Other than the High Immortal-tier swords which the Dongxu Gourd had already swallowed, there were only a couple of recovery pills, edible food, clear water, and a few sets of clean clothes. Zhang Xuan continued looking through the contents of the storage ring, but there was nothing else that was of value. However, he did find something surprising in them. This is... the Ethereal Token? Did the experts of the Hall of Gods use Ethereal Tokens too? That notion somehow didnt seem too convincing to him. It was hard to picture the lofty experts of the Hall of Gods utilizing a creation of what they presumed as inferior beings of the Forsaken Continent! Something felt rather bizarre here. A frown furrowed his forehead as he picked up the Ethereal Token and tapped on it lightly. He slit the tip of his finger and dripped a droplet of blood on the token, intending to tame it and take a look at what was within. However, in the next moment, the Ethereal Token abruptly crumbled into innumerable pieces. Seeing such a sight, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. The Ethereal Token wasnt like the other artifacts, where it was possible for others to tame it after the original owner died. It was designed in a way such that it would be destroyed if anyone other than the original owner tried to im possession of it. In other words, he wouldnt be able to view what was within the Ethereal Token. He tried maneuvering with the other three Ethereal Tokens, but they ended up disintegrating too. Left with no choice, Zhang Xuan could only give up on it. It seems that Kong shis invention has been acknowledged by even the Hall of Gods... Zhang Xuan murmured. He looked at the four corpses before him once more and smiled to himself, Even though theres nothing valuable amongst their possessions, at the very least, their very bodies are already treasures! These bodies could be forged into Soulless Metal Humanoids, and that was already an invaluable treasure to him. Time to get to work then. Sitting on the floor, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out of his be and began working on the corpses before him. In the faraway sky of the Azure... Jiya! A door shrouded in shadows creaked open, and a ck-robed figure rushed in anxiously. He walked right into the center of the dark hall. The area was illuminated by flickering candlelight, and the imposing back of a figure could be vaguely seen at the center of the room. Master, the ck-robed figure kneeled onto the floor and greeted subserviently. How did it go? the imposing figure asked without moving in the least. Its a failure... The four of them have been wiped out! the ck-robed figure replied with a trembling body. He dared not believe that it was possible for something to be true when he first received the news. He had to check several times before he could even process the information in his head. That was a Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals from the Hall of Gods! To think that they could be killed by a mere Pseudo Immortal... Such a thing waspletely inconceivable to him. They are dead? the imposing figure remarked with a contemtive voice. There wasnt the slightest surprise to be heard in his voice at all. He nodded his head slightly as if he had expected such an oue, and he said, As expected of a person chosen by the heavens. He is indeed blessed with great luck... just like that man. However, the more thats the case, the more he moves my heart... The ck-robed figure kept his head lowered in fright as he listened to his masters mutterings. He dared not to interject for fear of incurring his masters wrath. Where is he at the moment? Master, he seems to have returned to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the ck-robed figure reported. Since he is back at the Sword Pavilion, theres no need to make a move on him for the time being, the imposing figure instructed. Yes, master... the ck-robed figure replied subserviently. If he chooses to never leave the Sword Pavilion, what should we do then? He will have toe out soon, the imposing figure replied confidently. Understood, master. Ill keep a lookout on him and make a move as soon as he leaves the premises, the ck-robed figure replied. Un. Dispatch more capable personnel the next time around. Same as before, I need him alive. It doesnt matter whether hes injured or not, but I want a breathing man presented before me, the imposing figure instructed. Yes, master! the ck-robed figure replied with a deep bow before backing out of the room. At the same time, the silhouette of the imposing figure gradually grew dimmer and dimmer before fading amidst the darkness of the room. There was no way Zhang Xuan could have been aware of the happenings over at the Hall of Gods. At this very moment, he was pinching his be in distress as he rose back up to his feet. The corpses of the three True Immortal corpses are still within my means to refine, but Im still a little toocking to deal with the High Immortal corpse... It took only a few moments for him to refine the corpses of the three Heavenly True Immortal experts into Soulless Metal Humanoids, but when it came to the Heavenly High Immortal expert, no matter what he tried, it didnt seem to work at all. My soul is still a little too weak at the moment... Zhang Xuan shook his head sourly. He had managed to find cultivation technique manuals to advance his zhenqi cultivation all the way to Heavenly True Immortal realm, but he wasnt so fortunate when it came to his soul cultivation. At the very moment, his soul cultivation was still only at Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm. Without the corresponding Heavens Path Soul Art, he was unable to make a breakthrough. As the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion focused mainly on sword art and Sword Intent, there wasnt any particrly high requirement on ones soul energy. As such, there werent too many books regarding soul cultivation. Due to that, he was still a long way off frompiling his True Immortal realm Heavens Path Soul Art. I should try to find ways to further my soul cultivation... Zhang Xuan thought as he kept the corpse of the Heavenly High Immortal back to his storage ring. This wasnt just so that he could refine the corpse of the Heavenly High Immortal. It was a requirement for him to achieve a breakthrough to High Immortal as well. Even though he hadnt managed to gather enough cultivation technique manuals topile the High Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art yet, through the books he had gathered thus far, he was still able to gain some understanding regarding the cultivation realm. Simr to his breakthrough to Ancient Sage back then, his soul, physical body, and zhenqi must be in perfect harmony in order for him to sessfully reach High Immortal realm! Such a problem didnt exist for others as they had never cultivated their soul in the first ce as their zhenqi cultivation would have taken a far more dominant position. As such, it was much easier for them to harmonize their souls together with their zhenqi cultivation. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan would need to establish an equilibrium between his soul cultivation and zhenqi cultivation in order to achieve a breakthrough, and that could only be done by raising his soul cultivation up to par as well... Thus, the most urgent matter at hand for him was to find soul cultivation techniques! With such thoughts in mind, he walked out of the private chamber. Since he had already mastered the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form and fully grasped the Gods Sword Intent, there wasnt much reason for him to remain here anymore. Han Jianqiu was standing outside of the private chamber when Zhang Xuan came out, and he hurriedly asked with a smile, How is it? Its still alright... Sect Leader Han, may I know which of the Six Sects specialize in soul arts? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking. He had already browsed through all of the books in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and honestly, he bore no hopes that he could gather sufficient True Immortal realm soul cultivation techniques here. As most cultivators on the Forsaken Continent still focused on zhenqi cultivation, unless he were to find a sect that specialized in soul art, otherwise it would really be terribly difficult for him to find the necessary books to advance his soul cultivation. This... Not quiteprehending the rationale behind Zhang Xuans question, Han Jianqiu replied contemtively, If I have to name the power among the Six Sects that is the most skilled in soul arts, it would definitely be no other than the Starchaser Pce. They are capable ofmunicating with the gods, and they are even able to make use of tributes to allow gods to descend upon lower dimensions. I cant think of any other power that is more skilled in the field of soul arts other than them. Starchaser Pce? Zhang Xuan nodded quietly. He had heard the name of this sect far too many times in the past. Each of the Six Sects has its own field of specialty. Unlike the rest of us, the members of the Starchaser Pce arent exiles of the God Tribe but the indigenous poption of thisnd. They are blessed with powerful souls at birth, so their field of specialty naturally gravitated toward soul arts. For our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, as you can see, we are more skilled in the field of sword, but in contrast, we are muchcking in the development of our souls. The Myriad Beast Hall, just as its name suggests, is proficient in the art of taming beasts. Every single one of their core disciples has at least a powerful beast as theirpanion, so their fighting prowess really isnt to be underestimated. The Sevenstar Pavilion is the number one business on the Forsaken Continent. It acquires and sells all kinds of artifacts through its vast channels that spread across the entire continent. In terms of fighting prowess, its definitely unable to match up to the other five sects, but its vast wealth is more than enough to prop it within the ranks of the Six Sects. The ckmirror Citadel specializes in the forging of weaponry and artifacts. Your Tongshang Sword is one of their masterpieces. Last but not least is the Evanescent Immortal Sect. They reside in the northernmost sea, and their disciples are incredibly skilled in movement techniques. Han Jianqiu quickly exined the backgrounds of the Six Sects in the Azure. I see, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had heard about the Six Sects quite a few times, and they were frequently mentioned in books as well. However, it was much more insightful to have someone who was knowledgeable about the Azure exining it to him directly. You mentioned that the members of the Starchaser Pce are from the indigenous poption of thisnd and not exiles of the God Tribe. May I know what that means? Zhang Xuan asked. Most of the matters that he had gotten himself involved with recently somehow ended up being rted to the Starchaser Pce in one way or another, and that had made him deeply interested in this power. As you might know, most of those living on the Forsaken Continent are people who have been exiled from the God Tribe. However, this piece ofnd wasnt barren prior to our arrival. Those people who have been living here even before us are known as the indigenous poption. The Starchaser Pce is a power formed by the indigenous poption, and the source of their strength originates from their superior souls that allow them tomunicate with even the gods, Han Jianqiu exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Are you intending to learn soul arts? Han Jianqiu asked. Thats indeed what I have in mind at the moment, Zhang Xuan nodded. I would like to make a trip over to the Starchaser Pce to take a look. This... Han Jianqiu frowned. Its a vast distance between the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the Starchaser Pce. Even if you were to ride on an immortal beast, it would take you ten days at the very least to arrive there... Considering that you have already caught the eye of the Hall of Gods, and judging from how hostile the Starchaser Pce is toward outsiders, I dont advise you to make this journey. Zhang Xuan nodded with a deep sigh. He had also thought of these factors as well. Considering that it was an organization made solely out of the indigenous poption, it wasnt too hard to deduce that they werent too friendly toward the exiles who had imed possession of theirnds too. It would be hard for him to convince them to allow him to ess their repository of soul cultivation technique manuals. Furthermore, it was very likely that the Hall of Gods was keeping a lookout on his movements, so leaving the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion at this juncture was an extremely dangerous move. However, if he didnt make this trip, he would never be able to advance his soul cultivation and eventually achieve a breakthrough to High Immortal realm! It was a risky move, but he viewed it to be necessary as well. Wasting any time would just be giving the Hall of Gods more time to prepare itself, thus cing him in a worse position. Besides, the Godblood Rock he had seen back at the Wuhai Market could very well be rted to Luo Ruoxin. No matter what, he had to make a trip over to the Starchaser Pce to investigate the matter too. As for the dangers, he was indeed a bit apprehensive at the notion of having to face the experts of the Hall of Gods. Without a doubt, he wasnt a match for them at the moment. However, as long as he disguised himself well and made sure not to expose his Gods Sword Intent, it shouldnt be too easy for the Hall of Gods to find him either. If you insist on heading to the Starchaser Pce, allow me to go with you then. While Du Qingyuan isnt an easy person to deal with, I think I should at least be able to convince her to give you leeway to study their soul arts... Han Jianqiu proposed. With his Semi-Divinity realm cultivation and superior swordsmanship, even if he was unable to subdue the experts of the Hall of Gods, he should still at least be able to buy some time for Zhang Xuan to escape in dire situations. However, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, Its fine, Ill head there alone. If Han Jianqiu were to follow him, the chances that they would be exposed would be much higher. He felt that he would be in a much safer position sneaking over discreetly. More importantly, he was intending to look into the matter concerning the Godblood Rock and Luo Ruoxin. At least for the time being, he didnt want too many people to know about it. Chapter 2005 - 2005 All Hail Zhang Xuan 2005 All Hail Zhang Xuan Its too dangerous! Han Jianqiu eximed anxiously. In response to Han Jianqius worry, Zhang Xuan replied, I am someone who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Just like you have mentioned many times before, its only a matter of time before I be the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. How can I mature if I were to constantly remain under your protection? A sword practitioner should have the tenacity of a raging bull, charging down adversities without any hesitation. Fear would only fill my swordsmanship with hesitation. But even so... Han Jianqiu wanted to protest, but he knew that there was some sense in what Zhang Xuan was saying. It was often in times of danger that cultivators matured and rose to greater heights. Without facing adversities and putting ones swordsmanship to the test, it was impossible for one to reach the peak. It was not to say that being careful wasnt important, but things that had to be done must be aplished with gusto and spirit. Once a sword practitioner lost his decisiveness, his swordsmanship would only be dull and conventional. There were such cases in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion too. A thousand years ago, there was a sect leader whose swordsmanship had reached an unsurpassable level, such that he had no rivals in the world. However, a small incident caused him to identally harm his closest friend, and under great self-reproach, he ended up doubting his own path. This seed of doubt swiftly grew, wavering his faith in the sword. Eventually, his very Sword Intent copsed, resulting in the swift regression of his cultivation. Eventually, he died a humble man. There were bound to be many regrets and difficulties in life, but learning how to ovee them was the way how one could mature and grow. If someone who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent were to falter in the face of danger, he would never be a great person. Protecting someone didnt mean sheltering him from all dangers in the world. It was to provide him with the necessary conditions required for him to mature and eventually be independent in the world I understand. Ill lend you the swiftest aerial immortal beast in our sect then, Han Jianqiu was still deeply apprehensive, but he knew that this was something he would just have to learn how to cope with. Theres no need for that. That would be too eye-catching, Zhang Xuan replied. He contemted for a brief moment before asking, Are these any aerial immortal beasts residing around the area? I think Ill try to tame one myself. He didnt know where the experts of the Hall of Gods were hiding, but riding an aerial immortal beast of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would simply be too eye-catching. That would be no different from dering to all of them that he was leaving the safe grounds of the sect. Since that was the case, he might as well discreetly leave and tame an aerial immortal beast while he was at it. That shouldnt hinder his journey by too much. You wish to tame an aerial immortal beast yourself? Han Jianqiu was stunned. Immortal beasts are known to be extremely arrogant, and taming them often takes a very long time. It isnt as easy as you think it out to be. The aerial immortal beasts that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were rearing were all bought over from the Myriad Beasts Hall. Their members werepletely focused on furthering their swordsmanship that practically none of them knew anything about beast taming at all. Nevertheless, they were still aware of the difficulties in attempting to tame the immortal beasts. Even the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Hall, who devoted their lives to learning to master their craft of beast taming, would take an incredibly long time in order to tame even a single immortal beast! I understand. Im just intending on giving it a try, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. This... I see that you have already made your mind. Since thats the case, I wont stop you either. This is a Protective Jade Token I have forged. In times of danger, you can infuse your zhenqi into it, and itll form a defensive light barrier around you. It will protect you from a single decisive strike by a Semi-Divinity realm expert. Seeing that Zhang Xuans mind was made up, Han Jianqiu shook his head helplessly before passing a jade token over. Thank you, Zhang Xuan replied as he epted the Protective Jade Token. Regarding the aerial immortal beast you mentioned earlier, on the Ascendant Cloud Mountain roughly ten thousand li away from here, there are several High Immortal and True Immortal realm beasts... The Myriad Beasts Hall has sent their members over to tame them several times, but none of them have seeded to date. You have to take caution if you really wish to head there! Han Jianqiu advised. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He moved on to rify the location of the Starchaser Pce and enquire a few more questions, and once he received all the answers he needed, he quickly headed over to Dan Xiaotians residence. By this moment, Bai Ruanqing had already received a message from Elder Bai Ye and returned back from Wuhai City. Xiaotian, I have taken Ruanqing in as my direct disciple. From this day onward, shell be your senior. Paying respects to Senior! Dan Xiaotian sped his wrist and greeted Bai Ruanqing. These are the cultivation techniques and sword arts you will be practicing in the future. Feel free to pose any doubts you have, Zhang Xuan said as he passed two jade tokens over to them with a flick of his wrist. Embedded within the jade tokens were the cultivation techniques and some pointers regarding the direction they should focus on in the future. Dan Xiaotian and Bai Ruanqing quickly immersed their consciousness into the jade token to take a look, and soon, they found themselvespletely engrossed with what they were reading. The cultivation technique and sword art recorded within the jade token truly an ingenious work. As long as they practiced it seriously, they would surely be able to advance their cultivation swiftly. It didnt take them long to finish going through everything in the jade token, and they began posing the uncertainties they harbored in their minds. Zhang Xuan answered their doubts one after another patiently. After which, he swiftly entered the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Ethereal Hall and purchased two bottles of Standard Immortal Pills and Superior Immortal Pills. Passing one of each to his two direct disciples, he said, These are the Immortal Pills that the two of you will require for your cultivation. I hope that youll be able to meet my expectations the next time we meet! By the time he finished arranging future ns for his direct disciples, dawn was already around the corner. Before he knew it, he had already spent two days in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. That was quite a long period of time. Fortunately, the time he had spent here had been quite fruitful as well. He managed to advance his cultivation to Heavenly True Immortal realm, and he hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent as well. At the same time, he tamed two High Immortal-tier weapons and refined three Heavenly True Immortal realm Soulless Metal Humanoids... All in all, he had be much more powerful than before, and he was no longerpletely helpless even against the top echelons of the Forsaken Continent anymore. Well not let down teachers expectations! Bai Ruanqing and Dan Xiaotian kowtowed deeply with reddened eyes. Watching this sight, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. His journey in the Azure was destined to be a short one, especially since his primary goal was to find Luo Ruoxin. It was not a part of his n to take in any direct disciple at all, but he didnt regret his decision. Dan Xiaotian and Bai Ruanqing had fine youths with resilient characters, and he was very satisfied with them. It was just a pity that he couldnt bring them around like Zhao Ya and the others and teach them carefully. They could only rely on themselves in the future. Cao Chengli, I want you to take care of Xiaotian and Ruanqing after I leave. These are your cultivation techniques and pills. Stop lusting over women all the time and focus more on your concentration. Instead of hearing you talk about your sexual exploits and how you have conquered a hundred flowers or something, I hope to see substantial improvements in your cultivation the next time we meet. Is that understood? Zhang Xuan called the bandit Cao Chengli over and lectured him. Cough cough... Young Master, I have actually conquered my thousandth flower already! Cao Chengli replied with an awkward scratch of his head. Then, he peeked at Zhang Xuan curiously and asked meekly, Just out of sheer curiosity, Young Master, but how many flowers have you conquered at the moment... Those words immediately turned Zhang Xuans face utterly ck. This fellow sure was getting ahead of himself! I heard that you have been hopping across the doorsill recently? Just look at what is bing of your manners! If I were to ever find out that you have been conducting yourself in such a ridiculous manner, you can be certain that Ill break your darned legs! I cant hop across the doorsill either? Cao Chengli was appalled. The left leg was a no-go, and the right leg was a no-go too... And now, he couldnt even hop across either! Was the Young Master thinking of keeping him out of the residence or confining him inside the residence for life? Leaving Cao Chengli to reflect on his own wrongdoings, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly once more before leaving the residence. By the time the sun started rising by the horizon, he had already left the mountain gate, disappearingpletely amidst the vast wilderness. A moment after he disappeared, two elders suddenly appeared in midair. They looked at one another with utterly confused looks on their faces. They were no other than Elder He Tian and Elder Chou Huo. Han Jianqiu did permit Zhang Xuan to leave on his own, but eventually, he found himself unable to leave thetter to be. It was the safety of their future sect leader they were talking about here, nothing must go wrong! Thus, as soon as Zhang Xuan left, he immediately arranged for the two elders to follow Zhang Xuan closely and protect him from the shadows. Who could have thought that they would lose Zhang Xuan as soon as they left the sect... Quick, we have to find him! The two of thembed the area frantically in search of the young man, but the entire area waspletely empty. There was no sight of Zhang Xuan to be seen at all. Four hourster, the two of them had no choice but to return to the Elder Council awkwardly to report on their failure. To think that two Heavenly High Immortals like them would lose sight of a Heavenly True Immortal... They had no idea how they could face the sect leader like that! You lost him? ... Han Jianqiu seemed to have guessed what had happened upon seeing their figures, thus sparing them from the agony of having to exin their own failure. This... Elder He Tian and Elder Chou Huo dared not to raise their heads. He knew that I would send the two of you to follow him, so he made countermeasures in advance... Han Jianqiu sighed helplessly. He knew that we were following him? The two elders raised their heads simultaneously. This is the message he has left for the two of you, Han Jianqiu said as he flicked two jade tokens into the hands of the two elders. The two elders quickly infused their zhenqi into the jade token, and soon, Zhang Xuans voice sounded in the air, Elder He and Elder Chou, theres no need for you two to follow me. Im capable of protecting myself. This is a sword art I have created for the two of you after analyzing the ws in your swordsmanship. As long as you cultivate ording to it, you should be able to bring your mastery of swordsmanship to greater heights... This... They quickly peered into the contents of the jade token, and in the next moment, the two of them were shocked speechless. The sword art in the jade token happened to resolve all of the ws in their swordsmanship. As long as they practiced this technique diligently, they would be able to reach a higher level in their mastery. In fact, it might even prop their cultivation to higher grounds even! H-how did you see through this? The two of them widened their eyes in disbelief. It was onlymon sense for a sword practitioner to keep the ws of his swordsmanship to himself. Such a thing was not something one could reveal even to ones closest kin. Yet, all it took was a single duel for the young man to uncover the entirety of their ws and figure out a feasible method to correct them... They had known all this while that the sword practitioner who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent was bound to be exceptional, but this was way beyond their imagination! One must know that every single move in a swordsmanship was like a gear in aplete system. Even if one were to be aware of a problem in this single gear, altering it haphazardly could cause even more trouble in the entire system instead. It was for this reason that they dared not to correct their ws despite being aware of the problems they posed. It was not that they didnt want to do so but that they were unable to do so! Yet, such a feat was achieved impably by the young man... How can we ever hope to repay this favor? The eyes of the two elders reddened in agitation. They were intending on protecting the young man, but not only did the young man not need their help, he even gifted them with such a huge present. Words could hardly describe their current feelings. It isnt just the both of you. Every single one of us received something simr too... Han Jianqiu said as he looked out of the Elder Council with a deep look in his eyes. It felt as if the young man was a deity who had descended upon them, bestowing them with his blessings before vanishing without a trace. Elder He Tian and Elder Chou Huo looked around the room, and it was only then did they realize that the sect leader and the other elders had a jade token in their hands as well. Most likely, these jade tokens contained their ws and the ways to resolve the issue. Cultivate well. Dont let down his expectations of you! Han Jianqiu said as he stood up. Given Zhang Xuans capabilities, I believe that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would only soar to greater heights under his leadership. Indeed! The others in the room nodded their heads in agitation. It turned out that the appearance of a practitioner who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent wasnt just a blessing to the sect but its individual members as well... As long as they could internalize Zhang Xuans teachings, they could pass the knowledge down to the disciples as well, and the fighting prowess of the sect would soar swiftly. Just thinking about the matter left every one of them trembling in excitement. A talented genius could ensure a sects prosperity for a generation, but a talented teacher could ensure the prosperity of the sect for generations toe! I have made up my mind! Han Jianqiu suddenly dered with conviction. As if knowing what was on Han Jianqius mind, Elder He Tian asked in astonishment, Sect Leader Han, are you certain Absolutely so, Han Jianqiu replied. I was still worried about his boastful temperament, so I thought that theres a need to temper his character a little more before entrusting the sect to him. However, the fact that hes willing to impart his teaching unreservedly to us shows that his mind is already in the right ce. I believe that hes ready! After saying those words, Han Jianqiu took out the token which represented his identity as the sect leader and held it in front of him. His deep voice echoed loudly across the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. From this day forth, Zhang Xuan shall be the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Chapter 2006 - Huh? Who Is Zhang Xuan? Chapter 2006 Huh? Who Is Zhang Xuan? In the Core Disciple Sector of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. A young man was charging forward furiously with a sword in his hand when he suddenly released his grip, causing his sword to fly forth with astonishing swiftness. It pierced right into the bark of an old tree a far distance away. Senior He, are you practicing her techniques? A young man asked excitedly as he made his way over. If Bai Ruanqing was here, she would have recognized the two people standing here. They were no other than He Jingxuan, the first ranker of the core disciples, and Hu Chen, the fourth ranker. After the battle with Bai Ruanqing, He Jingxuan had been studying the two moves that he had lost to, and it was only till now that he finally made some progress. I must say that these two moves are true works of ingenuity. I ampletely awed by just how beautiful and elegant such a simple move could actually be... He Jingxuan sighed in amazement. When he first encountered it, he thought that it was nothing more than a simple sword toss. But the more he tried to study it, the more fearsome he realized it was. It was as if that single sword toss harnessed the secrets hidden in the crux of swordsmanship. He simted many different scenarios in his head, but no matter what he did, he wasnt able to ovee that sword toss at all. It was as if that single sword toss had copsed every single possibility thaty ahead of him, sealing his fate to certain doom! If that wasnt the case, we wouldnt have all lost to her... Hu Chen replied gloomily. Given the current circumstances, there was no way they couldnt acknowledge Bai Ruanqings strength... But this only served to deepen their indignation. After all, it felt like Bai Ruanqing had nothing other than those two moves at all! Did you manage to find out who she learned those two moves from? He Jingxuan asked. I have narrowed down the possibilities, and my guess is that she has learned them from I Am Low Profile, the person who has conquered the Inner Disciple Sector not too long ago! Hu Chen replied. Its him? He Jingxuan frowned. If Im not mistaken, isnt his cultivation only at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation? He should have achieved a breakthrough to Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm not too long ago. In fact, based on what I have gathered thus far, it seems like I Am Very Handsome who has defeated all of us back then is very likely to be him... Hu Chen replied. He was just about to move on to exin the rationale behind his deduction when a deafening voice echoed across the entire mountain range. From this day forth, Zhang Xuan shall be the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Thats the voice of our sect leader! But what is it that hes saying? Zhang Xuan will be our new sect leader? Who the hell is Zhang Xuan? He Jingxuan and Hu Chen were stunned. It was not umon for an incumbent sect leader to step down and pass his position on to someone else. However, most of the time, the person to inherit the position would be an esteemed elder or someone deeply respected within the sect... But Zhang Xuan? Where did this fellow evene from? Just as the two of them were wondering what was going on, Han Jianqius voice continued sounding on. I know that the name Zhang Xuan is probably unfamiliar to most of you. He is both I Am Low Profile and I Am Very Handsome, the person who has single-handedly defeated the Inner Disciple Sector and Core Disciple Sector within a single day! I Am Low Profile? He Jingxuan was stunned. Didnt he just achieve a breakthrough to Pseudo Immortal realm not too long ago? It was unthinkable for a Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm to be the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! One must know that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was one of the Six Sects, and it wielded more than enough power to sway the fate of the Forsaken Continent. This was ridiculous! Zhang Xuan hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Even though his cultivation has only reached Heavenly True Immortal, with his superior might in swordsmanship, he has managed to y a Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals in session. In the same cultivation realm, he possesses the strength to subdue thebined prowess of me and four other elders... Han Jianqiu carried on to justify the rationale behind his decision. Wait a moment, hes at Heavenly True Immortal realm? Did I just hear that he has in a Heavenly High Immortal? He actually managed to defeat Sect Leader Han and four other elders? He Jingxuan and Hu Chen stared at one another with widened eyes. That fellow was actually that powerful? Were they really the same person? Considering how that fellow was only at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation a day ago, it was already an incredible feat that he was able to reach Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm within the span of a single day... So, what in the freaking world did Sect Leader Han mean by his cultivation has only reached Heavenly True Immortal? Furthermore... ying a Heavenly High Immortal? How in the world was that even possible? The reason why I am saying all of this is to tell you all that its out of my own volition that I chose to pass the role down to him. I hope that youll support him as your sect leader and push our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to greater heights! After which, the voice gradually faded away. Hu Chen looked at He Jingxuan in disbelief. I guess we should listen to Sect Leader Hans orders. From this day onward, our sect leader will be none other than Zhang Xuan! But... We dont even know what Sect Leader Zhang looks like, or even how old he is! He Jingxuan and Hu Chen were deeply perplexed as to what they should make of the situation before them. Even if you want us to follow this new sect leader, you should at least tell us what he looks like? You arent even providing us any information about him at all, so what do you expect to do? In the Inner Disciple Sector... Cao Chengli was currently seated before the entrance of the residence, studying the doorsill intensely. I cant use my left leg, I cant use my right leg, and I cant hop either... It seems like I can only crawl in and out then... Cao Chengli shook his head helplessly. At the moment, however, Han Jianqius voice sounded in the air. Our Young Master has be the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, one of the Six Sects? Cao Chengli toppled backward in shock. He shook his head vehemently, as if trying to ept the information he had just received. He knew from the very start, back when they were still at Xuanjiang City, that the Young Master was a formidable person, but he would have never thought that the Young Master would actually be this amazing of a figure! It was just two days since they had arrived at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but he had already risen from the follower of an inner disciple to the leader of the entire sect... How in the world did he even climb through the ranks so quickly? The cultivating Bai Ruanqing and Dan Xiaotian were taken aback by what they had just heard as well. Slowly, their eyes began zing with fiery passion. Their teacher had be the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! As his direct disciples, they couldnt afford to sully his reputation. Thus, they had to work harder than ever! The same sight was happening across the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In this very moment, every single disciple and elder etched a single name to their mind... Zhang Xuan! This young man had appeared from nowhere, but within a short span of two days, he advanced from an insignificant figure whom no one knew about to be the esteemed leader of the sect! There was probably no one in the world who had climbed to the top of the corporatedder as quickly as he did! Elder Han, is it really wise to make such an announcement? Such a conspicuous move would only make the Hall of Gods more wary of Sect Leader Zhang! Elder He Tian asked with a frown. Since Han Jianqiu had stepped down as the sect leader, he was automatically demoted to the position of a core elder. They had been trying their best to conceal Zhang Xuans identity all this while so as to protect him from the Hall of Gods, but Han Jianqiu actually announced the matter publicly all of a sudden... Was it really fine to do this? Elder He, the Hall of Gods has already made their move. Its toote for us to be trying to hide anything anymore. Since thats the case, we might as well announce the matter and make it public. This way, even if the Hall of Gods wishes to make a move, they would have to consider whether its really to their benefit to assassinate the new leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and risk drawing the wrath of the Forsaken Continent on them... Han Jianqiu said. If Zhang Xuan was a nobody, the Hall of Gods could have done anything they liked with him, and no one would have given a damn. After all, the world didnt have that much spare time to be overly concerned with someone who had no relevance to them. However, it was different now that Zhang Xuan had be the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. If the Hall of Gods wanted to kill him, they better be prepared to offer an eptable exnation to the entire Forsaken Continent. Otherwise, the assassination of the leader of a top power would surely cause widespread panic. If the Hall of Gods was willing to go this far with the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it could very well do the same to the other five sects too. While the Six Sects were rivaling powers to one another, they knew the importance of huddling together before a stronger enemy. And a tight coboration among the Six Sects was definitely one of the situations which the Hall of Gods would have wanted to avoid. Hearing that exnation, Elder He widened his eyes in realization. The Starchaser Pce. Beyond a door reminiscent of a full moon stood ady. She was dressed in a white robe which contrasted beautifully against her cascading ck hair, almost as if ink imprinted on a piece of paper. She often spent her days gazing into the sky with a deep look in her eyes, as if she was trying to fathom the will of the world. It was no exception today either. Sect Leader! A maiden suddenly rushed through the full moon door and kneeled on the ground before the white-robeddy. Whats wrong? The white-robeddy turned around, revealing her moving beauty. We have just received news from our informants in the Ascendant Cloud Sword PavilionSect Leader Han Jianqiu has stepped down from his position! the maiden reported. The Six Sects have their own informationwork. Through the Ethereal Hall, news could be delivered to all corners of the Forsaken Continent with unprecedented swiftness. Stepped down? What is that man thinking? the white-robeddy frowned. The reason why Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was able to rank within the top three of the Six Sects was tightly rted to Han Jianqius overwhelming might. If such a powerful expert were to step down all of a sudden without a legitimate reason, it could cause the morale of the entire sect to plummet, and even a pandemonium wasntpletely out of question! Im not too sure. Based on the news we have received, the announcement camepletely out of the blue, and there was no indication beforehand, the maiden replied. I guess the sessor must be the person who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent then. When is the inauguration happening? the white-robeddy asked. The only reason why Han Jianqiu would have made such a move was because he had found someone more suitable than himself for that position. And the only person who could have been more qualified than Han Jianqiu was no other than the expert who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Thats indeed the case. Sect Leader Han Jianqiu has mentioned that the new sect leader hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, and his name is... the maiden pondered to jot her memory before replying,... Zhang Xuan! Zhang Xuan? The white-robeddy widened her eyes. Kacha! Kacha! The stone pavement she was standing on began cracking. The intense fluctuation in her emotions caused her to be unable to control the energy in her body for a moment. Sect Leader... Shocked, the maiden quickly lowered her head fearfully. Its nothing. I just never thought that he would be so fast... The white-robeddy quickly recovered from her abnormal condition, and the destruction of the stone pavement beneath her also halted as well. Have our informants met the new sect leader yet? Do we have any information on how powerful he is? The new sect leader has yet to appear in public view yet, but based on what Sect Leader Han Jianqiu has said thus far, this persons cultivation is only at Heavenly True Immortal realm at the moment. Nevertheless, he managed to y a Heavenly High Immortal and three heavenly True Immortals, the maiden replied. The informants that were undercover in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had ryed Sect Leader Han Jianqius words in detail. Despite only being at Heavenly True Immortal realm himself, he managed to y a Heavenly High Immortal? the white-robeddy remarked with an incredulous expression on her face. How long has it been since then? He grew so quickly within such a short span of time... Kacha! Kacha! The stone pavement began to crack once more. Sect Leader Du... Are you acquainted with Sect Leader Zhang Xuan? the maiden asked. In her impression, their Sect Leader was someone who could remain calm even if the sky fell, but on this very day, she had already lost her cool twice. The white-robeddy shook her head and quickly recovered from her daze. With a smile on her lips, she replied, I wouldnt say that we are acquainted, but I know someone who is. Call Wu Chen over! Yes! The maiden backed out of the room, and a few momentster, she returned with an adolescent youth beside her. Paying respects to Sect Leader Du! the adolescent youth bowed deeply. With her hands behind her back, the white-robeddy looked at him and remarked impassively, Hes here. Those were two short words, but the adolescent youth seemed to immediately understand what the white-robeddy was driving at. His eyes immediately lit up, and he sped his fist, Sect Leader Du, I wish to pursue him. Im willing to brave through mes and die for his sake. I beseech you to fulfill my wish. You wish to pursue him? Do you know where he is at the moment and how powerful he is? the white-robeddy asked. The adolescent boy shook his head. Hes currently the Sect Leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. He hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, and his cultivation has reached Heavenly True Immortal as well. Furthermore, he has even managed to y a Heavenly High Immortal as well, the white-robeddy said. This... The adolescent youth was shocked. With an unbelievable look on his face, he eximed, He was able to grow Indeed. All along, I thought that the Spirit God has made a wrong judgement this time around. Just how can a person from a lower dimension possibly be qualified to win her fancy? However, it has be clear that hes indeed someone who possesses extraordinary capabilities and talents. He wouldnt pale inparison even against Kong shi back As the white-robeddy spoke, she walked through the full moon doors and said, Lets head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion together. Id like to verify if the newly-appointed Sect Leader is truly him or not. After saying these words, she suddenly vanished on the spot together with the adolescent youth. Chapter 2007 - Ascendant Cloud Mountain Chapter 2007 Ascendant Cloud Mountain Forsaken Continent, Hall of Gods. A tall silhouette flickered within a dim hall illuminated by only candlelights. Amidst the dim illumination, it was impossible to make out the appearance of the tall silhouette clearly. A ck-robed figure kneeled on the ground and greeted, Master. What is it? an emotionless voice sounded from the tall silhouette. Sect Leader Han Jianqiu of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has stepped down, passing his position on to Zhang Xuan... Do we still proceed on with our initial n? the ck-robed figure asked. He passed down his position? the tall silhouette harrumphed coldly. Interesting. Does he think that Ill back down because of that? Pay that matter no heed. Capture that person as soon as he appears, understood? But... the ck-robed figure hesitated. If we were to touch a leader of the Six Sects, I fear that we might turn everyone against us... Peng! Before he could even finish his words, he was sent flying backward. His body crashed into the ground, and fresh blood seeped from the corners of his lips. This single impact had caused his face to pale. Did I ask you to teach me what to do? the tall figure narrowed his eyes coldly. I dare not to... the ck-robed man kowtowed again and again, knocking his forehead on the stone-cold floor in seek of redemption. That better be the case. Ill repeat myself just once more. No matter what, I want him to be presented before me alive. If anything were to go wrong, Ill rip the skin off your flesh! the tall silhouette waved his hand. Hu! As if an extinguished candle me, he vanished on the spot. The ck-robed figure struggled to his feet. He wiped away the cold sweat trickling down his cheeks before quickly backing out of the room. ... Wuhai City. The disguised Zhang Xuan walked into Wuhai Market with widened strides. After leaving the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he flew using the Gods Sword Intent for roughly ten minutes straight till he finally arrived here. As such, he was still unaware of the news that Han Jianqiu had passed down the position of the sect leader on to him. Is there anything you require? the receptionist asked with a smile. I would like to rent an aerial beast, Zhang Xuan replied with a cold voice. He was currently disguised as a suave middle-aged man in histe thirties. He had a clean face and towering frame, but he emanated an aura of coldness that seemed to push others away from him. To be honest, the Ascendant Cloud Mountain was not too far away from here, and it would only be a ten minutes journey with his flight ability. However, this was the ce the Hall of Gods noticed and attempted to assassinate him. In this world where only High Immortals were capable of flight, it would be simply too conspicuous if he were to fly right over to his destination. Even when he was making his way to Wuhai City, he had made sure to fly close to the ground, under the cover of the lush greenery, even though he knew that it would slow down his speed significantly. It might have been safer for him to travel by foot instead then, but he thought that the Hall of Gods might have ced sentries around the perimeter of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so he felt that it would be better for him to leave the area as quickly as possible back then. This way please, the receptionist nodded. Wuhai Market didnt just deal with the sales of artifacts and the sort. It also offered its customers transportation service as well. Following behind the receptionist, Zhang Xuan was soon led to the stables where the aerial beasts were kept. There was a massive ޣBeast) character at the entrance. Soon, an old man walked over and greeted Zhang Xuan, Passenger, where will you be heading to? Ascendant Cloud Mountain. That will be ten Ethereal Coins! Very well. With a wave of Zhang Xuans hands, ten Ethereal Coins were delivered right into the hands of the old man. He had made sure to secretly exchange his Sword Pavilion Coins to Ethereal Coins as soon as he arrived at Wuhai City. He knew that he would stand out if he were to trade using Sword Pavilion Coins here even though it was an epted currency, The old mans eyes immediately lit up upon seeing the money. He walked into the stables where the aerial beasts were kept and led one out. Lets go! The two of them got onto the back of the aerial beast, and before long, they were well on their way to Ascendant Cloud Mountain. Zhang Xuan took a look around him and saw that there were several other passengers riding on aerial beasts around him as well. Knowing that he wouldnt stand out amongst the crowd, he heaved a sigh of relief. Following that, he turned his sights upon the youngd driving the aerial beast and noticed that there was an emblem pinned in front of his chest. There was a (Beast) character on the emblem, simr to what he saw at the entrance of the stables. Thus, he asked, You are from the Myriad Beasts Hall? Im a menial disciple from the Myriad Beasts Hall. Im getting ahead in my age, and it doesnt seem like Im making too much progress in my cultivation either. So, the sect dispatched me here so that I can make a living for myself, the old man replied. You were the one who tamed this aerial beast? Zhang Xuan asked. The disciples of the Myriad Beasts Hall were skilled in everything that was rted to the beasts, and this included driving aerial beasts as well. Transportation was an extremely lucrative business on the Forsaken Continent since most cultivators here were incapable of flight. Naturally, the Myriad Beasts Hall would capitalize on this to their advantage. As the facts would have it, a substantial amount of their ie came from the sales of aerial beasts and transportation services provided by their disciples all over the Forsaken Continent. Most small businesses wouldnt even earn ten Ethereal Coins within a month, but this was the cost for a to-and-fro trip to the nearby Ascendant Cloud Mountain. Of course not. How can someone of my cultivation possibly tame such a formidable aerial beast? The Wuhai Market bought it from the Myriad Beasts Hall. Im just the person driving it around, the old man replied. Zhang Xuan continued on to ask a few more questions, but perhaps because the old man was just a menial disciple, it turned out that he didnt know too much about the more in-depth details of beast taming. The only skill that he had really grasped in his time there was how to drive aerial beasts around. Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Zhang Xuan eventually gave up. As one of the Six Sects, the Myriad Beasts Hall was a massive organization with at least ten thousand inner and core disciples. Given so, there must be a hulking number of menial disciples under them. It was inevitable that the sect would be unable to devote too much time and effort to nurturing their menial disciples as well, so the things that they could learn were severely limited. As the atmosphere between the two of them lightened up through their chatting, the old man advised, Customer, where do you wish tond? The Ascendant Cloud Mountain is filled with many ferocious beasts, so I suggest for you not to proceed too deeply in. Otherwise, it might prove to be very dangerous... Are you familiar with the Ascendant Cloud Mountain? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Ive been there a few times, the old man replied. That ce is really a yground for the beasts. Thest time I was here, I explored its depths in hopes of taming a beast myself, but it nearly cost me my life...After that, I have never dared toe here anymore. As someone who had once aspired to be a beast tamer, he still wished to have a tamed beast of his own. It was just a pity that his strength was too weak, and he hadnt properly learned the means of a beast tamer yet. Thus, it was simply too difficult for him to seed. Shall we strike a deal? If you share some useful intel with me regarding the Ascendant Cloud Mountain, I can help you tame a beast, Zhang Xuan suggested with a smile. Oh? The old man was slightly surprised by Zhang Xuans offer. Are you a core disciple of the Myriad Beasts Hall? It doesnt really matter who I am, right? Zhang Xuan replied. I have my own means. Dont worry, I wont lie to you. I see... Considering how casually Zhang Xuan had passed him ten Ethereal Coins previously, it did seem like the middle-aged man was from an extraordinary background. Besides, even if the middle-aged man reneged on his words, he didnt have much to lose anyway. Amongst the beast tamers, the Ascendant Cloud Mountain is also known as the Four Beasts Mountain. Its a dangerous area which even beast tamers would be wary to enter, and the main reason behind that is because its the territory of four powerful immortal beasts. Four powerful immortal beasts? Indeed. These four immortal beasts have reached Heavenly High Immortal realm realm, and the strongest of them is a Serpentine Dragon. Its a real Serpentine Dragon and not just mere offshoots of the Dragon Tribe that possess just a sliver of the Dragon Bloodline! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up a little. There were several beasts he had tamed back at the Master Teacher Continent which had the word Dragon in its name, but they were simply faraway distant rtives which possessed a hint of the Dragon Bloodline. Serpentine Dragons were not Pureblooded Dragons, but they could already be considered as a member of the Dragon Tribe. As a true Serpentine Dragon, its fighting prowess definitely exceeded that of ordinary immortal beasts. What about the others? Zhang Xuan asked. The second strongest is a Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, carrying the Phoenix Bloodline within it. Thest two are namely a Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger and a White-eared Fox. The old man paused for a moment at this point before carrying on, Speaking of which, its indeed a little weird. Even though the White-eared Fox is the weakest of the four immortal beasts, for some reason, even the strongest Serpentine Dragon heeds its words. The Myriad Beasts Sect have tried to tame the Serpentine Dragon several times, but each time, their ns were foiled by the schemes of the White-eared Fox, leaving them no choice but to leave in defeat. White-eared Fox? Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. Chapter 2008 - Serpentine Dragon Chapter 2008 Serpentine Dragon There were several records regarding the White-eared Fox within the several million books in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. It was a powerful immortal beast that could reach High Immortal realm upon maturing. It was known to be particrly cunning, and as if reflecting that trait, it was skilled in constructing illusions, causing those who dared to approach it to lose sight of themselves. Even High Immortals were susceptible to its illusions. There were many in history that had tried to tame a White-eared Fox, but to date, there had been no records of anyone who had seeded in doing so. Even the most formidable genius of the Myriad Beasts Hall had fallen in defeat before it. For this reason, the White-eared Fox had been conventionally viewed by beast tamers to be untamable. Considering that there was such a fellow on this mountain, it was no wonder why this region would end up being reigned by the beasts, such that major powers were unable to expand their influence into it. If you wish to tame any beast here, it would be best for you to steer clear from the territories of the four immortal beasts. Perhaps, you might still stand a chance at sess like that. Otherwise, you will be putting yourself in a great deal of peril, the old man advised kindly. Which areas are under the rule of the four immortal beasts? Zhang Xuan asked. The Ascendant Cloud Mountain spans over several hundred li, and the four beasts rule over its four peaks... As the old man spoke, he took out a map and began introducing the detailed locations of the four immortal beasts. Zhang Xuan made sure to imprint the information on his mind. He was able to gain a deep understanding of the various powers scattered across the entire Ascendant Cloud Mountain. Shortly after, a mountain shrouded amidst clouds came into sight. The old man drove the aerial beast tond at the midpoint of the mountain as he said, I can only send you up till here. Any deeper than this would be too dangerous... He couldnt help but feel as if countless crimson eyes were staring at him from the veil of the clouds, and this left him feeling deeply frightened. He wasnt a particrly strong cultivator in the first ce, and the aerial beast he was riding on wasnt skilled in battle either. His life would be at risk if he proceeded any deeper in. This ce is fine too. I promised you that Ill tame a beast for you earlier, right? If you have some time to spare, it would be good if you can wait for me here, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. You are serious about that? the old man asked. He thought that Zhang Xuan was just mentioning it in passing. Such a deal sounded too good to be true! But even if Zhang Xuan did have the intent to help him, beast taming wasnt that easy that one would be able to do it just by sheer will. Zhang Xuan didnt respond to the old mans question. Instead, with a smile on his lips, he picked up a stone and threw it toward the forest ahead. Roar! Roar! rmed by the rock, the call of countless beasts echoed in the air. Those hidden crimson eyes stepped out from the veil of the clouds. Shockingly, they were all Dimension Shatterer realm beasts! There was a huge variety to them; some were skilled at flight whereas others were skilled at offense... Their faces were warped in savagery, and the stench of blood could be smelled from them. What? The old mans face paled. The aerial beast behind also used its wings to shield its face, not daring to face what was standing before it. With so many Dimension Shatterer realm beasts upon them, it would only take a blink of an eye for them to be torn into shreds. They wouldnt even be able to escape! If only he knew that this middle-aged man was so reckless, there was no way he would have epted this job... Just as the old man thought that certain death awaited him, the middle-aged man suddenly said, There are many beasts for your picking here. Which one do you fancy? Which one do I fancy? the old man nearly fainted. So what if I fancy any single one of them? Are you telling me to pick out the beast which I would be supper for? What a life I have lived! To think that I would meet my end like this... If you are going to give me a choice, Id rather be eaten by that Fiery Eagle over there. The greatest dream of my life is to tame such a beast. Even if I am unable to do so, I guess it would be fine if my lifees to an end under its talons too... the old man sighed deeply as he pointed toward one of the beasts. Fiery Eagle? Zhang Xuan nodded, Understood. Itll be the one then. Hu! In the next instant, Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot. While the old man was still wondering what was going on, a massive Fiery Eagle suddenly crashed into the ground right before him, causing him to recoil in horror. Hurry up and acknowledge him as your master, Zhang Xuan said from behind the Fiery Eagle. Chirp! The arrogant Fiery Eagle immediately lowered its head and bowed down to the old man. The old man widened his eyes in utter bewilderment. He might not be a true disciple of the Myriad Beasts Hall, but he had plenty of opportunities to witness full-fledged beast tamers moving to tame beasts before. The very act of the Fiery Eagle lowering its head meant that it was willing to pledgeplete servitude to him... In other words, it was willing to be his tamed beast! But how could this be? Just by tossing the Fiery Eagle before him, the Fiery Eagle was already tamed? When did beast taming be so easy? I have fulfilled my promise to you. Farewell! The old man was still wondering what kind of sorcery the middle-aged man had used in order to tame the Fiery Eagle when thetters voice suddenly sounded. Right after that, thetter warped into a streak of shadow as he charged right into the midst of the beasts. Kacha! Kacha! In just a few moments, the beasts, which were baring their fangs at them not too long ago, ended up lying subserviently like domesticated pets by the side. Their tongues were stretched out as ifpdogs trying to please their owners. Ill choose you. Lets go. Zhang Xuan casually picked a Greenspot Leopard and leaped onto its back. After which, the two of them charged toward the depths of the forest, disappearing amidst the clouds in a blink of an eye. Watching as the middle-aged mans silhouette vanished, the old man clutched his hair in frenzy. Even a long whileter, he was still unable to regain his sanity. That middle-aged man was actually able to make all of those Dimension Shatterer realm beasts submit to him willingly... Was that really humanly possible? It didnt seem like the hall master of the Myriad Beasts Hall would possess such incredible capabilities either! I heard that the Myriad Beasts Hall has recently released an incredibly difficult test for its members. Regardless of who he is, as long as a beast tamer is able to tame any one of the four immortal beasts, he would be ced under consideration to be the next hall master... Could that middle-aged man be an elder from the Myriad Beasts Hall who hase here to take on the test too? the old man wondered as he recalled the news he had heard just a few days ago. Simr to how the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion chose its sect leader through the mastery of swordsmanship, the Myriad Beasts Hall followed a simr system as well. Its sect leader was on the grounds of ones proficiency in beast taming and the strength of ones tamed beast... Without a doubt, the four immortal beasts of the Four Beast Mountain were incredibly powerful, and taming them was an extraordinarily difficult feat. Seeding in such an aplishment would prove ones capability in beast taming, and the sheer strength of any one of the four immortal beasts was enough to catapult one to the top of the Myriad Beasts Hall. No one would question the sect leader chosen in such a manner. That must be the case... the old man nodded affirmatively. It was no wonder why the other party was so skilled in beast taming. Considering that he was an elder of the Myriad Beasts Hall which was one of the candidates to be the sect leader, it wouldnt be too surprising if he disyed extraordinary capabilities. The Greenspot Leopard was extremely swift, such that its movements seemed almost as if it was traversing across the wind. In the blink of an eye, it had already flown past a mountain peak, swiftly advancing toward the mountain where the Serpentine Dragon was located. Since he was here to tame a beast, it went without saying that he should tame the strongest of them all! Not to mention, he was capable of voicing the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon too. This ability allowed him to curb those who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, making them much easier to tame than other immortal beasts. The Greenspot Leopard was a beast native to the Ascendant Cloud Mountain, so there werent too many who stood in its way as it sprinted by. asionally though, there would be a foolish beast who tried to hinder its passageway, but they would be cut down by a surge of sword qi. It didnt take long for the Greenspot Leopard to arrive in the vicinity of the peak where the Serpentine Dragon resided. It was at this point that it suddenly came to a halt. It looked at the path ahead with wariness, hesitant on whether it should proceed ahead or not. Knowing that this was an instinctive fear toward immortal beasts, Zhang Xuan leaped down the Greenspot Leopard and said, Its fine, you dont have to push yourself. Have a good rest here. He morphed his zhenqi into the form of a sharp sword and advanced toward the mountain peak. Something is wrong... After traveling for a while, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt. A slight frown could be seen on his forehead. The area around him was filled with trees, just like the areas he had passed through previously. However, through the Eye of Insight, he was able to discern some signs of human interference. There were quite a few formations and trapsid around the area. It was very likely that these formations and traps were toer the immortal beasts in the area so as to tame them... Could it be that someone had already beat him to it? Let me head over to catch a closer look... Exploiting the ws in the set-ups, Zhang Xuan was able to weave through the formations and traps discreetly while making his way closer to the mountain peak. Soon, he saw seven men hiding behind a massive boulder. One of them was holding onto a couple of formation gs as he swiftly set up a formation in the area discreetly. Im done. All we have to do now is to lure the Serpentine Dragon over, and itll be trapped in our formation. Once we have it sessfully trapped, it would be much easier for you to tame it. At the same time, this formation will protect us if anything were to go awry too, the old man setting up the formation said with a sigh of relief. You have my gratitude, Elder Liao, a middle-aged man amidst the group sped his fist and said. Youre too courteous. Of the two candidates within the sect, I believe that you are more suited to be the sect leader. I have no doubt that the Myriad Beasts Hall would be able to advance to new heights under your leadership. We arent just helping you; its with the welfare of the entire sect in mind that we have chosen lend you a hand! Elder Liao replied with a smile. Ill have to work hard to meet up to your expectations then, the middle-aged man chuckled softly before his expression turned serious once more. Alright, Ill lure it over right now. As he spoke, he took out a jade bottle and uncorked the cap. A powerful smell immediately drifted into the surroundings. Hiding not too far away from the group of seven, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, That is... Dragon Blood? He couldnt catch a good glimpse of whatever was in the jade bottle, but he was still familiar with the unique scent and aura diffusing into the surroundings. Back then, in order to recover from his injuries, Sovereign Chen Ling had refined Dragon Blood. This scent from back then was simr to that from the jade bottle. Furthermore, it seemed to have a much deeper aroma to it, indicating that the Dragon Blood was of greater purity! Elder Yuan, is that the blood of a Pureblooded Dragon? Elder Liao asked in astonishment. He didnt think that the middle-aged man would have such a treasure in his possession. One must know that there wasnt even a single Pureblooded Dragon on the Forsaken Continent, so it should have been impossible to acquire its blood. As such, despite being the authority on beast taming on the Forsaken Continent, none of the members of the Myriad Beasts Hall had seen a Pureblooded Dragon before. It isnt the blood of a true Pureblooded Dragon but the refined blood of a Serpentine Dragon. I forcefully refined a bucket of Serpentine Dragon down to just ten droplets... It is still no match for the blood of a Pureblooded Dragon, but at the very least, its not that far away from it anymore, the middle-aged man, Elder Yuan, replied with a hint of pride in his voice. Refining Dragon Blood was one of the matters which was far more difficult to put into practice than it sounded. Dragon Blood was known to be extremely vtile and violent. If an ordinary human were to ingest even a droplet of it, his entire body would explode on the spot due to the rampaging energy. Given so, refining the Dragon Blood was even more so difficult... It must have taken a great deal of effort and time for Elder Yuan toe this far. Formidable! Elder Liao nodded. With such a thing, the Serpentine Dragon would surely be lured over. Once it tries to make a move on you, it would fall into our trap... Once that happens, it would only be a matter of time before you tame it! The reason why no one had been able to tame the Serpentine Dragon to date was due to how wary it was. It had never allowed anyone to corner it before. Thus, as long as they coulder the Serpentine Dragon, the rest should be easy. Given the means of the Myriad Beasts Hall, taming a cornered beast shouldnt be too difficult. Roar! Just as they were talking to one another, a thunderous rumbling suddenly echoed from the sky. Raising their head, the crowd saw a massive Serpentine Dragon floating right above them. Its massive eyes that were reminiscent of glowingnterns were fixed on the jade bottle Elder Yuan was holding. The strongest Serpentine Dragon of Ascendant Cloud Mountain had indeed fallen for the allure of the Dragon Blood they had prepared! Its here... Elder Yuans body tensed in agitation as he gazed at the Serpentine Dragon. Chapter 2009 - Tricked Chapter 2009 Tricked Elder Yuan and the others didnt bother concealing their traces too much, so the Serpentine Dragon had also noticed their presence as well. Gazing upon them coldly, its voice resounded thunderously, Human, did you think that you can lure me in with mere Dragon Blood? In face of the imposing Serpentine Dragon, Elder Yuan stepped forward calmly and said, I know that you have already noticed us long ago. How could someone of your caliber be oblivious to the presence of intruders in your territory? I also know that the reason why you refused to appear is because you wanted to see the treasure we have to offer you! Incredible power gushed forth from Elder Yuans body as he spoke, as if signaling that he was no pushover either. Heavenly High Immortal? Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath. Elder Yuan had an appearance that seemed as if he was in his early forties, but who could have thought that he was actually a Heavenly High Immortal expert! The aura he emanated was even stronger than that of Elder Chou Huo. It was no wonder why so many elders had gathered here to support him. He did possess extraordinary capabilities. Everything else is just empty talk. If you want to tame me, you need to prove that you are even stronger than me! the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed. Considering how long these fellows had been lingering around the area, it was obvious to it that they were here to tame it. Just as what Elder Yuan had said, the reason why it chose not to make a presence till now was to see what kind of treasure they hade with to lure it in. If the treasure they had prepared wasnt enough to win it over, it would just have its subordinates chase them away. If they were sincere enough to bring something that could catch even its eye, it could at least consider facing them. As one who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, it had never really feared a fight before. You wish to challenge my strength? Hearing those words, Elder Yuan chuckled softly. I admit that I am not a match for you in terms of strength. However, my capabilities dont just stop at being able to refine Dragon Blood. I am also capable of refining the Dragon Bloodline within your body as well! Refine my Dragon Bloodline? The Serpentine Dragon was stunned for a brief moment before its eyes narrowed in astonishment. The reason why the Dragon Tribe was so powerful was mainly due to its Dragon Bloodline. If the other party was truly able to refine its Dragon Bloodline, there was a possibility that it might be able to ovee its bottleneck as a Serpentine Dragon and evolve into a true Pureblooded Dragon! This was an irresistible offer to any single member of the Dragon Tribe! How can you prove that you possess such capabilities? the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed. Shouldnt this bottle of Dragon Blood more than sufficient as evidence? Given your eye of discernment, you should be able to tell that this Dragon Blood originated from a Serpentine Dragon like you. However, I was able to refine it to a level near to that of a Pureblooded Dragon, and thats more than enough to prove my ability! This is a rare opportunity for you to evolve into a Pureblooded Dragon. Its up to you whether you wish to grasp it or not! Elder Yuan replied confidently. An opportunity to be a Purebooded Dragon was simply too great for anyone in the Dragon Tribe to resist. He didnt believe that the Serpentine Dragon would be able to resist the allure. I must admit that you have brought an extremely moving proposition to me... the Serpentine Dragon replied slowly. However, even if what you said is true, youll still have to prove your worth in order to tame me. Come, show me whatever capability you have in store. If you cant even stand your ground before me, you need not dream of returning back alive! Boom! In the next moment, the Serpentine Dragon tore its ws down, causing the surrounding space to freeze. Rampaging might gushed into the surroundings, whipping up a furious storm. Formidable, Elder Yuan remarked with a light chuckle. However, I knew that you would resort to this move. I have also prepared my hand as well. With a wave of his hand, a round sphere appeared on his palm. It emanated a brilliant radiance. Thats the Northern Sea Dragon Orb? Elder Liao remarked in astonishment. The other elders were also surprised by the artifact that Elder Yuan had just brought out. The Northern Sea Dragon Orb was a treasure unique to the Northern Sea. It was an artifact that could produce lifelike illusions, and it was particrly deadly toward those of the Dragon Tribe. It was said that the master of the Ethereal Hall had used this artifact to bait a Pseudo Dragon from the Hall of Gods out back then! There was a strict hierarchy in the Dragon Tribe. Those who possessed only a sliver of the Dragon Bloodline couldnt even be considered as a part of the Dragon Tribe. Even the Serpentine Dragons were only the weakest members of the Dragon Tribe. Towering above the Serpentine Dragons were the Pseudo Dragons, andst but not least, the Pureblooded Dragons. Even the weakest of the Pseudo Dragons was at Semi-Divinity realm, but the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was still able to lure it out from hiding. Just from this, it was apparent how deadly its charm was toward the Dragon Tribe. That being said, the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was a particrly rare naturally urring artifact, and the Northern Sea stretched on for millions of li, making it nigh impossible to find the Dragon Orb. There were beast tamers who roamed the Northern Sea for their entire life, only to never catch a glimpse of it. As a result, its existence was highly controversial, and there were many who viewed it as an artifact that only existed in the legends... Who could have thought that Elder Yuan would have actually managed to find one? It seemed like he had really gone all out in order to tame this Serpentine Dragon! With how prepared he was, the position of the sect leader was most likely his to take. As soon as the Dragon Orb appeared, the eyes of the Serpentine Dragon in the air zed over with confusion. It seemed as if it was in an intoxicated state. Hehe! Having expected such an oue, Elder Yuan chuckled softly. He leaped into the sky, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the Northern Sea Dragon Orb toward the side. Utterly infatuated with the artifact, the Serpentine Dragon immediately chased after the Dragon Orb. Huhuhu! As Elder Yuan controlled the Dragon Orb, the Serpentine Dragon would move in ordance as well. Mirroring the Dragon Orb, the Serpentine Dragon twisted and turned its body, causing sonic booms to echo in the air from the sheer weight of its motions. That is... Teasing the Dragon! Elder Liao eximed with glowing eyes. Those of the Dragon Tribe are known to be extremely haughty, and every single one of them is a huge bundle of pride. They would not submit to another even if they were defeated. The reason why Elder Yuan is using the Dragon Orb to lure the Serpentine Dragon is to break its pride and crush its dignity. At the same time, this would deplete its stamina, thus leaving it powerless to retaliateter on... The crowd nodded in agreement. There were different known ways to tame a Serpentine Dragon, but Teasing the Dragon was known to be the most efficient, especially since it tackled both the mental and physical state of the dragon. The pride of a dragon would prevent it from submitting even when it was defeated and its life was at stake. Thus, it was to crush its pride and dignity first. Huhuhu! While they were chatting, the movements of the Serpentine Dragon grew more and more vigorous under the teasing of the Dragon Orb. It flew higher and higher, gradually pulling distance away from them. It didnt take long for Elder Yuan and the Serpentine Dragon to be dots in the sky. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but frown. Something is wrong here... He sensed that something was amiss, but he couldnt really tell what was wrong here. If he really had to point it out, it would be that... the Serpentine Dragon simply fell for everything too easily! The old man that had ferried him over told him that the Myriad Beasts Hall had dispatched many experts to tame the Serpentine Dragon, only to end in defeat each and every time. Since that was the case, the Serpentine Dragon should have been guarded against Elder Yuan... But why did the Serpentine Dragon still fall for the Dragon Orb so easily? Was the Dragon Orb really that potent, or... Its acting a little too recklessly. To be lured out by the Dragon Blood and challenge Elder Yuan so carelessly... Zhang Xuan had tamed beasts possessing the Dragon Bloodline before, and he knew just how prideful they could be. As attractive as Elder Yuans Dragon Blood was, it was not enough for the Serpentine Dragon to lose its rationality. Furthermore, even if the Serpentine Dragon were to lose its cool, it should have made a move right away. There was no way it would have wasted its words on so much nonsense and ended up giving Elder Yuan an opportunity to exploit its weakness... No matter how he looked at it, the situation seemed inconceivable to him. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan didnt rush to make a move. Instead, he chose to continue assessing the situation for the time being. Unknowingly, Elder Yuan, who should have been baiting the Serpentine Dragon with the Dragon Orb, ended up getting further and further away from the surface, such that it was getting hard to see him. Hu! And at this vital moment, there was suddenly a surge of wind echoing in the air. A gray-robed elder was rushing in their direction. Before evennding on the ground, the gray-robed elder had already spurted a mouthful of blood. There was a bloodied depression in his chest, and fresh blood was flowing down his body. He was severely injured. Elder Liao, we need to leave right now! the gray-robed elder eximed anxiously. Elder Wang, didnt you set off with Elder Liu to tame the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix? Why are you here? Where are the others? Elder Liao asked anxiously as he quickly fed Elder Wang two pills in order to curb thetters injuries. The two candidates to be the sect leader were two of the more popr beast tamers. One of them was Elder Yuan, and the other one was Elder Liu. As for the rest of them, they were just here to y a supporting role. Elder Wang was one of the elders who had chosen to help Elder Liu tame the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix. Given so, why would Elder Wang suddenly appear here with such severe injuries? We have fallen for their tricks... the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Serpentine Dragon, and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger have banded together in order to deal with us. Elder Liu was killed on the spot, and the other elders had also sustained severe injuries. Im the only one who has managed to escaped... Elder Wang said as he recovered a little bit of his strength. The three immortal beasts have banded together? When did that happen? Elder Liao asked anxiously with narrowed eyes. Just a moment ago! The other elders urged me to rush over to inform you while they hold them back. If not for that, they would have already been here by now! Elder Wang eximed. We must leave right now, or else it would really be toote... Just a moment ago? Thats not right... Elder Yuan has just lured the Serpentine Dragon away, so how could it have coborated with the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger over at your end? Elder Liao shook his head in disbelief. The Serpentine Dragon had been here for a while now, and its attention had been firmly caught by the Northern Sea Dragon Orb. How could it have banded together with the others then? Ah? The Serpentine Dragon is here? But thats impossible! Elder Wang eximed incredulously. No matter what, we have to leave right now... Halfway through Elder Wangs words, he suddenly narrowed his eyes as his body stiffened entirely. Tracing his line of sight, the crowd saw a Serpentine Dragon, a Phoenix, and a Swordfang Tiger soaring over from afar. Their movements were so swift that it only took them a few moments to arrive above them. How could it be? Elder Liao was stunned. He quickly turned his gaze toward Elder Yuans direction and saw thetter still manipting the Dragon Orb around to control the Serpentine Dragon. How could another one appear at this moment? Could it be that... there were actually two Serpentine Dragons on the Ascendant Cloud Mountain? Chapter 2010 - 2010 Beast Tamer Zhang in Action 2010 Beast Tamer Zhang in Action You scoundrel! The other elders roared in rage as they swiftly got into position to guard against the beasts. The Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix released a shrill cry before it glided across the air, raining arrows of me upon the elders. One of the elders was just about to soar into the air when a fire arrow pierced through his chest, pushing him back to the ground. On the other hand, the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger charged right into the midst of the crowd. With a swift swipe, its ws tore through two elders, inflicting deepcerations on their bodies. Most of the elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall were at Heavenly High Immortal realm as well, but the three immortal beasts were blessed with superior constitutions that granted them far greater fighting prowess than that of human cultivators. It was not to say that the elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall were weak, but they were simply no match for the three immortal beasts. In just a few breaths, most of them were already lying injured on the ground. Activate the formation! Elder Liao knew that they would be defeated at this rate, so he immediately rushed over and stomped on the crux of the formation they had set up earlier. Weng! The formation whirred into action. While trying to tame a beast, a beast tamer had to be prepared for the possibility that he could be killed as well. Thus, beast tamers would usually set up multifunctional formations that could be used to trap the beasts, coordinate their strength together, and block the offense of the immortal beasts. Such flexibility would prove to be valuable in times of need, especially given how the situation could change in the blink of an eye. After the formation was activated, the injured elders also quickly retreated into the formation as well. Do you really think that a formation that I permitted you to set up in my presence would really work? the Serpentine Dragon sneered coldly before releasing a deafening roar that tremored thends. As if having received an order from the Serpentine Dragon, the earth began rumbling intensely, causing the formation gs of the formation which Elder Liao and the others were hiding in to copse. Colonies of ants rose from the ces where the formation gs were previously nted! The Serpentine Dragon had stationed these ants beneath the formation gs in advance so that he could deal with the formation whenever it liked. With the copse of the formation gs, the formation also lost its effectiveness too. As such, Elder Liao and the others were exposed before the three immortal beasts once again. We were too focused on trying to tame the Serpentine Dragon that we didnt even notice that we have already fallen into their trap... Seeing how they werepletely encircled by the three immortal beasts and their subordinates, Elder Liaos face paled in despair. They hade here confidently, thinking that even if they were to fail in their mission, they would still be able to get away without any problem. Yet, they ended up falling for the other partys ploy... The White-eared Fox used its own ability to disguise itself into the Serpentine Dragon so as to lure the Northern Sea Dragon Orb away. On the other hand, the real Serpentine Dragon was moving alongside the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger to assault the other group. As soon as they were done, they immediately rushed over to crush their group as well... Just like that, the tables were turned on them. A beast taming session turned into a massacre instead. They would have never thought that the beasts would use their own ns against them. The White-eared Fox told me that the humans are greedy. I was still harboring such reservations previously, but it seems like thats indeed the case! the Serpentine Dragon scoffed. If you havent divided your forces into two groups and directed that powerful offensive artifact toward the Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix instead of just focusing it all on me, perhaps you might have still stood a chance. Just like how the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was prepared to deal with the Serpentine Dragon, what the other beast tamers had prepared to tame the Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix was an extremely powerful saber to suppress it forcefully. If the beast tamers had worked together, even if all four immortal beasts were to work together with one another, they would have stood a very good chance at victory. After all, the prowess of one of the Six Sects was not to be underestimated. Yet, perhaps it was arrogance or simply foolish greed, they chose to split into two teams. Unfortunately for them, the White-eared Fox saw through their ploy and prepared a countermeasure beforehand. They would first suppress the team which possessed powerful saber before moving on to destroy the other group. We have really underestimated the enemies this time around... Elder Liao said with a bitter smile. None of the four immortal beasts were easy to tame. The very fact that Elder Liu and Elder Yuan had chosen topete with one another to see who could tame one of them first was already an arrogant act in itself. They were assuming that sess was already in their grasp. As the saying went, a proud general is bound to lead his army into defeat. Such a fate was already destined from the moment that such a thought surfaced in their minds. Putting everything aside, the strongest cultivator of them all, Elder Yuan, was still using the Northern Sea Dragon Orb to lure the White-eared Fox around,pletely oblivious that the rest of the group had already been plunged in a perilous position... At this point in time, it was already clear who was really teasing who. Lets just pit our lives against them. They might be powerful, but it wont be easy for them to defeat us without some sacrifices! Elder Liao said with determinedly. He knew it would be difficult for them to escape given the current situation, so the only choice they had was to force their way through. Yes! The other elders nodded in agreement too. With a flick of their wrist, they took out a bag each roughly the size of their palm. Hu! Immortal beasts appeared all around them. Is that the tamed beast sack? Hiding by the corner, Zhang Xuan thought. While they were making their way over, the old man had told him that the more qualified disciples and elders would have special tamed beast sacks, which worked in a simr fashion to his Myriad Anthive Nest. They could store their tamed beasts inside the sack and bring them along with them. To be able to store the massive immortal beasts within it without sustaining any damage, the tamed beast sack was indeed an incredible invention. Roar! Roar! Roar! It was an immediate surge in the fighting prowess for the beast tamers. While the situation still didnt look positive to them, at the very least, it was certain that their enemies wouldnt be able to take them down easily. Block them! Elder Liao and the others bellowed. Most of the tamed beasts that were brought out were at Lesser High Immortal realm, but nevertheless, their fighting prowess wasnt to be underestimated. They swiftly charged into the air to fend off the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix, and the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger. They might not be a match for the three Heavenly High Immortal realm beasts, but at the very least, they should be able to keep them busy for quite some time. As immortal beasts, you lot willingly allow yourselves to be used by these lowly humans. I can imagine no greater shame than this, the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed coldly. It swallowed the Dragon Blood with a gulp, and in the next moment, an incredibly imposing aura gushed into the surroundings. This aura was frighteningly powerful, inducing the beasts which the elders had just released to tremble nonstop. Every single one of them froze on the spot, having lost their will to fight. Its the natural aura of intimidation that the Dragon Tribe possesses... Zhang Xuan thought grimly. The dragons were also known as the Sovereign of the Beasts. The Dragon Bloodline represented supreme might and invible authority. There was no beast who wouldnt be intimidated by the airs of a dragon. This was even more so for Pureblooded Dragons. Every single one of them was a born emperor, and there was no beast who would dare not to submit to them. There was indeed a huge gap between a Serpentine Dragon and a Pureblooded Dragon, but after swallowing the concentrated Dragon Blood in the jade bottle prepared by Elder Yuan, the Serpentine Dragons aura reached a level that was on par with even that of Pseudo Dragons. As a result, none of the tamed beasts brought out by the elders dared to oppose it. It was innate deference toward a higher existence. Just like that, the tamed beasts were reduced to nothing more than decorative essories on the battlefield! Boom! With all of the tamed beasts paralyzed with fear, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger made use of this opportunity to charge at the beast tamers. The elders did their best to protect themselves, resorting to a coborative formation even. However, the gap in fighting prowess between both sides was simply too great. Before long, they were already lying defeat on the ground. Blood flowing freely from the ring wounds inflicted on their bodies. Capture them and bring them back to myir. Well use them as hostages to exchange for the method to refine the Dragon Bloodline! the Serpentine Dragon instructed. Even though there was no way it would ever submit to a human, it was still moved by Elder Yuans earlier proposal. As such, it decided to use these humans as chips to negotiate with the other party. There was no way Elder Yuan could disregard the lives of his peers. The deaths of these elders would be a heavy blow to the Myriad Beasts Hall, and for allowing his fellow elders to die in vain, Elder Yuan himself would lose prestige from the members of his own sect as well. It was really foolish of the beast tamers to think that they could outsmart the four immortal beasts so easily... Zhang Xuan shook his head inmentation. It was no wonder why no one had managed to tame these immortal beasts all this while. They were simply too cunning! From the start to the end, the four immortal beasts were inplete control of the situation. In contrast, it felt like the elders of the Myriad Beast Hall were being toyed with. I should just focus my effort on taming another aerial immortal beast instead, Zhang Xuan thought. He was indeed interested in taming the four immortal beasts, but that wasnt a necessity for him. All he needed was a medium for transportation. If need be, he could make do with an ordinary aerial immortal beast as well. It was not because he didnt think that he wasnt a match for the four immortal beasts. With his Heavenly True Immortal realm cultivation, Gods Sword Intent, and Heavens Path Divine Art, he was rather confident that he would be able to defeat the Serpentine Dragon. But if he were to do so, he could draw the attention of the Hall of Gods upon him. Furthermore, what he had to deal with over here wasnt just the Serpentine Dragon. He had never been a selfless man. He would lend a hand to Elder Liao and the others if he was absolutely confident of sess, but he wouldnt go to the extent of risking his life for mere strangers. Elder Liao and the others knew what they were getting themselves into when they made the decision to tame the Serpentine Dragon, so they should have been prepared for the worst too. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to depart from the scene, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind, Master, if you capture that bird over there and feed me its blood essence, I think I might be able to break free of my seal and return back to my original body! Return back to your original body? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He quickly turned his consciousness to his dantian and saw the Dongxu Gourd pacing around anxiously. It had never been so riled up before. Yes. My current appearance as a Dongxu Gourd is a form I assumed after my strength was sealed. My true body is a legendary beast that rules over thends. Once I return to my true form, the likes of the Hall of Gods wont even pose a threat at all! the Dongxu Gourd replied in agitation. Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before he asked solemnly, Are you certain? The Dongxu Gourd wasnt very reliable, but there was no denying its tremendous prowess. That could be seen just by how it was able to devour and assimte High Immortal-tier swords with ease. The only thing that wascking about it was its offensive ability. If it was really able to break free of its seal, it might turn out to be an incredibly powerful ally on his side! Just the fact that it was able to induce fear in the Heavenly High Immortal from the Hall of Gods back then likely meant that it was an existence that had reached Semi-Divinity or even beyond. Of course! Are you looking down on me over here? the Dongxu Gourd harrumphed disdainfully. Alright then... Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and made up his mind. Gritting his teeth, he walked out from his hiding position and shouted, Hold it right there! His words immediately caught the attention of the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Elder Liao, and the others present in the area. They were all surprised to see that someone was hiding in the vicinity. Heavenly True Immortal? Even someone of your caliber dares to appear before me as well? Capture him along with the rest! the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed coldly with narrowed eyes. For a moment there, the young mans sudden appearance made it apprehensive. It thought that someone who was able to hide beneath its eyelids was bound to be extraordinarily powerful. However, who could have thought that the other party would just be a Heavenly True Immortal? It could easily y numerous enemies of such caliber with just a swipe of its ws. Someone of that level couldnt possibly pose a threat to it at all. Hu! Upon hearing the instruction, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix glided over and breathed out zing mes upon Zhang Xuan. Standing before the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenixs assault, Zhang Xuan simply looked at the Serpentine Dragon and smiled, You seem to be very confident in yourself. Since thats the case, shall we y a little game? Lets see if you are able to withstand this. Hah? The Serpentine Dragon had no idea what Zhang Xuan was trying to get at. Is there something wrong with that fellows head? Or is he struggling desperately in hopes of a miracle? Thinking nothing of the matter, the Serpentine Dragon turned its head to the side and ignored Zhang Xuans prattling. Mou! Moo! It was as if the ground had split apart in that instant. The two frighteningly loud notes raised up a furious storm as they surged straight toward the Serpentine Dragon. As soon as those two notes reached the Serpentine Dragons ears, thetter felt as if its blood had frozen on the spot. Its body convulsed uncontrobly as it began plummeting to the ground. Padah! The Serpentine Dragon crashed into the ground. Chapter 2011 - 2011 The Powerful Dongxu Gourd 2011 The Powerful Dongxu Gourd Boss... Not expecting the most powerful Serpentine Dragon to plummet from the sky with those two notes, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger were startled. Its the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon! Hes a Pureblooded Dragon? As they swiftly came to a realization, they looked at Zhang Xuan with horror reflected in their eyes. As the top immortal beasts of the Forsaken Continent, they knew quite a fair bit about the Dragon Tribe. The Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon was anguage that could only be spoken by Pureblooded Dragons, but the middle-aged man was able to voice those notes as well. Wouldnt that mean that he was actually a Pureblooded Dragon? One must know that the significance of a Pureblooded Dragon was no different from that of a true god... How could they possibly dare to pick a fight with a god? With an incredulous look on their faces, they looked as the middle-aged man walked up to the Serpentine Dragon and patted its head, Good boy. Just listen to my words obediently, and youll be fine... If you want me to listen to your words, why dont you remove your sword from my neck first... The Serpentine Dragon attempted to struggle, but its body was still convulsing from the earlier impact from the two notes. With a sheepish smile, Zhang Xuan withdrew the Tongshang Sword and ced it back to his storage ring. There was a brief moment of silence before the Serpentine Dragon remarked, You arent a real Pureblooded Dragon... Keen eyes. I dont deny what you have just said. However, it doesnt change the fact that Im capable of voicing the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon, Zhang Xuan replied. Furthermore, I am also able to refine the Dragon Bloodline in your body and increase your chances of achieving a breakthrough to higher realms. He didnt think that there was any point lying to the Serpentine Dragon. On the contrary, if he were to set up false expectations for the Serpentine Dragon, thetter might betray him in the future if it were to learn that it had been deceived. There was another long moment of silence as the Serpentine Dragon tried to struggle free from the suppression of its bloodline, but it was to no avail. Eventually, it had no choice but to nod its head slightly, Ill submit... The Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon was an ability unique to the Pureblooded Dragon. It was a known fact that producing these sounds was fundamentally impossible for other beings other than the Pureblooded Dragons. The Serpentine Dragon had no idea how Zhang Xuan was able to voice the Eight Note of the Heavenly Dragon, but this showed that even if he wasnt a Pureblooded Dragon, it was likely that he possessed a significant rtionship with the top echelons of the Dragon Tribe. It viewed Zhang Xuan to be a superior being, and it didnt think that it would be disgraceful for it to submit to a superior being. Not to mention, the middle-aged mans sword qi had already discreetly delved into the vitals of its body while it was immobilized. If it were to refuse the middle-aged man, it was likely that it would be torn apart from within. While the middle-aged man before it appeared to be only at Heavenly True Immortal realm, the sheer power of his sword qi was really not to be underestimated. Even with the resilience of its superior physique, it wasnt confident that it would be able to withstand the might of his sword qi. You have made a wise decision, Zhang Xuan replied as he proceeded on to seal a Soul Contract with the Serpentine Dragon. To be honest, he wasntpletely confident that the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon would work, especially considering that the Serpentine Dragon was a true member of the Dragon Tribe. He was prepared to resort to brute force if he needed to, but to his delight, it worked much better than he had thought. From the looks of it, even if his opponent was a Pseudo Dragon, he would still be able to subdue the other party easily with the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon too. This... The Serpentine Dragon actually submitted to him just like that? Who is that middle-aged man? I dont recognize him at all. He doesnt seem to be from the Myriad Beasts Hall... The severely wounded elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall looked at one another in bewilderment. They thought that they were doomed this time around. Not even in their wildest dream did they expect that a True Immortal realm cultivator would suddenlye to their rescue and tame the Serpentine Dragon within a single minute... One must know that Elder Yuan had spent many years refining the Dragon Blood and looking for the Northern Sea Dragon Orb. All in all, he had devoted thirty years of his life to ensure the sess of this mission, and the sheer amount of resources he had expended for this was mind-boggling... But it still ended in a miserable failure. In contrast, all this True Immortal realm cultivator did was to scream two notes, and the Serpentine Dragon just submitted to him just like that! What was with this difference in treatment? This was too much! Its only normal for a member of the Dragon Tribe to submit to one who is capable of voicing the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon. Even though the crowd was a little stifled by the abrupt twist in the situation, they werent too surprised by the oue. As elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall, they had also heard of the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon, and they knew that it signified the highest authority of the Dragon Tribe, the very will of the Pureblooded Dragons. There was no lesser being possessing the Dragon Bloodline that could oppose that innate suppression. You can rest for the time being. Ill go and tame that Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand as he walked toward the two utterly shocked immortal beasts in the sky. The fact that the Serpentine Dragon had moved along with those two meant that they had close rtions with one another. He knew that he would be putting the Serpentine Dragon in a spot by forcing it to make a move on those two, so the best he could do was to ask thetter not to interfere. He would just have to tame the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenixx by himself. Thank you, master, the Serpentine Dragon replied in gratitude. It was indeed apprehensive that its new master would order it to make a move on the other two. That would have really put it on a spot. As a subordinate tamed beast, it would have no right to disobey its masters order. However, having spent many years with the other two, while their usual rtionship was simr to that of rivals, it couldnt bring itself to betray them in such a manner either... It was clear that its master was taking its feelings into consideration when he said those words. You wish to tame me? The Empyrean Phoenix Bloodline runs in my blood, so that Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon of yours wouldnt work against me! Hearing those words, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix sneered coldly. The Dragon Tribe was known to be the Sovereign of the Beasts, but the Empyrean Phoenix Tribe wouldnt pale inparison either. The Empyrean Phoenix Tribe was well-respected even in the Firmament, the world of the gods! The Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon had the effects of suppressing other beasts, but it waspletely useless against it. As such, even though the human standing before it was able to tame the Serpentine Dragon, his means would never work against it! I dont need the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon to deal with you, Zhang Xuan replied calmly as he raised his hand upward. The formation gs scattered all over the ground rose to the sky and floated in the surroundings. Activate! Zhang Xuan bellowed as they rearranged themselves and plunged into the ground once more. The ants had destroyed a huge portion of the gs, but there were still some of them that were undamaged. As they were plunged into the ground, a huge formation epassing an area of more than twenty li immediately activated. Its an Istion Formation? Everyone was surprised. Even the Serpentine Dragon and the other two immortal beasts were perplexed as to what Zhang Xuan was attempting to do as well. They had fully expected the middle-aged man to activate a ughter Formation or Illusion Formation in order to deal with them, but who could have thought that it would just be a mere Istion Formation. Such a formation would prevent anyone outside from peering into what was happening within the formation, but it didnt seem to be of much use in a battle! By aligning the formation together with the geography of the Ascendant Cloud Mountain, I should be able to maintain it for roughly thirty breaths... Zhang Xuan muttered contemtively before nodding with a smile. Thats enough! Whats enough? Do you mean to say that you are able to tame me within thirty breaths? Such blind arrogance! the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix scoffed in fury. Wasnt this little thing a little too conceited? The only reason why you are able to tame the Serpentine Dragon so easily is because you are able to voice the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon. That has nothing to do with your cultivation or your true capabilities! Do you think that a mere True Immortal like you would really be able to withstand the might of a Heavenly High Immortal like me? Taming me in thirty breaths? Dream on! Hu! Just as the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix was about to explode from fury, the figure on the ground suddenly blurred. Before it knew it, the arrogant middle-aged man was already standing right before it. You are capable of flight? The Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix was stupefied. It wasnt the only one who was surprised by that. Every single person and beast in the area were stunned by what they were witnessing. Not even the Serpentine Dragon had expected its master to be capable of flight! While True Immortals were highly respected on the Forsaken Continent, such that they were even viewed as powerhouses in some of the more remote territories, the ones that wielded the decisive power on the continent was still the High Immortals. This wasnt just due to the difference in prowess but the ability of flight as well. Even if an army of True Immortals were gathered together, there was only so much they could do to deal with a High Immortal flying high in the sky. This difference in mobility created a huge rift in their fighting prowess. The middle-aged man before him was only a Heavenly True Immortal, so how was he able to fly as well? Furthermore, the speed of his flight was even faster than that of normal High Immortals! Make your move. I also want to see what you are capable of as well! Zhang Xuan remarked as he drew the Tongshang Sword. With a low growl, he shed his sword toward the Nine-headed Fiery Pheonix. Since the Dongxu Gourd had said that is needed this fellows blood essence, a battle was inevitable. He could still tame the Serpentine Dragon using the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon, but against the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, such a mean wouldnt work. He could only resort to the good old Beast Pummeling Taming Method. Besides, he had recently achieved a few breakthroughs, so this would be a good chance for him to test out his newfound strength! The only issue with him fighting with his full strength was that he would risk exposing his true identity. To circumvent that issue, he sealed off the surroundings with an Istion Formation, thus preventing any outsiders from peering into the happenings within. H! With the sh of Zhang Xuans de, a massive sword qi, several dozen zhang[l] in length, surged toward the Nineheaded Fiery Phoenix. The Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix clearly didnt expect a mere True Immortal to dare make a move against it. On top of that, the might of the other partys attack had already surpassed its expectations. Realizing that the other party wouldnt be an easy opponent, it chose to make a temporary retreat to evade the sword qi before opening its mouth once more to shower devastating mes upon its enemy. In response to that, Zhang Xuan raised his de to sever the mes into two. But before he could do so, the Dongxu Gourd suddenly rushed out from his dantian and dered valiantly, Leave that bird to me! As it spoke, it dashed right toward the mes. H! The massive expanse of mes abruptly vanished into the Dongxu Gourd just like that. Zhang Xuan was stunned. This fellow was not just able to swallow weapons, it could swallow mes as well? Zhang Xuan was not the only one to have such an appearance on his face. On the opposing side, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix was indescribably horrified. Those possessing the Empyrean Phoenix Bloodline possessed superior aptitude toward the me element. The mes that it produced couldnt bepared to that of ordinary mes. Not even High Immortals would have been able to fend against its mes with their zhenqi! It was through the unique attributes of its mes that it was able to defeat the elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall so easily. Yet, the Dongxu Gourd actually swallowed its mes so easily, rendering its attackpletely ineffective... How could this be? Let me see how much you can swallow then! Fsshhh fsshhh! With a piercing shriek, all nine heads of the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix spat mes simultaneously. The nine bursts of mes converged together to form a fiery dragon that surged right toward Zhang Xuan, tearing open a vacuum in the air. Hot! Feeling the temperature of the mes, even Zhang Xuan, who possessed exceptional resistance to heat, was forced to retreat. He could fend against it with his Gods Sword Intent and Tongshang Sword, but even he would sustain some damage in the midst of doing so. Would the Dongxu Gourd be able to swallow such mes too? The apprehensive Zhang Xuan began driving his Sword Intent, intending to charge forward to assist if the Dongxu Gourd failed to stand its ground. On the other hand, even though it was standing right before the raging me breath, the Dongxu Gourd simply shook its bottom leisurely. Hu! The iing mes simply vanished once again. It took only a mere instant for the mes to be devoured clean. Zhang Xuan was bbergasted. He didnt think that the Dongxu Gourd whom he had looked down on for the longest of time would actually prove to be such an invaluable ally! Perhaps, the talent of the Dongxu Gourdy in its ability to devour energy. If that was the case, it was likely that even his strongest sword qi wouldnt be able to do a thing against the Dongxu Gourd... It was no wonder why that fellow was so arrogant, acting sockadaisically around him. It turned out that it really wasnt afraid of him at all. No way... W-what kind of monster are you? Seeing how its mes were so easily devoured, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix felt unprecedented fear. Not only was the other party able to voice the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon, he even had a gourd that could devour its mes easily... In its mind, Zhang Xuans silhouette seemed to be bing more and more enigmatic. Faced against a being that had surpassed its understanding, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix trembled with terror. No matter how powerful that gourd is, its no more than an artifact. Its bound to be under the control of that middle- aged man. As long as I can defeat him, that gourd wouldnt pose a threat to me anymore... the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix thought. In its view, the Dongxu Gourd was reminiscent of what the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was to the Serpentine Dragon. It was an artifact specially prepared to curb its mes. But no matter how powerful an artifact was, it was still a lifeless being. As long as it was able to defeat its owner, the artifact would be of no threat to it at all. With such thoughts in mind, it pped its wings and glided down toward Zhang Xuan, swiping its sharp talons toward him. Si! As if ripped curtains, the sharp talons tore hugecerations through space. [1] A dozen zhang:?40 meters Chapter 2012 2012 Elder Liaos Reques Ah... It was beyond Zhang Xuans imagination that the Dongxu Gourd would actually be so powerful. At this moment, he was rooted to the spot as his mind struggled to make sense out of what had just happened. He had really intended to fight a battle with the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, but each time he drove his Gods Sword Intent, the battle would be interrupted somehow... Before he could even test his strength, his opponent was already lying on the ground fearfully. Hehehe! Having defeated the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, the Dongxu Gourd slit an opening on its body, causing its blood to spurt out like a fountain. Then, it devoured the blood happily. What are you doing? Feeling that it was growing weaker and weaker as blood seeped out of its body, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenixs fear intensified. It tried to rise, but the Dongxu Gourd sitting above it was like a mountain pinning it to the ground. It was not able to move at all. Be good and stay still. Ill just drink for a bit. The Dongxu Gourd shook its bottom as it drankrge gulps of the Nineheaded Fiery Phoenixs blood. Blood swiftly drained from the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenixs body, such that it felt as if it would die from excessive blood loss at any moment. Unable to take it anymore, it turned to Zhang Xuan and eximed, Ill acknowledge you as my master! It had no other choice. It was a haughty existence, but it had never met such a bizarre gourd before. This was more frightening that anything it had ever gone through. Not only was the gourd able to devour its mes, it was even gulping down its blood. If it did not submit to the middle-aged man at this point, it would likely end up as a withered bird carcass on the ground. Under any other circumstances, it might have adamantly stood its ground in view of its pride. However, thinking about how the strongest of their group, the Serpentine Dragon, had already submitted to the middle-aged man, it felt like it would not be that big a deal if it acknowledged the other party as its master. You wish to acknowledge me as your master? Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. It had nned on using the Beast Pummeling Taming Method to force it to submit to him within thirty breaths, but now, it felt like everything had simply happened without him lifting a finger at all. Dongxu Gourd, stop what youre doing. Zhang Xuan walked up and ordered the Dongxu Gourd. Burp! The Dongxu Gourd suddenly belched. Master, Ill go and digest it. After saying those words, the Dongxu Gourd vanished from sight. The next moment, it was already in Zhang Xuans dantian, snoring loudly as it slept. Seeing how this fellow was still as unreliable as always, Zhang Xuan shook his head. With a tap of his finger, he sealed the Soul Contract with the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix. After dealing with two beasts in quick session, Zhang Xuan turned to the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger in the sky and asked, What about you? The Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger was on the verge of a mental breakdown. It was only ranked third on the Ascendant Cloud Mountain. In terms of fighting prowess, it could not even begin topare to the powerful Serpentine Dragon and Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix. Yet, those two did not evenst a minute before they were tamed. What was it supposed to do in a situation like that? Should it submit to the middle-aged man? Should it not submit? If it did not submit, it was likely that it might end up getting floored like those two. After witnessing how the Nineheaded Fiery Phoenix had been pinned to the ground and drained of its blood, it had no wish to see it happening to itself too. If there was a choice, it would not want to be embarrassed in front of all of its subordinates in such a manner! The Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger eventually made up its mind and said, You used the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon to tame the Serpentine Dragon, and you subdued the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix through an artifact... I would like to have a proper battle with you using our true strength. If you can defeat me in a proper battle, Ill submit to you. You wish to have a proper battle with me? Thats fine by me! Relieved that he was finally getting some action, Zhang Xuan leaped into the sky. With a sh of his sword, the Gods Sword Intent that had been bottling up in his body for quite a while was released like a raging current. There was no sword afterimage or blur. The Tongshang Sword simply appeared right before the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger. Puhe! Before it knew it, the two fangs that protruded from the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tigers mouth were sliced apart, and fresh blood spurted from its nose. I surrender! Ill acknowledge you as my master! Facing such a frightening sight, the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger felt cold sweat drenching its fur coat. It immediately lowered itself subserviently. It had thought that the young man was someone who relied only on unorthodox means, but who could have known that his swordsmanship would actually be so formidable? If it had not surrendered quick enough, putting aside its teeth, it might have lost its head. The Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger was not the only one surprised by the situation. Even the Serpentine Dragon and the Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix gulped in fright. Honestly, they had felt a little indignant at having to submit to Zhang Xuan just like that. After all, the other party had only subdued them through the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon and a particrly powerful gourd, so they did not think that the other party would really be powerful. However, after watching this sight, they realized that even if the other party did not rely on anything else, they would still not be a match for him in terms of sheer strength! That earlier sword was simply too powerful and profound, so they could not fathom themselves withstanding its might. Hu! The Istion Formation finally dissipated. Thirty breaths were up! He has tamed all three of the immortal beasts? How long did he take in total? Seeing how even the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger had submitted to him too, Elder Liao and the others became frenzied. They were the top elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall, grandmasters of beast taming... And those that had gone there with them were candidates in line for the position of hall master. Yet, one team had ended up gettingpletely obliterated, and Elder Yuan had been lured away by the White-eared Fox,pletely unaware that he was the one who was being yed like a fool. On the other hand, the middle-aged man had actually tamed the three immortal beasts in quick session just like that. It was as if he was the one from the Myriad Beasts Hall instead! They felt like they were still utterlycking on the path of beast tamingpared to the other party. At that moment, all the beast tamers felt a suffocating sensation in their chests as they simply stared at the situation before them with mouths agape. It was a while before Elder Liao could speak again. The hall master once said that regardless of whether its Elder Yuan or Elder Liu, whoever manages to tame one of the four immortal beasts first will be qualified to inherit his position. However, now that one has been killed and the other one is still getting toyed with by the White-eared Fox, how do we report this matter to the hall master? The main reason the hall master came up with this problem was to test their proficiency in beast taming and their strength. Those two factors are necessary if they wish to earn the support of the others in the sect. Its clear that Elder Yuan and Elder Liu have already failed the trial. If anything, its this middle-aged man who has cleared the trial, another elder replied in a hushed voice. What do you mean by that? Elder Liao and the others quickly turned their gazes over. What Im thinking is that if this middle-aged man doesnt have a sect yet, we can recruit him into the Myriad Beasts Hall. As long as he bes one of our elders, given his superior beast taming skills and fighting prowess that can subdue a Heavenly High Immortal beast despite only being at the Heavenly True Immortal realm himself... I believe that no one will dare question his credentials to be our hall master! the elder said. This... The crowd fell silent. It was unprecedented for an outsider to be nominated to be their next hall master, but after witnessing everything, they had no choice but to earnestly consider such a course of action. The Myriad Beasts Hall was known for its superiority in beast taming, but this middle-aged man was easily able to outdo all of them. Even their hall master would pale inparison to him! If such a figure did not join their Myriad Beasts Hall, it would be a huge threat to them. If this middle-aged man simply joined any other sect or even established a sect of his own, the Myriad Beasts Hall could very well lose its standing on the Forsaken Continent. Youre right. We have to bring him into our Myriad Beasts Hall. Elder Liao nodded. The others replied in agreement. Having made such a judgement, Elder Liao was just about to approach the middle-aged man and propose something when thetter suddenly turned to them and said, I have already tamed these beasts. They wont make a move on you anymore, so you are free to leave... But before you leave, theres something that I would have to trouble you for. You have saved our lives, so feel free to make any request of us. As long as its within our means, we wont turn you down! Elder Liao bowed deeply. Putting everything aside, it was a fact that this middle-aged man was their savior. If not for him, they would have ended up getting tortured to death by those three immortal beasts. It was only right for them to repay the favor. I am a humble and low-profile person, so I dont wish to cause a huge fuss. Thus, I hope that youll keep whatever has happened here a secret after you leave, Zhang Xuan said. He had used the Gods Sword Intent earlier and tamed the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger within a single move. Of course, he had made sure to conceal the aura of the Gods Sword Intent, such that it was impossible to see through it easily. However, if rumors started spreading, it would not take long for the masses to draw the link. Once the Hall of Gods caught wind of the news, danger would swiftly strike him once more. He knew that he was not fully prepared to deal with the Hall of Gods just yet. Thus, he could only hope for those people not to spread the word around. This... The crowd had been wondering what the request would be when they heard those words, and they immediately nodded in approval. If anyone else had tamed one of the four immortal beasts of Ascendant Cloud Mountain, they probably would have bragged about the matter for years, as if they would not rest till the whole world learned about the feat. In contrast, this middle-aged man had tamed three of them, but he did not show the slightestcency at all. This low profile and steady personality was truly worthy of respect! May I know how I should address you? Elder Liao asked curiously. I am Zh... Zhang Xuan was just about to reveal his name when he realized that there was a good chance that the Hall of Gods had already learned of his true identity. Thus, he quickly changed his words and said,... Zheng Yang. This was the first name that popped into his mind. So, its Brother Zheng Yang! Elder Liaos mind swiftly churned as he tried to recall if he had heard this name anywhere else, but nothing came to mind. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, Brother Zheng, may I know which sect you are studying under at the moment? The first thing they should do was understand the other partys background before proposing anything. Zhang Xuan shook his head. I am an unaffiliated cultivator. He was a core elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but due to his unique identity, it would not be convenient for him to reveal that. Not to mention, it would be meaningless if he assumed a traceable identity. If the Myriad Beasts Hall started looking into the matter, he would only draw their suspicion more instead. Since that was the case, he might as well introduce himself as an unaffiliated cultivator. In any case, there were many sword practitioners in the Azure. Even the experts of the Hall of Gods were equipped with swords. Besides, there were plenty of unaffiliated cultivators out there who were exceptionally proficient in the Way of the Sword, so his story was notpletely impossible. Unaffiliated cultivator? On the other hand, the eyes of Elder Liao and the others lit up upon hearing those words. If the middle-aged man had been from some other sect, it would have been inappropriate for them to try recruiting him. However, since he was an unaffiliated cultivator, there was no such issue. This was an opportunity to join the Myriad Beasts Hall and even be their hall master. They believed that the middle-aged man would not turn down such an invaluable opportunity. Indeed. Zhang Xuan nodded. So, regarding the matter I requested earlier... Brother Zheng, you need not worry. Since you have asked us not to talk about it, theres no way well expose the matter. Its just that... Elder Liao paused a little at this point. Just what? Even if we dont talk about this matter, its impossible to conceal the fact that three of the four immortal beasts of the Ascendant Cloud Mountain have been tamed. Once news starts spreading, people might learn that it was an outsider instead of the elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall who seeded, and that could cause quite the uproar, Elder Liao replied awkwardly. What do you propose then? Zhang Xuan frowned. What the other party said made sense. The Myriad Beasts Hall was the number one beast tamer sect in the world. Despite many years of preparation and dispatching so many elders, they had ended up returning in defeat. Instead, an outsider was the one who had tamed the immortal beasts. How were they to exin this matter to their sect? Brother Zheng, would you be interested in following us to the Myriad Beasts Hall for a while? Well introduce you as one of our elders and show the three immortal beasts before everyone else. I know that it sounds a little counterintuitive, but this is the best way to avoid an uproar, Elder Liao exined. Chapter 2013 - 2013 The Dongxu Gourd’s Reques 2013 The Dongxu Gourds Reques This... Zhang Xuan didnt expect to hear such a request. He hesitated for a brief moment before replying, To be honest with you, Im intending to head north. Theres something which I am rushing in time for... Brother Zheng, itll only take a little while. It wont dy you by too long... Besides, the Myriad Beasts Hall is also located north of here. It wont be too much of a detour, Elder Liao said. If... I were to follow you back to the Myriad Beasts Hall in the capacity of an honorary elder, could I be so impudent as to request ess to your elders library? To be honest, Im deeply interested in browsing through your sects book collection in order to rify some doubts in my cultivation, Zhang Xuan asked. As one of the Six Sects, the Myriad Beasts Hall should have a sizeable collection of cultivation technique manuals as well. If he could just pay a visit to their library, he might be able to gather more High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals, thus taking another step further to thepletion of the Heavens Path Divine Art. The aim of his journey was to reach High Immortal realm anyway, and if this short detour would help him achieve his aim, it would be a good opportunity to go along with them. Besides, he would have to acquire a few tamed beast sacks too. It would be as if he was begging to be noticed if the three immortal beasts were to follow him like that! Of course! As an honorary elder of our Myriad Beasts Hall, you are entitled to the same privileges as any other one of our elders. Well provide you with free tamed beast sacks too so that you can bring the three immortal beasts around with you conveniently. Not only so, on the grounds that you have sessfully tamed three of the four immortal beasts, there is a good chance that you could be nominated to be our next hall master! Elder Liao said with a light chuckle. Id really appreciate the free tamed beast sacks, but as for the position of the hall master, Im afraid that Ill have to refuse, Zhang Xuan replied. He had no ns on settling down in the Azure. His main goal here was to find Luo Ruoxin, so anything aside from that was unnecessary. The reason why he had wanted to be the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion previously was in hopes that he would be able to tap into its influence, but that had proven to be an extremely risky move. It had brought the attention of the Hall of Gods upon him. The more high profile he was, the more conspicuous of a target he would be to the Hall of Gods. Thus, he didnt think that it would be wise of him to expose himself any more than this. Hearing those words, Elder Liao frowned. He didnt expect the other party to be interested in a rtively inexpensive tamed beast sack, only to think nothing of bing the leader of one of the Six Sects... Wouldnt the other party be able to acquire whatever he wanted if he were to be the hall master? We can discuss the detailster on, Elder Liao said with an awkward smile. The matter was just a suggestion that the lot of them hade up with so far. The only one who had the power to make the final decision was the hall master. All they could do was to bring the middle-aged man over to their sect. Aftering to an agreement, Elder Liao and the others quickly focused on recuperating from their injuries. They had sustained severe injuries under the assault of the three immortal beasts earlier. As for Zhang Xuan, he turned his attention to the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix to examine thetters injuries. There were nine huge bumps on its heads due to the consecutive strikes by the Dongxu Gourd. At the same time, its body appeared to be a little withered, and fresh blood was still trickling out from the deep cut it was inflicted with. Given that the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix had already submitted to him, Zhang Xuan was obliged to treat its injuries. Thus, he took out a jade bottle and passed it over, Drink this. In case of emergency, he had made sure to prepare several more bottles of the gourds bathwater prior to setting off. The Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix unhesitatingly drank the water in the jade bottle, and in just a few moments, it had already fully recovered from its injuries. In fact it appeared to be more energetic than before. Thank you, master, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix replied in agitation. Using its strongest Nine-headed me Breath had taken a toll on its body, and it had lost quite a bit of blood essence to the gourd earlier. Given the severity of its injuries, it thought that it would take at least a decade or so in order to recover back to its peak. Yet, who could have thought that a couple of clear water would actually bring it back to full health within moments... This further affirmed its choice of acknowledging the man standing before it as its master. Call the White-eared Fox back, Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! The Serpentine Dragon rose into the sky and roared ferociously, causing the ground to tremor ceaselessly, Following that, the crowd saw the pair of human and dragon returning back to the surface. Elder Yuan was still driving the Dragon Orb around, and sweat could be seen trickling down his forehead. It was apparent that even up to this point, Elder Yuan hadnt realized that the Serpentine Dragon he had been teasing was a fake. W-what? How is it possible that theres another Serpentine Dragon here? Elder Yuan was stunned when he saw the real Serpentine Dragon. Paying no heed to the astonished Elder Yuan, the Serpentine Dragon said, White-eared Fox, the rest of us have already submitted to our master. What do you intend to do now? You have submitted to him? The White-eared Fox was stunned. Its figure swiftly morphed from that of a Serpentine Dragon to a massive gray fox. Despite being gray from head to toe, it had an eye-catching pair of snowy white ears. This was also probably where its name hade from as well. The White-eared Fox contemted deeply for a moment before lowering its back deeply, I am willing to submit to him as well. Three of the four immortal beasts ruling over the Ascendant Cloud Mountain had already submitted. Given that it was the weakest of them all and its illusion had already been exposed, there was no way it would stand a chance against the others. Rather than to be killed, it might as well pledge its loyalty to the same master as well. As the White-eared Fox submitted to Zhang Xuan as well, Elder Yuan finally came to realize what was going on, and he fell into a daze. He thought he would be able to tame the Serpentine Dragon without any trouble, especially since he had devoted thirty whole years into making preparations for this single moment. Who could have thought that a single White-eared Fox would be able to foil all of his efforts... More importantly, within this short period of time, this Zheng Yang had already managed to tame the other three immortal beasts, thus bing the biggest winner of this mission. What is more important than incentivizing the beast you intend to tame is to win its respect. The Northern Sea Dragon Orb and Dragon Blood you have prepared are indeed useful artifacts, but if you wish to truly win the respect of the beast you have tamed, youll have to prove yourself to it, Zhang Xuan said. One of the reasons why his Beast Pummeling Taming Method worked time and time again was because it proved his superiority in strength! Treasures and the sort were just material possessions. They could be used to rue goodwill with ones tamed beast, but a rtionship built solely upon goodwill was fragile. Ultimately, one would still have to prove his strength in order to take a dominant position in the rtionship, or else there was no guarantee that one would be able to retain control over ones beast! I understand... Brother Zheng, thank you for your guidance! Elder Yuan was one of the top geniuses of the Myriad Beasts Hall, or else he wouldnt have be one of the candidates to be the hall master despite his young age. Zhang Xuans words had really opened his eyes to a very simple fact. The Myriad Beasts Hall couldntpete with the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion in the field of swordsmanship, it was beneath the Starchaser Pce in the field of soul arts, its finances couldnt match the Sevenstar Pavilion, and its movement arts were elementarypared to the Evanescent Immortal Sect... All it had was its beast taming. For this reason, its disciples took pride in being able to tame beasts stronger than them. Such a mindset was ingrained so deeply in their mindset that none of them questioned it. However, now that he looked back on it, it was utterly wrong. The very foundation of a beast tamer was not his tamed beast but his cultivation. A tamed beast was only an auxiliary mean to enhance the fighting prowess of a beast tamer... Elder Yuan had devoted thirty years of his life making preparations to tame the Serpentine Dragon, and the resources he had spent on it was unimaginable too... If he had devoted his time and resources to his cultivation instead, he would have been much stronger than he was at the moment. Everything wouldnt have ended up in futility. Lets go! Since their work here was done, the group swiftly packed up and began making their way back to the Myriad Beasts Hall. Zhang Xuan felt that their speed of travel was too slow, and he got all of them onto the Serpentine Beast and proceeded swiftly ahead. Three dayster, the Myriad Beasts Hall finally came into view. In terms of scale, the Myriad Beasts Hall paled nowhere inparison to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The entrance to the sect was a massive dragon head, and the buildings beyond formed the scales of the dragon. These buildings stretched on for hundreds of li, forming the body and tail of the dragon. Looking at it from afar, the entire Myriad Beasts Hall looked like a living dragon that was prowling along the mountain range, biding its time before it soared into the vast sky once more. Zhang Xuan had to admit that this was truly an impressive work of art. Even before entering the sect, the imposing presence of the sect would have already induced deference in the hearts of the visitors. How magnificent! Zhang Xuan remarked as he looked upon the sight from the top of the Serpentine Dragon. He couldnt help but recall how impressed he was when he first caught sight of the massive mountain gate and humongous sword located at the entrance of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. It seemed like none of the Six Sects were to be trifled with. Its said that the founder of the Myriad Beasts Hall had managed to tame a Pseudo Dragon back in his time. All of these buildings were built in the era of the founder, and they were constructed to resemble the body of the Pseudo Dragon. As a result of that, the sect carries the imposing authority of the Dragon Tribe. Any beasts whoe near the Myriad Beasts Hall would feel innate deference and dare not to wreak havoc, Elder Liao exined solemnly. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The Dragon Tribe was known as the Sovereign of the Beasts. Buildings that were built in imitation of their form would naturally gather Dragon Energy over time, inducing deference in the other beasts. Brother Zheng, you can rest here for the time being. Ill report the incident to the hall master first, Elder Liao led Zhang Xuan to a posh residence before sping his fist and bidding farewell. Since he was already here, Zhang Xuan decided to take a brief respite too. After the crowd from the Myriad Beasts Hall left, he instructed the four immortal beasts to take a rest outside before entering the residence. He pondered for a brief moment before bringing the Dongxu Gourd out from his dantian. How are you feeling? Ever since this fellow had absorbed the mes and blood essence of the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, it had gonepletely quiet. Over the past three days, there had been no movements from it at all. It seems like the blood essence from that bird is stillcking. I still need more energy... the Dongxu Gourd sighed helplessly. You still need more energy? Whats going on? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. As you know, I am a legendary beast who once ruled... the Dongxu Gourd began on its long-winded story once more. Thats enough, Zhang Xuan interjected sharply. I know that you used to be very powerful. What I want to know is how did you end up getting sealed in your current body! Given how this fellow was able to devour High Immortal-tier swords and defeat the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix with ease, its prowess was really not to be underestimated. What that had left Zhang Xuan perplexed was why the Dongxu Gourd would appear in the Master Teacher Continent in the first ce. Given its prowess, it was apparent that it was a being that belonged to the Azure or the Firmament even. Also, how did it end up in such a state? I have no idea either. My memories are a little hazy. I was already in a Dongxu Gourd when I woke up. My instincts tells me that Ill only recover my memories once I return back to my full strength, the Dongxu Gourd said. Seeing how it was futile to get anything out of this fellow, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, Forget it. Why dont you tell me what do you need in order for you to break free of your current form instead? The amount of energy I have gathered still isnt sufficient for me to break free of my shell yet... However, if you could just feed me some Superior Immortal Pills, I just might be able to do it, the Dongxu Gourd said. Superior Immortal Pills? How many do you need? Zhang Xuan frowned. He did have some Superior Immortal Pills on hand, but he didnt have too many of it. He had intended to acquire a hundred of them back when he paid a visit to the Wuhai City Ethereal Hall. Unfortunately, the Ethereal Hall didnt have enough supply to meet his demand, so he could only make do with what they had on hand. That being said, the Ethereal Hall promised to gather the remaining amount, and they would hold another transaction a few dayster. However, the assassination from the Hall of Gods happened right after that, and he was forced to leave the city in such a huge hurry that he hadnt managed to im them yet. Of the Superior Immortal Pills he had received, he had used quite a few of them himself, and he had given a couple of them to Bai Ruanqing and Dan Xiaotian for their cultivation too. As such, he only had five of them left in his possession. He was intending to use them for the breakthrough of his soul cultivation, but if the Dongxu Gourd needed it, he had no qualms about giving them to it instead. With the token which Kong shi had given him, gathering sufficient cultivation resources was no longer an issue to him anymore. As long as there was an Ethereal Hall nearby, he would be able to acquire almost anything he needed. I need roughly two hundred Superior Immortal Pills, the Dongxu Gourd said. Two hundred Superior Immortal Pills? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He seemed to have underestimated the Dongxu Gourds appetite yet again. Even a major city like Wuhai City could only bring out twenty Superior Immortal Pills in a moments time, but you are actually telling me you need two hundred of them... Where do you expect me to find that many Superior Immortal Pills for you? Ill only be more and more indebted to Kong shi at this rate, Zhang Xuan rubbed his be helplessly. Chapter 2014 - 2014 Hall Master Qin 2014 Hall Master Qin There was no denying the Dongxu Gourds strength. In any case, it would surely prove to be an invaluable fighting force if he could help it to break free of its seal. Since Kong shi had given him a token that allowed him to acquire as many cultivation resources as he required, it shouldnt matter how much he took from the Ethereal Hall. Superior Immortal Pills might be rare, but as long as he were to make the request, the Ethereal Hall would still gather the amount he demanded. It was just that it would be slightly more troublesome. However, its probably impossible to use that token within the Myriad Beasts Hall... Zhang Xuan thought. He figured that it was likely that the Myriad Beasts Hall would have its own local Ethereal Hall as well, simr to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The token which Kong shi had given him couldnt be used here. It seemed like he would have to drop by arger city after leaving the Myriad Beasts Hall. There are simply too many things that I need to do. Ill have to move on quickly after I browse through the books here... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. While Zhang Xuan was still questioning the Dongxu Gourd, Elder Liao and the others had already arrived at the Myriad Beasts Halls Elder Council. Hall Master Qin! Standing right in front of them was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his early forties. Despite his seemingly young appearance, he emanated an aura of atrophy, reminiscent of one who had lived for a very long time. The beast core of the Eternal Youth Beast allows me to retain my youthful appearance, but my body is more honest than how I look. Given the severe injuries I have umted over the years, Id only have another five more years to go before I sumb, Hall Master Qin sighed deeply. Turning to Elder Liao and the others, he asked, How did it go? Are the results out yet? Who is the victor? Is it Yuan Zhou or Liu Ran who seeded? Yuan Zhou was the one who had the Northern Sea Dragon Orb but was yed like a fool by the White-eared Fox whereas Liu Ran was the elder who had been killed by the alliance of the three immortal beasts. If not for his lifespaning to an end, he wouldnt be in such a rush to find a sessor either, going to the extent of proposing such a dangerous trial. Hall Master Qin, neither of them seeded! Elder Liao swiftly exined everything that had happened earlier. The unaffiliated cultivator known as Zheng Yang managed to tame the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger within two short minutes? And despite that, his cultivation is only at Heavenly True Immortal realm? Hall Master Qin was bewildered by what he was hearing. Thats right, Elder Liao replied with a nod. Elder Yuan and Elder Liu have made a move personally, and many of us have followed along to assist the two of them, but even so, we still ended up sustaining huge losses... If news were to spread, it would surely be a huge blow to the Myriad Beasts Halls prestige. Thus, I invited Zheng Yang back to our sect. I was thinking that as long as we acknowledge him as one of our sect elders, not only would there be no harm to our reputation, it might even bring greater prestige to our sect! I understand what you mean. With a nod of his head, Hall Master Qin rose to his feet and began pacing around the room. Due to my lifespaning to an end, the Myriad Beasts Hall has been in a weakened positionpared to the rest of the Six Sects. The sect needs a young and powerful leader to lead it forward. If Zheng Yang is really as formidable as you put him out to be, I wont oppose to him bing my sessor. Not too long ago, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has announced that Han Jianqiu has stepped down as the sect leader, passing down his seat to a young man known as Zhang Xuan. As long as theres a suitable candidate, I dont mind giving up my position either. However, I would like to test him first. Hall Master Qin, are you worrying that he might be from the Hall of Gods? Elder Liao asked. The Hall of Gods has always taken on a lofty position on the Forsaken Continent, choosing to steer clear of conflicts and political struggles as long as it didnt touch on their bottom line. But for some reason, it has been showing ambitions of wanting to annex the Six Sects in recent years. I think that its better for us to be cautious, Hall Master Qin replied. I understand, Hall Master Qin. How do you intend to test him? Elder Liao asked. Bring him to be Atrium of Myriad Beasts to meet the old ancestor. The old ancestor is particrly sensitive toward those from the Hall of Gods, so it should be able to see through him right away, Hall Master Qin nodded. Understood. Ill have it done, Hall Master Qin! Elder Liao replied. The old ancestor that Hall Master Qin spoke of was a Blue Infernal Beast, and it was the tamed beast of the 17th Hall Master. It was nowhere close to being the strongest beast in the history of the Myriad Beasts Hall, but it was known to possessed spirituality unrivaled by any. Those from the Hall of Gods usually emanated a unique aura that the Blue Infernal Beast was able to discern them by. As long as he isnt from the Hall of Gods, his capability in beast taming is enough for him to be the next hall master. Once he manages to reach Heavenly High Immortal realm, he might be able to tame even stronger beasts. By then, our Myriad Beasts Hall wouldnt have to worry about being overshadowed by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The next time I meet Han Jianqiu once more, I would be able to tell him proudly that our Myriad Beasts Hall is filled with capable talents a well! Hall Master Qin clenched his fists tightly. Nodding in agreement, Elder Liao bade his farewell and backed out of the room. Two hourster, he returned with a conflicted expression on his face. How is it? Hall Master Qin asked. I have heeded your instructions and brought Zheng Yang over to the Atrium of Myriad Beasts. However... As Elder Liao recalled what he had witnessed earlier, his eyelids just couldnt stop twitching. However? Did the old ancestor say that hes from the Hall of Gods? To be honest, I dont really know. The old ancestor made a huge fuss about wanting to acknowledge Zheng Yang as its master, and we had to drag it out in order to stop it from doing so... Elder Liao said awkwardly. The old ancestor wanted to acknowledge him as its master? Hall Master Qin was stunned. Thats not all... As you know, the Atrium of Beasts Hall is where most of the beasts of our sect reside. After Zheng Yang took a short look around the area, there are already three hundred sage beasts and twelve immortal beasts that are intent on acknowledging him as their master. This matter has caused a huge uproar in the sect, and many elders are dissatisfied with it... Elder Liao reported as he pinched his nose bridge in distress. Those beasts want to acknowledge him as their master? Whats going on over here? I only told you to bring him over to the Atrium of Myriad Beasts, right? Why are those beasts acting in such a manner? Hall Master Qin was a little overwhelmed by what he was hearing as well. It should have just been a simple identity verification, but why would such a huge mess be stirred up within a short span of two hours? The reason why the Myriad Beasts Hall was able to rise to the position as one of the Six Sects was because every single one of the elders, core disciples, and inner disciples had a tamed beast each. Through the tight coordination of the beast tamer and tamed beast, they had a decisive advantage over peers who were at the same cultivation realm as them. If the beasts of the sect were to all submit to a single person, wouldnt the very foundation that made the Myriad Beasts Hall strong in the first ce copse? This mustnt be allowed to happen! When the old ancestor heard that Zheng Yang was able to tame the Serpentine Dragon and the others within two short minutes, he scoffed at the story, thinking that it was a fib. Thus, he ordered the sage beasts and immortal beasts in the area to encircle Zheng Yang and teach him a lesson... I swiftly moved to stop them, but my strength was limited. Then, before I knew it, the situation has already be like that... Recalling everything that had happened earlier, Elder Liao was on the verge of bursting into tears. It was not as if he didnt want to stop the mess from happening, but what could he do against the old ancestor and hundreds of beasts? And that Zheng Yang was even more of a monster. Despite facing so many opponents at once, he actually managed to floor all of them in less than three minutes... That wasnt all. It would be one thing if Zheng Yang was powerful, but as it turned out, all of the beasts which he had pummeled suddenly began groveling before him like a loyalpdog, insisting on acknowledging him as their master... Even the old ancestor was no exception to the rule either! That was the tamed beast of a predecessor many generations before them... If the old ancestor were to acknowledge Zheng Yang as its master, what would be of their seniority? It would be as if they had be his grand-grand-grand-grand... grand disciple all of a sudden! His heart wouldnt be able to take it if he had to change from addressing the other party from Brother Zheng to Old Ancestor Zheng all of a sudden! Hall Master Qin also didnt expect so many things to happen within two short hours. With a sharp intake of breath, he said grimly, Bring me to him. I would like to meet him in person! ... What a bother! Zhang Xuan looked at the massive congregation of beasts before him with a conflicted look on his face, Elder Liao came by earlier to bring him over to what Atrium of Myriad Beasts. But shortly after he arrived at the destination, he suddenly came under the assault of these beasts. In order to protect himself, he could only beat all of these fellows up. Then, before he knew it... all of them had already submitted to him! It sure was hard to maintain a low profile! But that being said, the matter that was bugging his mind at the moment was that he still had no idea what Elder Liao was up to. Did the other party bring here to tame these beasts? But he already had the Serpentine Dragon and the others, so he didnt need these weaklings! All of you should disperse. I already have my tamed beasts, and I have no intention of epting any more! If he were to tame all of these beasts too, he would pretty much be escorted by an army wherever he went. If so, how could he remain discreet? The Hall of Gods would havee knocking before he could even get far! Even if you dont ept them, you should at least ept me. My cultivation has already reached High Immortal realm. While my fighting prowess is nowhere on par with that of the Serpentine Dragon and the others, I am blessed with extreme spiritual sensitivity at birth. I have a sharp sense for danger, and I can warn you in advance! the Blue Infernal Beast said with a smile as it walked over. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts upon hearing those words. It was just as what the other party had said. Even though its cultivation was only at Lesser High Immortal, its senses were indeed extraordinarily sharp. It was able to move in advance to dodge the brunt of his attacks in advance in the face-off earlier. It would indeed be a valuable ally. Very well, Ill ept you as my tamed beast, Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was just about to seal the Soul Contract, a middle-aged man suddenly rushed into the room and called out, Brother Zheng, please wait for a moment! Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over. Following behind the middle-aged man was Elder Liao, and he quickly introduced, Brother Zheng, this person over here is Hall Master Qin Yuan, the sect leader of the Myriad Beasts Hall! Nodding slightly, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and greeted, Paying respects to Hall Master Qin! Brother Zheng, theres no need for you to be so formal with me, Hall Master Qin replied with a smile. I have heard of your exploits from Elder Liao, and I am deeply in awe of your beast taming skills. As the leader of the Myriad Beasts Hall, there was hardly anyone in the Forsaken Continent who couldpete with him in the field of beast taming. He thought that he had already reached the zenith in the field, but when he saw the middle-aged man before him, he realized that he still had a long way to go. His prided beast taming skills were nothing muchpared to that of the middle-aged man before him... They werent worth a mention at all! Initially, he thought that Elder Liao had exaggerated the matter quite a bit, but after witnessing the sight before him, he realized that he had been severely underestimating the capabilities of this Zheng Yang. Several hundred beasts submitting to a single person simultaneously... Even in the long history of the Myriad Beasts Hall, there had never been a single person who had aplished such an illustrious feat before. Beast taming is actually not asplicated as many think it out to be, Zhang Xuan remarked. It would be my delight to listen to Brother Zhengs words of wisdom, Hall Master Qin sped his fist in response. Just like humans, beasts are beings with pride and dignity, and they should be treated as so too... Zhang Xuan said slowly. If he were to im that he was the number two beast tamer on the Master Teacher Continent, there would be no one who would dare im himself to be number one, not unless he wished to be beaten to death. Seeing that the two of them were interested in listening to his teaching, his instincts as a teacher kicked up, and before he knew it, he was already lecturing them. After listening to Zhang Xuans words for a moment, incredulity could be seen reflected in the depths of Hall Master Qins eyes. He had studied the Way of Beast Taming for many years, and he had never thought it would be possible to interpret the art in such a manner. It was as if a brand new world had opened before him, bringing his understanding of beast taming to a whole new level. Some timeter, Elder Liao couldnt help but sent a telepathic message over, Hall Master Qin, do you think that Zheng Yang is qualified to be the next sect leader? Of course! Hall Master Qin replied in agitation The very fact that the old ancestor was willing to take Zheng Yang as its master showed that thetter wasnt from the Hall of Gods. On top of that, thetter had shown that he had unique insights regarding beast taming, and if his insights could bepiled and passed down to theter generations, it would surely bring the average capability of the beast tamers in the sect to higher grounds! Given so, there was no doubt that this middle-aged man was the most suitable candidate to seed him as the next hall master! With such thoughts in mind, Hall Master Qin looked at the middle-aged man before him and asked with a quivering voice, Brother Zheng, would you be interested to be the hall master and take charge of the entire Myriad Beasts Hall? You want me to be the hall master? Zhang Xuan was stunned. I have only been here for two hours, but the current hall master was already asking me if I want to take his position... Are the sects in the Azure so loose about the session of leadership? Chapter 2015 - 2015 Double Kill 2015 Double Kill Back at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he had to slowly rise through the ranks, starting from pummeling the inner disciples before moving on to the core disciples, then the elders, and finally the sect leader. Despite moving along the conventional path with his swordsmanship, he was only given the position of a potential sessor instead of the sect leader position... On the other hand, he had only arrived at the Myriad Beasts Hall for two hours so far, but before he could make sense of what was going on here, he was already offered the position as the next hall master... Was this some kind of new prank that cultivators yed on one another in the Forsaken Continent? This was one of the Six Sects they were talking about here! They were selecting a sect leader over here, not cabbages for dinner! Or could it be that this Hall Master Qin actually had some sort of tragic history with the sect, so the other party wanted to destroy this wretched ce of misery through his hands or something? Otherwise, he could only conclude that this bunch of people were fools who could trust even an outsider to lead them! If not for the fact that he had seen how majestic the entire ce was, he would have really thought that he might have stepped into the headquarters of a multilevel marketingpany! Indeed, Hall Master Qin nodded earnestly as he looked at Zhang Xuan with intense eyes. After meeting Zheng Yang in person, he was certain that there was no one more suited to be the hall master than him. An organization asrge as the Myriad Beasts Hall was bound to already have all of its administrative processes down, so there was no need for the leader to be too involved in the day-to-day administration of the sect. There were elders who were specially assigned to handle those matters. When it came to major issues, there was the Elder Council whose primary purpose was to confer over strategic decisions. To put it bluntly, the position of the sect leader was simr to that of a living mascot. They served to unite the sect members together as one and instill fear and deterrence in the enemies. Of course, it would be a huge blessing if a capable man were to be the sect leader, but otherwise, the sect would be able to function properly even without if the sect leader wasnt present. Given so, someone who possessed superior beast taming skills like Zheng Yang would be the ideal candidate. If he could pass down his knowledge, the overall fighting prowess of the sect could be brought to greater heights. On the other hand, seeing the earnest look on Sect Leader Qins face, Zhang Xuan realized that he wasnt being pranked over here. There was no value in pranking him either. He didnt rush into giving an answer, choosing to ponder carefully over the matter for a while before finally giving a response, There are pressing matters which I have to attend to. Ill have to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars very soon, so I fear that I wont be able to remain here for too long. Furthermore, Impletely ignorant about the management of a sect... He had taken on many leadership positions in the past, such as the principle of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and the head of the Zhang n, but he had never involved himself in its administration before. There were always people there to manage those matters for him. Thus, his efforts had always been directed toward his cultivation. To be honest, he wasnt sure if he could really handle the troubles that came along with being the sect leader. In response to that, Hall Master Qin replied, In truth, I dont know too much about the management of a sect either. The position of a hall master is mostly symbolistic. Your very presence will reassure the disciples in times of danger, allowing them to fight bravely without defeat. At the same time, a powerful leader would grant us more bargaining power on a negotiation table. As for the misceneous affairs, you need not worry too much about it. The elders are there to deal with them. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly in agreement. Seeing that he was receiving a positive response, Hall Master Qin pressed on, Besides, if you are intending on heading to the Sea of Exiled Stars, you would have even more need for the identity as the leader of our Myriad Beasts Hall. Those words left Zhang Xuan tilting his head in confusion. The Sea of Exiled Stars is where the Starchaser Pce is located at. It consists of innumerable inds, and living on each of these inds are the indigenous poption of the Forsaken Continent. They are an extremely exclusive group of people, and they tend to act hostile toward outsiders. There have been quite a few cases where those inders have lynched visitors to death, and there are even High Immortals who have fallen victim to that as well, Hall Master Qin exined. If you were to take on the identity of the leader of the Myriad Beasts Hall, your words would carry more weight. At the very least, no one would dare to make a move on you, and it would be much easier for you to get things done as well. Naturally, there was no one who would be foolish enough to offend the leader of the Myriad Beasts Hall. That would be as good as waging war on it. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He had asked Elder Liao some details regarding the Sea of Exiled Stars on his way over, and it was exactly the same as what Hall Master Qin was saying at the moment as well. It was rumored that some of the indigenous poption practiced the art of ughter, so their temperament tended not to be too good. If he were to enter as a nobody, it would be hard for him to achieve his goal of essing their libraries and uncovering clues regarding Luo Ruoxin there. If you be the hall master, youll be able to mobilize our informants hidden amidst the Sea of Exiled Stars, thus making it easier for you to gather information, Hall Master Qin dropped another bait before Zhang Xuan. This... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Since thats the case, I guess I dont really mind taking on the position then! It would indeed be difficult for him to investigate the information he required by himself. However, if he were to be the leader of the Myriad Beasts Hall, he would be able to tap into its vast intelligencework, thus making it far easier for him to gather information. As the Myriad Beasts Hall had a monopoly in the business of transportation on the Forsaken Continent, its members were spread throughout the entire continent. There were many disciples just like the old man who had ferried him over to the Ascendant Cloud Mountain spread all over the continent. Given so, Zhang Xuan could imagine that their intelligencework would be far more developed than that of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. That is wonderful news. Ill make preparations now, and the inauguration ceremony will be held a month from now! Hall Master Qin nodded. A month from now? Zhang Xuan shook his head. I cant afford to wait that long. Theres no need to hold an inauguration ceremony either. Its not convenient for me to show myself presently either! It isnt convenient for you to show yourself? Hall Master Qin frowned. They were an orthodox organization, not some shady demonic sect operating undercover to destroy the continent or something. Surely there was no need to be so secretive about this! My cultivation is only at Heavenly True Immortal realm at the moment. While I am able to barely defeat Heavenly High Immortal realm beasts using my secret art, I fear that my cultivation is still too weak at the moment. Im worried that I might catch the attention of the Hall of Gods if I were to stand out too much... At this moment, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before adding, I heard that the genius whoprehended the Gods Sword Intent at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had recently faced an assassination attempt from the Hall of Gods. It was better for him to be careful, especially since he didnt have a golden page with him at the moment. If the Hall of Gods were to dispatch numerous Heavenly High Immortal experts after him, he would be in a very dangerous position. The Hall of Gods? Hall Master Qin narrowed his eyes coldly. I have indeed heard of that matter from Han Jianqiu... Their informants had found that the Hall of Gods was bing more active in recent years, and the news he had just received from Han Jianqiu affirmed his worries. This was also the reason why he was worried that Zheng Yang might be a spy from the Hall of Gods. He had crossed blows with Han Jianqiu for many years now, and he had a good grasp of thetters temperament. He thought that it was weird for thetter to step down all of a sudden and nominate a young man as his sessor. It was only after enquiring about the matter did he learn from Han Jianqiu that the Hall of Gods had attempted to assassinate the disciple who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Thetter had only passed down the position of the sect leader to that disciple in hopes of protecting him. To be honest, he hadnt expected the lofty Hall of Gods to lower their pride just to nip a potential threat in the bud... If an exceptionally talented individual were to emerge from the Myriad Beasts Hall, would the same situation ur as well? Hall Master Qin pondered deeply over these issues before finally giving his response, I think that your worries make perfect sense. Since thats the case, Ill put aside the inauguration ceremony for the time being and simply make an official announcement to dere that I will be passing the position of the hall master down to you. Ill introduce you as an ascetic core elder of our sect who has devoted all of his time to cultivation. Due to that, your cultivation has reached Heavenly High Immortal realm, and you wield capabilities beyond that of other core elders in our sect. That would help to justify how you were able to tame the four immortal beasts easily. Thank you for your consideration, Hall Master Qin, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. If his cultivation was at Heavenly High Immortal, it would make much more sense for him to be able to tame the four immortal beasts. At the very least, the matter wouldnt be so astonishing as to catch the attention of the Hall of Gods. Un, its no problem, Hall Master Qin nodded in response. With a flick of his wrist, he took out his Sect Leader Token and floated it before him. Hear me, members of the Myriad Beasts Hall. I hereby officially dere that Ill be stepping down as the hall master, and the one who will seed me is Elder Zheng Yang. Just earlier in the day, he has sessfully tamed the four immortal beasts of Ascendant Cloud Mountain, and his prowess as a beast tamer is indubitably unparalleled... ... We are going to have a new hall master too? Why have I never heard of this Elder Zheng Yang before? You buffoon, are you even listening to what Hall Master Qin was saying? Didnt he say earlier that Elder Zheng Yang is an ascetic? Putting aside the elders, how many of the ascetics amongst the disciples do you even know? Well, I guess youre right... ... The abrupt announcement from Hall Master Qin caused all disciples and elders to halt whatever they were doing on hand and listen attentively. There was no one amongst them who wasnt curious about the mysterious Elder Zheng Yang who had just been chosen to be their next hall master. That being said, due to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion setting a recent precedent, this announcement didnt stir too much of an uproar from the disciples. Ascetics were cultivators who had forgone all social interaction to devote themselves entirely to the refinement of their craft. There were plenty of ascetics in every sect, and given how this group of people usually conducted themselves, it was inevitable that they would be little known by their peers. The hall master is passing down his position just like that? Elder Yuan and the others knew that there was a chance that Hall Master Qin would pass down his position to Zheng Yang, but they didnt expect it to happen so quickly! It had only been two hours since Zheng Yang had arrived in their Myriad Beasts Hall, but the most powerful position in the sect was already passed on to him... Why did the sect just have to be so damned efficient on a matter as important as this! Look, isnt that the Serpentine Dragon? It must be the one from the Ascendant Cloud Mountain. Look, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger are there as well... They have indeed been tamed! The new Hall Master Zheng Yang sure is an amazing beast tamer! All of a sudden, Elder Yuan and the others heard amotion outside. When they raised their heads, they saw the four immortal beasts they had encountered back at the Ascendant Cloud Mountain soaring through the air, unting Zheng Yangs aplishments. It was hard for the members of the sect to ept a little-known figure as their new leader all of a sudden, so they were still harboring some doubts and reservations. However, upon seeing this sight, it felt like all of their doubts were vanquished in an instant. Disciples of the Myriad Beasts Hall, I am Zheng Yang, your new hall master. I have made some modifications to the beast taming techniques you have been learning previously, so may I invite you to head over to where Elder Ying is to receive the improved version. Following that, the voice of the new hall master echoed in the air. His deep and steady tone was charismatic and confidence-inducing. An improved version of our beast taming techniques? But the beast taming techniques of the Myriad Beasts Hall have been passed down for several millenniums now. Isnt it making light of them to alter them so casually? I think so too... The disciples were a little perplexed at the sudden announcement they had received. They werent too sure what they could expect from their new hall master. Mu Xu was an inner disciple of the Myriad Beasts Hall. His ranking was in the mid-lOOOs. Amongst the ten thousand inner disciples, his ranking still wasnt too bad. However, he was currently facing his greatest crisis ever since he joined the Myriad Beasts Hall... He was on the verge of having his identity as an inner disciple revoked! It was not because he had made some kind of mistake or anything. It was because he had failed to tame a single beast whose cultivation was equivalent to him within the past three years! ording to the rules of the Myriad Beasts Hall, those whose age was beneath twenty and cultivation had reached Ancient Sage were eligible to be inner disciples, but they had to tame a beast whose cultivation equaled theirs within three years in order to retain their position. Once the time was up, they would be automatically stripped of their identities as inner disciples, and in the worst-case scenario, they might even be asked to leave the sect. Three years might seem like a long time, but in relevance to beast taming, it really wasnt much. After all, taming a beast required one to find an appropriate beast, capture it, and nurture feelings with it... Each of these steps was easier said than done. From the moment he was promoted to be an inner disciple, he had begun searching for a target, and it was justst year that he found a fitting target... An Ancient Sage Stonefire Beast! The attribute of the Stonefire Beast was a perfect fit with the cultivation technique and movement technique he practiced. If he were to fight alongside it, his fighting prowess would surely be greatly enhanced... The problem was that the Stonefire Beast was simply too haughty. It refused to submit to him no matter what he did. He had tried tempting it with all kinds of delicacies and treasures, but the Stonefire Beast wouldnt even spare him a nce, as if he didnt exist at all. Over the span of a year, he had tried more than twenty different strategies, but none of them were effective at all. And today was the veryst day of the three years he had. If he still couldnt seed today, he would have his identity as an inner disciple revoked, and he would be forced to leave the sect in disgrace. Ill have to give it my all! Mu Xu gritted his teeth in determination as he walked into a room. There was a massive cage in the room, and locked within it was a beast withva-like skin. It stood proudly on the spot, not moving at all, reminiscent of a statue. Chapter 2016 - 2016 Violence 2016 Violence Stonefire Beast, I am here again. I know that its unlikely, but I still hope that Ill be able to move you with this... Mu Xu said with a bitter smile. He took out a jade bottle and said, This is a bottle of Blood Cleanser. It can nourish your meridians and make them more supple, allowing you to ovee your bottleneck more easily. The Stonefire Beasts meridians were known to be extremely stiff, which made it extremely difficult for it to achieve a breakthrough after maturity. The only way to resolve the problem was through the Blood Cleanser, which nourished ones meridians. Without a doubt, the Blood Cleanser was extremely alluring to it. The only issue was that the Blood Cleanser was simply too expensive! He had to rush fifteen missions over the past half a year in order to earn enough money to purchase this bottle of Blood Cleanser. Every single mission that he took on was incredibly tough, such that he often survived only by a close shave. If not for his good luck, he would have returned to the dirt by now. Did you think that I would thank you for your gift? I suggest that you stop daydreaming. Theres no way Ill submit to you. I would rather die than to serve a human! the Stonefire Beast harrumphed coldly. Why are you so obstinate? Do you understand that your life is in my hands? Seeing how the Stonefire Beast was still persisting on, Mu Xu sighed helplessly. Whats there to fear about death? Even if you were to kill me, Ill be another proud Stonefire Beast eighteen yearster! Even if itll bring me to my demise, Ill never bow down to a human... Kill me if you will! After which, the Stonefire Beast turned its head to the side and fellpletely silent. You... Mu Xu red at the Stonefire Beast with his sword trembling in his hands. However, thetter showed no signs of wavering at all, as if he truly had no qualms about dying at this very instant. Seeing that the other party had no intention of submitting at all, Mu Xu shook his head helplessly. With a look in his eyes, he threw his sword aside and turned around to leave the room, I have really lost against your obstinacy. Ill be leaving the Myriad Beasts Hall tomorrow, so you are free to... But at this moment, a voice suddenly echoed in the air. Hear me, members of the Myriad Beasts Hall. I hereby officially dere that Ill be stepping down as the hall master, and the one who will seed me is Elder Zheng Yang... Hall Master Qin is stepping down? But again, what does this have to do with me anyway? Im going to have to leave the Myriad Beasts Hall tomorrow anyway... Mu Xu muttered gloomily beneath his breath. But soon after, another voice echoed in the air,... I have made some modifications to the beast taming techniques you have been learning previously, so may I invite you to head over to where Elder Ying is to receive the improved version. Modifications to the beast taming techniques? Mu Xu suddenly halted in his footsteps. I wont be a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Hall tomorrow anymore, so I should take a look at them while Im still qualified to... He didnt bear much expectation at all, but nevertheless, he still went to look for Elder Ying to receive the improved beast taming techniques. When he firstid his eyes on the improved beast taming techniques, his eyes widened in utter bewilderment. In truth, the modification was extremely simple, such that its essence could be beautifully summarized with just a single word... Violence. Basically, what it was saying was that when all other means failed, one could try to beat the beast till a near-death state. After that, offer the beast appropriate treasures to move it. Such pummeling method wont work... It didnt take long for Mu Xu to finish browsing through the contents, and he couldnt help but sigh helplessly. There were such pummeling taming methods within the sect as well, and he had tried them too. However, none of them worked. Not only so, he even infuriated the Stonefire Beast, and thetter nearly killed itself... Blind violence wouldnt resolve anything! Wait a moment. The hall masters new beast taming technique must be used together with this pill, Elder Ying, who was in charge of distributing the manuals, passed a jade bottle over as well. It must be used together with this pill? Mu Xu uncorked the lid of the jade bottle and took a look at its contents. However, he only plunged deeper into confusion. It was only an ordinary recovery medicine! It wouldnt even be too effective on a Saint 9-dan beast, let alone an Ancient Sage beast... The Ancient Sage beast would simply view it as an insult! Just give it a try, Elder Ying advised. Mu Xu pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. He was going to be evicted from the sect tomorrow anyway, so he could only clutch onto any opportunities avable to him. Gritting his teeth, he thought, This will be thest time! With the jade bottle in hand, Mu Xu returned back to his room and began executing the Beast Pummeling Taming Method he had just learned from the book on the Stonefire Beast. After some incredible shaking and rattling, the Stonefire Beast was left lying on the ground with bleeding wounds all over. It looked as if it was going to die at any moment. You have humiliated me. If you were to keep me alive, I swear Ill return everything to you tenfold! the Stonefire Beast bellowed with a savage look on its face. This was simply too much! Just a bit more! Mu Xu muttered beneath his breath as he forcefully fed the pill into the Stonefire Beasts mouth. Since he had alreadye to this point, he couldnt care less anymore. He could only pray that it would somehow work out. You bastard, what did you just feed me? Ill ughter you.... the Stonefire Beast cursed furiously. But just as Mu Xu thought that it was all over, a shudder suddenly ran through the Stonefire Beasts body, and in the next moment, it suddenly looked at him with a bizarre look on its face. Master, I am your beloved Little Firefire. Please dont go... Ill be your good tamed beast... Ah? Mu Xu was stunned. This transformation... What in the world happened?! Nevertheless, Mu Xu quickly sealed the Soul Contract, and before long, he had already forged a telepathic connection together with the Stonefire Beast. Through this telepathic connection, he could even induce the death of the Stonefire beast with just a single thought. But even after carrying all of this out, he was still a little dazed on the inside. He had been trying to tame the Stonefire Beast for more than a year now, but it had never worked out. However, as soon as he carried the instructions provided by the new hall master, he seeded in just ten short minutes... What were the principles behind this beast taming technique? But regardless of what the principles were, the fact that it worked was more than enough to testify that it was truly effective. It seems like our new hall master is really a man of great capabilities! Mu Xu thought. He couldnt help but recall the bitterness that had been weighing him down for a year now. Putong! He fell to his knees. Before he knew it, tears were already flowing down his cheeks. In this moment, he swore that he would serve the new hall master with his heart from this day onward, and he would never question thettersmands. The same sight could be seen all around the sect. There were those who thought that the new hall master was just another skilled beast tamer, and that his inauguration wouldnt bring about any difference to the sect. However, such thoughts were swiftly overthrown. As the miraculous effects of the Beast Pummeling Taming Method started to show, the sect members began to understand why Hall Master Qin had chosen to give up his position to this Hall Master Zheng so suddenly... Under the leadership of such a capable individual, there was no need to worry that the Myriad Beasts Hall wouldnt grow stronger! I was still feeling a little indignant at the oue, but now, I know that Im still far toocking aspared to him. Its the blessing of the Myriad Beasts Hall to have him as the hall master... Elder Yuan thought in agitation. Had the middle-aged man not appeared out of nowhere, the chances were that he would have been the next hall master. As such, he couldnt help but feel a little resentful of the other party for snatching what that should have been his. But as he witnessed the happenings around the sect, such a feeling had vanished without a trace. The very foundation of the Myriad Beasts Hall was its superior proficiency in beast taming, so the most stable and effective way for the organization to grow was to further its mastery in beast taming. This was also why the generations of hall masters were chosen their proficiency in beast taming. Elder Yuan knew that there was no way he would be able to do what Zheng Yang had done. In a sense, it was a blessing in disguise that things turned out the way they did. Hahaha, lets see how Han Jianqiu dares to brag before me in the future. Our Myriad Beasts Hall has its own genius as well! Elder Qin Yuan eximed excitedly. It was just a few days ago that Han Jianqiu announced that there was a genius in their ranks that hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, and to be honest, he was extremely envious when he heard that. However, the Myriad Beasts Hall had finally found a genius of equal caliber as well... With this, Han Jianqiu would have no more bragging rights than he did! After our hall master is done dealing with whatever matter he has at the Sea of Exiled Stars, Ill arrange for a meeting between him and the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! That sect leader is indeed formidable to be able to defeat a Heavenly High Immortal as a True Immortal himself, but I dont believe that he would be able to stand against the encirclement of four Heavenly High Immortal beasts simultaneously! Elder Qin Yuanughed heartily. Ever since that day, Han Jianqiu had been bragging about that genius day in and day out, almost as if a grandfather showing off his grandson. But no matter how powerful that genius was, there was no way he could withstand thebined assault from the Serpentine Dragon and the others! Not to mention, Hall Master Zheng Yang was plenty powerful himself too, wielding strength matching that of a High Immortal despite only being at Heavenly High Immortal realm. To be honest, he did suspect that Zheng Yang and Zhang Xuan might have been the same person for a moment, but considering the differences in their age, appearances, and names, there was no doubt that they were two separate people! The Forsaken Continent was vast and boundless, so it wasnt impossible to find two extremely talented geniuses one after another. Just wait and see, Han Jianqiu! Lets see if your Zhang Xuan is more formidable or our Zheng Yang is stronger! On the second day after arriving at the Myriad Beasts Hall, Zhang Xuan visited Elder Qin Yuan with a slightly exhausted look on his face. He had spent the previous daypiling his understanding of beast taming into books before distributing them around. At the same time, he also managed to browse through all of the books in the elders library as well. Just as he had guessed, there werent enough High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals here for him topile the Heavens Path Divine Art, but it did grant him with a deeper understanding of the High Immortal realm. Hall Master Zheng, are you nning on leaving now? Elder Qin asked. Un. I have urgent affairs to attend to, so Im afraid that I cant dy my schedule any longer, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. I understand. Allow me to apany you on your journey then, Elder Qin said. Theres no need for that. With the Serpentine Dragon and the others with it, I believe that no one would dare to make a move on me, Zhang Xuan patted the tamed beast sack hanging on his waist and smiled. After bing the hall master, he was given his own unique tamed beast sack. His tamed beast sack was extraordinarilyrge in size, allowing him to store all four immortal beasts in without it getting too squeezy. Elder Qin pondered over Zhang Xuans words for a moment before nodding in agreement. The other party was right. With the protection of the four immortal beasts, there should be no one who would dare to make a move on him. Not to mention, his identity had been kept a secret, and the other elders who knew about the matter had been strictly warned against speaking about it. Even if he were to leave right now, the others would only think that he was an ordinary Heavenly True Immortal. No one would have suspected that this middle-aged man would actually be the new hall master of their Myriad Beasts Hall. Hall Master Zheng, Ill dispatch a disciple and an immortal beast to escort you then. We cant allow you to drive the immortal beast on your own! Elder Qin said. It had be a known fact that the Serpentine Dragon had been tamed by the new hall master of the Myriad Beasts Hall. If he were to ride the Serpentine Dragon out at this moment, it would be as good as telling others that he was the new hall master. Thus, he could only use the ordinary aerial immortal beasts within the sect. Alright then, Zhang Xuan epted the proposal. It didnt take long for the arrangements to bepleted, and soon enough, Zhang Xuan was already on his way northward. Elder Qin had prepared a Lesser High Immortal realm beast for him, and the disciple driving it was a Heavenly True Immortal realm cultivator. It was the best that they could do without being too eye-catching. They flew for three days straight. Hall Master Zheng, were not too far away from Biyuan City at the moment. The Sevenstar Pavilion of the Six Sects is situated there as well. Its already thergest city within the region. If you wish to acquire anything from the Ethereal Hall, it would be the best ce for you to head to, the disciple driving the immortal beast said with a smile. Over the past three days, the two of them got familiar with one another, and the disciple also learned about Zhang Xuans identity as the hall master too. The Sevenstar Pavilion? Zhang Xuan muttered as he looked at the scenery ahead of him. A hint of a massive city could be seen on the horizon. Just by its width, it was already apparent that it was many timesrger than Wuhai City. Lets head over to take a look, Zhang Xuan instructed with a gleam in his eyes. The Dongxu Gourd needed 200 Superior Immortal Pills in order to break out of its seal... Perhaps, he might just be able to gather the required number here! Chapter 2017 - 2017 A Failed Disguise 2017 A Failed Disguise Han Jianqiu had formally introduced the Six Sects to him before. The Sevenstar Pavilion was known for operating thergest business and market in the Forsaken Continent, selling all kinds of powerful artifacts and weapons. 200 Superior Immortal Pills would be a massive wealth anywhere else, such that even a city of the scale of the Wuhai City didnt have it. However, if it was the Biyuan City, the heart of the operations of the Sevenstar Pavilion, it just might have such wealth. It didnt take long for the immortal beast tond before the massive square within the city. Hall Master Zheng, thats the Sevenstar Pavilion, the disciple introduced with a smile. He was extremely familiar with Biyuan City as he frequented this ce. Turning his gaze over, Zhang Xuan saw a cluster of buildings towering before him. All in all, there were seven of them, and they were positioned in a manner reminiscent of the Big Dipper Formation. Together, they formed a massive formation that harmonized together with the stars in the sky. It seems like the Sevenstar Pavilion mustnt be underestimated either even though it mainly deals withmerce... Zhang Xuan thought. There was bound to be something extraordinary about the Sevenstar Pavilion for it to be one of the Six Sects of the Forsaken Continent. In terms of its infrastructure, the Sevenstar Pavilion didnt appear to be as imposing as the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion or the Myriad Beasts Hall. However, those who had some understanding of formations would know that it was no easy feat to align the cruxes of a formation together with the stars in the sky, and that was exactly what the Sevenstar Pavilion did. With the protection of this formation, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to harm the Sevenstar Pavilion. Hall Master Zheng, do you wish to enter the premises to take a look? the disciple asked. Its fine. May I know where the Ethereal Hall of the Biyuan City is at? Bring me over, Zhang Xuan said. There was no artifact or weapon that he needed to acquire, so he wasnt too interested in exploring the Sevenstar Pavilion. Besides, if he were to enter the premises and the other party were to insist on him bing their sect leader, what was he supposed to do? Outstanding people simply stood out like fireflies in the night no matter where they went. Even if he tried to dim his glow, others would still be attracted to him like moths drawn to the me. It was more than enough for him to be the leader of two major powers! Any more than would just be in troublesome. The local branch of the Ethereal Hall is located right next to the Sevenstar Pavilion, the disciple replied. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw a tall tower located not too far away from the Sevenstar Pavilion. This tower wasnt as imposing or bustling as the Sevenstar Pavilion, but its presence was still extremely conspicuous as well. He quickly made his way over and entered the Ethereal Hall behind the crowd. How much does a True Immortal realm Ethereal Token cost? Zhang Xuan asked. 2700 Star Coins or Ethereal Coins! the receptionist replied. Ill take one, Zhang Xuan replied as he heaved a sigh of relief. As it turned out, the value of the Ethereal Coin here was roughly the same as that in Wuhai City. As such, 2700 Ethereal Coins was still well within his spending power. After acquiring the Ethereal Token, Zhang Xuan rented a silent chamber. He instructed the disciple of the Myriad Beasts Hall to wait outside for him while he set up several Istion Formations around the room before taking a seat. Holding the Ethereal Token in his hand, he swiftly activated it before immersing his consciousness into it. Before long, he was already amidst the virtual Ethereal Hall. He headed straight for the receptionist and passed Kong shis token over before saying, I would like to purchase some cultivation resources. Upon seeing the token, the attendants eyes immediately widened in shock. She quickly told Zhang Xuan to Please wait a moment before hurriedly heading to the room behind the counter. Soon, an elder walked over and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan. Esteemed guest, the token you hold is the insignia of our hall master, which grants you the same privileges as our hall master within this store. May I know what you intend to buy? I would like to purchase 200 Superior Immortal Pills, Zhang Xuan replied. 200 Superior Immortal Pills? the elder nearly leaped in shock. For many years he had worked in the Ethereal Hall, but he had only seen customers purchasing at most ten Superior Immortal Pills in a single seating. Yet, for this young man to purchase 200 of them at once, was he nning on snacking on them during his leisure time? It was important to note that Superior Immortal Pills were actually incredibly expensive. Each of them was listed at a price of 20,000 Ethereal Coins. To put it in other words, this was a massive transaction worth 4,000,000 Ethereal Coins! This amount of wealth was already more than enough for one to buy an entire city! Indeed. Dont beat around the bush and tell me straight if its possible to make this transaction, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. This... The elder hesitated for a moment before saying, If we were to gather everything we have in Biyuan City, we should be able to put together 200 Superior Immortal Pills. However, we would have to report this transaction to the headquarters for approval before going ahead with it. Please give me a moment. Un, feel free to do whatever you need to, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. After consulting the headquarters, the elder returned with a smile on his lips, The headquarters have approved the transaction. Esteemed guest, you just have to activate the Teleportation Formation on your Ethereal Token in order to withdraw your goods! Ive troubled you, Zhang Xuan nodded before retracting his consciousness from the Ethereal Hall. Returning back to the silent chamber, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on his Ethereal Token lightly. Hu! Twenty jade bottles materialized right before him. Each of these bottles contained ten Superior Immortal Pills each. Here are 200 Superior Immortal Pills. If you still arent able to break free of your seal after swallowing them... Well, just wait and see how Ill deal with you then! Zhang Xuan summoned the Dongxu Gourd out from his dantian and harrumphed. Rest assured, I am a legendary beast who has once ruled over thends. Im just temporarily trapped in this bizarre form. Once I gather sufficient energy, I would be able to break free of my seal and revert back to my almighty self... the Dongxu Gourd boasted proudly. You can stop bragging now. Hurry up and get on with it, Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively. He couldnt be bothered to listen to the Dongxu Gourds boasting. The Dongxu Gourd hopped over to the jade bottles, and with a sharp intake of breath, it swallowed all 200 Superior Immortal Pills at once. Geji! Geji! Despite swallowing everything at once, the Dongxu Gourd didnt seem to be stuffed in the very least. Instead, its aura grew stronger and stronger. What the Dongxu Gourd had swallowed previously were Standard Immortal Pills, but these two hundred pills over here were all Superior Immortal Pills. The difference in the potency of the two pills was massive. Before long, the Dongxu Gourd began trembling nonstop. Boom! An indomitable aura burst forth from the Dongxu Gourd, causing spatial cracks to appear in the surroundings. It seemed like even the stable space in the Forsaken Continent was unable to withstand the overwhelming strength that the Dongxu Gourd was emanating. Remarkable... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It looked like the Dongxu Gourd hadnt been lying to him. Just by this aura itself, the Dongxu Gourd would definitely be able to defeat any High Immortal easily. At the very least, the ck-robed Heavenly High Immortal expert he had encountered back then would be no match for it at all! With this, he was assured that the 200 Superior Immortal Pills hadnt gone to waste! It was fortunate that he had set up additionalyers of barriers around this private chamber in advance, or else thismotion would have surely attracted many people over. As the Dongxu Gourd gathered more and more energy, slight cracks began appearing on its top. The cracks slowly crept downward, and it looked as if the Dongxu Gourd was ready to break free at any moment. Soon... Zhang Xuan watched the scene with bated breath. To be honest, he was filled with curiosity as to what the Dongxu Gourd truly was. Thetter had imed that it was a legendary beast that ruled over thends, but Zhang Xuan really could hardly imagine just what form it could possibly take. Kacha! Kacha! The cracks slowly inched downward, all the way till it reached its first bump before abruptlying to a halt. Somehow, it wouldnt move any lower than that anymore. At the same time, the aura the Dongxu Gourd was emanating began dying off. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. This... the Dongxu Gourd chuckled in embarrassment. I think that I might have underestimated the energy I require. I still need a little more than this... Why dont you get another 200 Superior Immortal Pills for me right now? I promise you that Ill really, really break free this time around! Another 200 Superior Immortal Pills? Zhang Xuan nearly fainted on the spot. Did you think that Superior Immortal Pills were cheap sweets that you can buy as and when you like? The heck! How could 200 Superior Immortal Pills not be enough for you? Are you a ck hole? Even though Kong shis token allows me to purchase as many cultivation resources as I require, the problem here is that Biyuan City doesnt have that many Superior Immortal Pills to give me! If I were to ask for any more than this, Kong shi might just starting after me! Why dont you just hole yourself up in that gourd of yours for life? Zhang Xuan scoffed speechlessly. He was still thinking that he would no longer have anything to fear once the Dongxu Gourd broke free of its seal, but it seemed like his luck was really darned. He must have been a fool to take the unreliable Dongxu Gourds word for it! If you dont have any pills, weapons would do as well. You know, I have been quite interested in that Tongshang Sword of yours for some time now... the Dongxu Gourd eximed anxiously. Those words sent a shudder down the de of the Tongshang Sword. However, Zhang Xuan simply red at the Dongxu Gourd coldly as he ordered it to get back into his dantian. Shaking his head in disappointment, he left the silent chamber. His goal for dropping by Biyuan City was to release the Dongxu Gourds seal, but it didnt seem like things would work out for now. Just thinking about the matter left him feeling a little glum inside. Hall Master Zheng! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the disciple from the Myriad Beasts Hall rushed forward to greet him. Lets get on our way, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly, not bothering to exin the matter. Since he was unable to release the seal on the Dongxu Gourd, he wasnt willing to waste any more time on this for the time being. It would be hard for him to gather any more cultivation resources from the Biyuan Citys Ethereal Hall anyway. He would just have to find some other way to get it done when he arrived at the Sea of Exiled Stars. Yes, Hall Master Zheng! The disciple pped his hand, and the aerial immortal beast flew out from his tamed beast sack. He quickly leaped onto its back. Zhang Xuan was just about to do the same as well when he suddenly narrowed his eyes in rm. He could feel a chilling sensation engulfing his entire body. This was the scent of danger. Damn it! Run... Zhang Xuan shouted But before he could finish his words, the body aerial immortal beast before him suddenly began bulging outward. Boom! It exploded into a mess of bloodied flesh and bits of bones. The abrupt explosion of a Lesser High Immortal realm beast released a wave of energy so great that the disciple that was on its back was sted into the air before crashing heavily onto the ground. There were many burn marks all over his body, and it was hard to gauge whether he was still breathing or not. Peng! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and quickly formed a protective energy barrier around him to ward off the shockwave. Despite his swift reaction, he was still forced several steps back from the impact. And before he could even recover, he felt another chilling sensation headed right toward his back once more. Sou sou sou! Six surges of energy darted right toward him from his front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, threatening to crush him. Darn it! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly as he whipped out the Tongshang Sword. He quickly executed a defensive swordy, forming a sphericalyer of sword qi around him. Peng peng peng! The six surges of energy struck the sphericalyer of sword qi he had formed around him like a truck, causing his hand to numb under the sheer impact. The six simultaneous blows from six different directions nearly caused him to ckout. Pu! After deflecting the sixth blow, a spurt of blood escaped from his lips. Even though he had managed to deflect the brunt of the attacks, the sheer might of the offense had still jolted his innards, causing him to sustain some internal injuries. To be able to fend against my attack despite being caught off guard... You are indeed a worthy opponent, a voice sounded. Zhang Xuan quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to recover from his injuries as he raised his head to look toward the origin of the voice. There were three figures standing before him, and they all had youthful appearances. Despite their seemingly young age, their cultivations were at Heavenly High Immortal realm, simr to the ck-robed figure he had faced from the Hall of Gods previously. However, these three had a more domineering presence, such that it felt as if they could tear apart space with just a wave of their hands. This made Zhang Xuans body stiffened a little as it dawned upon him the situation he was in. He quickly took a look around him and found that he had already been pulled into a folded space. Even the earlier explosion of the Lesser High Immortal realm beast had been confined within this folded space. Why did the three of you assault me? Zhang Xuan questioned with a wintry expression on his face. Why? You should know that better than anyone else, right? Zhang Xuan! the youth that stood at the forefront remarked coldly. You are from the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan asked. He was confident in his disguise. Not even Hall Master Qin from the Myriad Beasts Hall had been able to see through it. Yet, the other party was able to point out his real identity right away without any hesitation. He really couldnt understand how did this happen. Just what about his disguise had given him away? Chapter 2018 - 2018 Semi-Divinity Artifac 2018 Semi-Divinity Artifac He had made sure to proceed very carefully this time around ever since he nearly lost his life from the previous assassination. He used Luo Ruoxins disguise amulet to alter his appearance, soul aura, voice, and even his bloodline. Whenever he used his Gods Sword Intent, he tried his best to conceal the nature of his swordsmanship as well. No matter how discerning the Hall of Gods was, he was confident that he would have been able to fool them! Yet, he was still seen through so easily... Not to mention, the other party was affirmative that he was indeed Zhang Xuan, assaulting him without the slightest hint of hesitation. Even if news of his whereabouts had leaked somehow, he would have expected the Hall of Gods to harbor some reservation upon seeing him. Or could it be that the Hall of Gods had some unique means of tracking him? If so, that would really be a huge disaster! Indeed, the youth replied. The fact that you were able to y four of our warriors shows that you are fairly strong yourself. However, this will be where your luckes to an end. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan quickly assessed the current situation he was in. Given his previous experience with the Hall of Gods, he knew that it would be impossible for him to break apart the folded space unless he were to kill these three Heavenly High Immortals in front of him. He had faced only one Heavenly High Immortal the previous time around, but that was already more than enough to force him to a corner. Yet, he had to face three of them simultaneously this time around, and it was clear that every single one of them was stronger than the ck-robed expert he had faced previously. This was really a disadvantageous situation for him. Lets make a move together. If we were to fail this time too, our master will really kill us! the youth said as he raised his palm and made the first blow. His five fingers felt like five heavy mountains descending from the sky, crushing everything that stood in its way. At the same time, the other two also charged forth and nked Zhang Xuan by his sides. Go! Zhang Xuan immediately patted his tamed beast sack. The four immortal beasts that he had tamed flew out. The Serpentine Dragon charged toward the youthing from the front whereas the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger faced the other two Heavenly High Immortalsing from the sides. A childs y! The youthing at Zhang Xuan from the front was slightly surprised by the appearance of the four immortal beasts, but in the blink of an eye, he had regained his calm. With a light chuckle, he continued pressing his palm downward. The Serpentine Dragon felt as if it was pinned to the ground by five towering mountains. No matter how it exerted its strength, it was unable to move an inch at all. Is it? While the leading youth in front was busy dealing with the Serpentine Dragon, Zhang Xuan made use of this opening to charge forward. Driving the Gods Sword Intent, it was as if his entire body had morphed into an iparably sharp de. With his opponents being three Heavenly High Immortals from the Hall of Gods, he dared not to let his guard down at all. He had to eliminate one of them as soon as possible in order to even out the scales. Otherwise, once they were to sessfully encircle him, he would be ced in a difficult position. Furthermore, he didnt have a golden page with him at the moment. If he were to be defeated here, it would really be the end of him! Formidable! The youth in front didnt expect Zhang Xuan to be able to have such a keen grasp of timing, making use of the exact moment he was subduing the Serpentine Dragon to execute his offense. He immediately whipped out a sword to deflect Zhang Xuans attack. His sword felt chilling and sinister, leaving goosebumps rising all over ones body. Nevertheless, as soon as a sword was in his hand, his aura suddenly surged. It was a Heavenly High Immortal-tier weapon! In terms of its sharpness, it was even above that of the Tongshang Sword. Weng weng! The youth shed his sword several times, releasing innumerable outbursts of sword qi that gushed right toward the charging Zhang Xuan. If Zhang Xuan were to be struck by this attack, not only would his assault fail, most likely, he might even end up losing a limb as well. Hmph! Despite facing such an imposing attack, Zhang Xuan didnt retreat at all. Instead, with a furious war cry, he continued pushing his way forward. You are courting death! the youth sneered coldly as he focused all of his strength on his sword, intending to overwhelm Zhang Xuan with this single blow. But all of a sudden, his grip loosened. The body of the youth froze on the spot. To his horror, the Heavenly High Immortal-tier which he was brandishing imposingly a moment ago had vanished without a trace! When did it happen? Puhe! Without his sword sustaining them, his sword qi swiftly dissipated as well. Before the youth could even react, Zhang Xuans sword had already pierced into the youths palm, skewering him all the way to up his shoulder. Break! Following that, he immediately infused sword qi into his sword frenziedly. Peng! With a resounding explosion, the youths arm was blown into bits. AHHH! the youth cried in agony as he hurriedly retreated. Zhang Xuan intended to chase after the youth, but at the critical moment, he chose to back away instead. Hu! Right after Zhang Xuan retreated, several bursts of sword qi sliced through the area where he was standing a moment ago. When he nced at the sides, he found the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and White-eared Fox lying on the ground feebly. In that short encounter with the experts from the Hall of Gods, they had already sustained heavy wounds. The ones who had just made a move on him were, of course, the other two youths. He had barely managed to inflict a single strike on the leading youth when the two youths had already defeated all four of his tamed beasts... This was much faster than he had expected. Furthermore, it didnt seem like they had sustained any injuries while defeating the four immortal beasts. The situation really wasnt looking good at all. The leading youth might have lost an arm, but that only tranted to a slight loss in fighting prowess. With the loss of his four immortal beasts, he was in an even more perilous position than before. At this moment, the leading youth had already managed to regain his footing in the battle. He forcefully clotted the gaping wound on his shoulder in order to stop the bleeding before taking out a metal seal with a flick of his wrist. As an Earthly High Immortal-tier artifact, this metal seal wasnt as powerful as the earlier sword. However, due to its heavy material, it felt frighteningly heavy. Go! the leading youth tossed the metal seal out. Hu! Zhang Xuan immediately felt as if he was shrouded by a towering mountain. It felt like his body had been bound by some shackles which he was unable to struggle free from. The Tongshang Sword was of higher tier than the metal seal, but the metal seal was simply too heavy. Even with Zhang Xuans superior swordsmanship, it would be difficult for him to confront the metal seal directly. This was simr to how a rapier would never be able to best a mace in a direct sh no matter how powerful the rapier was. Hahaha! Let me see how you will deal with this! Seeing that Zhang Xuan had been shackled down by the pressure of the metal seal, one of the youths sneered coldly as they charged toward Zhang Xuan and thrust their palms toward him. As long as they could incapacitate Zhang Xuan, they would be able to seed in their mission. In any case, the only requirement they had was for thetter to not be dead, so it didnt matter how severely injured he was. You should watch with your eyes wide open then! As the palm thrust from the youth swiftly approached Zhang Xuan, thetter suddenly burst intoughter instead. In the next instant, the metal seal in the sky suddenly vanished without a trace, causing the shackles weighing down Zhang Xuan to vanish. Making full use of this opportunity, Zhang Xuan immediately brandished his sword at the youth before him. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Just like that, the youth had all of his vitals punctured by a flurry of sword qi. With an indignant look in his eyes, he copsed to the ground. He wouldnt have expected the metal seal to vanish all of a sudden, freeing the young man who should have been immobilized. He also hadnt expected the young man to have charged up so many sword qi, waiting just for an opportunity to make his move. Hu! After ying one of the youths, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply, but he dared not to let down his guard. In order to bait one of them, he intentionally withstood the pressure from the metal seal. Furthermore, in order to ensure a kill, he pushed his sword qi to his limits earlier, causing quite a few meridians to rupture. He wasnt in a very good state, but he knew that this wasnt time for him to rest yet. The other youth had noticed that he was in a weakened state, and it was apparent the other party just wasnt going to allow him to catch his breath. While he was making his move, the other party had already circled to his back tounch a devastating palm strike. The powerful outburst of strength caused Zhang Xuans body to ricochet into the air. The strike was so powerful that Zhang Xuans body wentpletely limp as it flew across the air, seemingly having lost all senses. It was as if that strike had killed him. What? The eyebrows of the youth shot up in rm. He had made sure to hold back earlier out of fear that he might identally bring about Zhang Xuans death. If thetter were to die, there was no way he would be able to face the master! Yet, for Zhang Xuans body to gopletely limp, could he have struck a vital and killed him by ident? This couldnt be! This mustnt be! He would be ughtered if that was the case! Hu! Worried, the youth immediately rushed toward Zhang Xuanspletely still body, wanting to see what was going on. However, his vision suddenly blurred as a figure appeared before him. ?You ... The figure standing before him was dressed in the exact same clothes as him, but the other party wasnt a member of their group. He was one of the ck-robed Heavenly True Immortal experts who had failed the previous mission! H! Just as the youth was wondering why this fellow would suddenly appear before him, he suddenly felt an intense pain in his throat. He lowered his gaze to take a look... Padah! His head rolled off his neck. The truth was that Zhang Xuan had brought out not one but two Soulless Metal Humanoids. While the attention of the youth was captured by the first Soulless Metal Humanoid, the other one executed a sword art and lopped off the youths head. Under normal circumstances, such a ploy wouldnt have seeded. However, all of the abrupt situations urring one after another in quick session had unnerved the youths heart, causing his guard to be down for a brief moment. This created an opening for the Soulless Metal Humanoid to strike. Pu! Pu! Pu! In the next moment, however, Zhang Xuans limp body crashed heavily onto the ground and coughed three mouthfuls of blood. Through utilizing the Dongxu Gourds ability and the Soulless Metal Humanoids, he had managed to take down two of his opponents within five breaths since the start of the battle. With this, he had finally managed to bnce the scales. But he had to put his own body on the line in order to do so, and he was on the verge of reaching his limits. This was especially so when he intentionally took a palm from one of the youths in order to trick him. If not for his Heavens Path Divine Art and the other party holding back, he might have really lost his life then. Zhang Xuan swiftly took out a jade bottle and gulped it down. Gradually, he could feel his injuries recovering. Heaving a sigh of relief, he turned his gaze to the final youth, the one who had lost an arm. Why does your master want to capture me? Even though Zhang Xuan had heard that it was due to himprehending the Gods Sword Intent, he didnt think that it made much sense. The Gods Sword Intent was indeed formidable, but it didnt seem likely for an organization as lofty as the Hall of Gods to stoop so low as to make a move on a mere True Immortal realm cultivator. Furthermore, they seemed far too desperate to capture him alive. The clues simply didnt link together. He felt that something was amiss, but he simply couldnt put his finger on what was wrong. You arent qualified to know, the youth replied coldly. To be honest, he was taken aback by the situation as well. He would have never thought that a person who was an entire cultivation realm weaker than them would actually be able to lop off his arm and y two of his peers within five breaths. Realizing how fearsome the young man before him was, his face turned livid. The master was already very displeased at the failure the previous time around. If he were to fail this mission as well... He shuddered to imagine the fate that awaited him! The master possessed means that could make a person never so much in his life desire death! Thus, he took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. The master was right. You are a fearsome opponent. I didnt want to use the treasure which the master has bestowed upon me on you, but it seems like I have no other choice now... With a flick of his wrist, a round te-like object floated into the air. As soon as it appeared, cracks began appearing in the surrounding space. A Semi-Divinity artifact? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed into slits. Chapter 2019 - 2019 Break Free 2019 Break Free He had never seen Semi-Divinity artifact before, but the fact that the mere presence of that artifact induced the copse of the surrounding space was indicative of its prowess. Furthermore, the intensity of the aura emanated by the artifact was very simr to that of Han Jianqiu. Without a doubt, it was definitely an artifact that had surpassed Heavenly High Immortal-tier! The te-like artifact emanated a brilliant glow that enveloped the area in brightness. Standing amidst the brilliant glow, Zhang Xuan felt his body stiffening up. He found that he was unable to move nor drive his zhenqi at all. You should be proud that you have forced me to use the Goldenspirit Lock, the youth looked at Zhang Xuan with utter coldness in his eyes. Just as Zhang Xuan had thought, the te-like artifact was indeed a Semi-Divinity artifactthe Goldenspirit Lock! This artifact could seal the lifeforce, soul, and zhenqi of an individual, locking it down in ce. Break! Zhang Xuan desperately drove his zhenqi in hopes of breaking free of these shackles. But for some reason, no matter how he drove his energy, it felt like there was a powerful dam blocking his way. No matter how much momentum he had built up, he was unable to force his energy through at all. Without any energy to sustain his body, there was no way he could fight. The only fate that awaited him was to be captured. Go! The Goldenspirit Lock slowly descended from the sky. Even before it coulde into proximity, he could already feel tremendous force crushing down on him, causing fresh blood to spurt forth from his acupoints. Weng! A resounding buzz suddenly echoed in the air. The jade token which Han Jianqiu had given him shattered in this instant, and a spherical light barrier swiftly formed around him. Hu! The formation of the barrier neutralized the pressure that was crushing down upon Zhang Xuan, allowing him to regain his footing. He quickly gulped down a bottle of the gourds bathwater before he felt himself recovering a fair bit. Nevertheless, he still felt sapped of strength from head to toe. He thought that he shouldnt be too far off from matching Semi-Divinity realm cultivators and artifacts since he was able to fight toe-to-toe with Heavenly High Immortal realm experts, but he realized he couldnt be more wrong than that. As soon as he came into contact with the Goldenspirit Lock, he realized that the difference between the two realms was far greater than what he could have imagined. It was no wonder why the entire Azure was so fearful of the gods. Even a Semi-Divinity artifact was powerful enough to render High Immortals helpless in its presence. A protective amulet forged using a Semi-Divinity realm cultivators blood essence? You sure do have quite a few good things on you. However, how long will your protective barrierst? the youthughed coldly as he continued infused his zhenqi into the Goldenspirit Lock. Boom! The artifact continued descending down upon Zhang Xuan, and the sheer pressure caused pitch-ckcerations to appear in the surrounding space. Even the light barrier forcefully dented inward under the crushing force exerted by the Goldenspirit Lock, seemingly ready to burst apart at any moment. Zhang Xuan was still standing within the protection of the light barrier, but he could already feel a suffocating sensation seizing his chest. This wont do. Ill die at this rate! Zhang Xuan thought. The energy in the protective amulet was limited. Even though Han Jianqiu imed that it was able to withstand an attack from a Semi-Divinity, he knew that it would onlyst till all of its energy was expended. Once the light barrier shattered, he would be a goner! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and devour that artifact up there! Zhang Xuan eximed anxiously. Its too powerful... Unless you can halt its attack long enough for me to devour it whole, otherwise I wouldnt be able to handle the crushing pressure it was emanating either... the Dongxu Gourd cried out indignantly. Halt its attack? Zhang Xuans face turned livid. If he was able to do so, he wouldnt have been cornered to such an extent either! Knowing that he couldnt afford to hold back his trump cards anymore, Zhang Xuan shouted, You shoulde out and help too! Hu! His clone immediately materialized not too far away. With a disapproving frown etched on his forehead, he rammed his body furiously right toward the youth. The crushing pressure emanated by the Goldenspirit Lock spanned over an area, which meant that his clone was affected by it too. However, it didnt seem to hinder his clones movements by too much. His clone was forged out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, which granted him an unbelievably powerful body. By the sheer strength of his body, his clone was able to remain unfazed before the immense pressureing from the Goldenspirit Lock, thus minimizing the reduction in his fighting prowess. This is your clone? The youth didnt expect Zhang Xuan to have a clone so powerful that it could withstand the pressure from the Semi- Divinity Goldenspirit Lock. However, he quickly recovered from his surprise and sneered coldly, It wont make a difference. Your fate is already sealed! As the youth spoke, he gathered his strength in his fist and executed a powerful punch right toward the clone. Peng! The powerful punch urately struck the head of the clone. Padah! The head of the clone was crushed inward. But as if it was unaffected by the attack, the clone continued ramming forward with the same frightening momentum. Kacha! Kacha! The clone rammed right into the chest of the youth, causing numerous fractures on thetters ribcage. You... The youth was taken aback by the sheer tenacity of the clone. When he raised his gaze once more, he was even more astounded to see that thetters head had already recovered back to normal, as if nothing had happened to it at all. This is...indestructibility? The youth narrowed his eyes as cold sweat poured down his back. Indestructibility was said to be an ability that the gods possessed, but the other partys clone actually reached such a frightening level... What was going on over here? I dont believe it. Theres no way a mere clone could have reached the level of indestructibility! the youth bellowed. With a swift leap forward, his body warped into a blur as he charged right toward the clone. He only had a single arm right now, which ced him in a disadvantageous position. The appearance of the protective amulet and the indestructible clone had really taken him aback. Just the notion that he might fail his mission at this rate was enough to make him berserk. No matter what, he couldnt afford to fail here! The youth iled his arm so swiftly that it seemed as if several more arms had sprouted from his body. As his zhenqi gushed forth along with his movements, the surrounding air suddenly felt incredibly heavy. Despite having one of his hands destroyed, it didnt seem like his fighting prowess had been affected by too much. The strength he could summon at his will was still as terrifying as before. Petty tricks! Just watch how Ill unravel your attack with a single move! the clone dered proudly. Without resorting to any technique or anything, he simply forcefully rammed his body toward the youth once again Peng peng peng peng! The youth sank his fist into the clones face, chest, belly, and all over. Innumerable depressions were appearing all over the clone at a rapid pace, but even something like this couldnt stop the clones charge at all. Before he knew it, the youth had been knocked down by the clones tenacious ram once more. Pu! Blood spurted from the youths mouth as he was sent flying backward. In this very moment, he felt so indignant that he could explode on the spot. What the heck? This wasnt a battle at all! The other party was simply exploiting the indestructibility of his body to charge all around... This was the first time he felt so stifled ever since he started cultivating! If you are truly capable, why dont you stop ramming me with your shoulders and fight me in a proper battle! the youth hollered angrily. You dont want me to ram you? the clone tilted his head questioningly. Im fine with that too. Following that, the clone leaped up and sat right down on the youth. Padah! Feeling a searing pain on his face, the youth spurted blood. I told you not to ram me, so you used your bottom to sit on my face instead? Do you have no dignity as an expert? Hell, you are even worse than amon ruffian! Watching as his clone fought with the youth, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Due to the youth having his hands full dealing with his clone, the pressure from the Goldenspirit Lock lessened significantly. This was the ideal time for him to make a move. With such thoughts in mind, he quickly eximed telepathically to the Dongxu Gourd, What are you waiting for? Go! Alright! The Dongxu Gourd rushed out from Zhang Xuans dantian, and before the Goldenspirit Lock could even react, it had already vanished from the spot. It was devoured whole just like that. Kacha! At the same time, the light barrier from the protective amulet also reached its limit and dissipated as well. It was fortunate that he had moved quick enough, or else the Goldenspirit Lock would really be a huge pain to deal with! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan turned to his clone and his youth as he quickly assessed how he could best intervene in the fight to help his clone defeat thest Heavenly High Immortal. But all of a sudden, the space above him suddenly began shaking intensely. An indomitable aura was slowly leaking out into the surroundings. rmed by this aura, both the clone and the youth halted their battle and turned their gazes to the sky. A gourd was floating quietly in the air. Devouring the Semi-Divinity artifact had provided it with the final push it required in order to break free of its seal. Thats the culprit who devoured all of my artifacts? The face of the youth paled as his body trembled slightly. His Heavenly High Immortal-tier sword, Earthly High Immortal-tier seal, and Semi-Divinity Goldenspirit Lock... They were all devoured whole by this fellow? Was that fellow really just a gourd? Did it seed? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. When he gave the Dongxu Gourd 200 Superior Immortal Pills earlier, thetter said that he was already on the verge of a breakthrough, just that he wascking that one final push. Who could have thought that devouring the Semi-Divinity artifact would actually provide it with the momentum it needed to break free of the seal? He couldnt wait to see just what kind of legendary beast the Dongxu Gourd was to emanate such an imposing aura. Was it an Ancient Divine Dragon? A Taotie? A Pixiu? Zhang Xuan stared at the scene intently with bated breath. Based on the Dongxu Gourds self-introduction and his ability to devour artifacts and energy, he knew that the other party was bound to be an extraordinary beast. He had browsed through some relevant materials, and he eventually narrowed the selection to these legendary beasts. Ancient Divine Dragons were blessed with the strength of a god at birth, making them frightening foes to make enemies out of. Taotie was known for its ability to devour all matter in the world. It was born with an innate space within its stomach, allowing it to store any prey of any size. Pixiu devoured their preys whole, never allowing anything to go to waste. The prey it consumed would eventually be parts of its body... ... Regardless of which of the three it was, one thing was for sure. Once the Dongxu Gourd broke free of its seal, no one would be able to stop its rise anymore. Even if the Hall of Gods were to dispatch a real god to deal with him, he would have nothing to fear too! Zhang Xuan couldnt stop trembling in excitement as he looked forward to much easier days ahead. The aura that the Dongxu Gourd was emanating from above was still growing stronger by the moment, such that the folded space was starting to copse inward. The cracks on the Dongxu Gourds exterior began to creep further downward, and resounding Kacha! Kacha! sounds could be clearly heard. This... Theres no way I can match something like this. I need to run away right now! Seeing such a sight, the body of the youth tensed up. He immediately turned around and began tearing apart the folded space before him, intending to flee from the scene. Even if he had to abandon his mission, he had to report to his master that the target possessed an overpowered artifact! Do you think that you can still get away? How could Zhang Xuan allow the youth to run away and tip off the Hall of Gods? He channeled his Gods Sword Intent into the Tongshang Sword and drove it right toward the youth. His clone, the Dongxu Gourd, the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and his protective amulet... He had disyed all of his trump cards to the other party. If he were to allow the other party to get away with his secrets, the Hall of Gods would be able to start making preparations to deal with him! No matter what, he had to get rid of the youth by hook or by crook! Ding ding ding ding! Faced with Zhang Xuans ferocious offense, the youth had no choice but to turn around and protect himself. With his forceful palm strikes, he was able to keep Zhang Xuans sword qi at bay. Despite the overwhelming prowess of the Gods Sword Intent, Zhang Xuans cultivation was simply a little toocking. Faced against a powerful Heavenly High Immortal like the youth before him, he was unable to im the decisive advantage. Sou! Seeing that the battle had resumed the clone began ramming toward the youth once more. Before long, the youth suffered more fractures all over his body. AHHHHHH! The youth felt so stressed inside that he felt like screaming hysterically. He had never felt so stifled in his life before! He had faced plenty of opponents that were stronger than him in his lifetime, and he had always been able to defeat them with ease. This was the first time he had felt so indignant fighting against someone of lower cultivation than him. At the very worst, Ill just bring you down with me! Seeing how the coordination between Zhang Xuan and his clone was swiftly improving, the youth realized that it was impossible for him to get away. There was a good chance that he would lose his life here. Something within his snapped in that instant, and with a furious howl, he channeled all of his zhenqi into his dantian. He was nning on exploding his cultivation! Even if he couldnt get away, he had to make use of such means to tell his master that this fellow was more frightening than they had thought! Sh*t! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He hurriedly put up a defensive swordsmanship, forming a massive sphere of sword qi around him. He couldnt hope to stop the explosion of an expert of such caliber. All he could do was to reduce the damage he would sustain. Boom! Before the explosion even began, Zhang Xuan could already sense a heavy pressure caused by the extreme condensation of zhenqi within the youths body. It was so heavy that even holding onto his sword felt extremely strenuous. The blood in his body was forced against his veins and arteries, and it felt like they would soon break apart under the pressure. This is the prowess from a Heavenly High Immortal exploding his cultivation? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in disbelief. This was the first time he saw a Heavenly High Immortal exploding his cultivation, and it was far stronger than he had thought. Even though he had already infused his Gods Sword Intent into his defensive swordsmanship, he knew that he would sustain severe injuries that he wouldnt be able to recover from in the short run if the explosion were to really ur. The pressure only continued to grow stronger and stronger. Just when Zhang Xuan thought that he was going to sumb to it, all of the tension in the air suddenly vanished like a receding tide. Chapter 2020 - 2020 Little Yellow Chick 2020 Little Yellow Chick Could it be a feint? rmed, Zhang Xuan quickly raised his head to take a look. It suddenly crossed his mind that the other party could have been pretending to explode his cultivation in order to find an opportunity to flee? Zhang Xuan turned to the youth anxiously, but when he caught a clear glimpse of thetters appearance, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. The fellow who was trying to explode his cultivation had a fragment of a gourd in his head... And an entire half of his head had been sted away! He was smashed to death by the gourd before he could gather sufficient power for an explosion! It was no wonder why the explosion halted all of a sudden... How could this be... the youth muttered indignantly with his dying breath. Putong! His corpse fell from the sky. He had considered the possibility that he might be killed by Zhang Xuan, but never had he thought that he would be killed by a fragment of a gourd in such a manner... What a huge embarrassment! On the other hand, after confirming that the youth had died, Zhang Xuan quickly turned his sights toward the Dongxu Gourd with excitement gleaming in his eyes, Has it broken free of its seal yet? Following that, he saw a golden irradiance as brilliant as the zing sun engulfing the surroundings. After which, a silhouette reminiscent of a canary slowly unfurled its wings. Shrouded by the mes, it was impossible to tell what it was right away. Nevertheless, from the imposing air it emanated, one could feel that it was an extremely powerful beast. It was no wonder why it was able to devour Heavenly High Immortal-tier and even Semi-Divinity artifacts easily... The Dongxu Gourd really wasnt bragging at all. Even if it wasnt a legendary beast that had ruled over thends, there should be very few in the Azure that could hurt it. I have seeded! Im finally out of this darned shell... Heartyughter echoed in the air as shadows flickered amidst the radiance. Slowly, the brilliance died down, and the silhouette in the air became clearer and clearer. Zhang Xuans clone also quickly turned his sights over. He had known the Dongxu Gourd for quite some time too, and he was extremely curious to find out just what kind of monster was sealed within it. Hu! The light finally dissipated entirely, leaving the silhouette concealed amidst it in in sight. You are... the legendary beast who used to rule over thends? Upon catching a clear look at the Dongxu Gourds appearance, Zhang Xuan nearly bit down on his own tongue. Why? Do I not look like it? A little yellow chick which looked as if it had just broken out of its shell waddled its way over. Its head was tilted upward, making it seem as proud as a peacock. Zhang Xuan and his clone rubbed their eyes, but the sight before them still remained the same. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation nearly made them tug their hair out. Where is the promised Ancient Divine Dragon? Where is the promised Taotie? Where is the promised Pixiu? Instead of all of that, you are actually a little yellow chick instead? Just tell me, what the hell about you resembles a legendary beast? Are chickens considered legendary beasts too? Zhang Xuan uttered in disbelief. The Dongxu Gourd had boasted so much in the past that it had unknowingly built up great expectations in him for the revtion of its true form. But it actually turned out to be a little yellow chick instead? The hell! If it was a dragon or the sort, how awe-inspiring it would be for him to ride on it and dominate anyone who dared to cross him? Not even the Hall of Gods would dare to mess around with him! What was he supposed to do with a chick like this? Toss it at his enemies and hope that it could fluff them to death? You are the one who is a chicken, your entire family are chickens! the little yellow chick scoffed furiously. Tilting its head up proudly, it said, I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends. I am...As for what I am, I haven.t recovered my memories yet so I cant say for sure, but I am very certain that... I. Am. Not. A. Chicken! Whatever, Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively. He didnt want to think or argue about this matter anymore. He felt like he might really suffer a mental breakdown if he were to continue harping on this matter. He turned to look at the surrounding folded space instead and noted that it was already on the verge of shattering apart. So, he quickly kept his clone, his tamed beast, and the corpses of the three youths into his storage ring. Then, he shot a look at the little yellow chick, and anger began boiling within him again. With an impatient voice, he harrumphed, Well talkter. Get back to my dantian for now. I have already broken free of my seal. I dont need to return to your dantian anymore, the little yellow chick replied smugly. Get your ass back in there! Zhang Xuan picked up the little yellow chick with two of his fingers and spoke sharply. Otherwise, youll be going into my storage ring instead! Fine! The little yellow chick meekly returned back into Zhang Xuans dantian. Hu! Barely after these were all done, Zhang Xuan suddenly found that he had returned back to the street outside the Ethereal Hall. Just like before, no one had noticed the intense battle that had just happened here not too long ago. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan rushed over to the disciple from the Myriad Beasts Hall and noted that while thetter was severely injured, he was still breathing. Thus, he fed thetter a bottle of the gourds bathwater and instructed him to recuperate well. After that was done, he began reflecting on what had happened over the past few days. He had made sure to disguise every single aspect of himself, such that there was no trace of the original Zhang Xuan to be seen in him anymore. Yet, those from the Hall of Gods were still able to find him... Just what were they basing their search criteria on? And how could they be certain that they had gotten the right person? As long as Zhang Xuan was unable to figure this out, he would never know when he would be in danger. After the disciple had recovered a fair bit, Zhang Xuan instructed him grimly, You should return to the sect. Ill be fine on my own. After which, he dived into the crowd, and not too longter, he had already assumed a different appearance. He wanted to check if the Hall of Gods was really able to see through his disguise. Thus, he chose to linger around the vicinity where he was assassinated for more than two hours, but there were no more assassination attempts. If the Hall of Gods was really able to see through his disguise, they would have noticed him and struck again by now. That shouldnt be it then... Zhang Xuan thought. Thinking back, if the Hall of Gods was really able to see through his disguise, they should have made a move on him back when he first left the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. I really have no idea at all... But since they arent able to see through my disguise, I guess I should still be fine for the time being... Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. He returned back to the Ethereal Hall and booked another silent chamber. He quickly set up a series of Istion Formations and the sort around before bringing out the little yellow chick once more. What abilities do you have, and how strong are you at the moment? He thought that he shouldnt jump into assumptions about this fellow. It would be best for him to rify the situation first. After all, the Dongxu Gourd was also much more powerful than it looked as well. If he could find out what the little yellow chick was capable of, he would know how he could utilize it in a battle. My abilities? the little yellow chick cocked its head to the side. I dont really know either. Are you able to fly? Zhang Xuan asked. The little yellow chick tried pping its tiny wings. Paji! It crashed back to the ground. I dont think so, it replied. What about your fighting prowess? Pah! In the next instant, a p flew right toward the little yellow chick. It was sent twirling into the air before crashing into the wall. Its a no then. What about your strength? Feeling as if he was staring right into the abyss of despair, Zhang Xuan brought out one of the corpses of the Heavenly High Immortals and tossed it on the little yellow chick. The little yellow chick was immediately crushed to the ground. A tiny w could be seen trembling at the very corner of the corpse... Ten minutester, Zhang Xuan was really on the verge of a mental breakdown. Is this the strength you used to rule over thends? This fellow had been boasting about how powerful it was since a long time ago, but it turned out to be such an adorable and harmless beast instead... What was even more ridiculous was that it didnt seem to possess any strength at all. It was a being which any cultivator could easily stomp to death! That being said, there was indeed one thing that was noteworthy about itits recovery ability. Even when it was smacked and crushed under a High Immortal, it swiftly recovered from the damage it had sustained. I... Im sure that I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends! Its just that... I have just broken out of my seal, and my energy is exhausted. I just havent recovered yet! Why dont you bring me another 200 Superior Immortal Pills, no, make it 200 Premier Immortal Pills instead! I should be able to recover quite a bit after that... The little yellow chick iled its wings around anxiously. 200 Premier Immortal Pills? Why dont you go to hell instead? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. It was already difficult enough for him to procure 200 Superior Immortal Pills, and this fellow wanted him to gather 200 Premier Immortal Pills... I really should smack that idea out of your mind... As stifled as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that there was a good chance that what the little yellow chick was saying was true. After all, it was able to devour even a Semi-Divinity artifact in its sealed state. There was no way it could possibly be ordinary! Since you are my tamed beast, you should have a fitting name too. I cant possibly keep calling you Dongxu Gourd or little chick, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said. Un un! the little yellow chick nodded in agreement. It must be that I still have some seals which I have yet to release yet, so Im still not sure what exactly I am either. However, if one is for sure, Im definitely not a chicken! I must be a legendary beast who once ruled thends, a powerhouse in this world! No matter how powerful a chicken was, it couldnt possibly be capable of devouring a Semi-Divinity artifact whole! As such, it was extremely opposed to its master calling it a chick. Thus, it looked at its master with a hopeful look, hoping that it woulde up with an imposing name for it. No matter whether you are a real chicken or not, its a fact that you look like a chick at the moment. You have also imed that you are a legendary beast, a ruler of thends. Since thats the case, why dont we call you... Zhang Xuan pondered very deeply at this moment before his eyes lit up in excitement, Supercock! ... The little yellow chick copsed to the ground. Are you sure that this is an appropriate name for a legendary beast? An extremely powerful human is known as Superman. An extremely powerful male chicken is simply known as Supercock. Chapter 2021 - The Premature Emergence of the Azure Bridge Chapter 2021 The Premature Emergence of the Azure Bridge It took a lot of arguing before the little yellow chick managed to convince Zhang Xuan to go with Little Chick instead, and words couldnt begin to describe how happy it was with it, Given how tragic its masters naming sense was, it was already a huge blessing that it was let off with just Little Chick. Otherwise, if it had to go with what Supercock or Little Chirpchirp or that sort, it would never be able to live with it! How would it be able to face its fellow legendary beasts in the future with such a disastrous name? I am the legendary beast who rules over the Nine Heavens and Ten Continents, Primordial Ancient Dragon, Ao Tian[l]! I am the legendary beast who has scorched the Great Barren Wilderness and vaporized innumerable oceans, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Huo Qianyu[2]! Then, when it finally came to its turn to introduce itself... I am the legendary beast *****, Supercock! Its body would really wither just by how naughty it sounded! What the heck was this... How did itnd itself such an unreliable master? At this point, Little Chick couldnt help but lower its head to take a closer look at itself... Heck, I really do look like a chick... the kind which had just crawled out of its egg at that! Furthermore, I dont have any memories of what I am either... Just what kind of legendary beast am I? Little Chick fell into deep contemtion. Paying no heed to the little yellow chick which was pondering over its reason of existence, Zhang Xuan took out the corpses of the three Heavenly High Immortals whom he had just killed. Simr to those he had defeated previously, these three didnt have anything valuable in their storage rings either. The only things of value were their very bodies. To be honest, he was feeling very worried about his current plight. Till now, he still didnt know what it was that gave him away, and that left him deeply insecure. He had never craved power this much ever since he started cultivating! In any case, if he could turn these Heavenly High Immortals into Soulless Metal Humanoids too, he would be in a much safer position. If he had an army of them previously, he could have lined them up before him to form a line of defense when that youth tried to explode his cultivation earlier. ... In the Hall of Gods... A towering silhouette flickered into existence once more at the center of the room. Yet another failure? the silhouette remarked coldly as a pair of cold eyes pierced through the ck-robed man kneeling before him. Yes... The ck-robed man trembled. I have underestimated him. A person chosen by the heavens is indeed blessed with great luck... the silhouette remarked coldly. Youll be making a move personally then. If you were to fail, dont bothering back to look for me. End your own life there and then! Also, I want you to investigate what trump cards he has that allowed him to take down even three of our Heavenly High Immortals! Yes, master! the ck-robed man nodded before subserviently retreating out of the room. Hold on for a moment! the silhouette suddenly raised his hand. Announce the decree of the Hall of Gods. The Azure Bridge shall descend half a month from now! Half a month? The Azure Bridge going to descend prematurely? the ck-robed man asked. Usually, it would still take quite a while longer before the Azure Bridge descended. For it to appear half a month from now... Wasnt that a little too fast? Since the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has confirmed him as their sect leader, their intention is likely to have him join as a challenger. If we were to leave it as it is, itll still take some time before the Azure Bridge finally descends. He might achieve a breakthrough to High Immortal during this period of time, and if so, none of you will be able to match him anymore, the silhouette said. With a cold gleam in his eyes, he said, He mustnt be allowed to seed by any means, or else all of you will be killed! Yes, I understand, the ck-robed figure replied grimly before leaving the room. ... A slender boat floated in the air just above the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Standing atop of it was ady, and standing behind her was an adolescent youth. Pce Chief Du, what are you doing here? A figure suddenly appeared in front of the boatHan Jianqiu. I havee for your newly-appointed sect leader, thedy replied with her hands behind her back. She was no other than the chief of the Starchaser Pce, Du Qingyuan! Our newly-appointed sect leader? Han Jianqiu frowned. Indeed. Can you invite him out to meet me? Du Qingyuan replied with a nod. This... Han Jianqiu paused for a brief moment before replying, Pce Chief Du, my apologies but our sect leader is currently practicing the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form. Hes in a crucial moment in his cultivation, so its not convenient for him to meet any guests at the moment. He knew that it was of utmost importance for him to keep the news that Zhang Xuan had left the sect a secret. Otherwise, if the Hall of Gods were to somehow hear of the matter, they would surely make a move. Zhang Xuan was their greatest hope at achieving a breakthrough at the Azure Bridge, so he would do anything to protect the young man. Hes in seclusion? Du Qingyuan frowned. She knew that the sect leaders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would practice the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form. There was nothing wrong with Han Jianqius words, soo she didnt harbor any doubts regarding his words either. Thinking back, Han Jianqiu had gone through that phase as well, and he was gone into seclusion for fifteen whole years. No matter how talented Zhang Xuan was, it was unlikely that he would be able to master the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form too quickly either. It was really bad timing. As the chief of the Starchaser Pce, she couldnt possibly spend years waiting here for him toe out of seclusion. Do you have his portrait by any chance? I would like to take a look, Du Qingyuan asked. With a doubtful look on his face, Han Jianqiu asked, Pardon me, Pce Chief Du, but I must ask for your purpose for seeking our sect leader. As the pce chief of the Starchaser Pce, one of the Six Sects, Du Qingyuan was a lofty figure that stood at the peak of the Forsaken Continent. Before Zhang Xuan became the sect leader, he was nothing more than an insignificant figure living in a small town. Given so, it was unthinkable for the two of them to be associated with one another. I just found his name extremely familiar. He seems to be an acquaintance of mine, so I would like to verify if its really him, Du Qingyuan replied. If Zhang Xuan was here, he would recognize Du Qingyuan to be the deity whom Sovereign Chen Yong had summoned back then through the ritual of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Back then, in order to save Sovereign Chen Yong, Zhang Xuan requested Du Qingyuan to take Sovereign Chen Yongs soul away with her. Using some sort of secret art, Du Qingyuan managed to reconstruct a new body for Sovereign Chen Yong, and thetter was currently the very adolescent youth standing right behind her. Our sect leader is an acquaintance of yours? Han Jianqiu frowned. As unlikely that it sounded, he couldnt help but recall how adamant Zhang Xuan was regarding his decision to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars. Not too long after, Du Qingyuan made the long journey here to look for Zhang Xuan too... Could the two of them really be acquainted with one another? Han Jianqiu hesitated for a moment before flicking his wrist. A jade token appeared in his grasp. He tapped on the jade token lightly, and Zhang Xuans portrait floated into the air. This is our sect leader, Zhang Xuan. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the Starchaser Pce couldnt be said to be on friendly terms. Nevertheless, while Du Qingyuan could be rather difficult at times, she wasnt an unreasonable person. Considering the implications, it was unlikely that she would try to harm their sect leader. Not to mention, he didnt tell her where Zhang Xuan was heading either. Thus, it shouldnt matter whether she knew of his appearance or not. Indeed! Upon seeing the portrait, Du Qingyuans eyes lit up. Behind her, the adolescent youth, Wu Chen, trembled in agitation. Is our sect leader the acquaintance Pce Chief Du is looking to? Han Jianqiu asked. Indeed. We have met each other once before... Du Qingyuan nodded. After which, she turned to the adolescent youth behind her and said, Wu Chen, if you wish to stay here, I can talk to Elder Han on your behalf. Thank you, Pce Chief Du! Wu Chen sped his fist in gratitude. Un! Du Qingyuan nodded. Just as she was about to continue speaking, her eyebrows suddenly shot up. At the same time, Han Jianqius eyes widened slightly as well. A momentter, their faces paled at the same time. The Azure Bridge is going to descend half a month from now? Thats way too fast! Han Jianqius body stiffened. The Azure Bridge was the only path into the Hall of Gods, and it only descended once every century. Once they missed the asion, they would have to wait another hundred years. If the Azure Bridge were to descend on its usual timing, Zhang Xuan would definitely have more than enough time to cultivate to Heavenly High Immortal realm. That would significantly boost his chances of clinching the rights to challenge the Hall of Gods. With his superior swordsmanship, Zhang Xuan would have been in a good position to snatch the other half of the (God) character for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. But if the Azure Bridge were to descend in half a month from now, the other party wouldnt be able to make it in time at all! Not to mention, the other party had already embarked on his journey to the Sea of Exiled Stars. They didnt know where the young man was at the moment, and they had no way of getting in touch with him at the moment either... The situation wasnt looking good at all. Lets enter the Ethereal Hall! Without any hesitation, Han Jianqiu took out an Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness into it. Du Qingyuan quickly did the same as well. This was the Ethereal Token which only the top experts of the Forsaken Continent were bestowed with. The purpose of it was to provide a convenient tform for them to gather and discuss major issues. Of course, there was no guarantee that the Ethereal Hall would be a secure ce tomunicate as it wasnt something under the control of their sect. This was also why they would preferentially meet in person when it came to discussing major issues. However, since this was just a simple meeting to discuss the rough n regarding a known issue, it shouldnt pose too much problem. Within a sealed room in the Ethereal Hall, figures appeared one after another. The other sect leaders had clearly received the same news as well, so they swiftly made their way into the Ethereal Hall as well. Once the leaders of all Six Sects were present, Han Jianqiu shot a sweeping nce across the crowd before asking, What are your current ns regarding the Azure Bridge? The descent of the Azure Bridge is an important affair, so we have to deal with it carefully. Elder Han, hasnt the new leader of your Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilionprehended the Gods Sword Intent? Why isnt he here? an elder nced over and asked. Due to Han Jianqius announcement a few days ago, it had already be a known fact throughout the Forsaken Continent that the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Zhang Xuan, had grasped the Gods Sword Intent. That should be more than enough to qualify him to participate in this meeting. Hes in seclusion at the moment, so I couldnt disturb him, Han Jianqiu replied. What about your newly-appointed Hall Master Zheng Yang? the elder turned his gaze to Elder Qin Yuan. He... is also in seclusion as well! Elder Qin replied grimly. They are both in seclusion? the elder frowned in displeasure. Its only once in every century that the Azure Bridge would descend, granting us an opportunity to challenge the Hall of Gods. Yet, the two of the most hopeful sect leaders are in seclusion at the moment... What should we do then? There was a great deal of excitement when they heard the news about the inauguration of two new sect leaders, but how could the two of them be in seclusion during such a crucial moment? Well try and see if we can get in touch with our sect leader and inform him of this matter. Meanwhile, the rest of you should quickly pick out the strongest and most talented members in your sects as well. Ten days from now, well meet at the Heaven Anchoring Boulder in the Sea of Exiled Stars. Before the Azure Bridge appears, we should verify the strength of each sect before deciding on the leader of the expedition, Han Jianqiu said. Sounds fine. Its settled then. The crowd nodded. This was indeed the best they could do at the moment. The Hall of Gods was located above the Sea of Exiled Stars, so the Azure Bridge appeared here as well. Thus, it was decided to be their gathering area as well. Itd be easier for us to devise a strategy if we gather together in advance too... At this moment, a voice suddenly echoed from the entrance of the room. Following that, a tall figure appeared within the room. Upon seeing this figure, the crowd quickly rose to their feet and sped their fists, Hall Master Kong! The person who had just arrived was no other than the master of the Ethereal Hall! Un, theres no need to stand on ceremony. I have just heard the news as well. Please dispatch the top experts of your sects to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder as soon as possible. Once the leader of the expedition has been chosen, Ill have a personal chat with him to fill him in on the details concerning the Azure Bridge and the Hall of Gods, Hall Master Kong said. After which, he turned to Han Jianqiu and smiled, Im looking forward to meeting your new sect leader, Zhang Xuan. Please do introduce me to him when he arrives at the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. I am expecting great things out of him. Definitely, Hall Master Kong. Ill bring him over to express our gratitude to you for your help all along, Han Jianqiu replied with a nod. [1] Ao Tian means looking upon the heavens haughtily. [2] Huo Qianyu means Thousand ming Feathers, kind of. Chapter 2022 - 2022 The Rules of the Sevenstar Pavilion 2022 The Rules of the Sevenstar Pavilion Alright, we shall meet at the Heaven Anchoring Boulder then! Hall Master Kong chuckled softly before leaving the area. The others also departed the room one after another. After leaving the Ethereal Hall, Du Qingyuan swiftly regained her consciousness. Standing on the boat, she looked at Han Jianqiu and sped her fist. Elder Han, I have to return to my sect to select a suitable group of cultivators. Farewell! She had hoped to meet Zhang Xuan there, but the matter concerning the Azure Bridge was more important. In any case, thetter was bound to be there for the descent of the Azure Bridge, so there was no need to rush the matter. Farewell! Han Jianqiu nodded. This boy over here, Wu Chen, is a close friend of Sect Leader Zhang. Ill have to trouble you to take care of him well, Du Qingyuan said with a smile. Following which, she drove her boat toward the north, and in just a moment, it had already vanished from view. You are acquainted with our sect leader? Han Jianqiu looked at the adolescent youth before him doubtfully. Wu Chen nodded in response. I see. Come with me then, Han Jianqiu said. With a wave of his hand, he propped the adolescent youth into the sky, and they flew back into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion together. Zhang Xuan was not in the sect at the moment, so they had to find a way to inform him of this important news. Just that... how could they do so? It had been several days since Zhang Xuan had left for Starchaser Pce, so he could be anywhere. He was out of range of their Communication Jade Tokens, so their hope was to reach him through the Ethereal Hall. But what if he never entered the Ethereal Hall and missed the information that they were trying to ry to him? Since hes heading to the Sea of Exiled Stars, he should be able to catch wind of the news there, Han Jianqiu thought. He did not know where Zhang Xuan was exactly at the moment, but as long as thetter was heading to the Sea of Exiled Stars, that would simplify matters. As long as one of them headed there in advance, they should be able to reach him via the Communication Jade Token once they were in range. Having decided on a course of action, Han Jianqiu immediately returned to the sect to choose the candidates that would be heading over to the Heaven Anchor Boulder. The greatest restriction to entering the Azure Bridge was that ones cultivation must not exceed Heavenly High Immortal. In other words, Semi-Divinity realm experts were forbidden from passing through the Azure Bridge! Furthermore, ones age must not be beyond one hundred. These two tight restrictions effectively eliminated a huge chunk of the top experts in the Six Sects. Even in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, there were not many suitable candidates. Han Jianqiu quickly browsed through the list of candidates and nominated a few as potential substitutes should they fail to find Zhang Xuan. Then, together with Wu Chen and a few others, they got onto an aerial immortal beast and began making their way over to the Sea of Exiled Stars. ... The same sight was also happening in the Myriad Beasts Hall. Their hall master had gone missing, and they could not get in touch with the other party. Thus, they could only gather a search party to look for him. ... Exhaling a deep breath, Zhang Xuan rose to his feet. After a great deal of hard work, he had finally managed to forge the three Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators from the Hall of Gods into Soulless Metal Humanoids. However, due to the limitation of his soul cultivation, the final product was iplete, so the strength of the Soulless Metal Humanoids was still rathercking. Nevertheless, with these three additional Soulless Metal Humanoids, as long as the Hall of Gods did not dispatch Semi- Divinity realm experts for him, it would not be easy for them to take him down. Just as Zhang Xuan was walking out of the room, Little Chick suddenly waddled up to him. Master, I was thinking very very deeply earlier, and I think I know what my ability is! Little Chick pped its tiny wings arduously as it tried to get onto Zhang Xuans shoulder. It looked at Zhang Xuan with beady eyes filled with confidence. Whats your ability? Zhang Xuan asked. I can eat. Little Chick cocked its head proudly. If you can bring me another Semi-Divinity artifact, Ill be able to devour it whole... ...Zhang Xuan clutched his chest. He had always been the one to anger others, but ever since he met this darned chick, he felt as if his blood pressure had been shooting up. Just what did he do so wrong for the heavens to bring such a dastardly fellow to his side? If it had been any other ordinary immortal beast, he would have long tossed the other party away. But what could he do? This chick happened to be a legendary beast that made a good pot of nourishing chicken soup when boiled... Thinking back, if not for this fellows help in devouring his enemies weapons, he might have just lost his life to those experts from the Hall of Gods. In a sense, he did owe his life to this little yellow chick. Fine! Ill tolerate you for now! Other than eating, do you have any other offensive abilities? I remember how you were able to knock the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix into submission back when you were still a gourd. Do you have any powerful moves simr to that? Zhang Xuan asked. Ah, I dont think I can do that anymore. The only reason I was able to knock that bird out is because the gourd I was sealed in was exceptionally tough. Otherwise, I wouldnt have had trouble trying to break free from it... Wait, I swallowed the mes that bird vomited out back then, right? I think that I might still be able to do that, Little Chick said. Oh? You are still able to devour mes? Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. He tapped his tamed beast sack and summoned the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix. Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, use methrower on Little Chick! Zhang Xuan ordered. Yes, Master! Devastating mes sted forth from the nine heads of the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and they converged on the little yellow chick on the floor, drowning it in searing heat. It took quite a few minutes before the mes were finally put out. A little ashen ball could be seen lying amid the ck ashes. Vaguely, one could smell the scent of delectable meat from it. Ah? Zhang Xuans eyelids twitched wildly. Was that chick... well done? Did the other party not just say that it was still able to devour mes? Why was it so easily cooked then? Not to mention, its flesh smelled incredibly fragrant. It caused saliva to drip from the edges of his mouth... Master, I didnt know that it would be so weak... The Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix jolted in fright. Considering how this little yellow chick hade out of the gourd, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix had expected the other party to be an incredibly powerful beast despite its seemingly innocent exterior. Yet, who could have known that it would start giving off such a delicious scent once it was seared? It really had no intention of cooking its masters tamed beast! I didnt know either... Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. He stretched his hand over to check if the little yellow chick was still alive. If it had really lost its life, even though it did smell quite delicious, he would just bury it out of respect for it although it would be a waste of food... Right as Zhang Xuans finger touched the charred chick, the sound of a ceramic shattering echoed in the room. Kacha! Kacha! Cracks appeared on the charred exterior. Whoosh! A yellow silhouette popped out from within. This time, the little yellow chick seemed to have grown a little rounder than before. Not only so, it was starting to emanate a slight aura. It pped its wings and rose into the air without any difficulty. With smooth movements, itnded on Zhang Xuans shoulder. You... have you reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm? Zhang Xuan was stunned. After being seared by the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, this little yellow chick had grown from a powerless chick to a Heavenly High Immortal realm chick! It had reached the same level as the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix! Indeed! Little Chick nodded gleefully. So, the key to unlocking you is torching you with mes? Got it. Lets continue then! With eyes glowing with excitement, Zhang Xuan instructed the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix to continue breathing mes on the little yellow chick. But not too longter, they stopped. It seemed like Little Chicks cultivation would only advance on the first encounter with the me. Anything more than that would be ineffective. Forget it. Its good enough that you are at the Heavenly High Immortal realm and that you are able to devour weapons, Zhang Xuan said. He continued testing it, and to his horror, it turned out that the little yellow chicks fighting prowess was really no different from before. Despite being a High Immortal, with its small wings and ws, it might not even be a match for a True Immortal. Seeing this, he could only shake his head and sigh deeply. In any case, it was already good enough that Little Chick was able to devour weapons. This ability could work wonders during battle. There was no need for him to greedily wish for more. Thus, he ced Little Chick back into his dantian and the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix back into the tamed beast sack before leaving the room. He walked over to the receptionist of the Ethereal Hall and said, I would like to rent an aerial immortal beast. May I know where I should head to? His Serpentine Dragon was already stered with a tag that said I am the tamed beast of the Myriad Beasts Halls hall master, so there was no way he could bring the other party out too carelessly. On the other hand, ordinary immortal beasts were simply too slow. Thinking back, he should have tamed a few more aerial immortal beasts back when he was still at the Ascendant Cloud Mountain! Back then, he did not think that there was a need to take so many beasts along with him, but it seemed like it was always best to prepare spares. You wish to rent an aerial immortal beast? There arent too many of them even in our Biyuan City, and most of them fly a specific route... May I know where you wish to go? the receptionist asked with a polite smile. I intend to head north to the Sea of Exiled Stars, Zhang Xuan replied. North? The receptionist frowned a little. Its umon for people to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars, so there arent too many aerial immortal beasts heading there. Let me check for you... Following which, she lowered her head and swiftly flipped through a book. A momentter, she said with a smile, Therell be a Lesser True Immortal realm aerial immortal beast heading to the Sea of Exiled Stars three days from now. Itll only take a month for you to arrive at your destination. A month? Zhang Xuan frowned. Is there no faster aerial immortal beast than that? He was not willing to waste so much time traveling. The Hall of Gods had already noticed him, and there was no knowing when the next assassination attempt would be. He had to head to the Starchaser Pce as soon as possible to gather the soul cultivation technique manuals required for him to achieve a breakthrough. If he could ride on the Serpentine Dragon, it would only take seven days at most for him to arrive at his destination! A month was simply too long! Hearing those words, the receptionist shook her head and said, Im afraid that there arent any other alternatives. The locals living in the Sea of Exiled Stars arent too weing toward outsiders, so its rare for anyone to head there. Furthermore, the flight services of aerial immortal beasts are expensive, so there arent too many riders... Most powerhouses had their own tamed beasts to ride on, and those who had reached the High Immortal realm were able to fly on their own. There was no need for them to ride on aerial immortal beasts. Besides, those form the Sea of Exiled Stars were hostile toward outsiders. Onlyrge cities like Biyuan City would have a flight route there. How much would it cost if I individually rented a High Immortal realm beast to head toward the Sea of Exiled Stars? Zhang Xuan asked. This... The receptionist did not have a response for Zhang Xuans question. I have nevere across that query before. Ill check with our elder for you. She turned around and left. Not too longter, she returned with an elder behind her. Sir, are you heading toward the Sea of Exiled Stars? the elder asked. Zhang Xuan nodded. Do you have any High Immortal realm beasts for rent? There arent any High Immortal realm beasts for rent, but I have just heard that those from the Sevenstar Pavilion intend to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars as well. They will be setting off tomorrow, and the tamed beast they are riding on will allow them to reach their destination within five days! the elder replied with a smile. Five days? Zhang Xuan was slightly stunned. That was even faster than the Serpentine Dragon! Most likely, the immortal beast was at the Heavenly High Immortal realm as well. Indeed, the elder replied with a nod. Ill have to trouble you to exin how I can share a ride with them. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. The speed of the immortal beast was ideal for him. However, this also meant that the identities of those who were going to ride on the immortal beast were anything but ordinary. He would likely have to fork out a heavy price for the ride. Chapter 2023 - 2023 I Need to Earn Money 2023 I Need to Earn Money Through challenging the inner disciples and core disciples, he had earned quite a number of Sword Pavilion Coins back in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. However, as he thought that he did not have much use for them, he had spent most of his wealth on Immortal Pills for Dan Xiaotian and Bai Ruanqing. As such, while he was not exactly poor, the amount of money he had left was definitely insufficient for him to strike a deal with the Sevenstar Pavilion. However, since it was guaranteed that he would be able to purchase a ride on the immortal beast as long he had enough money, everything else would be simple to deal with. He would just have to find a way to earn some money. With such thoughts in mind, he looked at the elder and asked, How much will it cost? Its the personal mount of the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, and considering the location is the faraway Sea of Exiled Stars, itll cost at least 20,000 Ethereal Coins, the elder replied after a swift calction. 20,000 Ethereal Coins? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even the True Immortal realm Ethereal Token only cost 2,7 Ethereal Coins. With 20,000 Ethereal Coins, one would be able to buy even a High Immortal-tier weapon. It was indeed very pricy. Yes. The elder nodded. Well, Ill be frank with you. Ill be taking half of the sum asmission. However, you should know that without my introduction, even with 20,000 Ethereal Coins, you might not be able to strike a deal with the Sevenstar Pavilion on your own! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He was an outsider, and he did not know anyone in the Sevenstar Pavilion. Without the elder, putting aside striking a deal with them, he would not even be aware of this piece of information. I understand. Ill go and prepare the money now. Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned around and walked back into the private chamber in the Ethereal Hall. Safety came first. As long as he could avoid getting found by the Hall of Gods, spending that bit of money was nothing at all. As for how he would earn his money, wherever there was an Ethereal Hall, there would be public duels as well. Considering how he was invincible in his cultivation realm, it was a piece of cake for him to earn his money! As long as he did not reveal his Gods Sword Intent, the Hall of Gods should not be able to find him. He quickly set up a few Istion Formations within the silent chamber before immersing his consciousness into the Ethereal Token. Theyout of the virtual Ethereal Hall was simr to the one in the real world. He quickly made his way over to the dueling ring. As one of thergest cities on the Forsaken Continent, the Biyuan City was filled with experts. While True Immortal realm cultivators were already considered to be in the top echelon in smaller cities like Wuhai City, over here, there were so many of them that it was hard to believe that they were a rarity in other parts of the continent. As such, the dueling rings were filled to the brim. After registering at the receptionist, Zhang Xuan waited roughly ten minutes before being ushered toward the dueling ring. The receptionist turned to the elder and asked curiously, Elder, is the Sevenstar Pavilion really sending people to the Sea of Exiled Stars? The Starchaser Pce was known to have bad rtions with the other five sects, so why would the Sevenstar Pavilion send its men over? Its confidential news, so make sure not to spread it around. Its said that the sect leader is heading over there to discuss something important, the elder replied. He was the person in charge of managing the Biyuan Citys Ethereal Hall, and his cultivation had long reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm, making him a highly esteemed figure there. However, he was still not privy to the matters happening within the Sevenstar Pavilion. Oh... Hearing that it was confidential, the receptionist did not dare probe any deeper into it. With a chuckle, she changed the topic and said, I wonder if that fellow will be able to raise 20,000 Ethereal Coins in time... Heh! the elder scoffed. Other than High Immortals, its impossible for anyone to fork out such a huge sum! Then... The receptionist blinked, surprised by the elders reaction. Im just letting him know that he should know his ce and back off. It would only take a month riding on a normal aerial immortal beast, and it would only cost two hundred Ethereal Coins. On the other hand, going with the Sevenstar Pavilion will cost him 20,000 Ethereal Coins. Theres no one who would pay a hundred times the price just to save twenty days of travel! The elder shook his head. Those at their cultivation realm could easily spend months in seclusion for their cultivation. Only a madman would spend so much money just to save twenty days! Well, thats true... The receptionist nodded in agreement. Thinking about it, based on his tone, it doesnt seem like he has the money, so hes intending to head off to earn a bit of money first. The elder harrumphed in response. The fastest way to earn money in the Ethereal Hall is through the dueling ring. However, even with the stakes multiplying with each victory, he will have to win many rounds consecutively. Even the core disciples from the Sevenstar Pavilion who frequent our dueling rings find it hard to win four rounds consecutively, let alone him! As the Sevenstar Pavilion was located in proximity to Biyuan Citys Ethereal Hall, the disciples of the Sevenstar Pavilion often frequented the ce. The registration price is five Ethereal Coins. Even if he manages to win five rounds back-to-back, that would only be eighty Ethereal Coins. Hes still a long way off from reaching his goal of 20,000 Ethereal Coins, the receptionist replied with a chuckle. The initial cost for joining the dueling ring was set to not be too high, just five Ethereal Coins. This was to attract more people to participate in the duels. If one won a round, the stakes would immediately double. The next challenger would have to pay a corresponding price in order to join the battle. The elder nodded with a smile. Alright, Ill be heading back to rest now. Call me if anything else happens. Following which, he turned around and returned to his room. However, barely after he took a few steps, another receptionist rushed over anxiously and shouted, Elder! Whats wrong? The elder frowned. Just earlier, someone has won ten consecutively rounds in the dueling ring! the receptionist eximed. Ten rounds? The elder was taken aback. Its been a long time since anyone has been so sessful in the dueling ring. Is he a core disciple from the Sevenstar Pavilion? In Biyuan City, those who could possibly win ten rounds consecutively were, more often than not, core disciples of the Sevenstar Pavilion. These experts would make an appearance from time to time, but they would rarely participate in the duel. After all, it would be simply too unfair for the other cultivators. It would be like a professional fighter going on stage to challenge amateurs; it would not reflect well on them even if they did win. ording to Zhao Meng, he isnt a core disciple from the Sevenstar Pavilion! the receptionist replied. Zhao Meng was one of the core disciples of the Sevenstar Pavilions, and his ranking was rather high. I see... The elder was stunned for a moment before quickly rushing back to his room. I have to head over to take a look! He took out his Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness into it. Before long, he was standing within the virtual Ethereal Hall. With a few steps, he made his way over to the dueling ring. Atop the dueling ring, there were two figures fighting one another barehanded. The gray-robed fighter on the left wasunching a series of powerful palm strikes. In response, the fighter on the right swiftly treaded around the battlefield nimbly, dodging the attacks. Isnt that gray-robed fighter over there the top ranker of the Sevenstar Pavilions core disciples, Meng Han? I never thought that he woulde here personally! Well, the other fighter up there has already won twelve rounds consecutively with ease, and three of his opponents were fellow core disciples from the Sevenstar Pavilion. As the top ranker of the core disciples, he probably feels obliged to make a move to protect the reputation of the Sevenstar Pavilion. Barely after arriving at the dueling ring, the elder could already hear such discussions all around. This is already the thirteenth round? The elder was stunned. He vividly recalled the receptionist reporting to him earlier that someone had won ten rounds consecutively. When did it turn into winning twelve rounds consecutively? He must have won two more rounds while I was looking for you... Beside him, the receptionist from earlier had a look of disbelief on her face. But that doesnt seem right either. It hasnt even been a single minute since I left the Ethereal Hall to look for you! The elders lips twitched. This fellow actually defeated two more opponents on the dueling ring within a single minute! Look! While the elder was trying to rationalize how such a thing could have been possible, the fighter who had been dodging the palm strikes all along suddenly executed a punch. Peng! The top ranker of the Sevenstar Pavilions core disciples, Meng Han, copsed to the ground as his body convulsed uncontrobly. Taking a closer look, his head was dented inward. Even Meng Han has been defeated so easily? The elder was taken aback. Meng Han had been at the top of the Ethereal Halls dueling ring ranking for at least three years, but who would have thought that even he would fall to a single punch? This was too anticlimactic! Not only was the elder shocked by what he was seeing, the rest of the crowd was stunned as well. For such a powerful person to be defeated within a single move... it was hard to believe that this was really happening. ... In the Elder Council of the Sevenstar Pavilion... Peng peng peng peng! Two middle-aged men were exchanging blows with one another. Shockwaves rippled from their shes, causing the inscriptions on the surrounding formations to glow from time to time as they neutralized the iing force. The two of them appeared to be in their forties or fifties, but their cultivation had already reached Heavenly High Immortal. Every move that they made seemed to sway the forces of nature. Hu! Eventually, the green-robed elder managed to get close enough tounch a direct jab toward the gray-robed elders neck, stopping just the distance of a single finger away. I have lost... The gray-robed elder surrendered. It was a good fight! the green-robed elder replied cheerily before turning to the crowd. Is there anyone else who wishes to have a match with me? Silence. An elder stepped forth and announced, Since thats the case, I hereby dere that Elder Hong Wu has won the tournament. Ill be bringing him with me to the Sea of Exiled Stars! This elder was the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, Kui Xiao! Yes, Pavilion Master Kui! The crowd sped their fists. Two hours ago, Kui Xiao had ordered for all elders whose cultivation had reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm and were beneath hundred years of age to gather together in this hall. He had made all of them fight one another in a round-robin tournament, and eventually, it was this Elder Hong Wu who had emerged victorious. As such, there was no one who had any issues with Kui Xiaos verdict. There are some things that I would like to tell Elder Hong Wu privately. The rest of you are dismissed for now, Pavilion Master Kui said with a wave of his hand. The crowd nodded before leaving the hall. But before they could walk out, an elder suddenly rushed over and reported, Pavilion Master Kui, something has happened! Oh? Pavilion Master Kui frowned. The elder who had just walked into the hall was the First Elder of the Sevenstar Pavilion. Even though the other partys cultivation was beneath his, the other party was still one of the strongest Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators on the Forsaken Continent. Given his strength, there were very few things in the world that could faze him. Yet, for the other party to rush over so anxiously... it had to be something of vital importance. An expert has appeared in Biyuan Citys Ethereal Hall. This expert has challenged many opponents consecutively, but theres no one who is able to stand against him. So far, he has already won thirteen rounds. Our core disciple, Meng Han, challenged him as well, but even he was defeated with a single punch, the First Elder reported through zhenqi telepathy. Even Meng Han wasnt a match for that person? Pavilion Master Kui was clearly a little surprised. Meng Han was not just the top ranker of the Sevenstar Pavilionhe was also his direct disciple! It was very likely that Meng Han would eventually rise to the position of the First Elder or even seed his position! Given Meng Hans strength, he should have been invincible existence when facing others at the True Immortal realm, but he had ended up getting defeated within a single punch? Was this for real? Unable to remain calm before a bizarre situation like this, Kui Xiao said with a wave of his hand, Lets head over to take a look. Yes! The First Elder quickly brought out the Ethereal Tokens that he had prepared beforehand. Taking one of the Ethereal Tokens, Kui Xiao was just about to enter the Ethereal Hall when he suddenly recalled something. He turned to Elder Hong Wu and said, You shoulde along with us, too. As he spoke, he threw an Ethereal Token over. Yes, Pavilion Master Kui! Elder Hong Wu replied as he caught the Ethereal Token. Considering how this expert was able to defeat even Meng Han with ease, he was curious just how powerful the other party was. Whats the name of the person who defeated Meng Han? Pavilion Master Kui asked as he dripped a blood droplet on the Ethereal Token to activate it. His name seems to be... The First Elder paused for a moment to ponder for a moment before replying. Liu Yang! Chapter 2024 - 2024 Dragon Transformation Palm 2024 Dragon Transformation Palm Liu Yang? Kui Xiao frowned. This name... he had never heard of it before! Lets head in to take a look. Knowing that it was much more effective for them to head in to take a look instead of asking all sorts of questions outside, Kui Xiao quickly immersed his consciousness into the Ethereal Token. Over at the dueling ring, he swiftly caught sight of a young man scanning through the crowd intently. Is there anyone else who would have to have a battle with me? There was no response. The other party had won fourteen rounds so far, defeating even the number one core disciple of the Sevenstar Pavilion. Knowing the strength that the other party wielded, there was no way they would be so naive as to think that they would stand a chance against a monster of that caliber. Thus, no one was willing to step onto the stage. Allow me to give it a try! Elder Hong Wu dered. It was just a moment ago that he had challenged all the elders and defeated them. He was still overflowing with fighting will. Be careful, Kui Xiao advised. The registration was swiftlypleted, and before long, Elder Hong Wu was already assessing the opponent before him on the dueling ring. The other party seemed to be in his twenties, but that being said, it was extremely easy to disguise ones appearance in the Ethereal Hall. As such, it was futile to attempt to assess another person through his appearance in the Ethereal Hall. However, most youngsters were reluctant to disguise themselves as elderly, and elderly disliked the notion of passing themselves off as youngsters. Furthermore, through the other partys mannerisms, Elder Hong Wu could gauge that the person standing before him was unlikely to be too old, perhaps fifty at most! Elder Hong Wu sent a zhenqi telepathic message. I am Hong Wu from the Sevenstar Pavilion. Is there any chance that we might be acquainted with one another? Hong Wu? The young man on the other side shook his head. I dont think that I know you. Hearing those words, Elder Hong Wus eyebrows shot up a little. Even though he was not as famous as the Semi-Divinity realm Pavilion Master Kui Xiao, he was still a highly renowned figure within the Sevenstar Pavilion. There was hardly anyone in Biyuan City who did not know of him. Yet, this person did not seem to recognize him at all. Was he not a local of Biyuan City? The young man seemed to have figured out something from Elder Hong Wus slight facial movements, and after a slight moment of hesitation, he said, As long as you are willing to fork out 2,560 Ethereal Coins after your loss, I dont mind saying that I know you if its important to you. Beyond the tenth round, the Ethereal Coins on stake would not double anymore, or else it could reach ridiculous amounts that no one would be able to afford. In other words, all the matches beyond the tenth round had only brought Zhang Xuan 2,560 Ethereal Coins each. Having won fourteen rounds consecutively so far, he had a total of 15,353 Ethereal Coins. He was not too far away from his goal of 20,000 Ethereal Coins. Those words made Elder Hong Wus face copse. He quickly shook his head and said, Make your move! A person like you who doesnt know how to talk must not have any friends at all! If you know me, so be it. If you dont know me, so be it too... Why do you have to make it sound like Im begging you to notice me? More importantly, why are you speaking as though my loss is already guaranteed? You might be the one losing 2,560 Ethereal Coins, just so you know! Elder Hong Wu could not be bothered to waste his breath anymore. His silhouette blurred as he charged forward at an incredible speed. Raising his palm, he leaped up and thrust a palm strike toward Zhang Xuan from above. Flowerless Palm! The zhenqi gathered within the palm strike swiftly crept toward the young man like strands of vines. Even though his cultivation had been lowered to the True Immortal realm, he was still able to bring out the true strength behind his Flowerless Palm. Countless vines shot forth and entangled themselves around the target. There was no incredible might nor decisive momentum, but the palm strike seemed to wrap around its target like a specter, binding him. It was through this move that he had been able to emerge victorious over the many elders previously! Not too bad! Zhang Xuan nodded. The skills of the opponent whom he was facing at the moment could be said to be the strongest of the fourteen matches that he had fought so far. The same as before, he retaliated with a single palm strike. Against an opponent of the same cultivation realm, he would not even need to rely on his Library of Heavens Path in order to defeat the other party. Hu! It was as if his palm strike carried zing mes, burning all the vines. This anomaly caused Elder Hong Wu to narrow his eyes in shock. The next instant, he felt some kind of peculiar energy bogging down his body, leaving him unable to move at all. Padah! The palm strike struck his head squarely, and his lifeless corpse copsed to the ground. After knocking out his opponent, Zhang Xuan found that his fortune had indeed grown by another 2,560 Ethereal Coins, causing him to heave a sigh of relief. He turned his attention to the crowd once more and said, Alright, who else wants to have a battle with me? He had already gathered 17,915 Ethereal Coins so far. He just needed to defeat one more opponent in order to raise 20,000 Ethereal Coins! Even Hong Wu ended up losing so quickly? Beneath the dueling ring, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao took a sharp breath. Elder Hong Wu had just fought all the elders in the Sevenstar Pavilion, and he had not even faced a single defeat. Yet, when faced with this fellow, he was defeated within a single punch! Just who in the world is this person? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao frowned. Hes probably not from our Sevenstar Pavilion. Otherwise, we should have long heard of him. The fact that the other party was able to enter the True Immortal realm Ethereal Hall showed that his cultivation had reached the True Immortal realm. If put in the Sevenstar Pavilion, the other party would be a core disciple at the very least. Given how the other party was able to defeat the top ranker Meng Han and Elder Hong Wu so easily, the Sevenstar Pavilion would definitely have noticed him a long time ago if he was a core disciple of the sect. There was no way that he could have remained unnoticed! Liu Yang... Kui Xiao pondered for a long time, but no simr name came to his mind. Seeing that no one was stepping forward to ept Liu Yangs challenge, the First Elder hesitated for a moment before leaping into the ring. Ill try facing him. Even though his cultivation was at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, in terms of prowess, he was far stronger than Elder Hong Wu. It was only because his age had exceeded a hundred years old that he was unable to challenge the Azure Bridge. Nevertheless, seeing how this Liu Yang was able to defeat Elder Hong Wu so easily, he could not help but wonder how he would fare against the young man. In the ring, Zhang Xuans heart had been leaping in trepidation when no one was stepping forward after some time, so he was particrly relieved when he saw Elder Hong Wu stepping forward. With a deep sigh of relief on the inside, he beckoned with his hand and said, Lets begin. He was determined to get this over and done with as quickly as possible so that his opponent would not have a chance to back out. Otherwise, he just might fail to raise enough Ethereal Coins. As for why he had gone with the name Liu Yang... Well, he had no choice. His usual choice of names such as I Am Low Profile and I Am Very Handsome1 were simply too indicative of his true identity. Thinking back, since he had blurted out Zheng Yang back at the Myriad Beasts Hall, instead of burning his brain cells trying toe up with a refreshing, creative name, he might as well just use another of his direct disciples names. As long as he did not choose Zhao Ya or Wei Ruyan, it should be fine. This was so much less stressful. Lets begin then. The First Elder of the Sevenstar Pavilion nodded. From the very start, heunched a powerful frontal strike. In an instant, dozens of palm afterimages appeared in the air. They were connected to form something reminiscent of a chain. Dragon Transformation Palm! It was said that upon reaching Major Aplishment, the practitioner would be able to warp their palm into a divine dragon and bring devastating damage upon their enemies. Formidable. I never thought that he would have trained the technique to such a level within the past few years. Hes already close to reaching Major Aplishment. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nodded. Ever since he achieved a breakthrough from the Semi-Divinity realm, he had rarely fought with High Immortal realm experts like the First Elder. As such, he had no idea what kind of level the other party had reached. Thus, when he saw this move, he could not help but nod in approval. The Dragon Transformation Palm was one of the most difficult battle techniques to cultivate in the Sevenstar Pavilion, but he was still able to achieve such a high level of mastery in it. To be honest, not even Pavilion Master Kui Xiao had absolute confidence in achieving victory. Its just a pity that hes beyond a hundred years old. Otherwise, Elder Hong Wu would surely be unable to defeat him. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao shook his head inmentation. It was impossible to reach the Semi-Divinity realm just through normal cultivation. It did not matter no matter how talented one was. The only way was to enter the Azure Bridge and venture into the Hall of Gods! The main reason that he was at his current realm was because he had been able to enter the Azure Bridge a hundred years earlier. There was no doubt that Elder Hong Wu was not too bad either, such that there was no one currently in the Sevenstar Pavilion who could match him. However, the other party was still a littleckingpared to him back then. Of the Six Sects, only the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is in a slighter better position, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao remarked. The greatest goal of those from the Six Sects was to enter the Hall of Gods and snatch the (God) character. Snatching the 1 God)_ character was not just an act of vanity that brought pride and honor to ones sect. More importantly, this (God) character was also the key to reaching Semi-Divinity. Sects without it could only rely on the centennial descent of the Azure Bridge to push for a breakthrough. If not for the Azure Bridge, even if a sect was filled with monstrous geniuses, none of them would ever have the chance to peer into the Semi-Divinity realm. The founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had once snatched half a _God)_ character from the Hall of Gods, and it was for this reason that their Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form, when trained to the limits, could allow one to surpass the limits of a High Immortal and be a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator! The chances were slim, but nevertheless, it still represented a ray of hope. On the other hand, the Sevenstar Pavilion and other sects did not enjoy such privilege at all. As for the Ethereal Hall... It was known that it had managed to snatch an entire God) character, but the entire organization remained veiled in mystery. There was no one who knew where its headquarters were and how many experts it had. But one thing was for sure. The leader of the Ethereal Hall who had snatched an entire God)1 character back then, Hall Master Kong, definitely had the ability to raise Semi-Divinity realm experts and even beyond that! These thoughts swiftly flitted through Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos mind before he turned his sights to the dueling ring once more. After executing the Dragon Transformation Palm, the First Elder seemed to have morphed into a soaring dragon, bolting from ce to ce with a speed so swift that it was nigh impossible to urately determine his whereabouts. The crowd felt as if they were seeing a massive dragon towering on top of the dueling ring, treading around the ce andunching attacks from all directions. It was such an impressive sight that it was hard to tear ones eyes away from the battle. Not bad! Zhang Xuan thought. There were indeed plenty of formidable experts on the Forsaken Continent. After fighting fifteen rounds, he was starting to think that this was all the experts of Biyuan City, so he could not help looking down on this new challenger. However, it seemed like this new challenger was instead a worthy opponent. Putting everything aside, just the other partys palm strike was a joy to behold. Even for him, if he showed the slightest gap, there was a chance that he could lose the battle. Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight, and before long, he was able to discern some of the ws in the other partys moves. Using his finger as a sword, he jabbed forward with incredible speed. In order to avoid revealing his identity, he still chose not to use the Gods Sword Intent for this move. That being said, he did infuse the crux of the Heavens Path Sword art into it. This single jab carried a transcendent aura to it. It appeared to be a simple move, but somehow, it was impossible to predict its trajectory, as if it did not follow a predetermined path as thews of the world would have enforced. If there was one word to describe it, it was simply unfathomable. As soon as it appeared, it seemed to gravitate toward the offensive trajectory of the Dragon Transformation Palm. Hu! Mysteriously, it felt as if the dragon in the sky was drawn to the finger jab as well. It simply continued rushing toward the sword qi, as if a moth drawn to a me. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan could not help but chuckle. This was a move that he had casuallye up with after being inspired by how Elder Yuan used the Northern Sea Dragon Orb to tease the Serpentine Dragon. In this case, he used his sword qi to form a gravitating power that capitalized on the momentum of the Dragon Transformation Palm to draw it toward his finger jab, causing the other party to lose control of his own body. Go! Zhang Xuans sword qi shot forth. Boom! A resounding explosion echoed in the air, causing the entire dueling ring to tremble nonstop. The First Elder never would have thought that the other party would use the momentum of his own palm strike to control his movements. Everything happened so swiftly that before he could even recover, a stabbing pain had already pierced his throat. Lowering his head, he realized that the other partys sword qi had sliced through his neck. What a formidable offense. I have never seen swordsmanship like this before... With a creak, the First Elders head fell to the ground with a bewildered look on his face. Soon after, his body copsed into a heap as well. Even at the moment of his death, he dared not believe that his ultimate technique had been undone by a mere surge of sword qi. This... Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos body stiffened. He was so shocked that he could hardly speak a word at all. To be able to neutralize the Dragon Transformation Palm and kill the First Elder within a single move... just who the hell is this fellow! With such fighting prowess, would I stand a chance against him if I stepped forward? Chapter 2025 - 2025 I“ll Let You Choose Your Favorite Way to Die. 2025 Ill Let You Choose Your Favorite Way to Die. Finally! I have gathered all of the Ethereal Coins I need! Zhang Xuan was overjoyed to see the starting digit of the bnce of his Ethereal Card growing from a T to a 2. He had thought that he would have scared away the cultivators from the Ethereal Hall due to the overwhelming prowess he had disyed, but from the looks of it, it seemed like he had been overthinking the matter. It seemed like there were plenty of masochists there who enjoyed being killed by him after all! The elder in charge of the Ethereal Halls dueling ring looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, Do you wish to continue? Theres no need for that anymore. Zhang Xuan waved his hand with a smile as he walked out of the dueling ring. Wait a moment! A figure suddenly leaped onto the dueling ring. I would like to have a duel with you! He was none other than Pavilion Master Kui Xiao. He was usually unfazed by most matters, but after witnessing the defeat of the First Elder, his fighting will had been ignited for the first time in many years. He wanted to know how well he could fare against such a powerful opponent. Yet, who would have thought that right after he registered at the counter, the other party would suddenly withdraw from the dueling ring and leave! You cant just excite me and leave me hanging right after! Thats unfair! I still have matters to attend to, so pardon me for not being able to entertain your request. Zhang Xuan waved his hand leisurely. After earning the amount of money that he needed, he did not have any motivation to carry on fighting. It was not as if he was a battle maniac after all; he would only fight when there was a need for him to do so. Have a duel with me first before leaving. I want to see just how powerful you are, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said as he released a surge of zhenqi to block Zhang Xuans path. A thought had arisen in his mind after witnessing how this young man defeated Elder Hong Wu and the First Elder with ease. Im not free, Zhang Xuan replied impatiently. He was in a rush to deliver money to the elder so that he could head to the Sea of Exiled Stars with those from the Sevenstar Pavilion. It would be a tragedy if he somehow missed them due to getting dyed here. Then Ill have to ask you to make time for me! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao scoffed as heunched a palm strike toward Zhang Xuan. His palm strike was not as imposing as the Dragon Transformation Palm, but the sheer sharpness of the attack made it a huge threat. It was aimed at a point that left Zhang Xuan with no choice to retaliate. If thetter continued hesitating, he would surely be injured. The abrupt assault made Zhang Xuan frown in displeasure. He tilted his body slightly as he took a small step to the left. It was an extremely minor movement, but it effectively unraveled Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos palm strike. You have really keen eyes! Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos eyes gleamed with excitement. It was no wonder the other party was able to defeat the First Elder so easily. The other partys ability to ovee his attack with minimal movements was truly a beautiful work of art. He never would have expected someone to be capable of something like this. To untrained eyes, it would have appeared nothing more than a mere sidestep, and it was excessive to be so impressed by such a simple movement. However, as the person behind the palm thrust, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was well aware that his move had a total of 136 transformations in order to deal with all kinds of scenarios. No matter how his opponent reacted to his palm strike, he would have a way to press on and eventually corner his opponent! Yet, that single move waspletely out of the calctions of his transformations. This was because that location happened to be the blind spot of his attack, such that his energy would not be able to flow smoothly if he attempted to force that attack. Just like that, Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos palm strike fell empty. He could not imagine how powerful the young mans intuition and reflexes were in order to make such a sharp judgement in the midst of a battle. Intrigued, he began on his next move. On the other hand, seeing how the other party was practically throwing himself at him in order to stop him from leaving, Zhang Xuan said with a frown, If you insist on it, Ill have to ask you to pay me 2,560 Ethereal Coins. It was surprising how quickly the situation had turned around. Initially, he was worried that he was scaring customers away with his overwhelming might, but who could have thought that this fellow over here would be drawn to his strength instead, desperately trying to keep him there. If you can take me down, Ill give you 10,000 Ethereal Coins! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao harrumphed coldly. What did mere Ethereal Coins matter? He had mountains of those in his storage ring! As the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, any problem that could be solved with money was not a problem to him at all! He would pay any amount of money as long as he could explore the depths of the other partys strength! 10,000 Ethereal Coins? Zhang Xuan was stunned. You are being too kind. How can I ept so much money from you? Normally, he would only earn 2,560 Ethereal Coins each time around. Thus, he was a little taken aback to see the price getting jacked up fourfold all of a sudden. We can talk about that after you have defeated me! Huhuhu! Seeing how the other party was acting as if he had already won the battle, Pavilion Master Mo Xiaos face turned livid. With a roar, he thrust his palm forward with a speed two times faster than before. But with just very slight movements, Zhang Xuan was able to avoid his moves with ease. He ced his fingers under his chin contemtively as he asked, Since you are willing to pay so much, I shouldnt take advantage of you... Alright, feel free to tell me how you wish to be defeated. Ill try to fulfill your request as best as I can! What? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nearly fainted on the spot. You are asking me how I wish to be defeated? What the heck do you mean by that? Are you trying to tell me that you are so powerful that there are plenty of methods you can use to defeat me? You must be joking! Theres no need to get too excited. You are still rather powerful, so the choices you have are quite limited, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. As the saying went, the customers are the masters. What else could he possibly do after the other party offered him 10,000 Ethereal Coins? Nowadays, the service was much more important than the product. Since he was epting so much money, he would have to make sure the other party enjoyed the entire process thoroughly. Limited? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao gnashed his teeth together in fury. So, you are saying that even though I am strong, you still have several ways that to defeat me? Very well, let me see what you capable of then! Feeling so stifled that he could explode, Pavilion Master Kui was just about to speak when the other party beat him to it. Indeed. All in all, there are just 173 options... Theres the a fist smashing your head package, a palm sting off your head package, sword qi severing your neck package, a leg crushing your heart package... If physical means arent enough to satisfy for you, I also offer various soul and mind crushing services as well. May I know which one you prefer? 173 options? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nearly spurted blood. When the other party said limited, he had thought that it would be less than ten, but it seemed like he was being too optimistic. Was this fellow being serious? Those who could defeat him in a battle, even in the same cultivation realm, could be easily counted on two hands, but this fellow was actually asking him to choose a way to die while fighting with him? If you are that capable, why dont you kill me right now? By this point, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao could not be bothered to waste his breath with the other party. He channeled his energy into his palm and pressed it down upon his opponent. This was his strongest battle technique... Bolting Lightning Clutching Cloud! The execution of this technique produced a deafening rumble reminiscent of thunder. If one achieved a mastery of Major Aplishment in the technique, one would be able to even shatter lightning bolts and dissipate clouds with a single palm strike. He would not execute this palm strike easily because there was no one within the sect who would be able to withstand it. However, he simply could not stand just how arrogant the fellow before him was, so he decided to execute his trump card. Hu! His palms descended like two massive mountains, crushing everything in its pathway. The surrounding space seemed to have frozen under the sheer pressure, rendering those that stood in its path incapable of fleeing. But Zhang Xuan chuckled softly on the spot, seemingly oblivious to the overwhelming strength of this attack. You wish to be killed right now? Thats easy. So, he made a move. Hu! In contrast to Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos offense, Zhang Xuans palm strike appeared to be weak and powerless, reminiscent of a light breeze. Pah! Before the two palms could collide, Zhang Xuans palm was already right above Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos head. Thetters vision immediately went ck as the palm smashed his brain right into his chest. Putong! A corpse fell to the ground. It sure is weird. I offered him so many services, but all he wanted was to be killed right away... I guess that masochistic fellow just couldnt wait for the climax, Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath as he walked out of the dueling ring. To be honest, the other party was plenty strong. Without using the Library of Heavens Path, he had to admit that he had been pressured slightly by the other partys offense. However, facing numerous assassinations from the experts of the Hall of Gods had allowed hisprehension of battle to deepen significantly. Even without the Library of Heavens Path, there was no one in the same cultivation realm who could be a match for him anymore. It was with such confidence that he had dared step into the dueling ring and face any opponent. Chapter 2026 - 2026 Are You Willing to Become an Elder? 2026 Are You Willing to Be an Elder? In the real Ethereal Hall, a pale-faced elder looked at the receptionist beside him and anxiously urged, Quick, check who that person is! He was the elder of the Ethereal Hall who had demanded 20,000 Ethereal Coins from Zhang Xuan in exchange for a trip on the Sevenstar Pavilions immortal beast to the Sea of Exiled Stars. It was unbelievable, but he had just witnessed an individual winning sixteen consecutive battles without sustaining the slightest bit of damage! He had not been told that thest two opponents were the First Elder and the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, but through their battle techniques, he was still able to deduce a thing or two. In other words, someone had just thrashed the entire Sevenstar Pavilion in Biyuan Citys Ethereal Hall! Even the Semi-Divinity realm Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was not a match for the young man... This news would surely cause a huge uproar across the Forsaken Continent! Elder, the other party seems to have used some kind of Istion Formation that prevents us from tracing the details of his Ethereal Token. We were only able to deduce that hes likely in one of the private chambers of our Ethereal Hall, but we still cant confirm his identity, the receptionist reported. They had checked on the other party as soon as he defeated Meng Han, the top ranker of the Sevenstar Pavilions core disciples, but it was as if the other party had predicted that they would make such a move and set up an Istion Formation in advance. As such, they were only able to gather his rough location. There is a total of 13,700 private chambers here... Start sieving through the records to narrow down the targets to those who have reached the True Immortal realm and whose timeline coincides with that of Liu Yangs arrival. I want a list of their names as soon as possible, the elder instructed. It was infeasible to check all the private chambers one by one, but there were methods to narrow the targets down. After you find him, make sure to ord him the highest level of hospitality. Dont let him leave by any means. Ille right over to pay my respects to him, the elder said. A person who could defeat the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion was bound to be an extraordinary figure, even if thetters cultivation was lowered to the True Immortal realm. The receptionist nodded, but just as she was about to get to work, the youngdy managing the front reception suddenly called out. Elder, the young man who intends to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars is looking for you urgently... Hes looking for me? The elder waved his hand impatiently. Tell him that Im not free. I wont waste my time entertaining him if he doesnt have the money! What was more important at the moment was for him to find that expert. He did not have any time to waste on a mere True Immortal realmd! He said that... The youngdy paused for a brief moment before continuing. He has already managed to gather the required Ethereal Coins. Hes here to pay the sum. He has already gathered the required Ethereal Coins? The elder was stunned. A thought suddenly shed through his mind, and he felt as if his mind had just gone through a mini explosion. His eyes widened as he muttered beneath his breath, Could it be him? He immediately turned to the youngdy and eximed, Hurry up and invite him in! True Immortal realmcheck! Thinking about it, the other party had told him to wait for a moment, then Liu Yang had suddenly appeared in the Ethereal Halls dueling ring and won sixteen matches straight... And right after the duel ended, the other party came rushing over to tell him that he had raised the required money. Timingcheck! More importantly, Liu Yang had said that he had earned enough and would not be fighting anymore after winning the fifteenth round... Doing a quick calction, the umted earnings at the fifteenth round happened to be slightly more than 20,000 Ethereal Coins! Pricecheck! While he was still in the midst of his contemtion, Zhang Xuan walked into the room and passed a card over. Heres the 20,000 Ethereal Coins, he said. The elder quickly snapped out of his daze and received the Ethereal Card with both of his hands. Checking the contents, there were indeed 20,000 Ethereal Coins inside! His body tensed up a little as he nervously asked, May I know... how I should address you? Dont be mistaken, its not that Im trying to probe into your identity or anything! Its just that... Ill need to introduce you to the Sevenstar Pavilionter on, so Ill have to know your name and your background... Of course, of course! Zhang Xuan nodded. I am Liu Yang. Putong! The copsed elder struggled a little as he rose back to his feet. As he looked at the young man before him, he could feel his eyes slowly bing a little moist. If only he had known that this fellow was so formidable, he never would have thought of profiting off him! Who could have known that this ordinary-looking young man would actually be able to defeat the entire Sevenstar Pavilion? Were you the one in the dueling ring earlier? The elder eventually popped the question. You mentioned that it would cost 20,000 Ethereal Coins, and I couldnt think of a better way to raise the money within such a short period of time. So, I could only try my luck at the dueling ring. Its fortunate that my opponents werent very strong, or else I really wouldve had trouble trying to raise the money! Zhang Xuan replied with a bright smile. Since he did not reveal his Gods Sword Intent or expose his identity as the head of the Myriad Beasts Hall, it should be fine for him to admit to this. After all, he could not possibly not lift even a finger just to avoid the Hall of Gods, right? Your opponents werent very strong? The elder swayed a little on the spot as he tried to hold back the blood welling up at the back of his throat. Do you know whom you just fought against? Are you honestly saying that the First Elder and the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion arent strong at all? What would be considered strong in your eyes? If only Id known that you were this powerful, I never would have dared demand money from you, the elder muttered in a daze beneath his breath and sighed deeply. Lifting his gaze once more, he looked at the young man before him and said,... Rest assured, Ill contact the Sevenstar Pavilion right now! As he spoke, he quietly passed the Ethereal Card back. It was not that he was not interested in the money, but he did not dare ept it! If he offended an expert of this caliber, he could imagine that the life ahead of him would be a living hell! The elder took out a Communication Jade Token and wrote a few words on it. A few momentster, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Elder Liu, the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion wishes to meet you personally. Shall we head there? As soon as the elder reported what that had happened earlier, the other party had immediately requested for him to take Zhang Xuan over. Naturally, the elder immediately understood what was going on. He knew that the young man before him was going to undergo a massive change in his standing, so he unhesitatingly changed his form of address to Elder Liu as well. Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded. The Sevenstar Pavilion was located rtively close to the Ethereal Hall. Within ten minutes, they were already on their way into the Celestial Dipper Pce, the central hall of the Sevenstar Pavilion. Sitting in the middle of the room was Pavilion Master Kui Xiao, the First Elder, and Elder Hong Wu. Upon seeing the two of them walking over, they centered their gazes upon Zhang Xuan. The figure in the virtual Ethereal Hall was young, but the person standing before them was even more so. All in all, he appeared to be no more than thirty years in age. He was only in his twenties, but he had already reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm and be so powerful that even they were not a match for him in the same cultivation realm. Are you the person who won sixteen matches earlier in the Ethereal Hall? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked. As the other partys appearance in the Ethereal Hall and in reality was different, they could not really be sure if they were the same person. Yes. Zhang Xuan nodded. I have some urgent matters that require me to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars as soon as possible. Pavilion Master Kui, would it be fine if I shared a ride with you? Illpensate you ording to the market price. On the way there, the elder had already told him that the person whom he would be meeting was Pavilion Master Kui Xiao of the Sevenstar Pavilion! Had it been in the past, he would still have had some deference for Semi-Divinity realm experts. However, after meeting Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan, killing four Heavenly High Immortals from the Hall of Gods, and witnessing Little Chick devouring a Semi-Divinity artifact, his deference was slowly wearing off. You are heading to the Sea of Exiled Stars, too? Pavilion Master Kui frowned upon hearing those words. Brother Liu, may I ask which sect you are from? Pardon my ignorance, but I dont recall having heard your name before. Out of fear of crossing the indigenous poption, the experts of the Forsaken Continent would rarely make their way over to the Sea of Exiled Stars. However, the other party actually intended to make his way on his own ord... This reminded him of the matter concerning the Azure Bridge. Could the young man before him possibly be a genius from some other sect? If that was the case, Elder Hong Wu would not stand a chance at all! It was not that easy to advance to the High Immortal realm, but if a sect devoted all of its resources into grooming a single person, it should not be too difficult! Naturally, such a talented young man was worth a sect investing all its resources into! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and said, I am an unaffiliated cultivator. If he said that he was from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the other party would immediately think of the Gods Sword Intent. If he said that he was from the Myriad Beasts Hall, the other party would immediately think of the newly inaugurated sect leader... Instead of going to the trouble of trying to exin himselfter on, it would better for him to maintain a low profile. Shortly after he caused amotion in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he faced an assassination attempt from the Hall of Gods. The same happened after he got too high profile in the Myriad Beasts Hall... So, what he had to do right now was conceal his glow so that others would not notice him too much. Unaffiliated cultivator? Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos eyes immediately lit up. Then, a slight frown emerged on his forehead as he asked, May I know the reason behind your visit to the Sea of Exiled Stars, Brother Liu? Its to resolve my private business, Zhang Xuan replied. Private business... Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao finally heaved a sigh of relief. Since it was a private business, it had nothing to do with the Azure Bridge. That being the case, the young man should really be unaffiliated with any of the other sects. Pavilion Kui Xiao looked at Zhang Xuan with piercing intensity as he asked, Since you are an unaffiliated cultivator, Brother Liu, may I know if you are interested in joining our Sevenstar Pavilion? Joining the Sevenstar Pavilion? Zhang Xuan was stunned. What was with this sudden invitation? He was rather certain that he had maintained a low profile ever since he arrived in Biyuan City! All he did was fight sixteen battles earlier on and defeat a bunch of not-too-strong opponents. Surely battles of that caliber would not be enough to catch the attention of the leader of one of the Six Sects! Indeed. As long as you be an elder of our Sevenstar Pavilion and represent our sect in a battle, Ill gather all of the resources of the sect to help you reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm within ten days! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao offered with a shrewd gleam in his eyes. You would help me reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. There were two reasons he was in such a hurry to head to the Sea of Exiled Stars. One was to uncover the secrets behind the Godblood Rock, and the other was to gather soul cultivation techniques to raise his soul cultivation so that he could achieve a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm as soon as possible! After facing two assassination attempts from the Hall of Gods, it would be a lie to say that he was not concerned. He felt a heavy pressure prompting him to raise his fighting prowess as quickly as possible. Thinking back, he had been in the Azure for more than twenty days now, but he had only managed to raise his cultivation from Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage to the Heavenly True Immortal realm. How slow and pathetic! After all, there was a time difference between that of the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent. Twenty days here was equivalent to more than half a year in thetter world. Thats right! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nodded. There was no True Immortal who would not be tempted by an offer to achieve a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm! You mentioned earlier that he wanted me to represent the Sevenstar Pavilion in a battle. May I know what the battles regarding? Will I face any danger? Zhang Xuan asked. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. It was no easy feat to help someone raise their cultivation up to the Heavenly High Immortal realm. Since the other party was willing to offer him something as attractive as this, it was likely that the other party had to gain something out of it as well. Rest assured, its just a duel among the Six Sects. Everyone will be of the same cultivation realm, and there wont be any danger. If you surrender, no one will go too far, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. Furthermore, if you do it well, Ill nominate you as my sessor. Youll inherit my position in the future, bing the leader of the Sevenstar Pavilion! The purpose of the battle was to determine the leader of the expedition, so they would stop wherever appropriate. There would not be any danger at all. As for entering the Azure Bridge and challenging the warriors of the Hall of Gods... This was a rare opportunity to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. It might be dangerous, but the rewards were definitely worth the risks! Both he and Hall Master Qin Yuan from the Myriad Beasts Hall had reached their current realms by surviving the trip to the Azure Bridge. As long as the other party reached the Semi-Divinity realm, he was bound to be the leader of the Sevenstar Pavilion. There was no one who would possibly oppose it. Ill be your sessor and inherit your position in the future? Its fine, I wont need that. Zhang Xuan shook his head. Then, a thought suddenly came to his mind, and he looked at Pavilion Kui Xiao with a smile. However, since you said that the battle wont be dangerous, I dont mind bing an elder of the Sevenstar Pavilion... and as an elder, I should be able to ess the libraries of the Sevenstar Pavilion, right? Chapter 2027 - 2027 Could He Be Zhang Xuan? 2027 Could He Be Zhang Xuan? Of course! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nodded. There were many books in the Sevenstar Pavilion due to the nature of its operationsall of them were pretty much goods that could be sold. As an elder and possibly the future pavilion master, the other party was, of course, qualified to browse through their book collection. Then it wont be a problem then. Ill agree to it. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. As long as he could reach the High Immortal realm, he would be in a much safer position against the Hall of Gods. It could be said that pretty much all the problems that he was facing at the moment would be resolved. If the other party was able to help him reach the High Immortal realm as quickly as possible, he did not mind doing a favor for them. He was already an elder in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the head of the Myriad Beasts Hall. He did not mind taking on another role. In any case, he was assuming a persona at the moment. At the very most, he would just have to get his clone to disguise himself as himter on. On the other hand, seeing that the other party was agreeable, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. As the information that was going to be ryed afterward involved the confidential issues of the Sevenstar Pavilion, it would be inconvenient for those from the Ethereal Hall to remain there for too long. Thus, the Ethereal Hall elder bade farewell and left. After the elder left, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao flipped his wrist and took out a jade bottle. This is a High Immortal-tier Breakthrough Pill. Itll increase the chances of achieving a breakthrough to High Immortal realm for you by twenty percent. Since you have already reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm, as long as you prepare yourself well, it shouldnt be too difficult for you to make a breakthrough! Even though it was just twenty percent, this difference could easily spell a vast difference to many. Not to mention, the young man before him clearly possessed exceptional mastery in his cultivation technique and battle technique. With the help of the Breakthrough Pill, it was a sealed deal that the other party would achieve a breakthrough! You have my gratitude. Zhang Xuan received the jade bottle gratefully. He had never seen it in person before, but from the books he had read, he knew just how valuable the Breakthrough Pill was. A single pill was equivalent to the price of a High Immortal-tier artifact! It was really a huge favor to receive such an invaluable pill from the other party. It seemed like he would have to do his best in theter fight. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Theres a private chamber in our sect that is forged solely out of Calmheart Stone. If you cultivate in there, not only would you not be affected by inner demons, your chances of achieving a breakthrough will also be increased significantly. Elder Liu, feel free to tell me if you would like to use that chamber. I can take you over right now, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. Theres no need for that... I only have some doubts regarding my cultivation, so I would like to browse through some books to resolve it. May I know where the library of the Sevenstar Pavilion is located? I would like to head there to look, Zhang Xuan replied. As someone who cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, he was unaffected by inner demons. Thus, he had no need for the private chamber made of Calmheart Stone. The only time that it had happened was an unfortunate mishap, and it had been resolved by the pendant that Luo Ruoxin had given him. You wish to browse through some books? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao had thought that the young man would immediately consume the Breakthrough Pill, but who could have known that the other party would have the patience to resolve the doubts in his heart first? He could not help but nod in approval. To be able to resist the temptation of rushing into a breakthrough and instead bide his time till he found the most suitable method to do so... It was no wonder this young man was so powerful! With this, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao felt much more assured. He turned to the First Elder and said, First Elder, Ill be troubling you to take Elder Liu there. At this point, Pavilion Master Kui pondered deeply for a moment before adding, If theres a need for it, hes also authorized to view the confidential books in the hidden chamber! Yes, Pavilion Master Kui, First Elder replied with a nod. The Sevenstar Pavilion had its own lineage and heritage, but it would still collect books of all sorts for auctioning purposes. As such, their collection was really one to behold. It was just that the auctions that they held were often for the top echelons of the Forsaken Continent, so the books that they dealt with contained the secret arts of other sects. As such, the disciples and elders were forbidden from essing that content, or else it could undermine the credibility of the organization as a business partner. However, given how matured this young man was, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao did not think that there would be any problem allowing the young man to ess this collection, especially if the other party needed them to push for a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm. Of course, this was in consideration of the fact that the Azure Bridge was about to descend, or else he would never have made such an exception. The libraries were all located in the Celestial Authority Pce. Following the First Elder, he was soon inside the elders library. Feel free to look around. Ill be heading back now, but please do inform any of the nearby disciples to call me if you need any assistance, the First Elder said before taking his leave. Zhang Xuan finally took a good look at his surroundings. This library was much more spacious than that of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Proportionate to its size, there were many more books there as well. All kinds of cultivation technique manuals could be seen ced neatly atop shelves. Its collection was much more diverse than that of the Myriad Beasts Hall and Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. It did not take long for him to collect all the books on the first floor. He quickly proceeded on to the second floor, then to the third floor. Within six hours, he collected everyst book that could be found there into the Library of Heavens Path. Following which, he headed to a nearby private chamber and looked through his gains. There are some True Immortal realm soul cultivation technique manuals here, but not enough for me topile a Heavens Path Soul Art... The books in the Sevenstar Pavilion covered many different fields. All in all, there were several hundred books regarding soul cultivation techniques, but that was still insufficient for Zhang Xuan. As High Immortal realm cultivation technique manuals, while the collection in the Sevenstar Pavilion was indeedrger, there were only thirty or so books. He was still a long way off frompiling the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art. From the looks of it, it isnt too possible for me to make a breakthrough in the short-term... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he rubbed his be. It seemed like he would still have to make a trip to Starchaser Pce after all. ... While Zhang Xuan was in the library, the atmosphere in the Celestial Dipper Pce was particrly heavy. Pavilion Master Kui, do you intend to substitute me with that outsider? Elder Hong Wus face was incredibly livid. Pardon my insolence, but I cant ept your judgement! You have fought the warriors of the Hall of Gods before, but you cant even withstand a single blow from the other party. What about my judgement are you unable to ept? Pavilion Master Kui frowned. He isnt from our Sevenstar Pavilion. What right does he have to be bestowed with the centennial opportunity to challenge the Azure Bridge? Elder Hong Wu replied indignantly. That person ims to be an unaffiliated cultivator named Liu Yang, but the truth is that we know nothing about his background. We have instructed our intelligence team to look into him, but so far, they havent been able to uncover anything about him. If he turns out to be an expert from the Hall of Gods in disguise, this could potentially be our undoing! No, this wont do. I need to force him to spit out his true identity! There was no way someone who was so powerful would be able to remainpletely unknown. But given the vastness of the Sevenstar Pavilions intelligencework, if there was anything that could be uncovered about Liu Yang, they should have uncovered it by now. It was as if this fellow had appeared out of thin air! Such a situation was really worrying. After all, the oue on the Azure Bridge would determine how the next hundred years of their sect would be. If anything happened, there was a good chance that their Sevenstar Pavilion would be dropped from the ranks of the Six Sects. I have fought the warriors of the Hall of Gods before, and his battle techniques and cultivation technique are all unlike theirs, Pavilion Master Kui replied with a shake of his head. But that being said, its likely that Liu Yang is an alias he has assumed. I have already instructed the First Elder to investigate him based on his appearance. We should be able to get some results soon enough. As the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was not so negligent as to disregard these doubts. The very act of nominating Liu Yang to the Azure Bridge was as good as dering his intention to make the other party the sessor of the Sevenstar Pavilion. Naturally, he had to exercise the highest level of vignce regarding the matter. Hu! Right after those words were spoken, the First Elder walked into the hall. How did it go? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked. I have already ryed the instructions to all the branches of our Sevenstar Pavilion, but none of them have any information about a genius who shares the same appearance and soul aura as Liu Yang, the First Elder replied. The Sevenstar Pavilion was very different from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Just as it was a sect, it was also a multicity corporation that had countless branches all over the Forsaken Continent. For this reason, its intelligencework was also quite developed. Nothing at all? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao frowned. He pondered for a moment before asking, Where are Sect Leader Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Zheng Yangs portraits and soul auras? They are over here, the First Elder said as he passed two jade tokens over. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao tapped on them, and two figures immediately materialized in the air. They were Zhang Xuan and the Zheng Yang that he had disguised as! As Zhang Xuan had stayed in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for some time, it was not too surprising that the other powers had managed to obtain his portrait and soul aura. However, he had only been at the Myriad Beasts Hall for a single day, and he had hardly met anyone. Yet, the Sevenstar Pavilion had somehow obtained his details... It had to be said that its intelligencework was extremely fearsome! Seeing Pavilion Master Kui examining the appearances and soul auras of the two intently, the First Elder asked, Pavilion Master Kui, are you suspecting that Liu Yang might be either Sect Leader Zhang or Hall Master Zheng in disguise? Pavilion Master Kui nodded in response. I know that Sect Leader Zhang is a Heavenly True Immortal realm cultivator, which tallies with Liu Yangs description. However, the former is known for his unparalleled swordsmanship whereas Liu Yang was able to defeat both you and me with his bare fists. It doesnt seem very likely that they are the same person, the First Elder said with a frown. As for Hall Master Zheng, ording to the news we have received thus far, his cultivation is at Heavenly High Immortal, and due to that, he was able to tame the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and the others with ease. Since thats the case, its even more unlikely for him to be Liu Yang. Besides, I examined their soul auras carefully, and its clear that they are three different individuals. The First Elder was simply unable to understand the basis behind Pavilion Master Kuis suspicion. Theres a nt that grows only in the City of Copsed Space called Transmogrification. It allows a cultivator to alter their appearance and soul aura, Pavilion Master Kui exined. I have seen this nt in person once, but I was unable to obtain it. Pavilion Master Kui, you are suspecting that Liu Yang might have consumed Transmogrification? the First Elder asked. Im not implying that. Im just trying to tell you that just its possible to disguise ones appearance and soul aura. Just because the two of them appear and feelpletely different from one another doesnt necessarily mean that they are two different people, Pavilion Master Kui replied calmly. Its just that... I cant help but find it a little queer. Queer? It was just a few days ago that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion found itself a sect leader who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, and not longter, a formidable genius who possesses unparalleled beast taming skills emerged amid the Myriad Beasts Hall. Then, all of a sudden, an invincible True Immortal realm cultivator whom none of us are a match for appeared in our city... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao shook his head. Dont you think that its too much of a coincidence for all of them to appear like that? Those words stumped the First Elder. He had not paid much attention to this matter before, but thinking about it, it did seem rather suspicious. Under normal circumstances, it would already be a huge blessing if geniuses of such caliber appeared once every few centuries. Yet, within a short span of ten or so days, three of such figures suddenly emerged. There was indeed something really unnatural about this situation. Pavilion Master Kui, do you find Liu Yang suspicious, too? Elder Hong Wus eyes lit up hopefully upon hearing those words. He had thought that the pavilion master had gotten a little too excited by the appearance of such a formidable expert, to the extent that thetter was ignoring the possible threats. However, it seemed like he had underestimated the shrewdness of the man who had ruled over the Sevenstar Pavilion for many years. At the very least, the points that were listed out were not things that he had considered before. Well, I wouldnt really say that Im suspicious of Liu Yang... Pavilion Master Kui shook his head. I asked the elder of the Ethereal Hall about how he came to know Liu Yang earlier. ording to what he said, Liu Yang was initially intending to rent an aerial immortal beast to get to the Sea of Exiled Stars as soon as possible, and it was the elder who rmended that he join our ride. However, the Ethereal Hall hiked up the price by quite a bit in order to earn amission for their service, and this forced Liu Yang to head to the dueling ring. From this, the rationale behind his appearance in the dueling ring doesnt seem to be to capture our attention, and he doesnt seem to have any interest in the Sevenstar Pavilion. Furthermore, based on how he has conducted himself before us thus far, it doesnt seem like hes even aware that he defeated us in the dueling ring. This... Pavilion Master Kuis analysis left the First Elder and Elder Hong Wu a little lost for words. Chapter 2028 - 2028 Head Whipping Cultivation Method 2028 Head Whipping Cultivation Method As they recalled those bitter memories in that dueling ring, it did seem like the other party had not given a damn about who they were. Based on their encounter with Liu Yang, thetter was not apletely tactless person. If thetter had known their true identities in advance, he would not have thrashed them so mercilessly. Everything that had happened seemed to suggest that Liu Yang had not approached them intentionally, which meant their conspiracy theories did not hold. It could also be that hes shrewd enough to have set all of this up in order to fool me... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao shook his head grimly. That was also why I gave him the Breakthrough Pill and promised to help him achieve a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm. I wanted to gauge how he would react when I held him in high esteem... but instead of making more requests, he asked me for permission to ess our repository of books. The First Elder and Elder Hong Wu fell silent. It seemed like the pavilion master had been thinking about this matter right from the start. His every single action had another motive behind it. The fact that the pavilion master had given Liu Yang a Breakthrough Pill and promised to help him reach the High Immortal realm showed just how highly the pavilion master regarded him. Liu Yang should have caught the drift as well, and under such circumstances, it was likely that any request, even if it was slightly overboard, would be epted. But it was as if Liu Yang waspletely oblivious to all of that. As though a fool, all he requested was ess to their library. Of course, knowledge was an extremely valuable asset to a cultivator, but it had to be slowly umted over time. It was not as if one could attain enlightenment after reading for a couple of hours. As such, Liu Yangs request was nothingpared to what he could have asked for. Pavilion Master Kui turned to the First Elder and asked, What is Liu Yang doing at the moment? Hes still reading in the library. He isnt out yet, the First Elder replied, sping his fist. I see... Since thats the case, try to find out what books hes reading,pile a list, and submit it to me, Pavilion Master Kui instructed. Yes Pavilion Master Kui! the First Elder replied before taking his leave. A few momentster, the First Elder returned with a conflicted look on his face. How did it go? Well... Pavilion Master Kui, this is the recording from the library. You should take a look at it personally, the First Elder replied with a reddened face. Perplexed, Pavilion Master Kui took a jade token from the First Elders hand, and with a tap, its contents immediately floated into appearance. In the recording, Liu Yang could be seen standing in the middle of the library, whipping his head everywhere. The recording was roughly ten minutes long, and throughout those ten minutes, he did nothing but whip his head. If a shelf had ten rows of books, he would whip his head ten times toward the shelf before moving on to the next one. This... Is he having a stroke? Pavilion Master Kui and Elder Hong Wu were stunned. Was the young man not nning to browse through their collection of books? Why was he shaking his head around with such a serious look on his face? It was almost as if he was a youngd trying to practice his head whipping skills to charm thedies... Unable toprehend the reason behind Liu Yangs actions, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao could only say, Continue keeping tabs on Liu Yang. But even as more recordings were brought into the Celestial Dipper Pce, they showed nothing more than Zhang Xuans frenzied head whipping. It doesnt seem like hes trying to steal the secrets of our Sevenstar Pavilion either... The First Elder squeezed these words out from his stifled chest. If the young man was nning to steal their secret arts, he would surely take out their books and secretly copy them down so that he could study how to decipher themter on. However, all this young man did was whip his head for four hours straight, not bothering to browse through any of the books. If it was possible to steal a sects secrets just by whipping ones head, there would not be any secrets in the world anymore. There must be some kind of reason for him to continue whipping his head for four hours straight... Let me give it a try! Elder Hong Wu said. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a couple of books and ced them around him. Following which, he took a deep breath before whipping his head in the same manner as Zhang Xuan in the recording. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the First Elder hurriedly turned their gazes over and asked, How is it? Did you notice something peculiar? My head... giddy. I want to puke! Elder Hong Wu said with difficulty. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the First Elder. It was only at the sixth hour that Liu Yang finally halted his head whipping. He sat down on the floor and closed his eyes, seemingly at rest. Finally... The crowd heaved a sigh of relief. They were getting light-headed just by seeing that fellow whip his head all around. They really had no idea how anyone could continue whipping their head like that for six hours straight... Hes cultivating! Elder Hong Wu eximed. It was likely that the young man was exhausted, and he was nning to recuperate a little after shaking his head for so long. Wait... Is he consuming a Superior Immortal Pill? In the recording, not too long after Liu Yang sat down, he began consuming pills. One pill, two pills, three pills... After eating five Superior Immortal Pills straight, he suddenly rose to his feet. As a Heavenly True Immortal, is he really able to assimte that much medicinal energy? The First Elders face paled. Superior Immortal Pills were a cultivation resource that was effective even on High Immortal realm experts. Even he would have to take at least ten days to assimte the energy from a single one properly. Considering the other party was only at the Heavenly True Immortal realm, consuming five of them at once was tantamount to suicide! Was the young man not afraid of stuffing himself to death? Is he intending on pushing for a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao remarked with a frown. But at that moment, Liu Yang suddenly rose to his feet. Hu hu hu! His palm began moving around with astounding ferocity. Is that... my Dragon Transformation Palm? The First Elder was stunned. The move that the young man was executing was the Dragon Transformation Palm that he specialized in, but somehow, the other partys movements were much swifter and smoother. He had cultivated the battle technique for many years before he was able to master it, but the young man was already able to execute it better than him on his first try. All of a sudden, he felt as if his years of hard work had all gone to waste. No, something is wrong... Isnt he executing this portion a little wrong? Eh? Why does it feel like his version is much more logical? It seems to be far stronger than the original, the First Elder remarked in bewilderment. As someone who had immersed himself in mastering the Dragon Transformation Palm for many years, he could tell that the young mans execution of the technique diverged from the original secret manual. But for some reason, it seemed to flow even more smoothly. It was almost as if the other party was using the original version whereas what he had was the pirated version! Let me give it a try, the First Elder said as he rose to his feet. He executed the Dragon Transformation Palm ording to how the young man did. Hong long! With a resounding echo, a surge of zhenqi gushed through his body, and an indomitable aura could be felt from him. This is...Major Aplishment? The First Elder felt as if he was going bonkers. Even though he had spent many decades studying the Dragon Transformation Palm, he knew that he was still a far way off from reaching Major Aplishment. He was famed for being the only cultivator in the Sevenstar Pavilion who had mastered the technique, but in truth, he had already resigned himself to being unable to reach Major Aplishment in his lifetime. Yet, who could have known that he would be able to achieve a breakthrough just by imitating the other partys movements? This was a little too fast! At this moment, the person in the recording switched from executing the Dragon Transformation Palm to the Flowerless Palm. This time, it was Elder Hong Wus turn to be stunned. Soon enough, he began imitating the young mans movements. Hong long! Simrly, it did not take him too long to surpass the current bottleneck that he was facing. Soon after, the young man began executing Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos Bolting Lightning Clutching Clouds, and just like the other two, shortly after Pavilion Master Kui Xiao imitated the young mans movements, he achieved a breakthrough. It took a while for Pavilion Master Kui Xiao to recover from his shock, and he muttered to himself, Just by shaking his head for six hours, he managed to grasp the most profound battle techniques of our sect and even improved them, making them even more powerful than before. Could it be that whipping ones head can clear ones mind, allowing one to learn battle techniques faster than normal? But he had secretly tried it earlier, and it had only caused his head to spin, leaving him unable to see anything clearly. How did the young man do it? He must have used some kind of secret art to elerate his learning... But he didnt browse through any of the relevant books at all! How did he manage to learn all of our techniques? Elder Hong Wu was perplexed. Throughout the entire six hours of head whipping, the young man had not touched a single book, so how could he have learned their techniques? Not to mention, he had even reached Major Aplishment in them within such a short span of time. They had sunk decades into their battle techniques in order to reach their current levels! Pavilion Master Kui paused for a moment before saying, It could be that he secretly learned them while we were fighting with him... There are incredibly talented people out there who are able to remember every single detail of a battle technique just looking at its execution. It was said that Hall Master Kong possessed such an ability. This was the only way he could reason this out. Otherwise, it made no sense for the other party to be able to learn all their battle techniques and even master them to such a formidable degree just by whipping his head around. Right at that moment, the First Elders anxious voice echoed once more. Pavilion Master Kui... look! Pavilion Master Kui raised his head. In the recording, after executing the Bolting Lightning Clutching Clouds, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists together and began executing yet another set of battle techniques. This is... Red Dust of Ten Thousand Li? River of the Purple Sun? Dawn of the Hundred Canaries? Obliteration of All Trails? The trio spat out the names of the top battle techniques of the Sevenstar Pavilion one after another. It was as if the young man in the recording had turned into the founder of the Sevenstar Pavilion. All sorts of battle techniques and cultivation techniques seemed to flow right out of him, and every single one of them had reached Major Aplishment. Utter silence. It took a while before Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos hoarse voice sounded in the air. There is a total of twenty-three top- notch battle techniques in our Sevenstar Pavilion. In history, the elders and pavilion masters who were able to master even one of them left their mark on history, bing famed figures whose names were recited by others even after their death. Yet, he actually managed to master all twenty-three of them? The Sevenstar Pavilion had quite a few battle techniques that were on the same level as the Bolting Lightning Clutching Clouds, but they were all extremely difficult to cultivate. Every single one of them would take a great deal of time and effort in order to interpret and master. In order to master the Bolting Lightning Clutching Clouds, Pavilion Master Mo had gone through a lot of trouble. He had specially paid a visit to the highest peak of the Forsaken Continent to examine thunder and lightning. He had also ventured into the Western Regions in search of a cloud-shaped essory. He had even entered the City of Copsed Space in order to seek the answer to a doubt he had regarding the battle technique, and he had nearly lost his life there! On the other hand, the young man had only whipped his head for six hours, and he had already mastered everything. Furthermore, all the battle techniques that he had executed were far stronger than what Pavilion Master Kui Xiao remembered. In other words... it seemed like the young man had found the ws in them and corrected all of them! Was it really possible for a human to be that talented? If he bes our leader, our Sevenstar Pavilion could very well be the Sevenstar God Pavilion in the near future... Elder Hong Wu could hardly close his agape mouth. Be our leader? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao looked at Elder Hong Wu curiously. You arent going to beat anymore? It was just a moment ago that Elder Hong Wu had said that he was going to beat the young man up until thetter confessed his true identity. This... Elder Hong Wus face reddened. Even though Im an entire cultivation realm stronger than him, theres no way I could be a match for him... He might not be as discerning as Pavilion Master Kui Xiao, but he knew where he stood. Given the other partys superior battle senses and top-notch battle techniques, there was no way he could be a match for the other party even though his cultivation was higher. If they really fought, it would have surely ended in a tragic defeat for him. He stood no chance at all. He would only be making a joke out of himself if he challenged the other party. Considering that hes able to defeat you despite being a cultivation realm weaker, if he sessfully achieves a breakthrough to reach Heavenly High Immortal... is there any chance that we could win the fight against the other Six Sects and secure the best position? The eyes of the First Elder lit up. This... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao fell into deep thought. Sect Leader Zhang Xuan from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent, so theres a good chance that hell be able to match High Immortals despite only being at the True Immortal realm himself. As for the newly-appointed Hall Master Zheng Yang of the Myriad Beasts Hall, the fact that he was able to tame the Serpentine Dragon and the others shows that hes no weakling either... Nevertheless, if Liu Yang is neither of them in disguise, he should still be able to stand his ground against them! The First Elder pondered over those words for a moment before remarking, Actually, isnt there a very easy way to verify the matter? Pavilion Master Kui, you could just enter the Ethereal Hall and ask Elder Han Jianqiu and Elder Qin Yuan! Chapter 2029 - 2029 Sevenstar Immortal Grass 2029 Sevenstar Immortal Grass Ah, I forgot that there was that as well. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement. Indeed. He could simply check with those two to see if Liu Yang was either one of those two in disguise. In consideration of their rtions, especially during such a critical period, Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan would not maliciously lie to him. With such thoughts in mind, he took out the special Ethereal Token that was exclusive to the top echelons of the Forsaken Continent and immersed his consciousness into it. Within the Ethereal Hall, he shook the bell at the very center of the area. A momentter, the summoned Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan appeared before him. Pavilion Master Kui, do you need anything from us? Qin Yuan asked with a wave of his hand. May I know if the two of you recognize this person? With a tap of his finger, a silhouette appeared in the air. It was the image of Zhang Xuan in his current disguise. I dont recognize that person. One after another, Han Jianqiu and Qin Yuan shook their heads. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao heaved a sigh of relief before turning his gaze to Han Jianqiu. Brother Han, may I ask if Sect Leader Zhang Xuan is currently in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Our sect leader is currently practicing the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form, and he should be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon. Naturally, hes in our sect at the moment. Where else could he possibly be? Han Jianqiu frowned. Pavilion Master Kui, may I ask why you are asking this question? Naturally, there was no way he couldpromise Zhang Xuans safety by revealing that thetter was not in the sect. He could not allow any more mishaps to ur before the Azure Bridge descended. It was just a casual question, Pavilion Master Kui replied after receiving a firm response from Han Jianqiu. Following which, he turned to Qin Yuan and asked, Then, Brother Qin, may I ask if Hall Master Qin Yuan is in the Myriad Beasts Hall at the moment? Of course! Qing Yuans eyebrows shot up. Our hall master has just tamed the Serpentine Dragon and a few other immortal beasts, so naturally, he has to work on their coordination in preparation for the duel in a few days. Do you suspect that Im lying to the group, Pavilion Master Kui? No, thats not what I mean. Pavilion Master Kui shook his head. I was just asking due to some doubts I have in my mind. Your answers have rified my doubts, and for that, I thank you. Apologies for calling you two here on such short notice, but thats all I wanted to ask. I still have some other business to attend to at the moment, so Ill be taking my leave. Knowing that those two were still cultivating in their respective sects, Pavilion Master Kui left the Ethereal Hall as a relieved man. Returning to the central hall, he told the two elders staring at him intently, Sect Leader Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Zheng Yang are currently in their sects. I think that theres a really good chance that Liu Yang is an unaffiliated cultivator. The First Elder nodded. Its hard to believe that someone who hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent or is so capable in beast taming would possess such extraordinary means as to learn battle techniques with just a single nce as well. There were many geniuses in the world, but none of them were talented in everything. It was hard to believe that a person could be so proficient in so many arts at once. If there was really such a person, their name would have long spread far and wide across the Forsaken Continent! Since thats the case, we should spare no resources in grooming Liu Yang, Pavilion Master Kui dered with a heartyugh. Previously, when he heard the news that someone in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, he had felt deeply envious. But it seemed like the heavens were kind to their Sevenstar Pavilion as well. At this crucial moment, a genius possessing such extraordinary capabilities appeared right before them! Considering how this young man was able to master the twenty-three top-notch battle techniques of the Sevenstar Pavilion, once he sessfully achieved a breakthrough, there was no one in the world who would be able to stop him! Even the famed Sect Leader Zhang Xuan who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent might not necessarily be a match for him! Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before walking out of the library. Even though browsing through the library of the Sevenstar Pavilion did not induce any growth in his cultivation, he had gained a deeper understanding of battle techniques, thus furthering his fighting prowess. This was especially so for the twenty-three battle techniques that he had just learned. They wereckingpared to his Gods Sword Intent, but if he mastered them, they would surely prove to be formidable weapons at critical moments. Barely after leaving the room, the First Elder walked over and said, Elder Liu, Pavilion Master Kui wishes to meet you. Zhang Xuan quickly followed the First Elder to the Celestial Dipper Pce. Elder Liu, you have browsed through an entire nights worth of books. May I know if you have had any breakthroughs? If theres any help that we can provide that would aid you in achieving a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm, feel free to tell us, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said with a smile. My zhenqi cultivation and physical body are already up to par, but my soul is still a little too weak at the moment to achieve a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said. If he could raise his soul cultivation to the True Immortal realm, even without the High Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art, he should still be able to achieve a breakthrough using the Breakthrough Pill. It was just a pity that even though he had collected quite a few soul cultivation techniques in the Sevenstar Pavilion, there still was not enough. Your soul is still slightly weak at the moment? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao widened his eyes in realization. It was no wonder the young man did not consume the Breakthrough Pill right away to push for a breakthrough. In the end, it was because he felt that his soul was still not up to par. Its not too easy to cultivate ones soul. However, you are in luck. One of the treasures of our Sevenstar Pavilion, the Sevenstar Immortal Grass, happens to be exceptionally nourishing to the soul. Shall I take you over to give it a try? Sevenstar Immortal Grass? Zhang Xuan repeated the unfamiliar term in confusion. He had browsed through many books ever since he arrived in the Azure, but he had no recollection of this medicinal herb at all. Yes. Its no exaggeration when I say that its the foundation that has allowed us to stand as one of the Six Sects for the past several thousand years. Its the crux that has sealed our luck, allowing us to groom generation after generation of capable disciples, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. The Sevenstar Immortal Grass was a medicinal herb that had absorbed the energies that had gathered from the seven celestial stars above through the sects formation. It emanated a calming aura that relieved any disturbances in ones mind. For this reason, despite the Sevenstar Pavilion being located in the midst of a bustling city, those in its premises would feel as if they were standing in the midst of serene nature. Such an environment allowed the disciples of the Sevenstar Pavilion to focus their attention on cultivating without being disturbed by mortal distractions. It was through this that they were able to stand alongside the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the other sects. Ill be troubling Pavilion Master Kui then. Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. He was not epting favors from them blindly. He had noticed that they were peeping on him earlier, and in order to repay the favor, he had intentionally executed their improved battle techniques at a speed slow enough for them to follow. In a sense, it was equivalent to him imparting those moves to them. Its no trouble. As an elder of the Sevenstar Pavilion, this is one of the privileges that you are entitled to, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao replied before leading the way forward. Soon, they arrived in the area that corresponded to the Pris of the Sevenstar Pavilion. It was a vast courtyard. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao released the seal around the courtyard, and a seven-colored immortal grass came into appearance. It had seven leaves, and every single one of them glistened with a different color. They swayed under the tug of the light breeze, and slight ripples could be vaguely seen in the surroundings. Astonishingly, this single feeble-looking nt had reached Heavenly High Immortal-tier! Zhang Xuan walked up to the immortal grass to take a closer look, and his eyes could not help but light up. Its indeed extremely nourishing to the soul. In just a few moments after entering the courtyard, his soul, which had been stuck at the Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm for some time, was on the verge of achieving a breakthrough. As expected of the treasure of the Sevenstar Pavilion, it was indeed an invaluable resource! This is the Sevenstar Immortal Grass. Most of the elders who have reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm choose to achieve a breakthrough here. Under the protection of the immortal grass, they are unperturbed by inner demons, thus making their soul more wholesome, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The Sevenstar Immortal Grass was rather simr to the Bodhi Tree that he had nted in his Myriad Anthive Nest back on the Master Teacher Continent. It was extremely effective in nourishing ones soul. If he cultivated near it, even without a True Immortal realm soul cultivation technique, it should not be too difficult for him to achieve a breakthrough in his soul cultivation! There are still two more hours before dawn, so you can use this time to cultivate here. Well be heading off to the Sea of Exiled Stars at daybreak, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said before leaving the area. After his departure, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out several formation gs. Weng! With a light flick, the formation gs flew all around the courtyard and got into position. Right after, a brilliant semispherical light shone in the surroundings, isting his aura entirely. Naturally, he had obtained these formation gs from Elder Liao back at the Myriad Beasts Hall. Thetter was skilled in setting up formations, so he had plenty of such equipment. After finishing his preparatory work, Zhang Xuan sat down on the floor cross-legged and began drawing his soul out from his be. Gugugugu! As he began driving his soul cultivation technique, he could feel the energy from the immortal grass surging into his soul. But a momentter, a frown emerged between his brows. The energy in the surroundings was extremely plentiful, simr to the Lake Eyes back at Huanyu Empire. Under normal circumstances, even if he just immersed his soul in such an environment, his soul would gradually be nourished. But for some reason, even though he was already driving his soul cultivation technique, he found that he was suddenly unable to assimte the energy that he had absorbed. Thus, he turned his gaze to the immortal grass, only to see thetter swaying nonstop. The next instant, the energy in the surroundings that was nourishing his soul suddenly vanished without a trace. Whats going on here? Zhang Xuans face darkened. The situation was very clear. The Sevenstar Immortal Grass was the reason behind this anomaly. Hu! Zhang Xuan brought his soul back to his body and walked closer to the immortal grass, wanting to see what was going on. However, barely after he took a step, the spiritual energy in the surroundings jolted a little. That familiar calming energy that was nourishing to souls had returned. With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul through his be once more, but just as he was about to absorb the energy, it suddenly vanished again. When Zhang Xuan brought his soul back to his body, everything reverted to how it had been. This fellow is really trying to y with me... Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. He did not have any True Immortal realm soul cultivation techniques with him, so if he wished to make a breakthrough, he would need to have plenty of energy to nourish and cleanse his soul so as to make it purer. Only then would he be able to ovee his current bottleneck. He had thought that he should be able to achieve a breakthrough easily given the massive amount of energy the immortal grass was emanating, but who would have thought that thetter would y hide-and-seek with him? If he cultivated while his soul was within his body, not only would his rate of cultivation be much slower, it might also affect the level of his breakthrough. It seems like Pavilion Master Kui hasnt beenpletely honest with me. This Sevenstar Immortal Grass isnt just an ordinary herb that nourishes ones soul, Zhang Xuan thought. Putting aside his cultivation for the time being, he walked over to the immortal grass. Bending his knees, he reached out to touch the immortal grass, hoping to use the Library of Heavens Path to confirm thetters attributes and properties. However, with a light sway, the immortal grass suddenly vanished right before his eyes. Before he knew it, it suddenly appeared several dozen meters away. What? Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had never thought that the immortal grass would actually be able to run away on its own. Thus, he walked over once more and reached out to touch it. Hu! The immortal grass bolted off to the opposite end of the courtyard. It was as if his touch was poisonous, so it was desperately trying to avoid him. So, you want to y? Interesting, Zhang Xuan murmured with a smile. Of course, it could not possibly be that easy to deal with a Heavenly High Immortal-tier medicinal herb. He would have to win it over first. Lets see where you can escape to! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan made his move. He rushed over to grab it, but all of a sudden, blurry shadows shed across his eyes. The seven-colored leaves abruptly extended through the ground and rose from beneath his feet, wrapping thick vines around his wrists and ankles. H! Caught off guard, Zhang Xuan was raised upside down into the air. Chapter 2030 - 2030 Eating the Immortal Grass 2030 Eating the Immortal Grass In the Celestial Dipper Pce, the First Elder looked at Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and said, Even though the Sevenstar Immortal Grass is the treasure of our sect, it has quite an entric temperament. It doesnt even pay much heed to you even though you are the head of our Sevenstar Pavilion. Is it possible that it will make a move on Elder Liu? The Sevenstar Immortal Grass had been around since the founding of the sect, and it had lived for several thousand years since then. Its long life had resulted in its haughty personality, such that it would not show much respect even toward the sect leader of each generation. Considering how young Eldear Liu was, as well as the fact that his cultivation was only at the Heavenly True Immortal realm, would the immortal grass make things difficult for him? Its not as if you have never interacted with the immortal grass before. Its just a little yful. After its had its fun, it will release its soul-nurturing energy. Pavilion Master Kui chuckled softly. Considering Elder Lius achievements despite his young age, its inevitable that he might get a littlecent. Facing a small hup here and there will be good for building his character, and it will be helpful for tempering his soul. I see. the First Elder nodded slowly in agreement. However, Elder Hong Wu was still a little worried about the matter. I dont think that theres too much of a problem for the immortal grass to tease Elder Liu. What I am afraid of is that Elder Liu might destroy the immortal grass out of rage. That would really be a catastrophe! Even though it had not been long since he met this young man, he knew that the other party was not an easy character to deal with. Otherwise, the other party would not have defeated all of them so easily back in the Ethereal Hall. Rest assured. The Sevenstar Immortal Grass has lived for several thousand years, and it resides in the area where the energies in the Sevenstar Pavilion converge. Even I would be unable to capture it, let alone the Heavenly True Immortal realm Elder Liu. In the entire Forsaken Continent, other than Hall Master Kong, I can think of no other person who possesses the capability to harm the immortal grass! Pavilion Master Kui stroked his beard as he spoke. The Sevenstar Pavilion consisted of seven major pces, and these pces upied corresponded to the positions of the seven stars. The center of the seven stars was the Pris, which corresponded to the courtyard where the immortal grass resided. While the immortal grass had been nourishing everyone in the Sevenstar Pce, at the same time, the spirit, mind, and psyche of everyone in the Sevenstar Pce were nourishing it as well. This was also how a mere nt like itself was able to reach Heavenly High Immortal-tier. Hearing those words, Elder Hong Wu heaved a sigh of relief. If even a Semi-Divinity realm expert like the pavilion master was unable to capture the Sevenstar Immortal Grass, the others would stand even less of a chance. Nevertheless, just to be safe, I discreetly left a Communication Jade Token thats directly connected to a Record Crystal inside the courtyard. It will allow me to view whats going on in there in the form of a recording, so if anything does happen, well be able to intervene right away, Pavilion Master Kui said with a chuckle. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a Record Crystal and infused his zhenqi into it. Brilliance immediately glowed before a scene rose from the Record Crystal, revealing the bare outline of the courtyard. However, the scenery waspletely cloaked with mist, leaving them still unable to discern what was happening within. This is... an Istion Formation? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was stunned. He had done this before in the past, and such a situation had never happened before. For the connection to be abruptly terminated... could this be Liu Yangs doing? But this should not be! There were many formations cast over the courtyard, such that ovepping an Istion Formation on top of it was no easy feat. Even he would have to take a long time studying the existing formations in order to figure out a feasible way to set up another Istion Formation there! How did the other party manage to do it? Furthermore, it had not been long since they had left the courtyard. This was way too fast! We wont be able to see whats happening inside with the Istion Formation around the area. Most likely, Elder Liu doesnt want us to see him embarrassing himself inside... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao sighed deeply as he moved to keep the Record Crystal back into his storage ring. However, the First Elder suddenly eximed with a grave expression at that moment. Look, the mist is moving! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nced over to the recording once more, and indeed, the mist was drifting around. It was apparent that there was some kind of fight urring behind the veil of mist. Vaguely, they could see cracks appearing on the ground, and the crisp chirping of a young chick could be heard as well. Surges of energy were gushing around the area. It was apparent with a look that it was an extremely intense battle. This... The First Elder and Elder Hong Wu nced at one another in bewilderment. They knew that the immortal grass was yful; they had gone through that themselves. But... what was with the chirping of the young chick? Did Elder Liu bring a chick in as well? Seeing the facial expressions of the other two, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao chuckled softly, Dont worry, the immortal grass wont go so far as to harm Elder Liu... But before he could finish his words, the mist suddenly parted slightly, revealing the scene within to them... With a napkin ced neatly before his chest, a young man was seated on the ground with a pair of chopsticks in his hands. There was a campfire and a metal pot in front of him. The water in the metal pot was already boiling, and within the water, they could see a stalk of Sevenstar Immortal Grass turningpletely red due to the high heat. It was being cooked. The Sevenstar Immortal Grass struggled with all its might, trying to escape from the pot, but a little yellow chick floating amid the boiling water as well would peck it down every time it tried something. Eventually, the immortal grass simply stopped struggling at all. As if cooked seaweed, it drifted around the pot lifelessly. It was a surprisingly sad sight. The young man flicked his wrist and took out a small bowl. In there, he added sesame oil, salt, chili paste, peanuts, vinegar, and a few other seasonings before mixing them well. After that, he plucked out a leaf from the immortal grass, dipped it into his specially crafted homemade sauce, and swallowed it with gusto. A moment of silence lingered among Pavilion Master Kui and the others as their eyes slowly widened into bulging circles. No, this wont do...Quick, we need to save the immortal grass! It took a while before they finally recovered from their shock, and they quickly rushed out of the hall. In the blink of an eye, they arrived back at the courtyard. There, they saw the furiously sweating Zhang Xuan. You came just in time. Come, join me! It doesnt taste too bad. Zhang Xuan stood up and passed them a pair of chopsticks warmly. You ... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao walked straight over to the hot pot to fish the immortal grass out from the boiling water. The immortal grass looked incredibly withered, not moving in the least. Of its initial seven leaves, four of them had been plucked off. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao quickly ced it down gently before checking its vitals. After confirming that it was not dead yet, he heaved a sigh of relief. Unable to tolerate this, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Elder Liu, the Sevenstar Immortal Grass is the treasure of our Sevenstar Pavilion! How could you eat it? I brought you here in order to absorb the energy emanated by the immortal grass so that you could nourish your soul, but you ended up cooking it as if you are in a hot pot store! More importantly, it should have been extremely difficult for anyone to capture the Sevenstar Immortal Grass. Not even Pavilion Master Kui Xiao himself was certain he could capture it. How did the other party manage to put it into the pot? Furthermore, the temperature of boiling water wouldnt even harm a True Immortal. How did he manage to cook the Heavenly High Immortal-tier immortal grass? I tried to absorb its energy to nourish my soul, but it simply wouldnt allow me to. Not only that, it even made a move on me... I tried warning it several times, but it wouldnt listen. So, I had no choice but to cook and eat it! Zhang Xuan said. If not for Little Chick pecking on it, honestly, Zhang Xuan was not entirely confident that he would have been a match for it. In fact, the suggestion to cook it and eat it hade from Little Chick as well. If he simply absorbed the Sevenstar Immortal Grass energy, while he would be able to achieve a breakthrough, it would take quite a long time. Eating it would be far more efficient. And just as Little Chick had said, with the first leaf he ate, his soul cultivation had sessfully made a breakthrough to the True Immortal realm. Following which, he had eaten three more leaves, and that had advanced his soul cultivation all the way to the Heavenly True Immortal realm. To put it in other words, as long as he could harmonize his soul energy and zhenqi impably, he would be ready to push for a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm! On the other hand, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was frenzied. You knew how invaluable the Sevenstar Immortal Grass is, but you still cooked it and ate it. Do you really have nothing you would like to say for yourself? As the treasure of the Sevenstar Pavilion, generations of pavilion masters had treated the Sevenstar Immortal Grass with utmost respect, not daring to offend it. Yet, this fellow had actually tucked into it... Did he not feel guilty at all? Anything that I would like to say for myself? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. Well, its not too bad... It tastes like seaweed, but the texture is more QQ[1]! ...Pavilion Master Kui was speechless. Rest assured. Since I have eaten it, Ill surely restore its vitality, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. He knew what Pavilion Master Kui was worried about. He had just been teasing them when he spoke about the vors earlier, but thinking back, it might not have been a very funny joke for them given the current situation. He first stowed the swimming Little Chick back into his tamed beast sack before carrying the entire pot of boiling water over to the Sevenstar Immortal Grass. T! He poured the water on the immortal grass. The withered immortal grass was not scalded by the hot water. Instead, it seemed to have absorbed some sort of mystical power that caused its withered leaves to unfurl themselves once more. The four eaten leaves also began budding, and it seemed like they would grow back anytime soon. Such a sight made Pavilion Master Kui Xiao, the First Elder, and the others stunned. Was it possible for an immortal grass of the tier of the Sevenstar Immortal grass to grow back so quickly after being eaten? Itll take roughly a month before it fully grows back, Zhang Xuan said. In truth, this immortal grass is rather simr to sweet potatoes. Even after its harvested and eaten, it can be regrown. Since thats the case, it would be a waste not to eat it. He had not been sure about the attributes of the immortal grass initially, but after touching it, through the Library of Heavens Path, all of its secrets were unveiled before him. Even though the Sevenstar Immortal Grass was incredibly haughty, ultimately, it was just another medicinal herb. The fundamental purpose of a medicinal herb was to be eaten. Usually, if four of it leaves were eaten, it would take at least a hundred years for it to grow back. However, through the nourishment of the chicken soup broiled using Little Chick, most of its damage could be repaired within a few breaths. This... Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos lips twitched. Now that he thought about it, he remembered his predecessor telling him that the Sevenstar Immortal Grass could be eaten. However, it had been so long since anyone had managed to capture it that such a thing had been erased from everyones mind! A Semi-Divinity realm expert like him was unable to do anything to the Sevenstar Immortal Grass, but this True Immortal realm young man actually managed to capture it and boil it in a pot of soup. It was hard to believe such a thing had happened even when he witnessed it with his own eyes. Knowing that the immortal grass was fine, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao assessed the young man before him curiously and asked, Elder Liu, may I ask how effective the immortal grass is? Its not too bad. My soul has been nourished to a satisfactory level, Zhang Xuan replied. Thats good. Its already dawn, lets set off now, shall we? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked. Since the young man had received what he wanted, there was not much point remaining there anymore. After all the shocks they had been through, the sun had already risen. Zhang Xuan nodded quietly in response. There were eight aerial immortal beasts prepared specifically for this journey. All eight of them were pulling a massive carriage that was still extremely spacious even after the entire group got into it. Peering through the windows, Zhang Xuan noted that the speed of the carriage was even faster than that of the Serpentine Dragon. After confirming that the general direction was indeed headed to the Sea of Exiled Stars, he turned his attention away from this matter and began cultivating. Over the next two days, he sessfully reinforced his soul cultivation. Its about time for me to try pushing for a breakthrough to High Immortal realm, Zhang Xuan thought as he took out the Breakthrough Pill that he had received from Pavilion Master Kui Xiao. His zhenqi, physical body, and soul cultivation had all reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm, so he was literally prepared in body and in soul. As long as he could reach the High Immortal realm, he would finally have the power to protect himself in the Azure. Even if he came under the assault of Semi-Divinity realm experts from the Hall of Gods, he would not be utterly powerless anymore! [1] QQ is a Taiwanese term that describes the texture of soft yet chewy food, such as the texture of noodle and glutinous rice balls. Basically, the food should be soft but still offer some resistance to the bite. Chapter 2031 - High Immortal Realm! Chapter 2031 High Immortal Realm! The only caveat with the current n was that he had notpiled a perfect High Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art. He also was not sure if he would be able to do so in the near future. I cant afford to wait that long anymore... As his cultivation progressed, it was only natural that the number of cultivation technique manuals that he had would reduce. He could not possibly stop cultivating just because he was unable topile a perfected Heavens Path Divine Art, right? It was time for him to ovee his fears! Besides, he had also advanced through the realms of Ancient Sage back when he was on the Master Teacher Continent even though he had not managed topile the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Arts. Perfection or safety, this was the trade-off that he had to make at this moment. Currently, he viewed thetter as a more urgent need. If he did not raise his cultivation fast enough, disaster would soon befall him. He did not think that he would be able to avoid the Hall of Gods for too long. I should start. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan uncorked the jade bottle and swallowed the Breakthrough Pill inside of it. Boom! The rich energy harnessed within the pill gushed through his entire body, leaving him feeling as if a me had been ignited within his body. He focused his attention on concentrating all his zhenqi toward oveing the bottleneck that hindered his path to bing a High Immortal. The Heavens Path Divine Art was like a key to the gate between each cultivation realm. As long as he acquired this key, no matter how heavy the gates were, he would be able to open them with ease. However, since he did not have the key with him right now, he had no choice but to crush the gate with brute strength! As long as he could gather sufficient energy to build up enough momentum, he would be able to reach the High Immortal realm. Weng! A resounding reverberation echoed as zhenqi gushed forward to break down the wall. Blood immediately spurted out from Zhang Xuans lips. Its more resilient than I thought... He had thought that it should not be too difficult for him to reach the High Immortal realm with his current cultivation, but the bottleneck was like a secure metal vault. No matter how hard he charged into it, it simply would not budge. Are you trying to achieve a breakthrough via brute strength? Noticing what Zhang Xuan was trying to do, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the others were appalled. The High Immortal realm was one of the hardest obstacles for a cultivator to ovee on the Forsaken Continent. There were many experts who had devoted their lives to uncovering tricks and methods to ovee this bottleneck. Yet, this fellow actually wanted to ovee it with brute strength! This was as good as trying to knock down a hundred-meter-thick wall on a steed! How could it be possible? If it was possible to do it through brute strength, those cultivators stuck at the Heavenly True Immortal realm would not have been at such a loss as to what they could do! Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan realized that his attempts were not working well, so he turned to the crowd and asked, Do you, by any chance, have any Premier Immortal Pills? Superior Immortal Pills were insufficient for him to build up enough momentum to achieve a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm. If he wished to seed, he would need something even more potent. I have two of them, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said as he took out a jade bottle. There were not many Premier Immortal Pills on the Forsaken Continent. Even as the head of the richest organization in this world, he did not have many of them. Ill repay the favor to you after we arrive at the Sea of Exiled Stars, Zhang Xuan said as he took the jade bottle without any reservations. He knew that these two Premier Immortal Pills would y a vital role to him in achieving a breakthrough. Without any hesitation, he took out the two pills and popped them into his mouth. ...Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos eyelids twitched in shock. Even a Semi-Divinity realm expert like him would take at least three days to assimte the energy in a Premier Immortal Pill, but the young man before him, a Heavenly True Immortal, actually swallowed two of them at once. Was he not afraid of blowing up? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao walked over to Zhang Xuan and ordered the others, Everyone, focus your attention and keep a close lookout! Such a forceful breakthrough came with huge risks. They would have to keep a close lookout so that they could intervene in time if the young mans cultivation was about to go berserk. The First Elder, Elder Hong Wu, and the others quickly gathered around. This young man before them was the hope of the Sevenstar Pavilion. Be it Sect Leader Zhang Xuan or Hall Master Zheng Yang, the likes of them could not possibly be a match for this monstrous genius. Thus, they were willing to give their all to protect him. Boom! As the two Premier Immortal Pills melted, Zhang Xuan felt a tremendous amount of energy flooding through his meridians. If the Breakthrough Pill had generated a river within his body, after consuming the two pills, the river had evolved into a massive tsunami that charged right toward the resilient gates of High Immortality. Boom boom boom! With each attempt to crush the gates, Zhang Xuan would suffer significant damage due to the recoil. Blood was flowing from his nose, mouth, and ears, but even after several tries, the gates still refused to open. He had sustained significant injuries, and his body was on the verge of copsing. Thus, he quickly took out a jade bottle filled with the gourds bathwater, and only then did he feel himself recovering a bit. He gritted his teeth tightly together as a determined glint shone in his eyes. Hu! With a whip of his hand, he took out several more jade bottles. An incredible amount of energy was emanating from these bottles. Those bottles contained the blood essence of the Heavenly High Immortals from the Hall of Gods! Prior to forging the corpses of those Heavenly High Immortals into Soulless Metal Humanoids, he had gathered their blood essences and stored them safely in jade bottles. These blood essences harnessed the power of those Heavenly High Immortals, so they were overflowing with energy. Peng! Uncorking the jade bottles, the blood essences quickly morphed into mist before flowing into his body through his acupoints. A crimson glow appeared on the surface of Zhang Xuans skin, and his body was starting to show signs of drying up. It seemed like he had gathered so much energy within him that the energies umted within his body were trying to devour him instead. Humph! With a cold harrumph, Zhang Xuan bore the tearing pain and drove his True Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art to its limits. He forcefully took control of the energies rampaging within his body and channeled them toward the gates once more. Jiya! With the sheer amount of energies gathered, the gate began to waver. Its working! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He quickly gathered the energies back together to make one attempt after another. To be honest, the bottleneck to the High Immortal realm was much more terrifying than he had thought. He had gathered so much energy within on him that he was starting to lose control even with the Heavens Path Divine Art. He had thought that he would be able to achieve a breakthrough easily after going so far, but even after so many attempts, it still was not fully torn down yet. This was probably the greatest hurdle that he had faced in his cultivation so far. Itll be difficult for him to achieve a breakthrough in the future if he doesnt seed the first time. We must lend him a hand! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao ordered. He ced his hand on Zhang Xuans back and infused a surge of pure energy right into thetters body. He had seen plenty of geniuses who had anxiously rushed to push for a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm only to end in failure. Most of them would try againter in their lives, but the difficulty was really on a whole new level then, such that most of them ended up never managing to make a breakthrough. Once the energies within the young mans body calmed down, it would be hard for him to achieve a breakthrough in the future. If so, their hopes at the Azure Bridge would be shattered. Thus, even if they had to gather the strength of everyone present, they needed to ensure that the young man was sessful in his breakthrough! Hearing those words, the First Elder and the others quickly gathered around. Tzzzzzz! They channeled their zhenqi into Zhang Xuans body, and their zhenqi was immediately assimted into the roaring tsunami of energies within thetters body, enhancing its might and momentum. You have my gratitude. Zhang Xuan did not think that they would go so far to help him achieve a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm, and he could not help clenching his fists tightly in agitation. He swiftly asserted his control over the augmented tsunami of energies and channeled it toward the gates once more. Geji! Geji! The gate wavered even more. With the assistance of those experts, Zhang Xuan could feel his bottleneck loosening significantly. However, the toll of having so many different energies on his body was also starting to show as well. Cracks were starting to surface on his body, signaling that he was on the verge of suffering a physical breakdown. Zhang Xuan immediately swallowed several more bottles of gourds bathwater before focusing his attention back on his breakthrough. Boom! After innumerable attempts, the gates were finally forced open, allowing the surge of energies to burst through. As those energies quickly circted around his body, Zhang Xuans aura surged. High Immortal realm, reached! With the aid of the Breakthrough Pill, High Immortal realm blood essence, Premier Immortal Pills, and zhenqi from Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the others, he had finally seeded! Gugugugu! The zhenqi within his body swiftly condensed together to be even more concentrated and powerful. As this concentrated zhenqi flowed through his body, the heavy injuries that he had sustained in the midst of the breakthrough swiftly healed up. At the same time, his soul and body were being nourished as well. What pure zhenqi this is... As energy flowed through his body, Zhang Xuan felt vigor like he had never experienced before. It was no wonder why High Immortals were so much more respected than True Immortals. The strength that he wielded was at least several times stronger than before. As he did not have any more Premier Immortal Pills, he could only drink more blood essences from the Heavenly High Immortals in order to sustain his breakthrough. It took roughly a dozen bottles before his zhenqi finally settled down. While he did manage to reach the High Immortal realm, due to theck of the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art, he was unable to progress any further than that at the moment. Nevertheless, even though he was only at the Lesser High Immortal realm, the strength that he wielded was not something that should be underestimated. If he was faced with those three Heavenly High Immortals who had made an attempt on his life once more, even without relying on any external help or trickery, he would still be able to easily smack them to death. Barely after Zhang Xuans cultivation settled down, Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos voice sounded. Its a relief that everything went well... Zhang Xuan raised his head and saw the elders who had helped him earlier looking at him with pale faces. The zhenqi in their bodies was on the verge of depleting entirely. I am extremely grateful to all of you for your help. Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. If not for their unreserved assistance in devoting their zhenqi for his use, there was no way he would have been able to achieve a breakthrough to the Heavenly High Immortal realm. He quickly passed a bottle of gourds bathwater to each of them and said, Drink it. Itll heal your injuries. The crowd epted the bottles and quickly drank the water. A tinge of redness quickly returned to their pale faces. The swift depletion of energy had resulted in some hidden traumas in their bodies, and those injuries would often prove difficult to recover from. However, the gourds bathwater had helped them recover from them in an instant. They were still feeble from theck of energy, but they were still able to recover quickly. This medicine... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the others were bewildered. The water that they had just drunk was more effective than any recovery medicines that they had consumed. Its a recovery medicine I have specially concocted. Drink it if you sustain any difficult injuries, Zhang Xuan said as he took out several more bottles of the gourds bathwater and distributed it among the crowd. Considering how far they had gone to help him, he would not be stingy with them. Following that, as the crowd from the Sevenstar Pavilion consumed all kinds of pills to recover their energy, Zhang Xuan also sat down to reinforce his cultivation. It took three days for everyone else to recoverpletely from their previous exertion. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also managed to reinforce his Lesser High Immortal realm cultivation. Is there no cultivation ordeal for achieving a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. On the Master Teacher Continent, those whose cultivation had reached Saint 5-dan would draw in a cultivation ordeal. It was hard to imagine there would be no cultivation ordeal for reaching the High Immortal realm. The Forsaken Continent is thend that the gods have abandoned. Even though there are no longer any gods here, its still an extremely powerful dimension. High Immortals arent powerful enough to sway thews of the world yet, so the heavens wont send heavenly retribution upon them, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. The only case where one will face a cultivation ordeal is probably when one attempts to make a breakthrough to be a real god. Be a real god? As exiles, we are unqualified to be real gods. If we attempted to make a breakthrough, it would immediately draw bacsh from the Hall of Gods. The heavens would also feel threatened by the act and invoke heavenly retribution upon the cultivator. A lightning tribtion would be the least of ones worries; there would be heavenly mes and heavenly obliteration as well. There are many talented individuals on the Forsaken Continent who have attempted a breakthrough, only to lose their lives tragically in the end, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said with a bitter smile. Thus, the strongest realm on the Forsaken Continent is Semi-Divinity. Semi-Divinity is ultimately just a pseudo god, an existence thates nowhere close inparison to a real god. Besides, one needs to tap into the powers of the Hall of Gods in order to reach Semi-Divinity. This is not a feat that one can achieve with sheer talent! Chapter 2032 - The Secrets of Semi-Divinity Chapter 2032 The Secrets of Semi-Divinity Tap into the powers of the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. To be a god, one must acquire the acknowledgement of the gods, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao exined. This is also why those of the Six Sects struggle so hard to enter the Hall of Gods to snatch the (God) character. Even just half a (God) character represents the qualification and possibility to reach the Semi-Divinity realm. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It was no wonder those of the Six Sects were so intent on snatching the (God) character. He had thought that it was just because they were vain and wanted to use the character in their names, but who would have thought that it was the foundation to ascend to greater heights? At the same time, he realized why he had managed to be the hall master and elder of the Myriad Beasts Hall and Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion respectively so easily. Most likely, they were entrusting their hopes to him. If he sessfully snatched a ꣨God) character from the Hall of Gods, those who were stuck at Heavenly High Immortal would finally be able to make a breakthrough to greater heights. Their lifespan and fighting prowess would be greatly increased. I heard that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has only acquired half a character, which is why they can only use it on the Sword God Hall instead of in their sects name, Zhang Xuan said contemtively. Does this mean that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion possesses the means for one to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, too? They do, but the difficulty is much greater. Throughout the entire Forsaken Continent, the only power that has managed to acquire an entire (God) character is the Ethereal Hall. In other words, its likely that they have the greatest number of Semi-Divinity realm experts. This is also why none of the Six Sects dare to oppose it, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Each of the Six Sects had their own defined territories, and the other sects would be unable to interfere in their affairs. On the other hand, the Ethereal Hall was a power that wielded influence across the entire Azure. It turned out that this single _God)_ character was the key. If its impossible to achieve a breakthrough without the God)_ character... Pardon me for asking this, but it seems like your cultivation has long reached the Semi-Divinity realmhow is that? Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment. All three heads of the Six Sects that he had met thus far were Semi-Divinity realm experts. If it was impossible to make a breakthrough without that character, how did they manage to reach their current realm? This is why we looked for you, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said with a smile. Oh? You might have heard about how the Azure Bridge leading to the Hall of Gods descends every hundred years. Those on the Forsaken Continent are able to reach the Hall of Gods via this bridge and possibly snatch the ꣨God), character. For each battle one won, one can absorb a sliver of Aura of Divinity, which is the key to achieving a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. I was one of the challengers a hundred years ago! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. One can absorb a sliver of Aura of Divinity by winning a battle? Then... what if one loses a battle? Those who lose their battles usually lose their lives as well. Lose their lives? Zhang Xuan was astonished. So, this means that each of the current heads of the Six Sects have won a match? Han Jianqiu, Qin Yuan, and Kui Xiao were all Semi-Divinity realm experts. Even though he had not met the leaders of the three remaining sects, it was likely that they were not too weak. Did they manage to win their battles as well? Honestly, this was a little hard for him to believe. He had fought with the experts of the Hall of Gods before, and he knew just how frightening they were. It was no exaggeration to say that they were nigh invincible in their power ss. Even Han Jianqiu and Kui Xiao would not stand much of a chance against them! It might still be possible for the two of them to win out of sheer luck, but it felt like too much of a coincidence for all six heads of the Six Sects to win their battles! The heads of the Six Sects did win a match each against the warriors of the Hall of Gods, but they arent from the same batch of challengers. Take Du Qingyuan from Starchaser Pce for example, she reached the Semi-Divinity realm a thousand years ago. There have been quite a few challengers from Starchaser Pce in the years since, but none of them have managed to survive the battle. A thousand years ago? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Are Semi-Divinity realm experts able to live that long? Most High Immortals could only live up to three hundred years, but Du Qingyuan had actually reached the Semi- Divinity realm a thousand years ago. Did this not mean that she had lived for a whole thousand years? That would be equivalent to ten thousand years on the Master Teacher Continent! This was really frightening. Usually, Semi-Divinity realm experts can only live for five hundred years at most, but those from Starchaser Pce are a little unique in terms of their constitution. They enjoy a far greater lifespan than the rest of us. Despite that, its clear that Du Qingyuan is swiftly approaching her end. Its likely that she only has a few more years ahead of her. Like her, Hall Master Qin Yuan is also reaching the end of his lifespan, Pavilion Master Kui said with a shake of his head. Thus, they hope that a new Semi-Divinity will appear in their sects this time around. Otherwise, the fragile bnce of power maintained among the Six Sects will shake... Zhang Xuan nodded slowly in agreement. He could finally see why Qin Yuan had unhesitatingly passed down the position of hall master to him. With his lifespaning to an end, Qin Yuan could only entrust his hopes to him and pray that he would be able to clear the Azure Bridge and sessfully be a Semi-Divinity expert, thus bing a pir to prop up the Myriad Beasts Hall for the next five hundred years. Although the situation among the Six Sects was rtively peaceful, they knew that this would swiftly change as soon as one of them disyed any sign of weakness. Even if the other sects did not make a move on them, they would lose their resources and talents to the other powers. As time went by, they would eventually be a second-tier power, and their prestige would be a thing of the past. Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled something. Pavilion Master Kui, you mentioned earlier that there will be a duel with others from the Six Sects, and there will be no danger. May I know what that means? Thinking back, it was weird that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao had asked him to participate in a duel against the other powers instead of challenging the Azure Bridge. After all, the reason Pavilion Master Kui wanted him to join the Sevenstar Pavilion was likely because he wanted him to be the Sevenstar Pavilions representative on the Azure Bridge. Werent you wondering earlier why there were Semi-Divinity realm experts in all of the Six Sects? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. There are five warriors guarding the Azure Bridge. If you can achieve victory in the duel among the Six Sects, you will be able to be the leader of the expedition. If so, you will be entitled to leave the other five members to deal with the five warriors while you enter the Hall of Gods right away. In other words, you will have won a battle even without having to fight. Through that, you will have effectively gained the qualification to make a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm! The expedition leader will be able to enter the Hall of Gods without fighting at all? Wait a moment, what happens to the other five members who have to fight against the warriors of the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan asked. Chances are that they would lose their lives, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said grimly. In view of this, if all the disciples are equally powerful, the duel will be skipped. The position of the expedition leader will be selected through a specific sequence. Its the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions turn to be the expedition leader this time, and it will be the Myriad Beasts Halls turn the next time around, and after that will be our Sevenstar Pavilions turn. This arrangement maintains the bnce of power among the Six Sects. On top of that, it also unites us together against the Hall of Gods. Of course, there are cases where theres a great disparity in power. If so, the sequence will be disrupted. This is to allow the genius to conserve his strength in the earlier stages and save his energy for snatching the (God) character from the Hall of Gods. There are also extreme cases like in Hall Master Kongs generation. Due to his overwhelming strength, even if he didnt take on the position of the expedition leader, he would still have been able to clear the Azure Bridge and enter the Hall of Gods with ease. Such circumstances often give rise to more Semi-Divinity realm experts. Even if all six dont seed, there will still be at least two or three of them. Zhang Xuan nodded. Even if they alternated the expedition leader each and every time, due to the lifespan of a Semi-Divinity realm expert being only five hundred years, there would be a period of time where a sect would be without a Semi-Divinity realm expert. That would mean a period of vulnerability for the sect, and things could easily go wrong during that time. Thus, there was still a need for them topete over the position of the expedition leader despite the current arrangements. This was why those from the sects bestowed him with the position of an elder and willingly provided him with all kinds of resources. Clearly, they wanted him to vie for the position of expedition leader in their stead. As long as there was someone to guard their sect, everything else was of secondary importance. After finishing his piece, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao looked at Zhang Xuan expectantly. Elder Liu, you must give it your all. Well also be providing you with whatever support you require to reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm as soon as possible. Even when he challenged the young man with his cultivation suppressed to the True Immortal realm, thetter was able to defeat him without the slightest hint of exhaustion. Most likely, he should be able to crush the candidates from the other sects with ease! It was a done deal for him to reach the Semi-Divinity realm. He might even be the ray of hope for them to snatch a ? (God) character for their sect. If so, the continued prosperity of their Sevenstar Pavilion would be ensured! Rest assured. Zhang Xuan nodded. If not for the other party sacrificing themselves for him, he would not have been able to achieve a breakthrough and be a High Immortal. This favor was more than enough for him to put his all toward helping them. Having understood the situation, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to reinforcing his cultivation. Meanwhile, the aerial immortal beast sped ahead, and in less than half a day, a massive ocean came into sight. We have finally arrived at the Sea of Exiled Stars. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao stood up. Zhang Xuan also walked over to the window to take a look. He could see deep blue water beneath him. Looking into the distance, it felt like the ocean was fusing together with the sky, and they were currently traversing in a mystical space that existed between the sky and the ocean. Traveling alongside them were all kinds of fish and birds, painting an incredibly beautiful sight. So, this is the Sea of Exiled Stars? Zhang Xuan was amazed. To think that the experts of the Forsaken Continent were unwilling to step foot in such a beautiful world. Indeed. At nighttime, the ocean beneath will look as if stars have fallen into it, inducing the urge to chase after them. Sometimes, if you travel fast enough, you might even be able to catch up with them. This is probably the reason behind the name of Starchaser Pce, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. But nature tends to manifest danger amid beauty. The only reason we havent been attacked yet is because we are currently on a carriage carrying the insignia of the Sevenstar Pavilion, and its being pulled by many High Immortal realm beasts. Ordinary cultivators would never be able to make it this far. Most of them would have already encountered innumerable dangers, so how could they be in the mood to enjoy the beauty? I see, Zhang Xuan replied deeply. It would be foolish to underestimate whaty beneath the surface of calm waters. It was likely that there were countless powerful beasts hiding within the Sea of Exiled Stars. Those who dared step into their territory recklessly would find themselves in great danger. Watching as the immortal beasts around him slowly venturing into the depths of the Sea of Exiled Stars, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, Where is Starchaser Pce? At the center of the ocean, theres a massive ind known as Starchaser Ind. Starchaser Pce and the indigenous poption of the Forsaken Continent all reside there, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao exined. The immortal beasts continued ahead. After advancing roughly two thousand li, Zhang Xuan could see a lot of beasts prowling beneath them in the ocean, seemingly contemtingunching an assault. If not for Pavilion Master Kui Xiao releasing his aura as a Semi-Divinity realm expert to deter them, it was likely that some immortal beasts would have already made a move on them. It was no wonder no one dared to approach this area. Putting aside the threat from the indigenous poption, just these immortal beasts were enough to make any cultivator stop in their footsteps. Around half a dayter, a massive ind finally came into view. It was several thousand li in width, and there was a humongous, bustling city located at its center. From afar, one could feel a unique aura shrouding the city, forming some sort of force field that deterred others from approaching. This aura feels a little familiar... Zhang Xuan was a little taken aback. He was certain that he had felt this unique force field somewhere before. Thus, he activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look. Boom! His eyes narrowed his astonishment as his body tensed in agitation. Isnt this the aura from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Chapter 2033 - 2033 Semi-Divinity Realm Beas 2033 Semi-Divinity Realm Beas A familiar energy was being emanated by that massive ind. It was the killing intent unique to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! The reason he did not notice it immediately was because the killing intent lost its violent nature when mixed with the mercury-like spiritual energy of the Azure, making it feel warm. In any case, the presence of the killing intent meant that there were Otherworldly Demons on the ind. Could the indigenous poption that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao had spoken about refer to them? That would exin the origin of the Otherworldly Demons! They must have somehow slipped into the Master Teacher Continent by breaching the dimension barrier, thus bringing a huge catastrophe upon the lifeforms there. With such thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly took a closer look at the figures walking around the massive city, but what he saw simply left him even more bewildered. They were all roughly the size of ordinary humans, and there was nothing odd about them. They did not have the bloodthirsty and savage presence of Otherworldly Demons. Could his senses have been off? Back when I was in the Kunxu Domain, the Otherworldly Demons that were exposed to the mercury-like spiritual energy lost their bloodthirsty and violent nature. This is probably the cause of the anomaly, Zhang Xuan thought. Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others had done experiments on the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to test out their tolerance to the mercury-like spiritual energy, and they had proved that those who managed to withstand the ordeal would gain properties simr to those of ordinary humans. Starchaser Pce is located at the very center of the ind. If we fly in directly, we might end up sparking a conflict, so well get off just ahead, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao told Zhang Xuan. The aerial immortal beast pulled the carriage down, and soon, theynded on a tform. As soon as theynded, a group of metal-armored guards marched over. Elder Hong Wu walked over and passed his token over. The guards took a look at the token before opening a path ahead. With a sharp glint in his eyes, Zhang Xuan assessed the two guards in front of him carefully. Just as he had guessed, they were indeed Otherworldly Demons who had absorbed the mercury-like spiritual energy. Furthermore, they dressed the same as the deities from the heavens who had descended to the Master Teacher Continent. Could they be on the receiving end of the rituals conducted by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe on the Master Teacher Continent? If that was the case, could the female deity who had taken Sovereign Chen Yong away and imed that she knew of Luo Ruoxins whereabouts possibly be an expert from Starchaser Pce? It seemed like he would have to look into this matter then. Our Sevenstar Pavilion has a branch here. Elder Liu, Ill take you there before helping you gather the items you require to achieve a breakthrough to the Heavenly High Immortal realm, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The group quickly made their way down the streets. The city was extremelyrge, boasting a scale greater even than that of Biyuan City. If Zhang Xuan had not been too confident in his deduction earlier, he was certain of it now that he was making his way through the streets. Those living here on Starchaser Ind were all Otherworldly Demons. Their bloodthirst and savagery had been neutralized by the mercury-like spiritual energy, but they remained a deeply belligerent race. As such, they were extremely hostile toward outsiders. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao noticed that Zhang Xuan was looking around, so he sent a telepathic message over. Even though we have a branch here, we are still deemed as outsiders. We do conduct trade with them, but we dont have any close ties in the city. We also dont intend to put too much focus on building rtions here, or else it might just backfire on us. Zhang Xuan could rte to those words. It was not that the Otherworldly Demons were heartless creatures that only knew of ughter, but it was a fact that they did have warlike tendencies. If things did not go ording to their wishes, their primary instinct was to resort to violence, especially if the other party was not one of their own. As such, it was not easy to forge rtions with them. Given so, it would be best to minimize interactions to the bare minimum, or else it would only spell trouble. This was the same for Zhang Xuan. He was an invincible existence back on the Master Teacher Continent, but over here, there were probably plenty who were able to defeat him. Thus, it was best for him to exercise prudence. After walking for roughly two hours, a Sevenstar Pavilion branch came into sight. Just like the headquarters located in Biyuan City, there were many treasures on disy, but their tiers clearly paled inparison. As soon as they stepped in, the manager immediately received them warmly and prepared the best amodation for them. Elder Liu, you should rest here for the time being. Ill go and prepare the resources you need, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. If I may ask, what do you intend to prepare? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Even though Lesser High Immortal and Heavenly High Immortal are cultivation stages in the same realm, it shouldnt be too easy to achieve a breakthrough from one to the other within a short period of time. However, it sounds like you have a way that will allow me to achieve a breakthrough quickly. Achieving a breakthrough to the High Immortal realm was indeed the greatest hurdle, but it was not as if the path ahead would be easy. Achieving a breakthrough from the Lesser High Immortal realm to the Heavenly High Immortal realm was no simple task. If one described the True Immortal realm as a pond, the High Immortal realm would be an ocean. It was not too difficult to fill up a pond, but filling up an ocean was truly troublesome. One would have to pay a heavy price if one wanted to hasten the process. Furthermore, what he wascking at the moment was not just cultivation resources but cultivation technique manuals as well! No matter howrge an ocean was, as long as one had a river constantly flowing into it, it was only a matter of time before it filled up. However, he had not even constructed a river to his ocean yet. If he relied on rainwater falling into it, how long would it be before it was filled to the brim? Under such circumstances, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao imed that he would be able to help him achieve a breakthrough. Thus, Zhang Xuan could not help but be curious about what was it that made the other party so confident. Its said that a Semi-Divinity realm beast once appeared in the Sea of Exiled Stars. As long as I am able to capture it and procure its blood and beast core, it shouldnt be too hard for you to reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao revealed his thoughts. A Semi-Divinity realm beast? Zhang Xuan frowned. Didnt you mention that one needs to challenge the Azure Bridge in order to reach the Semi-Divinity realm? Based on what had been said thus far, it sounded like the slots to challenge the Azure Bridge were dominated by the Six Sects. It did not seem likely that those from the Beast Tribe would have an opportunity to slip in. Upon hearing the question, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao quickly looked around him warily before sending a telepathic message over. Thats indeed the case, but there has been an exception to that recently. Two months ago, in a certain part of the Sea of Exiled Stars, the sky has copsed, and something fell to the ground. It touched the rocks nearby, turning them fiery crimson in color. No mes and weapons were able to harm the rocks at all. If Heavenly High Immortal realm beastse into close contact ͵h it, they have a chance of achiexdng a breakthrough to the Semi^ Divinity realm. Rocks? Could they be Godblood Rocks? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment as his body tensed up. The other reason he hade to the Sea of Exiled Stars was to investigate the origin of the Godblood Rock. He had not thought that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao would have known of its existence. If the fact that those rocks had turned into Godblood Rocks was not conclusive of anything yet, the fact that even immortal beasts were achieving breakthroughs should at least mean something. You know of Godblood Rocks? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao turned his gaze over. Ive heard of them before. Zhang Xuan nodded. I read about them in the ancient records. Those rocks are likely Godblood Rocks. If we can capture those Semi- Divinity realm beasts and procure their blood and beast cores, even if it isnt sufficient to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, it should at least be enough for you to make a breakthrough to the Heavenly High Immortal realm, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. As the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, he possessed vast knowledge about artifacts and treasures. Even without a suitable cultivation technique, the young man should still be able to achieve a breakthrough to the Heavenly High Immortal realm with just the blood and beast cores. It was just that... Hunting down Semi-Divinity realm beasts was easier said than done. Putting aside their strength, if they attempted to run away, he was not absolutely confident that he would be able to catch up to them. Thus, it was only a possibility. He could not guarantee that it could be done. May I know where those rocks are located? Zhang Xuan asked. He found it hard to curb his agitation, especially since this matter concerned Luo Ruoxin. Im not too sure about the exact location, but I spotted a Semi-Divinity realm beast not too far away from here. If we want to know the location of the Godblood Rocks, well just have to capture that beast and question it. I intend to head over to test out its strength right now. It would be best if its weak enough for me to subdue, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. Even among Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, there were bound to be differences in their strength. He had reached the Semi-Divinity realm many years prior. Even though he was not a match for Han Jianqiu, those beasts that had reached the Semi-Divinity realm two months ago should be well within his means to deal with. As long as those beasts did not possess an overpowered bloodline, he was confident that he would be able to capture them. Id like to follow you to take a look, Zhang Xuan said. You wish toe along? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao frowned. Rest assured. Even though my cultivation is only at the Lesser High Immortal realm at the moment, I do have my own self-preservation means. Even if the other party is stronger than me, Im confident that Ill be able to get away with ease, Zhang Xuan assured Pavilion Master Kui. Is that so? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao hesitated for a moment before nodding grimly. Alright then! He thought that it would be a good opportunity for this young man to witness the strength of Semi-Divinity realm experts as well so that he would be prepared should he face one of them in the future. At the very most, he would just have thetter watch from afar to avoid getting implicated in the fight. Lets head over then, Pavilion Master Kui said. He lowered his cultivation to the Heavenly High Immortal realm before soaring into the sky. Zhang Xuan quickly followed him. His cultivation had already reached the High Immortal realm, so even if he did not utilize the Gods Sword Intent, he would still be able to maintain his flight. They traveled for roughly four hours, till all that was around them was water. The sky had already darkened, and just as Pavilion Master Kui Xiao had said earlier, the starry sky reflected on the clear ocean felt as if the stars had really fallen into the water. These stars drifted across the surface of the water, and it felt as if one could pluck them with the stretch of a hand. The two of them waited patiently for a moment before a small boat drifted over. Pavilion Master Kui... Standing atop the boat was an elder dressedpletely in green. Zhang Xuan took a look at the person before him, and he realized that he was unable to see entirely through the person before him. This elder had reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm as well, and his strength was likely higher than that of the First Elder. How is it? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked. The elder sped his fist and said, Pavilion Master Kui, I ced the item that you gave me into the depths of the ocean a month ago, and it was indeed effective. That Semi-Divinity realm beast arrived here a few days ago, but it was extremely wary. It hasnt made a move yet. Good. Any beast that is able to survive in the ocean and reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm is bound to have a sharp sense of danger. Otherwise, it would have died long ago, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said with a smile, not surprised by what he had just heard. The world of the beasts was even cruder than that of humans. A beast would have to survive till the Heavenly High Immortal realm before having a chance to reach the Semi-Divinity realm. Those who could live up to that stage were the cream of the crop, possessing an exceptional nose for danger. Otherwise, they would have long fallen prey to other beasts. Pavilion Master Kui, I have already set up the formation. As long as we continue biding our time, it will only be a matter of time before the Semi-Divinity realm beast strikes. However, Im not too sure how long it will take, the elder replied. Its fine. Lets head over to take a look! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao replied as hended on the boat. Zhang Xuan quickly followed suit. Chapter 2034 - 2034 Elder Feng Qian 2034 Elder Feng Qian Elder Liu, this person here is Elder Feng Qian from our sect. Elder Feng, this young man here is Elder Liu. Hell be representing our sect for the Azure Bridge. Pavilion Master Kui quickly introduced the two to one another. Elder Liu Yang! Elder Feng Qian greeted Zhang Xuan, but a slight frown could be seen on his forehead. He had thought that the young man beside the pavilion master was just a disciple, but who would have thought that he was their candidate for the Azure Bridge? That decision meant that this young man was the top cultivator among those younger than a hundred. But this young man was only in his early twenties! When had the Sevenstar Pavilion be such a weak organization? Since Elder Liu was chosen as the candidate for the Azure Bridge, I believe that you possess extraordinary abilities. It happens that I have some confusions about my cultivation that I would like to consult you on, Elder Feng said with sped fists. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao could tell what Elder Feng was trying to do, but he did not interject. As long as Zhang Xuan survived the Azure Bridge, he was bound to be the next head of the Sevenstar Pavilion. On the other hand, Elder Feng was the closest aide of the pavilion master, tasked with the responsibility of carrying out missions in the shadows. For a smooth session to ur, Zhang Xuan would need to acquire Elder Fengs approval. Thus, this was a good opportunity for Elder Liu to win Elder Feng over to his side and build authority within the sect. If he could not even win the support of Elder Feng, it would be difficult for him to acquire the support of the entire sect. If so, his seat as the pavilion master would not be stable. Feel free to speak, Zhang Xuan said with a nod. I have cultivated the Sevenstar Palm to 3-dan thus far, but I found that I was unable to advance its mastery any further. May I ask if you have any good suggestions, Elder Liu? Elder Feng asked. The Sevenstar Palm was one of the strongest battle techniques of the Sevenstar Pavilion, and many of the elders had cultivated it before. Before Zhang Xuan could respond, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao interjected. Isnt the question you have asked far too general? It was understandable that Elder Feng would want to test Zhang Xuans right to be the next pavilion master, but at the very least, the question should be more detailed! There must have been several hundred reasons for one to be unable to cultivate beyond 3-dan Sevenstar Palm, and Elder Feng did not even bother to specify his own physical condition. How was anyone supposed to answer this question? Not even Pavilion Master Kui Xiao himself would be capable of answering such a question. Its fine, Pavilion Master Kui. Zhang Xuan raised his hand with a smile. Following which, he turned to Elder Feng and said, If Im not mistaken, you suffered severe internal injuries that nearly led to your death eighty-one years ago, right? Thats right. Elder Feng nodded as he shot a nce at Pavilion Master Kui Xiao. Eighty-one years ago, he had been chased by his sworn enemies and nearly lost his life. It was Pavilion Master Kui Xiao who had saved him, which had led to him pledging his loyalty to the man. Throughout the years, he had willingly served the Sevenstar Pavilion from the shadows, resolving all possible threats that the sect faced. This matter was one of the confidential secrets of the sect, but who would have thought that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao would trust the young man so much as to tell him this as well? I didnt tell him that. Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos eyebrows shot up in astonishment as well upon hearing Zhang Xuans words. This fellow did not even know who you are before meeting you earlier! I also have no idea how he knows about the matter eighty-one years ago! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was just about to ask Zhang Xuan how he knew about that matter when thetter continued speaking. There was no need for anyone to tell me that. Its obvious with just a nce. Back then, through the use of many precious treasures and medicinal herbs, you managed to recover your cultivation. However, the fact is that the injuries you sustained then have left a heavy trauma on your body. When your zhenqi flows through your Zhenhai and Jiangyong Acupoints, you feel a numbing sensation jolting through your body, but these two points happen to be crucial for the cultivation of the Sevenstar Palm. Given the blockage of your acupoints and the numbing sensation that hinders your movements, its a given that you would be unable to cultivate the 4-dan Sevenstar Fist! How did you... Elder Feng widened his eyes in disbelief. Those were his greatest secrets, and he had never mentioned it before Pavilion Master Kui Xiao before. Yet, this young man was able to point them out urately. Was the young man really able to see through him? Not only so, your left arm has been getting more and more stiff throughout the years, such that it isnt obeying your control anymore, right? Zhang Xuan asked. Elder Fengs expression darkened. The young man was absolutely correct. He had no idea why, but his left hand had started to suffer sudden bouts of twitching in thest two years before turning incredibly stiff. He had tried all kinds of means to resolve this issue, but it was not working at all. He had even consulted many famous physicians, but none of them were able to see through his affliction. How did this young man know about it? The cultivation technique that you started cultivating with is the Emerald Ripple Art. It was created by a predecessor when he was suddenly inspired by the currents flowing through the Emerald Ripple Sea. However, after suffering severe injuries eighty-one years ago, you felt that this cultivation technique wasnt strong enough for you, and it just so happened that your zhenqi had beenpletely depleted. Thus, you forcefully changed your cultivation technique to the Grand Sr Art. The might of your blows did grow stronger, but your meridians, which have been nourished by the water attribute of the Emerald Ripple Art, were suddenly exposed to the fire attribute of the Grand Sr Art. This is equivalent to casting a bright sun over lush fields without providing it with sufficient water. What do you think would happen? Zhang Xuan exined with a slight smile. Realizing where he had gone wrong, Elder Feng narrowed his eyes in astonishment. The fields would dry up and crack, thus bing infertile... The infertility of thends is the least of your worries. As time goes by, itll turn into and of death where no life can thrive! Zhang Xuan said. Land of death where no life can thrive? Surely it isnt as serious as that. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao frowned. He did know about Elder Feng changing his cultivation technique. In fact, the Grand Sr Art hade from him. Back then, he had tried to convince thetter out of it as he was well aware of the risks of abruptly changing ones cultivation technique, but thetters mind had been made up. Thetter had been willing to go to any lengths as long as he could have his vengeance. Eventually, he had given in and bestowed thetter with the Grand Sr Art. He had paid close attention to Elder Fengs physical condition while thetter cultivated, and things did go wrong on several asions. However, using his prowess as a Semi-Divinity and many valuable medicinal herbs, he had made sure to nourish thetters body properly to resolve the traumas. He had thought that the problem had been resolved, but who could have known that they had not resolved the root of the problem at all? Theres a limit to what a human body is able to tolerate. Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back as he spoke. The severe injuries he sustained back then destroyed his vitals, and under such circumstances, he should have been carefully nourishing his body to slowly recover his strength. Yet, he chose to forcefully change his cultivation technique. Its really a blessing that he didnt die on the spot! Even I can hardly imagine the amount of treasures you wasted in order to nourish him! Ill be perfectly honest with you here. The stiffening of your arms is just the initial symptoms. Within two years, the stiffness will spread to your legs, and your spine will begin to distort, making it difficult for you to walk. If you fail to resolve it within five years, your progressively weakening meridians will eventually copse under your own strength, causing your cultivation to dissipate. Elder Feng frowned. Is what you said... true? It was true that the young man had managed to see through the stiffness in his left arm, but that did not mean that he would unconditionally believe everything that the young man said. After all, this was too shocking! Other than the asional problems his left arm caused him, he did not feel like his condition was too severe. As such, it was hard for him to believe that his cultivation would dissipate within five years. If you dont trust me, we can conduct a quick test, Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his finger lightly. This was a simple move without any sword qi or zhenqi imbued into it. The finger felt as a light tap on Elder Fengs shoulder, but thetters entire body immediately jolted. As if someone had petrified him on the spot, his entire body stiffened. Perspiration rained down his cheeks as he instinctively took a step back to retreat. However, before he could even back away, Zhang Xuans finger had struck forward once more to tap the center of his chest. This single tap produced a slight jolt in Elder Fengs body, causing him to experience a tearing pain in his meridians. Pu! A mouthful of blood spurted from his lips. The sheer pain caused his wrinkles to sag a little, making it seem as if he had aged a decade in an instant. Zhang Xuan retracted his finger and asked, How are you feeling? I... I could feel that my meridians are on the verge of shattering... Elder Feng gasped frantically for air as he replied with eyes widened in fright. He looked at the young man before him for a moment before quickly sping his fist. Elder Liu, I beseech you to point a way out for me. If you save me, Ill pledge my loyalty to you and serve you as the next pavilion master with my utmost dedication! The fact that the young man was able to peer through his problems and even determine the reasons behind his afflictions showed that the young man was indeed a person of great capabilities. He would have no qualms serving a man like that. The solution is very simple. You just have to cultivate your Emerald Ripple Art once more, Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle. Cultivate the Emerald Ripple Art once more? How... how is that possible? The one who had spoken this time around was not Elder Feng but Pavilion Master Kui Xiao. He found Zhang Xuans words iprehensible. Putting aside the fragile state of Elder Fengs meridians, if thetter cultivated the Emerald Ripple Art right now, there was a good chance that it might cause a conflict with the Grand Sr Art. The slightest carelessness could cause his cultivation to go berserk or even result in his death! Of course, I dont mean the Emerald Ripple Art that you have practiced before. What youll be practicing is the one that I have modified, Zhang Xuan said. He flicked out a jade token and quickly ced his finger on it lightly. A sliver of his consciousness slipped into the jade token and imprinted the modified Emerald Ripple Art on it. Following which, he passed the jade token to Elder Feng. epting the jade token, Elder Feng took a look at the contents of the jade token, and unwittingly, his zhenqi actually began to flow in ordance to the cirction pathway written on it. A momentter, he spurted out three mouthfuls of ck blood. In an instant, his body feel much lighter and more rxed than before. The bottlenecks that had limited him before had loosened, and his arm was not as stiff. So fast... Elder Feng clenched his fists tightly as he looked at the young man in front of him with a mixture of respect and horror in his eyes. He knew his own physical condition well. Just by cultivating the cultivation technique that the other party had given him for a moment, his condition had improved significantly. He knew that as long as he cultivated strictly in ordance to it, he would be able to make a full recovery very soon! A problem that had troubled him for eighty-one years and had consumed innumerable treasures from the sect had actually been resolved with just a quick nce from the young man. Such a thing was really unthinkable! Elder Feng was not the only one who was surprised by the situation. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was equally dumbstruck as well. He had been worried that Liu Yang would be too young to win the support of the sect, but given his capability, it seemed like his worries were needless. The young mans talents didnt just stop at his ability to learn battle techniques swiftly. The young mans grasp of the Way of the Medicine had also reached an unthinkable level, such that he could think of no one who couldpete with him. Alright. As long as you follow that cultivation technique properly, you should be able to recover from your affliction within half a year. In fact, you might even be able to raise your cultivation to new heights, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. This matter was a walk in the park for him, so he did not mind offering the other party his assistance. Elder Feng had been using a battle technique all this time in order to induce the movement of the boat, so he had been able topile a book regarding him in the Library of Heavens Path to see through all the afflictions affecting him. With all the secret manuals that he had browsed through recently, it was not too hard for him toe up with an appropriate solution. Thank you, Elder Liu! Elder Feng bowed deeply. Zhang Xuan knew that he had already won Elder Feng over, so there was no need to harp on about the matter. Thus, he pointed to the area ahead and asked, The formation and seal right ahead were left by you, right? While the three of them were chatting, the boat had already traveled yet another two hundred li forward. They had arrived in a region where the ocean surface looked no different from that of a mirror. This area is known as the Sea of Little Mirror. The formation and seal I have left behind are indeed hidden here, Elder Feng said with a nod of his head. There were unique ores in the Sea of Little Mirror that lured a certain lifeform to gather in huge clusters within the region, thus creating a reflective surface on the surface of the ocean. The formation and seal that he had set up were so discreet that not even Semi-Divinity realm experts would be able to notice them easily. How did the young man notice them? Just as Elder Feng was pondering over this question, the young man suddenly continued speaking. The Double Ripples Water Formation is indeed able to camouge itself in water, making it hard for anyone to notice it. Its might is also one to behold. However, its still a little too weak to trap a Semi-Divinity realm beast. More importantly... the opponent is a lifeform whose native habitat is the water. It will be extremely sensitive to the flow of water currents. As soon as the opponent notices the presence of the formation, it will be able to make use of the ripples to propel it away. You are able to see through my formation? Elder Feng was stunned. Chapter 2035 - The Wonders of the Sea of Little Mirror Chapter 2035 The Wonders of the Sea of Little Mirror The Double Ripples Water Formation used specially forged water droplets as formation gs. It would flow along with the water current, such that even the Spiritual Perception of a Semi-Divinity realm expert would not be able to perceive its presence. On the other hand, this young man was able to see through it as soon as he arrived in the area, and he could even point out the ws in the formation. His eye of discernment was truly terrifying! Elder Liu, the Semi-Divinity realm beast that we are aiming for is a ckback Tortoise. Its known for its humble speed. The Double Ripples Water Formation is ideal to trap the opponent, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao interjected. Since they were aiming to take down a Semi-Divinity realm beast, it was only normal that they would do their homework in advance. They had considered the possibility of the beast making use of the ripples to flee, but since their target was a ckback Tortoise, they decided to go ahead with it anyway. Due to the bulky body of the ckback Tortoise, it was unable to utilize the flow of water to elerate its speed. As long as they controlled the ripples well enough, they would be able to form a tight barrier to trap the ckback Tortoise. The ckback Tortoise is skilled in defense but not speed. Considering its massive physique, its indeed not a bad idea to use the Double Ripples Water Formation against it. However, we should not forget our environment here. We are currently in the Sea of Little Mirror, and theres a brilliant moon hanging above us, Zhang Xuan said. Hmm? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng were slightly bbergasted by Zhang Xuans words. They had no idea what thetter was getting at. Arent we talking about the formation and the ckback Tortoise? What does this have to do with the Sea of Little Mirror and the brilliant moon above? Have you ever considered the possibility that the ckback Tortoise isnt just keeping its distance out of wariness? Dont you think that its possible that it has already noticed the formation you have set up, and its biding its time for the opportune moment to strike? Zhang Xuan asked. He had already harbored his doubts when Elder Feng said that the beast was extremely wary. Semi-Divinity realm beasts were already the most powerful existence in the Sea of Exiled Stars! Was there a reason for it to be so wary when there were only so few things in the world that could hurt it? If it was just a moment of hesitation, it might still have been wariness, but to stay away for so many days... it was clear that there was more than met the eye! After checking the formation and location in person, he finally came to a realization. What do you mean by that? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked in intrigue. He was unable to figure out how all of that came together. You should know why the Sea of Little Mirror is reminiscent of a mirror. Due to the unique ores in the region, a certain lifeform known as the Silverleaf Mayfly gathers within the water in huge clusters, Zhang Xuan said. The other two nodded in agreement. They had heard of the Silverleaf Mayfly before. It was a creature so small that it appeared no different from a speck of dust. Nevertheless, through sheer numbers, it was able to create a silver reflective surface on the Sea of Little Mirror. These Silverleaf Mayflies prey not on coral nor animal but the energy within a certain kind of ore. This entire area is filled with these ores, which keeps the Silverleaf Mayflies clustered in this area, thus producing this mystical sight, Zhang Xuan said. Elder Feng nodded in agreement. He had been there for quite some time, and he had investigated the area thoroughly, so he knew that what Zhang Xuan was saying was true. These Silverleaf Mayflies are not usually much of a threat, but if the ores they feed on start tremoring, can you imagine what will happen? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao pondered for a moment before replying, If they feel like their livelihood has been threatened, they will surely fall into a pandemonium. Most of them will probably rush over in an attempt to salvage the situation. There were no beasts that would not be worried if their source of food was being threatened. Indeed. They would be stirred into motion in the hope of salvaging the situation. With so many Silverleaf Mayflies moving at once, are you certain that your Double Ripples Water Formation would still be useful? Zhang Xuan asked. Elder Feng fell into deep thought as he quickly reanalyzed the situation. The Silverleaf Mayflies were the size of a speck of dust, so if it was just a couple of them moving around, it would not cause too much trouble. However, if all of them, covering the entire Sea of Little Mirror, were to begin moving at the same time, even the strongest of formations would copse under a stampede of such scale. Putting aside capturing the ckback Tortoise, they might even be trapped there as well! But those ores have been buried deep in the seabed for many years, and they have never moved before. It doesnt seem likely that anything peculiar will happen all of a sudden. Furthermore, what does this have to do with the full moon? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked. If something was going to happen to the ores, it would have happened long ago. How unlucky would they have to be for a mishap to ur while they were here? Its true that nothing has happened so far, but it doesnt mean that nothing will happen in the future, Zhang Xuan said. Furthermore, if what Im thinking of urs, you will be the trigger of it all! We will be the trigger? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng found themselves getting more and more confused by what Zhang Xuan was getting at. How in the world are we the trigger? We havent done anything here that would warrant something like that! The ckback Tortoise fancies shiny objects. If Im not mistaken, what you have nted in the depths of the ocean to bait it is some kind of invaluable diamond crystal, right? Zhang Xuan said. Im guessing that the diamond crystal you used emanates a light that is even brighter than that of the Night Illumination Pearls underwater, such that it will be perfectly visible even ten thousand li away. Well, you probably need at least that much if you wish to draw the attention of the ckback Tortoise. However, have you considered where the energy for the light emanated by the diamond crystales from? Even Night Illumination Pearls have to absorb the light from the sun in order to shine. Considering how bright the diamond crystal is, where does its energye from then? Even if it has energy stored within it, there is no way it will be sufficient tost for so many days. You might think that it could be from the Silverleaf Mayflies, but I can promise you that if you dare absorb even a sliver of energy from them, they will cluster up and devour you whole on the spot! This... The two of them were stumped by Zhang Xuans question. To be honest, they had thought that they absorbed the energy from the Silverleaf Mayflies, but it seemed like that was not the case. It was indeed a question worth considering. Given how all light was reflected off the surface of the sea, everything beneath the surface was bound to be pitch-ck. And if it was not sunlight that was fueling it, what else could be? Seeing that he had managed to get them thinking, Zhang Xuan continued. Ill give you the answer. The diamond crystal is drawing energy from the ores. During the night of the full moon, the Silverleaf Mayflies are in their weakest state, and they will frenziedly devour energy from the ores in order to replenish their energy. However, right now, the diamond crystal ispeting with them for energy as well. The amount of energy that can be absorbed from the ores at any particr moment is limited, so such a situation could easily result in a huge problem. In the best possible scenario, there will just be tremors underwater, causing the waters to be choppy. In the worst-case scenario, a massive whirlpool will ur in the Sea of Little Mirror, devouring everything in the area! Hearing those words, Elder Feng pondered for a moment before asking, If that happens, my formation will indeed lose its prowess. However, wont the ckback Tortoise be affected by themotion and be unable to escape as well? It was true that a stampede from the Silverleaf Mayflies spelled trouble for his formation, but such a situation would not be advantageous to the ckback Tortoise either. Given so, why would it wait till the night of a full moon in order to strike? Unable to escape? Zhang Xuan burst intoughter. You are underestimating the Semi-Divinity realm ckback Tortoise! Its a being that boasts unparalleled defense! Even during the stampede of the Silverleaf Mayflies, by its sheer weight, it will still be able to push its way through and devour your diamond crystals within three breaths. It wont be able to assimte those high-tiered diamond crystals swiftly though, which means that the Silverleaf Mayflies will still be able to sense the power from the oresing from the ckback Tortoise. In other words, it will then be the culprit that was vying against the Silverleaf Mayflies for energy. Given so, how do you think those Silverleaf Mayflies will react? The Silverleaf Mayflies will attack the ckback Tortoise, right? Barely after saying those words, Elder Feng suddenly narrowed his eyes as he finally understood what was going on. What you mean is that the ckback Tortoise has already noticed my ns, and its intentionally waiting till the night of the full moon not just to destroy my formation and acquire the diamond crystal but to make use of this opportunity to devour the Silverleaf Mayflies as well... and perhaps, even me too? The Silverleaf Mayflies might be able to hinder the movements of the ckback Tortoise, but there was no way that they would be able to pose a threat to it. In the long term, they would be nothing more than prey to it. At the same time, they would be trapped amid the stampede of the Silverleaf Mayflies, unable to escape. Under such circumstances, there was a good chance that they might turn from predators to prey! If so, that would really be terrifying! All along, they had thought that they were in control of the situation, but who could have known that they had already unwittingly fallen into the other partys trap? Your strength isnt enough to catch its eye. If it really wanted to go for you, it would have long made its move. Most likely, its target is Pavilion Master Kui! Zhang Xuan said. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was stunned. If I wasnt here, you would probably be underwater by now, camping in the vicinity of the Double Ripples Water Formation, waiting for the ckback Tortoise to fall for the trap, right? Zhang Xuan said with a smile. If the Silverleaf Mayflies rushed over to you at that instant, you would surely be pushed to aer. After all, you dont possess the same defensive capabilities as the ckback Tortoise. It wouldnt take long for them to sessfully seal your acupoints, weakening you for a fair amount of time. Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos body stiffened. He knew that what the young man said was true. If the young man was not there, he would have dived into the water with Elder Feng in preparation for the moment that the ckback Tortoise fell into their trap. If the Silverleaf Mayflies stampeded at that moment, with their dust-like physique and sheer numbers, it would be difficult for him to defend against them all at once. It would not take long for them to seal his acupoints, preventing him from driving his zhenqi in the short-term. After all, he was not so fortunate as to possess the impermeable shell of the ckback Tortoise! Of course, that much would not be able to defeat a Semi-Divinity realm expert like him. It was only a matter of time before he freed himself from the restraints of the Silverleaf Mayflies. However, if the Semi-Divinity realm beast made use of his moment of weakness to assault him... He shuddered thinking of the consequences! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao swiftly formed a simtion in his head based on the situation that Zhang Xuan had predicted, and slowly, he could feel his body turning colder and colder. Even by positive estimates, the chances of him being killed by the ckback Tortoise were at least eighty percent! Such situations could not possibly happen by coincidence, especially when Semi-Divinity realm experts were involved. Most likely, it was just as Zhang Xuan had said. While they wereying a trap for the ckback Tortoise, thetter was doing the same. It seemed like they had really been outwitted. There was no greater ingenuity than a scheme that caused ones target to leap into it willingly. If they had not noticed it, the ones who were hunted would have been them. Even if they managed to get away using all sorts of trump cards, they would have been mortally wounded! Just thinking about the possibilities sent shivers down his spine. After a long moment of silence, Elder Feng asked, Elder Liu, what should we do? At this moment, he had unconsciously ced Elder Liu on a higher pedestal than even Pavilion Master Kui Xiao himself. Somehow, his first reaction had be to turn to Elder Liu for advice. Do you have any more of the water droplet formation gs that you used to set up the Double Ripples Water Formation? Zhang Xuan asked. I do, Elder Feng replied. With a flick of his wrist, he took out several dozen water droplets. Even though they looked the same as ordinary water droplets, they were indeed formation gs. Due to their unique nature, they were able to meld into the water. Nevertheless, as long as they were in position, one would be able to activate those formation gs to bring out the power of a formation anytime. Good. Since the ckback Tortoise believes that it has us in its grasp, well just have to alter the formation ordingly to turn the tables, Zhang Xuan said. Go! With a wave of his hand, he scattered all the water droplets in Elder Fengs hand into the water. H! The next moment, the dozens of water droplets vanished beneath the silvery surface of the Sea of Little Mirror. This... Seeing how the young man shot out all the water droplets at once without any hesitation, Elder Feng was stunned yet again. This was the first time that he had seen anyone setting up a formation like that! Was this not being a little too haphazard? Its fine now. Lets head down to wait for the ckback Tortoise, Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle. Just like that? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao still felt a little insecure. Yes. Well move ording to the former n and wait for the ckback Tortoise to appear. Make sure not to make any other movements or else we might spark its suspicion, Zhang Xuan said. Looking at the confident look on Zhang Xuans face, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. Well move ording to Elder Lius n. Yes, Pavilion Master Kui! Elder Feng nodded. They quickly drove the boat toward the center of the Sea of Little Mirror. We have arrived, Elder Feng said. With a grasp of his hand, a small passageway appeared on the surface of the water. He stowed the boat away before diving in. Zhang Xuan and Pavilion Master Kui Xiao followed closely behind him, venturing into the depths of the dark sea. Chapter 2036 - 2036 The Cunning Blackback Tortoise 2036 The Cunning ckback Tortoise The water on the surface was glistening and slightly choppy, reminiscent of a living being. In contrast, the seabed was utterly quiet, devoid of any underwater currents at all. It felt as quiet as a silent chamber. There was a brilliant glow right beneath theming from the diamond crystal they had nted beforehand, so they simply had to head in the direction of the light. The way in which Elder Feng had set up everything was extremely meticulous. He had made it seem as if the diamond crystal was a natural gemstone that lived in the earths vein, and the only reason it had exposed itself was due to a crack in the earths vein. If one had not known that it was all artificially set up, one might have been fooled into thinking that it was the work of nature, thus losing ones wariness around it. Well hide here. They stopped at an area not too far away from the diamond crystal. With a wave of his hand, Elder Feng produced a mini whirlpool and dived into it. Zhang Xuan and Pavilion Master Kui Xiao followed closely behind him. As soon as they entered, the whirlpool vanished, and it looked as if the three had never been there. This is... a Spatial Formation? It was no wonder Elder Feng was so confident that the ckback Tortoise had not noticed them. It turned out that he had prepared a Spatial Formation in advance. As long as one could not find the crux of the formation to destroy the structure of the Spatial Formation, it would indeed be extremely difficult to notice them. But while outsiders were unable to sense their presence, they were able to see what was happening outside clearly with their eyes. Looking at the dazzling glow emanated by the crystal, Zhang Xuan could not help but exim, It must have been hard for you to find that diamond crystal! This diamond could not be melted down to forge weapons, but there was no doubt that it was one of the most beautiful objects across the entire Azure. Just this single one would cost an astronomical price, likely surpassing even the value of a Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifact! What made it even more difficult to acquire was that it was incredibly rare. Throughout the history of the Forsaken Continent, such crystals had only appeared thrice, and even thergest of them was only the size of a longan. However, the one before him was evenrger than a fist. With this, its value was truly inestimable! The Sevenstar Pavilion had really gone all out to bait the ckback Tortoise! In order to acquire this diamond crystal, we had to mobilize over ten thousand people and expend a lot of resources. Pavilion Master Kui nodded in response. He had been the one to n this operation from the start to the end. It was true that the cost was frightening, but it would all be worth it if they could capture a Semi-Divinity realm beast. Putting aside its blood essence and beast core, even its skin and bones could be used to forge precious treasures. If they auctioned thepleted products in the Sevenstar Pavilion, they would surely be able to recoup their losses and even earn ten times the amount they had invested! Two months ago, the only Semi-Divinity realm beasts that the entire Forsaken Continent had seen were all from the Hall of Gods. They had never been spotted anywhere else before, so no one had sessfully hunted one. As such, if they could be the first ones to do so, even if it was just out of the novelty factor, they would definitely be able to make a killing by selling its products. Furthermore, the beast core and blood essence of a Semi-Divinity realm beast were very likely to be able to raise ones cultivation. In this world where strength reigned mighty, cultivators were willing to pay any price as long as they could advance their cultivation. As such, the Sevenstar Pavilion had started making preparations as soon as they caught wind of the news that Semi- Divinity realm beasts had started appearing in the Ocean of Exiled Stars. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan had appeared or not, they would still have gone on with the hunt. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Most probably, only the unbelievably rich Sevenstar Pavilion could afford to invest so many resources into an operation like this. The rest of the Six Sects would risk emptying out their treasuries if they tried it. Of course, the Ethereal Hall likely had the resources to pull off something like that as well, but it was hard to say for sure given how elusive it was. It had branches in all second-tier cities and above, but the location of its headquarters and its actual military might remained a mystery. Hong long long! While they were chatting with one another, the full moon rose into the sky. A jolt abruptly shook the surface of the sea, as if an earthquake had happened. The water began to billow, causing the mirror-like surface to distort continuously and create bizarre light patterns all around. In this moment, it felt as if all the stars had dived into the sea to frolic around. Its beginning, Zhang Xuan muttered softly. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng nodded in agreement. Just as Zhang Xuan had said, something was happening in the Sea of Little Mirror as a result of the rise of the full moon. The Silverback Mayflies were moving around in a panic, causing the choppy waters to turn turbulent. If they had continued using the Double Ripples Water Formation, it would have been rendered ineffective by now. Itsing... Elder Fengs voice sounded. Raising their heads, the crowd saw a massive sea tortoise slowly swimming over from afar. This sea tortoise was humongous in terms of physique. Just its width was already more than a hundred meters long. It looked like a massive submarine diving through the water, pushing aside the Silverback Mayfly horde that stood in its way with its sheer weight. It has indeed reached the Semi-Divinity realm, Zhang Xuan murmured. The movements of this sea tortoise were heavy and slow, but in terms of strength, it was on par with Pavilion Master Kui Xiao. If they shed head-on with one another, even the three of thembined were unlikely to be a match for it. Zhang Xuans cultivation had already reached the High Immortal realm, and he was confident that he was invincible within this realm. However, the gap between a High Immortal and a Semi-Divinity was simply too great. On any other asion, he would have already fled as far as possible in the face of an expert of such caliber. He would not have dared to confront it directly! Prepare to activate the formation, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said grimly as he drove his energy to its limits. He was ready to make a move alongside the formation to deal this massive fellow a lethal blow. It was impossible to tame a beast in such a cultivation realm. Instead of wasting his effort, he would rather strike it down directly. Somethings not right... Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Whats not right? The other two turned their heads. The ckback Tortoise was already extremely close to them. If they did not activate the formation right now, it was highly likely that the ckback Tortoise would simply rush over and devour the diamond crystal. Once it fled the area of effect of the formation, all their preparations would be rendered useless! The ckback Tortoise is after the diamond crystal, and the situation it was intending for hase to be. Shouldnt it rush right over to snatch the diamond crystal? Why is it still loitering around the area, as if its waiting for something? Dont you think that its bizarre? Zhang Xuan asked. Well... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng thought about it once more, and indeed, something was a little weird. The massive ckback Tortoise was in a good position to devour the diamond crystal whole right away, but instead of doing so, it was circling around the area as if it had not noticed it at all. Its n was to snatch the diamond crystal and kill Elder Feng and Pavilion Master Kui Xiao by capitalizing on the stampede of the Silverback Mayflies, and the opportunity to do so was right in front of it. Yet, it was refusing to make a move. Hehe, no wonder it has been heading in this direction all this while. It turns out that it has noticed this thing. As the saying goes, a man will die for his greed, and a bird will die for food. Beasts are ultimately no more than beasts. To lose its life over a mere diamond... Tsk tsk. It would be rude for me not to make a move when such a massive prey is right before me... While the three were trying to figure out the reason behind this anomaly, a voice suddenly sounded from above. Following which, a brilliant ray of light shone down from the surface. A figure had dived into the water, parting the silvery mirror on the surface to allow some light in momentarily. A Semi-Divinity realm expert? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The figure that had entered the water was actually a Semi-Divinity realm expert as well, just like Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the ckback Tortoise! That would exin why thetter had kept circling around the area instead of devouring the diamond crystal right away. It seemed like it was baiting this fellow into making a move! Its the head of the ckmirror Citadel, Bai Xuansheng! Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was stunned for a moment before sending a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan to exin the situation. Zhang Xuan assessed the neer as he muttered, The head of the ckmirror Citadel? Of the Six Sects, ckmirror Citadel was known for its expertise in crafting weapons. The Tongshang Sword was said to be the work of one of the cksmiths of the ckmirror Citadel. Who would have thought that he would meet their head over here? Why is he here? Elder Feng was taken aback by the current situation. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao shook his head and said, Since we were able to acquire the intelligence that Semi-Divinity realm beasts have started appearing in this region, it isnt too surprising for the others to be able to do so. There was no one who did not know how valuable Semi-Divinity realm beasts were. Just like how the Sevenstar Pavilion wanted to hunt one down, the same went for the other powers. Do we activate the formation? Elder Feng asked with a livid expression. With the abrupt appearance of Bai Xuansheng, all their previous ns had been messed up. Hold on for the time being... Zhang Xuan raised his hand. I have modified the Double Ripples Water Formation to make it even more stable, such that it will be able to stand its ground even amid the stampede of the Silverback Mayflies. However, in return, it has be much more difficult to activate it, such that Im the only one here who is able to do it. For now, we should keep it as our trump card. Trump card? Previously, I thought that the ckback Tortoise was making use of the full moon to lure Pavilion Master Kui Xiao in. However, now that I think about it, such a n is infeasible. Theres no way it would have known for sure that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao would being. ?? On the other hand, Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng has been following him for quite some time. Most likely, its target has been him all along, Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile. He had already heard the news that the Azure Bridge was descending in advance on his way here. Even if the ckback Tortoise knew of the news and predicted that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao would make his way here, there was no guarantee that thetter would arrive prior to the flill moon. If so, it would have been meaningless for it to bide its time here. After all, its ns would unravel as soon as the night of the full moon arrived. In other words, the one whom the ckback Tortoise was baiting had never been Pavilion Master Kui Xiao! With the appearance of Citadel Lord Bai, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into ce. Most likely, the ckback Tortoise had noticed both the diamond crystal and Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng, so it had intentionally lured thetter here in order to make use of the stampede of the Silverback Mayflies to kill him! Hong long! While they were talking, the tremors intensified. As the diamond crystal absorbed more and more energy from the ores, the Silverback Mayflies moved in greater fluster. All those movements caused cracks to appear on the seabed. Paying no heed to Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng, the ckback Tortoise looked around it and realized that the Double Ripples Water Formation still had not been dispelled. A hint of worry appeared in its eyes as it realized that things were not going exactly to its n. However, it knew that it could not afford to wait any longer. Thus, it dived forward with its massive body. Hu! As if it had teleported, it arrived right before the diamond crystal in an instant and devoured it whole. Is this what you mean by not fast? Zhang Xuans lips twitched in horror. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao had told him that this humongous sea tortoise was only known for its defensive prowess, but its speed was severelycking. He had taken that information for granted, thinking that it made perfect sense. Who could have known that such a heavy creature would be capable of charging at such speed? Its speed was faster than him even when he used all his strength! If they really fought one another, a ram from the ckback Tortoise at that speed might have just taken him down! This... With an awkward look on his face, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao turned his gaze toward Elder Feng. I... It didnt move this quickly thest time I met it. It traveled at a speed roughly the same as mine, Elder Feng hurriedly exined. Naturally, he had investigated what the ckback Tortoise was capable of prior to setting up a trap for it. In fact, the entire trap had been built in order to capitalize on the slow speed of the ckback Tortoise. They did not expect it to have been concealing its true strength the whole time! Its much smarter than I thought, Zhang Xuan said with a bitter smile. It actually knew how to hide its true abilities and bide its time in order to lure others into a deadly trap. While this ckback Tortoise might have appeared to be a little dull, it was far more cunning than it appeared. Indeed, those who were able to reach the Semi-Divinity realm really should not be underestimated! What should we do now? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao asked. Since the ckback Tortoise has already made its move, we should let the two of them fight one another and be the ones to reap the rewards of their effort! Chapter 2037 - 2037 It’s the Fisherman Who Profits From the Fight Between Two Fish 2037 Its the Fisherman Who Profits From the Fight Between Two Fish Based on his previous n, once the ckback Tortoise walked into their ambush, they would immediately activate the formation, and with the strength of the Silverback Mayflies and Pavilion Master Kui Xiao, they would swiftly take it down. In fact, even capturing it alive would not have been out of the question! The appearance of Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng was outside their expectations, but it did not affect them too much. Instead, it would just make things simpler for them. They could reap the reward once the two of them tired one another out. While they were chatting with one another, the ckback Tortoise swallowed the diamond crystal whole, but the diamond crystal continued to absorb the energy from the ores nonstop. This provoked the Silverback Mayflies into action. They immediately began flocking over, causing the surrounding water to billow deafeningly. The ckback Tortoise was not the only one who came under their attack. Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng also suddenly found himself swarmed by innumerable Silverback Mayflies, forcing him to release his zhenqi and form a protective barrier around himself. Caught off guard by this abrupt situation, Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng took a look around him before looking downward. Friends hiding below, lets take down this ckback Tortoise together. Given its size, theres more than enough to go around! His voice caused the surrounding water to billow, and it arrived in the ears of Zhang Xuan and the others clearly. Hes found us? Elder Feng was stunned. Thats not necessarily the case. Since the ckback Tortoise was able to notice that theres something amiss about the diamond crystal, as a Semi-Divinity realm expert, Citadel Lord Bai might have noticed something as well. Most likely, hes trying to coax us out to deal with the ckback Tortoise alongside him... Its fine, just ignore him, Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. Given how conspicuous the diamond crystal was, the chances were that someone would have dug it out by now. It was too much of coincidence for it to appear there at such a moment, especially since the ckback Tortoise was attracted to shiny things. With such evidence, it was not difficult for Bai Xuansheng to figure out that someone else hadid a trap there to ambush the ckback Tortoise. It was just that he did not know whom the other party was and what power they belonged to. Boom! The ckback Tortoise saw that the formation did not activate even after the shout, but it was extremely certain that there was someone hiding there. The fact that those that were hiding there did not make a move despite an invitation from a Semi-Divinity realm expert likely meant that they were confident of dealing with it. With this, it knew that if it really fought against this first Semi-Divinity realm expert and exhaust itself, there was a good chance that it might lose its life. Thus, with a furious roar, it rammed its body right toward Bai Xuansheng. This time, it moved with even greater speed. Before one could even blink, its massive body had materialized right in front of Bai Xuansheng. Its humongous physique left one feeling as if aet was crashing right toward one. This ram wielded the ability to destroy even a Heavenly High Immortal in an instant. Lets see who is stronger! Bai Xuansheng seemed to have expected this move from the ckback Tortoise, and he burst intoughter. He swiftly conjured a massive shield right before him. As soon as the shield appeared in the water, it immediately lengthened itself until it was over several hundred meters in width and height, the same size as the ckback Tortoise. As the two collided with one another, a resounding reverberation reminiscent of the chime of a bell echoed loudly in the air. The Silverback Mayflies in the surroundings were immediately jolted into powder. Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos eyes narrowed. That shield is a Semi-Divinity realm artifact? He had known Bai Xuansheng for many years, and they were extremely familiar with one another. They had fought several times before, and they were equally matched in terms of fighting prowess. When did the other party gain a Semi-Divinity realm artifact like that? With such an artifact in hand, there was no way that Pavilion Master Kui Xiao would stand a chance against him anymore! It was no wonder he dared to challenge the ckback Tortoise without any preparation. With just this artifact in hand and his superior cultivation, he was more than capable of standing his ground against it! Lock! After blocking the ckback Tortoises ram, Bai Xuanshengughed once more, and he rotated the shield in his hand. H! It immediately scattered into something reminiscent of a fis. Innumerable metal chains darted forth and wrapped themselves around the ckback Tortoise, locking it firmly in ce. It turned out that this Semi-Divinity realm artifact was a weapon with flexible form! This is bad. At this rate, the ckback Tortoise will really be his! Elder Feng eximed in panic. The Sevenstar Pavilion had prepared nearly an entire month for this, and the ckback Tortoise was already well within their reach. They never would have thought that someone else would snatch their prey at a crucial moment like this! Theres no need to panic. If it was that easy to capture the ckback Tortoise, it would already be dead by now, Zhang Xuan consoled with a smile. Right after he had said those words, the ckback Tortoise suddenly opened its mouth, and the diamond crystal floated out of its body. The appearance of the diamond crystal immediately illuminated the dim surroundings, but this time, it seemed to shine with even greater splendor than before. Hong long long long! At the same time, the tremors in the surroundings became more intense. Frenzied currents tore through the water, stirring up massive waves on the seabed. Somehow, the ckback Tortoise was increasing the rate at which the diamond crystal was absorbing energy from the ore! Huhuhu! As the tremors grew even more violent, the Silverback Mayflies flew into even greater frenzy. They immediately charged over with utmost desperation, swarming the ckback Tortoise and the diamond crystal in an instant. Damn! Seeing this, Bai Xuanshengs face turned livid. Scram, you pests! He waved his hand furiously to fend off the Silverback Mayflies as he tried to pull the steel chains that he had wrapped around the ckback Tortoise. However, it felt as if he had lost the connection with his Semi-Divinity realm artifact, leaving him unable to control it! Hu! Just like that, his Semi-Divinity artifact lost its effectiveness and fell through the body of the ckback Tortoise and copsed at the bottom of the ocean. Elder Liu, whats going on? Even Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was unable to make sense of the situation. A Semi-Divinity artifact should have been extremely powerful, not to mention that it possessed its own consciousness. How could it be rendered ineffective just because it was swarmed by arge number of Silverback Mayflies, such that it even lost the ability to fly? Most artifacts are forged with metal, and that chain he is holding is no exception. While Silverback Mayflies are living beings, they do have an extremely high level of metal content in their bodies. Otherwise, they wouldnt have been able to form such a bright reflective surface on the water! Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. These Silverback Mayflies might be small, but they emit a unique force field that they use tomunicate with one another. Its due to this force field that they are able to maintain a huge, orderly formation. Any weapon, whening into proximity with such sheer number of Silverback Mayflies, will find the connection between its body and its spirit obstructed due to thepounded force field, thus sealing off its strength. The ckback Tortoise must have known about this, which is why it intentionally lured Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng here. The other two were stunned. They never would have thought that the tiny Silverback Mayflies would be capable of neutralizing the effects of Semi- Divinity realm artifacts. If they headed over, would their acupoints be sealed, resulting in them losing their fighting prowess, too? Its no wonder they say that those unfamiliar with oceanic creatures should stay away from the water. It seems like there are many baffling wonders underwater that are beyond our imagination... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao shook his head and sighed. The Sea of Exiled Stars was rumored to be not beneath the City of Copsed Space in terms of danger, but as a Semi- Divinity realm cultivator, he had thought that there was nothing much for him to fear anymore. After all, even the strongest beast living in the waters would only be at the Semi-Divinity realm, just like him. However, it seemed like strength was not enough to guarantee ones survival. If one let ones guard down, it was only a matter of time before the oceanic creatures devoured one alive! Naturally, as a beast native to the Sea of Exiled Stars, the ckback Tortoise was well aware of these creatures, which was why it had chosen to lure Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng over and lure him into using his weapon. It was all in order to cripple him! Its about time. Elder Feng, may I trouble you to release the seal on this Spatial formation? Zhang Xuan said. Elder Feng was slightly taken aback by the abrupt request. He was just about to nod and get into action when the young man suddenly shook his head. Never mind, we wont make it in time at this rate. Ill do it myself. After saying those words, he took a step forward and stomped lightly on the ground. Weng! A huge whirlpool immediately appeared above the hidden Spatial Formation, forming a passageway simr to what they hade in through. Seeing such a sight, Elder Fengs jaws ckened. For a very long time, his mouth remained agape. He had put in a lot of effort to set up this formation, and even with the insignia controlling the formation in his hand, he knew that he would not be able to stop it all of a sudden. Yet, the other party had actually managed to do it with just a simple stomp of his foot... Was such a thing possible? Before Elder Feng could recover from his shock, the young man raised his hand toward the opened passageway and grasped upward. Hu! The next instant, the falling Semi-Divinity metal chains vanished from sight. Close! After taking away the metal chain, the young man stomped his foot once more, and the Spatial Formation whirred back to action. Once more, the three of them vanished from the seabed. You snatched Citadel Lord Bais Semi-Divinity artifact? Elder Feng and Pavilion Master Kui Xiao looked at one another in horror. Do you know just how valuable Semi-Divinity artifacts are? Such an act is practically no different from making enemies out of the ckmirror Citadel! Besides, can an artifact of such a tier really be put in ones storage ring so easily? Even if you managed to store it in there, if the artifact resists, it will still be able to break out of your storage ring and flee! The two of them were not the only ones who were taken aback by the situation. Above, Bai Xuansheng was on the verge of descending into lunacy. It was one thing for him to lose control of his artifact, but he had never thought that those fellows hiding below would actually snatch his weapon without the slightest hesitation! That weapon was something that their ckmirror Citadel had paid a heavy price and even reneged on their promise in order to acquire! For it to be stolen away just like that... he felt like he would go insane in that instant! Who the hell are you all? Give my weapon back! Bai Xuansheng roared furiously as he attempted to dash to the seabed. The Spatial Formation had only opened up for a brief instant, such that even with his cultivation, all he had seen was a palm reaching out. He had not been able to catch a clear glimpse of who was hidden inside. But no matter who the culprit was, whoever dared to steal his weapon would have to pay with their life! However, how could the ckback Tortoise allow Bai Xuansheng to move as he wished? It had not been easy for it to strip thetter of his Semi-Divinity realm weapon, so there was no way it would allow thetter to have any chance of acquiring it back! Thus, without any hesitation, it dashed right toward him. This time, before striking its target, it retracted its head into its shell. Kacha! The unbelievably resilient tortoiseshell crashed right into Bai Xuansheng, causing thetters face to turn ghastly pale. That strike had shattered a number of his ribs, and a spurt of fresh blood escaped from his mouth. They were both Semi-Divinity realm experts, and Bai Xuanshengs cultivation was a little higher. However, he was still unable to withstand such heavy ramming from the ckback Tortoise! Peng peng peng! Having managed to pull off a sessful heavy strike, the ckback Tortoise continued with its offense, leaving Bai Xuansheng with no choice but to continuously retreat. He desperately summoned his zhenqi to form a barrier in front of him so as to guard against the ckback Tortoises attacks. He had to block a series of consecutive attacks before he finally managed to catch a breather to regain his footing. Just when he thought that he could turn the tables around, an incredibly brilliant crystal appeared right in front of him. Its blinding light left his eyes slightly zed. In that instant, Bai Xuanshengs soul nearly escaped from his body. He immediately tried to back away, but it was already toote. The surrounding Silverback Mayflies had already encircled him. His zhenqi barrier was swiftly devoured, and before he could retaliate, the Silverback Mayflies had already squeezed their way into his acupoints. My strength! The sealing of ones acupoints was no different from stripping a train of its engine. Bai Xuansheng was suddenly in a position where he was no longer able to drive his zhenqi properly. This abrupt loss of energy caused his body to plummet downward. Peng! Making use of this opportunity, the ckback Tortoise gathered its momentum and rammed over once more. The flustered Bai Xuansheng immediately gathered all his physical might to defend against the attack. Kacha! Kacha! Without the augmentation from his zhenqi, his hands swiftly fractured inch after inch as he was sted right into the seabed, creating a massive crater beneath. Chapter 2038 - 2038 Pay Respects to Your New Master, Little Tortoise 2038 Pay Respects to Your New Master, Little Tortoise Powerful... Witnessing such a scene, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng felt their bodies turning cold. They could not help but imagine themselves being in the same position as Bai Xuansheng. They had been confident in their ploy against the ckback Tortoise, especially since they had devoted many resources and spent months preparing for it. They had thought that with all they had done, it should not have been too difficult for them to capture the ckback Tortoise. However, little did they know that the other party was simply going along with them in order to lure them into its trap. Honestly, Citadel Lord Bai Xuansheng was truly a formidable cultivator. If not for the aid of the Silverback Mayflies, there was no doubt that the victor of the duel would have been Bai Xuansheng. However, the environment always yed a key factor in the oue of a battle. Bai Xuansheng failed to take this into consideration, so he ended upnding himself in such a tragic state within a few blows. Had Elder Liu not seen through the ckback Tortoises ploy in advance, they would have charged right into the trap and ended up in the same position as Bai Xuansheng, or perhaps even worse! Hong long! Even after sessfullyunching a powerful attack, the ckback Tortoise did not let down its guard. Instead, it dived back into his tortoiseshell and continued ramming toward Bai Xuansheng. Til kill you! For the roles of the hunter and the hunted to be reversed all of a sudden, Bai Xuansheng was incredibly indignant. With a ferocious roar, he brought out three swords and drove them forward. As expected of the head of the ckmirror Citadel, the three swords were all at Heavenly High Immortal-tier! Ding ding ding! The swords shed against the shell of the ckback Tortoise, but they did not even leave a scratch or hinder its speed at all. Bai Xuansheng narrowed his eyes. In the face of such a situation, what choice did he have other than to turn tail and flee? He had lost his Semi-Divinity artifact, his arms and ribcage were fractured, and his innards were jolted. If this continued, he would die for sure! Boom! Before Bai Xuansheng could get far, the ckback Tortoise struck his back once more, smashing him all the way into the ground. We have to make a move right now! Zhang Xuan remarked as he released the Spatial Formation and rushed out. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng, who had been watching the situation intently, quickly dashed out from their hiding spots. They knew that Bai Xuansheng would really lose his life if they continued biding their time. The Sevenstar Pavilion was not close with the ckmirror Citadel, but they had no intention of letting Bai Xuansheng die like that, especially given the recent movements from the Hall of Gods. The ckback Tortoise immediately noticed the presence of Zhang Xuan and the others, but it did not rush into making a move. Instead, it waited patiently to see what they were up to. Pavilion Master Kui, well be counting on you, Zhang Xuan said. Un, dont worry. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao nodded as he charged forward as if a bolt of lightning. He swiftly channeled of his energy in his palm, generating a surge of energy so immense that the surrounding water began bubbling nonstop. All the Silverback Mayflies that were gathered around the ckback Tortoise immediately dissipated into ashes under the outpour of energy. On the way to the Sea of Exiled Stars, in repayment for helping him achieve a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan had given Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the others some pointers on their battle techniques. Even though it had only been a few short days, they managed to make massive advancements in their fighting prowess. It was the same Bolting Lightning Clutching Clouds as before, but it was at least two times stronger! Lightning crackled from his hands, making it seem as if he was the God of Thunder. Sensing danger, the ckback Tortoise immediately retracted its body back into its shell and revolved its body. As a result, the lightning in Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos hands simply scorched the surface of the shell before being deflected away. The attack had failed to inflict any internal injuries to the ckback Tortoise. That tortoise is formidable, Zhang Xuan murmured. Not only was it fast, it also possessed a massive tortoiseshell that allowed it to easily deflect any sharp strikes. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was not weak by any means, but it was apparent that even he was having trouble trying to hurt thetter! In the blink of an eye, those two had already exchanged more than ten blows. The sheer might from their confrontation caused the Sea of Little Mirror to boil up. Steam rose endlessly from the surface of the water. The shockwaves from the duel between two Semi-Divinity realm experts were more than enough to destroy everything within a radius of ten thousand li. If not for the fact that they were underwater, this battle would have drawn many experts to the area. Spectating the battle in wonderment from the side, Elder Feng could not help noticing a peculiar detail, and a frown formed on his forehead. He turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Why doesnt the ckback Tortoise use its ram against Pavilion Master Kui? When the ckback Tortoise was fighting with Bai Xuansheng earlier, it had relied heavily on its powerful rams in order to cripple thetter. Yet, when faced with Pavilion Master Kui Xiao, it seemed to be taking a more passive role in the battle, primarily focusing on defending against the other partys attack. Its apprehensive of the Double Ripples Water Formation, so it doesnt dare make a reckless move, Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle. Elder Feng widened his eyes as he came to a realization. The ckback Tortoise was truly a wary individual. The area where it moved around throughout the battle had been outside the perimeter of the formation, such that the formation would not be able to hurt it even if they activated it now. No, thats not right... Wasnt it waiting for the Double Ripples Water Formation to activate earlier to trap Citadel Lord Bai so that it could kill him? Doesnt that mean that it isnt afraid of the formation? Elder Feng asked. Well, the situation is slightly different now. It might still have been able to squander its energy carelessly earlier, but it cant afford to do so anymore, Zhang Xuan replied. Those words made Elder Feng frown. This huge fellow had simply been ramming its humongous body around, not bothering to use its zhenqi or any of its other talents. It should have plenty of strength left in it, so why did Elder Liu make it sound as if it was already in a drained state? Those Silverback Mayflies are capable of rendering even a Semi-Divinity artifact powerless. Its true that the ckback Tortoises defense is impressive, but do you really think that it wouldnt suffer any damage when it has been the main target of the Silverback Mayflies throughout the battle? Zhang Xuan asked. Even at this moment, there were still plenty of Silverback Mayflies attached to the body of the ckback Tortoise. Considering how they were able to bring down a Semi-Divinity artifact, it was impossible for the ckback Tortoise to bepletely unaffected by them even with its powerful defense. Since thats the case, why dont we join in the battle too? Hearing that the ckback Tortoise was swiftly getting worn down, Elder Feng heaved a sigh of relief as a glint shed across his eyes. Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, No rush. Since its biding its time, we should do the same. Havingplete trust in the young man, Elder Feng did not question his judgement and continued spectating the battle. During this period, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the ckback Tortoise exchanged another twenty blows. The formers offense had clearly be a little wearied,cking the ferocious aggression from before. Simrly, thetter seemed to be extremely exhausted, taking inrge breaths of air. At this moment, the ckback Tortoise opened its mouth once more. Hu! The diamond crystal that had done in Bai Xuansheng earlier flew out from its mouth and headed right toward where Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was. Humph! There was no way Pavilion Master Kui Xiao would not be guarded against this move after witnessing what had happened to Bai Xuansheng, but just as he was able to dodge to the side, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him. Dont dodge it. It was Zhang Xuan. With a light smile, he reached forward and grabbed the diamond crystal. Hu! The diamond crystal immediately vanished from sight. He had thrown it into his storage ring. This... This time, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao was not the only one who was taken aback by the situation. Even the ckback Tortoise was visibly stunned. The reason it had endured so many blows was to wait for an opportunity to toss the diamond crystal toward its enemy, but who could have known that this fellow would suddenly appear from nowhere to throw it into his storage ring? This was no ordinary diamond crystal. It harnessed a tremendous amount of energy, producing light that could even be seen from ten thousand li away! How could the storage ring possibly not explode from something like that? If it was possible for them to keep it with a storage ring, they would have already done so! Why would they bother going through so much trouble to dodge to the side? Seeing through the ckback Tortoises bewilderment, Zhang Xuan asked with a smile, Are you wondering why I am able to keep this diamond crystal in my storage ring? With a flick of his wrist, the diamond crystal immediately materialized above his hand, floating quietly in the air. W-what? The ckback Tortoise widened its eyes in disbelief. You actually managed to tame the diamond crystal? In order to make use of the power of the diamond crystal to lure the Silverback Mayflies, it had burned its blood essence after swallowing the diamond crystal in order to forcefully tame it... But in the blink of an eye, the diamond crystal had be another persons property! While the diamond crystal was not a weapon, something of its tier was bound to already possess its own spirit. Once it had pledged loyalty to a master, unless its master died, it would never switch allegiance. Just what in the world did the young man do? I did. I killed the spirit in the diamond crystal and reenchanted a new one. Naturally, who else would the new spirit submit to other than me? Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Then, he flicked his finger. Weng! The diamond crystal flew right toward the ckback Tortoise before glowing even brighter than before. H! The agitated Silverback Mayflies immediately rushed over and encircled the ckback Tortoise tightly. I underestimated you lot, the ckback Tortoise said as it stared deeply at Zhang Xuan. Without any hesitation, it turned around to flee. Its initial n had been to take down Pavilion Master Kui Xiao as well, and by devouring the two of them, it would have been able to raise its cultivation. However, its n had been foiled by this young man. At this very moment, its energy was nearly entirely depleted, so it had no choice but to flee for the time being. Dont you think that its toote for you to think about leaving only now? Zhang Xuan remarked as he took a step forward. Weng! The billowing sea immediately quietened down, as if it had been sealed by some kind of power. Even the rampaging Silverback Mayflies had fallen silent. Shocked, the ckback Tortoise quickly picked up speed to ram its way outward, but it was swiftly rebounded by some sort of barrier. Its face turned livid as it uttered in disbelief, What kind of formation is this? How can it be so powerful? It had made sure to examine the area carefully before, and it was certain that the formation that had been prepared for it was the Double Ripples Water Formation. While that formation was able to trap it for a brief moment, as long as it charged its way out desperately with all of its might, it would still be able to make a safe getaway. So, what the hell was this? He had actually been rebounded by the barrier even though he had already put all of his strength behind the collision. What kind of formation was this? All formations would require energy to sustain them. There were no clear pulsations of energy in the area, so how was such a resilient barrier formed? The Double Ripples Water Formation is just an ordinary Confinement Formation. It wouldnt have been able to trap you. So, I made some modifications to it, expanding its area and prowess. All this while, the formation has been absorbing the energy released by the three Semi-Divinity realm fighting here. For this reason, unless I release this formation personally, itll be no different from three Semi-Divinity realm experts blocking your pathway. You dont stand a chance at all, Zhang Xuan exined. Since the formation that Elder Feng had prepared was insufficient, he had no choice but to modify it slightly. The main reason he had not interfered in the fight so far was to allow the formation to gather more energy, such that it would reach a level where the ckback Tortoise was no longer able to breach the barrier. Only with this would they be able to hold the swift ckback Tortoise there. The formation has been absorbing our released energy? Who the hell are you? The ckback Tortoise tried a few more times, but it was just as Zhang Xuan had said. Even if it was at its full strength, it still would not have been able to breach the barrier. Knowing that it did not stand a chance at all, its face turned extremely livid. The cultivation of the young man before it was not too high, but he was able to tame the diamond crystal and set up such a powerful formation. It was as if he was the true mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes, and everything had gone ording to his calctions! Just who in the world was this person? The ckback Tortoise was still thinking that it would be able to make its name through this battle in the Sea of Little Mirror so that no humans would dare disturb it anymore, but after all the scheming that had gone around, it had still ended up being done in. You want to know who I am? Zhang Xuan looked at it and smiled. Little Tortoise, acknowledge me as your master. Acknowledge me as our master, and Ill tell you who I am. Chapter 2039 - 2039 Are You Willing to Become Our Sect Leader? 2039 Are You Willing to Be Our Sect Leader? Acknowledge him as its master? Elder Liu intends to tame the ckback Tortoise? Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng looked at one another in horror. Semi-Divinity realm beasts were incredibly proud. Even after all the preparation they had done, they dared not think that it would be possible for them to tame the ckback Tortoise... Moreover, why would the other party submit just because it was told to do so? Even if Hall Master Zheng Yang from the Myriads Beasts Hall was there personally, there was also no guarantee that he would be able to tame the ckback Tortoise! Just as they had guessed, as soon as it heard Zhang Xuans words, the ckback Tortoises face immediately darkened. Reminiscent of a volcano on the verge of an explosion, it spat, You want me to acknowledge you as my master? Youll first have to prove yourself! Boom! With a roar, it charged right toward Zhang Xuan furiously. Seal! Without taking even a step, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger lightly. H! Energy swiftly gathered within the formation, pinning the humongous ckback Tortoise down. As if a fish in frozen water, no matter how it struggled, it was unable to break free. Submit to me or face death! Zhang Xuan said after sealing the ckback Tortoises movements. Kill me if you can! the ckback Tortoise scoffed as it dived back into its shell. As a Semi-Divinity realm beast, its shell wasparable to that of a Semi-Divinity artifact, making it nigh indestructible. As long as it were to hole itself inside its shell, there was nothing the other party could do after trapping it. Semi-Divinity realm beasts had their own pride and honor. How could it possibly acknowledge a human so much weaker than itself as its master? Not to mention, the formation that was trapping him had to be sustained with sufficient energy. As long as it held on for long enough, the formation would copse on its own, allowing it to get away. Do you think that Im helpless against you just like that? Zhang Xuan had long guessed that the ckback Tortoise would make such a move, so he pped his hands and said, Little Chick, its your turn to receive our guest! Coming! The little yellow chick waddled its way out. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng blinked. Were they seeing thing? A Heavenly High Immortal realm little yellow chick? It was true that the cultivation of the chick was not too low, but it was only the size of a palm! What could it possibly do against the ckback Tortoise? Paying no heed to their shock, Little Chick waddled its way up the back of the ckback Tortoise, but after climbing for a long while, a water current suddenly swept it off its feet, causing it to fall off. It had to hurriedly p its thumb- sized wings desperately before finally getting back on. The same thing happened a couple more times. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng were literally tearing clumps of hair out. Was this little creature really capable of dealing with the Semi-Divinity realm ckback Tortoise? What a joke! Cooped in its shell, the ckback Tortoise also secretly peeked out from its shell, and it was stunned when it saw a little yellow chick climbing up its shell. You can try to tame me, but you cant insult me! No matter what, Im still a Semi-Divinity realm beast, one of the strongest existences on the Forsaken Continent! Even those two Semi-Divinity realm experts ruling over two of the Six Sects are no match for me... There are so many ways you could have used to attempt to tame me, but you actually brought me a chick instead! It would be one thing if it was a really hot chickthat would stille under the Art of Seductionbut what the heck is this? The hell, who brings out a real chick in battle? The ckback Tortoise was stifled. If not for the fact that it was in a weakened state and was unable to breach the seal, it would have rammed the fool who dared use such a strategy against it through the Eighteen Levels of Hell! Meanwhile, Little Chick continued falling a few times, and eventually, it gave in. It turned to Zhang Xuan and yelled, Dont you know that chicks are bad in water? Instead of standing there like a fool, why dont youe over and help! Zhang Xuan. Didnt you swim perfectly well in boiling water thest few times? Mentally reminding himself that it was futile to bicker with an idiot, he walked up, grabbed the little yellow chick by its neck, and threw it upward. Go! Hu! Piang! Little Chick crashed on top of the back of the ckback Tortoise and rolled off a little. Hurry up and make your move, Zhang Xuan said. Rest assured, leave it all to me! Little Chick nodded. Standing atop the hundred-meter-wide tortoiseshell, it abruptly opened its tiny mouth. Hu! Its fingernail-sized mouth opened several hundred meters wide and chomped down on the massive tortoiseshell, swallowing it whole. It formed a bizarre sight... it was as if yellow fur had grown all over the tortoiseshell instead. There, Im done. The little yellow chick fluttered its tiny wings triumphantly. What are you doing? Im telling you to help me tame it! Why are you swallowing it instead? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. This fellow sure was unreliable! I needed you to help me scare it into submission, not swallow it whole! What do I have to gain from having it eaten by you? He quickly leaped up to the head of the inted Little Chick and smacked it. Spit it out. Now! Alright, alright! Little Chick harrumphed indignantly as it spat out the ckback Tortoise. By this moment, the massive ckback Tortoise was already on the verge of dying. It stuck its head out from its shell with a dazed look on its face. Who am I? Where am I? Submit to me, Zhang Xuan ordered. Those words immediately snapped the ckback Tortoise out of its daze. With an indignant look, it roared, Youre dreaming! Fine. Zhang Xuan turned to Little Chick and said, You can continue eating it. So, the little yellow chick opened its mouth wide once more. W-wait! I... I... Ill submit to you! the ckback Tortoise cried out desperately. It had no choice but to submit. It did not fear death, but if others learned that it had been eaten by this little chick, the imposing reputation that it had built up over the years would really go to ruins! Thats more like it! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction as he quickly carried out the acknowledgement ritual. Seeing this, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and Elder Feng widened their mouths in disbelief. It was tamed just like that? Was that little yellow chick really so formidable? They had honestly thought that the young man had brought out the Little Chick in order to disgust the ckback Tortoise, but who could have known that such a small creature would actually have the capacity to swallow the massive ckback Tortoise? That should have been physically impossible! And now that they thought about it... could this Little Chick be the reason that the young man had been able to snatch away Bai Xuanshengs Semi-Divinity metal chain earlier? Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief after the Soul Contract had been sealed. He took a look at the ckback Tortoise and said, You are too big at the moment. Make yourself smaller! Yes, Master! The ckback Tortoise immediately contracted its body until it was around two meters in diameter. Zhang Xuan waved his hand and took out a few bottles of chicken soup. Drink this. The ckback Tortoise dared not to disobey its masters orders. It immediately swallowed the chicken soup, and a momentter, its eyes widened in bewilderment. In truth, it had been in a terrible state from the prolonged battle. The continuous ramming had taken a toll on it, causing it to sustain severe internal injuries. Furthermore, the continuous attacks from the Silverback Mayflies had caused significant damage. It had never thought that it would be able to recover in an instant just by drinking a few bottles of chicken soup. It could almost feel vitality gushing through its body! It was really the chicken soup of life! Could the little yellow chick be a divine beast? Could my master actually be a god? The gaze that the ckback Tortoise looked at its master with was different from before. The initial reason it chose to submit was because it thought that it would be much more humiliating for it to die at the hands of a chick than to submit to a human... but right now, it realized that there was more to this young man. The fact that the little yellow chick was able to swallow it so easily meant that it was no ordinary Heavenly High Immortal. In terms of abilities, the other party definitely far surpassed him. Considering how it was already at the Semi-Divinity realm, any beings that were so much stronger than it could only be true divine beasts. The fact that its master was able to tame a divine beast, even though it might still be young at the moment, meant that he was no ordinary human! Paying no heed to the shocked ckback Tortoise, Zhang Xuan leaped down to the seabed and held the three Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords that Bai Xuansheng had brought out earlier between his fingers and flicked them several times. A momentter, a metallic reverberation echoed from their bodies, reminiscent of cries of pleasure. Those three swords had submitted to him. Hu! He stowed them into the storage ring. After that was done, he took out a tamed beast sack and moved the ckback Tortoise and Little Chick into it. Then, he turned to Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and said, This diamond crystal is something you paid a heavy price to acquire. Ill return it to you now. While he did y a vital part in ensuring the sess of the hunt, he still felt guilty about cutting in line to tame the ckback Tortoise. On the other hand, however, he was nning on leaving the ckback Tortoise to guard the Sevenstar Pavilion after he left the Azure, and that would definitely be much more beneficial to the Sevenstar Pavilion. After all, no amount of money could possibly buy one Semi-Divinity realm guardian. That being said, he would feel guilty about taking away the diamond crystal given its sheer value, so he chose to return it. This... Receiving the diamond crystal, Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos face reddened a little. He had been confident in his strength and the operation he had nned. He had thought that it would be easy for him to y the ckback Tortoise, but little did he know that he would almost lose his life there. On the other hand, the young man before him had used only a single formation and a chick, and he had easily tamed the ckback Tortoise. It seemed like he had severely underestimated the prowess of this young man. How should we deal with Citadel Lord Bai? Zhang Xuan asked. Bai Xuansheng was still lying unconscious amid the mud of the seabed. He had sustained far too severe injuries from the ramming of the ckback Tortoise to recover in a moments time. If he finds out that we have tamed the ckback Tortoise, the rtionship between the two sects would surely sour. We should just leave right now, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao said. They had only appeared after Bai Xuansheng was knocked out, which meant that thetter should not know that they were involved in the matter. No matter what, the ckmirror Citadel was still a trading partner of the Sevenstar Pavilion, so it would not be good to fall out with them. Not to mention... they had taken away Bai Xuanshengs Semi-Divinity artifact. If thetter demanded it after he awoke, they would be ced in a dilemma. Since that was the case, they might as well quickly evacuate the area! Leave right now? Zhang Xuan thought deeply for a moment before walking over to Bai Xuanshengs side. He plucked the other party out from the mud and took his storage ring off. Who dares to... Bai Xuansheng was jolted awake by someone taking away his storage ring, and he immediately bellowed furiously. But before he could even open his eyes, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. Putong! He fainted once more. Zhang Xuan retracted his palm calmly. With the storage ring in hand, he leaped over to Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos side and said, Lets go. Considering how this fellow was able to casually bring out a Semi-Divinity artifact and three Heavenly High Immortal- tier swords, there was no doubt that he was extremely wealthy. It would be a pity to leave such drops lying around! This... Pavilion Master Kui Xiao shook his head helplessly. He did not think that Zhang Xuan would be so greedy. Eventually, he held himself back from saying anything. Together, the three of them swam to the surface of the water. As they left the Sea of Little Mirror, they noticed a full moon reflected on the silvery surface of the water, and they could not help but feel a cold chill. Those mirrorlike Silverback Mayflies were insignificant creatures in their eyes, but who could have known that they would actually be so frighteningly powerful? In armies, they could take down even a Semi-Divinity artifact without any issues! If not for the young man beside them discovering it in advance, they might have ended up in Bai Xuanshengs position, or perhaps, even on their way to meet their maker! As such thoughts shed through their minds, they could not help but nce at the young man beside them. Pavilion Master Kui Xiao turned to Elder Feng and asked, What do you think? He has far surpassed my expectations. Elder Feng nodded. Im willing to submit to him. Good, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao replied with a smile. Following which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Elder Liu, I have a request to ask of you. Zhang Xuan frowned slightly in response. May I know if you are willing to take over my position as the head of our Sevenstar Pavilion? Chapter 2040 - 2040 Vacant Sea 2040 Vacant Sea Not expecting such a request, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before hurriedly shaking his head. My apologies, but Im too used to wandering thends. Im afraid that I dont have the capability to be the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion. It was not that he was uninterested in bing the pavilion masterthe Sevenstar Pavilion was known to be the richest organization on Forsaken Continent after all! But he was already the head of the Myriad Beasts Hall, and it would be inappropriate for him to take on another leadership position in the Sevenstar Pavilion. That definitely isnt the case. If you arecking in capability, then I should be utterly ashamed of myself, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao replied bitterly. A strong leader was integral to a powerful organization. Considering how the young man was able to tame the ckback Tortoise easily, there was really no candidate more suitable than him. Elder Liu, I humbly beseech you to lead our Sevenstar Pavilion. Elder Feng sped his fist as well. This... Zhang Xuan was conflicted. First the Myriad Beasts Hall, and now, even the Sevenstar Pavilion was acting in such a manner. Why was it so difficult for him to be an ordinary elder? Was it his fault that he was so outstanding? Thinking about it, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was still the best of all. He could just remain an innocent honorary elder, unburdened by the weight of an entire sect. Noting Zhang Xuans hesitation, Pavilion Master Kui Xiao pressed on. Theres a limit to the lifespan of Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, so I wont be able to protect the Sevenstar Pavilion for too long. However, Semi-Divinity realm beasts are known for their longevity. This is especially so for the ckback Tortoise, which is rumored to be able to live for several thousand years. If you be the sect leader and leave the ckback Tortoise to guard our sect, we wont have to worry about our security for the next several thousand years! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded. The Azure was nothing more than a pit stop for him. It was only a matter of time before he approached the Hall of Gods in search of Luo Ruoxin. In the first ce, he was already nning to leave the ckback Tortoise behind to guard the Sevenstar Pavilion. After all, he was indebted to the Sevenstar Pavilion for all their help. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. I dont mind bing the sect leader, but I_m too used to living a carefree life. I wont be getting too involved with the affairs of the Seve^ Pavilion. There isnt a problem with that. The role of the sect leader is just to serve as a strong front to deter aggressors. You can leave the affairs of the sect to the First Elder. Pavilion Master Kui Xiaos eyes lit up after hearing Zhang Xuans agreement, and heughed heartily in response. Elder Feng brought out the boat once more, and the three of them quickly got on it and headed back to Starchaser Ind. Some timeter, Zhang Xuan arrived back at his amodation in the Sevenstar Pavilions branch. He brought the ckback Tortoise out from his tamed beast sack and had it let out some of its blood for him. Then, he sat down cross- legged on the floor and absorbed a droplet of the ckback Tortoises blood into his body. Tzzzzzzzzz! As soon as the droplet of blood entered his body, Zhang Xuan could feel all his musclesing to life. A terrifying surge of energy gushed through his meridians and gathered in his dantian. With a reddened face, he hurriedly drove his zhenqi to assimte the energy. This wont work. Without a High Immortal realm cultivation technique, it wont matter no matter how much energy I absorb. He had thought that even without a cultivation technique, he would still be able to force a breakthrough by gathering sufficient energy via the energy in the blood of the Semi-Divinity realm beast. However, that was easier said than done. It was likely that he would first explode into bits before he could even raise his cultivation! Since Im unable to raise my cultivation, I should nourish my body. Knowing that it was futile to raise his zhenqi cultivation in such a manner, he could only turn his attention to something else. The ckback Tortoise was known for its defense, and its blood essence and extremely useful in nourishing ones body. Controlling the energy from the blood droplet through his meridians, his physical body swiftly grew stronger. Two hourster, the might of his physical body could already rival that of Heavenly High Immortals! Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan took out the Semi-Divinity metal chain from his storage ring next. With the threat of the little yellow chick and him pointing out the ws reflected in the Library of Heavens Path, it did not take long before Zhang Xuan managed to tame it as well. You are called Little Tortoise, and you are called Metal Chain. Zhang Xuan formally announced the names of the two Semi-Divinities. A certain Little Tortoise. A certain Metal Chain. After all that was done, Zhang Xuan let the Serpentine Dragon and the others out. This is the blood essence of a Semi-Divinity realm beast. Each of you will have ten droplets each. Whether you will be able to make a breakthrough or not is up to your capability, Zhang Xuan said as he flicked the blood essence of the ckback Tortoise over to them. Those few beasts had all reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm, and their bloodlines were extremely powerful. If they consumed the blood essence of a Semi-Divinity realm beast, they might be able to take another step forward. It would be best if they could make a breakthrough, but otherwise, there was no huge loss. The Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and the others quickly bowed their heads in gratitude as they swallowed the blood essences. Four hourster, they managed to advance their cultivation significantly, but they were still unable to ovee the final bottleneck limiting them. It seemed like it was not that easy to reach the Semi-Divinity realm after all, or else there would not have been so few of such experts in the world. Seeing that they had reached their limits, Zhang Xuan returned them to the tamed beast sack before taking the ckback Tortoise out once more. I want you to recount to me how you were able to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm and where you managed to do it, Zhang Xuan instructed. This was the primary reason he had chosen to tame the ckback Tortoise instead of killing it. Ever since he learned the details surrounding the Godblood Rock, he had been wondering if it had anything to do with Luo Ruoxin. I achieved a breakthrough over in the Vacant Sea, the ckback Tortoise revealed. Vacant Sea? Un. Its roughly two million li away from here. Its an empty region of the ocean. There are no inds or humans in the area, and thats where it got its name from, the ckback Tortoise exined. Its far away... Zhang Xuan frowned. How did you manage to achieve a breakthrough then? Based on what I know, only those have challenged the Azure Bridge are able to make a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. Its true that its impossible for those who havent challenged the Azure Bridge to reach the Semi-Divinity realm, but two months ago, I unintentionally swallowed a droplet of fresh blood, and before I knew it, Id already reached the Semi-Divinity realm. A droplet of fresh blood? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. A Semi-Divinity realm expert was conducting some kind of ritual above the Vacant Sea, and shortly after, a crack appeared in the sky, and a figure fell down. That figure seemed to be injured, and fresh blood was dripping from her body onto the surface of the sea. I and a few other Heavenly High Immortal realm beasts drank her blood and sessfully reached the Semi-Divinity realm shortly after... The ckback Tortoise quickly went through his story. A figure? What did that figure look like? Do you know where she went afterward? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. Shes a youngdy. I wasnt able to catch a clear glimpse of her appearance, and Im not too sure where she went. After drinking her blood, I immediately fainted from the sheer energy it harnessed. When I came to, I was already at the Semi-Divinity realm. To be honest, Im not too sure how it happened either, the ckback Tortoise replied awkwardly. Only some time after reaching the Semi-Divinity realm did it deduce that it had something to do with the youngdy who had appeared from the sky that day. Most likely, she was a true god. That would exin why her blood harnessed so much power, allowing it and a few other Semi-Divinity realm beasts to sessfully make a breakthrough. Does she look like this? Zhang Xuan quickly flicked his finger and drew out Luo Ruoxins portrait in midair. I cant remember anymore... The ckback Tortoise shook its head. For some reason, my memories of her are a little hazy. It distinctly remembered seeing the youngdy descending from the sky, but other than her gender, somehow, it was unable to recall her appearance, physique, or anything else. Its mind would simply draw a nk each time it tried to think about it. Most likely, that was the doing of the youngdy. Zhang Xuan erased the portraits and instructed, Take me over to the Vacant Sea you spoke of. The ckback Tortoise was horrified. It quickly exined, There were a few more Semi-Divinity realm beasts who achieved a breakthrough that day. Its very dangerous to head over there right now! It might have managed to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, but it was well aware that it was not the strongest in the Vacant Sea. Those who had swallowed more blood that day were much stronger than it, which was also why it had swiftly left the region after regaining consciousness. It would be too dangerous to head over there! I understand your concerns, but this is a trip that I have to make, Zhang Xuan said firmly. Without a doubt, what had allowed the ckback Tortoise to achieve a breakthrough was the blood of a god. The incident had happened two months ago, which tranted to roughly six hundred days on the Master Teacher Continent. It matched the time that he first met Luo Ruoxin. There was a good chance that the god who had descended from the sky was Luo Ruoxin! However, he would only be able to verify it if he headed over personally. Seeing that its masters mind was made up, the ckback Tortoise thought about the little yellow chick and the Semi- Divinity artifact in its masters possession, and it felt a lot more assured than before. Alright then... Lets go! Zhang Xuan could not bring himself to wait even a moment longer. Leaping onto the back of the ckback Tortoise, he quickly sent a telepathic message to Pavilion Master Kui Xiao to inform thetter before quickly heading in the direction of the Vacant Sea. As a Semi-Divinity realm beast, the ckback Tortoise sped through the water swiftly like a bolt of lightning. Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators would often require at least a day to travel a distance of two million li, but with the ckback Tortoise traveling at its maximum speed, it only took half a day for him to arrive at his destination. Floating in the air, Zhang Xuan gazed down at the Vacant Sea from above. Just as the ckback Tortoise had described, there was not a person or an ind to be seen. All that could be seen was the ocean, which seemed to merge together with the sky at the horizon. However, unlike the deep blue water in the other parts of the Sea of Exiled Stars, the water here had a slight tinge of redness to it, giving it an eerie undertone. It felt like some kind of tragedy had happened there. The water in this region used to be deep blue in color, but ever since that youngdys blood dripped into the water, the area turned into such a state. It hasnt been able to revert back to its original state even after the passing of two months, the ckback Tortoise said. Nodding slightly, Zhang Xuan carefully activated his Eye of Insight and entered the water to take a closer look. The slightly red ocean water was surprisingly abundant in spiritual energy, making it feel like a blessednd. It had nourished the beasts and nts living in the area, making them far stronger than those in the other parts of the ocean. Most likely, this had something to do with the blood of the god. Zhang Xuan swam all the way of the bottom of the ocean, and over there, he found a couple of crimson-colored rocks. They were the Godblood Rocks he had seen at the Wuhai Market previously. There were not too many of such rocks, and most of them did not harness as much power as the one he had seen previously. Zhang Xuan casually ced his hand on one of the rocks and used the Library of Heavens Path to analyze it. Thepiled book was the same as before, reflecting just the name, Godblood Rock. Zhang Xuan swam around the area and noticed that the area tinged with redness wasnt too vast. He turned to the ckback Tortoise and asked, Where did that figure appear back then? It appeared south of where we currently are... But Master, I rmend you dont head there. The area is currently dominated by the Three Shark Brothers. They were the ones who chased me away back then, the ckback Tortoise said with a reddened face. Three Shark Brothers? Zhang Xuan frowned. They are the conquerors of the Vacant Sea. They were already extremely powerful at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, such that I was never a match for them. Back then, in view of my powerful defense and the fact that Ive never provoked them, we never crossed one another... However, after consuming the blood and achieving a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, they grew much stronger than before, even more so than me. In order to im the blood lingering in the region for themselves, they forced me out of the area I previously resided in. As I was no match for them, I had no choice but to leave, the ckback Tortoise said. You are saying that... all three of them have reached the Semi-Divinity realm? Zhang Xuans face darkened. Chapter 2041 - 2041 Conquerors of the Ocean 2041 Conquerors of the Ocean Yes, Master! the ckback Tortoise said with a nod. It was still able to stand its ground against Pavilion Master Kui Xiao and the others, but it was truly helpless against those sharks. As they were all native to the Ocean of Exiled Stars, they knew the strengths and weaknesses of each other very well. Had it not left the Vacant Sea, it would have already died. Not only are they at the Semi-Divinity realm, they are also stronger than me. I specialize in defense whereas they specialize in offense. If that Semi-Divinity realm cultivator who stalked and fought me earlier was encircled by them, I doubt that he would have evensted three breaths before he breathed hisst! the ckback Tortoise said. Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed into slits upon hearing those words. Bai Xuansheng might not have been the strongest among the heads of the Six Sects, but he was not the weakest either. For someone of his prowess to be unable to survive even three breaths before those sharks... it seemed like they were indeed fearsome adversaries! Master, why dont we just drop the idea. It wont be toote to head there after you achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, the ckback Tortoise pleaded desperately. Even though its master had many tricks up his sleeves, and the little yellow chick was a formidable beast, it still could not help but feel a little insecure. After all, they were going to face three Semi-Divinity realm beasts at once. Even if the little yellow chick was able to swallow one of them, they would still have to deal with the other two. Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before saying, You should return to the tamed beast sack for a moment. Ill head there discreetly. Ill just take a look and leave without rming them. He had already gone all the way there, so how could he leave without properly investigating the matter? The ckback Tortoise did not specialize in stealth, so it was easy for any other Semi-Divinity realm beasts to detect its presence. On the other hand, he could conceal his aura just by driving the Heavens Path Divine Art. He was confident that he would be able to hide himself even from those three sharks that the ckback Tortoise spoke of. Seeing that it was impossible to convince its master otherwise, the ckback Tortoise returned to the tamed beast sack with a helpless sigh. After that was done, Zhang Xuan quickly reined in his aura and erased his presence before warily proceeding in the direction that the ckback Tortoise had pointed out to him before. He held his breath carefully as he allowed the water currents to carry him across the murky seabed. Fortunately for him, the seabed of the Vacant Sea was filled with taller seaweed and coral, making it easier to him to hide his silhouette. As he proceeded forward, he wondered, If Luo Ruoxin was the one who had entered the Azure from here through a breach in the dimension barrier... who received her? If the youngdy whom the ckback Tortoise spoke about was referring to Luo Ruoxin, who was the one who had summoned her? So far, the only ones he knew that were capable of conducting rituals to summon deities and gods were the Otherworldly Demons. But why did this person summon her, and how did she sustain wounds so heavy that she lost so much blood, changing in the ocean? Everything regarding Luo Ruoxin revolved within his mind like an unsolvable memory, leaving him feeling deeply frustrated. He was starting to find it hard to understand the youngdy whom he loved. Sighing deeply, he took out the crimson pendant hung in front of his chest. He closed his eyes and focused his consciousness on the spiritual energy within. Slowly, he could feel it bing warm. It seems like this has something to do with her, Zhang Xuan thought as he continued speeding ahead. Ten minutester, he finally came to a halt in a trench at the bottom of the ocean. Based on what the ckback Tortoise had said, this trench was where the base of the three sharks was located. Zhang Xuan peered in and noted that the color of the water was even redder. At the same time, the spiritual energy felt even more abundant. Lush nts intercrossed one another as they crept out from within, creating a dense shroud. This must be where the bulk of the scattered god blood is. The concentration of spiritual energy there was greater than the surroundings, hinting that it was where the spiritual energy was originating from. Furthermore, he could feel the pendant growing hotter. If he wanted to investigate the matter further to see if Luo Ruoxin was tied to it, this would probably be it. Of course, given that it was highly likely that there were three Semi-Divinity realm immortal beasts inside, Zhang Xuan was in no rush to charge right in. Instead, he hid behind a boulder outside the trench to observe the situation. The dense shroud of greenery blocked much of what he could see, but vaguely, he could still see innumerable life forms swimming about. However, there were no clues that indicated where the base of the sharks was at. He had spoken with the ckback Tortoise on the way here, and it seemed like thetter had been attacked by those three because it had refused to be their subordinate. If not for its tough shell and swift speed, it might have died to them. Even though they had fought before, the ckback Tortoise did not know much about the base of those three sharks. As such, it was unable to provide any useful details. Theres no helping it. Seeing no merit in biding his time there, Zhang Xuan stealthily walked alongside the walls of the trench and slipped in. The trench was reminiscent of a mountain valley that extended into unknown depths. The sunlight was unable to reach in there, so it was pitch ck. With Zhang Xuans current cultivation as a High Immortal and his Eye of Insight, he was able to navigate within such darkness without a problem. Leaning close to the walls of the trench, he gradually proceeded deeper in. The trench was eerily quiet. At some point, all the aquatic creatures that he had seen previously seemed to vanish from sight, as if he had proceeded into some kind of death zone. Zhang Xuan was confident that he could hide his presence even in the face of Semi-Divinity realm beasts, so he did not pay it much heed. He continued observing his surroundings closely and advanced deeper in. It might have been due to the effects of the god blood lingering in the area, but the nts in the area were both thick and resilient. Even someone of Zhang Xuans fighting prowess was unable to easily pull apart a casual vine lying around. In other words, its resilience was already on par with an average True Immortal-tier artifact! The effects of the god blood are indeed formidable. Not only does it allow High Immortal realm beasts to reach a previously unreachable level, even the nts have also been significantly strengthened. The deeper he proceeded in the trench, the more concentrated the surrounding spiritual energy became. He could feel his cells leaping in excitement, craving to devour the energy lingering around. However, he knew that he would be immediately discovered if he acted as such, so he made sure to hold himself back. After swimming another two thousand meters deeper, he finally arrived at the seabed. Moving alongside the walls of the trench, he noticed a massive cavern. He activated the Eye of Insight and examined it closely before nodding. This should be the base of the three sharks... There was a particrly oppressive auraing from within, and this aura somewhat resembled what he felt from the ckback Tortoise and Pavilion Master Kui Xiao. Most likely, the three Semi-Divinity realm sharks were inside. He touched the crimson pendant hanging in front of his chest once more and realized that it was burning hot. The heat only further intensified as he approached the cavern. Could it be that... there is still god blood here that hasnt been devoured by those sharks yet? The rule behind the response of the pendant seemed rather straightforward. The higher the concentration of god blood, the more heat the pendant would emanate. Given how hot the pendant was, it seemed very likely that there was still some god blood that had not been assimted! If he could find it, he might just be able to find a way to confirm whether it hade from Luo Ruoxin or not! Theres no choiceI can only take this risk! Zhang Xuan thought with gritted teeth before slowly swimming toward the cavern. The cavern was roughly several hundred meters wide. After proceeding a little further in, he noticed quite a few aquatic creatures lined up in neat formations within the massive cavern. Taking a closer look, he realized that even the weakest of them was at the Heavenly True Immortal realm. As for High Immortals, there must have been at least several hundred of them. Several hundred High Immortal realm beasts... Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Was this formation not already stronger than that of any one of the Six Sects? With the strength of our kings, well be able to rule over the Ocean of Exiled Stars and ensure that no humans are able to encroach on our territories! Thats right! Our kings have already reached the Semi-Divinity realm, a levelparable to the leaders of the humans Six Sects. Once they pass down themand, well ughter all humans who dare to invade the ocean to show them whos boss! Several beasts cried out passionately. Zhang Xuan looked at the very front of the formation and saw three massive thrones erected in the deepest depths of the cavern. Three sharks were seated on the thrones, each of them emanating tremendous pressure. Semi-Divinity realm experts! Each of them possessed strength greater than that of the ckback Tortoise. If even each of them was that powerful, it was terrifying to imagine just how powerful their coboration would be. The reason we have gathered all of you here today is to warn all life forms that the ocean belongs to us. For many years, humans have encroached on our territories and stolen our resources. We shall let those thieving scoundrels know that we shall tolerate their acts of transgression no more, and any trespassers will be massacred without any mercy whatsoever! The shark sitting in the middle spoke with a voice that reverberated loudly throughout the entire cavern. Our king speaks nothing but the utmost truth! The ocean belongs to us! We have to stop the tyranny of the Six Sects, especially that of Starchaser Pce! Those sentiments were echoed by the rest of the aquatic creatures, and they cheered fanatically in support of the movement. Are they nning to formally create their own power? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. There was no doubt that there were many powerful aquatic creatures in the ocean, but none of them had reached the Semi-Divinity realm before. As such, they did not have the strength to oppose the Six Sects. However, with three Semi-Divinity realm experts suddenly appearing, the ambitions of the High Immortal realm aquatic creatures could not be suppressed anymore. Thus, they intended to rally the aquatic beasts together to construct a power that could stand against the Six Sects. That would exin why he had seen so many aquatic creatures earlier, but they simply vanished from sightter on. Most likely, he must have caught them while they were answering the summons and rushing over. Our first target should be Starchaser Pce. Their Starchaser Ind is located at the center of the Ocean of Exiled Stars. I have discussed this with the other two kings, and we intend tounch a surprise assault to let them know that we, the aquatic creatures, arent to be trifled with! As long as we can show sufficient might, none of the Six Sects will dare make a move on us! the shark seated on the middle throne said imposingly. The ocean was rich with resources, and the beast cores of many of the aquatic creatures were beneficial to a cultivators breakthrough. As such, despite the dangers lurking in the area, the Six Sects dispatched their disciples for hunting missions from time to time. This was especially so for Starchaser Pce. Living on a lone ind, it was inevitable that they were reliant on the ocean around them for resources. If they wished to rally all the aquatic beasts together andmand deference from the Six Sects, there was no better target than Starchaser Pce! A catfish with multiple ears voiced its concerns regarding the issue. My king, it would be most convenient for us to make Starchaser Pce our first target, but I believe that theres a need for us to think things through first. Based on the results of my investigation, the person who summoned that young female god two months ago was none other than Pce Chief Du Qingyuan of Starchaser Pce! Chapter 2042 - 2042 The Unreliable Chick 2042 The Unreliable Chick Shes the one behind that matter? The shark seated on the middle throne was somewhat taken aback by that news. Are you certain of it? The reason the three of them had been able to achieve a breakthrough was due to the blood droplets of the young female god falling into the sea. My king, I dispatched my 100,000 subordinates to look into the matter, and I am absolutely sure of it! the catfish replied affirmatively. The shark in the middle took a while to calm itself down before harrumphing. Humph! So what if shes able to summon a god? Based on what I saw that day, shortly after entering the Forsaken Continent, the god broke open the surrounding space to head somewhere else, and she hasnt appeared ever since. As long as a god doesnt get involved in the battle, we still stand a good chance in a war against the Six Sects! Our Big Brother is right! Even the gods who have descended to the Forsaken Continent find their strengths significantly lowered here, the shark seated on the left remarked smugly. Its for this reason that no gods will descend and interfere in the affairs here other than the Hall of Gods. Even if Starchaser Pce is able tomunicate with the gods, its unlikely that they have the ability to rally the gods to fight on their behalf! Since thats the case, what do we have to fear? No matter how powerful the head of Starchaser Pce is, shes nothing more than an individual. With thebined prowess of us three, killing her will be a walk in the park! The fact that the heavens have allowed us to achieve a breakthrough shows that fate is starting to favor us oceanic creatures. We should seize the day instead of allowing this rare opportunity to slip through our fingers! the shark seated on the right added in agreement. Our era is swiftly arriving! How many of us aquatic creatures have those humans in in the past? We shall return the favor twofold! Well let them know that we arent to be belittled! We arent to be belittled! Those words immediately sparked the zing passion among the aquatic creatures. Be it the prawns, octopuses, crabs, oysters... All of them trembled in agitation upon hearing those words. For the past several thousand years, the Six Sects of the humans had held the dominant position on the Forsaken Continent. As a result of that, the aquatic creatures had not dared step onnd easily for fear of getting killed. But now that they had the backing of Semi-Divinity realm experts as well, they had nothing to fear anymore! Hiding at the back, Zhang Xuan murmured with a frown, The head of Starchaser Pce? Starchaser Pce had been founded by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Considering that Luo Ruoxin was the Spirit God, it was only natural for her to answer their summons! If what was said about Luo Ruoxin was right, it was likely that Pce Master Du Qingyuan had summoned her down to the Azure. Right after that, Luo Ruoxin had descended further down to the Master Teacher Continent in order to snatch the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. From the looks of it, getting in touch with Pce Master Du Qingyuan will be the crux of learning the truth behind everything! He had rushed over there after deducing that the Godblood Rock had something to do with Luo Ruoxin, but it seemed like his focus had been wrong. If Du Qingyuan was the one who had summoned Luo Ruoxin, how could she not know who and where thetter was? I should return for now, Zhang Xuan thought to himself after learning of this critical piece of information. Putting aside the fact that there were three Semi-Divinity realm beasts there, just the several hundred High Immortal realm ones were enough to overwhelm him! The main reason he had sought the true origin of the god blood was to verify if Luo Ruoxin had really been to the Azure and, from there, determine where she had gone. Since he had been able to acquire the news from Pce Master Du Qingyuan, there was no need for him to remain there anymore. After all, there was no need for him to expose himself to needless danger. So, Zhang Xuan slowly backed away, and just as he was about to retreat from the cavern, he suddenly felt a pulsation of spiritual energying from within. This pulsation of energy caused the pendant around his neck to tighten a little. A frightening amount of heat was being emanated from it. He quickly turned around and saw the shark seated at the centermost throne bringing out a crimson droplet of blood before all the aquatic creatures gathered there. The droplet of blood was roughly the size of a sesame seed, but even so, the amount of energy that it emanated was rming. It was as if an entire world had beenpressed into it. If such an amount of energy was released, the entire ocean would immediately descend into turmoil! This is the god blood, the centermost shark said as it rose from its throne. This is the key that allowed us to reach the unattainable Semi-Divinity realm. Pledge your loyalty and serve us with devotion, and you will not be let down by what you receive! My king, we are willing to pledge our lives to you! The appearance of the god blood caused the eyes of the aquatic creatures to light up as they roared in excitement. Even a droplet of blood from a true god was enough for them to push for a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm. There was no doubt that it held great allure to all life forms. Seeing that it had managed to rouse the morale of the aquatic creatures, the centermost shark nodded in contentment. Through a mixture of fear tactics and incentives, it was confident that their subordinates would serve them loyally. Those who have reached Semi-Divinity realm really mustnt be underestimated, Zhang Xuan thought warily. Their strength was one thing, but he had never thought that the sharks would be so skilled in the art ofmanding as well. It seemed like human cultivators had really been underestimating the intelligence of other life forms all this while. I should leave! There was no doubt that Zhang Xuan was interested in the god blood, but he knew that it was impossible for him to obtain it given his current strength. The risk was too great for him to bear. Besides, there was no need for him to make a move personally. There was no doubt that Starchaser Pce and the rest of the Six Sects would deal with the three sharks once they learned of the matter. They could not risk the aquatic creatures forming a power of their own. By then, he could simply lend them a hand in dealing with the sharks. Who is it? Boom! A deafening voice reminiscent of rumbling thunder tremored through the entire cavern, causing rock fragments and dust to fall to the ground. Following that, three boundless auras burst forth. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. He had been suppressing his aura the whole time, such that it should not have been possible for the other party to notice him easily. Besides, even if the other party did notice him, it should have happened as soon as he entered the cavern. Why would such a thing happen just as he was about to leave? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned his head around, only to nearly faint in horror. At some point in time, the god blood that was floating right before the eyes of the aquatic creatures had vanished without a trace, causing a huge panic within the cavern. The three Semi-Divinity realm sharks flew into a fit of rage. They released their powerful auras, disying their determination to rip the culprit into shreds. There! A voice echoed in the air all of a sudden. In response to that, a shot of water current burst forth and struck the ceiling of the cavern, causing rock fragments to fall to the ground. Tracing the shot of water current, Zhang Xuan lifted his head to take a look. What he saw nearly caused his to keel over. In the corner of the cavern, a little yellow chick was frantically pping its wings to maneuver through the water. At the same time, loud burps were escaping from its mouth. The energy of the god blood could be felt pulsating within its body. It was obvious who the culprit who stole the god blood was. Im not going to apany your suicidal tendencies... What else could Zhang Xuan do in a situation like this other than turn tail and flee? This fellow was really an idiot! There were three Semi-Divinity realm beasts and several hundred High Immortal realm aquatic creatures there, and that dumb chick had still gone forward to devour their god blood. Was that any different frommitting suicide? Master, wait for me! Before Zhang Xuan could get far, the little yellow chick cried out loudly, and the next moment... It had already caught up with him. The might of the god blood is greater than I thought. I am at my limit and cant really move anymore. Ill need to rest for a while... Hu! Right after saying those words, the little yellow chick dived right into his tamed beast sack. Looking around him, Zhang Xuan saw a whole army of aquatic creatures staring at his revealed profile with stunned looks on their faces, and he nearly burst into tears. My heavens, just what did I do so wrong to deserve such a punishment? You sure have it easy, going to sleep and dumping all the responsibility to me. What am I supposed to do now? Zhang Xuan cursed beneath his breath. He really wanted to roast that damned chick alive. But he knew that it was only possible if he got out there alive. Without any hesitation, he immediately executed his Heavens Path Movement Art and fled. If he waited any longer, he would lose his life. Capture him! How dare a humane here and steal our god blood? Kill him! Lets make meat paste out of him to feed the dogs! You buffoon, we dont have dogs underwater! You can feed him to me instead! The aquatic creatures bellowed in frenzy. It was not too long ago that they had dered confidently that they would expel the humans from the ocean, yet a momentter, one of them infiltrated their nest and stole their god blood. It was inevitable that they were infuriated. Boom boom boom! As Zhang Xuan fled, innumerable surges of energy kept exploding around him, leaving goosebumps rising all over his arms. He really wanted to burst into tears. I am just an innocent bystander! I swear that Im not the culprit behind this. Why wont any of you believe me? The gray shark seated on the lift throne rose up and scoffed in fury. Did you think that this is a ce where you cane and go as you please? With a whip of its tail, it appeared right before Zhang Xuan to block his escape. There was no doubt that Zhang Xuans Heavens Path Movement Art was formidable, but his movement speed was severely impeded due to the viscosity of the water. On the other hand, the opponents that he was facing had spent their lives in the water, and their physiques were adapted for gliding through the water. As such, he had no speed advantage whatsoever before the other party! You thieving human, you shall pay for your foolishness! The gray shark whipped its powerful tail toward Zhang Xuan with crushing might that caused even the surrounding space to copse. There was no doubt that even the current Zhang Xuan did not have the ability to withstand such a powerful strike! The threat of a Semi-Divinity realm beast that specialized in offense was indeed far greater than that of the ckback Tortoise! In this moment, Zhang Xuan panicked a little. He had always been proud of his speed, but in the water, it was as if he was a crawling snailpeting against a sprinting hare. Turning to take a look, Zhang Xuan saw that the huge army of High Immortal realm aquatic creatures was ring at him ferociously. The other two Semi-Divinity realm sharks had also darted over to him with killing intent ring from them. Zhang Xuans reaction was quick, but it was inevitable that he was handicapped against the aquatic creatures in a race underwater. Before he knew it, he was already tightly encircled. Go! Knowing the urgency of the situation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist. Hu hu hu hu hu! Five Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords appeared before him. With an upward flick of his finger, these five swords, imbued with the Gods Sword Intent, pierced toward the tip of the cavern. The Semi-Divinity realm shark before him was simply too powerful, so there was no way he could afford to face it directly. At the same time, he would be pushed back into the cavern, thus losing all chances of fleeing. Thus, he could not afford to be bogged down here! Since he was surrounded from all four directions, the only way he could escape was through the ceiling of the cavern! If he could knock a way out for himself, he would be able to get to the trench, and utilizing the cover of the nts, he might just be able to get away safely! It would be hard to find his tiny figure amid the massive ocean filled with all kinds of huge creatures. As long as he could get out of this cavern, with his disguising ability, there was a good chance that he would be able to make a sessful escape! Chapter 2043 - 2043 Encirclement of the Sharks 2043 Encirclement of the Sharks Boom! The five Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords released their Gods Sword Intent simultaneously, theirbined might surpassing even that of his Sea Severing Sword. In an instant, a passageway that he could escape through was drilled in the ceiling. Zhang Xuan immediately made his way in. As soon as he dived into the passageway, a loud explosion echoed beneath him. The space where he was standing at previously had been utterly decimated. I need to hurry up! Zhang Xuan knew that his time was limited before those aquatic creatures beneath caught up with him. Thus, he infused his energy furiously into the five swords, turning them into drills that reduced the ceiling to dust upon contact. It did not take long for the water to turn murky. Where do you think youre going! Boom! A furious howl echoed through the passageway, and Zhang Xuan could feel the entire cavern tremoring. The sharks clearly did not expect Zhang Xuan to dive right into the ceiling. Nevertheless, they quickly pursued him. Due to Zhang Xuans small stature, the passageway that he had dug out was not big enough for the sharks to pass through. As such, they had no choice but to use their own strength to ram their own way out. It took three breaths and a continuous infusion of zhenqi for Zhang Xuan to escape from the other end. As soon as he broke out, he swiftly stowed his swords away before charging right into the coral and vines in the trench. Before he could get too far, a resounding explosion echoed from the cavern beneath. Amid the murky waters mixed with sediment, a shark charged out furiously. It opened its mouth and spat out a jet of water. Boom! The jet of water dashed upward with astounding momentum, tearing apart even the nts that Zhang Xuan thought were incredibly resilient with ease. Parry! Seeing that it was impossible for him to evade the jet of water in time, Zhang Xuan took out the Tongshang Sword and shed his de down furiously with a livid look on his face. The sword qi collided with the jet of water current, causing Zhang Xuan to feel a tearing pain between the webbing of his finger. While he did manage to deflect the enemys attack, it had also left him with a stifling ache in his chest, causing him to tumble backward uncontrobly. Powerful! Zhang Xuans body stiffened a little. This was the first time that he had faced off with a Semi-Divinity realm expert in the truest sense. Even when he tamed the ckback Tortoise previously, he had tapped into the strength of the little yellow chick in order to subdue it. It was one thing to see a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator in action, but it was another matter to experience it firsthand! Even though he had managed to achieve a breakthrough to the Lesser High Immortal realm, and his physical body had managed to reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm, he felt like he still could not withstand a single attack from the enemy! Zhang Xuan quickly regained control of his tumbling body before dashing outward once more. If even facing a single Semi-Divinity realm expert was so fearsome, he could not imagine having to deal with three of them at once. Furthermore, there were still several hundred High Immortal realm aquatic creatures lying in wait for him. His only option was to run! From the moment you dared steal our possession, your fate was sealed! A thunderous roar echoed from above. rmed, Zhang Xuan raised his head, only to see another shark charging at him with its mouth wide open, revealing innumerable sharp teeth that emanated cold glints. While one of the sharks was pursuing him, the other two had dashed out from the cavern with even greater speed to block his way from the front! At the same time, an even more powerful jet of water shot toward him from above. Knowing that he was in a terrible position, Zhang Xuan did not dare hold back. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the Semi-Divinity artifact that he had tamed previously andpressed it together to form a massive barrier. A deafening explosion happened right after. The shockwave sted all the surrounding nts and rocks into dust. Under the recoil, Zhang Xuan felt both of his arms going numb, as if he could not raise them anymore. While the Semi-Divinity artifact did allow him to withstand their offense, the attack had still jolted his innards, causing him to sustain severe internal injuries. What the hell was that? Zhang Xuan felt like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He had only gone there to scout out the area, not to rm the enemy, and he had indeed managed to achieve what he had set out to do. The saying was really true; all it takes is a lousy teammate to bring down an entire team! A Semi-Divinity artifact? Seeing the shield that Zhang Xuan had brought out, the eyes of the sharks shone in excitement. A droplet of god blood in exchange for a weapon. I guess thats not too bad a deal! As powerful as the god blood was, all they needed was a single droplet of it in order to reach the Semi-Divinity realm. Beyond that, it was not of much use. However, if they could tame a Semi-Divinity artifact as well, there was no doubt that their fighting prowess would rise by leaps and bounds! Boom boom boom! The three sharks continued bombarding the shield from all three directions, determined to break it down. Even though Zhang Xuan was still holding on for the time being, he felt as though he was going to be paralyzed under the series of impacts. He immediately bellowed, ckback Tortoise, hurry up and get me out of here! Hu! The ckback Tortoise of roughly a hundred meters in length abruptly materialized, and as soon as it appeared, it dashed directly upward with Zhang Xuan on its back. Its speed was much faster than that of Zhang Xuans, but it was still unable to outrun the three sharks. The three sharks continued pouring attacks down upon them, and it felt like the entire ocean would be destroyed at this Old Tortoise, I never thought that you would choose to submit to a human instead of us. You are truly the ck sheep of all aquatic creatures! I would have understood it if you submitted to an expert, but hes only a Lesser High Immortal... Its as if you are regressing with time! What a fool. We let you off, but you chose toe back. Since thats the case, dont expect us to show any mercy. You can be buried here together with that new master of yours! Cold sneers echoed all around them. Seeing how their old foe, the ckback Tortoise, had submitted to the young man before them, the three sharks could not help but mock it. As the ckback Tortoise sustained more and more damage, its speed reduced visibly. Before they could even get out of the trench, it had already sent a telepathic message over. Master, I fear that we wont be able to get out of here at this rate... The reason it had been able to escape previously was because it had escaped as soon as the confrontation started, and the three sharks had no intention of going that far against it. But this time, its master had stolen the sharks god blood and reduced their base to a pile of rubble... There was no way that the sharks would let them off! Youre right. It doesnt seem like well be able to get away at this rate, Zhang Xuan murmured in agreement as he quickly assessed the situation around him. While they were shing with the three Semi-Divinity realm sharks, the High Immortal realm aquatic creatures that he had seen in the cavern earlier had already moved to seal all possible escape routes. In other words, they would be tied down no matter where they headed to, and eventually, they woulde under the tight encirclement of the three sharks. What should we do? the ckback Tortoise asked worriedly. It had warned its master time and time again not to go there, but he just would not listen! In the end, disaster really did strike. Was it really going to die at the hands of the three sharks that it had gone through so much in order to escape from previously? Since its impossible for us to get away, well just have to make a stand, Zhang Xuan said as he stood up on the back of the ckback Tortoise. The opponents might be three Semi-Divinity realm experts, but he had a Semi-Divinity realm artifact, a Semi-Divinity realm tamed beast, a clone, and many Soulless Metal Humanoids. They would not be able to bring him down easily! You wish to fight against them? The ckback Tortoise shuddered in fear. How? I can only hold back one of them for a short while... Its fine. Just hold back one of them while I try to kill the other. As long as we can kill one of them swiftly, we should be able to make them hesitate... Zhang Xuan bit his lips. The three sharks had allied themselves with one another and proimed themselves as brothers, but he was betting that their rtionship was one of convenience rather than true kinship. If that was really the case, as long as he could y one of the sharks, the other two, as well as the several hundred High Immortal realm aquatic beasts around, would have to think twice before making a move. That would provide him an ideal opportunity to make his escape! In any case, his goal was to get out of there safely rather than to get rid of all his opponents. Very well then! Gritting its teeth, the ckback Tortoise retracted its neck and limbs into his tortoiseshell before charging right toward one of the sharks. At the same time, Zhang Xuan morphed his shield into a massive web of metal chains as he charged forth along with it as well. Your opponent is me! But before he could get far, a shark charged right in his direction and swept its tail toward him. Zhang Xuan immediately converged the web of chains together to deflect the attack, but the powerful impact still mmed him into the wall, creating another huge depression in the trench. Humph! Wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his lips, Zhang Xuan brought out a Soulless Metal Humanoid andmanded it to charge toward the shark. You have a helper? Hah! Without any hesitation, the shark opened its mouth wide and crunched down on the Soulless Metal Humanoid. What you have here isnt a helper but food! That depends on whether you are able to digest it or not! Zhang Xuan smirked. Boom! The Soulless Metal Humanoid exploded on the spot. Pu! Due to the massive explosion, the shark spurted a mouthful of blood and threw out one of its sharp teeth, leaving it in an unkempt state. How dare you hurt me? Ill tear you apart! Feeling a stinging pain within its body, the shark was infuriated. It had not sustained such injuries since reaching the Semi-Divinity realm! Sou! It charged right toward Zhang Xuan with its mouth wide open, seemingly intent on devouring him. On the other hand, Zhang Xuans eyelids were twitching in disbelief. That darned sharks still fine after suffering an explosion within its body? That was a Heavenly High Immortal realm Soulless Metal Humanoid, and its explosion should have destroyed everything within a radius of hundred meters. The explosion had urred within the body of the shark, but all it had done was to spurt a mouthful of blood and shed a single tooth. Were Semi-Divinity realm beasts really that resilient? Zhang Xuan immediately morphed the metal chains into a massive shield in order to block the sharks bite. He was just about to toss yet another Soulless Metal Humanoid into the other partys mouth when he saw the final shark circling behind him. Damn it, I guess I can only use my clone! Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to face two Semi-Divinity realm experts simultaneously in his state. He could very well die at this rate! Desperate, he was thinking of bringing out his clone and Vicious as well to support him when the shark behind suddenly came to a halt. Following that, a resounding voice echoed across the entire trench. Halt! Boom! The one who had made themand was the shark that had sat on the centermost throne back in the cavern, the strongest among the three. The shout made the shark, which was intent on swallowing Zhang Xuan whole, retreat slightly, and the other one that was battling with the ckback Tortoise also paused its offense. Big Brother, this human dared barge into our territory and steal our god blood. This is an unforgivable crime! We have to teach him a lesson! the shark that had lost a tooth cried indignantly. Big Brother, I agree with our Second Brother. Why should we show these b*stards any mercy? They might have many means up their sleeves, but with ourbined might, we should be able to destroy them easily! the other shark facing the ckback Tortoise eximed in agreement. Shut your mouths! the shark that the other two addressed as Big Brother bellowed. After silencing the other two, it turned to Zhang Xuan and assessed him carefully with its massive eyes. Perplexed by the current situation, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes and warily drove his zhenqi, fearful that the other party was just buying time to assault him. But the next moment, the massive shark before him suddenly kneeled down and eximed, Your humble subordinate pays its respect, Master! Chapter 2044 - 2044 Taming the Sharks 2044 Taming the Sharks Master? Humble subordinate? The ckback Tortoise and Zhang Xuan nced at one another,pletely taken aback by the abrupt twist. The sharks had been dying to tear them apart a moment ago, so why would one suddenly turn into his subordinate? The ones who were shocked by the situation were not just limited to those two. The other aquatic creatures swarming the area were stunned as well. Their kings had always hated humans with a passion, such that there was no doubt that they would have incited a genocide if they could. Just a moment ago, they had even been discussing a scheme to teach the Six Sects a lesson. Why would one of the kings suddenly change its mind? Not to mention, its body was bent perpendicr as if it was a set square, and it even called the human that stole their god blood its master. Big Brother, why are you acknowledging this measly being as your master? The other two sharks could hardly believe what they were hearing. Shut your mouth! the Big Brother shark roared angrily. Get over here right now and pay your respects to Master! Those two sharks had no idea what their Big Brother was up to, but they dared not disobey itsmand. With a shake of their tails, they swam all the way up to Zhang Xuan. They shot a hesitant nce at their Big Brother once more, and after seeing the look on thetters face, they trembled fearfully and hurriedly bowed down. Your humble subordinates pay its respects, Master! This... Zhang Xuan had no idea what to make of the current situation. After a moment of hesitation, he said, Acknowledge me as your master. Regardless of whether they were putting on an act or not, they would no longer be able to do anything once they were bound by Soul Contracts. Yes! To Zhang Xuans surprise, the Big Brother shark offered its blood essence without any hesitation. As for the other two, they were indecisive for a moment, but after a piercing re from the Big Brother shark, they quickly offered their blood essence. Zhang Xuan epted their blood essences andpleted the Soul Contract. As telepathic connections were formed among them, he realized that the sharks really were not plotting anything at all. They were earnestly acknowledging him as their master. This... It was just a moment ago that they had been trying to tear one another apart when all of a sudden, they had be his tamed beasts. This peculiar situation left Zhang Xuan feeling deeply confused. Could it be that... he was actually very charismatic, such that they could not help but submit to him after witnessing his splendor? But he had not intentionally released any imposing aura or the like! The Big Brother shark noticed Zhang Xuans bewilderment and exined, Its all due to the bestowment of the god blood that we were able to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. Master, you carry a token of the god with you, so its our duty to serve you! A token of the god? Zhang Xuan subconsciously lowered his gaze to look at the crimson pendant hung around his neck. He would usually ce it within his clothes, but due to the intense heat from reacting to the god blood, he had hung it outside his clothes instead. Thats right, the shark replied respectfully. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He had guessed previously that the god blood was rted to Luo Ruoxin, and this verified his guesses. It was through consuming the fresh blood that Luo Ruoxin had spilled into the ocean that these tortoises had managed to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. As such, they held natural deference toward anything rted to her. Regardless of how that happened, it was a huge relief that he was finally out of danger. He quickly drank a bottle of chicken soup to heal his injuries before turning to the Big Brother shark. Dismiss the others. There are a few questions that I would like to ask you. The sharks quickly passed down the orders. The High Immortal realm aquatic creatures could sense that their previously agreed upon ns would go awry if they scattered right now, and they felt incredibly indignant about it. However, they did not dare go against the Semi- Divinity realm sharks, so they could only leave the area with reddened eyes. After all the aquatic creatures evacuated the area, Zhang Xuan turned to the three of them and nodded wisely. Since you have submitted to me, I should bestow names upon you so that I can better address each of you. You will be Shark One, you will be Shark Two, and you will be Shark Three. The three shark brothers were befuddled. Paying no heed to the constipated looks on the trios faces, Zhang Xuan continued grimly. I want you to recount to me in detail how the head of Starchaser Pce conducted a ritual to the heavens to summon a god, how the god descended to the world, and where the god eventually went. It all happened two months ago. Shark One began to recount what happened that day. The head of Starchaser Pce suddenly appeared in the Vacant Sea. Back then, we didnt know it was her. We were only furious to see a human trespassing into our territory, so we assaulted her. Due to the disparity in strength, we were all defeated. Considering how they were all only at the Heavenly High Immortal realm back then, it was inevitable that they were not a match for Pce Master Du Qingyuan. Following which, she used our fresh blood as a tribute for her ritual to tear apart the heavens and summon a god. Her first attempt failed, so she pushed herself to her limits and tried a second time. She probably expended all her energy in the midst of doing so as her appearance swiftly withered to that of an old granny, and it looked as if she would pass away from her frailty. All of us thought that it would be the end like that, but who could have known that... a god would really appear at that moment? As Shark One spoke about the god, its body trembled uncontrobly. It was hard to tell whether its reaction was out of fear or agitation. I cant really say for sure, but it seems like even the second ritual was only a partial sess. Perhaps it was due to thecking strength of the head of Starchaser Pce, or the dimension barrier was simply too resilient, but the god was still unable to pass through it and descend upon our world. So, the god forced her way through the dimension barrier, and she seeded in the end. However, she ended up paying a heavy price for it. Her forceful actions resulted in a severe bacsh from the heavens of the Forsaken Continent, causing her to lose a fair bit of blood. As tributes for the ritual, the three of us were in the vicinity when the god breached the dimension barrier and came over. When we saw the blood from the god dripping in the ocean, we thought that this might be a golden opportunity for us. Thus, we drank a droplet of blood each, and before we knew it, we fell into a deep sleep. So, we dont really know what happened after that... You dont know what happened afterward? Earlier, didnt you say that the god left afterward? Zhang Xuan frowned. I was the one who saw that... Shark Three spoke up. I was more timid than the other two, so I hesitated quite a bit before swallowing the god blood. I vaguely saw the god cing her hand on the body of the head of Starchaser Pce, and thetter slowly reverted to her youthful form. They exchanged a few words, and shortly after, there seemed to be another ritual elsewhere summoning the god. Another dimension rift appeared, and the god left the Forsaken Continent through it. There was another ritual elsewhere? Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. If that was the case, it was very like that other ritual was conducted by Sovereign Chen Yong to summon Luo Ruoxin to the Master Teacher Continent. Thinking back, it could be due to the bacsh from consecutively breaching two dimension barriers that Luo Ruoxins strength had been severely limited when she first descended to the Master Teacher Continent. As a result, she had been forced to impersonate a 6-star master teacher until she finally regained her strength. Of course, this was just spection. As for the exact circumstances, he could only verify it with the head of Starchaser Pce in person. Zhang Xuan took out Luo Ruoxins portrait in order to verify with the three sharks if they were the same person, but just as had happened with the ckback Tortoise, even though the three sharks could vaguely remember what had happened, they were unable to recall the physical characteristics of the god other than her gender. Then, how did you know that this is a token of the god from back then? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. The god used that pendant to force her way through the dimension barrier back then. It was as bright as the sunall of us witnessed it clearlyso theres no way we wouldnt recognize it, Shark One replied. They might have forgotten the physical characteristics of the god, but they could never forget the splendor of her might. Given that the ritual was iplete, it should have been impossible for the god to descend upon the Forsaken Continent. It was by using the might of the pendant to rip open the dimension barrier that she managed to pass through eventually. It was for this reason that they felt deep fear toward the prowess of the pendant and dared not make a move. Even a droplet of blood from the god was enough for them to make a breakthrough. Considering how this young man had a token of the god in his possession, it was likely that he had deep ties with the god. If they wished to reach anywhere higher than Semi-Divinity realm in the future, this young man would be their greatest bet. Pride and backbone? All of that meant nothing in the face of the superior mightmanded by the gods. Does this pendant have the ability to tear open the dimension barrier? Zhang Xuan wondered as he held the crimson pendant tightly in his grasp. It still felt warm. He tried infusing his zhenqi into it, but nothing happened. He tried using the Godblood Rock, Eye of Insight, and his own zhenqi on the crimson pendant, but there was simply no response. If not for the wonders it had disyed from time to time, he would have really wondered if it was just an ordinary pendant. It might be because my cultivation is stillcking... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he thought about the time his cultivation went berserk. Given that Luo Ruoxin had entrusted this artifact to him, there was bound to be something extremely important about it. The fact that it was able to suppress the inner demons that threatened to copse even the Library of Heavens Path spoke a lot about it. Since the three of you have submitted to me, you will be following me from this day onward. There are many things that Ill require your help with, and you can rest assured that youll be handsomely rewarded for your service, Zhang Xuan said as he tucked the crimson pendant safely back inside his clothes. With the loyalty of these three sharks, he would be under the protection of four Semi-Divinity realm beasts. Adding in the Semi-Divinity artifact in his possession as well, even the Hall of Gods would have to think twice before making a move on him! Zhang Xuan took out a bottle of chicken soup and passed it over to the injured shark for it to recuperate from its injuries. After that was done, he continued asking them a few questions regarding the god blood. He learned that of the entire Vacant Sea, the only ones who had sessfully made a breakthrough were the three sharks and the ckback Tortoise because they had been the closest when that incident urred. Shark One had acted quickly back then to store an additional droplet of god blood, but that had eventually ended up as chick fodder. As for the rest, they had diffused all over the Vacant Sea. While the diffused god blood did strengthen the aquatic creatures and nts living in the region, it was not sufficient for them to make a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. Zhang Xuan had intended to study the remaining god blood to double confirm the issue, but since there was none left, he could only drop the idea. Another option was for him to force Little Chick to spit it out... but that did not seem viable. Following that, Zhang Xuan procured quite a bit of blood from the three sharks and fed them to the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and the rest, but they were still unable to make a breakthrough. It seemed like it was not that easy to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. It would take a lot more than the blood essences of other Semi-Divinity realm experts in order to take that final step forward. After that was done, Zhang Xuan moved Shark Two, Shark Three, and ckback Tortoise into the tamed beast sack before riding Shark One back to Starchaser Ind. ... While Zhang Xuan was exploring the Vacant Sea, the group from the Myriad Beasts Hall, which was still on the way to Starchaser Ind, received a message from the Sevenstar Pavilion. Elder Qin Yuan, whats wrong? Elder Liao asked. With his eyes still fixated on the Communication Jade Token in his hand, Elder Qin Yuan replied, I received a message saying that the Sevenstar Pavilion has just chosen a new pavilion master... Elder Liao was surprised by the abrupt news, and he asked, Who is it? Its a young man named Liu Yang. His cultivation is at the Lesser High Immortal realm, but he managed to master all the battle techniques of the Sevenstar Pavilion within a very short period of time. His talent in the field of martial arts is said to be unrivaled, and his cultivation is exceptional! Elder Qin Yuan said. Who would have thought that shortly after they found a highly talented hall master, the Sevenstar Pavilion would find a worthy sessor as well! As the saying went, heroes rise in times of trouble. Perhaps this was a premonition that a huge crisis was awaiting them in the near future. Liu Yang... I dont think I have heard of that name before, Elder Liao muttered contemtively. The same news had reached the ears of the group from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion rushing toward Starchaser Ind as well. The group consisted of only Han Jianqiu, First Elder He Tian, and a few others. One thing of note was that the adolescent youth, Wu Chen, who had traveled all the way to Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion in search of Zhang Xuan, was part of the group as well. Not too long after we established Zhang Xuan as our new sect leader, the Myriad Beasts Hall and the Sevenstar Pavilion rushed to do the same as well... Han Jianqiu shook his head after receiving the news. Rushed to do the same as well? What do you mean by that? First Elder He Tian asked doubtfully. A few days ago, the Myriad Beasts Hall nominated a middle-aged man named Zheng Yang as their new hall master. Just a moment ago, I received a message from the Sevenstar Pavilion saying that Kui Xiao has stepped down, and he has passed his position on to a young man named Liu Yang! Han Jianqiu said. Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang... Hearing those three familiar names, a bad premonition gripped Wu Chen as his lips began twitching uncontrobly. With a look of disbelief on his face, he murmured, It cant be that... they are all the same person? Chapter 2045 - Paying Respects to the Palace Master 2045 Paying Respects to the Pce Master There must be at least billions of people on the Forsaken Continent, so it was inevitable that some of them would share the same names. But for the other two rising stars of the other sects to have the same names as Zhang Xuans direct disciples? There was no way such a coincidence could possibly happen! While others on the Forsaken Continent might not know of Zhang Xuans direct disciples, Wu Chen was familiar with them. It was no easy feat to ascend to the Forsaken Continent. It was already incredible that Zhang Xuan had been able to make his way up there with his own strength, so how could he possibly be able to bring his direct disciples along with him? Not to mention, it was hard to believe that even his direct disciples would grow as monstrously fast as him! In other words... he suspected that Zheng Yang and Liu Yang were Zhang Xuans aliases! Thinking back to the days on the Master Teacher Continent, Zhang Xuan had always liked to take on new personas, such as Yang Xuan, Luo Tianya, and Sun Qiang... What better way was there for a humblebragger to humblebrag than this? Sharply catching Wu Chens murmurings, Han Jianqiu turned his gaze over and asked, They are the same person? What do you mean by that? No, its nothing much. Wu Chen shook his head. It was just a casual remark. I see. Han Jianqiu nodded a little before remarking, It seems like there will be amotion at the Azure Bridge this time. I wonder how Zhang Xuan will fare against Zheng Yang and Liu Yang. To be honest, Im looking forward to seeing those three geniuses going against one another in the dueling ring. It will indeed be an interesting match. Elder Liao nodded in agreement. Wu Chens eyes darted downward, and he murmured with an even softer voice that only he could hear, Its indeed something worth anticipating. Its just that I wonder if the person-in-question feels the same way... Half a dayter, Zhang Xuan arrived back at Starchaser Ind. Paying respects to Pavilion Master Liu. Kui Xiao sped his fist. He had thought that the young man had just gone around touring the area, oblivious to the fact that he had just made a round trip to the highly dangerous Vacant Sea. Pavilion master? Zhang Xuan frowned at that title. I have just instructed the elders to officially ry the message to the other five sects. From this day onward, you will officially be the incumbent head of our Sevenstar Pavilion! Kui Xiao said with a cheery smile. Theres no need to worry though. Ill be supporting you as an elder. Zhang Xuan did not expect everything to proceed so swiftly, and he could not help but shake his head. However, since he had already given his word to Kui Xiao, he would not back out anymore. Besides, his influence as the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion would make it much easier for him to move around the Forsaken Continent. He would just have to leave the ckback Tortoise with them before leaving the Forsaken Continent in order to repay them for this favor. How is the rtionship between the Sevenstar Pavilion and Starchaser Pce? Zhang Xuan asked. On the whole, Starchaser Pce doesnt really have friendly rtions with any of the other five sects. The Sevenstar Pavilion liaises with Starchaser Pce regarding business matters, but other than that, Im afraid that we dont have any informal connections with them, Elder Kui Xiao replied. In other words, we arent close to them at all? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. It wouldnt be wrong to say that. Elder Kui Xiao nodded. However, it doesnt mean that its impossible to bargain with them. As the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, as long as what you request isnt overboard, they will still try to amodate your request to uphold some basic formalities. Even if the two sects were not close with one another, as fellow heads of the Six Sects, they still had to give each other some leeway. After all, there was no saying when they would require each others help, especially since there was a greater threat looming above them. It would be unwise to cause a fallout over minor issues. I wish to pay a visit to the head of Starchaser Pce to ask about some matters, Zhang Xuan said. If you are just asking some questions, it shouldnt be too much of a problem. Elder Kui Xiao nodded. As long as it doesnt involve their rituals and the gods, I dont see any issues in that. As you know, Starchaser Pces greatest strength is its ability to reach out to the gods. Naturally, thats a confidential matter to them, and it would be unwise to ask them to share such sensitive matters. Back then, when the heads of the Six Sects were gathered together to discuss their ns for the Azure Bridge, Hall Master Qin Yuan had just broached the subject a little, and that had nearlynded them in a fight. As long as the young man did not touch this sensitive topic, everything should be fine. This... Those words left Zhang Xuanpletely wide-eyed. Those two were the exact things that he wanted to ask the head of Starchaser Pce about! Taking the young mans response into sight, Elder Kui Xiaos eyes widened as well as he carefully asked, Pavilion Master Liu, do you intend to ask them about that? Well, there is something extremely important to me that I really need to verify with Pce Master Du, Zhang Xuan replied hesitantly. Do you know how I can get into contact with her? Even though Elder Kui Xiao had already discouraged him, he still wanted to give it a try. If he visited her and asked her in his capacity as the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, it was more likely that he would receive a favorable responsepared to him probing around as a disciple. Seeing that the young mans mind was made up, Elder Kui Xiao rubbed his temples in exasperation. It was just a moment ago that he had officially announced that he was passing down his position to this young fellow, and this young fellow was already starting to stir trouble. Eventually, though, out of consideration that the young man was already the pavilion master, he still spoke up. Its not too difficult to get in contact with her. I should be able to help you arrange a meeting. However, Pavilion Master Liu, you must exercise the utmost prudence. Pce Master Du is a very hot-tempered person. If you get into a verbal disagreement with her, I will have to ask you to calm down and consider the interests of our sect... To be honest, he was not too worried about the young mans safety. Du Qingyuan was a formidable cultivator, but their new pavilion master had a Semi-Divinity artifact and the ckback Tortoise with him. If a battle really broke out, the one who would be in a disadvantageous position might not necessarily be him. That being said, it was still best to avoid a conflict altogether. As heads of their respective powers, their rtionship with one another would dictate the future rtionship between their respective powers. Rest assured, I would just like to ask some basic questions. I have no intention of burning bridges, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. He had always gone with the mentality of an eye for an eye. He would not cause trouble if the other party did not provoke him, not to mention that the rtionship between the two sects was at stake. Thats a huge relief! Elder Kui Xiao patted his chest in relief upon receiving that promise. Alright then, Ill help you contact her right now. After that, he took out a Communication Jade Token and tapped it lightly. A few momentster, he raised his head and said, Pavilion Master Liu, she has agreed to a meeting with you. However, she requests for the meeting to be in Starchaser Pce. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The location did not matter to him. Under Elder Kui Xiaos lead, the two of them quickly made their way through the ind, and soon enough, they were already standing right before the massive gates of Starchaser Pce. Unlike other sects, Starchaser Pce appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary pce. It was located at the center of the massive city, just like the Sevenstar Pavilion, but its form was nowhere near as imposing as thetters seven towers. However, if one took a closer look, one would realize that the spiritual energy within millions of li was surging endlessly toward this very pce, forming an enormous formation. It was probably due to such a firm foundation that the Starchaser Pavilion had been able to thrive despite being surrounded by powerful aquatic creatures. Elder Kui Xiao handed the greeting scroll over, and the two of them were immediately granted entry to the pce. Led by a female attendant, they were taken from corridor to corridor before eventually being settled within a spacious guest hall. They waited for a short while before another female attendant entered the guest hall and said, Pavilion Master Liu, our pce master wishes to have a private meeting with you. Ill have to ask Elder Kui Xiao to rest here for the time being. I understand. Elder Kui Xiao nodded. He knew that the young man had something confidential that he had to discuss with Du Qingyuan, so it was not convenient for him to be listening in as well. Thus, Elder Kui Xiao told the young man to take care of himself before settling back down in the chair. Zhang Xuan followed the female attendant out of the guest hall, and passing through the corridor, he soon arrived before a private chamber. The interior of the chamber was deathly silent, and there was a massive veil at the center of the room that hindered ones sight. A calm voice sounded from beyond the veil. To what do I owe this visit, Pavilion Master Liu? I just received news regarding your inauguration, and I didnt think that you woulde knocking shortly after. The Sevenstar Pavilion has always been a trading partner of Starchaser Pce. I reckon that a matter that requires Pavilion Master Liu to request a meeting with me so urgently is something of vital importance. Ill try my best to fulfill your request as long as its something within my means. Zhang Xuan was slightly displeased to see that the head of Starchaser Pce was putting on airs with him by facing him through a veil. He had never heard that Du Qingyuan had such a habit, so he could not help but think that thetter was trying to test or mock him. Nevertheless, he sped his fist and said, I do have an urgent request that requires your assistance, Pce Master Du. The person beyond the veil nodded. Feel free to speak your mind. Pce Master Du, I heard that you have conducted a ritual two months ago for a god to descend upon the Forsaken Continent. I would like to ask some matters regarding the god, Zhang Xuan said. Since he was already there, he was determined to rify the doubts in his mind. I have no idea where you received the news from, Pavilion Master Liu, but I am unaware of what you are speaking of. Given so, I fear that theres nothing I can tell you, the person beyond the veil replied coldly. A frown appeared on Zhang Xuans forehead, and he said, I have visited the Vacant Sea personally to investigate the matter, and there are witnesses stating that you visited the area two months ago. You conducted a ritual in order to summon a god, and the ritual failed, resulting in the god incurring some severe injuries while trying to barge her way through. Pavilion Master Liu must have heard wrongly. I have been cooped myself in Starchaser Pce for years, and theres no way I could have been at the Vacant Sea. Im afraid that I know nothing of what you are saying at all, the person beyond the veil replied. If you are here to grasp at straws, Im afraid that I dont have time to apany you, Pavilion Master Liu. Xiao Qing, send off our guest! The female attendant from before immediately walked over and gestured outward. Pavilion Master Liu, this way please. Since you are reluctant to share about that matter, Pce Master Du, I will have to ask you to pardon my discourtesy! Without even sparing a nce at the female attendant, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly before abruptly rising to his feet. He knew that there was a chance that Du Qingyuan would feign ignorance of the matter, but since this matter concerned Luo Ruoxin, even if he had to flip the entire Starchaser Pce upside down, he was determined to uncover the truth. He might still have thought twice in the past, but with five Semi-Divinities protecting him, he definitely possessed the means to force the other party to speak! He was more than willing to wait for any other matter, but for this single issue, he could not allow himself to wait any longer. Discourtesy? The voice beyond the veil turned wintry. Pavilion Master Liu, are you intending to make Starchaser Pce your enemy? I have no intentions of doing so. All I wish is for you to satisfy this little bit of curiosity of mine, Pce Master Du, Zhang Xuan replied with a wave of his hand. H! The four Semi-Divinity realm beasts appeared in the room simultaneously. Invite Pce Master Du over here! Yes, Master! Even though the three sharks and the ckback Tortoise were aquatic creatures, having reached their current cultivation realm, they were more than capable of surviving onnd as well. It was just that their strength would be slightly crippled as a result. Hong long! With the four aquatic creatures releasing their might at once, a tremendous energy burst right into the clouds. Audacious! The person on the other side of the veil clearly did not think that the new head of the Sevenstar Pavilion would be so brazen as to make a move in her own territory. Hu! Several Heavenly High Immortal realm elders burst into the room, causing a powerful burst of wind to sweep inward. Send out those intruders, Zhang Xuan ordered calmly. Peng peng peng peng! All the elders who had just entered flew outward simultaneously and crashed to the ground, sustaining severe injuries. There was simply too huge a gap between High Immortals and Semi-Divinities. Even though these aquatic creatures were only able to bring forth at most eighty percent of their strength onnd, they were still a force far surpassing what those Heavenly High Immortals could deal with. Hu! While Shark One knocked those Heavenly High Immortals back, Shark Two, Shark Three, and the ckback Tortoise dashed forward to encircle the figure beyond the veil. With theirbined strength, they swiftly bound the other party and brought her before Zhang Xuan. You arent Pce Master Du Qingyuan? Who are you? Facing the youngdy before him, Zhang Xuan questioned her with a deep frown. The youngdy before him was dressed in a light purple dress, and she boasted a curvaceous figure. Her appearance was reminiscent of that of a twenty-five years old, so her actual age was definitely beneath a hundred years. Furthermore, her cultivation was only at the Lesser High Immortal realm! Of course, someone of Du Qingyuans means would be more than capable of concealing her age and cultivation, but it was obvious that the youngdy before him harbored great fear of him despite the bravado that she was putting on. How could she possibly be the head of Starchaser Pce? Not to mention, Du Qingyuan was rumored to be an expert even stronger than Elder Kui Xiao. Even if she was not the strongest within the Six Sects, she would definitely rank within the top three! Chapter 2046 - 2046 Guests From the Hall of Gods 2046 Guests From the Hall of Gods You dare wreak havoc in Starchaser Pce... Are you trying to incite a war? the youngdy roared with a reddened face. She never would have thought that the newly-inaugurated Pavilion Master Liu of the Sevenstar Pavilion would be so unreasonable,pletely disregarding the etiquette between sects and capturing her without any hesitation. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up upon hearing those words. He took a step forward imposingly and red at the youngdy coldly. I dont think your audacity is anywhere beneath mine. I earnestly sent a request for an audience with Pce Chief Du, but you tried to y me off with a mere substitute. Is this a provocation directed toward the Sevenstar Pavilion? Are you trying to incite a war? No matter what, he hade as a representative of the Sevenstar Pavilion, having made a formal request and submitted a name scroll at the entrance. Yet, it was one thing for Pce Master Du not to meet him, but they had even tried to hoodwink him with a fake. Was this not as good as making a fool out of him? It was no wonder they refused to allow Elder Kui Xiao toe along with him! It was obvious that they were taking advantage of him for being green and not knowing the real Du Qingyuan! You... The youngdy trembled fearfully. She seemed to have many words on the tip of her tongue, but nothing came out of her mouth. She knew that Starchaser Pce was at fault. Where is Pce Master Du? Get her to meet me right now, and Ill drop this matter. Otherwise, if this matter blows up, none of you will be able to take responsibility! Zhang Xuan harrumphed as he swept a threatening gaze across the room. He was not too sure of the reason, but it seemed like Du Qingyuan was unwilling to meet him. Otherwise, she would not have allowed her subordinates to y such a trick on him. Given so, it was apparent that talking would not suffice, so he chose to put up a strong front in order to force Starchaser Pce to bring out Du Qingyuan. No matter what, he was determined to acquire information regarding Luo Ruoxin! The youngdy clenched her teeth tightly, but she did not say a word at all. Keeping silent, arent we? If thats the case, I wont be standing on ceremony anymore, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. The four Semi-Divinity realm beasts immediately released their auras, crushing the surrounding cultivators to the ground. As powerhouses of the Sea of Exiled Stars, these four beasts had their hands stained with fresh blood. Their auras carried frightening killing intent that left the weaker-willed panting for breath. Pavilion Master Liu, please quell your rage! At this moment, a voice sounded from the distance. Right after, a Heavenly High Immortal realm olddy dressed in a robe flew into the private chamber. I am the First Elder of Starchaser Pce, Zhao Yue. This youngdy over here is our pce masters direct disciple, Chu Yin. Please pardon her if she has offended you in any way! Zhang Xuan gazed at the olddy intently, indicating for her to go on. Pce Chief Du has some matters to attend to, so she isnt in Starchaser Pce at the moment. We feared that there might be unease if thoseing here from the other sects learned of the matter, so we chose to suppress the news for the time being. I beg for pardon for this matter. First Elder Zhao Yue sped her fist. Those words caused a frown to be etched on Zhang Xuans forehead. It should not be anything much for the head of a sect to not be in, so was there really a reason to conceal such a trivial matter? On the contrary, such a move would only lower Starchaser Pces credibility if it was exposed, thus achieving the opposite effect! Besides, even if the head was not in, there were still many elders to attend to administrative affairs. With the mechanisms driving the daily functions of the sect still present, it was unlikely for any mishaps to ur! It was not as if other powers would send in their troops to wreak havoc as soon as they realized that the head of the sect was not around! First Elder Zhao Yue noticed Zhang Xuans doubt, and she sped her fist with a bitter smile. We have our own reasons foring up such a wed solution... I humbly ask for Pavilion Master Lius understanding. Reasons? Zhang Xuan asked. Pardon me, but it isnt convenient for me to speak about this matter. Since our pce master isnt present at the moment, I would like to ask you toe back on another date, Pavilion Master Liu. Our sect has indeed made a mistake, and you can be assured that our pce master will offer you a satisfactory exnation when she returns! First Elder Zhao Yue said. Zhang Xuan looked intently for a moment longer to assess the sincerity of the other partys response before eventually nodding. Its fine, I dont intend to take the matters that happened today to heart. However, I would like you to inform me as soon as Pce Master Du returns to Starchaser Pce. He was just there to inquire about Luo Ruoxin; he had no intention of turning Starchaser Pce against the Sevenstar Pavilion. Since the other party had already lowered their stance, it would only seem petty of him to continue pursuing the matter. With a wave of his hand, he returned the four Semi-Divinity realm beasts to his tamed beast sack. Farewell. After that, he turned around and left the private chamber. As soon as he returned to the guest hall, Elder Kui Xiao immediately stood up and walked over anxiously. I felt pulsations of energying from where you were earlier. What happened? He was afraid that the young man before him hade to blows with Pce Master Du Qingyuan, and this had left him feeling deeply uneasy. Ill fill you in on the details once we return, Zhang Xuan said instead of exining on the spot. With this, the two of them left Starchaser Pce. However, after they had flown just a short distance away, Zhang Xuan abruptly came to a halt. Pavilion Master Liu... Noticing that the young mansplexion did not look quite right, Elder Kui Xiao asked in bewilderment, Just what in the world happened earlier? Did you meet Pce Master Du? What was with that pulsation of energy earlier? It could not be that they had reallye to blows, right? Pavilion Master Liu, you promised me that you wouldnt act recklessly! I didnt meet Pce Master Du. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He filled Elder Kui Xiao in on the entire story. You said that Pce Master Du wasnt in the sect, so her direct disciple impersonated her and met you in her stead? Elder Kui Xiao was stunned by the turn of events. It was not too rare for a sect leader to be out. The fact that the two of them were at Starchaser Pce at this very moment served as a perfect example. Was there really a need for them to get someone to impersonate her? Something really felt amiss! It did not make sense for a sect with millenniums of history behind it to not know themon protocols and end up making such a foolish move! I also think that something is off. Elder Kui Xiao, you should return to the Sevenstar Pavilion for the time being. Meanwhile, Ill head back to Starchaser Pce to scout t:he situation, Zhang Xuan said. No matter how he looked at it, it was clear that something was happening within Starchaser Pce. The situation that had happened just a moment ago was simply too baffling. It was something that never should have happened in the circle they were in! Pce Master Du was the only person who knew about the details regarding Luo Ruoxins descent, so he had to find her no matter what it took! Ill go with you! Elder Kui Xiao said worriedly. Im afraid that something might happen while we are away. Someone needs to be there to take charge of the situation in case something urs, Zhang Xuan replied grimly. Hearing those words, Elder Kui Xiao did not insist. Alright then. You must take care! If Starchaser Pce was acting so weirdly in their own headquarters, something major must really be happening. It would indeed be unsafe if there was no Semi-Divinity realm cultivator in the Sevenstar Pavilion to stand guard. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan leaped into a remote alley, and when he walked out once more, his appearance had already changedpletely. He was no longer Liu Yang. Afterpleting his disguise, he quickly made his way back to Starchaser Pce. This time, instead of walking in through the main entrance, he snuck in stealthily. His concealment would allow him to hide from Semi-Divinity realm experts, let alone the bunch from Starchaser Pce. It did not take him long to return to the private chamber that he had entered previously. He discreetly flew in and hid among the beams in the ceiling. The elders whom he had knocked out of the room had disappeared, and even the traces of battle had vanished. The only ones left around were Elder Zhao Yue and Chu Yin. First Elder, this really wont do! If even Pavilion Master Liu was able to see through my disguise, those people will definitely be able to do the same! Chu Yin said worriedly. I am able to put on my teachers voice, but I am unable to imitate my teachers disposition and aura. I know that its impossible for you to imitate our pce master impably, but we have no other choice. We can only stall for as much time as possible! the First Elder said. I understand... What should I do then? Chu Yin bit her lips nervously. This is a jade token containing our pce masters zhenqi. As long as you hold it in your palm and activate it, youll be able to bring out the aura of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, simr to that of our pce master, First Elder Zhao Yue said. Ill try my best then. Chu Yin nodded hesitantly. She held the jade token in her grasp, and the next moment, her aura changed. It was as if she had turned into another person. Her disposition became extremely cold, keep others a distance away from her. At the same time, a power that the ordinary would not dare think of approaching burst forth from her. No matter what happens, you might make sure to rein in your emotions. Dont worry if you find yourself in a tight spot; Im there to support you if need be... First Elder Zhao Yue added. Before she could finish her words, a powerful aura suddenly materialized in the courtyard just in front of the private chamber. The First Elders voice trailed to a halt as her face darkened. She hurriedly urged Chu Yin to the other side of the veil. Barely after they were done with that, a calm voice echoed across the courtyard. May I hear Pce Master Dus decision? A few figures walked over with deliberate footsteps. There were five people in total. The one leading the group was a gray-robed middle-aged man whose cultivation felt like the boundless ocean, making it nigh impossible to gauge the extent of his strength. They... ncing at the guests outside, Zhang Xuans body trembled a little from disbelief as he murmured, Hall of Gods? Chapter 2047 - 2047 The Strongest Fist Reigns Mighty 2047 The Strongest Fist Reigns Mighty He had crossed blows with those from the Hall of Gods twice and even in a couple of their Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators. As such, he already had a deep understanding of them. The five fellows in front of him emanated a unique aura that felt both sharp and disconcerting. With just a nce, there was no doubt that they were from the Hall of Gods. A Semi-Divinity realm cultivator apanied by four Heavenly High Immortals... What a line-up! Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed into slits. The cultivators from the Hall of Gods possessed extraordinary strength, such that even their Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators wielded strength that allowed them to withstand the might of Semi-Divinity realm experts! As such, it did not take too much imagination to fathom just how formidable a force this group of people was. Even if Pce Master Du was there, she would probably have had difficulties dealing with them. Of course, that was not to say that she would not be able to win the battlethey were in the heart of Starchaser Pce after all, her territory. It was just a matter of how high a price she would have to pay for victory. The umtion of the Six Sects over their thousands of years of existence was not to be underestimated. The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, for example, only had one Semi-Divinity realm expert, Han Jianqiu, so it might seem like the current force that Zhang Xuanmanded could easily overwhelm them. However, if he really dared invade the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the one who would end up dead in the very end would be him. Just the countless Sword Intents stored in the Compendium of Sword Wisdom would be more than enough to overwhelm his four Semi-Divinity realm beasts! Not to mention, the sect was protected by the founders Gods Sword Intent as well. This was why the Hall of Gods dared not cross the Six Sects easily. While its strength was a notch higher than that of the Six Sects, it was not so absolute as to be able to destroy the Six Sects with ease. Of course, the Six Sects would not use these trump cards easily too, especially since most of them were only one-time use. If the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion tapped into the prowess of the Compendium of Sword Wisdom, it would effectively be destroying their own heritage, preventing the knowledge of the predecessors from being passed down to theter generations. For this reason, unless it was in a time of crisis, no one would think of utilizing these trump cards. For Starchaser Pce to be able to survive despite not being on friendly terms with the other five sects, there was no doubt that they had such trump cards as well. Just their ability tomunicate with the gods was one perfect example. While it would be far too arrogant to expect the gods to fight for them, the gods might have granted them powerful artifacts in return for their offerings. I have already thought it through, and itll be difficult for Starchaser Pce to ede to your request, replied the voice beyond the veil. Her voice was much more stable than before, carrying the weight that a sect leader should have. Difficult? The middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods chuckled lightly to himself. You should be aware that theres a limit to the patience of the Hall of Gods. If you dont grasp this opportunity now, you will have to face the consequences in the future. Is that so? Theres one thing that I am very curious about that I hope you can enlighten me on. The Hall of Gods has always been a lofty existence, never interfering in the secr affairs of the Forsaken Continent. Why are you seeking out our Starchaser Pce at this juncture? Theres no need for you to ask any questions. Youll know what you need to know. We are just carrying out the orders of our master, the middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods replied without the slightest change in his expression. Dont delude yourself. The Hall of Gods always gets what it wants. Even if you turn us down, we have plenty of means to achieve our goals. The only reason we gave you a day to consider the matter is because we dont wish to dye your beautiful ind crimson. I advise you not to test us. There was a brief moment of silence in the air before the voice beyond the veil sounded once more. I dont deny it. We wont stand a chance against the powerful Hall of Gods. However, if you make such a big move, the lofty reputation of the Hall of Gods will be tarnished. Are you worrying about us? The middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods burst intoughter. Reputation means nothing to existences like us. Even without it, who would dare question our authority? Starchaser Pce might have its trump cards, but make no mistake, it wouldnt take us too much effort to crush you beneath our feet! Reputation was only important between equal existences. To behemoths whose every footstep quaked the world, what did the mere opinions of ants count for? Before absolute strength, those doubtful voices meant nothing at all. What airs the Hall of Gods is putting on! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly as he gazed upon the happenings from above. Those words sounded very jarring to his ears, but he knew that there was a sliver of truth in them. It reminded him of the Manchu[l] in his previous life. Those who dared keep their hair would not be able to keep their heads. Through absolute force, they forced the territories that they annexed to bow to their culture. It was clear that this was the stance that the Hall of Gods was going with. This was a world where the strongest fist reigned mighty! Do you really intend to make a move against Starchaser Pce? The person beyond the veil clearly did not expect to hear such words, and her voice began to quaver a little. We dont need to make a move personally. All we have to do is kill you, the backbone of Starchaser Pce, and I believe that there will be many sects who will be more than willing to deal the finishing blow so that they can rece you, the middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods pointed out coldly. If Starchaser Pce lost its Semi-Divinity realm expert, it would gradually lose its say in the matters of the world, and it would be forced topromise again and again. Eventually, it woulde to a point where it fell out of the top echelon. This was simply reality. You... The person beyond the veil fell silent. A momentter, she said, Im willing to makepromises but the item you requested is the foundation of our Starchaser Pce. Even I dont have the right to make such a decision individually. What Pce Master Du means to say is... Give me another day. Ill discuss the matter with the elders of the sect and give you a satisfactory answer tomorrow, the person beyond the veil said. You want another day? The middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods sneered coldly. Even if I give you another day, I doubt that a fake like you will gain the authority to make the call. Isnt that so? H! Right after those words were spoken, a surge of sword qi burst forth and sliced the veil in two, revealing Chu Yins silhouette. You... Seeing that she had been exposed, Chu Yins body trembled in fear. She had thought that her impersonation was close enough to fool the other party, but it seemed like the other party did not fall for it at all. Are you wondering how I knew that you were a fake? The middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods harrumphed coldly. Chu Yin could not help but clench her fists tightly as she stared anxiously at the person before her, and First Elder Zhao Yues body stiffened in horror as well. Yesterday, when Pce Master Du said that she would give me an answer a dayter, I knew what you lot were up to. Did you really take us, the warriors of the Hall of Gods, for fools? the middle-aged man scoffed. I was just ying along with you to see how far youd go! That being said, I must admit that I am impressed. Despite your young age, you can impersonate Du Qingyuan rather well. I can tell that you have put quite a bit of effort into it! If you knew from the start, then... Chu Yin was taken aback. Since they had known right from the start, why did they still agree to give them an additional day to discuss the matter? Why did they choose to reside in Starchaser Pce for another day instead of forcing them to hand over the artifact? Its very simple. I wanted you to hand the item over yourselves. We already knew of Du Qingyuans departure, and we have dispatched our men to deal with her. Most likely, that pce master of yours has either been captured or killed, the middle-aged man replied. The reason we chose to stay here is just to numb you all. Did you really think that such cheap ploys would work on us? Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yues faces turned utterly pale as they subconsciously retreated several steps. If that was the case... did it not mean that their pce master was in danger? [1] The Manchu, who ruled over China during the Qing Dynasty, had a unique hairstyle for males where they would shave the front and leave a ponytail at the back. Those who have watched Return of the Pearl Princess, Empresses in the Pce, or Story of Yanxi Pce might find them familiar. Chapter 2048 - The Warriors of the Hall of Gods Chapter 2048 The Warriors of the Hall of Gods Seeing that words were unnecessary at this juncture, the middle-aged man waved his hand and ordered, Capture them all! The four Heavenly High Immortals behind him immediately marched forward. Protect the First Elder! In response, more than a dozen Heavenly High Immortal realm elders rushed into the private chamber from all directions. Three minutester, all the elders from Starchaser Pce were lying on the ground, every single one of them incapacitated. Despite being fellow High Immortals, the warriors from the Hall of Gods were simply much more powerful than ordinary sect elders. They simply were not on the same footing as one another, so the oue of the battle was decided right from the start. At the same time, Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue were captured as well. Bring them back. It would be best if we can capture Du Qingyuan, but if they fail, well use these two as hostages to force her to submit! the middle-aged man ordered before turning around to leave. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan slowly drove his zhenqi as he prepared to make his move to save the crowd from Starchaser Pce from the hands of the Hall of Gods. He had refrained from making a move so far in hopes of seeing what trump cards the group from the Hall of Gods was capable of. After all, this was the first time that he would be facing a Semi-Divinity realm expert from the Hall of Gods, so he knew that he should only make a move when he was confident of victory. Otherwise, not only would he be unable to save the rest, he would also ce himself in deep danger. Unfortunately, the group from Starchaser Pce never managed to force the Semi-Divinity realm expert into making a move. Despite the uncertainties involved, Zhang Xuan knew very well that he could not allow the Hall of Gods to take away these people. For one, it would put Du Qingyuan in danger, and that would make it difficult for him to acquire the information he required. Not to forget, he had a grudge with the Hall of Gods. He was not too sure what the Hall of Gods was up to yet, but there was no harm getting in the way of what they were doing. Zhang Xuan discreetly took out the Tongshang Sword and the other four Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords. He was intending to quickly assassinate the four Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators from the Hall of Gods before focusing on the Semi-Divinity realm expert. But before he could make a move, a sharp gust of wind sounded from the distance, and right after, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on the private chamber. Another Semi-Divinity realm cultivator? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. He quickly halted his cirction of zhenqi and continued concealing his aura. Who is it? The middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods also noticed the intruder, and he quickly scanned his surroundings intently. A warm and soothing voice filled the air. Friend, dont you think you are going too far a little? Ill have to ask you to free those from Starchaser Pce. Following that, an old man dressed in green descended upon the entrance of the private chamber before making his way in. This old man appeared to be in his sixties, and he had a flowing beard that gave him a sagely presence. Just like what Zhang Xuan had perceived earlier on, his cultivation was at Semi-Divinity realm, and his aura felt incredibly deep, reminiscent of peering into the abyss. It was likely that he was stronger than even Han Jianqiu. Is he from the Evanescent Immortal Sect? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had met four heads of the Six Sects thus far, leaving only the faces of Pce Master Du and the sect leader of the Evanescent Immortal Sect a mystery to him. The only reason Shark One, Shark Two, Shark Three, and the ckback Tortoise were able to achieve a breakthrough was due to the god blood, and given the nature of the Hall of Gods, it was not too surprising for them to have Semi- Divinity realm cultivators in their ranks. Other than them, the heads of the Six Sects should have been the only Semi-Divinities in this world. It was clear that the old man who had just appeared was not an ally of the Hall of Gods, and bewilderment could be seen reflected in the eyes of Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue. So, the only one that was left was the head of the Evanescent Immortal Sect. The middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods harrumphed coldly. You want me to free them? Youll have to prove yourself worthy of uttering those words first! Hu! Two of the Heavenly High Immortals from the Hall of Gods raised their swords and drove them right toward the old man. Even though the two of them did not intentionally coordinate with one another, their Sword Intents seemed to fuse together, producing a force that ripped a void in the space before them. In terms of mastery of swordsmanship, these two would not pale inparison to First Elder He Tian and the others from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Sensing the pressure produced by those two, Zhang Xuan could not help but clench his fists tightly. He had made great advancements in his cultivation recently, making him nearly invincible among all High Immortals. Nevertheless, he had to admit that the might produced by the two of them was indeed formidable. If used well, it could have potentially forced him into a corner. Even a Semi-Divinity realm beast like the ckback Tortoise would have some difficulties dealing with it. Thus, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on the old man, wanting to see how thetter would deal with a situation like this. Hu! In his eyes, he could see a hint of a smile creeping onto the lips of the old man as he made a move. The old man raised his palm and waved it lightly. Peng! Peng! The two Heavenly High Immortals from the Hall of Gods were immediately sent crashing heavily onto the ground. Their faces turned ghastly pale as fresh blood spurted from their lips. It was just a single move, but those two had already sustained severe injuries! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. He had thought that the old man was only slightly stronger than Han Jianqiu, but it turned out that he was underestimating the other party a great deal. It was hard to believe that what had appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary wave of a hand boasted such unbelievable might! After knocking out the two Heavenly High Immortals, the old man quickly advanced toward the other two Heavenly High Immortals holding Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue before waving his hand lightly once more. It was a deceptively simple move consisting of innumerable transformations. The two Heavenly High Immortals tried to retaliate, but everything they tried was easily countered. Peng peng! With another two hollow thuds, those two were sent crashing onto the ground as well with severe injuries. Judging from their wounds, they would not be able to participate in the battle in the short term. Theres no need to worry anymore, the elder said with a smile as he freed Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue from the energy binding them with a flick of his finger. You have our deepest gratitude for saving our lives. The two of them hurriedly bowed deeply. Its what I should do, the old man replied with a faint smile before finally turning his gaze toward the middle-aged man standing in the room. You can make your move. You arent too weak after all, the middle-aged man remarked with narrowed eyes. He did not expect that the intruder would actually have the ability to incapacitate his Heavenly High Immortal realm subordinates so easily. Even he would have taken some time before he could incapacitate them. Before he could give this matter any deeper thoughts, the old man before him had already begun charging right toward him. In response, the middle-aged man darted forward to receive his blows. Boom boom boom! The duel between the two Semi-Divinities caused innumerable rifts to appear in the surrounding space. It was fortunate that there was a formation protecting the private chamber, or else the whole of Starchaser Ind would have been riddled with innumerable holes by the time they were done with their battle. Zhang Xuan knew that it was hard toe by a battle involving two such powerful experts, so he activated his Eye of Insight and observed the situation closely. The middle-aged mans moves were sharp, forceful, and fatal, but the old man was able to deflect them through ingenious maneuvers. In a few moments, they were already engaged in an intense fight against one another, and surprisingly, they seemed to be equally matched with one another. But why do the moves executed by this old man seem so familiar to me? Zhang Xuan pondered with a frown. The moves of the old man appeared to be simple on the surface, but they were all aimed at the crux of his opponent, making them incredibly hard to defend against. It was clear that the old man lost out to the middle-aged man in terms of strength and zhenqi purity, but as the battle continued, it was the middle-aged man who was forced back again and again. It was clear who was in an advantageous position by now. The old mans battle techniques are a little simr to the simplified Heavens Path battle techniques, consisting of the condensation of profound concepts within simple moves in order to draw out greater prowess in battle, Zhang Xuan thought. Slowly, he realized that the feeling of deja vu stemmed from the simrities in their battle techniques. His fighting style was also centered around searching for and striking his enemys weaknesses. It looks like hes going to win... Zhang Xuan nodded. Barely after such a thought appeared in Zhang Xuans head, the middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods was struck squarely in his chest, forcing him to retreat several steps. You b*stard! Lets see how you will deal with this then! With a furious roar, the middle-aged man took out a sword and channeled his sword qi into it before charging forward at an incredible speed. Judging from the momentum, this seemed to be the strongest move that the middle-aged man had in his arsenal. He was determined to bring down the old man with this. With a grim look on his face, the old man was just about to make his move as well when the silhouettes before him abruptly blurred. The middle-aged man, along with the four Heavenly High Immortals, vanished from view simultaneously. Ill spare you this once. Pray that you never meet me again... With those words lingering in the air, the group from the Hall of Gods escaped from Starchaser Pce. This... Taken aback by the use of such a cheap feint from the lofty Hall of Gods, the old man chuckled quietly beneath his breath before shaking his head lightly. He flew into the air to observe the surroundings a while, and only after confirming that the group from the Hall of Gods had left the area did he return back to Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yues side. Elder, thank you for saving our lives! The two of them sped their fists and bowed deeply. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. I only came to lend my aid to Starchaser Pce under the orders of our hall master, the old man replied with a smile. Hall master? The two of them nced at one another in confusion for a moment. The First Elder sped her fist once more and asked, May I have the honor of knowing your name and the sect you are from? As the First Elder of Starchaser Pce, Zhao Yue knew all the top experts from the Six Sects. Yet, she did not recognize the old man before her. Furthermore, despite being a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, the other party still was not the leader of the power he was in. Just how formidable would the organization behind him be? Of course! I am Fu Chenzi, the old man said with a hint of pride as he stroked his beard. I am an elder from the Ethereal Hall! The Ethereal Hall? Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue were taken aback. Despite all their guesses, they did not think that the old man would actually be from the Ethereal Hall! Zhang Xuan was taken aback as well. He knew that the Ethereal Hall founded by Kong shi was filled with many experts, but who could have known that the Semi-Divinity realm experts in their ranks would actually be this powerful? As expected of a power that had received an entire (God) character. Indeed. Elder Fu Chenzi nodded. Hall Master Kong has been keeping a close eye on the movements of the Hall of Gods, and noticing that it was intending toy its hands on Starchaser Pce, he sent me here as support. It is truly fortunate that I came in time, or else the consequences would have been dire... Its indeed a huge relief. Elder Fu, Ill have to trouble you to ry our gratitude to Hall Master Kong as well. First Elder Zhao Yue sped her fist. You are too courteous, Fu Chenzi replied with a nod. Switching to a more serious look, he looked at First Elder Zhao Yue and said with a hint of confusion, The Hall of Gods has always steered clear of secr affairs. Pardon me, but may I know the reason they have chosen to approach Starchaser Pce at this juncture? This... First Elder Zhao Yue hesitated a little. Noticing the look of difficulty on the other partys face, Fu Chenzi added, Treat it as if I never asked that question if its not convenient for you to speak. Its just that Im a little worried about Pce Master Du. Itll be hard for me to make a move without knowing the exact details of the current situation. First Elder, Elder Fu is our savior... Chu Yin looked at First Elder Zhao Yue. Their current priority should be to save their Pce Master. There was no way they would be able to do it with their current strength, so they could only rely on the old man before them. Thus, Chu Yin could not understand why First Elder Zhao Yue was still hesitating at this moment despite their current plight ...I guess we have no other choice. First Elder Zhao Yue nodded with a wry smile. Since Elder Fu is an expert from the Ethereal Hall, theres no harm in filling him in on the details. Even though the Ethereal Hall was a mysterious entity on the Forsaken Continent, it had always moved with the interests of the continent at heart. There had never been any rumors about it being affiliated with the Hall of Gods, and it had never acted improperly. As such, it should be safe to assume that the other party was trustworthy. In truth, the Hall of Gods has approached our Starchaser Pce in hopes of obtaining our greatest treasure. Your greatest treasure? Fu Chenzi asked with a frown. Indeed. Its the altar that Starchaser Pce uses for its rituals, First Elder Zhao Yue exined. Chapter 2049 - 2049 City of Collapsed Space 2049 City of Copsed Space Altar? Fu Chenzis eyebrows shot up. The reason Starchaser Pce was deeply feared by the other sects was due to its ability tomunicate with the gods through its rituals. Such rituals would require not just appropriate offerings but an altar to hold the offerings as well. To think that the Hall of Gods would attempt to take this away from Starchaser Pce! The altar is the very foundation of Starchaser Pce, so how could we give it away to others easily? Thus, our pce master tasked us with the responsibility of stalling for time while she finds a suitable ce to hold a ritual in order to report this matter to the gods so that they can redress our grievances! Chu Yin exined. I see... Fu Chenzi nodded in realization. Hiding on the beams in the ceiling, Zhang Xuans eyes widened inprehension as well. He had been wondering why Starchaser Pce would have a disciple impersonate Du Qingyuan all along, and this turned out to be the real reason. With the Hall of Gods keeping a close eye on Starchaser Pce, there was no way it would allow Du Qingyuan to hold a ritual to report the incident to the gods. Thus, thetter could only find a remote location to conduct the ritual. In order to buy time for her, they chose to have Chu Yin impersonate her in hopes that the Hall of Gods would not notice anything amiss. It was just a pity that the Hall of Gods seemed to have seen through them right from the start. Elder Fu, its likely that my teacher is still being pursued by the warriors of the Hall of Gods. I beseech you to save her! Chu Yin kneeled down and implored. I will not hesitate to help her if I am able to, Fu Chenzi replied grimly. However, youll have to tell me where she has headed to and where she intends to hold the ritual. Or else, Im afraid that theres nothing I can do. This... Knowing the severity of the matter, Chu Yin looked at First Elder Zhao Yue, and the two of them fell into deep thought. Their pce masters destination was confidential, and thetter had instructed them not to tell anyone prior to her departure. The Hall of Gods has already uncovered your goal, and most likely, they have already dispatched their men to apprehend Pce Master Du. Shes likely in deep danger. I wont be able to help her until I know where she currently is, Fu Chenzi said grimly. I believe you should know better than anyone the importance of Pce Master Du and the altar to Starchaser Pce. If you lose both of them, theres a good chance that Starchaser Pce will fall to ruin. This is not something that the Ethereal Hall wishes to see. Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue clenched their fists tightly. They knew that there was some truth in what Fu Chenzi had said. Losing their altar would be as good as losing their greatest trump card. That would be equivalent to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion losing its Gods Sword Intent. If something happened to their pce master at such a time, Starchaser Pce would definitely fall into turmoil. The aquatic creatures that it had offended over the years would make use of this opportunity to massacre everyone on Starchaser Ind! Thus, no matter what happened, they had to make sure to protect their pce master and the altar! First Elder Zhao Yue hesitated for a moment longer before carefully speaking. Elder Fu, its not that we dont trust you, but revealing the whereabouts of our pce master can have severe consequences. We have to consider this matter carefully! Fu Chenzi looked at the two of them silently for a moment before slowly nodding. Since this is the will of Starchaser Pce, Ill keep my hands out of this matter and return to the Ethereal Hall. Following which, he turned around to leave the private chamber. The abrupt departure of Fu Chenzi caused First Elder Zhao Yue to panic. She hurriedly eximed, Please wait for a moment! If something really happened to their pce master, this old man before them was their greatest hope. If he left just like that, there was a good chance that their pce master might really lose her life in the hands of the Hall of Gods! Fu Chenzi halted his footsteps and looked at the duo. Elder Fu, may I see your identity token? First Elder Zhao Yue asked carefully. I understand your apprehension. That isnt a problem at all, Fu Chenzi replied as he whipped out a token. Inscribed on the back of the token were the characters _ͨEthereal). These characters carried a deep conceptualization behind them, such that even painters at Zhang Xuans caliber would not be able to imitate the calligraphy. Its indeed the Elder Token of the Ethereal Hall! First Elder Zhao Yue visibly heaved a sigh of relief. Thank you, Elder Fu! Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue sped their fists as they voiced their gratitude. I should follow him to take a look... With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan drifted out of the private chamber like a light gust of wind before quickly heading in the direction that Fu Chenzi disappeared. His goal at Starchaser Pce was to find Du Qingyuan to uncover the truth behind Luo Ruoxin. Since thetter was likely in the City of Copsed Space, there was a need for him to make his way over there as well. Otherwise, if thetter was killed before he could even meet her, he would really lose the final clue linking him to Luo Ruoxin. Fu Chenzis traveling speed was formidable. By the time Zhang Xuan left Starchaser Pce, the other party had alreadypletely vanished from sight. Eye of Insight! The next moment, the slight disturbances in the air that Fu Chenzi left behind as a result of his movements appeared clearly before Zhang Xuans eyes. Zhang Xuan hurriedly followed the trail. It did not take him long before he was out of the perimeters of Starchaser Ind. As he proceeded, several more trails appeared before his eyes. It seemed like there were a few others trailing Fu Chenzi as well. These trails are from those five fellows from the Hall of Gods. Werent they incapacitated by Fu Chenzi earlier? Zhang Xuan frowned. Did they use some kind of secret art that allowed them to swiftly recover? In any case, the fact that they were following Fu Chenzi did not bode well. I have to quicken my pace, Zhang Xuan thought anxiously. Whether those five had been camping in wait to follow Fu Chenzi to where Du Qingyuan was or something else, one thing was for sureDu Qingyuans whereabouts had already been leaked to the Hall of Gods. Knowing that his speed was severelyckingpared to those Semi-Divinity realm experts, Zhang Xuan quickly brought out Shark One and urged it to rush forward. Half a dayter... After traveling for over a million li, the trail suddenly vanished. Zhang Xuan instructed Shark One toe to a halt and return to the tamed beast sack before he began examining the surroundings. He was in the midst of a barren desert. Yellow sand filled his entire sight, and it seemed as if there was no end to it. The trail stops here... Could it be that the City of Copsed Space lies within the yellow sand? Zhang Xuan wondered. The fact that the trail stopped there likely meant that he was not too far from the City of Copsed Space anymore. Thus, he tried to recall the details regarding the City of Copsed Space from the books. The City of Copsed Space is an ancient domain that has existed ever since the time where the indigenous poption ruled the entire Forsaken Continent. Its hidden amid a vast desert... Zhang Xuan hurriedly sieved through all the information in his head. The books in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall, and Sevenstar Pavilion all had some records regarding that ce. It should be in the vicinity then... Zhang Xuan surveyed the area around him, and all of a sudden, his eyebrows shot up. He began walking in a certain direction, and before long, he was standing before a sand dune. To the naked eye, it would seem as if there was nothing peculiar about this ce. However, if one perceived the surroundings carefully, one would feel a prehistoric aura hidden beneath the yellow sand. A world that had vanished from the eyes of the world was hidden under his feet. Zhang Xuan slowly took a walk around the sand dune as he carefully examined it. Then, he took a step forward toward it and stomped his feet down forcefully. Hu! A powerful suction force appeared, causing him to instantaneously fall through space. Zhang Xuan quickly steadied his figure before breaking his fall to float in the air. By the time he looked at his surroundings once more, he found that he was no longer in the desert anymore. Right before his eyes was a massive, dpidated city suffused with a breath of history. It was almost as if he had stepped into a brand-new world. The area waspletely barren. There were no nts thriving in the area, and beneath him was a murky swamp. It felt as if he would have been swallowed whole if he had fallen in earlier. This is the City of Copsed Space? Zhang Xuans expression turned grave. He had long heard that this ce was fraught with dangers, and from the looks of it, that was indeed the case. What was surprising to him was that he had envisioned the City of Copsed Space to be an actual ce on the Forsaken Continent, but it turned out to be in a folded space in the desert instead. He quickly took a sweeping gaze around him. The path that he had entered through had already vanished without a trace. Even with his sensitivity toward space, he was unable to find any traces of it. In other words, he was trapped in the City of Copsed Space. He had to find a different exit if he wanted to get out of there. Ill just have to deal with it when I get to that. For now, I should focus my efforts on finding Du Qingyuan, Zhang Xuan thought as he tossed aside all of his negative emotions. Looking at the massive city before him, he slowly made his way in. Weng! Before he could even reach the city, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling sensation behind him. The next instant, a surge of sword qi burst out of the marsh toward his chest. At the same time, another burst of sword qi fell from the ceiling. It was clear that these two were coordinating with one another to kill him in a single move. An ambush? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. He had been so focused on following Fu Chenzi that he did not expect that he would fall into an ambush here! Chapter 2050 - 2050 The Disdainful Clone 2050 The Disdainful Clone The Hall of Gods, huh? Zhang Xuan immediately identified his assants. The disconcerting killing intent and the sharp precision that seemed as if it had been carefully measured with a ruler, these were traits that were unique to the sword practitioners of the Hall of Gods. More importantly, the angle, positioning, and attack timing that they had coordinated with one another were truly sharp, such that even Semi-Divinity realm experts would find it hard to avoid their offense. The only ones he could think of that were capable of such a feat were those from the Hall of Gods. Only two Heavenly High Immortals, eh? Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Ten days ago, he would have beenpletely helpless against such a line-up, but to the current him, they were no longer a problem for him to deal with anymore. However, while there were only these two on the surface, there was no saying that the Semi-Divinity realm middle- aged man was not lying in wait around as well. Thus, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to the four Semi-Divinities in his tamed beast sack to prompt them to be ready to strike at any moment. At the same time, he brought out the Tongshang Sword and released the Gods Sword Intent to seal away the surroundings. Gods Sword Intent? You are the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Zhang Xuan? Those two assants were rmed, and the one above immediately turned tail to flee. If the young man before them was still at Heavenly True Immortal realm, he would have given it his all to take him down. However, the young man had already reached High Immortal realm! Taking into consideration that the previous two assassinations had failed as well, it did not take him long to figure out that the opponent standing before them was not someone whom they could defeat. What he had to do right now was inform their leader of the news as soon as possible! If he could capture this young man, the merit he would earn would be far greater than acquiring the altar of Starchaser Pce! Its toote! Zhang Xuan remarked lightly. Zhang Xuans sword descended like a gust of wind. It appeared to be slow on the surface, but that single move effectively sealed away all his routes of escape. He was trapped. Pu! A bloodied slit appeared on the be of the Heavenly High Immortal above, and just like that, his soul dissipated, sealing his fate. Hu! Zhang Xuan quickly grabbed his falling corpse and threw it into his storage ring. All in all, from the moment those two attempted to assassinate him till the Heavenly High Immortal above was killed, not even a single breath had passed. At the same time, though, the sword qi from the Heavenly High Immortal below had arrived right before him. Ding! Just as it seemed as if the sword qi was going to pierce through Zhang Xuans chest, a gourd suddenly materialized right before him and blocked the sword qi. Damn it! Break! With gritted teeth, the Heavenly High Immortal below drove his zhenqi to his limits, hoping to pierce through the gourd. However, it was as if the gourd was as resilient as a fortified city wall. Even when pouring in his full strength, he was still unable to breach it. Could that be a Semi-Divinity artifact? The Heavenly High Immortal jolted in fear. He was at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, and the sword in his hand had reached the same tier. Given so, it should have been impossible for any Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifact to stop his attack. Yet, a mere gourd managed to block him from advancing any further. He dared not imagine just what tier the artifact was at! Its impossible. Theres no way I can defeat a monster like this. I need to get away right now! Knowing that it was impossible for him to pull off the assassination alone, he immediately turned tail. But before he could even turn around, his vision suddenly went dark. A gourd was flying right toward his face. With just a single strike, the shape of the gourd was imprinted right into the head of the Heavenly High Immortal. With indignation reflected in his eyes, his body began falling helplessly downward. To think that a Heavenly High Immortal realm expert like him would die to a mere gourd... Hu! Zhang Xuan quickly threw his body into his storage ring as well. Despite having defeated two Heavenly High Immortals, he did not show the slightest hint of joy. Instead, he scanned his surroundings warily. A few breaths passed, but there were no movements at all. Slowly, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like these two are the only ones lying in ambush! There was a possibility that the entire group that he had encountered earlier would be lying in wait for him, but since they had not appeared after so long, it appeared that there was no one else. Otherwise, they surely would have exploited the opening that he had shown while he was dealing with those two Heavenly High Immortals to strike. These two might have been left behind to serve as sentries to alert them in case anything happens. If thats the case, the others must have gone on ahead to find Du Qingyuan and the altar... He pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. I made sure to seal the surrounding space before killing these two, so I doubt that any energy pulsation or information has managed to get out. If so, the others shouldnt have noticed my presence yet... Hu! An identical figure swiftly appeared by his side. It was his clone! After taming those four Semi-Divinity realm beasts, he had passed some of their blood along to Vicious and his clone. Due to theck of a cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan was unable to continue his cultivation. However, such a problem did not apply to his clone, and thetter had already reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm. Needless to say, his clone was stronger than him yet again. Youll take one while Ill take the one, Zhang Xuan said. Alright! Catching Zhang Xuans drift, his clone nodded. The next moment, he had already morphed his appearance to match the Heavenly High Immortal who had his head smashed in with a gourd. While his clone did not have a disguise amulet, the Nine Hearts Lotus granted his body a property reminiscent of water. He could freely morph into any form that he wanted. That was also why he could easily reform his body even when it had been dented inward. After changing his appearance, his clone quickly put on the other partys clothes before suppressing the pulsation of his soul energy to the minimum. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan took on the appearance of the other warrior. With two light taps of his finger, he made the two swords of the Heavenly High Immortals submit to him. His disguise was wless, such that it was impossible for one to see through even if one checked his bloodline. However, there was still some degree of discrepancy regarding his clones disguise, such as his soul aura. Nevertheless, the mere fact that they were holding onto the swords of the two Heavenly High Immortals should be enough to make up for that. Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifacts were known to possess their own spirits, making them extremely hard to tame. As long as they saw that they were wielding the swords of the two Heavenly High Immortals, it was unlikely that they would conduct a thorough check. After they were done, Zhang Xuan double-checked their disguises and made some additional adjustments. It was only when he was unable to see any more loopholes that he finally gave a nod of approval. He took the lead forward, and his clone quickly followed behind him. In order to ensure that these two Heavenly High Immortals would be able to find them afterward, the Semi-Divinity realm middle-aged man who had left earlier made sure to leave some marks behind. Thus, it was not too difficult to trace them. Proceeding ahead, it did not take too long for them to enter the ancient city. The dpidated city walls emanated an air of degeneration, leaving one with a heavy feeling on the inside. The environment felt inexplicably stifling, leaving those walking in the area with some difficulties breathing. Even someone of Zhang Xuans caliber felt his cultivation being suppressed significantly, rendering him incapable of exerting his full might. A thought came to Zhang Xuans mind, and he slit a small incision on his arm. Tzzzzz! As soon as the incision was made, the air of degeneration in the surroundings immediately corroded the area of the wound, hindering his recovery. Zhang Xuan quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi to ward off the air of degeneration and heal his injury, but some timeter, he shook his head helplessly. Usually, such minor injuries would take less than a breath to heal up entirely. Yet, even after driving his Heavens Path zhenqi for a few minutes, the incision was still showing no signs of recovering at all. There was indeed something deeply unnerving about this ce. It was no wonder Elder Bai Ye was unable to recover from his injuries, leaving him with no choice but to wait for his death. Most likely, it was the work of this air of degeneration. Zhang Xuan took out a jade bottle and poured out a bit of chicken soup on his wound, and a trail of ck smoke immediately rose from it. Following that, the incision quickly healed up. It seems like I should proceed carefully here and try my best not to get hurt, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Other cultivators were not as privileged as him in having Little Chicks broiled soup. In other words, once they got injured, their bodies would immediately be assailed by the air of degeneration, causing their injuries to progressively worsen. Eventually, they would die a tragic death. Ill pass you a bottle just in case! Zhang Xuan said as he tossed a bottle over to his clone. Since the Heavens Path zhenqi did not work for him, it was likely the same for his clone. It would be a great deal of trouble for his clone if he got injured. His clone caught the jade bottle, but he did not store it right away. Instead, he looked at Zhang Xuan with a disdainful expression before slicing his arm with a surge of zhenqi from his fingertip. Puhe! A ring, deepceration immediately appeared on his clones arm, causing fresh blood to spurt out. Zhang Xuan frowned upon seeing this situation. He had no idea what his clone was up to. The next moment, however, his clone began driving the zhenqi in his body. Tzzzzzzz! A trail of ck smoke was expelled from theceration, and the wound swiftly healed up as if nothing had happened in the first ce. Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched. I dont need this thing. cing his hands behind his back, his clone looked at him and shook his head. Weakling. Zhang Xuan. Would you die if you stopped bragging for a day? Feeling deeply stifled on the inside, Zhang Xuan decided to ignore his clone and proceed ahead. Despite the air of degeneration within the ancient city, there was still some lush greenery in between the ruins. It felt like a new spring was gradually setting in on thisnd of devastation. Life sprouting in and of death, it was as if the world was disying the power of nature to wash away all devastation and heal thends. These medicinal herbs growing amid the air of degeneration possess exceptionally potent medicinal energy, and they are remarkably diverse in terms of their types. Its no wonder so many experts are drawn to the City of Copsed Space despite the dangers involved. If one forged a pill out of the medicinal herbs that were found there, the pill would surely be far more potent than usual. While tracing the footsteps of those from the Hall of Gods, Zhang Xuan did not neglect to collect the medicinal herbs that were conveniently within his reach. Hu! Not too longter, a cluster of copsed buildings came into sight. This ce was different from what he had seen previously. The ces that he had walked through earlier were tattered from the wear and tear of age, but this cluster of copsed buildings had many fresh imprints on it. It felt as if someone had justid waste to it. A battle has just happened here, Zhang Xuan remarked. With his sharp eye of discernment, he could tell that these imprints were at most an hour old. Otherwise, under the air of degeneration lingering in the area, even the fresher imprints would swiftly have be worn out, making it impossible to tell the difference. Could it be that the lot from the Hall of Gods have managed to catch up with Fu Chenzi, or did they manage to find Pce Master Du? Zhang Xuan wondered worriedly. The fact that there were fresh signs of a battle there meant that two parties from different factions had encountered one another. Zhang Xuan halted his footsteps, wanting to take a closer look at the marks to see if he could acquire any useful information from them. However, he suddenly felt cold sweat raining down his body. A powerful burst of energy had descended from above. Zhang Xuan quickly backed away as he brought out six swords to form a protectiveyer around his body. Ding ding ding ding! A series of sounds reminiscent of the pitter-patter of rain echoed in the air. Lowering his head, Zhang Xuan saw arge group of ck shadows diving out from the ground, like an army of specters escaping from the depths of hell. Chapter 2051 - Inner Demons Flower 2051 Inner Demons Flower The dark shadows before him appeared simr to mist, as if they had no tangible form. However, their strength was not to be underestimated. They would be able to stand their ground even against Zhang Xuans sword qi. With a grim look on his face, Zhang Xuan muttered, Could they be... Degeneration Beasts? He had read about Degeneration Beasts in the books before. It was a unique lifeform in the City of Copsed Space, rising and nurtured from the air of degeneration lingering in the area. They were known to be extremely vicious. Those that encountered one would find the air of degeneration seeping into their body, corroding their organs and even zhenqi. To make matters worse, it was nigh impossible to expel the air of degeneration from ones body. Elder Bai Ye had likely been wounded by a Degeneration Beast back then. Let me see how powerful you are! After confirming the other partys identity, Zhang Xuan brandished his Tongshang Sword andunched dozens of surges of sword qi right toward the Degeneration Beasts. Waves of Swords! This was a sword art that was not too difficult to grasp. As long as a cultivator had sufficient zhenqi, they should be able to learn it easily. But as one advanced further in this technique, one would realize that there were many technical details that one had to take note of while executing the sword art, and these details could only be refined slowly by the sword practitioner themself through endless trial and error. As such, it was known to be one of the hardest sword arts to master. In the long history of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, there were not many who had managed to master this technique, but Zhang Xuan was definitely one of them. Carrying might greater than that of ordinary Heavenly High Immortals, the dozens of surges of sword qi fell on the Degeneration Beasts. Peng peng peng! The Degenerations Beasts were immediately sted into bits, and the copsed buildings behind them were further devastated. It doesnt seem like they are very powerful... Seeing how he was still able to kill each of them with a surge of sword qi, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. However, before he could even lower his sword, the ck shadows before him began wriggling once more. The dissipated Degeneration Beasts swiftly reformed and continued with their offense. Complete physical immunity? Zhang Xuans face darkened. He did not think that these Degeneration Beasts would be capable of regenerating so swiftly, such that his sword qi waspletely useless against them. Are they more vulnerable toward soul-rted attacks? He quickly drew his soul out from his body and executed a palm strike against the Degeneration Beasts. Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! This was the ultimate art of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, but he had modified it to be far stronger than the original. It was one of the rare battle techniques thatbined physical offense with soul offense. Its prowess would be greater enhanced when executed in his soul state, allowing him to deal irreparable damage to souls. His palm strike sessfully tore the Degeneration Beasts apart, but just like before, it took only a few breaths for them to recover fully. Zhang Xuan took a deep breath. He tried a few more means, but nothing was effective on the Degeneration Beasts. This time, he was at aplete loss. If these beasts were able to regenerate no matter what he threw at them, there was no way he would be able to defeat them. Eventually, even his seemingly boundless zhenqi would be worn down as well! Eye of Insight! After activating the Eye of Insight, he finally saw what was wrong. Every time a Degeneration Beast was killed, the surrounding air of degeneration would nourish it, allowing it to regenerate ande back to life. These Degeneration Beasts can be said to be the very manifestation from the air of degeneration lingering in the City of Copsed Space. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. As long as the air of degeneration continues lingering in the area, itll be impossible to defeat these Degeneration Beasts... No wonder he was unable to eliminate these things despite all the means he had utilized. Rather than saying that they were beings thriving on the air of degeneration, it would be more urate to say that they were the air of degeneration itself. Unless onepletely rid the area of the air of degeneration, these beings would be indestructible. If thats the case, the only way to deal with these Degeneration Beasts is to distract them. He released another barrage of sword qi once more, but this time, his target wasnt the Degeneration Beasts but the already tattered buildings around them. Boom! Rock fragments scattered around the area as the buildings copsed further, causing new marks to appear on them. As soon as the new marks appeared, the air of degeneration immediately concentrated around them in order to corrode them as well. Making full use of this opportunity, Zhang Xuan quickly ughtered the Degeneration Beasts with a few bursts of zhenqi. This time around, just as he had expected, they were not able to regenerate. More precisely, the rate of their regeneration was much slower than before. I should quickly press on. It wont take long before new Degeneration Beasts form, and they will be in greater quantities than before, Zhang Xuan remarked. There was really something weird about the City of Copsed Space. Even though the new marks on freshly destroyed buildings would swiftly draw the air of degeneration to them, the problem was that this method could not be used too many times. Furthermore, as the corrosion spread, the air of degeneration would grow stronger and stronger, causing the number of Degeneration Beasts that lingered in the area to increase. In other words, while it was possible to escape from a crisis by breaking some of the buildings, it also meant cing those who came after in greater danger. The air of degeneration would simply grow stronger and stronger till no one was able to deal with it anymore. I really wonder where the air of degeneration originates from. This has already surpassed theprehension of High Immortals and even that of Semi-Divinities... Zhang Xuan quickly shook the thought out of his head before proceeding onward. With his previous experience with the Degeneration Beasts, Zhang Xuan and his clone flew forward stealthily. They did not even dare pick the medicinal herbs on the ground anymore. After advancing for another ten minutes, they suddenly sensed a furious outpour of zhenqi ahead of them. It seemed like there was a fight going on. Zhang Xuan shot a nce at his clone before carefully proceeding forward. Circling around the wall, they saw two figures ahead of them. They were the other two Heavenly High Immortals who had barged into Starchaser Pce with them! Of those two, one of them had lost an arm whereas the other one had a ring wound right across his chest. Due to the corrosion from the surrounding air of degeneration, their wounds had started festering, resulting in a pungent smell filling the entire area. To hell with you! You b*stard, Ill rip you into shreds! The two of them roared furiously as they brandished their swords against one another. They were of roughly equal strength to one another, so it was hard to tell who held the upper hand in the battle. Why are they fighting one another? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that it would be either Fu Chenzi or Du Qingyuan, but who would have thought that these two Heavenly High Immortals had started fighting one another instead? Not to mention, they were even dealing such vicious blows against one another. This was hard toprehend. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes and eximed, No, its likely that they have fallen into an Illusory Formation... He had encountered quite a few cultivators from the Hall of Gods thus far, and they were known to be perfectly rational, never allowing emotions to get in the way of their work. Yet, these two were frenziedly trying to rip one another apart, directing every attack at each others vitals. It was clear that there was something influencing their minds. Chances were that there was an Illusory Formation in the area. Zhang Xuan quickly activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the surroundings, but soon, his eyebrows shot up in bewilderment. As a veteran formation master, hisprehension of formations definitely ranked among the top in the Forsaken Continent. If there was an Illusory Formation in the area, there would have been some disturbances in the surrounding spiritual energy. There was no way he would have missed that with his Eye of Insight. Yet, everything was serene in his Eye of Insight. There was no disturbance in the surrounding energy, and he could not find any formation gs or a formation core. Without formation gs and a formation core, it cant be an Illusory Formation. If so, what else could it be? Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the surroundings once more, and soon, his attention fell upon several uniquely-patterned flowers not too far away. These flowers were dyed a bewitching red, and they were scattered around the ruins in radial symmetry. Through the Eye of Insight, he could see the flowers breathing in air of degeneration from the surroundings. These are... Inner Demons Flowers! Inner Demons Flower was a legendary nt that emanated a unique aura that gave birth to inner demons within one. It was simr to the Bloodsoaked Stone in terms of effects. Under normal circumstances, however, these flowers would not take effect even if a cultivator came in close proximity to it. It would only react when it came under attack. Could it be that these cultivatorsunched an attack on these Inner Demons Flowers, leading to the flowers retaliating against them? But as warriors of the Hall of Gods, they should not be so foolish as to indiscriminately attack other lifeforms, especially in a ce as dangerous as the City of Copsed Space! No, that isnt right. Zhang Xuan examined the situation closely for a moment beforeing to a conclusion. Its a trap someone set up beforehand, and these two simply stepped into it. He noticed several spheres of energy imnted right before these Inner Demons Flowers, such that if someone approached the region, these spheres of energy would swiftly st apart, drawing the aggression of the flowers. It was likely that these two Heavenly High Immortals had fallen for that trick, thusnding them in their current state. Is it the doing of Du Qingyuan? Du Qingyuan knew the dangers that lurked in the City of Copsed Space, but she still insisted oning over. This suggested that she might be familiar with the environment here, and she intended to utilize it to her advantage in order to get rid of her enemies. Regardless of the truth, its good news for me anyway. Having made sense out of the situation, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He continued ahead, but he made sure to make a detour to avoid the Inner Demons Flowers. However, barely after flying several meters forward, he suddenly halted. This wont do. Its a huge waste to leave just like that. Those two were going to die anyway, so I might as well just do it! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan released dozens of surges of zhenqi into the surroundings. Weng! With a stomp of his foot, a spherical barrier appeared around the two Heavenly High Immortals, protecting them from the aura of the Inner Demons Flowers. Slowly, the two Heavenly High Immortals were freed from their unnatural states, and the crimson tinge in their eyes gradually faded. What happened? Just what were we doing... Regaining their wits, the two of them stopped their swords. While the two of them were still in a daze trying to figure out what had happened to them, Zhang Xuan, disguised as a warrior of the Hall of Gods, walked over and said, You were fighting against one another due to the effects of the Inner Demons Flowers in the area! Inner Demons Flowers... Realizing how close they hade to killing one another, the injured duo felt cold sweat pouring down their heads. They had heard about the fearful reputation of the Inner Demons Flower as well, but they had never thought that they would fall prey to it. Im afraid that the effects of the Inner Demons Flowers might still be lingering in your bodies. In order to prevent the two of you from hurting anyone else, Ill have to ask you to pass your swords over to me for the time being, Zhang Xuan instructed firmly. Those words brought frowns to their foreheads. Hurry up. If you sumb to the Inner Demons Flowers once more, all of us might just end up dying here! Zhang Xuan berated furiously as he reached out to snatch their weapons. The two of them had already been severely weakened due to their earlier battle, so they did not even manage to react when Zhang Xuan snatched their weapons. Before they knew it, their weapons in his hands. You... Seeing how the other party had snatched their weapons forcefully, a displeased frown appeared on their faces. I didnt want to make such a move either. Im doing this so that we can all get out of this darned ce alive. Zhang Xuan chucked their swords into his storage ring before patting their shoulders to console them. Afterward, he leaped into the air and flew away, leaving the dumbfounded duo with a fewst words. Alright, the two of you can have fun here... Pop! The barrier that Zhang Xuan had set up earlier burst apart, allowing the aura of the Inner Demons Flowers to slip in once more. What are you doing? Sensing the changes in their states of mind, the two warriors of the Hall of Gods werepletely bbergasted. Did that fellow not go there to save them? Why would he suddenly expose them to the aura of the Inner Demons Flowers once more? Furthermore, what did he mean by having fun? What was fun about their situation? But those thoughts only lingered in their minds for a moment before they were brought into an illusion once more. Before long, their eyes turned red, and they began charging at one another again. Peng peng peng peng! Even without weapons, they were not pulling their punches. Every single strike they dealt was deadly, such that it could take the other partys life if their moves connected. Pu pu pu! Before long, the two of them spurted a mouthful of blood and copsed to the ground simultaneously. From the looks of it, they were already goners. Even at their deaths, they could not figure out why theirrade would leave them to kill each other after taking away their weapons. Theres nothing to watch, lets go! Knowing the oue that awaited them, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his time with them and proceeded straight ahead. Since they were going to die, it would be a waste to leave their weapons there. As for their corpses... he already had plenty of Heavenly High Immortal bodies in his storage ring, so he did not have to top up at the moment. Chapter 2052 - 2052 The Assault From Zhang Xuan and His Clone 2052 The Assault From Zhang Xuan and His Clone Proceeding forward, it was obvious that Zhang Xuans clone had toned down quite a bit. It was not showing its usual smugness and narcissism at all. It seemed like the eeriness of the City of Copsed Space had surpassed his expectations as well. It was little wonder why few would dare venture in here. Just the air of degeneration lingering in the area would already be fatal to most cultivators. Through the Eye of Insight and Library of Heavens Path, Zhang Xuan was able to foresee most dangers in advance and circumvent them, thus sparing him from much trouble. Nevertheless, over the course of less than ten li, he had still ended up being attacked thrice and nearly fallen into a trap twice. That being said, they overcame the challenges and marched on. Soon, they sensed an intense pulsation of energy just ahead of them. Zhang Xuan and his clone exchanged nces before stealthily advancing. A vast square came into view. On the left was ady dressed formally with a copper mask on her face. There was an altar floating quietly not too far away from her with sky blue mes zing on it. It seemed like the ritual had already begun. Her hair was fluttering in the air as she infused all her zhenqi into the altar, causing the surrounding space to distort. On the right was a familiar facethe middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods. He was staring at the altar with utterly cold eyes. Fu Chenzi? Not too far away, there was a figure lying diagonally on the ground. Fresh blood was spurting from his chest, indicating the severity of his injuries. It was none other than Fu Chenzi from the Ethereal Hall. Zhang Xuan had guessed that Fu Chenzi might have encountered the middle-aged man along the way, but who could have thought that thetter would have sustained such severe injuries? Could that copper-maskeddy be Pce Master Du Qingyuan? Zhang Xuan thought as he looked over. He could not tell what the ritual was for, but he could sense overwhelming zhenqi surging through the copper-maskeddys body. Judging from her strength, it was apparent that she had already reached the Semi-Divinity realm. The onlydy of the Six Sects who had reached this realm was Du Qingyuan, so the person before him was likely her. The middle-aged man gazed at Fu Chenzi coldly and said, Does your master intend to make an enemy out of the Hall of Gods as well? Zhang Xuan was a little perplexed. He had not watched the entire battle earlier, but should Fu Chenzi not be stronger than the middle-aged man? It was true that anything could happen in a battle, but considering that he was joining hands with Du Qingyuan now, it was hard to believe that he would end up sustaining such a severe injury. Otherwise... could it be that the middle-aged man had intentionally admitted defeat so as to allow Fu Chenzi to lead the way? Such was notpletely imusible. Through his interactions with them, he felt that the Hall of Gods was unscrupulous in the means they resorted to in order to achieve their goals, and even sacrificing themselves was not beyond them. It was not unthinkable for them to use such a ploy. If you could do anythingcough coughto our hall master, you would have long made a move!1 Fu Chenzi scoffed coldly as he coughed out blood. Following which, he turned to the copper-maskeddy with difficulty and warned, Pce Master Du, you must be careful. He has a Semi-Divinity artifact with him! The copper-maskeddy did not bother responding to Fu Chenzis warning. Instead, she continued looking at the middle-aged man with cold killing intent in her eyes. Hu! A massive palm that cast a shadow over thends suddenly appeared in the sky, crushing down with incredible might. Great Azure Palm, not bad! The middle-aged manughed loudly as he charged forth with a sword in his hand. Ding! Holding back the massive palm in the sky with the sword in one of his hands, he raised his other hand and thrust a palm strike right toward the nearby altar. You are courting death! the copper-maskeddy spat coldly. In retaliation, she thrust a flurry of palm strikes toward the middle-aged man. As a result of her relentless attacks, the surrounding space was strained into distortion, making it seem as if the entire area was going to explode from the shockwave. However, with speed as swift as lightning, the middle-aged man was able to skillfully maneuver through her palm strikes without sustaining any damage. Pce Master Du, you seem far weaker than how the rumors made you out to be. Is it the effects of the ritual? Well, regardless of what it is, its a fact that you arent a match for me in your current state. Hand over your altar obediently, and I can consider sparing your life. Otherwise, dont me me for not going easy on you! The middle-aged man smirked. Known to be one of the strongest experts of the Six Sects, Du Qingyuans strength was so great that even the middle- aged man was not entirely confident that he would be a match for her. Yet, for some reason, even though the other partys attack seemed powerful on the surface, it felt like there was no substance behind them. Could she have depleted her strength due to the ritual and resorted to putting on an act to scare him off? In any case, this worked in his favor. As long as he could sessfully obtain the altar, the contribution that he had made to the Hall of Gods would surely earn him an advancement in his cultivation! On the other hand, the copper-maskeddy paid no attention to the middle-aged mans words and continued her offense. The mes burning on the altar were growing more and more brilliant by the moment, as if a connection was swiftly being forged with the Firmament. Since you dont know your ce, dont me me for not going easy on you! Seeing how the copper-maskeddy refused to give up on the ritual, the middle-aged man sneered coldly as he raised his palm. Hu! A halberd materialized right in his hand. With a powerful leap, he pierced the halberd toward the other party furiously. Wuuuuuuuuuuuuu! A massive tear in space appeared along the trajectory of the halberd. After being infused with the energy of a Semi- Divinity realm cultivator, the tip of the halberd emanated a menacing glow, as if it would reduce anything before it to dust. A Semi-Divinity artifact? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He could tell that the halberd was no ordinary Semi-Divinity artifact. Even the metal chain that he had with him was a notch weaker than it. It seemed like it was still possible for there to be huge disparities in the might of Semi-Divinity artifacts. Sensing the tremendous power behind the halberd, the copper-maskeddy could not keep her cool anymore. With narrowed eyes, she abruptly turned her head and nced at the altar not too far away from her. Even if I die, Ill drag you down with me! With a furious roar, she reached out toward the altar and grasped at it. H! The sky-blue mes on the altar shot over and formed a zing wall of fire right in front of the copper-maskeddy. If the middle-aged man wanted to get to her, he would have to first destroy the altar. However, the mission that his master had passed down to him was to acquire the altar, so the altar would have beenpletely useless once it had been destroyed. Thus, he could not possibly choose such a course of action. He pulled back his halberd and red at the copper-maskeddy with narrowed eyes. You darned spinster! You can rest assured that Ill destroy the altar with my own hands before I die. Ill be letting my predecessors down, but I believe that they wouldnt want to see the treasure of our Starchaser Pavilion falling into the hands of a bunch of beasts! Just try me! The copper-maskeddyughed manically. In terms of strength, she was definitely no match for the middle-aged man before her. To make matters worse, the middle-aged man even had a Semi-Divinity artifact with him. There was no way she stood a chance. Since that was the case, the least she could do was ensure that the other party did not get what he wanted. She knew that he wanted the altar, and that meant that she was able to caution him using it. Humph! With tightly clenched fists, the middle-aged man red at the copper-maskeddy with a terrifying look on his face. A momentter, however, the frown between his brows loosened, and a sadistic smile crept onto his lips. Since thats the case, perhaps I should start with him first! Hong long! The halberd immediately changed its target toward the old man lying feebly on the groundFu Chenzi. Fu Chenzis face paled. He tried to gather his strength to protect himself, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was unable to even push himself off the ground. With a deste look on his face, he turned to the copper-maskeddy and cried out, Pce Master Du, hurry up and leave! With the altar in your hands, he wont dare make a move on you. Theres no need to worry about me... The copper-maskeddy clicked her tongue in irritation before grabbing the altar and dashing in front of Fu Chenzi. Continue what you were doing if you really want the altar to be destroyed, so... Hu! The halberd halted in midair. You b*tch... The middle-aged man was so furious that he could have exploded on the spot. Tremendous might crackled around the halberd, causing a shockwave to ripple into the surroundings. Even though he had halted his attack, the sheer momentum of it had already caused the ground around him to crack. Peng! At this critical moment, the face of the copper-maskeddy suddenly turned ghastly pale. A spurt of fresh blood escaped from her lips, and she fell forward, crashing heavily onto the ground. With a look of disbelief in her eyes, she turned around and saw the severely wounded Fu Chenzi rising to his feet, wiping away the blood trickling down his lips. My sincere apologies, Pce Master Du. We cant afford to allow the altar to be damaged in any way, so we could only resort to trickery. I hope that you can understand where we areing from. With a swift series of movements, Fu Chenzi extinguished the sky-blue mes on the altar and sealed it with his zhenqi, making it impossible for the copper-maskeddy to control it anymore. After that, he stowed the altar into his storage ring. You b*stard, the copper-maskeddy cursed furiously. Even the lofty Ethereal Hall has decided to bow down to the Hall of Gods as well? Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that even Fu Chenzi, who had pitted his life to protect her earlier, would actually be in cahoots with the Hall of Gods! Everything that had just happened was an act! Even Zhang Xuan, who was hiding to the side, could not help but recoil a little at the sight. He had thought that it was weird how the middle-aged man had allowed Fu Chenzi to defeat him so easily back at Starchaser Pce. His initial assumption was that the middle-aged man was taking a step back to bait Starchaser Pce into making a move so that he could track them down and eventually get to where Du Qingyuan was. However, the issue with that hypothesis was that there was no guarantee that Fu Chenzi would be heading to where Du Qingyuan was and that Starchaser Pce would even make a move at all. After all, this was a battle of time. If Starchaser Pce couldst long enough for Du Qingyuan toplete her ritual and acquire the protection of a god, the tables would be turned. The middle-aged man did not have the luxury to be wasting time on an uncertain possibility. This drew his attention to Fu Chenzis words and actions. After all, without Fu Chenzis intervention, the middle-aged man would not have been so sessful in finding Du Qingyuan. He had a feeling that Fu Chenzi had been ying on the worries of Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue back then in order to pressure them into revealing Du Qingyuans whereabouts, and that had brought up a sliver of doubt within him that Fu Chenzi might have been working together with the Hall of Gods. However, he had swiftly tossed the notion away because he did not think that an elder of the Ethereal Hall would have colluded with the Hall of Gods! Since the altar is already in our hands, theres no reason for us to keep her alive any longer. The middle-aged man harrumphed. Indeed. Fu Chenzi nodded in agreement. He channeled his energy into his palm to execute a decisive blow on the copper-maskeddy, but at this crucial moment, footsteps suddenly echoed in the air. Huhu! Two figures appeared in the square. They were two of the four Heavenly High Immortals subordinated to the middle-aged man. Have you cleared away that pest who was following us? the middle-aged man asked nonchntly. That pest is extremely cunning. He seemed to know that we were lying in wait for him, so he fled before we could even make a move, one of the Heavenly High Immortals replied awkwardly. He fled? the middle-aged man asked with a hint of displeasure in his tone. If Im not mistaken, that person seems to be the new head of the Sevenstar Pavilion. It wont be too easy to get rid of him, Fu Chenzi said with a shake of his head. The new head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, the middle-aged murmured with a frown. Un. I felt that his rise was a little too abrupt, simr to that of Hall Master Zheng Yang and Sect Leader Zhang Xuan. As such, I tried looking into his background, but I havent been able to gather anything so far, Fu Chenzi said grimly. However, we dont have to pay him any heed. Lets take the altar back to our master first. Well deal with that fellow in due course. Yes, this matter takes priority. The middle-aged man nodded. He shot a nce at the copper-maskeddy once more and said, Lets head out after you get rid of her. Very well! Fu Chenzi nodded. The two Heavenly High Immortals suddenly stepped forward at this moment and said, Please allow me to do it. I wish to redeem myself for failing to capture Pavilion Master Liu Yang... Following which, one of them quickly moved over to the copper-maskeddys side whereas the other one remained beside the middle-aged man. Ill leave it to you then. The middle-aged man nodded before turning around to leave the area. Hu! All of a sudden, two powerful surges of sword qi burst forth simultaneously. They were directed right toward the backs of the middle-aged man and Fu Chenzi respectively. The two Heavenly High Immortals, who were Zhang Xuan and his clone in disguise, had made their moves. The middle- aged man and Fu Chenzi werepletely caught off guard by this assault, such that the sword qi pierced a gaping hole through their bodies in an instant. You ... Not expecting their own subordinates to assault them, the faces of the middle-aged man and Fu Chenzi warped in disbelief. Chapter 2053 - 2053 The Price of Bragging 2053 The Price of Bragging Kill him! Zhang Xuan roared. Even though the middle-aged man and Fu Chenzi had been inflicted with fatal wounds, as Semi-Divinity realm experts, if they were allowed to regain their footing, they would still be able to bring devastating might upon them in an instant. Thus, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly opened his tamed beast sack. Hu! The Semi-Divinity metal chain immediately flew forth and bound the middle-aged man tightly. At the same time, the ckback Tortoise and Shark Three charged toward the middle-aged man whereas Shark One and Shark Two moved to support Zhang Xuans clone in dealing with Fu Chenzi. While their strength was diminished on drynd, the fighting prowess they disyed was still extremely terrifying. In an instant, many bloodied punctures appeared all over the middle-aged man, and his arms were jolted apart by the powerful body tackle. Everything happened so abruptly that the middle-aged man was overwhelmed by the current situation. Nevertheless, he swiftly recovered from his shock and made his move. With powerful killing intent gushing out of him, he summoned his halberd to knock away three Semi-Divinities encircling him. Puhe! Unfortunately for him, the movements of his halberd abruptly came to a halt as a Heavenly High Immortal realm corpse suddenly blocked its way. Clenching his fists tightly, the middle-aged man willed his halberd to pierce right through the corpse ande to his aid, but before that could be done, a tremendous of energy abruptly bubbled within the corpse. Boom! The corpse blew apart, causing the halberd to be jolted back by the shockwave. It wavered uncontrobly in the air as it struggled to regain its bnce in the midst of the frightening gale. The Semi-Divinity halberd was indeed a force to be reckoned with, but the sheer force from the explosion from a Heavenly High Immortal still jolted its spirit, confusing its senses for a moment. It took it quite a lot of effort for the halberd spirit to regain itself, but just as it was about to rush forward to help, another corpse appeared and exploded right in its face. After facing three consecutive exploding corpses, the halberd spirit finally reached its limit and fell from the sky. It seemed like it would temporarily be incapacitated. These explosions did not cause any harm to the Semi-Divinity halberd at all, but the spirit inside had already been worn out, such that it was no exaggeration to say that the weapon had been ruined. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man was continuously being struck by the four Semi-Divinity beasts. Finally, with a decisive ram from the ckback Tortoise, his head sank into his shoulders, and his body fell to the ground with a loud thump. All in all, from the moment that the battle started to the moment that the middle-aged man dropped dead, only three breaths had passed. It was indeed an incredible feat to be able to defeat a Semi-Divinity realm expert from the Hall of Gods within three breaths, but one had to know that Zhang Xuan had expended three Heavenly High Immortal corpses and mobilized a Semi-Divinity artifact and two Semi-Divinity realm beasts for this battle. Zhang Xuan was probably the only person in the world who could make such an extravagant move. While they were dealing with the middle-aged man, over on the other side, Shark One, Shark Two, and the clone were charging right toward the copsed Fu Chenzi. It did not matter whether Fu Chenzi was from the Ethereal Hall or the Hall of Gods. Since he had already bared his fangs at Du Qingyuan, there was no need for them to hold back. Hu! The clone rushed right up to Fu Chenzi and wrapped thetter tightly in his embrace, making sure to lock all his joints so as to prevent him from moving. Meanwhile, Shark One and Shark Two rained ferocious attacks down upon the old man. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist to bring out seven Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords, and these swords swiftly moved to encircle the other party, forming what was reminiscent of a silvery around him. Fsh fsh fsh fsh fsh! Sword qi rained down on Fu Chenzi furiously. Before he could even recover his footing in the battle, his body had been sliced apart, leaving bs of meat and a pool of fresh blood on the spot where he had formerly existed. Zhang Xuan had not bided his time in vain. He had observed the earlier battle carefully and analyzed all the weaknesses of Fu Chenzi and the middle-aged man, which had allowed him to design a n that would allow him to take these two Semi-Divinity realm experts down swiftly with the least cost. Seeing that everything had worked out fine, he heaved a sigh of relief. His nce moved toward Fu Chenzis corpse as he murmured, Did this fellow betray the Ethereal Hall? Having used the Library of Heavens Path to check on Fu Chenzi, there was no doubt that thetter was an elder of the Ethereal Hall. If so, why would he help this middle-aged man, who was a warrior of the Hall of Gods? Did they have some kind of secret deal, or was he actually a spy from the Hall of Gods that had been tasked with infiltrating the Ethereal hall? There was also the possibility that the Ethereal Hall might have submitted to the Hall of Gods, but Zhang Xuan did not think that the possibility was too likely. After all, the Ethereal Hall had already acquired an entire ?$ (God) character, and there was nothing that could shake their position on the Forsaken Continent anymore. There was no reason the Ethereal Hall would collude with the Hall of Gods! Not to mention, Kong shi was the current head of the Ethereal Hall. Zhang Xuan had thought of keeping Fu Chenzi alive in order to interrogate him, but he dared not take any chances when dealing with Semi-Divinity realm cultivators. If he did not kill them while he had the chance to, there was no knowing what they would pull from their pocketster on. He could not risk them getting away and revealing his other identities and trump cards. Knowing that he would not receive any answers just by pondering over the matters like this, Zhang Xuan turned toward the severely wounded copper-maskeddy and sped his fist. Pce Master Du, I am the new head of the Sevenstar Pavilion, Liu Yang. Allow me to treat your injuries. Fu Chenzi had dealt the other party a fatal blow, and if she was not treated quickly, she could very well lose her life. Zhang Xuan took out a jade bottle, but just as he was about to pass it over, the copper-maskeddy suddenly thrust a sword right toward him. What? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He hurriedly retreated, but the next instant, the copper-maskeddy suddenly dissipated into ayer of mist, vanishingpletely from sight. Knowing that the other party was executing some sort of movement art, Zhang Xuan shouted, Pce Master Du? However, it was already toote. The copper-maskeddy was no longer around. She is probably afraid that I would harm her as well... Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Considering how the other party had just been backstabbed by Fu Chenzi, whom she was trying to protect, it was inevitable that she would be wary of him as well, even if he had just saved her from the two experts from the Hall of Gods. He might attempt to exploit her at a time like that. Given that this was a critical period for Starchaser Pce, she could not afford to take that risk. After all, the Sevenstar Pavilion could not be said to be in friendly rtions with Starchaser Pce, but he still took the risk to venture into the dangerous City of Copsed Space to save her. Not to mention, he had even brought out a Semi-Divinity artifact and four Semi-Divinity realm beasts. It would be hard for her not to be skeptical. Just that, the altar was still there. She had put her life on the line in order to prevent the altar from falling into the hands of the other party. Why would she abandon it now? With a helpless sigh, Zhang Xuan walked over to the middle-aged man whom he had just killed, took his storage ring, and imed possession of it. Only then did he finally walk over to take a closer look at the altar. The sky-blue me was still burning on it. It emanated an aura that made one tremble, almost as if it was forging a connection with a god from the Firmament. This made Zhang Xuan frown. Based on what he had seen thus far, the copper-maskeddy was in the midst of conducting a ritual when she was attacked, and she had not had a chance toplete it yet. So, the ritual should havee to an immediate halt as soon as she fled. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the sky-blue me was still burning with fervor. This was as inexplicable as a me still zing on even though there was no longer any firewood for it to feed on. Extinguish! With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan put out the sky-blue me. With his Eye of Insight, he examined the altar that was famed for being able to reach the gods, such that even the Hall of Gods would go to such lengths to acquire it. At first nce, it looked simr to the altar that Sovereign Chen Yong had used back then to summon a deity from the Azure. It had a very old aura to it, indicating that it was an ancient artifact that had been passed down from generation to generation. Zhang Xuan reached out to touch it. His eyes first widened a little before he helplessly burst intoughter. To think that theyve all been fooled by that fellow! Zhang Xuan chuckled as he shook his head. He wanted to see just what was so precious about the altar that Fu Chenzi and the middle-aged man would go to such lengths in order to acquire it, but to his amusement, the altar was actually a fake! It seemed like Fu Chenzi was not the only good actor after all. That being said, he had to admit that the altar was indeed really well made, such that he was unable to see through it with his Eye of Insight. If not for the Library of Heavens Path, he might not have noticed the anomaly. Shark One waddled over and said, Master, theres god blood smeared on the surface of the altar. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan took a closer look and saw ayer of faint crimson inscriptions on the surface. Vaguely, he could hear a faint hum echoing from the inscriptions that quivered his soul. Zhang Xuan took out the crimson pendant and ced it close to the inscriptions. As expected, the pendant began to heat up in resonance with the inscriptions. Its indeed god blood... Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. It was no wonder they were unable to see through the altar. Starchaser Pce had gone to the extent of using the invaluable god blood to create the effect of an ongoing ritual so as to confound their senses! But if this altar is fake... wheres the real one? Zhang Xuan frowned. Considering how Du Qingyuan had put her life on the line in order to distract the Hall of Gods from pursuing the real altar, where could the real one be hidden? Forget it. Theres no point thinking about all of this right now. My priority at the moment should be finding Pce Master Du. She is my only clue to Luo Ruoxin... With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan stowed the altar and the corpses of the two Semi-Divinity realm experts into his storage ring. Then, together with the four Semi-Divinity realm beasts and his clones, he quickly darted in the direction that the copper-maskeddy had disappeared in previously. Pce Master Du has sustained severe injuries, so its unlikely that she will have been able to get too far. Help me search for her together, Zhang Xuan instructed. Just like that, the group of six quicklybed the area. Due to the rubble lying all around the City of Copsed Space, there were many spaces where one could hide. If Zhang Xuan had to search the ce all alone, who knew how long he would have to take? Considering the dangers lurking in the area, it would be wise for him to quickly get it over and done with so that he could leave the area. Master! Around three minutester, the ckback Tortoise came before him and pointed in a direction. The group headed in said direction, and through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan quickly noticed that something was amiss. There were no distinctive marks left in the area, but the spiritual energy there was considerably more concentrated than elsewhere. Not only so, the spiritual energy also felt as if it had been refined. She should be in the vicinity. Its likely that shes unable to control her strength from leaking out due to the severity of her injury, Zhang Xuan said with a nod. The copper-maskeddy had been struck in her vitals, causing her to be in a very precarious state. She had made sure to conceal her tracks properly, but she was still unable to control her cultivation properly in order to stop her zhenqi from leaking out of her body. Considering that the air of degeneration lingering in the area, her injuries would only continue to worsen. At this rate, she would really die. Thus, it was of paramount importance for him to find her as soon as possible so as to ensure her survival. Otherwise, everything would have been for naught. Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the surroundings, but he was unable to find anything at all. Searching for her like this wont do. Since shes wounded, its likely that shell draw the surrounding air of degeneration to her. We should be tracing the movement of the air of degeneration instead... This, Zhang Xuan waved to his clone and said, Hey,e here! With a deep frown, his clone came over. Stay very still and make sure not to move at all, Zhang Xuan said as he took out the Tongshang Sword and pierced it right into his clone. Puhe! A gaping hole immediately appeared in his clones chest. I need you to walk around the area to test out the concentration gradient of the air of degeneration. The quicker the wound corrodes, the higher its concentration is, Zhang Xuan said. Zhang Xuans clone was speechless. The heck! You are the one who wants to find the concentration gradient of the air of degeneration, so shouldnt you be stabbing yourself? Even if you are afraid of pain, you have so many tamed beasts with you too... Why the hell are you stabbing me? Well, none of us have the ability to expel the air of degeneration from our bodies. Zhang Xuan shrugged casually. You are the only one who wields this amazing ability, so it goes without saying that this task should fall to you. This matter ispletely decided based on our expertise and not because you pissed me off with your bragging earlier. Im not the type of vindictive person who would settle personal grudges through such despicable means! The lips of Zhang Xuans clone twitched. Well, you look exactly like the type of vindictive person who would settle personal grudges through despicable means to me right now! All I did was brag a little bit, right? Do you really need to go to such lengths? Chapter 2054 - 2054 Palace Master Du’s Ritual 2054 Pce Master Dus Ritual As he spoke, ck smoke was flowing out from the clones wounds. Just like before, his body was automatically expelling the air of degeneration that had seeped into his wounds. What a pity that such wounds dontst too long on my body. I dont think that Ill be able to determine the concentration gradient of the air of degeneration for you at this rate... Ah! With a cry of agony, the clone lowered his head, only to see Zhang Xuans sword lodged in another part of his body. You dont need to worry about that. Itll be tiring, but Im willing to take up the responsibility of ensuring that there are plenty of wounds on your body so that you can get the job done, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. With veins bulging at his temples, the clone felt tempted to smash Zhang Xuans head in. With a helpless sigh, he dragged his wounded body around the area to test the concentration gradient of the air of degeneration. Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, there was indeed a visible difference in the concentration of the air of degeneration in the area. It did not take the clone too long to find the region where the concentration of air of degeneration was the highest. What was surprising was that it was located in a region that had very little rubble but plenty of nts. Thick vines could be seen creeping up the walls and covering the roofs. Having narrowed down the location, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly scanned his surroundings for a moment before bringing out over a hundred formation gs with a flick of his hand. With a tap of his finger, all the formation gs flew out and nted themselves in the surroundings, forming a wind wall. After this was done, Zhang Xuan flew up into the sky and shouted, Pce Master Du, I am Liu Yang, the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion. I dont have any ties with the Hall of Gods or the Ethereal Hall. I know that you are somewhere below, and I implore you to show yourself so that I can treat you. Otherwise, you wont evenst an incenses time[l] under the corrosion of the air of degeneration. If Im not wrong, your innards and meridians are already starting to copse under the corrosion, such that even breathing isnt easy for you! With the severity of the copper-maskeddys injuries, she would find it hard to survive even outside, let alone in the City of Copsed Space. Once the air of degeneration seeped into her wounds, it would slowly corrode her innards as well, destroying her vitals. If her condition persisted, she would notst too long even if she was a Semi-Divinity realm expert. Hong long! The vines suddenly exploded, and the copper-maskeddy flew out from within. Her body was trembling nonstop due to the excruciating pain. However, her body still remained upright despite her current condition, and she was staring at Zhang Xuan warily, seemingly still unwilling to trust him. She was afraid that this young man was yet another card prepared by the Hall of Gods in order to lure her out. Most likely, this young man should have already noticed that the altar she had left behind was a fake! The warriors from the Hall of Gods were beings devoid of feelings. To them, there was nothing more important than aplishing the missions that they were tasked with. She knew just how valuable the altar was, and it would not surprise her if the Hall of Gods was willing to sacrifice a few Semi-Divinity realm experts in order to acquire it. Besides, even though it appeared that the young man had killed those two, who could say for sure that it was not just another illusion to trick her? As such, she was unwilling to trust the young man before her. She could not allow Starchaser Pce to fall to ruin due to her misjudgment! I have already hidden the altar in the depths of the City of Copsed Space. None of you will be able to find it, so theres no need to keep up with the pretense. If you wish to kill me, I suggest you get it over and done with. You wont be getting anything out of me! the copper-maskeddy scoffed. You are really misunderstanding my intentions, Zhang Xuan said with a sigh. He flicked a jade bottle over and halted it right before her. Drink the recovery medicine inside here. Otherwise, even if I dont make a move, theres no way youll get out of here alive. The copper-maskeddy scanned her surroundings and confirmed that there was no way she would be able to escape quickly. Seeing that there was no way around this, she reluctantly took the jade bottle and drank it. The young man was right. Her innards had been corroded by the air of degeneration, and her energy had nearly dried up. The severity of her injuries was much worse than those of Elder Bai Ye back then. If not for the fact that she had reached the Semi-Divinity realm, she would have already died. Any escape routes had been sealed by the formation set up in the area. Regardless of whether what was in the jade bottle was poison or an antidote, it made no different to her. At the very most, she would just explode her cultivation and bring the young man down with her! After drinking the jade bottle, her face suddenly began twitching. A momentter, she spurted a mouthful of blood. However, the blood was not red in color but pitch-ck. As itnded on the ground, ck smoke swiftly evaporated from it and dissipated into the surroundings. This... The copper-maskeddy widened her eyes in incredulity. She knew about the situation in the City of Copsed Space very well, and it was for that reason that she had set up the formation involving the Inner Demons Flowers in advance to whittle down the forces of the Hall of Gods. For many years, everyone had believed that ones fate was sealed once the air of degeneration seeped into ones body. Yet, she was cured just by drinking a bottle of water. Who are you? the copper-maskeddy asked with narrowed eyes. It was impossible for those from the Hall of Gods to be so kind as to treat her of her affliction. Besides, she had never heard of the Hall of Gods possessing the means to expel the air of degeneration from ones body. The very fact that several warriors of the Hall of Gods had died here in the past proved that. Given so, it was highly likely that the young man really was not in cahoots with Fu Chenzi and the others. I told you earlier. I am Liu Yang, the new head of the Sevenstar Pavilion. I havee here in search of you not to find the altar but to inquire about some personal matters. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. You wish to inquire about some personal matters? Indeed. I heard that Pce Master Du conducted a ritual above the Vacant Sea to summon a god. May I know if that god was Luo Ruoxin? Zhang Xuan asked nervously. However, the copper-maskeddy simply looked at him quietly with a frown. Sensing some wariness from the other party, Zhang Xuan pulled out the crimson pendant and said, You should recognize this artifact, right? Considering how Shark One and the others were able to recognize this pendant despite having only seen it once, as the one who had summoned Luo Ruoxin down to the Azure, Du Qingyuan should be very familiar with it. This is... a possession of the Spirit God? The copper-maskeddys eyes widened as she staggered backward a little. With an incredulous look on her face, she asked, Could it be that... you are Sect Leader Zhang Xuan? Indeed. Zhang Xuan nodded as he quickly canceled the effects of the disguise amulet to revert to his original appearance. The copper-maskeddy quickly kneeled down and greeted, Elder Jiang Yao of Starchaser Pce pays respects to Sect Leader Zhang! Jiang Yao? Zhang Xuan frowned. The copper-maskeddy took off her copper mask and revealed the appearance of a middle-ageddy. With her gaze lowered deferentially, she exined, We received intelligence that the Hall of Gods intended to snatch the altar, so our pce master instructed me to disguise myself as her. I woulde to the City of Copsed Space and find a way to kill them while she hid the altar at a discreet location. This... Zhang Xuan blinked. It seemed that Du Qingyuan was an extremely meticulous person. Considering that she was up against the Hall of Gods, it was only right for her to go this far. And her efforts had paid off. It was clear that she was the victor in the war of wits after all that had happened. Most likely, she might have guessed that First Elder Zhao Yue and the others would not be able to keep silent about the matter for too long, so she had intentionally leaked fake news to them so as to lure those from the Hall of Gods over to the City of Copsed Space. This would buy Du Qingyuan more than enough time toplete her ritual. But your cultivation realm... Zhang Xuan remarked questioningly with a frown. Based on what he knew, Starchaser Pce should not have any Semi-Divinity realm experts other than Du Qingyuan. After all, the only way they could advance their cultivation to the realm was through the centennial Azure Bridge! So, how could the other party possibly have reached the Semi-Divinity realm as well? Its the god blood, Jiang Yao exined. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Even a few droplets of blood from the god was enough for the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks to make the final step forward. As the person who had summoned the god, Du Qingyuan should have been able to acquire quite a few droplets of god blood. With that, it would not be too much of a surprise for some Semi-Divinity realm experts to appear in the ranks of Starchaser Pce. However, as such an urrence would shake the bnce of power among the Six Sects, Starchaser Pce had chosen to hide this matter. Most likely, the reason Jiang Yao had been chosen to consume the god blood was because she was a close confidant of Du Qingyuan, simr to what Elder Feng was to Kui Xiao. After confirming that Jiang Yao knew nothing about Luo Ruoxin at all, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, May I know where Pce Master Du is at the moment? Our pce master instructed me that to treat you with the utmost respect and fulfill all of your requests unconditionally, Sect Leader Zhang. However, Im afraid that I dont really know, Jiang Yao said with a bitter smile. Sect Leader Zhang? Zhang Xuan frowned. He was slightly perplexed by the address. It was true that he was the hall master of the Myriad Beasts Hall and the pavilion master of the Sevenstar Pavilion... but sect leader? Where did that titlee from? Yes. Jiang Yao was slightly surprised to see that Zhang Xuan was confused by her manner of address. You are the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The entire continent was aware of this matter, so it was not possible that the person in question was unaware of the matter, right? Zhang Xuans lower jaw ckened, and his mouth remained agape for a long while. Then, he sighed deeply and said, Lets put that aside for the moment and leave the City of Copsed Space. Ill need you to help me contact Pce Master Du and inform her that I am looking for her. I believe that I should be able to help her deal with the threating from the Hall of Gods. Knowing that the young man before her wielded great authority in his hands, Jiang Yao hurriedly nodded. Alright! Thus, Jiang Yao quickly led Zhang Xuan toward the exit. The City of Copsed Space was a sinister region filled with all sorts of menace, but Jiang Yao was familiar with the terrain, and Zhang Xuan was able to spot threats from a distance with his Eye of Insight. This allowed them to circumvent most danger along the way. Even if they were unlucky enough to encounter some danger along the way, they were strong enough to get past them without sustaining any injuries. Just like that, they were able to sessfully return to the desert after an hour of travel. Tension finally escaped from Jiang Yaos body as she finally stepped out of the City of Copsed Space. She turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Ill try to get in touch with our pce master. She had been prepared to lose her life in that dark, eerie ce, so when she felt the warmth of the sun embracing her body once more, she felt like she had just been born anew. Taking out her Communication Jade Token, she quickly set up a formation in order to extend the devices range. A momentter, she said, I have already sent a message to our pce master. Lets return to Starchaser Pce for now. Our pce master will head there as well once she receives my message. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Riding on Shark One, the two of them quickly headed back to the Sea of Exiled Stars. In a distant spacetime, the head of Starchaser Pce, Du Qingyuan, was standing in front of an altar, muttering softly beneath her breath. In response to her mutterings, the altar was emanating a divine aura, causing the mes on top to ze furiously. Hu! Some timeter, an illusory figure gradually materialized atop the altar. Priestess, state your affair... The voice of the figure was distinct yet distant, almost as if it had traveled across dimensions in order to reach here. I wish to meet the Spirit God. Du Qingyuan kneeled to the floor. The Spirit God has already departed, the figure replied. Du Qingyuan was silent for a moment before she spoke once more. There is something that I would like to report. The Hall of Gods has made a move against the Six Sects, and the timing for the descent of the Azure Bridge has been arbitrarily changed. I suspect that something might have happened with the Hall of Gods. The figure frowned. Do you know of the reasons behind those changes? I do have a conjecture in mind, but Im not too sure about its veracity, Du Qingyuan replied. To be able to incite the Hall of Gods to interfere with secr affairs and attempt to snatch the altar, I suspect that it has something to do with... Boom! Before she could finish her words, the spacetime behind her suddenly distorted, and yet another person appeared within this dimensional ne. Pah! With a light flick of his hand, the figure atop the altar dissipated into fleeting mist. The person walked straight toward the altar to grab it, and in retaliation, the altar released a powerful burst of energy. However, the person dispelled the burst of energy with a flick of his finger. Just like that, the altar fell into his hands. Seeing how neither the god nor the altar was able to stop the person, Du Qingyuans eyes narrowed in utter astonishment. She was just about to make a move when the other party suddenly turned to look at her with a faint smile on his lips. Pce Master Du, we meet once again. As I thought, its really you? Du Qingyuan felt as if her heart had been plunged into the depths of an icy river. [1] An incenses time is roughly fifteen minutes. Chapter 2055 - 2055 Catalysts for a Breakthrough 2055 Catalysts for a Breakthrough It took half a day for Zhang Xuan and Jiang Yao to return to Starchaser Pce. First Elder Zhao Yue widened her eyes in disbelief upon seeing Jiang Yao. She had thought that their previous parting would be eternal, but thetter had managed to return alive! Its all thanks to Sect Leader Zhang Xuans help, Jiang Yao exined. Sect Leader Zhang Xuan? Are you referring to the new head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? First Elder Zhao Yue was stunned. Jiang Yao nodded before asking, Is our pce master back yet? First Elder Zhao Yue shook her head. Thats weird. I sent a message to our pce master after I was safe, so she should have returned right after receiving my message. Why isnt she here yet? She did not know exactly where Du Qingyuan had headed to, but it should not be as far off as the City of Copsed Space, so she should have been able to return ahead of them. Lets just wait a bit more. Our pce master might have been held up by something else. Given her strength, its unlikely that anything bad will have happened to her, First Elder Zhao Yue replied. Un. Jiang Yao nodded. She settled Zhang Xuan down in one of the amodations before pacing around the main hall, waiting for Du Qingyuan to return. However, even after half a day, Du Qingyuan was nowhere to be seen. This caused the two elders to start to panic. Lets head to the Ritual Pce and try to get in contact with our pce master through a ritual, Jiang Yao said with a frown. They had been with Du Qingyuan for over a thousand years, and they knew thetters temperament very well. Thetter should have rushed over as soon as she received the news. She was not the type to allow anything else to hold her up when it came to urgent business. Yet, she was not even responding to their messages. Could she have met with some kind of danger? Worried sick, Jiang Yao and First Elder Zhao Yue headed to Zhang Xuans amodation to urge him toe along with them before rushing to the Ritual Pce. In the massive room, an altar simr to the one that Zhang Xuan had seen back in the City of Copsed Space stood at the very center. The two elders of Starchaser Pce quickly ced several offerings on the altar, and a momentter, a sky-blue me seedling suddenly appeared on it. It was a known fact that the altars of Starchaser Pce could even cross dimensions to establish a connection link with the gods, so reaching a person within the same dimension should not pose a problem at all. The sky-blue me seedling flickered slightly, seemingly trying to summon someone. Jiang Yao dripped three droplets of blood onto the altar, and a powerful ze rose up from the me seedling as it morphed into the form of a person. The silhouette of the person became more and more distinct, but all of a sudden, with a resounding pop, the me abruptly burst apart. Watching the entire process from the side, Zhang Xuan frowned. Having lived in the capital of the Master Teacher Continents Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for some time, he had browsed through their massive collection of books. As such, he had some understanding regarding the rituals they conducted. This urrence did not mean that the ritual had failed. On the contrary, the ritual had seededit was just that the person they were trying to reach could not be summoned. In other words... Something has happened to our pce master, Jiang Yao and First Elder Zhao Yue muttered with utterly pale faces. Jiang Yao turned to Zhang Xuan and anxiously exined, Usually, the ritual would forge a connection link with our pce masters consciousness, allowing us tomunicate directly with her. The abrupt dissipation of the mes means that either our pce master is rejecting the connection link... or shes in no state to ept the connection link... Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed into slits. Even after all the countermeasures that Du Qingyuan had prepared to distract the Hall of Gods, she was still caught by them in the end? If that was really the case, the Hall of Gods was far more terrifying than he had thought! What should we do now? Jiang Yao asked First Elder Zhao Yue anxiously. In view of her safety, Du Qingyuan did not inform anyone of their whereabouts prior to her departure, so no one knew where she had gone. Given everything that she had done, it went without saying that she would have made sure to conceal her trail properly. So, it would be nigh impossible for them to find her. First Elder Zhao Yue suddenly thought of something, and she hurriedly took out a jade token from her storage ring. Before our pce master left, she told me to crush this jade token if she didnt return... Right after saying those words, she immediately crushed the jade token. Weng! There was a sh of light, and a line of words appeared in the air. Should I fail to return to Starchaser Pce, the one who will take my ce as the pce master will be Zhang Xuan from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Regard him with the utmost respect and obey hismands unconditionally. This... Reading the words in the air, First Elder Zhao Yue and Jiang Yao exchanged gazes before hurriedly turning to look at Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan was also bbergasted by the matter. Du Qingyuan had left a will behind to appoint him as the next head of Starchaser Pce... What was going on? Taking a closer look, he realized that there was an illusory figure right next to the message. His eyebrows shot up as he hurriedly pointed at the figure and asked, Is thatdy over there your pce master? That illusory figure was the deity who had appeared on the Master Teacher Continent back when Sovereign Chen Yong conducted the ritual to summon Luo Ruoxin! First Elder Zhao Yue nodded. Thats indeed our pce master. As I expected... Zhang Xuan nodded slightly before a bitter smile crept onto his lips. He had guessed as much when he realized that the indigenous poption living on Starchaser Ind were from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. He was just a single step away to learning the truth, but who could have thought that a mishap would ur at this moment? That person was likely the only one on the Forsaken Continent who knew of Luo Ruoxins true identity, as well as where she had gone afterward. If something really happened to her, his only source of information would be severed. He had initially been a little surprised that Du Qingyuan would nominate him to be the next pce master, but after some thought, he could understand the rationale behind her decision. The only power who wielded the ability to force her, one of the strongest Semi-Divinity realm experts on the Forsaken Continent, into a corner was the Hall of Gods. And the only one who really wielded the strength to go against the Hall of Gods was him, the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent! On top of that, while the names Liu Yang and Zheng Yang might have sounded foreign to others, as the one who had saved Wu Chen, it was likely that Du Qingyuan might have heard a thing or two from him and guessed that they were actually all him. It was probably in view of his current power and influence on the Forsaken Continent that she wanted to entrust Starchaser Pce to him so as to help it tide through this difficult period. Sect Leader Zhang. Jiang Yao turned to Zhang Xuan and sped her fist. We believe that our pce master has her reasons for issuing such an order, and we are willing to heed hermands. May I know what your view on the matter is? The two of them had personally witnessed Zhang Xuans four Semi-Divinity realm beasts, so they had no doubts regarding his abilities. Furthermore, Du Qingyuan was a wise and discerning person. They trusted her judgement. Since Pce Master Du trusts me so, Im willing to take on the position as the new head of Starchaser Pce. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had thought that it was just a great deal of trouble to lead a sect initially, but the Hall of Gods had turned out to be a much more difficult opponent than he had expected. In order to counteract them, the Six Sects would have to unite together, but they would need someone to rally under. If he could be the head of Starchaser Pce, that would definitely give him much more credence. More importantly, Starchaser Pce held the means to contact Luo Ruoxin, even if Du Qingyuan was missing at the moment. Thank you, Sect Leader Zhang. First Elder Zhao Yue bowed deeply. Well make preparations for the inauguration ceremony right now. For the time being, please do have a good rest at the amodation we prepared for you. You must be exhausted after the trip to the City of Copsed Space. Those from the other five sects should only be arriving tomorrow. Those from the other five sects had gathered together in order to discuss the details of how they would deal with the Azure Bridge. It would be good to hold the inauguration ceremony with the other five sects as witnesses to build prestige. They had no idea why Du Qingyuan would nominate the incumbent sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as her sessor, and to be honest, they had some qualms regarding the issue. However, they were also aware of the benefits it would bring. Having amon leader would create a firm foundation for an alliance between the two sects, thus granting them more power to deal with the Hall of Gods. I understand. Zhang Xuan nodded. For the time being, I wish to take a look at the library of Starchaser Pce. Even though he had already reached the High Immortal realm, he was unable to advance his cultivation any further until he gathered sufficient cultivation techniques topile the High Immortal realm Heavens Path Divine Art. Of course, allow me to lead you there, First Elder Zhao Yue said. She quickly led Zhang Xuan over to the library before leaving to arrange the uing inauguration ceremony. So, Zhang Xuan quickly collected all the books within the library. Half a dayter, he left the library and headed to an isted chamber. As expected of a power that couldmunicate with the gods, Starchaser Pce had a massive collection of cultivation technique manuals that surpassed even that of the Sevenstar Pavilion. This was especially so when it came to books rting to souls. The soul-rted books in the other sects had could only be considered elementarypared to what they had. Compile! With a jolt of the Library of Heavens Path, all the soul-rted books werepiled into a High Immortal realm Heavens Path Soul Art. Shortly afterward, he moved on topile all the High Immortal realm cultivation techniques that he had gathered so far. With trembling fingers, Zhang Xuan nervously flipped open thepiled book, and after taking a look, he heaved a sigh of relief. There are still three more ws, but they can be resolved by using items as catalysts... Even though Starchaser Pces collection of High Immortal realm cultivation techniques was limited, it was fortunate that they had collected quite a lot of insights and cultivation experiences of High Immortals over the years. Water of Heavy Silver, Metal of Luminescent Star, and Grass of Biting Leaf... Each of these three items would resolve one of the ws, but they were incredibly invaluable, such that they were worth even more than the diamond that the Sevenstar Pavilion had used earlier in the Ocean of Exiled Stars. I managed to obtain some Grass of Biting Leaf back in the City of Copsed Space, and its potency is even greater than that of normal ones, so thats fine... Zhang Xuan quickly ran through the various items that he had at the moment. The City of Copsed Space was fraught with dangers, but the natural treasures that thrived in that environment still managed to convince many cultivators of each generation to brave the dangers. Back then, before he encountered the Degeneration Beasts, he had grabbed all the medicinal herbs that he could find, and fortunately, the Grass of Biting Leaf was among them. As for Metal of Luminescent Star... What luck! There happens to be one in Bai Xuanshengs storage ring! Zhang Xuan had secretly taken Citadel Lord Bai Xuanshengs storage ring before, and he had quickly checked on the contents earlier. There were all sorts of valuable things in theretwo Heavenly High Immortal-tier weapons, all sorts of precious medicinal herbs, ores, and cultivation resources. The Metal of Luminescent Star was among them, too. Thus, all he wascking was the Water of Heavy Silver. He had read about this item in the books before. Simr to the Northern Sea Dragon Orb, it existed in the depths of the ocean, making it extremely difficult to find. Even the Sevenstar Pavilion, which had a massive informationwork and all sorts of connections, did not have a clue as to where to source one at the moment. Maybe I should take a look in the Ethereal Hall. It would be best if I could buy one straight away, but otherwise, I could try putting up a bounty. Since it was recorded in the books, it meant that there was someone in the world who had used it before. The only power that boasted a greater informationwork and more connections than the Sevenstar Pavilion was the Ethereal Hall. The Ethereal Hall had branches all over the Forsaken Continent, and most cultivators essed the Ethereal Hall frequently. While he harbored some doubts regarding the Ethereal Hall after the encounter with Fu Chenzi, he felt that this was a risk that he had to take. Otherwise, there was no saying when he would be able to find the Water of Heavy Silver. If he could advance his cultivation to the Heavenly High Immortal realm, he would be in a much better position to deal with the warriors of the Hall of Gods. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan left his room and quickly looked for First Elder Zhao Yue. Here is a High Immortal realm Ethereal Token. Starchaser Pce is located on the remote Starchaser Ind, so we didnt iste Starchaser Pce from external Ethereal Halls. As such, you can enter the Ethereal Hall here, First Elder Zhao Yue said as she passed an Ethereal Token over. Thank you, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. On the other hand, Jiang Yao gazed at Zhang Xuan with a conflicted frown before eventually saying, Be careful. I dont have any concrete evidence, but Im not sure if the Ethereal Hall is trustworthy anymore. I know. I will be careful. Zhang Xuan nodded grimly before taking his leave. He headed back to the isted chamber and sat down. Holding the Ethereal Token tightly in his hand, he stared at the wall before him contemtively. Thinking back, I was connected to the Ethereal Hall those two times before I was assassinated by the warriors of the Hall of Gods. Will it be the same this time? Chapter 2056 - The Truth 2056 The Truth It was right after he had visited Wuhai Citys Ethereal Hall to purchase some Superior Immortal Pills that he had been assaulted by them. It was the same for the second time around at Biyuan City. He had thought that it was weird that the Hall of Gods could urately identify him back then, and he had even tried to loiter around the area to confirm once more if the Hall of Gods was really able to see through his disguise. Could something have happened to the Ethereal Hall? Even an elder of the Ethereal Hall, Fu Chenzi, had ended up colluding with the Hall of Gods! This was a huge cause for concern. Kong shis deeds on the Master Teacher Continent showed that he was a benevolent man who constantly had the welfare of the masses in mind. There was no way someone like that would collude with the Hall of Gods and incite chaos on the Forsaken Continent. However, the same could not be said about those who were continuing his legacy. After all, several thousand years had already passed since the founding of the Ethereal Hall. There was no doubt that the primary intentions for the founding of the Ethereal Hall were good, but as the organization expanded and developed through the years, for better or for worse, it was inevitable that it would begin to change. But all of this is spection. Ill have to give it a try to know for sure if Im right or not, Zhang Xuan thought as he activated the Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness into it. The High Immortal realm Ethereal Hall looked rather desertedpared to the other Ethereal Halls. Considering the low number of High Immortals in the world, this was only to be expected. Zhang Xuan walked right up to the front receptionist and said, Is it possible to purchase Water of Heavy Silver here? Water of Heavy Silver? the attendant asked with a slight frown, confused by the unfamiliar name. Give me a moment, Ill check. He quickly flipped open a book, and a momentter, a smile broke out on his face. Customer, even though the Water of Heavy Silver is very rare, our Ethereal Hall happens to have some of it in stock. However, it might be a little pricy. How much does it cost? Zhang Xuan asked. Around 5,000,000 Ethereal Coins, the attendant replied. That was way beyond pricy! I dont have that many Ethereal Tokens with me at the moment, but is it possible for me to exchange this for a portion of Water of Heavy Silver? Zhang Xuan took out a three jade bottles and ced them on the table. The attendant doubtfully uncorked one of the bottles, and concentrated spiritual energy immediately gushed out from the bottle. With a look of disbelief in his eyes, the attendant uttered, Isnt this... the blood essence of a Semi-Divinity realm expert? Is it enough? Zhang Xuan asked. Yes, of course. Definitely! the attendant replied anxiously. Ill make the price estimation right now! There were only so many Semi-Divinity realm experts on the Forsaken Continent, which made their blood essence priceless treasures. Every single droplet of it harnessed tremendous energy. Furthermore, it would be difficult for a Semi-Divinity realm expert to produce three bottles of blood essence even over several decades without hurting their foundation! Some timeter, the attendant returned and passed five jade bottles over. Customer, here are five bottles of Water of Heavy Silver. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded in relief. With all the three catalysts prepared, he should have no trouble pushing for a breakthrough to Heavenly High Immortal realm anymore. The only thing to do now was to see if he would be assassinated by the warriors of the Hall of Gods. So, he backed out of the Ethereal Hall. He quickly set up multipleyers of defensive formations that would warn him of any approaching intruders and keep them at bay. Only after that did he take out the three catalysts and a bottle of Semi-Divinity realm blood essence. With a tap of his finger, the Semi-Divinity realm blood essence swiftly diffused into a powerful surge of spiritual energy that gathered around him like a tornado. While Semi-Divinity realm blood essence would be an invaluable treasure to any cultivator, he had nock of it at the moment. To be exact, he had over twenty bottles of it in his storage ring. That was more than enough for him to splurge. He had managed to acquire that much through squeezing the bodies of Fu Chenzi and the middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods dry. Of course, he did not forget to cleanse it of the air of degeneration using Little Chicks chicken soup. In any case, Zhang Xuan began driving his Heavens Path Divine Art, and his cultivation began surging once more. Greater High Immortal realm, Earthly High Immortal realm... In just an hour, he had already raised his cultivation to the Heavenly High Immortal realm! Due to theck of Semi-Divinity realm cultivation techniques, this was the highest level he could reach at the moment. Theres no way I will be able topile a Semi-Divinity realm Heavens Path Divine Art here, so the only way I can advance is to forge my own path ahead and create my own cultivation technique! Zhang Xuan thought with a troubled look on his face. He knew of his own problems very well. The Heavens Path Divine Art was indeed wless, but ironically, this very trait of it was also its greatest w. It dawned upon him when his cultivation went berserk the previous time. There was no true perfection in this world. Even the heavens were wed, so how could anything possibly be perfect? It was all just a matter of perspective. Nevertheless, it was true that cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art would guarantee him superior strength. It might not be as perfect as he thought, but it was the best that he had. But this very train of thought was poison to him. It made him dependent on the Heavens Path Divine Art. The idea of cultivating something wed disgusted him so much that he would retch for days on end. Even if he created something of his own, that lingering doubt that it was riddled with ws would eventually be his greatest inner demon. So, this Semi-Divinity realm would surely be a huge hurdle for him to ovee. It was likely that he would have to create a Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique with his own wisdom. It would be tough, but it was not impossible. Since others were able to do it, there was no reason for him not to be able to do it too! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan entered the cultivation chamber inside the Library of Heavens Path. It was the manifestation of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn that Luo Ruoxin had installed within his Library of Heavens Path before she left. Inside this unique cultivation chamber, the flow of time was ten times faster than that of the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan had thought that the flow of time inside the cultivation chamber would change ording to the flow of time to the Forsaken Continent, but to his surprise, it remained the same as before. In other words, it was still ten times faster rtive to the Master Teacher Continent, which equated to a hundred times faster than the time on the Forsaken Continent! Even if he spent a hundred days inside of the cultivation chamber, a single day would have only passed on the Forsaken Continent. Even a mere hour in there would equate to four days on the Forsaken Continent! Zhang Xuan first went through the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form, which was the only Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique that he knew of, before using it as a reference to further develop his Heavens Path Divine Art. Just like that, he remained stationary for a very long while before he began to drive his zhenqi. But not too longter, he began coughing out blood. First try, failed! Unwilling to give up just like that, Zhang Xuan tried once more... but it was still a failure. He continued a hundred more times, but he was still unable to make any progress. Its indeed not easy to make a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm... Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. It was fortunate that he had Little Chicks chicken soup, allowing him to recover swiftly from his injuries. Otherwise, it would only be a matter of time before he sustained severe internal injuries under all his reckless experimentation. Feeling drained from all the thinking and experimentation, he finally retracted his consciousness from the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. All in all, less than an incenses time had passed in the real world. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan severed a slight will of his consciousness and ced it inside his Library of Heavens Path to continue researching the development of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique. After that, he walked out of the isted chamber. With his cultivation reaching the Heavenly High Immortal realm, his strength was alreadyparable to that of an average Semi-Divinity realm cultivator. Feeling confident, he retracted the formations around him before heading out to take a look. To be honest, he was slightly surprised to see that the Hall of Gods did not make a move while he was cultivating. Was his guess wrong? Could it be that they were hesitant to make a move because he was currently in Starchaser Pce? Thest two times he had been assaulted, he had only been attacked after he left the Ethereal Hall and stepped into a public area. This conjecture did not seem too likely given that the Hall of Gods had attacked Chu Yin and First Elder Zhao Yue while they were at Starchaser Pce, but it was probably worth testing that out. So, Zhang Xuan silently left Starchaser Pce without informing anyone and headed to a remote location above the Ocean of Exiled Stars. With a flick of his finger, he dropped several water droplets into the ocean. Even though he had many means at his disposal, he would not dare let down his guard against the Hall of Gods. Zhang Xuan sat on the surface of the ocean for over two hours, but everything remained quiet. Nothing happened at all. Could it really be that? Zhang Xuan thought with a deeply worried look on his face. His initial deduction was that there was a faction of traitors in the Ethereal Hall that was giving away his location to the Hall of Gods when he entered. However, from the current looks of it, that did not seem to be the case. This left him no choice but to turn to the other deduction he had in mind. If this deduction turned out to be true, that could really be the worst-case scenario for them at the moment. I can only give it a try then... He quickly changed his disguise, soul aura, and bloodline once more with the disguise amulet before entering the Ethereal Hall. He walked up to the receptionist, passed the token that he had received from Kong shi over, and said, I want Premier Immortal Pills. Bring me as many of them as possible. T-this token! Esteemed customer, please give me a moment. Ill prepare your Premier Immortal Pills this instant! the receptionist said before hurriedly leaving the counter. An hourter, she returned with two jade bottles and said, My apologies, but we are only able to gather twenty Premier Immortal Pills at the moment. Its fine, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Just twenty Premier Immortal Pills was enough to make even the richest man on the Forsaken Continent gasp. Superior Immortal Pills were worth 20,000 Ethereal Coins, and Premier Immortal Pills were a hundred times more valuable than that. In other words, what he had just received was worth an unbelievable 40,000,000 Ethereal Coins... Even the elusive Water of Heavy Silver was only worth 5,000,000 Ethereal Coins! Zhang Xuan retracted his consciousness form the Ethereal Hall and withdrew his Premier Immortal Pills. He uncorked one of the jade bottles and sighed in awe at the hulking amount of spiritual energy that each pill contained. Even with his current cultivation realm, the Premier Immortal Pills were still of great use to him. As long as I can figure out a Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique, I will definitely be able to make a breakthrough with these pills... His current strength was already on par with Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, so their blood essence was no longer of much use to him. As such, he had been a little troubled over how he should push for a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. However, with these pills in his hand, there was no need for him to worry anymore! Zhang Xuan stretched his backzily before slowly rising to his feet. He took another look around him once more, but there was still nothing at all. Of course, theres no way that could have been the case... he murmured with a hint of relief beneath his breath. Nodding in reassurance, he turned around to head back to Starchaser Pce. But right at that instant, the space around him suddenly began distorting. The brilliant sun seemed to have been plucked from the sky, plunging him into a dark world filled with stars. Huhuhu! An old man appeared before his eyes. This old man appeared to be in his fifties to sixties, and he was dressed in a simple gray robe. Just by standing quietly on the spot, he seemed like a phantom that wandered beneath the darkness of the night, drawing out the deepest fears in ones heart. Are you from the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. This was not good at all. The powerful old man before him was one thing, but what was more important was the fact that the old man had only appeared after he used Kong shis token in the Ethereal Hall. In other words, the token that Kong shi had given him actually served as a GPS locator for the Hall of Gods! Based on what he had heard from Han Jianqiu, it appeared that Kong shi had handed this token to him personally, so the chances of anyone tampering with it were very low. Could it be that the Worlds Teacher had really colluded with the Hall of Gods? Or could it be a misunderstanding? Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and shook his head. Regardless of the truth, it was good that he had sorted this matter out. At the very least, he knew who he had to be guarded against in the future. Then, he turned to look at the old man as he drove his zhenqi furiously. Chapter 2057 - 2057 Counterattack 2057 Counterattack Astonishingly, even with his current cultivation realm, he was unable to see through the depths of the old mans cultivation. Up to this point, the strongest Semi-Divinity realm cultivators that he had met were Han Jianqiu, Fu Chenzi, and the middle-aged man. However, the old man before him was at a whole different level from them. The aura that he emanated seemed to swallow the very essence of the world. The darkness engulfing them was a result of his aura devouring the light in the area. It felt like there was no way to escape from him at all. Taming four Semi-Divinity realm beasts and ying Fu Chenzi and Ying Chen. Its no wonder the master values you so highly, choosing to mobilize even me to deal with you, the old man remarked. Its really beyond my imagination how you are able toe this far within ten short days. Even the current me would have some trouble trying to capture you. You know that I was the one who killed Fu Chenzi and the middle-aged man? Zhang Xuan felt his body tensing up a little. It was likely that Ying Chen was the name of the middle-aged man from the Hall of Gods who had made a move against Jiang Yao in the City of Copsed Space. But they had been in the City of Copsed Space when he killed the two of them, and he had even made sure to seal the surroundings in order to ensure that those two would not be able to send any messages out to the Hall of Gods. So, how could the old man before him know of this matter? Furthermore, no one should have known that he had tamed four Semi-Divinity realm beasts other than Jiang Yao. Given that he had tamed the ckback Tortoise in his capacity as Liu Yang, did that not mean that the Hall of Gods was aware of the fact that he was the head of the Sevenstar Pavilion? This was impossible! He did not think that he would be able to hide this matter forever, but he did not expect someone to figure it out so quickly either! Theres nothing the Hall of Gods doesnt know about, the old man replied nonchntly, as if it was nothing to make a fuss about. Come with me. You might have four Semi-Divinity realm beasts and a Semi-Divinity artifact, but you wont stand a chance against me. How will I know if I dont give it a try? Zhang Xuan scoffed. With a flick of his wrist, he brought out the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks, and the four of them charged furiously toward the old man. He then took out the Semi-Divinity artifact and the ten Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords and directed them to assault the old man as well. It felt like even the stars in the sky would be knocked down by such an overwhelming force, but for some reason, no matter how they charged forward, they simply could not reach the old man. It was just a short distance of several steps between them and the old man, but this small gap formed the greatest difference in the world. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. Dimensional Sand? He had encountered such a situation back when he was on the Master Teacher Continent as well. Back then, the space had been reduced to sand, such that no matter how quickly he was moving, he was unable to move forward at all. Could it be that the old man hadprehended such an ability as well? Through shattering the space before him into dust, those who stepped into the area would feel as though they were stepping into quicksand, preventing them from moving an inch no matter how powerful they were. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. No, thats not right. It isnt Dimensional sand... It feels like that starry night in the surroundings is somewhat like his Dominion. Those who step into this space have to obey hisws. All those who are weaker than him arent able to approach him unless he allows them to! Not even Dimensional Sand would be that powerful as topletely halt even the movement of a Semi-Divinity realm expert. As long as a Semi-Divinity realm expert released their energy, they should be able to dispel the quicksand. However, the fact that the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks were unable to do it hinted that there was an even greater power at y. In a sense, the old man was using an ability simr to Kong shis Word of Law. In other words, all those who were pulled into this space would have to obey his rules. How could Zhang Xuan win a battle like this? It was at this moment that Zhang Xuan realized that he had once again underestimated just what Semi-Divinity realm cultivators were capable of. So, he knocked on his tamed beast sack and asked, Little Chick, are you still dead at the moment? The little yellow chick in his tamed beast sack was likely his greatest hope at turning the tables around. While the other party was scarily unreliable in battle, there was no doubt that it possessed miraculous powers. Huhu! The little yellow chick remainedpletely motionless in his tamed beast sack, not responding to his calls at all. Ever since it devoured the droplet of god blood back in the Vacant Sea, it had gonepletely silent, not moving at all. Knowing that there was nothing he could do about it, Zhang Xuan could only gnash his teeth in frustration. I guess I can only rely on myself since that fellow is out, Zhang Xuan thought as he raised his gaze to assess the old man before him. Thetter was standing quietly on the spot with a slight smile on his face, not moving at all. Zhang Xuan felt as if he was looking at a picture. Yet, despite theck of movements on thetters part, the four Semi-Divinity realm beasts and the others simply could not reach him at all. Its futile. In this space, even if you wield the strength of a Semi-Divinity, you still wont be able to hurt me, the old manmented as he raised his hand and waved it. Padah! The ckback Tortoise and the others were immediately knocked down onto the surface of the ocean. They tried to regain their bnce and get up, but for some reason, it felt as if the entire world was crashing down on them, preventing them from moving at all. After suppressing the four beasts, the old man raised his hand, and the Semi-Divinity metal chain immediately flew into his grasp. Ill be taking this back then. As soon as the old mans hand fell onto the metal chain, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Now! Two Semi-Divinity realm corpses immediately materialized right in front and behind the old man. Boom! Boom! Two resounding explosions urred simultaneously, causing the surroundings to copse inward from the sheer shockwave. As if a ck cloth shrouding the sky was being forcefully pulled away, folds and cracks immediately appeared on the starry night sky above. Pu! The old man did not expect Zhang Xuan to be so vicious as to refine two Semi-Divinity corpses and explode them on him without the slightest shred of hesitation. Moreover, he even used a Semi-Divinity artifact as bait for him to lower his guard... Based on the sheer intensity of the explosion, it was likely that the artifact would have sustained damage severe enough to cripple it for good. In fact, if not for his Dominion protecting him, he could have lost his life as a result of the explosion. His eyes crimson with rage, the old man bellowed with a savage glint in his eyes, You obnoxious brat. I could have spared you, but you are really testing my patience, arent you? Despite being a sack of old bones, I must say that you are as resilient as a cockroach, Zhang Xuan scoffed coldly. He had forged the corpses of Fu Chenzi and the middle-aged man into Soulless Metal Humanoids, thinking that they would be a useful trump card against the Hall of Gods. It was indeed fortunate that he had done so. He had been wondering how he could allow those two fellows to get close to the old man, and after some thought, he had eventually decided to use the metal chain as bait. The metal chain was an extremely rare Semi-Divinity artifact that could alter its form, granting it great flexibility in battle. Zhang Xuan was confident that the old man would try to im it for himself, and that would create a perfect opportunity for him tounch an attack. So, he had created a mini folded space at the front and back of the metal chain and ced the two Soulless Metal Humanoids inside. As expected, it had worked out well. It was just that he did not expect the old man to be so powerful as to survive the explosions from two Semi-Divinity realm experts at such proximity without sustaining any damage whatsoever. It was no wonder the Hall of Gods had only sent a single person this time to deal with him. It was apparent that they knew that it did not matter how many ordinary Semi-Divinity cultivators they sent at him, so they decided to send their strongest one instead. It was really lucky that he did not get arrogant and diligently made preparations beforehand, or else he might have been cornered. You b*stard! Ill kill you! With a furious roar, the severely wounded old man charged toward Zhang Xuan. But as soon as he made a move, the space around him began warping once more, and a ck mist swiftly crept out of nowhere. Rather than mist, it resembled billowing smoke that rose from an inferno more. The earlier explosion had created cracks in the old mans Dominion that allowed the ck mist to creep in. Do you think that a Confinement Formation of such a tier will really be able to stop me? the old man sneered frostily. You underestimate me too much, brat. This is nothing at all to me. Ill kill those four beasts of yours and drag you before my master! Boom! The surrounding spiritual energy surged toward the old man, and his injuries began to heal at a visible rate. The old man seemed to have used some sort of secret art that allowed him to swiftly recover from his injuries. Your recovery ability is spectacr. I am very impressed. Your master must be much stronger than this... but dont you think that its too naive of you to assume that this is just an ordinary Confinement Formation? Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he watched the old mans actions withposure. Is it not? The old man was taken aback. The next instant, his eyes widened, and his body began trembling in disbelief. It cant be... You brought the air of degeneration out of the City of Copsed Space and infused it into the formation? You lunatic! I knew that I would require special means to deal with you persistent cockroaches. If you werent injured, the air of degeneration would never have been able to harm you. In fact, I believe that you possess the means to suppress the air of degeneration and prevent it from seeping into your body with sheer strength... But what a pity. You were so anxious to capture me that you neglected your surroundings. You furiously absorbed the spiritual energy from the surroundings in order to quickly heal from your injuries, but that caused you to unwittingly take a massive amount of air of degeneration into your body. I wonder how much longer you have after getting so severely poisoned, Zhang Xuan scoffed. Given how potent the air of degeneration was, how could he not gather some of it to use as a weapon? Most cultivators of the High Immortal realm and above already possessed the ability to ward off the air of degeneration, so its effects would have been severelycking if he had used it directly. Thus, Zhang Xuan had known that he would have to find some way to severely injure the old man first before deploying it. Or better still, if he could force the old man into a position where thetter would take in the air of degeneration of his own ord, that would surely seal thetters fate. Pu! The old man spat out three mouthfuls of ck blood consecutively as his body trembled nonstop. He felt as if his head was going to explode. He had gone therepletely confident that he would be able to aplish his mission without fail. He had known that the young man was a witty person, but he did not think that the young mans wits would mean anything before his strength. He had never thought that he would meet such an end! Tzzzz! As the air of degeneration flowed through the old mans body, his innards became more and more corroded. Slowly, his vision began to blur, and his body began to sway weakly. It looked as if he would faint at any moment. I have underestimated you, but even though I might be unable to apprehend you, you dont possess the means to kill me. Just you wait! Knowing that his mission had already failed, the old man clenched his teeth and flew into the distance. Given his current condition, his only hope was to quickly return to the Hall of Gods and seek the masters help in dispelling the air of degeneration in him. Otherwise, in less than an hour, he would be a pitch-ck corpse. Do you think that I would have prepared so much just to allow you to escape at thest moment? Zhang Xuanughed to himself. Its far toote for you to think about escaping! Boom! A halberd shot down from the sky, aimed right toward the old mans head. rmed, the old man tried to dodge, but it was toote. The halberd stabbed his shoulder, causing him to halt. Chapter 2058 - 2058 Suicidal 2058 Suicidal The halberd was the offensive-oriented Semi-Divinity artifact that he had obtained from the middle-aged man. Naturally, he did not neglect to tame it on his way there, and the only reason he had not brought it out thus far was because he had nted it in advance to snipe down the enemy should thetter attempt to escape. If the old man had been at full power, there was no way such an attack would have worked. However, his severe injuries and the corrosion of the air of degeneration had reduced the old mans fighting prowess to less than a hundredth of what it was, not to mention that the old man had devoted the dredges of his strength to escape. Even though the old man had managed to avoid being skewered in the head, the halberd would still ensure that the other party would not be able to escape. Putong! Unable to withstand the impact of the halberd, the old man plummeted into the water, causing a tall pir of water to rise into the air. Wuuuuuuu! Witnessing this sight, the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks immediately went into action. The ocean was their battlefield, and their pride would not allow anynd-dwellers to best them on their home turf. The severe water swiftly turned choppy, and furious waves could be seen rising one after another. A few breathster, a dying old man was dragged out from the surface of the sea by Shark One. If Zhang Xuans means had shaved away ny percent of the old mans health points, the encirclement of the four beasts had destroyed another ny percent out of the remaining ten percent! If not for the old mans resilient mind, he likely would have fallen into aa due to the multiple traumas that he had sustained. Facing the old man, who was held firmly in ce by the four beasts, Zhang Xuan stared at the old man firmly in the eye and asked, Who is your master? Why are you trying to kill me? He was utilizing the means of a soul oracle in order to interrogate the old man. Through befuddling ones consciousness, it was possible to make one reveal ones deepest secrets. It was just that he was usually reluctant to use these means. I finally understand why the master is so bent on capturing you. Your capabilities are truly formidable, the old man replied calmly,pletely unaffected by Zhang Xuans means. The winner takes it all. Since I have lost, the only fate that awaits me is death. You need not dream of trying to pry any information out of my mouth... Sh*t! Retreat! Before the old man could even finish his words, Zhang Xuans eyes suddenly narrowed in horror. He hurriedly pulled his four beasts together with him and dived into the depths of the ocean. Kaboom! A few instantster, an explosion of unbelievable proportions urred. With a deafening rumble, overwhelming pressure and devastating heatwaves swept across the Ocean of Exiled Stars, threatening to vaporize everything. A humongous mushroom cloud could be seen rising in the air. The water that was within the area of the explosion scattered over a radius of several hundred li, causing a massive sh rain. Pu pu pu pu pu! Blood spurted from the mouths of Zhang Xuan and the four beasts, and it took them a long while before they came to. It was only three breaths between the moment Zhang Xuan realized what the old man was going to do and the moment of the explosion. With the incredible speed of the Semi-Divinity realm aquatic beasts, they were able to dive tens of thousands meters deep within this short period of time. Nevertheless, they were still nearly blown to smithereens by the explosion! If they had been standing right next to the old man when he exploded his cultivation, their bodies and souls would have been obliterated on the spot! And he dared to call me a lunatic... Zhang Xuan murmured as he looked at the massive crater that had appeared on the surface of the ocean as a result of the explosion. Even the ckback Tortoise, who boasted near-invincible defense, could not help but shudder when it recalled how close it had juste to death. It had long heard that the Hall of Gods was filled with deranged individuals, but who would have thought that they would really off their rockers? To engage in suicide bombing without the slightest hesitation... Just the shock was enough to shave decades off its lifespan! That was really too terrifying. Its a pity... Zhang Xuan shook his head. Its indeed a pity how someone as powerful as him came to such a tragic end... Shark One nodded in agreement. Thats not it. I find it a huge pity how I paid such a huge price to defeat him, only to receive nothing in return. Is there a greater tragedy than this in the world? Zhang Xuan cried out. The four Semi-Divinity realm beasts. Zhang Xuan had really gone all out to defeat the old man. He had used two Semi-Divinity corpses and used up his air of degeneration. Even his Semi-Divinity artifact had ended up sustaining severe damage as a result of the n. He had thought that it would at least be worth it if he could trade all that for a more powerful Soulless Metal Humanoid, but in the end, he had received nothing at all! To put it in simpler terms, he had invested heavily in the battle, only to reap no returns. It was inevitable that he would feel so stifled. But thinking about it again, given the opponent that he was up against, he was already lucky to still be alive. With a grasp of his hand, the tattered Semi-Divinity metal chain swiftly flew to Zhang Xuan. He took out several bottles of chicken soup and soaked the metal chain with it. Tzzzzzz! It did not take long for the metal chain to recover to its original condition. Naturally, Zhang Xuan had known that this was possible prior to the execution of the n. Otherwise, he would have found it hard to part with such a useful Semi-Divinity artifact. Lets return! Knowing that it was likely that the Hall of Gods would not dispatch anyone for him in the short-term after losing such a powerful expert, Zhang Xuan quickly moved the other four beasts back into the tamed beast sack, preparing to leave the area. At this moment, though, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind. Master, were you looking for me earlier? Is something up? A little yellow chick leisurely waddled in front of him. Its small, feeble body was swaying from side to side, reminiscent of a drunkard who had just awoken from a long sleep. Just looking at this sight filled Zhang Xuan with the urge to rush forward and give that little yellow chick a beating it would never forget. When he wanted its help earlier, that little yellow chick was sleeping like a dead log, but as soon as the enemy was defeated and the coast was clear, it popped up and asked if he needed help. It was almost as if it was mocking him! If not for his good temper and the possibility that he might not have been able to defeat it, he would have charged forward that very instant to pummel it! Your cultivation... doesnt seem to have grown at all? Shark One asked with a doubtful voice. Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised to hear that for a moment. He quickly turned his gaze over, and indeed, there was something amiss. He had thought that the little yellow chick, after devouring a droplet of the god blood, would experience a huge growth spurt and reach the same level as the ckback Tortoise and the others. Yet, contrary to his expectations, it felt the exact same as before. There was no change to its cultivation, and even its physical appearance looked the same as before. It was as if... the god blood was totally ineffective on it! But how could that be? Even if it was less than a droplet, that was still the blood of a real god. There was no way it could have just disappeared into the little yellow chick without making any difference at all. I dont really know why. I suddenly felt intoxicated after drinking that blood, so I slept for a while. That thing didnt seem to do anything except make me fall asleep. Little Chick shook its little bottom as it spoke. It was also surprised to see things turning out this way. It had thought that consuming the god blood would allow it to be a powerful expert in an instant, but things did not happen as it expected. If even god blood did not work on it, how was it supposed to advance its cultivation to higher realms? Alright then... Zhang Xuan carried on asking a few more questions, and he even made sure to examine Little Chick closely, but there were really no visible changes. In the end, he had no choice but to shrug in exasperation. In the end, he stowed Little Chick back into the tamed beast sack together with the other four beasts before heading back to Starchaser Ind. Nearly a day had passed since heading over, and it was about time for his inauguration as the new head of Starchaser Pce. As he had used an alias back at the Myriad Beasts Hall and the Sevenstar Pavilion, everyone thought that they were different individuals, so the response had not been too intense. But this time, the very same Zhang Xuan who was known to be the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was going to be the pce master of Starchaser Pce as well... Just thinking about how high profile it would be made him gasp a little. Most likely, the news should have already reached all the other sects, stirring amotion of unprecedented proportions! Just as Zhang Xuan thought, an uproar had indeed been stirred on Starchaser Ind. I cant believe this! Why is our Starchaser Pce nominating an outsider as the next head? Where is our pce master? Why isnt she announcing the news? It seems to be a unanimous decision made by the First Elder and the rest. Our pce master seems to be out at the moment. Are they making this decision without consulting our pce master? Isnt that equivalent to a revolt? Are you insane? How can you say those words aloud? Based on what I heard, our pce master left a will behind nominating Sect Leader Zhang Xuan to take over her position... Such discussions could be heard throughout Starchaser Pce. As the indigenous poption of the Forsaken Continent, they had never been on good terms with the other sects. Under normal circumstances, even if their pce master wanted to step down, she should have nominated one of her own people to take over her position. Yet, she actually chose to pass down her seat to the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Just the very thought of it was ridiculous! This was as good as trampling on the dignity and prestige of Starchaser Pce! An elder harrumphed in displeasure. Shut your mouths! Our pce master has made an offering to a god, and its under the will of the god that she made such a decision. Could it be that you think that your words weigh more than those of a god? Under the will of the god? Those who had voiced their doubts earlier swiftly shut their mouths fearfully upon hearing that. As the ones closest to the gods of the Firmament, those from Starchaser Pce had always carried great deference toward the gods in their hearts. They did not think that the elder would dare make a false im under the name of a god, so naturally, they dared not question her words anymore. On the other hand, however, it was proving a difficult feat to convince those of the other sects to ept this matter. In the main hall of Starchaser Pce sat a very confused Han Jianqiu. Just what in the world did our sect leader do to make Du Qingyuan willingly nominate him as her sessor? He knew that Zhang Xuan had been determined to make his way to the Ocean of Exiled Stars, but what he did not expect was for thetter to squeeze Du Qingyuan out and take over her position within a few short days. Could this have been something that was nned beforehand? If that was the case, why did Zhang Xuan im that he was an unaffiliated cultivator? Regardless of the truth, this isnt necessarily a bad thing for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Itll be good if we can forge a friendly rtionship with Starchaser Pce, Han Jianqiu murmured with a frown. When he passed his position down to Zhang Xuan, he had already resolved himself to follow thetters directives. No matter what it was, as long as it did notpromise the welfare of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he would follow the young mans orders. It would be unbing if he, as an elder of the sect, attempted to overturn the sect leaders decision without apelling reason. Hu! Han Jianqiu, what happened? A shadow shed through the air as a figure rushed right into the main hall. It was none other than Elder Qin Yuan from the Myriad Beasts Hall! I cant ept this. Theres no way the Sevenstar Pavilion can ept this. Unless you can give me a proper exnation for this matter, you can expect our Sevenstar Paviliom to take necessary actions in retaliation! Elder Kui Xiao walked into the main hall right behind Elder Qin Yuan. They were all staring at Han Jianqiu intently, expecting him to exin what had just happened. How in the world did the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion end up bing the head of Starchaser Pce as well? The Six Sects had always been independent existences, each of them reigning over a region of the Forsaken Continent. There had never been any official alliance within the Six Sects. It was this bnce of power that had allowed for peace and harmony among them. As such, it was inevitable that the other sects would feel a little nervous upon hearing this news. Im not sure whats going on either, Han Jianqiu replied with a troubled frown. You arent sure? Elder Qin Yuan had always been extremely hot-tempered. Upon hearing how Han Jianqiu was intending to feign ignorance, he immediately flung his sleeves and bellowed, Do you think that well let this matter pass just because you dont know a thing? You are shaking the power bnce of the Six Sects with this move! Did you think that your Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is the only one capable of making alliances? Very well! Just you wait! Our Myriad Beasts Hall shall make an alliance with the Sevenstar Pavilion as well! Sect Leader Zhang might haveprehended the Gods Sword Intent, but he isnt the only genius on the Forsaken Continent, Elder Kui Xiao sneered. Our Sevenstar Pavilion has Pavilion Master Liu Yang whereas the Myriad Beasts Hall has Hall Master Zheng Yang. Shall we see if he can stand his ground even against the two of them? Chapter 2059 - 2059 What Is Hall Master Kong Up To? 2059 What Is Hall Master Kong Up To? Han Jianqiu was unable to speak at all. He had heard of Hall Master Zheng Yang and Pavilion Master Liu Yang as well, and they were reputed to be extraordinary geniuses who only appeared once every several thousand years. People of their caliber would surely be able to stand against even Zhang Xuan and his Gods Sword Intent once they matured. It would not be a wise decision to make enemies out of them. An alliance between the Sevenstar Pavilion and the Myriad Beasts Hall would certainly be to the disadvantage of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Not to mention, he had not understood just how many benefits Zhang Xuan had promised Starchaser Pce in order to convince Du Qingyuan to pass down her position to him. What amotion! At this instant, heartyughter suddenly echoed outside the main hall. Following that, two silhouettes walked into the room. The head of the ckmirror Citadel, Bai Xuansheng. The head of the Evanescent Immortal Sect, Gu Zhuiyun. The appearance of these two caused the atmosphere in the room to be even tenser. With this, almost all the heads and ex-heads of the Six Sects were present in the room! Bai Xuansheng had been recuperating all this while, and while he still appeared a little pale on the surface, his current condition would not affect his exertion of strength anymore. As for Gu Zhuiyun, he was a tall,nky old man with a haughty look on his face. The two of you are concerned about our sect leader bing the head of Starchaser Pce as well? Han Jianqiu asked with a deep sigh. Would you believe me if I said that I am unaware of this matter? Bai Xuansheng shot a cold nce at Elder Kui Xiao before sping his fist toward Han Jianqiu. Elder Han, I think you are misunderstanding our intention. We are here to meet Sect Leader Zhang Xuan in order to discuss something with him! He did not manage to catch a clear glimpse of the faces of the culprits who had done him in at the Sea of Little Mirror back then. That being said, there was no such thing as a perfect secret in the world, especially when it came to a major operation like that. There were not too many diamond crystals of that brilliance in the world. All he had to do was track down the sect that had acquired such a diamond crystal recently. You wish to meet our sect leader? Han Jianqiu frowned. That matter concerns the future of the Six Sects. I want to hear Hall Master Zheng Yang and Pavilion Master Liu Yangs opinions on the matter, Gu Zhuiyun said as he nced at Elder Qin Yuan and Elder Kui Xiao. May I know what the matter you are referring to is? Han Jianqiu asked with a perplexed frown. It was apparent that Bai Xuansheng and Gu Zhuiyun were standing on the same line on this matter, whatever it might be. In fact, there was a good chance that they might have already forged an alliance with one another. We can all agree that Semi-Divinities are the strongest experts on the Forsaken Continent. A sect must have a Semi- Divinity realm cultivator in order to enjoy peace and prosperity in the long-term, Gu Zhuiyun began exining. The crowd nodded in agreement. The presence of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator dictated whether a sect was able to prosper or not. Without the presence of a cultivator in the highest tier, it mattered not how many High Immortals a sect had. It was also for this very reason that the Six Sects had been able to suppress the aquatic creatures all these years. Gu Zhuiyun continued. The Azure Bridge is going to descend very soon. Are those sect leaders of yours confident of defeating the warriors of the Hall of Gods to earn the qualifications to reach the Semi-Divinity realm? No one was able to say a word, not even Han Jianqiu. After all, who could possibly make such a deration? There was no denying that Sect Leader Zhang Xuan was powerful, but his cultivation was only at the Heavenly True Immortal realm at the moment. At that level, he would have difficulties trying to deal with ordinary Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivators, let alone the warriors of the Hall of Gods! The same went for the Myriad Beasts Hall and the Sevenstar Pavilion. While the unparalleled talents of their new heads sparked great hope within them, deep in their hearts, they were still uncertain if they would be able to ovee the Azure Bridge. They had challenged the Azure Bridge themselves many years back, and they knew just how difficult it was. Seeing the expressions on everyones faces, the edges of Gu Zhuiyuns lips inched upward as he spoke up. However, our Evanescent Immortal Sect and ckmirror Citadel are confident of it! Confident? Han Jianqiu and the others looked at Gu Zhuiyun in disbelief. Just what in the world gave him the confidence to make a bold im like this? Take a look at this, Gu Zhuiyun said as he flicked his wrist and took out a jade token. Han Jianqiu took the jade token and looked at its contents. A momentter, he raised his head to look at Gu Zhuiyun once more, this time with an even more confused look on his face, and asked, What is this? Recorded within the jade token were the battle techniques, moves, and ws of a certain cultivator. It is the information of a warrior of the Hall of Gods who fought with the geniuses of our Evanescent Immortal Sect! Gu Zhuiyun replied. The information of a warrior of the Hall of Gods? The other three immediately rose to their feet as they looked at Gu Zhuiyun in disbelief. If they could acquire detailed information regarding the warriors of the Hall of Gods in advance, they would be able to make preparations and design a battle strategy that would pretty much guarantee their victory! Hall Master Qin Yuan quickly took the jade token in order to browse through its contents. Then, with an agitated look on his face, he asked, How did you manage to acquire something like that? The information appeared to be legitimate, but he still found it hard to believe that the Evanescent Immortal Sect was actually able to acquire something as precious as this. The Hall of Gods had always been a lofty existence. They rarely made a move, but when they did, there were never any eyewitnesses. As such, it was nigh impossible to gather any information regarding them. Of course, theres no way we would have the means to acquire something like this by ourselves. The one whopiled and gave us the jade token is the Ethereal Hall, Gu Zhuiyun replied. Hall Master Kong is indeed an extraordinary figure. Hes the closest existence to a god among us all. He gave us all of this information and said that as long as the candidates cultivate ording to his advice, they should be able to easily clear the Azure Bridge and reach the Semi-Divinity realm! Hall Master Kong? Han Jianqiu frowned in skepticism. Theres no such thing as a free lunch in the world. Why would Hall Master Kong risk offending the Hall of Gods to give this to us? Putting aside where Hall Master Kong had acquired the information from, assuming that the information was true, it would only be a matter of time before the Hall of Gods traced the leak of information to him. Once that happened, even with Hall Master Kongs superior strength, it was unlikely that he would be able to fare too well against the Hall of Gods. Of course, theres no way we wouldnt understand something as basic as that. In exchange for this information, Hall Master Kong requested to borrow our Evanescent Boots and Paragon ckmirror for a month, Gu Zhuiyun replied with a chuckle. Han Jianqiusplexion immediately turned grim. Even though the Guardian Artifacts of our Six Sects arent Semi- Divinity artifacts, they contain the blood essence and energies of our predecessors. In a battle, they can exert might that surpasses even that of Semi-Divinity artifacts. Is it really fine for you to loan it out so easily? Just like how Starchaser Pce had an altar that couldmunicate with the gods, each of the Six Sects had their Guardian Artifacts as well. The Guardian Artifact of the Evanescent Immortal Sect was the Evanescent Boots. It was said that the founder of the sect had forged them with celestial meteorite. After putting them on, one would be able to tread across space and cover millions of li within a single breath! On the other hand, the Guardian Artifact of the ckmirror Citadel was the Paragon ckmirror. It was able to seal a persons soul through its reflection, thus incapacitating that individual. These artifacts had not reached the Semi-Divinity realm yet, but they exerted a force that even Semi-Divinity realm experts would shudder to face. Putting everything aside, even Elder Qin Yuan would have to flee in the face of those artifacts. As for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, its Guardian Artifact was a sword left behind by its founder. Having been tempered by the Gods Sword Intent, it wielded overwhelming might that could y even Semi-Divinity ream experts with ease. The Myriad Beasts Hall had an Earth Wyvern ancestor. It was just that thetter had fallen into a deep sleep a long time ago, and it was unknown whether it was still alive. The Sevenstar Pavilion had a unique artifact known as the Sevenstar Chess. It was rumored to be a chess set once used by the gods. No one knew of its exact tier, but it was said to be an extremely profound artifact. Of course, due to the sheer power of these Guardian Artifacts, they could only be activated and used by Semi-Divinity realm cultivators. Otherwise, the Six Sects would be able to ensure their longevity just with these Guardian Artifacts. These Guardian Artifacts were the greatest trump cards of the Six Sects, but the ckmirror Citadel and the Evanescent Immortal Sect had actually loaned them out so easily over a mere possibility. Even though the Ethereal Halls tracks had remained clean throughout the years, it was still unwise to ce a tool that could dictate the fate of a sect in the hands of an outsider. It might not be my ce to say this, but without these Guardian Artifacts, you will be powerless to protect yourselves if the Hall of Gods make a move on you, Hall Master Qin Yuan said with a deep frown. This was a particrly unwise move especially since the Hall of Gods had be unnaturally active in recent days. To give away their greatest trump card in such uncertain times did not seem like a good idea at all. Powerless to protect ourselves? Do you think that we would fail to consider something this obvious? Gu Zhuiyun burst intoughter. With a flick of his wrist, a set of armor materialized around his body. This armor emanated a pressure reminiscent of a conqueror. That is... a Semi-Divinity defensive artifact? Han Jianqiu and the others were stunned. Not a single one of the Six Sects had a Semi-Divinity artifact, so where in the world did Gu Zhuiyun manage to acquire one? Thats right. Its a bestowment from Hall Master Kong! This artifact and the information regarding the warrior of the Hall of Gods is what Hall Master Kong paid in exchange for borrowing our Guardian Artifact, Gu Zhuiyun replied. Han Jianqiu and the others were bbergasted. This was unbelievable! To give out Semi-Divinity artifacts and the information regarding a warrior of the Hall of Gods just to borrow their Guardian Artifacts for a month... Even with the vast wealth that the Ethereal Hallmanded, surely they could not afford to squander their fortune like that? If thats the case, it means that Citadel Lord Bai has a Semi-Divinity artifact too, right? I believe that Elder Kui Xiao should know very well if I have a Semi-Divinity artifact or not! Bai Xuansheng spat as he red at Elder Kui Xiao savagely. Me? How would I know something like that? Elder Kui Xiao scoffed incredulously, as if he knew nothing about the matter. Of course, he knew the truth better than anyone else. He had been wondering where Bai Xuansheng had acquired the Semi-Divinity artifact, but in the end, it turned out to be from an exchange with the Ethereal Hall. It was just that their pavilion master had robbed Bai Xuansheng back in the Sea of Little Mirror, taking away thetters weapons and storage ring. He knew that there was no way he could admit to this matter, or else there could be severeplications in the future. Dont bother putting on an act before me. The both of us know very well what happened in the Sea of Little Mirror! Bai Xuansheng bellowed. He had realized that all his items had disappeared when he came to. It did not take him much thinking to figure out that the culprit was the one who had been hiding not too far away while he was fighting with the ckback Tortoise. And it stood to reason that the one who was hiding in the area was the one who had prepared the diamond crystal to lure the ckback Tortoise over in the first ce. I dont know why you would make such a im, but we can rify the misunderstanding between the both of uster on... What Im more concerned with is why Hall Master Kong would go to such lengths make a deal like this. Elder Kui Xiao knew that it would only make things more awkward if they continued dwelling on the matter, so he decided to focus on the matter at hand. Arent you concerned about what Hall Master Kong is going to use your Guardian Artifacts for? It had prospered for the past several thousand years after snatching a (God) character from the Hall of Gods, such that it boasted the greatest number of treasures in the world. Why would it pay such a heavy price just to acquire theirs? It was truly an enigma what Hall Master Kong was up to. Chapter 2060 - 2060 Meeting Han Jianqiu 2060 Meeting Han Jianqiu Hall Master Kong has always been a mysterious person. He made his name several thousand years ago, reaching heights that areparable to our founders. Our founders have already turned to dust, but he remains active in the world. Its truly hard to imagine just how far he has advanced in his cultivation! Gu Zhuiyun remarked. Given his standing, its hard to imagine that he would renege on his words and steal our Guardian Artifacts. I dont see any harm lending it to him for a month. The sharp Han Jianqiu immediately realized what Gu Zhuiyun was getting at, and a deep frown appeared between his eyebrows. So, you are here to advise us to lend our Guardian Artifacts to Hall Master Kong too? Gu Zhuiyun nodded. Indeed. We are doing this for the collective welfare of the Six Sects. Our Evanescent Immortal Sect and ckmirror Citadel have already agreed to forge an alliance with one another. If we clear the Azure Bridge together, the number of Semi-Divinities that we have will far surpass that of the rest of you. Once that happens, theres no way you will be able to catch up to us anymore... Are you threatening us? Elder Kui Xiao asked with a glint in his eyes. Im just presenting facts, Gu Zhuiyun replied calmly. Han Jianqiu and the others fell silent. There was some truth in what Gu Zhuiyun was saying. The bnce among the Six Sects was maintained by the fact that they only had a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator each, and none of them had any Semi-Divinity artifacts. Once the bnce was broken, the future would be uncertain. Those in the weaker position could very well find their sects slowly being devoured by the others, thus bing nothing more than words in the annals of history. If its such a good deal, why did Hall Master Kong send you to persuade us instead ofing here himself? Elder Kui Xiao asked. He had five words to describe the deal that Hall Master Kong was offering themtoo good to be true. Given that the Guardian Artifacts were part of the foundation of their sects, there was no way they could loan them out too easily. That being said, to receive a Semi-Divinity artifact and precious information concerning the Hall of Gods in return for lending their Guardian Artifacts for a month... this was a deal that was really moving, so much that it reeked of a scheme. Years of experience as the heads of their respective sects had taught them to look at things objectively. If something was too good to be true, that was likely the case. If he was really offering that good a deal, why did Hall Master Kong not approach them himself? Hall Master Kong has something more important to deal with at the moment, so hes unable to personally negotiate. That being said, he has promised that he will rush to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder prior to the descent of the Azure Bridge. However, it will be pointless to only acquire the information regarding the warriors of the Hall of Gods then. You will have lost precious time to make preparations in advance and exploit their weaknesses, Gu Zhuiyun replied. Even if the candidates knew the weaknesses of their enemies beforehand, there was still a huge gap between them and the warriors of the Hall of Gods. They would need to make preparations beforehand in order to bridge that gap and achieve victory. For that, they would need some time. You should hurry up and make up your minds. Well have to make our way over to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder after Sect Leader Zhang Xuan concludes the inauguration ceremony. Ill just take it as you arent interested in the deal if you arent able toe to a decision by then, Gu Zhuiyun said, standing up from his seat. Thats all I have to say. Farewell. Having said his piece, he turned around and flew away. Bai Xuansheng quickly followed behind him. After the two of them had departed, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy once more. Elder Kui Xiao was the first one to stand up. Elder Han, Ill be taking my leave. Elder Qin Yuan swiftly rose to his feet and said, Ill be leaving, too. Just like that, the two of them left the main hall. Seeing that everyone had left, Han Jianqiu pondered deeply for a moment before getting up. I should also quickly get in contact with our sect leader to discuss this matter with him... This matter could very well determine the survival of their sect in the long run. This was not something that he could decide by himself anymore. While Han Jianqiu was attempting to contact Zhang Xuan, Elder Qin Yuan quickly caught up with Elder Kui Xiao and stopped him for a conversation. Its likely that Starchaser Pce and the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion have received some sort of information that prompted them to nominate the same person as their sect leaders, thus sealing their alliance. The ckmirror Citadel and the Evanescent Immortal Sect have also epted the Ethereal Halls deal, forming an alliance of their own through this. That leaves only us. We arent in a good position at all, Elder Qin Yuan said with a bitter smile on his lips. this. That leaves only us. We arent in a good position at all, Elder Qin Yuan said with a bitter smile on his lips. My thoughts exactly. Shall we form an alliance of our own? Elder Kui Xiao nodded in agreement. As the heads of their respective powers, they had to be extremely sensitive to the power bnce among the Six Sects, or else they might just end up getting devoured before they knew it. In the earlier meeting, they had found that they had been ced in a weaker position than the rest, and that had forced them to have to go along with the whims of the others. This was not a good position to be in. Since things have reached this point, Ill send a message to our hall master and urge him toe back quickly. It would be good if he could meet Pavilion Master Liu Yang face-to-face to discuss the details regarding our alliance, Elder Kui Xiao said. Un. Ill inform our pavilion master about the matter right away. Elder Kui Xiao nodded. So, the two of them took out their Communication Jade Tokens and began liaising with their newly inaugurated heads. Zhang Xuan had been recuperating on his way back to Starchaser Ind, and by the time he arrived at his destination, he had already recovered to his full strength. As he made his way over to Starchaser Pce, he flicked his wrist and took out a Communication Jade Token. Sect Leader Zhang, please head to the amodation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as quickly as possible. There was a map below the words that indicated the position of the amodation. It would be good to meet Han Jianqiu and ask him how in the world I ended up bing the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Zhang Xuan thought with a shake of his head. So, he quickly flitted over to the location marked on the map. He had still been an ordinary elder when he left the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so when in the world did he get promoted? To make matters worse, it seemed like the entire world, with the exception of him, knew of the matter! Barely after flying a few li, he suddenly flicked his wrist and took out another Communication Jade Token. Hall Master Zheng, please head to the Changyuan Gazebo. There are important matters that we need to discuss with you. The person who had sent the message was Elder Qin Yuan. Changyuan Gazebo? Zhang Xuan murmured beneath his breath. He did not think that two sects would look for him simultaneously. He took a look at the map indicated below and found that the Changyuan Gazebo was not located too far from the amodation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. He pondered for a moment before bringing his clone out and saying, I need you to head to the Changyuan Gazebo to check out whats going... But before he could finish his words, a bizarre expression appeared on his face. He flicked his wrist once more, and yet another Communication Jade Token materialized in his grasp. There was a line of words on it. Pavilion Master Liu,e to the Greenfate Quarters as soon as you receive this message. There are urgent matters that we need to talk about ... The person who had sent this message was Elder Kui Xiao. Hmm? Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had thought that he could head over to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions amodation to meet Han Jianqiu while his clone made his way over to the Changyuan Gazebo to meet Elder Qin Yuan, but it turned out that all three sects wanted to meet him at once... How was he supposed to deal with this situation? Never mind, lets deal with whatever we can at the moment. Ill head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions amodations, and you can head to the Changyuan Gazebo... No, that wont do. Forget it, I think itll be better if youe with me! Zhang Xuan eventually dropped the idea of sending his clone over by himself. Even though his clone had originated from his soul, for some reason, it felt as if his clone was suffering from a dissociative personality disorder, taking on apletely different character from him. His clone was apulsive braggart, making use of every chance it had to show off. Itpletelycked humility and a low-profile disposition. How could someone like that be trusted to do great things? What if his clone caused trouble while meeting Elder Qin Yuan? That would only add to his burdens! Since that was the case, he might as well keep the other party with him. Thus, he returned his clone to his storage ring before rushing ahead. Half a minuteter, he arrived at the amodation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Sect Leader Zhang! Han Jianqiu quickly stood up and bowed. He went through the earlier happenings in detail before asking, What should we do now? Should we ept the Ethereal Halls deal? The Ethereal Hall is trading a Semi-Divinity artifact and information regarding the Azure Bridge for the right to borrow the Guardian Artifacts of the Six Sects for a month? Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered by the news. Had it been in the past, he certainly would have epted such a deal. Considering that it was the Worlds Teacher of the Master Teacher Continent that he was dealing with, he could trust that thetter would not use the Guardian Artifacts improperly. But now, he dared not make such assumptions. It might still have been possible that Fu Chenzi had colluded with the Hall of Gods behind Kong shis back, but he had proved that the token that Kong shi had given him was actually the key that lured the experts of the Hall of Gods to him. It was apparent that something was amiss! This matter could have severe implications. I think it would be for the best to meet Hall Master Kong in person so that we can better understand what hes trying to do, Zhang Xuan said. If Kong shi was indeed making this deal in order to help the Six Sects, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be at a severe disadvantage if it turned down the offer. However, at the same time, given the bizarre movements from the Ethereal Hall recently, it was more important than ever to tread carefully. I understand, Han Jianqiu replied with a nod. Then, with a hint of doubt in his eyes, he continued asking, Sect Leader Zhang, did you receive some sort of important news that prompted you to be the new head of Starchaser Pce? Thats a long story... Zhang Xuan went through the details about how the Hall of Gods had forced Starchaser Pce to submit to them, how the Ethereal Hall had gotten involved in the matter, and how Du Qingjoian had abruptly disappeared without a trace. He did not mention his identity as the new head of Sevenstar Pavilion. After hearing the matter, a grim look appeared on Han Jianqius face. I am very familiar with Du Qingyuan. Her cultivation is very powerful, such that even I would have difficulties trying to defeat her. There arent too many powers in the world that have the ability to make her vanish without a trace. Zhang Xuan frowned. Who on the Forsaken Continent has the ability to do that? If there was not too big a gap in prowess, Du Qingyuan should have at least been able to send out a signal for help. Taking the old man he had encountered above the Ocean of Exiled Stars not too long ago as an example, even though the other party possessed means far exceeding his expectations, if he wanted to, he would have been able to send out a signal. The fact that Du Qingyuan was unable to do so showed something. The Hall of Gods is an existence that towers over the entire Forsaken Continents. Its an extremely powerful organization that could potentially be under the control of real gods. If there are real gods on the Forsaken Continent, theres no doubt that they would be the strongest existences here. Putting aside Du Qingyuan, even if all Six Sects joined hands with one another, we still wouldnt be able to beat the other party! Han Jianqiu said. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He had never met a god in person, but without a doubt, a real god would surely wield powers far surpassing that of Semi-Divinity realm cultivators. It would not be too surprising if Du Qingyuan was unable to do anything in the face of a real god. Other than the Hall of Gods, the next most likely person would be none other than the head of the Ethereal Hall. The fact that Hall Master Kong was able to snatch the (God) character from the Hall of Gods shows that he wields prowess far beyond our imagination. Even if he isnt a god, its likely that he isnt too far away from them anymore. Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. Kong shis aplishments on the Forsaken Continent served as evidence to his incredible means. As for the rest, Im afraid I dont know that much either. Since the Forsaken Continent is thend abandoned by the gods, its possible that there could still be some surprisingly powerful existences roaming thesends that we dont know about, Han Jianqiu added. Those words brought a frown to Zhang Xuans forehead. He had never considered such a possibility before. Thinking about it, the Forsaken Continent had been a part of the Firmament in the past. Since that was the case, it was not impossible for there to be even more powerful life forms roaming thesends. They continued chatting for a bit longer, and through the conversation, Zhang Xuan found out that the Forsaken Continent was far moreplicated than he had thought. Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell too much on it and instead asked, By the way, I heard rumors that I am the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. May I know what that is about? With a smile on his lips, Han Jianqiu exined about the deration he had made shortly after Zhang Xuans departure. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded with a bitter smile on his lips. So, the other party had done it in order to protect him. It was just that it was not working at all. Even after learning that he was the heads of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the Sevenstar Pavilion, and the Myriad Beasts Hall, the Hall of Gods had still made a move on him without any hesitation! Chapter 2061 - 2061 Head of Four Sects 2061 Head of Four Sects Alright, Ill be taking my leave first. There are still some matters that I need to attend to. After asking everything he wanted to know, Zhang Xuan quickly left the amodation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and began making his way over to where Elder Qin Yuan was. Hall Master Zheng! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Elder Qin Yuan heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly filled the other party in regarding the details. Having learned of the matter from Han Jianqiu, Zhang Xuan was not too surprised by the news. With a contemtive frown on his forehead, he asked, Elder Qin, whats your view on the matter? Since the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is already allied with Starchaser Pce, I was thinking that we could try allying ourselves with the Sevenstar Pavilion. At the very least, well be able to have each others backs and have more say on issues, Elder Qin Yuan replied. If you dont mind, I can bring you over to meet the newly inaugurated Pavilion Master Liu Yang of the Sevenstar Pavilion. I heard that hes a young genius, so the two of you might be able to get along well with one another Get along well... Veins popped out on Zhang Xuans temples. He would have to suffer from dissociative personality disorder to be able to get along well with himself! Elder Qin Yuan noticed the grim look on Zhang Xuans face and proposed, If you arent toofortable with the matter, I can postpone the meeting with Pavilion Master Liu. Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before slowly nodding. Theres no need for that. Lets head over and meet Elder Kui Xiao. It happens that theres something I would like to inform the two of you about. If he wanted to, he was confident that he could continue his disguise for much longer. However, given the forceful measures that the Hall of Gods had used against Starchaser Pce, it was bing apparent that the Six Sects would have to gather together and coordinate with one another in order to survive this ordeal. So... It was about time for him to reveal his identity as the head of four sects. With the stakes he had in four sects, he was in a good position to push for an alliance among the Six Sects. The only issue with that was that he was not too certain that these people would be able to take the blow! Sure, lets head over right now! Elder Qin Yuan was not sure what Zhang Xuan was going to talk about, but the grim look on thetters face suggested that it was something of the utmost importance. Thus, he quickly led the way forward. The ce where the Sevenstar Pavilion resided, the Greenfate Quarters, was not too far from the Changyuan Gazebo. Five minutester, they were already standing right before Elder Kui Xiao and the others. Elder Qin Yuan took one step forward and introduced Zhang Xuan proudly. This is our new hall master, Zheng Yang! He does look like an outstanding individual. Elder Kui Xiao nodded in agreement. He had been wondering if the new head of the Myriad Beasts Hall might actually be Liu Yang, the new head of their Sevenstar Pavilion, in disguise, but from the looks of it now, there was indeed no rtions between the two of them. Their pavilion master was currently only at Lesser High Immortal realm whereas this Zheng Yang had already reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm. Furthermore, thetters foundation seemed to be extremely firm, and he seemed ready to achieve a breakthrough at any moment. May I know where Pavilion Master Liu is at the moment? Elder Qin Yuan asked with a frown. We have already brought our hall master here, so dont you think its a little rude for your pavilion master not toe out and greet us? We have already sent the message out, so our pavilion master should be returning very soon. Ill have to ask you to wait patiently for a moment, Elder Kui Xiao said. Following that, he took out his Communication Jade Token and began writing on it. Seeing that Elder Kui Xiao had begun sending messages over to Pavilion Master Liu Yang_, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a Communication Jade Token. The Communication Jade Token soon lit up, indicating that there was a message. However, he simply held onto it quietly in his hand, not bothering to check it at all. Elder Kui Xiao swiftly noticed the light flickering on the Communication Jade Token in Zhang Xuans hands. Knowing that it would be rude to peek at the other partys private message, he politely said, Hall Master Zheng, it seems like someone is trying to contact you. That does seem to be the case. Zhang Xuan nodded. Elder Kui, you need not pay me any heed. Feel free to continue sending messages to your pavilion master. I see. Alright then. Elder Kui Xiao had no idea what this Hall Master Zheng Yang was trying to pull off. Nevertheless, he continued sending messages to Liu Yang, and surprisingly, the Communication Jade Token in Hall Master Zheng Yangs hand continued glowing brilliantly. This left him feeling deeply perplexed. Thus, he sent two more messages... and the Communication Jade Token in the other partys hands glowed even more brilliantly. It was almost as if it was resonating with his movements. This... An ominous feeling arose in Elder Kui Xiaos heart. He gently took the Communication Jade Token that was ced atop Hall Master Zheng Yangs hands and looked at it. His body immediately stiffened. With a doubtful tone in his voice, he called out, Pavilion master? Un. Zhang Xuan nodded. This... Putong! Elder Kui Xiao nearly fainted on the spot! His deduction actually turned out to be urate. Liu Yang was indeed Zheng Yang! You even tried to deny it back then... Elder Qin Yuan was bewildered by the abrupt development. He turned his gaze over and asked, Whats going on? Take a look at this, and you should be able to understand whats going on... Elder Kui Xiao passed his Communication Jade Token together with the one that he had taken from Zhang Xuan over. Elder Qin Yuan looked at the two, and his body suddenly stiffened on the spot. Hall Master Zheng... You are actually Liu Yang? Zhang Xuan nodded in response, confirming Elder Qin Yuans doubts. The two elders stared at one another for a very long time before bitter smiles emerged on their faces. Eventually, a sigh of resignation escaped their lips. I guess this isnt too bad. After all, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and Starchaser Pce have amon leader as well. Such a rtionship allows for greater intimacy between two sects. Even if chaos befalls the Forsaken Continent, with such a connection between both of our sects, well be able to support one another through times of difficulty without any worries, Elder Qin Yuan said. The situation hade to a point where it was impossible for a sect to survive alone. What had happened to Starchaser Pce was a warning to the rest, but even if two sects allied with one another, if they could not trust each other, this partnership would be for naught. However, if they centered themselves around a leader who had equal stakes in both sects, they could be assured that there would be no backstabbing or the like. With a tight coboration between the two sects, they would be able to stand their ground against the others. Furthermore, their leader was skilled in both beast taming and battle techniques. With such capabilities, would they have to fear the Heavenly True Immortal realm Zhang Xuan? With this, what did they have to fear? Even the Hall of Gods would have to think twice before crossing them! Since thats the case, lets make a deration to inform the world about our alliance. With this, the others wont dare act so smugly anymore! Elder Kui Xiao remarked with a relieved smile. By making a deration about their alliance, they would be confirming the stand of both of their sects. This would grant them a greater say when it came to matters concerning the Six Sects. Theres no need to send out a deration. Isnt the inauguration ceremony of Sect Leader Zhang Xuan about to begin? Most likely, the other sects will dispatch their top echelons over to witness the ceremony. Itll be much more effective and impactful to announce the news there, Elder Qin Yuan said. The way in which the news was disseminated made a difference as well. If the two of them made the announcement right before the top echelons of the Six Sects, the effects would be much more pronounced. That sounds like a good idea... Elder Kui Xiao nodded in agreement. At this moment, the heavy chiming of a bell echoed across Starchaser Ind. Its starting. Lets head over now, Elder Kui Xiao said as he stood up. Un... Zhang Xuan had intended to fully exin the matter, but he knew that he was unable to exin the full situation in a moments time. So, he could only follow the rest into Starchaser Pce quickly. The inauguration of a new pce master for Starchaser Pce was a major affair, so the ce was filled with huge crowds of people. Every single one of them was excited to meet the first person on the Forsaken Continent to take over a leadership role in two of the Six Sects! In thergest square of Starchaser Pce, there was a high seat that was located right in the middle of the crowd. Han Jianqiu, Kui Xiao, and everyone else were standing in the area with their bodies upright, making the atmosphere look particrly dignified and solemn. I heard that Sect Leader Zhang Xuan hasprehended the Gods Sword Intent. Even though his cultivation is only at the Heavenly True Immortal realm, his fighting prowess is nowhere beneath that of Heavenly High Immortals! Indeed. Someone who is able to catch the eye of both Han Jianqiu and Du Qingyuan is bound to possess extraordinary capabilities! Im interested to see what kind of person he is. There have been many rumors going around regarding him, but Zhang Xuan remains an elusive figure on the Forsaken Continent. This is probably the first time hesing into public eye... Hushed discussions could be heard beneath. When the news that a single person was going to be the heads of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and Starchaser Pce, a huge uproar was stirred across the entire Forsaken Continent. Overnight, Zhang Xuan had be a figure admired by countless citizens. I would like to see if this Zhang Xuan is more capable than our Hall Master Zheng! Elder Qin Yuan chuckled softly beneath his breath. Later on, after the inauguration ceremony concludes, well usher our Pavilion Master Liu up to announce the fact that hes the head of both of our sects and that both of our sects are going to forge a formal alliance with one another. That news will surely make the jaws of the others fall off! Elder Kui Xiao said. Just thinking about the bewildered expressions that would appear before him made him want to dance in joy. After all, there was nothing more enjoyable than passing down ones shock to another person! Alternatively, we can have our Hall Master Zheng challenge Zhang Xuan to a fight. Surely a True Immortal realm cultivator wont be a match for him... Elder Qin Yuan smiled. But halfway through his words, he suddenly froze on the spot. Hall Master Zheng, what are you doing? Elder Kui Xiao turned his head over as well, only to see their pavilion master flying straight for the centermost seat in the square. I was joking when I said that you should challenge him to a duel! This is the inauguration ceremony of Starchaser Pce; we cant afford to cause trouble here! Otherwise, well be turning the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and Starchaser Pce against us! Elder Qin Yuan eximed. He was nearly scared out of his wits. He had said those words as a passing remark, but who would have thought that their hall master would take them seriously and actually head right for the centermost seat? That would really incur the wrath of those two sects upon them! It was true that they were confident in their alliance, but still, there was no reason to make the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and Starchaser Pce their enemies for nothing! What should we do? Elder Qin Yuan turned to look at Elder Kui Xiao anxiously. What better chance was there to speak of collective responsibility than right now? Calm down. Something doesnt seem to be right over here. Take a look over there... Elder Kui Xiao was surprised by the happenings as well, but he knew that Zhang Xuan was not a reckless individual, so he was not as anxious as Elder Qin Yuan. Hearing those words, Elder Qin Yuan quickly looked ahead of him. On the way of heading to the centermost seat, the leader of those two sects swiftly changed into a twenty-year-old young man. Hu! Sitting down upon the highest seat, the young man emanated an imposing aura thatmanded the deference of the crowd before speaking loudly. I am Zhang Xuan! Looking across the crowd around him imposingly, the young man continued. You can also address me as Zheng Yang or Liu Yang! Zheng Yang? Liu Yang? Arent those the names of the heads of the Myriad Beasts Hall and Sevenstar Pavilion? Wait a moment, does that mean that hes the head of four sects then? In an instant, the surroundings quietened downpletely. Chapter 2062 - 2062 Meeting Wu Chen Once More 2062 Meeting Wu Chen Once More It was already unbelievable news to them that the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was going to be the leader of the Starchaser Pce as well, but to think that he would announce that he was Zheng Yang and Liu Yang as well... Just what in the world was going on here? The bewildered Han Jianqiu quickly turned his gaze toward the First Elder of the Starchaser Pce, only to see that thetter was utterly taken aback as well. She had no idea what was going on either. He moved his gaze toward Elder Kui Xiao and Elder Qin Yuan, and the two of them were bbergasted too. Over the past half a month, the Six Sects had been announcing one after another that they had found suitable sessors to take over themselves, and there was a great deal of bragging and fawning that followed suit... But in the end, all of them turned out to be the same person! It felt almost like an extremely bad joke! This... Contrary to the shocked faces all around, Bai Xuansheng and Gu Zhuiyuns faces turned utterly livid upon hearing the news. If those four sects had amon leader, wouldnt that mean that they were going to form a tightly-knitted alliance with one another? If so, it wouldnt be that easy to borrow their Guardian Artifacts anymore. Lets inform Hall Master Kong of the matter! The two of them nced at one another and nodded slightly. Hall Master Kong had entrusted them with the task to convince the other four sects to ept his deal. They thought that given how attractive the deal was, the others wouldnt hesitate to ept it. After all, there was no sect that would riskgging behind the others and bing irrelevant. However, it would be a different matter if the four sects were united by amon head. If that was the case, the bargaining power they had against the other four sects would be greatly reduced. Zhao Yue, Han Jianqiu, Qin Yuan, and Kui Xiao, I need the four of you to follow me. As the inauguration ceremony came to an end, Zhang Xuan listed the names of these four figures before gesturing them toward a guest room not too far away. Sect leader, you are really... Zheng Yang and Liu Yang? Han Jianqiu asked agitatedly. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Han Jianqiu and Zhao Yue stared at one another. They could hardly believe what they had just heard. The same went for Kui Xiao and Qin Yuan as well. It took a long while for everyone digested this shocking fact. Elder Kui Xiao was the first one to speak up after the prolonged silence, This isnt necessarily something bad. At the very least, I think we can all agree that theres a greater threat ahead of us, and theres a need for us to stand together in order to ovee this crisis. If Zhang Xuan can be the binding factor that pulls us together, well be in a much stronger position than before. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly before adding on, The Hall of Gods has already attempted to assassinate me thrice, and they have openly made a move on the Starchaser Pce and Pce Master Du as well. I dont know what the Hall of Gods is up to, but one thing is clearthey arent going to remain as spectators anymore. Things could go horribly if we were to continue standing divided at a time like this. Thus, I hope that our four sects couldbine our forces and advance and retreat alongside one another. He didnt have much interest in ruing power, but even an outsider like him could sense that a storm was brewing in the background. If the Six Sects were to continue acting independently of one another, it would only be a matter of time before they were destroyed one after another! You have been assassinated thrice? The crowd turned to look at Zhang Xuan with shocked looks on their faces. So, Zhang Xuan quickly exined the happenings that had caused him to be assassinated those three times. In an instant, the eyes of the crowd widened in disbelief. They would have never imagined that the lofty Hall of Gods would be so persistent in attempting to im a persons life. It actually went to the extent of dispatching a Semi-Divinity realm expert in order to deal with him... What was even more unbelievable was that the young man was actually able to survive their assassination attempts and even subdue the enemies that hade for him... One must know that even they would have trouble dealing with the warriors of the Hall of Gods! It seemed like the young man was far stronger than they had thought! Hall Master Zheng, you mentioned earlier that you have tamed four Semi-Divinity realm beasts? Elder Qin Yuan asked. Zhang Xuan had briefly talked about the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks earlier in his exnation. For many years, the Myriad Beasts Hall had never been able to tame a Semi-Divinity realm beast, but within such a short span of time, Zhang Xuan actually managed to tame four of them by himself... Was this for real? Yes, they are all from the Ocean of Exiled Stars, Zhang Xuan replied. With a thought, he summoned the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks out, and a powerful aura immediately suffused the entire room. This is... Everyone narrowed their eyes in astonishment. With glowing eyes, Han Jianqiu muttered excitedly, If thats the case, wouldnt that mean that our alliance consists of the forces of the Ocean of Exiled Stars as well? Youre right! The crowd widened their eyes in realization. The Hall of Gods was an existence that had towered over the Forsaken Continent for many years. Even with thebined prowess of their four sects, they still werent confident of victory. However, it would be a different matter if they had the aquatic creatures of the ocean with them as well. The ocean was vast and expanse, and the lifeforms that existed within it were countless. Put together, they would be able to form a power that was greater than that of any of the sects onnd. If they could tap into this power effectively, it would be equivalent to having the entire Six Sects or even more behind them! The three sharks have already managed to unite most of the ocean together. They have several hundred Heavenly High Immortal realm aquatic creatures directly under theirmand, and once the order is issued, they would swiftly rally the entire ocean tounch a decisive strike! Zhang Xuan replied. Shark One was intending to build an underwater empire, and it had pretty much managed to pull most of the major powers in the ocean over to its side during the meeting at the cavern back then. Once it gave its order, the entire ocean would move together. Realizing that they were far more powerful than they had thought, they couldnt help but look at the young man before them in deference. While they did require a leader figure to unite the sects together in this period of turmoil, they were still worried that someone as young as Zhang Xuan would be unable to do the job well. After all, there were still some differences among ,and they would need someone decisive and powerful to keep each of the sects in check. However, it turned out that Zhang Xuan possessed the strength of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator himself, and he had four Semi-Divinity realm beasts and two Semi-Divinity artifacts with him. On top of that, he had the entire ocean backing him as well. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that his influence wasparable to even that of Hall Master Kong. With such might under hismand, only a fool would attempt to turn against the alliance and risk getting on the bad side of Zhang Xuan! Pavilion Master Liu, the Azure Bridge is about to descend soon. Its about time for us to head to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. As the head of four sects, how do you think we should allocate the slots? Elder Kui Xiao asked. Their initial thought was to have their respective heads challenge the Azure Bridge, but as it turned out, their four heads were actually a single person. In other words, they suddenly had three additional slots. Ill be using the Starchaser Pces slot. As for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Sevenstar Pavilion, and the Myriad Beasts Hall, you will each nominate a qualified candidate to apany me onto the Azure Bridge, Zhang Xuan said. The reason why he made such a decision was because the Starchaser Pce had acquired the god blood, which meant that they possessed the means to produce Semi-Divinity realm cultivators. In fact, aside from Du Qingyuan, there was already another one in the sect at the moment. As such, the Starchaser Pce wasnt as desperate as the other sects. That shouldnt be too difficult, but the only issue is that the warriors of the Hall of Gods are too powerful... Currently, we dont have any candidates that stand a good chance of surviving against them, Han Jianqiu said with a deep frown. After all, if the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall, and Sevenstar Pavilion had a reliable candidate to count on, they wouldnt have gone to the extent of nominating an outsider whom they had just met as their new head! It was true that they could simply push new candidates forward to fill up the additional slots, but if the candidates stood no chance at sess at all, that would be no different from pushing them to their deaths. Zhang Xuan pondered deeply for a moment before saying, Choose your candidates and send them to me. Ill teach them personally. There isnt much time before the Azure Bridge descends, but as long as they put in their all into learning, I believe that they will still be able to stand a chance. It might best-minute preparations, but that didnt mean that it was meaningless. Especially since he was the one doing the teaching over here. Putting aside his deep understanding of battle techniques and cultivation techniques, having fought the warriors of the Hall of Gods on multiple asions, he was probably the person of the Six Sects who boasted the greatest understanding of their fighting style. After that, Zhang Xuan continuedying out some of the future directions regarding the four sects. While he wasnt interested in dealing with such matters, that didnt mean that he didnt have the ability to do so if he wanted to. He was, after all, the man who had stood at the very zenith of the Master Teacher Continent, and the innumerable books he had browsed through had built on his knowledge. He could offer deeper insights and newer perspectives in certain matters, thus allowing better decisions to be made. The four elders had initially wondered if he was too young to take on such a role, but the maturity and crity in his thoughts left them feeling deeply impressed. The ideas that he proposed were considered from multiple perspectives, and every single one of them was very intentional in their oue. If they were to follow Zhang Xuans directives, the four sects would be more deeply integrated with one another, allowing them to support one another in their growth. With time, they would truly gain the strength to stand independently and oppose the Hall of Gods. After drafting up the future ns for the four sects, Zhang Xuan took out dozens of jade tokens and passed them over, Here is a set of cultivation techniques from Ancient Sage to High Immortal that I have modified from your existing cultivation techniques. Feel free to impart it to qualified disciples; it should allow them to advance their cultivation swiftly. He had studied the cultivation techniques of the four sects and modified them ordingly. While these cultivation techniques werent simplified Heavens Path Divine Art, they were indeed much stronger than what the disciples of the sects were cultivating at the moment. It should prove to be invaluable in enhancing the fighting prowess of the individual sects. The four elders took the jade tokens over, and after taking a look at the contents, they fell utterly silent. A momentter, their shoulders began to tremble. The cultivation techniques which Zhang Xuan hade up with was truly a work of ingenuity. If they were to pass it down to their disciples, it could be foreseen that the overall strength of their sects would surge like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The ckmirror Citadel and Evanescent Immortal Sect would be the ones who were left behind instead! Thats all for now. Lets hurry up and get on with what has to be done for now! Zhang Xuan dismissed the group with a wave of his hand. The elders quickly left the room. After their departure, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief. The elders were aware of the dangers lurking in the Forsaken Continent at the moment, so they knew the importance of uniting together. As such, they were still willing to acknowledge him as their sect leader. However, it would be difficult to convince the disciples of the matter. After all, they were not privy to the confidential secrets of the continent, and to them, the honor and pride of their sect came before everything else. Thus, he would have to resort to other means in order to win them over to his side. And through passing these cultivation techniques down, not only would he be proving his strength to the disciples, he was also painting a bright future of where the new heights that their sect would reach under his leadership. That would help stabilize his current shaky position. Jiya! The door suddenly opened at this moment, and an adolescent youth walked into the room. Young Master! the adolescent youth bowed down and cried out. Wu Chen! You are fine? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in agitation. The person who had just entered the room was no other than the ex-Sovereign Chen Yong of the Master Teacher Continent! Who could have thought that Du Qingyuan would really manage to save him and even forge a new body for him! Yes, Young Master. I managed to survive! Wu Chen replied with reddened eyes. Despite the conflicts between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race on the Master Teacher Continent, there was no doubt that this young man had saved him on many asions. How are you feeling at the moment? Have you managed to recover your cultivation yet? Zhang Xuan asked. Taking a look at Wu Chen, he surprisingly found that he was unable to see through thetters cultivation at all. Yes, Im fine right now. After Pce Master Du brought me here, she used an invaluable artifact to forge my body, and she even bestowed me with a droplet of god blood. As such, not only have I managed to recover from my injuries, I was even able to advance my cultivation all the way to Semi-Divinity realm! Wu Chen swiftly went through the happenings after he arrived at the Forsaken Continent. After that, he released his aura, fully showcasing his might as a Semi-Divinity. Back when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent, Luo Ruoxin had imparted him with a disguise technique. As such, even though his cultivation had already reached Semi-Divinity realm, unless he were to willingly reveal his own aura, no one would be able to discern the extent of his strength! Chapter 2063 - 2063 The Key to Achieving a Breakthrough to Semi-Divinity 2063 The Key to Achieving a Breakthrough to Semi-Divinity Zhang Xuan was shocked. When Wu Chen was brought away by Pce Master Du, his cultivation was only at Ancient Sage 3-dan consummation. He was still some way off from reaching Dimension Shatterer realm. Who could have thought that within such a short period of time, he would actually rise straight to the top? It seemed like Pce Master Du wasnt making empty promises. She really fulfilled his request and did it to the best of her abilities. You have been following Pce Master Du all this while? Zhang Xuan asked. As there was a time difference between the two worlds, the date which Wu Chen had arrived on the Forsaken Continent wasnt too much ahead of him. Thats right, Wu Chen replied as he suppressed his cultivation once more. A few days ago, we received news that you have managed to be the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so Pce Master Du and I went over to look for you. The two of you tried looking for me? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Wu Chen quickly filled Zhang Xuan in on the details. After hearing the entire story, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head bitterly. He didnt think that he would miss Du Qingyuan just like that. But again, he didnt know that Du Qingyuan was the deity whom Wu Chen had summoned back then, so there was no way he would have known that she would havee for him. With a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan continued asking, Since you were by Pce Master Dus side all along, do you... have any news regarding Luo Ruoxin? If there was anyone other than Du Qingyuan who knew anything about Luo Ruoxin in the Forsaken Continent, it would definitely be Wu Chen. Wu Chen was the one who summoned Luo Ruoxin to the Master Teacher Continent back then, and he was the one who had apanied her on her journey all along too. Mdy has already returned to the Firmament! Wu Chen replied. Shes the Spirit God of the Firmament, and she returned to the world she belongs to after acquiring what she needed from the Master Teacher Continent. Based on what I know, Mdy sustained significant injuries when she was descending to the Azure. The dimension barrier between the Firmament and the Forsaken Continent is simply too resilient, such that she isnt able to freely move across the dimensions despite being the revered Spirit God. She needed someone to summon her from the Forsaken Continent in order to ovee the barrier. Back then, Pce Master Du and I summoned her simultaneously from the Forsaken Continent and the Master Teacher Continent in order to allow her to descend from the Firmament... Unfortunately, the dimension barrier was far stronger than we thought, and she ended up sustaining severe injuries on the way down. It was also then that Pce Master Du acquired the god blood which she used in order to allow me to achieve a breakthrough to Semi- Divinity realm, Wu Chen exined. It was roughly the same as what he had deduced when he heard the story from Shark One as well. Do you know whats her motive for heading to the Master Teacher Continent? Zhang Xuan asked. Even with his current strength, he was still unable to break through the current dimension barrier to descend to the Master Teacher Continent, let alone the fact that Luo Ruoxin was breaking through two dimension barriers at once! The difficulty in doing so was truly unimaginable. Just what in the world would have prompted her to go to such lengths, even sustaining such severe injuries in the process? I dont really know for sure, but it seems to be rted to the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Wu Chen replied. Zhang Xuan wasnt too convinced by that, The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is indeed powerful, but it shouldnt warrant her to go to such lengths for it. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was indubitably one of the most valuable treasures of the Master Teacher Continent. However, there were already treasures that were on par with it on the Forsaken Continent, let alone the Firmament! The fact that Luo Ruoxin was able to pass through two dimension barriers simultaneously hinted at her unfathomable cultivation. For someone of her caliber to go that far for a treasure that couldnt even be considered to be powerful by her standards... That really didnt make sense at all. I dont know the details either. I asked about it back then as well, and Mdy said that there was someone whom she wanted to deal with. That person wields incredible means that she has trouble coping with, so she had to acquire the treasure at all costs in order to decipher his skills! Wu Chen pondered for a moment before replying. Zhang Xuan frowned. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was an artifact that controlled space and time. Could it be that the person whom Luo Ruoxin wanted to deal with specialized in thews of spacetime? I dared not to probe any deeper than that. A mortal like me is unqualified to learn the secrets of the gods, Wu Chen added with a hint of respect in his voice. Then... do you know of any way I could contact her? Pce Master Du is able to establish a connection link with the Firmament through the altar of the Starchaser Pce. However, it will take a lot of offerings in order to do so, and its not guaranteed whether well be able to reach Mdy or not, Wu Chen replied. Altar... A glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. Thinking back, the reason why the Hall of Gods made a move on the Starchaser Pce first was probably to prevent Du Qingyuan from using the altar to inform the Spirit God about their movements. Perhaps, the Hall of Gods didnt want the gods of the Firmament to learn of their movements? In any case, he would have to quickly find the missing Du Qingyuan and the altar! Wait a moment, is it possible for the Hall of Gods to get into contact with the Firmament then? Zhang Xuan asked. Given that the Hall of Gods was to existence closest to the Firmament on the Forsaken Continent, they might just be able to establish a connection link with the Firmament. In fact, there were some rumors that it guarded the gateway leading to the Firmament! However, Wu Chen simply shook his head to express that he wasnt too sure about the matter. Other than the centennial descent of the Azure Bridge, the Hall of Gods rarely appeared in the Forsaken Continent. As such, there was very little that was known about it. Zhang Xuan continued asking a few more questions, but because it hadnt been too long since Wu Chen hade here, he didnt know too much either. Forget it. The Azure Bridge is about to descend, and most likely, I should be able to find the answers I seek there... Zhang Xuan thought. Until now, he still had no idea why the Hall of Gods was so determined to capture him, but he had a feeling that everything would be unraveled at the Azure Bridge. That would be theirst chance to strike, after all. Otherwise, once he sessfully achieved a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm, putting aside the Hall of Gods, even this world wouldnt be able to confine him any longer! By then, the tables would be turned, and he would be the one hunting down the Hall of Gods instead! Knowing how important it was for him to acquire greater strength, Zhang Xuans immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, where the chamber made out of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was at, and continued to decipher a usible Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique for himself. Half a dayter, the three candidates from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall, and Sevenstar Pavilion were brought before him. They were all beneath a hundred years old, but their cultivation had already reached Heavenly High Immortal realm. Elder Hong Wu of the Sevenstar Pavilion was amongst the three candidates too. You called us? Other than Elder Hong Wu, the other two were assessing Zhang Xuan with a sharp gaze in their eyes. They had heard that this young man had be the head of the four sects, but they couldnt help but wonder if he truly had the capabilities and credentials to take on such a role. Ten breaths. Use all means at your disposal to make me take half a step backward. If you are able to do so, you will still have a chance at defeating the warriors of the Hall of Gods, Zhang Xuan ced his hands behind his back and said. You want us to push you half a step back? The trio was a little perplexed. Given that they were of the same cultivation realm, even if Zhang Xuansprehension of swordsmanship and battle techniques were above theirs, as long as they worked together, they should be more than capable of pushing him half a step back. Indeed, Zhang Xuan replied. However, if you cant even make me take half a step back, I want the three of you to cultivate however I tell you to prior to the descent of the Azure Bridge. I will not tolerate anyints or whining at all. The fact that the three of them were chosen by the three elders to challenge the Azure Bridge meant that they were decently skilled. However, if they were to becent with their current abilities and refused to heed his instructions, it was unlikely that they would be a match for the warriors of the Hall of Gods. There was only one way to swiftly win them over and make them heed him instructionsbeating them into submission! If we still arent any match for you even with our prowessbined, you can be assured that well heed yourmands without anyints! As candidates to the Azure Bridge, they were potential sessors to the leadership position in their respective sects, but the sudden appearance of this young man had dashed their hopes. It would be a lie if they were to say that they didnt harbor a grudge toward the young man. Boom! Right after those words were spoken, the trio made their move simultaneously. Elder Hong Wu channeled his strength into a palm and executed his strongest battle technique. The genius from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion brandished his sword furiously, executing an incredibly powerful sword art. As for the genius from the Myriad Beasts Hall, he decisively brought out his tamed beastsHeavenly High Immortal realm cktiger Beast twins! Watching the moves of the three youths before him, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. In terms of fighting prowess, they could indeed be considered to be above average. However,pared to the warriors of the Hall of Gods, they were still severelycking. Even he was nearly done in by the warriors of the Hall of Gods. It would take more than above average to deal with that lot of fellows! Without drawing his sword, Zhang Xuan simply waved his hand lightly, and the three of them immediately felt as if they had been plunged into an endless desert. No matter where they tried to head to, they werent able to escape from this desert. Then, Zhang Xuan brought his palm down lightly. Padah! A sword copsed to the ground, a battle technique was dissipated, and two immortal beasts groaned in pain... Just like that, the three geniuses copsed to the ground,pletely helpless before the absolute might before them. How could a Heavenly High Immortal be so powerful? The lips of the trio quivered in disbelief. As fellow Heavenly High Immortals, they thought that even if Zhang Xuan was stronger than them, it wouldnt be too much. But after crossing blows, they realized that the difference in their strength was in the order of magnitudes! Even their Semi-Divinity realm ex-leaders might not necessarily be a match for the young man before them! Do you admit defeat? Zhang Xuan asked with a smile. We admit defeat! With this single blow, Zhang Xuan crushed theircency and won their respect. These are the cultivation techniques I have created based on your cultivation. As long as you practice it diligently, you should be able to raise your fighting prowess significantly within three days. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Zhang Xuan took out three jade tokens and infused his thoughts into them before passing them over to the trio. The trio took the jade tokens, and after browsing through the contents, they found themselves shocked beyond words. Dont waste this opportunity I have given you, Zhang Xuan said before dismissing them. Once they had left, he immersed his consciousness back into the Library of Heavens Path and continued studying the way he could advance to Semi-Divinity realm. In the history of the Forsaken Continent, there were many experts who had attempted to push for a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm, and a huge number of them had penned down their precious experiences and insights regarding it. It was just a pity that it was impossible for anyone to reach the realm without challenging the Azure Bridge. Most likely, there must be some qualitycking in the atmosphere of the Forsaken Continent that prevents one from reaching Semi-Divinity realm... Zhang Xuan arrived at an answer. It was not that the cultivators on the Forsaken Continent werecking in talent. The situation was actually very simr to why cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent were no longer able to reach Ancient Sage. He suddenly remembered Elder Kui Xiao mentioning the Aura of Divinity a while back to him. If Zhang Xuans guess was right, the (God) character contained the Aura of Divinity which a cultivator required to ovee the final hurdle and reach Semi-Divinity realm. It was likely for this reason that the Ethereal Hall was able to nurture Semi-Divinity realm cultivators without challenging the Azure Bridge while it was the vice-versa for the other sects. Chapter 2064 - 2064 Heaven Anchoring Boulder 2064 Heaven Anchoring Boulder Coming up with ones own cultivation technique was no easy feat. There were simply too many aspects to consider, and even the most minor of details could make the greatest difference. As such, it was not something that could be aplished in the short-term. Knowing this as well, Zhang Xuan had no intention of rushing the process. Several days passed by quickly, and soon, it was time for the descent of the Azure Bridge. Early in the morning, Zhang Xuan led arge group of people toward where the Heaven Anchoring Boulder was at. The Heaven Anchoring Boulder was located not too far away from Starchaser Ind. Riding on the ckback Tortoise, it took them roughly four hours before a massive boulder-like ind came into sight. This boulder-like ind rose from the depths of the water like a massive pir surging into the sky. It was impossible to see the ends of it at a single nce. Legend has it that the heavens have once copsed countless years ago, resulting in a huge catastrophe for the lifeforms on the Forsaken Continent. In the face of this crisis, a powerful expert severed the four limbs of a humongous tortoise and used them as pirs to prop up the heavens. As time went by, the four limbs slowly hardened to be rocks, turning into what we currently see before us, Han Jianqiu remarked as he looked at the towering pir ahead of him. That is nothing more than a legend. This ind is least tens of thousands of meters high! How could there be such a massive tortoise in the world? Elder Kui Xiao shook his head. Besides, if the heavens were to really copse, there is no way the mere limbs of a tortoise would be able to prevent them from falling. Indeed... The crowd chuckled slightly. Every world had its own legends and folklores. Those stories were crafted to make sense out of the seeming aberrance in nature, and the Forsaken Continent was no exception either. Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. He knew that it was nigh impossible for the pir to actually be the four limbs of a tortoise, but nevertheless, it was indeed bizarre for a structure this tall to remain standing over so many years. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to examine it closely, and soon, he noticed that something was amiss about it. At first nce, it would appear that the Heaven Anchoring Boulder was nothing more than an ordinary rock structure, but its surface was densely filled with formation inscriptions. It was these inscriptions that allowed it to survive the batter of the wind and erosion of the ocean, thus surviving across the ages. What profound formation inscriptions... To his astonishment, Zhang Xuan actually found that he was unable to decipher these formation inscriptions even with his current mastery of formations. This is the ce that bridges the Forsaken Continent to the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats right, Han Jianqiu nodded in response. As the group chatted with one another, they began ascending up the towering pir through circling it like a spiral. As their altitude increased, Zhang Xuan found the pressure weighing down on his body growing heavier and heavier. It was as if there was a massive hand above trying to push him back to the ground, preventing him from exploring the secrets of the heavens. Seeing the faces of the Heavenly High Immortals turning pale, Han Jianqiu shouted, Everyone, make sure to hold on. Ascending the Heaven Anchoring Boulder is part of the trial as well! Such pressure meant nothing to a Semi-Divinity realm expert, but to Heavenly High Immortals, it was still a rtively difficult obstacle for them to ovee. The purpose of it was to sieve out the eligible candidates. That being said, the candidates who were chosen by the Six Sects to represent them were usually able to ovee this obstacle albeit with a little bit of difficulty. Its rather simr to the Temple of Confucius, Zhang Xuan thought with a reminiscent smile. The pressure above was indeed a little stifling, but it was nowhere enough to make him halt his movements. He had encountered something simr at the Temple of Confucius back then. There was a crushing pressure from the sky that prevented cultivators from flying up high. High Immortals were more than capable of flying tens of thousands of meters, but the Heaven Anchoring Boulder was filled with unique inscriptions that formed a formation of its own, hindering cultivators that attempted to scale it. Pu! While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, the sound of someone spurting blood suddenly echoed in the air. Turning his head around, he saw an elder of the Sevenstar Pavilion sumbing to the pressure and falling down. We arent even at half of the distance yet. Elder Kui Xiao, it seems like the elders of your sects are getting weaker over time, Elder Qin Yuan chuckled softly. On the other hand, instead of responding to Elder Qin Yuans remark, Elder Kui Xiao simply nced downward with a deep frown on his forehead. After falling some distance, the elder managed to regain his bnce. He anxiously gasped for air as he looked upward with a fearful look in his eyes, not daring to climb any higher. As a High Immortal capable of flight, it was extremely unlikely the elder would have fallen to his death. It was just that no one expected him to be unable to even reach the halfway mark. Those who were qualified to be elders were usually the experts of the sect, and by past experience, even the weakest elder should have been able to fly up to 70% of the distance before sumbing. Pu! While everyone was still harboring some doubts in their mind, yet another elder spurted a mouthful of blood and fell from the sky. It was an elder from the Myriad Beasts Hall this time around. You... Elder Qin Yuans face turned livid. Barely after he mocked the Sevenstar Pavilions elder for being weak, an elder from his Myriad Beasts Hall ended up falling as well. It was almost as if karma hade back around to bite him. The pressure from the Heaven Anchoring Boulder is greater than usual, Han Jianqiu remarked solemnly. Elder Kui Xiao and Elder Qin Yuan quickly perceived their surroundings, and their eyebrows shot up right after, Youre right! As Semi-Divinity realm experts, they werent too affected by the pressureing from the Heaven Anchoring Boulder, so they didnt pay it much heed. However, now that they were taking a closer look, they realized to their astonishment that the pressure was actually twofold of what it should have been. Under normal circumstances, the pressure would only reach such a level at the 70% mark of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. The trial of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder has never changed for the past several thousand years. Why would an anomaly only start happening now? Elder Qin Yuan murmured in disbelief. It must have something to do with why the Azure Bridge is descending in advance as well, Han Jianqiu said contemtively. No matter what it is, its a fact that the Heaven Anchoring Boulder is far more dangerous than what it used to be. You must make sure to gather your focus and dont let your guard down. Only by scaling up the Heaven Anchoring Boulder will you be qualified to challenge the Azure Bridge and reach Semi-Divinity realm. Such a chance will note twice for you, Elder Kui Xiao turned to the candidates and instructed grimly. Due to the rules of the Azure Bridge, all cultivators would only be able to take on the trial once in their life. If they were to fail here, they would be doomed to never reach Semi-Divinity realm. We understand! Knowing the severity of the matter, the group dared not to take things lightly anymore. With focused looks on their faces, they continued scaling up the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. However, the number of victims only continued to rise as they flew higher and higher. Members of their groups fell one after another. By the time they reached the 70% mark, there were less than twenty of them left. The three candidates who were going to challenge the Azure Bridge alongside Zhang Xuan had undergone special training over the past few days, causing their fighting prowess to rise significantly. If not for that, it was likely that they would have already caved in by now too. Zhang Xuan turned to the three candidates behind him and saw that their clothes were drenched with sweat. With a solemn voice, he asked, Are you still able to hold on? Yes, well hold on no matter what happens! Elder Hong Wu said with gritted teeth. So, the group continued to advance forward. By the time they reached the 80% mark, only Elder Kui Xiao, Elder Qin Yuan, Han Jianqiu, Zhang Xuan, and the three candidates were left. While Elder Qin Yuan and the others were still able to move leisurely due to their superior strength, Elder Hong Wu and the others were already reaching their limits. Their bodies were trembling nonstop, and their limbs seemed to have turned limp due to the immense pressure. They felt like they would fall from the sky at any moment. Will they really be unable to even scale up the Heaven Anchoring Boulder? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. There was still a distance of several thousand meters ahead of them, but they werent able to hold on anymore. At this rate, there was no way they could persevere till the Azure Bridge. It seemed like he had underestimated the Hall of Gods once more. The three of you, wait here. Ill be heading up in advance to see what has happened for the pressure to have grown so strong, Zhang Xuan turned to the three candidates and instructed. Even if he were to train them on the spot, it was still unlikely that they would be able to grow strong enough to reach the top. Since that was the case, the only thing he could do to help them was to try to alleviate the source of the pressure. Thus, he sped up and rushed up the Heaven Anchoring Pir, and the pressure around him swiftly grew more and more intense. It was to the extent that the air around him was starting to be frighteningly viscous. So, he began to channel his Gods Sword Intent around his body, morphing into a sharp sword. Hu! He tore right through the viscous air around him, and with a swift upward dive, hended on the very top of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. The top consisted of a t tform that was roughly a hundred meters in diameter. There was nothing on it at all. The sky above waspletely pitch-ck, and the so-called Hall of Gods was nowhere to be seen. Keeping up the tform, Zhang Xuan tried to venture into higher grounds, but he swiftly found himself hitting onto a ceiling. Rather than calling it a ceiling, it might be more urate to describe it as the boundary of the world. No matter how he drove his zhenqi, he was unable to bypass it. In other words, he was unable to reach the Hall of Gods by himself given his current cultivation. So, he returned back to the top of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder and took a look around the area. He found that the ground was also filled with the same inscriptions along the sides of the boulder too. As long as I resolve the inscriptions, the pressure should disappear right? Even though Zhang Xuan couldntpletely understand the meaning behind the inscriptions, it was most likely the reason why the Heaven Anchoring Boulder was still standing even after many millennia. The chances were that the pressure that was weighing down on everyone originated from the inscriptions as well. Go! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the Tongshang Sword and directed it right toward the inscriptions. A furious outpour of sword qi gushed out like a ferocious dragon, swirling around the peak before eventually diving right into the inscriptions. Weng! A brilliant light flickered from the top of the tform, as if something had been something had been brought to life. As expected! The pressure in the surroundings changed along with the flickering of the light, proving Zhang Xuans deduction. So, he decisively brought out nine more Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords and formed a unique Sword Formation around him. Break! Zhang Xuan infused the Gods Sword Intent into the ten swords before ordering them to wreak havoc all around the tform. While he didnt know the exact meaning behind those inscriptions, through his Eye of Insight, he was still able to decipher the ws in the formation. Naturally, those were also the exact spots that were devasted by his swords too. Boom! With a bright outburst of light, the massive pressure in the air abruptly vanished with a pop. Huhuhu! A huge gust of wind echoed from beneath as Han Jianqiu and the others made use of this opportunity to rush upward and get onto the peak of the boulder. Weng! Barely after everyone arrived, the destroyed inscriptions swiftly reformed, and the overwhelming pressure began crushing down on the surroundings once more. It had only been two breaths since the moment the pressure disappeared to the moment it reappeared. If not for the crowd moving swiftly, they wouldnt have been able to make it up here in time. These inscriptions actually have the ability to self-repair? Zhang Xuan was shocked. He thought that the formation would bepletely ruined after his devastation, but who could have thought that it would be able to revert back so quickly? As expected of the doorstep leading to the Hall of Gods, it was indeed not ordinary at all. Chapter 2065 - Bai Xuansheng Wants Vengeance 2065 Bai Xuansheng Wants Vengeance The pressure in the surroundings had been overwhelming while they were climbing the Heaven Anchoring Boulder, but once they reached the top, the pressure was reduced significantly. Elder Hong Wu and the other two candidates immediately slumped onto the floor weakly. They had to push themselves to their limits in order to reach the top. So, they quickly swallowed some pills in order to recover their strength. On the other hand, Han Jianqiu and the rest took a look around them withplicated emotions in their gazes. Many years ago, they had been here too. They had to put their lives on the line and undergo a life-and-death battle before they managed to climb to their current heights. Wheres the Azure Bridge and the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan asked. The entire area was barren, and there were no signs of the so-called Azure Bridge or Hall of Gods to be seen. The Azure Bridge is right above us. When the time arrives, itll descend and be the connection point between the Hall of Gods and the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. All those who are of a hundred years old and below would be able to step onto the Azure Bridge and challenge the warriors of the Hall of Gods guarding the pathway, Han Jianqiu pointed upward as he spoke. Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze and looked into the sky of deep darkness, but there was nothing to be seen at all. Unless the Azure Bridge descends, its impossible for a person to set foot onto the Hall of Gods. Thats because its impossible for any cultivator to breach the Azure Barrier. The Azure Barrier is something left behind by the gods, so not even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators like us are able to faze it at all, Han Jianqiu said. As if to prove his point, he gathered his sword qi at the tip of his finger and stabbed upward. This simple move harnessed his full strength and his deep understanding of swordsmanship. It gushed forward with the deep rumbling of thunder, almost as if a roaring current was charging forth. But barely after it traveled ten meters upward, it abruptly dissipated with a light pop. It disappeared so quickly and easily that it almost seemed as if it had never existed before. Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in astonishment. If even an attack of full might from Han Jianqiu was unable to breach the Azure Barrier, he would stand even less of a chance to do so. Despite the powerful pressureing from the Heaven Anchoring Boulder, there are still many cultivators on the Forsaken Continent who are able to make their way up here. Most Heavenly High Immortals, when they were going to reach the end of their lifespan, would visit this area in hopes that they would be able to change their fate. However, not once had anyone seeded before. As time went by, no one bothereding over here anymore, Elder Kui Xiao added on. Since it was nothing more than a futile attempt, most cultivators thought that it would be more worth it to spend their remaining time apanying their family members instead. After all, every second they had left of their remaining life was incredibly precious. Zhang Xuan raised his head once more. Even though he was unable to see the ends of the Azure Barrier set up by the gods, he could still feel an overpowering pressureing from above. This pressure was one that he wasnt confident that he could ovee even if he were to reach Semi-Divinity realm like the rest. The Azure Barrier induced a feeling of helplessness within him, reminiscent of a mortal standing before a god. Even if he were to use every means at his disposal, he still wouldnt be able to move the barrier at all. An ant would simply never be able to shake a tree. This is the strength of the gods? Zhang Xuan thought in rm. It was no wonder why the Hall of Gods was able to remain a supreme existence which none could shake. Just this barrier was more than enough to destroy anyones confidence. It was truly a wonder how the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and Kong shi managed to ovee its trials. I must say that Im really surprised that you are able toe up here... While Zhang Xuans mind was wandering about, a cold sneer suddenly echoed in the air. Turning around, they saw the ckmirror Citadels Bai Xuansheng and the Evanescent Immortal Sects Gu Zhuiyun flew up from below. Two middle-aged men quickly followed behind them. They were probably the geniuses participating in the Azure Bridges trial. The lot of you are able to withstand the pressure? Elder Qin Yuan frowned. All of the Heavenly High immortals in their groups were unable to proceed on any further from the 80% marks onward. It was only due to Zhang Xuan heading forward and halting the pressure for two breaths that they were finally able to make their way up. Given so, how did the two geniuses from the ckmirror Citadel and Evanescent Immortal Sect manage to get up so easily? When did the disciples from those two sects be so powerful? Of course. Such level of pressure means nothing to our geniuses... Bai Xuansheng harrumphed smugly. Barely after those words were spoken, Zhang Xuans voice sounded in the air, Its their armor. The crowd quickly turned to the two middle-aged men to take a closer look, and they realized that the pitch-ck armor on them was exceptionally eye-catching. There were some bizarre patterns inscribed on their armor that somewhat resembled the inscriptions on the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. It was due to the armor that allowed them to remain impervious to the pressureing from the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Bai Xuangsheng took a deep look at him before remarking sarcastically, As expected of the great Sect Leader Zhang. Paying no heed to Bai Xuanshengs provocation, Zhang Xuan turned to take a closer look at the two geniuses. Even though the two middle-aged men were at the same cultivation realm as Elder Hong Wu and the others, their auras felt much sharper and imposing, almost reminiscent to that of... The warriors of the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan thought with a frown. There were some differences, of course, but the feeling that they gave him was still strikingly simr to that of the warriors from the Hall of Gods. Since Sect Leader Zhang has such discerning eyes, may I trouble you to point out the culprit who stole my treasures back at the Sea of Little Mirror? Bai Xuansheng continued on with a wintry voice. Zhang Xuan turned to look at Bai Xuansheng and said calmly, You were about to be killed by the ckback Tortoise when Elder Kui Xiao and I saved your life. However, we arent saints either. Given that we have saved your life, isnt it right for you topensate us for our service? Bai Xuanshengs eyes immediately narrowed menacingly. He had a feeling that Zhang Xuan was involved in the matter as well, and to be honest, he didnt think that they would admit to it. After all, it wasnt a very honorable action. Yet, who could have thought that the young man would actually admit to it so openly... After stealing my possessions, you still dare to talk about it so openly as if you are bragging about it... Do you have no sense of shame? Sect Leader Zhang, you should also know that theres a symbiotic rtionship amongst the Six Sects. You stole Citadel Lord Bais artifacts and his storage ring, and that can be viewed as an act of aggression. You are sullying the harmony amongst the Six Sects and possibly inciting a war even, Gu Zhuiyun said deeply. What do you think we should do then? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. First and foremost, you should return everything you have taken from Citadel Lord Bai. Afterward, you should apologize to him, Gu Zhuiyun said. Apologize? Zhang Xuan repeated before nodding slowly. Sounds fine by me too. After that, he waved his hand grandly. Hu! The ckback Tortoise immediately materialized before Zhang Xuan and charged right toward Bai Xuansheng. He was still wondering how he should broach the subject about the Evanescent Immortal Sect and ckmirror Citadel colluding with the Hall of Gods, but since thetter was the first one to pick a fight, there was no reason why he should shy away. What are you nning to do? Bai Xuansheng was stunned. It was just a moment ago that the other party said he was going to apologize, so why did the other party suddenly bring out the ckback Tortoise? Well, Im just reversing what has happened. Ill make sure to apologize to you properly if you survive this, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. If I hadnt fallen for the ckback Tortoises trap, do you think that it would have been able to injure me given its prowess? Bai Xuansheng sneered. Raising his palm, he charged right toward the ckback Tortoise once more. If not for the mayflies in the Sea of Little Mirror, there was no way he would have ended up getting cornered. Furthermore, the ckback Tortoise was disadvantaged fighting onnd. It would be a huge embarrassment if he couldnt win against it under such conditions! With a furious roar, wind currents raged around his palm strike. The ckback Tortoise hadnt reverted back to its original body, so its current size was only roughly two meters long. The strength of its ram was significantly reduced due to its smaller size, but in exchange, it was able to move with greater agility. Take three steps in front and attack from your right, Zhang Xuan said. It had been many years since Bai Xuansheng had reached Semi-Divinity realm. Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult for the ckback Tortoise to triumph against him. However, it would be a different story when it had Zhang Xuans guidance. In less than a minute, Bai Xuanshengs face was already swollen. His body was crushed under the massive tortoiseshell, and he had multiple ribcage fractures. Sect Leader Zhang, are you trying to start a fight over here? Gu Zhuiyun couldnt bear watching by the side anymore. Isnt there already a fight over here? Do I even need to start one? Zhang Xuan replied coldly. Since Im returning the artifact to him, I think its only fair for me to be able to retract my act of saving him too. Back then, Citadel Lord Bai was knocked out by the ckback Tortoise when I stepped in to save him, and it doesnt seem like hes near there yet. Dont worry, Ill make sure how to interfere this time, or else you might just demand me to apologize to him again. Even if he passes away from this ordeal, you can be assured that Ill return the Semi-Divinity artifact back to the ckmirror Citadel and apologize to him before his tombstone. Those words caused Bai Xuansheng to spurt a mouthful of fresh blood. What was the use of getting his Semi-Divinity artifact back after he was dead? You... Gu Zhuiyuns face darkened. Do you think the consequences of killing the head of the ckmirror Citadel? You are turning the entire ckmirror Citadel against you! Turning them against me? Why would I do something like that? After Bai Xuansheng is dead, Ill head over to the ckmirror Citadel and take over Bai Xuanshengs position, It happens that his sect leader token is in my hand too. In order to avoid any unnecessary conflicts, Ill send out the word that he has passed his seat down to me as well... Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. As someone who cares so deeply about the peace of the world, I trust that Sect Leader Gu wouldnt expose me and risk plunging the world into chaos, right? When Zhang Xuan took away Bai Xuanshengs storage ring back at the Sea of Little Mirror, the token of the ckmirror Citadel was inside as well. He was intending to return it initially, but if Bai Xuansheng was really in collusion with the Hall of Gods, it would be a whole different story. As long as he had the Sect Leader Token in his hand, it shouldnt be too difficult to convince others that Bai Xuansheng had passed down his position to him. He was already the head of the four sects anyway. He didnt mind bringing the ckmirror Citadel under him as well. You... Gu Zhuiyun didnt expect this young man to be so vicious. With narrowed eyes, he stepped forward to save Bai Xuansheng from the ckback Tortoise, only to feel a chill running down his back in the next moment. Turning his head to the sides, he saw Han Jianqiu, Kui Xiao, and Qin Yuan looking at him with a sharp look in their eyes. Sect Leader Gu, this is a personal affair between the two of them. I dont think that its appropriate for an outsider like you to get involved. Knowing that the three of them really make a move on him if he were to interfere, Gu Zhuiyun had no choice but to halt his footsteps. They were all Semi-Divinity ream cultivators, so there was no doubt that he would end up in the same state as Bai Xuansheng if he had to face the three of them simultaneously. Sect Leader Zhang, save me... I was wrong! I wont ask you to apologize to me anymore. I dont want those treasures anymore! They are all yours! Seeing that he would really get killed by the ckback Tortoise at this rate, the severely injured Bai Xuansheng cried out. He could tell that Zhang Xuan really had no qualms about killing him and taking over his position as the citadel lord. If thetter were to seed, he wouldnt suffer any bacsh for his actions at all! You want me to save you? Zhang Xuan looked at Bai Xuansheng with a conflicted look in his eyes. Well, I am only a Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivator. It would be really tough for me to fight against the Semi- Divinity realm ckback Tortoise. Furthermore, I dont have anything to gain from this either... If you have anything of value to offer to me, perhaps I might still be able to consider doing so... You are still trying to rip me off? Bai Xuansheng was stunned for an instant before nearly bursting into tears. Is it really okay for a person to be so shameless? The ckback Tortoise is already your tamed beast! All you have to do is to get it to stop, and you are still trying to ask me for rewards? Not to mention, you were the one who told it to attack me in the first ce! If only I knew that you were such a shameless human, I would have never tried to get back my stuff in the first ce... Chapter 2066 - 2066 Descent of the Azure Bridge 2066 Descent of the Azure Bridge Two minutester, Zhang Xuan looked at the severely wounded Bai Xuansheng in satisfaction and said, Citadel Lord Bai, if you still want your things back, feel free to tell me. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Bai Xuansheng didnt even want to talk to Zhang Xuan anymore. The other party extorted three whole Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifacts from him before finally signaling for the ckback Tortoise to stop. If he were to dare continue asking for his artifacts back, wouldnt the cycle just repeat again? He had started this argument with the intention of using the harmony amongst the Six Sects to pressure the other party to return the Semi-Divinity artifact that the other party had taken from him, but things ended up more awry than he could have imagined! Losing three Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifacts was just the least of his worries. What was more important was that he nearly lost his life! Citadel Lord Bai... After Zhang Xuan kept the ckback Tortoise, Gu Zhuiyun rushed forward to help Bai Xuansheng up. Im fine... Bai Xuansheng replied as he swallowed a pill and recuperated from his injuries. With gritted teeth, he sent a telepathic message over to Gu Zhuiyun, Let them relish in their glee for the time being. Once the Azure Bridge opens, well move ording to n. Theyll eventually pay dearly for their actions! Gu Zhuiyun nodded with a vicious glint in his eyes. Despite their subtle movements, the sharp-eyed Zhang Xuan still caught sight of their interaction and chuckled softly beneath his breath. Up till this point, he hadnt fully understood why the Ethereal Hall was intent on iming the Guardian Artifacts of the Six Sects. However, one thing was for sureBai Xuansheng and Gu Zhuiyun were definitely not on their side. If anything, it was likely that they would be enemies with one another. Of course, despite the threats he had made, he knew that there would be a lot of implications if he were to kill one of the heads of the Six Sects without a valid reason. If things were to go wrong, it might even incite a war, and that was not what Zhang Xuan hoped to see. Thus, his intention was simply to teach Bai Xuansheng a lesson and make use of this opportunity to force Bai Xuansheng to reveal any trump cards he had. Fortunately, it didnt seem like thetter didnt have any Semi-Divinity artifact other than the metal chain. Boom! All of a sudden, a deafening rumble echoed in the sky, heralding the arrival of a storm. The crowd raised their heads, only to see a massive bridge slowly descending from the pitch-ck veil in the sky. The Azure Bridge is descending... Han Jianqiu muttered beneath his breath. The bridge was slowly extending down from the seemingly endless void above. It was made out of a marble-like material, emanating an icy-cold glint. Even as it was still in the midst of its descent, one could already feel its powerful presence. The crowd was forced to retreat to the edge of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. The Azure Bridge descended onto the Heaven Anchoring Boulder and lodged itself onto it. As if a process that had been done many times before, the inscriptions on the Heaven Anchoring Boulder simply flickered for a while before eventually returning to calm. The Azure Bridge will only remain connected for a single day. Sect Leader Zhang, you should quickly head up! Han Jianqiu urged. Head up? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even though it was termed as a bridge, it would be more urate to describe it as a vertical pir descending right from the sky. It was hard to imagine how one was supposed to walk on it. Youll know once you try stepping on it, Han Jianqiu replied as he ushered Zhang Xuan forward. Nodding slightly, Zhang Xuan beckoned Elder Hong Wu and the others over before moving over to the Azure Bridge. The two geniuses from the Evanescent Immortal Sect and the ckmirror Citadel quickly followed suit too. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan raised his foot and ced it on the bridge. His body couldnt help but stagger a little as the world around him disoriented a little. Before he knew it, the bridge was already right beneath his foot. He was standing right on top of it. When he turned his head around to take a look, he saw the Heaven Anchoring Boulder extending from the sides, perpendicr to where he was standing. It felt like Han Jianqiu and the others were simply hanging off the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. It was a mysterious sight. My center of gravity changed? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. It was simr to how no matter where one was standing on the Earth of his previous world, one would still feel as if one was standing upright due to the gravity pulling people inward into Earths core. The fact that he was able to get a stable footing on the Azure Bridge despite it being perpendicr to the ground of the Forsaken Continent showed that the center of gravity had likely changed. Not only so, there was also a good chance that they had already stepped into another dimension, making them impervious to the Forsaken Continents gravity. The others who stepped onto the Azure Bridge were also mystified by this different experience, and they couldnt help but assess their surroundings in wonderment. Nevertheless, knowing that their time was limited, they quickly proceeded forward. Before long, they were alreadypletely swallowed by the darkness of the sky. It felt like there was no end in sight, and the only thing they could do was to continue making their way forward. A void where nothing existed, the area would have been deathly silent if not for the careful breathinging from the group of six. They knew that the warriors from the Hall of Gods could appear at any moment, so their bodies remained utterly tensed up. They didnt dare to let themselves get careless even for the briefest of moments. Hu! All of a sudden, amidst the darkness, five fully-armored silhouettes could be seen walking over from the opposite end of the Azure Bridge. They were all at Heavenly High Immortal realm. Only by defeating these warriors will we be able to proceed forward and im the opportunity to reach Semi-Divinity realm! Elder Hong Wu muttered to himself as he clenched his fists in determination. At the same time, the others around him also narrowed their eyes as they examined the five warriors carefully. They had known the rules of the Azure Bridge in advance. Six challengers against five warriors. Usually, five of the challengers would charge forward to hinder the five warriors, creating an opportunity for the final one to rush through. Sect Leader Zhang, well hold them back and create an opportunity for you to get through, Elder Hong Wu said as he gathered his zhenqi. Sect Leader Zhang, well be counting on you. The other two nodded in agreement. Over thest few days, they had be filled with admiration for this young man. They were convinced that the young man would be the person who would bring the four sects to greater heights. Do whatever you want. Well be going ahead first! While they were chatting with one another, the two geniuses from the ckmirror Citadel and Evanescent Immortal Sect charged ahead, arriving before the five warriors of the Hall of Gods in an instant. Two of them walked forward to confront the two geniuses whereas the other three remained firmly on the spot, awaiting Zhang Xuan and the others toe over. Peng peng peng! There was a clear disparity of strength between the two geniuses and the two warriors of the Hall of Gods, but the two geniuses managed to stand their ground by making pre-emptive strikes. It was as if they knew what the two warriors were going to do in advance, allowing them to suppress thetter. Within three blows, they managed to push the two warriors back, forcing them to stagger several steps backward. Sou! Making use of this momentary opening, the two geniuses quickly rushed through their blockade and escaped ahead. The two warriors fighting with them were about to chase them when one of the two geniuses said, There are still four of them back there. If you were to chase us, youll be giving them an opportunity to slip through the cracks. Upon hearing those words, the two warriors hesitated for a moment before returning back to their positions, waiting for Zhang Xuan and the others to make a move. Those two fellows... Not expecting to encounter such a situation, the faces of Elder Hong Wu and the others darkened. The situation had just turned for the worst. From a six against five, it had be a four against five. Had he known that this would happen, he would have dashed forward with the two of them. We would have been in an even more vulnerable position if we had advanced together with them. They are aware of the ws of the five warriors, so they could have found some ways to turn the warriors against us while we were fighting, Zhang Xuan remarked. It would be one thing if the two of them were trustworthy allies, but that was clearly not so. It would be dangerous to entrust your back to someone who could possibly turn against you at any moment. Sect Leader Zhang, what should we do now? the genius from the Myriad Beasts Hall turned to Zhang Xuan and asked worriedly. Since they are able to charge their way through, theres no reason why we cant do so as well. Rest assured, just fight to the best of your ability. The warriors of the Hall of Gods arent as scary as you think they are, Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle. Of course, he could have defeated the five warriors of the Hall of Gods easily himself, but he wasnt going to do that. He knew very well that the Azure was just a temporary stop for him. Once he had a chance to enter the world of the gods, the Firmament, he would definitely clinch that opportunity without any hesitation. That meant that he would have to pass down his current positions to others in the near future, and he had no intention of doing it sloppily. It would be thest thing he could do for these sects as their temporary head. In order to be the heads of their respective sects, these candidates would need to have absolute confidence in themselves. If they would cower in the face of the warriors of the Hall of Gods, how could they possibly take control of their own sect and bring it to greater heights in the future? This was not just a trial of their strength. If they could ovee this challenge, they would gain the confidence and credentials for them to lead others. We understand! Elder Hong Wu nodded before rushing toward one of the warriors. Ferocious wind currents red deafeningly in the surroundings. Executing all of his battle techniques desperately, Elder Hong Wu surprisingly managed to gain the upper hand against the warriors of the Hall of Gods This... The other two were slightly stunned by the sight. The techniques which Elder Hong Wu was executing were the ones that Zhang Xuan had imparted to them previously. If Elder Hong Wu could stand his ground against them, the two of them surely stood a chance as well! With such thoughts in mind, they quickly rushed forward as well. As the start, their movements still felt a little awkward as they didnt have time to test out their newly-acquired skills in a practical battle yet. However, as the battle continued on, their movements swiftly became more and more fluid. Even though Sect Leader Zhang has never told us the ws of the warriors of the Hall of Gods before, the battle techniques which he has imparted to us somehow seem to suppress the maneuvers of thetter precisely... The trio was taken aback. Over the past few days, Zhang Xuan had only imparted to them a couple ofbat techniques. He told them to focus on building up their zhenqi instead of worrying about how they could deal with the warriors of the Hall of Gods. They couldnt really rte to it then, but at this very moment, they could finally see the rationale behind his actions. All of a sudden, the undefeatable warriors of the Hall of Gods didnt seem as frightening as they thought them out to be anymore. Ahh... So I actually improved so much over the past few days... The three of them came to a realization. Had it been in the past, the warriors of the Hall of Gods would have likely been able to defeat them within three blows. The fact that they could stand on equal grounds with the warriors and even suppress them was unthinkable to them. They had been so focused on their cultivation that they hadnt realized how much they had grown. However, seeing the refined control over their zhenqi, the sharpness of their judgement in battle, and the swiftness of their reflexes, how could they possibly still remain oblivious to it? They were already no longer the same people as before! Its all thanks to Sect Leader Zhang... the trio thought. Such a change couldnt havee naturally. Without a doubt, Zhang Xuan must have put a lot of thought into helping them grow. Furthermore, the fact that they were able to stand on par with these warriors of the Hall of Gods at the moment made it apparent to them that it wouldnt take much effort for Zhang Xuan to subdue them too. They realized that Zhang Xuan could have easily cleared the trial by himself, but he still spent time and effort trying to train them. It was clear that he was doing all of this for their growth! Only with the experience of oveing the warriors of the Hall of Gods would they be able to go further as a Semi- Divinity realm cultivator. Lets defeat them together! Feeling a huge boost of confidence, the three of them executed their strongest moves simultaneously. Peng peng peng! With three dull thuds, the three warriors of the Hall of Gods were pushed back. Putong! Putong! Putong! Several minutester, the three warriors of the Hall of Gods slumped onto the floor, having breathed theirst. Hu! The trio heaved a sigh of relief at having aplished what was expected of them. At this moment, they suddenly recalled that there were supposed to be two more warriors remaining, so they quickly turned their heads over in astonishment. However, what they saw was that the two warriors were also lying incapacitated on the floor, and Zhang Xuan was looking at them not too far away from a faint smile. Even though Zhang Xuan had made a moveter than them, he had managed to defeat the other two faster than them. What was even scarier was that they didnt even see how he made a move! Well, the ones who felt that way werent just them. Prior to their deaths, the two warriors of the Hall of Gods were also horrified. They didnt even manage to see what wasing at them when they had already been pushed down to the ground, awaiting the embrace of death... Chapter 2067 - 2067 Slaying a Semi-Divinity 2067 ying a Semi-Divinity Lets go! Having dealt with the five warriors of the Hall of Gods who stood in their path, the group of four proceeded forward. The duo who had rushed ahead of them was nowhere to be seen at all. The Azure Bridge seemed to pierce through the endless darkness, extending beyond the horizon. They walked along the bridge for a while before there was finally a change in the sight ahead of them. A circr tform reminiscent of a gazebo gad appeared by the side of the Azure Bridge. The genius from the ckmirror Citadel was seated at the center of the circr tform. A unique aura was rippling from the tform. The pores of the genius widened as he voraciously absorbed the unique aura, inducing a swift rise in his cultivation. It felt like he was already on the verge of a breakthrough. Hes pushing for a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm! Elder Hong Wu eximed. Based on the records of the predecessors, after oveing the five warriors of the Hall of Gods, there would be various ces atop the Azure Bridge where the challengers could attempt to achieve a breakthrough. As long as one was already at Heavenly High Immortal realm, the chances of reaching Semi-Divinity realm were extremely high. This circr tform was likely to be one of these ces. Since this ce has been taken up, lets move ahead to see if there are other circr tforms, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. He didnt have a good impression of these two, but he didnt think that there was apelling reason for him to hinder them either. Since the predecessors of the Six Sects had been able to achieve a breakthrough on the Azure Bridge, there should be more of such circr tforms around as well. Otherwise, the genius from the Evanescent Immortal Sect would have been here as well. Nodding in agreement, the group of four was just about to proceed ahead when a deep cry echoed behind them. A pir of zhenqi burst forth from the genius on the circr tform, rising right into the voids above. Boom! He has managed to achieve a breakthrough? Stunned, the crowd quickly turned around to take a look, only to see that the disposition of the middle-aged man had changed greatly. Divine energy was revolving around the surface of his body like a dragon coiling around him. He floated quietly atop the circr tform, as if he had been freed from the restraints of gravity. Hu! Absorbing all of the energy into his body, the middle-aged man finally opened his eyes. A brilliant light shot out from his eyes. Feeling the explosive energy surging through his body, the lips of the middle-aged man curved up. His sight fell upon Zhang Xuan and the others, and a hint of surprise surfaced in his eyes. However, he quickly stood up and spoke, The fact that you are able toe this far means that you have been able to defeat the warriors of the Hall of Gods. However, this is where your good luckes to an end. You wont be able to proceed any further than this... Sou! In the next instant, he appeared right in front of the group. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but frown in displeasure. It would have been better if you have died in the hands of the warriors. Its meaningless if all of us were to sessfully reach Semi-Divinity realm together. We would just be returning back to square one, the middle-aged man sneered coldly. The reason why they had unhesitatingly worked together with the Ethereal Hall was to ensure that their two sects would have a greater number of Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, thus putting them in a higher position than the rest of the Six Sects. However, if all of them were to seed, wouldnt that render their efforts meaningless? So, you intend to kill us here? Zhang Xuan asked nonchntly. He had known that these two sects were up to no good, but he hadnt really expected them to go this far. The middle-aged man replied coldly, Casualties are almost guaranteed on the Azure Bridge. The world would only know of what happened here from the words of the survivors. Given the high death toll of the Azure Bridge, no one would be able to me him if Zhang Xuan and the others died here. Even if Han Jianqiu and the others were to harbor some suspicions, they wouldnt be able to do anything without concrete evidence unless they desired to incite a war. Seeing the confident look on the other partys face, Zhang Xuan couldnt help but burst intoughter, What makes you so certain that you are able to defeat us? I know that you have tamed the ckback Tortoise, but the Azure Bridge is an existence created by a being that far surpasses our imagination. Do you think that you are able to bend the rules of the Azure Bridge so easily? the middle- aged man replied with a cold smile. If there were truly any loopholes in the Azure Bridge, our predecessors would have long uncovered it by now! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan tried to extend his consciousness into his tamed beast sack, only to find that it had been sealed with some kind of mysterious power. He was unable to bring out the ckback Tortoise and the others at all. However, he was still able to bring out the other Heavenly High Immortal-tier beasts inside. It was just that the Azure Bridge was narrow, and the beasts he had were rather massive in sizes. If he were to summon them here, it would just hinder their movements. It seemed like the gods had thought things through before they constructed the Myriad Beasts Hall. They wouldnt allow anyone to sully the sanctity of this trial. Havent you thought about why I was able to tame the ckback Tortoise in the first ce? I have no idea how a Semi-Divinity realm fledgling like you could possibly imagine that you would be able to kill me... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. He might have been unable to tap on the strength of the four Semi-Divinity realm beasts, but given his current cultivation realm, he was more than a match for a fellow who had just barely tiptoed his way into Semi-Divinity realm. What if I were to join the fight as well? At this very moment, another voice echoed from ahead. The genius from the Evanescent Immortal Sect appeared at the other end, encircling the group. Simr to the genius from the ckmirror Citadel, he had reached Semi-Divinity realm as well. With the two of them exerting their auras simultaneously, they cast a heavy pressure upon Elder Hong Wu and the others, causing their faces to warp hideously. Zhang Xuan might still have been able to defeat a single Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, but if he had to face two of them at once... The chances of victory were extremely slim! Furthermore, the two of them were top-notch geniuses on the Forsaken Continent. Even if they had just achieved a breakthrough, their strength was not to be underestimated! Arent you worried about stirring a storm on the Forsaken Continent by making a move on us? Zhang Xuan asked calmly. Dont worry. After you are dead, our ckmirror Citadel and Evanescent Immortal Sect will slowly annex your sects. Those so-called Starchaser Pce, Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall, and Sevenstar Pavilion, they would just be nothing more than relics of the past! With a cold harrumph, the middle-aged man from the ckmirror Citadel abruptly charged forward. He appeared right before Zhang Xuan in an instant and thrust his palm forward. The middle-aged mans strength was as heavy as a crushing mountain. His might as a new Semi-Divinity realm cultivator poured forth like a relentless current. Elder Hong Wu and the others wanted to help, but they felt as if their bodies had been bound by the pressure in the air, preventing them from taking a step at all. So, this is a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator? Elder Hong Wu felt his heart sinking. He had met Elder Kui Xiao many times before, but he had never seen thetter exerting his true prowess before, so he had no idea just how powerful Semi-Divinity realm cultivators were. It was only at this moment that it dawned upon him that it was impossible for a Heavenly High Immortal, no matter how powerful, to possibly reach up to a Semi- Divinity. That was also the reason why the presence of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator in a sect was so important. In a direct confrontation, even if the three of them were to coborate with one another, they wouldnt be able tost too long against the other party. Sect Leader Zhang... Elder Hong Wu anxiously turned to look at Zhang Xuan, frightened that the hope of the four sects would really lose his life here. However, what he ended up seeing was a sight that he would never forget. The young man before him whipped out a sword, and without any hesitation, he pierced the sword right through the other partys palm. Puhe! Puhe! With two consecutive moves, the genius of the ckmirror Citadel had been decapitated. At the point of his death, his eyes werepletely dted, as if he couldnt believe such a thing was truly happening. Isnt being alive a wonderful thing in itself? I really dont understand why you are so intent to seek death... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. His cultivation was only at Heavenly High Immortal realm, but his fighting prowess was on par with that of most Semi- Divinity realm cultivators. It might still take him a bit more trouble for him to deal with the Semi-Divinity realm experts of the Hall of Gods, but against this Semi-Divinity realm fledgling, it was really a walk in the park! You... The genius from the Evanescent Immortal Sect would have never fathomed that he would see such a sight in his life either. Utterly horrified, he turned around and fled. He knew that he wouldnt be too much stronger than hisrade, and the fact that Zhang Xuan was able to kill hisrade meant so easily meant that the young man could do the same to him too! He had received orders in advance that if Zhang Xuan was able to defeat the warriors of the Hall of Gods, they would have to make a move to kill the young man. He thought that it would have been an easy mission, but who could have thought that the person he was up against was an unbelievable monster! For a Heavenly High Immortal to actually be able to kill a Semi-Divinity with such ease... It would be no joke to say that the young man was as powerful as their own sect leader! Faced with such an opponent, what else could he possibly do other than to run? The reason why I took my time to ask you so many questions is to ascertain if you are really intending to kill me. Dont you think that its toote for you to only think of running away now? Zhang Xuan uttered those words softly under his breath, but due to the overwhelming silence in the area, his voice echoed clearly in the area. Weng! A sword pierced right forth swiftly and pierced right through the heart of the genius from the Evanescent Immortal Sect. Puhe! Just like that, the middle-aged man came to the end of his life as well. His body tumbled and crashed heavily onto the floor of the Azure Bridge. From the moment from their breakthroughs to their deaths, they didnt evenst for three minutes... They were likely the most short-lived Semi-Divinities on the Forsaken Continent. Chapter 2068 - 2068 Entering the Hall of Gods 2068 Entering the Hall of Gods Zhang Xuan threw the bodies of the two Semi-Divinities into his storage ring before gesturing for the stunned trio to proceed ahead with him. Not far away, another warrior of the Hall of Gods, also at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, appeared before them. After defeating him, another circr tform appeared before their eyes. Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Hong Wu and said, This is an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. You can take this one. Thank you, Sect Leader Zhang! Elder Hong Wu nodded in gratitude as he stepped onto the circr tform. Taking a seat, he swiftly began his cultivating. He could feel a unique aura inducing the energy in his body to billow, pushing him closer and closer to a breakthrough. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the group pressed on, and they soon found two more circr tforms. Those two circr tforms were each guarded by a warrior of the Hall of Gods, too. If it had been anyone else, they would have been unable to proceed, but that was not the case for Zhang Xuans group. After ying the warriors, Zhang Xuan beckoned for the two geniuses from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the Myriad Beasts Hall to cultivate on the circr tform before advancing alone. He soon encountered another circr tform, and he headed up and sat down in the middle of the tform. Closing his eyes and focusing on his cultivation, he could feel a unique aura rippling in his surroundings. It was vastly different from the spiritual energy that he absorbed on the Forsaken Continent. His Heavenly High Immortal cultivation pulsated in response to this aura, seemingly expressing its desire to surge to new heights. Its a pity that I havent finished deducing a feasible Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique yet... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply with a shake of his head. He had spent days immersing his consciousness inside the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, trying toe up with a Semi-Divinity realm cultivation technique. However, he could not find something that was suited for him. He could choose to force his way through, and there was a good chance that he would seed. However, if he did so for this major hurdle, it could lead to someplications that would hinder him from advancing any further in the future. Hu! Thus, he raised his hand and stuffed the aura suffusing the circr tform into a jade bottle before stashing it away in his storage ring. After entering the circr tform, he had be certain that this unique aura was the key to achieving a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. It was simr what the Aeon of Ancient Sage was to those attempting to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. With it, he would be able to push for a breakthrough as soon as he finisheding up with his cultivation technique! So, Zhang Xuan got off the circr tform and continued ahead. It seemed like there were quite a number of circr tforms along the Azure Bridge. It did not take long for him to stumble upon another. After dealing with the warrior guarding it, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before bringing out his clone. A few momentster, his clone sessfully made a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. As he continued, the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and the others also sessfully made breakthroughs. For the remaining circr tforms, he ced the Heavenly High Immortal-tier swords that he had in there in order to nourish them. By doing so, there was a chance that they could be Semi-Divinity artifacts. But where in the world is the Hall of Gods? At this rate, I wont be able to reach it within a single day... No matter how far he walked, the path ahead was still shrouded in darkness. He could not see the end of it. The Azure Bridge would only remain open for a single day. At this rate, he would not be able to snatch the _God)_ character. Those circr tforms could only be essed via the Azure Bridge, which appeared once every century, but the (God) character was something that he could take back to the Forsaken Continent. If he could acquire it, the cultivators of the Forsaken Continent would be able to freely reach the Semi-Divinity realm and even forge Semi- Divinity artifacts, just like the Ethereal Hall! They would no longer be restrained. It was just that he had some concerns... The Hall of Gods had expressed their desire to capture him, and they had even assaulted him numerous times before. Would he be walking into their trap by making his way over himself? The Azure Bridge only appears once every hundred years, and the Hall of Gods is likely to be the key to entering the Firmament. No matter how dangerous it is, I have to take the risk! The next moment, he vanished from the spot. He had warped into a green streak, flitting forward at an unbelievable speed. Even if he could reach the Semi-Divinity realm, he was not confident that he could reach the Hall of Gods without the Azure Bridge. Thus, he could not afford to miss this opportunity. Before long, he reached a point where there were no longer any circr tforms in sight. It seemed like the number of circr tforms was limited. Only the front two circr tforms were unprotected, which basically meant that the Hall of Gods implicitly only allowed two candidates of the Six Sects to reach the Semi-Divinity realm. Beyond there, unless one was an expert on the same caliber as the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion or Kong shi, it would be impossible to get this far. For the past several thousand years, more often than not, only a single person of the Six Sects would manage to achieve a breakthrough. Yet, within this period of time, only a few dozen circr tforms had been formed. Of course, the thrifty Zhang Xuan made sure to take away all the unique aura contained in these circr tforms before forging ahead. All in all, while helping his tamed beasts achieve breakthroughs and gathering the unique aura within the other circr tforms, six hours had passed. If he did not hasten his footsteps, it would be impossible for him to enter the Hall of Gods. Driving his Gods Sword Intent to the limits, Zhang Xuan was able to travel at a speed that far surpassed that of ordinary Semi-Divinity realm experts. But despite that, the Azure Bridge was simply too long. He flew for six hours straight after that, but the scenery remained unchanged. This is impossible. If the Hall of Gods is truly that far away, how can anyone enter and return from the Hall of Gods within a day? Zhang Xuan shook his head in disbelief. All in all, he had been traveling for twelve hours, but the end was nowhere in sight. Was it impossible for him to reach the Hall of Gods with his current strength? Based on the records, if one did not return to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder before the Azure Bridge disappeared, one would fall into the dimension rifts, where even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators would be unable to survive. Ill just fly for another two hours... Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth. He did not rush at full speed for the first six hours, so if he immediately turned back, it would take roughly eight hours for him to return to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder, which meant that he only had two more hours to y with. If he still could not find the Hall of Gods within the next two hours, he would have to return. Thus, driving his zhenqi to the limits, Zhang Xuan sped up further and rushed ahead. An hourter, there were finally some changes at the very end of the Azure Bridge. Amid the dark void, he could vaguely see a massive castle. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan could not help but murmur, It sure is far away... The fact that the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and Kong shi were able to reach the Hall of Gods means that they were no weaker than me when they challenged the Azure Bridge... For someone who possessed superior cultivation and hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent to have to fly for more than twelve hours in order to reach the Hall of Gods... the length of the Azure Bridge was truly fearful! Since Kong shi and the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had been able to sessfully snatch a God)_ character from the Hall of Gods, they must have gone through the same path. Given so, they must have been extremely powerful individuals. The massive castle floated quietly in the air, serving as a backdrop to the dark void. It took Zhang Xuan roughly fifteen minutes to arrive at its entrance. Jiya! Sensing the arrival of a living being, the doors of the castle slowly creaked open. Knowing that there was no time to lose, Zhang Xuan quickly made his way in. Shortly after he entered, the doors behind him closed, plunging him into darkness. Following which, innumerable torches lit up, illuminating the surroundings. Hu hu hu! Ten silhouettes appeared in the area simultaneously. Their auras felt steady yet unfathomable, making it impossible to gauge the depths of their cultivation. They were all Semi-Divinity realm experts! The Hall of Gods was indeed a formidable entity. It was rare to meet even a single Semi-Divinity out on the Forsaken Continent, yet ten of them had appeared simultaneously. You sure are bold, Zhang Xuan. You knew that the Hall of Gods intends to capture you, but you still had the guts to walk here of your own ord! There was a towering figure seated on the throne at the very center. The position he sat at was even higher than where the torches could illuminate, resulting in his face being cloaked in shadows. His voice was ice-cold, seemingly devoid of feelings. Zhang Xuan had expected to encounter such a situation right from the start, so he was not taken aback at all. Instead, he looked at the silhouette seated on the throne and said with a frown, The Forsaken Continent is full of talented individuals. Im curious as to why you are biting onto me like determined dogs. Is it really because of the Gods Sword Intent? He had made sure to maintain a low profile ever since he arrived at the Forsaken Continent, but he had still been assaulted thrice. He really could not understand the intentions of the Hall of Gods. Gods Sword Intent? the silhouette on the throne scoffed coldly. Just that thing isnt worthy of prompting the Hall of Gods into action! What are you up to? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Despite the crackling of mes from the torch, the surroundings felt incredibly cold and lifeless. You are from the Master Teacher Continent, arent you? the silhouette asked. You know of the Master Teacher Continent? Zhang Xuan was shocked. Without bothering to respond to Zhang Xuans question, the silhouette waved his hand and said, I want him alive. Hu! The ten Semi-Divinity realm warriors immediately charged forward and encircled Zhang Xuan. It wont be that easy for you to capture me! Zhang Xuan replied coldly. Since he dared step into the Hall of Gods, he was prepared to face the dangers in there. Hu! Hu! He brought out the corpses of the two Semi-Divinity realm cultivators from the Azure Bridge. Boom! In an instant, the two bodies exploded simultaneously. On his way there, he had forged the two into Soulless Metal Humanoids. Humph! But before the shockwaves of the explosion could ripple outward, a cold harrumph echoed. Right after, a burst of light flickered through the interior of the Hall of Gods, binding the power of the explosion. With a light pop, the explosion dissipated on the spot. Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had thought that the explosions of the two Semi-Divinities would at least buy him some time, but it seemed like there was a formidable Defensive Formation around the Hall of Gods. It was actually able topletely neutralize the force of the explosion! This wont do. I need to escape! Zhang Xuan took out the Tongshang Sword and channeled his Gods Sword Intent toward the tightly-sealed door of the Hall of Gods, intent on knocking it down. The Tongshang Sword was an existence that was only a step away from reaching the Semi-Divinity realm. On his way there, he had already made use of the unique aura from the circr tform to help it achieve a breakthrough, making it far stronger than before. When used together with his Gods Sword Intent, the might that hemanded would be able to y ordinary Semi- Divinity realm cultivators within a single strike. Ding ding ding! But as the sword qi fell on the door, a metallic ng echoed in the air. Astoundingly, not even a scratch was left on the door! Is the door a Semi-Divinity artifact as well? Zhang Xuan could hardly believe his eyes. The might that he had exerted was enough to overpower even Han Jianqiu in an instant. Yet, despite facing such an attack, the door remainedpletely unharmed. Its tier was far beyond his imagination. Futile! Having expected such an oue, the ten Semi-Divinities chuckled as they rushed forward simultaneously. A massive made of zhenqi fell from the sky, sealing all possible routes of escape for Zhang Xuan. Shatter! Zhang Xuan brandished his sword, releasing a barrage of sword qi toward the massive. Hu! However, the sword qi did nothing to stop the massive. It was as if they were existences of two different nes; the massive simply passed right through the sword qi and bound Zhang Xuans body tightly. At the same time, Zhang Xuan sensed that his zhenqi had been sealed, preventing him from exerting his strength. Chapter 2069 - 2069 Revelation 2069 Revtion Seal his cultivation! Seeing that they had managed to catch Zhang Xuan with the massive, the Semi-Divinities unwittingly heaved a sigh of relief. They didnt expect things to go so smoothly. One of the Semi-Divinity realm warriors stepped forward and tapped his finger on Zhang Xuan, intending to seal off Zhang Xuan.s cultivation. Ive been waiting for you! Zhang Xuan murmured with a faint smile. Three swords suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and with a set of profound movements, they pierced right through the warriors back. Then, with a vertical motion, the warrior was sliced into two. As soon as the warrior was killed, Zhang Xuan could feel the massive loosened a little. It was as if a formation had lost one of its core sources of energy, resulting in some degree of instability. rmed, the remaining nine Semi-Divinity realm cultivators swiftly infused their energy into the massive, hoping to stabilize it. But as fast as their reaction was, none of them could have been able to move faster than Zhang Xuan, who was waiting to seize this opportunity. He immediately dashed out of the massive, leaped into the air, and brandished his sword furiously, raining a powerful current of sword qi down on one of the Semi-Divinity realm warriors. Even though all ten of those warriors were at Semi-Divinity realm, they werent of equal strength to one another, Zhang Xuan was able to tell that this person was the weakest one of the remaining nine. By using his own body as bait, he was able to swiftly get rid of one of his enemies. After that, he made use of thepse from the crowds shock to assault the weakest one. Despite his swift movements, his head was constantly calcting what was the best move he could take in order to maximize his chances of eliminating his enemies. If he wasnt confident of his abilities, why would he take the risk toe here? Puhe! The might of four swords augmented with the Gods Sword Intent formed a force far beyond what the weakest Semi- Divinity realm warrior could deal with. In an instant, he was sliced into multiple pieces. None of the warriors could have expected two of theirrades to be killed so quickly. Everything happened so quickly that a hint of fear was arising from the depths of their hearts. This fear wasnt just directed toward Zhang Xuan but toward their leader too. It was a huge failure of their part to disy such unbing results before their leader. Boom boom boom! Eight hands fell onto the floor simultaneously, and a powerful outburst of energy froze the space in the Hall of Gods. Every single movement came with humongous resistance. With a roar, Zhang Xuan tried to bring out the ckback Tortoise and the three sharks to assist him, but just like the Azure Bridge, he was unable to open his tamed beast sack in here as well. With veins popping from his temples, he forcefully brandished the Tongshang Sword. At the same time, he brought out the metal chain and the halberd as well to disrupt the formation created by the remaining eight Semi-Divinities. With the three Semi-Divinity artifacts moving together, as if a boulder had been thrown into a pond, a ck rift swiftly rippled through the surroundings, sting open the frozen space. Its the end! Zhang Xuan had put all of his efforts into sting the frozen space open, only to realize that one of the enemies had managed to sneak up on him. The other party raised his palm to strike down on him. Peng! There was no time for Zhang Xuan to dodge at all. So, he could only channel his energy to the front of his body in hopes of diverting the attack. However, the palm strike was simply too powerful. That single strike fractured three of his ribcage bones, and he fell from the sky. If it was three, four, or even five Semi-Divinities, he would still have been able to handle the situation. However, to face ten of them simultaneously, not to mention that all of them were experts from the Hall of Gods at that, it was inevitable that it would still be difficult for him to stand his ground despite his superior skills. Crashing heavily onto the floor, blood seeped out from the corners of Zhang Xuans lips. He tried to quickly return to his feet, but a metal chain swiftly wrapped around him, binding him tightly. A Semi-Divinity artifact? Zhang Xuan could feel the metal chain digging tightly into his skin. Even with his current strength, he was actually unable to free himself at all! An encirclement of ten Semi-Divinities, but you were still able to kill two of them. That exins why you were able to survive even though I have sent so many people for you in the past. I would have expected nothing less from a person chosen by the heavens, the silhouette above the mes nced down at Zhang Xuan coldly as he spoke. He didnt seem to be frustrated or angered because Zhang Xuan had killed two of his subordinates. A person chosen by the heavens? Knowing that it was impossible for him to get away, Zhang Xuan gave up on struggling altogether. Instead, he focused on driving his zhenqi to heal his injuries as he asked with a tight knit on his forehead. Indeed. You are someone who harnesses the heavens within you, isnt that so? the silhouette remarked impassively. Those words caused Zhang Xuans body to stiffen. He had never expected anyone to ask such a question. The fact that he had the Library of Heavens Path in him should have been something that only Luo Ruoxin knew of. No one else should have been aware of it. Yet, the words of the silhouette seemed to be hinting at the same thing as well. Did the chief of the Hall of Gods know something about the Library of Heavens Path? Or could it be that the gods had the ability to see through the Library of Heavens Path? As the Hall of Gods had attacked him after heprehended the Gods Sword Intent, he had thought that it was simply afraid that he would attempt to steal a ꣨God)1 character from it after he had grown up. However, it was apparent that he couldnt be more wrong than that! So what if he hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent? A person who hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent still wouldnt stand a chance against ten Semi-Divinities! Not to mention, the Hall of Gods should have plenty of the unique aura required for one to achieve a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm. Even if he were to snatch the (God) character from them, it shouldnt warrant them to make a move. Everything would make sense if its goal had been Library of Heavens Path right from the start! That would also exin why the warriors who had been sent to apprehend him had been strictly ordered to capture him alive! Zhang Xuan tried to conceal his expression, but the silhouette still caught a hint of astonishment in the depths of his eyes. With a light chuckle, the silhouette said, You seem to be a little bewildered. Are you wondering how I knew that you harness the heavens inside of you? Instead of responding, Zhang Xuan simply red at the silhouette coldly. Paying no heed to Zhang Xuans silence, the silhouette continued speaking, Only a person chosen by the heavens would have the ability to rise to the Forsaken Continent and advance from Ancient Sage to Heavenly High Immortal realm within less than a month. Not to mention, you are able to stand on equal grounds with ordinary Semi-Divinity realm cultivators as well. Its through your superior talent that you were able to convince four of the Six Sects to toss aside their prejudice and unite together under your leadership. Isnt that so? With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan asked, What are you nning? You are holding onto something you are unqualified for. If you continue keeping it on you, itll eventually lead to a disaster. It would be better if you pass it on to someone else before tragedy strikes! the silhouette said with a wave of his hand. H! The Semi-Divinities in the surroundings raised his hands simultaneously, channeling their energy toward Zhang Xuan and wrapping him amidst it. Zhang Xuans body began rising to the air uncontrobly before flying to the side. His body eventuallynded not too far away on a stone step. Looking upward, he saw an average-sized circr tform. Upon seeing the circr tform, Zhang Xuans face darkened, The altar of the Starchaser Pce? So, you really are the one who captured Pce Chief Du? He had seen a replica of the altar in Jiang Yaos hands before, allowing him to recognize the altar in an instant. Begin the ritual! The silhouette couldnt be bothered to respond to Zhang Xuans question, so he raised his hand and hollered. Innumerable treasures swiftly descended atop the altar. Following that, ady walked into the room and began chanting in a mysteriousnguage. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw that thedy was no other than the deity whom Sovereign Chen Yong had summoned back then, the ex-head of the Starchaser Pce, Du Qingyuan! It would appear that Du Qingyuan had lost her will. Even though she was moving and speaking, her eyes were tightly shut and her voice waspletely devoid of emotions. It felt like there was someone controlling her body instead. Xiong xiong! Along with her chanting, the blue me on the altar continued to burn furiously. Above the Hall of Gods, a massive ck hole began to form, as if a connection link was being formed with a higher dimension. Rise! Du Qingyuan eximed Zhang Xuans body immediately rose up beforending lightly on top of the altar. The mes of the altar converged and dived right into Zhang Xuans body. He thought that he would be burned, but to his surprise, the mes didnt feel hot at all. On the contrary, it felt warm and soothing. What are they trying to do? Zhang Xuan frowned. Having read all of the books in the Starchaser Pce, he had gained a deep understanding of the various rituals conducted by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, he had nevere into contact with such a ritual before. Normal rituals would require one to offer treasures to a god in order to obtain greater power or information. However, this ritual clearly deviated from the norm. If anything, it felt like he was being used as the tribute in order to achieve an insidious goal. Tzzzzzzz! As the me continued burning, the illusory silhouette seated on the throne, the chief of the Hall of Gods, slowly became more and more corporeal. Are they trying to absorb my power? Zhang Xuans eyes narrowed in astonishment. He finally understood the intention behind the ritual. This was not a ritual to summon a god to gather more power. Instead, the other party was trying to take his power and imnt it into himself, thus recing him! Is he trying to take the Library of Heavens Path away from me? Zhang Xuan thought in rm. It was no wonder why the other party needed the altar of the Starchaser Pce, not hesitating to snatch it over. It seemed like he was intending to use the mysterious altar to conduct a ritual so as to rece him as the owner of the Library of Heavens Path! Even though he didnt how the altar really worked, he could feel energy slowly seeping away from his body. It felt like there was a chance that the other party would really be able to take the Library of Heavens Path away from him! Weng! Slowly, Zhang Xuans body grew fainter and fainter as a result of the me burning inside of him. At this rate, the ritual might really im his life! At this crucial moment, the pendant around his neck suddenly released a brilliant light. Pu! The silhouette on the throne suddenly staggered a little. At the same time, the me on the altar began to flicker weakly, almost as if it would disappear in the next instant. Whats going on here? The silhouette quickly looked at Zhang Xuan intently before flitting over with light footsteps. He forcefully grabbed the pendant around Zhang Xuans neck and held it up. Tzzzzz! Argh! However, as soon as the silhouette came into contact with the pendant, ck smoke immediately began rising from his body. nSh*t! The silhouette cursed beneath his breath as he hurriedly released his grip on the pendant. He tried to grab the pendant again several times, but the searing heat emanating from it made him dare not approach at all. Im not going to be foiled by a darned pendant at this crucial moment. Lets see how it can protect you after I take your life! the silhouette roared. The mes on the altar were already on the verge of being extinguished. At this rate, the ritual would really be foiled. The silhouette knew he had to do something in order to salvage the situation! Huhu! The eight Semi-Divinities immediately received the order and made a move simultaneously. Channeling their might together, they executed a powerful surge of sword qi aimed right at Zhang Xuans throat. If the strike were to reallynd, Zhang Xuan would be a goner without any doubt! Boom! At this crucial moment, the door of the Hall of Gods was sted open by an overwhelming force. A figure rushed right into the Hall of Gods and tapped his finger ahead of him. Peng! The sword qi created by the eight Semi-Divinities dissipated in an instant. The faces of all eight of them paled as fresh blood spurted from their mouths. You!! Upon seeing the newly arrived figure, the silhouette widened his eyes in anger and struck downward to fend against the figures assault. Peng! As the two forces collided with one another, the two of them were forced to retreat a step each. The newly arrived figure turned his sight to Zhang Xuan, and with a grasp of his hand, he wrapped the young man around with his energy and pulled the young man over to him. Lets go! The figure quickly sent Zhang Xuan out of the Hall of Gods, and before leaving himself, he turned around and exerted a powerful palm thrust which devastated the interiors of the Hall of Gods. Then, with a light footstep, he swiftly flitted away together with Zhang Xuan. In just a few instants, the two of them had already vanished on the Azure Bridge. Chase them! An aggrieved voice echoed from the Hall of Gods in their wake. Chapter 2070 - The Meeting of Kong shi and Zhang Xuan Chapter 2070 The Meeting of Kong shi and Zhang Xuan A gale echoed in Zhang Xuans ears as he watched his surroundings swiftly disappearing behind him. What incredible speed... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. The person who had saved him was actually able to travel at several times his speed despite bringing him along. Even the strongest Semi-Divinity realm cultivator shouldnt have been able to move this quickly... Is he a god? The Semi-Divinity realm warrior of the Hall of Gods whom he had forced to explode back in the Ocean of Exiled Stars could probably be considered the strongest of all, but even he was nothingpared to the person who had just saved him! While Zhang Xuans mind was still wandering around the ce, the other party said, I havent reached the level of a god yet. The reason Im able to move so quickly is due to the Evanescent Boots. Evanescent Boots? Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a look, and he noticed that the other party was equipped with a pair of striking golden boots. These boots were emanating a unique power that allowed him to cover dozens of li with every step, making it seem almost as if he was teleporting from one spot to another. That should be the Guardian Artifact of the Evanescent Immortal Sect... Could you possibly be... Zhang Xuans body stiffened up as a person surfaced in his mind. Well talk about itter. The Azure Bridge has already begun retracting. If we dont hurry up, we could lose our lives here, the other party said with a light chuckle as he continued flitting forward with a slightly grim look in his eyes. The Azure Bridge has already begun retracting? Zhang Xuan was appalled. He lowered his head and noticed that the Azure Bridge was indeed slowly retracting to the Hall of Gods. With a confused look, he asked, I thought that the Azure Bridgests for an entire day, so why would it suddenly retract before the time is up? All in all, Zhang Xuan had only spent fourteen hours getting to the Hall of Gods, and he had spent less than an hour inside. Why would the Azure Bridge suddenly begin retracting at that moment? Could it be that the descent and retraction of the Azure Bridge could be arbitrarily decided by the chief of the Hall of Gods? A day has already passed, the other party replied bitterly. Theres a difference in the flow of time between the Hall of Gods and the Forsaken Continent by 1:10. You didnt notice it? Difference in the flow of time? Zhang Xuan was shocked. He hade under the attack of ten Semi-Divinities as soon as he entered the Hall of Gods, such that there was no time for him to think too deeply into the matter. After that, he had been taken to the altar, and a ritual had been conducted on him. As he thought back, there was indeed some difference in the flow of time in the Hall of Gods and the Forsaken Continent. A ratio of 1:10 ... Its said that the flow of time of the Firmament is a tenth of that of the Forsaken Continent. The same goes for the Hall of Gods, the other party replied. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. By a 1:10 ratio, the one hour he had spent in there would equate to roughly ten hours. Going by this calction, it had indeed been a day since the Azure Bridge descended, so it was only expected for it to retract. Seeing that Zhang Xuan understood, the other party smiled lightly before stepped on the ground forcefully. Alright, enough talking for the time being. Use your zhenqi to protect your body. Ill be conducting Spatial Traverse. In an instant, his speed reached a new peak, causing the space around him to be warped. S! Even space was torn down as a result of the movement. Naturally, Zhang Xuan was under a huge amount of pressure as well. It felt like everything was copsing in on him, squeezing him tight and leaving him breathless. Kacha! If not for the zhenqi barrier that Zhang Xuan had reinforced around him, his body might have been squashed to a pile of minced meat. Hu! All of a sudden, the pressure vanished. Panting deeply, Zhang Xuan took a closer look around him and found that he was no longer on the Azure Bridge. Instead, what appeared before him was a massive pce floating amid the clouds. Zhang Xuan straightened his body as he asked, Where are we? He could tell that even though he was still in the Azure, he was not on the Forsaken Continent anymore. It felt like he had leaped from the Forsaken Continent into a folded space. This is the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall! the other party replied with a smile as he turned around to face Zhang Xuan. Only then did Zhang Xuan get a good glimpse of the other partys appearance. The other party looked the exact same as the person who was worshipped in all of the Master Teacher Pavilions. He had a tall physique with a flowing beard. Between his brows, one could see a hint of benevolence andpassion for the world. Junior Zhang Xuan pays respects to Kong shi. Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. He had already guessed who the other party was, but only after seeing the other partys appearance and disposition in person was he finally able to confirm the matter. The person standing before him was none other than the Worlds Teacher who had created the Master Teacher Pavilion and united mankind against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Kong shi! He had encountered the other partys soul fragments several times, but this was his first time meeting the man in person. The other party was more amiable than he had expected. His presence felt like a warm breeze during the onset of spring. Rise, Kong shi said with a smile as he reached out to help Zhang Xuan up. Is the Master Teacher Pavilion still doing fine? Yes, the Master Teacher Pavilion is still following your teachings. They have worked hard to protect mankind over the years, Zhang Xuan said before recounting the happenings of the Master Teacher Pavilion after Kong shis departure. I see. Kong shi stroked his beard slowly. Mankind will have to remain united in order to survive against the other races and leave its mark on the world. The reason I created the Master Teacher Pavilion was for all men to be powerful, and it seems like my efforts werent in vain. It was difficult for all men to be powerful, but through the selfless impartation of knowledge of the Master Teacher Pavilion, mankind would continue to build on the knowledge of their predecessors and advance to greater heights. Indeed. The enmity between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind is also slowly being repaired. Even though its impossible to sever the chains of hatred right away, I believe that, with time, all scars will eventually fade, Zhang Xuan said as he exined the current situation with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well. Kong shi smiled a little as he looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, You have been to Starchaser Ind, right? Did you notice that the indigenous poption living there are very simr to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Yes, I did notice it. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Do you know the story behind it? Kong shi nodded. In truth, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the indigenous poption of Starchaser Inde from the same origin. They are gods who have been exiled! Gods who have been exiled? Zhang Xuan frowned. Hold on a moment. I heard from Elder Han Jianqiu that those living on Starchaser Ind are the indigenous poption of the Forsaken Continent. Is that not true? Aside from Starchaser Pce, the cultivators of the Six Sects proimed themselves as gods who had been exiled whereas those living on Starchaser Ind were the indigenous poption. Why was Kong shi saying the opposite? Hearing Zhang Xuans response, Kong shi smiled a little and said, The other five sects are just trying to give themselves a better name. If they are truly the exiled gods, isnt it odd that only Starchaser Pce has an altar to hold rituals to connect with the Firmament? This... That question stumped Zhang Xuan. He had never thought about it like that. Kong shis argument was perfectly logical. Kong shi shook his head before continuing. A better background and reputation go a long way to developing a power. As time passes, what is false eventually bes viewed as the truth and vice-versa. Who can differentiate between statements that can hardly be verified anymore? Zhang Xuan fell silent. It was simr to how kings would proim themselves as beings chosen by the gods and embed all kinds of legends to their rule, making it seem as if they were the true son of Heaven. Legitimacy could be a powerful tool indeed if people believed in it. It seemed like the same had happened to the Forsaken Continent as well. Those of the other five sects proimed themselves as the exiled gods, and as time passed, people began to believe these falsehoods. In the end, they evenbeled the true exiled gods as the indigenous poption. But if they are gods, why would they carry such overwhelming killing intent within them? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. In truth, it did not matter to him who the true exiled gods were. After all, he was not taking any sides, and he viewed himself as a mere passerby in the Azure. It probably has something to do with the Firmament... Thats beyond the scope of my knowledge. Kong shi shook his head. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly before raising his head to look at Kong shi once more. I still have some questions that I hope you can rify for me. Speak your mind. Kong shi, you have been in the Azure for several thousand years now. Are you unable to break free of the dimension barrier and ascend to the Firmament? This was what had confounded Zhang Xuan deeply. There was no doubt about Kong shis talents and capabilities. Even he, in less than a month since his arrival, was able to reach a level where he was just a single step away from reaching the Semi-Divinity realm. Given so, how could the Worlds Teacher possibly remain bound there for several thousand years? Reaching the Firmament isnt as easy as you think. Furthermore, when I entered the Hall of Gods alone and shed with the gods back then, while I did manage to acquire a God) character, I ended up sustaining significant injuries as well. I had to go into aa in order to recover, and it was only recently that I managed to regain my consciousness. Kong shi halted his words there with a conflicted look on his face. It seemed like he was unwilling to speak about the past anymore. If its not convenient for you to speak, I wont inquire any more about that, Zhang Xuan said. However, there is one matter that I would like to seek rification from you about. You gave me a token that allowed me to purchase any cultivation resources from the Ethereal Hall for free a while ago. However, why is it that I encountered an attack from the Hall of Gods each time I used it? This was the matter that made Zhang Xuan deeply doubtful about Kong shi. If he could not rify this issue, he would never be able to fully trust Kong shi. Regarding that, Ill have to apologize to you. Its an unforgivable oversight on my part, Kong shi said apologetically. In the years that I was in aa, the influence of the Hall of Gods managed to seep into the Ethereal Hall, and many of my subordinates have secretly pledged loyalty to the Hall of Gods. The one whom I entrusted to forge the token was a deeply trusted confidant of mine, but it turns out that he was in collusion with the Hall of Gods all this time! I sentenced that confidant to death after learning of this matter. Over the past few days, I was busy trying to track down and apprehend the spies of the Hall of Gods, which was also why I was unable to meet you at the Heaven Anchoring Boulder prior to the descent of the Azure Bridge. Otherwise, you wouldnt have fallen into the trap of the Hall of Gods! Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before nodding slightly. He could not find any logical loopholes in Kong shis story, and thetter appeared deeply earnest. Since you are currently the head of four sects, you should have heard about how I have borrowed the Guardian Artifacts of the Evanescent Immortal Sect and ckmirror Citadel, right? Kong shi asked. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. I have my own ns for borrowing those artifacts. Im hoping to use them to free the Forsaken Continent from the rule of the Hall of Gods. I heard that you have shed with the Hall of Gods on several asions, so I believe you are aware of their strength. I knew that I would need more trump cards up my sleeves. While the Guardian Artifacts of the Six Sects havent reached the Semi-Divinity realm yet, they harness the thoughts and wills of countless experts from the past several thousand years, granting them astounding prowess, Kong shi exined. If that was really true, it would have been a huge misunderstanding from his part. Now that I have rified all of the questions you have, there are some important things that I have to tell you. Kong shi looked at Zhang Xuan grimly as he spoke. With a wave of his hand, he swiftly activated an Istion Formation to sever the space around them from the real world before he spoke further. Do you know that you are already nearing the end of your life? Chapter 2071 - 2071 The First Order 2071 The First Order Nearing the end of my life? Zhang Xuan waspletely mystified by Kong shis abrupt words. The only threat he was facing at the moment was the Hall of Gods. Why was he nearing the end of his life then? Indeed, Kong shi said. He ced his hands behind his back as a glint shed in his eyes, If Im not mistaken, you have a fragment of the heavens in you, right? You... Zhang Xuan was shocked by what he had just heard. The Library of Heavens Path had been his greatest secret all this while, but it felt like it was getting exposed far too easily in recent days. First the chief of the Hall of Gods, and now, it was shown that Kong shi knew about it as well. He felt as if his secrets were beingid bare to the world, and this left him feeling deeply ufortable. A slight frown made its way onto his forehead. You are wondering how I knew of the matter, right? A little amused by Zhang Xuans bewildered face, Kong shi chuckled a little before he spoke, Theres no need to be too nervous. The truth is that Im just like you. I have a fragment of the heavens within me as well. You also have the library as well? Zhang Xuans eyes nearly bulged from his eyes. When he heard about Kong shis experiences on the Master Teacher Continent, he had wondered if Kong shi had the Library of Heavens Path as well. That would have exined why thetter was able toe up with perfect cultivation techniques and advance his cultivation so swiftly. However, thinking that the chances were incredibly slim, he eventually dropped the idea. Library? Kong shi was slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuans question. No, thats not it. What I have acquired is the spacetime jurisdiction of the heavens, otherwise known as the Heavens Order. Heavens Order? Just like how the noon sun falls and the full moon wanes, all beings in the world have to obey a certain order. When ites to order, the very foundation of it lies in that of space and time, Kong shi said. Space and time were the very fundamental elements required to create order in this intrinsically chaotic world. They served as the very basis of the development of natural cycles, and they were required for life to blossom. Without them, the world would have been nothing but chaos. As such, space and time were viewed as the most primordialw of the entire world, otherwise known as the First Order. That would exin why Kong shi was able toe up with the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, which harnessed both the powers of time and space. Even when ced in the Library of Heavens Path, it was still able to form its own individual chamber. It was likely that the Heavens Order was an ability that wouldnt pale inparison to the Library of Heavens Path. Previously, when he saw Kong Shiyaos Word of Law bloodline ability in person, he was filled with curiosity as to just what the ability Kong shi hadprehended was. After hearing this, everyone immediately clicked together perfectly like puzzle pieces. It was out of Kong shis desire to bring order to the world that he created the Master Teacher Pavilion and organized the unique upations and their heritage. Due to that, mankind enjoyed persistent growth over the past tens of thousands of years, granting them the power to stand against even the innately powerful Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Without order, its impossible to build anything significant, Kong shi nodded in response. Following that, he looked at Zhang Xuan with confusion in his eyes as he asked, Could it be that... the fragment of the heavens you have acquired has nothing to do with order? You mentioned a library earlier, right? Despite knowing that Zhang Xuan had a fragment of the heavens, he had no way of knowing what was the ability that the young man wielded. The heavens were vast and all-epassing, such that it was nigh impossible toprehend their entirety. Yes, thats indeed what I mentioned earlier. While I said that it was a library, if Im not mistaken, I think it should be Heavens Imperfections! Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. Those were the words that surfaced in his mind when he first awakened the Library of Heavens Path. It was due to this ability that the Library of Heavens Path was able to see through the ws of all beings and uncover the most correct path forward. He hade a long way together with it. Heavens Order and Heavens Imperfections... Kong shi muttered contemtively before his eyes lit up. I see! Kong shi, you mentioned earlier that Iming to the end of my life... Does that have something to do with my Heavens Imperfections? Zhang Xuan asked. Indeed, Kong shi nodded. Receiving a fragment of the heavens is a huge fortuitous encounter. Its something that all cultivators would dream of. However, this poweres at a huge cost. As you use it more and more often, you will slowly be assimted by the heavens, thus eventually losing your own will. Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had never heard of such a thing before. However, one thing he did notice was that the Library of Heavens Path was getting stronger and stronger with time. On top of that, he had also be extremely reliant on it, such that it was difficult for him to proceed on if he didnt have any Heavens Path Divine Art with him. Could this be an effect of the assimtion of the heavens? The power of heavens always exists as a double-edged de. When theres gain, theres bound to be loss as well. You are able to cultivate swiftly with the fragment of the heavens, but that doesnte without a cost. If Im not mistaken, the technique you cultivate should be a cultivation technique of the heavens, right? Kong shi asked with a stern look in his eyes. You havee a long way with it, but have you realized that theres a pitch-ck gaseous substance that is lurking in the depths of your body? No matter how you try to purge it, be it through heavenly mes or lightning, it simply wouldnt budge at all. Those words made Zhang Xuan stunned for a moment before he nodded, I did notice something like that... Are you referring to the thing hidden in the Innate Fetal Poison? One of your soul fragments mentioned it to me back at the Master Teacher Continent. Zhang Xuan was initially a little worried about the matter, but as nothing happened all this while, he decided to pay no heed to it, and eventually, he forgot about it even. It was only when Kong shi mentioned it once more did it finally strike him once more. Thinking back, Kong shis soul fragment did warn him about the matter, just that there was no time to go into details back then. With a grim look on his face, Kong shi said, Indeed. Take a closer look at it right now. Do you notice anything different about it from thest time you paid notice to it? Different? Zhang Xuan immediately channeled his consciousness into his body to take a closer look. A momentter, his body stiffened. It seems like... it has gotten much bigger than before! Furthermore, its no longer pitch-ck anymore. Rather, it appears to be a little grayish instead! Previously, the gaseous remains were only about a fingers length. As it was simply too small, Zhang Xuan wasnt able to catch a clear glimpse at it, so it looked ck to him then. However, with it growing twofold the size of before, it somewhat resembled a tiny snake coiling within his body. Thats exactly it, Kong shi nodded. Did you notice any anomalies regarding it previously? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. That thing had been in his body for a very long time now, but he had never been able to make sense as to what it really was. Naturally, he didnt notice anything anomalous regarding it. It didnt hinder his cultivation nor his flow of zhenqi at all, so he didnt think that it was harmful to his body. Try to use the ability of your Heavens Imperfections. Make sure to focus your attention on the grayish gaseous substance, Kong shi said. Ill give it a try, Zhang Xuan thought as he turned to the formation which Kong shi had just set up and willed ws!. Hu! The Library of Heavens Path jolted, and a book filled with the details of the formation was materialized. Zhang Xuan casually scanned through the details, and he had to admit that he was really deeply impressed. Kong shisprehension of formations had reached an incredible level, such that he was able to set up an impable formation so casually. This was something that even the current him was unable to pull off. How is it? Do you notice any difference? Kong shi asked. Zhang Xuan had been paying attention to the gaseous substance all along, and he couldnt help but frown, There doesnt seem to be any changes at all... No, thats not right. It seems to have grown by a little. Its stronger than before... The increment was extremely slight, such that it was imperceptible through ones eyes. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan was still able to notice a very small difference after he used the Library of Heavens Path. Indeed, it should have grown by a little, Kong shi nodded in response. Every single time you use the Heavens Imperfections, the gaseous substance would bulk up by a bit. Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback by this bizarre situation, But why didnt I sense anything before then? Those at his cultivation realm were extremely sensitive to the changes in their bodies. Under normal circumstances, no matter how slight the increment was, he should have still been able to notice it. Kong shi answered the question, The battle techniques and artifacts on the Master Teacher Continent are rtively weaker, such that even if you use the Heavens Imperfections on them, the growth of the gaseous substance would be insignificant. However, its different now that you are on the Azure. As your ability grows, the side effects will be more and more severe. The side effects have been insignificant so far, but they will start showing as you proceed on to Semi-Divinity realm and beyond. To use an analogy, it would be simr to the difference of pulling an empty cart and pulling a cart filled with all sorts of objects. It went without saying that one would wear out faster pulling a heavier cart. The items on the Azure were of a much higher tier than that of the Master Teacher Continent, so it was more demanding on his Library of Heavens Path too. As a result, the grayish gaseous substance was produced in greater amounts as well. Is the grayish gaseous substance fatal? Zhang Xuan shuddered a little as he asked. It would be a blessing if its only fatal, Kong shi said with a bitter smile. Whats even more frightening is that the grayish gaseous substance will only continue building up within you, and theres nothing that can be done to erase it. As time goes by, it will assimte you into a part of the heavens, making you lose your sense of self! Zhang Xuans body stiffened up. His gut feeling told him that what Kong shi had told him was very likely to be real. He had tried many means to remove the gaseous substance in the past but to no avail. Given so, it would only continue to build on in his body, causing him to fuse together as one with the Library of Heavens Path. Eventually, he might be a being devoid of feelings and consciousness. If so, how would he be different from being dead? Could it be that you are also... A thought shed across Zhang Xuans mind, and he quickly turned his gaze back to Kong shi once more. The person standing before him also possessed a fragment of the heavens as well, wielding the ability of Heavens Order. Furthermore, based on what he had heard from the other party back on the Master Teacher Continent, it would appear that the other party was bothered by grayish gaseous substance as well. Indeed, I was in the same plight as you as well. I didnt have the ability to get rid of the grayish gaseous substance, and I nearly lost my sense of self as a result... Its fortunate that I noticed it before it was toote and sessfully resolved the problem, Kong shi replied. You managed to resolve the issue? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. He quickly sped his fist and said, I beseech you to impart to me the method of oveing this problem. Ill be deeply grateful to you for it. He deeply appreciated the ability of the Library of Heavens Path. It had saved him on many asions, and it had allowed him to grow at an exponential rate as well. However, it would be all meaningless if he were to lose his life as a result of that. No matter what, he had to cure himself of the gaseous substance! It seemed like it would be best for him to avoid using the Library of Heavens Path in the short run. The solution is surprisingly simple, Kong shi looked at Zhang Xuan with a deep gaze as he spoke. Its just a question of whether you are willing to make a sacrifice or not. What kind of sacrifice would I have to make? Zhang Xuan asked. The reason behind the umtion of the gaseous substance in your body is because its against thews of nature for a human to wield the might of the heavens, Kong shi exined. As long as you are willing to sever your connection with the Library of Heavens Path, youll no longer face the threat of being assimted by the heavens. Chapter 2072 - 2072 The Other Kong shi 2072 The Other Kong shi Sever my connection with the Library of Heavens Path? Indeed. The heavens are not an existence that humans are able to control with their strength. If you continue keeping it within your body, its only a matter of time before you be a puppet of the heavens, Kong shi said. You said that the ability you have acquired is Heavens Imperfections, but why are the cultivation techniques you practice wless then? Isnt that a loophole in itself? Those words struck a deep chord with Zhang Xuan. This paradox had indeed been weighing on his mind for quite a while now. If even the heavens were wed, how could the Heavens Path Divine Art be truly wless? No, thats not it. It appears wless to me now, but it doesnt mean that it would remain so in the other worlds... Zhang Xuan thought. His cultivation had gone berserk once due to this matter, and it was Luo Ruoxins pendant who had saved his life then. Perfection was a concept that could only be applied in a limited context. Across different worlds, there would be differentws of nature. Naturally, ws that didnt exist before might have started appearing. As such, the Heavens Path Divine Art couldnt be said to be apletely perfect cultivation technique. At the very most, it could only be said to be the cultivation technique that was most aligned with the heavens in the world he currently was in. Zhang Xuan didnt say those words aloud, choosing to ask another question instead, Kong shi, does this mean that you have severed the Heavens Order from you? Indeed. I have torn the Heavens Order out of my body, simr to how I rejected my title as the Celestial Master Teacher back then. One has to give up something in order to gain something. Only by paving your own way will you be able to ascend to greater heights! Kong shi said as he looked into the distance with a deep look in his eyes. Then, he turned to look at Zhang Xuan and smiled, I believe that you already have an idea of what you should do. Zhang Xuan fell deep in thought. Back then, if he hadnt rejected his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, he wouldnt have sessfully advanced to be an Ancient Sage, and naturally, he wouldnt have managed toe to where he was either. Zhang Xuan was skeptical about the notion of abandoning the Library of Heavens Path, but there were some grains of truth in what Kong shi was saying. Was this the path he had to take in order to not be limited by the heavens and advance to greater heights? With many doubts bubbling in his mind, Zhang Xuan turned to Kong shi and asked, The Heavens Imperfections is intricately connected to me as a being. How can I sever my connection with it? The Library of Heavens Path was connected to his soul, which was why he was able to use it even in his soul form. Even when he severed his soul to create his clone back then, the entirety of the Library of Heavens Path still remained with him. Given so, he couldnt imagine any way how he could possibly sever the Library of Heavens Path from him. Arent I a living example of its feasibility? Kong shi chuckled. I have been through the process, so I am familiar with the procedures. It might sound unbelievable to you at the moment, but the procedures are actually extremely simple. In fact, you have just encountered something simr to it earlier. You are referring to the ritual which the chief of the Hall of Gods used? Zhang Xuan asked as his eyes widened slightly. Indeed, Kong shi nodded. I used that method to sever the Heavens Order away from me back then, and I suppose thats how the Hall of Gods figured out that its possible for them to do the same to you in order to take away your Heavens Imperfections. If there is such a huge loophole in the power of the heavens, why would the chief of the Hall of Gods desire to acquire my Heavens Imperfections? Zhang Xuan was slightly stumped. Just as what Kong shi had said, a person who harnessed the heavens would eventually be assimted, losing his sense of self. Most people would try to stay away from something as dangerous as that, so it didnt seem to make sense for the chief of the Hall of Gods to go to such lengths in order to acquire it. Its always those that we dont have that appears to be the best for us. Besides, everyone has their own pursuits. You and I, what we are aiming for is to ascend to the Firmament and view the world from a higher angle. On the other hand, the chief of the Hall of Gods hopes to consolidate power on the Forsaken Continent. Given the differences in our goals, its inevitable that what we hope to acquire would be different as well, Kong shi exined. I understand, Zhang Xuan nodded. The scope of ones ambitions would eventually dictate ones altitude. Those with greater ambitions would continuously strive for higher grounds whereas those with humble dreams would limit themselves to what they could see and what was currently within reach. But the altar is currently with the Hall of Gods at the moment, right? It wont be easy to take it away from them, Zhang Xuan said with a deep frown. If the method of removing the Library of Heavens Path was the same as what the chief of the Hall of Gods used, it was likely that they would need to make use of the Starchaser Pces altar, and they would also need Du Qingyuan around to conduct the ritual. Given that those two were currently in the hands of the Hall of Gods at the moment, they wouldnt be able to do it at least in the short-term. Thats a needless worry. Look at what I have over here. With a light chuckle, Kong shi flicked his wrist. Hu! An altar immediately materialized in the room. You took the altar from the Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan could hardly believe his eyes. While fending against the assault of the eight Semi-Divinities to save him, the other party was actually still able to take away the altar as well... The other partys capabilities were truly terrifying! But just having the altar isnt sufficient. Based on what I know, the rituals are extremely intricate, and something of that level would surely require Pce Master Du. I have learned the ritual myself back then, and Im confident that I would be able to carry it out even more smoothly than her, Kong shi replied confidently. Is that so... I guess theres nothing for me to nitpick anymore then. Shall we begin? Zhang Xuan burst intoughter before nodding in agreement. Un! Kong shi nodded. With a light wave of his hand, a pile of treasures fell on top of the altar. Muttering a huge chunk of obscure chants, a blue me came to life on the altar. You may head over now, Kong shimanded. Zhang Xuan nodded as he began walking toward the altar. However, in the next moment, Kong shi suddenly spoke up, Wait a moment. I need you to pass the pendant you are wearing over to me first. My pendant? Zhang Xuan halted his footsteps to look at Kong shi. I saw it during the ritual earlier. There is something off about the pendant you are wearing. Its binding the Library of Heavens Path to you, preventing anything from severing its connection to you. Im worried that it might hinder the ritual. Dont worry, Ill just hold it for you for the time being, and Ill return it to you at the end of the ritual, Kong shi exined. Zhang Xuan was a little hesitant, but eventually, he took out his pendant and passed it over. Taking the pendant away from Zhang Xuan, Kong shis lips crept up into a smile as he kept it into his storage ring. Then, he urged Zhang Xuan to quickly make his way over to the altar. Zhang Xuan took a step forward, but in the next moment, he turned around with a hint of worry and asked, Will I be fine after the Library of Heavens Path is removed from my body? He was well aware that the Library of Heavens Path had be a part of himself. Even though Kong shi had reassured him that he was fine, he still couldnt help but worry about the matter. The fact that Im standing here before you should answer your question. I understand your worries, but youll be fine, Kong shi replied. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan finally leaped up andnded above the mes. To prevent any idents from happening, Ill have to seal you in ce for the time being. Its to prevent the bacsh of the heavens, Kong shi said as he raised his hand. Boom! Right after those words were spoken, a powerful might descended from the heavens. Chains simr to that of the Hall of Gods wrapped themselves rightly around Zhang Xuan before he could even react, binding him tightly against the altar. Caught off guard by that move, Zhang Xuan frowned. Ill be starting the ritual. With a smile on his lips, Kong shi flicked his hand once more, and another identical altar appeared beneath his feet. Blue mes rose from the altar too, swallowing Kong shi whole. No, thats not right... You are intending to take my Library of Heavens Path and imnt it over to your body! Zhang Xuan eximed. After seeing what Kong shi was doing, how could he possibly still remain oblivious to what the other party was up to? You realized it? However, it seems to be a little toote, Kong shiughed coldly before he started chanting once more. The mes on the two altars swiftly intensified, growing brighter and brighter. Why? Didnt you say that the heavens would assimte and turn one into a puppet? Zhang Xuan struggled, but he found that he was tightly bound to the altar. It was impossible for him to escape at all. I wasnt lying when I said that. However, without a stepping stone like that, how can one rise to greater heights? Do you think that its really possible for an individual to be a god based on just his talents alone? How naive must you be to believe that one can tear open the doorway to the Firmament that easily? Kong shi scoffed coldly. You are deluding yourself! I have been foiled once, and I am not going to make the same mistake again. Back then, I left a sliver of my will back at the Qiu Wu Pce in order to capture you. You were weak then, and I should have been able to seed easily, but that darned woman beside you interfered with my ns... The Qiu Wu Pce? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Memories were slowly floating back to him. Back then, in the crystal ball that controlled the Qiu Wu Pce, he encountered the will left behind by Kong shi. Thetter was in the midst of giving him a warning when he suddenly raised his palm... But before anything could happen, Luo Ruoxin suddenly called for him, bringing him back to the real world. Back then, he had a lingering suspicion that Luo Ruoxin had done it intentionally in order to prevent him from hearing what Kong shi had to say. However, he eventually chose to trust Luo Ruoxin on that matter, so he chose not to think too much into it. But based on what he was hearing right now, it turned out that Luo Ruoxin was trying to save him! If not for Luo Ruoxin snapping him out of it, he might have had his Library of Heavens Path taken away from him back then... It might have been the end of him if that were to happen. His cultivation was still very weak back then, such that the ritual could have very well caused the dissipation of his soul. Several other thoughts swiftly arose in Zhang Xuans mind, and he quickly asked, Does that mean that the descent of the Ancient Sage 4-dan deity on the Kunxu Domain back then was your doing too? Back then, when the Ancient Sage 4-dan deity crawled down from the Azure, he had mentioned something about a sect leader. After learning of the existence of the Six Sects, he had been wondering if the culprit had been one of them. After all, breaching the dimension barrier was no easy feat. Even if it had been weakened, an Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivator shouldnt have been able to do it so easily, especially when there was no ritual on the other side to summon him! However, as he went from one sect to the other, none of them seemed to have been behind this matter, and that had left him a little puzzled. However, if the Ethereal Hall was the one behind it, everything would make sense! After all, as someone who hade from the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shi definitely knew about the pathway leading to the Kunxu Domain! That could also be why the deity was so interested in acquiring Kong Shiyaos bloodline, which was said to be the purest bloodline from Kong shi over the past tens of thousands of years. If that deity had seeded, his talents would surely have been brought to greater heights, and he would have been even more highly regarded by Kong shi himself. You are quite sharp. I was indeed the one who dispatched him to guard that entrance, Kong shi admitted to the matter. But on the other side of the passageway are your students and descendants... Do their life and death mean nothing to you at all? Zhang Xuan was unable to believe what he was hearing. The man before him was known to have used even the body of his students in order to prevent the mercury-like spiritual energy from falling onto the Master Teacher Continent and causing great devastation. Not only so, he also tasked the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to guard the Kunxu Domain as well... The reason why he did so was to ensure the better development of mankind... So, why would he go the extent of dispatching someone down to kill even Kong Shiyao? Zhang Xuan could understand why Kong shi wanted to deal with him. After all, the Library of Heavens Path was an invaluable treasure. If the other party could acquire it together with the Heavens Order, he would have nothing to fear anymore. It would provide him with the impetus he required for push a higher level. Perhaps, he might even be able to break open the dimension barrier and ascend up to the Firmament... It would be expecting too much of Kong shi to presume that he waspletely selfless. However, it didnt make sense that he would leave his offspring and disciples to the lurch. As the Worlds Teacher who was known for his benevolence on the Master Teacher Continent, it was unthinkable for him to change so much just because he had headed to the Azure. It was almost as if he was a different person! As this thought surfaced in his mind, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. You... You arent Kong shi! Chapter 2073 - 2073 Facing Kong shi 2073 Facing Kong shi Atrocious! How dare you say that Im not Kong shi! Casting aside the refined disposition he had been putting on till now, Kong shi looked at Zhang Xuan with an expression warped with savagery, Why am I not him? Why dont you tell me just what is it that makes me so different from him? Kong shi is someone who embraces the entire world with his benevolence. He would never do those things you have done, Zhang Xuan shook his head as he replied. He had never met Kong shi in person before, but his deeds and beliefs clearly created great ripples across the world, allowing one to fathom who he was as a person. It was indeed possible for a person to put on a persona, but it was impossible for someone to maintain a persona for so many years, especially when one had reached the peak of the world. Embraces the whole world with his benevolence? Hahaha, what a joke! Even if I kill you right here and right now, the whole world would still think of me as a benevolent man! Kong shi sneered coldly. Kong shi hastened his chants, inducing the mes on the altar to crackled furiously. It felt like Zhang Xuan was going to be swallowed whole. However, instead of panicking, Zhang Xuan calmed down instead. With a look of pity in his eyes, he sighed, All along, I thought that you were someone worthy of respect. I guess I was wrong... Whatever library you have in you will be mine very soon. Once you lose your control over the heavens, you will suffer the bacsh of the heavens and be crushed by it. Your flesh and bones will be ground to dust... Say all you want, but nothing will change the oue anymore, Kong shi replied with a smirk, paying no heed to what Zhang Xuan was saying at all. Zhang Xuan was someone who cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art. It was with the protection of the Library of Heavens Path that the heavens had been unable to do anything about this aberrance of nature. However, the moment Zhang Xuan lost his Library of Heavens Path, he would immediately be crushed by the rules. There was no way he would be able to survive this. Is that so? a nonchnt voice echoed in the air. Kong shi was taken aback. He could see that the voice wasnting from Zhang Xuan at all, so who could be the one speaking then? rmed, he quickly turned around, only to see another Zhang Xuan standing not too far away with a disappointed look on his face. All along, while he did not share the same reverence for Kong shi as the rest on the Master Teacher Continent, the other party was indeed someone that he had respected deeply. To think that the other party turned out to be such a person instead! You... On the other hand, Kong shi would have never expected that another Zhang Xuan would appear all of a sudden. He couldnt help but widen his eyes in disbelief. The Hall of Gods has been trying to capture me all along. How could I possibly not prepare a hand before stepping in its trap? The one which you have been trying to extract the Library of Heavens Path has been my clone all along! Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. Prior to entering the Hall of Gods, he swapped ces with his clone, choosing to house himself temporarily inside the storage ring. It was for this reason that he was able to remain unharmed even while Kong shi was jumping through dimensions with him. The reason why he had his clone to go along with whatever Kong shi was doing was to uncover the true answer from him. It was just that he didnt think that the answer he received would be so disappointing. Very well. Very well. I would have expected nothing less than a person chosen by the heavens. Of course, it should have never been so easy. It couldnt possibly have been so easy... Kong shi murmured with a frenzied expression on his face. But it doesnt make a difference at all. Did you think that I would allow you to leave this area safely, especially now that you have appeared before me on your own ord? Boom! With a light step, Kong shi walked out from the mes, and a powerful aura rippled across the entire hall. It felt like the surrounding space would cave in at any moment and copse on them. Kong shi had singlehandedly defeated eight Semi-Divinities back at the Hall of Gods, which meant that he was at least several times stronger than Zhang Xuan. Dont you think that it goes both ways? Why would I appear before you just to run away? Zhang Xuan scoffed. Since everything is pretty much out now, why dont you satisfy the final curiosity of mine? Has the Hall of Gods already fallen under your control as well? From Fu Chenzi to the illusory chief of the Hall of Gods, the silhouette of Kong shi could be seen all around the Hall of Gods. I have massacred the chief and the warriors of the Hall of Gods. They are pawns which the Firmament has dispatched here in order to suppress the Azure, so all of them deserve to die. I will create a new world in the Azure! I will lead this world to unprecedented greatness! The Hall of Gods and the Ethereal Hall are both under my control, so no matter where you run to, you will never be able to escape from me! Kong shiughed. The current chief of the Hall of Gods was him, and the one who kidnapped Du Qingyuan was also him. The main reason behind that was because he wanted to steal Zhang Xuans Library of Heavens Path and make it his own. I dont have any more questions, Zhang Xuan said. Then, he turned to his clone on the altar and shouted, What are you fooling around for? Hurry up and get down here! Yes, yes... The body of the clone immediately became as flimsy as noodle strands, allowing him to slip through the metal chains that bound him and move over to Zhang Xuans side. At the same time, the clone drove his zhenqi as well, causing a powerful aura to burst forth from him. Just like Kong shi, he had reached Semi-Divinity realm as well! H! After that, Zhang Xuan brought out the ckback Tortoise, the three Shark Brothers, the Serpentine Dragon and the others, as well as all of the weapons he had in his possession. p! p! Wonderful. You sure have prepared many trump cards in advance, Kong shi nodded as he pped his hands resoundingly. However, its still far from sufficient. I am the man who was known as the Worlds Teacher! As he spoke, he took a step forward and pressed his palm downward. The ckback Tortoise, the three Shark Brothers, and the other beasts were immediately forced to the ground, unable to take a step at all. There were all at Semi-Divinity realm, but these beasts were simply far too weakpared to Kong shi, such that they werent even worth a fight They arent enough in your eyes, but in my view, you arent anything either! the clone burst intoughter. Sou! It dashed forward and sent a punch right toward Kong shi. Peng peng! As the clone traded blows with Kong shi, the surrounding space immediately began shattering under the immense strain. Even when they were at the same cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan was no match for his clone, not to mention that his clone had already reached Semi-Divinity realm. In terms of strength, his clone was nowhere weaker than that of Kong shi. Furthermore, the clones indestructible body made it a huge headache to deal with. Despite Kong shis overwhelming strength, he actually found himself unable to do anything about the clone in the short-term. How can a clone like you possibly be so powerful? Kong shi could hardly believe his eyes. He had been paying close attention to Zhang Xuan ever since thetter ascended to the Azure. Even though the various attempts he had made to capture Zhang Xuan eventually ended in failure, he still had a rough gauge as to just how powerful Zhang Xuan was, But he was never aware that Zhang Xuan actually had a clone, and he would have never imagined that his clone would be so powerful at that... Having lived for several thousand years, he could be considered as a man who stood at the very peak of the Azure, making him an existence unrivaled by the others. Otherwise, there was no way he could have managed to massacre the experts of the Hall of Gods and rece all of them... But despite so, he actually found himself unable to do anything about this clone... Just what in the world was happening over here? Get him together! Paying no heed to Kong shis shock, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and undone the formation that weighed down on the beasts in the area, allowing them to return to their feet. Hong long! The eight Semi-Divinity realm beasts and the dozen Semi-Divinity artifacts formed a massive formation that constantly attacked Kong shis blind spots. Kong shi was already fighting a close battle with the clone, so how could he cope with a bunch of disruptors eyeing him closely from the sidelines to constantly disrupt him whenever he revealed an opening? In just a few moments, he was already struck squarely in the chest, causing him to be pushed back before crashing heavily onto the ground. Kill him! With a strike finally connecting, the clone immediately rushed forward to follow up with another punch. The might of his strike felt strong enough to rip the space into two. You bastards! If not for the fact that I have been suppressed by him for several thousand years and havent fully recovered yet, did you think that the likes of you would have been able to injure me? Hmph! Theres no way Ill be killed by the lot of you on my own home ground! Hu! With a quick leap, Kong shi instantaneously traversed through space and disappeared from the spot. Quick, we need to leave! Along with Kong shis disappearance, Zhang Xuan immediately sensed that something was amiss, so he swiftly kept all of the artifacts and beasts back into his storage ring and tamed beast sack respectively before entering his own storage ring himself. Hu! Carrying the storage ring, his clone swiftly dashed in a certain direction. That was where the weakest point of the Guardian Formation of the Ethereal Hall. Zhang Xuan had told his clone about it earlier through their telepathic connection. Boom! But before his clone could tear through the formation and leave, the entire Ethereal Hall suddenly burst apart, causing devastating infernos and powerful shockwaves to sweep into the surroundings, threatening to tear the world apart. The clone that had yet to leave was immediately sliced into two by one of the spatial rifts rippling into the surroundings. Hu! The two halves of the clone quickly linked back together before continuing to rush his way out. It was fortunate that the one who was struck was the clone. If it had been Zhang Xuan instead, that single strike would have really killed him through and through. After escaping to safe grounds, Zhang Xuan came out of his storage ring. Looking back at the tattered space where the Ethereal Hall used to exist, Zhang Xuan felt goosebumps rising all over his body. That bastard actually set up so many destructive formations in his own base of operations. Hes far more vicious than I have thought! If not for his swift reaction, all of them could have been obliterated along with the Ethereal Hall. Quick, take a look around the area to see where he has gone to. We mustnt allow him to escape! Zhang Xuan instructed. Nodding his head, his clone quickly searched the area. Along with the explosion, the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall was pretty much wiped off the face of the world. It was hard to tell whether it was empty from the start, or that everyone inside had died along with the explosion. He has probably escaped... The clone had searched the area, but he was unable to find Kong shi. As powerful as Kong shi was, he was only able to equal Zhang Xuans clone in prowess. If he had to face so many Semi- Divinity realm beasts and artifacts on top of that, there was a good chance that he would be the one to be defeated at the very end. Thus, after exploding the Hall of Gods, he immediately fled the area. This left Zhang Xuan feeling deeply helpless. He tried scanning the area with the Eye of Insight as well, but he was unable to find any traces of Kong shi around. It was indeed very likely that thetter had managed to escape! He had thought of many possibilities beforehand, but he didnt think that Kong shi would actually run away from him. That was the Worlds Teacher, the strongest existence of the Master Teacher Continent. He was someone whom no one dared to disrespect for the past tens of thousands of years... He couldnt imagine just what had happened for the other party to be like this! In fact, if he were to send the news back to the Master Teacher Continent, it was likely that the Master Teacher Pavilion and Hundred Schools of Philosophers would view him as their greatest enemy for besmirching Kong shi! Your pendant... the clone turned to look at Zhang Xuan. Kong shi had escaped, but the pendant was still in the other partys hands. Thats a fake. After finding out that Fu Chenzi was colluding with the Hall of Gods, I have been suspecting that theres something wrong with the Ethereal Hall... Otherwise, I wouldnt have had you substitute me before entering the Hall of Gods, Zhang Xuan replied. He had never spoken his thoughts aloud, but that didnt hinder spections from arising in his mind. Since he doubted Kong shis intentions, why in the world would he entrust Luo Ruoxins pendant to the other partys hand? Luo Ruoxin had instructed him sternly to not take off the pendant no matter what happened. He wasnt so foolish as to hand it over just to bait Kong shi. You managed to fool Kong shi with a fake? the clone was slightly surprised. Even he was unaware of this matter. Zhang Xuan had kept this a secret from him as well. In fact, Zhang Xuan had never shared any information regarding Luo Ruoxin with him before. I was also perplexed about that as well. My guess is that he doesnt know where the pendantes from and what kind of strength it wields either, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said. To be honest, all he did was to ce his blood essence inside the fake pendant. He had fully expected Kong shi to see through it, but thetter simply took his word for it. Most likely, unlike the Library of Heavens Path, the Heavens Order that Kong shi possessed was unable to discern the authenticity and ws of objects. At this moment, a voice suddenly echoed in Zhang Xuans mind. Have you not noticed it? The person who spoke was Vicious, who had just reached Semi-Divinity realm through cultivating on the circr tform too. Noticed it? Zhang Xuan frowned. That fellow, he isnt the real Kong shi! Vicious replied. Chapter 2074 - 2074 The Use of the Altar 2074 The Use of the Altar Those words made Zhang Xuan frown. Their soul auras are identical, and hisprehension of battle techniques has reached the same level as Heavens Path battle techniques too. Zhang Xuan didnt want to believe the other party was the Worlds Teacher from the depths of his heart as well, but no matter how he looked at it, they were indeed the same person! It might be possible for someone to copy Kong shis soul aura, but surely there should be no way for one to copy thettersprehension of battle techniques as well? If not for his clones breakthrough and the aid of so many Semi-Divinity realm beasts and artifacts, victory might not have been theirs to im. To put it in other words, the other party was no weaker than him, who had cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art. If the other party wasnt the real Kong shi... honestly, Zhang Xuan could think of no one else who could be so powerful. Furthermore, he was unable to peer through the other partys real identity through the Library of Heavens Path as well. Other than someone who possessed the Heavens Order, who else could possibly conceal themselves before the Library of Heavens Path? I have crossed hands with Kong shi many times in my lifetime, so I know very well just what kind of person he is. Even though the person whom you have encountered earlier appears to be identical to Kong shi, I am certain that that fellow isnt him! If he was really Kong shi, theres no way your clones and tamed beasts would have been able to defeat him so easily! Vicious said. Those words immediately sent Zhang Xuan deep in thought. Back then, I captured a disciple of his quietly in order to lure him into a trap. He could have simply feigned ignorance so as to not put himself in danger, but he still charged right into my trap without any hesitation... Despite knowing that there was a real threat of death, he was still willing to charge forward bravely. He has been my nemesis for my entire lifetime, but at the same time, I respect him deeply for his character. Theres no way he would have did earlier! Vicious said. Furthermore, if what that fellow said is true, theres no way he would try to take your Heavens Imperfections when he already has the Heavens Order. He would be digging his own grave if he tries to acquire two fragments of the heavens at once! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Even the threat from a single fragment of the heavens was enough to put one in great danger. If Kong shi were to acquire the Heavens Imperfections on top of that, there was a good chance that he would end up being assimted by the heavens. But if the other party wasnt Kong shi, who else could he possibly be? Theres no point thinking so deeply into it. For the time being, I should focus on saving Du Qingyuan. She should know a little more about the matter... The altar had been taken away by Kong shi, so there was no reason for him to linger in the area anymore. Zhang Xuan quickly found the exit to the folded space and left this so-called headquarters of the Ethereal Hall, returning back to the Forsaken Continent. When he finally stepped through the passageway, he found that his surroundings were surprisingly familiar. He was floating in the midst of the ocean, and roughly two hundred li away, there was a towering pirthe Heaven Anchoring Boulder! Who could have thought that the headquarters of the elusive Ethereal Hall would actually be located so close to Heaven Anchoring Boulder? It was probably because none of the Six Sects had thought that such a thing would be possible that they had never tried checking the vicinity. Zhang Xuan quickly made his way over to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder and scaled to its peak. Just as he had expected, the Azure Bridge had already vanished, and the faraway Hall of Gods had disappeared into the depths of the dark sky, Sect Leader Zhang, you are fine? Seeing that Zhang Xuan had returned alive, Han Jianqiu, Kui Xiao, and the others were slightly stunned for a moment before heaving a deep sigh of relief. By the time the Azure Bridge retracted, Elder Hong Wu and the others, who had sessfully advanced to Semi- Divinity realm, had already returned back to the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. However, no matter how they waited, Zhang Xuan simply didnt appear. They thought that the young man had encountered some kind of danger and was gone for good, but who could have thought that he would appear from the bottom of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder instead of from the Azure Bridge? Its a long story. Where is Bai Xuansheng and Gu Zhuiyun? Zhang Xuan scanned the area and asked. Those two heads, who had defected to the Ethereal Hall, were nowhere to be seen on the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. They left hurriedly not too long after you have gotten onto the Azure Bridge. They didnt specify the details of where they are heading to, so we arent too sure either... Han Jianqiu replied. They left shortly after we got onto the Azure Bridge? From the looks of it, it seemed like those two, one way or another, found out that he had managed to kill the geniuses of their sects, so they made sure to escape in advance. Given that more than twenty hours had passed since then, it would be impossible to find them again now. Do you know what other ways there are to enter the Hall of Gods other than through the Azure Bridge? Zhang Xuan asked. The others shook their heads in response. If they knew, they wouldnt have to resort to waiting a hundred years for each opportunity. There must be other paths to the Hall of Gods other than the Azure Bridge, Zhang Xuan thought deeply. The fact that Kong shi was able to enter the Hall of Gods and massacre the Hall of Gods showed that he had a way of entering the Hall of Gods without going through the Azure Bridge. Just the fact that he appeared earlier to save him was an anomaly in itself. The Azure Bridge shouldnt allow anyone whose cultivation had reached Semi-Divinity realm and was over a hundred years of age to step onto it! But in any case, since the Azure Bridge had disappeared, there was no longer any point in remaining in the area. So, Zhang Xuan and the others quickly flew down the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. Before they could return back to the sea level, Wu Chen suddenly approached them. In order not to reveal his strength, he didnt scale to the top of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder together with the others. Instead, he had been standing guard here. Seeing Wu Chen, a thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, and he asked, Wu Chen, has Pce Master Du ever mentioned any other ways into the Hall of Gods other than the Azure Bridge? Han JIanqiu and the others might be unaware of the other possible routes, but Du Qingyuan might just have a clue. She has never mentioned anything like that before, Wu Chen shook his head. Zhang Xuan could only sigh helplessly. It seemed like he was pinning his hopes too much on Du Qingyuan. If thetter really knew that much, the Starchaser Pce should have long risen to an existence above the Six Sects. At the same time, it wouldnt have been so helpless when the Hall of Gods attacked it as well. Then... other than the Evanescent Boots, do you know any ways one could traverse through space? Zhang Xuan turned to Han Jianqiu and the others and asked. Now that he thought about it, Kong shi was wearing the Evanescent Boots when he traveled from the Hall of Gods back to the Ethereal Halls headquarters. Perhaps, the key to getting through the barrier left behind the gods and entering the Hall of Godsy in it. Traversing through space? Its said to be a feat which only gods are able to pull off. Han Jianqiu and the others replied. A feat that only gods are able to pull off? Zhang Xuan sighed deeply once more. If it was possible to reach the level of gods on the Azure, that Kong shi would have surely long achieved it. He wouldnt have to bother resorting to stealing his Library of Heavens Path. After been through the Azure Bridge, he realized that reaching the level of the gods didnt just bank on ones talents. Most likely, this world wascking in a certain quality that was required for one to make the final breakthrough. Without that quality, Semi-Divinity realm would be the invisible ceiling. No matter how much one cultivated, it would be impossible to ovee this limitation. Just as Zhang Xuan was still helpless as to how he could return back to the Hall of Gods and save Du Qingyuan, a voice suddenly sounded in the air, Actually, I think I know of a usible solution to do it... The one who had spoken was no other than Wu Chen. Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze over and said, Tell me about it. Wu Chen began speaking, Under normal circumstances, its indeed impossible to traverse through space. However, if you were to tap into the mysterious powers of a ritual, it might be possible to pull it off. That was also how Mdy managed to ovee two dimension barriers simultaneously back then! That answer made Zhang Xuan p his own face. How could he possibly have overlooked it when the answer had been right in front of him all along? In terms of oveing dimension barriers, what could possibly be more efficient than the rituals of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Even Luo Ruoxin, as the Spirit God, resorted to using such a method in order to traverse through the dimension barriers of the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent. Considering how he was using it to traverse through space in the same world, the difficulty should be much lower. Wu Chen pondered for a moment before adding on, However, such a method would require an altar on both sides. The trick is basically to establish a connection link between the two altars so as to send a person from the location of one altar to the other. Back when Zhang Xuan was on the Master Teacher Continent, while he was dealing with the copper-masked Qingtian Emperor, he used this trick in order to send people from one altar to the other. If thats the case, it might really be possible to pull it off... It could be possible for us to enter the Hall of Gods even without the Azure Bridge! Zhang Xuan said excitedly. He had no idea where Kong shi would escape to, but out of safety considerations, there was a good chance that he would return back to the safe Hall of Gods. If so, Zhang Xuan would be able to create a direct route to teleport him right over there. No matter what, it would be too dangerous to keep that Kong shi alive. Who could predict when thetter would make his next move against him? Lets head to the Starchaser Pce! Zhang Xuan instructed without any hesitation. Before long, Zhang Xuan was already in the Starchaser Pce, and Elder Jiang Yao was standing right before him. This is the altar I used in order to impersonate our pce master, Elder Jiang Yao said as she took out the altar, as well as the various offerings required to hold a ritual. As a close aide of Du Qingyuan, she knew a lot about the rituals of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It didnt take long for the offerings to burn up, and a unique aura drifted forth from the altar. Zhang Xuan quickly made his way to the top of the altar, waiting for the moment that he would be teleported to the Hall of Gods. However, even as all of the offerings were burned to cinders, he still remained standing on the same spot. The ritual didnt work. Elder Jiang Yao quickly tested it another time, but it didnt work out either. In the end, she shook her head and said, It seems like only our Guardian Artifact is capable of pulling off teleportation. The other altars can still be used for conducting minor rituals, but the more major rituals are beyond its capability... The altar that Kong shi had taken away was the Guardian Artifact of the Starchaser Pce. It went without saying that it wielded unique abilities. Considering how their goal was to transport a Heavenly High Immortal across a barrier created by the gods, they would definitely require something more than an ordinary altar. That wont work. Its very likely that the altar is in the Hall of Gods right now, Zhang Xuans posture slumped a little from disappointment. If that was the case, it would mean that their n of getting to the Hall of Gods through a ritual wouldnt work out. Young Master, I know where we can find an altar that could be used to hold the ritual. If we return to the Master Teacher Continent and bring the altar used by the Spirit Tribe over, I believe that we should be able to conduct the ritual fine, Wu Chen suddenly interjected. You are referring to the altar that you used to summon Pce Master Du back then? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Indeed. Given that the altar was able to bring Luo Ruoxin from the Azure to the Master Teacher Continent, even if it was not up to par to the Guardian Artifact of the Starchaser Pce, its effects should still be spectacr. If they could bring it over to the Azure to hold the ritual, it might just be possible to teleport him into the Hall of Gods! It was just that... The altar was still in the Master Teacher Continent, so how was he supposed to get it? Back then, Luo Ruoxin only managed to descend to the Master Teacher Continent through a ritual summoning her. Furthermore, despite being a god, her cultivation still plunged all the way to Saint realm as she fell to the Master Teacher Continent...Considering how he was only at Heavenly High Immortal realm at the moment, even if he knew that it was possible to use that altar, there was no way he could head down to the Master Teacher Continent. Thats right. And in fact... it might not be that difficult to return back to the Master Teacher Continent anymore too, Wu Chen said. Zhang Xuan immediately looked toward Wu Chen. When Mdy first descended to the Master Teacher Continent, the pathway between the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent was sealed. There was no route for her to get to the Master Teacher Continent, so she had no choice to barge her way through the dimension barrier. However, after the emergence of the Temple of Confucius, the spatial seal that blocked the passageway between the two worlds began eroding. In fact, when you were making your way over to the Azure, the passageway has already been re-established. As long as you return via the pathway you used toe here, it shouldnt be too difficult for you to head back down to the Master Teacher Continent... Chapter 2075 - We Are Here 2075 We Are Here Zhang Xuan nodded. Thinking about it for a while, there was indeed some truth to what Wu Chen was saying. The spatial passageway that linked the Master Teacher Continent to the Azure had been sealed by two things, namely the Temple of Confucius and the great formation in the Kunxu Domain that made use of the corpses of Kong shis direct disciples. Under normal circumstances, the passageway was so tightly sealed that it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was non-existent. However, when the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn emerged, the seal of the Temple of Confucius unraveled. That inadvertently weakened the seal in the Kunxu Domain, thus resulting in the deity being able to force his way into the Kunxu Domain. That was also how Zhang Xuan had managed to bypass the dimension barrier and enter the Azure. As long as he found the passageway once more, it would indeed be possible for him to return to the Master Teacher Continent. With the resilience of his current body, the spatial turbulence of the passageway was no longer able to affect him. However, it probably wont be too easy to find the entrance, Zhang Xuan said. Even if he knew the general location, it was likely that Kong shi had hidden it in some kind of folded space, making it incredibly difficult to find it unless he knew the exact location. After all, Kong shis very ability of Heavens Order granted him iparable skills in manipting space. It would indeed be difficult to find the entrance in the Azure, but Young Master, you should know where the entrance is from the Master Teacher Continents side, right? Wu Chen asked with a smile. Of course. Zhang Xuan nodded. It was in the Kunxu Domain, where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers resided. Since thats the case, we can always find a way tomunicate with the current Sovereign Chen Yong and have him hold a ritual. Through the power of the summoning ritual, well be able to find the entrance and return to the Master Teacher Continent, Wu Chen said. Yes, youre right! Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. That was indeed the most feasible n that they had at the moment. As for how we canmunicate with the incumbent Sovereign Chen Yong, that isnt an issue at all. Starchaser Pce should have a uniquemunication channel, Wu Chen added. So, Zhang Xuan quickly called Elder Jiang Yao and First Elder Zhao Yue over and filled them in on the details. After understanding what Zhang Xuan wanted to achieve, First Elder Zhao Yue replied, We do have a way tomunicate with the Master Teacher Continent. However, without an altar, well only be able to send messages over. Thats enough. This is the message that I want to send over to the current Sovereign Chen Yong. Tell him to hold the ritual a month from now, Zhang Xuan said as he sent a sliver of thought over. First Elder Zhao Yue sped her fist and said, Ill have it done right now! Starchaser Pce would oftenmunicate with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe of the Master Teacher Continent. It was their tight coordination that had allowed Luo Ruoxin to sessfully ovee the two dimension barriers one after another. After settling this issue, Zhang Xuan beckoned Wu Chen over and said, Lets go! Where are we going? Wu Chen asked in confusion. I was in the territories of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion when I first regained consciousness after reaching the Azure, so I believe that the location of the dimension passageway is in that area. This way, well be able to quickly make our way over once Sovereign Chen Yong conducts the ritual. Zhang Xuan was not too sure of the exact location of the dimension passageway, but the first ce he was at when he regained consciousness was in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions Xuanjiang City. If his guess was not wrong, the dimension passageway should be somewhere around there. With the exception of the Serpentine Dragon and the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Zhang Xuan left all of his tamed beast at Starchaser Pce. This way, if Kong shi attempted to attack while he was gone, they would at least have some forces to protect themselves. After this was done, Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen rode on the Serpentine Dragon and the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and quickly headed toward the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The Serpentine Dragon and Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix had reached the Semi-Divinity realm, and they were beasts that specialized in speed. Thus, riding on them was much faster than traveling on their own. Within just three days, they had already entered the territory of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Zhang Xuan had originally taken almost twenty days to make his way over to Starchaser Pce, but riding on the Serpentine Dragon, he took only three days. The speed that Semi-Divinity realm beasts were able to move at was frightening. We have finally arrived at Xuanjiang City, Zhang Xuan muttered. Putting the two tamed beasts back into his tamed beast sack, Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen made sure to conceal their cultivation before strolling along the wide streets of Xuanjiang City leisurely. A month had only passed since Zhang Xuan wasst there, so there had not been many changes on the surface. After Xue Gans death, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had nominated a new person to serve as the lord of Xuanjiang City. Have you heard? The friend which joined the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion together with Dan Xiaotian seems to be called Zhang Xuan as well! Wait a moment Are you saying that Dan Xiaotians friend has be the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Starchaser Pce, the Myriad Beasts Hall, and the Sevenstar Pavilion? Thats exactly what Im saying! My little uncles second aunts third cousins uncle is a menial disciple at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. I met him at the Ethereal Hall just yesterday, and he told me all about it personally! He said that the current sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is none other than Dan Xiaotians friend! If I recall correctly, hes only in his early twenties, right? Yet, hes already the head of four sects? My gosh, why is Dan Xiaotians luck so good? Thats exactly what I was thinking! I heard that Dan Xiaotian has already acknowledged Zhang Xuan as his teacher! He simply saved a random man off the streets, and that man eventually turned out to be the head of four sectsWow, I really want to go out there and start saving some people! Hahaha! You know, my neighbor, Zhang Yuanwai, really did just that! Inspired by the story, he recently picked up a few severely injured people off the streets and treated them, hoping dearly that the same thing would happen to them. So far, he has saved four girls and five boys, and all of them happen to be in theirte teens. I saw them when I visited their house, and hell, those girls are really gorgeous. Even the guys look valiant and dashing I was almost convinced that they would achieve great things in the future too! Oh? Hows their cultivation? I dont really know about that I heard that they are currently very feeble due to the severity of their injuries. It has been a few days since I visited my neighbor, so I dont know what thetest news is. Its probably impossible for them to be as talented and capable as Sect Leader Zhang Xuan, but I guess its still worth a try. Theres always that little chance that you might just luck out Well, I really should start walking around the area and help out those in need! Duh. If you keep yourself cooped up at home for heavens know what, youll never get around to achieving anything great! Such discussions could be heard in the vicinity. Hearing these vibrant conversations around him, Zhang Xuan could not help but smile a little. It was a wondrous feeling, returning to the leisurely pace of life after dealing with the Hall of Gods and all those troublesome issues. That being said, news seemed to spread really fast on the Forsaken Continent. It had been less than ten days since his inauguration, but even a remote ce like Xuanjiang City had already caught wind of the matter. Young Master, where are we heading to next? Wu Chen asked,pletely unaffected by the chatters around them. He was already used to it. It felt like the Young Master would naturally be the center of attention no matter where he went. It was that way on the Master Teacher Continent, and it seemed like it would be no different in the Azure. Well just wait around for the time being. I told First Elder Zhao Yue to instruct the Spirit Tribe to hold the ritual in a month, which is roughly equivalent to three days here. We should be receiving the summons soon. For the time being, lets find a quiet ce to rest, Zhang Xuan said. There was a 1:10 difference in the flow of time between the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent. A month on the Master Teacher Continent would roughly equate to three days here. Wu Chen took a look around the area before pointing in a certain direction. Why dont we head over to the mountain over there? Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Xuanjiang City was very close to nature. There was a river and a mountain range not too far away. So, the two of them left the city and scaled the mountain. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan took out arge handful of formation gs and nted them all around. The formation that he had set up was a Sensory Formation that he had specially designed on his way there. It was somewhat simr to the signal towers in his previous life. It served to locate and amplify the summoning energying from the altar on the other side so that he would be able to find his way around more easily. After setting up the formation, Zhang Xuan took out a halberd and nted it at the direct center of the formation. Then, he tied a ribbon around it. With a stomp of his foot, the formation whirred into action. The red string simply drooped downward quietly, not moving in the least. Lets just wait around. I reckon that the ritual hasnt started yet, Zhang Xuan said. It was impossible to sustain the ritual for too long due to the staggering amount of tributes one required. Furthermore, even if they were able to sustain the ritual for three days on the Master Teacher Continent, that would only equate to roughly seven hours in the Azure. As such, it was important for him to make preparations ordingly so that he could locate the spatial passageway as quickly as possible. Sitting quietly on the spot, Zhang Xan continued to work on the cultivation technique that he was developing for his breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. Meanwhile, in a spacious residence in Xuanjiang City, a youngdy with delicate features slowly opened her eyes. ?Young Miss, you are finally awake, a maid eximed in relief. Where is this ce? Where am I? The youngdy frowned slightly. She struggled to get up as she scanned her surroundings warily. The residence looked extremely foreign. It was unlike what she had seen before. You are in Xuanjiang City. Our Old Master, Zhang Yuanwai, saved you and brought you all here, the maid replied. You all? The youngdy was stunned for a moment before her eyes lit up in excitement. You found the others that were with me? Where are they? There are eight people with you. They are still unconscious at the moment, so weid them down to rest in the other rooms, the maid replied. All eight of them are here? The youngdy heaved a sigh of relief. She immediately struggled out of the bed and said, Quick, bring me to see them! This The maid felt that the youngdy was still a little too weak to be moving around, but the youngdy seemed to be very insistent on the matter. Thus, she carefully supported the youngdy out of the room. Barely after they walked out of the room, they saw that the severely injured, unconscious group of eight had all awakened, and they were currently standing in the courtyard. Senior Upon seeing the youngdy, all of them quickly sped their fists and greeted her. Un, lets take a seat over there, shall we? the youngdy said as she gestured for everyone to take a seat in the cooling gazebo. Its great that we managed to survive the ordeal, but our injuries are more severe than we thought. I took a look at my internal condition earlier, and there are signs of spatial tears in my body. Itll be hard for me to recover to full health without several years recuperation, the youngdy said grimly. Its the same for me. I guess we are all in the same plight The eight of them quickly checked their conditions, and they replied with solemn voices. Our teacher must have sustained the same injuries when he entered the Azure a year ago. I wonder if he has recovered from his injuries yet How should we go about looking for him? Knowing the conditions of her body, the youngdy could not help but mutter worriedly. Our teacher is a person of great capabilities. I believe that hell be fine, another youngdy in the group replied to her concerns. Indeed, our teacher is a person of great capabilities. The youngdy nodded in agreement. Wait a moment, I sense that something is amiss. There seems to be some difference between the flow of time in the Azurepared to that of the Master Teacher Continent, one of the young men in the group suddenly said with a deep frown. Theres a difference in the flow of time? The crowd was stunned by that remark. That young mans bloodline ability was rted to time, so he had exceptional innate sensitivity toward the temporalws of the world. Un. Give me a moment. Ill do a quick calction, the young man said as he closed his eyes. Roughly three minutester, he opened his eyes once more and said, Theres a difference of roughly ten times in the flow of time between the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent. In other words, a day in the Azure equates to ten days on the Master Teacher Continent! If Zhang Xuan was there, he would have surely recognized those nine people. They were the direct disciples whom he had taken in back when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent. Zhao Ya, Liu Yang, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Lu Chong, Wei Ruyan, Zhang Jiuxiao, and Kong Shiyao! It had been slightly more than a month since Zhang Xuan entered the Azure, and in the meantime, a year had already passed in the Master Teacher Continent. Within such a long period of time, everyone had managed to cultivate up to Ancient Sage 4-dan consummation, and they had found that they were not able to advance any further. On top of that, there was absolutely no news from their teacher, which stoked their worries. Eventually, they could not sit still. Thus, they gathered together in the Kunxu Domain to look for Kong Shiyao, and they decided that they would enter the spatial passageway and head to the Azure. The person whom everyone greeted as Senior earlier was naturally Zhao Ya, and the one who had noticed the time difference between the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent was Zhang Jiuxiao. A difference of ten times? In other words, it has only been roughly a month since our teacher arrived in the Azure? Zhao Ya remarked contemtively. If thats the case, its likely that our teacher hasnt recovered from his injuries yet. Perhaps he might even be in Xuanjiang City at this very moment! Chapter 2076 - Xuanjiang River 2076 Xuanjiang River They were well aware of their teachers talents. If he had a year or so, he would have surely been able to recover from his injuries and perhaps, he might have even made a name for himself too. However, considering the severity of the injuries caused by passing through the spatial passageway, it really seemed improbable for him to be able to walk out of Xuanjiang City within just the passing of a single month. Furthermore, they were in a brand new world. Back at the Master Teacher Continent, Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivators were existences who could make the world tremble with a single word. But here, they were mere fishes in a massive ocean. Un, let me find someone to ask about that matter! With this thought in mind, Zhao Ya turned to the maid not too far away and asked, May I trouble you to ry our wish to meet the Old Master? My juniors and I would like to express our gratitude to him! Yes, Young Miss, the maid replied as she left the area. Not too longter, a middle-aged man walked in with widened strides, and upon seeing the group of nine, he remarked in astonishment, You all have regained consciousness so quickly despite being so heavily injured? He didnt know much about medicine, but he had the physicians in the residence to specially take a look at them. Under normal circumstances, those who had sustained injuries to that extent would take at least several months before they could wake up. Yet, barely a few days had passed and they had all regained consciousness. It looked like there were more to them than he thought! Could it be that, just like Dan Xiaotian, his luck had arrived? We are extremely grateful to you for saving our lives! The nine of them stood up and sped their fists together. Youre too polite, Im just doing what any other person would have done, Zhang Yuanwai replied with a smile. After trading a few pleasantries, Zhao Ya got straight to the point, Our memories are currently a little befuddled due to the injuries we have sustained, so may I ask which power does Xuanjiang City fall under, and is there a Master Teacher Pavilion or anything simr here? Master Teacher Pavilion? Zhang Yuanwai blinked his eyes. Im afraid that I have never heard of something like that before. Then, he paused for a moment before replying to the first question, Xuanjiang City is under the jurisdiction of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, one of the Six Sects. One of the Six Sects? Indeed. The Forsaken Continent is ruled by the Six Sects, and they are namely the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall... Zhang Yuanwai began going into the details. The group of nine widened their eyes in realization. It seemed like they had really arrived on the Azure. This was clearly a worldpletely different from that of the Master Teacher Continent. Speaking of the Six Sects, something shocking happened just a few days ago! As Zhang Yuanwai began on that topic, he couldnt help but recall the various exciting news he had heard recently, such that he was slowly getting more and more into the conversation. Have you heard of the new hall master of the Myriad Beasts Hall, Zheng Yang? Zheng Yang? The group was stunned for a moment. Eight of the nine youths turned their gazes to the young man sitting amongst them. He shares the same name as me? Zheng Yang scratched his head awkwardly. Your name is Zheng Yang as well? Zhang Yuanwai was slightly surprised by the coincidence as well. A momentter, he burst intoughter and said, There are plenty of people who share the same name in the world! This is not a cause for concern at all! Given the scale of the Forsaken Continent, there must be at least thousands of people who were known as Zheng Yang here! I understand. Its just that Im slightly surprised to hear that such a powerful expert would share mymon name... Zheng Yang replied. Common? If you are talking about the most typical, run-of-the-mill name, theres probably no one who canpete with the new pavilion master of the Sevenstar Pavilion, Zhang Yuanwai remarked with a smile. Oh? A name thats even moremon than Zheng Yang? Just how horrible must it be for you to describe it as run-of- the-mill? Liu Yang chirped in as he nced at Zheng Yang yfully. Indeed. The pavilion master goes by the name of Liu Yang! Zhang Yuanwai said. ...Liu Yang. Seeing how the gazes of the youths had centered around the young man who had just spoken, Zhang Yuanwai realized that something was amiss with their expressions, so he asked, Whats wrong? Could it be that you dont find this namemon and run-of-the-mill enough? If you were to ask me, I think Liu Yang sounds a lot more awful than Zheng Yang. Do you all not agree? Ah, please dont misunderstand me. Its not that Im trying to insult your name, Brother Zheng. It was just a passing thought... Liu Yangs face darkened as he said, Well... I share the same name as the pavilion master. I am Liu Yang too. Zhang Yuanwai was stunned. Did he just pick up a den of sect leader impersonators? He looked at the nine youths before him and hesitated for a moment before asking carefully, Then... by any chance, are any one of you called Zhang Xuan? You know Zhang Xuan? Zhao Ya was stunned. Indeed. Theres no one on the Forsaken Continent who wouldnt have heard of this name, Zhang Yuanwai replied as a matter-of-factly. Hes the sect leader of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! The sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Zhao Ya and the others fell into deep thoughts. Could it be just another person going by the same name? Our teacher has only arrived here a month ago. How could he manage to be the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Even for our teacher, such a feat doesnt seem too likely... Zhang Yuanwai also mentioned earlier that the minimum requirement to bing the head fo the Six Sects is for ones cultivation to reach Heavenly High Immortal realm... Earlier, while they were chatting, Zhang Yuanwai also mentioned the various cultivation realms. He was unaware of the existence of the Semi-Divinity realm, but he still had some knowledge about the Pseudo Immortal realm, True Immortal realm, and High Immortal realm... In order to be the head of a sect, ones cultivation would have to be at Heavenly High Immortal realm at the very minimum. It was already a huge question whether their teacher would be able to recover from his injuries when he had only arrived a month ago, let alone advance his cultivation so far... Zhao Ya pondered for a moment before asking, Do you know how Sect Leader Zhang looks like? Hes a dashing young man, probably still in his early twenties. I had the honor of meeting him once. Speaking of that, he shares a deep fate with our Xuanjiang City. Around a month ago, our citys Dan Xiaotian found Sect Leader Zhang severely injured in the vicinity, so he brought thetter back to his house and treated him. Then, before anyone of us knew it, the news that he has be the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion began spreading all over the Forsaken Continent... As Zhang Yuanwai spoke of Zhang Xuans happenings, his eyes glittered in reverence, simr to how a hardcore fan would react when his number one idol was mentioned. Not only so, do you remember the Hall Master Liu Yang and Pavilion Master Zheng Yang I have mentioned earlier? I actually havent finished the story yet. The truth is that... they are all aliases of Sect Leader Zhang! To put it in other words, he is currently the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Sevenstar Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall, and Starchaser Pce right now! That is four out of the Six Sects! Do you know what that means? It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that hes currently the most powerful man in the world! Hes the head of four sects? The most powerful man in the world? In this instant, all nine of the youths were stunned. Wang Yings face was twitching. Zhao Ya was clutching her hair frenziedly. Yuan Tao had bitten his tongue but he didnt even realize it. At this point in time, no matter how slow-witted they could it, it was obvious that this Zhang Xuan was really their teacher! It was one thing for the various heads of the Six Sects to share their names, but surely it would be too much of a coincidence if a single man known as Zhang Xuan were to use their names as aliases... They were still thinking a moment ago that it was impossible for their teacher to fully recover from his injuries given that he had just arrived a month ago... They couldnt help but clutch their hearts tightly. Wasnt their teachers rate of cultivation impossible? To advance from Ancient Sage 4-dan to Heavenly High Immortal realm over the span of a single month, and that was not all... He even somehow managed to find the time to take on leadership positions in four of the sects, thus bing the most powerful man on the Forsaken Continent! It seemed like their teacher was still the same as ever. No matter how diligently they trained, he still remained a person whom they could only look up to. You are acquainted with Sect Leader Zhang? Seeing the dazed looks on the faces of the nine youths, Zhang Yuanwai sensed that something was amiss with the atmosphere, so he asked with a slight frown. If my guess is not off, I think that he might very well be our teacher... Zhao Ya said with an awkward smile. Your teacher... Zhang Yuanwai was taken aback by what he had just heard. Pardon me, but may I trouble you to bring us over to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? Zhao Ya asked. The group of nine asked a few more questions after that, and it didnt take long before they were confident that the so- called Sect Leader Zhang was indeed their teacher. Thats easy. Ill have it done right away! Zhang Yuanwai replied before rushing out of the room. He did harbor some doubts about the story of the nine youths, but if, by any chance, what they said turned out to be true, and that they were really Sect Leader Zhangs direct disciples, as their savior, he would surely be handsomely rewarded for his deeds! At the top of a mountain in the vicinity of Xuanjiang City, Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen waited for an hour before the red string on the halberd began floating up. It was pointing toward a certain direction. Zhang Xuan immediately rose to his feet. The direction which the red string was pointing toward was where, surprisingly, Xuanjiang River located. Its no wonder I was unable to find the entrance... Zhang Xuan had asked Dan Xiaotian where thetter had found him, and he had made sure to examine the ce earlier after he arrived at Xuanjiang City. However, he was unable to find anything there at all. In the end, it turned out that the entrance of that spatial passageway was actually in Xuanjiang River. The flow of water would mask the pulsations of spiritual energy that usually came from a formation. Considering the vastness of the river, if a formation was set up within it, it would indeed be difficult for even the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to notice it. Zhang Xuan quickly kept his formation gs and the halberd back to his storage ring before heading to the area where the red string was pointing toward. Without any hesitation, he leaped into the river and swam downward. Xuanjiang River was rather deep; its seabed was roughly a hundred meters below water level. Nevertheless, it didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to reach the bottom. However, a frown soon formed on his forehead. Based on his observation, everything within a diameter of several hundred li of him appeared to be perfectly normal. He couldnt sense any anomalies at all. Young Master... Wu Chen was unable to find anything as well, so he turned his head over to look at Zhang Xuan questioningly. Did something go wrong with the formation earlier, leading them to the wrong ce? Hold on for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. He pricked his finger with a tiny surge of sword qi and flicked out a droplet of his blood. Weng! With a resounding buzz, the silt that was deposited at the bottom of the seabed immediately rose up, revealing a stone door beneath. Zhang Xuan walked over and pushed on it gently. The stone door opened with a bit of resistance, revealing a dark passageway. Zhang Xuan was about to walk in when he saw Wu Chen looking at the stone door with a look of iprehension on his face. With a light chuckle, he exined, This passageway was sealed by Kong shi back then in order to prevent the mercury-like spiritual energy fo the Azure from leaking over. My bloodline is different from that of Kong shi, but as fellow Celestial Master Teachers, our powers still resonate to a degree with one another. Through my bloodline, I was able to activate the hidden formation. Otherwise, theres no way we would have been able to find it! In fact, the resonance wasnt just because they were Celestial Master Teachers. More importantly, both of them carried fragments of the heavens within them. It was just that Zhang Xuan didnt feel like sharing it with others. On the other hand, Wu Chen widened his eyes in realization. Heading down the passageway, it didnt take long for Zhang Xuan to arrive at a spacious hall. There were eight Ancient Sage 4-dan guards in the hall, and they were currently drinking with one another. Whats the difference between imprisonment and guarding this area? Its too boring! Boooorrrriiiinnnngggg! I heard that those living in the world on the other side are extremely weak... They are weak, but the entrance ispletely sealed. Theres no way we can head down there... The eight guards muttered as they gulped down their wine. They must be the guards Kong shi has dispatched to guard the passageway, Zhang Xuan thought as he listened to their conversation. He waved his hands lightly, and before the guards could even react, they had already turned into dust. They were only guarding this area under Kong shismands, but them lingering in this area would pose a huge threat to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Continent. Out of safety concerns, he had no choice but to get rid of them. With his current strength, he could easilypletely vanquish a persons existence from the face of the world. At the very center of the hall was a massive spiral. Surges of mercury-like spiritual energy were drawn into the spiral, disappearing into an unknownnd. The two doors by the sides of the spiral were inscribed with some sort of bizarre patterns. Taking a closer look, the patterns were rather simr to that of the Starchaser Pces altar. It seems like Kong shi was worried that someone would blockade the entrance, so he designed the formation to be so that anyone traveling to the Azure from the Master Teacher Continent would be teleported straight to a random ce near Xuanjiang City- Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Chapter 2077 - 2077 Returning to the Master Teacher Continen 2077 Returning to the Master Teacher Continen Due to these inscriptions, even though these gates looked like a door, if someone were to really pass through the spatial passageway, he would be silently transported to a random ce around Xuanjiang City. Otherwise, given how he had been unconscious when he passed through the spatial passageway back then, there was no way he would have survived after being caught by this group of people. This ce can only be activated with Kong shis and my bloodline, such that even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators wouldnt be able to find it either way. Yet, he still dispatched his subordinates here... Just who is he trying to guard against? Zhang Xuan was getting a little confused. The secrecy of the spatial passageway was definitely top-notch, even by the Azures standard. It was likely that Kong shi had designed it specifically in order to make sure that no one from the Azure would be able to find it. Even if someone were to find it, they would be unable to harm thoseing over from the Master Teacher Continent. Thus, it was contradictory for Kong shi to instruct his subordinates to guard the spatial passageway. It was as if he was trying to eliminate anyoneing over from the Master Teacher Continent. If that was really true, wouldnt that also mean that he was unable to read the inscriptions and didnt know that those who entered the spatial passageway would be randomly teleported away? It is very likely for what Vicious said to be true... That man is likely to be a fake Kong shi! Previously, he still harbored some reservations when he heard those words from Vicious, but at this moment, he was starting to see some sense to it. If the Kong shi he had faced was real, there was no way the other party wouldnt know about the various mechanisms he had installed in ce... unless the other party lost his memory one way or another, just like a certain little yellow chick. Thinking about the little yellow chick, a sigh escaped from Zhang Xuans lips. He had fed the unique aura of the Azure Bridge to the little yellow chick, but for some reason, thetter was unable to achieve a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm! He had tried all kinds of means to further its cultivation, but nothing worked at all. He was really unable toprehend just what were the criteria required for it to make a breakthrough. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan moved forward to check the condition of the spatial passageway. Seeing that it was still working fine, he took out the disguise amulet and used it to suppress his cultivation. At the same time, he turned to Wu Chen and said, Lets suppress our cultivation down to Ancient Sage 4-dan before entering the spatial passageway. Ancient Sage 4-dan was the limit of what the Master Teacher Continent could withstand. If it had been any other Semi-Divinity or High Immortal, even if they were to suppress their cultivation, they would still be rejected by the world if they attempted to descend to Master Teacher Continent. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had the disguise amulet whereas Wu Chen had the disguise method imparted to him from Luo Ruoxin. Using these to conceal their cultivation, they would be able to fool even the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent. After all, Luo Ruoxin also used the same method to enter the Master Teacher Continent back then. It was only because she revealed her true strength during the fight for the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn that she was eventually rejected by the heavens and was forced to leave the Master Teacher Continent. Entering the spatial passageway, Zhang Xuan saw the chaotic spatial currents raging in the surroundings. All kinds of spatial turbulence flew in his direction, threatening to slice him apart. Any other Ancient Sage 4-dan in his ce would have likely lost consciousness before long. However, both Wu Chen and Zhang Xuan were top-notch experts of the Azure. Even if they were topress their cultivation, they still had their powerful soul energy and physical body to protect them. As a result, the spatial turbulence striking on them dealt no damage at all. At the same time, their speed was also much faster than before. Previously, Zhang Xuan took half a month before he finally reached the other end of the spatial passageway, but this time around, he could also see the exit when he had only been traveling for less than two hours. A massive coffin was floating peacefully in the air, sealing the space around the exit. It had fused as one entity with the exit, sealing it off entirely. Zhang Xuan ced his finger lightly on it, and the formation immediately unraveled. He leisurely passed through the exit together with Wu Chen. The ring rays of the sun shone on his face. The familiar scent of the Master Teacher Continent tingled his nose. He had returned. Zhang shi! Barely after Zhang Xuannded on the ground, he heard a shouting from not too far away. Shortly after, Ancient Sage Yan Qing appeared before him. Over a year of absence, thetter had managed to advance his cultivation significantly. At the same time, he didnt look as feeble as before anymore. Un, Zhang Xuan nodded in acknowledgement. He turned his gaze to the side and saw someone standing before an altar, chanting endlessly. A furious me was zing atop the altar, emanating a sinister glow. This was the ritual that had guided their way back to the Master Teacher Continent. However, the person conducting the ritual was an unfamiliar face. Who is he? Wheres Liu Yang? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Wasnt the current Sovereign Chen Yong his direct disciple, Liu Yang? Why would the one conducting the ritual be an Otherworldly Demon whom he didnt recognize instead? This person over here is the new sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Chen Xiao. Hes Liu Yangs direct disciple, Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. Liu Yangs direct disciple? So, hes my grandstudent? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. It felt weird for him to have a grandstudent when he was only in his early twenties. Thats right, Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded. If he has be the sovereign of the Otherworldly Demon, then where is Liu Yang? Where are Kong Shiyao, Zhao Ya, and the others? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. He had told First Elder Zhao Yue to send a message down to the incumbent Sovereign Chen Yong to hold the ritual. Even though he didnt explicitly state that he was nning to descend to Master Teacher Continent, it was still very likely that Liu Yang and the others would be interested to watch the proceedings of the ritual to the Azure. Zhang shi, your nine direct disciples have entered the Azure through the passageway you took three months ago... Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied. They went to the Azure too? Zhang Xuan was stunned. If they entered the Azure three months ago, that would equate to roughly nine days in the Azure... Back then, he was at the Ocean of Exiled Stars teaching Elder Hong Wu and the others... Ill have to look for them after I return to the Azure... Zhang Xuan remarked with a deep sigh. Considering how they had left some time ago and that he didnt encounter them in the spatial passageway, it was very likely that they were already at Xuanjiang City. So, he decided not to think too much into the matter. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he suddenly spotted two silhouettes flying over hurriedly from the horizon. They were his parents, the Xingmeng Sword Saints! Xuan-er... Sword Saint Meng called out in agitation. Seeing that her son was fine, her eyes reddened slightly as she breathed out deeply, Im d that you are fine... The Azure was fraught with dangers. Ever since her son left for that ce, there had never been a single day that she didnt worry for him. There waspletely no news from him at all, and this had been weighing on her mind over the past year. It was only after seeing that Zhang Xuan was fine was she able to heave a sigh of relief. Seeing the Xingmeng Sword Saints, Zhang Xuan smiled gently and said, Mother and father, Im fine. His parents had managed to make significant breakthrough in their cultivation during his absence. They, too, had managed to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan. Zhang Xuan enquired about the current situation on the Master Teacher Continent. The Master Teacher Continent had been developing well, and the reforms Yang shi pushed for were being implemented well. As for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there hadnt been any problem ever since Liu Yang took over as the next Sovereign Chen Yong. There was still some tension, but the situation was peaceful. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had managed to lower the concentration of the mercury-like spiritual energy to a level where even human cultivators could absorb them without too much problem. At this rate, the chances of a war happening would keep lowering. Heading to the main hall where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers host its guests, Zhang Xuan saw a bunch of familiar facesthe head of the Luo n, the head of the Jiang n, Master Teacher Pavilions Yang Xuan... Just like the Xingmeng Sword Saints, their cultivation had reached Ancient Sage 4-dan. If those warriors blocking the spatial passageway were to attempt to invade the Master Teacher Pavilion once more, it was likely that they would simply get killed on the spot. They began chatting with one another to catch up with one another. Halfway through the conversation, Luo Xuanqing suddenly looked at him worriedly and asked, Zhang Xuan, did you see my younger sister while you were in the Azure? Your young sister? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Isnt Qiqi on the Master Teacher Continent? He had left alone back then, and it was certain that he hadnt seen Luo Qiqi anywhere on the Azure either! A year ago, shortly after you left for the Azure, she said that shell head there as well to look for you... Luo Xuanqing shook his head and sighed. Look for me? Did she enter the Azure through the spatial passageway as well? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Thats not it. She used the Dimension Silencer to break open the dimension barrier of the Master Teacher Continent, Luo Xuanqing replied. Zhang Xuan was stunned. With his current cultivation, he would be able to break open the dimension barrier as well. He was no longer that reliant on the spatial passageway to return back to the Azure anymore. However, the Luo Qiqi from a year ago, no matter how powerful she could have been, at the very most, she could only have been at Ancient Sage 4-dan. How did she manage to break open the dimension barrier of the Master Teacher Continent? Do you know why she called herself Qiqi? Luo Xuanqing suddenly asked this question. He knew that there was already a massive gap between the two of them, so his desire topete with the young man standing before him had already died down. All he hoped was for the young man to find his younger sister and take care of her. Isnt the reason why she called herself Qiqi because she has six older brothers in front of her? Zhang Xuan seemed to have recalled something like that before. Indeed. She has six elder brothers in front of her. I am in the sixth ce in terms of seniority, and my five elder brothers have all passed away! Given that the Luo ns standing and power on the Master Teacher Continent, dont you think that its weird that all five of my elder brothers have passed away prematurely? Luo Xuanqing asked. Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had indeed been a little curious about it back then, but he chose not to probe too deeply into the matter. Given the Luo ns standing on the Master Teacher Continent, even if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were tounch an assault, there was no way they would have been able to kill all five sons of the esteemed n head so easily! Its because of the Dimension Silencer, Luo Xuanqing suddenly said. Its an artifact that our predecessor acquired, and it harnesses an unbelievable amount of power within it. You should have heard about how my younger sister was able to assimte it shortly after her birth because of the sheer purity of her bloodline... That isnt entirely true. More than that, its because of my five elder brothers that she was able to do so! Back then, something triggered the Dimension Silencer, and it was on the verge of tearing open the dimension barrier and escaping. If that were to happen, the Luo n would slip from the position of the Three Premier Sage ns. In order to prevent the decline of the family, my five elder brothers sacrificed themselves and fed the Dimension Silencer with their blood essence before thetter finally calmed down. As a result of that, the spirit within the Dimension Silencer also slowly began awakening... and she eventually became the Qiqi you know of! Wait a moment, you are saying that Qiqi is actually the weapon spirit of the Dimension Silencer? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. The spirit slipped into my mothers womb, and my mother eventually gave birth to Qiqi. She is the spirit of the Dimension Silencer, but at the same time, theres no doubt that shes my younger sister as well. After all, her flesh and blood originate from our Luo n, Luo Xuanqing said. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. He had seen many different kinds of weapon spirits, and he had tamed many of them before. However, none of the spirits were able to leave the confines of their main body, and that applied to even Semi-Divinity artifacts too. Thus, it was inconceivable that the spirit of the Dimension Silencer was able to leave its body and reincarnate as a human. How did she tear apart the dimension barrier? How did you know that she was heading to the Azure? Zhang Xuan continued asking. Shortly after you left, her will to follow you to the Azure grew stronger and stronger. In resonance with her emotions, the Dimension Silencer emanated overwhelming energy that allowed her to ovee the limitations of Ancient Sage 4-dan. She reached an unfathomable level, which resulted in her being rejected by the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent. Eventually, she was squeezed out of the world together with the Dimension Silencer, Luo Xuanqing said. The experts of our Luo n did everything that we could, but we werent able to stop her from leaving... Zhang Xuan fell silent. That was also rather simr to how Luo Ruoxin left back then. They were squeezed out by the space of the Master Teacher Continent, a bit simr to a wooden log in the face of water. No matter how hard one pressed the wooden log down into the water, the moment the force was released, it would simply float back to the surface of the water. Given the situation, it was very likely that Luo Qiqi had been forced into the Azure. Alright, Ill take a look around when I return to the Azureter on. If I were to find her, Ill ry the news to the sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Zhang Xuan said. Chapter 2078 - 2078 Fraudsters 2078 Fraudsters Zhang Xuan made sure to jot the matter concerning Luo Qiqi in his mind. The Forsaken Continent was massive, but as the head of four sects, it still shouldnt be too difficult for him to uncover the whereabouts of an individual. After parting from Luo Xuanqing, Zhang Xuan chatted a while with Yang shi and the others to catch up with time before imparting to them the cultivation techniques and battle techniques he had newlypiled so that the Master Teacher Pavilion could share the knowledge with the world. Just like that, a day passed in a sh. The main reason why I returned this time around is to borrow the altar. There are still a lot of things I have to deal with back at the Azure, so I wont be staying here... Zhang Xuan knew that he was tight on time. So, after he received the altar, he called Wu Chen over. He was intending to break open the dimension barrier directly and return back to the Azure right away. At this moment, though, a voice suddenly cried out. Young Master, bring me with you! Sun Qiang rushed forward as he looked at Zhang Xuan with pleading eyes. Shortly after Zhang Xuan left, he swiftly realized that his indolence was going to cost him the opportunity to rise to higher grounds. He was made aware of the painful fact that he was no longer able to keep up with Zhang Xuan anymore. Thus, over the past year, he trained desperately. In view that he used to be Zhang Xuans butler, the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Zhang n also provided him with ample resources for his cultivation. Just like that, he actually managed to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan primary stage as well, just like the rest. You wish to head to the Azure as well? Zhang Xuan asked with a questioning frown. Yes, I wish to follow you! Sun Qiang replied in determination. He was aware of the fact that he was materialistic, and he enjoyed exploiting his influence and reputation as Zhang Xuans butler and an Ancient Sage. The respect and admiration that others showered him with swelled him up with pride. But for some reason... he felt as if something was missing, leaving him with an odd feeling of emptiness inside. Those should have been the things that he desired all his life. But now that he had acquired it all, he found himself reminiscing about the old days. Remembering those exciting days where he confidently berated experts far beyond his league made his heart thump with excitement He realized that those were actually the golden days of his life, and he missed them dearly so. He didnt want to limit himself to a boring life in this small world. He wanted to follow the Young Master. He knew that only then would he be able to experience the vibrant life he had before! We are intending to break open the dimension barrier directly to enter the Azure. Its too dangerous for you at the moment, and I dont have the confidence that Ill be able to protect you like this. However, if you really wish to follow me, you can enter the Azure through the spatial passageway. Here are some medicine. Swallow them before you enter the spatial passageway; they should heal your injuries and prevent you from losing consciousness! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a bottle of chicken soup and a protective artifact before passing them over to Sun Qiang. Then, he looked at Sun Qiang and said, After you arrive at the Azure, head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and report my name. Someone will bring you to me. The pressure of passing through the dimension barrier directly was extremely great, such that it was unlikely for even an Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivator to survive the journey. Sun Qiang nodded his head in agitation. After dealing with everything that he had to, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly released the seal on his cultivation, causing a resounding echo in the air. Following that, he felt the entire world rejecting his existence. An unknown force was trying to push him out of the world. Hu! Zhang Xuan allowed the force to push him out without resisting. In a few moments, he was already out of the Master Teacher Continents dimension barrier. However, the danger wasnt over yet. Amidst the space in between the two worlds, Zhang Xuan could see spatial turbulence raging in his direction, threatening to rip him apart. He quickly drove his zhenqi to form a protective barrier around him so as to ward off the spatial turbulence. At the same time, he allowed the force of rejection from the Master Teacher Continent to continue propel him forward. Soon enough, light returned to his sight. With a slight shake, he was squeezed out of the void andnded in the air right after Xuanjiang City. We were indeed able to return easily, Zhang Xuan remarked with a light chuckle. He turned to look at Wu Chen, and thetter seemed to be a little surprised by the matter as well. From the looks of it, it seemed that even though moving from a stronger world to a weaker world was extremely difficult, returning back to a stronger world from a weaker world was much easier inparison. They had to rely on Luo Ruoxins disguise amulet and disguise art in order for them to conceal themselves from the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent. Otherwise, if they were to just suppress their cultivation, there was no way they could have fooled the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent. They would have likely been pushed out before they could even enter the world. Let me first take a look around to see if Zhao Ya and the others are still around... Zhang Xuan said as he extended his consciousness all around Xuanjiang City. At his level of cultivation, as long as he willed so, he could even sense the slightest flutter of ones eyshes all over Xuanjiang City. They are there! A momentter, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He was worried that his direct disciples would have already left Xuanjiang City given that it had been nine days since they arrived. He was d to see that they were still around. However, he also realized that the residence they were in was preparing aerial beasts. It looked like they were preparing to set off. So, Zhang Xuan quickly headed over without any hesitation. Zhang Yuanwai, why are you in such a hurry to borrow my aerial beasts? Is there something that you need to do? A pot-bellied middle-aged man walked over and looked at Zhang Yuanwai doubtfully. There werent too many ns in Xuanjiang City who had the power and wealth to rear aerial beasts, but the middle- aged man, Wu Jiangcheng, happened to be one of them. After the downfall of the Xue n, the aerial beasts of his n became the strongest and fastest ones of the entire city. It was for this reason that Zhang Yuanwai paid a visit to him in hopes of borrowing his aerial beast. Do you remember the group of youths whom I have saved? Zhang Yuanwai asked with a smile. I remember that. Are you going to try your luck just like Dan Xiaotian? Wu Jiangcheng asked with a chortle. Dan Xiaotians encounter was one-of-a-kind. No one could hope to emte what he had done. After all, there could only be a single Sect Leader Zhang Xuan in the world. Surely someone like Zhang Yuanwai wouldnt be so naive as to think that he would strike gold just by saving a couple of people off the streets? How could something that good happen so easily? If that was the case, he wouldnt bother doing anything anymore. He would simply devote his time to saving people out there! To be honest with you, I think thatdy luck really shone on me this time around... Zhang Yuanwai replied with a mysterious smile on his lips. He was on good terms with Wu Jiangcheng, so he had no intentions of hiding the matter from the other party. Is it? Wu Jiangcheng was slightly surprised to hear those words from Zhang Yuanwai. Dont tell me that you have saved a sect leader or an elder... Even if you want to joke with me, there should be a limit to it! There cant be that many sect leaders or elders who are in a dire situation in the world! Haha, of course not! You are thinking too much into it! Zhang Yuanwai looked around him warily before leaning closer toward Wu Jiangcheng. Ill only be telling you this. The nine people whom I have saved are actually... the direct disciples of Sect Leader Zhang Xuan! The direct disciples of Sect Leader Zhang Xuan? Hahaha! You really are good at kidding around! Wu Jiangcheng burst outughing. Sect Leader Zhang Xuan is the head of four sects, the strongest man in the world. There are countless people in the world who desire toe under this tutge... Just walk around the streets and you will easily find a handful of people who want to be his student, and some might even go to the extent of proiming that they had learned something from him before... Are you sure you want to take those words for real? Just a few days ago, I caught a horse from the wilderness, and that fellow actually used his hooves to write out that hes a student of Sect Leader Zhang Xuan! Even a horse is doing that too? Zhang Yuanwai was stunned. Indeed! Its not that I want to shatter your dreams, but you really shouldnt pin your hopes on this. Its almost guaranteed that those youths you have captured are trying to scam your money, and only a fool like you will fall for their tricks... Wu Jiangcheng harrumphed. Just think about it. As the head of four sects, who would dare to offend Zhang Xuans direct disciples and injure them? And how could it be so coincidental that all of them would be saved by you as well? Its obviously a nned scheme! Zhang Yuanwai was rendered speechless. There was so much sense to what Wu Jiangcheng was saying that he had no idea how to refute the other partys words. Thinking back, the only evidence he had regarding their im that they were Zhang Xuans disciples came from their words... and it was too easy to spout falsehoods from ones mouth. Could he have really been scammed? Aiyo, lets head over to meet them together. Ill expose the true faces of those liars for you! Seeing the conflicted look on his good friends face, Wu Jiangcheng tucked in his tummythough it didnt make much of a differenceand spoke vehemently. Ill be troubling Brother Wu then... Zhang Yuanwai heaved a sigh of reli He quickly led the way to the courtyard where Zhao Ya and the others were residing in. You are the ones who im to be Sect Leader Zhang Xuans direct disciples? Upon arriving in the courtyard and seeing a bunch of feeble-bodied young men, Wu Jiangcheng was even more convinced of his thoughts, and he sneered coldly. On the other hand, Zhao Ya and the others swiftly sensed Wu Jiangchengs hostility, and a slight frown appeared on their faces. Every single one of them were existences who could make the Master Teacher Continent tremble with a stomp of their foot. As such, they were displeased to see someone acting so disrespectful to them when it was only their first meeting. Why arent you saying anything? Wu Jiangcheng looked at the frowns on their faces and scoffed. Do you know whats the crime for impersonating Sect Leader Zhang Xuans direct disciples? Putting aside heading to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, if I were to just report you to the city lord right away, the nine of you will be immediately thrown to the jail! Those words caused the hot-tempered Yuan Tao to take a step furiously. The others were also ring at Wu Jiangcheng coldly, as if they were going to pummel his head into the ground. Afraid that they would reallye to blows, Kong Shiyao stood forward and sped her fist, We arent impersonators. Zhang Xuan is indeed our teacher. Who doesnt know how to spout a couple of words from their mouths. Do you have any evidence to prove the matter? Wu Jiangcheng sneered. Kong Shiyao fell silent. It was impossible to bring their storage rings or anything else with them through the spatial passageway, so they had nothing that could prove their identity with them at the moment... Furthermore, even if they could bring it out, there was no way the other party would be able to recognize it either way! Did cat get your tongue? Why arent any of you talking anymore? With a grand wave of his hand, Wu Jiangchengs voice suddenly became much louder and sharper, How dare you try to impersonate Sect Leader Zhang Xuans direct disciples? Just what gave you the audacity to do something as ridiculous as this? We really are Zhang Xuans direct disciples, Kong Shiyao frowned in displeasure. Enough! Im not like Zhang Yuanwai, who would easily fall for your lies. If you are really Sect Leader Zhang Xuans direct disciples, I would be his teacher then. Men! Wu Jiangcheng harrumphed coldly. With a raise of his hand, he beckoned for his subordinates to capture these fraudsters and bring them over to the City Lord Manor. But at this moment, a faint voice echoed in the air, You said that you are my teacher? Why dont I know about it? Who is it? Taken aback, Wu Jiangcheng quickly raised his head, only to see two figures floating quietly in the air. One of them was gazing downward with a faint smile on his lips. Sect Leader Zhang Xuan... Wu Jiangchengs body stiffened up on the spot. His knees knocked together from fear, and he nearly fainted on the spot. He watched Dan Xiaotians court proceedings at the City Lord Manor back then, and there, he had the honor to meet Sect Leader Zhang Xuan in person. The person above him shared the same appearance as Sect Leader Zhang Xuan, and the very fact that he was flying in the sky meant that he was at least a High Immortal... If so, there wasnt much to be said about the other partys identity... Teacher! Contrary to Wu Jiangchengs shock, upon seeing the figure in the sky, the eyes of Zhao Ya and the others reddened, and they quickly kneeled onto the ground. Un, it has been hard on you all... Seeing how far his direct disciples had grown in his absence, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. With a wave of his hand, he passed nine jade bottles to them. Drink it. Yes, teacher! The nine of them gulped down the chicken soup inside the bottles, and in the next moment, they felt incredible energy washing through their meridians. In just a few moments, their injuries had already vanished. This... They are all Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivators? Wu Jiangcheng and Zhang Yuanwai nearly passed out from shock. This was especially so for Wu Jiangcheng. He really wanted to burst into tears at this very moment. Even the city lord, the most powerful man in Xuanjiang City, was an Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivator. Yet, these young men and women had actually reached that level as well... It was fortunate the Sect Leader Zhang came in time. Otherwise, given what he had just said, these nine youths would have surely wrangled his neck out of rage! Chapter 2079 - 2079 Zhang Xuan Creates a Cultivation Technique 2079 Zhang Xuan Creates a Cultivation Technique Zhang Xuan looked at his direct disciples intently. It was only a month for him, but it had been more than a year for them. He could see hints of maturity and determination on their youthful faces. At the same time, they had also advanced their cultivation significantly too. They hadnt let him down on his teachings. Lets go! With a wave of his hand, all nine of them flew into the air simultaneously. Zhang Xuan touched his tamed beast sack with his finger lightly, and the Serpentine Dragon materialized in the air. It grew along with a powerful gale, and in the blink of an eye, it was already more than a hundred meters long. Zhang Xuan and his disciples quickly got on top of it. A Pseudo Dragon? Such a lifeform actually exists in the world? Innumerable people of Xuanjiang City saw the appearance of the dragon. From the initial shock, they quickly kneeled onto the ground one after another, not daring to raise their heads. Pseudo Dragons had only appeared once in the history of the Forsaken Continent. It was expected that it would cause such a huge impact when it appeared once more. Pseudo Dragon... Wu Jiangcheng felt even more like crying. The appearance of this being reinforced the fact that it was indeed the most powerful man of the Forsaken Continent right in front of him. He actually had the guts to question the other partys direct disciples, not to mention, he even audaciously imed that he was the other partys teacher! At this rate, he really should just find a brick and knock himself out with it! Wu Jiangcheng trembled in fright, fearing that Sect Leader Zhang Xuan would harbor a grudge against him for his insolent behavior earlier. At this moment, the voice in the air continued sounded once more, Zhang Yuanwai, you have my gratitude for saving my nine direct disciples. As long as your descendants arrive at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion with this token in hand, you can be assured that they would be entitled to the top resources of our sect. A token fell from the air andnded quietly atop Zhang Yuanwais palm. Thank you, Sect Leader Zhang! Zhang Yuanwai bowed deeply in gratitude. This token was pretty much a token of invulnerability in Xuanjiang City. No power or n would dare to provoke him. At the same time, once he sent the descendant he had chosen to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion with the token, it was guaranteed that his n would rise to greatness. Understanding the deep significance behind the token, Zhang Yuanwai clutched onto it tightly with his fingers as he raised his head. However, he found that there was nothing in the sky anymore. The Pseudo Dragon had disappeared along with the others. Kindness goes around in a circle. I must do more good deeds and generate more positivity in the world, Zhang Yuanwai thought as he kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed deeply. It was true that he had saved those nine with ulterior motives in mind, but to be honest, he didnt expect to be repaid like this. After all, even he knew that the chances of what that had happened to Dan Xiaotian happening to him were extremely slim. Yet, it still happened in the end. He didnt think that he would be rewarded in such a manner. Brother Zhang, you have really changed your fate. Everything will be different from today onward, Wu Jiangcheng remarked in envy as he looked at his food friend. Just the favor of having saved Sect Leader Zhangs direct disciples was enough to pave his way to greatness. My luck was really good. However, I think whats more important is for us to view the world is kindness and do more good deeds, Zhang Yuanwai smiled. To celebrate his fortuitous encounter, Zhang Yuanwai hosted a banquet that night, and of course, Wu Jiangcheng joined in the festivities as well. But as he returned home from the night banquet, he couldnt help but sigh deeply. It feels like I have gotten too caught up with vying for power and wealth in this world that I started viewing the world with skepticism. I forgot about the core that makes me human... Wu Jiangcheng remarked with a bitter smile. He couldnt help but recall how his first response after hearing Zhang Yuanwais words was utter skepticism. He didnt think that his skepticism was unjustified, but it felt like he had lost the trust for the world that he did in the past. Perhaps, it was time for him to make a change? Putong! While he was deep in thoughts, a dull thud echoed in the bushes not too far away. rmed, Wu Jiangcheng turned his head over and saw a fatty lying on the ground. The fattys head was filled with dry grass. That friend over there, are you fine? Wu Jiangcheng quickly rushed over to help the fatty. On the other hand, the fatty rubbed the back of his head and he leaped to his feet. With a hint of wonderment on his face, he asked, Is this the Azure? Azure? Wu Jiangcheng blinked his eyes nkly. Since you are from the Azure, have you ever heard of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? the fatty asked. I have heard of it, Wu Jiangcheng nodded in a daze, unsure of what the fatty was getting at. Wonderful! Our Young Master is currently serving as the sect leader there. I need you to bring me over to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. As long as I can find our Young Master, you can be assured that youll be handsomely rewarded for your service, the fatty patted off the dust from his robe as he looked at Wu Jiangcheng with his head tilted upward. Your Young Master is serving as the sect leader? Could it be that... Wu Jiangchengs pupils dted to round circles. Are you rted to Sect Leader Zhang Xuan? Thats right! I am Sect Leader Zhangs butler! the fatty replied proudly. This fatty was Sun Qiang, who had entered the Azure through the spatial passageway. He had taken some time to pass through the spatial passageway, but due to the time difference, it had only been several hours on the Azure. As he had consumed the chicken soup Zhang Xuan had given to him, he managed to ovee the spatial turbulence without any trouble. With his Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivation perfectly intact, he would definitely be considered as a powerhouse in Xuanjiang City. You are Sect Leader Zhangs butler? Wu Jiangcheng was still unable toe to terms with the current situation. That doesnt seem right. I have heard of Sect Leader Zhangs butler, and he is an ex-bandit named Cao Chengli. I dont recall Cao Chengli being such a plump individual... Cao Chengli? It looked as if Sun Qiangs world had suddenly copsed. With a pained expression on his face, he clutched his chest and eximed to the sky, Young Master, it has only been a single month and you have already reced me with someone new! I, Sun Qiang, will not ept this! Hmph, where the heck is that Cao Chengli? Ill go castrate him this instant! Wu Jiangcheng. While Sun Qiang was raging at the fact that someone had reced his role, Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples had just arrived at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Teacher! Dan Xiaotian rushed forward to greet Zhang Xuan. Un. These are your seniors over here, Zhang Xuan looked at Dan Xiaotian and gestured. After that, he turned to Zhao Ya and the others and said, This youngd over here is a disciple whom I have taken in here, Dan Xiaotian. Junior, you have our deepest gratitude for having saved our teacher! Along the way, Zhao Ya and the others had heard about their teachers happenings after he had arrived at the Azure. If not for Dan Xiaotian saving their teacher at the very start, it was hard to tell how their teacher would have been right now. So, the nine of them bowed deeply to Dan Xiaotian in order to express their gratitude. Seniors, theres no need for this! Please, you are too polite! Astonished, Dan Xiaotian quickly bowed again and again in a fluster to the seniors as well. Here are some Superior Immortal Pills and cultivation technique manuals. I have designed the cultivation techniques specifically to suit each of your constitutions. Cultivate them and aim to reach High Immortal as soon as possible so that you can lend me a hand too! Zhang Xuan said as he took out a couple of pills and jade tokens. Given his current identity, he had nock of cultivation resources at the moment anymore. If he willed so, he could easily gather hundreds of Superior Immortal Pills. After receiving their teachers bestowment, the crowd quickly left for their own amodations so that they could start cultivating. Zhao Ya and the others possessed great potential, and that allowed them to advance their cultivation swiftly as well. Soon after, Bai Ruanqing returned back to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well. She had been out on a mission together with her grandfather earlier. At this very moment, her cultivation had already reached Heavenly True Immortal realm. She was only a step away from reaching High Immortal realm. Zhang Xuan imparted his modified High Immortal realm cultivation technique to her and instructed her to raise her cultivation swiftly. After dealing with the affairs concerning his students, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to leave with Wu Chen. Instead, he looked for a silent chamber and began cultivating. He had managed to acquire the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes altar, which meant that he could conduct a ritual and teleport over to where the Starchaser Pces altar was. However, he didnt think that the timing was right yet. Putting aside Kong shi, the Hall of Gods had plenty of experts in their ranks. Furthermore, they were bound to have some trump cards at their home ground too. If he wanted to save Du Qingyuan and solve all trouble, he would definitely have to raise his cultivation to Semi-Divinity realm at the very least. Only then would he be able to fight on equal grounds with Kong shi and save Du Qingyuan. However, he didnt have a proper cultivation technique for that yet. He would have to forge his own path if he wanted to reach greater heights in the future. It was just that creating ones own path was no easy feat. Zhang Xuan had already immersed his consciousness in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn for many days so far, but he still had no directions as to where he should focus on at all. Hu! Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan brought his consciousness into the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn as well, and he began contemting over all of the insights he had received over thest few days. Slowly, he got into a state of deep concentration. As someone who has cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, my body wont be able to practice cultivation techniques that are too inferior. Putting aside whether an inferior cultivation technique would be able to spur the growth of his exceptionally powerful cultivation and body, even if it was able to, it wouldnt raise his fighting prowess by too much. Thus, I cantpromise too much. Even if the cultivation technique I have created wont be able to reach the level of Heavens Path Divine Art, it must at least be close to that level! This was also Zhang Xuans bottom line as well. If he was going to do it, he was determined to do it to the best of his abilities so that he wouldnt have any regrets in the future. Kong shi said that he hasprehended the Heavens Order whereas I haveprehended the Heavens Imperfections. The more often I use my Library of Heavens Path, the more reliant I would be on it. Eventually, I would be assimted by the heavens... Zhang Xuan pondered. Granted that those words were spoken by the enemy, even after he pondered over the matter, he still thought that there was a high possibility that it was the truth. Simr to the Celestial Master Teacher, the power of the heavens definitely granted him incredible growth. However, if he wanted to surpass the heavens, he would have to eventually sever his connection with it. Otherwise, his reliance on the heavens would eventually cap his growth, causing him to eventually stagnate. Heavens Order and Heavens Imperfections, I wonder what else there are... As thoughts filled Zhang Xuans mind, he gradually lost track of time. Regardless of whether he was reliant on the Heavens Path Divine Art or not, it was a fact that it would be more and more difficult for him to gather cultivation technique manuals as his cultivation advanced. Besides, he couldnt allow the grayish gaseous substance to continue growing either, or else he would eventually be a puppet of the heavens! Thus, he knew that he had no other choice but to embark on this route. For three days straight, he sat motionlessly on the same spot, not eating or drinking at all. Three days in the Azure equated to roughly three hundred days in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Unknowingly, almost a single year had already passed for Zhang Xuan. Within this single year, Zhang Xuan didnt rest a single wink. His exhaustion had caused his eyes to turn scarlet. If not for the fact that his cultivation had reached Heavenly High Immortal realm, he would have already suffered a breakdown by now! This doesnt work... This isnt working either... Just a bit more... Why am I always off by just a bit! Just like that, another seven days passed in the Azure. In this period of time, Zhang Xuan hade up with at least ten thousand possible ingenious cultivation technique manuals, but they were either infeasible for his current body or that there was still somethingcking with it that he was dissatisfied with. Eventually, he had no choice but to give up and return his consciousness to his physical body. It had only been ten days in the real world, but he had already spent nearly three years in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Working intensely throughout this period of time had left his mind deeply withered. He felt desperate. If he couldnt create a cultivation technique, he wouldnt be able to achieve a breakthrough. And if he were to head to the Hall of Gods in his current state, he would only be courting his own death. Sighing deeply, he walked out of the silent chamber to first deal with the matters he had at hand. He quickly found one of the elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and asked, How is the search going on? Have you found her yet? After returning from the Master Teacher Continent, he had the elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to inform the Sevenstar Pavilion, Myriad Beasts Hall, and Starchaser Pce to look into Luo Qiqis whereabouts. Considering that ten days had passed, they should have some results by now. Chapter 2080 - 2080 The Heavens Would Have Withered If They Had Feelings 2080 The Heavens Would Have Withered If They Had Feelings Sect Leader Zhang, the four sects have dispatched several hundred thousand disciples tob through all of the cities in the Azure, but no one has seen or heard of Miss Luo Qiqi! the elder sped his fist and replied. Theres no news at all? Zhang Xuan frowned. Since Luo Xuanqing said that Luo Qiqi had ovee the dimension barrier of the Master Teacher Continent to ascend to a higher world, there should be a good chance that she hade here... So how could there be no news on her at all? Zhang Xuan trusted thepetency of the informationwork of the four sects. If they werent able to find her within ten days, there was indeed a good chance that she wasnt on the Azure then... If she didnte to the Azure after ascending from the Master Teacher Continent, where else could she be? Ill have to think about this matter carefullyter on... Zhang Xuan thought. There was nothing he could do about this matter at the moment, so he shook his head and headed to where his disciples were cultivating. Over the past ten days, his disciples had made great advancements. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others had managed to reach True Immortal realm within this period of time. Even Yuan Tao, who tended tog behind the others, managed to reach Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm. As for Bai Ruanqing, she had sessfully achieved a breakthrough to High Immortal realm, making her one of the strongest experts in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion of her generation! Seeing that they were cultivating diligently, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, with a heavy heart, he began trudging his way back to the silent chamber to go into seclusion once more when he suddenly heard amotion not too far away. Young Master, you must redress my grievances! I, your beloved Sun Qiang, has been apanied you for so many years. We have been together since our time in Tianxuan Kingdom! You cant possibly be thinking of recing me with this darned bandit, right? A particrly exaggerated exmation sounded in the distance as a fatty ran into the courtyard. It went without saying that this fatty was Sun Qiang. Over the past ten days, he had managed to make his way from Xuanjiang City to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. With Zhang Xuans weapon serving as a symbol of his identity, it wasnt too difficult for him to gain entry. And s, he eventually had his fated meeting with the bandit Cao Chengli. The two of them proimed themselves as Zhang Xuans one and only butler, and the argument got so heated that they even came to blows with one another. While Cao Chengli was an expert of the Azure, his cultivation had also only reached Ancient Sage 4-dan too, which was roughly the same level as Sun Qiang. As a result, the battle was inconclusive. However, none of them was contented with leaving things just like that. So, when they heard that Zhang Xuan hade out of seclusion, they immediately ran over godspeed. Young Master, this fellow popped out of nowhere and imed that he is your butler. Not only so, he even dared to make a move on me! Cao Chengli was a feisty man who wouldnt back down in the face of an argument. The already exhausted Zhang Xuan felt like his head was ringing from all of the shouting going on. He waved his hands in irritation and said, Its just a mere butler position, is there a need for the two of you to fight like that? Dont you find it embarrassing? Things arent as simple as that! As a butler, we must be sharp on our feet in order to tend to our Young Masters every need. Too many soups would only spoil the broth! If we were toe to a disagreement as to what to do, who should we listen to then? Sun Qiang eximed indignantly. Young Master! I have followed you for so long, and I dare say that theres no one in this world who knows you better than I do. Theres no way this half-baked rascal who popped out of nowhere will be able to service you better than I do! You... Cao Chengli gritted his teeth in fury. Young Master, this fellow is obviously unreliable with just a single nce! As a butler, we have to make sure to keep the big picture in mind so that we can share your burden. I dont believe that this fellow is up to the task at all! Seeing how these two were bickering with one another yet again, Zhang Xuan could only rub his be to ease his pulsing headache. To be honest, he really didnt want to choose between either of them at all! Sun Qiang was a darned braggart down to his bones. No matter what he was faced with, regardless of what kinds of troubles that would ensue as a result of his actions, his topmost priority was always to satisfy his desire to brag first... With that fearless character of his, there was no doubt that he would bring him a lot of trouble in the future. On the other hand, the bandit Cao Chengli was a person driven by his lower body. Satisfying his lust seemed to be his top priority, making him an even more unreliable person than Sun Qiang. Sigh! He would have never thought that someone as reliable like him would end up taking these two troublemakers as his butler... And to make things worse, these two fellows were even bickering over this position at this moment! Unable to take the noise any longer, Zhang Xuan eventually cried out, Enough! Sun Qiang shall be my butler, understood? If he really had to choose between these two, Sun Qiang was definitely the more reliable one. At the very least, that fatty had never disappointed him when it came to information gathering and uncovering mary opportunities. B-but I... Cao Chengli immediately panicked upon hearing that verdict. Ill task you with the responsibility of taking care of Dan Xiaotian and my other direct disciples instead, Zhang Xuan said. A momentter, he quickly added, Know that Ill hold you responsible if any of them were to go astray! Considering how hot-blooded Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others were, it would really be tough if Cao Chengli were to lead them astray! Yes, I understand! Cao Chengli quickly nodded his head. At the current moment, he was only d that the Young Master wasnt trying to drive him away. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment longer before he turned to Sun Qiang and instructed, Since you are here, I need you to look into Qiqis whereabouts. Based on what I have heard, she should have already arrived in the Azure. Miss Qiqi is in the Azure too? Sun Qiang was slightly surprised to hear the news. He quickly patted his chest confidently and said, Young Master, leave it to me! As soon as she appears, Ill bring her over to you! Good! Zhang Xuan nodded. He felt a lot more assured entrusting this task to Sun Qiang. As an ex-businessman, Sun Qiang was exceptionally capable atworking in order to get things done. After being entrusted with the job, Sun Qiang didnt leave right away. Instead, after hesitating for a brief moment, he finally asked, Young Master, I hope you dont me me for probing too much into your affairs, but Miss Qiqi has really done a lot for you... Do you really feel nothing for her at all? As someone who was probably the closest to Zhang Xuan in his days at the Master Teacher Continent, Sun Qiang was well aware of Luo Qiqis feelings toward Zhang Xuan. For Zhang Xuan, she was willing to turn against her own n members and even sacrifice herself... Yet, Zhang Xuan showed no signs of reciprocating her feelings at all. Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before he shook his head solemnly, I dont. Ever since his days at Tianxuan Kingdom, there were manydies who were interested in him. Shen Bi Ru, Mo Yu, Zhao Feiwu, Hu Yaoyao, Yu Fei-er... All of them were stunning, outstandingdies, but he felt nothing for them at all. The same went for Luo Qiqi too. It was probably cliche to say this, but his heart seemed to only beat for Luo Ruoxin. There was just something about her that drew him in, and despite the short time they had spent together, he was unable to forget about her at all. His heart was simply too filled at the moment to house another person. Shes such a nicedy, but you have no feelings at all... What a cold-blooded man... Sun Qiang murmured quietly beneath his lips. Even though he was Zhang Xuans butler, he couldnt help but feel bad for Luo Qiqi. Cold-blooded man? Zhang Xuans eyebrows rose up in fury when his eyes suddenly widened in astonishment. A thought struck his mind. Was he really a cold-blooded man without feelings? Definitely not! His sentiments toward his parents were still a little awkward, but they were definitely existent. His care of his students and those around him were definitely genuine as well. He wasnt a very expressive person, but he didnt consider himself as someone who didnt have feelings either. But thinking back on it now, ever since he transcended over and obtained the Library of Heavens Path, his desire for romance seemed to have died out. He was only an ordinary librarian in his previous life, and he had died as a single too. Under normal circumstances, he should have been excited by the notion that there were beautifuldies who were interested in him, but he felt nothing at all. Furthermore, other than affairs rting to Luo Ruoxin and his direct disciples, he found that he was able to remain perfectly rational under most circumstץces_ It was not that he didnt feel emotions, but his emotions rarely trh over his rationality. More often than not, even in the direst of situations, he was always able to analyze everything rationally with a calm mind. He thought that it was the effect ofprehending Heart of Tranquil Water previously, but from the looks of it now, things werent as simple as he thought. Could this actually be a side effect of the Library of Heavens Path? There was a saying in his previous world that the heavens would have withered if they had feelings. Be it the Heavens Order or the Heavens Imperfections, they were abilities built on logic. Emotions and feelings had no ce with the heavens at all. This dipassionate nature of the heavens was what allowed all beings to be equals in their eyes. No matter how just unjust happened in the world, it was none of the business of the heavens at all. The natural cycles of the world wouldnt stop for anyone, not even in the slightest. All along, Zhang Xuan hadnt thought much of the matter. It was only after hearing Sun Qiangs words that he came to a realization. It made him question if the Library of Heavens Path had gradually chipped away at his emotions. After all, there was no denying that Luo Qiqi had done a lot for him. If it had been anyone else in his ce, his heart would have probably softened by now. Yet, he remainedpletely unfazed, almost as if he was devoid of emotions. In fact, now that he thought back, it always felt like he was looking at this issue from an outsiders point of view, allowing him to analyze it with solely reason and logic. He couldnt help but wonder if the other emotions he felt would slowly die out as well as the grayish gaseous substance grew within his body. Would his feelings for Luo Ruoxin die out as well once he became assimted by the heavens? With such a thought in mind, a realization came to Zhang Xuan. Heavens Ordermanded all beings to follow a certainw of nature whereas Heavens Imperfections dictated that all beings are wed and iplete... Only feelings didnt obey any logic and reason at all. Itpels people to do all kinds of things that are beyond reason... There were many things in this world that had certainws that one had to obey... but were emotions something that necessarily obeyedws too? Of course not! If feelings were logical, back then, when the world needed him to marry Luo Qiqi in order to save the world, he should have fallen in love with her. Yet, he ended up bing fond of Luo Ruoxin instead. There were all sorts of illogical things in the world that urred as a result of uncontroble emotions. If a person was really able to control his emotions, who wouldnt want to keep this unstable factor in rein? It was just a pity that the one thing that was hardest to control in the world was emotions. It was a unique state of mind that entranced people yet leaving them helpless so. Were emotions wed? Did love have imperfections? That was probably the case... But at the same time, it was also what that gave life colors as well. Innumerable people devoted themselves to the pursuit of love, and they were willing to condemn themselves in hopes of achieving romantic fulfillment... If so, perhaps emotions shouldnt be considered as a liability but as a wonderment of life instead. I see... A sharp glint shed across Zhang Xuans eyes. The heavens would have withered if they had feelings. If feelings are something which even is beyond the jurisdiction of the heavens, what do I have to be conflicted over? So, the cultivation technique which I have been searching for has been here all along... In the three years that Zhang Xuan had spent in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, he ended up cornering himself. He had been trying to find a way to surpass the heavens, but how could he possibly outdo the already wless Heavens Path Divine Art? No matter how great and refined his creation was, the best that he could have done was to create a cultivation technique equaling it. There was no way he could have surpassed it. That was also the reason why he hadnt been able to seed despite three years of effort. It was only at this moment did he realize that he had been walking down the wrong route right from the start! All along, he already had something that surpassed the heavens right inside of him! There were those whose love transcended all logic and reason,sting for thousands of years. There were those who were willing to give their lives away for the sake of protecting those whom they cared about. Kinship, friendship, romance... Luo Qiqi was willing to give in so much to him without any regrets. Zhang Hongtian was willing to give even his final breath to protect humanity without asking for anything in return. Ancient Sage Yan Hui was willing to leave his corpse behind so as to seal off the spatial passageway to the Azure for tens of thousands of years. Be it the Master Teacher Continent or the Azure, there were simply too many decisions in life that were made out of sheer emotions instead of reasons. Tens of thousands of years had passed in the Master Teacher Continent, but it wasnt enough to erase Kong shis greatness. The heavens had killed generation after generation of people, but the deep respect that the people felt toward Kong shi remained firm and unwavering. Not even the rationality of the heavens can subdue the irrationality of emotions... Boom! Zhang Xuans body jolted as a surge of energy began surging up his dantian. He could feel the bottleneck to Semi- Divinity realm was swiftly unraveling itself. Sun Qiang, thank you! Zhang Xuan looked at Sun Qiang and burst intoughter. After that, he turned around and returned back to the silent chamber. This... Seeing how the Young Master thanked himself instead of flying to a temper despite his deeply disrespectful words, Sun Qiang blinked his eyes in bewilderment. Did the Young Master... go mad? On the other hand, Cao Chenglis mouth was twitching after seeing the sight before him... Back then, just because he had unintentionally offended the Young Master, thetter made it so that he had no choice but to leap back into their amodations. Yet, when this fatty insulted him, not only did the Young Master not berate him, he even thanked him... Thinking back, the Young Master never seemed to show any interest toward thedies before. Could it be that... he only had feelings for Sun Qiang? Cao Chengli immediately turned to look at Sun Qiang, only to heave a deep sigh in the next moment. Just how heavy must the Young Masters taste be to actually like this fellow? Chapter 2081 - 2081 Zhang Xuan Achieves a Breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity Realm 2081 Zhang Xuan Achieves a Breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity Realm Swallowing Premier Immortal Pills one after another, Zhang Xuan released the unique aura that he had collected from the circr tforms alongside the Azure Bridge and allowed it to swirl around him like a tornado. Sitting quietly in the midst of the tremendous air currents, his Heavenly High Immortal realm cultivation slowly rose bit by bit. After oveing his previous bottleneck, Zhang Xuan saw another towering mountain peak appearing right before his eyes. It was a majestic mountain that pierced right into the heavens. As he assimted the medicinal energy from the Premier Immortal Pills, he was able to gather the power required for him to scale the mountain a step at a time. When he finally reached the very peak of the mountain, he saw a familiar silhouette standing before himSun Qiang! Sun Qiang was currently pacing around the top of the mountain in a panic. He was trapped and could not leave this mountain peak at all. The memories of the time Zhang Xuan had spent with Sun Qiang gradually floated in his mind. Old master, are you here to buy a house? These were the very first words that Sun Qiang had said when they first met one another. Your humble servants name is Sun Qiang! You can call me Xiao Qiang! Those were the words that Sun Qiang said when their rtionship as master and butler had been sealed. Time seemed to pass relentlessly like a flowing river. Sun Qiang had not been the most reliable of subordinates, and his desire to brag was at odds with Zhang Xuans humble and low-profile character. However, the two years that they had spent together had allowed them to get used to each others existence, and they hade to familiarize themselves with each others temperament and habits. Zhang Xuan spent most of his time cultivating, leaving any important misceneous affairs for Sun Qiang to deal with. Before he had even realized it, this master-butler rtionship had be something extremely important to him. Nothing could substitute Sun Qiangs existence to him anymore. Zhang Xuan harrumphed nonchntly. Ill save you. He raised his hand up and chopped it down with great might. Boom! The mountain peak split in two before everything abruptly disappeared. There was no more mountain peak and Sun Qiang. At the same time, the bottleneck limiting his cultivation vanished as well. The doors leading to the Semi-Divinity realm broke open! So, these are the feelings between a master and a subordinate! Zhang Xuan thought with a smile as he drove his zhenqi ording to the feeling that he felt within him. Back when he was cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art, he had limited his zhenqi to flow strictly in ordance with the cirction pathway defined in the cultivation technique. That was the only way he could cultivate unparalleled zhenqi and maximize his fighting prowess. However, he decided to limit himself no longer. Lettingpletely loose, he allowed his zhenqi to flow along with his feelings. He could feel it. Everything could be a cultivation technique. Everything could be a battle technique. Even emotions could be used as a cultivation technique. Even emotions could be utilized as a sword. Hong long long! The resounding chimes of a bell echoed in his ears as spiritual energy surged endlessly into his body, causing his strength to grow exponentially. Semi-Divinity realm! That realm that had stunted the growth of countless geniuses of the Azure... he had finally reached it! Zhang Xuan continued putting more and more Premier Immortal Pills into his mouth, and the unique aura shrouding him swiftly depleted. A long timeter, he finally opened his eyes once more. At this moment, he had already finished using all the Premier Immortal Pills that he had acquired from the Ethereal Hall, and he had used a total of twenty sets of the unique aura gathered from the circr tforms. While others only needed a single set to achieve a breakthrough, he had actually needed twenty peoples worth. Its a pity that I only managed to raise his cultivation to Greater Semi-Divinity realm. I am still a long way off from reaching Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. Ultimately, the amount of Premier Immortal Pills he had was still insufficient. Furthermore, due to his breakthrough, the quality of spiritual energy that he required to make a breakthrough rose once again. Thus, he was only able to make a breakthrough to Greater Semi-Divinity realm with the twenty Premier Immortal Pills he had in hand before losing his momentum. Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment beforeing up with the name for his new cultivation technique. This is a cultivation technique that I managed to create throughprehending my own emotions. Since thats the case, I shall call it Pathos of Heaven! Perhaps because it was Sun Qiangs reminder that had enabled him to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, the first sentimentality heprehended was the sentiments between a master and a subordinate. The quintessence behind such a rtiony in mutual trust. Sun Qiang had never been a strong individual, but he was willing to stand against stronger opponents and even the entire Master Teacher Pavilion for his sake. Standing steadfast in the face of danger for the one he had decided to stand with, this represented the values of loyalty and brotherhood. Infused with emotions, the Heavens Path Divine Art was clearly vastly different from before. It seemed to have gained its own spirituality, harnessing its own powers. Let me test its might! Zhang Xuan thought. He gathered his strength within his palm and lightly thrust it forth. Peng! The stable space before him immediately tore open, revealing a pitch-ck dimension rift. Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had seen plenty of Semi-Divinity realm experts. In fact, eight of his tamed beasts had already reached the Semi- Divinity realm. As such, he knew what the usual strength of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator was. In terms of fighting prowess, he was already on par with the overwhelmingly powerful Semi-Divinity realm cultivator whom he had faced on the Ocean of Exiled Stars. He had never thought that he would gain so much strength right after his breakthrough. Even if that Semi-Divinity realm cultivator were to explode his cultivation before him once more, he would not sustain the slightest harm at all! Come out! With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan brought out the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, and the Tongshang Sword. Use your strongest attacks against me! Zhang Xuan instructed. Huhuhu! The two Semi-Divinity realm beasts and a Semi-Divinity artifact formed a coborative formation andunched a furious barrage of attacks against Zhang Xuan. In response, Zhang Xuan sat on the ground without moving a single step. All he did was use his finger as a sword to deflect their attacks. A few momentster, the attacking trio copsed weakly on the ground, unable to move at all. Despite their coborative offense, they had not been able to force him to his feet! Master, your strength... The Serpentine Dragon and the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix could hardly believe what was happening. They had thought that they had reached the top of the Forsaken Continent by having achieved a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, but to their disbelief, they found that they were no different from novices before their master. They could not even withstand a single strike from the other party! I had an epiphany earlier and sessfully made a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm. Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he finally rose his feet. He stowed the trio back into his tamed beast sack and storage ring before summoning the one he had been wanting to deal with all this whilehis clone. You. Lets trade blows! Peng! The swollen-faced Zhang Xuan struggled back to his feet as he snarled with twitching lips, Darn it. Just you wait! Ill challenge you again once I reach Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm! Shrugging nonchntly, the clone returned to the storage ring. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head. His clone was truly a pervert. Not only did he manage to achieve a breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, over the past few days, he had actually figured out a way to advance his cultivation to Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm. Thus, it was only a given that he would be no match for his clone! Nevertheless, it was certain that he had gotten much stronger afterprehending the Pathos of Heaven. While his Greater Semi-Divinity realm strength did lose out to his clones Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm cultivation, the gap was not that big anymore. As long as he could make a few more breakthroughs, there was a good chance that he could stand on par with his clone even when they were in the same cultivation realm! But where in the world can I find more Premier Immortal Pills? With his current cultivation realm, ordinary pills and even the blood essence of Semi-Divinity realm experts were no longer effective on him. He needed something more potent than those. The only thing he could think of that was still effective to him was the Premier Immortal Pills. However, those pills were known to be incredibly expensive and rare, such that even a major sect like the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was unlikely to have too many of them. Leaving the silent chamber, Zhang Xuan headed to the sect treasury, a ce where only the sect leader of each generation was authorized to enter. He did manage to find some Premier Immortal Pills there, but there were only ten of them in total. Lets head to Starchaser Pce together. Having achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan did not think that there was any need for him to stay there any longer. Thus, he called Zhao Ya, Sun Qiang, and the others over before bringing out the Serpentine Dragon. Together, they got onto the back of the Serpentine Dragon, and soon, they were well on their way to Starchaser Pce. Three dayster... Entering the main hall of Starchaser Pce once more, Zhang Xuan met Jiang Yao, Zhao Yue, Kui Xiao, Qin Yuan, Han Jianqiu, and the core elders of the four sects. He had sent a request previously for the other three sects to bring all of their Premier Immortal Pills to Starchaser Pce. Nevertheless, they only managed to scrape together twenty-seven of them. In other words, Zhang Xuan only had thirty-seven Premier Immortal Pills with him at the moment. Zhang Xuan quickly headed to a silent chamber in Starchaser Pce before swallowing all the Premier Immortal Pills at once. After several minutes, he sessfully advanced his cultivation to Earthly Semi-Divinity realm. As my cultivation increases, the effectiveness of the pills is clearly lowering. Previously, twenty pills were enough for me to reach Greater Semi-Divinity realm, but now, even after I consumed thirty-seven pills, I was only able to advance my cultivation by a single stage. At this rate, Ill need at least one hundred pills to reach Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm! His requirement for spiritual energy increased exponentially alongside his cultivation, and that had always been a severe headache for him. Where in the world was he supposed to find one hundred Premier Immortal Pills? Seeing right through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Han Jianqiu exined, Sect Leader Zhang, Premier Immortal Pills are known to be a cultivation resource that only Semi-Divinity realm cultivators are able to use. The Six Sects usually only have one expert of such caliber, so its inevitable that we havent stockpiled too many of them in our inventory. However, it is a different case for the Ethereal Hall. Possessing aplete (God) character, its likely that they have many Semi-Divinity realm cultivators in their ranks. Given so, its highly likely that they have quite a number of Premier Immortal Pills with them! In other words, the Ethereal Hall has plenty of Premier Immortal Pills? Zhang Xuan rified. Indeed! Thinking back, the twenty Premier Immortal Pills that he had were from the Ethereal Hall. Given that the Ethereal Hall had remained the dominant power for thousands of years, it went without saying that its treasury was much fuller than those of the Six Sects. The only problem was that he was at loggerheads with the head of their organization, not to mention that he had inadvertently induced the destruction of its headquarters. Even if he demanded Premier Immortal Pills from them, it was likely that they would not give any to him! But I guess that its still worth a try. I do still have the token that Kong shi gave me, so theres a chance that the disciples of the Ethereal Hall will be forced to provide me with whatever I need, Zhang Xuan thought with a glint in his eyes. He had been hesitant to use it after realizing that it was the thing that had been giving away his location to the Hall of Gods, resulting in the assassination attempts time and time again. However, now that his cultivation had reached Earthly Semi-Divinity realm, there was no one in this world who could threaten him other than Kong shi. What else did he have to fear? In fact, he would be extremely d if Kong shi came personally for him. That would save him the hassle of having to hunt him down. Zhang Xuan looked at Han Jianqiu and asked, Is it still possible to enter the Ethereal Hall? Realizing the devious thoughts that were in Zhang Xuans mind, Han Jianqiu could not help but chuckle to himself as he replied, Of course! Even though the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall had been destroyed, the other branches remained perfectly intact. Cultivators could still enter and leave it as they pleased, and the teleportation service of purchased objects was still working as usual. Ill be heading in for a moment, Zhang Xuan informed them. He took out the Ethereal Token that he had been using and quickly immersed his consciousness into it. Soon, he found himself standing before a familiar tower. Without any hesitation, he made his way over to the receptionist and passed the token that he had received from Kong shi over. I want one hundred Premier Immortal Pills, Zhang Xuan demanded coolly. One hundred Premier Immortal Pills? The elder of the Ethereal Hall shuddered in horror upon hearing the ridiculous demand. He nced at the token in the young mans hand before anxiously flipping through the records. A momentter, he said, We dont have that many Premier Immortal Pills here at the moment. However, we can transfer the stock from other branches over. I think we should be able to gather the required amount within a days time... Good. Give me everything that you have at the moment, and Ill collect everything else a day from now! Zhang Xuan replied. Y-yes, esteemed guest! The elder quickly rushed into a room, and roughly an hourter, he passed several jade bottles over. There are thirty Premier Immortal Pills here in total! Un! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction before retracting his consciousness out of the Ethereal Hall. He had worried that Kong shi would have revoked his privileges after revealing his true color, but to his surprise, it was still working! Most likely, Kong shi is so busy recuperating from the injuries that he sustained from the clone a while back that he forgot about this matter... However, this will best time that I can tap into this privilege. Even though the elder had said that he would gather the remaining seventy Premier Immortal Pills by tomorrow, the problem was that it was even more likely that news would reach the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall before then. Once that happened, the privileges that he enjoyed through the token would be annulled, and the seventy Premier Immortal Pills would never reach his hands. After all, there was no way Kong shi would be so foolish as to provide his enemy with the cultivation resources that he needed to power up. As such, he could only take away as much as he could in the earlier transaction. Chapter 2082 - 2082 The Two Altars 2082 The Two Altars After demanding the Premier Immortal Pills from the Ethereal Hall, Zhang Xuan headed over to an empty area above the Ocean of Exiled Stars and waited patiently in case someone came for him. But just as he expected, no one from the Hall of Gods arrived even after he waited for some time. He could not help but feel a little downcast. In the past, Kong shi would sponsor him with pills to eat and bodies to forge, but there was nothing at all anymore... If only Id known this would happen. I would have made sure to squeeze the Ethereal Hall dry before challenging the Hall of Gods... Zhang Xuan waited for another two more hours, but there was no trace of anyone at all. In the end, he had no choice but to return to Starchaser Pce. I recall Kong shi saying that he has been suppressed for several thousand years and hasnt fully recovered yet. Furthermore, he used a huge portion of his energy to massacre and seal off the Hall of Gods. So, its safe to assume that his true strength is much greater than what he disyed back then. However, just who in the world has the ability to suppress him? The fact that Kong shi was able to massacre the Hall of Gods was enough to show just how powerful he was. Even a transcendental organization like the Hall of Gods did not have the capability to deal with him. Given so, it was hard to believe that there was person in the Azure who was powerful enough to suppress him for several thousand years, such that he had only been able to regain consciousness recently. Zhang Xuan thought about the matter for a while, but he was still unable to make sense of the matter. Eventually, he could only drop all thoughts. Heading to a silent chamber, he swallowed the thirty Premier Immortal Pills that he had just acquired and managed to advance his cultivation a fair bit. However, he was still some distance away from reaching Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm by the end of it. Nevertheless, feeling the incredible strength pulsating in his body, Zhang Xuan feltpelled to test his fighting prowess once again. So, with a vicious glint in his eyes, he summoned his clone once more. This time, the two of them actually managed to fight on equal ground with one another. His strength was on par with his clones. Furthermore, he had not used his swordsmanship yet. It seems like Im finally stronger than my clone. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Ever since he created his clone two years ago, he had been dominated by thetter time and time again. It was only after he created his own cultivation technique that he finally managed to slightly surpass his clone. Its about time for me to head to the Hall of Gods, Zhang Xuan murmured as he walked out of his room confidently. He should head to the Hall of Gods to save Du Qingyuan and settle the grudges with Kong shi once and for all. So, he quickly gathered Zhao Yue, Jiang Yao, and the others before getting Wu Chen to bring out the altar from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Sect Leader Zhang, Im a little worried about this matter. Since you have been able to think of this, its likely that the other party has been able to figure it out as well. Theres a good chance that he hasid a trap for you over there, waiting for you to walk right in, Han Jianqiu said worriedly. The fact that Kong shi knew of the chants of the ritual meant that he had a deep understanding of what the altar was capable of. At the very least, it was safe to assume that his knowledge surpassed that of every single one of them present. It was even possible that Kong shi had nned for everything to develop like this! He had intentionally sealed off all routes so that Zhang Xuan would have no choice but to rely on the altar to reach him. I wont be able to save Du Qingyuan if I dont do this. I cant afford to continue wasting time here... Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had thought of this possibility as well, but he knew that he could not afford to continue waiting. He had fought with Kong shi before, and thetter already possessed strength on par with his clone when he had not fully recovered. Once thetter regained his full might, the chances of victory would be extremely slim. By then, it would be one thing if he was killed, but even those around him might fall prey to Kong shi as well. As such, he knew that he could not back down. Zhao Ya and the others walked forward and said, Teacher, we wish to go with you as well. You are still too weak at the moment. I have stored the unique aura you will require to reach the Semi-Divinity realm in here. Cultivate diligently. Youll be able to help me once you reach the Semi-Divinity realm, Zhang Xuan said. With a wave of his hand, he passed the jade bottles over that he had prepared for his direct disciples beforehand. Zhao Ya and the others had the necessary cultivation techniques and cultivation resources for them to make a breakthrough, but unfortunately, their time in the Azure had simply been too limited. As such, they were still a long way off from reaching the Semi-Divinity realm. If they followed him to the Hall of Gods, there was a high chance that they would end up being captured and used as hostages to keep him in check. Since that was the case, it would be better for them to focus on their cultivation so that they could reach the Semi- Divinity realm as quickly as possible. Knowing that they were not in a position to help their teacher, Zhao Ya and the others clenched their fists tightly in agitation. They hated the fact that they were weak. It had always been like this. Their teacher would stand at the forefront and brave all kinds of danger whereas they could only stand helplessly behind him. They detested this feeling of helplessness. After dealing with his direct disciples, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Han Jianqiu. Han Jianqiu, I have developed a deeper understanding of the Godsح Sword Intent in recent days. I_ll impart it to you now... Thank you, Sect Leader Zhang, Han Jianqiu replied as his eyes reddened slightly. He had been studying the method toprehend the Gods Sword Intent that Zhang Xuan had given him a few days ago. He could feel himselfing very close to that level, but he was simply unable to take the final step forward. He had a feeling that the new insights from Zhang Xuan would be the key that he required for a breakthrough. Once he hadprehended the Gods Sword Intent, with his strength as a Semi-Divinity realm expert, even if he was unable to emte the greatness of the founder, at the very least, he would have the strength to protect the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion from the Ethereal Hall and the Hall of Gods. It was just that he could not help but feel as if Zhang Xuan was delegating his will, and this made him feel a little heavy inside. However, this insightes from my ownprehension, so itll deviate significantly from the Gods Sword Intent of the sect. If you wish to study it, youll have toe under my lineage and be my student. May I know if youre willing to do that? Zhang Xuan asked after a moment of hesitation. It was not that he was trying to humiliate Han Jianqiu. Rather, he was using this as one final attempt to induce the creation of another golden page before facing Kong shi! He was going to head to their of the enemies very soon. Even though he had raised his cultivation significantly, honestly speaking, he was not confident of victory. If he could just obtain a single golden page, he would be in a much more favorable position than before. He was not too certain what the conditions for producing the golden page were, but he knew that one of the key elements was genuine gratitude to him as a teacher. It would be my honor to be your student. Han Jianqiu nodded without any hesitation. There were many renowned experts in the world who were only willing to pass down their secret arts to those in their lineage. Considering the profoundness and ingenuity of the Gods Sword Intent, it was understandable why Zhang Xuan might be reluctant to pass it down to someone who was not in his lineage even if he was the sect leader. Han Jianqiu had already seen past the transiency of what humans defined as pride and dignity. He did not think that it was a big deal for him to be the student of someone much younger than him. Seeing that Han Jianqiu had agreed to it, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger lightly and infused a sliver of his will into the other partys mind. Upon receiving Zhang Xuans swordsmanship insights, he immediately took out his sword and began practicing his swordy. He had already reached an extremely high level in swordsmanship, such that it was extremely hard for him to progress any higher. Yet, his swordy still seemed to be getting much sharper and more unpredictable with each move he made. Eventually, it came to a point where something seemed to shatter within him. Following that, his energy suddenly surged, and his entire being seemed to have morphed into a cold, sharp sword. Finally, I have managed to reach this level... Han Jianqius hands were trembling. In order toprehend the Gods Sword Intent, he had devoted more than a hundred years to practicing his swordsmanship, but s, sess had always eluded him. He had eventuallye to think that this day would note in his lifetime. Teacher, thank you for fulfilling my greatest wish! Han Jianqiu kneeled onto the floor and bowed deeply out of respect. Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuan quickly brought his consciousness to the Library of Heavens Path, but even after waiting for a while, there was nothing at all. A golden page had not been created. He frowned. The golden page would usually appear after this, especially in times when he really needed it. Why did it have to fail at this crucial moment? Sighing internally, Zhang Xuan quickly walked forward and helped Han Jianqiu up. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Following that, he turned his gaze to Jiang Yao, Qin Yuan, and Kui Xiao. He tried the same method on them as well. He imparted hisprehension of cultivation, beast taming, and battle techniques to them, and the trio benefited greatly from his teaching. They managed to rise to greater heights, and they expressed their deep gratitude to him for guiding them. Fortunately, a golden page was generated this time around. It came from Jiang Yao. Just as I thoughtgratitude isnt the only thing that is required. Most likely, it has something to do with the intensity of ones desire as well, Zhang Xuan thought as he heaved a sigh of relief. Han Jianqiu, Kui Xiao, and Qin Yuan were grateful toward him as well, but as heads of their respective sects, as well as Semi-Divinity realm experts, their desire for strength had already waned significantly. Even if they were thankful to Zhang Xuan, the feelings they felt were not that strong. It was simr to how you could treat a cook to a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, and thetter still would not feel too grateful to you. On the other hand, if you gave a lollipop to a little child, they would think that you are the best person in the entire world. A person who had undergone more turmoil would gradually let go of their desires. Jiang Yao was not the head of Starchaser Pce, and in the City of Copsed Space, she had nearly lost her life. Thus, she recognized how desperately she was in need of strength, so the gratitude she felt toward Zhang Xuan, who lent her a helping hand when she was at a loss as to what she could do, was understandable. There were probably more conditions required for the generation of the golden page, but this was all he could deduce for the time being. Thinking about it, gratitude is also one of the invaluable emotions that a human has, Zhang Xuan thought deeply. Perhaps, if he had paid more attention to this trivial detail, he might have been able toe up with the Pathos of Heavens much earlier. He would not have spent so many years wracking his brain toe up with something. With everything in ce, Zhang Xuan turned to Wu Chen and said, Lets begin. Hu! With a wave of his hands, Wu Chen filled the altar with tributes. Then, with a snap of his fingers, all the tributes began burning up. At the same time, the altar began rising into the air, emanating an aura that seemed to stop ones breathing. Wu Chen began to chant out loud. The mes on the altar zed, and the space around it began to distort, gradually forming something reminiscent of a door. Teacher, why dont I head over first to see if there is any danger? If there is a threat on the other side, we can strategize ande up with an appropriate countermeasure! Han Jianqiu anxiously proposed. Ill do it instead. My strength might not be on par with you, but I have plenty of life preservation means, Elder Kui Xiao said. Seeing how worried those two were, Zhang Xuan shot them a confident smile and said, Theres no need for that. Ill enter first, and you can follow behind me if you like. Even if the enemy is the Hall of Gods, we still have to show them the price of messing with us! Sounds good! The others cheered passionately in agreement. How long had it been since they barged into the Hall of Gods? Their predecessors had seeded a long time ago, and perhaps it was time for a new legend to be born. Regardless of whether they seeded or not, since the Hall of Gods had already bared its fangs against them, the Six Sects would have to make a stand as well to show that they were not to be trifled with! Hu! Zhang Xuan walked up to the door and entered it. He saw the space around him distorting entirely. With a smile on his lips, he brought out his clone before entering his storage ring. Just as the others had said, the Hall of Gods was fraught with dangers. There was a good chance that Kong shi had alreadyid out an borate trap for him. Given that his clone was indestructible, there was no one more suited than it to serve as the vanguard. Driving his zhenqi, the clone took a step forward and walked out of the portal. Hmm? Where is this? Before his eyes was neither the Hall of Gods nor the exploded headquarters of the Ethereal Hall. Instead, it was a long, narrow passageway that went on and on amid the void. The altar that he had teleported to was currently right beneath his feet. Chapter 2083 - 2083 The Mysterious Palace 2083 The Mysterious Pce Theres nothing here at all? An identical figure appeared right beside Zhang Xuans clone. He thought that he would immediately be faced with the offense of innumerable Semi-Divinity realm cultivators once he teleported over, but there was no one in sight at all. However, there seems to be something really suspicious about this ce. The more empty the ce looked, the more unnerving it felt. Leaping off the altar, Zhang Xuan was intending to wait for Kui Xiao and the others toe over when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately reached forward to grab the altar. But before his hand could reach the altar, a burst of sword qi shot out from below. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The domineering energy tore the altar into smithereens. As a result of the destruction of the altar, the dimension portal between the two altars vanished. Pu! On the other side of the portal, Wu Chen spurted a mouthful of blood. His face turned pale from weakness, and his body trembled uncontrobly. Whats wrong? Noticing Wu Chens current state, Kui Xiao and the others quickly turned their gazes over. Someone destroyed the altar on the other side and severed the connection. Zhang shi wont be able to return anymore... Wu Chen muttered with eyes widened in horror. What do you mean by that? Everyone was stunned to hear those words. There is only one altar from the Starchaser Pce. Its destruction means that the only pathway to the Hall of Gods has been severed. We wont be able to head over to save him anymore even if we wish to do so. Simrly, he wont be able to return back here through the altar anymore... Wu Chen replied. This... Realizing the graveness of the situation, the crowd looked at one another in astonishment. The eyes of Zhao Ya and the others also reddened in agitation. Doesnt this mean that our teacher is in grave danger? Its all our fault! If not for our weakness, our teacher wouldnt have been ced in such a precarious position! We have to raise your cultivation swiftly so that we can save him! A determined light could be seen in the depths of their eyes. On the other side of the portal, Zhang Xuan looked at the destroyed altar before him with clenched fists. It wasnt that his reflexes werent fast enough. Rather, the enemy had left a formation right beneath the altar to ensure that it would be destroyed as soon as he came over, thus severing all of his paths of escape. In other words, no matter what the enemy had prepared for him from here onward, he could only advance ahead and deal with whatever that came his way promptly. Retreating was no longer an option for him. I thought that you wanted my Library of Heavens Path? How are you going to hold the ritual now that you have destroyed the altar? Zhang Xuan spoke with a deep voice as he examined his surroundings nonchntly. The reason why Kong shi sent Fu Chenzi and the others to capture Du Qingyuan was so that he could acquire the altar required to hold the ritual. After all the nning he had done, he eventually chose to destroy it without any hesitation. Could it be that Kong shis goal had changed? Was it that he no longer desired the Library of Heavens Path anymore? Zhang Xuans voice echoed loudly across the path ahead. After waiting for some time, there was still no response. It was as if there was no other living being here other than him. I guess I can only advance forward. Withpletely no idea as to what the other party was up to, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was walking into a lions den. With a frown on his forehead, he raised his foot and began making his way forward cautiously. His clone followed closely behind him. The passageway wasnt too long. It didnt take long before a massive pce appeared before his eyes. It was even more magnificent and grander than the Hall of Gods he had seen previously. It was erected above a massive cradle of air currents, sealing the cradle entirely such that not the slightest bit could leak out. Zhang Xuan was a little taken aback. The sight before him looked like a whirlpool being clogged up by a humongous behemoth. No matter how powerful the whirlpool was, it was unable to faze the behemoth at all. Such was the grandeur of the pce. Pitch-ck air streams seemed to fly toward the unfathomable darkness, leaving ones heart trembling from the eerieness. Yet, none was able to taint the pce, reminiscent of a valve in a pipe. I should try entering the pce. No matter what Kong shi was up to, he could only dive right into it and try to make his way out alive. The problem wouldnt solve itself just by him waiting outside. He walked to the entrance of the pce together with his clone and saw two humongous pirs rising deep into the void. It looked as if the centerpiece that was pinning the pce in ce, preventing it from flying away along with the air currents. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight to take a closer look. Its a Semi-Divinity artifact? Zhang Xuan remarked in surprise. He couldnt help but recall how the doors of the Hall of Gods had been a Semi-Divinity artifact too. He took out the Tongshang Sword and brandished it lightly. A burst of sword qi slit through the air currents, heading right for the two pirs. Ding! A spark could be seen as it struck the pir, but it didnt leave the slightest mark at all. Even the pirs of this pce are so formidable... Just where is this ce? Zhang Xuan murmured in astonishment. The pce before him was distinctly different from the Hall of Gods, but the materials that were used to build it seemed to be of even higher quality than thetter. The gates of the pce werent locked nor shut, so Zhang Xuan was able to walk in without any problems. A few stepster, Zhang Xuan realized that something was amiss. He turned around to look at his clone, who was still standing by the doorway, and asked, Arent youing along? I cant step across the doorway. The clone demonstrated by taking a step forward, but in the next moment, a force assaulted him, causing him to retreat several steps consecutively. It was as if there was an invisible force field blocking his way, preventing him from advancing any further. You cant step across the doorway? Zhang Xuan walked back to the doorway and tried touching the area which his clone was unable to pass through. There was nothing at all. Yet, it was a fact that his clone was unable to advance a step at all. Never mind. You should enter my storage ring for the time being then, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. After keeping his clone into his storage ring, he walked into the doorway again. However, just as he was going to pass through, his clone suddenly materialized out of the storage ring and stumbled backward. This time, Zhang Xuan was really stunned. His clone was driven out even when he was hiding in the storage ring? Wasnt this invisible barrier a little too domineering? They tried a few more methods, but his clone was simply unable to walk into the pce. Since you arent able to enter the area, you should wait here for the time being, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. It seems like Kong shi knows how troublesome it is to deal with my clone, so he did something to separate me from my clone... Zhang Xuan thought warily. As formidable Kong shi was, he was only able to fight his clone to a draw back then. This probably made Kong shi view his clone as a major threat, so he intentionally prepared this so that he could deal with him individually. In other words, it was likely that he would meet in danger within this pce. If so, should he continue advancing? Holding the Tongshang Sword tightly, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath. If I dare not to face Kong shi even after my cultivation has reached Semi-Divinity realm, Ill never be able to break open the dimension barrier and ascend to the Firmament, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and thought. A cultivators state of mind was extremely important. There was only a thin line between recklessness and cowardice. Once a cultivator caved in to his fears, he would lose his courage to charge forward in times when it truly counted. Most likely, Kong shi had prepared this in order to put him in a dilemma. It wouldnt be wrong for him to back out right now. He only had one life, and there was no wrong in prioritizing his safety. However, the faces of Luo Ruoxin and his direct disciples shed across his head at this moment. There was something that was more important to him at the moment that he couldnt give up on, even if he had to take this gamble. So, he cast aside his fears and walked right into the pce. The interiors of the hall were unlighted and nothing could be seen at all. There was something in the darkness that seemed to be wearing down his senses and mind. Even when he activated the Eye of Insight, he was still unable to peer through it. Im already in here. Make your move if you wish to kill me! Zhang Xuan slowly advanced forward with his sword in hand. Echoes of his voice sounded all over the pce, but there was no response at all. Perplexed, he backed away slightly, wanting to leave the darkness temporarily to reassess the situation. However, in the next moment, he felt his back pressing against a wall. He had barely taken a few steps away from the gates earlier, and before he knew it, the gates had already vanished! To put it in other words... He was already trapped in the formation of the enemy. ws! Zhang Xuan pressed his hand against the wall behind him and willed. If he could just use his Library of Heavens Path here, he would be able to peer through the formation right before him. Weng! The Library of Heavens Path jolted in his mind, but no book waspiled. Damn it! Zhang Xuan cursed beneath his breath. Just as he had thought, this pce was severed from the heavens too. Only Kong shi, who knew about the Heavens Imperfections, would prepare such a hand to deal with him. Plunged in the midst of utter darkness, where his senses were confounded and his mind was befuddled, he was in a truly vulnerable position. It seemed like this was Kong shis trump card against him! I have no choice. Since Im unable to use my eyes and my Spiritual Perception, I can only rely on my ears then... Zhang Xuan thought. He was nervous but he wasnt panicked yet. He closed his eyes and focused his attention on his ears. The silence in the air caused a ringing sensation in his ears that made it hard for him to hear, but through focusing his full attention, he was still able to pick up some of the minute noises carried along with the wind. Drip! Drip! It was the sound of water droplets dripping, and it wasing from a distance away. Go! Zhang Xuan brandished his sword, and a surge of sword qi flew right in the direction where the water droplets wereing from. But astonishingly, there was no response at all. It was as if the darkness had swallowed his sword qi at some point in time, unraveling his attack. Just as Zhang Xuan was utterly perplexed as to what was happening, Kong shis voice suddenly echoed in the air, Walk out of this room before the water drips out. Otherwise, youll be evicted from here. Evicted from here? Zhang Xuans confusion only served to further deepen. Didnt Kong shi intentionally lure him here in order to deal with him? Why would he threaten to evict him out of this room then? The altar has been destroyed, so even if I am evicted from this pce, I wont be able to leave this area either. Instead, I might just be trapped till my death. So, I have no choice but to follow his rules for the time being. Once I find him and save Pce Master Du, Ill make sure to rip him apart... Zhang Xuan thought as he exhaled deeply. No matter what Kong shi was up to, he would just have to deal with everything the other party had prepared. Eventually, he should be able to find Kong shi at the end of the path! Having decided on his next course of action, he began examining his surroundings carefully. Even though I cant see anything at all, theres nothing attacking me either. Most likely, this is a Confinement Formation, Zhang Xuan thought. The fact that it could hinder his Spiritual Perception and Eye of Insight likely meant that it was a Confinement Formation far beyond his imagination. Nevertheless, as long as its a formation, there is bound to be some anomaly in the flow of spiritual energy in the surroundings. As long as I can figure out the flow of spiritual energy, I should be able to deduce the locations of the formation core and formation gs. With that, it shouldnt be too difficult for me to ovee the formation! Zhang Xuan thought. So, he closed his eyes and began perceiving his surroundings carefully. The key purpose of formation gs and formation core was to redirect the flow of spiritual energy based on the needs of the formation. Given so, there was bound to be some anomalies in the flow of spiritual energy in the surroundings where a formation existed. As long as he could create a visual mapping of the flow of spiritual energy in his mind, he would be able to find a way to resolve this issue. This was also the most fundamental formation deciphering method on the Master Teacher Continent. As the most proficient formation master on the Master Teacher Continent, it went without saying that he was familiar with these basics. Something is wrong. It feels like the spiritual energy in here is... homogeneous? To his surprise, the concentration of spiritual energy within the pce was equal. There was no concentration gradient at all. This threw Zhang Xuan off a little. He took two steps forward and tried perceiving his surroundings once more. The concentration of spiritual energy was still the same. He tried taking a few steps left and a few steps right too, and it was still the same. This didnt make sense. Was his deduction wrong? Were there no formation gs and formation core here? Left with no choice, Zhang Xuan finally took out apass and ced it on his palm. He couldnt even see the needle on top due to the deep darkness, but as long as it moved, he would still be able to sense the direction it was pointing toward. Chapter 2084 - 2084 Heaven’s Path Hammer Ar 2084 Heavens Path Hammer Ar However, he could feel the needle in thepass spinning ceaselessly, not stopping at all. There were only two reasons behind such a phenomenon. It was either the flow of spiritual energy was too chaotic or that the concentration of spiritual energy waspletely equal throughout. Spiritual energy is simr to the flow of water. Its possible for the water within a well to be peaceful and motionless, but as soon as something intrudes its space, ripples would be produced... Zhang Xuan thought. Thus, its a logical impossibility for the spiritual energy to remain unmoved even after I have entered this space. This only goes to show that theres something unnatural about the spiritual energy here... or else, it could also mean to say that the spiritual energy I am sensing is off! In other words, this Confinement Formation confounds ones ability to sense spiritual energy as well! Zhang Xuan had never seen this Confinement Formation before, but he had his trove of knowledge with him. He had read many books rting to formations back on the Master Teacher Continent and on the Azure as well, so it wasnt too difficult for him to figure out what was happening before him. I should try sealing my six senses! Most Confinement Formations work through interfering with a cultivators senses. So, the only way to prevent such interference from urring was to seal off ones senses. In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if he had been cast into oblivion. He was unable to see, hear, touch, or smell anything. Even his consciousness seemed to have been plunged into a state of hibernation. This tranquil silencested for quite a while, then an image of a slight gap with water dripping from it seemed to surface in Zhang Xuans mind. This gap wasnt too big, allowing only a droplet of water to fall out at a time. It was what that was causing the dripping sound. This is it! With a silent exmation, Zhang Xuan channeled his Gods Sword Intent into his hands before pulling it down furiously upon the slight gap, as though it was a massive sword with a length that could reach the heavens. H! It was as if the dark cloth around him had been sliced apart. Zhang Xuan opened his eyes, and just as he had expected, his sense of sight had returned to him. Innumerable torches lit up the path ahead of him brightly. The Confinement Formation is indeed a trap for the heart... Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply as he thought in relief. He knew that he had gambled right this time around. The Confinement Formation confounded not only ones senses but ones soul too. The only way to ovee it was to cast aside ones reliance on ones senses and use ones raw intuition to identify the source of the dripping water. In truth, it had very little to do with ones understanding of formations. As long as one had a resilient state of mind, one should be able to find it eventually and ovee the trial easily. You have ovee the Heart Oblivion Formation within a tenth of the allocated time, proving that your cultivation and state of mind are fairly decent. You are qualified to proceed on to the second floor, Kong shis voice echoed in the air. Following that, a stone staircase abruptly descended from the top. Heart Oblivion Formation? Qualified? What the hell are you up to? Zhang Xuan bellowed in bewilderment. He thought that Kong shi would have made preparations for countless Semi-Divinity realm cultivators to ambush him as soon as he teleported over via the formation, but all the other party did was to put him through a Confinement Formation, and now, he was telling him he was qualified to move to the second floor? Just what was that fellow up to? However, he was only met with silence. The doubts he harbored remained unanswered. Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan made his way up the stone staircase. As soon as he stepped onto the first step, he felt an invible pressure crushing down on him, as if attempting to push his soul out of his body. This pressure seems to have originated from the gods... Zhang Xuan thought with a frown as he continued moving up the steps. The pressure that crushed down on him left him with a feeling of helplessness in the depths of his hearts. It felt as if it was shackling down his bloodline and his life force. It was an instinctive fear, simr to how the knees of an ordinary human would shake in the face of a tiger. This was a feeling that came from the depths of his soul, so there was no way he could avoid it. However, such a trial was nothing to him at all. Weng! The pendant that hung in front of his chest emanated a slight warmth that dissipated the pressure around him. Zhang Xuan walked up the stairs without any trouble, and soon, he arrived on the second floor of the pce. Simr to before, he was faced with a spacious hall in front of him. There were eight paintings positioned in an Eight Trigram Formation hanging on the walls in front of him. It felt like they were trying to seal something off. Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the paintings in front of him. The paintings depicted eight men, each of them wielding a weapon of a different kind. One brandished a sword, one wielded a saber, one gripped onto a steel whip, one carried a metal hammer... As Zhang Xuan walked toward the painting, he could feel a sharp sensationing from the paintings. These paintings cant be considered as amazing artistic works, but the person who made the paintings clearly possesses exceptional skills. With a few simple strokes, he was able to infuse the essence of the person he was drawing into the painting... Zhang Xuans mastery of painting had already reached 9-star back when he was still at the Master Teacher Continent. He dared not to im that his painting skills were on par with Kong shi, but at the very least, he didnt think that he was toocking inparison to thetter... The paintings in front of him were drawn simply, such that even a 3-star painter of the Master Teacher Continent would be able to produce artwork of such quality as well. However, what was powerful about these paintings was how they had precisely captured the power and disposition of these eight people urately. This was a feat that not even Zhang Xuan would be able to achieve. Could this be the drawings of a god? Zhang Xuan could only imagine a real god to be capable of infusing such amazing power into an ordinary piece of paper through a brush and preserve its might for so many years. Of the eight paintings, six of them were colored. One of them had turned grayish, making it reminiscent of a ck- and-white photograph whereas thest one had lost half of its color, making it an iplete piece. It was hard to tell whether the artist had failed to color it in the first ce or it had started fading off at some point in time. Zhang Xuan studied the paintings for a little longer, but he was unable to identify any useful clues form it. At the same time, he didnt hear Kong shis voice sounding either. So, he walked up to one of the paintings to take a closer look. There was nothing else in this massive hall other than these eight paintings, so he knew that the key to advancing on from this areay within the paintings. Most likely, he would have to find a way to uncover their secrets. The painting he walked up toward was one that depicted a brawny man with eyes asrge as bells. The man carried two metal hammers in his grasp, and his bulging biceps hinted at the great strength he wielded. Zhang Xuan hesitantly reached out to touch the painting. Hu! Following that, he vanished on the spot. When he reappeared once more, he was already standing in the midst of vast, barrennds. It was apletely white world that was devoid of greenery or anything else. It felt almost as if he had descended into an illusory dream. Make your move. Raising his head, Zhang Xuan saw a brawny man looking at him coldly with two metal hammers in his grasp. Did I... enter the painting somehow? Zhang Xuan was stunned. The brawny man standing before him was indeed the same person he had seen in the painting earlier. It seemed like he had been pulled into the painting! Why should I fight with you? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown as he looked at the ferocious man in front of him. He was still trying to figure out what was happening to him when the other party told him to make a move. If you dont make a move, youll be trapped here for your entire life, the brawny man harrumphed coldly. Paying no heed to whether Zhang Xuan was willing to fight or not, the brawny man swung his hammers right toward him. Before it even struck, the sheer force behind the hammers made cold sweat from behind Zhang Xuans back. To his astonishment, the strength of the brawny man had already exceeded that of the Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm cultivator he had encountered on the Ocean of Exiled Stars... In fact, his strength might even be greater than Kong shis! A god... In that instant, Zhang Xuan realized that even if the person standing before him wasnt a god, he was an existence not too far away from that. Zhang Xuan raised his hand to take out his sword, only to realize that his mental connection with his storage ring had been severed. On top of that, at some point in time, a pair of gigantic metal hammers had appeared in his hands too. He didnt think that his choice of weapons would be limited in the painting too, and hisplexion turned awful. He would have been fine if it had been any other weapons, but he had never practiced any battle techniques that required the use of hammers! Before Zhang Xuan could groan about the situation he was in, the brawny man had already swung a metal hammer right toward his ribcage. The key advantage of fighting with a hammer was the superior torque it provided due to its weight, thus enhancing ones strength significantly. Even though it was impossible for hammer wielders to be as agile as sword practitioners, they were able to restrict the movements of their opponents due to their sheer strength. Zhang Xuan took a step back and avoided the attack as he thought anxiously, I guess I have no choice but to learn on the spot then... While he had never practiced any hammer-rted battle techniques or fighting style before, he did gather quite a few battle technique manuals rting to hammers. It was just that he had left them lying on the shelves of the Library of Heavens Path, never bothering topile or learn them. But since he was limited to only using hammers in here, he had no choice but to learn it right now. Compile! Zhang Xuan gathered all of the books rting to hammers together and assimted them together, forming a brand new book. He tapped his finger on the newlypiled book, and knowledge immediately flowed into his mind. He was indeed worried about the grayish gaseous substance that grew in his body each time he used the Library of Heavens Path, but given the desperate situation he was in, he couldnt care that much anymore. He would just have to find a way to resolve them in the future. Otherwise, it was likely that he would die from the crazy brawny man chasing after him with two gigantic hammers first. The severing of the heavens only prevented his Library of Heavens Path from gathering the ws of other objects, but he was still able to ess the Library of Heavens Path through his consciousness and ess the books in them. While dodging the brawny mans attack, he quickly assimted the Heavens Path Hammer Art, turning it into his own. Once he fullyprehended the Heavens Path Hammer Art, his aura abruptly changed. In an instant, his aura grew heavy like a mountain, reminiscent of a being that wouldnt waver in the face of anything. Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! He began shing hammers with the brawny man, but that didnt seem to be a good idea. Astonishingly, his Heavens Path Hammer Art was actually weaker than the brawny mans battle technique. He was still able to stand his ground for the time being as his strength was at least able to match the brawny mans might, but the feedback from each sh made his arm feel a bit number. Fortunately, it seemed like it was the other party had taken on some damage too. The brawny mans attack speed had visibly decreased. But it would still be difficult for me to defeat him before my zhenqi runs out at this rate. Ill have to think of another method ... Even though the brawny man was just a person in a painting, the strength he wielded was almostparable to that of the gods. Zhang Xuan was indeed able to stand his ground against the other party after he had achieved a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm, but it still wouldnt be an easy feat for him to triumph over this opponent. If he were to allow things to continue at this pace, even if he were to win the battle, he would still have exhausted himself significantly in the midst of doing so. That would be dangerous, especially considering he didnt know where Kong shi was and what he was up to. The brawny mans hammer art is even more profound than my Heavens Path Hammer Art. If I could just infuse his maneuvers into my battle technique too, I should be able to win the battle... Zhang Xuan thought Despite having practiced the Heavens Path Hammer Art, he could tell that his battle techniques were still a littlecking aspared to his opponents. Unless he could learn his opponents moves, infuse it into his own, and create an even stronger battle technique, or else it would be a difficult battle for him. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly paid closer attention to the brawny mans movements. Hu hu hu hu! The other party continued pressing on with his offense furiously whereas Zhang Xuan made use of the opportunity to remember every single one of his moves. After trading a hundred blows, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in surprise. His hammer art only has 12 basic moves, and everything else aside from that are just transformations and extraptions from those 12 moves? Chapter 2085 - 2085 Facing Off Against Kong shi 2085 Facing Off Against Kong shi Even though the maneuvers of the brawny man looked profound, in truth, all his attacks were made up of twelve basic movements. This was simr to how his Heavens Path Sword Art only had a single move, but through its countless possible transformations, he was able to bring out different moves to handle different situations. The crux of a battle techniquey in the intent, not the form. As long as the intent was precise, the attack would eventually connect. Zhang Xuan quickly went through the twelve moves in his head, and he could not help but exim in astonishment. This hammer art was rather simr to the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form that he had practiced. The twelve moves had to be executed in a certain order. Compile! Zhang Xuan quickly jotted down the movements in his head andpiled them together with the Heavens Path Hammer Art. The correct sequence appeared before his eyes, and he quickly moved his hammer in ordance to it. Boom! Barely after making two moves, he felt a different aura rising from the depths of his body. He had reached at an epiphany. This is... the Gods Hammer Intent? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He did not think that he wouldprehend the Gods Hammer Intent through learning the brawny mans hammer art. Furthermore, just like the Gods Sword Intent that he had learned previously, it had reached the level of a true god. Peng peng! Afterprehending the Gods Hammer Intent, the movements of the brawny man before him suddenly became utterly hideous. He noticed all kinds of ws in the other partys movements, and by exploiting one of them, he was able to subdue the other party within a few strikes. His surroundings abruptly blurred, and when he came to once more, he was standing before the eight paintings yet again. Kacha! Kacha! Right before his eyes, Zhang Xuan saw the colored painting of the brawny man losing its vibrance, turning into a gray image. He blinked nkly. So, the reason the paintings lost their color was because someone had sessfully challenged them andprehended the gods battle technique harnessed within? In other words... Its said that Kong shi managed to snatch a (God) character after entering the Hall of Gods, and the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion managed to snatch half a character... Could this be what they mean by it? Of the eight paintings, there was one that had turned into a ck-and-white portrait, like the painting of the brawny man. At the same time, the painting of the person wielding a sword had lost half of its color. This was in line with what he had heard so far. This also exins why the twelve hammer maneuvers are so simr to the twelve moves of the Ascendant Cloud Sword God Form. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Most likely, the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had fought the person in the painting to a draw, so he had only managed to acquire half of the God), character. Even though he had managed to learn all twelve maneuvers, he had not been able to figure out the correct sequence. This resulted in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion being able to produce Semi-Divinity realm cultivators without oveing the Azure Bridge, just that the number of sessful cases was extremely low, iparable to that of the Ethereal Hall. Since I haveprehended the twelve maneuvers of the hammer art, doesnt that mean that I have sessfully snatched a ?God) character, just like Kong shi did back then? That also meant that the ce he was in at the moment was where Kong shi and the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had barged into back then! It was no wonder no one in the Azure, except for those two, had seeded in the past several thousand years. It was indeed no easy feat to defeat those people in the paintings. Afterprehending the Pathos of Heavens and raising his cultivation to Earthly Semi-Divinity realm, he could be considered the strongest individual on the Forsaken Continent aside from Kong shi! Despite his strength, he had struggled quite a bit against the brawny man before he was able to achieve victory. From this, it was apparent just how difficult it was a feat to acquire a _God)_ character! You have acquired a 1God)_ character. You are qualified to proceed. While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, the stone staircase descended from above once again, showing a path that led endlessly upward. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan was just about to step onto the stairs when a thought surfaced in his mind. Since I still have time, why dont I take away the battle techniques harnessed in the other paintings? Even though he seemed to have taken some time toprehend the hammer art and defeat the brawny man, in truth, it had only been ten minutes at most. Going by the rate in which the water was dripping down, it had only been a fourth of the total time! Since he had plenty of time to spare, it went without saying that he should acquire a few more (God) characters! After all, he was not the head of one sect but four sects! He could not possibly be biased by imparting the battle technique to only one of the sects, right? With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward to touch the painting depicting ady holding a sword. Simr to before, his surroundings warped as he was pulled into the painting. The next moment, thedy in the painting immediately charged toward him with the sword she had in hand. In response, Zhang Xuan released his Gods Sword Intent and began brandishing his sword, too. Within just three breaths, the enemy had already copsed onto the white floor, turning into a stter of ink. With this, I have managed to put together the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilions (God) character, Zhang Xuan murmured with a chuckle. Countless generations of disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had worked themselves to the bone in hopes ofpleting the half God)1 character their sect possessed. With this, he would have fulfilled their long-time wish. After the painting turned gray, Zhang Xuan moved on to the one, which depicted an old man executing a battle technique. Without any hesitation, he reached out and touched the painting. Five minutester, he reappeared in the spacious hall, and the painting of the old man had turned gray. With his prior experience, he knew what he had to do as soon as he entered the painting. As a result, he was much faster than the first time! His efficiency only continued to rise for the remaining four paintings. It took him less than fifteen minutes in order to clear all of them. Only then did he finally ce his foot on the stone staircase and begin heading toward the third floor. The third floor was extremely spacious as well. The surroundings were well-lit, and there were no paintings nor formations in sight. If there was one word to describe the area, it would be empty. Halting his footsteps, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings and shouted, Kong shi, isnt it about time for you to make an appearance? Since the other party had set up all of this and baited him in, it should finally be time for the other party to appear. Just as he had expected, right after he said those words, a tall figure appeared before his eyes. It was none other than Kong shi! ring at Kong shi with narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan took out his Tongshang Sword and gripped its handle tightly. This was the man who had attempted to take his life multiple times in order to acquire his Library of Heavens Path. Since this man dared appear before him, he would have to return the favor! However, Zhang Xuan quickly noticed that something was amiss. Whats wrong? Do you not dare face me with your main body? He realized that the other party was just a sliver of his will. It was not the main body at all. Could it be that Kong shi knew that he had already reached the Semi-Divinity realm and feared that he was not a match for him anymore? Paying no heed to Zhang Xuans provocation, Kong shi ced his hands behind his back and spoke calmly. Its formidable that you were able to clear seven paintings on your own. That being said, youll still have to defeat me in order to obtain the Aura of Divinity and earn the right to be a real god! You want to have a fight? Seeing that Kong shi was not escaping, Zhang Xuan raised his Tongshang Sword and shed it furiously. He knew that his opponent would be powerful, so he used the Gods Sword Intent right from the start. I wont take advantage of you either. Kong shi chuckled softly. He suppressed his Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm cultivation down to Earthly Semi-Divinity realm, the same level as Zhang Xuan. With a flick of his finger, he took out a sword. It was hard to tell what tier it was, but it emanated an imposing chill. With a swift movement, he charged right up to Zhang Xuan. Tzzz! His Sword Intent burst forth as though a vigorous dragon. Formidable! Just these few moves were enough to tell Zhang Xuan that Kong shi was a true expert. Even though what he was facing was just a sliver of Kong shis will, thettersprehension of swordsmanship was actually beneath his at all. On the contrary, it might even have surpassed his! Despite being in the same cultivation realm, he was not able to im an advantageous position! How did you be so powerful? Zhang Xuan muttered in disbelief. Back then, Kong shi had barely been able to fight on par with his clone. However, he was already stronger than his clone at the moment, and he hadprehended so many gods battle techniques too. Under normal circumstances, he should have been able to defeat the other partys will easily. He did not expect that he would face such a tough battle. Hes also using a type of Heavens Path Sword Art as well. Kong shis swordy was also aligned with the world around him. Despite its simplicity, the might that it harnessed was not one to look down upon. Even though the two of them were using Heavens Path Sword Arts, the natures of their swordsmanship were vastly different from one another. Zhang Xuans swordsmanship was focused on exploiting the ws of others, but Kong shis swordsmanship was able to influence his opponents swordy, forcing it to obey his order. It felt as if his sword was dancing to Kong shis tune instead. How was he supposed to win in such a battle? Is this the ability of Heavens Order? Zhang Xuan felt his heart turning cold. He had heard Kong shi speaking about his ability before, but thetter did not use it while he was fighting with his clone, so he had not paid it any heed. It was only at this moment that he realized just how frightening that ability was. It was strikingly simr to Kong Shiyaos bloodline ability, Word of Law. Even if he managed to find a w to exploit, it would be meaningless when his sword was bending to Kong shis will! This had already gone past the level of swordsmanship to thews of the world. Through changing the order of the world, Kong shi was able to maintain an absolute dominion around him, and nothing was able to faze him. This was a battle that could not be won! Theres no way I could lose to an opponent who is at the same level as me! Zhang Xuan bellowed lividly. Other than his clone, he had never lost to anyone in the same cultivation realm as him. The person before him was just a sliver of will from Kong shi, so how could he possibly lose? There was no way he would allow it! Thus, Zhang Xuan began changing his attacking pattern. While executing his swordsmanship with his right hand, he beganunching battle techniques one after another with his left. It was as if he had split into two people in an instant, one specializing in swordsmanship and the other specializing in battle techniques. Furthermore, both attacks were infused with the Gods Intent. With such might, he was more than qualified to start his own sect and rule over the entire Forsaken Continent! Just like that, his fighting prowess doubled. Not bad. Kong shis will nodded with an approving smile. Following Zhang Xuans example, he began to execute swordsmanship with his right hand and battle techniques with his left as well. With this, he managed to defend against Zhang Xuans offense without any trouble. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan felt goosebumps rising all over him. Was this Kong shis true strength? Was the only reason his clone had been able to defeat Kong shi back then because thetter had not fully recovered his strength yet? Peng peng peng! After trading over a dozen blows, Zhang Xuan felt that he would eventually fall in defeat. He was still managing to stand his ground, but slowly, he could feel the tides of the battle moving toward Kong shis side, and this left him feeling deeply anxious. So, with a narrowed gaze, a vicious glint shed across his eyes. It seems like I can only try out my new technique on him... Chapter 2086 - 2086 A Heart of Intertwined Threads, Filed with Thousands and Thousands of Knots 2086 A Heart of Intertwined Threads, Filed with Thousands and Thousands of Knots. Pathos of Heavens. As much as it was a cultivation technique, it was a battle technique as well. It was a conceptualization that he hade up with through his epiphany, so it was not too difficult for him to materialize it into a battle technique. Sentimental humans were born from the indifferent heavens. The heavens would have long withered if they had feelings. As a conceptualization arose in Zhang Xuans head, Kong shis wless swordsmanship began to take on another form right before his eyes. Where Kong shis sword passed, a gray streak would be left in its wake. These gray streaks gradually interweaved with one another to form something reminiscent of a. This was the power that had limited his movements, cing him at a disadvantageous position throughout the battle. Heavens Order. Even though these gray streaks are scattered chaotically, they still observe a certain kind of pattern andw. Its almost like weaving together a heavens. It isnt tight, but once it bites, it will never let go, Zhang Xuan analyzed with a nonchnt expression on his face. He did not have too deep an understanding of Heavens Order previously, and it was through his conceptualization that he was able to see through thews behind Kong shis swordsmanship. Resonance, that was the crux of Kong shis swordsmanship. It was also a property that all beings in the world possessed, an intrinsicw of nature. As long as two objects were moving in at the resonant frequency to one another, even the toughest object in the world could easily be destroyed. To be honest, Zhang Xuan had no idea whether the Heavens Order Swordsmanship was wless. However, through forcing his opponent to obey hisw, he was able to slowly bring his opponent to the same frequency as him and finally defeat him. To use a crass metaphor from his previous life, it was simr to how an idiot would drag you down to their level and beat you with experience! Zhang Xuan came to a realization. The Heavens Order Swordsmanship is able to weave together an illusory thatpels the opponent to obey its rules. If I use swordsmanship that can unravel his rules, Ill be able to ovee him... With a light chuckle, he channeled his Gods Sword Intent into the Tongshang Sword and swiftly formed a massive that was simr yet dissimr to Kong shis. A heart of intertwined threads, filled with thousands and thousands of knots! A poem suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Just like that, the very first sword art of Pathos of Heavens had been created. With a flick of Zhang Xuans Tongshang Sword, Kong shis swordsmanship suddenly seemed to freeze in ce. The intricate that he had been weaving earlier ovepped with the one that Zhang Xuan had created, causing it to intersect messily with one another. As a result, he was unable to quickly struggle free. With the messing up of the order that he had created, Kong shi lost control over his surroundings. He was no longer able to influence Zhang Xuan with his rules. With this, Zhang Xuan had finally been freed. He immediately stepped forward tounch a follow-up attack so as to crush Kong shis will, but the next moment, thetter took a step back and retreated from the sphere of battle. The fact that you were able to find the ws in my swordsmanship and destroy my order within such a short period of time shows that you are a deeply talented and intelligent individual. You are qualified to be a god. Kong shi chuckled as he stroked his beard. We havent finished our battle yet. Zhang Xuan looked at Kong shi with eyes narrowed with doubt. Despite havingprehended such a powerful sword art, Kong shi was still able to retreat so easily without sustaining the slightest injury. This showed that he had not used his full strength. If the battle went on, there was no guarantee that he would have emerged victorious. Since that was the case, why did Kong shi back out of the battle? Victory and defeat are inconsequential here. My only goal here is to test the eligible challengers on behalf of the gods. You were able to ovee the Heart Oblivion Formation within a tenth of the time andprehend seven Gods Intents alone. On top of that, you were able to see through the opening in my swordsmanship and create a new sword art to deal with it on the spot. Your talents are truly unrivaled, Kong shi remarked calmly. Test? Challengers? Zhang Xuan was confused by what was going on. Was Kong shi not trying to kill him so that he could obtain his Library of Heavens Path? Why was he acting in such a manner? It was as if the will before him waspletely different from the person whom he had met previously! Perplexed, Zhang Xuan was just about to voice the doubts in his heart when Kong shi suddenly said, If Im not mistaken, you have inherited the Heavens Imperfections, right? Those words immediately ced Zhang Xuan on guard. He had been wondering if the will before him was really a different person from before when thetter suddenly spoke of the Heavens Imperfections. It seemed like he was finally revealing his true self. Just as I thought... The Hall of Gods has always held the strong in high esteem, so sessful challengers are allowed to leave their will behind to test the next challenger. You should leave your will here so that you can test the challengers of the next generation, Kong shi said with a smile. As he said those words, his silhouette began to flicker. Zhang Xuan had seen this situation many times before. Ultimately, a will was just a transient existence in this world. After aplishing its mission, it would dissipate. While he was on the Master Teacher Continent, every time he tried to ask Kong shi about the Innate Fetal Poison, thetter would simply dissipate all of a sudden. As for the Aura of Divinity, the pce will naturally bestow it upon you once you leave the premises... Then, with a silent pop, Kong shis will dissipated into the surroundings. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. Could it be that theres really a real Kong shi and fake Kong shi? The Kong shi whom he had just met earlier was simr to all those he had met back on the Master Teacher Continent. There was a hint of benevolence in the depths of his eyes, and it felt like he was someone who would shelter the world from all storms. This was vastly different from that one who had saved him from the Hall of Gods! Could it be that the will that had just dissipated came from the real Kong shi? Forget it! Whether that Kong shi is a good person or a bad person, if I can really obtain the Aura of Divinity and sessfully be a god, nothing will be a problem anymore! He left his will on the third floor before heading down the stone staircase. The fact that the pce allowed him to leave his will there meant that he had already gained its approval. When he returned to the entrance that he had entered from, the gates had already appeared once more. He saw his clone standing beyond the doorsill, waiting patiently for his return. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan walked over to his clones side before turning around to take another look at the gigantic pce right before his eyes. The pce was still standing above the cradle of wind currents. All of a sudden, a golden flow shot out from the cradle and rose in between the two pirs of the pce. This golden flow emanated a brilliant glow. It exerted a heavy pressure right upon ones soul. Is this the Aura of Divinity? It seemed like Kong shi had not lied to him. This golden flow felt as heavy as the mercury-like spiritual energy when he first encountered it back on the Master Teacher Continent. He had a feeling that his meridians would rupture if he absorbed it recklessly. Most likely, this was the power that only real gods were worthy of harnessing. In other words, if he absorbed the Aura of Divinity before him, there was a good chance that he could reach the realm of the gods. That would put him on a level that no one on the Forsaken Continent could match! With eyes glowing with excitement, he leaped into the air as he quickly headed toward the golden flow. But before he could reach his destination, a burst of sword qi abruptly sliced through his pathway. It severed the space, creating a dimension rift between Zhang Xuan and the golden flow. Astonished, Zhang Xuan hurriedly halted his movements. You have my deepest thanks. I knew that you would be able to do it, and you sure didnt disappoint... Following that, a mirror suddenly appeared in midair. A hand crept out from the surface of the mirror and grabbed the golden flow between its fingers. Hu! Then, the entire golden flow was absorbed into a jade bottle and vanished. Following which, the figure turned aroundit was none other than Kong shi! Zhang Xuan tightened his fists in anger. You arent Kong shi. Who in the world are you? Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes. He had thought it was weird how the other party had never appeared even though there were so many ideal opportunities for him to strike. It turned out that he had been hiding in the void all along, waiting for the moment that he obtained the Aura of Divinity to snatch it from him! However... when Zhang Xuan first arrived in the area, he had made sure to examine his surroundings carefully, and he did not notice any folded space or the like. Just where in the world did the other party appear from, and how did he manage to traverse space to get there? More importantly, if the will that he had encountered in the pce was real, it was likely that the person standing before him was a fake! That would exin why the other party was unaware of the details regarding Xuanjiang Citys Teleportation Portal, as well as why the will that he had encountered in the pce seemed to be unsure about the existence of the Heavens Imperfections. Who else can I be if not Kong shi? The face of the person in the air warped in anger. I am him. I have always been him! H! Amid his furious rage, he thrust his palm downward. The air currents had always been chaotic in the area. That palm strike caused more and more dimension rifts to appear all around, leaving Zhang Xuan not daring to advance any further. He has indeed gotten much stronger! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. The fact that the other party was able to shatter space so easily showed that he was much strongerpared to the time he was facing his clone. Nevertheless, there was no hint of Heavens Order in his palm strike, and the battle technique that he used did not harness the essence of the world. That meant that he was not using a Heavens Path battle technique. Furthermore, as powerful as his attack was, it was not to the extent where it was able to influence thews around him. Theres no doubt about ithes indeed a fake... Since Kong shi possessed a fragment of the heavens as well, he was naturally able to use Heavens Path battle techniques. He had wondered about that previously, too, but he had not been too certain as he had never seen anyone aside from him using Heavens Path battle techniques. As such, he had mistaken the other partys attacks to have reached the level of Heavens Path battle techniques previously. However, after witnessing what Kong shis will was capable of, it was apparent that the attacks of the person before him werecking. This only pointed to a single possibility... Even though he refused to admit to it, the person standing before him was indeed a fake! Return the Aura of Divinity to me! Zhang Xuan knew that this was not a good time for his mind to be wandering. As he brandished the Tongshang Sword, he beckoned his clone to move alongside him. With a barrage of swift shes, he formed a of sword qi around the fake Kong shi. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! He executed the sword art that he had justprehended without any hesitation. He knew that he was facing a difficult opponent, such that the Gods Sword Intent that he hadprehended would not be much use in the battle. Thus, he used the strongest move he knew of from the very start of the battle. Amazing swordsmanship... However, I wont be fighting with you today. Once I be a god myself, your library will be mine. No one in this world will be able to stop me! Kong shi burst intoughter as he leaped back into the mirror and vanished from view. Sh*t! Zhang Xuans face turned livid. Chapter 2087 - 2087 Meeting Palace Master Du Once More 2087 Meeting Pce Master Du Once More It was no wonder this fellow had not made a move since disappearing back then. Zhang Xuan had thought that the other party was finding a way to recover his full strength, but who could have known that the other partys goal was to bide his time so that he could acquire the Aura of Divinity! In fact, the other party might even have known that he would not be able to obtain the Library of Heavens Path back then, so he intentionally set this scheme up to bait him. But why did that fellow not challenge the pce on his own? Was it because he was unable to challenge it or because he was unable to clear it? Considering how the will on the third floor had been left behind by the real Kong shi, perhaps thetter might have used some means to prevent the fake Kong shi from entering, simr to how his clone was unable to enter the pce. Wait a moment, could it be that... A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind as his gaze darted toward his clone, who was standing with a smug smile on his face. His clone did not seem to be embarrassed because the pce had rejected his entry. If anything, he only seemed disappointed that he had not been able to show off. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before retracting his gaze. It isnt the time for me to be thinking about this right now. I cant let that fellow escape. Once he absorbs the Aura of Divinity and reaches the level of the gods, I wont stand a chance against him... He could not help but be worried about the current situation. In the first ce, the fake Kong shi was no weaker than him. If the other party really made a breakthrough, he would be doomed no matter how many Semi-Divinity realm cultivators he could rally to his side. The only reason the fake Kong shi needed to lie low was because he was unable to find the catalyst that he needed to make a breakthrough. However, the situation was different now that he had acquired the Aura of Divinity. No matter what, he had to stop the other party! It was just that... the other party had already run away. Even if there was something he could do, he had to find a way to get out of there first! With the altar destroyed, he no longer had a way to return to the Forsaken Continent. If he had obtained the Aura of Divinity earlier, he would have been able to reach the level of the gods. If so, he could have just returned by breaking apart space. But now... his route had beenpletely destroyed. The only reason Kong shi was able to traverse through space was because of the Paragon ckmirror and the Evanescent Boots, Zhang Xuan thought as he recalled what had happened earlier. Even though the Evanescent Boots were not a Semi-Divinity artifact, they granted their wearer the special ability to traverse through space. When used together with the Paragon ckmirror, Kong shi was able to move at speeds that even Zhang Xuan was unable to do anything about! This was not a good situation. It meant that if Kong shi attempted to harm his direct disciples, there was not much that he could do. Even though Zhang Xuan felt a little anxious inside, he was still able to keep a rational head. He quickly ran through everything that had happened over thest few days to figure out the current situation. Kong shi snatched the God), character from here, and the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion took half a character away with him. The fact that there are traces of that here means that the pce is likely the real Hall of Gods. In turn, that also means that the ce I entered back then was a fake! Previously, he had thought that the ce where he had been assaulted by the ten Semi-Divinity realm cultivators was the real Hall of Gods, but from the current looks of it, he had been misled. Most likely, it was a ce that the fake Kong shi had specially prepared in order to corner him. That might even have been the real headquarters of the Ethereal Hall! Thinking back, it was weird how there had been no one to be seen in the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall when he arrived back then. Furthermore, the entire area was even nted with explosive formations... Who in their right mind would nt explosives in their headquarters, as if expecting that it would be breached by an enemy? That did not make sense at all! It was likely that the Azure Bridge was linked to the pce that he had been to earlier, the real Hall of Gods, several thousand years ago. Otherwise, how did the real Kong shi and the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion get there and snatch the ?God) character? How did they return to the Azure and establish their own sects as powerhouses of the Forsaken Continent? If this is the real Hall of Gods, it should be connected to the Azure Bridge too, right? Zhang Xuan began examining his surroundings carefully with his Eye of Insight. The area where the altar had been destroyed waspletely empty, as if it had been floating in the midst of a void. The surroundings were also dark, and there was not the slightest sign of life to be seen. There was no sign of the Azure Bridge at all. Was he wrong? Zhang Xuan circled the pce, but there was still no passageway to be seen. It was as if this pce existed in the midst of a void. Just as he was feeling incredibly helpless, his eyes suddenly fell upon the two pirs that seemed to pin the pce in ce. He had seen them when he first arrived. They seemed to pierce endlessly through the void, and he had also been unable to analyze what material they were made of. All he was able to conclude was that they were at least Semi-Divinity artifacts, such that he would be unable to destroy them with his current strength. Could that be the real Azure Bridge? He had already checked the surroundings multiple times, but there was nothing that came close to resembling the Azure Bridge. Perhaps those two pirs were the key! Let me take a look! Zhang Xuan quickly threw the clone into his storage ring before leaping onto the pce. Grabbing tightly onto one of the pirs, he began climbing upward. He had no idea how tall the pir was, but he kept climbing on and on, till the pce behind became as small as a dot. He climbed for four whole hours before he finally broke through an atmosphere. A ray of light suddenly appeared at the end of the dark void. Right after, Zhang Xuan felt his surroundings disorientating. He had been climbing up a moment ago, but all of a sudden, he was hugging onto the pir to prevent himself from falling downward. He had encountered this situation back when he was getting on top of the Azure Bridge from the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. He had stepped from one spatial dimension into another, resulting in the abrupt change in his center of gravity. He felt like he had been climbing upward all along, which suggested that the Hall of Gods had been at the bottom. However, from his current point of view, it would seem like the Hall of Gods was actually above him. He quickly climbed back up the Azure Bridge before looking around him. He noticed that there was a majestic hall right beneath him. Isnt that the fake Hall of Gods? Zhang Xuan recognized it with a single nce. It was where he had been assaulted by ten Semi-Divinity realm experts simultaneously, only to be saved by the fake Kong shi. So, these two ces are actually linked to one another... Zhang Xuan came to a realization. The two pirs of the pce were linked to the very top of the fake Hall of Gods. He thought that it was only for aesthetic purpose back then, but it turned out that the fake Hall of Gods was actually not the endpoint. If he had traveled a little further back then, he would have been able to enter the real Hall of Gods. Kong shi should have returned here... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up, and he quickly concealed his aura before heading into the fake Hall of Gods. If his guess was not wrong, those Semi-Divinity realm experts that he had encountered back then were all the fake Kong shis subordinates. In other words, the fake Hall of Gods was actually the other partys core base! It was likely that the fake Kong shi would head there to attempt a breakthrough after obtaining the Aura of Divinity. Zhang Xuan knew that he had to find a way to steal the Aura of Divinity. As long as he could achieve a breakthrough, the enemy would pose no threat to him at all! He silently crept alongside the walls of the fake Hall of Gods and entered it. Perhaps they thought that no one could reach there or that no one would dare barge in, but there were no sentries standing on guard. Zhang Xuan stealthily explored the area. The ce was truly massive. Zhang Xuan swiftly maneuvered around the areas to find where Kong shi was hiding when he suddenly heard two sets of footsteps. They chatted with one another as they walked over. Our hall master has passed down orders for us to put that person to death! As there were no outsiders in the area, there was no need for them to worry about their secrets leaking out. Put that person to death? Thats right. We needed her previously for her chants to activate the altar and conduct the ritual, but now, as long as our hall master sessfully bes a god, he will be able to do anything even without the altar! It doesnt matter whether shes alive or not... Indeed. Well surely be handsomely rewarded once our hall master bes a god. As long as we listen to him obediently, we might even have a chance to reach that level, too. Isnt that so? Well, lets hurry up and do it! The discussion seemed to be slowly drifting further and further away. Activate the altar and conduct the ritual? Are they referring to Pce Master Du? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thinking back, thest time he had seen Du Qingyuan was also in this hall. It seemed like she was still there. However, it was apparent that she was in a precarious position. I should first save her before doing anything else, Zhang Xuan thought with narrowed eyes. With a set of swift maneuvers, he appeared before the duo in an instant and swung his Tongshang Sword. A cold glint shed across the room. Puhe! Puhe! The two Semi-Divinity realm experts copsed to the floor before they could even react. Zhang Xuan immediately stowed their corpses into his storage ring. Back when he was still at the Heavenly High Immortal realm, he had been able to y ordinary Semi-Divinity realm cultivators with a single sh. Since he had achieved a breakthrough andprehended theplete Gods Sword Intent, assassinating opponents of such tiers no longer posed a challenge to him. He was able to do it without even causing the slightest disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy. After getting rid of those two, he morphed his appearance into one of them and donned his clothes. With this, his disguise was perfect. So, he began making his way forward. Even though the ce was extremely spacious, there were not many rooms around. He was able to determine where Du Qingyuan was kept just by where those two Semi-Divinity realm cultivators had been heading. Soon, he arrived before a locked chamber. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a key that he had looted from those two and opened the door without any trouble. In there, he saw a middle-ageddy seated at the center of the room. Her hands and legs were tightly cuffed, limiting her movements. Her hair was unkempt, and there was a withered look on her face. The aura she emanated was extremely weak as well. It seemed like she was severely injured. Upon his entry, Du Qingyuan looked over with clear eyes. It seemed like she had shaken out of Kong shis control. Has he ordered you to kill me? Du Qingyuan asked with an expressionless look on her face. She had managed to guess what was awaiting her. Instead of answering the question, Zhang Xuan shut the doors tightly before slowly walking over. Since he was willing to destroy the altar, it means that my existence is of no value to him anymore. Du Qingyuan harrumphed coldly. The altar was an artifact that she had assimted, so naturally, she was able to sense its destruction. He knew that the reason Kong shi had captured her was to make use of her altar, so the only reason she could think of for Kong shi allowing the altar to be destroyed was that he had found a way to achieve his goals even without the altar. A pawn who had lost its value was bound to be disposed of. I never thought that I would meet my end like this... Du Qingyuan nced upward with a slight hint of despair in her eyes. She could not imagine what would be of Starchaser Pce without her. Her direct disciple was not ready to seed her as the new pce master, and even though Jiang Yao had reached the Semi-Divinity realm, her strength wascking to the other veterans. They were in difficult times. The Hall of Gods was colluding with the Ethereal Hall, and it was likely that they would soon root out the Six Sects so that they could establish their dominance on the Forsaken Continent. Any hint of weakness at this moment would be fatal. It was for this reason that she had entrusted her hopes to an unknown factorZhang Xuan. She hoped that the young man who had created so many miracles would protect Starchaser Pce even in her absence. But ultimately, she did not know if she had made the correct decision. Would Zhang Xuan even be willing to protect Starchaser Pce? She hated how she was helpless, and it pained her to think of the possible tragedies that could happen to Starchaser Pce in her absence. She closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment before opening them once more. Rising to her feet, she tidied up her clothes and smoothed out the creases. After that, she began tob her hair with her fingers before pinning it in ce with a hairpin. Then, she looked at the person who had just entered the room and said, Even if I have to die, I will die a dignified death. As she waited for the other party to make his move, a calm voice suddenly echoed in the air. Its the second time weve met, isnt it, Pce Master Du? Right before her eyes, the appearance of the person before her began to morph into that of a young man in his early twenties. Zhang Xuan? Du Qingyuans body stiffened up. Slowly, it started to tremble in agitation. Chapter 2088 - 2088 The Ethereal Hall Headquarters 2088 The Ethereal Hall Headquarters It was through the mouth of the Spirit God that she first heard about this young man. Back then, she had found it extremely bizarre. How could a youngd from a lower world possibly be qualified to gain the Spirit Gods fancy and even be her lover? Soon after, she received an audience from Sovereign Chen Yong, so she descended an avatar of herself to the lower world. It was then that she met the young man for the first time. She did not see anything impressive about the young man, but the decision he made pleased her. So, she brought Wu Chen up to the Azure and treated him. Not too longter, she received news that Zhang Xuan had arrived on the Forsaken Continent, and within just a few days, he had already be the sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Words could not exin how astounded she was by that news. She began to realize why the young man was able to catch the Spirit Gods sight. So, she specially made a trip over to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to meet him, but he had already left the sect. She left Wu Chen with the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion before returning to the sect alone. Shortly after, the warriors of the Hall of Gods barged into Starchaser Pce and demanded that she hand over the altar. Knowing that she would not be able to deal with them alone, she wrote her will before running away with the altar. Yet, who would have thought that Hall Master Kong would still end up being able to find her? Eventually, she was captured and imprisoned. She thought that she would meet her end. Not even in her wildest dreams did she expect to see Zhang Xuan there, disguised as one of the Semi-Divinity realm cultivators. With a smile on his lips, the young man took out a sword and said, Pce Master Du, Ill have to trouble you to take a step back. Du Qingyuan knew that it was no time for them to be reminiscing about the past and catching up with one another, so she took a step back and raised her arms. Taking a deep breath, the young man swung his sword. Ding ding ding ding! With four metallic ngs, the cuffs binding her wrists and ankles fell to the ground. Even though the cuffs were not Semi-Divinity artifacts, the fact that they were able to bind a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator meant that they possessed resilienceparable to one. Yet, Zhang Xuan was able to sever them easily with his current strength. After severing the chains, the young man passed a jade bottle over to her. Drink this! Du Qingyuan quickly uncorked the jade bottle and gulped down whatever was inside. A momentter, her eyes widened in astonishment. She knew how severe her injuries were. Given that she was already reaching the limits of her lifespan, she thought that her cultivation was already crippled for good. She did not think that she had enough vitality in her to make a full recovery. Yet, a mere bottle of water had cured all of her injuries, nursing her back to full health. She looked at Zhang Xuan in astonishment, but thetter shook his head and said, Theres no time to exin. Come with me! Alright. Du Qingyuan nodded. She quickly drove her zhenqi and cleansed her body of grime and dirt, thus reverting to her usual appearance as a graceful pce master. Heaving a sigh of relief, she quickly followed behind Zhang Xuan. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head helplessly when he saw how Du Qingyuan was concerned about her appearance despite the dire situation they were in. Clicking his tongue, he pushed the door open and walked out. There was no one outside. Having saved Du Qingyuan, he could not be bothered to keep up his disguise. It was not as if anyone there, except for Kong shi, could defeat him anyway. So, he continued inward. The exit is over there, the perplexed Du Qingyuan remarked with a frown. The deeper they headed in, the greater the danger they would face. Zhang Xuan might be unaware of Hall Master Kongs true strength, but she knew just how insanely powerful that man was. In terms of fighting prowess, he might even be on par with the gods! Not only so, he also had plenty of Semi-Divinity realm experts under hismand. They would be doomed once they were made aware of his intrusion! Im not nning on leaving yet. Im here for Kong shi, Zhang Xuan exined with a smile. This time, he had his clone to fight alongside him. On top of that, he had alsoprehended the Pathos of Heavens and A Heart of Intertwined Threads. As long as Kong shi had not reached the level of a god, the chances of them winning were extremely high. The only reason he had chosen to disguise himself was out of fear that it might incite panic, leading to the enemies to quickly get rid of Du Qingyuan or use her as hostage. Since Du Qingyuan had been saved, there was nothing to hold him back anymore. Kong shi? You are referring to Hall Master Kong, right? Du Qingyuan was stunned. We wont be able to take him on with just the two of us. Well need to gather Han Jianqiu and the others... Before she could finish her piece, footsteps suddenly sounded ahead of them. A doubtful voice demanded, Who are you? Wait, arent you Du Qingyuan? How did you get out? Men! That voice echoed loudly throughout the entire hall. Sou sou sou! In an instant, numerous figures appeared all around the corridor, sealing off all paths of escape. Thirteen Semi-Divinities... Du Qingyuan trembled in horror. They would have been perfectly fine if they had snuck away earlier, but this fellow simply wanted to look for Hall Master Kong. Now that they were surrounded by thirteen Semi-Divinities who were no weaker than her, there was no way they would be able to get away unscathed anymore. She felt as if the hope that had appeared before her just a moment ago had been shattered, plunging her deeper into the abyss of despair. Spirit God, you didnt tell me that the person you like is actually so unreliable! Oh, arent you Sect Leader Zhang? Since you have paid a visit to our Ethereal Hall, it would be rude for us not to offer you our warmest wee, right? A Semi-Divinity realm cultivator amid the crowd recognized Zhang Xuan, and his words sparked mes of greed in the eyes of the others. All of them knew how highly their hall master valued Zhang Xuan. If they could capture him, they would surely be handsomely rewarded for their service! Hu! With overwhelming killing intent lingering in the air, the Semi-Divinities drew their weapons. Du Qingyuan felt goosebumps rising all over her body. She silently inched toward Zhang Xuan and said, Ill only be able to deal with two of them at most with my current strength... I have been observing them carefully, and I think I can try opening a path for you to escape by attacking those three right ahead of me. So, pay careful attention and make your escape as soon as you see an opening, alright? Only her physical wounds had healed so far. Her soul had not fully recovered yet, and her greatest trump card, the altar, had been destroyed. It was already formidable that she could keep two Semi-Divinity realm cultivators of the Hall of Gods in check given her current strength. Escape? I am very grateful that you are willing to brave through the danger to rescue me, Du Qingyuan said with a determined glint in her eyes, but my lifespan is alreadying to an end. If only one of us can make it out of here alive, it should be you. Ill be entrusting the future of Starchaser Pce and the Forsaken Continent to you... Theres no need for that! Zhang Xuan chuckled a little upon seeing Du Qingyuans response. Seeing how the two of them were rxed enough to chat with one another, the leader of the group bellowed, Everyone, lets take them down together. Our hall master will surely be delighted if he sees that we have managed to capture Zhang Xuan when he returns... H! Unable to hold back their anxiety any longer, the crowd made their move. Sou sou sou sou! Surges of energy gushed in from the surroundings, forming a sturdy cage around Zhang Xuan and Du Qingyuan. Zhang Xuan, run away! Du Qingyuan eximed. She did not think that they would actually be so well-trained in coborative formations. Knowing that they would be trapped if she waited any longer, she immediately dashed forward to make her move. However, the sight before her suddenly blurred, and the energy cage around them abruptly dissipated. Before she knew it, Zhang Xuan was already standing right before the leader of the pack, his hand clutching onto thetters neck tightly. Looking at the leader with a frighteningly nonchnt expression on his face, he asked, Where is Hall Master Kong? H-he has gone out... the leader replied with a quivering voice. He was caughtpletely off guard by how fast Zhang Xuan was, such that his entire body was still trembling from shock. He isnt here? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had thought that Kong shi would try to assimte the Aura of Divinity there... If the other party was not there, where else could he be? This was not good at all. If Kong shi sessfully became a god, the consequences would be dire. They would really have no means to deal with him then. I dont believe you, Zhang Xuan remarked coldly. He squeezed his fingers lightly, crushing the leaders windpipe. There was a short moment of silence before he sighed with a frown. Ha, Kong shi really isnt here... There was no way he could take the enemys words at face value, so he had conducted a Soul Search as well. But just as the other party had said, Hall Master Kong did not return after heading out. While Zhang Xuan was shaking his head in displeasure, Du Qingyuan was looking upon the sight before her with an incredulous expression. It was just a moment ago that she thought they were goners, but in the blink of an eye, herrade had already taken down the leader of the pack! What was even eerier to her was how no one in the crowd rushed over to help their own ally. It was as if they were frozen in ce! Du Qingyuan pointed to the other twelve Semi-Divinities around her and murmured, They... They were all standing on the spot, not moving an inch. However, she could see fear deeply reflected in their eyes, as if they were looking at something that terrified them to their souls. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan tossed aside the leaders body before taking out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. Why arent they moving? Du Qingyuan asked warily. Theyre dead. Dead men arent able to move, Zhang Xuan replied impassively, as if he was just pointing out a fact. He had been wondering what Du Qingyuan was so shocked about, but it turned out to just be that. Since those men had decided to assault them, there was no need for him to show mercy to them. Thus, he had used A Heart of Intertwining Threads to slit their throats, killing all twelve of them in an instant. He had only chosen to spare the leader temporarily in order to question him. Theyre dead? Du Qingyuan was stunned. She carefully walked up to one of the Semi-Divinities and pushed his body carefully. Putong! The Semi-Divinity realm cultivators body fell t on the floor, causing the ground to tremble a little. That, in turn, caused the bodies of the remaining eleven Semi-Divinities to fall to the ground as well. Du Qingyuan rubbed her eyes vigorously, wondering if she had seen incorrectly. When did he make a move? How did he make a move? For thirteen Semi-Divinities to be killed in an instant... how was this even possible? Was it really true that this fellow had only arrived on the Forsaken Continent a month ago? Was it possible for someone to be so powerful within such a short period of time? Du Qingyuan felt a little stifled inside. To think that there was a period of time where she had thought that this young man was not worthy of the Spirit God. This was probably the first time in the history of the Forsaken Continent that a person had managed to cultivate from Ancient Sage 4-dan to be an unrivaled existence among Semi-Divinities within just a single month. If he were given another month, would he be able to be as powerful as the Spirit God? She suddenly had a feeling that everyone else had only been crawling along in their cultivation whereas the young man was sprinting ahead. Hold on for a moment, the young man suddenly said. With a smile on his face, he walked up to each and every one of the corpses and took their storage rings. After that, with a wave of his hand, he chucked all their corpses into his storage ring. Not too bad. They seem to have plenty of pills with them. I guess those from the Ethereal Hall are pretty wealthy after all, Zhang Xuanmented with a satisfied nod. He had wondered where he could find the remaining seventy Premier Immortal Pills required for him to achieve a breakthrough, but to his delight, he managed to gather all of them with several dozen extra after ying fifteen Semi- Divinities. As expected of the Ethereal Hall! Since Hall Master Kong isnt around, its unlikely well face any danger here. Wait here for a moment, Ill swiftly take a look around, Zhang Xuan said before vanishing from sight. Take a look around? What does he want to look at? Du Qingyuan was left standing on the spot, confused. Paying no heed to the Du Qingyuan, Zhang Xuan headed to the innermost room along the corridors. Through his earlier Soul Search, he had been able to confirm that he was in the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall. Since this was the headquarters, there was no doubt that there were plenty of treasures lying around. Considering how Kong shi had stolen his Aura of Divinity, no matter what, he should at least return the favor a little. Or else, would he not be making a huge loss? Thus, while he was conducting his Soul Search earlier, he had made sure to keep a close eye on where the treasure vault was. Naturally, that was where he was heading! Chapter 2089 - 2089 Returning to Starchaser Palace 2089 Returning to Starchaser Pce He followed the path that he had seen in his Soul Search and flitted ahead. Other than the Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, there was no one else in the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall. Zhang Xuan had killed all of them earlier, so there should be no more danger lurking in the area. As for the formations that were set up around the area, all of them posed no threat to a formation master of Zhang Xuans caliber. Here it is, Zhang Xuan said with a smile after confirming the location. He swung the Tongshang Sword lightly. Kacha! The door was knocked open, revealing a folded space. Treasures of all kinds filled the entire folded space. They were at a quantity that was beyond even Zhang Xuans means to count. Hu! As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the folded space, he was assaulted by innumerable surges of sword qi, saber qi, and all kinds of different forces. Knowing that those attacks came from the weapon spirits of the artifacts stored in the room, Zhang Xuan nimbly dodged all of the attacksing his way. Ding ding ding ding! Ten minutester, Zhang Xuan looked at the huge array of weapons before him with glowing eyes. As expected of the treasure vault of the Ethereal Hall headquarters, there were more than thirty Semi-Divinity artifacts and over two hundred Heavenly High Immortal-tier artifacts! Even if one gathered everyst weapon on the Forsaken Continent, it was unlikely that their value would surpass what he had right before him. It was hard to tell whether this was the inventory that the Ethereal Hall had managed to umte over the years or what they had stolen from the Hall of Gods. Well, regardless of where they came from, the only thing that mattered was that they had all be his. With a grand wave of his hands, he stowed all of them into his storage ring. Then, he turned his attention to the jade bottles by the side. All kinds of pills were flying around the room like a bunch of chirpy canaries. They were all Heavenly High Immortal-tier pills, and they were effective even on Semi-Divinity realm cultivators. What caught Zhang Xuans attention more though were the thousand or so Premier Immortal Pills ced atop the shelves. Stowing away everything around him, Zhang Xuan needed three whole storage rings before he was able to collect everything in the treasure vault. First and foremost, I should raise my cultivation to Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm! Instead of hurrying out of the treasure vault, he took a seat in the middle of the room. He got out the Premier Immortal Pills and stuffed them into his mouth as he immersed his consciousness into his Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. The feeling of not having to worry about having insufficient cultivation resources was truly an exhrating experience for Zhang Xuan. He felt like he had never been so extravagant before. Was this how it felt to be loaded? A few breathster, he stood back up. As of that moment, he had managed to raise his cultivation to Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm and reinforced it. With this, he could be considered to have reached the very peak of the Forsaken Continent. As long as Kong shi had not reached the level of the gods yet, he was confident that he could fight on equal footing with the other party. After he was done, he left the treasure vault and returned to where Du Qingyuan was. Du Qingyuan had not recovered from the earlier shock yet. There was a dazed look on her face that made it look as if she was daydreaming. Pce Master Du, do you know how we can return to Starchaser Pce from here? Zhang Xuan snapped Du Qingyuan out of her daze. He had previously gone there through the Azure Bridge, and he had only managed to leave through the ability of Kong shis Evanescent Boots. In other words, he had no idea how he could return to the Forsaken Continent from there without the Azure Bridge. However, there was a good chance that Du Qingyuan might have an idea in mind. After all, she had been taken there before the Azure Bridge descended. My cultivation was sealed when Hall Master Kong brought me here, so I wasnt able to move around freely. However, I was still able to deduce his technique. Pce Master Du quickly gathered her thoughts before continuing. If Im not mistaken, he traveled here through the Ethereal Token. Ethereal Token? Zhang Xuan frowned. He knew that it was possible for the Ethereal Token to transport ones consciousness to enter the Ethereal Hall, but did it really wield the ability to teleport a persons entire body? Thats right. Dont underestimate the prowess of the Ethereal Token. It might be small, but its functions are rather remarkable. Just its ability to teleport items you have bought in the Ethereal Hall already makes it an amazing artifact, Du Qingyuan said. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. It was easy to take the Ethereal Token for granted, but if one thought about it, it was actually a pretty incredible artifact. The act of teleporting items around was already one usage of Spatial Teleportation. My guess is that he used it together with the ckmirror Citadels Paragon ckmirror. The Paragon ckmirror has the ability to pull ones soul into a mirror, and its also capable of materializing what that is stored within the mirror. Usually, we can only ess the Ethereal Hall with our consciousness, but through the Paragon ckmirror, it might be possible to enter the illusory Ethereal Hall with ones real body, Du Qingyuan deduced. While the Ethereal Hall that cultivators immersed their consciousness into was often described as illusory, it was very much existent in the world. The fact that it was possible for individuals to interact with the environment and one another was enough to prove its existence. It was just that it existed on another dimensional ne, making it impossible for living cultivators to enter it with their physical bodies. The differences in the spatial structures of the two dimensional nes made it impossible for a living person to even survive the journey into the Ethereal Hall. As such, even though it was possible to take items in and out of the Ethereal Hall, no cultivator had managed to step into the Ethereal Hall with their physical body before. However, through reflecting the illusory Ethereal Hall on the Paragon ckmirror, one would be able to bind it to the mirrors dimensional ne. Then, using the Paragon ckmirror as a gateway, it might be possible to physically enter the illusory Ethereal Hall safely. If he used the Paragon ckmirror to reflect the illusory Ethereal Hall before using the mirror to reflect himself, its likely that hes able to freely move around the branches of the Ethereal Hall... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. That exined why Kong shi had wanted to obtain the Evanescent Boots, the Paragon ckmirror, and the altar... Those three wielded exceptional abilities! If one could enter the illusory Ethereal Hall with ones real body, through the connections between the illusory Ethereal Hall and all the Ethereal Tokens, it would technically be possible to teleport one to wherever an Ethereal Token existed. Basically, it worked in a simr manner to how one retrieved purchased items from the Ethereal Hall. Who could have thought that the Ethereal Token and Paragon ckmirror could actually be used in such a manner? Unbelievable! Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before pointing out the main problem. But we dont have the Paragon ckmirror with us... Even if they had figured out how Kong shi managed to move around, it would make no difference if they did not have the Paragon ckmirror with them. No, wait... Even though we dont have the Paragon ckmirror with us, we can still create a folded space that we can enter and teleport through the Ethereal Token! Zhang Xuan smacked his forehead. Why did he not think about it earlier? That does sound feasible, but I dont think its that easy to create a folded space stable enough to carry life while traveling into the illusory Ethereal Hall, Du Qingyuan replied with a frown. It was the kind of thing that sounded theoretically feasible but might not work in practice. For one, creating a folded space was no easy feat on the Forsaken Continent. If so, the Six Sects would have long uncovered such a transportation technique, and they would not have to spend days on end sitting atop aerial immortal beasts to move around. More importantly, it could be extremely dangerous. This medium of transportation was under the control of the Ethereal Hall, and if anything went wrong, they might fall into the cracks of space and be unable to return. It might be difficult to do it anywhere else, but in here... Well, just wait here for a moment, Zhang Xuan said before disappearing. He could easily create stable folded spaces back on the Master Teacher Continent, but it was not as easy to do so there. However, while he was still unable to do it, it did not mean that others would be unable to do so. In fact, there was one nearby waiting for his picking. The treasure vault earlier was one perfect example of a stable folded space that could carry life. With a grasp of his hand, Zhang Xuanpressed the folded space in the treasure vault until it fitted nicely in his palm. Boom! With his cultivation reaching Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm, his current strength was definitely on par with Kong shis previously. While he did not possess the Heavens Order, which granted one superior powers over spacetime, he was at least still able to manipte a folded space like that. Hu! He took out a storage ring and ced the sealed folded space into it. Pce Master Du, please enter the folded space. Du Qingyuan nodded as she lowered her guard. In the next moment, she vanished from the spot. After pulling Du Qingyuan into the folded space, Zhang Xuan took out an Ethereal Token and infused his consciousness into it. Even though he was in a ce impossible to ess from the Forsaken Continent, considering how he was in the Ethereal Hall headquarters, he should still be able to ess the illusory Ethereal Hall without any trouble and contact the others. Soon enough, Han Jianqiu appeared before him, and upon seeing Zhang Xuan in the Ethereal Hall, he heaved a sigh of relief. Sect Leader Zhang, how are you faring over there? Are you still doing fine? Shortly after Zhang Xuan entered the portal, the altar on the other side had been destroyed, causing the portal to dissipate. That had left all of them at Starchaser Pce panicking. They had feared that something had happened to Zhang Xuan. Only when he saw the young man before him once more was he finally able to calm his heart. Im fine. Ill ce a storage ring on the auctionter. Buy it and take it out in Starchaser Pces Ethereal Hall right after, understood? Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes. Han Jianqiu nodded even though he did not know what Zhang Xuan was up to. After instructing Han Jianqiu, he quickly backed out of the Ethereal Hall and ced the storage ring on the Ethereal Halls auction. Following that, he brought the Serpentine Dragon out. Here is a nk Ethereal Token. I need you to remain here and guard it. Make sure to appear immediately as soon as I call for you, understood? Zhang Xuan said. With the recent breakthrough to the Semi-Divinity realm, the Serpentine Dragons soul had grown strong enough for it to enter the Ethereal Hall with its consciousness. Zhang Xuan wanted to return to the Forsaken Continent to look for Kong shi, but there was a chance that he might have to visit the Hall of Gods once more in the future. Thus, he had to prepare in advance. If he could really return to the Forsaken Continent through this method, he should be able to go back there by liaising with the Serpentine Dragon. Knowing what its master was trying to do, the Serpentine Dragon nodded. I understand. Also, make sure to hide well. Dont let anyone find you. Theres a chance that Hall Master Kong mighte back here, Zhang Xuan instructed sternly. The Serpentine Dragon nodded before shrinking itself to roughly the size of a thumb. Its real body, which was several hundred meters long, was simply too conspicuous. It was too easy for someone to spot him even from a distance away. However, if he shrunk himself to the size of a thumb, it would be hard for someone to find him amid the vast hall. After handling the Serpentine Dragon, Zhang Xuan entered the folded space in the storage ring as well. Following that, the Serpentine Dragon tapped the Ethereal Token lightly, and the storage ring disappeared from view. On the Forsaken Continent, an Ethereal Token lit up brilliantly as a storage ring materialized from a Teleportation Formation. Hu! Zhang Xuan came out from the folded space in the storage ring. When he saw Han Jianqiu and the others, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. It really worked! Even though the n had sounded feasible in theory, there were manyplications that could have happened when putting it into practice. In fact, his heart had been beating worriedly throughout the entire process. If someone on either side of the Ethereal Token had betrayed him or the Ethereal Hall had noticed what they were up to, they might have ended up banished into the cracks of space. In any case, it was a huge relief that everything had worked out well. It also appeared that the Ethereal Hall had not noticed what they had done yet. After all, such trades were held often enough for the Ethereal Hall not to pay close attention to every transaction. Teacher... Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the eyes of Zhao Ya and the others lit up in agitation. Zhang Xuan was just about to call them when he noticed something that sent his eyebrows shooting upward. All of you... have managed to reach the Heavenly High Immortal realm? Prior to his departure, Zhao Ya and the others had still been at the True Immortal realm. Yet, at that very moment, all of them had reached the Heavenly High Immortal realm, and it looked as if they were ready to achieve a breakthrough at any moment! But he had barely been gone for a few hours... Had his students always been so talented? Chapter 2090 - 2090 Zhang Xuan Imparts 2090 Zhang Xuan Imparts All along, Zhang Xuan thought that he was able to cultivate quite quickly. Nevertheless, he still spent half a month to raise his cultivation from Ancient Sage 4-dan to High Immortal realm. The sweat and blood he had put into it were enough to make any man break down in tears. It could be said that every step he took was immensely difficult. It was true that these 11 direct disciples of his had the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art, and they had sufficient Immortal Pills to fuel their cultivation too... But how did they manage to raise their cultivation from True Immortal realm to Heavenly High Immortal realm within just a few hours? This was ridiculous! It isnt fast at all. We took an entire month after your departure to reach our current level... Zhao Ya replied sheepishly. An entire month? Zhang Xuan frowned. Was I away for that long? He knew that the flow of time in the Ethereal Hall was 1:10 of the Forsaken Continent. Going by what Zhao Ya said, a month in the Forsaken Continent should equate to roughly three days or 72 hours in the Ethereal Hall. But all in all, he had only spent at most 2 hours in the Hall of Gods and 4 hours in the Ethereal Hall. Even factoring in 4 hours he spent climbing up the pirs, it would only total up to 10 hours at the very most... That was different far off from the estimated 72 hours! Unless... A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Could it be that the flow of time in the Hall of Gods is also 1:10 of the Ethereal Hall? In other words, it is 1:100 of the Forsaken Continent? If the flow of time in the Hall of Gods was even slower, that would make sense. Using a 1:100 ratio, he had spent two hours in the Hall of Gods and four hours climbing up the Azure Bridge, which equated to 600 hours on the Forsaken Continent. Factoring in the four hours he had spent in the Ethereal Hall headquarters, that would be around 640 hours... If so, it would indeed have been around a month on the Forsaken Continent. The flow of time in the Hall of Gods is actually 1:100 of the Forsaken Continent... Is the flow of time in the Firmament that slow as well? It would really be frightening if that was the case. The slower the flow of time, the stabler the temporalws of the world were. Space and time were often collectively termed as spacetime because the two of them had an inseverable rtionship with one another. If the flow of time was indeed a hundredth of the Azure, that would likely mean that the stability of the space in the Firmament was a hundredfold as well. And beings who existed in dimensions with stabler spacetime were likely to be much more powerful as well, especially since they would have to endure the greater pressure from the spatialws. In a sense, this provided Zhang Xuan with a peek into just how powerful the gods of the Firmament were. If so, Kong shi would likely be a terribly difficult opponent to deal with if he were to sessfully make a breakthrough. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan put away these thoughts in his mind and turned to look at his disciples. If they really had a month to work with, given their stable foundation and ample resources, it was indeed not too difficult for them to make a breakthrough from True Immortal realm to Heavenly High Immortal realm. Sit here and listen well. Ill be imparting to you myprehension of Semi-Divinity realm, as well as the crux of Gods Intent! Zhang Xuan said. Given the current situation, they still wouldnt be of much help at Heavenly High Immortal realm. They would have to be at Semi-Divinity realm at the very minimum to be able to even stand a chance against Kong shi. Since they were ready for it, he should lend them a hand for the final breakthrough! All in all, he hadprehended seven Gods Intent so far. As long as his disciples were toprehend the essence of one of them, they should be able to make a breakthrough to Semi-Divinity realm easily. Yes! Seeing that their teacher was going to conduct a lecture, Zhao Ya and the others quickly sat down and waited excitedly for the lecture to begin. Han Jianqiu and the others were initially intending to leave the room as well, but after hearing Zhang Xuans words, they chose to linger around the sides of the room instead. In order to reach Semi-Divinity, you must firstprehend what divinity is. An unequaled existence, a being that has transcended nature, that is what divinity is. In order to reach that level, one must first affirm his own will and temper his determination... Zhang Xuan spoke in a slow voice. As Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, Han Jianqiu and the others initially didnt think that Zhang Xuans lecture would be able to value-add to them. However, after hearing for a while, they soon found themselvespletely engrossed over his words. Despite having made the breakthrough themselves, the truth was that they still didnt have aplete understanding of what the realmprised either. They were able to drive the power in their body freely, but they had no idea where the power originated from and how it worked. This was simr to how a human might not necessarily know how each and every part of his body functioned. The reason why they were able to seed was due to absorbing the unique aura in the circr tform by the Azure Bridge. Furthermore, the number of Semi-Divinity realm cultivators on the Forsaken Continent had always been severely limited, so it was inevitable that there was very little knowledge regarding the realm being passed down. As a result, theirprehension of the realm was half-baked. Even if they wanted to, they wouldnt be able to properly impart the quintessence of Semi-Divinity realm to their disciples either. However, things would be different from this day onward. Zhang Xuans lecture was simple and direct, allowing the listeners to grasp the crux swiftly. Along with this understanding, the zhenqi in their dantian immediately began moving on its own ord. Boom! Barely two hours after the lecture started, a powerful aura surged into the air. Zhao Ya and the others, who were still trapped at Heavenly High Immortal realm a moment ago, actually managed to make a breakthrough simultaneously. ZhangXuan had already passed them a portion of the unique aura from the circr tforms not too long ago. With their newfound enlightenment, they were swiftly rushing toward a higher realm. Han Jianqiu and the others also managed to advance their cultivation to Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm too. Their zhenqi became much purer and more condensed, granting them greater fighting prowess. Soon, the lecture came to an end. Han Jianqiu and the others also quickly halted their cultivation, and looking at Zhang Xuan, he asked, Teacher, whats the current situation with the Hall of Gods? They had been too engrossed in cultivation that they forgot to ask about the details after Zhang Xuan teleported over via the altar. Its like this... Zhang Xuan swiftly told the others what he had encountered after moving to the other side of the portal. So, you are saying that Hall Master Kong has stolen the Aura of Divinity, and its likely that hell be able to reach the level of the gods? Han Jianqiu narrowed his eyes in shock. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement, If he were to seed, its likely that itll be the end of all of us. Given Kong shis abnormal obsession with the fragments of heavens, it was likely that he would try to snatch the Library of Heavens Path away from him after he became a god. With his strength then, even with over twenty Semi- Divinities on their side, they would still be in a disadvantageous position. Putting everything aside, Han Jianqiu and the others wouldnt even be a match for him teamed up together, so it was unlikely that they would be able to put up a fight against a god-level Kong shi. Whether that Kong shi was fake or not, his fighting prowess was the real deal. What should we do then? Elder Kui Xiao asked worriedly. There are only two things that we can do at the moment. First, we look for Kong shi and snatch the Aura of Divinity away from him. As long as we are able to stop him from achieving a breakthrough, well be victorious, Zhang Xuan said. The crowd nodded in agreement. As long as Kong shi didnt reach the level of the gods, they would still be able to stand against him with their current strength. If so, the other party wouldnt dare to move recklessly. It was just that there was a major w with that course of action. After obtaining the Aura of Divinity, the next logical step that Kong shi would make was to find a ce where no one would be able to find him and cultivate. There was no way he would leave behind any clues that would lead them to him. It was likely that even his most trusted subordinate didnt know where he was hiding at this moment! Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before continuing on, Second, we have to rue sufficient strength that would allow us to deal with a god. Thats the only way we can cope with the danger ahead of us... If they couldnt find Kong shi and snatch back the Aura of Divinity, the only thing they could do was to reinforce their defense. If they could set up a formation which even gods were unable to escape from, or if he could just kill Kong shi with the golden page that he had at the moment, they would be able to resolve the danger that Kong shi posed. But would the golden page really wield sufficient strength to kill a god? Zhang Xuan wasnt confident of that at all. There was no doubt that the golden page was a powerful weapon, and it had saved him on many asions as well. However, its prowess seemed to be dependent on the might of the heavens in the world he was in. This was simr to how it was impossible for the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent to kill him anymore. The most that it could do was to expel him from their world. The current Library of Heavens Path was augmented by the heavens of the Azure, which meant that the golden page was likely able to obliterate any Semi-Divinity realm cultivator easily. However, if the opponent was a god, an existence that surpassed the Azure itself... the chances of sess were extremely slim indeed. The reason why he was able to kill the deity descending from the Azure back then was because thetter was still at Ancient Sage 4-dan. That was the highest level that the Master Teacher Continent permitted one to reach. Any higher than that would be impossible. Of course, this was just his conjecture at the moment too. It would be for the best if the golden page really worked, but he had no intention of gambling his all on that single hope. He didnt like the idea of leaving his fate to luck. More importantly, Kong shi knew about the existence of his Heavens Imperfection, so there was a chance that the other party was aware of his trump card as well. If the other party were to go all out to guard against it, he wasnt certain if he would really be able tond a clean blow with the golden page. If not for this, he would have already used the golden page back when he encountered Kong shi outside the real Hall of Gods. He only held himself back because Kong shi was too far away then, which significantly lowered the chances of sess were extremely low. rue sufficient strength? It wont be easy, but I think its feasible. If our teacher is able to reach the level of the gods too, he should be able to deal with Hall Master Kong! Han Jianqiu said. Those words left a bitter smile on Zhang Xuans lips. He didnt have any Aura of Divinity with him, and he hadnte up with a feasible cultivation technique for him to achieve a breakthrough with yet too. It had only been a day since he had reached Semi-Divinity afterprehending the sentiments between a master and a subordinate. It would take some time for him to make a breakthrough again. Teacher, didnt you say that you have already saved Pce Master Du? Why dont I see anywhere? She knows quite a bit about the gods, so she might have an idea in mind! Elder Qin Yuan suddenly spoke up. Ah, I forgot! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. In the next moment, Du Qingyuan appeared before everyone. He was too caught up with the series of events that happened afterward that he forgot to let Du Qingyuan out from the folded space. Paying respects to Pce Master Du! Han Jianqiu quickly filled Du Qingyuan in on the quandary they were facing before asking the question, Pce Master Du, do you know of any alternative ways that would allow a cultivator to be a god other than through the Aura of Divinity? If our Starchaser Pce is in possession of such knowledge, a god would have long appeared amongst us, Du Qingyuan replied sharply. Hearing her definite reply, awkward looks appeared on everyones faces. Indeed. If there was an alternative way to reach the levels of the gods, the geniuses of the Starchaser Pce would have long done so. They wouldnt have been so helpless in the face of the Hall Master Kong too. Is there really no hope at all? Han Jianqiu remarked with anxious reddened eyes. Chapter 2091 - 2091 Entering the City of Collapsed Space Once More 2091 Entering the City of Copsed Space Once More New Semi-Divinity realm cultivators had appeared amongst the four sects, and the number would only continue to increase with Zhang Xuan imparting the crux of Gods Intent to them. They thought that this would bring about an era of prosperity as cultivators reached greater heights, but if they failed to deal with Hall Master Kong properly... everything would just be history. Theres no feasible way to do so, unless... At this point, Du Qingyuans voice suddenly paused for a moment as a thought suddenly emerged in her head. Unless what? Du Qingyuan had a conflicted expression on her face for a moment before she finally spoke up hesitantly, If we are able to find the source of the air of degeneration in the City of Copsed Space, there might be a chance that we are able to acquire some Aura of Divinity... The source of the air of degeneration? What does that have to do with anything? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. He had been to the City of Copsed Space once, and he knew just how frightening the air of degeneration there was. Even his Heavens Path zhenqi was unable to ward it offpletely. The only thing that could curb it was Little Chicks chicken soup. It was a force which even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators were unable to expel from their body. If he wasnt around back then, Jiang Yao would have been a lifeless corpse by now... Why would Du Qingyuan ask him to trace down the source of the air of degeneration? Legend has it that the City of Copsed Space isnt a city native to the Forsaken Continent... Instead, its a city that has fallen from the Firmament, and the corpses of the gods are buried beneath it! Du Qingyuan replied. A city that has fallen from the Firmament? Zhang Xuan was slightly stunned. Han Jianqiu and the others were taken aback as well. This was the first time they were hearing about this. All along, the City of Copsed Space had been a restricted zone for the cultivators. There was no one who could have imagined that it was actually a city from the Firmament! Its said that the city suddenly fell from the heavens several thousand years ago. Back then, the phenomenon drew countless people to venture its depths, hoping to find the treasures of the gods, but as most of you would be able to guess, all of them died, Du Qingyuan said. There is probably no one in the Forsaken Continent who knows about the true origin of the City of Copsed Space anymore. I only happened to overhear the Spirit God speaking about the matter too... The Spirit God? Zhang Xuans body tensed up a little. Un. The Spirit God fell into a long moment of silence when she first heard about the City of Copsed Space on the Forsaken Continent. After that, she unwittingly mentioned that its a city that has fallen from the Firmament due to the wars going on up there, and many gods have lost their lives in that city. She also exined that the air of degeneration is a product of the Aura of Divinity released by the dposition of the gods corpses reacting with the environment of the Forsaken Continent, resulting in an aberration. If we are able to trace the origin of the air of degeneration, it might be possible for us to find some untainted Aura of Divinity to make a breakthrough... Du Qingyuan said. So, you are saying that this is actually the Aura of Divinity too? Taking out a sliver of the air of degeneration he had stored in a jade bottle previously, Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment. He had taken quite a few of this when he went to the City of Copsed Space a while ago. He also made use of it to kill a Semi-Divinity realm expert from the Hall of Gods too. All along, while he did find it weird how there was actually something on the Azure which even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators werent able to deal with, he didnt think too much into it. After all, nature could be extremely bewildering at times. However, if what Du Qingyuan said was true, everything would make sense. It was a known fact that a cultivator would be doomed once the air of degeneration seeped into his body. No medicine could cure that at all. Even Zhang Xuans seemingly omnipotent Heavens Path zhenqi was unable to cleanse the air of degeneration either. From this, it was clear that the air of degeneration was something that had surpassed the level of the Azure. Thus, it was indeed usible for the air of degeneration to have originated from the Aura of Divinity. Only gods possessed the ability to render even Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm cultivators utterly helpless. This is a matter I heard the Spirit God speak about in passing, so I cant affirm its authenticity. Even if its true, theres a chance that the origin of the air of degeneration has been corrupted too. Furthermore, I believe all of you are aware of just how frightening the air of degeneration can be. Just being afflicted with the slightest hint of it is enough to seal ones fate... This is also the reason why I wasnt able to verify it even when I have received this piece of intelligence, Du Qingyuan said. I trust Ruoxin. If those words came from her mouth, theres a high likelihood that itll be true, Zhang Xuan spoke up. Just the fact that there was something peculiar about the air of degeneration wasnt enough to verify that it had originated from the Aura of Divinity. However, he knew Luo Ruoxins character well. She wasnt the type of person to speak of something she wasnt certain of. There was likely a basis behind her im. Since that was the case, it would indeed be worth investigating the source of the air of degeneration. Since thats the case, Ill head to the City of Copsed Space with Pce Master Du. As for the rest of you, Ill entrust you with the important job of making preparations for the final battle in case we fail, Zhang Xuan instructed. Despite the risks, this was a trip they would have to make. He wasnt doing this just so he could deal with Kong shi. More importantly, he had to reach the level of the gods in order to ascend to the Firmament. Only then would he be able to find Luo Ruoxin... Rest assured, teacher. Well make sure that everything is in ce by the time you return! Han Jianqiu dered resolutely. Teacher? Pce Master Du was surprised by how Han Jianqiu was addressing Zhang Xuan. Han Jianqiu, what did you address Zhang Xuan as earlier? Did you... acknowledge Zhang Xuan as your teacher? As they had gotten right into the serious matters as soon as she appeared, Du Qingyuan was still unaware that the heads of the other sects had already acknowledged Zhang Xuan as their teacher. Indeed. Kui Xiao, Qin Yuan, and I have acknowledged Sect Leader Zhang as our teacher, Han Jianqiu replied with a smile. It was unheard of for powerhouses like them to actually acknowledge a young man in his twenties as their teacher. However, they didnt regret their decision. If not for the young mans teaching, they wouldnt have been able to make a breakthrough to Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm so easily. The rest of you did so too? Du Qingyuan was bbergasted. One must know that all three of them were the strongest existences on the Forsaken Continent, but they were actually able to lower their pride and acknowledge Zhang Xuan as their teacher... She did know that there was something extraordinary about Zhang Xuan, but even this was a little too much for her to ept. Noticing Du Qingyuans shock, Zhang Xuan chirped in with a smile, I dont mind if you wish to acknowledge me as your teacher too. It would be for the best if Du Qingyuan could bring him a golden page too. In any case, he would only ept her as an ordinary student and not a direct disciple, so there was no need for him to hesitate too much over this. Eh? I dont want to. Taken aback by the abrupt offer, Du Qingyuan quickly shook her head and turned him down unhesitatingly. Then, realizing that she might have been a little too rude, she quickly added, Thanks for the offer. There was no denying that she was a little moved by the request. She knew that Zhang Xuan was the lover of the Spirit God, and she had no doubt that he would eventually achieve great things in the future. However, she simply couldnt ept the act of acknowledging someone so much younger than her as her teacher. I see. Its fine then. Lets set off to the City of Copsed Space now. Zhang Xuan knew that it was unlikely for the golden page to be formed if Du Qingyuan wasnt willing, so he didnt insist on the matter. He took the lead and began heading toward the City of Copsed Space, and Du Qingyuan followed him closely. Afterprehending the Pathos of Heavens, his speed had be much faster than before. The previous time around, it took him half a day in order to get to the desert above the City of Copsed Space. This time around, it only took him four hours. He swiftly found the entrance once more and descended beneath the sand. Tracing his footsteps, he quickly arrived at where he saved Jiang Yao back then. Du Qingyuan took a look at the surroundings before remarking, This isnt it. We have to find the very center of the City of Copsed Space. In truth, she hadnt been to the City of Copsed Space before. However, the predecessors of the Starchaser Pce had been here before, and they had left records of their expedition behind. It was through these records that Jiang Yao was able to lure Fu Chenzi and the others into a trap, nearly killing them. The two of them continued proceeding ahead. Through his superior strength, Zhang Xuan was able to easily deal with the Degeneration Beasts that stood in their way. There wasnt anything that could pose a threat to him along the way. Following behind the young man, Du Qingyuan felt a little conflicted within as she watched the young man dealing with those bizarre creatures, which she would have never dared to approach, with ease. This wasnt the first time she was witnessing Zhang Xuans strength anymore, but she still found herself astounded by how powerful he was. She couldnt help but wonder just how he cultivated to be so powerful within such a short period of time. They continued to search the area for another two hours, but they didnt manage to find what they were looking for. Realizing that it was futile to search this massive city aimlessly, Zhang Xuan finally came to a halt and said, We wont be able to find the origin of the air of degeneration like that. What do you propose then? Du Qingyuan asked with a frown. Her understanding of this ce stopped at the records of the predecessors, so naturally, she was at aplete loss of how they should look for the source of the air of degeneration too. Otherwise, she wouldnt have allowed herself to be dragged aimlessly around the ce by the Zhang Xuan either. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking up, I think we can try this instead... Hu! His clone appeared before him. Given his current strength, there was pretty much no one who could hurt him on the Azure anymore. As such, it was no longer a big deal for him to reveal the existence of his clone anymore. Is that your clone? Du Qingyuan was slightly confused. She didnt understand what Zhang Xuan was trying to do. Did his clone possess some kind of mysterious ability that would help them in this situation? Stand properly! Zhang Xuan instructed as he took out the Tongshang Sword. Then, without any hesitation, he shed the sword at his clones arm. Tzzzzzz! As soon as the clone was injured, the surrounding air of degeneration immediately surged in furiously. The sheer concentration of it caused it to materialize as a grayish fog in the surroundings. It should be safe to assume that the origin would have a higher concentration of the air of degeneration, Zhang Xuan exined the motive of his actions. Understanding Zhang Xuans intent, Pce Master Dus eyes lit up and she eximed in excitement, Youre right! But of course, that was easier said than done. The City of Copsed Space was a confined space, and over the past several thousand years, the air of degeneration had diffused to near homogeneity in the area. While it was likely that there was a concentration gradient, it was so slight that it would be nearly imperceptible. Thus, they had to rile up the air of degeneration in the surroundings a little before they would be able to detect any difference. That way! Du Qingyuan quickly pointed a way out. Nodding his head in agreement, Zhang Xuan and his clone quickly headed in that direction. Every now and then, when they werent sure where to go anymore, Zhang Xuan would unhesitatingly bestow a sh upon his clone in order to trigger hispass function. By the eighth time, the clone was already on the verge of exploding from rage. Fortunately, a decrepit temple appeared before them at this moment. Despite having been reduced to ruins, this temple still spanned over a distance of more than 10 li, making it hard to imagine just how grand it was before it copsed. Due to the corrosion of the air of degeneration, the shattered bricks were covered with a thinyer of darkness. Thend waspletely barren, devoid of any greenery. From time to time, a sinister gale would blow over, causing one to shiver from the eeriness. Is this it? Du Qingyuan frowned doubtfully. Despite the bizarre nature of the air of degeneration, there were still some unique nts that managed to blossom in such a climate. Thus, it was hard to imagine that the origin was located in a ce as barren as this. It should be... Zhang Xuan replied. Till now, the wound on his clones body was still bleeding. Judging from the concentration of air of degeneration in the air, they should be at the origin. There was no other ce in the City of Copsed Space that felt as diforting as here. We should hurry up and search the area then. Not wanting to linger around this area for too long, Du Qingyuan quickly examined the ruins carefully, fearing that she would miss out the slightest detail. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didnt seem to be in much of a rush. He traded nces with his clone as they continued perceiving their surroundings carefully. A momentter, they slowly walked over to an area filled with rubble. Zhang Xuan lifted his hand, and with a powerful wave of his palm, the rubble on the floor was swept to the side, revealing an uneven ground filled with depressions. Dark streaks scarred the ground, hinting at the existence of a sinister force. Zhang Xuan took out his Tongshang Sword and flicked out a piece of boulder from the ground. Taking a closer look at the boulder, he found that even its insides had been dyed in darkness. A bizarre glint could be seen reflecting off its surface. It felt like a ring beast that would devour ones soul whole if one were to stare at it for too long. Zhang Xuan carefully touched the boulder with his finger. Weng! A book waspiled in the Library of Heavens Path. Godblood Rock, formed through assimting the blood of the gods... This was a part of the description written in the book. Were at the right spot... Zhang Xuan nodded before a slight frown crept onto his forehead. When he first caught sight of the boulder, he found it extremely familiar. It was just that there were some anomalies regarding its color. So, he dug out a piece to take a closer look with the Library of Heavens Path, and it affirmed his thoughts. If this was the Godblood Rock, the ck streaks on the ground would indeed have been caused by the flow of god blood. The only doubt he harbored was that... why did this Godblood Rock feel so crass? Unlike the Godblood Rock formed through Luo Ruoxins blood, it felt unrefined and rough. Could it be that there were different tiers of god blood too? Chapter 2092 - 2092 Tombstone 2092 Tombstone With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a piece of the Godblood Rock he had taken from the Ocean of Exiled Stars andpared the two together. The difference was really simr to that between an inkstone and a jewel. They were made out of the same material, but their appearances were vastly different! Without taking a close look, it was impossible to discern that they were actually the same thing. The Godblood Rock is formed when the blood of a god seeps into a stone... Since thats the case, its extremely likely that the gods corpses are lying around here! Rising to his feet, Zhang Xuan swung his Tongshang Sword, and all of the rubble around the area were swept to the side. On the exposed ground, he found more boulders with the same appearance as the ck Godblood Rock. In other words, the blood of the gods had permeated the entire area. Pce Master Du! Zhang Xuan immediately beckoned. Du Qingyuan hurriedly flew over. She didnt manage to find anything much in the area. You found it? Not yet. However, I think that these ck streaks are a hint to where the corpses of the gods are... Zhang Xuan said as he gestured to the ground. Du Qingyuan turned her gaze over. There was indeed something weird about the ck streaks on the ground. They seemed to form some sort of mysterious message when looking at them on the whole. Taking a closer look, it was actually rather simr to the inscriptions on the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. After looking around with a deep frown for a moment, Du Qingyuan suddenly eximed with widened eyes, It looks like... a ritual! Ritual? I believe that these inscriptions on the floor were formed using fresh blood. Most likely, they were in the midst of arge-scale ritual when the entire city suddenly fell from the Firmament, Du Qingyuan revealed her analysis with a grim look on her face. This...Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. Normal rituals could be conducted by tributing treasures and artifacts, but some of the more malicious ones might require sacrifices and fresh blood in order to activate. Back then, Sovereign Chen Ling killed over a hundred thousand of his subordinates in order to summon a deity from the Azure so that he could swiftly recover from his injuries. Could it be that... someone was attempting to do something simr to that? It would be too naive to think that the fall of the city coincidentally happened in the midst of the ritual. Most likely, the city was banished from the Firmament by some sort of force after being caught conducting such a ritual. However, rituals that made use of sacrifices tended to be extremely powerful. It was hard to imagine how powerful that force had to be in order to kick the city out of the Firmament in the midst of the ritual. As long as we find the center point of the ritual, we should be able to find the origin of the air of degeneration! Du Qingyuan said. Using her zhenqi, she swiftly cleaned away the rubble within a hundred meters radius, revealing a huge ck door beneath. This door is located at the center of the inscriptions. Lets head in to take a look, Du Qingyuan said as she walked forward and pushed open the door. She was just about to enter when Zhang Xuan suddenly stopped her. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan took the lead in. It seemed like the temple extended to the underground as well. Everything above had copsed, but the space beneath had managed to remain intact over the years, presumably because it was tightly sealed. Tzzzzzz! Barely after entering, Zhang Xuan immediately felt innumerable sword qi flying in his direction. He adeptly waved the Tongshang Sword, extending his Sword Intent into the surroundings. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! Knowing the dangers that lurked within the City of Copsed Space, Zhang Xuan didnt hold back at all. Peng peng peng! With a few dull groans, several ck silhouettes dissipated into the shadows. They are Degeneration Beasts too! However, they appear to be far stronger than those we have faced above... Du Qingyuan remarked with a hushed voice from behind. Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. These Degeneration Beasts seemed no different from specters lingering in the shadows of the night, preying upon living beings who dared step in their direction. Zhang Xuan had killed many Degeneration Beasts along the way, but they were all only at High Immortal realm. Yet, the ones which he had just dealt with had astonishingly reached Semi-Divinity realm. Had it been anyone else in his ce, it was likely that he wouldnt have even survived the first wave of attack, eventually fulfilling the fate of being corroded down to bones. The air of degeneration seems to being from there... Du Qingyuan pointed out anxiously. Looking in the direction where Du Qingyuan had pointed out, Zhang Xuan saw the ck streaks congregating at the very center of the underground hall. So, he carefully made his way over. There was a small altar ced on top of the area where all of the ck streaks had originated from. This... Zhang Xuan was a little taken aback. Even though it was small, the altar looked extremely simr to the altar of the Starchaser Pce. The only difference would be that the altar right before him was of an even higher tier. If the altar Wu Chen used was from the Forsaken Continent and the one Du Qingyuan used was from the Azure, the one before him must have definitelye from the Firmament! Zhang Xuan could not discern what it was made of, but despite being buried for several thousand years, it didnt seem to be worn out at the very least. In fact, it was emanating a slight glow. Could it be that... Du Qingyuan clenched her fists tightly in agitation. There could only be one reason why there was an altar in the City of Copsed Space which closely resembled the Guardian Artifact of the Starchaser Pce. It was hard to believe it, but the evidence seemed to be pointing toward that direction. Just as what she had heard from the preceding pce master, it was likely that the poption on Starchaser Ind had indeed originated from the Firmament! It looks like what he said is true... Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Back then, after saving him, the fake Kong shi exined the origins of the Six Sects, and he mentioned that those living on the Starchaser Ind were actually exiled gods. Noting the slight look on confusion on Du Qingyuans face, Zhang Xuan told her about the story he had heard from the fake Kong shi back then. Du Qingyuan shook her head and said, Such information has been passed down verbally through each generation of pce master, but I thought that such a thing couldnt have been true. But this... The other five major sects of the Forsaken Continent had proimed themselves as the exiled gods, and as time passed by, those lies ended up being taken for real. There was no way of knowing when and why those lies had started spreading. Too much time had passed since then to investigate the matter. However, those lies had indeed be the conventional truth on the Forsaken Continent. There was no longer anyone who would try to question those ims anymore. Even if Zhang Xuan were to reveal the truth to everyone in the Azure, there would be very few people who would believe him. But again, the truth no longer mattered at this point anymore. The fact was that no one on the Forsaken Continent was able to reach the level of the gods anymore, so these lies were nothing more than words that made one feel good about oneself. Zhang Xuan walked around the perimeter of the altar but he didnt notice anything worthy of note. With a helpless sigh, he said, It doesnt seem like theres anything here aside from the altar. While its ced at the very center of the ritual, it doesnt seem to be the source of the air of degeneration. It was a little bizarre how the air of degeneration suddenly thinned out around the altar. If he hadnt known for certain that he was in the City of Copsed Space, he might have thought that he had been teleported back to the Azure somehow. However, Du Qingyuan had a very different view from Zhang Xuan, There must be a reason why this altar is ced here. I think that its highly likely that the Aura of Divinity lies right here. Oh? Since this altar is simr to that in our Starchaser Pce, Ill try and see if I can assimte it with my bloodline. Du Qingyuan slit her wrist with a surge of sword qi before dripping her blood on the ck streaks around the ritual. Fresh blood flowed along with the ck streaks, and it didnt take long before they were all dyed crimson. Right after, as if a formation hade to life, a brilliant burst of light surged outward. Hong long long! The altar began to rattle. Du Qingyuans face had already turned pale at this point, but she continued to allow her blood to flow freely from her wrist. With the tribute of her blood, the light grew brighter and brighter. Whenever her wound started clotting, she would carve a new one with her fingernails. Just like that, she left three strokes on her wrist. It was fortunate that there was no air of degeneration in the area, or else she would have been corroded down to bones before her blood could even flow out. Boom! Just as Du Qingyuan was reaching her limits, the altar suddenly glowed brilliantly. There was a feeling of great disorientation before the two of them realize that they had been teleported into an area even darker than before. The entire area was shrouded with ayer of thick mist, hindering ones line of sight. Be careful! Zhang Xuan quickly fed Du Qingyuan with a bottle of chicken soup and Premier Immortal Pill before she finally recovered from her exertion. It felt as if they had tumbled into the depths of a cave. There was a vague scent of charred earth lingering in the air. Are we still in the City of Copsed Space? Du Qingyuan asked with a frown. Zhang Xuan replied solemnly, I dont know, but I think its likely that we might have arrived at the source of the air of degeneration. He could feel a powerful and terrifying power amidst the dark area they were in. Putting aside his current strength, he felt that even if he were to reach the level of the gods, he would still be no match for this existence. The fact that he was feeling such a heavy pressure likely meant that there was a real god hidden amidst the darkness, simr to what they had heard previously. Im hungry. I want to eat... a chirpy voice suddenly echoed in Zhang Xuans mind. It was Little Chick. Shut up, Zhang Xuan replied snappishly. It was likely that they were standing before a frightening existence, but all Little Chick could think of was food... Could it be more of a wastrel than this? He had never met a real god before, but even someone of Vicious level was able to recover after being killed. Regardless of whether the being lying within this dark space was dead or alive, the other party was an existence which a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator like him should definitely not offend. But Im hungry... Little Chick cried out. Eat these Premier Immortal Pills to fill your stomach, Zhang Xuan replied impatiently as he moved a bottle of Premier Immortal Pills into his tamed beast sack. Little Chick immediately waddled its way gracefully over and pecked on one of it. Seeing that it wasnt causing any trouble for the time being, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before proceeding deeper in with Du Qingyuan. A massive tombstone soon appeared before their eyes. Five words were inscribed on it. It was emanating an imposing pressure that prevented others from proceeding any further ahead. Zhang Xuan began to examine the tombstone. The inscriptions on the tombstone were simr to that on the Azure Bridge as well, making it hard for him to discern its meaning. T-this ... By his side, Du Qingyuans body suddenly began trembling. You recognize these words? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Du Qingyuan nodded with a pale face. Her voice trembled as she spoke, It reads... Tomb of the Deathless Monarch! Deathless Monarch? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Its said that hes an extremely powerful expert of the Firmament, a being who exists alongside the heavens and the earth. Hes known to be an existence who cant be killed, but... hes actually dead? Du Qingyuan could hardly believe A being who existed alongside the heavens and the earth? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He had no way of telling whether Du Qingyuan was true or not, but just the other partys title as the Deathless Monarch spoke a lot about the other partys strength and abilities! For a being who was bestowed with the title of Deathless to lose his life here... Just what in the world happened in the City of Copsed Space? Who dares to barge in here? Zhang Xuan was still trying to make sense of the situation before him when a hostile voice echoed in the air. Amidst the mysterious dark mist lingering in the area, a figure slowly made its way over. He clutched the Tongshang Sword as he looked at the approaching figure warily. In the next moment, a ck skeleton suddenly appeared before his eyes. The ck skeleton was tall, and a dark menacing glint reflected off its surface. It carried an imposing pressure which made its tremendous strength clearly known. This was the first time Zhang Xuan felt so deeply threatened. Even when he first encountered Vicious heart back in the underground cavern, he hadnt felt such goosebumps over his body before. Chapter 2093 - 2093 Corrupted Aura of Divinity 2093 Corrupted Aura of Divinity We didnt mean to disturb you... Du Qingyuan hurriedly raised her hands to rify the situation. This isnt a ce where you should havee to. But since you are already here, why dont you stay here to apany me? The ck skeleton crackled coldly as it raised its hand and pointed its finger toward the duo. Hu! In the next moment, Zhang Xuan and Du Qingyuan felt as if the world was copsing on them. An overwhelming pressure crushed down on them, leaving them feeling as though their bodies would be reduced to dust. This is the strength of the gods... Zhang Xuan was rmed. Knowing that there was no time to waste on words, he took out the Tongshang Sword and executed his strongest swordsmanship. Hu! Through exerting his Sword Intent, he swiftly formed a fis barrier around him and Du Qingyuan to shoulder the pressure. As the fis tangled together with the finger of the ck skeleton, the pressure crushing down on them alleviated significantly. Your swordsmanship is decent. Are you from the Sky of Heavenly Sword? the ck skeleton halted its attack and asked. But a momentter, it shook its head and answered its own question, That doesnt seem right. It should be impossible to find someone from the Sword God Heaven here. Furthermore, their swordsmanship is known to be sharp and ferocious, carrying great determination and tenacity. As a result of that, their attacks tend to be tough and unbending... On the other hand, your sword seems to extremely sentimental, a very different nature from that of the Sky of Heavenly Sword. To be able toprehend such a powerful move in a ce that is so direlycking in spiritual energy, you are indeed extremely talented, just like the previous person whost ascended to the Firmament from here. But thats all there is to it. The tomb of my master is not a ce where outsiders can enter and leave freely. However, in view that it wasnt easy for you to cultivate to your current level, Ill make an exception and spare you if you leave right now, the ck skeleton waved its hand dismissively. Elder, we came here to search for the Aura of Divinity in order to reach the level of the deities. I implore you to ede to our request! Seeing that the ck skeleton had finally halted its attack, Zhang Xuan hurriedly lowered his posture and made his request. This was likely to be the only ce on the Forsaken Continent where he could find the Aura of Divinity. So, despite the dangers, he couldnt back down here so easily. Do you wish to die? If not, scram! the ck skeleton harrumphed coldly. Elder... Zhang Xuan was just about to speak up again when the ck skeleton waved its hands impatiently, inducing a burst of energy to surge outward like a massive tsunami. Zhang Xuans face immediately turned livid. It felt as if everything was caving in on him. He quickly took out all of the Semi-Divinity artifacts he had acquired from the treasure vault of the Ethereal Hall previously to fend against the impact. Ding ding ding ding ding! The collision still knocked Zhang Xuan back as blood spurted from his mouth. He crashed heavily onto the floor. At the same time, the Semi-Divinity artifacts he had in hand also fell powerlessly to the ground as well. He quickly drove his Heavens Path zhenqi in order to recover a little as he endured the sharp pain his body was under and rose to his feet. I really have no intention of offending you, elder. However, we are in dire need of the Aura of Divinity... Zhang Xuan said. You really are pushing your luck, arent you? the ck skeleton spat coldly. In the next moment, Zhang Xuan felt yet another powerful pressure pressing down on him from above, attempting to crush him into a pancake. Just as he was about to reach his limits, the crimson pendant he hung in front of his chest suddenly grew warm, and the heavy pressure also alleviated simultaneously as well. Hu! Sensing that the power of the pendant had dispelled the pressure, Zhang Xuan was about to make use of this opportunity to try convincing the ck skeleton once more when he suddenly felt tension around his neck. Before he could even react, the crimson pendant was already flying toward the hands of the ck skeleton. Return it to me! Shocked, Zhang Xuan immediately dashed forward to retrieve his pendant. However, there seemed to be some kind of force holding him in ce, preventing him from moving at all. Dangling the crimson pendant right in front of its empty eye sockets, the ck skeleton examined it closely for a moment before flicking it back toward Zhang Xuans chest. Hu! The binding on his body vanished, and Zhang Xuan immediately panted heavily for breath. With a cold yet no longer hostile voice, the ck skeleton looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, You mentioned that you require the Aura of Divinity? Sensing the change in the attitude of the ck skeleton after examining the crimson pendant, Zhang Xuan realized that there was a chance that things might work out. So, he quickly sped his fist and replied, Yes, elder. I hope that you can ede to my request! I dont have any Aura of Divinity. However, this can rece it. With a grasp of his hand, the air of degeneration swiftly gathered around the ck skeleton. Under the might of some sort of power, the air of degeneration swiftly condensed together to form a ck current around the ck skeleton. This sight left Zhang Xuan a little taken aback. He could sense that the ck current was much purer and more refined than the air of degeneration. In fact, it emanated an invible pressure that was strikingly simr to the Aura of Divinity he had encountered previously. The only difference was that the Aura of Divinity was golden in color and it didnt carry the property of degeneration. If Zhang Xuan were to be afflicted with even a hint of the ck current, even with the Little Chicks chicken soup, there was still a good chance that he would be corroded down to his bones. I dont think that Ill be able to use the Aura of Divinity that you have produced... Zhang Xuan pointed it out hesitantly. If he were to dare assimte it, the chances were that he would be dead before he could even raise his cultivation. I know what you are getting at. The Aura of Divinity is originally golden in color, but it takes on a different form in this world, the ck skeleton said. A different form? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. The spiritual energy in this world is too murky and impure. With the passing of time, the Aura of Divinity would be corrupted, losing its golden glow, the ck skeleton exined with a shake of its head. Simr to how the spiritual energy on the Azure was far purer and more refined than that of the Master Teacher Continent, it was likely that the situation was simr for the Firmament and the Azure as well. The incredibly pure Aura of Divinity, when ced in an area that was far more impure than it, would eventually be corrupted and turn into the air of degeneration. Zhang Xuansplexion darkened. He thought that he would be able to find pure Aura of Divinity here, but if it had all turned into air of degeneration, it would be useless even if he acquired it. There was no way he could assimte it, let alone use it to make a breakthrough! Elder, is there a way to cleanse the corrupted Aura of Divinity? Zhang Xuan asked. He had to find a way to make things work out over here. Otherwise, not only would he be unable to find Luo Ruoxin, the fake Kong shi might even tear the Library of Heavens Path out of his body, thus resulting in his death! And he knew that the next victim after him would likely be his direct disciples and the rest of the Six Sects. It was not as if he didnt have other strategies that he could resort to, but those were the final measures. It would really be a desperate battle for survival then. In order to everything going down in the worst possible situation, he had to be a god at any cost. Theres a way to do it, but it wont be easy, the ck skeleton said. Hearing that there was a way out, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief on the inside as he hurriedly asked, Elder, I beseech you to enlighten me. A ritual that utilizes the power of souls can cleanse the Aura of Divinity. However, itll require many wills to be united as one, earnestly wishing for it to happen. If theres even a single will that isnt aligned with the rest, it will end in failure, the ck skeleton said. Elder, please impart to me the procedures of the ritual, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and said. Un. The ck skeleton raised its finger and tapped forward lightly. Hu! A sliver of its will was infused right into Zhang Xuan and Du Qingyuans minds. This... Upon seeing the content of the will, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. Just as what the ck skeleton said, the ritual would require many people working in unison toplete. Furthermore, the chances were extremely high that sacrifices would be required. The act of cleansing Aura of Divinity is a necessary step to bing a god. This step poses no difficulty if its conducted in the Firmament, but over here, its no different from trying to overstep the authority of the heavens. So, its only normal that someone will have to suffer divine retribution for it... If you think you are able to do it, you can give it a try. Otherwise, I have no alternative solutions for you either, the ck skeleton said. With a tap of its finger, it sent a sphere of ck energy right toward Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan carefully caught the sphere of ck energy with his zhenqi before sealing it within a jade bottle. Thats all I have for you. Do not disrupt my rest anymore. I dont care whether you are from the Sky of Heavenly Sword or Sky of Freedom, but if you dare step into this area once more, dont expect me to show mercy to you... The ck skeleton sat down on the ground before fallingpletely still. Zhang Xuan stashed the jade bottle into his storage ring before bowing deeply to the ck skeleton, Thank you, elder. Even though the other party didnt have the golden Aura of Divinity he wanted, the other party did provide him with a sliver of hope and a clear direction. As long as he did what the other party said, there was a chance that things might just work out. Can I swallow that ck skeleton whole? Just as Zhang Xuan and Du Qingyuan were about to leave, Little Chick, who was in the tamed beast sack, suddenly spoke out. Dont utter nonsense! Zhang Xuan nearly fainted upon hearing those words. Till now, the little yellow chicks cultivation was still stagnated at Heavenly High Immortal realm. Given that it hadnt even reached Semi-Divinity realm, how could it possibly devour a real god whole? Wasnt that practically daydreaming? Furthermore, even though the ck skeleton was hostile at first, it provided him with a way out of the quandary he was in. Tsk, stingy... Little Chick murmured in displeasure as it continued to peck at its Premier Immortal Pills. After dealing with Little Chick, Zhang Xuan began walking in the direction from where he came from when a thought suddenly came to his mind. He took out his pendant and sped his fist toward the ck skeleton, Pardon me for bothering you, but I would just like to ask onest question. Elder, do you know of the origin of this pendant? Chapter 2094 - A Hundred Thousand True Immortals (1)

Chapter 2094: A Hundred Thousand True Immortals (1)

Trantor:StarveCleric Editor:StarveCleric He had noticed that the ck skeleton mentioned something about the Sky of Heavenly Sword and Sky of Freedom, and even though he didn''t understand what those words meant, he was certain that it had something to do with the Firmament. Furthermore, the ck skeleton had initially intended to harm them, but after seeing the crimson pendant he was wearing, its attitude suddenly changed. This meant that it was able to recognize the crimson pendant, and there was a good chance that it was acquainted with Luo Ruoxin! However, the ck skeleton stood unmovingly on the spot, not responding at all Knowing that the ck skeleton wasn''t going to answer any of his questions even if he were to probe further, Zhang Xuan shook his head before retreating from the area. Together with Du Qingyuan, they headed back in the direction where they came from. With a slight moment of disorientation, they soon reappeared above the altar. "Let''s return." Even though the Aura of Divinity he had obtained was impure, there was still a chance he could cleanse it through the ritual the ck skeleton had passed down to them. Within four hours, they were back at the Starchaser Pce once more. Han Jianqiu and the others were pacing around the room anxiously when Zhang Xuan and Du Qingyuan returned, and they immediately directed anticipatory gazes over. "Wu Chen, prepare the altar!" Zhang Xuan instructed as he imparted the ritual process to him. After looking through the ritual process, a tight frown appeared on Wu Chen''s forehead, "I''m afraid that it won''t be easy for the ritual to seed" "What does the ritual require?" Han Jianqiu asked. "The ritual requires the participation of 100,000 True Immortal realm cultivators. They must bare open their souls and disy not the slightest resistance at all!" Wu Chen replied with a shake of his head. Baring open one''s soul required a bold leap of faith as it would mean making onepletely vulnerable before others. It was no different from entrusting one''s life into the hands of another. If anyone in the formation were to harbor any malicious intention toward them, that could spell the end of them. Even though Zhang Xuan was the head of four sects, the idol of countless young men in the Forsaken Continent, he didn''t possess the influence to convince so many people to go to that extent for him. No human was truly selfless, let alone a hundred thousand of them! "I know that it isn''t easy, but we still have to give it a try," Zhang Xuan replied solemnly. He turned his eyes toward where Han Jianqiu, Kui Xiao, and Qin Yuan were and asked, "Are the disciples and elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Sevenstar Pavilion, and Myriad Beasts Hall here yet?" When the grudge between him and the fake Kong shi was first brought to the surface, Zhang Xuan immediately instructed Han Jianqiu and the others to gather all of the disciples and elders of their respective sects on Starchaser ind. He knew that they would require as much power as possible in order to deal with the powerful Ethereal Hall and Kong shi. A month had passed since then, so they should have arrived by now. "They have all arrived, and they are ready to move at yourmand!" Han Jianqiu replied. "However, we are only able to gather 20,000 cultivators of True Immortal realm and above." The greatest problem for them at the moment wasn''t whether they could unite the hearts of a hundred thousand cultivators together, but that they couldn''t even gather that many True Immortals together! The four sects had many experts in their ranks, but there were only so many of them who were able to reach True Immortal realm. One must know that those who wielded such strength were already qualified to be a core disciple or elder of their respective sects. Despite the several thousand years of heritage of the Six Sects, even when factoring all of their subordinate and hidden powers, they were only able to gather 20,000 True Immortals together. Given so, it was unlikely that they would be able to meet the requirement of the participation of a hundred thousand True Immortal realm cultivators in the ritual. In fact, it was a question whether there were even that many True Immortals on the Forsaken Continent or not. "20,000 True Immortals?" Zhang Xuan''s face darkened. It hadn''t been long since he and Wu Chen arrived on the Forsaken Continent, so their understanding of it was still slightlycking. They were too caught up with worrying over how they could unite everyone''s will together that they neglected the most important problem that stood in their pathwhere in the world were they going to find 100,000 True Immortals? One must know that the True Immortals on the Azure were simr to the Great Sages on the Master Teacher Continent. The only reason why Zhang Xuan was able to encounter so many of them was because he was constantly in contact with the Six Sects, where the top experts of the Forsaken Continent congregated. It was already difficult enough to find and rally 20,000 of them together, let alone 100,000! "Sect Leader Zhang, bad news!" While the crowd was frowning deeply for a solution, Elder Zhao Yue suddenly barged into the room with a panicked look on her face. Zhang Xuan''s eyes nced over. "Countless beasts have suddenly appeared around Starchaser Ind! I fear that it''ll be hard for us to fend them off even with our current strength!" Elder Zhao Yue eximed anxiously "Beasts?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback by the sudden announcement. He quickly headed out of the hall with Du Qingyuan and the others, only to see that the water and air around Starchaser Ind had beenpletely filled up by beasts of varying sizes. Crabs, ms, squids, fishes, lobsters, sea urchins "I''m hungry," Little Chick, who appeared suddenly atop of Zhang Xuan''s shoulders, gulped down a mouthful of saliva and murmured. "" Zhang Xuan. This was really bad timing. There were far more enemies than he had expected, severely outnumbering even their forces. It was reassuring that those beasts had no Semi-Divinity realm cultivators amidst them, which ced them in an advantageous position. However, if they were to fight those beasts right now, they would be winning the battle but losing the war. Given the precarious situation they were already in, they couldn''t afford to be weakened any further. "Master, I have gathered all of the aquatic creatures who are capable of battle here!" Just as Zhang Xuan was trying to discern the purpose of these beasts, three massive sharks and a humongous tortoise suddenly flew out from the depths of the ocean. They were Zhang Xuan''s tamed beasts! Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan patted his heart in relief as he suddenly recalled something. He had also instructed the four of them to rally all of the powerful aquatic creatures together at Starchaser Ind in order to deal with the hostility of Kong shi and the Hall of Gods. It was just that he got too caught up with the matters he had on hand that it slipped his mind. "This is perfect timing!" Zhang Xuan''s eyes lit up as he nearly burst intoughter out of joy. He was still troubled over how he could gather 100,000 True Immortals together in one ce when these aquatic creatures appeared. Perhaps, they might just be able to meet the requirement of 100,000 True Immortals like that! With such thoughts in mind, he looked at Shark One and asked, "How many aquatic beasts are of True Immortal realm and above here?" "Master, we have roughly 40,000 aquatic beasts who are of True Immortal realm and above!" Shark One replied. "Only 40,000?" Zhang Xuan frowned. To be fair, this was already plenty amazing. After all, the four sects only had around 20,000 True Immortals in total. It was no wonder why the aquatic creatures dared to band together to overthrow the dominance of the Six Sects. Just the sheer number of True Immortal realm experts they had was enough to crush any single one of the Six Sects. However, that only added the number of True Immortal realm cultivators they had to 60,000. They were still far from their goal of 100,000. "We still don''t have enough people. Where else can we find more True Immortal realm cultivators?" Wu Chen asked. "This is indeed a huge problem," Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. He contemted with a deep frown on his face for a while before passing down a new instruction, "Gather everyone whose cultivation has reached Pseudo Immortal realm in the four sects and the Ocean of Exiled Stars here!" "Yes!" Even though they had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, Han Jianqiu and the others still carried out his orders immediately. Two hourster, many more cultivators and aquatic creatures appeared in the vicinity of Starchaser Ind. "We were able to gather another 200,000 Pseudo Immortal realm cultivators and 400,000 Pseudo Immortal realm beasts. Around 80,000 of them are at Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm!" Han Jianqiu walked up to Zhang Xuan and reported the current numbers. "80,000 of them?" Zhang Xuan nodded. "It would be have been good if there were more of them, but I can work with this number too." Not knowing what Zhang Xuan was up to, Han Jianqiu looked at him with a confused look on his face as he asked, "Teacher, what''s your reason for gathering so many Pseudo Immortal realm cultivators here as well? Is there anything we need to do to help?" "Yes. I need you to bring 100,000 formation gs to me as soon as possible," Zhang Xuan replied. "100,000 formation gs?" Han Jianqiu was astonished. He turned to Elder Kui Xiao and said, "Our sect doesn''t have the ability to gather that many formation gs within a short period of time. Seems like we''ll have to count on your Sevenstar Pavilion for this!" "Of course, this isn''t a problem at all!" Elder Kui Xiao chuckled confidently. He quickly took out a Communication Jade Token and passed down an order. Not too longter, he brought a storage ring to Zhang Xuan and said, "Teacher, here are the 100,000 formation gs you require." Tapping into the Sevenstar Pavilion''s resources and channels, it wasn''t too difficult for Kui Xiao to gather 100,000 formation gs swiftly. "You have my gratitude!" Given that the entire Forsaken Continent was in danger, it would be pointless to harp too much on formalities at this point in time. Zhang Xuan grabbed the storage ring and leaped into the sky. He ascended for over ten thousand meters beforeing to a halt. He flicked his wrist. H! 100,000 formation gs materialized in the air around him. With a wave of his hand, they swiftly descended to the ground, creating the bizarre sight of raining gs. "This" Han Jianqiu and the others were stunned speechless by what they were seeing. The same went for the aquatic creatures and the disciples of the four sects too. Usually, most formation masters would nt a formation g at a time to set up their formation, but even so, there was a huge chance that there would be some kind of deviation in the setup which they would have to slowly identify and correctter on. A person who could nt 10 formation gs simultaneously was worthy of being called a formation grandmaster. Simrly, a person who could nt 20 formation gs at once was known as a formation grand-grandmaster. And Zhang Xuan was a person who had just nted 100,000 formation gs at once. This was one of the few happenings in life that filled one with incredulity, prompting one to wonder if one was dreaming. It was something that none of them dared imagine to be possible. Even the most talented formation master of the Forsaken Continent would have never been unable to pull off such a feat! "Let me see what kind of formation it is. If it''s a simple formation, it might still be usible to pull off something like this" Amidst the crowd, an elder who was skilled in formations mumbled to himself. As the elder, the formation gs fell into the ground and the ocean. Then, the young man in the air stomped his foot lightly. Weng! The formation immediately came to life. A shimmering light of seven colors began to ripple in the surroundings, causing the surroundings to reflect the iridescence of bubbles. "It''s the Seven-colored Spirit Locking Formation, one of the top formations of the Forsaken Continent!" "Not only so, it appears that there are Spirit Gathering Formation, Heart Calming Formation, and many other formationspounded over it. There must at least be dozens of formations stacked over one another!" "He actually managed to set up such a massivepound formation in an instant?" The word that should be used to describe everyone''s emotions was not ''shock'' but ''horror''. The difficulty in setting up apound formation was much greater than that of setting up an ordinary formation. Attempting topound two formations together would already increase the difficulty of the process by manyfold, but Zhang Xuan actually set up apound formation of dozens ofyers, spanning over a distance of hundreds of li in an instant. It was an ability that had surpassed their imagination! "It seems to be an ability which only gods are capable of pulling of" Du Qingyuan muttered to herself with widened eyes. She thought she was already deeply in awe with the young man''s capabilities, but the sight before him still rendered her incapable of words. It was no wonder why the young man was able to win the fancy of the Spirit God. He was indeed an extraordinary individual! Above the air, Zhang Xuan was starting to feel a little fatigued after setting up and activating the formation. Even though he made it seem as if he had pulled it off easily, setting up such a massive andplex formation still took its toll on him. If not for the fact that he hadprehended Pathos of Heavens and had reached Semi-Divinity realm, he would have depleted himself dry before he could fully activate the formation and plummeted from the sky. He quietly gasped for air as he drove his Heaven''s Path zhenqi to swiftly replenish his energy. After he had recovered a fair degree, he stepped into the formation and flicked his wrist. Over a dozen Semi-Divinity realm corpses appeared around him in an instant. They were from the headquarters of the Ethereal Hall. "Disintegrate!" Zhang Xuan said with a snap of his fingers. Peng peng peng peng! The dozen corpses immediately burst apart. Different from an explosion though, the diffusion of energy was controlled. The shockwave induced wasn''t enough to hurt any of the cultivators present in the area. Tzzzzz! In just a few moments, the dozen Semi-Divinity realm cultivators had already fully released the power from their cultivation, filling the massive formation with energy. Chapter 2095 - A Hundred Thousand True Immortals (2) Chapter 2095 A Hundred Thousand True Immortals (2) Sect Leader Zhang is trying to... enhance the concentration of spiritual energy in the air? But... this is too extravagant, isnt it? Of course it is! How many Semi-Divinity realm cultivators do you there are on the Forsaken Continent? That being said, as the energy released by those Semi-Divinity realm cultivators has been refined before, it is much easier to absorb and assimte! Thats indeed the case. However, the gap between Pseudo Immortal realm to True Immortal realm is a rtively high hurdle to ovee. Theres a requirement on ones talents in order to reach True Immortal realm, so not everyone will be able to make a breakthrough... I guess youre right. Without sufficient talent, it wouldnt matter no matter how ample ones cultivation resources are! After witnessing what had happened so far, the crowd widened their eyes in realization. They were finally able to grasp what Zhang Xuan was trying to do. It was clear that he was trying to build a more favorable environment for these Pseudo Immortals to make a breakthrough to True Immortal realm! To disintegrate the corpses of over a dozen Semi-Divinity realm cultivators and use their cultivation to cultivation to help everyone to make a breakthrough... This was an extravagance unseen before on the Forsaken Continent. In fact, extravagance might be an understatement... Profligacy was a far more appropriate word! In terms of strategic importance, a single Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, even when dead, far surpassed that of all of the Pseudo Immortals gathered beneath. Furthermore, while it wasnt a bad idea to raise the cultivation of these Pseudo Immortals through such a method, the problem was that it was likely to be an insufficient solution. The Six Sects only devoted their cultivation resources to their most talented disciples was because it would be a waste to do otherwise. It was believed and proved time and time again that a cultivator could only go as far as the fundamental limitation brought about by ones talents. Even if a person were toe under the tutge of a world-ss coach, there would still be only a single gold medallist in the world. Without talents, no matter how diligent or resourceful one was, there would be an invisible ss ceiling limiting how far one could go. Of the 80,000 Heavenly Pseudo Immortals that were gathered here, it was unlikely that a tenth of them would eventually make a breakthrough in their entire lifetime. Thus, Zhang Xuans hopes were unlikely to be realized. But again, it was probably a desperate measure. It was worth a try rather than to sit around and despair over it. While the crowd was shaking their heads over the futility of the situation, Zhang Xuan sat down in the midst of the sky, and a golden glow shimmered around his body. In this very moment, he looked like a Buddha! Right now, I will be imparting to you the crux of reaching True Immortal realm. His voice echoed in the ears of every cultivator in the area, almost as if he was whispering right behind them. Listening to Zhang Xuans lecture from below, Wu Chen narrowed his eyes, This is... Kong shis Simple Words of Profound Wisdom? Given that the Young Master was a master teacher, there was no questioning his ability to impart knowledge to others. However, attempting to lecture 80,000 people at once was no easy feat. Every single cultivator had his own specific set of circumstances. So, when lecturing inrge groups, the lecturer would have to make the content more generalized in order to remain relevant to everyone, but in the midst of doing so, it would make it harder for his words to resonate deeply with those listening. For this reason, cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent preferred having 1-to-1 consultations with master teachers to resolve their problems. Wu Chen had no idea whether Kong shi had lectured 80,000 people at once during his era, but this was definitely the first time he was witnessing such a grand sight. Simple yet profound words dissolved amidst the spiritual energy and descended from the sky, surging into the bodies of each and every cultivator. The crowd grew more and more excited as they savored every single word Zhang Xuan said. Agitation gripped their bodies as they trembled wildly. Most aquatic creatures thought that the lecture would be meaningless to them as their physical constitution was vastly different from that of the humans. Yet, after listening for a short moment, they felt a shiver running down their spine as their pores and meridians opened wide to ept an influx of spiritual energy What Zhang Xuan had lectured wasnt a cultivation technique but a set of principles that deconstructed and deciphered the hurdle that stood between a Pseudo Immortal and a True Immortal. It was an absolute logic of the world! Through understanding and oveing every single aspect of the hurdle, any lifeform would eventually be able to make a breakthrough to True Immortal realm. Flowerws, this was the name of a certain crawfish amidst the crowd. Its name originated from the colorful pair of ws it was born with. It had been several decades since Flowerws reached Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm, but an ident had caused the foundation of its cultivation to stumble. Ever since then, it hadnt been able to push its cultivation any further. The person who had hurt it back then was a True Immortal realm disciple of the Six Sects. Back then, that darned fellow and his gang tried to capture it so as to braise it with spicy m paste, but it managed to slip away. However, it had sustained severe injuries in the midst of doing so. It lost a w, and several of its meridians snapped. It was already a miracle that it was able to maintain its current level of cultivation. Not too long ago, the Three Kings rallied all of them together at Starchaser Ind. It was thinking that this was the opportune moment to cut that darned disciple into multiple slices and cook him in curry... But before it could even find that fellow, the master of Three Kings suddenly began on a lecture. It didnt pay any heed to the lecture initially as it knew that there was no way it would be able to further its cultivation given its current state. But after listening for a while, its shell suddenly began glowing crimson as spiritual energy surged into its body. Before it knew it, its cultivation was rising like crazy! Hong long! True Immortal realm! I made a breakthrough... Flowerws broke down in tears. I wont have to live in fear of getting captured and being made its spicy m crawfish anymore! With its cultivation reaching True Immortal realm, it finally had the ability to protect itself. Since hes the master of the Three Kings, hes also the master of Flowerws as well. From this day onward, I shall pledge my loyalty to him. Even if he tries to kill me and braise me with onion, Ill ept my fate... The little crawfish looked at the figure floating in the sky as it made up its mind. The same scene was happening amongst the other aquatic creatures too. Flower ms, scallops, oysters, razor shells... All of them managed to make a breakthrough too. I am hungryyyyyy... Little Chick murmured as it looked at the aquatic creatures with saliva dripping from its lips. Amazing... In less than an hour, more than half of those who were at Heavenly Pseudo Immortal realm previously had already made a breakthrough. Han Jianqiu and the others were shocked beyond words. This ability to induce improvement in other cultivators was truly terrifying. A single lecture actually allowed more than 40,000 Heavenly Pseudo Immortals to make a breakthrough to True Immortal realm... This was a feat that they would dare not imagine to be possible, but it was really happening right before their eyes. Seeing that he had finally reached the required amount, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Forcefully enduring his current exhaustion, he passed down an order. Alright, gather all of those who have managed to make a breakthrough together with the other True Immortals. Wu Chen, prepare the altar. Well be holding the ritual soon! The zhenqi of Semi-Divinity realm cultivators was extremely pure, such that even absorbing a sliver of it was enough for a Heavenly Pseudo Immortal to make a breakthrough. Furthermore, he had used over a dozen Semi-Divinity realm corpses for this and further refined and mediated the energy released through the formation... Given the extent Zhang Xuan had gone to for this, it would be difficult for the Heavenly Pseudo Immortals to not make a breakthrough! Of course, Zhang Xuans impartation also yed a vital role as well. Even if those Heavenly Pseudo Immortals had umted sufficient energy, it would still take most of them at least several years to make a breakthrough. The lecture reduced this lengthy duration to just a mere hour. More importantly, he had also won the loyalty of these 40,000 cultivators through this as well. Zhang Xuan quickly immersed his cultivation into the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn to recover from his previous exertion. Nevertheless, it still took him a few minutes to recover. Within this period of time, Han Jianqiu and the others had finished gathering all of the True Immortal realm cultivators, and Wu Chen had also finished preparing the altar for the ritual too. Lets begin! Even though all preparations wereplete, Zhang Xuan was in no rush to carry out the ritual. Instead, still floating in midair, he began carrying out another lecture. What I want to talk about now is the way to practice battle techniques... If he wished to unite the hearts of everyone together, he would have to first win their respect. Regarding that, he could think of no other ways than to impart his knowledge to them. If he could win their earnest gratitude, they would likely be more willing to help him cleanse the Aura of Divinity of its corruption. The way to practice battle techniques? Having witnessed the miracle Zhang Xuan had pulled off earlier, the crowd immediately pricked up their ears upon hearing his words. Anticipation and excitement could be felt in the atmosphere. The key to battle techniques lie in... Seeing that he had managed to gather everyones attention, Zhang Xuan smiled a little before beginning on his lecture. Every single word he spoke seemed to linger in the surroundings, filling the air with a peculiar yet natural vibe. It was the feeling of resonance with the world, the harmony with nature and ones surroundings. Dont you think that its toote to only start raising your fighting prowess now? A dissonant voice suddenly broke the atmosphere. The sky shivered as a silhouette warped into existence before everyones eyes. It was a person dressed in a flowing robe. He had a tall stature, and there was a hint of benevolence between his eyebrows. You... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. He halted his lecture and stood up. The person before him was no other than the man who had vanished after stealing the Aura of Divinity from him, Kong shi! Kong shis aura seemed to have vanishedpletely, or to be more exact, he had managed to conceal it entirely within him, making it impossible to gauge the depth of his cultivation. However, his eyes still remained sharp as ever, inducing a feeling of helplessness in those facing him. There could only be a single possibility behind this... Kong shi had managed to reach the level of the gods! Crawfishes are extremely popr in China, though they can also be extremely resilient at times... Chapter 2096 - Precarious Predicamen Chapter 2096 Precarious Predicamen Protect the sect leader! Han Jianqiu cried out. The High Immortals from the four sects and the aquatic creatures swiftly rose into the air and stood between Zhang Xuan and Kong shi, forming a resolute wall. Futile! Kong shi harrumphed coldly as he raised his hand. Hu! Many experts walked out from the warped space behind him. There were two notable figures among the group, namely Citadel Lord Bai Xunsheng from the ckmirror Citadel and Sect Leader Gu Zhuiyun from the Evanescent Immortal Sect. On top of that, there were several hundred High Immortals as well. It was a force that could stand against the allied armies of the four sects and the aquatic creatures. They are the High Immortals of the other two sects and the Ethereal Hall... Everyone felt their hearts tightening a little. The Ethereal Hall had remained at the top of the continent for the past several thousand years. Considering how they had over twenty Semi-Divinity realm experts, it did note as a surprise that they had over five hundred High Immortals. Adding in the High Immortals from the other two sects, it formed a frightening force that should not be underestimated. After bringing out his army, Kong shipletely disregarded Han Jianqiu and everyone else, focusing his eyes only on Zhang Xuan. With a slight curl of his lips, he remarked, You must have been eagerly waiting for me to have even prepared an altar here. His next goal after reaching the level of the gods was to steal the Heavens Imperfection within Zhang Xuan. With his current strength, he could resort to other means to extract the fragment of the heavens, but it would take a huge toll on his body. Things would be much simpler if he had the altar with him. Han Jianqiu, youll be leading all of the experts of the High Immortal realm and above to defend against them. As for the rest of you, well be continuing with the lecture, Zhang Xuan bellowed. After that, he turned to the hundred thousand True Immortal realm cultivators beneath and continued. The crux of battle techniques... His voice was steady and unhurried. Despite the shes urring behind him, the True Immortals found their state of mind slowly calming down as they listened to his words. Zhang Xuan knew that this decision he made would surely result in massive casualties. There was no one present who stood a chance at subduing Kong shi other than him, so the only way to buy time was through piling up sacrifices. But he had no other choice. He could tell that he would not be a match for Kong shi in his current state. If they fought as they were, everything would be over. Thus, he could only carry the burden of this decision and push on. Choosing to disregard me, eh? Those who are chosen by the heavens sure are conceited! Kong shis face darkened as he spat coldly. Boom! With a raise of his hand, Bai Xuansheng, Gu Zhuiyun, and the few remaining Semi-Divinities of the Hall of Gods charged forward. The High Immortals also made their move. Protect our sect leader! Han Jianqiu cried out as he stepped forward to face the enemy. Driving the Gods Sword Intent, he filled the sky above him with a barrage of sword qi. Just like that, Semi-Divinities shed with Semi-Divinities while High Immortals shed with High Immortals. It was a full-blown war where both sides were determined to tear each other apart. In just a few breaths after the battle began, High Immortals began dying one after another, causing corpses to rain from the sky. The lofty and elusive High Immortals of the Forsaken Continent were swiftly dying one after another like ordinary mortals. In terms of the number of experts, the four sects and the aquatic creatures paled inparison to the ckmirror Citadel, Evanescent Immortal Sect, and Ethereal Hall. However, in terms of individual fighting prowess, the four sects clearly had an advantage. As a result, both sides turned out to be equally matched for the time being. The scales did not seem to be leaning toward anyone yet. For our sect leader! For our great continent! The ex-first core disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword pavilion, He Jingxuan, charged toward the enemies. Ever since Bai Ruanqing surpassed him after acknowledging Zhang Xuan as her teacher, he had been cultivating desperately. Even though his cultivation was still only at the Heavenly True Immortal realm, his fighting prowess was alreadyparable to most High Immortals. Kill one, and the scales are bnced. Kill two, and we would have made a gain! Another one of the core disciples, Liu Yulian, flew forth as she roared furiously, forming a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor. For the master of the Three Kings! The crabs, crawfish, and other aquatic creatures charged forth, too. Their fighting prowess was greatly reduced while they were out of the water, but their numbers made up for that disadvantage. Furthermore, most of them had hard shells that granted them natural protection. With both sides nearly equally matched, it was bound to be a long and gruesome battle. Its our turn... Paying no heed to the ughter behind, Kong shi took a step forward and covered dozens of li in an instant. Before anyone could react, he was already standing right above Zhang Xuan. But the next moment, the formation that was made up of a hundred thousand formation gs released a slight buzz as a massive barrier of light formed around Zhang Xuan and the hundred thousand True Immortals. The formation was built not just to prevent spiritual energy from leaking into the atmosphere but to protect those within it as well. Even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators would not be able to breach it easily. Hu! With a slight flick of his finger, Kong shi ripped a hole in the barrier and stepped in. The barrier could not stop him for even a second. Upon entering the formation, he quietly directed his nce at the altar. This simple gesture immediately caused Wu Chen to lose control of the altar. It began to shake wildly, as if it would fly toward Kong shi at any moment. Wu Chen immediately bit his finger and sttered his blood all over the altar. Tzzzzzzzz! The trembling altar began to calm down under the tribute of the blood. It was still shaking a fair bit, but it was not as intense as before. Pce Master Du, I need your help! Wu Chen cried out with a pale face. Du Qingyuan, who was fighting a few High Immortals, swiftly got rid of her opponents and rushed over to the altar to infuse her zhenqi into it. Only then did the altar finally stop shaking altogether. Paying no heed to this, Kong shi turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Do you want to take it out yourself, or do I have to do the work personally? Know that things will not end simply if I have to make a move. Hu! Even though it looked as if Kong shi was not doing anything, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the space around him hardening, forming a barrier that trapped him, leaving him unable to escape. Despite so, Zhang Xuan continued with his lecture as if nothing had happened. Even as Kong shi breached the barrier, attempted to steal the altar, and made a move on him, his voice had never stopped at any point in time. The hundred thousand True Immortals were stillpletely immersed in his lecture, to the point that they did not seem to have realized that danger was already unbelievably close to them. Impartation of Heavens Will, Simple Words of Profound Wisdom... Trickery that beguiles the hearts of others and fools one into subservience. That was always the method he preferred and specialized in, and you seem to be pretty skilled in it as well. However, its all toote, Kong shi sneered as he raised his palm against Zhang Xuan. Protect the sect leader! Horrified, Wu Chen and Du Qingyuan immediately rose up to protect him, but the next instant, several bursts of light gushed forth to block Kong shis path. If you wish to hurt our teacher, youll have to step over our dead bodies! The sheer might behind the attack of the eleven youths caused even the sky to tear apart. They were Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others! Zhang Xuans eleven direct disciples had all reached the Semi-Divinity realm, and they were all wielding the Semi- Divinity artifacts that their teacher had given them. Through their sharp coordination, they were able to defend against Kong shis palm strike! Wu Chen, begin the ritual! Zhang Xuan bellowed. With a flick of his finger, the Aura of Divinity that he had acquired from the City of Copsed Space swiftly fell on top of the altar. O noble gods, I, Wu Chen, humbly offer the earnest loyalty and faith of a hundred thousand souls to plead for the purification of the Aura of Divinity... Two voices echoed in unison-Wu Chen and Du Qingyuan. One standing on the left of the altar and the other standing on the right, they raised their forefingers toward the heavens as they scattered their fresh blood over the altar. A brilliant light flickered into the surroundings as immense spiritual energy swiftly embraced all of the hundred thousand True Immortals. Xiong xiong! A light yellow me ignited above the altar, searing the ck Aura of Divinity. However, nothing seemed to be happening to the ck Aura of Divinity at all. Not all of the hundred thousand True immortals have opened themselves fully yet, Du Qingyuan said with gritted teeth. The me must turn golden before its able to cleanse the Aura of Divinity of its degeneration properties! Having been imparted with the ritual procedures, she knew the conditions required for sess. Only when the wills of all one hundred thousand True Immortals were aligned together would the me on the altar turn golden. The current light yellow me indicated that those whose wills were aligned together only numbered half! If only I had more time to lecture them, Zhang Xuan remarked with a shake of his head. of the hundred thousand True Immortals, only fifty thousand of them were with him, and that included the forty thousand Heavenly Pseudo Immortals who had achieved a breakthrough earlier. It was not that his lecture did not appeal to them, but the time that he had with them was simply too short! Trust and credibility needed time to nurture. Even with a bond as deep as one between a parent and a child, if it was not nourished with care, concern, and apaniment, their rtionship would only remain shallow This was even truer for the ties between a teacher and a student. The bond between a teacher and a student could run extremely deep, but it had to be carefully nurtured over time. That was the one thing that Zhang Xuancked the most at the moment! If he had just an hour more, he would not have been in such a predicament. Is that... the Aura of Divinity from the City of Copsed Space? That darned ck skeleton actually gave it to you? That b*stard! Why? Why? Kong shi, who was fighting against Zhao Ya and the others, noticed the happenings below as well and swiftly figured out Zhang Xuans goal. His eyes reddened in fury. As someone who had lived for several thousand years, he knew the secrets behind the City of Copsed Space. In fact, he had entered the area himself and obtained a certain medicinal herb. Following which, several things had happened. In the two times he ventured into the depths of the City of Copsed Space, he had encountered a ck skeleton. However, that ck skeleton had been extremely hostile to him, never hesitating to attack him. Putting aside acquiring the Aura of Divinity, he had nearly lost his life there! Due to that, he had been left with no choice but to trick Zhang Xuan into challenging the Hall of Gods and obtaining the Aura of Divinity on his behalf. Why? The world had hindered him for so long, but it allowed this young man to do everything that he was unable to! This was unjust! With a furious roar, Kong shi pulled his palm down. This single strike was at least two times stronger than the palm strike before. It caused the formation to waver feebly as the surrounding space copsed inward under the pressure. Block it! Zhao Ya cried out as she dealt out boundless sword qi to hold back Kong shis attack, like a pir propping up the heavens. Zheng Yang also dashed forward and pressed his spear against the copsing space, desperately pushing back the destruction. The same went for Wei Ruyan, Kong Shiyao, Liu Yang, Wang Ying, Dan Xiaotian, Lu Chong, Bai Ruanqing, Zhang Jiuxiao, and Yuan Tao. His eleven direct disciples had no fear despite the danger they were in. Driving their strength to the limits, they were able to barely maintain the stability of the space despite destruction caving in relentlessly on them. They wont be able to hold on for too long. Concentrate! Seeing that Wu Chen had halted out of shock, Zhang Xuan sent an urgent telepathic message to him as he carried on with his lecture. As the lecture continued, the color of the yellow me on the altar grew deeper and deeper, gradually making the transformation toward golden. Young Master, well still need at least fifteen more minutes in order to achieve perfect unity of wills at this rate. I fear that they wont be able to hold on for that long! Wu Chen said nervously. The yellow me was already changing at a rapid pace, but it did not seem like they would be able to make it in time. Given the strength and undying tenacity of Zhao Ya and the others, they were still able to hold on for several breaths against the overwhelmingly powerful Kong shi, but for them tost fifteen minutes... That was simply too difficult! No, it would be more urate to say that it was no different from hoping for a miracle to happen! I know that! But we can only try to persevere for as long as we can, Zhang Xuan replied grimly. The lecturing continued without a pause. The crowd beneath seemed to bepletely oblivious to be living hell urring around them. They continued driving their zhenqi ceaselessly as they deepened their understanding of battle techniques. Chapter 2097 - The Casualty of War Chapter 2097 The Casualty of War Kacha! The might behind Kong shis attack only continued to grow stronger with time. Eventually, it reached a point where it couldnt be stopped anymore. Dimension rifts began to breach the stable space as Zhao Ya and the others were jolted back violently, causing blood to spurt from their mouths. The encounter had inflicted considerable injuries on them. Kong shi was already invincible in his own power ss, let alone the fact that he had achieved a breakthrough to the level of the gods. As an existence that stood at the very peak of the Azure, he was no longer someone whom Zhao Ya and the others could take on. Someone of your capabilities wont be able to cleanse the Aura of Divinity. It will be put to much better use in my hands. After sending Zhao Ya and the others flying, Kong shi reached his hand out toward the altar. Knowing that there was no other choice for him but to join in the battle as well, Zhang Xuan whipped out the Tongshang Sword and exerted his Sword Intent while his mouth continued moving so as to continue with his lecture. He had been trying to avoid making a move himself so as to avoid any possible situation where the lecture was interrupted. The ritual could fail if anything were to go wrong. However, given the current situation, he had no choice but to step up as well. A massive appeared all over the sky, forming a massive barrier that blocked out Kong shis hand. If I hadnt made a breakthrough, this move of yours might have made me hesitate for a moment... But do you really think that your move will be able to stop the current me? Kong shi chuckled softly as he continued pressing his palm downward. Kacha! Cracks immediately appeared on the. A Heart of Intertwined Threads. This was a move that had surpassed the Heavens Path Sword Art. It made him invincible amongst Semi-Divinity realm cultivators, and even ordinary gods might find themselves overwhelmed by it as well... But his opponent was no other than Kong shi! Having ovee the hurdle to godhood, the other party had acquired strength far beyond imagination. T! A massive hole was ripped open in the. With a pale face, Zhang Xuan skidded back several hundred meters before he was able to regain his footing. At the same time, a spurt of blood escaped from his mouth. In just a single encounter, he had already sustained severe injuries! But throughout the entire encounter, he carried on with his lecture as if nothing was happening at all. The 100,000 True Immortals continued listening to his words without realizing that something was amiss. Come over, Kong shi turned his gaze toward the altar and beckoned. He knew that the Aura of Divinity was the key of the battle. Once he snatched it over, victory would be his to im. The young man before him would bepletely helpless before him by then. H! The ck Aura of Divinity on the altar swiftly flew into Kong shis hand. No! Wu Chen and Du Qingyuan cried out with pale faces as they leaped into the sky to retrieve the ck Aura of Divinity. Peng! Peng! But with just a nce over from Kong shi, the two of them felt an enormous force crushing down on them, causing crimson blood to spurt from their mouths. Even though they had reached Semi-Divinity realm, their fighting prowess was far beneath Zhao Ya and the others. There was no way they could have possibly been a match for Kong shi. Hahaha! Now that the final hope you have been desperately clutching onto has fallen into my hand, lets see what else you are going to do! Kong shi burst intoughter as he looked at Zhang Xuan with eyes filled with ridicule. As long as Zhang Xuan was unable to reach the level of the gods like him, he would never be a match for him. With this, the battle was sealed. Did you think that I would have no way of curbing you just because Im unable to make a breakthrough? a voice of utmostposure echoed alongside Zhang Xuans lecture. A book suddenly materialized in midair, and it plunged down toward Kong shi at a frightening speed. The golden page? You do have it after all! However, did you think that I wouldnt be guarded against something that bastard has as well? Watching as the book above him grewrger andrger, Kong shi was slightly taken aback for a moment before a cold sneer formed on his lips. He raised his hand up and waved it lightly. Weng! A peculiar aura crept out and covered his entire body, and his presence abruptly vanished from the world. It was as if he had suddenly phased out from the world. Unable to sense Kong shis presence, the golden page screeched to a halt. It was unable to find its target to attack. He possesses the Discamate Constitution of Divination too, and he used a secret art on top of that to ensure that he leaped out of the jurisdiction of the heavens. As powerful as the golden page, its futile if it cantnd a clean blow... Zhang Xuan thought grimly. As powerful as the golden page was, there were some conditions required for it to strike. Furthermore, there was still someg time before the golden page struck, thus allowing the opponent to prepare countermeasures beforehand. Given that Kong shi was aware of the existence and nature of the golden page, it wasnt too difficult for him to prepare a counter against it! What Kong shi did was to conceal his presencepletely from the heavens, thus rendering the golden page incapable of finding him. Youre underestimating me as well. I wouldnt prepare just a single trump card to go against the great Kong shi. Do you want to fathom a guess why I use the golden page on you even though I know that theres a high chance you knew of its existence? Zhang Xuan spoke with a calm smile while carrying on with the lecture. As those words were being spoken, the mes above the altar abruptly soared into the sky. A figure rose up swiftly with a sword in hand. It was Zhang Xuans clone! He had hidden amidst the mes of the altar, waiting for the moment which Kong shi was distracted by the golden page tounch an assault! Puhe! Kong shi was too guarded against Zhang Xuan and the golden page that he was caught off guard by the clones appearance. In a moment of carelessness, he got stabbed in his palm, causing fresh blood to pour out. However, the sword pierce stopped right there. The clone found that he was unable to drive his attack any deeper in. The physical body of a god was simply too resilient. Despite the clones superior strength, which was further enhanced by a Semi-Divinity artifact and the Gods Sword Intent, he was only able to barely scrape Kong shis skin. Even at the very best, it only dealt as much damage as a failed injection would. Hahaha! Remarkable! You were actually able to hurt me! It appears that its not without reason that you were chosen by the heavens... But do you think that something of this caliber will really affect me, a god? Kong shi knocked the clone flying with a wave of his hand before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with an air of invibility around him. Part of the reason why Zhang Xuans scheme worked was because Kong shi allowed it so. He had already realized that something was amiss when Zhang Xuans clone hadnt appeared on the battlefield all along. Despite knowing that there was a ploy, he hadnt bothered putting his guard up. That was because he knew all schemes would crumble before absolute strength. Will you be able to kill me even if I were to stand still on the spot and allow you to attack me freely? In the face of a real god, Semi-Divinities were not any more than ants! I dont deny that. This bit of injury probably means nothing to a god at all, but the Aura of Divinity in your hands might beg to differ... Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Taken aback by those words, Kong shi lowered his head to take a look, only to see the ck degeneration aura inside the Aura of Divinity surging swiftly into his wounds. His hand was rotting swiftly, causing it to take on a hideous form. You... Horrified, Kong shi hurriedly let go of the ck Aura of Divinity in his hand, causing it to fall onto the altar once more. Even so, the ck Aura of Divinity continued to release the ck degeneration aura, which was naturally drawn to the wound in Kong shis hand. The ck Aura of Divinity was created by the ck skeleton bypressing the air of degeneration in the City of Copsed Space tightly together, so the concentration of the degeneration property within it was terrifyingly high. Putting aside a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, even a true god would be vulnerable to it! Damn it! Kong shi cursed furiously as he released all of his energy to curb the ck degeneration aura. With his newfound strength as a god, not even ordinary air of degeneration would have been able to faze him anymore. That led to him thinking that there was nothing that could threaten him in the Azure anymore, but such a line of thought clearly backfired against him. Peng! Feeling deeply humiliated, Kong shi charged toward Zhang Xuan. Even when gued by the ck degeneration aura, the strength he had at his disposal still far surpassed any existence on the Azure. Overwhelmed by rage, he thrust his palm forth with his full strength this time around. It was an attack so powerful that it ripped through the fabrics of space in the trajectory of its attack, causing a spatial quake. Hu! Overwhelming might descended right upon Zhang Xuan, but before it was able to seal his fate, a little yellow chick suddenly appeared before Kong shi. It widened its mouth to an unnatural degree and gobbled Kong shi whole. Boom boom boom! A huge lump could be seen in the little yellow chicks body, and it was moving around violently to break free. Hold on as long as you can, but dont hesitate to spit him out if you find yourself reaching your limits! Zhang Xuan said worriedly. This fellow had been able to swallow the massive ckback Tortoise whole and render it powerless back then, which proved that its ability to devour was a special talent. However, the fact still remained that Little Chick was only at Heavenly High Immortal realm whereas Kong shi was a real god. Even when Kong shi was wounded, there was still a huge gap between the two of them. All Zhang Xuan hoped was for the little yellow chick to hold on for a while longer, till the 100,000 True Immortals finally achieved theplete union of wills. One thing that was extremely fortunate was that a huge proportion of the ck degeneration aura had been absorbed by Kong shi earlier on, causing the ck Aura of Divinity to change from pitch-ck to a dark yellow color. It wasntpletely purified yet, but it was a major step forward. Previously, the altar had to turnpletely golden in order for the cleansing to bepleted, but given the current state of the Aura of Divinity, it would do even if the color were to just turn bright yellow. This meant that the time he needed had been greatly reduced! Nevertheless, it was still a question whether they could stall Kong shi for this long. Zhang Xuan channeled all of his focus into the lecture, greatly increasing the effects of the Impartation of Heavens Will. A nourishing atmosphere could be felt lingering in the area. Meanwhile, the little yellow chicks body was still moving around violently. It was apparent that Kong shi was trying to force his way out. Back then, the Semi-Divinity realm ckback Tortoise nearly lost its life after being gobbled whole, but Kong shi was still able to move around vigorously after that... The strength of the gods was truly fearsome! Hurry up, hurry up... Knowing that the little yellow chick wouldnt be able tost for too long, Zhang Xuan stared at the Aura of Divinity above the altar with an anxious look on his face. Along with his lecture, the me had slowly turned to a bright yellow color. At the same time, changes began to ur to the Aura of Divinity as well. A ck aura was slowly being expelled from the Aura of Divinity, causing it to slowly turn from dark yellow to yellow, light yellow... Its almost there! Seeing the changes in color, Zhang Xuan knew that the ritual was finally working. His heart thumped wildly in excitement. All of a sudden, the space above him wavered. H! A sword sliced through the air, and right after, the stomach of the little yellow chick was split into two. An unkempt Kong shi wielding a sword stepped out from within, appearing before everyones view once more. His face waspletely distorted with rage. He turned his body around and shed down on the little yellow chick frenziedly. Shua! Shua! Shua! As cold shes of light struck down on it, the head of the little yellow chick was lopped off, and its body was sliced in many pieces. Xiong xiong! As if that wasnt enough, he released a burst of me that seared the little yellow chicks severed body into ashes. No! Everything happened so quickly that Zhang Xuan didnt even have any time to react. His body stiffened, and his mind nearly nked out entirely in that instant. This couldnt be true... The little yellow chick was dead? This little yellow chick had been with him ever since his time at the Master Teacher Continent. Back then, it was still stuck in the form of a gourd. It was an unreliable glutton which had sabotaged him on many asions. It was also incrediblyzy, often choosing to lie around in his dantian, refusing toe out no matter what happened. As a result, they had many conflicts with one another, and they often bickered as well. But even as he raged or rolled his eyes at that little yellow chick, before he knew it, it had already be an important figure in his life... He had never imagined that such a situation would ever happen. Even his clone might have been unable to piece itself back together after it was reduced to such a state! You bastard, Im going to ughter you... Zhang Xuans eyes turned red. Chapter 2098 - Camaraderie of Brothers

Chapter 2098 Camaraderie of Brothers

FontBig Middle Small Previous Index Next Add Bookmarks Little Chick was his tamed beast, but it was also a friend and a brother. The two of them had been together with one another after having entered the Azure together. Unknowingly, the asions which they teased one another and the interactions between them, all of these had be a natural part of his life. Even though they did not share a bond of blood, they had be as close as kin to one another. This was especially so after they formed a contract with one another. He could sense its thoughts and emotions, creating a feeling of unprecedented intimacy. The realization that those days would never return left him with a deep feeling of emptiness inside. He was initially opposed to letting Little Chick devour Kong shi as he thought that it was too dangerous. However, he eventually caved in because he knew there was no other choice. Be it his direct disciples or his clone, there was no one else who had the ability to stop Kong shi anymore. Even his greatest trump card, the golden page, had failed as well! So, he allowed Little Chick to go ahead with it, but he also instructed Little Chick to stop as soon as it felt it was in danger. He thought that thetter would be fine with its extraordinarily powerful recovery ability. Yet, who could have thought that Kong shi would go so far as to sever it into many pieces before burning it to ashes! With eyes filled with killing intent, Zhang Xuan was just about to rush forward to pit his life against Kong shi when he felt someone holding him back. Right after, Wu Chens anxious voice sounded, Young Master! Purifying the Aura of Divinity is more important, or else Little Chicks sacrifice would have been in vain! It was as if a pail of ice water had been poured over Zhang Xuan. His killing intent remained unabated, but rationality had returned back to his thoughts. He immediately halted his actions. Indeed. With his current strength, even if he were to pit his life against Kong shi, it was impossible for him to achieve victory. There was a world of difference between the fighting prowess of a god and a Semi-Divinity. This wasnt something that could be bridged by mere skills or tenacity. There was only one route Zhang Xuan could take if he wanted to exact vengeance for Little Chick, and that was to purify the Aura of Divinity, assimte it, and push his cultivation to the level of the gods too! As long as he seeded, it shouldnt be too difficult for him to kill the other party! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan resumed his lecture after a momentary pause, Battle technique is a means to channel and exerting ones strength at a point... Xiong xiong! The color of the mes on the altar grew brighter and brighter. As of this moment, there were at least 80,000 True Immortals who had opened their hearts, but they were still a stretch off from sess! How dare your tamed beast devour me whole? Ill return this humiliation a hundredfold to you! Kong shis expression remained warped in anger even after ying Little Chick. With a roar, he swung his sword toward Zhang Xuan. The weapon he had in hand was only a Semi-Divinity artifact, but in the hands of a god, it exerted strength far beyond that of ordinary Semi-Divinities. The sword qi that was produced through it stretched over a distance of ten li, and its frightening sharpness made it seem as if the fabrics of space were as flimsy as a piece of paper. Protect our teacher! Zhao Ya and the others charged over agitatedly. Zhang Xuans clone also quickly charged forward to protect the main body as well. Even though they had sustained significant injuries earlier, they had managed to make a full recovery through drinking bottles of chicken soup while Little Chick was holding down Kong shi. Zhang Xuans eleven direct disciples and his clone all had a Semi-Divinity artifact in hand, which added up to a total of 24 Semi-Divinities in total. Through their tight coordination, they formed a powerful coboration formation. Even though the sword sh filled with Kong shis rage was powerful, they still managed to fend it off, albeit with some difficulty. Smash him to death! Zhang Xuan willed. Hu! The golden page, which had lost its target earlier, locked its target onto Kong shi and plummeted from the sky once again. The strength of the Library of Heavens Path had grown proportionately stronger to the might of the heavens of the Azure. This also meant that the duration that the golden page could remain materialized had increased, allowing it to linger in the area even after a failed attack. With the golden page exerting its full might from above, the space around Kong shi was forcefully sealed through the sheer pressure it emanated. Damn it! Kong shi immediately tried the same move once more, activating his secret art to conceal his presence from the heavens to dodge the attack from the golden page. However, the clone suddenly rushed from behind to stab Kong shis back at this moment. Zhao Ya and the others quickly emted the clones actions, executing their strongest moves to harass Kong shi. You fools! Are you trying to die? Kong shi felt his goosebumps rising up. The golden page didnt discriminate between allies and enemies. It was a force that could crush even the gods, but Zhang Xuans clone and direct disciples still charged right into the area of effect of the golden page without any hesitation. That was tantamount to suicide! Or even worse, they might even be nning on using themselves as a guiding beacon for the golden page to strike... In other words, they were nning on sacrificing themselves to bring him down! Kong shi released a burst of sword qi which circled him like a ferocious dragon. He was intending to drive these fellows away so that he could hide securely away from the all-seeing eye of the heavens, but these fellows persistently stuck themselves to him. No matter how he tried to push them away, they would return and converge back in on him in the next instant. He couldnt escape at all. Hong long long! His surroundings swiftly grew darker and darker as the golden page approached him at a terrifying speed. It felt as if the entire weight of the heavens was falling down on him, sparking a hint of fear in the depths of his heart. Even if the golden page strikes me squarely, I still wont die that easily! Kong shi harrumphed coldly. Knowing that he wouldnt be able to shake off Zhang Xuans direct disciples and his clone in time, he wrapped himself with ayer of sword qi to protect himself from the attacks from Zhao Ya and the others before dashing right toward the golden page. Boom! He collided face-on with the golden page, and the sword in his hand immediately shattered. The tremendous pressure crushing down on him caused fresh blood to spurt from his mouth and nose. But at the same time, he managed to stop the golden page in ce. How frightening... Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. The golden page had always been a trusty trump card that he could rely on to defeat his opponent regardless of the situation. As long as he brought it out, even the strongest individuals would be immediately ttened into a pancake. So, he thought that as long as he could stop Kong shi from dodging, there should be a fair chance that he would be able to crush thetter to death. Yet, thetter actually wielded the strength to withstand it. It seemed like even the heavens of the Azure was powerless against the gods. Young Master, the Aura of Divinity has turned golden! Wu Chen suddenly eximed excitedly. Zhang Xuan turned his head over and saw the Aura of Divinity on the altar was emanating a brilliant golden glow. It looked the exact same as the one he had received back at the Hall of Gods. While his direct disciples, his clone, and the golden page were attacking Kong shi, he managed to align the wills of the 100,000 True Immortals together, thuspleting the ritual. Little Chick, I shall exact vengeance for you... Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan swiftly flitted over to the altar and grabbed the Aura of Divinity. Tzzzzzz! The Aura of Divinity slipped into his body through his pores, and it swiftly coursed through his meridians. If he had haphazardly absorbed the Aura of Divinity without a corresponding cultivation technique back then, there was a good chance that his body would blow up from the umtion of energy. But right now... Just recalling the sight of how Little Chick was sliced into bits and razed to ashes, he felt as if his heart was going to be ripped out. shbacks of the time he had spent with Little Chick crossed his mind. Back at the Sanctum of Sages, when he tagged along with Luo Xuanqings group to find the Dongxu Gourd, thetter abruptly dashed into his dantian and hid in there. That was the start of their bizarre rtionship. There wasnt anything much that happened while they were at the Master Teacher Continent. He was unable to deal with the Dongxu Gourd, and thetter spent all of its timezing around and leeching off his dantian. It was only aftering did the Azure did they start to spend more time together. Smacking his opponents to death from behind, stealing his pills, devouring the sword of his ally... All sorts of things happened between the two of them, and they did all sorts of things together too. Before he knew it, Little Chick had already taken on an irreceable position in his heart. Habit was truly a scary thing. Somehow, he felt like the days would simply carry on like that. They would continue being by each others side, bickering with one another every now and then. I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends... Little Chicks voice echoed in his mind. In fact, he could almost see the other party shaking its bottom gleefully as it guzzled Immortal Pills as if they cost nothing at all. We still havent uncovered what kind of legendary beast you are yet... Zhang Xuan murmured quietly beneath his breath. All along, that fellow had been trying its best to achieve breakthroughs so that it could finally uncover its true identity... But till the very end, it never knew what it truly was. The tight bond of brothers go beyond life and death, Zhang Xuan muttered with reddened eyes. To look after each others back and protect one another in the face of true danger, this was brotherhood! Boom! It was as if the Aura of Divinity in Zhang Xuans body suddenly found an outlet. It flowed at the whims of Zhang Xuans emotions, circting on and on. At the same time, Zhang Xuan quickly immersed his consciousness into the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn to elerate the process by a hundredfold. Even so, the process of reaching godhood was simply tooplicated. It represented the qualitative evolution of a lifeform. However, Zhang Xuan knew that this matter couldnt be hurried. So, he allowed the Aura of Divinity to flow along with his feelings and temper his physical body. Ill require at least a single day in order to reach godhood... Zhang Xuan estimated. Even though he hadprehended a higher cultivation technique and identified a feasible way of achieving a breakthrough, it would still take at least a single day for him to reach the level of the gods. It might seem a long period of time, but for a major breakthrough like this, it could already be considered to be extremely fast. One must know that Kong shi had cultivated for nearly an entire month after he acquired the Aura of Divinity before he managed to make a breakthrough. Inparison, Zhang Xuans ability to make a breakthrough within a single day was unthinkable! There are 24 hours in a day, which trantes to 1440 minutes. Even with the hundredfold multiplier from cultivating in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Ill still need 14 minutes before I can make aplete breakthrough... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. I can only hope that I can buy that much time with the golden page... Even if the duration had been lowered down to fourteen minutes, it was still far too long! He wouldnt be able to exert much strength within this fourteen minutes. If Kong shi were to attempt something during this period of time, he would bepletely helpless. Zhang Xuan turned to look at Kong shi, who was still suppressed under the weight golden page at the moment, and prayed that the golden page would somehow be able to buy him sufficient time for a breakthrough. Hu! But barely after this thought surfaced in his mind, the golden page suddenly wavered a little before dissipating into thin air, as if it had never appeared before. The duration of materialization of the golden page had been increased after he came to the Azure, but it still wasnt able to remain materialized for too long. You scoundrels! With the vanishing of the golden page, Kong shi finally turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan. His entire arm was already rotting, and his other palm had been severely injured as well. Blood was dripping from his body. Even though he had managed to fend against the golden page and all of the trump cards which Zhang Xuan had prepared, he still ended up sustaining severe injuries in the midst of doing so. You might have seeded in buying enough time to cleanse the Aura of Divinity and absorb it, but you have also depleted all of your cards too. You dont have any means of buying time anymore. On the other hand, all I require is a single breath to kill you. Theres no way Ill be giving you any chances anymore... Kong shi spat menacingly as he red at Zhang Xuan with cold eyes. The only reason why he hadnt killed Zhang Xuan so far was so as he could capture thetter alive and extract the Heavens Imperfections from his body. Yet, this hesitation nearly cost him his life. That fellow was indeed an existence of the same level as that bastard... Even as a mere Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, that fellow was someone who couldnt be underestimated! He realized that he would have to kill that young man right here right now. If the battle were to drag out any longer, he would really lose control over the situation. Chapter 2099 - 2099 Godhood! 2099 Godhood! Youre right. Time is indeed not on my side... Even as he realized that Kong shi was prepared to kill him, Zhang Xuan did not disy the slightest hint of fear. If I were to foolishly wait here for you to make a move against me, theres no way I would have enough time. However, I could always choose to hide, just like you. It wont be toote for me to exact vengeance when I make my breakthrough eventually. Hide? A cold glint shed across Kong shis eyes. Do you think that I will allow you to escape in my presence? With a wave of his hand, Kong shi began to seal the space around Zhang Xuan. Hu! But at that very instant, Zhang Xuan suddenly vanished from the spot. At the same time, Wu Chen took out an Ethereal Token and ced a storage ring on it. With a resounding buzz, the storage ring disappeared from sight. A storage ring and an Ethereal Token? I see... Kong shi was initially stunned for a moment before bursting intoughter. It would indeed be possible to achieve spatial teleportation using such a method. However, you have neglected one important fact. I am the head of the Ethereal Hall, and I hold the authority to track down the movement of any item in the Ethereal Hall! He had been wondering what kind of ingenious n Zhang Xuan had in mind to flee from him. Yet, it turned out to be such a meaningless and futile maneuver! The only reason cultivators were able to remain anonymous in the Ethereal Hall was because the Ethereal Hall allowed them to! Was the young man really so naive as to think that he, the head of the Ethereal Hall, would not be able to track down someone moving through it? He had thought that it would be a great deal of trouble to obtain the Library of Heavens Path after Zhang Xuan reached the level of the gods, but it seemed like he had overestimated thetters intelligence. It was just a change of battlefield. Humph! Did you think that I would allow you to escape? Paying no heed to the war happening all around him, Kong shi flicked his wrist and took out an Ethereal Token. His Ethereal Token was very different from what was distributed to the others. It was golden in color. Most likely, it was the token reserved specially for the hall masters use. Holding tightly onto the token, a glint shed across Kong shis eyes. Of all ces, you have chosen to head to the Ethereal Hall headquarters? Very well... It seems like you are courting death! After uncovering the location where Zhang Xuan had teleported, Kong shi was dazed for a moment before a cold sneer formed on his lips. Hu! He took out a mirror and reflected the Ethereal Token against the mirror. A momentter, a majestic pce appeared in the reflection of the mirror. The pce was the Ethereal Hall headquarters located on the Azure Bridge. With his Evanescent Boots, he stepped into the mirror. A momentter, he was already standing right in front of the Ethereal Hall headquarters. As the adage goes, the most dangerous ce is often the safest ce. It wasnt a bad decision for you to choose to escape here, but its unfortunate that you neglected one important detail. Its possible to track the location of others through the Ethereal Hall. This works in my favor as well. The interference of the heavens is limited here, so itll be much more convenient for me to extract the Heavens Imperfections from your body here... Kong shi chuckled softly as he released his Spiritual Perception into the surroundings. Through his earlier checks, he had found that Zhang Xuan had hidden in a folded space and ced the folded space in a storage ring. After that, the adolescent youth conducting the ritual had swiftly sold the storage ring through the Ethereal Hall, and it had been bought right after. The buyer had then made use of the Teleportation Formation embedded within the Ethereal Token to bring the storage ring over here. The chances were that Zhang Xuan was hidden in the Ethereal Hall headquarters. It was not a bad move at all. He never would have thought that Zhang Xuan would be so bold as to choose to hide in his home ground if not for the records of his movement. He isnt here? Kong shi swiftly scanned the entire pce with his Spiritual Perception, but other than a Semi-Divinity realm Serpentine Dragon trembling fearfully in one corner, he could not find any trace of Zhang Xuan. The Serpentine Dragon was likely the buyer that had purchased the storage ring that Zhang Xuan was hiding in. He would deal with that Serpentine Dragon in due course, but his priority was to capture Zhang Xuan before he was able to do anything. So, he scanned the pce once more with his Spiritual Perception, but the results were still the same. Frustrated, he raised his head, only to see a figure climbing up the pirs of the Ethereal Hall headquarters using just his physical strength. There you are! Kong shis eyes lit up. At that moment, that figure was very close to the boundary between the Ethereal Hall and the Hall of Gods. Where do you think you are escaping to? Kong shi sneered as he soared up alongside the pir. Semi-Divinity realm cultivators had to scale the pir by climbing it with their hands and feet, but those who had reached the level of the gods were spared this hassle. They were able to fly right up the pir. Stop right there! Kong shi bellowed as heunched a palm strike to knock Zhang Xuan down. Zhang Xuan dared not stop. He swiftly climbed up the pir with the dexterity of a monkey. Just as the palm strike was about to strike him, his body suddenly flickered before vanishing. He had finally passed through the boundary between the Ethereal Hall headquarters and the Hall of Gods. I see... You are thinking of biding your time in the Hall of Gods because you think that Im unable to get in there. Hahaha! You really do impress me time and time again with your sharp wits, but it wont work! With a cold harrumph, Kong shi passed through the boundary as well. The next instant, his entire surroundings suddenly flipped upside down. He should have been heading upward, but all of a sudden, he found himself heading downward instead. His center of gravity had been flipped. He had been there many times before, so he was not thrown off guard. He quickly drove his zhenqi and steadied himself before swiftly assessing his surroundings. ncing downward, perhaps because the other party knew that he could not get away anymore and had resigned himself to his fate, he saw Zhang Xuan holding tightly onto the pir, not escaping anymore. I didnt expect you toe chasing after me so quickly, Zhang Xuan remarked nonchntly. There are many more things that are beyond your expectations. Since you have realized that its impossible for you to escape anymore, why dont you just obediently hand the Heavens Imperfections over? Kong shi smirked as he charged forward to strike Zhang Xuan. Before his palm strike evennded, the surrounding space froze, sealing off all possible routes of escape. Just as he was about to be killed, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his palm and said, Theres something that I would like to However, Kong shis palm continued surging forward, only stopping when it was less than half a meter away from Zhang Xuan. He looked at the young man with eyes filled with ridicule. Speak. Ill listen to your final words. That would be much appreciated. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he started counting down. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four... Huh? Kong shi was taken aback. Did this fellow lose his mind from fear? He had been wondering what kind ofst words Zhang Xuan was going to utter when he started to do a countdown instead... Was he mentally ill or something? What are you doing? Kong shi bellowed furiously. Im not doing anything much. Im just counting down. Theres no need to get so agitated, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile before continuing on with his countdown. Three, two, one! When he finally counted down to the veryst number, a smile as brilliant as the sun blossomed on his face. He stretched his back with a refreshed look on his face. Is that it? Since you are done with yourst words, I hope that you are prepared to move on! Boom! Right after those words were spoken, a resounding explosion filled the air. As if there was a massive dragon circling his body, rumbling thunder roared from Zhang Xuans body. A powerful aura surged into the void. At this point, the young man suddenly released his grip on the stone pir. Yet, instead of falling endlessly into space, he was floating quietly in midair. Flight! Y-you... You have managed to achieve a breakthrough? Kong shi could hardly believe his eyes. He had started cultivating right after he acquired the Aura of Divinity, but even so, it had taken him nearly an entire month before he was able to ovee the final hurdle. Even though the young man before him possessed a fragment of the heavens and was able to cultivate at an unprecedented rate, just like that b*stard, it should not have been possible to achieve a breakthrough without at least an entire day of cultivation! It was precisely for this reason that he had not been too worried about the situation. As long as he could capture Zhang Xuan within a single day, thetter would not be able to pose a threat to him. Yet... how did the other party suddenly reach the level of the gods? All in all, it had only been five minutes since the other party consumed the Aura of Divinity and ran all the way there! Was it really possible for a person to make a breakthrough within just five minutes? Not even that b*stard would be able to pull off something as ridiculous as this off! I dont believe it! Theres no way this is true! Kong shi roared furiously as he charged forth andunched a palm strike. Its already toote... Zhang Xuan looked at Kong shi with killing intent ring in his eyes. He was calm and rational, but the rage from witnessing the death of Little Chick had not been quelled yet. He flicked his finger lightly. Peng! Kong shi had channeled his full strength into the palm strike, but as if a bolt of lightning, Zhang Xuans finger flick still sent him flying back. Kong shi staggered for over several hundred meters before he was finally to regain his bnce. Taking inrge mouthfuls of air, he looked at the young man before him with a look of disbelief on his pale face. That single finger flick had not just dispelled his attack; it had nearly crushed his cultivation! Granted, he had already sustained significant injuries in the earlier battle, but the might of Zhang Xuans attack had still surpassed his imagination. If the other party was able to sustain his might, he was not sure if he would really be able to achieve victory. Did he really manage to achieve a breakthrough? Kong shi clenched his fists tightly. Even up to this point, he was still unable to believe that he had been foiled by such a ridiculous turn of events. Gritting his teeth, he coldly spat, So what if you have reached the level of the gods, too? I dont believe that youll be able to master your powers so quickly! The powers of a god were vastly different from that of a Semi-Divinity. Familiarizing oneself with it would take a significant period of time. It was impossible to exert the full strength of a god right after achieving a breakthrough! Even though he had gone into seclusion for a month, the truth was that he had already reached the level of gods within twenty days. He had spent thest ten days reinforcing his cultivation and familiarizing himself with the powers of the gods before reappearing. Even if Zhang Xuan had used some kind of secret art to elerate the rate of his breakthrough, there was no way he would be able to familiarize himself with the powers of the gods so quickly! With such a thought in mind, Kong shi released a punch toward Zhang Xuan with a ferocious roar. In that instant, everything seemed to dim before Kong shi. It was as if the world was disying its subservience to a superior being. A god exerting his full strength was not something to be made light of. In response, Zhang Xuan raised a single finger up. Hu! The incredible momentum of Kong shis punch was halted by a single finger. It was almost as if there was a metal barrier that stood in its ce, preventing it from advancing any further. Crumble. Zhang Xuan flicked his finger once more. Pu! Pu! Kong shi was sent tumbling back dozens of li. The bones in his arm were fractured, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth. The sheer impact of this single move had nearly imed his life. How is this possible? Kong shi murmured fearfully as he struggled to regain his bnce. In this sh, he realized that the other party had not just reached the level of the gods in terms of cultivation. The other party had also managed to familiarize himself with its powers, such that he was able to use it even more smoothly than him! And all of this was done within a few short minutes! This was impossible! Utterly impossible! With confusion reflected in his eyes, Kong shi fell into a daze. Chapter 2100 - 2100 Overcoming the Odds 2100 Oveing the Odds Godhood and Semi-Divinity, these were two very different existences from one another. Even if one obtained the Aura of Divinity and sessfully made a breakthrough, it would still take a considerable period of time to fully master the power of the gods. As such, he had thought that he stood a chance against Zhang Xuan even after he had sessfully made a breakthrough. But this hopeful thought of his was swiftly ripped apart by the other party. Theres nothing impossible about this. Zhang Xuan looked at Kong shi coldly. After achieving a breakthrough himself, he realized just how powerful the gods were. It was no wonder Kong shi was able to tear through space and freely traverse through it. Inparison, Semi- Divinities were truly weak! As long as he willed it, even if Zhao Ya and the others put their strength together, they would not be able to stop him for a single breath! I dont believe it! I dont believe it! Kong shi cried out as he desperately channeled all his energy together and flung his fist at Zhang Xuan. He had been thinking of capturing Zhang Xuan alive and extracting the Heavens Imperfections from him, but now that thetter had obtained the same strength as him, that was clearly no longer possible. At this point, it had all descended to a fight for survival. He knew that he had to find a way to kill Zhang Xuan, or else there was no way he would be walking out of there alive. So, he channeled all his strength in this single move. The space around the Hall of Gods was much stabler than that of the Azure, but it still copsed under the full strength of a god. Zhang Xuan showed no signs of backing down at all. With a smile on his lips, he calmly tore down whatever attack Kong shi directed toward him. A few minutester, Kong shis body was frozen in ce. A powerful force had sealed his movementspletely. He had also been stripped of his Paragon ckmirror and Evanescent Boots, thus sealing off his escape route as well. Afterprehending the Pathos of Heavens, not even Zhang Xuans clone was a match for him. Even though Kong shi was not weak, he was only on par with his clone at the very most. Not to mention the fact that Kong shi had been worn down by Little Chick, the golden page, and the coborative offense from Zhao Ya and the others, thus causing him to be severely weakened. After trapping Kong shi in ce, Zhang Xuan looked at him calmly. The results of the battle were already out. With this, Kong shis fate was sealed. To be able to make a breakthrough to godhood and master its powers... Even that b*stard would have been unable to do it... Kong shi was still in a state of denial. The doubt in his mind scratched and wed at his sanity, preventing him froming to terms with reality. That b*stard? Zhang Xuan sensed that there was a deeper meaning behind Kong shis words. Who are you referring to? That b*stard also has a fragment of the heavens, but even he was unable to cultivate as quickly as you... Kong shi murmured under his breath. It seems like you have admitted to the fact that you arent Kong shi, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Should I address you as Kong shis clone, or is there another name that you prefer? The very fact that Kong shi had made a move on him at the Azure Bridge had left him feeling deeply bewildered, leading him to believe that the other party could be a fake. However, everything had be clear to him after he entered the Hall of Gods. The fact that clones were not unable to enter the Hall of Gods and the fight with Kong shi, who was able to use Heavens Path battle techniques and the ability of Heavens Order... He would have to be a fool to have not figured out the truth after seeing all of that. Most likely, the person before him was Kong shis clone. There was only a single fragment of the heavens. Even though Zhang Xuans clone shared the same soul as him, he could not practice theplete Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path battle techniques. Probably due to that, the nature of their souls had begun to diverge. Their thoughts were no longerpletely in sync, and they could even chat with one another as if they were two different entities. Since that was the case for Zhang Xuan, it was likely the same for Kong shi. The clone before him appeared to be a manifestation of the ill will within Kong shis soul. It was driven by negative emotions, and perhaps it was out of jealousy of the real Kong shi that it was so desperate to obtain a fragment of the heavens. As they shared the same origin, the clone viewed itself as Kong shi, and it seemed to take pride in its identity. Humph! We are the same person, so why is it that he is the only one who possesses the Heavens Order and can cultivate faster than anyone else? Why is he the only one who enjoys such honor and prestige, such that the whole world looks up to him as the Worlds Teacher? Why is it that I am forced to hide in a ce where the sun doesnt shine, sealed off for several thousand years? Kong shis clone spat with gritted teeth. Dont you already have an answer to that in the depths of your heart? Zhang Xuan pointed it out coldly. From the looks of it, it appeared that the other party was indeed the ill will that Kong shi had severed from his soul. The reason Kong shi was respected as the Worlds Teacher was not because of his overwhelming strength or capabilities but the benevolence and magnanimity he had disyed. In contrast, Kong shis clone was someone who would resort to any means in order to acquire what he wanted. How could someone like that earn the respect of others? If only I had killed you and everyone else who has betrayed me, I would have been able to maintain my impable image and remain as the figure whom everyone respects... Kong shis clone bared his teeth indignantly. You still dont understand, do you? Zhang Xuan shook his head. You can conquer the world and force everyone to submit to you through sheer force, but as time goes by, the negative emotions of the people you have suppressed will grow more and more powerful. Itll eventually blow up on you and reduce you to smithereens! Authority and dominance could grant one power, but it could also turn people against one . It was impossible to seal off the mouth of the people, let alone attempt to conquer their spirit. A thought suddenly popped up in Zhang Xuans head. Even a person as powerful as Kong shi ended up with such an evil clone... but what about my clone? He had spent quite some time with his clone. While thetter was a braggart and a show-off, it had never disyed any envy or ill-will. Given so, why would Kong shis clone end up like that? Perhaps its the work of inner demons. Due to the Library of Heavens Path, the cultivation techniques that I practice are wless, so I am unaffected by inner demons. The cultivation techniques that Kong shi practices are likely to be perfect as well due to the Heavens Order, which defines the veryws of the world... But in truth, thats also its greatest w! Heavens Order allowed one to dictate thews of the world, forcing all existences to conform to ones will. As powerful as that ability seemed, the act of altering long-establishedws of the world would shake the stability of the world, thus causing the order of the world to waver. This contradiction in Kong shis beliefs would make him highly vulnerable to inner demons. As a result, Kong shis clone was born out of his negative emotions. His clone dared not to move recklessly in Kong shis presence. However, once thetter left the Azure for the Firmament, his clone swiftly realized that it was the strongest existence, possessing the greatest authority in the Azure. The sudden possession of power unleashed all the negative emotions within his clones soul. If Kong shi has severed the negative emotions in his soul to his clone, what did I sever from my soul to my clone then? Zhang Xuan could not help wondering. Compassion and malevolence were dictated by just the difference of a single thought. The act of severing ones soul and creating a clone was no different from giving away a part of ones personality. From such a perspective, it stood to reason that a clone would have a contrasting personality from the main body. Kong shi had given away his malicious intentions all to his clone, leaving him with the benevolence and magnanimity that the world knew him for. If so, what did he give away to his clone? From the looks of it... other than itspulsive desire to brag and show off, it did not seem to have too many bad habits! Hah... I guess I severed my bragging personality to my clone. Thats why I became much humbler and more low profile after my clone came to be... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. That would exin the huge contrast between him and his clone. He had never really thought too deeply into the implications of severing his soul to create a clone, so this matter really got him thinking. Well, it was undeniable that he had the urge to brag every now and then, but the virtue of humility was imprinted in his very bones! That was the trait that he could strike his chest proudly for. Hahaha, the world only listens the words of the winner. Now that you have won, whatever you say bes the truth. Knowing that it was meaningless to debate about such matters with Zhang Xuan, Kong shis clone looked at the young man intently and said, I still dont get it. How were you able to achieve a breakthrough so quickly? Wait a moment... A thought suddenly surfaced in the mind of Kong shis clone, and his eyes widened. You have the Great Codex of Autumn? Using the Heavens Orders jurisdiction over spacetime, the real Kong shi had created a unique artifact known as the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. If one attempted to strictly categorize it in terms of tier, it would not even be considered a High Immortal-tier artifact. However, just like the Paragon ckmirror and the Evanescent Boots, it possessed unique abilities. However, through the eyes that he had left on the Master Teacher Continent, he was aware that the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn had been taken away by a god who went by the name of Luo Ruoxin. How could it be in Zhang Xuans hands? If he had known that the other party was in possession of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, he never would have let his guard down. Perhaps, at the very instant that Zhang Xuan took in the Aura of Divinity, he would have already used his greatest strength to kill him! Youre right. Its indeed the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Zhang Xuan replied. The flow of time in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is fixed at ten times that of the Master Teacher Continent, which equates to a hundredth in the Azure. I see... The face of Kong shis clone paled as he finally understood the reason behind his loss. Assuming that Zhang Xuan shared the same talent as the real Kong shi, he would take 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. If he cultivated in the Azure, with the hundredfold multiplier of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, he only needed fourteen minutes in order to make a breakthrough. That was indubitably amazing, but it still was not enough given the situation back then. For that reason, Zhang Xuan had chosen to teleport over to the Ethereal Hall headquarters. At the Ethereal Hall headquarters, the flow of time was ten times that of the Azure. Given that the flow of time in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was fixed, it meant that time flowed thousand times faster. In other words, he would only need a single minute to make a breakthrough there. However, Zhang Xuan still did not think that it was fast enough yet. So, he had climbed all the way up the pir to head to the Hall of Gods. The flow of time was even slower there, being at only a hundredth of the Azure. As long as he passed that boundary, the flow of time in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn would be ten thousand times that of his external environment! Therefore, of the 86,400 seconds he needed for a breakthrough, he would only need eight seconds in the real world! It was for that reason that he had counted down from ten. Ten seconds might not have seemed like anything much, but it was sufficient for him to reach the level of the gods in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn and even familiarize himself with his new power! Kong shis clone felt his guts turning green from regret. There were so many if onlys in his mind that it was driving him insane. He attempted to struggle a little, but he was still unable to break free of Zhang Xuans restraints. Eventually, he took a deep breath and exhaled deeply before saying, Do whatever you want. I have already lost! He had thought that he could have surpassed his main body if he snatched the Heavens Imperfection ... but it had ultimately ended in failure. It was indeed impossible to ovee those who had been chosen by the heavens. I really hate you, but I wont kill you. You are Kong shis clone, so Ill leave it to him to determine your fate. However, I can assure you that you wont be able to live a single day in peace from this moment onward, Zhang Xuan remarked coldly as he swiftly directed his power toward Kong shis clone. Hu! The power sealed the cultivation of Kong shis clone, preventing him from making a move at all. Following which, he threw thetter into the folded space within his storage ring. He stood silently in the void for a long moment before a deep sigh escaped from his lips. There were simply too many things that had happened over this period of time that left his heart feeling extremely heavy. He knew that the war happening at Starchaser Ind should have settled down given that his clone and direct disciples were there to help out, so he was not needed there for the time being. Since I have reached the level of the gods, I should go and check out what the ck vortex sealed under the Hall of Gods is, Zhang Xuan murmured as he nced downward. It was almost as if his eyes were peering right through the void to gaze upon the stately Hall of Gods. Chapter 2101 - 2101 The One Who Returned 2101 The One Who Returned The Hall of Gods stood above a ck vortex, reminiscent of a rock plugging up a leaky roof. He had been wanting to check it out for some time now, but due to the limitations of his cultivation, he hadnt been able to approach it. However, now that he had be a real god, even though the forces surrounding the ck vortex were frightening, he had no fear of it anymore. It had taken him four hours to leave the Hall of Gods previously, but this time around, it only took him a few minutes to get there. It still looked as grand and splendid as before. ck mist could be seen revolving around the Hall of Gods, and if one peered into the vortex beneath, one could see dimension rifts within. Zhang Xuan flew to the top of the vortex and sensed a peculiar energy trying to w its way toward him, as if attempting to devour him whole. I should head in to take a look! Wrapping himself with his newfound divine powers, he dived into the vortex. Tzzz! The spatial turbulence within the vortex struck him relentlessly with a force that even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators were unable to withstand. However, to the current Zhang Xuan, it was not sufficient to hurt him. At the eye of the vortex, he saw a pitch-ck passageway that led to uncharted territories. But for some reason, he felt as if there was a utopia lying on the other side. He felt a desire to venture in to take a look. Could this be the entrance to the Firmament? Zhang Xuan could not help but remember the spatial passageway leading to the Azure from the Kunxu Domain. From the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to the formation and the Ancient Sage corpse, traces of Kong shi could be seen in it. The same went for the passageway right before him. The Hall of Gods above was guarded by Kong shis will, and the first bundle of Aura of Divinity that he had received was from Kong shi as well. After his will reced Kong shis to guard the Hall of Gods, he became cognizant of the rules governing the Hall of Gods. As long as someone could defeat his will, he would be able to obtain a bundle of Aura of Divinity too. The only issue with that was that... his will was simply too strong. There was no way Zhao Ya and the others would be a match for him, or else he would have long brought them over to harvest a bundle. I should head back and wrap everything up before exploring this area once more... He turned around and flew out of the vortex. Zhao Ya, Han Jianqiu, and the others would likely be dying of worry after seeing Kong shi chasing right after him. At the very least, he should return to take a look. He flew across the boundary once more, and before long, he was already back at the Ethereal Hall headquarters. With a thought, he lowered his aura to the level of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator. Based on what he knew, there would be a cultivation ordeal after reaching the level of the gods. If he disguised his cultivation, he might be able to push it back a little. After he was done, he tore apart the space ahead of him and stepped into the dimension rift. When he finally appeared once more, he was already standing right above the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. He swiftly confirmed his direction before tearing apart the space ahead of him once more, and this time, he arrived at the area right above Starchaser Pce. Seeing that a cultivation ordeal had not fallen on him yet, he heaved a sigh of relief before quickly assessing the surroundings. The war against the Ethereal Hall, ckmirror Citadel, and Evanescent Immortal Sect had already ended, leaving behind many corpses on the ground. Teacher, youre back! Sensing Zhang Xuans aura, Zhao Ya and the others immediately rushed over in agitation. Even though they looked a little unkempt, fortunately, it did not seem like any of them were severely injured. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan asked, How did the battle go? We have captured Citadel Lord Bai and Sect Leader Gu of the ckmirror Citadel and Evanescent Immortal Sect respectively. The others have also surrendered. With their top powers taken down, those two sects are pretty much goners. As for the Ethereal Hall, we managed to capture everyone as well! Zhao Ya exined. After Hall Master Kong left the battlefield to pursue Zhang Xuan, the alliance among the three powers had swiftly copsed into a pile of scattered sand. Zhao Ya and the others had reached the Semi-Divinity realm, and all of them were wielding Semi-Divinity artifacts. Even though the enemies had a lot of experts in their ranks, they did not stand a chance against Zhao Ya and the others. Furthermore, the 100,000 True Immortals joined the fray, thus resulting in apletely one-sided battle. It was aplete wipeout for the enemy. All those who were still alive had surrendered. Its good that everything has been settled. Zhang Xuan nodded. With Zhao Ya and the others joining in the fray, they had been able to easily curb the enemy Semi-Divinity realm experts. Once the top experts had been taken care of, the rest would be a walk in the park. The casualties at the starting phase of the battle were high, but they swiftly reduced after Zhao Ya and the others joined the battle as well. As such, the damage suffered by the four sects and the aquatic creatures was not too great. Did you manage to collect Little Chicks ashes? Where are they? Zhang Xuan asked. Little Chick had died for his sake. If not for it sacrificing itself to block Kong shi, there was no way he would have managed to cleanse the Aura of Divinity in time and sessfully make a breakthrough. We did manage to collect them, but... Knowing the feelings their teacher had for his tamed beast, Zhao Ya and the others had immediately gathered the ashes of Little Chick as soon as the battle ended. But? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even as we gathered the ashes together, they continued to burn with fervor, Zhao Ya said with a bitter smile as she pointed at the ash pile. Zhang Xuan quickly turned his head and saw a bundle of golden mes burning ceaselessly. It was the very same location where Little Chick had been killed and razed to ashes by Kong shis clone. Perplexed, he quickly made his way over to take a closer look at the bundle of golden mes. Slowly, a frown formed on his forehead. The golden mes right before his eyes were not too strong, but he could clearly sense life being nurtured within them. What does this mean? Is Little Chick... still alive? Zhang Xuan was stunned. The little yellow chick had been sliced into dozens of pieces by a sword before being burned to ashes. Even a real god would have died after sustaining such damage! So, how could he still sense the presence of life within the golden mes? Hu! While Zhang Xuan was still staring at the golden mes with narrowed eyes, an altar suddenly materialized right beneath them. It was the one that he and Wu Chen had brought over from the Master Teacher Continent. Tzzzzzz! A ck aura seeped out of the altar and surged right into the golden mes. Xiong xiong! The golden mes red up in response to the ck aura. From the size of a football, it grew to roughly the height of a man before abruptly expanding into a fiery ball of over ten meters in diameter. Even so, the flow of ck aura from the altar to the golden mes showed no signs of stopping. Young Master, the altar seems to have formed a connection with another altar, forming a portal... Wu Chen and Du Qingyuan swiftly made their way over together to take a closer look at this baffling situation. Portal? Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes. Its simr to the portal we used previously in order to teleport over to the Hall of Gods. Wu Chen nodded. Back then, Zhang Xuan had specially made a trip down to the Master Teacher Continent in order to use the altar to conduct a ritual and forge a connection between the two altars. He could tell that the same thing was happening right before him. It was just that... Didnt Kong shis clone destroy the other al... Zhang Xuan was halfway through his words when his eyes suddenly widened in bewilderment. Wait a moment. Is it...ing from the altar in the City of Copsed Space? Back then, he had been told that there was only one such altar on the Forsaken Continent. Due to that, he had specially made a trip back to the Master Teacher Continent to fetch it. However, not too long ago, he had encountered a simr altar in the City of Copsed Space! Du Qingyuan had been with him back then, and she had verified that the altar shared the same origin as the one from Starchaser Pce and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan walked forward to examine the ck aura. Its indeed the air of degeneration... In fact, it was more than just the air of degeneration. It had been refined andpressed into a form that was extremely simr to the corrupted Aura of Divinity that he had received from the ck skeleton. Could it be that... A thought suddenly arose in Zhang Xuans mind. He swiftly brought his hands together to tear a rift in space so that he could teleport over to the City of Copsed Space to verify his deduction. But before he could do so, a towering pir of mes rose into the sky before abruptly bursting apart, revealing a cute little yellow chick. The little yellow chick stretched its backzily before waddling out from the lingering mes. Little Chick! Zhang Xuans eyes widened in astonishment, as if he could not believe what he was saying. Then, a mixture of delight and relief seeped into his eyes as he hurriedly rushed up to the little yellow chick. The fellow in front of him looked not much different from before. It was still covered with a thinyer of yellow fur, reminiscent of a new hatchling. However, its cultivation had already reached the same level as himgodhood. You managed to make a breakthrough... Zhang Xuan muttered in disbelief. He had previously fed the other party a fair number of Immortal Pills and plenty of Semi-Divinity realm blood... Heck, it had even drunk a droplet of god blood! Yet, its cultivation had refused to advance even a fraction. It was one thing for it to survive Kong shis assault, but how did its cultivation manage to shoot up two realms simultaneously and reach the level of the gods? Suddenly, Zhang Xuan felt a little indignant inside. It was through his efforts and talent that he was able to raise his cultivation so quickly. On the other hand, the fellow in front of him only ever put all sorts of weird things into its mouth, but it was still able to improve almost as quickly as him! He felt like a diligent student who always studied for all his tests, but somehow, the friend who squandered his time ying games always managed to score better grades than him! Of course! Little Chick pped its wings as it tilted its chin upward smugly. Did you manage to recover your memory? Zhang Xuan asked. Not yet! Little Chick replied with the same smugness. Zhang Xuan felt an urge to berate Little Chick for its unjustified smugness, but as he watched the little yellow fellow waddling around the area energetically, he eventually exhaled deeply with a helpless smile on his face before saying, Forget it. Your memory will eventuallye back to you. You can take your time for that. He was only d that thetter was still alive. That being said, he still felt a little cheated of his feelings. It was as if he had gotten agitated over nothing. Not to mention, the little fellow had managed to be a god as a result of this incident. Was this what they meant by rising from the ashes? Thinking about it, it was a little surprising that Little Chick had survived the ordeal. He doubted that his clone could have survived if thetter had been in the same position. The Aura of Divinity is a necessity to reach the level of the gods. The ck aura that Little Chick took in earlier seems to be the same as what the ck skeleton gave me... Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Chances were that Little Chick had used the corrupted Aura of Divinity in order to reach his current state. But that too presented a doubt. The corrupted Aura of Divinity harnessed such pure air of degeneration that even gods would face great trouble if they absorbed it into their bodies. That was why he had used it as one of his cards to curb Kong shis clone, and it had ended up ying a vital role in the battle. Even he had needed to use the will of 100,000 True Immortals to cleanse the air of degeneration from the corrupted Aura of Divinity before he was able to assimte it into his body... Yet, Little Chick just absorbed it directly! Speaking of which, Little Chicks bathwater has the effect of dispelling the corrosion of the air of degeneration... Zhang Xuan swiftly came up with a deduction. Does this mean that the air of degeneration has no effect on it at all, such that it can even be considered a tonic to it? That would also exin why it wanted to eat the ck skeleton back then... When they paid a visit to the City of Copsed Space, Little Chick had cried that it was hungry and asked if it could eat the ck skeleton. However, in view of the tremendous strength of the ck skeleton, he did not allow it to act audaciously. But thinking back, Little Chick had never really eaten anything that it did not need before. Could it be that it wielded the power to curb the ck skeleton and the air of degeneration around it? Well, it seemed like its true form was not just any ordinary cock. There was a chance that it might really be an extraordinarily powerful legendary beast! It was just a pity that it had lost its memory. Otherwise, he could have found a way to help it regain its strength swiftly, and he would have had someone to rely on when he headed over to the Firmament. Perhaps this was for the best. If others realized that he was backed by a chick or a cock, it would not do his image any good. While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, Little Chick suddenly waddled over and spoke to him furtively. Master, I think I found the way for me to advance my cultivation... Oh? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Tell me more. Back then, I waspletely powerless after breaking out of the Dongxu Gourd. However, after being nearly burned to death by the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, my cultivation rose all the way up to the Heavenly High Immortal realm. This time, I was also burned to a crisp, and my cultivation rose again... So, I was thinking that perhaps the trigger to raise my cultivation lies in being roasted? Little Chick said. This... Zhang Xuan contemted for a moment before nodding. It does seem that way. Shall we give it a try? Chapter 2102 - 2102 God Ordeal 2102 God Ordeal Tracing back the history of Little Chicks breakthroughs, in both cases, it was nearly burned to crisp before it managed to make its breakthrough. They did try experimenting with mes once and it turned out to be ineffective, but back then, they had stopped before Little Chick could be scorched ck... Could Little Chicks improvement really have something to do with the mes? Come! Little Chick nodded as it looked at Zhang Xuan in determination. It also desired to swiftly raise its strength so that it could regain its memories. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, Your cultivation has already reached the level of the gods, so its unlikely that there are any mes on the Azure which could affect you... Ill try summoning my cultivation ordeal now, and you can try and see how it is. There was no force in the world that could possibly be stronger than the divine retribution from the heavens. Zhang Xuans original intention was to conceal his breakthrough from the heavens till he got to the Firmament to avoid trouble, but since Little Chick needed it, he might as well just get it over and done with. It would be a good chance for him to reinforce his cultivation anyway. Thus, he swiftly released the seal he had ced on his cultivation, allowing his newfound divine energy to flow freely through his body. Boom! The sky immediately darkened. Lightning bolts, apanied by pitch-ck mes, began gathering at a ridiculous speed above him. This was the God Ordeal! An ordeal for the gods was bound to harness terrifying might. Zhang Xuan felt the full hostility of the Azure crushing down on him, attempting to smash him into bits. Zhao Ya and the others sensed danger as soon as the God Ordeal began, and they had already fled thousands of li away to be safe. Even though they had reached Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm, they knew that they could very well lose their life if they were to let their guard down around the God Ordeal. It was not without reason that the Forsaken Continent revered anything that had the word God1 within it! The dark clouds grew thicker and thicker, and it felt almost as if the sky was going to copse from the weight and crush the human and little yellow chick standing beneath it. Looking at the overwhelming force gathered above him, Zhang Xuan was just about to make a move when the dark clouds above him suddenly began to billow. A sudden streak of lightning that harnessed the might of the dark heavenly mes bolted down and struck Little Chick squarely. Tzzzzzz! This zap caused the little yellow chicks yellow fur to turnpletely ck, and a slight aroma began drifting in the area. Witnessing this sight, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in bewilderment. Why would the cultivation ordeal he summoned strike the little yellow chick instead of him? The heck... Little Chick was alsopletely bbergasted by the abrupt situation too. It raised its head to re at the heavens in fury, but before it could finish cursing... Kacha! Kacha! Another few more streaks of lightning fell on its head, and the scent of the aroma deepened. This time, even Little Chicks beak had been scorched ck. Wow. Will that fellow who has survived the assault of Kong shis clone really end up being zapped to death by the cultivation ordeal? As the aroma in the air deepened, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt deeply regretful that he hadnt brought any seasoning in his storage ring. With a deep sigh, he rushed over to where Little Chick was and stood right between it and the dark clouds, intending to protect it from the cultivation ordeal. Since I was the one who summoned you, why dont youe after me instead? Zhang Xuan roared as he wrapped his divine energy around his body to reinforce his defenses. With a grim look on his face, he was prepared to withstand the might of the lightning strikes. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! A series of lightning bolts fell at this moment. Zhang Xuan swiftly channeled his sword qi to fend against the might of the lightning bolts, but even as several seconds passed after the thunderous rumbling, nothing was striking down on him at all. Bewildered, he lowered his head, only to see the lightning bolts making a huge detour just to circumvent him and strike down on Little Chick, causing smoke to rise from the top of its head. AHHHHHH! A cry of despair, together with puffs of ck smoke, escaped from Little Chicks mouth. Freak! Are you here to help me or to sabotage me? Even when I was standing here alone, the force of the lightning bolts hadnt been so strong! This is weird. However, theres no need to worry. Since this is my cultivation ordeal, there should be a way to deal with it... Zhang Xuan was also feeling a little flustered by the bizarre happenings. Why would the cultivation ordeal he summoned choose to target Little Chick instead of him? This didnt make sense at all! Gathering his energy at the tip of his finger, Zhang Xuan sent a burst of sword qi right toward the dark clouds. Since the cultivation ordeal refused to attack him, he would just have to be the one taking on the active role then! Hu! The dark clouds dissipated right in the face of the sword qi, but the attack went through so easily that it felt almost as if the dark clouds were evading his attack instead. For some reason, despite the frightening prowess of the God Ordeal, it seemed to be terribly afraid of him. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! Yet another flurry of lightning bolts descended from the heavens, causing the innocent little yellow chick to convulse under the electrocution. It was shaking so hard that its fur was scattering all around the ce. If one were to look carefully, one would be able to see tears of sorrow brimming at the edge of its beady eyes. Just what did I do to offend you? Why are youing after me as if I was your sworn enemy? You still wonte after me, huh? Lets see how you deal with this then! Seeing that this n still wasnt working out, Zhang Xuan dashed right toward the sky, nning to pit his life against the dark clouds. But before he could even get far, a tiny, trembling wing grabbed the corners of his robe tightly and pulled him down. Dont! Ill really die if you continue to provoke it... Little Chick cried out indignantly. Bro, do some good over here and spare me, will you? I am still a young hatchling! I dont want to die yet! Every time you provoke the dark clouds, the one who suffers is me... You can do whatever you want without facing any consequences, but cant you see that Im already around medium done? I am already starting to wonder whether I should start sprinkling cumin over myself! Seeing the nearly roasted hatchling pleading so desperately with him, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. In the end, he could only back down as he said, Yeah, you should probably deal with it yourself... Then, he quickly retreated from the area. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! A furious onught of lightning bolts descended right after, electrocuting the little yellow chick to the point where its head was literally spinning around. Despaired, it turned to Zhang Xuan and cried, Dont go! Help me block the lightning, will you? Zhang Xuan. In the end, Little Chick had to face 36 lightning bolts before the cultivation ordeal finally dissipated. After the turmoil it had just been through, it waspletely sapped of its strength. Ill be heading back in to rest... Before Zhang Xuan could say a word, Little Chick had already dived into his dantian. Covering its head with its pitch- ck wings, it swiftly drifted off into deep sleep. Seeing that it was fine, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he pointed to the dissipating dark clouds in the sky and bellowed, You,e over here! Hu! Even though the dark clouds were already dissipating, it was happening at a rtively slow pace. However, as soon as it heard Zhang Xuans bellow, it immediately bolted away as swiftly as it arrived, clearing up the sky in a heartbeat. Zhang Xuan clutched his hair in frenzy. Wasnt the God Ordeal a major tribtion all cultivators would have to face upon reaching godhood? Why did the cultivation ordeal he summoned end up striking the Little Chick to a state of near-death before abruptly dissipating? Does this have something to do with my Pathos of Heavens? Zhang Xuan wondered. Unable to make sense out of the situation, he eventually descended from the sky and returned back to where Zhao Ya and the others were at. Here are seven God), characters. Take the one you need and store it well in your respective sects. The subsequent generations shouldnt face too much trouble reaching Semi-Divinity realm anymore, Zhang Xuan said as he took out seven books. As long as a cultivator were to follow the poses and their sequencing in the books strictly, he would be able to draw in the lingering Aura of Semi-Divinity that was found on the circr tforms along the Azure Bridge. That would mean that there was a good chance they could reach Semi-Divinity realm without challenging the Azure Bridge! Thank you, Sect Leader Zhang! Han Jianqiu and the others epted the books with trembling hands. This was what the predecessors of their sects had been striving for, only to fail again and again over the past several thousand years. Who could have thought that their present sect leader would actually sessfully get seven of the (God) characters at once... Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, Dont address me as your sect leader anymore. You can either take back the position yourself or appoint someone eligible. Ill be leaving the Forsaken Continent very soon. He could sense it after reaching the level of the gods. The world couldnt suppress him anymore. As long as he willed so, he could tear apart the fabrics of space and ascend to a higher world. He had never been interested in bing the head of a sect, and the only reason why he eventually agreed to take on the position was either because he needed to tap into the connections of the sect or to unite the sects against Kong shis clone. However, with Kong shis clone defeated and his business in the Azure resolved, there was no need for him to continue holding onto those positions anymore, especially when he was going to leave very soon. We understand! The crowd nodded, but a hint of reluctance could be heard in their voices. There had been quite a bit of controversy when they had decided to nominate this young man as their new head. They had chosen to forcefully go ahead with it despite significant opposition from elders and disciples within the sect. However, from the looks of it now, that was probably the wisest decision they had made in their life. If they hadnt nominated him, there was a good chance that they might have ended up walking down the same path as the ckmirror Citadel and the Evanescent Immortal Sect. Even though the young man had only been their head for a very short period of time, his lectures had benefited the disciples and elders greatly, significantly increasing the average level of cultivation within their respective sects. Not to mention, he had even bestowed upon them aplete God) character! It could be foreseen that the number of experts in their ranks would only continue to increase, and the four sects would grow more and more prosperous in time toe. Pce Master Du, I need you to apany me to the City of Copsed Space. After settling the affairs regarding the four sects, Zhang Xuan quickly headed to the City of Copsed Space together with Du QIngyuan. After achieving godhood, the air of degeneration lingering in the City of Copsed Space no longer posed a threat to him anymore. It took him a mere ten breaths to return back to the area where he had found the altar previously. Huh? Where is the altar? Zhang Xuan murmured in astonishment. The two of them quickly searched the area, but the altar was nowhere to be seen at all. It was as if it had never appeared before. Zhang Xuan released his Spiritual Perception as far as he could in order to scan the surroundings, but he wasnt able to find anything at all. It seems like the ck skeleton has hidden the altar to prevent others from finding it, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said. Given his current level of cultivation, even if the altar had shifted position, he should still be able to track it down through its trail of movement. The fact that he was unable to find any traces of it could only mean one thing. The ck skeleton didnt want him to find it. But why would that be the case? Based on what he had heard, the altar had been in the same ce for thousands of years. Kong shis clone seemed to have visited the area on multiple asions before too, which likely meant that the ck skeleton didnt fear detection. Why would it choose to only hide the altar from him then? Was it because he had sessfully made a breakthrough to godhood? Zhang Xuan searched around for a bit longer, but he still wasnt able to find any clues. In the end, with a deep sigh, he swiftly returned to the Starchaser Pce with Du Qingyuan. The two of them entered an isted chamber together. There, he turned his gaze to Du Qingyuan and asked, Tell me what you know about Ruoxin. There were simply too many matters he had to attend to after saving Du Qingyuan from the Ethereal Hall headquarters that he hadnt had the opportunity to talk to her yet. Thousands of years ago, when the City of Copsed Space fell from the heavens, we lost contact with the Spirit God as well. Despite so, we chose to devoutly observe our traditions and continue worshipping of the Spirit God. It was all in order to convince the other sects that we were still in contact with the gods, thus making them dare not to make a move on us, Du Qingyuan exined with a bitter smile. It was for this reason that she would immediately lose her temper and even resort to violence in order to divert the topic whenever other powers spoke about the Starchaser Pces links with the gods.. It was through putting up such an act of short-temperedness and entricity that she was able to avoid incurring the suspicions of others. The Starchaser Pce had always been different from the rest of the Six Sects, be it the characteristics or the origin of their people. Such differences could easily be exploited by the greedy to rally the other sects against them. It was due to this that the entire Starchaser Ind had remained terribly hostile to outsiders so as to ensure that this secret wouldnt be leaked. But four months ago, while we were conducting our annual ritual, we received a message from the Spirit God. She told us that she intends to descend to the Forsaken Continent through a ritual, and she instructed us to make preparations in advance, Du Qingyuan said. She ryed the procedures of the ritual to us, and since it was an order from the Spirit God, we had to obey her orders. Chapter 2103 - 2103 Entering the Firmamen 2103 Entering the Firmamen Everything else after that is pretty much the same as what you know. Despite the tremendous strength wielded by the Spirit God, she was still unable to withstand the pressureing from the dimension barrier, resulting in her sustaining severe injuries. Her blood fell into the Ocean of Exiled Stars and nourished the ckback Tortoise, Shark One, and the others. At the same time, I gave a droplet of her blood to Wu Chen and Jiang Yao, allowing them to reach the Semi-Divinity realm too, Du Qingyuan said, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. It was roughly the same as what he had deduced thus far. Not too long after she arrived here, she received Wu Chens summoning and descended to the Master Teacher Continent. I dont really know what happened afterward. However, one thing that is certain is that she has already returned to the Firmament. She didnt stop too long in the Azure, simply instructing me to take care of you before rushing right back to the Firmament. Then... did she mention where she is in the Firmament? This was also what Zhang Xuan was the most concerned about. Du Qingyuan shook her head and replied, Im afraid that she hasnt mentioned anything along those lines to me. However, as the Spirit God, I reckon that she should be in Spirit God Pce, which is also the ce I told you about previously. She told me to tell you that the two of you will eventually meet if she survives the ordeal. If things dont go as nned, theres no need for you to grieve too much over her. Survive the ordeal? Zhang Xuans eyes widened in horror. Did she mention what she is facing? The fact that Luo Ruoxin was able to tear apart the dimension barriers and enter the Firmament directly bore testimony to her immense strength. There was no doubt that she was far stronger than even the current him. Yet, such pessimistic words came out of her mouth despite her strength. Did she encounter some sort of problem that she was unable to resolve? The Spirit God didnt mention the details, so I dont really know much about the matter. However, based on what she said, it appears to be a life-and-death duel with another individual, Du Qingyuan replied grimly. As a subordinate, all she had to do was obey the Spirit Gods orders. She would be overstepping her bounds if she tried to pry into the private affairs of the Spirit God. Zhang Xuan asked a few more questions, but from the looks of it, it did not seem like Du Qingyuan knew much about Luo Ruoxins affairs. In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly. Zhang shi, what do you n to do next? Du Qingyuan asked. From the looks of it, I think Ill have to make a trip to the Firmament, Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile. It had been quite some time since he parted from Luo Ruoxin, but just the knowledge that she was in danger left his heart beating in anxiety. Had it been before he encountered the tombstone of the Undying Monarch, he would have thought that gods were immortal and eternal. However, it was apparent to him that he was gravely mistaken. Even those who had wielded powers as great as the gods did not have the ability to govern their own fate. Du Qingyuan had expected Zhang Xuan to make such a decision, so she simply nodded quietly. After obtaining the answers that he wanted from Du Qingyuan, Zhang Xuan quickly gathered Zhao Ya and the others and informed them of his decision. Teacher, we wish to go with you! Zhao Ya stepped forward with a firm look in her eyes. I want to head to the Firmament together with you! Wei Ruyan nodded, her voice devoid of any hesitation. Teacher, we wish to follow you. We hope that you wont throw us behind as you did previously... Zheng Yang and the others nodded in agreement. Facing his determined students, Zhang Xuan felt a headache. He looked at them grimly and said, I dont know what the current situation in the Firmament is, and theres a good chance that we might face grave danger there. We might even be torn apart by the spatial turbulence before reaching there. Are you certain that you want to follow me despite that? Back then, Zhang Xuan had faced a spatial turbulence and sustained severe injuries while making his way from the Master Teacher Continent to the Azure. If he was not so lucky as to have been saved by the kind-hearted Dan Xiaotian, it was hard to imagine what could have happened to him. As a teacher, he felt responsible for his students safety, so he was reluctant to involve them in situations of unknown danger. We arent afraid! Zhao Ya replied determinedly. Teacher, even if you dont bring us along with you, well still eventually find a way to get to the Firmament ourselves. It makes no difference at all! Zhao Yas words echoed the will of the other direct disciples. Even though the others were not saying a word at all, their gazes conveyed their intentions. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan fell silent. If he could have his way, he would definitely leave Zhao Ya and the others behind. At the very least, he would want to be able to ensure the safety of his direct disciples before bringing them along with him. The situation in the Azure was a perfect example. Kong shis clone had actually nted his subordinates at the entrance of the spatial passageway, ready to capture him as soon as he arrived. If not for the real Kong shi discreetly leaving a hand in the spatial passageway, he could have died long ago! However, he could also tell that his direct disciples had no intention of letting this matter rest so easily. If he left them behind, his direct disciples would surely find a way to enter the Firmament themselves. That could potentially put them in greater danger. The answer was clear. Lets head to the Firmament together then. Zhang Xuan nodded. We might meet fearsome adversaries in the Firmament, but so what? I believe that well surely be able to ovee any problems that stand in our way! Thank you, Teacher! Zhao Ya and the others bowed deeply in agitation. Shortly after they ended the discussion, an elder walked into the room and reported, Sect Leader Zhang, there are two people standing outside who im to be your parents! My parents? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He quickly headed out of the room, and there, he saw Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng in the courtyard. What brought you two here? Zhang Xuan asked with a hint of surprise and joy in his voice. Thest time he had met them was on the Master Teacher Continent. However, as he had been about to have a showdown with Kong shi and had not been absolutely confident of victory, he had chosen not to take the two of them along with him. Who could have thought that they would havee over through the spatial passageway of their own ord, just as Sun Qiang did? Xuan-er, well follow you wherever you go. We have been separated for twenty years, and I dont want to miss any more time with you. Sword Saint Meng walked forward and hugged Zhang Xuan. Wrapped within Sword Saint Mengs tight embrace, Zhang Xuan found himself at a loss for words. He did not know what the right way for him to respond to her emotions was. At the same time, he realized that he had not thought through the consequences of his decision. The difference in the flow of time between the Firmament and the Azure was 1:100, a very significant difference. He had no idea how long he would be in the Firmament for, but if he spent just ten years there, it would trante to a thousand years in the Azure. By then, his parents would have already returned to the earth! His parents had spent twenty years looking for him, and they had spent barely a few days together with one another in total. He would have to be the most unfilial son in the world to abandon his parents just like that! Lets go to the Firmament together then. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. However, youll need to raise your cultivation first! There was nothing to hesitate about since he had alreadye to a decision. So, he immediately got to action. With a flick of his wrist, he brought out the sealed Kong shis clone. What are you nning to do? Not expecting to be let out so suddenly, Kong shis clone had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to him. Werent you thinking of ways to steal my Library of Heavens Path this whole time? You know, the more I thought about the matter, the more I feel that it wasnt fair for me to let things rest just like that. So, its about time for you to return the favor! Zhang Xuan said with a sinister smile on his face as his hands slowly reached out toward Kong shis clone. A few momentster, a powerful sphere of energy was revolving on top of Zhang Xuans palm. With a flick of his finger, it diverged into two portions, each of them surging into Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Mengs body respectively. Zhang Xuan had also made sure to infuse his divine energy into the sphere of energy in order to protect them from harm. Hong long! In the blink of an eye, their cultivation began surging forth from Ancient Sage 4-dan. Three dayster, they had already reached the Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm, just like Zhao Ya and the others. Furthermore, as they had absorbed the powers of Kong shis clone directly, their bodies had been refined by thetters divine energy, enhancing their potential. As long as they could acquire sufficient Aura of Divinity, they would be able to swiftly make a breakthrough to godhood. This is the swordsmanship that I haveprehended. Study it carefully, Zhang Xuan said as he imprinted hisprehension of swordsmanship into their minds. As individuals who were able to rise to the very top of the Master Teacher Continent, there was no denying Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Mengs talent in swordsmanship. The advancement of their mastery in swordsmanship had been slowing into stagnation back at the Master Teacher Continent, but with the knowledge they had just received from Zhang Xuan, it was as if a set of doors leading to a new world had been opened to them. They trembled excitedly as they swiftly assimted Zhang Xuansprehension of swordsmanship, leading to an exponential growth in their fighting prowess. Young Master, can you bring me with you? I will put my heart and soul into cultivating this time around! Look, I have already reached the True Immortal realm. Even though I havent managed to reach the High Immortal realm yet I_m not too far away from it, Sun Qiang said meekly from the side. He had thought that he would be able to stay by Zhang Xuans side and live the adventurous life of showing off and bragging that he desired, but who could have known that thetter would be leaving for the Firmament so quickly? This time, he was determined to clutch onto this opportunity. He was not going to be the only one who was left behind! Fine! Zhang Xuan replied without too much hesitation. Sun Qiang might be unreliable at times, but there was no doubt that he was a highlypetent butler. He was much more useful than Cao Chengli, and he had also taken good care of Zhao Ya and his parents in the past. Since he had already chosen to take the others with him, there was no reason for him to exclude only Sun Qiang. He took out the corpse of a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator, extracted the power from within, and passed it over to Sun Qiang. At the same time, he made sure to prepare plenty of Premier Immortal Pills and all sort of treasures in order to ensure that Sun Qiang did notck cultivation resources. As a result, it did not take too long for Sun Qiang to raise his cultivation all the way up to the Heavenly Semi-Divinity realm. With everyone ready to set off, Zhang Xuan bade Han Jianqiu, Kui Xiao, Du Qingyuan, Qing Yuan, and the others farewell before cing everyone else into his folded space. With a spatial leap, he was already standing right at the top of the Heaven Anchoring Boulder. Then, he began ascending the Azure Bridge, and it did not take him long to arrive before the Hall of Gods. The ck vortex beneath the Hall of Gods was still revolving slowly with a furious gale raging all around. It was a sight that would leave any rational man halting in his footsteps. Driving his divine energy, Zhang Xuan swiftly formed a tight around his storage ring through A Heart of Intertwined Threads, ensuring that there was nothing that could hurt it at all. Having reached the level of the gods, he was confident that he would be able to deal with most dangers that came his way. The only thing he was afraid of was the safety of the others in the folded space. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to step into the vortex, a voice sounded in his ear. Theres no need to go through so much trouble. I can just swallow the storage ring and hide inside your dantian. Even if there is danger, you need not worry about the safety of the storage ring unless you encounter something that even you are unable to ovee... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as he asked, Youre awake? The one who was talking to him was none other than Little Chick, who had nearly been roasted while facing the God Ordeal. He did not think that thetter would suddenly regain consciousness at a time like this. Scanning Little Chick with his Spiritual Perception, Zhang Xuan found that the little yellow chicks cultivation had only increased by one cultivation stage after the God Ordeal. Nevertheless, it showed that there was some credence to their previous deduction that thetter could raise its cultivation through tempering via mes. Well do as youve said. Zhang Xuan nodded. The idea proposed by Little Chick would be much safer than him carrying the storage ring on his fingers. Even though it might not look like it, Little Chick was a being that had reached the level of the gods. In fact, in terms of the quantity of divine energy, it seemed to be above his! Hu! With a peck, Little Chick quickly swallowed Zhang Xuans storage ring before diving into his dantian toze around. Lets go then! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan made his way into the vortex right ahead of him. At the center of the vortex was a pitch-ck passageway that seemed to lead on and on, reminiscent of an endless abyss. Space seemed to have broken down in this vortex, and there was a lot of spatial turbulence raging in the area. Even a Semi-Divinity realm cultivator would be swiftly reduced to dust in the face of the devastating force of nature. However, Zhang Xuan had already reached the level of the gods, and he had alsoprehended a cultivation technique that surpassed the Heavens Path Divine Art. It was not to say that he was having it easy, but it was still within his means to deal with. He continued ahead for three whole days, covering an unimaginable distance before some major spatial turbulence appeared before him. It was simr to what he had faced when he was traveling from the Master Teacher Continent to the Azure. Braving through the destructive spatial turbulence, he immediately felt the world spinning swiftly around him. It was such a powerful force of disorientation that he had to cast a of sword qi to protect himself. Right after, boundless destructive force bombarded his of sword qi, threatening to tear him to shreds. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan drove his divine energy to his limits as he leaped forth, disappearing from the spot. Chapter 2104 - 2104 Such is the Firmamen 2104 Such is the Firmamen The Firmament. A seemingly eternal existence which had been around since time immemorial. There were a few ancient gods who had stood at the very peak of the Firmament since anyone could remember, and their positions had been immovable. A blood crimson setting sun apanied with dagger-like winds that blew ferociously, a figure was walking slowly amidst a remote barren valley. All of a sudden, he halted his footsteps for a brief moment before swiftly bolting behind a nearby boulder. Barely after he hid, a gray silhouette hopped out from not too far away. It was a gray hare. Licking his parched lips, the figure picked up a wooden stick from the ground and swung it downward. A sharp arc of energy shot forth from the end of the wooden stick before it diverging into a of sword qi. Po! But just as it was a meter away from the hare, the of sword qi abruptly dissipated into the air. Seeing that his sword qi wasnt strong enough to take down the hare, the figure unhesitatingly tossed the wooden stick toward the wild hare, as though a released arrow. Sou! However, the hare was guarded this time around. With a powerful hop, it leaped six meters away in an instant, leaving the wooden stick impaled on the ground where it was standing a moment ago. It turned around to look at the figure who had assaulted it with a mocking smile on its lips. Then, with a few hops, it disappeared from view. What a pity... The figure shook his head bitterly. He was no other than Zhang Xuan. As the Worlds Teacher of the Master Teacher Continent and the most powerful man on the Azure, he was actually unable to catch even a single hare after arriving at the Firmament. Not only so, he was even mocked by the other party! If others were to learn of this matter, he would really die of embarrassment! As the situation would have it, this was indeed the current plight he was in. It seems like we have no choice but to eat wild grass today as well... Knowing that it would be hard for him to find another prey, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. It had been half a month since he had arrived at the Firmament. After passing through the spatial turbulence, he found himself standing in the valley. Unlike thest time when he ascended to the Azure, he didnt lose consciousness this time around. Nevertheless, it didnt change the fact that he had taken massive damage from the journey. He had protected himself with the sword formed via A Heart of Intertwined Threads, but the spatial turbulence was so powerful that he was still nearly torn to shreds. If not for Luo Ruoxins crimson pendant activating at the critical moment to protect him, he really might have lost his life. That being said, after he brought himself to a safe zone, he still lost consciousness for a short while due to the sheer severity of his injuries. The valley could be said to be filled with the ill will of nature. A strong wind kept blowing on and on without stop, and every so often, a downpour so heavy that it could smash even Semi-Divinity realm cultivators to death would ur without warning. And the worst of all? There was nearly no spiritual energy in the valley! As a result, it took half a month of recuperation for Zhang Xuan to suppress his injuries, and it was still a long time off before he could make a full recovery. Another thing that he noticed was that the Immortal Pills and the other treasures he had brought from the Azure werent too useful here, and even Little Chicks bathwater wasnt as effective anymore. This probably had something to do with the different atmosphere of the Firmament. In any case, his heavy wounds prevented him from hunting, so he could only feed on wild grass. Fortunately, while the nts were awful to eat, they still harnessed a fixed amount of spiritual energy within them, supplying him with sufficient energy to fulfill his daily needs. While he termed them as wild grasses as they were indeed wild grasses and he couldnt think of any term more appropriate to call them, if these wild grasses were to be brought back to the Azure, they would definitely be a cultivation resource that equaled top-notch medicinal herbs and Premier Immortal Pills in terms of value. The difference between the two worlds was simply too massive. Just the hundredfold difference in the flow of time and stability in space was enough to highlight the differences between the two worlds. Despite being the strongest man in the Azure, it was likely that he was no different from an ordinary human in the Firmament. Such was the Firmament! Not only am I unable to fly, I would get tired from walking too. In fact, I have started to feel hunger once more too! Just recalling his experiences over the past half a month filled Zhang Xuan with fatigue. Given the difficulties he had gone through to be a god, he thought that he would at least be on the level of a powerhouse here. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it felt like he had returned back to the starting point as an ordinary human... Walking for too long exhausted him, failing to eat starved him, running too quickly made him breathless, and staying up for too long made him drowsy... He hadnt felt so weak before even when he was a trashy teacher back at Hongtian Academy! It was then that it dawned upon him that it was likely that he was at the lowest cultivation realm in the Firmament. To put it bluntly, he might not even be a match for a rabbit in terms of raw strength! Take that wild rabbit he met yesterday as an example, after they brawled for a long time, not only did that darned rabbit scratch his hand, it even managed to get away in the end! It was the same for the rabbit he encountered earlier too. Gugugu! All of a sudden, Zhang Xuan felt his stomach rumbling. It seemed like he had spent too much energy thinking that it made him even hungrier. Forget it, I should continue looking around. Who knows, some fool of a rabbit might just run right into a tree and die. If so, Ill be able to have a feast of a dinner! Zhang Xuan licked his lips as he endured his fatigue and continued to trudged onward. After circling around a hill, he caught sight of something that made his eyes light up. A fruit tree! There was a fruit tree growing diagonally out of a crack in the hill. There were eight greenish fruits sprouting from it. They were roughly the size of a babys palm, and it didnt seem like they were ripe yet. Nevertheless, for someone who had been feeding on wild grass all this while, it was like encountering an oasis in the middle of a desert. Excited, he quickly plucked out of the fruits and smelled it. It had a refreshingly sour scent. He felt the pores of his body opening in delight. He quickly plucked out all of the fruits before bringing one to his mouth. However, before he could bite down on it, he changed his mind and ced the fruit down. Then, he gathered all of them together and wrapped them in a bag before making his way back. Forget it, their cultivation realms are lower than mine, so it must be even harder for them. He had already reached the level of the gods, but he still felt hungry swiftly after exerting himself a little. It felt like he was pushing the limits of his body every day. If that was the case for him, it was indubitably worse for Zhao Ya and the others, who were only at Semi-Divinity realm. Having only eaten grass over the past few days, they were bing as skinny as beansprouts. It wasnt easy for him to find fruits filled with spiritual energy, so naturally, he had to reserve them for them. Furious winds and sparse spiritual energy, I feel like I might have entered the wrong world... Zhang Xuan shook his head as he made his way back. He thought that the Firmament would be a ce suffused with the Aura of Divinity, such that anyone could absorb it freely and make breakthroughs swiftly. He thought that he and his disciples would be able to swiftly rise to the top and be indomitable existences. But reality came smacking down hard on him. Even survival was an issue for him right now. It felt like they would all die from starvation before they could even be indomitable existences. It was on the seventh day after reaching the Firmament did he manage to heal up his injured body sufficiently to get Little Chick to let the others out. Barely after everyone was released, the folded space they were in previously finally caved in and copsed under the pressure of the world. At the same time, all of the items they had stored within were reduced to dust. Seven consecutive days of starvation would have not been anything much for them on the Azure, but here on the Firmament, it was enough to push them to the brink of death. They had to gobble down quite a few bowls of vegetable sd without the dressing before they were able to recover. As for Little Chick, it was hard to tell whether it hadnt fully recovered from its injuries or it simply hadnt adapted to the Firmaments environment yet, but it continued to lie asleep in his dantian, showing no signs of waking up to date. Zhang Xuan was initially hoping to use Little Chick as a bait to lure some wild beasts over so that he could hunt them down and fulfill his meat cravings, but from the looks of it, it didnt seem like he could count on it anymore. While pondering upon such misceneous matters, Zhang Xuan soon arrived back to the cavern which he had used as their temporary living quarters. Teacher! Zhao Ya swiftly walked up and greeted him. Quick,e and take a rest. You are still injured so you should take care of yourself better. As she spoke, she helped carry some of the supplies Zhang Xuan had brought back and ced them down neatly by one corner. You should allow us to head out and gather food with you. We arent injured, and we can share some of your burdens... They had been hiding inside Little Chicks stomach while Zhang Xuan was pushing his way through the spatial turbulence, so they didnt sustain any injuries. The incredible pressure from the Firmament left them feeling as weak as little children, but foraging for fruits and grass or finding a way to lynch a weak beast should still be within their means. That wont do, Zhang Xuan shook his head vehemently. The valley out there is filled with divine beasts. Even the slightest mistake can easily cost your life! You should stay put for the time being and find a way to reach the same level as me first! But... Zhao Ya protested anxiously. They didnt think that it would end up like this. They had followed their teacher to the Firmament in hopes that they would be able to share his burdens, but they ended up bing his baggage instead. Are you not going to listen to me anymore? Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. I dare not to... Zhao Ya replied with a lowered head. Alright, lets not talk about this matter anymore. Take a look at what I have brought you this time around, Zhang Xuan smiled as he took out the fruits he was carrying close to him all this while. In an instant, the refreshing fragrance of fruits filled the cavern. Are those... fruits? Yuan Tao and Sun Qiangs eyes lit up as saliva dripped from the edges of their lips. They had been eating wild grass over thest few days that they had already long gotten sick of it. As such, the appearance of these fruits was like a rain after a drought. Dig in! Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle. However, there arent too many of them so make sure to share them. Ill be heading outter on to see if there are more around. Sun Qiang, Ill be leaving you to distribute the fruits. Make sure everyone gets a share. Yes, Young Master! Sun Qiang replied as he walked forward to grab the fruits. Aside from Zhang Xuan, there were fourteen people present in the room at the momenthis eleven direct disciples, Sun Qiang, and the Xingmeng Sword Saints. There are eight fruits in total. Young Master, youll take one while the rest of us will get half each, Sun Qiang swiftly worked out the math and said. I just ate one outside, so you can share the rest amongst yourselves, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Right, make sure to leave a portion for Little Chick too. Even though its sleeping at the moment, itll definitelyin if we didnt reserve a portion for it once it wakes up. Sun Qiang swiftly distributed the fruits ordingly. While the fruits tasted unripened, the spiritual energy they harnessed was far more than that in the wild grasses. As soon as they bit into it, they felt the fatigue they had umted over the day vanishing in an instant. It was as if someone had injected their bodies with energy and vitality. Zhang Xuan looked at the smiles on everyones faces from the entrance of the cavern and nodded in relief. At this moment, Wang Ying suddenly walked over and said, Teacher, you can my half instead... Theres no need for that, I had one earlier myself. Eat it and raise your cultivation as quickly as possible. Youll be able to help me once you reach the level of the gods too... Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Halfway through his words, his eyebrows suddenly shot up. With a grim expression on his face, he told Wang Ying, Tell everyone to stay here quietly. Unless I call for you, donte out no matter what happens! Right after saying those words, he immediately dashed out of the cavern, disappearing amidst the valley in a few moments. After Zhang Xuan departed, Wang Ying quickly adjusted the vines hanging outside the cavern so as to conceal it from view. Then, she turned around and looked at the crowd within the cavern with her eyes slightly reddened. Noticing that something was amiss, Zhao Ya quickly walked over and asked worriedly, Whats wrong? Its nothing, Wang Ying quickly lowered her head and replied. Teacher told us to be careful and dont head out no matter what happens. I think he went out to find food again. Staring at the half a fruit in her hands, Wang Ying found her eyes tearing up uncontrobly. So, with her head still lowered, she quickly walked over to a corner of the cavern. Others might not have noticed anything at all, but through her keen observation, she could tell that her teacher hadnt taken a single bite of these fruits. Due to the peculiar environment of the Firmament, her teacher often returned back to the cavern exhausted by the end of the day, but even so, he always reserved the most delicious food for them. Despite being the one who worked the hardest, he was also the one who starved more than any of them. Just thinking about left her heart aching deeply. There was no decision she had made better in her life than to walk into the ssroom back then and acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher! Even with tears flowing down her cheeks, she felt that life in the Firmament wasnt that bitter after all, It was tinged with a little bit of sweetness too. Chapter 2105 - 2105 The Continuation of the Legend 2105 The Continuation of the Legend Oblivious to the fact that Wang Ying had already seen through him, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was hiding amidst tall bushes, looking ahead of him discreetly. Humans. Several of them, all in their youths. He had heard somemotioning from this distance earlier, so he instructed Wang Ying and hide well before rushing over anxiously. There were both men and women amidst the group, and they were carrying a bag each as they trudged deeper into the valley. They appeared to be searching for something. The oldest individual in the group of seven appeared to be around seventeen-years-old, but his cultivation felt firm and steady. Just like him, the other party had reached the level of the gods too! What caught Zhang Xuans notice was that despite the difficult terrain in the valley, these youths seemed to be perfectly adapted to it. They were able to navigate their way around without too much trouble. Looking at the crimson sun setting in the west, the white-robed young man leading the group turned his head and around and instructed with a smile, Its getting dark, so lets take a rest here. After we find it tomorrow and aplish our mission, well be heading back right away, alright? Alright! Hearing that they could take a rest, the remaining youths looked visibly relieved, They quickly ced their heavy bags down before swiftly getting to work. Some of them sprinkled special medicinal powder around the area to deter insects and beasts from entering the area, some of them began scouting the area for potential water sources, some of them took out their rations and began cooking... It was clear that they were an organized and disciplined team. Every single member had their own roles, and they were familiar with it as well. I need to find a way to leave together with them... Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. He had no idea which darned mountain range in the Firmament he was at, but there was nearly no spiritual energy around at all. Putting aside cultivating, even finding food was an issue here! It was one thing if he had been alone. He could have just decided on a single direction and walk on straight till he got out of the mountain range. However, with his parents and direct disciples behind him, he dared not to move recklessly. So, he spent thest few days scouting the area, and he realized that despite the scarce concentration of spiritual energy here, there were still quite a few powerful divine beasts in the area. It would be difficult for him to deal with the divine beasts, especially if a pack of them appeared at once. That made him realize that it would be too dangerous for them to go out venturing the area together since he wouldnt be able to ensure their safety. Of course, it wouldnt do for them to remain on this mountain range either. But at the very least, he would have to ascertain a feasible path first. As such, he had been scouting the area to see if there were any human settlements around the area. It wasnt easy for him to find such arge group of people here, so naturally, he couldnt let this opportunity slip past his fingers. The only problem was that these youths werent weak either. If he were to approach them carelessly, they might just view him as a bad person and make a move on him. Considering how he hadnt recovered from his injuries yet and he had been weakened from having only wild grass over the past half a month, he wasnt sure whether he would be a match for them. Besides... Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan gazed deeply in a certain direction and shook his head slowly. The Eye of Insight had proved to a reliable asset over the past half a month. It was the key that allowed him to detect danger beforehand and move around freely in the valley. As for the Library of Heavens Path, it had gone quiet for half a month ever since he arrived at the Firmament, and he recovered it only today. Most likely, it had been in the process of snatching some power from the heavens of the Firmament so that he could use it. Through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan realized that these youths hadnte here alone. A powerful expert was following them at a distance of several hundred meters away. Most likely, this expert was here to ensure their safety. Otherwise, how deranged must a person be to think that it was a good idea to send a bunch of youths into a mountain range devoid of spiritual energy? With such an expert protecting the youths, it would be infeasible for him to force them to talk through force. He had to find a way to win their trust so that he could leave the valley together with them. If that wasnt possible, it would be a great help if he could learn the location of the closest town from them too. It seems like theres only one way then... After thinking for a long while, an idea finally popped into Zhang Xuans mind. He quickly altered his appearance before walking out of the bushes quietly. The disguise amulet which Luo Ruoxin gave him was not only effective here, it seemed to be considerably powerful too. Even with his current level of cultivation, he would still be unable to see through his own disguise even with the Eye of Insight. He changed his appearance to an amiable gentleman in his early thirties, emanating an aura of warmth. As for his cultivation, it appeared to be unfathomable in the eyes of others! At the very least, he was confident that those youths in front of him wouldnt be able to see through his disguise. Done with his preparations, Zhang Xuan revealed his presence and said, Who are the ones who have intruded on my territory and disturbed my peace? Who is it? The youths were in the midst of cooking and resting when they were surprised by those abrupt words. Flustered, they quickly picked up their weapons before turning to the source of the voice. There, they saw a man in his thirties standing atop a boulder. His robe fluttered gracefully in the face of the strong winds, leaving one with the impression that he was a deity that had descended to this world. There was a slightly cold look in the mans eyes, hinting at his displeasure. What an actor... One of thedies harrumphed coldly as she took a step forward, but before she could do anything, the white-robed young man suddenly raised his hand and stopped her. Elder, we are students from the Twilight Academy. We are here to carry out a mission entrusted to us, and I beg your pardon if we have disturbed your rest. Twilight Academy? Zhang Xuan made sure to jot that name down in his mind. Maintaining a nonchnt expression on his face, he said, Is that so? It sure is a coincidence. I have brought my students here for a mission too. Ah! Hearing those words, the white-robed young man heaved a sigh of relief. A momentter, he asked with a doubtful glint in his eyes, May I know which academy are you from? Since the other party was a teacher, it was unlikely that he was someone without principles and morals. It should be unlikely for him to make a move on them for no reason. They are just a few slow-witted fellows that I met on my journey. I brought them here to take a look around. Fearing that he would give himself away, Zhang Xuan was extremely vague with his words. On the other hand, the white-robed young man took it as a sign that the other party was unwilling to share his personal details, so he sped his fist and said, Elder, since you were here first, well find another ce to rest so as to not disturb you then! He was a little fearful of the man standing before him because he found that he was actually unable to see through thetters cultivation. It was only normal for him to be afraid of a powerful expert who had suddenly appeared in the midst of a remote mountain. Theres no need for that. You mentioned that you are from the Twilight Academy, right? I happen to be acquainted with your principal, and there are a few matters which I would like to ask you. It wasnt easy for Zhang Xuan to find these people, so how could he let them get away so easily? Oh? Elder, you are acquainted with our principal? The white-robed young man narrowed his eyes in surprise. Their principal had already reached the level of a Superior God, making him one of the most powerful individuals in Twilight City. Yet, the person standing before them was actually acquainted with him? Didnt that mean that the other party had also reached the same level as well? That would exin why he was unable to see through the other party. If the other party really intended to make a move on them, it was likely that they wouldnt even be able to hold on for a single breath before being killed. On the other hand, after discreetly raising his standing again and again throughout the conversation, Zhang Xuan was finally going to get to asking where the Twilight Academy was located at when the voice of a middle-aged man echoed in the air, Our principal has been in seclusion for a very long time. I am acquainted with all of his current friends, and I dont think he has any other friends either. May I know how I should address you? Following that, a middle-aged man in his forties flew forth from the woods and stopped right in front of the white- robed young man. He was no other than the expert who had been discreetly following the youths to protect them. Teacher! What are you doing here? The youths were visibly taken aback by the sudden appearance of this man. Clearly, they were unaware that this middle-aged man had been following them all along. As your form teacher, how could I possibly allow you to head out for your first mission without taking any safety precautions? the middle-aged man replied with a bitter smile before turning his sights to Zhang Xuan once more. He had been a teacher in the Twilight Academy for twenty years now, and he had met almost all of the friends of the principals so far. He didnt recall the principal having a friend that was as young as the person standing before him. Despite looking to be in his early thirties, he found that he was actually unable to see through the cultivation of the person standing before him. This left him a little taken aback. In terms of strength, it was likely that the other party wouldnt pale inparison even against their principal. I noticed that your Taiyang Acupoint was throbbing whereas your Sibai Acupoint was a little dark while you were using your movement technique earlier. This shows that you have been cultivating two cultivation techniques at once. Its true that those two cultivation techniquesplement your movement technique, allowing you to move at incredible speeds, but due to theplexity, you ended up making an error in your cultivation, resulting in your failure to harmonize the two cultivation techniques together. As a result of that, you are constantly facing the issue of your divine energy refluxing... Zhang Xuan remarked calmly. If Im not mistaken, you must be Mo Yuanoshi from the Twilight Academy, am I right? H-how did you know that? the middle-aged man widened his eyes in shock. He wasnt shocked by the fact that the other party knew his name. He was considerably famous in the Twilight Academy, so it didnte as a surprise that others would have heard of him. What that had shocked him was how the other party was aware of the problems he faced in his cultivation. That was definitely something that couldnt be uncovered that easily. The fact that the other party was able to see through him so easily showed that he had an incredible eye of discernment. Thats not all. I noticed that you are having trouble trying to channel your energy to your Huihai Acupoint, resulting in your inability to ovee your bottleneck. If you cultivate for an extended period of time, blood will start seeping out of your mouth and nose, and you will feel a stifled feeling in your chest. This... Mo Yuans body trembled in disbelief. It was understandable that a true expert would be able to discern the slight disharmony between his cultivation techniques and movement technique, but what that came afterward was a secret regarding his cultivation! For the other party to know about that as well... There were usually two possibilities for such a situation. Either the person was extremely familiar with him, or else... It could only mean to say that the other party was far stronger than him, perhaps surpassing the principal even! Only an expert of this caliber would be able to see through the problems in his cultivation techniques and movement technique, as well as the issues he had been facing in his cultivation! This lent credence to the other partys im that he was acquainted with their principal. After all, there was no reason why an expert of such caliber would have to resort to iming that he was acquainted with their principal. I can tell that you are very diligent in your cultivation, but its a pity that you have erred in your decisions. The Netherworld Sea Form is highly demanding on ones soul, but your soul clearly hasnt reached the required level to practice this technique. You should be relieved that you havent suffered a bacsh so far despite adamantly forcing your way through! Zhang Xuan chastised Mo Yuan. While the middle-aged man was making his way here using his movement technique, Zhang Xuan was able to use the Library of Heavens Path on him topile a book on him. ording to what he had heard from Kong shis clone, as he ascended through the worlds, the bacsh he suffered from using the Library of Heavens Path would only get worse and worse. As such, he felt that he should avoid using it wherever possible. However, in order for him to gather the information he needed to leave this area, he knew that he had no choice but to resort to it. Most cultivators were extremely secretive about the ws in their cultivation, guarding it as a tight secret in the depths of their hearts. As such, pointing them out directly was usually an effective move to unnerve them. Furthermore, his disguise amulet allowed him to appear unfathomable in the face of other cultivators. Given so, it wasnt too difficult for him to beguile the other party. Thank you for your pointers! Mo Yuans head was already drenched with cold sweat by now. If he had been harboring any doubts beforehand, right now, such thoughts had already vanished from his mind. Just like what the other party had said, he had forcefully cultivated the Netherworld Sea Form despite his soul not meeting the prerequisites, resulting in him umting damage over time. Right now, it had already be a trauma in his body, and it was extremely unlikely for him to recover from it anymore. Elder, may I know how I should address you? Mo Yuan lowered his posture a little to express his respect as he asked earnestly. I am... Zhang Xuan tilted his chin up loftily as he responded. Yang Xuan! Chapter 2106 - 2106 Nine Skies Ten Monarchs 2106 Nine Skies Ten Monarchs So, its Elder Yang Xuan! I have long heard of you! Mo Yuan quickly sped his fist. Long heard of what? Have you heard of me before? Do you know who I am? Zhang Xuan replied curtly. He had simply brought the alias that he often used on the Master Teacher Continent here as well, but the other party could still make such a statement. It seemed like those in the Firmament were not that honest. This... Mo Yuans face reddened upon hearing those words. Those words were just pleasantries to alleviate the awkwardness in the air! How disrespectful would it be if he were to im that he had never heard of the other party before? Yet, the other party asked such a question right after, leaving himpletely stumped. Alright, you can spare me those formalities. Since Im acquainted with your principal, theres no need for you to be so polite to me. I dont have the habit of making things difficult for juniors. However, it just so happens that I have some things that I might need your help with, Zhang Xuan said. Elder, please feel free to speak. As long as its within my means, Ill do my best to aplish what you ask of me, Mo Yuan replied politely. My students are on a mission here at the moment, but as they are unfamiliar with the local geography, they are a bit lost, Zhang Xuan replied. I fear that it would make them overly dependent on me if I were to appear and resolve their issue so easily, and it happens that there are some urgent matters that I need to attend to as well. So, I hope that you can help me guide them around and, if possible, ensure that they return safely to Twilight City. Of course, I dont intend for you to help me only to get nothing in return. Ill give you a detailed analysis on the problems surrounding your cultivation, and as for whether you are able to resolve them or find a more suitable path for yourself, thatll depend solely on your talent and capability. Thank you, elder! Mo Yuan sped his fist in excitedly. The main reason bottlenecks happened was due to ack of awareness of ones own condition. If someone could just offer him some guidance by the side, even without giving out the correct answer, he was still confident that he would be able to ovee his current problems. As such, he was extremely thankful to the other party for offering such help. As for leading the other partys students back to Twilight City, that was not a problem at all. He was going to have to take his students back there at the end of their mission anyway, so it was not an inconvenience. On top of that, if he could get close to the other partys students, he might be able to establish a connection with the powerful expert standing before him! Im d that you are willing to help. For now, itll do for you to remain here. Based on my estimations, they should be heading here very soon, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Then, he turned around, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly released a powerful aura that gushed right down to the heavens, reminiscent of the natural dominating pressure that dragons emanated. Elder... Taken aback by the abrupt happenings, Mo Yuan quickly turned his head over anxiously. Since you have given me your word, I hope that you will do your best to guarantee their safety. If I find a single strand of hair missing from my students... You understand, right? With his back facing the crowd, his voice sounded nonchnt. However, paired with the overwhelming pressure that he was emanating, his nonchnt tone felt indescribably terrifying. Elder, please rest assured! Ill surely give it my all to not let you down! Mo Yuan replied grimly. Ill discreetly instruct one of my students to pass my analysis over to you, Zhang Xuan added before walking away with leisurely footsteps. Despite his rxed footsteps, his movements were not slow at all. In just a few moments, he had already disappeared amid the woods. Only after his silhouette had vanishedpletely did Mo Yuan finally wipe away the cold sweat trickling down his face. The aura that Zhang Xuan had emanated was so terrifying that even ten of him would not suffice as a match for him. It was fortunate that he had not acted recklessly, or else he and his students might have lost their lives. Teacher, is that Elder Yang Xuan... really that formidable? the youngdy who had stepped forward earlier asked Mo Yuan doubtfully. She came from a huge n, and she had never liked those who put on airs before her. Somehow, she found it hard to believe that Yang Xuan was really that incredible a person. Formidable? That would be an understatement. Hes terrifyingly powerful! Mo Yuan replied with a shake of his head. Alright, you should get on with whatever youre doing. Have a good meal and rest well. Well be heading back to Twilight City tomorrow morning, got it? Were already heading back? But we are just about to reach the destination of our mission! The youngdy was stunned. If they turned back, was that not as good as giving up on the mission despite their progress? I was supposed to protect you all from behind, so the fact that I have appeared before you means that you have already failed the mission. However, given the peculiar circumstances, Ill request the academy to give special considerations so that youll still receive marks ordingly, Mo Yuan replied. The mission that they were going to carry out was notpletely risk-free. He would not be able to take responsibility if something really happened to the elders students. Since that was the case, it would be better for them to return immediately. Thank you, Teacher. Hearing that they would still be receiving marks for the mission, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. The very reason they had gone on the mission was to earn marks, and since they could acquire them without going through danger, there was no reason for them toin. So, the youths continued preparing their food and encampment to rest for the night. Not too longter, the rustling of leaves echoed from the woods. Following that, a group of people walked over. Are you Mo Yuanoshi? I am Zhang Xuan, Yang Xuanoshis student. I heard from my teacher that you are acquainted with him, so I made my way over here to ask for your assistance... As those words sounded, a tall silhouette emerged from the woods. Fourteen other people followed close behind him. So, its Brother Zhang Xuan! This way, please! Mo Yuan sped his fist as he assessed the group with a slightly doubtful frown on his face. To his surprise, Elder Yang Xuans students seemed to be... a little weak! It was no wonder the other party had requested his help in ensuring the safety of his students. It was really a miracle that they could survive amid the dangerous mountain with their current cultivation levels. At the same time, as the youngdy behind Mo Yuan caught sight of Zhao Ya, herplexion immediately turned awful. She quickly turned her eyes to the other youths around her, and indeed, all of their eyes were fixated on Zhao Ya. It was normal for those who were good-looking to be more weed by others. We have prepared some food here, so please feel free to join us for our dinner. The white-robed young man invited them over. Zhao Ya and the others shot a nce at Zhang Xuan, and upon receiving his nod, they swiftly took their seats. They had been hiding in the cavern for quite a few days now, so it felt exhrating for them to be out once more. Mo Yuanoshi, this is theption that my teacher instructed me to pass on to you. He says that you can alter your cultivation technique ording to what is written on top first, and hell pass you theplete version the next time he sees you at Twilight City! Zhang Xuan said as he passed a leaf over. There were some words written on the leaf using ck ink. After Mo Yuan was done reading through the contents on the leaf, his eyes narrowed in astonishment. The analysis that Yang Xuan had provided was far more detailed than he could have imagined. As long as he made modifications ording to the errors he saw, he should be able to resolve his physical trauma in no time. Once that happened, his fighting prowess would surely soar! Please help me ry my gratitude to your Elder Yang for his help! Mo Yuan replied. Of course, he knew the other partys intentions for only giving him only half of the analysis. He would have to prove his worth in order to obtain the other half. Despite that, he did not feel any grudge toward Yang Xuan. If anything, he felt much more assured. A person who paid heed to even the minor details in order to ensure the safety of his students was bound to be a respectable individual. There was definitely no harm in getting to know a person like that! Mo Yuans students had brought quite a bit of food for the mission, and Mo Yuan himself also headed out to hunt down a few divine beasts to supplement the dinner. As such, it became the first proper feast that Zhang Xuan and the others had enjoyed ever since they arrived at the Firmament. Yuan Tao also fully unleashed his appetite this time around. The sheer amount of food he ate left the others wondering if there was a mystical beast hiding inside his stomach. It was fortunate that Little Chick was still in hibernation. Otherwise, Mo Yuan and the others would have found the prepared feast devoured before they could enjoy it. Zhao Ya and the others were around the same age as Mo Yuans students, and the natural environment they were in created the ideal atmosphere for conversation. As such, it did not take long before they started chatting with one another. They had heard of the situation from Zhang Xuan earlier, so they knew what could be said and what could not be said. As such, they were able to avoid incurring the suspicion of Mo Yuan and his students. You rascals have been asking me about the current political situation in the Firmament. Since Brother Zhang Xuan here asked me about it earlier as well, why dont we hold a quick lesson here? After filling their stomachs, the crowd gathered in a circle, and Mo Yuan began speaking with a smile on his lips. The Firmament was vast and boundless. Even Twilight City was nothing more than a minor dot on the map. As such, even though most of Mo Yuans students hade from major ns in Twilight City, they did not know much about the Firmament as a whole. Zhang Xuan also turned his gaze over. Throughout the entire dinner, he had been trying to steer the conversation naturally in that direction so as to get Mo Yuan talking, and it seemed like he had seeded in doing so. The Firmament can be divided into nine major powers, and they are collectively known as the Nine Skies! Mo Yuan said. I know! Are you referring to the Nine Skies Ten Monarchs? As if to unt his knowledge to thedies he had just met, the white-robed young man chirped in at this moment. At the same time, the other youngdy of Mo Yuans students clenched her fists indignantly upon seeing this sight. Indeed, I am referring to the Nine Skies Ten Monarchs. Mo Yuan nodded in response. The Nine Skies consist of the central Sky of Freedom, the eastern Sky of Cloud Dragon, the southern Sky of Spirit Origin, the western Sky of Adamant Gold, the southern Sky of Netherworld, the southeast Sky of zing Sun, the northeast Sky of Heavenly Sword, the southwest Sky of Linglong, and our northwest Sky of Drifting Specters! The Nine Skies represent nine major powers, and they are headed by nine monarchs. Every single one of the monarchs wields absolute power that allows them to look upon the world loftily. They are existences who are respected by all. As Mo Yuan spoke, there was a hint of respect in his eyes. Based on what Zhang Xuan had heard thus far, it seemed like the nine monarchs were equivalent to the heads of the Azures Six Sects, existences who could make the world tremor with just a stomp of their foot. Teacher, I heard that the peerless Heaven Subjugating Monarch rose into their ranks recently, making it the Nine Skies Ten Monarchs now! another one of Mo Yuans students added. Youre right. The Heaven Subjugating Monarch only appeared in recent years, Mo Yuan nodded. Speaking of the Heaven Subjugating Monarch, one really has to acknowledge the unbelievable talent he possesses. In just a few years after the world heard of his name, he ascended through the ranks like a brilliant shooting star. He has already forced eight of the monarchs to acknowledge his identity, meaning that he onlycks the acknowledgement of the Sky of Freedoms monarch. As long as he can receive that monarchs acknowledgement, it will mean a mass reshuffling of the power distribution in the Firmament. Nine Skies Ten Monarchs? Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. Those monarchs are existences so far away from us. I wonder just how much stronger they are than the rest of us... As soon as those words were spoken, one of Mo Yuans students immediately nodded in agreement as he curiously asked, Mo Yuanoshi, how powerful are the Ten Monarchs? I heard that they are able to crush a major city with just a single finger of theirs. Is that true? Of course! Mo Yuan nodded matter-of-factly. Look, the rest of you are currently low-tier Gods whereas I am a middle-tier God. As for high-tier Gods, our principal is one such example. You should know about this, right? The crowd nodded in agreement. Beyond high-tier Gods are the Celestial Gods, and they are divided into low-tier, middle-tier, and high-tier. Above the Celestial Gods are the God Kings. They arent divided into low-tier, middle-tier, and high-tier; they are categorized into Ordinary God Kings and Conferred God Kings. Conferred God Kings can be considered the top powerhouses of the Firmament. Our entire Sky of Drifting Specters might not even have ten Conferred God Kings in total! Mo Yuan exined excitedly. And the only ones to stand above the Conferred God Kings are the God Monarchs... They are the only experts recognized by the heavens, and their births are predetermined by the heavens. There have been no more or no less of them since time immemorial, and it has been expected to remain this way till the end of eternity. Theres only one way for new God Monarchs to emerge, and that was for an individual to earn the acknowledgement of the pre-existing God Monarchs. Thats also the reason the Heaven Subjugating Monarch is challenging all of the other monarchs one after another! Chapter 2107 - 2107 Heaven Subjugating Monarch 2107 Heaven Subjugating Monarch God, Celestial God, God King, Conferred God King, God Monarch... Zhang Xuan jotted down the various realms in his head. I wonder what realm is Ruoxin at... She was able to ascend from the Azure to the Firmament without going through the Hall of Gods, tearing the dimension barrier apart to pass through it without sustaining wounds that were too severe. Without a doubt, that was a feat that no Gods or Celestial Gods would be able to pull off. Given so, was it possible that she was a God King? As for whether she was a God Monarch or not, well, he honestly dared not push his thoughts in that direction. After all, there were only nine of them in the world. Every single one of them stood at the peak of the universe, so it was unthinkable for one of them to fall in love with someone from a lower world like him Even if he had the Library of Heavens Path, the gap between him and a God Monarch was still likely to be unbelievably huge. Even though those were the thoughts that Zhang Xuan had in mind, he still could not resist asking, Mo Yuanoshi, may I ask if you know of the names of the Nine God Monarchs? A hint of doubt appeared in Mo Yuans eyes when he heard that question, but he still nodded and replied ordingly. The Nine God Monarchs are highly esteemed individuals whose names ordinary people like us arent qualified to speak. I only know some of their aliases. The God Monarch of our Sky of Drifting Specter is the great Qiankun Demon Monarch, otherwise known as the Qiankun Monarch. Hes responsible for guarding the southeast of the Firmament, and he governs the Six Paths of Reincarnation. His direct nemesis is the Sky of zing Suns zing Sun Monarch. He governs the day and the growth of all beings. The southwest Sky of Linglong is headed by Fairy Linglong, who is known to possess unparalleled beauty. I fear that this is the extent of my knowledge. I dont really know anything more than this. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The Nine God Monarchs of the Nine Skies were probablyparable to the emperors in his previous life. They were existences that ordinary citizens dared not speak lightly about. Considering how Mo Yuan was a teacher in a minor region, it was understandable how he only knew of three of them. Brother Zhang, you should ask your teacher if you wish to learn more about the matter. Considering the strength of your teacher, I believe that he should have a far deeper understanding of the Nine Skies Ten Monarchs than me, Mo Yuan added. While ordinary people dared not speak carelessly of the Nine Skies Ten Monarchs, they still knew some of the general details about them. It was unthinkable for a cultivator to know nothing about the monarch ruling over thends they lived in. As such, Mo Yuan could not help but harbor some doubts toward Zhang Xuan after hearing that question. Seeing through Mo Yuans thoughts, Zhang Xuan said with a bitter smile, To be honest with you, we are all ordinary people. Our teacher took pity on us and took us in so that we can survive in this world, but that being so, hes an extremely busy person. We rarely get a chance to meet him, so there wasnt any opportunity for us to learn such stuff from him. If that wasnt the case, we wouldnt have to trouble Mo Yuanoshi to bring us out of the mountain range either. Ah... The doubt in Mo Yuans heart dissipated upon hearing those words. There were indeed teachers in the Firmament who were extremely strict on their students. They kept piling missions upon their students in order to train their skills and temper their character, choosing not to waste time on words. If Yang Xuan was such a teacher, it would be understandable for his students to know nothing about the Nine Skies Ten Monarchs. Not only so, we have yet to reach the God realm. Our teacher refused to tell us how we can make a breakthrough, only telling us that the time isnt right yet and that we should just focus our efforts on our training. He often tells us that only with a sturdy foundation can one draw forth greater strength. But the spiritual energy here is simply too scarce! I cant imagine how its possible for anyone to cultivate here... Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Elder Yang Xuan is a strict but good teacher. I reckon he would be worthy of being a master teacher, Mo Yuan remarked. A master teacher? Zhang Xuan repeated as his heart skipped a beat. Master teacher was the upation created by Kong shi back when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent. Those two words had never been spoken during Zhang Xuans time on the Azure, so he did not expect to hear them on the Firmament. Ah, you must not have heard of it. Over the past few decades, there has been a group of people who call themselves master teachers. They established the Master Teacher Pavilion, and they view it as their mission to impart knowledge to others and rify doubts. They have a unique interpretation of the rtionship between a teacher and a student, and they have worked hard to create a formal tier system to assess ones abilities. It has proven to be extremely effective so far, but a huge downside is that students studying from a master teacher tend to have to go through more hardship than ordinary cultivators, Mo Yuan exined. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in bewilderment. Without a doubt, the existence of master teachers and the Master Teacher Pavilion must be rted to Kong shi. This proved that the one that he had suppressed back in the Azure was indeed the clone. The main body had already advanced to the Firmament many years ago. It had been tens of thousands of years since Kong shi left the Master Teacher Continent, which tranted to roughly a few thousand years on the Azure. Given the limitations of his cultivation, he could not urately perceive the flow of time in the Firmament. Nevertheless, assuming that the rate at which time flowed on the Firmament was 1:100 against the Azure, it meant that Kong shi had arrived here several decades ago. That tallied with the timeline when the master teachers first started appearing. So, Zhang Xuan beat around the bush and remarked, Wouldnt the creation of the Master Teacher Pavilion pose a threat to the rule of the Nine God Monarchs? Furthermore, other academies will be affected by their presence, right? Is there no opposition to the master teachers at all? One of the main reasons master teachers were so highly esteemed on the Master Teacher Continent was due to thesting effect of Kong shis fame. Kong shi had be a figure so respected that anything associated with him would be viewed highly. Kingdoms and empires viewed the presence of master teachers in their territories as a huge honor, and it had even be a symbol of power. On the other hand, in the Firmament, the Nine Skies Nine Monarchs were viewed as the core of the world. Having ruled at the top for a very long time, their presence was so great that it could not be ignored by anyone. In terms of influence, they were definitely far above that of the Six Sects in the Azure. The Master Teacher Pavilion sought to impart knowledge to others, but at the same time, such actions would inevitably shake up the established order on the Firmament. It was hard to think that the Nine God Monarchs would allow something like that to happen beneath their noses. Furthermore, would the other pre-existing academies tolerate what the master teachers were trying to do? Creating a system that waspletely different from what the academies had implemented was equivalent to challenging the established status quo, and inevitably, there would be significantpetition between the different systems. What is unique about master teachers is that they promote education without discrimination. Most of the students they choose to take in are those who have failed to get into the other academies due to ack of talent... At this point, Mo Yuan suddenly realized that he had misspoken, so he quickly added with an awkward smile, Brother Zhang, I have no intention of looking down on you all. Please overlook my words. A moment prior, he had said that Yang Xuan was strikingly simr to a master teacher before mentioning that master teachers took in cultivators that were untalented. That could easily be misconstrued as a masked insult toward them. Its fine, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Its true that we arent too talented, or else we wouldnt have been stuck at our current realms for so long! Knowing that it would be unwise to linger on this depressing topic, Mo Yuan continued speaking. Anyway, the Aura of Divinity on the Celestial Mountain is limited, so the academies usually get the priority when recruiting disciples. Master teachers usually just take in the leftovers after all of the talented individuals have been chosen, so the presence of the master teachers doesnt really affect us too much. Its just that... At this point, Mo Yuan paused for a moment to gather his words before continuing. I must say that the master teachers are truly incredible people. Often, those whom we deem to be hopeless are able to rise to heights unthinkable to us under their guidance. In fact, some of their students are able to grow faster than our students! Without a doubt, the presence of the master teachers does cause some stress to the pre-existing academies, which is also why we see a need to start pushing our students as well so that we dontg behind. Otherwise, I wouldnt have brought this bunch of young rascals here for a mission... If not for the presence of otherpetitors, they would have been more than content to conduct lessons in the safe environment of a ssroom. To take a bunch of youths who had never experienced the outside world into the wilderness for a mission... To be honest, Mo Yuan did not agree with such a course of action, but he knew that it had to be done in order to maintain the prestige of the academy. Furthermore, the students were also more motivated than ever so as to not be outdone by their counterparts. It was a powerful driving force, and it would be a pity not to tap into it to push their students to high grounds. As for the Nine Skies Nine Monarchs, naturally, they forbade the presence of master teachers in their territories. Its for that reason that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch challenged the other God Monarchs to a battle. Around a decade ago, he had a closed duel with the Qiankun Demon Monarch. We dont really know the results of the battle, but ever since then, the Sky of Drifting Specters decided to overlook the existence of the Master Teacher Pavilion, allowing it to operate freely, Mo Yuan exined. Even though the results had not been officially announced, it was clear from the subsequent actions that the Qiankun Demon Monarch had lost the battle. Otherwise, there was no way that the Qiankun Demon Monarch would have allowed the Master Teacher Pavilion to do as it pleased in his territory. Wait a moment, you mentioned that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch challenged the other God Monarchs over the issue concerning the master teachers? Hes the newly ascended God Monarch, right? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats him. No wonder... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He had heard that the Nine Skies Nine Monarchs were existences that had existed since time immemorial. It was hard to imagine that someone with the strength to challenge them would suddenly appear in the world. However, from the current looks of it, it was extremely likely that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was none other than Kong shi! Tens of thousands of years on the Master Teacher Continent, thousands of years in the Azure, and decades in the Firmament... The timeline fitted. More importantly, Kong shi had often been addressed as the Sage of Heaven Subjugation during his time on the Master Teacher Continent. The aliases were a match. To think that in the short span of several decades, Kong shi would rise to the top of the continent, create the Master Teacher Pavilion once more, challenge eight of the God Monarchs, and force them to acknowledge the existence of the Master Teacher Pavilion. As expected of Kong shi! Even in the Firmament that was filled with countless experts, his strength was still so overpowered that it was almost despair-inducing. Of course, whether the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was truly Kong shi or not, Zhang Xuans desire to pay the other party a visit had already waned tremendously. After going through whatever had happened with Kong shis clone, he knew that it would be foolish for him to find Kong shi before he possessed the strength to protect himself. If the real Kong shi, by any chance, wanted to take away his Library if Heavens Path as well, he would have sought his own doom. It was not to say that he did not believe in Kong shis character, but the Library of Heavens Path was simply too powerful. Until he acquired the strength to stand on the same level as Kong shi, it would be best for him to avoid him. It was true that Kong shi already possessed a fragment of the heavens as well, but if he could acquire another fragment, there was no doubt that he would grow far stronger than before. He might even reach a level that no one had thought to be possible. Such temptation might be something that even Kong shi was unable to resist. Making sure to conceal his astonishment, Zhang Xuan continued his questioning. Mo Yuanoshi, you mentioned earlier that the Aura of Divinity on the Celestial Mountain is limited... May I know what that means? This was the other thing that Mo Yuan had mentioned that had left him a little perplexed. It seems like Yang shi really hasnt exined anything to you... But again, considering that you havent tempered yourselves to the limits yet, its understandable that he kept it a secret from you! Mo Yuan nodded slightly. Then, he pondered for a moment before asking a question, Brother Zhang, in your view, what do you think of the concentration of spiritual energy on this Grand Spirit Mountain? Grand Spirit Mountain? Zhang Xuan jotted down the name of the mountain that had caused him such trouble for the past half a month in his head. At the same time, he shook his head and replied, This mountain has barely any spiritual energy at all. Its impossible for anyone to properly cultivate here. He had noticed this ever as soon as he arrived in the Firmament. The ferocious winds were one thing, but theck of spiritual energy in the area was really a huge pain to deal with. He could not gather any spiritual energy from the surroundings to fuel himself, which was why he had eventually been forced to resort to eating wild grass for survival. It was fortunate that the wild grass at least had some spiritual energy within it, or else he might have ended up starving to death on this mountain! Indeed. This isnt just isted to the Grand Spirit Mountain. In the Firmament, all ces with no cities in the area are suffering from a major receding of spiritual energy. In fact, many ces have turned barren as a result of that! Mo Yuan said with a shake of his head. Receding of spiritual energy? Zhang Xuan could hardly believe what he was hearing. The Firmament should have been the very pinnacle of the universe, and yet, it was suffering from a receding in spiritual energy? It was really difficult to imagine something like that to be true! Chapter 2108 - 2108 The Declining Firmamen 2108 The Declining Firmamen Zhang Xuan had always thought of the Firmament as a utopia for cultivators. It would be filled with many experts who had reached the top of the world. Its atmosphere would be rich in spiritual energy, allowing any cultivators who had reached the mark to achieve a breakthrough. Even a tree branch that one picked up off the road would be as powerful as a High Immortal-tier artifact. And he was notpletely off the mark about that. The wild grass on the ground was an invaluable cultivation resource that was on par with Premier Immortal Pills.But based on what he had just heard from Mo Yuan, it felt as if the Firmament was slowly crumbling apart. The receding of spiritual energy spelled the regression of life. ces that were devoid of spiritual energy would eventually be reduced to ruins. For example, even though there were still nts growing on the Grand Spirit Mountain, with the disappearance of spiritual energy in the air, the amount of spiritual energy going around the ce was slowly depleting, to the point where everything wilted and died off. It was probably for this reason that Zhang Xuan had to travel long distances in order to gather the wild grass, and even so, the quantity that he found would often be severely limited. Was this really the Firmament? It felt almost as if he had walked into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes otherworldly battlefield instead! Everywhere was barren and wilting, almost as if the world was slowly dying away. Theres still some wild grass and fruits that harness spiritual energy on the mountain. That means that the receding of spiritual energy is a fairly recent affair, right? Zhang Xuan asked. If it had happened a long time ago, the Grand Spirit Mountain should have already be inhospitable a long time ago. The fact that he could find wild grass, fruits, and even beasts in the area meant that the receding only happened in the recent years. Hearing such a question from Zhang Xuan, Mo Yuan looked at the young man with doubt in his eyes and asked, It cant be that youve only just arrived in the Firmament, right? Of course not. All of us lived in a small vige isted from the world, so we dont really know much about whats happening out there. However, a gue suddenly struck us one day, and before we knew it, we are the only ones left in our vige. It was then that we met Yang Xuanoshi, and he brought us out of our vige. As a result of that, there are a lot of things that we dont know about, Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. He had no idea how those in the Firmament viewed thoseing over from a lower world, but it was still best for him to proceed carefully. I see. Mo Yuan nodded. The first time that the receding of spiritual energy urred was around forty to fifty years ago. Back then, the skies fell, and earth sank. An entire half of the sky copsed. Water rained down relentlessly and flooded the earth, causing great casualties. Eventually, the God Monarchs who guarded the north, south, east, and west slew the World Tortoise and used its four limbs as pirs to prop up the sky, thus bringing the world back to stability. At this point, Mo Yuan chuckled a little before continuing. Well, these are just the stories that spread around like wildfire after the catastrophe, so theres no way we can tell for sure whether they are true or not. There are also some that im that the monarch of the Sky of Freedom used his unique ability to mend the copsed heavens. Anyway, all kinds of rumors went around after that incident. However, it was clear that the copse of the skies was only the start of something greater. Spiritual energy began receding swiftly everywhere. Eventually, except for major cities, mostnds around the Firmament became barren, just like this Grand Spirit Mountain! This... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. Forty to fifty years ago... That was around four thousand years ago on the Azure and forty thousand years ago for the Master Teacher Continent. It marked the time when Kong shi first appeared in the world and the Six Sects first came to be. The cmity of the Firmament and the copse of the skies and earth, as well as Kong shis possession of the Heavens Order... Could there be some kind of link between the two? If there was a link between those two, what did his possession of the Library of Heavens Path mean? After all, a fragment of the heavens would not naturally appear in the world. The fact that he could use the Library of Heavens Path in the Firmament meant that the fragment of the heavens that he had received was no weaker than the heavens of the Firmament. As such, he could not help but harbor some doubts regarding the origin of the fragments of the heavens. Mo Yuan continued with the story. As a result of the receding spiritual energy, its no longer as easy as before to reach the God realm. Furthermore, each breakthrough takes a significant amount of spiritual energy from the environment, and that could hasten the destruction of the Firmament. As such, the Nine Skies Nine Monarchs had no choice but to control the number of gods in the world. So, they constructed nine Celestial Mountains around the world, and all those who wish to be a god have to head to the Celestial Mountains and search for the Aura of Divinity. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. In a sense, it was simr to what had happened in the Kunxu Domain. Due to the scarcity of resources, those who possessed little talent lost the right to advance their cultivation in order to ensure optimal social welfare. It was extremely cruel for the cultivators who had worked hard their entire lives to advance their cultivation, but this was the only way to slow down the copse of the Firmament. I reckon that the reason Elder Yang Xuan is putting you through hardship right now is to build up your foundation while you are still at the Semi-Divinity realm. This will allow you to adapt faster to the environment on the Celestial Mountain, thus increasing the chances of acquiring the Aura of Divinity and sessfully making a breakthrough! Mo Yuan said. As expected of those from the Master Teacher Pavilion, they are really detailed and thorough in what they do. Its no wonder the students are able to achieve the same feats as geniuses despite theircking talents... Ah, pardon me. I have no intention of looking down on you... Zhang Xuan blinked nkly, unsure how he should respond to those words. On the other hand, Zhao Ya and the others nearly burst intoughter. The person before them sure was gutsy to dare say that their teacher wascking in talent. Their teacher was someone who had cultivated for less than two years on the Master Teacher Continent and slightly more than two months in the Azure to get where he currently was. If one tranted that to the time in the Firmament, he would have only spent 0.73 days on the Master Teacher Continent and 0.6 days in the Azure, which added up to a grand total of 1.33 days. In just 1.33 days, their teacher had ovee bottleneck after bottleneck to be a real god. Yet, someone dared to suggest that he wascking talent? What a joke! Cough cough, its fine. I dont mind it at all. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He continued asking a few more questions, and fortunately, Mo Yuan was an extremely forthright person who freely shared everything he knew. Soon, Zhang Xuan was able to form a preliminary understanding of the situation in the Firmament. Without a doubt, the Firmament was filled with all kinds of experts. However, this came with a huge pitfall... A world filled with strong people was bound to be less restricted byws. In a world where there were significant differences in strength, the strong would be able to do as they pleased whereas the weak could only stay within the safe confines of the city walls, not daring to venture too far for fear of encountering bandits. Of course, this was only applied to ces beyond the city. Within the city, even the strong would have to obey thews imposed upon them. This was because each city lord wielded absolute strength and authority in the region they ruled over. In Twilight City, for example, City Lord Wu Fangqing was a Celestial God realm expert. He was known for his steel arms that allowed him to defend against swords and spears with ease. He held the record of eliminating eighteen bands of bandits singlehandedly with his bare hands, making him an unstoppable force. Everyone that resided within the city had to obey the rules he had set, and those who dared to flout his rules would have to face the consequences. The rules set by the strong had to be followed, or else one might just end up getting killed and having their Aura of Divinity extracted. This was how the Firmament worked. It was notplete anarchy, but it was clear that the world favored the strong. Mo Yuanoshi, can you tell me more about the Heaven Subjugation Monarch? Wang Ying asked with eyes filled with curiosity. She had also noticed that something was amiss. The Heaven Subjugation Monarch is a powerful expert who appeared in the past few decades. He came to fame around forty years ago after he, as a high-tier God, fought and defeated eight low-tier Celestial Gods sessfully. That single fight ced him at the top of the Celestial God Aptitude Board! Mo Yuan exined excitedly. From the looks of it, it was clear that he carried great admiration for the Heaven Subjugation Monarch. Celestial God Aptitude Board? Each of the Nine Skies would have a Celestial God Aptitude Board that gauges the potential of the cultivators within its territory. Those who are able to get into the top ten will eventually reach the level of a high-tier Celestial God, and those are within the top three have a good chance of bing a God King eventually! For this reason, many cultivators seek to ce their names on the board. As long as one can get within the top ten, they will be entitled to the best cultivation resources within their sects, paving their way to greatness! Mo Yuan replied. Due to the scarcity of resources in the Firmament, most sects and major powers would only choose to groom individuals who had disyed exceptional talent. As a result, there were all kinds of boards existent that cultivators would squeeze their heads to get into. The rankings were important for them to secure enough resources for them to advance their cultivation. This was strikingly simr to how the Kunxu Domain worked. After the Heaven Subjugation Monarch rose to the top of the Celestial God Aptitude Board, his growth suddenly surged forth with unstoppable momentum. In less than a year, he reached the level of a God King. After that, during the Flowing Tide of Spiritual Energy, he aplished feats that no one has done before, leading to seven of the God Monarchs bestowing him with the honor of a Conferred God King simultaneously. Less than a year after that, he began to challenge the Nine God Monarchs. Initially, everyone thought that he had gone mad. Contrary to everyones expectations, he actually won the first match... In the following decades, he challenged the God Monarchs one after another, and based on what I have heard so far, it seems like the only one that he has yet to challenge is the monarch of the Sky of Freedom. Well, to be exact, the results of the duel arent publicly announced, but the fact that the other monarchs have acknowledged his identity likely means that they lost the battle, Mo Yuan said with a hushed tone. While there were rumors going around about the Nine Skies Nine Monarchs, it was still best to be discreet when gossiping about such matters. Carelessness could possibly cost him his life. He challenged eight of the God Monarchs one after another... Even listening to the story left Zhang Xuan feeling hot-blooded. As expected of Kong shi! No matter which world he was in, he was still able to w his way to reach the top of the hierarchy. May I know more about the monarch of the Sky of Freedom? Zhang Xuan asked. Im quite curious to know why the Heaven Subjugation Monarch hasnt challenged him yet. While others might not know about the results of duels, as fellow God Monarchs, the monarch of the Sky of Freedom should be aware of the oues. So, it was a little peculiar to see that the other party had not made a move in response. Could it be that the monarch of the Sky of Freedom did not dare fight with the Heaven Subjugation Monarch after hearing about how the others had been defeated? To be honest, I dont know that. The Heaven Subjugation Monarch controls the center of the Firmament, and theyre viewed as the lord of the Nine Monarchs. Theyre the most formidable God Monarch of the Firmament, as well as the most mysterious one... There is an utterck of information regarding them, such that even their gender, age, name, and his alias are mysteries. However, since time immemorial, no one has dared toy their hands on the Sky of Freedom, and that is the greatest proof of that monarchs strength... At this point, Mo Yuan suddenly realized that he might have talked too much. With an awkward smile, he waved his hands and said, Alright, lets end the conversation here for today. We are just minor figures of the Firmament, so the affairs surrounding the Nine Skies Nine Monarchs have no relevance to us. Theres nothing we can do to change anything, so lets not bother ourselves with those matters, alright? Un. Knowing that he would not be able to get anything more out of Mo Yuan, Zhang Xuan decided to stop there. Everyone had exhausted themselves over the day, and before long, Mo Yuans students had already started dozing off with their heads leaning against the cliff. Even Mo Yuan himself had shut his eyes, making it hard to tell whether he had fallen asleep or not. Only Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples remained seated on the ground,pletely focused on their cultivation. Even though the spiritual energy there was extremely thin, making it difficult for them to cultivate, they were unwilling to waste any time at all. As midnight approached, Zhang Xuan was just about to stand up and stretch a little before heading off to rest when his body suddenly halted. Hmm? Seemingly having sensed something, he turned his head in a certain direction as his eyebrows knitted together into a frown. Chapter 2109 - 2109 Greenbeast Ancient Grass 2109 Greenbeast Ancient Grass Mo Yuan had also opened his eyes by this point. Carrying the heavy responsibility of protecting his students, there was no way he could have really drifted off to sleep. He had been keeping a close eye on their surroundings, and upon taking a closer look, his eyes lit up in excitement. Noting Mo Yuans response, Zhang Xuan shot a questioning nce over. If Im not mistaken, that should be the thing my students are supposed to find for the mission, the Windgale Fox! Mo Yuan exined as he stood up. Zhang Xuans frown only deepened as a result of that. He knew next to nothing about the Firmament, so it went without saying that he had no idea what kind of beast that was. With a light chuckle, Mo Yuan exined, Its a low-tier God realm divine beast. Its offensive and defensive abilities are below average, but its extraordinarily agile. Its blood and beast core harness the wind attribute, allowing cultivators who consume it to move with enhanced agility. Its a mission that has low risk yet still poses some challenge, making it highly suitable for students. Based on my investigations, itsir should be roughly half a days journey away, but it seems like we are in luck! After exining it to Zhang Xuan, Mo Yuan turned to his students and woke them up with a hushed voice. Shen Cheng and Wu Xiaoxiao, wake up! Even though those youths had already fallen fast asleep, as God realm experts, they still maintained a certain degree of awareness of their surroundings even in their sleep. Upon hearing their teachers call, they swiftly got up and shook off their drowsiness. In just a few moments, they were already prepared for battle. Whats wrong, Mo Yuanoshi? the white-robed young man known as Shen Cheng asked with a hint of doubt in his voice. Listen to it yourself, Mo Yuan said as he pointed in a certain direction. Shen Cheng focused his attention on his ears for a moment before his eyes suddenly zed with excitement. Is it the Windgale Fox? Indeed. Mo Yuan nodded. Great! It looks like we might just be able to finish our mission today, Shen Cheng eximed excitedly. He swiftly leaped to his feet and beckoned his fellow ssmates over. Everyone, prepare yourselves! Well be moving ording to the n we devised earlier! Yes! everyone replied in hushed voices before flitting forward quietly. Their movements were very organized, and there were no excessive movements whatsoever. There was absolutely no sound to be heard from their movements. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. As expected of the talents of the Firmament, there was no denying that they were indeed skilled cultivators. Even though they were only low-tier Gods, their fighting prowess was nothing to scoff at. Brother Zhang, you should continue resting here for the time being. Ill head over there to look after them, Mo Yuan said with a light chuckle before swiftly following his students. Zhao Ya, Ill leave it to you to take care of your juniors and my parents. Ill be right back, Zhang Xuan instructed Zhao Ya before heading forth. He felt that it would give him a good gauge of the average fighting prowess of cultivators in the Firmament if he could watch how those students moved to capture the Windgale Fox. As Zhang Xuan had not fully recovered from his injuries, he was only barely able to keep up with Mo Yuan and his students. By the time he arrived, Shen Cheng and the other students had already managed to encircle the Windgale Fox. The Windgale Fox was rtively small in physique, and through the shes between the divine beasts and the students, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was not too strong. The only advantage it had in the battle was its speed. These students are really not bad, Zhang Xuan murmured as he studied their offensive maneuvers carefully. He had thought that they would be amateurs, especially given how young they were. However, the tactics and flexibility they had disyed so far showed apletely different story. Each and every one of them was mindful of their coborative formation when they made their moves, making absolutely sure that they did not carelessly open up any gaps that would give the Windgale Fox an opportunity to slip past them. As a result, the Windgale Fox found itself unable to escape despite its speed advantage. It was no wonder Mo Yuan subconsciously looked down on the disciples taken in by the master teachers. Just by looking at Shen Cheng and the others, it was obvious that the students taken in by the Twilight Academy were the cream of the crop. Be it their flexibility, timing, or battle sense, Shen Cheng and the others had proved that their capabilities far exceeded those of an ordinary cultivator. It looks like itll be impossible for the Windgale Fox to escape, Zhang Xuan remarked thoughtfully. Given how meticulous Shen Cheng and the others were, there was no way they would allow the Windgale Fox to escape. With this, the conclusion of the battle had already been decided. Thinking that there was no point watching any longer, Zhang Xuan turned around to return to Zhao Ya and the others. However, barely after he took a few steps, another thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. Based on his understanding, most beasts would only move around in a fixed area that they had imed to be their territory. Other than predators heading out for a hunt, most beasts would not step out of their territory easily due to the risks. Based on what Mo Yuan had said, the habitat of the Windgale Fox was roughly half a day away, so why would it venture so far out of its territory in the middle of the night? This was contrary tomon sense. Holding onto such a doubt, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight and began to study the Windgale Fox carefully. Many movement trails intersecting one another appeared in his sight. It took him just a short moment to discern the one that belonged to the Windgale Fox, and his eyes lit up a little. Its footprints were exceptionally light, suggesting that it was in the midst of chasing something. During its hunt, it suddenly sensed the presence of Shen Cheng and the other students nearby, causing it to immediately turn tail to run, but it was already toote for it to get away. Zhang Xuan carefully traced the Windgale Foxs footsteps before it started running away, and it did not take long for the shadows of the night to envelop his silhouette. Something that could bring the Windgale Fox out of itsir and travel over half a day in the middle of the night was likely something extraordinary. Zhang Xuan had a feeling that the results of his search would not disappoint him. He traveled for a while before finallying to a halt. The Windgale Foxs footsteps stopped in the middle of a dense forest. Most likely, this was where the Windgale Fox had first noticed the presence of Shen Cheng and the others and started escaping. So, Zhang Xuan slowly walked toward the dense forest as he studied his surroundings carefully. The crescent moon in the sky was not a particrly bright source of light, and the shadows of the leaves above only made everything appear darker. Zhang Xuan found that his visibility had been reduced significantly even with his Eye of Insight activated. Finally, he arrived at the very spot where the footsteps stopped and began to examine his surroundings carefully. However, except for some ordinary nts, he did not notice anything that was out of ce. There was nothing that hinted at what the Windgale Fox was trying to find. This peculiarity piqued Zhang Xuans curiosity. The Windgale Fox could not possibly have taken such a huge risk to venture out of itsir just to chase nothing, so there was bound to be something around. He just had to figure out what it was. Zhang Xuan had not been able to use the Library of Heavens Path over the past month, and the nts in the Firmament were vastly different from those in the Azure and Master Teacher Continent, so he was not able to urately identify any of them. Nevertheless, through his Eye of Insight, he was still able to tell which ones were safe to eat. Even if he was somehow wrong, they happened to have someone who possessed the Innate Poison Body with them. They could go through her first, and if she found the nts unpleasant, there was a good chance that it would be fine for them to eat it. As he had been using the Eye of Insight all along, he knew that it was definitely effective in the Firmament. If the Windgale Fox had really been pursuing something, there was no way he would not be able to find any traces of that thing. That only left one possibilitythe thing that the Windgale Fox was looking for was still in the vicinity! So, he conducted another thorough scan of his surroundings, but he was still unable to find anything worthy of note. By now, a frown had already formed on his face. Unless the thing the Windgale Fox had been pursuing was able to fly in the air or dig underground, there was no way he would not pick up anything with his Eye of Insight. If the thing is capable of flight, theres no way the Windgale Fox would have been able to catch up with it. So, is it in the earth? He looked at the dry earth beneath him, but it showed no signs of having been dug up. In his confusion, his eyes suddenly fell upon a verdant de of wild grass. This wild grass did not stand out in contrast to its surroundings, but Zhang Xuan swiftly noticed something off about it. He had searched this area at least ten times for wild grass, but he had not seen this de of grass before. If it had been there all along, he would have already plucked it out and guzzled it down. There was no way he would have left it till now. So, Zhang Xuan reached out and touched the nt. Weng! A book materialized in his head. Greenbeast Ancient Grass, its a unique creature that has the ability to freely change between the form of a beast and the form of a de of grass. Its a medicinal herb that is highly nourishing to ones soul. If its concocted together with Mayang Beast Blood, the resulting medicine has the effect of raising a Gods soul to the level of a Celestial God. No. 1: It carries extremely potent poison, making it highly detrimental to the human body. If one is unable to break down the poison, even if ones soul grows stronger under its nourishment, ones body will gradually wear down under the effects of the poison. No. 2: Its an extremely rare medicinal herb in the Firmament... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. If not for the fact that he could use the Library of Heavens Path, he might have been fooled by the other partys appearance. This thing looked no different from real grass, such that he could not tell the difference even with his Eye of Insight. This was really simr to the cordyceps in his previous life. It was a worm in winter but a nt in summer, and it was known for its medicinal value. It was really a huge blessing for him to have stumbled upon such an invaluable treasure. Just the fact that it could allow a soul to advance from the God realm to the Celestial God realm was enough to show just how potent its medicinal energy was. It was no wonder the Windgale Fox had braved through danger in order to hunt it down. As for its poisonous property, as someone who cultivated the Heavens Path Divine Art, it did not pose a problem to him at all. Coming to realize the value of the nt before him, there was no way he would allow it to escape. Without any warning, his hand swiped forth to grab it. The Greenbeast Ancient Grass seemed to have realized Zhang Xuans intent to capture it. It immediately leaped out of the soil and bolted forward. Its movement was so swift that it felt like a furious tempest had just blown past the area. Where do you think you are going? The only reason Zhang Xuan had difficulty capturing even a rabbit previously was due to the severity of his injuries weighing down on him and his energy deficit. However, after enjoying a satisfying dinner earlier, he had managed to recover a fair bit of his stamina. If he could not even catch a de of grass in his current state, he would not be able to face himself anymore! With a step, he covered eight meters in an instant as he extended his hand. Divine energy burst forth from the tips of his fingers, and it swiftly weaved together to form a tight. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! Under the prowess of a swordsmanship that had surpassed even the Heavens Path Sword Art, the de of grass was swiftly captured. With a light pinch, he picked up the Greenbeast Ancient Grass and channeled his soul energy into it. A momentter, he felt a soothing energy flowing back into his soul, leaving him feeling warm and fuzzy all over. Satisfied with the results of his hunt, Zhang Xuan bound the Greenbeast Ancient Grass in yet another of sword qi in order to ensure that it would not be able to escape before wrapping it carefully with a piece of cloth. His soul cultivation was only at the level of a low-tier God at the moment. If he could raise it to the level of a Celestial God, he was confident that he would be able to stand toe-to-toe with any other Celestial God! After securing his medicinal herb, he swiftly made his way back to their gathering spot, where Zhao Ya and the others were. Mo Yuan and his students had already returned by the time he arrived, and the Windgale Fox was in their hands. It struggled with all its might, but it waspletely powerless to reverse its fate. As he expected, they had managed to seed without too much trouble. So, Zhang Xuan walked over and said with a smile, Congrattions, you have managed to aplish your mission! Brother Zhang, where did you go? Mo Yuan asked. He had been slightly surprised to see that Zhang Xuan was not around when they arrived earlier. I wanted to see how you were going to capture the Windgale Fox, so I followed you earlier. However, I didnt manage to catch up with you, and I lost my bearing for a moment while trying to make my way back, Zhang Xuan said. You must be really dumb to be able to lose your way even though its such a short distance! The youngdy under Mo Yuans tutge, Wu Xiaoxiao, looked at Zhang Xuan with disdain in her eyes. This bunch had nearly caused them to fail their mission. It would have been one thing if they were strong, but it turned out that they were merely buffoons who could lose their way just like that. Why in the world did they have to get involved with this bunch of fools? More importantly, Senior Shen Chengs eyes had always been on her before, but he had not even spared her a nce ever since those fewdies appeared. Just thinking about this filled her with fury. Chapter 2110 - 2110 Streak of Grey 2110 Streak of Grey Who do you think you are insulting? Zhao Ya immediately stood up and spoke with an utterly cold voice. She could still overlook it if the other party had insulted her, but she would never allow anyone to insult her teacher! You should know very well who I am talking about! Wu Xiaoxiao spoke with a voice filled with contempt. If you are weak, you should have the sense to stay put and not run about. Otherwise, youll only be troubling us to save you when you run into danger! Enough! Mo Yuan bellowed furiously. Teacher... Wu Xiaoxiao turned to look at Mo Yuan indignantly. Look at how you are behaving! Is this how a student of the Twilight Academy should conduct herself? Mo Yuan berated. After that, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Please dont take it to heart. Xiaoxiao is still young, so shes still a littlecking in etiquette. Do forgive her if she has said anything that has offended you. Its fine, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Given everything he had been through in the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure, there was no way he would lose his temper over the mere words spoken by a youngdy. After resolving this conflict, Mo Yuan brought the Windgale Fox to one side and interrogated it using his special means. Following that, he left the group discreetly for roughly two hours before returning with a deep furrow on his forehead. It seemed like he had noticed that something was amiss as well, but he didnt manage to find anything in the end. He was a little perplexed by the oue, but he didnt really turn his suspicions toward Zhang Xuan. Considering how even a beast as swift as the Windgale Fox wasnt able to capture the Greenbeast Ancient Grass, it was practically impossible for Zhang Xuan to obtain it, assuming that he was even able to see through its disguise in the very first ce. The night proceeded on without words. At the first crack of dawn, the group began packing up before returning back to Twilight City. Mo Yuan was d that he was able to fulfill the task which Elder Yang Xuan had tasked him withoutpromising his students mission. Even though it was regretful that he didnt manage to obtain the Greenbeast Ancient Grass, on the whole, it had still been a fruitful trip. As they were returning via the same path they came by, Mo Yuan and his students were extremely familiar with the directions. Perhaps it was due to the receding of the spiritual energy, most of the divine beasts in the mountain had already fled the area, so they didnt encounter any major threat on their way back. Just like that, they traveled for three days straight. With Mo Yuan, a middle-tier God, traveling along with them, hunting down beasts and securing ample food was not an issue for the group at all. With each sumptuous meal, Zhang Xuan was able to gradually replenish his Heavens Path zhenqi, which in turn allowed him to swiftly heal from his injuries. He was still a far way off from making a breakthrough, but at the very least, he wasnt as frail as when he first arrived in the Firmament anymore. We should be able to get out of the mountain range by today, Mo Yuan said. However, its still too early to lower our guard yet. There are quite a few powerful bandits in the vicinity of the Grand Spirit Mountain. Those fellows are tenacious fools who would stop at nothing! The receding of spiritual energy had happened so quickly that many cultivators suddenly found themselves in a position where even they had trouble making a living. As a result, many of them ended up resorting to plundering merchants or travelers passing by the area. The City Lord Manor hadunched numerous operations in order to get rid of the bandits, but it barely made a difference at all. With their survival at stake, it was unlikely that the bandits would stop out of fear of the City Lord Manor. As long as the root of the problem remained unsolved, more and more cultivators would eventually turn to plunder for survival over time. Hearing that there were bandits in the area, the faces of the crowd turned grim. Dealing with humans was often much more dangerous than dealing with beasts. It was very likely that the trip from the mountain range back to Twilight City was the most dangerous part of the entire mission. All of you have heard it, right? Make sure not to run about as you please. Also, we arent necessarily able to protect you in the face of bandits either, so youll need to buck up and pull your own weight! Wu Xiaoxiao looked at Zhang Xuan and the others and harrumphed coldly. That being said, none of Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples paid her any heed. From the very start, they had never intended to count on them for protection. Zhao Ya, you should stay by my side in case we encounter bandits. Ill make sure to protect you with my life, Shen Cheng walked over and said confidently. Theres no need for that, Zhao Ya replied curtly as she headed over to her teachers side without any hesitation. This... Shen Cheng was left standing awkwardly on the spot after being rejected so bluntly. Behind him, Wu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth in fury. In order to prevent any mishaps, the group hastened their footsteps and flitted ahead. Teacher, why dont we rest for a while? Were only four hours away from Twilight City anyway, so I think it should be fine for us to slow down our pacing a little... Wu Xiaoxiao proposed with a weary tone. Having rushed their way throughout the night, all of Mo Yuans students were showing signs of extreme exhaustion. Surprisingly, Zhao Ya and the rest of Zhang Xuans direct disciples hadnt shown any signs of fatigue despite their weaker cultivation yet, and they were able to catch up without pulling down the groups pacing. Mo Yuan was a little hesitant to stop here, but seeing that it would be difficult for his students to push on in their current state, he eventually nodded and gave his approval. The crowd quickly found an obscurely located ditch and got in. They lit up a bonfire and gathered around it to warm themselves up. Heaving a sigh of relief, they were just about to take a break when the galloping of horses sounded in the distance. The ground trembled ceaselessly, foreboding a catastrophe. Damn it! Mo Yuan cursed lividly. He didnt think that they would be so unlucky as to be attacked barely when they had just settled down to rest. With a wave of his hand, he swiftly put out the bonfire before carefully rising up to check out the situation. Neighhhhh! The galloping finally came to a halt. A group of thirteen figures riding atop tall and powerful steeds had gathered around the ditch they were in, encircling them rightly. Amidst the group, a middle-aged man wielding a crescent saber was escorted by two guards by his sides. From the looks of it, it would appear that he was the leader of this pack of bandits. Despite his clean facial features, a portion of his fringe was dyed grey, forming a stark contrast with his rtively young appearance. Streak of Grey? Mo Yuans eyes quivered at that sight. There were many bandits around Twilight City, but most of them wouldnt pose much of a threat to them... However, y was particrly notorious around Twilight City for wielding the greatest strength amongst the bandits! No one knew the real name of this bandit, and they only remembered him by the streak of grey hair at his fringe. That was also how his alias, Streak of Grey, came around. Not only was he vicious, he also had the strength to go along with it, making him a widely feared individual by those living in the vicinity of Twilight City. It was said that his cultivation had already reached middle-tier God realm pinnacle. It seems like I am still quite well-known here, Streak of Grey chuckled yfully. Of course, who wouldnt recognize our boss? Since you know us, you should know the rules. Cut the crap and hand over everything you have. Dont let your bravado cost you your life! The bandits by the sideughed heartily. It was clear that Mo Yuan was a little intimidated through his tightly-clenched fists. Nevertheless, knowing that everyone else was relying on him, he forced himself to step forward and say, I am a teacher from the Twilight Academy, Mo Yuan. My students and I have left the city to carry out a mission, so we didnt bring much wealth with us. I beseech you to let us off this once... Mission? Streak of Grey frowned in disappointment. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he continued, Since thats the case, Ill make do with just your weapons and that Windgale Fox in your hands then! This time around, Mo Yuan didnt respond right away. And this moment of silence opened a gap for Wu Xiaoxiao to interject in, Why should we give you the Windgale Fox that we hunted with great difficulty? You better scram right now, or else Ill have my father capture all of you once we return to the city! Your father? Thats right! My father is the city lord of Twilight City, Wu Fangqing! You should be well aware that hes a powerful Celestial God, so I advise you to stop this foolishness. How out of your minds must you be to even dare to rob me? Just touch a single hair of mine, and you can be sure that hell lop off all of your heads! Wu Xiaoxiao spoke proudly. It was one thing for a bunch of Semi-Divinity realmsses to steal her crush away from her, but these bandits actually dared to eye the Windgale Fox that they had hunted with great difficulty! They must really be tired of living! You are the daughter of the city lord? Streak of Grey was surprised for a moment before he roared inughter, as if he had heard the funniest thing in his life. He looked at his band around him and asked, Lads, tell her! Have we ever feared that city lord before? Fear? Hahaha! If we were scared of that city lord, we would have never chosen such a life! You sure did us a huge service! Arent you curious to see how much your darling daddy would be willing to fork out in order to save you? That city lord has left us tight on our toes over the past few years. We can finally return the favor to him now so as to show him that we arent to be trifled with! The bandits cheered excitedly. What are you all trying to do? Wu Xiaoxiao thought that these pesky bandits would surely flee in fear after hearing her identity, but instead, her words seemed to have furthered their determination. Completely taken aback by such a turn of events, her voice quivered in fear, betraying her uncertainty. One must know that her father was a Celestial God, such that no one in Twilight City would dare to defy him. Yet, this bunch of lowlifes actually didnt fear her father at all... Were they really not afraid of death? What are we trying to do? Streak of Greyughed. We were thinking of robbing a bunch of poor students, but it appears that theres a big fish hidden amongst them. Lads, make sure that not even a single one of them escapes. If we seed, you can be sure that every single one of you will be handsomely rewarded! Roger that, boss! The banditsughed sinisterly as they tightened the encirclement. Seeing such a sight, Mo Yuan shook his head with a deep sigh before whispering to Shen Cheng discreetly, Ill buy some time. Find a way to break out of their encirclement with everyone else! Then, he charged right at Streak of Grey without any hesitation. In his view, the only way they could turn the tables around was to quickly defeat Streak of Grey and persuade the other bandits to surrender through that. H! Without any hesitation, he released a burst of sword qi in Streak of Greys direction, causing thetter to narrow his eyes. Middle-tier Gods were still considered to be in the lower echelons of the Firmament, but without a doubt, their stren and agility far surpassed that of low-tier Gods. Furthermore, as a teacher, Mo Yuan_s maneuvers exceptionally polished, making a potential threat to Streak of Grey. You are courting death! Streak of Grey knew that it would eventuallye down to this, so he raised his crescent saber and pulled it down upon Mo Yuan. It was a terribly simple move, but the sheer might behind the attack made it difficult to deal with. Mo Yuan was forced to quickly pull his sword in to defend against the blow. Kacha! As overwhelming might crushed down on him, Mo Yuans sword trembled endlessly. He felt a sharp pain stabbing the webbing between his thumb and his forefinger, and crimson blood flowed down his palm. The sheer force caused his knee to cave him, causing him to kneel to the ground. Through his superior strength and the height advantage from being on horseback, Streak of Grey was able to subdue Mo Yuan in a single strike. True strength conquers all obstacles... Zhang Xuan remarked softly. He knew that the situation was going to turn awry when he heard Wu Xiaoxiao reporting her background. The city lord might be a powerful cultivator, but his sphere of influence wasnt so great as to extend beyond the city walls. Furthermore, those men standing before them were bandits. Bandits! Telling them I am the daughter of the city lord was as good as saying My family is loaded so suck me dry! It was one thing for this youngdy to be spoiled, but herck of worldly experience made that even more fatal. It was the perfect recipe for someone to dive recklessly into oblivion. But again, it was not like it really made much of a difference anyway. The bandits wouldnt let them go either way. In the first ce, those who could get into the Twilight Academy were the top-notch geniuses of Twilight City, and most of them had illustrious backgrounds. To rob such people and let them walk away alive, that was as good as setting up a time bomb for themselves. As someone who was able to make his name as a bandit, there was no way Streak of Grey would show mercy to them just because they were students. The only reason why the other party imed that he was only going to take the weapons and the Windgale Fox was so as to numb everyone, making it easier for them to take down the group. It was because they had seen through this that neither Zhang Xuan nor Mo Yuan stopped Wu Xiaoxiao when she went on her Big Missy Tantrum1. Peng! While such thoughts were passing through Zhang Xuans mind, Streak of Grey abruptly retracted his crescent saber and swung it down on Mo Yuan once more with greater force. This strike sent Mo Yuan mming onto the walls of the ditch, and his body slid to the ground before slumping forward weakly. He hadnt passed down yet, but it would be hard for him to move in his current condition. Tie him up! Hu! Two of the bandits quickly galloped forward with ropes and tied Mo Yuan up tightly. So, what are the rest of you nning to do? Are you going to try fighting back? After knocking out the most powerful Mo Yuan in two blows, Streak of Grey turned to look at the remaining members of the group with a haughty look in his eyes. This... Shen Cheng, Wu Xiaoxiao, and the others subconsciously took a step back as they looked at the bandits with quivering eyes. They thought that their teacher would at least be able to fend off the bandits for a moment, buying some time for them to escape. Yet, contrary to their expectations, their teacher was defeated within two blows... Their teacher was the only one amongst them who was a middle-tier God. If even he was no match for the bandits, how could the rest of them stand a chance at all? Just as everyone was at a loss as to what to do, Zhang Xuan suddenly walked forward with a weirdly rxed look on his face. Chapter 2111 - 2111 I Am A Bandit But I Have Been Robbed! 2111 I Am A Bandit But I Have Been Robbed! The young man walked silently with a natural posture, but he wasnt walking in the direction where Streak of Grey was. Instead, he was heading toward where Mo Yuans sword had fallen earlier, and he bent his body down to pick it up. His movements were so leisurely andposed that it felt almost as if he was oblivious to the fact that he waspletely surrounded by bandits. Streak of Grey hadnt expected the twenty-year-old low-tier God to be able to remain so calm in his presence. He assessed the young man before him with narrowed eyes and said, Brat, you sure have guts! Is that fellow a fool? I have already defeated the most powerful expert amongst them in two blows, but not only is that young man unafraid, he even walked over to pick up a sword... Does he think that the sword is more important than his life? Mo Yuan was taken aback by Zhang Xuans action as well. It was true that his sword was no ordinary weapon, being a middle-tier God artifact, but it was something that he had already tamed and assimted. The young man wouldnt be able to use it even if he were to pick it up, so why was he doing something so futile? Shh, dont speak. After picking up the sword, Zhang Xuan brought his finger to his lips before looking around calmly, Listen closely with your heart. Listen closely with our hearts? Everyone was bbergasted. What was this young man trying to do over here? Dont waste our time with such crap! One of the bandits eventually lost his patience after listening to the gibberish Zhang Xuan was uttering. He raised his brawny arms to p the living daylights out of the young man. Weng! But before his p couldnd, a joyful reverberation suddenly echoed from the sword in the young mans hands. Tamed! In less than two breaths after picking it up, the young man had already managed to assimte the middle-tier God sword, iming it for his own! T! A cold glint shed from the tip of the middle-tier God sword, and in the next moment, the bandit felt a sharp pain in his wrist. Plop! Before he even realized it, his hand had already fallen to the ground. Ahhh! the bandit cried in agony, nearly fainting from the excruciating pain. He had intended to p that fool of a young man awake, but never in his wildest dream would he have expected the young man to tame the sword so quickly. Not to mention, the young man aimed his sword at his blind spot, leaving him with no time to react at all. As a result, he lost his hand in an instant. You... Streak of Grey also hadnt expected such a situation either. His astonishment swiftly turned into wariness and fury, and without any warning, he charged forth and swung his crescent saber down upon the young man. Hu! His saber tore down through the air with tremendous force, crushing down everything that stood in its path. He thought that the young man would raise his sword to fend against his attack, just like what Mo Yuan did earlier, but things didnt go in the way he nned. The young man chose to dash forward instead, rushing up to his steed in an instant. After that, the young man tossed his sword over to his left hand and used his freed right hand to stroke the forehead of the horse. As Zhang Xuan was too close to the horse, Streak of Grey wasnt able to follow through with his attack for fear of harming his steed, leaving him with no choice but to forcefully retract his saber. WangYing! Zhang Xuan called out as he touched the cheeks of the horse. Wang Ying immediately caught Zhang Xuans drift. She sprinted over to the steeds of the other bandits and touched them one after another too. Seeing how his hostages were trying to flirt with their horses instead of attempting to retaliate or escape, Streak of Grey was on the verge of going insane. The other bandits were dumbstruck as well. Bro, do you even realize what is happening? We have you surrounded, and your life is in our clutches! Can you have some realization as a hostage? Why the heck are you trying to y with our horses instead of fighting back? Are you all idiots? Its a waste of time to talk with you. Die! With a cold sneer, Streak of Grey raised his crescent saber to strike down on Zhang Xuan once more. No matter what the young man was up to, it would all be meaningless once he was dead. Neighhh! But before the saber could strike, the steed beneath Streak of Greys crotch neighed loudly before leaping up into the air. The sudden movement of the steed disrupted Streak of Greys attack, causing his sh to miss the mark. Making use of this opening, Zhang Xuans left hand reached out and touched the saber from the side. Weng! The saber released a soft humming reverberation... You... Streak of Grey widened his eyes incredulously as he swiftly realized what had just happened. He had fought alongside the crescent saber for at least twenty years now, such that there was no weapon that felt right in his hand other than it anymore. But in the blink of an eye, his saber actually submitted to another man? The breakup was so decisive that he actually felt cuckolded! Furthermore, why would his steed suddenly leap up at that instant? It was almost as if it was trying to interfere with his movements! Streak of Grey was a little spooked by all of the unexinable happenings around him, but he knew better than to be distracted in the midst of a battle. Regardless of who the crescent saber had submitted to, everything shoulde to an end once he had dealt with the young man. So, he tried to lift the crescent saber to cut down the young man before him, only to find that the crescent saber had be too heavy for him to lift anymore. Shocked, he lowered his gaze, only to see the young man looking at him calmly. You are holding onto my possession. Let go. Right after saying those words, the young man swung the sword in his left hand in a trajectory parallel to the crescent saber, aiming straight toward Streak of Greys wrist. Streak of Grey immediately tried to move to dodge the attack, only to find that he was unable to move due to the weight of the crescent saber. Flustered, he was left with no choice but to release his grip. The young man before him immediately made use of that opportunity to grab hold of the crescent saber beforeunching a follow-up sh with it. Streak of Grey instinctively leaned backward to move out of range from the attack, only to have his steed take a step forward at that moment. Streak of Grey. This is too much! To think that I have doted on you for so many years! Due to the steeds forward movement, his evasion maneuver was rendered ineffective, resulting in his head being moved right in the trajectory path of the crescent saber. In that instant, Streak of Grey realized that the young man had tamed his steed too through some sort of sorcery, and it was likely that he would be in greater danger if he were to remain on horseback. Thus, he quickly rolled to the side and tumbled down from the horse. With this, Streak of Grey was able to dodge the crescent saber in the nick of time. While gasping heavily for air, he immediately pushed his hands against the ground to prop himself back to his feet. As long as he could regain his momentum, he was confident that he would be able to defeat the young man before him with his superior strength. But just as he was in the midst of getting back to his feet, he suddenly felt a shadow falling down on his face, mercilessly pushing him back to the ground. A horse hoof had been imprinted at the center of his face. On a positive note, that solved one of the doubts in his mind. He was now certain that his steed had indeed betrayed him, just like the crescent saber. You bastard! ughter them all! Streak of Grey was on the brink of losing his mind. He would have never dreamed that he would be defeated in such an unbelievable manner. The young man was surely weaker than him, he had no doubt about that. However, by swiftly taming his crescent saber and his steed through some sort of miracle, the young man was actually managed to push him, a middle-tier God, to a corner. It was one thing if he was overpowered by an even more powerful opponent, but he couldnt ept losing in such a ridiculous manner! It was only after hearing Streak of Greys shout did the rest of the bandits return to their senses. Recalling the situation they were in, they struck the sides of their steeds, prompting them to charge toward Zhao Ya and the others But as fate would have it, the story unfolded in apletely different direction than they had expected. All of the horses which the youngdy had touched previously turned toward one another and unhesitatingly raised their hooves to kick the riders down. None of the bandits were prepared for such a situation, resulting in them being struck squarely in their core. They fell to the ground while spurtingrge mouthfuls of blood. What the hell is going on over here? Streak of Grey felt like his thread of sanity was about to snap at any moment. The reason why they rode on horses was so as to ensure that they could strike their enemies unaware and escape before reinforcements arrived. It should have been a key advantage they had over their targets, but all of a sudden, it had turned into a liability to them instead! T! Just as Streak of Grey was at aplete loss to what he should do, a burst of sword qi suddenly surged in his direction. The sword qi swiftly unfurled itself to form a resilient that bound him in ce in the blink of an eye. And before he could even attempt to struggle out of the, a sword had already been ced next to his neck. Stop! Feeling the chilling sharpness of the sword pressed against his neck, Streak of Grey hurriedly issued the order for his subordinates to stop their attack. If one thing was certain, the bandits were indeed veteran fighters. Despite the initial chaos injuring over half of them, they were able to swiftly regain their footing and continue the attack. With just a few blows, they were able to knock Shen Cheng and the others to the ground. So, when they heard the order to stop, they couldnt help but turn to look at Streak of Grey indignantly. It was humiliating for them. As the most notorious group of bandits in the area, they should have been able to deal with a group of students even with their eyes closed. Yet, their boss ended up being done in at this critical moment... Thats more like it, Zhang Xuan nodded with a satisfied smile. With his current strength, if he were to bring forth the full prowess of his A Heart of Intertwined Threads, he would have been able to defeat Streak of Grey with ease. However, he didnt choose to do so out of considerations of how thin the spiritual energy in the surroundings was. He wouldnt be able to recover his energy quickly, and that could pose a disastrous situation if they were toe under the attack of another group of bandits. He knew that he would have to win the fight strategically so as to not risk losing the war. So, he tamed Mo Yuans sword and Streak of Greys steed in order to throw thetter off... And finally, once thetter let his guard down, heunched the decisive blow. He could tell that the bandits were loyal to Streak of Grey, so as long as he could take down thetter, everything else would fall in ce. Have them hand over all of their weapons, Zhang Xuanmanded as he pressed his sword tightly against Streak of Greys neck. Streak of Grey felt incredibly humiliated, but with his life in the young mans hands, he had no other choice. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do as he says! Yes... The bandits swiftly ced the weapons in their hands onto the ground. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the rest of you, I want you to take a weapon each and tame it as quickly as possible, Zhang Xuan instructed. Yes! Zhao Ya and the others nodded before heading over to grab the bandits weapons. After arriving at the Firmament, they swiftly realized that the Semi-Divinity artifacts that they were carrying were already not of much use to them anymore. If they could tame those low-tier God weapons those bandits were wielding and assimte them, their fighting prowess should rise significantly. Pressing his sword even more tightly against Streak of Greys neck, to the point that a trail of blood was flowing down his body, Zhang Xuan said coldly, Tell your men to hand over their treasures, Divine Coins, and everything that is of value! Streak of Grey felt frenzied to see how the tables had turned, but valuing his life, he turned to his men w teeth and shouted, Didnt you hear him? The heck, I am the one who is the bandit! I should be the one that is threatening you lot to hand over your money! y-yes... The bandits nced at one another in uncertainty, but eventually, they emptied out all of their pockets and handed over their wealth. Through his conversations with Mo Yuan, Zhang Xuan found out that the Nine Skies of the Firmament used amon currency known as Divine Coins. It was simr to the gold coins of the Master Teacher Continent, but these coins harnessed the essence of the Firmament, rendering fraud impossible. Watching as the bandits whipped out over 200 Divine Coins, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He then turned his gaze toward Streak of Grey and assessed him from head to toe before swiping away his storage ring. It was difficult to create spaces that were strong enough to withstand the spatial pressure of the Firmament, making storage rings an incredibly valuable and raremodity. Not even Mo Yuan had a storage ring. Most likely, Streak of Grey must have spent a huge portion of his ill-gained fortune in order to acquire it. In any case, the storage ring was his now. Zhang Xuan quickly assimted the storage ring before keeping all of the Divine Coins and items on the ground into it. Then, he instructed Zhao Ya and the others to swiftly tie up all of the bandits. After that was done, he had Zhao Ya, Shen Cheng, and everyone else get onto the bandits steeds in pair before swiftly galloping off toward Twilight City. Those bandits have done much evil over the past few years... If we capture them, we can trade their heads for a bounty... Mo Yuan said weakly. The City Lord Manor had ced Streak of Grey and his band of bandits on the bounty list for quite some time now, so if they could apprehend them and bring them to the City Lord Manor, it was likely that they would be rewarded handsomely for their service. Theres no need for that. Someone will clean up after us, Zhang Xuan said with a mysterious smile as his horse galloped swiftly ahead. Considering that the daughter of the city lord was here with them, it was hard to believe that there was no one around to protect her other than her middle-tier God realm teacher. And just like what Zhang Xuan had thought, shortly after they left, two silhouettes suddenly emerged from the shadows to stand before Streak of Grey and his band of bandits. Upon catching a closer look at the appearances of the two silhouettes, Streak of Greys face paled in despair before he released a deste cry. Damn it! We should have been the ones who are the bandits, yet we ended up being the ones who were robbed instead... Damn it! Chapter 2112 - 2112 Twilight City 2112 Twilight City It was true that handing those bandits over would allow them to earn a sizable bounty, but it would also mean that they would have to hand over what they had looted from the bandits. No matter how much the bounty was, it was likely only to be forty to fifty Divine Coins. That wouldnt even hold a candle to what they had snatched directly from the bandits. After assimting Streak of Greys storage ring, Zhang Xuan found more than 400 Divine Coins inside, which meant that he had just earned around 600 Divine Coins from them. This was still excluding the pills, medicinal herbs, and weapons that they had collected. Streak of Grey must have done quite a lot of bad things over the years, or else there was no way he would have been able to umte such wealth. Given that he had left Streak of Grey to the City Lord Manor, which was a golden opportunity for the City Lord Manor to assuage the rising dissatisfactions with the City Lord Manor due to the tyranny of the bandits, as well his merit for saving the city lords daughter, it was unlikely that the city lord would be so thick-skinned as to ask him to fork out what he had taken from the bandits. Taking all of these aspects into consideration, Zhang Xuan eventually made the decision to tie the bandits up and leave them there for the City Lord Manor to deal with. That fellow is sharp-witted! The two silhouettes in the shadows looked at the cloud of dust lingering in the distance and the despaired bandits in front of them before remarking quietly. Tasked with protecting the Young Miss, they had been keeping a close eye out on the situation all this while. Till now, they were still unable to figure out whether the young man was really that resourceful or that he was actually a powerful expert in disguise. Report this matter to the city lord! one of the silhouettes in the shadows instructed. Also, get someone here to bring these bandits back. Well be holding a public trial! Yes, Ill have it done! the other silhouette replied before melding back into the shadows. With steeds to ride on this time around, Zhang Xuan, Mo Yuan, and the others were able to proceed forward with unprecedented speed. It took them only an hour before the tall and sturdy city walls appeared in their view. This must be Twilight City! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. The city before him was far beyond the scale of any city he had seen previously, such that it was no exaggeration to say that it was evenrger than Starchaser Ind! The grey city walls seemed to extend endlessly, and a massive formation shrouded the entire city, dyeing it with a color of mystery. Mo Yuan nodded to affirm Zhang Xuans exmation. He had sustained heavy injuries from his encounter with Streak of Grey earlier, but as a veteran cultivator, he made sure to bring basic recovery items with him no matter where he went. After using those recovery items and recuperating for roughly an hour, he was already able to move around without much trouble. Arriving before the city gates, Mo Yuan took out the special ess Token he had been given, and the guards permitted them entry without conducting any checks. As soon as they stepped into the city, Zhang Xuan could sense a vast difference in the atmosphere. The world outside was barren and vicious. Ferocious winds would often stir up out of nowhere, and the temperature would plummet to levels where it was hard for even cultivators to endure during nighttime. More importantly, spiritual energy was hardly existent in the atmosphere. On the other hand, the interiors of the city felt warm like spring, and the spiritual energy in the air was concentrated and refreshing. It was just a single wall of difference, but it felt like he had walked from one world into another. This is an amazing formation, Zhang Xuan remarked in awe. It would take an extremely powerful formation to iste the city from the outer world so thoroughly, such that the conditions between both ces were entirely different. Zhang Xuan knew that he wouldnt be able to pull something like that off in his current state. Even at the very least, he would have to reach the levels of a Celestial God in order to do it. This formation is the key to sustaining the cities. Shortly after the receding of spiritual energy began, the Nine God Monarchs ordered the God Kings under them to construct these formations over major cities so as to preserve their conditions. Unless an equivalent expert were to make a move, or else it would be impossible to damage these formations, Mo Yuan exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It seemed like he had made an underestimation. He thought that the formation was made by a Celestial God, but it would appear that one had to be at the level of the God Kings in order to create such a stable formation. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he opened up his pores. Spiritual energy from the surroundings immediately dived into his body, freeing him from the fatigue he had umted thus far. The spiritual energy of the Firmament is indeed formidable! Zhang Xuan nodded in awe. Just breathing in a little of it was enough to leave him revitalized. It had been twenty days since he arrived at the Firmament, and despite stuffing himself with nts and various food, his cultivation still remained stagnated at where it was. This was his first glimpse of how potent the spiritual energy in the Firmament was. It was not as concentrated as the Aura of Divinity that he absorbed back then, but it was sufficient for a low-tier God like him. It was definitely not something the mercury-like spiritual energy of the Azure couldpare to. It was already the middle of the night when they entered Twilight City, but the streets were still crowded with all sorts of people and vehicles. Taking a swift look around, even the weakest cultivator that could be seen was at Semi-Divinity realm, and they numbered in the minority. That exined why Mo Yuan was surprised when he saw him, Zhao Ya, and the others. It would appear that those in the Firmament were born with the cultivation of a Semi-Divinity, and as long as they could acquire some Aura of Divinity, they would be able to be a god. As it turned out, powerful experts that appeared once every few millenniums in the Azure werent worth a thing in the Firmament at all. Brother Zhang, thank you for saving our lives! Mo Yuan heaved a sigh of relief and he shot a look of gratitude toward Zhang Xuan. He thought that Zhang Xuan was only an ordinary person that was lucky enough to catch Elder Yang Xuans eyes, but it was obvious that thetter had various tricks up his sleeves. Even Wu Xiaoxiaos opinion of Zhang Xuan had changed after the previous incident. From time to time, she would discreetly shoot a nce toward Zhang Xuan with a conflicted expression before turning away with a face reddened with embarrassment. All this while, she thought that Zhang Xuan and the others were nobodies, and the only reason they were qualified to travel with them was due to their teachers standing. Yet, with their own strength, they were able to subdue the notorious Streak of Grey, a criminal who was powerful and sly enough to slip past her fathers grasp numerous times. Just thinking about how she had mocked them throughout the journey filled her with shame. She realized that she was only lucky that Zhang Xuan and the others didnt pay her any heed. Otherwise, even ten of her wouldnt suffice as an opponent for them! We are grateful to you too. If not for you leading the way, we could very well still have been wandering aimlessly around the Grand Spirit Mountain right now, Zhang Xuan chuckled. He slipped his hand into his chest, took out a piece of leaf, and passed it over to Mo Yuan, This is the other half of the note which my teacher passed to me. Thank you, Mo Yuans eyes lit up as he took the leaf from Zhang Xuans hands. On the journey back to Twilight City, he had been modifying his cultivation technique based on the list of ws Elder Yang Xuan had given him back then, and he immediately felt a clear improvement in his physical condition. His stagnated cultivation had grown a little, and his precision of control over his powers had sharpened a fair bit as well. This was more than enough to show that Elder Yang Xuan was the real deal. His encounter with Elder Yang Xuan could very well be the turning point of his life. Perhaps, only an expert of Elder Yang Xuans caliber could groom such extraordinary students. Take Zhang Xuan for example, despite being a realm weaker than him, the other party was able to subdue Streak of Grey. At this point, Mo Yuan pondered for a moment before making an offer, Since its your first time at Twilight City, I suppose you havent decided on any lodging yet. Why dont you follow me to the Twilight Academy? I can arrange for some amodations for you! That would be imposing too much on you. You have been taking good care of us throughout the journey, and it would weigh on me to trouble you any further. Alright, it has been a long day for you and your students, so you should quickly head back and take a good rest, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. The only reason why he traveled together with Mo Yuan was so as to ensure that he, his parents, and his students could get to the nearest city safely. Since they were already here, there was no reason for them to stay together anymore. Furthermore, if they were to go with Mo Yuan, it would only be a matter of time before others learned that they were the ones who had subdued Streak of Grey. That would pose some inconvenience to them. For one, even if the city lord was too embarrassed to get them to fork out the money and items they had taken from Streak of Grey, there was a good chance that the merchants who had been robbed by Streak of Grey in the past would still look for them in hopes of getting back the money they had lost. Things could really get ugly if they were to refuse. Not to mention, Zhang Xuan didnt wish to be put in the limelight, especially not when he didnt have the strength to protect himself, his parents, and his direct disciples yet. His priority at the moment was to be stronger and gain a better understanding of the Firmament before making any future ns. I see. If theres anything you require my help for, feel free to look for me at the Twilight Academy, Mo Yuan replied. He thought that Elder Yang Xuan might have made some other ns for Zhang Xuan and the others, so he didnt insist on the matter. Lets go, Zhang Xuan beckoned the others to follow him before heading into the bustling streets. Young Master, where are we going? Sun Qiang asked. Well find a ce to stay and gather some information on where we can acquire the Aura of Divinity. The priority at the moment is for all of you to reach God realm, Zhang Xuan said. Only after reaching God realm would Zhao Ya and the others have the strength to protect themselves in this world. Otherwise, they would bepletely helpless against anyone who intended them harm. I understand, Sun Qiang nodded. He was exceptionally skilled at getting such misceneous stuff done, so it didnt take him long to secure lodging from the group. It was a rtively spacious residence that could house all of them without being too squeezy. It wasnt too expensive either. The rent was only two Divine Coins per month. It was through this that Zhang Xuan realized that the purchasing power of Divine Coins was far greater than he thought. A single Divine Coin could be traded for a thousand Semi-Divinity Coins, and Semi-Divinity Coins were usually sufficient toplete most transactions in this world. Its a pity that theres no Aura of Divinity in the surrounding spiritual energy, so you wont be able to achieve a breakthrough just by cultivating here. Nevertheless, the spiritual energy here is still very beneficial to your cultivation. Thest few days have been rather difficult on you all, so make sure to rest early after you are done cultivating, Zhang Xuan said. It had been four hours since they had moved into the residence, and the crack of dawn could already be seen at the horizon. After everyone was settled down, Zhang Xuan went into his room and sat down. He immersed his consciousness into the storage ring he had taken from Streak of Grey, and a momentter, a heap of pills and medicinal herbs appeared in his hands. This was the wealth that Streak of Grey gradually umted over the years through his plundering. Through touching each and every one of the medicinal herbs, it didnt take too long for Zhang Xuan to fully understand their properties. They were indeed all expensive stuff, but the Mayang Beast Blood that he needed wasnt amidst the pile. It was the ingredient he needed toplement the Greenbeast Ancient Grass in order for him to raise his soul cultivation. He knew that it was unlikely for him to raise it all the way to the level of a Celestial God in one shot, but it would still be great if he could reach the level of a high-tier God realm through this. The more he came to know about the Firmament, the more urgent he felt it was to quickly bulk up his strength. Unlike his time in the Azure, he was no longer alone. He couldnt allow anything to happen to his direct disciples and his parents. Since the ingredient he needed wasnt inside, he quickly turned his sights to the pills. There was a diverse selection of them, ranging for recovery pills to those used for replenishing spiritual energy. All in all, there were three bottles of the pills that replenished spiritual energy. God Essence Pill, this was the name of the pill. It could replenish ones god essence, which was basically another name for the divine energy that Gods harnessed. Other than that, there were also some books in the storage ring too. Zhang Xuan quickly went through them, and they broadened his understanding of the Firmament considerably. Most of what he had heard from Mo Yuan was covered inside too, but of course, the information in the books was much more detailed. He realized that the God Essence Pill was actually quite an expensive product. Due to the receding of spiritual energy, many medicinal herbs had withered and died, causing a great spike in the prices of pills. Pills that replenished ones spiritual energy were especially in demand. As a result, even though the God Essence Pill wasnt particrly potent, it was still priced at a jaw-dropping one Divine Coin each. Also, it appeared that the God Essence Pill was rather simr to the Immortal Pills of the Azure. It was also split into four tiers as well, namely low-tier, middle-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle. Usually, low-tier God Essence Pills were enough for the cultivation of God realm cultivators. Only after reaching Celestial God realm would one require middle-tier God Essence Pills. Let me give it a try! Zhang Xuan ced a God Essence Pill into his mouth, and a great amount of spiritual energy was swiftly released inside his body. He quickly drove his divine energy to refine and absorb the spiritual energy. Through the cultivation technique he hadprehended during his fight with Kong shis clone, Camaraderie of Brothers, he was able to assimte the spiritual energy quickly. One thing he had realized aboutprehending the Pathos of Heavens was his emotions werent individual entities. Looking at the materialization of his emotions in the form of his cultivation technique, he could see that they were interlinked, weaving closely with one another to form a massivework. Rather than simply stacking onto one another, each emotion heprehended synergized with his previous enlightenments, causing the entirety of the cultivation technique to be raised to a new level. Under the nourishment of the spiritual energy, he was able to swiftly reinforce his God realm cultivation, creating a firm foundation for him to advance to greater heights. Slowly but surely, his aura was growing stronger. Chapter 2113 - 2113 Lottery 2113 Lottery Before Zhang Xuan knew it, he was already standing before a vast and boundless ocean. He could feel a great amount of divine energy pulsating within the ocean, and he could see innumerable surges of golden Aura of Divinity swimming freely within the water. For some reason, he had to concentrate really hard in order to move his hand. He wanted to reach out to grab a surge of Aura of Divinity from the water, but as his body moved, his surroundings suddenly receded from him like an ebbing tide, plunging him into darkness. When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself seated back in his room. It was as if what he had just seen was nothing more than a dream. Was it a hallucination? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never encountered any inner demons of his own ever since he started cultivating, and the inner demons that dared to appear before him ended up bing his students. As a result, he had never seen experienced any hallucinations before. Why would he suddenly start facing such a problem now? Did this mean that the cultivation technique heprehended was wed? With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly took out an empty book and began writing hisprehension of the Pathos of Heavens down on it. But before he could even finish jotting it down, the book suddenly dissipated into ashes. This shocked Zhang Xuan. He had not used any cultivation technique, and he did not exert much strength. He was simply writing as he usually did, but the book abruptly dissipated, as if its pages were unable to harness the knowledge of the Pathos of Heavens. Zhang Xuan looked at the ashes before him in bewilderment for a while before he took out a resilient alloy from his storage ring. Judging from its quality, it should be possible to forge a middle-tier God artifact using it. Even with Zhang Xuans strength, it would be difficult for him to leave a dent in it. With a brush in hand, he began writing down the Pathos of Heavens on it. Hu! Once again, before he could even finish jotting down his cultivation technique, the alloy suddenly disintegrated into dust. It looked as if it was also unable to harness the knowledge of the Pathos of Heavens... The Pathos of Heavens is a cultivation technique that is beyond the understanding of the heavens. This is a sign that the heavens of the Firmament forbid its existence here... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He knew the strength of the Pathos of Heavens. Even though it was free and unrestrained, it was far stronger than the perfect Heavens Path Divine Art that he had cultivated thus far. This meant that it was a cultivation technique that had surpassed the heavens. How could the heavens permit the continued existence of something even stronger than itself in the world? This exins why I was unable to summon the God Ordeal back when I was still in the Azure... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Cultivation ordeals were the manifestation of the heavens rage toward the cultivators who dared get too close to them. Yet, when he summoned his cultivation ordeal, thetter hadpletely disregarded him, choosing to strike Little Chick instead. That bizarre urrence had left him baffled for a long while, but thinking about it, he might have unwittingly stepped out of the heavens jurisdiction, bing an existence that even the heavens dared not punish. Even if I can somehow find a way to write down the Pathos of Heavens, theres no guarantee that the Library of Heavens Path will be able to evaluate it. It seems like I can only count on myself! All along, Zhang Xuan had relied on the Library of Heavens Path in order to perfect all the techniques he had practiced, thus ensuring that he was on the right path. However, it seemed like he had finally reached a stage where he could not rely on his trusty golden finger anymore. He only had himself to count on. He would have to slowly figure things out through trial and error and take a step forward at a time. Fortunately, the sheer amount of knowledge he had umted through reading millions upon millions of books provided him with the foundation and intuition he needed for this daunting task. With a helpless sigh, he quickly reviewed his understanding of the Pathos of Heavens, and so far, he was unable to find any incongruencies in hisprehension. So, he took out the God Essence Pills in the jade bottle and continued swallowing them one after another. Some timeter... Pilip! A series of cracking sounds could be heard from Zhang Xuans body as he rose to his feet. Somehow, he looked much taller than before. Vaguely, one could feel stupendous amount of divine energy circting within his body. Judging just from the quantity of energy, he was at least two times stronger than before. I have reached low-tier God realm pinnacle, Zhang Xuan murmured as he stretched his body to loosen up his stiff joints. Thest few hours had been rather fruitful. He had managed to raise his cultivation from low-tier God realm primary stage to pinnacle, and he was not too far off from making a breakthrough. If not for the fact that he did not have sufficient God Essence Pills, he might have already be a middle-tier God. But again, it wouldnt be wise for me to force a breakthrough right now... Having read through the books that Streak of Gray had left behind, he had been able to gain some understanding of the various cultivation realms of godhood. Given his current condition, it would be possible for him to be a middle-tier God as long as he had sufficient spiritual energy. However, he had only managed to bulk up his divine energy thus far. His physical body and soul had not grown correspondingly stronger. If he forced a breakthrough, his body and soul would be ced under great pressure from the immense divine energy flowing through his meridians. Once that happened, not only would he be unable to exert his full strength, it would also be equivalent to having a ticking time bomb within him. He would be taking on unnecessary risks. Looking out the window, he saw that the sun had already risen high in the sky. It was probably around noon. Barely after Zhang Xuan walked out of the room, Sun Qiang immediately approached him. Young Master, I have managed to gather some information regarding the Aura of Divinity! Just like Mo Yuan mentioned previously, the Aura of Divinity is a carefully controlled resource, and the only way one can acquire it is through scaling the Celestial Mountains. However, the Celestial Mountains are not ces where a cultivator can visit anytime he likes. They only open once every half a year, and only those who are deemed qualified are granted entry to the region. Deemed qualified? Zhang Xuan frowned. Thats right. Only a thousand cultivators are allowed to enter the Celestial Mountain at a time, which means that one must find a way to get onto the name list in order to be granted an opportunity! Sun Qiang replied. I see... How long do we have before the Celestial Mountain opens once more? Zhang Xuan asked. We have less than one day. The Celestial Mountain opens tomorrow, Sun Qiang replied with an awkward smile. This abrupt news left Zhang Xuan slightly stunned. He did not think that time would be so tight. Taking in a deep breath, he asked, How can we make it onto the list of candidates? Those who are beneath thirty-years-old and possess cultivation beneath the God realm are qualified to apply for the candidacy to enter the Celestial Mountain, but the results of the selection are already out... The only way we can get onto the list now is by challenging those on the name list and defeating them. Well be able to rece them. Sun Qiang paused a moment here before continuing. Its just that the presence of this rule has led to those who are on the list going into hiding. Theres no way they will risk losing their chance to enter the Celestial Mountain. Furthermore, most of the candidates are from major powers, so it wont be easy to rece them! There was a good chance that they could be a god after entering the Celestial Mountain tomorrow, so who would be so foolish as to stake their future on a duel? There was a huge difference between a god and a non-god. If they missed this opportunity, they would lose their right to continue cultivating. Is there no other way to go about this? Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown. Given the capabilities of him and his students, he was confident that he would be able to acquire the required slots by tomorrow. That did not pose a problem at all. However, he felt ufortable doing that. He would be robbing others of the hope for a better future, and that would weigh down on him. He knew that the Firmament was a ce where the powerful could do whatever they pleased, but that was not the kind of person he wanted to be. If possible, he did not want to resort to that. Sun Qiang pondered for a brief moment before replying, Based on what I have heard, there is another way. Perhaps because the Sky of Drifting Specters felt that giving a thousand slots to Twilight City is too little and would risk major chaos, it bestowed another two hundred slots to the City Lord Manor, otherwise known as Netherworld Pce. Netherworld Pce ced these slots on sale, and those who sessfully acquire these slots are also able to enter the Celestial Mountain. Twilight City was governed by rules, and those who flouted the rules would be severely punished. But when a person waspletely deprived of hope, they would not hesitate to take risks to achieve what they wanted. It was to avoid such a situation from happening that the Sky of Drifting Specters prepared such a hand. On sale? So, the slots go to the highest bidder? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. If that was the case, a person who had enough money would potentially be able to take all the slots. This was no different from open bribery! That isnt it. The price of the slots isnt too expensive. The key to acquiring the slots is not money but luck! Sun Qiang replied. Luck? Zhang Xuan repeated in bewilderment. How did luck find its way into the equation? Nodding earnestly, Sun Qiang exined, These slots arent sold directly to the cultivators but through a system simr to dice rolling. Netherworld Pce put a hundred numbers on sale for each slot, and a cultivator can choose to buy any of the numbers. Once all hundred numbers have been bought, the results will be announced right after. The person who bought the right number will acquire the slot, and the rest can only try again next time. To prevent abuse of the system, there are certain rules put in ce. A person can only purchase one number a day, and each number can only be bought by one cultivator. This... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. This sounded no different from gambling! With a doubtful look on his face, he asked, How much does it cost to buy a number? I wouldnt say that its really expensive, but it isnt cheap either. Each number costs a Divine Coin! Sun Qiang replied. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. A Divine Coin was expensive to themon popce, but it was not apletely unreachable goal. In a sense, they still stood a chance even though it was extremely slim. At the same time, it was not cheap enough for the rich to abuse the system. It was true that they had an advantage in terms of money, but given a probability of one percent, they would have to spend dozens or even hundreds of Divine Coins before they were guaranteed a slot... That was one hell of a lot of money, and even those from wealthy ns could not afford to squander their fortune like that! While it was practically gambling, Zhang Xuan had to agree that it was a fairly good idea in order to cate the various parties within the city. Where is Netherworld Pce? I want to take a look at it myself, Zhang Xuan said as he began walking over to the entrance. After taking a few steps, a thought suddenly passed through his mind, and he instructed, Bring Zhao Ya and the others over. Naturally, they should be present too since it concerned their chances of entering the Celestial Mountain. Furthermore, since a person could only buy a single slot each day, they would need as many people as possible to maximize their chances. Alright. However, Netherworld Pce seems to be quite far from here, so it might take seven to eight hours in order to get there, Sun Qiang said. Its fine. We can ride the horses there, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. They still had the Semi-Divinity realm horses that they had taken from the bandits. Riding on horseback, they should be able to get there in an hours time. Without further ado, Sun Qiang quickly moved around the residence to gather Zhao Ya and the others in the courtyard. Judging from the thrilled looks on their faces, it seemed like Sun Qiang had already filled them in on the details. Lets set off! Zhang Xuan and the direct disciples quickly climbed onto their horses and set off. Just as he had estimated, they arrived before Netherworld Pce in around an hours time. The group quickly found a ce to dismount from their steeds before heading in. The so-called Netherworld Pce was rather spacious, but itcked the magnificence of the Ethereal Hall. Rather than a pce, it might be more urate to call it a marketce. The area was flooded with people when they entered. I managed to acquire a slot! Is there anyone who wants to buy it? Its on sale for fifty Divine Coins! I only ept full payment on the spot! I want it! Sell it to me instead. Ill offer 51! Hah! Ill offer 52! A group of people immediately gathered around the person who had acquired the slot to make offers. A single Divine Coin is sufficient to buy a sliver of hope, so there are quite a few people whoe in hopes of trying their luck. If they seed, they will be able to sell the slot to others. As long as the price is beneath one hundred Divine Coins, theres bound to be buyers. After all, even if you have one hundred Divine Coins, it would still be troublesome to gather trustworthy people to buy up every number of a certain slot, and thats assuming that others havent taken up the other numbers... A probability of one percent didnt mean that one would seed just by buying a hundred numbers. Unless one found a way up to buy up all one hundred numbers of a certain slot, there was no guarantee that one would be able to obtain a slot. As time went by, people began making a business out of this. There are quite a few people that are trying to spot a trend in the numbers, hoping to make a killing out of this, Sun Qiang remarked. Spot a trend in the numbers? Zhang Xuan shook his head. This was simr to the lottery in his previous life, so what kind of trend could there possibly be? One would be better off living a down-to-earth life. The chances of making it big through working hard were much higher than winning the lottery! Of course, there were many people who could not understand that, so there were still many people who lived day after day groggily, hoping that Lady Luck would favor them eventually. He had seen too much of that in his previous life. Chapter 2114 - 2114 The God of Gambling 2114 The God of Gambling The device to select the winning number was basically a massive roulette wheel with the numbers one to a hundred on it. There was a needle above the roulette wheel that would start spinning randomly as soon as the device was activated. As it was controlled by a special formation, it was impossible for anyone to tamper with the results. The needle would first be spun right before the crowds eyes, but after turning a few rounds, a formation would be activated to conceal the needle from sight. Once the needle came to a halt, the crowd would be able to start buying the numbers that they thought could be the winning number. The process of buying a number was simple as well. It was simr to those olden days casinos where you simply ce your money on the number you are buying on the table. All it took was a nce for Zhang Xuan to figure out what was going on. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, as you know, the biannual trial of the Celestial Mountain is going to held tomorrow, but we still have thirty slots here. Today, well be throwing all of them out, so if you have yet to secure a slot for yourself or your loved ones, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed! The young man who was in charge of selling the numbers took a look at the crowd before shouting, Begin! Right after those words were spoken, the needle on the roulette wheel immediately began spinning. After spinning a few rounds, the formation came to life, concealing the needle and the roulette wheel from sight. Based on my experience, whenever the needle on the roulette wheel spins that quickly, the number is likely to be ten or below. Hey hey hey, dont be so certain about that. Ive encountered this situation before, and I can tell you your best bet is to buy the numbers between eighty to ny. Ignorant! It was eighty thest time and nine the time before that, so in my opinion, it should be around twenty. If you have been paying close attention, you will have realized that it has been a while since the needle has pointed to the twenty to thirty region! As the needle on the roulette wheel began spinning, the spectators by the side began fervently discussing what the chosen number would be. A whileter, the formation around the roulette wheel stopped shaking, indicating that the needle had stopped spinning. Shua shua shua! Those that were holding onto booklets began calcting the initial momentum of the needle, air resistance, frictional force, wind speed, and many other factors, fitting them into their self-created equations to derive the correct answer. ce your bets! Once you have decided on your number, put your money down and back away! said the young man managing the roulette wheel. Surprisingly, not a single person rushed forward to put down their bet. Instead, they were looking around to see what the others were doing. Eye of Insight! Zhang Xuan willed as he attempted to peer into the formation. If he could see through the formation, he would be able to see the results of the roulette wheel directly. That would spare him from having to waste precious Divine Coins. A momentter though, he shook his head. It appeared that the formation had been created by a God King in order to ensure that no one would be able to tamper with the results before the formation was released, thus ensuring the fairness of the selections. What about the Library of Heavens Path then? ws! Given that the formation was active at the moment, he did not need to touch it in order topile a book. He swiftly flipped open the book that had materialized in his Library of Heavens Path. Twilight City Celestial Mountain Slot Roulette Wheel Concealment Formation. w 1:... What was written in the book were the various ws of the formation, such as the problems with the material that was used to create the formation, the deficiencies of the one setting up the formation, and the fundamental errors with the blueprint. But none of that had any relevance to Zhang Xuan. He had no need for such information. What he needed to know was what number the needle was pointing at. With a deep sigh, he was just about to shut the book when he caught sight of the veryst line on the book. w 68:1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6,7, 8,9... It was an entire string of numbers, ny-nine of them. The only one that was missing from the string was seventy- three. Does this indicate that the needle is pointing at seventy-three? The reason the other numbers arebeled as ws is because the needle isnt pointing at them? Zhang Xuan thought as his heart skipped a beat. If that was really the case, it would be no different from him walking into an examination hall with all the model answers on hand. With this, he would be able to guarantee that he won every single bet he made! Sun Qiang, go over there and buy number seventy-three! Zhang Xuan instructed without any hesitation. Seventy-three? Sun Qiang frowned. Young Master, I was looking at the calctions done by the veterans here, and themon consensus is that well have to bet between thirty to forty in order to stand a chance at winning. Im not sure if betting on seventy-three is a really good idea... There were a lot of people who had calcted where the needle was likely to stop at based on the information they had gathered prior to the activation of the formation. While it was beyond them to calcte the exact number that the needle wouldnd on with absolute precisionthey would have already made the bets themselves if that was the caseit was still able to provide those who were going to participate in the bets some direction to work with. Just shut up and do it, Zhang Xuan replied impatiently. With a helpless shake of his head, Sun Qiang walked over to the table and ced a Divine Coin, saying, Ill bet on number seventy-three. You are betting on number seventy-three? You really dont fear death, do you? Seeing how the first number bought waspletely at odds with themon consensus, the crowd burst intoughter. Based on the calctions done by the crowd, they had agreed that the chances of the needle being on thirty to forty was the highest. Thus, they could not help but feel that it was foolish and ignorant of the young man to ce a bet on something that waspletely at odds with their professional analysis. At that moment, an old man with strands of white hair walked over with confidence in his eyes and said with gusto, Friend, you bought number seventy-three? Let me tell you, you are sure to make a loss with that number. Listen to me and buy number thirty-six instead. I guarantee that you will surely hit the mark! You dont know who am I, right? I am Yao Shan, and I have been here since the roulette wheel system was first implemented! I have been at every single number drawing over thest few decades, and I have helped more than thirty people sessfully acquire a slot. How about it? Trust the words of a professional, and youll never go wrong! Professional? Zhang Xuans eyebrows rose. May I know why you are offering your help to me? Its simple. If you select the right number, I hope that you can give me ten Divine Coins as a reward for my services. If you dont select the right number... if the difference is within three numbers, youll have to give me one Divine Coin. If the difference is within ten numbers, youll have to give me one hundred Semi-Divinity Coins. If the difference is above ten numbers, Ill pay you one hundred Semi-Divinity Coins! Yao Shan said confidently. Hearing these words, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and asked, What if the difference is beyond thirty numbers? If the difference is beyond thirty numbers, Ill pay you a Divine Coin! Yao Shan replied confidently. Based on years of studying and analysis, he had already developed aplete system ofws that only he himself understood. Based on how the needle on the roulette wheel spun earlier, he deduced that the number was between one to ten. Even at the very worst, it would not go beyond thirty to forty. Zhang Xuan blinked contemtively for a moment before replying, I think Ill still go with my seventy-three. You can bet on your thirty-six if you want. As for the wager, why dont we do this instead? If you get your number right, Ill pay you two Divine Coins. However, if my number is right, youll have to pay me two Divine Coins. How does that sound? Yao Shan hesitated a little. To be honest, Yao Shan did not have absolute confidence in his number. He only appeared confident in order to inspire confidence in him. He had set up the payouts in a manner that favored him, such that as long as he could win the trust of others, the chances were high that he would walk away with a profit. If he somehow got the right number, he would even be able to make a huge killing! In his view, this was much safer and more lucrative than betting on the roulette wheel directly. In fact, he had earned quite a lot of money through this over the years, and he had managed to buy a residence in a prime location within Twilight City! 2LDK, it had two rooms, a living room, a toilet, and a kitchen. So, wagering on the numbers directly left him feeling rather iffy, and the stake was a jaw-dropping two Divine Coins at that! What if neither of us hit the mark? Hmm. Since I am the one proposing the bet, if neither of us hit the mark, well count it as my loss too. Ill pay you two Divine Coins, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Deal! Hearing those words, Yao Shans eyes immediately lit up. He quickly headed into the crowd, and a momentter, he brought a young man over. It looked like the young man had listened to his words and bought down number thirty-six. The discussions continued for ten minutes before all the numbers were finally bought up. Now that all of the numbers have been taken, Ill be removing the formation right now in order to determine the allocation of the slot! The young manughed heartily as he tapped his finger on the formation. Hu! The veil of mist within the formation gradually dispersed, allowing the results of the spin to unfold right before the eyes of the crowd. I hope that youre ready to pay up, Yao Shan said with a light chuckle as he looked at Zhang Xuan gleefully. He did not think that anyone would be so foolish as to make such a skewed bet with him. As long as the needle pointed at any of the ny-nine numbers other than seventy-three, he would be able to earn two Divine Coins! Thinking about the small fortune that he was going to earn very soon, he began debating whether he should use it to buy thetest horse carriage model so that he could unt it before his friends or spend it at a bar and have a lovely time with a beauty. At this moment, the results were finally revealed, and the young man at the forefront announced, The one to acquire the slot is... number seventy-three! Seventy-three? Yao Shan was stunned by the announcement. He quickly turned to look at the roulette wheel, and the needle had indeed stopped at number seventy-three. It was extremely far from the thirty-six that he had proposed. How is this possible? Did we calcte it wrong? Even if one of us made a mistake, theres no way all of us could have possibly made the same mistake together! I told you that the roulette wheel ispletely random, and theres no way those calctions of yours work, but you just wouldnt listen! The results had left the many professional analysts among the crowd stunned. They swiftly reviewed their calctions, and there were no mistakes at all. So why would the final result end up being so different from their predictions? So, the slot goes to... Sun Qiang! Paying no heed to the discussions beneath, the young man in charge of the roulette wheel passed a jade token to Sun Qiang. As Sun Qiang epted the jade token, he could not help but stare at Zhang Xuan so hard that it looked as if his eyes would fall to the ground at any moment. Given that so many professional analysts had deduced that the needle would fall between thirty to forty based on their calctions, he had thought that the seventy-three proposed by Zhang Xuan would definitely stand no chance at all. Yet, who would have thought that it was actually right! Young Master... Sun Qiang was in such disbelief that he started to wonder if Zhang Xuan was the real deal. It was simply good luck, Zhang Xuan replied calmly before turning his gaze to Yao Shan. The results are out. Two Divine Coins. Fine! With a reddened face, Yao Shan gritted his teeth and passed over two Divine Coins. Having hung out there for several decades, he could be considered a reputable figure. If he avoided his payment, there was no way he would be able to make a living there anymore. Soon, the needle on the roulette wheel had begun spinning once more, and it did not take long for the formation to activate and conceal it amid a thickyer of mist. Having watched the entire process carefully to take careful note of every single detail, Yao Shan turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Do you dare bet with me again? Sure! Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchntly. Ill bet on fifty-seven and the numbers within a range of ten around it, Yao Shan said. Just like before, the wager is two Divine Coins! Fine by me, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He turned to Zhao Ya and said, Head over there and buy number ny-five. Yes, Teacher! Zhao Ya quickly walked up and bought number ny-five. Yao Shan also quickly found someone to buy number fifty-seven. A momentter, the result was out... Ny-five! Yao Shan clutched his hair in a frenzy. His calctions had turned out to be extremely off the mark both rounds, and in contrast, the other party had actually hit the mark both times! How in the world did the other party manage to do it? Was the roulette wheel not supposed to have some degree of randomness? Or was it actually possible to calcte the right number? With tightly clenched jaws, Yao Shan reluctantly passed another two Divine Coins over to Zhang Xuan. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Having been there for decades, he was able to tell that the other party was a first-timer based on how he acted. This was also why he had approached the other party to make a deal with him, hoping to profit off him. Yet, from the looks of it, it felt like he was the one being baited instead! He had lost four Divine Coins in the blink of an eye! More importantly, the other party had even managed to obtain two slots on top of his earnings from him. Do you want to continue? Zhang Xuan asked with a smile as the needle started spinning once more. He could not help but think that this Yao Shan was a really kind soul. At this rate, he might just be able to walk out of the casino with the slots he required and some extra ie. No, Ill pass... Yao Shan shuddered at the notion of losing another two Divine Coins. If he continued betting with this young man, he had a feeling that he might just lose the house that he had just bought too. In fact, he felt as if he had just lost a toilet already! Looking at the young man before him with incredulous eyes, he could not help but wonder... Was he actually staring at the reincarnation of the God of Gambling? Chapter 2115 - 2115 My Horse Too! 2115 My Horse Too! He had no idea if there was an actual God of Gambling in the Firmament, but the fact that the young man was able to guess the number correctly consecutively despite the odds was more than enough to show that the young man was not too far such an existence. He was tempted to continue, but his rationality told him that he could lose it all if he did. So, he forced himself to take a step back. Even if he wanted to continue betting with the young man, he should at least wait a few more turns to see if the young man actually had the ability to guess the numbers urately. Paying close heed to the spinning needle, Yao Shan deduced that the winning number would be in the fifties. Then, he secretly nced at the young man and saw thetter instructing the youngdy beside him. Wang Ying, buy number twenty-seven. Yes! the youngdy replied. Some timeter, the result was announced, and the winning number was indeed twenty-seven! Cold sweat dripped down Yao Shans back. It was fortunate he did not continue gambling, or else he would have lost his kitchen too! He gave up all thoughts of getting his four Divine Coins back from the young man in that instant, but he could not help but wonder... how in the world did the young man manage to predict the winning numbers so urately? It was a one in a hundred chance, but he was still able to get it right three times consecutively... The first time might have been luck, and the second one could have been a great coincidence, but three consecutive times... It would really be pushing the boundaries to think that it was luck again! Yao Shan was not the only one who found the situation baffling. Zhao Ya and the others were equally baffled, but their eyes were glowing with admiration and respect. As expected of their teacher! He was outstanding even in the Firmament, where the most powerful experts in the universe roamed! Fu Yuan was one of the Three Grand Elders of Twilight City, making him one of the most influential and respected figures here. He was only second in position to City Lord Wu Fangqing, and he was in charge of managing the administrative affairs regarding Netherworld Pce. The slot roulette was also under his jurisdiction. After having a sumptuous lunch, he stretched his backzily before making his way over to the opera house to watch a y. He knew that despite his high-ranking position, he was neither the most influential nor powerful person in Twilight City, but he was content with his current life. As a high-tier God and a grand elder, he saw no need to climb any further up. It was not that he never harbored such thoughts, but he knew that given the limitations of his talent, there was no way he would be able to be a Celestial God. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him to waste the little time he had left pursuing something that was futile to him. It would be much better for him to take life easy and enjoy the fruits of the hard work he had put in his entire life! Luo Sheng, check if Little Lotus of the Red Jadeite Pavilion is free or not. If shes free, inform her that Ill be heading over to look for her after Im done watching my y! Elder Fu Yuan instructed. Little Lotus of the Red Jadeite Pavilion was one of his closepanions, and he visited her often. The subordinate named Luo Sheng nodded before quickly heading out. However, not too longter, he returned with an anxious look on his face. Seeing the flustered state of his subordinate, Elder Fu Yuan rose to his feet and tidied up his robe before asking, Whats wrong? Old Master, we have just received a report that someone has managed to buy the correct number on the slot roulette wheel eleven times consecutively! Luo Sheng replied in astonishment. Wait a moment, you are saying that he won the slot roulette eleven times straight? Elder Fu Yuan was stunned. What do you mean by that? Did he purchase a hundred slots in one go, or... What happened? There were indeed cases where the ultra-rich would buy all one hundred slots in a single go, thus ensuring that they would acquire a slot no matter what the result was. No, thats not it. That person only bought a single slot every time, but he would get the winning number each time. Its almost as if the roulette wheel formation is bowing to his demands, Luo Sheng said with an incredulous look on his face. He only bought a single number, but he was still able to hit the mark each and every time? Elder Fu Yuan widened his eyes in disbelief. You arent lying to me? Its real! Its already aplete mess out there! Luo Sheng eximed. This... Have you checked on the formation to see if there are any problems? We have already done a thorough check, and everything is working as normal! Lets go take a look! Fu Yuan said as he quickly headed over to Netherworld Pce. It did not take him long to arrive at his destination. At that moment, a huge crowd had already gathered around the slot roulette wheel. He got it again! This is the thirteenth time, right? Holy cow! He has gotten the right number thirteen times in a row! How is he doing this? It looks like the rest of us dont stand a chance at all... The faces in the room were filled with disbelief. Elder Fu Yuan walked over and examined the formation, but he was unable to find anything wrong with it. The young man that everyone in the room was encircling was not making any suspicious actions either. In fact, his hands had been behind his back the whole time. Was it really possible for one to guess the right number thirteen times in a row without doing anything? Seeing that the needle on the roulette wheel was about to be spun for the fourteenth time, Elder Fu Yuan quickly walked up to the tform and said, Allow me! Then, with a flick of his finger, the needle on the roulette wheel immediately began spinning. A whileter, the formation flickered a little before shrouding the roulette wheel in mist. Elder Fu Yuan made sure to check every nook and cranny of the roulette wheel, but he could not find anything wrong with it. Buy number thirteen, the young man in the limelight instructed. A momentter, when the formation was released, the needle on the roulette wheel was indeed pointing at number thirteen. This marked the young mans fourteenth consecutive victory. Elder Fu Yuan knew that the young man was definitely doing somethingthere was no way a person could guess the correct number fourteen times in a rowbut he was unable to figure out just what it was, and this left him incredibly frustrated. Eventually, he lost his patience and marched right up to Zhang Xuan. Who the hell are you? What are you trying to achieve? I am just a nameless nobody. I am buying some slots here so that Im able to scale the Celestial Mountain, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Yet, you were able to select the winning number fourteen times in a row? Elder Fu Yuan scoffed in skepticism. Men, escort this esteemed guest to the room. I think theres a need to ask him a few questions! You want to take me into custody? Netherworld Pce is the one that ced those slots on sale, and yet, you want to arrest me just because Ive been lucky enough to guess the winning number each time? Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Fu Yuan mockingly. This system basically worked the same as a lottery. One could not possibly arrest a lottery winner just because he won each and every single time, right? He was not doing anything that broke the rules, and he had never approached the roulette wheel or the formation. The reason Netherworld Pce has taken out two hundred slots to be sold in such a fashion is to ensure that everyone has an equitable chance of scaling the Celestial Mountain. If you acquire all the slots by yourself, what will be of the other cultivators? Itll be unfair to them! Elder Fu Yuan said. You are talking about fairness? Those people over there have been trying to calcte the trend of the roulette wheel to make predictions. Do you think that its fair to the others for them to do so? There are also a lot of people who devote their lives to studying the roulette wheel and even make a living out of it. Just how do you define something as fair or not? With an irritated wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan said, Forget it. Since you dont wee me here, Ill just take my leave. Farewell. He needed slots for his parents, eleven direct disciples, and Sun Qiang, and he had already managed to acquire the fourteen that he needed. There was no need for him to continue. After all, his goal was to acquire the Aura of Divinity on the Celestial Mountain, not to cause a huge ruckus. Since it was his first time in the Firmament, maintaining a low profile should take precedence over everything else. Hold it there for a moment! Before Elder Fu Yuan could even speak, an old man amid the crowd stepped forward and blocked Zhang Xuans way. It was none other than the old man who had lost two bets to him earlier, Yao Shan. Dont you think that its too convenient that you are able to leave so easily after monopolizing so many of the slots? Indeed! We are here to acquire a slot, too, but you ended up taking nearly all of them, depriving us of our chances. You cant leave just like that! You should at least take seven slots and share with the rest of us. It isnt too big a request, is it? Suchints could be heard here and there as cold smiles formed on the lips of the crowd. They had no idea whether the young man was really cheating or not, but since someone was taking the lead, they might be able to get something out of it if they joined in. The frowning Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Fu Yuan and asked, Is this the rule of Netherworld Pce? You put the slots on sale and yet dont allow anyone from to walk away with them. Of course not! However, how you managed to identify the winning number fourteen times consecutively is rather sketchy, so we cant help but suspect that you are cheating. Cheating? Very well! Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd imposingly. Show me how I cheated! If you can show me how I managed to cheat despite all the security measures in ce, Ill hand over all fourteen slots to you! Ah... The crowd fell silent. If they knew how the young man did it, they would not still be here. They would have long struck it rich and retired! None of you are able to do it? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Farewell! Right after saying those words, Zhang Xuan beckoned his direct disciples to follow him out of Netherworld Pce. You cant leave! The crowd quickly encircled him. You dont want to allow me to leave? Fine by me as well. If I recall correctly, there are still sixteen slots remaining, right? Ill stay here and win all the remaining slots! Zhang Xuan crossed his arms before his chest as he spoke with a smile. That statement shocked everyone there. Recalling the miracles that he had pulled off thus far, they began to doubt themselves. If they allowed the young man to leave, they might still stand a chance at obtaining a slot. However, as long as the young man continued participating in the draws, they would simply be spending their money in vain on the slot roulette! Dont listen to his words! Yao Shan eximed. He only has fourteen Semi-Divinities by his side. He wont be able to draw any more than that! Due to the rule that a person could only buy a single number each day, Zhang Xuan would not be able to participate in the subsequent bets even if he wanted to. Wait a moment, youre right! Even if we keep him here, he wont be able to do anything... Widening their eyes in realization, the crowd bucked up their determination and continued blocking Zhang Xuans way. As long as they kept him there, it was only a matter of time before he spat out some of the slots that he had acquired. They were in the majority anyway, and there were plenty of experts in their ranks. No matter how powerful the young man was, he did not stand a chance against them. Besides, given that they were in the city, the young man would not dare make a move on them recklessly, or else he might face trouble with thew. Is that what you think? Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Fu Yuan and said, Elder, if Im not mistaken, the bets arent just limited to humans, right? After spending quite some time in there, he had already familiarized himself with the rules of the slot roulette. Of course, Fu Yuan replied with a nod. There were quite a few divine beasts in the Firmament who were able to transmogrify into the form of a human. If they were to limit the participation to just the humans, they would risk offending the divine beasts. For this reason, there were no restrictions on who could participate in the bets. Very well. Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned to Sun Qiang and passed down some instructions. Sun Qiangs lips twitched a little as he looked at Zhang Xuan with a bizarre expression on his face. Then, he walked out of the room before returning with the fourteen steeds a momentter. Since you arent allowing me to leave, it just so happens that these horses of mine are only at the Semi-Divinity realm and need some slots. Its not too much if I get them to participate in the bets too, right? Zhang Xuan waved his hand lightly, and a horse immediately walked over and wrote down the number sixty-four with his hoof before passing a Divine Coin over. The young man managing the roulette wheel was perplexed. He had no idea whether he should ept the Divine Coin or not. However, when he thought more deeply into it, there were indeed no rules forbidding such an act. So, he hesitantly epted the Divine Coin and passed a token with the number sixty-four on it. Weng! Some timeter, the formation disappeared, and the number reflected on the roulette wheel was... 64! Even horses are able to buy numbers too? There are indeed no rules that prohibit animals from buying numbers. If each of his horses buy a winning number... Hell, that will mean that there are none left for us! What should we do? The crowd was really panicking at this point. They had thought that the young man was cornered, but who could have known that the young man would still have such a hand? More importantly, that horse actually had the ability to hand over money and choose the right number. Just what is this worlding to? Are we even less than a mere horse? With twitching cheeks, Elder Fu Yuan eventually passed down an order. Release him! If they did not allow the young man to leave, thetter might very well sweep away all their avable slots. This was the first time that he had felt so exasperated about this slot roulette system ever since it was implemented. Who could have known that it could be exploited in such a manner? If not for the fact that those were the rules that he hade up with, he would have really rushed forward to beat up that darned rascal! Chapter 2116 - Underground Black Marke

Chapter 2116 Underground ck Marke

You have my deepest gratitude, Elder! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he walked through the path that the crowd had reluctantly opened for him. Just as he was about to leave the area, he suddenly halted for a moment before turning around. Onest thing. Since Twilight City is serious about maintaining fairness and equity among the cultivators, I am just curious to know if its considered an act of cheating for someone to sell the number they have calcted to another person in order to profit from this slot roulette system. Its considered as an act of cheating, Elder Fu Yuan replied with a confused look on his face. The slot roulette system was designed with the intention of making the acquisition of the slots random. If a person sold a number that was calcted inurately, his actions would be considered fraud. On the other hand, if the person was really somehow able to calcte the number urately, that would be cheating. That person over there, Yao Shan, has been selling the numbers he has deduced to the other cultivators here. I believe that there are many people here who will be able to testify to that, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. With that, farewell! After saying this piece, Zhang Xuan left Netherworld Pce without waiting for any response. That fellow, Yao Shan, had riled the crowd up against him, attempting to prevent him from leaving. Did the other party really think that he was a pushover? As for the evidence of his fraud, he had convinced quite a few people to purchase the numbers that he rmended. Considering that none of them had won, they should be more than willing to give Yao Shan away. After all, they might just be able to recoup the money that they had given to Yao Shan this way. Yao Shan had never expected to have the tables turned on him like that. With his body trembling fearfully, he immediately tried to exin, Elder Fu Yuan, I... But Elder Fu Yuan was not even interested in hearing his exnation. Take him down! Hu! A group of people rushed forward and apprehended Yao Shan. There was absolutely no doubt that Yao Shans fate was going to be tragic. He had only lost a toilet and a kitchen earlier, but at this rate, he was going to lose his entire t. Completely uninterested in whatever was happening inside, Zhang Xuan and the others swiftly got onto horseback and left Netherworld Pce. After galloping across various streets, Zhang Xuan checked his surroundings and confirmed that there was no one following them before indicating for everyone to stop. The rest of you should head back to prepare yourselves for the trial of the Celestial Mountain. Itll be good if all of you can achieve a breakthrough to godhood. Ill be heading off to settle some other matters first. The crowd nodded in response. After that, Zhang Xuan turned around and galloped in another direction. It did not take him long to disappear at the end of the street. Shortly after, Zhao Ya and the others quickly made their way back to their residence. They knew that they had to reach the level of the gods in order to not be a burden to Zhang Xuan. Thus, it was important for them to exploit this opportunity to the fullest. After parting from the group, Zhang Xuan galloped straight ahead, and it did not take him long to arrive before a certain building. This building looked perfectly ordinary, not standing out in the least along the street. It was the kind of building that one could easily overlook as part of the scenery. Furthermore, the doors and windows were tightly shut, making it look as though it had been abandoned. Zhang Xuan walked up to the building and knocked on the wooden doors six times, four long knocks and two short knocks. Jiya! The doors creaked open. A blind man walked out and said impatiently, Follow me. Without saying a word, Zhang Xuan followed the blind man closely. The interior of the building was a little dark, creating an eerie atmosphere. The two of them walked all the way to the innermost room before the blind man suddenly halted and lifted his palm. Understanding the blind mans gesture, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a token over. The blind man touched the token carefully to assess its authenticity before nodding slowly. Then, he ced his palm on the wall. Weng! There was a soft humming sound, reminiscent of a formationing to life, and the walls swiftly turned transparent. The blind man walked into a transparent wall and passed through it without any problem. Zhang Xuan followed behind him. Proceeding ahead, there was a flight of stairs that led downward. The entire area was shrouded in deep darkness, making it impossible to discern whaty beyond. All one could see were the inscriptions on the ground that served to conceal this ce from view. The flight of stairs was surprisingly short. It did not take them too long to reach the bottom. Zhang Xuan found himself faced with a boat floating atop an underground river. He quickly got on top of the boat together with the blind man, and thetter began ferrying him forward. The surroundings werepletely dark, such that Zhang Xuan could not see too far ahead even with the Eye of Insight. He could only trust the blind man to take him to where he wanted to go. For the next hour, all Zhang Xuan could hear was the sound of oars pushing against the water. At some point, the boat bumped lightly against an incrediblyrge boulder before lodging into it. It swayed for a brief moment beforeing to aplete halt. The blind man got off the boat and led the way forward once more. There was yet another flight of stairs, but this time, it was heading upward. Then, they passed through another wall, and when they finally walked out of the door, they were in a bustling market. It was filled with many different voices, creating a lively atmosphere. Wait here for me. Ill be right back afterpleting my transaction, Zhang Xuan instructed before walking into the crowd. The ce he was currently at was the ck market of Twilight City! Where rules existed, people would always find ways to circumvent them, and the ck market was such an existence. The bandit named Streak of Gray would often visit the underground market to sell the goods that he had plundered from the merchants. There were detailed instructions in one of the books in his storage ring on how one could enter the ck market. One could buy practically anything one wanted in this thriving ck market, including illegal goods that would be impossible to procure in legal markets. It was just that the prices there tended to be on the higher side. The manager of this massive ck market was a particrly seductivedy in her mid-thirties. There was an exquisite crimson rose filled with thorns tattooed on her neck that hinted at a capricious personality, and the slightly overpowering scent of perfume she emanated served to further reinforce this judgement. The seductivedy leaned in toward Zhang Xuan as she spoke. Hey, you look unfamiliar to me... Do you refuse to do business with people who look unfamiliar to you? Zhang Xuan met her gaze calmly. Of course not! the seductivedy replied as she walked out from the back of the counter. With a smile on her lips, she asked, May I know what kind of business this dashing young man has with me? We sell all sorts of stuff here, and that includes me. After saying those words, she intentionally breathed out slowly on Zhang Xuans face. However, Zhang Xuan remainedpletely unfazed as he nonchntly replied, I need Mayang Beast Blood. Is it possible to acquire it here? He already had the Greenbeast Ancient Grass on hand, so as long as he could find some way to obtain some Mayang Beast Blood, he would be able to raise his soul cultivation right away. Mayang Beast Blood? The Mayang Beasts are low-tier Celestial Gods, so it wont be easy to acquire their blood... The seductivedy took a step back before looking at Zhang Xuan with a frown on her face. Celestial God realm divine beasts were mostly able to transmogrify themselves to assume forms simr to those of humans, making it extremely difficult to capture them. As such, procuring their blood was no easy feat. I understand. Ill look for another person to work with. Zhang Xuan rose to his feet and began walking away. Hey, hey, wait a moment! The seductivedy quickly rushed forward to block his way. Why are you so hasty? What I said is that it wont be easy to acquire it, not that I am unable to acquire it... I need a liter of it, Zhang Xuan added. You need so much of it? The seductivedy frowned at those words. Since you are here to buy the blood of a Celestial God realm divine beast, I trust that you know how much its worth, so Ill just get straight to the point. Three thousand Divine Coins. Three thousand Divine Coins? It was Zhang Xuans turn to frown. The price doesnt sound right to me. All in all, he had only received roughly six hundred Divine Coins from Streak of Gray, a long way off from three thousand Divine Coins. Was Mayang Beast Blood really that expensive? He had no idea how much the blood of Celestial God realm divine beasts was worth, but he had a feeling that the price offered to him by the seductivedy was way beyond market price. He felt that it would cause too much of a ruckus if an ordinary-looking person like him with no particr background was spotted looking around for the blood of a Celestial God realm divine beast on the market, so he had chosen to head to the ck market straight away. As such, he actually was not too sure about the pricing. Im sure you understand how difficult it is to procure the blood of Celestial God realm divine beasts. To be frank with you, three thousand Divine Coins really isnt much. Besides, as ady living in a shady ce like this, how am I going to find a good husband if I dont earn more while I can? The seductivedy slowly walked around Zhang Xuan as she giggled flirtatiously. If thats not eptable, why dont you marry me then? Ill give you a discount. Six hundred Divine Coins. Ill give you some advice in exchange, Zhang Xuan replied. Six hundred Divine Coins? Are you here to cause trouble? The face of the seductivedy immediately darkened. Hu! As soon as she spoke, ck-robed middle-aged men swiftly rushed out from the streets. Every single one of them had a fairly strong presence, disying their might as middle-tier Gods. I have no interest in wasting my time on something that doesnt provide value to me, Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly, unaffected by the sudden turn of events. If Im not mistaken, due to the cold, wet, and spiritual energy- deprived environment of the ck market, you have been consuming Dampness Expulsion Pills to preserve your youthful appearance. The seductivedy scoffed coldly. What about it? Living in the underground regions where the sun would never reach, there were plenty of people there who frequently consumed Dampness Expulsion Pills. It would not take a genius to figure out that she was doing the same. It wouldnt be a problem for others to consume the Dampness Expulsion Pill, but the same doesnt go for you. If Im not mistaken, your neck and chest area are filled with red bumps, and you have been unable to get rid of them, Zhang Xuan said. Where did you hear that? The seductivedy frowned. The young man was right. Her body was indeed covered in red bumps, and those red bumps emanated an odor. It was for this reason that she had to douse herself in perfume and tattoo her neck with a crimson rose. I didnt have to hear it from anyone to know that. Its pretty obvious just by looking at you. cing his hands leisurely behind his back, Zhang Xuan continued. You have been cultivating the yin attribute Rising Tide Cold Wave Art. This cultivation technique requires you to absorb the yin attribute energy from rising tides and cold waves, resulting in your body being wetter than the others. Consuming the Dampness Expulsion Pill appears to have resolved the various problems you face from living here, but at the same time, it has also deprived you of the essence of your cultivation technique. The effectiveness of your cultivation technique has been reduced by half as a result of that, and the growth of those red bumps is just the primary symptom of your condition. As time goes by, your skin will begin to rot, and your rate of cultivation will continue to slow down till it finally stagnates. Eventually, you will go berserk and die. Are you trying to scare me, little boy? Your big sister over here didnt get this far by trembling in fear! the seductivedy spat with narrowed eyes. The other party had hit the mark on quite a few things regarding her, including her cultivation technique and her current condition. However, she still found it hard to believe that a mere Dampness Expulsion Pill could induce such symptoms in her. Furthermore, she had not noticed any major issues in her body thus far. Of course not, Zhang Xuan replied. Just the Dampness Expulsion Pill itself isnt potent enough to cause any problems in your body. However, what if we consider the Concealment Formation cast over the underground ck market too? Correct me if Im wrong, but you reside in the southwest area of the ck market, right? The seductivedy frowned upon hearing how Zhang Xuan was aware of where she lived. Paying no heed to the seductivedys expression, Zhang Xuan said, The sun rises from the northeast and sets in the southwest. The rise of the sun ushers in the birth of the yang energy, and the setting of the sun symbolizes the opening of the yin gates. Southwest is the direction where yin and yang intersect with one another. Most life usually thrives in such a ce, but that happens to be the very opposite for you. The Rising Tide Cold Wave Art is a pure yin cultivation technique, so the conditions of the southwest should have been ideal for you to advance your cultivation. However, you chose to consume Dampness Expulsion Pills, which in turn makes you extremely vulnerable to yang energy. As a result, theres a chaotic mess of yin and yang ravaging your body at this very moment. The growth of red bumps is just the starting symptom. Chapter 2117 - 2117 Beauty Pill 2117 Beauty Pill This... The seductivedy was rendered speechless. She had previously thought that the young man was just making up lies to scare her, but after hearing what he had to say, doubts began to arise in her mind. The area that she was living in was indeed the southwest area of this underground ck market. She had chosen the area because it was close to the underground river, which would have made it easier for her to absorb the yin energy from the damp environment and further her cultivation. However, if what the young man said was true, she had made a major mistake. Are you still doubting my words? Zhang Xuan shook his head. The Concealment Formation of this underground ck market is powered by the underground river, so it carries a tinge of yin. Its this yin attribute that allows the underground ck market to circumvent the Spiritual Perception of a Celestial God, thus allowing it to remain hidden from the world. The southwest region happens to be where the yin energy originates. Living there is bound to eventually cause some problems to your body... Enough. I dont deny that theres some truth to what you are saying, but anyone cane up with a believable theory. Theres no concrete evidence to prove that what you are saying is true. Unless... With a wave of her hand, the seductivedy gestured for the four middle-aged men to back off before looking at Zhang Xuan once more. Do you have a way to make my red bumps disappear? If so, I can sell you the Mayang Beast Blood at the price you mentioned. That isnt a problem at all, Zhang Xuan said. Pass me ten bottles of God Essence Pills. Ten bottles of God Essence Pills? the seductivedy asked doubtfully for confirmation. As spiritual energy receded from the Firmament, the value of God Essence Pills had been continuously on the rise. While she was still able to afford ten bottles of God Essence Pills, it was still a substantial sum to her. Indeed. If you wish to resolve your affliction, youll need to pay a certain price. God Essence Pills are usually used as a source of spiritual energy, but they can do much more than that. Of course, if you are unwilling to pay the price, you can just ignore what I just said. Three thousand Divine Coins isnt a small sum, but I believe it shouldnt take me too long to acquire it with my means! Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Very well, Ill trust you this once. However, if you are unable to solve my affliction, you need not think of leaving here alive! The seductivedy harrumphed coldly. Its your first time here so you might be unaware of it, but the underground ck market is awless ce, unlike Twilight City. No one will say a thing even if I kill you right here, right now! On the other hand, Zhang Xuan simply stood quietly on the spot. He could not be bothered to even respond to the seductivedys threats. Soon enough, the ten bottles of God Essence Pills were brought right before Zhang Xuan. I need an isted chamber in order to refine these God Essence Pills into something that can resolve your affliction, Zhang Xuan said. The seductivedy stared at Zhang Xuan quietly for a moment before waving her hand impatiently. An attendant immediately stepped forward and led Zhang Xuan over to a chamber. Entering the chamber, Zhang Xuan closed the door before setting up multipleyers of istion barriers. After that was done, he took out a single God Essence Pill, and with a tap of his finger, he infused a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi it. The affliction that the seductivedy was suffering from was by no means easy to cure. However, the attributeless Heavens Path zhenqi was exceptionally powerful in assimting all sorts of energy and fusing them together, making it the perfect cure. The reason he had asked for ten bottles of God Essence Pills was, of course, so that he could use them himself. In order to raise his cultivation swiftly, he was bound to require as many cultivation resources as possible. In any case, the underground ck market was bound to have done many evil deeds over the years, so he did not feel any guilt obtaining these God Essence Pills from her. He kept the ced of the God Essence Pills into his storage ring and waited in the isted chamber for roughly fifteen minutes before walking out of the room with a pale face. As soon as he walked out of the room, he saw the seductivedy standing right in front of the entrance, as if trying to prevent him from running away. Zhang Xuan passed the God Essence pill infused with his Heavens Path zhenqi over and said, Swallow this pill! You used ten bottles of God Essence Pills to forge a single one? The seductivedy looked at Zhang Xuan suspiciously. A single bottle contains ten God Essence Pills, which means that I have given you a hundred pills in total. Yet, all you returned me is a single God Essence Pill... it doesnt seem like the God Essence Pill has changed in any way either... Do you take me for a fool? Just give it a try, and youll know whether its worth the price or not, Zhang Xuan replied with a confident smile. The seductivedy carefully assessed the pill to check if it wasced with poison before swallowing it. A momentter, her eyes lit up. She quickly lifted her hand to touch the crimson rose on her neck before ripping her robe to examine her body. Overwhelmed with agitation, her body simply would not stop trembling. The medicine that the young man had given her was truly miraculous! Within just two minutes of consuming it, the red bumps that had gued her for over two years actually vanished entirely! At the same time, she found her body feeling lighter than ever. Was this medicine not a little too amazing? You... The seductivedy stared at Zhang Xuan in shock. She had tried all kinds of medicine and visited all sorts of physicians in order to resolve her affliction, but nothing had worked. It was with no other choice that she had resorted to using perfume and tattoos to hide the symptoms. Who could have known that the young man would be able to see through the root of her problem and solve it with a single pill? This was too frightening! Boss, I dont know if Im seeing things, but yourplexion seems to be much better than before! one of the middle- aged men remarked. The seductivedy was surprised to hear such words. She quickly took out a mirror, and her eyes widened in astonishment when she saw her own appearance. Due to her affliction, her skin had be a little rough and coarse. As a result, she had no choice but to apply a thickyer of foundation in order to conceal her worsening skin tone. Yet, just by eating that pill, not only did she manage to get rid of the red bumps, her skin also became much smoother. It was almost as if time had regressed a decade for her! Was this medicine really that incredible? Do you have any more of that medicine? the seductivedy asked. She had resolved the problem of the red bumps for the moment, but she was not certain if she would suffer a rpse in the future. What would she do if she did not have any more medicine then? Besides, even if she did not suffer a rpse, the pill would still allow her to preserve her youthful appearance. Just this was enough to make her spend huge sums of money on it! It took me half my life just to sessfully forge this single pill, but you still want more? Bring me another ten bottles of God Essence Pills! Zhang Xuan said. The reason the other party suffered from the red bumps was due to her inability to amalgamate the yin energy and yang energy within her body properly. That was a problem that could easily be solved with his Heavens Path zhenqi. However... what was with herplexion getting better and more youthful? Could it be that his Heavens Path zhenqi had be much more potent after he started cultivating the Pathos of Heavens? A thought arose in Zhang Xuans mind. A persons emotions can affect their appearance as well. This is simr to how a person in love will look as if theyre glowing. Could it be that my Pathos of Heavens has changed the nature of my Heavens Path zhenqi? Emotions were known to be a source of motivation and tendencies, but they could create tangible differences in ones appearance as well. There was a saying that those who were constantly happy would age slower than those gued with worries. Who could have known thatprehending the Pathos of Heavens would have such an effect on the Heavens Path zhenqi? Give me a moment... The seductivedy quickly headed out, and a momentter, she returned with another ten bottles of God Essence Pills. Ill forge another one for you right now, Zhang Xuan said as he returned to the isted room. Another fifteen minutester, he walked out with a face even paler than before, such that it looked as if he would stumble and faint at any moment. The seductivedy took an even more detailed look at the pill this time around, analyzing even the slightest marks on it. However, she was still unable to discern any differences between it and a normal God Essence Pill. After a moment of contemtion, she raised her hand and ryed some instructions to one of the middle-aged men. Soon, a middle-ageddy was brought over. Possessing the cultivation of a middle-tier God, she appeared to be in her forties. However, it was likely that she was much older than that as there were signs of age spots on her skin, and her skin tone had turned a little yellowish. It was likely that she was around seventy to eighty years old. Having read through the book left behind by Streak of Gray, Zhang Xuan had gained some understanding of the average lifespan of gods in the Firmament. Before the receding of spiritual energy, normal gods would usually be able to live to 150 and beyond. However, due to the worsening environmental conditions, most cultivators could only live till eighty nowadays. As for Semi-Divinities, those who could live to sixty could already be considered to have lived a long life. The only way for a god to lengthen their lifespan was to rise to the level of a Celestial God. Celestial Gods enjoyed a lifespan of around a thousand years. God Kings were known to be able to live ten thousand years, and Conferred God Kings were rumored to have at least a hundred thousand years to their lifespan. As for God Monarchs... The Nine God Monarchs were known to have existed ever since the Firmament came to be. In the eyes of the world, they were eternal existences that could never be destroyed. Swallow this pill! the seductivedy said. Without any hesitation, the middle-ageddy took the pill and swallowed it. A momentter, her appearance began to change. Her age spots gradually lightened till they could not be seen anymore, and her face began to glow with vitality. It was almost as if someone had reversed her time by decades, returning her to the time when she was still an alluringdy in her early thirties. This... The middle-ageddy looked at her new appearance in the mirror with her mouth agape. There were plenty of capable geniuses in the Firmament, but none of them were able to create such a miraculous beautifying pill. Even the most expensive beautifying pill avable on the market would not be able to pull off such a transformative change in one go! The middle-ageddy felt as if she had been born anew through the pill. Its indeed effective... Hahaha! With this, even if I cast aside the underground ck market, Ill still have a never- ending supply of money! With an excited gleam in her eyes, the seductivedy looked at Zhang Xuan and said, Brother, may I know how I should address you? It had just been a transaction between the both of them previously, so it would not matter even if they did not know each others names. They would soon part with one another and likely never see one another again. However, the situation had changed. The person standing before her was a potential business partner. Zhang Xuan. I am Qi Ling-er. I believe that you are aware that the pill you forged has the effect of bestowing a person with a second youth. So, why dont we work together to turn this into a huge business? Youll be responsible for forging the pills, and Ill secure the distributionwork to sell the pills. As for the profits, how does 50:50 sound to you? the seductivedy, Qi Ling-er, offered. 50:50? Sounds fine by me. Zhang Xuan nodded. Considering the widespread connections that she had built up over the years as the boss of the underground ck market, it was not unreasonable for her to demand half of the profits. Besides, it would not be too much trouble for him to forge the pills anyway. Good! First and foremost, I need you to forge ten of these pills for me. Ill be marketing them in Twilight City over the next few days in order to create some hype, Qi Ling-er instructed. That isnt a problem, but I will need sufficient God Essence Pills for that, Zhang Xuan said as he looked at Qi Ling-er. I understand. However, the God Essence Pills will be treated as the cost of our business venture, Qi Ling-er replied with a soft chuckle. A God Essence Pill costs around a Divine Coin, so ten bottles of them amount to one hundred Divine Coins. Lets do just that then. Zhang Xuan nodded. Chapter 2118 - 2118 Descendant of a God Monarch 2118 Descendant of a God Monarch Low-tier God Essence Pills could be used by those whose cultivation was beneath the Celestial God realm. Zhang Xuan was still a long way off from bing a Celestial God, so he was bound to need a lot of them. Not to mention, he had a lot of people behind him that he needed to take care of. Great! Having received Zhang Xuans approval, Qi Ling-er turned to the middle-aged man behind her and said, Tell Old Ye that Ill be taking all the God Essence Pills he has. The middle-aged man nodded before backing out of the room. Soon, he returned with a storage ring in hand. Boss, I bought all of his God Essence Pills. Theres a total of three hundred of them in here. He says that hell find a way to procure more if you still need more of them. Good. Qi Ling-er nodded in response. She quickly moved the God Essence Pills in the storage ring into another one before passing it over to Zhang Xuan. I have l,3 God Essence Pills here. I need thirteen pills. I know that you are still in a feeble condition at the moment, so Ill give you ten days to forge the pills. Theres no need for that. I dont like putting things off forter. Wait here for a moment. Ill pass them over to you in a moments time. Zhang Xuan dragged his weakly slumping body into the isted chamber and closed it shut. Around fifteen minutester, he walked out and passed two jade bottles over to Qi Ling-er. He looked even more haggard than before. His face was pale, and a trail of blood was trickling down his lips. His body was swaying weakly from side to side, and he looked so exhausted that it was hard to believe that someone could remain alive in such a state. After prying open the jade bottle to take a look, Qi Ling-er widened her eyes in surprise. This is... twenty pills? Previously, the young man had only been able to make a single pill out of one hundred God Essence Pills, so she was delighted to see that there seven extra in the jade bottle. I was lucky to seed more this time, Zhang Xuan replied hoarsely. Wonderful, you have truly done well! This is a Divine Card that ismonly used in the Firmament. Ill be transferring the profits from the pills directly into the card, and the amount will be fifty percent of the profits, just as we agreed on before, Qi Ling-er said gleefully as she passed a card over. Zhang Xuan could tell that the Divine Card was likely to be equal in terms of value to a storage ring, so he epted it with a satisfied smile. Then, he asked, As for my Mayang Beast Blood... ?Youll have to wait a day for the Mayang Beast Blood to arrive. I dont have that much here at the moment, so I_ll ne^ to have the goods transferred over from the other ck markets. Even at the fastest speed, itll still take a day at the minimum, Qi Ling-er replied. Dont worry, I always make sure to take good care of my business partners. As for the money, theres no need for you to give it to me. Well just deduct it from your share of the profits, alright? Zhang Xuan nodded in response before bidding farewell. Ill be taking my leave then. After saying his piece, he turned around and left the store. He swiftly found the blind man and returned to Twilight City via the same boat. As soon as he left, the middle-ageddy who had consumed the beautifying pill earlier asked, Young Mistress, since that fellow was able to create such a formidable pill, why dont we just imprison him and force him to fork out the pill form? Isnt it a huge waste to share the profits with him? Qi Ling-er was providing the raw materials and handling the marketing, the distributionwork, and everything else. All the young man had was the know-how to forge the pills. There was no reason for them to pay him such a huge amount of money for that. It was not as if they were in Twilight City. As long as they captured the young man, it was only a matter of time before he was forced to spit out the form. Do you think that he overexerted himself while forging the pills earlier? Qi Ling-er suddenly asked. Isnt that so? I checked on his condition, and it appeared that his vitality was impaired due to pushing himself too far, the middle-ageddy replied with a frown. I understand that the process of forging this pill can be highly damaging to ones body, but as long as we offer a decent price, I believe there should still be plenty of apothecaries who will be more than willing to offer their services... Humans were creatures who would charge into danger for the sake of fulfilling their greed. Qi Ling-er shook her head. He is feigning weakness. Feigning weakness? the middle-ageddy repeated in astonishment. Thats right, Qi Ling-er said. Despite his severely weakened appearance and aura earlier, I sensed that his soul remained wholesome. There werent any signs of deterioration at all. That goes to show that he wasnt injured in the first ce. As a low-tier God, he wouldnt pose a threat to us regardless of whether he was injured or not. However, the token that he used to enter the underground ck market belonged to Streak of Gray, and I received news that Streak of Gray and his band were utterly defeated by an unknown fellowst night. ording to what I heard, Streak of Gray wasnt able to hold his ground against his opponent even in a one-on-one fight. Chances are, the person he fought with was that young man. Young Mistress, are you saying that thed possesses the strength to subdue middle-tier Gods despite only being a low-tier God himself? The middle-ageddy was taken aback by that news. A thought surfaced in her mind, and she hurriedly added, Does it mean that he possesses an exceptionally powerful bloodline? There was a significant power gap between every cultivation realm after reaching godhood, thus making the hierarchy of power among gods extremely strict. To put it simply, it was viewed to be impossible for a god to defeat opponents of a higher cultivation realm. There were only two possibilities if someone was able to pull something like that off. The first possibility was that the individual was a genius that boasted unbelievable talent, simr to the Heaven Subjugating Monarch. Through sheer talent, these geniuses were able to surpass the limitations of their bloodline to reach a height beyond any of their predecessors. However, these geniuses were extremely rare toe by, and most of them already possessed exceptional strength at a young age. The second possibility was that the individual possessed an extremely powerful bloodline, simr to that of the Dragon Tribe, Phoenix Tribe, or some other unique divine beast. Given that the young man was already in his twenties, it was unlikely for his talents to have not bloomed yet. The fact that he was still low-tier God at his age meant that his talent was average or subpar. So, it was more likely for him to possess a powerful bloodline! Most formidable divine beasts, prior to their transmogrification, would tend to advance their cultivation slowly, so their strength would be rather limited in their earlier years. Well know whether thats the case or not with a quick test, Qi Ling-er remarked calmly. She waited quietly on the spot for a moment before one of the middle-aged men brought a bottle before her. Qi Ling-er took the bottle, inspected its contents, and chuckled softly. This is the fresh blood that he has spat out while he was forging the pills in order to deceive us. Even though it has already dried up, its still possible to test the strength of the bloodline. Well set his dried blood alight on the Netherworld Pool to pay respects to the heroic spirits of the preceding Celestial Gods, God Kings, and Conferred God Kings worshipped by Netherworld Pce. If the heroic spirits are able to harness the blood, it means that the young mans bloodline is beneath them. On the other hand, if the heroic spirits dissipate, it means that the young mans bloodline is more powerful than theirs... If the young mans bloodline is more powerful than theirs, its highly likely that he has powerful backing behind him. It would be courting death to touch such a person... On the other hand, if his bloodline is weak, I have left a Soul Imprint on the Divine Card that allows us to track him down whenever we want to. Hahaha! My business partner should at least have enough strength not to be devoured whole by me in order to work with me, dont you think? I understand. The middle-ageddy nodded, impressed by how thorough the Young Mistress was in dealing with matters. Then again, there was no way an incapable individual would have been to govern such a massive underground ck market. Having made their decisions, the two of them quickly changed their clothes and put on disguises before leaving the ck market. Two hourster, they arrived at Netherworld Pce, where Zhang Xuan had been earlier. Through their connections, they were able to head straight to a tightly sealed room. At the very forefront of the room was an altar filled with many rows of tablets. Each of these tablets represented a renowned expert of the Sky of Drifting Specters. Out of respect for the predecessors, this room was carefully maintained by those of the Netherworld Hall, such that there was not the slightest speck of dust to be seen around. From time to time, visitors would stop by to pay respects to the predecessors. At the center of the room was a crimson pool that was filled with an unidentifiable fluid that bubbled furiously, emanating domineering energy that left ones heart thumping fearfully. Lets begin! With a toss, Qi Ling-er threw the jade bottle filled with the dried blood that she had acquired from Zhang Xuan earlier toward the crimson pool. Tzzz! The dried blood immediately burst into mes. Sensing the energy emanating from the dried blood, a powerful presence swiftly emerged from the crimson pool, creating great pressure on the surroundings. Weng! An illusory middle-aged man dressed in a tight suit of armor manifested above the crimson pool. He raised his sword to strike down on the zing dried blood. Its the heroic spirit of Celestial God Wu Jiang! Qi Ling-er recognized the armored middle-aged man. Celestial God Wu Jiang was not from Twilight City, but he possessed great fame in the Sky of Drifting Specters. He had made great contributions during the first receding of spiritual energy, and even when he was encircled by his enemies, he had managed to kill several experts of the same caliber as him before finally sumbing. It was due to this that his tablet was allowed to be ced on the altar to be worshipped despite only being a Celestial God. Through the powers of the Netherworld Pool, he would be able to forge a heroic spirit and continue existing in the world. Just as the sword was about to strike down on the burning blood, an illusory figure suddenly manifested right above the blood. It was the young man whom they had met earlier. The young man had his eyes tightly shut. It seemed like he did not know where he was or what was happening at all. Paying no heed to Celestial God Wu Jiangs iing sword, he stood motionless on the spot and muttered some words beneath his breath. Hearing those words, Celestial God Wu Jiang froze. A momentter, his knee caved in, and he knelt on the ground. He is... paying respects to the young man? Qi Ling-ers eyes narrowed in disbelief. Does this mean that the young man carries the bloodline of a God King? There was only one instance where a Celestial God would bow down to another person, and that was if the persons bloodline was stronger than his... The only beings possessing stronger bloodlines than the Celestial Gods were the God Kings! Even the city lord of Twilight City was only a low-tier Celestial God, but this young man actually possessed a bloodline that wasparable to the God Kings? Did that not mean that there was a good chance that he might be a God King in the future? Hu! Shortly after Celestial God Wu Jiang knelt down, the crimson pool began to bubble furiously once more, and yet another illusory figure manifested in the air. This time, it was a young man with a crown on his head. He carried a spear in his hands, and he stood with imposing airs. It is the God King of Transcendent mes! I have heard of his legend before. With a spear in hand, he achieved the outstanding record of ying three God Kings one after another, making him a feared existence even among the God Kings. If not for his premature death, he might very well have be a Conferred God King by now... Qi Ling-er clenched her fists tightly as she spoke in agitation. In the midst of her words, the illusory figure of the God King walked over to the young man and thrust his spear toward him. Just as everyone thought that the powerful God King of Transcendent mes would devour the young man whole in order to buff himself, the spear suddenly halted at the veryst moment. Then, just like Celestial God Wu Jiang, he knelt on the ground like an obedient student. Qi Ling-er felt a little light-headed upon witnessing such a sight. Even a God King had submitted to him? Just how powerful could that fellows bloodline be? Sou! The crimson pool bubbled yet again, and another illusory figure manifested in the air. Dressed in a silver helmet and armor, this young man carried whips in both hands. His arms were bulging with power, hinting at the unbelievable strength that he wielded. Its Conferred God Nangong Ping! Qi Ling-er eximed with a hushed voice, fearing that she would offend the other party. Conferred God Kings were existences who enjoyed lifespans of beyond a hundred thousand years. Under normal circumstances, it was extremely difficult for them to die. However, there were exceptions. Forty years prior, Nangong Pings body had been torn to shreds by a single finger of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, leading to instant death. Even though he was defeated by a single finger, that did not mean that he was weak. It would be sheer naivety to think that a person who could rise to a position that was second only to the God Monarchs could possibly be weak. The young man should finally cave in! Nangong Ping brandished his whip to strike the young man. But before anyone could react, he suddenly retracted his whip and knelt down beside Celestial Wu Jiang and the God King of Transcendent mes. Even a Conferred God King has kneeled down to him. Could it be that... The cheeks of Qi Ling-er and the middle-ageddy quivered as a terrifying thought popped in their minds. ... the bloodline of a God Monarch? Chapter 2119 - Valley of Falling Clouds Chapter 2119 Valley of Falling Clouds God Monarchs. They were existences who stood at the very peak of the Nine Skies and the Ten Thousand Worlds. Every single one of them wielded transcendental powers such that even the Firmament would bow to their wills, making them beings that none dared oppose. And the young man whom they had met earlier actually carried the bloodline of such powerful experts? What the heck was going on? Is there a mistake somewhere? the middle-ageddy asked with a meek voice. Based on what I know, His Majesty Demon Monarch Qiankun doesnt have any offspring or sessors... There were only nine God Monarchs in the world, so those who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch would have to be a direct descendant of the nine of them. However, the God Monarch of the Sky of Drifting Specters was the Qiankun Demon Monarch. It was a known fact in the Firmament that he was single and did not have any offspring, so how could a person who possessed his bloodline suddenly appear out of nowhere? There are ten God Monarchs in the Nine Skies. Just because the young man appeared in the Sky of Drifting Specters doesnt necessarily mean that hes the offspring of God Monarch Qiankun, Qi Ling-er replied with a quivering voice. Based on the information I received, back when he was killing Streak of Gray, he used a powerful sword art. Using the words of the informant, the conceptualization of the sword art was more profound than anything I have seen before... The middle-ageddy widened her eyes. Young Mistress, do you mean to say that theres a good chance that hes someone from the Sky of Heavenly Sword? The descendant of the retired Sword God of the Sword Hut? I have no way of knowing that for sure. I dare not speak carelessly about the affairs of the God Monarchs... Qi Ling-er shook her head before taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Then, she said, Make sure not to speak of this matter to anyone else. I understand. The middle-ageddy quickly nodded in response. Even if Qi Ling-er had not said such a thing, she also would not dare speak lightly about the personal affairs concerning a God Monarch. Pass down my order. Well be increasing his share of the profit to 9:1. If he asks for something, no matter what it is, make sure to fulfill his requests by hook or by crook. Also, regarding the Mayang Beast Blood, have it sent over to him as quickly as possible! Qi Ling-er swiftly passed down a series of instructions. Given that she was dealing with the offspring of a God Monarch, it was very clear what she had to do. Even if the young man was not from the main lineage, as someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch, he was bound to reach great heights in the future. Furthermore, how could someone like that possibly not have any experts protecting him by his side? Only those who were tired of living would dare provoke him! Ill have it done right now! The middle-ageddy quickly left the room. Qi Ling-er looked at the three illusory figures kneeling before the young man for a moment longer with aplex look in her eyes before leaving the room as well. She even left a Soul Imprint on it... After returning to Twilight City, Zhang Xuan took out the Divine Card while walking out of the building and scanned it carefully with his Eye of Insight. The Soul Imprint was left very discreetly, but there was no way it could have slipped past his detection. Zhang Xuan channeled a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi into the Divine Card and destroyed the Soul Imprint. Walking down the streets, he stretched his backzily as his pale face swiftly regained a reddened glow. At the same time, he pondered, I should be able to raise my soul cultivation once I receive the Mayang Beast Blood, so I should think of ways to cultivate my physical body now. Having acquired sufficient God Essence Pills, he was confident that he would be able to raise his cultivation swiftly. However, before raising his zhenqi cultivation, he would have to train his physical body and raise his soul cultivation too. The best way to temper my body is using the blood of divine beasts! There was amon consensus among cultivators that it was difficult to train ones physical body. If he just absorbed spiritual energy to refine his body, it would take him ages before he would be able to achieve a breakthrough. However, if he could acquire the blood of divine beasts, the process could he hastened significantly. Such a method made use of the power of the divine beasts bloodline. The more powerful the bloodline was, the more pronounced the effects would be. And the most powerful divine beast in the Firmament was indubitably the Pureblooded Dragons! The problem was that it was already difficult enough for him to procure the blood of a Mayang Beast, an ordinary Celestial God realm divine beast, let alone the blood of a Pureblooded Dragon. Forget it! I should first head over to the Divine Beast Market to take a look! There were markets selling divine beasts in the Firmament as well, but beasts that were sold there were extremely weak and had yet to transmogrify, such as the rabbits that he had failed to hunt time and time again at the Grand Spirit Mountain. As for the powerful divine beasts who were able to transmogrify, there was no way anyone would dare sell them in an open market. If someoneid even a finger on one of them, the rest of their pack would immediately rush forward to exact vengeance! The Divine Beast Market was located not too far away from his current location. Riding on his steed, it took him just an hour to arrive at his destination. Located at the edge of the city where the price ofnd was lower, the Divine Beast Market spanned over a huge plot ofnd. Of the divine beasts on sale, most of them were captured by hunters to be sold. However, there were also some that came over voluntarily to be sold as well. The spiritual energy beyond the walls of established cities had already reached a dire level. If a divine beast wanted to grow stronger, it would have to find a way to enter a city... and bing the tamed beast of a human was the most direct way to do so. In the Firmament, there was no upation called beast tamer. As long as a cultivator was willing to provide an opportunity to cultivate, there were many divine beasts that would leap at the opportunity. Zhang Xuan swiftly found the manager of the ce and asked, May I know if you have any divine beasts here who possess the Dragon Bloodline? Dragon Bloodline? Dear guest, you must be joking! The manager was shocked by how audacious Zhang Xuans words were. Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, Im not. Im being serious. Seeing that the young man really knew nothing at all, the manager exined with a hushed voice, Those who are in the business of trading divine beasts would know that the Dragon Tribe is the royalty of the eastern Sky of Cloud Dragon. Any beasts who are found to possess the Dragon Bloodline must be sent over right away. Anyone who dares to sell a descendant of the Dragon Tribe will be executed without exception! The royalty of the Sky of Cloud Dragon? Zhang Xuan frowned. This was the first he had head of such a thing. Most of what he knew about the Firmament came from Mo Yuans exnation and Streak of Grays books. If the Sky of Cloud Dragon passed down such an order, it was indeed unlikely for anyone to challenge its authority. Could it be that... the God Monarch of the Sky of Cloud Dragon is a Pureblooded Dragon? Zhang Xuan thought. He had long heard about the tremendous prowess of the Dragon Tribe even while he was still on the Master Teacher Continent. However, to date, he had not met a real Pureblooded Dragon, so he was unable to gauge how powerful they were. Considering the name of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, as well as the fact that members of the Dragon Tribe were considered their royalty, it did seem likely for the God Monarch to be a real Pureblooded Dragon. Knowing that the manager would be reluctant to talk about experts of that caliber so lightly for fear of his safety, Zhang Xuan decided to get straight to the matter at hand. I need some divine beast blood to temper my physical body. Do you have anything appropriate? Since it was impossible to procure beasts possessing the Dragon Bloodline, he could onlypromise and go for something else. As long as he could raise his physical body to the level of a high-tier God, he would be able to raise his cultivation swiftly. Thest time he cultivated, he realized that the Camaraderie of Brothers he hadprehended was enough for him to cultivate up to high-tier God realm. The Greenbeast Ancient Grass and Mayang Beast Blood would be able to get his soul cultivation up to high-tier God realm, and he already had sufficient God Essence Pills on hand to raise his zhenqi cultivation up to that level. So, as long as he could acquire what he needed to temper his physical body, he would be able to raise his cultivation all the way to high-tier God realm in one shot. Temper your physical body? The manager thought deeply for a moment before shaking his head. Im afraid that we dont have anything that fits your criteria. However, I heard that theres a high-tier God realm Phosphor Armored Beast in the Valley of Fallen Clouds. Its known for its powerful defense and physical body. Even a Celestial God of our city lords caliber would have trouble breaking through its defense! Its bloodline should be exceptionally effective in tempering ones physical body. We have tried to capture and tame it on multiple asions, but nothing worked. So, we had no choice but to drop the idea in the end. If you really need something to temper your physical body, perhaps you could give it a try. Phosphor Armored Beast? Thats right. However, that fellow isnt easy to find, and its particrly vicious as well. Over the years, those who tried to tame it ended up getting devoured by it, the manager said. Where is the Valley of Falling Clouds? Zhang Xuan asked. Its directly north of here. If you ride on an aerial divine beast, itll only take you roughly six hours, the manager said with a chuckle. You dont have an aerial divine beast yet, right? Why dont you buy one from me here? I have quite a few good ones in stock. Is that so? I want a fast one then, Zhang Xuan said. The Firmament was evenrger than the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent, so it would be much more convenient if he could travel on an aerial divine beast. Soon, the transaction waspleted. Zhang Xuan spent roughly twenty Divine Coins to buy a low-tier God realm aerial divine beast. Watching Zhang Xuan leave, the lips of the manager curled into a cold sneer as he scoffed, Yet another fool! Does he think that the Phosphor Armored Beast can be captured that easily? If thats the case, the City Lord Manor would have long made a move! Theres no way they would have left such a treasure lying around for so long! After saying his piece, the manager turned to the apprentice beside him and said, Did you see that? Thats how you manage to get sales! You need to fulfill the demands of your customers while making use of the opportunity to promote your products. Make sure to take note of this while you are dealing with customers! Seated on the back of the divine beast, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and cultivated. He consumed a few more God Essence Pills to reinforce his cultivation further, and in the process of doing so, he realized that if he forced a breakthrough to middle-tier God, he would really risk cing a huge burden on his body. Thus, he could only stop his cultivation with a helpless sigh. The Firmament was vastly different from what he had imagined. Somehow, the gods did not appear to be as happy as he thought they would be. Instead, it felt like people were much happier and content on the Master Teacher Continent. After leaving the city, the spiritual energy in the air immediately became incredibly thin. At the same time, the wind currents in the sky grew tumultuous. Fortunately, the divine beast was not flying at too high an altitude, and Zhang Xuan was no longer as weak as he had been. So, the strong wind currents did not pose much of a problem to them. Four hourster, a massive valley appeared before their eyes. The setting sun fell at the very center of the valley, dyeing the two cliffs of the valley a brilliant shade of scarlet. The aerial divine beast descended right in front of the valley. Zhang Xuan instructed it to find a ce to rest in the vicinity before heading into the valley. Based on what he had heard from the manager previously, the Phosphor Armored Beast should be somewhere in there. As long as he could find it and procure some blood from it, he would be able to immediately raise his cultivation to greater heights. The valley was muchrger than it looked outside. Zhang Xuan walked for two hours straight, to the point that the sun had set, but he was still unable to find anything. Disappointed, he was just about to return to Twilight City when he saw a faint me in front of him. It appeared to be a bonfire. Zhang Xuan frowned. Could it be that theres someone else looking for the Phosphor Armored Beast here? This valley was remote, sparse in spiritual energy, and did not have any valuable medicinal herbs or anything. It was likely that the person who had started the bonfire had gone there with the same motive as him. After all, even the manager of the Divine Beast Market was aware of the existence of the Phosphor Armored Beast, and it did not seem like he had any qualms telling others about the matter. It stood to reason that there should be quite a few people in Twilight City who knew about this matter. Simr to how it was on the Master Teacher Continent, whenever a powerful beast appeared, plenty of people would gather around to try their luck. If they could somehow tame the beast, their fighting prowess would rise by leaps and bounds. Even though the beast tamer upation did not mean anything here anymore, taming high-tier divine beasts was likely to be no easy feat. I should head over to take a look. With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan began advancing carefully in the direction of the me. Chapter 2120 - 2120 The Bizarre Young Man 2120 The Bizarre Young Man Zhang Xuan stopped roughly a hundred meters away from the mes and hid behind the leaves of arge tree. He reined in his aura to conceal his presence before discreetly peeking at the sight ahead of him. The bonfire was lit right in front of a cavern. Seated in front of the bonfire was a powerfully-built young man. He was roasting a skinned gazelle above the bonfire. Roasted to golden perfection, a thinyer of juicy oil could be seen seeping out of the gazelle. Even from a distance away, one could smell the saliva-inducing fragrance. Roasting out here in the middle of the night? Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. He had encountered a gazelle during his time at the Grand Spirit Mountain. He had tried to capture it in hopes that it could improve the diet of the group, but even though the gazelle was not too strong, it was fast on its feet. The rate at which it was able to climb cliffs was even faster than a monkey climbing a tree. Even with his current strength, he felt that he would still have some difficulties trying to capture one. Yet, this brawny young man was actually able to hunt one down. Furthermore, he was even roasting it so openly in the middle of the night, not fearing the high-tier God realm Phosphor Armored Beast at all. From the looks of it, it seemed like he possessed strength that should not be underestimated. Zhang Xuan was perplexed, but he waited quietly on the spot. Soon, the gazelle was finally cooked. The young man tore off a leg and began biting the meat inrge mouthfuls. Between bites, he would gulp down wine from the gourd ced beside his foot heartily. It did not take him long to finish the gourd of wine, so he casually took out another one from his storage ring and continued drinking. In less than fifteen minutes, he had already eaten half of the gazelle and downed three gourds full of wine. His face was flushed from intoxication, and his head was swaying from side to side. It appeared as if he was going to doze off very soon. Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. Does he really have the skill to back it up, or is that just blind courage? He had learned from experience that the darkness of the jungle was fraught with danger. Many ferocious beasts would choose to make a move at this time, yet the young man still roasted his meat so openly. Just the scenting from the meat was enough to cause him a great deal of trouble! More importantly, he even drank wine! What if someone attacked him at this moment? Would he really be able to protect himself properly? Zhang Xuan was a little bewildered by the young mans actions, but he still chose to keep his distance and watch on. The reason he had gone there was to hunt down the Phosphor Armored Beast. There was a good chance that the young man was there for the same purpose, making thempetitors. It would be to his benefit for the young man to drink himself silly. That would spare him a great deal of trouble. Hu hu! Soon, the sound of thunderous snoring filled the air. Less than an hour after stuffing himself full, this fellow fell asleep without any hesitation. Furthermore, it looked like he hadpletely dropped his guard, not even maintaining a basic level of awareness. Forget it, I should just circumvent him! Zhang Xuan slid down the tree and proceeded to take a detour around the cavern. Based on what he had heard from the manager, the Phosphor Armored Beast resided in this valley. After walking around for so long, he was nearing the end of the valley. He should be able to find the Phosphor Armored Beast ahead. Since the young man was asleep, it was a good chance for him to proceed and take the lead. Barely after taking a few steps, Zhang Xuans eyebrows suddenly shot up in rm. He swiftly flitted to the side and hid amid the crown of arge tree. After he hid himself, two cold shes of light appeared amid the bushes not too far away from where he was. With a grim look on his face, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight to take a closer look. It allowed him to peer through the darkness to discern the happenings around him clearly. There were two figures dressed in ck garbs hidden amid the bushes. The two cold shes of light had originated from the reflection of the moon off their weapons. Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by their presence because he had not noticed them till just a moment ago, so he could not help but wonder when they had gotten there. While he was still deep in thought, the two figures suddenly flitted quietly out of the bushes and charged right toward the intoxicated young man snoring loudly next to the bonfire. It was clear that those two figures were skilled assassins just by looking at how their bodies glided alongside the wind, not causing the slightest disturbance in the airflow at all. The two of them swiftly nked the young man before converging their swords together to y the young man in a single strike. Their movements were sharp, precise, and controlled, which showed that they had practiced these maneuvers many times. Even if the young man woke up right then, it was unlikely that he would be able to react on time. Damn it! Zhang Xuans face darkened. He had never liked to interfere in the affairs of others, but he was quite fond of the young mans hearty personality. It would leave a bitter taste in his mouth if thetter died right before his eyes. Forget it, I guess Ill just save him. We might bepetitors vying for the same Phosphor Armored Beast, but that doesnt mean I should simply watch as he gets killed, Zhang Xuan thought. Thus, he leaped down from the tree he was on and shouted, Be careful! As he spoke, he tossed his sword right toward the two assassins. Weng! Channeling his full strength into this strike, the sword whizzed through the air like a fallinget, producing loud sonic booms in the path of its trajectory. In the blink of an eye, it surged thirty meters ahead to deflect the attacks of the two assassins. How dare you foil our n! One of the assassins harrumphed coldly as he deflected Zhang Xuans sword. Ding! With a crisp echo, the sword that Zhang Xuan had tossed out was deflected back to where he was. At the same time, Zhang Xuan had managed to close to distance till he was less than ten meters away from the two assassins, allowing him to get a closer look He was a middle-aged man in histe forties, and his cultivation had already reached high-tier God realm. His body was charged with divine energy, ready to unleash great strength at any moment. In the face of this, Zhang Xuan did not step forward any further. Instead, he turned his gaze to the intoxicated young man, who had already woken up after hearing his shouts. However, instead of getting to his feet, he simply stretched his hand out and grabbed the other assassins sword. No matter how that assassin struggled, he was unable to shake his sword free of the young mans grasp. Did you think that you could assassinate me just because Im drunk? Shameless weaklings! the young man sneered coldly as he flicked his wrist. Kacha! The sword in his hand was immediately snapped apart. This sight made Zhang Xuan widen his eyes. He could tell that the assassins sword was a middle-tier God artifact, and even if he used his full strength, it would still be difficult for him to destroy it. It was already shocking to see the young man grabbing the sword with his bare hands, but he was even able to snap it apart just like that. His strength was truly horrifying! Sh*t! Lets go! The loud snapping of the sword brought the two assassins to their senses. Realizing that there was no way their assassination could seed anymore, they immediately turned tail and fled. As decisively as theyunched their assault, they had no hesitation in making their escape. The assassin whose sword was snapped to two immediately released his sword and sprinted off in the direction that Zhang Xuan hade from. Rude fellows. Dont you know its customary to leave a gift when you are paying someone a visit? the young man scoffed coldly as he rose to his feet. Roar! A sound reminiscent of a lions roar shook the entire mountain valley, causing small pebbles and rocks to roll down the cliffs. It was almost as if andslide was going to ur. Pu! Pu! As if struck by a hammer in the back, the two assassins stumbled forward as blood spewed from their mouths. That roar actually inflicted them with severe internal injuries! Zhang Xuan was shocked. Is that a technique like the Lions Roar[l] or something? It was a soul art that used sound as a medium, reminiscent of the means of the demonic tunists. He had never seen anyone utilizing such moves in battle ever since his time on the Master Teacher Continent, so he was a little surprised to see how proficient the young man was. Damn it! Go! Knowing that they would really die at this rate, the two assassins flicked their wrists, took out a jade token each, and threw them on the ground. Boom! The two jade tokens exploded, causing dust to rise all over the air. By the time the dust settled, the two of them had already vanished from sight. From their assault to their retreat, their movements were very fluid. Not once throughout the battle did uncertainty or hesitation induce any brief pauses in their movements. From this, it could be seen that they were veterans in the field. Hu! Instead of attempting to chase the two assassins, the powerfully-built young man sat back down by the bonfire before assessing Zhang Xuan curiously. Intrigued, he asked, Why did you save me? Save? I think you are overstating it. Given your prowess, even if I didnt warn you, theres no way those two would have been able to injure you. It looks like I interfered unnecessarily, Zhang Xuan replied with a wry smile. He had thought that this young man was in a precarious position earlier, which was why he had stepped forward to save him. Yet, who could have known that the young man was more powerful than he thought? In fact, it appeared that the young man had feigned sleep in order to lure those two into action! So, it would indeed be inurate to say that he had saved the young man. If I say that you have saved me, it means that you have saved me. Why cant you just cut the nonsense and ept it? The young man frowned in displeasure. Then, he lifted the wine gourd beside him and threw it over. Want a drink? Thanks! Seeing how open-minded the young man was, Zhang Xuan decided to drop all formalities. He uncorked the gourd and took a gulp of it. With a refreshed sigh, he eximed, Fine wine! Even though Zhang Xuan rarely drank, he could still discern good wine from bad ones. The wine in the gourd had a smooth texture and refreshing taste. At the same time, one could still feel the impact of its high alcohol content without feeling difort. It was very different from the wine sold on the market. Seeing how Zhang Xuan had taken a huge mouthful of his wine heartily, the young man nodded in approval. Such meetings between strangers in the outdoors would inevitably carry some wariness. Most would usually turn down food and drinks offered to them by strangers for fear that it might beced with poison. Yet, this fellow drank his wine candidly without appearing too pretentious. He liked people with such personalities. Have some meat too! The young man tore off the front leg of the gazelle and tossed it over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan was already starving, so he did not hesitate to take a bite out of the gazelle. He had to admit that the flesh of divine beasts was indeed on a whole new level. He expected the gazelle meat to be tough and difficult to chew, but contrary to his expectations, the meat seemed to melt right in his mouth before sending a surge of warmth throughout his body. After finishing the gazelle meat given to him and drinking a few mouthfuls of wine, Zhang Xuan felt deeply satisfied. It was almost as if the fatigue he had umted over the day had vanished. With a smile on his lips, he got up from the bonfire side and stretched his bodyzily before saying, I will take your meat and wine as repayment for saving your life then. I still have some matters to attend to, so Ill be heading off. After saying those words, he continued into the depths of the mountain valley. It was on a whim that he had decided to lend the young man a hand. This was nothing more than a momentary stopover for him. He still needed to find the Phosphor Armored Beast so that he could raise his cultivation quickly. The young man took a nce at the direction Zhang Xuan was heading in and said, Its the middle of the night. What are you going to do in the valley at such a time? Great dangers lurked within the mountain valley in the middle of the night. Why would the young man choose to travel then instead of waiting for dawn? To be frank with you, I have reached a bottleneck in my cultivation, so Im seeking a way to ovee my current bottleneck, Zhang Xuan replied. A way to ovee your bottleneck? The young man nodded contemtively. He had taken a look at the other partys cultivation, and it was true that the other party was already on the verge of bing a middle-tier God. It was understandable that he was anxious to take the final step forward given how close he was to a breakthrough. I have been to this mountain valley many times, so I am still quite familiar with the surroundings. Tell me what you are looking for. Ill help you look for it, the young man offered. Well, its like this... Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before deciding to be honest with the young man. Due to the unique nature of my cultivation technique, Ill need to achieve a breakthrough in my physical body and my soul cultivation before I can advance my zhenqi cultivation. I have already found a way to raise my soul cultivation, but Im still having some trouble finding a way to temper my physical body. Just earlier today, I heard that theres a Phosphor Armored Beast here whose blood is particrly useful for tempering ones physical body. So, I decided to head over to take a look. Phosphor Armored Beast? You want to procure its blood? The young man was surprised by what he had just heard. With a bizarre smile on his lips, he asked, Do you think that someone of your fighting prowess will be able to deal with a high-tier God realm divine beast? [1] This is a technique from Louis Chas famous novel, Heavenly Sword and Dragon ying Sabre. Chapter 2121 - 2121 Phosphor Armored Beas 2121 Phosphor Armored Beas I doubt so, Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. Possessing both the Pathos of Heavens cultivation technique and sword art, he could defeat even middle-tier Gods easily. However, it would not be as easy for him to deal with a high-tier God. Not to mention, the other party was a powerful divine beast! Of course, his goal was not to kill the Phosphor Armored Beast but to acquire some of its blood. Through the abilities of the Library of Heavens Path and his persuasive speech, he was confident that he could convince the other party to give its blood or even submit to him! After all, the key to his beast taming skills had never been his fighting prowess but the overflowing charisma dripping from him! Well, in the very slim chance that his charisma failed to work its charms, it was always possible to make a trade using God Essence Pills too. He had plenty of it anyway. Given that the mountain valley wascking in spiritual energy, the Phosphor Armored Beast should be more than d to make a trade with him. You sure are brazen, arent you? Despite not being all that confident, you still dare toe all the way here... The young man shook his head and sighed. Theres also another thing that bewilders me... You im that you want to obtain the Phosphor Armored Beasts blood, but do you even know where it stays and what kind of form it takes? I figured that as long as Im able to find a high-tier God realm divine beast possessing exceptional defense, that should be it, Zhang Xuan replied. The manager had told him that the Phosphor Armored Beast was in the Valley of Falling Clouds, but when he tried to probe further, it turned out that the other party did not know too much about the matter. He had heard about it from another person, so he was not well informed. Thus, his n was to quickly tame one of the divine beasts in the Valley of Falling Clouds so that he could gather some information from it, but who would have thought that despite walking around for hours, he still had not found anything at all! As a result, he had not been able to acquire the critical intelligence that he needed. That being said, there was only a single path through the valley. As long as he continued walking down this path, he was confident that he would eventually find the Phosphor Armored Beast. So, you are nning to bank entirely on luck? Dont you think that you are taking the issue too lightly? The young man leaned leisurely against the cliff as he looked at Zhang Xuan yfully. Well, I have tamed quite a few beasts before, so I know their temperaments quite well. I am confident that Ill be able to convince it to heed my words once I meet it! Zhang Xuan replied with a wave of his hand. Thanks once more for the fine wine and meat. I dont have much time to waste, so I really must leave now. Otherwise, I wont be able to get back before dawn... After saying those words, Zhang Xuan began making his way deeper into the valley. What a naive little boy... The young man got to his feet and said, Forget it! Since you saved my life today, Ill help you look for the Phosphor Armored Beast! That would really be imposing too much on you, Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head. I know that you are strong, but the Phosphor Armored Beast is a divine beast known for its defensive capabilities. I reckon that even you will face difficulties trying to deal with it. I dont think that I should put you at risk over my own personal issues. Its fine, its fine. Im free at the moment anyway. What kind of person would I be if I nonchntly watched as my benefactor dived into danger? Besides, I reckon that you wont be able to find the Phosphor Armored Beast before dawn given how you are fumbling around the ce. Picking up the half-filled gourd of wine beside him, the young man walked up to Zhang Xuan. It was only at this moment that Zhang Xuan noticed that the young man was extremely tall, towering at a height of more than two meters. His height, paired with his powerfully-built body, gave him a very strong presence. Since thats the case, Ill ept your goodwill graciously then. Of course, it wouldnt be right for me to engage your help without giving you anything in return. Here are five God Essence Pills. Treat it aspensation for your help! Zhang Xuan said as he tossed a jade bottle over. He did not like to owe others favors. Since the young man was insistent on helping him, he would just have to make sure he rewarded the young man ordingly. Even for a high-tier God, five God Essence Pills could be considered a rtively hefty sum. Oh? The young man was slightly surprised by the offer. He took the jade bottle from Zhang Xuans hand and uncorked its lid. There were indeed five God Essence Pills inside. He picked one up and sniffed it to ensure that it was indeed a real God Essence Pill before his eyes lit up in delight. Thanks! Popping it into his mouth, he felt warm spiritual energy flowing through into his meridians, nourishing his body. With a satisfied smile, he stowed the remaining God Essence Pills into his pocket before walking toward Zhang Xuan. Come, follow me. Ill bring you to the Phosphor Armored Beast! Zhang Xuan followed him, and together, they headed even further into the valley. Due to the unique terrain of the valley, the wailing of the wind grew louder and louder the deeper they proceeded. The two of them continued walking for almost an hour before the young man finally stopped before a pitch-ck cavern and said, Weve arrived. The cavern over there is the home of the Phosphor Armored Beast! The entrance of the cavern was incredibly tall, the height of ten humans. At the same time, its interior waspletely dark, making it impossible to discern what was within from the outside. Thats it? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. It appeared that the Phosphor Armored Beast wasrger than he thought. Otherwise, there was no way it would have been able to create such a massive cavern to use as itsir. Yup. You wish to capture it, right? Go in then. Ill be right behind you, so call out to me if you really need help, the young man said. Alright then. Zhang Xuan nodded. He took a deep breath before discreetly flitting toward the cavern. The young man quickly followed him. It did not take them long to arrive before the entrance of the cavern. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight before heading into the cavern. To be safe, he made sure to walk alongside the walls of the cavern. Soon enough, the passageway opened up, revealing an empty clearing. A hint of light could be seen from the empty clearing. It should be there, the young man told Zhang Xuan through zhenqi telepathy. Zhang Xuan raised his head and saw a massive divine beast sleeping atop the stone pedestal within the clearing. It was roughly seven meters in length, and its body was covered in grayish fur. Why does it look more like a wolf to me? Zhang Xuan frowned. No matter how he looked at it, the divine beast before him clearly resembled a wild wolf. The Phosphor Armored Beast was rumored to possess unparalleled defense. It was hard to imagine that the fur was so resilient as to provide unparalleled defense. That fellow is definitely it. Ie here often, so theres no way I can be wrong, the young man replied with a nod. I understand, Zhang Xuan replied solemnly. Taking a deep breath, he took out a sword and released a barrage of sword qi. Before the barrage of sword qi could strike the Phosphor Armored Beast, thetter seemed to have already noticed the presence of intruders and swiftly rose to its feet. With a sweep of its thick tail, a ferocious gale was whipped up within the cavern. Its indeed a high-tier God! Zhang Xuan remarked as he dodged the attack with a grim look on his face. Knowing that it would be dangerous for him to hold back against an opponent so much stronger than him, he chose to use his strongest technique without any hesitation. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! In an instant, his sword qi swiftly intertwined together to form something reminiscent of a fishing as it fell upon the Phosphor Armored Beast. What a formidable sword art! the young man behind Zhang Xuan eximed in wonderment. He had been wondering what kind of trump card Zhang Xuan had that allowed him to confidently confront the Phosphor Armored Beast despite the obvious gap in their fighting prowess. Upon seeing the sword art, he realized that even though Zhang Xuan was only a low-tier God, his true fighting prowess wasparable to most high-tier Gods! Roar! Trapped by the fis made of sword qi, the Phosphor Armored Beast released a ferocious roar as it wed at the furiously. Through its devastating might, it was able to free itself within seconds. As soon as it regained its mobility, it immediately charged at Zhang Xuan with terrifying momentum and tore its w down upon him wrathfully. Having seemed to have foreseen its attack, Zhang Xuan calmly took a step back to dodge the w swipe. At the same time, he turned to the young man behind him and said, I need your help. Sure. Thats what Im here for, right? The young man seemed to have been waiting for those words. He propelled himself forward with a powerful forward leap to send a punch right into the guts of the Phosphor Armored Beast. At the same time, Zhang Xuan executed a sword art to assault the other partys weakness. Peng! The Phosphor Armored Beast was caught off guard by the young mans sudden gut punch, and he was mmed right into the wall of the cavern, leaving a huge depression behind him. Zhang Xuan quickly rushed forward to follow up with a barrage of sword qi, determined not to give the Phosphor Armored Beast any time to catch its breath. The young man was also thorough in his attacks as well. He released a series of swift punches toward the Phosphor Armored Beast to overwhelm it, to the point that it seemed as if his two fists had multiplied into eight. On top of that, his body was also surprisingly resilient. In the midst of its desperate struggles, the Phosphor Armored Beast struck the young man twice, but it actually did not even leave a scratch on thetter. Within ten breaths, the Phosphor Armored Beast realized that there was no way it could win the battle. After spurting out a puddle of fresh blood, it rushed out of the cavern and disappeared into the darkness of the night in the blink of an eye. Great! Seeing the puddle of blood that it had left behind, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly stored it into a jade bottle. After he was done, he turned to the young man and sped his fist. Thank you for your help earlier on. Theres no need to thank me. Since I offered you my help, I expect to receivepensation in return. Just give me another fifty of the God Essence Pills you gave me earlier, and well call it quits! the young man said with a grand wave of his hands. Fifty God Essence Pills? Every single God Essence Pill was worth one Divine Coin, and they were not that easy to procure on the market. The young mans act of demanding fifty of them in exchange for his help was no different from ripping him off. Who could have thought that the young man would have this greedy side to him? Yep. If I hadnt helped you earlier, you definitely would have been killed. Dont you think that your life is at least worth fifty God Essence Pills? the young man asked. I am just an ordinary cultivator, so how could I have that many God Essence Pills on me? How about this? Ill give you all ten God Essence Pills I have with me at the moment... Zhang Xuan said. You are saying that you only have ten God Essence Pills? Well, shall we check that out? With a wave of his hand, the young man swiftly sealed the surroundings with his divine energy, making sure that there was no way Zhang Xuan could get away from there. What are you trying to do? Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Nothing much. I am just returning the favor to you. Since you came here to kill me, isnt it only fair for me to do the same to you as well? the young man sneered coldly. Kill you? What do you mean by that? I saved your life earlier! Saved my life? Hahaha! The young man burst intoughter. Didnt you mention earlier that you came here to hunt the Phosphor Armored Beast? Zhang Xuan nodded in response. The young man harrumphed coldly. I am the Phosphor Armored Beast! In the next moment, his body began to distort, and in a few moments, he had already turned into a massive divine beast covered in scales. You are the Phosphor Armored Beast? Zhang Xuan was stunned. You have already learned transmogrification? He knew that divine beasts were able to transmogrify into humans, but he did not think that it would be to the extent where even he was unable to distinguish the difference! Thats right. You tried to kill me, so I made the first move to kill you first. Isnt that fair? The Phosphor Armored Beastughed gleefully. Those who choose to hunt should be aware that they could be hunted as well. Its indeed fair. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. However, did you think that I wouldnt put up my guard against someone who dares to cook and drink alone in the forest at night? Not to mention, your body is actually resilient enough to grab a middle-tier God sword directly without sustaining any damage... I have already seen your strength and your trump cards. Theres no way you could have any other cards in hand! the Phosphor Armored Beast sneered. The reason it had brought Zhang Xuan over to fight the divine beast earlier was to see how powerful Zhang Xuan was. After seeing that thetter did not have anything much other than his swordsmanship, it heaved a sigh of relief and decided to make its move. I dont deny that I dont wield the strength to defeat you, but its unfortunate that you ate something that you shouldnt have a moment ago, Zhang Xuan said as his lips curled up mysteriously. Peng! The next instant, the Phosphor Armored Beast suddenly widened its eyes, and cold sweat began dripping down its forehead. An excruciating paining from its stomach caused its massive body to tremble uncontrobly. Chapter 2122 - 2122 Pledge Your Loyalty to Me 2122 Pledge Your Loyalty to Me The God Essence Pill you gave me was poisoned? The body of the Phosphor Armored Beast stiffened as it swiftly realized what was going on. From the start to the end, it had only eaten a God Essence Pill given by Zhang Xuan. Back then, it had made sure to inspect it carefully, and only after confirming that there was nothing wrong did it swallow the pill. Did the other party really put something in it? But- Just what kind of poison could it be that would cause it to feel as if the entire heavens were crashing down on it, to the point where the Phosphor Armored Beast was even losing its will to retaliate? You are quite smart after all, Zhang Xuan replied. As someone who had risen to the top of the Master Teacher Continent and the Forsaken Continent, he had been through so much that anyone who dared think of him as a naive little boy would eventually regret underestimating him dearly. A human who dared to openly eat and drink in the woods in the middle of the night, such a situation was practically shouting dubious at him! For this reason, he had prepared a hand. In the God Essence Pills that he had given to the other party, he had made sure to infuse several surges of his Heavens Path zhenqi into them. If the other party did not show him any ill will, the Heavens Path zhenqi would help him clear up his blocked meridians and remove any bottlenecks that stood in his way. The unique nature of the upgraded Heavens Path zhenqi would aid him in preserving his youth as well. It would have been a huge fortuitous encounter for him. On the other hand, if the other party had other intentions in mind, the Heavens Path zhenqi would turn into lethal poison in an instant, scourging every nook and cranny of his body, inflicting unbearable pain to him. Haha... Hahaha! I never thought that I would be outwitted like that. However, its still too early for you to relish in your victory. The gazelle meat and the wine you had earlier have my poison as well. I guess well just have to trade antidotes, the Phosphor Armored Beast sneered with gritted teeth. The meat and wine were poisoned? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Do you expect me to believe such words? On top of everything else, he was a poison master. He could easily tell whether something was poisoned or not. It was obvious that the Phosphor Armored Beast was trying to fool him. My wine is indeed free of poison, but its brewed using a special kind of fruit. Its only suitable for us Phosphor Armored Beasts. If anyone else ingests it, while it wont cause too much of a problem initially, within half a day, his body will bepletely covered in scales. An unbearable itch will quickly spread throughout his entire body, making you know what it means to live a life worse than death, the Phosphor Armored Beast said. As long as you give me the antidote to your poison, Ill teach you how you can cure the poison. Not only so, Ill allow you to leave safely as well... Theres no need for that, Zhang Xuan interjected sharply. You dont believe me? No. On the contrary, I believe everything that you have just said. Thanks to your reminder, I have just managed to cure the poison, Zhang Xuan replied. The Phosphor Armored Beast widened its eyes in disbelief upon hearing those words. Then, it quickly shook its head and smiled. I know what you are doing. You are trying to bluff me. It wont work. Seeing how the Phosphor Armored Beast was still deluding itself, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, Your wine is brewed using the Zizhen Fruit found only within this valley. Its the key source of nourishment that ensures the resilience of your scales, and it_s for that reason that you arent able to leave this valley. You know that your unparalleled defense will be a joke if you dont have the Zizhen Fruit anymore. You... The Phosphor Armored Beast was stunned. Was the young man a monster? How could he know a secret which it had been hiding all this while? The city lord of Twilight City had tried to tame it once, and the terms that he had offered it were truly generous. If it had been in the past, it would have surely turned down the offer without any hesitation. However, in this generation of receding spiritual energy, it knew that it would only grow weaker and weaker if it remained in this valley. There was no future for it there. Nevertheless, it had still chosen to turn down the city lords offer, and it was all because of the Zizhen Fruit! This fruit was the key to its superior defense. As long as it continued to consume it, it would be stronger and stronger. However, once it stopped its consumption of the fruit, its scales would slowly lose their resilience, thus stripping it of its key strength. Furthermore, the Zizhen Fruit could only be nurtured using its blood. Once it left the Valley of Falling Clouds, the Zizhen Fruit would swiftly wither and die. For this reason, it could only continue guarding this area. This was its greatest secret, and it was determined to hide it from the rest of the world. As such, it would pit its life against anyone who entered the valley to chase them away. Yet, the young man actually knew about its secret! How was this possible? The reason you use the Zizhen Fruit to brew wine is to conceal your consumption of the Zizhen Fruit from the rest of the world. As you have been nurturing the Zizhen Fruit with your blood, anyone else who consumes it will immediately feel difort. However, the poison of the Zizhen Fruit means nothing to me at all! Zhang Xuan replied. Even the most lethal poison in the world meant nothing before the Heavens Path zhenqi, let alone mere fruit wine. Alright, I hope that I have satisfied your curiosity now. Zhang Xuan pped his hands together as he sat down on the stone pedestal where the massive divine beast had been sleeping earlier. With a nonchnt look on his face, he said, Ill give you two choices. Give me one hundred Zizhen Fruits and two liters of your fresh blood. Of course, I dont intend to make you do it for free. Ill give you twenty God Essence Pills, and you can be assured that none of them are poisoned this time around. Otherwise, you can slowly feel your life wilting away with the poison. I can absolute guarantee that no one other than me is capable of lifting that poison. Even if you beg God Monarch Qiankun for help, theres nothing he can do to save you. Darn it! Ill kill you! the Phosphor Armored Beast roared furiously as it charged forward to rip the young man into pieces. However, before it could even move, it suddenly felt its body tensing up. Before it knew it, the poison within its body had sealed off all its meridians, preventing it from exerting the slightest force at all. What the... How is this possible? Just what kind of poison did you feed me? the Phosphor Armored Beast eximed in fear. There were many experts who had tried to tame it in the past, and some of them had resorted to poisoning it. For this reason, it was considerably well-versed with the most types of poisons. Through its superior constitution, it was able to nullify the effects of most poisons. But shockingly, it actually found itselfpletely helpless against the young mans poison! You are asking something that you dont need to know about. I have already given you two choices. You should know that I am giving you an opportunity here. Even after your death, I will still able to gather your blood and the Zizhen Fruits without any difficulties! Zhang Xuan replied. Theplexion of the Phosphor Armored Beast turned incredibly ugly. It hated to admit it, but the young man was right. Once it was dead, the young man could simply do whatever he wanted with it. There was a moment of silence before it asked, Is there a third option? There is. With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stood up and said, Be my tamed beast and provide me your blood whenever I need it. In exchange, Ill show you the way out of the Valley of Falling Clouds withoutpromising your defensive ability. Not only so, Ill even help you ovee your bottleneck and be a Celestial God! Hah! Big words, but thats impossible, the Phosphor Armored Beast scoffed. As a beast that had already transmogrified, it was more than capable of sneaking into human cities. With its strength, it would easily be able to earn enough money for it to enjoy a decadent life. However, it knew that everything would swiftly unravel once it lost its unparalleled defense. As such, it had been looking for a way out all this while, and it had even snuck into Twilight City many times in hopes of finding a cure, but it could not even find a speck of hope. It was hard to believe that some twenty-year-old would be able to do it. Not to mention, the other party even said that he would help it be a Celestial God? If it was that easy to be a Celestial God, there was no way the city lord would have been the only one to reach that level in Twilight City. Theres nothing impossible about it, Zhang Xuan replied with a confident glint in his eyes. He tilted his head up confidently and looked at the Phosphor Armored Beast deeply as he spoke. The Zizhen Fruit strengthens your defense, but you should also be aware that its side effects are severe. As long as you stop consuming it, you will be consumed by an irrepressible itch, putting you in great agony. Its like a drug. Once you start, you will be forever bound by it. Even if you know about its properties, what can you do about it? the Phosphor Armored Beast replied coldly. It went without saying that it understood all of that as well, but it still had not been able to find a solution to it even after so many years. If it had been able to free itself from the restraints of the Zizhen Fruit, it would have long done so! All things in the world areplementary to one another. Where a venomous snake roams, an antidote can often be found within seven steps. Theres bound to be something that can nullify the side effects of the Zizhen Fruit, and the key for you to be a Celestial God lies in that something. Over the years, your meridians have lost their flexibility due to the toxins in the Zizhen Fruit, resulting in your inability to channel your divine energy properly, Zhang Xuan said. How did you... The Phosphor Armored Beast was going to ask how the young man knew about it, but thinking about it, it seemed like a meaningless question. All its secrets seemed to have lost their veil of secrecy before the young mans prating gaze. So, it sighed deeply and nodded. Yes, youre right. Many years of consuming the Zizhen Fruit had resulted in the loss of flexibility of its meridians, resulting in its inability to expand and contract freely. As a result, it was much harder for the Phosphor Armored Beast to control the flow of its zhenqi. In the pursuit of perfection, it was inevitable that one would have to give up something. For the Phosphor Armored Beast, it was its control over its divine energy. While the Zizhen Fruit toughened its scales and made it imprable, it had also induced the hardening of its meridians. If you were able to control your divine energy as finely as you did before, do you think that youd be able to be a Celestial God? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course! the Phosphor Armored Beast replied in agitation. The foundation that it had built up over the years was already more than enough for it to make a breakthrough. The only issue was that the inflexibility of its meridians made it impossible for it to channel its divine energy fast enough to ovee its bottleneck. I can solve that problem for you, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Then, he snapped his fingers lightly. Tzzz! The poison that had sealed off its divine energy and inflicted excruciating pain suddenly turned into a tonic that nourished its meridians. Swiftly, its hardened meridians began to loosen up, regaining the flexibility it used to have. At the same time, the various blockages within its body also cleared up. This... The Phosphor Armored Beast widened its eyes in disbelief. The young man was actually able to turn the lethal poison in its body into tonic with just a single thought, and it actually achieved something it had not been able to do so despite decades of effort. This was unbelievable! Feeling the regained flexibility of its meridians, the Phosphor Armored Beast quivered in excitement. Everything that it had wanted was within its grasp. As long as it drove its divine energy, it would be able to reach the level it had been dreaming of! Yet, just as it was about to do so, its flow of divine energy suddenly ground to a halt. H! Its meridians became stiff once more, and the bottleneck in its cultivation suddenly reappeared. What was within its grasp moments ago suddenly grew distant once again. It had just felt as if it had the world in its hands, but in the next moment, the world came crashing down. The vast contrast between the two feelings left it feeling so frustrated that it could have exploded on the spot. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and said, The energy I have nted in your body is too weak. It can only sustain you for a short period of time. However, I have already proved to you that I am not making empty promises. The choice is in your hands. The Heavens Path zhenqi could indeed loosen its stiffened meridians, allowing it to regain its flexibility. However, such a change was temporary. Besides, there was no way Zhang Xuan would allow the Phosphor Armored Beast to make a breakthrough before it had made its choice. I... The Phosphor Armored Beast fell silent. All the doubts it had harbored regarding the credibility of the young mans words had been shattered when its meridians regained their flexibility. It knew that the young man would be able to resolve the problems caused by years of consumption of the Zizhen Fruit and help it be a Celestial God. Given so, it was obvious which of the three choices it should choose. Ill pledge my loyalty and my life to you. The Phosphor Armored Beast bowed down and offered a droplet of its blood essence to Zhang Xuan. Excellent decision. You wont regret your choice. With a smile on his lips, Zhang Xuan drew the blood essence infused with the Phosphor Armored Beasts Soul Imprint into his be, creating a Soul Contract with it. Chapter 2123 - Physical Body Breakthrough! Chapter 2123 Physical Body Breakthrough! Alright, lets head to where the Zizhen Fruit grows to take a look! Zhang Xuan said. The Phosphor Armored Beast quickly led the way forward. They returned to the cavern where it had been drinking and eating at previously. Heading into the depths of the cavern, they soon found a few trees that were not too tall. The ceiling of the cavern had been dug out, allowing starlight to shine right onto the leaves of the tree. A series of crimson fruits hung on the tree, looking fresh and delectable. There was a formation cast around the trees that prevented anyone whose cultivation was beneath that of the Phosphor Armored Beast from getting to the trees. Of the entire cavern, other than these trees, there was nothing else to be seen. Zhang Xuan walked up to the formation and stopped it with a stomp of his foot before proceeding further in. Seeing this sight, the Phosphor Armored Beast shuddered in fear. It would not have dared imagine that there was a person who could stop its formation with just a stomp of their foot. Even though its master was young, it was apparent that he possessed exceptional capabilities. Zhang Xuan plucked one of the Zizhen Fruits to take a closer look at it. It was roughly the size of an apple, and it emanated rich spiritual energy. Just breathing it in left ones muscles pulsating in excitement. Zhang Xuan slit the back of his palm with his fingernail, causing blood to ooze out from the cut. After that, he squeezed the Zizhen Fruit and allowed a droplet of its essence to fall on his cut. Hu! In just a few moments, his cut had already healedpletely. Just as I thought, Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile. The Zizhen Fruit did not just strengthen a persons body. More importantly, it also carried exceptional rejuvenation properties. The Zizhen Fruit strengthened a persons defense through continuously destroying and regenerating a persons muscles, forcing them to grow stronger and stronger. As the cycle repeated itself, it was only a matter of time before ones defense reached a point where nothing could breach it anymore. It was actually quite simr to how he used his Heavens Path zhenqi to temper his body. Master, have you found a solution to curing my stiffened meridians? the Phosphor Armored Beast asked worriedly. This was its nest, so it was well aware that there was nothing there other than those trees. If there was really something that could cure it in there, it should have long found it. Thats right, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Then... I know that you frequently consume the Zizhen Fruit, but have you eaten its core before? Zhang Xuan asked. The core? Isnt it inedible? The Phosphor Armored Beast was taken aback. The flesh of the Zizhen Fruit was sweet and fragrant, and it was highly beneficial to ones body as well. As for its core... it had never heard that it was edible before! Just give it a try, Zhang Xuan said as he tossed a Zizhen Fruit over. The Phosphor Armored Beast sliced the fruit in two, revealing its hard, dry core. As soon as it tossed it into its mouth, a bitter taste immediately spread all over his tongue. The Phosphor Armored Beast cringed. It tastes awful. I know that it tastes awful. Try to absorb the spiritual energy released by the core, Zhang Xuan said. The core of the Zizhen Fruit harnessed rich spiritual energy as well. The Phosphor Armored Beast nodded. It closed its eyes and channeled the spiritual energy into its meridians. Hu! As soon as it drew the spiritual energy into its body, its meridians, which were as tough as stone, began to soften up. This... The Phosphor Armored Beast widened its eyes. Even though many years of eating the Zizhen Fruit had strengthened its scales, it had cost it the flexibility of its meridians, making it nigh impossible for it to be a Celestial God. It had despaired over this matter at one point in time, but it eventually resigned itself to its fate. Yet, who could have known that the cure was actually in the bitter fruit core, which it had never eaten before? If only it had known the solution beforehand, it would never have acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master. Ah, its freedom... The flesh hardens ones meridians whereas the core softens them. This is the bnce the heavens have granted the world. Zhang Xuan nodded. The world was divided into yin and yang, day and night, and the five elements. These were all powers of mutual generation and mutual oveing, and it dictated that all beings were bound to have aplementary being. There was nothing in the world that transcended thisw. Even feelings came in pairs as well. With love came hatred, with happiness came sorrow... There was a corresponding counterpart to each and every emotion. I see, the Phosphor Armored Beast replied with a slightly confused look. It walked over to the corner of its cavern, where the cores of the Zizhen Fruits that it had eaten were stacked up. It had intended to find a ce to nt them so as to nurture more Zizhen Fruit, but now that he knew that it was the crux to resolving its affliction, it immediately swallowed all of them without any hesitation. Geji! Geji! The cores of the Zizhen Fruit might be tough, but they were swiftly ground down by its powerful jaws. It did not take long for the Phosphor Armored Beast to swallow all of them. The spiritual energy from the cores flowed through its body and nourished its meridians, swiftly granting it the flexibility that it hadcked for many years. In return, the enhanced flexibility allowed his divine energy to flow faster and faster, causing its aura to swiftly rise. Ill lend you a hand! With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan swiftly took out dozens of silver needles and infused them with Heavens Path zhenqi before tossing them over toward the Phosphor Armored Beast. Puhe! Puhe! The needles lodged themselves into the acupoints of the Phosphor Armored Beast, and the Heavens Path zhenqi swiftly tore down the bottleneck standing in its path. Hong long! With nothing standing in its way, the Phosphor Armored Beasts cultivation sprinted all the way toward the Celestial God realm. Not bad! Zhang Xuan remarked. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed five bottles of God Essence Pills over to the Phosphor Armored Beast. Even though it had a firm foundation, it would still require a fair amount of spiritual energy to achieve a breakthrough to the Celestial God realm. Given that the valley was devoid of spiritual energy, it would take ages for the Phosphor Armored Beast toplete its breakthrough at this rate. Zhang Xuan did not have much time to waste, so he could only lend it a hand. In any case, the Phosphor Armored Beast had already submitted to him, so it was not really a waste of resources. On the other hand, the Phosphor Armored Beast did not expect its master to give it so many pills at once. With a look of gratitude on its face, it opened its mouth and swallowed all fifty God Essence Pills. In an instant, it felt spiritual energy charging up its body. Boom boom boom! A series of dull explosions echoed within its body. A faint glossyyer formed on top of its ck scales, granting it a texture reminiscent of ck jade. Knowing that the Phosphor Armored Beast was set for a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Once the other party seeded, he would have a Celestial God on his side. Furthermore, considering its unparalleled defense, it was unlikely that there were many opponents of the same tier who were a match for it. In other words, he did not have to fear anyone in Twilight City. After the Phosphor Armored Beast sessfully became a Celestial God, Zhang Xuan passed it a few more bottles of God Essence Pills over the next four hours for it to reinforce its cultivation. Once everything was done, the Phosphor Armored Beast reverted to its form as a young man and knelt on the floor. Master, thank you for your help! It had previously felt as if it had been coerced into bing the young mans tamed beast, and that had made it feel incredibly indignant. However, such emotions hadpletely vanished from its mind, leaving nothing but relief. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Give me some of your blood. I need to temper my physical body, Zhang Xuan said. Without any hesitation, the Phosphor Armored Beast reverted to its original form, and with a swipe of its ws, fresh blood began flowing down its body. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan turned the fresh blood into a crimson mist before absorbing it into his body through his pores. At the same time, he grabbed a Zizhen Fruit from the tree, reduced it into juice, and swallowed it. He had alreadye up with a way for him to temper his body in the four hours that the Phosphor Armored Beast had spent making a breakthrough. As the Phosphor Armored Beasts blood and the juice of the Zizhen Fruit flowed through his body, Zhang Xuans body began to undergo a change. Boom boom boom! His muscles were swiftly torn apart and regenerated, going through an endless process of life and death. It was an extremely excruciating process, but without a doubt, his body was swiftly bing morepact and powerful. Making a breakthrough in ones physical body is much more difficult than making a breakthrough in ones zhenqi cultivation... Seeing that its master was tempering his body, the Phosphor Armored Beast chose to guard him in case any mishaps urred. Even with powerful recovery medicine, many things could still easily go wrong while tempering ones physical body. A delicate bnce had to be struck between the rate of destruction and recovery in order for it to work out well. As someone who had undergone the process, the Phosphor Armored Beast knew just how much pain it had to go through in order to reach its current level. It had taken decades of hard work before it reached its current level. On the other hand, its master was only a low-tier God. Even if he was blessed with superior talent, it would take at least several years for him to seed. With such thoughts in mind, the Phosphor Armored Beast looked at the young man, only to see that thetter had finish absorbing the blood mist and the fruit juice. The potency of the two ingredients caused the young mans body to turn incredibly red. But in the blink of an eye, the young mans body suddenly turned golden before reverting to normal. Hu! Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. He opened his eyes once more, and for a moment, one could see golden iridescence in his eyes before they swiftly turned ck once more. Master, arent you going to cultivate anymore? the Phosphor Armored Beast asked in bewilderment. It could not understand why the young man suddenly stopped cultivating ten breaths after he started. Ive finished cultivating, Zhang Xuan replied. You have already finished cultivating? The Phosphor Armored Beast blinked nkly. What do you mean by that? It was said to be blessed with superior aptitude in terms of its physical body, but even so, it had taken decades of training in order to temper its physical body to its current level. Yet, the young man was actually done cultivating barely after a few breaths? What did that mean? Was he going to put aside his cultivation for the time being? Instead of responding to the Phosphor Armored Beasts question, Zhang Xuan instructed with an excited gleam in his eyes, Strike me. The Phosphor Armored Beast hesitated for a moment before nodding. Alright. It raised its ws and pulled it down on Zhang Xuan. Fearing that the young man would not be able to withstand its strength, it chose to use only a hundredth of its full might. However, when its w met with Zhang Xuans fist, it found itself faced with a might far beyond its imagination. It felt as powerful as the might of a natural disaster. In that instant, the Phosphor Armored Beast had a feeling that it would be crushed into bits if it continued at this rate. Not daring to waste any time, it immediately increased the exertion of its force. Five percent! Ten percent! Fifteen percent! Fifty percent! In a split second, it raised the might of the w swipe to over half of its full strength. Peng! Nevertheless, the Phosphor Armored Beast was still sent crashing into the walls, causing a cloud of dust to fall from the ceiling. Master... The Phosphor Armored Beast looked at the young man with a look of disbelief. It had just seen the full extent of the other partys strength. It admitted that the other partys swordsmanship was indeed powerful, but when did he be so strong? Even though it had only used half of its strength, the young man was still able to send it flying into the distance. In terms of raw strength, that was an attack that even an average low-tier Celestial God would have difficulty withstanding! In other words, in just ten breaths or so, the young man had managed to raise his raw strength from that of a low-tier God to that of a low-tier Celestial God. Did you really get so powerful within just ten breaths of cultivating, or have you been lying to me this whole time? Just as the Phosphor Armored Beast was feeling utterly frenzied by the situation, it noticed that the young man had a depressed look on his face. Instead of celebrating his swift growth, it seemed as though he was disappointed with the results. Sigh, my rate of cultivation has really slowed down a lot. Am I starting to run out of talent? Slow down? Run out of talent? The Phosphor Armored Beast nearly burst into tears upon hearing those words. To raise your raw strength from the level of a low-tier God to that of a low-tier Celestial God... Bro, thats three whole realms! Yet, you areining about slowness? Are you being serious, or are you trying to show off? Chapter 2124 - 2124 Beauty Pill Goes on Sale (1) 2124 Beauty Pill Goes on Sale (1) Zhang Xuan was not trying to brag. Those were his honest feelings regarding his breakthrough. Even though it might appear that he had only cultivated for ten breaths to the Phosphor Armored Beast, in truth, he had spent nearly twenty-eight hours in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. He had needed a day in order to make a breakthrough! The flow of time in the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn was ten thousand times faster than that in the Firmament. As long as he immersed his consciousness into it, he would be able to hasten the flow of his divine energy in the real world, allowing him to cultivate much faster than before. It was for this reason that the artifact was so overpowered. It was also due to this artifact that he had been able to be a God within ten breaths while facing off against Kong shi_s done, thus achieving a victory in that dire situation. Given his past experience of cultivating using the Heavens Path Golden Body, he had thought that it would only take him two to four hours in order to advance a single cultivation realm, but it had actually taken him an excruciating twenty-eight hours in order to get to advance from low-tier God to high-tier God. He found it hard to ept that his rate of cultivation had gotten so slow. He had never been so slow before while cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art! This was probably the slowest he had ever cultivated, and it would surely remain a dark stain on his history. He could only pray that no one else learned about this, or else he might just die from embarrassment! It seemed like his self-created cultivation technique was stillcking in some wayspared to the Heavens Path Divine Art. Forget it. At least I managed to grow much stronger than before! Choosing not to worry too much about the slowdown in his rate of cultivation, Zhang Xuan gazed at his fist as he relished in the newfound strength harnessed within his body. Even though he did not manage to temper his physical body beyond the level of a Celestial God, in a close-quarter battle, he was confident that he would at least be able to stand his ground against a low-tier Celestial God. This was especially so with his enhanced defense. After being tempered by the blood of the Phosphor Armored Beast and the Zizhen Fruit, his body was at least as tough as a low-tier Celestial God artifact. In other words, even a full might attack from a high-tier God would not be able to harm him at all. It was due to this that he had been able to force back the Phosphor Armored Beast earlier with his punch. Ever since arriving in the Firmament, he had felt pressured by his weakness. He was afraid that he would not be able to protect his parents and his direct disciples in times of crisis, and that left him deeply anxious. However, with this breakthrough, his fears had lessened a bit. In this world filled with experts, he was no longer in the bottommost echelon anymore. Based on the books he had read so far, Celestial Gods could be considered as elites in most cities. Such strength should be enough for him to nt his foot in the Firmament. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan stowed all the Zizhen Fruits into his storage ring before saying, Lets return to Twilight City. But my defense... The Phosphor Armored Beast was still a little ify about this. He would lose his constant supply of Zizhen Fruits if he left the area. Would he grow weaker as a result of that? Dont worry. I resolved that issue for you while you were making your breakthrough earlier, Zhang Xuan said. The effects of the Zizhen Fruit could only be said to be semi-permanent. Once the Phosphor Armored Beast stopped consuming it, his defense would slowly regress back to its original level. So, Zhang Xuan had used his Heavens Path zhenqi to reinforce its scales earlier, turning the effects from semipermanent to permanent. As such, his defense would not regress as a result of not eating the Zizhen Fruit anymore. Thank you, Master! The Phosphor Armored Beast heaved a sigh of relief. It was actually delighted by such an oue. Ever since its birth, its movements had mostly been limited to this valley due to the Zizhen Fruit. It was d that it was finally free of its restraints and able to travel the greater world out there. Not too long after leaving the valley, Zhang Xuan quickly found the aerial divine beast that he had tamed from the Divine Beast Market. At this moment, the Phosphor Armored Beast had also transmogrified into its human form. The two of them got onto the back of the aerial divine beast and made their way back to Twilight City. Ye Qiuyan was a special envoy of the Sky of Drifting Specter to Twilight City. Even though she was only a high-tier God, due to her background, not even City Lord Wu Fangqing would dare to rebuke her decisions. That being said, most of the matters she handled were rting to the policies and edicts passed down from the Sky of Drifting Specters. She was not so arrogant as to overstep her boundaries to interfere in the internal management of Twilight City. After a busy day at work, she stretched her back to loosen her stiffened joints before sitting before her dressing table to examine her right cheek. There was a ring crimson scar that looked as if a centipede was climbing up her face. As a famed beauty, she had always been rather proud of her appearance. Yet, this centipede-like scar had marred her beauty, destroying the overall aesthetics of her face. Sigh! Ye Qiuyan shook her head helplessly. This scar came from a battle with an enemy some time ago. As the wound had been inflicted through a unique power the enemy possessed, she found that she was unable to remove the scar no matter what she tried. On top of that, her cultivation had also fallen from Celestial God to high-tier God due to the severity of her injuries. Eventually, she had chosen to leave Royal City to serve as a special envoy in this remote city. She quickly dolled herself up a little before covering her face with a veil. Walking out of her room, she nced at the elder standing guard outside and asked, How is the investigation going? The elder sped his fist and replied, Envoy Ye, I have confirmed the existence of a ck market within Twilight City. The person heading the ck market is Qi Ling-er, and shes from Royal Citys Qi n! The Qi n is a distinguished n that wields great power even within Royal City. The fact that their old ancestor, Qi Meng, is a Conferred God King is more than enough to cement their standing. Why would their descendant open a ck market in a remote ce like this? Ye Qiuyan frowned. Does she not know that such an act is an infringement of thews of the Sky of Drifting Specters? I dont really know the details, but I think it might be something rted to the lower worlds... The elder paused for a moment before revealing his thoughts. Lower worlds... A deep frown formed on Ye Qiuyans forehead. His Majesty has found a particrly pure soul in recent days, and he made a special exception to allow it to recuperate in the Netherworld Lake within the royal pce. ording to some sources, the soul originated from the lower worlds. However, this is something that only happened twenty days ago whereas Qi Ling-er should have been here for several years now. Thats indeed the case. However, the ce the Heaven Subjugating Monarch first appeared happens to be this Twilight City as well. I feel that the movements of the Qi n could be rted to that, the elder said. The God Monarch of the Sky of Drifting Specters, Demon Monarch Qiankun, had never really been too interested in the governance of his territory. As such, he delegated the responsibility of governance to the Conferred God Kings under him, resulting in them amassing a great deal of power. As such, despite the seeming peace in Royal City, there was a great deal of political rivalry. The rise of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was one thing that no one had ever expected, and it was a game-changer. Other than the Nine God Monarchs who had lived since time immemorial, no one had evere close to reaching them before. As such, it becamemon knowledge that it was impossible for any being to be a God Monarch, thus making Conferred God King the highest level that any cultivator could ever reach. However, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had shattered these conceptions and be an existence on par with, if not stronger than, the God Monarchs. As such, everyone wanted to know what he had gone through to uncover the mystery behind his ascension. For the past forty years, the investigation had never stopped. Aside from financial benefits, the ck market was also a ce where a great deal of information went around, making it a strategic location to build an intelligencework. Ye Qiuyan pondered for a moment before saying, Tell Qi Ling-er that Ill turn a blind eye if shes just using the ck market to gather information, but she would do well not to go overboard. If she goes too far, regardless of whether shes a member of the Qi n or not, shell be punished strictly in ordance with thews of the Sky of Drifting Specters. Also, I need you to continue keeping a lookout on what shes up to. If you notice anything suspicious, make sure to report it to me as soon as possible. It was true that the Qi n was a powerful faction in Royal City, but she was the special envoy in Twilight City. She represented God Monarch Qiankun himself. No matter how powerful the Qi n was, they would be wise not to supersede her authority here. There was no greater sin in the world than sullying the honor of a God Monarch. This was something that anyone who had any semnce ofmon sense in the Firmament would know. I understand. The elder nodded before walking out. Some timeter, the elder returned with a perplexed look on his face, suggesting that he had just uncovered news that even he could hardly believe to be true. Envoy Ye, Qi Ling-er isnt in the underground ck market at the moment. Instead, shes in the Twilight Market! Twilight Market? Ye Qiuyan was surprised by the news as well. What in the world was the boss of the underground ck market doing in the authorized marketce of Twilight City? Was she trying to wash her hands clean and retire from the underground world? She has gathered some of the more distinguished female cultivators in Twilight City, and it seems like shes going to sell something... I think its called the Beauty Pill! the elder said. Beauty Pill? Ye Qiuyan scoffed. Ridiculous! When the most famous apothecary of the Firmament, Master Fu Jiangchen, visited Royal City, I had the opportunity to talk to him, and he said that ones appearance is something predetermined by the heavens, and nothing can change it. Theres no such thing as a Beauty Pill in the world. If so, I wouldnt have allowed the scar of my face to remain till now! The elder nodded in agreement. If there was truly something like a Beauty Pill, it would have long made its name all over the Firmament! The higher a persons cultivator was, the longer they would be able to live. Living a long life was enviable, but it would be even more so if one could maintain a youthful appearance while at it. If there was really such a thing in the world, cultivators would have already gone crazy over it! Are we going to interfere in the matter? Theres no need for that. The city lord will deal with it on his own... Ye Qiuyan shook her hand as she walked back to her room to rest. But barely after taking a few steps, she changed her mind and said, Never mind, lets head there to take a look! After saying those words, she swiftly left the room. Twilight Market was thergest market in Twilight City. All kinds of treasures were ced on sale there, attracting the greatest crowd within the city. As such, it was viewed as the symbol of prosperity of Twilight City. Concealing her face with a veil, Ye Qiuyan swiftly arrived in the event venue where the Beauty Pill was sold. Through her connections, it did not take her too long to secure an entry pass to enter the area. The event venue was already filled with people by the time she entered. Even with a swift nce, she could tell that there were at least a thousand people in there. Nearly all of them were female cultivators, and even the weakest of them was a low-tier God. It seems like Qi Ling-er has quite some connections in Twilight City... Ye Qiuyan harrumphed. Despite being the boss of an underground ck market, she was still able to gather so many people within hours. Furthermore, there were a few distinguished figures among the crowd. One would require some means in order to pull something like that off. Have you heard? It seems like the Beauty Pill is going on sale today! Is there such a pill in the Firmament? I have never heard of it before. It seems like its a new product by a formidable apothecary... Its still too early to tell whether its real or not. I just came by to join in themotion... There was a slight hint of anticipation and curiosity in the atmosphere. It would appear that most people had gone there out of curiosity to see what was going on. Ladies, may I have your attention? A shout echoed from the forefront of the room. Following that, a tall and beautifuldy walked onto the stage with widened strides. It was none other than Qi Ling-er. Taking a seat on a posh chair ced on the stage, Qi Ling-er got straight to the point. You must be curious as to why I have gathered all of you here today. She immediately caught everyones attention with her confident demeanor. I live by the motto that everyones time is precious, so I wont bother boring you with unnecessary pleasantries. As you might have heard, my apothecaries have recently forged a new kind of pill that is particrly effective in beautifying a persons appearance. So, I have invited all of you here today in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Beauty Pill to you. If any of you are interested in it, you may approach me after the event to make reservations. After saying her piece, Qi Ling-er calmly raised her hand, and ady swiftly carried an borately ornate box onto the stage. The box was made of the precious Ink Jade, which was well-known for its ability topletely seal off spiritual energy. This made it ideal for storing precious medicinal herbs or pills without degrading its medicinal effects. However, this material was extremely rare and expensive to purchase as well. Just the one over there would likely cost at least ten Divine Coins. Qi Ling-er rose to her feet and opened the box. There was a pill ced neatly within that emanated concentrated spiritual energy. Isnt that just an ordinary God Essence Pill? A middle-ageddy among the crowd stood up and berated Qi Ling-er. Not to mention, its a low-tier one... If thats the Beauty Pill youre talking about, I must say that you are really taking us for fools! Chapter 2125 - 2125 Beauty Pill Goes on Sale (2) 2125 Beauty Pill Goes on Sale (2) Indeed, thats the God Essence Pill! Our n has been producing God Essence Pills for decades now, so theres no way I could be mistaken about that! Even though I knew that its likely an exaggeration, I still came here with some anticipation. Yet, the organizer is trying to fool us with a mere God Essence Pill? Does she take us for bumpkins? The rest of the crowd also swiftly realized the same thing, and furious voices echoed through the crowd. Seeing such a sight, Ye Qiuyan frowned. As an ex-Celestial God who hade from Royal City, she possessed a sharp eye. No matter how she looked at it, the thing inside the container was definitely the most ordinary low-tier God Essence Pill. There was nothing special about it. Qi Ling-er should be a pretty smart person considering her aplishments so far, so it was hard to imagine that she would make a fatal mistake like this. A female cultivator stood up and spoke with raised eyebrows. Based on what I know, not even the apothecaries in Royal City have been able to produce anything close to a Beauty Pill. Miss Qi, I hope that you havent invited all of us here just to look at a mere God Essence Pill. I expect you to have a satisfactory exnation for this. This female cultivator was a high-tier God. Even though she had barely reached the realm not too long ago, the fact that she had reached this realm was more than enough to make her one of the top elites of Twilight City. After all, even the principal of Twilight Academy had only reached this level of strength. Like you mentioned earlier, our time is precious. Youd better have a good reason for this! Voices of agreement echoed through the crowd. Quiet down! Do you think that I, Qi Ling-er, would have gathered all of you here over a mere God Essence Pill? Qi Ling-ers authoritative voice suppressed the chaos happening in the room. Rest assured, I have no intention of sullying my own reputation. Men! She raised her hand and beckoned her subordinates beneath the stage. H! The subordinates quickly brought a divine beast onto the stage. Gedeng! Upon seeing the divine beast, everyones heart skipped a beat. Its a high-tier God realm divine beast, Lava Python! This divine beast lives within theva, making its body unbearably hot. Its said to be an extremely difficult foe to deal with due to its ability to freely spit mes! Why is she bringing such a beast onstage? Itll be a huge problem if someones burned by its mes... My close friend had her arm burned by that fellow. She used all sorts of medicinal herbs in order to heal her scars, but twenty years have passed since then, and her scars show no signs of disappearing. The divine beast that had been brought into the room was exceptionally notorious in Twilight City. It was one of the more difficult me attribute beasts to deal with. Judging from your reactions, I reckon I need not exin the ability of this divine beast. Is there anyone among you who wishes to fight with it? Qi Ling-er asked with a smile. The crowd immediately frowned. It was a known fact that divine beasts were usually stronger than cultivators of the same realm. Given that the enemy was a high-tier God realm divine beast, there was probably no one in the event venue who would stand a chance against it in a one-on-one. If no one is going to volunteer, Ill just have to use my own people. I hope that none of you will view this as an act of cheating, Qi Ling-er said. The female cultivator who had spoken earlier harrumphed. With so many eyes on you, itll be hard for you to cheat even if you want to! Hurry up and do whatever you are nning to do. Dont waste our time! Since Madam Chen has already said so, I wont stand on ceremony then! Qi Ling-er raised her hand and beckoned. Hu! A youngdy walked over to the Lava Python. Her body was shivering, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to remain rooted to the spot. Begin! Qi Ling-er ordered. H! The Lava Python suddenly released a furious cry and opened its massive mouth. A searing bundle of mes immediately poured out of its mouth, incinerating the youngdy. A momentter, when the mes vanished, the youngdys body waspletely covered in burns. She copsed to the ground due to the severity of her injuries. At the same time, her delicate skin waspletely ruined as a result of the mes, causing her to look a little frightening. Qi Ling-er, what the hell are you doing? Ye Qiuyan roared in fury. That woman was really making light of a persons life! Regardless of whether thatdy was her subordinate or not, or whether they had some sort of deal with one another, Qi Ling-er was going overboard by using a divine beast to ruin a persons life like that. That was a major infringement of the rules of the Firmament and Twilight City! Just this act in itself was enough to warrant Qi Ling-ers arrest and subject her to heavy punishment! Seeing the pale faces all around the room, Qi Ling-er quickly waved her hand and said, Please calm yourselves. I have no intention of harming anyone. Since I have subjected her to the mes of the Lava Python, it goes without saying that I have my means of fully treating her! Madam Chen, youe from a n of apothecaries, and your husband, Chen Yixiong, is the most famous apothecary in Twilight City. May I know if you know of any ways that this youngdy can be treated? Madam Chen pondered for a moment before shaking her head. The me of the Lava Python isnt just any normal me. Once the fire toxin seeps into ones body, even high-tier Gods will have trouble trying to expel it from their body. Im afraid that I dont have any good remedies for this. What about Madam Liu? Your husband, Liu Mingyang, is the best physician in Twilight City. Do you have any ideas on how this youngdy can be treated? Qi Ling-er continued asking around. Theres no way at all. The fire toxin is hard to expel, so theres nothing much I can do, Madam Liu replied. Allow me to extend the question to the rest of you. Is there anyone who knows of a way to treat that youngdy over here? Also, in case there are any skeptics among the crowd, may I verify with the professionals here whether there is a possibility that we could have faked the fire toxin to put on an act? Qi Ling-er continued. We arent able to treat such a condition. The crowd shook their heads. There was no way they would be able to resolve an illness that even Madam Chen and Madam Liu were helpless before. As for faking the fire toxin... that was even more impossible. The Lava Python was right before their eyes, and they had witnessed just how vicious the mes were. There was no one here who had not felt the searing heat released by the pythons mouth earlier. No matter how one looked at it, there was no chance that this was a staged ploy. Since we have a consensus, allow me to proceed to treat her. This will be a good opportunity to showcase the potency of the God Essence Pill that you have been talking about! Seeing that she had managed to build up the suspense long enough, Qi Ling-er gestured for thedy holding onto the jade container to take out the pill within and feed it to the burneddy. Hu! As soon as the pill slid down her throat, the body of the burneddy immediately began trembling. In less than three breaths, ayer of ck skin fell from her arm, and the same happened all over her body. Qi Ling-er raised her hand once more, and another subordinate rushed forward to clean the burneddys body with clean water. As thetters body was rubbed clean, ayer of delicate skin was revealed beneath the ck skin. Everyone was stunned. All of them had witnessed how thedy was nearly burned to death. But just by consuming the Beauty Pill, not only did she manage to recover from her burns, all the bum marks vanished without a trace. In fact, thedys skin seemed to be much better than before, almost as if it had all been a magic trick. How did this happen? Was it because thedy had eaten that God Essence Pill? Were its effects really that great? The surroundings fell silent. Even those with the loudest criticism earlier had nothing to say anymore. Everyone was simply too shocked to even say a word. Satisfied by the astounded looks all around her, Qi Ling-er continued with her introduction. These are the effects of the God Essence Pill forged by our apothecary. Not only does it beautify ones appearance, it can also heal scars and help to preserve ones beauty. This miraculous pill will be sold at a price of one thousand Divine Coins each. If you reserve some doubts regarding its effectiveness, you can consume it on the spot and pay only after the pill takes effect. Due to the difficulty in producing them, we were only able to prepare twenty pills for the first sales, and we have already used one of them here. In other words, there are only neen of them left. If you were to miss out on this opportunity, I cant guarantee when there will be new stock! My goodness, that pill costs one thousand Divine Coins each? Thats daylight robbery... Everyone was bewildered. Even Streak of Gray, despite years of plundering from merchants, was only able to rue a wealth of several hundred Divine Coins. Yet, a single pill cost one thousand Divine Coins... This was ridiculous! One thousand Divine Coins is indeed overpriced, but she says that she only has neen of them in hand. Once theyre sold out, theres no guarantee whether therell be a second batch... I thought that she might be a fraud, so I was watching everything very closely earlier. Theres no way she could have yed any tricks during the demonstration. Given the powerful potency of the pill, I think that charging one thousand Divine Coins for it actually isnt too much! Thats true... We have all aged, and our appearance isnt what it used to be. If I dont find a way to reverse it, its only a matter of time before a foxy vixen seeds in seducing my husband. By then, it will be futile no matter how much money I spend... Indeed. Those transmogrified foxes are bom with seductive looks, making it hard to resist their advances... Fervent discussions could be heard here and there. Even though there were quite a few people who thought that the pricing was fair, that did not change the fact that one thousand Divine Coins was a price beyond what most could afford. Qi Ling-er had made sure to invite only the wealthiest merchants and female cultivators in Twilight City, but it would still be difficult for them to fork out so much money on the spot. Seeing the looks of hesitation all around, the middle-ageddy standing behind Qi Ling-er whispered worriedly into her ear, Young Mistress, dont you think that the price is a little too high? This was a price that was set arbitrarily by Qi Ling-er without discussing with anyone, so she had only learned about it just a moment ago as well. Its not high at all. I intend to push out the Beauty Pill as a high-end extravagant product. Dont worry. They would be willing to spend as much as it takes for them to preserve their youth, Qi Ling-er replied with a smile. She understood the mentality of those women very well. The desire for beauty was encoded in the genes of all humans. As cultivators became more affluent and lived longer lives, they would begin to be more concerned about their reputation and appearance. The only thing was that it had been impossible for them to change their appearance, at least till that very day. If an opportunity to be more beautiful appeared before their eyes, most of these people would surely grasp it. I understand! The middle-ageddy nodded after seeing how confident Qi Ling-er was. Are there no buyers? After waiting for a while, there was still no one who was willing to step forward to buy the Beauty Pill. Despite that, Qi Ling-er did not look anxious in the least. The fact that they were staying meant that they were already hooked. All they needed was onest push. So, she turned her eyes toward Ye Qiuyan and smiled. She calmly rose to her feet, walked over, and sped her fist. Its a pleasure to meet you, Envoy Ye. Ye Qiuyan nodded slightly to acknowledge Qi Ling-ers presence, but she did not say anything else. Since everyone is still harboring some reservations toward the Beauty Pill, I would like to invite Envoy Ye up to give it a try if it isnt too much trouble, Qi Ling-er said. Envoy Ye, you can be assured that I wont charge you if the effects of the pill arent to your satisfaction. Ye Qiuyan frowned upon hearing those words. However, seeing that the other party did not mean anything else with those words, she pondered for a moment before nodding. Very well. Qi Ling-er raised her hand, and a subordinate immediately carried another Ink Jade Box over and opened it. Ye Qiuyan first inspected the Ink Jade Box carefully before picking up the God Essence Pill ced within and examining it. After ensuring that there was nothing amiss, she ced it into her mouth. Hu! The pill melted as soon as it entered her mouth, and a surge of energy swiftly gushed through her body. Shortly after, she felt a tingling yet slightly numbing sensation on her right cheek. She subconsciously raised her hand to hold her right cheek, but at this moment, Qi Ling-er suddenly took out a copper mirror and offered it to her. She hesitantly epted the copper mirror and looked at her own reflection. Even through the veil, she could tell that her skin was much smoother and more delicate than before. Furthermore, something that was there previously seemed to have disappeared. With trembling hands, she carefully removed the veil around her face. And she gasped. The ring scar that had gued her for many years had vanished without a trace. Not only so, she also looked ten years younger than she did before. The difference in her appearance was so great that it was hard to believe that she was still the same person she had seen in the mirror earlier in the day! How did you manage to do this? Ye Qiuyan could hardly believe her eyes. Chapter 2126 - 2126 Wu Fangqing 2126 Wu Fangqing Envoy Ye... the elder following behind Ye Qiuyan muttered with reddened eyes. Even in the Firmament, people still discriminated based on appearance. Over the years, Ye Qiuyan had faced the scorn and derision of those around her. While she had tried to ignore them, she still found herself affected by their words. She had thought that she had no other choice but act numb before the insults of others, but who could have known that a pill would resolve her problem so easily? This was a feat that even the God Kings of Royal City might not necessarily be able to pull off! At the same time, the crowd widened their eyes in shock. There were not many people in Twilight City who knew about the existence of Envoy Ye. However, those who were in the top echelon of the city, even if they had not met the beautiful Ye Qiuyan, would have at least heard of her before. She was an expert from Royal City, but due to her cultivation plummeting as a result of the injuries she had sustained, she had been eventually dispatched to Twilight City. It was rumored that she had a ring scar on the face, which was also why she always veiled her face. Yet, a single pill actually removed her scar and made her look many years younger. This was really a miracle! How is it? If any of you still harbor any doubts, you are free to give a try. Just as Ive said before, if the results are not to your satisfaction, I wont collect a single coin! Qi Ling-er said with a confident smile. As someone who governed the massive underground ck market, she was extremely skilled at controlling the scene. And at that very moment, she knew that everything was already in her grasp. illl give it a try! The person who had spoken the loudest against her earlier, Madam Chen, walked out from the crowd. She hade from a family of apothecaries, and her husband, Chen Yixiong, was famed for being the greatest apothecary in Twilight City. Ye Qiuyan took a closer look at the other partys appearance as she walked over. The other party appeared to be in her mid-fifties. Even though she had taken good care of her skin, it was inevitable that there would be some signs of aging on her body. Madam Chen picked up a God Essence Pill and swallowed it. She closed her eyes in an attempt to feel the medicinal energy within it so that she could decipher the ingredients used to forge the pill. However, before she could discern anything, she was already hearing excited mutterings all around her. She quickly opened her eyes, only to see ady in her early thirties staring back at her in the mirror. This is... me? Madam Chen trembled in disbelief as she hurriedly touched her own face. The person in the mirror was exactly how she had looked decades ago. Just by eating a single pill, her skin had regained its tension, and her appearance had regressed back in time. Was it really possible to forge a pill like that? Astonished, Madam Chen quickly drove her zhenqi to check if it was just an illusion that would disappear after some time, but the result of her inspection was that... her body had really changed! The pill had not just made her skin smoother and younger than before. More than that, the traumas she had sustained before and the pill toxins that had umted in her body had all been cleared away as well. While her cultivation had not increased, her strength was much greater than before! This... It isnt just a normal Beauty Pill. It actually has powerful recovery effects as well, Madam Chen eximed in agitation. As a descendant from a lineage of apothecaries, she could immediately understand just how valuable the Beauty Pill was. Just its effect of beautifyings one appearance was already amazing in itself, but to think that it would aid in ones cultivation as well. It was definitely a bargain to buy such a pill for just one thousand Divine Coins! Madam Chen, how is it? Qi Ling-er asked with a smile. Ahem... The effects are excellent so far, but I still need to test it out a little to check if there are any side effects. As you know, potent pills tend to have some side effects. Madam Chen suppressed her excitement and replied nonchntly. Thats true... The crowd nodded in agreement. It wasmon knowledge that the stronger the medicinal effect of a pill was, the more likely it would be damaging to ones body. Madam Chens remark immediately left everyone wondering if there was some kind of fatal w in the Beauty Pill. Qi Ling-er frowned in response to Madam Chens words. It was clear from thetters expression earlier that she had already understood the effects of the Beauty Pill, but why was she ying the fool? Madam Chen, may I know what kind of side effects you suspect it to have? a person amid the crowd shouted out. Well, Im not too sure. Ill have to look into it carefully, Madam Chen said contemtively. She turned to Qi Ling-er. You have eighteen Beauty Pills with you at the moment, right? Why dont you sell them all to me? Ill be able to research them with my husband to check how severe the side effects are. If we can resolve all the issues surrounding it, I believe that everyone will benefit greatly from it... Is that so? Qi Ling-er remarked as a mocking smile crept onto her lips. She had been wondering if there was really something wrong with the Beauty Pill, but it turned out that Madam Chen was just impressed by the effects and wanted to monopolize all of the current pills. Madam Liu also quickly noticed that something was amiss, so she stepped forward and said with a displeased look on her face, You want to buy all of them? That wont do. I want to try it as well! Me too! Give me one! Ill be taking this one then! Dont you snatch with me. Ill offer l,l Divine Coins! Ill offer 1,200 then! None of those present were fools. As figures in the top echelon of Twilight City, they were able to swiftly discern Madam Chens real intentions. There were only eighteen pills avable. If they did not make a move, who knew when else they would be able to secure a treasure like this? Under the panic buying, it did not take long for all eighteen Beauty Pills to be sold out. Furthermore, the prices went up to as much as 1,500 Divine Coins, which was much higher than they had initially estimated. Seeing how such a small pill was able to be sold at such an astronomical price, the middle-ageddy could not help but look at Qi Ling-er impressed. As expected of the Young Mistress, her means were indeed extraordinary. There was no doubt that the Beauty Pill was an amazing product, but it would be all for naught without an effective marketing strategy. It was through emphasizing the limited quantity and showcasing its miraculous effects that the price had been hiked up so swiftly. Otherwise, even if they priced it at five hundred Divine Coins each, chances were, no one would even spare the Beauty Pill a nce. But within a single hour, they had managed to sell everything. On top of that, they had managed to build up the reputation of the Beauty Pill. The next time they put it out on the market, they could be assured that it would be sold out within moments. Ye Qiuyan was also looking at Qi Ling-er curiously. She had thought that Qi Ling-er was just all talk, but the effects of the Beauty Pill exceeded her wildest expectations. Just where in the world did Qi Ling-er manage to procure such a formidable pill? She had scoured Royal City, but she had not been able to find anything like this at all. Even when everything was happening before her, she still felt a little dreamy inside. Ye Qiuyan turned around and instructed the elder behind her, Investigate it. Find the origin of the pill. I doubt that even Conferred God King Qi Meng would have been able to forge something like that. Yes, I understand! The elder nodded before vanishing in the crowd. As the envoy to Twilight City, she had her own sources to gather intelligence within the city. In City Lord Manor, a middle-aged man wearing armor looked at the box in his hands with a deep frown between his eyebrows. City Lord Wu Fangqing. He was the father of Wu Xiaoxiao, the haughty youngdy whom Zhang Xuan had met previously. Is the pill really as effective as you say? Wu Fangqing raised his head to look at the middle-aged man before him. The elder standing before Wu Fangqing sped his fist and said, Thats right! I witnessed it with my own eyes. Even though the price of the pill was eventually hiked up to an astronomical price, given the connections of the City Lord Manor, it was not too much trouble for them to secure one. Wu Fangqing still appeared to have some reservations regarding the matter. He pondered for a moment longer before passing down an order. Get Xiaoxiao toe here. Father, you were looking for me? It did not take long for Wu Xiaoxiao to be brought before Wu Fangqing. With a sheepish look on her face, she said, I was cultivating seriously. I really wasnt cking off at all! I didnt call you here to talk about your cultivation. Swallow this pill! Wu Fangqing instructed. Swallow this pill? Wu Xiaoxiao was perplexed as to why her father would call her there only to eat a perfectly ordinary God Essence Pill. Nevertheless, she still picked it up and swallowed it whole. Barely after swallowing it, she saw her fathers usually impassive face slowly warping in shock, as if he was looking at something unbelievable. Father, whats wrong? She had always viewed her father to be a solemn individual who rarely showed any emotions on his face. As such, she was taken aback by the shocked look on his face, fearing that she had done something wrong. Young Mistress, you should take a look yourself! The elder in the room quickly passed a mirror to Wu Xiaoxiao. Perplexed, Wu Xiaoxiao took the mirror and brought it up to her face. Her body began trembling as she pinched her cheeks incredulously. Is this really me? In the mirror, she saw her freckles and e scars vanishing without a trace. While there was not too much difference in her overall appearance, she looked much more beautiful than before. Furthermore, the change was not just limited to her appearance. Somehow, her disposition seemed to have be more graceful. To think that consuming a pill would induce such a massive change in her. Father, the pill that you gave me... Wu Xiaoxiao looked at Wu Fangqing anxiously. Its nothing, Wu Fangqing replied curtly as he stood up and paced around the room quietly with his hands behind his back. Then, he suddenly turned to Wu Xiaoxiao and asked, Tell me about Zhang Xuan, whom you met back then. Zhang Xuan? Wu Xiaoxiao was a little bewildered by the abrupt request. Nevertheless, she still nodded and told her father everything she knew about him. After she was done, Wu Fangqing waved his hand and said, Got it. You are dismissed. As the city lord, it went without saying that he was aware of the existence of the underground ck market. In fact, some of his spies had infiltrated it. As such, he was able to swiftly uncover that the creator of the so-called Beauty Pill was Zhang Xuan. Recalling the earlier report that he had received regarding how Zhang Xuan had consecutively won fifteen slots to the Celestial Mountain, it was hard for him to ignore the young man even if he wanted to! City Lord Wu, the value of the pill is inestimable! the elder said with a glint in his eyes right after Wu Xiaoxiao left the room. Anyone who was notpletely blind would be able to tell with a nce that that the Beauty Pill would be a money fountain in the future. Wu Fangqing nodded in agreement. If we can obtain the pill form, we will be able to further develop Twilight City. There is also a good chance that I will be able to advance to greater heights... However, as youve just heard, Zhang Xuan appears to have an extremely powerful teacher, and theres a good chance that his teacher is a master teacher! Its likely that the pills were forged by his teacher. The reason he had invited his daughter over was to have thetter test out the medicine and confirm Zhang Xuans background. Mo Yuan is no more than a middle-tier God, so his ability to discern a persons cultivation might still be sorelycking. Theres no guarantee that Yang Xuan is as powerful as he thinks. Why dont I conduct some further investigation into this? the elder asked with narrowed eyes. Be careful. Also, I want you to negotiate with him on my behalf to see if hes willing to sell the pill form. If he isnt willing, well just have to find some other ways. Naturally, make sure that he doesnt know that Im the buyer! Wu Fangqing instructed. I understand. The elder nodded before vanishing on the spot. Someone who could rise to the position of a city lord and stand above the rules could not possibly be someone without any means. It was inevitable that he would be moved by the existence of such a formidable pill. It would be great if he could acquire it through proper channels, but if that failed, he would just have to find some other way. Someone who can forge the Beauty Pill, guess the numbers on the slot roulette urately each and every time, capture the middle-tier God Streak of Gray despite being only a low-tier God himself... Zhang Xuan is really no ordinary person... Wu Fangqing clenched his fists tightly together. But so what if you arent an ordinary person? In Twilight City, I call the shots. Even if you are a dragon, youll have no choice but to lie low before me. Who you are wont make a difference to me at all, even if you are a master teacher! Chapter 2127 - Maestro Sun Qiang (1) Chapter 2127 Maestro Sun Qiang (1) Do not call me master after we enter Twilight City. Thatll make it easy for others to figure out your identity. Call me Young Master instead, Zhang Xuan instructed while sitting atop the aerial divine beast. Also, you dont have a surname yet, right? You shall follow my surname Zhang. Zhang Jia, that will be your name. Got it, the young man, Zhang Jia, replied with a nod. Also, I like to maintain a low profile, so make sure not to make any trouble or do anything that stands out too much within the city. Rest assured, Young Master. I also like to maintain a low profile as well, Zhang Jia replied leisurely as it picked its ear. Despite being the strongest divine beast in the vicinity of Twilight City, it had obediently remained in its own territory and never left the area. That should probably be the epitome of humility and low profile. Thats good. By the way, who are the ones who attacked youst night? Zhang Xuan asked. The first time he encountered the Phosphor Armored Beast, there had been two fairly strong individuals who attempted to assassinate it. They should be from City Lord Manor. Wu Fangqing has been trying to tame me for some time now, but he has never seeded, Zhang Jia replied. If the city lord is trying to tame you, shouldnt he challenge you personally? Why would he choose to assassinate you instead? Given the prowess of the Phosphor Armored Beast, the City Lord Manors prestige would be significantly boosted if the city lord was able to tame it. However, if it was made known that the city lord had beenunching underhanded assaults on the Phosphor Armored Beast, it would really sully his reputation! If it was found that the one who had set the rules had not been observing them, it would surely cause a major public uproar! Why would he choose to assassinate me? Isnt that obvious? Hes a hypocrite! Zhang Jia scoffed coldly. Putting aside assassination attempts, he has already tried time and time again to poison me. If not for my powerful constitution that allows me to break down most poisons, I would have died by now! He tried to poison you as well? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. If that was the case, he would really have to tread carefully around the city lord in the future. He had thought that the person who established thew in Twilight City would be someone honorable and dignified, but from the looks of it, it seemed like the rules were only a way for him to control others. Just like that, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jia chatted atop the aerial divine beast as they swiftly made their way back to Twilight City. At the same time, in the residence where Zhang Xuan and the others were staying, a name scroll was delivered. Ting Fei? Sun Qiang read the name on the name scroll with a frown. The young master was not home, and the others were busy cultivating. So, he was the one who was handling all the misceneous matters at the moment. Based on how he introduced himself, he appears to be a merchant that came from another town. Hes here to visit the young master for an urgent matter, the servant who received the name scroll reported. Even though they had only moved in not too long ago, Sun Qiang had managed to recruit a few servants to cook for them and clean the residence. It would be unfortunate if they had to cultivate on an empty stomach after earning so much money. Invite him in, Sun Qiang instructed. Very soon, an elder was brought to the main hall. Butler Sun, Ying Fei greeted with a bright smile. He had already investigated the group carefully prior to visiting the residence, so he knew the names of everyone there. Sun Qiang nodded as he gestured for Ying Fei to take a seat by the side. After that, he looked at Ying Fei and asked, May I know the reason behind your visit? Ill get straight to the point. I heard that the Beauty Pill that the entire city has been raving over is forged by Young Master Zhang Xuan, Ying Fei said. Beauty Pill? Sun Qiang repeated in confusion. What the heck has Young Master been up to? Ive never heard of this before! Seeing how the fatty was able to hide his emotions so well despite his low cultivation, Ying Fei chuckled softly and said, Theres no need to put on an act before me. I did my homework beforeing all the way here. Is that so? Sun Qiang replied calmly. Then... whats your motive here? He knew that the Young Master had many means, and he tended to do whatever he wanted based on his whims, never bothering to inform him in advance. Given the current situation, it seemed like he could only try to sound out the other party, assess the situation carefully, and adapt ordingly. I like your forthright personality, Butler Sun! Since you have asked me straight, I wont beat about the bush either. My motive is very simple. I hope that you can sell the pill form behind the Beauty Pill to me. Of course, the price is negotiable, Ying Fei said. Pill form? You wish to buy the pill form of the Beauty Pill? Thats right. My apologies, but the pill form was something that our Young Master came up with after countless sleepless nights. Its not for sale. Men, send our guest out! Sun Qiang spoke with imposing authority, leaving no room for rebuttal at all. He had no idea what the Beauty Pill was, but there was no way he would sell the pill form created by the Young Master. Those words immediately wiped the smile off Ying Feis face. Butler Sun, I think you should give this matter some more consideration. Theres no need to rush into an answer. Twilight City is indeed a ce governed byw, but your group has just arrived here, and you even offended Streak of Gray before entering the city. It would be unfortunate if the other bandits were to exact vengeance on you, dont you think? Ying Fei sneered. At the same time, he snapped his finger, and an eerie mist quietly crept toward Sun Qiangs feet. The will of the city lord was very clear. They had to acquire the pill form of the Beauty Pill by any means necessary. Since Zhang Xuans group had dealt with Streak of Gray, they could use him as a cover to make a move on them. It was not without reason that Streak of Gray had managed to live to this day. Sometimes, the City Lord Manor needed a cover to move, and there were no scapegoats better than bandits. Are you threatening me? Sun Qiangs eyes narrowed into slits as he rose to his feet and stepped forward. With imposing majesty behind his movements, he sneered coldly. I have weathered countless storms with the Young Master, and it was through oveing difficulty after difficulty that we managed toe this far. Do you think that the likes of you will be able to scare me? Well know whether Im scary enough for you very soon... Ying Fei smiled coldly as he quietly counted down to the moment that his poison took effect. Then, he stood up as well, tilted his chin upward smugly as if victory was already his, and said, How is it? Are you starting to feel some difort in your chest... Pah! But before he could even finish his words, a p had already fallen on his face, causing his cheeks to sting in pain. Difort? The hell with your difort! Sun Qiang spat with fury. Stop trying to put on airs before me. While I was gazing down upon the world, you were still ying in the mud! How many times do I have to say it to get it through your thick skull? You arent wee here, so scram! You... The fatty should have copsed from the poison by now, so Ying Fei waspletely stunned by the abrupt p. Just thinking about the humiliation that he had just suffered caused his body to tremble in fury. He was really tempted to p the living daylights out of the other party at that very instant, but thinking about the possible evidence it would leave behind, he suppressed his rage and held himself back. Instead, he flicked his finger once more and sent a surge of poison energy toward Sun Qiang. Pah! Barely a moment after the poison energy seeped into Sun Qiangs body, Ying Feis face suddenly flew to the side from another p. Do you not understand words, or do you intend to challenge me? H-how are you fine? Ying Fei was bewildered. He might have failed by an ident the first time, but the second time, he had seen the poison energy seeping right into the other partys body. Yet, the other party was still moving around vigorously, seemingly unaffected by his poison. What the heck was going on? While this poison was not enough to deal with the Phosphor Armored Beast, it should have been more than enough to force any ordinary high-tier God to their knees! Given that the other party was not even a god, there was no way he should have been able to withstand his poison! Or could it be that... the other party was actually concealing his true cultivation? I dont believe it. Theres no way such a thing could happen! With gritted teeth, Ying Fei took out all the poison powder he was hiding under his cloak and tossed it all over. Pah! Sun Qiang dealt yet another p on Ying Feis face as he bellowed, What the heck are you doing? If you dont want to die, youd better get out of here right now. Or else, dont me me for getting nasty on you! Do I look like a helplessmb to you? Is that why you are scattering powder all over me? It seems like I have really been too kind to you! Even though the three ps were not too heavy, they had really crushed Ying Feis dignity. He had never felt so humiliated. If not for his fear that Sun Qiang might have been hiding his true strength, he would have long made a move. Youre asking for it... However, he had finallye to the limits of his patience. He raised his arm to return the p to the arrogant butler, but at that moment, his ears suddenly twitched a little. It was a transmission from his subordinates. Hu! He shot a piercing re at Sun Qiang before turning around and leaving the residence. A short moment after walking out of the residence, two silhouettes suddenly appeared before him. They were the ones who had attempted to assassinate the Phosphor Armored Beast just a while ago. Whats wrong? Ying Fei frowned. Lord, someone stepped in when we were trying to capture the Phosphor Armored Beast, resulting in the failure of the mission! one of the silhouettes reported. Who was it? Ying Fei asked lividly. Zhang Xuan. Furthermore, it seems like he has somehow managed to tame the Phosphor Armored Beast! the silhouette replied. Zhang Xuan managed to tame... the Phosphor Armored Beast? Ying Fei could hardly believe what he was hearing. He knew full well just how proud the Phosphor Armored Beast was. The city lord had visited it time and time again, offering it all kinds of treasures, but thetter simply refused to lower its head. Yet, it actually submitted to a mere low-tier God... Theres no mistake about it. Not only so, I also suspect that Zhang Xuan might have been hiding his true strength all along! Ying Fei felt a little light-headed. He had found it weird how a low-tier God like Zhang Xuan was able to capture the middle-tier God Streak of Gray so easily, and now, thetter had actually managed to tame the divine beast that even the city lord had trouble dealing with. It was indeed very possible that Zhang Xuan had been hiding his true strength, just like Butler Sun! Even though he had yet to meet Zhang Xuan in person, he could still deduce a thing or two from how his subordinate acted. If Butler Sun was really as powerless as he appeared, how could the other party face him with such confidence and p him without any hesitation? Furthermore, his poison actually turned out to bepletely ineffective against the other party! If the other party was truly a mere Semi-Divinity, any one of his poisons would have been enough for the other party to die many times over! On top of that, Butler Sun had said something about gazing down upon the world. It was definitely no easy feat to gaze down on the Nine Skies of the Firmament! Its fortunate that I didnt make a move earlier, Ying Fei murmured as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt relieved that he had held his anger back when he was pped earlier. Otherwise, if he had really confronted the other party directly back then, he might have died in there! Having realized this, he subconsciously shot a nce back at the residence that he had just left. The gates had not closed yet, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the fatty standing at the very center of the courtyard with his hands behind his back. He was gazing at the sky with a firm look on his face, and it felt as if even the greatest of problems would not be able to faze him. Despite appearing to be a mere Semi-Divinity, he actually wields unfathomable strength! Ying Fei widened his eyes in realization. From beginning to end, Ying Fei had never concealed his cultivation as a high-tier God. There was no way a mere Semi-Divinity would have dared p him without showing the slightest hint of fear! It was very likely that he had met the real deal. Lord, what do we do? one of the silhouettes asked. Lets wait out here for the time being. Perhaps well catch sight of Zhang Xuan while hesing back, Ying Fei replied. Even though he was semi-convinced that Zhang Xuan and his group were far stronger than they appeared, he still wanted to verify the matter once more. The value of the Beauty Pill was definitely worth the extra effort. Chapter 2128 - Maestro Sun Qiang (2)

Chapter 2128 Maestro Sun Qiang (2)

Ying Fei quickly found a ce to hide in the vicinity. Not too longter, a ck shadow walked up to the entrance of the residence and passed a name scroll over to the guards. Jiya! A few momentster, the gates to the residence creaked open. Judging from the silhouette of the ck shadow, Ying Fei judged the person seemed to be ady with a particrly alluring figure. He nimbly climbed up a tree, and behind the cover of the leaves, he peeked at the courtyard of the residence. Its the boss of the underground ck market, Qi Ling-er! Ying Fei gasped in shock. As the aide and confidant of the city lord, there was no way he wouldnt recognize Qi Ling-er. Wasnt she still selling the Beauty Pill at the Twilight Market a moment ago? Why would she suddenly appear here? Sensing that something was up, Ying Fei pricked his ears up so as to ensure that he wouldnt miss any vital information. Qi Ling-er pays respect to Butler Sun! Qi Ling-er sped her fist and bowed with a surprisingly respectful attitude. Un. May I know the reason behind your visit? Sun Qiang asked. Despite his calm exterior, he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed inside. It was just a day after they arrived, but an old man had alreadye knocking a moment ago demanding for the sale of what Beauty Pill. Yet, barely after the old man left, another person came knocking on the doors of their residence... Just what in the world had the Young Master been doingst night after parting with them?! The Beauty Pill is a joint venture between me and Young Master Zhang Xuan. Under the agreement we havee to previously, we were going to split the profits equally. However, after contemting over it once more, we decided to offer Young Master Zhang Xuan 90% of the profits instead as a symbol of our sincerity. Not only so, well also absorb the cost of production as well! With an earnest smile, Qi Ling-er took out a card and a storage ring and entrusted them respectfully into Sun Qiangs hands, Stored in the card is the profit we have earned from the earlier sales. All in all, there should be 28,000 Divine Coins inside. Also, we have managed to procure the medicinal herb that Young Master Zhang Xuan requires, and it is currently in the storage ring. May I know where is Young Master Zhang Xuan at? It would be my honor to pay my respects to him... My apologies, but our Young Master isnt around, Sun Qiang replied. Ah, it seems like I havee at a bad timing. Alright then, I wont impose on you any longer... Qi Ling-er sped her fist once more before backing out of the residence. They are going by a 9:1 split in profit? Furthermore, its Zhang Xuan who is receiving the 90%? Taking everything in sight, Ying Feis teeth ttered against one another. Having kept tabs on Qi Ling-er for many years, he was certain that he had gained a good grasp over thetters personality. She was extremely sharp-witted, and she had no qualms with exploiting others for her own profit. Furthermore, as a descendant of the Royal Citys Qi n, she didnt fear any powers within Twilight City at all. In fact, she didnt have much respect for the city lord either. If not for that, she wouldnt have dared to open an underground ck market here and trade all sorts of prohibited goods. Yet, someone as domineering as her was actually acting like an obedient child. She willingly gave away 90% of the profits and bore the cost of production! He would never fathomed that there would actually be a person in Twilight City who could curb Qi Ling-er like that! It seems like Qi Ling-er knows of Zhang Xuans true identity or strength... Otherwise, theres no way she would have acted in such a manner, Ying Fei thought. Once again, he was ddened by the fact that he managed to keep his impulse in check earlier. If he had really made a move on Butler Sun, he would have been kicked right through the gates of theherworld. I have to report this news to the city lord... Knowing how important and urgent this matter was, Ying Fei sprinted all the way to the City Lord Manor. You said that Zhang Xuan has tamed the Phosphor Armored Beast, and Qi Ling-er paid her respects to his butler and even willingly gave away 90% of the profits from selling the Beauty Pills to him? Wu Fangqing could hardly believe what he was hearing. He was still thinking a moment ago that no matter how impressive a figure Zhang Xuan might be, he would be able to curb the young man through his authority as the city lord. But as it turned out, he might have been underestimating the young mans capabilities! Theres no doubt about it, I saw it with my own eyes! Ying Fei nodded vehemently, as if fearing that the city lord would doubt his words. The Phosphor Armored Beast is rumored to possess invincible defense. Even though its cultivation is at high-tier God realm at the moment, its true fighting prowess wouldnt pale too much inparison to me. I have already offered it the most valuable things I am able bring out, but instead of submitting to me, it actually chose that youngd instead! And just as you have said, Qi Ling-ers bizarre attitude toward him is also highly suspicious as well. Well really have to look deeper into the young mans background... Wu Fangqing said solemnly. Twilight City had never beencking in talented individuals, but this was the first time he was encountering such a peculiar case! Look into Qi Ling-ers movements after she met Zhang Xuan back at the underground ck market. She must have stumbled upon some crucial information regarding him for her to suddenly change the allocation of profits! Wu Fangqing instructed. I understand! Ying Fei nodded before leaving the room. Around an hourter, Ying Fei returned back to the room and reported, City Lord Wu, I have managed topile a detailed report on Qi Ling-ers movements. Right after meeting Zhang Xuan, she headed straight to the Netherworld Pool of the Netherworld Pce! The Netherworld Pool... Was she trying to test Zhang Xuans bloodline? Wu Fangqing frowned. The greatest use of the Netherworld Pool was its ability to test the prowess of ones bloodline. There was a good chance that she might have stumbled on a great secret after visiting the Netherworld Pool, leading to the change in her attitude. Ying Fei nodded in agreement, I believe so too. Its just that... I dont have the clearance to look deeper into the matter. Its fine, Ill head there personally to take a look, Wu Fangqing replied. He swiftly rushed over to the hall where the Netherworld Pool was, and with a wave of his hand, a crystal-like recording device flew into his hands. He channeled his divine energy into it, and Qi Ling-er silhouette slowly swirled into appearance. Celestial God Wu Jiang submitted to him? God King of Transcendent mes has bowed down to him as well... Isnt that Conferred God King Nangong Ping? Hes actually paying respects to Zhang Xuan too? Wu Fangqing was absolutely bbergasted. He didnt even notice that he had bit on his own tongue. The bloodline test of the Netherworld Pool was famed for its impable uracy, and the fact that a Conferred God King had submitted could only mean that... Zhang Xuan possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch! One must know that there were only ten God Monarchs in the entire Firmament, and one of them had only appeared recently... Wu Fangqing could hardly fathom just how high Zhang Xuans standing would be if he was really the descendant of a God Monarch! Could it be possible that the young man was currently traveling under another alias in order to train himself? Hurry up and prepare a gift! I must visit Young Master Zhang Xuan right now! Walking out of the Netherworld Pool with hastened footsteps, Wu Fangqing passed down an instruction to Ying Fei anxiously. Wait a moment. If I recall correctly, Xiaoxiao has offended Young Master Zhang Xuan previously as well. Get her to kneel in front of Young Master Zhang Xuans residence to seek his forgiveness! Yes, Ill have it done right now! Ying Fei replied as he rushed all the way back to the City Lord Manor. You should be quite familiar with the city lord since he has tried to tame you many times. How is he as a person, and exactly how powerful is he? As the majestic buildings of Twilight City appeared in the horizon, Zhang Xuan turned to the young man beside him and asked. No matter what, it was a fact that he was residing in Twilight City at the moment. It would be best for him to take precautions for all possibilities, or else no one would be there to save them if any mishaps were to ur. That fellows cultivation is a low-tier Celestial God, and hes pretty powerful. I could barely withstand his attacks before my breakthrough, and retaliation is out of question. The only reason why I could stand my ground against him thus far is because he hasnt had any intention of killing me so far. Otherwise, I would have been a goner by now! Zhang Jia, the Phosphor Armored Beast, pondered for a moment before replying, Its unparalleled defense* was only applicable against fellow high-tier Gods. Against a low-tier Celestial God, a higher existence than it, it was inevitable that its defense would prove to becking. What about now? In a fair battle, now that Im a Celestial God as well, I can probably send that fellow flying with a kick on his ass. However, I suspect that he has a low-tier Celestial God artifact with him. If he were to use a weapon, it wont be that easy for me to defeat him. But of course, theres only so much that he can do about me too. I would say that the chances of winning are about 50:50, Zhang Jia replied. In the Firmament, artifacts could be divided into God artifacts, Celestial God artifacts, God King artifacts and God Monarch artifacts, and every single tier could be further subdivided into low-tier, middle-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle. The prowess of a low-tier Celestial God was not to be underestimated. Even with the Phosphor Armored Beasts superior defenses, it would still be difficult for it to deal against a low-tier Celestial God wielding a low-tier Celestial God artifact. Zhang Xuan nodded inprehension. The greatest strength of the human cultivatorsy in their ability to use their body and weapons effectively. While divine beasts possessed naturally powerful bodies, they often tended tock skills. As for how that fellow is as a person, he is a cold-hearted and deeply self-centered individual. Years of being in authority has bred his desire to control everything around him. If he were to find out that you have tamed me, its very likely that helle at you one way or another, Zhang Jia said worriedly. The city lord was the typical e under me or die type of viin. It was likely that Zhang Xuans act of taming the Phosphor Armored Beast ahead of him would breed much hostility in him. Helle at me? Yeap. Magnanimity is one thing that he doesnt have. Two years ago, an outsider identally touched his daughter, and that fellow severed his hands without any hesitation before tossing him into prison. No one has heard of that outsider ever since, and there are rumors going around that he might already have been killed... Zhang Jia shook his head. Narrow-minded individuals were particrly hard to deal with because they had the tendency to overreact over the slightest matter. I will be careful, Zhang Xuan replied. In any case, he was nning to leave Twilight City after Zhao Ya and the others reached godhood. He wanted to start looking for Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi, so it wasnt likely that he would get too involved with the city lord. After chatting a whileter, Zhang Xuan nced below and smiled, We have arrived. My residence is right below. Hearing those words, Zhang Jia looked down as well and saw a decently-sized residence below. Oh? Why are there two people kneeling in front of your residence? Zhang Jia asked curiously.. Bewildered, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw a youngdy and an old man kneeling right in front of his main entrance. A fatty was gazing down at them coldly with his hands behind his back, as if berating them. Aside from them, there was also a middle-aged man nodding respectfully with a humble smile on his face. Just because our Young Master is kind and magnanimous doesnt mean that Ill forgive you easily for affronting him! The least you can do is to kneel till daylight as a show of sincerity! the fatty harrumphed with astounding authority in his voice. What the hell is Sun Qiang up to? Seeing how his butlers delusion of grandeur was acting up again, Zhang Xuan quickly urged his divine beast tond. Then, he turned his gaze behind to exin things to Zhang Jia, only to see thetter trembling uncontrobly, as if he had just seen something out of the world. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan was bewildered to see this fearless divine beast acting in such a way. With a trembling voice, Zhang Jia said, The ones who are kneeling on the floor are the city lords daughter and an expert from the City Lord Manor, and the middle-aged man apologizing over there is no other than City Lord Wu Fangqing! It was just a moment ago that it said that the city lord was narrow-minded and could very well make things difficult for Zhang Xuan, but in the blink of an eye, his daughter and subordinate actually came all the way here to kneel on the floor and apologize... Holy heavens! Can anyone tell me whats going on here? Zhang Jia felt like he was losing touch with reality. Chapter 2129 - The Gifts of the City Lord

Chapter 2129 The Gifts of the City Lord

Turning away from the frenzied Phosphor Armored Beast, Zhang Xuan took a closer look and swiftly identified the youngdy kneeling on the floor to be no other than the youngdy he had met back at the Grand Spirit Mountain, Wu Xiaoxiao! However, this youngdy seemed to have just undergone a transformative change. Her facial features appeared to be the same as before, but perhaps due to the difference in her disposition, she emanated a more graceful and feminine charm that made her appear different from before. Due to that, Zhang Xuan actually failed to draw the link at first nce. Did she eat the pill I made? Zhang Xuan quickly came to a realization. Vaguely, he could sense the presence of his Heavens Path zhenqi within Wu Xiaoxiaos body. Once the divine beast got close enough to the ground, Zhang Xuan leaped off its body andnded within the courtyard. Upon noticing Zhang Xuans return, Sun Qiang quickly walked over to greet him. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked. Young Master, that man over there ims to be the city of Twilight City, and he says that hes here to ask for your forgiveness! Sun Qiang said as he quickly went through everything that had happened a while ago. After hearing the full story, Zhang Xuan finally turned his assessing gaze toward Wu Fangqing. Thetter was a middle-aged man in his mid-forties. What particrly stood out about him was how deep his eyes were, almost reminiscent of the boundless ocean. He didnt appear to be an easy figure to deal with. Not only so, his presence was quiet but imposing. Just like what the Phosphor Armored Beast had said, he seemed to be quite a powerful cultivator. City Lord Wu, you are too courteous. Its all just a misunderstanding, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. While Zhang Xuan was assessing him from head to toe, Wu Fangqing was doing the same as well. There was no doubt that the young man before him was indeed a low-tier God. There was nothing at all that really stood out about him, such that it was easy to overlook him amid other cultivators. If he hadnt known that the young man possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch beforehand, it was questionable whether he would have even paid this young man a second nce. Even though its a misunderstanding, its still a huge oversight on my part to allow such a thing to happen. This is a token of sincerity from the City Lord Manor, and I hope that Young Master Zhang Xuan could ept this gift so as to assuage my guilt, Wu Fangqing said as he passed a storage ring over. Zhang Xuan felt that it was dubious how the city lord was acting out of character, but nevertheless, he still responded to Sun Qiangs questioning gaze with a nod. It would be rude for him to turn down a persons goodwill, not to mention that the other party was the city lord. It would be terrible if the city lord thought that he was looking down on him by rejecting his gift. Receiving Zhang Xuans signal, Sun Qiang immediately stepped forward to ept the storage ring on his behalf. This way please! After helping up the kneeling Wu Xiaoxiao and Ying Fei, they proceeded to the main hall and took their seats. Once everyone was settled in, Zhang Xuan looked at Wu Fangqing quietly for a moment before asking, Pardon my candidness, but I am no more than an ordinary low-tier God who has just arrived in Twilight City. I feel a little unnerved by how polite you are, City Lord Wu. There was bound to be something wrong if someone was acting out of character. He had made sure to stay out of the limelight over the past day since he arrived at Twilight City, but why would the city lord personally pay him a visit, even preparing such a huge gift? I have heard about Young Master Zhang Xuans affairs from my daughter. You have saved her life, so its only right for me so express my gratitude to you, Wu Fangqing quickly replied. The fact that he, despite being the city lord, had received no news about the arrival of an individual possessing the bloodline of a God Monarch meant that the other party was likely traveling incognito. Given that the other party was hiding his identity, it would be unwise if he were to step forward and attempt to expose the other party. He would just bending himself in trouble if he were to do so, so it might be better for him to feign ignorance. Zhang Xuan proceeded on to ask Wu Fangqing a few more questions, but he sensed that thetter wasnt beingpletely honest. So, he eventually stopped asking altogether. And after chatting for a while, Wu Fangqing bade his farewell. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan beckoned for Sun Qiang to pass the storage ring from Wu Fangqing over in order to examine the contents within. With just a nce, he couldnt help but be impressed at how rich the City Lord Manor was. Wu Fangqing actually gave him 10,000 Divine Coins, a high-tier God sword, and innumerable medicinal herbs! If it was regarding the matter concerning Wu Xiaoxiao, there was definitely no need for the other party to give him so much. However, since the city lord was interested in getting on good terms with him, Zhang Xuan couldnt be bothered to question his motive either. He had Sun Qiang pass over the stuff that Qi Ling-er had brought over, and through a unique method he had devised, he swiftly forged the Mayang Beast Blood and Greenbeast Ancient Grass together. Then, returning to his room, he set up an istion barrier around before drawing out his soul to absorb the energy harnessed within those two medicinal herbs. Since he had acquired everything he needed, it went without saying that he should raise his cultivation right away. Once he had absolute strength, nothing else mattered at all anymore. Tzzzzz! His soul swiftly devoured the spiritual energy harnessed by the two medicinal herbs, allowing him to grow at a visible pace. Tapping into the time difference between the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, on the surface, his growth appeared to be terrifyingly swift. Some timeter, a crisp cracking sound reminiscent of a broken egg echoed in the air. Following that, the Greenbeast Ancient Grass and the Mayang Beast Blood suddenly burned into cinders simultaneously, terminating his source of spiritual energy. What a pity! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as his soul returned back into his body. While he knew it was unlikely, he was still secretly hoping that he would be able to raise his soul cultivation all the way to Celestial God realm. Unfortunately, his hopes fell t. As he rose through the ranks, his soul had been tempered by lightning, heavenly mes, and all sorts of natural forces, resulting in its vastly superior resilience. Due to that, it was much harder for him to make a breakthrough aspared to other cultivators. As potent as the Mayang Beast Blood and Greenbeast Ancient Grass might be, they would only suffice for him to raise his cultivation to high-tier God. He was still a fair distance away from reaching Celestial God realm. That being said, with his physical body and soul cultivation having achieved breakthroughs, he was finally able to raise his zhenqi cultivation as well. So, Zhang Xuan took some time to reinforce his soul cultivation before taking out bottles of God Essence Pills. He devoured them without any hesitation and channeled the spiritual energy through the unique cirction pathways of the Pathos of Heavens. Just like that, it didnt take him too long to ovee his current bottleneck. He had ample God Essence Pills with him at the moment anyway, so there was no need to be worried about wasting them. So, he continued gobbling them down, providing him with the momentum for his cultivation to surge. Hong long! Barely a few seconds had passed in the outside world, but his aura had already undergone an unbelievable change. His cultivation had risen from low-tier God to high-tier God realm. At this point, the spiritual energy harnessed within the low-tier God Essence Pills was already not of much use to him anymore. If not for that, he would have been able to push all the way to high-tier God pinnacle. Nevertheless, he was still contented with his improvements. With his high-tier God physical body and soul, he would be able to put up a fight even against a low-tier Celestial God. Perhaps, he might even stand a chance against Zhang Jia too! It had been less than a day since he had arrived in Twilight City, but he had already reached the pinnacle of the city. I have managed to raise my cultivation, but I dont really have an appropriate sword art to go along with it. Let me see if Im able to create one... Zhang Xuan thought as he reinforced his cultivation. A Heart of Intertwined Threads was still fairly powerful at the moment, but it was starting tog behind his current cultivation. More importantly, it was a sword art designed to confine ones opponent, resulting in its limited offensive prowess. If he were to be faced with a powerful opponent whom he was unable to trap, he would find himselfpletely at a loss as to what to do. So, Zhang Xuan quickly went through all sorts of sword maneuvers in his head and began trying to piece them together. But some timeter, he let out a deep sigh and shook his head. It was not that easy to create a sword art that surpassed the heavens. Even when he created A Heart of Intertwining Threads, he was facing great pressure from the soul imprint Kong shi had left behind in the Hall of Gods. It was in the whim of a moment that he came up with it and created it. At this very moment, he could sense a sword art at the tip of his finger, waiting to bepleted. Yet, for some reason, even though he couldnt put his finger on it, he felt that something was simply missing from the sword art. Until he finally uncovered what it was, this sword art would remain iplete. I might need another battle that pushes me to my limits in order to do it... Knowing that the problem he was facing wasnt one where he could resolve just by dwelling on it, he shook his head and left the room. From the start of his seclusion to the end, as he had used the prowess of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, all in all, it had only been twenty seconds in the outside world. However, his cultivation had already undergone a transformative change. He was at least several times more powerful than before. The Celestial Mountain is going to open very soon, so why is the Young Master going into seclusion at a time like this? Outside the room, Sun Qiang paced around anxiously as heined to Zhang Jia, who was guarding Zhang Xuan outside. In order to make it in time for the opening of the Celestial Mountain, they would have to head to the City Lord Manor right now. Yet, the Young Master actually chose to go into seclusion when time was already tight for them! At this rate, the slots they had acquired with great difficulty... Alright, maybe great difficulty was an overstatement, but it would still be a huge waste if they missed this opportunity! Stop buzzing around here. If you have anything to say to him, wait till hees out of his seclusion, Zhang Jia replied in irritation. Did the Young Master say when hesing out? Zhao Ya and the others are going to bete if they dont leave right now. Does the Young Master not intend to follow them to the Celestial Mountain? Sun Qiang was still unable to calm his nerves. Entering the Celestial Mountain and searching for the Aura of Divinity came with a certain degree of danger. Was the Young Master really going to leave them be? Were there no words of advice or anything he had to offer them? The Young Master didnt say mention how long hes going to seclusion for, but no matter how fast he is, itll still take at least a few hours. In the past, the duration of my seclusions is usually in terms of months. I would just eat fruits when Im starving and drink some spring water when Im thirsty... Whats the point of going into seclusion without at least going that far? The very purpose of going into seclusion was to toss aside all distractions and focus entirely on ones cultivation. During this period of time, one would pay no heed to whatever that was happening in the outside world. Through this enhanced level of focus, one would be able to improve much faster than usual. This... Sun Qiang clenched his fists in distress before finally exhaling deeply. Forget it, well just head there ourselves then. I think we would have all already be gods by the time the Young Masteres out of his seclusion... Jiya! Just as Sun Qiang was about to turn around and leave, the doors in front suddenly opened up. Zhang Xuan walked out and said, Lets go together. How can I be absent for your trip to the Celestial Mountain? Young Master, arent you going into seclusion? Sun Qiang was slightly bewildered. I just did, Zhang Xuan replied. You are done cultivating? Zhang Jia was perplexed too. It hadnt even been a minute since Zhang Xuan went into his room, so what kind of seclusion could possibly be so fast? When did going into seclusion be something so trivial? Baffled by how ridiculous the situation was, Zhang Jia took a closer look at Zhang Xuan, and what it saw left its cheek quivering ceaselessly. It nearly fainted from shock in that instant! Young Master, you have already reached high-tier God? As Zhang Xuan didnt intentionally conceal his cultivation as well, Zhang Jia was able to tell that he had already mץaged to raise his cultivation from low-tier God to high_tier God within the few seconds he had spent in his roo Indeed. Hit me. I would like to try out my strength after my breakthrough, Zhang Xuan said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Considering that the Phosphor Armored Beast was a Celestial God, he thought that it might just be able to pressure him enough to make a breakthrough. This... Alright then! While baffled by how ridiculously fast Zhang Xuan was growing stronger at, Zhang Jia raised its fist and hammered it down upon the young man. Hong long! The ground tremored, and a shockwave gushed into the surroundings. Zhang Jia had used its full strength as a Celestial God for this attack, and the might he exerted was indeed extraordinary. It felt like the entire residence would copse under its strength. Heh! With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan calmly stepped forward to tapped lightly on Zhang Jias fist. Weng! Zhang Jias fist immediately stopped in midair, unable to push forward at all. It was as if he had been sealed in ce. This... Knowing that it wouldnt be able to hurt Zhang Xuan even if it were to attempt to force its wah through, Zhang Jia retracted his fist and remarked in disbelief, Young Master, on top of raising your zhenqi cultivation, your soul cultivation has reached high-tier God realm as well... I had ample time on hand, so I made a breakthrough for that as well, Zhang Xuan replied. Ample time? A shudder ran through Zhang Jias body. Are you trying to provoke me over here? A seclusion that didnt evenst for a minute, and you are telling me that you had ample time? In other words, the months I have spent in seclusion has been spent in vain, is it? What the heck... Zhang Jia felt like the boundaries of itsmon sense were being challenged. Chapter 2130 - The Order of Seating Chapter 2130 The Order of Seating Earlier, while they were still in the valley, the Phosphor Armored Beast had traded blows with Zhang Xuan. Even though thetters physical body was powerful, his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation were pathetically weak. Yet, in less than a minute, not only did thetter manage to advance his cultivation considerably, more importantly, he had even managed to harmonize the three perfectly together, achieving a bnce that it had never been able to attain despite having cultivated for more than a hundred years. The Phosphor Armored Beast subconsciously turned its sights to Sun Qiang, expecting to see thetter equally shocked. However, what it saw instead was an as expected expression on thetters face. It was almost as if the butler did not think that there was anything weird about what had just happened! Did this mean that they expected Zhang Xuan to be able to achieve breakthroughs within such short periods of time? Just what kind of people had it gotten itself involved with? Just as the Phosphor Armored Beast felt utterly bewildered, a tint of yellow suddenly appeared in its peripheral vision. A frail-looking little yellow chick had suddenly appeared on Zhang Xuans shoulder. Did you just wake up? Zhang Xuan asked with a hint of relief in his voice. Un. You managed to get your hands on quite a few God Essence Pills, right? Im starving... the little yellow chick muttered with a dazed look in its eyes, reminiscent of a person who was still groggy from waking up. Seeing this sight, the Phosphor Armored Beast flew to a rage and bellowed, Audacious! As a tamed beast, how can you demand things from the Young Master? This is inappropriate! It had no idea why Zhang Xuan was rearing a chick, but tamed beasts should have some realization of the positions they were in. How could a tamed beast ask its master for food? If all the tamed beasts in the world acted in such a manner, what would be of the masters dignity? Who are you? The little yellow chick turned its gaze over and assessed the transmogrified Phosphor Armored Beast from head to toe. Then, its mouth curled up as it muttered, Its a Phosphor Armored Beast. It shouldnt taste too bad... Hu! Before the Phosphor Armored Beast could even react, the little yellow chick had already opened its mouth wide and swallowed it whole. What are you doing? Hurry up and spit it out! Its a tamed beast that I took in not too long ago! Zhang Xuan eximed in shock, and he hurriedly smacked the little yellow chicks head. He did not expect thetter to start causing trouble shortly after it regained consciousness. It had not even been a minute since the little yellow chick reappeared, but he was already starting to miss his peaceful life in its absence... Ah... Just thinking about all the trouble that the little yellow chick would put him in was enough to make him feel exhausted. On the other hand, after hearing Zhang Xuans words, the little yellow chick looked at Zhang Xuan with an indignant pout, as if protesting against hismand. However, Zhang Xuans gaze remained resolute. So, with a reluctant harrumph, it spat out the Phosphor Armored Beast. Pu! By this point, the Phosphor Armored Beast had already reverted to its original appearance. Just recalling how it was gobbled up by a mere low-tier God chick was enough to send its fury through the roof. You brat, how dare you eat me? Ill tear you apart! With a ferocious roar, the Phosphor Armored Beast charged at the little yellow chick furiously. Zhang Xuan was going to stop the Phosphor Armored Beast, but the conceited little yellow chick shook its bottom gleefully and taunted it further. Quick,e and tear me apart! Rip me into a thousand pieces! Otherwise, how can a big and mighty beast like you possibly have the courage to continue living in this world after having been gobbled up by a cute little chick like me? Heh! You... The Phosphor Armored Beast was frenzied. The heck! What does a little chick like you have to brag about? Peng! A powerful w struck down and mmed the little yellow chick into the ground. But when the Phosphor Armored beast lifted its w to take a look, it realized that not only was the little yellow chick not dead, it was even crossing its legs with a rxed look on its face. Harder! Have you not eaten yet? The Phosphor Armored Beast was frenzied. It mmed its w into the ground several more times, creating tremors so powerful that some of the walls in the surroundings crumbled. But at the end of everything, the little yellow chick was remainedpletely unharmed, and it was even looking at him with a bored look on its face No matter how foolish the Phosphor Armored Beast was, it was apparent that the little yellow chick was no ordinary low-tier God. It quickly reverted to its human form before looking at Zhang Xuan anxiously. Master! Alright, stop messing around! Little Chick, if you want to die, Ill take you over to City Lord Manorter on to see if there are any ways to do it, Zhang Xuan said. After being nearly torched to death twice, the little yellow chick had figured out that the way for its cultivation to grow was to have near-death experiences. As such, it was getting more and more fearless of death. On the other hand, seeing that the Phosphor Armored Beast had finally stopped, the little yellow chick patted off the dust from its body before fluttering its small wings to return to Zhang Xuans shoulder. Having been through the spatial turbulence, while its cultivation had not grown too much, its defense had be much stronger than before. Even the Celestial God Phosphor Armored Beast would not be able to kill it too easily. Little Chick looked at the Phosphor Armored Beast smugly and said, Alright, theres no need for you to get too depressed. I am a legendary beast who used to rule thends, so its only normal for you to be unable to kill me. Work hard, and Ill consider taking you in as my little brother! You want me to be your little brother? the Phosphor Armored Beast sneered coldly. Its true that Im unable to kill you, but you arent able to do anything about me either. Theres no way Ill be your little brother, so you suggest you stop daydreaming! Daydreaming? The little yellow chick burst intoughter. Then, it abruptly widened its beady eyes, and a powerful aura burst forth from its body. Padah! The Phosphor Armored Beast immediately kneeled to the ground and bowed deeply. Big Brother! Thats more like it! The little yellow chick nodded in satisfaction. On the other hand, the Phosphor Armored Beast wiped off the cold sweat on its face. It had thought that the other party was just another ordinary divine beast, but as soon as the other party released the prowess of its bloodline, it felt as if the entire world was being tom to shreds. Its bloodline that it had always been so proud of was nowhere close to matching the other party! Just what kind of divine beast could that little yellow chick possibly be? The Phosphor Armored Beast had gone through so many shocks in one day that it could practically see its ownmon sense falling part. To be honest, it felt that it was beneath a Celestial God like it to acknowledge a mere God as its master, but with everything that had happened, it looked as if it was the one who had benefitted instead! The Celestial Mountain is very far away from Twilight City, and its shrouded by a seal left behind by a God Monarch. It would be impossible to get there through conventional means. The only route is through the Teleportation Formation within the city! Paying no heed to the Phosphor Armored Beast and the little yellow chick, Zhang Xuan listened carefully to Sun Qiangs exnation. Even though he had heard about the Celestial Mountain, he had no idea where it was and where one could acquire the Aura of Divinity from. Each city is allocated a set number of slots each year, and those who have obtained a slot are teleported right into the midst of the Celestial Mountain. From there, they have to find ways to locate the Aura of Divinity lingering on the mountain, absorb it, and push for a breakthrough. However, it appears that it isnt as easy as it seems though. There are quite a few people who have been to the Celestial Mountain a number of times, and they still havent seeded... Sun Qiang swiftly revealed the news that he had heard. Lets head there to take a look. I dont think that itll be too hard for Zhao Ya and the others to seed, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. He was not worried about Zhao Ya, his parents, and the others at all... Well, maybe except for Sun Qiang. Even though they were only at the Semi-Divinity realm, their experiences on the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure far surpassed the indigenous candidates from the Firmament. It might have been possible for others to fail, but when it came to them, he could not even imagine it at all. To put it harshly, they would not be qualified to be his students if they really failed! Make sure to follow close behind them. Try to make use of this opportunity to reach godhood as well, or else youll justg behind the others, Zhang Xuan instructed. I understand. Sun Qiang nodded. By this point, everyone was already packed up and ready to set off. So, they began making their way over to City Lord Manor. The location where the candidates would be teleported to the Celestial Mountain was the square right in front of the City Lord Manor. It took them less than two hours to arrive at their destination, and by then, the entire ce was already flooding with people. Twilight City was not considered to be a major city within the Firmament, but nevertheless, it still had 1,200 slots. Furthermore, most of the candidates were apanied by their family members and friends. As a result, the vast square ended up beingpletely packed with people. Young Master Zhang Xuan, this way please! Before the group could even enter the square, the old man from before, Ying Fei, quickly walked up to them and ushered them in with a respectful smile. Under Ying Feis lead, they were brought into a room. Wu Fangqing was already sitting inside when they arrived. Upon seeing them, he quickly rose to his feet and smiled. Young Master Zhang Xuan, have a seat. Zhang Xuan responded with a nod as he took a look around the room. There were roughly twenty other people inside, and a few of them were seated beside Wu Fangqing. Judging from the auras that they were emanating, it was not too hard to deduce that they were the group of the most powerful and influential people in Twilight City. Without any hesitation, he walked over to the seat right beside Wu Fangqing and sat down. But barely after his bottom touched the chair, a middle-aged man sitting along the row looked over questioningly. City Lord Wu, arent you going to introduce this friend of yours to us? The others also quickly turned their gazes as well. They were curious about Zhang Xuans identity. Etiquette was exceptionally important within the upper echelons as it was a symbol of power, respect, and authority, especially toward someone higher up in the hierarchy. The seat that Zhang Xuan had been given was one that was higher in standing than them. If he was a distinguished elder within the city, they might have considered letting it slide. However, he looked too young to have any considerable achievements, and his cultivation did not stand outpared to the rest of them. Ah, he is Brother Zhang Xuan. He has brought his students here to challenge the Celestial Mountain, Wu Fangqing said as he gestured to Zhao Ya and the others. Students? It made the crowd even more curious to hear that someone as young as Zhang Xuan was actually a teacher. So, they turned to look at Zhao Ya and the others, and deep frowns swiftly formed between their eyebrows. From their point of view, the fact that Zhao Ya and the others had not reached godhood despite being eighteen to neen this year meant that they were sorelycking in talent! City Lord Wu, I understand that you have your own reasoning for ordering the seating in such a manner, but with so many people looking, I feel that theres still a need to ensure equity as a sign of respect to all of us here. If Brother Zhang Xuan or his students disyed exceptional skills, I would have silently acknowledged it... but I honestly dont see how they are worthy of such high honor. I cant help but feel that this is a major faux pas, the middle-aged man said.either We have spent a great deal of money in order to get in here, and I dont recall seeing Brother Zhang Xuan in the auction back then. I dont think its appropriate for you to arrange for his seating to be in front of us. Not to mention, he has so many people with him! another middle-aged man said. Seating? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had onlye over to take a seat at the invitation of the city lord. He did not think that the order of the seating would hold such great significance as well. With a perplexed look, he turned to look at Wu Fangqing, only to hear thetter sending a telepathic message over. Young Master Zhang Xuan, my apologies for not informing you in advance. Its like this... The closer ones starting point is to the mountain peak, the higher the chances of obtaining the Aura of Divinity. Inparison, ones chances are much lower if one starts at the foot of the mountain. As you know, the Celestial Mountain only opens once every six months, and all of the Semi-Divinities of the Firmament try to get in. As such, its extremely inefficient for the Teleportation Formation to simply teleport them to the foot of the mountain. Furthermore, that could lead to conflicts. For this reason, a group of people are teleported straight to the midpoint or even the peak of the mountain. Naturally, these people receive a much greater chance of obtaining the Aura of Divinity. However, due to the slot restrictions in each city, in order to maintain fairness, the City Lord Manor auctions the slots to the mountain peak, and everyone that is here has acquired their slot through the auction! Hearing these words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Given that the entire Twilight City only had 1,200 slots, it was understandable that the slots leading straight to the mountain peak or the midpoint were in short supply. It was a given that the others would be displeased if he cut right in and used up fourteen of them just like that. My apologies. If your candidates arent able to get into the midpoint of the mountain, Ill refund what you paid. Wu Fangqing sped his fist and apologized. It would be one thing if Zhang Xuan was an ordinary human, but he was someone who could very well be the offspring of a God Monarch. No matter how conceited Wu Fangqing might be, he knew better than to offend a person of such standing. Thus, he could only find a way to satisfy the other party. This isnt a matter of money but rules! the middle-aged man who had spoken up earlier snapped. Why dont we do this then? If his students can defeat our candidates, Ill turn a blind eye to this matter. However, if he is unable to do so, I hope that he can apologize to us and scram to the back of the line! Furrowing his brows, Wu Fangqing was just about to reason with the middle-aged man when Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. Sounds fine by me. After that, he turned to Zhao Ya and the others and asked, Who wants to give it a try? Sun Qiang stepped forward and ced his arms on his hips. Ill do it! Chapter 2131 - Celestial Mountain Chapter 2131 Celestial Mountain You? Zhang Xuan frowned. Sun Qiang had never been too interested in cultivation. Despite that, he had still managed to reach the Semi-Divinity realm after putting in much effort in the Azure. That being said, he still did not feel too assured letting himpete with the geniuses of the Firmament. Understanding Zhang Xuans considerations, Sun Qiang added, I dont think that they are worthy of fighting Zhao Ya and the others. In the worst-case scenario, you can have Zhao Ya fight them after I lose! Alright then, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. I will be your opponent! A young man with sharp eyes and an air of valiance stepped forth to ept Sun Qiangs challenge. Tian Heng, itll do for you to just defeat him. Make sure not to cause any injuries, the middle-aged man said. Yes! the young man known as Tian Heng replied before walking up to Sun Qiang. With disdain in his eyes, he raised his hand and beckoned, Lets not waste any time and get down to it then. A middle-aged man who had not reached godhood yet had already missed the ideal timing for a breakthrough. Even if he obtained the Aura of Divinity, there was no guarantee that he would be able to seed. You are going to challenge me alone? Instead of making a move right away, Sun Qiangzily pointed at the others behind him and said, Why dont all of youe at me together instead? I alone will suffice! Tian Heng harrumphed coldly as he struck a fist out. The fast momentum of his punch caused the air to be severelypressed, producing a sound reminiscent of thesh of a whip. Even though he was only in his teens, he was still rather skilled. He had a sharp grasp over his strength and the timing of battle. In response, Sun Qiang shook his head as he pulled out his left arm from his back. The next moment, his left arm suddenly blurred into a flurry of punches, producing innumerable after images in its wake. Peng! Before Tian Heng could even react, he was already struck in his chest, forcing him to retreat three steps before he stumbled andnded on his bottom. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Even though Sun Qiang was not diligent in his cultivation, he was, at the very least, still a practitioner of the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art and Heavens Path battle techniques. Furthermore, he had been through quite a few battles back in his time on the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure. Even though the young man was considerably talented, he was still far from matching Sun Qiang. Like I said, you arent a match for me. It would be so much easier if all of you were toe at me together! After defeating Tian Heng with a single strike, Sun Qiang looked at the remaining young men with the forlorn expression of an undefeatable expert. Yuan Tao stepped out and said, Uncle Sun, you have already fought a battle. Shouldnt I take the next battle instead? Hey, thats enough of you all! Take a look at where you are, alright? Let me do it instead! Zheng Yang whipped out his spear and stood valiantly. Of course, all of you cane at me together as well. Otherwise, if the elders wish to make a move too, you can lower your cultivation ande at me. Dont worry, I wont get any help from the others. Arent you getting ahead of yourself? I havent made a move for a very long time either! Wei Ruyan said with a chilling smile on her lips. Zhang Xuan sped his face. Zhang Jia looked over with a dumbfounded expression on its face. Did its master not tell it that he liked to maintain a low profile? If that was the case, why were his students such troublemakers? No matter how it looked at it, none of them came close to fitting the idea of low profile. How conceited! Fine, Ill be your opponent then! I want to fight that green-robed girl! Heh, Ill teach that fatty a lesson. His words are simply too maddening! Its as if he thinks that hes the best in the world... The actions of Zheng Yang and the others had really invoked the rage of the youths in the room. With a ferocious roar, all of them charged at them. A few breathster though, they were all left lying on the floor. Even though they were considered above average among the cultivators in Twilight City, they were nothing inparison to Zhao Ya and the others. Even Sun Qiang was more than enough to deal with them! This... Seeing how their candidates were defeated before they could even put up a decent fight against their oppone^^ middle-aged men who had cast their doubts on Zhang Xuan earlier felt extremely light-headed. They nearly spurted blood from their mouths. They had thought that Zhang Xuan had relied on his connections in order to obtain his seat, but who could have known that he actually had the strength to back it up! Since his students were that formidable, why did he still waste his money buying his slots? He should have just had them participate in the fight for it in the first ce! They would have surely dominated the top rankings without fail! At the same time, even though Wu Fangqing had remained silent as all of this transpired, it had affirmed the thoughts in his mind. No matter how he looked at it, it was apparent that these youths before him were monstrously talented. It would take great luck to ept one of such cultivator as ones student, but for so many of them toe under the same person... There was bound to be something more to it than just luck! Even if Zhang Xuan did not possess the bloodline of a God Monarch, he likely did not pale too much inparison to that. Is this enough to prove that Young Master Zhang Xuan and his students are qualified to be in here? Wu Fangqing asked with a smile. Of course, of course... the crowd quickly replied. It was true that teleporting to the mountain peak or the midpoint gave one a much greater chance of obtaining the Aura of Divinity, but ultimately, whether one really obtained it or not boiled down to ones strength. No one would be able to snatch the Aura of Divinity from the one who boasted the greatest strength. If all fourteen of them were that powerful, there was no way their candidates would be able to snatch the Aura of Divinity from them. Since this was the case, it would be better to sell them this favor instead. Otherwise, if those fourteen people targeted their candidates on the Celestial Mountain, there would be nothing they could do about it. Since everyone is fine with it, lets begin the teleportation. Its already about time. Wu Fangqing stood up and took out his City Lord Token. With a light tap on it, a pure burst of white light swiftly enveloped the entire square. Then, a massive gate appeared at the very center of the square, drawing crowds to congregate around it. Young Master Zhang Xuan, let them enter first, Wu Fangqing said with a smile. Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the gate and noted that it was only a Teleportation Formation, so there was no danger. Heaving a sigh of relief, he beckoned for Zhao Ya and the others to gather around him. Take five pills each. I have infused my power inside it, and itll help you to ovee your bottlenecks and save you in times of crisis. With a flick of his hand, he passed a bottle of God Essence Pills to each of them. The God Essence Pills were not of much use of him anymore, so he might as well give them to the others. Once they acquired the Aura of Divinity and sessfully made a breakthrough, they would be able to immediately push for higher realms with this. Thank you, Young Master! Thank you, Xuan-er! Thank you, Teacher! Zhang Xuan did not have anything else for them, so he urged them to quickly enter the Teleportation Formation. The group swiftly passed through the gate and vanished from sight. As he was already a god, he could not pass through the Teleportation Formation. So, he could only wait for them outside. In less than an hour, all 1,200 Semi-Divinity realm cultivators in the square had passed through the gate to enter the Celestial Mountain. The gate wavered a little before slowly vanishing from sight. The Teleportation Formation will reappear a day from now. If you arent in too much of a hurry, City Lord Manor has prepared a banquet so that you can wait there for your kin to return, Wu Fangqing said with a smile. Sounds great! The crowd nodded in agreement. To a cultivator, a day was not too long at all. Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to make the trip back to his residence, so he followed the group into City Lord Manor. There was slight disorientation from passing through the gate, causing Zhao Ya to stumble out. By the time she regained her bnce, she realized that she was already standing amid clouds. Taking a closer look, she realized that she was on top of a mountain. Unlike the Grand Spirit Mountain, the surroundings were rich in spiritual energy, creating an environment for nts to thrive. Vitality, instead of barrenness, filled the area. I should look for the Aura of Divinity... Knowing her priority for going to the Celestial Mountain, Zhao Ya swiftly flitted toward the peak. She swiftly realized that the concentration of spiritual energy increased the higher she ascended, making it more likely for her to find the Aura of Divinity. After traveling several hundred meters, she suddenly heard the moaning of the wind echoing not too far away. She quickly hid behind a tree before looking in the direction where the sound hade from. It was from an arrow. Following that, a frightened white animal reminiscent of a rabbit quickly dashed away, as if fleeing from a hunter. Is that... the Aura of Divinity? Zhao Yas eyes lit up. Sun Qiang had gathered some information regarding the Celestial Mountain and ryed it to them the day before. ording to him, the Aura of Divinity could morph itself into lifeforms on the Celestial Mountain, making it highly difficult to capture. Stop it! Two silhouettes dashed out from the woods to chase the rabbit. They were the ones who had shot the arrow before. Sou sou sou sou! Another volley of arrows shot forth and struck the fleeing rabbit. The rabbit struggled on the ground for a moment before dissipating into a bundle of golden fluid. Ill go first! One of the silhouettes who shot the arrows rushed forward to grab the golden fluid and swallowed it. The next moment, Zhao Ya sensed the other partys cultivation swiftly surging. From the looks of it, it seemed like it would not take too long for him to ovee his current bottleneck and be a real god. I should hurry up! Seeing that it was not too difficult for hunt down the Aura of Divinity, Zhao Ya unhesitatingly continued to charge up the mountain. Along the way, she encountered quite a few rabbit-shaped Auras of Divinity, but as there were already cultivators hunting them down, she could not be bothered to snatch from them. It did not take her too long to reach the peak. The atmospheric pressure was clearly much stronger at the top of the Celestial Mountainpared to elsewhere. Zhao Ya took a look around, but there did not seem to be anyone in the area. This made her frown a little. Nevertheless, she quickly analyzed the tracks on the ground to search for traces of the Aura of Divinity. She had assessed the footprints left behind by the rabbits on her way there, so she had a good idea of how she could locate them. This trail seems a bit off. Its a bit too big to be a rabbit... but it doesnt matter! Having located her target, she drove her Pure Yin Body to its limits and followed the trail. Hu! At the end of the trail, a white tiger carrying an imposing aura suddenly leaped out. This... Zhao Ya was shocked. While the Auras of Divinity that others found were all rabbits, why did she end up stumbling onto thisrge, ferocious fellow instead? However, she did not think that it would make much of a difference to her. So, with a flick of her wrist, she charged forth and began her assault on the white tiger. As the First Senior of all of Zhang Xuans direct disciples, Zhao Ya had always been very strict on herself. Her diligence paired with the prowess of her unique constitution made her undefeatable among her peers such that even Zheng Yang was not a match for her. With her exerting her full force, the area swiftly turned frosty cold. This fellow is powerful... After fighting for a while, cold sweat began dripping from Zhao Yas forehead. If it had been the rabbits before, as long as she could catch up with them, she would have been able to subdue them with a single finger of hers. Otherwise, there was no way they would have been subdued by arrows so easily. On the other hand, the white tiger that she was facing was extremely powerful, stronger than her even. In terms of strength, it was at leastparable to a low-tier God. In other words, she was facing a true God despite only possessing the strength of a Semi-Divinity! Under normal circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for her to achieve victory. She knew this as well, but it was already toote to escape. She could only attempt to push her way through. Thus, gritting her teeth, she swallowed the pill given to her by her teacher. The pill swiftly melted in her mouth, filling her body with the Heavens Path zhenqi. In an instant, the fatigue and injuries she had umted throughout the battle vanished without a trace. Chapter 2132 - 2132 The Skies in an Uproar (1) 2132 The Skies in an Uproar (1) Hu hu! With Zhao Yas rapid recovery, she immediately beganunching a barrage of forceful and deadly strikes against the white tiger. In the blink of an eye, the tables were turned. The sheer aggressiveness that Zhao Ya was fighting with made it impossible for the white tiger to stand its ground, causing it to slowly umte injuries. However, it was no easy feat for Zhao Ya to continue attacking with such fervor. It was inevitable that her stamina would be swiftly whittled down if she maintained such high-intensity offense. But when it looked as if she was about to run out of energy, she would simply pop another pill into her mouth and continue with her attacks. Shortly after Zhao Ya consumed her third pill, the massive white tiger finally lost its strength and slumped to the ground. Seeing that she had finally defeated her opponent, Zhao Ya wiped the sweat off her forehead and heaved a sigh of relief. If not for her teachers pills and her Pure Yin Body, there was no way she would have been able to hold on for so long. That was a battle she had to put her life on the line in order to win! Isnt it supposed to be rather easy to obtain the Aura of Divinity? Whats going on? Perplexed, Zhao Ya turned to the white tiger on the ground, which happened to dissipate right at that instant to form a bundle of golden fluid. It was like what she had witnessed with the rabbits previously, but what was different about it was the sharpness the golden fluid formed by the white tiger. To make aparison, if the golden fluid formed by the rabbit was a stream, what she was looking at before her was a boundless ocean. And this left her feeling slightly shocked. Could it be that... the Aura of Divinity can be ssified into different tiers as well? She had never heard of something like this before, but everything before her was pointing in that direction. Thats not important at the moment. I should first get down to business... Knowing that there was no way for her to know for sure, she chose to quickly sit down on the ground and started to meditate. Hu! The golden fluid immediately surged into her body. Kacha! Kacha! As soon as the energy seeped into her body, her bottleneck was swiftly shattered, and her cultivation grew at a visible rate. What formidable Aura of Divinity! Zhao Ya remarked with narrowed eyes. The Aura of Divinity carried a sharp metal aura that made her feel as if her meridians were going to be ripped apart. At the same time, it felt like the roar of sword qi, clearing away all the obstructions hindering her within her body. In less than ten minutes, she surpassed her own limits and became a real god. Weng! The moment she became a god, a brilliant light gathered around her and embraced her, making her seem as though an angel. But Zhao Ya herself remained oblivious to it. She was too absorbed in her cultivation to notice any of this. As Zhao Ya made her breakthrough, Lu Chong also arrived at the other end of the mountain peak. Shortly after his arrival, he encountered a dark silhouette. It was neither a rabbit nor a tiger. Rather, it had an appearance that was simr a human, but it was made entirely out of mist. Using the pills given to him by his teacher, even though the fight was not easy for him, he still managed to defeat the dark humanlike silhouette eventually. The defeated silhouette dissipated to form a bundle of golden fluid, bing a powerful source of energy that fueled the growth of Lu Chongs soul. The others were all facing the same situation. Wang Ying encountered a snowy ancient tree, Zheng Yang encountered a behemoth covered in mes, Wei Ruyan encountered a river that could consume life... North of the Firmament, there existed a vast, boundless ocean. At the very middle of this ocean was a humongous pce floating right above its surface. Like the searing sun in the sky, it radiated a brilliance that cast it in an angelic glow. The clear water beneath the pce reflected its grandeur perfectly, crafting out a dreamlikendscape. Within the pce, there was a bearded elder sitting on a grand and majestic throne. He was staring intently at the empty space in front of him, seemingly deep in thought. Monarch. A middle-aged man entered the splendid hall and sped his fist. The elder nced downward before nodding slightly to acknowledge his presence. Then, he asked, When will the duel between that person from the Sky of Freedom and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch be held? Itll be held on the fifteenth of the next month, the middle-aged man replied with a deep voice. Fifteenth... The night of the full moon? the elder muttered beneath his breath. That person from the Sky of Freedom epted the duel faster than I thought. Monarch, pardon my insolence, but theres a question that has been bothering me for some time, the middle-aged man said. You have been with me for many years now, so theres no need for you to behave so warily around me. Feel free to pose your doubt, the elder replied. Thank you for your kind words, Monarch. The middle-aged man nodded. I was just wondering if the Heaven Subjugation Monarch is really that formidable, such that even the other eight God Monarchs arent a match for him. The elder paused for a brief moment upon hearing those words as he raised his head in reminiscence. Then, with a deep sigh, he remarked, Unfathomably so. What about that person from the Sky of Freedom? They have never appeared in public before, so no one knows just how powerful they are. Compared to the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, who is more powerful? the middle-aged man asked. That person from the Sky of Freedom is unfathomably powerful as well. I have never met them in person before, but the aura they emanate was as towering as the lofty heavens, as if the entire universe revolved around them. It was not a force that any being in the world could contend with. But as for who is more powerful, I am unable to say for sure. The elder shook his head. That means that the battle between the two of them will be the greatest battle ever since the Firmament came into existence... The middle-aged man widened his eyes in realization. Then, a bitter smile crept onto his lips as he sighed deeply. It would really have been a great honor to witness their battle, but its unfortunate that a person of my caliber would have disintegrated to ashes before I could even approach them. Even a Conferred God King would be easily killed if he was caught between the battle between God Monarchs. It might appear to be just a realm of difference, but the gap between those two realms was absolute. Nothing could bridge the difference. That was also why the position of the God Monarchs had been unshakable ever since the founding of the Firmament. This might also be why there had only been nine God Monarchs in the Firmament since time immemorial till recent decades. You wish to witness the battle? This is something that concerns the reputation of the Nine Skies, so you should drop that idea of yours. The elder shook his head. But all of a sudden, the elders movements halted for a brief moment, and his pupils dted ever so slightly, reflecting the huge fluctuations in his emotions. The keen-eyed middle-aged man noticed the difference and asked worriedly, Monarch, did something happen? That person from the Sky of Freedom has just passed down a message... They are inviting the eight of us to witness the battle! the elder replied with a slow and contemtive tone, as if he was trying to discern the other partys intentions. He did not think that the person from the Sky of Freedom would make such a call. Even for the other God Monarchs, they had chosen to fight the Heaven Subjugation Monarch behind closed doors. As a result, not even the Conferred God Kings beneath them were aware of the results, even though they could probably fathom a guess. Does this mean that the person from the Sky of Freedom is confident in defeating the Heaven Subjugation Monarch? the middle-aged man asked. Perhaps, the elder remarked with a doubtful edge to his tone. The difference in their strength is unlikely to be too great, given that they have both reached the pinnacle of the world. Its hard to tell who will win at this point, so we can only watch what happens. Speaking of which, the Fourth Flood of Spiritual Energy ising soon, right? Are there any outstanding geniuses in our Acheron Ocean at the moment? Not yet, the middle-aged man replied. Even though most cultivators treasure the opportunity they have to cultivate more than ever after the receding of spiritual energy, it still isnt that easy to find outstanding geniuses among them. Furthermore, in order for them to stand out in the Flood of Spiritual Energy, they must possess top-notch capabilities. Such people will eventually be God Kings at the very minimum... Sigh, there are simply too few of such people around. I heard that Old Geezer Qiankun of the Sky of Drifting Specters recently secured himself a decently talented soul, the elder remarked questioningly. Theres indeed such a thing. ording to the rumors, he found him from the lower worlds and absorbed his soul right into the Netherworld Pool. Based on our sources, it seems like God Monarch Qiankun is currently helping him forge a new body. If that soul is able to move Old Geezer Qiankun into action, his capabilities must be truly extraordinary. What a pity that he didnt appear in our Sky of Acheron! Otherwise, I would have made sure to groom him regardless of how much it costs and turn him into a top-notch expert in the shortest time possible... Indeed... The middle-aged man shared the eldersmentation. Rest assured, Monarch. I have left a mechanism in the Celestial Mountains so as to ensure that well be able to get to any emerging top-notch geniuses as soon as they appear! The elder nodded silently before slowly closing his eyes, a gesture that symbolized that the middle-aged man was dismissed. But at that very moment, the sound of a clock suddenly echoed outside the room. The elder immediately opened his eyes and rose to his feet. The Bell of Conferred Kings? The middle-aged man also trembled in agitation upon hearing the chimes. The sounding of the Bell of Conferred Kings means that a cultivator who possesses the potential to be a Conferred God King has appeared! the middle-aged man eximed. There were only so many Conferred God Kings in the world, making them existences that were almost as rare as God Monarchs. Their power was second only to the God Monarchs, so it went without saying that they were highly sought after by all powers. Hurry up and recruit that genius to our side, the elder instructed anxiously. But before finishing his words, he changed his mind and said, Forget it, youre too slow. Ill do it myself! Right after saying those words, the elder disappeared on the spot. Those who had be God Monarchs were capable of instantaneous teleportation. As powerful as the spatialws of the Firmament were, they were insufficient to curb them anymore. It seems like our Sky of Acheron is set for the Flood of Spiritual Energy then... Seeing that the God Monarch had personally made a move to recruit the genius, the middle-aged man heaved a sigh of relief. In the Sky of Adamant Gold- God Monarch Fumeng was in the midst of a court assembly when he heard the Bell of Conferred Kings chiming loudly. A genius suited for our Sky of Adamant Gold has appeared. Ill receive him personally. Hu! God Monarch Fumeng disappeared on the spot. In the Sky of Cloud Dragon... Even in the long history of Firmament, the appearance of geniuses of such a caliber has been extremely rare. Thest time it happened was the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and his direct disciples. We mustnt miss this opportunity. The rest of you should make preparations here while I head over to take a look personally! With a slight jolt, the Cloud Dragon Monarch morphed back into his true body, a Five-wed Golden Dragon, before vanishing on the spot. Hahaha! Who would have thought that such a formidable genius would appear for our Sky of zing Sun? I still remember how that darned Qiankun bragged about the soul he found before me just a while ago. This time, Ill make sure to groom the prodigy personally. No matter how much I have to elerate time by, Ill make sure that he bes a Conferred God King before the Flood of Spiritual Energy! With a brilliant chuckle, God Monarch Zhuoyang flung his robe to the side, revealing his bare thighs. Seeing this sight, an aged attendant beside him immediately rushed forward and awkwardly advised, Monarch, if you are heading out, may I humbly request for you to put your undergarments on? Itll diminish your honor if someone sees it! As someone who governs the zing sun, the heavenly mes that I harness within my body will swiftly reduce any clothes I wear to ash. Its simply too much trouble to put them on again and again! I might as well just bare it all! God Monarch Zhuoyang harrumphed impatiently. I understand that its more cooling for you to bare it all, but arent you heading out to receive someone? You might leave a bad impression if you leave like that, the aged attendant advised. As a subordinate serving God Monarch Zhuoyang, he was too familiar with the habits of thetter for his ownfort. No one could have imagined that one of the Nine God Monarchs would actually detest putting on underwear! It was fortunate that he rarely left his pce, or else the honor and dignity of the Sky of zing Sun would really be tossed into the gutters! Enough, you are too naggy. Ill be right back with that fellow! Hu! God Monarch Zhuoyang swiftly created undergarments around his bare bottom with his divine energy before vanishing. Chapter 2133 - 2133 The Firmament in an Uproar (2) 2133 The Firmament in an Uproar (2) Other than the elusive Sky of Freedom, the next most mysterious existence in the Firmament was probably the Sword Hut. The pces of the God Monarchs were known for their grandeur and splendor, but the God Monarch of the Sky of Heavenly Sword lived in an ordinary-looking straw hut. Monarch... A middle-aged man walked into the Sword Hut to report something, but he was interrupted before he could finish his words. I have heard. A genius who specializes in swordsmanship has appeared on the Celestial Mountain. Y-yes, thats the case... the middle-aged man nodded in response. I have seen his swordy, and its indeed remarkable. He has achieved a level of conceptualization thats almost on par with ours... But hes not someone we are looking for, a calm voice sounded from within the straw hut. But the Bell of Conferred Kings has sounded... The middle-aged man was taken aback. He eximed in a fluster, If we dont hurry, the other powers might just beat us to it. That would mean that our Sword Hut will receive fewer slots in the next Flood of Spiritual Energy, and we will have our territories taken away from us as well... Are those important to us? Our Sword Hut aims to nurture sword practitioners to forge a Sword Intent and conceptualization that belongs to them and them alone. Its not about charging ahead and learning blindly, the voice in the straw hut said. No matter how well one leams, the highest level one can reach will just be a mere reflection of what others have already achieved. Theres no need to worry about the Flood of Spiritual Energy. The person I am waiting for has already appeared, and Ill be paying a visit to him personally very soon. I understand... Seeing that the God Monarch had his own ns, the middle-aged man lowered his posture and backed out of the room respectfully. Sigh! Shortly after the middle-aged man left, a deep sigh echoed within the straw hut. A quiet,menting mutter sounded, I really dont know whether it was the right decision for you to do that. On a towering mountain concealed amidst clouds, a tall elder gazed upon his disciples standing right in front of him. Profound words reminiscent of symphonic music flowed out of his words, delighting his disciples. Absorbing the knowledge that was being imparted to them, the disciples found their cultivation growly swiftly. Lets stop here today! But all of a sudden, the elder stopped his lecture and turned his sights toward a certain direction. Noticing that something was amiss, a middle-aged man amidst the crowd stood up and sped his fists before asking, Teacher, did something happen? His teacher believed deeply that the impartation of knowledge was crucial to the betterment of the world, and he was devoted to that cause as well. As such, he would always ensure that the lesson wasplete before concluding it. Yet, he chose to halt halfway through this time around... It was clear that something major had happened. That person of the Sky of Freedom has decided on the date. The battle will be held on the fifteenth of the next month, the elder said with a faint smile on his lips. It was almost as if he was talking about someone else instead of himself. He showed no hints of stress as a result of that battle. The Sky of Freedom is the center of the Nine Skies, and its monarch is the supreme ruler of the myriad worlds... Teacher, I fear that your battle with her will... The middle-aged man couldnt help but feel deeply apprehensive about the battle that would be held not too long away from now. He trusted in his teachers capabilities, but no matter what, the enemy was the strongest individual of the Firmament. Even the other God Monarchs bowed in the presence of that person... It would surely be a tough battle even for his teacher. More importantly, the battle between them would be a life-and-death duel, unlike the casual spars his teacher had with the other God Monarchs. Its fine, the elder replied as he stroked his beard. Since its a battle, theres bound to be a victor and a loser. No one can win all his life. Itll be fine as long as I give it my all. But... In order to deal with you, that person descended to the lower worlds to find the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn so that she could gain a deeper understanding of your powers! Im afraid that the real reason why shes epting your challenge is because she already knows your abilities... In a battle between two equals, understanding the abilities of ones opponent can make a world of a difference! the middle-aged man remarked anxiously. His teacher had challenged that person of the Sky of Freedom for some time now, but there had been no response all this while. Recently, however, they heard that that person descended to the lower worlds some time ago, and as soon as she returned, she immediately set the date of the duel. This could be taken as a sign that she was fully prepared and was confident of victory. In a battle between two equally powerful individuals, the factor that determined the winner was often the asymmetry of knowledge. If that person really knew about his teachers abilities, that would mean that his teacher was in an extremely dangerous position. So what if she knows about my abilities? It wont be easy for her to defeat me! the elder looked at the middle-aged man and smiled calmly. Despite his leisurely tone, the elders voice carried deep confidence. After defeating so many God Monarchs, his strength had already reached the peak of the Firmament as well. I have no doubt in teachers strength, but Im just a little bit confused... Why do you have to fight with the monarch of the Sky of Freedom, and why does it have to be a life-and-death duel? The middle-aged man simply couldnt make sense out of this. His teacher had already received the acknowledgement from eight of the current God Monarchs, and he had already gained widespread recognition as the Tenth God Monarch of the Firmament. So, was there really a need for him to fight against the monarch of the Sky of Freedom? Was it something that was worth having him put his life down for? This is an inevitable fate that neither of us will be able to avoid. You wont be able to understand that... the elder sighed with a shake of his head. Then, he looked at the middle-aged man quietly for a moment before saying, If I were to lose my life in the duel, I want you to wait quietly. Dont make any moves. Wait for my sessor to appear and heed his words. Sessor? Teachers sessor? the middle-aged man asked in bewilderment. He had been following his teacher since a very long time ago, and a step at a time, they had climbed to the top of many worlds. But he had never heard of his teacher having a sessor before! Indeed. Hes from the Master Teacher Continent as well, and he possesses capabilities on par with mine, the elder said with a faint smile. May I know what is the name of teachers sessor then? How can we identify him? the middle-aged man asked anxiously. You will know him once you see him, the elder replied with a deep look in his eyes. As for his name... I guess I can tell it to you. His name is Zhang Xuan! Meanwhile, in a certain room in the Sky of Freedom... Thick puffs of steam filled the room, hindering one from seeing what was within. Hu! The sound of water sshing resounded in the room, and a beautiful and wless figure rose from a pool in the middle of the room. Silky ck hair paired with skin that was so delicate that it seemed as if it would crumble at a touch, that figure was so beautiful that it was hard to believe that someone like this could exist in the world. With a graceful wave of her hand, she covered her body in a thinyer of silk. Young Mistress! A green-robeddy quickly walked up to the beautifuldy to pass ab over to her. The beautifuldy unfurled her hair and began tob it slowly. Her movement was so graceful and natural that it was pleasing just to look at it. Have you passed down the news? the beautifuldy asked. I have, the green-robeddy nodded. The response? None at the moment, the green-robeddy shook her head. She pondered for a moment before adding on, However, Young Mistress, we have managed to uncover what you asked for. Oh? The eyes of the beautifuldy twinkled. She stoppedbing her hair and turned her gaze over, gesturing for the green-robeddy to continue on. A young man named Zhang Xuan has appeared in Twilight City. He and his disciples are rather talented, such that while they were scouring the Celestial Mountain for the Aura of Divinity, they managed to trigger quite a few Bells of Conferred Kings! the green-robeddy replied. Its indeed him... the beautifuldy muttered as a sweet smile subconsciously blossomed on her lips. Young Mistress, are you intending to meet him? the green-robeddy asked. The sweet smile faded to a frown. The beautifuldy hesitated with a conflicted look on her face before shaking her head, Theres no need for that. I need to prepare for battle over the next few days, so I wont be meeting anyone, especially him... Im afraid that I might lose my determination... Young Mistress, pardon me for saying this, but if you are already wavering... why dont you just back out of the fight? The Heaven Subjugation Monarch is powerful enough to defeat the other eight of the God Monarchs. Im worried that... the green-robeddy said. The Young Mistress possessed strength that was at the peak of the world, but the enemy she was going to face was not weak either. In just forty short years, that man had managed to make himself a ce amidst the top echelons of the Firmament, bing an existence that no one didnt know of. He challenged the other eight God Monarchs, and even though no one knew the details of the battles, from the fact how they eventually recognized him as the Tenth God Monarch, it was apparent that he was the victor in those battles. His achievements had opened up a new chapter in the history of the Firmament. It might appear to be a cowardly decision, but escaping from the fight was always an option. Besides, even if they had to fight with one another, it shouldnt be a big deal who won or lost the battle. Was there a need to make it a life-and- death duel? It is an inevitability. I have to kill him with my own hands. There are no other paths I can take... This is the mission the world has given to me, and I cant shirk away from this responsibility, the beautifuldy replied solemnly. But.. You need not say more. This matter has already been decided, and nothing will change it, the beautifuldy said with a wave of her hand. Alright, Ill be going into seclusion to cultivate... Leaving behind those words, the beautifuldy turned around and walked away. Young Mistress... The green-robeddy didnt think that her master would be so obstinate. Even though she was unhappy with how things were going down, she heaved a deep sigh and decided to keep her opinions to herself. Chapter 2134 - 2134 The Anxious Zhang Xuan 2134 The Anxious Zhang Xuan I heard that the Aura of Divinity on the Celestial Mountain can be divided into various tiers. After filling their stomachs with sumptuous food and fine wine, the figures who represented the top echelons of Twilight City gathered together with a cup of wine in hand to have a leisurely talk. Hmm, there seems to be such a thing now that you talk about it. The higher tier Aura of Divinity is harder to tame, but at the same time, it is much purer and harnesses greater power. It can better temper ones divine energy, thus forging a strong foundation for future breakthroughs. I heard that the higher tier Auras of Divinity are refined by the Nine God Monarchs personally, so it harnesses their power. As such, those whose constitutions or cultivation techniques are at odds with the powers of the God Monarchs wont be able to assimte it. As such, only a small handful of the top-notch geniuses will be able to do so. It has been forty years since the receding of spiritual energy urred, and the Celestial Mountain has opened for 79 times to date. But to date, only three people have been able to induce the sounding of the Bells of Conferred Kings! Now that I think about it, they appear to be all disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch too... I wonder if the Bells of Conferred Kings would sound this time around... Thats unlikely to be the case. So far, those who have been able to be Conferred God Kings so far are those who possess superior bloodlines. In other words, a cultivators fate is already decided at his birth. This is not something that diligence can make up for! Bloodline determines everything. Without a sufficiently powerful bloodline, no matter how talented one is, ones aplishment will still be capped... The discussions swiftly reduced to a couple of sighs ofmentation. Hearing their words, Zhang Xuan turned to Wu Fangqing and asked doubtfully, Is bloodline really that important to a cultivator? Of course! Wu Fangqing replied frankly. Through his talent, a series of fortuitous encounters, and diligence, theres still a chance for ordinary cultivators to be a Celestial God. However, all those prove to be insufficient for one to be a God King. The hurdle is simply too high. In terms of probability, the chances of a person with a strong bloodline bing a God King is a hundred times higher than that of other cultivators. As far as I know, of the hundred or so God Kings of the Nine Skies, the only ones who managed to reach the level of God King without relying on their bloodline are the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and three of his disciples! The disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch? Thats right. I heard that his disciples are from the lower world, but other than that, theres not much information about them. There are simply too many secrets surrounding the Heaven Subjugation Monarch that are yet to be unraveled, Wu Fangqing remarked. If anyone else were to speak about a God Monarch in such a manner, he would have already been berated for his rudeness. If Zhang Xuan was really the descendant of a God Monarch, there was a good chance that he would have felt strongly about this matter. In a sense, Wu Fangqing intentionally phrased things in that manner in order to test thetters reaction. But unexpectedly, thetter simply nodded quietly with no particr expression on his face. It was really hard to read the thoughts that were in his mind. There was a brief moment of silence before Zhang Xuan asked once more, If I may ask, what difference does the tier of the Aura of Divinity make? All along, he thought that the Aura of Divinity he received on the Azure would be the same as what that was on the Firmament. He didnt think that it could be differentiated into multiple tiers. Hmm...Frankly speaking, I dont really know either. I would say that its more of hearsay in the Firmament. There have always been rumors that the Aura of Divinity is differentiated into multiple tiers, and only those who boast the greatest of talents would be able to obtain the highest tier Aura of Divinity, paving their way to greatness... Wu Fangqing replied contemtively before chuckling softly. But in the end, these are just nothing more than rumors. Theres no need to take them for real... While Wu Fangqing was speaking, the door on the square right in front of the City Lord Manor suddenly jolted, and a silhouette emerged from it. Someone has already returned from the Celestial Mountain? Doesnt the trial typically take a day at the very minimum? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. This abrupt situation induced Zhang Xuan to rise to their feet and walk to the courtyard to take a closer look. On the other hand, the rest of the crowd in the hall didnt seem to be surprised by such a development. The Celestial Mountain is indeed open for a day, and within this period of time, those who have yet to reach godhood can continue scouring the grounds to look for the Aura of Divinity. However, those who have seeded will be instantly teleported back to where they came from, Wu Fangqing exined. Zhang Xuan widened in realization. Hahaha, its my son! It has only been two hours, but he has already managed to reach godhood! a middle-aged man amidst the crowd burst into heartyughter as he walked out of the courtyard as well. Even if the cultivator started out at the mountain peak, it was still an impressive feat to be able to acquire the Aura of Divinity within two hours and sessfully make a breakthrough. This, in itself, was proof of the cultivators talent. This result would be recorded down, and it would influence ones overall standing on the ranking boards. Congrattions! With such a talented son, I reckon that the Hu n is bound to rise to great heights in the future! Old Brother Hu Xu, after much contemtion, I think that it would still be best to partner with you for the business we have discussed previously. Even though we have never worked together before, I have heard much about how you do things, and I must say that I feel at ease leaving things to you! Brother Hu, your son and daughter are already of marriageable age. Why dont you settle this matter quickly? The crowd quickly gathered around the middle-aged man, Hu Xu, with heated gazes. The very feat of acquiring the Aura of Divinity and sessfully making a breakthrough within two hours was enough to ce Hu Xus son at the peak of Twilight City in terms of talent. Without a doubt, the young man would achieve great things in the future. This was the best chance for them to get close to Hu Xu, or else thetter could be a figure way beyond their reach soon. Hu Xu tilted his chin up proudly as he replied to the questions of the crowd patiently with a gleeful smile on his face. It was the typical look of a parent after hearing that his son had gotten into a prestigious university. After settling the passionate crowd around him, Hu Xu turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and sneered disdainfully. It was true that his son had lost Zhang Xuans students earlier, but it seemed like the tables had turned around. His son had already achieved a breakthrough, but what about the other partys students? They were still struggling on the Celestial Mountain! In the end, despite the superior strength they possessed, their potential was severelycking. Just the fact that they were still at Semi-Divinity realm despite their age spoke loudly about this. They might be powerful amongst their peers at the moment, but their achievements were already capped. Young Master Zhang Xuan, it seems like my son was lucky to seed ahead of your disciples... I look forward to finding out how long it will take for your disciples to reach godhood too, Hu Xu walked up and said in a mocking tone. It was only human nature for a parent to brag about his childs aplishments. How boring it would be if everyone simply lived humbly in the world! Given that he had just been humiliated further, he wanted to repay the favor back to Zhang Xuan. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan frowned slightly upon hearing Hu Xus words. It was not that he felt insulted by Hu Xus provocations, but he couldnt help but think that something was amiss about this matter. Given the cultivation technique he had imparted to his disciples, they should be able to achieve a breakthrough within less than an hour after obtaining the Aura of Divinity. But even after the passing of so much time, not a single one of his disciples had returned yet. Could it be that... they had encountered some sort of danger? But that shouldnt be! He was still rather confident in the abilities of Zhao Ya and the others. Even Sun Qiang was able to deal with dozens of the Semi-Divinity realm cultivators here earlier, so there was even less of a chance that Zhao Ya and the others would face any danger on the Celestial Mountain! I reckon that they have been dyed by some matters, Zhang Xuan replied. This was the only exnation he could think of at the moment. Due to the severance in space between the Celestial Mountain and the rest of the world, he was unable to sense whether the Heavens Path zhenqi he had infused into the God Essence Pills he had given them had been used or not. Dyed? Hahaha! I pray that Young Master Zhang Xuans disciples will be able to ovee whatever problems they are facing at the moment then... the middle-aged man replied smugly as he raised his head even higher than before. So what if your disciples are more powerful than the average Semi-Divinity? As long as they werent able to reach godhood, they would be no different from trash! Hu! While the middle-aged man was still skipping around the courtyard gleefully, the door in the middle of the square jolted once more. This time around, it was a group of twelve people. Zhang Xuan quickly scanned their faces, but none of them were the ones he was looking out for. Young Master Zhang Xuan, it appears that my child has returned as well. Those disciples of yours were the first to enter, and they were granted a position closest to the mountain peak, which boasts of the greatest Aura of Divinity. It doesnt make sense for them not to be out yet... Are they having trouble making a breakthrough to godhood? Oh my, that would mean that they are severelycking in potential... The others who had been humiliated by Zhao Ya and the others earlier also walked out with gleeful smiles on their faces. They werent able to do a thing earlier because City Lord Wu was clearly shielding this young man, and their children ended up being no match for the young mans disciples at all. As such, they were forced to swallow their grievances. However, now that the tables were turned, how could they possibly miss out on this ideal opportunity to make a jab at that young man? I admit that your students are incredibly powerful as Semi-Divinities, but so what? Arent they stillcking in talent in the end? Compared to my talented son, they are nothing at all! It will really be the joke of the century if they couldnt reach godhood despite the favorable conditions they were given... Young Master Zhang Xuan, please pay no attention to them. Luck ys a huge part in determining whether one is able to find an Aura of Divinity or not... Perhaps, they might be the next ones to appear! Wu Fangqing consoled awkwardly. Its fine, I wont take those words to heart, Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied. He had no idea why Zhao Ya and the others hadnt returned yet, but he had faith in their capabilities. Furthermore, he even prepared five pills for them. Nothing could go wrong. Another four more hours passed in the blink of an eye, and over 300 of the 1200 cultivators who entered the Celestial Mountain had returned. However, Zhao Ya, Sun Qiang, and the others were still nowhere to be seen. Those words of ridicule had also slowly turned into disdain. The fact that those youths werent able to make a breakthrough even after so much time had passed was concrete evidence of theircking talent. To think that City Lord Wu actually regarded them as VIPs! How could such people be worthy of being ced on the same pedestal as them? Something is amiss... Zhang Xuan frowned. He could understand it if his students werent able to return within two hours; they might have faced some sort of difficulty or dilemma inside. But three hours had already passed so far, and none of them had reached godhood yet? That clearly made no sense at all! As individuals who cultivated the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art, they should be able to achieve a breakthrough much faster than him and his Pathos of Heaven. There was no way they would need that much time! So, why were they nowhere to be seen? Worried, Zhang Xuan turned to Wu Fangqing and asked, City Lord Wu, do you know of any way to check if a person on the Celestial Mountain is doing fine? Check if a person is doing fine? Wu Fangqing nodded, Its indeed possible to do so, but the cost is rather steep. Each check will require 100 Divine Coins! The Celestial Mountain was considered to be generally safe, but it was still possible for cultivators to face danger, whether from the natural environment or from their peers. For those who were worried, there was indeed a way to check the current condition of the candidates inside. However, it was just that it was terribly expensive to do so. A slot only cost a Divine Coin, but each check on an individual would cost 100 Divine Coins. The difference in price was truly frightening. Zhang Xuan nodded without any hesitation, I would like to check on the conditions of those whom I have brought. He couldnt allow anything to happen to his parents, his students, or his butler. They were the people who were closest to him in the world, and he felt like he would go on a rampage if anything were to happen to them. I understand. Please follow me, Wu Fangqing nodded as he walked back into the City Lord Manor. Shall we follow them to take a look as well? Whats there to see? It just means that his disciples havent made a breakthrough, thats all there is to it! He must have a lot of money to spare. It doesnt take much time to head there to take a look. If his disciples have really found an Aura of Divinity but arent able to make a breakthrough, that would really be a show to behold, dont you think so? I cant deny that. Hearing the conversation between the two, the middle-aged men who had mocked Zhang Xuan earlier smiled in unison as they quickly followed the footsteps of those two. They had some time on their hand anyway, and it was always a delight to see a person whose head was in the sky a moment ago being harshly tossed back to the cold, hard ground. Navigating through the City Lord Manor, it didnt take them too long to arrive in a narrow room. Wu Fangqing pointed to the wall ahead of them and said, Write down the name of the person you are checking on and ce 100 Divine Coins on the pedestal over there, and the wall will reflect the condition of the person you are looking up... Chapter 2135 - Insulting the God Monarchs

Chapter 2135 Insulting the God Monarchs

After learning how the wall worked, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly took out 100 Divine Coins and ced it on the pedestal. Weng! The Divine Coins disappeared, and white light began to glimmer on the wall in front, forming a screen. Zhang Xuan quickly walked up and wrote down Zhao Yas name. Of everyone who had entered the Celestial Mountain, the one who was most likely to achieve a breakthrough first was indubitably Zhao Ya. Thus, he wanted to see what was going on inside that prevented her from achieving a breakthrough within the past six hours. Hu! The screen flickered a little, and it looked as if the characters would appear on the screen at any moment. This is the time of reckoning... Do you recall what happened with Wang Xiao three years ago? He was unwilling to believe that his son was really a wastrel, so he spent 100 Divine Coins to check on his condition. But as it turned out, his son actually fell asleep on the Celestial Mountain! To this day, I still cant help but chuckle when I recall how his face crumbled when he saw the results on the wall! Due to how widespread that matter became, the Wang n lost its prestige and honor overnight. Once, it was one of the top ten ns of Twilight City, but in a matter of days, it fell to the point where it couldnt even be considered as a third-rate n anymore! This fellow is probably doomed as well. City Lord Wu is a true pragmatist at heart. The only reason why he treated that fellow so well is probably because there is something he stands to earn from him. If that fellow loses his worth as a result of this, theres no doubt that City Lord Wu would immediately change his tune! The middle-aged men behind shook with mirth. Just as they were filling their minds with scenarios of Zhang Xuans impending downfall, they suddenly felt an unbelievably powerful and authoritative body clutching their bodies, causing theirughter to fall t. Boom! It felt almost as if the world was caving in on them. The entire room rattled fearfully in the presence of this aura. This is...the aura of a God Monarch? Someone amidst the crowd eximed, and everyone quickly kneeled to the ground as a sign of respect. I am Monarch Fumeng of the Sky of Adamant Gold. Zhao Ya is suited to practice the cultivation techniques of our Sky of Adamant Gold, so Ill be taking her with me... A voice that seemed to bepletely devoid of emotions sounded slowly from the wall. It wasnt loud, but it seemed to hammer right into ones soul. Those on the receiving end of the voice couldnt help but tremble in fear and deference. Before such a presence, they couldnt even bring up the will to retaliate at all. God Monarch? His disciple has been taken away by a God Monarch? The crowd felt as if their heads were going to blow up from how ridiculous the situation was bing. They turned to look at the young man before them with eyes filled with frenzy. They thought that the young mans disciple, like Wang Xiaos son, would probably be sleeping or lying injured somewhere on the Celestial Mountain... But who could have thought that she would have actually caught the eye of the God Monarch, inducing thetter to fetch her personally! More importantly, the God Monarch even left behind a message to exin the situation... When had the God Monarchs needed to exin their decisions to others? This honor was greater than anything else in the world! They were thinking of making use of this opportunity to mock the other party, but who could have thought that things would turn out in such a manner? They turned their heads toward Zhang Xuan, expecting the young man to lose himself amidst happiness, but what they saw instead was the frown between the young mans brows tightening. The young mans face was growing so dark that it looked as if it would drip ink. To have ones disciple taken away and trained personally by a God Monarch, there was probably no greater honor than that in the world. Shouldnt he be so happy that he could skip in joy? Why would he have such an expression on his face instead? Young Master Zhang Xuan, hurry up and thank the God Monarch for his benevolence... Wu Fangqing tugged at Zhang Xuans robe and urged. It was one thing to offend others, but offending a God Monarch... There was no one in the world that could possibly save him from the wrath of a God Monarch! But before he could finish his words, the young mans angry voice had already echoed in the room, Sh*t... Are God Monarchs that arrogant as to take away my people without my permission? Are they bandits without any pride and honor? Zhang Xuan was on the verge of blowing up from anger. Did the God Monarchs think that they could do as they please? That was his disciple! How could they take her away from him without even informing him? That was too shameless! Master! Hearing those words, Zhang Jia nearly burst into the tears. Didnt you emphasize again and again to me the importance of humility and low profile? Yet, you actually lost your temper and berated a God Monarch when your student has been taken away by thetter... Is this what you mean by humility and low profile? Even though it will be beneath the God Monarchs standing to settle the score with you, still... is it really alright for you to insult them so openly? While Zhang Jia was on the verge of fainting from shock, it saw the Young Master writing down Zheng Yangs name on the wall. Barely after his name was written down, another powerful aura suddenly burst from the wall once more. I am the Monarch Zhuoyang of the Sky of zing Sun. Zheng Yang has the aptitude for the cultivation techniques of our Sky of zing Sun, so Ill be taking him away with me. Screw you! How can you lot be so shameless? Zhang Xuan was on the verge of going insane. Getting a really bad feeling about this, he quickly wrote down Lu Chongs name on the wall as well. I am Demon Monarch Qiankun of the Sky of Drifting Spectre. Lu Chong has disyed an exceptional talent for the cultivation techniques of our Sky of Drifting Spectre, so Ill be taking him away with me... Zhang Xuan felt even more light-headed. He hurriedly wrote down the names of his other direct disciples too. I am Fairy Linglong of the Sky of Linglong. Wang Ying and Wei Ruyan fit my pte, so Ill be taking them away with me... I am the Cloud Dragon Monarch of the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Kong Shiyao and Liu Yang have caught my eye, so Ill be kiI mean taking them back with me... As Zhang Xuan went through the names of his disciples, the God Monarchs made their appearances one after another, each of them leaving some words behind. By the end of which, Wu Fangqing and the others were leftpletely dazed. Those middle-aged men who hade along to watch Zhang Xuans humiliating downfall hadnt expected things to turn out like that instead. The elusive God Monarchs actually appeared one after another, almost as if they were watching a street parade... One must know that they were the top existences of the world, and most people wouldnt even get to see them once in their entire lifetime! Yet, why the heck were they suddenly appearing all at once? Wasnt this a little too much? While swallowing mouthfuls of saliva, the middle-aged men looked at one another, and they could see the horror in each others eyes. How in the world did they find the courage to mock the young mans disciples earlier? Compared to the young mans disciples, their offspring were really nothing inparison! One must know that their offspring werent even talented enough to catch the eye of a Celestial God whereas the young mans disciples actually drew God Monarchs over to snatch them up as though housewives tussling with one another over a bargain sales... Thinking about it, it wasughable how they actually felt a sense of superiority over the other party a moment ago... They immediately turned to Zhang Xuan anxiously, hoping to cate him out of fear that he would exact vengeance on them in the future. However, what they saw was the young man pointing at the wall in agitation and bellowing, You bunch of shameless scoundrels! They are my disciples... My disciples!!! Everyone trembled even more intensely. None of them dared to speak a word at all. Insulting the God Monarchs... Was this fellow insane? Young Master... What happened to low profile? Zhang Jia tugged at Zhang Xuans robe as it begged with tears in its eyes. It thought that its master was a smart and reliable person, but in this very moment, it could almost see itself meeting its end at its masters recklessness... On the other hand, Wu Fangqing felt the world spinning around him. He was pinching himself so hard that his flesh was going to tear off, but he was so shocked that he couldnt feel a thing at all. After berating the God Monarchs for a while, Zhang Xuan finally calmed down a little. Looking at this from a rational standpoint, it was not necessarily a bad thing for the God Monarchs to take Zhao Ya and the others away. Given the limited resources he had on hand, it would be hard for Zhao Ya and the others to raise their cultivation swiftly if they were to follow him. As much as he hated to admit it, the God Monarchs could provide much better conditions for them. What about my parents and Sun Qiang? He had nurtured his direct disciples from young, nurturing and cleansing their bodies with his Heavens Path zhenqi. It was understandable why they would catch the eye of the God Monarchs. But when it came to Sun Qiang and his parents... They didnt build their foundation well, and their age was also on the higher side. It should be unlikely for them to catch the eyes of the God Monarchs... He quickly wrote his mothers name, Wang Mengya, down on the wall. I am an envoy from the Sky of Heavenly Sword. Ill be imparting Sun Qiang, Zhang Zhenxing, and Wang Mengya swordsmanship. Ill be sending them back to your side after their training isplete. This time around, a calm voice sounded from the wall. Even the secluded Sky of Heavenly Sword has sent an envoy over? Everyone was rendered speechless once more. Just like the Sky of Freedom, the Sky of Heavenly Sword was closed off from the rest of the Firmament, making it a mysterious existence to the rest of the world. As such, it was perplexing why it would join in the crowd this time around just to teach three Semi-Divinities swordsmanship. Of the fourteen people that Zhang Xuan had brought, eleven of them were taken away by the God Monarchs and the remaining three were going to learn swordsmanship from an envoy of the Sky of Heavenly Sword... Heavens, just what kind of fortuitous encounter was this... Alright then... Seeing that at least his parents and Sun Qiang hadnt taken away, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At least, they left some people for him so that he wasnt all alone. That being said, it would probably take some time for his parents and Sun Qiang to grasp the swordsmanship from the Sky of Heavenly Sword. Zhang Xuan would have never thought that the trip to the Celestial Mountain would end like that. Heaving a helpless sigh, he turned around, only to see everyone kneeling on the floor, looking at him with admiration gleaming in their eyes. He immediately recoiled in shock. It took him a while before he realized what they were up to. Given that his disciples hade under the tutge of the God Monarchs, it was clear how they should act around him in the future. Shaking his head, he said, I dont wish to be in the center of attention, so I hope that you can keep whatever you have seen here today a secret. He could already imagine the hassle that would ur if others were to learn of this matter. Perhaps, some might even view him as a threat and attempt to make a move on him! In the end, it was still wiser for him to maintain a low profile and continue life as it was. You dont like to be in the center of attention... The lips of the crowd twitched upon hearing such unbelievable words. Those words dont seem to hold much credibility after watching how you berated those God Monarchs without holding back at all... Even though that was what they were thinking on the inside, they were smart enough not to allow it to show on their faces. Nodding their heads obediently, they replied, We understand. Our lips are sealed. Lets head back out, Zhang Xuan replied before taking the lead out of the room. While walking back to the main hall, he turned to Wu Fangqing and asked, City Lord Wu, do you have any sword art manuals that I can browse through here? He knew that it would take some time for his parents and Sun Qiang to return, and there was no way he could leave without them too. So, he decided to settle this matter first. He was no longer fully reliant on the Library of Heavens Path for his cultivation techniques and battle techniques, but it was still important for him to acquire new knowledge so as to broaden his horizon. It would be foolish to not tap into the wisdom of the predecessors and attempt to do everything by himself. He would just be making things difficult for himself for no reason. Only with a vast base of knowledge would he be able to create more profound techniques, and that was the most sustainable way for him to continue growing stronger. Young Master Zhang Xuan, our n has plenty of books that you can refer to. Our n has quite a notable collection as well. Ill have my subordinates send some over this instant! I dare not say for other things, but our n is known for the diverse array of cultivation techniques on our shelves! Before Wu Fangqing could respond, the middle-aged men at the back had already volunteered their services subserviently. This was the perfect opportunity for them to suck up to the young man, so they were more than happy to do him this favor. Ill be troubling the rest of you then. Seeing how passionate this group of people were, Zhang Xuan epted their goodwill. They would probably live in fear if he didnt give them a chance to redeem themselves after all of the mockings they had done. Zhang Xuan first entered the City Lord Manors library, and it took him four hours to collect all of the books inside. Shortly after he was done, the middle-aged men returned with the full collection of books they had, so he quickly began browsing through those as well. It took him another six hours to clear everything. Most of the manuals in Twilight City were limited at high-tier God realm, and there was very little that covered the Celestial God realm. Nevertheless, it still gave him a much deeper understanding of the Firmament and the cultivation techniques that were practiced here. I reckon that my next realm will be regarding the ties between a teacher and his students... Zhang Xuan thought. After what he had gone through today, he found a new direction for the next level of his Pathos of Heaven. While he hadnt worked things out yet, with a concrete direction to work toward, it shouldnt take him too long to perfect the theory. Once everything was in ce, he should be able to be a Celestial God easily. Chapter 2136 - Anima of Yearning

Chapter 2136 Anima of Yearning

A day as my teacher, a lifetime as my father. Due to the culture of the Master Teacher Continent, he had a very firm view of what the rtionship between a teacher and his students should be. This was especially so after the time he had spent with Zhao Ya and the others. Even though they were not rted by blood, they were already closer than kin. Thinking about his students filled him with many different emotions, such as the worry for their safety, the sorrow of their parting, the delight at their achievements, the expectations for their future... These feelings filled his chest, and just like hard liquor, they were slowly maturing in his heart. Even though he had the ingredients in ce, creating and mastering a feasible cultivation technique was not something that could be done on the spur of a moment. So, instead of rushing right into it, he chose to broaden his understanding of the Firmament first. He immersed himself in his studies for an unknown period of time, till a voice in the distance suddenly called out to him. Young Master! Opening his eyes, he realized that Sun Qiang and the Xingmeng Sword Saints were already standing right in front of him. Not only had they already reached godhood, they had managed to advance their cultivation to the same level as him, high-tier God. Not only so, he could sense the sharpness of a sword from their very presence, creating an unfathomable aura around them. That swordsmanship... Zhang Xuan frowned. As someone who had created A Heart of Intertwined Threads, he was someone who had already found his own path in swordsmanship, creating a style that belonged to him and him alone. This was what sword practitioners termed as the level of transcendence. He could tell with a nce that the Sword Intent that the three of them had practiced was vastly different from before. For example, the swordsmanship that Sword Saint Xing had practiced previously tapped into the temporalws of the world. It was built upon the fusion of swiftness and slowness, a little simr to Taiji. However, after undergoing the swordsmanship training of the envoy from the Sky of Heavenly Sword, his Sword Intent felt more like a sealed fortress, embracing the concept of protect. While protect might have appeared to carry a simr meaning to defense, they were two vastly different concepts. Defense was about fending off all malicious intent that wasing at one, simr to what a tortoiseshell was to a tortoise. On the other hand, protect epassed the idea of counterattack as well. It was about using any means to eliminate the danger. Is this the swordsmanship of the Sky of Heavenly Sword? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. This is the swordsmanship imparted to us by an expert of the Sky of Heavenly Sword. You went through all sorts of hardships when you were younger, and we werent able to give you the love and protection that a parent should offer to their child. So, we swore we wont let any more harme to you, even at the expense of our lives, Sword Saint Meng said with a solemn nod. Having to put her child through the turmoil of having his bloodline stripped would always remain an unheble wound in the depths of her heart. She was determined to never let anything simr happen again. It just so happened that the conceptualization of the Sky of Heavenly Swords Sword Intent was aligned with her state of mind, thus allowing her swordsmanship to grow by leaps and bounds. In less than a day, not only did she manage to reach a new height in her mastery of swordsmanship, her cultivation had advanced greatly as well. Zhang Xuan turned to look at his father, and even though thetter remained silent, his eyes were unwavering like his mother. Last but not least, he turned to look at Sun Qiang, and thetter scratched his head awkwardly and exined, Well, Young Master, you are my backing and my greatest source of support. It goes without saying that I must ensure your safety, right? Or else, how am I to brag and show off before others? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan could not help but chuckle a little. While the level of swordsmanship of those three was not on par with him, it was heartening to see that they finally had the ability to protect themselves. Furthermore, he could tell that they were already on the verge of achieving a breakthrough to be Celestial Gods. With a Celestial God tamed beast and four high-tier Gods, not to mention that there was also the enigmatic little yellow chick, they had finally rued enough power for them to at least make a ce for themselves in the Firmament. City Lord Wu, may I know if you have heard of the Spirit God? Zhang Xuan asked. While he was browsing through the books earlier, he could not help but notice that there were no records regarding the Spirit God. However, based on what he had heard from Du Qingyuan, there was no doubt whatsoever that Luo Ruoxin was in the Firmament. Previously, due to hisck of strength, he had worried that asking too much could bring trouble to himself, so he had not dared inquire carelessly about this matter. However, now that they had all be high-tier Gods, they would be leaving Twilight City very soon. So, it was time for him to start gathering some news regarding Luo Ruoxin. The fact that she was able to traverse through the dimension barrier of the Firmament meant that she was likely a God King at the very least. Considering the limited number of God Kings in the Firmament, it should not be too difficult for him to acquire some news on her. While Mo Yuan might not know too much about the God Kings and God Monarchs of the world, as the head of Twilight City, Wu Fangqing was likely much more knowledgeable than him. Spirit God? Wu Fangqing contemted for a long while before shaking his head. Im afraid I have never heard of such a person. The Firmament is vast and boundless, and there are countless experts that roam thends. Inevitably, there are a lot of people I havent heard of. That being said, do you know what kind of unique abilities or battle techniques that the Spirit God you speak of specializes in? I think that would be a good ce for you to start your investigation from. There were simply too many aliases in the Firmament, and there were some people who went by multiple aliases as well. For example, most addressed God Monarch of the Sky of Drifting Specter as Demon Monarch Qiankun, but there were also those who addressed him as Demon Emperor Qiankun, and so on... Even though the alias Spirit God did not ring a bell with him, he should be able to deduce a thing or two based on what this Spirit God was capable of. Unique abilities... I guess it would be the use of rituals then. Shes able to perform spatial teleportation through the use of rituals, Zhang Xuan replied. When he met Luo Ruoxin on the Master Teacher Continent, most of the cultivation techniques and battle techniques that she disyed were those that were present on the Master Teacher Continent. As such, none of them could be considered her specialty. However, if one spoke about the feats that she had achieved so far, her ability to descend or ascend from world to world through the use of rituals was indubitably an extremely powerful ability. Through the books he had just read, he realized that not even Conferred God Kings were necessarily capable of such a feat. Spatial teleportation? Wu Fangqing frowned a little. The spatial teleportation you speak of should be referring to instantaneous movement through space, right? Thats a feat that only God Monarchs are able to pull off. So, I dont think that Im in a good position to talk too much about it... As for rituals, Im not too sure for the other eight Skies, but I do know that our Sky of Drifting Specter is particrly proficient in that. Most of the Celestial Gods and God Kings in Royal City are able to summon the souls of the dead through the use of rituals... The Sky of Drifting Specter specializes in rituals? Zhang Xuan was surprised. Indeed. In every major city of the Sky of Drifting Specter, there is something that we call the Netherworld Pool. Twilight City has one as well. It absorbs the Anima of Yearninging from those living in the city to regather the souls of heroic spirits. The process is extremely slow, but it is definitely doable, Wu Fangqing said. Absorbing the Anima of Yearning to regather the souls of heroic spirits? What is the Anima of Yearning, and how are the souls of heroic spirits regathered? Zhang Xuan was a little confused. Perhaps because this concerned the secrets of the Sky of Drifting Specters, there were no records about this in the books that he had read. On the other hand, knowing how esteemed the young man standing before him was, Wu Fangqing did not dare hide anything from him. To put it simply, the Anima of Yearning refers to ones desires and yearnings. For example, if a loved one passes away, its normal for a person to want to somehow reverse it all. This desire gives rise to the Anima of Yearning, which can be absorbed and umted in the Netherworld Pool. Over time, it nourishes the fragmented souls within the Netherworld Pool and bestows upon them consciousness. However, this is an extremely lengthy process, easily taking centuries, millenniums, and even dozens of millenniums. Ordinary humans wont live long enough to see to the end of the process. Once they pass away, the Anima of Yearning fueling the regathering of the fragmented soul wille to a halt as theres no one else who remembers such a person anymore. As such, even if ordinary cultivators were ced inside the Netherworld Pool, its impossible for them to be revived. However, its a different case for the kin of God Kings. God Kings have a much longer lifespan, allowing them to provide a constant supply of the Anima of Yearning to the Netherworld Pool, so more often than not, the person that they yearn are able to return back to the world. At the same time, for those who have made a meritorious contribution to the Sky of Drifting Specter, they will enjoy the privilege of having their ancestral tablet put up on altars after their death. Over time, the Anima of Yearning of those who pay respects to them will build up, allowing them to return to the world. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He did not expect the Sky of Drifting Specter to actually have such a side to it. Using the Anima of Yearning to reconstruct the souls of the dead... that was indeed a formidable feat. Sword Saint Meng could not help but ask, In other words, as long as a person who has died is remembered by the living, theres a good chance that they will be able to live an eternal life in the Netherworld Pool? I guess you could say so. Wu Fangqing nodded. As long as a person was remembered, they would constantly receive the Anima of Yearning, allowing them to remain alive in the Netherworld Pool. Of course, the amount of Anima of Yearning one received would also affect whether one was able to take form and regain consciousness. However, the key to it is that a ritual must be held for the possession of the deceased to be seeded in the Netherworld Pool. Otherwise, the Anima of Yearning will not help to regather that persons soul, Wu Fangqing exined. I see. Other than the Sky of Drifting Specter, do you know any other powers that specialize in rituals? Zhang Xuan asked on. I cant think of anything else on the spot. If you wish to know more about this, it would help if you made a trip over to Royal City. The people over there are better connected, so you should be able to find out what you need over there more easily... Oh right, your business partner, Qi Ling-er, is someone from Royal City. She should have some connections over there that can help you acquire news on what you need, Wu Fangqing said. Oh? Alright, I understand. Thanks for your help, Zhang Xuan replied. With his business at City Lord Manor done, he quickly returned to his residence and instructed Sun Qiang to send a message over to Qi Ling-er. In less than fifteen minutes, a seductivedy was already standing at the entrance of the residence. Young Master Zhang! Qi Ling-ers attitude was particrly respectful. Even though she had no idea which power Zhang Xuan was from, she knew very well that she would be courting death if that someone of her caliber dared oppose someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch. I need you to help me look into something. Have you ever heard of the Spirit God or Luo Ruoxin? Zhang Xuan asked. Qi Ling-er pondered for a moment before shaking her head in response. I dont think Ive heard of those names before. Then, do you have any connections that can help me look into this matter? Zhang Xuan asked. I can do that, but Ill have to return to Royal City first. Twilight City is simply too remote, so its hard to find out anything here, Qi Ling-er replied. If thats the case, Ill have to trouble Miss Qi to follow us to Royal City. May I know if you have time for that? Zhang Xuan asked. Even the strongest individual in Twilight City, Wu Fangqing, was only a low-tier Celestial God. If Zhang Xuan wanted to advance to greater heights and learn more about the Firmament, he would have to head to a higher tier city. However, the issue was that he did not have any connections in Royal City, which would make it terribly difficult for him to move around. Without a doubt, things would be much more convenient if he could tap into Qi Ling-ers connections. Hahaha! Since its you who has made this request, Young Master Zhang, I am more than delighted to be of assistance to you. Qi Ling-ers eyes lit up in excitement as she hurriedly nodded in response. She was just thinking of how she could get on good terms with this young man when this opportunity fell right into herp. Her shrewd mind was already calcting the benefits she would stand to gain from strong ties with someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch. So, she put on a slightly hesitant look and remarked worriedly, Its just that... Feel free to tell me if you need anything. I dont expect you do this favor for me for free, Zhang Xuan replied. He knew that Qi Ling-er was not a generous person. The only reason she had agreed to help him was because she expected to receive something in return. Im relieved to hear those words from you. Well, its actually not that big a matter, so lets discuss the matter further when we arrive at Royal City. Dont worry, I have no intention of forcing you to do something against your own will, Qi Ling-er said. Very well. Zhang Xuan nodded. If the other party was unwilling to speak, there was no need for him to force her into it. How far is Royal City away from here? How do we get there? Sun Qiang asked. The Royal City of the Sky of Drifting Specter is millions of li away from here. If we ride a divine beast there, the chances are that we wont reach our destination even after tiring ourselves to death. A more feasible way is to use the Teleportation Formations, and it just so happens that theres one in Twilight City, Qi Ling-er said with a smile. Teleportation Formation? Zhang Xuan frowned. There was actually such a thing in Twilight City? Why had he not heard anyone talking about it then? Chapter 2137 - 2137 Dusklight City 2137 Dusklight City Qi Ling-er nodded. Thats right. The ability of moving through space is modeled after the God Monarchs ability of instantaneous movement. It allows one to traverse millions of li instantly without any restraints. However, the Teleportation Formation is a facility that only the city lord and nobles are allowed to use. Itspletely off limits to ordinary cultivators. Its something that only the city lord is able to use? Zhang Xuan frowned. If that was really the case, the restrictions to use the Teleportation Formation would really be tight. It was no wonder most ordinary cultivators had not heard of it before. Thats right. Rather than to phrase it as a special privilege, its more like a condition to protect those who are being teleported. As you might have heard, the Firmament stands at the top of the myriad worlds, so the spatialws governing the Firmament are exceptionally powerful. Even Conferred God Kings have trouble trying to ovee them. For this reason, using the Teleportation Formation can create major spatial turbulence that poses great risk to the ones using it. Those who arent powerful enough will swiftly be torn to shreds, Qi Ling-er exined. The City Lord Token that each city lord has contains the Anima of Yearning of the entire city, allowing him to remain impervious to the dangers of the spatial turbulence. Anima of Yearning? Zhang Xuan repeated contemtively. That was the second time he had heard this term. The act of obeying thews set by the city lord is a symbol of subservience to the city lord. If something happens to the city lord, the entire city will descend into chaos, resulting in hardship for the popce. So, the desire for peace and stability contributes to the Anima of Yearning within the City Lord Token, protecting their wishes. Its for this reason that the newly ascended Heaven Subjugation Monarch is intent on acquiring the recognition of the Nine God Monarchs. This is because the recognition of the Nine God Monarchs represents the acknowledgement of all life forms within their jurisdiction, thus allowing him to gather more Anima of Yearning, Qi Ling-er exined. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It would appear that the so-called Anima of Yearning was an extremely powerful and important force in the Firmament. He was convinced that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was Kong shi, and based on what he knew about the Worlds Teacher, thetter was a person who was devoted to the betterment of the world. In contrast, thetter viewed fame and honor with little importance. So, the very act of him forcing the Nine God Monarchs to acknowledge him was out of character, and it had left Zhang Xuan perplexed for quite some time. However, it seemed like this was the reason behind it. The very act of recognition from others would allow him to obtain the Anima of Yearning, allowing him to further his goals. So, if I wish to head to Royal City or anywhere else within the Firmament without any impediment, I need to acquire the identity of a city lord? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats right, Qi Ling-er replied with a smile. Thats simple. Ill head to the City Lord Manor right now with Little Jia to slit Wu Fangqings throat, Sun Qiang said. Funnily enough, after the first quarrel they had with one another, Sun Qiang and the Phosphor Armored Beast had swiftly gotten closer with one another, and they had be gossiping buddies. Even if Wu Fangqing had a low-tier Celestial God artifact, he would still have trouble trying to deal with the Phosphor Armored Beast. But in response to Sun Qiangs proposal, Zhang Xuan shook his head and rejected it. Wu Fangqing had not done anything to him, so it was not right for him to kill the other party just to im his position. Theres no need to go that far. Even though the Firmament seems to be quite peaceful on the surface, there are actually battles going on everywhere. There are quite a few cities that are without a city lord at the moment, Qi Linger replied. Putting everything aside, I am actually a city lord as well. The territory I rule pales much inparison to Twilight City, but still, the Anima of Yearning I receive in my City Lord Token is enough for me to use the Teleportation Formation. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. It appeared that there were many ways to circumvent the rules in the Firmament. It was a huge relief to hear that he did not need to resort to violence in order to acquire a City Lord Token. Just for the privilege of using the Teleportation Token, it was definitely worth the hassle for him to be a city lord. It was not as if he had not had his fair share of notable positions on his way here, be it a principal, a n head, or a sect leader... Taking on another city lord position should not be a problem at all! So, he turned to Qi Ling-er and asked, Are there any cities nearby that are without a city lord at the moment? Dusklight City, which is around a days journey away from here, doesnt have a city lord yet. The local powers have been fighting for the spot for the past half a year, but no one has been able to gain a decisive advantage over the others so far, Qi Ling-er said with a smile. Her informationwork as the underground ck market boss was still rather impressive. However, that city is muchrger than Twilight City, governing three provinces. The strongest expert there has also reached middle-tier Celestial God. If even an expert of that caliber hasnt managed to be the city lord yet, the difficulty in trying to do so is bound to be very high. There are three provinces under Dusklight City? Do those province lords have tokens that would allow them to use the Teleportation Formation? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course! Young Master Zhang, it is in view of your circumstances that I am rmending Dusklight City! Qi Linger replied. She knew that Zhang Xuan would likely want to take the three people beside him around, and it was for that reason that he was rmending Dusklight City. Otherwise, she could have just rmended any minor city. There was no need to go for a ce that was as difficult as Dusklight City. Thats perfect. If there arent any other issues, lets set off right away, Zhang Xuan said. Ah, pardon me, Young Master Zhang, but I need to make some preparations first. Why dont we leave here in four hours? Qi Ling-er said. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Qi Ling-er was extremely efficient in her work. Even though she asked for four hours, she was already back in the courtyard within three. Furthermore, she brought several massive aerial divine beasts along for everyone to ride on. Stepping onto the back of the divine beasts, they swiftly made their way toward Dusklight City. They have left? Hearing that Zhang Xuan had left, Wu Fangqings face crumbled in disappointment. He had hoped to forge close ties with Zhang Xuan over the next few days to get something good in return. He did not think that thetter would leave so quickly. City Lord Wu, Young Master Zhang told me to pass this to you as a gift in return for all your help, Ying Fei said. Is that so? Wu Fangqing remarked with a perplexed frown as he received the jade token that Ying Fei was passing him. He ced his finger on it and infused his divine energy in, and the next moment, his eyes widened in astonishment. T-this ... Recorded in the jade token were all the ws in his cultivation, as well as the ways to resolve them. As long as he cultivated ording to what was written there, he would be able to resolve the traumas in his cultivation and possibly achieve a breakthrough to high-tier Celestial God in the future! But how did he know? Wu Fangqing was stunned. It had only been a day since he met Zhang Xuan, and he had never mentioned anything rting to his cultivation or the sort before. Furthermore, the content on the jade token contained many things that he had neglected as well. Just how did the young man manage to see through all that and even formte ways to resolve the issues? A long timeter, Wu Fangqing shook his head and remarked with a deep sigh, Its not without reason that he possesses the bloodline of a God Monarch! Perhaps it was meaningless to try to applymon sense to someone who had already transcended hisprehension. It was arrogance in itself to im to understand the powers of the God Monarchs. Zhang Xuans departure did not cause any visible changes to Twilight City. After all, he had been keeping a low profile ever since he arrived there, so there were not too many people who knew him. After flying for roughly a day, a massive city finally appeared before Zhang Xuans sight. In terms of width, it was three to four timesrger than that of Twilight City. On the streets between tall buildings, there were many people milling about. From the moment the divine beastnded on the ground and the group entered the city, Zhang Xuan could not help but frown at just how packed the streets were. It was as if he was trying to squeeze through a horde of locusts. Seeing right through Zhang Xuans thoughts, Qi Ling-er exined, Ever since the receding of the spiritual energy, the area of habitable locations in the Firmament has decreased rapidly, forcing most people to move into cities. As a result, it has led to overpoption. Any man who has a house of forty square meters here can already be considered rich and will have many girls leaping at him. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. This was rather simr to the capitals in his previous world. Most people were frantic to squeeze into where the heart of the economy was, resulting in a scarily high poption density. Houses had to be built higher and higher in order to keep up with the demand. At the same time, the prices of housing shot up insanely, reaching a level that was unaffordable for ordinary people. That was the same for the Firmament. It was simply impossible to make a living outside of cities anymore, so everyone could only enter cities and hope for the best. Where do we go topete for the seat of the city lord? Zhang Xuan asked. It isnt due to theck of eligible candidates that the Dusklight City hasnt been able to decide on a city lord thus far. Rather, it is due to the intense oppositioning from the political rivalry among different factions, Qi Ling-er exined. All in all, there are three strong contenders for the city lord position. They are namely a scion that specializes in saber arts, Lin Xie; an unaffiliated cultivator who specializes in swordsmanship, Wu Yang; and a youngdy who goes by the name of Ming Laixiang. The former two are middle-tier Celestial Gods, and both possess exceptional fighting prowess. Thest one, Ming Laixiang, is only a low-tier Celestial God, but it would be foolish to underestimate her due to her lower cultivation. ording to the rumors, shes the most fearsome of the three! Ming Laixiang... Zhang Xuan jotted down that persons name mentally. To be able to be a contender for such a massive city, there was no way this Ming Laixiang would be an ordinary person. There arent anyplicated procedures that you have to go through in order to be a city lord. Technically speaking, all you have to do is defeat the three of them and make them acknowledge you from the bottom of their hearts, and the city lord position will be yours to take, Qi Ling-er said. So, Young Master Zhang, who should we challenge first? In the past, one would have to clear a whole string of administrative processes and receive the approval of the Netherworld Hall before one could run as a contender to be a city lord, which effectively meant that one would have to make an application several months in advance. However, the receding of spiritual energy had resulted in a major change in the state of affairs in the Firmament. It was inevitable that processes had to undergo a paradigm shift in order to cater to the needs of the changing environment. The current era was an era of scarcity, which made it inevitable that people would have topete over the limited resources. In the cities, where most of the people and resources were concentrated, there was bound to be significant infighting and chaos. As such, it was imperative that the city lord possessed absolute strength in order to enforce order and security. Only a person who could keep everyone within the city under their rule was qualified to receive the mandate of the Sky of Drifting Specters. Zhang Xuan pondered for a brief moment before asking, Before that, do you know where I can get some middle-tier God Essence Pills? Ill need to gather some before challenging them. Middle-tier God Essence Pills? Qi Ling-er did not think that Zhang Xuan would suddenly request for this. She pointed to a massive building in the distance and said, It should be possible to get some in that market over there, but Im not sure if they will sell any to you without any connections. As you know, the God Essence Pills are highly sought after resources... Wait a minute, I think I know a ce where we can procure them in high quantities, but it might not be easy to negotiate with that person... Oh? Zhang Xuan looked at her. Tell me more. Hes an unaffiliated cultivator in Dusklight City, and if Im not wrong, he seems to be in his sixties. His cultivation isnt too high, being only a high-tier God, but he specializes in pill forging. Its just that he usually keeps the pills he forges for his own consumption. At the same time, hes also a dedicated chess fan. He looks for people to y with him every day, and its rumored that his skills are excellent. He once dered that he would give a middle-tier God Essence pill to anyone who is able to beat him once. But even after so many years, no one has seeded, Qi Ling-er said. If his cultivation isnt too high, hasnt anyone thought of stealing from him before? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. In the first ce, it was weird that a high-tier God was in possession of a middle-tier God Essence Pill. Was he not afraid that someone would attempt to steal from him? In the other cities, perhaps the cultivators might still hold back a little out of fear of crossing their city lord, but Dusklight City was a ce that did not have a city lord at the moment. As such, it was not too hard to imagine that the rules would be all over the ce. Even though his cultivation is weak, he has a particrly formidable younger brother. ording to the rumors, his younger brother is a God King in Royal City, and his younger brother has given him a jade token to protect him in times of danger. There were two low-tier Celestial Gods who once attempted to assassinate him to im his fortune for themselves, but they ended up dying from the aura emanated by the jade token. Ever since then, no one has dared make a move on him, Qi Ling-er exined. Chapter 2138 - 2138 Three Bearded Cultivator 2138 Three Bearded Cultivator God King? Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Having read many books, he had gained a preliminary understanding of what God Kings were capable of. Most God Monarchs rarely appeared in public, so hardly anyone had seen them before. On top of that, most of them had washed their hands of secr affairs, meaning that it was the Conferred God Kings who wielded true authority. Of the Nine Skies, there were only roughly thirty Conferred God Kings in total, averaging out to around three of them per Sky. Directly beneath them were the God Kings, and there were around a hundred of them in the Firmament in total, which meant that there were only ten of them per Sky. In other words, someone who could reach the level of a God King could already be considered one of the thirteen strongest experts within their own territory, making them a true powerhouse of the Firmament! Given that even high-tier Celestial Gods were no match for such experts, there was no way a low-tier Celestial God would stand a chance. It would only take a mere thought from a God King for a low-tier Celestial God to be utterly obliterated. It was true that middle-tier God Essence Pills were valuable, but most Celestial Gods would probably value their lives more than that. No one really knows what his name is, so most people identify him by the three strands of snowy beard hanging from his chin. As such, people call him the Three Bearded Cultivator. He lives in the west of the city, not too far from here. If you really wish to look for him, I can take you there! Qi Ling-er said. Even though the influence she wielded in Dusklight City was severely limited, her intelligencework was still quite reliable. Lets go then! Zhang Xuan said. If the other contenders were only low-tier Celestial Gods, he would still stand a chance with his current level of cultivation. Unfortunately, his rivals included middle-tier Celestial Gods, and he was not too confident of dealing with them as a high-tier God. The reason he had stopped cultivating previously was because low-tier God Essence Pills were no longer useful to him. So, his current priority was to find even more potent cultivation resources and raise his cultivation. The ce where the Three Bearded Cultivator resided was not too far away. It took only an hours walk before they arrived at a rtively humble-looking straw hut. It seemed extremely out of ce against the towering buildings beside it. In the capital, where every inch ofnd cost a fortune, to be able to own such arge plot ofnd to build this straw cottage meant that he was a person who had his means. Most of those who wanted to steal from him would probably think twice after witnessing such extravagance. Before even entering the straw cottage, they could already hear a voice sounding from within. Elder, your skills in chess are extraordinary. I am really no match for you. You made a few bad moves over the course of the game, but looking at it overall, you arent too bad yourself. Work hard and learn well, and theres a chance you might surpass me in the future... The voice of an old man echoed from within. Elder, thank you for your pointers! Jiya! The doors to the straw cottage opened, and an exquisitely-dressed young man walked out with a frustrated look on his face. A subordinate followed closely behind him as they walked past Zhang Xuans side and disappeared amid the alleys of Dusklight City. Due to the Three Bearded Cultivators superior skills in chess, there are quite a few challengers who drop by his straw cottage every day. That young man should be one of them, Qi Ling-er exined with a smile. Then, she walked up to the straw cottage and announced loudly, Qi Ling-er from Royal Citys Qi n is here to pay a visit to Elder Three Bearded Cultivator. I hope that youll spare us some of your time! I dont care whether you are from the Qi n or the Ba n, and I have no interest in meeting you. Ill have to ask you to leave, the old man replied from within. Elder, I have no intention of using the Qi ns influence to force you into anything. I am sincerely paying you a visit in hopes that you can ede to our request. At the very least, I hope that you can hear us out... Qi Ling-er added. Had it been anyone else, the reputation of the Royal Citys Qi n would have surely made them scramble out hurriedly, fearing that they would offend her. Yet, the Three Bearded Cultivator did not seem to be afraid of offending her at all. The rumors about his entricity were indeed true. But that being said, even though the Qi n was formidable, its influence was mainly centered within the Royal City. Besides, they could not possibly make things difficult for someone just because the other party had turned them down. That would be petty and narrow-minded. I am nothing more than a carefree old man. I dont think that theres anything I can help you with, so lets not waste each others time, alright? The old man inside the straw cottage did not seem to be willing to get involved with the Qi n. A slight displeased frown appeared on Qi Ling-ers face. She was just about to step forward and continue speaking when Zhang Xuan stopped her with a raise of his hand. Then, he turned to the straw cottage and said, Elder, I am Zhang Xuan, an unaffiliated cultivator. I have studied chess quite a bit myself, and Im interested in having a match with you. You are interested in having a match with me? The old man seemed to be a little moved, but eventually, he said, I have already yed three matches today. Return tomorrow instead. Three matches? You might have heard that I am a fanatic chess yer, but in order to prevent my hobby from getting in the way of other matters, I restrict myself to ying just three days every day. I yed my third match of the day with that young man from earlier, so Ill have to ask you to return tomorrow if you wish to have a game with me, the old man replied. Im afraid that Im in a rush for time, so I might have to leave Dusklight City today... Zhang Xuan shook his head. Leave if you must. What does that have to do with me? The old man harrumphed impatiently. Elder, why dont you at least hear me out first? Since we are having a match, theres bound to be a victor. Since thats the case, why dont we have a bet then? Zhang Xuan said calmly. To be frank with you, Im quite proud of my chess skills. I have wandered the world in search of someone who could be a match for me, but its unfortunate that I havent found a worthy opponent yet. If you are able to defeat me, Ill ede to any request you have. As long as it doesnt go against my principles, Ill do anything you want. On the other hand, if I were to defeat you, Ill ask you to ede a request of mine too... How does that sound? Oh? Are you sure about that? the old man asked doubtfully. He did not think that the young man would speak so proudly. Of course! Zhang Xuan replied proudly. Since thats the case, I want that tamed beast behind you! the old man said. Even though the young man had note in yet, he had already identified the young man standing right behind Zhang XuanZhang Jia. If not for that, he would have turned down Zhang Xuans request right away. Pardon me, but even though Zhang Jia is my tamed beast, I view him as a brother and a friend. Its against my principles to use my friends as a bet. Ill have to ask you to request something else, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Master... Zhang Jias eyes reddened in agitation. For a moment there, it had thought that its master would ept the bet without any hesitation. After all, tamed beasts were often viewed as lesser beings in the Firmament. It did not expect to hear such words from Zhang Xuan. To think that its master had viewed it as its friend and brother... Just from this sentiment alone, it would not hesitate to brave through danger for him in the future. Oh? The old man also did not expect to hear such an answer from Zhang Xuan either. If thats the case, theres nothing you have that I want. I dont think that theres any need for me to make such a bet with you. You feel that I dont have anything you want? Pardon me, but I beg to differ. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a silhouette materialized in midair. The silhouette was standing right before a cauldron, forging a pill. His fingers flew around the ce with elegant dexterity, precisely controlling the environment within the cauldron. Elder, I heard that you are rather skilled in pill forging as well. Im curious to know if this pill forging technique of mine is enough to catch your attention... With a snap of his finger, the silhouette vanished into thin air. That pill forging technique of yours... the old man eximed in wonderment. Other cultivators might not have been able to see anything special from the earlier silhouette, but as a skilled apothecary, he could tell that the movements were part of an extremely ingenious pill forging technique. In fact, it was far superior to what he used! A momentter, the old mans voice sounded once more. Come in. At the same time, the doors to the straw cottage opened. Jiya! An old servant stepped forward and gestured for Zhang Xuan to enter. With a smile, Zhang Xuan walked in without any hesitation, and Qi Ling-er and the others quickly followed him. Based on the books that he had read, Zhang Xuan had found that the pill forging techniques used in the Firmament were quite simr to those on the Master Teacher Continent. In other words, the knowledge that he had learned back on the Master Teacher Continent was applicable here as well, making him a top-notch theoretical apothecary here. The pill forging technique that he had disyed was just the tip of the iceberg of what he was capable of. The courtyard of the straw cottage was not toorge. At the center of the courtyard, an old man was seated right before a stone table. This old man had three strands of beard that flowed with the wind, giving him the look of an enlightened hermit. Lets start! Without even raising his head, the old man picked up his chess piece and stared intently at the chessboard. He did not bother mentioning the bet that they had spoken about earlier or the pill forging technique that Zhang Xuan had disyed. With a smile, Zhang Xuan walked up to the stone table, but just as he was about to sit down, he saw the chess set on the stone table and frowned. When he heard the word chess, he had immediately assumed that it would be the same as the one he yed back on the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, who could have known that he would be faced with a chess set that hepletely could not recognize at all? He had read a lot of books regarding the chess of the Master Teacher Continent, and his skills are more than enough to make him a grandmaster among grandmasters. However, a different chess set meant different rules and different ying styles. How could he win in a game that he did not even know the rules of? The heck! Since they were two different games, they should have used different names for them! How misleading! Seeing how the young man was not sitting down at all, the old man finally raised his head and asked with a frown, Whats wrong? Elder, can you please spare me a moment? To me, chess is not just a hobby but a sacred ritual. I view every chess match with great respect, so I tend to take some time to condition my state of mind and prepare myself, Zhang Xuan said without the slightest hint of embarrassment on his face. Hearing those words, the old mans eyes lit up with a slight hint of approval. Only the truly skilled chess yers would understand the sheer depths of the game and carry more respect for it. Despite the young age of the person before him, it was respectable how the other party was able to take what others viewed as a mere game so seriously. With a polite smile, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His calm yet concentrated demeanor really made him look no different from a true grandmaster. But the truth was that he was desperately sending telepathic messages to Qi Ling-er and Zhang Jia. Do either of you know the rules of chess? Eh? Qi Ling-er and Zhang Jia were shocked. Did they not just hear with their own ears how the young man boasted about his chess skills? After all that had happened, it turned out that he did not even know the rules! Bro, isnt it toote for you to start asking us for the rules now? This was especially so for Zhang Jia. It was so bbergasted that it nearly froze up into a statue. When its master spoke about how unrivaled he was in the art of chess, it had really thought that its master was such a multi-talented person who could do everything under the sun. Words could not even express how speechless it was when its master asked if it knew the rules of the game! Surely you cant be thinking that you can defeat a true chess grandmaster just by learning the rules? Even though it was a divine beast, it had learned the game back in the days when it was walking through the streets of Twilight City disguised as a human. Sometimes, when it got too bored in the cavern, it would also study the game a little out of curiosity. The chess that the Three Bearded Cultivator yed was officially known as the Chess of Goddess Luo in the Firmament. It was much moreplicated than Go. The rules of the game were simple, but the sheer number of possible scenarios made it extremely difficult to master the game. It was very testing of ones flexibility in thoughts and intelligence. There were some people who immersed themselves into it their entire lifetime, only to achieve very little. In fact, there were a lot of God Kings who were fans of the game yet yed average. The fact that the old man was able to defeat all the experts within the city showed that he was a true grandmaster in the game. Zhang Jia thought that it was nothing more than recklessness for its master to challenge him and make such a huge bet when he did not even know the rules. Can we please stop living life on the edge? I feel like my heart will just pop like a balloon one of these days... After a moment of speechlessness, Qi Ling-er finally started answering Zhang Xuans question. The rules of the game are ... It did not take her long to run through all the rules. The essence of the gamey not in theplexity of the rules but the ability to foresee the enemys moves. If both yers were able to read many steps in advance, it would be a true fight of wits, creating a sight of ingenuity that could nearly be called an art form. Those who could not even do that much would just end up being destroyed like ants standing before a giant. I see! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the full set of rules. It was fortunate that the rules were not tooplicated. Otherwise, it might really be troublesome if he had to slowly grasp the rules in the midst of the game. The old man noticed that Zhang Xuan had finally opened his eyes, so he asked, Can we begin now? Chapter 2139 - 2139 The Game 2139 The Game Of course! Zhang Xuan nodded as he took a seat. He picked up a chess piece with his left hand and gestured to the chessboard with his right. Please! Without saying a word, the Three Bearded Cultivator picked up a chess piece and ced it on the board. With a faint smile on his lips, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heavens Path, where a book had just been materialized. Written on the book was the description of the chessboard, as well the ws of each and every position on the chessboard. Each position on the chessboard had some ws, some more than others. There was only one position that did not have any ws. It indeed works, Zhang Xuan thought in delight. After learning the rules, he hadpiled the knowledge that he knew together with the chessboard before him, and through that, he was able to uncover the ws of each and every move in the game. As long as he followed the impable calctions of the Library of Heavens Path, he should be able to achieve a decent oue. That move... seems to be very steady. Zhang Jia and Qi Ling-er anxiously looked at the move that Zhang Xuan made before heaving a sigh of relief each. To be honest, they had already tossed aside all hope of winning after being asked for the rules a moment ago. All they hoped was that Zhang Xuan would not embarrass them too much. Even though each yer had only made a single move so far, they were very conventional moves that conformed to the usual starting formations. There were no hints that one of the yers was actually a newbie yet. Hu hu hu! The first few moves consisted mainly of setting up ones formation on the board, so there was no need to think too deeply yet. Experience was more than enough to determine where one should move. The Three Bearded Cultivator swiftly ced chess pieces down one after another, and Zhang Xuan followed suit. It was as if they were ying solely on instinct, barely needing any time to think. Within five minutes, they had already made thirty moves each. This... Upon catching a closer look at the circumstances on the chessboard, Zhang Jia and Qi Ling-er were a little taken aback. Zhang Xuans moves so far had been simple and conventional, simr to how an amateur yer would y. There were no particrlyplex ploys or traps to bait and catch the opponent. Yet, it was this simplistic ying that proved to be a huge pain in the ass to deal with. Every single move he made seemed to be impably calcted to achieve the greatest gains and minimize losses, so the opponents chess ended up being tightly sealed within his pieces, unable to struggle free at all. As the person facing off with Zhang Xuan, the Three Bearded Cultivator waspletely dumbfounded. How can there be no openings at all? Even though it had not been too long since the game had started, he could say with certainty that this was one of the most frustrating games he had ever yed. There were no terrific ns or incredible strategies at y at all. All that was happening was the other party calcting everything that was happening with precise uracy and curbing every single move he was making. If they were topare it to a battlefield, where they weremanders leading their troops to battle, it would be that his formations and strategies had beenpletely seen through. No matter what he attempted to do, he would be blockaded in advance. Just like that, he and his troops were slowly being strangled to death... And the worst part was that despite having seen through it all, he waspletely helpless to do anything! Cold sweat began dripping down his back. He swiftly switched from one advanced ying style to the next, attempting to pull off all sorts of ingenious moves that he had encountered over the years. Against any other opponent, the abrupt change in ying styles would have surely thrown the other party off, leaving him befuddled. Yet, the young man simply continued to put down his pieces one after another without any thought. It was almost as if he was ying with a moving puppet instead of a living human! Often, he would think that the young mans moves were poorly thought out and inconsequential in the game. Yet, three movester, it would suddenly dawn on him just how ingeniously the young man had positioned his piece in order to corner him. It felt as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. He could neither swallow nor spit it out, stifling him so. This is impossible... The old man began to knock his finger against the stone table impatiently. He had absolute confidence in his chess skills. He was unmatched in Dusklight City, and even in Royal City, there were no more than a handful people who could put up a fight against him! Even if those famed grandmasters were able to defeat him, most of them would take at least a hundred moves. He had only yed forty moves against the young man so far, but he was already cornered so badly. He had never imagined that a day woulde where he would be rendered so helpless in a match. But what left him even more despaired was that he could not even visualize a way in which he could win the match. The opponent he was facing showed no openings. Every single move that he made only served to push him closer to the edge of the cliff, leaving him no chance at all. Wiping away the sweat on his head, he continued making a few more moves. Just like before, Zhang Xuan continued putting down pieces without much thought. Soon, the moves of the Three Bearded Cultivator got slower and slower. He was taking more and more time to think his moves through. This wont work...That wont work either. ?? Holding the piece in his hand, he was starting to hesitate. He had no idea where he should put his pieces anymore. The Young Masters chess skills... Even though Zhang Jia was not too proficient in the game, it could also tell that something was amiss. It snuck a nce at Qi Ling-er, only to see thetter with her eyes bulging out. It had thought that the Young Master would perform badly because he had only learned the rules a moment ago, but it seemed like it had underestimated the Young Masters capabilities. Every move that he had made seemed to have been revised innumerable times, ensuring that there werepletely no ws that the opponent could exploit. Despite the Three Bearded Cultivators high level of mastery in the game, he still ended up being ced in a vulnerable position. Did he really just learn the game a moment ago? Qi Ling-ers eyelids fluttered up and down as she stared at the sight before her with a look of disbelief. As a divine beast, Zhang Jias ability to read the chess game wascking. On the other hand, as someone who hade out of a prestigious n, even though she was not too interested in chess, she was still rather familiar with it. The Three Bearded Cultivator was sufficiently skilled to stand his ground even against the chess experts of the Qi n, but he was actually unable to do a thing about the young man before him at all... To put it bluntly, the Three Bearded Cultivator was getting wrecked. It was obvious that he was not a match. But... did Zhang Xuan not just learn the rules a moment ago? Was it really possible for someone to be so formidable ying the game for the first time? The chess piece in the Three Bearded Cultivators hand nevernded on the chessboard. He tossed it aside casually and shook his head bitterly. Ive lost... He had no choice but to admit defeat. All his paths had been sealed, and the young man had not left the slightest gap for him to exploit at all. He would only be humiliated further if he continued the game. Thank you for going easy on me. Actually, I have also just learned the game, so I havent fully understood most of the rules yet, Zhang Xuan replied with a sp of his fist. To be honest, he had no idea what he was doing. He only followed the most perfect moves based on the Library of Heavens Path, cing his chess pieces one after another based on that. And before he knew it... his opponent had already admitted defeat! Because he had won so easily, he could not help but think that the other party had actually gone easy on him. Going easy on you? The Three Bearded Cultivator thought that Zhang Xuan was only saying those words out of humility. His face reddened, and he said, Friend, you are really embarrassing me by saying those words. In truth, I already knew that Id lost this match by the tenth move. What happened afterward was nothing more than a desperate struggle for survival. Given how tragically Ive lost, you should just spare me those words. If someone of your caliber hasnt fully understood the rules yet, I really dont know what I should make of myself... If he had only lost by the difference of a piece or two, it would be understandable if Zhang Xuan had said that he had gone easy on him. However, it was clear that they were not even on the same level at all. It was as if he was a low-tier God facing a Conferred God King! Even words of humility should be reasonable! Anything beyond that would just be humblebragging... You are too polite, Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly. Alright, since I have admitted my loss, you can feel free to speak of any request you have for me! the Three Bearded Cultivator said with a wave of his hand. Elder, I wish to purchase the middle-tier God Essence Pills that you have. I hope that you can sell them to me, Zhang Xuan replied. You only want to buy middle-tier God Essence Pills from me? The Three Bearded Cultivator was slightly taken aback. Considering how the young man had gone all the way there with an offspring of the Qi n, he had expected the young man to have an even more difficult request for him. Who could have thought that it would be something as simple as this? While middle-tier God Essence Pills were not readily avable on the market for ordinary cultivators, those who had some connections in Dusklight City would still be able to acquire them with ease. Most wealthy merchants and ns would have a sizeable stockpile of them. Did this grandmaster chess yer really challenge him for the sake of something as minor as this? Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Theres no need for you to buy them. Ill give you all thirty middle-tier God Essence Pills I have with me. With a flick of his wrist, the Three Bearded Cultivator passed three bottles over without any hesitation. You are giving them to me? How can ept such a valuable present? Zhang Xuan quickly waved his hands in rejection. He had looked into the price of middle-tier God Essence Pills previously, and it seemed like they were a hundred times more valuable than low-tier God Essence Pills. Furthermore, it was amodity that was not readily avable on the market. As such, he did not think that it was right for him to ept such a valuable gift so easily. I forged them myself, and they arent as expensive as you think. If you really feel bad about that, why dont you have a few more games with me? the Three Bearded Cultivator said. I would be more than willing to apany you for a few more matches. Its just that... elder, didnt you mention earlier that you have sworn to only y three matches each day? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Thats only because I have not met a worthy rival yet. Against a grandmaster of your caliber, even thirty matches wont be enough! the Three Bearded Cultivator replied with a chuckle. Zhang Xuan smiled as well. It was nothing much for him to y a few more rounds with the old man in repayment of so many middle-tier God Essence Pills. All he needed to do was follow the sequencing of the Library of Heavens Path anyway. There was no need for him to use his head. They quickly cleared the chessboard and started on another game. Five minutester, the Three Bearded Cultivators face flushed red, and he eximed, One more round! Four more minutester: One more! Three more minutester: Again... One more minuteter: Alright, I admit defeat... After losing so many rounds at once, the Three Bearded Cultivator was starting to doubt his own life. He had thought that luck yed a part in allowing the young man to y the pieces in the way he did before, but who could have known that no matter how he started the game and no matter what ying style he used, he would still end up bumping into a wall? There waspletely no room for him to squeeze in a victory. There arent too many people in the world who will be able to ovee that ying style of yours. You can easily participate in chess tournaments to earn rewards... The Three Bearded Cultivator looked at Zhang Xuan with eyes gleaming with expectations. I have no ns of joining those at the moment! Zhang Xuan replied. In his mind, he was just an outsider in chess who relied on the Library of Heavens Path to win. He did not think that he was qualified to join those sorts of tournaments yet. Thats such a pity... Seeing that the young man had no thoughts of developing in such a direction, the Three Bearded Cultivator shook his head regretfully. Zhang Xuan quickly bade the Three Bearded Cultivator farewell, and the group headed back to the streets. Qi Ling-er shot a nce over and asked, Shall we find a quiet ce to assimte the God Essence Pills first? She could tell that the reason Zhang Xuan wanted the middle-tier God Essence Pills was to advance his cultivation, and since that was the case, the next thing he would want to do was find a quiet ce to cultivate. Theres no need for that, Zhang Xuan replied. This response left Qi Ling-er bewildered. What did that mean? Did he have some other reason for gathering these pills instead of using them to advance his cultivation? Just as she was perplexed as to what the young man was up to, she saw thetter taking out the thirty middle-tier pills that he had just received and popping them one by one into his mouth, almost as if eating candy. Her eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Middle-tier God Essence Pills were potent medicine even for Celestial Gods. Ordinary high-tier Gods would need at least a month of cultivation in order to y assimte the energy contained within. Yet, this fellow was eating the^ if they were candies. Was he not afraid that his body would blow up and explode? However, the swift growth in Zhang Xuans aura answered her question. High-tier God primary stage! High-tier God intermediate stage! High-tier God advanced stage! High-tier God pinnacle! In less than two breaths, he had already advanced three cultivation stages, leaving him one step away from bing a Celestial God. Qi Ling-er shuddered in frenzy. As someone from a distinguished n, she had seen plenty of geniuses and experts... But for someone to eat pills so casually and make breakthroughs so easily... This was definitely the first time that she had seen something like that! It was as if he was not human! Was the bloodline of a God Monarch really so frightening? Chapter 2140 - Ming Laixiang

Chapter 2140 Ming Laixiang

Zhang Jia also fell into a daze. Only at this moment did it realize that when the Young Master said that he cultivated slow, he was not trying to brag. His normal rate of cultivation was really that fast! Most cultivators would first have to condition their state and revise their cultivation technique before attempting to knock down their bottlenecks, but this young man did not have to do all of that at all. As and when he liked, he could simply channel his energy to make a breakthrough. At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly said, Little Jia,e here and strike me with your fist! Knowing that the Young Master wanted to test his newfound strength after his breakthrough, Zhang Jia stepped forward and said, Alright. It just happened that it was curious to see how powerful its master was at the moment as well. Over the past day since it had be a Celestial God, it had not been cking off. It had been practicing the cultivation technique that its master had imparted to it, and that had allowed it to resolve most of the traumas and ws in its cultivation. Even though it had only been a single day, Zhang Jia felt like it had improved more than it did over the past ten years. Hu! A massive fist flew over with a powerful gust of wind, carrying the deafening explosion of a sonic boom. This sight made Qi Ling-er narrow her eyes in shock. She could tell that the Phosphor Armored Beast had sessfully be a Celestial God, but she did not think that it would be so powerful. After all, it had just ovee its bottleneck, so it would probably take some time for it to adapt to its newfound powers. However, the strength it was disying had far surpassed her expectations. With its tremendous strength and invincible defense, putting aside a low-tier Celestial God, it would be able to stand its ground even against a middle- tier Celestial God! She could not imagine how the high-tier God pinnacle Zhang Xuan would be able to endure such a devastating punch. Looking at the situation worriedly, she saw the young man calmly raising his hand before flicking it outward. Peng! Zhang Jia was immediately sent flying, and he mmed right through the trunk of a massive tree and into a wall before the momentum of the attack finally faded. It slumped to the ground while panting raggedly for breath. Young Master... Zhang Jia really had no choice but to submit to Zhang Xuans prowess. It had thought that it should be able to narrow the gap against its master with the recent advancements that it had made, but from the looks of it, their disparity was only gettingrger andrger despite its diligence! Zhang Xuan turned to Qi Ling-er and asked, Do you think that Ill be able to defeat the three of them with my current strength? The reason he had challenged Zhang Jia earlier was to get a gauge of his current strength, as well as to check how powerful the other three contenders for the city lord position were from Qi Ling-ers mouth. You should be able to defeat most low-tier Celestial Gods easily, but against middle-tier Celestial Gods, you are still slightlycking... I wouldnt say that you dont stand a chance, but itll be a really difficult fight, Qi Ling-er replied hesitantly. In order to be contenders for the city lord position, those three had to be one of the strongest experts within Dusklight City. As such, despite the prowess that Zhang Xuan had disyed earlier, Qi Ling-er still did not think that his chances of winning were too great. Not to mention, afterpeting for the position for so long, there was no way they would submit to a young man who was not even a Celestial God that easily. Is that so? Lets look for them now then! Zhang Xuan said with a sigh of relief. Given that he had only advanced his cultivation from low-tier God primary stage to pinnacle, he did not think that he would be able to defeat the three of them with an overwhelming advantage. It was only normal for it to be a difficult battle. However, as long as it was notpletely impossible, with his Eye of Insight and the Library of Heavens Path, he felt that he should still be able to emerge victorious in the end. Were heading over just like that? Qi Ling-er had no idea where Zhang Xuans confidence came from, and she felt a little uncertain about this matter. Thus, she advised worriedly, Once you challenge them, youll be officially in the race. Until the results are finally out, youll face endless harassment from them. Young Master Zhang, are you sure you dont want to make a breakthrough to Celestial God first? Given your fighting prowess, it would be much easier for you to deal with them once you make a breakthrough... She would not have made this rmendation if it was anyone else. After all, the breakthrough to Celestial God was known to be a rather high hurdle. However, if it was Zhang Xuan they were talking about... Given how he was able to advance three cultivation stages in a matter of seconds, she didnt think that it would take him too long to be a Celestial God, perhaps just three to five days at most. Its fine. I know my limits. Lets go meet them now, Zhang Xuan replied. The way he cultivated was very different from the others. Even though he had a general direction of where he wanted to go, it would still take him some time in order to formte the entire cultivation technique. Furthermore, it was impossible to forcefully hasten the process since he was attempting to devise something that did not exist yet. Since that was the case, he would rather settle the matter concerning the city lord. If youre confident, theres no reason for me to stop you... Who do you wish to challenge first? Qi Ling-er asked. While Ming Laixiang is the weakest at the moment, shes rumored to be the most terrifying. Lin Xie and Wu Yang are roughly equally powerful, but if we reallypare them, Id say that the unaffiliated cultivator is in a disadvantageous position. So, my suggestion is that you can challenge Wu Yang first, and once you defeat him, youll be able to rece his position. His faction will be left with no choice but to back you, and youll be in a more favorable position. The first opponent you choose is actually really important. It will serve as the basis for others to gauge your strength and determine whether you will gain their support or not. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively before saying, Lets challenge Ming Laixiang first then. Qi Ling-er froze in ce. Did my words go in one ear and out the other? Didnt I just say that she was the scariest of them all? Why? Qi Ling-er blurted out. Shes the closest to us at the moment. Itll save us the trouble from walking back and forth, Zhang Xuan replied. While they were walking toward the Three Bearded Cultivators residence earlier, he had asked about where the three contenders resided, and based on the information he had received, it appeared that Ming Laixiang lived closest to where they were. Qi Ling-er nearly wed her hair out. Are you actually an alien impersonating as a human? Thats clearly not how a normal human thinks! We arepeting for the seat of the city lord! Look at how powerful yourpetition is. Theres a chance that we might lose the battle... What you should be thinking about is how you can win the battle, not whos the closest to you! After all, you cant possibly be thinking of defeating all three of them in one go, right? Arent you going to condition your state to make sure you are at your peak before challenging them? After all, you are going to fight against opponents that are stronger than you! Furthermore, wont you need time to recover after each battle? Have you even considered that? Qi Ling-er tried to dissuade Zhang Xuan from making such a reckless move, but thetter did not seem to care at all and kept insisting on fighting Ming Laixiang first. In the end, she had no choice but to follow him there. An hourter, they arrived at a residence. It was where Ming Laixiang lived. Send in the name scroll, Zhang Xuan said. I havent prepared the name scroll yet. Each city has their own rules for challenging an opponent, and I havent fully uncovered the rules for Dusklight City yet, Qi Ling-er replied. Since she was unable to talk Zhang Xuan out of his rashness, she could only hope to slow his footsteps a bit through this to make him calm down and think more rationally about the matter. Zhang Xuan shot a nce at Qi Ling-er and immediately understood her intentions. So, he turned to Sun Qiang and said, You do it. Alrighty! Sun Qiang replied excitedly. He walked up to the residence and raised his voice to a level where it shook the surroundings. Our Young Master is going topete for the position of the city lord! The person in this residence, get out here and ept his challenge, or else well take it as your loss! Qi Ling-er was stunned. Is this still considered as making a challenge? More like a provocation! The fight for the city lord position was indeed intense, but there was no need to make enemies due to this. Even if one lost the battle, it would just end with some light injuries here and there. However, after how disrespectful Zhang Xuan had acted, if Ming Laixiang did not retaliate viciously, others would take her lightly even if she did be a city lord. She would have to make an example out of Zhang Xuan in order to build up her reputation! Audacious! Who dares make a big fuss outside the Young Mistress residence? Shortly after Sun Qiang spoke those insolent words, it caused a huge uproar within the residence. Those from the surrounding residences also walked out to see the face of the fool who dared to insult the great Ming Laixiang like that. Ming Laixiang was the one who was the most likely to be the city lord despite her lower cultivation. Against someone of such standing, that fool actually dared act so insolently... Just what the heck was running through his mind? With his chest puffed up, Sun Qiang roared, If you wish to be the city lord, you should stop your yapping and obedientlye out here to ept our challenge. Our Young Master doesnt have time to listen to your prattling! Preposterous! Someone of your caliber actually dares challenge our Young Mistress... But before the person could finish his words, the voice of a youngdy echoed in the air. Come in. Jiya! The gates to the residence opened. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang made their way in. The courtyard of the residence was rather spacious. Standing inside was a valiant youngdy with a particrly tall profile. It was a little weird to call her a youngdy as she was extremely built. Looking just at her profile, it was extremely easy to mistake her for a guy instead of a girl. You wish to be the city lord? The youngdy looked at Zhang Xuan and scoffed. Little brother, take a look at your age and cultivation. Someone like you should head back home and sleep in your mothers cradle. Its good that you have great ambition, but you should know your own limits! You seem to be terribly concerned about me, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Since I have already made that deration, I have no intention of backing off. Ill give you two options here. You can either choose topete with me and lose tragically, or I can give you a Beauty Pill and you surrender to me. Those words left Ming Laixiang a little taken aback. Beauty Pill? You were the one who forged the Beauty Pill of Twilight City? It had not been long since the Beauty Pill appeared, but it had already made its name out in the world. There was hardly anyone who would not be moved by its name. Ming Laixiang was no exception. She had been born with arge bone structure, giving her a physique that was simr to a man. As a result of that, while her friends had already gotten attached and married, she could only cultivate quietly on her own. But due to that, she was able to achieve great feats in her cultivation, giving her the right topete for the seat of the city lord. She had heard of the effects of the Beauty Pill from Twilight City, and she had intended to head there to purchase it. The only problem was that there were only twenty of them, and they were all sold out. She did not think that the person who had forged the Beauty Pill woulde looking for her a dayter. Indeed. Zhang Xuan nodded. I am the apothecary who created the Beauty Pill. This is Qi Ling-er. You might know her as the person who sold the Beauty Pills at Twilight City! Qi Ling-er? Ming Laixiang turned her gaze over and saw a seductivedy standing leisurely behind Zhang Xuan. Even though she had never seen the underground ck market boss of Twilight City in person, she was still able to recognize the other party swiftly at a nce. Paying respects to Miss Ming. Qi Ling-er stepped forward and bowed slightly. Un. Ming Laixiang turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Your Beauty Pill, other than making a person prettier, does it have the effect of altering a persons bone structure? In terms of appearance, she was not ugly by any means. Her only concern was her huge frame, which tended to scare other people away. Im afraid its hard to change a persons physique. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He could change a personsplexion by nourishing their skin and muscles with the Heavens Path zhenqi, but the alteration of ones bone structure required a much moreplicated medical procedure. It could not be done just by swallowing a single pill. If thats the case, Ill have to say that your Beauty Pill doesnt really hold much attraction to me anymore. Make your move. Im interested to see just how powerful the person who forged the Beauty Pill is to dare openly challenge me here! Ming Laixiang said as she assessed Zhang Xuan from head to toe. She could tell that Zhang Xuan was no fool, and the fact that he dared challenge her despite so meant that he had some tricks up his sleeves. Sure! Zhang Xuan nodded as he whipped out a sword. It was the one that he had received from Wu Fangqing back in Twilight City. He had already tamed it into his own possession along the way. Chapter 2141 - City Lord Monumen

Chapter 2141 City Lord Monumen

As soon as the sword appeared in Zhang Xuans grasp, his aura immediately changed. All emotions vanished from his eyes, leaving behind just the sheer intensity of his concentration. Ming Laixiang took out a whip, and with a powerful flick of her wrist, the whip shot in Zhang Xuans direction. H! What Qi Ling-er was worried about turned out to be true. Even though Ming Laixiang was a low-tier Celestial God, her fighting prowess was exceptional. She possessed the strength to stand her ground even against middle-tier Celestial Gods. Furthermore, her skill with the whip was also remarkable. She was able to control it to an extremely fine degree. Having no intentions of facing the whip directly, Zhang Xuan took a step back and tilted his body backward to dodge her attack before stabbing his sword forward. The length and flexibility of the whip was both its greatest advantage and disadvantage. It allowed for a wide range of maneuvers, but at the same time, it also made it extremely difficult to control. As a result, there were very few cultivators who chose to specialize in it. This was also Zhang Xuans first time facing such a weapon. He quickly looked through all the books he had collected rting to whips in order to understand the principles behind his opponents moves. Hula! Ming Laixiang leaped backward to create some distance before cracking her whip several more times in Zhang Xuans direction, but each and every time, Zhang Xuan was able to dodge it by a hairs breadth. Seeing that her attacks were not connecting at all, herplexion turned grim. Without any hesitation, she switched her tactics andunched a barrage of whips instead. In the face of a ferocious flurry of whips, Zhang Xuan calmly deflected them one after another with his sword. Even though he was handling Ming Laixiangs offense fairly well, it did not seem like he was interested in counterattacking at all. Is he... practicing his swordsmanship? Qi Ling-er could not help but frown. It was apparent that Ming Laixiang had the advantage in terms of strength and speed, but by somehow predicting Ming Laixiangs attacks in advance, Zhang Xuan was always able to deal with her. The bizarre attack trajectory of the whips did little to throw him off at all. The fact that Zhang Xuan could aplish this meant that he had a fairly good chance at victory. However, each and every time Zhang Xuan attempted an attack, he would eventually back away at thest moment instead of pressing on. It was almost as if he was afraid of hurting Ming Laixiang. More importantly, his fighting style was changing throughout the battle. There was no reason for someone to keep changing their fighting style in the midst of the battle unless they were practicing their swordsmanship! To actually think of practicing your swordsmanship while facing an enemy that is a cultivation realm stronger than you... Are you serious about this? Zhang Jias eyes also widened in astonishment at that sight. It had no idea whether its master was doing it intentionally or not, but it was starting to wonder if its master had some sort of attention-seeking disease. No matter where its master was, he simply had to do things that would leave the mouths of others agape. Or could it be that the humans had a very different notion of what low profile meantpared to divine beasts? Humph! Ming Laixiang swiftly noticed Zhang Xuans intentions as well, and her face turned incredibly livid. As the strongest contender for the city lord position, she had never been underestimated by another person in such a way before, not to mention that the other party was weaker than her. You seem to look down on me quite a bit, huh? Very well, Ill give a taste of my strongest move. The reason Lin Xie and Wu Yang dont dare fight me is because they cant deal with this move. If you wish to defeat me, youll have to withstand it somehow! With a cold harrumph, the whip in Ming Laixiangs hands suddenly shot forth like a piercing sword right toward Zhang Xuans neck. It elerated so quickly that it seemed to appear before thetter in the blink of an eye. Seeing how the speed of Ming Laixiangs whip was actually faster than his swordsmanship, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Just as the others had thought, he was indeed practicing his swordsmanship on Ming Laixiang. He had been working on a new sword art for some time, but he had not been able to find anything that was suited to him. It was then that he realized that he needed to fight a real battle in order to spark some inspiration. For that reason, he did not bother looking into Ming Laixiangs ws. He intended to use this as an opportunity to try things out. It had not been long since the battle began, but he had already made significant gains. He could somewhat visualize the sword art that he wanted to create. Judging from the swiftness of Ming Laixiangs whip, it was apparent that she had put her all into this attack. So, Zhang Xuan flicked his sword upward and released a burst of sword qi against the whip. Weng! A sword qi swiftly unfurled to form a fish-like shape to trap whatever stood in its way. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! Ming Laixiang was not an easy opponent for the current him, so he could not afford to hold back against her strongest move. Otherwise, he would really be courting his own doom. Heh! However, Ming Laixiang did not appear to be taken aback by Zhang Xuans move. Instead, a light chuckle escaped her lips. Hu! With a slight flick of her wrist, the whip that was heading straight toward Zhang Xuans neck suddenly bent slightly downward to strike his abdomen. The change in the trajectory of her attack was swift, vicious, andpletely out of expectations. Even though it was not striking his neck anymore, he would still be severely injured if itnded a clean blow on his abdomen. This was her goal from the very start... Zhang Xuan quickly came to realization. The change happened too quickly, and Zhang Xuan waspletely unguarded against it. It was already toote for him to do anything. Pah! Qi Ling-er widened her eyes in horror as she quickly turned over to examine Zhang Xuans condition, but what had really happened was the opposite of what she had expected. Not only was Zhang Xuanpletely uninjured, there was a slight smile on his face. Looking at his opponent, Ming Laixiang was clutching her chest, and fresh blood was seeping from the edges of her lips. She was sweating profusely. What happened? The earlier sh had ended in a sh. Qi Ling-er did not manage to clearly see what had happened. Young Masterprehended a new sword art at the veryst moment. With it, he managed deflected Ming Laixiangs whip back to her, causing her to sustain severe injuries, Zhang Jia exined. With its sharp eyes as a low-tier Celestial God, although everything had happened very quickly, it had still managed to see the happenings clearly. Zhang Xuan was literally a split second away from sustaining severe injuries when he suddenly released a powerful outburst of sword qi. Not only did the powerful outburst of sword qi stop the whip in ce, it even knocked it back to Ming Laixiang, causing her to suffer a rebound. Qi Ling-er was absolutely stunned. This was not just bravery anymore; it was as if he did not value his life! What if he had notprehended the sword art in the end? What if the sword art heprehended did not work? He could have be a cripple from that blow! The abdomen was where ones dantian was. If it had suffered a severe impact, he might have lost his cultivation for good! So, thats how it works! While the onlookers were shocked by just how reckless Zhang Xuan was, the person in question was currentlyughing heartily. He had been stuck all this while, but the earlier sh seemed to have parted the shadows veiling his eyes. All his confusion and doubts vanished in an instant. Camaraderie of Brothers... It turns out that the sword art was in my cultivation technique all along! Zhang Xuan eximed excitedly. Camaraderie of Brothers was the sentiment and cultivation technique he hadprehended when he saw the little yellow chick getting killed right before his eyes. Humans were always searching the world for someone who understood them, but how many of them were able to find someone whom they could entrust their all to? The sorrow of losing such a person was no different from having ones heart torn to shreds. When Ming Laixiangs whip was about to approach his abdomen, everything had suddenly made sense to him. He had allowed those emotions to guide his sword art, and not only did it deflect Ming Laixiangs attack, it was even able to injure her. I admit defeat... Ming Laixiang surrendered. She had no choice but to admit defeat. She had been certain that she was going to win the battle when the sword art appearedpletely out of nowhere, catching her off guard. What made it worse was that she could not even tell how it had all happened. If she was at her peak, she could have still tested the other party out a little to see if she could decipher the sword art. Unfortunately, the earlier retaliation had left her severely wounded, leaving her no choice but to surrender. Seeing that he had won the battle, Zhang Xuan nced at Qi Ling-er and said, Lets head to Lin Xies residence. He still had two opponents left to defeat. Since he had already dealt with the most troublesome one of them all, he shouldnt have too much trouble with the other two. Wait a moment. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was going to leave, Ming Laixiang quickly got to her feet and said, With your strength, I reckon that Lin Xie and Wu Yang wont be a match for you either. However, the real reason none of us have be the city lord yet isnt because none of us were able to im a decisive advantage. Rather, its due to our inability to assimte the City Lord Monument, which is an insignia of ones identity as the city lord. As long as you are able to assimte it, they will surrender of their own ord. City Lord Monument? Zhang Xuan repeated. The previous city lord of Dusklight City was a middle-tier Celestial God, and he died fighting in the Flood of Spiritual Energy. After his death, his soul fused together with a stone monument. In order to be the next city lord, one must receive his recognition, and none of the three of us have been able to do so, Ming Laixiang exined. Where is the monument? Zhang Xuan asked. It would be more convenient if he could get the other two to surrender just by assimting the City Lord Monument. He would be spared the trouble of traveling here and there. Ill take you there. However, Ill just tell you in advance that its no easy feat to obtain its approval, Ming Laixiang warned. The young man standing before her possessed unnaturally great talent and fighting prowess. His ability to defeat her despite only being a high-tier God said as much. That being said, she still did not think that he stood a good chance. This was because the crux to assimting the City Lord Monument had nothing to do with ones cultivation or talent but whether one could catch the eye of the previous city lord. In the ten years since the previous city lord died, many experts had tried to assimte it, only to fail in the end. No one was able to figure out what the previous city lord wanted. She felt like the young man before her would be no exception. They quickly left the courtyard and proceeded ahead. It did not take them long to arrive at the heart of the city. It was a massive square, and erected at the center of it was a humongous stone monument. Thews andmandments of Dusklight City were inscribed on it. The stone monument was over ten meters tall, and a shimmer seemed to swim ceaselessly across its lustrous ck surface. Even at first sight, one could tell that the monument was made out of no ordinary materials. That over there is the City Lord Monument! Ming Laixiang introduced it to Zhang Xuan. Nodding quietly, Zhang Xuan walked up to the City Lord Monument and lightly ced his hand on it. A book materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. City Lord Monument, made of Dark Jadeite. Seals the fortune of Dusklight City. Harnesses a sliver of Celestial God Yeyus will. ws:... There were detailed descriptions on the structure, history, and ws of the City Lord Monument, but there was nothing that told him how he could assimte it. We have strictly obeyed and enforced the rules inscribed on the City Lord Monument, and we have also made sure to pay the utmost respect to the previous city lords soul. But for some reason, the previous city lord refuses to acknowledge anyone, Ming Laixiang said in frustration. I see. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He activated the Eye of Insight and began examining the City Lord Monument carefully. Vaguely, he could sense an indignant will sealed within the City Lord Monument struggling and roaring furiously. This made Zhang Xuan frown a little. He slit his finger and flicked a droplet of blood harnessing his will toward the monument. H! As soon as the sliver of his will came into contact with the monument, he sensed a powerful force gushing in his direction, seemingly wanting to devour his soul. Theres indeed something weird about this... Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Typically speaking, if a cultivator failed to assimte an artifact, the blood essence containing their will would be rejected. Even though the monument refused to be assimted, it had still devoured his blood essence. This was different from what he had seen before. But again, it was not as if it made much of a difference to him anyway. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan was just about to use his Heavens Path zhenqi to destroy the will within and reenchant the monument when he suddenly noticed something and frowned. As if noticing his intentions, the spirit in the monument swiftly diffused itself all over the monument. If he attempted to destroy the spirit in its current state, the monument could very well sustain severe damage as well. If he was caught destroying the City Lord Monument, he would surely be the public enemy of the entire Dusklight City. By then, there was no way anyone would ept him as the city lord. It seemed like the forceful approach would not work. However, he did not know what the will within the monument really wanted. This was a huge dilemma. Zhang Xuansplexion turned grave. Chapter 2142 - City Lord

Chapter 2142 City Lord

Zhang Xuan turned to Qi Ling-er and asked, Is it the same for other cities? Do other cities have City Lord Monuments that city lords infuse their will into? Since she was a city lord, she should be familiar with the processes. Each city has a City Lord Monument, and its indeed used as a record of the city rules. However, I have never heard of a city lord infusing his will into it. That would be equivalent to enchanting the City Lord Monument, turning it into an artifact. It would cause the Anima of Yearning of the entire city to be focused on the monument, Qi Ling-er replied. She was also a little bewildered after hearing the story. She would have never thought that anyone would do such a thing. The City Lord Monument represented thews of the city. Infusing ones will into it would cause the Anima of Yearning to flow into the will, nourishing it. For the city lord, this was not necessarily a good thing. For one, there was no guarantee that the sliver of will would remain under his control even after it had been nourished. It was a highly dangerous move to make. Zhang Xuan turned to Ming Laixiang and asked, What was Celestial God Yeyus personality like? Celestial God Yeyu was the previous city lord of Dusklight City who had passed away during the Flood of the Spiritual Energy. He was a righteous and impartial man. The citizens often sing his praises, Ming Laixiang replied. Its because none of us can match his character that we arent able to assimte the monument. This is also why Dusklight City has remained without a city lord for so many years. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. That exined things. Just the convenience of being able to use the Teleportation Formations made it worth it for one to be a city lord. There were bound to be many experts vying for the spot. So, it was bizarre how Dusklight City had remained without one for almost a decade. From the looks of it, it was not that easy to be a city lord. This was probably why Ming Laixiang did not seem particrly concerned that she had lost to him. This was because she knew that one would have to first ovee the City Lord Monument in order to be the city lord, or else he would just be nothing more than another contender in the running, just like her. Since I cant destroy the will inside, I should just try to assimte it just like an ordinary weapon! While it might take years for others to tame an artifact spirit, Zhang Xuan was able to circumvent the lengthy process with his abilities. So, he walked up to the ck monument once more and tapped it a few times. Then, he whispered silently to it. Weng! The City Lord Monument shook a little, but it refused to submit to him. Zhang Xuans usual method was to employ both the carrot and the stick. He would offer the artifact two choices submit to him and rise to greater heights or continue refusing and be destroyed. However, such a trick would not work on the City Lord Monument. This was because it knew that the young man before it would not dare destroy it. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and whispered to the monument, I know what you are thinking. You knew that you would meet with danger, so you infused your will into the monument ahead of time, hoping that you could revive from the Anima of Yearning supplied by the entire city. I cant say that its a bad n, but you made a miscalctionthe amount of time it will take for you to seed. Dusklight City has been without a city lord for nearly a decade now, so there has been no one to enforce the rules you have implemented. As a result, the amount of Anima of Yearning you are receiving has decreased tremendously. You wont seed at this rate. Im sure you know that deep down. I dont have much desire to be the city lord. All I want is to obtain the City Lord Token so that I can make use of the Teleportation Formations. If I be the city lord, Ill have the city continue enforcing the rules you have set and even allow your will to remain inside the monument. Only the rise of a new city lord will bring order back to this city, and only then will you continue receiving a steady supply of Anima of Yearning. Zhang Xuans voice was infused with the Impartation of Heavens Will, allowing him to sway the emotions of the will within the monument. The indignant and hostile intent that was within the monument a moment ago slowly cooled down. He had no interest in being a city lord at all. Even if he, just like Kong shi, needed Anima of Yearning in the future, the amount he required would likely be far more than what the entire Dusklight City could offer him. So, he had no qualms allowing most of the Anima of Yearning to go to the previous city lord. It was also better for him that the rules did not change. He had no spare time to care about that anyway. Make up your mind quickly; I am not a person with a lot of patience. You should be able to tell that Im an outsider, and I have no attachments to Dusklight City. I dont mind not bing the city lord, but Ill have this monument destroyed before leaving this ce. Ill give you ten breaths to think it through. It was those who had nothing to lose that should be feared the most. They would not hesitate to do the unthinkable, and there was nothing that could scare them. After saying his piece, Zhang Xuan took two steps back and waited patiently for the monuments response. How did it go? Are you able to assimte it? Ming Laixiang asked with a slight smile. Even though she posed it as a question, she already knew that the young man had failed. On the inside, she was greatly relieved that the monument was not responding to the young man. You might be stronger and more talented than me, but that doesnt mean a thing before the City Lord Monument... Ming Laixiang was expecting to see a frustrated look on the young mans face, but what she saw instead was the young man calmly opening his mouth and counting, Ten, nine, eight, seven... Hmm? Ming Laixiang was confused. I am asking you whether you were able to assimte it, so why are you counting down instead? ...Three, two, one! Having counted down to zero, Zhang Xuan looked at the monument before him and said, Make your choice. As he said those words, he quietly gathered a surge of sword qi at the tip of his finger and pointed it at the monument calmly. His rxed demeanor showed that he had no particr deference toward the monument at all. Sensing that the young man would really carry out his threat if it did not agree to it, a crisp buzz echoed from the monument as it began shaking intensely. Thats more like it, Zhang Xuan said with a satisfied smile. He dripped a droplet of blood harnessing his will onto the monument, and it was absorbed right away. This was a sign that the monument had epted him as its master. This... Ming Laixiang was stunned. She had tried everything that she could think of to convince the monument to ept her, but from the start to the end, it had never reacted to her. On the other hand, all the young man did was count down from ten, and the monument submitted to him just like that... What was with this discrimination? Since I have assimted the monument, does it mean that I am the city lord now? Zhang Xuan asked. He could sense that a portion of his will was already embedded within the monument. Ming Laixiang waspletely taken aback by the situation, and she felt deeply indignant. But in the end, she had no choice but to nod. Given all that had happened, she had no choice but to ept the oue. Here is a Beauty Pill. Ill give it to you. Even though it cant change your physique, I believe that itll still make a huge difference to you, Zhang Xuan said as he flicked a low-tier God Essence Pill over. In exchange, I hope that you can deal with Lin Xie and Wu Yang on my behalf. Within four hours, I want the whole city to know that Im the new city lord, and the rules of the previous city lord will be swiftly enforced. He had gained legitimacy as the city lord for assimting the City Lord Monument, but in terms of influence, he was still nowhere close to Ming Laixiang. It would be more effective if he could have her do it on his behalf. Alright then. Ming Laixiang nodded. She knew that it would make no difference to the oue whether she helped him or not. Given that the young man had obtained the recognition from the previous city lord, there was no one who could shake his position anymore. Since that was the case, she might as well do it on his behalf and get on good terms with him. In fact, her effort would be worth it even if it was just for the Beauty Pill. After agreeing to Zhang Xuans request, Ming Laixiang swallowed the pill right away. She took out a copper mirror after that to look at her own reflection, and her eyes lit up in excitement. It was really as miraculous as the rumors suggested. The effects started showing as soon as she swallowed the pill. Her skin became supplier and smoother, and her facial features became more distinct. Even though her bulky physique remained the same, she emanated a newfound charm that would make others want to take a second look at her. Ming Laixiang did not view herself as a vain person, but it would be a lie to say that she was not concerned about her own appearance. With her standing, there was no need for her to try to intentionally please anyone anymore, but if she had a choice, she would rather be more beautiful and feminine. As such, she was very satisfied with the effects of the Beauty Pill. With a broad smile on her lips, she took Zhang Xuan to the City Lord Manor and settled him in before swiftly heading out on an aerial divine beast to settle the task entrusted to her. Her reputation as the strongest contender for the city lord position was not just for show. In less than four hours, almost everyone in Dusklight City knew that a person named Zhang Xuan would be taking over the position of the city lord. News swiftly spread, and by the evening, Royal City had already delivered the Conferment Edict and City Lord Token over to acknowledge his position. Its finally done... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With this, he would be able to use the Teleportation Formation within Dusklight City to travel to the Royal City swiftly. These are the tokens for the three provinces of Dusklight City, Qi Ling-er said as she passed three tokens over. She was honestly a little speechless at just how efficient Zhang Xuan was. She had nearly lost her lifepeting for her city lord position! On the other hand, the young man had managed to do it in less than half a day. It sure was maddening just to think about it! Zhang Xuan passed the three tokens to Sun Qiang and his parents and said, Assimte these tokens, and youll be able to use the Teleportation Formation. After that, he turned to Qi Ling-er and asked once more, Little Chick and Zhang Jia are my tamed beast, so it should be alright for them to travel together with me, right? That isnt a problem at all, Qi Ling-er replied with a nod. The City Lord Token was designed in a manner that allowed its master to extend its effects to their tamed beasts via the Soul Contract. After all, it was not umon for city lords to travel together with their tamed beasts. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Sun Qiang and his parents once more and said, If possible, try to assimte the tokens today. Well be heading to Royal City tomorrow morning! There were some matters that he needed to attend to as the new city lord. First and foremost, he needed everyone to learn of their existence, or else they would not be able to earn Anima of Yearning in their City Lord Token and Province Lord Tokens. So, he walked out of the City Lord Manor to the square right in front of him. With a leap, he jumped on top of the City Lord Monument and sat down on it casually. At this moment, a huge crowd had already gathered around after hearing the news that they had a new city lord. They were a little curious yet fearful to know who their new city lord was. After all, this was the man who had the power to determine their fate. You might have heard, but I am the new city lord of Dusklight City. My name is Zhang Xuan. I dont intend to change how this city has been functioning so far, but it is my wish to see Dusklight City bing stronger over time. So, in four hours time, Ill be holding a lecture here to impart myprehension of cultivation to you. Zhang Xuan addressed the crowd beneath him with a leisurely but authoritative tone. To be honest, he did not have a concrete idea of just what the Anima of Yearning was, but based on what he had heard about it so far, he should be able to receive a steady stream of it as long as he could make others have a deep impression of him. The fastest way he knew he could do that was through a lecture. It was simr to how Kong shis reputation had be synonymous with his teachings, and it was remembered even after tens of thousands of years on the Master Teacher Continent. Until the day that his impartations became obsolete and forgotten, his name would continue to be passed down from generation to generation. News that the new city lord would be holding a public lecture spread like wildfire. Over the next four hours, millions of cultivators gathered in the city square and its vicinity. With a satisfied nod, Zhang Xuan started his lecture. Cultivation lies in the heart, the spirit, and the soul... His voice drifted into the surroundings with the warm breeze of spring, nourishing those taking it in. Everyone was swiftly enraptured by it. Standing amid the crowd was Wu Yang, another ex-contender for the city lord position. He was still wondering why Ming Laixiang would suddenly submit to a young man in his early twenties and even went to the extent of warning him not to oppose him. However, when he came over personally to hear the public lecture, the significance of those words immediately became apparent to him. It was no wonder that young man was able to be the city lord. Putting everything aside, hisprehension of cultivation surpassed that of any expert they had seen before. Profound concepts were conveyed in simple,prehensible terms, leaving countless citizens nodding vehemently as epiphanies struck them. They were able to swiftly understand ideas that had eluded them previously and draw links between seemingly abstract aspects of cultivation. All in all, one thing was for sure. Dusklight City would never be the same again after this lecture! Chapter 2143 - LinXie

Chapter 2143 LinXie

Due to Lin Xies superior talent, the Lin n had risen to the top of the Three Great ns over the past few years. His strength surpassed even that of Lin Xies mother, the current matriarch, a low-tier Celestial God. Theirbined prowess made it so that few dared oppose them in Dusklight City. As for the Zhao n, they were the weakest of the Three Great ns. Be it the potential sessor or the current n head, they came nowhere close inparison to Lin Xie and his mother. The only reason they were ssified as one of the Three Great ns was because of their absolute dominance in the markets of the city, making them the wealthiest family of all. In the Lin ns manor... Lin Xie, your current strength doesnt pale inparison to that Ming Laixiang at all. Why do you have to heed her words and give up on the city lord position? You must know that you arent alone. You have the entire Lin n behind you! The n head of the Lin n looked at the middle-aged man before him in disappointment. There was no doubt that Lin Xie was one of the most powerful cultivators in Dusklight City. The entire Lin n was looking forward to the day that Lin Xie took the city lord position and took the n to greater heights, but who could have known that a nobody would actually beat him to it? Even if someone took the city lord position, all they had to do was snatch it away from him. Yet, Lin Xie simply chose to acknowledge him without even putting up a fight. The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. This was the only chance that the Lin n had to rise to the top of Dusklight City, but Lin Xie was giving up on it just like that! If Ming Laixiang isnt a match for him, I wont be able to defeat him either. Furthermore, he has managed to assimte the City Lord Monument. Instead of humiliating myself, I might as well concede willingly. Lin Xie shook his head and replied calmly. Alright, Ill be heading in to cultivate now. Dont bother me if there isnt anything else. After saying those words, Lin Xie turned around to return to his room. At this moment, a butler suddenly rushed over and sped his fist. n Head, Young Master Lin Xie! The new city lord announced that he will hold a public lecture, and it began a moment ago. Quite a few people have gathered around to listen to it. Shall we send our people over to listen in as well? Send our people over to listen in? That fellow just stole our Lin ns city lord position! He should be grateful that we arent trying to wreak havoc in the midst of his lecture, let alone join in. Does he really expect our Lin n to be his students? The n head waved his hand angrily. This...The butler could tell that the dan head was furious, but after a moment of hesitation,he still chose to meekly add, ording to the reports from those participating in the lecture, it seems like the public lecture is quite beneficial to ones cultivation. There are many cultivators who have been enlightened by his words... Enlightened by his words? Tsk, those are nothing more than rumors that fellow is spreading around to bulk up his reputation! I have watched plenty of such charades over the years! the n head replied impatiently. Enough! Warn the members of the n that they arent allowed to listen to the lecture and receive his teachings. Anyone who disobeys the orders will have their names taken out of the n registry, and they wont be allowed to step through the doors of our manor ever again! I understand... Seeing that the dan head had already made up his mind, the butler could only hold back his words and leave the room helplessly to ry the orders. Lin Xie, do you see that? That fellow started buying the hearts of the popce as soon as he became the city lord! Once he manages to reinforce his position, the whole of Dusklight City will fall under his control! You mentioned that you want to cultivate, right? Very well. Ill have our eight elders to use our Lin ns secret formation to raise your cultivation. By hook or by crook, you have to get the city lord position! the n head said with gritted teeth. The secret formation? That wont do! Itll cause the eight elders to sustain significant damage, and even their lifespans will be shortened! Lin Xie was astounded. The Lin n had a secret formation that channeled the powers of several cultivators into one single person, thus raising that individuals cultivation. As the increment was minor and it caused great damage to those participating in the formation, it had hardly been used before. Lin Xie did not expect the n head to propose such a thing all of a sudden. Theres no need to say any more. As long as you be the city lord, it will all be worth it. Theres only one thing you have to do now, and thats to condition your current state and prepare yourself to ept the powers of the eight elders! the n head said with a resolute wave of his hand. Soon, the eight elders of the Lin n, all low-tier Celestial Gods, entered Lin Xies room and swiftly prepared the formation and channeled their energy into Lin Xies body. All in all, the process took eight whole hours. Boom! Lin Xie felt refreshed and reinvigorated. He could feel incredible strength surging through his body, and he felt like there was nothing in the world that could stop him. Channeling all this power toward his dantian, his cultivation immediately rose to new heights. Half high-tier Celestial God! Even though he did not manage to raise his cultivation all the way to high-tier Celestial God, there was no doubt that his fighting prowess was significantly stronger than before. With such strength, the city lord position is already within my grasp... Lin Xie exhaled deeply as an ambitious glint shed across his eyes. His chances of victory against Ming Laixiang were only 50:50 in the past, but after absorbing the powers of the eight elders, he was confident that he would be able to overpower thetter easily! The city lord position was his for the taking! Thank you, everyone... Lin Xie bowed deeply in gratitude to the eight elders were lying on the floor, looking as if they had been sucked dry. In essence, the eight elders had traded their cultivation in order to raise his cultivation a little... Losing eight low-tier Celestial Gods at once was indubitably a huge blow to any power in Dusklight City. No one would make such a choice under normal circumstances. However, the sudden change in the situation forced them to make this desperate move. Once the new city lord built up his base of support and consolidated his power, it would be nigh impossible for them to overthrow him. As long as he became the city lord, he would make sure topensate the eight elders who had sacrificed themselves! Say no more. Get that city lord position, and itll be worth it even if we lose our lives... a snowy bearded elder said weakly. Go. The city lord position can only belong to our Lin n... another elder added. Yes! Lin Xie bowed deeply to the elders once more before leaving the room. Just as he was about to head out, the butler from before rushed over to report, n Head, Young Master Lin Xie... Unaffiliated Cultivator Wu Yang, n Head Tian Fei, and n Head Zhao Meng have arrived with their juniors! They havee? What are they nning to do? The n head and Lin Xie traded perplexed nces. It was true that the Three Great ns had ties with one another, but as they were in a position of rivalry, they were very wary around one another. It was bewildering to see all of them rushing there in the middle of the night. Invite them in! the n head said. Soon, the crowd were all settled within the main hall. Its a pleasure to see you, n Head Lin and Young Master Lin Xie, the crowd greeted. Yes, its great to see the rest of you as well. I would like to know the reason behind this surprisingte-night visit. n Head Lin got straight to the point. n Head Tian chuckled softly before replying, We came here right after listening to the city lords lecture. We noticed that there was no one from the Lin n around, so we came over to take a look. The city lords lecture? Humph! Our Lin n is the number one n of Dusklight City. We are not so desperate as to listen to the lessons of a young brat! Lin Xie immediately blew his top upon hearing those words. You must be joking with me! n Head Lin, we havee here out of goodwill. We were concerned that you would be missing out given that none of your members were present for the lecture, so we specially recorded it down in a Record Crystal so as to share it with you. Its one thing for you to turn us down, but dont you think you are going overboard by insulting our teacher? n Head Tian also lost his temper as well. It had only been a short four-hour lecture, but that was more than enough for him to bepletely awed by the young man sitting atop the stone monument. The insights he had gained from the young man were more than enough for him to view thetter as his teacher. Your teacher? Hahaha! I know that hes the new city lord, but surely you dont have to grovel before him so quickly! He might just be ousted very soon, making him the shortest-lived city lord in the history of the Sky of Drifting Specter! Lin Xie sneered. Ousted? You wish to stage a revolt? n Head Tian was stunned before bursting intoughter. I see! Its because youve made a breakthrough, thats why you are saying such words... At this moment, Wu Yang, who had been silent all this while, suddenly stepped forward and said, Since Brother Lin has made a breakthrough to half high-tier Celestial God, would you be interested in fighting me? The two of them had beenpeting for the city lord position for over half a year now, and they had traded blows several times in the past. As such, they were quite familiar with each others skills. I would dly ept your challenge! Lin Xie replied with a confident smile. He had been wanting to test his newfound strength after his breakthrough. It would be good if he could make an example out of his previous rival so as to show everyone in Dusklight City that he was no longer the same Lin Xie as before! Hu! Lin Xie flitted forward with swift footsteps as he raised his palm to strike Wu Yang. Since he had decided to make an example out of Wu Yang, it would be ideal if he crushed thetter with an overwhelming advantage ? So, he used his strongest move right from the start, choosing not to hold back at all. Pah! But before Lin Xie could get close to Wu Yang, he suddenly felt a stinging pain on his cheek, and his body spun twice in the air before crashing to the ground. bbergasted, he anxiously raised his head to see what had happened, only to see Wu Yang dusting off his palm leisurely after pping him. You... Lin Xies eyes reddened with rage as he dashed forward once more. Pah pah pah! Three consecutive ps struck Lin Xies face, causing him to stumble onto the ground. He sped his swollen cheeks as he looked at Wu Yang in bewilderment. Your strength... No matter how he looked at it, it was clear that Wu Yang was still a middle-tier God. So, how could thetter be so powerful? They had been equally matched before, and he had just achieved a breakthrough. It should not have been possible for him to be so helpless before the other party! Lin Xie, I have always viewed you as a rival, but you arent worthy of it at all! Wu Yang gazed down at Lin Xie disdainfully from above. Also, if you dare to speak badly about the city lord once more, Ill take your life! With those words, he turned around and left the manor. This... Lin Xie was on the verge of going insane. He had thought that he would be unmatched in Dusklight City after his breakthrough, but who could have known that he would only end up being pped by a long-time rival instead? How did the other party get so powerful all of a sudden? They had just fought one another the day before, and he had not been anywhere close to being that powerful. Since our allegiance differs, it would only be awkward for us to continue associating with one another. Young Master Lin, in view of our past rtions, I would just like to leave you with some words of advice before I leave. Dont go against the city lord anymore. You will only be hastening the Lin ns downfall, n Head Tian said as he rose to his feet. Hah, who do you think you are to speak so arrogantly before me? Seeing how even the low-tier Celestial God n Head Tian was making light of him, Lin Xie lost his cool. He immediately got to his feet and hurled a fist toward the other party. He might be no match for Wu Yang, but it would still be a walk in the park for him to deal with a fellow who was so much weaker than him! Pah pah pah! Once again, before Lin Xies fist could strike, several psnded squarely on his cheeks and sent him crashing to the ground. The beating really made Lin Xie go silly. The entire world should be his after his recent breakthrough. Why did he regress to getting pummeled by even a mere low-tier Celestial God? Hu! Just as Lin Xie was still trying to make sense of the situation, a shadow suddenly loomed above him. Raising his head, he saw n Head Zhao Meng standing right before him with an awful expression on his face. I also cant turn the other way when you have spoken badly about my teacher. Then, without warning, his leg whipped forward to strike Lin Xies abdomen. Lin Xie immediately attempted to dodge, only to find the trajectory of the kick following him no matter where he went. He could not escape at all. Peng! His body was immediately kicked into the sky and flew over ten meters. How could this be... Lin Xie did not think that he would also be no match for Zhao Meng, who was supposed to be the weakest of them all. Thetter was actually able to kick him flying so easily... He was really going to lose his sanity at this rate. We paid such a huge price to raise my cultivation, but why does it seem like everyone else is progressing faster than me? Am I actually untalented as a cultivator? Chapter 2144 - Library of Heaven’s Path’s Anomaly

Chapter 2144 Library of Heavens Paths Anomaly

Tian Fei and Zhao Meng, the two of you are too much! n Head Lin did not think that the first genius of his n would actually be trampled by those two, and he immediately lost his temper. Peng peng peng! Just like Lin Xie, after a few firm ps, n Head Lin was left sitting on the ground with a dazed look on his face. Before, he had been respected as the head of the strongest Lin n. While he was no match for Lin Xie, he could still deal with the likes of Tian Fei and Zhao Meng with ease. When had they reached a level that was unreachable for him? For some reason, those two seemed to be able to see through his maneuvers. No matter what he tried, those two could defend and retaliate impably. Challenge all of the offspring of the Lin n and leave them on their knees! Tian Fei ordered coldly. After those words were spoken, a crippled young man limped out from behind. n Head Lin recognized the crippled young man. He was known to be the trash of the Tian n. After an unfortunate ident that crushed his legs, he had fallen into negativity and eventually be the weakest among his peers. The crippled young man swiftly made his way over to the offspring of the Lin n, and with a sword in hand, he dominated all of them like a wolf amid a pack of sheep. In less than ten minutes, dozens of Lin n offspring were sprawled all over the ground, subdued. n Head Lin was losing his mind. When did this trash be so powerful as well? Just what in the world was going on with those from the Tian n? Over the next hour, all the experts of the Lin n were challenged by the counterparts of the Tian n and Zhao n, but all of them ended up suffering tragic defeat. It was as if the world was signaling that it was about time for the Lin n to retire from the top echelon. After the Tian n and the Zhao n left, n Head Lin turned to his butler and bellowed in a fluster, Quick, go and check! How in the world did all of them suddenly be so formidable? In a position of rivalry, the Three Great ns of Dusklight City had often shed with one another both on the surface and in the shadows. Usually, the Lin n would be in an advantageous position due to its superior strength, making the other two not dare voice their opposition. But in the span of a few hours, the tables had suddenly turned on them. n Head Lin could not ept this. Had those two been lying low all this while in order to catch him off guard? Yes! The butler quickly rushed out of the manor, but not longter, he returned with a bruised face. What happened? Are they camping outside the entrance to humiliate us? n Head Lin asked with gritted teeth. Was there a need for them to be so petty? All they did wasin about the city lord a little! There was no need to go this far, right? No, its not those two ns. Two beggars provoked me while I was walking down the street. I thought that I could crush them easily with my strength, but even they seemed to have be experts all of a sudden. I ended up getting pummeled by them instead... The butlers eyes were filled with so much indignation that it seemed as if tears were going to be squeezed out from them very soon. Beggars? n Head Lin was rendered speechless. To think that the esteemed butler of the Lin n would actually be bullied by beggars! ording to word on the street, it seems like everyone became powerful from listening to the lecture of the city lord. This has caused a major growth in thebat sense and cultivation of everyone, the butler said. Its due to the lecture of the city lord? Did you manage to get a recording of the lecture? Lin Xie asked anxiously. I had to go through much difficulty and pay a hefty price in order to obtain a copy, the butler replied as he passed a Record Crystal over. Lin Xie took the Record Crystal anxiously and channeled his divine energy into it. The surface of the crystal rippled a little before revealing a young man seated atop a monument. The young man was speaking with a calm but powerful voice. Just by listening to a short segment of it, Lin Xie and n Head Lin fell paralyzed to the ground. It was at this instant that they realized why the Tian n and the Zhao n had suddenly be so powerful, such that none of them were their match. It was all because they had listened to the lecture of the new city lord! Its impossible to emte the effects of the lecture just by listening to the recording, so any learnings we gain from it will be greatly discounted. It seems like our Lin n has really missed out this time, and this has caused us tog far behind the others. Its only a matter of time before we are kicked out of the Three Great ns and fall to the ranks of a second-tier power, n Head Lin said with a bitter look on his face. It was impossible to recreate the enlightenment that those cultivators present at the lecture had received just by looking at the recording. It was the atmosphere of the lecture and the gradual buildup of knowledge that brought about the epiphanies they had received, and they had all missed out on this golden opportunity. With this, the decline of their Lin n was sealed. If only Id known that the new city lord was that formidable, I would have listened to Ming Laixiangs words, Lin Xie remarked as tears flowed down his cheeks. It was no wonder even the vicious Ming Laixiang had chosen toe under the new city lord and help him consolidate his power. It was an honor, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to serve such a capable master. If they had been willing to let go of their pride and listen to the new city lords lecture, they would still have been the esteemed number one n of Dusklight City. It was just a pity that there was no way for them to go back in time and do it all over again. They had sapped the cultivation of their eight elders, only to fall in defeat at the hands of Tian Fei and the others. Once news spread, Lin Xie, as well as the entire Lin n, would be the greatestughingstock of Dusklight City! Oblivious to the major changes that had happened in Dusklight City as a result of Zhang Xuans lecture, Qi Ling-er looked at the dizzy group before her and exined, This is the heart of the Sky of Drifting Specter, Drifting Specter Royal City! The group was currently standing atop a massive circr Teleportation Formation. They had just teleported over to Royal City, and the spatial turbulence around them had yet to calm down sufficiently for them to regain The previous night, in the four hours that Zhang Xuan had lectured, many low-tier Gods had be middle-tier Gods, and many middle-tier Gods had be high-tier Gods. Overnight, the overall prowess of Dusklight City had grown more than it had in the past thirty years. This caused a temporary vacuum of spiritual energy to appear above the city. Be it humans, divine beasts, or even artifacts, those who had listened to Zhang Xuans lecture were deeply inspired by his words, and they had grown in one way or another. As a result, his reputation had soared right to the top, earning him a loyal following. Of course, none of this meant much to Zhang Xuan. Such things had happened so many times that he did not even pay much heed to it anymore. As the spatial turbulence finally faded, the group left the Teleportation Formation and looked toward Royal City. At a nce, it was clear that Royal City was many timesrger than Dusklight City, and the buildings around were much grander and more exquisite. Naturally, the streets were crowded as well, but not to the extent of being as packed as Dusklight City. The streets were generally clean, and the positioning of the buildings made sense as well. This hinted that the city had been governed well. Looking toward the sky, there were all sorts of divine beasts flying around. However, what was even more mystifying were the massive mountains shrouded amid clouds floating in the air. It was as if one had stepped away from reality and into a fantasy world. Those who are able to reside on the divine mountains above Royal City are mainly those from major ns and powers. Almost all these ns and powers are headed by high-tier Celestial Gods and above, Qi Ling-er exined. High-tier Celestial Gods... As expected of Royal City, its indeed a frightening ce, Zhang Jia muttered to itself. Even while it was still a high-tier God, it was able to do as it pleased in Twilight City, disregarding even the city lord. But Royal City was simply filled with so many experts that it would have to lie low if it wanted to survive. Putting everything aside, just by scanning its surroundings, it was already able to find five divine beasts that were more powerful than it. It immediately reined in its bulging pride and quieted down. This was kind of simr to a nouveau riche walking into high society for the very first time. Only upon seeing how rich the rich truly were would one realize that one was nothing special at all. Whats there to fear? Brother Sun is here with you! Its only a matter of time before we conquer Drifting Specter Royal City together! Sun Qiang said with a confident smile as he hooked his arm around Zhang Jias neck. Those words made Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitch a little. Every time Sun Qiang said those words, he would have a premonition that trouble was trailing not too far away from him. Zhang Jia coldly pushed Sun Qiangs arm away from him before turning to the small Little Chick sitting atop Zhang Xuans shoulder and smiling fawningly. Boss, is there anything I can do for you? Without even looking at it, Little Chick replied nonchntly, I want to die. Do you want to die with me? Zhang Xuan covered his face from sheer embarrassment. Just what mess of a group did hend himself in? With a deep sigh, he decided to ignore this bunch of entrics and turned to Qi Ling-er instead. Lets find a ce to stay. Do you have any suggestions? He would not mind living in a shabby ce if he was all alone, but with his parentsing around with him, he was determined to at least find a decent ce so that they could have a good rest. Even though the Teleportation Formation was nearly instantaneous and his parents were protected by the Province Lord Tokens, the Xingmeng Sword Saints still inevitably sustained some damage due to their low cultivation realm. I spent most of my younger years living in the Qi ns manor, and I left Royal City as soon as I came of age, Qi Linger replied awkwardly. Since thats the case, lets just find any suitable ce! Zhang Xuan replied. Even though Qi Ling-er came from one of the major ns in Royal City, her standing was not high enough to allow her to bring an outsider back with her. Furthermore, most major ns were bound to have many rules, and that would be very stifling to them. It would be much morefortable and convenient for them to find their own ce. As travelers frequently dropped by Royal City, it was quite easy for them to secure amodation. In less than two hours, they were able to find a satisfactory residence. The only issue was that the price was much higher than the one they had lived in back at Twilight City. Fortunately, the cost was still within Zhang Xuans spending power. Here are fifty Beauty Pills. I need you to help me sell them one way or another. At the same time, I hope that you can help me look into all news regarding the Spirit God, Zhang Xuan said as he passed several bottles of God Essence Pills over. Along the way, he used the money that he had earned previously to buy more low-tier God Essence Pills. To him, the Beauty Pill was as good as free money. All he needed was a surge of his zhenqi. Alright, Qi Ling-er replied as she left the courtyard. Following which, Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and sent a telepathic message to him. I need you to investigate the current political situation in Royal City. While youre on it, I want you to look into Lu Chong as well. He was taken away by Demon Monarch Qiankun, so he should be somewhere in the city at the moment... Shortly after Lu Chongs breakthrough on the Celestial Mountain, he had been taken away by Demon Monarch Qiankun of the Sky of Drifting Specter. Given so, he should be in Royal City at the moment. I understand. Sun Qiang nodded before leaving the residence. After they left, Zhang Xuan helped to settle his parents in their rooms before returning to his room. He sat down on the chair, took out the crimson pendant hanging around his neck, and fondled it quietly. Where are you, Ruoxin? What is your identity in the Firmament? Through his interaction with Luo Ruoxin, he could tell that her standing should be rather high in the Firmament. Otherwise, she would not have been so prudent around him. Perhaps I could try to figure something out from this droplet of blood, Zhang Xuan thought as he looked at the crimson fluid flowing within the pendant. The pendant had been given to him by Luo Ruoxin. He was not sure if the blood inside was really hers, but even if it was not, it was likely a vital clue that would lead him to her. Let me give it a try... In the past, he had been unable to channel the powers in the blood due to hiscking strength. However, with his physical body, soul, and zhenqi cultivation reaching high-tier God, he should finally be able to do it. He quickly set up a formation within his room before finally floating the pendant at the very center. Then, he began to channel his consciousness into the pendant. The exterior of the pendant seemed to be made of some sort of incredibly resilient crystal, such that he could not break it even with his current strength. Fortunately, his consciousness was still able to seep through it, albeit with some difficulty. It did not take long for his consciousness to finally arrive before the droplet of blood. The droplet of blood sat quietly within the pendant, not revealing the slightest hint of power. If not for all the times it had saved Zhang Xuan in the past, he might have been duped by its seemingly ordinary appearance. Determined to get to the bottom of this, he pushed consciousness toward the droplet of blood. Boom! As soon as his consciousness came into contact with it, his body jolted in astonishment. A familiar aura shrouded his body, and the words that he had heard shortly after his transcension to the Master Teacher Continent sounded in his mind. The callous heavens regard all beings as nothing more than straw dogs. The sun sets, and the moon wanes. The heavens are imperfect... The arrogant heavens dictate the rules of the world, enforcing order upon all beings... Impartially, the heavens assess all beings on the path to enlightenment... Boom! As those voices sounded in Zhang Xuans head, the Library of Heavens Path in his head suddenly jolted. The world spun around him before everything went dark. Peng! He copsed from the chair he was sitting on and fainted. Straw dogs are basically dogs made out of straw, and they serve as ceremonial objects in ancient China.... A meaningful quote from Wikipedia regarding the topic from Su Zhe:... The heavens are not partial. They do not kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness. We do the same when we make straw dogs to use in sacrifices. We dress them up and put them on the altar, but not because we love them. And when the ceremony is over, we throw them into the street, but not because we hate them. Chapter 2145 - The Firmament’s Master Teacher Pavilion

Chapter 2145 The Firmaments Master Teacher Pavilion

In his groggy state, Zhang Xuan vaguely saw himself standing on top of a cloud. His surroundings werepletely empty, and there was nothing to be seen. The cloud wandered freely along with the wind, embarking on a journey with no start and no end. When he took a closer look though, he realized that he was mistaken. There was another silhouette standing on the cloud as well. That silhouette was gazing upon on the humongous world beneath them, a world filled with countless gods and magnificent buildings. However, it was also apletely still world. Nothing was moving or breathing at all. It felt like the entire world was holding its breath for something to arrive. Elder... Perplexed, Zhang Xuan walked over to the silhouette doubtfully. Those at his cultivation realm would rarely dream. He himself had only dreamt once ever since transcending over to this world. So, he had a feeling that there was a deeper reason as to why he was seeing such a sight before his eyes. The silhouette neither spoke nor looked at him. Instead, a voice echoed right within his head. You didnt let me down. You were able to forge your own path forward with your own strength. Follow the path you have chosen for yourself, and you should be able to climb higher and higher. But you might need to hurry up a little. I cant hold on for too long. One more thing. Try to create more Heavens Parchment, and you should be able to receive something that will help you on your journey... Boom! Before the silhouette could finish speaking, Zhang Xuans body suddenly surged forward, and the scenery around him vanished. His eyes opened, and he realized that he was back in his room. It was almost as if it was all a hallucination. Whats going on? It was a brief encounter, but everything felt so real to him. He found himself unable to discern what was real and what was not anymore. Even though his cultivation was not too high, he was protected by the Library of Heavens Path, and his willpower and soul were extraordinarily powerful as well. This had allowed him to remain unfazed by most inner demons and illusions. Yet, his senses and mind were confused by what he had seen. Furthermore, who could that silhouette be? He seemed to know about the existence of the golden page too. Is he Kong shi? As far as he knew, the only ones who knew about the golden page and the Library of Heavens Path were Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi. He was unable to clearly distinguish the appearance and physique of the silhouette, but he could vaguely tell that the other party was male. Since that was the case, the silhouette was very likely the Worlds Teacher! He mentioned that he cant hold on for too long... Does that refer to his fight against the monarch of the Sky of Freedom? Shortly after he arrived in the Firmament, he had heard that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and the monarch of the Sky of Freedom were going to have a final showdown. They were both top-notch experts of the Firmament, so the oue was impossible for anyone to predict. Regardless of whether I am right or not, its true that Im too weak at the moment. Those things are still too far away for me to get involved with at the moment... As a high-tier God, even dealing with a middle-tier Celestial God would pose difficulties to him, let alone the God Kings and God Monarchs. Even if he looked for Kong shi, there was nothing he could do to help thetter. He might even drag thetter down instead. What he should be focusing on was raising his cultivation and looking for Ruoxin. Shaking those thoughts out of his mind, he turned his focus to his Library of Heavens Path. The earlier jolt from the Library of Heavens Path had caused him to lose consciousness, so he was anxious to check if there was any changes to it. But after examining the area for a while, he was unable to find anything different. It did not seem like the earlier incident had made any changes to it at all; it looked the exact same as before. However, there was one thing he remembered clearly from the earlier exchange, and that was regarding the golden page. The golden page was a weapon that harnessed the power of the heavens. After entering the Firmament, the Library of Heavens Path would have stolen a fragment of the powers from the heavens of the Firmament, thus significantly enhancing the might of the golden page. With it, perhaps with the exception of God Monarchs, he should be able to deal with even God Kings and Conferred God Kings easily. If he could just gather a bunch of them, he would pretty much be the most powerful cultivator in the Firmament aside from the God Monarchs. With those thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan tucked his pendant beneath his robe and stood up. The earlier experience had made him realize that he was not strong enough to examine the origin of the crimson pendant yet, so he decided to postpone the matter. He pushed the door to his courtyard open and walked into the courtyard, and it was only then that he realized that he had actually been unconscious for four hours. Sun Qiang had already finished his investigation and was waiting outside to report the matter. Young Master! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang quickly passed a jade token over. Zhang Xuan took the jade token and scanned the contents inside with his consciousness. The information within described the current political situation and power distribution within Drifting Specter Royal City, making it highly confidential information. Without a doubt, the most powerful expert in Royal City was Demon Monarch Qiankun, who was one of the Nine Monarchs. Demon Monarch Qiankun had no interest in secr matters, let alone governing his territory, and he spent most of his time cooped up inside the Qianyuan Hall of his Qiankun Divine Pce. As such, barely anyone had seen him in person before. Directly beneath him were the three Conferred God Kings, namely the old ancestor of Qi Ling-ers Qi n, Qi Meng; the old ancestor of the Shangguan n, Shangguan Wufeng; and the old ancestor of the Nangong n, Nangong Ping! Forty years prior, Nangong Pings body and soul had been crushed by a single blow from the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, resulting in his premature demise. However, his descendants had used the Netherworld Pool to nourish his fragmented soul, and over the past few decades, he had managed to regain his consciousness. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he made aeback. Furthermore, there were two other God Kings to hold the fort for the Nangong n, so their position remained unwavering. As for the matter regarding Young Master Lu Chong, as this issue directly concerns Demon Monarch Qiankun, I wasnt able to gather any news at the moment... However, I did manage to figure out where Demon Monarch Qiankun lives. He resides in the floating Qiankun Pce that is located right above the center of Royal City! Sun Qiang said. I think that its highly likely that he will have taken Young Master Lu Chong there if he intends to personally groom him. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. His students had been practicing the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art right from the start, and that had allowed them to build up a strong foundation. Furthermore, they had a deepprehension of battle techniques, which granted them superior fighting prowess over their counterparts in the Firmament. It was only natural for them to catch the eye of God Monarch experts. Given that Demon Monarch Qiankun had left those words personally on the Celestial Mountain, it was unlikely for him to renege on his words and mistreat Lu Chong. So, he did not think that Lu Chong was in danger at the moment. Nevertheless, as Lu Chongs teacher, he still could not help but be worried, so he wanted to know how Lu Chong was faring at the moment. After all, he did not know the God Monarchs personally, so he had no way of gauging their characters. If his students were really suffering under the God Monarchs, he would have to find a way to save them. Is Qi Ling-er back yet? Not yet. However, she had her attendant inform us that she has managed to sell thirty Beauty pills so far, and the money has been deposited into your card. As for the matter concerning the Spirit God, there hasnt been any progress yet, Sun Qiang said. Zhang Xuan took out the card that Qi Ling-er had given him previously and scanned its contents with his consciousness. As expected, there was a change with the numbers reflected inside. The money inside had nearly depleted due to his many purchases over the past day, but at this moment, the number had risen to over 45,000 Divine Coins. ording to his quick math, it meant that each Divine Pill was being sold at around 1,500 Divine Coins. Even while they were in Twilight City, the demand for the Beauty Pill had been explosive. Given that they were in Royal City, where the most affluent cultivators of the Sky of Drifting Specter resided, the demand for the pills was bound to be even higher. The only issue that Qi Ling-er had to consider was how she wanted to start the market for the Beauty Pills here. But again, this was not an issue that he needed to be worried about. All he was responsible for was infusing his Heavens Path zhenqi into the God Essence Pills. Hearing that Qi Ling-er still had no news about Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to leave the residence anymore. So, he returned to his room to reinforce his cultivation. A nightter, he managed to recover from the side effects resulting from the Library of Heavens Paths jolt. While he had not managed to advance his cultivation, his fighting prowess grew a fair bit. Its a pity that I havent managed toe up with the Celestial God realm cultivation technique of my Pathos of Heaven... He had not been cking the past few days. He had spent any free time refining his cultivation technique. But even though he had already identified a direction he wanted to work toward, creating a brand-new cultivation technique from scratch was still no easy feat. As a result, despite being only a small push away from a breakthrough, he was still unable to take that final step forward. I need more information. If I could gather the Celestial God realm Heavens Path Divine Art, I should be able to figure something out... If he relied solely on himself, he would need at least a months time in order to figure things out. However, if he couldpile the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art manual, he felt like he would be able to put the missing puzzle pieces together andplete his cultivation technique. So, he walked out of his room and looked for Sun Qiang. Is there a Master Teacher Pavilion in Drifting Specter Royal City? The Master Teacher Pavilion was known for generously sharing knowledge back on the Master Teacher Continent. Furthermore, it regarded the bonds between a teacher and a student very highly. If he could find a talented student while he was there and impart some cultivation techniques to him, he might just be able to invoke the creation of a golden page. It was previously banned in Royal City, but after the fight between the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and Demon Monarch Qiankun, they were allowed to create an official branch here. Its just that the students they take in tend to be less talented than the students in the other academies of the Sky of Drifting Specters, Sun Qiang replied. That being said, I heard that the master teachers there are highly capable individuals. Despite thecking talent of their students, the master teachers are still able to groom them into cultivators on par with the students of the other academies. For this reason, most people send their less talented offspring over to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Master teachers were known for their ability to identify the individual strengths of a student and craft a lesson n tailored for them, thus allowing the individual to grow swiftly. As a result, even if the student was untalented, as long as they were willing to put in hard work, there was still a good chance that they could do well in the future. Bring me over to take a look! Hearing that there was a Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan immediately instructed Sun Qiang to lead the way there. Even though the Sky of Drifting Specter no longer discriminated against the master teachers, it was inevitable that the Master Teacher Pavilion in Royal City was not as grand as those on the Master Teacher Continent. Master teacher was just another ordinary upation here, and in terms of standing, it might even be beneath cksmiths and apothecaries. As such, the scale of their branches was much smaller, too. Looking at the ordinary wooden doors and humble building, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head. Even though Kong shi had defeated Demon Monarch Qiankun, and the Master Teacher Pavilion had shown significant results over the years, it was still viewed as an unorthodox organization. Many viewed it as inferior to ordinary academies. Are the two of you here to listen to Fan Zheoshis lessons? As soon as they walked through the wooden doors, a young man quickly walked up to them and weed them with a warm smile. Fan Zheoshi? Ah, it must be your first time in our Master Teacher Pavilion. Fan Zheoshi is a middle-tier Celestial God realm master teacher, as well as the star teacher of our Master Teacher Pavilion. His lessons are deeply insightful. However, due to some parents questioning his abilities a while back, he decided to make the lecture today open to the parents as well. If you wish to join the lecture, I can take you over, the young man replied. What is the topic of the lesson? Zhang Xuan asked. Middle-tier Celestial Gods could be considered experts in the Firmament, but if the content of the lecture was unsuited to him, there was no need for him to waste his time there. The topic for today is about making a breakthrough to the Celestial God realm, as well as an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of Celestial Gods and an evaluation on their true fighting prowess! the young man replied. Oh? If thats the case, Im interested in listening to the lecture, Zhang Xuan replied. The lecture sounded like something he needed at the moment. He might just find some inspiration from it. The lecture is free for the parents of the students, but otherwise, youll have to pay an entrance fee of ten Divine Coins, the young man said as he took out two tickets. The price appeared to be exorbitant, but it was expected given that it was a lecture by a middle-tier Celestial God. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan signaled for Sun Qiang to pay. After that, the two of them followed the young man toward the lecture hall. Along the way, Zhang Xuan examined the interior of the Master Teacher Pavilion. He really had to say that this building was much shabbier than the magnificent Master Teacher Pavilions on the Master Teacher Continent. On top of that, the atmosphere was not too lively. Just as Sun Qiang had mentioned, most of the students were not too talented, and a significant number of them were either crippled or wounded. It was not easy for Kong shi to initiate change in the Firmament when most territories were already under the rule of the Nine God Monarchs. The lecture hall was in a corner of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Zhang Xuan pushed open the doors of the lecture hall and walked in. There were both students and parents seated inside, and all in all, there seemed to be roughly fifty people. A spirited old man was standing on top of the stage located at the front of the lecture hall. His aura felt pure, and even by looking at him from afar, his presence felt imposing. Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang traded gazes before heading toward the seats demarcated on their tickets. After waiting roughly ten minutes, Fan Zheoshi looked at the time before saying, Well be starting the lesson now! Chapter 2146 - Incompetence

Chapter 2146 Ipetence

For this lesson, Ill be talking about the crux to bing a Celestial God. This is a hurdle that many cultivators have stumbled on, but if they are able to ovee it, their life will undergo a transformative change. They will be able to be city lords in some of the minor cities, and even if we are just looking at the Royal City, its the minimum requirement for one to be a leader in the City Guards! As ismonly known, there are two main routes to bing a Celestial God. The first way is through a pure bloodline. With a pure bloodline, even if one doesnt cultivate much, one will still be able to make a breakthrough easily. An example would be the experts of the Dragon Tribe in the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Those possessing the core bloodline will be able to be a Celestial God upon maturity, and thats why they are the envy of most human cultivators. The same goes for the first generation of descendants from a Conferred God King. They are set to be Celestial Gods upon adulthood. For the second generation, the probability falls to ny percent, and for the third generation, the probability falls further to eighty percent... Basically, going down the lineage, the bloodline will be thinner and thinner, till the chances of bing a Celestial God are no different from those of any other cultivator. Ones bloodline is determined at birth, and nothing will change that. So, most cultivators can only rely on the second method to make a breakthroughcultivation. There is no denying that cultivating to be a Celestial God is fraught with difficulty, and Im sure most of you can agree with me on this. Not only must the cultivator find a cultivation technique suited to themself, they must also have unyielding determination and confidence, as well as plenty of fortuitous encounters. All in all, less than a one in a hundred high-tier Gods are able to make a breakthrough to Celestial God. For this reason, every Celestial God didnte about easily. So, Ill first touch on some of the conventional methods that high-tier Gods use in order to advance their cultivation... Fan Zhe began his lecture. After listening for a moment, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in agreement. Even though the lesson prepared by Fan Zhe was a little too technical, which could easily bore a person, the knowledge that he was imparting was spot-on. He conveyed the full picture before going down into the specifics, and he was very thorough in his information. For those who were already close to his breakthrough, there was no doubt that his lessons would be very inspirational. Zhang Xuan was able to gain a more thorough grasp of what bing a Celestial God meant after listening to the lecture for a while. But beyond that, most of what that was covered were things that he already knew. So, he felt that there was no point in him staying and listening anymore. So, he got to his feet in preparation to leave the lecture hall, only to see the tightly sealed doors being sted open the next moment. Pah! Following that, two figures walked into the lecture hall. The figure walking in front was a middle-aged man. He had a towering stature, and he was dressed in silver armor. His movements were very disciplined, and his eyes instinctively scanned through the interior of the room with rational coldness. With just a nce, it was obvious that he was a soldier who had been through the battlefield. Behind him was a slim young man with a pale face. His aura felt withered, a sign that he had sustained severe internal injuries. Even though his life did not seem to be at risk, the traumas that he had sustained so far would probably make it difficult for him to advance his cultivation any further in the future. Its a Silver Armored General of the military! One must be a middle-tier Celestial God at the very minimum to be a Silver Armored General, right? Thats not all. On top of possessing powerful cultivation, one must disy superior fighting prowess and rue a great deal of merit in the military... Why would such a figuree here? Its his son. His son has very poor talent in cultivation, resulting in him being rejected by all academies in Royal City. In view of that, he decided to ce his son under Fan Zheoshis tutge... Hushed discussions echoed around the room. Silver Armored General? Zhang Xuan murmured as he assessed the middle-aged man before him. Indeed, he could sense tremendous power pulsating within the other partys body. In terms of fighting prowess, he would indeed be much more powerful than Ming Laixiang and the others. You are Fan Zhe? The Silver Armored General walked right to the center of the lecture hall and red at Fan Zhe with narrowed eyes. One could clearly sense the billowing rageing from his presence. Yes. May I help you? Fan Zhe replied. You ipetent teacher! Today, Ill teach you a lesson for leading my son astray! With a furious roar, the Silver Armored General leaped forth and threw out a punch right toward Fan Zhe. Pah pah pah! Even while he was in the midst of his movement, the might of his punch had alreadypressed the surrounding air tightly to the point that a shockwave rippled all over the room. You... Taken aback, Fan Zhe immediately retreated fearfully. Padah! The shockwave of the punch was so great that it crushed the nearby wooden podium. rmed, Fan Zhe quickly raised up his arm to counterattack, but recalling the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he gritted his teeth and assumed a defensive posture instead. Peng! He was struck square in his chest, causing his back to m into the wall. At the same time, fresh blood spurted from his lips. In terms of strength, he was probably on par with the Silver Armored General. However, perhaps due to his experience on the battlefield, the Silver Armored Generals attacks carried extreme aggression and bloodthirst that made him difficult to defend against. It was like facing a frenzied beast. Hold it right there! If you have any problems, we can always talk it out. What are you doing? This is against thew! At this moment, the others in the lecture hall finally recovered from their shock. A few parents immediately rushed forward to hold the Silver Armored General back. Infuriated, the Silver Armored General bellowed, What the hell do you all think you are doing? This ipetent teacher is not worthy of living on the face of this world! Struggling to his feet, Fan Zhe quickly took two deep breaths to recover a bit of his energy before turning to face the Silver Armored General. Excuse me, parent, but even if you wish to kill me, you should at least let me know what I have done wrong and give me a chance to make amends! He was certain that he had never seen the middle-aged man before him before. On the other hand, the Silver Armored General grew even more enraged upon realizing that Fan Zhe was not aware of his misdeeds. He pointed at the severely injured young man behind him and questioned, You dont even know what you have done wrong? Humph! Do you acknowledge that my son, Zhuo Yan, is your student? Fan Zhe nodded in response. Its out of trust for you that I entrusted my son to you, but what did you do? Instead of teaching him well, you forced him to attend additional supplementary ss after formal lessons and charged him for it. I understand that you might have some urgent need for money, so I can still turn a blind eye to that, but the least you should do is teach him properly! Yet, you imparted an erroneous cultivation technique to him, causing his cultivation to go berserk. How can you have the face to continue living in this world? the Silver Armored General roared in fury. Zhuo Yans cultivation went berserk? Fan Zhe was taken aback. He quickly turned to look at the young man and swiftly noticed that there was something amiss about his internal injuries. There were indeed hints of his cultivation having gone berserk. He shook his head in disbelief and said, What I taught him were rudimentary cultivation techniques, so theres no way there could be any mistakes with them. How did things turn out like this? Enduring the pain from his injuries, Fan Zhe walked over to Zhuo Yan and ced his fingers on thetters pulse. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan, who had been nning to leave earlier, decided to stay back and see how this matter turned out. He could not help but recall how his previous self had imparted the wrong knowledge to a student, causing thetters cultivation to go berserk. However, back on the Master Teacher Continent, the standing of teachers was so high that even the parents would have to think twice before confronting a teacher. Yet, the Silver Armored General had barged right into the Master Teacher Pavilion to beat the star teacher up... It seemed like the standing of master teachers was not too high here. Perhaps it was because Kong shi had only been in the Firmament for a few decades. If his heritage was passed down for another thousand years or so, people might start to recognize the value of master teachers and view them with greater respect. That being said, if what the Silver Armored General said was true, Fan Zhe would have infringed on the principles of a master teacher. A teacher should be willing to impart knowledge to their students, but Fan Zhe had intentionally held back his lessons and forced his students to pay for supplementary lessons in order to acquire greater wealth for himself. Looking at this matter from a moral standpoint, Fan Zhe was indeed unqualified to be a teacher. It was not to say that teachers should bepletely selfless and devoid of greed, but at the very least, they should uphold a basic level of professionalism. Their need for money should not be a reason for them to neglect their responsibilities. His cultivation has really gone berserk, Fan Zhe muttered with a frown. Its good that you have finally admitted it. Ill kill you today and rid the world of an ipetent teacher! Hearing those words, the Silver Armored General immediately threw another punch. Calm down, calm down! The other parents quickly tried to pull him back in order to stop him from doing anything reckless. This was Drifting Specter Royal City, the territory where Demon Monarch Qiankun lived. All who lived in the same city would do well to heed his orders, and this was including the God Kings, or else they might very well be obliterated. Zhuo Yans father, please calm down. It is impossible for there to be anything wrong with what I imparted to him. The reason his cultivation went berserk must be due to some mistake he made in his cultivation. Lets first find out the reason behind this matter and resolve the problem, alright? Fan Zhe said with a wave of his hand. After that, he turned to the young man. Tell me what happened before your cultivation went berserk in detail... Yesterday, after going through your supplementary lesson, I returned home and cultivated as you taught me... and somehow, everything just turned out like that! The young mans body trembled as he spoke. This happened after you followed my cultivation technique? Tell me what you did step by step, Fan Zhe instructed. Just as you said, I channeled my divine energy through the Nascent Helios Three Focused Meridians in my hands before directing them toward the Chongyang Acupoint... In the end, I converged it together in the dantian! The young man quickly went through the cultivation technique he had been taught. Hearing the story, Zhang Xuan frowned once more. What Zhuo Yan had just described was a cultivation technique for low-tier Gods to advance to middle-tier Gods. As he hadpiled the Heavens Path Divine Art for it, he was extremely familiar with it. While the method that Zhuo Yan had described was vastly inferior to the Heavens Path Divine Art, for an ordinary cultivator, it was quite a decent one. There were not too many mistakes with it, and generally speaking, it could be said to be almost foolproof. Using such a method, as long as Zhuo Yan could gather sufficient divine energy, it should not be too difficult for him to make a breakthrough. So, how did his cultivation go berserk? Furthermore, judging from the severity of his injuries, it seemed to be quite a severe case. There shouldnt have been any mistakes... Fan Zhe was thinking that Zhuo Yan might have remembered the cultivation technique incorrectly, resulting in him making a fatal error in the midst of his cultivation. But contrary to what he thought, Zhuo Yans description was all correct. This left Fan Zhe deeply bewildered. It was a major sin for a teacher to cause a students cultivation to go berserk. Even if he was a master teacher, this was not a sin that he could bear. If theres no mistake, how could my sonnd in such a state? Its clearly your ipetence that led to such an oue! the Silver Armored General shouted furiously. Please calm down. Lets see if we can treat your son first, Fan Zhe said as he channeled his divine energy into Zhuo Yans body to take a closer look. Zhuo Yans cultivation had indeed gone berserk, and based on the injuries the young man had sustained, the culprit seemed to be the cultivation technique that he had imparted to the young man... To put it in other words, he did not teach the cultivation technique incorrectly, and Zhuo Yan did not practice the cultivation technique incorrectly, but somehow, Zhuo Yans cultivation simply went berserk. Just what could have gone wrong? Fan Zhe was at aplete loss. He had been a master teacher for fifteen years now, and he had at least taught eight thousand students to date. This was the first time that he had encountered such a bizarre situation. Unable to find an answer, he turned to the student behind him and instructed, Invite Physician Yu Feng here! Physician Yu Feng is one of the more famous physicians in Royal City. He should be able to resolve this problem easily. As long as we can identify the root cause, it shouldnt be too difficult for us to resolve the problem! Lets treat your son first. We have plenty of time to discuss the reason for your sons cultivation going berserk once hes well. Indeed. That being said, I must say that Fan Zhe has really failed as a teacher. Instead of teaching well during ss, he chose to extend his lessons into supplementary sses in order to earn extra ie. I have long heard of that. If not for the fact that my daughter is under his tutge as well, I would have taught him a lesson myself. Its only out of fear that he would shortchange my daughter that I am holding myself back. Otherwise, if he just misleads my daughter, her future would be ruined! I heard that he sells priority seats in his ssroom as well. Parents have to pay an additional sum in order to secure front seats for their children... Chapter 2147 - Zhang Xuan’s Intervention

Chapter 2147 Zhang Xuans Intervention

The discussions of the crowd made Zhang Xuans frown even deeper. If what the crowd was saying was true, it really meant that Fan Zhe was unqualified to be a master teacher no matter how formidable he was as a teacher. Judge a person by his principles first, then capabilities. Back on the Master Teacher Continent, there was a culture where teachers were viewed with great respect, and they were expected to conduct themselves in a noble and selfless manner. Under such influence, over the course of tens of thousands of years, even though they had strayed a little from their primary cause, most master teachers still took pride in what they did, never stooping below a certain level. Fan Zhe, on the other hand, had chosen to abandon his responsibilities andpromise his professionalism so that he could earn some extra money. While he should be paying heed to what his students really needed, his mind was filled with ideas on how he could mize his lessons so as to squeeze as much as he could out of his students... It was no wonder the Silver Armored General lost his temper and got violent with Fan Zhe even though he would be infringing thews by doing so. It was through selflessly giving their all to their students that the master teachers were able to earn the respect of the masses back on the Master Teacher Continent... With what Fan Zhe was doing, even if he was truly a person with great capabilities, it was inevitable that others would look down on him. The crowd did not intentionally lower their volume, so Fan Zhe heard their words loud and clear. His face immediately flushed red in agitation. He wanted to refute their words and tell them that they were wrong, but he was unable to do so. This carried on for a very long time until an old man walked into the lecture. Physician Yu Feng. Let me take a look at the patient! Without bothering with any pleasantries, Yu Feng walked right up to Zhuo Yan and examined his condition. Slowly, his expression turned grim. He has sustained significant injuries to his organs, and his meridians have been severely damaged. Its good that you have treated him in time so as to prevent his condition from deteriorating any further, but his divine energy has already scattered all over his body. To make an analogy, the dam that has been keeping his powers in check has crumbled, causing his energy to scatter everywhere. Im afraid that itll be hard for him to make a recovery... Those words made Fan Zhes eyebrows shoot up. If Zhuo Yan could be treated, there was a chance that he might still be able to cate the Silver Armored General. However, if Yu Fengs diagnosis was spot-on, he would really be in deep trouble. If this matter blew up, there was no way he could remain in Royal City as a master teacher anymore. You b*stard of a teacher! Even if the military punishes me for this, I swear that Ill tear you apart today! Yu Fengs diagnosis reignited the rage burning in the Silver Armored Generals chest. With a furious roar, he threw a punch with frightening momentum. Even though his son wascking in talent, he still had great expectations in him. He hoped that thetter could be a respected figure in the city as well. It was for this reason that he had made the decision to send his son over to the Master Teacher Pavilion. No matter what, his son had still inherited his genes. As long as his son was willing to put in hard work, even if he could not be a Celestial God in the end, he should still be able to be a high-tier God eventually and live an ample life... But this... He had spent huge sums of money only to have this scoundrel Fan Zhe ruin his sons future! How could he ept this? Peng! Fan Zhe swiftly raised his arms to protect himself, but the imposing might of the other partys fist still knocked him back several steps, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth once more. Dont treat me as a pushover just because Ive been holding back all this time! Fan Zhe bellowed as he began driving his divine energy. He knew that this matter could not be resolved amicably anymore, and he might really lose his life if this went on. So, he had made up his mind to retaliate. As a middle-tier Celestial God realm master teacher, while his fighting experience paled inparison to the Silver Armored General, his fighting prowess was still not to be underestimated. Peng peng! The two of them rushed at one another and exchanged blows, only to find that they were equally matched with one another. The rebound caused both of them to retreat simultaneously, and the shockwave shattered many chairs in the room. I swear on my familys name that Ill send you down the pits of hell today! the Silver Armored General roared ferociously. Facing such a tenacious opponent, Fan Zhe did not dare to hold back at all. He quickly took out his sword and drove his divine energy to its limits. Just as the two of them were about to go for a second round, a voice sounded by the side. Please hold it a moment. Could you allow me to examine the condition of the wounded young man over there to see if I am able to treat him before the two of you continue with your fight? Everyone quickly turned their sights over, only to see a young man walking over with a plump man following behind him. You wish to treat him? His meridians have already deviated as a result of his cultivation going berserk. How do you intend to treat him? Yu Feng harrumphed. You are... Fan Zhe asked doubtfully upon seeing that someone actually dared to step up at such a juncture. I am Zhang Xuan. I have dabbled in medicine a little in my pastime. While my skills may pale inparison to Physician Yu Feng, I have experience treating a cultivator whose cultivation went berserk. I think I know of a way to treat that young man, Zhang Xuan said. He could tell that someone would really be killed at this rate, so he could not help but step forward. He did not like getting involved in matters that did not concern him, but no matter what, he still identified himself as a master teacher. After hearing about what Fan Zhe had done, he felt deeply ufortable leaving things as they were. After saying those words, he walked straight up to Zhuo Yan without bothering to wait for the responses of those two. Zhuo Yan appeared to be seventeen or eighteen this year, but his face was a slightly sickly yellow color. Due to the immense pain he was in, his face was covered in cold sweat Zhang Xuan ced his finger on the young mans pulse and infused his divine energy into the young mans body to conduct a preliminary scan. A momentter, he retracted his finger. Just as Yu Feng had mentioned earlier, Zhuo Yans cultivation had gone berserk, and that had inflicted tremendous damage to his body. A lot of his meridians had copsed, causing his divine energy to leak all over his body and harm his internal organs. The Silver Armored General had probably used many precious pills in order to prevent his sons condition from deteriorating further. If not for that, his son might have died by now. Given so, it was understandable why the Silver Armored General was so enraged. There was no one in his ce who would not be. Do you have any ideas in mind? the Silver Armored General asked. He did not bear much hope in Zhang Xuan after seeing how young thetter was, but given the state his son was already in, he could only grasp at every straw of hope avable to him. I do have an idea in mind, but its just that... Zhang Xuan spoke hesitantly. Im willing to pay any price as long as you are able to bring my son back to how he was! Misunderstanding the intention behind Zhang Xuans pause, the Silver Armored General immediately took out a card and passed it over. There are one hundred Divine Coins in this card. All I ask of you is to do your best for my son. As long as hes cured, Ill pay you ten times what is already in the card for your service! All in all, the Silver Armored General was offering Zhang Xuan one thousand Divine Coins to cure his son. This was a hefty sum even going by the standards of Drifting Specter Royal City. Those words caused the crowd in the area to gasp in astonishment. I wont be epting your money. Please take it back. Zhang Xuan shook his head. He could understand why Fan Zhe wanted to hold supplementary lessons to build up his wealth. Ever since the receding of spiritual energy, all lifeforms of the Firmament flocked over to the cities, causing housing prices and the average cost of living to rise exponentially. A great amount of money and resources were required if one wanted to live a good life. Furthermore, the parents were often willing to pay more than what was required as long as it was to the benefit of the children, which had led to Fan Zhe sumbing to the temptation. If not for how readily others were giving him things, Fan Zhe probably would not have thought of starting supplementary sses and the like. After rejecting the Silver Armored General, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Zhuo Yan and instructed, Execute a punch. I want to see if you are still able to drive your divine energy. Zhuo Yan was a little hesitant, but seeing that Zhang Xuans attitude was amiable and his eyes were clear, he chose to ensure the pain and raised his arm to execute a punch. Weng! A book waspiled in the Library of Heavens Path. Zhuo Yan, a citizen of Drifting Specter Royal City, low-tier God. Due to a mistake made in his cultivation, his cultivation went berserk... Soon enough, Zhang Xuan finished reading the entire book and shook his head. It turned out that the anger of the Silver Armored General was not unfounded. The reason Zhuo Yan had ended up in his current condition really had much to do with his teacher, Fan Zhe. How is it? the Silver Armored General asked worriedly upon seeing Zhang Xuans response. His condition doesnt look too good, but I think I should be able to cure him, Zhang Xuan replied with a reassuring smile. You are able to cure him? The Silver Armored General slowly widened his eyes before sping his fist together in agitation. Please, save my son. Im willing to do anything for you as long as he can be well again! Theres no need to be so polite. Ill do my best. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out several silver needles before instructing Zhuo Yan, Bear with it and dont resist it by any means. Then, he released all the silver needles into Zhuo Yans acupoints. Thetter was still wondering what was going on when he suddenly felt a numbing sensation washing all over his body. After that, a peculiar energy flowed into his body. As this peculiar energy circted around him, the meridians that had copsed as a result of his cultivation going berserk swiftly reconstructed themselves, reverting to their previous state. This... Zhuo Yan widened his eyes in disbelief. He might be young, but havinge from a generals n, he had seen and heard of many things. With the copse of his meridians after his cultivation went berserk, he subconsciously knew that he was already ruined. Putting aside recovering to his previous state, what he should be worrying about was how long he could live... But with just a few needles, the person before him was actually able to reconstruct his meridians. Not only so, the divine energy that had diffused all over his body was also gradually regathering in his dantian! It was so inconceivable that he could hardly believe that such a thing was really happening to him! The Silver Armored General keenly noticed the bizarre look in his sons eyes after the silver needles were inserted into his body, so he quickly asked worriedly, How are you feeling? Father, I think... I have recovered... As he spoke, the feeble Zhuo Yan slowly stood up and assumed abat pose. Hu hu hu hu! In the blink of an eye, he executed a powerful fist technique that caused wind to blow around the lecture hall. A-are my eyes ying tricks on me? He was able to recover just by putting a few needles into his body? This is unbelievable! I have never seen anything like this before... The crowd was stunned. They had seen the severity of Zhuo Yans condition earlier, and even the esteemed Physician Yu Feng had given a pessimistic diagnosis. They had thought that Zhuo Yan was already crippled for good, but who could have thought that thetter would recover with just a few simple needles? Not only so, it even seemed like the young man was more vigorous than before! This was unbelievable! Brother Zhang, this is... The Silver Armored General was stunned as well. If not for the fact that the patient was his son, and he had tried all sorts of means to cure him, he would really wonder if those two were working together to make a fool out of him! Zhang Xuan stood up and said, I have channeled his diffused divine energy back into his dantian, and I have also repaired his copsed meridians. Fan Zhe and Yu Fengs eyebrows flew around the ce. A persons cultivation going berserk meant that the energy in their body had turned violent and gone into disarray. To be able to tame such violent energy and repair the copsed meridians as well... How in the world was this being done? Since you were able to treat him so quickly, I reckon that you know the reason behind why his cultivation went berserk. I taught him in the same manner as the other students, and none of them have faced any trouble so far. Why would it be different for his case? Fan Zhe asked. If he could not get to the bottom of his matter, he would have to live with thebel of an ipetent teacher. I do know why his cultivation went berserk, Zhang Xuan said. Do you really want to know? Yes, I would like to know. Fan Zhe nodded. The others in the lecture hall also looked over attentively. They also found it hard to believe that a persons cultivation could go berserk just by cultivating the most fundamental cultivation technique. If they could learn the reason behind it, they could take precautions against it in the future. It has something to do with the supplementary lessons you held, Zhang Xuan said. The supplementary lessons? Fan Zhe was confused. Zhang Xuan turned to the Silver Armored General and said, This is my first time meeting this Silver Armored General, but based on what I have observed so far, it seems like you are very anxious to see your son seed in life. You hope that he will be an expert just like you. The middle-aged man nodded in agreement, not denying the matter at all. As a general of Drifting Specter Royal City, he carried great influence and prestige within the city. Everyone thought that his son would move on to do great things as well, but who could have thought that his sons talent would be socking as to be unable to even clear the entrance examinations of most academies? It was inevitable that the Silver Armored General would feel anxious and attempt to push his child forward. The fact that he had sent his child here and had him attend all kinds of supplementary lessons was evidence of that. He hoped that his child could be a Celestial God and carry on the familys name. The Silver Armored General was initially delighted to see his sons cultivation rising to that of a low-tier God, but he did not expect his sons cultivation to go berserk just for a minor breakthrough from low-tier God to middle-tier God, even nearly losing his life. Chapter 2148 - Becoming a Celestial God (1)

Chapter 2148 Bing a Celestial God (1)

The Silver Armored General often followed the military for campaigns, and it just so happened that he had received a short break for thest few days. Thanks to that, he had noticed his sons issue and saved him. If he was outside, it would already have been toote by the time he heard the news. How much self-me would he feel if that had been the case? Just thinking about it left him deeply frightened. That was why he had lost his temper and barged in. From young, Zhang Xuan said, Zhuo Yan has been instilled with the notion that he has to be a Celestial God like you. Despite hiscking talent, he has been enduring all kinds of stress, diligently going through supplementary lesson after supplementary lesson, all in the hope of notgging behind his peers. He might not even have had a single day of rest from cultivation over the years! At the back, Zhuo Yan lowered his head silently. On the other hand, the Silver Armored General spoke up. A cultivator should push himself to the limits when hes young. Whats the use if he only pushes himself when he reaches my age? Im doing this with his future in mind! Furthermore, if he doesnt be a Celestial God, given the lifespan of an average god, it will difficult for him to live past a hundred. My lifespan is a thousand years. Am I to watch helplessly as my young son ages and passes away earlier than me? I am not saying that the ns you have in mind for your son arent justified, but cultivation is not about unending diligence, Zhang Xuan replied. A bnce must be struck in order for one to go further. More than just raising his cultivation, a cultivator must temper his will and his state of mind. If he trudges on without having any time to rest and reflect, it will be hard for him to go beyond a certain point. He could understand the feelings of a parent wanting his child to do well in life. He felt the same way for his direct disciples. However, that was simply infeasible. Doing well in life was often viewed as a rtive term, so it was impossible for everyone to do well together. He has been working hard to meet your expectations, such that he anxiously attempted to make a breakthrough before he could reinforce his cultivation. The overwhelming stress pinned on him weakened his will, preventing him from gathering his focus to ovee the hurdle ahead of him. Furthermore, if I am not mistaken, Fan Zheoshi seems to have said something to him during the supplementary lessons that worsened his stress. Fan Zhe was slightly confused for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened in shock. He has been attending your supplementary lessons for some time now, but he hasnt managed to be a middle- tier God to date, Zhang Xuan said. My guess is that you issued an ultimatum to him, telling him that he has to make a breakthrough by tonight! His will was already worn down from all of the stress around him, and your words were the final straw that crushed him. He lost to his own impatience, causing his inner demons to get the better of him. This resulted in the current situation that we see. The Silver Armored General was silent for a moment before looking at Zhuo Yan with aplicated expression on his face. Is what Brother Zhang said true? He wanted his son to fare well in life, but what was the use if something happened to his son in the process of doing so? Yes... Zhuo Yan meekly looked at his father as he fidgeted a little ufortably. He had never seen such a look on his stern fathers face before, and he was afraid that he would be reprimanded for his weakness. As the person in question, he knew very well how he ended up in his current state. It was exactly as Zhang Xuan had said. The Silver Armored General sighed deeply before speaking in resignation. I wont push you anymore, so dont force yourself to take on more than what you can bear. No matter where you find yourself in the future, so be it. If that was the fate for his son, there was no point forcing it. He was tempted to criticize Fan Zhe for pushing his son so hard, but he realized that he was equally guilty. This made him feel deeply conflicted within. He wondered if what he had been doing all this while was really wrong. Shaking his head, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Brother Zhang, you have saved my son and given him a new life. I, Zhuo Feng, owe you a favor. No matter what you ask of me in the future, even if it costs me my life, Ill do my best to fulfill what you need without a word ofint! General Zhuo, you are too courteous... I didnt help your son with the intention of obtaining anypensation. I just hope that the reputation of master teachers wont be sullied by the fiasco here. I cant say that master teachers are selfless individuals, but they are people who prioritize the welfare of their students above everything. I would be grateful if you dont look at master teachers in a negative light over this isted incident, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He had been a teacher ever since he transcended over to this world, and he hade to view the upation that Kong shi had created with pride. Naturally, he felt ufortable when he saw someone undermining it. Could it be that...Brother Zhang, are you a master teacher as well? Fan Zhe asked. The others also turned their gazes over curiously. They had never seen Zhang Xuan before, but the fact that he could cure Zhuo Yan easily showed that his medicinal skills were above those of Physician Yu Feng. Could he actually be a formidable master teacher? Normal master teachers were nothing much in the Firmament, but the direct disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch were known to be masters of multiple upations. Even though the person standing before them looked young, could he possibly be rted to them in one way or another? You can say so, Zhang Xuan replied frankly. Back on the Master Teacher Continent, he had been known to be the strongest master teacher, and just like Kong shi, he had been dubbed the Worlds Teacher. That being said, the Master Teacher Pavilion in the Firmament probably had its own set of tests in order to assess a persons qualifications as a master teacher, but he had never been through those formal procedures. I see, thats a huge relief. Fan Zhe heaved a sigh of relief. He had caved in to his greed, but he still felt a great attachment to the upation. He remembered the days where he had devoted his all to teaching his students, and he viewed those days as his greatest pride. He was d that Zhang Xuan was around, or else his misdeeds would have left a stain on the reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Fan Zheoshi, may I offer you a suggestion? Zhang Xuan asked. Please feel free to speak. Fan Zhe sped his fist. Despite being weaker than him, the young mans knowledge was far greater than his. Furthermore, the young man had saved him from the dire situation earlier. So, he was willing to heed any advice that the young man had to offer him. Indolence is a natural trait of most cultivators, and that is even more so for youths. Putting the rationale of your actions aside, I dont think that its a bad idea for you to set up supplementary sses so that your students have more time to learn, but rote learning will only grind down their motivation and induce impatience. Eventually, they could walk down the same path as Zhuo Yan, rendering your efforts futile. Fan Zhe was silent for a moment as he reflected upon those words. Then, he raised his gaze and asked, Is there any other way to go about doing it then? There were cases where students had benefited greatly from his supplementary sses, but he had also noticed that there was ack of substantial improvement in most students. He had tried investigating the reason behind it, and the conclusion that he hade to was that they had grown tired of cultivating. But he could think of no way to resolve this issue. Cultivation was meant to be a dull and boring process, and there was no way to circumvent it. As a teacher, you should take the individual traits of each student into consideration and nurture them ordingly. There is no one fixed form that works when ites to teaching; you need to purposefully adapt to the needs of each of your students. Use their unique traits to encourage good learning habits in them and encourage them to ovee their indolence. Once those good habits have been instilled in them, they will be able to find their own way forward, Zhang Xuan said. Use their unique traits to encourage good learning habits... Fan Zhe repeated while nodding slowly. But thats easier said than done! It was no easy feat to get close to a person and understand him, not to mention that he had to take care of dozens of students at once. Even if he wanted to do it, he did not have that much time and energy to spare for everyone. There are limitations to what you can feasibly do, but every small step you take makes a huge difference to the oue. Take Zhuo Yan for example. He has faced great pressure from a young age, and his inability to meet the expectations of those around him shattered his confidence. If you gave him some encouragement, it would help him greatly. At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Zhuo Yan and said, You have also heard what I have just said. While I was checking your body earlier, I found that you arentcking in talent, unlike what you have heard from those around you. On the contrary, your talents far surpass those of most of your peers. Its just that you havent been able to utilize them well. My talents surpass those of most of my peers? Zhuo Yan looked at Zhang Xuan skeptically before shaking his head. However, in the depths of his eyes, there was an unmistakable glimmer of hope. Ever since he was young, he had been described as a wastrel. Any resources that were put into him would just go to waste. Even ordinary academies had turned him away. The views of those around him had shaped his internal perception of himself. As such, he found it hard to ept thepliments of others. I dont speak empty words, so theres no need for you to doubt me. Its the stress that you have been mounting on yourself that fills you with fear, preventing you from making a breakthrough. Listen to my words and open yo Use the method that Fan Zheoshi imparted to you and try to make a breakthrough again... Zhang Xuan had infused the Impartation of Heavens Will in his speech, causing Zhuo Yans emotions to sway along with his words. The young man subconsciously heeded his words and sat down on the floor. His eyes were initially filled with confusion and iprehension, but they gradually grew firm and determined under Zhang Xuans encouragement. Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and began driving his divine energy around his body. Gugugugugu! With a resounding burst, the bottleneck that had restrained him as a low-tier God was sted apart, causing his cultivation to surge all the way up to middle-tier God. In actuality, the perception that others had of Zhuo Yan was not wrong. Zhuo Yan was indeed severelycking in talent, such that it was no exaggeration to say that he was unsuited to be a cultivator. It had probably taken the Silver Armored General Zhuo Feng a lot of resources in order to raise his sons cultivation to low-tier God. There was a good chance that Zhuo Yan might never be a middle-tier God in his entire life. However, while Zhang Xuan was healing his injuries earlier, he had nourished the young mans body with his Heavens Path zhenqi, altering his constitution. As a result, while Zhuo Yans talents still could not be described as top-notch, he would probably be able to stand his ground against most of his peers. What he wascking now was confidence. As long as he could regain his confidence, he should be able to reach considerable heights in the future. Zhang shi, I really dont know how to thank you for your help... The Silver Armored General Zhuo Feng lowered his head in agitation. Its what I should do, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile before falling silent. At this moment, he could not help but think about how humble and low profile he had be ever since severing his clone from himself. This thought left him feeling deeply assured. Hu! A whileter, Zhuo Yan opened his eyes to perceive the raging energy coursing through his body. With reddened eyes, he struggled on the inside for a while before kneeling before Zhang Xuan. Zhangoshi, please take me in as your student! He had been following Fan Zhe for several years now, but the improvement in his cultivation had not been substantial. On the other hand, he had met Zhang Xuan a moment ago, and all of a sudden, he had already made a breakthrough in his cultivation. He realized that this might be the opportunity of a lifetime for him. If he could have such a man as his teacher, his achievements in the future would be boundless. Y-yes, thats right. Zhang shi, I ask of you to take my son as your student! Zhuo Feng hurriedly nodded in agreement. All this while, he had thought that his son was a little slow on the uptake, but it turned out that he was quite sharp-witted when it came to this matter. At the same time, he also switched from using Brother Zhang to Zhang shi as a sign of respect. If you really wish to take me as your teacher, I dont mind taking you in as my student either, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Given that the other party had not built his foundation up well, it was unlikely that he would take the other party as his direct disciple. However, he did not mind taking the other party in as an ordinary student and imparting some knowledge to him. Student Zhuo Yan pays respect to Zhangoshi! Zhuo Yan kneeled to the floor and kowtowed deeply. There was also a distinction between a student and a direct disciple in the Firmament. Even though Zhang Xuan did not take him in as his direct disciple, Zhuo Yan was already d that he had been able to be the student of such a great teacher. Since you address me as your teacher, its only right for me to impart something to you. Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to Zhuo Yan. Ill give you a cultivation technique thats suited for your constitution, and as long as you cultivate it diligently, theres a chance that you might be able to be a Celestial God in the future. He was extremely familiar with the cultivation techniques beneath the Celestial God realm, and while he was checking on Zhuo Yans condition through the Library of Heavens Path earlier, he had already gotten some ideas. It did not take him long to impart a set of cultivation techniques over to Zhuo Yan. After going through the details of the cultivation technique, Zhuo Yans eyes lit up in delight. He quickly bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan once more as a show of gratitude. His cultivation might becking, but that did not hinder the fact that he hade from a rtively prestigious family. He had the opportunity toe into contact with many formidable cultivation techniques, but in terms of ingenuity, none of them came close to what his teacher had just imparted to him! As long as he cultivated it diligently, he should be able to make a breakthrough to high-tier God and reach for higher realms in the near future! The value of such a precious cultivation technique was priceless! To actually bestow such a thing upon him without asking for anypensation... So, this was a true teacher! For the longest of time, he had been viewed as a wastrel in the eyes of others. This was the first time that someone had regarded him so highly, and it left him with mixed feelings. Zhang Xuan walked forward to help the young man up. Weng! At that moment, the Library of Heavens Path suddenly jolted, and a golden page materialized. Seeing this, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. It seemed like his trip to the Master Teacher Pavilion had not been wasted. This golden page would allow him to protect himself against most experts in the Firmament. Not only so,ing into contact with the academies of the Firmaments Master Teacher Pavilions and the teaching style of other master teachers had given him a newfound understanding toward the education and the rtionship between a teacher and a student. 2149 Bing a Celestial God (2) Zhao Ya is proud, so its best to impart knowledge to her in a concise manner. Zheng Yang has a candid and fearless personality, so it works best to get straight to the point with him. Wang Ying is meticulous, so the details are very important to her when ites to learning new things. Yuan Tao is broad-minded and doesnt like the nitty-gritty details, so its better to focus on therger picture when ites to him. As for Liu Yang, he doesnt have any particr strengths or ws, but he has an unyielding heart, simr to that of Zhuo Yan... The personalities of the students he had taken in so far flowed through his head, and a smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips. Lu Chong is resilient and obstinate. Once he decides on something, nothing will be able to shake his determination. Wei Ruyan is cold-natured, and she would only reveal her true feelings to those whom she deems dear to her. The life and death of those outside her circle are not within her consideration at all. Zhang Jiuxiao is a little too eager for sess, but he has matured greatly after bing my student. Kong Shiyaoes from a major n, and that allows her to be able to view things from a higher point of view. Dan Xiaotian is innocent and optimistic. Even in the face of adversity, he is able to persevere on without losing himself. His purity and kindness is a rare gem in the world. Bai Ruanqing is rather simr to Lu Chong in the sense that she has a one-track mind, but unlike him, she does not inhibit her emotions. Instead, she is extremely verbal with her feelings. As a result of that, she rarely holds grudges against others, choosing to embrace hope instead. Every single one of Zhang Xuans students was unique and had their own personality. In view of that, he had created training ns and cultivation techniques tailored to their needs, tutoring them one by one. The time that he had spent with them was limited, but the amount of effort he had spent was them was undeniable. He did not teach them with the intention of getting something back from them in the future. If anything, the bonds that were forged through that was the greatest repayment of all. All he hoped was that they would achieve great things in the future with the knowledge he had imparted to them. This was the true meaning of what it was to be a teacher, as well as the purest form of the rtionship between a teacher and a student. A flower does not drop from the tree because it is heartless. It morphs into spring soil and nourishes the next generation of flowers, Zhang Xuan muttered. Boom! Spiritual energy began surging toward Zhang Xuan at a furious rate, and before anyone knew it, he had already ovee the final bottleneck of a Celestial God. He has be a Celestial God? But he was doing nothing earlier! I went through hell in order to be a Celestial God, but why does it seem to be so easy to him? I wonder what epiphany struck him for him to suddenly make a breakthrough on the spot... Everyone was rendered bbergasted by the sight before them. Bing a Celestial God was a goal that most cultivators had set their eyes upon and devoted their whole life to pursuing. The difficulty of making the breakthrough was no joke at all. Most cultivators needed years of preparation and a mountain of resources in order to attempt a breakthrough, and even so, the process was still fraught with danger. But the young man in front of them had actually made a breakthrough while chatting with them! This must have been the easiest and most anticlimactic breakthrough in the world! Hu! Divine energy flowed through Zhang Xuans meridians like water flowing through a gentle stream, producing a sound reminiscent of a crisp bell. Zhang Xuan was currently in a state ofplex emotions. The purest rtionship between a teacher and a student required both parties to selflessly give their all to each other. Only a bond untouched by greed and other temptations would be able to remain strong and unyielding. At the very beginning, he had only taken Wang Ying and the others as his students to avoid being expelled from the Hongtian Academy. But as he got to know them better, the sentiments he had for them had grown deeper and deeper, and before he knew it, he had already fallen deep into the abyss. For them, he was willing to give his all. But at the same time, his students were willing to sacrifice themselves for his sake as well. This was a bond created by their intertwining sentiments for one another. They did not share blood bonds with one another, but their rtionship had already transcended that. A flower does not drop from the tree because it is heartless. It morphs into spring soil and nourishes the next generation of flowers. As spiritual energy flowed through Zhang Xuans body, his soul, physical body, and zhenqi were being swiftly refined. He quickly swallowed the remaining middle-tier God Essence Pills that he had as well to ensure that he had sufficient energy for the breakthrough. As his cultivation grew, his disposition went through a transformative change. Young Master is still as fierce as before, Sun Qiang remarked proudly. Be it on the Master Teacher Continent, the Azure, or the Firmament, his Young Master was always the brightest star of them all! Like a firefly, he emanated a natural glow that made him the center of attention no matter where he went. There was nothing in this world that could cover his brilliance. Everyone else in the room was also staring at Zhang Xuan with all sorts of expressions on their faces, be it shock, envy, or awe. The person who was the ddest of all in the room was none other than Zhuo Yan. He felt that it was his greatest fortune to have found such a person in his life, and he made up his mind to work hard and never embarrass his teacher in the future. It was this conviction that drove him to climb higher and higher, and he eventually aplished things that even his father had yet to. Even Zhang Xuan himself was slightly surprised when he finally met Zhuo Yan once more. But of course, that was a story to be told for the future. So, this is what a Celestial God is, Zhang Xuan murmured beneath his breath as realization struck him. When he became a god, his zhenqi had adapted to the powers of the Firmament and be divine energy. When he surpassed his limits and became a Celestial God, his divine energy further evolved into celestial energy. This transformation marked a huge difference in terms of power. Celestial Gods were able to tap into a portion of the natural powers of the Firmament. While the amount of power they could call upon was limited, they were already able to hold some sway over their environment. Inparison, gods could only rely on their own cultivation. Zhang Xuan felt his own strength growing. While he would have faced difficulties against a more powerful middle-tier Celestial God in the past, with his current strength, he was confident that he would be able to hold his own ground even against most high-tier Celestial Gods! More importantly, this marked a difference in his level of existence. His lifespan had increased from a hundred years to over a thousand years. A thousand years in the Firmament was equivalent to a million years on the Master Teacher Continent. Not even the history of the Master Teacher Continent went that far back... Looking at this from the perspective of someone on the Master Teacher Continent, he could indeed be considered as an immortal being. With a thought, he converted his consciousness into Spiritual Perception and extended his senses beyond his body, allowing him to clearly perceive everything that was happening within a hundred-meter radius. Having used up thest few middle-tier God Essence Pills that he had with him, he was unable to raise his cultivation any higher. So, he exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes. Once again, he found himselfcking cultivation resources. If he had sufficient God Essence Pills, and he could find a way to raise his physical body and soul cultivation, he would have been able to push his cultivation all the way to high-tier Celestial God and even attempt a breakthrough to God King! While my self-created cultivation techniques allow me to be less reliant on the Library of Heavens Path, at the same time, it has also slowed down my progress. The rate at which I am able to raise my cultivation has decreased significantly, Zhang Xuan thought with a deep sigh. A cultivation technique built around the emotions of life waspletely unheard of in the world. He could not just rely on the wisdom of his predecessors anymore. He would have to forge his own path forward if he wanted to rise to higher realms, but that was much easier said than done. For example, it took him two whole days in order for him to raise his cultivation to the Celestial God realm. In terms of the Master Teacher Continent, that was equivalent to two thousand days or five whole years! He had never been so slow ever since he started cultivating! Ill have to look deeper into what my capabilities as a Celestial God are after I return to the residence, Zhang Xuan thought. His main reason for going to the Master Teacher Pavilion was to browse through their collection of books in hopes of finding impetus for a breakthrough. Unexpectedly, just by intervening in a conflict, he had ended up inspiring himself, allowing him to make a breakthrough. With this, there was no longer any need for him to look through the books. Of course, if he rued more knowledge, it would make it easier for him to offer pointers to others, and that was the key for him to earn more golden pages. Zhang shi... Watching as Zhang Xuans aura stabilized as a Celestial God, amotion broke out amid the crowd. Fan Zhe nearly copsed to the ground from shock. It is still understandable if you achieved a breakthrough on a whim. You might have built up your foundation and raised your cultivation so much that you were already teetering on the verge of a breakthrough... But it has only been several breaths since you made a breakthrough! How in the world were you able to reinforce your cultivation and sharpen your soul, spirit, and psyche within such a short period of time? Is this even humanly possible? Breaking Fan Zhes train of thought were the words of the very man who had left him so deeply shocked. Fan Zheoshi, may I know if I can ess the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion? I am interested in browsing the collection of books that you have here. The library? Under normal circumstances, only the master teachers of Drifting Specter Royal City are allowed to ess the library. However, since you have salvaged the reputation of all master teachers and saved a student from a tragic fate, Zhang shi, you are more than wee to browse everything we have here! Fan Zhe said with a smile. Chapter 2149 - Becoming a Celestial God (2)

Chapter 2149 Bing a Celestial God (2)

Zhao Ya is proud, so its best to impart knowledge to her in a concise manner. Zheng Yang has a candid and fearless personality, so it works best to get straight to the point with him. Wang Ying is meticulous, so the details are very important to her when ites to learning new things. Yuan Tao is broad-minded and doesnt like the nitty-gritty details, so its better to focus on therger picture when ites to him. As for Liu Yang, he doesnt have any particr strengths or ws, but he has an unyielding heart, simr to that of Zhuo Yan... The personalities of the students he had taken in so far flowed through his head, and a smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips. Lu Chong is resilient and obstinate. Once he decides on something, nothing will be able to shake his determination. Wei Ruyan is cold-natured, and she would only reveal her true feelings to those whom she deems dear to her. The life and death of those outside her circle are not within her consideration at all. Zhang Jiuxiao is a little too eager for sess, but he has matured greatly after bing my student. Kong Shiyaoes from a major n, and that allows her to be able to view things from a higher point of view. Dan Xiaotian is innocent and optimistic. Even in the face of adversity, he is able to persevere on without losing himself. His purity and kindness is a rare gem in the world. Bai Ruanqing is rather simr to Lu Chong in the sense that she has a one-track mind, but unlike him, she does not inhibit her emotions. Instead, she is extremely verbal with her feelings. As a result of that, she rarely holds grudges against others, choosing to embrace hope instead. Every single one of Zhang Xuans students was unique and had their own personality. In view of that, he had created training ns and cultivation techniques tailored to their needs, tutoring them one by one. The time that he had spent with them was limited, but the amount of effort he had spent was them was undeniable. He did not teach them with the intention of getting something back from them in the future. If anything, the bonds that were forged through that was the greatest repayment of all. All he hoped was that they would achieve great things in the future with the knowledge he had imparted to them. This was the true meaning of what it was to be a teacher, as well as the purest form of the rtionship between a teacher and a student. A flower does not drop from the tree because it is heartless. It morphs into spring soil and nourishes the next generation of flowers, Zhang Xuan muttered. Boom! Spiritual energy began surging toward Zhang Xuan at a furious rate, and before anyone knew it, he had already ovee the final bottleneck of a Celestial God. He has be a Celestial God? But he was doing nothing earlier! I went through hell in order to be a Celestial God, but why does it seem to be so easy to him? I wonder what epiphany struck him for him to suddenly make a breakthrough on the spot... Everyone was rendered bbergasted by the sight before them. Bing a Celestial God was a goal that most cultivators had set their eyes upon and devoted their whole life to pursuing. The difficulty of making the breakthrough was no joke at all. Most cultivators needed years of preparation and a mountain of resources in order to attempt a breakthrough, and even so, the process was still fraught with danger. But the young man in front of them had actually made a breakthrough while chatting with them! This must have been the easiest and most anticlimactic breakthrough in the world! Hu! Divine energy flowed through Zhang Xuans meridians like water flowing through a gentle stream, producing a sound reminiscent of a crisp bell. Zhang Xuan was currently in a state ofplex emotions. The purest rtionship between a teacher and a student required both parties to selflessly give their all to each other. Only a bond untouched by greed and other temptations would be able to remain strong and unyielding. At the very beginning, he had only taken Wang Ying and the others as his students to avoid being expelled from the Hongtian Academy. But as he got to know them better, the sentiments he had for them had grown deeper and deeper, and before he knew it, he had already fallen deep into the abyss. For them, he was willing to give his all. But at the same time, his students were willing to sacrifice themselves for his sake as well. This was a bond created by their intertwining sentiments for one another. They did not share blood bonds with one another, but their rtionship had already transcended that. A flower does not drop from the tree because it is heartless. It morphs into spring soil and nourishes the next generation of flowers. As spiritual energy flowed through Zhang Xuans body, his soul, physical body, and zhenqi were being swiftly refined. He quickly swallowed the remaining middle-tier God Essence Pills that he had as well to ensure that he had sufficient energy for the breakthrough. As his cultivation grew, his disposition went through a transformative change. Young Master is still as fierce as before, Sun Qiang remarked proudly. Be it on the Master Teacher Continent, the Azure, or the Firmament, his Young Master was always the brightest star of them all! Like a firefly, he emanated a natural glow that made him the center of attention no matter where he went. There was nothing in this world that could cover his brilliance. Everyone else in the room was also staring at Zhang Xuan with all sorts of expressions on their faces, be it shock, envy, or awe. The person who was the ddest of all in the room was none other than Zhuo Yan. He felt that it was his greatest fortune to have found such a person in his life, and he made up his mind to work hard and never embarrass his teacher in the future. It was this conviction that drove him to climb higher and higher, and he eventually aplished things that even his father had yet to. Even Zhang Xuan himself was slightly surprised when he finally met Zhuo Yan once more. But of course, that was a story to be told for the future. So, this is what a Celestial God is, Zhang Xuan murmured beneath his breath as realization struck him. When he became a god, his zhenqi had adapted to the powers of the Firmament and be divine energy. When he surpassed his limits and became a Celestial God, his divine energy further evolved into celestial energy. This transformation marked a huge difference in terms of power. Celestial Gods were able to tap into a portion of the natural powers of the Firmament. While the amount of power they could call upon was limited, they were already able to hold some sway over their environment. Inparison, gods could only rely on their own cultivation. Zhang Xuan felt his own strength growing. While he would have faced difficulties against a more powerful middle-tier Celestial God in the past, with his current strength, he was confident that he would be able to hold his own ground even against most high-tier Celestial Gods! More importantly, this marked a difference in his level of existence. His lifespan had increased from a hundred years to over a thousand years. A thousand years in the Firmament was equivalent to a million years on the Master Teacher Continent. Not even the history of the Master Teacher Continent went that far back... Looking at this from the perspective of someone on the Master Teacher Continent, he could indeed be considered as an immortal being. With a thought, he converted his consciousness into Spiritual Perception and extended his senses beyond his body, allowing him to clearly perceive everything that was happening within a hundred-meter radius. Having used up thest few middle-tier God Essence Pills that he had with him, he was unable to raise his cultivation any higher. So, he exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes. Once again, he found himselfcking cultivation resources. If he had sufficient God Essence Pills, and he could find a way to raise his physical body and soul cultivation, he would have been able to push his cultivation all the way to high-tier Celestial God and even attempt a breakthrough to God King! While my self-created cultivation techniques allow me to be less reliant on the Library of Heavens Path, at the same time, it has also slowed down my progress. The rate at which I am able to raise my cultivation has decreased significantly, Zhang Xuan thought with a deep sigh. A cultivation technique built around the emotions of life waspletely unheard of in the world. He could not just rely on the wisdom of his predecessors anymore. He would have to forge his own path forward if he wanted to rise to higher realms, but that was much easier said than done. For example, it took him two whole days in order for him to raise his cultivation to the Celestial God realm. In terms of the Master Teacher Continent, that was equivalent to two thousand days or five whole years! He had never been so slow ever since he started cultivating! Ill have to look deeper into what my capabilities as a Celestial God are after I return to the residence, Zhang Xuan thought. His main reason for going to the Master Teacher Pavilion was to browse through their collection of books in hopes of finding impetus for a breakthrough. Unexpectedly, just by intervening in a conflict, he had ended up inspiring himself, allowing him to make a breakthrough. With this, there was no longer any need for him to look through the books. Of course, if he rued more knowledge, it would make it easier for him to offer pointers to others, and that was the key for him to earn more golden pages. Zhang shi... Watching as Zhang Xuans aura stabilized as a Celestial God, amotion broke out amid the crowd. Fan Zhe nearly copsed to the ground from shock. It is still understandable if you achieved a breakthrough on a whim. You might have built up your foundation and raised your cultivation so much that you were already teetering on the verge of a breakthrough... But it has only been several breaths since you made a breakthrough! How in the world were you able to reinforce your cultivation and sharpen your soul, spirit, and psyche within such a short period of time? Is this even humanly possible? Breaking Fan Zhes train of thought were the words of the very man who had left him so deeply shocked. Fan Zheoshi, may I know if I can ess the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion? I am interested in browsing the collection of books that you have here. The library? Under normal circumstances, only the master teachers of Drifting Specter Royal City are allowed to ess the library. However, since you have salvaged the reputation of all master teachers and saved a student from a tragic fate, Zhang shi, you are more than wee to browse everything we have here! Fan Zhe said with a smile. Chapter 2150 - Sky of Deathlessness

Chapter 2150 Sky of Deathlessness

Two hourster, Zhang Xuan walked out of the Drifting Specter Royal City Master Teacher Pavilions library. As expected of a Master Teacher Pavilion located at a prime location. Even though it looked humble at first, paling far inparison to the magnificent buildings on the Master Teacher Continent, its collection of books was really nothing to scoff at. There were cultivation technique manuals and battle technique manuals ranging from low-tier God all the way to high-tier Celestial God. Browsing through all of them, it did not take him too long topile the corresponding Heavens Path Divine Art and battle techniques. It was just a pity that there were no God King realm manuals. But thinking again, there were very few God Kings in the Firmament, and most of them belonged to a major power. Naturally, their heritage would only be passed down within their own lineage. It was nigh impossible for an outsider toy their hands on their cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Its still too early for me to make a breakthrough to God King. Ill probably need a few more days first. For the time being, I should focus on reinforcing my cultivation and find a way to raise my cultivation to high-tier Celestial God. Knowing that he had to take a step at a time in order toy a firm foundation, Zhang Xuan had no intention of rushing. Even though he was progressing very slowly at the moment, that did not hinder him from working diligently toward his goal. He believed that as long as he persevered, he would eventually be able to reach great heights! For starters, I should try to acquire some middle-tier or even high-tier God Essence Pills. He had depleted all his middle-tier God Essence Pills for his breakthrough, so he had not been able to reinforce his cultivation properly. If he just cultivated by absorbing the spiritual energy in the air, who knew how long it would take before he was done? That was simply too slow for him. At the same time, middle-tier God Essence Pills were not as effective on him anymore. He could sense that the pills efficiency had decreased greatly after his breakthrough. Most likely, he would not be able to use them very soon. From this, he knew that he should prioritize the procurement of high-tier God Essence Pills. The only issue was that he had no idea where he could source any. There are middle-tier God Essence Pills on sale at the Mingyuan market not too far away, Fan Zhe told him. As for high-tier God Essence Pills, those are restricted products in Royal City. It wont be easy for you to get your hands on them. As the capital of one of the Nine Skies, Drifting Specter Royal City could be considered one of the major cities in the Firmament. Naturally, the tier of goods that were sold here was much higher than that of Dusklight City. The middle-tier God Essence Pills that were hard to procure in Dusklight City could easily be bought here inrge quantities. Middle-tier God Essence Pills were a cultivation resource that Celestial Gods needed, and there was nock of Celestial Gods in Royal City. It would cause a huge uproar if the authorities restricted the sale of middle-tier God Essence Pills. On the other hand, the high-tier God Essence Pills were mainly used by God Kings, so the difficulty of procuring them was on a whole new level. Anyway, for the time being, he would raise his cultivation with middle-tier God Essence Pills first and see how far he could go. He turned down Fan Zhes offer for dinner before heading toward the Mingyuan Market together with Sun Qiang. With 40,000 Divine Coins on him, he should be able to get quite a few middle-tier God Essence Pills. Soon enough, Sun Qiang walked over to him with a victorious smile on his lips and passed over a storage ring filled with four hundred middle-tier God Essence pills. Under normal circumstances, a middle-tier God Essence Pills was worth one hundred Divine Coins. However, as middle-tier God Essence Pills were not asmon as low-tier God Essence Pills, it was not easy to procure them inrge quantities. In fact, most sellers would attempt to hike up the price when dealing with mass purchases. Young Master, do you need me to rent a silent chamber for you so that you can focus on your cultivation? Sun Qiang asked. Silent chamber? Zhang Xuan shook his head. Theres no need for that. We dont have much money left, so lets save it for emergencies. Are we returning to our residence then? Sun Qiang asked. Given how seriously the young master took his cultivation, Sun Qiang thought that the young man would want to cultivate as soon as he obtained the middle-tier God Essence Pills, but surprisingly, he was deferring it till they returned. Of course not. Wait a moment, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He took out all the jade bottles from the storage ring and poured bottle after bottle of middle-tier God Essence Pills in his mouth. In a matter of seconds, he had already swallowed over a hundred middle-tier God Essence Pills. Just as Sun Qiang was wondering what Zhang Xuan was up to, thetters cultivation began surging at a visible pace. Low-tier Celestial God primary stage... Low-tier Celestial God intermediate stage... In else than two breaths, he had already reached low-tier Celestial God pinnacle! Zhang Xuan swallowed another bottle of pills, but his cultivation no longer rose. Shaking his head helplessly, he said, It seems like my bottleneck came earlier than I thought... He had thought that he would be able to raise his cultivation to middle-tier Celestial God with the God Essence Pills that he had bought, but it seemed like he was too optimistic. His cultivation was no longer rising after he reached low-tier Celestial God pinnacle. It was no wonder this was the case. Even when he was cultivating the Heavens Path Divine Art, he needed exceptionally concentrated spiritual energy in order to raise his cultivation, such that he often faced the problem of procuring the cultivation resources he needed. Given that he was cultivating the even stronger Pathos of Heaven now, the concentration of spiritual energy that he needed would inevitably be higher than before. Well, I wouldnt be able to make a breakthrough now anyway. In order to remain in a bnced state, I must make sure that my physical body and soul cultivation remain on par with my cultivation. Harnessing the powers of nature meant that the cultivator would have to endure the pressureing from nature. For this reason, it was important for a cultivator to maintain the bnce among their zhenqi, soul, and physical body. Otherwise, he would only be dragged down by his weakest link. Zhang Xuan understood the logic behind this, but the problem was that even though the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion had plenty of books on cultivation techniques and battle techniques, there was nothing concerning soul cultivation and physical body enhancement. Once again, he would have to look for other ways to raise his soul cultivation and enhance his physical body. All in all, the time Zhang Xuan took to cultivate and ponder over these matters was no more than three seconds. When he looked up again, he saw Sun Qiang staring at him with googly eyes, as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Young Master, you are already done cultivating? Sun Qiang had always envied Zhang Xuans swift cultivation speed, and he had felt like there was nothing about thetter that could surprise him anymore. However, he just could not wrap his mind around how the time that thetter took for a breakthrough had reduced after arriving in the Firmament. In the past, Zhang Xuan would still take at least two to four hours before he was done, but he did not need any of that anymore. It felt like the speed of the young mans breakthrough was only limited by how quickly he could stuff God Essence Pills into his mouth! Or perhaps... could gorging on pills actually be the secret to his fast pace of cultivation? After all, there were cases where cultivators underwent a transformative change from amassing a massive amount of spiritual energy within their bodies. Stroking his chin, a bold idea surfaced in Sun Qiangs mind. Oblivious to his butlers thoughts, Zhang Xuan turned around and asked, Did you manage to find out more about ways to enhance the physical body while I was cultivating? Sun Qiangs eyebrows twitched in response to those words. In this moment, he actually felt an urge to plunge a knife into the young mans head to see what was inside. You took only three breaths for your cultivation. What did you expect me to find out within this teeny-weeny bit of time? Do you think that information somehow pops into my head as and when I will it to? Ill have it done right now. Sun Qiang had to take a deep breath before he could calm himself enough to say those words. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something and said, Oh right, Young Master. Zhuo Feng has been following us for some time now, saying that he wishes to repay you for your help. Given that hes a general in Drifting Specter Royal City, as well as a middle-tier Celestial God, I think that he should know a fair bit about such stuff. Zhuo Feng was that Silver Armored General. Given Zhuo Fengs standing, it was likely that he knew some information that would be difficult for them to source otherwise. Having be a Celestial God, the ways in which Zhang Xuan could temper his physical body and soul cultivation were bound to have reduced significantly. Furthermore, cultivation resources that were effective on Celestial Gods were bound to be invaluable, so there was no way one could acquire such information easily. Lets invite him to our residence, Zhang Xuan said. It did not take long before they were settled within the main hall of Zhang Xuans residence. Zhang shi! Zhuo Feng greeted. The young man before him had saved his son and bestowed him with hope for a brighter future. This was a great favor, and he could not fathom just how he could possibly repay the debt. Nevertheless, he was determined to repay his sons benefactor. Theres one thing that I would like to ask you, Zhang Xuan said. Zhang shi, ask anything of me. I would like to temper my body and refine my soul. Do you know any ways I can go about doing that? If you could point a feasible direction out to me, I think we can consider our scores settled. We will no longer owe each other anything. This... Zhuo Feng did not expect Zhang Xuan to ask him for such a simple request. He pondered for a moment before replying, I know quite a few physical body tempering methods from the military, but most of them are intended for the God realm. For someone of your caliber... I know something that would have been suitable for a Celestial God like you, but it might not be very feasible now. Oh? Its rumored that the best ce for a Celestial God to temper their physical body is the Deathless Lava Reservoir. The Deathless Lava is filled with spiritual energy that can allow one to swiftly recover from all wounds, making it an ideal location to train ones body. However, the heat in the Deathless Lava Reservoir suddenly extinguished forty years ago, causing the entire reservoir to solidify. The Deathless Monarch hasnt repaired it since then, so it has been left in its derelict state, Zhuo Feng said. The Deathless Monarch? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. One of the Nine God Monarchs? That name struck a chord in Zhang Xuans head. He recalled seeing the tombstone of the Deathless Monarch back in the Azures City of Copsed Space. Back then, he did not know about the various realms in the Firmament, and he had assumed that the Deathless Monarch was nothing more than a simple god. As such, he did not really take it to heart. But when he heard the name from Zhuo Fengs mouth once more, everything suddenly clicked together in his mind. The Nine God Monarchs were known as the strongest individuals in the Firmament, and they had been around since time immemorial. How could one of them simply die like that? Was the tombstone really the grave of the Deathless God Monarch, or did it represent something else? Thats right. Zhuo Feng nodded. The Deathless God Monarch is quite a low-profile individual. He hasnt appeared in public for a few decades now. A few decades? Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing those words. Didnt he have a fight with the Heaven Subjugation Monarch within the past forty years? At this point, Zhuo Feng lowered his voice and spoke telepathically. Thats what has been said officially, but there are no details about where the battle has urred, the oue of the battle, or even if the battle happened at all. I heard a rumor that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch headed over there to challenge him, but the Deathless Monarch simply admitted defeat without bothering to meet him. But again, this matter concerns the privacy of the God Monarchs, so its better not to talk too much about it. If Zhang Xuan had not been the benefactor of his child, Zhuo Feng would never have said so much to him. The information that he had spoken of was hardly known among themon popce, but as a middle-tier Celestial God, he had still heard some rumors about it. I see... Zhang Xuan muttered with a confounded look on his face. If that was the case, the tombstone of the Deathless Monarch that he had seen in the City of Copsed Space might very well turn out to be real. Was it possible for God Monarchs to die? Not to mention, the person who had died was ironically known as the Deathless Monarch! If it was forty years ago, that coincided with the period that the spiritual energy started receding. Just what in the world happened back then? May I know which of the Nine Skies the Deathless Monarch governs? Zhang Xuan asked. He had read much about the Nine Skies so far, but weirdly enough, there was not much information regarding the God Monarchs even though he thought that they should bemon knowledge. It was almost as if it was forbidden to talk about them. The Deathless Monarch governs the Sky of Spirit Origin, Zhuo Feng said. Informally, the Sky of Spirit Origin is also called as the Sky of Deathlessness. Located at the south of the Firmament, its right next to our Sky of Drifting Specter. Its known for its Five Rivers and Three Marshes, which span overrge swathes ofnd. I had the privilege to visit the Spirit Origin Royal City once, but I was only able to tour its outskirts. I heard that the inner city is extremely prosperous, even more so than our Drifting Specter Royal City. However, it seems like the Deathless Monarch took the city away with him several decades ago... Zhang Xuan nodded quietly. He had read about the Sky of Spirit Origin, but he did not think that it would be rted to the Deathless Monarch. If he had known that it was called the Sky of Deathlessness, he would have long made the link between the two. Chapter 2151 - Lucid Lunar Lake

Chapter 2151 Lucid Lunar Lake

The Deathless Lava Reservoir was open to all of the Nine Skies back then. Every year, each the Nine Skies would receive some slots, and they would be able to send their talents over to temper themselves. It was previously viewed as a great honor to be selected to train there. However, with the extinguishing of theva, that system came to a grinding halt. In response to that, each of the Nine Skies created their own facilities to temper the physical body of their cultivators. Our military barrack has one as well, but its intended mainly for Gods. The best ce for Celestial Gods to temper their body in the Drifting Specter Royal City is definitely the Lucid Lunar Lake of the Qi n. Its just that the Qi n is highly exclusive, and even old subordinates like us arent allowed to ess it, Zhuo Feng said with a bitter smile. Old subordinates? You are under the Qi n? Zhang Xuan asked. Yeah, you can say that I used to be under the Qi n. It might be because this concerned confidential military secrets, so Zhuo Fengs answer was very vague. Getting the drift, Zhang Xuan diverted the topic away and said, It cant be helped if the Qi n doesnt allow outsiders to ess their facilities. Do you know of any other ways I can temper my physical body? He couldnt possibly sneak into the Qi n and use their stuff, right? He was aw-abiding citizen and would never resort to such underhanded actions! If he had somehow done something simr to that before, that was all due to the folly of his youth. That had to be the case. There was no other reason why he would do something like that. Nothing elsees to mind, Zhuo Feng shook his head. Given the resilient bodies that Celestial Gods have, ordinary methods wouldnt work at all. Most of the resources that are effective are either very rare or they have already been monopolized by officials or major ns. Ordinary cultivators wont be able to get to them. Most cultivators can only use their celestial energy to slowly temper their bodies... Zhang Xuan fell silent. Zhuo Feng was right. It was only after he became a Celestial God himself did he realize how formidable they were. Only items that had reached a certain level of potency was effective on him, and those items were darned expensive. There was no way ordinary cultivators would have the money for that! So, they could only take their time in tempering their physical body. If... Zhang shi really needs to use the Lucid Lunar Lake, I can put aside my dignity and ask for you. However, I would just like to say that the chances of it working out is very slim... Zhuo Feng added. I understand. That would be greatly appreciated, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and replied. He needed to raise his cultivation swiftly, so the opportunity as the Lucid Lunar Lake was indeed important to him. Ill give it a try then, Zhuo Feng nodded before walking out of Zhang Xuans residence. Shortly after Zhuo Feng left, Zhang Xuan walked to the courtyard and saw Qi Ling-er sitting on one of the stools. It would seem like she had a long day as her beautiful face showed signs of exhaustion, and helpless sighs would escape from her time to time. Young Master Zhang... How is your information gatheringing along? Zhang Xuan asked. I went to the ck market of the Royal City and found some past close friends, hoping to gather some news from them. However, Qi Xun-er found that I have returned and intentionally reported my return to the Qi n... I have just received a return order from the n, so Ill have no choice but to make my way there, Qi Ling-er shook her head. Once I return to the Qi n, theres a good chance that my movements would be severely restricted. So, I came back here to inform you in advance. Zhang Xuan was confused by what he had just heard from Qi Ling-er. Why would the Qi n severely restrict her movements after hearing of her return? It was not as if she was a criminal. He understood that major ns tended to have strict rules, but this seemed a little too extreme to him. ck markets are technically illegal in the Firmament. Most of those in the upper echelons are aware of their existence, but they also understand that it would be hard to maintain peace within the cities without the presence of ck markets as well. So, they choose to overlook their existence... Qi Ling-er began to exin. The receding of spiritual energy from the Firmament was a catastrophic blow to all cultivators. It hindered them from acquiring the resources they needed to cultivate and survive. Most resources were currently within the cities, and they were regted by the authorities. That meant that it would be difficult for ordinary cultivators to ess the resources, and that could potentially result in major unrest. If ordinary cultivators found themselves in a desperate position where they couldnt advance their cultivation as well, there was a good chance that they would band together and try something. Of course, a revolt was unlikely given the absolute power that God Monarchs, Conferred God Kings, and God Kings wielded, but there were many other ways for ordinary cultivators to spark chaos within the cities. Banditry was one perfect example. For this reason, the existence of the ck market was of paramount importance. It was the ce where cultivators knew that they would be able to acquire what they need, even though the price might be a little hefty at times. It drew attention away from the dissatisfactions from the governance, bringing stability to the cities. In a sense, this was simr to how, in Zhang Xuans previous world, some upations were considered illegal, but authorities still chose to turn a blind eye to their existence due to the necessity of their existence in the world. It was not that they didnt want to intervene, but there could be a severe bacsh if the authorities were to put a foot into it. Pretty much all of the ck markets of the Sky of Drifting Specter are under the control of the Qi n. It might appear impressive at first look, but in the higher echelons, the ck markets are viewed to be shady and dishonorable. For this reason, those operating the ck markets are mainly the members who have been sidelined and oppressed, Qi Ling-er said with a bitter smile. The top echelons had reluctantly acknowledged the existence of the ck markets, but that didnt change the fact that the ck market was still illegal. Even if she were to show splendid results as the boss of a ck market, that was no way she could unt about in the upper echelons! This was simr to how spies couldnt be officially recognized for their merits even if they had contributed more than the generals. To be frank, the linage that I have descended from can be considered to be extremely close to the core lineage. However, due to the conflicts in the previous generation, my lineage has been oppressed by Qi Xun-ers lineage all this while. She knows that we wont be able to do anything about her due to her brother, and shes making full use of that... Her brother? Her brother is the most talented offspring of the Qi n at the moment. Hes in histe thirties at the moment, but his cultivation has already reached high-tier Celestial God. Furthermore, he was able to persevere in the Lucid Lunar Lake for more than four hours. ording to the elders of our n, he has the constitution of a God King! He has been receiving the best cultivation resources in our n, and naturally, that means that the standing of the lineage he has descended from rises as well, Qi Ling-er said. The Lucid Lunar Lake? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Its a ce where the members of the Qi n refine their bloodline and temper their physical body. The purer ones bloodline is, the longer one will be able to stay within the Lucid Lunar Lake. Even the core disciples who are able to stay in there for an hour can already be considered geniuses. In the history of the Qi n, including him, only five people have been able tost that long in there, and the previous four eventually went on to be God Kings! Qi Ling-er nodded. Due to such precedences, the Qi n viewed Qi Xun-ers brother as a God King in the making. The top nspeting for dominance in the Drifting Specter Royal City were those who had Conferred God Kings, and the old ancestor of the Qi n, Qi Meng, was a Conferred God King himself. What that set those ns apart was namely the number of God Kings they had under theirmand. Thus, if another God King could rise up from the Qi n, it would surely give the Qi n an edge over the others. A person viewed as a potential God King would surely be ced on a pedestalpared to the others. Naturally, the n would favor him over anyone he was in conflict with. That would exin why Qi Ling-er ended up being sent to the faraway Twilight City despite being a member of the Qi n. It seemed like the politics within the Qi n wasplicated. Have you been to the Lucid Lunar Lake before? Zhang Xuan asked. I went in once, but I couldnt evenst 15 minutes in there, Qi Ling-er shook her head. If she could persevere four hours on there, the Qi n would surely be desperate to fawn on her. Not even that wench Qi Xun-er would be able to cross her! Those who were weak were bound to be oppressed, this was something that couldnt be helped. You couldntst 15 minutes in there? Is it very ufortable to be within the Lucid Lunar Lake? The energy in theke is very violent, and it suppresses ones celestial energy and soul. As a result, its impossible to protect yourself with celestial energy in there. It will be difficult to stay in there for too long just by enduring it with ones physical body. Those who are able to do it are usually those who have purer bloodline and possess great talents, Qi Ling-er exined. It was not that she was unwilling to endure the pain, but she was really at her limits then. Just entering the Lucid Lunar Lake made her feel as though every single cell on her body was being sliced into two simultaneously. If she were to force herself to press on, she might have either died or lost her mind there. Usually, I would have avoided the Royal City at all costs due to the situation within the Qi n. However, after consuming your Beauty Pill, I realized that the injuries I have sustained before has disappeared, and my recovery ability has enhanced significantly. I have a feeling that I might be able tost much longer within the Lucid Lunar Lake in my current state... So, I hope to return to my n and give it another try! Qi Ling-er said hesitantly. So, you want me to forge some Beauty Pills for you so as to boost your chances in the Lucid Lunar Lake? Zhang Xuan saw through Qi Ling-ers thoughts. When he first asked Qi Ling-er toe with him to the Royal City and offered topensate her for her services, thetter hesitated for a moment and eventually chose to defer her request. From the looks of it now, it should be rted to the Lucid Lunar Lake. The Lucid Lunar Lake was representative of a persons talents in the Qi n, and those who were able tost longer in it would be highly regarded within the n. Most likely, she was thinking that as long as she could obtain sufficient Beauty Pills, she would be able to endure the violent energy within the Lucid Lunar Lake andst long enough for her to solidify her position within the n. Thats right... Qi Ling-er replied frankly. Very well, I can help you with that! Zhang Xuan replied. However, youll need to bring me along with you to the Lucid Lunar Lake. It just happened that he was interested to see the highly-acimed physical body tempering spot of the Sky of Drifting Specters when Qi Ling-er suddenly spoke about it. Even if he were to just look at it, he might be able to figure out a way to emte its effects so as to temper his body. Thank you, Young Master Zhang! Qi Ling-ers eyes lit up in happiness. In truth, her objective was not the Beauty Pill but Zhang Xuan himself. She couldnt deny that the effects of the Beauty Pill were incredible, but even so, it would only increase the amount of time she couldst inside the Lucid Lunar Lake by ten minutes or so. What she valued more at the moment was her rtionship with Zhang Xuan. In her journey with him, she had witnessed how the young man had created miracles one after another. If she could just convince the young man to help her on this matter, she might just be able to pull off the unexpected. I can bring you to the Lucid Lunar Lake, but without the Qi ns bloodline, you wont be able to enter the area. Otherwise, the violent energy will tear you apart, Qi Ling-er replied. She wasnt worried about bringing Zhang Xuan in as well due to the special nature of the Lucid Lunar Lake. Those who werent from the Qi n wouldnt even be able toe into close proximity with it without sustaining severe damage. For this reason, the Qi n also didnt set up strict restrictions preventing outsiders froming close since it would be redundant to do so. Rest assured, Im just interested to see what its like, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. He wasnt intending to enter theke, at least not at the moment anyway. That being said, if a chance presented itself where he could temper his physical body, he wouldnt give up on it either. As long as he were to take it easy and not spoil the Lucid Lunar Lake, it should be fine... Thats a relief... Qi Ling-er remarked. Chapter 2152 - God King

Chapter 2152 God King

Having resolved the issue guing her mind, the tension immediately released from her shoulders. She took another look at the young man before her, and she suddenly realized that there was a huge change in the strength and disposition of the other party. Low-tier Celestial God... pinnacle? Youve made a breakthrough? Qi Ling-er felt a little lightheaded. I stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Qi Ling-er clutched her stifled chest as she felt her breathing bing a little erratic. It was as if the young man was someone sent down by the heavens to traumatize her! If I recall correctly, you were only a low-tier God when we met a few days ago, right? Just how many days has it been, and you are already a Celestial God! Thats three whole cultivation realms! Is the bloodline of a God Monarch really that formidable, such that it allows one to ovee all cultivation bottlenecks with ease? And what makes things worse is that fellows attitude! Its one thing if he managed to raise his cultivation with ease, but he makes it sound as if its no big deal at all, feeling no sense of aplishment whatsoever... Do you know how difficult it is for others to be a Celestial God? However, this made Qi Ling-er even more certain of Zhang Xuans identity. Other than someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch, who else would have been able to pull off something as dastardly as this? The Qi n was one of the top ns in Drifting Specter Royal City, and this gave them the privilege to reside on one of the floating mountains in the sky. Qi Ling-er rented an aerial divine beast, and the two of them were soon on their way toward the floating mountain. It was at this moment that Zhang Xuan took a close look at Qi Ling-ers cultivationhigh-tier God. While her cultivation was lower than his, as an inheritor of the bloodline of a Conferred God King, it would be wise not to underestimate her strength. As members of the same n, your fates are intertwined with one another. Ideally, wouldnt you all usually work together to surpass the other powers instead? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully as he recalled what Qi Ling-er had mentioned previously. There werent many arguments within the n before as the resources that a Conferred God King was entitled to were nearly unlimited. So, there were no conflicts in the interests among fellow n members, and it was easier for everyone to get along with one another. Then, with a deep sigh ofmentation, she said, But forty years ago, when the spiritual energy in the atmosphere receded, the cultivation resources we are entitled to suddenly plummeted. Its inevitable that conflicts arose as a result of that. Twenty years ago, an ident urred, and Qi Xun-ers father ended up dying from that. Due to that, she harbors great hatred toward my lineage, swearing to never let any of us off... I see. Zhang Xuan nodded. When resources became scarce, even blood brothers would turn on one another! That was simply human nature. In the past, our lineage was one of the more powerful ones, so she didnt dare do anything to us. However, as her older brother rose through the ranks, the standing of our lineage gradually fell... Thinking about all the suffering that she had gone through over the years, Qi Ling-er could only shake her head bitterly. If she had remained with the Qi n, she would have long be a Celestial God by now. It was due to the scarce resources that she had in Twilight City that she was stuck as a high-tier God. Tell me more about Qi Xun-ers older brother, Zhang Xuan said. A person who was deemed to have the potential to be a God King was bound to have something more than just a powerful physical body. It was extremely likely that he possessed something far beyond what ordinary cultivators had. Her older brother is Qi Yue, and his bloodline is much purer than most of the n members. On top of that, he is able to grasp any cultivation technique and battle technique swiftly, allowing him to rapidly improve. Currently, he is ranked seventh on the Board of Potential God Kings! Qi Ling-er replied. Even though they were in opposing factions, she was still pretty awed by Qi Yues talent and strength. Board of Potential God Kings? Yes. Its a formal ranking system within Drifting Specter Royal City that evaluates the possibility of a person bing a God King. Most of those on the board fail to make the final step forward eventually, but nevertheless, the very fact that their names were once on the board is testament to the great strength that they possess, Qi Ling-er replied. If Qi Yue is in seventh ce, doesnt that mean that there are six people who are even more talented than him? Zhang Xuan was slightly astounded. As a Conferred God King n, the Qi n was indubitably one of the strongest powers in Drifting Specter Royal City. It was a little perplexing to see that their most talented membernot to mention that Qi Ling-er had even said that there had only been four others like him in the history of the Qi nwas only ranked in the seventh ce. Ah, you are thinking too simply! Qi Ling-er understood where Zhang Xuan wasing from, so she quickly exined the significance of the ranking. Celestial Gods have a lifespan of one thousand years, and most of those who are ranked in the top ten have lived for at least five hundred years. Qi Yue is only in histe thirties, but he has already managed to squeeze into the seventh ce of the ranking. This means that he could very well climb to first ce within the next fifty or hundred years! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Youth, in itself, was a sign of potential. One had much more time than the others to achieve something that others had not yet done. Just by considering the disparity in age, Qi Yue was indeed much more likely to be a God Kingpared to the others on the Board of Potential God Kings. After flying for a while longer, Qi Ling-er turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Young Master Zhang, have you forged the pills that will help me to endure the energy within the Lucid Lunar Lake yet? They were about to arrive at the Qi n, but so far, she had not seen Zhang Xuan forging any pills. She could not help but worry that the young man had not prepared what she needed yet. If so, it would be best for them to dy the matter a little. Once they were at the Qi n, Qi Xun-er would not allow them to take a breather or make preparations at all. Itll be difficult for me to prepare anything effective without seeing the Lucid Lunar Lake in person. Otherwise, the medicinal effectiveness of the pills will be severely discounted, Zhang Xuan replied casually. Alright then... Seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was, Qi Ling-er decided to trust him. Before long, the floating mountain shrouded by clouds was already right ahead of them. Different from most mountain ranges, it felt as if someone had flipped the mountain upside down using overwhelming might. The bottom was sharp and pointed whereas the top was as t as a mirror. A resplendent and massive manor sat on top of it, and countless celestial cranes flew around the mountain. It really felt like a ce where deities lived. As expected of one of the top ns of Drifting Specter Royal City, it was really on a whole other level! Is there a formation around the mountain? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully as he assessed the mountain with his Eye of Insight. He could clearly sense the presence of a formation shrouding the floating mountain, but for some reason, he was unable to see it with his Eye of Insight. His Eye of Insight had be much stronger after he became a Celestial God, yet this formation was still able to escape his sight. This only meant that the formation was extremely powerful, most likely the doing of the Qi ns Conferred God King. Theres a formation around the mountain, but you need not worry. It has the effect of discerning a persons bloodline, and as long as a visitor is around a n member, the formation will automatically open up a passageway, Qi Ling-er replied. Just as Qi Ling-er said, the aerial divine beast did not trigger the formation while flying toward the floating mountain. Soon, they were already standing before a set of humongous gates. Big Sister Ling-er, youre back! The two young men guarding the humongous gates recognized Qi Ling-er and rushed up to her with excited smiles on their faces. Im here to meet the n head! Qi Ling-er informed them with a solemn look on her face. This way please. Knowing that Qi Ling-er was there for official business based on her appearance, one of the young men nced at Zhang Xuan before leading the way into the manor. As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the manor, he felt rich spiritual energy surging into his body through his skin, leaving him with an urge to sit down and cultivate on the spot. As expected of a power with a Conferred God King! The spiritual energy in Royal City came nowhere close inparison to this. Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to be a middle-tier Celestial God quickly even without any high- tier God Essence Pills if he cultivated there. Following the young man, they soon arrived before an empty grand hall. They waited for a few minutes before two figures walked into the hall. One of them was a middle-aged man in his early thirties. He walked all the way to the center seat in the room. The other person was a youngdy who was around the same age as Qi Ling-er. She was dressed in tight clothes that shaped out her curvaceous figure. She took her position behind the middle-aged man. n head! Qi Ling-er sped her fist and greeted the middle-aged man. Zhang Xuan knew that it was not his ce to speak, so he decided to stand quietly by the side and simply watch the proceedings. Un, the middle-aged man replied with a slight nod. He gazed at Qi Ling-er, assessing her, for a moment before he began speaking. Even though Twilight City is located at a remote and backward location in the Sky of Drifting Specter, it is of great strategic importance to us. I remember telling you to stay there and gather intelligence, and you were not to return till I gave you permission to do so. Why did you return of your own ord without informing us? If not for Xun-er telling me about it, I would still have been kept in the dark! His voice was not loud, but it carried a lot of power. The atmosphere suddenly grew so heavy that it felt difficult to breathe. God King! Zhang Xuan thought. Even though the other party had not disyed his cultivation, he found that he was unable to perceive the depths of the other partys strength. Furthermore, his very presence seemed to meld harmoniously with the surroundings, such that it felt like nature would punish anyone who dared defy him. Zhang Xuan quietly reined in his cultivation and watched quietly by the side, not showing any hint of standing up at all. He hade out of curiosity for the Lucid Lunar Lake. He had no intentions of getting into a conflict with a God King from the Qi n. As a result of that, the middle-aged man did not find anything amiss about Zhang Xuan. He thought that Zhang Xuan was just a subordinate that Qi Ling-er was bringing about with her, so he did not pay much heed to him. n head, I... The immense pressureing from the middle-aged man left Qi Ling-er a little nervous. She was about to speak up and exin herself when the n head suddenly interjected once more. Ill only give you a single chance to exin yourself. If you cant give me a satisfactory exnation, Ill have to deal with you ording to the n rules! I understand... Qi Ling-er took a deep breath before she started speaking. I stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter a while back, which resulted in my body undergoing transformational changes. So, I came back to request an opportunity to cultivate in the Lucid Lunar Lake once more. Dont you think your reason is a little too forced? Before the middle-aged man could even speak up, the youngdy beside him had already sneered coldly. A persons talent is determined as their birth. Are you telling me that you are so naive as to think that its possible for your talent to improve over time? Under the rules of the Qi n, the members of the core family had the right to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake three times, and Qi Ling-er had only used it once thus far. Thus, she had the discretion to apply for the opportunity to enter it once more. However, it was a known fact within the Qi n that Qi Ling-er did not perform well the first time around, so what was the point of her entering it a second time? If it was possible for a person to improve their talent, the Qi n would have been filled with geniuses. I also find it unbelievable as well, but I believe that the n head should be able to tell whether I am lying or not, Qi Ling-er replied calmly. I can sense some changes in your aura, but I find it hard to believe what you are saying. The middle-aged man shook his head. I am not very satisfied with the reason you have given me... If you doubt my words, you can always test it out, Qi Ling-er quickly added. Test? How do you expect us to test your talent? the youngdy sneered. It was possible to test a persons fighting prowess and cultivation, but how could something as abstract as talent possibly be tested? n head, you can impart an identical battle technique to both Sister Xun-er and me and give us an hour to learn it. After that, well suppress our cultivation to the same level andpete with one another. The person who is able toprehend it to a higher level is bound to be more talented than the other. Xun-er, you should have no issue with that, right? Qi Ling-er proposed with a smile. As someone who was able to consolidate her power and rule over a ck market for many years without facing any problems, she was no pushover at all. Qi Xun-ers tipoff had left her in a difficult and awkward position, so she was determined to return the favor. Chapter 2153 - 2153 Qi Yue

Chapter 2153 - Qi Yue

"Oh? It seems like you are very confident in yourself?" Qi Ling-er''s words did not cause Qi Xun-er to panic at all. On the contrary, a smile of ridicule spread on her face. "If I recall correctly, you were only able to persevere inside the Lucid Lunar Lake for fifteen minutes, right?" "Indeed," Qi Ling-er replied without any awkwardness. "I wasn''t even able tost for fifteen minutes, but Sister Xun-er, you were able tost an hour in there. Given your talent, this test should be a walk in the park for you, right?" "Of course. I''m just afraid that you''ll embarrass yourself!" Qi Xun-er chuckled as she walked to the center of the hall. "n head, I am willing to go along with Ling-er''s request andpete with her. However, I think that Ling-er''s actions of shirking her responsibility and lying to you are uneptable. If she isn''t able to prove herself here, I beseech you to strip her of her identity as one of the core members and imprison her." To strip Qi Ling-er of her identity as a core member of the Qi n meant taking away her bloodline, and that was an extremely grave punishment. This was a sentence usually used only on traitors. Not only would it dishonor the individual herself, her entire lineage would be disgraced. It seemed like Qi Xun-er was determined to do Qi Ling-er in thoroughly this time so as to ensure that she would never get a chance to make aeback. "Sister Xun-er, don''t you think that a bet should go both ways? If I''m going to be punished severely for losing the duel, it''s only fair for the same to happen to you," Qi Ling-er replied. "I''m not the one who came back from Twilight City without permission, disobeying themands of the n head. Even if I lose, it just means that I''mcking practice. Why should I be punished if I lose?" Qi Xun-er harrumphed. "Besides, do you honestly think that you can defeat me with your caliber?" Seeing how Qi Xun-er was not falling for her provocations, Qi Ling-er shrugged and said, "Don''t you think it''s a little disproportionate for you to suggest kicking me out of the Qi n if I fail a test of talent? I can''t help but think that you have some personal grudge. If this is not a bet, am I to take it that you are trying to make a judgement on the n head''s behalf?" "Audacious!" Qi Xun-er''s face immediately flushed at that usation. She was just about tosh out at Qi Ling-er for bringing up such a ridiculous notion when the n head suddenly interjected. "Enough! One''s ability toprehend battle techniques is indeed a gauge of one''s talent. Since neither of you object to it, we''ll go ahead with that." God Kings had a lifespan of over ten thousand years, so they had plenty of time. Even though he only appeared to be a generation older than Qi Ling-er and Qi Xun-er, the truth was that there were many generations between them, such that he did not feel much sentiments toward them. From his perspective, he did not think that Qi Ling-er''s words were very credible. However, since thetter was determined to prove herself, there was no reason he should stop her from doing so. He simply viewed it as a momentary break from work. If Qi Ling-er was able to raise her talent, it would be a blessing for the Qi n. It was not as if he had anything to lose anyway. Right after saying those words, he flicked his wrist and tossed a book over. "This is a battle technique that I have created. I have never shown it to anyone before, so you can be assured that this test is absolutely fair." Then, with a snap of his finger, an stick of incense ced by the side of the room lit up, and a slight fragrance wafted around the room. "The two of you have an hour each. Begin." Right after those words were spoken, the book floating in the air began flipping on its own. Qi Ling-er and Qi Xun-er quickly turned their sights over and focused deeply on the books. The book was being flipped at a rapid pace, but as powerful cultivators, they were able to process the content of the book without too much trouble. In less than three minutes, they had already finished looking through and remembering the content of the book. Hu! Hu! The two of them sat down and began interpreting the secrets of the battle technique. By the side, Zhang Xuan quietly shot a nce at the book as well. Hu! The Library of Heaven''s Path jolted, and a new book waspiled within it. He quickly flipped through the content before shaking his head in disapproval. There are so many mistakes in here! Through the Library of Heaven''s Path, he could tell that the battle technique was riddled with errors. There were almost a hundred of them inside it! He had expected a technique created personally by a God King to be close to perfection, but right now, it was a long stretch to even call it a decent battle technique! A thought suddenly arose in Zhang Xuan''s mind. Did he intentionally make it this way so as to challenge them? The technique seems to be wed in a manner that makes it incredibly unnatural and awkward to grasp... Qi Ling-er and Qi Xun-er werepeting to prove their talent. If one of them was able to interpret and make sense out of this wed battle technique, that would really be concrete proof to her talent. This sparked Zhang Xuan''s curiosity to take a closer look at the battle technique, but the sheer number of issues in it made him feel nauseated. So, he was left with no choice but to quickly clear his mind of it. Just looking at it was enough to make him feel queasy inside! He was simply spoilt by the Heaven''s Path Divine Art and the other perfect techniques from the Library of Heaven''s Path. Forget it" With a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan gathered the books around the Library of Heaven''s Path andpiled them together in order to rid the errors in the battle technique. As this was a test for Qi Ling-er and Qi Xun-er, the middle-aged man could not take out something that was too advanced. It just so happened that he had gathered a huge collection of books from the Master Teacher Pavilion not too long ago, so it was not difficult for him to correct the errors. He quickly looked at the battle technique once more and drove his celestial energy in ordance with it. Soon enough, he had already mastered it. This is too simple. Could this even be considered a test? It was child''s y! He turned his gaze toward Qi Ling-er to see how she was faring, only to see sweat dripping down thetter''s head. It felt like she was having difficulties interpreting certain parts of the battle technique, resulting in her inability to practice it. I see... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. From the very start, the middle-aged man had never intended for Qi Ling-er and Qi Xun-er to cultivate the technique as it was. He wanted them to adapt the battle technique into something that was suited for their own need! Only someone who could go beyond memorizing to integrate his web of knowledge together would be able to climb higher as a cultivator. Only such a person would be worthy of being called a genius! As expected of someone who had lived for millenniums. He had a lot of ideas in his mind. Why? Why isn''t this working? Why is nothing working at all? Is my talent really that bad? If it''s a technique created by the n head, he must have tested it rigorously. There''s no way it can''t be cultivated. There must be a way out of this. I must have interpreted it incorrectly somewhere. The faces of the twodies were scrunched tightly in frustration and anxiety. There was simply too much at stake! Neither of them wanted to lose! But for some reason, no matter how they examined the cultivation technique, there were simply some parts that would not connect. They were unable to construct a feasible system out of the entire battle technique, and this really baffled them. How were they supposed to cultivate something that felt so... iplete? Time flew by, and it looked as if an hour was going to pass very soon. Yet, the two of them were stillpletely lost. It felt like they were not fated with this battle technique. "What a pity!" the middle-aged man remarked softly as he looked at the performance of the twodies before him. Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, he had intentionally filled the battle technique with a lot of errors such that it was impossible to master without some modifications. Of course, he had also made sure to conceal the errors well so that normal cultivators would not be able to notice them easily, or else he would have been giving away the crux of the test too easily. If one of them had been able toprehend this logic, even if she didn''t manage toe up with anything in the end, the attitude she had toward learning would still have been a sign of her aptitude. Those who blindly believed in books would never be anything great in the future. The middle-aged man had intentionally mentioned that this was a battle technique that he hade up with to further exert pressure on the two of them, but they had fallen for those words and ended up cornering themselves in their thoughts. Shaking his head in disappointment, he was just about to end the test prematurely when something caught his eye. With raised eyebrows, he turned his attention to Qi Xun-er. Her previously scrunched face had rxed considerably, and a smile emerged on her lips. It appeared as if she had finally managed to make sense out of the situation. "It seems like Xun-er is still a notch above Ling-er," the middle-aged man noted with a nod. As someone who could persevere in the Lucid Lunar Lake for more than an hour, Qi Xun-er was indubitably a genius. This duel only served to further drive in that fact. Noticing the same change, Zhang Xuan frowned. At this rate, Qi Ling-er will lose... It was clear that Qi Ling-er was still stuck, and time was swiftly running out. If she still could notprehend the crux of the test, she was doomed to lose. If she loses, I won''t get a chance to see the Lucid Lunar Lake. I might even be implicated as well... Even though he had already made a breakthrough to the Celestial God realm, from the instant he met the middle-aged man, he knew that it would be futile for him to attempt to barge into the Lucid Lunar Lake forcefully. A God King was far beyond what he could currently deal with. Even if he could somehow amplify his strength tenfold on the spot, he would be no match for the middle-aged man. But he could not help Qi Ling-er so explicitly either. They were under the watchful eye of a God King, and even if he used zhenqi telepathy tomunicate with her, the middle-aged man would surely notice it right away and disqualify her. That being said, given Qi Ling-er''s personality, she wouldn''t have put herself in a dangerous position if she wasn''t confident of victory. It''s weird how she ended up cing herself in such a bad position so easily. Qi Ling-er was a person who knew the value of preparation and nning. She was extremely thorough in whatever she did, and that could be seen from how she dealt with the sales of the Beauty Pill. In fact, she was the one who had proposed the duel. How did she end upnding in such a position? Perplexed, he took a closer look at Qi Ling-er, but he was not able to find anything amiss about her. She was earnestly struggling with the battle technique. Then, he turned his sights to Qi Xun-er and willed, ws! A book materialized in his head. As Qi Xun-er was in the midst of practicing a battle technique, he could easilypile a book on her. Zhang Xuan flipped open the book and looked through the contents. This... After looking through the details of the book, his forehead slowly scrunched up. Qi Ling-er''s evaluation of Qi Xun-er''s ability was not wrongthetter did not manage to figure out the true intention of the middle-aged man either! What she failed to calcte was the possibility of Qi Xun-er getting external help. It was understandable though, given that it would indeed be hard to deceive the discerning eyes of a God King, but Qi Xun-er had managed to do it. It was through her external helper that she was able to practice the battle technique, and most likely, the external helper was none other than the famed genius that Qi Ling-er had talked about, Qi Yue! Only a person of his caliber would be able to see through the problems of the battle technique, modify them, and impart it to another person in a way that thetter could understand. They sure know how to work around things! Qi Xun-er and Qi Yue had prepared beforehand in order to ensure that the middle-aged man would not notice their cheating, and to be honest, if Zhang Xuan had not used the Library of Heaven''s Path, their actions would likely have escaped his notice. That being said, what they did was actually very simple. Qi Yue had tamed a particrly small bug and ced it inside Qi Xun-er''s body. The bug allowed him tomunicate directly with Qi Xun-er''s soul, making it hard for a God King to notice unless he observed closely. Through controlling the movement of the worm in her body, Qi Xun-er would be able to drive her celestial energy in ordance with the movements of the worm and eventually master the battle technique! Chapter 2154 - 2154 The Final Victor 2154 The Final Victor Since you are already cheating, I guess theres no reason for me to hold back. Zhang Xuan chuckled softly beneath his breath. If they had adhered to the rules, he would have still thought twice about helping Qi Ling-er. In a sense, this was a personal grudge between the two of them, and he did not think that it was right for an outsider like him to get involved. So, even though the oue would affect him as well, he was willing to ept it. However, since Qi Xun-er and Qi Yue were already cheating in this duel, he had no intention of letting Qi Ling-er fend for herself. While it would be difficult to pull any strings before a God King, that did not mean that Zhang Xuan had absolutely no way of doing it at all. Even though it has been a while since she ate the Beauty Pill, she probably hasnt managed to fully assimte the Heavens Path zhenqi I infused inside it. He carefully focused his consciousness toward Qi Ling-ers body, and soon, he felt a slight connection with the zhenqi in her body. It was flowing alongside her divine energy in her meridians. Qi Ling-er had consumed a Beauty Pill back when they were still at Twilight Citys underground market. Back then, he had given it to her so that he would be able to deal with her if she betrayed him. Who could have thought that this surge of zhenqi would be their trump card to dealing with Qi Xun-er and Qi Yue? Through this surge of zhenqi, Zhang Xuan would be able to guide Qi Ling-er much more efficiently than a worm could, and more importantly, it was so discreet that it was impossible to see through. Hu hu! Under Zhang Xuans control, the Heavens Path zhenqi slowly circted around Qi Ling-ers body through a certain pathway, tearing down all blockages and bottlenecks in its path. Qi Ling-er had been utterly lost a moment ago, such that she had nearly resigned herself to a despairing defeat against Qi Xun-er, but the abrupt changes within her body made her eyes glow in excitement. She had no idea why she suddenly experienced such changes in her body, but her intuition as a cultivator told her that as long as she channeled her divine energy through the opened cirction pathway, she would be able to master the battle technique! Many of the issues that she had faced in the battle technique over the past hour would be resolved as well, granting the battle technique far greater might than before. Tzzzzzzz! Qi Ling-er swiftly drove her divine energy through the newly-opened cirction pathway, and amazingly, she felt herprehension of the battle technique surging at a ridiculous rate. It was as if someone was guiding her step by step, allowing her mastery to rise all the way to Major Aplishment in an instant. She was excited by the changes that were happening to her, but she concealed her emotions impably under a mask of anxiety. Hmm? Her act might be able to fool Qi Xun-er, but it was insufficient to deceive the God King sitting before her. The middle- aged man was slightly bewildered to see the confused youngdy from a moment ago suddenly grasping the battle technique. He was well aware that it was no easy feat to resolve the ws in his battle technique to make it feasible to practice. It would really take great brilliance in order to do so... I reckon she has only grasped the preliminary crux of my battle technique. She probably is some way off mastering it. He nced at the incense by the side and raised his hand. Times up! Qi Ling-er and Qi Xun-er rose to their feet at the same moment. Begin, he ordered. Qi Xun-er took a look at Qi Ling-ers state, and she could not help but smile gleefully when she saw the cold sweat dripping down Qi Ling-ers face. She had been trying to quash Qi Ling-er and her lineage for some time, but that was much easier said than done. The Qi n would not allow her to do anything that wouldpromise their reputation, so she could not make a move on Qi Ling-er and her lineage too openly. She needed a legitimate reason if she wanted to take them down. Right now, Qi Ling-er had openly defied the orders of the n head. Even though neither of them had acknowledged the earlier duel, it was implied that Qi Ling-er would be severely punished if she won the duel. This was to uphold the ns dignity and the legitimacy of the n rules. Otherwise, if everyone in the Qi n neglected their responsibilities and did as they pleased, what would be of them? This battle technique is simply tooplicated. Its hard to achieve anything significant within an hour. n head, if you could just give me another hour, I will be able to reinforce my understanding of the technique... Qi Ling-er gritted her teeth in desperation. The time given to us was an hours time. Dont you think its inappropriate for you to ask for an extension? Cut the cr*p and get ready for battle! Qi Xun-er sneered coldly. She earnestly believed that Qi Ling-er was trying to postpone the battle out of fear. On the other hand, seeing how Qi Xun-er had fallen for such a shallow ploy, the middle-aged man could not help but sigh in disappointment. Due to her close rtions with Qi Yue, he had thought that Qi Xun-er was a talented individual who could be a pir of support for the Qi n in the future. However, it seemed like she was still verycking. She allowed her pride to blind her, causing her to be so easily deceived by the other party. But again, it was not surprising for Qi Xun-er to underestimate Qi Ling-er. The two of them had grown up together, so they were well-aware of each others capabilities. Furthermore, despite being someone who was able to persevere for an hour in the Lucid Lunar Lake, she was unable toprehend the crux of the test until the very end. It was only natural for her to assume that the situation would be worse for Qi Xun-er. It was based on this confidence that she dared to take up Qi Ling-er challenge in the first ce. Begin! the middle-aged man ordered. Qi Ling-er closed her eyes and sighed deeply before turning to the middle-aged man to request, n head, please inspect our cultivation. Soon, both of their cultivation levels had been suppressed to the same level. Even the amount of divine energy they had in their bodies had been adjusted to the same amount. Hu! After was done, Qi Xun-er unhesitatingly leaped forward and rained down a flurry of palm strikes upon QI Ling-er. Not bad! Seeing this, the middle-aged man nodded in approval. Qi Xun-er had managed to leap out of the limitations of the battle technique that he had given her and altered it to improve its might drastically. Even though it still paled far inparison to what he hade up with, this was still a sign of Qi Xun-ers talent. After that, the middle-aged man turned his gaze to Qi Ling-er, and his eyebrows immediately leaped up in shock. This... He had just witnessed something that had left him bbergasted. Qi Ling-er had not finished executing her attack yet, but just by looking at the cirction pathway of her divine energy, he could tell that she had managed to modify the battle technique to a level that even surpassed what he hade up with! It was just a simple modification, but it ingeniously turned a second-rate battle technique to an unparalleled secret manual that even he had trouble understanding. How did she manage to do it? Pah! A sound reminiscent of the cracking of a whip echoed in the air. The confident Qi Xun-er was struck squarely on her cheek, causing her body to spin in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground. You have lost. Qi Ling-er did not continue her attack after subduing Qi Xun-er in a single move. She ced her hands behind her back and gazed down on Qi Xun-er haughtily. Years of being oppressed by Qi Xun-er had filled her with rage and indignation. Finally, she had a chance to give that darned wench a tight p to her face! You... Qi Xun-er was stupefied. She had thought that she could easily deal with Qi Ling-er with the battle technique her older brother had imparted to her, but she had ended up being sted away by the other party instead! Had the other party not been struggling over the battle technique earlier? How in the world did she manage to master it to such a degree? That was impossible! Watching everything through the worm in Qi Xun-ers body, Qi Yue frowned, too. As the top genius of the Qi n, he could tell just how terrifying Qi Ling-ers p was. It was still the same battle technique that the n head had imparted to them... but how did Qi Ling-er manage to modify it so ingeniously? Not even the God King realm n head would have been able to improve the battle technique to such a level! Could it be... the old ancestor? Is this a warning from the old ancestor? Hes displeased by our internal conflict, so hes using Qi Ling-er to warn us not to go too far? Qi Yue thought as he felt a cold chill running down his spine. There was only one person in the Qi n who could possibly modify the battle technique to such a degree, and that was Old Ancestor Qi Meng! If the old ancestor was really getting involved in this matter, they would have to rethink their ns. While Qi Yue had fallen deep in thought, Qi Xun-er finally recovered from her shock. Her pale face swiftly flushed crimson with rage as she furiously roared, You bitch! You arent using the battle technique that we were given at all. Ill ughter you! Without any warning, she released her seal and charged right toward Qi Ling-er. She could not stand the humiliation of being pped by a person who was so much weaker than her! Astonished, Qi Yue quickly snapped out of his thoughts and leaped into the hall to stop Qi Xun-er. What are you doing? Havent you embarrassed yourself enough? This duel was conducted before the n head himself. Questioning the result of the duel was no different from questioning the n heads judgement. They would only be incurring the n heads ire at this rate. Brother, I have known this bitch for many years, and theres no way someone of her caliber could haveprehended that battle technique and modified it to such an extent! Theres no way that bitch could have done it! Qi Xun-er roared indignantly. Even though she would never admit it to herself, she had always viewed Qi Ling-er as her rival subconsciously, and she knew very well that thetter did not possess such capability! Qi Ling-er was a wily fox, but her talent in cultivation was far beneath hers. The Lucid Lunar Lake had already shown so! QI Ling-er should have been nothing before her! Not to mention, she had even used the battle technique that her older brother had personally modified! Seeing the disgraceful act that Qi Xun-er was putting on, the middle-aged man looked at her with utterly cold eyes as he spoke with the imposing authority of a God King. You have already lost. Dont embarrass yourself any further than this. Then, he turned to Qi Ling-er and said, Demonstrate the battle technique that you haveprehended for me once more. Yes, n head. Qi Ling-er took a deep breath before executing the battle technique once more. Hu hu hu! Tremendous might waspressed together to an extreme degree, causing sonic booms to echo endlessly in the air. Incredible! This is truly incredible! I never would have thought that its possible to do something like this... The eyes of the middle-aged man were shining in amazement. It looked as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Creating a good battle technique was not just about the arrival of a sudden bout of inspiration. More than that, the cultivator would have to review it again and again in order to perfect it. The process was simr to a poet calligraphing a poem. Even the simplest detail could have rippling effects on the harmony and prowess of the entire battle technique. The battle technique that Qi Ling-er hade up with was absolutely wless. There was no fault that he could pick with it at all. This was the first time that the middle-aged man had seen such a battle technique, so it was no wonder he was unable to curb his agitation. Perhaps the key for him to get to greater heights might lie in this. Did youprehend this battle technique yourself? the middle-aged man asked. To be honest, he found it hard to believe that Qi Ling-er really possessed such talent. There was no way the Qi n would have overlooked her if that was the case! Even if Qi Ling-er was only able to persevere for fifteen minutes in the Lucid Lunar Lake, her very ability to create and refine techniques was enough to make her an even more likely candidate to be a God King than Qi Yue! Yes, I did, Qi Ling-er replied. She had no idea why her body had acted the way it did, but her instincts told her that Zhang Xuan had yed a part in that. However, she also knew that Zhang Xuan was an extremely low-profile person, and he was unwilling to garner too much attention. Thus, she could only admit to it. Not bad. Not bad at all! The middle-aged man nodded excitedly. Thank you, n head, Qi Ling-er replied respectfully. Then, she turned to Qi Xun-er and asked, Is there anything else you have to say about this? Qi Xun-er clenched her fists indignantly, but faced with her older brothers stem gaze, she could only swallow her pride and reply, I have nothing to say... Qi Xun-er was hot-headed, but she was not dumb. Even without Qi Yue holding her back, she could tell that the tides were no longer in her favor. Qi Ling-er had won the n heads approval, and there was nothing that she could say to change that. With this, Qi Ling-ers rise in the n was sealed. Qi Ling-er turned to the middle-aged man and sped her fist. n head, as you have seen, Qi Xun-er bears great hostility toward me, and she tried to use this matter to fulfill her own personal vendetta. Since I have won the battle, I think that its only right for me to hold the bet against her. The bet was nothing more than a passing remark. Theres no need to take it seriously, the middle-aged man said with a wave of his hand, signaling that he was done with this issue. Then, he added, It must have been hard for you, having to fend for yourself in Twilight City all these years. From today, you need not go back. You shall manage our ns Lucid Lunar Market instead. Those words made Qi Xun-ers face pale further. The Lucid Lunar Market was one of the Qi ns business in Royal City. All along, it had been managed by her, but the n head was actually handing it over to Qi Ling-er. That was no different from taking back her authority! In the end, the n head was still punishing her for this matter! She had expected to win the duel with her older brothers help, but somehow, things had ended up differently. She felt as if she had ced her face out for Qi Ling-er to stomp on. Chapter 2155 - A Mysterious Medicine

Chapter 2155 A Mysterious Medicine

Thank you, n head! Qi Ling-er bowed deeply. With this, she was finally in an advantageous position in the conflict. Once the rest in the Qi n heard that she was given the Lucid Lunar Market, they would understand that the winds were changing, and no one would dare to take advantage of her lineage anymore. The middle-aged man then turned his sights to the man standing behind Qi Ling-er and asked, This person is... The fact that Qi Ling-er was willing to bring this man to the Qi n with her likely meant that they had an extraordinary rtionship. More importantly, despite the mans young age, he was exceptionallyposed. Even standing in his face, the man showed no hint of being intimidated. Putting aside those of the younger generation, most of the high-tier Celestial God elders within the Qi n were unable to remain perfectly calm in his presence either. I am Zhang Xuan, and I serve as Miss Ling-ers subordinate. Its my honor to be able to meet n Head Qi in person! Before Qi Ling-er could reply. Zhang Xuan had already taken a step forward to make his greeting. The middle-aged man assessed Zhang Xuan quietly, but thetter simply stood with his head lowered, not flinching in the least at his assessment. He finally nodded in acknowledgement and remarked, Ling-er, you have found yourself a good subordinate. Anyway, your ability toprehend the battle technique to this level shows that your talent has indeed improved. If you have some time on hand right now, lets head over to the Lucid Lunar Lake to see how long you canst in there. Thank you, n head! Qi Ling-er heaved a sigh of relief. May wee along to observe? Qi Yue suddenly spoke up at this moment. The middle-aged man nodded in approval. Just by how Qi Ling-er interpreted his battle technique earlier, it was clear that she was no longer the same person she used to be. She and Qi Yue were likely to be God Kings in the future, and once that happened, the Qi n could very well be the most influential power in the Sky of Drifting Specter! The Lucid Lunar Lake was located not too far away from the main hall. Looking at it from a distance away, it looked like a mirror embedded in the midst of the mountains. Beforeing close to it, one could already feel the rich spiritual energying from theke. It suffused the air and pulsated with great vigor, making it seem as though it would flee into the heavens. Zhang Xuan quietly observed the surroundings as he followed behind Qi Ling-er. He noticed that the Lucid Lunar Lake was the center of the formation shrouding the upside-down floating mountain they were on. Rich spiritual energy wasnt the only thing that the Lucid Lunar Lake had. It seemed to be connected with theva rumbling within the mountain and the lightning of the sky. This meant that theke harnessed the powers of three elements, water, lightning, and fire. There seems to be the blood of innumerable powerful beasts inside too... Zhang Xuan murmured. Just the power of three elements wasnt enough to temper the body of a Celestial God. More than that, theke harnessed the blood essence of countless powerful beasts too. With just a swift look, Zhang Xuan could discern the blood essence of several hundred divine and celestial beasts within theke. The shes and collisions amongst the blood essences made the energy within theke extremely violent, such that even a Celestial God-tier weapon would melt swiftly in it. It must have taken a great deal of effort for the Qi n to set up the Lucid Lunar Lake. Most powers wouldnt even be able to gather that many blood essences of different beasts, let alone set up a formation with all of them. Based on the books that he had read so far, there was a period of chaos and turmoil after the spiritual energy receded. During that period of time, many rare divine and celestial beasts ended up going extinct. This meant that Zhang Xuan wouldnt be able to recreate something simr to the Lucid Lunar Lake even though he knew how to do it. Theres no choice then. Ill have to search for an opportunity to enter the waters myself... Zhang Xuan thought with a sigh. As much as he didnt want to use the property of another person without permission, his priority at the moment was still to raise his cultivation. At the very most, he would just make sure to properlypensate the Qi n in the future. Soon, they finally arrived at theke, and the middle-aged man said, You should head in now. n head, please give me a moment. There are a few things which I need to ry to him before entering theke, Qi Ling-er said gracefully. Then, she walked right up to Zhang Xuan, and theposure on her face vanished. With a slightly anxious look on her face, she asked, Young Master Zhang, what should I do? It was true that she said that she wanted to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake, but she didnt expect to be asked to enter it right away without any preparations. Not to mention, the n head even came along with her... That had really taken her aback even though she managed to keep a poker face all this while. Theres no need to worry. Swallow this pill and youll be fine, Zhang Xuan said as he passed a middle-tier God Essence Pill over. Qi Ling-er looked at the middle-tier God Essence Pill hesitantly for a moment before swallowing it decisively, not asking a question at all. To her disappointment, it didnt feel like there were any changes with her body after swallowing the pill. Feeling slightly unnerved, she looked at Zhang Xuan in hopes of receiving reassurance. However, thetter had already lowered his head, indicating that he had already done everything that needed to be done. Knowing that there was no backing out of this, Qi Ling-er took in a deep breath before leaping into the Lucid Lunar Lake. Tzzzzz! As soon as she entered the water, the violent energies within immediately surged in her direction. Qi Ling-er swiftly channeled the power of her Qi n bloodline to form a protectiveyer on the surface of her skin. The presence of the protectiveyer seemed to calm the surrounding violent energies down, thus reducing the burden on her. So thats the reason why the Lucid Lunar Lake is exclusive only to the Qi n... Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. He had been wondering how a high-tier God could ensure the Lucid Lunar Lake when even a Celestial God-tier artifact would face difficulties trying to survive in it. As it turned out, the keyy in the bloodline prowess of the Qi n! In ns descended from powerful cultivators, the purer ones bloodline was, the stronger ones talent would be. On top of tempering ones physical body, the Lucid Lunar Lake also served to assess how powerful the bloodline of an offspring in the Qi n was. Even though Qi Ling-er had managed to hold her own against theke for the time being, it didnt stop her heart from beating in trepidation. She knew that the prowess of her bloodline would slowly be whittled down by the violent energies. And just like what had happened before, she felt her energy starting to run out after fifteen minutes had passed. Just as she was about to reach her limits, she suddenly felt a new surge of energy rising from her dantian. The middle- tier God Essence Pill she had eaten earlier was releasing great amounts of pure spiritual energy, replenishing her energy and reinvigorating her spirit. This granted her the energy to continue fending off the violent energies. But this flow of energy... It somehow feels simr to the experience I felt when Iprehended the battle technique earlier? Qi Ling-er widened her eyes in realization. Once again, she was reminded of how right it was a decision for her to agree to return to the Royal City together with Zhang Xuan. If she had chosen to remain in Twilight City, she would have really be sidelined in the Qi n. And once Qi Yue became a God King, the oppression of their lineage would have worsened even further, such that it would be a huge question whether they would have been able to keep their lives. But now, the n head had permitted her return to the Royal City, and she was even given the management rights of one of the major businesses of the Qi n in the Royal City. There was no better stepping stone for her to build her own influence in the Royal City than this. And all of this was due to the young mans help. Her talent has really increased... Watching how Qi Ling-er was able to remain unfazed even after entering the Lucid Lunar Lake for fifteen minutes, Qi Xun-er muttered with tightly clenched fists. She thought that Qi Ling-er had only said those words out of desperation, hoping to somehow wiggle her way out of crisis she was in. Yet, the ridiculous im she made was actually true! An hour passed, but she was still inside. Time ticked over to the two-hour mark, but Qi Ling-er still showed no signs of getting up and leave. Over this period of time, even Qi Yuesplexion had turned slightly grave as well. The purity of ones bloodline was determined at birth. Considering how Qi Ling-er had only been able tost fifteen minutes in there initially, it was hard to believe that she had alreadysted two hours in the Lucid Lunar Lake right now. Just how much stronger had her bloodline be over the past few years? Could it be that she had reached the same level as him as well? If that was really the case, they would be in deep trouble! Hong long! Just as they were looking at the scene before them in disbelief, a series of cracking sounds suddenly echoed from thedy within theke. Great power surged from her body as her cultivation rose from that of a high-tier God to low-tier Celestial God. She had already hit her bottleneck a while back, but she hadnt been able to find the impetus for her to make a breakthrough so far. However, with the rich spiritual energy in the Lucid Lunar Lake and the nourishment of the blood essences, while her physical body was being tempered, her zhenqi cultivation was rising rapidly as well. Hu! She leaped out of theke and returned back to the shore. Had she not made a breakthrough, the energy within the middle-tier God Essence Pill would have allowed her tost a little longer inside the water. However, as she had ended up using the energy for her breakthrough to Celestial God realm, she ran out of energy faster than expected. Nevertheless, she stillsted for more than three hours in there. That was enough to put her amongst the top of the younger generation, second only to Qi Yue. Just what did you go through for your bloodline to suddenly get so powerful? the middle-aged man asked as Qi Linger dried herself. The ability to enhance an individuals bloodline was invaluable to most ns. It meant that the n would be able to increase the number of talented experts in their ranks freely as long as they had sufficient resources on hand. That would really pave the way for Qi ns ascension to the top. Putting aside the Sky of Drifting Specters, they would have no one to fear in the Firmament! n head, I didnt go through anything special. I only consumed the Beauty Pill, Qi Ling-er hesitated for a moment before replying. She considered hiding the matter, but given the means of the Qi n, they should be able to root out the truth soon enough. The Beauty Pill? the middle-aged man asked with a frown. As a God King, there were very few things in the world that could catch his eye. Clearly, the Beauty Pill wasnt one of them. Its a particrly powerful pill. It can ridsting scars and make ones skin more supple, enhancing ones appearance. Initially, I thought that its effects are only limited to aesthetic purposes, but I soon realized that the pill has changed my constitution as well, allowing me to cultivate much faster than before. I thought that my talent might have risen due to that, so I returned to the Royal City hoping to challenge the Lucid Lunar Lake once more! Qi Ling-er replied. Theres actually such a medicine in the world? On top of making one beautiful, it can change a persons constitution? Qi Yue and Qi Xun-er were stunned. This was especially so for thetter. Her eyes were filled with envy. From the moment she saw Qi Ling-er earlier, she couldnt help but notice how thetter looked much younger than before. Her skin was suppler than ever, and there were hardly any defects on her face. She thought that thetter might have been consuming some sort of tonic, but to think that it was the Beauty Pill! The middle-aged man appeared to be a little skeptical of Qi Ling-ers words, but he didnt refute the possibility right away. Do you have any Beauty Pill with you at the moment? I do, Qi Ling-er nodded as she passed a jade container over. It was the exact same packaging she used when she firstunched the product at Twilight City. The middle-aged man opened the container, took out the Beauty Pill, and examined it carefully. The knit between his brows grew tighter the more he examined it. No matter how he looked at it, the pill in front of him was indubitably an ordinary God Essence Pill... But Qi Ling-er said that it could make one more beautiful and improve ones constitution? Why couldnt he tell at all? n head, I know that it might be hard to believe, but you can give it a try. The effects might not be too apparent for you due to your superior cultivation, but I believe that it should still be effective to some extent! Qi Ling-er said. Is that so? the middle-aged man remarked. He opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. A momentter, his eyebrows shot up. Even though it looked no different from an ordinary God Essence Pill, it harnessed a unique kind of energy that repaired his internal traumas ever so slightly as it flowed through his body. Just as Qi Ling-er had mentioned, the effects were greatly discounted on him because he was a God King, but the very fact that the pill was effective on him meant something. Even I was unable to do anything about those internal traumas... the middle-aged man murmured in disbelief. Those internal traumas were deeply lodged within his body that there was nothing he tried that worked on them. Never in his wildest dreams would he expect a low-tier God Essence Pills to actually be effective on them... This so-called Beauty Pill sure was frightening! Where did you get this medicine from? the middle-aged man asked Qi Lng-er anxiously. The slight quiver in his voice was more than enough to betray his agitation. Chapter 2156 - Paying Respects to the God Monarch! [2inl] 2156 Paying Respects to the God Monarch! [2inl] Qi Ling-er discreetly snuck a nce at Zhang Xuan, but thetter showed no hints of wanting to reveal himself at all. While feeling impressed by the young mans humility, she pondered for a moment before adding, I got it through a friend for quite a hefty price. Each of them costs 1500 Divine Coins, and they arent readily avable on the market either. 1500 Divine Coins? Thats not expensive at all. Tell your friend that our Qi n will take whatever all Beauty Pills he has in the future! the middle-aged man said with a grand wave of his hand. Even though the effects of the pills on him was limited, the fact that it had any effect at all was terrifying in itself. One must know that the only one within the Qi n who was capable of doing the same was likely to just be the old ancestor. If he could monopolize the distribution of the Beauty Pills to just within the Qi n, it shouldnt take too long for the Qi n to rise through the ranks! I understand, Qi Ling-er nodded. She didnt really expect the n head to be the greatest buyer of their Beauty Pill. She flicked her wrist and took out the remaining Beauty Pills she had inside her storage ring, I still have 14 of them here. Ill take all of them, the middle-aged man said. He took the jade containers from her and stashed them into his own storage ring before flicking his finger lightly. In the next moment, Qi Ling-er sensed an additional 22,250 Divine Coins in her card. The n head had paid her for the Beauty Pill she had offered up to him as well. It would be beneath a God King to take advantage of a junior too. Thank you, n head! Qi Ling-er bowed deeply. The true value in this transactiony not in the money but the attitude of the n head. Now that she had been given the Lucid Lunar Market, money would simply roll into her pockets even if she did nothing at all. However, the fact that she was in a business rtionship with the n head would increase her say in the Royal City greatly. Those who intended her and her lineage harm would have to think twice before pulling off anything, or else she could possibly tap into this rtionship to give them hell to pay for. Nodding quietly, the n head waved his hand to dismiss them before walking away. He still had quite a few internal traumas that needed to be treated, so he was intending to find a quiet ce to consume them. Perhaps, he might be able to further his cultivation a little. It was impossible for him to be a Conferred God King anymore, but at the very least, he could be one of the top experts amongst the God Kings. n head... Qi Xun-er fell silent. She thought that the n head would punish Qi Ling-er sternly after ratting out on her, condemning thetter to a ce where she would never see the light of the day. Yet, the tables turned on them. They ended up sustaining great losses instead. Putting everything aside, the annual dividends from the Lucid Lunar Market was more than enough for a lineage to live extravagantly for decades. And this was putting aside the influence and power that came from having the position. Where the money flowed, connections would follow. Qi Ling-er, you must be really smug right now. I dont know what tricks you used to be able tost three hours in the Lucid Lunar Lake, and I dont know how miraculous your Beauty Pill actually is. However, you can be certain that I, Qi Xun-er, will definitely get back everything that belongs to me! Leaving those words behind, Qi Xun-er turned around and left as well. She had already lost this battle, so there was no point saying anything more than that. Since Qi Ling-er was already back at the Royal City, they were bound to sh more in the future. She didnt believe that Qi Ling-er would be so lucky as to outdo her each and every time! Even as Qi Xun-er left, Qi Yue still continued standing on the spot. There was a contemtive frown on his face, as if he was trying to make sense of something. He looked at Qi Ling-er for a moment before turning his gaze to the quiet Zhang Xuan by the side. Eventually, he shook his head and left the area as well. He was much more farsighted than his younger sister. In his view, there was no pointpeting over something that was transient. As long as he could be a God King, all of the obstacles in his path would vanish from sight! No matter how powerful ones influence was, it would be futile if one didnt have the strength to maintain it. As long as one had sufficient power, everything else, be it money, influence, or connections, would all be within reach. Young Master Zhang, thank you for your help. After everyone else had left, Qi Ling-er turned to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply. If not for the young man before her, it was likely that she would have been trapped in Twilight City for life, having no choice but to serve as the manager of an underground ck market for her entire life. Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang Xuan replied. Theres one favor which I would like to ask of you. I am actually quite interested in the Lucid Lunar Lake, and I would like to give it a try. This was his motive foring to the Qi n, and his goal was already right before him. It was inevitable that he would be tempted. Zhang Xuans request shocked Qi Ling-er, such that her true emotions actually slipped onto her face for a moment. This was no simple request at all. She hesitated for a moment before replying carefully, The energies in the Lucid Lunar Lake are extremely violent. Those without the Qi ns bloodline will face great danger in there! As someone who had experienced the Lucid Lunar Lake personally, she knew just how terrifying it could be. Without the protection of the bloodline, there was a good chance that one would be reduced to ashes as soon as ones body came into contact with it. Ill just give it a try. If theres any danger, Ille up right away, Zhang Xuan replied. Sigh... Alright then. Recalling that the young man before her was someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch, Qi Ling-er knew that her worries were unfounded. With a resigned nod, she added, Im sure you are aware that outsiders arent supposed to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake. Ill stand guard for you outside, so make sure that no one sees you. Also, you mustnt speak of whatever that happens here to anyone else... There were no restrictions that disallowed members of the Qi n from bringing the outsiders to the vicinity of the Lucid Lunar Lake, but allowing an outsider to go into it was, without a doubt, an infringement of the rules. Dont worry, I dont like drawing attention to myself either. I wont say anything unnecessary to others, Zhang Xuan replied with a reassuring smile. Was it even necessary to voice that out loud to him? A person as low profile as him would never share such matters to others! In any case, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath before walking into theke. Tzzzzzz! He immediately felt violent energies that threatened to tear his body apart surging over in his direction. It felt as though he was facing spatial turbulence once more. In a matter of moments, his body had been torn to the point that fresh blood wouldnt stop flowing from his body. Heavens Path zhenqi! With a thought, Zhang Xuan began driving his celestial energy through his body, nourishing and healing his tattered muscles. However, the violent energies in theke were simply too destructive. His rate of recovery was fast, but it wasnt sufficient to stop his body from breaking down. Come out! Zhang Xuan brought Little Chick out from his dantian. What incredibly hot-tempered spiritual energy this is... I love it! Tear me into pieces and rip me apart, baby! Upon seeing the Lucid Lunar Lake, the little yellow chicks beady eyes immediately lit up. It unfurled its tiny wings and began waddling all around theke. Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched. The reason why he brought out the little yellow chick was to have it produce some chicken soup so as to boost his rate of recovery, but it actually started swimming around instead... Remember your identity! You are a chicken, not a duck! Chickens arent supposed to swim! Just as Zhang Xuan was going to berate the little yellow chick, thetter suddenly lowered its head and dived into the depths of theke. Tzzzzz! Thekewater bubbled as the violent energies shot toward the little yellow chick. As if it was struck by multiple arrows, it took only a few instants for it to be reduced into a huge cloud of crimson blood. This... Watching the sight from the shore, Qi Ling-er was utterly dumbfounded. What the heck was that chick? Where did ite from? Why was it seeking to kill itself? Was it really that afraid of being ughtered and eaten as food? A bunch of question marks popped up endlessly on Qi Ling-ers head. You useless wastrel! Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears. Can you at least show some basic pride and dignity? I brought you out to save me, but you ended upmitting suicide instead... Shouldnt a legendary beast like you be more concerned about its reputation? Zhang Xuan covered his head from the sheer embarrassment of being associated with a waddling furball of disgrace. It seemed like he could only rely on himself then. Somehow, nothing ever went to n whenever that darned chick was involved. Gritting his teeth, he drove his celestial energy to its maximum in order to hasten his recovery to the greatest extent. However, it was around this moment that the unexpected happened. The Lucid Lunar Lake suddenly began trembling nonstop, signaling that something was about to happen. Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly took a look around him, only to see that theke he was in shaking so vigorously that it felt as if an explosion was going to happen anytime soon. How did this happen? Zhang Xuan was frenzied. The previous time this happened was at the Cleansing Lake of Huanyu Empire. Back then, it was due to he and his clone absorbing too much energy, and he admitted that it was indeed his greed that led to such a situation too. But he hadnt even begun cultivating after entering this Lucid Lunar Lake! He was too preupied with fending against the violent energies within that he didnt even have the time to pull anything off! It is one thing if I have tried to suck theke dry and ended up sumbing to it, but I havent done anything at all... This is injustice! Why the heck is theke exploding? It really has nothing to do with me this time! Zhang Xuan felt so stifled that he could lose his mind. He knew that the God King from before would really rip him apart if theke in front of him were to really explode, so with a deep sigh, he attempted to leap out of theke to stop whatever that was happening first. But before he could even get up, the energies rumbling within the Lucid Lunar Lake suddenly gushed in his direction, sealing the space around him. In the blink of an eye, he found himself unable to move at all, as if someone had used a rope to tie him up. Just like that, he was robbed of his ability to escape too! Shit! Zhang Xuan cursed. He was already going to leaving, so why was theke stilltching onto him like a relentless ex? He tried to free himself from the restraints of theke, but the violent energies were way more than what he, as a low- tier Celestial God, could deal with. He felt as if he was stuck in the midst of a whirlpool, and it was already taking his all trying not to get swept away by it, let alone escape from it! Tzzzzzz! The energies finally collided onto Zhang Xuans body from all directions, and in that instant, he felt many hands pulling his body with insane force, trying to tear him into pieces. Even the Heavens Path zhenqi was helpless against a force of such magnitude. Qi Ling-er was able to persevere in theke for over three hours using just a surge of the Heavens Path zhenqi, but that was mainly because her bloodline had the ability to calm the violent energies within the water. On the other hand, the violent energies seemed to be reacting explosively to his presence, almost as if they were trying to decimate an unwee intruder. Facing the full aggression of theke, there was only so much that the Heavens Path zhenqi could do. Peng peng! Fresh blood flowed out of Zhang Xuans body, and he started to feel a little light-headed. Will I really die just like that? Zhang Xuan felt like crying. It was one thing if the Lucid Lunar Lake didnt wee him, but it even trapped him and tried to explode on him like a suicide bomber! It was almost as if it would only be satisfied after he died. This wont do. Should I just use the golden page to smash the entireke? Zhang Xuan thought. He had wanted to reserve the golden page for stronger opponents that he could very well encounter in the future, but it would all be futile if he were to lose his life to theke. Given the current circumstances, he really didnt know what else he could do. Gritting his teeth, he was just about to deploy the golden page he had just received when a thought shed across his head. The Lucid Lunar Lake reacts explosively against those who didnt possess the Qi ns bloodline. Even though I dont have the Qi ns bloodline, I should be able to disguise myself as having one through the disguise amulet Ruoxin has given me. Would that stop the aggression of theke? Back then, he had used the disguise amulet to take on the persona of Luo Tianya, and he was even able to dupe artifacts that assessed ones bloodline. Perhaps, it might just work here as well. Knowing that time waited for no one, he immediately changed the aura of his spirit and zhenqi as soon as the thought emerged in his head. In the blink of an eye, his presence became rather simr to that of Qi Yue and the middle-aged man from before. The aura of the Qi ns bloodline suffused from his presence. Weng! As soon as he began to disguise himself, the rumblingkewater began to gradually calm down a little, and the violent energies crashing into him reduced significantly. It seemed like his identity was being recognized. It worked... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he wiped the cold sweat off his head. He wasnt too sure about how effective disguising his bloodline would be, but it was great that it worked out in the end. And now that he was finally out of danger, the notion of leaving the Lucid Lunar Lake also slipped from his mind as well. He began to absorb the energies surging in from the water, and the cells in his body began on an endless cycle of breaking down and reconstructing themselves, bing more resilient and powerful. The rate at which my body is getting tempered is amazing! Zhang Xuan could feel himself evolving with every breath that he took. His slightly apprehensive eyes began to light up in anticipation. At the rate he was going, he should be able to push his physical body to a level surpassing that of ordinary Celestial Gods in less than ten minutes! It was no wonder why the Lucid Lunar Lake was so highly-acimed for its ability to temper ones body. High risk high reward. Even though he had nearly lost his life back then, he felt that the result was worth the danger. Otherwise, he would probably have to spend many days figuring how he could strengthen his body. Low-tier Celestial God realm primary stage! Low-tier Celestial God realm intermediate stage! He reached low-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle in the blink of an eye, but his physical body was still growing stronger by the moment. Vaguely, a golden glow emerged from the depths of his muscles, forming a bridge that enhanced thepactness of his body. Even though he had no idea what it was, its existence felt incredibly natural to him. The golden glow allowed him to channel his physical strength wherever he wanted, granting him far greater fighting prowess than before, Brother, I really cant ept this! As soon as they returned back to their rooms, Qi Xun-er shattered all of the flower pots and tea set in the room to vent her anger. After all of the preparations she had made to seal Qi Ling-ers fate, she would have never thought that the situation would bite back at her. Theres no point losing your temper now. In the end, its all because you dont understand Qi Ling-er as well as you think you did. Treat it as an expensive lesson and never underestimate your opponents ever again, Qi Yue said with a wave of his hand. The main reason why everything turned out the way it did was because Qi Xun-er was unable to gauge Qi Ling-ers capability urately. If only she had done some investigation beforehand, she could have found out about Qi Ling-ers newfound abilities and prepared better against it. I know. I understand all of that, but I just feel so indignant inside! Qi Xun-er eximed. She had to take a few deep breaths before she finally calmed down a little. I grew up with her, so I knew the extent of her capabilities very well. There must be something more to the growth of her talent. The Beauty Pill, is it? Hmph! Ill investigate it right now to see who is the one forging that stuff! As the person who was managing the Lucid Lunar Market before it was passed on to Qi Ling-er, Qi Xun-er was no mediocre character as well. Un. Other than that, you need to look into the person that was following her earlier too. I recall that his name is Zhang Xuan, Qi Yue said. Brother, are you suspecting that fellow is her backer? Qi Xun-er asked doubtfully. But he looks ordinary! Qi Yue shook his head and replied, In terms of cultivation, hes only a low-tier Celestial God. From that aspect, he does appear to be no more than an ordinary cultivator. However, he is simply tooposed. Even I would feel my soul shuddering a little when I am standing before the n head, but that fellow was able to remain perfectly calm. I felt no hint of anxiety or nervousness from his soul. There might be more to him that we think! This... Hearing her brothers words, Qi Xun-er quickly recalled what had happened earlier, and looking at the matter from her brothers perspective, it did seem weird for the young man to act in such a manner. Youre right. He seems tooposed for someone of his strength, and I realized that... hes quite a hottie too! Qi Yues eyebrows twitched violently upon hearing those words. Alright, lets not discuss that anymore. None of that is any of our business at the moment. The important thing at hand is to raise our cultivation as quickly as we can. She has already be a Celestial God, so if you dont double your effort, you might lose your standing before the n head very soon. I get it... Qi Xun-er replied with a deep sigh. Just as she was about to continue speaking, the ground suddenly started tremoring. The spiritual energy in the air suddenly began surging swiftly in a certain direction, as if something major was happening. Hu! Qi Yue stood up and swiftly discerned the direction in which the spiritual energy was moving toward, Its the Lucid Lunar Lake. Lets go! Without waiting for Qi Xun-er, he immediately rushed out of the room. The ce where they resided wasnt too far away from theke. Moving at their top speeds, it took him only a few breaths to arrive at the destination. There, he saw a young man standing in the middle of the pool while Qi Ling-er sat on the shore, looking at her surroundings uneasily. Qi Ling-er actually allowed an outsider to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake? Hahahaha! She has really courted her own doom this time around! At this moment, Qi Xun-er also arrived at the scene. Seeing the same thing in front of her, her eyes lit up in agitation. It just happened that she was looking for a way to curb the rising Qi Ling-er when such a thing happened. The act of allowing an outsider into the Lucid Lunar Lake was a huge infringement of the Qi ns rules. No matter how highly the n head valued Qi Ling-er, she would still be severely punished for this act. Wuuuuuuu! Just as Qi Xun-ers heart was thumping in excitement at the fate that would soon befall Qi Ling-er, many gusts of wind suddenly echoed in the air. Following that, the n head and many high-tier Celestial God realm elders arrived by the Lucid Lunar Lake as well. When they saw the sight before them, their faces immediately turned livid. The Lucid Lunar Lake was one of the most important resources to the Qi n. While there was no rule preventing outsiders from observing it, outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering the premises. Yet, not only had an outsider entered the waters this time around, he even created such a hugemotion in it, leaving theke on the verge of explosion. This was unforgivable! What is going on here? the n head harrumphed furiously. He had barely returned back to his amodations and was preparing to study the Beauty Pill carefully when he suddenly felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy around him. So, he rushed over as quickly as he could. n head, Qi Ling-er has allowed an outsider to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake! Knowing that this was a golden opportunity to do her archnemesis in, Qi Xun-er hurriedly stepped forward and reported with a sped fist. The n head looked over and saw a young man standing in the middle of theke with his eyes tightly sealed. It seemed like he was struggling to fend off the violent energies colliding into him within the water. Preposterous! Seeing that an outsider was really trying to cultivate inside their Lucid Lunar Lake, the n head immediately blew his top, Qi Ling-er has really allowed her pride to get to her! Men, arrest her and send her to the Punishment Bureau! She is to be punished for revealing the ns secrets and colluding with outsiders. Theres no need to interrogate her. She will be stripped of her identity as a core member right away! It was just a moment ago that he felt that Qi Ling-er had some potential, but in the next moment, she actually dared to pull something like this off. She was really courting her own death! Yes! Excited, Qi Xun-er volunteered herself and walked right up to Qi Ling-er. It was only upon hearing the footsteps did Qi Ling-er notice the crowd, and her face immediately paled from fright. She quickly kneeled onto the floor. Hehe, Qi Ling-er. I didnt think that you would be so eager to die that you would n your own downfall in such a spectacr manner! Qi Xun-er was just thinking about how she could return the favor to Qi Ling-er, but who could have thought that thetter would do something like this right after? With a derisive chuckle, Qi Xun-er was just about to make her move to apprehend Qi Ling-er when she suddenly felt an overwhelming power descending from the sky. Raising her head, she saw an elder descending to the ground. His aura was so powerful that it caused the space around him to waver. This elder had a clean white beard, and he was dressed in simple clothes. Despite so, the sharp and regal gaze he used to assess everything around him gave him an air of authority that surpassed that of the n head. Paying respects to the old ancestor! Qi Xun-er immediately kneeled down and paid her respects. The others, including the n head, swiftly did the same as well. The elder was no other than the strongest person in the Qi n, Conferred God King Qi Meng! What happened? Qi Mengs gaze eventually fell on Qi Xun-er as he asked. Old ancestor, an outsider has snuck into our Lucid Lunar Lake. I was just about to arrest him... Qi Xun-er replied anxiously. If even the old ancestor was getting involved in this matter, Qi Ling-er was definitely doomed. No one would be able to save her. An outsider? Qi Meng slowly turned his gaze to theke, and in the next instant, his eyes narrowed in astonishment. He quickly kneeled to the ground, and with a quivering voice, he spoke, Conferred God King Qi Meng of the Sky of Drifting Specters pays respects to... ... God Monarch! Chapter 2157 - Spirit God!

Chapter 2157 Spirit God!

As theke was shrouded in a thickyer of mist formed by the condensation of spiritual energy, it was impossible to see his appearance or silhouette clearly. Nevertheless, Qi Meng was still able to feel a pressure that pierced right into his soul. It was a feeling so deeply etched into him that he could not get rid of it no matter what he did. It was the absolute power of a God Monarch. The only ones who could leave a Conferred God King like him feeling like that were the Ten God Monarchs. There was no way he could possibly perceive it wrongly. He had no idea which of the ten God Monarchs was in theke, but one thing was clear. If the Qi n wished to continue existing in the world, it would be wise not to offend the other party. For this reason, he kneeled down without much hesitation. God Monarch? Those words were not spoken too loudly, but they resonated in the ears of those present like thunder. The head of the Qi n and the elders quickly lowered their heads fearfully, not daring to look up at all. The Qi n was possibly the most formidable power in Drifting Specter Royal City, but it was still no match for the God Monarchs. A mere thought was all it would take for a God Monarch to obliterate them from the face of the world. They were not even living on the same ne of existence. Padah! Qi Xun-er was unable to cope with the shock. Her knees caved, and she tumbled onto the ground. She had thought that she had found the ideal opportunity to get rid of Qi Ling-er once and for all, but who could have thought that the person who entered the Lucid Lunar Lake would actually be a real-life God Monarch? Even Conferred God Kings would not dare to say anything excessive in the face of a God Monarch. In fact, it could be considered an honor for the Qi n to have been graced by a God Monarchs presence. Finding it hard to believe the situation, Qi Xun-er secretly peeked at theke. Through the thick veil of spiritual energy mist, she was still able to roughly make out the silhouette in the water. It was none other than Zhang Xuan! Was he the God Monarch? Qi Xun-ers eyes widened with fright, and her heart beat so quickly that she found herself unable to breathe. She had even said that the other party was ordinary a moment ago! If the other party was truly ordinary, what was she? Why would Qi Ling-er, a person who had been demoted to the remote Twilight City, be rted to a God Monarch? Furthermore, she was even able to invite the God Monarch to grace the Qi n. God Monarch? While everyone was shocked speechless, Zhang Xuan, who was cultivating at the middle of theke, was also stupefied by what he had just heard. Did he recognize the wrong person? The elder who had just appeared had a presence that harmonized with the heavens. The pressure that he exerted was so powerful that it was a struggle just to face him. Such a powerful person was calling him God Monarch... Did Conferred God Kings suffer from bad eyesight or something? Nevertheless, this was a good opportunity for him to resolve the current situation. So, Zhang Xuan lowered his voice to a very deep level and said, I dont like being disturbed by others. This misunderstanding worked in his favor. At the very least, he would not be med for secretly using the Lucid Lunar Lake. Otherwise, given the limitations of his current strength, he could only use the golden page to smash the Conferred God King before him to death. Hearing the will of the God Monarch, Old Ancestor Qi Meng immediately gestured for the crowd that had gathered around to leave. In fact, fearing that the other n members might just stumble into the vicinity and disturb the God Monarch, he even went to the extent of creating a formation to seal off the surroundings. I... Qi Ling-er was at aplete loss. She had no idea what was happening, and she had no idea what she should do. While she had allowed Young Master Zhang to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake, she had expected him toe out quickly after realizing that he was unable to cultivate. She had never expected such a hugemotion to arise, drawing even the attention of the n head and the old ancestor. When they appeared before her, she thought that it was the end of her... but the turnaround came equally fast! God Monarch... All along, she had thought that Zhang Xuan only possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch, but who could have known that he was a God Monarch himself? And she had traded with him and tried to earn his money... Her body trembled uncontrobly as she could not help but doubt her sanity. Come out! Dont disturb the God Monarchs peace! Qi Meng ordered with a frown. Yes! Hearing themand from the old ancestor, Qi Ling-er hurriedly walked away from the Lucid Lunar Lake. The group followed Qi Meng all the way to the main hall, where thetter quickly set up many formations. Then, Qi Meng looked at the crowd. Exin what happened. He waspletely taken aback to see a God Monarch standing within the Lucid Lunar Lake. Its like this... The n head stepped forward and exined everything that had happened with Qi Ling-er earlier. You are the one who brought him here? Qi Meng turned to Qi Ling-er. Old ancestor, I only knew that he possesses the bloodline of a God Monarch. I didnt know that he was a God Monarch himself, Qi Ling-er replied apprehensively. He possesses the bloodline of a God Monarch? The crowd were taken aback by that news. The n head turned his head to her and gestured for her to exin her words. So, Qi Ling-er swiftly filled them in on what she had seen at the Netherworld Pool. The God Monarchs are able to alter their forms freely, Qi Meng said with a nod. They often conceal their cultivation so as to experience the life of an ordinary person... I heard that the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom suppressed their cultivation to visit the lower worlds once. Your ability to see through his disguise, urately assess the situation, ande up with the best response is not bad. I can see that you are a smart person. From today onward, Ill have Qi Xiao entrust you with more important work and bestow you with the best cultivation resources. As someone who is working with the God Monarch, it wouldnt do for your identity to be too shabby. Qi Xiao was the name of the n head. Thank you, old ancestor! Qi Ling-er bowed down and kowtowed deeply. She felt a little light on her feet, as if she had been dreaming all this while. She could hardly believe that such a thing was really happening to her. I believe all of you should understand what can and cannot be said. Anything that concerns the privacy of a God Monarch is a taboo in the Firmament. If I hear anyone running their mouth, no matter who it is, dont expect me to show any mercy! Qi Meng ordered. Yes, old ancestor! The crowd trembled a little at Qi Mengs threats. At the very back of the hall, Qi Xun-er was trying her best to hold back her tears. If only she had known that the young man had such an incredible identity, she never would have stepped forward and run her mouth. Given what she had done, even if the Qi n did not punish her for this, she would definitely be sidelined in the future. Even her older brother would not be able to save her from this. After all, between a God Monarch and a God King, even a fool would know which side to choose! Forget it! Zhang Xuan felt both a little astounded and confused, but he could not care that much anymore. It was not as if anything would happen just by him caring about it. So, he closed his eyes and continued cultivating. Surges of pure spiritual energy flowed into his body, causing it to continuously evolve. Hu! Some timeter, his cultivation came to a halt. He found that he was unable to raise his physical body cultivation any further than that. High-tier Celestial God pinnacle... Perceiving the strength and resilience of his tempered body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He had entered the Lucid Lunar Lake in hopes of raising his physical body to middle-tier Celestial God at the very least, but who would have thought that he would be able to raise it all the way to high-tier Celestial God? In fact, he was not too far from reaching God King. With his current body, he would be invincible against any opponents beneath God King in close-quarter battles. This meant that he was finally approaching the top echelons of the Firmament. It was at this point that the energies of the Lucid Lunar Lake finally became ineffective on him. No matter how much he absorbed beyond this point, it did not make a difference to his body. But what are those golden lines? Zhang Xuan murmured doubtfully as he assessed the internal state of his body. For some reason, innumerable thin, golden strands had appeared within his muscles all over his body. They did not seem to harness any particr power, but they felt unfaltering. It felt as if they were charged with an unending supply of vitality. Nevertheless, knowing that this was not a good time to study the changes with his body, he leaped out of theke. Tzzzzz! Through his zhenqi, he was able to swiftly evaporate the water that was on his drenched clothes. When he turned back to look at theke behind him, he saw that the bubbling surface had already reverted to its initial calm state. A few momentster, a slight ripple appeared in the water, and a little yellow chick swam to shore. Youre fine as well, Zhang Xuan murmured. He knew that the little yellow chick had the ability to revive from ashes ever since thest time Kong shis clone killed it. So, he was not too surprised to see the little yellow chick alive and kicking. Your cultivation... Watching as it swam over, Zhang Xuans mouth fell agape. Just a moment ago, the little yellow chick had only been a low-tier God, but at this very moment, he could sense the aura of a Celestial Goding from it. Its earlier death in theke had allowed it to catch up with him, bing a Celestial God too! He had put in so much effort and put his life on the line just to be a Celestial God, but all it took the little yellow chick was one death... Darn it! It felt really frustrating losing to a chick like that! Im going to rest for a bit, the slightly exhausted little yellow chick said wearily before diving into his dantian. Rest well, Zhang Xuan replied. He knew that it was normal for it to get extremely exhausted after its breakthrough, so he did not pay that matter much heed. Instead, he looked at the main hall not too far away with aplicated look on his face, and after a moment of hesitation, he finally began making his way over. He had no idea why the Conferred God King mistook him for someone else, but it was only a matter of time before he would have to face the other party. So, he walked out of the seal, and the next moment, Old Ancestor Qi Meng and n Head Qi Xiao, who seemed to have been waiting outside for him, immediately walked over to greet him. Paying respects to the God Monarch! Old Ancestor Qi Meng kneeled down and bowed formally before discreetly ncing at the young man before him. What he saw left him nodding in wonderment. Earlier, he had been able to clearly perceive the overwhelming pressure of the bloodline of a God Monarch from theke, but at this very moment, the pressure had disappearedpletely. The young man before him seemed no different from an ordinary person, such that he would not have been able to tell that the other party was a God Monarch either. As expected of a God Monarch. He was able to control his powers to such a fine degree that no one was able to see through his disguise. I have used your Lucid Lunar Lake. As repayment, Ill offer you some pointers. Zhang Xuan was d to see that the Conferred God King still carried the same misunderstanding, and he heaved a sigh of relief on the inside. Even though he did not break the Lucid Lunar Lake, he did sap a substantial amount of energy from it for his breakthrough. As a master teacher, it would not be right for him to walk away without offering anything in return. This... Old Ancestor Qi Mengs first reaction was to turn down the God Monarchs offer. After all, this was an invaluable opportunity for them to strike up a rtionship with thetter. But on second thought, he realized that there was no way a God Monarch would allow himself to owe anything to anyone, and his heart sank a little. So, he turned to n head Qi Xiao and said, Show the God Monarch your skills. On the other hand, hearing that Old Ancestor Qi Meng was giving this precious opportunity to him, n Head Qi Xiao excitedly got to his feet Hu hu hu! He demonstrated the battle technique from earlier on. He had already grasped the crux of the battle technique when Qi Ling-er executed it before him. It was only at this moment that he realized why the battle technique Qi Ling-er had executed was devoid of any ws. After all, how could anything that hade out from the hands of a God Monarch possibly be wed? There arent any major problems with your cultivation. The only issue is your internal injuries. They have limited your strength, preventing you from reaching greater heights, Zhang Xuan replied with a slow but authoritative voice. He was able to see through the ws of a God King through the Library of Heavens Path. He borated more on the internal injuries that Qi Xiao was facing and pointed out a general direction for him to work toward. With that, he hadpensated the Qi n for the use of the Lucid Lunar Lake. I dont have any other business here. Ill be leaving. As Zhang Xuan said those words, he turned around and began walking out of the main hall. Qi Ling-er, escort the God Monarch! Old Ancestor Qi Meng quickly ordered. Qi Ling-er immediately shot to her feet and walked behind Zhang Xuan subserviently. After Zhang Xuans departure, the atmosphere in the room immediately lightened as everyone subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief. There was a slight moment of silence as everyone adjusted their tense state of mind back to normal before n Head Qi Xiao turned to the Old Ancestor Qi Meng and said doubtfully, Old ancestor, the things that the God Monarch spoke about are all the ws in my cultivation. He didnt give me any pointers as to what I should do... The words of the God Monarch did give him a deeper understanding of the problems he was facing, but he still was not too sure how he could go around solving them. Old Ancestor Qi Meng harrumphed. This is a test from the God Monarch. He pointed out your ws so that you could work hard and think of ways to resolve them. If he helped you rectify your ws as well, wouldnt that make you his direct disciple? Do you think that you are worthy of bing the direct disciple of a God Monarch? O-of course not! It was too greedy... A shudder ran down n Head Qi Xiaos spine as he quickly waved his hands. Un. Old Ancestor Qi Meng nodded before falling silent. Hearing the advice that the young man gave Qi Xiao had dissipated all the lingering doubts in his mind. Only the keen eyes of a God Monarch would have been able to see through the ws that even he had missed. Old Ancestor, may I know which of the Ten God Emperors he is? n Head Qi Xiao asked curiously. Ive had the honor of meeting a few of the God Monarchs, so I have a rough idea who that God Monarch is. If Im not mistaken, he should be... ... the Spirit God! Chapter 2158 - News on Luo Qiqi?

Chapter 2158 News on Luo Qiqi?

The Spirit God? n Head Qi Xiao narrowed his eyes. You are referring to that... Yes, I am indeed referring to that person. However... Forget it, its beyond us to fathom the affairs surrounding the God Monarchs. Its good enough for us to know about it, but make sure not to speak it out loud. Otherwise, our entire n might get into deep trouble, Old Ancestor Qi Meng advised. I understand, old ancestor. n Head Qi Xiao quickly nodded in response. You may leave now. The crowd respectfully backed out of the main hall before going on their own ways. Hu! Zhang Xuan flew all the way back to his residence and returned to his room. Then, he finally heaved a huge sigh of relief as the tension escaped from his shoulders. That was a close one. He had thought that he would just temper his physical body discreetly; he did not think that it would cause such a hugemotion, drawing out even Conferred God King Qi Meng. But why would Old Ancestor Qi Meng think that Im a God Monarch? It was hard to imagine that a Conferred God King would make such a grave mistake on something as important as this. It simply did not make sense! Of course, there was no way he could ask the person in question about this. It was for the same reason that he did not ask the other party about the Spirit God even though he was certain that a Conferred God King like him would be aware of it. He knew that he wouldpromise his identity as a God Monarch if he asked such a question. It would simply raise the other partys suspicion. Forget it. Even though I wasnt able to gather the information I want, at least the trip was rather fruitful. I was able to temper my body, and Qi Ling-er managed to reinforce her standing in the Qi n. With her new standing, she should be able to gather essential information more easily now, Zhang Xuan thought with a smile. His zhenqi cultivation was still at low-tier Celestial God, but the tempering of the Lucid Lunar Lake had made his body on par with the strongest Celestial God-tier weapons. In other words, even if he allowed a high-tier Celestial God to freely attack him, it was likely that the other party still would not be able to hurt him. Furthermore, based on the pulsating vitality from the golden strands in his muscles, he had a feeling that he would be able to swiftly recover from any injuries. To test that out, he took out a weapon and swung it at his own arm. Kacha! The sword shattered into numerous fragments, but the impact did not leave even the slightest mark on his wrist. I reckon that itll take a God King-tier weapon at the very minimum in order to hurt me... He had hoped to injure himself slightly in order to test if his guess was right, but he did not have any weapons that could do that. This sure was troublesome. That reminds me. Its about time for me to find a better weapon to use... Due to the swift advancement in his cultivation, the rate at which he had to change weapons was getting faster and faster. However, weapons were usually one of the more expensivemodities, and God King-tier artifacts were definitely not readily avable on the market. Forget it! My cultivation shoulde first. Since I have managed to temper my physical body, next up is my soul cultivation! In the end, weapons were just good to have. What was more important was his own cultivation. If he could be a God King, he would have a lot more say in the Firmament. It would increase his chances of finding Luo Ruoxin, and he might even be able to speak to Kong shi as an equal. After sorting out his thoughts, Zhang Xuan walked out of his room, and he found the Silver Armored General, Zhuo Feng, waiting for him outside. Thetter walked up to him with an apologetic look on his face and said, Zhang shi, my apologies. I tried making a request with the Qi n, but the Lucid Lunar Lake is simply not open to outsiders. Im afraid that theres no way around it... Thank you for your help, but theres no need for that anymore, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Feeling that Zhang Xuan was just saying those words so that he would not feel bad, Zhuo Fengs face reddened in embarrassment. He was the one who had told Zhang Xuan about the Lucid Lunar Lake, and he had tried to pull all of his connections in hopes of securing an opportunity to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake for Zhang Xuan so as to repay thetter for the favor of saving his son. Yet, despite trying everything, the Qi n simply would not change their mind on this matter. Zhang shi, you really are a kind person. You have done so much for my family, but I cant even help you on a matter as simple as this. I feel deeply ashamed by my ipetence... Zhuo Feng lowered his head in shame. He flicked his wrist, took out a jade bottle, and passed it over. This is the Body Tempering Pill that I have prepared for you. Even though its effects are inferior to those of the Lucid Lunar Lake, I believe that it should still be of some help to you... Theres really no need for that! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. To be honest with you, I have just been to the Lucid Lunar Lake, and I am already done cultivating in there. You have been to the Lucid Lunar Lake? Zhuo Feng was struck dumb by those words. He had approached quite a few people over the past few hours, and he had even asked an elder of the Qi n whom he was closer to. Based on what the other party had said, the Lucid Lunar Lake was so potent that it would kill anyone who was not an offspring of the Qi n in a heartbeat. Furthermore, the Qi n had paid a heavy price to build it, so there was no way they would allow outsiders to enjoy the privileges of using it. Yet, the young man said that he had just been there and was done cultivating in there... Was this for real? Did the young man not just learn of the Lucid Lunar Lake from him? Furthermore, he was a neer to the Royal City and did not know anyone, right? If you dont believe me, you can try to stab me with your full strength, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Zhuo Feng was slightly taken aback by those words, but looking at the serious look on the young mans face, he realized that thetter was really not kidding. So, he whipped out his sword and stabbed at Zhang Xuan. He devoted his full strength to this strike, just as Zhang Xuan had said. A sword imbued with sword qi flew forth and struck Zhang Xuans arm. Kacha! Yet, it was the middle-tier Celestial God sword in Zhuo Fengs hand that ended up shattering. In contrast, there was not the slightest harm to be seen on his body. This... Zhuo Fengs lips twitched in horror. It was just a few hours ago that Zhang shi had just be a Celestial God. Yet, within this short period of time, he had not only found a way to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake, he had even managed to temper his physical body to such a level. Such terrifying speed... Was he a demon? Furthermore, even high-tier Celestial Gods did not have bodies that were powerful enough to shatter middle-tier Celestial God artifacts! What a pity... Seeing how the middle-tier Celestial God artifact did not leave a scratch on him either, Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity. Why was it so hard for him to just injure himself and test out the effects of the golden strands in his muscles? It was no wonder they said being invincible was no fun! Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the next matter at hand. Do you know of any ce where I can raise my soul cultivation quickly? The other party had provided him with urate news on where he could temper his physical body. The other party might be able to offer invaluable advice for his soul cultivation as well. He needed to raise his soul cultivation first before he could raise his zhenqi cultivation. I dont really know much about how the other skies do it, but in the Sky of Drifting Specter, the only way to raise ones soul cultivation is through the Netherworld Pool! Zhuo Feng replied. The Netherworld Pool? Are you referring to the ce where the Anima of Yearning gathers? Yes. The Anima of Yearning can nourish the soul of the dead and allow them toe back to life. The same applies to the souls of the living. Most cultivators rely on the Netherworld Pool to raise their soul cultivation. Putting everything aside, our God Monarch recently found a powerful soul within the Netherworld Pool and nurtured it. Within less than a month, it has already be on par with God Kings! Zhuo Feng revealed the news that he had heard. It has be on par with God Kings in less than a month? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It had been almost a month since he hade to the Firmament, but he had only managed to be a low-tier Celestial God within this period. To think that there would be someone even faster than him... The Firmament sure was filled with hidden experts! I heard that the person wasnt even a god at the very start. He was just a wisp of a soul from the lower worlds, but for some reason, he was epted by the Netherworld Pool and brought here. His tenacity to survive led him to devour the Anima of Yearning around him, and it was that which caught our God Monarchs attention. ording to what I have heard, it seems like our God Monarch is currently trying to forge a body for him! That soul came from the lower worlds? Zhang Xuan muttered with clenched fists as a thought arose in his head. Could it be Qiqi? ording to what Luo Xuanqiang had said, Luo Qiqi was the spirit inside the Dimension Silencer. After breaking the dimension barrier of the Master Teacher Continent, she had not returned again. He had ordered the Six Sects in the Azure to search for her, but there was no sign of her to be found. It was then that he wondered if Luo Qiqi had entered the Firmament as well. Furthermore, the soul had appeared a month ago, which coincidentally fitted the time period in which Luo Qiqi departed from the Master Teacher Continent. Thus, he immediately pressed on and asked, Do you know whether the soul taken in by the Netherworld Pool is a male or a female, and what do they look like? How would I know that? I only heard the news while I was asking about the Lucid Lunar Lake! Zhuo Feng replied. His standing wasparatively higher than that of most people as a Silver Armored General. Nevertheless, he was still not privy to the confidential secrets that concerned the God Monarchs. At most, he would only hear rumors here and there. Then, do you know which Netherworld Pool the soul is in? Zhang Xuan asked. I suppose the soul should be in the Netherworld Pool in the God Monarchs royal pce since the God Monarch was going to forge a body for them. If thats not the case, I dont really know where else the soul could be, Zhuo Feng said. I see... Fearing that it would appear too suspicious if he was too curious about the matter, Zhang Xuan simply nodded contemtively. It was not easy for someone of the lower world to enter the Firmament, and thest known person to do so before him and his direct disciples was Kong shi. Given so, the odds were very likely that the soul was Luo Qiqi. He did not have many romantic feelings for Luo Qiqi, but he still cared for her as his student. Furthermore, thetter had done many things for him, and he owed her a lot. So, he was determined to find her no matter the price. You mentioned that the Netherworld Pool can temper ones soul. Is it a ce where anyone can go, or does it require a kind of special application? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. No matter whether the other party was Luo Qiqi or not, since she was already on par with the God Kings, it was unlikely that she was in any danger. What was more important for him was to quickly raise his cultivation so that he would not be a burden. Otherwdse, it would be really awkward if he was too weak when they met once more. Theres no need to go through any procedures or pay any money in order to ess the Netherworld Pool. However, you need to have considerable fame, such that people know of your existence, Zhuo Feng said. Fame? Conferred God Kings are more powerful than ordinary God Kings due to their conferred titles and their fiefs, thus allowing them to gather more Anima of Yearning. If ordinary cultivators wished to use the Anima of Yearning, they first have to leave their Soul Imprint in the Netherworld Pool and make more people remember or be thankful to them. Thats the only way to generate a steady stream of Anima of Yearning to nourish the soul and advance ones soul cultivation quickly, Zhuo Feng exined. So, what you mean is that Ill have to build up my reputation. Based on the number of people who know about me and the degree of gratitude they have toward me, Ill gain a corresponding amount of Anima of Yearning within the Netherworld Pool, and this will be the key to nourishing my soul, right? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats how it works theoretically. However, the nature of the sentiments that people have toward you matters as well. You can still gather Anima of Yearning if people feel ill will toward you, but the Anima of Yearning will be filled with something that can induce inner demons within you. Its not worth absorbing something like that, Zhuo Feng said. This is why every city is so concerned about the rules, and experts dont kill others indiscriminately. They are fearful that it might affect their soul cultivation. These words really enlightened Zhang Xuan. It seemed like the Anima of Yearning was an indispensable force in the Firmament. In order to be a known celebrity, build up a good reputation, and earn the gratitude of others... Its finally time for me to start flexing. Er... that was not right. I am unlike that braggart of my clone... What I am going to do is official business! Chapter 2159 - 2159 Is It Time to Put on a Huge Show? 2159 Is It Time to Put on a Huge Show? But what should he do? What would be the best way for everyone to think well of him without sticking out like a sore thumb? He was currently in Drifting Specter Royal City. It was a ce filled with experts. Even though he had grown much stronger after soaking in the Lucid Lunar Lake, he was not so arrogant as to think that he was already invincible. Putting everything aside, it might be hard for him to defeat Qi Yue in a proper battle. Achieving a breakthrough in ones zhenqi cultivation was wholly different from making a breakthrough with ones physical body. Thetter allowed him to be nigh invincible in close-quarter battles, but once the opponent realized his weakness and kept his distance, he would be in grave danger. Not only would he have trouble attacking, he would have difficulty trying to defend himself. The ability of Celestial Gods to tap into the power of nature should not be underestimated. For this reason, while trying to earn the recognition of others to gather the Anima of Yearning, he had to make sure not to go overboard. Otherwise, he might draw unwanted attention, and that would only lead to endless trouble in the future. Zhang Xuan turned to Zhuo Feng and asked, What do you rmend I do? It had not been long since he arrived in the Firmament, so he was not familiar with how things worked there. In contrast, there should be many cultivators who had tried all sorts of ways to gather the Anima of Yearning in the past. It would be much safer to follow their footsteps than toe up with something on his own. Well, the fastest way to generate Anima of Yearning is to challenge the God Monarchs directly. Thats how the Heaven Subjugation Monarch came to prominence. Once you seed, your name will spread far and wide around the Firmament, and youll receive an endless supply of Anima of Yearning! Zhuo Feng replied. You are joking, right? Zhang Xuan asked with widened eyes. If he did that, he would probably die in a heartbeat! He might have never met a God Monarch before, but he had just gotten a glimpse into the overwhelming power that a Conferred God King possessed. It would probably only take a mere finger for Qi Meng to crush him to death, let alone the stronger God Monarchs! Haha, its just an afterthought. Zhuo Feng chuckled to himself. He would not usually joke like this, but it seemed like he was a little too overjoyed at his sons breakthrough, so he was not as careful as he usually was. The conventional way to obtain Anima of Yearning is to reach the top of an upation, for example, cksmith. As long as your weapons are powerful and useful, and cultivators view obtaining your weapon as a great honor, the amount of Anima of Yearning you earn will naturally increase correspondingly. The same goes for apothecaries. If your pills are effective yet inexpensive, its natural that people will be thankful to you, Zhuo Feng exined. Pills? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up as a thought came to his mind. He was unskilled in smithing, and it was no easy feat to mass produce weapons. However, when it came to pills... all it took was just a surge of his Heavens Path zhenqi! As long as he could gather sufficient low-tier God Essence Pills, he could produce as many Beauty Pills as he wanted. Not only would it entuate ones appearance, smoothening their skin and enhancing their disposition, more importantly, it could heal their internal traumas and clear their meridians, allowing them to ovee their bottleneck! The only issue with that was... the price. The Beauty Pill was currently priced quite exorbitantly, making it amodity that most people could not afford. If he sold them too cheaply, it would tear down the market that had just barely been built up. It would surely incur much dissatisfaction among those who had spent lots of money to buy them, and this was significant given that a God King of the Qi n had just made a bulk purchase. What kind of pills are cheap and essible to all cultivators in Drifting Specter Royal City? Zhang Xuan asked Zhuo Feng. There was no need for him to rely on the Beauty Pill to make his name. He could infuse his Heavens Path zhenqi in other stuff. Back when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent, he used to infuse his Heavens Path zhenqi into vats of wine! Zhuo Feng pondered for a moment before replying. Well, the best-selling pill in Royal City is definitely the God Essence Tablet. Its basically a simplified version of the God Essence Pills, and you can buy around ten of them with a single Divine Coin. There are no restrictions on how many of them you can buy. Most cultivators usually bring dozens around with them as even though the effects are inferior to those of God Essence Pills, they can allow people to swiftly recover their strength in times of danger. I guess thatll be it then! Zhang Xuan nodded as his mind swiftly churned to formte a feasible n. He needed something cheap and inexpensive for him to earn the gratitude of others. Focusing on the higher-end market would only bring him more money. It would be difficult for him to earn the gratitude of others quickly through that. So, his current n was to continue producing the Beauty Pills to win over the high-end aesthetic markets, and he would produce a counterpart to the God Essence Tablet in order to win over the ordinary cultivators. With that, he would make the cultivators of Drifting Specter Royal City go crazy over him! Of course, he would have to make sure to control the amount of Heavens Path zhenqi that he infused into each pill carefully. Each Beauty Pill would have a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi, and for each God Essence Tablet, he would probably just infuse a hundredth of that. This way, it would still be effective, but it would not be as obvious. Otherwise, the market of the Beauty Pill would copse. Not only so, it would also cause a hugemotion. If one sold a highly effective pill at a low price, it would disrupt the markets. He might still be able to win people over, but at the same time, he would make enemies out of those in the pill business. Some might even send assassins after him in hopes of learning the form behind his pill so that they could copy him. Thank you! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. It was lucky that he had consulted Zhuo Feng about this matter, or else it would have taken him some effort to figure this out as an outsider. Its nothing at all. Zhang shi, if theres anything you need, feel free to tell me. Ill do my best to help you, Zhuo Feng exined. Ah, there is something that Ill really need to trouble you for. I need to acquire a huge amount of God Essence Tablets. If you are free, General Zhuo Feng, I would really be thankful if you could help me buy as many God Essence Tablets as you can, Zhang Xuan said. Thats no trouble at all. Our military has connections with the suppliers, so I should be able to get them for you at a low price, Zhuo Feng replied with a chuckle. That would be great! Zhang Xuan nodded. Help me get as much as you can, and I need them in seven days time. Money is not an issue. Alright, leave it to me! Zhuo Feng had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, but he was d to be of help to his sons benefactor. He bade farewell and left the residence. Right after Zhuo Feng left, Zhang Xuan called Qi Ling-er and Sun Qiang over. I need you two to carry out something for me. Young Master, feel free to ry your orders! The two of them bowed deeply. Firstly, I need you to help me acquire at least ten thousand God Essence Pills. Im intending to forge all of them into Beauty Pills and sell them. I need you to get it done within seven days. I can handle that. Buying ten thousand God Essence Pills isnt feasible in Twilight City, but here in Royal City, I should be able to bring them to you within half a day! Qi Ling-er nodded. As for selling them, while our n head has said that he wants all of them, I doubt that the Qi n has the financial resources to buy ten thousand of them in one shot. That being said, with the influence I have from the Qi n, I should be able to sell at least half of them within seven days. Given her new position as the head of the Lucid Lunar Market, as well as the implicit backing of the old ancestor, she could tap into most of the resources in the Qi n for this. Even with the poprity of the Beauty Pills, selling ten thousand Beauty Pills was no easy feat due to the high price. Nevertheless, as long as sheid the groundwork properly and built up sufficient momentum, she should be able to do it. Of course, there was a great deal of work that she would have to do beforehand in preparation for that. Other than that, I need you to help me mass purchase jade bottles. They must be cheap but look decent. They must also be able to store medicine properly without allowing any spiritual energy to leak out. Simrly, I need as many of them as possible. Last but not least, I need you to tap into the influence of the Qi n to gather renowned figures and ordinary cultivators of Royal City together. Im looking at a crowd of at least a hundred thousand people. At the same time, I also need a venuerge enough to house all of them. I need you to get all of this done within seven days, Zhang Xuan said. If he wished to build a good reputation for himself in the shortest time possible, this was probably the way to go. He had to do itrge and do it well. And he would also need a decent-sized crowd in order to get the word out. It would be simr to what Qi Ling-er had done back in Twilight City. The effect would be the greatest if people could see it with their own eyes! Ill start working on it right now, Qi Ling-er said with a nod. It would have been difficult for her to handle something of this scale in the past, but now that she had the full support of the n head and the old ancestor, it was no exaggeration to say that there were no resources in the Qi n that she could not tap into. As long as she used what she had at her disposal well, it was not impossible to get everything done within seven days! After receiving an affirmative response from Qi Ling-er, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Sun Qiang and instructed, Ill leave the second matter for you to handle. I need you to rent a hundred shops within the city. They dont have to be toorge, probably around ten to twenty square meters would do. Renovate them to make them look professional, and change their name to... Zhang Xuans Pills! Zhang Xuans Pills? Sun Qiangs cheeks twitched a little. It was not that he was trying to put down the young master, but was the name not a little too direct? It felt like a celebrity wannabe desperately trying to ster his name everywhere! This is the easiest way for me to get everyone to remember me. Most cultivators wont remember the name of the apothecary who forged the pill they are eating. So, the only way for me to force them to make the association is tobel all the stores under my name. This way, they will have no choice but to think of me each time they eat my pills! Zhang Xuan exined with a smug smile. He could do it in a more implicit and refined manner, but the effectiveness would be reduced. Sometimes, the simplest and most coarse method was the most effective. Zhang Xuans Pills did sound a little awkward, but that was precisely what would help him spread his name all around town. Once everyone associated his name with the pills that he made, the Anima of Yearning would start rolling in! More importantly, once he started making his name, it would only be a matter of time before Luo Ruoxin or Luo Qiqi heard about him. Perhaps they woulde and look for him, which would be far easier than him searching around in vain for them. Ill give you ten days to source and renovate those shops. Are you confident in getting it done? Zhang Xuan asked. This... Sun Qiang hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth in determination. Ill definitely get it down somehow! To procure over a hundred stores and renovate them within ten days was definitely no easy feat. He would have to keep tabs on the progress of each of the stores in order to ensure that they would be ready by the tenth day. However, as long as the cost was not an issue, it should still be possible to get it done if he could find a good intermediary to work with. Good. Time is tight, so you should start getting to work, Zhang Xuan said. Yes! Qi Ling-er and Sun Qiang quickly walked out of the room to start on their work. Once I gain enough fame, Ill have a steady supply of Anima of Yearning... What I have to do now is leave my Soul Imprint in the Netherworld Pool. The Netherworld Pool of the Qiankun Demon Monarch is probably out of ess to me, but I can try dropping by Drifting Specter Royal Citys Netherworld Pool, Zhang Xuan thought as he rose to his feet. Naturally, he also had things to do. What he had to do first was leave his Soul Imprint in the Netherworld Pool, or else he would not be able to gather Anima of Yearning even after he had spread his name. He had learned quite a bit about the various ces in Drifting Specter Royal City through the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, so he knew his way around. Since he had time at the moment, it was best to get it done now lest he forgot about it in the future. So, he left his residence and headed toward the Netherworld Pce. Four hourster, a magnificent pce appeared in his line of sight. Outsiders arent allowed to enter the Netherworld Pce! What business do you have here? As soon as Zhang Xuan walked up to the entrance, the two guards on duty immediately raised their spears to block his passageway. I wish to make a trip to the Netherworld Pool, Zhang Xuan replied. You wish to visit the Netherworld Pool? Do you have a reservation? Are you meeting someone? a guard asked with a frown. Chapter 2160 - 2160 Netherworld Pool 2160 Netherworld Pool Im not visiting anyone. I wish to leave my Soul Imprint in the Netherworld Pool in order to gather Anima of Yearning, Zhang Xuan replied. The guard was a little perplexed to hear those words, and he said, Not everyone has the power to withstand the Anima of Yearning, and those who havent made any contributions to the Sky of Drifting Specter are unlikely to earn any Anima of Yearning. However, if you really wish to do it, the Netherworld Pce has no reason to stop you. That being said, youll have to pay a fee of 10,000 Divine Coins for that. 10,000 Divine Coins? Zhang Xuan nodded. Alright. Qi Ling-er had passed everything that the n head of the Qi n sent her earlier over to him. To most cultivators, 10,000 Divine Coins was probably their entire family fortune, but to Zhang Xuan, it was an easily affordable sum. He took out his card and sent the money over. After confirming that he had received the money, the guard led him into the pce. The Netherworld Pool was located at the depths of the pce. Different from the Lucid Lunar Lake, the energy within it felt warm and soothing. It seemed to be constantly umting some sort of elusive energy that nourished whatever was within the pool. Zhang Xuan could vaguely perceive the existence of elusive energy, but he found that he was unable to faze it at all. In that sense, it was kind of simr to an apparition, where one could only see it and nothing more. This is the Netherworld Pool. In order to leave a Soul Imprint in it, youll have to ce a droplet of fresh blood on the stone tablet over there. The guard pointed. Zhang Xuan looked over and saw a small stone tablet standing by the side of the Netherworld Pool. There were peculiar inscriptions on it, reminiscent of something that one would use in rituals. It looks simr to the altars of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at first nce, but there are also many differences as well. He recalled how he had asked someone in the past which power in the Firmament specialized in the usage of altars, and the answer that he had received was the experts of the Sky of Drifting Specters. So, he wondered if the Sky of Drifting Specter was rted to the Spirit God somehow, but the inscriptions on the stone tablet seemed to disprove it. In terms of construct and content, it was obvious that the inscriptions on the stone tablet were vastly different from those used by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Starchaser Pce. It seemed like the Spirit God did not belong to the Sky of Drifting Specter. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to walk over to the stone tablet to drip a blood droplet on it, the Netherworld Pool suddenly began bubbling furiously. A series of apparitions gradually rose from the surface of the pool. There were many different types of people among the apparitions. There were those who were almost a zhang[l] tall, and there were those whose height barely reached that of a thumb. All in all, there were more than a thousand people. As the water beneath them bubbled, they moved in response. The elusive energy that he felt previously scattered down on the apparitions, almost as if sunlight was shining on them. Therger apparitions slowly became more and more tangible whereas the smaller ones flickered like candlelight, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing. Po! A thumb-sized apparition suddenly dissipated, vanishing from view. What happened? Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. Thoserger apparitions have more people thinking about them, so they receive more Anima of Yearning, which bulks them up. In contrast, the smaller apparitions are probably remembered only by some family members and friends. As time passes and their kin pass away, no one else in the world remembers them. Naturally, they run out of energy and extinguish. The guard nced over at Zhang Xuan and shook his head. There are quite a few people who pay a hefty sum in order to leave their Soul Imprint here each year. They hope to somehowe back to life after their death, but the splendor of life onlysts while you are alive. Life is already tiring enough. How many people have the time to constantly keep you in their minds once you arent around? More often than not, the Anima of Yearning that one receiveses solely from their closest kin and friends. Its actually a waste of money for most people to leave their Soul Imprint here. Only a very small proportion of them eventually earn sufficient Anima of Yearning toe back to life. But I guess its stillforting to leave a spark of hope here. Death is something that is feared after all. Zhang Xuan could rte to those words. All sentimentsbe it gratitude, love, or hatredwere transient. There are things that we tell ourselves never to lose sight of no matter what happens, but time has the mysterious ability to dull out those emotions and make us forget. This reminded Zhang Xuan of web novel authors in his previous life. If they just stopped updating for a few days, the readers would have already forgotten about them. Once a person was forgotten by most people, the Anima of Yearning that they received would be so small that even maintaining their current state was difficult, let aloneing back to life. Just as the guard had said, it was probably just the possibility of it happening thatforted people from the fear of death. In the entire history of the Firmament, there were probably no more than a handful of people who had seeded in doing so. Who is that tallest apparition here? He looks like hell be ready to revive soon! Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Based on what had been said thus far, it seemed like the size of the apparitions was indicative of the amount of Anima of Yearning they had umted. Those who had gotten beyond a certain size should be able to be revived. He could not help but wonder what that towering apparition of over a zhang in height had done, such that he would be so dearly remembered by those around him. I dont know who he is exactly. He suddenly appeared forty years ago. We arent able to see his appearance clearly, and we couldnt find a record that corresponds to him. As such, we arent too sure about who he is, the guard replied. Even an anonymous person is able to receive Anima of Yearning in the Netherworld Pool? Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised. The Anima of Yearning is generated based on those who remember him. As long as there are people who keep him in their heart, he will be able to receive the Anima of Yearning. There isnt a need for everyone to remember him. After all, there are God Kings whose souls have been in the Netherworld Pool for over a thousand years, and its inevitable that most people have already forgotten about them. Nodding quietly, Zhang Xuan walked up to the stone tablet, bit his thumb, and dripped a droplet of fresh blood on it. Weng! As soon as the blood dropletnded, energy began rippling across the stone tablet. Following that, he felt something linking up together with his soul. At the same time, a small apparition roughly the size of a thumb appeared in the Netherworld Pool. This is my Soul Imprint? Zhang Xuan was a little speechless at how small it was. The guard took a look at it and said, Its not too bad given that you have just created it... Most people would not even be able to form an apparition when they first left their Soul Imprint on the stone tablet. The fact that the young man was able to create an apparition the size of a thumb showed that there were quite a few people who constantly thought of him. Are there usually differences in sizes when the apparitions are first formed? Zhang Xuan asked. Most cultivators have smaller apparitions than this, and there were quite a few that cant even be seen with the naked eye, the guard replied. In the twenty years that I have worked here, thergest apparition I have seen upon formation is that of God King Bai Yi. He was killed during the Flood of Spiritual Energy, and his subordinates ced his possessions in the Netherworld Pool. The next instant, an apparition of the size of a palm appeared inside. It really shocked quite a few people back then! Is God King Bai Yi extremely popr among the people? Zhang Xuan asked. Well, thats not really the case. It was mainly because he had quite a few powerful subordinates under him. They were probably the ones generating the bulk of the Anima of Yearning, the guard replied. Hmm? Does the Anima of Yearning generated have something to do with the strength of the people thinking of him? Of course! The stronger one is, the greater the sway they have over the world. Furthermore, their longer lifespan means that they will be able to generate more Anima of Yearning over the course of their life. Typically speaking, the amount of Anima of Yearning generated by a Celestial God is hundred times that of a God, and the amount generated by a God King is hundred times that of a Celestial God, and so on! the guard replied. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. If the Anima of Yearning was depicted to be a force of nature generated by a cultivator, it stood to reason that the strength of the cultivator would affect the amount of energy generated. It wasmon for humans to associate themselves with those who were like them. The reason it was more likely for those with higher cultivation to revive was not just because of how well-known they were, but more importantly, their circle of family and friends were mostly powerful experts. With that, they would likely be able to revive. The guard chuckled. Youre not too bad. The fact that your apparition is the size of a thumb shows that you are remembered not just by Gods but by Celestial Gods as well. Celestial Gods? Zhang Xuan nodded contemtively. Qi Ling-er and Zhang Jia were both Celestial Gods, and they were both loyal to him. They were probably the ones who were generating his Anima of Yearning. He focused his consciousness on his soul, and he could vaguely feel some sort of energy flowing through the connection between his soul and the apparition to nourish his soul, causing his soul cultivation to grow. Seeing that it was working, he sped his fist and bade his farewell. Shortly after Zhang Xuan left, a guard walked in and asked the guard from before curiously, How was it? What do you think of that fellow? His apparition is only around the size of a thumb. I reckon that itll dissipate within less than half a year, the first guard scoffed. Well, thats not too bad given that its his first time here, the second guard replied. I beg to differ, the first guard said. If hes already desperately thinking of ways to keep himself alive when hes that young, I doubt that hell be able to do anything great in the future. Even I look down on coward like him, so why would people think of him and admire him? I reckon that the only reason there are people still thinking of him is because they dont know his true personality. Once they learn who he is, their remembrance of him will probably stop right away! That does make sense. Lets see how it turns out, the second guard replied with a slight chuckle. In the Firmament, people carried great respect for the strong and the valiant. It would have been understandable if the young man was already in hister years and wished to seek a way to circumvent death. However, he was only in his early twenties, and he had a long life ahead of him. Yet, out of fear of death, he had actually spent such a hefty sum to leave his Soul Imprint there. From this, it was clear that the young man was a coward. How could a coward possibly win the respect of others and make others remember him? Even if he was able to create a decent-sized silhouette, chances were that it would dissipate soon enough! Lets go! the first guard said as he turned around to leave the room. Suddenly, the Netherworld Pool began to shake. The two guards halted and turned around. The apparition left behind by the young man was trembling nonstop. Despite its small size, it was causing the entire pool to tremble ceaselessly. This... The two guards were perplexed for a moment before the first guard suddenly thought of something. His eyes narrowed as he said, Could it be that more people have thought of him, causing more Anima of Yearning to surge over? Boom! Shortly after those words were spoken, the thumb-sized apparition suddenly jolted and became the size of a palm. At the same time, its translucent silhouette became more tangible, making it look more lifelike. Even though there are quite a few people who are thinking of him, they are mostly Gods. The effects are unlikely to be too longsting... Even though they had no idea why it took so long for this surge of Anima of Yearning to arrive, based on the concentration of it, they could tell that it mostly originated from God realm cultivators. While it did increase the size of the apparition, the increment was slight and unlikely to be longsting, given the short lifespan of Gods. Boom! Before he could even finish those words, the palm-sized apparition suddenly began growing frenziedly at a visible rate. This is...the Anima of Yearning from a God King? The first guard was stunned. The other party was just a low-tier Celestial God, so why would he receive Anima of Yearning from a God King? Huhu! The apparition suddenly grew once more. Two God Kings? The second guard was stunned as well. Three God Kings actually provided him with Anima of Yearning... Is that fellow really just a low-tier Celestial God? the first guard muttered with trembling lips. It was just a moment ago that they had said that the apparition would disappear in less than half a year, but who could have known that the young man would suddenly receive such a huge surge in Anima of Yearning from innumerable Gods and three God Kings? Boom! The apparition suddenly grew once more, bing the size of a normal human. The two guards looked at one another with their bodies trembling uncontrobly, as if they had just witnessed something unbelievable. It took some time before words finally came out of their mouths once more. That is... the Anima of Yearning from a Conferred God King? [1] 1 zhang = 3.33m Chapter 2161 - It’s Time to Reveal My Real Skills Chapter 2161 Its Time to Reveal My Real Skills Strictly speaking, Conferred God Kings were considered God Kings as well. The difference between the twoy in their conferment. Conferred God Kings were bestowed with the powers of the heavens and the God Monarchs, granting them far greater powers than ordinary God Kings. The difference was such that even if a Conferred God King remainedpletely still, a God King still would not be able to kill him. This was the absolute difference in powers between the two of them. For this reason, only powers that had a Conferred God King were consideredsting, top-notch powers and could remain prosperous for millenniums. The only people who could make Conferred God Kings generate Anima of Yearning for them could only be experts of the same caliber or God Monarchs! It was unbelievable that this young man actually received Anima of Yearning from three God Kings and a Conferred God King. Was it possible that he was not an ordinary Celestial God but actually a hidden powerhouse of the Firmament? No matter who he is, he isnt a person we can simply afford to gossip about! The first guard could barely say those words through his ttering teeth. It was just a moment ago that he thought the young man was cowardly and looked down on him for that. However, it was clear now that he was jumping too quickly to assumptions. There were simply too many things in this world that were beyond his understanding. What is he called? the second guard asked. The first guard was stumped by the question. He racked his brain for a moment, but he found that he actually did not remember the young mans name at all. I dont know either! He assumed that the other party was just a rich young master from some affluent n, so he did not bother asking for the other partys identity. He had thought that the other partys apparition would simply vanish soon enough, so it was inconsequential to remember the other partys name. He had never thought that the young man would be such a great figure! We should pretend that we didnt see anything for today. Otherwise, we might risk offending someone if we run our mouth recklessly... the second guard said. Yes, we should do that... The first guard nodded in agreement. If they were to say something that they should not, they would simply be bringing trouble to themselves. Their heads might even roll due to it. As soon as he left the Netherworld Pce, Zhang Xuan immediately felt himself receiving a surge of Anima of Yearning, allowing his soul cultivation to grow quite a bit. His thought process became a little faster, and his low-tier Celestial God soul cultivation showed hints of making a breakthrough. Its indeed effective! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in delight. If he had chosen to cultivate normally, it would take several years of effort in order for him to raise his soul cultivation to middle-tier Celestial God. However, even at the current rate it was growing, it would only take him several months! In other words, just by leaving his Soul Imprint in the Netherworld Pool, he was able to increase the rate of his soul cultivation by tenfold! Once he carried out what he was nning, he should be able to raise his soul cultivation to the God King realm fast enough. It was no wonder Zhuo Feng had rmended this method. The effects were far better than expected. Furthermore, he did not have to do anything much. He had already tossed the bulk of the work over to others, so all he really had to do was wait for a huge gush of Anima of Yearning toe rolling in! So, he was able to pass his days leisurely in the time toe. Other than working on his soul cultivation, he would visit the Master Teacher Pavilion to conduct some lessons and impart knowledge to them. He won himself some diehard fans among the students through his lessons, but he did not manage to earn any golden page. Just as he had thought before, as the culture of master teachers was not as deeply ingrained in the Firmament, there was ack of respect and recognition toward teachers. What had happened with Zhuo Yan and Zhuo Feng was more of an exception due to their peculiar circumstances. Given so, it seemed like it would be much more difficult for him to earn golden pages there. That being said, even though he did not manage to earn any golden page, he did manage to bulk up his reputation quite a bit. As the number of people who were grateful to him increased, the rate at which his soul cultivation grew increased as well. On the fifth day, his soul cultivation finally rose from low-tier Celestial God to middle-tier Celestial God. He immediately had Qi Ling-er get him some high-tier God Essence Pills, and soon enough, his zhenqi cultivation rose to middle-tier Celestial God as well. High-tier God Essence Pills were resources that were mainly exclusive for the usage of God Kings, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators toy their hands on it. However, having received the go ahead from the head and the old ancestor of the Qi n, Qi Ling-er managed to procure this hard to acquire cultivation resource with ease, and at a rtively inexpensive price at that. Seven days passed in a sh. Of the ten thousand Beauty Pills, the Qi n has taken in one thousand of them, and I have managed to sell another six thousand. However, I reckon that the market in Drifting Specter Royal City has already reached saturation at this point. Itll be hard to sell any more here, Qi Ling-er reported to Zhang Xuan. Due to the exorbitant price of the Beauty Pill, despite its miraculous effects in terms of aesthetics and cultivation, the number of people who could afford it was severely limited. Thats already better than I thought, Zhang Xuan replied. He was very satisfied with Qi Ling-ers work. She had managed to push out the Beauty Pills into the market faster than expected, and she even managed to sell so many of them within such a short period of time. At the price of 1,500 Divine Coins each, seven thousand Beauty Pills would equate to a jaw-dropping sum of 10,500,000 Divine Coins! There were probably fewer than twenty powers in Drifting Specter Royal City whose total fortune had reached that level. In other words, within just seven days, he had transformed from a penniless outsider into one of the twenty wealthiest individuals within Drifting Specter Royal City! Not even the Qi n had the capacity to earn so much money within such a short period of time! Not only so, the name Zhang Xuan had spread far and wide within Drifting Specter Royal City within those seven days. He had gained lots of admirers and supporters, and his name would alwayse up whenever cultivators were gathered together. That was probably what people meant by bing a household name. I have also sent out the invitations for the event that will be heldter. Qi Ling-er continued her report. Based on the replies I have received so far, there will be distinguished figures from both within Royal City and the other Skies joining us. In view of therge crowd that will be joining us, I have booked thergest square in Royal City. Just thinking about the hugemotion that they had stirred up in Royal City over the past few days left Qi Ling-er feeling a little overwhelmed. She could not believe that she was actually part of something so massive. Even the old ancestor of the Qi n did not have the ability to rally so many experts and distinguished figures, but the young man standing before her had managed to do it! The main reason for that was not really because of the young man himself but the widespread poprity of the Beauty Pill throughout the Firmament, which had grown tremendously over the past few days. Ladies would be able to preserve their youth by consuming it, and men could heal their internal traumas, enhance their talent, and advance their cultivation... The effects were nothing short of miraculous! It was for this reason that no one held any grudges against Zhang Xuan despite the exorbitant price of the pills. Of course, the positive reviews for the Beauty Pill were mostly due to Qi Ling-ers effort. She had really gone all out, tapping into all the connections the Qi n had in order to ensure everything worked smoothly. On top of that, an incident that happened four days ago also yed a crucial role in forging the reputation of the Beauty Pill. An affluent merchant of Royal City was reaching the limits of his lifespan, and just as everyone was making preparations for his impending passing, a junior of the family suddenly presented a Beauty Pill before him. And right after consuming the Beauty Pill, the bedridden merchant regained his vitality, leaped right up to his feet, and began running all around the residence to exert his overflowing energy. While no one knew how much longer his lifespan had been extended, judging from his newfound vigor, it was unlikely that he would pass away anytime soon. As soon as this news started spreading, many cultivators realized that the hype behind the Beauty Pill was not just for show, and the demand for the pill grew explosively. It was amazing that a pill could beautify a person, repair their internal traumas, and raise their talent. However, as most of those who were currently in power had already passed their prime, those benefits meant little to them. The only thing that really attracted them was the ability to extend their lifespan, and that was precisely what the Beauty Pill did too. It was due to this that the sales of the Beauty Pill exceeded Qi Ling-ers initial expectations by two thousand. However, what drew so many powerhouses and distinguished figures to gather together in Drifting Specter Royal City was not just the allure of the Beauty Pill. More importantly, it had something to do with the news that Zhang Xuan had tasked Qi Ling-er with releasing to the public. On the day of the event, the creator of the Beauty Pill would be releasing an inexpensive spiritual energy recovery pill with superior effects to what was avable in the market, as well as the Breakthrough Pill aimed specifically at cultivators! The Breakthrough Pill was effective on all cultivators regardless of their cultivation realm. Be it a God or a Celestial God, as long as they had reached the peak of their current cultivation realm, consuming it would increase their chances of making a breakthrough by fifty percent. Even the most potent Breakthrough Pill on the market at the moment could only increase the chances of making a breakthrough by twenty percent, and despite that, it was enough to make all cultivators go crazy over it. It was a known fact that it was a huge hurdle for a God to be a Celestial God, and those who managed to ovee the hurdle would not only be much stronger, their lifespan would also increase by tenfold. Most importantly of all, it was said to have no side effects. In other words, it would not hinder ones cultivation in the future. With that alone, it was not too hard to imagine just how valuable the pill would be. All high-tier Gods would probably be dying toy their hands on it! As such, the news caused an even greater uproar than when people realized that the Beauty Pill had the ability to extend ones lifespan! If not for the precedence with the Beauty Pill, most people would probably have thought that it was all a hoax. Of course, there were still many people who doubted the matter, given how unbelievable it sounded, but nevertheless, most people were still hopeful. This was also the real reason that they were able to draw in such a huge crowd within such a short period of time. Thats good! Zhang Xuan had been paying close attention on this matter over thest few days, and he knew that Qi Ling-er had done a good job carrying out the task that he had entrusted to her. With a nod of approval, he turned his gaze to Sun Qiang and asked, How are things going on your side? Young Master, the renovation of all one hundred stores has beenpleted. General Zhuo Feng has also passed the God Essence Tablets to me, and there are over 3,000,000 of them at the moment. The jade bottles you requested are also ready, Sun Qiang reported proudly. He had slept less than four hours over the past seven days, but even though it was exhausting, he was extremely satisfied with what he had aplished. As Qi Ling-er had been constantly selling Beauty Pills, he did not face any difficulties in financing. This made it much easier for him to acquire the stores that he wanted. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to prepare ten stores, let alone a hundred of them. He respectfully presented a storage ring containing the pills and the jade bottles over to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan quickly took a look at the contents in the storage ring before nodding in approval. He was aiming to tackle all segments of the market at once. The Breakthrough Pill was aimed at high-end customers whereas the Beauty Pill was aimed at middle-ss customers. Last but not least, the God Essence Tablets that he had prepared were for the low-end customers, the ordinary cultivators of the Firmament. These cultivators consisted of ordinary Gods and Semi-Divinities, so the amount of Anima of Yearning each of them generated was severely limited. However, what made them significant was the sheer number of them around. As long as he could open up this market and let everyone know of his name, he was certain that he would receive an endless influx of Anima of Yearning, allowing him to swiftly raise his soul cultivation to high-tier Celestial God and beyond! He reckoned that Kong shi had probably used such a method to be the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, the tenth God Monarch of the Firmament. Zhang Xuan continued asking a few questions, but it seemed like the two of them were extremely meticulous in their work, resolving all possible problems without a hitch. With a satisfied nod, he said, Lets head to the square. Getting on top of an aerial celestial beast, the crowd swiftly made their way over to the square where the event was to be held. They had managed to gather the crowd they wanted, and everything was prepared and ready to go. So, all that was left was for Zhang Xuan to show them his true skills! As long as he could put on a good show... Pui! How could he call this a show? He was a master teacher, and all of this was real! Anyway, as long as he performed well, he was certain that the name Zhang Xuan would be remembered by everyone in the Sky of Drifting Specter. As time passed, it would slowly spread to every nook and cranny of the Firmament, thus allowing him to achieve his goals! Ruoxin, since I am unable to find you, I will be the brightest star in the Firmament so that you can find me instead! Chapter 2162 - Beitang Xue

Chapter 2162 Beitang Xue

It was not time yet, but thergest square of Drifting Specter Royal City was already filled with a bustling crowd. Zhang Xuan expected to receive around a hundred thousand people at most, but it was clear with a nce that the scale of the crowd was far higher than that. There were already elevated tforms erected in the square for him to address the crowd. The entire ce was jam- packed, such that there were some cultivators who chose to ride on aerial divine beasts in order to avoid being packed like sardines. There must be at least five hundred thousand people here, right? A gray-robed elder sitting on the back of an aerial divine beast looked down at the massive crowd below with a frown on his forehead. I can only say that the allure of the Beauty Pill is greater than I thought! the ck-robed elder beside him replied. I have tried examining the content of the Beauty Pill, and no matter how I analyze the ingredients and the forging method, it appears to be no different to other low-tier God Essence Pills. Its baffling how it can bring out such miraculous effects! the gray-robed elder said with a shake of his head. Upon learning of the sudden spike in the poprity of the Beauty Pill, he had immediately ordered a subordinate to buy a couple of them for him to study. He had spent three whole days examining it from the outside to the inside, and the conclusion he had eventually arrived at was that... it was simply an ordinary low-tier God Essence Pill! Back then, he had been shocked beyond words. A low-tier God Essence Pill could be bought for just one Divine Coin, and the cost of the Beauty Pill was a staggering 1,500 Divine Coins! Yet, he could not call it a scam at all. He had tried out the effects, and it was as spectacr as the rumors made it out to be! A severe trauma that he had suffered many years ago was easily removed, and hisplexion also looked much better than before. That was not something an ordinary God Essence Pill could do. Eventually, he could only give up on the notion of deciphering the Beauty Pill. It was also for this reason that he had rushed all the way here to attend this event. He was interested to see the genius who had forged such an amazing pill. I also tried studying the Beauty Pill, and I came to the same conclusion as you, the ck-robed elder remarked with a bitter smile. I know many other apothecaries who tried to decipher the Beauty Pill. In fact, the Apothecary Guild of Royal City has been working tirelessly on it over the past few days. However, none of them have been able to figure out the secret behind its effects. I heard that the guild leader is on the verge of losing his mind. You are referring to Apothecary Zhou Feng? the gray-robed elder looked over curiously. Yep, thats him! the ck-robed elder replied. Zhou Feng is Fu Jiangchens direct disciple, right? His skills in pill forging should be far superior to the both of ours! He is unable to figure out the Beauty Pill, too? the gray-robed elder asked in disbelief. Fu Jiangchen was the most famous apothecary in the entire Firmament. Rumor had it that he had once forged pills for the God Monarchs. He had many disciples all over the Firmament, and every single one of them was famous among the apothecaries. Zhou Feng was known to be one of his better disciples. An apothecary that I have once taught is in Royal Citys Apothecary Guild at the moment, and he told me about it. It seems like they bought three pills back when the Beauty Pill first appeared on the market, and they have examined the medicinalponents and the forging techniques used for the pill innumerable times. The conclusion that they arrived at each and every time was the sameit is identical to how low-tier God Essence Pills are made! the gray- robed elder replied. It was no easy feat to reverse engineer the process of how a pill was made. It would take a great deal of knowledge, time, and effort. Nevertheless, it was still possible, and that was also how many of the exclusive pills eventually became less exclusive. There must be something inside the Beauty Pill that makes it different from the God Essence Pill, but we just arent able to find it... The ck-robed elder shook his fist in frustration. He knew for sure that there was something special about the Beauty Pill, but it was eluding their notice, and this left him feeling deeply exasperated. At this moment, the gray-robed elder beside him suddenly eximed in agitation, Wait a moment... Look over there! Is that person Master Fu Jiangchen? The ck-robed elder immediately turned his head over and saw an aerial beast floating not too far away. Sitting at the very front of the beast was an old man with a snowy beard. There were a few other people standing diligently behind him, seemingly not daring to take a seat in his presence. One of them happened to be Apothecary Zhou Feng, whom they had just spoken about. Its him! the ck-robed elder eximed in disbelief. I had the honor of meeting him and listening to one of his lectures back when I was touring the Nine Skies. You dont know how impressed I was with his teachings... Why would hee here personally? Indeed. Hes a God King realm expert, but he still came here personally. Could it be that hes researching the Beauty Pill too but was unable to make sense out of it? the gray-robed elder asked hesitantly. That was the only reason he could think of. Its possible... But if even the most formidable apothecary in the Firmament is unable to decipher the Beauty Pill, I cant begin to imagine how remarkable the person who forged the Beauty Pill is! The ck-robed elder turned to the stage with an incredulous look in his eyes. That was Fu Jiangchen, a God King realm expert, as well as a person who had once forged pills for the God Monarchs! If even he was unable to decipher the secrets of the Beauty Pill, this might be bigger than they thought! If the Beauty Pill is that formidable, why dont we just kidnap the apothecary and force him to reveal his pill form? a middle-aged man amid the crowd asked hispanions. Dont tell me that you are afraid of making a move just because we are in Drifting Specter Royal City! As the capital of the Sky of Drifting Specter, rules were strictly enforced in Drifting Specter Royal City. That being said, thievery still urred from time to time. The Beauty Pill was obviously a business with tremendous potential for profits. Furthermore, its surfacing in the market had also affected the business of numerous apothecaries within Royal City. Given so, there were bound to be many people who would want to im his life. Of course not! Do I look like awful citizen to you? thepanion of the middle-aged man scoffed. Then, he shook his head and sighed. I dispatched a team of three high-tier Celestial Gods to kidnap him, but I suddenly lost contact with them in the midst of their mission. I tried looking into it, and it turns out that they were killed! Three high-tier Celestial Gods have been killed? Is that apothecary that formidable? The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes in shock. Given the limited number of God Kings and Conferred God Kings in the Firmament, a group of three high-tier Celestial Gods could already be considered an elite force. Yet, all three of them ended up dying in the midst of their mission. Could the apothecary possibly be a God King? Its not that the apothecary is formidable. Rather, its because of the Qi n! hispanion replied. The Qi n? Thats right. The n head of the Qi n has let out word that anyone who dares to touch the apothecary will be an enemy of their Qi n. There was a God King who opposed the interference of the Qi n, viewing it as tyranny. However, before he could even finish his words, he was struck with a heavy blow and evicted from Royal City. Rumor has it that it was the old ancestor of the Qi n who made a move on him! hispanion said. The old ancestor of the Qi n? You are referring to... Conferred God King Qi Meng? The middle-aged mans face paled in fright. If the medicine was as invaluable as the rumors suggested, it was worth taking the risk to capture the apothecary and coerce the pill form out of him. However, if the old ancestor of the Qi n was involved... Qi Meng was a person who had once dominated the world alongside the Qiankun Demon Monarch! His authority was unrivaled in the Sky of Drifting Specter. Unless the God Monarch made a move, no one would be able to bear the burden of his rage! If the apothecary was under the protection of such a person... unless they were tired of living, they had better noty their hands on the apothecary! You get it, right? Im only telling you this because of our rtionship. I advise you to rein in your thoughts, or else you wont even know what struck you when you die! thepanion warned. If the apothecary did not have ways to protect himself after pushing out such a formidable medicine, he would have been killed many times over by now! The Firmament, even in the capitals of the Nine Skies, was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface. In a massive floating manor in the Sky of Drifting Specter, a middle-aged man sped his fist and reported, Old ancestor, I have looked into that matter, and it was indeed the doing of that person from the Qi n! A slightly bewildered voice echoed from the room. Qi Meng sustained grave injuries in the past, just like me, and his lifespan is already nearing its end. He has been lying low in order to avoid making any more enemies for the Qi n, so why would he suddenly choose to protect a medicine peddler? Even if the pills sold are incredible, its unlikely that they have much effect on a Conferred God King! He was another Conferred God King of the Sky of Drifting Specters, Beitang Xue! Having reached their level of cultivation, there were very few things that could catch their attention anymore. Most of them had retired from the secr world, wishing to live in peace and quiet. It was iprehensible to him why Qi Meng would suddenly get involved in a matter as minor as this. Not only so, he even made a move on a God King and severely injured him... That was equivalent to offending the power behind the God King, thus creating another potential enemy for the Qi n. I dont really know the details. So far, I only know that the Qi n has bought one thousand Beauty Pills for their younger generation, causing their potential and fighting prowess to grow significantly. This is especially so for Qi Yue. I heard that he has started to grasp the secrets of a God King, and its likely that he will make a breakthrough in the near future, the middle-aged man reported. Hes already on the verge of a breakthrough? Beitang Xue was taken aback. Is that medicine really that amazing? It is, the middle-aged man replied. He took out a jade container and presented it. Please, do take a look. Hu! The jade container flew right into the room. Within the room, Beitang Xue picked up the pill and examined in bewilderment. Then, he swallowed it. This... Beitang Xue narrowed his eyes in shock. I sense the aura of a God Monarch in the pill! God Monarch? The middle-aged man jolted in horror. Indeed! If Im not mistaken, this pill is indeed nothing more than an ordinary low-tier God Essence Pill. Its the infusion of a God Monarchs zhenqi that resulted in its spectacr effects, Beitang Xue analyzed grimly. This is only my spection at the moment. Based on what I know, the zhenqi of a real God Monarch should be even purer than this... But at the same time, it shouldnt have the ability to heal internal traumas. I guess Ill have to meet Qi Meng to understand the situation! Together with Qi Meng, he had fought alongside the Qiankun Demon Monarch a very long time ago, and they had been privileged to catch a glimpse of the overwhelming power that the God Monarchs wielded. The energies that they wielded were extremely pure, and they emanated tremendous pressure that felt almost as if the whole world was crushing down on them. Such was the feeling that he felt from the Beauty Pill, but the prowess of the energy within had been dampened innumerable times. Old ancestor, are you nning to meet that person from the Qi n? the middle-aged man asked. Its only right that I should. I thought that old fellow has decided to wash his hands of everything, but it seems like I have misjudged him. Instead, I am the one who isgging behind. Even if the person who has forged the Beauty Pill isnt a God Monarch, its likely that he has close ties with one. Lag one step behind, and well always be a step behind them. Its one thing if we didnt know about this matter, but now that we have learned of it, we cant just turn a blind eye to it. Otherwise, our Beitang n will forever be behind the Qi n! Beitang Xue said as he rose to his feet. Even though he had no idea how the pill was forged, the fact that it was effective was enough to show that it was authentic. If there was something in the world that even a Conferred God King like him was unable toprehend, chances were high that a God Monarch was involved. This was both an opportunity and a threat. If he could get on the bandwagon together with the Qi n, there were great benefits to be earned. Otherwise, the Beitang n would only start tog behind the others. Chapter 2163 - Is It a Transaction Error?

Chapter 2163 Is It a Transaction Error?

In the depths of the floating mountain on which the Qi n resided, Old Ancestor Qi Meng was sitting atop of a boulder with a fishing pole in his hands. In front of him was a smallke, and from time to time, one could see fish swimming by. Qi Meng sat there quietly without moving at all, as if a statue. However, at some point in time, a slight smile crept onto his lips, and he started speaking. You can ask me directly if you have any doubts in mind. Theres no need to try sounding me out. There was no one in front of him when he said those words. Hu! But shortly after he spoke, a figure suddenly appeared on the surface of the water. He appeared so abruptly that it seemed like he had teleported over. On top of that, his movements had not caused any disturbance in the wind, and there was not the slightest ripple to be seen atop the water. It was almost as if his presence was just a figment of ones imagination. The old ancestor of the Beitang n, Beitang Xue. Old Qi, whats with the Beauty Pill and that Zhang Xuan fellow? Having expected to hear such questions, Qi Meng raised his hand and said, Wait a moment. Shentu Liuxiang ising. Ill exin once hes here too. Shortlyter, another figure appeared above the surface of theke. He was thest Conferred God King of Drifting Specter Royal City, Shentu Liuxiang. Follow me. Seeing that everyone was present, Qi Meng stood up. With a slight wave of his robe, a few ripples appeared in the air, and the next moment, he was already standing before the Lucid Lunar Lake. Qi Meng turned to them and asked, Are the two of you able to see the changes in theke? The changes in theke? The two Conferred God Kings took a closer look at theke, and their faces immediately paled in astonishment. Is that... the blood of a God Monarch? The aura in the Lucid Lunar Lake was extremely chaotic. There were all sorts of blood essences and medicinal herbs mixed in, making it difficult to urately discern what was inside with just a glimpse. Nevertheless, the two of them were still able to tell the difference with a nce. The Lucid Lunar Lake had just been an ordinary body tempering location in the past. Even though it was indeed one of the better ones in the Sky of Drifting Specter, it was still possible to find better ones in the world. However, after it had been mixed together with the blood of a God Monarch, it had be a blessednd for cultivation, probably second only to the Deathless Lava Reservoir. Thats right. Qi Meng nodded. Are you able to tell which God Monarch it belongs to? This... Beitang Xue extended his Spiritual Perception across the entireke, and a momentter, he quickly turned to look at Shentu Liuxiang, as if seeking confirmation from him. The two of them nodded before Beitang Xue hesitantly asked, Is it... the God Monarch of the Sky of Deathlessness? Thats what I thought! Qi Meng nodded in agreement. Theke became like that after Zhang Xuan cultivated here. That being said, even though the energies within have be much more potent than before, it cant be used anymore. The ability of the Lucid Lunar Lake to temper a cultivators body did be more effective after being mixed with the blood of a God Monarch, but at the same time, the energies had gotten even more violent, making it infeasible for any cultivator to enter it. God Monarchs were lofty existences. Their blood essence was not something that just any cultivator could easily absorb. In its current state, even a genius of Qi Yues caliber would not dare approach it carelessly. Thinking about how the Lucid Lunar Lake, which he had spent a heavy price to create, had been crippled just like that, he could not help but feel a little stifled inside. The other two Conferred God Monarchs were rendered speechless by that news. It took a while before Beitang Xue asked uncertainly, What you mean to say is that theres a good chance that Zhang Xuan is... He finally understood why the Qi n would go all out to support Zhang Xuan, even at the risk of offending other powers. In the end, it was because an even higher power had gotten involved! All in all, including the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, there were only ten God Monarchs in the Firmament. There were two of them who never appeared before others, namely the God Monarchs of the Sky of Freedom and the Sky of Heavenly Sword. In other words, there were only eight active God Monarchs in the world. It was viewed as the greatest honor in the Firmament to be rted with a God Monarch in one way or another, no matter how shallow it might be. The act of a God Monarch dropping by the Qi n to cultivate and altering the nature of the Lucid Lunar Lake was proof of such a rtionship! As Conferred God Kings, they wielded strength that was envied by the entire world. However, they knew full well that the strength they possessed was nothing before the God Monarchs. Wait a moment, thats not right... Shentu Liuxiang suddenly spoke up at this moment. If its that persons blood, even if this ce didnt be on par with the Deathless Lava Reservoir, it still shouldnt pale too far inparison to it. Do you remember just how terrifying the Deathless Lava Reservoir was? Except for the people whom he has explicitly acknowledged, no one will be able to enter it without paying a heavy price, and that includes Conferred God Kings like us! However, its clear that the Lucid Lunar Lake hasnt reached such a level. We are still able to absorb spiritual energy from it, which shows that the blood in theke is still far from reaching the level of a God Monarch, no matter how simr they might be! The blood of a God Monarch should harness enough power to easily destroy the entire floating mountain that they were on. It was true that the Lucid Lunar Lake had changed under the effects of the blood, but in terms of power, it was severelycking. This disproved what they had said so far. This is also whats left me baffled. However, you should have also heard of the situation of that person from the Sky of Deathlessness, Qi Meng said carefully. Recalling the rumors that they had heard a while back, the two Conferred God Kings fell deep into contemtion. A long timeter, Beitang Xue raised his head and said, If thats really the case, well have to report this matter to His Sovereignty. Qi Meng shook his head. His Sovereignty has gone to the Acheron Ocean, so we wont be able to get in contact with him anytime soon. Acheron Ocean? the other two asked in bewilderment. They had not heard of this matter. His Sovereignty intends to forge a body for that person who appeared in the Netherworld Pool a month ago, Qi Meng replied. I see... The two of them nodded in agreement. Just a month earlier, a soul had appeared in the Netherworld Pool. The soul was exceptionally powerful, and it swiftly caught the attention of Qiankun Demon Monarch. In order to groom the soul, thetter went to the extent of using his spacetime abilities just so that it could improve swiftly. Even though the powers of the soul had not reached Conferred God King yet, it was already strong enough to subdue most God Kings. The Qiankun Demon Monarch was even going to the Acheron Ocean to forge a body for it. It was no exaggeration to say that he was sparing no efforts in this. This is the first time that His Sovereignty has been so concerned about another person, Shentu Liuxiang remarked curiously. I really wonder whats so special about that soul. Is that soul ady? Putting aside God Kings, even Conferred God Kings would be nothing special in the eyes of a God Monarch. After all, it was the God Monarch who conferred their powers in the very first ce. Such a powerful expert was actually forging a body for a mere soul. It would be a lie if they said that they were not intrigued. They had known Demon Monarch Qiankun for many years, but they had never seen such a side to him before. Could it be that the soul had caught Demon Monarch Qiankuns affection? Qi Mengs eyebrows shot up, and he swiftly warned the other two, Watch your words! Shentu Liuxiangughed awkwardly and said, Hahaha, it was just a passing remark... He had no intention of probing into Demon Monarch Qiankuns secrets. It was just that he was curious, and those two in front of him were old friends as well. That was why he could not help but be a little more chatty than usual. I have heard some things about this matter. Its said that the soul came from the lower worlds, but the soul isnt ady. It seems like after the soul was infused with the Anima of Yearning, the constitution it disyed became bizarrely simr to that of His Sovereigntys. It was out of curiosity that His Sovereignty decided to lend the soul a hand. Beitang Xue revealed what he had heard. The Qiankun Demon Monarch had washed his hands of the affairs of Drifting Specter Royal City, so they were in charge of most matters. Due to this, they were able to learn of many secrets that others did not know about. Upon hearing that it was not ady, the other two nodded quietly in relief. Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan is rted to that person from the Sky of Deathlessness or not, this matter is already beyond our jurisdiction. I dont think that its wise for us to make a reckless move, Qi Meng said. Now that you have learned the truth from me, I trust that you would know what you should and should not do. Lets part here and do what we should do then. Shentu Liuxiang and Beitang Xue nodded in agreement before disappearing. Conferred God Kings did not have the ability to teleport, but the sheer speed that they were able to move at had already surpassed what the eye could see, thus creating an effect simr to that. Drifting Specter Royal City, Netherworld Pool. The guard who had received Zhang Xuan back then entered the Netherworld Pool once more to examine the situation there. Over the past seven days, Zhang Xuans apparition had be bigger than that of an ordinary human. Furthermore, his figure was gradually getting more and more corporeal, and the aura that he emanated felt heavier than ever. There are even more people providing him with Anima of Yearning now. There is such a huge increase in the number of Gods and Celestial Gods... The guard gulped down a mouthful of saliva. Previously, when the Anima of Yearning generated by a Conferred God King and three God Kings allowed the apparition to grow to the size of a real human, they had thought that it would be hard for the young man to do anything more than that. They did not think that it would continue to grow further at such a swift pace. But this time, as the Anima of Yearning came mostly from Gods and Celestial Gods, the effects were not as pronounced. Its just that the Anima of Yearninging from Gods and Celestial Gods is still a littlecking. If he could receive the acknowledgement of a few other God Kings, he might just be the secondrgest apparition in here! the second guard remarked with a nod. Youre right, but it isnt that easy to gain the support of a God King. Its already amazing that he has been acknowledged by three God Kings! Its hard to imagine him going any further than that... The first guard shook his head. But before he could finish his words, the apparition suddenly jolted once again. Boom! It began expanding swiftly, reaching two times its previous size in an instant. Just like that, its height surpassed a zhang[l], making it thergest apparition in the Netherworld Pool! This is... the Anima of Yearning from two Conferred God Kings? The knees of the two guards caved in, and they immediately fell to the ground. The excessive shock had left them speechless, and they felt like they would lose their minds Just a moment ago, they had said that it was no easy feat to receive the acknowledgement of God Kings, and then the apparition suddenly received the Anima of Yearning from two more Conferred God Kings... In the entire Firmament, there were only around thirty Conferred God Kings in total. On average, a God Monarch would only receive Anima of Yearning from three Conferred God Kings... But this young man had actually managed to do that! Just what in the world was his background? For a long while, the two of them could only look at each other in astonishment. In the end, it seemed like they had still underestimated that young mans limits. Upon reaching the vicinity of the square, Zhang Xuan was shocked by how packed the entire area was. The crowd that was present far exceeded his wildest imagination. Taking a deep breath, he maneuvered the aerial celestial beast to bring him to the stage so that he could begin his performance. But at that instant, he suddenly felt a surge of warmth in his soul, and his soul cultivation suddenly began growing once more. It did not take long for his soul cultivation to reach middle-tier Celestial God pinnacle, putting him a step away from reaching high-tier Celestial God. Whats going on? Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had not even started his performance. Did someone transfer their Anima of Yearning to him by ident? [1] A zhang = 3.33m Chapter 2164 - 2164 Fu Jiangchen 2164 Fu Jiangchen It had not been too long since Zhang Xuans soul cultivation reached middle-tier Celestial God. ording to his estimations, it should still have taken him around half a month before he could raise it to the level of a high-tier Celestial God. Yet, why did his soul cultivation suddenly experience such a massive growth spurt? It was as if the ordinary stream of Anima of Yearning flowing into him had suddenly turned into raging river... At this rate, Ill be able to advance my soul cultivation to high-tier Celestial God by tonight! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. When he first made a breakthrough to Celestial God, he had been a youth filled with hope and ambition. He had thought that he could reach God King within just a few days, but after a week passed, he had not even reached high- tier Celestial God. He felt deeply embarrassed by his inability. If his cultivation continued stalling at it was, he had no idea how he was going to face his students in the future. Under the tutge of the God Monarchs, they were bound to have many resources at their disposal. Given so, it was to be expected that their cultivation would surge like never before. Ahh... Cultivation sure was tough. It was filled with the blood, sweat, and tears of the cultivators. He was really starting to understand why people would say such words. Heaving a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan leaped onto the stage together with Qi Ling-er and the others. Seeing that the star of the show had arrived, the crowd immediately fell silent, and intrigued gazes turned their way. Is that the apothecary who forged the Beauty Pill? He looks so young! Not only is he young, hes quite dashing too! Fine fine, Ill admit it. Im interested in him, alright? More like youre interested in his Beauty Pill! With the rising poprity of the Beauty Pill and the name Zhang Xuan, people started to be interested in what this rumored apothecary would look like. There were many who thought that he would be a decrepit old man who had devoted all of his life to forging pills. No one expected him to just be a young man in his early twenties. Most importantly of all, he was good-looking. A person blessed with both looks and talent was bound to be popr among thedies. The eyes of many fangirls among the crowd became zed with excitement. Qi Ling-er stepped forward and started speaking. Ladies and gentlemen, its my honor to have all of you here with us today. I am Qi Ling-er from the Qi n, and I was the one who extended the invitations to you all. As a low-tier Celestial God, she was still unable to project her voice properly to ensure that everyone amid the crowd could hear her. As such, formations were prepared beforehand to ensure that her message reached everyone, regardless of how far they were or the distractions around them. Qi Ling-er was new to the circles in Royal City, but the fact that she had the full support of the Qi n in organizing this event told everyone loud and clear that she had substantial say within the Qi n. It would be foolish to make an enemy out of someone who had powerful backing within the Qi n. The person standing beside me is Zhang Xuan, the apothecary behind the Beauty Pill. I invited all of you here not just to talk about the Beauty Pill but to introduce all of you to two new pills that Apothecary Zhang hase up with, Qi Ling-er said before stepping back to pass the stage over to Zhang Xuan. I believe most of you present here should be quite familiar with the effects of the Beauty Pill, Zhang Xuan said. Most of those who were present had either heard of the effects of the Beauty Pill or were direct beneficiaries of it. Otherwise, who had the time to participate in a meaningless gathering that they could not get anything out of? The Beauty Pill can nourish your skin, making it more tender and suppler than before, Zhang Xuan said. Aside from that, it can also heal your internal traumas and even extend your lifespan slightly... There are some among the crowd who have tried the pill out themselves and spoken about it, so I wont talk too much about it. Just as Qi Ling-er mentioned, the aim of this event is to introduce the two new pills that I have recently perfected. First and foremost, I would like to introduce an upgraded version of the Beauty Pill, and that is none other than the Breakthrough Pill. The information I ryed to you previously through the invitations contains no falsehood nor exaggeration. It does have the effect of increasing the chances of a cultivator making a breakthrough by fifty percent, which means that those who consume this pill is almost guaranteed to be able to ovee the bottleneck they are facing. One thing that concerns most people about such pills is the major side effects theye with, but I can assure you that the Breakthrough Pill has none. You need not worry about facing any hindrances in your cultivation because you have consumed the Breakthrough Pill before. On top of that, the Breakthrough Pill also carries the benefits of the Beauty Pill as well. It can make your skin more supple, heal your internal traumas, and extend your lifespan... And most importantly of all, its delicious! Increase the probability of making a breakthrough by fifty percent? Thats almost an assurance of a breakthrough! It also has the effects of the Beauty Pill too? Most cultivators can increase their chances of making a breakthrough by twenty percent by reinforcing their cultivation properly. If they consume the Breakthrough Pill on top of that, the chances will be raised to a mind- boggling twenty percent! Thats insane! Whats more, he mentioned that there are no side effects! Isnt that crazy? Such discussions could be heard throughout the crowd. Many of the experts riding on aerial divine beasts were tempted by what Zhang Xuan had said. They might not need the pill themselves, but they could still get one for their offspring. It would allow them to bulk up their forces within a short period of time, and that would be the key for them to expand their influence. Standing on top of an aerial celestial beast, Zhou Feng looked at the elder sitting in front of him and asked in bewilderment, Teacher, is it really possible for such a pill to exist? The most famous apothecary of the Firmament, Fu Jiangchen! I cant say for sure whether it truly exists or not, but its best not to make judgements too quickly. There are far too many things that are beyond our understanding in this world... Lets continue watching. Well be able to tell once the pill appears, Fu Jiangchen replied without tearing his eyes away from the stage. As a God King, he had already lived for several thousand years and encountered many unbelievably talented individuals. Going by hismon sense, he thought that a pill that could increase a persons chances of making a breakthrough by fifty percent was utterly ridiculous, and something as convenient as that could not possibly exist... But nothing was absolute. Just a few decades back, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had also achieved what most people thought was impossible. It might be the same for this young man. I understand that you may harbor some doubts regarding what I have just said, so I have brought the pill here in order to demonstrate its effects! With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a jade container and opened it. A round pill appeared before everyones view. There was no amazing pulsation of spiritual energy or incredible emanation of aura. Looking at it from afar, the pill simply looked ordinary. That is a middle-tier God Essence Pill, right? I have been forging that pill for a hundred years now, so theres no way I wouldnt recognize it... The Beauty Pill looks identical to the low-tier God Essence Pill whereas the Breakthrough Pill looks identical to the middle-tier God Essence Pill... Cant he choose another look for his pills? The crowd frowned upon seeing the pill. Even Fu Jiangchen was speechless. He had thought that he would at least be able to discern the effectiveness of the pill just by looking at it... but it seemed like he was thinking too much! From the moment he saw the Breakthrough Pill, he realized that it would be just like the Beauty Pill. Even if he sliced it apart and analyzed it for days, he still would not be able to figure out the secrets behind it. That person sure is a rare prodigy when ites to forging pills... Fu Jiangchen sighed deeply. Teacher, what makes you say that? Zhou Feng asked. The young man had not even demonstrated the effects of the pill yet, but his teacher was alreadyplimenting him in advance. No matter what kind of pill it is, there are usually signs that allow us to identify its true nature. Recovery pills are bound to contain the Blood Agglutination Grass or the Anti-clotting Flower. Breakthrough Pills are usually made with the Breakthrough Flower or the Meridian Soothing Fragrance... However, the Beauty Pill that the young man has made, despite its amazing effects, appears to be no different from a God Essence Pill. Do you know the reason behind that? Fu Jiangchen asked. Zhou Feng shook his head. If he knew the truth, he would not have gone to the extent of inviting his teacher there to decipher the young mans secrets. Its simple. The young man used a special forging technique to conceal the secrets behind his pill, Fu Jiangchen replied. Conceal? Is that possible? Zhou Feng asked in confusion. Instead of answering his disciples question directly, Fu Jiangchen asked him a question instead. The Low-tier God Essence Pill is one of the most basic pills in the Firmament. With your current ability, in how many ways do you think you are able to forge a low-tier God Essence Pill? About several hundred ways, I guess, Zhou Feng replied. To put it simply, the low-tier God Essence Pill was basically the act of drawing out spiritual energy from medicinal herbs and sealing it within a physical container. There were many differentbinations of medicinal herbs and forging techniques that could achieve the same effect, so the only issue was with finding the most efficient and economical way to do it. The reason you are able to deduce hundreds of ways to forge a low-tier God Essence Pill is mainly due to your strong foundations as an apothecary. You dont just blindly follow pill forms. You understand the nature of medicinal herbs well, and you are able to deduce how different medicinal herbs interact with one another under different conditions. That, in turn, allows you toe up with multiple ways to create a certain effect. Fu Jiangchens gaze moved over to the young man on the stage, and a hint of reverence flickered across his eyes. Its the same for the young man over there! Even though the Breakthrough Pill that hes forged appears to be no different from a middle-tier God Essence Pill, such that its impossible to perceive the difference by Spiritual Perception, in truth, he has already refined it with many invaluable medicinal herbs. He intentionally chose to forge it in the form of a middle-tier God Essence Pill in order to conceal his pill form and prevent copycats from emting what he has done! That would really be an amazing feat! Zhou Feng widened his eyes in realization. In a sense, what that young man did was simr to how poison users in the Firmament could sneak lethal poison into ordinary pills without anyone noticing. It was just that what the young man was concealing was not poison but the true nature of his Breakthrough Pill! And that made perfect sense. After all, how could a middle-tier God Essence Pill increase the chances of a person making a breakthrough by fifty percent? Over on the stage, Zhang Xuan was still going. All words are empty until they are proven to be true. Since I have brought the pill out, it goes without saying that I should demonstrate the effects to assure all of you that this is no sham! Is there anyone who is interested in trying out the Breakthrough Pill? In order to eliminate spections that I am putting on an act, Ill need that person to be a distinguished individual who has great credibility in Drifting Specter Royal City. On top of that, they need to be on the verge of a breakthrough. The purpose of the demonstration was to convince the crowd that the Breakthrough Pill was truly as effective as he had made it out to be. Thus, it would be meaningless if the person that he selected was not credible enough to convince everyone that they were not conning them. I am Zhang Heng from Drifting Specter Royal Citys City Guards. My cultivation has been stuck at high-tier God pinnacle for more than a decade now, and all of the guards in the city can testify on my behalf! Before anyone could react, an old man had already volunteered himself and leaped onto the stage. Whats the use of having the guards testify for you? Who knows whether they are covering up for you? Let me do it instead! I am a mercenary from the Awesome Escort Group. My cultivation is currently at low-tier Celestial God pinnacle, and the butler of the Qi n can vouch for me! All of youck credibility! Let me do it instead! A huge uproar broke out, and within just a few moments, forty people had already leaped onto the stage. They were not fully convinced that the Breakthrough Pill was true, but the young mans act of gathering such a huge crowd to announce the productsunch, as well as the fact that the Qi n was giving him their full support, sparked some hope in them. There was a fair chance that it might just be real, and it would be the golden opportunity for them to make a breakthrough. So, they decided to take the risk and volunteer themselves. This... Seeing that there were suddenly so many people standing before him, Zhang Xuan was left a little conflicted as to who he should choose. At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded in the air. May I volunteer one of my juniors instead? Following that, Fu Jiangchen finally rose to his feet. Chapter 2165 Chapter 2165 Just 998! Its the number one apothecary of the Firmament, Fu Jiangchen! _Hey hey hey, hold on for a moment. He might be the most famous apothecary in the Firmament, but he_s still not number one, right? I heard that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch is a true maestro in pill forging as well, and theres no one in history who has evene close to what he has aplished! What the hell are you thinking about,paring a God King to a God Monarch? Of course, theres no way a God King canpete with a God Monarch! But putting aside the God Monarchs, Fu Jiangchens skills are top tier. Even if he isnt number one, hes definitely ranked within the top five! I guess I cant disagree with that. Speaking of which, shouldnt he be in the Sky of Linglong? Whys he here? The crowd swiftly recognized Fu Jiangchens identity, and gossip ensued. Putting aside the fact that he was a God King, just his identity as the most formidable apothecary was enough for him to be known all around the Firmament. Zhang Xuan did not recognize Fu Jiangchen, but he could tell that thetter was no ordinary figure just by gauging the reactions of the crowd. So, he nodded and said, Of course, you are more than wee to do so. Without standing on ceremony, Fu Jiangchen raised his hand, and a young man behind him leaped down from the celestial beast andnded on the stage. Hes my grandstudent, Han Qi. Hes a high-tier God, and as it hasnt been long since he reached that cultivation realm, I estimate the chances of seeding if he attempts a breakthrough right now are around thirty percent, Fu Jiangchen said. Since his grandstudent was the one chosen to test the Breakthrough Pill, it was only right for him to exin everything clearly. Otherwise, it would ruin his reputation if others used him of colluding together with the young man. Right after Fu Jiangchen said those words, on the stage, Han Qi immediately disyed his cultivation to the crowd. He was indeed a high-tier God, but there were hints that his cultivation was still a little loose and had not been reinforced yet. This showed that it had not been long since he made his breakthrough. We trust Apothecary Fus integrity. Given his standing, theres no reason for him to lie! I trust him as well! I have long heard of Apothecary Fus impartial character... Shouts of support for Fu Jiangchen swiftly filled the entire square. The crowd would have harbored some doubts no matter who Zhang Xuan chose from the crowd. Given the Qi ns influence, it was very possible for anyone to collude with them. However, it was a whole different matter if the one who volunteered was Fu Jiangchen. As one of the few God Kings in the Firmament, there was no need for Fu Jiangchen to intentionally suck up to anyone. Furthermore, in the thousands of years since he came to fame as the number one apothecary of the Firmament, he had been known to be a fair and impartial person. There were hardly any negative rumors about him, which made him a highly credible person. Since he was getting involved, it should be safe to trust the results of the test. Lets begin the test, Zhang Xuan said. He had thought that he would still have to spend a bit of effort in order to win the crowds trust, but Fu Jiangchens intervention had spared him the hassle. With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan passed the pill in the container right over to Han Qi. Han Qi grabbed the pill and swallowed it right away. Hong long! Rich spiritual energy immediately surged into his dantian. Not daring to hesitate in the least, Han Qi immediately sat down and began assimting the medicinal energy within the pill. Meanwhile, the crowd beneath watched the scene with bated breaths. None of them dared say a word, fearing that they would interrupt his cultivation. Fortunately, this did not continue too long. In less than three minutes, the crowd could clearly sense Han Qis divine energy umting at a swift pace, and a loud thunderous rumbling could be heard from his body. The sound grew louder and louder before reaching a climax... Boom! Everything cumted into an explosion, and a powerful aura surged right into the sky. In that instant, Han Qi managed to ovee the bottleneck capping his cultivation. This... He made a breakthrough just like that? It hasnt even been five minutes yet! The crowd gulped in shock. Nearly none of the cultivators in the Firmament thought of bing a God King, making Celestial God realm the greatest trial of their life. Many Gods struggle desperately their entire lives to reach this goal, only to find that their efforts had been futile. Yet, the young man in front of them had seeded in less than five minutes! Was that Breakthrough Pill really that remarkable? Fu Jiangchen also narrowed his eyes in disbelief. He was capable of forging pills that increased the chances of a God bing a Celestial God, but the most effective pill that he could make would only increase the chances by twenty percent, and a person could only afford to consume one in their entire life or risk severe side effects. In fact, even if the other partys pill was capable of increasing the chances of a breakthrough by fifty percent, the breakthrough should not havee so quickly. Given his understanding of his grandstudents capabilities, his grandstudent should still have needed to circte his divine energy several dozen times in order to refine it sufficiently, and that should have taken at least fifteen hours! Yet, the duration taken was reduced to a mere five minutes... It seemed like the Breakthrough Pill was even more powerful and frightening than expected. He anxiously turned to his grandstudent and asked, How do you feel? At this moment, Han Qi had barely managed to stabilize his cultivation. With a brilliant gleam in his eyes, he stood up and said, It is even more amazing than I thought! Instead of fifty percent, it feels like the Breakthrough Pill has increased my chances... by at least sixty percent or more! Knowing his own condition well, Han Qi knew that the chances of him making a breakthrough at this very moment was extremely slim. iming that his probability of sess was thirty percent was ttering him! Yet, he managed to achieve a breakthrough so easily and so smoothly, as if there was no bottleneck at all. In his opinion, the Breakthrough Pill was far more effective than what the young apothecary had said. In fact, he was willing to go as far as to say that the Breakthrough Pill had increased the odds of him making a breakthrough to one hundred percent! Is it really that remarkable? Fu Jiangchen was stunned to hear how high an opinion Han Qi had of the Breakthrough Pill. I dare not lie to you, Grandteacher Fu! I swear on my pride as an apothecary and my own life that there isnt the slightest falsehood in my words! Han Qi replied solemnly. Hearing how Han Qi was willing to even swear on it, the crowd, who were harboring some doubts after hearing his unbelievable ims, fell silent in shock. This was exactly the effect that Zhang Xuan wanted to create through the demonstration, and he knew that he should strike while the iron was hot. So, he stepped forward and began speaking. Thank you for your words, Brother Han. I believe that this should be enough to prove that there has been no exaggeration on my part regarding the effects of the Breakthrough Pill! Right now, I shall announce the price of the pill and the quantity that will be on sale today! Those words immediately snapped the crowd out of their daze, and they hurriedly shifted their attention back to him. This was the main point of the show. No matter how formidable the Breakthrough Pill was, it would be meaningless if they could not afford it. There was a brief pause at this moment, which caused the crowd to fidget anxiously, before Zhang Xuan began speaking. As a pill that allows a cultivator to ovee his bottleneck, the price of the Breakthrough Pill is naturally even higher than that of the Beauty Pill. The sales price of the Beauty Pill is 1,500 Divine Coins, and the Breakthrough Pill happens to be ten times that. In order words... 15,000 Divine Coins! 15,000 Divine Coins? Isnt that daylight robbery? Thats too expensive! Most cultivators wouldnt be able to buy it even if they were to save a lifetimes worth of fortune! Even though its exorbitant, if the effects are really as amazing as we saw, it would indeed be worth that price... Bitter looks emerged on the faces of the crowd upon hearing the price. 15,000 Divine Coins... That was enough for one to buy a house near the heart of Drifting Specter Royal City, and to dump that humongous wealth on a single pill... Then again, even though it might appear as if there was only the difference of a word between a high-tier God and a low-tier Celestial God, it signified a difference in the level of existence. If the Breakthrough Pill really allowed one to ovee this difference, it would be worth it no matter how much one spent. The difference in terms of lifespan and standing could not be bought with any amount of moneyuntil theunch of the Breakthrough Pill! Do you think that its too expensive? Zhang Xuan asked as he looked at the faces amid the crowd. Then, a smile appeared on his lips as he said, I think so, too. Its the first day Im unveiling the Breakthrough Pill, and if I were to go with that pricing, most of you would probably be scared off. For this reason, just for today, you wont need 15,000,12,000, or even 10,000... All you need is 9,980! Yes, you didnt hear wrong! At just 9,980 Divine Coins, you will be able to buy a Breakthrough Pill! Make no mistake, what you will be buying here is not just a pill. At a price lower than 10,000 Divine Coins, you will be able to secure assurance for you or a loved ones brighter future! 9,800 Divine Coins? Thats not even 10,000... This is great! The price dropped a third just like that! The eyes of the crowd immediately turned fiery hot. 9,980 Divine Coins was still an exorbitant price for a single pill, but it was much better than the previous offer of 15,000 Divine Coins. To secure a chance to make a breakthrough to the Celestial God realm at a price less than 10,000 Divine Coins... was there a better deal than this? As long as one had the financial resources to do so, one would be a fool not to buy the pill! I want it! Apothecary Zhang, Ill get two pills! Four pills for me, four pills for me! The crowd was immediately provoked into action. Seeing how the brainwashing television advertisement tactics from his previous life had managed to rouse the crowd into action, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He raised his hand and said, Please calm down for a moment. Its not that I am unwilling to sell the pills to all of you, but the forging process is extremelyplex. Due to the limitations I have as a result of the ingredients and my own energy, I dont have enough Breakthrough Pills to satisfy everyone. Right now, I only have one hundred Breakthrough Pills with me, and once they are all sold out, I cant guarantee when there will be a second batch or whether there will even be a second batch at all! Scarcity marketing! Even if he could produce Breakthrough Pills easily, he knew better than to take his whole stockpile out at once. Otherwise, its value would plummet, and the crowd would swiftly forget about him. If so, he would not be able to receive a steady stream of Anima of Yearning from them anymore. Did you hear that? There are only a hundred pills! Hurry up and get our family to prepare the money! What? Are you seriously asking me how we are going to raise the money? Use your brains! Sell our house, sell our beasts... Just raise the money needed right now! As long as I can make a breakthrough to Celestial God, well be able to buy as many houses as we want in the future! Hey, handsome fellow. Wont you buy me a Breakthrough Pill? If you can get me one, Ill be yours for tonight... The hell! Even if I have to pawn away everything in my home, you can be darned sure that I will be getting one of those Breakthrough Pills! Oi, stop trying to jump the queue. Do it again and Ill slit your neck! Everyone went crazy in an instant. There was nearly no one who could keep their cool in the face of this massive temptation. Watching this entire scene, it took Fu Jiangchen a long while before he was finally able to close his agape mouth. He was the most prestigious apothecary in the entire Firmament, and his pills were greatly sought after by all cultivators. There were many who would kneel before him just to get him to forge a pill for them... But none of that came close to being as crazy as the chaos happening right before him. The Breakthrough Pill had not even started selling, but people were already so inmed that they looked as if they woulde to blows with one another! Everyone, I havent finished speaking yet! Zhang Xuan quickly raised his hand as an indication for the crowd to keep quiet. Then, with a nod, he continued. Theres no need for you to worry about where you can buy the Breakthrough Pills. Later, when this event is over, you can proceed to where Qi Ling-er is to make a reservation with her. As long as you are within the first hundred registrants, you will be given priority in the purchase of the Breakthrough Pill. Aside from that, Ill also be lowering the price of the Beauty Pill from 1,500 Divine Coins to just 998 today. There will be three thousand of them on sale, and it will also be on a firste first serve basis. After today, the prices will revert to normal. Those words caused another flurry of excitement amid the crowd. Those who had not managed to buy a Beauty Pill thus far trembled in excitement. The Breakthrough Pill costs 9,980 Divine Coins whereas the Beauty Pill costs 998 Divine Coins. I know that this price might be far beyond what some of our less privileged friends here can afford. However, worry not. Thest pill that I have prepared today is just for you! Zhang Xuan gestured to Qi Ling-er, and thetter immediately took out a jade bottle and poured out the tablets inside onto her hand. Arent those God Essence Tablets? Ah, I know them. They are incredibly cheap. With just a single Divine Coin, you can buy ten of them... They might look like God Essence Tablets, but theres bound to be more to it... Curious, the crowds attention swiftly focused on Zhang Xuan once more. Standing at the center of the stage, Zhang Xuan intentionally left a moment of silence for the crowd to talk among themselves and build up anticipation before introducing what it was. This tablet is known as the Spirit Channeling Tablet. It looks identical to a God Essence Tablet, but its effects are much more than that. Not only does it heal ones expended energy, it also has the effect of gathering ones focus and revitalizing ones spirit, thus enhancing ones rate of cultivation. However, its only effective on cultivators who are at the God realm or lower. As for the price... its just 9.98 apiece, which is less than ten Divine Coins! Chapter 2166 - The Death of the Spirit God Chapter 2166 The Death of the Spirit God If you wish to purchase any, you can head over to any of the Zhang Xuans Pills stores around Royal City in three days. I have prepared a hundred tablets, so whoever is interested in testing its effects cane onto the stage to test one for free. However, your cultivation mustnt be too high, preferably a low-tier God, Zhang Xuan said. Hla! As soon as he finished speaking, several hundred people immediately charged up, and they were all low-tier Gods. Zhang Xuan was not stingy. He had Qi Ling-er take out a few more bottles so that all of them could get a tablet. After consuming the Spirit Channeling Tablet, the cultivators felt their focus sharpening more than ever before. Ten of them were even able to make use of this heightened condition to make a breakthrough to middle-tier God. With that, another wave of excitement swept across the crowd. Even the effects of the cheapest Spirit Channeling Tablet had exceeded their imagination. It turned out to be an incredible medicine for making a breakthrough as well. Furthermore, the price was not even ten Divine Coins. It was a sum that most cultivators could afford. In an instant, all 500,000 people in the crowd made sure to jot down the name Zhang Xuans Pills into their minds. Naturally, the image of the young man behind all these pills was also imprinted deeply in their heads. Looking at the thrilled crowd below, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. It seemed like the event was a huge sess. Just as he was about to start concluding the event, his eyes suddenly widened slightly before glowing in excitement. The main reason he had chosen to push out these three pills was to receive more Anima of Yearning and raise his soul cultivation. He had thought that he would only be able to ovee the hurdle to high-tier Celestial God realm that night, but who could have known that he would be able to make a breakthrough on the spot! He casually swallowed a high-tier God Essence Pills that he had in his storage ring, and two breathster, his zhenqi cultivation swiftly surged as well. High-tier Celestial God realm, reached! Delighted with the results, Zhang Xuan gazed down at the crowd with a bright smile and said, In the future, regardless of whether you need Breakthrough Pills, Beauty Pills, or Spirit Channeling Tablets, you can get them at Zhang Xuans Pills! Since he had already achieved his aim, he threw the crowd back to Qi Ling-er to handle. Without any hesitation, he leaped onto the aerial celestial beast that he had arrived on and returned to his residence. Even though he had gone all out, he only did so because the situation necessitated it. On the inside, he was a humble and low-profile person. Since he had already achieved his goal, it was only natural for him to get out of the spotlight as soon as possible. Barely after Zhang Xuan returned to his room and took a seat, Sun Qiang suddenly came over and reported, Young Master, a person named Fu Jiangchen is at the entrance, and he has requested to meet you. Invite him in! Zhang Xuan got to his feet and walked to the main hall to meet his guest. He had been able to learn of Fu Jiangchens identity from the discussions of the crowd earlier. Considering how thetter had helped him, it was only natural for him to wee him warmly. Without his intervention, there was no way the Breakthrough Pill would have been able to win widespread recognition so quickly. Apothecary Zhang! Fu Jiangchen greeted Zhang Xuan before settling on a seat. He began observing the young man in front of him curiously. The young man had concealed his cultivation well. While others might not be able to discern it clearly, he could tell that the young man was already a high-tier Celestial God. Furthermore, the energy flowing through his body was truly terrifying. In terms of strength, the young man might beparable to him, a God King! Be it in terms of fighting prowess, ability as an apothecary, or business sense, there was no doubt that the young man sitting in front of him was an outstanding individual. Im honored by your visit, Apothecary Fu, Zhang Xuan said politely. We are both apothecaries, so theres no need for you to be so polite with me. I have dropped by in hopes that we could share insights regarding pill forging with one another, Fu Jiangchen said. Im more than delighted to chat with you, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. The art of pill forging was vast and profound. However, Zhang Xuan had already reached the peak of the field back when he was still on Master Teacher Continent. While pill forging in the Firmament was slightly different from that of the Master Teacher Continent, the fundamental principles were mostly the same. As such, he was able to converse with Fu Jiangchen about pills without any difficulties. It did not take long for Fu Jiangchen to be colored impressed. There was a brief moment that he was deeply tempted to acknowledge the young man before him as his teacher. He had the reputation of the number one apothecary in the Firmament, but in truth, he knew that he was still far from the peak. He had the honor of meeting the Heaven Subjugation Monarch once, and the two of them had briefly chatted about their insights regarding pill forging. From that conversation, he had realized that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was actually a true master in pill forging, such that it was no exaggeration to say that his skills were unrivaled. And right now, after having a deep discourse regarding the profoundness of pill forging, he realized that the young man before him did not pale inparison to the Heaven Subjugation Monarch at all! To think that a young man in his twenties would actually possess skills rivaling those of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch... Just how in the world did he manage to acquire his capabilities? After chatting for a while, Fu Jiangchen awkwardly raised a request. Apothecary Zhang, if you dont mind, do you have some Breakthrough Pills here that you could sell to me? Im willing to buy them at the original price! In truth, this was his main aim. Considering that only a hundred Breakthrough Pills were being sold out there, it did not seem appropriate for a reputable apothecary like him to fight with the crowd over the Breakthrough Pill. With this consideration in mind, he had decided to pay a visit to Zhang Xuan personally, hoping that he could buy some from the person in question. Of course, his goal was not to use the Breakthrough Pills to raise his cultivation but to study them. Thats no trouble at all! Zhang Xuan replied heartily. With a wave of his hand, he gestured for Sun Qiang to bring a jade bottle over. Fu Jiangchen uncorked the lid and saw ten Breakthrough Pills inside. His face immediately reddened in agitation. He quickly took out a card and passed it over. Here, 150,000 Divine Coins... Ah, its fine. Theres no need for you to pay me. However... Apothecary Fu, do you have any pinnacle God Essence Pills with you? I would be really grateful if you could sell some of them to me, Zhang Xuan said. He could feel that the effectiveness of a high-tier God Essence Pill on him had reduced significantly, such that it was likely that he would need pinnacle God Essence Pills in order to push for a breakthrough to God King. The only problem was that pinnacle God Essence Pills were incredibly valuable and were effective even on Conferred God Kings. Putting aside the exorbitant price tag on them, it was extremely difficult to source them. Considering that Fu Jiangchen was renowned as the number one apothecary in the Firmament, he should be able to forge the hard-to-acquire pinnacle God Essence Pills. If he could buy more from the other party, he would be spared a great deal of trouble in the future. As long as he could sessfully raise his cultivation to the God King realm, he would have sufficient strength to squeeze into the top echelon of the Firmament. Pinnacle God Essence Pills? Sure, I do have some... Fu Jiangchen was stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement. One could count on ones fingers the number of apothecaries in the Firmament who were capable of forging pinnacle God Essence Pills, but he happened to be one of them. Not only so, he was ranked among the top few. With a flick of his wrist, he passed a jade bottle over as he said, The Pinnacle God Essence Pill is a very high tier pill, and the medicinal herbs that are required for its forging are extremely difficult to source. Even I must spend a great deal of time and effort in order to forge one. Currently, I only have three pinnacle God Essence Pills in my possession. Thats enough... Zhang Xuan could hardly hide his disappointment when he heard that Fu Jiangchen only had three of them, but he quickly concealed it with a smile. He epted the jade bottle before beckoning Sun Qiang over. Here, 2,900,000 Divine Coins. Please ept it! Sun Qiang humbly passed a card over to Fu Jiangchen. The price of God Essence Pills went up a hundredfold for each difference in tier. A Divine Coin for a low-tier God Essence Pill, one hundred Divine Coins for a middle-tier God Essence Pill, ten thousand Divine Coins for a high-tier God Essence Pill... Naturally, a pinnacle God Essence Pill was worth 1,000,000 Divine Coins, and that was assuming that one had the connections to procure one! Inparison, the Breakthrough Pill that he was selling really was not expensive at all. Fu Jiangchen had Zhou Feng ept the card before rising to his feet. He had already aplished his business there, so it was time for him to bid farewell and leave. Apothecary Fu, please hold on a moment, Zhang Xuan said as he stood up as well. Perplexed, Fu Jiangchen turned around and asked, Do you need anything from me, Apothecary Zhang? Im not really sure how to put it... Zhang Xuan said hesitantly as he quickly prepared his words. Apothecary Fu, you are a God King expert, as well as a renowned apothecary. I believe that you must have visited many different ces in the Firmament and know many things. Theres something that I would like to ask you about... He was hoping that the old man before him might happen to know something about Luo Ruoxin. An apothecary who was able to forge pinnacle God Essence Pills that Conferred God Kings needed was bound to be respected and treated like a VIP no matter where he went. Given so, it was likely that he might know of secrets that others were unaware of. Apothecary Zhang, feel free to ask me anything. Ill answer your question as long as its something that I know of, Fu Jiangchen said with a smile. He had traveled around the Firmament over the past thousands of years, and he prided himself as a person who was very knowledgeable about the affairs concerning the Firmament. I would like to inquire about the status of a person that I know. If Im not mistaken, she should be a God King at the very least. Her name is Luo Ruoxin! Zhang Xuan said expectantly. Luo Ruoxin? Fu Jiangchen frowned slightly. I have heard of all of the God Kings in the Nine Skies, but I dont know anyone who goes by that name... There were only a hundred or so God Kings in the Firmament, so it was not difficult to remember every single one of them. He was certain that none of them went by the name Luo Ruoxin. This, in turn, caused Zhang Xuan to frown. Was he mistaken? Was Luo Ruoxin not a God King? Was she actually a high-tier Celestial God just like him? As for Conferred God King and God Monarch... To be honest, he dared not even think about that! Seeing the bewildered look on Zhang Xuans face, Fu Jiangchen added, Could you have made a mistake? If shes truly a God King, I would have heard of her. Do you remember anything else about her? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before adding, She has once told me that shes the Spirit God. He had once guessed that Luo Ruoxin was just a pseudonym, and it seemed like he was right about that. Spirit God? Fu Jiangchens eyes narrowed in disbelief upon hearing those words. He anxiously asked, Are you certain about that? Did she tell you that personally, or did you hear it from someone else? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback by how Fu Jiangchen was reacting. He quickly replied, She told me that personally. He had asked Luo Ruoxin about her identity as the Spirit God before, and she had also admitted it. In that sense, it was indeed true that she had told him about it personally. When did it happen? Fu Jiangchen pressed on. He seemed to be extremely agitated, such that his breathing had hastened a little. When did it happen? Zhang Xuan quickly calcted the timing in terms of the Firmaments flow of time and replied, It was around a month ago... All in all, the time he had spent on the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure equated to barely more than a single day in terms of time on the Firmament. A month ago? H-how... How is that possible! Fu Jiangchen widened his eyes in shock. His body was trembling, and his voice had be a little hoarse. What is wrong? Zhang Xuan asked carefully. He had not expected Fu Jiangchen to react in such a manner to his question. Fu Jiangchens voice was trembling so much that even his disciples were staring at him in shock. It was very unlike his usualposed self. Thats because... forty years ago, the Spirit God... ...passed away! Authors Note: With this, we conclude our 16th Arc, [The Death of the Spirit God], and usher in our next arc [The Demise of a Monarch]! In this arc, Zhang Xuan finally settled into the Firmament and became an existence second only to the God Kings. His students also found their own ces. In the next arc, well be drawing the curtains on the real arc shrouding the Firmament. Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin will finally appear in this arc and make their stands. At the same time, Zhang Xuan will be stronger and be a God King and beyond. Please look forward to it! Chapter 2167 - 2167 The Titles of the Nine God Monarchs 2167 The Titles of the Nine God Monarchs Weng weng! Zhang Xuans head stalled for a moment before something clicked in his head. In a voice that was nearly shouting, he eximed, The Spirit God died forty years ago? How is that possible? Is the Spirit God a hereditary title? The person I am looking for should be the newly-appointed Spirit God! Luo Ruoxin had only parted with him a month ago, so how could she have already been dead for forty years? It could not possibly be that he was haunted by a ghost, right? If he was not mistaken, Spirit God should be nothing more than a title. With the death of the previous Spirit God, the sessor would take their ce. It should be the same as the title Sovereign Chen Yong, where the title was passed down from generation to generation. This... Can such a thing be passed down? Fu Jiangchens face was filled with skepticism. I dont think that the possibility is very likely. If such a thing happened, the entire Firmament should have learned about it by now. Theres no way we wouldnt have heard a thing till now... The entire Firmament should have learned about it? Zhang Xuan was getting more and more confused by the moment. Is the Spirit God a very prestigious title? Even if a Conferred God King passed down their position to their sessor, it would not go to the extent where the entire Firmament knew about it. The Spirit God is one of the Nine God Monarchs. How could it not be a prestigious title? Fu Jiangchen replied with a bitter smile. Zhang Xuan immediately froze on the spot upon hearing those words. Wait a moment, Luo Ruoxin, no, the Spirit God is one of the Nine God Monarchs? He knew that his girlfriend was unlikely to be an ordinary person, but never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that she would actually be one of the Nine God Monarchs, the strongest existence in the entire Firmament... This was way too much for him to absorb quickly. Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little dreamy. If that was really true, it would exin why she had been unwilling to get together with him initially, as well as why she was so hesitant to reveal her identity. There was simply too huge a gap between the two of them. Given the mortal he was then, there was no way he would have beenpatible with her. Thats indeed the case. Fu Jiangchen nodded. Zhang Xuan took a deep breath to calm himself down first before asking, May I know which of the Nine Skies the Spirit God rules over? He knew of the Nine Skies, but he had a limited understanding of the Nine God Monarchs. He wanted to know which of the Nine Skies Luo Ruoxin ruled over so that he could head over to find her. You dont know? Fu Jiangchen was surprised by Zhang Xuans question. He stared at the young man for a moment, but it did not seem like the young man was joking with him. So, he shook his head and replied, The Spirit God is naturally the monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin! Sky of Spirit Origin? Zhang Xuan was stunned as another name for the Sky of Spirit Origin suddenly surfaced in his mind. You are referring to the Sky of Deathlessnessright? Which means to say that...the Spirit God is the Deathless Monarch? Indeed! Fu Jiangchen nodded in response. This... Zhang Xuan was utterly dumbfounded. The Spirit God was actually the Deathless Monarch... but the Deathless Monarch was already dead! He even saw thetters tombstone back at the Azure? Could it be that Ruoxin inherited the position of the previous Deathless Monarch, thus bing the Spirit God of the new generation? Zhang Xuan swiftly came up with a usible answer to this bizarre urrence. This was the only exnation that he could think of that made sense of everything. Well, Im afraid that I dont really know about that... Fu Jiangchen replied awkwardly. A momentter, he added, Its hard to say when ites to the God Monarchs. They arent beings whom we can talk about casually, and it would be foolish to apply ourmon sense to them... No God Monarch has ever passed away since the inception of the Firmament, and this is the first time something like this has happened. So, be it the identity of the sessor or whether there is even a sessor in the first ce, we dont really know much about it... Zhang Xuan continued asking a few more questions, but it appeared that Fu Jiangchen did not know much about the Spirit God of the Sky of Spirit Origin. So, he decided not to ask about that anymore. Then, do you know the God Monarch for each of the Nine Skies? For some reason, the information regarding the Nine God Monarchs was not detailed in any of the books at all. Most of what he had knew about the God Monarchs hade from Mo Yun, the teacher that he met shortly after he arrived in the Firmament. Since Fu Jiangchen appeared to be extremely knowledgeable about the Firmament, it would be best to direct these questions to him. Those arent secrets at all. Anyone who tries to look into it will be able to receive answers quickly! Fu Jiangchen said. It appears that you know about the Nine Skies, so I wont touch too much on them. As for the Nine God Monarchs... The Cloud Dragon Monarch rules over the eastern Sky of Cloud Dragon. As a Pureblooded Dragon, hes an unparalleled existence in the world. Monarch Fumeng, known for his valiance and brawling abilities, governs the western Sky of Adamant Gold. The Sky of Spirit Origin, also known as the Sky of Deathlessness, is located at the south of the Firmament, and its ruler is the Deathless Monarch, who is also addressed as the God of Spirit Origin or Spirit God for short. Located directly opposite of that is the northern Sky of Acheron, also known as the Acheron Ocean. Its a massive ocean that even God Kings can easily lose their way in... Its ruler is the Acheron Monarch! The Sky of zing Sun is located to the southeast of the Firmament, and it is ruled by Monarch Zhuoyang, who is also known as the zing Sun Monarch. His presence itself casts an inferno over thends, making him a deeply feared figure. To the northeast is the Sky of Heavenly Sword, one of the most mysterious ces in the Firmament. It doesnt have muchnd, but there is no power that dares to trifle with it. There are rumors that the Heavenly Sword Monarch possesses strength that triumphs over the other God Monarchs, and only that person of the Sky of Freedom is able to curb him. The southwestern Sky of Linglong is where I spend most of my time nowadays. Fairy Linglong is the only female monarch of the Nine God Monarchs as far as I know. I have met her a few times, and she doesnt put on airs and is very down to earth. I respect her a lot. Northwest of the Firmament where we are at now, the Sky of Drifting Specter. The monarch of the Sky of Drifting Specter is the Qiankun Demon Monarch. You should be more familiar with this than me, so Ill just skip him. And at the very center of those eight Skies is the Sky of Freedom. The monarch of the Sky of Freedom is a huge mystery. I have never met them before, so I dont know who they are or what their gender is. In fact, I dont even know what their title is, and I dare not talk too carelessly about them either. All I know is that they possess unfathomable strength, such that the other eight God Monarchs appear to view them as their de facto leader. Fu Jiangchen swiftly went through the details of the Nine God Monarchs to Zhang Xuan. Cloud Dragon Monarch, Monarch Fumeng, Monarch Zhuoyang... Zhang Xuanmitted the names of the Nine God Monarchs to memory before nodding quietly. Given that Luo Ruoxin addressed herself as the Spirit God, it was very likely that she was the sessor of the Deathless Monarch. He would have head down to the Sky of Spirit Origin to verify this matter for himself. However, the problem was that the Sky of Spirit Origin was located in the south of the Firmament whereas the Sky of Drifting Specter was in the northwest. He would probably have to use the Teleportation Formations. The distance was simply too far for him to traverse through normal means. If you have no other questions, Ill be leaving then! After talking about the Nine God Monarchs, Fu Jiangchen filled Zhang Xuan in on a few other secrets that he could afford to talk about before bidding farewell. I am deeply grateful for your honest response to my questions, Apothecary Fu, Zhang Xuan said as he bowed deeply. Most people would avoid talking about the Nine God Monarchs for fear that they would draw trouble to themselves. It could be said that Fu Jiangchen had really done him a great favor. Apothecary Zhang, you are too courteous. As someone who is able to be high-tier Celestial God ande up with the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill at such a young age, I believe that its only a matter of time before you be a God King. Even if I chose not to speak today, it would only be a matter of time before you learned about these things yourself. So, you need not feel too burdened by this! Fu Jiangchen chuckled softly. He would not have spoken about the Nine God Monarchs under normal circumstances, but he saw great potential in the young man before him. In terms of strength, potential, and skills in pill forging, the young man did not pale much inparison to him. It was very likely that the young man would be his peer or surpass him even in the near future. Since that was the case, it would be better to do him a favor now. Chapter 2168 - 2168 Great Displacement Teleportation Formation 2168 Great Discement Teleportation Formation Zhang Xuan did not rush into action after Fu Jiangchen left. Instead, he fell into deep thought. There were two paths right before him at this very moment. First, he could head to the Sky of Spirit Origin to find Luo Ruoxin and tell her that he was in the Firmament and that his cultivation had already reached high-tier Celestial God. Even though he was still a long way off from bing a God Monarch, as long as he persevered, with the cheat code known as the Library of Heavens Path, he was confident that he could narrow the gap between the two of them. Second, he could stay there and continue selling his Breakthrough Pills and Beauty Pills. Through this, he could expand his influence and gather more Anima of Yearning. In the future, he could push for a breakthrough to God King, Conferred God King, and possibly, just like Kong shi, reach God Monarch too! He could only be worthy of Luo Ruoxin by reaching the same ce where she was. Otherwise, with his current cultivation realm, even if he found Luo Ruoxin, they still would not be able to make their rtionship public. But there was a problem with that. After the huge event that was just held, it doesnt seem likely that I can spread my name any further any time soon... The Anima of Yearning that he received ever since he announced the release of the three pills had been increasing nonstop, but the rate of increase was slowly decreasing. Furthermore, after his cultivation reached high-tier Celestial God realm, the amount of soul energy that he needed to make a breakthrough became much higher. At the very least, it would take a month or two before he was ready to attempt a breakthrough to be a God King. Furthermore, he had not found any inspiration for his advancement to the God King realm yet. All of this meant that it was unlikely for him to make a breakthrough anytime soon. If it was already that difficult for him to be a God King, did that not mean that it would at least take him several years before he could be a God Monarch? That was too slow! Zhang Xuan sighed once more. It was one thing when he did not know where Luo Ruoxin was, but now that he knew where he could find her, there was no way he could hold himself back. Forget it, Ill head to the Sky of Spirit Origin first. Ill decide what to do next after meeting her... Zhang Xuan solemnly made up his mind. He had no idea why the old Deathless Monarch had passed away, but if Luo Ruoxin had taken over his position, it was unlikely that she would be in afortable position at the moment. Her strength likely paled inparison to the rest of the God Monarchs, and that would mean that she was in a precarious situation. If she was facing any difficulties, it was only right for him to stand by her side and face them together. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan stood up and began walking out of the main hall. However, Qi Ling-er suddenly walked in at this moment. Young Master Zhang, the one hundred Breakthrough Pills and three thousand Beauty Pills have been sold. As for the Spirit Channeling Tablets, were still waiting for Zhang Xuans Pills to officially open for business in three days before putting them on sale. As the Spirit Channeling Tablets were aimed at normal cultivators, it was best to let the anticipation ripen a bit before selling them. Otherwise, if everyone got their hands on them right away, the sense of aplishment upon obtaining one would be greatly reduced. That would reduce the amount of Anima of Yearning that he received considerably. You have done well. Zhang Xuan nodded. I am nning to head over to the Sky of Spirit Origin to handle some matters. Ill be counting on you and Sun Qiang to handle the business. With these two sharp-witted businessmen holding the fort, there was nothing he needed to worry about. His time would be much better spent on trying to find Luo Ruoxin. You are heading to the Sky of Spirit Origin? Qi Ling-er was taken aback. Young Master, how are you nning on heading there? Given the distance, even if you fly there on an aerial celestial beast, itll take you several years at the very minimum! The Sky of Drifting Specter was located in the northeast whereas the Sky of Spirit Origin was situated in the south. Given howrge the Firmament was, the distance between these two ces was frighteningly great! Arent there Teleportation Formations that connecting the Sky of Drifting Specter to the Sky of Spirit Origin? Zhang Xuan asked. Qi Ling-er was the one who had suggested that they use the Teleportation Formation to reach Royal City from Twilight City. Why would she suddenly ask such an obvious question? That Teleportation Formation, also known as the Minor Discement Teleportation Formation, only allows you to teleport within the boundaries of the Sky of Drifting Specter. If you wish to transcend boundaries and teleport straight to the Sky of Spirit Origin, youll need the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. However, it wont be easy to use it, Qi Ling-er exined. Great Discement Teleportation Formation? This time, Zhang Xuan was the one who was confused. Qi Ling-er shook her head helplessly at Zhang Xuans iprehension. It was really amazing how the young man was so knowledgeable about all sorts of stuff, only to be utterly ignorant about some of the most basic things. The Nine Skies Nine Monarchs are basically nine different countries. Each country has its own borders, so theres no way outsiders would be allowed to cross the borders easily, not to mention using Teleportation Formations. If it was that easy to move from one Sky to the other, the major powers would have to constantly guard against one another, and chaos would ensue as soon as any power disyed the slightest hint of weakness! Qi Ling-er exined. It would not pose a problem if a cultivator wanted to move within the boundaries of the country that they belonged to, but of course, that could not be allowed when it came to other countries. If each of the Skies allowed outsiders to freely teleport into their ownnd, that would be pretty much giving them the ability tounch an invasion as and when they liked! I see... Whats the criteria required in order to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation? Zhang Xuan asked. As far as I know, there are three ways in which you can use that formation, Qi Ling-er replied. First, if you be a God King or get into the top thirty of the Board of Potential God Kings and are highly skilled in a nonbat upation, simr to Master Fu Jiangchen, you will be able to use the Teleportation Formations to travel around the Firmament without any restrictions! Alternatively, you could be an envoy of the Sky of Drifting Specter! However, the minimum rank requirement for bing an envoy is to be a Golden Armored General in the military. Furthermore, you must umte sufficient contribution and receive a mandate straight from the Qiankun Demon Monarch. Last but not least, you can also receive a special permit from the Sky of Freedom. The Sky of Freedom is viewed to be the de facto leader of the Nine Skies, so their special permit will allow you to freely use the Teleportation Formations around the Firmament. However, the criteria for receiving the special permit are the same as the first option. You must be a God King or get into the top thirty of the Board of Potential God Kings. Otherwise, youll be crushed by the distortion in spatialws when attempting to travel through the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. No matter which way it is, youll need to have the cultivation of a high-tier Celestial God at the very minimum. However, Young Master Zhangs current cultivation is... Feeling that she had gotten the point across, Qi Ling-er stopped her words right there. She had seen how the young mans cultivation rose from low-tier God to middle-tier Celestial God within the span of a few days. There was no way she would not have been triggered after seeing something like this. So, she had begun to focus her effort on cultivating as well. Fortunately, with the rise in her standing in the Qi n, she was provided with everything she needed in her cultivation. But even with ample resources and unyielding diligence, she had only managed to reinforce her low-tier Celestial God realm cultivation over the past week. It would still be a long time before she could make a breakthrough to middle-tier Celestial God realm. Since this was the case for her, surely it would be the same for the young man. The advancement in every single cultivation stage for a Celestial God was many times harder than that of a God. Given so, there was no way Zhang Xuan would be able to withstand the pressure on his body from going through the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. The Minor Discement Teleportation Formation was so frightening that one would require the protection of the City Lord Token, so the Major Discement Teleportation Formation was bound to be even more fearsome. It was not a facility that anyone could use easily. Ah, are you worrying about my cultivation? You dont need to. My cultivation has already reached high-tier Celestial God! As Zhang Xuan spoke, he revealed his cultivation to Qi Ling-er. As a humble and low-profile person, there was no way he would brag about his breakthrough to others for no reason. A God King might still be able to see through his cultivation, but it was perfectly normal that a low-tier Celestial God could not do so. You... The great pressureing from Zhang Xuan made Qi Ling-er unwittingly take a step back. Her eyes widened in shock as her mouth fell agape. Trembling nonstop, she slowly raised her right hand to clutch her chest so as to soothe her twitching heart. This was too much! It had only been ten or so days since they first met, but the young man had managed to raise his cultivation from a low-tier God all the way to a high-tier Celestial God, bing a figure far beyond her reach. Was it even possible for a human to cultivate that quickly? It was at this moment that Qi Ling-er swore to the heavens that she would avoid talking about cultivation or the like before Zhang Xuan. Otherwise, she felt like her heart might really cave in one of these days... Chapter 2169 - High-tier Celestial God Realm Pinnacle

Chapter 2169 High-tier Celestial God Realm Pinnacle

What? Is my strength stillcking at the moment? Do I have to reach high-tier Celestial God for it to work? Seeing how Qi Ling-er had gone silent all of a sudden, Zhang Xuan could not help but frown. Qi Ling-er took a deep breath and suppressed her stifled feeling before finally speaking up. Those who are able to get into the top thirty of the Board of Potential God Kings are all at high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle. Thats the minimum requirement for them to differentiate themselves from other high-tier Celestial Gods... Even though Zhang Xuan had managed to advance his cultivation to high-tier Celestial God, there was still a huge gap before he could reach the top of the cultivation stage. The step after high-tier Celestial God was God King. Even though it was just a single cultivation stage, the amount of energy that was required to make this breakthrough was massive, such that there were cultivators who had reinforced their foundation for hundreds of years, only to fail to make the breakthrough time and time again. For this reason, the gap among high-tier Celestial Gods could be surprisingly huge. A person who had just be a high-tier Celestial God was bound to be drastically different from one who had reached that level centuries prior. Even with Zhang Xuans potential, he would have to cultivate for at least a year in order to climb his way to the top. Even with Qi Yues talent and the huge amount of resources the Qi n had invested in him, he had still taken almost ten years to raise his cultivation from high-tier Celestial God realm primary stage to pinnacle. Is that so? Hearing that he had to raise his cultivation to high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle at the very minimum, Zhang Xuan clearly hesitated for a moment. Then, with a deep sigh, he murmured, I guess I have no choice but to use that then... With a flick of his wrist, he took out a pill. It was one of the God Essence Pills that he had bought from Fu Jiangchen just a moment ago. Ordinary high-tier God Essence Pills were no longer as effective on him. So, he had to rely on this in order to raise his cultivation to higher realms. Without any hesitation, he popped the pinnacle God Essence Pill into his mouth. Young Master Zhang, you are... Seeing how Zhang Xuan abruptly popped a pill into his mouth after hearing her words, Qi Ling-er was a little dumbfounded. What in the world are you up to? You cant be trying to make a breakthrough now, can you? Dont you need to condition yourself and prepare? It cant be that you are able to raise your cultivation just by stuffing yourself with medicine, right? Qi Ling-er was just about to pose her doubts when she saw the young man suddenly closing his eyes. Two secondster, he opened his eyes once more and said, Alright, Im done. I am at high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle now. Boom! Following his words, an indomitable aura flowed out of his body. The pressure that wasing from him felt so powerful that she felt as if she was going to be crushed to bits. T-this... Qi Ling-er was really bbergasted. I only said five words after you swallowed the God Essence Pill, but within that short period, you were actually able to achieve what took Qi Yue ten years to aplish? Feeling more stifled than ever, Qi Ling-er clutched her chest and rubbed it to soothe the congested feeling within. It was a good thing that Qi Yue was not there, or else he would have been traumatized out of his wits! It sure was darned frustrating to see someone pulling off something that took others years to achieve so easily... The heck, was it really fine for the creator to unleash a monster like that upon the world? It was unfair! How is it? Am I strong enough now? If this isnt enough yet, I can wait a little longer till my soul cultivation rises to high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle too, Zhang Xuan said. His physical body and zhenqi cultivation had already reached high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle, but his soul cultivation was not at that level yet. He still needed to umte some more Anima of Yearning in order to pull that off. T-theres no need for that... Fearing that the young man would really pull something off that would allow his soul cultivation to grow on the spot. Qi Ling-er quickly turned him down. She closed her eyes for a moment to adjust her emotions before speaking. Young Master Zhang, you are already strong enough. Its just that the three ways which I have listed out arent easy to aplish... Putting aside the ones that require you to be a God King or reach the top of an upation, even bing a Golden Armored General of the Sky of Drifting Specters isnt easy. And when ites to the elusive Sky of Freedom, receiving a special permit is as difficult as trying to scale the heavens... Youre right... Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The three ways that Qi Ling-er had stated were indeed not easy at all. If that was the case, should he spend another month or two there to reinforce his cultivation and be a God King first? But that would take way too much time. It was hisst option at the moment. Was there a way for him to make a breakthrough that night or within the next two days? That did not seem too likely either, especially since he did not have a clue which direction he should develop the Pathos of Heaven in. Furthermore, he knew that the hurdle to ovee to be a God King was not low at all. He would surely face plenty of trouble doing so. You mentioned earlier that those who have reached the top of their upation and are within the top thirty of the Board of Potential God Kings can use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. What upations are considered under this? Zhang Xuan asked. Apothecaries, physicians, cksmiths, master teachers... These are the four main ones, I think, Qi Ling-er said. They are not centered around fighting, and they can contribute greatly to the cultivators around them. Most powers are eager to poach talents in those fields. The fact that you are able to create the Breakthrough Pill goes to show that your proficiency in pill forging is extraordinary. If you could just take the exam and be officially recognized as a member of the upation, you would be given the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation! How does the exam work? The exam for Drifting Specter Royal Citys Apothecary Guild requires its examinees to forge a pill on the spot. As long as a cultivator is able to forge a high-tier God Essence Pill, they will have cleared the examination, Qi Ling-er replied. High-tier God Essence Pill? Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless. While he was the man who had created the extraordinary Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill, his true skills in pill forging were disastrous. Putting aside a high-tier God Essence Pill, it was a huge question whether he could forge even a low- tier God Essence Pill at all. He would be immediately exposed as a fraud if he attempted to forge a pill before another apothecary... As for smithing, it seemed like he was not capable of forging anything other than bricks. So, after much thought, the only viable option left for him was to focus on the path of a master teacher or a physician. If I were to seek the path of a physician, how high must my mastery be in order to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation? Also, how does the examination work? Zhang Xuan asked. If he walked the path of a master teacher, he would inevitably get tied up together with Kong shi. At least till he was sufficiently strong to stand his ground, he did not wish to catch Kong shis eye. The affairs of the Azure had taught him to be wary. Physician? Qi Ling-er frowned contemtively. This... Im afraid that I dont really know. Ill have to head to the Physician Guild to ask them about it. Arent you an apothecary? Why are you taking the physician examination instead? Or are you telling me that... you are skilled in medicine as well? Lets head there together, Zhang Xuan said It was just a matter of time before he took the examination anyway, so he might as well make his way there and clear it as soon as possible. It would save him some time. Alright! Qi Ling-er nodded. There were organizations representing all sorts of upations in the Firmament; it was just that they were not as influential as they were on the Master Teacher Continent. In the Firmament, what people valued most was still strength. As long as one disyed sufficient strength, all sorts of talented people would congregate around one. For this reason, while apothecaries, physicians, and cksmiths were viewed in high regard by others, their standing was not as high as on the Master Teacher Continent. The master teachers in the Firmament arent as organized and disciplined as those on the Master Teacher Continent either... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he recalled Fan Zhes doing. On the Master Teacher Continent, the expectations of a master teacher were very extreme. Not only did they have to be knowledgeable about cultivation, they had to be skilled in multiple upations as well. Every 9-star master teacher would have to be a master in nine different upations. As for the Firmament, it seemed like master teachers just had to be decently good at teaching, and it did not seem like there were strict rules on their ethics. Perhaps Kong shi was in a rush to initiate the system of master teachers all over the world so as to obtain more Anima of Yearning. He did not have the luxury of time to take a step at a time to develop the upation properly. Given how quickly he had risen through the ranks, challenging the Nine God Monarchs one after another, if he had really taken his time, the Master Teacher Pavilion would have been crushed by other powers in the initial phase of its establishment. Chapter 2170 - Physician Tournament

Chapter 2170 Physician Tournament

Zhang Xuans residence was quite far away from the Physician Guild. Even while riding on an aerial celestial beast, they took more than an hour before they arrived at their destination. Just like the Master Teacher Pavilion, the building of the Physician Guild did not look particrly grand. If Zhang Xuan had to describe it, it seemed like a private medical clinic instead. The Physician Guild was filled with people. Most of them were dressed in robes, and they had anxious looks on their faces. Physician Wang Qing, Physician Yue Quan, Physician Shen Zimu... Looking at the crowd in the hall, Qi Ling-er swiftly recognized them and frowned in bewilderment. Are they very famous? Zhang Xuan asked. They are the most formidable physicians in the Drifting Specter Royal City! Usually, most of them are so busy that they wouldnt meet one another even though all of them live in Royal City. Its weird how all of them are gathered together in the Physician Guild today! Qi Ling-er replied. Physician Wang Qing was the principal physician of their Qi n, and the health problems faced by the upper echelons of the Qi n were all entrusted to him. Simrly, Physician Yue Quan was the principal physician of the Beitang n, and Physician Shen Zimu was the principal physician of the Shentu n. While the three ns appeared to be peaceful on the surface, there was a great deal of rivalry happening in the shadows. As such, even during the usual meetings held by the Physician Guild, those three physicians tried to avoid one another as much as possible. It was bizarre to see the three of them appearing together in one ce. We just have to ask someone to find out whats going on, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. He stopped a young physician that was passing by and handed him ten Divine Coins. May I know whats going on here at the moment? The young physician epted the money and replied, Its the Physician Tournament! Physician Tournament? Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. He had heard of peoplepeting in their proficiency in pill forging and smithing... but was it possible for people topete with their abilities to cure a patient? The apothecary that was able to best extract the medicinal energy from the medicinal herbs and maximize the potency of the forged pill would be the most skilled of all. The cksmith who was able to create the most resilient and sharpest weapon would be the most proficient of all... But how were physicians supposed topete with their skills? The Way of Medicine was vast and broad, and each physician had their own specialty. Furthermore, was it safe for them to test out their cures on their patients to see which was more efficient? A life was at stake! That would be making light of their patients! I guess its normal that you outsiders wouldnt know about it. The evaluation method of the Physician Tournament is not perfect, but its the most direct way to gauge a physicians skills. It is basically a simtion of the treatment process, where the physicians will diagnose the patient and treat him. Based on a set of assessment criteria, we will be able to determine which physician is more skilled, the young physician exined. The Physician Tournament was currently the most official way used to set skilled physicians apart from the weaker ones. It was not every day that a difficult patient woulde by, so the chances that physicians had to prove themselves were extremely limited. As such, most physicians joined the Physician Tournament in order to prove their skills. As long as one was able to emerge victorious in the tournament, everyone would recognize ones skills. But to simte the whole treatment process, you need to have patients, right? It cant be that the Physician Guild is keeping a stockpile of patients with difficult symptoms just to conduct the Physician Tournament, can it? He agreed that a simtion of the treatment process was the best way to evaluate a physicians skills. However, without patients to treat, any simtion would be meaningless! And if they really prepared patients beforehand just to hold this tournament... that would really besmirch the reputation of the Physician Guild. As people who held power over the lives of their patients, it would be uneptable for them to take life lightly. Of course not! Depending on the nature of the Physician Tournament, there are some tournaments that require live patients, and there are some that dont need patients. After all, it would be highly ineffective if a Physician Tournament could only be held when there are certain patients, the young physician replied. Time was of the utmost importance in most medical treatments. By the time all the participating physicians were present, the patient would likely have died or be untreatable by then. Therefore, changes had to be made to the format of the Physician Tournament ordingly. Zhang Xuan was just about to ask how the Physician Tournament would work when amotion suddenly broke out within the room. A middle-aged man walked up onto the stage in front with widened strides. That is the leader of the Physician Guild, Sun Xuan, Qi Ling-er whispered to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan nced over to take a closer look. The guild leader had the appearance of a forty-year-old middle-aged man, and his presence felt firm and reliable. His cultivation had also reached high-tier Celestial God. Everyone, the Sky of Cloud Dragon has challenged our Sky of Drifting Specter to a battle of medicine. They demand that we recognize their superiority and dispatch the top ten physicians of our Physician Guild to work for free in the Sky of Cloud Dragon for a hundred years if we lose. As you all should know, I dont like to get involved in unnecessary trouble, but this is intolerable. I cant ept this humiliation. What do the rest of you say? Guild Leader Sun Xuan dered furiously. We wont tolerate such humiliation either! That bunch from the Sky of Cloud Dragon are only good for their bloodline! What medicine can they possibly know? What gives them to guts to challenge us to a battle? Hah! They want us to serve them for a hundred years? If we dont teach them a lesson, well be theughingstock of the world! Burning fury could be felt in the atmosphere as everyonesplexion turned ugly. Since thats the case, lets ept their challenge and pound them to the ground! The honor of the Sky of Drifting Specter is at stake. We cant afford to lose this fight! Sun Xuan dered imposingly. Right now, I shall dere the names of those who are going to face the physicians of the Sky of Cloud Dragon. There are five candidates in total, and they are the most esteemed physicians of our Sky of Drifting Specters. Speak up if you have any disagreements, but make sure that you have the capability to back up your words! The crowd nodded in agreement. Simr to how there was no concept of first when it came to literature, it was hard to determine the best physician. Nevertheless, everyone still had some gauge as to who was more skilled out of those around them. As someone who has been elected to be the leader of the Physician Guild, it would be a huge disgrace if I remained unmoved when our Physician Guild has been insulted by an outsider. So, Ill be volunteering myself as one of the candidates who will be facing the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Are there anyone who has any objections? Sun Xuan asked. We have no problem with Guild Leader Sun facing the challenge from the Sky of Cloud Dragon! the crowd replied resoundingly. Moving on, Wang Qing, Yue Quan, and Shen Zimu are the physicians serving the Three Great ns of Royal City, responsible for treating the ailments of their Conferred God Kings. Theres no doubt that their medical skills are exceptional. So, Ill be nominating them as our candidates too! Sun Xuan announced. The crowd nodded in agreement. The fact that those three were chosen as the principal physicians of the Three Great ns was testimony to their skills. Given so, they were qualified to represent the Sky of Drifting Specters in the battle ahead. After confirming the four candidates, Sun Xuan looked at the crowd and said, As for thest candidate, I dont have any one particr in mind, so I would like to leave the choice to the rest of you. Is there anyone who has a candidate in mind that can represent us? I would like to nominate Physician Chen Chao as our representative. Eight years ago, when the Chaos Pandemic struck, he was the one who came up with a cost-effective cure that could be pushed out to the masses, thus saving thousands of experts from the clutches of death. In terms of aplishment and skills, he would be more worthy than any of us! Ill nominate Physician Zhao Chong! Everyone here has seen with their own eyes what he has done for our Physician Guild over the years. He has solved all sorts of difficult illnesses with ease, and over the past ten years, he has saved at least several hundred lives. The popce in Drifting Specter Royal City all address him as the Divine Doctor! I believe that he is the most appropriate candidate to represent us in the battle against the Sky of Cloud Dragon! But in terms of experience, Physician Qian Hai is the most appropriate. His reputation might not be as resoundingpared to the others, but he has worked in this field for many years now. In terms of reliability, I dont think that theres anyone in the Physician Guild who canpare with him... In just a few moments, the crowd had already nominated eight other potential candidates. Most of them were well-known, respected figures in Drifting Specter Royal City. The discussion among the crowd grew more and more fervent as they argued with one another over why the candidate that they had nominated was the most suitable to represent them. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan turned to Qi Ling-er and asked, Do the five chosen candidates have the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation? He had gone in hopes of receiving the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, but looking at the current circumstances, there was probably no one who was in the mood to test him. Since that was the case, it might be better if hepeted for the final slot instead... Hmm... As far as I know, Wang Qing, Yue Quan, and Shen Zimu dont have the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. Of all physicians in the Sky of Drifting Specters, only Guild Leader Sun Xuan has the right to use it. If you wish to prove yourself worthy, on top of being chosen as one of the five candidates, youll probably have to defeat the opponents from the Sky of Cloud Dragon and achieve victory in the Physician Tournament as well, Qi Linger said. What? The requirement to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation is so strict? Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. If thats the case, doesnt it mean that the Nine Skies dont really have much interaction with one another? If only the person at the top of each upation could use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, the number of people who could use that facility would really be pathetically low. If it was that difficult for each Sky to ess one another, how did they do business with one another? Did they even do business with one another? Were they actually isted entities who barely interacted with one another, like a puddle of dead water? Youre thinking too much! Qi Ling-er shook her head. What you arepeting for is the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, not the right to enter the other Skies. The boundaries to the other Skies are practically open, so you can enter and leave freely. Given the long lifespan of cultivators, most people can afford to spend a few years traveling to get to the other Skies, so they simply travel on aerial divine beasts or celestial beasts! Ah, this is really a huge pain to deal with... Zhang Xuan struck his head helplessly. Qi Ling-er was right. The right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation should be viewed as a privilege. This privilege allowed one to teleport right into the heart of another Sky in an instant, which could be terribly dangerous if someone used it for malicious purposes. As such, there was a need to restrict this privilege. In this world where normal cultivators usually needed weeks to travel from one city to another, it was perfectly normal for them to spend years traveling to another Sky. For ordinary Gods, spending years travelling felt like a huge luxury due to their short lifespan, but it was a different case for Celestial Gods, who could easily live up to a thousand years. They could easily spend months in istion anyway, so it was not a big deal for them to spend years traveling from one Sky to the other. While Zhang Xuan was stillmunicating with Qi Ling-er, Sun Xuan finally interjected into themotion. Since we arent able toe to an agreement, why dont we have these physicianspete with one another? Whoever proves to be the mostpetent of all will represent our Sky of Drifting Specters in the battle! Sounds fine! The crowd nodded in agreement. Everyone had their own opinions on who was the most suitable candidate, so naturally, they would note to a conclusion even if they continued arguing with one another. Since that was the case, it would be best if they could hold a selection to decide it. This way, everyone would be more willing to ept the final verdict. Since thats the case, lets invite the physicians who have been nominated onto the stage! Sun Xuan said. It did not take long for the nominated physicians to gather on the stage. All in all, there were eight of them. They were all the most outstanding physicians in Drifting Specter Royal City, and each of them had made significant contributions to the world. Sun Xuan looked around the crowd and asked, Is there anyone else who wishes to join the selection as well? As long as you are able to emerge victorious, you will be given the opportunity to represent the Sky of Drifting Specter against the Sky of Cloud Dragon! Hearing those words, Qi Ling-er turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Young Master Zhang, are you nning on joining in the selection as well? To be honest, she had no idea how proficient in medicine thetter was. However, knowing that the young man before her possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch, she did not dare underestimate his abilities. So, she decided to ask his opinion on it instead. Chapter 2171 - Unqualified

Chapter 2171 Unqualified

Of course, I am participating in thepetition as well! Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. His main purpose there was to win the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. He could not allow the opportunity right before his eyes to slip through his fingers just like that. Alright then... Hearing that response, Qi Ling-er stepped forward and dered, Our Young Master intends to participate in the selection as well! Her voice was resounding and authoritative, and it immediately drew gazes onto her. Lady Ling-er, you... On the stage, Physician Wang Qing looked at her doubtfully. As the principal physician of the Qi n, he was well aware of the shuffling of power that had happened in the Qi n recently. He had also met Qi Ling-er several times, and he knew just how highly regarded she was at the moment. So, who could the Young Master that she spoke of possibly be? Could she be referring to the few more famous geniuses of the Qi n? But he had watched the younger generations of the Qi n as they grew up, and he did not know any of them to be proficient in medicine! So, he could not help but be a bit baffled by the current situation. He looked around the room, but there did not seem to be anyone else from the Qi n around. May I know who the Young Master you speak of refers to? Physician Wang Qing asked. Its none other than Young Master Zhang Xuan! Qi Ling-er replied. Zhang Xuan? Could she be referring to the person who created the Breakthrough Pill? Wait, that young man beside her is Zhang Xuan, right? I was there for the event, so Im pretty sure he looks like that! Youre right! That young man is indeed Zhang Xuan! But... isnt he an apothecary? Why would he suddenlye here to participate in our selection? Though physicians and apothecaries deal with medicinal herbs, they are twopletely different upations! But if you think about it, the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill have the ability to heal internal trauma. He might be knowledgeable about the Way of Medicine too! Due to the widespread fame of the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill, there was nearly no one in Royal City who had not heard of Zhang Xuan anymore. Of course, this included the Physician Guild. They were full of respect toward the young man who managed to create such a miraculous pill... but as an apothecary, why would he be participating in the Physician Guilds selection event instead of the Apothecary Guilds? Are you a physician? Sun Xuan asked with a frown. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. I have read quite a few books rting to the Way of Medicine and treated a few patients. Do you have a physician qualification? Sun Xuan asked. I havent had chance to take the examination yet, Zhang Xuan replied. He was a 9-star physician back at the Master Teacher Pavilion, but of course, such an identity would not be recognized in the Firmament. Young Master Zhang, I am in awe of your abilities as an apothecary, but I feel like you might be looking down on our Physician Guild. How can someone who doesnt even have a physician license represent us? Are you mocking our Physician Guild for being inept, such that we need an apothecary to face our battles for us?__ Sun Xuan swung his hand backward in displeasure. Guild Leader Sun, thats not my intention, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown. I know that my wordsck credibility as I dont have a physician license at the moment, but I am confident in my skills as a physician. If thats the issue, I am fine with taking the examination for the license right now. I believe that it wont take too long for me. You want to take the examination right now? I know that I might sound a little harsh when I say this, but do you think that Ill trust someone who has just obtained the physician license to represent our Physician Guild? Sun Xuans face was livid. Most of our physicians here have been in practice for decades now, and from their record thus far, we know that we can trust in their skills. They are prepared for this fight. Even if you are skilled in the Way of Medicine as you im, Im afraid that I cant allow you to participate on the spur of a moment. Please try again next time. Apothecary Zhang, we respect you for bringing the Beauty Pill and the Breakthrough Pill to this world, but being a physician is very different from being an apothecary. The knowledge between the two upations isnt fully transferrable! If you make a mistake in forging a pill, you can still try again with a new set of medicinal herbs. However, if you make a mistake with a patient, thats a life potentially lost! You cant simply hit the reset button and try again! We appreciate your eagerness in helping us defeat those from the Sky of Cloud Dragon, but you arent the person we are looking for... Just concentrate on your pill forging, alright? Donte to our Physician Guild to cause a mess... Physician Wang Qing and a few others also stepped forward to dissuade Zhang Xuan from his decision. Zhang Xuan was at a loss for words. What Guild Leader Sun Xuan said made perfect sense. This battle concerned the reputation of the Sky of Drifting Specters. Even if he cleared the physician examination and proved his capabilities, it would still be hard for him to build up credence among the other physicians. The other physicians had a huge track record behind them whereas he had nearly nothing. From their perspective, they would be taking a huge risk by nominating him. Pardon me for interrupting you. Ill take my leave... Zhang Xuan shook his head and walked out. Qi Ling-er was left dumbfounded for a moment before she quickly left the Physician Guild as well to catch up with Zhang Xuan. With an incredulous voice, she asked, Young Master Zhang, do you really not have a physician license? It was ridiculous that he would go all the way to the Physician Guild in hopes of earning the rights to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation when he did not even have a physician license... Just how much confidence did he have in himself to attempt something like that? Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. Qi Ling-er closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before asking, What do you intend to do now? Physicians were not like any other upation; they dealt with lives! Even if he wanted to participate in the Physician Tournament, it was doubtful if the patient would allow someone who did not have a physician license to treat him. With these considerations in mind, he decided that it was impossible for him to get permission to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation from the Physician Guild, which was also why he had left without saying too much. Lets put that aside for the time being. You mentioned that on top of reaching the top of an upation, I must get into the top thirty on the Board of Potential God Kings, right? Given the current circumstances surroundings the Physician Guild, it was likely that he would be disallowed from attending the Physician Tournament. As a humble, low-profile person, he would not do something as atrocious as challenging an entire guild. Of course, if he had done anything simr to that in the past, it was due to the folly of his youth. He was a different man now! Anyway, he had no intention of making the Physician Guild his enemy. Since that was the case, he might as well focus on the other requirement first. Yes. Each of the Nine Skies has its individual Board of Potential God Kings. You just have to get into the top thirty for one of them, Qi Ling-er exined. The procedures for getting onto the board arent tooplicated. You just have to find someone within the top thirty, challenge them to a battle, and defeat them in an open battle. Of course, the rules of the duel have to be supervised by the Overseers of the Board, the Free Knights of the Sky of Freedom. The Free Knights? Thats right. The Boards of Potential God Kings of the Nine Skies are moderated by the Free Knights of the Sky of Freedom. The Free Knights is a group made up entirely of God Kings, and their eye of discernment far surpasses that of ordinary God Kings. Its said that they are able to urately gauge a persons ranking on the board through the strength they disy in a duel. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Was that not the same as the Guinness World Records in his previous world? The key to bing a record holder was not about ones capabilities but the extent to which one was able to disy ones capabilities before the judge! In any case, it was unlikely for anyone to object to the fairness of the Board of Potential God Kings when it was moderated by a neutral group of God Kings. Where can I find the Free Knights? Are they around Drifting Specter Royal City? Zhang Xuan asked. It would really be a load of trouble if he had to go all the way to the Sky of Freedom just to get his strength assessed. They should be in the Netherworld Pce right now. Qi Yue is currently getting tested by them, Qi Ling-er said. Is that so? Lets head over to take a look then! Zhang Xuan said. Young Master Zhang, which rank are you aiming for? Shall Ipile the information of the current top thirty rankers for you? Seeing how quickly Zhang Xuan hade to a decision, Qi Ling-er felt a little speechless. He always acted in such a manner, diving into all sorts of things without the slightest hint of worry or anxiety. With how lightly he was taking everything, she could not help but feel worried on his behalf. The opponent that you are going to face isnt going to be any ordinary cultivator. Those who are able to get into the Board of Potential God Kings are geniuses who have undergone hundreds of battles. If they could be defeated easily, they would have already dropped out of the list by now! To dash over there without the slightest preparation... Thats just blind recklessness! Its fine. It would be too troublesome to gather information on them. Lets just find a Free Knight and have him send a challenge letter to those who are in the vicinity. Ill just fight with the person who is closest to us! Zhang Xuan replied. It did not matter to him who his opponent was. While he did not have a clear gauge of his current fighting prowess, he was confident of defeating any Celestial Gods with his current strength. His physical body, after being tempered by the Lucid Lunar Lake, had be resilient enough to withstand any attack from a high-tier Celestial God, and his Pathos of Heaven was far superior to any other cultivation technique in the Firmament. There was no way he would be defeated by any other high-tier Celestial God. Admittedly, his soul cultivation was a little weaker at the moment, but that would not pose much of a problem! You are going to challenge everyone in the vicinity? Qi Ling-ers lips twitched. As expected of someone who had the bloodline of a God Monarch, he sure was domineering! In any case, those words probably meant that he was confident in defeating any opponent that had not reached God King yet. Since that was the case, her worry was probably unfounded. The Netherworld Pce was more crowded than it was on usual days, but somehow, a tense atmosphere could be felt in the air. Qi Yue was among the crowd as well. I am a cultivator who is within the top thirty of the Sky of Cloud Dragons Board of Potential God King. I was invited here by the Sky of Drifting Specters Physician Guild to trade insights regarding the Way of Medicine. Since the Physician Guild isnt ready to receive us yet, I am quite free at the moment. Thus, I came over here out of curiosity to see how strong those who are in the ranking board of the Sky of Drifting Specter are. I am really interested to see how your cultivatorspare to us from the Sky of Cloud Dragon. So, may I know if theres anyone here whos willing to face me in a battle? A white-robed young man looked at the crowd around him with his hands behind his back. There were two dragon horns peeking out from his forehead, gleaming with a golden luminescence. While the horns were not too long, they stood out quite a bit. Chapter 2172 - Ao Hua

Chapter 2172 Ao Hua

What arrogant words! In the past, we would always send invitation letters in order to interact with those from the other Skies. Its preposterous that a physician like you actually dares to talk to us in such a manner! Everyone, calm down. The fact that he has a pair of golden dragon horn shows that he possesses the bloodline of the Cloud Dragon Monarch, making him the descendant of a God Monarch. Things probably arent as simple as they seem. Hes just a person who relies on his bloodline! We are all experts of our respective powers, so I dont believe he can be that powerful! The conceited words of the white-robed man induced outrage within the crowd. The other party was a physician who was there to exchange insight with their Physician Guild. Even if he was in the top thirty in the Board of Potential God Kings for the Sky of Cloud Dragon, it was inappropriate and insolent of him to rush over there to provoke them. It was a huge faux pas. This breach of etiquette could be viewed as ack of respect for the Sky of Drifting Specter. If they did not respond ordingly, the Sky of Drifting Specter would be mocked by the other Skies. May I know how I should address you? And what is your ranking in the Sky of Cloud Dragons Board of Potential God Kings? A young man walked out from the crowd, and with a wave of his hand, he got the crowd to quiet down. With narrowed eyes, he assessed the white-robed man. The young man was none other than the top ranker of the Sky of Drifting Specters board, Shentu Feng! He was the strongest expert of the younger generation in the Shentu n, and he had once attempted a breakthrough to God King, only to fail in the end. Nevertheless, he had survived the ordeal, and it had allowed him to advance his physical body and soul cultivation to the level of a God King. It was just that he had not been able to make a breakthrough with his zhenqi cultivation. He probably would not pale too much inparison to an ordinary God King with his current fighting prowess. There was no questioning that he was the number one cultivator beneath the God Kings, and his position had gone unchallenged for years. I am Ao Hua. I am honored to be able to get into the ninth ce in the Sky of Cloud Dragons board! the white-robed man replied proudly. Ninth ce? The faces of the crowd turned grim. It was a known fact that the Cloud Dragon Monarch was a Pureblooded Dragon, the sovereign of all beasts. His bloodline was extremely powerful, to the extent that there were few who could rival it. Those who possessed his bloodline, once they morphed into a Pureblooded Dragon, would be invincible in their power ss. Before the receding of spiritual energy, the Nine Skies had once conducted a tournament among Celestial Gods. Aside from the Sky of Freedom and Sky of Heavenly Sword, the cultivators of the Sky of Cloud Dragon had the highest win ratio. This was especially so once their cultivators morphed into Pureblooded Dragons. With a body that extended for hundreds of meters and scales that provided them with absolute protection, human cultivators had no way of dealing with them at all. For this reason, the ranking board in the Sky of Cloud Dragon carried much more weight. It was also due to this that Ao Hua dared to challenge them so arrogantly. To be ranked in ninth ce, Ao Huas strength was likely frighteningly powerful. Since you have issued the challenge, it would be unseemly if we turned you down. Allow me to face you. Im interested to see if the experts of the Sky of Cloud Dragon are really powerful enough for you to speak so haughtily! As those words sounded, a young man in his thirties stepped out and walked right up to Ao Hua. He was dressed in a ck robe that flowed along his figure like a fitting armor. What is your name? I dont fight with nameless individuals Ao Hua remarked nonchntly. Seeing how he was being looked down upon, the young man clenched his teeth and spat coldly, I am tenth ce on the Sky of Drifting Specters board, Chen Mu. Ill only represent myself in this battle; the oue of this battle has nothing to do with the Sky of Drifting Specter! Seeing this, Shentu Feng and the rest of the crowd nodded quietly, not stopping the young man at all. Considering that Ao Hua was ninth ce on the Sky of Cloud Dragon, it was not an unwise move for their tenth ce to challenge him. If he won, it would boost the glory of the Sky of Drifting Specter. If he lost, it would not look bad on them. This was a good chance to test out Ao Huas strength. This way, if Chen Mu lost, those who faced him afterward could prepare themselves in advance. You sure are filled with nonsense! Ao Hua harrumphed coldly as he took a step forward. It should have just been a single step, but as if he had teleported, he suddenly appeared right before Chen Mu. Without making any excessive move, he chose to ram his body right into Chen Mu. Youre courting death! Not expecting the other party to forsake defensepletely, choosing instead to rely entirely on his own physical body to deal with him, Chen Mus face flushed red in fury. It was almost as if Ao Hua did not think that his attack would pose a threat at all. So, Chen Mu raised his palm furiously and struck down on the iing Ao Hua. His palm was tinged crimson, and it caused the air to distort a little. Palm of zing mes! In order to master this palm strike, Chen Mu had used the undergroundva flowing through the earth veins to temper his palms. The execution of this palm strike caused his palms to be as hot as a furnace, such that anything that came in contact with it would be seared. It was through the mystical effect of this palm that he had managed to defeat many of his rivals to get within the top ten ces on the Board of Potential God King. As infuriated he was by Ao Huas underestimation, he knew that thetter was likely a formidable foe. So, he chose to use his strongest strike right from the start. Peng! The white-robed man did not bother dodging Chen Mus attack at all, allowing the Palm of zing mes tond right on his body. Seeing this, Chen Mus face lit up in delight. But just as he thought that victory was within grasp, he noticed a hint of ridicule on the opponents face. Sh*t, is this a trap? The look sent chills down his spine, and the warning bells in his head began ringing incessantly. Realizing that Ao Hua was up to something, Chen Mu quickly retracted his palm and retreated. As someone who was able into the top ten in the Board of Potential God Kings, his battle sense was not ordinary. However, as fast as he reacted, Ao Hua was even faster than him. Thetter increased the speed of his ram, determined to knock Chen Mu down. Kacha! Chen Mu raised his arm to protect himself, but the impact of the collision fractured it. Not only so, the impact also collided with his chest, and before he could even speak, a dull groan escaped from his mouth as he was sent flying. Pu! Fresh blood spurted into the air as his shoulders and ribcage shattered. Done! Ao Hua ced his hands behind his back nonchntly. It was as if the one who had made a move earlier was not him at all. There was no crease in his clothes as a result of that battle, and his voice remained calm and rxed. The crowd gasped a little as they began to reassess Ao Huas strength once more. From the start to the end, Ao Hua had only used a single move, and that was his body ram. Yet, this single move was more than enough to overwhelm Chen Mu, rendering him powerless. I am Qi Yue, sixth ce on the board! Qi Yue walked out and introduced himself. The encounter with Zhang Xuan at the Qi n had sparked his motivation anew, driving him to work harder than ever. In just a few short days, he had managed to further reinforce his cultivation, making his aura and zhenqi more condensed than before. This allowed him to wield greater strength at his disposal. Yes, its a pleasure to meet you. Lets begin the battle! Ao Hua replied nonchntly before charging forward once more. Just like that, the two of them began battling one another. Zhang Xuan followed Qi Ling-er into a vast room in the Netherworld Pce, but there was no one in sight. He could not help but frown. Is this really the ce where the Sky of Drifting Specters selects those who are worthy of getting onto the Board of Potential God Kings? Why isnt there anyone here? This is weird. There should be quite a few people here ording to what I know... Qi Ling-er was stunned, too. The battles between thosepeting for the positions of the Board of Potential God Kings would be logged within this room. For this reason, quite a few people would stop by every day to view the recordings, hoping to receive some inspiration. This room was almost never empty, so it was bizarre that there was no one there at all. There seems to be people over there, Zhang Xuan said. Without waiting for Qi Ling-ers response, he began making his way over there. The two of them passed by a door, and a massive dueling ring came into sight. There, they saw a sight that left them stunned. There were more than a dozen people lying weakly in the dueling ring with pale faces. Among them stood a white- robed man who revealed a hint of haughtiness. Half a minute ago... After all the battles that had happened, only Shentu Feng was left. Is this the Sky of Drifting Specters Board of Potential God Kings? I dont know if there is any reason for it to continue existing if such is the quality of its rankers... Ao Huas voice did not carry any disdain at all. It was nonchnt, almost as if he was just stating a fact. He did not think that the top ten experts of the Board of Potential God Kings would actually be so weak. If so, it seemed like the board did not hold much purpose. Arent you speaking a little too early? Why dont you speak after defeating me? Shentu Feng spat coldly. In just a few short minutes, Ao Hua had defeated not just Qi Yue but also the other seven people in the top ten. He did not use any battle techniques in the battle at all, relying solely on his physical body to beat his enemies. Regardless of the strength of his opponent, he was able to defeat thetter in a single move. This showed that Ao Huas physical body had already reached an extremely frightening level. Lets cut the chatter and get straight to the battle, alright? Ao Hua said calmly as he started charging forward once more. Shentu Feng flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword. With incredible swiftness, he thrust it forward. Wu! A cold glint shed from the de of the sword and severed the air with incredible sharpness. The strength of someone who had the capability to be the top expert of the Board of Potential God Kings was indubitable. The prowess of his physical body was amazing, and the swordsmanship he executed was so powerful that his high-tier Celestial God sword seemed to be unable to withstand his strength. Interesting! Seeing how formidable Shentu Fengs swordsmanship was, Ao Hua did not dare continue fighting as recklessly as he did previously. He abruptly halted his charge and stretched his arm forward. With a jolt, his arm turned into the massive ws of a dragon. In that instant, a domineering aura sted from his presence, leaving others with a stifled feeling. The bloodline of a Pureblooded Dragon! Ding ding ding! Shentu Fengs sword struck heavily down upon the dragons w, but the sound of metallic ngs echoed instead. No matter how much strength Shentu Feng put behind his sword, he found that he was unable to pierce through those scales. God King realm physical body? Shentu Feng felt his body turning cold. Only after facing Ao Hua in person did he realize just how frightening the other party was. That exined why the other party was able to defeat the other nine with just a simple body ram. In truth, his body was alreadyparable to a God King-tier artifact. No, that isnt it. I reckon that only his ws have reached such a level. His physical body is only at the level of a high- tier Celestial God artifact, but its still frightening enough, Shentu Feng thought. If Ao Huas entire body had reached the level of a God King, there was no way that he would have only been ninth ce on the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Nevertheless, having a single w of that prowess was frightening enough. As expected of a Pureblooded Dragon... Their bloodline sure was frightening. It was enough to induce despair in any cultivator facing them. Peng! After several strikes, the sword in Shentu Fengs hands shattered before he was struck square in the chest. Just like those before him, he was struck heavily to the ground. Clutching onto his heart tightly, he panted raggedly, unable to speak a word at all. Despite being the number one expert on the Board of Potential God Kings, he was still no match for Ao Hua! Is that all to the Sky of Drifting Specters Board of Potential God Kings? Ao Hua shook his head in disappointment. At this moment, two figures suddenly walked in. Zhang Xuan and Qi Ling-er. Oh? We seem to havee at a good time. They arepeting for the ranking right now! Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in delight. He had been worried that he would have to wait for quite long before someone would ept the duel, but who could have known that he would see someone in the dueling ring right away? From the looks of it, it seemed like they had just concluded the duel. Since that was the case, he just had to challenge the person who was still standing at the moment in order to rece him in the ranking. How convenient! His luck was not too bad after all! Chapter 2173 - Pureblooded Dragon

Chapter 2173 Pureblooded Dragon

I see that you have defeated quite a few opponents. You must be pretty strong, Zhang Xuan said as he nced at the injured cultivators sprawled all over the dueling ring. If even the sixth rank Qi Yue was defeated, it meant that the white-robed man on the stage was of an even higher rank, right? However, that was not important to him. He was not aiming to be at the top of the Board of Potential God Kings anyway. All he wanted was the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. Yet another fearless fool, eh? Seeing how the young man was walking toward him without the slightest hint of fear, Ao Hua burst intoughter. He looked at the young man and asked mockingly, Do you intend to challenge me to a duel? Thats right. What rank are you on the Board of Potential God Kings? Im sorry to say this, but I dont want to waste my time fighting anyone who is beneath thirtieth, Zhang Xuan replied. Even though the sixth rank Qi Yue was lying on the ground, he had no way of knowing if it was the doing of the white- robed man. Furthermore, he did not see any God Kings in the area to judge the duel, so he was not too sure whether the battle had caused a reshuffling in ranks. Thus, it was better for him to verify if the white-robed man on the stage fit the criterion first. Ao Hua did not expect the newly arrived young man to be even more arrogant than him. His cheeks twitched a little as his eyes turned cold. Im ranked ninth. No wonder... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Most likely, this ninth rank must have stumbled upon some sort of fortuitous encounter that resulted in his fighting prowess bing far stronger than before, such that even the sixth rank Qi Yue was no match at all. Seeing how the young man was absorbed in his own thoughts, not paying any heed to him at all, Ao Hua felt a little displeased. Do you know who I am? I am... Its fine, its fine. Theres no need for you to go through the trouble of introducing yourself. As long as you are within the top thirty, it makes no difference to me, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Leaping onto the stage, Zhang Xuan beckoned with his hand and said, Shall we begin? You arrogant little... it seems like you are asking for a beating! Ao Hua knew the best way to crush an arrogant persons ego was to overpower him with his fists. So, without wasting any time, he pushed his feet forcefully against the ground and dashed right toward Zhang Xuan with a speed that was reminiscent of teleportation. This sight made Zhang Xuans eyes light up. As expected of a high ranked cultivator on the Board of Potential God Kings, his speed was above that of ordinary high- tier Celestial Gods! Instead of dodging, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to face Ao Huas ram. It just so happened that he wanted to make this battle a duel between their physical prowess, so it could be said that everything went in the direction he wanted it to. His only weakness right now was his soul cultivation. On the ground, Shentu Feng was shocked to see this young man recklessly facing Ao Huas ram directly. Enduring the excruciating pain of his body, he shouted out to warn the young man, Dont face his attack straight on! Ao Hua was an expert of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, and he specialized in his physical prowess. Facing him in a physical fight was as good as courting death! Just as everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would be knocked down by Ao Hua, just like the rest of them, the unexpected happened. Peng! Ao Huas supposedly indestructible rammed squarely into Zhang Xuans body, but somehow, the impact of his charge was rebounded back to him instead, causing his body to fly back and crash into the ground. What? Shentu Feng and the others lying on the ground widened their eyes in disbelief. Ao Hua had used such a move to defeat them previously. They had never expected the fellow who had popped out of nowhere to actually use the same move to defeat him. To actually triumph over that monster from the Sky of Cloud Dragon in a battle of physical prowess... This was insane! Ao Hua was startled by how things turned out as well. He raised his head to assess the opponent before him in disbelief, only to see thetter stretching his neck, as if he was just getting warmed up. The young man also looked back at him with eyes filled with enthusiasm, saying, Remarkable! You have really cultivated your physical body well. Come, lets continue the battle. Theres no need to look at me with such frightened eyes, Ill remain still and allow you to do whatever you want, alright? Since tempering his body, he had not been able to find a suitable weapon that he could use to pierce his skin, so he was not able to verify the effects of those golden threads hidden amid his muscles. It had not been easy for him to find someone whose physical body was decently strong, so there was no way he would let this golden opportunity to test out the extent of his physical resilience go to waste. You... Ao Hua was nearly driven mad with anger. Are you trying to humiliate me by showing me that there is nothing I can do that will hurt you? Damn it, you son of a b*stard! How dare you mock a person from the Dragon Tribe like me? Unforgivable! Ao Hua pushed his hand against the ground and immediately rose to his feet. With a powerful step, he charged toward Zhang Xuan with a speed as swift as lightning. Geji! Geji! Even while he was flitting through the air,yers of scales were already starting to appear on the surface of his body. This was known as a Partial Transformation to those of the Cloud Dragon Tribe. It was mainly used as a defensive technique that granted one enhanced protection against physical assaults. The resilience of the scales also made ones skin imprable by swords and spears. It would be difficult for most cultivators to breach such defense. Peng! But as Ao Hua rammed into Zhang Xuan once more, the same excruciating pain that felt as if his entire skeleton was falling apart surged through his body, and he was sent flying again. Oh? That was much better than before. Not bad! It seems like you can do it after all if you really try. Come on, lets go again. As long you can injure me, I dont mind giving you money or even epting you as my student! Zhang Xuan said excitedly. This was the first time that he had encountered an opponent who had managed to temper his physical body to a level that he thought was decent... More importantly, the white-robed man was still quite young! It seemed like the Firmament had quite a lot of hidden experts! This white-robed man was clearly much more talented than Zhuo Yan, possibly enough to be his student. You b*stard... youre courting death! Ao Hua was on the verge of exploding. He had gone there to challenge the Sky of Drifting Specters Board of Potential God Kings, and when he defeated the first rank Shentu Feng with ease, he naturally thought that the Celestial Gods there were trash. Yet, who could have known that he would encounter such a monster right after? Not only was his physical body so powerful that it felt like there was no way to ovee it, his arrogance was also one-of-a-kind, too! To say that he would take his opponent in as his student if his opponent could injure him... The heck, who in the world do you think you are to say such words? Get your head out of the clouds! This... Shentu Feng and the others felt frenzied as well. They had thought that Ao Hua was already very conceited, but there was still someone who could top his act... Its him... Among the injured cultivators lying all around the dueling ring, there was one person who recognized Zhang XuanQi Yue. He clenched his fists tightly and held his breath, not daring to even breathe loudly in his presence. While everyone in Royal City might have heard of Zhang Xuans name, very few knew of Zhang Xuans true identity. However, he was one of the few people who had seen with his own eyes how the old ancestor kneeled in Zhang Xuans presence and addressed him as God Monarch! How could such a person possibly be defeated by a mere Celestial God from the Sky of Cloud Dragon? Ill kill you! This time, Ao Hua decided to go all out. His palm morphed into the w of a dragon once more as he swiped it down right toward Zhang Xuan. Hmm? You are a transmogrified celestial beast? Zhang Xuan frowned. As it was just an ordinary duel, he did not bother using his Eye of Insight and the Library of Heavens Path. So, only at this moment did he realize that his opponents true form was actually a celestial beast. What about it? Its toote for you to beg for mercy now! With a furious roar, Ao Huas w swiped down on Zhang Xuans shoulder, and thetter, just as before, did not even bother to move. Kacha! The sound of a bone shattering echoed loudly in the air. Zhang Xuan nced at his shoulder and saw that his robe had been ripped apart, revealing his skin. There was a long white mark on his skin, and it looked like he was just a little bit away from bleeding. Wonderful! Zhang Xuan eximed excitedly. But barely after he said those words, the white mark suddenly vanished, as if it had never appeared before. It seemed like his regenerative ability was simply too strong. The white mark that was imprinted on his skin was not deep enough tost even a split second, such that he did not have time to test out the effects of the golden threads. So, he anxiously raised his head and urged Ao Hua to continue. You did well with your previous attack. Come on, lets continue. Ill stand on the spot and allow you to hit me as you please. If I dodge, you can consider it my loss! Argh! Ill kill you! Ao Hua clutched his head in madness. Sou sou sou sou! Two ws struck Zhang Xuan relentlessly with a nice rhythm. Every strike he threw out harnessed his full strength, causing Zhang Xuans clothes to be ripped to shreds. White marks appeared one after another on his body, but he still did not bleed. Furthermore, those white marks disappeared moments after they appeared, almost as if Ao Hua was scratching his itch. Kacha! Kacha! A few momentster, Ao Hua finally stopped in despair. He looked at Zhang Xuanspletely unharmed body before examining his own ws, and he began wailing sorrowfully. Zhang Xuans body was like a freakishly hard stone that simply would not dent no matter how hard he struck it. Swiping his ws relentlessly on such a surface had caused his nails to tear off and his scales to drop off. It looked as if he was the one who had been ravaged. And when he raised his head to look at the young man before him once more, thetter looked more excited than ever, Hurry up, lets continue. You just need to put in a little bit more force. You nearly got me bleeding, you know! Ao Hua staggered. Cant you tell that Im trying to kill you? Can you stop saying such suggestive words that make it seem as if we are flirting with one another? Even dragons have our pride! You have truly angered me this time around. With an imposing roar that caused the whole dueling ring to tremor, Ao Huas clothes ripped apart as his body morphed instantaneously into a massive dragon of several hundred meters long. He coiled around the sky of the Netherworld Pce, almost as if a deity gazing down on the world. Wait a moment, you are a Pureblooded Dragon? Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had honestly thought that the other party was just an ordinary celestial beast, making him slightly stronger than the average cultivator. It did not even cross his mind for a moment that the other party was a member of the Dragon Tribe! He had heard about the Dragon Tribe ever since his time on the Master Teacher Continent, but most of those that he encountered were just crossbreeds with impure bloodlines. Even in the Azure, he had only encountered a Pseudo Dragon. Given how the opponent was able to transmogrify into such a powerful and imposing beast, it was clear that he was a Pureblooded Dragon! Indeed. Do you understand what you have done? You have humiliated a Pureblooded Dragon today. Prepare to face the rage of the Dragon Tribe! Ao Hua bellowed furiously as he unleashed his me breath upon the Netherworld Pce. An inferno swiftly spread all over the room, causing everything to be set alight. Were doomed... Shentu Feng, Qi Yue, and the others paled in fright. Dragon Breath was the strongest offensive move of the Dragon Tribe, its might surpassing even that of their ws. The Dragon Breath of a high-tier Celestial God Pureblooded Dragon held sufficient might to even overpower a God King temporarily! Zhang Xuan had really gone too far taunting Ao Hua. He should have shown some restraint, but he ended up provoking Ao Hua to reveal his true form and trump card. How were they supposed to face something like that? Even the strongest Celestial God could not possibly stand against something of this caliber! Young Master Zhang? Qi Ling-er muttered in fright. Before she could make sense of what was happening on the dueling ring, somehow, Zhang Xuan had started fighting with the young man on the stage. She had been a little apprehensive at first, but seeing how Zhang Xuan had managed to im the upper hand, she had decided to leave things be. But the instant that the white-robed man morphed into a dragon, she had realized that they were in deep sh*t. Pureblooded Dragons were known to be the strongest lifeforms in the world, and Ao Hua was a Pureblooded Dragon who managed to be ranked in the ninth ce among all his peers, making him a truly fearsome force to behold. Everyone was shocked beyond words, but Zhang Xuan did not show the slightest nervousness when faced with such an overpowering existence. Instead, he stroked his chin contemtively as an idea emerged in his head. It is said that the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon are effective on all beings possessing the Dragon Bloodline... I wonder if itll be effective on a Pureblooded Dragon too... Well, I should probably just give it a try. It wont take too much of my time... With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan raised his head and... Mou! Moo! Boom! The massive dragon in the sky who was busy unleashing his breath to kill everyone suddenly seemed to have been struck by something, causing his face to pale. He crashed helplessly to the ground, and his long body twitched nonstop. He looked like a reptile that had just been electrocuted. Huh? The surroundings suddenly fell utterly silent. Shentu Feng, Qi Yue, and the others were stupefied. They did not even realize that they were tearing out clumps of their hair. Chapter 2174 - Sky of Cloud Dragon, Leader of the Physician Guild

Chapter 2174 Sky of Cloud Dragon, Leader of the Physician Guild

It was no wonder they reacted in such a manner. The long reptile convulsing on the floor was the ninth rank on the Sky of Cloud Dragons Board of Potential God Kings. Even the first rank Shentu Feng was far from a match for him. They had thought that the Sky of Drifting Specters would be humiliated after this incident, bing the joke of the Nine Skies, but who would have thought that a savior would appear at this moment? Not only did he managed to defeat Ao Hua in a physical brawl, he even managed to jolt thetter to the ground with a roar even after he had morphed into his dragon form! How in the world did he manage to do that? Its the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons... I thought that all Pureblooded Dragons are able to make those sounds? Why would Ao Hua be jolted to such a state? Youre right to say that all Pureblooded Dragons are able to voice the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons, but it seems like thenguage can be ssified into various tiers. Theres a legend concerning that, but I dont really know how true it is... A legend? Its said that many years ago, when the heaven and earth had just parted and the world was in great chaos, the easternnd was susceptible to the pull of gravity caused by the rising sun in the east. It was then that the Cloud Dragon Monarch appeared and pinned thend in ce. Through observing the state of the world, he created the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. These eight notes can be voiced by any pureblooded Dragons, but the prowess of them is dependent on how harmonious ones voice is with nature, and that is affected by the purity of ones bloodline! Unlike our Qiankun Demon Monarch, who lives a life free of desires, the Cloud Dragon Monarch is known to have a lot of descendants. He has nine sons in total, and thats also where the saying The Nine Sons of the Dragones from... Indeed. Over the years, his family tree has expanded to epass countless generations. Even though those in the current generation are still considered Pureblooded Dragons, their bloodline is unbelievably thin. As a result, if they encountered a Pureblooded Dragon whose bloodline was even purer than them voicing the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon, they would feel an innate suppression resulting from the hierarchy in bloodline. I see... If thats the case, does it mean that the young man over there is an expert of the Dragon Tribe as well and likely possesses a bloodline even purer than that of Ao Hua? With hushed voices, Shentu Feng and the others lying on the ground began discussing the situation with one another discreetly. By the side, Qi Yue and Qi Ling-er were looking at the situation before them with widened eyes. They felt so incredulous that they could not help but wonder if they were really in reality. Did the old ancestor not say that he was the Spirit God? Why would he suddenly be affiliated with the Sky of Cloud Dragon? Just how many identities did that fellow have? Was it possible for someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch to switch the nature of their bloodline around? This was getting more and more ridiculous by the moment! If they had not known that the Spirit God and the Cloud Dragon Monarch were both guys, they would have wondered if the two of them had some sort of secret rtionship with one another. On the dueling ring, however, Zhang Xuan was still oblivious to the huge uproar that he had stirred up. He calmly walked up to the convulsing massive dragon and gazed down on the other partys eyes, which were ironically evenrger than Zhang Xuans body, and said coolly, How is it? Do you want to admit defeat? I would have loved to y around with you a bit more, but I still have some other matters to attend to... Hu! Amid the convulsions, the massive dragon began to shrink before finally returning to his human form. Biting his lips anxiously, Ao Hua immediately kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed. Junior Ao Hua pays respects to his ancestor! Ancestor? Zhang Xuan was stunned. What was going on? He was just testing out to see if the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon were effective on Pureblooded Dragons; he did not expect it to work so well. Not only did it cause his opponent to crash to the ground, his opponent even started calling him... ancestor? Did the earlier fall rattle his brain too much or something? Zhang Xuan was perplexed, but somehow, he was already ustomed to facing such bizarre situations. Without revealing the slightest hint of emotion on his face, he nodded and remarked, I should have reced you as ninth rank on the Board of Potential God Kings now, right? A-ah? Ao Hua looked at Zhang Xuan with a hint of bewilderment and fear, and he asked hesitantly, H-have you never participated in the test back in the Sky of Cloud Dragon? The young man before him had a bloodline that was innumerable times purer than his own. If the young man had participated in the test before, his ranking should be quite high... but he knew whom the top eight were, and the young man was not among them! Had he really not participated in this test before? Zhang Xuan looked at Ao Hua speechlessly and remarked, I am in the Sky of Drifting Specter. Why in the world would I take the test in the Sky of Cloud Dragon? The earlier impact must have struck the intelligence out of his opponent as well! Why would the other party ask such an obvious question? A-ah? Ao Hua was surprised by Zhang Xuans response once more. Could it be that the young man before was an ancestor who had been left behind in the Sky of Drifting Specter? Thinking about it, their Sky of Cloud Dragon did indeed find quite a few people with their bloodline from the other Skies every year... It was just that most of their bloodline would have already thinned out by then. This was his first time encountering someone outside whose bloodline was even purer than his. Ao Hua wanted to ask more about the matter, but when he saw the young man looking at him impatiently, as if he was a scammer who was going to deny his loss, he sighed deeply and replied, I am ninth rank in the Sky of Cloud Dragon, so our duel wont affect the Sky of Drifting Specters board. The first rank of the Sky of Drifting Specter, Shentu Feng, is the guy over there whom I have just beaten up. Yes, you are pointing at the right guy. The one with dried blood on his mouth, yep... Seeing how the attention of the crowd had suddenly turned to him, Shentu Feng tried to put on his coolest smile and said, Indeed, Im the first rank in the Sky of Drifting Specter! It might have looked cool if his mouth was not leaking air due to the swelling of his face. Zhang Xuans lips twitched. That fellow was actually first rank? So, in other words, before he even got there, that fellow had already been downed by someone else? That exined why the other fellow was able to turn into a Pureblooded Dragon! After all the confusion, it turned out that he was from the Sky of Cloud Dragon! Qi Ling-er was also dumbstruck. It had not been long since she returned to Royal City, so she had not managed to strike up connections with the figures on the Board of Potential God Kings yet. As such, she did not notice that the first rank was also present. She had thought that the others lying on the ground were weaker than Qi Yue, but who could have known that even the first rank was there? So, the person whose eyes were swollen and nose was broken was actually the number one expert beneath the God Kings in the Sky of Drifting Specter, the person whom countless women viewed to be their ideal type? Weak! It was no wonder Young Master Zhang had said that it did not matter who he challenged. It turned out that he really had the strength to back up his words... Despite only taking two breaths to make a breakthrough, he was still able to easily defeat someone who had cultivated for centuries to get to first ce... The bloodline of a God Monarch sure was scary! Qi Ling-er could not help but sigh at how different people could be just on the basis of their birth. It seemed like it was time for her to change her train of thought. She should stop trying to interpret Zhang Xuan with hermon sense. The very existence of the God Monarchs was an aberration of nature. It was because they could achieve what others deemed impossible that others had no choice but to revere them. If you defeated the first rank, and I defeated you right after, shouldnt that count as well? After all the effort that he had put into the fight, Zhang Xuan did not think that his opponent turned out to be nothing more than an extra. With a troubled look, he nced at the cultivators lying on the ground and murmured, Should I just challenge these fellows just to be safe? The so-called Free Knights were not there to supervise the duel, so he was not sure if his earlier fight was valid. In any case, there was no harm in getting a guarantee. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if he had to return there to fight again. W-what? L-lets not do that! Shentu Feng quickly spoke up. Ill report this matter honestly to the Free Knights and surrender my spot to you! He would rather surrender the position of his own ord than suffer a tragic defeat against someone who was clearly out of his league. Even Ao Hua appeared nothing more than a toddler before him, and he was probably nothing more than a toddler to Ao Hua... Even if he cultivated for another century, he could not see himself defeating the young man unless he made a breakthrough to God King. Since that was the case, he might as well admit his defeat and spare himself needless agony. Is that so? That would really be helpful. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. This matter was settled far easier than he had expected. But as soon as he thought about the criterion about having to reach the top of an upation, he felt another headacheing on. Oh, wait a moment... Zhang Xuan turned to Ao Hua and asked, Did you mention that youre from the Sky of Cloud Dragon? Yes, ancestor, Ao Hua replied obediently. I heard that the Sky of Cloud Dragon has dispatched a group of physicians here to challenge the Sky of Drifting Specters Physician Guild. Is that true? Theres indeed such a thing. I am part of the group, Ao Hua replied. I would like to have my skills in the Way of Medicine assessed so as to earn the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, but as those in the Physician Guild are preupied with preparing to face you in the Physician Tournament, they dont have the time to care about anything else. Is it possible for me to request for your group to hold the test for me instead? Zhang Xuan asked. After asking Qi Ling-er more about it, he realized that what he needed was just to have his skills in medicine recognized by someone esteemed in the field. Since those in the Sky of Drifting Specter were busy, he could just ask those from the Sky of Cloud Dragon for help instead! His goal was just to receive the rights to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation anyway. It did not matter to him who handled his test. You wish to have your skills in the Way of Medicine assessed? Ao Hua asked. Zhang Xuan nodded. Thats right. Ao Hua pondered for a moment before replying. Well, I think it should be possible since our guild leader and the elders came with us. With their standing in the physicianmunity, they should be qualified to hold the test... Ill bring you to them then! While the Sky of Cloud Dragon was headed by the Pureblooded Dragons, it did not consist solely of members of the Dragon Tribe. There were many ordinary humans living among them as well, and the leader of their Physician Guild was one such example. Despite not possessing the bloodline of the Pureblooded Dragons, his medicinal skills were astounding, such that he was well-respected in the other Skies as well. That would really be great. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. When one door closes, another door opens. It was just a moment ago that he was turned away at the Physician Guild, but who could have thought that he would encounter a physician from the Sky of Cloud Dragon while he was trying to get into the top thirty in the Board of Potential God Kings? Everything worked out so conveniently for him, sparing him the trouble of having to approach the other guilds. While he was confident in his skills in the other upations, he was hesitant to reveal them in public. He had already disyed his superior talent in pill forging, and if he continued revealing more of his hands, he would really start drawing unwanted attention to himself. He quickly looked for a Free Knight together with Shentu Feng in order to confirm his cing on the Board of Potential God Kings before following Ao Hua all the way to the amodation of the physicians from the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Fortunately, their amodation was not too far away. That was also why Ao Hua had the time to spare to drop by and challenge the others. You wish to earn the qualification to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation on the basis of your skills in the Way of Medicine? Shortly after entering a residence, two elders walked out to hear Zhang Xuan out. The olddy on the left looked at him with a grim look on her face. Thats my intention, Zhang Xuan replied. The right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation is no joke. It concerns the safety of the Nine Skies, so theres a cap on the number of people who can receive this right. Only two physicians in our Sky of Cloud Dragon are entitled to this privilege, the two of us. However, we can give you a chance to prove yourself. As long as you are able to defeat either of us, we can pass on the right to you, the old man on the right replied. Sounds fine by me! Zhang Xuan nodded. He knew that he would have topete for the right, and he had already prepared himself mentally prior to going there. Good! the old man said. I am the leader of the Cloud Dragon Royal Citys Physician Guild, Liao Xin. May I know how I should address you? It was only right to ask for the other partys name since they were going topete in a duel. My name is Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan? Liao Xin repeated with a slight nod before abruptly freezing in ce. His eyes widened in shock before his body began trembling in agitation. Is it possible that... you are the person who created the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill, Apothecary Zhang Xuan? Yes, thats me, Zhang Xuan replied. Liao Xin staggered back a little before abruptly bowing deeply before Zhang Xuan. Thank you for saving my life, benefactor! Theres no need topete anymore. Your skills in medicine are indubitably superior to mine... Zhang Xuan was stunned. Qi Ling-er was bbergasted. What is it this time? Why is everyone getting so overexcited today? Do you know how exhausting it is trying to match your energy? Chapter 2175 - 2175 A Tournament Regarding the Way of Medicine 2175 A Tournament Regarding the Way of Medicine Seeing how confused Zhang Xuan and Qi Ling-er was, a middle-aged physician sitting by the side of the room exined, Guild Leader Liao suffered some grievous internal injuries in the previous Flood of Spiritual Energy. Over the past decade, he has been studying medical records and trying out all sorts of remedies, but there was nothing that worked. In thest two years, his internal injuries worsened significantly, bing more and more severe. Guild Leader Liao thought that he would meet his end just like that... but a few days ago, someone bought a Beauty Pill and gave it to him. Initially, he didnt think much of it, but after consuming it, he found that his internal injuries were actually lightening. So, he requested a friend to get him some more. After eating ten of those pills, not only did he manage to recover fully from his injuries, he noticed that his lifespan increased considerably. Due to that, hes extremely grateful to you! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. The wonders of the Beauty Pill stemmed from the infused Heavens Path zhenqi. It was capable of healing internal traumas and fortifying ones vitality, thus granting one greater longevity. I devoted all of my time and effort to understanding and curing my internal traumas, but I couldnt find a cure at all. In the end, it was your pill that did the job so easily. Isnt that more than enough to show that your skills in the Way of Medicine are above mine? This... Well, I guess its not entirely wrong if you interpret it that way. Zhang Xuan was nning to turn down thepliment humbly, but when he thought about it, there was some truth in what Guild Leader Liao said. He would be humblebragging if he refused apliment that was true, so he could only reluctantly ept those words. The Heavens Path zhenqi was capable of healing most afflictions, and in the cases where the Heavens Path zhenqi did not work, the patients were more or less doomed. Besides, his knowledge in the Way of Medicine went beyond just using the Heavens Path zhenqi. The fact that he was a 9-star physician back on the Master Teacher Continent was evidence of his skills. He would be going against his conscience if he said that his medical skills were beneath those of Guild Leader Liao! Alright, Ill send a message back right now to handle the processes. Ill pass you the token required to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation once its done! Liao Xin replied. In truth, there was no need for him to go all the way there to partake in the Physician Tournament. He was esteemed enough in the physicianmunity to not have to prove himself. The main reason he had gone there was to meet his benefactor and thank him in person. Since his benefactor had a request, it was only right for him to fulfill his request so as to repay the favor. Just as Guild Leader Liao was about to take out a special Communication Token to pass down the order, another old man rushed into the room and eximed, Guild Leader Liao, you mustnt do that! Vice Guild Leader Wang, is there a problem? Guild Leader Liao asked with a frown. The person who barged into the room was the vice leader of Cloud Dragon Royal Citys Physician Guild, Wang Fei. Apothecary and physician are two separate upations. It isnt right to mix them together just because there are some simrities between the two. It is... inappropriate! Wang Fei argued. He admitted that the young mans skills as an apothecary were probably unrivaled in the current generation, especially after witnessing the effects of the Beauty Pill in person, but pill forging was pill forging. No matter how formidable ones pills were, that would not make an apothecary a physician! The role of a physician was to diagnose a patient ande up with the best treatment method to cure the patient. On the other hand, apothecaries forge pills out of medicinal herbs in order to elevate their medicinal properties. There was a vast difference in their specialties. By giving the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation over to this young man, Guild Leader Liao was indirectly admitting that his skills in the Way of Medicine were beneath those of the young man. If thetter showed ack of capability afterward, that could possibly tarnish the reputation that Guild Leader Liao had painstakingly built! Guild Leader Liao, please reconsider your decision! The other physicians in the group entered the room and bowed deeply. I am indebted to Apothecary Zhang, and I wish to repay his favor. Besides, its about time for me to retire. Alright, theres no need to say anymore. My mind is made up. Guild Leader Liao waved his hand. In truth, he shared the same assessment as the other physicians. He felt that while Zhang Xuan was able to forge incredible pills, his medical skills were likelycking inparison. The main reason he had epted the request was to repay Zhang Xuans favor. Compared to his life, he felt that a small stain on his reputation did not mean much. Understanding the worries of the other physicians, Zhang Xuan did not lose his temper. If thats the case, shall we follow the proper process instead? The usual way to do it is through the Physician Tournament, right? Since everyone is here, shall we do that? He was still young, and it had not been long since he arrived in the Firmament. It was normal for others to doubt his capability. You wish to challenge us in a Physician Tournament? Guild Leader Liao asked. Im already here anyway, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. This... Guild Leader Liao was a little hesitant, but seeing that Zhang Xuan had made up his mind, he eventually nodded in agreement. There are four main segments to the Physician Tournament, namely Observation, Scent, Inquiry, and Contact. In each step, you must jot down your diagnosis, determine the illness, write down a cure, and verify whether the cure is effective or not. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had been wondering how the Physician Tournament would work, but from the looks of it, it appeared to be no different from how physicians usually diagnosed their patients. It was just that... What about the patients? Do we involve patients in the duel? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. It did not seem right to him to make a tournament with the life of the patients at stake. That infringed on the ethics that a physician should have. Of course not! Guild Leader Liao replied. Then, he looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully as he asked, Could it be that... you dont know what the Physician Tournament is? The young man was the one who proposed having a Physician Tournament, but based on what he was saying, it seemed like he knew nothing about it! He had thought that he could just admit defeat to the young man in order to return the favor. Even though he did not think that the young man would actually be more skilled than him when it came to the Way of Medicine, as someone who was able to create the Beauty Pill, he thought that the young man still would not be too bad. But based on what he had seen thus far, that did not seem to be the case. A physician who did not even know what the Physician Tournament was... Was he even a physician at all? The top physicians of the Nine Skies have worked together to create an artifact known as the Stone of Symptoms, and its through this that we hold the Physician Tournament. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was really ignorant of it, Guild Leader Liao shook his head and exined the matter. It seemed like Vice Guild Leader Wangs worries were not unfounded. From the current looks of it, it appeared that the young mans medical skills were not too amazing. There was no way a skilled physician would not know about the Physician Duel. Stone of Symptoms? Yes, its a unique treasure that is able to record a patients physical condition with great precision. Through the data stored in it, its able to generate a projection of the patient in real time to provide the physician with information. If you can provide it with a feasible cure, the projected patient will be able to recover from their ailment. As Liao Xin spoke, he took out a stone and tapped lightly on it. The stone released a light buzz before generating ten human projections. These projections were created through a formation inscribed on the stone. Every single one of these projected humans appeared sickly, as if they had been afflicted with some sort of lethal disease. It looked like they would not live much longer without treatment. These ten people are afflicted with diseases that have been discovered and treated from several hundred years to several millenniums ago. Through a special procedure, their conditions are logged in the Stone of Symptoms, allowing us to recreate a lifelike projection of them. Just like real patients, we can observe their symptoms, smell their scent, ask about their status, and feel their pulse. Through these four methods, we can determine the cause of their affliction and devise a treatment method for them. Seeing how Zhang Xuan was still looking at the projected patients with an uncertain look on his face, Liao Xin added, Dont worry, the illnesses faced by these patients are not entirely obsolete. Most of these ailments are around today, even though they have been altered in one way or another through interactions with different environments. Furthermore, as the records go many years back, its impossible for a person to memorize every case. Also, the patients projected change randomly each time the Stone of Symptoms is activated, so you can rest assured that theres no way one can cheat! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in relief. Treating a patient was much more than memory work. The same disease could have vastly different symptoms depending on a persons constitution. Based on these conditions, the treatment method devised and medicine dispensed by the physician must adapt ordingly. So, if the projected patients were the same each time, one could simply memorize the specific symptoms of the patients in advance and treat them impably with ease. That would render the test utterly meaningless. However, it seemed like he had underestimated the Physician Tournament. While the cultivators of the Firmament had exceptionally good memory, there was no way they could remember all of the ailments from the current date to over tens of thousands of years back, and that was assuming that they could even find the medical records of all the patients stored within the Stone of Symptoms. This made cheating nigh impossible. After every step of the diagnosis, you are to write down your deductions. Once the Observation, Scent, Inquiry, and Contact procedures are over, you have to jot down a medical treatment and hand it over to the patient. If the medical treatment you proposed is in line with the one that cured the patient, the projected patient will be cured of his suffering. On the other hand, if you make a mistake, itll show the corresponding results! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He tapped his finger on the Stone of Symptom once more, and just as Guild Leader Liao said, all ten projections changed immediately. Now that you know of the rules, lets begin. Guild Leader Liao raised his hand, and two physicians quickly passed a few pieces of paper and a brush to them. As physicians, observing ones patient was the first step for a diagnosis. Through taking in the patients expression, color, state, and form, one would be able to make a preliminary assessment of the symptoms he was facing. Seeing that Guild Leader Liao had headed toward the leftmost patient, Zhang Xuan quickly walked over to the rightmost patient. With one swift nce at all the projected patients, he was already able to deduce their symptoms with eighty to ny percent confidence. Nevertheless, he still decided to mutter ws! beneath his breath. Huhuhuhu! Ten books immediately materialized in the Library of Heavens Path. While he was quite confident of his analysis, he wanted to have an absolute guarantee for this. So, he tapped into the powers of the Library of Heavens Path to double check his diagnosis. The result of this Physician Tournament would determine how long it would take him to get to the Sky of Spirit Origin and find Luo Ruoxin. He did not want to risk losing the duel and waste precious time. Even though the patients before him were only projections, he was still able topile the analysis of their conditions through the formation that projected them. After quickly browsing through it, he heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that his diagnoses were spot-on. He had not reallye into contact with medicine ever since he arrived in the Firmament, but back when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent, he had encountered all sorts of bizarre afflictions and resolved all of them with ease. His understanding of the human body and medicinal herbs had already reached a level unthinkable to most physicians. Right now, the only thing that was hindering him was the difference in constitution between Gods and ordinary cultivators. As long as he could work that out, he should be able to tap into the vast knowledge in his head to cure these patients. He sat down on the floor and spent a few moments organizing his thoughts to deduce the best treatment method. Then, he swiftly wrote down the treatment methods. Alright, Im done, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. What? You are done? Really? It hasnt even been ten minutes since the Physician Tournament started, right? Furthermore, you didnt even conduct the other steps of the diagnosis before going right into jotting down the medical treatment! You must be joking! How can someone diagnose all of these patients ande up with corresponding solutions so quickly? Everyone was stunned. There was a saying that physicians were constantly wrestling with time to save their patients from the clutches of death, but still, it was impossible for a physician to diagnose and cure ten difficult diseases in less than ten minutes! Are you sure you arent pulling our legs? The crowd looked at one another before turning their heads over to see how Guild Leader Liao was doing. Thetter was still standing before the first patient with a deep frown. He had finished asking the patient for more details regarding his condition and was just about to move on to reading the patients pulse. He read the pulse for quite a while before finally picking up a piece of paper and writing down the corresponding illness and treatment method. After he was done, he heaved a sigh of relief before turning toward his second patient. It was at that moment that he realized Zhang Xuan hade to a halt, so he urged with a frown, Dont waste time. If our results are the same, the determining factor will be the time taken! He had been so preupied with diagnosing his patient earlier that he had not noticed the movements of the young man. Right after saying those words, he was just about to turn his focus to the second patient when he noticed all the physicians in the room looking at him with speechless faces. Whats wrong? Guild Leader Liao asked. Guild Leader Liao, Apothecary Zhang has already finished diagnosing and writing down all of the treatment methods. You might be the one who needs to hurry up, Vice Guild Leader Wang replied awkwardly. Chapter 2176 - 2176 Crushing Victory 2176 Crushing Victory He has finished writing down the treatment methods? Guild Leader Liao was startled. He was barely done with the first patient, but his opponent was already done devising the treatment methods for all ten of them. Guild Leader Liao shook his head as his opinion of the young man fell a little further. Diagnosing a patient was not just about acquiring information. It was about piecing all the details togetherbe it the patients age, strength, health history, or drug allergiesand creating aplete picture out of them. If one neglected even one of these factors, it could cause the situation to run out of control, thus cing the patients life at risk. In his view, it was utterly ridiculous for someone to formte a treatment without going through the four key steps of diagnosis. It was such arrogance that would eventually cost a patients life! Sighing deeply, Guild Leader Liao made a mental note in his mind to talk to the young man about thister before moving on to his next patient. All in all, it took Guild Leader Liao two hours in order to finish diagnosing all ten of the patients and devising their treatment methods. A little exhausted, he rubbed his be before turning in the papers with his answers. Lets check the results! With the answers of both participants in hand, Vice Guild Leader Wang took the first paper from Guild Leader Liaos stack and flipped it over. Everyone else in the room craned their necks over to see what was written on itLikely to be Ephialtes Bane Symptom. This was the first conclusion that he came to after observing the first patient. Vice Guild Leader Wang moved on to flip the second and third pieces, which reflected his diagnoses from the scent and inquiry, and the answer was the same. However, on the fourth piece of paper, which he wrote after feeling the patients pulse, he overthrew his previous diagnosis, writing, Not Ephialtes Bane Symptom but Night Terror Affliction. Treatment method:... The Ephialtes Bane Symptom was a symptom that tortured ones spirit. The patient would suffer from constant nightmares during their sleep, as if they were haunted by a devil. Their spirit would continue to wither as time went by, causing their great distress. In truth, it was just the side effect from a deficiency in a cultivators spirit resulting from the damage caused by ones cultivation going berserk. As long as the cultivator cultivated their spirit and avoided putting stress on themself, the symptom would eventually disappear. This symptom was almost identical to what a patient gued by the Night Terror Affliction would face. The only difference was that the former would only appear during any types of sleep and was not lethal whereas thetter would only ur during deep sleep, and once the symptoms struck, there was a chance that the cultivator would never wake up again. Through just observation, scent, and inquiry, the information one would receive from patients suffering from those two diseases would be nearly identical. Unless one felt the pulse and sensed the differences in the fluctuation of energy, it would be impossible to discern the two. A perfect answer. Vice Guild Leader Wang nodded. In the diagnosis procedure, the first step, observation, would only suffice for a preliminary assessment. It did not provide enough information for one to fully ascertain the illness. For most physicians, it was only at the fourth step that they were able to eliminate other possibilities and decide on one. Guild Leader Liao used this method to determine the cause of the illness and identify the root factor that he had to resolve. Taking the sheet of paper detailing the treatment method, Vice Guild Leader Wang walked up to the first patient and ced it in his hand. Weng! The next moment, as if having eaten medicine, theplexion and spirit of the projected patient began to recover gradually. There was only one scenario in which such a situation would happenthe medicine was effective! Guild Leader Liao stroked his beard in satisfaction. It had been many years since he had participated in a Physician Tournament, but it seemed like he had not grown rusty yet. He had treated the first patient impably. With this, he turned to Zhang Xuan. He wanted to see what kind of answers the young man coulde up with in less than ten minutes. With a smile, Zhang Xuan passed over the treatment method he had jotted down. Vice Guild Leader Wang took the piece of paper, but upon seeing the content, he frowned. The crowd also nced over, only to frown in bewilderment. There isnt any illness jotted down here? Did he fail to diagnose anything from the patient? But why would he write down a treatment method if he failed to diagnose anything from the patient? I have no idea... On the paper was a list of medicinal herbs, but there was nothing that indicated what kind of illness the first patient was suffering from. Furthermore, it seems like the prescription he wrote down is a little different from that of Guild Leader Liao... A little different? They are twopletely different sets of herbs! But Guild Leader Liaos prescription is correct, right? Given that Apothecary Zhangs prescription is entirely different, doesnt that mean that he has already failed? At this point, everyone in the room had alreadye to a conclusion about Zhang Xuan. The young man was really just an apothecary. He knew nothing about diagnosing and treating a patient at all. It was one thing for him to fail to diagnose a patients condition urately, but he even boldly came up with an incorrect prescription. It was fortunate that it was just a projected patient. If it had been a real patient, the consequences would have been dire. Is there even a need to continue this? Vice Guild Leader Wang remarked in disappointment. In his opinion, Zhang Xuan was no physician at all. It was pointless to continue the Physician Tournament like that. Are you suggesting that I have already lost without even testing my treatment method? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Isnt it already obvious from this? Why dont you try cing my treatment method on the projected patient and see what happens? You are only humiliating yourself at this rate, but since you insist... Vice Guild Leader muttered in exasperation as he walked up to the projected patient and took away Guild Leader Liaos treatment method. As soon as the paper left the projected patients hand, thetter immediately reverted to his sickly state. Vice Guild Leader Wang then ced Zhang Xuans treatment method in the projected patients hand. Weng! As soon as the projected patient came into contact with the paper, his sickly yellowish face immediately turned pale. Just as everyone thought that the patient was going to pass away from the wrong prescription, a minor explosion suddenly sounded, and the aura of the projected patient abruptly surged. It took a while before the surge finally came to a halt, and the fluctuations in energy calmed down. Taking another look at the projected patient, the physicians in the room realized that not only did the patient manage to recover from his illness, hisplexion also looked redder from before. In fact... he seemed to have grown stronger! Is this... Did he make a breakthrough in his soul cultivation? Hang on a moment. Are you saying that Apothecary Zhangs prescription has not only cured the patient but even helped him make a breakthrough? Silence. Even Guild Leader Liaos eyes had widened in shock. His treatment had only alleviated the patients condition. On the other hand, the young man before him had not only cured the patient from the root causehe had even turned this crisis into an opportunity to make a breakthrough! In other words, the young mans proposed treatment method was not just on the level of perfect. It had surpassed perfect to reach an even higher level! Thats not all. The medicinal herbs in Apothecary Zhangs prescription are quitemon. They can be found in most dispensaries in town, and they arent too expensive... Ao Hua pointed out excitedly. On the way there, he had received strict instructions from Zhang Xuan not to address him as ancestor but Apothecary Zhang. Clearly, the young man did not want to expose his identity as a Pureblooded Dragon, or rather, he did not wish for the Sky of Cloud Dragon to investigate his affairs. Indeed! The crowd widened their eyes in astonishment upon noticing that fact. Realizing that this could be revolutionary, their eyes reddened in agitation. With the medicinal herbs in the prescription being inexpensive, it meant that they could easily apply this treatment to other patients facing the same affliction. In other words, the treatment was easily replicable! Such a prescription could potentially be used to save many lives in the future. What was the use of a prescription if the ingredients could not be obtained or were unaffordable? This was a very practical problem that most physicians faced while treating their patients. There were some physicians who were kind enough to pay on their patients behalf, but that was clearly not sustainable! Physicians had to earn a livelihood as well, and it was perfectly normal for them to expectpensation for their hard work. It was ridiculous to expect them to pay on a patients behalf. They were not saints! After a long while, Guild Leader Liao finally recovered from his shock, and he asked hoarsely, How is it that your prescription is able to aplish so much? To be frank, he is not suffering from the Ephialtes Bane Symptom nor the Night Terror Affliction. Instead, its a poison that causes him to be susceptible to hallucinations! Zhang Xuan replied. In the strictest sense, it cant be considered an illness, so I refrained from writing it down... He is poisoned? Guild Leader Liaos eyes dted in disbelief. But those are clearly the symptoms of the Night Terror Affliction! Having diagnosed the patient carefully, he was certain that his judgement was not wrong. Furthermore, the patient had also recovered after consuming his medicine. So, how could it be a poison? The patient does have symptoms of the Night Terror Affliction. However, the Night Terror Affliction only damages ones soul, making one feel constantly exhausted and lethargic. It doesnt have much of an effect on ones physical body. However, the patients body showed clear signs of deficiency, such that even his skin has turned yellowish. Like a tree in autumn, he looked as if he was going to hit the limit of his lifespan at any moment. From this observation, its clear that there are some issues regarding the vitality of his body as well. The body of a Celestial God is strong and resilient, making it highly resistant to most physical anomalies. Given so, it seems a little hard to imagine that a mere Night Terror Affliction would leave the patients body in such a state. So, I wondered if the patient had been poisoned. Through my careful observation, I realized that the patient is actually from the Sky of Deathlessness Wangyue Mountain, which is known to be the habitat where Night Terror Cobras thrive in. So, I deduced that the patient might have encountered a Night Terror Cobra there and ended up getting bitten, resulting in his current state. While most prescriptions dealing with the Night Terror Affliction alleviate the effects caused by the venom of the Night Terror Cobra, they are unable to neutralize the venom itself. Short term, the patient will appear to have been cured. However, the venom will act up once every two years, and on the fifth time that the condition rpses, the venom will have already circted throughout the patients body. By then, therell be nothing that can be done to save the patient anymore! The crowd in the surroundings blinked nkly. They were having trouble trying to process what they had just heard. This... Are you sure you are a physician and not a prophet? The person in the projection has been dead for innumerable years, and his corpse has already been reduced to dust. How in the world did you manage to tell that he is from the Sky of Deathlessness Mountain Wangyue? From what I remember, you only looked at the patient and didnt ask any questions, right? Guild Leader Liao quickly turned to the projected patient and asked, Where do you live? As the environment where a cultivator lived could potentially reveal the cause of the illness, the projected patients were allowed to answer this question. Sky of Deathlessness, Mountain Wangyue, the projected patient replied. This... Hearing the response, everyone staggered a little from shock. Perhaps calling it shock was an understatement. Things were starting to develop in a creepy direction. With just a single look, the young man had not only been able to diagnose the patients urately but also figured out where the patients were from. It was almost as if the young man was bom with an innate talent to be a stalker! Terrifying! The Sky of Deathlessness is located at the south of the Firmament, and the climate is hot and humid. Through his clothes, its possible to deduce as much! Zhang Xuan could see through the doubts the physicians had in mind, so he exined his thought process to them. Hearing those words, the crowd quickly turned their gazes over, and indeed, the patient was wearing light, cooling clothes. Nourished by the moist atmosphere, southerners tended to have paler and suppler skin. Inparison, northerners tend to have drier and rougher skin. Its possible to discern the region that one originates from through such physical traits, Zhang Xuan said. That is not the conclusive evidence though. Regardless of whether he was afflicted with the Night Terror Affliction or venom, his soul would have been injured. However, the condition of the injury would have been different. If it was the former, it would have been an overall deterioration of his soul. If it was thetter, his injuries would have been more severe at the location where the poison first seeped in. Through careful observation, I was able to sense that the deterioration of his soul was uneven, and that proved that he had been poisoned. I see! The crowd nodded in realization as they looked at the young man in awe and admiration. They had thought that thetter was an inept physician wannabe, but who could have known that he was actually a grandmaster way beyond their league! Lets continue! Vice Guild Leader Wang continued to verify the remaining nine patients. Guild Leader Liaos treatment methods were all correct, but they paled far inparison to what Zhang Xuan hade up with. All of the prescriptions that Zhang Xuan suggested allowed the patient to achieve some sort of breakthrough after they were cured, making it clear which method was superior. Of the ten patients, all his treatment methods were beyond perfect! I have lost, Guild Leader Liao remarked with a bitter smile. It was a great battle. I have learned a lot from it. Chapter 2177 - 2177 Deducing a Sword Art 2177 Deducing a Sword Art Guild Leader Liao was initially certain that Zhang Xuans medical skills would be way beneath his, but at this moment, he realized that he was nothing more than a firefly standing before the radiant sun. Their skills were not even in the same league! Does this mean that I have earned the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation now? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course! There are still some procedures that must be cleared; Ill have to report this matter upward first. However, you should be able to receive your token by this afternoon at thetest, Guild Leader Liao said. Even though Zhang Xuan had already met the criteria, there was still a need to report this matter to the other Skies and have a token forged specifically for him before he could use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. I understand. He had already been in this city for quite a few days; he did not mind waiting for another half a day. So, he bade farewell and left the residence together with Qi Ling-er. Shortly after they left, the room fell silent. Guild Leader Liao could not help but ask, Ao Hua, did he really manage to defeat you with the prowess of his physical body? Yes, thats indeed what happened, Ao Hua replied. The resilience of his physical body surpasses yours, his skills in pill forging have won Fu Jiangchens praise, and his mastery in the Way of Medicine has reached an unfathomable level that even I am unable to see through. The world sure has many amazing individuals! Guild Leader Liao remarked deeply. He had thought that he would be able to ravage Drifting Specter Royal Citys Physician Guild and catapult the reputation of Cloud Dragon Royal Citys Physician Guild to new heights. Yet, who could have known that he would suffer such a tragic defeat before he could even encounter the lot from Drifting Specter Royal Citys Physician Guild? If even he was not a match for Zhang Xuan, it was likely to be even more so for the rest. Lets go back! Guild Leader Liao instructed with a deep sigh of helplessness. What about the Physician Tournament with Drifting Specter Royal Citys Physician Guild? As long as Physician Zhang is a citizen of the Sky of Drifting Specter, even if we defeat Drifting Specter Royal Citys Physician Guild, we still wont be able to establish our dominance over them. Theres no point in going ahead with it, Guild Leader Liao replied. As long as Zhang Xuan existed, they would never be able to im that their physicians were superior to those of the Sky of Drifting Specters. Their goal in going there was to buff up their reputation, but since it was not going to work out, there was no point in it anymore. It would just be a waste of effort and time. Alright then... Understanding where Guild Leader Liao wasing from, the other physicians nodded in agreement. In Drifting Specter Royal Citys Physician Guild... Congrattions, Physician Zhao Chong! After a few rounds of selections, the candidate that was chosen to represent them was Physician Zhao Chong! While his reputation was not as sound as the other candidates, there was no questioning that his medical skills were amazing. The set of medical maneuvers he performed during the selection phase had really astounded the crowd. Of course, Physician Zhao Chong is the real deal. He isnt someone whom the likes of an apothecary canpete with! Are you referring to Zhang Xuan? Hehe. I admit that hes indeed a prodigy when ites to pill forging, but medicine? Hah! He still has a long way to go! Each upation has its own challenges to surmount. Its lucky that we turned him away, or else I would have cringed each time he made a mistake! Seeing Zhao Chongs amazing performance, the crowd could not help but think of the conceited young man from earlier, and they could not help but burst intoughter. So what if the young man was good at forging pills? Physicians did notpete on the grounds of pill forging! If they had really allowed an apothecary to represent them, others would mock their Physician Guild for being so desperate as to send even those of the other upations forward! At this moment, a middle-aged man suddenly rushed into the room. Whats wrong? Guild Leader Sun Xuan asked with a frown. The physicians of the Sky of Cloud Dragon have left! Theyve left? What do you mean by that? Are they going to forfeit the challenge? Guild Leader Sun Xuan was taken aback. The opponent had arrived with the intention of using them as stepping stones, so why were they backing out before the battle even began? They said that since their skills arecking, its meaningless to proceed with the challenge. So, they decided to leave, the middle-aged man eximed. Their skills arecking? What do they mean by that? Everyone was stunned. They had not faced each other yet! Why would the opponent suddenlye to such a conclusion? ording to what I heard, it seems like a physician from our Sky of Drifting Specter went to their amodation and defeated Guild Leader Liao with ease. They were awed by the proficiency he disyed in the Way of Medicine, so they decided to admit defeat! The middle-aged man revealed what he had heard thus far. Someone challenged Guild Leader Liao and won against him? Are you serious? Guild Leader Liaos medical skills are known to be at the forefront of the Nine Skies! Indeed! Hes the person who I look up to the most, you know! Wait a moment! Who defeated Guild Leader Liao? Everyone stared at one another nkly before a physician spoke up in bewilderment. All of the physicians registered in Royal City are here at the moment, and none of us have left here since a while ago. It doesnt make sense. Are we missing someone here? I was confused as well so I asked them about it earlier, and it seems like the physicians name is... Zhang Xuan! the middle-aged man eximed. Zhang Xuan? The person whom we just drove away... Apothecary Zhang? Are you sure? Thats a physician who was able to defeat the great Guild Leader Liao! I find it hard to believe that Apothecary Zhang wields such capability... Could you have heard wrong somehow? The crowd was dumbstruck. Recalling how they had driven the young man out earlier, their faces turned so red that it looked as if someone had given them a few firm ps. It was not too long ago that they mocked the apothecary for wanting to participate in their selections, but who would have thought that the apothecary was even more skilled than the highly respected Guild Leader Liao? Guild Leader Sun Xuans lips twitched in shock. At this moment, he wanted to just burrow his way into the ground so that he would not have to feel so awkward and embarrassed. Oblivious to the mental breakdown that Drifting Specter Royal Citys Physician Guild was going through at the moment, Zhang Xuan looked at the token on the table before him before raising his head to ask, Is this the token to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation? Just a few minutes prior, Guild Leader Liao had arrived personally to pass the token to him. The token was roughly the size of an infants fist, and there were some inscriptions carved on it. Vaguely, one could feel a powerful will lingering within the token, inducing deference in the depths of ones soul. This is a token carved personally by a God Monarch. It has the power to withstand the spatial turbulence caused by the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, Qi Ling-er exined as she looked at the token in envy. Even though she was a core member of the Qi n and had great power in her grasp, she still was not qualified to possess such a token. This token would allow one to travel from one Sky to another in a matter of seconds. As long as one had enough money, one could easily tour around the Nine Skies without any trouble. Zhang Xuan nodded silently in response. He could also tell that the inscriptions on the token were imbued with extraordinary power that was even greater than what he had felt from Conferred God King Qi Meng. Alright. Ill leave you to continue handling the sales of the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill. Remember, my aim is to create as much hype around the pills as possible. Other than that, I hope that you can also help look after my parents and Sun Qiang. If theres anything that they require for their cultivation, try to meet their demands, Zhang Xuan instructed. As he would be venturing into the foreign Sky of Spirit Origin, it was likely that he could encounter some danger there. So, he had chosen not to take his parents along with him. After the Xingmeng Sword Saints received the guidance from the experts of the Sword Hut, theirprehension of swordsmanship had be significantly deeper. This had a synergistic effect on their cultivation, allowing them to grow swiftly. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was providing them with all the cultivation resources they needed. They were gobbling down the invaluable and much sought-after Beauty Pills and Breakthrough Pills as if they were cheap candy balls. Due to that, they had managed to raise their cultivation to low-tier Celestial God! At this rate, it would not take them too long to reach high-tier Celestial God. After making arrangements, Zhang Xuan swiftly confirmed the location the Great Discement Teleportation Formation before riding an aerial celestial beast over. As long as the Qi n thought that he was a God Monarch, they would surely do everything within their means to protect his parents and Sun Qiang, so they should be rtively safe in Drifting Specter Royal City. But their safety would no longer be guaranteed once they ventured beyond the city walls. The lucrative market created by the arrival of the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill had stirred the greed in the hearts of many powers. Most of these powers did not dare make a move in Drifting Specter Royal City out of fear of the Qi n, but once they left the protection of the Qi n, there was no doubt that those powers would make use of the opportunity to strike. In fact, he felt that his journey to the Great Discement Teleportation Formation and teleporting straight over to the Sky of Spirit Origin might not be as smooth as he would like. Sitting on the aerial celestial beast, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and began conditioning his current state. As a symbol of neutrality, the Great Discement Teleportation Formation was not located within Royal City but at the top of a mountain several hundred li away. So, if one wanted to use the Teleportation Formation, one had to leave Royal City. This meant that there was a good chance that Zhang Xuan could be assaulted by another person while traveling to the Teleportation Formation. As the person who knew the pill forms of the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill, there were probably many who viewed him as a fountain of wealth. Anyone who could capture him would gain the key to endless fortune. There are still fifteen minutes before I finally leave the city, Zhang Xuan thought. I guess I should use this time to work on my Celestial God realm sword art... It had not been too long since he became a Celestial God, and all this while, he had been too preupied with other matters and ended up neglecting his sword art. Since he had some time on hand, it would be good for him to work on it. He noticed that in order to grasp the sword art of the Pathos of Heaven, he would have to immerse himself in the environment of the Firmament. If he channeled his consciousness into the isted Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, even though he would be able to enjoy the benefits of a time eleration of ten thousand times, it would not help him in hisprehension at all. The first level of the Pathos of Heaven is Bond of Allegiance, and the sword art is A Heart of Intertwined Threads. The second level of the Pathos of Heaven is Camaraderie of Brothers, and the sword art is Unyielding Loyalty. The third level is Ties of Teacher and Student. The cultivation techniques and sword arts that Zhang Xuan hadprehended from the Pathos of Heaven revolved in his mind, drifting quietly. Like a painting, they slowly unfurled to reveal a grand picture that depicted his journey thus far. Some of the times were exciting, and some of the times were sweet. Some of the times were horrifying, and some of the times were heart-wrenching... It was a picture filled with all sorts of vors and sentiments, and these were what made him what he was. Passion and affection, these were emotions. Hatred and abhorrence, these were also emotions. Happiness and pain, these were emotions, too. There were no sentient beings in the world that could escape their emotions, and if the world was devoid of sentience, the heavens would have no reason to exist. It was as if emotions were the bane of the heavens. They hindered the rationality of the heavens, but they were a natural part of the world as well. Perhaps emotions could be viewed as an even higher force. The heavens could be destroyed, but emotions would continue to exist as long as life persisted. A teacher and a student were two people who would be otherwise strangers if not for the bond of mentorship. This bond signified the continuation of ones knowledge, wisdom, and values, binding the two people tightly together. It appeared to be a transient rtionship bound by nothing more than societal values, but it could be strong enough to rival the bond of kinship... I see... Zhang Xuans heart quivered as an emotion surged. Just as he was about to execute the sword art, he felt goosebumps rising all over his body. Without any hesitation, he leaped off his aerial celestial beast. Peng! The next instant, the aerial celestial beast that he had been riding on suddenly burst apart, and Zhang Xuan was left plummeting from the sky. Chapter 2178 - 2178 Fighting a God King (1) 2178 Fighting a God King (1) An assault! Lowering his head, Zhang Xuan saw a lush forest beneath him. The massive buildings of Drifting Specter Royal City were no more than five meters behind him. In other words, as soon as he left Royal City, there was already someone who could not hold himself back from making a move on him. He had not told anyone about his intention to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation today except for Sun Qiang, Qi Ling-er, and his parents. Yet, they were still able toy an ambush for him there in advance. It seemed like someone had been keeping tabs on his movements. He had underestimated the temptation of the Breakthrough Pill and the Beauty Pill. The ground was moving toward Zhang Xuan at an elerating pace. It would not be long before he finally crashed into the ground. However, what he really had to be wary of were the ones above him. There were six aerial celestial beasts charging toward him from above. Each beast had a ck-robed person standing above them with a spear in hand. One of them had killed his celestial aerial beast. In the Firmament, only God Kings possessed the ability to fly. Even though Zhang Xuans cultivation had already reached high-tier Celestial God, it was still impossible for him to maneuver in the sky without the help of an aerial beast. It seems like Ill have to learn how to fly before I perfect my sword art, Zhang Xuan thought. With his current strength and his experiences from the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure, it should not be too difficult for him to figure out how to fly. It was just that it had not been long since his cultivation reached high-tier Celestial God, and there had been no time for him to spend on it. Given his current plight, if he did not learn how to fly within the next few seconds, even though he would not lose his life from falling from such a high altitude, he would have still lost half of his fighting prowess as a result of that. It would be difficult for him to deal with the encirclement of enemies in a weakened state. Boom! The six people in the sky brandished their spears and pierced them right toward Zhang Xuan, causing a gust of cold air to be sted in his direction. They were all high-tier Celestial Gods! Furthermore, they had chosen to use their full strength right from the start. With the resilience of Zhang Xuans body, he was not too bothered by the assault of the six. Not even the w swipe of a Pureblooded Dragon could make him bleed, so what could the spear thrust of those six possibly do? The only issue was that if he faced the spear thrusts directly, the impact of the collision would further elerate the speed of his fall. If so, the fall might prove dangerous, even for him. While his physical body was much tougher than before, he did not want to gamble on something that he was not certain about, especially not in the face of his enemies. I guess I have no choice. I can only do this... As the spears came closer and closer to him, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes. Question marks popped out on the heads of the charging six. Was their target giving up just like that? Why dont you at least try to struggle a little? Do you know how many strategies we have prepared beforehand to deal with you? It will be awkward if we manage to take you down so easily after spending long hoursing up with countless countermeasures against you! At that moment, Zhang Xuans consciousness was already immersed in the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. The enemies were swiftly approaching him, but from the looks of it, there were still two more seconds before he reached the ground. In the Great Codex of Spring and Autumns terms, that would be 20,000 seconds or five and a half hours! That was more than enough for him to figure out a flying technique so that he could stand his ground even in an aerial battle. The reason he had such confidence was because he had cultivated a technique called the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps back on the Master Teacher Continent. That technique had allowed him to fly back when his cultivation was still in the Transcendent Mortal realm. Although his environment was a little different from before, he should still be able to get the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps working as long as he made some adjustments to the technique. With such a thought in mind, he quickly took out the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps from the shelves of the Library of Heavens Path and fused it together with the other books he had collected in the Firmament. Compile! A new book was created. With a tap of his finger, the knowledge contained within the newlypiled book flowed into his head. It seems like its impossible to directly convert the techniques from the Master Teacher Continent over to the Firmament... He had thought that he would be able topile a Heavens Path technique throughpiling the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps together with the books that he had gathered in the Firmament, but what he received was mostly gibberish. As the heavens of the two worlds differed, the meridianwork and constitutions of the cultivators were vastly different from one another. As such, he could no longer practice the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps as it was. He had to manually modify it to fit his own constitution before cultivating it. So, he began reviewed the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps and making modifications to it bit by bit. It took some time before he was finally done with his work. The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps required the cultivator to circte his zhenqi in a certain manner to offset the pull of gravity. The principles behind it were not that tough to understand, but pulling it off was another matter. It was the kind of technique that a cultivator would either have to perform impably, or it would fail. As such, even if a new practitioner had fully grasped the concepts behind the technique, it would probably still take quite a few tries before they could start maneuvering themself around the sky. Fortunately for Zhang Xuan, he had used the technique before. As such, he should be able to use it adeptly right away. Driving his zhenqi around his body, he could feel himself swiftly gaining control over his surroundings. At this moment, he was already less than twenty meters away from the ground, and the spears were right before him. A sharp glint shed through his eyes as he verbalized two powerful notes from his mouth. Moo! Mou! Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon! While they were less effective on beasts that were not from the Dragon Tribe, simr to the ferocious roar of a lion, it could still shake their spirits and reduce their fighting will. He was a little too close to the surface forfort. He could not afford to make any mistakes now! After disorientating the six celestial beasts to mess up the assault of the six ck-robed individuals momentarily, Zhang Xuan swiftly executed the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps to break his fall. By now, the speed of his fall was already too great for him to stop entirely, so he still ended upnding on the ground with a loud explosion, the impact creating arge crater with a ten-meter radius around him. Even so, he managed to ovee the crisis with minimal injuries. As soon as hended on the floor, he immediately leaped upward and maneuvered past the six aerial celestial beasts to fly in the air. Meanwhile, the six aerial celestial beasts, together with their riders, continued to fall with increasing velocity. They were not able to stop earlier due to the effects of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon momentarily befuddling their senses. By the time they snapped out of it, the ground was only a mere meter away from them. Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Six resounding explosions ensued as the six celestial beasts and their six riders charged right into the ground one after another, causing massive craters that spanned several hundred meters in their wake. Zhang Xuan had been flying at an altitude of more than two thousand meters earlier, and under the effects of gravity, the speed that he was moving at was already scary enough. On the other hand, those six assants were dashing right toward him in order to catch up with him. As one could expect, the fall had nearly cost them their lives. This was especially so for the six celestial beasts, who bore the brunt of the impact. Their organs had ruptured. If they were not treated in time, they might pass away. Looking at the mess beneath him, Zhang Xuan snorted coldly. He had no sympathy for those who went after him in order to fulfill their greed. With a flick of his finger, he sent six surges of sword qi toward the six assants below. Puhe! The sword qi passed through their bee without any resistance. Before they could even say a word, they had already breathed theirst breath. After killing them, Zhang Xuan swiftly collected their storage rings and spears with a wave of his hand. Those spears were high-tier Celestial God artifacts, so they were still rather useful to him. As for the storage rings, there was quite a bit of money inside, but other than that, there was nothing worthy of note. After looting everything of value, Zhang Xuan walked up to one of the aerial celestial beasts. He was intending to heal it to continue on his way, but all of a sudden, his temples started pulsating. It was the feeling of danger encroaching on him. rmed, he immediately darted to the side. Hu! The next instant, a surge of sword qi sliced through the spot where he had been standing a moment ago, creating a gorge several hundred meters long. Even the tough bedrock beneath was sliced in two so easily as if it was a blob of tofu. Despite his powerful body, he would have sustained severe injuries if he had taken that attack head-on. With a grim look on his face, Zhang Xuan turned to look in the direction where the attack came from. There, he saw a middle-aged man making his way toward him one step at a time from the sky. Flight... Hes a God King? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. It seemed like the true mastermind who wanted his pill forms had finally made an appearance. To think that a God King would actually be behind this! Every single God King was highly respected in the Firmament, but this one was so eager to im his possessions that he made a move on him as soon as he was out of the protection of Royal City! Im surprised. You are able to fly despite not being a God King, and you were able to kill six of my strongest subordinates without a hitch. I should have expected as much of the person behind the Beauty Pill and the Breakthrough Pill. I must say that this is quite an eye-opener for me, the middle-aged man said as he stopped around thirty meters away from Zhang Xuan. He had thought that he would be able to capture a mere apothecary without having to make a move himself, but the target turned out to be more formidable than expected. Before he knew it, all his subordinates had passed away. Looking at the middle-aged man coldly, Zhang Xuan asked, Who are you, and what do you want? Are you not afraid of offending the Qi n? ording to what Qi Ling-er said, it seemed like the Qi n had already made it known that they were protecting him. Yet, this God King still dared to make a move on him. Was he not afraid of the wrath of the Qi n? The Qi n? Hahaha, of course I am afraid of them! How could I not be afraid of them? Someone as intelligent as you should have already guessed my intentions. I dont wish to make an enemy out of the Qi n, so as long as you hand over the pill forms, I am willing to let you go, the middle-aged man said with a smile. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. Those words did not tally at all. The God King should have known that he would definitely face the wrath of the Qi n if he get out of there alive, which meant that... He took a swift nce around him, and hisplexion immediately darkened. There were special formations set up around the forest in order to conceal any traces of battle! He had been so preupied with cultivating earlier that he failed to realize that his aerial celestial beast had led him right into this formation! The enemy might have even used some sort of method to lure his aerial celestial beast into this formation. Are the pill forms all you want? Zhang Xuan asked. Indeed. If you die here, the Qi n will surely scour the entire world just to hunt me down. I dont want that to happen, you see, the middle-aged man said. However, since Ive made a move, I have no intention of leaving here empty-handed. You might be thinking that you are powerful enough to give me the slip, but I can tell you frankly that your strength is still far beneath the level of God Kings like me! And what if I refuse? Zhang Xuan said. You wouldnt want to do that. I am quite a short-tempered person myself. If you make me angry, I might identally hurt you, the middle-aged man replied as his lips curled up sinisterly. The middle-aged man would likely kill him regardless of whether he brought out the pill forms or not. He could not possibly risk allowing the Qi n to get on his trail, or else he would be cing himself in grave danger. Zhang Xuan looked at the middle-aged man in the eye and asked, So, you are determined to achieve your goal no matter what happens? You seem to be awfully confident in your strength. Chapter 2179 - Fighting a God King (2)

Chapter 2179 Fighting a God King (2)

You n on fighting against me? The face of the middle-aged man turned livid. He drew his sword, causing a metallic reverberation reminiscent of a dragons roar to echo in the air. The next moment, the middle-aged man suddenly appeared right before Zhang Xuan. His sword tore through the air to strike right down on Zhang Xuans waist. As a God King, his cultivation was strong enough to put him in the highest echelon of the Firmament. His offense did not appear to be as imposing as the attacks from a Celestial God, but that was only because his strength was fully channeled into harming his enemy. There was not the slightest bit of energy wasted as heat or sound. Furthermore, the world seemed to sway along with his movements, reinforcing the might of his attack. Humph! Seeing how the middle-aged man made a move on him as soon as negotiations broke down, Zhang Xuan knew that the other party had other means to extract the pill forms from him even after he was dead. After all, the concept of Soul Search and simr techniques existed on the Firmament as well. It was clear that there was nothing he could say that would make the middle-aged man hold back on him. Since words would make no difference at this point, Zhang Xuan immediately retreated using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. However, even though the movement technique allowed him to fly, the speed at which he could move was drastically beneath that of a God King. Zhang Xuan could barely retreat a dozen steps before another sh was right before him. In that moment, Zhang Xuan opened his arms. As he drove his zhenqi to its limits, he took out the six spears that he had collected from the six assants earlier and directed them toward the middle-aged man. Each of these spears was infused with his Spear Quintessence, granting them superior might. Furthermore, they were positioned in a manner that allowed them to synergize their powers through a coborative formation. You do have some means! The middle-aged man did not expect Zhang Xuan to be such a skilled spear practitioner. With a cold harrumph, he redirected his sword away from Zhang Xuan to deal with the spear formation instead. Peng! Peng! Peng! With a single strike, the six spears were broken at their intersection by a sword, causing the formation to copse. The difference in the tier of the weapons and their cultivation made the result of this collision a foregone conclusion. You would have been a truly terrifying adversary if you had been able to be a God King. Its a pity that such a day will nevere, the middle-aged man remarked as he swung his sword once more. His movements were not toorge, but the despairingly powerful pressure produced by the sh made no question of the might of the attack. Even with the Pathos of Heaven, it was still difficult for Zhang Xuan to bridge the humongous gap that existed between a God King and a Celestial God. If not for that, God Kings would not have been so revered in the world. I think that Im already plenty terrifying as an adversary for you as I am right now though, Zhang Xuan retorted nonchntly. He admitted that his strength was indeedckingpared to the middle-aged man, but thetter was just a mere God King. A good smash from a golden page would probably be enough to grind even a Conferred God King down to smithereens, let alone a God King! The only reason the middle-aged man was still alive was because he did not want to waste his treasure on the likes of him! Conceited, arent you? the middle-aged man scoffed as he brandished his sword furiously. In an instant, the entire sky was covered with sword qi, plunging the surroundings into darkness. This time around, instead of dodging, Zhang Xuan dashed forward. He gathered his sword qi at the tip of his finger, producing a spark of light amid the darkness. It felt iparably insignificantpared to the barrage of sword qi that was swarming the surroundings, yet there seemed to be somepelling power to it that one simply could not ignore. It was a very weird feeling. Despite being a God King, the middle-aged man could not help but feel a little apprehensive at the congregation of sword qi at the tip of Zhang Xuans finger. It made him feel like he was wrapped inyers of silk, leaving him unable to run. Hu! The sword qi covering the sky suddenly surged into the congregation of sword qi at the tip of Zhang Xuans finger, as if it was being devoured. At the same time, the aura of the congregation of sword qi surged to a terrifying extent. What is that sword art? the middle-aged man asked with eyes widened in shock. The sword art was already so powerful even though the young man was only using his finger. If the young man had a sword in his hand, would the sword art have been even more powerful? He had never seen such a ridiculously powerful sword art before! Even God Kings would have some difficulties trying to execute such a powerful move! Feeling goosebumps rising all over his body, the God King immediately raised his sword in preparation to deal with whatever wasing. At the very same time, the young man before him muttered, Only on demise will a silkworm run out of thread; only as ashes will the tears of a candle dry up. The third level of the Pathos of Heavens sword art had finally been created! Prior to the assault, he had figured out what kind of sword art he wanted to create, and in this moment of danger, he had managed to connect with his emotions to pull it off. A day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father! [1] A teacher had to have the same sternness that a parent would have when educating their students, or perhaps even more than that. A teacher should also be a friend. They shouldmunicate with their students with care and concern so as to understand their circumstances and guide them based on their nature. A teacher, as though a nanny, would also worry about everything rting to their students, taking everything about them into consideration regardless of howrge or small they were. The rtionship between a teacher and a student wasplex, and it could not be summarized with just a few words. This was a bond that could be so powerful andsting that it could linger till death. Only on demise will a silkworm run out of thread; only as ashes will the tears of a candle dry up! This sword art was built upon the deepest emotions in his heart, and like a ck hole, it swallowed the middle-aged man whole. Even as a God King, he was unable to stand against the prowess of the sword art. Before he knew it, he was struck square in the chest. A gapingceration appeared right across his chest. You... The middle-aged man did not think that he would be injured in a fight against a high-tier Celestial God, and he could no longer keep hisposure. With a furious roar, he was just about to toss everything aside to y the young man when he felt a chill behind him. Acting solely on his instincts, he channeled his energy to his back to fortify his body. Padah! With a resounding sonic boom, a powerful force rippled across his back as his body catapulted forward before tumbling to the ground. The middle-aged man adeptly leaped to his feet before turning around, only to see another figure that was identical to the young man he was facing. This is... a clone? The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes. It was a clone that shared the same strength as the main body. Where in the world did that fellow manage to find something like that? Attack! Paying no heed to the middle-aged mans shock, Zhang Xuan charged forward as he flicked sword qi from his finger. At the same time, the clone also dashed forward. Due to the unique nature of the Nine Hearts Lotus, the clone did not have to temper its physical body at all. As long as it had an ample amount of God Essence Pill, it was able to strengthen its body and raise its cultivation sufficiently. If not for the Pathos of Heaven, even Zhang Xuan would not have been a match for it. The coordination of the two of them was terrifying. Even with his strength as a God King, the middle-aged man found himself under a lot of stress. Usually, God Kings should have been able to suppress high-tier Celestial Gods easily with just a single finger, but he found himself struggling to cope against the two opponents before him. This made him feel extremely stifled. He had never felt so indignant fighting with someone who was not a God King! It seems like I was looking down on you. However, it doesnt make a difference. You wont be getting away alive! The middle-aged man released his full strength, and in that moment, it felt like the surrounding space had frozen in ce. Zhang Xuan and his clone immediately felt great resistance to their movements, causing them to slow down significantly. Zhang Xuans sword art was powerful, but he did not have an appropriate weapon to use it with. The clone boasted a powerful physical body, but his real cultivation was a little too low. As such, it was still hard for them to match up to a God King. Peng peng! Zhang Xuan and his clone were struck simultaneously, causing them to fly backward. Hu! The clones body wiggled a little, and its injuries vanished without a trace. At the same time, Zhang Xuan channeled his zhenqi toward his injuries, and they swiftly healed up as well. You... The middle-aged man was stunned. He was certain that he had dealt a near fatal wound to Zhang Xuan and his clone in that earlier strike, but the two of them were able to heal up in the blink of an eye. Just what kind of freakish enemy did he just get himself tangled up with? Lowering his head, he saw that the gapingceration across his chest was still dripping blood, and he immediately felt less well. With his constitution as a God King, he would usually be able to heal up from most wounds fast enough as long as he channeled his energy to it. However, he dared not lose his concentration in his fight against the other party, so his injuries only got more and more severe with time. His vigorous movements had caused theceration to tear further, and a greater amount of blood was flowing out from it. He had thought that as long as he could wound the enemy, he should be able to catch a breather to heal his injuries. And he did manage to wound the enemy eventually... but how was he to know that the enemy could heal up in the blink of an eye? Furthermore, it felt like their auras had grown even more violent and powerful after healing up... Are the two of you the incarnation of the God of Cockroaches? Just what in the world do I have to do in order to kill you? At this rate, the situation would only get more disadvantageous to him the more it dragged out. Letser him! Zhang Xuan said as he rushed forward with his clone once more. It was clear that their greatest trump card against the middle-aged man was the difference in their recovery ability. They could afford to attack recklessly whereas the middle-aged man had to tread carefully. Peng peng peng! Three minutester, the middle-aged mans face had already turned ghastly pale from weakness. On the other hand, even though his opponent was in an unkempt state as well, there was not the slightest injury to be seen on them. They were still as vigorous as ever. The middle-aged man clutched his hair in frenzy. How am I supposed to win this battle? He should have been able to kill a high-tier Celestial God easily enough, but before he knew it, the tables had already turned on him. He was the one who was going to be killed. Damn! Knowing that he was in a disadvantageous position, the God King immediately turned around and ran away. Even though he had concealed the area with a formation, it did not change the fact that they were in proximity to Drifting Specter Royal City, if he could not kill his opponent fast enough, he might draw the attention of the Conferred God Kings. You must be thinking that I am a pushover. I should make an example out of you so that others know better than to cross me! If he let his assant get away so easily, he could be certain that he would face more ambushes in the future! So, Zhang Xuan stowed his clone away and chased the God King using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. However, the speed of his flight was simply too slow. He could not catch up with the middle-aged man. Hahaha! I might be unable to kill you, but you arent able to stop me from leaving! The middle-aged man turned around and harrumphed. Just you wait! Itll be the date of your death the next time we meet! Right after saying those words, he turned around and bolted away. But before he could get far, he was forced toe to a halt. Ah? What is... Before he could finish his words, a massive beak appeared before him. Glub! Just like that, the middle-aged man was swallowed whole. Then, a small chick in front of Zhang Xuan. Burp! It released a resounding belch as it shook its bottom leisurely. Little Chick, youre awake? Zhang Xuan asked in agitation. The Little Chick that had gone into hibernation after dying in the Lucid Lunar Lake had awakened once more, and judging by the tremendous power within it... it had actually be a God King! Zhang Xuan had thought that he would be able to be a God King soon enough, but he was unable to gather the Anima of Yearning fast enough, causing his soul cultivation tog behind. As a result, he was still some way off from making a breakthrough. In the end, this chick even beat him to it! A God King chick! Just the thought of it filled him with excitement. [1] This saying literally means: You might be my teacher for a day, but Ill view you as my father for a lifetime. Chapter 2180 - 2180 Sky of Spirit Origin 2180 Sky of Spirit Origin After his initial delight, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little self-conscious. It had been a month since he arrived at the Firmament, but he had only managed to cultivate up to high-tier Celestial God thus far. He could not even match up to a chick. Just thinking about it made him feel so upset that he could hardly breathe. Was his talent really that bad? It seemed like he would have to spend more time on his cultivation in order to make up for hisck of talent then! He really needed to be a God King as soon as possible. He would not be able to lift his head up if he could not even match a chick in terms of cultivation! This little yellow chick had been with him ever since his time at the Sanctum of Sages on the Master Teacher Continent. They had been through the Kunxu Domain and the Azure, and after so long, it was still ahead of him in terms of cultivation. If it had been anyone else, he would surely have felt suicidal. I just woke, burp, up! Little Chick stretched its neck as it patted its round tummy with its wings. It suddenly looked at Zhang Xuan worriedly with its beady eyes and asked, You wont me me for eating that fellow, right? It had been scolded many times by Zhang Xuan for eating things that it should not have. Its fine. Feel free to eat it, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. If its not enough, you can eat the others who areing after me too! If Little Chick had not awoken in time, there was a good chance that he would have used the golden page to subdue the God King. In a sense, it did save him from a great deal of potential trouble in the future. Thanks, boss! Little Chick grinned in delight. Then, its beak suddenly puffed up, and it spat out a sword. This is the weapon that fellow was using. I have already erased the Soul Imprint on it, so you should be able to use it after you enchant and tame it! While swallowing the God King, it had also swallowed his weapon. Zhang Xuan picked up the sword and swiftly enchanted and tamed it. Once that was done, he looked at Little Chick and directed a nod of approval toward it. As expected of someone who had traveled through three worlds with him. At least it still had some conscience. As the sword was a God King artifact, if Little Chick had not removed the Soul Imprint and weapon spirit in it, he would not have been able to enchant or tame it. With such a powerful weapon in his arsenal, his fighting prowess immediately increased a great deal. With the three sword arts that he hadprehended, even if he encountered another God King, he should be able to put up a decent fight against the other party! Looking at the reverberating sword in his hand, Zhang Xuan raised it into the air and proudly dered, From this day forth, you shall be called... God King Sword! Wu! The reverberation abruptly halted. It seemed like the spirit within the sword had fallen into a daze. I am a dignified God King artifact! Others have cool names such as Empty Spring, Dancing Swallow, Venom Dragon, Hidden Canary, Fish Guts, and the like, such that people know their ss just by hearing their name... What the hecks with my God King Sword? Can you be any more perfunctory than this? You dont like it? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Well, you were a gift from Little Chick. Why dont we go with Chicky Sword? Aooo! The sword nearly fell to the ground in shock. It immediately zipped up its mouth and refrained from making any noise. Fine! So be it, God King Sword! At least it sounds better than Chicky Sword. After confirming its name, Zhang Xuan tried to execute a Sword Formation through it, and indeed, it felt exceptionally smooth. He was able to channel his full strength through it with ease. Satisfied with the weapon, he nodded with a pleased smile. Even though it had been a dangerous fight, he had managed to get quite a few things out of the battle. He had gained some experience fighting a God King, and he had obtained this Chicky... ah, God King Sword! Using it together with his newlyprehended sword art, he would be able to put up a fight against ordinary God Kings and even y them! More importantly, he had also finally managed to verify that his body really had an extraordinarily powerful regenerative prowess that did not pale inparison to that of his clone at all! As long as his soul was not destroyed, even if his head was lopped off, he would still be able to recover easily. It was no exaggeration to say that he had gained a deathless body! Wait a moment... Zhang Xuan thought. Could this be because the energy that Ive absorbed has Little Chicks blood mixed into it? In the history of the Qi n, there had been many cultivators who entered the Lucid Lunar Lake. However, there had never been a case where any one of them gained a deathless body like him. Now that he thought about it, Little Chick had been there with him, and its blood had seeped into theke when it was killed by the violent energies within. Could that have something to do with this? Little Chick had been revealing many unique abilities ever since his time in the Azure. While it was still a gourd, its bathwater had been even more effective than the Heavens Path zhenqi in healing injuries. Furthermore, it had been sted into bits several times, but each time, it had revived sessfully without any issues. Even though it was still unsure what kind of legendary beast it was, it was clear that normal damage would not pose any harm to it. Instead, it seemed to nourish it! Each time it died, it woulde back stronger than ever! Was that why his fighting prowess seemed to go up when he sustained more and more injuries while fighting against the God King earlier? Little Chick, are you able to transmogrify yet? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Ordinary divine beasts were able to transmogrify once their cultivation reached low-tier God. Some stronger beasts required their cultivation to reach high-tier God before they were able to transmogrify. As for Pureblooded Dragons like Ao Hua, they needed their cultivation to reach high-tier Celestial God before they were able to morph into humans. Given that Little Chick was already a God King, it should be able to transmogrify, right? I havent given it a try yet, but I think it should be possible... Little Chick nced at its fluffy body as it replied uncertainly. Give it a try then, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. With a nod, Little Chick began to drive the energy within its body. Hu! Its little yellow body shuddered a little before swiftly morphing into a tall, well-built human body. I seeded... I actually managed to transmogrify! Little Chick eximed excitedly. It turned to look at its master, hoping to share its joy with him. However, its master simply stared at it with googly eyes before smacking his own forehead in exasperation. Huh? Whats wrong? Do I not look handsome to you? Little Chick asked in bewilderment. All this while, it had been thinking that it would transmogrify into a tall, dashing man and make its master envious. It did not expect its master to react in such a manner. What did he mean by that facepalm? Perplexed, Little Chick reached out to touch its own face, only to freeze on the spot. Eh? Why didnt my head transform? At this very moment, even though its body had turned into that of a human, its face remained that of a yellow chick. From afar, it looked like a little chick with a monstrously well-toned body. It had hoped to be dashing once it transmogrified, but if it really walked down a crowded street in its current form...there would probably be no more effective social distancing method than this! I think you should drop the idea of transmogrifying. Just be content with being the chick you are, Zhang Xuan said helplessly. Knowing that it would really scare people off in its current form, the stifled Little Chick returned to its little fluffy body and nested itself on Zhang Xuans shoulder. Lets go! Zhang Xuan walked over to one of the injured aerial celestial beasts and treated its injuries. Soon, he was well on his way toward the Great Discement Teleportation Formation on its back. The God King earlier is an unaffiliated cultivator... During the earlier battle, Zhang Xuan had used the Library of Heavens Path to check his opponents background, and it turned out that he was just an unaffiliated cultivator in the Sky of Drifting Specters. Thinking about it, that did make sense. Those who were in a n did not have the privilege to take such a risk and act recklessly. Otherwise, they risked being obliterated by the Qi n. As good as the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill were, they were not worth gambling an entire ns fate on. Knowing that there was no greater power behind the God King who assaulted him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It would have been annoying if he got involved in a whole string of incidents as a result of this. Fortunately, there were no more attempts by other cultivators along the way. He arrived at the Great Discement Teleportation Formation without a hitch. At the peak of the mountain were dozens of towering pirs. Each of them was around several hundred meters tall, and they warded off the surrounding spiritual energy. Most likely, the Teleportation Formation was located at the center of these pirs. The Great Discement Teleportation Formation required significant maniption of spatialws, so the surrounding spiritual energy had to be as stable as possible. For this reason, the pirs were erected in order to limit any disturbances from the surroundings. Zhang Xuan directed the aerial celestial beast tond a distance away from the Teleportation Formation. To not reveal the fact that he could fly, he walked over a step at a time. At the entrance, a guard stepped forward and blocked Zhang Xuans path, saying, Please show your token! Qi Ling-er had really not been exaggerating when she mentioned that the Great Discement Teleportation Formation was tightly guarded. There were over a hundred cultivators on standby here, and every single one of them possessed the strength of a high- tier Celestial God. With theirbined prowess, even a God King would have some trouble trying to bypass them. It seemed like the Sky of Drifting Specters really viewed the Teleportation Formation with great importance. That exined why it was so difficult to obtain the right to use it. Zhang Xuan passed his token over. The guard examined the token carefully before sping his fist respectfully. Young Master Zhang, this way please! Those who were able to obtain the token were all the top experts in their respective fields in each of the Skies. The guards would not dare to offend them. Following the guard, it was not long before Zhang Xuan was brought before the Teleportation Formation. However, it was a little different from what he had expected. There was no circr formation where one had to adjust the coordinates and altitude before activating it, which was how normal Teleportation Formations worked. However, what he saw instead was a cylindrical room with eight doors. Young Master Zhang, may I know which Sky you are nning to visit? I intend to head to the capital of the Sky of Spirit Origin, Spirit Origin Royal City, Zhang Xuan replied. Please take the southern door over there. The guard pointed the way. With a grateful nod, Zhang Xuan walked toward the door with Little Chick. He pushed open the door and entered it. Beyond the door was a swirling screen of light. When he stepped in, his token released a brilliant glow that enveloped him and Little Chick together. The next moment, the world began spinning around him as a mysterious energy swallowed him whole. Hu! He vanished from the spot. The effects of the Great Discement Teleportation Formation were much more fearsome than the Minor Discement Tdeportation Formation. Even though Zhang XuarVs cultivation had already reached high-tier Celestial God, he still felt as if his body was going to be tom apart by the spatial turbulence. When he was finally able to open his eyes once more, he was standing right before a door. He took some time to drive his energy and recover from the toll of the teleportation before opening the door. The guard at the entrance standing on the other side of the door verified his token before allowing him to leave. Is this the Sky of Spirit Origin? Zhang Xuan asked. Yes. The city over there is Spirit Origin Royal City! the guard replied. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over, and he could not help but gasp a little in astonishment. What appeared before him was a massive volcano with arge crater in the middle. The craters radius was thousands of li, making it impossible to see the other end at a nce. It was also hard to tell just how deep it was, especially since it was impossible to extend ones Spiritual Perception into the volcano. Above the crater floated a city that was made up of massive volcanic rocks ced together. Spirit Origin Royal City is floating? Zhang Xuan was stunned. The Sky of Drifting Specters had multiple floating mountains, but they were smaller, and they were resided by major powers within the city... But the entire Spirit Origin Royal City was actually floating! This sure was scary! Chapter 2181 - Disguising as a God Monarch?

Chapter 2181 Disguising as a God Monarch?

Young Master Zhang, if you wish to enter Royal City, I can have my men take you up! the guard said with a smile. It wasmon for first-time visitors in the Sky of Spirit Origin to react in such a manner. The sheer amount of energy required to continuously float an entire city was mind-boggling to most. Neither God Kings nor Conferred God Kings would be capable of pulling off something like that. It would require the intervention of a God Monarch to do something like this. Soon enough, the guards brought an aerial divine beast over. The guard invited Zhang Xuan onto the back of the divine beast before getting on it himself, and the two of them began making their way toward the floating city. Even while they were making their way over, Zhang Xuan could feel a heavy pressureing from the massive city above him. He activated the Eye of Insight to look before widening his eyes in surprise. He turned to look at the guard and said, I cant help but notice that there isnt a formation beneath the city to keep it in the air. How does it remain afloat? Typically speaking, an incredibly powerful formation would have been needed to keep such a massive city in the air. Yet, even when using his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was unable to spot anything of the sort. Hearing those words, the guard chuckled softly before replying with a hint of pride, Spirit Origin Royal City doesnt rely on formations to remain afloat! Hm? What does it rely on then? Zhang Xuan asked. Thews governing the Firmament were exceptionally strong. The fact that only cultivators who had reached the God King realm were able to fly in the air was proof of that. Surely it was impossible for such a huge city to be a God King, right? If so, what could it be relying on other than formations to remain in the air? Its a feather, the guard replied with a smile. Back when the city was first constructed, it simply wouldnt fly no matter what we did. Just as everyone was at a loss as to what to do, the Fire Feather Conferred King found a mystical feather somewhere and ced it beneath the city. Amazingly, supported by the feather, the entire city started floating in the air! Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by the story. He turned to look at the bottom of the floating city, and there was indeed a humongous feather over several hundred li[l] long there. It seemed to be providing the force that kept the entire city floating stably in the air. At this moment, the voice of the yellow chick suddenly sounded by his ear side. I want to eat it... Eat your head! Zhang Xuan retorted speechlessly. Why is it that all thats in your head is food? It was one thing when you were a cute little chick, but you are a God King now! Could you pay more heed to your image? You might not care about your reputation, but I still value mine a lot! No, I dont want to eat my head. I want to eat that feather over there! Little Chick replied earnestly. Stop talking nonsense. You cant eat that feather, Zhang Xuan replied strictly. Putting aside how it was impossible for Little Chick to eat that massive feather, just the imposing aura it emanated was already far beyond what ordinary God Kings could deal with! Furthermore, Spirit Origin Royal City was relying on that feather to prop it up. If Little Chick somehow managed to eat it, he was certain that everyone in the Sky of Spirit Origin would charge frenziedly at him to mince him! Fine... Seeing how its master was not allowing it to eat the feather, Little Chick shook its head in dejection. It leaped down from Zhang Xuans shoulder and returned to his dantian. Since it was not allowed to eat that feather, it should just keep it out of sight so that it could ignore the feather. Otherwise, it would just get more and more hungry looking at it. The divine beast was extremely fast. It was not long before they arrived at the floating city. Can you tell me some of the things I should take note of while Im at Spirit Origin Royal City? Also, just out of curiosity, I would also like to know more about the Fire Feather Conferred King that you mentioned earlier, Zhang Xuan said as he passed a middle-tier God Essence Pill over. Given that the other party was an ordinary high-tier Celestial God, a middle-tier God Essence Pill was already a substantial sum to him. As expected, the guards attitude immediately changed as soon as he saw the middle-tier God Essence Pill. epting the gift heartily, he began exining with a smile, As you know, Young Master Zhang, Spirit Origin Royal City is the capital of the Sky of Spirit Origin. Its ruled by the Spirit Origin Monarch, otherwise known as the Deathless Monarch. The fact that you were able to gain the rights to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation means that you possess strength on par with God Kings. Since thats the case, the only beings you really need to take note of are the three Conferred God Kings. The first one is the Fire Feather God King whom I mentioned before. He possesses the bloodline of the Inferno Phoenix. Hes exceptionally fearsome when hes in a state of rage; theres nothing in the world that he wont burn down! Hes one of the stronger Conferred God Kings in the Firmament, and he governs the southern area of Royal City. The second one is the cier Feather Conferred God King. He descends from the lineage of the cier Phoenix. Everything that he touches will be covered in ayer of frost. He governs the northern area of Royal City. Last but not least is the Tempestuous Feather God King. He has inherited the bloodline of the Tempestuous Phoenix, and he is known for his swift movements that are almost like teleportation. While his fighting prowess isckingpared to the other two, hes the hardest to deal with of all. He governs the western area of Royal City. While hearing the guards exnation, Zhang Xuan looked at the floating city beneath him and noted that the southern area was covered with heatwaves whereas the northern area was snowing. There was a massive difference in the climates of the two sides of the city, as if they were two different worlds that were forcefully fixed together. While looking at the sight in wonderment, Zhang Xuan asked the guard beside him, Since the three Conferred God Kings possess the bloodline of phoenixes, does that mean that the Spirit Origin Monarch... It felt too much of a coincidence for three Conferred God Kings in the same region to be of the same species. Thinking about it, most of the top experts of the Sky of Cloud Dragon were descendants of the Dragon Tribe. Could it be the same for the Sky of Spirit Origin? You dont know about it? the guard asked in bewilderment. Know about what? Zhang Xuan was equally bewildered. Seeing how Zhang Xuan was really ignorant about this, the guard sighed deeply before replying, The Sky of Spirit Origin is known as the Sky of Deathlessness, and our God Monarch is also known as the Deathless Monarch. Do you know why our God Monarch is addressed as such? Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. The first response that came to his mind was that the Deathless Monarch might be an existence that was unaffected by death, but when he thought about the tomb that he had encountered in the Azure, he eventually chose to hold back his words. Perhaps the concept of eternity was not truly existent in the Firmament either, even for the seemingly omnipotent God Monarchs. While God Monarchs were known to be lofty existences that transcended thews of the world, they might not necessarily be as infallible as they appeared. The rise of Kong shi was one perfect example. Furthermore, the fact that they were subordinates of the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom also meant something. The reason our God Monarch is addressed by such is because hes a transmogrified beast as well. His true form is the noblest bloodline of the Nine Skies Phoenix Tribe, the Deathless Celestial Phoenix, the guard exined with a hushed voice. If not for Zhang Xuans generosity, he would not have spoken about the affairs of a God Monarch so easily. Deathless Celestial Phoenix? Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. It appeared that many of the God Monarchs were not humans after all. Do you know which God Monarchs of the Nine Skies are transmogrified beasts? Zhang Xuan asked. Seeing how a person of such high standing was actually oblivious to suchmon knowledge, the guard shook his head and said, Those who are guarding the north, south, east, and west of the Firmament are all transmogrified beasts. The true form of the Cloud Dragon Monarch from the Eastern Sky of Cloud Dragon is an Azure Dragon; God Monarch Fumeng of the Sky of Adamant Gold is a White Tiger; the Deathless God Monarch of our Southern Sky of Spirit Origin is the Deathless Celestial Phoenix, otherwise known as the Vermilion Phoenix; and the Acheron God Monarch of the Northern Sky of Acheron is the ck Tortoise! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Even though he had learned quite a bit during his conversation with Fu Jiangchen, his knowledge regarding the Nine God Monarchs was still sorelycking. He did not know that there was such a thing. Azure Dragon in the East, White Tiger in the West, Vermilion Phoenix in the South, and ck Tortoise in the North... Alright, I have already said what I can say. You should get along with whatever you need to do. However, you should take note that the rules in Spirit Origin Royal City are pretty strict, so itd be best if you try to stay out of trouble. There are cases where God Kings have been killed after causing trouble here. The guard offered his final word of warning before leaping back onto his aerial divine beast. Just give me a moment more. Theres onest question that I would like to ask you! Zhang Xuan eximed to stop the guard from leaving. May I know where the God Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin resides? Also, do those in the city address him as the Spirit God? Indeed, our God Monarch is also known as the Spirit God. In fact, the ce where he resides is known as Spirit God Pce. However, its said that Spirit God Pce has remained shut for decades now, and even the Fire Feather Conferred God King hasnt been able to enter the premises, the guard said. Im afraid that theres nothing more I can tell you about our God Monarch. This is really the extent of my knowledge! Zhang Xuan understood that he would be putting the guard on the spot by asking any more than this. Furthermore, it was unlikely that he would know much about what was happening in the upper echelons of the city. Thus, he asked, Then, do you know anyone I could visit if I want to learn more? That depends on what you want to learn about, the guard said. If its just typical news, you can try your luck at the market. There are people from all walks of life there, so theres a great deal of information going around. Putting everything aside, I heard that those who are well-connected in the market are even able to ess the Beauty Pill that has recently gained a lot of attention in the Sky of Drifting Specter! If what you are trying to investigate is sensitive in nature, simr to what you asked about earlier, the market would surely prove insufficient. You would have to look for those in the ns of the three Conferred God Kings. Given their higher standing, they will surely know more about the matter! You have my gratitude! Zhang Xuan sped his fist before bidding farewell. The guard was right. It would indeed be unlikely for the ordinary citizens to know much about the affairs of the God Monarch. If he wanted to know if Luo Ruoxin had really inherited the position of the Deathless God Monarch and be the next Spirit God, his best bet would be the three Conferred God Kings. After all, they were likely the closest to the God Monarch. The only issue was that... Conferred God Kings were incredibly powerful existences, wielding strength that even God Kings could not match. It would be hard for him toe into contact with them and make them listen to his words, unless... He assumed an identity that even the Conferred God Kings feared! One perfect example would be how Qi Meng had mistaken him for a God Monarch back in the Sky of Drifting Specter. Due to that, not only had he been able to purchase high-tier God Essence Pills with ease, most of his requests had been swiftly fulfilled. It was due to their support that the event he held to introduce the Breakthrough Pill had gone so sessfully. With a solid identity, he would be able to easily uncover any information that he needed. Rubbing his be, he muttered thoughtfully, Should I try disguising myself as a God Monarch? [1] One li = 0.5km. Chapter 2182 - The Right to Enter Spirit God Palace

Chapter 2182 The Right to Enter Spirit God Pce

This thought had barely surfaced in his mind for a moment before it was cast away. God Monarchs were the strongest experts in the world. It was one thing if others misunderstood his identity; after all, they were the ones who would be humiliated if others realized that they had recognized the wrong person as their God Monarch. However, if he was caught impersonating a God Monarch, that could be viewed as an act of challenging the long- established authority of the God Monarchs! That could make him an enemy of the God Monarchs. So, unless he was able to raise his strength, it was best to avoid such a risky move. This was simr to how if an artisan dared to forge the imperial seal and act as if they were the emperor, everyone in their lineage would be beheaded as a warning to others. Besides, even if he wanted to impersonate a God Monarch, who should he impersonate? He knew far too little about the Nine God Monarchs and their special abilities. He had asked Qi Ling-er directly about it previously, and it seemed like the Qi n thought that he was the Spirit God. Perhaps the Qi n only made such a mistake due to theirck of understanding of the Spirit God, but if he continued assuming the same identity in Spirit Origin Royal City... If the current Spirit God was really Luo Ruoxin, that would be fine. If not, he would be royally screwed. Besides, what would be the point of it? Once the Conferred God Kings start asking questions, Id end up giving myself away for sure. And a God Monarch would be able to see through my disguise instantly... With Luo Ruoxins disguise amulet, he could disguise himself as the member of some n and fool ordinary humans. He had no confidence that he could do the same when it came to the God Monarchs. It might be possible for Conferred God Kings to make a mistake, but would the God Monarchs fail to recognize their own peers? If he could not get in contact with the Conferred God Kings and God Monarchs even after impersonating a God Monarch, there would be no point in him doing so in the first ce. Thus, he pondered for a while longer, but no ideas came to mind. In the end, he looked at the guard ahead of him once more before saying, To be frank with you, I need to meet the Deathless God Monarch by hook or by crook. Do you know of any ways I could possibly do so? You wish to meet our God Monarch? The guard shook his head. We would love to meet our God Monarch too, but its a pity that our cultivation is too low... Probably only those who have reached the level of a Conferred God King are qualified for that! As the citizens of the Sky of Spirit Origin, it was only normal for them to be curious about their own God Monarch. However, if everyone was allowed to meet the God Monarch, thetter would not have to do his work anymore. Just meeting everyone would be enough to tire him to death! Then... what about entering Spirit God Pce? Zhang Xuan asked. As the center of the Sky of Spirit Origin, it shouldnt be possible for Spirit God Pce to bepletely closed off from the world, right? It is possible to enter Spirit God Pce, but that wont be easy either. Usually, only those summoned by the God Monarchs are allowed to enter the area... Even for the members of the Three Great ns, only the one who has triumphed over all others will be granted the right to enter Spirit God Pce to cultivate for a night, the guard replied. The strongest can cultivate for a night in Spirit God Pce? Zhang Xuan asked. The most powerful ability of the Phoenix Tribe is their ability to revive from ashes, the guard said. However, the only lineage to have inherited this ability is the Deathless Celestial Phoenix. Furthermore, our God Monarch has no offspring. So, he permitted the Phoenix Tribe to hold a tournament among themselves every hundred years to select the most talented offspring to enter the Deathless Lava Reservoir. Through the powers of the Deathless Lava Reservoir, theres a chance that they canprehend the Quintessence of Deathlessness, and with such a foundation, their cultivation and standing will catapult straight up. Its highly possible that the cultivator would be able to make a breakthrough to God King swiftly after that! The Deathless Lava Reservoir? Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised. Didnt the facility fall to ruin decades ago? He had heard about it from Zhuo Feng, and it was known to be the number one body tempering spot in the Firmament. The only problem was that it had grown obsolete and could not be repaired anymore. Due to that, he had gone to the Lucid Lunar Lake instead. I dont know the details, but even if it has fallen to ruin, the spiritual energy andws infused into it should still exist. Furthermore, there are traces of our God Monarch in Spirit God Pce. It would still be highly beneficial for a cultivator to cultivate inside the pce, the guard replied. Zhang Xuan nodded silently. The higher ones cultivation, the deeper onesprehension of the heavens. The God Monarchs had reached a level where even a mere thoughtless gesture from them could be inspiration for others, such that one could contemte over it for their entire life. This was simr to how Kong shis teachings were still being interpreted by the cultivators in the Master Teacher Continent through the artifacts he had left behind. Even though the Deathless Lava Reservoir had been destroyed, the opportunity to enter Spirit God Pce and cultivate for a night would still be highly beneficial to ones future cultivation. As long as I can enter Spirit God Pce, theres a good chance that Ill be able to meet Ruoxin... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. Currently, it was difficult for him to ask about the affairs of the Deathless Monarch, and there was a good chance that the news he received wouldnt be reliable either. Furthermore, he might just get himself into trouble for probing too deeply. There was nothing more effective than entering Spirit God Pce himself and seeing the truth with his own eyes. With such a thought in mind, he hurriedly asked, You mentioned that the most talented offspring of the Three Great ns is allowed to enter Spirit God Pce, right? How do they select the most talented offspring? Its through a tournament, of course, the guard replied. You arrived just in time. The centennial tournament will be held just five days from now. Each of the ns will elect ten of their most talented offspring to represent them in the tournament, and the one who emerges at the top will gain the right to enter Spirit God Pce. As for what kind of tournament it is, Im afraid that I dont really know the details. So far, the news has caused quite a bit ofmotion in Royal City, and there are many people looking forward to it. After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan finally had a good grasp of the situation. There was only a single slot to enter Spirit God Pce every hundred years, so the tournament for it was extremely brutal. It was viewed as a huge festive affair that would attract a lot of spectators every single time. Even among the members of the Three Great ns, there were some requirements that one had to meet in order to be a candidate. Their cultivation had to be at high-tier Celestial God at the very minimum, and their age must not have exceeded thirty. Even with the superior bloodline of the Phoenix Tribe, the criteria were more than enough to filter off most of the people. After all, not everyone was as monstrous as Zhang Xuan, who was able to ovee his bottleneck so easily. Other than that, ones bloodline needed to be sufficiently pure, and ones intelligence had to be decent as well. Otherwise, it would simply be a wasted opportunity if the winner of the tournament failed toprehend the Quintessence of Deathlessness. While the guard was not sure about what the tournament format was, the tests were likely designed in a manner that assessed ones cultivation, temperament, and intelligence. Only those who had ticked off all the criteria would be able to rise to the top. Over the past month, the Three Great ns have been summoning their offspring back to Royal City so that they can make it in time for the selection, the guard said. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. It wasmon for offspring of ns to journey around the Firmament to rue some worldly experiences. Nevertheless, they would still gather together for something as important as this. Zhang Xuan proceeded to ask a few more questions, and the guard answered what he knew honestly. It was only after the guard bade farewell and left that he began venturing into the city. Spirit Origin Royal City was a floating city, but somehow, it did not feel any different from anyndbound city. Walking through the streets, Zhang Xuan swiftly internalized the information that he had just received. Simr to the Dragon Tribe of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, the Phoenix Tribe likely has a lot of offspring around the Firmament. Some of them eventually returned whereas the others chose to settle down elsewhere. As such, its impossible for them to keep track of everyone in their lineage. Is it possible for me toe up with an alternative identity, simr to that of Luo Tianya, and try to sneak my way into one of the ns to acquire the opportunity? Chapter 2183 - Feng Jiuge Chapter 2183 Feng Jiuge A lineage with tens of thousands of years of history behind it would inevitably grow too big to log every single one of their members in their records. Some of their members might be killed while they were carrying out their mission; some of them might be trapped somewhere after stumbling upon a fortuitous encounter... There were simply too many people whose records were inconclusive, but in truth, their offspring were still living in the world. It was for this reason that the Sky of Cloud Dragon announced to the world that it would strictly deal with anyone who dared to trade or tame any beast possessing the Dragon Bloodline. The purpose of that was so that they could protect the members scattered all over the Firmament and bring them back. This was a perfect identity for Zhang Xuan to gain the right to be one of their ten representatives in the uing tournament. As long as no issues arose while his bloodline was being checked, he should be in a pretty safe position. As for whom he should impersonate... Was that a problem at all? Those ns would have no idea how they could start tracking down his background! This is settled! Zhang Xuan ran through his n once more, but he could not find any ring issues with it. So, he began making his way toward the closest of the Three Great nsthe Inferno Phoenix n. The buildings within the jurisdiction of the Inferno Phoenix n were crimson in color. Basked in the searing glow of the sun, the entire city was as hot as a furnace. If not for the fact that everyone who lived in this area was at least at the God realm, they probably would not even havested a single minute there. Zhang Xuans body had been tempered by the Lucid Lunar Lake, making it on par with high-tier Celestial God artifacts. Such a level of heat was well within his means to deal with. While walking through the streets, he asked the passersby for where the Inferno Phoenix n resided before heading over. Soon enough, he found himself standing before a humongous mansion. Just like with the Qi n, it was surrounded by a powerful formation that prevented outsiders from entering the premises. Zhang Xuan did not try to barge his way through the formation. Instead, he headed to the tavern opposite the mansion. The guard whom he had talked to previously did not know too much about the political situation of the Three Great ns. As the saying went, the best ce to gather information was the tavern, where people from all walks of life gathered. He might be able to gather some useful news that would help himter. At the very least, he would not bepletely lost after entering the Inferno Phoenix n. He chose a seat by the window and ordered some wine and meat before digging into his meal leisurely. At some point in time, the doors of the Inferno Phoenix n suddenly creaked open, and a silhouette stumbled out before copsing to the ground. Scram! Following that, two young men walked out with a haughty attitude. The fallen youth struggled to his feet as he red at the two haughty young men before him furiously. Feng Chao and Feng Xiang, you are too much! The youth was in his early twenties. One thing that stood out about him was the me mark on his be. However, his face looked unnaturally pale, suggesting that he was not in the best condition. Too much? the young man known as Feng Chao sneered coldly. Feng Jiuge, are you still living in the era two years ago? You are no longer the genius you think you are, and your bloodline has also been burned dry. Dont you know that you have already been kicked out of the core lineage? Dont make us waste our time on you and scram! You were strong and talented two years ago, and we were nothing more than antspared to you back then. But right now, you are nothing more than useless trash! Hurry up and get out of here! No one will speak up for you even if we throw you into the beast cages! Feng Xiang harrumphed. Geji! Geji! The youth named Feng Jiuge clenched his fists tight in anger. Indignation was written all over his face, but in the end, he did not say a word at all. With a darkened expression on his face, he quietly left the area. What a pity! Tragic, isnt it? Feng Jiuge was the most brilliant genius of the Inferno Phoenix n several years ago, but due to an ident, his bloodline was ruined. All of a sudden, he was no longer able to raise his cultivation; on the contrary, he even grew weaker with time! Soon enough, he was kicked out of the core lineage, bing a person whom anyone could pick on! This is how it is withrge ns. If you are strong and talented, you will be a member of the core lineage that everyone respects. If not, you are nothing at all! With the receding of spiritual energy, even the Inferno Phoenix n is facing a shortage of cultivation resources. Those who arent in the core lineage receive very limited resources, so their aplishments are essentially capped. This is simply the harsh reality of the world! There were many in the tavern who saw the earlier sight, and they began discussing with hushed voices. After hearing for a while, Zhang Xuan was able to roughly understand the story behind it. Two years earlier, Feng Jiuge had been the most radiant star in the Inferno Phoenix n. Despite his young age, he had already been a middle-tier Celestial God. Not only so, his grasp of battle techniques also far surpassed his peers, making him an existence that countless look up to. It was just that fate liked to y pranks on people. In one of the missions he took on, he encountered something that caused him to sustain great injuries. Not only so, his bloodline seemed to have been forcefully torn out of his body, vanishing without a trace. As soon as the n found out about it, the cultivation resources that he was entitled to decreased drastically, and many questioned his standing in the n. Just a few days ago, there had been yet another check on his bloodline, and it was found that the purity of his bloodline had be so sparse that it could not even bepared to ordinary members in the side family. As a result, he was evicted from the core lineage and driven out of the n. Unwilling to ept such an oue, Feng Jiuge tried to appeal, only to be kicked out by Feng Chao and Feng Xiang. The earlier scene was a result of that. Back when he was the brightest star in the Inferno Phoenix n, everyone was dying to fawn over him and lick his boots. The experts on the Board of Potential God Kings viewed him as their brother, and Feng Chao and Feng Xiang did everything they could to get on his good side. But now that Feng Jiuge has fallen from grace, those two were the first ones to turn their backs on him! Well, this is just how the world is. Its usually the most humble and subservientpdog that bites the most viciously when its master falls from grace! The crowd shook their heads. Those without strength were nothing at all in the Firmament. This was simply how the world was, there was no one to me for this. Amid discussions, the severely wounded Feng Jiuge walked into the tavern and sat down not too far away from Zhang Xuan. Without saying a word, he began gulping down wine in huge mouthfuls. Xuan. Without saying a word, he began gulping down wine in huge mouthfuls. The renowned genius from before indeed did not look too powerful. His cultivation was only at low-tier Celestial God, and his zhenqi felt exceptionally weak and sparse. From the looks of it, it seemed very possible for his cultivation to fall once more. I wonder what he encountered for his cultivation to start falling like that... Zhang Xuan did not feel particrly sympathetic to Feng Jiuges plight, but he was intrigued by thetters situation. Under normal circumstances, unless a cultivator suffered severe injuries to their meridians or dantian, it was very difficult for their cultivation to regress. He could tell that what the crowd had gossiped about earlier was not wrong. It was likely that Feng Jiuge had been a high-tier Celestial God back at his peak, but right now, it felt like he would fall from the ranks of Celestial Gods very soon... Just what did he encounter to be faced with such a situation? Let me take a look... Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look at the young man. A momentter, he frowned. Killing intent? The young man in front of him harnessed a surge of concentrated killing intent within his body. Even though the young man had hidden it well, it was still insufficient to circumvent the detection of the Eye of Insight. Most of those who have been on battlefields will have some degree of killing intent inside their body. Such was the case for Zhuo Feng. But the killing intent in Feng Jiuges body is oddly simr to that of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... To think that the young man, Feng Jiuge, would have the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe inside him! This had really spurred Zhang Xuans curiosity. Chapter 2184 - 2184 Treating Feng Jiuge 2184 Treating Feng Jiuge Having been through the Master Teacher Continent, Azure, and the Firmament, Zhang Xuan was able to understand how the difference in spiritual energy could affect the lifeforms living in the environment. The differences between the three worldsy mainly in the stability in spatialws and temporalws and the concentration of spiritual energy. It was mainly the difference in spiritual energy that resulted in a vast difference in the prowess of their cultivators. That was why lifeforms in the Firmament were mostly born as Semi-Divinities, and with just a bit of cultivation, they could easily be Gods. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe carried extremely concentrated killing intent inside their bodies, making them extremely restless and bloodthirsty. However, through the absorption of the mercury-like spiritual energy in the Azure, the concentrated killing intent within their bodies would be neutralized significantly. The spiritual energy in the Firmament should have the same effect. Despite being a Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, ever since arriving in the Firmament, Liu Yang had found that no matter how he tried to drive his simplified Heavens Path Divine Art in reverse, he was unable to recreate the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. This meant that the spiritual energy in the Firmament was more than enough to neutralize the killing intent in his body. So, it was rather bewildering that Feng Jiuge actually had such killing intent within his body. Zhang Xuan turned toward the mansion of the Inferno Phoenix n, where there were guards on standby outside. Through the Eye of Insight, he could tell that those people shared the same bloodline as Feng Jiuge, but they did not have any killing intent in their bodies. The Deathless Celestial Phoenix is the old ancestor of the Phoenix Tribe, as well as the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Given so, it isnt too odd for his descendants to harness killing intent within their bodies... What was odd, however, was that only Feng Jiuge possessed killing intent within his body. What made him so special that he had something that his peers did not? Zhang Xuan examined Feng Jiuge a little longer, but he still was not able to discern the cause of this anomaly through his Eye of Insight. So, picking up his wine vat, he began walking toward Feng Jiuges table. He sat opposite to the young man, and without saying a word, he began gulping down his wine. Noticing Zhang Xuans presence, Feng Jiuge frowned in displeasure. He waved his hands impatiently as he grunted, Scram! I might have be the trash of the Inferno Phoenix n, but Im still not someone that just anyone can make fun of! I happened to hear of the tournament that will be happening within the n very soon, so I rushed all the way to Spirit Origin Royal City. I only happened to hear of your affair coincidentally. Dont worry, I bear no ill will toward you. I just wanted somepany for a drink, Zhang Xuan replied heartily. You are a member of the Inferno Phoenix n too? Feng Jiuge raised his head to look at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. You can say that, Zhang Xuan replied without exining further. Then, he leaned in a little and said curiously, I noticed that your foundation is quite firm, and there are no visible injuries on your body. Why is your cultivation regressing? Humph! Feng Jiuge was just starting to feel some goodwill toward the young man before him when thetter suddenly started rubbing salt in his wound. His face immediately turned livid. His cultivation might have regressed, but his eyes were still sharp. He could tell that the young man before him was even stronger than him when he was at his peak. If not for that, he would have already lost his temper. You are thinking too much. On top of being a member of the Inferno Phoenix n, I am also quite a renowned physician. Well, to be frank, I only approached you because I found your condition quite mystifying. That being said, I believe that I might be able to help you. Noticing Feng Jiuges enmity, Zhang Xuan took out the Great Discement Teleportation Formations token and passed it over. The name of the owner and his aplishment that granted him the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation was inscribed on the token. Taking a look at the token, Feng Jiuge narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Then, he slowly lifted his gaze to look at Zhang Xuan once more, but this time, his eyes were filled with agitation. As someone who had once been part of the core lineage of the Inferno Phoenix n, he knew just how difficult it was to earn the right to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. He could not have obtained it even if he wanted to back when he was at his peak. Yet, the young man before him had earned the right to it on the basis of his medical skills. That effectively meant that his medical skills were at the forefront of the Nine Skies. I dont know what is going on either, Feng Jiuge replied with a deep sigh as he ced the wine vat on the table. Ever since that mission, it feels like my body is full of holes. No matter how I try to absorb spiritual energy, Im unable to retain it in my body. Thats not all. My cultivation is also slowly slipping away with time... Over the past two years, my cultivation has fallen all the way to my current state! You arent able to retain spiritual energy in your body? Zhang Xuan nodded pensively. Can you execute a punching routine for me? Of course! Knowing that the young man was a formidable physician, Feng Jiuge stood up without any hesitation and released a punch. As if a massive dragon rising from the sea to seek its prey, his punch carried a domineering pressure that forced his opponent to submit to him. Just by looking at the conceptualization behind his punch, it was obvious that he was a true genius in martial arts. However, barely after the punch advanced halfway through, it suddenly came to a halt. It felt like Feng Jiuge had suddenly run out of steam, preventing him from utilizing his true strength. At the same time, Feng Jiuges face paled, and a grunt escaped his lips. Back at his peak, he could easily execute such a move a hundred times without feeling the slightest bit of exhaustion. Yet, he could not even finish a single punch now before feeling utterly fatigued. This made him feel deeply despaired. He felt like the him from two years ago had really vanished and would never return. The thought of having to live his life like that frightened him greatly. Sighing deeply, Feng Jiuge looked at Zhang Xuan with a wry look on his face and said, Pardon me, Ill try again... Theres no need for that, Zhang Xuan interjected as he immersed his consciousness in the Library of Heavens Path. He had already managed topile a book on the young mans condition. It doesnt seem like theres anything here that could affect his cultivation though... Zhang Xuan frowned. There were many ws recorded in the book, but none of them exined the reason behind Feng Jiuges fall in cultivation. In other words, even the Library of Heavens Path was able to discern the reason behind his falling cultivation! This was really perplexing. Ever since the Library of Heavens Path reawakened in the Firmament, he had been able to see through even the ws of a Conferred God King. So, why was he unable to uncover the reason behind Feng Jiuges current condition? Do you mind if I check your pulse? Zhang Xuan asked. I am grateful that you are willing to offer your help, but its fine if you arent able to solve it. I have already grown used to it now... Feng Jiuge keenly noticed the changes in Zhang Xuans expression, and his expectant gaze slowly died off. He had consulted many physicians on his situation before, and some of them were well-known in the Sky of Spirit Origin. Unfortunately, none had been able to determine the reason behind his condition. He dared not get his hopes up out of fear that he would only be disappointed once more. Im just taking a look. Its not as if you will lose anything, Zhang Xuan grumbled. I guess so... Theres nothing more I can lose in my current state anyway... Feng Jiuge sighed deeply. With his cultivation and standing taken away from him, he found himselfpletely alone in the world. There was no one who was willing to associate themselves with him after his downfall. He felt like he had already lost everything. Besides, the young man seated in front of him was far stronger than him. There was nothing he could do if the other party intended him harm. So, he stretched his arm out toward Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan ced his finger on Feng Jiuges pulse and infused a surge of Heavens Path zhenqi discreetly into his body. Tzzzz! Zhang Xuan navigated his zhenqi through Feng Jiuges meridians carefully, and just as it was passing through a certain point, it suddenly halted. Hu! The surge of zhenqi abruptly dissipated without a trace, as if it had never existed. This... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. The Heavens Path zhenqi had never failed him. Ever since he cultivated the Pathos of Heaven, its prowess had been greater than ever. Yet, there was something inside Feng Jiuges body that was able to make his Heavens Path zhenqi dissipate... Just what in the world was happening? Chapter 2185 - Pufferfish

Chapter 2185 Pufferfish

Dumbstruck, Zhang Xuan drove another surge of zhenqi to the same area once more. But before he knew it, the surge of zhenqi dissipated. It was as if there was some sort of peculiar energy lurking inside Feng Jiuges body, swallowing his Heavens Path zhenqi. This unusual situation made Zhang Xuan narrow his eyes. Even a God King would be restrained by him after swallowing his Heavens Path zhenqi, but the thing in Feng Jiuges body was able to devour his Heavens Path zhenqi. Could Feng Jiuges falling cultivation be the result of the thing inside his body constantly swallowing his zhenqi? Lets see how much you can take in! This situation had triggered Zhang Xuanspetitiveness. He began to drive his zhenqi into Feng Jiuges body furiously through his meridians. Initially, he had only sent in an extremely small amount out of fear that Feng Jiuge would notice it, but at this point, he pulled out all the stops. He did not believe that the thing inside Feng Jiuges body would be able to swallow all the energy he was sending over! Meanwhile, sensing an insane amount of zhenqi suddenly surging into his body, Feng Jiuges eyes widened into circles. An overpowering pressure carrying the weight of the heavens rushed rampantly into his body. He felt like his soul would be torn apart at this rate. So, he anxiously tried to withdraw his wrist, only to realize that the other partys fingers were holding onto him firmly like a pair of metal tongs. No matter how he tugged and pulled, he was unable to retract his hand. Let... Feng Jiuge wanted to shout out loud, but the other partys zhenqi was simply too strong. He felt like he was being utterly subdued by the force, preventing him from even speaking properly. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan waspletely unaware of Feng Jiuges state. He had closed his eyes in order to focus entirely on dealing with the thing in Feng Jiuges body. Under the rush of his Heavens Path zhenqi, he was finally able to perceive what the thing was. It was a gray congregation of energy, but he could not tell exactly what it was. As Zhang Xuan channeled his zhenqi to charge at the gray congregation of energy, thetter immediately released a green glow. No, it isnt swallowing my zhenqi... Rather, the two forces are neutralizing one another? He was perplexed as to what kind of force was capable of swallowing his Heavens Path zhenqi, but it seemed like he was mistaken. The two forces were actually thinning down one another. When his Heavens Path zhenqi collided with the gray stream of energy, the two forces transformed into a green glow of energy before dissipating. No, that doesnt seem to be it. The gray congregation of energy doesnt seem to be neutralizing all of my Heavens Path zhenqi... His Heavens Path zhenqi was swiftly vanishing as it collided with the gray congregation of energy, but weirdly enough, while a huge chunk of it was vanishing, there was still a small portion that was being left behind. Going by proportions, in about a hundred surges of zhenqi, there would be one surge that was retained. Wait a moment! Is this... refinement? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. He could sense it. The Heavens Path zhenqi that remained had been purified by at least tenfold. While he could not sense exactly how much stronger it had be, it was clear that it had gone through a transformative change. Thats not exactly it either. It seems to be neutralizing my Heavens Path zhenqi, leaving behind just the zhenqi Ive cultivated afterprehending the Pathos of Heaven... Currently, there were two different types of zhenqi mixed into Zhang Xuan bodythe Heavens Path zhenqi, which he cultivated using the Heavens Path Divine Art, and the upgraded version of it after he started cultivating the Pathos of Heaven. Those two were mixed together, and it was extremely hard to separate them from one another. Given the difficulty in doing so, Zhang Xuan had not bothered dealing with it. Yet, who could have known that he would be able to do it through the gray congregation of energy? The gray congregation of energy was able to neutralize his Heavens Path zhenqi, but it was utterly helpless against the zhenqi that he had cultivated using the Pathos of Heaven. As a result, it created an effect simr to refinement. I didnt think youd be so useful to me. Since you can refine my zhenqi, Ill give you more of it! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan continued sting his zhenqi into Feng Jiuges body. As the two continued colliding with one another, the green glow grew brighter and brighter. Even though there was only a single congregation of the gray energy, it seemed to be exceptionally pure. He had been at this for quite a few minutes, but he had only managed to dissipate half of the gray congregation of energy. It seemed like the opponent was tougher than he thought. Taking a deep breath, he was just about to clear away the gray congregation of energy in one shot when he suddenly felt someone patting his shoulder. His instincts told him that the person did not bear any malicious intention toward him. That being said, a slight frown still etched its way onto his face from being disturbed. While continuing to infuse zhenqi into Feng Jiuges body, he turned to look at the person, only to freeze in ce. Unknowingly, dozens of people had gathered around him. Most of them were the customers who had been drinking there, and that included the middle-aged men who had been gossiping about Feng Jiuge. As for the one who had patted his shoulder, he was an elder who had a walking stick in hand. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. I didnt want to get involved in your business, but no matter what, we are in the territory of the Inferno Phoenix n. If something happens here and we are found to have simply watched on silently, we will all get into a great deal of trouble. It wont be good for you to get on the bad side of the Inferno Phoenix n. As one of the elders in this tavern, I can only intervene in this matter. So, pardon me for asking, but what kind of grudge do you have with Feng Jiuge? the elder asked while stroking his beard. His voice was very refined. From his tone of speech, he was likely an academic. Zhang Xuan was surprised by the question. He shook his head and replied, Theres no grudge between us. The elder frowned. If thats the case, why are you grabbing his wrist? Zhang Xuan was still wondering what was going on when he heard those words. He chuckled softly and replied, He has been afflicted with an abnormal condition. I am treating him in my capacity as a physician. I-Is that so? Well, Im not very sure how I should put this in a way that doesnt sound rude, but... The elder slowly moved his nce toward Feng Jiuge before asking hesitantly, Are you certain that you are really treating him? Am I certain if I am treating him? Zhang Xuan waspletely baffled by that question. He subconsciously followed the elders gaze, and when he saw what was before him, he could not help but freeze in ce once again. The person he was holding onto was not the devilishly dashing Feng Jiuge. Instead, it was a well-rounded man that was two meters in height and at least four hundred jin[l] heavy. Who are you? Zhang Xuan quickly released his grasp in shock. When did this round man get there? How in the world did he not realize that the person he was holding onto had changed? Noticing that the look of surprise on Zhang Xuans face was genuine, the elder shook his head and exined, I was watching the situation, so I can tell you with certainty that hes none other than Feng Jiuge. Shortly after you grabbed his wrist, he turned into his current state... He is Feng Jiuge? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He was certain that Feng Jiuge had still been perfectly normal a moment ago. How did he turn into such a state? Wait a moment... Is this the result of me infusing my zhenqi endlessly into his body? Zhang Xuan covered his mouth as he gasped in shock. He did pump quite a lot of energy into Feng Jiuge, and the collision of the two energies produced the potent green glow. Given how forceful he had been, there was no way Feng Jiuge could have expelled or withstood the umting energy within his body. But was it possible for a persons body to really swell up like a balloon? The situation felt ridiculous. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and created a mental image of how Feng Jiuge looked earlier. Then, he blew up his features by approximately five times... Yup, there was no mistake about it. The person sitting before him was indeed Feng Jiuge. Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself at a loss as to how he should respond. Should he apologize right away, or should he attempt to brush it off as a joke? It had to be said that Feng Jiuge did bear some resemnce to the Otherworldly Demons. Was that the concept behind the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? [1] One jin = 0.5kg Chapter 2186 - 2186 Feng Jiuge’s New Teacher 2186 Feng Jiuges New Teacher Since you have no enmity with him, Ill pull my weight as the elder here and offer you some words of advice, the elder eximed. Even though Feng Jiuge has been expelled from the Inferno Phoenix n, he used to be one of their members. If youd killed him discreetly, they might have turned a blind eye to it. However, your act of torturing and humiliating him in public blemishes the reputation of the Inferno Phoenix n. They wont allow anyone to undermine the honor of the Phoenix Tribe... So, I have to ask you to think twice about your decision! Zhang Xuan rubbed his be. Am I actually the viin here? As expected of an old academic. He sure knew how to beat about the bush to build his case, even though it made him seem really naggy. However, it seemed like the other party had misunderstood his intention. He was earnestly trying to help Feng Jiuge, not torture him. Knowing that the old man was advising him with goodwill, Zhang Xuan sped his hand politely and replied, I appreciate your advice, and Ill take it in mind. However, allow me to reassure you that this is a part of the treatment process. After saying his piece, he immediately turned his gaze back to Feng Jiuge. Thetter had rounded so well that his face, as well as his body, looked like a sphere. Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before taking out a jade token. He swiftly infused a cultivation technique into it before passing it over to Feng Jiuge. Cultivate this technique. Itll alleviate your current condition! What are you up to? Feng Jiuge was finally able to speak after being released by Zhang Xuan. He felt so stifled that he could have exploded on the spot. Initially, when he first saw the other partys token, he had thought that the other party might just be able to save him. It was with such thoughts in mind that he had allowed the other party to feel his pulse. Yet, who could have known that the other party would suddenly start sending zhenqi furiously into his body, causing him to end up in such a state? I... Zhang Xuan was just about to exin that he did not know such a situation would happen, but at the veryst moment, he halted himself from doing so. If he said such words, he would immediately lose his credibility as a physician. So, he stood up from his seat and ced his hands behind his back. With a solemn and profound look on his face, he said, I have already found the way to save you. This is merely the first step! The first step? Feng Jiuge was stunned. So, your first step is to blow me up into a balloon? Ive never heard of such a treatment method before! If you wish to resolve your current condition and restore your talent and strength, you will do well to heed my words and practice the cultivation technique I have given you! Zhang Xuan replied gravely. The seriousness of his tone made Feng Jiuge fall into deep thought. For the past two years, he had consulted many skilled physicians, and all of them had told him that they were utterly helpless. In fact, they were not even able to figure out the reason behind his condition. On the other hand, the young man before him had actually told him that he had found a way to cure him, and they were already at the first step. Was this for real? Forget it, Ill bet everything on this! Right now, he did not have the right to doubt the credibility of the young man before him. He was no longer the talented young man of the Inferno Phoenix n whom everyone was dying to fawn over. He had nothing but his life to lose. Since that was the case, he might as well take a gamble! Without any hesitation, he ced his finger on the jade token and immersed his consciousness into it. A cultivation technique flowed into his mind. With just a swift look at the cultivation technique, his body starting trembling. As an ex-core member of the Inferno Phoenix n, he had a sharp eye for good stuff. Even though the cultivation technique was just an ordinary form for him to refine and assimte energy, it was far more ingenious than any secret manual that he had seen. In fact, even the most confidential secret art within the n paled inparison to it. To offer him such a cultivation technique without any hesitation... Was the other party sincere about saving him? This immediately reignited the mes of hope in his eyes. Without any hesitation, he began channeling his zhenqi in his body ording to the cultivation technique. Even though his cultivation had been regressing over the past two years, there was no doubt that his intelligence was beyond ordinary. It did not take him long to fully master the cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan had imparted to him, allowing him to swiftly assimte the energy that had caused his body to bloat. Tzzz! Each time he drove his zhenqi a cirction around his body, his bloated body would contract a bit. By the time he was on his twentieth cirction, his body had already reverted to normal! Feng Jiuge stood up and looked at his own body with a mystified look on his face. Being able to assimte that much energy so quickly felt like a miracle. This made him trust the young man before him even more than before. He excitedly looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, May I know what the next step is? Feng Jiuge could also tell that the treatment was iplete as even though he had just gained a huge bulk of energy, he was still losing energy as time passed. I need to repeat step one again in order to properly cleanse your body of what is within it, Zhang Xuan replied. There was little doubt at this point that the gray congregation of energy was the cause of the constant decline in Feng Jiuges cultivation. Thus, the only way to save him was to find a way to clear his body of the gray congregation of energy. In that sense, he was not exactly lying to Feng Jiuge. However, Feng Jiuges lips started twitching upon hearing those words. He was going to have to go through that painful experience again? Seeing the look on Feng Jiuges face, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. It looks like you are quite reluctant to continue. If thats the case, I dont see any need for me to take on something that is more effort than its worth. Let me tell you this, this treatment is not only unbeneficial to me, itll also affect my cultivation. Do you think that its without cost that I infused my zhenqi into your body? As he spoke, he rose to his feet and started walking back to his original seat. BroI mean elder, please wait a moment! There was no way Feng Jiuge could allow his only ray of hope to walk away just like that. He immediately rushed over to stop Zhang Xuan. Given that he had nothing on him, the other party had indeed nothing to gain by saving him. On the other hand, if he missed this opportunity, his cultivation would only continue to be weaker and weaker, and eventually, he would be killed by his enemies. Please save me! Ill do anything for you as long as you can resolve my affliction! Feng Jiuge pleaded. Zhang Xuan turned around and looked at Feng Jiuge quietly for a moment before harrumphing once more. I hope that you can appreciate the sacrifices I am making. In order to save you, not only will we have to repeat the steps from earlier, Ill also have to teach you some of the cultivation techniques of my lineage. These cultivation techniques are highly confidential, so I can only proceed if you acknowledge me as your teacher! From how quickly Feng Jiuge was able toprehend the cultivation technique imparted to him earlier, it was apparent that he was indeed a genius. On top of that, Feng Jiuge possessed the bloodline of the Inferno Phoenix n, and he possessed a huge secret. If he could ept Feng Jiuge as his disciple, it would be easier for him to ask the other party questions, and thetter could also help him find a way to get into Spirit God Pce. Teacher, I ask you to save me! It did not take too long before Feng Jiuge made up his mind and kneeled on the floor. He could tell that from the cultivation technique that he had been given earlier that the other party was no ordinary figure. Furthermore, the fact that he possessed the token to the Great Discement Teleportation Formation showed that he was both strong and skilled in medicine. Since his n had already forsaken him, leaving him to fend for himself, there was no harm in him acknowledging the young man as his teacher. At the very least, the young man would be his backing. Good! Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction upon seeing how decisive Feng Jiuge was. He sat down once more and ced his finger back on top of thetters pulse. He had no idea whether he would really be stronger or not after refining his zhenqiafter all, he waspromising quantity for qualitybut it should still be beneficial to him in the long-run. With such thoughts in mind, he began to channel his zhenqi into thetters body once more. Under Zhang Xuans rapid infusion of zhenqi, Feng Jiuges body swiftly bloated up once more, to the point that he looked no different from a ball from afar. Seeing that Feng Jiuge had reached his limit, Zhang Xuan stopped his infusion and instructed Feng Jiuge to practice the cultivation technique that he had just imparted to him once more to alleviate his condition. Just like that, the cycle repeated again and again. Finally, after the fourth cycle, the gray congregation of energy within Feng Jiuges body had finally beenpletely cleansed. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. You should be fine now. Give it a try! Zhang Xuan urged Feng Jiuge with a smile. With the gray congregation of energy neutralized, Feng Jiuge should be able to recover his previous strength and talent easily... and he might reach an even higher level than before! Chapter 2187 - The Disaster of Spirit Origin Royal City

Chapter 2187 The Disaster of Spirit Origin Royal City

As Feng Jiuge was unable to sense the presence of the gray congregation of energy, he could not sense any distinct difference in his physical condition as a result of Zhang Xuans treatment. So, with a skeptical look on his face, he quietly sat down and began driving his zhenqi ording to his cultivation technique. It did not take him long to notice that something had changed within him. Previously, his zhenqi would suddenly start vanishing before he could even circte it a full round through his meridians, and the more vehemently he tried to drive his zhenqi, the more energy he would lose. But this time, his zhenqi did not vanish. Not only so, his dried out dantian was suddenly flourishing with energy, threatening to erupt in him like a volcano. In truth, the spiritual energy he had cultivated over the past two years had notpletely vanished. Instead, it had been hidden by the gray congregation of energy. As if a river freed of its dam, it spurted out uncontrobly and gushed all over his body. It was as if he was being born anew! Boom! His cultivation that was on the verge of falling beneath Celestial God realm began shooting up at a crazy pace, barging through bottleneck after bottleneck relentlessly. Low-tier Celestial God realm intermediate stage... Low-tier Celestial God realm advanced stage... Low-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle... In less than fifteen minutes, he managed to surpass his former peak to reach high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle! I... Feeling the overflowing energy within his body, Feng Jiuges eyes reddened. At this very instant, he knew that he had managed to ovee the adversity that stood in his path to rise once more. And the reason he could do so was due to the young man before him. Teacher! Feng Jiuge kneeled on the floor and kowtowed. Previously, he had only acknowledged Zhang Xuan as his teacher because he thought that he had no other way out of this. Yet, he was starting to realize that this might be the wisest decision he had made in his life. Rise! Zhang Xuan said as he helped Feng Jiuge up. At the same time, he took a look at his Library of Heavens Path and saw that, just like with Zhuo Yan, a golden page had formed. The two golden pages were ced on the bookshelves side by side, emanating a brilliant sheen. Feng Jiuge has recovered his cultivation? No, thats not all. He even managed to advance further than before! Who is that physician? Hes amazing! The crowd in the tavern could hardly believe their eyes. The elder from before also widened his mouth in shock. This... This... In the end, it turned out that the young man had really been trying to treat Feng Jiuge! To think that he wasted so many of his words for nothing! Humph! Paying no heed to the shocked crowd, Zhang Xuan looked at Feng Jiuge and asked, What did you encounter two years ago that caused your cultivation to start dropping so drastically? I took on a mission that required me to visit the abyss beneath Royal City, Feng Jiuge said. I unintentionally entered a hidden dimension, but for some reason, I lost consciousness. By the time I came to once more, I was already like that. I have no idea what really happened to me... The abyss beneath Royal City? Zhang Xuan repeated the key phrase in Feng Jiuges words. Spirit Origin Royal City was indeed floating right above a massive abyss. Was there some sort of secret hidden inside the abyss? Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unfamiliar with the history of Spirit Origin Royal City, Feng Jiuge began exining it. The abyss suddenly appeared several decades ago, causing the entire Spirit Origin Royal City to copse into it. The three Conferred God Kings spent a great deal of their strength and a feather of the Deathless Monarch in order to rebuild Spirit Origin Royal City back to its prosperous state, which is also what you see today... As an ex-core member of the Inferno Phoenix n, he knew quite a bit about the confidential secrets regarding the city. The entire Spirit Origin Royal City copsed into the abyss? Zhang Xuan was stunned. To be honest, he had been quite intrigued when he first saw Spirit Origin Royal City. There was no reason for the city to have been built above an abyss, and there was no reason it should be flying. In the end, it turned out that things had only happened that way because they had no other choice. The capitals of the Nine Skies were situated at the center of the territories so as to gather all of the fortune and Anima of Yearning around. For this reason, they could not be shifted easily. As such, even when Spirit Origin Royal City copsed decades ago, in order to avoid any instability, they could only continue building upon where thend had copsed. The result of that was the current floating city. If the city copsed abruptly, what happened to the people living there? Zhang Xuan asked. I wasnt born back then, so I dont really know the details. However, based on what I have heard from the elders in the n, it seems like even though the copse was very abrupt, quite a few people still managed to escape with their lives due to the protection of the Deathless Monarch. Basically, almost everyone who had reached the God realm survived that crisis! But then, Feng Jiuge sighed deeply before continuing. Still, as you know, the Firmament is mostly filled with people whose cultivation has yet to reach the God realm. In other words, that crisis took away nearly ny percent of the poption of Spirit Origin Royal City. No one knows whether they are living within the abyss or are already dead. The abyss is simply too deep, such that even the Fire Feather Conferred God King isnt able to get to the bottom of it. The tier of life on the Firmament followed a pyramid shape. Most of the poption were just ordinary people, or in other words, Semi-Divinities. Only ten percent of them were able to earn the rights to cultivate and rise to greater heights. An abyss suddenly appeared, causing ny percent of the people in the city to vanish all of a sudden... Zhang Xuans body jolted as four words surfaced in his mindCity of Copsed Space. Legend had it that the City of Copsed Space of the Azure had suddenly fallen from the heavens several thousand years ago. The lifeforms and buildings within the city had gradually transformed into the air of degeneration under the corrosion of the Azures spiritual energy, making it a dangerousnd that no one dared to enter easily. Could that have something to do with Spirit Origin Royal City? This hypothesis was notpletely without basis as Zhang Xuan had seen the tomb of the Deathless Monarch back in the City of Copsed Space! If he thought deeper into it, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the Azures Starchaser Pce came from the same origin, and those from Starchaser Pce had the altar of the City of Copsed Space... Could it be that Spirit Origin Royal City had fallen through the cracks of the dimension barrier and plummeted into the Azure. A portion of those living there had managed to survive the impact, and they went on to create Starchaser Pce. On the other hand, there was also a portion of people who plummeted further into the Master Teacher Continent and eventually came to be known as the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If that was the case, it meant that the ancestors of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and Starchaser Pce were actually gods of the Sky of Spirit Origin! He really had to look deeper into this matter. If there was a power that could kill the Deathless Monarch and thrust countless lives through the dimension barrier and onto the lower worlds, he needed to be wary. It could pose a terrifying threat in the future. Traveling through the dimension barrier was no easy feat. He had experienced it himself, so he knew how difficult it was. Even an expert of Luo Ruoxins caliber had nearly lost her life in the process of doing so! This was a cause for concern. Then again, all of this was just his conjecture. Perhaps he would only uncover the truth after meeting Luo Ruoxin or Kong shi. Oh right, I can ask him... Vicious! Is there any chance that your predecessors possess the bloodline of the gods? Zhang Xuan asked. Sealed in the Book of Heavens Path, Vicious had followed him to the Firmament as well. All this while, Zhang Xuan had been giving him God Essence Pills so that he could cultivate as well. Over the past few days, he managed to ovee his bottleneck as a God to be a low-tier Celestial God. Chapter 2188 - 2188 Returning to the Inferno Phoenix Clan 2188 Returning to the Inferno Phoenix n I dont really know, Vicious replied. However, aftering to the Firmament, I can clearly feel that my rate of cultivation has be faster than before. It feels like my meridians and bloodline are thriving in this environment... Previously, in order to reconstruct Zhao Yas meridians, Zhang Xuan had studied many meridianworks, and eventually, he had found that there were very few ws in the meridianwork of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Aftering to the Firmament, he had also noticed that their meridianwork was very simr to that of the Gods. The meridianwork of the Gods was indubitably the most aligned with the heavens and the nature of the myriad worlds. It was based on this foundation that they were able to raise their cultivation far beyond the lifeforms on the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure. It was also for this same reason that the Otherworldly Demons were blessed with superior strength and greater longevity, putting them at a decisive advantage over the humans. If not for Kong shis ascendance, the cultivators of the Master Teacher Continent would never have been able to drive them back to the otherworldly battlefield by themselves. A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuan. If your rate of cultivation has increased aftering here... is it possible that your predecessors were also afflicted with the same problem as Feng Jiuge, resulting in their cultivation gradually falling with time? If the reason Feng Jiuges cultivation had started falling was because he hade in contact with something in the abyss, perhaps the original poption of Spirit Origin Royal City had also been afflicted with the same things ^ in their cultivation falling further and further. From Semi-Divinities, they fell through the ranks to be High Immortals, True Immortals, Pseudo Immortals, Ancient Sages, Great Sages, Saints... This... I dont really know, Vicious replied. I guess Ill have to find a way to enter the abyss in order to know the results, Zhang Xuan murmured. Havinge to a decision, he raised his head to look at Feng Jiuge. Can you bring me to the ce that you mentioned earlier? This... Feng Jiuge hesitated. That ce was simply too dangerous! Even with his current strength, he still felt apprehensive about getting close to the abyss. Theres no need to worry. We can retreat right away as soon as we encounter any danger. Furthermore, your condition is a little unique. Ive managed to suppress the issue in your body for the time being to prevent it from devouring your energy, but a rpse is always possible. If you wish topletely cure your affliction, well have to head to the ce where everything started and search for the root cause! Zhang Xuan said. He knew that he had to pay a visit to the abyss regardless of the cost. He knew that Feng Jiuge would be hesitant to approach the area once more, so he could only phrase it in such a manner. Strictly speaking, he had not lied. Till now, he still had not figured out what that gray congregation of energy was. As long as they could not get to the bottom of the matter, there was no saying that the gray congregation of energy would not make aeback. Alright then. Ill take you there... Feng Jiuge bit his lips as he agreed reluctantly. However, in order to enter the abyss, you will need a certain object, and that object can only be found within the n. Ill have to make a trip back to my n to fetch it. An object? Zhang Xuan asked. The abyss is fraught with danger. Even Conferred God Kings arent able to venture to the bottom of it. To avoid any idents from urring, the Three Conferred God Kings devoted a tremendous amount of energy to seal up the passageway, such that only those who possess their token can enter the area, Feng Jiuge replied. Without the token, even if you stand before the abyss entrance, you will have no way of entering it! Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Even though he had managed to raise his cultivation considerably over thest few days, it would indeed still be difficult for him to bypass a formation set up by the Three Conferred God Kings. Rather than courting trouble, it would be more convenient if he followed Feng Jiuge back to his n. Anyway, it just so happened that he needed toplete his disguise as a member of the Inferno Phoenix n anyway, and he would appear much more credible if he had Feng Jiuge by his side. Having made up their minds, the two of them quickly left the tavern and walked over to the manor opposite it. Are you still unwilling to leave? Do you need us to get Lord Feng Chao and Feng Xiang again before you are willing to give up? Seeing how the youth who had just been driven out like a beggar had returned, the two guards standing in front of the entrance frowned in displeasure. Youre right. I have decided that I am not going to leave after all. Get Feng Chao and Feng Xiang out here to meet me! Feng Jiuge replied smugly. His confidence had returned along with his cultivation. You are just making things harder for yourself. One of the guards harrumphed before entering the manor. Not too longter, Feng Chao and Feng Xiang, the two people who had insulted Feng Jiuge earlier, walked out. Feng Chao sneered coldly as he pointed right in Feng Jiuges face. I was wondering whos looking for us, and it turns out to be the trash of the Inferno Phoenix n! Was the beating earlier not enough for you? Do you need us to go for another... Ever since Feng Jiuges cultivation began regressing, he had be a sandbag for the two of them to vent their anger on, and they did whatever they wanted to him. Peng! But before Feng Chao could finish his words, he was suddenly sted right into the doors of the manor. The impact caused his face to turn pale, and he spewed huge mouthfuls of blood. Youre right. The beating earlier wasnt enough. But this time around, well be swapping positions! Feng Jiuge sneered as he flitted right up to Feng Xiang. You... Feng Xiang had never thought that the trash they had been bullying for the past two years would be able to send his brother flying with a mere kick. Realizing that Feng Jiuge might have regained his cultivation, he immediately retreated fearfully. It was a pity that his speed was nowhere close to that of Feng Jiuge. A p flew in his direction faster than he could dodge it. Pah! With a resounding echo, the arrogant Feng Xiang copsed to the ground as his teeth scattered all over the floor. Feng Jiuge, you regained your strength? This is impossible... Wait a moment, what are you trying to do? Feng Chao, who had regained his consciousness, eximed in disbelief as he slowly backed away in fright. Two years ago, this youth was the one person that everyone in the younger generation had looked up to and respected. So, when he fell from grace, those who had been envious of him made full use of the opportunity to trample on him, including those who had been close to him. Everyone thought that Feng Jiuges era was long gone and that there was no way he could make aeback. Who could have known that in a short hour, not only did he regain his cultivation, he even became more powerful than before! What am I trying to do? Nothing much. Im just picking up the pieces of my dignity that have been robbed from me, Feng Jiuge replied with a chilling voice as he looked at Feng Chao with hostile eyes. It had not been easy for him to recover from his downfall, so naturally, the first thing he needed to do was pay back those who had put him down. He would make them know that they had chosen the wrong person to mess with! The man whom they had betrayed and callously spat on had returned to haunt them! Seeing how Feng Jiuges aura was growing stronger and stronger by the moment, Feng Xiang gritted his teeth and bellowed, You... You no longer have our bloodline in your veins. You have already been exiled from the n! If you dare make a move on us, the Inferno Phoenix n will severely punish you! So what if Feng Jiuge had regained his cultivation? Earlier, when they checked his bloodline, they had found that his bloodline had nearly vanished. Even if he had regained his cultivation, there was no way he would be reepted into the Inferno Phoenix n as a member of the core lineage without their bloodline! This would make him no more than an unaffiliated cultivator. With limited resources on hand, what he could achieve in the future would be capped as well. The God King realm would be a huge hurdle that he would never be able to ovee! This... Those words made Feng Jiuge stall. Feng Chao and Feng Xiang were right. It was unheard of for a persons bloodline to disappear just like that, but that was indeed the result of the test that he had taken earlier. Fearing that he wouldnd his teacher in unnecessary trouble, he turned to look at Zhang Xuan hesitantly, only to see thetter replying with a smile. Since you have regained your cultivation, you might have regained your bloodline as well. Just do what you need to. Im here anyway. Chapter 2189 - Nine Phoenix Stellar Formation

Chapter 2189 Nine Phoenix Ster Formation

Based on what Zhang Xuan knew, the gray congregation of energy within Feng Jiuges body would only consume his zhenqi, not alter his bloodline. Most likely, the reason his bloodline could not be sensed earlier was due to it being suppressed. However, with the gray congregation of energy cleared, he should have regained his bloodline. On top of that, given that his meridians had been cleansed by the Heavens Path zhenqi, it would likely have be purer than ever! Thank you, Feng Jiuge said deeply before turning his gaze back to the manor. He was not certain about his bloodline returning, but no matter what, he would never forget the debt that he owed to his teacher. Paying no heed to the incapacitated Feng Xiang and Feng Chao, the two of them made their way through the doors and into the courtyard. The next moment, though, a group of people rushed forward to encircle them. It seemed like the news that Feng Jiuge had regained his cultivation and injured someone at the entrance had already started spreading within the mansion. To be able to gather so many people within just tens of seconds, the Inferno Phoenix n was indeed formidable. As expected of the de facto leader of the Three Great ns! Jiuge, you have already been expelled from the n. How dare you barge in here and wound our core members! Are you trying to stage a mutiny? a young man aggressively demanded. The current Feng Jiuge was nothing more than an outsider to the Inferno Phoenix n. An outsider barging into their territory could be considered an attempt to challenge and undermine the Inferno Phoenix ns authority. Humph! Feng Jiang, you sure are quick to pin crimes me on me! I believe that the bloodline test earlier was inurate, so I came back here to have it tested again, Feng Jiuge replied nonchntly. As long as I can clear the test, I will still be a core member of the Inferno Phoenix n. If so, a spar between fellow n members cant be considered a mutiny, right? Those words made Feng Jiang frown, and he took a closer look at Feng Jiuge. In just one short hour, the other partys aura had bepletely different. It felt firm and unyielding. Just like him, the other party was at high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle! More importantly, his confident disposition felt exactly like two years earlier. Two years ago, the other party had been a genius who dominated the younger generation. Viewed as one who would potentially be a God King in the future, there was no one who had dared cross him. Even Feng Jiang himself would have had to lower his head whenever he encountered Feng Jiuge, not daring to show the slightest hint of disrespect. Feng Jiang did not think that the trash of two years would actually be able to make aeback. He found the situation very hard to ept. You want to test your bloodline once more? Feng Jiang burst intoughter. Do you think that our bloodline test is a joke, such that anyone can test it as and when they please? The bloodline test of the inferno Phoenix n was not cheap. Most disciples would only get a chance to test it once in their entire life. It was only due to Feng Jiuges exceptional circumstances that he had been tested twice, and yet, he wanted to do it once more. Did he think that he was in the same position as he was two years ago, that he could do as he pleased? I have the money to pay for it! Feng Jiuge replied coldly. Even though his cultivation had been slipping continuously over the past two years, he still had quite a substantial fortune to his name. It was nothing muchpared to Zhang Xuan, but it was more than enough for him to pay for a test. Youll fork out the money? Feng Jiang harrumphed coldly as he struggled to think of a reason to stop Feng Jiuge. He had a feeling that things would go awry if he allowed Feng Jiuge to do as he pleased. At this moment, an idea suddenly came to his mind, and his lips crept up mockingly. Well, no matter what, you still used to be a core member of our n. Its only right for us to give you a chance. Clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation. If you can clear it, well allow you to return to the n and have your test. Otherwise... Im afraid that theres nothing much we can do! Yes, thats right! Clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation, and well give you a chance! Didnt you regain your strength? Prove it! As long as you can clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation, well recognize you. Otherwise, you only have yourself to me for your weakness! The crowd gathered in the area burst intoughter as they watched Feng Jiuge mockingly. The Nine Phoenix Ster Formation... Feng Jiuges face immediately turned grave upon hearing those words. Oh ho! Why do you have such a look on your face? Are you not confident in clearing the formation? If thats the case, well just have to take this incident as a deliberate attempt to undermine the Inferno Phoenix ns honor. Men! Capture him and drag him over to the Hall of Interrogation! Well have to question him properly to see what his true motives are! Feng Jiang said with a grand wave of his hand. Yes! Four young men immediately walked out from amid the crowd. Lets go, our dear Young Master Jiuge! Even if you have regained your cultivation, without your bloodline to back you up, you are nothing more than an unaffiliated cultivator. Did you think that things would return to how they were two years ago just because you have regained your cultivation? Feng Jiuge was not a bad person at heart, but having achieved sess at a very young age, it was inevitable that he becamecent and arrogant. Furthermore, there was no one who dared to talk back to him and correct his attitude. This had resulted in him looking down on his peers, so his rtions with the others in the n were not good. What is the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation? Zhang Xuan asked Feng Jiuge with a frown. Teacher, the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation is the only way that members who have been driven out of the Inferno Phoenix n can be recognized by the other n members. Its a formation made up of nine experts within the n. One has to defeat all nine of them in order to clear the trial, Feng Jiuge replied with a slightly paleplexion. In the past three thousand years of our ns history, there were 317 expelled members who returned to challenge the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation, but in the end, only three of them cleared the trial. As for the rest... they lost their lives while challenging the formation! Theyre dead? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Out of three hundred people, only three people had managed to clear the trial. That was a one percent probability of sess! Even though those members were driven out of the n, no matter what, they still shared blood ties with one another. Surely there was no need to be so vicious with them. More often than not, those who are driven out of the n havemitted some sort of heinous sin that makes them deserving of such treatment. There is almost no one who wees their return. For this reason, those who challenge the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation are often viewed with hostility. Those who have been selected to conduct the trial wont hold back against them, so they wont hesitate to resort to vicious strikes... If the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation is that dangerous, and there is no one within the Inferno Phoenix n who is willing to recognize them even if they return, why would they still challenge it despite the risks? Zhang Xuan asked. In his view, it seemed ridiculous for one to brave such danger, only to be a person that was snubbed within the n. If no one was going to ept them in the first ce, it would have been much easier for them to live in the outside world. In the first ce, if they were talented enough to clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation, they would probably fare well anywhere else. Feng Jiuge shook his head and replied, Teacher, theres actually a deeper reason for them challenging the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation. Regardless of whether they clear the trial or not, they will be buried in the ancestral grave. This might appear to be nothing much, but this gesture effectively means that their descendants have a chance to return to the Inferno Phoenix n. On the other hand, if they dont attempt the trial, it means that they will be permanently severed from the Inferno Phoenix n! Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. A fallen leaf returns to the ground. Most people would wish to return to their origins after their death; furthermore, this concerned the future of their descendants as well. So, most of those who challenge the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation are those whose lifespan is already reaching its limit. In other words, they have already steeled their will to die in the trial. For this reason, the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation is also called the Suicide Formation! With an awfulplexion on his face, Feng Jiuge remarked grimly, Their very suggestion of having me challenge the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation is as good as condemning me to death! He was only in his early twenties, and he still had many years ahead of him. It was clearly inappropriate for him to challenge the formation in his state. How strong are the opponents one will have to face in the trial? Zhang Xuan asked. The Nine Phoenix Ster Formation consisted of nine cultivators. As important as the formation was, what was even more crucial was the strength of the nine cultivators. They are of the same power level as the one challenging the trial. In other words, it is a one versus nine scenario. Given that we possess the same bloodline, and they have been augmented by the formation, how can one possibly clear this trial through normal means? Feng Jiuge cried in despair. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan burst intoughter. He had been wondering how scary the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation was, but it did not seem like anything worth worrying over. Everything aside, even the Dragon Gate Formation that Zheng Yang had gone through to be the Progeny of Combat was much more difficult than this! Chapter 2190 - 2190 Challenging the Trial 2190 Challenging the Trial The Dragon Gate Formation that Zheng Yang had gone through consisted of the Dragon Tail, Dragon Body, and Dragon Head, and in every phase of the trial, he had to face someone who was even stronger than him in terms of cultivation. In order to clear the trial, he would have to defeat everyone. It was clear that the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation paled far inparison. Granted, the formation itself might be harder to deal with, but if the challenger could manipte the formation to their advantage, it could make the battle easier. Every formation was bound to have its weaknesses, and as long as one could find these weaknesses and exploit them, it would be a supporting force. The stronger the formation was, the more effective it would be to exploit these ws. Without a doubt, Feng Jiang will be participating in the formation as well. Two years ago, even though there was some gap between our fighting prowess, it wasnt too big. During the period when my cultivation regressed, he was cultivating hard, and he made full use of the cultivation resources that the n gave him. Given so, it would be difficult for me to defeat him in a normal battle, let alone having to face a formation that consists of him and eight equally powerful opponents... Feng Jiuges voice was filled with despair. He did not think that he could win this battle. Over the past two years, he had not been able to receive any cultivation resources from the n. As such, even though he had regained his cultivation, his progress was bound to be much slower than the other party. Furthermore, Feng Jiang still was not the strongest cultivator in their power ss. It could be said that his death was guaranteed if he agreed to challenge the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation. Seeing how shaken Feng Jiuge was, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before looking straight Feng Jiuge. Jiuge, do you trust me? Of course! Feng Jiuge nodded right away. If not for his teacher, he would probably have wasted his life away in despair and depression. It was the other party who gave him hope and a new life. Who else would he trust if not his teacher? If you trust me, ept the other partys challenge and face the so-called Nine Phoenix Ster Formation, Zhang Xuan said. We are going to ept the trial? Feng Jiuge was stunned. But... Rest assured. Nothing will happen to you, Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle. Alright then... Feng Jiuge was a little uncertain where this was going, but seeing how confident his teacher was, he eventually nodded. With a wave of his hand, he stopped the two young men who were walking toward him and said, I agree to it. Ill face the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation! Youll face the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation? Those words left everyone dumbstruck for a moment. Even Feng Jiang thought that he had heard wrong. Are you certain? He was the one who had suggested it, but he had never thought that Feng Jiuge would ept his ridiculous demand. After all, it was so dangerous that only those who were on their deathbed would think of attempting it. As someone who had be a high-tier Celestial God in his early twenties, Feng Jiuge had a long life ahead of him, and there was a good chance that he could achieve great things even outside the Inferno Phoenix n. Was there was a need for him to court death like that? Of course! Feng Jiuge replied. You must have be much more powerful after you regained your cultivation. Very well, let me see just how capable you are! Feng Jiang sneered. Without any hesitation, he pushed his feet against the ground and dashed forward. At high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle, Feng Jiang was just a notch beneath the God Kings. His movement caused the air in the courtyard to grow heavy as the powers from nature surged toward him at a rapid pace. It seems like he has alreadyprehended some of the secrets of a God King. As expected of an expert of the Inferno Phoenix n, Zhang Xuan thought. In terms of individual strength, Feng Jiang was probably beneath Ao Hua of the Sky of Cloud Dragon. However, just looking at how easily he was able to tap into the powers of nature, it was clear that he had a preliminary grasp of some God King powers. It would be difficult to subdue him in a direct sh of powers. Facing Feng Jiangs attacks, cold sweat trickled down Feng Jiuges back. Even though he had managed to make a breakthrough earlier, it did not change the fact that he had been crippled for two years. Putting aside the fact that he could not utilize his newfound strength properly, his ability to use the powers of nature was alsocking greatly inparison to Feng Jiang. His chances of achieving a victory were very slim. Peng peng peng! Within three blows, Feng Jiuge was already forced to retreat seven steps. While neither side had sustained any injuries, it was already clear who was the stronger of the two from this. You arent even a match for me, but you want to challenge the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation? Feng Jiang harrumphed coldly. You sure are brazen! I... Feng Jiuge gritted his teeth furiously. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan with an indignant expression. He would not have been a match for the formation even at his peak two years ago, let alone in his current state. He had no idea why his teacher had asked him to ept the trial. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Feng Jiang and smiled. Jiuge would indeed be unable to clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation in his current state, but can you give us two hours to make some preparations? That should be more than enough for him to clear your formation with ease. Who are you? Feng Jiang asked with a frown. As Zhang Xuan had been standing behind Feng Jiuge the whole time, Feng Jiang had assumed that he was Feng Jiuges subordinate. However, from what had just been said, it was apparent that he was wrong. I am... Feng Xuan! I am a member from the side family who has returned for the tournament, Zhang Xuan replied calmly. Feng Xuan? Feng Jiang was stunned for a moment before he scoffed disdainfully. A mere member of the side family dares to make such boastful ims? The key difference members of the side family and members of the core lineagey in the purity of their bloodline. Even if they were of the same cultivation realm, due to the difference in bloodline, the members of the side family still would not be a match for members of the core lineage. Thus, it was utterly absurd for a member of the side family to make such a huge im. It was really a wonder what gave the other party the confidence to boast like that. I dont see anything wrong with that. Theres no reason a member of the side family would be inferior to a member of the core lineage! Zhang Xuan pointed out with aposed smile. Preposterous! Men, take that brazen young man down! Feng Jiang roared. Hu! The two young men from before stepping forward once more to grab Zhang Xuans arms simultaneously. But before they could even touch him, Zhang Xuan suddenly shook his shoulder twice. Peng peng! With two dull thuds, the two young men were knocked into the nearby wall. Judging from their pained expressions and how tightly they were clutching their chests, it seemed like they had sustained quite the injury from the earlier encounter. What? Feng Jiang narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He was capable of pulling off the earlier maneuver as well, but he was not confident of pulling it off as smoothly and leisurely as the other party did. Could it be that the other party, despite being from the side family, was actually even stronger than him? This exins why you dared spout such brazen words. It seems like you arent as inept as I thought. Very well, lets see what kind of ability you have! With a cold harrumph, Feng Jiang released an intimidating aura as he dashed right toward Zhang Xuan. He was using the same move that he had used to curb Feng Jiuge, and based on the domineering pressure he was exerting, it seemed like he had decided not to hold back at all. This is a great opportunity, Jiuge, so make sure to keep your eyes open and watch carefully. It would have been more difficult to impart these theories to you without showing you the practical side of it... Even in this tense moment, Zhang Xuan turned his attention over to Feng Jiuge and spoke with a calm voice. Since hes using the same move against me as well, Ill show you one way you can counter his offense with your current strength. As he spoke, he stepped forward till he was roughly five meters away from Feng Jiang before finallying to a halt. For some reason, the very act of stopping at that point seemed to have disturbed Feng Jiangs offense. It was clear that the momentum of Feng Jiangs offense had taken a nosedive, as if someone had severed his flow of energy. The main difference between Feng Jiang and Feng Jiuges strengthy in their ability to tap into the natural energies in the surroundings, and the spot that Zhang Xuan had walked over to happened to be the mingmen[l] of this battle technique. By standing in this spot, Zhang Xuan had managed to sever the flow of energy into Feng Jiang, leaving thetter with no choice but to rely solely on his cultivation. However, Feng Jiang was no weakling. Noticing Zhang Xuans intention, he immediately began driving his zhenqi to its limits and augmented the might of his strike so as to avoid losing momentum. As a result, he was able to retain the might of his offense. Over the past two years, Feng Jiang had managed to reinforce his high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle again and again through the extravagant use of cultivation resources within the n. While he was still a way off from bing a God King, there was no doubt that he was far stronger than most of his peers. In fact, it was questionable whether the genius of the Qi n, Qi Yue, would be a match for him. [1] Mingmen is a traditional Chinese medicine term, but in the context of martial arts, it refers to a blind spot or the location of a weakness. Chapter 2191 - 2191 Impartation 2191 Impartation Despite facing such a strike from Feng Jiang, Zhang Xuan showed no signs of wanting to dodge. Instead, he calmly ced his hands behind his back, as if opening himself up for Feng Jiang. And just as the strike was about to connect, Zhang Xuan suddenly pouted and blew out lightly. H! His breath formed a surge of sword qi that, like a pin piercing a balloon, popped the ferocious might behind Feng Jiangs attack, causing his energy to dissipate into the surroundings. It was a rather bewildering maneuver that seemed to defymon sense. Ding ding ding ding! rmed, Feng Jiang immediatelyunched several other strikes to follow up, but the same thing happened again and again. It was like rain falling on an umbre; no matter how Feng Jiang tried to attack, none of the attacksnded. Instead, the dissipated energy from his offense caused a depression everywhere else except for a two meters radius where Zhang Xuan was standing. Zhang Xuan walked in front silently amid Feng Jiangs attack, undoing each and every strike of his with just a blow of his breath. It was almost as if he was a tiger walking amid a pack of goats; it was very clear who the predator was and who the prey was. Zhang Xuan nced at Feng Jiuge and imparted his first teaching of the day. No matter how powerful an attack is, as long as you are able to find its weakness, you will be able to ovee it easily. This applies to everything. Your opponent is rarely as frightening as you think. Then, in the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan traversed across the uneven ground to appear around half a meter away from Feng Jiang. On the other hand, Feng Jiang was already in full panic mode. He had not expected the other party to be so powerful that even his strongest attack was not doing a thing at all. Seeing how the other party had managed to close the distance so easily, the flustered him immediately attempted to leap backward so as to distance himself from the other party. Yet, during his movements, his leg seemed to trip on something. Peng! Just like that, he fell to the ground and cloaked himself in ayer of dust. The surroundings fellpletely silent. The spectators saw what happened clearly. Feng Jiangs fall was caused by the young man stretching out his leg to trip him. This was a very low-tier move that usually only happened in a scuffle among ordinary people. None of them would have imagined that they would see someone using such a move in a battle between two high-tier Celestial God, much less that it would actually be effective. Knowing what everyone was thinking, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he said, Its foolish to rank maneuvers as if they belonged on a hierarchy. What works works. Under normal circumstances, such a simple move would not even work on a low-tier Celestial God, let alone Feng Jiang. However, as reality had shown, it turned out to be extraordinarily effective. It was not that Zhang Xuans legs had some kind of magic that allowed them to trip anyone that he wanted to with perfect uracy. However, it was simply the easiest maneuver to make for him to subdue his opponent in that context. Feng Jiangs offense had already been unraveled by him, and his mind had already been shaken, so he was in no state to keep tabs on his surroundings. Furthermore, they were in close proximity to one another. All these conditions allowed Zhang Xuans simple maneuver to work with extraordinary effectiveness. A duel was not just about who was stronger and faster, or else it would be nothing more than pitting numbers against one another. Did you learn anything from that? Zhang Xuan asked as he calmly walked back to Feng Jiuges side. Based on what he had seen thus far, the cultivators in the Firmament were simply too reliant on their cultivation, bloodlines, and battle techniques. They would release their zhenqi and create all sorts of hoo-ha in their battle. It was true that putting on an imposing front would unnerve the opponent, but the key to winning a battle was not the flowery movements one madeit was ones ability to take everything that was happening into ount and react flexibly. One could throw out a hundred punches in a second, but if none of them struck the opponent, it would be nothing more than a show. In fact, more often than not, the key to winningy in just one good punch. With quivering lips, Feng Jiuge nodded in a daze as he murmured, I think I understand... He knew that his teacher would have to be in the top thirty of a Skys Board of Potential God Kings in order to obtain the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, so it should not be too difficult for him to defeat Feng Jiang. However, he did not think that his teacher would actually be this powerful! Then again... It was one thing to be powerful, and it was another thing to make someone else powerful. He really could not imagine anything that his teacher could do to allow him to clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation within just two hours. Is that so? What did youprehend from that then? Zhang Xuan asked. Feng Jiuge pondered for a moment before replying, A move is only strong if itnds on the opponent. Otherwise, its nothing more than a performance. Indeed. Your understanding is spot-on, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. He had noticed that Feng Jiuge was a smart person who could catch on quickly as long as one dropped some hints before him. It was a pity that Feng Jiuge had wasted hisst two years, but he was confident that the young man could swiftly surpass the others as long as he was given proper guidance. It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan had dared im that he would make Feng Jiuge strong enough to clear the trial within two hours. He might not even need that long! While Zhang Xuan was talking to Feng Jiuge, Feng Jiang rose to his feet and asked doubtfully, Are you really a n member from the side family? Even though he felt humiliated by the earlier disy, he took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. Un! Zhang Xuan nodded quietly. If you dont believe me, you can always check my bloodline! With the disguise amulet in hand, he was confident that he would be able to clear all sorts of checks with ease. Feng Jiang assessed Zhang Xuan for a moment before turning his body around. Wait there for a moment. Ill report this matter and have the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation prepared. Feng Jiuge has been expelled from the n, so he must go through the trial in order to return. On the other hand, you are a member of the side family, so you need not undergo the trial... As long as members of the side family could reach a certain cultivation realm, they would be entitled to a chance to verify their bloodline. Given how he was unable to defeat the other party, it was obvious that the other party had already met the minimum requirement. Zhang Xuan nodded in response before turning his attention back to his disciple. Alright, we should start on your training. Most likely, it should take at least two hours to prepare the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation no matter how efficient the Inferno Phoenix n was. That was more than enough time for him to impart hisbat insights to his new disciple. Activating the Impartation of Heavens Will, Zhang Xuan began his lecture. Initially, Feng Jiuge was still feeling very iffy about this entire matter, but as soon as he heard the first word, the anxiety in his heart vanished, and he found himselfpletely absorbed in the lecture. The knowledge that his teacher was imparting to him was far more profound than what he had learned in the past. The more he learned, the more he realized how shallow his understanding ofbat had been. It was only when Feng Jiang returned once more that Feng Jiuge returned to his senses. By this moment, his anxiety had already been reced entirely with anticipation. He was looking forward to testing what he had just learned. It had not even been two hours yet, but hisprehension ofbat and battle techniques had risen to a whole new level. In fact, when he looked back, he could not believe just how ignorant he had once been. To be honest, he was not sure if he could clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation in his current state, but he felt like he at least stood a chance. Thank you, Teacher! Feng Jiuge kneeled to the ground yet again and kowtowed deeply. He did not know how else he could thank his teacher other than that. He felt like all the suffering he had gone through was worth it. It had allowed him to meet his teacher, and that was all that mattered. In terms ofprehension ofbat, he felt like the only one who could match his teacher was the old ancestor. Meanwhile, Feng Jiangsplexion turned a little awful when he saw how Feng Jiuge, a highly esteemed genius of the Inferno Phoenix n in the past, was kneeling and kowtowing to a member of the side family. But in the end, he chose not to say anything. Instead, with a cold harrumph, he gestured for the two of them to follow him with a swerve of his head. Following Feng Jiang, it did not take long for the two of them to arrive at the destination. Right before them was a dueling ring sealed up tightly by dozens of massive phoenix sculptures. Feng Jiang paused for a moment before speaking. This is the training ground of our Inferno Phoenix n. The Nine Phoenix Ster Formation has already been prepared, but its not toote if you wish to back down now... You wont be able to turn back once we start the trial! While he harbored a deep grudge against Feng Jiuge, he did not hate him to the point that he wanted him to die. Its fine. I have no ns of backing down aftering this far, Feng Jiuge replied. Since you have made up your mind, lets begin! Without any hesitation, Feng Jiang walked straight into the center of the dueling ring. Weng! With a slight buzz, the mist shrouding the dueling ring dissipated, revealing another eight figures within. Feng Xu, Feng Yuancheng, Feng Qingyan... Recognizing the people inside the dueling ring, Feng Jiuge clenched his fists tightly. He had thought that he would only face opponents around Feng Jiangs level, but it seemed like he had underestimated the trial. With just a swift count, there were at least five cultivators in there who were even stronger than Feng Jiang! How was he supposed to win this? Chapter 2192 - Breaking the Formation

Chapter 2192 Breaking the Formation

This was especially so for Feng Xu. He was known as the strongest cultivator beneath God Kings in the Inferno Phoenix n, and he was ranked third on the Sky of Spirit Origins Board of Potential God Kings! In the past, the reason Feng Jiuge had been so highly regarded in the n was because of his talent, not his fighting prowess. Feng Xu was already in his six hundreds, which meant that the chances of him reaching God King were extremely slim. It was for that reason that the n had favored Feng Jiuge over him. However, his fighting prowess was definitely not for show. Just the fact that he was in the third ce on the Board of Potential God Kings was enough to leave most people despaired. Are you frightened? Zhang Xuan suddenly asked. No, thafs not it. Im just ...not very confident... Feng Jiuge replied. Even though the earlier lecture had opened his eyes to many things, he had not had time to put his new knowledge into practice. As such, he was not sure how far he could go with the knowledge that he had just absorbed. If he slipped up inside against so many powerful experts, he might really lose his life. As long as you are able to put what I have taught you into practice, you will be able to ovee the formation easily, Zhang Xuan reassured him calmly. I understand! Feng Jiuge nodded. Taking a deep breath, he tossed aside all his doubts and leaped right into the dueling ring. As soon as he stepped into the dueling ring, the nine opponents that he was going to face suddenly vanished from sight. The formation had concealed their presence, preventing Feng Jiuge from perceiving their whereabouts. Feng Jiuge warily took a step forward, but all of a sudden, he felt a chilling sensation behind him. Teacher said that such a situation is likely to be a decoy. If I turn around, it would be as good as leaping right into the enemys trap. Its also highly likely that they will have a countermeasure on the off chance that I rush forward in an attempt to barge out of their encirclement. The only step I can make is to return to my position whileunching an offense... Without any hesitation, Feng Jiuge stepped back to where he had been standing previously. It was an extremely dangerous move to retreat when there was someoneing at him from behind. One mistake, and he could be impaled by the enemys weapon. However, he had no other choice given the situation. So, as soon as he ced his foot on the ground, he immediately whipped up his other leg to kick right in front of him. Peng! He could feel his leg striking something. It seemed like there was indeed a person there. This... Feng Jiuges eyes lit up in excitement. To be frank, he was still in the phase where he was trying things out to see if the theories really worked in practice. So, he did not really bear much hope regarding it, especially since it was clear that he was in a disadvantageous position. So, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it had actually worked. Teacher said that if my attack connects, in order to prevent me from following up with another strike, those at the side will surely make use of this opportunity to assault me. In order to ovee such a situation, theres no need for me to make any borate dodging maneuvers or run away. All I have to do is return to the spot where I stepped forward to earlier... Feng Jiuge recalled Zhang Xuans teachings. The fact that there was no one who attacked him earlier when he stepped forward meant that there was no enemy there. He could exploit this fact to his advantage. Thus, he took a step forward once more, and he immediately felt two forces colliding against one another behind him. It worked! Seeing how things worked just as his teacher had said, as if he had predicted all of this beforehand, Feng Jiuge trembled in excitement. That being said, he did not allow his excitement to get the better of him. He decisively twisted his body ny-degrees before kicking toward a certain spot. Peng! There was yet another dull thud. Another opponent who was trying to make a sneak attack on him ended up being kicked in the chest before he couldnd his attack. With everything that had happened so far going just as his teacher had nned, Feng Jiuge finally cast away his fear and devoted his all to the battle. Meanwhile, outside the dueling ring... On another side of the ring from Zhang Xuan, there was a tower that rose into the clouds. There were several elders looking out of the window from there. Feng Jiuge actually regained his cultivation and willingly challenged the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation... I must say that I didnt expect such a development, a gray-bearded elder said. He was the First Elder of the Inferno Phoenix n, Feng Danqing. Previously, he had held high hopes for Feng Jiuge. He had thought that the young man, just like the n head, would eventually rise to the heights of a God King and expand the Inferno Phoenix ns influence. Never had he expected that the young mans potential would suddenly vanish just like that. Over the past two years, he had called in many favors from his close physician friends, but none of them had been able to solve his condition. Left with no choice, he could only cast Feng Jiuge aside. After all, even though he was the First Elder, he had to be ountable to the rest of the n. But who could have known that Feng Jiuge would be able to make aeback shortly after he was expelled from the n? Not only so, he even confidently challenged the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation... Just what did Feng Jiuge encounter in the hour that he was gone? I had my men look into it, and it seems like right after he left the n, he encountered a descendant of our n outside. Thetter treated his condition and helped him make a breakthrough in his cultivation, the old man standing beside Feng Danqing said. He was the Second Elder, Feng Tianyuns. I heard that the descendant defeated Feng Jiang in a battle? Feng Danqing asked. Yes, I heard the same. It seems like hes no ordinary person, Feng Tianyun remarked. Feng Jiuge seems to have changed quite a bit as well over the years. It was unfortunate that his cultivation started regressing for no reason, but it did help him to mature quite a bit. Even if he doesnt clear the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation, hes still qualified to return to our n. Feng Danqing stroked his beard as he spoke. Feng Tianyun nodded in agreement. As elders of the Inferno Phoenix n, they prioritized the interests of the n over everything else. Naturally, they would be delighted to have Feng Jiuge back if he really had regained his cultivation. It was just that being expelled from the n was not a matter to be made light of. In view of the pride of the n, they could not allow a person to simply join and leave the n as they pleased. So, the trial had to continue. It was just that they had the discretion to decide which side should win. Feng Danqing quickly counted the time that had psed since Feng Jiuge entered the formation before instructing, be good for Feng Jiuge to face a bit of hardship in the trial...However, tell Feng Xu and the others that it will suffice to make him suffer a bit. Just dont do anything that will hurt his foundation and affect his future cultivation! The Nine Phoenix Ster Formation was a particrly powerful formation within their n, such that not even Feng Danqing and Feng Tianyun could peer through the mist to see what was happening within. The formation allowed Feng Xu, Feng Yuancheng, Feng Qingyan, and the others to pool their powers together synergistically. Even if Feng Jiuge was three times stronger than he was, he still would not stand a chance. The only reason Feng Danqing had allowed the trial to go ahead was to temper Feng Jiuges character, hoping that he could rid himself ofcency and work harder in the future. Alright, Ill send the message right now... Feng Tianyun nodded. A momentter, however, a slight frown appeared on his face. They arent answering. Could it be that... Feng Jiuge is so weak that he couldnt even survive the first phase of the trial? Even if they wanted to temper a person, the person should at least be strong enough to be tempered. If Feng Jiuge was so weak that he copsed before the others could utilize their full prowess, he could only me himself for his weakness. Killed? Feng Danqing also frowned as well. He immediately ordered, Stop the formation! Alright! Feng Tianyun flicked his finger and infused a surge of his energy into the mist. Even though it appeared that the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation was controlled by the nine cultivators within, in truth, the master key was still in their hands. They could stop the formation with a mere thought. Hu! The air in the dueling ring jolted violently before the mist began dispersing. If Feng Jiuge couldnt evenst for three minutes, I must say that it doesnt matter even if he died in the trial... Feng Tianyun harrumphed. But before he could finish his words, he saw the real situation in the dueling ring and froze. Feng Danqings eyes also nearly bulged out. In the dueling ring, Feng Jiuge, whom they had thought might have lost his life, was chasing after his opponents spiritedly whereas Feng Xu and the others could only tremble in fear as they retreated again and again... Chapter 2193 - Bloodline Tes

Chapter 2193 Bloodline Tes

How is this possible? Feng Tianyun was speechless. Even he did not have the strength to deal with Feng Xu and the others. In fact, even the God Kings of the n would face some difficulty trying to subdue such a powerful lineup of cultivators... Yet, how long did Feng Jiuge take to pull it off? Five minutes? In less than five minutes, all nine of them were already pummeled enough to fear Feng Jiuge and run away from him so desperately... Was there not something very wrong here? Feng Danqing was simrly bewildered by the sight before him. Subconsciously, he had already decided that Feng Jiuge would suffer a tragic defeat in the trial. Yet, events had not unfolded as he expected. Looking at the dueling ring, it was Feng Jiuges opponents who were running away from him as if he was the devil. All of you, squat down on the floor, hold your heads, and dere that you have lost the duel! We have lost the duel... The trembling Feng Xu, Feng Jiang, and the others immediately did as they were told. Their faces had been punched so badly that one could hardly tell them apart. Thats more like it! Feng Jiuge nodded in satisfaction. After that, he leaped out of the dueling ring and walked over to Zhang Xuans side before bowing deeply. Teacher, I have managed to clear the trial... Words could not begin to describe how just much he respected his teacher at that moment. Through his teachers impartation, he had been able to easily predict where the next attacks woulde from. Not only so, he had even managed to figure out the weaknesses of the formation! By exploiting the weaknesses of his opponent, he had defeated them easily, just as his teacher had told him. Before Zhang Xuan could respond, a voice suddenly echoed from afar. Congrattions, Jiuge, for clearing the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation. I wee you back to our n! Following that, First Elder Feng Danqing and Second Elder Feng Tianyun walked over. Even though they had no idea what had caused Feng Jiuge to change so much, there was no denying that he had indeed be strong. First Elder, Second Elder! Feng Jiuge quickly sped his fist to greet the two elders. The two elders nodded in response to Feng Jiuges greeting before turning his gaze to Zhang Xuan. I heard that you are a descendant of our n, Feng Danqing said. Zhang Xuan sped his fist and replied, Yes, I am Feng Xuan. Good. Lets test your bloodline together with Jiuges. As long as you are able to reach the level of purity expected of an external member, Ill ord you the title and privileges of a core member, Feng Danqing said. Based on what they had heard so far, the changes in Feng Jiuge likely had something to do with Zhang Xuan. Furthermore, the strength that he had disyed thus far was definitely not beneath that of Feng Jiuges. As long as the other party possessed the bloodline of their n, it would be foolish for them not to nurture such a talent. After saying those words, the First Elder flicked his wrist and took out a round stone. We call this artifact the Phoenix Resonance Stone. Its even more urate than the Blood Reservoir in testing out ones bloodline, Feng Danqing exined. If a person possessing the bloodline of the Inferno Phoenix n drip their blood on the stone, a fire phoenix will surface on it. The clearer the phoenix, the purer ones bloodline! I understand. Feng Jiuge nodded as he took the Phoenix Resonance Stone from the First Elders hand. In the previous test, it had been found that his bloodline hadpletely vanished. Due to that, he had been expelled from the n. He could not help but feel a little apprehensive as to what was going to happen. He took a deep breath to calm himself before nicking his finger and dripping a droplet of blood on the Phoenix Resonance Stone. Weng! The brilliant call of a fire phoenix echoed in the air. The outline of a fire phoenix swiftly formed on the stone before bing clearer and clearer. Despite its miniature size, one could see its wings fluttering as it flew around the surface of the stone. It appeared so lifelike that it seemed as if it would soar out into the sky at any moment. Formation of the Phoenix, Convergence of mes... The purity of your bloodline has reached the eighth level. Not only did you regain your bloodline, it has be even purer than before! Feng Danqing was shocked. All in all, there were ten levels to the bloodline of the Inferno Phoenix n. Over the years, their bloodline had be sparser and sparser, such that those who could reach the third level were already eligible to be considered a part of the core lineage. As for the side family, due to frequent intermarriage with humans and other beasts, there were some of them who would struggle to even trigger the Phoenix Resonance Stone. Feng Jiuges bloodline had been tested for the first time shortly after his birth, and it had been found that the purity of his bloodline was at the sixth level. That was more than enough to put him at the forefront of the n. Who could have known that he would ovee his previous record, reaching the frightening eighth level? With such a level of purity, he was practically set to be a God King in the future! This... Feng Jiuge was also a little taken aback by the results. His bloodline had be even purer after he regained it. He subconsciously turned to look at his teacher once more, and if it was possible to materialize his emotions, Zhang Xuan would have been drowning in an ocean of admiration. He knew right away that it was the doing of his teacher. There was no way his bloodline could have be purer for no reason. To achieve what was thought impossible, it seemed like his teachers capability had really reached an unfathomable level. Feng Danqing turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Its your turn. To be honest, he was quite curious about how this Feng Xuan would do in the bloodline test. Without the support and backing of the n, he had still be a high-tier Celestial God at such a young age. Could his bloodline possibly be even purer than Feng Jiuges? Zhang Xuan took the stone from Feng Danqings hands, but he did not prick his finger to conduct the bloodline test right away. Instead, he turned his attention to something else... Weng! The disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him began to work its wonders, turning his bloodline into that of the Inferno Phoenix ns. Only after that was done did he take out the God King Sword and create a small incision at the tip of his finger. He had made sure to conceal the God King Sword to make it appear no different from any other sword so as to avoid stirring amotion. Unless he wielded it in battle, even a God King would be unable to tell the difference. A droplet of blood fell onto the Phoenix Resonance Stone. Nothing. Nothing happened at all. There was no fire phoenix or anything else appearing. It appeared that Zhang Xuans blood waspletely ineffective. Are you sure you are from our n? Feng Danqing asked with a frown. Feng Tianyun was also confused. Unless a person was absolutely certain that they were from the Inferno Phoenix n, they would not have dared to walk right into their home turf, iming to be one of them! Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck as well. If one could peer into his mind, one would probably see a mountain of question marks piled up. Could it be that the Inferno Phoenix ns bloodline was too advanced for the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him to emte? Hahaha, this sure is weird, isnt it? Should I try again? If he could not get the Inferno Phoenix n to recognize him, he would not be able to enter Spirit God Pce. If he could not enter Spirit God Pce, how was he supposed to find Luo Ruoxin? You can only test your bloodline once... Halfway through Feng Danqings words, the stone in Zhang Xuans hand suddenly flickered a little as a brilliant phoenix abruptly surfaced. It was not shrouded in mes, and it was unable to soar freely. Instead, it seemed to be swimming weakly on the surface of the stone... The sh of a Phoenix, A Deficiency in Vigor... This is the mark of a third level bloodline. You barely qualify as a core member! Feng Danqing announced as he patted his chest in relief. While it was not as amazing as they had hoped, a third level bloodline was decent. After all, Feng Danqing himself only had a fourth level bloodline. Congrattions, Feng Xuan, for having returned to our n. From today onward, you shall be a member of our core lineage, and youll be entitled to all the privileges of a core member! Feng Tianyun proimed loudly. Then, he passed a token over to Zhang Xuan and said, This is the token that represents your identity. With it, you can receive stipends and cultivation technique manuals from the n every month! Thank you! Zhang Xuan epted the token. While the results were not as amazing as when he had disguised himself as Luo Tianya, it was perfect for him. The disguise amulet might have sensed his inherently low profile and humble disposition, so it had adjusted itself ordingly so that the results were just enough for him to join the Inferno Phoenix n. In any case, all that mattered was that he was finally there. Hu! In this moment of celebration, no one noticed that the fire phoenix, which was soaring freely around the stone, had flown to the bottom of the stone and suddenly plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground. It had abruptly lost all its strength. At the same time, the old ancestor of the Fire Phoenix n, the Fire Feather Conferred God King, suddenly opened his eyes. Chapter 2194 - Melodramatic

Chapter 2194 Melodramatic

The bloodline test of the Inferno Phoenix n was designed to test the simrity of a descendants bloodline to that of the Fire Feather Conferred God King. The Phoenix Resonance Stone was actually an artifact created from his bloodline. That being said, the testing of a descendants bloodline usually would not faze him at all. But for some reason, his heart suddenly began pounding quickly in agitation. It was like something was squeezing his soul tightly, leaving him breathless. Your Sovereignty? The Fire Feather Conferred God King widened his eyes. He was a Conferred God King, and there was only one type of existence in the world that could leave him feeling like that. But... The God Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin had already breathed hisst breath. So why was it that he could still feel the other partys aura? I might just be thinking too much... Even if our God Monarch revives, the process is unlikely to be so quick... The Fire Feather Conferred God King shook his head as he remembered the words that the God Monarch had told him back then. Still, I should check on it just in case... So, the Fire Feather Conferred God King closed his eyes and focused his attention on that sensation that he had just felt. It was a fleeting feeling that had disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He tried to grasp onto the feeling, but for some reason, it felt like something was standing in his path, something reminiscent of the heavens... Even with his strength, he was still unable to trace the origin of the feeling. Eventually, he could only shake his head and give up. Since that was the case, there was no point in him thinking too much into it. His time would be better spent raising his cultivation. The Firmament was in an unprecedented era. It was an era in which even God Monarchs could lose their life if they got careless. If he, as a Conferred God King, did not try his best to raise his cultivation, he could very well lose his life in the next Flood of Spiritual Energy... The old Firmament was as calm as ake of stagnant water. Most Conferred God Kings lived their lives peacefully beforeing to the end of their time. Everything had changed so quickly within such a short period, be it the receding of spiritual energy, the urrence of the Flood of Spiritual Energy, or the rise of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch... It was no longer a safe haven for Conferred God Kings. For this reason, most Conferred God Kings devoted their time to cultivating if they did not have anything else to do. All they wanted was to be strong enough to survive through this turmoil while protecting their n. With his official eptance into the Inferno Phoenix n, Zhang Xuan received the right to participate in the internal selections for the tournament. All in all, the internal selectionssted three days, and the results were pretty much determined right from the start. There was no one in the Inferno Phoenix n who was a match for Zhang Xuan, so he easily took first ce. As for Feng Jiuge, he naturally imed second ce. When news started spreading that the person in first ce was an unknown figure who had just returned to the Inferno Phoenix n and the second ce was a young man who had once been expelled from the Inferno Phoenix n, a hugemotion broke out in Spirit Origin Royal City. Those two dark horses were indubitably strong contenders for the champion seat of the uing tournament. Zhang Xuan knocked on Feng Jiuges door and said, The tournament among the three ns will be held on the day after tomorrow. Since there isnt anything today, I hope that you can lead me to the abyss where the mishap urred. The Inferno Phoenix n had set the date of their internal selections to end two days before the official tournament so that their candidates would at least have a day to rest properly. Since he had some free time, Zhang Xuan hoped to take a look at the abyss to uncover the mystery behind the bizarre gray congregation of energy. Feng Jiuge was a little apprehensive at heading to the abyss once more, but recalling what his teacher had said about the possibility of a rpse urring, he bucked up his courage and nodded. It had not been easy for him to regain his bloodline and cultivation. He was not ready to lose it once more. The two of them were core members of the Inferno Phoenix n, and after the internal selections, their reputation and prestige were currently at their peak. In terms of standing within the n, they might even be higher than the elders. As such, there was no one who stopped them leaving the n. The two of them got onto an aerial celestial beast, and in less than two hours, they were standing right beneath the floating city. The floating city that seemed to block out the entire sky was being propped up by a single feather. This feather emanated a light golden glow and seemed a little reminiscent of the suns rays. Curious, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to examine the feather closely, and he realized that it looked surprisingly familiar to him. He tried to jog his memories, but somehow, he was unable to recall where he had seen it before. Eventually, he shook his head and put that matter to the back of his mind. Beneath the floating city was a pitch-ck abyss that seemed to stretch endlessly downward. It felt like terrible things were lurking within the cryptic darkness. Teacher, I went down from here before, Feng Jiuge said as he pointed to the cliff by the side. Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw a small manmade passageway right next to the cliff. It circled the walls of the abyss downward. Lets head down to take a look. Zhang Xuan instructed the aerial celestial beast to wait for them by the side before walking over. The passageway was narrow enough to allow only one person to pass at a time, and by the side was an abyss that was unimaginably deep. All it would take was one misstep for one to fall into oblivion. Following closely behind Feng Jiuge, the two of them slowly made their way down the abyss. The abyssmanded a powerful presence that suppressed even his Heavens Path zhenqi, making it difficult for him to drive his cultivation. Fortunately for him though, the Pathos of Heaven that he had cultivated seemed to be impervious to that. Just like that, they traveled downward for two hours amid unnerving silence, but they were still nowhere close to reaching the bottom of the abyss. Suddenly, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up, and he took out the pendant hanging around his neck. Feeling the slight warmth that it was emanating, he muttered, It seems like Ruoxin has been here too... The two of them continued walking for a while longer, and some timeter, Feng Jiuge finally came to a halt. He nced backward and said, Teacher, we havee to the end of the path. Back then, I also came to this point before falling into some bizarre location. It was then that my cultivation began falling rapidly! He had nearly lost everything thest time he was there. He was not willing to let it happen to him once more. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan looked forward and saw that the narrow passageway had indeed suddenly vanished. Most likely, the cultivator who created this passageway had either passed away at this point or returned along the path. It doesnt seem like theres anything special here. What was the content of the mission that led you here? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Like the Six Sects of the Azure, the ns in the Firmament often sent their members to carry out missions so as to temper their strength and character while gathering more resources for the n. However, the abyss waspletely barren. Other than the endless darkness that followed them everywhere they went, there was nothing there at all. It did not make sense for a member of the Inferno Phoenix n to head down there for a mission. Legend has it that there is a herb in the abyss that can help a cultivator be a God King, and that herb is known as the Grass of God King, Feng Jiuge exined with a reddened face. I thought that the rumor was true, so I came here to give it a try ... Grass of God King? Zhang Xuan pondered for a while before shaking his head. Putting aside whether such a thing existed or not, even if it did, it would not be so simple as to allow one to be a God King just by swallowing it. Bing a God King required one to have a thorough grasp over the powers of nature, and that was not something that a medicinal herb could help with. That being said, even if the Grass of God King only increased ones chances of making a breakthrough, it was still more than enough to draw countless cultivators over to try their luck. After all, bing a God King was a great honor in the Firmament. There were just slightly more than a hundred God Kings in the Firmament, so the temptation of being able to rise to a position that others were unable to was particrly alluring. Wait here for a moment. Ill head down to look. If I dont return within four hours, I want you to head back up without me. Dont attempt toe down to find me, Zhang Xuan instructed sternly. If Feng Jiuge headed down with him, it was likely that his cultivation would get sealed by the gray congregation of energy once more. Since that was the case, it would be better for Zhang Xuan to proceed alone. Teacher... you must stay safe! Seeing how his teacher was venturing on fearlessly despite the dangers in order to resolve the possibleplications of his condition, Feng Jiuges eyes reddened in gratitude. He was just an ordinary student, but his teacher was willing to go so far for his sake. This was an expedition that could possibly cause ones cultivation to vanish, but his teacher did not show the slightest hesitation. With such a teacher, what else could he ask for in life? Zhang Xuan responded with confusion. He could not understand why Feng Jiuge was looking at him with eyes so filled with passion that he actually felt goosebumps all over. What is wrong with this child? Im just heading down there to take a look, and Ill return as soon as I encounter danger. Is there a need for you to be so touched? Please! Were not shooting a melodramatic soap opera over here. Chapter 2195 - 2195 Grass of God King 2195 Grass of God King Grabbing onto the face of the cliff tightly, Zhang Xuan slowly climbed his way down the abyss. There was an unnerving pressure that came from the depths of the abyss that seemed to threaten to swallow him whole, so he did not dare lower his guard. Proceeding downward, the pendant lying in front of his chest grew hotter and hotter, to the point that he felt like it would meld into him. It was also bing extremely arduous for him to drive his Heavens Path zhenqi. It felt like this abyss was the very antithesis of his cultivation technique. Pathos of Heaven! Finally, it came to a point where Zhang Xuan was forced to circte the even purer Pathos of Heaven zhenqi, and the pressure vanished. Heaving a sigh of relief, he continued downward. Tzzz! After advancing a little further, he suddenly felt surges of gray energy flowing discreetly into his body. So, this is where it came from... Having expected such a situation in advance, Zhang Xuan was able to keep his cool. He quickly channeled his Heavens Path zhenqi toward the gray energy, and the collision of the two produced a brilliant green light within his body. The glowing Zhang Xuan amid the pitch-ck abyss made him seem as though he was a deity descending upon and of doom. As he went deeper, the surges of gray energy grew more numerous, and the rate at which he had to expend his Heavens Path zhenqi increased at a terrifying rate. The surrounding space also began showing hints of instability, wavering a little here and there. It might get dangerous if I continue like this... Zhang Xuans hands and feet finally came to a halt. He was capable of flight, so he did not have to worry about falling into the abyss. What he was really concerned about was the instability in space. If he ventured deeper in, he could be mired within spatial turbulence and vortices. With his current cultivation, it would be hard for him to withstand such powerful forces of nature. Ill stop here for a moment and refine all of my zhenqi to the Pathos of Heaven zhenqi first... After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan took out the God King Sword and gouged out a small cavern in the cliff face before sitting down in it. He had spent a few hours getting down to this point, so he was reluctant to leave without having uncovered anything at all. Since the gray surges of energy were able to neutralize his Heavens Path zhenqi, it would be good for him to use them to refine his zhenqi, such that only the Pathos of Heaven zhenqi was left. He began drawing the gray surges of energy into his body and channeled his Heavens Path zhenqi against them. It took roughly two hours for him to expend all his Heavens Path zhenqi, leaving behind only the Pathos of Heavens zhenqi. I dont even have a hundredth of the amount of zhenqi I used to have now... Previously, when the two types of zhenqi were still fused together, they formed a massive ocean within his dantian, supplying him with an almost never-ending source of energy. However, with the neutralization of all his Heavens Path zhenqi, the amount of energy left within the ocean was not even a hundredth of before. He had no idea whether it was a good thing for him to have refined all his zhenqi so quickly. In any case, with the absence of his Heavens Path zhenqi, the pressure from the gray surges of energy also vanished, so it seemed like it was doing him some good at the moment. He walked over to the entrance of the cavern and nced downward contemtively. It was a while before he made up his mind and continued to climb downward. Soon, he arrived before a spatial vortex. This was a region where space flowed as easily as fluid, making it impossible for even God Kings to pass through such a region normally. Zhang Xuan took out a high-tier Celestial God artifact and stretched it toward the spatial vortex. Weng! The sword immediately began bending along with the flow of space, as if it had fallen into a distorting mirror. rmed, Zhang Xuan quickly took out the sword from the vortex. Examining the swords condition, he realized that the bent areas could not be fixed anymore, and the spirit within the sword had been destroyed as well. Stability of space is one of the fundamental requirements for life to exist. Even if it was possible for a lifeform to adapt to such an environment, it would also be distorted to bepletely different from what is was before... Zhang Xuan knew that he would likely end up like this sword if he got caught in the spatial vortex. Heaving a deep sigh of helplessness, he was just about to start climbing when he noticed something bobbing up and down within the spatial vortex, forming ripples all around. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look. Within the spatial vortex, there were a few intriguing nts rooted on the cliff face. They would move alongside the flow of the spatial vortex. Its actually possible for life to thrive in such an environment? Zhang Xuan was shocked. The spatial vortex was filled with many different currents that flowed in different directions, such that any lifeform that fell into it would be pulled in innumerable directions, causing their form to distort. Even with his current cultivation, Zhang Xuan had no confidence in defending against the forces of the spatial vortex. Yet, those nts were able to survive under such circumstances. Why was that so? Could it be that...the nts over there is the Grass of God King? Is that it? Previously, when he heard about the existence of such a herb from his student, he had thought that it was impossible. However, he was starting to see the usibility of it now. One of the distinctive traits of a God King was hisprehension over spatialws, and the fact that this grass was able to survive amid a spatial vortex showed that it had adapted to distortions in the spatialws. If one could forge this grass into a pill and swallow them, it would indeed boost ones chances to be a God King. The only problem is that how can I obtain them? Zhang Xuan frowned. Those nts were not too deep within the spatial vortex, but the problem was that he could not even afford to get in contact with it. How was he supposed to retrieve those nts? If he could not obtain them, it would be futile no matter how valuable those nts were! Little Chick, I have something I need you to help me do! Zhang Xuan beganmunicating with the little yellow chick in his dantian. Thetter had already reached the God King realm, and it possessed an undying body. It might be able to get those nts for him. I was sleeping! Little Chick eximed grudgingly beforeing out of Zhang Xuans dantian. It looked at the sight beneath it, and its beady eyes narrowed in confusion. This ce... I seem to have been here before... You have been here before? Zhang Xuan frowned. Did you remember something? All this while, Little Chick had been saying that it was a legendary beast that ruled over thends, but it had never been able to figure out what it was exactly. Even after it made a breakthrough to God King, it had still been unable to recall anything rted to its heritage. Could this spatial vortex be the key to triggering its memories? Not really. I just find this sight particrly familiar... Little Chick cocked its head to the side as it racked its head to form associations. In the end, it threw its tiny wings into the air in frustration and cried, Nothing ising to me at all! Forget it, I shant think about it anymore. Ill surely recall everything once I regain my cultivation. Oh right, so why did you call me out here? If there was nothing up, its master usually would not disturb it. I suspect that the nt within the spatial vortex is Grass of God Kings, a herb that can help one to make a breakthrough to the God King realm. I cant retrieve it with my current level of cultivation, so Im wondering if its possible for you to do it. The nts over there? Little Chick pondered for a moment before nodding a little. It seems possible for that to be the case. The nt is indeed a little bizarre... Un. Are you able to get it? Zhang Xuan asked. I just need you to harvest it, not to eat it. Little Chick was known to be extremely greedy when it came to food. If it rushed over and gobbled up all the nts... well, he could not possibly put his hand into Little Chicks mouth and dig those nts out, right? He would rather remain a Celestial God for life than do something as disgusting as that... Little Chick looked at Zhang Xuan and replied, Of course, I am already a God King realm expert, you know! That thing is no longer useful to me... Dont worry, I wont eat it... Ill just try one de of grass to see how it tastes. If it isnt nice, I wont eat it anymore... Why are you looking at me like that? There is more than one de of grass down there, right? Zhang Xuan looked at Little Chick speechlessly before eventually nodding helplessly. Alright, go and do whatever you need. However, this spatial vortex seems a little odd. If you encounter any danger, make sure to retreat at once. That Grass of God King was nothing inparison to Little Chick. If obtaining the Grass of God King would ce thetter in danger, he did not want them at all. Chapter 2196 - Is Little Chick the Deathless Monarch?

Chapter 2196 Is Little Chick the Deathless Monarch?

Sigh, I have been wanting to die for a long time now. If this thing can kill me, Ill be more than d to do it, Little Chick said as it pped its wings. The previous time it transmogrified, it had retained its chick head for some reason. If the spatial vortex could kill it somehow, it might just be able to pull off a full transmogrification. Un... Zhang Xuan nodded. He would be lying if he said that he was not worried, but when he recalled how Little Chick coulde back to life even after it had been sted to bits, he decided to let things be. Hu! pping its little wings, Little Chick dived right into the spatial vortex. In an instant, its body began warping like a reflection in a distortion mirror. Its small golden body bloated up to the point that it resembled the fire phoenix that he had seen on the Phoenix Resonance Stone. Wait a moment, could it be that... Little Chick is from the Phoenix Tribe? Such a thought suddenly arose in Zhang Xuans head. There were not many legendary beasts in the world, and there were even fewer of those whose bloodline was so powerful that they could not fully transmogrify even after bing a God King. If that was the case, how powerful a beast was Little Chick? Was it a Conferred God King... or a God Monarch? It cant be that it is actually the Deathless Monarch, can it? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. In the first ce, it was weird that the Deathless Monarch, known for its ability to defy death, had passed away just like that. He recalled the first time he met Little Chick. He had still been on the Master Teacher Continent, and Little Chick had still been a mere gourd. It had grown swiftly through absorbing his Heavens Path zhenqi. While in the Azure, when they were before the tomb of the Deathless Monarch, Little Chick had mentioned that he wanted to devour the skeleton that was guarding the grave. Furthermore, when Little Chick revived after it was killed by Kong shis clone, there had been a sudden outpour of air of degeneration from the City of Copsed Space to fuel its growth, and how it was able to absorb the concentrated air of degeneration with ease as well... Other than that, there was also a feeling of familiarity when he saw the massive feather propping up Spirit Origin Royal City, as well as Little Chick mentioning how it found this abyss familiar... Most importantly of all, Conferred God King Qi Meng had addressed him as a God Monarch back when he was at the Lucid Lunar Lake. Most likely, it was due to Little Chicks blood seeping into it. Due to absorbing Little Chicks blood, his body had also gained a portion of the Deathless Monarchs undying attribute, allowing him to swiftly recover regardless of the severity of his injuries. Did I really take a God Monarch as my tamed beast? The more Zhang Xuan thought about this matter, the more his face twitched in horror. During his time in the Firmament, he hade to learn about just how highly respected the God Monarchs were. Even Kong shi had to receive the recognition of the other nine God Monarchs if he wanted to be one. A mere high-tier Celestial God like him had taken in a God Monarch as his tamed beast. For the time being, Little Chick had not recovered its memories, so it was not able to say anything about it. But once it remembered its past, would it try to kill him to erase this humiliating history? But this doesnt fully make sense. Ruoxin, as the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, should be the sessor of the Deathless Monarch, and she met Little Chick as the Dongxu Gourd while we were still on the Master Teacher Continent. Thus, she should have recognized it and made a move... ording to what he had heard so far, this was the first time that a God Monarch had died, so it was understandable how no one was certain what had be of the Deathless Monarch. However, as the sessor of the Deathless Monarch, Luo Ruoxin should have been able to recognize the Deathless Monarch even if it was in a very different state. Of course, everything was just his conjecture at this point, so he could not say for sure. Even God Monarchs were bound to have their enemies. If someone found the Death Monarch in a severely weakened state, there was a good chance that it might be killed before it was able to grow back to its peak. Luo Ruoxin might have chosen to intentionally turn a blind eye to it in order to conceal it from the eyes of the others. Forget it, whats the point of thinking about it now? Zhang Xuan muttered to himself. The mystery should unravel itself once I meet Ruoxin tomorrow at Spirit God Pce... Casting aside his misceneous thoughts, he turned his attention back to the spatial vortex and saw the little yellow chick having a great battle with the Grass of God King. This herb, being able to survive in a spatial vortex and help cultivators reach God King realm, was not weak at all. While its fighting prowess was not on par with that of a God King, it would be wise not to underestimate it. It was just unfortunate that Little Chick happened to be a God King, and a considerably powerful one at that. Soon enough, it defeated the Grass of God King, and holding onto it with its beak, it swam back up to where Zhang Xuan was. Its body remained distorted even after it left the spatial vortex, but this degree of damage was not enough to pose a threat to it. It passed the herbs over to Zhang Xuan before diving into his dantian and returning to sleep. All in all, there were four stalks. There should have been five of them, but Little Chick had eaten one while it was fighting, only to realize that it tasted horrible. So, it had left the rest of them to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan took out a jade container and stored the herbs inside it before sealing it off with his zhenqi. Heaving a sigh of relief, he quickly flew back to the top of the abyss. He had used the Library of Heavens Path to check the medicinal herbs when he received them, and it was exactly as he thought. They were indeed the Grass of God King, and they had the effect of increasing ones chances of bing a God King by fifty percent. Furthermore, the effects could be further enhanced if the herbs medicinal properties wereplemented with other medicinal herbs. With this, as long as he coulde up with a God King realm cultivation technique for his Pathos of Heaven, he should be able to make a breakthrough easily. Teacher, are you fine? Upon returned to the ce where he had parted with Feng Jiuge, he saw the young man looking at him worriedly. Zhang Xuan nodded. Lets head out first before talking. They had proceeded down slowly in case they encountered any danger, but there was no such worry now that they were heading upward instead. In less than an hour, they were already back on the surface. Zhang Xuan called for the aerial celestial beast, and the two of them returned to the Inferno Phoenix n. I found the reason your cultivation plummeted, and you can rest assured that you will not face the same problem in the future, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. I also managed to find the Grass of God King that you spoke of. Ill have it forged into a pill and give you one. So, make sure to cultivate diligently so that you can be a God King soon! You managed to find the Grass of God King? Feng Jiuge eximed in shock. He had been a little skeptical about the existence of the Grass of God King when he went down the abyss as well, but who could have known that it really existed and that his teacher would even manage to procure some of it! Not only so, his teacher was going to give some of it to him... His eyes reddened once more as he gazed at Zhang Xuan with gratitude. Zhang Xuan shuddered a little when he saw Feng Jiuge looking at him with such sparkling eyes yet again. He quickly nced away as he said, Focus on your cultivation for the rest of the day. Ill be heading out for a while, and I should be back in time for tomorrows tournament. There was still half a day before the tournament, which should be plenty of time for him to get the Grass of God King forged into pills. With those pills, he would be able to make a breakthrough as long as he coulde up with a corresponding God King realm cultivation technique. Of course, the problem was that a pill that increased ones chances of making a breakthrough to God King was not easy to forge. It would be highly testing on ones skills as an apothecary, and the first person that came to Zhang Xuans mind was none other than... Fu Jiangchen! Fu Jiangchen was reputed to be the number one apothecary of the Firmament, and he was a powerful God King as well. It should be safe to entrust the Grass of God King into his hands. Most importantly of all, he had interacted with Fu Jiangchen, and he felt that thetter was a trustworthy person. Otherwise, if news regarding the Grass of God King leaked, it would surely cause an evenrger uproar than the Breakthrough Pill. After all, each God King was an invaluable asset to any n in the Firmament, and this included ns with Conferred God Kings. He would surely face yet another wave of even more powerful assassins once that happened. Teacher, stay safe... Feng Jiuge sped his fist. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. He strictly instructed Feng Jiuge not to tell anyone about the Grass of God King before riding the aerial celestial beast all the way to the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. Through such a convenient tool of travel, he should have more than enough time to head to the Sky of Linglong to look for Fu Jiangchen, have his pill forged, and make it back within half a day. Chapter 2197 - Sky ofLinglong Chapter 2197 Sky ofLinglong It was a peaceful journey to the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, so there was no God King to deliver dinner to Little Chick and provide him with free weapons and pills. To be honest, Zhang Xuan was a little disappointed by that. Roughly an hourter, he finally arrived at Linglong Royal City. Sky of Linglong, whose name was derived from the phrase Linglong Heart of Seven Apertures[l], stood at the southwest of the Firmament, and itsnd was shaped like a seven-sided polygon. Its monarch, Fairy Linglong, was a female God Monarch. Fairy Linglong was reputed to have a ravishing appearance that was unrivaled. Her cultivation had also reached a terrifying level, not paling inparison with the powerful Cloud Dragon Monarch or Deathless Monarch at all. The two Conferred God Kings serving under her, Shangguan Yunwan and Baiye Qinghong, were known to be gorgeous beauties as well. Rumor had it that there were many Conferred God Kings and God Kings who had expressed their fancy toward those two, only to be rejected. Unexpectedly, the mature-looking Fu Jiangchen was a loyal fan of those two as well, and they were the true reason he had chosen to settle down in the Sky of Linglong. After all, with his top-notch skills as an apothecary, he would fare well no matter where he went. A fallen flower parts from the tree of its own volition, only to be swept away by the heartless river. Just like their God Monarch, these two Conferred God Kings viewed the courtship of any men with nonchnce. As such, they had never gotten apanion over the years, and there was absolutely no history of them even getting close to any men. Zhang Xuan knew that he only had half a day and no time to waste, so he quickly entered Linglong Royal City and sent a message to Fu Jiangchen. It did not take him long to receive a response. He waited on the spot for a while, and soon, he saw the number one apothecary of the Firmament flying right in his direction. My friend, Zhang Xuan! I didnt expect you to visit me so soon! Fu Jiangchen stroked his beard with a smile. Before they parted at Drifting Specter Royal City, they had exchanged their contact information, and Zhang Xuan had promised to drop by when he had some time on hand. It was just that Fu Jiangchen did not expect to reunite with the young man so quickly. Fu Jiangchen had been looking into the Breakthrough Pill over thest few days, and the more he examined the Breakthrough Pill, the more impressed he was by its effects. His pill forging skills was definitely top in the Firmament, but even so, he was unable to figure out the pill form of the Breakthrough Pill. No matter how he looked at it, it appeared to bepletely identical to a middle-tier God Essence Pill. In fact, there was even a period of time when he wondered if Zhang Xuan had given him the wrong pill. Yet, when he tried out the effectiveness of the pill, it was indeed able to repair a cultivators internal traumas and help them ovee the bottleneck of their cultivation. In the end, he could only conclude that the young mans mastery of pill forging was far beyond his. It was also due to this that he felt particrly excited to see the young man once more. To be frank with you, I came here because I have a request of you. Zhang Xuan sped his fist as he spoke. Oh? Fu Jiangchen was slightly surprised. Theres no need to stand on ceremony with me. I would be d to help you with any trouble you are facing! Allow me to thank you in advance, Brother Fu! Since the other party addressed him as a friend, he would appear to be too formal if he continued addressing the other party as Apothecary Fu*. Switching over to zhenqi telepathy, he said, To be honest, I need you to help me forge a pill. Forge a pill? Fu Jiangchen was a little surprised to see Zhang Xuan acting so cautiously. A momentter, a thought struck him, and he noddedprehendingly as he replied via telepathy as well. Your pill forging skills are far beyond mine. If you need my help... are you intending to forge a God King realm pill? As someone who was able to forge something as incredible as the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill, it went without saying that the other partysprehension of pill forging far exceeded his. Yet, the other party had travelled so far to ask him for such a favor. That likely meant that the pill he needed to forge was beyond his current capability. Yes, thats indeed the case, Zhang Xuan replied frankly. In strict terms, the God King Breakthrough Pill forged from the Grass of God King was unlikely to reach the level of a real God King realm pill. Nevertheless, its value would not pale inparison to any God King realm pill. Come, lets head to my manor first before discussing the details! Knowing that such a pill would surely draw unwanted attention to them, Fu Jiangchen embraced Zhang Xuan with his zhenqi, and the two of them swiftly flew toward his manor. Fu Jiangchen, known as the top apothecary of the Firmament, had an exceptionally high standing in the Sky of Linglong. Despite only being a God King, the manor that he lived in was on a scaleparable to that of the Qi n. With the massive number of disciples in his lineage, he was practically a sect leader at this point. Fu Jiangchen led Zhang Xuan into his private room in the manor before activating the istion barriers. Once it was all done, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Brother Zhang, to be frank with you, due to the limits of my cultivation talent, I am only able to forge eight types of God King realm pills at the moment. If the pill you wish to forge isnt within these eight types, I fear that there isnt much I can do to help you. Due to the nature of God King realm pills, the sess rate of forging a God King realm pill was highly dependent on the apothecarys ability to manipte the power of nature and hisprehension of the God King cultivation realm itself yed a huge part. There was no doubt that Fu Jiangchen was a talented apothecary, but his talent as a cultivator was not particrly exceptional among God Kings. As a result of that, the types of God King realm pills that he could forge were limited to only eight types. Eight types? Zhang Xuan frowned. He did not know how many types of God King realm pills there were in the Firmament, but if one thing was for sure, there were definitely way more than eight of them. However, it was already toote to search for other apothecaries, so Zhang Xuan got straight to the matter at hand. The pill I would like to forge is a God King Breakthrough Pill. May I know if you have heard of such a pill, Brother Fu? God King Breakthrough Pill? Fu Jiangchen was taken aback. Is there such a pill in the world? Even with his vast knowledge of pill forging, he had never heard of any pill that could help one make a breakthrough to the God King realm. I came up with the pill form not too long ago, and I havent gotten a chance to test it yet, Zhang Xuan replied. With his current mastery of pill forging, he was already capable of changing a pill form flexibly so as to suit his needs. Along the way, he had studied the attributes and potency of the Grass of God King, and through that, he had devised a form that best brought out its medicinal properties. However, all of it was still in a theoretical stage; he had not tried it out in practice. That being said, he had already verified the usibility of it through the Library of Heavens Path, and there were no mistakes. As long as the pill form was strictly followed from the start to the end, the pill forged should be able to help a high-tier Celestial God be a God King. You came up with the pill form? Fu Jiangchen looked at Zhang Xuan with his mouth agape for a long while. He had thought that it was already amazing enough that the young man was able toe up with the Breakthrough Pill that allowed a cultivator to ovee the bottlenecks they faced in the earlier stages of their cultivation. He did not think that the young man would be able to go so far as to even deduce a God King Breakthrough Pill... That was sure a terrifying talent that the young man had! Indeed! Zhang Xuan nodded. However, my cultivation is still severelycking at the moment, so Im unable to forge the pill. Thus, I came here hoping to ask for your help. As long as you are able to help me forge the pill, Im willing topensate you ordingly! You are too courteous! It would also be the utmost honor for an apothecary like me to witness the birth of such an amazing pill! Fu Jiangchen replied excitedly. Is it fine for you to show me the pill form first? I have never forged anything like this before, so Ill need to take a look at the pill form to know whether it is within my means. Here you go! Since Zhang Xuan was there to ask Fu Jiangchen for help, there was no reason for him to be stingy. He took out a jade token and infused the pill form that he hade up with into it before passing it over. Fu Jiangchen epted the jade token and quickly took a look at the contents. His eyes widened upon seeing the details of the pill form, and he quickly turned to Zhang Xuan to ask with an incredulous tone, Are you certain that this pill form is feasible? [1] Linglong Heart of Seven Apertures refers to a mystical heart that has seven apertures, and its said that someone who has such a heart must have an innocent nature, and they can hear the voice of nature andmunicate with it. Chapter 2198 - 2198 A Perfect Forging Method 2198 A Perfect Forging Method The pill form that Fu Jiangchen had seen was simply horrifying. Even as a top apothecary in the Firmament, he still felt his heart pounding anxiously at the thought of it. He dared not believe that someone would dare use all those medicinal ingredients together! The main ingredient of the pill form, Grass of God King, was a medicinal ingredient that he had never seen or heard of before, but the otherplementing medicinal herbs left chills running down his spine. Putting everything aside, the sixthplementing medicinal herb, Spittle of the Green Serpentine Dragon, was known to be one of the most potent poisons in the Firmament. Even a God King would be unable to curb its poisonous properties! To actually use something like that to forge a pill... Subconsciously, Fu Jiangchen was already starting to calcte the chances of a cultivator surviving if they consumed such a pill! And the fourteenth medicinal herb, the Hundredleaf Violetscent Flower, despite possessing no poison at all, had the ability to freeze a cultivators zhenqi, preventing them from exerting their cultivation... Should a Breakthrough Pill not be filled with ingredients that were rich in spiritual energy so that the cultivator could gather sufficient momentum for a breakthrough? But this medicinal herb would halt a persons zhenqi! How was someone supposed to cultivate like that? And the twenty-first medicinal herb, Pureblooded Dragon Blood... Was that something that a normal cultivator could endure? Putting aside a single drop, even half a drop of it would be enough to make him explode! With his many years of experience in pill forging, Fu Jiangchens conclusion was that... this was not a pill form but an enigmatic hotpot filled with sketchy ingredients! It was simr to how a cook might add pepper, onion, ginger, and anise into their meat in order to elevate its vor... But if he added in a teaspoon of ash, a pinch of dust, and three spoonfuls of wood shavings into his cooking, could it be eaten? That was just how illogical the pill form appeared to Fu Jiangchen! I have already revised it once, and there are no problems with it, Zhang Xuan replied. You have revised it once? Fu Jiangchen was on the verge of wing his hair out. Was the young man that confident, or did he misunderstand what pill forging was? Even the most skilled apothecaries he knew of would make sure to revise their new pill form dozens of times before attempting to forge it so as to prevent wastage of medicinal ingredients. In fact, there were some who went to the extent of simting the process hundreds of times to ensure that it was errorless before daring to move on to the forging process. Yet... you only went through it once? Are you sure that this is fine? It feels like you are making light of everything! Rest assured, I am confident in the pill form. Well definitely be able to forge it, Zhang Xuan replied with a chuckle to assuage Fu Jiangchens fears. Even the Library of Heavens Path had given him the green light, so there could not be any problem with it! Seeing how certain Zhang Xuan was, Fu Jiangchen knew that he would not be able to talk him out of it, so he sighed deeply and said, Well, since you have already put it like that, I guess we can give it a try... However, Ill need to give you a disimer beforehand. I have never forged such a pill before, so theres a chance that all of the medicinal herbs might end up going to waste! If the pill forging process failed, it would usually result in all the medicinal herbs going to waste. The medicinal herbs required to forge something as potent as a God King Breakthrough Pill were bound to be incredibly valuable. Even with the vast fortune that Fu Jiangchen had at his disposal, it would still take a huge toll on his finances if so many precious herbs of his went to waste. Dont worry, it wont go to waste! Zhang Xuan smiled. Brother Fu, as long as you follow my instructions carefully, there wont be any problems! Alright then. Fu Jiangchen nodded. The other partys mastery of pill forging was clearly higher than his, so it could be possible that the other party was seeing a very different picture from him. He was there just to help out anyway. Shall we begin then? Zhang Xuan asked. He only had half a day, and two hours had already passed so far. If he did not rush things a bit, he might fail to make it in time for the tournament. Un! With a flick of his wrist, Fu Jiangchen took out a cauldron. Then, with a wave of his hand, a burst of me descended from the sky and fell right into the cauldron, setting it alight. The cauldron that he used specifically for pill forging was God King-tier, and the me that he used was a type of Celestial me. With these, he could refine even God King-tier medicinal herbs easily. You have my gratitude! Seeing that Fu Jiangchen had the equipment required to conduct the pill forging, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. That happened to be something that hecked. With a wave of his hand, a huge pile of medicinal herb materialized before him, floating in the air. He had managed to procure quite a lot of medicinal herbs back in the Sky of Drifting Specter through Qi Ling-er. Furthermore, when he devised the pill form, he had altered it ording to what medicinal herbs he had on hand so that he would not need to go looking for them. Fu Jiangchen looked at the medicinal herbs floating around the room before asking with a frown, Brother Zhang... you only prepared a set of medicinal herb? It was pretty standard for apothecaries to prepare three sets of medicinal herbs before beginning to forge their pill. This way, they would be able to quickly make adjustments if a problem urred. However, if there was only a set of medicinal herbs and a problem cropped up in the refinement of a certain medicinal herb, they would not be able to correct the problem right away, and this could lead to the entire cauldron of medicinal herbs going to waste! Just a set is enough. To be frank with you, Im pushed for time, so I can only attempt the forging process once, Zhang Xuan replied. You are pushed for time? Fu Jiangchen was rendered speechless. That, too, was a taboo of pill forging, especially for such an advanced pill. Presenting me with apletely messed up pill form that has only been revised once, preparing only a single set of medicinal herbs, and being in a rush before the pill forgings even begun... Are you sure you are here to ask me to forge a pill for you? It was not too long ago that Fu Jiangchen had beenpletely impressed by Zhang Xuan, and he had even thought that thetter might be most capable apothecary in the Firmament with the exception of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, but looking at it now... How could an apothecary be this unreliable? Lets begin right away! As Zhang Xuan said those words, Fu Jiangchen saw the young man grabbing one of the medicinal herbs and tossing it into his cauldron. For a moment there, Fu Jiangchen nearly flipped his cauldron over, and he might have done so if not for the fact that they were in his manor. The cauldron hasnt been heated properly, but you have already started tossing a medicinal herb in... And the way you did it somehow appeared so amateur, almost as if you have never forged a pill before... Fu Jiangchen felt his confidence level reaching a new low. Ill pass it over to you now. Follow my instructions strictly, alright... Nearly having burnt his hand while tossing the medicinal herb in, Zhang Xuan immediately took a step back and held back his urge to continue tossing the other medicinal herbs in. With a deep sigh, Fu Jiangchen said, The cauldron isnt warm yet... There are some medicinal herbs that dont require the cauldron to be too hot. On the contrary, if the temperature is too high, it might have adverse effects even, Zhang Xuan swiftly exined before following up with the next set of instructions. In two breaths time, ce the Woodleaf Grass and Goldgazelle Leaf in. Increase the temperature of the me by seven percent right away. After that, use the Wood Reversal Spirit Resurrection Forging Technique to ce the Soleleaf Grass in... The procedure for forging the God King Breakthrough Pill was incrediblyplex, and there were many details to take note of. In order to ensure that his words could reach in time, Zhang Xuan used his zhenqi telepathy to ry his instructions. You know of my Wood Reversal Spirit Resurrection Forging Technique? Fu Jiangchen had been filled with uncertainty a moment ago when he suddenly heard those words, and his heart skipped a beat. The Wood Reversal Spirit Resurrection Forging Technique was a particrly obscure and profound forging technique. It had taken him nearly a decade in order to fully grasp it. However, after he learned it, due to how obscure it was, there were hardly any pill forms that necessitated its use, so he had ended up shoving it aside. A lot of time had passed since then, and he had nearly forgotten about it... He did not think that Zhang Xuan would be aware of that pill forging technique, as well as the fact that he knew about it! In any case, Fu Jiangchen knew that this was not the time to be asking questions. Without a moments dy, with his right hand, he quickly did as what Zhang Xuan instructed and threw stalk after stalk of medicinal herbs in with precise movements at precise timings. As for his left hand, it was busy infusing spiritual energy into the cauldron in order to raise the intensity of the me. Tzzz! While cing the medicinal herbs in ording to Zhang Xuans instructions, Fu Jiangchen could not help but notice that the medicinal herbs, which looked as if they would burst into mes at any moment, would somehow melt together with impable timing and fuse perfectly together with one another. Could this be... a perfect pill forging technique? Fu Jiangchen thought in disbelief. The reason fire was required in pill forging was to fuse the individual medicinal herbs together better. However, due to certain ipatibilities in terms of mes and forging techniques, it could prove difficult to fuse some medicinal herbs together. For most apothecaries, it was fine as long as they could mix the two medicinal herbs together to some degree. However, by following the timing and forging technique as the young man instructed, he was actually able to make all of the medicinal herbs fuse together perfectly! This was a perfect forging technique! This was a legendary feat that even God Monarchs would find hard to pull off... but it was happening right before his eyes from the words of a young man! Chapter 2199 - 2199 Need to Breakthrough 2199 Need to Breakthrough As the number one apothecary, Fu Jiangchens skills in controlling mes and his grasp of medicinal properties were indeed top-notch. All Zhang Xuan had to do was verbalize the timing and the steps, and Fu Jiangchen would be able to pull them off with an amazing level of precision. It did not take long for over a hundred medicinal herbs to be added into the cauldron, each of them perfectly fused with one another. All in all, they formed a sphere of medicinal fluid that was roughly the size of a fist. At the start, Fu Jiangchen was still getting shocked each time he saw medicinal herbs that were usually hard to mix together fusing together perfectly, but there eventually came a point where he got numb to the shock. It was starting to feel like as long as he followed Zhang Xuans instructions, he would even be able to fuse even the heaven and earth impably together with one another. He had been a little doubtful at the start about why that would be the case, but eventually, he hade to realize that the young mans grasp over medicinal herbs had reached a level where he had an absolute grasp over each and every one of them. For example, at the very start, he had been extremely skeptical about adding the Spittle of the Green Serpentine Dragon into the pill since the medicinal herb was renowned for its domineering poison. However, by abruptly raising the temperature to l,300 degrees within a single breath, it was possible to make the poison disappear temporarily for half a breath. As long as he fused the Densewood Flower together with it in this interval, not only would the poison not reappear, it would even have the beneficial effect of stimting the cells in ones body. The same went for the Hundredleaf Violetscent Flower. It was known for its ability to freeze a persons zhenqi, but by mediating it with certain medicinal herbs at a specific temperature, it would instead reinforce the cultivators meridians, thus allowing the cultivator to drive their zhenqi with greater vigor than before! The young man had managed to draw out the beneficial medicinal properties from these herbs perfectly without wasting anything. Fu Jiangchen had thought that he was nearing the peak of pill forging, but that day, he had witnessed something that he had never thought possible. He felt like the ceiling above him had shattered to reveal a brand-new sky. Wait a moment, this isnt right... Just as Fu Jiangchen was going to heave a sigh of relief after seeing that nothing had gone wrong so far, he suddenly recalled something and anxiously turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan. I have already refined and fused the 107 medicinal herbs together, but why arent we adding in the main ingredient yet? He had been so preupied with the forging process that he had not noticed it before, but once his workload finally lessened slightly, it immediately struck him. ording to the pill form, there was a total of 108 medicinal herbs, and he had already fused 107 of them together. So, why had the main ingredient not appeared yet? The main ingredient was usually the crux of the pill. Like the foundation of a building, its presence served as the structure to build up the final product. For most pills, the main ingredient was the first one to go into the cauldron, and the other medicinal herbs would be added in subsequently to mediate and fuse with it. Yet. strangely enough, he had forged 107 of the medicinal herbs already, and they were all just side ingredients... Are you sure that this is going to work out? This was simr to fried rice almost being ready to serve, but all that was in the bowl were onions, ginger, pepper, thirteen spice powder. Somehow, the main ingredient was nowhere to be seen! Could the young man be pulling an borate prank on him? Theres no need to worry. Continue raising the heat in the cauldron, Zhang Xuan replied with his eyes still staring intently at the cauldron. Alright... Fu Jiangchen was perplexed, but he did not dare go against Zhang Xuans instructions out of fear that his mistake would cause the failure of the pill forging process. So, he continued infusing his zhenqi into the cauldron, causing the mes to intensify furiously. The temperature in the cauldron was rising at a terrifying pace. Soon, the medicinal fluid started bubbling, but Zhang Xuan did not give the order for him to stop. Before long, it looked as if an explosion was on the verge of urring. Fu Jiangchen turned to Zhang Xuan and worriedly asked, Is this enough? The medicinal herbs had already fused together, so there should be no need for the me anymore. Furthermore, if they continued raising the heat, an explosion would really ur. That would render all their previous efforts futile. It isnt enough yet. Continue raising the heat, Zhang Xuan instructed. Fu Jiangchen gritted his teeth as he channeled his zhenqi into the cauldron furiously, causing the me in the cauldron to surge rapidly once more. I have already raised the temperature to the extent of my limits... It was just a short five seconds, but the number one apothecary of the Firmament had already started sweating. Due to the limitations of his cultivation, he could only intensify the me within the cauldron to this extent. Running out of zhenqi would be a problem if he went any further than this, but more importantly, he could also lose control of the me and cause an explosion. The temperature is still slightlycking... Zhang Xuan frowned. The Grass of God King was a medicinal herb that could thrive even within a spatial vortex, so the temperature needed to be extremely high in order to properly refine it. Even though Fu Jiangchen had managed to raise the temperature considerably, it still was not enough. I cant go any further than this anymore, Fu Jiangchen said with a pale face. Furthermore, I only have enough energy to sustain the me for thirty seconds. Beyond that, my zhenqi will dry up... He was infusing as much zhenqi as he could into the cauldron already, so it went without saying that this would take a huge toll on both his zhenqi reserve and his spirit. By his estimations, thirty seconds was truly his limit. Once he ran out of energy, all his previous hard work would have gone to waste. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly upon hearing those words. Despite all his nning, he had failed to n for Fu Jiangchens sorelycking zhenqi capacity... Furthermore, if they could not reach the required temperature, it would be futile even if the other party held on for another thirty minutes! I guess I have no choice then... With a solemn look on his face, Zhang Xuan finally turned his gaze to Fu Jiangchen and started speaking. You are currently at God King realm advanced stage, and you are already on the verge of making a breakthrough... While that wont increase your zhenqi capacity by too much, it should increase the purity of your zhenqi considerably. That will allow you to further raise the temperature of the mes inside to meet the requirement. This was a very dire situation. From the looks of it, there was only one way to prevent the pill forging process from failing, and that was for Fu Jiangchen to make a breakthrough in his cultivation! As long as thetter reached God King realm pinnacle, he would be able to raise the temperature within the cauldron even higher. With that, he would be able to refine the Grass of God King andplete the pill! Otherwise, all their hard work thus far would go to waste. Breakthrough? Fu Jiangchen was rendered speechless after hearing Zhang Xuans words. Now isnt the time to be kidding around! Fu Jiangchen knew where his limitsy, and if it was possible for him to make a breakthrough, he would have long so. He would not have waited so long. Furthermore, he was in the midst of forging a pill. It was taking everything just to maintain the me within the cauldron, yet he was supposed to make a breakthrough under such conditions? Im not kidding with you. This is the only way we can avoid the pill forging from ending in a failure, Zhang Xuan said. The reason your cultivation has stagnated thus far is due to your overreliance on pills. That has resulted in pill poison umting within your body, and no matter what you did, you arent able to rid yourself of it... As the saying went, no medicine is devoid of poison. Even the best pill would still leave all kinds of poison within ones body. This would not pose much trouble in the short run, but as ones cultivation rose through the ranks, and the requirement on the purity of ones zhenqi grew more and more stringent, even the slightest hint of pill poison would make a world of a difference. As one of the top apothecaries of the Firmament, there was no doubt that Fu Jiangchen had greater ess to cultivation resourcespared to other God Kings. In fact, it was mostly through pills that he had been able to reach his current realm. It was inevitable that a huge amount of pill poison would umte in his body after consuming so many pills. I will help you clear your pill poison right now. Theres no need for you to think of anything except advancing your cultivation! Zhang Xuan said. Dozens of silver needles appeared between his fingers with a flick of his wrist. Weng! With a gust of wind, all of them flew straight toward Fu Jiangchens acupoints. Fu Jiangchen was initially taken aback by his movements, and his first instinct was to resist the needles. However, he suddenly changed his mind and closed his eyes instead. Screw it! Just like that, the silver needles pierced right into his body. Chapter 2200 - 2200 Pill 2200 Pill From the moment they started forging the pill, Fu Jiangchens respect for Zhang Xuan had been increasing exponentially. He could not think of a reason someone who was so skilled in pill forging would want to hurt him. Money? Fame? The other party could have all of that just by revealing a sliver of his true skills! Therefore, he chose to hold himself back and allowed the silver needles to pierce his body. He knew that he was taking a gamble, but he felt that this gamble would work in his favor. Pu pu pu! Surges of zhenqi flowed into his body through the silver needles, and under the gush of energy, the meridians that had been clogged up due to the umtion of pill poison were swiftly sted open one after another. With this, the sealed zhenqi within his body immediately gushed forth, reminiscent of a flood crashing down in the wake of a copsed dam. Kacha! Kacha! The sudden influx of energy elevated his vitality and his zhenqi to a higher level. At the same time, his disposition became more refined and powerful. With this, he sessfully took thest step forward to reach the pinnacle of the God King realm. I... made a breakthrough? Fu Jiangchen was a little stunned. The bottleneck that he had struggled for so many years to surmount was ovee so easily. He had once used a favor that he had received from Fairy Linglong to request for her help in curing his condition, but even she was helpless. Yet, the young man before him had done it so easily? It has already been twenty breaths! Stop hesitating and quickly intensify the temperature in the cauldron! Zhang Xuan bellowed anxiously when he realized that Fu Jiangchen had allowed his mind to wander. Those words snapped Fu Jiangchen out of his thoughts, and he quickly infused his newfound strength into the cauldron. All in all, he could onlyst for thirty seconds, and he had already spent twenty seconds on making a breakthrough. If he did not speed up the process, he might run out of zhenqi before the cauldron reached the required temperature, and that would effectively spell their failure. That being said, even if it ended in failure, it would still be fine since they had not added the Grass of God King yet. Of all the medicinal herbs within, the one that was nigh impossible to procure was that. Furthermore, the pill form could always be altered ording to what Zhang Xuan had on hand. The real issue was that... Zhang Xuan simply did not have that much time to spare! They had spent nearly four hours trying to refine the other 107 medicinal herbs, and they would not be able to make it in time if they had to restart. Not only would they have to waste time gathering a new set of medicinal herbs, Fu Jiangchen would also need some time to recover his energy. He would not be able to make it back to the Sky of Spirit Origin in time! So, he had to seed by hook or by crook! Alright! Fu Jiangchen replied determinedly. Even though he had managed to make a breakthrough to God King realm pinnacle, he had not managed to cultivate yet, so the amount of zhenqi he had within his body was still roughly the same. He was not too sure why Zhang Xuan was so adamant about raising the temperature of the cauldron, but he knew that the most important thing that he had to do was follow Zhang Xuans instructions. Xiong xiong! A purer surge of zhenqi rushed into the cauldron, causing the mes to burn with greater fervor. With this, the temperature within the cauldron began rising. Another five breaths passed, and beads of perspiration flowed down Fu Jiangchens head. He nced at Zhang Xuan and said, I have reached my limits again. I wont be able to raise the temperature any higher than this... While he had managed to make a breakthrough, he had not had the opportunity to reinforce his cultivation. If he still had not met the required mark after that, there would really be nothing he could do anymore. The temperature is high enough. Maintain it! Zhang Xuan instructed. He was starting to feel a little tired. He should have knowna drug junkies cultivation foundation was bound to be weak. He had thought that the other party would be able to easily raise the temperature of the mes beyond what was required after his breakthrough, but in the end, the other party could only just raise the temperature to what was needed. This what was needed referred to the minimum temperature required to melt the Grass of God King, but it would not be enough to facilitate a perfect fusion. Due to that, he no longer hadplete confidence that the pill could be formed properly. Forget it! Knowing that he could not afford to hesitate at this point, Zhang Xuan took out four stalks of Grass of God King and infused his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi into them before tossing them into the cauldron. Boom! As soon as Zhang Xuans zhenqi came into contact with the boiling medicinal fluid, the mes within the cauldron suddenly intensified. With this, the temperature rose to a new high. Hu! The resilient Grass of God King began melting and fusing with the medicinal fluid. Three breaths... Two breaths... Hurry up! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. It would take some time for the Grass of God King to fuse perfectly with the medicinal fluid, but it was clear that Fu Jiangchen was already at his limits. One breath! Im sorry. I really cant hold on anymore... With a ghastly pale face from overexertion, Fu Jiangchens body swayed weakly like a noodle before copsing to the ground. He had used up the veryst droplet of zhenqi he had within his body. Losing its source of energy, the me in the cauldron immediately died out, and the temperature within began to plummet. Hong long! Fortunately, the instant that the Fu Jiangchen copsed, the fusion between the medicinal fluid and the Grass of God King had been sessfullypleted. An intense rumbling echoed from the cauldron as four pills dashed out of the cauldron. The God King Breakthrough Pills had beenpleted! I dont have the strength to chase the pills anymore... Looking at the pills rushing out of the cauldron, Fu Jiangchen felt a little excited yet helpless. He was d that he had managed to pull through at the veryst moment and sessfully fuse the medicinal herbs together to form the pills. It had been a long time since he felt such a sense of aplishment when he forged a pill. But due to him running out of strength, he was unable to seal the cauldron with his energy to prevent the pills from escaping. Pills of such tier possessed their own spirit, so if they did not catch them quickly and erase their spirit, they might walk out of this pill forging process empty-handed! The young man before him, Zhang Xuan, was only a high-tier Celestial God whereas these four pills, despite not having reached the God King realm yet, were already not too far from that. Even Fu Jiangchen himself would face some difficulties trying to capture those four pills prior to his zhenqi running dry, let alone Zhang Xuan! In other words... Even though they had sessfully formed the pill, they were doomed to watch helplessly as the pills that they had painstakingly forged flew away. Wu! Just as Fu Jiangchen thought, those pills immediately breached the barriers he had set up around the room beforehand and escaped into the sky. Why are there so few pills? Zhang Xuan frowned. Based on his estimations, with four Grass of God King stalks and Fu Jiangchens precise pill forging technique, there should have been at least ten pills. He did not think that there would only be four of them. However, this was not the time for him to be brooding. He swiftly took out his sword and leaped into the air. H! Countless surges of sword qi burst forth to form a massive in the air. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! Zhang Xuan knew how formidable the pills were, so he did not hesitate to use one of his strongest sword arts against them. This was the sword art that he hadprehended back when he was in the Azure, but as hisprehension of the Pathos of Heaven deepened, its conceptualization and prowess were enhanced as well. Furthermore, he was executing it with a God King-tier sword. In an instant, a massive had already spread loosely all over the sky, encircling all the escaped pills. Then, with a tug, the of sword qi immediately began to retract back to Zhang Xuan. Jijijiji! The pills struggled desperately, but they were not able to escape the. Under the effects of the sword qi, their spirits were swiftly vanquished. With a swipe of his hand, Zhang Xuan collected all the pills and stowed them into a jade container. Done! After capturing all the escaped pills, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to walk over to Fu Jiangchen to check on his condition, a shadow suddenly shed past his eyes. Another pill had emerged from the cauldron, and it bolted away at a speed so fast that before Zhang Xuan could react, it had already dived into the clouds, bing no more than a ck dot in the sky. Sh*t, theres actually a Pill King! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Usually, the pills forged within the same cauldron would have the same level of medicinal potency. However, there were exceptions. Too much Grass of God King had been added to the cauldron given the short fusion process due to Fu Jiangchen running out of energy. This resulted in an unequal distribution of medicinal energy across the pills. As a result, one pill, otherwise known as the Pill King, ended up taking up the lions share of the medicinal energy. In fact, the medicinal energy of the Pill King was several times that of the other pills. In terms of energy, it was already on par with a God King! Chapter 2201 - Baiye Qinghong

Chapter 2201 Baiye Qinghong

It was no wonder he had only seen four God King Breakthrough Pills when he estimated there to be at least ten. It turned out that the bulk of the medicinal energy had gone into the Pill King! Not only so, the spirit of the Pill King was more developed. It possessed wisdom that was on par with that of a human. That was why it had chosen to hide inside the cauldron while the other pills attempted to escape, choosing to bide its time for the ideal opportunity to run. Then, just as Zhang Xuan let his guard down, it had immediately dashed out. Its patience and ability to gauge the right timing were indeed remarkable. If Zhang Xuan allowed the Pill King to escape, he would be missing out on the true treasure. Do you think that Ill let you escape? Zhang Xuan scoffed as he channeled his zhenqi into his feet and leaped powerfully into the air. Boom! He swiftly flitted in the direction of the Pill King, leaving behind ripples in the air. Having driven the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps to its limits, he was able to fly at a speed even faster than that of the pill! A high-tier Celestial God is actually flying? Fu Jiangchen widened his eyes in disbelief. It was an unchangingw in the Firmament that only God Kings were capable of flight, but this It was one thing for the other party to be able to subdue those four pills with a single move, but to think that he would be able to fly at a speed that was not any slower than him How in the world was the other party doing this? For a moment, Fu Jiangchen was really wondering if he was seeing things. The escaping Pill King was also taken aback to see the high-tier Celestial God chasing after it so quickly. Seeing that the other party was going to catch up with it soon, it swiftly morphed into the appearance of a ferocious-looking young man and turned around to p the other party. It was a simple move, but it harnessed a terrifying amount of power. In terms of strength, the Pill King had already reached a levelparable to God Kings. Humph! With an awful look on his face, Zhang Xuan halted his footsteps to dodge the attack before counterattacking with the sword in his hand. He realized that even though he had rid his body of his Heavens Path zhenqi, his fighting prowess did not fall; instead, he was stronger than ever. The only issue was that the amount of zhenqi he had was much lower than before, so he could not afford to use his zhenqi recklessly. Thus, he had to end the battle as quickly as possible! Furthermore, this was not just an issue of his zhenqi running out. More importantly, the escape of the Pill King had caused quite themotion, such that he could feel dozens of peoples Spiritual Perception gazing over there in just a few short breaths. If he did not resolve this problem quickly, the situation might go out of control. Only on demise will a silkworm run out of thread; only as ashes will the tears of a candle dry up! Zhang Xuan executed the sword art he hadprehended from the Pathos of Heaven, and a thin thread shot forth from his sword and wrapped itself around the Pill King. As if the final spark of me before a candle died out or thest yarn of thread a silkworm produced, this thin thread carried a heavy sentimentality and tied the Pill King down, preventing it from escaping. You The Pill King was astonished. Celestial Gods and God Kings should have been two beings of different levels of existence. It thought that it would be able to get rid of the young man easily by retaliating with its full strength, but who could have known that it would be bound even before it could finish its attack. Were the high-tier Celestial Gods really this powerful? Collect! Knowing that he would not be able to keep this up for too long with the limitations of his zhenqithe earlier flight at his full speed and the two sword arts that he had executed had really sapped a lot out of himhe quickly pulled the thread made out of sword qi toward him to capture the Pill King. Argh! Amid its cries of agony, the Pill King, from its form as a young man, slowly grew smaller and smaller until it was no more than a round pill. At the same time, the spirit that had bom within it had been vanquished as well. Having finally subdued the Pill King, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Reaching out, he was just about to grab the Pill King when his body suddenly froze in ce. Not only so, even his flow of zhenqi disobeyed his will and screeched to a halt. Whats happening? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. Following that, he saw a beautifuldy walking toward him a step at a time. With her dainty hand, she picked up the Pill King lightly between her fingertips. Friend, this pill is a medicine that my Berylgrass Gazebo paid a heavy price to forge. Thank you for capturing it in my stead. I am very grateful for your assistance, thedy said with a smile. The Berylgrass Gazebo? Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes as he channeled his zhenqi to break the seal cast on him. The Pill King was a medicine that could possibly aid one in making a breakthrough to the God King realm. There was no power in the Firmament that could resist such temptation. As such, Zhang Xuan had been worried all this while that someone would attempt to steal the Pill King away from him, and it seemed like the worst-case scenario had happened. This wench sure was greedy. She was there to steal his possession, yet she still wanted to im the moral high ground and retain her reputation while doing so. The Firmament was awless ce. In the end, it was the one with the strongest fist that called the shots. Indeed, thedy replied gracefully as she whipped out her jade token. This is the insignia of our Berylgrass Gazebo. Given that you have done us a great favor, its only right for us to reward you ordingly. With this insignia, you will be able to choose any cultivation technique manual of your liking at our Berylgrass Gazebo! Then, with a flick of her wrist, she passed the jade token over to Zhang Xuan. Is this the story you have managed toe up with to steal my possession? Zhang Xuan sneered as he sliced the jade token in two without any hesitation. Do I look like a pushover to you? It was one thing for the other party to seal his movements and steal his pill, but to think that she would even dare im that it was hers. Zhang Xuan had never seen such bullsh*t before! Steal your possession? That is a pill that I paid a high price to forge. Anyone with the slightestmon sense will be able to tell that this is beyond a mere high-tier Celestial Gods ability to forge! Thedy flung her sleeves back and sneered coldly. Think before you speak! Its indeed beyond my ability to forge this pill, which is why I engaged Master Fu Jiangchens help. I provided him with the medicinal herbs and the forging technique, but the pill ended up escaping just as wepleted it. You said that you are the one who forged it, so why dont you tell us what medicinal herbs are used in it, and what the respective steps required are? Zhang Xuan asked. Fu Jiangchen? Thedy burst intoughter. It seems like you do know quite a bit. Indeed, I was the one who instructed him to forge the pill on my behalf, and I provided him with the medicinal herbs in order to do so. Little boy, it isnt right for you to im possession of something that isnt yours. But sure, Ill go with you for the sake of fairness then. Lets call Fu Jiangchen over here and have him testify who the true owner of the pill is! After saying those words, thedy turned toward a manor and bellowed, Fu Jiangchen, hurry up and get over here! Her words were swiftly transmitted over to Fu Jiangchen through her zhenqi. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan quickly reassessed his situation solemnly. There was no one else in the area, but he could feel dozens of peoples Spiritual Perception observing the happenings intently. The reason thedy had imed that the pill was hers right from the start was to im the moral high ground. This way, no one would be able to legitimatelypete for the Pill King with her. Otherwise, they would risk sullying their reputation. Based on this, it could be seen that thedy before him had quite the standing in Linglong Royal City. You sure are brazen enough to not feel the slightest bit of embarrassment even after snatching your pill. Tell me, who are you? Zhang Xuan harrumphed. You know of the Berylgrass Gazebo, but you dont know who I am? Thedy chuckled softly. I am Baiye Qinghong! Baiye Qinghong? Zhang Xuans face immediately darkened. A Conferred God King? Chapter 2202 - Judgemen

Chapter 2202 Judgemen

When he arrived at Linglong Royal City, he had inquired about the general political situation within Royal City from the guards at the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. From them, he had learned that other than Fairy Linglong, the two people that he should look out for were Conferred God King Shangguan Yunwan and Conferred God King Baiye Qinghong. Those two of them could be considered equals, and each dominated over half of Royal City. As one of the few ravishing female Conferred God Kings of the Firmament, she had many loyal and powerful followers pursuing her. Zhang Xuan had thought that the shameless person who was trying to snatch his pill would just be a God King at the very most, but to think that it was a Conferred God King! On second thought, however, it was not all that surprising for a Conferred God King to want to im the Pill King for herself. Each God King Breakthrough Pill could potentially create a God King, and the Pill Kings effectiveness was far higher than that. If one used it sparingly, it could at least give rise to four additional God Kings! Even Conferred God Kings would not be able to hold back their greed when there were great profits at stake! Seeing that the other party finally knew of her identity, Baiye Qinghong ced her hands behind her back, putting on airs reminiscent of a queen. ncing downward, she saw a weakened Fu Jiangchen flying over slowly. He had expended all his energy earlier, but he was still able to swiftly recover a bit of his energy by consuming the pills he had with him. Fu Jiangchen pays respect to Conferred God King Baiye! Fu Jiangchen sped his fist and bowed deeply, not daring to show the slightest breach in his etiquette. Baiye Qinghong nodded slightly in response. The reason I called you here is so that you can rify to everyone who the owner of this pill is. Am I the one who provided you with the medicinal herbs and pill form to forge this pill? This Fu Jiangchens face froze upon hearing those words. He anxiously nced over at Zhang Xuan before biting his lips hesitantly, Yes! Apothecary Fu, you Zhang Xuan did not think that Fu Jiangchen would betray him at this crucial moment. The way he addressed Fu Jiangchen also change back from Brother Fu to Apothecary Fu. Apothecary Zhang, its indeed true that Conferred God King Baiye is the one who instructed me to forge this pill. Itll be best for you to step down and not cause a ruckus Im causing a ruckus? Trembling with rage, Zhang Xuan burst intoughter instead. Then, he shook his head. It seems like the Sky of Linglong is ganging up against me for being an outsider. He had taken the Grass of God King there and paid a heavy price in order to have the pill sessfully forged. Yet, they were now iming otherwise? It seemed like they were really taking advantage of his weakness in order to distort the truth to their advantage! Audacious! Conferred God King Baiye has magnanimously turned a blind eye to your insolence because you have rued some merit capturing the pill, but instead of feeling grateful toward her, you continue to spout such brazen words. Are you asking to be killed? Fu Jiangchen bellowed authoritatively. Those words immediately caused Zhang Xuans rage to hit the roof, and right after, he heard Fu Jiangchens telepathic voice in his head. Brother Zhang, Conferred God King Baiye is too used to having her way. Even if I side with you, shell still likely try to make a move on you after you have left Linglong Royal City. If you really wish to go ahead with it, I can report the matter to Conferred God King Shangguan to have her judge this matter on our behalf, but ultimately, those two Conferred God Kings are equal in strength. If Conferred God King Baiye insists on having her way, theres nothing we can do! I think it would be best for you to concede defeat You are saying that I should just let her do as she pleases? Zhang Xuan sneered. Theres no way around it! Thats a Conferred God King; we dont stand a chance! Even after she takes the Pill King, you still have the other four pills to use. If this goes on, I fear that she might resort to violence. By then, not only will you be walking out of here empty-handed, your life will be in danger! Fu Jiangchen eximed worriedly. There was amon saying that a normal citizen could never defeat an official in power. Baiye Qinghong was one of the rulers of Linglong Royal City, as well as a Conferred God King who boasted strength just beneath that of a God Monarch. Knowing that there was no point arguing with Fu Jiangchen over this matter, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Baiye Qinghong and asked with his chin tilted upward, What if I refuse? As someone with his foundation based in the Sky of Linglong, Fu Jiangchen had far too many lives he had to consider before going against a Conferred God King, but that was not the case for Zhang Xuan! It was true that thedy before him was ravishing, but what was the point of having such a beautiful appearance if whaty beneath was nothing more than a venomous heart? He had hoped to keep a low profile so as to not cause too huge of amotion, but this was one of the things that he simply could not tolerate. This was not the time to be thinking about remaining humble and low profile. If he allowed it to happen this once, it would surely happen again and again. It was time for him to let the others know that even though he, Zhang Xuan, had only arrived in the Firmament a month ago, he was not a person whom anyone could bully that easily! Conferred God King Baiye. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuans rage swiftly cooled down as he gazed at Baiye Qinghong with cold, rational eyes. Ill give you a chance. Dere the truth and concede your mistake. Despite knowing Conferred God King Baiyes identity, he still dares to make such a bold statement? Is he insane? He must be out of his mind! Those who were keeping a lookout on the situation eximed in shock. I have been polite to you so far out of consideration that you are a guest in our Sky of Linglong and that you have helped me capture my pill. However, you seem to be testing my patience. Did you think that I dare not make a move on you? Baiye Qinghong gazed down at Zhang Xuan chillingly. An indomitable pressure burst forth from her, shrouding the entire Linglong Royal City. The sky darkened, and the air turned incredibly heavy. This pressure was felt by everyone within Linglong Royal City, but this was even more so for Zhang Xuan, whom this pressure was directed toward. His breathing became ragged as a result of that, and his zhenqi seemed to have frozen in ce. If not for the God King Sword in his grasp warding away some of the pressure, he might have plummeted from the sky. This was a force that even real God Kings would not be able to withstand, let alone a high-tier Celestial God! The powers of a Conferred God King were indeed frightening! Zhang Xuan swiftly drove his Pathos of Heaven, and the pressure on him finally alleviated. He shook his head and remarked in pity, I presented the opportunity to you, but you dont know how to cherish it. Theres nothing else I can do then. Seeing how Zhang Xuan was still spouting such words when he was already standing right before deaths gates, Baiye Qinghong harrumphed coldly. Humph, the arrogance of a person who doesnt know his ce! It had been far too long since thest time someone dared speak to her in such a manner. She raised her hand to teach the young man before her a lesson, but before she could even move, her body suddenly stiffened in ce. An overwhelmingly powerful force had suddenly locked onto her, sealing her strength. Shocked, she quickly raised her head, only to see a golden book floating quietly above her. Whatis that? Baiye Qinghong uttered. The book that was floating above her actually left her with a feeling of deep trepidation. She felt as if a higher being had set its eyes on her, and she would not be able to retaliate or escape no matter what she tried. It was as if her existence was being rejected by the heavens themselves. Its just a book, Zhang Xuan replied. He did not want to resort to this, but he could not tolerate this anymore. He had given her a few chances to back down, and since she was not willing to turn back, there was no reason for him to show her mercy. He knew that this move could very well offend Fairy Linglong, but he did not care that much anymore. You exploited your strength to oppress those weaker than you, and you disy an absoluteck of regret and repentance in your actions. I cant even begin to imagine what evil you havemitted over the course of your long life. Since there is no one else to pass judgement upon you, I shall be the one to do so, Zhang Xuan said with a grand wave of his arm. Hong long! With the sound reminiscent of a copsing mountain, the Book of Heavens Path descended from the sky. N-no! Baiye Qinghong had thought that her opponent was just an ordinary high-tier Celestial God whom she could suppress with ease; never in her wildest dreams did she expect the other party to have such a powerful artifact with him. She tried to gather her strength to stand against the golden page, but under the crushing weight of the book, her entire arm immediately fractured upon impact. She could not evenst a single breath. Chapter 2203 - Intervention

Chapter 2203 Intervention

Ah! What the heck is this? Baiye Qinghong eximed with a voice filled with fright. It was known in the world that the only ones who could truly stop a Conferred God King were the God Monarchs. It was for this reason that Baiye Qinghong dared to act as she pleased without worrying about the consequences. Yet, she had never expected the high-tier Celestial God she was confronting to have such a powerful artifact with him. She felt as if the weight of the heavens was pressing down on her. It was a force that wasparable to the strength of a God Monarch. Even though she was a Conferred God King, she did not stand a chance against such a powerful force. I cant die like this! Shatter... Shatter! Baiye Qinghong screamed with all her might as she furiously pumped her energy outward to stop the book above her. Ripples appeared in the sky as she forcefully drew in all the Anima of Yearning within the Sky of Linglong to protect herself. In terms of individual prowess, a Conferred God King was not too different from an ordinary God King. The truth behind their strengthy in their ability to manipte the Anima of Yearning within their conferred territory, turning it into their strength. That effectively made them nigh invincible existences within their own conferrednd. But no matter how much energy Baiye Qinghong tapped into, she could not possibly hope to rival the strength of the heavens. The barrier that she had formed with the Anima of Yearning dissipated with little resistance. Pu! This had really left Baiye Qinghong utterly terrified. In this instant, she was truly panicked. She realized that if she did not do something to stop the book soon, there was a good chance that she would be reduced to minced meat within the next few breaths. S-spare my life! I have wronged you. I saw the concentrated energy within the pill and got greedy. I shouldnt have tried to selfishly im it! The truth is that I dont know what pill it is and where it came from... Without any hesitation, Baiye Qinghong cast aside her reputation and admitted to her guilt. Between her reputation and her life, thetter was clearly the priority. Conferred God King Baiye tried to snatch the pill of another person? She spoke with such gusto earlier that I really trusted her... To think that it was all an act! I have viewed her as my goddess for the past few centuries, ever since I was just a twenty-year-oldd! I cant believe that a proud Conferred God King would resort to something as despicable as this... Hey, you also saw how much energy lies within that pill. Can you say for certain that you wouldnt do the same as her if you were in her position? T-this... I guess I can understand her rationale for doing that, but still... Those who were watching the situation with their Spiritual Perception were all taken aback. Given how Baiye Qinghong had appeared right after the pill was captured, as well as how confident she had spoken all this while, everyone had swiftly been convinced that the pill was indeed hers. To think that she was the plunderer... This admittance had effectively soiled her reputation as the goddess of countless men. In the end, even Conferred God Kings were mortals. It was impossible for them to bepletely devoid of greed. Your words mean nothing to me anymore. Its always easy to express your regret after you realize the consequences of your own actions. I gave you a chance earlier, but you failed to grasp it. You have to take responsibility for your own decisions, Zhang Xuan replied with utter nonchnce. Even the worst viins in the world would unhesitatingly apologize if there was a sword pressed against their neck. What was the point of receiving such an apology? Kacha! With the previous upgrade of his Library of Heavens Path, the duration for which the golden page was able to remain materialized in the world increased yet again. Under Zhang Xuans will, it crashed down on Baiye Qinghong with greater force than before. Thetter swiftly sumbed under the pressure, and the bones all over her body began fracturing. Fresh blood spurted out of her every orifice, dyeing her body crimson. As powerful as Conferred God Kings were, they had not surpassed the limitations of the heavens yet. Thus, they were powerless before it. Please hold on a moment! There was an abrupt pulse of wind, and another ravishing figure appeared in the area. The other Conferred God King of the Sky of Linglong, Shangguan Yunwan! Baiye Qinghong is a Conferred God King chosen by Her Sovereignty herself. Your act of killing her will be vie^ tant defiance toward Her Sovereigntys authority! You have already made your point clear, so I ask of you to spare her life, Shangguan Yunwan said. Are you threatening me in the name of your God Monarch? Zhang Xuan nced at Shangguan Yunwan coldly. The eyes of the Conferred God Kings and God Monarch of the Sky of Linglong sure were convenient. While Baiye Qinghong was attempting to plunder his pill, they were blind enough not to see anything at all, allowing Baiye Qinghong to arrogantly act as she pleased. Yet, when the tables were turned, they did not hesitate to see and intervene. What right did they have to ask him topromise? Their strength? Dream on! Even if I didnt say anything, you should also know what I mean deep down. The honor of a God Monarch cannot be sullied, Shangguan Yunwan said. The God Monarchs were the strongest existences in the world. Baiye Qinghong was a person appointed by Fairy Linglong to serve as a Conferred God King to the Sky of Linglong, so the only one who could hold Baiye Qinghong responsible for her actions should be Fairy Linglong. The act of killing Baiye Qinghong could be viewed as an attempt to challenge Fairy Linglongs authority. I do understand what you are saying. However, to confer a person like that as her Conferred God King, it doesnt seem like Fairy Linglong is a good judge of character. Leaving such a person to manage the Sky of Linglong is exactly what will sully Fairy Linglongs honor. Allow me to rid the ck sheep on her behalf then! Zhang Xuan dered. N-no... Bam! With a cry of agony, Baiye Qinghong was smashed into the ground. Her soul also dissipated in that instant, leaving nothing behind at all. Y-you... Shangguan Yunwan did not think that the other party would still kill Baiye Qinghong despite having brought out the God Monarchs name. Her lips quivered in rage as she raised her hand to point at him. How dare someone like you have the gall to... But before she could finish her sentence, the other party shot her a piercing re and said frostily, Shut your mouth if you dont want to die! Shangguan Yunwans body trembled in anger, but having witnessed the prowess of the book, she dared not say another word. Even Baiye Qinghong, who was equal to her in terms of strength, had been killed in an instant. If she dared say another word, it was likely that she would meet the same fate. The God Kings and the other experts who had been keeping an eye on the situation also wentpletely quiet. They could not stop their bodies from shuddering after witnessing what had just happened. That was a Conferred God King, an existence whom no one could stop other than the God Monarchs. Yet, in the blink of an eye, such an existence was killed, and the other one had been berated in public yet dared not utter a word ofint Just where in the world did this frightening fellowe from? At the same time, Fu Jiangchens body was also trembling fearfully. He had always viewed Zhang Xuan in high regard, believing that he would achieve great things in the future... Yet, who could have known that he wielded the strength to kill a Conferred God King and scare his goddess into not daring to speak a word? It was fortunate that he did not think of attempting anything while helping him forge his pill, or else he would have probably been reduced to a corpse by now. Wait a moment, isnt he... Zhang Xuan? Zhang Xuan? Are you referring to the Zhang Xuan from the Sky of Drifting Specter who came up with the Breakthrough Pill, Apothecary Zhang? Yes, thats him. I was at the Sky of Drifting Specter on the day of theunch, and I happened to see him. So, I remember him quite clearly... Ah, that exins it. As someone who coulde up with the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill, I suppose its no surprise if he coulde up with that frightening pill over there too. If hes able to kill a Conferred God King so easily, does that mean that he has a God Monarch backing him? I wonder who it is... There was someone amid the spectators who recognized Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan had caused too huge amotion back in the Sky of Drifting Specter, such that his reputation had already spread all the way there. After berating Shangguan Yunwan, Zhang Xuan collected the Pill King bound within his sword qi with a flick of his finger before stowing it into a jade container. All of a sudden, he felt a whiff of dangering from the center of Linglong Royal City. The silent space suddenly began rumbling furiously as the energy within Linglong Royal City swiftly surged toward the center. A despairing pressure suddenly fell out of nowhere. Is Fairy Linglong going to make a move as well? Zhang Xuan muttered with narrowed eyes. Chapter 2204 - Reunion with an Old Friend!

Chapter 2204 Reunion with an Old Friend!

He had witnessed the strength of the Conferred God Kings with his own eyes, and it had been shown that the golden page was more than enough to curb them. However, the energy that was gathering in the sky was even stronger than that of a Conferred God King. Just like the massive sun in the sky, it felt like an imposing and otherworldly force that mortals could not hope to oppose. There was only one possibility for such a situation to ur, and that was for a God Monarch to have gotten involved! It seemed like the Sky of Linglongs Fairy Linglong was still quite involved in the affairs of her territory. She could not resist making a move after seeing her Conferred God King getting killed. Her Sovereignty? Fu Jiangchen and the others also noticed the anomaly, and their faces warped in horror. They quickly lowered themselves to the ground and bowed their heads downward, not daring to raise them in the least. Shangguan Yunwan also kneeled to the ground, but her tensed face was swiftly reced with relief. Her heart would really be chilled if their God Monarch was able to remain nonchnt after watching a Conferred God King getting killed in their territory. Hong long long! The umted energy swiftly morphed into a massive face that loomed over the entire sky, as if the sun. Instead of appearing in person, Fairy Linglong sent a sliver of her will down instead. I never thought that there would be someone so audacious as to kill my Conferred God King! Fairy Linglongs voice pierced right into ones soul, leaving one with a looming feeling of helplessness. The massive head above was just a sliver of the God Monarchs will, but it was already far beyond what a mere high-tier Celestial God like him could deal with. Receive your punishment! Zhang Xuan knew that there was a good chance he would be killed once Fairy Linglong made her move, so he quickly channeled the golden page, which had depleted half of its energy but had not vanished after subduing Baiye Qinghong, to strike the massive face in the sky instead. The massive face in the sky harrumphed. You overestimate yourself! Pop! The golden page abruptly vanished into thin air, as if it had never even appeared. The trump card that allowed him to defeat a Conferred God King so easily could not even withstand the mere will of a God Monarch! Zhang Xuans body stiffened upon seeing such a sight. He had thought that even if he could not wound Fairy Linglong, he would still be able to hinder her for a moment. Who could have known that he would not even be able tost a single breath? He still had another golden page in his Library of Heavens Path, but given the circumstances, he did not dare use it recklessly. Its the privilege of the young to act recklessly, but excessive arrogance is a huge taboo, the massive face remarked as it gazed down on Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat. He quickly raised his God King Sword and executed his strongest sword art. Before his sword qi could get far, it had started unraveling by itself. The next instant, he felt a stabbing pain in his arm before the God King Sword was knocked out of his grasp. Following that, a powerful impact struck his chest, causing him to fall to the ground severely wounded. Tzzz! The golden threads in his muscles swiftly repaired his wounds. You are stronger than I thought... The massive face was a little surprised to see that Zhang Xuan was able to withstand its attack. It began to reassess him once more before speaking. As a God Monarch, I shant take advantage of your weakness. I can spare your life, but punishment is inevitable. Despite only being a high-tier Celestial God, you arrogantly killed my Conferred God King in my own territory, not showing the slightest regard for me. If I condone such an atrocity, our Sky of Linglong will be looked down on by others! Then, with a powerful voice, it proimed, I hereby dere that you will be stripped of your cultivation! Boom! Zhang Xuan swiftly found a powerful force wrapping itself around him, and the zhenqi within his dantian began to dissipate as if someone was sapping it out of his body. This... rmed, Zhang Xuan tried to resist the force, but he found himselfpletely powerless. It was as if Fairy Linglongs words had turned into aw of the world, leaving him unable to even struggle. Am I really going to meet my end here? No... So what if shes a God Monarch? I wont be killed that easily! Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan was just about to bring out his final golden page to deal with the massive face in the sky when the force around him suddenly scattered. Raising his head, he saw a round orb spinning nonstop between him and the massive face. Along with its revolution, the space in the area seemed to freeze in ce. Even the powerful might of a God Monarch was unable to bypass the spatial maniption of the orb. This is... Zhang Xuan was stunned.... the Dimension Silencer? The orb was none other than the hereditary treasure passed down within the Luo n and currently in Luo Qiqis possession... the Dimension Silencer! Luo Xuanqing had told him that shortly after he departed from the Master Teacher Continent, Luo Qiqi had left as well. He had thought that thetter might have gone to the Azure, but despite having tasked the Six Sects with searching for her, there had been no news whatsoever. As such, he had suspected that she might have gone to the Firmament. So, he had instructed the Six Sects to continue looking for her and take care of her well if they found her while he headed up to the Firmament After he arrived at the Firmament, he had also heard some news that suggested that she might actually be there. That being said, he had never expected her to suddenly appear at this moment to protect him from the attack of a God Monarch! The massive face in the sky was also taken aback by the sudden intervention. With a displeased voice, it questioned, Qiqi, what are you doing? Hu! The Dimension Silencer quivered a little before morphing into the form of a beautifuldy. The beautifuldy sped her fist and said, He is the person whom I like. Your Sovereignty, I ask of you to show him mercy! She was none other than Luo Qiqi. It had been several months since they hadst met, but she was still the same as the quiet and gentledy in his memories. When she turned around to look at him, he could see a hint of anticipation mixed together with manyplex emotions. Even though she appeared to be the same as before, her strength far surpassed what it used to be. Taking a closer look, she was actually at God King realm pinnacle, just like Fu Jiangchen! Zhang Xuan had been perplexed for a long while about why the Anima of Yearning he had collected suddenly increased so much, but thinking about it now, her sentiments probably yed a huge part in that. A God King realm pinnacle Dimension Silencer... In terms of fighting prowess, she was definitely far stronger than Fu Jiangchen. Perhaps she might even be able to rival Baiye Qinghong in a fight. Seeing how the youngdy unhesitatingly threw herself before a God Monarch for his sake, he could not help but clench his fists tightly My feelings for you... arent just at the level of like, Luo Qiqi said with a slightly bittersweet smile. Then, she turned to the massive face in the sky and sped her fist. He... is the person I like. Your Sovereignty, I ask of you to spare him! Seeing this, Zhang Xuan could not help but recall how the youngdy had once turned against her own n for his sake, and it felt like history was reying itself yet again. This was a sentimentality he had never really been able to understand. Not once had he given her any promise or any hope, but despite that, she was still willing to toss aside everything else for him every time. It made him feel both grateful and guilty. The person whom you arent able to forget about... is him? the massive face asked doubtfully. But he doesnt have any feelings for you. I can see from his eyes that there is already someone else in his heart. Qiqi, is it worth it for you to turn against me for someone who doesnt even like you? Somehow, those words felt like advice from one friend to another. I dont know... But as long as hes safe... Standing right before a God Monarch, Luo Qiqis face did not have much emotion on it, just her unyielding determination. ... that would be enough for me! Chapter 2205 - Glomp

Chapter 2205 Glomp

Why do you do this to yourself? The massive face sighed deeply. Fairy Linglong had known all this while that there was a person that lived in the heart of this reserved youngdy, but she had never thought that it would be this man. Luo Qiqi raised her head and said, Your Sovereignty, I believe that you saw everything that happened earlier. It was Conferred God King Baiye who was greedy, so she attempted to take advantage of him. Zhang Xuan only retaliated due to her oppression. If we trace the chain of responsibility, its unfair to pin the me all on him. So, Your Sovereignty, I ask you to spare him and allow him to leave! She had never thought of herself as a headstrong person, but when it came to something involving Zhang Xuan, she was determined to never back down. That is no longer the problem here. Even if my subordinate has done wrong, I should be the one to punish her. If he, an outsider, gets away scot-free after willfully killing my subordinate, our Sky of Linglong will be made light of by others, the massive face replied. She knew that Zhang Xuan was not at fault, but the Sky of Linglong was a part of the Firmament, not a closed-off dimension isted from the rest of the world. Reputation was important when it came to dealing with others, so she could not afford topromise. If thats the case, I am willing to take the punishment on his behalf, Luo Qiqi said with gritted teeth. Not expecting the youngdy to go this far, the massive face in the sky frowned. Qiqi, back down. Ill settle this matter myself, Zhang Xuan said as he flew into the sky and stood in front of the youngdy. He was already indebted to the youngdy after all she had done for him. How could he allow her toe to harm due to him again? His strength might becking, but having taken in the bloodline of the little yellow chick, his body had be undying. It would not be that easy for Fairy Linglong to kill him in his current state. Furthermore, he still had a golden page with him. It might not be enough to defend against the might of a real God Monarch, but it could surely stand its ground against a sliver of Fairy Linglongs will. I guess you still have some guts in you... the massive face remarked quietly after seeing Zhang Xuans actions. To face your own trouble by yourself, you still have a sense of responsibility in you. Had it been anyone else, even if it was a Conferred God King, they would not have dared say anything excessive before a God Monarch. Yet, the young man was willing to step forth under such circumstances to take responsibility for his own actions. Perhaps that was why Luo Qiqi was so devoted to him. My initial verdict was to cripple your cultivation, but since Qiqi has pleaded on your behalf, Ill make an exception and show you leniency. This sliver of my will is formed through the spiritual energy within Linglong Royal City, and it harnesses roughly a hundredth of my prowess. If you can withstand an attack of full might from me, Ill let the matter today go. Otherwise, you can only me yourself for your weakness! the massive face said. Your Sovereignty... Luo Qiqi protested with a pale face. While the massive face was formed out of spiritual energy, the fact remained that it harnessed the will of a God Monarch. Putting aside Zhang Xuan, even ordinary Conferred God Kings would not be able to withstand it! I have already made up my mind. If he cant even survive something of this extent, hes not worthy of your feelings! A powerful will descended from the sky, and Luo Qiqi immediately fell silent. She suddenly found herself unable to speak or move. Most likely, Fairy Linglong had chosen to immobilize her temporarily to prevent her from meddling in this. Lets get started then! Knowing that there was no avoiding this, Zhang Xuan began channeling his zhenqi to its limits in preparation of facing Fairy Linglongs attack. Even though the attack only harnessed a hundredth of her full strength, it was still a force not to be underestimated. Hu! With a wave of his hand, the God King Sword immediately flew back into his grasp, and he swung it toward the face with great power. Through this sh, Zhang Xuan executed the three sword arts of the Pathos of Heaven simultaneously, and he manipted the sword qi to form a massive barrier right before him. Despite your young age, you haveprehended your own sword art. Not bad... The massive face nodded. The next moment, a powerful force crushed down from above, and the barrier that was created using the three sword arts began to break apart at a visible pace. What terrifying might... Zhang Xuan murmured. He would have expected no less from a God Monarch. Even a hundredth of Fairy Linglongs strength was still way beyond what he could deal with. I can only put my life on the line then... Once his sword art caved in and the force struck down on him, he would surely sustain severe injuries. To be frank, Zhang Xuan was still fairly confident that he would survive this ordeal. After his body had been tempered through the Lucid Lunar Lake, it was able to recover from even the most severe of injuries as long as he was given enough time. However, the problem was that he had to rush back to the Sky of Spirit Origin to make it in time for the tournament to earn the qualification to enter Spirit God Pce. If he missed it, the next opportunity would be a hundred years from now. So, he could not afford to be crippled! Thus, he was trying his hardest to avoid sustaining any injuries at all. Left with no choice, Zhang Xuan turned to his Library of Heavens Path to summon his golden page. But at this crucial moment, a voice suddenly sounded in his head. Let me do it instead! Following that, Little Chick leaped out of his dantian and opened its beak wide. Glomp! With a huge breath, it swallowed the massive face in the sky, leaving a big bloated yellow chick reminiscent of an oversized balloon floating quietly in the air. Zhang Xuans cheeks twitched. He knew that the little yellow chick was capable of swallowing artifacts and items that were far stronger than it, but that was a sliver of a God Monarchs will! Is it really fine for you to swallow it just like that? Shouldnt we at least spare her some face? Zhang Xuan was far from being the only one taken aback by this sight. Everyone who witnessed the scene was as dumbstruck as he was. That massive face could be considered a representation of Fairy Linglong herself, and a chick had actually swallowed it just like that. Luo Qiqi also turned to look at Little Chick with a look of disbelief on her face. If she had known that Zhang Xuan had such a powerful trump card, she would not have intervened at all. Before everyones shocked gaze, the massive yellow chick released a resounding burp before its body began contracting back to its original size. While it was still contracting, it licked its lips with an expression that looked as if it was not fully satisfied yet. Weng! Shortlyter, yet another massive face appeared in the sky. This time around, however, without ample spiritual energy to fuel it, the face looked a little blurred. Nevertheless, the will that was harnessed within it still cast a heavy pressure on those standing before it. You... Instead of flying into a rage, the massive face looked at Little Chick with an indescribable expression on its face. I am Zhang Xuans tamed beast, Little Chick... If you want to make a move on my master, you have to get past me! Little Chick stuck its chick wings on its waist and spoke proudly. Tamed beast? Little Chick? The massive face twitched a little upon hearing those words. Do you know your true identity? Of course! Little Chick replied proudly. I am a legendary beast who once ruled over thends... Supercock The massive face twitched yet again before looking at Zhang Xuan with an assessing gaze. If Fairy Linglong had thought that the young man was just a talented cultivator who possessed some special means previously, she did not dare think that way anymore. It was one thing for the young man to haveprehended a cultivation technique and sword arts that surpassed the heavens and possessed a book that could kill a Conferred God King... But she never could have imagined that the young man would actually tame that person as his tamed beast, even brainwashing him into thinking that he was a cock! Furthermore, that person even took pride in such an embarrassing name. Was this really happening? It really felt like everything in the Firmament was going haywire! Chapter 2206 - An Edict from the Sky of Freedom

Chapter 2206 An Edict from the Sky of Freedom

Since you have managed to block a blow from me, Ill consider this matter settled. As a God Monarch, Fairy Linglong could not afford to renege on her promise. No matter what kind of means the young man had used, it was a fact that he had managed to withstand her attack. So, the massive face harrumphed. You can leave now! Thank you! Zhang Xuan sped his fist as he heaved a sigh of relief. While Little Chick was able to devour that massive face in the sky, they were still in a disadvantageous position given that they were in the Sky of Linglong. If Fairy Linglong decided to make a move personally, they would not stand a chance at all. So, this was already the best oue for him. Zhang Xuan turned around to talk to Fu Jiangchen. Apothecary Fu, I am thankful that you helped me forge my pill. I helped you raise your cultivation, and I gave you some insights into pill forging during the process earlier. That should be enough topensate you for your assistance. To be frank, he was still a little angry at how Fu Jiangchen had backstabbed him at a crucial moment earlier to help Baiye Qinghong. He understood that Fu Jiangchen was indeed in a difficult position considering the circumstances, but he could not simply treat it as if nothing had happened at all. So, it was inevitable that their rtionship would have to drift apart. I am grateful for your guidance, Apothecary Zhang. Fu Jiangchen bowed deeply. He had still treated Zhang Xuan as his junior earlier, but after witnessing how thetter was able to kill a Conferred God King easily and devour the will of a God Monarch, there was no way he would dare act in such a manner anymore. Furthermore, he also felt deeply guilty about his earlier actions. Qiqi ... After addressing Fu Jiangchen, Zhang Xuan turned to the youngdy behind him and called out to her with an awkward look on his face. He was not sure how he should face her. She had done so much for him thus far, but he could not give her what she wanted the most. Just as he was at a loss as to what to say, the youngdy looked at him with clear eyes and asked, Zhang shi, I... Would it be fine for me to continue following and learn pill forging from you? Hearing those words, a slight chuckle escaped from Zhang Xuans lips as he nodded. Of course. As if the arrival of spring, a beautiful smile blossomed on Luo Qiqis lips. Thats great. She then turned to the massive face in the sky and kneeled down before saying, Your Sovereignty, I am extremely grateful to you for saving me from the spatial turbulence and bestowing me with plenty of resources, allowing me to raise my cultivation swiftly. It_s due to your help tihat I was able to grow so quickly. Ill neve^ you have done for me! Those words made the massive face in the sky frown. Your Sovereignty, I once told you that once I received news on him, no matter what kind of danger lies ahead, Id seek him and stay by his side. Now that he is right before me, I wish to leave together with him. I hope that youll grant me your blessing, Luo Qiqi said as she kowtowed solemnly several times. The massive face was silent for a moment before sighing deeply. I already knew about it when I heard about the Breakthrough Pill and Beauty Pill. I didnt tell you because I feared that you would leave right away, but it seems like what that will happen will eventually happen. Given the ruckus that Zhang Xuan had caused in the Sky of Drifting Specter, how could Fairy Linglong, as a God Monarch, possibly remain oblivious to it? She had just worried that Luo Qiqi would leave right away after hearing the news, so she had chosen to intentionally keep the matter from her. Yet, shortly after that, the young man had gone there on his own and caused an evenrgermotion than before. Seriously, this young man sure was a troublemaker! It was a mystery why someone as nice as Qiqi would fancy such a man... Forget it, go on and pursue your own happiness, the massive face said. I dont believe that the person he likes can be even more outstanding than you! Fairy Linglong knew that the youngdy whom she had saved from the spatial turbulence was the manifestation of the Dimension Silencer. Even in the Firmament, the Dimension Silencer could still be considered a top-tier treasure. That was also precisely why the youngdy had been able to be a God King within such a short period of time. With such talent, there was probably no one in the Firmament who couldpete with her. Fairy Linglong did not know whom Zhang Xuan liked, but she did not believe that it was possible for any man to resist the pursuit of ady as fine as Luo Qiqi for too long. Thank you, Your Sovereignty! Luo Qiqi replied in delight before turning back to face Zhang Xuan. After she heard of his departure from the Master Teacher Continent, she had immediately torn apart the dimension barrier to pursue him. However, she did not expect to make her way all the way up to the Firmament in one shot. She had thought that it would take a very long time before they would be reunited, so this sudden meeting hade as a huge surprise to her too. Zhang Xuan nodded at Qiqi before turning to the massive face in the sky to say, Qiqi has been under Your Sovereigntys care all this while, so its only right for me, as her teacher, to thank you and repay the favor. Repay the favor? How do you intend to repay my favor? By killing my Conferred God King and devouring my will? The massive face harrumphed. As soon as Fairy Linglong heard those three words, repay the favor, from Zhang Xuans mouth, she felt a surge of anger rising from her chest. You killed my Conferred God King shortly after arriving in my territory, and you even had your tamed beast devour my will While it was true that there was not much damage to her, it still caused her reputation to be sullied. Of course not. Zhang Xuan chuckled awkwardly. If Im not mistaken, Your Sovereignty, you havent been able to sleep well, right? He had realized that he could not use the Library of Heavens Path to peer into the ws of the God Monarch, but nevertheless, he was still able to discern some things from Fairy Linglongs will. Fairy Linglong was an extremely powerful God Monarch, wielding powers that ced her at the forefront of her peers. However, she suffered from a major issue, and that was ack of sleep! Typically speaking, those who had reached her level of cultivation did not need to sleep. Even if she did not rest for ten thousand years, her physical condition would not be fazed in the least. That being said, most experts still slept as a form of rxation for their body and mind. As a person who had reached the peak of the world, there was no need for Fairy Linglong to cultivate desperately. Left without much of an aim in life, it became even more important for her to rest well to avoid getting too restless. Those words made the massive face in the sky frown. The young mans words were spot on. She was indeed suffering from insomnia, and no matter what she did, she was unable to fall asleep... but how did the other party know about this? Not even Luo Qiqi was aware of this matter! Your Sovereignty, please rest assured. I am an apothecary. While I dont have a solution for your affliction at the moment, Im confident that I will be able to think of something in time. I hope that I can repay the grace you have showered upon Qiqi with this. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. His cultivation was still too weak, so it would be hard for him to deal with a problem that even Fairy Linglong herself was unable to solve. Nevertheless, as he raised his cultivation, he should be able to figure out a way to solve her affliction. Til be waiting then... The massive face left behind those words before dissipating from the sky. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Qiqi and said, Lets go. Luo Qiqi turned to him and smiled before nodding quietly. With that, the two of them began making their way outside the city. In Linglong Royal City, within a massive pce floating in the middle of a sky, ady gazed upon the departing figure of Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi with her hands behind her back. If Zhang Xuan saw the face of thisdy, he would be surprised to find that it was identical to that of the massive face that had appeared earlier. She was Fairy Linglong of the Sky of Linglong! I wonder just what is so great about love that it drives people frenzied in pursuit of it... Fairy Linglong muttered to herself. Qiqi, I can only hope that you wont regret the decision you have made today. However, I doubt that that man ispletely devoid of feelings for someone as outstanding as you. Its pretty obvious who he should choose between you and that woman. Humph, if I find out who that woman is, Ill surely teach her a lesson... Before Fairy Linglong could finish her words, the space around her suddenly began trembling as a golden board materialized out of thin air. Seeing this, Fairy Linglong hurriedly lowered her posture, not daring to even breathe lowly. Fairy Linglong of the Sky of Linglong, receive the edict! the golden board dered grandly. You are to head to the Sky of Freedom right now! God Monarch Lingxi wishes to meet with me? Fairy Linglong was taken aback. However, she dared not go against the order, so she quickly replied, I have received the edict! With a slight waver of her body, Fairy Linglong vanished from the spot. Chapter 2207 - God Monarch Lingxi

Chapter 2207 God Monarch Lingxi

With a wave of her hand, Fairy Linglong tore apart the fabric of space to follow the golden board. The next moment, she was standing before a massive gate shrouded amid ayer of fog. Sky of Freedom, Heavenly Pce of Freedom. The gate was still tightly shut. Fairy Linglong of the Sky of Linglong hase to pay respect to God Monarch Lingxi! Fairy Linglong lowered her body and waited patiently for the gate to open. The term Nine Skies Nine Monarchs made it sound as if the Nine God Monarchs were of equal standing, but only those who had reached the level of a God Monarch would know that the true master of the Firmament was none other than the person lording over the Sky of Freedom. The surroundings were absolutely silent. There was no breeze or the calls of any beasts around. The air in the area was so still that it felt suffocating. Fairy Linglong continued waiting patiently amid this stifling environment, but on the inside, she was trying to figure out the reason behind this summon. The other party had sent the golden board over to invite her there, but despite her arrival, the gate still remained firmly closed. There was no one to receive her, and there were no indications as to what she was supposed to do. She did not recall doing anything that would have offended God Monarch Lingxi! Fairy Linglong waited for a while longer, but there was still no response at all. So, she raised her voice slightly and announced her presence once more. Fairy Linglong of the Sky of Linglong hase to pay respect to God Monarch Lingxi! It had been an hour since she arrived, and her posture had remained lowered the whole time. It was not that she could not stand upright; she dared not. She waited for yet another hour after that, but the massive gate still showed no signs of opening. Just as Fairy Linglong was wondering if she should take her leave and return another day, a voice suddenly echoed from the depths of the Heavenly Pce of Freedom. This is a clone formed by a sliver of my will. Ill give you three moves to defeat it! Weng! Right after those words were spoken, a youngdy appeared before Fairy Linglong. The youngdy was dressed in a simple but elegant white robe. She had an aura that seemed to meld into nature, making her presence nearly imperceptible. Fairy Linglongs eyebrows shot up in astonishment. She did not recall doing anything to offend God Monarch Lingxi! Why did she have to defeat the other partys will within three moves? Alright then! Even though Fairy Linglong was bewildered, she knew that she could not go against the other partys will. So, she straightened her posture and took a step back before abruptly charging forward to strike the youngdy with a palm strike. T! The surrounding space ripped apart as though it was as flimsy as a sheet of paper, causing a ck dimension rift to appear on the youngdy. Yet, the dimension rift did nothing to faze the youngdy at all. It was almost as if she did not exist in the world. One, the white-robed youngdy uttered nonchntly. Fairy Linglong was taken aback to see that her attack was not able to faze the other party. Biting her lips, she did not dare hold back at all. She lifted both of her fists and struck down on her opponent simultaneously. In terms of strength and talent, she was ranked among the top few in the Nine God Monarchs. Even the Cloud Dragon Monarch would have to tread carefully around her. With her fusing her entire strength into both of her fists, a destructive prowess wreaked havoc upon the world. Her assault did not just cause a dimension rift anymore; instead, the space that stood in her path was all disintegrated into fine dust. Stable space was one of the foundations of life. The act of tearing down space was the act of destroying all life within that space. However, the white-robed youngdy still did not make a move at all. She allowed the destructive force to ripple through her body, but it did not even leave a trace on her. Two, the white-robed youngdy counted. Knowing that this was herst move, Fairy Linglong extracted a droplet of blood from her be and set it aze. The next instant, her aura surged furiously. Gathering all her strength into her palm, she struck down once more. This time, her palm strike was at least two times stronger than her first attack, but instead of shattering or disintegrating, the space distorted this time around. The palm strikended squarely on top of the white-robed youngdy, but thetter remained rooted to the spot, not affected by the offense. A voice echoed by Fairy Linglongs ear. Three. Then, the white-robed youngdy lifted her finger and flicked it. Peng! Fairy Linglong was immediately sent flying. Blood spewed from her mouth as she tumbled through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground with a pale face. This single strike had left her with severe injuries. It was obvious that the two of them were not on the same level. Enduring her pain, Fairy Linglong gritted her teeth and rose to her feet. She lowered her head and said, God Monarch Lingxi, thank you for your guidance... If I may ask, have I done something wrong? The God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom rarely summoned the other God Monarchs. The fact that the other party had called her all the way here only to treat her in such a manner... it could only mean that she had done something that displeased the other party. But the issue was that... I dont even know what I have done to offend you! Why dont you at least tell me what I have done so that I can take note of it in the future? You called me here and started pummeling me without telling me the reason... What am I supposed to make of this? You need to work a lot harder if you wish to teach me a lesson. Your current strength... is still far from sufficient! Leaving those words behind, the white-robed youngdy morphed into a droplet of clear water and fell to the ground. To think that the opponent she had been facing all this while was a clone made out of a mere droplet of water! The God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom was indeed on a different level from the rest of the God Monarchs. While she was astonished by the prowess disyed by God Monarch Lingxi, she could not help but be baffled by the words of the other party. Teach you a lesson? Given your prowess, I wouldnt dare to teach you a lesson even if someone were to inte my guts by tenfold! Wait a moment... It was right after I muttered to myself that I would teach the person whom Zhang Xuan likes a lesson that the golden board appeared and summoned me here... Could it be that... A look of horror suddenly appeared on Fairy Linglongs face. If what she was thinking right now was really true, then Zhang Xuan was truly a terrifying individual. To have such a tamed beast and such a girlfriend... Was he really just a high-tier Celestial God? It feels like nothing is going right for me these days. I really should try my best to steer clear of that fellow in the future... Fairy Linglong was not sure whether her conjecture was right, and she dared not verify it. In any case, it was best to avoid trouble wherever possible. Sighing deeply, she waved her hand and returned to the Sky of Linglong. Shortly after she returned to her pce, a middle-ageddy suddenly rushed into the room and kneeled before her. My deepest congrattions, Your Sovereignty! Congrattions? A Conferred God King of hers had just been killed, but she had not been able to deal with the culprit, and just a moment ago, she had been summoned to the Sky of Freedom, only to get pummeled. She could not think of anything that could lift her spirits at a moment like this. Your Sovereignty, the two people whom you brought back from the Celestial Mountain have been cultivating in the Spacetime Mirror, and just a moment ago, they managed to reach God King realm pinnacle while clearing the trial, the middle-ageddy reported. Theyve cleared the trial? Fairy Linglongs eyes widened in surprise before a delighted smile emerged on her face. This was indeed the best news that she could have received heard after the day of setbacks. She had picked out two talented cultivators from the Celestial Mountain, and she had devoted a lot of resources to groom them. With their breakthrough, the Sky of Linglong would be in a much better position in the uing Flood of Spiritual Energy. At the very least, they would not be forced to take a passive position as they did previously. Lets head over there to take a look, Fairy Linglong said as she quickly made her way over to the Spacetime Mirror. On the outside, the Spacetime Mirror appeared to be no different from an ordinary mirror. Concealed within it, however, was a dimension where time flowed ten thousand times faster than that of the Firmament. In other words, several hundred years had already passed for those two cultivators ever since she brought them back from the Celestial Mountain. It was truly an impressive feat for those two people, who had barely reached the God realm when she first brought them to the Sky of Linglong, to reach God King realm pinnacle within just several hundred years. Hu! With a thought, she brought the two cultivators inside the Spacetime Mirror out. They were twodies. One looked quiet and reserved whereas the other one emanated a frostily cold vibe. Despite having spent hundreds of years within the Spacetime Mirror, it did not seem like the passing of years had left its mark on them. They still looked almost the same as they did when they first entered the Spacetime Mirror. As soon as they appeared from the mirror, auras powerful enough to tear apart the fabric of space burst forth from their bodies. Despite only being at God King realm pinnacle, the auras they emanated were already even more powerful than those of normal Conferred God Kings. Be it their cultivation techniques or their temperament, they were indeed ideal candidates for conferment. The more Fairy Linglong looked at them, the more satisfied she was with them. She looked at them with eyes filled with anticipation as she said, The two of you have already reached God King realm pinnacle, which means that you are strong enough to bear the power of conferment. Are you willing to be my Conferred God Kings? Chapter 2208 - Fairy Linglong’s Mental Breakdown (1) Chapter 2208 Fairy Linglongs Mental Breakdown (1) Conferred God King? the two female cultivators asked hesitantly. A cultivator who had reached God King realm pinnacle, as long as he was able to earn the recognition of a God Monarch, could be granted a conferment. This conferment would entitle them to greater powers, making them the strongest existence beneath the God Monarchs. Those who could not receive a conferment from a God Monarch would find their cultivation capped. No matter how talented they were, they would only be a little more powerful than ordinary God Kings. Indeed! Fairy Linglong nodded. Her initial n was to reserve the conferment for Luo Qiqi after Baiye Qinghongs death, but thetter had chosen to leave with Zhang Xuan instead. Nevertheless, everything still turned out fine in the end. While the Sky of Linglong had lost a Conferred God King, it could potentially gain two more if the conferment went through. That would put it on par with the rest of the Nine Skies. Seeing how those two were hesitant, Fairy Linglong frowned. Are you unwilling to be my Conferred God King? We would be d if the conferment grants us greater powers than before, but... The quiet and reserveddy paused for a brief moment here before continuing. If we be your Conferred God King, will we have to follow your orders unconditionally, such that well have to turn against our kin as long as you order us to? Fairy Linglong chuckled after hearing the other partys question. You have misunderstood. Bing a Conferred God King means to receive the acknowledgement from a territory of the Firmament, thus entitling you to the Anima of Yearning of those living in the area. If you receive the acknowledgement from a territory within the Sky of Linglong, you will be considered my subordinate, but there is no restriction on the conferment that forces you to obey my orders unconditionally. If a Conferred God King had to obey every single one of their God Monarchs orders, that wouldnt be a Conferred God King but a puppet! Hearing those words, the two female cultivators nodded in realization. If thats the case, we are willing to be the Conferred God Kings of the Sky of Linglong! Good! Fairy Linglong raised her hand, and a brilliant light embraced the two female cultivators. At the same instant, the countless lives living within Sky of Linglong heard a voice sounding in their heads. To the people of the Sky of Linglong, heed my words. For her imprudence and dishonorable actions, Baiye Qinghong has been stripped of her conferment. I hereby dere that Wang Ying and Wei Ruyan will be recing her as Conferred God Kings of the Sky of Linglong! The countless lifeforms of the Sky of Linglong immediately saw the figures of two beautifuldies in their heads, and they hurriedly kneeled down. Paying respects to the Conferred God King Wang Ying and Conferred God King Wei Ruyan! The lifespan of a Conferred God King exceeded a hundred thousand years, so every conferment represented the rise of asting major power. For a long time, the Sky of Linglong had only had two Conferred God Kings. When news started spreading that Baiye Qinghong had been killed, many were worried that the Sky of Linglong would lose the power to curb the other Skies. Yet, contrary to that, Fairy Linglong had conferred two new God Kings right away. Not all cultivators who had reached God King realm pinnacle could be conferred. Those who were able to receive the conferment were all exceptional individuals who possessed talent beyond their peers. Hong long! With the submission of the popce, the two youngdies immediately felt a powerful will seeping into their bodies. As if they had been recognized by the world, they found that they were able to tap into a greater reserve of power from the world. Is that the Will of the World? The two female cultivators widened their eyes. Fairy Linglong chuckled softly as she answered their doubts. Receiving the conferment of a God Monarch wont affect your zhenqi or cultivation. However, your soul will receive the acknowledgement from the Will of the World. This allows you to truly tap into the powers of the world, thus increasing your fighting prowess significantly. Conferred God Kings were not powerful because of their superior cultivation or purer zhenqi. Rather, it was because of the rights they received as a result of the conferment. These rights came from the acknowledgement from the Will of the World, and it allowed them to tap into a reserve of power far beyond what any God Kings could hope to match. I see... Feeling the greatness of the power, the eyes of the two female cultivators glowed in excitement. From the moment they received the acknowledgement from the Will of the World, they realized that even though the power was conferred to them by Fairy Linglong, unless they died or gave up on it voluntarily, it was impossible for anyone to take this power away from them. Not even Fairy Linglong had the authority to revoke these rights! Thank you, Your Sovereignty! The two of them bowed down deeply as they voiced their gratitude. Fairy Linglong nodded in satisfaction as she looked at the two youngdies dotingly. Arent you going to call me teacher? She was the one who had taken them from the Celestial Mountain, and she had used the power of the Spacetime Mirror to elerate their growth and offered them guidance from time to time. If not for her help, there was no way they could have cleared the trial required for the conferment so quickly. Their rtionship had never been officially acknowledged by either side, but Fairy Linglong could feel the sentiments of a teacher and a student between them. This was also the first time that she had epted anyone as her disciple. She had not spent much time with these two female cultivators, but she was very fond of them. Wang Yin was reserved, but she was extremely kind to those around her. Wei Ruyan was cold, but she was extremely loyal to those whom she was close to. Fairy Linglong thought that it would be great if she could have these two as her disciples. Pardon us, Your Sovereignty, but the both of us mentioned previously that we already have a teacher... Wang Ying sped her fist. I know that you already have a teacher, but how can hepare with me? Hes just the person who has guided you through the first phase of your journey! Fairy Linglong frowned. She had learned that these two had a teacher back when she was still fetching them from the Celestial Mountain. Back then, they had initially resisted leaving with her, and they had insisted on leaving a message for their teacher. And to be frank, it was the respectful attitude that they had toward their teacher that made her even more satisfied with them. She had thought that they would forget about their previous teacher with time and favor her instead, but who could have known that that only teacher they recognized was still him? It was not that she could not understand their loyalty, but she was a God Monarch! As long as she gave the word, there were countless people in the world who would do anything to be her disciple. Yet, after all she had done for these two, they still refused to acknowledge her as their teacher... Just what was so good about their previous teacher! In the end, was their teacher not nothing more than an ordinary God who offered them some guidance in the earlier phases of their cultivation? Was there really a need for them to go this far for him? Your Sovereignty, I will have to ask you not to insult our teacher, Wei Ruyan said. He has done far too much for us to ever repay him, and if we really have to choose between the two, we can only return our cultivation to you. Your Sovereignty, hes the only teacher we have recognized in this lifetime, and this will never change, Wang Ying said. Please pardon our obstinacy. It cant be helped then... Fairy Linglong could only shake her head regretfully after seeing how determined those two were. After heaving a deep sigh, she looked at them and asked, Do you know of the Flood of Spiritual Energy? Wang Ying nodded. We have heard of it. The news had been going around furiously in the Firmament. Even though they had been in seclusion most of the time, they had still been able to hear a thing or two from the guards. If not for the Flood of Spiritual Energy, even if their talent was not too bad, there was no way a God Monarch would regard them so highly as to go all out to help them raise their cultivation. The Flood of Spiritual Energy happens once every decade, and its a major affair in the Nine Skies, Fairy Linglong exined. During that period, even Conferred God Kings and God Kings can easily lose their lives. Even though you have be Conferred God Kings, you still arent the strongest of them all yet. Simr to how I found you on the Celestial Mountain, the other God Monarchs have also managed to find their own sessors. These sessors are bound to receive personal guidance from their respective God Monarchs, so we can expect them to be extremely difficult opponents to deal with. If you dont acknowledge me as your teacher, I wont be able to impart more advanced battle techniques to you. That will put you in a very dangerous position against them, and you might even lose your lives! Putting everything aside, have you heard of the young man known as Zheng Yang whom the zing Sun Monarch took away with him? ording to what Ive heard, that young man received his conferment several days ago, and in terms of fighting prowess, hes able to stand his ground against some of the veteran Conferred God Kings. If you face him during the Flood of Spiritual Energy, the chances of you winning are really slim... We have heard of him... Wang Ying nodded. Hes my Fourth Junior! Chapter 2209 - 2209 Fairy Linglong’s Breakdown 2 2209 Fairy Linglongs Breakdown 2 Fourth Junior? Fairy Linglong was dumbfounded. Wait a moment, what? That young man named Zheng Yang is already famous throughout the Sky of zing Sun for his powerful cultivation and ingenious spearmanship. With his frightening fighting prowess, he has already defeated quite a few veteran Conferred God Kings. Due to that, that darned pervert has already bragged about this matter to me several times. And you are right now that Zheng Yang... is your junior? So, hes also a student of that teacher you mentioned, is he? Fairy Linglong asked with bulging eyes. Thats right! Wang Ying nodded. Her teacher had decided on their rankings when he finally epted them as his direct disciples, and Zheng Yang happened to be ranked fourth. Fairy Linglong was unable to speak for a very long while. She had never expected to hear something so shocking. To think that they were under the same teacher... She had thought that it was already amazingly fortunate for the teacher of Wang Ying and Wei Ruyan to take them in as his disciples, but who could have known that Zheng Yang was his disciple too? It was no wonder those two were unwilling to acknowledge her as their teacher. It seemed like their teacher was quite a figure, too. But so what? She was still a God Monarch! On the other hand, their teacher was a mere God realm cultivator. Even if he was lucky enough to have taken in three talented cultivators, he could notpete with her! Fairy Linglong felt that she still had an advantage. No matter what, she had to convince these two about the perilous situation they were in. Otherwise, she would not be able to impart her techniques to them, and they would not be able topete with the Conferred God Kings of the other Skies! Fairy Linglong quickly calmed herself down before carrying on with a solemn voice. Even if Zheng Yang is your junior and will go easy on you, there are still other strong Conferred God Kings that you need to pay attention to. Take the disciple whom God Monarch Fumeng has taken in, Zhao Ya, for example. She is rumored to be on par with Zheng Yang in terms of strength. The Sky of Adamant Gold is located in the west of the Firmament whereas the Sky of Linglong is located in the southwest. Due to our close proximity, theres a great likelihood that welle to blows with one another. If you dont brush up on your skills under my guidance, itll be hard for you to stand against her... Thats my First Senior, Wang Ying replied quietly. ... Fairy Linglongs eyelids twitched upon hearing those words. Unable to keep her cool, she asked, What about Conferred God King Lu Chong of the Sky of Drifting Specter? He should have nothing to do with you, right? Hes actually really powerful... Thats my Sixth Junior. ... Fairy Linglongs facial expression was starting to run amok at this point. What about Conferred God King Liu Yang, Conferred God King Zhang Jiuxiao, and Conferred God King Kong Shiyao of the Sky of Cloud Dragon? Surely you cant be rted to them too. They are my Third Junior, Eighth Junior, and Ninth Junior. Wang Ying was feeling quite relieved to hear that her senior and juniors were faring well in the Firmament. However, Fairy Linglong looked as if she was going to descend into lunacy. What about the new Conferred God Kings of the Sky of Acheron, Yuan Tao, Dan Xiaotian, and Bai Ruanqing? They are my Fifth Junior, Tenth Junior, and Eleventh Junior. Pu! Unable to take it any longer, Fairy Linglong spurted a mouthful of blood. She could not help but recall how all the God Monarchs were delighted to have managed to find their own sessors. All of them were confident that they would be able to gain more resources for themselves for the Flood of Spiritual Energy. But in the end, it turned out that all their sessors had the same teacher. They were all from the same lineage! It could still be considered luck if a teacher epted two or three talented cultivator as his disciples, but to have eleven of such disciples... such a thing definitely could not be shrugged off as mere luck! Is your teacher really just a God realm cultivator? Fairy Linglong asked. Indeed. When we entered the Celestial Mountain, our teacher was still at the God realm... An ordinary God wouldnt have had the privilege of enjoying an abundance of cultivation resources and the Spacetime Mirror, so I reckon its unlikely for him to have be a Celestial God. For such a person to actually have so many Conferred God Kings as his disciples... Fairy Linglong could hardlye to terms with this reality. Was that fellow not a little too frightening? No, wait a moment... Since their teacher had not caught the gaze of any God Monarchs yet, if she found him first and convince him to submit to her, would she not gain control over all of those Conferred God Kings as well? With such thoughts in mind, Fairy Linglongs eyes lit up as she asked, Is your teacher still in the Sky of Drifting Specter? Is there anyone who knows of his rtionship with you? Wang Ying pondered for a moment before replying, Our teacher has always preferred to keep a low profile. Hell be content as long as were getting along fine, so its highly unlikely that hed talk about his rtionship with us of his own ord. As for whether hes still in the Sky of Drifting Specter or not, we havent contacted him for a month now, so we dont really know for certain... If there was anyone who knew Zhang Xuan the best, it was his direct disciples. Kind, humble, and low profiletheir teacher was a person overflowing with virtues. Even though they had already been through three worlds together, they still had not been able to see anyone who could match him in terms of character. Unless any of them were in a position of danger, it was unlikely that he would show himself before the God Monarchs. Currently, her juniors and senior were getting along well, and they had even managed to be Conferred God Kings. Given her understanding of their teacher, he would probably try to stay out of their path to avoid troubling them. Thats good... Fairy Linglong heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that the persons identity had not been revealed yet meant that the other God Monarchs would not be able to get to him before her. Forcefully calming herself down, Fairy Linglong asked, May I know your teachers name? What does he look like? She would have to first find him based on his name and appearance before figuring out a way to forge a good rtionship with him. Our teacher seeks a humble and low-profile life. Hell be displeased if he finds out that we revealed his identity to another person. Your Sovereignty, I have to ask for your understanding in this matter... Wang Ying bowed deeply. As her teachers disciple, she had to respect her teachers wish for privacy. I understand that you are concerned about your teacher, but once your rtionship with Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others is known by the others, there will surely be people who start looking into this matter. No matter how low profile your teacher might be, its only a matter of time before someone figures out his rtionship with the rest of you. By then, he might face a great deal of trouble, especially from the other God Monarchs. You must understand that Im not trying to make things difficult for you or your teacher. If possible, I would like to help you protect your teacher as well so that you can set your mind at ease, Fairy Linglong exined. This... Wang Ying and Wei Ruyan looked at each other hesitantly to decide on what they should do. There was a grain of truth to what Fairy Linglong had said. With their current fame in the Firmament, there would surely be curious individuals who would try digging into their background. Unlike them, their teacher did not have the guidance of a God Monarch, the aid of overpowered artifacts such as the Spacetime Mirror, or an abundance of cultivation resources. If someone intended him harm, it would be difficult for him to protect himself! So, it would be wonderful if Fairy Linglong was sincere in wanting to help them protect their teacher. That would really set their minds at ease. Rest assured, I am a woman true to my words. I only want to know his identity in order to protect him; I have no ns of causing him any trouble. As a God Monarch, I wont stoop so low as to spout lies to you two... Fairy Linglong further reassured them. Your Sovereignty, we trust you. There was no reason for someone as powerful as a God Monarch to fool them like that. Knowing that Fairy Linglong had good intentions at heart, Wang Ying hesitated for a moment before adding, If you manage to find our teacher, I hope that you can bring us over so that we can pay respects to him... That isnt a problem! Fairy Linglong replied. Alright then. Its unlikely that Your Sovereignty will have heard of our teacher... Hes a humble cultivator who goes by the name of Zhang Xuan! Putong! Fairy Linglongs foot slipped, and she fell to the ground. Chapter 2210 - Feng Hanqiu

Chapter 2210

Feng Hanqiu

Fairy Linglong was utterly bbergasted to discover that the Zhang Xuan they were talking about was indeed the same Zhang Xuan whom she knew of. For the entire conversation, those two had been emphasizing again and again how humble and low profile their teacher was, such that she actually believed their words. After all, he was indeed a person who managed to groom so many talented experts without making his name known. Yet, their teacher was actually... Zhang Xuan! You said that he keeps a low profile? Low profile your head! You said that he is an ordinary God? Ordinary your head! Theres hardly any cultivator who doesnt know of his name after heunched the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill in the Sky of Drifting Specter. Not only so, just a few hours ago, that man came over to the Sky of Linglong and killed one of my Conferred God Kings, devoured my will, and took the Dimension Silencer away with him... As if that isnt frightening enough, that man had that person as his tamed beast, and his girlfriend is actually the strongest person in the Firmament! You call that low profile and ordinary? Pui! He is the very antithesis of low profile and ordinary! There is no Celestial God who is more high profile and extraordinary than him! More importantly... The reason I asked you for his name is so that I can find him and rally him over to my side. But after that bitter spat between us earlier, how am I supposed to do so now? Fairy Linglongs mind began churning nonstop as she tried to figure out what she should do with the current situation. Even if we didnt have a conflict with one another earlier, it wouldnt be easy to bring him over to my side given his tamed beast and girlfriend... Should I just bestow him a conferment for the sake of it? Ah, but it would be better to keep this news under wraps. It wouldnt be good if the other God Monarchs learned about this matter... ... Having sessfully left Linglong Royal City without any issues, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that Little Chick had stepped forward and protected him earlier, or else he would have been in a really difficult position. Zhang Xuan was not worried about anyone else making a move on him, especially after what he had done earlier. So, while he made his way over to the Great Discement Teleportation Formation, he nced over at the youngdy behind him and asked, How did you get here? And how did you get to know Fairy Linglong? After I left the Master Teacher Continent... Luo Qiqi began recounting her story. She had morphed into the Dimension Silencer and broken the dimension barrier. However, in a series of unfortunate events, she had ended up getting caught within a spatial turbulence. In the end, she had been found and saved by Fairy Linglong, who then brought her over to the Firmament. In the first ce, the Dimension Silencer was an artifact that was from the Firmament but had somehow fallen to the Master Teacher Continent. After returning there, her cultivation had swiftly improved. Within a short month, she had raised her cultivation all the way up to God King realm pinnacle. Paired with her abilities as the Dimension Silencer, even ordinary Conferred God Kings would find it hard to put up a fight against her. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan did not expect Luo Qiqi to have met with so many hardships. With a deep sigh, he shared with her how the Luo n had been faring when he returned to the Master Teacher Continent a while back. I have really let my n down, Luo Qiqi mumbled with reddened eyes. The flow of time in the Firmament was ten thousand times that of the Master Teacher Continent. A month up there was equivalent to ten thousand months beneath, which equated to the passing of around eight hundred years. Most of her kin were probably aged by now. After arriving there, she had realized that she could not break the dimension barrier as easily anymore. Most likely, she would not meet her family members again in her lifetime. Zhang Xuan patted her back quietly in constion for a while before asking, While you were with Fairy Linglong, did you happen to meet my two direct disciples, Wang Ying and Wei Ruyan? I didnt meet them personally, but based on what Ive heard, it seems like they have been cultivating inside Her Sovereigntys Spacetime Mirror. Their cultivation should be no weaker than mine at the moment, Luo Qiqi replied. Hearing that Fairy Linglong had been treating his direct disciples well, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. While chatting a bit about various matters, they finally arrived before the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. Do you have the token to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation? Zhang Xuan asked. His token could only allow for the teleportation of him and his tamed beast, so he would not be able to take Luo Qiqi with him. But if they were to attempt to fly over to Spirit Origin Royal City, it would probably take several years before they arrived at their destination. Luo Qiqi chuckled softly and said, I dont need that to travel around... The token primarily served to protect cultivators from getting hurt. As the Dimension Silencer, she governed over the spatialws of the world. The spatial turbulence during the teleportation could not hurt her. In fact, while it would take quite a toll on her to do so, she could already rip space apart and travel freely from one ce to another. So, the two of them went on to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. With a brilliant glow of light, the two of them vanished from the spot, and the next moment, they were already in the Sky of Spirit Origin. Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze over to Luo Qiqi, and fortunately, she was unharmed. Entering Spirit Origin Royal City, they quickly made their way over to the Inferno Phoenix n. As soon as Zhang Xuan walked through the entrance, Feng Jiuge, who appeared to have been pacing back and forth waiting for him, rushed up to him anxiously. Teacher! Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Shortly after you left, we received an announcement saying that the tournament would be brought ahead. I sent you quite a few messages on your Communication Jade Token, but there was no response, Feng Jiuge said nervously. The Three Great ns of Spirit Origin Royal City had initially set the time of the tournament roughly an hourter, but ording to the rumors, it seemed like something had happened within Spirit God Pce, causing it to continuously radiate light. Taking it as a sign that something major was going to happen, the Three Conferred God Kings had decided to bring the tournament ahead to quickly get it over and done with so that they could focus on what that was toe. In other words... During the period that Zhang Xuan was away, the person who was to enter Spirit God Pce had already been chosen! Hearing that the tournament had already concluded, Zhang Xuan could not help but frown. He had already rushed all the way there, but it was still toote in the end. However, it could not be helped. The Communication Jade Token that he used had limited range, and it would only work if both the sender and receiver were in the same Sky. Given that he had gone all the way to the Sky of Linglong, there was no way he would have been able to receive Feng Jiuges message. He could only hope that his disciple had imed first ce instead. This way, he might still be able to impersonate his disciple and sneak in. So, he quickly turned to Feng Jiuge and asked, What ce did you finish? I... Feng Jiuges face reddened. He quickly kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed. I have let you down! I only managed to ce second in the tournament... His teacher had gone through so much trouble to decipher the mysteries ofbat for him, allowing him to even ovee the Nine Phoenix Ster Formation. Yet, in the end, he was still defeated by another in the final round... You finished second? Zhang Xuan was surprised. Who came first? Feng Jiuge had fought practically the strongest experts in the Inferno Phoenix n, and he had managed to defeat them with ease. So, unless his opponent was Zhang Xuan himself, he should have been able to defeat any Celestial Gods. So, how did he end up cing second? Were there even stronger experts in the other two ns? I am the one who ced first! Before Feng Jiuge could respond, a voice suddenly echoed behind them. Following that, several young men walked into the courtyard with widened strides. The one that was leading the group appeared to be in his thirties, and he had a pair of lofty eyes. Teacher, hes the one who ced first in the tournament. He is an expert from the cier Phoenix n, Feng Hanqiu, Feng Jiuge exined to his teacher through zhenqi telepathy. Feng Hanqiu? Zhang Xuan frowned. A God King? At first nce, it would appear that there was nothing special about the young man. However, when taking a closer look, one would realize that there was a frightening amount of energy harnessed within his body, reminiscent of a massive snow mountain that had the potential to cause a terrifying avnche. It was clear that he had already reached the level of a God King. But was the tournament not intended for Celestial Gods? Why would there be a God King in the tournament as well? Besides, what was the point of a God King going into Spirit God Pce? He made a breakthrough on the spot while fighting against me, Feng Jiuge said. Initially, he had still had the upper hand against Feng Hanqiu, but perhaps due to the pressure continuously heaped on him, Feng Hanqiu managed to make a breakthrough on the spot and be a God King. That resulted in a vast difference in their strength, and eventually, Feng Jiuge lost. Zhang Xuan finally nodded in realization. While he had imparted hisbat skills to Feng Jiuge, thetter had not managed to grasp the quintessence of them yet. It was inevitable that he would be no match for a real God King. I heard that you are the strongest cultivator among the younger generation of the Inferno Phoenix n. Do you dare have a match with me? Feng Hanqiu asked. Chapter 2211 - What Have I Been Doing All My Life?

Chapter 2211 What Have I Been Doing All My Life?

Even though he had managed to defeat Feng Jiuge, he still has not fought with thetters teacher yet. As such, the first ce that he had received through the tournament was not exactly proper. For this reason, he had headed right over to the Inferno Phoenix n as soon as the tournament ended in order to wait for Feng Xuans return and challenge him. If I defeat you, will you pass the opportunity to enter Spirit God Pce over to me instead? Zhang Xuan asked. If you are able to defeat me, that right will naturally be passed down to you! Feng Hanqiu replied. Spirit God Pce contained the artifacts that the Deathless Monarch had left behind. Through studying the artifacts of the Deathless Monarch, a Celestial God could greatly increase their chances of bing a God King. However, Feng Hanqiu was already a God King, so it did not matter whether he entered Spirit God Pce or not. In the past, when the Deathless Lava Reservoir was still functioning, it would still have been worthwhile for him to enter it to temper his body and possiblyprehend the crux of deathlessness. However, the Deathless Lava Reservoir had also be defunct in recent years, so there was not much for Feng Hanqiu to look forward to anymore. Besides, if the young man was able to defeat him, it would go to show that he should have been the true victor of the tournament. The other candidates should have no issues with him passing down the right to someone like that. Thats a relief. Lets begin then! Zhang Xuan nodded. I have already made a breakthrough to God King, so the battle is disadvantageous to you. Out of consideration for fairness, Ill give you a three-move advantage! Feng Hanqiu said. God Kings and Celestial Gods were two vastly different existences. It was already improper for a God King like him to challenge a high-tier Celestial God to a battle, so it was only right for him to offer a handicap. But in response to his offer, Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, Theres no need for that. The other party had only just made a breakthrough to God King. In his view, there was no need for such a handicap. Not wanting to waste his time on words, Zhang Xuan took a step forward and appeared right before Feng Hanqiu in an instant. Just by raising his hand lightly, the air in the courtyard suddenly seemed to freeze in ce. Hes formidable! Feng Hanqiu had still nned on handicapping himself when he sensed the tremendous might building up before him. His eyes narrowed in astonishment, and he did not dare lower his guard anymore. He quickly drove his zhenqi furiously as he retaliated with a punch. Peng! However, Zhang Xuan seemed to bepletely unaffected by Feng Hanqius retaliation. He struck his palm down leisurely, and thetters face immediately paled. The next instant, his body skidded all the way back till he knocked violently against a wall. The victor had been decided within a single move. Despite having be a God King, Feng Hanqiu was still no match for Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan walked up to Feng Hanqiu and said, Hand your slot over to me. His zhenqi capacity had reduced significantly after he neutralized his Heavens Path zhenqi against the gray surge of energy, but in return, the increased purity of his zhenqi granted him greater burst power. Even a God King realm pinnacle expert like Fu Jiangchen would not be a match for the current him, let alone Feng Hanqiu. Thank you for showing mercy on me... Feng Hanqiu stood up with a look of disbelief. While he found it all hard to ept, he could tell that the other party had gone easy on him with the earlier strike. Otherwise, he would not have gotten away with such minor injuries. With a flick of his finger, he passed a jade token over to Zhang Xuan. It was the insignia required to enter Spirit God Pce. Zhang Xuan quickly epted the insignia in relief. With this, he would finally be able to enter Spirit God Pce and find Luo Ruoxin. Brother Feng Xuan, may I know how you were able to be so strong despite being only a Celestial God? Feng Hanqiu asked in wonderment. He had been ranked first on the Sky of Spirit Origins Board of Potential God Kings previously. He was indubitably one of the strongest Celestial Gods in the entire Firmament. Yet, even after he made a breakthrough to the God King realm, he was still no match for the young man before him. He really could not fathom how it was possible for a Celestial God to be able to be so powerful. Theres nothing special to it. Once you umte enough, itll eventually lead to a qualitative difference, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. umte enough... Feng Hanqiu repeated those words contemtively before nodding in realization. Brother Feng Xuan, what you mean to say is that I should spend more time and effort trying to reinforce my cultivation so as to build up a firm foundation instead of rushing to make a breakthrough, right? Feng Hanqiu had thought that he had already spent a lot of time building up his cultivation at high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle. It was due to his diligent umtion that he had been able to make a breakthrough in the midst of a duel. But as it turned out, he was stillcking a lotpared to the other party. Was his foundation still not strong enough? But he had clearly felt himself reaching his limits. He had no idea how he could go any further than that! It was just like piling up boxes. Beyond a certain height, it was impossible to go any further. There was simply a limit to how much a cultivator could reinforce their cultivation. If one tried to push beyond the limit, it could have adverse consequences. Indeed. Sometimes, even though it might seem like you have already reached your limit, if you work just a little harder, you might find that there is still room for improvement, Zhang Xuan said. It was simr to how he thought that the Heavens Path zhenqi was the most formidable zhenqi in the world. But when he finally cultivated the Pathos of Heaven, he realized that there was actually a level even higher than where he already was. I have benefitted from your guidance! Hearing those words, Feng Hanqiu lowered his head and thanked Zhang Xuan. A curious glint flickered across his eyes as he asked, Brother Feng Xuan, it must have taken you quite a bit of effort to reinforce your cultivation to such an extent, right? Indeed! Recalling all the difficulties he encountered in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan felt like he could grumble for days on end! Ever since I reached high-tier Celestial God five days ago, I have been working hard every single day to reinforce my cultivation. No matter how busy I am, I still reserve at least an hour every day specifically for my cultivation. Sometimes, I might even cultivate up to four hours without rest! You can probably imagine the hardships I have been through in order to reach my current level! F-five days? Feng Hanqiu was stunned. You have only cultivated for at most four hours a day for five days after reaching high-tier Celestial God? After hearing what Zhang Xuan had said, he thought that thetter would have cultivated for at least decades in order to reach his current level, but five days? Scram! Hardship my ass! Even a single seclusion of mine would be far longer than that! Furthermore, there was even a day when you cultivated for an hour... Indeed. It has already been five days, so I should have already made a breakthrough by now, but I just cant find a suitable cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan said. This sure is a bummer. Oh right, Jiuge, why dont I help you make a breakthrough? If not for the fact that he had an urgent need to enter Spirit God Pce, he could have devoted his time to figuring out the next level of the Pathos of Heaven, and he could have already made a breakthrough by now. It was obvious that he wasgging behind. Just by imagining how strong his direct disciples would be by now made him feel a little anxious. He really had to pick up his pace, or else it sure would be awkward if he met them. So, you have spent less than twenty hours cultivating since you made a breakthrough to high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle? Feng Hanqiu was really feeling a little frenzied. Brother Feng Xuan, its not that I want to nag at you, but bing a God King is more than just reinforcing your cultivation. You need to be able to grasp the powers of nature, and that will take quite a bit of effort and time in order to do it... Halfway through his words, Feng Hanqiu realized that Feng Xuan was not paying attention to him at all, and his words slowly trailed off. While he was talking, Feng Xuan had already walked up to Feng Jiuge, and thetter was nodding excitedly. Since I have some spare time, lets do it right now! Without further ado, Zhang Xuan took out a pill and ced it into Feng Jiuges mouth. Following that, he ced his palm on Feng Jiuges back and sent a powerful surge of zhenqi into his body. Kacha kacha kacha! Feng Jiuges eyebrows shot up as he swiftly overcame the limitations of his cultivation. An amazing amount of energy gathered within his dantian before bursting outward in the form of an indomitable aura, rising right toward the clouds. This is the power of a God King... Standing by the side, Feng Hanqiu and his group of followers wed at their hair in disbelief. Feng Jiuge really managed to make a breakthrough just like that? It was just a moment ago that Feng Hanqiu had talked about how difficult it was to be a God King, and the next moment, Feng Xuan had already helped his disciple make a breakthrough. Was there a worse way to p a persons face than this? More importantly, the person whom he had helped achieve a breakthrough was known to have his cultivation regressing continuously for the past two years due to his unique condition, such that he had even been expelled from the Inferno Phoenix n a few days prior. Given that Feng Jiuge had just regained his cultivation, he should still have been in the midst of reinforcing his cultivation. Yet, with just a single pill, Feng Jiuge had managed to reach the realm that he had worked hard for decades to reach... Feng Hanqiu could not help but feel as if his world had been turned upside down. When did bing a God King get so easy? If it had been so easy all this while, what had he been doing all his life? Chapter 2212 - Become the Clan Head!

Chapter 2212 Be the n Head!

Even though Feng Jiuges cultivation had regressed for two years, he had managed to temper his soul and spirit well within this period. From his lofty position as the genius of the Inferno Phoenix n, he had fallen to the bottom and experienced the warmth and coldness of the world. These experiences were invaluable in building up who he was, and it had made his soul more resilient than ever. Due to this, the God King Breakthrough Pill was particrly effective on him, allowing him to sessfully make a breakthrough. Had it been anyone else, it would have been difficult for them to make a breakthrough so sessfully. Other than that, Feng Jiuges body had been thoroughly cleansed by Zhang Xuans zhenqi while he was getting rid of the gray congregation of energy. That had yed a huge part in building up Feng Jiuges foundation too. After his breakthrough to God King, Feng Jiuge spent some time reinforcing his cultivation. When he finally opened his eyes once more, he quickly kneeled to the floor and bowed. Teacher, thank you for your guidance! Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang Xuan replied. How are you feeling right now? Feng Jiuge rose to his feet and perceived his newfound powers for a moment. My zhenqi cultivation has reached the God King realm, but my soul cultivation is stillcking at the moment. Ill have to nourish it quite a bit in order to restore the bnce within my body. Even though he had been through quite a bit within this short period of time, he was still too young. As such, his soul was slightlycking. His fighting prowess had risen considerably due to his breakthrough, but due to the disharmonious state his body was in, he would still be weakerpared to a real God King. The soul is the hardest to cultivate of all, Feng Hanqiu remarked. If one wascking in terms of zhenqi, there were plenty of cultivation resources that could provide one with more spiritual energy. However, when it came to raising ones soul cultivation, there were only so few things that one could do. For example, even though Feng Hanqiu had made a breakthrough to God King as well, he was still a long way off from fully grasping his powers as a God King due to the weakness of his soul. Indeed, Zhang Xuan said, this is quite a problem to deal with... Despite the hugemotion he had caused through the Breakthrough Pill and the Beauty Pill, he had only been able to raise his soul cultivation to high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle thus far. From this, it could be seen that raising ones soul cultivation was rather difficult. But halfway through Zhang Xuans words, he suddenly felt a massive surge of Anima of Yearning gushing into his soul. This caused his high-tier Celestial God realm soul cultivation to begin rising at a swift pace. Zhang Xuan was a little taken aback. This time around, the Anima of Yearning he received was several hundred, or perhaps, a thousand times more than what he had received previously! Is a Conferred God King thinking about me? And a dozen of them at that? He could hardly believe what was happening. Incredibly pure Anima of Yearning was surging into his soul continuously, as if ten additional Conferred God Kings had started thinking about him. Hong long! Before he could even say anything, his soul cultivation surged past his bottleneck, causing a staggeringly powerful aura to burst forth from his soul. Just like that, his soul cultivation had reached the God King realm! ... Feng Hanqiu was frenzied once more. Could cultivation be more like childs y than this? Even though it was baffling to see Feng Jiuge to achieve a breakthrough to the God King realm all of a sudden in his zhenqi cultivation, it was still within the realm of reason. After all, he had achieved a breakthrough in the midst of a battle as well. But for someone to suddenly make a breakthrough in his soul cultivation with such incredible vigor... The heck! If you had the ability to do this in the first ce, why did you agree with me in saying that its hard to raise ones soul cultivation? It is almost as if you are trying to break my sanity! Stop it! Feeling a little faint-headed from all the shocks that kepting nonstop, Feng Hanqiu swayed weakly on his feet. Unfortunately, the worst had yet to pass for him. As he lifted his gaze, he realized that something that was even more ridiculous was happening right before his eyes. Even after the other partys cultivation had made a breakthrough to the God King realm, it was showing no signs of stopping. God King realm primary stage! God King realm intermediate stage! ... At a rate visible to the eye, the other partys soul cultivation rose all the way to God King realm pinnacle. It was only at this point that his swiftly rising soul cultivation finally slowed down. ... Seeing this, Feng Hanqiu felt his eyes bing a little moist. He really felt like weeping. He had still felt so good about himself a moment ago when he sessfully made a breakthrough in the midst of his battle. He had thought that his time had finallye, and he would be able to forge a legend about himself in the world. It was with such confidence that he marched to the Inferno Phoenix n to challenge their number one. But all that had happened was him suffering mental traumas one after another. It was harder to raise ones soul cultivation than ones zhenqi cultivation! Yet, the other party had made consecutive breakthroughs, climbing all the way up to God King realm pinnacle in a single shot! Those that had gone there along with Feng Hanqiu were also traumatized beyond words. What a pity. I dont have a cultivation technique that would help me make a breakthrough to God King realm for my zhenqi cultivation, Zhang Xuan murmured. While he had no idea why so many Conferred God Kings had suddenly started thinking about him, he was more than happy to ept their Anima of Yearning. He had been getting worried because his soul cultivation did not seem to have grown much over the past five days, but with this breakthrough, he would not have to worry about it for a long time. It would set a strong foundation for his zhenqi cultivation to make a breakthrough to the God King realm in the near future. Let me give it a try... Zhang Xuan channeled his condensed soul energy together, and he could immediately feel the space around him rippling in response to his might. This is the strength that God Kings wield? Zhang Xuan was astounded. When he fought with God Kings, he had thought that their strength was just so-so. However, after making the breakthrough himself, he could really see the huge gap between a Celestial God and a God King. Just the pressure he emanated from his soul would be enough to halt the zhenqi cirction of any Celestial God. With his current strength, even without resorting to his golden page or Little Chick, he would be able to stand his ground even against a Conferred God King like Baiye Qinghong. While he could not say that he was confident of victory, at the very least, he would be able to put up a fight. Once I make a breakthrough in my zhenqi cultivation, I should be able to subdue someone of Baiye Qinghongs prowess... While there was supposedly a huge gap between God Kings and Conferred God Kings, through the Pathos of Heavena cultivation technique that surpassed the heavensand the superior resilience of his soul, he was confident that he would be able to fight them as equals and even kill them once he became a full-fledged God King! That would also mean that he was another step closer to Luo Ruoxin. After exploring his newfound strength, Zhang Xuan breathed out deeply before opening his eyes once more. Rising to his feet, he was just about to check if there were any unexpected side effects from Feng Jiuges breakthrough when he suddenly noticed that a middle-aged man had entered the room and was staring at him with a look of agitation. Who are you? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. I am the n head of the Inferno Phoenix n, the middle-aged man replied. The n head? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Thinking back, he had met the First Elder and Second Elder thus far, but he had not met the n head before. Junior Feng Xuan pays respect to the n head! Zhang Xuan sped his fist and bowed. Ah, theres no need for such formalities. Even though you have made a breakthrough in your soul cultivation instead of your zhenqi cultivation, you are still a God King realm cultivator. That makes us peers, the n head said as he quickly pulled Zhang Xuan upright. For a n like the Inferno Phoenix n where there were many experts who lived long lives, it would incredibly bothersome and ineffective to really ssify ones seniority through rtions. For this reason, as long as two members of the n were not direct kin and were of the same cultivation realm, they could be considered peers. Aware of this rule, Zhang Xuan nodded and dropped the formalities. He was about to ask the reason behind the other partys sudden visit, but the middle-aged man had already started murmuring excitedly to himself. He actually managed to raise his soul cultivation to God King realm pinnacle... With his talent, I think that theres a good chance that he might be able to clear the Trial of Conferment and reach for greater heights... Then, the n head suddenly raised his head and asked with anticipation in his eyes, Before I move on, may I ask if you are interested in seeding me as the next head of the Inferno Phoenix n? Chapter 2213 - Light Up!

Chapter 2213 Light Up!

Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, I am too used to living a leisurely life, so I must say that Im notfortable with taking up such heavy responsibility... The only reason he had gone to the Sky of Spirit Origin and assumed the identity of Feng Xuan was to enter Spirit God Pce. There was no way he could take on the additional burden known as the Inferno Phoenix n! Not expecting Feng Xuan to turn down the offer, the n head was at a loss for words. Just as he was about to ask the reason behind it, Zhang Xuan asked a different question. You mentioned the Trial of Conferment earlier... Is there a trial that God Kings have to undergo in order to be Conferred God Kings? All along, he had thought that Conferred God Kings were chosen by God Monarchs based on their merits, and they gained great power as a result of their favor. So, it was a little odd for him to hear that there was a trial for that. Conferment refers to the act of a God Monarch bestowing the jurisdiction of a territory over to an individual, granting him the rights to ess the Anima of Yearning in the region. However, the Anima of Yearning is a natural force that nature depends on the sentiments of those creating it. Due to that, the Anima of Yearning in a region is often extremely chaotic, and to control such a force requires ones soul to be extraordinarily powerful. For this reason, the basic requirement for one to be a Conferred God King is for ones soul cultivation to reach God King realm pinnacle. Contrary to popr belief, ones zhenqi cultivation is actually of secondary importance. Your chances of seeding are actually quite high, so wont you give it some thought? the n head said. Each living being was unique and had its own set of beliefs and emotions. These would all be mixed within their Anima of Yearning, and to use a persons Anima of Yearning meant to take on the sentiments they carried. If a Conferred God Kings soul was not strong and pure enough, they could easily be influenced by the malevolent emotions within the Anima of Yearning and fall into a state of confusion. For this reason, the strength of ones soul was of paramount importance for ones conferment. It was true that the young man before him was still a high-tier Celestial God, but it should only be a matter of time before he became a full-fledged God King given his talents. With the level of his soul cultivation, the chances of him sessfully bing a Conferred God King in the future was at least fifty percent! The reason their Inferno Phoenix n had been able to prosper was because of their old ancestor, the Fire Feather Conferred God King. If another Conferred God King appeared among them, there was no doubt that the position of the number one n in the Sky of Spirit Origin, or perhaps even the whole Firmament, would be theirs to im! I see... Thank you for your high opinion for me, but Im afraid that Ill have to refuse, Zhang Xuan replied. Seeing how reluctant the other party was, the n head knew that it would be hard to convince him right away. So, he decided to take a step back for the time being. I understand your thoughts. Why dont we do this instead? There is a stone phoenix sculpture just outside of Spirit God Pce that is used to control the formation within the pce and test the potential of a God King. Even though you arent interested in it, theres no harm giving it a try, right? With the Flood of Spiritual Energy looming around the corner, there was no power that would not want to increase the number of Conferred God Kings on their side. This young man was probably the closest to be a Conferred God King in the Sky of Spirit Origin! As long as they could prove his talent to the other two ns, he would be able to convince them to devote their resources to help him achieve a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation. If everything worked out, not only would the forces of the Sky of Spirit Origin be bolstered, more importantly, it would also guarantee the prosperity of the Inferno Phoenix n for the next hundred thousand years! You are going to enter Spirit God Pce anyway. Why not just give it a try while you are there? The n head pushed his case further. Zhang Xuan nodded. Alright then... The n head was right. There was no harm in him giving it a try, especially since he had been wanting to head to Spirit God Pce anyway. ... Spirit God Pce floated above Spirit Origin Royal City. Flying behind the n head of the Inferno Phoenix n, he soon arrived before it. There were already two other people waiting outside the pce for him. They were the heads of the other two ns. Feng Yuanchi, you said that his soul cultivation has already reached God King realm pinnacle? As soon as theynded on the ground, one of the n heads stepped forward with a look of displeasure in his eyes and an ice-cold aura. He was the head of the cier Phoenix n, Feng Hanxue. It should have been their ns Feng Hanqiu to enter Spirit God Pce, but he ended up being reced by someone from the Inferno Phoenix n. Furthermore, the Inferno Phoenix n had even gained a God King and a God King realm pinnacle cultivator in session over thest few hours... There was no way he could have been happy about it. Thats right. The head of the Inferno Phoenix n, Feng Yuanchi, nodded. Feng Hanxue turned to look at Zhang Xuan, and he found that thetters soul was indeed unfathomably deep. Despite being a God King, he was actually unable to see through the young mans soul cultivation. This made him even more stifled, but it would not be appropriate for him to kick up a fuss. So, he waved his hand impatiently and said, Lets start the trial. Let me say it in advance. The Trial of Conferment is very dangerous, and the slightest carelessness can result in your soul getting crushed! Feng Yuanchi nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan and discreetly sending him a message through zhenqi telepathy. Your goal is just to test if you have the potential to push for a breakthrough to Conferred God King. That will put us in a better position to demand more resources from the other two ns for you. So, if you find yourself reaching your limits, back down right away. Dont force yourself to persevere through it, alright? Zhang Xuan nodded before asking, How does the trial work? Do you see the stone phoenix sculpture ahead? Behind the sculpture, you will find a constetion map of the Sky of Spirit Origin. Through channeling your soul energy into the stone phoenix sculpture, youll be able to light up the stars in the constetion map. If you can light up a star, it shows that you have potential. If you can light up a hundred stars, it means that you have the right to be a Conferred God King, Feng Yuanchi said as he pointed ahead. Zhang Xuan nced over, and right outside Spirit God Pce, there was indeed a massive stone phoenix sculpture. Behind it was an evenrger constetion map with countless stars twinkling on it, numbering in the tens of thousands at the very least. Looking at it from afar, it looked like a massive phoenix soaring in a boundless sky. To only need to light up a hundred stars on the constetion map in order to qualify as a Conferred God King... was it not a little too easy? Feng Yuanchi saw through Zhang Xuans thoughts and exined with an awkward chuckle, Dont underestimate the trial. The stone phoenix sculpture has His Sovereigntys will infused within, so youll experience a tremendous amount of pressure as you attempt to infuse your soul energy in. In other words, you will need to ovee His Sovereigntys will while lighting up the stars, making it an extremely difficult trial. I, together with the other two n heads, have tried the trial before, but in the end... we couldnt even light up a single star! I see... Zhang Xuan nodded. If it was that easy to be a Conferred God King, there would not be just three of them in the entire Sky of Spirit Origin. The three n heads had already discussed this matter beforehand, so there were no issues hindering them. Zhang Xuan walked up to the stone phoenix sculpture and ced his hand on it. As soon as his palm touched the sculpture, he immediately felt a powerful pressureing from within the sculpture. Without any hesitation, he began to channel his soul energy into the sculpture. Hong long! Zhang Xuans soul rattled a little under the pressure, and vaguely, he could see a massive phoenix appearing before him. Inparison to this massive phoenix, his soul energy appeared to be no more than a speck of dust in the midst of a desert. Do I have to ovee this phoenix in order to clear the trial? Things were indeed not as easy as he had expected. The pressureing from the phoenix was simply too great. Even though he had made a breakthrough in his soul cultivation, it still would not be easy for him to ovee it. I should still give it a try anyway... He was already there, so no matter how difficult it might be, he should not give up without at least putting up a fight. Above the God Kings were the Conferred God Kings. If he wished to be a God Monarch like Kong shi, this was a route that he had to take. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him to run away from it. So, he swiftly gathered his soul energy before directing it toward the phoenix before him. Hmm? This isnt right... Zhang Xuan soon realized that something was amiss. Given the tremendous pressure weighing down on him, he thought that it would get progressively harder for him to push his soul energy forward. Yet, as he got closer to the phoenix, he oddly felt a sense of intimacy. Instead of getting repelled, he was able to easily channel his soul energy past the phoenix to reach the constetion map. Zhang Xuan was not too sure what was happening, but he was just d that he was able to bypass the phoenix for the time being. So, he directed his soul energy toward one of the stars. Hu! As if someone had flicked on the switch, all the stars lit up simultaneously to radiate a brilliant light. Zhang Xuan was stunned. Its all lit up... Is it supposed to be so simple? Chapter 2214 - The Deathless Monarch

Chapter 2214 The Deathless Monarch

Should it not have been difficult to light up even a single star on the constetion map? Why would everything suddenly light up together when he had not really done anything? While Zhang Xuan was still trying to make sense out of this abnormal situation, the three n heads behind were rubbing their eyes again and again, fearing that their eyes were ying tricks on them. Lighting up a hundred stars meant that one possessed the ability to receive the conferment of a God Monarch. If all the stars lit up... did it mean that the conferment was not a big deal to him at all? How could this be? The three n heads found themselves incapable of epting such an oue. It was not just about the young man lighting all the stars up but how fast he was able to do so! It had only been ten breaths since he came into contact with the sculpture, and all of the stars were already releasing brilliant glows, as if they were desperate to outshine one another. Even the old ancestors of their ns, full-fledged Conferred God Kings, would not be able to do something like that! Could it be that the constetion map is malfunctioning? Feng Hanxue asked doubtfully. His Sovereigntys will is inside. How could it possibly be malfunctioning? Feng Yuanchi immediately shot down that notion. This was a constetion map of the entire Sky of Spirit Origin, and the will of the Deathless Monarch was infused within it. The very idea that it could malfunction was ridiculous! The only possibility, as difficult as it might be to believe it, was that the young man had cleared the test with his true skills. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan reassessed the stone phoenix sculpture before him. Since the pressureing from the phoenix had finally alleviated, he could not help but notice that the aura it emanated was extremely familiar. It was something that he had felt many times before. This is... Little Chicks aura? Zhang Xuan thought with clenched fists. Was his previous conjecture correct? Was that fellow really the Deathless Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin? With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly sent a telepathic message to Little Chick. Hey,e out and see if you recognize this phoenix... Hu! Little Chick materialized right in front of Zhang Xuan. Looking at the sculpture before it, it cocked its head to the side as saliva started dripping from the corner of its lips. With dazed eyes, it muttered beneath its breath, Hungry... Without any warning, it leaped into the air. Hu! In a single mouthful, it swallowed the whole sculpture. You... What are you doing! Feng Yuanchi and the others were taken aback by this abrupt development. That sculpture had the will of their God Monarch in it, and a chick had swallowed it whole. Zhang Xuan was also horrified. I only called you out here to take a look so as to see if you are able to remember anything, but you actually swallowed the other party whole... How am I supposed to exin this to the n heads? They will dice me into pieces! Zhang Xuans head slowly creaked in trepidation to look behind him, and just as he had thought, there were three heads with infernos zing in their eyes directed toward him. The stone phoenix sculpture was clearly something of great significance to the Sky of Spirit Origin, possibly on the level of a national artifact, so watching someone else swallow it right before their eyes was like a huge p to their faces. There was no one in their position who could tolerate something like that! Feng Xuan, hand that chick over right now! You are courting death... The three n heads bellowed furiously as powerful auras burst forth from their bodies. They were going to make their moves. But before they could really make a move, the ground began trembling intensely. The stone phoenix sculpture was the centerpiece of Spirit God Pce, and its disappearance dealt a fatal blow to it. The spiritual energy harnessed within the pce began dissipating into the surroundings, and chunks of the buildings began falling to the ground. The three n heads had to struggle for a brief moment before they regained their bnce. Boom! As if an earthquake had struck the massive Spirit God Pce, an entire half of it immediately copsed inward. Furthermore, with spiritual energy continuously leaking from it, it looked like the pce would copse from the sky at any moment. T-this... Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears as he watched the destruction unfold before his eyes. He had heard from his direct disciples that back when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent, there were quite a few people who called him the God of Destruction. Back then, he had felt a little confused about why other people addressed him like that. After all, he had never intended to destroy those things; it was always due to a series of unfortunate coincidences! But he had never thought that the day woulde when he ended up tearing down his girlfriends home as well. It was like a son-inw was visiting his father-inw for the first time, but before the father-inw could open the door, the son-inw had already thrown a stick of dynamite in to blow the house into pieces. Oh dear heavens, why did you have to y such a prank on me? Zhang Xuan wanted to cry out loud that it was not his fault, but it was a fact that Little Chick was his tamed beast, and he was the one who had summoned it out. There was no way he could exin himself like that. Wait a moment. I know that all of you are very agitated now, but as fellow members of a civilized society, lets talk things out and not resort to violence. You see, I dont think that Little Chick intended to do that either. There must be a good reason for that, so lets listen to its exnation, alright? Zhang Xuan said as he quickly formed a barrier around him in case the three n heads made a move. He was setting up the barrier not to fend off the three n heads attacks but to protect them from being harmed by Little Chick! As adorable as Little Chick might appear to be, looks were deceiving. It was actually a very dangerous animal that would not hesitate to gobble a person whole. If Little Chick really devoured the three n heads as well, he would really be in deep trouble. Humph! You can slowly tell us all of the reasons you have once we have taken you down! The three n heads bellowed furiously as they gathered their strength to tear apart Zhang Xuans barrier. At this moment, however, a resounding voice suddenly boomed deafeningly in the air. What happened? Three more silhouettes appeared right before the crowd. There was a cold glint in their eyes. Paying respects to the old ancestors... The three n heads immediately bowed down to pay respects to the three silhouettes. They were the three Conferred God Kings of the Sky of Spirit Origin, the Fire Feather Conferred God King, the cier Feather Conferred God King, and the Tempestuous Feather Conferred God King! These three old ancestors had been rmed when they sensed the instability of Spirit God Pce. Lets first stabilize Spirit God Pce before dealing with this... A portion of Spirit God Pce had already copsed, and the formation sustaining it was swiftly losing energy. Without any hesitation, the three Conferred God Kings immediately channeled their energy together in order to form arge sphere around the floating Spirit God Pce. The destruction slowly ground to a halt, and the dissipating spiritual energy was trapped within the sphere as well. The copsed portions had not been repaired yet, but at the very least, they had prevented the worst from urring. Once that was done, they turned their gazes back to the three n heads, and the Fire Feather Conferred God King ordered, Exin yourselves. Old ancestor, Feng Xuan here is the most formidable genius among the younger generation of our n... Feng Yuanchi quickly began exining how things came to be. This included how Zhang Xuans soul cultivation had reached God King realm pinnacle despite his young age, how he had lit up all the stars on the constetion map, and the sudden appearance of a little yellow chick that swallowed the sculpture of the God Monarch. You managed to light up all of the stars on the constetion map? The three Conferred God Kings stared at Zhang Xuan with incredulous expressions. Even they would be unable to pull off a feat like that. I was lucky. Zhang Xuan sped his fist. Little Chick is my tamed beast, and it didnt intend to swallow the God Monarchs sculpture. I ask of you to pardon it... The Fire Feather Conferred God King harrumphed as he looked at the little yellow chick with cold eyes. Its an act of sphemy to treat His Sovereigntys sculpture in such a manner, as well as a show of grave disrespect toward the Sky of Spirit Origin. This warrants the death penalty! The cier Feather Conferred God King nced at Zhang Xuan and said frostily, Even though it wasnt your primary intention for this happen, it doesnt change the fact that the chick is your tamed beast. You have to take responsibility for its mistakes... Lets not waste time and do it, the Tempestuous Feather Conferred God King said. The three Conferred God Kings raised their hands, and the entire world began trembling uncontrobly. It was almost as if the Armageddon was happening right before their eyes. At this moment, an impassive voice rumbled from Spirit God Pce behind them, causing the world to turn even darker. The three of you wish to kill me? The gall of you! Right before everyones eyes, a humongous silhouette of a ck phoenix appeared behind the adorable little yellow chick. Its wingspan wasrge enough to rival the size of Spirit God Pce, and there was no being that could not appear insignificant in its presence. God Monarch... The three Conferred God Kings gasped in astonishment, and they quickly kneeled on the ground. Chapter 2215 - Little Deathless

Chapter 2215 Little Deathless

The silhouette of the ck phoenix flew out of Little Chicks body and towered before everyone in the sky. Even Spirit God Pce appeared to be small before it. That is... the Deathless Monarch? Zhang Xuans body trembled as he looked at Little Chick with aplicated expression. He had thought of such a possibility before, but he could not help but be shocked witnessing such a sight before him. It was no wonder the little yellow chick kept mentioning that it was a legendary beast that had ruled over thends when it was still a gourd. For a very long time, he had thought that the other party was bragging... but to think that it was one of the Nine God Monarchs! It was no wonder it sensed a feeling of familiarity back in the City of Copsed Space, and the air of degeneration waspletely ineffective on it. In the end, it was actually Little Chicks city! To have epted a God Monarch as his tamed beast... No, that isnt right... All of a sudden, a new thought arose in Zhang Xuans mind that caused his body to jolt in shock. Little Chick is a new will that was born after the death of the Deathless Monarch, which is also why it submitted to me so easily. The ck phoenix in the aires from the previous Deathless Monarch. If he refuses to acknowledge our rtionship, I will be in grave danger... He had not figured out the secrets behind the Deathless Monarchs resurrection yet, but if one thing was clear, it was apparent that Little Chicks memories had been sealed, and it did not know a thing. From the ck phoenixs point of view, it would appear as if he had taken advantage of its weakness to turn it into his tamed beast... Would it go on a rampage for that? And as if his worst worries wereing true, the massive ck phoenix in the sky suddenly turned its eyes toward him. While it did not attack him, Zhang Xuan could feel an overwhelming pressure weighing down on him. It almost felt as if the sky was copsing down on him. Even with his recent breakthroughs in his soul cultivation, he was stillpletely powerless before such pressure. His body slowly shriveled together as he shuddered weakly in the face of the pressure. No... Zhang Xuan hurriedly drove his zhenqi to ward off the pressure, and his bent body slowly straightened up bit by bit again. My moniker as the Deathless Monarch doesnt mean that I have fully transcended death. My soul can dissipate, and my body can die, but in due course, I will rise from ashes and return to life, the ck phoenix said with a voice devoid of feelings. In order to protect myself during my resurrection, my body seals off its own memories until my cultivation reaches up to par. Yet, you exploited my weakness to turn me into your tamed beast. Such reprehensible and dishonorable creatures humans are... Theres no one in the world who is worthy of bing the master of the Deathless Monarch! Boom! As the ck phoenix spoke, the space seemed topress inward, squeezing the air out of the lungs of those present. Zhang Xuan felt as if he was carrying a massive mountain on his back, and the sheer weight of it caused his spine to bend once more. He felt like he would sumb very soon. Even the world would be shattered in the face of a God Monarchs rage. That person actually dared to exploit His Sovereigntys weakness during his resurrection to tame him? How brazen! How could someone think of something as ridiculous as that? Even if His Sovereignty hasnt regained his strength, he still harnesses the Aura of a God Monarch within him! Isnt that fellow afraid of suffering the bacsh? The three Conferred God Kings stared at the young man in disbelief. The Nine God Monarchs had reached the peak of evolution in the world. Even if the Deathless Monarch was still in his weakened state from his resurrection, his bloodline would still be beyond what any ordinary human could withstand. Just how foolish must that fellow be to have taken the Deathless Monarch as his tamed beast? More importantly... just how foolish must the will of the resurrected God Monarch be to agree to something like that? In any case, knowing that this concerned the honor of the Deathless Monarch, they decided to hold their tongues. I am Little Chick, not the Deathless Monarch! Hes my master! None of you are allowed to touch him! Boom! Just as Zhang Xuan was reaching his limits, a roar suddenly echoed in the air. The little yellow chick was struggling with all its might to stop the ck phoenix. You... The ck phoenix stared at the little yellow chick with aplicated gaze. No matter what, the other party was still born from him. How could it possibly be so foolish? How could a God Monarch acknowledge a mere Celestial God as its master? This was disgraceful! However, this was a huge problem. If the little yellow chick rejected it, it would not be able to do anything at all. If things were left to develop as they were, he would be bound to the young man, forced to serve him! Realizing how dangerous the situation was, the ck phoenix forcefully held Little Chick in ce as it yelled, Kill that fellow right now! Hearing those words, the three Conferred God Kings immediately got to action. They flitted forth and encircled Zhang Xuan without any hesitation. They knew clearly where their loyaltyy, and they would not defy the will of their God Monarch. How dare you... Little Chick bared its teeth as it cried out with reddened eyes. It had not awoken its memories yet, so the feelings it felt were not aligned with those of the ck phoenix. To it, the closest kin it had was its master, so there was no way it would allow its master to be killed. You and I stem from the same origin. I might just be a mere will, but you are not strong enough to defy me yet... The ck phoenix harrumphed as he sealed the movements of Little Chick tightly. The ck phoenix retained all the memories of the Deathless Monarch, so he knew of the secrets and means that Little Chick possessed. With such knowledge, it was not too difficult for him to restrain it. Despite being surrounded by three Conferred God Kings who bore hostile intentions toward him, Zhang Xuan did not appear worried in the least. Instead, he looked at them calmly as he said, This is a personal matter between me and your God Monarch, so I advise you not to get involved in this. If you kill me today, do you think that Little Chick will spare you once it regains its full strength? This... The three Conferred God Kings could not help but hesitate upon hearing those words. The young man was right. The Deathless Monarch that wasmanding them was no more than a sliver of the old Deathless Monarchs will. It was only a matter of time before it dissipated. On the other hand, Little Chick was the newly resurrected God Monarch! If they killed Little Chicks master, once it regained its strength and returned to its throne, it would surely kill the three of them in vengeance! This was something far greater than they had imagined. Their decision would seal their fates. Hurry up and kill him! the ck phoenix bellowed in fury. Do you think that I will still acknowledge a man as my master after I regain my memories? And those words caused the three Conferred God Kings to waver yet again. They had known the Deathless Monarch for over ten thousand years, and they were familiar with thetters temperament. Having been in a lofty position for so long, how could the great Deathless Monarch possibly acknowledge a mere high-tier Celestial God as his master? This was a joke in itself! Boom! The three Conferred God Kings finally made up their minds. They gathered their powers together to form an energy sphere around Zhang Xuan to prevent him from escaping. Seeing that these three Conferred God Kings were really intent on dealing with him, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Since Little Chick had been curbed by the ck phoenix, he could only rely on himself to deal with those three. While his soul cultivation had reached God King realm pinnacle, his zhenqi cultivation was still at high-tier Celestial God. It would be hard for him to face a Conferred God King face-on, let alone three of them. It looks like I can only rely on my golden page once more then... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. There was no other way around this. He could only hope that he could deal with all three of them at once with his golden page. It was just that there was a problem regarding that... In order to encircle him, the three Conferred God Kings had taken positions all around him, so if he brought his golden page out to deal with all three of them at once, he would be caught within its attack as well. He would have to find a way to make the three of them get closer together first... T! Just as Zhang Xuan was still thinking about how he could pull that off, a surge of sword qi suddenly flew in his direction. Taken aback, he quickly tilted his body sideways to dodge it, but his robe ended up getting torn in the process of doing so, causing the crimson pendant that Luo Ruoxin had given him to be revealed. Weng! The crimson pendant buzzed lightly as it began to heat up once more. It was at this moment that the ck phoenix in the sky saw the crimson pendant. Shocked beyond words, it released Little Chick as it slowly descended from the sky to stand before Zhang Xuan. Then, it lowered its body and cried out, Your tamed beast, Little Deathless, pays respects to master... Chapter 2216 - 2216 Luo Ruoxin, God Monarch Lingxi! 2216 Luo Ruoxin, God Monarch Lingxi! Ah? The three Conferred God Kings who were in the midst of attacking Zhang Xuan froze in ce. What is happening now? Should we continue attacking, or should we stop? Didnt the will of the Deathless Monarch tell us to kill that fellow? So why would it suddenly fly over here and act all cutesy, calling itself Little Deathless... Why does it feel like something is really, really off about this? Are you really our lofty and merciless God Monarch? However, before they could remain fazed for too long, they suddenly found the eyes of the ck phoenix ring at them in displeasure. What do you think you are doing, raising your hands against my master? Are you asking to be killed? Despite having lived for tens of thousands of years, is violence the only thing that you have in your heads? Dont you know what a peaceful resolution is? Just because you have the power to destroy doesnt mean that you should! Do you know that each time you destroy something, it takes others a great deal of effort to conduct reparation work? Boom! The space quivered a little before the attacks of the three Conferred God Kings dissipated into the surroundings, as if it had never appeared before. The three Conferred God Kings were utterly frenzied. It could not be that the Little Chick had possessed the ck phoenix, could it? They were not the only ones who were bbergasted by this turn of events. Little Chick and Zhang Xuan were also shocked. Earlier, when the ck phoenix heard Little Chick calling Zhang Xuan its master, it had been so furious that it looked as if it would unleash hell upon the world. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it became the most subservient servant that one could ever imagine. When did the Deathless Monarch be aedic relief character? Or is this actually the Deathless Monarchs true temperament? Zhang Xuan wondered as he recalled just how unreliable the Little Chick could be at times. Considering that Little Chick was the reincarnation of the Deathless Monarch, they should be pretty simr in terms of character. If so, it was understandable that the ck phoenix was so shameless. However, there was still one thing that baffled him. Why would the ck phoenix suddenly recognize him as his master all of a sudden? Could this have something to do with the crimson pendant? Now that he thought about it, it was shortly after the pendant started heating up that the attitude of the Deathless Monarch began changing. Had the Deathless Monarch recognized the crimson pendant? As this idea surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind, he hurriedly turned to the ck phoenix, held up the crimson pendant, and asked anxiously, Could it be that you recognize this pendant? Then... do you know where Ruoxin is? He had traveled all the way to the Sky of Spirit Origin andpeted for the right to enter Spirit God Pce just to find Luo Ruoxin. However, even after causing such a hugemotion, Luo Ruoxin was still nowhere to be found. That could only mean one thing... She was not there at all! Ruoxin? the ck phoenix asked in iprehension. I am referring to the owner of this pendant! Zhang Xuan eximed in agitation. That is blood of the... The ck phoenix nodded in realization. I think I get it. The Ruoxin you are talking about must be referring to God Monarch Lingxi! God Monarch Lingxi? Zhang Xuan was stunned. That name was very familiar to him. Back when they were on the Master Teacher Continent, when he took on the persona of Luo Tianya, the name that Luo Ruoxin took on... seemed to be Lingxi! Back then, he had even pped in delight, saying that no matter how far apart they were, their hearts would be connected with one another. Yes, the person I am looking for is indeed God Monarch Lingxi! Do you know where she is? Zhang Xuan asked anxiously. He had been guessing all this while that Luo Ruoxin was a fake name, and it was indeed just as he had thought... But the truth was that she had told him her real name as well, but she could only reveal it under the guise of a fake name! How could he have missed such an important clue all this while? God Monarch Lingxi is the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom, so it goes without saying that she is in the Sky of Freedom, the ck phoenix replied with a doubtful on his face. You have already epted me as your tamed beast, but you dont even know the names of the Nine God Monarchs? Sky of Freedom? Zhang Xuans face stiffened as he muttered to himself. No, I should have known... He had already learned about the names of eight of the God Monarchs from Fu Jiangchen, and the only one that remained a mystery to him was the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom. He should have known as soon as he heard the title God Monarch Lingxi. In the end, the person he was seeking was not in the Sky of Spirit Origin but at the centermost Sky of Freedom. Seeing Zhang Xuans reaction, the ck phoenix suddenly recalled something and said, There is going to be a life-and-death duel between God Monarch Lingxi and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch on the night of the next full moon... Even though he had only been a sliver of a will trapped within the stone phoenix sculpture, he was still aware of the happenings around the Firmament, especially the uing fight between the two God Monarchs. Life-and-death duel on the night of the next full moon? That is... in five days? Zhang Xuans body shuddered as he narrowed his eyes in shock. He had heard of this duel shortly after he arrived in the Firmament, and all this while, he had not been paying any attention to it. He thought that Kong shi would surely emerge victorious in the battle. But he did not think that the opponent would be Luo Ruoxin! And to make matters worse, it was actually a life-and-death duel! Did that not mean that one of them would not walk out alive of the battle? Yes. So far, the battles between God Monarchs have never gone to the extent of life and death, but those two made the decision to proceed like that. I believe that theres a deeper reason behind their decision, but Im afraid what I know is quite limited, the ck phoenix replied. I need to head to the Sky of Freedom and stop them, Zhang Xuan murmured beneath his breath. Luo Ruoxin was the only person he had ever harbored romantic feelings for, and while he had never met Kong shi, he had heard many things about thetter, and he carried the deepest respect for him. He could not stand the idea of anything happening to either of them! Stop them? The two of them have already made up their minds, so who could possibly stop them? The ck phoenix gazed down at Little Chick and shook his head. I wouldnt have been a match for either of them even when I was at my peak, let alone in my current state... At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly paused as another thought came to his mind. Given the ruckus that he had caused in the Sky of Linglong, it would be safe to assume that Luo Ruoxin, as a God Monarch, had heard of the matter. Yet, there was no movement from her. Was this a sign that she was reluctant to meet him? But why would that be the case? Did it have something to do with her uing battle against Kong shi? And this brought him back to the very first question. Why did they need to have a life-and-death duel with one another? The reason Ruoxin descended to the Master Teacher Continent was to im the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. That is an artifact that Kong shi devoted many years to forging, and its highly likely that he has infused the power of the Heavens Order into it... Even though Luo Ruoxin had never explicitly told him about the reason behind why she descended to the Master Teacher Continent, he was still able to guess as much. Right after she got her hands on the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, she broke open the dimension barrier and left shortly after. It would not take a person too much to figure out as much. All along, Zhang Xuan had been wondering why someone from the Firmament like her would pay such a heavy price to descend to the Master Teacher Continent to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. After all, there were far more powerful artifacts here! But looking at it once more, it was clear that she was preparing for the uing fight against Kong shi! Why does she have to kill Kong shi then? Zhang Xuan muttered. All the questions filling up his mind made him feel as if his head was going to explode. Just as the ck phoenix had mentioned, Kong shi had challenged the other eight God Monarchs so far, and they had all been friendly spars. To date, the other God Monarchs were still living perfectly well. So, why did the final match with the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom have to be a life-and-death duel? Even if I cant stop them, I need to at least find out the reason behind it, Zhang Xuan said with clenched fists. Given his current strength, he was indeed in no position to interfere in a fight between God Monarchs, but so what? No matter how impossible it was, he would still give it a try. Even if it did not work out, he should at least find out what the hell was going on! Chapter 2217 - 2217 The Truth of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe 2217 The Truth of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe Having seen through Zhang Xuans intention, the ck phoenix in the sky advised, Master, youll require the strength of a God Monarch at least if you wish to head over to stop them. Without that much, you wont be able to do anything. Youre right. I need to grow stronger in order to have a greater say in matters. Otherwise, I might not even be able to meet them at all, Zhang Xuan said grimly. There had to be apelling reason behind why Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin had made such a decision, so it was unlikely that his words would somehow be able to magically convince them out of it. If he wanted to make a difference, he needed to have the strength to make it happen. But s, his rate of cultivation was still too slow! He had been in the Firmament for a month now, but his soul cultivation had only reached God King realm pinnacle thus far. If he could be a God Monarch on par with Kong shi within the next five days, would he be able to stop the battle? But Zhang Xuan knew that this was impossible. He had not evenprehended a God King realm cultivation technique yet, so it was clearly impossible for him to make so many breakthroughs within such a short period of time. Zhang Xuan felt a deep sense of helplessness weighing down on him. Master, its indeed nigh impossible for your cultivation to reach the level of a God Monarch within the next few days... However, you still have Little Deathless here with you, the ck phoenix said shyly. Zhang Xuans eyes immediately lit up as a spark of hope appeared right before his eyes. Indeed, it was practically impossible for him to be a God Monarch within the next five days, but he could help Little Chick recover its strength as the Deathless Monarch. Even if its strength was beneath that of Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin, at the very least, it felt like he would be able to do something with a God Monarch on his side. Forty years ago, when I was defeated at my peak, Spirit Origin Royal City ended up copsing inward, resulting in the deep abyss that we see beneath the floating city today. If we can find the copsed city and retrieve my powers from it, it shouldnt be too difficult for me to recover my memories and return to my peak! the Deathless Monarch said. Zhang Xuan trembled upon hearing those words. It just so happened that he knew where that copsed city wasthe Azures City of Copsed Space! As long as they could find a way to get there, they would be able to retrieve Little Chicks powers and allow it to return back to its peak! But there was a problem. There was a dimension barrier between the Azure and the Firmament, so how could they descend to the Azure? You are a God Monarch, so you should at least know a thing or two about how God Monarch Lingxi was able to descend to the lower worlds, right? Zhang Xuan asked the ck phoenix. I dont really know the details. My will is quite weak at the moment, so I spend most of my time sleeping. However, not too long ago, God Monarch Lingxi paid me a visit and borrowed my Seal of Supreme Monarch, which is an insignia representing my identity as the Spirit God, the ck phoenix replied. Seal of Supreme Monarch? Zhang Xuan frowned. As it would turn out, it seemed to be something simr to how the royal seal worked in his previous world. Whenever the God Monarch passed down their edict, they would use their Seal of Supreme Monarch as their insignia. In other words, it was a token that represented their unparalleled authority. The person who holds my Seal of Supreme Monarch will be able to represent me, the Spirit God, and the Sky of Spirit Origin, the ck phoenix said. This... Zhang Xuans eyes widened in realization. Could it be that Ruoxin borrowed your Seal of Supreme Monarch in order to ry an edict to the people of Spirit Origin Royal City who are currently living in the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent? Thats how she was able to have them conduct a ritual to open up the dimension barriers for her descent... He recalled a past conversation with Du Qingyuan, and thetter had mentioned that they had not heard anything from the Spirit God for the past several thousand years. It was only some time ago that the Spirit God suddenly contacted her and instructed her to hold a ritual to allow her to descend to the lower worlds. It did not sound like a big deal when he first heard about it, but that was only because he did not know just how resilient the dimension barrier of the Firmament was. One must know that even God Monarchs were not able to breach the dimension barrier! This was probably the only loophole that one could exploit in order to get to the lower worlds. That would also exin why Luo Ruoxin was known as the Spirit God on the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure! At the same time, this verified his conjecture about the Otherworldly Demons being the people of Spirit Origin Royal City that had fallen from the Firmament. It was likely that their bodies were tainted by the impure spiritual energy of the lower worlds, causing their cultivation to regress and their nature to be warped. Going through the chain of events once more, forty years ago, disaster struck Spirit Origin Royal City, causing it to fall to the Azure and be known as the City of Copsed Space. A portion of the Semi-Divinities that had fallen along with the city survived and founded Starchaser Pce. Meanwhile, a number of the survivors fell into the cracks of space and ended up on the Master Teacher Continent as Otherworldly Demons. This was why Starchaser Pce and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe shared simr altars, and they possessed the exceptional ability tomunicate across worlds. That would also exin why Little Chick, despite being the resurrected form of a God Monarch, had ended up in the Master Teacher Continent. Most likely, Kong shi had found it in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and sealed it in the vicinity of the Sanctum of Sages. In the end, Luo Qiqi had ended up finding it through a map and told Luo Xuanqing about it. Forty years ago on the Firmament, four thousand years ago on the Firmament, and forty thousand years ago on the Master Teacher Continent... The timeline fit! Most likely, the key to breaking the dimension barrier was the Spirit Gods Seal of Supreme Monarch! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan turned to the ck phoenix and asked, Where is your Seal of Supreme Monarch? Did Ruoxin... no, I mean, did God Monarch Lingxi return it after using it? Its with me now. She returned it shortly after using it. The ck phoenix opened his beak wide, and a token roughly the size of a round te flew out of his mouth. As the round te revolved quietly in the air, Zhang Xuan felt as if all the energy within the Sky of Spirit Origin was swaying along with its movements. If the Conferred God Kings governed over the territories within the Sky of Spirit Origin, this seal effectively granted one authority over the entire Sky. This included not just thend but the sky as well. Can you lend it to me? Zhang Xuan asked. Of course! Everything that Little Deathless has is yours, master! the ck phoenix replied with a fawning smile. With a p of his grand wings, the seal immediately flew into Zhang Xuans palm. Taking a closer look at the seal, Zhang Xuans body trembled in agitation. He could see countless inscriptions carved on top of the round seal. These inscriptions were a miniature version of what he had seen on the altars of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Previously, he could not really understand what these inscriptions meant, but after spending some time in the Firmament, he had be rather familiar with the geography of the Nine Skies. As such, he was able to tell that these inscriptions were actually thendscape and constetion map of the Sky of Spirit Origin! The seal was created based on a fusion of those two. All this while, the rituals of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were not directed at any specific individual but the Sky of Spirit Origin itself! Had he not seen the map of the Sky of Spirit Origin before, he would not have been able to figure out all of this. Let me give it a try and see if I can use it tomunicate with the Azure! Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drove his energy toward the Seal of Supreme Monarch. Weng! A brilliant light escaped from the seal, a sign that it had been activated. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan began speaking in an obscurenguage. It was the samenguage that Du Qingyuan used for her rituals. He had learned it back in his time on the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure. Thats the God Monarchs Deathless Celestial Phoenix Language, the Fire Feather Conferred God King said grimly. Other people might not be able toprehend thisnguage, but as a Conferred God King, one of the strongest existences of the Sky of Spirit Origin, he could tell what it was. It was the Deathless Celestial Phoenix Language of their God Monarch, and its reputation in the Firmament was equivalent to that of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon! Chapter 2218 - Descending Into the Abyss

Chapter 2218 Descending Into the Abyss

The seal released a buzz for a moment before the light gradually dimmed. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan frowned. Based on his theory, he should have been able tomunicate with Du Qingyuan and the others through the altar via this ritual, but for some reason, he was unable to reach them. It felt like there was something hindering him, preventing him from delivering his message. If that was the case, how did Luo Ruoxinmunicate with them? Would it easier if we head to that distorted space from before? Little Chick, who had been silent all this while, suddenly proposed. It had been with Zhang Xuan through the Azure, so it was able to tell what Zhang Xuan was nning to do. The distorted space... Zhang Xuan repeated before nodding excitedly in agreement. Indeed! If his previous conjecture was correct, the abyss beneath Spirit Origin Royal City should be linked to the Azure. Even if there was still a dimension barrier there, it should be much thinnerpared to elsewhere. Perhaps this was how Luo Ruoxin was able to sessfully descend to the Azure and enter the Master Teacher Continent. Lets head there to take a look, Zhang Xuan said. Little Chick nodded as it spat out the stone phoenix sculpture that it had swallowed earlier. Without any hesitation, the ck phoenix immediately entered the sculpture once more. It was already in a feeble state due to its earlier exertion, and it looked like it would not be able tost too long. Seeing how even the will of the old Deathless Monarch had acknowledged Zhang Xuan as his master, the Fire Feather Conferred God King and the others did not dare utter a word of objection. They bowed deferentially to send Zhang Xuan off. Descending from Spirit Origin Royal City, Zhang Xuan was just about to enter the abyss when he was suddenly joined by Luo Qiqi. Bring me with you, she said with a determined gaze. Understanding Luo Qiqis intentions, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. If they descended to the Azure, Luo Qiqi would be able to return to the Master Teacher Continent and meet Luo Xuanqing and her other family members. This was one of her greatest regrets all this while, so it would be good if she could resolve it. The two humans and a chick quickly descended the passageway of the abyss, and about an hourter, they were finally standing before the spatial vortex. Ill be heading down first! With the previous experience, Little Chick unhesitatingly dived into it. Ill give it a try, too! Luo Qiqi added with a chuckle. Before her body even fell into the spatial vortex, the space around her had begun warping to mimic the movements of the spatial vortex. As a result, she was able to maneuver freely within the spatial vortex without sustaining any injuries. As the spirit of the Dimension Silencer, she was extremely sensitive to the maniption of spatialws. Furthermore, her cultivation had already reached God King realm pinnacle. With that, it was not too difficult for her to pull off this feat. I guess Im the only one left, Zhang Xuan muttered as he took a deep breath. Unlike thest time he was there with Feng Jiuge, his soul cultivation had already reached God King realm pinnacle, and he had the Spirit Gods Seal of Supreme Monarch in his possession. It should not be too dangerous for him to enter the spatial vortex. Thus, he channeled his soul energy to form a massive barrier around him before leaping into the spatial vortex while clutching the Seal of Supreme Monarch tightly. Weng! As soon as his body touched the spatial vortex, he began to twist as if he was a noodle. Despite having straightened his body, he could still see his feet warping like a reflection in a distortion mirror. He was unable to control his body. Luo Qiqi swam over to his side and said, The space within a spatial vortex is actually not too different from normal space. Dont believe what you are seeing through your own eyes. Dont believe what Im seeing through my own eyes? Our eyes and senses perceive what we see and sense in normal space to be right because it is what we are ustomed to. So, in an area of distorted space, we must view the world from a distorted perspective in order for it to make sense to us... Luo Qiqi exined the unique properties within the spatial vortex to him. As the spirit of the Dimension Silencer, she was able to grasp the secrets of the spatial vortex shortly after entering it. After hearing Luo Qiqis words, Zhang Xuan quickly adjusted his point of view, and he could finally perceive the world in the same way that he was used to. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was finally adapting to it, Luo Qiqi gestured forward and said, The spatial vortex is not the same throughout. The degree of distortion can change very quickly as we move from ce to ce, such that even Conferred God Kings will have trouble trying to venture too deep. Looking in the direction that Luo Qiqi was gesturing toward, Zhang Xuan saw the world ahead of him distorting in countless bizarre ways. There were some areas that were incredibly broad and some areas that were almost as thin as a needle. It was as if thews of the world had suddenly copsed within this area. To make matters worse, the space was flowing nonstop, such that what he saw a moment ago could be drastically different a few breathster. With such vast changes in the spatialws, even the Conferred God Kings would face grave danger in there. It was not to say that Conferred God Kings were not strong enough, but thews that governed this spatial vortex were very different from those of the Firmament. Their conferred powers would not work in this area, so they could only wield the strength of a God King in there. That would mean that they would not be any stronger than Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi. The two humans and the chick advanced through the spatial vortex for roughly two hours, but in order to adapt to the distorted space, they actually only managed to advance five hundred meters within this period of time! The spatial vortex ahead of them stretched on and on, and it could possibly be hundreds and thousands of li. If they were only able to cover five hundred meters within two hours, how long would it take for them to get to the end of it? Most likely, they would still be wandering around there even after Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi had finished their duel! This isnt working! Zhang Xuan said with a deep frown. He had been trying to use the Seal of Supreme Monarch all this while, but he still was not able to establish a connection with the Azure. The dimension barrier was still too strong. Ill lead the way. Follow closely behind me and make sure that you dontg behind, Luo Qiqi said. Hmm? Zhang Xuan was surprised. He was just about to ask what she was going to do when she suddenly morphed into the round form of the Dimension Silencer. She released an aura that caused the distorted space to freeze, as if someone was forcefully holding it in ce. Lets go! Luo Qiqi eximed. Zhang Xuan and Little Chick quickly followed her and darted ahead. With the Dimension Silencer stabilizing the space, they were able to progress swiftly ahead. Four hourster, after covering tens of thousands of li, a dark gray screen appeared before them. Swirls of gray currents rippled on the surface of the screen, and they emanated a pressure that made it difficult for one to breathe. Hu! Luo Qiqi reverted to her human form as she gasped desperately for air. Her face was pale from overexerting herself. It was clear that the earlier flight had depleted her energy greatly. Zhang Xuan quickly passed a pinnacle God Essence Pill to her so that she could replenish her energy. Roughly an hourter, her face finally regained its glow once more. Something is really weird about these gray currents of energy, Luo Qiqi remarked as she examined the sight before her contemtively. It is weird... Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The gray currents of energy were what Feng Jiuge had absorbed into his body previously. He had thought that there were just little traces of it around the abyss, but who could have known that they would form a massive wall further in? Luo Qiqi moved toward the gray wall and reached toward it. Seeing her action, Zhang Xuan immediately eximed with a horrified face, Dont do... However, before he could finish his words, the youngdy had already gotten afflicted with the gray energy. With its ability to devour energy, Luo Qiqis cultivation swiftly fell from God King realm pinnacle all the way to God King realm primary stage within a few breaths, and it was continuing to fall further. Chapter 2219 - 2219 God King 1 2219 God King 1 Dont use your zhenqi to fend off the gray energy! After the experience with Feng Jiuge, Zhang Xuan knew that the gray energy had the ability to devour the zhenqi within ones body. He quickly rushed over to Luo Qiqis side and ced his palm behind her back. Not even the Heavens Path zhenqi was able to stop the gray energy, let alone other zhenqi. The more a cultivator tried to use their zhenqi to fend off the gray energy, the faster they would deplete their zhenqi. Channeling the Pathos of Heaven zhenqi into Luo Qiqis body and circting it through her meridians, Zhang Xuan was able to quickly seal off the gray energy that had seeped into her body earlier. After that, he had Luo Qiqi quickly swallow some medicine to recover her vitality. At the same time, he quickly drove the Heavens Path Divine Art to create some Heavens Path zhenqi to infuse into the youngdys body. The sh between the Heavens Path zhenqi and the gray energy produced a brilliant green light. It took a while, but the gray energy was eventually fully neutralized. That allowed Luo Qiqi to slowly recover her cultivation, but her face remained pale with fright. For a moment there, she had thought that she was going to die. If not for Zhang Xuans swift reaction, she had a feeling that the gray energy would have corroded her soul. She might even have turned into an Otherworldly Demon just like the Semi-Divinities of Spirit Origin Royal City. Back then, Feng Jiuge had been afflicted with it while he was still a distance away from the distorted space, and that had caused him to suffer for two years straight before being kicked out of his n. This time, the gray swirls of energy rippling across the wall were at least a thousand times more concentrated, making it a far more frightening force. Dont cultivate or absorb anything here. Itll be extremely difficult to deal with if the gray energy seeps into your body! Zhang Xuan instructed. Luo Qiqi and Little Chick quickly nodded. After the previous encounter, they came to realize just how frightening the gray energy was. Even with the Little Chicks regenerative prowess, it would still be unable to deal with it properly once it was afflicted with the strange energy. The Pathos of Heaven zhenqi is unaffected by the gray energy, so I might just be able to fend off the gray energy with it. From the looks of it, it seemed like all energies that were beneath the level of the Firmaments heavens would be unable to ward off the gray energy. However, his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi had already surpassed the level of the heavens, which was likely the reason that the gray energy was unable to faze it upon contact. Most likely, they would have to rely on his zhenqi in order to ovee this obstacle. To test out this theory, Zhang Xuan wreathed his arm in his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi and slowly ced it on the gray wall. The gray energy swirling in the area was pushed away, and his arm remainedpletely unharmed. It does work... Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. With a smile of relief, he turned to Luo Qiqi and Little Chick and said, Stay close to me. Well be traveling past the gray wall right now. Luo Qiqi and Little Chick moved over to his side, and he quickly covered them with his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi. Then, they began making their way into the gray wall together. Tzzzzzzzz! The gray energy swirls within the wall relentlessly threw themselves against the three intruders, and the furious hissing of corrosion echoed all around them. Yet, they were unable to breach the protective sphere formed by the Pathos of Heaven zhenqi. After taking a few steps, Zhang Xuan nced backward to check on Luo Qiqi and Little Chicks statuses, and it seemed like they were doing fine. So, he continued ahead. But less than a minuteter, he halted and started to retreat backward. Whats wrong? Luo Qiqi asked. After leaving the gray wall, Zhang Xuan released the protective sphere of energy around the three of them and gasped for air. In just three short minutes, he had expended all of his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi! While the gray energy was unable to faze the Pathos of Heaven zhenqi, there were simply too many swirls around. This put a huge strain on Zhang Xuan, causing his zhenqi to deplete swiftly. The key problem was that he had not been able to restore the amount of zhenqi he had back to its maximum capacity all this while. In his current state, it would be difficult for them to pass through this region. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan sat down and cultivated for roughly an hour before he finally restored his zhenqi. I need to find a way to fill up my dantian once more. If I could raise my zhenqi cultivation to the God King realm, that would be even better... Zhang Xuan rubbed his be in distress. His dantian had originally been filled with an ocean of zhenqi, but it had all dissipated as green light after shing with the gray energy, causing it to bepletely empty. If he wished to pass through the gray wall, he would have to either increase the amount of zhenqi within his dantian or find a way to continuously replenish his zhenqi so that he would not run out of it. Otherwise, if he ran out of zhenqi halfway through, they would be doomed. The only problem was that he had only received three pinnacle God Essence Pills from Fu Jiangchen, and he had given thest one to Luo Qiqi. Furthermore, even if he had the luxury of having an unlimited number of pinnacle God Essence Pills to squander, it was unlikely that he would be able to restore his zhenqi fast enough to match his rate of depletion. If ites down to it, I should just eat the Pill King! Currently, the most potent pill he had with him was the Pill King. it was a treasure that could move even a Conferred God King. He would certainly be able to replenish the zhenqi in his dantian by consuming it, and there was a good chance that he could push for a breakthrough to the God King realm as well. The only issue was that... He still had notprehended a God King realm cultivation technique yet! The Pill King was his trump card for making a breakthrough, and it would be a huge waste to use such an invaluable pill just to replenish his zhenqi. For the Pathos of Heaven, I have alreadyprehended the ties between a subordinate and a master, the camaraderie between brothers, and the rtionship between a teacher and a student... If my gut feeling is not off, the next realm probably should be the sentiments of a parent... Zhang Xuan sat on the ground and began thinking it through. He had been an orphan in his previous life, and he did not have anyone around him that could be considered a parental figure. In his current life, he was privileged to have found his parents, but the time he had spent with them was very short. His inability to fullyprehend familial ties made him unsure about how he should carry on, and he had ended up putting it off again and again. But he could not do that anymore. No matter what, he had to give it a go. Closing his eyes, he began to think about all the time he had spent together with the Xingmeng Sword Saints. In order to find him, his parents had gone through a lot. Even as the whole world told them time and time again that he was already dead, they had persevered for the sake of the slim chance that he might still be out there in the world. For him, they were willing to cast aside their lives. The sentiments that they carried for him were nobler than anything in the world. But... while Zhang Xuan could understand all of that rationally, he was unable to connect to those feelings emotionally. Sitting quietly on the ground, he tried his best to stand in their shoes and grasp their feelings, but the willful emotions simply would not obey human will. Sighing deeply, he raised his head to look at Luo Qiqi and asked, Say, what do you think are the feelings that a parent would feel toward their child? Luo Qiqi was taken aback by Zhang Xuans abrupt question. Her face reddened a little as she replied, I... cant really tell either. I-I guess only those who have a child can understand those feelings... Emotions were experiences, not exnations. The two of them were only in their twenties, and they had not had their own children yet. Without being in that position themselves, they would not be able toprehend such sentiments. Seeing that Luo Qiqi had misunderstood him, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. He was just about to exin the reason behind his question when Little Chick suddenly tucked its head beneath its small fluffy wings and said, Isnt it easy enough if you want to have a child? Theres no one else here anyway. You are a man, she is a woman, and all of your physical functions are working perfectly fine. Just make one here. Dont worry, Ill cover my eyes and not peek... ... Zhang Xuans lips twitched. He knew that he should have fried this darned chick back then. Zhang Xuan quickly turned to look at Luo Qiqi, only to see that her face had turned so red that it looked as if it was going to burst. Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, Im not messing with you. I am asking this question so that I can make a breakthrough to God King and get us through the gray wall! What do you mean by that? Does it look like Im joking around? How can you understand the feelings of a parent without having a child? Little Chick replied indignantly. Since the both of you are here, why dont you just make one? Once you have a child, youll surelye to have a deep understanding of the sentiments thate with being a parent! Seeing how this fellow was still shamelessly spouting bullsh*t, Zhang Xuan kicked him flying before harrumphing. Cant you talk properly? Even if they really did it then, they would still need ten months of pregnancy and years of raising the child before they could trulyprehend the feelings of a parent. But they did not have that much time to spare! Chapter 2220 - 2220 God King 2 2220 God King 2 Hey, Im talking properly, too! If you are worried that there isnt enough time or you dont want themitments thate along with it, you can do it in a dream. You will be able to make as many babies as you want right away as long as you create the right environment, Little Chick replied. The God Monarchs had the ability to create transient dreams through formations. That kind of formation would ce an individual within a dreamscape where time was elerated. It would only take a few hours for one to live an entire lifetime within the dream. Hearing this, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. To be frank, it was a usible solution. It was a dream anyway, so it should not count as anything. But he was only twenty years old. If he lived a lifetime in a dream at such an age, he would be apletely different person by the time he returned. He would have lost his youthful spirit and his hot-bloodedness. Furthermore, once he had a wife and a child in a dream, regardless of whether it was a dream or not, it would be unfair to Luo Ruoxin. So, he shook his head and asked once more, Do you have any other ideas in mind? Tsk. Little Chick clicked its tongue in annoyance before replying. How troublesome. Well, you might not have any children, but you do have quite a lot of disciples. As they say, a day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. Your sentiments for them can probably rival those of their parents, so it might work if you canprehend it from such a perspective. It really could not stand that blockhead of a master. He has such a beautiful youngdy whos devoted to him, but he simply refuses to grasp the opportunity. It serves him right to be single! Humph! Ah, wait a moment, Im also a single chick... At least this darned fellow has someone who likes him, but I dont even have a chicken or duck that is into me... Little Chick sank to the ground in depression. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuans thoughts were triggered into action after hearing those words. A day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father... He was unable toprehend the feelings of a parent because he was without a child, but there was no denying that he cared and doted on his students quite a lot. He was willing to do anything just so that they could lead a better life, and he would not hesitate to stand up for them if anyone dared take advantage of them. Despite that, there was not a single moment when he thought that he was sacrificing himself for their sake. On the contrary, as long as they were doing well, he felt fulfilled and content. Were these the feelings that parents had toward their children? As Zhang Xuan thought of this, the smiles of the Xingmeng Sword Saints surfaced in his mind. There were many times when they had stood in front of him to protect him from danger, even when they were weaker than him. Nothing could shake their conviction to keep him safe, and they would do anything for his sake. Those were the sentiments of a parent, the deepest and noblest love in the world. The act of humbly supporting their child, not expecting anything in return. Thread in the hand of apassionate mother, clothes on a wanderlust son. Just before his departure she sewed closely, in her mind worrying about histe return. How could the inch-high grass ever repay the nourishing sunshine of spring? An emotion rippled through Zhang Xuans heart as his zhenqi began circting throughout his body along with his words. At the same time, sword qi began to form and revolve around his body, slicing through the distorting space. He isprehending his cultivation technique and sword art together? Little Chick remarked in bewilderment. Having followed its master for quite some time now, it knew that its master would usuallyprehend his cultivation technique first before figuring out the corresponding sword art. Yet, he was actuallyprehending both together this time. The wind batters unceasingly on the unwilling tree, a son seeks to be filial, but time slips through his fingers... His sword qi was filled with both indignation and mncholic longing. In his previous life, his parents had died prematurely, so he had never been able to meet them before. In this lifetime, he had been so wrapped up by everything around him that the time he spent together with parents was miserably limited. He could not fully understand what it was like to be a son, but he could imagine his parents worry for him. It would be simr to how he felt for his students. His eleven students were divided across the Nine Skies, and it would be a lie if he said that he was not worried about them. By taking on such a perspective, he could see just how worried and conflicted they must feel about him. They did not wish to tie down their child and limit his future, but at the same time, they could not bear to see him braving so many dangers. This was the contradictory feeling of a parent, the sentiments they felt for their children! Hu! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan took out the Pill King and swallowed it. Rich medicinal energy flooded his body. Through circting the medicinal energy around his body, he refined it into Pathos of Heaven zhenqi and deposited it into his dantian. The Pill King contained the purest medicinal energy contained within the Grass of God Kings, harnessing almost as much power as a real God King. His dantian, which had emptied out due to the depletion of his Heavens Path zhenqi, filled up at an incredible pace. Kacha! As his dantian was filled up, he finally overcame the bottleneck in his zhenqi cultivation and rose to the level of a God King. Zhang Xuans aura surged like a majestic dragon rising from the seas, transforming into something deeper and stronger. Some timeter, the fluctuations of his energy finally came to a halt. Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before rising to his feet. He had sessfully reached the God King realm, but he was only at primary stage. He had simply depleted too much energy before, and the Pathos of Heavens requirement on the purity of the spiritual energy was also too steep. If he wanted to reach God King realm pinnacle, he would need at least several pills on the level of the Pill King. The fact that the Pill King was able to fill his massive dantian and allow him to raise his cultivation to the God King realm was evidence of its rich medicinal energy. I should keep the three remaining God King Breakthrough Pill for my parents and Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan thought with a smile. It would indeed raise his cultivation if he swallowed them, but the effects would not be too apparent. It might not even be enough for him to reach God King realm intermediate stage. They would be put to better use with his parents and Sun Qiang! Zhang Xuan examined the changes in his body as a result of his breakthrough, and he found that his zhenqi had be even purer. At the same time, his zhenqi capacity had also increased considerably. He would not have to worry about running out of zhenqi quickly anymore. Lets go! Knowing that there was no need to worry anymore after making a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan took out the God King Sword and swung it lightly. It swiftly generated several surges of sword qi that warped around their bodies to form a protective barrier. This was the God King realm sword art that he hadprehended from the Pathos of HeavenFilial Piety. The sword art contained the emotions of regret and longing. So what if his cultivation was high? So what if he was rich? It was easy to put his parents in second ce in his list of priorities in order to pursue all else, but it would be toote by the time he finally wanted to apany them. This was simply how humans were. They always put off things that they should be doing until it was toote, and they med themselves regretfully for not cherishing what they had. ... Hu! Little Chick and Luo Qiqi entered the barrier of sword qi as well, and the three of them began venturing through the gray wall. The gray currents of energy ahead of them were sliced apart by Zhang Xuans Sword Intent, allowing them to venture forward without any issues. They had to travel for almost an hour before they were finally out of the gray wall. It was also at this point that they came to a halt. They hade to the end of the road, and there was nowhere else to advance to. The space ahead of them was utterly sealed. Let me see if I can reach the Azure from here, Zhang Xuan said as he took out the Seal of Supreme Monarch. He infused his consciousness into it, and the inscriptions carved on the seal swiftly lit up. Energy quickly surged through the entire seal. Its working! Zhang Xuan eximed in delight. He could already sense Du Qingyuan answering from the Azure. Have Du Qingyuan conduct a ritual for my descent. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately sent a set of instructions over to the other side. Azure, here Ie! Chapter 2221 - Returning to the Azure

Chapter 2221 Returning to the Azure

It did not take long for a peculiar force to emanate from the Seal of Supreme Monarch. It felt reminiscent of a guiding beacon that led one to ones destination. I see... In between the Firmament and the Azure lies an area of chaotic space that prevents one from traveling from one side to the other. The ritual serves not to teleport a person from one side to another but to provide specific coordinates so that one wont lose ones way... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had thought that the ritual would allow them to teleport straight to the Azure, but it seemed like he was overthinking it. Teleportation between worlds was a highly difficult feat that even the Spirit Gods Seal of Supreme Monarch was incapable of pulling off. But even if I have the coordinates, can I really just travel there like that? What about the dimension barrier? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. With a contemtive look on his face, he walked over to the sealed space ahead of him. Channeling all his zhenqi into the God King Sword, he tried to slice an opening in the sealed space. Fshhh! To his surprise, even though it took him a great deal of effort, he managed to make a small opening in the sealed space. He quickly beckoned for Luo Qiqi and Little Chick to slip through opening with him. I thought that it would be impossible to break the dimension barrier, but maybe the key is to not teleport through it and to breach it physically. This seems simr to how it is easier to pass through the dimension barrier when you are ascending to a higher world aspared to when you are descending to a lower world... This could be the design of nature to avoid an imbnce of the world. Beyond the sealed space was a chaotic space filled with spatial turbulence. The spatial turbulence struck relentlessly on the barrier that Zhang Xuan had created around them, swiftly whittling it down. Zhang Xuan could feel the zhenqi in his body depleting swiftly. He tried to quickly head in the direction of the coordinates signaled by the Seal of Supreme Monarch, but he realized that he was hardly able to move. Chaotic space was reminiscent of a spatial vortex, but it was in an even more disorderly state. The space in the area was all flowing in different directions, making it difficult for even a God Monarch to travel in a straight path. If not for Zhang Xuans superior zhenqi, their bodies and souls would have been torn into shreds as soon as they entered the area, let alone venturing through it. I have been through this ce before, Luo Qiqi said. Tell me the location, and Ill bring you there. Alright! Knowing that Luo Qiqis powers over space far surpassed his, Zhang Xuan quickly described the coordinates that the Seal of Supreme Monarch was pointing toward. Nodding, Luo Qiqi took a step forward and morphed back into the Dimension Silencer. Hu! She froze the chaotic space and swiftly advanced forth. I really wonder what tier the Dimension Silencer is as an artifact, Zhang Xuan thought curiously as he looked at the steady passageway that was crafted through the abilities of the Dimension Silencer. Be it a spatial vortex or chaotic space, as long as it was something rted to the spatialws, the Dimension Silencer would be able to handle it easily. This was a feat that not all God Monarchs were necessarily capable of pulling off. He could not help but wonder about Luo Qiqis origin. It was no wonder she had risen all the way to God King realm pinnacle within a month after arriving in the Firmament, and she had hardly met any bottlenecks in her cultivation. He had really made the right choice bringing her along. Otherwise, even with his God King realm sword art, Filial Piety, it would have been difficult for him to pass through the spatial vortex and chaotic space to arrive at the Azure. Traveling through monotonous surroundings, it was hard for Zhang Xuan and the others to discern the passing of time urately. They simply flew on and on until Luo Qiqi finally came to a halt. She morphed back into her human form before gesturing forward. We have arrived. Zhang Xuan realized that the coordinates he was receiving from the Seal of Supreme Monarch were just right ahead of him. Lets head in, Zhang Xuan said. He was just about to head right in when he suddenly realized that the entire world had started shaking violently due to his attempted entry. It looked as if it would really shatter if he forced his way in. The space in the Azure is simply too weak. Its simr to a thinyer of ice above the winter river; it might be able to handle the weight of a child, but itll sumb as soon as an adult tries to step on it, Luo Qiqi said. Our powers as God Kings far surpass what the heavens of the Azure can withstand. If we force our way through, we might cause the heavens to shatter and the entire world to copse. Zhang Xuan nodded. Youre right. It seems like well have to lower our cultivation ordingly. When he first became a God, he had also sensed the heavens of the Azure rejecting his presence. As a God King, he was tens of thousands of times stronger than before, so naturally, his presence would be even harder for the heavens of the Azure to withstand. So, he took a deep breath and reined in his zhenqi within his dantian. Kacha! Kacha! His cultivation began to plummet. In just a few moments, his cultivation had already fallen to the level of a Semi-Divinity. Other than his zhenqi cultivation, he also made sure to suppress his physical prowess and soul cultivation as well. So, other than hisprehension of cultivation having reached the level of a God King, he appeared to be nothing more than a Semi-Divinity. Even a God Monarch would not be able to see through his disguise. Luo Qiqi quickly did the same. She sealed her powers using her spatial abilities, causing her cultivation to fall all the way to that of a Semi-Divinity. As for Little Chick, it hesitated for a moment before saying, I think you should just pass my gourd over to me... Zhang Xuan had been holding onto the shells of the gourd that it had been sealed in ever since it hatched. Alright then. Receiving the gourd, Little Chick slipped into it and reverted to its form as the Dongxu Gourd. This act effectively sealed off its cultivation as well. After everything was prepared and ready to go, the two humans and a gourd quickly made their way over to where the coordinate was. Tzzz! An overwhelming spatial pressure crushed down on them, and innumerable heavenly lightning bolts surrounded them. Even though they had tried their best to lower their cultivation, it seemed like the heavens of the Azure had still identified them as intruders and were trying their best to resist them. Under the relentless offense, the three of them ended up sustaining quite some damage before they were able to ovee the lightning tribtion to enter the Azure. It was then that they found Du Qingyuan and Wu Chen standing above a vast ocean with pale faces. Not too far away from them, an altar was releasing a light glow. Looking around, they were at the Vacant Sea, where Luo Ruoxin had descended the previous time. Back then, she had entered grievously wounded, causing her blood to scatter into the ocean and soak the stones around the area. Only at this moment did he finally realize why even a God Monarch like Luo Ruoxin would sustain such severe damage entering the Azure. In order to avoid the heavens of the Azure from shattering, she could only lower her cultivation, and that made it difficult for her to ovee the lightning tribtion that came from entering the Azure as an intruder. Paying respects to Young Master! Paying respects to Sect Leader Zhang! Du Qingyuan and Wu Chen bowed deeply. The news they had received was that the Spirit God was going to descend among them, so they did not expect to meet Zhang Xuan instead. When did he be the Spirit God? Lets head to Starchaser Pce first. Without any hesitation, he tore apart the fabric of space and traversed straight to Starchaser Pce. Even though his cultivation was only at Semi-Divinity, through his deeperprehension of space and more refined control over his zhenqi, he was still able to tear open and traverse through space. After arriving at Starchaser Pce, Zhang Xuan took a swift look around and found that there were far more Pseudo Immortals, True Immortals, and High Immortals. He nodded in approval at this sight. It seems like the Azure has been developing swiftly... Over the past ten years, we have had thirty cultivators reaching the Semi-Divinity realm and over two hundred cultivators reaching the High Immortal realm. As for the other realms, their numbers are even higher, Du Qingyuan replied with a smile. It had only been slightly more than a month in the Firmament, but ten years had passed for the Azure. Ten years was usually insignificant inparison to the long lifespan that cultivators enjoyed, but due to Zhang Xuan defeating Kong shis clone, the resources that had been hoarded by the Ethereal Hall were reorganized and distributed among the Six Sects. On top of that, the Hall of Gods was no longer guarded by any powers. As such, the number of Semi-Divinities and High Immortals increased swiftly within this period of time. The absolute number of experts that had appeared over the past decade was more than the number of experts that the Azure had produced for the four thousand years prior. Nodding in response, Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception toward Starchaser Pce, and a momentter, he widened his eyes in astonishment. Is that Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao? A pair of familiar figures appeared within his perception, and they were none other than Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao from the Master Teacher Continent. Chapter 2222 - Old Acquaintances

Chapter 2222 Old Acquaintances

The two of them were standing atop a towering cliff, and their light-red robes fluttered along with the wind. Hu! All of a sudden, the two of them moved simultaneously. Flitting from one point to another with incredible nimbleness, they traded heavy blows with one another. Luo Qiqi moved over to Zhang Xuans side, and it did not take her too long to notice the twodies as well. Her eyes lit up in excitement as she eximed, Its Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao! Yu Fei-er had been her closest friend ever since their time on the Master Teacher Continent, but when she left for the Firmament, Luo Qiqi had never expected to see her ever again. She never would have thought that the other party would ascend to the Azure, and on top of that... Both Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao had be Semi-Divinities! Yes, they are sparring with one another, Du Qingyuan said. The two of them are very hardworking. Theyve spent practically every single day over the past decade cultivating, and its due to their diligence that theyve been able to grow so much stronger within such a short period! There was no cultivator in the world who could rise to the top without working hard. Even for someone like Zhang Xuan, he had still put a great deal of time and effort into cultivating in order to get to where he currently was. ... After sparring for a moment, the two red-robeddies finally concluded the duel and rested by the side of the cliff. Their beautiful faces were marred with a hint of dejection. Dont bother wasting your effort. Without the Aura of Divinity, we wont be able to ovee our bottleneck and ascend to the Firmament! someone said. Following that, a thirty-year-old man leaped to the top of the cliff as well. Luo Xuanqing! The current Luo Xuanqing had also reached the Semi-Divinity realm, and he was no weaker than the twodies. I know, but... is there really no way? Yu Fei-er clenched her fists tightly in indignation. Thats why I said that we should just forcefully barge our way through. It might be dangerous, but at least theres still a sliver of hope. If we just continue waiting here, itll really be an eternal farewell! Luo Xuanqing said. Eternal farewell... Yu Fei-er muttered in destion. The gap between the Azure and Firmament was unlike that between the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent, which one could cross with a little bit of effort. Furthermore, even if they sessfully reached the Firmament, there was no saying whether they could endure the hundred times increase in spatial pressure. I dont know the cultivation realms in the Firmament, but those who are in that world are all the most talented cultivators and geniuses of the myriad worlds. Despite so, we dont see any cultivators from the Firmament here, which only goes to show how difficult it is to breach the dimension barrier from the Firmament. No matter how talented my younger sister or Zhang shi are, they will need at least hundreds or even a thousand years to reach that level, Luo Xuanqing said. And a hundred years in the Firmament is already equivalent to ten thousand years in the Azure. We will have long passed away by then! Even Semi-Divinities were only able to live for a thousand years in the Azure. Any longer than that would really be pushing the limits. The darned difference in time meant that their paths would never cross ever again. By the time those who had gone up to the Firmament were strong enough to head down to meet them, they would have already turned to ash. I understand as much as well, Yu Fei-er said with a conflicted expression, but... Why are you hesitating? Luo Xuanqing eximed. We are in the same position as one another, and you and I both know that its impossible to advance any further than Semi-Divinity realm pinnacle. The only choice we have is to forcefully attempt to enter the Firmament. No matter how dangerous it is, we have to give it a try! Yu Fei-er was quiet for a long while before nodding slightly. Lets do it then... Fei-er, Pce Master Du has told us that we have to reach the level of the gods in order to enter the Firmament, or else well face certain death! Hu Yaoyao interjected with a frown. Ever since the three of them reached Semi-Divinity realm pinnacle, their cultivation had simply refused to advance any further. They had tried everything that they could, but soon, they realized that they would not be able to take the final step forward without the Aura of Divinity. If they could not be gods, they would not be able to enter the Firmament. This was the paradox that chained down all cultivators in the Azure, preventing them from reaching greater heights. I missed him once back then. If I cant even follow him now, I dont see much point in living any further, Yu Fei-er muttered with gritted teeth. If she had chosen the same footsteps as Zhao Ya and the others, she might have been in the Firmament right now. She would not have been left there, working in futility for a possibility that was just so, so far away. Even meeting that fellow once more seemed nothing more than a dream. Since you two have made up your minds, Ill join you. I must say that the horrible fellow has a bizarre charm that really draws people in, Hu Yaoyao said with a smile. Back then, Zhang Xuan had been far weaker than her in terms of cultivation. She could still remember how she had tried to tease the young man back then, only to have the tables turned on her. She had been so infuriated, but thinking about it brought a smile to her lips. There had never been a deep tie between the two of them, but for some reason, she could remember her every encounter with him extremely clearly. It was as if he was deeply imprinted in her mind, and she simply could not shake free of him no matter what she did. If it had been in the past, she could not have imagined that she would go so far for someone. Since we havee to a decision, lets choose a day and get to it! Seeing how he had finally managed to convince these two, Luo Xuanqing heaved a sigh of relief. All of a sudden, someone stepped onto the peak of the mountain. It was none other than Wu Chen. Someone asked me to pass this to you, he said as he threw three jade bottles to them. For us? Luo Xuanqing asked doubtfully as he caught the jade bottle, only to nearly drop it due to its sheer weight. The jade bottle was far heavier than he had expected! He was a Semi-Divinity realm pinnacle cultivator, one of the strongest experts of an Azure, and yet, he had nearly failed to catch a bottle... This was more than enough to show that there was something special about the jade bottle. With a perplexed look on his face, Luo Xuanqing uncorked the bottle and looked at its contents. Lying quietly within the bottle was a droplet of blood. A droplet of blood can actually weigh that much? Wait a moment... is this the blood droplet of a god? Luo Xuanqing narrowed his eyes in bewilderment. It would make perfect sense if the droplet of blood within the jade bottle belonged to a god. Infused with great amount of vitality and power, the blood of a god was far heavier than that of ordinary cultivators. This was known within the upper echelons of the Azure. The blood droplet contains the Aura of Divinity. Well be able to rise to the levels of the gods right after consuming it, Luo Xuanqing remarked as his body began trembling in agitation. Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao were also taken aback by this abrupt gift, and they swiftly came to a realization. Only a god could possibly gift them the droplet of a god, which meant that... Yu Fei-er immediately turned to Wu Chen and asked anxiously, This is his blood, isnt it? Where is he? She could sense it. Her intuition was telling her that it was so. The blood droplet within the jade bottle belonged to that man whom she was looking for! He has already left, Wu Chen replied. He instructed me to ry this message to you. See you in the Firmament. See you in the Firmament? The three of them shuddered. That meant that he had descended to the Azure from the Firmament. They had thought that it would be impossible for them to meet each other again after hearing that they had already ascended to the Firmament, but who could have known that their paths would cross like that? In just ten short years, no, it would only be a single month in the Firmament, they had grown strong enough to breach the dimension barrier and travel back to the Azure. Xuanqing, this is a gift that a person told me to ry to you. He also left a message for you, Wu Chen said as he passed an object over. Perplexed, Luo Xuanqing took the object from Wu Chens hand, and with just a look at it, his body immediately jolted in astonishment. This is Qiqis possession... Where is she? The object that he had just been given was nothing more than a cheap, light-blue hairclip. It was a gift that he had prepared for his little sister back when they were younger. Holding the hairclip tightly, Luo Xuanqing asked anxiously, What did she say? He said that he has already aplished what you entrusted to him, and if you wish to see him or your little sister, you should quickly make a breakthrough and head over to the Firmament! Wu Chen said. The Firmament, is it? Hahaha! Very well, lets meet one another in the Firmament. He seems to have grown a little stronger over the past month, but Ill catch up to him soon enough. When we finally meet again, Ill make sure to punch all of the teeth out of his mouth! Luo Xuanqing burst into heartyughter as his eyes reddened a little. Well be meeting each other very soon... Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao nced at one another before lowering their gazes to the jade bottles in their hands. Clutching onto them tightly, the excitement and anticipation on their faces could hardly be concealed. Just you wait, Zhang Xuan! We areing right after you! FacebookTwitterThm... Chapter 2223 - The Return of the Deathless Monarch

Chapter 2223 The Return of the Deathless Monarch

Is this the City of Copsed Space you mentioned earlier? Looking at the decrepit city before her, Luo Qiqi could not help but look at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. This city waspletely in ruins, and there was not the slightest hint of life to be seen at all. It was hard for one to believe that such a ce had been the prosperous Spirit Origin Royal City. Initially, Luo Qiqi had intended to meet Luo Xuanqing and the others, but in the end, she had chosen to hold herself back. She felt that it would be more appropriate for them to meet in the Firmament instead. Even if they had met, it would only be a short reunion. It might even cause them to lose their fighting will to advance further. So, after much hesitation, she had decided to leave without meeting them, just like Zhang Xuan. She believed that the day of their reunion was not too far away. Instead, she headed down to the Master Teacher Continent and reunited with her family members first before heading back to the Azure. Due to the time difference between both worlds, even as she spent more than half a day with her family members, it was only slightly more than an hour in the Azure. However, more than a hundred years had passed on the Master Teacher Continent since their departure, and many things had already changed. Many people and things she remembered had be things of history. The only thing that had remained unchanged was the reverence that the people had for Zhang Xuan. In the present era of the Master Teacher Continent, Zhang Xuans influence and standing exceeded that of even Kong shi. The legend of how he was able to rise from a humble teacher in the Tianxuan Kingdom to the strongest expert of the Master Teacher Continent within two short years had been passed down from generation to generation. Countless books and records had been created about him in order to ensure that his deeds would never be forgotten. That being said, what most people remembered him for was still his impressive love life. As someone who could even take down the Spirit God of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had be the idol of many young men of the Master Teacher Continent. It had almost be a ritual where young men would offer incense to him before confessing to thedy whom they fancied... When Luo Qiqi heard of all of that, she was rendered speechless for a whole five minutes. As someone who had been close with Zhang Xuan back in those days, she was extremely familiar with his personality. Love life? Did such a thing even exist in that blockheaded idiots dictionary? He is someone who replied to my confession with I like you too with everyone else! With EQ of his level, how could he possibly have a love life? Over the past hundred years, the Zhang n had grown more and more prosperous, such that it had be a first-ss power that possessed influencing surpassing that of the Master Teacher Pavilion. The Luo n and the Jiang n had developed considerably as well, but they could note close toparing to the Zhang n. Well, all of that did not matter much to the current Luo Qiqi. She was extremely d to find that her father was still alive, and she helped him make a breakthrough in his cultivation before bringing him to the Azure. After that, she regrouped with Zhang Xuan. Well, this is it. Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked the gourd in front of him and said, Come out and take a look around. Your grave and missing power should be somewhere around here. Previously, he had found a bizarre ck skeleton within the City of Copsed Space, obtained the Aura of Divinity from the other partys hands, and sessfully made a breakthrough to godhood. Due to that, he had managed to defeat Kong shis clone. But when he returned there once more, the skeleton had already disappeared and was nowhere to be found. While he was unable to find the ck skeleton, Little Chick, as the Deathless Monarch, might just have a way to sense him. Have you ever seen anyone looking for their own grave? The gourd shook its bottomzily. Fine fine, Ill find it then, Zhang Xuan said in exasperation. With a flick of his wrist, he took out the Seal of Supreme Monarch. The ck skeleton might have had the ability to hide from him previously, but if he summoned it through the seal, the other party should have nowhere to hide. Weng! As soon as the Seal of Supreme Monarch appeared, a series of spatial ripples immediately appeared around them. The next moment, they were already standing before a grand hall. Standing at the entrance of the hall was a skeleton, who, upon seeing the item floating in front of Zhang Xuan, hurriedly fell to its knees. The space in here is much more stable than out there. The heavens should be unable to perceive this area, so you cane out now, Zhang Xuan said as he patted the gourd. The previous time that he was there, he could not help but notice that this area was isted from the rest of the world. Even after bing a God, he was still unable to find this ce. It was for this reason that he was confident that Little Chick would note under the tribtion of the heavens even if it showed itself there. Kacha! Upon hearing those words, Little Chick finally broke free from the gourd, allowing its God King realm prowess to flow freely from it. Your Sovereignty, you are finally awake... the ck skeleton cried in delight. Overwhelmed with agitation, the ck skeleton also revealed his strength. It was at this moment that Zhang Xuan realized that the other party was actually a God King just like him! It was no wonder he had been unable to sense the depth of the other partys cultivation the previous time he was there. There had really been on twopletely different levels back then. I wish to recover my strength, Little Chick said. It had not recovered its memories yet, so it was unable to tell whom the ck skeleton before it was. I have already prepared everything. Your Sovereignty, as long as you step into the hall, youll be able to absorb the power you have lost and return to your peak! the ck skeleton replied in agitation. Good! Little Chick nodded before waddling over to the hall in big strides. The doors opened itself before Little Chick, and unimaginable power pulsated with the depths of the hall. It felt like an entire world of energy was harnessed inside there. Little Chick... Zhang Xuan suddenly cried out just as it was about to enter the hall. Understanding Zhang Xuans concerns, Little Chick turned around and said, I know what you are worried about, but theres no need. I am myself and no one else. Zhang Xuan nodded quietly after hearing those words. Little Chick was a new will that was born after the resurrection of the Deathless Monarch. He was afraid that it would turn into someone else once it regained its strength and memories, spelling the death of the adorable Little Chick that he knew. The words that Little Chick said reassured him that it would not turn into someone else as a result of this. It was no longer the Deathless Monarch of old. It was someone else with a new will. Little Chick entered the hall, and the doors closed once again. Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi waited outside, and just like that, three months passed. Little Chick, continue doing your best. We need to return to the Firmament now. If you can make it in time, you know where to find us... Almost five days had passed in the Firmament, and if they did not head back, they would not be able to make it in time before Kong shi and Luo Ruoxins duel. Even though it was nigh impossible for them to stop the duel without the assistance of the Deathless Monarch, Zhang Xuan could not allow himself to continue waiting there without doing anything. Lets go! Zhang Xuan beckoned for Luo Qiqi before turning around to leave. Boom! At this moment, a crisp buzz echoed in the air, and the hall began to shake intensely. Cracks began appearing all over the grand buildings Hu! The walls began to copse, causing dust to fill the area. Amid the veil of dust, a massive phoenix could be seen rising from the rubble. The mere power it emanated was enough to keep others at a distance away from it. This is the Deathless Monarch? Zhang Xuan murmured with widened eyes. The strength of the phoenix before his eyes far exceeded his imagination. It was much stronger than the Conferred God King and the will of Fairy Linglong that he had encountered before. So, this was the strength of the God Monarch? It was no wonder no Conferred God Kings dared oppose a God Monarch. They were truly beings of vastly different levels. The resurrected Little Chick might be even stronger than the previous Deathless Monarch. Every single time Little Chick resurrected, it would get stronger than before. Perhaps it would be the same this time. If that was the case, they might just be able to stop the duel between those two! Chapter 2224 - The Visitation of a Monarch

Chapter 2224 The Visitation of a Monarch

Some timeter, the pressure emanated by the massive phoenix finally subsided. The massive phoenix morphed into a young man, who walked out to the rubble to appear before Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi. Looking to be around sixteen or seventeen, the young man had a tall but slightly thin figure. Contrary to what Little Chick had been eximing all this while, his face did not look heaven-defyingly suave. Instead, he appeared to be more youthful. It would be hard to think of this youthful man as the highest being in the Sky of Spirit Origin, one of the God Monarchs of the Firmament. You are... Little Chick? Master, the young man replied with a slight smile. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It looked like what he had feared the most did not happen in the end. The other party was still the haughty and boastful Little Chick who had followed him from the Master Teacher Continent. Master, I have just recovered my powers, so I need some time to reinforce my cultivation. Ill cultivate here for a little longer so as to save time. For the time being, you should return to the Firmament. Once Im done, Ill head over to meet up with you right away! Alright. Zhang Xuan nodded. If they were going to face two of the strongest God Monarchs of the Firmament, they would definitely have to be in their best condition, or else their efforts would only end in futility. Time in the Azure flowed a hundred times faster than in the Firmament, so it would be much better to cultivate where he was. Feng Yao, thank you for guarding me all this while. I shall restore your body and your powers now. The young man turned to the ck skeleton and tapped his finger lightly in the air. A droplet of blood flew forth from his hand and seeped into the forehead of the ck skeleton. Tzzz! Flesh and blood began growing out of the ck skeleton before the piercing call of a phoenix echoed in the air. The ck skeleton suddenly burst into mes, and arge phoenix rose out of the mes. Therge phoenix quickly transmogrified into the form of a middle-aged man in a golden helmet and armor. He was one of the most loyal guardians of the Deathless Monarch, guarding his grave for the past thousands of years, awaiting his return. Lets head back... Knowing that nothing would happen to Little Chick there, Zhang Xuan called for Luo Qiqi once more. They quickly traversed through space and returned to the Azure. Heading to a higher world from a lower world was much easier than the other way around. The two of them slowly released the seal of their cultivation, and soon, they caught the eye of the heavens of the Azure and were expelled into the chaotic space. It was then that Zhang Xuan finally released his full cultivation as a God King, and he immediately sensed the summoning of the Firmament. Without any hesitation, they followed the summoning to head to the Firmament. ... Half a dayter, with a sudden jolt, the two of themnded on the ground. Looking around the area, Zhang Xuan realized that they were at the Grand Spirit Mountain, the ce where he had first arrived in the Firmament with Zhao Ya and the others. Where are we going now? Luo Qiqi asked. Well first be heading to Drifting Specter Royal City before teleporting to the Sky of Freedom via the Great Discement Teleportation Formation! Zhang Xuan said. Possessing the strength of God Kings, they no longer needed the City Lord Token to use the Minor Discement Teleportation Formation. Soon enough, they arrived at Drifting Specter Royal City. This time, instead of leaving right away, he led Luo Qiqi over to his residence. He wanted to pass the God King Breakthrough Pill that he had forged a while back at the Sky of Linglong over to his parents and Sun Qiang so that they could quickly be God Kings. This way, they would be able to protect themselves. Not wanting to cause a hugemotion, he discreetly made his way over to his residence without incurring anyones notice. Young Master! As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the residence, Sun Qiang rushed forward to wee him with an agitated look on his face. Over the past few days, Sun Qiangs cultivation had reached middle-tier Celestial God. It was clear that he had been working hard in order to raise his cultivation realm this quickly. Where are my parents? Zhang Xuan asked. They are currently in the courtyard chatting with a guest, Sun Qiang replied. A guest? Zhang Xuan frowned. Gedeng! Feeling a bad premonition, he quickly rushed over to the courtyard, and there, he saw his parents sitting together with a guest sipping on fine tea. The guest was a young man in his early twenties. He had a well-defined face that showed hints of unshakeable resilience. There was an aura of cool rationality around him, and his eyes felt deep, as if they were gazing into the future. What really left Zhang Xuan unnerved was how he was unable to sense the depths of the young mans cultivation. Behind the young man stood an elder whose back was slightly lowered. He stood firmly in his position, not moving or saying anything at all. Is he... a God Monarch? Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up in horror. After hearing Sun Qiangs words, he used the Spiritual Perception to scan the entire courtyard, but he could only sense his parents presence. If not for the fact that he was seeing the young man with his own two eyes, he would not have known that the other party was sitting there! Based on this alone, it was clear that the young mans strength far exceeded his. He might just be a God King at the moment, but with the Pathos of Heavens cultivation technique and sword art, he would be able to put up a fight against Conferred God Kings. If he had to face Baiye Qinghong once more, he would be able to crush her easily without relying on the golden page. Yet, despite his strength, he did not think that he would be a match for the young man sitting before him. To make matters worse, his parents were actually sitting at the same table as him. How could he not be horrified? Upon seeing him, Sword Saint Meng immediately said with a smile, This is my son, Zhang Xuan! It appeared that she was oblivious to how powerful the young man seated before her was. With a nod, the young man shot a nce over. It was just a look, but Zhang Xuan felt as if there was a sword severing through space to crush his soul. In fact, even the Library of Heavens Path was trembling nonstop, as if it was fearful of the existence before it. Are you the God Monarch of the Sword Hut? Zhang Xuan asked. Based on what he had heard so far, there were two elusive individuals among the Nine God Monarchs. One of them was God Monarch Lingxi of the Sky of Freedom, and the other was the God Monarch of the Sky of Heavenly Sword. Even if the Sword Hut did not seek talented geniuses and confer new God Kings, there was still no God Monarch who would dare wreak havoc in the Sky of Heavenly Sword. Clearly, the God Monarch of the Sword Hut possessed strength that struck fear in the hearts of the other God Monarchs. Take a seat, the young man said. Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be able to stop the young man if thetter really made a move against him. Thus, he quietly walked over and took a seat. The elder behind him gracefully took a step forward and served him a cup of tea. Zhang Xuan epted the cup of tea while feeling a little jittery inside. If its not too rude, may I know the reason behind the God Monarchs visit? If a God Monarch wanted to meet him, he could have just sent a Conferred God King over to invite him to his pce. Yet, this God Monarch had gone all the way over to his residence, and from the current looks of it, it felt like not even the Qiankun Demon Monarch of the Sky of Drifting Specter had noticed his presence. This was really a little worrying. The young man did not respond to Zhang Xuans question. Instead, he began to assess Zhang Xuan as if he was trying to evaluate the worth of a treasure, and soon, a conflicted look surfaced on his face. A momentter, he put down his teacup and asked, Can you demonstrate the sword art that youve justprehended for me? Sword art? Zhang Xuan frowned. Was the God Monarch of the Sword Hut there just to watch his sword art? Well... that might just be the case! Due to the limitations of his strength, the sword art he hadprehended was probably still nothing much to the God Monarchs. However, there was no denying the fact that it was a battle technique that had surpassed the heavens, making it one of the finest sword arts in the Firmament. As a renowned sword practitioner of the Firmament, it was not too surprising for the God Monarch to want to see and analyze it. With that thought in mind, Zhang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Chapter 2225 - Crimson Heaven Sword

2225 Crimson Heaven Sword

Since the God Monarch of the Sword Hut was there to watch his sword art, it should be safe to assume that he did not bear any malicious intentions toward them. Those who were obsessed with martial arts tended to have a pure and straightforward personality. They were less likely to beat around the bush, and they would not hurt others that easily. With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan stood up and took out the God King Sword. The elder standing behind the young man raised his hand, and the courtyard was immediately surrounded by an istion barrier, preventing others from seeing what was happening within. Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched a little. He was able to create istion barriers on the spot as well, but the elder was able to do it with far greater ease, and he even infused spatialws into the barrier to further reinforce it. From this feat, it could be seen that even though the elder was not a God Monarch, the strength he wielded still far surpassed that of most Conferred God Kings. At the very least, Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be a match for the elder. Nevertheless, as long as the young man did not bear any ill will toward them, there was no point in thinking too deeply into this. Holding his God King Sword tightly, he allowed his consciousness to be one with the sword. H! The sword moved. A slight wind blew, and water ripples emerged on the surface of the nearby pond. With movements as smooth as flowing water, Zhang Xuan executed the four sword arts of the Pathos of Heaven one after another. His movements carried strong sentiments, bringing the onlookers into the conceptualization he had in his mind. The young man looked at the execution of the sword arts silently, seemingly enjoying the performance. Finally, Zhang Xuan retracted his de, and the sword qi that he had released swiftly surged back into his sword. He sped his fist and said, It would be a delight if you could offer some pointers on my swordsmanship. The young man before him was known as the strongest sword practitioner in the Firmament. Even a word of advice from the other party would surely benefit him greatly. The sword art you haveprehended is truly extraordinary... A smile finally appeared on the cold face of the young man as he spoke. I dont think that there are any pointers I can offer you. You are paving your own way forward, so theres very little that I can help you with... I did notice something, however. Your sword carries a lot of yearning, and in return, itcks resilience and protection. Resilience and protection? Zhang Xuan asked. Thinking about it, most of what the sentiments he hadprehended so far were indeed rted to the idea of yearning. However, the sword art of the Pathos of Heaven was based upon the sentiments he carried toward those around him, so it was bound to carry some hints of yearning. Let me put it another way. If your loved ones are caught in a disaster and are in a life-threatening situation, what would you do? the young man asked. Slightly perplexed by the abrupt question, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying, Well, I would do my best to protect them from danger. And thats what I mean by protection. Its the act of shielding a person of danger regardless of the cost. However, I dont sense such sentiments within your sword art, the young man replied. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. Indeed, his sword art wascking such sentiments. A sword of sentiments shouldnt just carry yearning; it should carry the responsibility thates along with it as well. Take yourst sword for example, I could sense your yearning for your parents and the regrets of being unable to treat your loved ones better, but have you thought about the responsibilities that you should take on so as to avoid these regrets? the young man asked. I think I get what you are saying. Zhang Xuan nodded slowly. My swordsmanship is filled with past sentiments; it focuses on what has already happened instead of trying to influence what is going to happen. Subconsciously, I have been cing myself in a passive position all along... Indeed. If we wish to reach for higher heights, our eyes must be set in the future. Wallowing in emotions of self-reproach and yearning will only slow your footsteps, the young man replied. Youre right. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Emotions could be ssified into two types, those that helped people grow and mature and those that caused their footsteps to screech to a halt. A sorrowful experience could either be a reason to despair or a reason to drive one to work even harder. If we allow our emotions to bog us down, our lives will simply pass us by like a fleeting cloud. It will appear as if everything has been transient and meaningless. To give our life meaning, we have to continue marching forward even during times of hardship. Suffering is simply a part and parcel of life, be it ageing, illness, death, parting, envy, hatred... We must learn to take pain in stride, and we must also learn how to let go of things. Thats simply how life is. No matter how bitter things became, we would have to grit our teeth and force ourselves to look forward. Thank you for your guidance... Zhang Xuan said with a deep bow. He felt like he had just grasped something really important. Even though it was still very abstract, he felt like it could change the trajectory of his cultivation for good. It had been a short exchange, but he had benefited greatly from the guidance of the young man. Im impressed that you managed to get it so quickly. It looks like you are the right person after all, the young man said with a smile before rising to his feet. Ill have to get going now. You only have yourself to rely on for the road ahead of you, so I can only wish you all the best. Youre already leaving? Zhang Xuan was surprised. He had thought that there would be some deeper intent behind the young mans visit, but thetter had only seen his sword art and given a few pointers, and he was already going to leave. Or did this mean that the young man had made his way there just to give him some pointers? The young man nced at the elder behind him and said, Jian Yao, give him the Crimson Heaven Sword[1]! Yes! The elder nodded. With a flick of his wrist, the elder presented a sword respectfully to Zhang Xuan. As soon as the sword appeared, dimension rifts began appearing around the area. Even the God King Sword in Zhang Xuans hand struggled free of his grasp to pay respects to the sword in the elders hands. Such a sight made Zhang Xuans eyebrows shoot up in astonishment. The God King Sword, just as its name suggested, was a God King realm artifact. It was the strongest weapon he had ever wielded. Yet, it had bowed down to the Crimson Heaven Sword without any hesitation. How strong must the Crimson Heaven Sword be then? I cant ept such a heavy gift from you! Zhang Xuan quickly sped his fist and rejected the sword. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. This is a sword that I forged specially for you several decades back. Take it, it belongs to you, the young man said without turning back. Several decades back? Zhang Xuan was baffled. I am only in my early twenties this year, and most of it was spent on the Master Teacher Continent. If I trante it into time in the Firmament, I have only lived for slightly more than a month now. Yet, you said that you forge this sword for me several decades back? Nevertheless, seeing how the other party was determined to have him ept the gift, Zhang Xuan sped his fist and said, Thank you! Following that, he stretched his hand forward to grab the Crimson Heaven Sword. As soon as he closed his hands on it, he could sense that it had already be his. The frightening pressure that it had emanated a moment ago vanished altogether, causing it to appear no different from an ordinary sword. The first thing Zhang Xuan noticed about the Crimson Heaven Sword was that it had no weight or sword spirit at all. Strangely enough, he did not feel any difort holding the sword. It was as if the sword itself was nothing more than an extension of his arm. He felt like he could easily unleash devastating strength through this sword. If he executed the Pathos of Heaven with this sword, even the massive face that was created by Fairy Linglongs will would be no match for him! Feeling deeply agitated within, Zhang Xuan quickly bowed deeply once more in order to express his gratitude. It was then that he suddenly thought of something, and he said with anticipation gleaming in his eyes, Pardon me for my insolence, but I am very interested in sword arts. If it isnt too much to ask, it would be an honor to see your sword art! He felt like he could deepen his understanding of sword arts by looking at the other partys techniques. [1] The Crimson Heaven Sword, otherwise known as the Chixiao Sword, is a sword used by Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. It is also known as the Sword of Ascendancy. Chapter 2226 - The God Monarch’s Sword Ar

Chapter 2226 The God Monarchs Sword Ar

Instead of replying, the young man turned around and beckoned with his finger lightly. Hu! The tea inside the teacups on the stone table gathered in the air to form a sword. Use your sword art to attack me. Alright. T! With a flick of Zhang Xuans wrist, the Crimson Heaven Sword tore through the air and filled the surroundings with surges of sword qi. A Heart of Intertwined Threads! The young man took a step forward, and without any excessive actions, he raised the liquid sword in his hand and pierced forth. For an instant, Zhang Xuan thought that he had been locked down by a beast, rendering him unable to move. He felt like if he made an excessive movement, he would surely be struck down by the other party. Despite the simplicity of the young mans swordsmanship, Zhang Xuan could feel an air of valiance from his movements. It was the determination to tear down everything that stood ahead of him, as if he could not back down because his kin and family members were right behind him. This... Zhang Xuan knew that he would surely be cornered if he did not change his move, so he maneuvered his sword to execute his fourth sword art instead. It was the move carrying the conceptualization of indignation and yearning. However, the young man did not back down because of it. He continued to push his attack forward with indomitable momentum, like a sharp sword that would cut down anything in its path. Peng! The sword qi that had gathered was sliced in two, and Zhang Xuan himself was mmed into the pir behind. H! The sword made of tea fell back to the ground as droplets. I lowered my cultivation to the same level as yours, God King realm primary stage, the young man remarked. Yes, I noticed... Zhang Xuan nodded as he struggled to his feet. The God Monarch of the Sword Hut did not use his superior cultivation to suppress Zhang Xuan. He had lowered his cultivation to God King realm primary stage, and with his own skill, he had subdued Zhang Xuan while he was wielding the Crimson Heaven Sword and using the Pathos of Heaven sword art! In the same cultivation realm, even when he was equipped with a powerful weapon, Zhang Xuan was still unable to defeat the other party! Ever since he started cultivating, he had only lost to his clone when they were in the same cultivation realm. This was the first time he had encountered such a powerful opponent. I hope that you are able to grasp the differences between the two concepts. How you interpret it and adapt your sword art is up to you, the young man said before turning around to leave. Please wait a moment! Zhang Xuan called out. The young man halted his footsteps. Elder, if Im not mistaken, given your strength, you should be able to match the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and God Monarch Lingxi easily. Is it possible for you to stop the duel between the two of them? Zhang Xuan asked. He had no idea how powerful the other God Monarchs were, but without a doubt, the young man before him was an extremely formidable expert. He could not imagine the young man being anywhere weaker than Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin. If he could somehow convince the young man to interfere in the duel and stop the two of them, everything might work out fine. As slim as the chances were, he had to give it a try! Everyone has their own fate that they have to fulfill, and even God Monarchs are not spared from that. The duel between the two of them cant be stopped, and it mustnt be stopped. That is an inevitability, the young man replied calmly. Must one of them die? Zhang Xuan asked desperately. Is it not enough to just determine a victor between the two of them? Theres no way around it, the young man replied with a grim voice. Then, he turned around and said, Your parents have a decentprehension of swordsmanship. Send them over to the Sword Hut after they reach the God King realm; Ill guarantee their safety if anything happens. After saying those words, the young man and the elders silhouettes began to fade before vanishing. Elder... Elder! Zhang Xuan called out, but there was no response. Knowing that the young man had really left, he could not help but sigh deeply. The words that the young man had said before he parted really left him with a horrible premonition. The other party mentioned that in the duel between Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi, one of them had to die. If even someone as powerful as the young man was unable to stop them, what could he possibly do to change the situation? Just what kind of fate was there between the two of them? Why did things have toe to this point? Luo Ruoxin was his girlfriend, and he hade all the way from the Master Teacher Continent to the Firmament in order to find her. Kong shi was a person whom he had looked up to ever since his time on the Master Teacher Continent, and it would be no exaggeration to say that the other party was the one who had guided him thus far. Those two people were extremely important to him, and he could not stand the thought of seeing something happen to them. Everyone has their own fate to fulfill... What is fate then? Zhang Xuan muttered with an anxious expression on his face. Xuan-er... Just as Zhang Xuan was feeling flustered inside, he suddenly heard his mothers worried voice. He quickly snapped out of his state, raised his head, and smiled. Im fine... Right, hows your cultivation going? With the cultivation technique and the pills you have provided us, your father and I have managed to reach high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle, Sword Saint Meng said with a smile as she revealed her strength. So fast? Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise. He could understand the two of them raising their zhenqi cultivation quickly, but it should have been much harder for them to raise their soul cultivation. He had only managed to advance his soul cultivation so quickly due to the steady inflow of Anima of Yearning from the sales of the Beauty Pill and the Breakthrough Pill. How did his parents manage to raise their soul cultivation so quickly? Sun Qiang bought quite a few medicinal herbs and pills that allowed us to advance our soul cultivation quickly, Sword Saint Meng exined. The sales of the Breakthrough Pills and Beauty Pills were bringing in a great deal of money to them every day. Through this great fortune and the unwavering support of the Qi n, they were able to easily source and purchase pills that hastened the growth of ones soul cultivation. It was due to this that they had been able to raise their cultivation all the way up to high-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle swiftly. I have three God King Breakthrough Pills for each of you. If you feel like you are ready to push for a breakthrough, it should provide you with the impetus you require to reach the God King realm, Zhang Xuan said as he passed the pills over. In the first ce, he had prepared those specifically for them, so there was no need to hold onto them. Sun Qiang, well be heading over to the Sky of Heavenly Sword right now. I want you to find a quiet ce over there for my parents and you to cultivate in. Once all of you manage to be God Kings, head straight over to the Sword Hut to find the young man whom we met earlier. Even though he was in a rush to head over to the Sky of Freedom, he could not let his guard down when it came to his parents safety. If they traveled manually to the Sky of Heavenly Sword, over the long journey, someone might just try to go after his parents in order to uncover the secret behind the Beauty Pill and the Breakthrough Pill. After all, it was a lucrative business that would solve the financial problems faced by any major power. It would be far safer if they took the Great Discement Teleportation Formation instead. With his recent growth in his cultivation and Luo Qiqis ability to control space, they should be able to ensure his parents and Sun Qiangs safety while making the trip over. So, they quickly headed over to the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. Zhang Xuan passed the token over to Sun Qiang, and with him escorting his father and Luo Qiqi escorting his mother, the five of them quickly made their way over to the Sky of Heavenly Sword. Fortunately, while it was not easy for them to protect someone while traveling through the teleportation formation, they managed to pull it off without a hitch. Before bidding his parents farewell, Zhang Xuan entrusted the God King Sword to his father, Sword Saint Xing, and helped him tame it. With their swordsmanship and the God King Sword, they should be able to defeat even an ordinary God King with ease, so there was no need to worry about their safety. Lets head to the Sky of Freedom! Zhang Xuan said. Together with Luo Qiqi, they entered the Great Discement Teleportation Formation once more. Even if it was going to be hard, he was determined to stop the battle between Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi! For this, he was willing to put his life on the line! Chapter 2227 - Sky of Freedom

2227 Sky of Freedom

Freedom Royal City was built in the middle of a massive mountain range. Unlike the Royal Cities of the other Skies, which were bound strictly by rules, it had no city walls nor guards. Due to that, it did not feel as stifling as the other cities. There were all sorts of vegetables, tamed beasts, weapons, and pills on sale at the market square. There were pots filled with salted meat and pickled vegetable. If Zhang Xuan had to use one word to describe the city, it would be that it was chaotic. In the Sky of Freedom, everyone is free to do whatever they wish. There are no rules tying them down, Luo Qiqi exined as they walked through the streets. Unlike the rest of the Nine Skies, there were no rules, no guards, and no armies in the Sky of Freedom, and yet, none of the other Skies dared to provoke it in any way. From one perspective, it could be considered a paradise. Chaotic as it might be, there was still some sort of indescribable and invisible order in ce. Zhang Xuan nodded. The Sky of Freedom was very different from any ce he had ever seen. The cultivators lived much morefortable lives than those from the other Skies, and they were determined to protect their way of life. Anyone who tried to destroy their haven would have to face their wrath. Just like that, in its own unique way, the Sky of Freedom towered over the rest of the Nine Skies. Zhang Xuan entered one of therger markets, stopped a high-tier Celestial God, and asked, Pardon me, but do you know where God Monarch Lingxi resides? Sensing the powerful auras that Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi were emanating, the high-tier Celestial God replied without any hesitation, Based on what I know, Her Sovereignty usually spends her time cultivating on Lingxi Mountain over there. However, it might not be that easy to get there... Thank you! Looking at the direction the high-tier Celestial God had pointed out, Zhang Xuan saw a mountain peak shrouded in ayer of fog in the distance. So, the two of them quickly made their way over. At first, the mountain appeared to be rtively close, but no matter how the two of them tried to fly toward it, they were not able to get close to it at all. Despite having flown for an hour now, it did not seem like they had gotten any closer to the mountain at all. It felt like they would never reach it at this rate. In a sense, it felt simr to how no matter hard one tried to head toward the sun, it would simply look asrge and brilliant as it always did. Even if a person walked for their entire life, they would never be able to reach it. Knowing that it was futile, Zhang Xuan raised his head and shouted, Luo Ruoxin, I know that you knew that I woulde. I want to meet you! Without a doubt, the other party must have done something to prevent him from ever reaching the mountain. Since that was the case, he might as well get straight to the point. Hu! As expected, right after he said those words, a series of spatial ripples appeared before him, and a woman appeared from them. She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen, and she was dressed in green. Young Master Zhang Xuan, please return! The green-robeddy bowed deeply as she spoke. Our Young Mistress is currently preparing for her battle with the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, and she cant afford to allow her concentration to waver at a moment like this. If you really care for her, Ill have to ask you not to disrupt her at such a critical time. In a sh between experts, the slightest opening revealed can result in disastrous consequences. I... Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. In a fight between experts, the slightestpse in concentration could easily result in a cmity. If his sudden appearance affected her battle with Kong shi, he would never be able to forgive himself. But... He could not give up. He could not allow anything to happen to Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi! Is there no way to prevent this fight from happening? Zhang Xuan asked with gritted teeth. Even though he had already heard the responses of the Deathless Monarch and the God Monarch of the Sword Hut, he still could not give up. The green-robeddy shook her head. Theres no way to stop this fight from urring. Why? Zhang Xuan asked. I want to hear the answer from her personally! Young Master, please dont make things hard for a servant like me. What our Young Mistress needs at a moment like this is a person to support her, not someone to add to her stress and pressure. If she wins the battle, shell naturally exin everything to you in due time. And if she loses... everything will be over. There will be no need for her to exin anything, the green-robeddy replied with a lowered head. Fine then, Ill wait for her exnation! Seeing how determined the green-robeddy was, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be impossible to change her mind. Thus, he turned around and left. If Luo Ruoxin was determined not to meet him, there was nothing he could say that would make any difference. He would only be wasting his breath. Luo Qiqi quickly caught up with Zhang Xuan as she asked, Are we giving up just like that? They had alreadye all the way to the Sky of Freedom in order to stop the duel! It was not like Zhang Xuan to stop just because of a persons words. Even though she knew that the person whom Zhang Xuan really loved was God Monarch Lingxi, and their reunion would only reinforce their feelings, she could not stand seeing Zhang Xuan in such a state. The person she loved was a person who would stand haughtily in the face of the world, as if there was nothing in the world that could trouble him! Of course not! Since she isnt willing to meet me, Ill meet the Heaven Subjugation Monarch instead, Zhang Xuan replied. It was clear that Luo Ruoxin was determined to avoid him till the duel started. Since that was the case, he would look for Kong shi. Just like how two hands were needed to p, a duel was also a fight between two people. He just needed to meet one of them in order to understand the reason behind the fight. Understanding Zhang Xuans intentions, Luo Qiqi asked with a confused tilt of her head, But where are you going to find him? We dont know where he is at the moment! The Nine God Monarchs governed the Nine Skies, but the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was a God Monarch who had only risen to power forty years ago. He did not have any territory of his own, so no one knew where he resided. Unless thetter decided to appear, there was almost no way they could know where he was. Given that the duel is just around the corner, theres a good chance that hes already in Freedom Royal City at the moment, Zhang Xuan said. As long as we look around, we should be able to find him. So, the two of them quickly returned to Freedom Royal City. However, looking at the massive expanse of buildings all around her, Luo Qiqi eximed, How can we find him among so many people within Freedom Royal City? In the first ce, there was probably no one who would be so foolish as to reveal the whereabouts of a God Monarch of their own ord. If they looked around the city by themselves, how long would it take for them to look through the hundreds of millions of people within the city? Well, we can try Freedom Royal Citys Master Teacher Pavilion first, Zhang Xuan said. Luo Qiqi was stunned for a moment before nodding in realization. Indeed! Since the Master Teacher Pavilion was a power under Kong shi, it should have a way to get in contact with him. So, as long as they headed to the Master Teacher Pavilion, they should be able to figure something out from there. The Master Teacher Pavilion was a power that had risen to prominence over the past few decades, so it was not too difficult to figure out where they were located. It did not take long before the two of them arrived at their destination. The Sky of Freedom had no rules, so there were no restrictions on the development of an upation. As such, many guilds had chosen to base their headquarters in Freedom Royal City. Compared to the Master Teacher Pavilions the other Skies, Freedom Royal Citys Master Teacher Pavilion was bustling with huge crowds. There were many cultivators who were visiting the Master Teacher Pavilion in order to find a teacher to study under. Entering the building together with the crowd, Zhang Xuan saw quite a few master teachers lecturing within. It was starting to take the shape of what he had seen many times back on the Master Teacher Continent. Looking at the crowds that were continuously passing them, Luo Qiqi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, Are we looking for their pavilion master? If they wanted to get in contact with the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, they had to at least get in contact with the pavilion master. That would be too much trouble, Zhang Xuan replied. He took a deep breath before bellowing with a deafening voice, Zhang Xuan hase to challenge the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. I ask you toe out and meet me! Chapter 2228 - The Meeting Between Kong and Zhang

Chapter 2228 The Meeting Between Kong and Zhang

A person hase to challenge the pavilion master? Hah, is he here to crash the pavilion? He must be courting death to dare crash our Master Teacher Pavilion! Hold on a momentdid you hear his name? He called himself Zhang Xuan, right? Is he the apothecary behind the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill? Thats the only Zhang Xuan in the Firmament that I know of... I heard that he killed Conferred God King Baiye Qinghong of the Sky of Linglong just a few days ago... ... Amotion broke out in the surroundings. The master teachers who had charged out in hordes to protect the reputation of their Master Teacher Pavilion, upon hearing that even Conferred God King Baiye Qinghong had not been a match for the young man, faltered a little. They quietly inched back as they waited for someone with greater authority to deal with the situation. A person who could kill even a Conferred God King was definitely beyond their ability to deal with. I am the head of the Freedom Royal City Master Teacher Pavilion. Apothecary Zhang, this way please! A gray-bearded old man walked out from the corridors and ushered Zhang Xuan in. His cultivation felt condensed and powerful. Just like Zhang Xuan, he was a God King. Nodding, Zhang Xuan followed him into the inner halls of the Master Teacher Pavilion. After walking a distance, the old man took a nce behind him, and after ensuring that there was no one around, he halted his footsteps and turned to face Zhang Xuan. Apothecary Zhang, I was anticipating your visit. Ill lead you over to where His Sovereignty is right away. Youre aware that Im here to meet the Heaven Subjugation Monarch? Zhang Xuan was surprised. He had thought that he would have to fight a battle before forcing the other party to bring him to the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, but who could have known that he would hear such words from the other party? His Sovereignty instructed me to take you to him directly if you came here, the old man replied with a smile. With a wave of his hand, a Teleportation Formation appeared before the two of them. Lets go! After saying those words, the old man stepped into the Teleportation Formation, and Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi quickly followed him. Weng! With a burst of light, the two of them were brought to an ordinary-looking room. Sitting on a chair right in front of him was an elder with an amicable look on his face. It was none other than Kong shi! There were a group of God Kings and Conferred God Kings standing in rows by the two sides of the room. Taking a nce around, Zhang Xuans eyebrows shot up. There were actually quite a few whom he recognized. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, Ancient Sage Zi Gong... The Ten Apostles and Seventy-two Sages were actually among them! Even the weakest of them was a high-tier Celestial God. There were more than ten of them above the God King realm, meaning that Kong shis influence was nowhere weaker than any of the Nine Skies. Just that... had he not seen the corpses of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and a few others prior to entering the Azure? Why were theypletely unharmed? While Zhang Xuan was perplexed, he knew that this was not the time to be asking questions. So, he walked to the center of the room, bowed deeply, and said, Junior Zhang Xuan pays respects to Kong shi. With just a look, he could tell that the other party was indeed the revered Worlds Teacher. There was no way to fake it this time. You are finally here, Kong shi said with a faint smile. He nced at his disciples around the room and said, The rest of you should take your leave. Yes, Teacher! Ancient Sage Zi Yuan nodded before ushering the others out. Qiqi, you should wait outside for me, too, Zhang Xuan said. Alright. If theres anything you need me for, call for me right away, Luo Qiqi replied with a nod. Soon, only Zhang Xuan and Kong shi were left in the room. Take a seat! With a wave of Kong shis hand, a chair flew over andnded right behind Zhang Xuan. However, thetter did not settle down on the chair right away. Instead, he lowered his head apologetically and said, Kong shi, I am indebted to you for guiding me while I was still on the Master Teacher Continent, but due to several circumstances, I ended up capturing your clone. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan released Kong shis clone, which he had captured back in the Azure. He is something that I have severed from my will, an existence that was born from me. I thought that I had him suppressed in the Azure, but I didnt think that he would be able to ovee the seal with time, Kong shi replied. He seemed to be aware of the happenings in the Azure, and he was not displeased with Zhang Xuans actions at all. With a flick of his finger, his clone was reduced to a wisp of green smoke before vanishing altogether. After that was done, Kong shi smiled quietly before remarking, I was intending to send a sliver of my will down to the Azure to suppress him, but I dropped that thought after I saw you entering the Azure. Your deeds there really didnt disappoint me. You... are aware of my actions in the Azure? Zhang Xuan was surprised. The Azure and the Firmament were severed by the dimension barrier, making it nigh impossible to travel ormunicate between the two worlds. Yet, Kong shi knew of what had happened in the Azure? In response to his question, Kong shi replied, Just like you, I came here from the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure. I left my will and a few hands in those two worlds in case of emergencies. While its indeed highly difficult for me to descend to the lower worlds from here, Im still able to keep track of whats happening in those two worlds to some extent! With his current cultivation realm, not even God Monarch Lingxi would dare im that she was stronger than him. Naturally, he also possessed means that matched his strength. That makes sense. Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though Deathless Monarch came nowhere close to matching God Monarch Lingxi and Kong shi, he was still able to send messages down to Du Qingyuan through the Seal of Supreme Monarch. Kong shi was known for his exceptional proficiency in a multitude of upations, and his students were all overflowing with talent. Given so, it should not be too hard for him to achieve that. Within such a short period of time, you have risen to prominence across numerous worlds, shining even brighter than me, Kong shi said as he stroked his beard with a heartening smile. All this time, he had been observing Zhang Xuans actions. Initially, he had thought that the young man was like a fleeting shooting star that only shone splendidly for an instant, but he continued to aplish feat after feat that amazed those around him. In just two short years, he had ascended from the Master Teacher Continent to the Firmament, and now, the young man was standing before him as a God King. He never would have thought that it was possible for someone to grow so quickly. You are gracious with yourpliments, Zhang Xuan replied with a hint of redness on his face. He felt like the reason he could grow this quickly was due to a predecessor standing in front of him, showing him the way. If not for Kong shi founding the Master Teacher Pavilion and cultivating techniques such as the Saint Ascension Decipher, there was no way he would have been able to grow that quickly. He might not have been able toe so far. Alright, lets drop the pleasantries and get straight to the point, shall we? I understand the reason for your visit, Kong shi said. You are worried about the duel I am going to have with God Monarch Lingxi, and youre here to talk me out of it, right? Yes, thats indeed my intention. Zhang Xuan nodded. He did not think that he would be able to hide his thoughts from Kong shi, so he decided to get straight to the point. Ill give you a clear answerthats impossible. The duel is inevitable. I am unable to avoid it, and the same goes for you, Kong shi replied with a shake of his head. The same goes for me? Zhang Xuan was stunned. This was supposed to be a duel between the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and God Monarch Lingxi. How was he involved in this matter? Kong shi mused over his words for a moment before asking, You haveprehended the ability of the Heavens Imperfections, right? Yes, I have, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. The ability that I haveprehended is the Heavens Order. I believe that you should be aware of that as well, Kong shi said. Zhang Xuan nodded once again. He had learned about that from the will Kong shi had left behind in the Azures Hall of Gods, so it was no secret to him anymore. Be it the Heavens Order or the Heavens Imperfections, they are all a part of the heavens. They are an integral part to the heavens, Kong shi said as he gazed at the sky outside of the room with a faraway look in his eyes. Gedeng! Zhang Xuans heart suddenly jolted as a thought came to him. Could it be that Ruoxin... God Monarch Lingxi also possesses a fragment of the heavens? Could this be the inevitability that everyone had been talking about all this time? Was that why he was attracted to Luo Ruoxin despite being incapable of feeling any romantic feelings for anyone else? Was that why Luo Ruoxin seemed to know about the existence of the Library of Heavens Path right from the start? Perhaps, the fragments of the heavens were able to sense each others existences instinctively, and they were drawn to one another. Chapter 2229 - War of the Heavens

Chapter 2229 War of the Heavens

Its just as you have thought. It is the War of the Heavens! Kong shi replied. Its a fight that cannot and must not be avoided. All forces of the world congregate and disperse with time; this is a natural and inevitable cycle. No one can escape it. If I win, Ill be the new overseer of the heavens. If I lose, my soul will dissipate, and everything will end right there. The War of the Heavens... Zhang Xuans face paled. Then, she and I... Did that not mean that he would have to eventually fight Luo Ruoxin as well? Would they have topete for supremacy, too? Was this the reason she was unwilling to ept him when he fell in love with her, evening up with all sorts of excuses to reject him? Back then, he had thought that there was somepelling power behind her that prevented them from getting together, but that was not the case at all. In the War of the Heavens, there could only be one survivor. Back when they were on the Master Teacher Continent, he had asked her many times for her real identity, but he had never been able to receive a concrete answer. Thinking back, it was not that she had been unwilling to speak; she simply could not do so. If she had revealed her true identity to him in advance, there was no saying how the heavens would have reacted to the divulging of the secret. They might even have had to fight one another in a life-and-death battle prematurely! If I win, the enemy you will have to face in the future is me. If I lose, it will be you and her battling one another. This is fate, and theres nothing we can do about it, Kong shi said with aposed voice. Even though it was his life and death that they were talking about, he was still able to remainpletely rational about it. Are the heavens you are referring to the heavens of the Firmament? Zhang Xuan asked. Is there really no way to avoid it? There isnt. Kong shi shook his head. But... isnt the Firmament still functioning fine? Cultivators can rise through the ranks, and life is still thriving! If the heavens are really severed into fragments, that shouldnt be the case! Zhang Xuan eximed. If the heavens of the Firmament were really divided among the three of them, the world should have been in utter chaos. Yet, that was not what Zhang Xuan had seen. Thriving? Kong shi shook his head bitterly. The Firmament stopped thriving forty years ago. The spiritual energy started receding, and many nts and beasts went extinct. Cultivators were forced to live within cities, and most of the poption cant acquire the Aura of Divinity they require to make a breakthrough. There is a huge strain on the supply of cultivation resources. We might have survived till now, but give it another several hundred years or so, and everything would be utterly barren. Life might not even exist then... This... Zhang Xuan fell silent. He knew that the other party was right. It had only been forty years since the receding of spiritual energy began, but a huge part of the Firmament had already turned inhospitable. Innumerable lives had been lost as a result of that. Many cultivators, due to the scarcity of resources, were unable to raise their cultivation anymore. With the resources umted in the Firmament throughout the innumerable years since its creation, the Firmament was still able to continue functioning. However, how long could its resourcesst? When all the Celestial Gods from forty years ago met their end, how many Celestial Gods would there be to rece them? What about God Kings and Conferred God Kings? As the spiritual energy in the air grew scarcer and scarcer, how many people would eventually die of starvation? He did not even dare imagine that! Was this the effect of the fragmentation of the heavens? Isnt there the Flood of Spiritual Energy? Zhang Xuan asked. I heard that its possible to acquire plenty of resources during that period. The Flood of Spiritual Energy was a natural phenomenon of the world that had happened once every decade since the receding of spiritual energy. Each time it happened, it would bring innumerable resources over to the Firmament, allowing the withering nts in the barrennds to continue surviving. For that reason, even though the Grand Spirit Mountain had been deprived of spiritual energy for a very long time, there were still many nts that still persisted to this day. If you view the Firmament as a building, the heavens are the pirs propping up the building, Kong shi said. Right now, the pirs are divided between you and me. Its only a matter of time before the building copsed at this rate. The Flood of Spiritual Energy is nothing more than temporary support structures put in ce. While it can slow the rate of the copse, it is nothing more than a temporary stopgap measure the world has put in ce, and it cant be sustained for too long. Furthermore, a huge disruption urs each time the Flood of Spiritual Energy urs. Cultivators resort to any means necessary to obtain more cultivation resources. While it looks like its the force maintaining the stability of the Firmament, its actually hastening its death. Do you know many Gods, Celestial Gods, and God Kings die in each Flood of Spiritual Energy? Those words left Zhang Xuan in deep thought. These were the secrets of the Firmament. The figures were not recorded in any of the books that he had read previously. There is no way to count the number of Gods and Celestial Gods, but before the Floods of Spiritual Energy began, there were more than three hundred Conferred God Kings and one thousand God Kings in the Firmament! Three hundred Conferred God Kings and one thousand God Kings? Zhang Xuans body jolted. Based on what he knew, there were only thirty Conferred God Kings and one hundred God Kings around... In other words, the Firmament had already lost ny percent of its strongest experts. If so, how many Celestial Gods and Gods had died over the years? The heavens of the Firmament cannot remain iplete any longer. If we allow it to remain fragmented, the situation will only continue to worsen over time. The world will be further destabilized, and all beings will suffer, Kong shi said grimly. He could not simply sit still as the world was torn into pieces. Is there no choice but to sacrifice one of us in order to save the rest of the world? Is it... not possible to sustain the heavens together? Zhang Xuan asked. If the heavens could be divided, was there a chance that they could govern each jurisdiction of heavens separately and ensure that everything continued running as normal? Of course not! The heavens are an integrated existence, and it is sustained by a delicate harmony. The only way to stabilize it is to merge it back together as one. Its impossible to control the heavens separately through the fragments, Kong shi replied. Its simr to a series of cogs within a system. They are useless if we tear them apart and use them separately. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something and asked, If thats the case, Ruoxin already knew that I controlled a fragment of the heavens during our time back on the Master Teacher Continent, so why didnt she kill me? And its the same for you, Kong shi. If you wanted to, you could kill me right away and grab my fragment of the heavens. Wouldnt it be in your interest to do so? Zhang Xuan was not so arrogant as to think that he would be more important than the entire Firmamentbined. If killing him could save the entire Firmament, it was hard to understand why Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin had not made a move yet. After all, when he first met Luo Ruoxin at the Master Teacher Continent, he was no more than an ordinary mortal from a lower world. There were no feelings between them. There should have been no reason for Luo Ruoxin not to make a move. For Kong shi, if he could obtain the Library of Heavens Path, he could be even stronger, thus increasing his chances of surpassing Luo Ruoxin and defeating her in the uing battle. Why was he not doing so? Putting aside everything about saving the Firmament, being able to control the heavens meant gaining supreme dominance over the world. This was a great temptation that hardly anyone could resist. Kill you? Kong shi looked at Zhang Xuan with a glint in his eyes before sighing deeply. If I could save the rest of the Firmament by killing you, I would bear the sin for doing so. However, that wouldnt work. At the very least, it isnt time yet. Chapter 2230 - Night of the Full Moon

Chapter 2230 Night of the Full Moon

Why? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. He did not understand what the difference between him and Luo Ruoxin was. The two of them possessed the fragments of the heavens, so why could his fragment of the heavens not be snatched? Was it because he was too weak? You havent be a God Monarch on par with us yet, Kong shi replied. Only upon reaching this level can the fragment of heavens inside you be said to have fully matured. Otherwise, the imbnce in power would make it impossible to fuse the two fragments together, possibly causing a copse in harmony instead. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. If one viewed the different fragments of the heavens as separate powers, it would be of paramount importance to ensure that those powers were on par with one another before fusing them together. Otherwise, it would just lead to one power suppressing the other, resulting in internal disharmony within the body. If so, instead of saving the world, he could very well be harming everyone instead. The Firmament and the heavens, huh? Zhang Xuan muttered with a bitter look on his face. It was no wonder everyone said that it was impossible to avoid this life-and-death duel. He could see what was going on now. This was the fate that was destined for the three of them. If they attempted to defy this fate, it would only spell the end of the world. Is there really no other way? Zhang Xuan asked silently. All along, he had been grateful that he had the Library of Heavens Path with him. However, rather than a blessing, it turned out to be an obligation instead. I have been thinking hard over the years, and I did manage toe up with an idea. However, I dont know whether its truly feasible or not. You are very fortunate to be walking on a different path from mine. Perhaps you will reach heights that Ill never be able to, Kong shi said with a gentle smile. It felt like he had really seen through life and death, paying nearly no heed to it at all. A different path from yours? Zhang Xuan asked in confusion. Well, the secrets of the heavens mustnt be divulged, or else it could lead to unintended consequences. Its all up to you... In any case, God Monarch Lingxi and I have already done everything that we need to. As for how far you can go, thats up to you, Kong shi said. Seeing how the other party was unwilling to talk about this matter, Zhang Xuan knew that it was pointless for him to continue probing. So, he asked about another matter instead. Kong shi, I haveprehended the Heavens Imperfections whereas you haveprehended the Heavens Order. Do you know what God Monarch Lingxi hasprehended? That was the one thing that he had been curious about all this while. If the heavens had been split into three fragments, what was it that Luo Ruoxin hadprehended? Why could Luo Ruoxin sense him whereas he was unable to feel anything at all? I am also quite curious about that! Kong shi replied with a shake of his head. You dont know either? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. In order to investigate Kong shi, Luo Ruoxin went all the way down to the Master Teacher Continent in order to uncover his abilities, and yet, Kong shi did not even know what kind of abilities Luo Ruoxin possessed. How was he intending to win the duel like that? Over the past forty years, I have spent my timeprehending the nature of the heavens of the Firmament. Despite its deficiency, it was still able to sustain itself withoutpletely copsing. It felt like there was some sort of power working in the background to protect the lives in the Firmament, Kong shi suddenly remarked. There were many things that he could not talk to his direct disciples about, and his rtionship with the Nine God Monarchs was poor. In the end, it turned out that the only person he could really confide in was Zhang Xuan. Do you mean to say is that the power that is working in the background has something to do with Ruoxin? So, has sheprehended something along the lines of the Heavens Protection? Zhang Xuan asked. Despite the upassionate nature of the heavens, it still provided the environment that allowed countless lives to thrive within it. For example, the environment of his previous world had been so intricately designed to shelter the life living on it from most harm, be it the ozoneyer or the elements that make up each habitat. This could be the way in which the heavens protected the world. Could this be the final fragment of the Firmament? Its possible, but what I have in mind is different from that, Kong shi said with a shake of his head. I believe that the ability she hasprehended has something to do with the Heavens Nature. Due to that, the people of the Sky of Freedom highly respect autonomy and freedom. As for the Heavens Protection, I think that it is a notion embedded within the idea of the Heavens Nature. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded. Its all conjecture on my part at the moment. Itll take some looking into in order to figure out the truth, Kong shi said with a smile. Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before he asked, How confident are you in the fight? Not very. However, it wont be that easy to bring me down, Kong shi replied with aposed yet deeply confident tone. He hade a long way to reach where he currently was. He had founded the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Ethereal Hall, and he had singlehandedly challenged eight of the God Monarchs, allowing his reputation to echo all over the world. He was confident that no matter what kind of adversities stood in his path, he would be able to ovee them eventually. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan could not help but sigh once more. There was no way to get around this. If Kong shi won, it would spell Luo Ruoxins death, and vice-versa. There was no way to circumvent it! But after hearing Kong shis words, he knew that it was futile for him to struggle to stop this duel. The War of the Heavens was a fight that they would not be able to escape. It was their responsibility and obligation to see the fight to the end! Theres no need to worry. I... Sensing Zhang Xuans worries, Kong shi chuckled softly beneath his breath. But just as he was about to say something, the spiritual energy in the air suddenly began trembling, swiftly bing frighteningly violent. At the same time, the earth also began to tremor. Both Zhang Xuan and Kong shi quickly walked out of the room, and looking at the dark sky, they saw a full moon. Its brilliant silver light shone coldly upon thends. Teacher... The disciples whom Kong shi had gestured to leave earlier had gathered once more, and they looked at their teacher with eyes reddened in agitation. The night of the full moon hade, and the battle was about to begin. We have walked a long journey together, and you know my temperament. Life and death are part and parcel of life. Once autumn sinks in, unfortunate as it may be, leaves will be shed, and flowers will wither. However, that is all in preparation for a new spring, Kong shi said. If I fail to return from the duel, you are to serve Zhang Xuan as your new leader. With him around, youll be safe from danger. I understand, Kong shis direct disciples replied. Me? Everyone here is my senior, so how can I take on this responsibility? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Be it Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, or Ancient Sage Qiu Wu... They were all his seniors, and he had benefited greatly from their guidance in the past. It did not seem appropriate for him to be their leader. As someone who has a fragment of the heavens, you should be more confident in yourself, Kong shi said with a wave of his hand. But my strength is stillcking... His cultivation was only at God King realm primary stage, and it would likely take him a long time before he could reach the pinnacle stage, let alone Conferred God King. Given that Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and the others were all stronger than him... he could not help but feel deeply pressured bing their leader. Your strength is only temporary. You haveprehended a cultivation technique that surpasses the heavens, so its only a matter of time before you be a transcendental existence, Kong shi said with a smile. You dont need to worry too much about it. I am only saying this if the worst-case scenarioes to be. If Ie back alive, the final duel will eventually be between you and me... Zhang Xuan was speechless for a moment before nodding in resignation. Alright, Ill take good care of the Master Teacher Pavilion. It would be unbing of him to turn down the request of someone who could very well lose his life in the duel. Nodding with a satisfied smile, Kong shi said, The duel is about to begin. Ill be heading off now. Farewell... Hu! Right after saying those words, Kong shi leaped into the air and swiftly flitted toward the full moon. Kong shi, take me there as well! Zhang Xuan quickly shouted. This was a duel that involved Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin. Even if he could not stop it, he wanted to witness it with his own eyes. However, Kong shi had alreadypletely vanished from sight, seemingly having missed his words. Chapter 2231 - Above the Moon

Chapter 2231 Above the Moon

Zhang shi, watching the fight between two God Monarchs is very dangerous. The shockwaves of their shes could easily im your life. You might be harmed if you head over recklessly, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. But toward those words, Zhang Xuan simply shook his head. How could he possibly not know that? But this was a fight involving those two. He could not simply sit there doing nothing at all! He dashed into the air as well with his flight ability as a God King, but he realized that his movement speed was simply too slow. By the time he reached the battlefield, it would have ended. Young Master, am Ite? Just as Zhang Xuan was panicking, a voice suddenly echoed behind him. Turning around, he saw a young man looking at him with a smile. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up upon seeing the young man, and he eximed anxiously, You came at the perfect time! Take me to the battle! It was none other than Little Chick, who had been reinforcing his cultivation back in the Azure. It had been roughly half a day since Zhang Xuan returned to the Firmament, but for the Azure, more than two months had passed. This period was more than enough for him to fully reinforce his cultivation and return to his peak. Lets go! With a nod, Little Chick slit through the fabric of space and pulled Zhang Xuan in with him. In the blink of an eye, the two of them had vanished from sight. Its too dangerous for them to watch a fight between the two God Monarchs! Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was going to stop them, but he was not able to make it in time. He could not help but frown upon seeing what had happened. On the other hand, Luo Qiqi chuckled and said, There should be no need to worry if that young man who appeared earlier is apanying him. Who is... Ancient Sage Zi Yuan turned his gaze to Luo Qiqi, but halfway through his words, realization suddenly struck him, and he narrowed his eyes in astonishment. It cant be that... he is the Deathless Monarch? His teacher had fought with most of the God Monarchs of the Nine Skies, so Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was able to recognize most of them. The only ones whom he had never met before were the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom and the Deathless Monarch. Luo Qiqi nodded in response to those words. But the young man earlier addressed Zhang Xuan as... Young Master. Kong shis direct disciples were dazed. To be honest, they were a little dissatisfied with their teacher abruptly telling them to take Zhang Xuan as their new leader, but out of respect for their teacher, they had chosen to follow his orders. But who could have known that the young man would actually have a God Monarch as his servant? They knew full well just how powerful the God Monarchs were, so they could not imagine what the young man could have possibly done to tame a God Monarch. This was ridiculous! Even though he has the protection of the Deathless Monarch, a battle between the God Monarchs is still extremely dangerous. Zhang shi wont be able to do anything there, so hed be much better off waiting here for the results, Ancient Sage Bo Shang said. Indeed. If the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom learns that hes our teachers sessor and tries to hold him hostage, that could very well throw our teacher off-guard and expose him to unnecessary danger, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. The key problem was that Zhang Xuan could be a liability to Kong shi once the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom knew about their rtionship. All the other party had to do was intentionally utilize a sliver of her strength against Zhang Xuan in order to put their teacher in a disadvantageous position. Your worry is unfounded. Knowing what Kong shis direct disciples were worrying about, Luo Qiqi shook her head bitterly. The God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom would never make a move on him. Whys that? Ancient Sage Zi Yuan asked with a frown. You shouldnt underestimate what humans will do when they are in danger. Rules and morals be secondary concerns in such a situation. The God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom had gone to the extent of finding a way to descend to the Master Teacher Continent in order to figure out their teachers abilities. Given how determined she was to win the duel, how could one be certain that she would not use a hostage to force Kong shi to submit to her? In a life-and-death duel, the only thing that mattered was winning. After all, it would be the end of everything once one lost. I would still have second thoughts if it was any other God Monarch, but when ites to the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom, theres no way that she would hurt Zhang Xuan. Thats because... Luo Qiqi sighed deeply. Thats because shes Zhang Xuans girlfriend! Girlfriend? Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, and the others were all stunned. The young man was the sessor of their teacher, the Young Master of the Deathless Monarch, and he was the girlfriend of God Monarch Lingxi too? What the heck was wrong with that young man? Why in the world did he have so many identities? ... With a flicker of space, Zhang Xuan found himself appearing above a t, empty space that extended all the way to the horizon. There was not a sliver of spiritual energy or vitality in the air. It was an utterly deste environment. Where are we? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. If not for his cultivation having reached the God King realm, he would probably have found it hard to survive in such an environment, let alone watch the battle. We are above the moon! Little Chick replied. Moon? Zhang Xuan repeated in bewilderment. It was also at this moment that he realized that thend he was standing on was emanating a silvery shimmer. There were brilliant stars all around him, and the massive Firmament floated some distance away. They were indeed on the moon. He did not think that they woulde all the way to the moon in the blink of an eye. God Monarchs sure were terrifying existences. Looking around him, Zhang Xuan realized that there were quite a few people standing in the vicinity. Yet, for some reason, his Spiritual Perception was unable to perceive their presence clearly. The owner of the massive face that he had seen back in the Sky of Linglong was among the crowd. Surprisingly, he did not see the young man who had given him some pointers on his swordsmanship a while back, but the elder who had been standing behind him back then was there. Most likely, the God Monarch of the Sword Hut had teleported him there to witness the battle as his representative. So, they are the Nine God Monarchs, Zhang Xuan muttered. Those who were qualified to watch this battle were mostly the God Monarchs. They were the only ones who were able to go there so quickly in order to watch the battle, and they were also the only ones who could protect themselves from the shockwaves of the battle. Its beginning, Little Chick said. Raising his head, Zhang Xuan saw two figures standing loftily on two mountains located several thousand li away. One of them was an old man who had a snowy beard that drifted along with the wind, and his eyes were filled with deeppassion for the world. The other was a youngdy who had fluttering ck hair and her eyes filled with the cool regality of a monarch. Luo Ruoxin! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together. He had been thinking about her ever since they parted on the Master Teacher Continent, and he had thought up scenes of how their reunion would be many times before. But he had never thought that this would be it. She would actually be fighting a life-and-death duel with another person who was also important in his life. Boom boom boom! He could not clearly see what happened, but a crack suddenly appeared in the world. Countless lightning bolts devastated the ground, and the surface of the moon trembled nonstop. Amid countless ck rifts, the floating Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi made their moves. Their movements were not quick, but every strike they made carried unopposable might that threatened to tear the world apart. It felt like the moon would crumble under their might and fall from the sky. After watching for a while, Zhang Xuan finally understood why they had chosen this ce for their final showdown. Neither of them is able to utilize the power of the heavens on the moon... As cultivators who controlled fragments of heavens, if they started using the powers of the heavens, it could worsen the stability of the world, causing countless people to die. As a result, they had decided to choose a battlefield where they had no choice but to rely on their own strength. The shockwaves were so powerful that they swept over thousands of li to reach Zhang Xuan, but Little Chick fended them off right before they were about to reach him. Unfortunately for the moon, it did not have someone to protect it. Cracks appeared one after another on its surface, and it swiftly became tattered under the shes of the two formidable powers. Zhang Xuan was not able to see through their battles given the limitations of his current strength, and he could not use the Library of Heavens Path there either. So, he turned his sights to Little Chick and asked, Who do you think will win? Chapter 2232 - 2232 I Shall Live as Myself 2232 I Shall Live as Myself Instead of answering Zhang Xuans question, Little Chick frowned as he muttered with a hint of incredulity in his voice, Its very weird! Whats weird? Zhang Xuan asked. Since it is a life-and-death duel, I thought the two of them would give it their all, but for some reason... Little Chick cocked his head as he pondered over an iprehensible question. Why does it seem like the two of them are still holding back? Are they sounding each other out to find an opportune moment to strike? Zhang Xuan asked as he watched the duel worriedly. In most battles, the cultivators would not go all out and reveal their trump cards right from the start. Instead, they would try to sound out the other partys abilities to maximize the effectiveness of their trump cards. The ground continued wavering under the shes of the two, and even the mountains that they had been standing on previously had been ground to dust. It was truly fortunate that they were not on the Firmament, or else a battle of such scale would copse even a city as massive as Drifting Specter Royal City. Countless Gods would surely have died in the catastrophe. Do you think that its possible for you to stop them with your current strength? Zhang Xuan asked. Thats impossible, Little Chick replied with a shake of his head. My cultivation has grown a fair bit after my resurrection, but Im still nowhere close to matching those two. Be it God Monarch Lingxi or the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, they are beings who have reached the zenith of the Firmament. There is no God Monarch who couldpete with them. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He had anticipated such an answer, but still, he could not help but feel deeply disappointed after hearing Little Chicks words. It seemed like there was really nothing he could do. Besides, even if Little Chick was able to stop the battle, it might just spell a great cmity in the near future. It would just be dying the inevitable for a while longer. Huhuhu! A series of crescent arc surges of sword qi suddenly filled the surroundings. Luo Ruoxin had finally drawn her weapon. Her swordsmanship was extremely elegant and beautiful. It felt surprisingly familiar though, such that Zhang Xuan could not help but frown after seeing it. It actually bore some resemnce to the swordsmanship that he had seen from the God Monarch of the Sword Hut. However, the conceptualization was a little different. Luo Ruoxins swordsmanship felt free and spirited, reminiscent of a person who was unbound by anything in the world. Ruoxin has probably received advice from the God Monarch of the Sword Hut. He could not gauge just how powerful the God Monarch of the Sword Hut was, but he had a feeling that thetter was someone who wasparable to Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi, especially since thetter was able to match him in a sh of equal power levels. Luo Ruoxin had taken the God Monarch of the Sword Huts swordsmanship and infused her soul into it, adapting it to be something that was hers. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan noticed that on top of the desire for freedom, Luo Ruoxins swordsmanship carried the conceptualization of protection as well. The only problem was that these two concepts were at odds with one another. The desire of wanting to protect something was a shackle in itself, preventing one from living freely. If she waspletely free, her swordsmanship would have been far stronger... He might be greatlycking to them in terms of cultivation, but when it came to his eye for swordsmanship, he would not pale inparison to them. The fact that he couldprehend a swordsmanship that surpassed the heavens spoke volumes. Luo Ruoxins swordsmanship carried the desire to protect, but in the depths of her heart, what she truly craved was freedom. Even though she had already suppressed this contradiction to the bare minimum, it was inevitable that it would hinder her in a battle. It could very well be a fatal w of hers when fighting someone of the same level. If he could tell as much, Kong shi should be able to do so as well. With his heart thumping nervously, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Kong shi and saw thetter bringing out his weapon. It was a cane. Having seen through the ws in the youngdys swordsmanship, Kong shis cane struck furiously like a torrent, making it nigh impossible to defend against. His skills with the cane are truly formidable... Zhang Xuan was astounded. As the Worlds Teacher, Kong shi was renowned not because of his superior strength but his deepprehension of cultivation, the development of the system of master teachers, and the values that he passed down through the generations. As such, many people viewed him as a refined schr. Zhang Xuan had thought that he would be refined even in a battle, but after seeing this, he realized that he could not have been more wrong. His caneshed forth at his opponent with the might of an entire world, drawing upon might that none could withstand. It was utterly violent and destructive. This was at odds with his perception of whom Kong shi was. But again, how could a person destroy the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe just by being refined? Having followed Kong shis footsteps, he was aware of his deeds as he rose through the worlds. Kong shi was a person who desired to create an impartial world where everyone was strong and could stand up for themself. In order to achieve his goals, it was inevitable that he would need to resort to violence at times. During Kong shis era on the Master Teacher Continent, in order to ensure the survival of mankind, he had charged into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe alone and wreaked havoc in their midst, killing countless enemies. In the Azure, he had subdued many opponents in order to create and establish the Ethereal Halls system, allowing the world to rise to greater heights. There was no doubt that Kong shi was truly a terrifying individual, but his selflessness allowed him to earn the respect and not the fear of others. Terrifying toward those who stepped beyond his bottom line, magnanimous to all who sought to learn, it was no wonder he had been able to rise up as such a respected figure during an era of chaos, remembered by the world even after tens of thousands of yearster. But again, this was yet another contradiction in itself, and this could be seen in his blows. Despite the violence of his cane, one could still feel his gentleness and merciful intent. His strikes appeared to carry the intent to kill, but he would alter them at thest moment in order to avoidnding a fatal blow. His principles disallowed him to kill a person who was innocent, putting him in a state of internal conflict. Zhang Xuan shook his head. This is a w as well... Luo Ruoxin craved freedom whereas Kong shi carried far too greatpassion for the world. Those were huge taboos in a life-and-death duel. Yet, this was their very nature. It could not be changed so arbitrarily, especially not in the midst of a battle. What about me then? Seeing through the problems in the attacks of the two, Zhang Xuan could not help but reflect on himself. The Pathos of Heaven that he hadprehended carried great yearning toward his loved ones. As such, his swordsmanship was extremely binding and sentimental. However, after hearing the words from the God Monarch of the Sword Hut, he had realized that there was a problem with his swordsmanship. There was nothing wrong with valuing ones sentiments, but it would be too shallow if that was all there was to it. Instead of wallowing in his feelings, he ought to use those sentiments as a driving force to protect his loved ones from danger! It was just like how love would not be enough to sustain a family. One would have to devote time and effort, not just mere sentiments, in order to protect ones family and sustain rtions, be it financially or psychologically. If I were a God Monarch, I would have been able to intervene and suggest solutions out of this quandary. I wouldnt have to helplessly watch as one of them pass away in this War of the Heavens... If I had the power to protect the Firmament, there would have been no need for them to do this... These thoughts surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. It was a huge torture for him to see the two of them fighting one another. He would find it hard to ept the results no matter who won in the end. He regretted his own weakness. He could not even protect what he held dear to him. Zhang Xuan sighed. I dont think Im suited to protect at all... It was at this moment that he realized that he was not suited to the swordsmanship suggested by the God Monarch of the Sword Hut. Having reincarnated from his previous world, there was one thing he realized. He did not like his fate being governed in the hands of another. Ever since his journey started on the Master Teacher Continent, he had always stood in the face of adversity without fear, pushing forward for what he believed in. He had also always wanted to protect those around him from harm, but not once had he ever thought of wanting to protect the entire world. What he wanted was not to protect others but to live the way he wanted. Chapter 2233 - The Demise of a Monarch

Chapter 2233 The Demise of a Monarch

To him, living as himself meant bing the best him. In his journey, while his clone had been thinking of ways in which he could brag, such a thought had never crossed his mind. There were one or two asions when he had taken center stage of his own volition, but that was also in order to be the best him. In the depths of his heart, he had always been a humble, low profile, diligent, and honest person. As such a thought arose in his mind, he felt like his heart had suddenly opened up. At the same time, the sword art that he hadprehended began to change. His sword arts, be it A Heart of Intertwined Threads or Unyielding Loyalty, carried the conceptualization of binding something, but along with the change in his state of mind, they became haughtier and more refined, carrying the will to charge ahead fearlessly. He would do anything to protect his kin and loved ones, but he would never allow himself to be their ves. In the same way, it was right for a person to earn money in order to support their family, but they must not allow it to be their only reason for existence. That would be merely living for the sake of living. To charge bravely ahead and be the best him, that was the path he had chosen. If he could be the best him and obtain the strength and capabilities he desired, he would also gain the strength to protect those who were dear to him. These two notions were not at odds with one another. As the contradictions in his heart cleared away, Zhang Xuan continued to observe the battle ahead of him. The sh between the two most powerful experts in the Firmament had made the spectating experts utterly silent. None of them were able to say a word. He is really formidable, Little Chick murmured in disbelief. In just forty years, he was able to reinforce his cultivation to such an extent. The Heaven Subjugation Monarch is really an incredible genius... The Deathless Monarch had lived for many years, and he had even resurrected once. Yet, he came nowhere close inparison to the prowess of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch. This was more than enough to highlight the difference in terms of talent between the two of them. It was to such an extent that one could not help but despair. Aftermenting, Little Chick turned to look at the young man beside him, and he shook his head once more. If he thought about it, the Young Masters talents did not pale anywhere inparison to the Heaven Subjugation Monarch. In fact, if they really had to make aparison, it felt like the Young Master had an edge over thetter. The Young Master might just reach the same level as those two within the next decade or so... Luo Ruoxin retracted her sword and took a few steps back before speaking with a cold voice. Impressive. You were able to be this powerful within a short forty years. However, I still have onest move. If you are able to ovee it, itll be my loss. I also have onest move prepared, Kong shi replied with his usualposure. If I lose, I hope that you can respect our previous agreement. Im not a person who would go against my words, Luo Ruoxin replied. I also hope that you can keep to our agreement if I lose my life. Of course! Kong shi nodded. Lets not waste any time then. Havinge to a decision, the two of them made their moves simultaneously. An iparably powerful Sword Intent burst into the air while a cane smashed downward with unfathomable might. The sh between the two created such blinding radiance that it outshone the glow of the moon. For a moment, the entire Firmament was blinded by the light in the sh. Whats that? I have no idea... Is it the fight between the God Monarch of the Sky of Freedom and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch? They are fighting on the moon? It must be! Who else could create such a hugemotion? ... At the same time, countless people in the Firmament raised their heads to look at the moon, which appeared to be almost as brilliant as the sun. Amid the blinding light, Kong shis cane seemed to forge a long river of time in front of him. Countless silhouettes could be seen drifting within the river, epassing the history of the world since tens of thousands of years ago. Each of these snapshots of history had a Kong shi in them. Some of them were furious, some of them had a gentle smile, some of them were cheerful, and some of them were sorrowful... Put together, these Kong shis seemed to drive the wheels of history, bringing the true powers of the temporalws into life. This was his strongest technique, Spring and Autumn! A brush to dictate spring, and a brush to dictate autumn. It was a technique that tapped into everything from the past to the present. The wills of these Kong shis that existed across the time continuum aligned together with one another, bestowing him with strength far beyond anyones imagination. It felt like the entire moon would copse under the sheer pressure of his strength and fall to the ground. Under the rush of history, the gray granite on the moon shed white before shattering into dust. There was no one, no matter how strong, who could oppose the might of time. It was a transcendental power that formed the basis of the universe. Ruoxin... Zhang Xuan did not think that Kong shi would actually have such a move up his sleeves, and he could not help but ce his hands together out of sheer nervousness. Looking anxiously at the youngdy, for a brief moment, he saw her ncing at him yearningly. But the next moment, she was already looking at her opponent with eyes filled with regality. I have been waiting for this... She raised her sword and pierced it right toward the river of time. The sword froze on the spot, as if it was destined to never reach its target. Yet, the Sword Intent bursting forth from it struck through the river of time and pierced through history. Unlike the three-dimensional nature of space, the flow of time was one dimensional. It was incapable of changing its flow and dodging Luo Ruoxins attack. Her sword was directed right at the weakness of Spring and Autumn, piercing through the countless Kong shis at once, leaving him unable to dodge. In the end, the past was nothing more than the past. It did not have the power to dictate the present and the future! Its the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. She obtained it in the Master Teacher Continent and uncovered all of its secrets, Zhang Xuan muttered with a slightly pale face. It was apparent that the sword art was created with the sole purpose of dealing with Kong shi. Using her as the medium, she channeled her Sword Intent toward the temporalws to pierce through the flow of time. There was no way she would have been able to create such a move withoutprehending the secrets of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. And he was the one who entered the Temple of Confucius and obtained the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn for her. If Kong shi was killed, he would be an aplice. He turned to look at Kong shi, hoping that he would be able to avoid or ovee this attack somehow. Yet, instead of retaliating, he ced the cane in his hand down. Why? Zhang Xuan shouted. In that instant, he dashed forward, wanting to shake Kong shi to his senses, but Little Chick resolutely held him back. That technique causes his present self to ovep with his other selfs in history. If his other selfs are killed, his present self wont be able to survive. That is the greatest w of this technique, so theres nothing he could do to save himself, Little Chick exined with a shake of his head. But... There must be some way... Some way... Zhang Xuan eximed in despair. Deep inside, he knew that Little Chick was right. Time worked in a straight line. If the past him was killed, the present him could not possibly survive. Spring and Autumn was indeed a powerful technique, but it had a terribly dangerous w to it. Dont forget what you have promised me... Kong shi shot a nce at Zhang Xuan, and his voice echoed within his ears. Then, his body began falling to the ground. Boom! Under the powerful surge of Sword Intent from Luo Ruoxin, the river of time was severed, and the silhouettes in there dissipated one after another. Before the present Kong shi could reach the ground, his body had already disintegrated into a mist that carried the powers of the heavens. The mist immediately dashed into the sky, wanting to escape from the moon. However, Luo Ruoxin swiftly reached out and grabbed the mist tightly, preventing it from escaping. Hong long long! All of this happened in an instant, and the brilliant light on the moon swiftly disappeared. However, the violent energies that were caused by the sh continued to linger in the surroundings. They gathered together in the sky and fell to the ground as a heavy downpour. It was as if the sky itself was crying. The duel between the two God Monarchs had ended. Kong shi was dead! Chapter 2234 - Conferred God King of the Nine Skies 1

Chapter 2234 Conferred God King of the Nine Skies 1

Grasping tightly at the mist that hade from Kong shis body, Luo Ruoxin was in a daze. The Heaven Subjugation Monarch had awed many people ever since his arrival in the Firmament. Even the God Monarchs had ended up submitting to him one after another. Luo Ruoxin had walked into the battle with the resolve that she could possibly lose her life, but in the end, she was the one who had survived. That had been Kong shis most powerful technique. Even though she had traveled to the lower worlds to figure out his abilities and spent a great deal of time trying to devise a counter for it, everything had happened so smoothly that she could not help feeling a little dazed. It almost felt as if Kong shi had given up on the battle at thest moment. When she executed her veryst strike, for a split second, she could see relief on Kong shis face, as if he had finally fulfilled what he had set out to do. After a moment of silence, Luo Ruoxin collected the mist with a flick of her finger before heaving a sigh of relief. Then, she turned her sight toward a certain someone not too far away. The young man whom she loved dearly was dashing toward the area where Kong shi had fallen. He desperately tried to retain the remnants of Kong shis energy, but his efforts were futile. Knowing Zhang Xuans feelings, Luo Ruoxin hesitated for a moment before walking toward him and saying, This is fate. Theres nothing we can do about it... Those who possessed a fragment of the heavens carried a fate that they could not escape from. Zhang Xuan lowered his head for a long while before he quietly replied, I understand... He did not want to ept it, but it was a fact that Kong shi was really dead! Ever since his time on the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shi had served as a guide to him, shining light on the path that he should take. While he had never formally acknowledged the other party as his teacher, he viewed the other party as his mentor and respected him deeply. He did not think that the other party would vanish from the face of the world shortly after their first meeting. He could clearly remember his interactions with the old man, as if thetter was still with him. It felt unreal that he had passed away just like that. Is this... the path that we have to take as well? Will we have to fight it out to vie for the heavens too? Zhang Xuan looked at Luo Ruoxin with a sorrowful look on his face. I dont know... Luo Ruoxin lowered her face, as if trying to escape Zhang Xuans eyes. You already have an answer deep inside your heart. You are just unwilling to say it out loud. Did you avoid me all this time to avoid getting entangled with me? Are you afraid that you wont be able to make a move on me at the very end? Zhang Xuan asked. I... Luo Ruoxin could not answer his question. Seeing this, Zhang Xuan felt as if his heart had shattered apart. He suddenly felt like he had to get out of here. He turned around and walked away. Little Chick, lets go. If it was fate that one of them had to die at the hands of the other, he would have preferred this ill-fated romance between them to have never begun in the first ce. Zhang Xuan... Watching his departing back, Luo Ruoxin closed her eyes, and when she finally opened them once more, her vision was already blurry. With a quivering voice, she said, Im sorry... You dont need to apologize to me. This is simply our fate, Zhang Xuan replied without turning around. He had persevered all this while in the hopes that he would be able to see her once more. But when he finally met her once more and understood the truth behind everything... Perhaps it would have been better if he had let her go right from the start. He could not ept that this was the only future thaty ahead of the two of them. If this was the suffering that he had to go through, he would rather not have any emotions. Pu! A mouthful of blood spurted from Zhang Xuans mouth as his vision darkened a little. As someone who cultivated the Pathos of Heaven, the desire of wanting to be emotionless was a fatal blow to him. Just the mere thought of it nearly caused his cultivation to copse. Weng! The pendant hanging in around him heated up. A surge of energy flowed into his body and suppressed the chaotic flow of energy within his body. Zhang Xuan raised his hand to grab the pendant around his neck. He wanted to throw it back to Luo Ruoxin, but at the veryst moment, he released his grip, and his hand ckened by his side. There was no use venting his anger on Luo Ruoxin. It was not her fault that everything had turned out like that. If she had died in the duel, he would have surely reacted many times worse than he currently was. From the very start, only one person was going to walk out of the duel alive. It was just that he simply refused to acknowledge this reality. He slowly turned around to face Luo Ruoxin, only to see that her eyes had reddenedpletely. In that moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt deeply apologetic. All this while, she had been forced to live with the knowledge that such a futurey ahead of them. He could not begin to imagine just how much pressure she must have been under. The pain that she felt was definitely no less than his. So, he walked over and embraced her tightly. With a determined voice, he said, I dont believe that theres no way around the War of the Heavens. Ill definitely find a way for the both of us to survive this, so wait for me. All of a sudden, he recalled the words that Kong shi had said. Thetter had mentioned that he had been thinking about this matter all these years, and he had an idea in mind. It was just that he was not certain whether he would seed. This meant that they were notpletely helpless. There were ways in which they could circumvent this. They just had to find it! Putting everything aside, during his time in the Azure, Kong shis clone seemed to know of a way to extract the Library of Heavens Path from his body. Though the method would result in his death, was it possible for them to modify it in some way so that he could survive even after extracting the Library of Heavens Path? If they could do it, they would be able to ovee this darned War of the Heavens without the sacrifice of either one of them! Is that... possible? Luo Ruoxin asked weakly. Yes, it is possible. It must be possible! Ill definitely find a way out of this, so trust me, Zhang Xuan said. But what if you cant find it? Luo Ruoxins voice quivered a little. With a firm and resolute tone, Zhang Xuan replied, At the very most, well just die together. Once we are gone, the fragments of the heavens wille together to repair the Firmament, but that will already be none of our business. This... Hearing Zhang Xuans words, Luo Ruoxin was taken aback for a moment before she nodded resolutely. Youre right. Why should we care that much after were dead? Well just be together under the same tombstone! Indeed, whats the worst that could happen? Be it the heavens or fate, nothing will tear us apart anymore... Nothing will tear us apart anymore... With reddened eyes, Luo Ruoxin also embraced the young man tightly. She had been hesitating and worrying all this time. She knew that it was an impossible love, but she simply could not harden her will to forsake it. But the young man voiced her deepest wishes. As long as they were together, death was nothing to fear! Having cast aside all her hesitation, there was nothing holding her back! Even if the heavens copse, Ill be satisfied as long as Im with you. Feeling the warmth from the youngdys body, a poem suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. A pair of lovebirds we shall be in the heavens, a pair of branches we intertwine on earth. Even the heavens and earth are limited by time, but our feelings shall be eternal! At the same time, the Library of Heavens Path jolted, and a cultivation technique manual materialized. What is there to rejoice about life? What is there to grief about death? The seas can dry up, and the stones can be ground down, but even if the world were to be obliterated, our feelings willst through time. Boom! Above the moon, a great surge of energy rained down upon Zhang Xuan, shrouding him within a surge of energy. At the same time, red clouds began to congregate around the Firmament, and a massive power poured down. Dark shadows filled thend, and the earth began to tremor. It seemed like something was going to be born. Zhang Xuan had thought that unless he received a conferment from a God Monarch, he would not be able to ovee his limits as a God King. Yet, who could have known that he would still be able to tear through the bottleneck ahead of him without any problems? This... The eyes of the God Monarchs widened in shock at that sight. Fairy Linglongs body trembled as she eximed, Instead of being conferred by a God Monarch, he is being conferred by the world itself... This is the World Conferment? Does this mean that... there will be yet another Heaven Subjugation Monarch? The God Monarchs present in the area turned to look at Zhang Xuan with bbergasted expressions, and they were not able to speak for a very long time. Chapter 2235 - Conferred God King of the Nine Skies 2

Chapter 2235 Conferred God King of the Nine Skies 2

Forty years ago, a talented genius possessing superior talent had suddenly appeared in the Firmament. Impressed with his talent, the God Monarchs had sought to take him under their wing and confer him as their Conferred God King. A huge fight had broken out among them as a result of that. At the end of the fight, they hade to an agreement. In order to avoid escting the conflict, none of them would confer him. Everyone had thought that this would be the end for that talented genius. No one could have imagined that the talented genius would end up receiving the conferment of the world itself. It had been the same sight back then. The entire Firmament was wrapped within red clouds, and a grand power rose from the world. The God Monarchs had all been taken aback by the phenomenon the first time they witnessed it as they realized that something greater than them was urring. And just as they thought, the talented genius had eventually grown to be the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, wielding the powers to challenge even the great God Monarch Lingxi. Forty yearster, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch fell in a grand showdown with the God Monarch Lingxi, but momentster, yet another person conferred by the world appeared. Not even the Nine God Monarchs had enjoyed such an honor during their ascension! The World Conferment was a natural force of the world that was beyond the control of the God Monarchs, and one who had been bestowed with such power would be truly invincible beneath the God Monarchs. Is this fate, too? Little Chick murmured. He had thought that the Young Master would require several years of umtion to reach such a level, but he had managed to pull it off in the blink of an eye. It was insane! While muttering to himself in shock, Little Chick nearly lost control of his powers and reverted to a little chick. The Cloud Dragon Monarch also had his eyes widened intorge bells, and it looked as if he was on the verge of reverting to his dragon form. Fairy Linglong was trembling in so much fear that her legs were mped tightly together. Just thinking about how she had attempted to kill the young man previously was enough to make her blood run cold. As powerful as they were, they were only bestowed with the powers to govern a single Sky. However, the young man before them had been recognized by all of the Nine Skies. In other words, he was the Conferred King of the Nine Skies! This marked the start of yet another legend. ... Jiya! In the firmament, the doors of a humble-looking straw hut opened, and a young man walked out. He gazed at the sky silently, but vaguely, one could see the corners of his lips edging up to form a slight smile. He hasprehended it far faster than I thought. Perhaps you were right all along... Ill be waiting for him to create a miracle. ... In the Sky of Drifting Specters, Qi Meng walked out from his seclusion to gaze at the red clouds in the sky. Conferred King of the Nine Skies... Who could it be? As the Conferred God King of the Qi n, he was aware of how the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had risen to power back then, and he knew about the Conferred King of the Nine Skies as well. However, he could not fathom who had sparked such a grand phenomenon this time. It seems like its the rise of yet another Heaven Subjugation Monarch... What a pity that we werent able to get acquainted with him in advance. Otherwise, it would have guaranteed our Qi ns prosperity for years toe, Qi Meng muttered. The world seemed to obey a certain cycle, but the closer they came to uncovering the secrets of the world, the more erratic they found the world to be. Even with the wisdom they had rued over thousands of years, they were unable to fathom the worlds trajectory. If he had known whom the Conferred King of the Nine Skies was, he would have gotten acquainted with the other party in advance. That would surely have been a blessing for their Qi n... But there was simply no way to predict such a thing. Not even the God Monarchs had the ability to do so, let alone a mere Conferred God King. I wonder who it is... Qi Meng thought of all the cultivators who were on the verge of reaching God King realm pinnacle in his head, but there were none that seemed to fit the criteria. It looks like this God King has been maintaining quite a low profile, or else theres no way I wouldnt have been able to guess it! The Conferred God King of the Nine Skies was bound to be someone who possessed iparable talent, so it should have been easy for him to guess who it was. Yet, he was simply unable to figure the identity of the person. It could only go to say that this God King was an incredibly humble and low-profile individual. How rare. There were not many low-profile individuals in the Firmament anymore! ... Someone has managed to be a Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, just like our teacher... On the cliff where Kong shi resided, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan looked at the energy gathering in the sky with a solemn look on his face. It must be Zhang shi... For Zhang shi to receive the World Conferment, doesnt that mean that our teacher... Something must have happened to our teacher. Sigh. Our teacher told us to view Zhang Xuan as our leader and wait... I believe that he has his reasons for instructing us to do so. Lets believe in our teacher and await his return. Nothing can happen to you, Teacher... The crowd fell silent. For some reason, to them, it felt like the World Conferment marked the end of their teachers legend and the start of Zhang shis legend. ... Huhe! Huhe! Panting heavily, a young man dodged the attack of a rabbit and sessfully escaped to a nearby cavern. Within the cavern, two beautifuldies looked at him anxiously as they asked, How is it? If Zhang Xuan was there, he would have recognized these twodies as Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao, whom he had met in the Azure not too long ago. And the young man, naturally, was Luo Qiqis elder brother, Luo Xuanqing. Having entered the Firmament through the Hall of Gods, they found themselves on the Grand Spirit Mountain, simr to Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples. Due to having swallowed Zhang Xuans blood, they had ovee the spatial turbulence without sustaining too many injuries, and they had been able to quickly recover from their injuries too. Nevertheless, with their God realm primary stage cultivation, they were not able to easily deal with the threats lurking all around the Firmament. I couldnt beat the rabbit, and I nearly got killed by it. Its lucky that I ran away fast enough. However, it seems like well have to starve for tonight as well... Luo Xuanqing shook his head bitterly. They had thought that the Firmament would be filled with spiritual energy and all sorts of treasures, but never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that it was actually this barren. Despite being the strongest experts in the Azure, they did not even have the strength to deal with a mere rabbit. Just the thought of it left them feeling deeply stifled. The flow of time in the Firmament is so slow, and the spatial pressure is far too great... Without adapting to such an environment, it would be hard for one to even walk around. Hu Yaoyao could not help but ask, Say, how do you think Zhang Xuan managed to break the dimension barrier to return to the Azure? How strong must he be in order to do that? This... The remaining two people fell silent. They had expected the Firmament to be just a little more formidable than the Azure, but the gap between the two worlds was truly enormous. With the sheer resilience of the spatialws there, they could not imagine how Zhang Xuan could have torn open the dimension barrier to deliver the God Blood to them. Just how powerful was he? When I headed out earlier, I encountered a few students who are out for an expedition, Luo Xuanqing said. ording to what I heard, it seems like the cultivation realms in the Firmament are divided into God, Celestial God, God King, Conferred God King, and God Monarch! It has only been a month since he arrived at the Firmament, and taking into ount his talent and speed of cultivation, I reckon that he should be a middle-tier God at the moment. As for returning to the Azure, I seriously doubt that. After all, he didnt appear before us at all. My guess is that he might have sent the God Blood down through some sort of ritual. It shouldnt be too difficult to do so with the powers of Starchaser Pces altar. Through eavesdropping on the conversation of the cultivators he had met earlier today, he had gained some understanding of the Firmament, and he knew how difficult it was to raise ones cultivation there. This... Hu Yaoyao pondered for a moment before shaking her head. That fellow has always been good at achieving the impossible. I think his cultivation should be higher than that... Around high-tier God, Id say! Youre saying that his cultivation has leaped across two realms within a month? Luo Xuanqing snorted in disbelief. You are thinking too highly of him! It is extremely difficult to do so, but I believe that hes capable of it! Yu Fei-er chirped in enthusiastically. Perhaps... Knowing that it was impossible to argue with these two fangirls, Luo Xuanqing shrugged before falling silent. At this moment, the ground beneath them suddenly began to tremor, so the three of them quickly charged out of the cavern, only see with a sky filled with red clouds. What is that? Is this some kind of skill cast by a God Monarch? It feels like the worlds acknowledgement toward an individual to me. I felt the same way back when Zhang Xuan was acknowledged as a Celestial Master Teacher. I didnt think that I would witness such a sight shortly after arriving in the Firmament. Alright then! From today on, I shall view that expert as my idol! Luo Xuanqing dered with eyes filled with passion. I shall view him as my target, and I shall rise through the ranks and surpass that darnedd Zhang Xuan! Chapter 2236 - Kong shi Could Come Back to Life?

Chapter 2236 Kong shi Could Come Back to Life?

In the Sanctum of Sages, Luo Xuanqing had met Zhang Xuan for the first time, and they had be close friends with one another. However, due to the matter concerning his younger sister, they had ended up turning against one another. But in the depths of his heart, he still viewed the other party to be his rival and a friend. It was just that the other partys cultivation grew too quickly. He made breakthroughs so frighteningly quick, leaving innumerable legends in his wake. He had thought that it would have been impossible for him to catch up with Zhang Xuan, but who could have known that there would be such a huge time gap between the Master Teacher Continent and the higher worlds? With this, he still had a chance! At this moment, Zhang Xuan only had a months advantage on him. As long as he worked diligently, he should be able to catch up with the other party, and soon, he would be able to give the other party a good pummeling. Surpass Zhang Xuan? Hearing Luo Xuanqings muttering, Hu Yaoyao and Yu Fei-er nced at one another before shaking their heads helplessly. Forget it, do whatever that makes you happy... As people who had seen how Zhang Xuan forged his legend, they did not think that Luo Xuanqing stood a chance at all. But that being said, if Zhang Xuan was really only at high-tier God at the moment, they might still be able to catch up to him and advance alongside him. This thought filled them up with great drive. How beautiful it is. I reckon that the person who has been acknowledged by the world must be a great person as well... The two youngdies spoke as they stared at the red sky as well. ... Paying no heed to the shocked gazes of the God Monarchs, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes as he perceived the changes that were urring within his body. Conferred God King realm primary stage! Conferred God King realm intermediate stage! ... Conferred God King realm pinnacle! In less than a minute, his soul cultivation had already risen from God King realm pinnacle to Conferred God King realm pinnacle! But his soul cultivation did not stop there. It continued rising beyond that point. Just the conferment of the world was enough for him to raise his soul cultivation several stages; this was even more terrifying than the Anima of Yearning. However, this isnt a good time for me to push for a breakthrough to God Monarch, Zhang Xuan thought as he suppressed his rising soul cultivation. Conferred God King of the Nine Skies was equivalent to receiving the conferment of the Nine Skies simultaneously, granting him far greater powers than other Conferred God Kings. Under normal circumstances, such power should have been enough for him to be a God Monarch, but it was a pity that his physical body and zhenqi cultivation was still too weak. If he made a breakthrough then, he would induce the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion, but he was not ready to face this cultivation ordeal yet. Without a doubt, he would be crushed. If that happened, he would be the first God Monarch in history who died from a cultivation ordeal right after his breakthrough. How embarrassing would that be? For that reason, he decisively suppressed the further growth of his soul cultivation. In any case, he had alreadyprehended the God Monarch realm cultivation technique that he required for his breakthrough. It would not be toote to make a breakthrough after he raised his physical body and zhenqi cultivation. That is a wise decision... Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing how Zhang Xuan was able to remain rational even in the face of such great temptation. When it came to cultivation, it was not about making a breakthrough as quickly as possible. Instead, what was more important was building a strong foundation, and only then would a cultivator be able to exert greater strength after their breakthrough! The person whom she fancied was indeed a person with great willpower and decisiveness! After stabilizing the energies within his body, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before turning to look at the youngdy beside him. I intend to find a way to circumvent the War of the Heavens. Do you want to stay with me, or... It had not been easy for him to reunite with her once more, so he did not want to part with her so quickly. However, there was no guarantee that he would be able to find a solution, and staying together could just lead to greater pain in the future. He did not want to force her for his own selfishness. I need to return to the Sky of Freedom for a while to settle some matters... After Im done, Ill head over to see you! Luo Ruoxin replied. There were some things that she had to settle right away. Alright, Ill be waiting for you. Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, he beckoned Little Chick over and said, Lets go! Un! Little Chick nodded. With a wave of his hand, the two of them vanished on the spot. Luo Ruoxin stood quietly for a moment before leaving the area. Just like that, the other God Monarchs quickly dispersed. Everything that had just happened a moment ago left them feeling a little shaken. Be it the grand battle they had just witnessed or the uing birth of a new God Monarch, it seemed like the Firmament would soon be undergoing massive changes. And what had left them even more worried was that the uing God Monarch already held unprecedented power. Even before making a breakthrough himself, God Monarch Lingxi was his girlfriend, and the Deathless Monarch was his tamed beast. How were they supposed to deal with such an overpowered character? ... Zhang Xuan returned to the mountain where Kong shi and his direct disciples resided. Zhang shi! Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and the others quickly gathered around the area. Kong shi, he has... Zhang Xuan began speaking with a solemn voice. Its fine. We already know, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied with a deep sigh. Earlier, when our teachers sculpture broke apart, we already knew that our teachers soul has dissipated... My condolences. Zhang Xuan knew of the deep bond between Kong shi and his direct disciples. After having been together for so many years, the feelings they had with one another had probably transcended even that of kinship. Theres nothing to grief over. Our teacher wouldnt leave us just like that, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied. Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised to hear those words. I saw his soul dissipating with my own eyes. I fear that the possibility of him returning is extremely slim... A cultivator who had lost their body could still find another body to house their soul, but if a cultivators soul dissipated, that would really be the end of them. Yet, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and the others seemed to be holding onto the hope that Kong shi might still return somehow. In the Firmament, death doesnt necessarily represent the end. Doesnt the Netherworld Pool of the Sky of Drifting Specter hold the power to revive souls that have dissipated? Besides, the Deathless Monarch died decades ago, but he has also returned from his death, isnt that so? Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. This... Zhang Xuans body shuddered a little. Indeed! The Netherworld Pool had the ability to restore a dissipated soul through the Anima of Yearning, and the Deathless Monarch had the ability to resurrect from death. For someone like Kong shi who possessed capabilities unmatched by anyone before him, how could he possibly not have a backup n? He might have already found a way toe back to life! Just that... Even if hees back to life, will he still be the same person as he was? Zhang Xuan asked contemtively. The Deathless Monarch might have resurrected from death, but he had ended up bing Little Chick. Even though they shared the same memories, they were no longer the same person. The same went for the Netherworld Pool. There was no guarantee that the restored soul would possess the same consciousness as before. He will be, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied affirmatively. How can you be so certain about it? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. It was clear that Ancient Sage Zi Yuan knew something about this, or else he would not have reacted in such a manner. God Monarch, can you cast an istion barrier over this house so as to prevent the will of the heavens from peering in? Ancient Sage Zi Yuan asked. Very well! Little Chick nodded. He waved his hand and shrouded the house with his powers, isting it from the rest of the world. After that, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan turned to look at Zhang Xuan. Understanding Ancient Sage Zi Yuans intention, Zhang Xuan said with a nod, Ill give it a try. It was not enough just to iste the house from the heavens because Zhang Xuan possessed a fragment of the heavens inside him as well. Where the Library of Heavens Path was, the heavens would be able to reach. This was shown by how the heavens had wrecked the Seer Guild back then despite the measures they had put in ce. Zhang Xuan channeled his soul energy and wrapped it around his Library of Heavens Path, sealing it off. Such a thing would have been impossible in the past, but now that he hadprehended a God Monarch realm cultivation technique, it was well within his means to do so. Alright, its done, Zhang Xuan said. Seeing that everything was in ce, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan looked at Zhang Xuan intently before asking, Zhang shi, have you ever heard about our teacher cultivating a technique known as... Severing the Three Necrophorus? Chapter 2237 - Kong shi’s Plan

Chapter 2237 Kong shis n

Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, Ive never heard of it before. Youve never heard of it before? Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was slightly surprised to hear that answer. With a slight frown, he asked, Zhang shi, you met our teachers clone in the Azure, right? Do you notice any difference between our teacher and his clone? Difference? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. To be honest, at the very start, I was unable to discern any difference at all, be it in terms of his body or soul. I would say that the greatest difference between the two of them is their personality... It was not without reason that he had been fooled by Kong shis clone back then. If not for the other partys attempts to kill him, he might have been fooled by the other partys facade. Humans are born with turbidity inside of them. They undergo birth, ageing, illness, death, and all sorts of suffering. This leads to desire, envy, lust, greed, and all sorts of emotions consuming their mind, leading them to be fixated with inconsequential things, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. There was no human who was devoid of desire. Even the most selfless of saints would find it hard to transcend their desires. Zhang Xuan was filled with many desires as well. He desired to love and to be loved; he desired to be understood; he desired to eat delicious food; he desired to be strong... These were powerful desires that drove him. Severing the Three Necrophorus is a technique that severs ones unnecessary fixations and malevolent intent, thus returning purity to ones mind and body, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans body stiffened up a little. Was that for real? If this was true, the technique would really be frighteningly formidable! We have practiced the technique as well. Back when we were on the Master Teacher Continent, we severed our Three Necrophorus and used them to seal off the passageway between the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied. I see! So those were your Necrophorus... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. He had wondered how they were all still around despite having seen their corpses back on the Master Teacher Continent. It turned out to be a side effect of a technique that they had been practicing! The necrophorus that was severed from ones body would appear to be no different from ones real body, such that it was nigh impossible to tell the difference. The simrity was so great that it could fool even the heavens! Indeed. Back while he was on the Master Teacher Continent, our teacher severed his Benevolent Necrophorus and forged it into the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. In the Azure, he severed his Malevolent Necrophorus and sealed it in the Ethereal Hall, which turned into the clone that you met. If Im not mistaken, he used the hands of God Monarch Lingxi to sever his Ego Necrophorus, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan exined. Benevolent Necrophorus, Malevolent Necrophorus, and Ego Necrophorus? Only through severing persisting thoughts of good and evil and oveing ones sense of self will one be able to transcend ones fixations, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan exined. Our teacher was born with a fragment of the heavens within him, and every time he used it, a sliver of gray energy would be left within his body. This gray energy was fused together with his body and his soul, making it impossible to remove it. So, he devised the technique, Severing the Three Necrophorus, in order to free himself of the gray energy in order to achieve true liberation! I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. That would exin why Kong shi had been able to remainposed right from the start. It seemed like everything, from the start of the battle to his resignation in the end, had gone ording to his n. Through using Luo Ruoxins strength to sever his Ego Necrophorus, he would be giving up on everything that he had been persistently holding onto thus far. As a result, he would be freed from the mark that the heavens had left on him, allowing him to achieve true transcendence. As expected of the Worlds Teacher. He was decisive in his actions, and he had everything in his grasp. Zhang Xuan looked at his own body and saw that the gray energy within his body had grown quite a bit. It was lodged deep within his body and soul, making it impossible to remove it. Even with his Pathos of Heaven, he was unable to do anything about the gray energy within him. In order to sessfully Sever the Three Necrophorus, one has to fool the heavens first. As such, other than our teachers and a few of us, there is practically no one who knows of this technique. Our teacher has also never imparted it to anyone else. Furthermore, once this technique has been used, the heavens will automatically repair the ws ordingly, making it impossible to use it a second time. Its probably for this reason that our teacher didnt impart it to you, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in response. As someone who possessed a fragment of the heavens as well, he could understand that much. In order to be freed from the shackles of the heavens, one would have to first learn how to fool the heavens. Zhang Xuan would eventually have to find a way to free himself from the shackles of the heavens as well, but Kong shis method would not work for him. After all, after the precedence from Kong shi, the heavens would surely be guarded against it a second time. If he dared attempt it, he might just end up being obliterated by the heavens in the process of doing so. Zhang shi, our teacher has discussed your matters with us before. He says that just like him, you have to find a way to transcend the heavens. Even though it is a different route from what he took, it seems like both he and God Monarch Lingxi have already prepared a way out for you, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. Prepared a way out for me? Zhang Xuan was astonished. This was the first he had heard about this. Our teacher didnt tell us what God Monarch Lingxis n is, but I do know about what our teacher has left for you. For one, the Deathless Monarch is something our teacher prepared specifically for you, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. This... Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had thought about this before. If Little Chick had descended to the Master Teacher Continent together with the Otherworldly Demons after his demise, he would have been in the otherworldly battlefield instead of being on a mountain range on the Master Teacher Continent. And it seemed like he was right after all. It was an intentional move on Kong shis part, but he did not realize that thetter had prepared it for him. Thinking deeper into the matter, a unique trait of Little Chick was his ability to resurrect from death. After absorbing his blood at the Lucid Lunar Lake, he had gained a portion of his resurrection ability as well. If he lost his life somehow, there was a chance that he might be able toe back to life after the passing of innumerable years. Just that... So what if he came back to life? There was a good chance that another consciousness would arise out of him, and he would be another person altogether. Putting everything aside, even though his clone originated from the same soul as him, his clone was apulsive braggart, very different from the humble and low-profile person he was. In other words, just because two beings originated from the same soul did not mean that they were identical existences. Their consciousness could vastly differ from one another, making them distinct individuals. The hand that Kong shi had left behind only guaranteed his return to life, but it was not enough to preserve his consciousness. If that was the case, what was the hand that Luo Ruoxin had prepared for him? Zhang Xuan could not help but fall into deep thought. Two objects surfaced in his mind. First, the disguise amulet that allowed him to alter even his bloodline. It was an artifact that was more formidable than he had initially thought; it could actually fool even Conferred God Kings. However, it did not seem to have anything that had to do with the heavens. Is it the crimson pendant then? There was a droplet of blood within the pendant that carried powers that he could notprehend. This pendant had proven to have the ability to restoreposure into his consciousness whenever his mind fell into disarray. The first time it happened was when he suddenly realized that the Heavens Path Divine Art was not as perfect as he thought after entering the Azure. That had nearly caused his cultivation to go berserk, but the pendant had managed to calm down the chaos within him. The second time was when he doubted the existence of the Pathos of Heaven a moment ago. Both times, it had shaken his consciousness awake during a critical moment. Given so, was it possible that it had the ability to retain his consciousness even after he resurrected from death? But that did not make sense either. Luo Ruoxin was the one who had given him this pendant, so if she already knew this much, what was she still worried about? If they could both survive the War of the Heavens through such a method, everything was good, was it not? Chapter 2238 - The Origin of “Laoshi“

Chapter 2238 The Origin of Laoshi

I guess I can only ask her directly... Zhang Xuan shook his head. On the surface, the strongest expert in the Firmament appeared to be none other than Luo Ruoxin. Yet, for some reason, he felt like they were being pushed forward by a pair of invisible hands, shoving them inside a vortex of turmoil. Is it possible for you to impart the Severing of Three Necrophorus to me? Zhang Xuan asked. Regardless of whether he could free himself from the restraints of the heavens, this technique would still grant him three additional lives, thus providing him with far greater means to protect himself. Furthermore, he could also sever his Benevolent Necrophorus, Malevolent Necrophorus, and Ego Necrophorus. That would make it easier for him to cultivate in the future. In order to deceive the heavens, it was important that we did not retain memories of it in our head. Otherwise, the heavens would still be able to peer through it. We learned and cultivated the technique in the spatial turbulence while we were leaving the Master Teacher Continent, and after we were done with it, we erased it from our memories. Not even our teacher retained it in his mind, so Im afraid that we dont have it with us, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said with an awkward smile. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. He suddenly thought of something and asked, This technique was created by Kong shi, right? But doesnt that mean that he knew that there would be others who wouldpete with him over the fragments of the heavens? This was something that really intrigued him. Even as he left the Master Teacher Continent, he had still known almost nothing about the fragments of the heavens and the War of the Heavens. He had still been very reliant on the Library of Heavens Path. Everything should onlye together after they reached the Firmament, where the War of the Heavens was truly held. So, was it not extremely bizarre that Kong shi had already started preparing for it while he was still on the Master Teacher Continent? Or could this mean that the Heavens Order granted him the power to foresee the future? As wise and talented as our teacher is, he isnt omniscient. He only came to know all of this because of someone elses guidance, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. Zhang Xuan nodded silently. Kong shis aplishments on the Master Teacher Continent were simply too spectacr, such that it was hard to believe that someone could actually achieve so much on his own. It was indeed too good to be true. All humans would have to acquire their knowledge from something or someone. Even someone as talented as Kong shi required someone elses guidance for his cultivation. It was just like how, despite having the Library of Heavens Path, he still needed Kong shis guidance from time to time to point the way for him. That technique was imparted to us by our grandteacher, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan added. Grandteacher? Zhang Xuan was perplexed. He had not heard of Kong shi having a teacher before. A long time ago on the Master Teacher Continent, we respectfully addressed those who imparted knowledge to another as shi, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said. It was only after the appearance of our grandteacher that we began to address teachers as oshi! ... Zhang Xuan was utterly confused. Why was he unable to understand what Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was saying? Its simr to how people address you as Zhang shi, how you address our teacher as Kong shi, and how others address me as Yan shi... We usually use ones surname with the character shi in order to respectfully address a teacher. The term oshi is how our teacher initially addressed his teacher, and the rest of us eventually came to use the term as well. The term eventually came to be what it is now, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan exined. Zhang Xuan was stunned for a long while before it suddenly struck him. With a doubtful look on his face, he asked, Do you mean to say that your grandteachers surname is Lao? Its for that reason that Kong shi addressed him as Lao shi, and it eventually came to be the oshi that we know? Indeed! Ancient Sage Zi Yuan nodded. Theres actually someone who goes by the surname of Lao[1]? Zhang Xuan was speechless for a while. Then, with an intrigued look on his face, he asked, If your grandteacher was able to impart such a formidable technique to Kong shi, he should be quite a formidable individual, right? But why have I never heard of him before? He was well-versed in the history of the Master Teacher Continent, and he even had Vicious, a relic of the ancient era, with him. Yet, they had never heard of this formidable expert who went by the surname of Lao! ording to what our teacher said, our grandteacher was only on the Master Teacher Continent for a very short period of time before leaving on a green ox. Our teacher doesnt know where he went after that, and neither do we... I see... It seemed like he could only ask Kong shi about it after he came back to life. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd in front of him and asked, By the way, do you happen to have any pinnacle God Essence Pills or other medicinal herbs that I can use to raise my cultivation? His soul cultivation had already reached Conferred God King realm pinnacle, and his physical body and zhenqi cultivation weregging behind. He had already figured out a n for his physical body. With the revival of the Deathless Monarch, he would be able to use the Deathless Lava Reservoir in order to temper his physical body. As for his zhenqi cultivation, he had alreadyprehended a God Monarch realm cultivation technique. The only things he wascking were pills and medicinal herbs to refine his zhenqi. As long as he had sufficient spiritual energy, he would be able to raise his zhenqi cultivation to God King realm pinnacle or even push for a breakthrough to God Monarch! However, the problem was that pinnacle God Essence Pills were incredibly rare. Even an apothecary as skilled as Fu Jiangchen did not have many of them in his possession. So, he was thinking that Kong shi might have umted a stockpile over the years that he could use. Our teacher forged several pinnacle God Essence Pills back then. We have eaten quite a few of them over the years to raise our cultivation, so I think there should be around a few hundred of them left at the moment. Let me go get them for you, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said with a smile before walking out of the room. A few hundred of them? Zhang Xuans lips twitched. As expected of Kong shi. He sure was wealthy. Not longter, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan returned with a sack, and he threw it over to Zhang Xuan casually. They should all be in there. Zhang Xuan opened the sack, and there were indeed many God Essence Pills in there. All in all, there seemed to be a few hundred of them in there. Do you all... really store your God Essence Pills like that? Zhang Xuans eyebrows twitched a little. Nearly all cultivators in the Firmament stored their God Essence Pills in jade containers or jade bottles in order to protect them, yet Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and the others actually just tossed them into a gunny sack as if they were trash. Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder if the pills inside were authentic. So, he took one out and swallowed it whole. Gugugugu! A burst of spiritual energy immediately gushed into his meridians. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan popped a second one into his mouth, then a third one... Is that... how you eat pills? Ancient Sage Zi Yuans mouth opened agape. They did have quite a lot of pills in their inventory, but they were pinnacle God Essence Pills! Even as a Conferred God King, he would have to take quite a while to assimte its energy, but the other party simply threw them into his mouth as if he was eating candy. No wonder you are always short on pills! As he watched the young man, speechless, thetters cultivation began to rise swiftly. God King realm intermediate stage! God King realm advanced stage! ... In a few moments, his cultivation reached God King realm pinnacle before slowlying to a halt. What a pity. Pinnacle God Essence Pills arent useful for me anymore, Zhang Xuan remarkedmentably. Pinnacle God Essence Pills were usually effective even for most Conferred God Kings, but due to the unique nature of the Pathos of Heaven, the requirement on the purity of spiritual energy that he absorbed was extremely high. The purity of the pinnacle God Essence Pills only sufficed for him to reach God King realm pinnacle. Beyond this point, no matter how many of them he ate, he would not be able to push his cultivation any higher. Its fortunate that they are no longer effective for you, or else you might really have depleted our entire inventory! Ancient Sage Zi Yuan remarked helplessly. Lowering his head, Zhang Xuan noted that the pills in the gunny sack had already dropped by half. Chuckling awkwardly, he scratched his head and said, Hahaha, the pills that Kong shi forged are simply too delicious. They evene in different fruity vorspineapple, apple, grape... I got a little addicted and ended up eating more than I needed to! ... Ancient Sage Zi Yuan. [1] Lao means old. Chapter 2239 - The Flood of Spiritual Energy Is Here!

Chapter 2239 The Flood of Spiritual Energy Is Here!

Havinge this far with Kong shi, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan could be considered a person who had braved many storms. There were very few things in the world that could shake him. But when it came to pinnacle God Essence Pills, even for them, they would need at least one or two months to assimte the massive amount of spiritual energy harnessed within them. Yet, the young man swallowed a hundred of them in a single sitting without any rest... Not only was he fine, he even gave some feedback on the taste of the pills. The hell! Was that even the main point? Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and the others suddenly did not feel like talking to the young man. That thing inside your body must not a stomach but a ck hole! While Ancient Sage Zi Yuan was still feeling exasperated by the situation, he noticed that the young man was staring at him intently. Other than pinnacle God Essence Pills, do you have any other pills that taste... I mean, harness purer spiritual energy? Such as Pill Kings or something? If you do, I am willing to buy them from you. Ill make sure topensate you properly after I sessfully be a God Monarch. We dont have anything better than that, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied with a shake of his head. His teacher had told them to treat Zhang Xuan as their leader, so naturally, the young man had the rights to ess their pills. It was just that they had nothing more potent than pinnacle God Essence Pills with them. Back then, Kong shi would have needed a great amount of spiritual energy in order to make a breakthrough, too. How did he manage to acquire the massive amount of spiritual energy that was required? Zhang Xuan asked curiously. He could imagine that Kong shi would have been in the same position as he currently was. Relying on just pinnacle God Essence Pills would only bring his cultivation to God King realm pinnacle. If so, what did Kong shi make use of in order to be a God Monarch? He managed to be a God Monarch through the Flood of Spiritual Energy, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan replied. Its a phenomenon that urs once every decade, and each time, it brings all sorts of treasures into the world along with it. It was in the Flood of Spiritual Energy forty years ago that we and our teacher grew swiftly to our current levels! Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. He had long heard of the Flood of Spiritual Energy, but he was unsure about the details surrounding it. But just by looking at the sheer number of Conferred God Kings and God Kings that had died in the previous Floods of Spiritual Energy, it was not too difficult to deduce that there were amazing treasures that one could procure from it. In fact, some of the things were at the level where even God Monarchs would lose their rationality over them. Otherwise, they would not have gone to the extent of taking away his direct disciples. That only showed how highly they valued the Flood of Spiritual Energy. How long is there before the next Flood of Spiritual Energy? The phenomenon happens once every decade, but its impossible to estimate the exact date. Sometimes, ites a bitte; sometimes, ites a little early. Going by past estimates, there should be still another half a year before the Flood of Spiritual Energy arrived. However, the earlier World Conferment has shaken things up quite a bit, so I would say that theres a good chance that the Fifth Flood of Spiritual Energy will be happening very soon, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan said as he gazed into the sky. The earlier World Conferment had caused the spiritual energy all over the Firmament to congregate together and linger in the air. Such conditions could easily induce an earlier arrival of the Flood of Spiritual Energy. Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing those words. Since the pinnacle God Essence Pills were useless to him, it seemed like he would have to wait for the next Flood of Spiritual Energy to try to obtain even more potent medicinal herbs in order to make a breakthrough. For the next two days, Zhang Xuan remained on the mountain, devoting most of his time to looking through Kong shis book collection. After that, he bade farewell and took his leave. What wasgging behind was his physical body cultivation. Little Chick had told him that he could repair the Deathless Lava Reservoir swiftly once they returned to the Sky of Spirit Origin, so Zhang Xuan felt that it would be best to get it over and done with. With Little Chick around, there was no need for him to use the Great Discement Teleportation Formation. They could just rip through space to go wherever they wanted. A few breathster, he, Luo Qiqi, and Little Chick arrived back in the Sky of Spirit Origin. Your Sovereignty, congrattions on your return! Standing right in front of Spirit God Pce were Fire Feather Conferred God King and the others. They seemed to have already heard of the news, so they had chosen to stand there in wait for Little Chicks return. Prepare some pills that are rich in spiritual energy for me. I need as many of them as possible, Little Chick said with a wave of his hand. Yes! The Fire Feather Conferred God King and the others quickly got to action. Two hourster, they returned with many invaluable medicinal herbs in hand. There was no way they would dare hold back when they had received a direct order from their God Monarch. So, they practically brought every precious medicinal herb that was in their vault over to present to Little Chick. Looking at the incredible array of medicinal herbs before him, Zhang Xuan was stupefied. He was utterly bbergasted by just how rich these Conferred God King ns were. Even though there were no notable medicinal herbs that could help him advance his cultivation, what they had was more than enough to forge several hundred pinnacle God Essence Pills. Gathering all the medicinal herbs together, Little Chick led Zhang Xuan into Spirit God Pce, and soon, they arrived before a pool ofva. As theva rumbled, an intense heatwave would burst forth. With a wave of Little Chicks hand, the medicinal herbs scattered in the air above theva pool. They swiftly burst into spiritual energy before surging right into theva pool. Qiu! With the massive influx of spiritual energy, the searingva swiftly morphed into a magnificent phoenix of massive proportions, towering over the entire pool. Little Chick slit his finger and dripped a few droplets of his blood essence into theva pool. Xiong xiong! The phoenix grew evenrger as a result of the infusion of the blood essence. Not only so, it began to emanate the unique aura of a God Monarch, creating great pressure on those that stood in the vicinity. Young Master, I have finished preparing the Deathless Lava Reservoir. You can enter now, Little Chick said with a smile. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan quickly walked into theva pool. Tzzzzz! As soon as he entered theva pool, he could sense concentrated energy streaming into his body through his acupoints, flowing through his meridians and revitalizing his body. Zhang Xuan quickly sat down in the middle of the pool and focused his attention on absorbing the energy. Just like that, his physical body grew at a rapid pace. God King realm primary stage. God King realm intermediate stage. God King realm advanced stage. ... Conferred God King realm pinnacle! Four hourster, the energy within theva pool finally receded. At the same time, Zhang Xuan also concluded his cultivation. In term of the sheer strength of my physical body, I am alreadyparable to a Conferred God King realm pinnacle cultivator, Zhang Xuan muttered with gleaming eyes. His physical body had made great advancements within the past four hours, advancing all the way from God King realm primary stage to Conferred God King realm pinnacle! Using just his physical body, he was already able to put up a fight against Conferred God King realm pinnacle cultivators and easily triumph over them! And his strongest trump card at the moment was still not his physical body but his soul cultivation! As a Conferred King of the Nine Skies, looking at it just in terms of soul cultivation, even nine Conferred God Kings of the same tier would not be able to withstand his might. After he was done cultivating, he released his clone to allow him to cultivate as well. Soon enough, thetters cultivation reached Conferred God King realm pinnacle, too. As for Vicious, due to his slow rate of cultivation, it was unlikely that he would be able to grow too quickly. So, Zhang Xuan kept him sealed within the Book of Heavens Path. With this, his cultivation had finally reached its bottleneck. Until the Flood of Spiritual Energy arrived, it was unlikely that he would be able to raise his zhenqi cultivation any further. So, he decided to focus his attention on creating his sword art. But the next moment, Little Chick suddenly appeared before him and said, Young Master, the Cloud Dragon Monarch has invited the other eight God Monarchs to head to the Flooding Sea! Flooding Sea? Yes. Its the area where the Flood of Spiritual Energy originates. Even though the phenomenon will swiftly epass the entire Firmament, the most valuable of items will only be found within the Flooding Sea! Little Chick said. Is the Flood of Spiritual Energy going to happen soon? Zhang Xuan asked. Based on the new estimates, it will likely ur within the next two days. Little Chick nodded. Thats why the Cloud Dragon Monarch invited the other God Monarchs over in order to make preparations for it. Lets go then, Zhang Xuan said as he rose to his feet. The Flood of Spiritual Energy was finally happening! Perhaps he could make use of this opportunity to raise his cultivation to Conferred God King or even... God Monarch! Chapter 2240 - Flooding Sea

Chapter 2240 Flooding Sea

The Flooding Sea is a region where only those whose cultivation is beneath God Monarch can enter. For that reason, we usually observe from the outside. Once the area opens, the Nine Skies will dispatch the Conferred God Kings and God Kings under theirmand to head in and gather treasures. Under such circumstances, killing and plundering from one another is inevitable, so there are many casualties every single time. As for how many treasures each Sky manages to collect, unless the God Monarch announces the result, no one will know. After recovering his strength, it did not take long for Little Chick to learn all about the Flood of Spiritual Energy from the reports of his subordinates. Young Master, I hope that you can enter as a God King of our Sky of Spirit Origin and protect my juniors from harm. Of course, if its not convenient for you, you dont need to bother about it... Ill try my best to protect them if I see any of theming to harm, Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. Since the Fire Feather Conferred God King and the others were juniors of Little Chick, they could also be considered his juniors. If they faced any danger in the Flooding Sea, it was only right for him, as a senior, to help them out. This is an insignia representing our Sky of Spirit Origin. By wearing it on your chest when you enter the Flooding Sea, others will know which power you are from. Based on that, they will decide whether they should coborate with you or fight against you, Little Chick said as he passed an insignia over. Zhang Xuan took the insignia and pinned it on his chest. On top of the respective factions of the Nine God Monarchs, there would also be unaffiliated cultivators entering the Flooding Sea in the hope of obtaining more resources. This insignia would prevent others from mistaking him as an unaffiliated cultivator, thus reducing the danger for him. Even though the Flooding Sea was generally viewed as awless zone, individuals would still have to think twice before killing the subordinate of a God Monarch. The Flood of Spiritual Energy grows stronger every single time, and the treasures that appear be more and more formidable, Little Chick said. In fact,st time, there was an object that was useful even for the God Monarchs. Due to that, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was able to reach a levelparable to God Monarch Lingxi within just forty years! I heard that the other God Monarchs have nurtured quite a few experts for the Flood of Spiritual Energy this time. They even resorted to using the Spacetime Mirror to distort temporalws so that they would have ample time to cultivate. The battle this time around will likely be even more difficult than before. Young Master, you must be careful! He had heard that the God Monarchs had been focusing their efforts on nurturing a new generation of Conferred God Kings over the past month. As for the names and abilities of those Conferred God Kings, he had not had time to look into it just yet. However, given that their rivals were well-prepared, they would have to make sure to proceed carefully to make up for their disadvantage. It was true that Zhang Xuan was practically matchless against opponents beneath God Monarchs, but there was a good chance that the enemies would gang up on him. If he came under the encirclement of dozens of Conferred God Kings with all sorts of artifacts and formations thrown at him, even he would be ced in a perilous position! Furthermore, it was rumored that the Flood of Spiritual Energy contained many natural traps that could threaten even a God Monarch. Knowing that Little Chick was advising him out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan epted his advice with a nod. The three of them quickly tore through space to head over to the Flooding Sea. The Flooding Sea was located at the edge of the world. When Zhang Xuan saw the scenery before him after walking out of the dimension rift, he was unable to speak for a long while. Near the edge of the blue sky above him, there was a massive enigmatic hole that appeared to lead to some unfathomable location. The violent energies within the fissure had been sealed by a light barrier. However, the light barrier was extremely thin. It looked as if it would copse at any moment now. Little Chick looked at the pitch-ck fissure in the sky with a fearful look on his face as he exined, Forty years ago, that ck fissure suddenly appeared in the midst of the sky, and like a deted balloon, the spiritual energy within the Firmament began to gush outward. This resulted in what wevee to know as the receding of spiritual energy. Why would the fissure suddenly appear? And... who was the one who killed you back then? Zhang Xuan asked. He had been puzzled by this question for a long while. Just who in the world had the ability to kill the Deathless Monarch? Except for other God Monarchs, there should have been no one who had the ability to kill the Deathless Monarch. What in the world happened forty years ago that led to his demise? Could it have something to do with this fissure that had appeared out of nowhere? Thinking about it, Kong shi had also appeared in the world roughly forty thousand years ago on the Master Teacher Continent, which equated to around forty years ago in the Firmament. The fissure in the Firmaments sky and Kong shi obtaining Heavens Order... Could there be a link between the two? I seem to have lost all memories regarding my death. I have already regained my cultivation, but somehow, I simply cant recall that event. However, my intuition tells me that it has something to do with the fissure over there! Little Chick replied grimly. You have lost your memories? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. In the entire Firmament, other than Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi, there did not seem to be anyone who wielded the ability to erase a God Monarchs memory! No, its not God Monarch Lingxi or Kong shi! Little Chick overthrew Zhang Xuans thoughts. When the fissure first appeared, Kong shi was still on the Master Teacher Continent, and he had just been born. On the other hand, God Monarch Lingxi was busy trying to seal off the fissure to prevent spiritual energy from leaking. She had to inform the other Skies and construct a grand formation to repair the damage... She wouldnt have had the time nor the energy to make a move on me! Seal off the fissure? Are you saying that the seal on the fissure was created by Ruoxin? Zhang Xuan asked. Yes, thats right! Little Chick replied. As he had died shortly after the fissure appeared, he was unaware of many things that had happened over the past forty years. However, he still had subordinates that would report to him about the aftermath of that incident. Zhang Xuan frowned. It seemed like the situation was far direr than he had thought, which was also why Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi had toplete their battle then. This could be a side effect of the fragmentation of the heavens, which meant that his Library of Heavens Path had something to do with this as well. While the two of them were talking with one another, the ck fissure shook and became even more ring. A powerful burst of spiritual energy tore through the seal and began sweeping outward like a tornado. The sky darkened under the outburst of spiritual energy, dimming even the suns glow. It felt like the ck tornado was swiftly sweeping across the entire Firmament. Quick, enter! With a bellow, innumerable silhouettes in the area rushed into the tornado, vanishing from sight. Has the Flood of Spiritual Energy begun? Zhang Xuan asked with a grim expression. He had thought that he would still have to wait a while longer, but who could have known that everything would happen so quickly? Its started. The rest of them have already entered, so Young Master, you should hurry, Little Chick replied. With a raise of his hand, he was just about to send Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi in when... Wait a moment. Theres still onest thing that I want to ask about. Didnt you mention that the fissure has been absorbing the spiritual energy of the Firmament? Why would it suddenly pour out spiritual energy during the Flood of Spiritual Energy? Zhang Xuan asked hurriedly. He could not help but feel that something was really amiss about this, and it made him feel a little unnerved. I dont know either. However, like the tides of a sea, the spiritual energy thates out will surge back in after a period of time, and the amount of spiritual energy it releases isnt even a hundredth of what has been consumed thus far, Little Chick replied. The Firmament had simply too many secrets, so even he, a God Monarch, could not possibly know everything. Seeing that Little Chick did not have the answers he sought, Zhang Xuan wrapped himself and Luo Qiqi within his soul energy before having Little Chick send them into the Flooding Sea. When he opened his eyes once more, he was already standing in the middle of a barrennd. His surroundings were filled with rocks and chaotic spiritual energy, and there were no nts or lifeforms to be seen. Chapter 2241 - Reunion of Zhang Xuan’s Lineage

Chapter 2241 Reunion of Zhang Xuans Lineage

This is the Flooding Sea? Zhang Xuan was a little taken aback. He had thought that the core of the Flood of Spiritual Energy, which was powerful enough to force the Nine God Monarchs into action, would be filled with concentrated spiritual energy, perhaps even to the extent where the spiritual energy would condense into water droplets. Yet, it turned out to be even more barren than the Firmament. Given the extent that the other God Monarchs went to preparing for the Flood of Spiritual Energy, there must be some treasures in here. Lets just take a look around the area. After a moment of shock, Zhang Xuan decided not to think about this anymore. Together with Luo Qiqi, he quickly flew toward the depths of the Flooding Sea. ... Ten minutes earlier... Floating above the Flooding Sea were the God Monarchs. It seems like its going to start very soon, the Cloud Dragon Monarch remarked with a glint in his eyes. Indeed. The other God Monarchs nodded in agreement. Recalling the battle a few days ago, God Monarch Fumeng of the Sky of Adamant Gold shook his head. All this time, I thought that the ability to be a God Monarch was dependent on ones bloodline and that it was impossible to advance any further after reaching this level. However, after witnessing the fight between God Monarch Lingxi and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, I realized that God Monarchs can grow stronger as well, and there is huge room for them to do that! All this while, they had thought that they had reached their limit and could not advance any further, so they had begun to cken. Yet, when they saw how much stronger the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was than them despite only having joined their ranks forty years ago, they realized that they had been sorely mistaken. There was still something above them, and they needed to reach out in order to get there. God Monarch Zhuoyang of the Sky of zing Sunughed heartily. In thest few Flood of Spiritual Energy, the disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch have been able to im the bulk of the treasures through their superior strength. However, without the Heaven Subjugation Monarchs help, they wont be able to enter the Flooding Sea anymore. With this, our chances of obtaining the treasures have greatly increased! There was a bizarre power surrounding the Flooding Sea that prevented God Monarchs and Conferred God Kings from entering, but through the sheer power of the God Monarchs, it was still possible for them to teleport their Conferred God Kings in. However, with the death of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, the Conferred God Kings under hismand would not be able to enter the area anymore. All this while, God Monarch Zhuoyangs subordinates had been suppressed by the disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, and that had left him frustrated and exasperated. But now that the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had finally met his end, it was time to usher in a new era. The Acheron God Monarch harrumphed. Dont forget that young fellow beside the Deathless Monarch that day... If he joins, itll be hard to say who the real victor of the Flood of Spiritual Energy will be! The Conferred God King of the Nine Skies soul cultivation far surpassed that of other Conferred God Kings, making him an extremely tough foe to deal with. As formidable as he is, the only thing he has is his soul cultivation. His physical body and zhenqi cultivation are still at God King realm primary stage. As long as we bestow artifacts to protect their soul upon our descendants, there will be nothing he can do at all, God Monarch Zhuoyang said. How could they remain unprepared after knowing that there was such a formidable experting from the Sky of Spirit Origin? If that young man had another half a year or so, there was indeed a chance that he would grow to a level far beyond the imagination of anyone else, but within a short one or two days, the most he could do was stabilize the energy that he had received from the World Conferment! Under the circumstances that his physical body and zhenqi cultivation remained weak, as long as their descendants were able to protect their souls, they should be able to beat the young man easily! In the end, someone who was a Conferred God King just in terms of soul cultivation could not possibly hope to fight against a full-fledged Conferred God King! Zhuoyang is right. The Conferred God King of the Nine Skies might be formidable, but he hasnt reached the peak of his growth yet. The God King that I conferred not too long ago, Zhao Ya, should be able to subdue him easily! God Monarch Fumengughed heartily. The talent of the youngdy whom he had devoted a lot of resources into grooming was a terrifyingly talented prodigy. Her fighting prowess was so great that she could even beat several veteran Conferred God Kings with ease. Once she exerted her full strength, even the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies would have no choice but to submit to her! It was impossible to borrow the power of the heavens in the Flooding Sea, so it did not matter whether the young man was acknowledged by the world or not. There was no way he stood a chance at all. I have heard of Conferred God King Zhao Ya of the Sky of Adamant Gold, but our Conferred God King Zheng Yang wont pale inparison to her at all! If the two of them get into a serious fight, I reckon that your Zhao Ya wont be a match for my Zheng Yang! God Monarch Zhuoyang harrumphed derisively. Hey hey, its not as if the two of you are the only ones who managed to pick up gems, Demon Monarch Qiankun said with a grin. Lu Chong of my Sky of Drifting Specter might not be exceptional in fights, but if he escapes after gathering all the treasures, none of your Conferred God Kings will be able to catch him! As one who specialized in soul arts, his fighting prowess was not too strong among the Nine God Monarchs. However, when it came to searching for treasures and evading enemies, there was definitely no one who couldpete with him! The Acheron God Monarch chirped in as well. You lot only have a single prodigy with you, but my Sky of Acheron has Yuan Tao, Dan Xiaotian, and Bai Xiaoqing. No matter how you look at it, my chances are much better than yours! My Sky of Cloud Dragon also has Kong Shiyao, Liu Yang, and Zhang Jiuxiao, the Cloud Dragon Monarch added. As God Monarchs, it was inevitable that they would be incredibly proud and egotistical individuals. It had not been easy for them to find sessors that they were satisfied with, so it went without saying that they had to brag a bit about it. Seeing how these God Monarchs had been kept in the dark, Fairy Linglong could not help but snicker quietly in the depths of her heart. If your sessors are so outstanding, why dont you bring them out and have thempete against one another? Sure, lets have them fight against one another to see whos the best! The Cloud Dragon Monarch nodded vehemently in agreement. Kong Shiyao, Liu Yang, and Zhang Jiuxiao,e over! Hu! Hu! Hu! Two men and ady flew over and took their ces beside the Cloud Dragon Monarch. They each emanated a sharp aura that felt as if it would rip space apart. Zhao Ya, youe over as well! God Monarch Fumeng beckoned with a wave of his hand. A youngdy flew over. Seeing how the two God Monarchs had summoned their Conferred God Kings over, the others also quickly called theirs over. Soon, eleven young men and women joined the God Monarchs at the Flooding Sea. They sure are exceptional youths... Seeing the young men anddies before them, even though the God Monarchs did not want to admit it, the Conferred God Kings nurtured by the other God Monarchs did not pale inparison to theirs. Sighing deeply inside, just as they were about to remind their Conferred God Kings to continue working hard so as to not lose to others, they saw the eleven youths sping their fists toward one another. Senior! Junior! ... There were excited smiles on their faces, reminiscent of close friends who had finally reunited after a long time. Wait a moment... Senior? Junior? Other than Fairy Linglong, the other five God Monarchs stared at one another with widened eyes. Even with the wisdom they had rued over countless years, they were having some difficulties trying to grasp what in the world was going on before them. I groomed you so that you can enter the Flooding Sea, defeat the other rivals, and bring the treasures within over to our Sky, yet... what does senior and junior mean? Does this mean that... all of you actually know each other? All of a sudden, they felt a bad premonition inside, as if they had overlooked something really important. Unable to take it any longer, the Acheron God Monarch asked anxiously, Yuan Tao, what is going on here? The other God Monarchs also immediately pricked up their ears to hear about it. They wanted to hear what the young man had to say. Your Sovereignty, allow me to introduce everyone to you. Zhao Ya over here is my First Senior, Wang Ying is my Second Senior, Liu Yang is my Third Senior, Zheng Yang is my Fourth Senior, I am ranked fifth, Lu Chong is my Sixth Junior, Wei Ruyan is my Seventh Junior, Zhang Jiuxiao is my Eighth Junior... Yuan Tao began introducing the other youths gathered above the Flooding Sea to the Acheron God Monarch. ... The Acheron God Monarch, the Cloud Dragon Monarch, Demon Monarch Qiankun, God Monarch Zhuoyang, and God Monarch Fumeng. The geniuses we have spent such a heavy price to nurture... are actually all from the same lineage? Dear heavens, is there anyone who can tell me what is going on! Chapter 2242 - For Whom Did We Work So Hard?

Chapter 2242 For Whom Did We Work So Hard?

If you are all from the same lineage, then your teacher... The Acheron God Monarch felt so stifled that he really felt like fainting there and then, and the other God Monarchs also had eyes widened in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost. They had long heard from these youths that they had a teacher back when they fetched them from the Celestial Mountain, but which cultivator did not have a teacher? So, they did not think much of the matter at all. After all, they could not even fathom the possibility that all eleven sessors of the six of them would actually have the same teacher... Just who in the world was their teacher? How did he manage to gather so many prodigies? Ah, our teacher is... Yuan Tao was just about to reveal the identity of their teacher when Zhao Ya suddenly shot him a cold re. Shut up! Y-yes! Yuan Tao immediately sealed his mouth as cold sweat dripped down his back. Only after hearing Zhao Yas shout did he remember that their teacher was humble and low profile and hated to be in the limelight. Revealing his identity before these six God Monarchs would go against his virtue of humility, and it would be considered an unfilial act from him. Furthermore, during this period, they had been cultivating in the Spacetime Mirror, which resulted in them being isted from the rest of the world. As a result, they had no idea of their teachers current situation. There was no saying that they might be putting their teacher in a bad position by revealing his identity. Zhao Ya sped her fist and replied, Your Sovereignties, pardon us, but our teacher seeks to live a quiet and peaceful life. Hes little-known in the Firmament, and he wishes to remain as such. As his disciple, we dont dare reveal his identity without his permission, so... I beg for your understanding. To be able to groom so many outstanding disciples, your teacher must be an outstanding individual... God Monarch Acheron said, but halfway through his words, the spiritual energy around them suddenly grew chaotic. The Flood of Spiritual Energy was beginning! Since all of you belong to the same lineage, it would be too cruel to ask you to fight against one another. Lets do it this way instead. The treasures will belong to whoever obtains them first, and no snatching is allowed! Even though they were caught off guard by this turn of events, what had happened had already happened. If they were not going topete by strength, they could onlypete based on luck. Right before everyone was going to enter the Flooding Sea, the Cloud Dragon Emperor suddenly said, Many dangers lurk in the Flooding Sea. You might be our sessors, but you still need to be careful. Zhao Ya and the others turned their eyes over. Over in the Sky of Spirit Origin, there is a young man around your age. Due to his exceptional talent, he has managed to receive the World Conferment to be the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, the Cloud Dragon Monarch said. If you encounter him, make sure to protect your soul well. He possesses exceptional soul cultivation, so it would be best for you to suppress him through physical means. Indeed. You are all from the same lineage, right? If ites down to it, it might be better for all of you to stay together. That will lower the danger considerably, God Monarch Zhuoyang added. He might have said that his Conferred God Kings did not fear Zhang Xuan, but truthfully, he did not really mean it. The Conferred God King of the Nine Skies... This was a title that only the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had obtained in the whole history of the Firmament, and his fighting prowess was there for everyone to see. They were not confident of having their Conferred God Kings moving independently, but if all eleven of them made a move simultaneously... Even if that Conferred God King of the Nine Skies cultivated his physical body and zhenqi cultivation to the highest level, he would still be no match for all of them! Rest assured, well look out for one another. No matter who the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies is, if he dares court trouble, well make sure to return the favor to him, Zhao Ya replied with a nod As kin from the same lineage, they needed to take care of one another. That was how their teacher had taught them. They could not let him down. Good. Go in then! Hearing those words, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. The Cloud Dragon Monarch, God Monarch Zhuoyang, God Monarch Fumeng, and the others tore apart the space before them to send their respective Conferred God Kings into the Flooding Sea. Hahaha! After everyone entered the Flooding Sea, Fairy Linglong was finally unable to restrain herself any further and burst intoughter. Linglong, what are you so happy about? the Cloud Dragon Monarch asked. Well, its just that I thought of something that is really interesting, so I couldnt stop myself from chuckling, Fairy Linglong replied as her eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons. Do you something? Tell us, and we can discuss it together, the Acheron God Monarch said. Are you sure you want to hear it? Fairy Linglong asked with a glint in her eyes. The crowd nodded. Of course! Well, I guess it should be fine to tell you about this... Fairy Linglong muttered before chuckling to herself softly. Then, she raised her head and said, Arent you worried that Zhang Xuan might obtain innumerable treasures in the Flood of Spiritual Energy and be the next Heaven Subjugation Monarch? Well... There was no one who replied to Fairy Linglongs question. None of them would admit it, but they were indeed worried about Zhang Xuans growth. Dealing with one Heaven Subjugation Monarch was enough; they did not want to witness the rise of another one. If they were challenged and defeated one after another once more, just as the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had done... their egos would not be able to take it! Thinking about everything that had happened over the course of the past forty years, they felt so incredibly indignant. Do you hope that the sessors you have groomed will defeat Zhang Xuan and bring the treasures of the Flooding Sea over to you so that you can ovee your current bottlenecks? Fairy Linglong asked once more. God Monarch Zhuoyang lost his patience and harrumphed coldly. Linglong, just what are you trying to get at? We all saw the battle two days ago, and I dont believe that you werent moved by what you have seen! They might be God Monarchs, but they, too, wished to be stronger. It was their previous negligence during the Flood of Spiritual Energy that brought about the swift rise of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, and they were not ready to allow the rise of the second one. It was for this reason that they had nurtured their own batch of experts. Just get straight to the point! God Monarch Fumeng harrumphed impatiently. Is there any point in you ying such games with us? The Cloud Dragon Monarch was also swiftly losing his patience. I was about to get to the point... Just thinking about how they would react to the news made Fairy Linglong chuckle beneath her breath once again. Seeing how she had managed to build up the mood to the climax, she finally embarked on the grand reveal. Arent you curious who Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others teacher is? It just so happens that I know who he is! Who is... Halfway through his words, the face of a person suddenly surfaced in Demon Monarch Qiankuns mind. His body stiffened as he asked warily, Could it be that... Indeed. Its the person you have been worrying about all along... Zhang Xuan! Fairy Linglong said gleefully. After bing God Monarchs, there were very few things that could faze them. This was the first time she had seen such a look on the faces of her oldpanions. And it was all because of that young man... To make things worse, the young man did not even know what he had done! There was nothing more frustrating than being infuriated with a person, but the other party did not even know what he had done! This... The five God Monarchs nced at one another as a burst of inspiration flowed into their heads. A lot of ssical poems surfaced at the top of their mind. Cities I have conquered an acre of mine none, for whom have I been working so hard? A hundred flowers I have harvested for honey, only to have it all taken away! How I resent the years I spent weaving golden threads, all to deliver a gown to your hands! ... God Monarch Lingxi is your girlfriend, the Deathless Monarch is your tamed beast, and you are the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies... As if thats not enough, the sessors whom we have groomed with great difficulty are your disciples too! Feeling deeply suffocated, the five God Monarchs clutched their hearts tightly. They felt like there was something strangling them. They had hoped that they could make use of the Flood of Spiritual Energy to rise through the ranks and be as powerful as the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, but just like that, all their hopes had shattered. How could such a thing happen? Was there no justice in the world? Chapter 2243 - Risk and Danger 2in1 2243 Risk and Danger 2in1 There sure is a lot of good stuff here! Advancing alongside Luo Qiqi, within just four hours of flight, the treasures that he had gathered were alreadyparable to what he had earned in the Firmament over the past month. He had been selling batch after batch of Beauty Pills and Breakthrough Pills nonstop, resulting in him ruing a great fortune. Yet, he had managed to earn the same amount within four hours... This was how valuable the treasures in the Flooding Sea were. However, that wasrgely due to Zhang Xuans powerful soul. Because of that, he was able to perceive his surroundings with greater rity, and the area that his senses covered also far surpassed that of other cultivators. The other Conferred God Kings surely would not be able to find the treasures as efficiently as he did. Amid the barrennd filled with shattered stones, there were quite a few precious medicinal herbs growing, and every stalk of them would be worth a fortune in the markets of the Firmament. There were also ores, metal... By refining these items, he would be able to forge even God King realm pills and weapons. But these items arent very useful to me... Zhang Xuan shook his head. It was true that these medicinal herbs were valuable, but even pinnacle God Essence Pills were not of much use to him anymore. Unless he could obtain something beyond that level, he would not be able to raise his zhenqi cultivation any further. There isnd ahead... As they flew a little further, they realized that there wasnd ahead of them. It would be tempting to call it an ind, but it seemed to cover a massive area, such that they could not see the end of it. What was different about it was that it was actually rich in spiritual energy, and lush nts thrived on thend. It could be that when the fissure appeared in the sky, even thend of the Firmament was swept in as well, Zhang Xuan deduced. It was due to the size of the fissure in the sky that spiritual energy escaped from it so quickly. It would not be surprising if somend had been swept in as well. Landing on the ground, Zhang Xuan immediately cast his Spiritual Perception around him, and he could sense that there were innumerable treasures lying all around him. Ores that were rare in the Firmament filled thend, and even a nearby river was made entirely out of condensed spiritual energy. Theres someone over there, Zhang Xuan noted. There were others who had noticed the ce andnded there. Not too far away from them, there were twelve people, a Conferred God King and eleven God Kings, gathered closely together. They seemed to be discussing something intently with one another. The other party had noticed them as well and asked, Friends, would you like to join us? Zhang shi... Luo Qiqi nced over. Lets head over. Zhang Xuan nodded. They were all there for the same purpose, so there was no need for them to intentionally avoid them. Walking over, Zhang Xuan realized that the only Conferred God King of the group carried the insignia of the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Friends, I am Conferred God King Ao Feng of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, the Conferred God King introduced himself with a sped fist. Zhang Xuan sped his fist as well to return the greeting. We are all here to seek our fortune, but theres only so much that we can do alone. We are weak in the face of danger. However, if we can put our strength together and look out for one another, there is a lot more that we can do, Ao Feng said. The crowd nodded in agreement. It would indeed be dangerous if they ventured alone as mere God Kings. There were many dimension rifts and traps that were hard to deal with. The slightest carelessness could very well spell their death. Furthermore, they were not guarding against just the traps from nature. There were Conferred God Kings and God Kings scouring the area to pick on easy targets. It was one thing to find treasure, but it was another thing to take it out of there safely. For this reason, half of the God Kings and Conferred God Kings who entered the Flooding Sea would end up losing their lives each time around. As you know, unless a God King earns the acknowledgement of a God Monarch and ovees the Trial of Conferment, no matter how they cultivate, they wont be able to advance their cultivation any further. Their lifespan will be capped at ten thousand years. Once their time is up, that will be the end of them, Ao Feng said. The eleven God Kings around him could rte deeply to those words. The hurdle to bing a Conferred God King was not one that could be ovee just by cultivating diligently. There were many God Kings in the Firmament that could only live in despair after realizing that there was simply no chance that they could advance any further. All of you should have received quite a few treasures from the Flooding Sea already, probably enough for you to push your cultivation up to God King realm pinnacle. But have you thought of whates beyond that? Your lifespan wont be increased just because you have reached God King realm pinnacle, Ao Feng said as he slowly looked at the faces of those gathered around. The only thing that is in your way is the acknowledgement of a God Monarch! We also know that if we can earn the acknowledgement of a God Monarch and receive their pointers, we should be able to clear the Trial of Conferment easily and possibly be a Conferred God King... But people like us dont even get the opportunity to meet the God Monarchs, so how can we earn their acknowledgement? one of the God Kings remarked with a resigned look on his face. Who did not want to earn the acknowledgment of a God Monarch, the highest existence of the Firmament? But God Monarchs were lofty beings who lived a world of their own. How could it be easy to catch their eye? There was once a God King who attempted to amaze a God Monarch by putting on a grand performance, but in the end, what he received was not the acknowledgement of the God Monarch but a p that condemned him to death. Ever since then, all cultivators had realized that it was futile to attempt anything excessive before the God Monarchs. Through years of experience, the God Kings had realized that there were two key factors one had to meet in order to earn the acknowledgement of a God Monarch. First, one had to be sufficiently talented. Second, one had to be rmended by someone in power. Without these two in ce, there was nothing they could do that would work. I wouldnt be saying all of this if I didnt have a way out for you! Seeing how he had managed to catch everyones attention, Ao Feng said with a chuckle, The truth is that I have received an order from the Cloud Dragon Monarch. He needs a certain treasure within the Flooding Sea, and if you can help me acquire it, itll surely please him greatly. Im certain that he would be more than willing to listen to any request that you have for him! Whether you want to be his direct disciple or be conferred, it would all be within your grasp! The Cloud Dragon Monarch needs something? Really? Arent God Monarchs the strongest existences in the world, such that there is nothing that could move them? Its hard to believe that theres something in the world that they need... Can I really take your word for it? As long as we are able to find the treasure that the Cloud Dragon Monarch needs, hell take us in as his direct disciple and even confer us? Everyone was moved by what Ao Feng was proposing. The only thing they feared was that the God Monarchs needed nothing. As long as there was something the God Monarchs wanted, they would be able to catch their attention and please them. Then, it might really be possible for them to receive a conferment! May I know what it is that the God Monarch wants? someone amid the crowd asked. If it was too difficult to aplish, such that they might even have to pay their life for it, there would be no point in doing it. The reason they wanted to be conferred was to lengthen their lifespan and obtain an even higher standing. It would all be meaningless if they lost their lives. What the God Monarch wants is a set of Condensed Earth Essence on thisnd. Due to the concentrated spiritual energy harnessed within it, even someone of my prowess is unable to use it. Only God Monarchs would be able to assimte it, Ao Feng said. However, there are some phantasmagoric spirits protecting the area, so Im unable to enter it alone. I need your help to acquire it. Phantasmagoric spirits? Theyre a unique lifeform that thrive in areas rich in spiritual energy. They dont have a physical body, and their strength is roughly at the level of a God King, making them hard to deal with. I tried entering the area earlier, but I was stopped outside. However, if we put our strength together, we should be able to ovee their defense easily! Ao Feng said. If he could obtain the Condensed Earth Essence by himself, there was no way he would have shared it with anyone else. However, despite being a Conferred God King, he had found that it was impossible for him to aplish this task on his own. Condensed Earth Essence? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. He had read about it in the books in Kong shis house. Condensed Earth Essence boasted even purer spiritual energy than pinnacle God Essence Pills. If he could obtain it, there was a good chance that he could push for a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation to Conferred God King realm pinnacle in one shot. A God King amid the crowd asked, How many phantasmagoric spirits are there? If its too dangerous, Ill have to turn down your request. We would prefer to live our life peacefully in the days ahead... Live your life peacefully in the days ahead? Ao Feng sneered. Look at how the Firmament has been faring in the past few decades! With the receding of spiritual energy,petition over cultivation resources is getting more and more intense. Putting aside rising to greater heights, I believe even sustaining your current level is posing to be a problem for most of you. Let me ask you one very direct question. How much longer do you think you have before your fortune runs out? The moment you run out of resources and your cultivation starts declining, what do you think your enemies who feared you in the past will do? Do you think that the powers that have backed you so far will continue to back you? Even if I dont say more, I think most of you should have already gotten my point. This... The crowd found themselves at a loss for words. Cultivation was like going against an upstream river; one could only either advance or regress. Even staying at the same spot would require a huge amount of cultivation resources. This was simr to how warriors had to train their bodies constantly in order to maintain their level of fitness. The Firmament was facing an unprecedented shortage of resources, such that even God Kings were having difficulties gathering sufficient resources to maintain their cultivation. Nearly all God Kings had a massive n backing them. Once they fell, their ns would fall apart as well. Everything that they had built up to date would fall apart. Theres no way to live your life in peace in the current Firmament. You either charge ahead and forge a path for yourself or else back down all the way till theres nothing left at all. Its that simple. Even I, as a Conferred God King, am not spared from such a fate! Seeing how the crowd had gone silent from his words, Ao Feng changed his tone and sighed deeply before continuing. Ill be honest with you. Just two days ago, there was a battle above the moon, and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch... fell! What did you say? The Heaven Subjugation Monarch has died? How did he die? Could it be... the fight with God Monarch Lingxi? Is it even possible for a God Monarch to die? Those words caused a hugemotion to erupt from the crowd. Kong shi and Luo Ruoxins battle had taken ce on the moon, so other than the God Monarchs and the Conferred God Kings close to them, there was hardly anyone who knew of the news. The ascension of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch through the ranks had sparked the hopes of many ordinary cultivators. They felt like as long as they worked hard, it was possible for them to be spectacr existences like him! For this reason, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch was the idol of many cultivators in the Firmament, a figure whom many respected and looked up to. Many of them had actually been rooting for the Heaven Subjugation Monarchs victory over God Monarch Lingxi, but who could have known that he would actually lose his life? If even a God Monarch could lose their life, as mere God Kings, the situation seemed even more desperate for them. Just like that, the eleven God Kings fell silent, and the atmosphere grew a little stifling. Im not telling you all of this just to scare you, Ao Feng said. I am telling you that you need to be stronger in order to survive and protect your n. The Firmament before us is no longer the same peaceful Firmament we knew. I wont deceive you. Theres indeed some degree of danger when ites to dealing with the phantasmagoric spirits, but as long as we put our strength together and coordinate well, I am confident that our chances of sess exceed ny percent. There is no better chance than this to turn things around. I have already offered you the opportunity, and its your choice if you want to grasp it or not. We still need to think things through a little... Since thats the case, Ill offer another alternative to you all. Seeing that the crowd was still hesitating, Ao Feng added, As long as you are willing toe along with me, regardless of whether we are able to acquire the Condensed Earth Essence or not, Ill give you a pinnacle God Essence Pill and owe you a favor as a token of my appreciation. Of course, Im taking on quite some risk by making this offer, so after we receive the treasure, you need not think about receiving any reward from the God Monarch. This... The crowd was stunned for a moment before their eyes glowed in delight. These eleven God Kings were all unaffiliated cultivators. Some of them belonged to a Sky, but they were not backed by any of the Conferred God Kings. As such, the cultivation resources they had on hand were rtively meager. A pinnacle God Essence Pill was a staggering fortune to them, and they could receive the favor of a Conferred God King on top of that. These two were unconditional as long as they agreed to join the team to help him. On top of that, even though they wouldnt be able to ask a favor from the Cloud Dragon Monarch if they were to choose this alternative, it was still a good chance for them to catch the Cloud Dragon Monarchs attention and possibly win his goodwill. No matter how they looked at it, it didnt seem to be a bad deal to them. Alright, Ill agree to it then! I agree to it, too! ... The key difference between the two offers was that they would not have to fullymit themselves to obtaining the Condensed Earth Essence. Even if they ended up retreating and the mission was a failure, they would still be entitled to the reward. This was a risk that they could afford to take. As a result, within just a minute, all eleven God Kings had already made their decisions. Seeing how he had managed to get their agreement, Ao Feng heaved a sigh of relief internally as he turned to Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi and asked, What about the two of you? Ill agree to it as well. Zhang Xuan nodded. The Condensed Earth Essence was useful to him, so he decided to join the group first before deciding what to do afterward. Great! With this, we have formally formed our alliance. From this point on, I have to emphasize that all of you must follow my instructions. Ill open the option for you to back out until we engage the enemy, but I dont expect you to abandon us during a critical period. As such an act could put the others at risk, Ill show no mercy against deserters, understood? Ao Feng said. We understand. The crowd nodded in response. Alright, lets go then! With the negotiationspleted, Ao Feng led the way, and the group followed him closely. Soon enough, they arrived in the vicinity of a stream. The spiritual energy in the area was even more concentrated, and the lush greenery rose all the way into the air, blocking off the sky. Ao Feng pointed forward and said, The phantasmagoric spirits are right ahead of us. The crowd turned their gazes over and saw white mist-like silhouettes drifting around the area. Those are nt spirits nurtured by the rich spiritual energy in the area! Zhang Xuan thought in realization. He had been wondering what the heck phantasmagoric spirits were, but it turned out to be just ancient trees and grass gaining consciousness as a result of the rich spiritual energy in the surroundings. It was rather simr to what had happened to the Pill King. While these spirits appeared to possess the strength of a God King, due to their limited means, their fighting prowess was extremely weak. However, what made them difficult to deal with was the sheer numbers they came in, such that it was easy to get overwhelmed by them. Furthermore, as beings that thrived on spiritual energy, they could be said to be indestructible in areas with such concentrated spiritual energy. That made them even more of a hassle to deal with. Our goal is to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence and not pit our lives against those phantasmagoric spirits, Ao Feng said. Later, I want you to attack from all directions in order to attract the attention of the phantasmagoric spirits. Ill make use of the chaos to get in, and once I obtain the Condensed Earth Essence, well leave right away! I think its a good idea, but what if you run away after obtaining the Condensed Earth Essence without telling us? a God King said. They had only just met one another, so it was hard for them to trust each other with their lives. Indeed. If you leave us in the lurch after obtaining the Condensed Earth Essence, youll be able to avoid paying us and returning the favor. That makes it very risky for us. I dont think that the n is feasible, another God King added. What do you suggest then? Ao Feng frowned after hearing some opposition to what he had proposed. Well advance and retreat as one! the God King from before eximed. Indeed! Well advance and retreat as one! The rest of the crowd nodded in agreement. Such a course of action will indeed make it hard for us to turn against one another, but have you considered the possibility that we might be encircled by the phantasmagoric spirits? Ao Feng said. If that happens, not only will we be unable to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence, we could very well lose our lives. Chapter 2244 - Absorbing the Spirits

Chapter 2244 Absorbing the Spirits

This... The crowd frowned upon hearing those words. There was some sense to what Ao Feng had said. There were a lot of phantasmagoric spirits around, and each of them possessed strengthparable to that of a God King. If they were trapped, not only would they be unable to obtain what they wanted, their team could very well bepletely wiped out. Under such circumstances, they would surely have to sacrifice someone in order to break out of the encirclement, but given that they were strangers who were united by shared interests, who would be willing to give up their life to save the others? That was clearly asking the impossible! Taunting the phantasmagoric spirits and dividing their attentionthis is the most viable solution we have at the moment. If you dont even trust me for that, whats the point of us working together? Ao Feng waved his hand in dissatisfaction. The crowd fell silent yet again. They might have only forged this alliance a moment ago, but if they werent willing to trust the leader, it would be better for them to go their own ways. Why dont we practice a coborative formation and force our way through the phantasmagoric spirits? A coborative formation? First and foremost, the time we have in this area is severely limited. Second, its only a matter of time before the other Conferred God Kings learn of the existence of the Condensed Earth Essence. It will onlyplicate things if we spend too much time on building up a formation. Indeed. It would take at least half a month for all of us to master a coborative formation and be in sync with one another. We dont have that much time to waste. If we had the time to do that, wed be better off searching for other treasures around the area. We would be able to earn much more than a pinnacle God Essence Pill that way! ... The group devolved into an argument. They did not expect something that was supposed to be simple to have so manyplications. At this rate, their team might just fall apart before the mission had even started. Fine, lets do this. Ill charge at the forefront whereas the rest of you will take the nk to protect me from the attack of the phantasmagoric spirits. Is that fine? Having known that a group that was put togetherst minute would surely be unreliable, Ao Feng could onlypromise. These God Kings were hoping to obtain treasures without taking on any risks, but how could there be such a good thing in the world? That sounds fine with me! The crowd quickly agreed to Ao Fengs new n. By this point, Ao Feng could not be bothered to n out any additional strategies. Taking in a deep breath, he said, Lets get to it then! Right after saying those words, he dashed ahead. H! Exerting the strength of a Conferred God King, he flitted forth like a bolt of lightning. His hand morphed into a w as he swiped it across the space ahead of him, jolting the phantasmagoric spirits ahead of him back into spiritual energy. Follow me! Ao Feng bellowed. The remaining God Kings quickly followed suit. Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi stuck close to the crowd. It had to be said that Ao Feng was indeed quite powerful. He could defeat the God King realm phantasmagoric spirits with a single strike each, leaving nothing behind at all. Oh? These phantasmagoric spirits seem to be quite useful to my soul cultivation, Zhang Xuan thought as he blocked off the attacksing from the phantasmagoric spiritsing from the sides. These phantasmagoric spirits were basically spirits, simr to the beings he had enchanted. He realized that if he absorbed them, it could augment his soul cultivation quite a bit. While his soul had reached Conferred God King realm pinnacle after receiving the Worlds Conferment, he still needed to reinforce his soul cultivation quite a bit before attempting for a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm. If he could assimte these spirits, there was a good chance that he could reinforce his soul cultivation significantly. Let me give it a try! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan tried to absorb one of the spirits that Ao Feng had shattered into his be. If the spirit still had consciousness, absorbing it would be equivalent to possession, making it extremely troublesome to assimte. However, the shattered spirits had already lost their consciousness, making them pure souls, which was extremely easy for Zhang Xuan to absorb. Right away, Zhang Xuan could sense his soul cultivation strengthening a fair bit, and his eyes lit up in excitement. Not bad! It was fortunate that he had chosen to join the group. Even if he failed to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence in the end, it would still have been a fruitful trip for him. With Ao Feng charging at the forefront and thirteen God Kings blocking the phantasmagoric spirits by the side, there were a lot of dissipated spirits lingering in the area. Within just ten minutes, Zhang Xuan could already sense his soul growing rapidly. But unknowingly, the group also ended up falling into the encirclement of the phantasmagoric spirits, just as Ao Feng had predicted. The mountain stream was filled with nts and herbs that had lived for countless years, and the surrounding conditions were ideal for nurturing phantasmagoric spirits. As a result, there were arge number around. Despite having fought for a while, the number of phantasmagoric spirits only seemed to continue to increase. Some timeter, Zhang Xuan finally stopped absorbing the spirits. Over time, the effectiveness of absorbing the spirits gradually reduced, and finally, he reached a satiated state. At this point, he would need even purer spirits in order to further advance his soul cultivation. The Condensed Earth Essence is right ahead! Ao Feng shouted as he continued charging forward. Turning his gaze ahead, Zhang Xuan saw a sphere of a milky white substance floating above ake. It was only the size of a fist, but concentrated spiritual energy was rippling from it. The spiritual energy harnessed within the milky white substance was probably several times greater than in pinnacle God Essence Pills. Zhang Xuan could feel the zhenqi in his body pulsating in excitement, desiring to absorb it in. Its indeed good stuff. Itll be useful for me... Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Just as he had thought, if he consumed it, he should be able to push his zhenqi cultivation to Conferred God King realm intermediate stage or advanced stage easily. It was just that... He had been absorbing the spirits all this while and had not contributed much to the group. Given that Ao Feng and the other God Kings had put so much effort into this, he felt embarrassed snatching it right away from them. After all, he was a master teacher, not a burr. In any case, there were likely more than one of those spheres of Condensed Earth Essence lying around the area, so he would just to look around the areater on. While others would have to forge a path through the phantasmagoric spirits in order to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence, he did not have to go through so much effort. When it came down to it, he could simply draw out his soul and disguise it as a phantasmagoric spirit. This way, he should be able to easily slip through them and obtain the Condensed Earth Essence with ease. Hong long! As if to protect the Condensed Earth Essence, the number of phantasmagoric spirits only continued to increase the closer they got to it. As a result, the pressure that the group was under increased exponentially. Within just a few minutes, there were four God Kings who had sustained severe injuries, and even Ao Feng had blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. To make matters worse, the phantasmagoric spirits had grown much stronger. All of them had reached God King realm pinnacle, and they charged at the group fearlessly. Furthermore, they were extremely skilled at soul offense, causing the fighting prowess and morale of the group to be significantly reduced. At this rate, we might just lose our lives here, a God King cried out. Almost everyone in the group had a grim look on their face. They had thought that with so many of them putting their strength together, they should be able to ovee the phantasmagoric spirits with ease. Who could have known that they had underestimated the difficulty of the mission? We need to back out now, or else theres no way well be able to escape with our lives! another God King shouted. In that instant, all the members of the group began to hesitateshould they retreat and abandon the mission or push on? Even though they were very close to the Condensed Earth Essence, the pressure they faced was also growing with each passing second. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were wiped out. We have alreadye this far! How can we give up when we are already so close to the goal? Ao Feng bellowed ferociously. Everyone, just wait here for a moment for me. Ill fetch the Condensed Earth Essence ande right back! With a furious roar, he began running forward, and all of a sudden, he began morphing into a massive golden dragon. With imposing momentum, he charged right toward the Condensed Earth Essence in the air. He knew that he could not reach the goal in his human form, so he had transformed back to his original body without any hesitation! Chapter 2245 - Get Moving!

Chapter 2245 Get Moving!

With the appearance of the golden dragon, the surrounding air seemed to grow thin, and the spiritual energy in the surroundings became even more viscous. Ao Feng was disying his true might as a Conferred God King of the Sky of Cloud Dragon. Weng! As soon as the golden dragon appeared, innumerable spirits in the surroundings began charging frenziedly toward him, even imploding themselves in order to deal some damage to him. In an instant,yers of spatial ripples diffused into the surroundings, destabilizing the space in the vicinity. Under the relentless attacks of the phantasmagoric spirits, his resilient scales tore apart, and several ring gashes were inflicted all over his body. His golden dragon blood dripped to the floor and crushed the rocks beneath with a sizzling sound. Hu! Knowing that he was in a desperate situation, Ao Feng did not hesitate to use his dragon breath, dissipating the dozens of phantasmagoric spirits that stood in his way. That opened a temporary passageway for him to pass through. Sou! Ao Feng quickly made use of the opportunity to dash forward, and just as he was about to reach the Condensed Earth Essence, a light barrier suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking him out. Its a formation created by the phantasmagoric spirits! Ao Fengs face darkened as he felt goosebumps rising all over his body. Not only did these phantasmagoric spirits possess sentience, they were even able to coborate with one another to set up a formation... This far exceeded his expectations. Ao Feng quickly lifted his ws to smash a hole through the light barrier. The light barrier wavered under Ao Fengs strike, but it did not shatter. Even with someone as powerful as Ao Feng exerting his full might, he was still unable to tear down the formation before him easily. I dont believe it! Ao Feng could not ept letting the Condensed Earth Essence slip through his fingers when it was right before him. No matter what, he was determined to make the mission a sess. Otherwise, once word began to spread about the dangers that lurked there, it would be difficult for him to gather a new team. In other words, he only had this one shot at sess, and failure was not eptable! However, he also knew that he did not have much time left. With every second that he was stalled there, his group members would be facing even greater pressure from the phantasmagoric spirits. Boom boom boom! Ao Feng swiped his ws and tail repeatedly on the light barrier, causing it to tremor nonstop. Yet, he was simply unable to break it apart. But while it was still refusing to shatter, it grew considerably thinner under his furious offense. With each strike, a fair bit of the spiritual energy that made up the light barrier diffused into the surroundings. Observing that scene, Zhang Xuans eyes lit up in excitement. Its not a formation but a cocoon formed out of the purest essence extracted from innumerable phantasmagoric spirits... At first nce, it did appear to be a barrier, but based on how the energy was leaking outward with each strike, it was apparently not the case. If he was not mistaken, the reason the nts in the area were able to birth spirits was due to the presence of the Condensed Earth Essence in the area. For this reason, the spirits viewed the Condensed Earth Essence as their mother. In order to protect their mother, the phantasmagoric spirits extracted the essence from their spirits and umted it over time in order to form this protectiveyer of defense. In other words... The light barrier was actually an incredible tonic for him! If I absorb that, I should be able to advance my soul cultivation considerably, right? With such a thought in mind, he quickly smacked away the two phantasmagoric spirits charging at him before moving closer to the light barrier. Indeed, he could sense the spirit essence that had diffused from the light barrier lingering in the air. His soul cultivation grew significantly just by absorbing a sliver of it. This confirmed Zhang Xuans thoughts. If he could absorb all of it, he would surely be able to bring his soul cultivation to new heights! It would be foolish to miss out on such good stuff! He turned his eyes toward the light barrier, only to see the barrier being torn offyer afteryer by Ao Fengs relentless attacks. The concentrated soul energy was then absorbed by the phantasmagoric spirits in the area, strengthening them. What a pity... At this rate, the pressure on their side would only continue to increase as the phantasmagoric spirits grew stronger. Besides, it was such a huge waste to give such tonics to the phantasmagoric spirits when they were hardly alive. If he could have it instead, the benefit he gained from it would be even greater than consuming the Condensed Earth Essence! This wont do. I should just take it for myself, Zhang Xuan thought as he walked over to the light barrier. Boom boom boom! Meanwhile, the golden dragon in the air was still striking the light barrier relentlessly, and the rebound from striking too hard was causing its ws to bleed profusely. At the same time, the phantasmagoric spirits in the area were still attacking him from all directions, causing his injuries to pile up. It felt like he would sumb very soon and fall from the sky. Ao Feng clenched his teeth tightly as he thought, I am deeply indebted to the Cloud Dragon Monarch. The Condensed Earth Essence is something that can allow the Cloud Dragon Monarch to further his cultivation, so no matter what, I mustplete this mission. Most of the Conferred God Kings had received guidance from their God Monarchs, and in the Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Skies, the Conferred God Kings were all rted by bloodline to the God Monarch. This meant that their rtionship ran even deeper. If the God Monarch needed something, even if it was at the cost of their life, they would still find it for them! Ao Feng continued to attack frenziedly, but the stronger his strikes were, the greater the rebound was. It did not take long for his body to be nearlypletely tattered, and it looked as if he was on the verge of copsing. Ao Feng knew that he had reached the limit of his body, and if he pushed on like that, he would die before he couldy his hands on the Condensed Earth Essence. Feeling utterly helpless, he was just about to give the order to retreat when he saw a young man standing in front of the light barrier that he had been hitting a moment ago. With a gleeful smile on his face, the young man started to absorb the diffused energy of the light barrier. ... Lowering his dragon head, Ao Feng soon recognized who the young man was. It was one of thest two God Kings whom he had recruited. Pay no heed to me. You can continue if you want. Ill just absorb a bit before leaving, the young man said with a friendly wave of his hand. ... Ao Feng nearly cked out. Bro! I nearly got killed by the phantasmagoric spirits while trying to get to this light barrier! Even now, my body is still bleeding profusely. How did you get here without the slightest crease on your clothes? You are even in the mood to smile and wave at me... Damn it, I am already dying! If you had such capabilities, why didnt you just use them earlier? Ao Feng red at the young man with an aggrieved look, only to see the young manpletely focused on absorbing the energy scattered all around. He was so focused that a small tornado of energy started to form around his body. Two of thergest phantasmagoric spirits in the area sensed that the source of their strength was being absorbed by the young man, and they began charging over while screeching in fury. Be careful! Ao Feng shouted out. But before the phantasmagoric spirits could get close, the young man waved his hand casually. Peng! Peng! With two dull thuds, the phantasmagoric spirits were reduced to dust before being absorbed by the young man as well. The young man suddenly raised his head once more to look at Ao Feng once more, and he said in an earnest tone, Theres no need to be bothered by me. You can continue scratching at the light barrier. Its already very thin now. If you hurry, you should be able to break it within ten minutes! Ten minutes? Ao Feng spurted a mouthful of blood. He had been thinking that he could break it soon, but in the end... ten minutes? Despite putting his life on the line and attacking desperately, he had not even ground away a tenth of the light barrier? What the hell! Was this even possible to break apart? While wallowing in his sorrow, Ao Feng lowered his head once more, only to see that the young man had finished devouring all the energy lingering in the area. Seeing that there was nothing anymore, the young man raised his head to direct a dissatisfied look in his direction, asking, Why are you standing there in a daze? Get moving! Ah... Without any thought, Ao Fengs ws began striking the light barrier once more, causing its energy to scatter in the surroundings. Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction before turning his attention back to absorbing the spirit essence around him. Chapter 2246 - Exasperation

Chapter 2246 Exasperation

Absorbing the spirit essence contained within the light barrier, Zhang Xuans soul became stronger and stronger. At the same time, his control over his soul energy grew more refined. It did not take long for his soul cultivation to reach satiation once more. However, there was nothing to worry about. With a thought, he redirected the spirit essence toward his clone, strengthening its soul. He soon absorbed everything that could be absorbed. Raising his head once more, he saw Ao Feng floating in the air with a bloodied body like a in dragon. It felt like the other party had really used up all his strength. He did not look as imposing as he did before. I have a pill here that can heal your stamina. Eat it! With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan threw a pill over to Ao Feng. If the other party really fainted, he would not be able to absorb the spirit essence around peacefully anymore. Besides, given how much he had absorbed earlier, it was only right for him to repay the favor. My injuries are too severe. Ordinary pills wont work, Ao Feng said with a bitter smile. Even pinnacle God Essence Pills were not of much use to him, let alone some low-tier pills. Given the extent of his injuries, he would require at least a purer Dragon Bloodline in order to recover. Just give it a try! Zhang Xuan said with a smile. He had infused his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi and a bit of Little Chicks blood into the high-tier God Essence Pill he had flicked over. That should be more than enough to heal up ordinary injuries. Seeing the young man insisting on the matter, Ao Feng suddenly recalled how the young man was able to pass through the phantasmagoric spirits in order to get to it. Perhaps in the hope that a miracle would happen, he opened his mouth and swallowed it. As soon as he swallowed the pill, a warm flow spread across his whole body and healed his injuries. This... Ao Feng narrowed his eyes in shock. The effects of the pill were alreadyparable to a God Monarch realm pill! To be willing to give away such a valuable pill so casually... Just who in the world was this young man? Lowering his head, he saw the young man waving his hand calmly, saying, You can get back to work now... ... Ao Fengs eyebrows danced up and down. Just like that, the gratitude he felt for the young man vanished like a puff of smoke. Arent you treating me like your ve? Ao Feng looked around him and saw that most of the God Kings he had brought in were already injured, and their formation was on the verge of copsing. Knowing that this was not the time to be fussing over this, he gritted his teeth and continued striking the light barrier furiously. Kacha! Kacha! The light barrier shuddered, and spirit essence began diffusing into the surroundings once more. Zhang Xuan absorbed for a while longer before he began frowning in dissatisfaction once more. As his clone had neitherprehended the Pathos of Heaven nor received the Worlds Conferment, he needed a greater amount of soul energy than Zhang Xuan. Initially, he did not really think much of it. However, the more he absorbed the spirit essence, the more frustrated he felt with how slow the rate at which the spirit essence was being produced. The rate of how fast one cultivated did make a huge difference. If ones rate of cultivation was too slow, it would be hard to gather enough momentum to push for a breakthrough. Why do I have to wait for Ao Feng to strike the spirit essence from the light barrier before absorbing it? Why cant I just absorb it straight from the light barrier? Zhang Xuan thought. Looking at how exhausted Ao Feng was, to the extent that his tongue was stuck out like a tired dog, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be impossible to get him to pick up his speed. So, he turned his gaze toward the cocoon-like light barrier in the sky instead. It would indeed be easier to absorb the diffused spirit essence from the light barrier, but since the output could not keep up with the rate of consumption, it was time to make some modifications to the n. If only he had known that Ao Feng was such a lousy worker, he never would have given thetter the pill. What a waste of resources. It seemed like Conferred God Kings were not as formidable as he had thought. Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan moved over to the light barrier and attempted to absorb the spirit essence in it. However, the exterior was so hard that he could not absorb it at all. Ah, that exins why that fellow isnt able to break it. This light barrier is indeed scarily resilient... He raised his fist and gave the light barrier a good, hard punch, but the rebound from striking a hard surface caused his arm to go numb instead. The light barrier formed from the purest essence of the nt spirits was more frightening than he had thought. Even though he did not use his soul cultivation in the attack, no matter what, his physical body had still gone through the tempering of the Deathless Lava Reservoir. In terms of sheer strength, the amount of force he could dish out was far greater than that of other Conferred God Kings. Yet, even with such strength, he still suffered a rebound that caused his hand to ache. It seemed like one would at least require the powers of a God Monarch in order to swiftly breach the light barrier. Let me try with a weapon then... Since his fist did not work, Zhang Xuan quickly drew the Crimson Heaven Sword that the God Monarch of the Sword Hut had given him back then. Hu! The wind batters unceasingly on the unwilling tree, a son seeks to be filial but time slips past his grasp! Zhang Xuan executed the Pathos of Heaven 4-dan sword art. Puhe! The light barrier in front did not even manage to hold its ground for a split second before a huge hole was ripped in it. Caught off guard, Zhang Xuan ended up stumbling inside the light barrier. This... Zhang Xuan blinked nkly. As his fist did not work earlier, he had expected it to take a great deal of effort to break the light barrier even if he used his swordsmanship. To his astonishment, he managed to tear a hole in it so easily... If only he had known that it was that easy, he would not have wasted his time. At the same time, Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder just what tier of weapon the Crimson Heaven Sword was. Was it not way too sharp? cing his sword back into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan began absorbing the spirit essence once more, and this time around, he could feel concentrated energy streaming ceaselessly into his body rapidly. Hmm, just as I thought. Its much more convenient absorbing the spirit essence from inside... He could hardly absorb anything while he was out there, but in here, the spirit essence flowed so easily into his body that he really wondered what he had been doing the past few minutes. Channeling the spirit essence toward the clone in his storage ring, his clones soul cultivation quickly rose through the ranks, causing his fighting prowess to rise swiftly. Peng peng peng! While Zhang Xuan was absorbing the spirit essence from the inside, Ao Feng was still striking the light barrier with all his might. Dragon blood was dripping from his ws, and his nails had blunted as a result of smashing against something absurdly hard. Just as he was thinking of giving up once more, he suddenly noticed that the young man from before had already slipped in and was standing inside quietly, not moving at all. Once again, Ao Feng felt a sweet sensation at the back of his throat, and he nearly spurted blood. Bruh, when the hell did you get in there? Why didnt you call for me? Did you not see how I was striking the light barrier with all my might? Are you making fun of me? Its as if I was searching the entire house for my keys, but it turned out that they were with you all along... Ao Feng quickly circled around the light barrier and found the tear that the young man entered through. Without any hesitation, he charged right through the tear, and... he got stuck! After struggling for a long time, he finally transmogrified back to his human form before entering. Condensed Earth Essence, its finally within my grasp... Paying no heed to the young man who was still standing motionless, Ao Feng rushed straight for the Condensed Earth Essence and grabbed it. Tzzz! Feeling the incredible energy pulsating within the milky-white sphere, Ao Feng trembled in agitation. He was just about to find a container to store it when he suddenly noticed something and frowned. This is weird... Why does it seem like the Condensed Earth Essence has shrunk quite a bit? When I saw it earlier, it was still the size of a grown mans fist. So, why does it look like a mere ping pong ball now? While Ao Feng was still trying to figure out the mystery of the missing essence, the Condensed Earth Essence in his hand continued to shrink, bing the size of a grape before further miniaturizing to the size of a bean... Ao Feng grasped at his hair as he felt like something within him was going to explode. If I give this little bean to the Cloud Dragon Monarch, thetter will surely think that Im mocking him! The heck... Chapter 2247 - Venturing Along the Mountain Stream

Chapter 2247 Venturing Along the Mountain Stream

Scratching his head in utter confusion, Ao Feng took a closer look, only to realize that the energy within the Condensed Earth Essence in his hand, after the shattering of the light barrier, was flowing outward ceaselessly. It appeared that the light barrier had been created to prevent the Condensed Earth Essence from diffusing, and its destruction resulted in the inability of the Condensed Earth Essence to maintain its form. Wait, so where did the spiritual energy go? Ao Feng thought anxiously. Tracing the flow of spiritual energy, the result of his investigation made his body stagger from shock. To his disbelief, both the light barrier and the spiritual energy from the Condensed Earth Essence were being absorbed by the young man. That fellow was leaving no scraps at all! But... how was the young man doing it? The spiritual energy of the Condensed Earth Essence was so pure that even Ao Feng himself would have difficulty absorbing it! Gritting his teeth, Ao Feng quickly took out a jade container to store the bean-sized Condensed Earth Essence before sealing it off. Then, he furiously turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and confronted him. Friend, I am thankful to you for your pill earlier, but what do you mean by absorbing the spiritual energy in the Condensed Earth Essence? What do you expect me to present to His Sovereignty after all you have done? While he was grateful to Zhang Xuan for helping him earlier, the main purpose of their mission was to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence. If the young man had sucked it dry, it would have meant that their mission was a failure! Do you know how much I have sacrificed in order toplete this mission? Not only did I promise everyone a pinnacle God Essence Pill and a favor, I even nearly lost my life in the midst of the mission. Yet, you stole the spoils of war right before my eyes... Isnt that a bit too much? Perplexed by Ao Fengs suddenly outburst, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the jade container and realized that there was less than a tenth of the Condensed Earth Essence left. Taken aback, he quickly looked at his own body before freezing on the spot. Ah? My cultivation has reached... Conferred God King? When did it happen? This was shocking. Even though it was only a cultivation stage, he had still managed to raise his cultivation from God King realm pinnacle to Conferred God King realm primary stage! Just... why did he not notice anything? He must have been so focused on absorbing the spirit essence that his body subconsciously started cultivating on its own under the effects of the Mind of Void. As a result, he ended up absorbing the Condensed Earth Essence involuntarily! If I were to tell you that Im here only to absorb the spirit essence and not to take your spiritual energy, would you believe me? Zhang Xuan at least knew enough to know that Ao Feng would beat him to death if he said those words, so he scratched his head awkwardly and replied, This... I honestly didnt mean for this to happen, and Ill give you an exnationter. For the time being, lets head out. Im afraid that they wont be able to hold on for much longer... Ao Feng turned around and saw that the God Kings were indeed at their limits. Just a momentter, and they would have sumbed to the phantasmagoric spirits. Having their Condensed Earth Essence taken away had caused the phantasmagoric spirits to fall into a greater state of rage, resulting in their attacks being far more violent than before. All eleven of the God Kings had already sustained severe injuries, so the wise thing to do right now was indeed to retreat. Humph! Knowing that this was indeed not a good time to question the young man, Ao Feng gritted his teeth and leaped out of the light barrier. His body morphed once more into a massive golden dragon, and he wrapped the crowd around his body before dashing off. He knew that the young man inside the light barrier possessed strength beyond him, so he could not be bothered with escorting him out with them as well. Ill be waiting for you outside, Ao Feng said to Zhang Xuan via zhenqi telepathy. Zhang Xuan shook his head before focusing his attention back on absorbing the concentrated spirit essence around him. Five minutester, he was finally done absorbing the entire spirit essence, and his clone had also managed to advance its strength to God King realm pinnacle. With that, his clone would be able to match any Conferred God King with ease. But at the same time, with the erosion of the light barrier, Zhang Xuan was immediately swarmed by hordes of phantasmagoric spirits. He swung the Crimson Heaven Sword in his hand to open a pathway for himself to retreat, but all of a sudden, he halted his footsteps. Should I head deeper in to see if theres more Condensed Earth Essence around? Since he was already there, if he could find more Condensed Earth Essence, he might just be able to push for a breakthrough to Conferred God King realm pinnacle while returning what he owed Ao Feng. So, he quickly activated the disguise amulet to alter his aura to appear to be no different from that of the phantasmagoric spirits in the surroundings. Initially, the phantasmagoric spirits were attacking him relentlessly, but slowly, their movements came to a halt as they scanned their surroundings in confusion. nt spirits possessed only an elementary level of sentience, so they were unable to processplex situations. Zhang Xuans disguise was nearly wless, so not even they were able to tell the difference between him and their own kind. The disguise amulet is truly formidable, Zhang Xuan muttered as he quickly rushed alongside the mountain stream. There had to be something along this mountain stream that the rest of thisnd did not have for it to be able to produce the Condensed Earth Essence. Trailing ahead, the number of phantasmagoric spirits in the area gradually began to decrease. A momentter, Zhang Xuan came to a halt as he scanned the area right in front of him warily with a frown. For some reason, he could sense a very familiar auraing from there. It was a sensation simr to what he had felt from the gray energy in the abyss beneath the Sky of Spirit Origin, which wielded the ability to neutralize his Heavens Path zhenqi. This is weird... The further Zhang Xuan proceeded, the stronger the aura became. Eventually, it reached a point where even Conferred God Kings would be unable to withstand it. Zhang Xuan had to wrap the Pathos of Heavens zhenqi around his body in order to remain unaffected. He continued flying for around ten minutes before he finally arrived at the bottommost area of the mountain stream. ncing downward, he felt his heart skip a beat. The bottommost area of the mountain stream was a massive plot of emptynd spanning over an area of tens of thousands of mu. There were no nts or any life at all on this plot ofnd, only a huge depression in the ground. Zhang Xuan was unable to see anything while standing on the ground, so he flew into the air to get a birds eye view over the area. He soon realized that the depression in the ground was actually a humongous palm print! Was this left behind by a God Monarch? Zhang Xuan frowned. Even with his current strength, he would not be able to execute such a powerful palm strike. That could only mean that the palm print was left behind by a God Monarch. There was just one problem with that. The God Monarchs were unable to enter this area. If so, how did that person leave this palm print? Looking at the humongous palm print beneath him, a thought surfaced in Zhang Xuans mind. Could it be that the rift in the sky of the Firmament was caused by a battle? The Flooding Sea carried a great resemnce to the missing piece from the sky of the Firmament, and if he thought about it, the abyss beneath Spirit Origin Royal City did resemble a palm print as well. If so, could the rift and the abyss have been caused by a battle between two God Monarchs? Perhaps the fight had gotten out of hand, such that it resulted in Little Chicks demise in the end. But if that was the case, as the strongest God Monarch of the Firmament, Luo Ruoxin should have intervened and halted the battle, especially if it was causing such massive damage to the world. Why did she not do so? Just what happened in the past four to five decades of the Firmament? Why would the heavens be fragmented into multiple pieces, falling all the way to the Master Teacher Continent to enter his and Kong shis bodies? The many questions in Zhang Xuans mind made him be more and more confused. Circling around the palm print, Zhang Xuan was not able to find any Condensed Earth Essence in the area, and there was nothing that looked particrly amiss to him. So, he could only heave a deep sigh and head back to where Ao Feng and the others were. While he did not manage to advance his zhenqi cultivation all the way to Conferred God King realm pinnacle, at the very least, he did manage to ovee his bottleneck as a God King. At the same time, his soul had also grown significantly stronger. He was no longer far away from bing a God Monarch. All in all, he had earned quite a lot from this journey. The only issue was that... he had no idea how he should face Ao Feng. Thetter had rallied their group together for the sake of obtaining the Condensed Earth Essence, but he had ended up absorbing more than ny percent of it. That made him feel deeply embarrassed. Forget it! If it doesnt work out, I should just take him in as my disciple. Though, I must say, he doesnt look like a brilliant kid... Zhang Xuan murmured hesitantly. This was the greatestpromise he could bring himself to make. Chapter 2248 - Betrayal

Chapter 2248 Betrayal

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly headed back to where Ao Feng and the rest were. Due to his disguise, the raging phantasmagoric spirits did not recognize him as an intruder and attack him. Soon enough, he arrived back at the mountain forest. He was still thinking of how delighted Ao Feng would be after rying his intentions to thetter when he suddenly felt shockwaves diffusing from the area ahead of him. Dashing forward, he saw that Ao Feng, as a golden dragon, was currently brawling with a ferocious tiger. Ao Feng, it has only been a few days since west met, but why does it seem like you have weakened a lot? If the others saw you in your current state, they would probablyugh their teeth out! the tiger roared inughter. Two forces shed relentlessly against one another like fireworks in the sky, causing brilliant shes of light to appear here and there. A Conferred God King of the Sky of Adamant Gold? Zhang Xuan frowned. The ferocious tiger was likely a Conferred God King of the Sky of Adamant Gold, but it was just a little weird how they suddenly came to blows with one another. You b*stard! Ao Feng roared as he activated a secret art that caused his entire body to glow scarlet. Once again, he dashed furiously toward the tiger. Boom boom boom! Under the collision of the two blows, dimension rifts appeared all around the area. Zhang shi... Luo Qiqi called out as she walked over to Zhang Xuans side. She knew that he had something to do earlier, so she had chosen to leave the mountain stream together with Ao Feng earlier so as to not slow him down. Whats going on? Why would the two of them suddenly fight one another? Zhang Xuan asked. Shortly after we came out earlier, Conferred God King Hu Xiao of the Sky of Adamant Gold suddenly stopped us. I reckon that he probably knows that about the Condensed Earth Essence as well, so he intentionally camped outside to snatch it from the wounded Ao Feng, Luo Qiqi told him. I see... Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. What all cultivators had to be most wary of in the Flooding Sea were not the natural traps nor the spatial turbulence but... their peers! There were plenty of people who would lie in ambush, waiting for someone else to brave danger to obtain the treasure they wanted before assaulting them and stealing the fruit of theirbor. It seemed like that was exactly what the Conferred God King known as Hu Xiao was doing. If not for Ao Fengs injuries, he should have been more than a match for Hu Xiao, but in his current state, things dont seem to look too optimistic... Luo Qiqi shook her head. If not for Ao Feng sustaining severe injuries from the relentless attacks from the phantasmagoric spirits earlier, no matter how formidable Hu Xiao was, he would only be equal to him at the very most. Unfortunately, Ao Feng was not in a good condition, so the result of the duel was determined right from the very start. Boom! A deafening sonic boom exploded in the air, and Ao Feng plummeted from the sky. His massive body was filled with wounds, and golden blood flowed profusely from his body, creating huge craters beneath him. Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before he began collecting the dragon blood that was leaking all over the area. The blood of a Conferred God King Pureblooded Dragon should be able to sell for a decent price. Hu Xiao transmogrified into a middle-aged man as he demanded with a wintry voice, Hand over the Condensed Earth Essence! Ao Feng gritted his teeth indignantly. You know how many Conferred God Kings died in the previous Flood of Spiritual Energy. Dont push your luck! Hu Xiao harrumphed as he took a step forward toward Ao Feng. Knowing that the other party would not hesitate to make a move against him over the Condensed Earth Essence, Ao Feng could only reluctantly hand a jade container over. Hu Xiao caught the jade container and pried open its lid to check the contents. A momentter, he asked with a deep frown, Why is it so small? Given how many phantasmagoric spirits there were around the mountain stream, the Condensed Earth Essence should have been a decent size. It was unimaginable that it would only be the size of a mere bean! The energy probably leaked out earlier while I was breaking the barrier around it. It was already this big when I firstid my hands on it, Ao Feng replied, not revealing what had happened with Zhang Xuan earlier. Leaked out? Hu Xiao frowned. He kept the Condensed Earth Essence into his storage ring before directing his eyes back to Ao Feng. Since thats the case, Ill just take something of yours in order to make up for it then! With a flick of his finger, the storage ring on Ao Fengs finger immediately flew into Hu Xiaos grasp. He tapped on it lightly to clear away the Soul Imprint before taking a look at the items within. His lips crept up in delight as he remarked, Not bad. You have done well this time. It looks like you have been working hard since entering the Flooding Sea. Ill be taking all of this! Since he was already there to rob Ao Feng, there was no reason for him to leave anything behind for thetter. While the items inside Ao Fengs storage ring could not begin topare to the Condensed Earth Essence, it was still highly beneficial for Conferred God Kings. You... Seeing how all his possessions were taken away by the other party, Ao Feng gritted his teeth furiously, but he could not say a word. This was simply how the Flood of Spiritual Energy was. If one lowered ones guard for a moment, a plunderer would appear to snatch ones items. If he fought with Hu Xiao over this, there was a good chance that thetter might just kill him! So, he had no choice but to tolerate it! As long as he was alive, he could always earn those cultivation resources back. After snatching Ao Fengs items, Hu Xiao turned his gaze toward the other God Kings in the group. The same goes for the rest of you. Hand over your stuff! I might still hesitate a little before Ao Feng due to the backing of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, but I cant say that the same goes for the rest of you. If you dont wish to die, youd better make a move fast. His voice wasced with threat. The Sky of Cloud Dragon was known to be excessively protective of their kind, and Ao Feng was a Conferred God King on top of that. As long as Ao Feng was willing to obediently hand his stuff over, there was no reason for Hu Xiao to risk killing Ao Feng only to have the Cloud Dragon Monarch exact vengeance on him! However, the other God Kings did not have the same backing as Ao Feng. Even if he killed a couple of God Kings, there would be no one to fault him for his actions! Facing the pressure from Hu Xiao, the injured God Kings red at him indignantly, but there was nothing he could do. They might have tried to escape if they were not injured, but in their current state, there was no way they could outrun a Conferred God King. If they did not hand over their possession, there was a good chance that the other party would do them all in! God Kings might be highly respected figures in the Firmament, but in the Flooding Sea, they were nothing at all. Here... I have only collected these... Soon, the God Kings had handed over all the storage rings with them. Looking at their harvest, Hu Xiao nodded in contentment. Just as he was about to continue speaking, a God King suddenly gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and said, Conferred God King Hu Xiao, I am willing to serve you if you could return my treasures. I can tell what happened in the mountain stream that caused the Condensed Earth Essence to disappear... You wish to be my follower? Thats notpletely out of the question, but that depends on whether the news you have to offer is worth your life and the treasures you have, Hu Xiao said nonchntly. You will be pleased with what I have to offer... the God King said with a glint in his eyes before pointing toward Zhang Xuan. It was that fellow. He was the one who reached the Condensed Earth Essence first, and it was the size of a palm when he entered. However, shortly after he entered, the Condensed Earth Essence grew smaller and smaller till it reached its current size. I believe that hes the culprit behind the disappearance of the Condensed Earth Essence! That fellow possessed the strength to deal with the phantasmagoric spirits, but he had watched idly as they got injured, and he had even run to the light barrier to steal the Condensed Earth Essence. To be honest, he had been extremely annoyed and dissatisfied with the young man for some time. Through this, not only would he be able to teach the young man a lesson, he would also be able to keep his treasures. It would be killing two birds with one stone! You are the one who stole the Condensed Earth Essence? Hearing that the Condensed Earth Essence had actually been the size of a fist previously, Hu Xiao assessed Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes. If he could obtain the Condensed Earth Essence from the other party and present it to God Monarch Fumeng, he would surely be able to win the God Monarchs favor! Chapter 2249 - I Always Repay My Deb

Chapter 2249 I Always Repay My Deb

I havee here with Conferred God King Ao Feng in order to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence, and I didnt have any intention of taking it for myself. It was an ident that led to this. With Ao Feng, who was lying on the floor, looking his way as well, Zhang Xuan awkwardly exined himself. He had thought about it for a while, but he still felt a little embarrassed talking about it. After all, the fault was on him. Seeing the young man admit to it, Hu Xiao burst intoughter. It looks like I have really struck gold this time! With cold eyes carrying unquestionable authority, Hu Xiao demanded, Hand the Condensed Earth Essence over right now, and I can spare you from death! I cant, Zhang Xuan replied nonchntly. He had already absorbed it into his body, so how could he present it to the other party? If he could, he would have already returned it to Ao Feng! Look here, the reason I am still talking to you right now is because I am in a good mood. If you keep pushing your luck, I can just loot the Condensed Earth Essence from you after killing you. Despite Hu Xiaos threat, Zhang Xuan maintained the same nonchnt look on his face. This truly angered Hu Xiao, such that he raised his palm and struck down on Zhang Xuan, creating a massive palm print in the sky. Kacha! A burst of force swept all over the surroundings as the palm print swiftly descended upon Zhang Xuan. Seeing how Hu Xiao had made his move, the God King who had just offered himself to serve as Hu Xiaos subordinate raised his head with a smug look on his face. You should learn your ce. Do you think that we are still in the Firmament, where everyone has to follow rules? They were in the Flooding Sea, a ce known to be the graveyard of God Kings and Conferred God Kings. Yet, the young man still dared to act so conceited... Such actions were no different from courting death! Facing Hu Xiaos attack, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly andmented, Is there a need for us to do this? These God Kings were just strangers whom he had met, so he did not feel any obligation to protect them. I can turn a blind eye to you robbing them, but dont you think its too much for you to rob and make a move on me? Zhang Xuan raised his hand and flicked his finger. Hu! The massive palm print in the sky shattered like ss, and before Hu Xiao could even react, he was already struck square on his be, and he flew dozens of meters before crashing heavily onto the ground. Huge mouthfuls of blood coughed out from his mouth. Conferred God King Hu Xiaos attack was undone with a single flick, and he was even sent flying on top of that? Am I seeing things? The God Kings in the area shuddered in fright at what they had just witnessed. Even Ao Fengs bell-like eyes were widened in shock. His body was trembling so much that he looked more like a gutless python than a massive dragon from afar. From how the young man was able to travel among the phantasmagoric spirits and break open the light barrier, he knew that the young man was not an ordinary individual... But who could have known that he was so powerful! He would have difficulty subduing Hu Xiao even if he was at his peak, but such a formidable opponent turned out to be nothing more than an ant in the eyes of the young man. Was he not just a God King? Hu Xiao struggled to his feet as he red sharply at Zhang Xuan with bloodshot eyes. How could he, as a Conferred God King, be severely injured with a single strike from an ordinary God King? He could not have imagined such a thing in the past! Even though he did not put his full strength behind the earlier attack, the fact that the young man was able to overpower his palm strike so easily meant that he was stronger than most Conferred God Kings that he knew of. Damn you! Cursing loudly, Hu Xiao morphed his palm into a w and swiped down at Zhang Xuan, exerting a mightparable to the weight of the mountains. Seeing that Hu Xiao was still persistentlying after him, Zhang Xuan shook his head before cing his hands behind his back. Hu! Before the swipe could evennd, the force was suddenly dispersed in midair. Following that, a cold harrumph sounded. This is thest time Ill let you off for daring to raise your hands against me. A series of spatial ripples swiftly appeared in the air, and Hu Xiao, who had still been striking ferociously a moment ago, had already fled into the distance. As soon as his strike was dispersed, he had realized that he was no match for the young man. So, without any hesitation, he had turned tail and fled. In the Flood of Spiritual Energy, the ones who were able to obtain treasures and walk out with their lives intact were the true victors. As for his reputation and the like, that was of secondary importance. After all, given Hu Xiaos standing in the Firmament, who would dare talk cr*p about him? Besides, who would believe such words? Zhang shi... Luo Qiqi called out. She knew that Zhang Xuan could have stopped Hu Xiao from fleeing, so she was perplexed as to why he did not stop him. It matters not. None of us were injured anyway, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. His current priority should be to raise his cultivation and push for a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm. Conferred God Kings no longer meant anything to him anymore, and they were not worth his time. But... he stole Ao Fengs treasures. If you retrieved them for him, you would have been able to even out the debt from the Condensed Earth Essence, Luo Qiqi replied. Having been together for quite some time, she hade to understand Zhang Xuans character. He was not a person who liked to owe a debt to others. If he felt that he owed someone a debt, he would try to repay that person in his own way. That was also why he had felt so awkward earlier when he was asked if he was the one who had taken the Condensed Earth Essence. Given what had just happened, this was indeed an ideal opportunity to repay the debt he owed to Ao Feng. If he could exact vengeance on Ao Fengs behalf while getting his stuff back, he would be able to even the scales. This way, he would not have to feel awkward around Ao Feng. And those words made Zhang Xuans eyes light up. He had been so caught up in trying to figure out how to stop Ao Feng from fainting from happiness when he offered to take thetter in as his student that hepletely failed to consider such a possibility. If he resolved the issue in such a manner, he would not have to take the other party in as his student anymore... What a relief! With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan nced in the direction that Hu Xiao had escaped in, only to see that he hadpletely disappeared from sight. Its already toote. Hes gotten away, Luo Qiqi said with a bitter smile. While Conferred God Kings were incapable of teleportation, the speed of their movements was almost as good as that. Hu Xiao had already run away for seven to eight breaths, so it would be nigh impossible to track and catch up with him anymore. Its not toote yet, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. He raised his hand and reached forward. At the same time, the space in front of him began distorting. As ifyers of paper had beenpressed together, a distance of several hundred li was suddenly pressed together, allowing Zhang Xuans arm to stretch over this long distance to grab his target. W-what? How is this possible? With a cry of agony, Hu Xiao was pulled over to where Zhang Xuan and the others were before being mmed heavily onto the ground. Seeing such a sight, Ao Fengs mouth fell open. Compressing space in order to capture someone... this was supposed to be a feat that only God Monarchs were able to pull off! Was the young man before him actually a God Monarch in disguise? Hu Xiao was also on the verge of losing his mind. He had thought that he should be safe after flying so far away, but who could have known that the other party would be able to grab him so easily? Even grabbing a fly would have been harder than this! I just remembered that you havent returned what you stole from them. Take out everything you have, Zhang Xuan said as he nced down at Hu Xiao with an impassive look on his face. Having received the World Conferment and absorbed a great deal of spirit essence earlier, his soul was already strong enough to manipte the spatialws of the Firmament. Even though Hu Xiao had escaped beyond his line of sight, it was still within the range of his Spiritual Perceptions detection. All it took was a mere thought for him to identify where Hu Xiao was and grab him. It was nothing at all. Yes... Hu Xiao nodded vehemently as he retrieved everything that he had taken away from them. Against an opponent who could grab him so easily, he knew that he did not stand a chance. After cing everything on the ground, Hu Xiao turned to Zhang Xuan and lowered his head subserviently. Elder, may I leave now? He no longer pulled his weight before the young man. I said take out everything that you have, didnt I? Where are your own possessions? Zhang Xuan asked. Since he was already doing this, he might as well take away everything that Hu Xiao had. He did not feel any pangs of guilt taking stuff away from a guy who went around robbing others anyway. Chapter 2250 - Exact Vengeance for Me, Zhao Ya!

Chapter 2250 Exact Vengeance for Me, Zhao Ya!

Y-yes! Not daring to argue with the young man, Hu Xiao quickly handed his storage ring over. Zhang Xuan wiped off the Soul Imprint on the storage ring to take a look at the contents within before nodding in satisfaction. As expected of a Conferred God King, there were quite a number of good things in there. While they were not too useful to him, they should prove to be quite useful for his parents, Luo Qiqi, and Sun Qiang. You can scram now. Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively. Elder, thank you for sparing my life... After kowtowing thrice, Hu Xiao immediately ran away as quickly as he could. He understood that the Flooding Sea was a ce that preached the survival of the fittest. He might have had all his possessions taken away, but he could still recoup his losses as long as he was still around! The antagonists usually lost their lives for spouting too much nonsense, so he would not make such a mistake. After Hu Xiao left, Zhang Xuan looked at Ao Feng and the other God Kings and waved his hand. Take back whatever belongs to you! The crowd looked at one another, and after a moment of hesitation, they finally stepped forward to take back whatever belonged to them with reddened faces. Initially, they had been a little displeased at how the young man was able to watch nonchntly as they were getting extorted, but such a thought had already been vanquished from their heads. They were only strangers, so why should the young man help them? They should be grateful that he was willing to return their possessions to them. Elder, thank you for your help! Ao Feng quickly reverted to his human form before bowing deeply to express his gratitude. Theres no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. It wasnt my intention to absorb the Condensed Earth Essence, but that doesnt change the fact that I have still done so. I hope that we can call it quits after I retrieved your possessions for you. Definitely! Ao Feng nodded vehemently in response. He fell silent with a conflicted look on his face for a moment before he asked, Elder, by any chance, is it possible that... you are the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies? Given the hugemotion that had happened during the World Conferment, there was no way he would be oblivious to it. It was just that... he did not think that he would meet the other party there! Furthermore, the other party was also much younger than he had expected. Yes, I am, Zhang Xuan admitted frankly. Hes are the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies? The next... Heaven Subjugation Monarch? No wonder hes so powerful... So, the red clouds that appeared two days ago was caused by that young man over there? ... Hearing the conversation between Ao Feng and Zhang Xuan, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd. It was only at this moment that the God Kings realized why the young man was so powerful despite only being a God King. That exins why you were able to absorb the Condensed Earth Essence! Ao Feng struck his fist against his palm in realization. The spiritual energy contained within the Condensed Earth Essence was so pure that even he, as a Conferred God King, was unable to absorb it carelessly. Yet, the young man was able to use it for his cultivation. All this while, Ao Feng had been thinking that it was weird that something like this could happen, and just as he had thought, the young man was indeed no ordinary person! The Conferred King of the Nine Skies, a person who was destined to be a God Monarch... It was no wonder he could absorb the Condensed Earth Essence easily. At this moment, Ao Feng suddenly thought of something and said, Elder, I know of a treasure here that will likely be useful to you. Oh? Zhang Xuan asked. Roughly five thousand li away from here, I saw some Monarch Spirit Grass in a dimension rift. I didnt dare enter the area with my current cultivation, but if its you, elder, I think that you should be able to do it easily, Ao Feng said. Monarch Spirit Grass? Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Are you are referring to the legendary medicinal herb that is useful even for the cultivation of a God Monarch? He had read about the medicinal herb in one of the books that Kong shi had left behind. Most medicinal herbs were useless to him, so he needed something of that tier in order to raise his cultivation quickly. Ao Feng nodded. Lead the way! Zhang Xuan said. In terms of effectiveness, it went without saying that the Monarch Spirit Grass was far better than that of the Condensed Earth Essence. He might just be able to push for a breakthrough to Conferred God King realm pinnacle or even God Monarch! What do we do with him? Ao Feng pointed to the God King who had given away Zhang Xuan earlier to Hu Xiao. I dont think that theres any need to keep him alive anymore, Zhang Xuan said as he flung his sleeves coldly. P-please, spare my life... The God King was in the midst of begging for mercy when he suddenly felt himself losing control over his body. Then, his body began swelling up as the zhenqi in his body became erratic, and the next moment, he abruptly exploded. Just like that, his body and soul were utterly obliterated. If Zhang Xuan had not been strong enough, that God Kings betrayal would have cost him his life. In a ce like the Flooding Sea, it was foolish to show mercy to ones enemies. Others would simply take onespassion for granted. Ao Feng and the other God Kings recoiled in shock from the sight. When they saw how the young man let Hu Xiao get away, they had thought that the young man was still too young and good-natured for his own good, but after witnessing such a sight... Indeed, it would be foolish to get on the wrong side of someone they could not afford to mess with. Ao Feng felt extremely grateful that he had stuck to his principles and had not betrayed the young man, or else that could very well have been his fate. Lets go! Paying no heed to the rest of the God Kings, Zhang Xuan urged Ao Feng to lead the way. ... Hu hu! With a livid face, Hu Xiao gnashed his teeth together as he muttered hatefully, Theres no one else... He must be that Conferred God King of the Nine Skies! It was not too hard to deduce the truth. Other than the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, who else, other than the God Monarchs, could possess such frightening strength? He might be formidable, but so what? Our Conferred God King Zhao Ya, who was groomed by God Monarch Fumeng himself, is nowhere weaker than him! Hu Xiao thought of the silhouette of that valiantdy as he clenched his fists tightly. Over the past month, God Monarch Fumeng had paid a heavy price in order to groom Conferred God King Zhao Ya, and fortunately, thetter had not let him down. Conferred God King Zhao Ya had disyed exceptional talent that far surpassed any Conferred God King that he had seen before. Hu Xiao did not mind losing his own items; he could always recoup his losses easily by snatching the possessions of others. However, he could not forgive the young man for the humiliation he had suffered. And if he enlisted the help of Conferred God King Zhao Ya, he might just able to return the favor to the young man. With such a thought in mind, he quickly took out a unique Communication Jade Token that had been bestowed upon them by the God Monarch. It was an artifact that could be used even in the Flooding Sea. After sending out his message, around ten minutester, the space around him wavered, and a person appeared before him. Dressed in silver armor was a valiant youngdy, who, despite her great beauty,manded a cold and domineering presence that no one dared look down upon. Zhao Ya! What business do you have with me? the youngdy said with a cold voice that seemed to distance her from others. It was due to God Monarch Fumengs help that she had been able to attain the strength that she currently possessed. Before entering the Flooding Sea, God Monarch Fumeng had told her to take care of the God Kings and Conferred God Kings from the Sky of Adamant Gold. It was for this reason that she unhesitatingly parted from her juniors to rush over upon receiving the message from Hu Xiao. Conferred God King Zhao Ya, I was robbed by another Conferred God King just a moment ago, and the Condensed Earth Essence that I went to great lengths to prepare for God Monarch Fumeng has been taken away. I beseech you to help me apprehend that insolent fellow! Hu Xiao bowed respectfully as he spoke. Even though the other party was much younger than him, he did not dare act too haughtily in her presence, especially due to the vast disparity in their strength. Who was it? Zhao Ya asked coldly. She had never been one to beat about the bush, so she got straight to the point. I dont know what his name is, but hes very likely the person who received the World Conferment a few days ago, the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, Hu Xiao replied. Even though everyone knew about the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, his identity remained a mystery to everyone except the God Monarchs. After all, this was a matter of grave import. The Conferred God King of the Nine Skies? Zhao Ya repeated with a cold glint in her eyes. Prior to entering the Flooding Sea, the God Monarchs had instructed her to be careful if she encountered the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies. Since then, she had been wanting to meet the other party, but who would have thought the fellow would actually make a move on one of the people on her side? He sure was brazen! It seemed like someone was asking for a lesson. Chapter 2251 - Can I Take Back My Words?

Chapter 2251 Can I Take Back My Words?

Where is he? Zhao Ya asked with a wintry aura around her. Hes currently at the mountain stream north of here... Hu Xiao pointed in the direction. Lead the way! Hu Xiao hesitated for a brief moment before saying, That person is quite strong. I fear that we might be in danger if we head there by ourselves. Dont worry and lead the way. I wont let him touch a single strand of your hair as long as Im around, Zhao Ya replied coolly. Hearing those words of reassurance, Hu Xiao heaved a sigh of relief before excitedly leading the way. Soon, they arrived in the vicinity of where the Condensed Earth Essence was located. However, only the God Kings who had been injured by the phantasmagoric spirits earlier were left in the area. When they saw Hu Xiao returning yet again, their faces immediately warped in fear as they cowered backward. Paying no heed to the looks on their faces, Zhao Ya asked, Where did the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies go? He has already left with Conferred God King Ao Feng. We arent too sure where they are... This was the response that the most senior God King of the group gave. It was not that they were intentionally concealing the truth to protect Zhang Xuan, but the conversation about the Monarch Spirit Grass earlier had been held privately to avoid the information from leaking. As a result, the God Kings had no idea where they were heading. Hu Xiao frowned. He did not think that they would leave so quickly, and he said in frustration, It hasnt been long, so I reckon they shouldnt have gotten far yet... But before he could finish his words, Zhao Yas body suddenly began trembling as she seemed to have noticed something. She immediately turned to the God Kings and anxiously asked, Do you know what the name of the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies is? Im not too sure... However, I think he goes by the surname of Zhang. Theres ady in the group that hes close to that addresses him as Zhang shi, a God King replied. Facing two Conferred God Kings who could dictate their fate, there was no one who would dare lie to their face out of fear of offending them. Zhang... There was a look of cognizance on Zhao Yas face as she heaved a sigh of relief. She quickly calmed her agitated emotions before turning to face Hu Xiao once more. Tell me everything that happened between you and the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies earlier! Ah? Not expecting Zhao Ya to suddenly ask him about the details of the incident instead of pursuing the young man, Hu Xiao scrunched his face awkwardly He knew that he was at fault for this matter for attempting to steal from the group, so he had no idea how he should exin the situation. Seeing that Hu Xiao was reluctant to talk, Zhao Ya pointed to one of the God Kings and said, You, recount what happened earlier to me. Yes! Not daring to offend Zhao Ya, the God King immediately exined everything that had happened in detail. Is everything he has said the truth? Zhao Ya turned to look at Hu Xiao without the slightest expression on her face. T-this... Its all the truth! There are no rules here in the Flooding Sea, and its survival of the fittest. Im also doing all of this for our Sky of Adamant Gold... Hu Xiao quickly exined, but before he could finish his words, a palm had alreadynded on his cheek. Peng! His body tumbled across thend before crashing heavily into a boulder, causing his head to spin. Conferred God King Zhao Ya, what do you mean by this? If you have any problems with me, we can always talk it out... Hu Xiao was on the verge of going crazy. Was this youngdy sick in the head? Why would she hit him before he could finish his words? No matter how you look at it, we are from the same team, right? Even if I have done wrong by snatching from those weaker than me, you dont have to p me like that, right? Peng peng peng! Paying no heed to Hu Xiaos protests, Zhao Ya sent fist after fist toward Hu Xiaos abdomen. Hu Xiao, of course, tried to retaliate, but he waspletely powerless before Zhao Yas overwhelming strength. In the blink of an eye, he had already sustained severe injuries, and blood was pouring out from all over. While coughing out blood, tears streamed down Hu Xiaos cheeks... Didnt you mention earlier that you wouldnt allow anyone to touch a single strand of my hair? Yet, the one who attacked me in the end is none other than you! The God Kings around the area also looked at one another in confusion. They could not understand the sudden friendly fire from the youngdy. They had thought that Hu Xiao had brought his backup over for vengeance, and their treasures would be taken away from them yet again. But before they knew it, his backup started pummeling him instead. Furthermore, her blows were decisive and vicious, showing that she had no ns of showing mercy at all. Can anyone tell me whats going on here? Who am I? What am I? Where am I? Everyone was bbergasted by the turn of events. Feeling utterly indignant by the sudden pummeling, Hu Xiao bellowed, I am no match for you, so I have no choice but to ept what you do to me. However, the God Monarch has instructed you to take care of everyone from the Sky of Adamant Gold, so at the very least, shouldnt you give me a reason for your actions? This is too much! I called you here to exact vengeance for me, not to beat me up! I should have long thought of it when I heard about the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, Zhao Ya muttered to herself before she directed a cold gaze toward Hu Xiao. That person whom you want to take vengeance on... is my teacher! Other than her teacher, who else could possibly cause such a hugemotion in the world? She had been thinking that she could finally surpass her teacher and be of some use to him after spending so many years cultivating in the Spacetime Mirror, but it seemed like she was still underestimating the capabilities of her teacher. In the end, her teacher was still as monstrously fast as before! In just one short month, he had already risen to be the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies. Even Zhao Ya could not help but find this unbelievable. Your teacher? Hu Xiaos body shuddered as he spurted a mouthful of blood. Conferred God King Zhao Ya, what you mean is that... he has once guided you? The reason I was able to grow so fast was due to the strong foundation that my teacher built for me. Without my teacher, I wouldnt be who I am today, Zhao Ya replied. And there wouldnt be Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, Yuan Tao, Lu Chong, Wei Ruyan, Zhang Jiuxiao, Kong Shiyao, Dan Xiaotian, or Bai Ruanqing. Wait a moment. Arent they the Conferred God Kings of the other God Monarchs? What rtionship do they have with the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies? Hu Xiao was a little dazed. It was not that he could not understand what Zhao Ya was saying, but it was simply so unbelievable that he was having trouble wrapping his mind around such an idea. We are all his disciples! Zhao Ya replied. You are... all his disciples? B-but... you are all the strongest Conferred God Kings in the Nine Skies! If you are all his disciples, then... Hu Xiao eximed in a fluster. It was at this instant that he finally understood why the other party had given him a beating. It was fortunate that he had only told Zhao Ya that he had attempted to steal their teachers possessions. If his other disciples learned of the matter as well, he would really be a goner... What the heck was this? Even though everyone had been saying that the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies could very well be the next Heaven Subjugation Monarch, Hu Xiao himself did not think that the possibility was too likely. After all, the Nine God Monarchs would not allow the rise of yet another Heaven Subjugation Monarch to threaten their position. With the new batch of Conferred God Kings that the God Monarchs had groomed, he believed that they would be able to stop the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies with ease. But this... This effectively meant that the twelve strongest experts within the Flooding Sea at this very moment were the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies and his eleven disciples! They were practically an untouchable existence there! The rest of you should have heard what we said. Tell me where the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies has gone. Zhao Ya turned to the rest of the God Kings. A God King hesitated for a moment before pointing in a direction. They headed in that direction! Thanks. Zhao Ya grabbed the tail of tiger-form Hu Xiao and swiftly flitted in the direction pointed out to her. Finally, she was going to meet her teacher once more... The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became. On the other hand, Hu Xiao, who was hanging in midair by his tail, suddenly realized that a worse fate was awaiting him. The earlier beating was just a teaser, and the true show would begin once they arrived before the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies. Otherwise, why would Zhao Ya drag him along with her? If only Id known this would happen... I would have obediently gone around searching for treasures. Not only did I fail to exact my vengeance, Im even going to be beaten up real bad... To think that I was even relieved for a moment when I heard God Monarch Fumeng instructing her to take care of us... Is it toote to retract my words? I dont really want her to take care of me anymore... Chapter 2252 - Monarch Spirit Grass

Chapter 2252 Monarch Spirit Grass

Are you sure that the Monarch Spirit Grass is here? Zhang Xuan frowned. The dimension rift before his eyes was more frightening than anything he had seen before. Under the frightening spatial turbulence everything, everything that entered it was broken down into a seven-colored aurora. Even Conferred God Kings would not be able to enter such an area easily. Given that the Monarch Spirit Grass was just another medicinal herb, was it really possible for it to survive in such conditions? I am certain of it! Ao Feng nodded. This is the fourth time that the Flood of Spiritual Energy has urred, and this is the fourth time I havee here. I have been exploring the area all this while, so I am still quite familiar with the terrain here. That is also why I was able to bring people straight to the Condensed Earth Essence. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had been wondering how Ao Feng was able to figure out the location of the Condensed Earth Essence so quickly even though there were so many phantasmagoric spirits guarding the area. It turned out that he had been there a few times, just that he had not been strong enough to im it thest few times. The dimension rift wasnt that terrifying thest few times I was here. Back then, I was still able to see through the shattered space to see what is within, but it seems like the space has further destabilized over time, Ao Feng remarked with a frown. Destabilized over time? Yes. The dimension rift wasnt this big or violent back then, and I was able to enter it thest few times I was here, but I couldnt obtain the Monarch Spirit Grass. I didnt think that it would be like this in thest decade, Ao Feng exined. Zhang Xuan nodded as he examined the dimension rift contemtively. He had not been there ten years ago, so he could not tell what the situation was. However, with the current state of the dimension rift, it would not be too easy for him to enter it even with his current cultivation. He turned his gaze over to Luo Qiqi and asked, Is it possible for you to stabilize the space in there? As a manifestation of the Dimension Silencer, Luo Qiqis ability to manipte space far surpassed that of any Conferred God King. If anyone could do it, it would probably be her. I think so, but I wont be able to sustain it for too long, Luo Qiqi replied. How long? Probably... around twenty breaths at the very most! Thats enough, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Ill try to get the Monarch Spirit Grass within twenty breaths. Alright then, Luo Qiqi replied. She walked up to the dimension rift, and her body morphed into a round orb. Weng! A light buzzing echoed from the orb, and the spatial turbulence within the dimension rift immediately calmed down. Even the seven-colored aurora froze in space, not moving in the least. This... Ao Feng blinked in bewilderment. All this while, he had thought that the youngdy was an ordinary God King serving the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, but who could have known that she was a powerhouse herself! Despite being a Conferred God King himself, Ao Feng himself was unable to achieve such a feat! In other words, if he battled the youngdy, even with the disparity in their cultivation, he still would not be a match for her. As expected of the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, even the people around him could not be underestimated! Hu! As soon as Luo Qiqi stabilized the space inside the dimension rift, Zhang Xuan leaped right into it. Flitting through the still seven-colored aurora, Zhang Xuan quickly observed his surroundings. Initially, he had thought that the dimension rift was just yet another hazard of nature that urred on this piece ofnd, but after entering it, he realized that he was underestimating the nature of the dimension rift. If left alone, it would eventually swallow thisnd whole. Its that same energy from before... Zhang Xuan frowned as he ventured deeper in. He could sense terrifyingly powerful energy flowing in the depths of the dimension rift, hastening its growth, and this energy was identical to the gray currents he had seen in the depths of the mountain stream and in the abyss beneath Spirit Origin Royal City. Zhang Xuan quickly wrapped his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi around his body before proceeding further. Soon, amid the cracks of darkness, he saw three stalks of Monarch Spirit Grass floating in midair, seemingly on the verge of being devoured by the darkness. Fragments of broken space that flowed close to the Monarch Spirit Grass would be devoured by it, and the leaves would grow even lusher. Legend has it that the Monarch Spirit Grass thrives through absorbing the fragments of space, resulting in it harnessing powerful spatial powers. It seems like the rumors are true, Zhang Xuan thought grimly. Unlike other medicinal herbs, the Monarch Spirit Grass did not grow on spiritual energy but fragments of space, making it quite a unique existence. I feel like someone intentionally nted the Monarch Spirit Grass here in order to stabilize this dimension rift. This dimension rift was caused by the gray energy that could neutralize even the Heavens Path zhenqi, so it was inevitable that it would continue to expand exponentially as it devoured the energy in the surroundings. Based on what he had heard from Ao Feng, this dimension rift had existed for forty years, but if that was really the case, it should have long swallowed the entire Flooding Sea. It should not have been as small as it appeared. It was the Monarch Spirit Grass that had prevented that tragedy from happening. Its roots were tying the dimension rift together, limiting its expansion. On top of that, through absorbing the fragmented space, it was preventing the fragmented space from destabilizing the surrounding space. This had caused the expansion of the dimension rift to slow considerably. It seemed too much of a coincidence that the Monarch Spirit Grass would appear where it was needed. But if he said that someone had intentionally nted it here, who could it be? God Monarchs could not enter the Flooding Sea, and Conferred God Kings were unable to pull it off. Geji! Geji! While Zhang Xuan was still in thought, he could feel the frozen space around him beginning to crack. It seemed like Luo Qiqi was reaching her limits. I cant waste any more time here... Luo Qiqi could onlyst twenty breaths in total, and half of the time had already passed. He needed to make his decision quick. His main goal there was to take the three stalks of Monarch Spirit Grass away, but if he did that, he would risk destabilizing this dimension rift, which had barely been kept under control. There could be adverse consequences if he did so. It might devour the whole Flooding Sea whole, and it might even result in the dimension fissure above the Flooding Sea expanding further, hastening the doom of the Firmament! But if he left it there... He could tell that the Monarch Spirit Grass could no longer hinder the dimension rift anymore. This was also why Ao Feng was surprised by how much it had grown over the past decade. Most likely, it would only continue working for one or two months more before all hell broke loose. This might very well be thest Flood of Spiritual Energy... When he heard that the Flood of Spiritual Energy urred once every decade, he had assumed that it would continue that way and provide the Firmament with resources every now and then. But he was clearly underestimating the severity of the problem. The Flood of Spiritual Energy was an aberrant event, and this was proven by the instability of the Flooding Sea. It was only a matter of time before this temporary stopgap measure fell apart. By then, not only would the Flood of Spiritual Energye to a halt, the copse of the Flooding Sea might even hasten the destruction! That would exin Ruoxin and Kong shis anxiety inpleting the War of the Heavens... It was only aftering into contact with all of this himself that he realized just how urgent the situation was. His previous thoughts had really been too shallow. The heavens were far moreplex than he had thought. The crisis would not disappear just because he kept dying the inevitable. Eventually, when the Firmament fell to ruin, he would be affected as well. In other words, regardless of whether he decided to join the War of the Heavens or not, he was destined not to be able to live a peaceful life. If all the fragments of the heavens were put together, at the very least, there would still be a sliver of hope for everyone. Chapter 2253 - Someone Is Faster Than Us!

Chapter 2253 Someone Is Faster Than Us!

Well, itll be fine as long as you canst for another month or two, Zhang Xuan muttered. Without picking the Monarch Spirit Grass, he turned around, returned to where the Dimension Silencer was floating, and said, Lets go. I can still hold on. Quick, go pick the Monarch Spirit Grass first, Luo Qiqi said anxiously. Their goal there was to im the Monarch Spirit Grass for themselves, so why was Zhang Xuan not picking it? Theres no need for that, Zhang Xuan replied as he grabbed the orb floating in the air and pulled her out of the dimension rift. Then, the space behind shattered, and a seven-colored aurora burst forth. Why? Luo Qiqi did not understand the reason behind Zhang Xuans actions. There are plenty of things I can use to advance my cultivation, but theres only one Firmament, Zhang Xuan said. It would have been good if he could obtain the Monarch Spirit Grass, but it was not a necessity for him. There were other medicinal herbs he could rely on for a breakthrough to God Monarch. There was no need for him to sacrifice the Flooding Sea and the Firmament for that. As someone who had only arrived in the Firmament a month ago, he did not have any deep feelings for the Firmament. He also was not as noble as Kong shi, who harbored greatpassion for the entire world. However, at least as a human being, he could not bear to watch as an entire world was torn apart, and countless people lost their lives. He was starting to understand how Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin felt. Carrying heavy responsibilities on their shoulders, their hands were tied. They did not have the freedom to do as they pleased. But where else can we find a medicinal herb like the Monarch Spirit Grass? Luo Qiqi asked worriedly. You have to advance your cultivation as quickly as possible. She was not a person of many words, but she was extremely perceptive of her surroundings. Despite not knowing about the War of the Heavens, she could tell that the young man was in a rush. He had always been keen to raise his cultivation, but he seemed to be more anxious than ever to do so. This made her realize that he was facing somepelling circumstances. But as the young man never spoke about it, she had chosen not to ask. She decided to simply do whatever she could to help him in his time of need. Its fine. Well eventually find a way out, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile as he took out a pinnacle God Essence Pill from Hu Xiaos storage ring and infused it with his Pathos of Heaven zhenqi before passing it over to Luo Qiqi. The youngdy had exerted herself beyond her limits in order to stabilize the dimension rift earlier, causing her to sustain some internal damage. I still know of a few ces where there are medicinal herbs that could help a God Monarch advance their cultivation. I can lead you there, Ao Feng offered. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. As someone who had participated in the previous three Floods of Spiritual Energy, even though the treasures he had acquired thus far paled far inparison to what Kong shis direct disciples had collected, he would still have been able to uncover quite a bit of treasure. It would indeed be much more convenient for them with Ao Feng leading the way. It did not take long before they arrived before another area where an invaluable treasure was located. The Midnight Flower. Its a flower that only blossoms on the midnight of a full moon. It has to absorb the essence of the moon for thousands of years before it finally reaches maturity... Even though the conditions in the Flooding Sea are a little peculiar, the Midnight Flower only blossoms once every decade in here. Thest time I was here, I saw one in the depths of the valley over there, Ao Feng said as he pointed in a certain direction. ncing over, Zhang Xuan saw a lush mountain valley filled with innumerable God King realm phantasmagoric spirits. Ill head in to take a look! Zhang Xuan activated the disguise amulet before flitting into the valley. A momentter, however, he returned with a frown. Someone has already taken it. He could tell that there was indeed a Midnight Flower growing in there, but someone had beaten him to it. Did someone manage to gather a group to procure the Midnight Flower? Ao Feng was a little taken aback. The Midnight Flower, just like the Condensed Earth Essence, was protected by the phantasmagoric spirits, making it nigh impossible for a person to collect the Midnight Flower by themself. Even in a group, the chances of sess were not too high. So, it was a little hard to believe that someone would actually be able to im it. Did a group of Conferred God Kings work together for it or something? After all, not everyone possessed unfathomable strength like the young man before him. It doesnt seem so. Based on the trail, its an individual who snuck into the area and discreetly took the Midnight Flower away with him. It looks like the phantasmagoric spirits havent even realized that its missing, Zhang Xuan replied. He would have noticed if there were any marks of battle in the vicinity, but there was no such thing. Clearly, the person had, like him, discreetly snuck to where the Midnight Flower was and harvested it before leaving without kicking up a fuss. The reason Zhang Xuan was able to do it was because he had the disguise amulet with him. How did the other party manage it? Ah... Lets proceed to the next location then. I know a ce that has Deste Iron. This material can be used to forge God Monarch-tier artifacts. Its buried in the undergroundva not too far from here... Since the Midnight Flower had been taken, there was no reason for them to remain there. Lets head over! Zhang Xuan nodded. While he already had a weapon in hand, he could still take the Deste Iron and trade it for cultivation resources with the other God Monarchs. Swiftly flitting ahead, the trio took roughly ten breaths to get to theva pool. Zhang Xuan wrapped his body in ayer of zhenqi to protect himself before diving into theva. Not too longter, he returned with a frustrated look on his face. The Deste Iron you spoke about has been taken away as well. Thats impossible! Ao Feng shook his head in disbelief. The temperature in theva before them was so great that even God King realm artifacts would melt in an instant in it. Even someone of Ao Fengs strength would not dare enter it recklessly. Just who in the world could enter theva and take the Deste Iron discreetly? What other treasures do you know of? Knowing their time was limited, Zhang Xuan quickly pressed on. I know theres a location that has Otherworldly Meteorite. Back then, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and his three Conferred God Kings tried to im it, but they werent able to take it away with them. Thest time I was there, it was still around, Ao Feng said. He was starting to lose confidence in himself after those two failures. Take me there, Zhang Xuan instructed. The three of them continued rushing forward, and this time, their destination was an ice mountain. It emanated a chilling frost that would freeze even a God Kings zhenqi. I dont think that anyone will havee here, Luo Qiqi said. The frost in the area was to the extent that it was hard for even her to enter the area, let alone the other Conferred God Kings. You should wait here for the time being. Ill head in to look, Zhang Xuan said. Driving the Pathos of Heaven, he swiftly limatized himself to the coldness before heading in. Around ten minutester, he returned with a bitter smile on his face. We came toote again... The ice mountain had only gotten colder the deeper one ventured, such that it was difficult for Zhang Xuan to endure the chill. Yet, he was unable to find the Otherworldly Meteorite that Ao Feng had mentioned. Based on the marks in the vicinity, it seemed like someone else had beaten them to it. They had gone to three ces thus far, but the items had already been taken by someone else. It had only been a few hours since the Flood of Spiritual Energy started, but it felt like the entire area had already been swept clean. Just who in the world was so capable as to obtain everything so quickly? Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Ao Feng and asked, Do you know if there has been a particrly formidable Conferred God King who has appeared in the Firmament in the past decade? Chapter 2254 - Epitome Monarch Pill

Chapter 2254 Epitome Monarch Pill

Be it the Midnight Flower, Deste Iron, or Otherworldly Meteorite, the environment that they lived in was not one where most Conferred God Kings would have been able to enter easily. Otherwise, Ao Feng would have already imed them for himself. Despite that, there was still someone who had consistently beaten them to it. Just how formidable was their rival? Ao Feng pondered for a moment before replying. Due to the rise of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, all of the God Monarchs have begun paying close attention to the Flood of Spiritual Energy. For it, they devoted a great deal of resources in order to nurture a group of talented cultivators. Based on what I have heard, our Sky of Cloud Dragon has groomed three of such cultivators. Through using the Spacetime Mirror to warp temporalws, all three of them have managed to receive their conferment from the Cloud Dragon Monarch before the Flood of Spiritual Energy... I havent met them yet, but it seems like their strength far surpasses that of other Conferred God Kings. Oh? Zhang Xuan frowned. Could it be that the Nine God Monarchs knew that this would likely be thest Flood of Spiritual Energy, so they were going all out to ensure their survival? With a perplexed look on his face, he asked, Do you know the names of the three Conferred God Kings? Their names are Kong Shiyao, Liu Yang... and I think there is one more called... Zhang Jiuxiao, Ao Feng replied. Its them? Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised. He had been very worried about his disciples ever since they were taken away by the God Monarchs. He was a little relieved after hearing that Wang Ying and Wei Ruyan were doing fine in the Sky of Linglong, but based on what he was hearing, it seemed like most of them had sessfully be Conferred God Kings. That was really a load off his chest. But speaking of which, was their cultivation not advancing a little too fast? It was fortunate that he had reached the same level, or else how embarrassing would it be if he was no match for them when they finally met each other again? Indeed. It isnt just the Sky of Cloud Dragon that has done so. I heard that a powerful expert going by the name of Zhao Ya from the Sky of Adamant Gold was conferred not too long ago, and her unique constitution allows her to easily cripple any opponent. Over in the Sky of zing Sun, there is a spear expert known as Zheng Yang whose sharp and swift pierces can easily ovee any enemy. Demon Monarch Qiankun seems to have taken in a disciple named Lu Chong not too long ago, and he boasts supreme soul arts that are second only to the God Monarchs. The Sky of Linglong has taken in two cultivators known as Wei Ruyan and Wang Ying, and one of them is a fearsome user of poison whereas the other is known to be able to breathe life into inanimate beings. As for the Sky of Acheron, the Acheron God Monarch has personally guided three cultivators named Yuan Tao, Dan Xiaotian, and Bai Ruanqing, and they have managed to be Conferred God Kings as well. Even though all of them have only risen to prominence recently, their strength is not to be underestimated. In terms of fighting prowess, they are more than a match for veteran Conferred God Kings like me! Ao Feng waspletely oblivious to the peculiar expression on Zhang Xuans face as he swiftly went through the situation in the Firmament. Then, with a grim look on his face, he said, Do you think that they are the ones who have taken the treasure? This... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. From the looks of things, that was likely the case. He did not have a good gauge of how powerful the other Conferred God Kings were, but if it was his direct disciples, given the simplified Heavens Path Divine Art that they cultivated and the strong foundation they had built up over the years, there was no doubt that their fighting prowess would be top-notch. They might even be able to defeat Kong shis direct disciples! It was not that Zhang Xuans ability as a teacher was above Kong shis, but the fragments of heavens that they possessed were simply different from one another. Heavens Order was an ability that allowed one to manipte the building blocks of the world and bring one more time to cultivate. On the other hand, Heavens Imperfections was an ability that allowed one to see through ws and correct them. Without a doubt, thetter was far more powerful when it came to building up a cultivators foundation. The eleven of them are incredibly powerful. If its just one or two of them, you might still be able to subdue them. However, if they team up with one another, Im afraid that even you will face trouble taking those treasures away from them. Elder, even though you are the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, I advise you not to go head-on against them, Ao Feng said worriedly. He had witnessed the strength of the young man when he beat Hu Xiao easily earlier, but those eleven were no pushovers. With the artifacts that the God Monarchs had bestowed to them, if they put their strength together, they would form a terrifying force indeed. That was also why the direct disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch had been unrivaled in the Flooding Sea all this while. Not only were they strong individually, more importantly, their teamwork and coordination were also superb. Unless a God Monarch intervened, there was no one in the world who could subdue them. Go head-on against them? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly beneath his breath before replying, Rest assured, that wont happen. With a wave of his hand, he looked at Ao Feng and asked, Other than those three, are there any formidable treasures in the Flooding Sea that you know of? Whether those treasures had been taken by his disciples or someone else, he had no intention of snatching them. Given so, it was meaningless to think too deeply into this matter. The Flooding Sea was extremelyrge, such that it would take quite a bit of time if they had to go around searching the area. It would be much moree efficient to follow the wisdom of those who had been there before. In his view, even though Ao Fengs cultivation was so-so, the knowledge he had rued in the Flooding Sea was invaluable. Ao Feng contemted for a moment before speaking carefully, Theres onest treasure I can think of... It is the most incredible treasure I have seen in my entire life. If a God Monarch obtains it, they will be able to advance their cultivation to a higher level... However, no one has been able to obtain it yet, so it has remained there for decades. A treasure that could allow a God Monarch to advance their cultivation to a higher level? What is it? Zhang Xuan asked. If such a treasure really existed, it was something that would make countless experts go frenzied over it. A glint shed across Ao Fengs eyes as he replied, Its the Epitome Monarch Pill! Epitome Monarch Pill? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had not seen this name in any book records he had read before, but it clearly was not a medicinal herb. Its a God Monarch realm pill, Ao Feng replied. Pill? Why would there be a pill here? Zhang Xuan frowned in iprehension. The Flooding Sea was a chaotic ce where no one lived. Why would there be a pill there, let alone a God Monarch realm pill? Rumor has it that before the Heaven Subjugation Monarch became a God Monarch, he entered the Flooding Sea, and with his transcendental pill forging skills, he forged the Epitome Monarch Pill. Back then, he managed to forge two of them. He ate one of them and sessfully became a God Monarch. However, as a result of his breakthrough, a cultivation ordeal was summoned, and the already unstable Flooding Sea became even more so. In the midst of the chaos, the second pill got away... After that incident, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch instructed his direct disciples to find the second pill, but none of them have been able to do it to date. As a result, it has remained here over the years. While it doesnt possess the strength of a real God Monarch, there is no doubt that it has already far surpassed the level of Conferred God Kings, Ao Feng exined. It was forged by the Heaven Subjugation Monarch? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. If there was someone in the world who could forge a God Monarch realm pill despite not being a God Monarch, it could only be the talented Kong shi. Since the Epitome Monarch Pill can help one be a God Monarch, if I can get my hands on it, wont I be able to sessfully make a breakthrough? Zhang Xuan thought as he clenched his fists tightly together. Chapter 2255 - Taming the Comets 2255 Taming the Comets Where is the Epitome Monarch Pill then? Zhang Xuan asked. To be frank, Im not too sure where it is. I have only seen it once throughout the past Floods of Spiritual Energy, and I nearly lost my life to it back then, Ao Feng said. You dont know? The pill possesses sentience, and it is able to transmogrify into a human. Its exceptionally skilled in concealing itself and assaulting thoseing after it, making it a difficult opponent to deal with. In the previous Flood of Spiritual Energy, it killed Conferred God King Ao Ye of our Sky of Cloud Dragon. Ao Feng shook his head. Even in thisnd filled with all sorts of danger, what Ao Feng feared the most was still the Epitome Monarch Pill. Morphed into a pill, it could hide in the narrowest of spaces, not emanating the slightest aura at all. It was like the perfect assassin that could silently snipe away the lives of the cultivators in the Flooding Sea one after another. Just recalling what happened back then made shivers run down his spine. If not for the disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch passing by just at that moment, he would have already been a goner! Where did you meet itst time? Zhang Xuan asked. I met it at the Lake of Comets! The Lake of Comets was yet another dangerousnd in the Flooding Sea. There were all sorts of rocks flying randomly in all directions, intersecting one another, forming something reminiscent of a massive formation. If not to seek treasures in there, even the strongest of Conferred God King would do well to stay away from it. Lets head over there, Zhang Xuan said. After receiving the coordinates from Ao Feng, he quickly tore open a spatial passageway. The first thing that came into their sight after walking out of the spatial passageway was a massiveke that rose all the way into the sky. There were countlessets flying in the area, emanating a brilliant glow. From time to time, theseets would collide into one another with a resounding explosion, and with a series of shockwaves, the surrounding space would copse into a ck dimension rift. Whats truly frightening in the Lake of Comets is not theets themselves nor their collision. It is the everchanging gravity within that space, Ao Feng exined grimly. Thoseets are unbelievably heavy despite their rtively smaller size, and due to their random movements, the gravitational field within the area changes chaotically! Zhang Xuan frowned. He had experienced an abrupt change in the gravitational field back at the Azure Bridge. Back then, it had just been a swift ny-degree change in his center of gravity, but it had still left him disorientated for a brief moment. In the Lake of Comets, however, there were all sorts ofets flying in all directions, like a series of ping pong balls flying all around an enclosed space. If the gravitational field within the area was constantly changing along with the movements of theets, it would take him a long time to adapt to this new environment. By then, the Flood of Spiritual Energy might have already ended. Ill have a go. Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception to perceive the gravitational field within the area, but barely a momentter, his face started to turn ghastly pale. He felt as if he had been thrown into a washing machine and tossed around the ce like a rag. Just as he had imagined, the gravity affected not only ones physical body but ones soul as well. One would have to swiftly adapt to the constant changes in order to be able to maneuver around the area properly. Luo Qiqi took out a sword and tossed it in. The next moment, it began flying randomly in all directions, as if a fly buzzing randomly around the area. Peng! After moving randomly for a moment, under the relentless pull of gravity from all directions, the sword spirit finally dissipated, and the sword itself disintegrated. The three of them looked at one another with widened eyes. The sheer pressure from the gravitational force was actually enough to destroy a high-tier Celestial God artifact so easily. Just the thought of it sent shivers down their spine. How did you enter the area back then? Luo Qiqi asked. Actually, I never entered the area. I was attacked while I was outside, Ao Feng replied with a reddened face. That exined it. Just looking at this area was enough to leave him with goosebumps all over. It was unimaginable that someone of Ao Fengs prowess would be able to enter and leave such a ce safely. Ill head in to take a swift look. Wait outside and dont move recklessly, Zhang Xuan said. He channeled his Sword Intent around his body before walking right into theke. Tzzz! As soon as he entered the area, he felt a powerful pull tugging at his body, trying him to drag him somewhere. To resist the pull of gravity, Zhang Xuan exerted the strength of his physical body, causing his muscles to bulge out. The gravitational field around him continued changing, but by stiffening his body, he was able to remain rooted to the spot. He waited for a moment to allow himself to be ustomed to the change in gravity before taking a step forward. Sou sou! Twoets were drawn to each other by each others gravitational pull, and they surged rapidly toward him. Zhang Xuan quickly drew his sword and shed at the twoets. The twoets broke apart simultaneously, and a stream of smoke flowed out from them. Zhang Xuans eyes lit up. Theseets are incredibly tough... are good stuff! Given that a high-tier Celestial God sword had been destroyed so easily by the gravitational pull, he had been wondering how theseets were still able to remain intact in such an environment. As it turned out, the resilience of theseets had already reached a levelparable to God King realm artifacts. What a pity that they cant be forged into weapons... However, if I could just collect theseets, it would be a sight to behold once I toss them toward my enemies... Through his Eye of Insight, he could tell that theseets could not be forged into weapons. Nevertheless, they would still make pretty decent weapons even if he tossed them as they were at his enemies. The only problem was that... Theseets were moving way too fast for him to collect! If I store them into my storage ring while they are moving, it will surely puncture a hole in my storage ring and shatter the space within. Due to the pull of gravity, theets were both fast and forceful. As such, he could not simply collect them into his storage ring in their current state. He would have to first find a way to slow them down, but it was beyond his means to do so at the moment! Under the chaotic pull of gravity, even remaining on the spot was difficult enough for him. It would be nigh impossible for him to stop aet in his current state. Even though theseets cant be forged into weapons, if I think of them as my bricks, I guess they could kind of be considered as weapons already... If so, is it possible for me to enchant them? His bricks were also good for pretty much nothing except for their exceptional resilience, which was simr to theets. If his bricks could be enchanted, there was no reason theseets could not be enchanted. Once he enchanted them, he should be able to make them slowlye to a halt before cing them in his storage ring. I should give it a try! So, Zhang Xuan gave himself in to the gravitational pull and began flying toward one of theets. As soon as he arrived close to one, he reached out to touch theet. ... Outside the Lake of Comets... There are so manyets in there, and the gravitational field is a huge mess. Will Elder Zhang be fine? Ao Feng asked worriedly. Im not sure. The forces inside the Lake of Comets are so chaotic that even I would have trouble freezing the space in there. Im a little worried about Zhang shi as well, Luo Qiqi replied fretfully. Dodging those fast-movingets was already difficult in itself, and the constantly changing gravitational field only made things worse. One would have to be incredibly lucky to survive there! In terms of danger, it was several times worse than facing the phantasmagoric spirits. The fact that even Luo Qiqi, a master of manipting space, was unable to move freely in such a region showed just how dangerous the Lake of Comets was. Its too dangerous. I wouldnt evenst ten seconds in there! Should we call Elder Zhang to pull back... Ao Feng asked. But before he could finish his words, his face suddenly froze. He had just witnessed the impossible. Deep in the Lake of Comets, a young man was standing calmly on the spot, and severalets were circling neatly around him in single file. From time to time, theseets would leap up a little, as if trying to act cute. They looked no different from a bunch of well-trained performance dogs. Chapter 2256 - The Epitome Monarch Pill Appears! 2256 The Epitome Monarch Pill Appears! Ao Feng suddenly felt his mind nking out entirely, reaching a state of absolute emptiness. So, this was what that would happen when the string of rationality in ones head finally snapped. Thoseets flying around the area were supposed to harness boundless might, were they not? Why would such a situation happen? It looks like... thoseets have been enchanted and tamed... Luo Qiqi also gulped in shock. Enchanted? But he only entered the Lake of Comets a short moment ago... I dont get it! How is this even possible? Ao Fengs cheeks were twitching wildly, a reflection of the state of his brain. God Kings possessed the ability to bestow spirit to objects, and he was able to do the same. However, he would need to spend a great deal of time and effort, possibly several months while draining him both mentally and physically, in order to do so... Yet, the young man was able to enchant so manyets within like... two minutes? Three minutes? Not to mention, he had even managed to tame all of them! What was even more shocking was how lively the young man was despite all of that. It was as if what he had just done was no big deal and did not take a toll on him at all! While the two of them were still in shock, the young man in the Lake of Comets leaped forward toward his nextet, and upon touching it, the trail ofets following him would increase by one. Just like that, the line ofets grew longer and longer... In the blink of an eye, more than half of theets in theke were following Zhang Xuan. What is Elder Zhang doing by taming thoseets? Ao Feng muttered weakly. Bruh, arent you here to find the Epitome Monarch Pill? What are you toying with thoseets for then? I guess... hes trying to get the Epitome Monarch Pill to appear, Luo Qiqi deduced. Ah! Ao Feng eximed. The Epitome Monarch Pill is able to morph into a pill and hide from the eyes of even the strongest experts. If its hiding among theets, biding its time tounch a sneak attack, it would be difficult for even someone as powerful as Elder Zhang to guard against it. So, by taming all theets, he will be able to seal off the hiding spots of the Epitome Monarch Pill. It is a good n! Why didnt I think of it beforehand? Once the surroundings had been cleaned up, there would be no ce for the Epitome Monarch Pill to hide anymore. That would make it much easier for them to deal with it. Hes the kind of person who is always able to find unique ways out of difficult predicaments, Luo Qiqi said with a smile. Who dares ruin my home? You are asking to be killed! While those two were speaking, loud rumbling echoed in the air, and the entire Lake of Comets suddenly began shaking. Following that, a massive face suddenly appeared in midair. A God Monarch? Luo Qiqi narrowed her eyes in shock. She had seen Fairy Linglong using this ability before. It was an ability unique to the God Monarchs. Thats the Epitome Monarch Pill! How could this be? Even though the Flooding Sea is rich in resources, it shouldnt have been that easy... It actually managed to make a breakthrough in its cultivation. Does that mean that its a real God Monarch now? Ao Feng mumbled in disbelief. Luo Qiqi shook her head in incredulity as she asked, But dont God Monarchs have to govern a certain region or receive the Anima of Yearning from countless people in order to sessfully ascend? How can a pill manage to do it? In order to be a full-fledged God Monarch, one had to be recognized by countless people to receive a boundless amount of Anima of Yearning to pull off the breakthrough. For example, in order to be a real God Monarch, Kong shi had challenged the Nine God Monarchs one after another to receive the recognition from the people in the Firmament. How could a mere pill that had not gone through anything at all possibly be a God Monarch? Ao Feng pondered for a moment before replying. It could be because we are in the Flooding Sea and not the Firmament. Flooding Sea and not the Firmament? Luo Qiqi pondered over those words for a moment before nodding in realization. The Flooding Sea used to be from the Firmament, but it had torn away from it. As such, a different set ofws might apply there as opposed to the Firmament. Furthermore, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch made a breakthrough here before returning to the Firmament to challenge the Nine God Monarchs and receive the recognition of the Firmament, Ao Feng said. Its just that I find it a little weird. The gap between a Conferred God King and a God Monarch is humongous, such that in the entire history of the Firmament, the only one whos managed to bridge the gap was the Heaven Subjugation Monarch. The Epitome Monarch Pill is ultimately just a pill, so how did it manage to do it? Such thoughts were shared by the young man standing in the middle of the Lake of Comets. Even Zhang Xuan was unable to summon a massive face in the sky with his current prowess. One would have to possess a deep understanding of spatialws to pull that off. Could the Epitome Monarch Pill have seeded in making a breakthrough? A feat that countless cultivators had attempted and failed at was actually achieved by a mere pill. No, thats not right. Its the special environment of the Lake of Comets that allowed it to do so... Zhang Xuan spread his Spiritual Perception around the area, and soon, he realized the secret behind the massive face. It was not that the Epitome Monarch Pill had managed to be a God Monarch. Rather, it had lived in the Lake of Comets for so long that it had gained full control over the area. If the Lake of Comets was a dominion, the Epitome Monarch Pill would be its master. It could manipte the spiritual energy within this space freely to form whatever it wanted to. You wish to kill me? The least you can do is reveal your main body. This mere will of yours doesnt seem to have the strength to do so, Zhang Xuan said before flicking his finger lightly. Kacha! The massive face in the sky shattered into pieces. You... It did not take long for yet another massive face to appear in the sky. It red at Zhang Xuan furiously, but the young man simply shattered it easily with another flick of his finger before returning to taming theets. His main goal there was to find the Epitome Monarch Pill and make a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm with it. He did not intend to pull any punches in dealing with it. Besides, based on what he had heard from Ao Feng, it appeared that the Epitome Monarch Pill had killed quite a few God Kings and Conferred God Kings over the past few decades. Boom! After the massive face had been shattered twice by Zhang Xuan, the space in the Lake of Comets began to distort, and a young man finally materialized. He shared the same appearance as the massive face, hairless and ferocious. You darned brat. I gave you a chance, didnt I? Youre the one who pushed your luck! Hu! Zhang Xuan immediately felt as if his body was bound by some force. The young man was manipting the gravitational field in order to seal his movements. At the same time, the young man dashed forward andunched palm thrust to crush Zhang Xuan. You arent a true God Monarch yet... Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. While his fighting prowess far exceeded that of other Conferred God Kings, he could not yet deal with a real God Monarch. Although the Epitome Monarch Pill had managed to be the master of the Lake of Comets, it was still some way off from bing a God Monarch. As such, it was unable to fully tap into the energies of the Firmament or the Flooding Sea, thus limiting its strength. In other words, the Epitome Monarch Pill was not a threat to Zhang Xuan. Go! Zhang Xuan beckoned with a wave of his hand. Theets that were following behind him immediately charged forth like a long, soaring dragon to crash right into the young man. The sudden charge of so many enchantedets created a massivepression in the space of the Lake of Comets, causing countless dimension rifts to appear in the area. The young mans palm strike was nothingpared to the forceing from the charge of theets, causing him to be overpowered right away. You... Just as Ao Feng thought, the Epitome Monarch Pill was initially hiding among theets, and it was intending to secretly sneak up on Zhang Xuan tounch a surprise assault. But never in its wildest imagination could it have fathomed that someone would be able to tame all theets so quickly and even use them against it. It felt so infuriated that it could just blow up on the spot! At the same time, it could not help but wonder in bewilderment... Are all Conferred God Kings this frightening nowadays? Chapter 2257 - A Legendary Treasure Surfaces

Chapter 2257 A Legendary Treasure Surfaces

In a moment of fury, the young man raised his hands, and a spatial ripple swept into the surroundings. Theets that Zhang Xuan had not managed to tame yet suddenly changed direction and bolted right toward where Zhang Xuan was. The abrupt increase in pressure from the iingets made Zhang Xuan feel as if his blood had frozen in ce. Even with his current physical body and soul cultivation, it would be impossible for him to withstand all those iingets. He could use theets that he had tamed to defend against them, but it would undo all his hard work. Lets see if theets you control can withstand my sword... Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan drew the Crimson Heaven Sword. He had not used this sword ever since his physical body, soul cultivation, and zhenqi cultivation had reached the Conferred God King realm. It was time for him to test out the limits of his fighting prowess once more. He began channeling his zhenqi and Sword Intent into the Crimson Heaven Sword, and the sword released an excited cry reminiscent of the roar of a dragon upon receiving all this nourishment. Hearing the sound from the Crimson Heaven Sword, Ao Feng felt his knees turning to jelly as cold sweat dripped from his head. Thats the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon... Meanwhile, the roar made Zhang Xuan feel as if all the cells in his body had been revitalized, filling him with boundless energy. Go! With a deep bellow, Zhang Xuan executed the Pathos of Heaven 4-dan sword art, releasing a surge of sword qi reminiscent of a stream of white light. It was a strike filled with indignation and yearning, but there was an unyielding spirit behind it all. In an instant, theets that were streaming toward Zhang Xuan were sliced in half, like cloth ripped apart. The halvedets ended up passing Zhang Xuan on each side. However, the sword qi did not just stop there. It continued to surge ahead to strike the Epitome Monarch Pill. The young mans face paled in the face of such a powerful sword art. He scrambled to the side to dodge the sword qi, but as if the sword qi had some sort of homing function, no matter how he tried to run around, he was unable to dodge it. The wind batters unceasingly on the unwilling tree, a son seeks to be filial, but time slips through his fingers. The conceptualization of the sword art carried a hint of helplessness. It was a feeling of standing against a force that could not be averted no matter how one tried to avoid it It was a force of karma, and so, it could not be dodged. Damn it! The young man cursed as he raised his arms and faced the sword qi head on. Boom! The Lake of Comets wavered, and a massive dimension rift was torn open. The young man was knocked back several steps before he was able to regain his bnce, and he gasped desperately for breath. He lost his arms? Ao Feng bit his tongue in shock. The Epitome Monarch Pills arms had been severed by that one strike! He was the strongest existence in the Flooding Sea! How could he have ended up being overpowered? Was the Conferred God Kings of the Nine Skies not a little too frightening? Luo Qiqi heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that. Humph! The Epitome Monarch Pill harrumphed. His rxed gaze turned grim as he realized that his opponent was stronger than expected. He directed the energy within his body toward his shoulders, and soon, a pair of new arms grew out. In the first ce, his human form was a transmogrification, and his arms and legs were nothing more than a manifestation of his medicinal energy. Even though he had lost quite a bit of energy from the severing of his arms, it was not an irrecoverable wound to him. As long as I have medicinal energy left within me, even if you sever all four of my limbs and my head, I still can recover without a hitch, the young man sneered coldly. Let me tell you, I have enough medicinal energy in me to do this more than a dozen times. I only hope that you have enough energy to execute that sword art of yours that many times, or else you will certainly be ripped to pieces... But before the Epitome Monarch Pill could finish his words, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his hand, and the two severed limbs flew over to him. With a light tap, those two arms immediately morphed into a sesame-sized pill, and he swallowed it without any hesitation. The Epitome Monarch Pill widened his eyes in disbelief. You... We are in the midst of a life-and-death battle, yet you are actually eating my hands right before my eyes! You are going overboard! They might just have been arms, but that was still medicinal energying from a God Monarch realm pill. The medicinal energy was concentrated enough for God Monarchs to spend days trying to assimte it, but the other party had swallowed it in the middle of a battle. Was he not afraid of being stuffed to death? With a livid face, the Epitome Monarch Pill raised his palm once more to strike Zhang Xuan. Hu! Yet another burst of sword qi shot forth, and the arms of the Epitome Monarch Pill fell off once again. Just like before, no matter how he tried to dodge it, the sword qi still struck its target. Hmm? The Epitome Monarch Pill channeled his energy to his shoulders once more to regrow his arms, but as soon as he raised his head after he was done, he saw the other party turning the severed arms into a pill and swallowing it again. You... The Epitome Monarch Pill was really starting to lose his cool. Are you a perverted psycho or something? Are you going to continue severing my limbs and eating me till there is nothing left of me? I am a God Monarch realm pill! To make matters worse, the Epitome Monarch Pill realized that the zhenqi cultivation of his opponent, after devouring four limbs, had risen from Conferred God King realm primary stage to intermediate stage. If this went on, his opponent would only grow stronger and stronger... This is supposed to be a proper battle, but all thats on your mind seems to be how you can slowly savor me in your mouth... Argh! You b*stard! If I dont kill you today, my surname wont be Pill anymore! With a ferocious bellow, the Epitome Monarch Pill gathered all his strength in his palm to strike down on Zhang Xuan. But just as the blow was about tond, he narrowed his eyes and cursed, The freak... This time, his arms and legs were severed by the other partys sword qi. And just like before, the other party delightfully gathered his severed limbs andpressed them into a pill before swallowing it. Boom! His cultivation rose to Conferred God King realm advanced stage. You... The Epitome Monarch Pill felt goosebumps rising all over his body. Years of being in the Flooding Sea had nourished him greatly, allowing him to store huge reserves of medicinal energy. However, losing his four limbs was still a huge blow. With veins popping on his forehead, the Epitome Monarch Pill once again grew his limbs once more. This time, however, the aura that he emanated was far weaker than before. Run! Knowing that he was not a match for Zhang Xuan, the Epitome Monarch Pill immediately morphed back into his pill form before jolting a crack in the space. Then, he swiftly slipped into it. Hmm? Not expecting the Epitome Monarch Pill to run away so decisively as soon as it realized that it was unable to win, Zhang Xun swiftly swung his sword once more. Hu! A pair of arms and legs flew out of the dimension rift before it closed, but the Epitome Monarch Pill had already vanished without a trace. Tsk, he got away... Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in annoyance. In the end, the Epitome Monarch Pill still had an advantage in the Lake of Comets as it was his home. There were some intricacies in the spatial structure there that Zhang Xuan was unfamiliar with, which the other party was able to make use of. Furthermore, it was a fact that the Epitome Monarch Pill was stronger than him, so it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to stop him from getting away. Nevertheless, through assimting the pair of arms and legs, Zhang Xuans cultivation rose once more, and he sessfully reached Conferred God King realm pinnacle. He spent another hour taming all theets before stowing all of them into his storage ring. Then, he returned to Ao Feng and Luo Qiqis side. Elder Zhang, where should we head to next? Ao Feng had thought that it would be a brutal battle that would end in Zhang Xuans defeat, but who could have known that he would be able to overpower the Epitome Monarch Pill so easily? He was starting to feel like there was nothing in this world that could stop Zhang Xuan. Hmm, well head to... Just as Zhang Xuan was about to speak, the space around them suddenly jolted a little. Following that, a brilliant light harnessing energy that made even Conferred God Kings subconsciously tremble in fear burst out right ahead of them. For an instant, the entire sky was blinded by its radiance. A legendary treasure has surfaced! This phenomenon immediately caught the attention of everyone in the Flooding Sea. Chapter 2258 - The Retaliation of the Veteran Conferred God Kings

Chapter 2258 The Retaliation of the Veteran Conferred God Kings

Such a powerful pulsation of energy that was not caused by a battlethat could only mean one thing. A legendary treasure had surfaced! Judging from the energy that had been emanated, its value seemed to exceed even that of the Epitome Monarch Pill! Has anything like this happened in the previous Floods of Spiritual Energy? Zhang Xuan asked. Ao Feng, who was also dazed by the situation, shook his head in shock. There were countless treasures lying in the Flooding Sea, but never had he seen any of them releasing such a frightening outburst of energy. Lets head over to take a look! The three of them flitted ahead, and soon, they arrived at their destination. The phenomenon had rmed all the Conferred God Kings and God Kings that had entered the Flooding Sea, drawing them into the vicinity. Each and every one of them was staring at where the pulsation of the spiritual energy was the most violent with excited looks on their faces. Their gazes were directed at a massive emerald lotus leaf that looked as if it had been sculpted by jade. It was floating in midair, emanating divine light. This is... Just how powerful is that lotus leaf? Its tier is far beyond what any of us can handle! However, if we can obtain it and present it to a God Monarch, well surely be handsomely rewarded for that! Indeed, the God Monarchs wouldnt hesitate to take us in as their direct disciples and confer us if they could obtain the lotus leaf in exchange... Well be able to rise through the ranks! Everyone was staring at the lotus leaf with heated gazes as they thought about the countless possibilities that could ur if they obtained the lotus leaf. No one knew where the lotus leaf was from or what it was. However, the spiritual energy harnessed within it was so great that anyone who sessfully assimted it, even if the person was a God Monarch, would surely enjoy a tremendous surge in power. Amid the discussion, a Conferred God King spotted Zhang Xuan and the others. Conferred God King Ao Feng! Ao Feng? You are referring to the Conferred God King of the Sky of Cloud Dragon? Arent you asking the obvious? Who else could it be other than him? To Zhang Xuans surprise, the weak Ao Feng was actually highly respected among the God Kings and Conferred God Kings. Most of the female cultivators in the area were looking at him with eyes filled with reverence. As it turned out, the Conferred God Kings of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, due to their noble and powerful bloodline, were viewed to be ideal spouses. There were many people who were more than willing to mate with them. It was also for that reason that the descendants carrying the Dragon Bloodline were scattered all over the worlds. Conferred God King Luo Ying! Conferred God King Bai Zhi! Conferred God King Liu Yan... Ao Feng also returned the greetings one by one like a true gentleman. Conferred God King Ao Feng must have been drawn here by the aura of the treasure as well! Oh, who are the twopanions with you? an elder asked as he looked at Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi curiously. They are God King Zhang Xuan and God King Luo Qiqi... Ao Feng had intended to introduce them formally, but the young man had shot him a look. Realizing that the young man was not willing to reveal his identity, he had gone ahead with a simple introduction instead. The elder nodded before sping his fist to greet them. Paying respects to God King Zhang Xuan and God King Luo Qiqi. Its amazing how you have managed to achieve so much despite your age. It seems like the era is really changing... News about how Zhang Xuan had killed Conferred God King Baiye Qinghong of the Sky of Linglong had spread across the Nine Skies, and practically everyone in the Flooding Sea had heard of that incident. There were even some who had been able to acquire a recording of the happenings back then. Their evaluation of the incident was that the young man did possess the means to kill Conferred God Kings, but his strength was mainly dependent on artifacts. Nevertheless, that was still enough for him to be ssified as one of the powerhouses of the Firmament, and it would be wise not to make an enemy out of him. For that reason, none of them dared disrespect him. Youre too courteous! Zhang Xuan returned the greeting. However, the elder frowned in displeasure at Zhang Xuans greeting. He felt like the young mans attitude was a little perfunctory. In truth, the elder had watched the recording of the battle between Zhang Xuan and Baiye Qinghong, and he felt like he could have done the same with the weapons bestowed upon him by his God Monarch, though it would have taken a bit more effort. In other words, their strength was roughly on par with one another. In fact, if they put aside their artifacts, there was no doubt that he was the stronger one. So, why was this young man acting as if he was some bigshot? While the other Conferred God Kings who had gathered around did not say a thing, they also frowned slightly in disapproval toward Zhang Xuansckadaisical attitude. It was already extremely rude for a junior not to take the initiative to greet a senior first, but the young mans attitude even appeared to be insincere on top of that. Conferred God King Liu Yan... Ao Feng was just about to exin things a little when the elder suddenly waved his hand and said, Alright, lets put aside the formalities for now. Conferred God King Ao Feng, since you are here, I believe that you are eyeing the lotus leaf as well. Since we share the same thoughts, why dont we put our strength together? Put our strength together? Ao Feng frowned. Indeed. We are all veteran Conferred God Kings who have survived the previous Floods of Spiritual Energy, and every single one of us possesses our own means. While it would be stretching it to say that our fighting prowess is top-notch, I believe that we dont pale too much inparison to the others. We have all received orders from the God Monarchs to bring the treasures of the Flooding Sea back to our respective Skies, and there is no doubt that the greatest treasure in the Flooding Sea is the lotus leaf right before us. If we can bring it back, we will surely be generously rewarded by our God Monarchs, the elder, Conferred God King Liu Yan, said. Ao Feng nodded in agreement to those words. While none of them could use the lotus leaf, there were great benefits to be earned if they could present it to their respective God Monarchs. May I know if you have heard of the newest Conferred God King of our Sky of zing Sun, Zheng Yang? Conferred God King Liu Yan suddenly asked. Of course, Ao Feng replied. Theres no way I wouldnt have heard of him. Even though Zheng Yang is a Conferred God King of our Sky of zing Sun, hes arrogant and conceited. He doesnt show the slightest shred of respect for veteran Conferred God Kings like us. In fact, he has formed an alliance together with the other young Conferred God Kings of the other Skies to steal the valuable resources in the Flooding Sea that we have discovered... The more Conferred God King Liu Yan spoke, the more furious he got. He stole your resources? Ao Feng was stunned. A Conferred God King of the group harrumphed angrily. Thats right! I found some Sealing Yang Grass that would have exceptional effects for God Monarch Zhuoyang, but he flew right into the ancient domain and imed it for himself, not giving us the slightest chance at all! Two more Conferred God Kings chirped in with deep indignation in their voices. It was the same for me! I went through so much difficulty in order to find a Sea Originstone, but a person iming to be his junior suddenly barged in and snatched it. Its really as if they dont have the slightest regard for us at all! Its the same for me. Just because they are a little stronger, they dont show any respect for us at all. This is uneptable! Having served the God Monarchs for so many years, they had contributed greatly to the growth of their respective Skies. Yet, instead of taking them as their students, the God Monarchs chose to groom a random bunch of youngsters instead. How could they possibly be happy about this? But since it was the decision of the God Monarch, they could only swallow their indignation and grudgingly ept the situation. But as if that was not bad enough, those youngsters were actually arrogant scoundrels who did as they pleased! They took treasures as they deemed fit, not leaving anything for them. If they returned empty-handed, would their God Monarchs not think that they were utterly useless? If so, they would be in a shaky position once they returned. Their God Monarchs might even find new people to rece them! It was for this reason that they had gathered in such a hurry upon seeing the emergence of the lotus leaf. We, the veteran Conferred God Kings, have to unite together in order to protect our interests! If we can obtain this lotus leaf and deliver it to our own God Monarchs, it will prove that we are no weaker than those younger Conferred God Kings! Conferred God King Liu Yan eximed. On the other hand, if those young scoundrels beat us to it, we will have tough days ahead of us. They will suppress us so badly that well never be able to raise our heads again. Well lose even the final shreds of dignity that we have! So, Ao Feng, what do you say about that? I... Ao Feng did not expect to suddenly receive such a proposal. So, he turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan to seek his opinion on the matter. Chapter 2259 - A Finger Will Suffice

Chapter 2259 A Finger Will Suffice

Ao Feng had already figured out from watching Zhang Xuans response earlier that he had some kind of close rtion to Zheng Yang and the others. Thus, he felt like this fight was kind of hopeless. The veteran Conferred God Kings were going to suffer such a tragic defeat that they would not even know what had hit them. Putting aside the fact that Zhang Xuan possessed the strength to overwhelm the Epitome Monarch Pill, even Zheng Yang and the others were already more than what the veteran Conferred God Kings could handle. He had once fought one of them, and he knew that they were not even on the same level. To plot against them right in front of the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies... Were they brave, or were they just tired of living? What, you dont dare go against them? Conferred God King Liu Yan scoffed after seeing Ao Fengs hesitation. Its just a simple fight over the lotus. Even if those younger Conferred God Kings are angry at their loss, what can they do about it? As a Pureblooded Dragon from the Sky of Cloud Dragon, surely you wont be scared by just this much. Im not scared, but... Ao Feng said hesitantly. Its fine as long as you arent scared. This matter is settled then! Conferred God King Liu Yan had no intention of letting Ao Feng back out. He then turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi and asked, What about you two? Well pass, Zhang Xuan replied. Well, all he has is his artifact, so I reckon that he wont be much help in a real fight. As for Luo Qiqi, Ive never even heard of her before, and she hasnt been conferred. Even if they join us, I dont think that theyll be able to contribute much. What can two youngsters do in a fight among Conferred God Kings? ... The other Conferred God Kings did not pay much heed to Zhang Xuans rejection. While they were speaking, Conferred God King Liu Yan suddenly eximed, Here theye! There was a slight disturbance in the space in the distance, but taking a closer look, one could see a figure rushing over at an incredibly fast speed. It was a tall and slender youngdy with a sword in her hand,manding a valiant posture. Conferred God King Zhao Ya... Upon seeing the face of the person heading over, Conferred God King Luo Yings eyes immediately reddened in rage. It was this woman who had beaten him to the treasure that he had spotted earlier. Hu! So, Conferred God King Luo Ying raised his sword and pointed it at the youngdy in the sky. Zhao Ya, I know that you possess superior strength, but the veteran Conferred God Kings have already formed an alliance with one another. Back down now, or youll suffer. Zhao Ya shot a nce at Conferred God King Luo Ying before looking away, paying no heed to thetters words at all. She continued flying toward the lotus with a nonchnt look on her face. Hu! Seeing that Zhao Ya was adamant about iming the lotus, the other Conferred God Kings immediately drew their weapons before leaping forth to block her path. Over the past few days, Zhao Ya had already made her name as one of the strongest Conferred God King in the Firmament. They were confident that they would be able to defeat her if they ganged up on her, but they also knew that they would not be able to get out unscathed if a battle did ur. Furthermore, this so-called alliance was not exactly reliable. It was informal, and their interests were not fully aligned with one another. There was no saying when they would be betrayed by one another. So, they hoped to just frighten her so that she would back down. You wish to block my way? Zhao Ya lowered her gaze and looked at them with an air of majesty. Her ck hair contrasted with the silver armor she donned, making her appear to be a valiant Goddess of War. Conferred God King Luo Ying harrumphed. Its all fairpetition, Conferred God King Zhao Ya! I dont have time to waste on you lot! Zhao Ya waved her hand dismissively as she insistently advanced forward. Audacious! How dare you! It seems like you really have no regard for us at all! They had made their intent clear, but the youngdy still tried to bypass them. Liu Yan and the other Conferred God Kings immediately flew into a rage as they made their moves. Channeling their energies together, they swiftly formed a massive barrier of zhenqi in the air to block Zhao Yas path. The destructive energies that flowed through the barrier felt so overwhelming that there were no cultivators who would not feel powerless in its face. Anyone who forcefully barged through the barrier would suffer grave injuries or even death! Zhao Ya frowned a little upon seeing their movements. She raised her sword and shed it down on the barrier. Boom! The barrier was decisively severed before dissipating, and the Conferred God Kings were forced to retreat dozens of steps from the rebound. Their faces paled in fright as they stared at the youngdy in the air in disbelief. They had known that she would be a difficult opponent to deal with, but they did not expect her to be so powerful! She had already grown to the level where she could sever a barrier they had set up with ease. Ao Feng, what are you waiting for? Make your move... Conferred God King Liu Yan eximed anxiously. But before he could finish his words, Zhao Ya had already descended to where Ao Feng and the others were standing, and with reddened eyes, her knees fell to the ground. Unfilial disciple Zhao Ya pays respects to teacher! Disciple? Teacher? Silence. Everyone was bbergasted. This was because the person whom Zhao Ya was kneeling before was none other than God King Zhang Xuan, whom they had snubbed a moment ago. Not only so, she seemed to be so agitated that her body was trembling intensely, and her eyes had grown a little moist. No one would have thought that there would be such a frail side to the valiant youngdy. What was going on? Did this mean that the ferocious Conferred God King Zhao Ya who was inhumanely strong was a student of God King Zhang Xuan? But was he not just an apothecary? When in the world did he be Zhao Yas teacher? H! Just as everyone was shocked beyond words, deafening sonic booms echoed in the air as another ten youths flew over to where they were. Sh*t, this is really bad. Its Zheng Yang and the others! Have they really joined hands with one another? This is madness... Seeing the figures that were heading over, many of the veteran Conferred God Kings could not help but retreat a little out of nervousness. Thinking that these ten youths wereing after them after hearing of their alliance, they immediately raised their weapons to protect themselves. But what they imagined did note to happen. Instead, those ten youths descended to Zhao Yas side, and with the same reddened eyes, they kneeled to the ground. With an earnest and deeply respectful attitude, they lowered their heads and said... Unfilial disciple Zheng Yang pays respect to teacher... Unfilial disciple Liu Yang pays respect to teacher... ... Their voices echoed loudly in the air, jolting the hearts of the veteran Conferred God Kings. All of them... are the disciples of God King Zhang Xuan? But they are the strongest Conferred God Kings of the Firmament, the cultivators whom the six God Monarchs groomed personally! How could they all be God King Zhang Xuans disciples? My goodness, can you pinch me hard so that I can check if... Yowch! What are you doing, you dumbass? Conferred God King Liu Yan and the others were going insane. Never in their long lives had they seen anything so ridiculous. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others were already ridiculously powerful by themselves, but they were actually all from the same lineage. To make matters worse, their teacher turned out to be the humble God King whom they had looked down on a moment ago! Things were really starting to get out of hand... Did we... look down on him earlier? Is it toote to start fawning over him now? Is there anything... that we can say to reverse the situation? Everyone could already feel tears welling up in their eyes. Earlier, when God King Ao Feng introduced him, they did not think that he was anything much. In fact, most of them had even felt that he was a conceited young man. But looking back, they were the ones who were being conceited. Putting aside how strong he was, just the fact that he had so many overwhelmingly powerful disciples meant that it would not be excessive even if they weed him with the highest level of formalities! If they had treated the young man better, there might still have been some room for reconciliation. But it was a pity that they had allowed the opportunity to slip through their fingers. There was nothing they could do. Meanwhile, seeing how much his direct disciples had grown over the past month, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval and said, Rise! They had not let him down. The years he had spent teaching them had not been in vain. Teacher, I heard that theres a particrly powerful expert known as the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies in the Flooding Sea. Have you met him yet? Zheng Yang asked as he brandished his spear to the side. Whats wrong? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. I have been hearing how powerful he is from the God Monarchs over the past few days, so I have been wanting to challenge him to a battle to prove our teachers name! Zheng Yang dered haughtily. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nearly choked on his own saliva. He looked at Zheng Yang for a moment before asking, You are certain about it? Yes, I am! Zheng Yang replied determinedly. The others were also nodding vehemently, expressing their agreement toward Zheng Yangs words. Only Zhao Ya was covering her face speechlessly, as if trying to act as if she did not know those fools standing beside her. Very well. All of you shoulde at me together, Zhang Xuan said as he ced a hand behind his back. Just one finger will suffice. Chapter 2260 - Nine Skies Lotus Leaf

Chapter 2260 Nine Skies Lotus Leaf

Baffled by their teachers words, Zhang Xuans direct disciples were stunned for a moment before realization suddenly struck them, and their faces started twitching. With a hushed voice, Zhao Ya muttered quietly to the dense Yuan Tao, who still did not seem to understand what was going on, Our teacher is the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies... ... There was a moment of awkward silence before Zheng Yang startedughing stiffly. Hahaha, teacher. I wonder what kind of treasure that lotus leaf over there is. I dont understand it at all. Hahaha... If they had known that their teacher was the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, they never would have dared to brag like that! Ever since they hade under their teacher, every single time they thought that they had finally grown stronger, their teacher would pummel them heavily and put them back in their ce. While they had grown tremendously over the past month, somehow, their instincts were screaming at them that if they went through with the battle, they would be beaten up so badly that they would be wailing at the end of it. A gentle smile formed on Zhang Xuans lips as he said, The lotus leaf over there might be eye-catching, but lets not lose sight of what we are going to do, alright? Seeing that his attempt to distract his teacher was futile, Zheng Yangs face copsed in despair as he cried, I wouldnt dare to challenge teacher to a battle... Theres no need to stand on ceremony. Lets begin right away, Zhang Xuan replied. ... Boom! Just as Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples were celebrating their long-awaited reunion with a good mix of physical intimacy and screams of joy, the lotus leaf in the air suddenly released a loud explosion sound. Its leaves had fully matured, and they were radiating a blinding glow. Great streams of concentrated spiritual energy were flowing out from it. Even just absorbing the bits that leaked out was enough to leave those gathered around feeling revitalized. Everyone immediately turned toward the lotus leaf. Unlike before, new inscriptions had appeared on the lotus leaf, giving it an enigmatic yet ancient appearance. That is... the geographical terrain and constetion map of the Nine Skies? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. He had seen the geographical terrain and constetion map of the Sky of Spirit Origin, Sky of Drifting Specter, and Sky of Linglong, and he could see them depicted clearly through the inscriptions on the massive lotus leaf. He could tell that the lotus leaf was a natural artifact of the Firmament, yet it had been born with aplete map of the Nine Skies. This was extremely perplexing. Not only so, I can also sense the aura of the Nine Skies from it. Just what in the world is that lotus leaf? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Without a doubt, the lotus leaf was a treasure beyond anything he had seen before. If he could assimte it, it would do his cultivation much good. Even pushing for a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm on the spot was notpletely impossible! Now! All of a sudden, Conferred God King Liu Yan bellowed before rushing straight for the lotus leaf. He knew that they would not stand a chance once Zhang Xuan and the others made their move, so he decided to make the first move. As long as he could sessfully grab the lotus leaf, he would immediately rush to the outer perimeter of the Flooding Sea and inform God Monarch Zhuoyang to teleport him out right away. Then, no matter how powerful Zhang Xuan was, there was no way he could snatch the lotus leaf from the hands of the God Monarchs. The other Conferred God Kings also made their moves. With their powers, they weaved together a massive that swiftly closed in on the lotus leaf. Through this, they could ensure that no one could get to the lotus leaf before them. Teacher! Seeing that someone was trying to beat them to it, Zhao Ya and Zheng Yangs eyebrows shot up in displeasure. It was one thing to be beaten up by their teacher, but they would not allow a treasure that would benefit their teacher to be taken before their eyes. It wont be that easy for them to take the lotus leaf. Lets just wait and see, Zhang Xuan said as he stopped his direct disciple from getting involved. He could not tell what kind of treasure the lotus leaf was, but just from the inscriptions and the aura of the Nine Skies it was emanating, it was clear that it was not an artifact that a couple of average Conferred God Kings could handle. As he had guessed, while the massive was about to wrap itself around the lotus leaf, the lotus leaf swayed a little, and the space in the surroundings immediately shattered. Kacha! A spatial shockwave rippled outward. Peng peng peng! The Conferred God Kings that had gathered around the lotus leaf were struck on the chest, and a deepceration appeared on their bodies. They were knocked flying into the distance as blood spewed from their mouths. Frightening... Zheng Yang and the others narrowed their eyes in shock. Even though their fighting prowess far surpassed these veteran Conferred God Kings, they were not certain that they could have coped with that attack if they had been the ones facing it. That was how powerful the lotus leaf was. Realizing this, Zhao Ya looked at her juniors and said, Lets go together! Un! With a determined nod, the eleven direct disciples of Zhang Xuan each took a deep breath before charging toward the lotus leaf together. Unlike the veteran Conferred God Kings, their teamwork was nearly impable. In the blink of an eye, they had already gotten into position to form a coborative formation. Theirbined might was probably enough to face even a God Monarch for a short period of time. Unable to withstand their might, the surrounding space began to tear as a massive spatial storm broke out around the lotus leaf. The lotus leaf seemed to be a little pressured facing such a furious onught of attacks. It suddenly began expandingrger andrger, reaching a sizeparable to the sky itself. Then, with a twist, it swept itself across the cultivators standing against it. Sh*t... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. He immediately drew the Crimson Heaven Sword and shed it down on the lotus leaf. The sword qi carried an unyielding will and bolted toward the lotus leaf. Just as it was about to strike its target, the massive lotus leaf suddenly swayed once again. In an instant, Zhang Xuan suddenly experienced a bout of weightlessness. The space around him began warping at an insanely fast pace, and he suddenly found himself standing in the midst of a lush field. It was a boundless grasnd that extended to the horizons. I have... returned to the Firmament? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Thend beneath his feet felt different from that of the Flooding Sea, and he could sense the aura of the Nine Skies around him. He seemed to have returned to the Firmament. No, that isnt right. I have entered the Firmament inscribed on the surface of the lotus leaf! Zhang Xuan swiftly noticed that something was amiss. The Firmament was closed off, but it was not isted. The real Firmament still carried a link to the rest of the myriad worlds, but he could not feel it there. I he paid close attention to it, there were more differences between the area where he was and the real Firmament. Teacher... A voice echoed not too far away. Zhang Xuan quickly turned his head, and he saw Zhao Ya and the others flying in his direction. Fortunately, it did not appear that they were injured. He heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. Gazing into the sky, he said contemtively, There is something really weird about the lotus leaf. To think that it has an expanse of spaceparable to the Nine Skies within it. Not to mention, it was able to pull us in here so easily... With their strengthbined, they were strong enough to even deal with the God Monarchs. Yet, they were far too helpless in the face of the lotus leaf. Just what kind of artifact was it to possess such unfathomable prowess? The w probably lies here... Zhang Xuan quickly looked around the area, but he was unable to find an exit. So, he lifted the Crimson Heaven Sword in his grasp and hacked it down on the ground beneath him. If there was no way out in sight, the most usible way out would be the ground. While the lotus leaf wielded enigmatic abilities, Zhang Xuan did not think that it would be able to withstand an attack of his full might. So, he channeled his spirit, soul, and psyche into his sword and struck down with all his strength. Hu! A burst of sword qi inflicted a massive crack in the ground, and spiritual energy immediately poured out from there. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples leaped into the crack, and the next moment, Luo Qiqis anxious face appeared before their eyes. Are you all okay? Luo Qiqi asked worriedly. Zhang Xuan nodded before speaking his thoughts aloud. I dont understand. Just what kind of treasure is that? Im not sure! However, I think I heard those injured veteran Conferred God Kings calling it... the Nine Skies Lotus Leaf! Luo Qiqi said. As she had been outside the whole time, she had overheard the discussion among the other Conferred God Kings. Nine Skies Lotus Leaf? Zhang Xuan was a little taken aback. A familiar-sounding name popped up in his head as he muttered, The Nine Skies Lotus Embryo? Chapter 2261 - Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies

Chapter 2261 Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies

He had never heard of the Nine Skies Lotus Leaf before, but for reason, its name reminded him of the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo. It was the material that he had used to forge his clone! It was due to being made of such a material that his clone was practically indestructible and possessed superior fighting prowess. Even Zhang Xuan, when he cultivated the perfect Heavens Path Divine Art, was no match for it. It was only after he startedprehending the Pathos of Heaven that he managed to overpower his clone a little. The Nine Skies Lotus Embryo and the Nine Skies Lotus Leaf... Could they somehow be rted to one another? With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan brought out his clone. As of this moment, his clones cultivation had also reached Conferred God King realm pinnacle, making them roughly on par. Take a look at that lotus leaf over there. Zhang Xuan pointed. The haughty clone tilted his chin upward to look at the lotus leaf, and his eyes lit up. I dont know what that thing is, but I somehow feel my body being drawn to it... As the clone spoke, he began flying toward the massive lotus leaf. At the same time, the massive lotus leaf seemed to have sensed something as well, and it began shrinking. With a slight sway, the clonended on top of the lotus leaf before morphing into a lotus core that seemed ready to blossom to any moment. Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. It was how the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo had looked before he had forged it into his clone. Tzzz! The powers of the lotus leaf surged into the lotus core, nourishing it with energy. A pure white flower blossomed from it before slowly bing transparent. Boom! An intense burst of energy rippled from the lotus as a nine-colored lotus flower blossomed in full, emanating a scent that intoxicated one. To think that its the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, Conferred God King Liu Yan muttered with eyes widened in disbelief. You know about it? Zhang Xuan asked with a frown. Legend has it that before the Nine Skies were created, the primordial energy of the universe gave birth to the Primordial Golden Lotus to establish order in the Five Elements and the Four Extremities[1]. However, before it could mature, it suddenly vanished without a trace, resulting in the rise of chaos in the world. From the chaos came the Four Legendary Beasts, who eventually came to be known as the God Monarchs of the Northern Sky, Southern Sky, Eastern Sky, and Western Sky. As one of the older Conferred God Kings to have served the God Monarchs, he had heard of many things that were not recorded in the books. I thought that the Primordial Golden Lotus was just an artifact of the history, but to think that it would appear here... Furthermore... Conferred God King Liu Yan sped his mouth in shock. The Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies was a treasure that even God Monarchs would find difficult to tame, but the young man had managed to forge it into his clone. This was unbelievable! If Id known that youd already tamed the lotus, I wouldnt havee here to snatch it from you... Tzzz! Zhang Xuan could feel his clone growing stronger by the moment as it continued to fuse together with the lotus leaf. Its power had already exceeded that of a Conferred God King by this point. He could not help but heave a sigh of relief. His clone seemed to have far more fortuitous encounters than he did. At this rate, his clone was likely to be a God Monarch before him, and once that happened, he would probably be a truly indestructible and unrivaled existence in the world. All this time, he had been wondering just what tier of artifact the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo was to be able to defeat him, a practitioner of the perfect Heavens Path Divine Art. It was only at this moment that he discovered just how frightening a background his clone had. I should have long thought of it, Zhang Xuan said with a bitter smile. In any case, given that the lotus has bloomed fully, my clone should be able to make a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm. However, itll probably take some time before hepletes the process... The Nine Skies Lotus Embryo carried the name of the Nine Skies, so he should have realized it when he finally came to the Firmament. It was just that he could not have imagined that his clone would actually be so formidable! Taking a closer look at the lotus, he saw the lotus bing more and more brilliant. Through their telepathic connection, he could sense that his clone had already fully assimted the lotus leaf. Once the two energies finally fused together, his clone would be a God Monarch. I first found the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo back on the Master Teacher Continent. Initially, I thought that it was an unripe Nine Hearts Lotus due to its gray color, so I nourished it with my Heavens Path zhenqi. It was only then that its color started changing... Now that I think about it, the reason the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo was in such a state back then could be the result of that bizarre gray energy as well... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. Back then, there was a soul oracle by the name of Mo Hunsheng possessing the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo, and through it, he was able to survive tens of thousands of years without dissipating. All this time, Zhang Xuan had thought that it was his Heavens Path zhenqi that had led to its maturity, but now that he pondered upon it once more, he felt like it could have been the doing of the same gray congregation of energy that had suppressed Feng Jiuges cultivation. It was due to him neutralizing the gray energy with his Heavens Path zhenqi that it reverted to its original color! That was probably the reason he had eventually managed to forge a clone out of such a powerful artifact. Most likely, the bizarre gray energy had already devoured all the energy within the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo by the time it got to his hands, allowing the Transcendent Mortal him to assimte it easily. Be it the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo or the Deathless Monarch, it seems too much of a coincidence that I managed to get involved with them... It feels I am walking down a path that someone paved for me, Zhang Xuan mumbled with a frown. He felt that it was simply too lucky for him to stumble upon such fortuitous encounters, especially when he was on the lower Master Teacher Continent. What were the odds of it happening? If it was just a slightly more powerful artifact, he could still attribute it to his good luck. However, the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo was a precious treasure that even God Monarchs would die to get their hands on. Yet, he had ended up forging it into his clone unknowingly. On top of that, he had somehow tamed the Deathless Monarch, one of the nine strongest experts of the myriad worlds, and even the strongest God Monarch Lingxi of the Sky of Freedom ended up as his girlfriend. No matter how one looked at it, something was off! How much luck did one need for all that to ur to one person? It was not as if he was the protagonist of some novel! Zhang Xuan knew that Kong shi had yed a hand in orchestrating some matters, but he felt like there was another enigmatic force that had been pushing him to grow all this while. Unable to figure it out, Zhang Xuan decided to put it aside for the time being. Instead, he turned to look at his direct disciples. Zhao Ya stepped forward and presented a storage ring to him. Teacher, here are the treasures you have acquired at the Flooding Sea. We hope that they will be of some use to you... Zhang Xuan epted the storage ring and took a look at the contents within. Then, he nodded and remarked, Not bad! The items that his direct disciples had gathered were far more valuable than what he had found. There were at least ten items in there that were on the same tier as the Condensed Earth Essence and a few more that exceeded it. For them to be willing to present the invaluable treasures they had procured to him, he could really feel their sentiments toward him. It looks like I dont have to search any further. With these, I will be able to push for a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm without any trouble, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. However, when he was taking a second look through the items in the storage ring, he suddenly noticed something that made him frown. Hmm? This is weird. Arent you the ones who took away the Midnight Flower and the Deste Iron? He realized that the Midnight Flower and the Deste Iron, which had vanished by the time he arrived in the vicinity, were not in the storage ring. Was it possible that there was someone other than his direct disciples who possessed the ability to im the treasures from those dangerous locations? Midnight Flower? Deste Iron? Zhao Ya and the others tilted their heads in confusion. Weve never heard of those items before. What does this mean? Is there someone else who possesses great capabilities lurking in the Flooding Sea other than you all? Zhang Xuan frowned in rm. [1] Four extremities refers to the four directions of the world. Chapter 2262 - Finale 1

Chapter 2262 Finale 1

The Midnight Flower and the Deste Iron were located in perilous locations that even someone of Ao Fengs prowess was unable to enter. There should have been no one else other than Zhang Xuan and his direct disciples that were capable of entering those areas to im those treasures. As such, he had assumed that it was their doing all along, but clearly, he was mistaken. Was there another power in the Flooding Sea that was discreetly collecting all the treasures in the Flooding Sea? Someone else? Zheng Yang frowned for a moment before nodding in agreement. Now that you mention it, that does seem possible. There were several areas we visited where the treasures had already been imed by someone else. We thought that it was the doing of the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, but that doesnt appear to be the case... That person was able to collect all of those treasures without a hitch while leaving little to no trace at all. That means that theyre no weaker than the rest of you... Zhang Xuan was starting to feel a little bewildered by the situation. Based on what he had heard from Ao Feng thus far, he and his eleven direct disciples should have been the strongest existences in the Flooding Sea. If so, where did this elusive experte from? I heard that Demon Monarch Qiankun has epted another sessor other than me, and hes even forged a body for him, Lu Chong suddenly said. He forged a body for him? Once Lu Chong said that, Zhang Xuan also recalled hearing about such a thing before. Yes, thats right. That sessor appears to have arrived in the Firmament ahead of us, and he appeared through the Netherworld Pool. Given his powerful soul cultivation, it might have been possible for him to find those treasures ahead of us and take them away with ease, Lu Chong said. In a ce like the Flooding Sea, other than having a veteran lead one around, another factor that yed a crucial role was the strength of ones soul. The stronger ones soul cultivation was, the more sensitive one would be to the presence of treasures. This yed a crucial role in finding and securing the treasures hidden all over the area faster than others. If he arrived in the Firmament earlier than us, it means that he isnt native to the Firmament. If so... who could it be? Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought. ... Outside the Flooding Sea... So what if those people are Zhang Xuans direct disciples? I still have a hidden piece! Hell be able to secure a good deal of treasures in the Flooding Sea! Demon Monarch Qiankun smirked smugly as he looked at the Communication Jade Token in his hand. Even though they were unable to peer into the Flooding Sea with their consciousness, they were still able to receive news from those in the area through the use of special artifacts. Just a moment ago, Demon Monarch Qiankun had received a message from the hidden piece that he had nted in the Flooding Sea. Based on the message he received, the hidden piece had secured a lot of treasures for their Sky of Drifting Specter. Browsing through the list of items, Demon Monarch Qiankun felt tempted to look up to the sky andugh heartily. If his hidden piece could sessfully bring all those items out, he would be able to advance his cultivation considerably. While it was unlikely that he would be able to surpass God Monarch Lingxi, at the very least, he should still be able to rise to the top of the other eight God Monarchs. Seeing how smug Demon Monarch Qiankun was acting, the Cloud Dragon Monarch asked with a cold harrumph, How strong is the hidden piece you prepared? He isnt as strong as Lu Chong, so itll be hard for him to match Zhao Ya and the others. However, his soul is exceptionally strong, making him highly suited for covert operations and treasure hunting, Demon Monarch Qiankun replied confidently. So what if your hidden piece has a strong soul? Once the Conferred God King of the Nine Skiesys his hands on that hidden piece of yours, youll still end up with nothing! Fairy Linglong poured a bucket of cold water over Demon Monarch Qiankuns smugness. They were currently feeling frustrated at how their efforts had ended up benefiting only their enemy, yet this darned old man dared to celebrate gleefully before them. It went without saying that they had to rain on his parade to even things out! Thats only if the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies is able to find him. I instructed him clearly not to head to ces with many people and to try his best to conceal his presence, Demon Monarch Qiankun said proudly. It seems like my n worked out just fine! Seeing how prepared Demon Monarch Qiankun was, everyone could only shake their heads helplessly. As expected of the wily old fox, he sure was cunning. From the looks of it, Demon Monarch Qiankun was likely the greatest winner of them all. Weng! While they were sighing over this matter, they suddenly sensed an intense reverberation urring within the Flooding Sea. They could vaguely feel spiritual energy that had flowed out reversing back into the Flooding Sea. Whats going on? the Cloud Dragon Monarch asked with a frown. It seems like another legendary treasure has surfaced. The treasure is absorbing the spiritual energy within the Flooding Sea, causing the spiritual energy that has diffused into the Firmament to flow back in, Fairy Linglong said as she stared at the ck sea ahead of her intently, hoping to somehow peer through the darkness to see what was happening within. A legendary treasure? I wonder what it is, God Monarch Zhuoyang remarked with eyes filled with excitement, but a momentter, he shook his head with a bitter smile. Even if a legendary treasure appeared, it was unlikely to end up as theirs. Without a doubt, the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies and his direct disciples would im it for themselves. It is actually not that difficult to find out what it is. Ill just have to get my hidden piece to check on it. Maybe I should get him to swipe it while hes at it. Demon Monarch Qiankun chuckled gleefully. Fate always favored the prepared! This would be a lesson that the other God Monarchs should start learning! It had not been easy for him to one up all the other God Monarchs, so he was extremely pleased with such an oue. He quickly sent a message over to his hidden piece, and a momentter, he received a reply. He has been making sure to hide himself well in order to avoid meeting other cultivators in the Flooding Sea, but right now, hes heading over to see the true form of that legendary treasure... Demon Monarch Qiankun chuckled. He waited quietly for a moment before swiping on his Communication Jade Token once more, and the next instant, his eyes lit up with far more excitement than he had experienced over the past tens of thousands of years. Its the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies! Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies? All the God Monarchs widened their eyes in astonishment. While most Conferred God Kings might not have heard of such an artifact before, as God Monarchs, they knew just how powerful that legendary artifact was. It was an existence created by nature to enforcews upon the universe, making it an artifact no weaker than them God Monarchs. If any one of us obtains the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, well be able to immediately raise his cultivation to a levelparable to God Monarch Lingxi... The Acheron God Monarch, who had been quiet thus far, could not help but speak up in agitation. The Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies was an artifact that was even more ancient than them! Assimting such an artifact would surely raise their cultivation by leaps and bounds, allowing them to easily ovee their current bottleneck. Indeed... The crowd nodded in agreement. Even though their faces were turning green in envy, they knew that it was impossible for their Conferred God Kings to obtain it with Zhang Xuan inside. Ill get my hidden piece to snatch it no matter what price he has to pay, Demon Monarch Qiankun murmured beneath his breath as a glint shed across his eyes. He could not allow himself to miss the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies just like that! So, with a swipe of his finger, he immediately ryed his orders through the Communication Jade Token. No matter what, I still have a shot at this. While the cultivation of my hidden piece cannotpete with Zhang Xuan and the others, his concealment and treasure gathering abilities are top-notch. As soon as hey his hands on the lotus, Ill teleport him back to the Firmament, Demon Monarch Qiankun thought as his heart thumped in agitation. The chances of sess were slim, but they were not negligible. If his hidden piece somehow seeded, it would be a huge victory for him. His hidden piece was a secret card that he had prepared with great care, such that it was impossible for him to turn against him like Lu Chong. Hu! Just as Demon Monarch Qiankun was pacing around anxiously, waiting for the response of his hidden piece, his Communication Jade Token suddenly shook once again. He immediately lowered his head to look at the received message, and his eyes slowly widened in disbelief. One could visibly see how the excitement on his face copsed into despair, and it looked as if the old man would really pass away from the shock. The other God Monarchs looked at him and asked, Whats wrong? My hidden piece said that... With an expression on his face that looked as if he was going to burst into tears, Demon Monarch Qiankun cried out, ... Zhang Xuan is his Young Master, so he has already presented all of the items he has gathered to him! ... The other God Monarchs. Just a moment earlier, Demon Monarch Qiankun had been bragging to them with a gleeful look on his face, but in the blink of an eye, he ended up with a fate even worse than them. There was no way Demon Monarch Qiankun could ept this, and the other God Monarchs were also staring at one another in frenzy. It was already hard enough for them to swallow the fact that the cultivators they had taken in and nurtured were all Zhang Xuans disciples, but at the very least, Zhao Ya and the others did give them a heads up beforehand. So, they had no choice but to ept this. But even the hidden piece that Demon Monarch Qiankun had secretly prepared turned out to be Zhang Xuans servant. This was just a little insane. Did Zhang Xuan nt spies all around them? What in the name of the heavens is going here? Demon Monarch Qiankun looked as if he was going to lose his mind. The hidden piece hade from the Netherworld Pool, and he had spent a great deal of time and effort to groom him from a fragmented soul into a powerful Conferred God King. How did he be Zhang Xuans servant? He had thought that he was the smart one, but it felt like the young man was always one step ahead of them all! For a moment, Demon Monarch Qiankun suddenly felt like he had lived so many years of his lives in vain. Serves you right... Fairy Linglong chuckled softly beneath her breath. Show off more, why dont you? Karma really doese around in the end... ... Looking at the middle-aged man who was kneeling before him, addressing him as Young Master, Zhang Xuan was utterly stunned. Wei Changfeng? A red-eyed Wei Ruyan also walked over with a trembling body as she cried out, Father... The person who had appeared before them was none other than his servant on the Master Teacher Continent who had gone around stealing all kinds of treasures in order to treat his daughters weak constitution, Wei Changfeng! Back then, he had died at the hands of a saint beast while trying to procure a medicinal herb, and Wei Ruyan had grieved over him for a long time. Who could have known that he woulde back to life and appear there? How did you... Zhang Xuan stared at Wei Changfeng in disbelief. I have no idea how it happened either. Right after I died, I felt a powerful suction force pulling my soul in, and by the time I came to, I was already in the Netherworld Pool of the Firmament! Words could not begin to describe just how excited Wei Changfeng was seeing his daughter and Zhang Xuan before his eyes. When he learned that there was no way for him to return to the Master Teacher Continent, he had despaired for a very long time. He had thought that he would have to part with his daughter for good. After embracing Wei Ruyan tightly in agitation, he finally began exining how everything hade to be. ording to what Demon Monarch Qiankun said, I seem to have a unique constitution. That seems to be the reason Ruyan was born with the Innate Poison Body. Unique constitution? Zhang Xuan frowned. He had checked on Wei Changfengs condition using his Library of Heavens Path when he met thetter on the Master Teacher Continent, and there was nothing special about him. He was an ordinary man through and through. Was it possible for the Library of Heavens Path to have made a mistake? Did Demon Monarch Qiankun mention what kind of unique constitution it is? Zhang Xuan asked. Yes, he said that I possess the Innate Embryonic Soul. I have an embryonic soul that allows me to retain the bare foundation of my soul even if it dissipates. It ensured that I did not lose myself even after I came back to life from the Netherworld Pool, Wei Changfeng replied. Innate Embryonic Soul? The frown on Zhang Xuans face deepened. He had never heard of such a unique constitution before, but it was indeed a very formidable ability. Not even the Deathless Monarch had been able to remain himself after resurrecting from death. That was probably why Wei Ruyan turned out to be so talented. As for why the Library of Heavens Path had been unable to see through Wei Changfengs constitution, Zhang Xuan figured that it might be because it was too weak back then. It could also be because the ability was lying dormant within Wei Changfengs soul, and it was only triggered after his death. In any case, it was a huge relief that Wei Changfeng was alive. Zhang Xuan could tell that Wei Ruyan had always been conflicted over how her father had died sacrificing himself for her survival, and it was a hurdle that she had never been able to ovee. When she thought of her father, she felt grateful and loved yet guilty and resentful. Hopefully, such a turn of events could liberate her from the shackles of her fathers death. Young Master, these are the treasures that I have gathered from the Flooding Sea, Wei Changfeng said as he presented a storage ring to Zhang Xuan. Looking at the contents of the storage ring, he swiftly spotted the Midnight Flower and the Deste Iron, and that made him heave a sigh of relief. In the end, it turned out that it had been Wei Changfeng who waspeting with them over the resources all along. I need you all to guard me. Im intending to go into seclusion right now to push for a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm! With everything in ce, Zhang Xuan was just about to start cultivating to push for a breakthrough when the ground beneath him suddenly started shaking. There was a frightening aura that was swiftly devouring the surroundings. rmed, Zhang Xuan turned his head around, only to see that a massive dimension rift had divided the sky in half. The spiritual energy that had flowed out to the Firmament was swiftly being swallowed by the dimension rift, and the sudden influx of spiritual energy was causing great instability within the Flooding Sea. The entire ce was already on the verge of copse. Conferred God King Liu Yan and the others trembled fearfully as they asked with pale faces, Whats happening? Teacher... Zhao Ya and the others also quickly turned their gazes over toward Zhang Xuan with nervous looks. It appears that someone has taken away the three stalks of Monarch Spirit Grass... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes coldly. Earlier, he had found three stalks of Monarch Spirit Grass that were used to stabilize a dangerously unstable dimension rift. However, it seemed like someone had taken them away, resulting in its abrupt growth. The dimension rift was growing exponentiallyrger, and it did not take long for it to cover the entire sky. The area where they had fought over the possession of the Condensed Earth Essence earlier had been split in two, and there were many more areas that had been swallowed whole by the dimension rift. The barrier of the Lake of Comets was also being swiftly torn apart by the spatial turbulence gushing forth from the dimension rift. From the looks of it, the Flooding Sea was only moments away from total copse. Teacher, what should we do? Zhao Ya asked anxiously. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the dimension rift expanded to envelope the Firmament as well. We have to find a way to seal off the dimension rift or at least stabilize it, Zhang Xuan replied grimly. The Flooding Sea was, strictly speaking, not in the Firmament, but it was still linked to it. If the Flooding Sea was destroyed, the Firmament would suffer great devastation as well. Many lives would be lost. It was because Zhang Xuan knew this would happen that he did not attempt to take away the Monarch Spirit Grass earlier. But this... Zhang Xuan looked at the glistening Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, and it appeared that it would still be some time before his clone could fully fuse the two powers together. Seeing that there was no way out of this, he gritted his teeth and shouted, Follow me! Then, he began flying toward where the dimension rift was. Zhao Ya and the others followed him without any hesitation. Hahaha... A resoundingughter echoed from the void. Werent you trying to kill me earlier? Lets see who will kill who now! Zhang Xuan lifted his head and saw the Epitome Monarch Pill whom he had chased after earlier in the Lake of Comets floating in midair with a vicious smile on his face. He had swallowed the three stalks of Monarch Spirit Grass, causing his cultivation to grow a step further to reach a levelparable to the God Monarchs. After that fellow escaped, he had headed straight for where the Monarch Spirit Grass was located and eaten them without any hesitation! As a result of that, the force that had been holding back the dimension rift all this while was torn apart, resulting in the current disaster. Seeing how his failure to kill the Epitome Monarch Pill had resulted in a great catastrophe, Zhang Xuan clenched his teeth in fury. Youre courting death! With a furious roar, he drew the Crimson Heaven Sword and charged straight for the Epitome Monarch Pill. If the Flooding Sea really copsed, countless lives would be lost in the Firmament... and all of this was caused by this darned fellow! How could Zhang Xuan possibly not be angry? HU! He shed his sword furiously to execute the Pathos of Heaven 4-dan sword art in order to subdue the Epitome Monarch Pill. Did you think that the same trick would work on me again? Your naivety is hrious! the Epitome Monarch Pill sneered as he thrust his palm downward. Weng! Space seemed to have suddenly halted in that instant, and Zhang Xuan found himself unable to move at all. With this single move, Zhang Xuans sword art was sealed. It was apparent that he was no longer a match for the Epitome Monarch Pill! Teacher... Seeing this, Zhao Ya and the others quickly rushed over to back him up, only to hear a voice shouting in their ears. Dont bother with me. Hurry up and stabilize the dimension rift! Yes, teacher! Zhao Ya and the others clenched their fists tightly. They were worried about their teacher, but they also knew that the dimension rift would only get more and more dangerous if it was left unchecked. So, they followed their teachers order and turned their attention toward the dimension rift instead. Hu! Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan released a surge of Sword Intent from his body and forcefully tore apart the frozen space around him. Then, he began to charge toward the Epitome Monarch Pill once more. ... We need to think of a way to seal off the dimension rift, or else itll result in a huge cmity for the Firmament... Zhao Ya and the others stared at the dimension rift with narrowed eyes. In the first ce, there was already the dimension fissure above the Flooding Sea that was sucking the spiritual energy out of the Firmament, and the Nine God Monarchs were utterly helpless against it. If another dimension rift appeared within the Flooding Sea, they could not even begin to imagine just what kind of disaster it would bring to the already precarious Firmament. Let me do it! Luo Qiqi charged to the forefront of the dimension rift and morphed into the Dimension Silencer. Then, she began to freeze the space around the dimension rift in order to prevent it from expanding any further. With her effort, the expansion of the dimension rift actually came to a halt. However, such a course of action seemed to be taking a huge toll on Luo Qiqi. The orb that she had morphed into trembled nonstop under the strain, and it felt like she would suffer an overwhelming rebound very soon once the space she was freezing broke free from her restraints. Quick, we need to help Qiqi! Zhao Ya and the others rushed over and channeled their zhenqi toward Luo Qiqi in order to supply her with the energy she needed to sustain this. The dimension rift was indeed stopped for a while under their efforts, but before long, it began wavering once more. Then, everything continued to fall into the dimension rift yet again, be it rocks, spiritual energy, or treasures. All of them vanished without a trace after entering the dimension rift. Pu! Luo Qiqi spurted a mouthful of blood as she was forcefully jolted back into her human form. Blood flowed down her chin from the massive impact she suffered. At the same time, the faces of Zhao Ya and the others also turned ghastly pale. T! Without the Dimension Silencer to stop it, the dimension rift grew bigger with greater ferocity. In just a few moments, it had already devoured a huge chunk of the Flooding Sea, as if it was determined to reduce this area to nothing. I cant stop it! Luo Qiqi cried out in despair. The Flooding Sea and the Flood of Spiritual Energy were temporary measures put in ce by the world in order to slow the receding spiritual energy, and it had been unstable right from the start. The abrupt expansion of the dimension rift was like the first domino to fall, and once the process started, there was no way to stop it. Even with Luo Qiqi, Zhao Ya, and the others superior strength, they were powerless in this situation. Teacher! Only our teacher can seal off the dimension rift! Zhao Ya eximed as she quickly turned her gaze to Zhang Xuan. At this very moment, the battle between Zhang Xuan and the Epitome Monarch Pill had reached its climax. The Epitome Monarch Pill had sessfully made a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm after consuming the Monarch Spirit Grass. While he had not gained the recognition of the Nine Skies yet, in terms of raw power, he was no weaker than the God Monarchs anymore. On the other hand, while Zhang Xuan had managed to raise his zhenqi cultivation to Conferred God King realm pinnacle, his strength was a littlecking to deal with the Epitome Monarch Pill. As a result, he had been in a disadvantageous position the whole time. Hahaha, thats what you get for challenging me! Its time for you to die! Seeing how the young man who had arrogantly sliced his limbs off earlier was finally suppressed by his strength, the Epitome Monarch Pill burst into excitedughter. He raised his palm and channeled his overwhelming strength to strike down Zhang Xuan yet again. The Flooding Sea was already on the verge of falling apart, and the relentless attacks from the Epitome Monarch Pill were only hastening the destruction process. The entire space fell into chaos as spiritual energy surged around messily. There were quite a few God Kings who had already been sliced into pieces as a result of the chaos that was going on. Usually, most God Kings would still be able to walk out of Flooding Sea alive, but within five minutes of the outburst of chaos, more than half of the God Kings had met their end. In fact, even Conferred God Kings were starting to fall. Within a short period of time, the death toll had exceeded that of a decade ago. Seeing how the Epitome Monarch Pill was fighting more and more carelessly as time went by, Zhang Xuansplexion turned awful. I need to quickly deal with this, or else we will all die here... At this rate, everything would be over by the time he was done with this fight. But I am already exerting my strength to my limit... If I want to subdue him quickly, Ill have to find a way to raise my cultivation somehow... He was already driving his zhenqi and soul cultivation to his limits and executing his strongest sword arts, but the Epitome Monarch Pill was overflowing with energy after devouring the Monarch Spirit Grass. He did not stand a chance at all in his current state. Ill just have to make a breakthrough... Paying no heed to the palm strike descending upon him, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before pulling out all the treasures that his disciples had given him. With a burst of his zhenqi, he immediately tore apart all those treasures to extract their spiritual energy within. Tzzzz! Concentrated spiritual energy flowed endlessly into his acupoints and streamed through his meridians, nourishing his body. Seeing how his opponent was still attempting to make a breakthrough while fighting him, the Epitome Monarch Pill harrumphed coldly as he hastened his attack. It is toote for you to start thinking about making a breakthrough! I have more than enough time here, Zhang Xuan mumbled to himself as he immersed his consciousness into the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. If he cultivated in there, his time would be elerated by a rate of ten thousand times of the outer world. So, a second out in the Flooding Sea equated to ten thousand seconds in the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn, which was roughly 2.7 hours. That should be more than enough for him to be a God Monarch. Calming himself, he drove his zhenqi rapidly, and the bottleneck that he had chosen not to ovee the previous time appeared before him once more. Shatter! With a deep roar, he converted the energy within his body into sword qi to tear down the bottleneck blocking his path. Boom boom boom! He struck on the bottleneck with the greatest might he could muster, but he was still unable to tear it down. Damn it! Even afterprehending a God Monarch realm cultivation technique, it seems like its still no easy feat to make a breakthrough... When he felt the urge to make a breakthrough back when he was on the moon, he had thought that he could ovee the bottleneck as and when he liked. However, it seemed like he had been underestimating the level of difficulty. God Monarchs were the highest existences in the world. It was a level that all lives craved to reach, but since time immemorial, the only one who had seeded was Kong shi. It was a feat difficult enough to bebeled with the word impossible. It isnt just about the bottleneck within me. More than that, the heavens arent allowing me to make a breakthrough... After attempting a few more times, Zhang Xuan finally understood the crux of the problem. It was not just a problem about his own cultivation. More importantly, he could sense the presence of a force in the world suppressing him, preventing him from sessfully making a breakthrough. It was as if the heavens were guarding this final rite of passage. Anyone who tried to pass through it would be dragged out. It was a ce that existed, but no one was allowed to enter it. Seal! Knowing that the culprit was likely the Library of Heavens Path inside of him, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly sealed it off with his soul cultivation. Boom! He attempted to make a breakthrough again, but his energy was still unable to reach the ultimate level of consummation to ovee the final hurdle to God Monarch. Im stillcking in energy... Zhang Xuan cursed beneath his breath. Simply too many cultivation resources were required for him to be a God Monarch. Even after devouring all the treasures that his disciples and Wei Changfeng had collected and presented to him, he was unable to gather sufficient momentum to ovee the final barrier. There was only one solution that he could think of. The enemy that he was facing, the Epitome Monarch Pill, was also a cultivation resource, a God Monarch realm one at that. If he could just devour it, along with his prior umtion, the final hurdle to bing a God Monarch should not pose a problem. He would be able to burst through it with a decisive kick! But... how could he go about doing that when he was not a match for the other party? With a click of his tongue, he quickly pulled his consciousness out of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn beforeunching yet another sword art to barely defend against the descending palm strike. Seeing through the problem that Zhang Xuan was facing, the Epitome Monarch Pill scoffed mockingly. Hahaha! If it was that easy to be a God Monarch, I would have left the Flooding Sea long ago. I wouldnt have been trapped in this darned ce for so long... Pah pah pah! The cracks in space that were caused by the destruction had already crept to Zhang Xuans side. Taking a swift nce around him, the Flooding Sea was in aplete mess from the forces raging all around. It was not too far away from beingpletely obliterated. If I cant make a breakthrough before the Flooding Sea copses, itll be even harder for me to make a breakthrough once I return to the Firmament, Zhang Xuan murmured anxiously. He woulde under the suppression of the Nine Skies once he returned to the Firmament, and that would make it nigh impossible for him to be a God Monarch in the short-term. He would have to earn the recognition of those in the Firmament and collect a great amount of Anima of Yearning in order to be officially acknowledged by the Nine Skies. However, he needed the strength to deal with the crisis right now! He did not have that much time to spare! Despite the tattered state of the Flooding Sea, it was still holding on due to the reflux of spiritual energy from the Firmament. Once all the spiritual energy was gone, the Flooding Sea would copse. One minute. Thats all the time I have right now. I need to be a God Monarch within one minute... That was Zhang Xuans estimation before the copse of the Flooding Sea. However, it would be difficult for him to pull that off even with the aid of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. It was nigh impossible to achieve! After all, the sess of his breakthrough was built on the foundation of defeating the Epitome Monarch Pill, and that was, in turn, built on the condition that he needed to have the strength of a God Monarch... It was like an infinite loop that he could not break out of. An idea suddenly popped into Zhang Xuans head. Unless... unless I am able toprehend a God Monarch realm sword art! It would be impossible for him to subdue the Epitome Monarch Pill and devour it within the next sixty seconds in his current state. He would have to find a way to raise his fighting prowess somehow in order to pull that off. Since he could not raise his cultivation, he could only raise the prowess of his sword art! The God Monarch realm cultivation technique that he hadprehended was based on love. Even the heavens and earth are limited by time, but our feelings shall be eternal! If he could figure out the sword art and exert it with his full force, he might just be able to y the Epitome Monarch Pill. However, the cultivation technique of the Pathos of Heaven was separate from its sword art, and deciphering the sword art before he had made a breakthrough was even more difficult. After all, he was trying to figure out a sword art intended for God Monarchs before even bing a God Monarch. In terms of difficulty, that might be even tougher for him than making a breakthrough in his cultivation to be a God Monarch. However, he had no other choice. So, he began brandishing his sword in ordance to the God Monarch realm cultivation technique that he hadprehended, trying to shape it into a sword art. But each and every time, he would suddenly find his energy stopping at some point. He simply could not get it to flow smoothly outward. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Its still wrong! After trying ten different types of Sword Intents to drive his sword art in vain, his zhenqi fell into disarray from his haphazard attempts to circte his zhenqi. Time ticked by. In the blink of an eye, thirty seconds had already passed. The Flooding Sea was swiftly reaching its limit. The shaking had be more intense, and from the looks of it, it was hard to tell whether it would be able tost another next ten seconds or not. I sure am interested to see how many blows you can survive! the Epitome Monarch Pill cried out excitedly as he sent yet another palm flying toward Zhang Xuan. He could see through Zhang Xuans intention, so he wanted to crush his final sliver of hope. The force he exerted this time was far greater than before, and it choked out the final breath of life within the Flooding Sea. The surrounding space began to copse inward and crush down on both Zhang Xuan and the Epitome Monarch Pill. This was a strike that would determine the life and death of two individuals. If Zhang Xuan could not withstand the strike, it would be his death. If he managed to do it, it would be the Epitome Monarch Pills death. Teacher... Zhao Ya and the others watched with reddened eyes. They wanted to rush over to help him, but before they knew it, they had already been forcefully ejected from the copsed space. The only ones remaining on the battlefield were the two of them. Except for God Monarchs, no one was able to get close. It looks like I wont be able toprehend it after all. I already knew it right from the start. Time is simply too tight, and its impossible to figure out a God Monarch realm sword art in the spur of the moment. I was simply praying for a miracle to happen, Zhang Xuan muttered derisively beneath his breath. So far, he had somehow been able to resolve any danger through his swift thinking and a stroke of luck. He had hoped that the same would happen this time, but he had simply been too optimistic. There were some things that were simply impossible to pull off in the world. Just because he wished dearly for something to happen did not mean that it would. Knowing that it was impossible for him to seed, he gazed upward and watched as fragments of space exploded like fireworks in the sky before slowly crumbling to an endless void. In that instant, time seemed to have slowed for him. He returned to the time when he was still on the Master Teacher Continent, the moment that he activated his Zhang n bloodline. Countless memories that he had made ever since his transcension two years ago yed in his mind in slow motion. In order not to be driven out of school, he had worked hard to be a better teacher. From there on, he had slowly advanced a step at a time. There had been so many things driving him forward along the way, be it his students, his family, his lover, or his friends... Looking back, he seemed to have been fighting all this while without stop. Perhaps this would be a good ce for his journey to end. He had thought that his fate was to meet his end under Luo Ruoxins de whilepeting over the fragments of the heavens, but it looked like he would be spared from such awkwardness. A bittersweet smile crept onto Zhang Xuans lips as he suddenly thought about Luo Ruoxin. If I die and cant be revived anymore, shell be really upset, right? Maybe she knew that this would be our fate when she agreed to get together with me... Thinking back, his ignorance all this while could be considered a blessing. There was probably nothing more painful in the world than having to wait for the arrival of an inevitable, tragic fate. She must have suffered a lot ever since meeting him. Thinking about it, the God Monarch of the Sword Hut said that my sword art has too much yearning butcks protection, and thats why itcks the determination to push through at all costs. Is that the reason I failed? To protect meant to keep ones loved ones free from harm, but in the end, it felt like he could not protect anyone at all. It seemed like he really was not suited for this. He was not like Kong shi, who carried greatpassion for everyone and wholeheartedly wished for the prosperity of the world. He had never wanted to be the savior of the world either. That was not the path he wanted to walk. That was not the path that he had chosen. I am just me. I dont hope to be enlightened and truly liberated from the world. All I hope is to be ountable to my own conscience. If we cant be together alive, at the very least, we will be together after death! Let this be the final desperate struggle for my obstinacy! May we reunite if I survive this ordeal, and I pray that well continue living on in each others minds should I fall in this fight! Hong long! A brilliant glint surfaced in Zhang Xuans eyes as hepressed his surging Sword Intent together into the Crimson Heaven Sword. T! With a sh of his sword, a burst of sword qi shot right into the heavens and tore the attack of the Epitome Monarch Pill in two. T-this... What kind of sword art is that? How are you able to execute such a powerful move? A shrill cry echoed in the air as the Epitome Monarch Pill muttered in disbelief. His body burst apart and morphed into a tornado of condensed spiritual energy before surging furiously into Zhang Xuans body. With this, the restraints that had held Zhang Xuan back previously were swiftly ovee, and his cultivation surged furiously. With a victorious smile, Zhang Xuan looked into the sky and bellowed with a regal voice that echoed in the depths of countless souls, Today, I shall be a God Monarch. And just like that, he overcame the final bottleneck to the peak of the Firmament. God Monarch realm, reached! Boom! The Flooding Sea finally burst apart like a brilliant firework. Chapter 2263 - Finale 2

Chapter 2263 Finale 2

Half a minute earlier... Something happened to the Flooding Sea! Seeing how the ck entrance before them was shaking ceaselessly, the faces of the Cloud Dragon Monarch and the others warped in shock. All this while, they had assumed that the Flood of Spiritual Energy had be part of the natural cycle of the Firmament, a phenomenon that woulde without fail every decade. Only upon seeing this did they realize that it was something that could copse and vanish. Once it disappeared, the Firmament would lose its final pir of support. The spiritual energy of the Firmament would drain without stop till everything finally dried up, leaving behind nothing but a dead, deste world. Stop it! The present God Monarchs raised their hands and channeled their powers into the ck hole right before their eyes. They were hoping to use their powers to dy the copse of the Flooding Sea. Kacha! Kacha! But barely after hanging on for a while, a massive tear suddenly appeared on the seal on the dimension fissure, causing spiritual energy that had just returned to the Firmament to be swallowed by the dimension fissure once more. The tear continued to growrger andrger, inching its way across the entire dimension fissure at a steady pace. First and foremost, we should stabilize the Firmament! the Cloud Dragon Monarch bellowed. They knew that this was not the time for them to bepeting with one another. It was the time for them to protect the Firmament and their home. So, seven pulses of energy surged toward the dimension fissure, where the spiritual energy was escaping, to reseal it. Through sealing the dimension fissure, they were able to stabilize the state of the Firmament for the time being. However, the condition of the Firmament had already been badly shaken, and the receding of the spiritual energy into the dimension fissure could not be undone. The earth shuddered and the stars in the sky dimmed, looking as if they would fall at any moment. Countless buildings crumbled to the ground. It looked as if the end hade. The Firmament ising to an end... I thought that this day woulde, but I didnt know it woulde so quickly... Dont bother running anymore. If the Firmament copses, therell be nowhere safe no matter where we escape to... ... In cities all over the Firmament, countless cultivators were staring at the sky with deste looks on their faces. Ever since spiritual energy began receding from the environment more than forty years ago, they had known deep inside that it was only a matter of time before the situation escted into something beyond their control. They just did not expect it toe so soon. Lets just wait and see. If the Nine God Monarchs can save the Firmament, we might stand a chance. Otherwise, the only fate that awaits all of us is death. Theres no need to feel so conflicted about this... a high-tier God looking at the panicked crowd said. Before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly echoed in the depths of their hearts, as if the will of the world had seeped into his body. Today, I shall be a God Monarch! God Monarch? Someone has managed to make a breakthrough... Its God Monarch Zhang Xuan! Isnt Zhang Xuan that apothecary? How did he manage to be a God Monarch? Indeed, thats him! Back then, when the Heaven Subjugation Monarch became a God Monarch, I also heard a voice like that... ... Everyone was taken aback by such a turn of events. In Twilight City, after hearing the voice that sounded in his mind, Mo Yunoshis mouth fell open as he muttered in absolute shock, God Monarch Zhang Xuan... A month ago, when he first met the other party, he had been extremely weak, only a God realm primary stage. Who would have thought that he would be a God Monarch within a single month, reaching the very zenith of the Firmament? ... He became a God Monarch? The teapot that Qi Ling-er was holding fell to the ground, but she did not even notice that. She had known all along that the young man was no ordinary person, and she was convinced that he would grow stronger and stronger and eventually be a powerhouse of the Firmament. But she did not think that he would actually be a God Monarch, and at such a swift pace at that... ... As expected of the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies. Just like the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, he really managed to make a breakthrough in the Flooding Sea, Fairy Linglong said with a conflicted look on her face. The Flooding Sea hadpletely copsed, but in the depths of the darkness, a young man stood imposingly in the sky. His face reflected the lofty look of an individual who towered over the world. It was the same young man whom she had seen back on the moon. When she first met the young man in the Sky of Linglong, she had intended to kill him over the issue regarding Baiye Qinghong. Back then, she could not have imagined that a few dayster, he would actually transcend the level of a Conferred God King to be a God Monarch like her! Furthermore, as a Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, it was likely that the strength he wielded as a God Monarch was superior to the rest of them. Its no wonder the Deathless Monarch acknowledged him as his master, and God Monarch Lingxi fell heads over heels for him... Hes indeed an extraordinary individual! She had always prided herself for her sharp eye, but it seemed like she still was not as far-sighted as those two. The cultivators whom we have taken in are all his direct disciples. Though he was born a mortal, he carries the air of a true monarch. Just like the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, his ascension to the top might have been inevitable from the very start... The Cloud Dragon Monarch, God Monarch Zhuoyang, and the others sighed deeply. They had been thinking that they could suppress the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies to prevent his ascension, but it seemed like their efforts had been futile from the start. There was no way they could have defied the will of the Nine Skies. He didnt make use of the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies for his breakthrough! Demon Monarch Qiankun suddenly eximed. Those words startled everyone. They had subconsciously assumed that the young mans breakthrough had something to do with the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies as, in their opinion, only such an artifact could allow one to ovee that final bottleneck. They had been so preupied with dealing with the destruction of the Flooding Sea that they did not notice the blossomed lotus amid the void. The lotus had an ephemeral appearance that looked as if it had been carefully chiseled from a piece of jade, and its beauty held great temptation even for the God Monarchs. If he hasnt used it, it means that we still stand a chance. If we can obtain it and use it for ourselves, well surely be able to raise our cultivation! God Monarch Fumeng eximed. The Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies represented an opportunity for them to ovee their current self and possibly be an existence on par with God Monarch Lingxi. It would have been one thing if Zhang Xuan had consumed it, but upon realizing that it was still intact, there was no way they could continue holding themselves back. Zhang Xuan has only just made a breakthrough, and hes still in the midst of reinforcing his cultivation. He wont be able to assimte that treasure anytime soon... Its mine then! Without any hesitation, God Monarch Fumeng rushed right toward the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies to im it for himself. Hold it right there. Its mine! Demon Monarch Qiankun shouted as he quickly dashed over. The Acheron God Monarch, Cloud Dragon Monarch, Fairy Linglong, and God Monarch Zhuoyang immediately followed suit. No one was willing to miss this precious opportunity! All sorts of forces swiftly gathered in the air, forming bursts of energies that flew toward each of the six God Monarchs. The God Monarchs were trying to slow down their rivals so that they could reach the lotus before anyone else and rise to a position of unparalleled power. Boom! But before any of the six God Monarchs could reach the lotus, a powerful barrier suddenly formed around the lotus, blocking them. Following that, before everyones astonished gaze, the lotus began to glow brilliantly as nine bursts of light irradiated the Firmament. It was as if another sun had risen in the sky. Peng peng peng peng peng peng! The sudden outburst of light from the lotus knocked back the six God Monarchs, forcing them to retreat several steps simultaneously, and the impact left their faces pale. It was clear from this sh that the lotus possessed strength at leastparable to them. Weng! With incredulous looks on their faces, the lotus before their eyes began to morph into the form of a young man. The young man cracked his neck leisurely before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with an exasperated look on his face. To think that you managed to make a breakthrough before me... How am I to show off like this? he muttered in annoyance. Then, he raised his head and dered, I am a God Monarch like this damned ass here! Two God Monarchs? Is this really happening? Two God Monarchs actually appeared one after another... No, that isnt it. Its only one... Havent you realized that he is Zhang Xuans clone? His clone also became a God Monarch? The Cloud Dragon Monarch, Fairy Linglong, and the others grew ever more frenzied. God Monarchs were the strongest existences in the world, and for the longest of time, there had only been the Nine God Monarchs in the Firmament. Everyone had believed that it would remain that way till the end of time, all the way till the Heaven Subjugation Monarch appeared. It was then that everyone had realized that it was possible to cultivate to the level of a God Monarch. Nevertheless, the nine of them had remained confident that their positions were unshakeable, till... On this very day, two God Monarchs ascended one after another, and they were even in a master-clone rtionship. What the heck was happening? When did it be so easy to be a God Monarch? More importantly, the first deration that one made upon bing a God Monarch was the best opportunity to build up ones reputation. But for some reason, this clone of Zhang Xuan seemed to appear exceptionally frustrated because it had lost to its main body and was not able to brag about its aplishment... The heck? You are a God Monarch! We are lofty existences that have transcended mortality! Can you at least y your part as one of us instead of pulling down our reputation? You are making us look like ruffians on the street! Not only were the God Monarchs stunned, everyone in the Firmament was taken aback. They had never thought that the day woulde when they heard a God Monarch hurling vulgarities! Besides... why were so many God Monarchs popping up as if they were bamboo shoots after a rain? It really felt like the prestige that came with the title was slowly degrading over time. An individual of two God Monarchs, the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies. This is my master! Little Chick cried out hearteningly. As expected of his master, he was always cool no matter where he was! Meanwhile, oblivious to his clones narcissism and everyone elses shock, the real Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. He had thought that he was doomed, but in the final moment, he had sessfullyprehended a God Monarch realm sword art and in the Epitome Monarch Pill, thus resulting in his ascension as a God Monarch. He hade so close to death, but he had managed to ovee the crisis. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and perceived the raging energy flowing through his body as he clenched his fists tightly in agitation. He felt very different from how he had before. In his current state, he felt like he held the entire world in his control. With a thought, he could make the world crumble. Somehow, I am two times stronger than I expected. It must be due to the influence of my clone... With the breakthrough of his clone as well, his two severed souls had sessfully be God Monarchs. As a result of that, his physical body, soul, and zhenqi far exceeded those of the other God Monarchs, reaching an unfathomable level. Boom! Boom! While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of exploring the newfound strength in his body, the sky suddenly grew dark. Ominous clouds swarmed in, and it felt like the cloak of night had been cast over the Firmament. The dimension fissure that the God Monarchs had sealed with difficulty began expanding once more, and it felt like the Firmament would fall apart under this ordeal. Its the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes. When ones cultivation finally reached a level that the world could no longer withstand, a tribtion would fall upon one. This was simr to the Ancient Sage Ordeal of the Master Teacher Continent and the Semi-Divinity Ordeal of the Azure. In the Firmament, this was known as the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion. One who wanted to be a God Monarch had to ovee this tribtion. Isnt this Monarch Heavenly Tribtion way too big? Fairy Linglong asked with quivering lips. His tribtion looks as if it wields the force to tear apart the entire Firmament. How frightening... Not even the Heaven Subjugation Monarchs tribtion back then was this powerful, the Cloud Dragon Monarch muttered to himself. Back then, the Heaven Subjugation Monarch became a God Monarch by himself whereas Zhang Xuan made a breakthrough together with his clone, resulting in his prowess being doubled. Naturally, the tribtion he has to face is several times more powerful as well, Demon Monarch Qiankun remarked with a bitter smile. It was both a good thing and a bad thing that Zhang Xuan and his clone had made a breakthrough simultaneously to be God Monarchs. The good thing was that his strength had doubled, granting him the fighting prowess to stand on par with the strongest God Monarch even though he had only just made a breakthrough. But the bad thing was that the cultivation ordeal he had to ovee would be extraordinarily powerful as well. He could lose his life shortly after his breakthrough. Watching as more and more destructive energies gathered above him, ready toy waste to him, Zhang Xuan smiled. The tribtion sure looks terrifying, but it means nothing to me. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for a person who had just be a God Monarch to ovee such a powerful lightning tribtion. However, it was a different case for Zhang Xuan. He had alreadyprehended a God Monarch realm sword art, allowing him to summon a force far beyond ones imagination. With the power at his disposal, this mere lightning tribtion did not pose a threat to him. H! Zhang Xuan took out the Crimson Heaven Sword and shed it right toward the lightning tribtion above him. This single attack created a brilliance that pierced through the darkness shrouding the Firmament, blinding everyones sight for an instant. The ominous clouds that loomed in the sky were vanquished. With a single strike, he had ovee the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion! T! With the end of the tribtion, Zhang Xuan heard fabric ripping echoing around him. Turning his head, he realized that the dimension fissure in the sky above the Flooding Sea had grown evenrger. Be it the copse of the Flooding Sea or the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion, the Firmament had suffered heavy impacts one after another in swift session, causing its very foundation to be rattled. It had already gone beyond the tipping point of what the Firmament itself was able to repair, and right now, it was starting to progress toward a fate of destruction. Seal! With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan poured his zhenqi into the dimension fissure, hoping to forcefully close it up, but the effects were minuscule. It was just like how, once a mirror was cracked, even the strongest glue would not be able to repair it to how it was. Seeing how the dimension fissure was continuing to grow, Zhang Xuan turned to Little Chick and asked, Are there any other ways out of this? No matter what, Little Chick was still a God Monarch who had lived since ancient times. He might just have a solution in mind. I dont know what we can do either... Little Chick shook his head bitterly. Earlier, when the six God Monarchs vied for the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, he had remained behind to keep the expansion of the dimension fissure under control, but he was unable to hold it back even after pushing himself to his limits. Theres no way out of this anymore... Just as Zhang Xuan was at an utter loss as to what to do, aposed voice echoed beside him. ncing over, Zhang Xuan saw Luo Ruoxin standing right next to him with a deep frown. Knowing that she was the one who knew the most about the current situation, he asked, What is happening to the Firmament right now? My earlier sh might not have been weak, but it shouldnt have resulted in it bing tattered like that... He knew that the situation was not looking good for them, but it had not been so bad that it was irresolvable earlier. Yet, shortly after his breakthrough, it felt like the condition of the Firmament had suddenly deteriorated, reaching a state of hopelessness. Hearing Zhang Xuans question, Luo Ruoxin shook her head and sighed. The Firmament is like an ancient relic that has reached its limit. It was no longer able to support the birth of any strong powers, but the sudden ascension of you and your clone sapped away the final slivers of its foundation... Sapped away its foundation? Zhang Xuan frowned in iprehension. As the heavens have been fragmented, the ability of the Firmament to regte itself has been slowly eroding. In its current state, it is unable to withstand the breakthrough of new God Monarchs, Lo Ruoxin further exined. So, if I didnt make a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm, the Firmament might still have been able to survive for a long while? Zhang Xuan asked. Did he make a fatal mistake? Of course not. Even if you havent made a breakthrough, the Firmament still wouldnt have been able to survive to the end of the next month. If the Firmament is to have any chance of surviving this ordeal at all, you needed to make a breakthrough eventually... Luo Ruoxin sighed deeply. Wait a moment, the Firmament wouldnt have survived to the end of the next month? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. The other God Monarchs were dumbstruck as well. Clearly, they were unaware of this matter. If the Firmament copsed, everything would be over. Their pursuit of power and prestige would have all been for naught, and their effort thus far would have be nothing more than a joke. Do you know where the Flooding Sea came from? Luo Ruoxin asked as she pointed to the shattered Flooding Sea. The Cloud Dragon Monarch interjected into the conversation at this point. It seems to have appeared fifty years ago, when the disaster of Spirit Origin Royal City urred and the Deathless Monarch suddenly disappeared from the Firmament... Fifty years was not even the lifespan of an ordinary mortal, but to the immemorial Firmament, it had changed by so much within this short period of time. Indeed, the Flooding Sea first appeared during that period. Look at the entrance of the Flooding Sea, doesnt it look like a huge hole that has been torn away from the Firmament? Luo Ruoxin asked once more. It does. Zhang Xuan nodded. He had noticed this when he first arrived before the Flooding Sea. It looked as if someone had forcefully torn an irreparable hole in the sky of the Firmament, but he had swiftly put the thought aside as he did not think that someone would have the ability to do that. After all, the Firmament had the ability to restore any instabilities in its space. It was for that reason that most dimension rifts that were created by cultivators closed soon enough, posing no threat to the Firmament at all. It was hard to imagine what could have happened in order to create such asting mark on the Firmament. It was torn by a person. Luo Ruoxin shook her head as she exined with a grim look. Everyone froze in ce. Every single one of them present had the ability to create dimension rifts, but those would close soon enough due to thews of the Firmament. Yet, the dimension fissure had appeared above the Flooding Sea fifty years ago but still had not closed. Not only so, it even continued to expand over time... They could not begin to imagine how powerful the person who had done this was. Could he be even more formidable than them, the God Monarchs of the Firmament? If that was really the case, where could that person havee from, and why would he make a move on the Firmament? While everyone was shocked by the revtion, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the massive palm print that he had seen in the Flooding Sea. He had harbored simr doubts earlier, but he did not dare believe it back then. Could it really have been the case? Fifty years ago, a palm suddenly descended from the sky and tore a massive hole in the Firmament. Luo Ruoxin revealed what she knew about the incident fifty years ago without hiding anything. Huge swathes ofnd were devoured by the dimension fissure that was formed as a result of the hole, creating what eventually came to be known as the Flooding Sea. The Deathless Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin was one of those who tried to fight against the palm, and he eventually ended up getting killed by it, and Spirit Origin Royal City ended up being struck into chaotic space as well! In fact, the heavens of the Firmament also ended up being fragmented into three pieces that very day. Of those three pieces, Heavens Order and Heavens Imperfections fell through the cracks of space and flowed through the chaotic space for countless years. Eventually, those two pieces fell into the hands of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and Zhang Xuan. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuans body shuddered. It seemed like his guess had been spot-on. But who hadunched the palm strike against the Firmament? How did the person gain such power? I dont know where the palm came from or why it would attack the Firmament. However, what I do know is that the palm strike wields strength beyond what we, the God Monarchs, are capable of opposing, Luo Ruoxin said with a hint of fear in her voice. And to make things worse, that persons attack carries malignant energy that harnesses the power to neutralize the heavens. This... Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the gray currents of malignant energy that he had seen in the abyss beneath Spirit Origin Royal City. It had the ability to neutralize the Heavens Path zhenqi to form a brilliant green light before vanishing from sight. And he had found the very same malignant energy in the Flooding Sea. If such was the power that lingered in the dimension fissure, it would exin why the Firmament had not been able to seal the anomaly. It was simr to how a wound would never heal if one applied ayer of chili paste over it instead of leaving it be. Unable to be closed, the dimension fissure continued to sap spiritual energy from the Firmament relentlessly, causing it to grow weaker and weaker. With the fragmentation of the heavens and the gradual depletion of spiritual energy from the Firmament, its already a miracle that we have been able tost through the past fifty years. Based on my estimates, the Firmament would have copsed within the next month after this Flood of Spiritual Energy. However, due to you and your clones simultaneous breakthrough, as well as that powerful sword art that you executed to ovee the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion, the deadline ended up being brought forward, Luo Ruoxin said. Even though it would hasten the doom of the Firmament, Zhang Xuan had to make this breakthrough by hook or by crook. He needed to be a God Monarch for the fragment of the heavens that he possessed to fully mature. Only then would they stand a chance at reversing the fate of the Firmament. Otherwise, what they would be doing was just dying the inevitable. What do we do now? Zhang Xuan asked Luo Ruoxin anxiously. She had been preparing for this moment for the past fifty years, so if anyone had a n to resolve the situation, it could only be her. There are two solutions. First, we can rid the malignant energy that has been neutralizing the power of the heavens. Second, we can repair the heavens to make it whole again, Luo Ruoxin replied. Zhang Xuan pondered over those two solutions for a moment before asking, How can we get rid of the malignant energy that has been neutralizing the power of the heavens? He had encountered it back when he was in the abyss beneath Spirit Origin Royal City, and the malignant energy had formed a massive gray wall over there. If he wanted to clear away the malignant energy there, he would need an unimaginable amount of Heavens Path zhenqi. Furthermore, given the point that they had reached, could they really avert the destruction of the Firmament just by neutralizing the malignant energy? I have a strong feeling that over the past fifty years, the malignant energy has already developed its own consciousness and transmogrified into the form of a human. Otherwise, the dimension fissure above the Flooding Sea wouldnt have grown so quickly. If we wish to resolve the problem, well have to y the consciousness of the malignant energy in order to halt the destruction. Then, all we have to do is put the fragments of the heavens together once more in order to save the Firmament, Luo Ruoxin said after pondering for a moment. Transmogrified into a human? Zhang Xuan was stunned. Was it possible for that malignant energy to transmogrify into a human? Thats right. Luo Ruoxin nodded. I have never met it before, so I cant really say for sure. Its just conjecture on my part, but I believe that the possibility of that happening is very high. I see. Assuming that your conjecture is correct, how powerful do you think it is? Also, do you have any idea where it might be? Zhang Xuan asked. These were the questions that he was the most concerned about. If it was still not too strong, as long as they pooled their powers together, they might still stand a chance. I dont know for sure, but I dont think that well be a match for it. Even with the strength of me, the eight God Monarchs, you, and your clone, our chances of winning against it will be slim at most, Luo Ruoxin said. You also know that it has the strength to tear apart the fabric of the Firmament and has left us utterly helpless for the past fifty years. Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly upon hearing those words. Indeed. If it was that easy to deal with it, they would not have been at a loss as to what to do for so many years. You mentioned putting the fragments of the heavens together earlier... You are referring to the War of the Heavens, right? Zhang Xuan asked with a hint of trepidation to his voice. Indeed. Both you and Kong shi carry a fragment of the heavens in your bodies. In order to make the heavens whole again, we have to... Luo Ruoxins voice slowly trailed off near the end as she began trembling a little. She could not bring herself to say those words out loud. It was an inevitable fate, but she was reluctant to face it. I understand... Zhang Xuan nodded with a wry smile. Its fine. You should just kill me. You have already obtained Kong shis Heavens Order, and now that I am a God Monarch, I can join the War of the Heavens... Since its the War of the Heavens, how can it be that simple? If we could solve the situation by having one of us sacrifice ourselves, I would rather be the one who is killed! Luo Ruoxin shook her head and sighed. In the War of the Heavens, you dont gain the eligibility just by bing a God Monarch. Rather, you have to prove yourself first. The first condition to do so is to gain the acknowledgement of the Nine Skies. Acknowledgement of the Nine Skies? But arent I already the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies... Ah! You mean... challenging the Nine God Monarchs? Zhang Xuan asked. Based on what Kong shi had done, it seemed like there were two ways to gain the acknowledgement of the Nine Skies. One was to be a Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, and the other was to defeat the Nine God Monarchs and receive their acknowledgement. He had managed to be the Conferred God King of the Nine Skies, but bing the God Monarch of the Nine Skies was much more troublesome than that. Otherwise, Kong shi would not have had to go around challenging the Nine God Monarchs one after another just to receive their acknowledgement. Luo Ruoxin nodded to acknowledge Zhang Xuans words. Meanwhile, Demon Monarch Qiankun and the others, who had been listening from the sidelines, suddenly felt a cold chill run down their spines as a piercing gaze slowly fell on them. Are we going to be pummeled yet again? Who the hell is the one who came up with such darned rules for the War of the Heavens? We are bystanders! Innocent bystanders! Its like a person venting their anger on their own cat after being beaten up by someone else... What did the cat ever do to you? Make some sense, wont you? While those God Monarchs were shuddering in fear, Zhang Xuans lips curled up as he said, Come at me together then! With a dual breakthrough to God Monarch with his clone and his God Monarch realm sword art, he no longer feared any of the God Monarchs. He might have been slightlyckingpared to Kong shi when he was at his peak, but against this bunch of fellows, he was definitely more than capable of dealing with them. ... The heck... Some of the God Monarchs burst into tears. Bruh! I know that you want to unt your new strength, but you dont need to do this, right? It was already embarrassing enough for them to be defeated one by one, but that fellow wanted to pummel them as a group... Do you think that we have no dignity at all? We are God Monarchs! You shouldnt do this to us! Their faces reddened as they were conflicted over what they should do. epting the challenge was not an option, but rejecting the challenge would be equally humiliating. In this instant, they were at a loss as to what they should do. Theres no need for us to fight. I admit defeat! Little Chick said. Since the young man as his master, there was no shame in him admitting defeat. This... Seeing that the Deathless Monarch had admitted defeat, the others also looked at one another in hesitation. A momentter, they sighed deeply and said, We admit defeat as well... What else could they do? It would only be more humiliating if they were forced to surrender under his fists. Zhang Xuan and his clone were both God Monarchs, and he even had a God Monarch tamed beast that he could bring into battle as well. It was obviously a battle that they could not possibly win! They would be facing three powerful God Monarchs simultaneously! More importantly, they had seen how the young man sliced through the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion with a single sh of his sword. The might of that sword art was at the level where they could only barely block it with their powers put together, so there was no way they would be willing to face him individually. With their pride, they could not stoop to the level of getting into a coborative formation to deal with an enemy. This... Luo Ruoxins eyebrows twitched at the sight before her. Back when Kong shi challenged them, he would present his name scroll to them and make an appointment beforehand. All the formalities were done properly; even when one side lost the battle, it did not feel as humiliating due to how ceremonial it was. Yet, Zhang Xuan simply walked up to them and told them toe at him all at once. You must not think much of God Monarchs at all, huh? The moment that the Cloud Dragon Monarch, Acheron God Monarch, God Monarch Fumeng, Demon Monarch Qiankun, God Monarch Zhuoyang, Fairy Linglong, and the Deathless Monarch admitted their defeat, the Seals of Supreme Monarch that they carried released a burst of power that shrouded Zhang Xuan, bestowing him with the acknowledgement of those seven Skies. With these acknowledgements, he had gained the ability to tap into the Anima of Yearning of the cultivators in those seven Skies. Hmm? That doesnt seem right. Its not seven but eight Skies... I have already received the acknowledgement of eight Skies? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He could feel a sense of intimacy with eight Skies in the Firmament rather than seven. Had the God Monarch of the Sword Hut also acknowledged him at some point? Its the Crimson Heaven Sword, the Sacred Sword of the Sky of Heavenly Sword. By giving it to you, it means that the Sky of Heavenly Sword has acknowledged your strength and your potential, Luo Ruoxin said. Those words made Zhang Xuan nod in realization. The God Monarch of the Sword Hut had mentioned that he had spent decades trying to forge this sword. Given so, even if the sword was not the Seal of Supreme Monarch, it also carried a simr significance to it. Zhang Xuan turned to the youngdy before him and asked, Now that I have received the acknowledgements from the other eight Skies, am I eligible to participate in the War of the Heavens? Kong shi had challenged Luo Ruoxin only after defeating the other Eight God Monarchs and receiving their acknowledgement. Luo Ruoxin lowered her head slightly as she quietly asked, Are you certain about this? Yes, I am certain about this, Zhang Xuan said. ncing at the Firmament beneath him, he could see that chaos had spread everywhere. Out of desperation, cultivators had started killing one another to vie for the limited resources. Not even the God Kings were able to calm the chaos. He could dy the fight a little more if he wanted to, but every moment wasted would mean more deaths. He might not be selfless, but he was not willing to bear the burden of so many lives. He already knew that this fight was inevitable, so it was meaningless to dy it any longer. Lets begin then... Luo Ruoxin took a deep breath before whipping out her sword. She felt indignant and reluctant, but her feelings would not make a difference. Ever since she epted his confession, their fate had been sealed. They could not escape from it, and there was no changing it. Their rtionship was doomed to end in a tragedy. Yes, lets begin, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. They drove their cultivation to their limits as they prepared for the final showdown. Just as they were about to make their move, an overwhelming energy suddenly burst forth from above. Boom boom boom! The dimension fissure above them grew evenrger than before, and the ck entrance of the Flooding Sea began to revolve slowly, forming a ck hole to devour all beings in the world. Be it spiritual energy,nd, or life, everything was being sucked into it before dissipating amid a shimmer of green light. This is bad. The consciousness behind the malignant energy has made a move, Luo Ruoxin eximed with a grim look. The consciousness behind the malignant energy? Zhang Xuan repeated as he turned his gaze over as well. Earlier, Luo Ruoxin had mentioned that it was highly likely that the malignant energy that could neutralize his Heavens Path zhenqi had already gained consciousness, allowing it to transmogrify into a human-shaped monster. From the sound of it, it seemed like it was going to appear before him. Hong long long! As the ck hole devoured more and more things, the space in the Firmament began to distort. Those who were close to the ck hole, Ao Feng and the other Conferred God Kings, could hardly stand their ground against the powerful suction forceing from it at all. Zhang Xuan quickly channeled his energy into his Crimson Heaven Sword before shing it toward the ck hole. However, it stopped right before the entrance of the ck hole before dissipating. Its too strong... Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. This was an attack that had allowed him to dispel the Monarch Heavenly Tribtion earlier, yet it could not do anything to the ck hole. Just how powerful could that transmogrified being be? Itsing out! Luo Ruoxin eximed as she drove her zhenqi to her limits, preparing herself to make a move if needed. Along with her words, a ck silhouette began walking out of the revolving ck hole. Everything that stood in its way, no matter how powerful it was, would be disintegrated into dust before disappearing amid a shimmer of green light. Its the malignant energy... Zhang Xuan felt his heart turning cold. Having faced the malignant energy before, he knew how frightening it was. It possessed the power to neutralize even his powerful Heavens Path zhenqi without any issues. Before it, the strongest artifacts in the Firmament swiftly corroded into nothing at all. Upon walking out of the ck hole, the ck silhouette looked around him before his lips curved into a gentle smile. Zhang shi, long time no see... Zhang Xuans body stiffened upon seeing the true face of the ck silhouette. How can that be? The person who had appeared before him, the consciousness of the malignant energy that could neutralize his Heavens Path zhenqi, turned out to be a familiar face to him... Vicious! He quickly turned his attention toward his Book of Heavens Path, only to realize that it waspletely empty. Vicious, who should have been imprisoned there, had vanished without a trace. And he did not notice a thing at all! He clearly remembered that the other party had still been around when he entered the Flooding Sea, so when in the world did he disappear and grow so powerful? Seeing through Zhang Xuans doubts, Vicious smiled a little to himself. You look confused. You must be wondering how I managed to leave the Book of Heavens Path even though I should have been suppressed by its force. That only made Zhang Xuan further narrow his eyes. The Book of Heavens Path is indeed very scary, but you have neglected the fact that the golden page you have sealed me with only possesses the power of the Master Teacher Continents heavens, Vicious said. When my cultivation rose to Pseudo Immortal realm in the Azure, I was able to break free from the seal easily. I chose to remain in the Book of Heavens Path of my own volition. Would you like to fathom a guess as to why? Zhang Xuans heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. He had indeed neglected such a possibility. As he ascended through the worlds, his Library of Heavens Path had gotten proportionately stronger. When he was still on the Master Teacher Continent, his golden page only wielded the ability to y Ancient Sages. When he rose to the Azure, his golden page was able to deal with High Immortals with ease. In the Firmament, the golden page was able to subdue any enemies beneath the God Monarch realm. From that, it could be seen that the prowess of the golden page was dependent on the world he was in. Vicious had been following him since his time at the Master Teacher Continent, and when they entered the Flooding Sea, the other partys cultivation had already reached the God King realm. With such strength, how could the golden page formed on the Master Teacher Continent possibly continue restraining it? It should have been obvious, but he had neglected such a simple fact! I told you that my body is suited to the Firmament, so I have been able to cultivate faster ever since arriving in the Firmament, Vicious said. However, I didnt grow by absorbing the spiritual energy of the Firmament but the malignant energy that is destroying it! This is especially so when you brought me into the depths of the abyss. I realized that I could absorb it and grow swiftly... Of course, just the malignant energy in the abyss wasnt enough for me to make aplete transformation. The Flooding Sea was the key that allowed me to truly spread my wings! The Flooding Sea was an area that was free of the Firmament and its heavens restraints, so the Book of Heavens Path couldnt suppress me any longer. While you were searching for the Epitome Monarch Pill, I discreetly escaped to absorb the malignant energy, and eventually, I came to possess powers far exceeding any of you! I was also the one who led the Epitome Monarch Pill to where the Monarch Spirit Grass was. How else do you think it was able to reach a medicinal herb that it was unable to gather over the past few decades so suddenly? Those words made Zhang Xuan widen his eyes in realization. He had been thinking that it was weird how the Epitome Monarch Pill did not devour the Monarch Spirit Grass even though it had been wanting to make a breakthrough to the God Monarch realm in order to escape the Flooding Sea. It was too much of a coincidence for it to have only found the Monarch Spirit Grass after encountering him. It turned out that someone had helped it! After all, the area where the Monarch Spirit Grass grew was extremely chaotic and fraught with danger. Zhang Xuan had only managed to enter the area by tapping into Luo Qiqis unique abilities as the Dimension Silencer. Otherwise, there was no way he could have evene close to it. Given so, it should have been even more impossible for the Epitome Monarch Pill to approach the Monarch Spirit Grass! I am the great Vicious who once dominated the world, Vicious roared furiously. Back then, Kong shi schemed against me and nearly caused my death, and you forced me to bow down to you as your servant and ordered me around as if I was your dog. Itll be hard for me to quell the rage burning in my heart if I dont rip you into shreds... He was a being who had ruled over the Master Teacher Continent tens of thousands of years ago, and it had not been easy for him toe back to life. Yet, he had been subdued by a mere junior and forced to obey hismand. It was inevitable that he felt resentful for it. But due to his circumstances, he could only lower his head and tolerate it till he finally had enough power to turn the tables. You arent the consciousness born within the malignant energy... Instead, you took control of it, huh? Zhang Xuan finally came to realize what was going on. Most likely, Vicious had somehow managed to absorb the malignant energy and turn it into his own strength. You are still as sharp as ever. We of the Spirit Tribe originated from the Gods of Spirit Origin Royal City. But fifty years ago, a hand thrust us into chaotic space, forcing us out of the Firmament. I thought that I would be able to return to the Firmament with my own strength, but who could have known that the darned malignant energy would continue to gue us, slowly devouring our strength! Vicious gritted his teeth in anger. Back then, I thought that if I could somehow turn this power into mine, I would be unstoppable... But even after I conquered the Master Teacher Continent, I was unable to figure out a way to do so. It was only during Kong shis ascension to power that I finally understood it. The malignant energy is an antithesis to the zhenqi we cultivate. Its impossible for any cultivator to tap into that power... unless I give up on my own cultivation and start anew! So, I willingly died at the hands of Kong shi. Otherwise, given the strength of that brat back then, do you think that he could really have killed me? Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had read through the records of the Master Teacher Continent, but there were no books that detailed how Kong shi managed to kill Vicious. Most books simply described the battle to be a gruesome one thatsted days. And when he had asked Vicious about it, thetter had kept repeating that he did not remember a thing at all. Could that really be true? Did Vicious really allow Kong shi to kill him of his own ord? And his only motive for that was to give up on his cultivation and start anew so that he could absorb the malignant energy? That could very well be true. Even if Vicious had been continuously weakened by the malignant energy, it was unlikely for a God like him to have been killed by Kong shi. Perhaps... even Kong shi had been duped by Vicious act. Since you are also from the Firmament, shouldnt you help to prevent the copse of the Firmament instead of controlling the ck hole to hasten the destruction? What do you stand to gain from the Firmaments destruction? Zhang Xuan asked. He knew that Vicious was intentionally stalling for time in order to gain more power so as to gain a decisive advantage, but he could not help but ask about the other partys true goal. If the Firmament was destroyed, everything would be gone. All that would be left was emptiness. What did Vicious stand to gain from such an oue? So what if I am from the Firmament? Back then, when we were thrust into the chaotic space, what did those God Monarchs do? Nothing at all! They left us to despair in the lower worlds as our cultivation was slowly nibbled away by the malignant energy. This corrupted system of the Firmament should have been long torn apart and rebuilt! Vicious sneered coldly. How many times had he prayed to the Spirit God to save them and bring them back to the Firmament? Yet, all he received was silence and disappointment. It was at that moment that he realized that it was futile to rely on others. If he wanted to survive, he had to grow strong enough to save himself. So, he devised a way to absorb and cultivate the malignant energy so that he could rise to the very top of the world, and his efforts did not fail him! He had finally seeded! Enough, I have said all that should be said. Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, you can die! With a cold sneer, Vicious released his massive power, and innumerable dimension rifts opened all around the ce, threatening to tear Zhang Xuan apart. Onest question. We should have sealed a Soul Contract with one another, and there should have been no way for you to liberate yourself from it. How did you do it? Zhang Xuan asked. Chapter 2264 - Finale 3

Chapter 2264 Finale 3

As long as he did not cancel the Soul Contract from his side, there should have been no way for Vicious to liberate himself from it. This was simr to how the Deathless Monarch, despite being a God Monarch, was unable to free himself from a Soul Contract on his own. In order to prevent Vicious from turning against him, he had made sure to seal a Soul Contract with him while they were on the Master Teacher Continent. This way, even if Vicious gained the ability to escape from the Book of Heavens Path, he would still be bound by thews of the Soul Contract. Ah, the Soul Contract? It was a headache to me for quite a while, but I realized that my worry was unfounded. What I have in me is the malignant energy that can even neutralize the heavens! As long as I can obtain sufficient strength, it isnt too difficult to tear apart that farce of a Soul Contract! Vicious smirked. The Soul Contract was a binding force that held one soul hostage to the other, but the malignant energy was a force that could neutralize even the heavens. As long as it was used properly, it should note as a surprise that it could neutralize a Soul Contract as well. Is that so? Zhang Xuan murmured as a glint shed across his eyes. Have I satisfied your curiosity now? It is my repayment to you for bringing me to the Firmament! You can die in peace now! Vicious scoffed. An ancient, distant aura flowed from Vicious presence as the abyss beneath him grew evenrger. While they were talking, Vicious had managed to absorb a lot more energy, allowing him to further reinforce his cultivation. Luo Ruoxin also noticed that something was amiss, and she hurriedly sent a telepathic message over to him. Zhang Xuan, the more the ck hole devours, the more powerful he will be... Lets make our move then! With all his doubts resolved, Zhang Xuan brandished his sword and said, Since thats the case, shall we fight it out then? Hong long! A powerful burst of Sword Intent gushed forth from his body as he executed his God Monarch realm sword art. This technique carried all his persistence, pushing his Pathos of Heaven cultivation technique to its very limits. Hu! With a single sh, he sought to split Vicious in half. Luo Ruoxin also made a move at the same time. With a flick of her wrist, she charged forth with a sword in her grasp. Her sword art was extremely simr to that used by the God Monarch of the Sword Hut. It carried a relentless momentum reminiscent of a cavalry unit charging toward an enemy, but at the same time, her movements felt free and unrestrained. Splendid! Your attacks are indeed remarkable. But its stillcking a little to go against me... Vicious chuckled as he pushed his hand downward. In an instant, his palm seemed to have covered the entire sky. The surrounding space shattered under the pressure, and it felt like even the sun, moon, and stars would be knocked down from the impact of his attack. Pu! Pu! Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin were knocked flying simultaneously under the force of the palm strike, and fresh blood spurted from their mouths. Even with the two of them coborating with one another, they were still no match for Vicious! Just what kind of realm had that fellow reached? Insolent! Zhang Xuans clone suddenly bellowed loudly as he began walking over. Every step that he took was apanied by the blossoming of a lotus flower, and faintly, one could hear a running stream from within the void. Looking at it from afar, he did have the air of a true expert. Having assimted the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, his cultivation was no weaker than the current Zhang Xuan. He raised his fist, and summoning unbelievable might in his arms, he punched Vicious. In retaliation, Vicious waved his hand, and his clone was sent flying as well. He was unable to match Vicious in terms of strength as well. Watching this sight, Zhang Xuan sped his own face. Even after bing a God Monarch, his clone was still unable to kick off its showoff personality. Instead of wasting his effort on creating such decorative effects, it would have been better for him to channel all his energy into that punch! That fool... We need to make a move as well! If they fall, well be next! Little Chick bellowed as he unfurled his ck wings, setting the sky aze with his ck mes. The other six God Monarchs also swiftly brought out their own attacks. Thebined might of the seven God Monarchs was enough to utterly obliterate any of the Skies, but the enemy they were facing was Vicious, who had already absorbed all the malignant energy. As their attacks approached Vicious, the ck hole suddenly grew massive before devouring the attacks of the God Monarchs. A momentter, those attacks rebounded at the God Monarchs with greater ferocity than before. Peng peng peng! The seven God Monarchs, along with Zhang Xuan, his clone, and Luo Ruoxin, were knocked flying by that onught of attacks. Even with thebined might of the God Monarchs, they were unable to withstand even a single attack from Vicious! How in the world was that scoundrel so powerful? ytime is over. You can die now! After knocking all ten God Monarchs back, Vicious took a step forward as he raised his fist once more to press down on the crowd. Insolent, you wretched demon! A loud bellow suddenly echoed in the air, and the elder of the Sky of Heavenly Sword suddenly appeared before them. With a sh of his sword, he formed a silver river of sword qi before them, protecting everyone. God Monarch? He is a God Monarch as well? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock. All along, as the elder had taken his position behind the young man whom he thought was the God Monarch of the Sword Hut, he had assumed that the elder would be a Conferred God King at the very most. However, as soon as the elder exerted his strength, he realized that the other party was a God Monarch! But if the elder was a God Monarch... who was the young man? He is the God Monarch of the Sky of Heavenly Sword, Luo Ruoxin exined as she struggled to rise back to her feet. Wait... then who is the young man whom I met the other day? Zhang Xuan was bewildered. He is... Luo Ruoxin was just about to answer the question when the space ahead of them suddenly began distorting, causing the silver river of sword qi to bend away. Following that, the God Monarch of the Sky of Heavenly Sword was knocked flying before crashing into the ground, forming a huge depression. Even Zhang Xuan, whose cultivation and mastery of swordsmanship far exceeded that of the elder, was no match for Vicious, so there was no way that he couldst for long against Vicious. Hahaha! God Monarchs? Nothing more than a bunch of old fools who have stagnated with time! Today, I shall obliterate the Nine Skies and destroy the Firmament, returning everything to ground zero! After subduing the God Monarch of the Sky of Heavenly Sword as well, Vicious beganughing frenziedly. The space all around copsed rapidly, signaling the impending downfall of the Firmament. What else can we do? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. He could continue pitting his life against Vicious, but it would be foolish to keep trying the same things when they had failed before while hoping for something different to happen. Both he and his clone had already exerted their greatest power, and Luo Ruoxin had utilized her strongest trump cards. Yet, they were still unable to stop Vicious. Was he already invincible in the Firmament? Did they really have no choice but to watch the copse of the Firmament helplessly? The only way is to have your Heavens Imperfection return to the heavens and have the heavens suppress him, Luo Ruoxin said with tightly clenched fists. Return my Heavens Imperfection to the heavens... Zhang Xuan understood the meaning behind those words. The Library of Heavens Path in his body was a fragment of the heavens, and if he relinquished it, the heavens would finally bepleted. With the reinstatement of the heavens, thews of the heavens would swiftly be enforced, and they might be able to fix the dimension fissure and expel Vicious from the world. It was just that there was a problem with that n... The current Vicious is simply too strong. If even our forcesbined are unable to suppress him, will the heavens, evenplete, really be able to do so? Zhang Xuan shook his head skeptically. Thews of the heavens were indeed powerful, but they were not absolute. The fact that God Monarchs were able to tear open dimension rifts and travel through space was evidence of that. Given Vicious overwhelming strength, could the heavens really enforce theirws and crush him? This... Luo Ruoxin contemted for a moment before her face sank a little. Youre right. The heavens wont be able to suppress him. However, if the heavens are made whole once more, he might be able to wake up. With his strength, he should be able to y Vicious easily! He? Zhang Xuan frowned. Ill bring you over to meet him now. Hes in the Sky of Freedom... Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxin grabbed Zhang Xuans hand and quickly tore open a dimension rift. Trying to escape right before me? Vicious harrumphed coldly as he pressed his palm down once more. Peng! Luo Ruoxin was knocked down from the sky. You b*stard! Angered by Vicious attack, Zhang Xuan immediately executed his sword art once more to sh at Vicious. Ding ding ding! Yet again, it was easily deflected by Vicious powers. The two of you should quickly head over. Well hold him here for the time being! Little Chick eximed. Knowing that the two of them were leaving the area not to escape but to figure out a way to save the Firmament, the rest of the God Monarchs immediately charged forward to tie Vicious down. At the same time, Luo Qiqi also morphed into the Dimension Silencer to freeze the surrounding space. Lets go! Seeing how everyone was charging forth without fear of death to cover them, Zhang Xuans eyes reddened a little. He knew that time was tight, so he quickly wrapped his hand around Luo Ruoxins waist before creating a dimension rift and leaping into it with her. The next instant, they were in the Sky of Freedom. The Sky of Freedom no longer looked like the paradise it did before. The copse of the Firmament had caused great chaos everywhere, and this center of the Firmament was no exception to the rule. Zhang Xuan looked at the youngdy in his embrace and asked, Where is the person you spoke of? If the person she spoke of could really save the Firmament, it would be a small price to pay for him to sacrifice his own life. Hes my father. Luo Ruoxin quickly regted her zhenqi to recover her wounds as she exined, The blood inside the pendant I have you belongs to him, and the Deathless Monarch used to be his tamed beast... Your father? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization. That exined why the blood in the pendant resembled Luo Ruoxins so much but still somewhat differed. That was also probably the reason the will left behind by the Deathless Monarch unhesitatingly acknowledged him as his master after seeing the pendant. Is your father a God Monarch as well, or does he possess powers surpassing that of a God Monarch? Zhang Xuan asked. The blood in the pendant had the ability to calm his Library of Heavens Path and restore rationality to his mind. That was an ability that even the current him did not possess. Furthermore, based on what he had heard from Luo Ruoxin thus far, it seemed like he was much stronger than her. If that was the case, why did he fall into aa? And how would making the heavens whole again allow him to regain his consciousness? Luo Ruoxin clenched her fists tightly before answering his doubts hesitantly. He isnt a God Monarch... but the heavens! Heavens? You are saying that your father is the heavens? Zhang Xuan found it hard to believe what he was hearing. Thats right. Fifty years ago, my father was unable to withstand the prowess of that massive hand, and he ended up falling into aa. At the same time, the heavens split into three fragments, and the Heavens Order and Heavens Imperfection fell into the chaotic space. I became the overseer of the Heavens Nature, and I have been working ever since to ensure the stability of the Firmament. The only way for my father to regain consciousness is to gather all of the scattered pieces. Its for that reason that I was so determined not to fail. I descended to the Master Teacher Continent to study the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, wanting to decipher a way to triumph over Kong shi. Before I fought with Kong shi, I also entrusted him with this matter, hoping that he could save my father in my ce if I lost my life in the battle, Luo Ruoxin exined. Zhang Xuan nodded in realization. Shortly after they met each other on the Master Teacher Continent, Luo Ruoxin had told him that she was working to save her close kin, but as she had never spoken about the matter after that, it had eventually slipped his mind. From the looks of it, it seemed like the person she wanted to save was her father, the heavens of the Firmament. But was it really possible for the heavens to morph into the form of a human and give birth to a child? Zhang Xuan noticed an anomaly in her words and asked, You mentioned that you are the overseer of the Heavens Nature... Does that mean that you dont have any fragments of heavens in your body? Being the overseer of a fragment of heavens was different from possessing a fragment of heavens. I am only controlling it for the time being. It doesnt belong to me, Luo Ruoxin said. Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. That meant that as long as he could extract the Heavens Imperfection from his body, everything would be resolved. There was no need for her to die for this. Of course, he did not want to die either, but he did not wish for the youngdy before him toe to any more harm than this. So, if I extract the Heavens Imperfection from my body, will your fathere back to life and resolve this crisis? Zhang Xuan asked. This... Im not too certain, Luo Ruoxin replied hesitantly as she looked at the copsing Firmament around her. As the heavens of the Firmament, she was not certain whether her father could really awaken when the Firmament was already in such a tattered state. Even if he regained consciousness, would he still have enough strength to defeat the powerful Vicious? Even though she viewed this as their greatest hope, she was unsure about it. It looks like you arent certain about it. Since thats the case, I think itll be better for us to keep that as ourst resort. Itll be safer for us to rely on ourselves instead of a stroke of luck. Lets think of a n together! Zhang Xuan said. With you, me, my clone, the Nine God Monarchs, and Kong shi, I dont think that its utterly impossible for us to achieve victory! Kong shi? But he... Luo Ruoxin frowned. Kong shi is deadis that what you were going to say? He isnt really dead yet. ording to what I heard, his death in the duel between the two of you was just a way to free himself from the restraints of the heavens. Most likely, just like Wei Changfeng, he possesses the Innate Soul Embryo, Zhang Xuan said. After seeing Wei Changfeng, he finally understood what the key for Kong shi retaining his previous consciousness was. If he possessed the Innate Soul Embryo as well, he would not lose his sense of self even after death. With all the cards that Kong shi had prepared for this event, it should not take too long for him toe back to life. Hearing those words, Luo Ruoxin was taken aback. She did not expect Kong shi to have prepared such a hand. Well know once we head over to take a look. If Im not mistaken, he should have already recovered. Otherwise, his disciples would havee to the Flooding Sea. Given the huge cmity that was going on, even though Ancient Sage Zi Yuan and the others werecking in strengthpared to the God Monarchs, they would have headed over in order to offer their help. The fact that they remained absent meant that there was something more important that they had to attend to. And this important matter likely had something to do with Kong shis revival! This... Luo Ruoxin widened her eyes in realization as she found Zhang Xuans words perfectly logical. Lets head over! With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan created a dimension rift that led directly to where Kong shi had left. Traveling to the other side, he swiftly saw an old man floating in midair. Noticing their arrival, the old man greeted them with a smile. Youre here. Who else could the old man be other than Kong shi? The Worlds Teacher was back! Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, he had discreetlye back to life while everyones attention was preupied with the happenings over at the Flooding Sea. You... Luo Ruoxin widened her eyes in astonishment. She knew that Kong shi would have prepared a way toe to life, but she did not expect him to recover so quickly! Well, I have been concealing quite a few cards from the heavens, Kong shi said with a smile. For one, I have left a Soul Imprint in the Netherworld Pool to umte Anima of Yearning quite a few decades ago, all in preparation for this moment. In our battle back then, I made use of the opportunity from my death to free myself from the restraints of the heavens, but in return for that, my body and soul ended up being devastated. It took me thest few days to make a recovery. Skilled in the maniption of temporalws, even though only a few days had passed on the Firmament, in truth, decades might have passed for Kong shi. After recovering from the shock of seeing that Kong shi had really returned, Luo Ruoxin shook her head and said, We are indeed quite strong, but it still wont be easy for us to defeat Vicious... Earlier, they had all coborated with one another, but they were still unable to stop Vicious. Even if they added another Kong shi into the mix, would it really make a huge difference? The situation would likely remain the same! I agree with what youre saying. Even if we put our strength together, it isnt likely that we will be a match for the other party. However, what if we channel all of our strength into a single person? Kong shi asked with a smile. Channel all of our strength into a single person? Both Luo Ruoxin and Zhang Xuan were a little confused as to what Kong shi was getting at. That palm from fifty years ago was able to tear through the Firmament and dissipate the heavens, Kong shi said. Theres no doubt that it wields tremendous strength, far beyond what we can handle. Vicious has absorbed the entirety of this power, as well as fifty years of spiritual energy from the Firmament. If we fight him normally, theres no way that well be a match for him. However, if we channel all of our powers into a single person, we might just be able to change the result! How do we do so? Luo Ruoxin asked. Such a thing was easier said than done. God Monarchs were already the strongest existence in the world. If it was that easy to absorb the powers of another person, her cultivation would not have remained stagnant for so many years. My idea is very simple. Well channel all our strength into Zhang Xuan and have him ovee the limits of a God Monarch. If he seeds, he will be able to save the Firmament, Kong shi said. Me? Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Why me? God Monarch Lingxi cultivates the conceptualization of freedom, pursuing a state that transcends nature and desire. However, she is tied down by her father and the heavens, and she also has someone whom she yearns for. She will never be able to transcend in her current condition, Kong shi said. He turned to Luo Ruoxin and asked, If Im not mistaken, during our battle on the moon, you also once thought of giving it all up to die at my hands, right? Luo Ruoxin was unable to say a word. Such a thought did sh across her mind during their battle. It was for that reason that they had ended up subconsciously holding back, making it appear like an ordinary spar instead of a life-and-death duel. One who is unable to transcend oneself will not be able to transcend nature. You wont be able to ovee the limitations of a God Monarch no matter how much spiritual energy you absorb. As for me... Kong shi sighed deeply. I am an ambitious and greedy person. I wish to enlighten the whole world, but I dont want anyone to sacrifice themselves for me in the process of doing so. I have too muchpassion in me, and thats a w. If I could harden my heart back then to exterminate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, we wouldnt face such a crisis now. Back then, after he killed Vicious, the ranks of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had swiftly copsed. Yet, he had chosen to let them off in the most decisive moment due to the benevolence in his heart. If only he had hardened his heart and pushed on, they would not have been facing such a situation. So, I am not suited. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan, your cultivation technique is aligned with your will and intent, and there is no w I can see in you. You seek to live your life to the fullest. Even at the cost of your death, as long as you are able to live with your conscience, you will be able to charge forward bravely and ovee any obstacle. Such a person is more flexible and has more room for development. Thats why you will be able to reach a height beyond the two of us! Kong shi said. This... Zhang Xuan frowned. He did not expect Kong shi to have such an evaluation of him and Luo Ruoxin, and he was just about to say something when Kong shi waved his hand. You dont need to feel bad about this. We dont have the time to groom anyone else anymore, and even if we were able to make it in time, I dont think that anyone would be able to do better than you already have. God Monarch Lingxi might not possess a fragment of the heavens, but years of controlling Heavens Nature has granted her a deep understanding of the heavens. I govern the Heavens Order. If we pass our powers over to you, you will gain theplete powers of the heavens. Together with your clone, the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, you will surely be able to stabilize the Firmament, reverse the tides, and vanquish the intruder! Seeing how Kong shis mind was already set up, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Luo Ruoxin, only to see her nodding in agreement. Since that was the case, he nodded as well. Alright then, lets go with that. Hong long! They swiftly sat down, and soon, two surges of energy began flowing into Zhang Xuans body. This caused his body to stiffen a little. In that moment, he felt as if he had morphed into a manifestation of the heavens, soaring above the nine skies. Be it his soul, physical body, or zhenqi, all of them were being cleansed and reinforced, making them grow stronger and more powerful. ... The lot of you dare stop me as well? Very well then. Ill start with you before hunting down Zhang Xuan... Vicious sneered coldly as he knocked Luo Qiqi, Zhang Xuans clone, and the others flying. Thebined prowess of them all was indeed formidable, but they were still sorelycking. The Flooding Sea had devoured all the spiritual energy in the Firmament, except for the spiritual energy in the cities, and this massive bulk of energy was now under Vicious control. This granted him the destructive power to obliterate anything that stood in his path. Even though these God Monarchs and Conferred God Kings were already the strongest existences in the world, they were powerless before him. The current Vicious was like the indomitable tyrant of the Firmament. No one could stop him. If the Firmament falls apart, there will be no point in us living. I, the Cloud Dragon Monarch, will fight you down to my final breath! The Cloud Dragon Monarch morphed into his original form, a humongous Five-wed Golden Dragon[1], and charged right at Vicious. You? You arent worthy! With a wave of his hand, Vicious held the Five-wed Golden Dragon tightly in his grasp. No matter how thetter struggled, he was unable to escape from Vicious clutches. Old friend, wait for me! God Monarch Fumeng roared furiously as he morphed into a white tiger and charged as well. The Deathless Monarch also turned into his original form, the Deathless Celestial Phoenix, and loomed over the sky. The Acheron God Monarch turned into a massive tortoise that shook thends with every step that it took. The four beasts guarded the Four Extremities of the Firmament, so with them morphing back into their original forms, the copse of the Firmament began slowing down. It felt like four pirs had risen from the ground to support the falling Firmament. Peng peng peng peng! But with four consecutive palm strikes, Vicious subdued the four beasts with ease. Killing intent red in his eyes as he said, Since you are courting death, Ill fulfill your wish! With a furious bellow, he was just about to kill all the God Monarchs present when he suddenly felt his hand freezing in midair. Have you asked me for permission to kill them yet? Before everyones shocked gazes, a silhouette slowly walked over from the horizon. Zhang Xuan! The young man was at least ten times stronger than when he became a God Monarch earlier, and power was overflowing from his body. He had turned to apletely different person ever since returning from the Sky of Freedom. Youve grown quite a bit. Vicious slowly retracted his hand as he assessed Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes. Clearly, he was shocked by how Zhang Xuan had grown so quickly within just a few minutes. So what if youve grown stronger? Even the Firmament is unable to hold me back. I dont believe that you can stop me... With a cold harrumph, Vicious raised his palm to strike Zhang Xuan down, and Zhang Xuan raised his sword to meet Vicious. The two of them began shing with one another, and powerful shockwaves sted everywhere, opening dimension rifts all around. ... Over in Kong shis base in the Sky of Freedom, Luo Ruoxin worriedly asked, Can Zhang Xuan win against him? After both she and Kong shi transferred their powers to Zhang Xuan, their cultivation had fallen to the God King realm, making it too dangerous for them to head to the battlefield. However, their experience was still there. As long as they could acquire sufficient energy, they should be able to regain their cultivation soon enough. Kong shi pondered for a moment before replying. Even with his current strength, itll be difficult for him to achieve victory... unless... heprehends a power stronger than the God Monarchs! Vicious was an opponent whom they could not defeat even with their powersbined. Even if they had transferred all their powers over to Zhang Xuan, it was unlikely that Zhang Xuan would be able to triumph over him. The only reason they did it was to allow Zhang Xuan to touch the tip of the God Monarch realm. Only then would a window of opportunity open for him to ovee the limits of the God Monarch realm and transcend himself! Comprehend a power stronger than the God Monarchs? Luo Ruoxin muttered to herself. Back when her father was still conscious, he had said simr words to her. However, as hard as she had tried, she had never been able to break through that limit. Would the man she loved really be able to do it? Trust him. Hell be able to do it. His sentiments for the world and his unyielding heart will allow him to do so, Kong shi replied with a chuckle. ... Peng peng peng! After a few blows, Zhang Xuans finger was already bleeding profusely, and a deep gash had been inflicted on his chest. Just as Kong shi had said, even if Zhang Xuan had formed theplete heavens within him after taking in their powers, he was still not a match for Vicious. Hahaha! I was wondering how formidable you would be, but it turns out that this is all youve got, Vicious sneered coldly. Taking a few steps back, Zhang Xuan gasped for air as he looked at Vicious and said, Since Im not a match for you anyway, why dont you fulfill one final wish of mine? I would like to see the strongest attack that you have. Are you finally ready to ept your fate? Very well, I shall fulfill that final wish of yours! With a cold sneer, Vicious slowly raised his palm, and green light began suffusing his hand. Hu! Then, he struck it down in a decisive motion. The tremendous might of the attack caused the entire Firmament to scream under the overwhelming weight, and a massive depression was struck into the ground. In the face of such an attack, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes, as if a person resigned to his fate. Peng! His head burst apart, and his soul dissipated into the void. Zhang Xuan! Seeing such a sight, everyones faces paled. Luo Qiqi staggered backward as she stared ahead, horrified, as if she was going to go insane. The Cloud Dragon Monarch and the others narrowed their eyes in disbelief. Even Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin were stunned by that scene. They had given their powers to Zhang Xuan to allow him to push for a breakthrough beyond the God Monarch realm, so why did he still give up without fighting back? What was their sacrifice for? No, thats not right. Its the Deathless Monarchs Quintessence of Deathlessness! Kong shi suddenly cried out. Luo Ruoxin quickly took a closer look at the screen, and she saw the crimson pendant that had been hanging around Zhang Xuans neck all this while breaking apart, causing a droplet of blood to float in the air. The droplet of blood burst into mes, forming a sea of inferno. Amid the inferno, an unharmed figure walked out calmly. Luo Ruoxin widened her eyes in astonishment. He... made use of Vicious power and the blood in the pendant to sever the Heavens Imperfection from his soul. Unlike the Zhang Xuan before, the resurrected Zhang Xuan did not possess the Library of Heavens Path anymore. Free of the interference of the heavens, he finally managed to transcend the heavens! How did he manage to do it? Kong shi was taken aback as well. Their souls had been too deeply intertwined with the heavens, such that they could be considered as one. That was also the reason Kong shi needed his soul to be disintegrated thrice before he could finally free himself from the restraints of the Heavens Order. Yet, the young man was able to free himself from the heavens so easily. Just what kind of method did he use? I see, I see... Luo Ruoxin nodded in realization. He used the method that Vicious used to liberate himself from the Soul Contract! The Soul Contract was a binding contract that was carved into ones soul. Unless the master released the servant, the servants life would forever remain in the control of the master. That was the same for the rtionship between Zhang Xuan and the Library of Heavens Path. In essence, it could be considered an even stronger form of a Soul Contract. It was a contractual rtionship that was binding even after death, which was why Kong shi had resorted to special means to liberate himself. However, Vicious had exined to him how the malignant energy had the power to liberate a person from a Soul Contract, and it was probably at that moment that Zhang Xuan had begun formting such a n. That was also why he had tried to convince Vicious to use his strongest attack against him. Through tapping into the malignant energy within his strongest attack, he would sever the bond with the Library of Heavens Path from his disintegrated soul. And everything worked out as nned. ... I see, so this is the method to exceed the God Monarchs... Walking out of the mes of resurrection, Zhang Xuan had a faint, enlightened smile on his face. He seemed to have understood something from his earlier death. With a wave of his hand, he beckoned his clone over, who then morphed into a lotus. In that instant, everyone felt as if Zhang Xuan had be the Nine Skies, and the Nine Skies had be his. With a stomp of his feet, stability returned to the chaotic Nine Skies. The Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies was born with the power to stabilize the world, and through the connection between him and his clone, Zhang Xuan was able to utilize such a power. Not only so, after absorbing the cultivation of the Primordial Golden Lotus of the Nine Skies, he could feel the bottleneck that he had finally felt after taking in Kong shi and Luo Ruoxins powers loosening a little. There was a higher realm above him, and he was going to reach for it. The rtionship between a master and his subordinates, the camaraderie of brothers, the ties between a teacher and a student, the sentiments between a parent and a child, the love that binds people together... It is an amalgamation of all these things that created the world. This is what it means to be alive, Zhang Xuan muttered to himself with a smile on his lips. The moment that his soul was liberated from the Library of Heavens Path, he had finally understood it. Did the worlde into existence because a life became cognizant of its surroundings, or did the world nurture the first life? Was it the wind moving, or was it the heart that had moved?[2] These were questions that had confounded countless people over the years. And of course, to the current Zhang Xuan... all of them were unimportant! Without life and sentiments, what would the meaning of the existence of the world be? So, beyond love were the sentiments of the world, the sentiments of all beings interweaved in the world. All beings in the world possessed sentiments, and it was only with sentiments that the world came into existence. That was also what was sustaining all life in the world. Love was a sentiment. Hate was a sentiment. Joy was a sentiment. Pain was a sentiment. The interactions in the world were all tied to sentiments, be it farewells or reunions. And I shall channel the sentiments of the world for my own use! With a deep roar, Zhang Xuan finally overcame the bottleneck trapping him, bing an existence transcending the God Monarchs. In that instant, it was as if a brand-new world had appeared before him, and his soul swiftly grew under nourishment. Primordial energy swiftly surged into his body, bringing him to a new height. He could only advance his cultivation through absorbing spiritual energy in the past, but with this advancement, this restraint had been released. Be it the spatial turbulence, the primordial energy lingering in the air, or even the green light formed from the neutralization, he could tap into everything. You... Not only did Vicious attack unexpectedly fail to kill Zhang Xuan, he even inadvertently helped thetter make a breakthrough. Trembling with fury, he bellowed in anger as heunched yet another attack. You resent the lofty God Monarchs for failing to save you from the chaotic space. That is a sentiment. You feel indignant and humiliated to have served as my servant. That is a sentiment. You wish to destroy the world to vent your fury. That is a sentiment. You wish to rise beyond the masses to gain ultimate power. That is a sentiment as well. You are a being controlled by your sentiments, so how can you possibly not fall under my control? Zhang Xuan spoke with a voice that crescendoed with every word. With a raise of his hand, the sentiments that made up Vicious swiftly intertwined to bind him tightly together, sealing off his movements entirely. Just like that, the indomitable Vicious had been stopped. As long as a being had sentiments, it would fall under his jurisdiction. You... Vicious eyes widened in horror. Zhang shi, I am your servant. Please dont kill me... Im willing to offer my soul to you once more... Its toote for you to be saying all of this now... Zhang Xuan looked upon Vicious coldly as he shook his head. Standing before him was a person who had hurt his girlfriend, Luo Qiqi, his direct disciples, and so many of his friends. He had tried to destroy the entire Firmament just to vent his own anger, killing many lives in the process. How could he show mercy to Vicious? No... Sensing Zhang Xuans decisiveness, Vicious narrowed his eyes as he tried to escape, but the next moment, he felt a stabbing pain piercing through his entire body. Peng! Vicious blew up, turning into countless surges of spiritual energy that surged over the entire Firmament. The energy that had been devoured previously by the dimension fissure and the Flooding Sea had all returned to the Firmament, returning life to the barren wilderness. This... Has everything ended just like that? The Cloud Dragon Monarch, Deathless Monarch, Fairy Linglong, and the others were bbergasted. They could hardly believe their eyes. They had crossed blows with Vicious earlier, so they knew just how terrifying his strength was. Yet, such a powerful individual had been killed just like that. Just how powerful had Zhang Xuan be? Was there really another realm above the God Monarch realm? ... He seeded... Kong shi and Luo Ruoxin were finally able to release their tightly clenched fists. ... This is the final fragment of the heavens. Ill return it to the Firmament now... The Heavens Imperfection that he had torn out from his body was floating above Zhang Xuan at this moment. Weng! With a wave of his hand, the Library of Heavens Path, which had apanied him ever since his transcension, flew up and fused with the sky of the Firmament. The loud chiming of a bell echoed in the air, and the devastated Firmament started toe back to life. Order began returning to the chaotic flow of spiritual energy in the air. It looks like the Firmament is going to enjoy an era of prosperity from the resurgence of spiritual energy... Zhang Xuan chuckled. The dimension fissure had closed after thepletion of the heavens, and it would only be a matter of time before the Firmament returned to its peak. Zhang Xuan,e over here... After that was all done, a voice suddenly echoed in Zhang Xuans mind. He was slightly stunned at first, but he took a step toward where the voice wasing from. This single step seemed to take him across countless boundaries, bringing him right before a young man. It was the young man who had taught him swordsmanship back then. Elder, you... Seeing that it was him, Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. He had thought that the young man was unfathomably powerful back then, and that was indeed the case. Even in Zhang Xuans current state, he realized that he was only a sliver stronger than the young man. The young man had already reached the very peak of the God Monarchs, wielding powers that far exceeded those of Luo Ruoxin and Kong shi. I am Nie Tong. You can call me by my name, the young man replied calmly. Nie Tong? Zhang Xuan repeated the name contemtively. This was the first time that he had heard the name. Follow me. Ill bring you to meet my elder brother, Nie Tong said as he took a step forward. Zhang Xuan followed behind him, and after traveling an unknown distance, they finally arrived before a mountain peak. Standing before them was yet another young man who had eyes that seemed to be as deep as the abyss, making it nigh impossible to see through him. This strength... Zhang Xuan shuddered a little. He could tell that this young man before him was far stronger than him. He had transcended the limits of God Monarchs as well, and his cultivation was much deeper and more stable. I am Nie Yun. The young man introduced himself to Zhang Xuan with a smile. I am also Nie Lingxis, perhaps you might recognize her more as Luo Ruoxin, father! Ruoxins father? Zhang Xuan was astonished. You are the heavens of the Firmament? Luo Ruoxin had told him earlier that her father was the heavens of the Firmament, but he did not expect him to be such a young man. Back then, I divided myself into three wills, and a will of mine became the heavens of the Firmament. Besides, this world was created by me. It isnt wrong to say that Im the heavens of the Firmament, Nie Yun exined with a smile. Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. The Firmament had actually been created by the person standing before him. How powerful must he be? No, that isnt right. If you were the one who created the Firmament and you are the heavens themselves, why would you watch by the sidelines as Vicious tore apart the Firmament? Zhang Xuan asked. If it was not for his breakthrough, the Firmament could have been torn apart. Was the other party going to watch as everything he had built fell to ruin? Was he not concerned about his daughter at all? Instead of answering Zhang Xuans question, Nie Yun gazed into Zhang Xuans eyes and asked, Do you think that there are even stronger lifeforms above the Firmament? Even stronger lifeforms? Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. I guess so... He might not have met anyone else, but since he had been able to cultivate to this level, there should be others who had done the same. The young man before him was one such example. I have always wondered about this question, so I tried to use my powers to peer above. However, as a result of my actions, it brought about retribution from a higher world. A palm descended from above to tear apart the Firmament, Nie Yun said. If I had dodged, the Firmament would have been utterly destroyed by that strike, and all life would have fallen to ruin. So, I gathered all my strength to withstand the palm strike, but as a result of that, the heavens ended up splitting into three fragments. I could have recovered with a single thought, but I knew that if I wanted to ovee the limits of the Firmament, uncover the origin of the palm, and explore the world beyond the Firmament, it would be impossible for me to do it alone. So, I wanted to see if there is anyone else in the world who could transcend the boundaries of the God Monarch realm to stand on the same level as me. Thus, I sent the fragments of the heavens to the lowest world, and I bestowed one of them to a soul in this world and the other to a soul that belonged to another world. And you have not let me down, Nie Yun exined with a smile. A soul that belonged to another world... So, my transcension to this world was your doing as well? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment. He did not think that there would be such a truth to his transcension. Haha! Nie Yun chuckled softly. Those who are native to this world carry great deference toward the world and the heavens, making it harder for them to transcend nature. It was a decision I made on the spur of the moment, but you fared far better than I thought you would. I... Zhang Xuans face reddened. If it wasnt for Kong shi, I never would have reached my current level. His achievements were built upon the guidance of his predecessor. Had it not been for many others paving the path ahead for him, it would have been hard for him to reach his current level. I gave him a chance as well, but he didnt grasp it well. His fight with Lingxi was the ideal opportunity for him to make a breakthrough, but he chose to back down. He prepared a hand that allowed him to ovee fate, but in exchange, he lost the determination to charge ahead in the face of adversity. Without such a spirit, theres no way hell be able to face life forms that far surpass us! Nie Yun said. Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had witnessed the battle back then, and Kong shi was indeedcking decisiveness. It stemmed from his unwillingness to sacrifice Luo Ruoxin in order to climb to a higher height. With that, he lost the opportunity to make a breakthrough. But if Kong shi had won, Ruoxin would have lost her life! Zhang Xuan eximed with a deep frown. Did the other party not care about the life and death of his daughter at all? I am around. I wouldnt allow anything to happen to her, Nie Yun replied. You have also reached the same realm as me. Do you think that I wouldnt be able to save them in a battle of their level? If he had made a move, he could have saved Luo Ruoxin at the veryst moment while ensuring that no harm came to her. There was simply a huge difference between a God Monarch and an existence who had transcended the God Monarchs. Lingxi was born from my wife, Luo Qingcheng, and thats why she chose to use the surname Luo for her persona. In order to convince her of the situation to prevent her emotions from getting ahead of her, she still thinks that Im in aa at the moment. Nie Yun shook his head with a derisive smile directed at himself. I sure am a vicious father, arent I? I think it would be best for you to exin everything to her. After all, she has already devoted all her feelings to you. I reckon that she barely has any thoughts left for me... Haha, I think I shant appear before her for a period of time, or else she might just flip everything upside down... Looking at Nie Yun with a conflicted expression, Zhang Xuan could not help butment at how Luo Ruoxin had such an unreliable father. With a deep sigh, he nodded. Alright, Ill tell her about it... What else could he do? If he wanted to take Luo Ruoxin as his wife, he needed the approval of his future father-inw. He would just have to leave Luo Ruoxin to deal with Nie Yun in the future. The Library of Heavens Path is an artifact formed by my thoughts. It is both a foundation and a limiter. Through relying on your own abilities in the end to advance your cultivation, you have proven your own capabilities and potential. I believe that you will achieve great things in the future. As a father, I am relieved to entrust my daughter to you. Nie Yun nodded with a satisfied smile. Zhang Xuan nodded for a moment before he suddenly thought of something. He turned to Nie Tong and asked, Elder, are you the one whoprehended the Gods Sword Intent in the Azure? Based on what he had heard, the founder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, just like Kong shi, had risen to the Firmament, but Zhang Xuan had not heard of the other partys name yet. A person who was that talented could not possibly have remained unknown in the Firmament. It was a heritage that I left behind with a sliver of my will. I wanted to help you avoid some detours so that you could quickly advance through the ranks and catch up to my brother. He... has been alone for a very long time now, Nie Tong replied calmly as he nced at his elder brother with a deep look in his eyes. It was as if there was no one in his eyes other than his elder brother. To him, leaving behind a sliver of his will in a lower world like the Azure was nothing at all, but it had indeed helped Zhang Xuan a lot along the way. It was that experience that had solidified his will to further his swordsmanship, allowing him to be the person he was now. I see. You have my gratitude. Zhang Xuan nodded. It seemed like they had been observing him all this while, and this left him a little conflicted within. You should return for now and focus on your cultivation. When your cultivation finally stabilizes, Ill bring you to a greater world beyond so that youll know just how big the world is! Nie Yunughed heartily before waving his hand. With a distortion in space, Zhang Xuan returned to the Sky of Freedom. Standing before him was none other than Luo Ruoxin. Zhang Xuan... With a beautiful smile, the youngdy leaped right into his embrace. [1] Five-wed Golden Dragons are usually weaved into the robes of Chinese Emperors as a symbol of ultimate authority. [2] This is from a famous Buddhist story about two monks arguing over a moving g. Monk A says that its the g that is moving, and Monk B says that its the wind that is moving. An enlightened monk thenes in and say that its their heart (mind) that has moved. Chapter 2265 - Author’s Wrap Up

Chapter 2265 Authors Wrap Up

Library of Heavens Path has finallye to an end. I wanted to write my wrap up yesterday, but a friend came over yesterday, so I ended up dying it till now. This book has brought me a lot of honors. I became a God-tier and tinum Author, and my book was first in the overseas market as well. But it is also the hardest book I have written in all these years. I have gone through joyous events. My son was born, but I have gone through sorrowful events as well: the death of my father. There were happy times and sad times. There were times I was excitement and times I was confused. There was a period of time I thought that I had the world in my grasp and I could do anything at all. There was also a period of time when I felt like there was nothing I could do and I was useless. I think some of my emotions ended up seeping into the book, so it isnt as wholesome as I thought it would be. Well, allow me to talk about a few major plot points that I have designed but didnt manage to pen them down. In my storyboard, Luo Qiqi would die while trying to save Zhang Xuan in the Azure, and she would morph into the Dimension Silencer and enter the Firmament. Out of rage, Zhang Xuan would finish cultivating the Divine Eyes of the Ninth Netherworld, but as a result of that, he would lose his sense of sight as well. I already wrote the foreshadowing for that, but due to some events, I didnt dare write it anymore. I could only abandon my original storyboard and go for a lighter story. Well, who can I me for seeking my own death? There are some readers who say that the ending is a bit rushed, but it is actually not rushed at all. I wanted to finish the book during the highest climax, when Zhang Xuan is the brightest of all. If I continue writing beyond this, itll just be a little too draggy. Our Xuanxuan likes to brag, and if you keep him alive and dont let him brag, he would rather that you just kill him... So... Library of Heavens Path ended! (How is it? Are you satisfied with my reason? This is already the best one I can think of. If you arent satisfied with me, you cane here to hit me. Though I cant defeat you, I will proudly show you my most magnificent kneeling position...) However, theres no need for you to feel anxious. Ill write a few side stories when I have time, such as the one for Luo Xuanqing. I have already put some foreshadowing in ce, but I didnt write him in at the end because I wanted to give him a special side story. To be honest, I also want to know how hell react when he hears Zhang Xuans deration of bing a God Monarch... As for Luo Qiqis ending, I am still thinking about it at the moment. Ill give her some closure, and Ill write it in the side stories. The side stories will be posted on my public WeChat ount, so you can head over and search for Heng Sao Tian Ya (ɨ) and follow me. There will be notifications informing you of it once I post the side stories. Last but not least, allow me to talk about my new book. I have two drafts at the moment, so Im a little conflicted as to which one I should write about. As for the genre, itll still be Xuanhuan (fantasy), simr to the Library of Heavens Path. Itll be light and humorous, and I guarantee that itll be innovative. I have quickly scanned through the various genres, and its different from the others book on Qidian. Definitely no one has written about it before! You know, I am very serious about creativity. As for when Illunch it, allow me to rest for a period of time. I feel like I have been sapped dry by this book, so I need some time to rest and recharge. However, I wont drag it out for too long. It should be out before the Mid-Autumn Festival. As for what the book name will be, Ill post it on my WeChat public ount in advance. Alright, I shant talk too much more. Therell alwayse a point in time where we have to part. I know that there are many ws with my story, but I have written it with my full heart. My feelings for Zhang Xuan definitely exceed those for anyone else. When I wrote the ending, it was already four in the morning. I sat quietly in my chair, dazed, for nearly an hour. My Library of Heavens Path, my Zhang Xuan, has finallye to an end. However, Ill deliver brand new stories depicting brand new worlds for everyone in the future. A story different from that of Zhang Xuan and Nie Yun. If you like me, please add my next book to your collection. You should receive some news about it within two months. Last but not least, I wish everyone who has read my book prosperity. Chapter 2266 - Side Story 1: Luo Xuanqing

Chapter 2266 Side Story 1: Luo Xuanqing

Were finally out of there! Together with Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao, an unkempt Luo Xuanqing looked at the Grand Spirit Mountain behind him with a fatigued yet relieved look on his face. Even though he had managed to be a God, and his zhenqi and soul had been nourished greatly by Zhang Xuans blood, he was still among the weakest in the Firmament. Thinking about all the suffering he had gone through, he felt both helpless and stifled. So, this is the Firmament... Luo Xuanqing sighed deeply as he shook his head. Be it the Azure or the Master Teacher Continent, he was a top-notch genius respected by his peers. Even though he was not as radiant as that man, there was no doubt that his name would go down in history. Despite only having cultivated for a few decades, he had risen from an ordinary human to be a God. This was a feat that had almost never been aplished in the history of the Azure. Not even the talented Sect Leader Han Jianqiu of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had managed to do it. Despite that, after reaching the Firmament, he had still ended up being chased by a rabbit for three days straight for digging up its carrot. There were also incidents such as the ones where he was assaulted by a caterpir, when a flying ant nearly slit his throat with its wings, when a green de of grass pierced his skin and caused him to bleed profusely... This was really a freakingnd of frights! Even the gentlest animal in the Azure could turn out to be a deadly beast there! He could not even begin to exin how thankful he was to have been able to walk out of the Grand Spirit Mountain alive! Even though the three of us have be Gods, we still nearly lost our lives in the mountain. Back then, Zhang Xuan was the only one who managed to make a breakthrough to godhood, and he was carrying a huge bunch of Semi-Divinities with him. How in the world did he manage to survive on the Grand Spirit Mountain? Hu Yaoyao eximed in disbelief. Luo Xuanqing and Yu Fei-er looked at one another before falling silent. In terms of the time of the Firmament, it was roughly a month ago that Zhang Xuan had headed over with his eleven direct disciples, his parents, and Sun Qiang. Back then, those fourteen people had not managed to reach godhood yet, meaning that not only would they be of no help in surviving on the Grand Spirit Mountain, Zhang Xuan even had to scour for food to feed them as well! Without a doubt, the danger he faced must have been far greater. Even an ant or a mosquito, insects that they had been able to kill with just a p of their hands before, could easily kill a Semi-Divinity in the Firmament! He must have gone through a lot on the Grand Spirit Mountain... It took us five days to find a way out of that darned ce. It would have definitely taken him even longer than that, Luo Xuanqing remarked. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up as he said, He might have just left the mountain range and be residing in a nearby town right now. Lets search around the area then. We might just be able to find him! This time, Ill make sure to keep up with his pace... I dont believe that hell still be able to defeat me now that we are in a brand-new environment! He had deeply conflicted feelings toward this old friend of his. He hated him for making his younger sister suffer, but at the same time, he was impressed by thetters talents and decisiveness. If not for Zhang Xuan paving the way forward, it was likely that he would still have been on the Master Teacher Continent at this moment, unable to even be an Ancient Sage. It was such conflicted feelings that fueled his desire to ovee Zhang Xuan. He wanted to teach that young man a lesson for having let his younger sister down! But it was a pity that such emotions of his had never been fulfilled on the Master Teacher Continent nor in the Azure. It was likely that the Firmament was hisst chance to do so. Yu Fei-er suddenly pointed to the area ahead of them and eximed, Look, theres a group of people up ahead! Luo Xuanqing looked over and saw a couple of people dressed like students walking toward a nearby mountain forest. Their cultivation was only at the Semi-Divinity realm, and it looked like they were still a way off from bing Gods. They arent even Gods yet, but they still dared to enter the mountain forest? Are they courting death? Luo Xuanqing was baffled. So, he began walking toward them to advise them against that. Initially, the students were a little guarded against Luo Xuanqing, but after chatting for a while, they slowly lowered their guard. Hearing that the three of them had grown up near the mountains and had never been to a city before, a good-hearted student advised them kindly. Theres a city nearby called Twilight City. City Lord Wu Fangqing is a Celestial God, possessing strength unrivaled in the vicinity. So, you must make sure to tread carefully once you are in the city, or else youll be tried and punished for flouting any rules! Ever since the receding of spiritual energy, rules had been of the utmost importance in the cities of the Firmament. The authority of a city lord was greater than ever, and only a fool would challenge that. He was worried that the passionate caveman Luo Xuanqing would step out of line and be punished for that. Celestial God? Luo Xuanqing widened his eyes. Thinking that Luo Xuanqing might not even know about the cultivation realms, the good-hearted student began exining, Yes, Celestial Gods are incredibly powerful experts. As you might know, Gods are ssified into low-tier, middle-tier, and high-tier, and only a person who has made a breakthrough from high-tier God can be a Celestial God. Every single cultivator who is able to be a Celestial God is incredibly talented, and they are respected in the Firmament no matter where they are! The eyes of the kind student were shining in reverence as he spoke. Putting aside Celestial Gods, even high-tier Gods are already qualified to start their own n and be a powerhouse in Twilight City! High-tier Gods? Celestial Gods? Luo Xuanqing clenched his fists tightly as he swore to himself that he would one day reach the same level. It had not been long since he arrived in the Firmament, but he realized that there was a huge gap between every single cultivation realm beyond godhood. Putting everything aside, even if he had ample cultivation resources, it would likely take several years of hard work for him to advance from low-tier God to middle-tier God. Indeed. I dare not even dream of bing a Celestial God or high-tier God... My greatest wish in life is to be a real God, and once I graduate from school, Ill find a good job in a prestigious n or be the guard of the City Lord Manor. With the wages I earn, I shall get myself a pretty wife and climb to the top of the world! The kind student smiled sweetly as he thought about the bright future he had nned for himself. Not everyone could be a Celestial God, and he knew that his talent was only slightly above average among his peers. He dared not dream that ambitiously, and all he hoped for was to sessfully graduate from the academy and find a high-paying job. His life would have no regrets if he could just do that. Being a guard is not too bad. Ill be a guard after I enter the city too. Ill earn a decent wage and continue cultivating hard, Luo Xuanqing thought in determination. The starting phase would always be the most difficult. They werepletely broke in the Firmament, so there was an urgent need for them to improve their finances. As long as they were able to find a job and worked hard at it, they should be able to earn enough to raise their cultivation fast enough. With luck, he might be able to be a middle-tier God or even a high-tier God within the next decade. By then, what would Zhang Xuan mean to him? Besides, given that nasty temper that Zhang Xuan had and hispulsive desire to humblebrag, even if he applied for the position of a guard, no one would want to take him in... So, Luo Xuanqing still had quite an advantage, right? May I ask you something? We have a friend whom we parted ways with on the mountain roughly a month ago. If Im not mistaken, he should have headed over to Twilight City. So, I was wondering if you might have heard of him, Yu Fei-er suddenly said. The kind student shook his head and said, I dont think its likely that I would have heard of your friend. Twilight City is quite big, and there are millions of people entering and leaving the city everyday... I know, but this friend of ours is quite talented and haughty. He likes to cause trouble no matter where he goes, so I was thinking that he might have done something that would make him quite known around the area... Yu Fei-er pressed on. Zhang Xuan had only arrived in the Firmament a month earlier than them, so the chances of others knowing about him were quite slim. Nevertheless, she was still holding onto a ray of hope. She simply had not seen the young man for too long, and her yearning had only continued to grow deeper with time. She was anxious to obtain any news about him, even if it was just the word that he was doing fine. Cause trouble? I think you might be overestimating your friend a little too much... Even a lofty dragon has to make sure to stand in line in Twilight City, or else City Lord Wu will make him dearly regret his actions! the student scoffed. A bunch of cavemen who had never ventured out of their mountain that only managed to be Gods by some stroke of luck. They were thinking too highly of themselves if they thought that they could get away with causing trouble in the city! Ignorance sure was scary! Enough, Yu Fei-er. I can understand your feelings. That fellow did cause quite themotion on the Master Teacher Continent and in the Azure, but we are currently in the Firmament now. Its a ce filled with the most formidable experts in the myriad worlds! He might be talented, but it would be hard for him to stand out amid so many experts... Luo Xuanqing harrumphed. To be honest, he felt that this was really unfair. How in the world could that dense braggart have people who fancied him? On the other hand, he was so kind and handsome, yet there was no one interested in him at all... What was this worlding to? Were terrible men the trend? I know... Yu Fei-ers body slumped a little as she shook her head bitterly. Even with Zhang shis talent, it was indeed impossible for him to achieve anything incredible in one short month. Alright, lets stop thinking about, alright? That fellow, Zhang Xuan, has always been a restless fellow. Even if there are no signs of him now, its only a matter of time before we catch wind of him. What we have to do now is focus on our cultivation so that we can wow him when we finally meet him once more... Hu Yaoyaoforted Yu Fei-er. Yu Fei-er nodded. Yes, youre right. Just as they were about to bid the students farewell, they suddenly noticed that the students were staring at them with widened eyes. The teeth of the kind student whom they had been talking to were even ttering together. Who did you just mention? Z-Zhang Xuan? A young man roughly twenty years of age who suddenly appeared in the Firmament a month ago, Elder Zhang Xuan? Elder Zhang Xuan? The three of them nced at one another in bewilderment. Luo Xuanqing asked with a frown, Yes, indeed. But... how did you hear about that name? Of course I have heard of that name... the student eximed as his body trembled in agitation. Elder Zhang Xuan is my idol, you know, my idol! He appeared from the mountain a month ago, and it was there that he met Mo Yunoshi, Senior Wu Xiaoxiao, and the others. After entering Twilight City, within just a few days, he actually managed to ovee his bottleneck to be a Celestial God! You cant imagine just how huge amotion it caused in our city! And just recently, I heard that he has managed to reach the God King realm, and there are rumors that he has even killed a Conferred God King all on his own... Due to the vast poprity of the Beauty Pill and Breakthrough Pill, Zhang Xuan was renowned throughout the entire Firmament. As a result, bits and pieces of news regarding him began floating around, and as word spread from person to person, it eventually forged a legend. He managed to be a Celestial God in just a few days? Luo Xuanqing was stunned. He has already be a God King and even in a Conferred God King at that? Thinking that a caveman like Luo Xuanqing might have no concept of what God Kings and Conferred God Kings were, the good-hearted student began to exin, Well, God Kings are cultivators even stronger than Celestial Gods, and they can be considered the top experts of the Firmament. As for Conferred God Kings, they are God Kings who have been personally conferred by a God Monarch, and they possess strength only second to the Nine God Monarchs! When news that Zhang Xuan had managed to kill Baiye Qinghong spread across the Firmament, he had immediately be the idol of all the youths in the Sky of Drifting Specter. I-Is that so? You mentioned the Nine God Monarchs earlierwho are they? Luo Xuanqing asked with trembling cheeks. They are the true rulers of our Firmament. There have only been Nine God Monarchs ever since the founding of the Firmament, and itll remain that way until the end of time! Its a realm that you cant reach no matter how hard you cultivate. Its simply that awesome and incredible... the student exined. But before he could finish those words, the ground suddenly trembled, and a voice echoed in their heads. Today, I shall be a God Monarch. As those words sounded, a silhouette standing proudly in the sky appeared in everyones minds. He gazed upon everyone with eyes filled with authority. Zhang Xuan... Wait a moment, he has managed to be a God Monarch? Didnt you mention that they are the greatest existence in the world and that its impossible for anyone to reach it no matter how hard they cultivate? Luo Xuanqing nearly fainted on the spot. What the heck is this? I gritted my teeth to survive that darned rabbit and freaking ant nest all in the hope of catching up with you one day... And yet, you have already be a God Monarch? You are toying with me! My heart hurts... Why does it feel like I suddenly cant breathe anymore? Yu Fei-er and Hu Yaoyao also widened their eyes in disbelief. They knew that Zhang Xuan was a restless fellow who would cause amotion wherever he went. Yet, they did not think that it would be amotion of this proportion. In just a month aftering to the Firmament, he had already be a God Monarch. The other students also did not expect such a situation to ur, and all of them fell dazed in shock. But not too longter, yet another figure appeared in their heads. To think that you managed to make a breakthrough before me... How am I to show off like that? I am a God Monarch like this damned ass! ... Everyone looked at one another in shock. Hu Yaoyao and Yu Fei-er had their mouths opened so wide that an egg could slip right through. This meant that... Not only did he manage to be a God Monarch, even his clone had be a God Monarch as well! Even more shockingly, when they turned their heads around, they saw Luo Xuanqing bawling with snot dripping down his nose... The hell... Even if you dont want me to trouble you, you dont need to cultivate that fast to traumatize me, right? You are already a God Monarch, but I still cant even hunt down a rabbit at all... How am I supposed to win against you like that? Damn it! Chapter 2267 - Side Story 2: Luo Qiqi Chapter 2267 Side Story 2: Luo Qiqi Pilip! Pilip! On a mountain floating above the Sky of Freedom, festive firecrackers exploded loudly in the air, signaling a joyous festival. Experts that people had only heard of in rumors but hardly saw around were swiftly gathering on this mountain. With bright smiles on their faces, they offered their congrattions and handed over their wedding gifts. It was the wedding between Great Sovereign Zhang Xuan and God Monarch Lingxi! The wedding between the two strongest experts of the Firmament was intended to be a discreet affair. They were nning to make it a simple ceremony with only close friends as guests, but somehow, news began spreading around. In less than half a day, the mountain was already flooding with people. From the Cloud Dragon Monarch of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, a Golden Dragon Scale Robe and three liters of Golden Dragon Blood! From the Deathless Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin, three Deathless Phantasmagoric Feathers and five liters of Deathless Celestial Phoenix Blood! From God Monarch Fumeng of the Sky of Adamant Gold, three Tiger Fang and two Tiger Tails... Looking at the list of congrattory gifts that had been given by the God Monarchs, Fairy Linglong was utterly stunned. These were things that countless experts would go into a frenzy in order to obtain, such that even God Monarchs would make a move on each other for them. Yet, they were nothing more than ordinary wedding gifts here! The other eight God Monarchs had really gone all out. From the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, three Monarch Origin Pills and two God Monarch realm swords... The more Fairy Linglong read on, the more strongly she felt that the God Monarchs had gone insane. As valuable as the Golden Dragon Scale Robe and Deathless Phantasmagoric Feathers were, Kong shis gifts of Monarch Origin Pills and God Monarch realm swords were on a whole new level. Those were items that were useful even on God Monarchs! If they used it well, they could definitely groom yet another God Monarch realm expert. It would have been difficult for even the Heaven Subjugation Monarch to prepare another set of these items, yet he still gave them out as wedding gifts. Fairy Linglong really wanted to shake that old mans body and scream at him to check if he was still sane. This must really be the most extravagant wedding ever since the founding of the Firmament. I must say that God Monarch Lingxis eyes are truly sharp. To think that she would find a gem amid the hordes of mortals in the lower worlds... Fairy Linglong shook her head and sighed. She was one of the God Monarchs who had appeared along with the birth of the Firmament, so she had long seen past life and death. The reason she had remained single to date was because there was simply no one who could catch her eye. She had thought that it was impossible for a man who had the ability to conquer her to appear in the world, but who could have known that two formidable figures would appear one after another within just fifty years? This was especially so for Zhang Xuan. The first time she met him, he was no more than an ordinary high-tier Celestial God, but in just ten days, he had be an expert that towered above the entire Firmament. Just recalling that battle against Vicious made her pat her heart in relief. If not for the rise of this young man, the Firmament might have ceased to exist. As a woman, she could not help but envy how God Monarch Lingxi was able to notice his potential and support him all this time. If she had sharp eyes like that, she might have been freed from singledom by now... Its just a huge pity for this youngss... Thinking about the youngdy whom she had saved from the spatial turbulence back then, she could not help but sigh deeply inmentation. It was clear to anyone who had eyes how much the youngdy loved Zhang Xuan. She gave her all for him, but in the end, she still was not able to receive anything in return. Even someone who had lived for so many years like Fairy Linglong could not help feeling sorry for her. Noticing Fairy Linglongs gaze, Luo Qiqi turned her gaze over and directed a smile at her. Im fine. Despite her words, her eyes reflected endless bitterness and sorrow. She knew that Zhang Xuan had never been moved romantically for her, but she simply could not help herself from falling deeper and deeper into the swamp. Forget him. Ill help you find someone better, someone who truly loves you, Fairy Linglong said. Someone better? Luo Qiqi shook her head helplessly. She gazed ahead of her and sighed deeply. Having met the best, I dont think that theres anyone who canpete with him. Having seen how outstanding Zhang Xuan was, no matter how good others might be, they could not possibly catch her eye. Realizing that she could not convince Luo Qiqi at all, Fairy Linglong shook her head and berated, You are really wasting your life on Zhang Xuan! It was as if she was poisoned by Zhang Xuan! No words would simply work on her at all. Just as Fairy Linglong was in deep thought, the space before her suddenly warped a little, and two young men appeared before them. The one standing in front had fair skin and a dashing appearance. Even Zhang Xuan would pale inparison when it came to looks. On the other hand, the young man standing behind him felt sharp and cold. Vaguely, one could feel a powerful Sword Intent harnessed within his body. The old ancestor behind the Sky of Heavenly Sword? Fairy Linglong narrowed her eyes in shock. As one of the Nine God Monarchs, she knew a thing or two about the truth behind the mysterious Sky of Heavenly Sword. The Heavenly Sword God Monarch was indeed powerful, but what was even more fearsome was the unfathomably powerful teacher behind him. Even God Monarch Lingxi could very well pale inparison to him. It was just that his teacher was an elusive figure in the Firmament, such that nearly none of the God Monarchs had ever seen him. They had only heard rumors that he was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties. Nevertheless, judging from how the young mans Sword Intent was even stronger than that of the Heavenly Sword God Monarch, it was as clear as day who he was. However, what left Fairy Linglong even more astounded was how he, despite beingparable to God Monarch Lingxi, was actually standing behind yet another dashing young man. Who could the dashing young man be? Paying no heed to Fairy Linglongs doubts, the dashing young man walked up to the confused Luo Qiqi and smiled. I didnt expect the primordial energy created during my creation of the Firmament to morph into an artifact and gain sentience... Creation of the Firmament? Primordial energy? Fairy Linglongs teeth ttered together as a conjecture surfaced in his mind. You carry the aura of the earth, which was what I used to seal the space of the Firmament in ce back then. In the crisis fifty years ago, you ended up falling into the mortal world as the Dimension Silencer... Its a pleasure to have you back here, the dashing young man said. Noticing the anxious look on Luo Qiqis face, he smiled a little before gently cing his hand on Luo Qiqis. Hong long! The next instant, Luo Qiqis cultivation began to surge. A peculiar connection was forged between her and the Nine Skies of the Firmament, granting her power over the spatialws. This... Luo Qiqi widened her eyes in shock. The dashing young man had only touched her for a brief instant, but she could feel her strength growing several thousand times stronger than before! Even if Fairy Linglong made a move on her, she would be able to subdue her easily! Am I... God Monarch? Luo Qiqi muttered in disbelief. It was nigh impossible for new God Monarchs to emerge in the Firmament. The only reason the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and Zhang shi had seeded was because they each possessed a fragment of the heavens. Furthermore, the two of them were highly talented and diligent individuals, so their unyielding perseverance eventually allowed them to obtain the strength they currently had. On the other hand, she had not done anything, but with just a touch from the dashing young man, she had gained such tremendous power as well... Was she dreaming? Strictly speaking, you are the Overseer of the Firmaments Space. Even though you arent a God Monarch, you can be certain that most God Monarchs wont be a match for you, the dashing young man replied with a smile. Then... why isnt there a cultivation ordeal? Luo Qiqi was still unable to believe her current situation. A breakthrough to God Monarch would surely bring about the envy of the heavens, resulting in a heavenly tribtion. The same should have happened to her, so why was nothing happening. The dashing young man chuckled softly in response. I am the heavens themselves. I am the one who allowed you to make a breakthrough, so why would there be a cultivation ordeal? Heavens? Luo Qiqi widened her eyes in shock. Do you wish to marry Zhang Xuan? the dashing young man suddenly asked. I... Luo Qiqi froze in ce upon hearing those words, unsure how she should respond. Just say yes if you wish to, no if you dont want to. Whats there to hesitate over? Theres no need to be embarrassed over your own wishes, the young man said with a wave of his hand. I... want to! Luo Qiqi said. With greater determination this time around, she added, I think of it even in my dreams! As if having confessed something that had been weighing on her mind all this while, the tense look on Luo Qiqis face finally rxed a little. Hahaha, what an energetic youngdy you are! The dashing young man burst intoughter. Since thats the case, lets have him marry you as well! This... Luo Qiqis eyes lit up for a moment, but soon, her face sank yet again as she shook her head. But... Zhang shi doesnt like me, and I dont wish to spoil the rtions between him and Luo shi. It wasnt easy for the two of them to get together with one another... She had witnessed just how much Zhang Xuan had gone through in order toe together with Luo Ruoxin. Their rtionship really did note by easily, so she could not bring herself to tear them apart. You are worried about that? The dashing young man burst intoughter. He pointed over and said, Well, just look over there... Luo Qiqi raised her head and saw a pair of lovebirds descending from the sky. The groom was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, looking more suave than ever. The bride had a light blush coloring her fairplexion, looking like shy little girl. At that instant, the attention of the entire world was centered on those two. They were none other than Zhang Xuan and Nie Lingxi! While she was still awed by howpatible the two of them looked together, Nie Lingxi suddenly looked in her direction and beckoned her over. Qiqi,e here! Hu! The dashing young man snapped his fingers, and Luo Qiqis body flew over to where Zhang Xuan and Nie Lingxi were. Nie Lingxi looked at her for a moment before waving her hand elegantly, and a magnificent red gown and tiara appeared on Luo Qiqis body, turning her into a beautiful bride. God Monarch Lingxi, I... I... Luo Qiqis eyes reddened in agitation as her body began trembling lightly. Everything had happened so quickly, and she could not believe that this was really happening to her. You have done far too much for Zhang Xuan. Previously, the Library of Heavens Path suppressed his feelings, leaving him with little emotions for those around him. Now that he has ascended on his sentiments, how could he possibly watch as you suffer? Nie Lingxi chuckled softly. But... Luo Qiqi was still a little overwhelmed by the situation. Bliss hade so quickly that she did not know what she should do with it. She turned her gaze toward the young man, only to see him looking at her dotingly. Qiqi, are you willing? I am... Blushing in embarrassment, Luo Qiqi lowered her head and replied with a voice as soft as the buzz of a mosquito. ... willing. How could she not be willing? This was what she had been dreaming of ever since their time together on the Master Teacher Continent! Back then, when he walked out of her wedding, she had thought that their fates would diverge once and for all, and it was impossible for them to be together. She had never dared imagine that this unrequited love of hers could one day be fulfilled. Thats all that matters, Zhang Xuan said with a smile. Then, he turned to the crowd and dered with a peal of heartyughter, Today, we shall be married! His voice echoed throughout the entire Firmament, and countless individuals sped their fists to offer him their blessings. Then, Zhang Xuan extended his hands to Nie Lingxi and Luo Qiqi and asked, Shall we go? The three of them flew into the distant sky, till they finally disappear over the horizon of the world. Beneath the crowd, the livid-faced Luo Xuanqing finally released the massive axe in his hand before heaving a sigh of relief. Thats more like it... Authors Note: This story was designed to be a 1-to-1 pairing, but there have been readers hashtagging me, hoping for Luo Qiqi to have a better ending. So, I wrote this side story for her to give some closure. Chapter 2268 (END) - Side Story 3: Sun Qiang

Chapter 2268 Side Story 3: Sun Qiang

They must be the sweetest lovebirds in the Firmament Every time that Fairy Linglong recalled how Zhang Xuan, together with Nie Lingxi and Luo Qiqi, flitted through the air to depart with the blessings of masses of experts, she could not help but feel deeply envious of them. Born as one of the God Monarchs, she was destined to live a life very different from the others. Yet, she craved for the love of the mortals. All this while, she had been hoping to meet a man far stronger than her that she could rely on. However, the God Monarchs were mostly around her level of strength, and there were some who were even slightly weaker than her. Even though some had professed their feelings for her at one point in time, she was simply uninterested in them. It was not that she was too ambitious, but what she craved for was the romantic and passionate kind of love that one would see in the mortal world. This was not something that the Cloud Dragon Monarch and the others could bring her. She simply knew them too well, and for that reason, she could not bring herself to be interested in them. The Cloud Dragon Monarch was a phnder, and he had countless descendants all over the world. The Deathless Monarch spent his days thinking about how he could kill himself, reminiscent of a useless, pessimistic shut-in. On top of that, he was not interested in girls at all. God Monarch Fumeng was a very hot-tempered person who hardly had any patience. Demon Monarch Qiankun was simply too feminine for her liking. God Monarch Zhuoyang was a reckless and insensitive person who tended to overlook the details. There were even rumors going around that he often did not put his undergarments on. Ew. The Heavenly Sword God Monarch was married to his sword. Was there any need to say more? The Heaven Subjugation Monarch was without any desires in the world, just like an ascetic monk. And God Monarch Lingxi was a female See! There was simply no suitable person for her among the God Monarchs, and that was also why she had remained single over the years. But as she watched how lovey-dovey some couples were, she could not help but wonder when her spring woulde? As a woman, she dearly hoped to have someone reliable and dependable to stand by her side, supporting her through whatever she was facing. She might be a God Monarch, but she was notpletely free of desires. Perhaps due to her overwhelming desire for apanion, she found herself suffering from insomnia. No matter how she tried, she simply could not fall asleep. This was truly frustrating for her. That was why she felt deeply envious when she saw Luo Ruoxin and Luo Qiqi getting married. How she wished that she had been in their ce! Sighing deeply, Fairy Linglong threw those thoughts to the back of her head as she walked through the streets of Linglong Royal City. A month had already passed since Zhang Xuan and God Monarch Lingxis grand wedding, but themotion still had not died down. There were many people talking about that matter excitedly. Fairy Linglong listened to their gossips for a moment before walking into a rtively high-ss tavern. She had already disguised herself before descending to the streets, so it was impossible for anyone to recognize her. Even God Monarchs would not stay in their massive and cold pces all day long. That would be dead boring! So, from time to time, they would disguise themselves as mortals to experience an ordinary life. She took the window seat and ordered a few dishes before slowly savoring their vors. Just as the frustrations bubbling within her were finally starting to heal from the delicious food, arge group of people dressed in simr uniforms suddenly walked into the tavern. Its him! There was a suppressed exmation, and the dozens of people who had just entered the tavern immediately turned their gazes to a middle-aged man sitting not too far away from her. The middle-aged man had a slightly plump figure. As his back was facing her, Fairy Linglong was unable to catch a clear glimpse of his face. The middle-aged man seemed to be oblivious to the fact that there were many people looking at him. He was still holding his wine ss with a rxed posture, sipping on it calmly. There was a set of red braised pork belly and meat and pig trotters on the table, and the middle-aged man ate them heartily till oil was dripping from his lips. Surround him! After confirming the target, the leader of the group, a middle-aged man, raised his hand and gestured to his men. Hu! Dozens of men immediately surrounded the middle-aged man. Before they even made their move, one could already feel a terrifying killing intent emanating from them. The leader of the group sped his fist as he addressed the crowd all around. Friends, there are some things that I have to handle in here, so Ill have to ask you to excuse yourselves for a moment. You can count the tab for whatever you have bought on me today! Yes yes, well leave right away They are from the Shangguan n! Shangguan n? Yes! After Conferred God King Baiye Qinghong died, Conferred God King Shangguans n ended up bing the dominant power in Linglong Royal City. As such, we mustnt offend them at any cost! Who is the fatty then? Why are they here to capture him? I dont know about that, and it doesnt seem wise to poke our nose into this matter. Hurry uplets go! Amid hushed discussions, the crowd hurriedly left the tavern. This matter did not concern them, and it would be wise not to butt into the affairs of the number one n of Linglong Royal City as well. Soon, the only ones left in the tavern were the dozens of people, the fatty, and Fairy Linglong. She was not in a good mood, and it had not been easy for her to find a ce to rest and take a breather. Naturally, she was not willing to leave the area. Seeing that there was someone who still had not left, the leader frowned. Friend, our Shangguan n has something to handle. I hope that you can leave the area, or else we might just end up hurting you by ident. That would truly be a huge regret, wouldnt it? You can continue doing whatever you are doing. Im just a bystander Fairy Linglong said as she poured herself a ss of wine. But before she could finish her words, she saw a huge shadow looming above her. Looking upward, the fatty had already sat down opposite her, and he passed a te of pig trotters over to her. With a smile on his lips, he said, Youngdy, it would be best for you to leave the tavern. They are here to deal with me, and it would be terrible if they hurt you by ident It was only when the fatty took his seat opposite to her that she finally managed to see his face closeup. He had a friendly-looking face. Even though she would not call him handsome, he did have a unique charm around him. Instead of epting the te of pig trotter, Fairy Linglong looked at him and asked curiously, They are from the Shangguan ndo you not fear them? With her eye of discernment, she could tell that the fatty was only a high-tier Celestial God. Yet, he showed no fear before the experts of the Shangguan n, and he was even able to worry about her. It seemed like this fatty was more strong-willed than she had initially thought. Fear? What is there to fear about them? the fatty replied with augh. They are just a bunch of weaklingsing together! Sensing that the fatty really did not fear the opponents before him, Fairy Linglong grew curious. Shangguan Yunwan was someone whom she had conferred. Even though she was unmarried, she had seven younger brothers. Due to that, the Shangguan n was huge, evenpared to the other major ns in the Firmament. The fatty was just a high-tier Celestial God, yet he waspletely fearless. Just where did he get his confidence from? Hearing those words, the leaders eyebrows shot up as he red with Sun Qiang with eyes that could kill. Youre seeking death! Sun Qiang knew that a fight could not be avoided, so he ced his te of pig trotters down before standing up. He swung his sleeves to the back as he spoke to the crowd around him with a nonchnt expression on his face. I dont know this youngdy here, and she has nothing to do with me. Feel free toe at me, but dont make things difficult for her. Seeing how the other party was still protecting her despite the danger he was in, Fairy Linglong could not help but see the fatty in a new light. Putting aside whether he was in the right or wrong, just his attitude and disposition were already something that the group from the Shangguan n could not hope to match. Gentlemanly and thoughtful, the fatty must have been quite ady killer in his earlier days. This was the first time that Fairy Linglong had encountered such a situation in her long life. Humph! We are here to deal with you in the first ce anyway! The leader harrumphed coldly before signaling his subordinates to attack. In that instant, innumerable surges of sword qi burst forth to strike the fatty. Without any hint of anxiety on his face, the fatty chuckled softly as he began to thread through the attacks of the crowd with the same ease as how butterflies weaved across a cluster of flowers. Surprisingly, not even a single attacknded on him. Peng peng peng peng! With a few dull thuds, the dozens of middle-tier Celestial Gods were soon lying on the ground, groaning in pain. What incrediblebat sense he has! Fairy Linglong nodded in approval. With her eye of discernment, she could easily see through the fight. The fatty appeared to be an ordinary high-tier Celestial God at first nce, but through his deepprehension ofbat, he was able to ovee his numerical disadvantage and subdue so many middle-tier Celestial Gods easily. It was as if he could see through everyones ws. That allowed him to predict their actions and retaliate against their attacks beforehand. Due to that, those from the Shangguan n were unable to hurt the fatty at all despite having swarmed at him all at once. Instead, they were all swiftly defeated. Those idiots Dont you dare get gleeful just because you defeated my subordinates! Seeing how his subordinates had been defeated so easily, the leaders face darkened. He took a step forward and exerted his cultivation, revealing his cultivation as a Half-God King. Be it in terms of cultivation or strength, the leader was far stronger than the fatty. Judging from his exquisite moves, he had likely received the heritage of the Shangguan ns core lineage. That meant that he was one of the higher-ranking members in the Shangguan n. Hu hu! Without any hesitation, the leaderunched a barrage of sword qi toward the fatty. Despite the fattys superiorbat skills, it was still hard for him to cope with so much sword qi simultaneously with his current cultivation, so he ended up being forced back continuously. Be careful, Fairy Linglong said with a frown. The fatty had left a very good impression on her, so she did not wish for him to get injured. I appreciate your worry, but Im fine. Like I said before, they are just a bunch of weaklings! The fatty chuckled as he took a step back and grabbed a pig trotter from the table. He heartily took a bite of it before looking haughtily at the leader with the aura of a valiant warrior. Allow me to see how strong you are! Right after saying those words, he dashed forward with his mountain-like body. That must be what they call the air of a hero, Fairy Linglong murmured with sparkling eyes as she felt something ripple in her mind, which had remained calm and cid for many years now. She had thought that it would be impossible for her to meet a man whom she could fall in love with in the world, but who could have known that this average-looking fatty would catch her eye? He might be weak, but he had an air of confidence and assurance that allowed him to stand unfazed even before experts far stronger than him. This was definitely not something an ordinary man could do. Overwhelmed by the fattys imposing disposition, the leader cowered for a moment, but eventually, he gritted his teeth and charged forward as well. Peng peng peng! After trading a few blows, the confident fatty was still knocked back by the leader. His confidence was still insufficient to make up for the deficiency in his strength. Audacious! How dare youy your hands on me! Do you know who I am? the fatty bellowed with a voice carrying the ferocity of a mighty lion. Who are you? the leader asked with a slightly taken aback expression. The fatty had spoken with such gusto that, despite having the backing of the Shangguan n, the leader was starting to doubt his actions. It was true that the Shangguan n was powerful, but there were still quite a few people that they could not afford to offend. For example, before Baiye Qinghongs downfall, if they had dealt with her carelessly, that vindictive woman would have surely made their Shangguan n suffer terribly for it. I am the butler of the heavens! the fatty dered as he gazed down loftily on the leader, as if there was no one who was qualified to stand on equal grounds with him. By daring to raise your hand against me, you are raising your hand against the Firmament itself. Are you trying to rebel against the heavens? You must be courting death! H! With a flick of his wrist, the fatty took out a token and held it in his palm. Despite its small size, the token seemed to carry the weight of the heavens in it. Anyone who dared act out of line would suffer divine retribution for their insolence. This is Sovereign Zhang Xuans aura? Fairy Linglong was taken aback, already familiar with the aura in the jade token. Could it be that the fatty who had moved her heart was rted to Zhang Xuan? Peng! While Fairy Linglong was still frowning in bewilderment, the fatty, after taking out the token, swiftly imed the advantage in the battle and defeated the leader. After that, he shook his head with a look of disappointment on his face as he remarked, Yet another unworthy opponent He put down his pig trotters and ced his hands behind his back before he walked away with such light footsteps that seemed almost as if nothing had happened earlier. Friend, please wait a moment! It was the first time that Fairy Linglong had met someone as carefree as this. Unable to hold herself back anymore, she quickly rose to her feet and called after him. May I know your name? I am The fatty tilted his chin upward, and his eyes glowed in confidence. Sun Qiang! Sun Qiang? Fairy Linglong jotted down the name in her mind, and with a smile, she gestured to the table and asked, Your pig trotters Sun Qiang turned his head around coolly and said, Theyre your pig trotters now Fairy Linglongs face reddened a little. A yearter, Fairy Linglong and Sun Qiang had a grand wedding. And from that day onward, Fairy Linglong never lost a wink of sleep at night again. Chapter 2269 - 2269 Side Story: Zhang Xuan’s Birth 2269 Side Story: Zhang Xuans Birth It was raining heavily, and a boundless ck dyed the sky pitch-ck. Two figures quickly flew over from the sky. Before the raindropsnded on their bodies, they were sent flying by the force. Not a single drop touched their bodies. Teacher Yang, this is our first child. If anything happens, Im afraid that Mengya wont be able to take it The young man flying in front looked to be around 23 or 24 years old. His face was filled with anxiety and fatigue. He was the current n Head of the Zhang n, Zhang Zhenxing. The Zhang n was the top n among the saint ns. You are doing this for the sake of the human race. As long as I can do it, I will definitely do my best! The elder known as Teacher Yang nodded. The two people stopped outside a spacious residence. Before they evennded on the ground, First Elder Zhang Wuheng walked over and sped his fist. Zhang Zhenxing asked, Hows the situation with Sword Saint Meng? The First Elder hesitated for a moment before sighing, n Head you can listen to it yourself! Filled with doubts, Zhang Zhenxing was just about to rify the matter when he suddenly felt the ground quake. Following which, a deafening rumble echoed in the air. From afar, it seemed like the buildings nearby had copsed. As soon as the dust rose into the air, it was struck by the raindrops and turned into turbid water. Zhang Zhenxings face twitched in embarrassment. Did she demolish houses again? The First Elder nodded. Old Ancestor Hong Tian is on the verge of copsing. I-I only spoke to Sword Saint Meng for a moment, and in the end, she flew into a rage. The meeting hall, the blood pool, and the residences of many elders and I were all destroyed Zhang Zhenxing asked, How about the main residence? The First Elder said, Oh, that wasnt destroyed. When I said that the houses were demolished, I meant that we no longer have a ce to stay. Zhang Zhenxing heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seems like she hasnt lost her mind. Ill go over and take a look! With a tap of his foot, he swiftly flew toward the source of the explosion. In the air, there was an extremely beautiful woman. Her eyebrows were raised, and she held a sword in her hand as she raged. Her face and figure were well-maintained, but her stomach was bulging. It was obvious that she had been pregnant for a long time and was about to give birth. There were elders everywhere. Facing thedys sword qi, none of them dared to stop her. In fact, they didnt even dare to speak a word. At this moment, seeing the n Head arrive, it was as if they had seen their savior. Their eyes reddened. The houses were demolished every two to three days. There were horticulturists overseeing the houses, and their repairs were very fast and professional. However, their mentality could not take this damage! Menger Ive invited Teacher Yang over. He has a solution! Zhang Zhenxing hurriedly spoke. The whizzing sword qi in her hand stopped, and the woman turned to look at the elder not too far away. Wang Mengya greets Teacher Yang! The highest-ranking 9-Star master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion was a Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal-Realm pinnacle expert. No one in the entire continent dared to underestimate him. Teacher Yang waved his hand and said, n Head Zhang has told me about your situation. Lets go down and discuss it in detail! Yes! Wang Mengya did not dare to say anything else. In the main residence, the guests were seated. Teacher Yang went straight to the point. Sword Saint Meng, I can understand your feelings, but you should also understand our current situation. If something were to happen to Ancient Sage Hong Tian, not only the Zhang n, but the entire human race would also face the greatest cmity in the past ten thousand years! There was no longer the anger from before. Wang Mengyas eyes reddened. I know, but why him Hes not born yet, and hes still a life without self-awareness. Why should the mission of saving humanity be ced on a child like him! s! Teacher Yang sighed deeply. With aplicated look in his eyes, he said, Its all our fault! Its the fault of the Master Teacher Pavilion As long as we can save Ancient Sage Hong Tian, Ill do my best to ensure that this child survives. Furthermore, Ill take him in as my direct disciple, and Im willing to do everything in my power to help him achieve his goals Even if it doesnt work, Ill ensure that he lives a carefree life. Hearing Teacher Yangs words, Wang Mengya knew that there was a righteous cause behind this matter. Even though she was unwilling to do so, she still nodded in the end. Thats the only way. May I know what Teacher Yangs n is? As long as he can be born safely and grow up, it doesnt matter if he doesnt have a cultivation or bloodline. At most, if someone bullies him, Ill teach them a lesson With a flick of his wrist, a jade bottle appeared in Teacher Yangs hand. This is an innate spirit artifact. Before a child is born, inject it into his body, and it can rece his bloodline to maintain his life. However its a spirit artifact as well as a poison. If we cant find a cure before the age of 20, even Teacher Kong wont be able to save him Before the age of 20? Wang Mengyas pretty face turned pale. Actually Even if the bloodline disappears, it can still be restored! Suddenly, the First Elder, who had been silent all this while, spoke. Wang Mengya looked over anxiously. Can it be restored? How? The First Elder said, In the ancientnd! Legend has it that Teacher Kong brought 72 disciples to the ancientnd before disappearing without a trace! That ce doesnt have enough spiritual energy suppression. Thus, if a descendant whose bloodline isnt pure enough is sent there, theres a high chance that a new bloodline will be born and their physique will be activated. In the history of the sage ns thousands of years ago, there were more than ten geniuses who seeded. The 12th n Head of the Yuan n, Yuan Kai, was teleported out as soon as he was born, and he was found at the age of 16. In just three years, he became the number one genius of the younger generation, crushing the younger generation! The 19th n Head of the Luo n, Luo Qingfeng, was the same. The Zhang n once had a grand elder who had a simr experience Wang Mengya looked at her husband in confusion and saw him nodding. There is such a legend After getting confirmation, Wang Mengya heaved a sigh of relief. If the bloodline can be restored Can it cure my son of this poison that you mentioned? Teacher Yang hesitated for a moment before saying, This Im not too sure. I can only say that theres hope. After a long silence, Wang Mengya rubbed her stomach with red eyes. Son, no matter how difficult it is, Mommy will bear it with you Sword Saint Meng is righteous! Teacher Yang heaved a sigh of relief. He uncorked the bottle and tapped on it lightly. A stream of air immediately flew toward the womans stomach and disappeared in the blink of an eye. In the next moment, Wang Mengyas expression changed. Her pupils constricted, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Whats wrong? Zhang Zhenxing hurriedly rushed forward. Wang Mengya clutched her stomach. He seems to hate this kind of poison. Hurry up and find a midwife. I think I think Im about to give birth! Zhang Zhenxing was stunned for a moment before asking in disbelief, Im going to be a father? Alright, Ill go look for a midwife now With the birth of the n Leader, the entire n was in an uproar. In just ten minutes, Wang Mengya was arranged to enter a room. Several midwives took turns guarding her. Outside the room. Zhang Zhenxing paced around in circles. Although he knew that this child would go through a painful process, he was still abnormally excited at the thought of meeting him soon. Seeing Zhang Zhenxings helpless expression, the First Elder walked up to him and asked, n Head, what is the name of the Young Master? Zhang Zhenxing nodded. Yes, lets call him Zhang Anbang! Im Zhenxing, so its more suitable for him to be Anbang! The First Elder was speechless. What about his nickname? In Young Masters situation, I suggest a simple name to suppress his luck. It will be easier to raise him I havent thought about that yet Zhang Zhenxing nodded. However, youre right. We cant give him a powerful nickname. Its better for us to choose an ordinary name. Let me think about what we should call him Before he could finish his words, an elder rushed over and said, Deputy n Head, First Elder, bad news The two of them looked over at the same time. Afternding on the ground, the elders eyes were filled with shock. The ancestral tablet suddenly shook violently Before he could finish his words, the extremely dark and rainy weather suddenly cleared up. The bright sun shone high in the sky. Then, a huge rainbow stretched across the entire sky. It was like a bridge that led to heaven. Immediately after, countless phoenixes and peacocks flew around the rainbow and let out pleasant cries. The clouds dispersed and the rain cleared. It was now sunny. Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. Was this a phenomenon of the heavens and earth? Its Its the birth of a saint! All of a sudden, Teacher Yang came to a realization, and his face reddened in agitation. Ive read the history books, and it was the same back when Teacher Kong was born. Could it be Is this the birth of a saint? An innate saint? Zhang Zhenxing could not believe it. He knew that his sons bloodline was extraordinary, but he didnt expect it to be so extraordinary! Even before he was born, he had already caused the ancestral tablet to jump and cause a phenomenon of the heavens and earth If nothing bad happened to him, how high would his achievements be? Wah~~ Wah~~ As a loud voice sounded through the skies, the memorial tablets in the Ancestral Hall could no longer take it and copsed. Look, Teacher Kongs sculpture Another shout sounded. Zhang Zhenxing and Teacher Yang turned their gazes over once more, only to see Teacher Kongs towering sculpture floating quietly in the air, as if it was celebrating the birth of a fellow Daoist. Teacher Kongs sculpture is floating Teacher Kongs sculpture is floating Zhang Zhenxing muttered to himself. He was so excited that he was on the verge of going crazy. His son was actually able to gain the approval of Teacher Kongs sculpture! Ive thought of his nickname. Its Zhang Diaofei! With a glint in his eyes, Zhang Zhenxing made his decision. The birth of the child caused a natural phenomenon that shocked all the sage ns. The n Head of the Luo n even came personally and nned an arranged marriage for his daughter, who was still in the womb. Everyone was very happy, but Zhang Zhenxing and Wang Mengya were unhappy. They saw their sons bloodline being extracted with their own eyes. As a result, he was so weak that he was on the verge of death. It would not be easy for him to recover. Furthermore, they had to personally send him away. The teleportation array of the ancientnd could only transport babies. Furthermore the destination had yet to be determined! In other words Once the child was teleported, it would be impossible to tell if he was alive or dead. However, if the child wasnt teleported, he wouldnt be able to live past the age of 20, and there was a high chance that he would live an ordinary life. Dont cry They watched as a light shone and the baby, who had just been born, disappeared. Zhang Zhenxing patted his wifes back and said, The moment he was born, he was able to make Teacher Kongs sculpture fly into the sky. He will definitely return safely! Dont worry, from today onwards, I will apany you all the way across the continent to find him Wang Mengya nodded. She knew that no matter how reluctant she was, it was useless. This was for their child. In a remote kingdom far away from the Zhang n. On the way home, a drunk old mans vision blurred, and he saw a baby in front of him. One of the ribbons on the babys swaddling clothes was tied to a tree, while another ribbon was tied around the babys neck, causing the baby to hang in the air. It seemed as if the baby would suffocate at any moment. He hurriedly saved the baby and saw the word Zhang embroidered on his clothes. His surname is Zhang Since I saw him hanging from a tree, Ill call him Zhang Hanging Neck Forget it, it doesnt sound good. Ill call him Zhang Xuan! Nodding in satisfaction, the old man sold the baby to an orphanage in exchange for the money for wine. Chapter 2270 -END - 2270 Prequel: The Origin of the Library of Heaven’s Path 2270 Prequel: The Origin of the Library of Heavens Path In the Divine Realm, on the highest mountain, a human-shaped stone stood by the cliff, overlooking the heavens. Father, Father Help me catch it! At this moment, a five or six-year-old girl with a ponytail ran over. In front of her was a little yellow chick that was running in panic. Some of the feathers on its tail had been pulled off, making its bald tail stand out. Ji ji ji ji! The little yellow chick was anxious as it was being chased. With a hurried shout, the little yellow chick pped its wings andnded on the shoulder of the humanoid stone. Lets see where youre going! The youngdy harrumphed. In a sh, she appeared before the stone statue. With a light grab, she gently grabbed the yellow chicken with her palm. Little Master, I was wrong Upon being caught, the little yellow chick panicked and spoke up. As if she knew that it would do this, the youngdy raised her nose and ced a hand on her waist. Its toote for you to admit that youre wrong now. Scrooge, I just need a few feathers to make a duster. If you dont agree, dont even think about leaving if you donty an egg for me today! ??? The little chick blinked. Im a male The girl said, Who said that males canty eggs? I dont care. You have toy an egg. If you dont, Ill find a mushroom and stew you with it! The little yellow chick was on the brink of tears. Just as it was about to say something, a deep voice sounded, Lingxi, stop fooling around! Whoosh! The human-shaped stone statue began to shatter. Then, a young man with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes stood up. Surprisingly, it was not a stone statue. Instead, it was formed by a person who had been sitting for a long time. As a result, dust umted on his body and solidified. Father The little girl pouted. Dont be angry. Ive just opened up a Heavenly Domain for you and named it Freedom Heaven. You can treat it as your amusement park. I also have a few drops of my blood essence with me. If anyone dares to cause trouble for you, I can deal with them! Rubbing the young girls head dotingly, the young man tapped lightly with his other hand, and a few drops of bright red blood were wrapped in a special force beforending on the other partys palm. My own Heavenly Domain? Then I want to go over. After storing the blood essence, the girl looked excited. Go and y. With a light chuckle, the young man waved his hand, and a spatial door immediately appeared before him. The little girl skipped into it and disappeared in the blink of an eye. She was young, but she already had the power of a Divine King. Coupled with the young mans blood essence, even Venerable Sovereigns wouldnt be able to take advantage of her. Naturally, her safety wouldnt be a problem. Seeing that the girl was nowhere to be seen, the little yellow chick turned into a handsome young man. Hended not too far away and sped his fist toward the stone statue. Master Okay, go and find Nie Tong. The young man waved his hand. Yes! The yellow chick turned around and left. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the spot. If anyone from the Divine Realm saw him, they would immediately realize that he was also a God-leveled cultivator. That was right. This little yellow chick controlled the Spirit Origin Heaven. He was the Undying Emperor Monarch! Meanwhile, this young man was Nie Yun, the father of Nie Lingxi, also known as Luo Ruoxin. He was also the father-inw of Zhang Xuan. Hu! A few breathster, a young man with a cold expression and a long sword on his back was brought over by the Undying Emperor Monarch. This was his younger brother, Nie Tong! Nie Tong looked at his brother with aplicated expression. Have you decided? Yeah! Nie Yun replied, All these years, Ive been feeling that something is constantly calling out to me. Its constantly disturbing my mind, making it difficult for me to fall asleep and cultivate normally. If not for the fact that Ive sealed the energy in my body, I might have copsed long ago Now that Lingxi has grown up and her dantian has stabilized, I want to see what exactly it is! Nie Tong said, Since youve made up your mind, Ill go with you. Nie Yun said, Dont go. Ill test the situation first. If its too dangerous and anything happens, you have to protect the Divine Realm for me. Nie Tong looked anxious. Brother Nie Yun waved his hand and said, Alright, its settled then. Besides, Im not going there with my true body. Im just sending a thought over to investigate. Its not like you have nothing to do either. You have to protect my true body and prevent any unpredictable dangers from happening. At our cultivation realm, outsiders might think that were invincible, but in reality, theres always someone better than us. Dont let your guard down. Yes! Nie Tong nodded. He knew his brothers strength very well. He had long surpassed the Venerable Sovereign Realm and reached an unimaginable realm. However, even he was so afraid and had considered it for countless years before making the decision to test the situation. It was obvious that he was afraid. Nie Yun stood up and looked at the sky with a deep gaze. Then lets begin! Lingxi has just gone to Freedom Heaven. No matter how dangerous the situation is, it wont affect her. Master, I want to stay too! The Undying Emperor Monarch spoke hurriedly. Nie Yun did not say much. His slender body suddenly became tall, like a pincer supporting the heavens. In the next moment, a tide-like will tore through space and quickly spread out. Whoosh! A spatial door appeared in front of him. Then, a hugend appeared in his vision. This piece ofnd was so majestic that even Gods would find it difficult to find its borders. Countless stars floated in the sky, and dazzling rays of light descended like thin threads. These lines were like IV tubes, transferring the power of the stars to thend bit by bit. After observing for a while, Nie Yuns pupils constricted and his voice trembled. Every star is a Divine Realm! With his vision, he could see that the stars in the sky were all independent worlds. Furthermore, their strength was not inferior to his ce! The power of such strong realms was actually being drained by a continent In the past, he wouldnt even dare to think about it! From the looks of it, if this continued, it would not be long before all the living beings in thes died and the worlds would copse. What happened? Zhang Xuan asked Elder Liao with a grim voice. Nie Yun couldnt believe it. Countless realms nourished a continent. Then how strong were the people on this continent? More importantly why would they do such a thing? What was the purpose of sacrificing other realms to maintain this continent? Nie Yun was still in shock. Suddenly, someone in the center of the continent seemed to have discovered his spying. Whoosh! A huge palm suddenly came. The palm spanned tens of thousands of kilometers and appeared in front of the spatial door in the blink of an eye. Nie Yuns face turned pale. He knew that the strength of this palm far exceeded his own, and there was no way he could withstand it. Thus, he hurriedly closed his mind, intending to close the door. Kacha! Nie Yuns movements were swift, but the palm was even faster. Before the palm could reach the door, the door was already unable to withstand the pressure and shattered. The immense pressure caused Nie Yuns scalp to explode. Pu! He spat out a mouthful of blood. Big brother! Master! With two loud roars, a sword light along with a sea of fire sted towards the spatial door. Get back! Nie Yun roared and stood up again. He spread his fingers and rushed towards the palm. Whoosh! The moment the two came into contact, Nie Yuns skeletal frame and physical body were immediately crushed into dust. His soul was on the verge of copsing. Heavens Path, fuse into my body and stop it! As he roared, the Heavens Path of the Divine Realm fused with him. In an instant, Nie Yuns aura surged. The Divine Realm was his dantian and his realm. With the fusion of the Heavens Path, it was equivalent to him being the entire world. He was invincible. However There was a limit. If the power in the Divine Realm could not be destroyed, the same could not be said for the outside world. Boom! Nie Yun, who had fused with the Heavens Path, collided with the huge palm. In an instant, his body was shattered once more, and the Heavens Path was torn out as well. It transformed into three parts, namely the Order of the Heavens Path, the Deficiency of the Heavens Path, and the Nature of the Heavens Path. Among them, the first two parts swayed a little before entering the spatial rift and disappearing. Of course, after shattering Nie Yuns body and the Heavens Path, the palm force had weakened by nearly 90% and was no longer as ferocious as before. Master! The Undying Emperor Monarch roared and rushed forward. At the same time, he took out his magic treasure, the floating Undying City. When the huge city came into contact with the palm, the Undying Emperor Monarchs body also turned into ashes. The Undying City could not withstand the pressure either. Countless living beings died and disappeared into the crack. Hu! After being blocked by the Undying Emperor Monarch and the Undying City, the palm print finally exhausted all its strength and disappeared. Big brother Nie Tong rushed forward. The change happened too quickly. It was over before he could attack. Of course, the palm was too powerful. With his strength, even if he attacked, the oue would not change. It didnt take long for Nie Yun to recover. However, his aura was as weak as a mortals, and his face was as pale as a sheet of paper. At the same time, deep worry surfaced in his eyes. The appearance of the palm means that the experts of that world have discovered us. Im afraid that it wont be long before they extract our power andpletely destroy us like what they did to the other worlds At this moment, he finally understood what was going on with those stars. They should have experienced the same thing as he did. They had been discovered by the other party and ended up being nourishment for them Nie Tong asked, Then what should we do now? After a moment of contemtion, Nie Yun said, We definitely wont be able to withstand it on our own. We can only hope that someone with simr goals will appear. Such a person should have great luck and extraordinary talent. If we work together, we might be able to change the oue Right now, the Order of the Heavens Path and the Deficiency of the Heavens Path have entered the lower realm. This is an opportunity! Nie Tong did not understand, but he trusted his brother and did not ask. Nie Yun continued, Lets wait for now. Im seriously injured this time, and Im going to cultivate in seclusion. Tell Lingxi that Ive fallen into a deep sleep. At the same time, send the Nature of the Heavens Path over and let her control it for me. Nie Tong was puzzled. Why not tell the truth? Nie Yun shook his head. I deduced that the changes in the future are rted to her. I cant let her know too much, or else more changes will happen. Nie Tong was enlightened. In a world far away from the Divine Realm, there was a young man who had attained the Order of the Heavens. He rose to prominence step by step, and his descendants addressed him as Master Kong. Ten thousand yearster, the Deficiency of the Heavens Path turned into a library and descended upon an ordinary teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom. Chapter 2271 - 2271 Hidden Plot: Before the Divine Realm 2271 Hidden Plot: Before the Divine Realm On a moonlit night, a cold wind blew. Zheng Yang was wiping his spear in his room when a light knock sounded outside the window. The door opened, and a delicate figure appeared in front of him. The moonlight elongated the figure, revealing a beautiful face. This was his junior, Wei Ruyan. Why are you here sote? Zheng Yang was a little perplexed. It was already midnight. Why couldnt they talk about it when the sun rose? Wei Ruyan said, Were going to the Divine Realm with Teacher tomorrow Do you have any ns? Not expecting her to ask such a question instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, Zheng Yang was a little speechless. ns? What ns do I have? Without my teacher, I might still be an ordinary student in Tianxuan Kingdom, and my cultivation wouldnt even be at the Grandmaster-Realm. As such, its fine as long as you listen to Teacher. Ill do whatever Teacher tells me to do, and Ill go wherever Teacher goes Wei Ruyan turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, If thats the case, if you hadnt met Teacher, would you have already married Su Feifei and prepared to start a family? Back then, Su Feifei was the girl who abandoned Zheng Yang. Later on, she went to look for Yun Xiang from the Yun n of the saint ns, who turned out to be a pickup artist. Before entering the Ancient Lands on the Master Teacher Continent, Zheng Yang had Wei Ruyan impersonate her as his girlfriend to look for Yun Xiang. Not expecting her to bring this up, Zheng Yang felt a little awkward. Of course not. I I will definitely work hard to cultivate my spearmanship and try to condense Spear Intent so that I can be an expert like Elder Wang! Wei Ruyan nodded in agreement. Thats true. Since she isnt interested in you, you can only cultivate spearmanship! You She had truly touched a sore point. Zheng Yangs face turned livid. Junior Ruyan, are you here to pick a fight with me? If you really have something against me, we can have a duel! Even though the other partys attack was very powerful, as the former head of the Combat Master Hall, he wasnt afraid of the other party at all. Do you want to fight? Wei Ruyan was stunned for a moment before she sneered coldly. Serves you right for being single! She turned around and walked back. For a beauty like her toe looking for him in the middle of the night, even if she didnt have any romantic thoughts, he shouldnt have made a move How ungentlemanly. How stupid! Just as she wasining in his heart, a fat figure walked out from behind the tree with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. It was Yuan Tao. The fatty passed the flowers over with a smile. The night is long. I thought that I was the only one who couldnt fall asleep. I didnt expect Junior Sister Ruyan to not be asleep either Wei Ruyan raised her eyelids, and a poisonous gas began swirling around her fingertip. Do you want to die? Yuan Taos lips twitched and he wanted to cry. Of course not Damn. She ran over to look for Zheng Yang. Zheng Yang wanted to beat her up, but she didnt say anything. However, Yuan Tao gave her flowers, and she wanted to kill him They were both Senior Brothers. However, he was simply a convenient target! Was it really good to be an attractive person? Wei Ruyan said, If you dont want to die, scram back to sleep immediately! Yes! Walking back, Yuan Tao was just about to toss the flowers away when he suddenly thought of something. He walked over to another room and knocked on the door. A momentter, the door opened. Wang Ying timidly popped her head out. Junior Brother Yuan Tao? Ah, such beautiful flowers. Are they for me? Of course! Yuan Tao hurriedly nodded. I specially flew over a hundred kilometers to pick these flowers for you. Do you like them? I like them! Nodding her head, Wang Ying sniffed at the flower petals, and her eyes curved into crescent moons. It smells so good. Thank you, Junior Yuan Tao. Ill disy it right away Forget it, well be heading to the Divine Realm tomorrow. They wont be able to survive even if I disy it. It just so happens that Junior Ruyan likes flowers too. Ill send it over to her! ??? The corner of Yuan Taos mouth twitched, and he hurriedly waved his hands. She likes poison, so she definitely doesnt like flowers. Its better not to give her flowers. Besides, its already sote, so I think that she must be asleep already Shes not asleep. She was chatting with me just now. She should have just returned. Ill go look for her now! Wang Ying walked toward Wei Ruyans room with a smile on her face. However, before she could reach Wei Ruyans room, Wei Ruyan walked out and looked at Yuan Tao with a faint smile on her face. Senior Yuan, this bouquet of flowers is really useful. You gave it to me first before giving it to Senior Wang Ying If Senior Wang didnt want it, were you going to give it to Senior Zhao Ya? Beads of sweat appeared on Yuan Taos forehead as he hurriedly waved his hands. How could there be such a thing? I was just thinking that since Ive already plucked it, wouldnt it be a waste if I dont give it to a beauty Cough cough, I still have something on, so Ill take my leave first! With that, he turned around and ran. However, before he could walk far, he tripped over something and fell to the ground. Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw a thick tree root that had poked out from the ground at some point in time. Not too far away, a massive tree had been enchanted by someone, and its lush leaves were whipping toward him. Yuan Tao knew that the branches wouldnt be able to harm him even if they were tond on his body. However, as long as he stopped the branches, the two girls would definitely not let him go. With a tap of his foot, Yuan Tao charged forward. As soon as Yuan Taos body came into contact with the tree branch, he activated his Emperors Bloodline. Unable to withstand it any longer, the tree exploded. Just as Yuan Tao was about to make use of the opportunity to escape, he suddenly felt his entire body go numb, and the strength in his body gushed out like a tidal wave. He narrowed their eyes in shock. Damn it! No matter how stupid he was, he knew that he had been tricked! Not only had the tree been enchanted by Senior Wang Ying, but Wei Ruyan had also sprinkled poison powder on it. As a result of the collision, the poison had already seeped into his body. Dissolve! The powerful True Essence roared like a true dragon, and the numbness in his body immediately eased. At his cultivation realm, unless it was a poison from the Divine Realm, it would not be able to harm him at all. Are you trying to leave? Stay behind! Wang Ying shouted. Clearly, she had also realized that Yuan Tao had given one bouquet to two people. She was a little displeased. Hu! Hu! Following her words, the surrounding trees came to life. Leaves and roots rushed toward Yuan Tao. In the blink of an eye, he waspletely sealed in all directions. Once a Spirit Awakener reached a certain level of cultivation, they would be able to control everything in the world. Senior Sister, save me! If he were to force his way through, he would definitely be able to get out. However, this would only further infuriate the two girls. Thus, Yuan Tao had no choice but to stop and look at a room not too far away. During his escape earlier, he had already reached Zhao Yas doorstep. Aiya! Zhao Ya walked out and looked at the disheveled fatty. He couldnt help but smile. Thats right, we should teach him a lesson! He deserves to be unlucky for teasing his senior and junior! Although he was in the room just now, there was already a fight outside. With his strength, how could he not know what had happened? At this moment, Lu Chong and the others walked out as well. They were all standing at the side, watching the show. In an instant, Yuan Taos face reddened. Since everyone cant sleep, Ill give you another lesson! At this moment, Zhang Xuan heard amotion and walked out. Now? Everyone was stunned, and they felt like crying. Their teachers lessons were very good, but They were going on a long trip tomorrow. They wanted to rest well today. Why? Arent you willing? Zhang Xuan frowned. I dont dare No one dared to say anything else. Very well! Zhang Xuan smiled faintly. A unique charm of the Great Dao flowed slowly from his mouth. At first, the crowd was still wide awake, but the more they listened to him, the more drowsy they became. Before long, they had all fallen asleep. Knowing that such a situation would ur, Zhang Xuan smiled and waved his hand. The disciples immediately rose into the air and returned to their rooms. As they were about to go to an unknown location, everyone felt a little nervous. Otherwise, Wei Ruyan wouldnt have gone to look for Zheng Yang, and Yuan Tao wouldnt have picked flowers As a teacher, how could he not know? Therefore, the so-called lecture was actually a hypnosis session! They would have a good sleep and deal with the danger in their best mental state at dawn. After settling his students down, Zhang Xuany down on a thick tree branch and gazed into the brilliant starry sky. A smile crept onto his lips as he murmured, Divine Realm, Iming! Plot Supplement: Qiqi In the Subterranean Gallery . In the Luo ns military camp. The n Leader, Luo Ganzhen, frowned and asked, Whats going on up ahead? First Elder Luo Qingchens face turned livid. Sovereign Chen Yong schemed against us and caused us to suffer a huge loss. Ny percent of the valley guarded by the Luo n has already been taken away, and the rest could be lost at any moment. In the battle yesterday, more than two hundred n members were sacrificed. Furthermore, my nephew, Luo Longfei, has yet to return The war between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe hadsted for ten thousand years, and there had been countless battles of various sizes. For so many of their tribesmen to die at once, it was not a major battle, but it was definitely not a small one either. Narrowing his eyes, Luo Ganzhen took a deep breath and made a decision. The saint ns of the Master Teacher Pavilion have been guarding the Subterranean Gallery for tens of thousands of years, and they have sacrificed countless predecessors and master teachers for this. We cant afford to make a loss in our generation Please bring the Dimension Silencer over! Luo Qingchens expression changed drastically. The Dimension Silencer harnesses the power of space. If it were to be activated, it would be able to withstand the Otherworldly Demonic Tribes attack and even push them back. However Without such a pure bloodline in the n, it is simply impossible for it to exert its full might! I know, I have my ways Luo Ganzhen shook his head. Could it be that Recovering from his shock, Luo Qingchens expression changed drastically, and his voice trembled as he said, n Leader, do you want to do that? Absolutely not! They are all your flesh and blood Luo Ganzhen gritted his teeth. Then Do you have a better idea? I The First Elder was speechless. If there was another way, why would he be forced to this extent? Luo Ganzhen continued, I know that its unfair to them, but if you can sacrifice your descendants, why cant I? If the valley falls, we will be the sinners of mankind. How can we face our ancestors and Master Kongs teachings after our deaths? But Luo Qingchen still wanted to say something, but he chose to remain silent in the end. Gritting his teeth, he replied, Yes, Ill go now! After which, he turned around and walked out. Not too longter, the five young men returned to the room. Upon seeing the n Leader, they sped their fists and greeted, Father! The oldest was only in his twenties, while the youngest was only 13 years old. His face was filled with immaturity. They were the five sons of Luo Ganzhen. Suppressing his grief, the n Leader of the Luo n turned to Zhang Xuan and said, Given the current situation, I believe that the First Elder has already told you about the decision you should make. I hope that you can make a decision as soon as possible! At this moment, there was no hesitation in the eyes of the five youngsters. To be able to defeat the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and save everyone, even though we are still young, we will not back down. Father, youve taught us since we were young to imitate our ancestors and be qualified master teachers. Now that its time for the test, how can we run away? If the nest copses, there will be no eggs left intact! If the human race cant hold on, we will still die As expected of my children! There was no fear in their eyes. Instead, their expressions were steadfast. Seeing this, Luo Ganzhens eyes welled up with tears. With a flick of his wrist, a sphere appeared before him, and it floated quietly in the air. It was entirely jade-green in color, and it didnt seem eye-catching at all. However, when ones spirit entered it, one would immediately feel an immense tearing sensation. It was as if space couldnt withstand it. This was the ultimate treasure of the Luo Family, the Dimension Silencer! Lets begin! Yes! The five youths immediately surrounded the Dimension Silencer and sat cross-legged on the ground. Whoosh! As they circted their auras, droplets of blood essence were extracted from their bodies. The Dimension Silencer absorbed their pure bloodline and slowly rotated, generating powerful energy. As more and more blood essence was absorbed, the faces of the five youths turned extremely pale. The five of them were the core lineage of the Luo n, and their bloodlines were the purest, even surpassing their fathers. Thus, even though Luo Ganzhens strength far surpassed theirs, it was still impossible for him to activate the Dimension Silencer. Aiya! At this moment, the door to the room was pushed open. A middle-aged woman who was pregnant rushed in with an eight or nine-year-old child. When she saw the actions of the five youths, her vision darkened, and she roared, Luo Ganzhen, what are you doing? Theyre all your flesh and blood Not expecting her to appear, Luo Ganzhen hurriedly said, Wife, you are pregnant. How can youe here? Luo Xuanqing, bring your mother back! The eight or nine-year-old child shrank his neck when he heard his fathers reprimand. Mother, lets go back Im not leaving! Unless you kill me today, dont even think about letting me leave Mrs. Luo was so agitated that it caused miscarriage symptoms, making her stomach hurt. Just as Luo Ganzhen was about to step forward to support her, the ground suddenly shook violently, as if there was an earthquake. Whats wrong? Everyone hurriedly raised their heads, only to see that thest tenth of the valley was already at its limits. Countless Otherworldly Demon experts were rushing over. Behind them was the Master Teacher Continent. Retreating would mean destruction. Its toote Seeing that they had lost their base and that the entire Luo n was at stake, Luo Xuanzhu, who was the oldest among the young men, said with a determined look in his eyes, Brothers, we dont have time to sacrifice our bloodlines bit by bit. Lets just begin! Yes! The other four nodded simultaneously. Whoosh! Father, Mother, forgive us for being unfilial. We wont be able to serve you in the future. Xuan Qing, take good care of your parents and your unborn sister At their level of strength, even if the child was not born, they would know if it was a boy or a girl. As soon as those words were spoken, the bodies of Luo Xuanzhu and the others split open at the same time. The pure bloodlines of the five sons flowed into the Dimension Silencer. After receiving the nourishment of their bloodlines, the Dimension Silencer immediately released a shocking power. No! Seeing her five sons die before her eyes, the middle-aged woman couldnt help but faint. Xuan Zhu, Xuan Ling, Xuan Ye, Xuan Zhen, Xuan Hu With bloodshot eyes, Luo Ganzhens body trembled uncontrobly. Even though he knew the oue in his heart, he still felt a piercing pain when he saw them sacrifice themselves without hesitation. However, now was not the time to think about this. Otherworldly Demons, Ill fight you to the death After recovering from his grief, Luo Ganzhen made a grabbing motion in the air, and the Dimension Silencer appeared in his palm. With a loud bang, the Dimension Silencer fell onto the Otherworldly Demons. Boom! In the blink of an eye, thousands of Otherworldly Demon experts were reduced to ashes. Strength was unleashed as if it was free of charge, and the Dimension Silencer rushed forward crazily. In less than ten minutes, the valley that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had just conquered was cleared out and returned to the hands of the Luo n. At this moment, this n-protecting treasure seemed to have exhausted its strength and became dim again. It returned to the room and spun. Pu! Only then did Luo Ganzhen feel weak all over. A mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth, and his aura was a little weak. This magic treasure was too powerful. Even with the help from the bloodline of his five sons, it still exhausted his strength and resulted in serious internal injuries. It seemed that it would be very difficult for him to recover without a few years of rest. Without bothering to adjust his breathing, he walked up to his unconscious wife and said, Wife A wave of qi traveled through her body, and the middle-aged woman slowly woke up. She thought of her sons and felt pain again. However, this emotion did notst long. Her expression changed slightly. She clutched her stomach and trembled non-stop. My stomach hurts Luo Qingchen made a quick diagnosis before exining, Mistress must have experienced a miscarriage. Ill go get a physician right away For the sake of the n and mankind, the n Leader had already lost five sons. Another bad thing could not happen. Otherwise, no matter how strong a person was, they would copse. Just as the First Elder was about to leave, the Dimension Silencer in the air suddenly shed and entered Mrs. Luos stomach. Everyone was stunned on the spot. Since the Dimension Silencer was passed down from the Luo ns ancestors, only the purest bloodline could activate it. Such a situation had never happened before. Was it good or bad? Luo Ganzhen trembled slightly as he looked at his wife. Realizing that thetter was no longer in as much pain as before, he slowly opened his eyes. Wife, how are you? I I think Im about to give birth After struggling for a moment, the middle-aged woman gritted her teeth. Ill look for the midwife now She did not know if it was because of the Dimension Silencer or because she was too sad, but the delivery did not go smoothly. After a day and night, the child was finally born. It was a girl. At this moment, the Dimension Silencer, the most precious treasure of the Luo n that even the Luo ns n Leader found difficult to activate, was in her hands. Without the powerful aura from before, it was like a toy. I see In a sh, Luo Ganzhens eyes reddened in realization. It was the blood essence and souls of his five sons that caused the spirituality of the Dimension Silencer to choose his youngest daughter. This was a gift from his five sons Mother! While he was deep in thought, he heard his youngest son, Luo Xuanqing, shouting anxiously. He hurriedly turned his gaze over, only to realize that after giving birth to his daughter, his wifes energy had beenpletely depleted. Unable to hold on any longer, she had simply passed away. He was a Saint-Realm pinnacle expert, and his wife wasnt weak either. Yet, even with such strength, she still wasnt able to hold on. It was obvious how much strength this child had expended. After burying his wife and children, Luo Ganzhen looked at his daughter lovingly and said, You are my seventh child, so lets call you Qiqi! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!